persisted in with all the marks of infidelity and obduration against the truth and grace that so gloriously shine forth in the Gospel of our Redeemer we may after him speak positively He that believeth not shall be damned Is condemned already shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth on him If ye believe not that I am HE ye shall die in your sins Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish And here how doth it become us too in conformity to his great example to speak compassionately and as those that in some measure know the terrour of the Lord O how doleful is the case when we consider the inconsistent notions of many with not this or that particular doctrine or article of the Christian Faith but with the whole summe of Christianity the Atheisme of some the avowed meer Theisme of others The former sort far outdoing the Jewish infidelity Which people besides the rational means of demonstrating a Deity common to them with the rest of mankind could upon the account of many things peculiar to themselves be in no suspence concerning this matter How great was their reverence of the books of the Old Testaâ—ent especially those of Moses their knowledge most certain of plain and most convincing matters of fact How long the Government of their Nation had been an immediate Theocracy what evident tokens of the divine presence had been among them from age to age in how wonderful a manner they were brought out of Egypt through the Red Sea and conducted all along through the Wildernes how glorious an appearance and manifestation of himself God afforded to them at the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai and by how apparent exertions of the divine power the former inhabitants were expelled and they settled in the promised land Upon all this they could be in no more doubt concerning the Existence of a Deity than of the Sun in the firmament Whereas we are put to prove in a Christian nation that this World and its continual successive inhabitants have a wise intelligent Maker and Lord and that all things came not into the state wherein they are by no man can imagine what either fatal necessity or casualty But both sorts agree in what I would principally remark the disbelief of Christs being the Messiah And so with both the whole business of Christianity must be a Fable and a Cheat. And thus it is determined not by men that have made it their business to consider and examine the matter for the plain evidence of things cannot but even obtrude a conviction upon any diligent enquirer but by such as have only resolved not to consider who have before hand settled their purpose never to be awed by the apprehension of an invisible Ruler into any course of life that shall bear hard upon sensual inclination have already chosen their Master inslaved themselves to brutal appetite and are so habituated to that mean servility made it so connatural so deeply inward to themselves so much their very life as that through the preapprehended pain and uneasiness of a violent rupture in tearing themselves from themselves it is become their interest not to admit any serious thought Any such thought they are concerned they reckon to fence against as against the point of a sword it strikes at their only life the brute must dy that by an happy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they may be again born men That is the design of Christianity to restore men to themselves again and because it hath this tendency it is therefore not to be endured And all the little residue of humane wit which is yet left them which because the sensual nature is predominant is prest into a subserviency to the interest and defence of the brutal life only serves them to turn every thing of serious Religion into ridicule and being themselves resolved never to be reasoned into any seriousnes they have the confidence to make the tryal whether all other men can be jested out of it If this were not the case if such persons could allow themselves to think and debate the matter how certain would the victory how glorious would the Triumph be of the Christian Religion over all the little cavils they are wont to alledge against it Let their own consciences testifie in the case whether ever they have applyed themselves to any solemn disquisition concerning this important affair but only contented themselves with being able amidst transient discourse to cast out now and then some oblique glance against somewhat or other that was appendent or more remotely belonging to the Christian Profession in so much hast as not to stay for an answer and because they may have surprised sometimes one or other not so ready at a quick repartee or who reckoned the matter to require solemn and somewhat larger discourse which they have not had the patience to hear whether they have not gone away puft and swoln with the conceit that they have whiffled Christianity away quite off the stage with their prophane breath as if its firm and solid strength wherein it stands stable as a rock of Adamant depended upon this or that sudden occasional momentany effort on the behalf of it But if such have a mind to try whether any thing can be strongly said in defence of that sacred profession let them considerately peruse what hath been written by divers to that purpose And not to engage them in any very tedious longsome task if they like not to travel thorough the somewhat abstrufer work of the most learned Hugo Grotius de veritate Christianae Religionis or the more voluminous Huetius his Demonstratio Evangelica or divers others that might be named let them but patiently and leasurely read over that later very plain and clear but nervous and solid Discourse of Dr. Parker upon this subject and judge then whether the Christian Religion want evidence or whether nothing can be alledged why we of this age so long after Christ's appearance upon the stage of the World are to reckon our selves obliged to profess Christianity and observe the rules of that holy Profession And really if upon utmost search it shall be found to have firm truth at the bottom it makes it self so necessary which must be acknowledged part of that Truth that any one that hath wit enough to be the author of a jeast might understand it to be a thing not to be jeasted with It trifles with no man And where it is once sufficiently propounded leaves it no longer indifferent whether we will be of it or no. Supposing it true it is strange if we can pretend it not to be sufficiently propounded to Us. Or that we are destitute of sufficient means to come by the knowledge of that Truth was this Religion instituted only for one Nation or Age Did the Son of God descend from Heaven put on flesh and dy had we an incarnate Deity conversant among men on earth and made a Sacrifice for
shewes the miseries of that state to be the immediate effects of diâ—â—ne displeasure that the breath of the Almighty as a river of brimstone alwaies foments those flames that indignation and wrath cause the tribulation and anguish which must be the portion of evil doers and how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God! Gives us to understand what accession mens own unaltered vicious habits will have to their miseries their own outragious lusts and passions which here they made it their business to satisfie becoming their insatiable tormentours that they are to receive the things done in the body according to what they have done and that what they have sowed the same also they are to reap and what their own guilty reflections will contribute the bitings and gnawings of the worm that dies not the venomous corrosions of the Viper bred in their own bosoms and now become a full-grown Serpent what the society and insultation of Devils with whom they are to partake in woes and torments and by whom they have been seduced and train'd into that cursed partnership and â—â—â—munion and that this fire wherein they are to be tormented together is to be everlasting a fire never to be quenched If men be left to their own conjectures only touching the danger they incur by continuing and keeping up a war with Heaven and are to make their own hell and that it be the creature only of their own imagination 't is like they will make it as easie and favourable as they can and so are little likely to be urged earnestly to sue for peace by the imagination of a tolerable Hell But if they understand it to be altogether intolerable this may make them bestir themselves and think the favour of God worth the seeking The Gospel imports favour and kindnes to you when it imports most of terrour in telling you so plainly the worst of your case if you go on in a sinful course It makes you a day by which you may make a truer judgment of the blackness darkness and horrour of that everlasting night that is coming on upon you and lets you know that black and endless night is introduced by a terrible preceeding day that day of the Lord the business whereof is judgment They that live under the Gospel cannot pretend they are in darkness so as that day should overtake them as a thief and that by surprize they should be doom'd and abandon'd to the regions of darknes The Gospel forewarns you plainly of all this which it does not meerly to fright and torment you before the time but that you may steer your course another way and escape the place and state of torment It only saies this that it may render the more acceptable to you what it hath to say besides and only threatens you with these things if there be no reconciliation between God and you But then at the same time 3. It also represents God to you as reconcilable through a Mediatour In that Gospel peace is preacht to you by Jesus Christ. That Gospel lets you see God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself that sin may not be imputed to them That Gospel proclaims glory to God in the highest peace on earth good will towards men So did the voices of Angels summe up the glad tidings of the Gospel when that Prince of peace was born into the world It tells you God desires not the death of sinners but that they may turn and live that he would have all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth that he is long suffering towards them not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance that he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting Life The rest of the world can but collect from darker intimations Gods favourable propensions towards them He spares them is patient towards them that herein his goodnes might lead them to repentance He sustains them lets them dwell in a world which they might understand was of his making and whereof he is the absolute Lord. They live move and have their being in him that they might seek after him and by feeling find him out He doth them good gives them rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling their Hearts with food and gladnes He lets his Sun shine on them whose far extended beams shew forth his kindnes and benignity to men even to the utmost ends of the earth For there is no speech or language whither his line and circle reaches not But those are but dull and glimmering beams in comparison of those that shine from the Sun of Righteousnes through the Gospel-revelation and in respect of that divine glory which appears in the face of Jesus Christ. How clearly doth the light of this Gospel-day reveal Gods design of reducing Sinners and reconciling them to himself by a Redeemer How canst thou but say sinner thou hast a day of it and clear day-light shewing thee what the good and acceptable will of God towards thee is Thou art not left to guesse only thou mayst be reconciled and find mercy and to grope and feel thy way in the dark unles it be a darknes of thy own making And whereas a Sinner a disloyal rebellious creature that hath affronted the Majesty of Heaven and engaged against himself the wrath and justice of his Maker and is unable to make him any recompence can have no reason to hope God will shew him mercy and be reconciled to him for his own sake or for any thing he can do to oblige or induce him to it the same Gospel shewes you plainly it is for the Redeemers sake and what he hath done and suffered to procure it But inasmuch also as the sinner may easily apprehend that it can never answer the necessities of his state and case that God only be not his enemy that he forbear hostilities towards him pursue him not with vengeance to his destruction For he finds himself an indigent creature and he needs somewhat beyond what he hath ever yet met with to make him happy that it is uneasy and grievous to wander up and down with craving desires among varieties of objects that look speciously but which either he cannot so far compass as to make a trial what there is in them or wherewith upon trial he finds himself mock't and disappointed and that really they have nothing in them He finds himself a mortal creature and considers that if he had all that he can covet in this world the increase of his present enjoyments doth but increase unto him trouble and anguish of heart while he thinks what great things he must shortly leave and lose for ever to go he knows not whither into darksome gloomy regions where he cannot so much as imagine any thing suitable to his inclinations and desires For he knowes
all that is delectable to his present sense he must here leave behind him and he cannot divest himself of all apprehensions of a future state wherein if God should make him suffer nothing yet if he have nothing to enjoy he must be alwaies miserable 4. The Gospel therefore further represents to him the final eternal blessednes and glorious state which they that are reconcil'd shall be brought into They that live under the Gospel are not mock't with shadowes and empty clouds or with fabulous Elysiums Nor are they put off with some unintelligible notion of only being happy in the general But are told expresly wherein their happiness is to consist Life and immortality are brought to light in the Gospel 'T is given them to understand how great a good is laid up in store The things which eye hath not seen and ear not heard and which otherwise could not have entered into the heart of man the things of Gods present and eternal Kingdome are set in view It shewes the future state of the reconcil'd shall consist not only in freedom from what is evil but in the enjoyment of the best and most delectable good That God himself in all his glorious fulnes will be their eternal and most satisfying portion That their blessednes is to ly in the perpetual fruitive vision of his blessed face and in the fulnes of joy and the everlasting pleasures which the divine presence it self doth perpetually afford And whereas their glorious Redeemer is so nearly ally'd to them flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone who inasmuch as the children were made partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same Heb. 2.14 and is become by special title their authoriz'd Lord they are assured of that than which nothing should be more grateful to them they shall be for ever with the Lord that they are to be where he is to behold his glory and shall be joynt-heires with Christ and be glorify'd together with him shall partake according to their measure and capacity in the same blessednes which he enjoyes Thou canst not pretend sinner who livest under the Gospel that thou hast not the light of a day to shew thee what blessednes is Heaven is opened to thee Glory beams down from thence upon thee to create thee a day by the light whereof thou may'st see with sufficient clearnes what is the inheritance of the Saints in light And thô all is not told thee and it do not in every respect appear what we shall be so much may be foreknown that when he shall appear we shall be like him and shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.1 2. And because the heart as yet carnal can savour little of all this and finding it self strange and disaffected to God affecting now to be without Christ and without God in the world may easily apprehend it impossible to it to be happy in an undesired good or that it can enjoy what it dislikes or in the mean time walk in a way to which it finds in it self nothing but utter aversenes and disinclination 5. The Gospel further shewes us what is to be wrought and done in us to attemper and frame our spirits to our future state and present way to it It lets us know we are to be born again born from above born of God made partakers of a divine nature that will make the temper of our spirits connatural to the divine presence That whereas God is light and with him is no darknes at all we who were darknes shall be made light in the Lord. That we are to be begotten again to a lively hope to the eternal and undefiled inheritance that is reserved in the heavens for us That we are thus to be made meet to be partakers of that inheritance of the Saints in light And as we are to be eternally conversant with Christ we are here to put on Christ to have Christ in us the hope of glory And whereas only the way of holiness and obedience leads to blessednes that we are to be created in Christ Jesus to good workes to walk in them And shall thereupon find the wayes prescribed to us by him who is the Wisdom of God to be all waies of pleasantnes and paths of peace That he will put his Spirit into us and cause us to walk in his statutes and to account that in keeping them there is great reward And thus all that is contained in that mentioned summary of the things belonging to our peace Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ will all become easy to us and as the acts of nature proceeding from that new and holy nature imparted to us And whosoever thou art that livest under the Gospel canst thou deny that it is day with thee as to all this wa st thou never told of this great necessary heart-change Didst thou never hear that the tree must be made good that the fruit might be good that thou must become a new creature have old things done away and all things made new Didst thou never hear of the necessity of having a new heart and a right spirit created and renewed in thee that except thou wert born again or from above as that expression may be read thou could'st never enter into the Kingdom of God wa st thou kept in ignorance that a form of Godlines without the power of it would never do thee good that a name to live without the principle of the holy divine life would never save thee that a specious outside that all thy external performances while thou went'st with an unrenewed earthly carnal heart would never advantage thee as to thy eternal salvation and blessednes And this might help thine understanding concerning the nature of thy future blessednes and will be found most agreeable to it being aright understood for as thou art not to be blessed by a blessednes without thee and distant from thee but inwrought into thy temper and intimately united with thee nor glorified by an external glory but by a glory revealed within thee So nor canst thou be qualify'd for that blessed glorious state otherwise than by having the temper of thy Soul made habitually holy and good As what a good man partakes of happines here is such that he is satisfy'd from himself so it must be hereafter not originally from himself but by divine communication made most intimate to him Didst thou not know that it belonged to thy peace to have a peace-maker and that the Son of God was he and that he makes not the peace of those that despise and refuse him or that receive him not that come not to him and are not willing to come to God by him Could'st thou think living under the Gospel that the reconciliation between God and thee was not to be mutual that he would be reconcil'd to thee while thou wouldst not be reconcil'd to him or shouldst still bear towards him a
At least do you not find you need the common helps of meat and drink and air and clothing for the support and comfort of your lives And are not all these his creatures as well as you And can you have them whether he will or no 3. And how can you think that he that made and maintains you hath no right to rule you If it were possible any one should as much depend upon you would you not claim such power over him Can you suppose your selves to be under no obligation to please him who hath done so much for you and to do his will if you can any way know it 4. And can you pretend you have no means to know it That book that goes up and down under the name of his Word can you disprove it to be his Word If such writings should now first come into the world so sincere so awful so holy so heavenly bearing so expresly the divine Image avowing themselves to be from God and the most wonderful works are wrought to prove them his Word the deaf made to hear the blind to see the dumb to speak the sick healed the dead raised by a word only commanding it to be so would you not confesse this to be sufficient evidence that this revelation came from heaven And are you not sufficiently assured they are so confirm'd Do you find in your selves any inclination to cheat your children in any thing that concerns their well being Why should you more suspect your forefathers design to cheat you in the meer reporting falsly a matter of fact was not humane nature the same so many hundred years ago Did ever the enemies of the Christian name in the earlier dayes of Christianity when it was but a novelty in the world and as much hated and endeavoured to be rooted out as ever any Profession was deny such matters of fact Have not some of the most spiteful of them confest it Did not Christians then willingly sacrifice their lives by multitudes upon the assured truth of these things Have they not been ever since most strictly careful to preserve these writings and transmit them as wherein the all of themselves and their Posterity was contained And where is now your new light where are your later discoveries upon which so many ages after you are able to evict these writings of falshood or dare venture to disbelieve them 5. But if you believe these writings to be divine how expresly is it told you in them what the state of your case is Godward and what he requires of you You may see you have displeased him and how you are to please him as hath been shewn before in this discourse You know that you have lived in the world mindless and inobservant of him not trusting fearing loving or delighting in him declining his acquaintance and converse seeking your own pleasure following your inclination doing your own will as if you were supream never minding to refer your actions to his precepts as your rule or to his glory as your end And from that word of his you may understand all this to be very displeasing to him And that you can never please him by continuing this course but by breaking it off and returning to him as your Lord and your God That since your case did need a redeemeer and reconciler and he hath provided and appointed one for you you are to apply your selves to him to commit and subject your souls to him to trust in his merits and blood and submit to his Authority and Government And 6. Are you not continually call'd hereto by the Gospel under which you have liv'd all this while so that you are in actual continual rebellion against him all the while you comply not with this call Every breath you draw is rebellious breath There is no moment wherein this lies not upon you by every moments addition to your time And that patience of his which addes by moments to your life and should lead you to repentance is while you repent not perverted by you only to the treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of his righteous judgment 7. And do you not find as his word also plainly tells you a great aversenes and disinclination in you to any such serious solemn applying your self to him and your Redeemer Try your own hearts Do you not find them draw back and recoil if you urge them do they not still fly off How loath are you to retire and set your selves to consider your case and unto serious seeking of God in Christ both from a reluctancy and indisposition to any such employment as this is it self and from disaffection to that whereto it tends the breaking off your former sinful course of life and entring upon a better And does not all this shew you the plain truth of what the word of God hath told you that the Aethiopian may as soon change his skin or the Leopard his spots as they do good who are accustom'd to do evil Jer. 13.23 that you have an heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 till God give you repentance to life Act. 11.11 That you cannot come to Christ till the father draw you Joh. 6.44 Do you not see your case then that you must perish if you have not help from heaven If God do not give you his grace to overcome and cure the aversenes and malignity of your nature that things are likely thus to run on with you as they have from day to day and from year to year and you that are unwilling to take the course that is necessary for your salvation to day are likely to be as unwilling to morrow and so your lives consume in vanity till you drop into perdition But 8. Dost thou not also know sinner what hath been so newly shewn thee from Gods word that by thy being under the Gospel thou hast a day of grace Not only as offers of pardon and reconciliation are made to thee in it but also as thorough it converting heart-renewing grace is to be expected and may be had that what is sufficient for the turning and changing of thy heart is usually not given all at once but as gentler insinuations the injection of some good thoughts and desires are comply'd with more powerful influences may be hoped to follow That therefore thou art concern'd upon any such thought cast into thy mind of going now to seek God for the life of thy soul to strive thy self against thy own disinclination that if thou do not but yield to it and still defer it may prove mortal to thee For is it not plain to thee in it self and from what hath been said that this day hath its limits and will come to an end Dost thou not know thou art a mortal creature that thy breath is in thy nostrils Dost thou know how near thou art to the end of thy life and how few breaths there may be for thee between this present moment
and eternity Dost thou not know thy day of grace may end before thy life end that thou may'st be cast far enough out of the sound of the Gospel and if thou shouldst carry any notices of it with thee thou who hast been so unapt to consider them while they were daily prest upon thee will most probably be less apt when thou hearest of no such thing that thou may'st live still under the Gospel and the Spirit of grace retire from thee and never attempt thee more for thy former despiting of it For what obligation hast thou upon that blessed Spirit Or why should'st thou think a Deity bound to attend upon thy triflings And 9. If yet all this move not Consider what it will be to dye unreconciled to God! Thou hast been his enemy he hath made thee gracious offers of peace waited long upon thee thou hast made light of all The matter must at length end either in reconciliation or vengeance The former is not acceptable to thee art thou prepared for the latter Can'st thou sustain it Is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Thou wilt not do him right he must then right himself upon thee Dost thou think he cannot do it Canst thou doubt his power Cast thine eyes about thee behold the greatnes as far as thou canst of this creation of his whereof thou art but a very little part He that hath made that Sun over thine head and stretch't out those spacious heavens that hath furnisht them with those innumerable bright stars that governs all their motions that hath hung this earth upon nothing that made and sustains that great variety of creatures that inhabit it can he not deal with thee a worm Can thine heart endure or thine hands be strong if he plead with thee if he surround thee with his terrours and set them in battel array against thee Hell and destruction are open before him and without covering how soon art thou cast in and ingulpht Sit down and consider whether thou be able with thy impotency to stand before him that comes against thee with Almighty power Is it not better to sue in time for peace But perhaps thou may'st say I begin now to fear it is too late I have so long slighted the Gospel resisted the holy Spirit of God abus'd and baffled my own light and conscience that I am afraid God will quite abandon me and cast me off for ever It is well if thou do indeed begin to fear That fear gives hope Thou art then capable of coming into their rank who are next to be spoken to viz. 2. Such as feel themselves afflicted with the apprehension and dread of their having out-liv'd their day and that the things of their peace are now irrecoverably hid from their eyes I desire to counsel such faithfully according to that light and guidance which the Gospel of our Lord affords us in reference to any such case 1. Take heed of stifling that fear suddenly but labour to improve it to some advantage and then to cure and remove it by rational-evangelical means and methods Do not as thou lovest the life of thy soul go about suddenly or by undue means to smother or extinguish it 'T is too possible when any such apprehension strikes into a mans mind because 't is a sharp or piercing thought disturbs his quiet gives him molestation and some torture to pluck out the dart too soon and cast it away Perhaps such a course is taken as doth him unspeakably more mischief than a thousand such thoughts would ever do He diverts it may be to vain company or to sensuality talks or drinks away his trouble makes death his cure of pain and to avoid the fear of hell leaps into it Is this indeed the wisest course Either thy apprehension is reasonable or unreasonable If it should prove a reasonable apprehension as it is a terrible one would the neglect of it become a reasonable creature or mend thy case if it shall be found unreasonable it may require time and some debate to discover it to be so whereby when it is manifestly detected witn how much greater satisfaction is it laid aside Labour then to enquire rightly concerning this matter 2. In this enquiry consider diligently what the kind of that fear is that you find your selves afflicted with The fear that perplexes your heart must some way correspond to the apprehension you have in your mind touching your case Consider what that is and in what form it shews it self there Doth it appear in the form of a peremptory judgment a definitive sentence which you have past within your self concerning your case that your day is over and you are a lost creature or only of a meer doubt lest it should prove so The fear that corresponds to the former of these makes you quite desperate and obstinately resolute against any means for the bettering of your condition The fear that answers to the latter apprehension hath a mixture of hope in it which admits of somewhat to be done for your relief and will prompt thereunto Labour to discern which of these is the present temper and posture of your spirit 3. If you find it be the former let no thought any longer dwell in your mind under that form viz. as a definitive sentence concerning your state You have nothing to do to pass such a judgment the tendency of it is dismal and horrid as you may your self perceive And your ground for it is none at all Your conscience within you is to do the office of a Judge but only of an under-Judge that is to proceed strictly by rule prescribed and set by the sovereign Lord and arbiter of life and death there is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy Nor is your Conscience as an under-Judge to meddle at all but in cases within your cognisance This about your final state is a reserv'd excepted case belonging only to the supream tribunal which you must take heed how you usurp As such a judgment tends to make you desperate so there will be high presumption in this despair Dare you take upon you to cancell and nullify to your self the obligation of the Evangelical law and whereas that makes it your duty to repent and believe the Gospel to absolve your self from this bond and say it is none of your duty or make it impossible to you to do it you have matter and cases enough within the cognisance of your conscience not only the particular actions of your life but your present state also whether you be as yet in a state of acceptance with God thorough Christ yea or no And here you have rules set you to judge by But concerning your final state or that you shall never be brought into a state of acceptance you have no rule by which you can make such a judgment and therefore this judgment belongs not to you Look then upon the matter
THE Redeemer's Tears WEPT OVER Lost Souls A TREATISE ON LUKE XIX 41 42. WITH AN APPENDIX WHEREIN Somewhat is occasionally discoursed CONCERNING The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost AND How God is said to Will the Salvation of them that perish By J. H. Minister of the Gospel LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside 1684. PREFACE WHEN Spiritual Judgments do more eminently befall a people great outward Calamities do often ensue We know it was so in the instance which the Text here insisted on refers to But it is not alwaies so The connection between these two sorts of Judgments is not absolutely certain and necessary yea and is more frequent with the contraries of each For this Reason therefore and because Judgments of the former kind are so unexpressibly greater and more tremendous this Discourse insists only upon them about which serious monitions both have a clearer ground and are of greater importance and wholly waves the latter Too many are apt first to fancy similitudes between the state of things with one people and another and then to draw inferences being perhaps imposed upon by a strong imagination in both which yet must pass with them for a Spirit of Prophecy and perhaps they take it not well if it do not so with others too It were indeed the work of another Prophet certainly to accommodate and make application of what was spoken by a former to a distinct time and people 'T is enough for us to learn from such sayings as this of our Saviour those rules of life and practice such instructions and cautions as are common to all times without arrogating to our selves his Prerogative of foretelling events that shall happen in this or that The affectation of venturing upon futurity and of foreboding direful things to Kingdoms and Nations may besides its being without sufficient ground proceed from some or other very bad Principle Dislike of the present methods of Providence weariness and impatiency of our present condition too great proneness to wish what we take upon us to predict the Prediction importing more heat of anger than certainty of foresight a wrathful Spirit that would presently fetch down fire from heaven upon such as favour not our inclinations and desires so that as the Poet speaks whole Cities should be overturned at our request if the heavenly Powers would be so easy as to comply with such furious imprecations A temper that ill agrees with Humanity it self not to care at what rate of common calamity and misery a purchase be made of our own immunity from sufferings Nay to be willing to run the most desperate hazard in the case and even covet a general-ruine to others upon a meer apprehended possibility that our case may be mended by it when it may be more probable to become much worse But O how disagreeable is it to the Spirit of our merciful Lord and Saviour whose name we bear upon any terms to delight in humane miseries The greatest honour men of that complexion are capable of doing the Christian Name were to disclaim it Can such angry heats have place in Christian breasts as shall render them the well pleased spectators yea authors of one anothers calamities and ruine Can the tears that issued from these compassionate blessed eyes upon the foresight of Jerusalem's woful Catastrophe do nothing towards the quenching of these flames But I adde that the too-intent fixing of our thoughts upon any supposeable events in this World argues at least a narrow carnal mind that draws and gathers all things into time as despairing of Eternity and reckons no better state of things considerable that is not to be brought about under their own present view in this world as if it were uncertain or insignificant that there shall be unexceptionable eternal order and rectitude in another 'T is again as groundless and may argue as ill a mind to prophesy smooth and pleasant things in a time of abounding wickedness The safer middle course is without Gods express warrant not to prophesy at all but as we have opportunity to warn and instruct men with all meekness and long suffering for which the Lords ordinary Messengers can never want his warrant And after our blessed Saviour's most imitable Example to scatter our tears over the impenitent even upon the too probable apprehension of the temporal Judgments which hang over their heads but most of all upon the account of their liablenes to the more dreadful ones of the other state which in the following discourse I hope it is made competently evident this Lamentation of our Saviour hath ultimate reference unto For the other though we know them to be due and most highly deserved yet concerning the actual infliction of them even upon obstinate and persevering sinners we cannot pronounce We have no settled constitution or rule by which we can conclude it any more than that outward felicity or prosperity shall be the constant portion of good men in this World The great God hath reserved to himself a latitude of acting more arbitrarily both as to Promises and Threatnings of this nature If the accomplishment of either could be certainly expected it should be of the Promises rather because as to promised Rewards God is pleased to make himself Debtor and a right accrues to them to whom the Promise is made if either the Promise be absolute or made with any certain condition that is actually performed But God is alwayes the Creditor poenae the right to punish remains wholly in himself the exacting whereof he may therefore suspend without any appearance of wrong as seemeth good unto him If therefore he may withhold temporal blessings from good and pious men to which they have a remote and fundamental right as having reserved to himself the judgment of the fit time and season of bestowing them Much more doth it belong to his Wisdom to fix the bounds of his Patience and Long-suffering and determine the season of animadverting upon more open and insolent offenders by temporal Punishments according as shall make most for the ends of his Government and finally prove more advantageous to the dignity and glory 〈◊〉 it The practice therefore of our Saviour in speaking so positively concerning the approaching fail and ruine of Jerusalem is no patern unto us He spake not only with the Knowledge of a Prophet but with the Authority of a Judge and his words may be considered both as a Prediction and a Sentence We can pretend to speak in neither capacity touching things of this nature But for the everlasting Punishments in another World that belong to unreconciled sinners who refuse to know the things of their peace the Gospel-constitution hath made the connection firm and unalterable between their continuing unrepented wickedness and those punishments When therefore we behold the impudent provoking sins of the age wherein we live against the natural eternal law of our Creator