destruction when such bitter and cursed fruits grow upon the top-most Branches of the tallest Trees in the Land So likewise when those that should punish sinne in others are themselves guilty of those sins which do deserve the sharpest Punishment When those that are intrusted with power for the execution of Justice upon Swearers Drunkards Adulterers Sabbath-breakers and such like are themselves guilty of these fearful sins and God-provoking Abominations This speaks the state of such a People to be desperate the disease of such a Nation to be deadly When there is Poison in the Plaister and the Physician himself hath the Plague upon him what hope of cure can there be for the Patient If those that should be the Healers of the Nation do wound it by their transgressions what can be expected but a sudden and inevitable Destruction Certainly corrupt Magistrates and Ministers of Justice are the Lands sharpest Scourges and the chief procurers of its sorest Judgements The fifth Case Incorrigiblenesse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVHen men are not amended by Corrections but grow worse and worse under all the Dispensations of Divine Providence it 's a sure and sad Symptome of perillous Times a clear and undeniable evidence that the last dayes are come upon us and the Evil of them hath overtaken us For the Apostle fore-warning us that in the last Dayes perillous Times shall come tells us that in those Dayes †2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and Seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived It 's a sad signe that judgement is at hand and Destruction is at the Doore when men grow worse and worse under all the meanes of making them bettâ—r When they are not reclaim'd by Judgements reduc'd by benefits reform'd by all the meanes of grace and Salvation Surely Incorrigiblenesse under judgements and customary continuance in Sin and a continual progresse in impiety from one degree to another notwithstanding all the meanes and mercies vouchsaft for their amendment is a Fore-runner of their inevitable ruine If the Tree be prun'd and digg'd about and dung'd and water'd and yet notwithstanding all this cost and paines after long waiting does not onely bring forth no good Fruit but much evil and every yeare worse and worse it shall certainly be cut down that it no longer cumber the ground * Luk. 13 6-9 If when the Lord might justly expect good Grapes from his Vineyard it bring forth nothing but wilde Grapes and these every Vintage worse and worse its just with him to pluck up the Fence thereof and lay it wast †Isa 5 1-6 God is wont by his Word his Rod and his Sword to proceed against sinners By his Word he calls them to repentance but if they will not be reclaim'd by that with his Rod he chastises them for sin he exercises them with several Afflictions if they will not hereby be amended he is ready with the Sword of his Justice to cut them off in the execution of his Judgements So by the neglect and non-improvement of the two former a sinning People come to experiment the severity of the last and sorest of these dispensations Thus does the Lord complain of Judah * Zeph. 3.2 She obeyed not the Voice she received not Correction and so hereby she provoked the wrath of God to her own Ruine and Destruction When men do commonly cast contempt upon the Word and Ordinances of God and are generally unprofitable under the meanes of grace its just with God to give them up to Blindnesse of Minde and hardnesse of Heart and then according to the ordinary Methods of his Justice to second these Spiritual Judgements with a Temporal Destruction and so for the Vnprofitablenesse of the People to lay the Land desolate Of this Import is that dreadful commission which the Lord gave unto the Prophet Isaiah concerning the People of Israel Go sayes He to him †Isa 6 9-12 and tell this People hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not Make the heart of this People fat and make their eares heavy and shut their Eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their Eares and understand with their Heart and convert and be healed Then said I Lord how long And he answered Untill the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant and the Houses without man and the Land be utterly desolate and the LORD have removed men far away and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the Land Of the very same import is the Criminatory Complaint and Prophetick Commination of the Prophet Jeremy against the men of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Name of the Lord. This thing commanded I them saith the LORD * Jer. 7 23-29 concerning their Fathers whom he had brought out of the Land of Egypt saying Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my People and walk ye in all the wayes that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you But they hearkened not nor inclined their Eare but walked in the Counsels and in the Imagination or stubbornnesse of their evil Heart and went backward and not forward Thus they became worse by the meanes used to make them better Since the Day that your Fathers came forth out of the Land of Egypt unto this Day I have even sent unto you all my servants the Prophets daily rising up early and sending them Yet they hearkened not unto me nor inclined their eare but hardened their Neck they did worse then their Fathers Therefore thou shalt speake all these words unto them but they will not hearken to thee Thou shalt also call unto them but they will not answer thee But thou shalt say unto them this is a Nation that obeyeth not the Voice of the LORD their God nor receiveth Correction Truth is perished and is cut off from their Mouth Cut off thine Hair O Jerusalem and cast it away and take up a Lamentation on high Places for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the Generation of his Wrath. And what follows †ver 34. Then will I cause to cease from the Cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the Voice of Mirth and the Voice of Gladnesse the Voice of the Bride-groome and the Voice of the Bride for the Land shall be desolate But yet before the Lord proceeds to the utter Destruction of a People he is wont to try them by lesser Judgements lighter Afflictions whether they will return to Him by Repentance or no. These lesser Judgements are his Warning peeces which he shoots off to see whether they will make their Peace with him before he levels against them his Battering Ordnance and discharges upon them his Murdering Cannons his dreadfull destroying Judgements Lighter Afflictions therefore are to be improved for the Prevention of heavier Judgements For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nocumenta Documenta
What dreadful Dayes may we yet live to see if the Lord should deal with us according to our Deservings How soon may the Clouds of heaven which were wont to drop down Blessings on our heads be dissolv'd into showers of Blood Ah my Beloved have you not read in the holy Scriptures what dreadful Judgements the Lord hath executed upon Cities Nations Kingdomes his own People yea the whole World Know you not that God turn'd the whole Earth into a Sea and destroy'd all Flesh save the Family of Noah with a Flood How he pour'd a Flood of Fire and Brimstone upon the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and consum'd them with Flames and turn'd that pleasant plain that was as the Garden of God * Gen. 13.10 into a noisome Lake How that God was wroth with his own people the children of Israel whom he had chosen to himself out of all the kindreds of the earth and slew them in the VVildernesse so that onely Joshua and Caleb of all those that came out of Egypt entred into Canaan And how often after they were possest of the Land of Canaan he sold them into the hands of their enemies that opprest them in the Time of the Judges How in the dayes of Eli he deliver'd them into the hands of the Philistines who slew them with a great slaughter insomuch that in one battel there fell of Israel thirty thousand Foot-men †2 Sam. 4.10 How the Lord sent a Pestilence amongst them in the dayes of David which raged so exceedingly that in three dayes space there dy'd of the people seventy thousand men * 2 Sam. 24 15 How the Lord brought the King of Babylon into Jerusalem who burnt the Temple of the Lord the Palace of the Prince and the Houses of the Nobles with Fire brake down the Wall thereof and utterly destroy'd the City carry'd both Princes and People Captives into Babylon where they endur'd a hard Bondage for threescore and ten years †2 Hing 25. and 2 Chro. 36.14 ult Now know you not that all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and that they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come * 1 Cor. 10 6 11. Oh do but consider seriously with your selves what were the Causes of all these fearful Judgements which God who is the Father of Mercies brought upon the men of the world yea upon his own People Were they not the sinnes of the Times whereby men pluckt down upon their own heads these Plagues and Punishments Now pause a little and consider seriously Are not the same sinnes that drew down Judgements upon them to be found amongst us Is not the Pride Luxury Lasciviousness Licenciousness Atheism Impieties of the old World to be found amongst us Are there not †Gen. 6.4 Mighty men Giants in worldly Greatness who employ their might in fighting against God in these our Dayes Are not the sins of Sodom to be found amongst us Is not the City and Land polluted with the vilest Impurities and Pollutions Are not the Murmurings Cruelties Injustice Oppressions Falshoods Covenant-breakings Revoltings neglect of Gods Worship Contempt of his Ordinances Hypocrisies of Israel to be found amongst the people of England Have we not then cause to tremble in the Apprehension of the judgements which hang over our heads especially if we seriously consider that those sinnes which severally in them drew down such dreadful judgements are to be found jointly in us and that notwithstanding the Light of the Gospel and the Meanes of grace plentifully enjoyed by us which are most fearful Aggravations of this dreadful guilt Nay is not the guilt of many horrid Blasphemies and hellish Impieties which have not been heard of in former Ages to be found amongst us Does it not make your hearts to tremble to consider that so many crying sins so many provoking impieties so many bloody Abominations should abound and reigne amongst us when for any one of them so reigning so abounding the whole Land might be involv'd in miseries and Confusion and Blood Are not these then perillous Times Surely it is of the LORDS mercies we are not consumed and because his compassions faile not * Lam. 3.22 But who knows how soon the Lord in his Justice may proceed to the execution of his Judgements upon us and so turne our Chephzibah a Land of Beauty the Lords Delight into an Acheldama a Field of Blood What then is to be done by us Christians for the Prevention of the Lords Judgements on a sinful Land O come and bring every one your two Buckets and pour them out before the Lord for the quenching of the Fire of the Lords wrath which is kindled against a sinful Nation Fasting and Weeping and Mourning hath been a way which hath proved very effectual for the turning away the sorest Judgements the diverting of the nearest Destruction Thus was the destruction of Jerusalem delay'd in the time of Josiah †2 King 22.19 20. the destruction of Nineveh in the Days of the Prophet Jonah * Jon. ch 3 This is that to which God calls at such a time as this in a Day of Danger and Distresse When the Lord had threatned terrible Judgements against Zion this was the duty to which by his Prophet he call'd the Inhabitants of Jerusalem †Joel 2 12-19 Therefore also now saith the LORD Turn ye even to me with all your Heart and with FASTING and with WEEPING and with MOURNING And rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turne unto the LORD your God for he is Gracious and Merciful sloâ— to Anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the Evil. Who knoweth if he will returne and repent and leave a blessing behind him even a meat-Offering and a drink-Offering to the LORD your God Blow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a FAST call a solemne Assembly Gather the People sanctifie the Congregation Assemble the Elders Gather the children and those that suck the Breasts Let the Bride-groom go forth of his Chamber and the Bâ—ide out of her closet Let the Priests the Ministers of the LORD weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy People O LORD and give not thine Heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule over them Wherefore should they say among the People Where is their God Now mark what follows Then will the LORD be jealous for his Land and pity his People Yea the LORD will answer and say unto his People Behold I will send you Corn and Wine and Oyle and ye shall be satisfi'd therewith and I will no more make you a reproach among the Heathen Now how great an encouragement should this be to us in perillous Times to seek the Lord solemnly seriously with Fasting and Prayer Do you ever remember that the Judgements of the Lord came upon his people while they were Fasting and Weeping and Mourning No when sinnners are Feasting
2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and †Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle †Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus †Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full †Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven †Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope †Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth †Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * â—sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD †Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 â—8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture †Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished
words Behold the LORDS hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his Eare heavy that it cannot hear But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his Face from you that he will not hear For your hands are defiled with Blood and your fingers with Iniquity your Lips have spoken Lies your Tongue hath uttered Perverseness None calleth for Justice nor any pleadeth for Truth They trust in Vanity and speak Lies they conceive Mischief and bring forth Iniquity They hatch Cockatrice Egges and weave the Spiders Web he that eateth of their Egges dieth and that which it crushed breaketh out into a Viper Their Webs shall not become garments neither shall they cover themselves with their works their Works are works of Iniquitie and the Act of Violence is in their Hands Their feet run to evil and they make hast to shed innocent blood Their thoughts are thoughts of Iniquity Wasting and Destruction are in their paths The way of Peace they know not and there is no judgment in their goings they have made them crooked Paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know Peace Therefore is Judgement far from us neither doth Justice overtake us We wait for Light but behold obscurity for Brightnesse but we walk in Darknesse We grope for the Wall like the Blinde and we grope as if we had no Eyes We stumble at Noon-day as in the Night we are in desolate Places as dead men We roar all like Bears and mourn sore like Doves We look for Judgement but there is none for salvation but it is far off from us For our Transgressions are multiply'd before Thee and our sinnes testifie against us for our Transgressions are with us and as for our iniquities we know them In transgressing and lying against the LORD and departing away from our God speaking Oppression and Revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart Words of falsehood And Judgement is turned away backward and Justice standeth afar off for Truth is fallen in the street and Equity cannot enter Yea Truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey and the LORD saw it and it displeased him that there was no Judgement And he saw that there was no man and wondred that there was no * Or Interposer Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so rendred Job 36.32 Intercessor Therefore his Arme brought salvation unto him and his Righteousnesse it sustained Him For he put on Righteousnesse as a Breast-plate and an Helmet of Salvation upon his Head and he put on the Garments of Vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as a Cloke According to their Deeds accordingly he will repay Fury to his adversaries Recompence to his Enemies to the Islands he will repay Recompence So shall they fear the Name of the LORD from the West and his glory from the Rising of the Sun when the Enemy shall come in like a flood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a Standard against him Thus we see how miserable the State of that Nation is which is full of Unrighteousnesse Oppression and Cruelty and how dreadful the condition of that People who are guilty of these sinnes shall be when the LORD of Hosts arm'd withVengeance shall come forth in Wrath and Fury for the Execution of his Judgements These are usually the sinnes of the great men of the world The Psalmist thus describes them †Psal 73 6-10 Pride compasseth them about as a chaine Violence covereth them as a Garment Their Eyes stand out with Fatnesse they have more then heart could wish They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning Oppression they speak loftily They set their Mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the Earth Therefore his People return hither and waters of a full Cup are wrung out to them But when their Insolencies are grown intolerable God takes down their Pride with deserved Punishments When they are come to the Zenith of their glory the least touch of the Almighty's hand sends them down into the lowest Centre of wretchednesse and infelicity That may be the very moment of their Destruction wherein they think to put a Period to the Churches Peace by their bloody Tyranny and Oppression For the oppression of the Poore for the sighing of the Needy NOW will I arise saith the LORD I will set him at safety from him that puffeth at him * Psal 12.5 Oppressors are wont to prey upon the Poor as the stronger Beasts upon the weaker the greater Fowles and Fishes upon the lesser They are the Leeches of the Common-wealth which suck the Blood out of its Veines the Suckers which spring from the roots of the Trees and draw away the Sap from the otherwise fruitful Branches The Oppressor is a most cruel Chymist for he distills Silver out of the sweat of poor mens Brows and Gold out of the tears of Widows and Orphans The very Laws are made use of by such as Keys to open their Coffers as Buckets to draw all the water out of their Wells Aperi Bursam ego aperiam Buccam Let me finger my Fee sayes the greedy Lawyer and I will canvase thy Cause Thus Justice runs upon Silver-wheels while Oppression rules with an Iron Rod. The Poor are dasht in pieces by the Proud like Potters Vessels Then is it time for the Judge of the World to come forth and execute Judgement Then shall they feel the strength of his strokes as well as others have felt the Power of their Pride †Isa 30.12 13 14 Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel Because ye despise this Word and trust in Oppression and perversenesse and stay thereon Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall swelling out in a high Wall whose breaking cometh suddenly at an Instant And he shall break it as the breaking of the Potters Vessel that is broken in pieces he shall not spare so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take Fire from the Hearth or to take water withall out of the Pit Oppression when it is become a reigning sin precedes some sore Visitation of that City presages the utter Desolation of that Land wherein it reignes We shall not doubt of the Truth of this if we do believe the Word of God * Jer. 6.6 7 8. For thus hath the LORD of Hosts said Hew ye down Trees and cast a Mount against Jerusalem This is the City to be visited she is wholly Oppression in the midst of her As a Fountain casteth out her waters so she casteth out her Wickednesse Violence and spoile is heard in her before me continually is Griefe and Wounds Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate a Land not Inhabited The Riches gained by Oppression shall not prosper in the hand of Oppressors nor prefit them in the Day of wrath Forasmuch therefore saith the LORD â€
Amos 5.11 12. as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him Burdens of wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vine-yards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold Transgressions and your mighty sins they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turn aside the poore in the Gate from their right And what follows * v. 16 17. Therefore the LORD the God of Hosts the Lord saith thus wailing shall be in all streets and they shall say in all the High-wayes Alas Alas For I will pass through thee saith the LORD Well then may the Apostle call the Rich men of the World who have been the Oppressors of the Poor to weeping and mourning and bitter Lamentation †Jam. 5 1-6 Go to now ye rich men weep and howle for your miseries that shall come upon you Your Riches are corrupted and your Garments moth-eaten Your Gold and Silver is Canker'd and the Rust of them shall be a witnesse against you and shall eat your Flesh as it were Fire ye have heaped Treasure together for the last Dayes Behold the hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the eares of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * the Lord of Sabaoth Ye have lived in pleasure on the Earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the LORD of Hosts and been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Ye have condemned and killed the just and he doth not resist you Bloody Tyrants Thus do Wolves devoure the harmlesse Sheep But the Mighty God will at length roll down heavy Judgements upon the heads of such wicked worldlings Deceit and Violence are the two maine Pillars in the House of OPPRESSION wherein bloody Tyrants and Insolent Usurpers dwell They lay snares for the Lives of men that they may take them by Deceit and then drag them with Violence to a bloody Death or unjustly deprive them of the Comforts of Life Such is the State of things when Oppression reignes in a Land Thus doth the Prophet describe these bloody and deceitful men who seek to oppresse the Righteous and lie in waite for Innocent Blood and shews how high a Provocation this is of the great God to execute his Judgements upon such a sinful Nation For among my People saith the LORD by the Prophet †Jer. 5.26 are found Wicked men they lay wait as he that setteth snares they set a Trap they catch men * Jer. 9.8 9 Their Tongue is as an Arrow shot out it speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in heart he layeth wait for him Shall I not visit them for these things saith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this †Jerem. 5 27-29 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their Houses full of Deceit therefore are they become great and waxen rich They are waxen fat they shine yea they overpass the Deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the Cause of the Fatherless yet they prosper and the right of the Needy do they not judge Shall I not visit for these things faith the LORD Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this some passages of another Prophecy we shall select to the same Purpose * Ezek. 22 3-22 Thus saith the Lord GOD The City sheddeth Blood in the midst of it that her Time may come Thou art become guilty in thy Blood that thou hast shed thou hast caused thy Dayes to draw near and art come even to thy years therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen and a mocking to all Countreys Those that be neare and those that be far from thee shall mock thee which art infamous and much vexed Behold the Princes of Israel every one were in thee to their Power to shed Blood In thee have they set light by Father and Mother in the midst of thee have they dealt by Oppression with the Stranger in thee have they vexed the Fatherlesse and the Widow Thou hast despised my holy things and hast profaned my Sabbaths In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood In thee have they taken gifts to shed Blood Thou hast taken Vsury and Increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by Extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord GOD. Behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest Gaine which thou hast made and at thy Blood which hath been in the midst of thee Can thine Heart endure or can thine Hands be strong in the Days that I shall deal with thee I the LORD have spoken it and will do it Now therefore thus saith the Lord GOD Because ye are all Become Drosse behold therefore I will gather you as they gather Silver and Brass and Iron and Lead and Tin into the midst of the Furnace to blow the Fire upon it to melt it so will I gather you in my Anger and in my Fury Yea I will gather you and blow upon you in the Fire of my Wrath and ye shall be melted as Silver is melted in the midst of the Furnace and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out my Fury upon you This is the portion of the wicked from the Lord. Thus doe Presumptuous men exalt themselves †Ps 55.23 But thou O God shalt bring them downe into the Pit of Destruction Bloody and Deceitfull men shall not live out half their Dayes The fourth Sin Swearing and Cursing WHen the fearful sins of swearing and Cursing are growne common the Times are Perillous When these Black sins these Ill-boading Fowles that are wont to feed upon the Brinks of the bottomless Pit do abound it s a Signe the Winter of Gods Judgements is at hand When men Thunder out Oathes and Curses on Earth as alas how often are our ears pierc't with these Hellish sounds in the open streets it's time for God to Thunder down his Judgements from heaven Doubtlesse men may curse away all the Lords Blessings and by their abominable Oaths sweare down Vengeance from heaven upon their own Heads yea soon swear their own souls into Hell Yea cruel Curses and bloody Oaths may soon fill the Land with Cruelty and Blood * Jer. 23.10 Hos 4.2 3. Because of Swearing may God justly cause the Land to mourne This sin we finde in the holy Scripture strictly forbidden and severely punished I say unto you sayes our Saviour †Mat 5 34-37 swear not at all neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by the Earth for it is his Foot-stoole neither by Jerusalem for it is the City of the great King Neither shalt thou swear by thy Head because thou canst not make one haire white or black But let your
is not all in flames over our heads and the Earth all staind with blood under our Feet for this sin long before now Surely this deserves sadly to be laid to heart as a fearful Presage of some very dreadful Judgement I shall close this fourth Instance with the Excellent counsel of the Son of Sirach Accustome not thy selfe sayes he †Eccl. 23 9-13 to Swearing neither use thy self to the Naming of the Holy One. For as a servant that is continually beaten shall not be without a blew mark so he that sweareth and nameth God continually shall not be faultless * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that useth much swearing shall be fill'd with iniquity and the Plague shall never depart from his House If he shall offend his sinne shall be upon him and if he acknowledge not his sinne †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he maketh the offence double And if he swear in vaine he shall not be innocent but his House shall be full of Calamities There is a Word that is cloathed about with Death God grant that it be not found in the Heritage of Jacob for all such things shall be farre from the godly and they shall not * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wallow in their sinnes Use not thy mouth to †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intemperate swearing for therein is the word of sin The fifth Sin Adultery Fornication Uncleanness VVHen the Land is defiled with Adultery Fornication and Vncleanness the Times are Perillous and Evil. God is a God of infinite Purity and Holiness When a Land therefoâ—e is polluted with these Impurities and Abominations what can be expected but that the Lord should abhor it When the Lord hath e poused a Nation to himself and it hath * Hos 1.2 committed great Whoreâ—omes what can be expected but that the Lord should give it a Bill of Divorce When the Lord's Mercies are turned into the Fewel of Uncleannesse what may we expect but Wrath and Judgement Dreadful are the Judgements which the Lord hath executed for the Punishment of these sinnes Yea so dreadful that never hath the world seene more terrible Demonstrations of the Wrath and Vengeance of an angry God an incens'd Majesty 'T was for the Punishment of this Sin that God drown'd the whole world and burnt up the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone For the Old World burn'd in Lust and Wantonness before it was drown'd with Water and Sodom was drown'd in Luxury and Filthinesse before it was burnt with Fire In the former the Sonnes of God doted on the Beauty of the Daughters of men †Gen. 6.2 and in the latter the Sons of men sought to commit Folly with the Angels of God * Gen. 19 4 5 Desperate Pollution that would attempt the Violation of Angelical Purity But their unnatural Lusts received a supernatural punishment God sending down upon them Hell out of Heaven But now these sins amongst us are worse by a thousand Degrees then they were amongst them For a Christian by profession whose Body hath been consecrated by Baptisme for a Temple of the holy Ghost to abuse himself by filthy Lusts is to do an Act beyond all the Abominations of the Heathens even to turn the Sanctuary into a Stews The Apostle therefore uses this Argument to take off the too lascivious †Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scortari Chil. Eras Corinthians from this sinne Flee Fornication sayes he * 1 Cor. 6.18 19. Every sin that a man doth is without the Body But he that committeth Fornication sinneth against his own Body What know ye not that your Body is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own Now where the Lords Temples are thus profan'd may not he justly abhor them and utterly forsake that Land Yea if for this sin especially the Lord †2 Pet. 2.5 6 brought in the Flooâ— upon the World of the Ungodly And turning the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into Ashes * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemn'd them with an overthrow making them an Example to these that afterwards should live ungodly who are †Jude v. 7 suffering the Vengeance of Eternal Fire of how much sorer Punishment think you shall they be thought worthy who under the Light of the Gospel Profession of Christianity and Meanes of Grace commit these horrid Abominations Surely it 's a wonder the flaming Vengeance of God is not before now broken forth against the provoking People of this Land But we know * Heb. 13.4 Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge For this sin does God complaine of his ungrateful People the Jews When I had fed them to the full saith the Lord * Jer. 5.7 8 9. they then committed Adultery and Assembled themselves by Troops in the Harlots Houses They were as fed Horses in the morning every One neighed after his Neighbours Wife Shall I not visit for these things saith the LORD and shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this So the Prophet complaines as of one of the great Evils of his Time †Jer. 23 10 the Land is full of Adulterers And when the Lord found the Land full of such filth he came and swept it with the Besome of Desolation in the Babylonish Captivity The committing of Adultery is one of those sins for which the LORD hath said * Hos 4.2 3. The Land shall mourne The sixth Sin Gluttony and Drunkennesse WHen Gluttony and Drunkennesse are those Idols to which men sacrifice the Marrow and Fatnesse of the Land together with their Time and Strength the Dayes are evil the Times are Perillous When these two appear together as Castor and Pollux promise safety in the Sea they presage a storme in the State These two Monsters are enough to devoure a whole Land and they provoke God to destroy the Place where they prevaile Men were eating and drinking as if that had been the end of their Creation when God brought the Flood and drown'd the world †Mat. 24.38 whereby they were involv'd in a sudden Destruction And we know there is a Day a coming which shall steal upon men as a Thief in the Night wherein the World shall be destroy'd with Fire * 2 Pet. 3.10 And sayes our Saviour †Luk. 21.34 35. Take heed to your selves lest at any Time your Hearts be overcharg'd with surfeiting and drunkennesse or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vinum Gourmandise Yurongnerie Gallic Genev. Gluttony and Fulness of Wine and cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the Face of the whole Earth However though the Day of the General Judgement which yet cannot be far off should not surprize the present Generation they may be suddenly overtaken with the black and
shall men give them the Cup of Consolation to â—rink for their Father or for their Mother Now the Word used by the Prophet Amos when he saith their banquet shall be removed properly signifies such a Funeral-Feast And therfore though hence it may be transferr'd to signifie any Feast or Banquet if the Feasting here spoken of was upon such an Occasion it was no small Aggravation of their sin of Luxury For was Feasting upon Delicacies and excessive Drinking represented by their drinking Wine in Bowles seasonable or suitable for such an Occasion Nay was it not more excessively siâ—ful at such a time as this when they were call'd to attend such a sorrowful Solemnity But whether this were their sin or not sure I am it is a Sinne too common in the grea City of this Land and no small Stain to its Glory For upon such occasions as these of our Funeral Solemnities it is too ordinary a thing for Women of the lower rank I am asham'd to speak it and yet afraid to be silent let so horrible a Sinne should passe unreproved not onely to drink wine in Bowles but o drink off Bowles of wine to a manifest Exceâ—s a beastly Drunkennesse Neither can it be deny'd when sometimes their shameful spewing in the open Congregation testifies against them How horrible a thing is this that women professing Christianity and who would take it in foule scorne that anâ— should say of them they were strangers 〈◊〉 Religion and godlinesse should be guilty of such an abominable Excesse such a filthâ— scandalous damnable Drunkennesse Is it not a shame if those may be Judges that have not utterly renounc't all Sobriety that some one Woman should at one Time drink several quarts of Wine one after another upon such an Occasion This me thinks should seeme incredible to strangers which manifest and too frequent evidence amongst us makes altogether undenâ—able O horrid vitiousnesse and worse then brutishnesse of such intemperate womâ—n the shame of their Sex the scum of our City however some of them may seem to be of good fashion and in the eyes of all sober Persons more loathsome then the Dung in the streets May not the Lord justly * Jer. 13.9 mar the Pride and staine the Glory of a City polluted with such foule Abominations May not the Lord say concerning such a People as here of Israel for his Epicurisme and Excesse The Lord GOD hath sworn by himself saith he LORD the God of Hosts I abhor the excellency of Jacob and hate his Palaces therefore will I deliver up the City with all that is therein Strange it is that any should seek to themselves a Name and affect Glory by so shameful a sin so ignominious an Abuse of Gods Creatures as they are guilty of who sacrifice them to their Luxury and in a fearful excesse of Prodigality consume them upon their Lusts Yet many such abominable Epicures there have been and doubtlesse still are in the World Thus we reade of that Luxurious and Lascivious Queen of Egypt Cleopatra that to give the more Noble Reception and Honourable Entertainment to Mark Anthony she order'd at a Banquet One Dish to be prepared at the Expence of two Hundred and fifty Pieces of Gold to be served up to the Table in the second Course And further to express as she thought the Love and Honour she bore to Mark Anthony her Wanton Paramour having dissolv'd a Pearle of fifty thousand pounds price she drank it off to his Health at one draught Oh infamous Excesse O Licentious Lady of Luxury worthy of no greater Honour in all after Ages then this to be stil'd the Grand Patronesse of Prodigality But what think you was the end of this great Epicure When Mark Anthony to requite this Honour was resolv'd to make her Emperesse of the World and to that end attempted the ravishment of the Romane Scepter he was vanquish't by Octavious Augustus at Actium whence he fled to Alexandria and there in Despair of Life Disdain of Death from the Hand of an Enemy he fell upon his own sword and dy'd Hereupon Cleopatra that she might not become the Matter of the Roman Triumph inclosed her selfe in a Tomb and there setting two Serpents to her Breast she ended a Luxurious Life with a miserable Death Thus at length the Pleasure of Luxury expires in Paine and the Glory of Prodigality is buried in shame and covered with everlasting Ignominy and Contempt But I needed not to have travell'd into Egypt for an Example of Luxury while I might have produc't one in England hardly to be parallel'd in the whole Empire of Epicurus But when I consider the quality of the Person and the Place that he held I am afraid lest by the Relation of it I should give an Occasion to the Churches Enemies to cast Reproach upon the most Honourable calling in the World which is that of the Ministry of the Gospel But when I consider that surely the most enraged Malice of men cannot but be satisfi'd by the severity of the Judgements of God in punishing the Pride and Vanity of men of that Order and Degree wherein he was placed I conceive the Report of it may bring in some Profit without any Prejudice or Danger For this man of whom I speak was in his Time an Arch-Bishop in the Church of England And it s sufficiently known to the World that God hath of late years been pouring out the full Vialls of his just Wrath upon this glittering Sun of Englands Glory This man then George Nevil by Name brother to the Earle of Warwick in the dayes of King Edward the fourth made a Prodigious Feast for the Nobility prime Clergy and chief Gentry at his Installment into the Arch-Bishoprick of York He rifled the Aire Earth and Sea for all soâ—ts of Provisions and costly varieties for this pompous and magnificent Entertainment †See his Bill of fare in Godwin his Catalogue of the Bishop of York p. 65. And Fullers Church-History l. 4 p. 193. Above twenty thousand Fowles Peacocks Pigeons Capons Cranes c. Above six thousand Cattel and Land-creatures Oxen Sheep Dear c. Above six hundred Fishes Porpaises Pikes Seales and Breames lost their Lives to maintaine the Luxury of this one Feast besides which five thousand Dishes of Gelly with other Palate-pleasing Delicacies were prepared And to digest these Dainties he provides three hundred and thirty Tuns of Ale and above foure hundred Tuns of Wine besides a Pipe of spiced Wine to please the more curious Palates and for a stronger Provocation to Excesse Thus he exceeded the * 1 King 4.22 23. Magnificence of Solomon by the Excesse of his Prodigality O prodiga Rerum Luxuries nunquam contenta paratu Et quaesitorum Terra Pelagoque ciborum Ambitiosa Fames lautae Gloria Mensae †Lucan l. 4. Pharsal O Prodigal Luxury and Luxuriant Prodigality O Ambitious Appetite that cannot be content except it stretch its Dominion over all the
suis compeditas agunt Jun. Trem. Calceamenta habebant cum crepitaculis Pagn Therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of Zion and the LORD will discover their secret Parts In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their Feet and their Cauls or Ornaments of Net-work or Needle-work wrought with Eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Reticula Ar. Mont. Vittas instar retis Pagn Opera Oculata Jun. Trem. and their round Tires like the Moon The Chaines or sweet Balls or Boxes of perfuming Ointments their Golden Boxes of rich Gummes and precious Balsome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Myrothecidia Jun. Vascula aurea in quibus ponebatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stacte aut Balsamum juxta Kimch R. Levi. Buxt Lexic and the Bracelets and the Mufflers or thin Veiles or Head-Ornaments glittering with waving gold or starry Spangles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Velamina Ar. Mont. Bracteolae quae Collaribus Vittis ac Peplis muleribus addi solent sic dictae à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tremere quod semper tremulae appareant Buxt The Bonnets and the Ornaments of the Legges and the Head-bands or Haire-laces or Neck-laces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Vittae A. M. Redimicula Jun. Ornamenta Colli fuerunt Buxt and the Tablets or the Boxes of Aromatical Confections for the perfuming of the Breath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * i. e. Domus Animae seu Halitus q. d. Breath-Boxes Pagninus Pectoralia Junius Bucculas vertit exponitque superba illa Aulicarum Instrumenta quibus os suum contegunt velut pastomidibus est enim os meatus animae sive anhelitus cujus obex propterea Hebraeis Domus Animae appellatur and the Ear-rings or Amulets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Amuleta Jun. Golden or Silver Plates engraven with certain Characters against Enchantment Aben Ezra The Rings and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Jewels which hung down from the Fore-head to the Nose Nose-jewels or Jewels for the Face The changable Suits of Apparel and the Mantles and the Wimples Aprons or embroyder'd Vestures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Ventralia Jun. Buxt Linteamina Pagn Pepla Ar. Mont. Sic Kimchi and the Crisping-Pins or Cushnets Purses Pin-pillows Needle-Cases 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Loculi Aciaria Pagn Ar. Mont. Crumenas vertunt Junius vero Aciaria sive ut Graeci vocant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quibus Acus aciculae infigi aut includi solent The Glasses and the fine Linnen and the Hoods and the Vailes And it shall come to passe that instead of sweet smell there shall be Stink and instead of a Girdle a Rent and instead of well-set Haire Baldnesse and instead of a Stomacher a Girding of Sackcloth and Burning instead of Beauty Thy men shall fall by the Sword and thy Mighty in the War And her Gates shall lament and mourn and being desolate shall sit upon the Ground Thus we see Vanity Fantasticalness and Pride of Apparrel brings down the Judgements of God upon a Land For this may God cloath the Land with Confusion and fill the City with Fears and stain the Beauty of these proud Gallants with Blood For this may God scourge the City with the Plague and chastise the Country with Wars and lay the whole Land desolate How dolefull is the Representation of Gods dreadfull Judgements upon the Land of Judah whereby he threatned to punish the Pride of Jerusalem How may it make the stoutest heart to tremble to see the LORD of Hosts leading up an Army of enraged and implacable Enemies against his own People To see Destruction in the Van and Desolation in the Rear of a terrible and because arm'd with Divine Justice invincible Army of Aliens Behold how the Prophet was affected with the Visionary Representation of it My Bowels says he * Jer. 4.19 ult My Bowels I am pained at my very heart my heart maketh a noise in me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumphet the Alarm of War Destruction upon Destruction is cry'd for the whole Land is spoiled suddenly are my Tents spoiled and my Curtains in a Moment How long shall I see the Standard and hear the sound of the Trumphet For my people is foolish they have not known me they are sottish Children and they have none understanding they are wise to do Evil but to do good they have no knowledge I beheld the Earth and lo it was without form and void and the Heavens and they had no Light I beheld the Mountains and loe they trembled and all the Hills moved lightly I beheld and loe there was no man and all the Birds of the Heavens were fled I beheld and loe the fruitfull place was a Wilderness and all the Cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD and by his fierce Anger For thus hath the LORD said The whole Land shall be desolate yet will I not make a full End For this shall the Earth mourn and the Heaven above be black because I have spoken it I have purposed it I will not repent neither will turn back from it The whole City shall flee for the Noise of the Horse-men and Bow-men they shall go into Thickets and climb up upon the Rocks Every City shall be forsaken and not a man dwell therein And when thou art spoiled what wilt thou do Though thou clothest thy self with Crimson thou deckest thee with Ornaments of Gold though thou rentest thy face with Painting in vain shalt thou make thy self fair thy Lovers will despise thee they will seek thy life For I have heard a voice as of a woman in Travell and the Anguish as of hâ—r that bringeth forth her first Child the Voice of the Daughter of Zion that bewailâ—th her self that spreadeth her hands saying woe is me now for my soul is wearied because of Murderers O ye proud Gallants ye fantastick Ladies how long will ye provoke the Lord by your Pride and Wantonness to stain your Glory to strip you of your Ornaments and to plague the whole Land for your sakes with his sorest Judgements Hath not the Lord threatned to punish your Pride and to break those Pillars of Power that sustain your Glory Hath not the Lord said †Jer. 13.9 After this manner even as Jeremiah's linnen Girdle was rotted in the earth * Ver. 7. Will I marre the Pride of Judah and the great Pride of Jerusalem You set off your Beauty by these fantastick Ornamens to the eyes of men but know you not that your Pride in the mean time makes you odious in the sight of God Know you not that Pride is ever attended with shame and shall at length be over-taken with Destruction For When Pride cometh then cometh Shame †Pro. 11.2 and Destruction stayes
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
proceeds with a slow pace to a self-vindication by a just Revenge but yet this delay is dreadful seeing the slower in striking the sorer the stroke Now that Disgrace of his Sonne which he mentions as the Punishment of the Father was his Devestment of his splendor and dignity in his violent Expulsion from his Throne and Government upon which he liv'd an obscure and ignoble life at Corinth being had in much scorne and contempt by the People And so great was his disgrace herein that it became a Proverb Dionysius Corinthi Dionysius at Corinth for so was the Sonne call'd after the Name of his Father used to signifie such a one as was fallen from great Honours and much Applause of the People into a most disgraceful and contemptible condition Thus for the sinne of Sacriledge doth God †Job 12.21 poure contempt upon Princes and weaken the strength of the Mighty And therefore sayes the same Authour continuing his Observations hereupon Thymasitheus Prince of the Leparitans took the wisest course to decline the stroke of an offended and angry Deity For when some of his Citizens playing the Pirates hâ—d taken a Goblet of gold of great weight and were hot to have it divided amongst them he gave a cooling to their covetousnesse For Ut comperit a Romanis Pythio Apollini Decimarum Nomine dicatum manibus venundantium ereptum Deo Delphos perferendum curavit When he understood that it was dedicated by the Romanes to Apollo Pythius under the Name of TITHES he caused it to be taken out of the hands of them that would have sold it and to be carried back again to the Delphian Deity Surely those are but bad times in the Christian World when none will be found to do as much for Christ as this Heathen Prince for Apollo But behold here another grand Imposture which these profane Politicians put upon the World when they pretend much zeal for the punishment of this sinne of Sacriledge in others that they themselves may the more securely and with the lesse danger of suspition commit it when an opportunity of Self-enrichment thereby shall be offer'd So when men are mightily active for the Preservation of the Churches Revenues because thence by a cursed Simâ—niacal Chymistry or other fraudulent Arts they can Sacrilegiously extract their own advantage Philip King of Macedon never won so much glory in the World by any Act as by that when he drew his Sword for the revenge of the sinne of Sacriledge upon the Phocians Hereupon he was adorn'd with glorious Titles All men thought themselves bound to pay him some Tribute of praise for so noble an enterprize Hence they stil'd him Illum Vindicem Sacrilegii illum Ultorem Religionum quod Orbis viribus expiari debuit solum qui piacula exigeret extitisse dignum Itaque Diis proximus habetur per quem Deorum Majestas vindicata sit * Justin l. 8 The renowned revenger of Sacriledge and defender of Religion a work worthy of the united virtue and valour of the whole world He was accounted the gods chiefest Favourite for this vindicacation of the Majesty and honour of their injur'd Deities But how was the glory of this so much honour'd and admir'd action stain'd when it appear'd that this his REVENGE of SACRILEDGE was but a Preface of Gold to an Oration of Iron a plausible pretence for the better carrying on his Ambitious Designes For having an opportunity not long after he rais'd to himself a mighty Gaine by the very same sin whereof his pretended punishment was his greatest glory Thus the times must needs be perillous when plausible pretences are made use of for the promoting of pernicious Designes When REFORMATION is pretended for the RUINE of the Church When men villanously rob God for their own Enrichment This is a Crime which may bring the Curse of God down upon a whole Kingdome For sayes the LORD by the Prophet Malachi †Chap. 3. v. 8 9 Will a man rob God Yet ye have robbed me But ye say wherein have we robbed Thee In Tythes and Offerings Ye are cursed with a CURSE for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Fearful is the Provocation of those men and dreadful shall their Punishment at length be who thus Sacri eâ—iously raise their Estates and heap up riches to themselves to the Dishonour of God and Demolishment of the Church and yet impudenly pretend the Churches Good therein and Gods glory The times cannot but be evil and perillous when Gods glory is made a Footstool for the Pride Avarâ—ce and Ambition of men When they make use of the Bible for the raising them up higher to reach their secular Designes a thing which the pious Prince Edward the sixth refused with disdaine of the motion laying it to his Heart when one offer'd it him to lay under his Feet to reach something that was over his head and above his Reach * Sir John Haywood in Vita But the times are surely perillous when men have Iron Hands and Brows of Brasse when they cruelly crush Religion and yet impudently boast of their own ZEALE and Godlinesse Thus Josephus largely relates the barbarous and savage cruelty of a wicked and bloody Sect among the Jewes that yet would needs stile themselves the ZEALOTS The Jews had woful experience of the burning rage of these mens bloody Zeale For amongst other their barbarous Villanies and bloody Outrages †Joseph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which when they had attain'd to a Predominancy in that miserably distracted Nation they continually committed upon that poor oppressed People they slew twelve thousand of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sonnes of the Nobles in the Prime and Glory of their Youth at once to cut them off from any possibility of a present Resistance and the hopes of a future Revenge by the hands of their posterity These were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Id. ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zealots For so sayes he they called themselves as being singularly zealous for good Undertakings whereas there was indeed no Villany in the world so great but their zeale would digest it yea no evil of so high a Nature but they would strive to equal or exceed it being superlatively wicked Now this pestilent Sect so far prevail'd and so strengthn'd their Faction in the chief City of the Land Jerusalem that they became the causes of its utter Ruine with many thousand miseries which hereupon befel the Jewish Nation For sayes Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Dominion of the Zealots over the People gave the first stroke to the Destruction of the City But the bloody cruelties of proud Pretenders and the bleeding Miseries of poor afflicted ones will at length awake Divine Vengeance So far did these bloody Zealots proceed in their cruel Practises that at length they prouoked the God of Patience to scourge them with most cruel Punishments Their
bands they snap them in two like * Judg. 16.9 threads of Flax when they touch the Fire As the Demoniack which was bound with Chaines and Fetters but he brake all the bands wherewith he was bound †Luk. 8.22 You may call such LEGION for many Devils are surely entred into them to try their strength in them The Laws of men are chaines of Iron the commands of God are chaines of Gold Oaths and Covenants added thereunto are chaines of Adamant If Satan once be so strong in men as that they break all these chaines we may well expect perillous Times For what desperate wickednesse will not such men attempt What horrid and unheard of Villanies will not such men commit as bid defiance to God in the breach of the most sacred bands of Duty and solemne Obligations to obeObedience Woe be to the Inhabitants of the Earth when such Furies of Hell shall be let loose upon them This sin of Perjury and Perfidiousnesse of false-hood and lying unto God in the violation of Vowes and Covenants is a sinne which exceedingly incenses Heaven and provokes the Lord of Hosts the King of glory whose sacred name is hereby profan'd to execute his fiercest judgements upon such a People and therefore is a sad Symptome of perillous Times and fearfull Presage of following Judgements Thus when Saul out of his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah as the Scripture tells us sought to destroy the Gibeonites as being strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel God punisht the Violation of that League which Joshuah had * About four hundred years long before made with them †Josh 9.3 16 17. by bringing a Famine upon the Land for three years uncessantly in the dayes of David * 2 Sam. 21 1 2 Though the Gibeonites deceit was the foundation of this Covenant and Sauls Zeal the principle of the prosecution of them contrary to it yet is the violation hereof severely punisht by the plague of Famine Though it be the Fire of Zeal that burns in two these sacred bands yet will the Fire of Gods wrath be kindled against them that shall voluntarily violate them So the LORD threatned Captivity and very sore Judgements against the Princes and People of Israel for their violation of their Covenant of granting a Manumission to their Hebrew servants and the Punishment answer'd the Prognostick Observe the Lords Charge and Commination the sting of that Prophecy wherewith Jeremiah was sent unto them †Jer. 34 13-22 Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel I made a COVENANT with your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondmen saying At the end of seven yeares let ye go every man his Brother an Hebrew which hath been sold unto thee and when he hath served thee six years thou shalt let him go free from thee But your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their eare And ye were now turned and had done Right in my sight in proclaiming every man Liberty to his Neighbour and ye had made a COVENANT before me in the House which is called by my Name But ye turned and polluted MY NAME and caused every man his servant and every man his Hand-maid whom he had set at Liberty at their pleasure to returne and brought them into subjection to be unto you for Servants and for Handmaids Therefore thus saith the LORD Ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming Liberty every one to his Brother every man to his Neighbour behold I proclaime a Liberty for you saith the LORD to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the Earth And I will give the men that have transgressed my COVENANT which have not performed the words of the COVENANT which they had made before me when they cut the Calfe in twaine a Rite signifying so let it be done to him that shall violate his Covenant and passed between the Parts thereof the Princes of Judah and the Princes of Jerusalem the Eunuchs and the Priests and all the People of the Land which passed between the Parts of the Calfe I will even give them into the hand of their Enemies and into the hand of them that seek their Life and their dead Bodies shall be for meat unto the Fowles of the Heaven and to the Beasts of the Earth And Zedekiah King of Judah and his Princes will I give into the hand of their Enemies and into the Hand of them that seek their Life and into the Hand of the King of Babylons Army which are gone up from you Behold I will command saith the LORD and cause them to return to this City and they shall fight against it and take it and burne it with Fire and I will make the Cities of Judah a Desolation without an inhabitant Thus for this sinne of Covenant-breaking may God break in pieces a perfidious People with the Iron Rod of War and lay a flourishing land desolate For this sinne does the Lord by the Prophet Amos draw up a Charge likewise against Tyrus * Am. 1.9 10 Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole Captivity to Edom and remembred not the BROTHERLY COVENANT which was formerly made between David and Solomon Kings of Judah and Hiram King of Tyre who being Brethren by identity of Office as Kings and mutual Amity as Friends did hereby knit the Bands of Brotherhood with a faster knot †2 Sam. 5.11 1 King 5.1 and 9.13 But I will send a Fire on the Wall of Tyrus which shall devoure the Palaces thereof God himself takes an Oath and solemnly swears by his Life that he will punish the King of Judah with Death and his People with Destruction for his violation of his Oath and Covenant with the King of Babylon See how severely the Lord proceeds against him for this Sin Say now to the Rebellious House sayes the LORD to the Prophet Ezekiel * Chap. 17 12-21 Know ye not what these things mean Tell them Behold the King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and hath taken the King thereof and the Princes thereof and led them with him to Babylon And hath taken of the Kings seed and made a COVENANT with him and hath taken an OATH of him he hath also taken the Mighty of the Land that the Kingdome might be base that it might not lift it self up but that by keeping of his COVENANT it might stand But he rebelled against him in sending his Ambassadours into Egypt that they might give him Horses and much People Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he BREAK THE COVENANT and be delivered As I live saith the Lord GOD surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose OATH he
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
made the state of the Jews desperate and deplorable This the Lord charges upon them as a higher Provocation then their Idolatries for which therefore he visited them with remedilesse punishments This this was that sin of the Jews for which God deliver'd them up into Captivity and brought an utter destruction upon the City Jerusalem For thus does the Lords charge stand upon perpetual Record against them in holy Scripture * 2 Chron. 36 14-20 Moreover all the chief of the Priests and the People transgressed very much after all the Abominations of the Heathen and polluted the House of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem And the LORD God of their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes †That is saith the Margin continually carefully and sending because he had compassion on his People and on his dwelling place But they MOCKED the MESSENGERS of God and despised his words and MISUSED his PROPHETS until the wrath of the LORD arose against his People till there was no REMEDY Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man or maiden old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all into his hand And all the vessels of the House of God great and small and the Treasures of the House of the LORD and the Treasures of the King and of his Princes all these he brought to Babylon And they burnt the House of God and brake down the wall of JERUSALEM and burnt all the Palaces thereof with Fire and destroy'd all the goodly Vessels thereof And them that had escaped from the Sword carry'd he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sonnes until the Reigne of the King of Persia Thus great were the calamities sore were the Judgements with which God plagued the people of Judah for the contempt reproach and scorne which they cast upon his Prophets and Messengers which he sent in his mercy to them Abuse of Ambassadours is a high Crime of State a barbarous villany violating the LAW of NATIONS Princes are wont to write such Crimes in the Blood of the guilty unlesse where an Arme of Power is wanting to weild the Sword of Justice The contempt and reproach which is cast upon Ambassadours reflects upon the King that sent them Abuse of the Lords Ambassadors is a high offence a fearful Crime committed against the LAW of GRACE The contempt and reproach cast upon them reflects upon God himself He that despiseth them despiseth CHRIST despiseth GOD * Luk. 10.16 Now it 's just with God in this case to call home his Ambassadours and to denounce WAR against those his †Luk. 19.27 ENEMIES which have abus'd them or being in place and Power have suffer'd the abuse to go unpunisht When David thought to shew kindnesse to Hanun and sent his Ambassadours to comfort him after the Death of his Father and they were shamefully treated and villanously abused by him David raised WAR against him and his people to destroy them * 2 Sam. 10 The Gospel is a Letter of Comfort which God the King of Heaven sends by the hands of his Ambassadours the Ministers of the Gospel to poore miserable sinners involv'd in manifold sufferings and sorrows upon the Death of their Father ADAM with Commission to comfort them and to this end to invite them to a sumptuous †Isa 25.6 FEAST richly furnish't with the choicest Dainties which he hath provided for them But now when these unthankful wretches shall abuse and vilifie the Lords Ambassadours how do ye think will he deal with them But perhaps you 'l think this is so high a degree of Basenesse and Ingratitude that it s not to be imagin'd that any men should be found so void of all virtue and humanity as to be guilty of it Hear then a true Relation from the Lords own mouth of that Reception which some of these sinners gave the Lords Ambassadours and of the sad effects and consequents thereof The first messengers being shamefully repulsed * Mat. 22 4-7 Again he sent forth other servants saying Tell them which are bidden Behold I have prepar'd my Dinner my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready Come unto the †Marriage FEAST but they made light of it and went their wayes one to his Farme another to his Merchandise and the Remnant took his servants and entreated them spitefully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and he sent forth his ARMIES and destroy'd those MURDERERS and burnt up their City Thus ill do men requite the Lord for his love thus severely does the Loâ—d revenge the reproach and wrong offer'd to his Servants the Ministers of the Gospel When the Lord of the Vineyard sends his servants to the Husbandmen to whom he hath left his Vine-yard and they abuse them how will he deale with these Husbandmen He will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his Vineyard unto other Husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their Season * See Mat. 21 33-14 For this sin after the return of the rebellious Jews from the Babylonish Captivity wherewith God had severely scourg'd them for full †2 Chro 34.21 threescore and ten years for this sin did the Lord utterly and finally destroy the City Jerusalem and lay the whole land desolate Heare the Lord Jesus Christ for this making that most pathetical Lamentation over this rebellious City and foretelling its ruine O Jerusalem Jerusalem sayes he * Mat. 23.37 38 39. thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Behold your house is left unto you desolate For I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. When King Philip had besieged Athens and put the City into much distress he promised to raise his siege if they would give him in hostage ten of the ablest Athenian Orators But Demosthenes to divert the Athenians from answering his desire by closing in with this Overture made use of this Apologue The Wolves said he desired a League with the Shepherds upon this condition that the cause of their strife might be taken away which was the Shepherds Mastiffs This granted and the sheep deprived of their Guard the ravenous Wolves feasted their cruel hunger and satisfi'd their thirst of blood at the shepherds cost by a fearlesse preying upon the poore slaughter'd sheep Just thus said he would Philip deal with you if once you should yeeld to deliver unto him your vigilant Watchmen your faithful Orators Alas we are taught by a more certaine Oracle that if the Shepherds be smitten the
extreamly evil and perillous Yea when a wicked Generation of men shall be suffer'd with Impunity to cast Contempt upon all the Ordinances of Gods Worship to vilifie and reproach the Assemblies of the Saints calling them the Synagogues of Satan with many more vile reproaches which I think not meet to mention what shall we think are not the Dayes evil the Times perillous When those shall be countenanc't honour'd advanc't in the State being set in Places of Power and Trust who do what they can to cast an Odium upon the Ordinances of the Gospel are not the dayes evil the Times perillous These sacred Ordinances are the paths of Christ wherein he walks amongst his People and hereby do men * Ps 79.51 reproach the footsteps of Gods anointed Hereby do vile persons cast dirt at the Chariots of the King of glory Hereby is the Lord continually provoked to depart from such a people and therefore the dayes which are defil'd with these Abominations must needs be perillous Times The fift Case Sinners Sedulity and Sloth in Saints VVHen the spirit of Errour and Profanesse prevailes more and more in the World and the Spirit of Prayer and Zeale for truth and holinesse decayes more and more in the Church the Dayes are evil the Times perillous When false Fires appear and the Fire of the Altar goes out sure God is departing from his Temple When the Locusts and Caterpillars swarme in the Fields and the Frogs croak in every corner of the House the Judgement of God is already upon the Land When †2 Tim. 3.6 7 silly women are led captive in Troops by subtile Deceivers and soul-deluding Seducers * 2 Pet. 2.2 draw many Disciples after them the last Dayes which we are told shall be perillous Times are come upon us Activity of bad men in carrying on their wicked Designes and Lukewarmnesse in good men in promoting the Cause and Interest of Christ is a sad Symptome of some sore evil at hand When few are zealous for Truth and Righteousness multitudes are zealous for Errour and Impunity in the contempt of Gods holy worship we may justly feare God will shortly bring some fearful judgement on the Land When †Mat. 24.12 Iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold the Winter is come and stormes must be expected When the Spirit of Prayer departs the Spirit of Judgement comes in the roome of it When the Winde ceases presently the Rain falls When the hands of Moses fall down in Prayer and Amalek prevailes in battel we must needs expect it should go ill with Israel When Christians are fallen from their * Rev. 2.4 first Love and Professors are grow'n †Rev. 3.16 Lukewarm in Religion yea and many are become Key-cold in the Cause of Christ whilest others are very forward and zealous to promote the Honour and Adoration of the Deified IMAGES of their own Fancies they must needs be perillous Times ZEALE is the Pulse of the Church as JUSTICE is of the Common-wealth Now a wise Physician by feeling the Pulse may judge of the state of the Patient If it be violent and irregular the body is inflam'd and in a great distemper if it be very weak slow remiss and much interrupted it is a sad Symptome of approaching Death Apostacy in Religion is a fore-runner of Ruine and Destruction to such a particular Church and People * Jer. 8.5 15 Lukewarmnesse in Religion is a loathed temper I know thy Works sayes the Lord of the Church of Laodicea †Rev. 3.15 16. too true a Patterne of the Church of England that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art Lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth In these cases all good Christians have cause to bewaile the sad condition of the Church of Christ The ninth Symptome Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries THe children of the Church have experience of perillous Times When the Professors of the true Religion are divided and the profest enemies thereof are united When the Canaanites are combin'd against the Israelites and the Israelites are divided amongst themselves needs must they be distressed by their Enemies When Idolatrous Nations joyne in Confederacy against the People that professe the true Religion their State must needs be dangerous Of this does the Psalmist complain as speaking the sad state of the People of God and therefore he makes his earnest suit to God for redresse saying * Psal 83 1-8 Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy Peace and be not still O God For loe thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty COUNSEL against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one CONSENT they are CONFEDERATE against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Needs must those be perillous Times with the People of Israel when as a small Flock of sheep they were surrounded with so many troops of Wolves Lions and Bears thirsting after their blood and ready to teare them in pieces and devoure them When in the Dayes of Jehoshaphat †2 Chr. 20 Moab and Ammon and mount Seir conspired against Israel and came up against Jehoshaphat to battel both he and all the people of the Land were struck with feare in the apprehensions of their great danger And well might they fear when three Nations had arm'd themselves against that People that had provoked the Lord by their sinnes to give them up into their Enemies hands But behold a strange turne of Providence which affords a further illustration to the matter in hand These three great Armies by a wonderful stratagem of the Divine Providence were divided one against another and so now their great strength became the cause of their weaknesse and destruction for even without any stroke struck by Israel they themselves destroy'd one another insomuch that when Israel came against them they had none to encounter with but the * v. 24. dead Bodies of the slaine which were fallen to the earth and none escaped Thus as their Conjunction was their strength their Division became their overthrow Sad Divisions and bitter Contentions amongst Christians do not onely make them a scorn and Derision to their enemies but also expose them to the danger of an utter Destruction Such Christians as like Cranes fight amongst themselves do easily become a prey to others Their enemies like Eagles and Vultures will hasten to their Overthrow Thus did the Romane EAGLES prey upon the miserable Jews conflicting together in
animos * Livy d. 1. l. 3. Civil Dissentions animate Forraigne Foes to a hostile Invasion It s the Devils maxime in the Church and a principle of Machiavillian Policy in the State Divide Impera Rend and Rule Divide a People into Fractions and then they are easily subdu'd by a forraigne Power who are already weaken'd by their own Divisions Woe be to the godly when they are divided amongst themselves and the wicked are combin'd against them When Herod and Pilate who before were at enmity between themselves †Luk. 23.12 were made Friends Christ was soon after condemn'd and crucifi'd Certainly for the Divisions of Brethren there is cause of great Thoughts great searchings of Heart and the Combinations of the Churches Enemies are by all good Christians to be resented as the sad Symptomes of perillous Times The tenth Symptome Security in a State of Uncertainty THe Times are then least free from perill When there is a general Security upon the Spirits of men without any regular settlement of Church or State When all things are much out of Order and yet all sorts of men sit down secure in their present state and condition When notwithstanding the great changes wrought by the Divine Providence in the world men are generally so secure as if they had never seene or were sure they never should see any change Strange it is that a ship newly tost with a Tempest and very lately like to have been swallow'd up by the Seas should saile securely among the yet unquiet Waves when the cloudy heavens threaten a new storme Though the storme be past it 's no wisdome while men are yet at sea to be secure in a Calme Men are oft in most Danger when they are in least fear of Danger Do not your Mariners observe that the greatest Calme is oft the Forerunner of the greatest Storme And have not the most dangerous Earth-quakes come unawares after a still and quiet season and suddenly swallow'd up men and beasts Houses and Cities â—owever security especially in an unsetled state of things is a Symptome of great Danger a Prognostick of perillous Times How easily may a sleeping man be slaine as Alexander slew him whom he found asleep on the watch and well he deserved so sudden a Death who was so secure in a Time of Danger Strange it is that men should sit still in a mindlesse security notwithstanding the great mutations unexpected emergencies various turnings of the wheeles of the Divine Providence which call aloud upon them to minde what great works God is doing in the world and to meet him by Repentance lest he should suddenly destroy them in his wrath Strange it is that men should be secure when contrary winds blow hard upon the great Sea of the world and the mighty Waves dash themselves in pieces one against another When twins do strangely struggle together in the teeming womb of Time and Providences seeme to carry in them Contradictions to the beholders eye When the Times are such as that which the Father describes if we take his Observations in a Political sense For sayes he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Greg. Naz. Orat. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Time is full of Contrarieties of Births and Deaths of the flourishing and plucking up of Plants of curing and killing of building up and breaking down of Houses of weeping and laughing of mourning and dancing Now when the Times are such that the Rise of some is the Fall of others the Glory of some is the Disgrace of others the Joy of some is the Grief of others is it not strange that men should be secure Yea when the Rising of a few shall be the Ruining of many the Enriching of a few shall be the Undoing of many and the Rejoycing of a few shall cause the Lamenting of many are not the Times perillous and is it not strange that men can be secure When the Strong shall be made Weak and the Rich shall become Poore and the Honourable shall be esteemed Base while those that were poore and weak and base shall become Rich and Strong and great in the World are not the Times perillous May we not then say †1 Cor. 10 12 Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Is it not strange that at such a Time men can be secure But then does Security much encrease the Danger and make the Times the more perillous How oft have great Armies and Cities living in security been suddenly surprized and destroy'd by a small handful of men Thus Gideon with three hundred men weary hungry and faint went up against the two Kings of Midian Zebah and Zalmunna and their Hosts about fifteen thousand men and vanquisht them and took the two Kings prisoners Thus they discomfited the whole Host for it s said The Host was secure * Judg. 8.11 12. Thus when the Danites spies came to Laish and saw the People that were therein how they dwelt carelesse after the manner of the Zidonians quiet and secure and there was no Magistrate in the Land that might put them to shame in any thing †Judg. 18 7 they made the Report hereof to their brethren that sent them and encouraged them to attempt the Invasion of them saying Arise that we may go up against them for we have seen the Land and behold it is very good and are ye still Be not slothful to go and to enter to possesse the Land When ye go ye shall come unto a People secure and to a large Land for the Lord hath given it into your hands a Place where there is no want of any thing that is in the Earth * Judg. 18 9 10. So six hundred men of the Danites took to them their Armes and came unto Laish unto a People that were at quiet and secure and they smote them with the Edge of the Sword and burnt the City with Fire †Judg. 18 11 27. and so they took their Land unto themselves for an Inheritance Thus security exposes men naked to Danger and opens a wide door to destruction For 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 And therefore sayes the Lord Woe to them that are †So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 SECURE in Zion and trust in the mountaine of Samaria which are named chief of the Nations to whom the House of Israel came as to places of Worship Seats of Justice Courts of their Kings Passe ye unto Calneh and see and from thence go ye unto Hemath the great then go down to Gath of the Philistines all of them once great and mighty Cities but now for their sinnes destroy'd and ruin'd so that whatever they sometimes were behold them now and see be they better then these Kingdomes of Judah and Israel or their Border greater
is fearfully and continually provok'd to arme himself with vengeance and come forth to the Punishment of a rebellious People * See Isa 59 12-19 He hath lightening in his eyes and thunder in his hands if once he be provoked to anger he can in a moment burn up a sinful Nation in an instant break in pieces a rebellious People II. Men are perverted When the minds of men are perverted by the Doctrines of Deceivers all their paths are full of darknesse and danger For the Minde is the eye of the soul And the Light of the soul as of the Body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single sayes our Saviour thy whole body shall be full of Light But if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darknesse †Mat. 6.22 23 He whose eyes are blinde walks in darknesse at noon-day And when men walk in Darknesse they are continually exposed to Danger When damnable Doctrines are publickly preach'd and multitudes are baptiz'd into the Belief of them and so the souls of men are perverted and impoyson'd by them these must needs be Dayes of Danger perillous Times When the Power of Truth failes and the Plague of Errour and Heresie reignes When the Glory of true Christianity is eclipst and the Mystery of Iniquity is mightily working in the mindes of men such Times must needs be perillous and pernicious III. The Land is polluted Reigning sinnes prevailing abominations especially when patronized by those by whom they should be punished whereby they become National sinnes do exceedingly pollute a Land Now when the Land is polluted what can be expected but that God should depart from it and bring in a Deluge of Judgement or kindle a dreadful burning to purge it Is not this then a sad presage of perillous Times After the House of the Lord in Jerusalem was polluted by the Abominations of the people of Judah both the City and the Temple was destroy'd * 2 Chron. 36.14 15 c. When the Land of Canaan was polluted by the sinnes of the Canaanites God deliver'd both them and their Land into the hand of the Israelites and when it was polluted by the Israelites he deliver'd them up into the hand of the Canaanites as we read in the Book of the Judges †See also Psal 106 38-42 When the Land is polluted by its sinnes it 's just with God to * Lam. 2.2 pollute it by his Judgements And what then can we expect but perillous Times in a polluted Land The third Question Quest 3 WHat is the peril of these Times Answ The evils to be feared in these Times are such as these Answ 1 I. The judgement of God on the Land God may justly bring the Sword and Famine and Pestilence for the punishment of such a provoking People These three Arrows are ever ready in Gods Quiver to be discharg'd against his Enemies God may sweep that Land with the besome of Desolation wherein men under pretences of Gods glory seek their own interests and establishment He may punish spirituall Abominations with temporal Judgements Persecution with War the plague of Errours with the Pestilence the Contempt of the heavenly Manna of his holy Word with Famine and want of necessary food He may wash that Land with Blood that hath been defiled with Oppression and Murder He may sweep that house with the Pestilence that hath been defiled with Pride and Perjury He may scourge that people with Famine that have sin'd through Fulnesse of Bread He may break that land in pieces by the thunder of his Judgements that hath not taken warning by the lightening of his Threatnings in the preaching of his Word So for spiritual Judgements for the Abominations of his People the Lord may go far from his Sanctuary †Ezek. 8.6 When a Church hath left its first love God may come speedily and remove its Candlestick out of his Place * Rev. 2.4 5 When men shall abuse the servants of the Lord sent forth to gather the Fruits of his Vineyard he may justly destroy them and give the Vineyard unto others †Mark 12.9 When men are grown greedy of the gain of Oppression and weary of the Ordinances of God when Covetousnesse is become cruel in grinding the faces of the Poore * Isa 3.25 and Profanesse bold in slighting of Sabbaths and sacred Solemnities of Divine Worship God may justly cause that Land to tremble for the horrour of his Judgements and plague that peoples contempt of his Worship by a Famine of his Word And so hath the Lord threatned to punish these sinnes in his people Israel by his Prophet Amos saying †Amos 8 4-12 Heare this O ye that swallow up the needy even to make the Poor of the Land to faile saying When will the New Moon be gone that we may sell Corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat making the Ephah wherewith they measured their Grain small and the Shekel wherewith they weighed the money which they received for payment great and falsifying the Balances by deceit That we may buy the poore for silver and the needy for a paire of shooes yea and sell the refuse of the wheat The LORD hath sworne by the excellency of Jacob surely I will never forget any of their Works Shall not the Land tremble for this and every one mourn that dwelleth therein and it shall rise up wholly as a flood and it shall be cast out and drowned as by the flood of Egypt And it shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord GOD that I will cause the Sunne to go down at noon and I will darken the earth in the clear day And I will turn your Feasts into Mourning and all your Songs into Lamentation and I will bring up sackcloth upon all Loynes and baldnesse upon every Head and I will make it as the mourning of an onely sonne and the end thereof as a bitter Day Behold the dayes come saith the Lord GOD that I will send a FAMINE in the Land not a Famine of Bread nor a Thirst for Water but of hearing the Words of the LORD And they shall wander from Sea to Sea and from the North even to the East they shall runne to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD and shall not finde it When the Lord shall bring these judgements upon a Land or Nation professing the true Religion the Church may call her Children * 1 Sam. 4.21 ICHABOD for the Glory is departed Thus for the sinnes of Judah did the †Ezek. 9.3 and 10.4 18 19. Glory of the Lord an illustrious pledge of his gracious presence depart from Jerusalem and sad were the Calamities which ensued thereupon Thus the Times are perillous when the sinnes of men are grown to that height that we may justly expect the Judgements of God upon the Land II. Persecution of the Church When Clouds of Darknesse are spread over the City of God
Righteousness and true Religion amongst us And Oh! †Esay 62.6 7 Let the Watchmen that stand upon the Wals of the City of God never hold their peace O ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silence And givâ— him no Rest till he establish England and make his Church in this Land a Praise in the Earth Oh let all the Children of God unite their Forces with Faith and Fervour to present unto the Lord that excellent Prayer of the Church with which I shall conclude this Direction and may they have the same gracious Answer of Peace O then lift up your hearts and say * Psal 85.4 ult Turn us O God of our Salvation and cause thine Anger towards us to cease Wilt thou be angry with us for ever Wilt thou draw out thine Anger to all Generations Wilt thou not revive us again that thy People may rejoyce in thee Shew us thy Mercy O LORD and grant us thy salvation I will hear what God the LORD will speak for he will speak peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth are met together Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her encrease Righteousness shall go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps The fourth Duty Taking Sanctuary in God ARE you fallen into Perillous Times And do you desire preservation Then Make God your Refuge till these dangers be overpast God is a Hiding place for his Saints their Rock and Refuge in times of Trouble their Fortress and strong Tower in times of Danger and Distress So hash he revealed himself in his Word and so have his Saints found him to be by sweet Experiences in the Times of their sad Extreâ—ities The Lord saith David * Psal 18.2 is my Rock and Fortress and my Deliverer my God my Strength in whom I will trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus under various expressions he sets forth Gods Power as engaged for his Saints Preservation So saith he elsewhere †Ps 27.1 The Lord is my Light my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Then to fortifie his Confidence he produces his experience * v. 2. When the wicked even mine Enemies and my Foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled fel. And then upon this Experience he builds his Confidence †v. 3. Though an Host should encamp against me my heart shall not fear though War should rise against me in this will I be confident And the ground hereof was this that God was his Refuge and Preserver For saith he * v. 5. In the Time of Trouble he shall hide me in his Pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle the most inviolable Sanctuary shall be hide me he shall set me up upon a Rock And again saith he †Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from Trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance Yea It s the Priviledge of every Saint that he hath an Interest in this preserving Power and Mercy of God in times of Distress and Danger So saith the Psalmist * Psal 9.9 The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed a Refuge in Times of Trouble And therefore this is the ground of the Churches confidence in the Times of the greatest Trouble and Confusion †Psal 46.1 2 3. God is our Refuge and Strength a very present help in Trouble Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Though the waters thereof rore and be troubled though the mountains spake with the swelling thereof God is both a * Ps 84.11 Sun and a Shield to his Saints their Light in Darkness and Defence in Danger They are dear to him and he †Isa 49.2 hides them in the shadow of his hand He wears them as * Mal. 3.17 Jewels in his bosom he †Deut. 32 10 keeps them as the Apple of his eye * Zec. 2.8 He that toucheth you saith the Lord concerning the Children of Zion toucheth the Apple of mime eye He hath secret Chambers of Providence for the Preserving his People in Times of Danger by publick Calamities Come my people saith the Lord †Isa 26.20 21. enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy Doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the Indignation be over past For behold the Lord cometh out of his Place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their Iniquity the Earth also shall disclose her Blood and shall no more cover her slain The glorious Attributes of God are as it were a Tower of Defence to the truly godly in Times of Danger The name of the Lord saith the Wise man * Prov. 18.10 is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to it and is safe When Peril pursues a Saint he runs to God as his Refuge Yea †Pro. 22.3 A prudent man fore-seeth the Evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punshed This Prudence doth well become the Pious in Times of Peril But that you may with Boldness and Comfort have Recourse to God in Times of Distress and Danger as your Refuge in the storm your hiding Place in Times of Trouble Do these three things The first Work CLear your Interest in God If you think to have Recourse to God for safety in Danger and have no Interest in God your Hope may deceive you and you may â—ail of this special priviledge of Divine Preservation and instead thereof fall and perish by a just Destruction If a man pursu'd by his Enemies in the Times of War shall have Recourse to those for Refuge of whom he hath no assurance that they are his Friends he may but fly from one Danger and fall into the mouth of another Yea though you should have an Interest in God yet if you have no Evidence of this Interest you cannot with that Boldness and Confidence wherewith otherwise you might fly to God for Refuge in Daies of Danger Be it your care therefore not only to get an Interest in God but to clear it up by undeceiving Evidences to your soul and Conscience Then may you triumph with David in the very Face of Danger †Psal 27.1 The LORD is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The LORD is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid So again saith he * Psal 28.7 The LORD is my strength my Shield my heart trusted in him and I
Charity to his dear Brethren that they may cover the Infirmities of their poor weak Brother in Love and not seek to hurt him by that whereby he desires to do others Good Oh that thou wouldest be pleased to put it into their Hearts from the discoveries of thy poor servants Weaknesses to take an occasion to adore the Riches of thy free Grace and to exalt thy Name with Praises for that thou hast been pleased to intrust them with more excellent Abilities for thy service So shall thy servant have cause to glory in his Infirmities when thereby some Glory shall redound to thy Name But as for the Proud who make it their Glory to oppresse the Poor keep thy servant ever in that Resolution to which by thy grace thou hast raised his heart rather to perish by their Power then by any unworthy Compliance to seek his own Preservation or Advantage to thy Dishonour Fill his Heart and the Hearts of all thy faithful servants with a holy Contempt and Scorne of their Favour whose Friendship is flat Enmity with God Make thy servant one of them in whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned how Great or Glorious soever he be in the World's eye but let him ever honour them that feare the LORD Let not thy servant think it strange if he suffer Reproach from them that cast Dishonour upon Thee but rather rejoyce in their Reproaches as the Badges of his Faithfulnesse and weare them as his Crown and Glory Let him not study to please men lest he loose the Honour of being the servant of Christ Oh let thy servant behold Smiles in thy pleased Face and tast the sweetnesse of thy precious Promises and so shall he not fear the Frownes nor regard the Threats of Proud Perfidious and Presumptuous sinners Let him never desire to have them for his Friends who by their horrid Enormities have made God their Enemy Let him never seek to be esteemed by them whose Insolencies proclaime to the world that they contemne God Yet Oh that thou wouldest open their Eyes to see their sins before thou tumble them from their Earthly Glory into Hell Oh that in stead of accounting thy servant their Enemy for telling them the Truth they might see and consider that it is the highest act of Friendship to shew them their Danger before it be too late Oh that it would please thee by thy Spirit to convince them of those sins and fearful abominations which thy servant hath endeavour'd herein to represent as in a Glasse before their faces Oh give them to repent of their wicked Deeds and to humble themselves for their insolent Actings However Lord by thy powerful Providence restrain them in their wayes of wickednesse whose Ambitious and aspiring spirits prompt them to the most Audacious and illegal Actings for the securing of their own Interests and the Establishment of their own Glory and Greatnesse upon the Ruines of the Church and Common-wealth restrain them O Lord lost they pluck down Judgements not onely upon their own heads but also on the too guilty Nation And vouchsafe O God to look down from thy high and holy habitation upon this sinful Land but not with an Eye of Fury and Revenge but with an Eye of Mercy and Love Thou seest what fearful Abominations are committed amongst us Thou knowest what perillous Times are come upon us Thou seest how cruel enemies do rend the body of thy dear sonne the CHURCH which he hath redeemed with his own blood Thou hearest with what hellish Oaths and Blasphemies vile Creatures daily teare thy sacred and glorious Name Oh! If thou wast not infinite in Mercy and Patience thou hadst long ago rain'd down Fire and Brimstone upon our heads or involv'd the whole Land in Confusion and Blood It is of the Lords mercies we are not consumed because his compassions fail not But now O Lord hear O Lord have Mercy O Lord forgive the many and great sins and Provocations of this Land and do not forsake us utterly nor irresistibly destroy us as we have deserved We must needs confesse that we and our Princes have greatly sinned against thee and fearfully provoked the pure Eyes of thy Glory Lord humble us from the highest to the lowest give us a true Repentance for all our sins and Grace to turne to thee our God with our whole hearts and so spare us and heale our Land Oh stirre thy people up to those special Duties which are at this Time in a special manner incumbent on them Let this Warning and Call which thou givest them by the hand of thy servant become through thy Blessing effectual for the Awakening of thy servants out of their Security and the Engaging of them to those Duties whereby thy Wrath and Judgements may be prevented and a wide Door may be opened whereby thy Blessings may flow in abundantly upon us O Good God punish not this Land with a Famine of thy VVord Oh take not thy Gospel Ordinances from us Remove not thy golden Candlestick Oh never let it be said The Glory is departed from England It were better for us to see our streets runne downe with the Blood of the slaine and to behold the Bodies of thy Saints burnt in flames then to live in peace and grow cold in our love to thy Truth till we have utterly lost the Gospel Prayers put up in Flames and Blood might recall it againe when a general sloth and security in sinne may forfeit it for ever But O Lord continue thy Gospel preserve thy People and blesse thine Inheritance in the Land But if for our sinnes thou shalt suffer those stormes to arise whereby thy Church shall suffer Shipwrack Oh let this poor Plank cast out by the hand of thy unworthy servant be a Meanes to save some Soules Oh let this small Light direct some soules in the right Path for their eternal Salvation to the Glory of thy free Grace through the Lord Jesus our onely Mediator and Redeemer Amen FINIS Errata Typographica Some small Mistakes have escap't the Press whereof some few are amended with the Pen. Some few Mispellings Mispointings crave their Pardon of course as Things of such ordinary Incidency in Printing that the greatest Diligence can hardly prevent them Some of the most material Mistakes which offer'd themselves to Notice upon a swift Review are these that follow Errata Correcta Pag. Lin. intended extended 13 29 Premuniti Praemuniti 14 24 overcome overtake 16 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 37 19 Vial Viol 48 6 Frevalency Prevalency 54 5 Excess Excess 93 13 he the 93 14 Octavious Octavius 94 16 victus vinctus 97 marg scatter'd shatter'd 150 22 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 141 marg Corne Corke 257 5 thus there 263 11 Diabolos Diabolus 275 1 Name Doctrine 275 5 Baits Balls 287 23 Baldwin de Cas Conse Balduin de Cas Consc 289 marg he was proceeded against he was to be proceeded
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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
with a Deluge of Blood The Times are ever perillous during the Reigne of sinne But for the further opening of this first Proposition I shall do these two things 1. Shew what those special sins are which are Signs of Perillous Times 2. Consider the cases wherein such sinnes have in a special manner this Symptomatical significancy The first Enquiry What special sins make perillous Times FOr the Discovery of this What sins they are that speak the Times to be Perillous I shall not presume to make a Particular enumeration of all those sinnes which are Symptomes of evil Times or signes of approaching Judgements This would be a task perhaps too difficult and occasion a Discourse too tedious But onely instance in some of those special sinnes which I find in the holy Scriptures have been the procuring causes of those Calamities which have made the Times Perillous to Gods people Several other sins which have plentifully poured out the same malignant influence upon the Places and people under their Regency and dominion we shall have occasion to speak of in the following Symptomes For the present then take we notice of these subsequent sins as sad Symptomes and Presages of Perillous Times viz. The first Sin Atheisme and Irreligion THe Times are evil and perillous When Atheisme and Irreligion abounds When there is no * Hos 4.1 knowledge nor †Rom. 3.18 feare of God to be found in multitudes of People especially where the Preaching of the Word and the Means of Grace are plentifully afforded it s a sad sign of some sore judgement If God will poure out his Fury upon the Heathens that know him not and the Families of those Heathen Kingdoms that call not upon his Name * Jer. 10.25 with Psal 79.6 how much more upon those that are called Christians and yet are grosly ignorant of God and live in the constant neglect of this great Duty of Prayer For the more are the Means that are vouchsaft to any People and the greater the Obligations are that are laid upon them to any Duty the more heinous is their sinne the higher is their Provocation if they neglect it and the greater shall the Judgements be the heavier the punishments wherewith the Lord will at length plague such a sinning People And therefore does the Lord Jesus pronounce such a terrible woe against Corazin and Bethsaida and threaten them with such a dreadful Destruction because they were not amended notwithstanding the Mighty works he had wrought amongst them †Mat. 11.20 21. But sayes he * v. 22 23 24 I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgement then for you And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto heaven shalt be brought down to Hell For if the Mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained until this Day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom in the Day of Judgement then for thee The greatest outward Priviledges will not exempt a sinning People from the sorest Judgements †1 Cor. 10 1-11 Nay the greater the Priviledges are we do enjoy the sorer shall our Punishments be if we improve them not if we abuse them Now how may we tremble with a just Fear of some fearful Judgement when we consider how much Darknesse there is in a Land of Light how Ignorance Atheisme and Ungodlinesse abounds amongst a People which may plentifully enjoy the Meanes of Grace How many thousands are there that know not Jesus Christ nor care to know him Yea how many thousand Families are there in a Land blest for above a thousand years with the Gospel that call not upon God! How many Millions of People may be seen every Lords Day in the streets of Cities in the Fields and Villages that make it their constant Practice to profane the Sabbath by Vanity and idlenesse besides those Children of Darknesse which are already in the Suburbs of Hell who are then at their Pots and Pipes in their Dens of Iniquity Now * Jer. 5.9 shall not the Lord visit for these things and be avenged on such a People as this When such a black cloud of Darknesse hath overspread the Land that men see not the Light of the Sunne at Noon-day how may we justly fear that the Thunder of Gods judgements will suddenly break out against us We read that when the King of Asyria brought in strangers into Samaria that feared not the LORD nor knew the manner of his worship the LORD sent Lions among them that destroy'd them †2 Kin. 17 24 25 26. Atheism and Irreligion in a Holy Nation a Nation call'd and consecrated to Gods Worship and Service is more provoking and sooner plucks down Judgement then in a Heathen Land Wilde Beasts may be secure and live long in a Large Forrest but they are soon taken and slain when once found in a Tilled Field This was part of the Charge which the Lord drew up against his people Israel before he cast them to be melted from their drosse in the Furnace of Babylon * Jer. 9.3 They proceed from evil to evil and they know not me saith the LORD And therefore saith he to his Prophet †Jer. 9.6 7 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit through Deceit they refuse to know me saith the LORD Therefore thus saith the LORD of Hosts Behold I will melt them and try them For how shall I do for the Daughter of my People Ignorance is a damning sin◠a soul-destroying Evil It is a People of no understanding saith the Lord * Isa 27.11 therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them aad he that formed them will shew them no favour And againe †2 Thes 1 7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his Mighty Angels in flaming fire to take vengeance as well on them that know not God as on them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ And these also as well as the other shall be punisht with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his Power But now when ignorance is joyn'd with obstinacy as in those that refuse to know God or to learn the Mysteries of the Gospel it s a sinne more inexcusable and the punishment of it more intolerable Certainly if the knowledge and worship of God do open a gate for the bringing in of all manner of Blessings into a land Ignorance and Irreligion must needs open a wide doore to Destruction Before the first destruction of Rome by Brennus and his Gaules its observed by the Heathen Writers themselves that the People were grown altogether Carelesse and negligent in the matters of Religion The ancient Britans it 's the Observation of Bede a little before their Destruction by the Saxons were arriv'd at such a pitch of profanenesse as Odium
in Religionis Professores tanquam in Adversarios serre To hate the Professors of Religion as if they had been their profest Enemies When men are become not onely Strangers but Enemies to Religion its Time for God to depart from such a People and instead of the Gospel the Ensigne of Peace to send some grievous Plague as a Besome of destruction to sweep the Land of its Inhabitants The second Sin Murmuring against God THose are evil and Perillous Times wherein People murmure against God his Providences Judgements Ministers Mercies This was the sinne of Israel for which God slew them in the Wilderness * See Exo. 1-12 with Psal 78.17 -31 and 1 Cor. 10.10 For sayes the Scripture †Psal 106 25 26 27. They murmured in their Tents and hearkened not unto the Voice of the LORD Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wildernesse To overthrow their seed also among the Nations and to scatter them in the Land Yea saies the Psalmist * Psal 78 17-21 they spake against God They said can God furnish a Table in the Wildernesse Behold he smote the Rock that the Waters gushed out and the streames overflow'd can he give bread also Can he provide flesh for his People Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth so a Fire was kindled against Jacob and Anger also came up against Israel Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation To murmure against present Providences notwithstanding former Experiences is a very provoking sinne Murmuring against the God of our Mercies because he does not answer our desires in the satisfaction of our lusts is grand Ingratitude and speaks a high Degree of Wickednesse Justly may the Lord throw down his heaviest Judgements upon the heads of such a provoking People Yea though men do not directly speak against God yet when they speak against his Messengers murmure against Ministers against their Maintenance they do in effect murmure against God himselfe He that repines at the Reception of Embassadors and the charge of their entertainment is guilty of a Crime of State which will cast such a reflection upon the King that sent them as will receive but an ill Resentment And therefore in this Case we may say with Moses of the Israelites * Exod. 16.7 8. What are we that ye murmure against us Surely the LORD heareth your Murmurings which you murmure against him For what are we your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD And do you thus requite the LORD for his great Mercy in giving you the Gospel O foolish people and unwise †Deut. 32 6. May not he justly punish you for so great a Provocation by depriving you of so rich a Mercy by taking away his Gospel So when men murmure at their great Plenty the sin of thousands in the Land do they not provoke the Lord to plague the Land with Famine when men murmure against God in Times of Peace and liberty how just is it with God to scourge them with bloody Wars and chastise them with a cruel Bondage When men are impatient under their losses and afflictions and murmure at those sufferings wherewith they are corrected for their sins but yet neither take notice of the sins which have caused those sufferings nor the Hand of God which chastises them with such Afflictions as the Dogge which flies at the stone but regards not the Hand that threw it how do they provoke God to load them with heavier Fetters and chastise them with smarter Rods more cutting calamities when murmuring grows up from a bitter root of Atheisme and brings forth the cursed Fruit of Rebellion it 's time for God to take the Axe of his Judgements and cut down such a provoking People Surely murmuring against God is the fore-runner of many miseries amongst men and so a sad presage of Perillous Times The third Sin Injustice Cruelty Oppression RIghteousnesse exalteth a Nation but sin is a reproach to any People †Prov. 14.34 And especially Injustice Cruelty Oppression sins which make the Times evill and Perillous This complicated Iniquity is in the Law of God Interpretative murder And therefore the LORD stops his Ears to the Prayers of his People and casts all their Sacrifices as dung in their Faces saying * Isa 1.11 15. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices and solemnities They are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many Prayers I will not hear Why so Your hands are full of Blood But how did they contract this guilt Surely by their Injustice Cruelty Oppression as appears by those Precepts which the Lord gives them in opposition to their present Practise †Isa 1.17 Learne to do well seek Judgement relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherlesse plead for the Widow Now hence it appears that Persons guilty of these sins are in Gods Account Murderers men that are guilty of Innocent Blood which cries aloud to heaven for vengeance to be executed upon such bloody wretches covetous cruel and oppressing Tyrants And this is yet more clear from the following Complaint and Commination For thus the Prophet proceeds * Isa 1.21 -24. How is the faithful City become a Harlot It was full of judgement Righteousnesse lodged in it but now murderers Thy Silver is become Drosse thy Wine mixt with Water Thy Princes are Rebellious and Companions of Thieves Every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the Cause of the widow come unto them Therefore saith the Lord the LORD of Hosts the Mighty one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine Adversaries and avenge me of mine Enemies For this Sinne the Lord threatned to lay wast his Vineyard †Isa 5.5 6 even to lay the Land of Israel and Judah open to Destruction For the Vine-yard of the LORD of Hosts is the House of Israel and the men of Judah his pleasant Plant and he looked for Judgement and behold Oppression for Righteousness but behold a cry * Isa 5.7 This made their solemne Fasts abominable to God Behold sayes the Lord †Isa 58.4 ye fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickednesse ye shall not fast as ye do this Day to make your voice to be heard on high These are the sins which obstruct the Lords saving Mercies and draw down his sorest Judgements upon a sinful Nation A large and lively Representation hereof which calls for our sad and serious thoughts in a timely Reflection upon our sins and sufferings in these distracted Times that we may wisely bethink our selves before it be too late of the most effectual means for the Prevention of the Lords sorer Judgements upon our Land we have set before us in the Prophecy of Isaiah * Chap. 51. v. 1-19 in these
Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade †Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination †Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven
He then is the greatest Drunkard in Gods sight who is able to drink most without Distemper For what 's Drunkennesse but Excesse in Drinking though no Distemper of Body or Braine should follow thereupon But he is the greatest Drunkard of all who not onely drinks to Excesse himself but labours also to draw on others to Drunkennesse enforcing more upon them then they would otherwise receive Such a devilish Drunkard deserves no lesse then double Damnation A dreadful Woe hangs ever his Head and a Cup of Wrath shall be put into his Hand and the Lord shall cause him to drink up the Dregges of it Woe unto him saith the LORD †Hab. 2.15 16. that giveth his Neighbour drink that puttest thy Bottle to him and makest him drunken also that thou mayest look on their Nakednesse Thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy Fore-skin be uncovered the Cup of the LORDS right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory Neither does this sin of Drunkennesse draw down a Woe upon the drunkards head onely but also brings in a Deluge of Judgements upon the whole Land which is defiled by it And therefore sayes the Lord * Isa 28 1-4 Woe to the Crown of Pride to the drunkards of Ephraim whose glorious beauty is a fading flower which are on the head of the fat Valleys of them that are overcome with VVine Behold the Lord hath a mighty and strong one which as a tempest of Haile and a destroying storme as a flood of mighty waters overflowing shall cast down to the earth with the Hand The Crown of Pride the drunkards of Ephraim shall be troden under feet And the glorious beauty which is on the head of the Fat Valley shall be a fading Flower and as the hasty fruit before the Summer which when he that looketh upon it seeth it while it iâ— yet in his hand he eateth it up Thus may a Land which is as a flourishing Field for the sinnes of those that live in it be turn'd into a barren Desert a Wildernesse of Thornes Thus Gluttony and Drunkenness when they abound in a Land are the Causes Presages and Symptoms of Perillous Times The seventh Sin Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel VVHen Fantasticalnesse Vanity and Pride of Apparel is a Predominant sin it speaks Perillous Times It pleased God to bestow a singular Honour upon man at his first Creation in imprinting upon him the Beauty of his own Image For †Gen. 1.27 God Created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him The Soul of man was indeed the Principal Subject of this glorious Impression but yet the Body of man was by the Wisdome of God * Psal 139 15 curiously compos'd to such a comelinesse of shapâ— as that it might be a fit Cabinet for so inestimable a Jewel embellisht with so Divine a Portraicture Then was naked Innocency mans most glorious cloathing But since the defacement of this Image of God and the defilement of the Nature of man miserable man hath been forc't to begge Relief of the other Creatures for the covering of the shame of his Nakednesse But alas vain man How foolishly does he abuse this second Benefit How does he bewray the Nakednesse of his Minde by the Apparel of his Body How vainly does he turne the covering of his shame into the displaying of his Pride How shall we now know the â—â—ape of a man or where shall we behold the Comlinesse of his first Composure when he is now daily â—ransforming himself Proteus like into a strange Variety of Fantastick Fâ—sâ—ious And how strangely is he bewitcht with this Vanity that whereas he should in Reason shape his Apparel to his Body hâ— seemes to go about to shape his Body to his Apparâ—l How ridiculous world it be to see a man stick his Body with Peacockâ— Plume and Ostrich Feathers and then Pride himselfe in the pleasing variety of their curious colours And is it not every whit as absurd and beggarly for a Person of quality to carry a Pedlers Shop about the streets of the City leading as it were his Pride in Triumph and making an open show of the spoiles of the silk-worme And as if the costlinesse of the matter did contend with the Curiosity of the Fashion how do the Gallants of the Times lay out their Riches and Revenues for the maintenance of their Pride of Apparel How do they trample with disdaine upon the Poore of the Countrey treading them under feet as they would a Worme into the mire while they walk like Monsters of Pride with whole Orchards Fields Woods upon their Backs bearing at once in the costlinesse of their Garb the revenues of a whole Lordship Such was the luxuriant Pride and Gallantry of a Roman Emperour †Heliogabalus who jug'd it a piece of state to weare sumptuous Apparel and an unworthy basenesse to appear twice in the same suit though never so rich and splendid His shooes were embellish't with Pearles and Diamonds his Seats strew'd with Musk and Amber his Bed covered with Gold and Silver and inchac't with the costliest Gemmes and his Way strew'd with the Powder of Pearles But the Female Sex hath ever beene more generally guilty of a strange Excesse in Apparel and Ornaments How strange is the Vanitie of the Mindes of VVomen especially of those accounted of the better Rank in the affectation of Variety of Fashions in their Cloaths and Deckings Proud women have a * Mundus maliebris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. 2. de Rep. VVorld of Ornaments and Dum moliuntur dum comuntur Annus est †Terent. A Yeare is spent in their tricking and trimming themselves with them yea scarcely will an Age suffice them to runne all the Stages of their still-changing Fashions The Prophet Isaiah being himselfe conversant in the Court had diligently observ'd the Gallantry of the Proud Dames of those dayes whom he does as faithfully reprove opening a full Pack of their Toyes and Vanities the Ensignes of their Pride which they it seemes much pleased themselves in as very decent and well-becoming Ornaments But he declares unto them their sin and in the Name of the Lord pronounces the Doome of such proud self-Idolizing Vanities as the Daughters of Zion were then become through a strange affectation of multiplicity of Ornaments and singularity in Carriage and Behaviour For thus does he deliver his Message to them from the Lord. * Isa 3 16-26 Moreover the LORD saith because the Daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with stretched forth Necks and wanton eyes walking and mincing or tripping it neatly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Plaudendo Ar. Mont. tripudiando Pagn as they go and making a tinkling with their Feet as if they walked in Fetters or had Bells or Rattles ty'd to their Feet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Tinniebant A. M. pedibus
their Immodesties by setting as many Spots in their Faces as they have received Blots to their Honour till their Faces are almost cover'd with these Badges of their Infamy O degenerate Gentry O ignoble Nobility How foolish are you become in these fantastical Fashions How weak how wicked are you to pride your selves in such ridiculous Vanities and to account these signes of your baseness â—o be Badges of your Honour Are you so stupid and senslesse as not to observe that â—od hath been tumbling down the greatnesse of the world staining the Pride of â—an and rolling his glory in the Dust And will you by your Pride and Vanity pluck down greater Judgements on the Land and plunge your selves into everlasting miseries Surely these Badges of your Pride are but the Presages of your Punishment Tertullian calls painted women * Ancillas Diaboli the Devâ—ls Chamber-maids or Waiting-women But then surely those who prostitute their painted Beauties to these wanton Blacks are the chiefest Ladies in the Kingdome of Lucifer And his Pride you know cost him a flaming fall 't was the fore-runner of his Destruction What then shall become of those of his Houshold Surely these painted plaister'd spotted Vanities will end their dayes in Vexation How justly may God punish their shamel sse Pride as he hath doâ—e many with shameful Poverty on earth and their wanton Pleasures with woful Paines in Hell Surely these Luxuriancies in lustful Vanities provoke God to plague the Land with dreadful Judgements and so speak these dayes wherein they abound to be perillous Times Thus we have seen what sins do in a special Manner provoke the Lord to wrath and sollicit vengeance against such a sinning People Surely where these seven Abominations are found especially where they are predominant they presage sore Plagues fore-run heavy Judgements on such a place or People For shall not the Lord visit for these things and shall not his soul be aveng'd on such a People as this that provoke him to Anger with so many fearfull Abominations Surely God may justly poure out all the †Rev. 16.1 seven Vials of his flaming wrath upon such a sinful Nation These â—ins therefore must needs be sad Symptomes of Perillous Times Come we now to consider in what Cases these sinnes are thus Symptomaticall The second Enquiry In what Cases the foremention'd Sins are Symptomes of Perillous Times ADAM in Innocency liv'd in * Gen. 2.8 EDEN a Place prepar'd by God himselfe to be the Mother of Plenty the Nurse of Pleasure and Queen Regent of Divine Delight Happy man had he not by the Losse of his Innocence the Palladium of Paradise lost his Happinesse Yea the World was an Universal Paradise whereof Eden was the Eye the Beauty of its Beautieâ— till sin committed a Rape upon its Virgin Purity and cast a defilement upon its Primitive Glory Then did its flowring Beauties fade in its Face and stinging Mâ—series sprang up apace in its Bosome Thus did the world once a Garden of Delights become a Wildernesse of â—hornes before a Palace Royal of pure unmixed Pleasures now a bloody Stage of sufferings and sorrows Thus is sinne the procuring cause of all Miseries and so the too certain Prognostick of Perillâ—us Times Was it not for s nne how should England be as Eden the Garden of God crown'd with the smiles of Heaven and cloath'd with the Virgin-Mantle of Peace and endow'd with the choicest Blessings on Earth and so admir'd by all its Sister Islands its Neighbour Nations for Beauty Riches and Renown But sin it is which spreads a black cloud upon it's Glories which threatens the Thunder of some dreadful Judgements The sinnes of England are many and what can we expect but that the sufferings of England should be great The sins of men are wont to draw downe the Judgements of God and so they are the Symptomes of Perillous Times to the People of God especially in such Cases as these that follow The first Case The Commonness of Sinne. WHen grosse Sinnes are commonly committed the Times must needs be Perillous When Lying Swearing Sabbath-breaking Stealing Cheating Deceiving Cruelty Oppression Drunkennesse Adultery and all manner of Uncleannesse does abound the Dayes are evil and full of Danger These sins are as so many Cords to pluck down Judgements upon the Heads of such a People Thus did sinne abound in the Old World before God destroy'd all Flesh with the Flood For it s said †Gen. 6.11 12 13. The Earth was corrupt before Goâ— and the Earth was filled with Violence And God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth And God said unto Noah The end of all flesh is come before me for the Earth is filled with Violence through them and behold I will destroy them with the Earth The Scriptures do abound with comminations of Judgement against that People that Land wherein such Abominations do abound Take notice of some of them and Oh that you would sadly lay them to heart * Jer. 7.8 16. Behold sayes the Lord to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Will ye steale murder and commit Adultery and swear falsely and burn incense unto Baal and walk after other Gods whom ye know not i. e. maintaine diversities of Religion amongst you and come and stand before me in this House which is called by my Name and say we are deliver'd to do all these abominations q. d. This is the Liberty for which we adventur'd our Lives in the High-Places of the Field Is this House which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your Eyes q. d. Is this the fruit of your Victories and the glorious Deliverances whereof you speak to cast contempt upon my House Worship and Ordinances Behold even I have seen it saith the LORD But go ye now unto my Place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the Wickednesse of my People Israel And now because ye have done all these works saith the LORD and I spake unto you rising up early and speaking but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not Therefore will I do unto this House which is called by my Name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh And I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore sayes the LORD to the Prophet Pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee Thus multiply'd sinnes do at length bring down upon a sinful stubborn and rebellious People manifold miseries and remedilesse extremities Thus does the Lord proclaime Warre against his People Israel by the Prophet Hosea for their
mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the Fire of my Wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith the Lord GOD. Thus we see the Generall Corruption of the Inhabitants may soone bring upon the whole Land an utter and inevitable Destruction It 's as easie with God to cut down Cedars as to stock up Shrubs yea if the Fire of his wrath be once kindled 't will easily suddenly irresistibly consume the whole †Jer. 21.14 Forrest of People both small and great If some Branches of the great Tree of a Kingdom or Nation be barren or bear evil Fruit God may in mercy prune it with some smaller Judgements to make it the more fruitful but if both the Body and Boughs be corrupt and rotten God may justly destroy it both Root and Branch The third Case Obstinacy and Impudency in Sinning VVHen Sinners are obstinate and shamelesse in sinning the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous Such was the state of the People of Israel before their utter Destruction Moreover saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy †Jer. 8 4 5 6. thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the LORD shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return q. d. If men do fall will they lie still and not rise again If a man be gone out of the Way when he perceives it will he proceed and not rather turn back again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quare rebellis refractarius * Ar. Mont. est populus iste Jerusalaim Rebellione forti †Pagnin Aversione pertinaci * Ar. Mont. pervicacissima †Jun. Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Septuag Why then is this People of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual Back-sliding Or why is this People of Jerusalem this my People become refractory and Rebellious and have turned away from me with such a stubborn and obstinate impudent and pertinacious Aversion so stout and stiff-necked a Rebellion They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel And further saith the LORD †v. 12-16 Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And what follows Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the Time of their Visitation they shall be cast down saith the LORD I will surely consume them saith the LORD there shall be no Grapes on the Vine nor Figs on the Fig-tree and the Leaf shall fade and the Things that I have given them shall passe away from them Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the LORD our God hath put us to silence and given us water of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the LORD We looked for Peace but no Good came and for a time of health or healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and behold trouble Medelae The snorting of his Horses sc of the Chaldean Army was heard from Dan the whole Land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones for they are come and have devoured the Land and all that is in the City and those that dwell therein Thus when men will not forbear sinning God will not spare them in punishing when they will not be reclaim'd from their Wickednesse they shall be consum'd by his just Judgements When the Preaching of the Word by the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord will not prevaile with men to forsake their sins and seriously to engage in the service of God then Punishment is at hand and the sword of the Lord is ready drawn to cut off such an obstinate and rebellious people Thus it s said †2 King 57 13-20 The LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turne ye from your evil wayes and keep my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your Fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not heare but hardened their necks like to the neck of their Fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them And they left all the Commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten Images even two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal And they caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass thorough the Fire and used Divination and Enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed thâ—m out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah onely Also Judah kept not the Commmandments of the LORD their God but walked in the Statutes of Israel which they made And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight Thus the multipli'd Abominations of a pertinaciously wicked People provokes the Lord to an utter extirpation of them out of the Land Justly may the Lord give their Land to Strangers who are continually provoking the eyes of his glory by their sins Custome in sinning takes away the Conscience of sinne and so do men confirme themselves in their evil wayes and with Pharaoh harden their hearts to their own Destruction For sayes the LORD by the Prophet * Jer. 13.23 24. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the winde of the Wildernesse How severely will the Lord deal with stubborne sinners that wilfully walk in their own wicked wayes Take heed therefore lest there should be among you saith the LORD to his people Israel †Deut. 29 18 19 20. a root that beareth Gall and wormwood and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination or stubbornnesse * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum cogitationem Pagn In Obstinatione Ar. Mont. of mine Heart to adde Drunkennesse to Thirst The LORD will not spare him but then thâ— Anger of the LORD and his Jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are
Corrections for sin are Instructions to Righteousness But now when men are Incorrigible under Gods Corrections these are but the Fore-runners of their utter Destruction For this doth the Lord complain of his People the Jews * Jer. 2.30 In vain have I smitten your Children they received no Correction And saith the Prophet †Jer. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction They have made their faces harder then a Rock they have refused to return And Oh! how terrible are the Punishments of this Stubbornness in sin how dreadfull the Judgements ordained for this Incâ—rrigibleness under Correction The people saith the Prophet Isaiah * Isa 9 13-17 turneth not unto him that smiteth them neither do they seek the LORD of Hosts Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail branch and rush in one day The Ancient and Honourable he is the Head and the Prophet that teacheth lyes he is the Tail For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and they that are led of them are destroyed Therefore the LORD will have no joy in their young men neither shall have Mercy on their Fatherless and Widows for every one is an Hypocrite and an evil Doer and every mouth speaketh folly for all this his Anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still For this Stubbornness and Incorrigibleness notwithstanding Instruction by his Word and Correction by his Rod doth the LORD threaten one Judgement after another against his People Israel by the Hand of Moses If ye walk in my Statutes saith the Lord †Lev. 26.3 4. and keep my Commandments and do them then will I give you Rain in due Season and the Land shall yield her encrease and the Trees of the Field shall yield their Fruit. * v. 6. And I will give you Peace in the Land and ye shall lie down and none shall make you afraid c. †v. 11 12. And I will set my Tabernacle amongst you and my soul shall not abhor you And I will walk among you and will be your God and ye shall be my People * v. 14-29 But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandments and if ye shall despise my Statutes and if your soul abhor my Judgements so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you Terrour Consumption and the burning Ague that shall consumâ— the Eyes aad cause sorrow of Heart and ye shall sow your seed in vain for your enemies shall eat it And I will set my Face against you and ye shall be slain before your Enemies they that hate you shall reign over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me then I will punish you seven times more for your sins And I will break the Pride of your Power and I will make your Heaven as Iron and your Earth as Brass and your strength shall be spent in vain for your Land shall not yield her Encrease neither shall the Trees of the Land yield their Fruits And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins I will also send wild Beasts among you which shall rob you of your Children and destroy your Cattel and make you few in number and your High-wayes shall be desolate And if ye will not be reformed by these Things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins And I will bring a Sword upon you that shall avenge the Quarrel of my Covenant and when ye are gathered together within your Cities I will send the Pestilence among you and ye shall be delivered into the Hand of the Enemy And when I have broken the staff of your Bread ten women shall bake your Bread in one Oven and they shall deliver you your Bread again by weight and ye shall eat and not be satisfied And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me then I will walk contrary to you also in fury and I even I will chastise you seven times for your sins And ye shall eat the Flesh of your Sons and the Flesh of your Daughters shall ye eat * v. 31 32. And I will make your Cities waste and bring your Sanctuaries unto Desolation and I will not smell the savour of your sweet Odours And I will bring the Land into Desolation and your Enemies which dwell therein shall be astonisht at it c. Thus Incorrigibleness under manifold Corrections will at length kindle implacable wrath and so procure inevitable Ruine When lesser Judgements have wrought no Reformation there 's just cause to fear God is preparing greater Judgements to lay that Land desolate When the Field that is often plow'd and sow'd brings forth nothing but Briars and Thorns we may expect shortly to see the Master of that Fiâ—ld set it on Fire Those proud Turrets that are neither shaken with the Wind nor soften'd with the Rain may soon be scatter'd with the Thunder Though they have long threatned Heaven one moment may throw them down to the Earth When men are not melted soften'd separated from their Dross by the Fire of Afflictions what may we expect but that the Lord should turn the whole Land into a Furnace of Judgement and heat it seven and yet seven times hotter till he hath utterly consumed them from off the Earth Surely Incorrigible Impiety shall at length be punisht with inexorable Fury The longer men have gone on in sin notwithstanding Instructions and Corrections the sooner shall they be overtaken with Judgement and the higher their Provocations the heavier their Punishment Thus we have seen what special sins make the Times perillous and in what cases these sins have in a speciall manner this evil Influence upon the times The second Symptome Formality in Religion THE Times are justly to be accounted perillous When the Generality of Professors take up in some outward Forms of Worship without pressing after the Life and Power of Godliness The Apostle in this Prediction of Perillous Times seems to wind up in the close of his Description of the Persons that should make the Times perillous all the Characters of them into this one they are men * 2 Tim. 3.3 Having a Form of Godliness but denying the power thereof And certainly there cannot be a surer Symptom of evil Times then Formality and Overliness in the matters of Religion and Worship of God amongst all sorts of Professors The Times must needs be evil and perillous when Religion is made but a matter of Faction and mens Zeal for Religion is estimated by their vehement
dissembled sayes Augustine is not Equity but double Iniquity because dissimulation is Iniquitie And the more glorious the Pretence is which covers a base Designe the more vile and wicked is the Person that thus audaciously steals the Robes of vertue to cloath his otherwise naked viliany Caligula the Romane Emperour was never more Profane then when in his Pride he would put on the Vestments of the Gods Nero within and Cato without is an abhor'd Monster in the Church of God When the Devil appears in the habit of Samuel 't is but to prophecy the prevalency of the Philistines and the Overthrow of Israel When Pernicious Projects are vail'd with glorious Pretences the Times are perillous When Piety is made subservient to Policy and Gain is accounted Godlinesse This is not Religion but Robbery Latro est Domum Dei convertit in speluncam Latronum qui Lucra de Religione sectatur cultusque ejus non tam Cultus Dei quam negotiationis occasio est †Hier. sup Mâ—t. l. 4. He is a Robber says Jerome and turns the House of God into a Den of Thieves who takes up Religion meerly for the getting of Gain and whose worship of God serves onely for a fitter Occasion to advance his Trading in the World And we know it was not long after the Temple was made a Den of Thieves that it became a heap of Ruines The Times are perillous when the Royal stamp is put upon counterfeit coine and self-interest is called the Cause of God And the Danger is greater according to the Degree of the Person Self-seeking especially under plausible pretences of the Good of the People is extreamly pernicious in such Persons as have the chiefest Power in their hands which ought not to be used as an Engine for the advancement of mens private Interests but to be ever put to the best improvement for the Publick Good And therefore the pious and learned Father makes this the great difference betwixt a Tyrant who rules after his own Lusts and a King that governes his People by good and wholesom Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this sayes he does a Tyrant differ from a King that the one has still an Eye to his own Interests the other lays out himself for the Good of his Subjects But yet amongst a People professing godlinesse such Tyrants which makes their wickednesse so much the worse are wont to pretend the interests of Religion and the Honour of God for the colouring of their irregular enterprizes and the covering of their wicked intentions till they have accomplish't their cursed Designes and so attain'd their own ends So the bloody Nero in the beginning of his Reigne made great Pretences of Piety but when he was establisht in his Empire he delighted in nothing but wickednesse and cruelty And how perillous those Times were to the Christian Church the Teares and Blood of many thousand persecuted Christians gave sufficient Testimony whose †Rev. 6.9 10 Souls are under the Altar of God still crying with a loud Voice and saying How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth But now was it not for such faire Pretences these bloody Tyrants could never so smoothly carry on such foule Enormities to a full accomplishment It 's the Glory of God therefore which they pretend to the world to be the End of their audacious Actings but their own Names are firmly wrought into that Shield of Gods Glory which they hold out to the world for the Protection of the basest Designes as it s said the Name of Phidias was by his curious Art wrought into the Shield of Minerva Wo be to the People that are subjected to the Power of such pernicious persons for these aâ—e they which do with a witnesse make the Times perillous The Times then are perillous when glorious Titles are stampt upon base Designs and glorious ends are pretended for the crediting of such Enormous Actions as Religion cannot but blush that they should be called her children Thus Celsus the Philosopher having written a Defence of Paganisme gilds over his rotten wood with this golden Title or Inscription Verbum Veritatis †Orig. contra Cels l. 2. The Word of Truth Thus Absalom pretended a solemne Act of Religion in paying his Vow unto God when having plotted a cursed Treason he went on purpose to raise a bloody Rebellion against his Prince and Father * 2 Sam. 15 7-10 Thâ—â— Jâ—hu pretended the Reformation of Religion when he sought nothing but the establishment of the Kingdome to himself †2 King 9 and 10. and therefore the executions done by him though according to Gods Order and Appointment * 2 King 9.6 7 are charged upon him as so many bloody Murthers soliciting the Divine Vengeance For sayes the Lord †Hos 1.4 yet a little while and I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel i. e. the bloodshed in Jezreel * 2 King 9 15 24 25 26 30. ult the Royal City of the Land of Issachar †Josh 19.17 18. upon the House of Jehu and will cause to cease the Kingdome of the House of Israel Thus one wicked Tyrant may be the Ruine of the whole Kingdome Yet does this bloody Wretch this Self-seeking Jehu while he was yet reeking in Blood and hot in pursuing his selfish Designes boast of his zeal for the Cause of God Come sayes he to Jehonadab * 2 King 10.15 16. Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD Thus do many wear a Cloak of Zeal upon a Habit of Vice Thus Saul out of his Zeale for the Israelites became a bloody Butcher of the Gibeonites and so brought a plague upon the whole Land of Israel †2 Sam. 21 1 2 Thus that wicked Ahab proclaimes a Fast for the putting to death of Naboth that he might take to himself his Vineyard and so by one Act involves himself in the guilt of Murder Perjury and unjust Usurpation of the Right and Possession of the Innocent and Righteous * 1 King 21 12-16 So the Historian tells us of the Devilish Policy of Hanno a rich Prince of the Carthaginians who having laid a desiâ—ne for the Destruction of the whole Seâ—ate herein worse then Heliogabalus whose Pride was satisfi'd in the Expulsion of the Senators †Fulg. l. 9. c. 5. made use of a sacred Sâ—lemnity in the Celebration of his Daughters Marriage Ut Religione Votorum nefanda committeret nefanda Commenta facilius tegerentur * Justin Hist l. 21. For the Execution and Concealment of his Damnable Designe and Hellish Treason Thus did the Monster of men Herod pretend he would †Mat. 2.8 worship Christ whilst he was plotting to murder him in the prosecution of which bloody Designe he cruelly * Mat. 2.16 put to death as it is thought about fourteen thousand Innocents the
onely as it nourishes a secret Prejudice against the Divine Providence as suffering things to go out of Order but also as it unbridles unruly lusts and emboldens to walk in forbidden wayes while it banishes the fear of punishment and flatters the soul with promises of security in sinne This then must needs make the Times perillous Concerning this therefore does the Prophet expostulate with the Lord as the cause of many Calamities to the Land Righteous art thou O LORD sayes he * Jer. 12 1-4 when I plead with thee yet let me talk with thee of thy Judgements Or as the Margin reads it Let me reason the Case with thee concerning thy judgements Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper Wherefore are all they happy that deale very treacherously Thou hast planted them yea they have taken too t they grow yea they bring forth Fruit thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins But thou O LORD knowest me thou hast seen me and tryed mine heart towards thee pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the Day of slaughter How long shall the Land mourn and the Herbs of every Field wither for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein q. d. Wilt thou O Lord for ever suffer these wicked ones who are the cause that the whole countrey is ruin'd through thy just wrath †Diod. in loc The Beasts are consum'd and the Birds viz. by the drought and Famine brought upon the whole land for the punishment of the excesses of these wicked ones and their Atheistical contempt of the Divine Providence because they said he shall not see our last end q. d. We are so firmly rooted in our places of Power that notwithstanding the Judgements of God threatned against us we shall flourish for ever True * Engl. Annot. in loc this Jeremy telleth us what at length will befal us and that all our present prosperity shall end in extreame misery but his words are but winde he will never live to see any such matter befall us we shall sooner see an end of him then he any such end of us Thus do the worlds proud Potentates under pretences of Piety securely proceed in their wayes of wickednesse secretly slighting the Lords threatnings and contemning his Providence because they are not presently overtaken with their oft deserved punishments And does not this Prosperity and Immunity of such profane Politicians presumptuous Atheists speak the times evil and perillous But now it pleases God in his most holy and righteous providence to permit it thus to be that wicked men being hereby judicially hardened in their sinnes might more securely passe on and be punished and so at length be suddenly swallow'd up into an inevitable Destruction Thus there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt †Eccl. 8.9 For wickednesse shall not deliver those that are given to it * Eccl. 8.8 Yet because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evil †Eccl. 8.11 But at length God bringeth the wheele of his Providence over them and stretching forth his hand of Power arm'd with Justice against them he suddenly thrusts them down from the top of their earthly pomp and glory into a dreadful destruction This was the resolution which David received of his difficult question in this case which so much perplexed his spirit when he had sought the Lord in his Sanctuary When I thought to know this sayes he * Psal 73 16-20 it was too painful for me Vntil I went into the SANCTUARY of God then understood I their END Surely thou didst set them in slippery places thou castedst them down into Destruction How are they brought into Desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image That is when thy PROVIDENCE which seemeth to sleep during the time of their Impunity shall awake to their just punishment then shall their earthly prosperity and all their worldly greatnesse and glory which is but an IMAGE of happinesse vanish away and give place to those afflicting miseries that everlasting igâ—ominy and contempt which shall suddenly and irresistibly come upon them So likewise does JOB excellently describe the flourishing state of these wicked men and fully resolves the Question and cleares the case of their present impunity by setting before us the triumphs of the Divine Justice in their future Punishment their final destruction The Tabernacles of the Robbers saith he †Job 12.6 prosper and they that provoke God are secure into whose hand God bringeth abundantly But * Job 21.7 20 Wherefore do the wicked live become old yea are MIGHTY IN POWER Their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes Their houses are safe from Fear neither is the Rod of God upon them Their Bull gendreth and faileth not their Cow calveth and casteth not her Calfe They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ They spend their dayes in Wealth and Mirth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †and in a moment go down into the Grave Therefore they say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes What is the Almighty that we should serve him And what profit should we have if we pray unto him Loe their good is not in their hand the counsel of the wicked is far from me How oft is the Candle of the wicked put out And how oft cometh their destruction upon them God distributeth sorrows in his Anger They are as stubble before the winde and as chaff that the storme carrieth away God layeth up his Iniquity or the punishment of his iniquity * See the Marg. for his children he rewardeth him and HE SHALL KNOW IT His eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty Now what can be more pleasant and desirable then the Beginning of these wicked worldlings and what can be more dreadfull and formidable then their latter End And further sayes he †Job 24.1 Why seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty do they that know him not see his Dayes i. e. The time by him appointed for the punishment of the wicked * v. 2. Some remove the Land-marks They violently take away Flocks and feed thereof †v. 4. They turn the needy out of the way the poore of the earth hide themselves together * v. 7. They cause the naked to lodge without clothing that they have no covering in the cold †v. 12 13 Men groane from out of the City and the soul of the wounded cryeth out yet God layeth not Folly to them They are of
those that rebel against the Light they know not the wayes thereof nor abide in the paths thereof * v. 22. He draweth also the Mighty with his POWER he riseth up and no man is sure of Life That is saith Diodati they subvert and overthrow all publick Order and lawful Government with their violence Thus far do the wicked prevaile and prosper But what follows †v. 23 24 Though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth yet his eyes even the eyes of God are upon their Wayes They are exalted for a little time but are gone and brought low they are taken out of the way as all other and cut off as the tops of the eares of Corne. This may be understood sayes a late Expositor * Trap in loc of the like violence wherewith Tyrants shall be cut off by which they have cut off other Mighty and great men as Thrasibulus King of the Milesians by striking off with his staffe certain ears of corne which began to lift up their heads above their fellows and Tarquin King of the Romanes by doing the like to certaine Poppies in his Garden signified their mindes to have divers chiefe men beheaded which was accordingly accomplished But now when wicked men carry on their wicked Designes under the specious pretences of RELIGION and LIBERTY and carry out their most enormous enterprizes with IMPUNITY and GOOD SUCCESSE such Times must needs be extreamly perillous For hereby a wide gap will be open'd to many grand impieties which will all heighten the provocation of God to inflict upon such a people his sorest Judgements For as those that truly fear God will hereby be much discourag'd in the wayes of truth and righteousnesse so will the wicked be much harden'd and hearten'd in their sinnes and embolden'd to proceed in their Impieties as the surest path to Prosperity Greatnesse and Honour in the world Thus will multitudes unite their strength with these strong Cords of wickednesse to pluck down Gods heaviest Judgements upon their own heads which may involve all the Inhabitants of such a sinful Nation in Misery Affliction and Woe Plutarch in his Morals hath an excellent Discourse upon this Subject from which I shall select a few Passages which speak fully to our present Purpose It cannot surely either be unpleasant or unprofitable to heare a Heathen discoursing of the Providences of God in permitting of sinnes and delaying for a time the punishment thereof and in this discourse to heare corruption quarrelling with these dispensations and to see virtue in a fainting fit and Vice emboldening it self thereby and then presently to behold NATURE coming in with her golden Lamp and clearing up the Divine Justice in a severe compensation of this delay partly by Judgements more seasonably executed in this life and partly by eternal Punishments prepar'd for such sinners in the world to come For thus he brings in Patrocles speaking of Gods delay in the punishment of notorious offendors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The slacknesse and delay of the Divine Power in proceeding to the punishment of wicked men seems to me to be a very sore evil Plut. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he gives us the reason of this his Opinion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For when the discharge of this debt of the Divine Justice is thus delay'd from day to day it does more then any thing discourage the hopes and defect the spirit of those that suffer wrong and on the other side it makes the wicked that oppresse them the more confident and audacious And again this is another evil as Olympiacus replies to Patrocles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That this slackness of punishment weakens the Belief of the Divine Providence It also obscures the rayes of Righteousnesse and scatters the Feares of wickednesse But Plutarch most divinely commends Sobriety in judging of the things of God For as one unskilful in the art of Musick or Warre or Physick as he excellently illustrates it not knowing the grounds and reasons thereof is not able to give a right judgement of the actings of those that are expert in these Arts so much lesse fit are we to prescribe a method to the wise Providence of God for the Punishment of Offendors And for this purpose he produces Pindar calling the chief Deity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chiefe or best Artist for as much as to him it pertains as the Administrator of Justice to determine when and how and how far every wicked man is to be punished And for all these his Determinations there are good Grounds and Reasons well known to his wisdome though he sees it not meet to manifest them to his creatures who by the Law of their Being which they have received from him are bound quietly to submit to all his determinations as ever founded in infinite Wisdome and Justice Neither should the Proceedings of his providence seeme strange to us because the Reason is hid from us For sayes he even Humane Lawes the Reason unknown would seem absurd yet being made by Reasonable Creatures we would not presently judge them irrationall When God therefore delays the Execution of his Judgement upon sinners for the punishment of their crimes 't is not for fear of Error or Repentance but to give us an example of Patience and Meeknesse to banish from us Anger and Impetuousnesse in punishing Offences and revenging wrongs Then he makes a large representation of their torments in Hell who through Gods forbearance have escaped punishment on Earth Thus we see what sound and solid doctrine is taught in the School of a Heathen Moralist concerning those Providences of God which sometimes puzzle the thoughts of sober and understanding Christians Hence also we may take notice that this Impunity of wicked men notwithstanding all their Provocations is a matter of ordinary Occurrence and universal Observation Moreover such times must needs be perillous if we consider that Gods permission of people to proceed in wayes of wickednesse without punishment is the sorest Judgement and a sad presage of the utter dâ—struction of such a sinful people Ah sinful Nation sayes the LORD concerning Israel when they were design'd to destruction †Isa 1.4 8 a People laden with iniquity a seed of evil Doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the LORD they have provoked the holy One of Israel unto anger they have gone away backward Why should ye be stricken any more Ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not been closed neither bound up neither mollifi'd with oyntment But behold the approaching destruction of this unpunisht people Your Countrey is desolate your Cities are burnt with Fire your Land strangers devoure it in your presence and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers And the daughter of
Zion is left as a Cottage in a vineyard as a Lodge in a garden of Cucumbers as a besieged City Thus though justice have leaden feet and be slow in coming yet it hath iron hands to crush the rebellious and break in pieces a provoking people Impunity is a sad signe of God's implacable wrath against a people that notwithstanding many warnings are become stubborne in their sinnes Hereby they are but reserved for some greater Judgement fitted for a sorer punishment God never spake with a more wrathful voice to the people of Israel and to the children of Ephraim then when he said * Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your Spouses when they commit Adultery for themselves are separated with whores and they sacrifice with Harlots therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall or be punished †Margin And again * v. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone When God thus permits particular persons especially such as are set in high places and so are the more Exemplary in their abominations to proceed without punishment in their sins it s a fearful presage of some General Judgement to be inflicted upon the whole Land Thus it was in the case of Ephraims and Israels sin I know Ephraim sayes the Lord †Hos 5.3 4 5. and Israel is not hid from me for now O Ephraim thou committest whoredome and Israel is defiled They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God for the spirit of whoredomes is in the midst of them and they have not known the LORD And the pride of Israel doth testifie to his face therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their Iniquity Judah also shall fall with them When great persons escape punishment from God in the guilt of flagitious enormities and fearful Provocations let the whole Land tremble for fear of Gods judgements The eighth Symptome Toleration of Errors in Religion THe Prediction of perillous Times is certainly accomplish't When the simplicity of the TRUTH and true WORSHIP of God is out-fac't by the impudency of ERROUR false WORSHIP and profanenesse When Errour shall set up its Throne in the Temple of God a Christian Church and Truth shall be set at the footstoole When false worship shall lift up its head and true worship shall hang the Wing When Profanenesse shall proudly presse into the Sanctuary and humble Piety shall either be excluded or derided When the ancient and venerable Truth and true Religion shall grow out of Credit and Errour false worship and Profanenesse as a new upstart clad in a glorious Disguise and waited on by his insolent Atendants on either hand shall be all in Fashion and favour When the latter shall be suffer'd to brow-beat and justle out the former in many places of the Land When the Vultures shall drive the Doves from their Houses and the Wolves shall contend with the Sheep for the Fold they must needs be perillous Times When false Teachers the Captaines of the Train-bands of the Prince of Darkness who for the carrying on of this designe transformes himself into an Angel of Light * 2 Cor. 11 14 shall by their Satanical stratagems so far prevaile against the Kingdome of Christ as to carry away Captive many of his Subjects who in their Baptisme receiv'd their Press-money to fight under his Banner the perillous Times prophecy'd of by the Apostle are come †See 2 Tim. 3. v. 1. with v. 6 Doubtlesse the Times are perillous when Saints shall be rejected as sinners and Seducers shall be received as Saints though they daily grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived * 2 Tim. 3.13 When Religion shall be derided as superstition and humane inventions shall be obtruded upon seduced Christians as the Ordinances of Christ When the proud Philistines shall defie the Army of the Israelites the Hosts of the Living God and Saul with his men of War shall stand and look on if David or rather the sonne of David come not to succour us we must needs be in a dangerous condition When Dagon is brought into the Temple of God and set above the Ark when Jeroboams Calves have more Worshippers and Followers then the God of Israel when Christ in his Ministers is set at naught by Herod and his men of War When true Christianity is crucifiâ—d betwixt two thieves Erâ—or on the one hand and Profanesse on the other do not the People of God know and feel that these are evil and perillous Times When Idolatry shall justle out true Christianity the Times must needs be perillous To set up Iâ—ols in the Temple of God what is it but the Abomination which maketh desolate Now error and Heresie is a kinde of spiritual Idolatry Multi haeretici cum Paganis alios alios Deos ipsi sibi finxerunt alios alios Deos sibi ipsi fecerunt eos etiamsi non in Templis tamen quod est pejus in suo corde posuerunt falsorum ridendorumque simulacrorum Templa ipsi facti sunt †Aug. in Enarrat Psal 80. Many Hereticks sayes Augustine as well as Pagans have themselves feigned and formed many Gods unto themseves and though they have not set them up in Temples yet which is worse they have enshrined them in their own hearts and so they themselves have become the Temples of false and foolish Images Now when Christians that have been consecrated by Baptisme to be Temples of the Holy Ghost shall turn themselves into Temples of such phantastick Idols of their own Invention this must needs be a sinne highly provoking the Lord to Jealousie and so speak the Times perillous But for the further clearing up of this Symptome I shall do these two things viz. 1. Lay down the Characters of Erroneous Persons 2. Shew the Cases which upon this Account constitute perillous Times The Characters of Erroneous Persons ERroneous persons when they appeare do as Comets portend great Calamities to the Church of God the Kingdome of Christ And if we search the Prophecies of the New Testament we shall finde that the arising and abounding of false Teachers Hereticks and Seducers is expresly foretold to be in the last dayes when the Apostle hath told us perillous Times shall come False-Fires are not wont to appear till the approach of Night and these misguiding New-lights shall appear in the evening of the world and great is the danger of those that are misled by them Our Saviour in his discourse of the end of the world and Prophecy of those things which should come to passe in the last dayes forewarns us of such deceivers Then sayes he * Mat. 24.23 24 25. if any man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or there believe it not For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I
Divine well observes brought in the Graecians the Divisions amongst the Graecians brought in Philip The Divisions of the Assyrian Mona 〈◊〉 bâ—â—ught in the Persian of the Persian 〈…〉 Macedonian of the Macedonian 〈◊〉 the Roman of the Roman brought in the Turk Lastly sayes he the Divisions amâ—â—g the Britans of this Nation brought in fiâ—st the Saxons then the Danes and last of all the Normans and who shall come next invited by our Civil Distractions God knows Our Saviour whose Testimony is truth it self plainly tells us †Mark 3.24 25. If a Kingdome be divided against it self that Kingdome cannot stand And if a House be divided against it selfe that House cannot stand Does not nature it self teach as much Is it not a Divine Harmony which hath tun'd the world into such a beautiful Frame and makes the Sun Moon and Stars keep such a regular Dance Are not Kingdoms Cities Houses then most happy when they do not by the noise of their tumults deprive themselves of the sweet pleasure of this Heavenly Musick When PEACE that Bird of Paradise sits and sings in the Land do not we presently see a flowry Spring of all desirable earthly Felicities And when by our kinde usage we invite her to our Bosomes does she not presently still our tumultuous Thoughts put our affections into a delicious Dance and heighten our hearts gladnesse to a kinde of ravishment and sweet excesse by her Angellick Notes yea does she not tune all our Voices to sing in Consort this short and sweet Ditty Nulla salus BELLO PACEM te poscimus omnes * Aen. 11. No safety lies in War For PEACE we all declare Or rather that which the Angels sang at the Birth of the Prince of Peace when the Temple of Janus was shut and Wars were all husht in the World †Cuncta atque continua totius generis Humani aut Pax fuit aut Pactio Flor. Hist l. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory to God in the highest and on earth PEACE good Will towards men * Luk. 2.14 Welcome dear Peace come from the Bosome of Heaven to poure Balsome into our bleeding Wounds and heal our cruel Contentions on Earth And well may PEACE be welcome to us For sayes the Orator Nomen PACIS dulce est ipsa res salutaris PAX est tranquilla libertas Nam nec privatos focos nec publicas Leges nec Libertatis Jura chata habere potest quem Discordia quem caedes Civium quem Bellum civile delectat eumque ex numero hominum ejiciendum ex finibus humanae Naturae exterminandum puto †Cic. in Philip. The very Name of PEACE drops sweetnesse and the Thing it selfe is Health Safety Happinesse PEACE is a Tranquility in the Fruition of Liberty And therefore he neither tenders the welfare of his private Family nor the publick interests of Lawes or Liberties who delights in Discords the slaughter of Citizens and Civil War and therefore sayes he I think him fit to be banisht the Bounds of Humane Nature and not to be reckon'd in the number of men Surely if sacred HARMONY should lay aside her Harp by which she composes so many discordant Natures into an amiable and well-agreeing Order the whole Creation would presently fall into a fiery Contention and so all the Beauties of this rare Building would be stain'd with the Blood of the warring Creatures until the whole Fabrick weaken'd and wasted with these Flames and Wars would suddenly sink down into the first Chaos of Confusion And if once DISCORD should draw her sword and with her Forces and Followers Wrath Cruelty Revenge Malice Murders Massacres Fears Fury Horrour and the rest of her ragged regiment march forth into the world to warre against miserable mankinde and if once according to her wonted successe in all her warres she should come to dominere over Kingdomes Cities Families they would soon become so many miserable Maps of Confusion and Stages of Blood HAPPINES would presently take Wing and flie from them when once DISCORD should come to reigne amongst them Neque enim Civitas in Seditione potest esse beata nec in Discordia Dominorum Dominus * Cicer. l. 1 de fin Bon. Mal. For no City can be Happy that is the Seat of Sedition nor will Happinesse dwell in that House which is the habitation of Strife the very Governours whereof are under the Dominion of Discord When therefore Peace Love Unity departs from a Nation or Church and Strife Hatred Division succeeds in the the room and regency thereof that people must needs have experience of perillous times For surely when we see in the same Land Church against Church Altar against Altar Pulpit against Pulpit People against People it s a sad Symptome of the Ruine and Destruction of that Land For Division brings Confusion and Confusion brings Destruction And when the Sheep turne head and strike at one another it 's a sign a storme is at hand †Plin. Nat. Hist l. 11. c. 17. They that are thus wanton while the windes are still will finde their state woful when the storme is come For Discordiarum fraternarum horrendi evenâ—us fratres ipsos stirâ—emque suam domos regna funda everterunt * Livy dec 1. l. 3. Discords amongst Brethren have produced dreadful effects hereby have they destroy'd themselves and their Families both Root and Branch yea Houses Kingdomes Foundations have been overturned by them Thus terrible are the stormes of Civil Dissentions which break forth upon a Church or Nation when once the sacred bands of brotherly love wherewith they were bound up and held under Restraint are broken God whose holy and gracious Presence makes his Church happy and glorious is a God of Peace and Love and he requires all his children to live together in Love and Peace that he may dwell amongst them So sayes the Apostle to the Corinthians †2 Cor. 13 11 Be perfect be of good comfort be of one Minde live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you But when the People of God do by their continual Jarrings banish these excellent Virtues which as Doves when they heare a noise fly out of their House they provoke God to depart from them and by his Departure at once to despoyle them of all Happinesse When the Bees fight in the Hive the King flies away and leaves them after which as Naturalists observe they never prosper If for the Contentions of Christians Christ should forsake his Church we must needs be in a most miserable condition Thus we see how sad the state of a Church or Nation is which is shaken and shatter'd with Civil Dissentions But the state of such a divided people is yet more sad when the enemies seeing them thus weaken'd by Division do strengthen themselves against them by Confederacy and combination For as that great Historian observes Per Discordias Civiles externi tollunt
then your Border ye that in your carnal security put far away the Evil Day the Day wherein God will call you to account for all your miscarriages and severely punish you for all your provocations though you now that you may the more securely continue in your sinnes put the Thoughts thereof far from you and cause the Seat of Violence to come neare * Amos 6.1 2 3. That is sayes Diodate You Chieftains who put away far from you all thought and fear of Gods Judgements and in the meane while joyne with and draw near to Publick Tyranny as if sinnes and their punishments could go the one without the other But Gods Judgements will for certaine at length surprize secure sinners The Danger must needs be great when men live secure in the guilt of those sinnes and Provocations whereby they have made God himself to become their Enemy When men presume of safety meerly because they prosper in their sinnes and are settled on their Lees because they are not yet empty'd from vessel to vessel in the execution of the Lords Judgements that think with themselves because God hath hitherto let them alone he will neither meddle nor make in any thing that concernes them Dreadful is the day of the Lords Wrath which is at hand when he will narrowly search out these secure sinners and severely punish them for all their Provocations For sayes the Lord †Am. 1.12 18 It shall come to pass at that time which is prefixt for their punishment that I will search Jerusalem with Candles and punish the men that are settled on their Lees that say in their heart The LORD will not do good neither will he do evil Therefore their Goods shall become a Booty and their Houses a Desolation they shall also build Houses but not inhabit them and they shall plant Vineyards but not drink the Wine thereof The GREAT DAY of the LORD is near and hasteth greatly even the Voice of the DAY of the LORD the mighty man shall cry there bitterly That Day is a DAY of WRATH a Day of trouble and distresse a Day of Wastness and Desolation a Day of Darknesse and Gloominesse a Day of Clouds and thick Darkness a Day of the Trumpet and Alarme against the fenced Cities and against the high Towers And I will bring distress upon men that they shall walk like blinde men because they have sinned against the LORD and their Blood shall be poured out as Dust and their Flesh as the Dung Neither their SILVER nor their GOLD shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORDS WRATH but the whole Land shall he devoured by the fire of his Jealousie for he shall make a speedy Riddance of all them that dwell in the Land Thus presumptuous and secure sinners may at length pluck down dreadful Judgements both upon themselves and the whole Land When such sinners are to be found in Zion the Times must needs be perillous Before the persecution in Bohemia the Churches there having had a long continued calme of Peace in the plentiful enjoyment of the Gospel and means of grace men began to grow extreame loose in their Lives and very secure in their sinnes though they were guilty of many and great Provocations insomuch as many pious and prudent men began to presage that some horrible storme would suddenly arise and some fearful tempest would fall upon them And the Event answer'd the Expectation Now how perillous are those Times wherein the Judgements of God are ready every moment to fall upon the Heads of a secure People When every man minds his own private concernments and little regards the Publick when no man duly lays to heart the sinnes of the Times or mournes for those Abominations whereby the Lord is provoked to destroy the Land when no man * See Isa 64.6 7. stirs up himself to take hold on the LORD and call upon his holy Name When Gods own people do not so take notice of the †Psal 28.5 Isa 5.12 Operation of his hands do not so seriously minde his Providential Dispensations and lay to heart the distracted condition of his Church as they ought when there is not that watchfulness that care and zeale for the cause of Christ that frequency and seriousness in seeking of God that there ought to be but an universal slumber and security is fallen upon the children of men it 's a sad Symptome of perillous Times Thus I have given you the Symptomes of perillous Times and have now completed the Number I intended But I shall adde one more by way of Corollary and Conclusion which carries in it a respect to all the rest The last but not least Symptome The Perill of Plain-dealing THe Times are then perillous When it s a perillous thing for a man to lay down the Symptomes of perillous Times They are the sins of men that make the Times perillous and thence must we draw the Symptomes of perillous Times Now the more obdurate men are in their sinnes the more Impatient they are of reproofs the more enraged they are at their Reprover hating him for telling them the Truth and persecuting him for warning them of the wrath to come the more perillous are the times Thus when the wicked and rebellious Jews were faithfully reproved by Stephen for those fearful sins whereof their own consciences told them they were deeply guilty as when he plainly told them to their faces that however they would be thought the onely people of God they were no better then Persecutors and Murderers persecutors of the best of men Murderers of the Sonne of God they were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth and stoned him with stones to death * Acts 7.52 54 59. And who knows not that these were perillous Times to the People of God Yea these are perillous Times both to the Reprover and to the Reproved the one is in danger of Persecution from men the other is in Danger of Destruction from God Of such Times does the Lord speak by the Prophet Amos saying †Am. 5.10 they hate him that rebuketh in the Gate the place of Publick Conventions where wisdom cryeth to the simple * Pro. 1.21 and they abhorre him that speaketh uprightly not dealing deceitfully with them in the matters of the greatest concernment But what follows hereupon Forasmuch therefore saith the Lord †v. 11 12 13 as your treading is upon the Poore and ye take from him burdens of Wheat ye have built Houses of hewen stone but ye shall not dwell in them ye have planted pleasant Vineyards but ye shall not drink Wine of them For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sinnes they afflict the just they take a Bribe and they turne aside the poore in the Gate from their Right Therefore the Prudent shall keep * Nam sub Tyranno dicere quod velis periculosum quod nolis miserum est Plin. Ep. 14. l.
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
from your own souls prevent the Dishonour of God and the Destruction of the Land This also would very much conduce to a Happy Change of the Times For never can we expect to see good Dayes till †Am. 5.24 Judgement run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame for the purging of the Land from its Impurities and Abominations The third Duty Prayer for Amendment IS it your Lot to live in Evil Times Dayes of Danger and Distresse Then Pray to the Father of Eternity for the Change and Amendment of the Times All our †Ps 31.15 Times are in his Hand he changes them from good to bad or bad to good as pleases him 'T is he that causes the Sun to shine or covers it from us with a Cloud as he pleases Our Dayes are clear or cloudy our Times are good or evil according to his Ordering and Government To whom then should we go but to him that orders all changes for the change of evil and perillous into good and prosperous Times He can take away evil men or make them good and so amend the Times When we see men continue in their sinnes and daily grow to a greater height of Wickednesse we have then cause to fear the Times will grow worse rather then better And therefore in this Case the People of God had need be very earnest and importunate with God in their Prayers lest the Provocations of the wicked should be more prevailing for the bringing down of the Judgements of God then the Prayers of his People for the Prevention of those Judgements and the Procurement of his Mercies upon the Land When the sins of the Land cry aloud for Judgment the Saints of God had need to cry aloud for Mercy The Prayer of Faith is the most effectual means by Gods own appointment for the Removal of evils felt the Prevention of evils feared and the Procurement of good things desired There is not therefore a more sad Symptome of the approach of some dreadful Judgement then the Restraint of the Spirit of Prayer in the People of God Thus when Israel had fearfully provoked God by customary commission of grosse sinnes after glorious deliverances as Theft Murder Adultery Perjury Idolatry and had extreamly aggravated these sins by pretences of Religion and godlinesse For they would come and stand before the LORD in his House as if they should say We are deliver'd to do all these Abominations as the Lord hath testifi'd against them by his Prophet * Jer. 7.9 10 and when thereupon God purposed to cast them off for their sins he forbad his Prophet to pray for them For sayes the Lord †Jer. 7.15 16 I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee This Prohibition of the Prophets Prayer for them was more terrible then the Commination of the sorest Judgement against them While a Praying Spirit is kept up in the hearts of Gods people there is hopes of prevailing with God for mercy for a sinful Nation Prayer does as it were binde up the hands of Omnipotency that an offended God cannot inflict a deserved Punishment upon a provoking People And therefore when the Israelites had made them a Molten Calf and worshipped it and the wrath of God was kindled against them to destroy them Moses by his Prayer prevented their Destruction And therefore did the Lord speak thus to Moses * Exod. 32.9 10. with Deut. 9.13 14 I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore LET ME ALONE that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and blot out their name from under Heaven And I will make of thee a great Nation even a Nation mightier and greater then they Thus we see God could not execute his fierce wrath upon his people unless Moses would let him alone by ceasing to pray for them But this Command being rather Declarative of Gods wrath against Israel then expressive of his Pleasure that Moses should cease Praying Holy Prayer being Gods Delight Moses still proceeds in his Intercession for Israel and joynes Fasting with his Prayer and so prevailed for Mercy For it is said †Exod. 32 11 12. Moses besought the LORD his God and said Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people c. Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people And how gracious an Answer did he receive unto his prayer For it is said hereupon * ver 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people And again when Moses had beheld their abomination in making and worshiping the molten Calf he thus relates his Carriage success †Deut. 9.18 19 And I fel down saith he before the Lord as at the first fourty daies and fourty nights and I did neither eat bread nor drink water bâ—cause of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger For I was afraid of the Anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also And therefore is it recorded of him in the Holy Scripture that the Lord said That he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them * Psal 106 23 And doth not the Lord such is his infinite Patience before he proceeds to the Execution of his Judgements upon a rebellious People for their unsufferable Provocations seek for a man among them that may make up the hedge and stand in the Gap before him for the Land that he may not destroy it †Ezek. 22 30 O then that some Moses might arise and plead with the Lord for his people that he might remove his Judgements and continue his Mercies to them and spare a sinfull Nation a defiled Land So Abraham brought down Gods Mercy by Steps in his * Gen. 18.23 ult Intercession for Sodom so far that if but Ten righteous persons had been sound in that whole sinfull City God would not have destroyed it Now how great an Encouragement should this be unto you Christians in Perillous Times to make your Addresses to God by fervent Prayers Oh! Is there none that will lift up a Prayer for a sinfull Nation before the Lord proceed to execute the fierceness of his wrath upon it O stir up your selves to wrestle with God in his own strength and resolve not to let him go till he bless the Land O Pray Pray Pray without ceasing that the Lord would turn away his Anger from us and after all our Shakings and Divisions settle Peace and Truth
manifold Provocations †Hos 4.1 2 3. Hear the Word of the Lord ye children of Israel for the LORD hath a controversie with the Inhabitants of the Land because there is no Truth nor Mercy nor Knowledg of God in the Land By Swearing and Lying and Killing and Stealing and committing Adultery they break out and Blood toucheth Blood Therefore shall the Land mourne and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish with the Beasts of the Field and with the Fowles of Heaven yea the Fishes of the Sea also shall be taken away Thus the Commonnesse of sinne is the Ground of Gods entring a Controversie against a Land Thus the Land of Israel was become a sink of sinne before God empty'd out upon it his Vials of Wrath. And so does our English Prophet * De Excid Britan. Gildas shew us how England was overspread with sins Adultery Drunkennesse Oppression c. before it was overwhelm'd with Judgements When men flie far from God in the commission of all sorts of sinnes then does God come near to them in the Execution of his sorest Judgements Such was the carriage of the Rebellious Jews towards God and thus did the Righteous God deale with his People the Jews I will come near to you sayes the LORD to them †Mal. 3.5 to Judgement and I will be a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers and against the Adulterers and against false Swearers and against those that oppresse the Hireling in his Wages the Widow and the Fatherlesse and that turn aside the stranger from his Right and fear not me saith the LORD of Hosts It s sin thus abounding which changes the Countenance and Constitution of the Times whence of sound and good they become distemper'd and evil Hence is it that the smiling Face of Time is alter'd and beholds us with a languishing Look Hence it is that the most fruitful Seasons are punisht with a barren womb Hence it is that the most joyful Dayes which almost continually appear'd in Festival Garments come forth drooping in a mourning Dress hanging down the Head both for shame and sorrow Much to this purpose does the Father speak as it were with a sigh to his Children his Auditors in his Sermon upon the the Famine and Drought * Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold sayes he how our abounding sinnes our multiply'd Abominations have chang'd the Temper of the Times striping them naked as it were of their proper natures and have drawn strange lineaments upon the Face of the Seasons altering the very Native temperament and fixt constitution thereof 'T is indeed nothing but sin that furrowes the beautiful Face of Time with the frownes and wrinkles of affliction and sorrow 'T is sinne which often alters the Seasons changing Summer into Winter Calms into storms the Summer of Peace Plenty Prosperity into the Winter of Affliction Scarcity and Warre When sinne thus casts its Spawne into the Waters of Time it produces a numerous off-spring of sufferings and sorrows Miseries and Calamities to the Children of men The second Case The Generality of Offendours WHen all sorts of men transgresse both Great and Small Rich and Poore Princes and People Noble and Obscure the Times must needs be perillous Thus before God brought the Flood upon the World †Gen. 6.12 all Flesh had corrupted â—his way upon the Earth Thus not onely were the Common People of Israel * Isa 1.3 4 Ignorant and Profane but their †ver 23. Princes were rebellious and companions of Thieves and then the LORD comes forth to * ver 24. execute Judgement on his Adversaries and to avenge himself on his enemies The Prophet Jeremy knowing that unlesse the righteous stand in the Gap the Judgements of God would soon break out upon a Rebellious People having in the Name of the Lord call'd upon others to run to and fro to seek such out he himself runs from one sort of men to another to find them but when he finds none he denounces the Judgements of God against a people so Generally corrupt and wicked Behold herein the justice and goodnesse of God with the complaint and carriage of the Prophet For sayes the Lord †Jer. 5 1-6 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man if there be any that executeth Judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it And though they say the LORD liveth surely they swear falsely O LORD are not thine eyes upon the Truth Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive Correction they have made their Faces harder then a Rock hey have refused to returne Therefore I said Surâ—ly these are poore they are foolish for they know not the way of the LORD nor the Judgement of their God I will get me unto the Great men and will spâ—aâ— unto them for they have known the way of the LORD and the Judgement of their God but these have altogether broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds Wherefore a Lion out of the Forrest shall slay them and a Wolfe of the Evenings shall spoile them a Leopard shall watch over their Cities Every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces because their Transgressions are many and their Backslidings are increased So likewise does the Lord by the Prophet Ezekiel complaine of the Corruption of the Priests Princes Prophets and People of Judah and Jerusalem for which he severely punisht them in the fiercenesse of his Wrath and fiery Indignation Sonne of man saith the LORD * Ezek. 22 24-31 say unto her Thou art the Land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the Day of indignation There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof like a roaring Lion ravening the prey they have devoured souls They have taken the treasure and precious things they have made her many Widows in the midst thereof Her Priests have violated my Law and have profaned my holy Things they have put no difference between the Holy and Profane neither have they shew'd difference between the uncleane and the cleane and have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned among them Her Princes in the midst thereof are like Wolves ravening the prey to shed Blood and to destroy soules to get dishonest Gain And her Prophets have daubed them with untemper'd Mortar seeing Vanity and Divining Lies unto them saying Thus saith the Lord GOD when the LORD hath not spoken The People of the Land have used Oppression and exercised Robbery and have vexed the Poore and Needy yea they have oppressed the Stranger wrongfully And I sought for a man among them that should make up the Hedge and stand in the Gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none Therefore have I poured out
what can be expected to follow but showers of Blood For when the Sun shall be turn'd into Darknesse we well know the Moon shall be turn'd into Blood * Joel 2.31 When a storme is rais'd by the Prince of the power of the Air what can we expect but that the Ship wherein Christ is imbarked with his Disciples should be tost on the Waters and almost overwhelm'd with the Waves †Mar. 8.24 When Images of Gold are set up and ador'd by the men of the World what can the children of God expect but to be cast into a fiery Furnace * Dan. 3.1 21 When Gain is accounted Godlinesse and Oppression of the innocent is stiled Justice then whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution †2 Tim. 3.12 When the Wolves come in flocks to the Fold and Lions are the Lords of the Soile what can be expected but that the Sheep and Lambs should be worried When there is much Cockle amongst the Corne much Chaff amongst the Wheat we may conclude it shall not be long at least if the winde rises or turnes before it be winnow'd When we see every Shepherd in Israel is an abomination to the Egyptians * Gen. 46.34 we may expect the Egyptians should pursue the Israelites even into the heart of the Red Sea When the subtile Foxes are come into the Vineyard we may conclude their cruel Teeth will be soon dy'd red in the Blood of the Grapes If the Scarlet Whore be once brought into the House of God we shall soone see her drunken with the Blood of the Saints †Rev. 17.4 5 6. We still finde the Names of the Saints written in Red Letters in the Romish Calendar If the SWORD depose the SCEPTER and rule in its stead we may be sure it will eat flesh and drink Blood yea the blood of Kings and Princes and Prophets who leaving the Sword stain'd with the Guilt of Murder shall be themselves crown'd with the Glory of MARTYRDOM SIN is a cruel Monster if it once get the Supreme Power it will soon turne a Land of Beauty into a Sea of Blood III. Destruction of mens souls If the great red Dragon with his Taile draw down many of the Stars of Heaven and cast them to the Earth * Rev. 12.4 we may expect a dark night to follow If the Springs be impoyson'd it must needs be Death to men to drink of the waters If the Philistines carry away the Ark from Israel we must expect many thousands to be slaine and perish †1 Sam. 4 10 11. If God take away his abused Gospel call home his despised Ministers and so men loose the true Religion how many thousand souls must necessarily perish everlastingly The soul is exceeding precious it s a Jewel inestimable of more worth then the whole World * Mat. 16.26 its losse is irreparable a World of Gold cannot redeem one soul †See Psal 49.7 8. with 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Now when such a storme is risen that the souls of men are in danger of being ship-wrackt the state of that people is sad the Times are perillous Thus we have seen the Characters of the Persons that make the Times perillous and the several Symptomes of perillous Times with the Causes and Consequences thereof and so fully finisht our first Enquiry The second Enquiry How pious persons must demean themselves in perillous Times IT much concernes the people of God to consider with themselves what the Lord calls them unto and calls for from them in all conditions into which he is pleased to cast them that their Lives and Carriages may expresse a Responsiblenesse to the Divine Providence These are they whom the Lord hath selected from thousands to lift up his Name and Glory in the World They are therefore in a special manner to glorifie God by such Actings and Demeanours as may be suitable to all his Dispensations When God is most dishonour'd by the wicked the godly should most honour him Saints are Souldiers call'd forth to fight the Battels of the Lord of Hosts when the Enemies of the Lord do most abound and are most active the Souldiers of his army should be most valiant for his Cause most vigilant against their force and Politick Encroachments upon the interests of his Glory The Trees of righteousnesse of Gods own Planting should bring forth Fruit in all Seasons Times of Perill to the Church are Times of Tryal of the Piety of the Saints When sin appears in its highest Pride then should Grace shine forth in its greatest Glory As for you therefore my beloved brethren that truly fear the name of the Lord and desire to know what your Duty is in such Cases attend these Directions which I shall give you out of the Word of God When it is your Lot to live in perillous Times take notice of these Duties The first Duty Sorrow for the Sinnes of the Times DO you live in evil Times Then Bewaile before the Lord the Sinnes and Abominations of the Times Prevailing Impieties make the Times perillous The sins of the wicked call for the sorrows of the Saints because hereby the Name of God is dishonour'd and the souls of men are defiled Thus was Davids heart grieved and his eyes shed Tears for the sins of his Times I beheld the Transgressors sayes he and was grieved because they kept not thy Word * Psal 119 158 And again Rivers of waters runne down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law †Psal 119 136 When a Land is defiled by sin these Rivers of Teares are the best means to prevent a Deluge of Blood When the wrath of God is kindled against an ungodly Nation there is nothing more powerful to quench it then the Tears of the truly godly By this means shall you preserve your selves from Defilement by the sinnes of the wicked and happily prevent the Judgements which are ready to be executed on a sinfull Nation Now Christians is not this a duty you are very Defective in And yet is there not much cause for it When did you shed a Tear for all the Sins of the Times When did you ever look upon London as Christ upon Jerusalem a sinful City and weep over it * Luk. 19.41 What shall the streets of it run down with Rivers of Blood before you can shed a few drops of Teares for its preservation When did you meet together to weep over a sinful Nation When did you that can easily weep upon other occasions go apart and poure out Teares into the bosome of God for the Sinnes and Abominations of England and say Ah Lord In thy †Isa 63.9 Pity and in thy Mercy spare a sinful Nation Do you not see upon England many Symptomes of her Destruction except fervent Prayers steep'd in penitent Teares do prevent it O how many and how great are the Abominations of the Land the Provocations of the most high God!