that in the last days perilous times shâ—â—ld come that there should be heady high-minded Traytours having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof Saint Peter that there should be false Teachers which should privily bring in damnable heresies presumptuous self-willed not afraid to speak evil of Dignities Now if all this be not sufficient Saint Iude hath taken up this Prophesie of Saint Peter and given us two clear Characters of these Persons whereby they might be known He tells us 1. That they shall be Separatists from the Church and 2. false-pretenders to the Spirit These are they which separate themselves being sensual having not the spirit I shall say no more to the Pretences relating to that Head which concerns the matter of Religion 2 ly Neither shalll I enlarge upon that other Head referring to matters Civil where I instanced in two Pretences taken from I. Harsh Administration in the Magistrate II. Competition as to power in Subjects I. Neither the Time nor the Design which I have propounded nor indeed my Profession nor Abilities do allow me to enter into the depths of the Politicks or to discourse of the limitations of Sovereign Powers Thus much is obvious to every man That there is no Cruelty so great as laxness of Government nor any Tyrany in the World like the rage of Subjects let loose and that the little â—inger of Licentiousness is harder then the Loyns of the severest Laws and stâ—ictest Government I shall briefly shew that the Scripture foreseeing the easiness by reason of the Self-love and partiality of men of this Pretence and the danger of it hath directly opposed it self against it I shall not mention particular Commands let us have recourse to the main Foundations the Body and Substance of Christianity the MISHPATHAMELEK the Ius Regium the Fundamental Law of the Kings of Israel 1. Christianity obligeth us to believe not only that Christ is God and that the Gospel is from God but that all the Circumstances of the Ministery of Christ and his Apostles were ordered by his Providence Why then were the times of Tiberius and Caligula and Claudius and Nero out of the Series of the Time spun out from the Creation chosen and selected for the promulgation of the Doctrine of Obedience If harsh Administration of Power will exempt men from Obedience at that time when Claudius or Nero was Roman Emperour why should the Holy Ghost move Saint Paul to write to the Romans They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation So much briefly for the Gospel 2. As for the Ius Regium in the eighth of the first Book of Samuel we find the Israelites desiring a King and God though rejected by this motion commands Samuel to hearken to their voice Yet that they might know what they did and not be surprized believing they might cast of again their King at pleasure he charges him to protest solemly and shew them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our Translation renders it The manner of the King The Septuagint and all ancient Eastern and Western Translations render it by words of signifying the Law or the Right of the King Ius Regium This saith Samuel shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall take your Sons and Daughters your Vine-yards your Fields and your Flocks c. He tells them of harsh Administrations Was it the meaning of the Holy Ghost that 〈◊〉 â—ure Princes ought to do or that it was lawful for them to do after the manner there described In the seventeenth Chapter of Deuteronomy we find the Duty of the Kings of Israel described in a way directly contrary to this they were to fear the Lord and not to turn aside to the right hand or to the left from his Commandments Bewise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Was it a Prediction of what would be their condition what would be the manner of their Kings Not that neither We do not read of any of the Kings of Iudah or Israel that proceeded to the height there expressed Even Aâ—ab who sold himself to work wickedness did not take Naboth's Vinyard by force he would not seise on it till Iezebeâ— had brought about the pretence of a Legal Forfeiture What then is the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely it imports thus much that if all this hard usage should come upon them they might cry unto the Lord Verse 18. but that it would not dissolve Ius Regium the right of Sovereignty or enable them to resist their Kings or rebel against them II. There remains yet one Pretence to speak to it concerns Competition of Power either on 1. Pretences of Succession into the Magistrate's place in case of failour of Duty or upon supposals of forfeiture of Power 2. Pretences of the last resolution of Power into the people the diffused multitude or the peoples Representative and the like Concerning which kind of Pretences I must repeat what hath been said of the other If they be admitted they are destructive to Magistracy If they be encouraged by Religion there will be reason that Magistrates be jealous over it But now is the Spirit of the Scriptures and the tendency of it entirely bent another way The New Testament affords no Instance in this kind As to the Old I shall desire that two Instances may be considered 1. The Case of David and Saul 2. The Case of Corah and Moses which two Instances if the time would bear it would take in the Substance of all that may be alledged in this kind 1. It is I conceive impossible to carry the first sort of Pretences higher then they were stated in the Case of David and Saul Saul was at first declared and constituted King by Samuel acting in the Name of the Lord and when he had reigned two years the same Samuel in the Name of the same God before the same people denounces publickly that his Kingdom should not continue and that God had sought a man after his own heart because he invaded the Priests Office After this he limits a certain day he tells him This day the Lord bath rent the Kingdom of Israel from thee and given it to thy neighbour because of his rebellion against God in the Case of Amalek The pretence of Failour and Forfeiture can go no higher Now for the pretences of David to step into his Government and wrest it from him He was anointed by Samuel for ought appears without reservation for the life of Saul He was qualified for Government a valiant man a man of War prudent in matters a comely Person and the Lord was with him He had received Testimony from God of his Election the Spirit of God departed from Saul and rested upon him He had power in his hand he was set over the men of War accepted by all the people all Israel nd
his vengeance upon their enemies they wrought a trein of mighty signs and wonders in the land of Egypt for their deliverance And all Israel saw the great works which the Lord did upon Pharaoh and his host and they sang with Moses that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He hath triumphed gloriously the horse his rider hath he thrown into the Sea for â—e brought forth his people with joy because he had a favour for them 3. He was not their maker and their redeemer only but their establisher he perfected deliverance and followed them with all things perteining unto life and godliness He was their conductor in the wilderness in the day time he led them with a cloud and all the night with a pillar of fire He was their Protector As an Eagle flutters over her young ones and spreads abroad her wings so he stretched out his everlasting arms for their defence he suffered no man to do them wrong and drove out the nations before them He was their provider of meat drink and cloathes he smote the stony rock and the waters flowed he gave them Quails and Manna from Heaven so that they did eat Angels food he led them 40 years in the wilderness in all that space their cloaths did not wax old upon them nor their shooes upon their feet And lastly he was their establisher formed them into a Church and State and dictated to them laws for their perpetual establishment he gave testimonies unto Jacob and appointed a law in Israel a law written by the finger of God delivered by the mediation of Angels He set before them life and death he confirmed the Covenant made to their fathers he entred into a Covenant with themselves he spake to them sundry wayes and divers manners and finally to take away all pretences of ignorance or infidelity he appeared often to their fathers by the name of El-shaddai to Moses by his name Iehovah to themselves he came down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai he often filled the Tabernacle with his glory and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people These are some few instances of Gods dealing with this people Now for their requital the Scripture tell us their behaviour toward Moses and Aaron the instruments and toward God himself the Author of all their mercies of their deliverance Many a time they murmured against Moses and Aaron in Egypt and in the wilderness before they were out of Egypt they quarreled at Moses for attempting their deliverance within three days after their triumphal song they murmured at Marach about six weeks after the whole congregation murmured again and wished that they had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt they murmured at their very Manna and cried out in remembrance of the fish that they did eat in Egypt the Cucumers and the Melons the Leeks and the Onions and the Garlick When the spies returned from Canaan they made a down right mutiny they said one to another Let us make us a Captain and let us return into Egypt They sided with Corah Dathan and Abiram in their rebellion and after the earth had opened and swallowed them up they still owned the rebels and adhered to the good old cause on the morrow all the congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron saying Ye have killed the people of the Lord still persisting in an opinion that they were Patriots and godly men But what do we speak of Moses or of oblique and consequential actings against God the Scripture tells us of their stupidity and infidelity they understood not his wonders in Egypt How long saith God will it be ere they believe me for all the signs which I have wrought among them neither signs among them nor signs upon them could cause them to believe He smote them for their unbelief and for all this they sinned still and believed not for all his wondrous works It tells of their forgetfulness they forgot God their Saviour which had done so great things for them they soon forgot his works and his wonders of their falseness and treachery their heart was not set aright their spirit was not stedfast when he slew them they would seek him for a while but they did but flatter him with their lips and dissemble with their double hearts It tells of their base idolatry they changed their glory for the similitude of a calf yea they offered their sons and daughters unto devils of their pride and scornfulness they despised the pleasant land they were a provoking generation a stubborn and rebellious nation How often did they provoke God in the wilderness and grieve him in the desart Many a time did he deliver them but they provoked him with their Counsels He divided the Sea for their passage and clove the rocks for their sustenance and covered them with a Cloud for their protection and they sinned yet the more They tempted him they spoke against him they provoked him at the sea even at the red Sea they turned back and tempted God and limited the holy one of Israel In one word they were a rebellious house a stiff-necked people they kept not the Covenant which themselves had made they would none of his precepts they despised his promises and his threatnings their neck had an Iron sinew and they had a brow of brass This was their behaviour even then when Gods miracles were fresh and Moses was still among them And God foresaw that after his decease they would provoke him yet more This was that requital which stirred and inflamed the spirit of Moses and quickned him to that abrupt Expostulation the first general part of the text whereof I have hitherto been giving an account Do ye thus requite the Lord You have seen some part of Israels ingratitude it follows that we consider the Turpitude and the Imprudence of this ingratitude which gave occasion for the censure here passed upon them O foolish people and unwise And first of the Turpitude of their ingratitude whereby it will appear that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now to set forth the unworthiness of their ingratitude against God in all the aggravations of it it is a task too heavy for me nay even for Angels and Moses when he was inspired and in the height of his rapture did not attempt it but making a chasme and drawing a veil over that part insinuates it to be unexpressible I shall not therefore offer at impossibilities but follow the method which the Scriptures have provided for us in like cases It is the manner of the Scriptures in things concerning God which are incomprehensible to bait the mind and train it on by exercising it in the Analogy of things familiar The love of God to his chosen people iâ— incomprehensible to give us therefore a little notion of it the
SIX SERMONS PREACHED By the Right Reverend Father in God SETH Lord Bishop of SARVM LONDON Printed by Andrew Clark for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms in Ludgate-street 1672. THE Contents I. AGainst Resistance of Lawful Powers on Rom. 13. 2. And they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Preached at Whitehal Novemb. 5. 1661. II. Against the Antiscripturists on 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God Preached at Whitehal Feb. 20. 1669 70. III. Concerning the Sinfulness Danger and Remedies of Infidelity on Heb. 3. 12. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Exhort one another daily Preached at Whitehal Feb. 16. 1667 68. IV. A Sermon Preached before the the Peers in the Abby-Church at Westminster Octob. 10. 1666. on Eccles. xi 9. But know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment Rejoyce O young man c. V. A Sermon concerning the Strangeness Frequency and desperate Consequence of Impenitency Preached at Whitehal April 1. 1666. soon after the great Plague on Revelat. 9. 20. And the rest of the men which were not killed by the Plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands VI. A Sermon against Ingratitude Preached at Whitehal Feb. 26 1664 65. sometime before the great Plague on Deut. 32. 6. Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Against RESISTANCE OF Lawful Powers A SERMON Preached before the KING at White-Hall Novemb. v. 1661. LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iohn Martyn and are to be sold by Iames Collins at the Kings Arms in Ludgate-street Against Resistance of Lawful POWERS ROM xiii 2. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation AMongst all the stratagems of the Devil tending to the undermining of Religion and the subversion of the souls of men though there cannot be any more unreasonable yet there was never any more unhappily successful than the creating and fomenting an Opinion in the World That Religion is an enemy to Government and the bringing Sincerity and Zeal in Religion into jealousie and disgrace with the Civil Powers It was by this jealousie blown into the heads of the High Priests and the Sanhedrim amongst the Jews and of Herod and Pontius Pilate that Christ himself the Captain of our Salvation the Author and Finisher of our Faith was accused condemned and executed on a Tree By this the Apostles were haled before the Governours of Provinces forced from one City to flee unto another for this they endured bonds and imprisonment and sundry kinds of death It was through this fancy that the Christians for three hundred years together endured the rage of Heathen Emperours being destitute afflicted and tormented Our Lord Christ was traduced as an enemy to Caesar a man refractary to the Roman Laws and a Nonconformist to the Religion and Laws of his Country The Apostles were charged as disturbers of the publick peace with turning the world upside down The Primitive Christians were accounted enemies to the Commonwealth adverse and malevolent to the Empire and the Christian Religion it self was bruited and surmised to have something in it offensive and dangerous to the Civil Government as appears not only by the Edicts of Heathen Emperours but also by the Apologies of Clemens Alexandrinus Iustin Martyr Tertullian Athenagoras c. Neither was it thus only of old before the Roman Empire was become Christian but even since the time of Constantine down to our Fathers days nay to our own we shall find the Devil still managing the same pretence carrying on the same Antichristian mystery of iniquity which began to work in the time of our Lord Christ and his Apostles Those that profess to know the Arcana Imperii and publickly proclaim themselves to the World to be qualified for Molders of Commonwealths and Dictatours to Princes are the Writers of Politicks Machiavel abroad and others nearer home some of these pretending discoveries of things unknown to all our Fathers if they be strictly analysed will be found to resolve their whole mystery into this one pretence That Religion in the height and exaltation of it is prejudicial to Policy and that to be a thorow-paced a sincere and zealous Christian is to be dangerous to the State As the remedy for which evil they have thought fit and necessary to enervate the Principles of all Religion so far as to remove the Doctrine of Good and Evil the Immortality of the Soul the Rewards and Punishments of the World to come that so Religion may appear wholly to derive from Policy How destructive these Doctrines are not only to the souls of men in reference to the World to come but to the interests of this life the regular and secure acquisition and enjoyment whereof are entirely derived from the great and everlasting Ordinance of Government I am not now called to speak But surely it cannot be unnecessary to endeavour to state this Question to search into the grounds of this pretence to examine thorowly from whence all this clamour these fears and jealousies whence all this mighty scandal hath arisen The Gospel of our Saviour is not like the Alcoran which hates the light and abhors a strict examination of the Principles whereon it stands When the Jews contended with our Saviour and opposed his Doctrine he desired to bring the matter in question to a rational decision Iohn x. The Question there was Whether he were the Son of God And he propounds them this fair 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 37. If I do the works of my Father believe me if I do not believe me not And I verily as a Minister of Christ though the meanest of ten thousand am bold in the power and through the evidence of the truth of the Gospel to say Let the Adversaries of Religion search and look let them employ their Wit their Industry their Logick if any thing can be found in the Principles of Christianity prejudicial to the power of just and lawful Magistrates Nay moreover if it be possible for Men or Angels to state the Rights of Civil Government upon clearer and firmer Principles to secure them by more powerful Obligations to urge them upon men by more efficacious Motives of Rewards and Punishments than those are which the very Foundations of Christianity do expresly propound then let the Gospel and the Ministers of it endure all that contempt and obloquy which these men desire to cast upon them And for the Foundations of our Religion there are those that tell us that Christianity is founded upon Cephas which is indeed by interpretation a Stone but the Apostle tells us Ephes. ii 20. that we are built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Iesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone wherefore by these the present Question is to be decided If any men at any time taking upon them the sacred name of Christians have swerved from the Rule of their
fell asleep all things continue as they were before And for the manner and Apparatus of his coming Our God shall come saith the Psalmist and shall not keep silence there shall go before him a devouring fire and a mighty Tempest shall be stirred up round about him Behold the Lord will come with fire saith the Prophet and with his Chariots like a Whirlwind to render his aâ—ger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire The streams of Zion shall be turned into Pitch and the dust thereof into Brimstone the Earth thereof shall be burning Pitch the smoke thereof shall ascend day and night and shall not be quenched compare Revel 6. with Esai 34. The Kings of the Earth shall tremble the Captains and the mighty shall be horribly afraid the great men and the rich men shall hide themselves all the bond-men and all the freemen shall fly to the Rocks of the Mountains And soon after all this The Heavens shall be rivel'd as a scrowl the Earth and the Elements shall melt away for God shall arise to judge terribly the Earth Have not all these things come upon us the men of this Generation Is it weakness is it a vain and superstitious scrupulosity to call these things to our remembrance Have we no reason at all to apprehend the approach of a General Judgment either upon the World or upon our sinful Nation Do we not now envy those despised souls which have made their accounts ready We thought it madness to see them pine away with poenitential exercises and macerate themselves with mourning We thought it folly which they called Conscience for which they denyed themselves the pleasures and enjoyments of the World We fools counted their life madness and their latter end to be without honour But the time is coming when they shall be comforted and we shall be tormented Because he hath called and we have refused he hath stretched out his hand and we have not regarded He will laugh at our calamity and mock when our fear cometh When our destruction cometh as a Whirlwind when distress and anguish comes upon us May we not therefore give up our selves to the torments of our hearts and surrender up our souls unto Despair so Israel said there is no hope we will follow every one the devices of his heart after 20 30 or 40. years continuance in our courses 't is in vain to think of turning from them Our arrears are so far gone that there is no hope to discharge them and why should we trouble our selves with the thoughts of our Account Nay that which must come let it come and what is a few days respite to Eternity Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Let us go forth as at other times and shake our selves and scatter these troublesom apprehensions of future Judgment What if we should drink a little to drive away Melancholy Yes and fall perhaps and spew and rise no more Nay but I beseech you stay a little and consider consider at least in this your day the things which belong to your peace It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Who among us can dwell with a devouring fire Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings Such careless and desperate resolutions are the advantages which the Devil aims at that he may â—ear our Consciences and seal us up in a final obduration But there is another kind of advantage which God and our Lord Christ and the Holy Spirit and the Gospel and the Ministers aim at That advantage which I told you of in the beginning of my Discourse That knowing the terror of the Lord they may perswade men And now what is it that they would perswade us that we will be contented to part with the tormenting fears of Judgment that we will condescend not to be miserable to all Eternity That we will accept of deliverance from the wrath to come that we will not neglect so great salvation nor trample on the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Behold God calls upon us Turn you turn you at my reproof why will you dye O House of Israel As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of siâ—ners Our Lord Christ calls upon us Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you In the last day of the Fâ—ast of â— abâ—â—â—acles he stood and cried Saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink The Spirit sayes come and whoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely The Gospel assures us That God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life Behold I â— set before you this day life and death blessing and cursing and as an unworthy Ambassadour in Christ's stead I pray you be reconciled to God take his yoke upon you his yoke is easie and his burden light embrace now the tender of the Gospel only repent and believe in the Lord Jesus accept him for your Saviour and your Lord. Your Prophet to instruct you your King to govern you your Priest to save you and you shall be saved Saved from the fears and horrours of a Guilty Conscience condemned by its own witness Saved from the wrath of God and of the Lamb. You shall meet the Lord with Confidence We shall be able to stand with boldness in the Judgment to lift up our heads with joy because our redemption draweth near This is the way to save our own souls from perishing which is the General design of all our Preaching And this is the way to appease the wrath which is gone out against us and to preserve our Nation from destruction which is the particular and more immediate end of our present Humiliation whereof I am yet to speak THe hand indeed of the Lord hath been heavy upon us his wrath hath been kindled it hath waxed hot against the Sheep of his pasture and he hath plagued our Nation very sore His Judgments have been multiplied his strokes have been redoubled and for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Wars and Pestilences and those other fore-runners of Christ's coming to Judgment have been seen and felt amongst us and now when these have not been able to prevail To awaken a drowsie people to rowse up a Lethargic Nation to ferment a people setled upon their Lees God has made a new thing in the midst of us he hath wrought a work in our dayes which makes the ears of all that hear it to tingle A work not to be parallel'd perhaps in all the circumstances since the Creation of the World How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of our Zion with a cloud in his anger and hath cast down from Heaven to Earth the beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstool in the Day of his Anger
not insuperable difficult but not to be despaired of Concerning Ierusalem burned and laid wast by the Assyrians Daniel foretold that the streets and the walls thereof should be rebuilded even in troubleous times and when the time came that they were reedified we read in Nehemiah that the labourers in one hand held the trowel and the other held a weapon one half of the people laboured in the work and the other half held the Spears and the Shields the Bows and the Habergeons because of their cruel enemies on every side If God shall be pleased to give us a spirit of Understanding and teach our Senators Wisdom If he shall pour out a publick spirit upon our Councils a spirit of tenderness and compassion of Justice and Equity Temperance and Frugality Fortitude and Magnanimity If all Orders and Degrees amongst us Civil and Military and Ecclesiastical shall take to themselves the spirits of Christians and of men If our Counsels and endeavours shall be answerable to the care and benigâ—ity to the fervour and â—trenuous industry of our gracious Sovereign and to the alacrity and magnanimity of our couragious and generous Country-men then speaking humanely and abstracting from our Deservings we need not greatly fear but we may yet subdue the pride and insolence of our barbarous Enemies we may yet behold our City rising out of its ashes in greater splendour than we have seen it heretofore Wherefore arise and gird your selves O ye Princes ye Nobles ye Rulers of our Israel Consult Consider and give sentence Men Brethren and Fathers let us arise and labour let us up and be doing be strong and of good courage and the good hand of our God shall be upon you he shall give you the honour to be the defenders of your Country he shall make you repairers of the breaches restorers of our City to dwell in Yet I cannot I may not forbear to put you in remembrance of this one thing Except the Lord build the City their labour is but lost that build it It is not our wisdom or industry much less our confidence that will do it unless God be for us neither will God be for us unless we turn from the evil of our ways except we repent we have reason to fear that what we have seen hitherto will be no more but the beginning of our sorrows The Prophet Esay tells us That the Lord sent a word unto Iacob and it lighted on Israel and all the people shall know that say in the pride and stoutness of their hearts the Bricks are fallen but we will build with hewn Stones the Sycamores are down but we will change them into Cedars Therefore the Lord will set up their adversaries and joyn their Enemies together the Syrians before and the Philistims behind and they shall devour Israel with open mouth Because this people turneth not to him that smiteth them Wherefore turn you turn you every one from the evil of his ways Let us search our hearts and try our ways and turn to him that hath smitten us Turn unto him with all our hearts with fasting and with weeping and mourning he hath smitten us and he will heal us because his compassions fail not Come and let us reason together saith God though your sins were as scarlet they shall be white as snow There is yet a way open to take away the terror of our Particular Judgment and to prevent a final Judgment from falling upon the Nation We are yet in the Land of hope and space is given for Repentance the door of mercy is not yet shut upon us nor the ears of our Judge sealed against us O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare the wonders that he bath done for the children of men that hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our Iniquities that hath not cut us off in the midst of our sins nor in the height of our impenitencies snatched us away to Judgment that hath not dealt with us as with the Apostate Angels and with Thousands of our Brethren who were better and more righteous than we Let us once more then return into our selves Let us consider our condition let us veiw over and ballance the grounds of our hopes and the reasons of our fears Let us take an exact account of our whole estate and interest in reference to all our concernments National and Personal Temporal and Eternal Let us deliberate and advise what is to be done and what is to be avoided Did I say deliberate Whether we shall save our souls from utter darkness and everlasting burnings Whether we shall save the Nation from final ruine and desolation Nay rather Let us break off our sins by repentance and our Iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor Let us make our selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when we fail we may be received into everlasting habitations Let us lend unto the Lord that we may have treasure in Heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt nor thieves break through and steal Let us fast the fast that the Lord hath chosen Loose the bands of wickedness feed the hungry cloath the naked he that hath two Coats let him give to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise Such an occasion scarce happens in many hundreds of years and for motives to charity they are all comprised in that great argument of the Judgment to come When the Son of Man shall come to Judgment and shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory When all Nations shall be gathered before him and he shall set the Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left This shall be the mark of their discrimination He shall say to those on his right hand I was hungry and ye fed me thirsty and â—e gave me drink naked and ye cloathed me sick and in prison and ye visited me Come ye blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you And he shall say unto them on the left hand I was hungry and ye fed me not thirsty and ye gave me no drink c. Wherefore go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels The way is short and compendious to save all our interests What doth the Lord require of us but to do justly to love mercy to walk humbly before the Lord our God Let us be merciful therefore as our heavenly Father is merciful and let us humble our selves under the Almighty hand of God as we pretend to do this day Let us betake our selves afore-hand to our Judge and pour out our complaints before him Let us confess our wickedness and be sorry for our sins Let us lay hold on the feet of our Blessed Redeemer and give him no rest till he hath sealed our pardon Let us bathe with our tears the wounds that we have made Let us cry mightily to the Throne of Grace Let us
that he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity that he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such an one as goes on still in his wickedness If a man will not turn he will whet his sword and bend his bow If a Nation will not repent then smite with thy hand stamp with thy foot and say alas for it shall fall by the sword by the famiâ—e and by the pestilence Now the general inference of all these is still the same this is still the Logick of the Scriptures Our God shall come and shall not keep silence wherefore consider this ye that forget God We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade To this end we find the Lord sometimes disputing logically to convince and sometimes with divine and noble Oratory endeavouring to perswade sometimes by signal instances of pardoning mercies and of avenging judgements to induce men to repentance He speaks to their reason to their affections to their very senses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land if ye rebel ye shall be devoured Are not my ways equal are not your ways unequal Again He expostulates with them sometimes upon the principles of ingenuity Thus saith the Lord What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone away from me O my people what have I done unto thee wherein have I wearyed thee Testifie against me O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee Sometimes he expostulates upon the point of interest How long shall vain thoughts lodge in your hearts How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity what will ye do in the end thereof Again he sets before us a multitude of glorious instances to shew that never any penitent was rejected however heinous however numerous were their sins The prodigal devoured his substance with harlots Mary Magdalen had seven Devils Peter denyed his Master with horrid oaths and imprecations Saul was exceedingly mad against him yet upon their repentance were accepted He had delivered Israel seven times and they forsook him and he said he would deliver them no more but they repented and his soul was straight-way grieved and he delivered them Instead of many consider that one instance of Manasses the evil son of good King Hezekiah He set up altars for Baalim and worshipp'd all the host of heaven Altars in the court of the temple an idol in the very temple he caused his sons to pass through the fire he observed times used inchantments dealt with familiar spirits and with wizards made Iudah and Ierusalem to do worse than the heathen And the Lord spake to him and he would not hear After all this in his afflictions he humbled himself and then God was intreated and heard his supplication His ways are not as our ways He forgave Nineveh and Ionah was displeased exceedingly he taxes him with easiness in relenting he charges him as if he had an ancient known infirmity of flexibility to his veracity and the honour of his Prophets Lord saith he was not this my saying and therefore I prevented it to slee to Tarshish for I knew that thou art merciâ—ul therefore take I beseech thee my life from me His thoughts are not as our thoughts when Nathan had told David a story of a poor man who had his ewe Lamb ravished from him then David was exceeding wroth and he swore As the Lord liveth the man that hath done this thing shall surely dye But when David who had taken Bathsheba and murthered Vriah said I have sinned Nathan said unto David The Lord â—ath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye On the other side we have instances of horrible judgements for Impenitency whereof I shall after take occasion to speak Now considering all these things is it noâ— strange that men should noâ— repent That no consideration of ingenuity or of interest should move them to it That neither the Law written in their hearts nor that which was delivered by the mediation of Angels nor the Gospel given us by the Son of God should bring them to it That neither reason nor experience neither mercies nor judgements neither the sweetness of a good conscience nor the torments of a bad the beauties of vertue nor the deformity of sin the shortness of life nor length of eternity the lightness of things present nor the exceeding weight of those which are to come That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Trumpets nor things present nor thing to come nor height nor depth nor any other thing should be able to separate mâ—n from the love of sin Is it not strange The Apostles the Prophets were astonished at this nay God himself seems to be affected with wonder Hear O heavens and give ear O earth Be astonished O ye heavens and be horribly afraid they have forsaken me This is that wonder considered in it self according to common reason the object of our first observation drawn from the form and manner of the words by way of Epiphonema expressed by the particle yet yet they repented not II. The second Observation was taken from the matter of the words However such impenitency is very strange to common reason considered in the Theory yet it is too frequent in practice and in common experience The rest of the men repented not This is that grand contradiction that fatal paradox of the life of man His very being consists in rationality his acting is contrary to all the reason in the world Man only was created under the Law of Reason man only maintains a constant opposition to the law and reason of his creation He appointed the moon for certain seasons and the sun knoweth his going down The blustring winds the raging storms the unruly Ocean the Lyon the Tiger and the Bear these all pursue the law of their creation these all are obedient unto his word charmed to it by that powerful voice whereby they were created Man only stops his ears and refuses to hear the voice of this Almighty charmer charm he never so wisely so loudly or so variously The general ways and methods of his charming have been already mentioned I am now to lay before you the general success of those methods The success 1. Of his word and his messengers 2. Of his works of 1. Mercy 2. Judgement Single Intermixed 1. For the success or rather the unsuccessfulness of his word for the entertainment or rather the barbarous usage of his messengers how often do we find God and his Prophets Christ and his Apostles complaining and as it were fretting themselves with indignation As for the word sometimes they will not hear it More â—han seven times Ieremy complains almost in the
Lord O foolish people and unwise This is the Interest which these words have in the song and they consist of two general parts 1. An expostulation Do ye thus requite the Lord 2. A censure O foolish people and unwise The former of these needs no explication being an ardent and vehement exprobration of the ingratitude of this people wherein every word is weighty and very Emphatical The manner of the retribution the parties Requiting and Requited Ye men Ye men of Israel do ye make such a requital such a requital to the Lord To requite evil for good among Equals is against the light of the sons of Noah and much more against the light of Israel But for Israel after their instruction and their experiences to do despight to the great and the gracious and the terrible jealous and avenging God it implies so much ingratitude and so high a degree of wickedness and madness as is not to be measured And therefore he doth not attempt to delineate or describe it but like one astonished at it he expostulates with them in a vast abrupt Interrogation Do ye thus requite the Lord But now the latter general part which contains the censure of them may perhaps require a little explication Foolish and Unwise may possibly seem to some to have a little flatness in it and tautology Here therefore we must be take our selves to the Original and there we shall find a considerable difference betwixt the notions of those two words which are thus translated The words for Vnwise is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies that they were imprudent and acted against their interest and concernment The words translated foolish people are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ingrate popule signifying base unworthiness and perverseness They were Am Nabal such for a people as Nabal afterwards for a man Now concerning Nabal the Scripture tells us that the Character of his person was answerable to the notion of his name As is his name so is he Nabal is his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vilitas cum â—o Interlin Dedecus cum ipso Syriac A base unworthy dishonourable person churlish and evil in his doings surly and morose such a man of Belial that one might not speak to him Insolent and as such persons use to be cowardly and dead hearted a drunken stupid sottish and to sum up all an ungrateful wretch that requited evil for good This was the Character of Nabal and this the folly bound up in the heart of the Children of Israel so that there is no tautology in the text The first word signifies the Wickedness the second the imprudence of Israel's Requital And these are the things which I am to speak of I. Israels requital towards God implyed in the expostulation Do ye thus requite II. The Wickedness of that requital III. The Imprudence pâ—essed in the censure IV. Application 1. Requital is a word of a reciprocal notion it signifies a return made for something done And to set forth Israel's requital to the Lord we are to consider 1. Gods dealings with Israel and 2. Israel's return to God 1. Of the former we have various instances in the following words God hath prevented them with Grace and favour and followed them 1. Made Fathers 2. Bought 3. Established them with mercy and loving-kindness He contrived advantages for them before their Original he designed them great and glorious privileges long before they had any being The Scripture computes their Original from Iacob who was called Israel A Syrian ready to perish was their Father but long before Iacobs time The most high divided to the Nations their inheritance when he separated the Sons of Adam the Lords portion was his people and Israel the lot of his inheritance He chose Iacob for himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure before Jacob or Esau had done good or evil he chose them because he loved them to shew his prerogative and manifest his absolute Sovereignty When Abraham was an hundred years old and Sarah ninety and they had no child betwixt them he contracted with Abraham both for their being and their inheritance He brought him forth and said Look toward Heaven and tell the Stars so shall thy seed be And the same day he said Vnto thy Seed yet in Idea have I given this land from the River of Egypt to the great River Euphrates So that he was their Father and maker in a peculiar manner even as if from stones he had raised children unto Abraham Seing that from one and him as good as dead there sprang so many as the Stars Nay far more than the Stars which Abraham could see when he looked up into the Sky the number of all the Stars visible to the naked eye upon all the various positions of the Sphere not exceeding eleven hundred whereas there were numbred of this people at one time 603550 fighting men above twenty years old beside the tribe of Levi and beside women and children As was their first creation such was their conservation and propagation instances of the united forces of the goodness wisdom and power of God when he saw them in their blood he said unto them Live when he found them in the howling wilderness he kept them as the apple of his eye He protected them from all the storms which passed over them when they passed through the water when they went through the fire he provided for them when there was famine in their land In a prodigious way of mercy he made use of their own wickedness and turned it to their preservation When they sold Ioseph into Egypt Ioseph saith God sent him to preserve them a posterity and to save their lives ye thought evil against me but God meant it for good He sent them down into Egypt for their preservation he preserved them there 430 years and when the Egyptians were turned against them the more they were afflicted the more they multiplied and grew Doubtless he was their father though Abraham was ignorant of them and Israel knew them not for in their affliction his bowels sounded towards them And 2. he was their Redeemer as well as their Maker he bought them for so saith the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 possedit acquisivit eos i. e. asseruit in libertatem When by the rigour of the Egyptians their lives were bitter God heard their groanings and he remembred the Covenant made with Abraham and his prediction that they should serve and be afflicted 400 years and that then he would judge that nation whom they should serve Surely I have seen saith he the affliction of my people I have heard their cry I know their sorrows and I am come down to deliver them He sent Redemption to his people by the hand of Moses and Aaron He gave Commission and Power and Command to Moses to make known his Omnipotence and his favour to his people and
lightnings or bring to their assistance the stormy wind and tempest Can they Marshal out the host of heaven or put the Constellations in array or command the stars in their courses to make resistance for them Can they bind the influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion or bring forth Mazzaroth or conduct Arcturus and his sons Are they able to stand before a jealous God and to support themselves in the presence of a consuming fire When a fire is kindled in his anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the earth and set on fire the mountains Are they able to sustein the fierceness of his anger Who among them can dwell with the devouring fire who among them can dwell with everlasting burnings Briefly and plainly to lay the case before you This people had heard with their ears of the drowning of the old world Their fathers had told them of the fire and brimstone which devoured the Cities of Sodom and Gomorrha They had been witnesses of the plagues brought upon Egypt They beheld the fire that consumed Nadab and Abihu They stood by when the earth opened and swallow'd up Dathan and covered the congregation of Abiram Thousands had fallen beside them and ten thousands at their right hand for their ingratitude and rebellion and yet they behave themselves so as hath been represented Judge in your selves was it wisdome thus to requite the Lord Were they or were they not a foolish people and unwise We have now seen the case of Israel the wickedness of their folly and the folly of their wickedness hath been in some measure displayed before us And who is it that doth not feel his indignation rise against this people Ah sinful people ah people laden with iniquity ah Seed of evil doers O ingrateful stiff-necked brutish nation do they thus requite the Lord that made that redeemed that established them Shall not his soul be avenged on such a nation as this Let God arise let his enemies be scattered It is but just and equal That he should consume them in a moment and blot out their remembrance from under heaven Nay but who art thou O man that judgest another and dost the same things thinkest thou that thou shalt escape the judgment of God Alas how easy is it in a figure to transfer all that hath been spoken to our selves to our selves of this Auditory to our selves of this Kingdome in every capacity private and publick Ecclesiastical and Civil 1. Hath not God dealt with us as he dealt with Israel 2. Have not we requited him as they requited him come now and let us briefly reason together For Gods dealing let us examine our selves upon the heads of enquiry here propounded by Moses in this song Hath he not 1 made 2 redeemed 3 established us in every sence and every capacity 1. Hath he not made us is not he the Creator and preserver of every individual person is not he the disposer of nations the ordainer and orderer of Governments the framer of Churches in the world In every one of these respects it is evidently true which is delivered by the Psalmist It is he that hath made us and not we our selves we are his people and the sheep of his pasture As for our personal being and better being was it not from him that we received our bodies our Souls our Christianity all things pertaining unto life and Godliness His eyes did see our substance yet being imperfect and in his book were all our members written He poured us out like Milk and curdled us like Cheese cloathed us with skin and flesh fenced us with bones and sinews he breathed into us life and spirit saying unto us Live he stamped his Image upon us and made us live the life of men he commanded and we were born of Christian Parents and baptized and regenerated into the life of Christians Hath he not made us Nay doth he not make us and that every moment by susteining and upholding our being by the word of his power by reteining our spirits and preserving our souls and life by his perpetual visitation by his protection and by this provision There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retein the spirit All the wit and industry and ability of all men upon earth nay of all creatures in Heaven and earth cannot make one grain of any one of that infinite variety of things which are of necessity or of convenience to the being or preservation of men And this is so evident upon the shallowest consideration that S. Paul at Lystra when the Priest of Iupiter supposing him to be Mercurius would have sacrificed to him appealed to this instance as Gods witness against the depth of heathenish darkness He left not himself without witness in that he gave rain from Heaven filling our hearts with food and gladness So that in this respect our case is parallel Hath not God dealt with us as with Israel Hath he not made us as to our personal and private condition Again if we consider our selves in our national publick capacity in reference to the political frame of our Government Civil and Ecclesiastical hath he not made us It was in reference to this that Moses asked this question and to help their understandings in the consideration of it for an answer in the words immediately following he calls upon them to search into their antiquities to reflect upon their original and their progress Remember saith he the days of old and consider the years of many generations Ask thy Fathers and they will tell thee thy Elders and they will shew thee And now I say unto you Have you not heard long ago how he hath done it and of ancient days how he hath formed it How he hath formed the state of this Island and reformed it how he never gave over working hewing and fabricating the inhabitants thereof till he had framed them into a glorious Christian Kingdom from a most barbarons savage scattered heathen people How oft did the Almighty Potter bring the stubborn matter to the wheel overturning overturning overturning To civilize the Britains he brought in the Romans then tried the Britains again When that would not frame to his hand he brought in the Saxons and upon them the Danes then tried the Saxons again and lastly he brought in the Normans nations oâ— various tempers customs religions languages caused nation to rise against nation c. he committed them one with another and among themselves he mixed and blended them by many a terrible combat and collision he polish'd the roughness of them by the leaven of the Gospel he fermented and matured and sweetned them till by his powerful word light was brought out of darkness out of a multitude of disorders and confusions sprang forth a noble well-tempered form of Government System of Laws Civil Ecclesiastical equal at least to those of any other people harmoniously conspiring if
we not flattered him with our lips and dissembled with him in our double heart Do we not despise our very Manna and wish again for the Garlick of Egypt ready to change our glory for the Calves of Egypt or the confusion of Babylon In a word are we not a sinful people laden with iniquity as ingrateful and Nabalistical as Israel a foolish people Again for matter of imprudence wherewithal can we purge our selves from it Doth not God know our miscarriages also doth he not understand us ourways and doth he not interest himself in us doth he not resent our provocations can we escape for our wickedness With what apologies shall we come before the Lord and bow our selves before the high God Have we had no caveats from the Ministers of God no warnings no Alarms from God himself have we not heard have we not seen hath it not been told us The thunders and the lightnings the trumpets sounding the mountain smoaking the Angel destroying the Sword devouring Are we able to contest with a jealous God are we stronger than he are we able to tear him out of his Throne or to devest him of his Thunder or to stand the storm of his fiery indignation Have we not been a foolish people unwise What then remains but that God should execute upon us the sentence which we our selves have been ready to pass upon the people in the text that he should do thus and thus unto us that he should consume us in a moment and blot out our names from under Heaven Nay rather it remains men and brethren lest he should do thus and thus unto us that we prepare to meet the Lord our God that we rouze up the spirit of our minds and discuss and scatter that Lethargic stupor that is upon us Awake awake Deborah and arise Barak the son of Ahinoam Who can tell but God may yet have mercy upon us may have mercy upon our souls and speak peace to our land When I say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his wickedness and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die he hath done that which is lawful and right he shall surely live Wherefore let every one of us examine himself and find out the plague of his own heart and be deeply sensible of his own ingratitude let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord let us make haste to escape before the decree bring forth and we be surprised by the stormy wind and tempest let us lose no longer time but make haste in this our day before the things belonging to our peace are hid from our eyes Let speaker and heaâ—ers O let my self and all this assembly let every soul here present let all the people of the land turn unto the Lord with all our hearts with fasting weeping mourning And let the priests my brethren the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the alter and say spare thy people O Lord be favourable O Lord be favourable O Lord deal not with us after our sins nor reward us according to our iniquities though we have thus requited the Lord being a foolish people and unwise FINIS Some Books Printed for and sold by Iames Collins at the Kings-Arms in Ludgate-street 1672. OBservations upon Military and Political Affairs by the most Honourable George Duke of Albemarle Folio Price 6. s. A Sermon preached by Seth Lord Bishop of Sarum at the Funeral of the Most Honourable George Duke of Albemarle Quarto Price 6. d. Toleration not to be abused or A serious question soberly debated and resolved upon Presbyterian Principles viz Whether it be adviseable especially for the Presbyterians either in Conscience or Prudence to take advantage from his Majesties late Declaration to Deny or Rebate their Communion with our Parochial Congregations and to gather themselves into distinct and separate Churches By one that loves Truth and Peace Quarto Philosophia Pia or A Discourse of the Religious tendences of the Experimental Philosophy to which is added a Recommendation and Defence of reason in the affairs of Religion by Joseph Glanvil Rector of Bath Octavo Priceâ— 2. s. The Way to Happiness represented in its Difficulties and Encouragements and cleared from many popular and dangerous mistakes by Joseph Glanvil A Praefatory Answer to Mr. Henry Stubbe the Doctor of Warwick by Joseph Glanvil Octavo Price 1. s. 6. d. The Life and death of Mr. George Herbert the excellent Author of the Divine Poems Written by Iz. Walton Octavo Price 1. s. A Discourse of the forbearance or penalties which a due Reformation requires by Herbert Thorndike one of the Preâ—endaries of Westminster Octavo A Private Conference between a rich Alderman and a poor Country Vicar made Publick wherein is discoursed the Obligation of Oaths which have been imposed on the Subjects of England 8 o 2. s. The Episcopacy of the Church of England justified to be Apostolical from the Authority of the Primitive Church and from the confessions of the most famous Divines beyond the Seas by the Right Reverend the late Lord Bishop of Duresm with a Preface written by Sir Henry Yelverton Baronet Octavo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Divine Goodness explicated and vindicated from the exceptions of the Atheist Wherein also the consent of the Gravest Philosophers with the holy and inspired Penmen in many of the most important points of Christian Doctrine is fully â—vinâ—ed by Richard Burthogge Doctor in Physick Octavo FINIS * Psal. ii 2 Expl. Object Sol. Heb. 10. 29. Obj. Sol. Matth. 26. 53. * Apolog. § 37. Maâ— xii 25. 1 Cor. xiv 33. Rom. i. 14. â—olit lib 7 cap. 8. Ephes ii 12. Deut. 33. 1. Joâ—h xxiv 29. 1 Sam. xiii 14. 2 Chron. ix 22. 1 Kings xv 14. 2 Chron. xvii 3. 2 〈◊〉 2â— 2. 2 Chron. xxxiii 13. 2 Chron. xxxv 26. Deut. xxxiii 5. Vers. 12. Vers. 13. Vers. 14. 2 Chron. xxix 25. 2 Chron. xxxv 15. Noâ—el Coastiâ— 131. Mat. xix 8. 1 Kings ii 27. â—oid 35. Joh. vâ—â—â— Rom xiii 1. 2 Cor. xii â— 3. Heb. â— 3. Matt xxii 21. Matâ—h viâ— 1â— â— Tim. iâ—i 1. Ibid Verse 4. 5. 2 Pet. ii 1. Ibid. Verse 10. Jude 19. Verse 9. Verse 11. 12. c. Verse 14. Verse 19. Psal. ii 10. 11. 1 Kings xxi 25. 1 Sâ—m xiii 1â— Chap. xvâ— 12. Chap xvi 13. Ibid. Vers. 18. Chap. xviâ— 5. 2 Sam. i. 21. Exod. iv 16. Acts vii 35. Deut. xxxâ— i. 4. Num. xvi Psal. cvi 16. Numb xvi 32. Appl caâ—ion Rom. iii. 31. Lam. ii 9. Matth. xviii 7. Ibid. Verse 6. Ezek. xxiâ— â— Gal. 1. 23. 3. 25. Rom. 12. 6. Tit. 1. 4. Jud. 3. Luk. 24 44 Joh. 5. 16. Joh. 5. 39. Luk. 10. 26. Luk. 6 â—9 Mar. 14. 49. Joh. 10. â—5 Mat. 3 31. Maâ— 5. 18. Lâ—k 2â— 27. Veâ—se 4â— Maâ— 1. 22. Maâ— 2. 15. Maâ— 2. 23. 4. 14. 21. 4. Mat. 〈◊〉
out how could he have been restored not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of our God It may be this was done that we might say no more The Lord liveth which delivered us from the Treason of pretended Catholicks but The Lord liveth which hath delivered us from the Tyranny and blood rage of the wild Fanatical Enthusiasts Surely all these things have been permitted that the Stone which the Builders refused might be made tried and precious and that his Patience his Piety his Constancy in Religion his Christian Magnanimity being manifest to all the World by the impatient desire of all Nations he might become the head of the Corner Surely these things were suffered that the Faith and Patience and Loyalty of the Church of England might be made bright and glorious by the Flames of Persecution and that in the day when God shall have given our most Gracious Sovereign the hearts or necks of all his Enemies it may not repent him of the Kindness he hath shewn to Religion and Government in lifting out of the dust the despised Head of that only Church for ought I know which makes Obedience without base restrictions and limitations an Article of its Religion Lastly these things it may be have been permitted that by the Triumph of this day and by the vengeance lately executed in the sight of this Sun the Atheistical world might be convinced that the Powers that be are ordained of God and that though the wicked do evil an hundred times and God prolong their days yet Vengeance is his and he will repay it and They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation FINIS Against the Antiscripturists A SERMON Preached at WHITE-HALL February 20. 1669 70. BY SETH Lord Bishop of Sarum Printed by His Majesties Special Command LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Collins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. Against the Antiscripturists 2 Tim. iii. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God IN the verse preceding it is said concerning the Scriptures of the old Testament that they are able to make a man wise unto salvation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the faith which is in Iesus Christ And it follows immediately All Scripture c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Faith is often by a Metonymy taken for the Gospel which is the Object of the Faith of Christians We read often of the Preaching and Hearing of Faith of the Analogy of Faith the common Faith which was once delivered to the Saints in the preaching of Christ and the Writings of his Evangelists and Apostles and so I conceive it is to be taken in this place So that the meaning of the whole is this The Old Testament understood and expounded according to the Analogy of the New is able to make a man wise And the Pen-men of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament wherein Timothy had been instructed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and of the Books of the New Testament which except those of St. Iohn were extant before the writing of this Epistle were inspired and directed by the Spirit of God The words of the Text are an entire Proposition asserting the Divine Authority of the Canon of Scripture and my endeavour shall be at this time to prove the truth of that Proposition Wherein that I may proceed with all plainness and clearness I shall premise two words by way of Petition Precaution 1. By way of Petition I suppose and take for granted 1. The great principle of the power of God and his providence in governing the world 2. That our Body of Canonical Books of the Old Testament is the same with that which was in Use in the time of Christ and his Apostles And our body of the New Testament the same which was anciently received in the Church So that what shall be proved of those is applicable to the Original Scripture used in our time 3. That those Books of New Testament whose Authors were not anciently questioned were written by those Authors whose name they bear And that those few others which were sometimes questioned by some particular Churches and afterward Universally received contain in them no one point of Faith or Manners dissentient from the Contents of those Books which were never questioned 2. By way of Precaution and Admonition I must intreat you to take notice that I shall not now meddle with the Controversies concerning Apocrypha Translations Keri and Chetib Hebrew points various Lections dubious Authors or parts of Scripture But my endeavour at this time shall be to Assert the Divine Authority of the body and substance of the Original Books of the Canon of the Old and New Testament And this not in the way of common place but in a particular Examination or Refutation of the most dangerous Opinions of the Antiscripturists which are these I. Of those who pretend to believe the truth of the New Testament and yet they deny the Divine Authority of the Old II. Of those who pretend to believe the truth but deny the Divine Authority of the New Testament III. Of such as pretâ—nd to believe matters of Fact to have been truly related in the New Testament but do not believe the truth of the Doctrinal parts relating to Faith and Manners IV. Such as deny the truth of the Relation of matters of Fact in the New Testament and in consequence reject the whole Body of Scripture Of these as briefly and plainly as I can I. The first Opinion is of those who pretending to believe the Truth of the New Testament deny the Divine Authority of the Old Testament The Severians and the Manichâ—es Basilides and Carpâ—â—rates of old The Catabaptists of later times some Anabâ—ptiâ—ts is Antinomians and other Fanatical Sectaries amongst our â—elves In opposition to these I shall shew that supposing the truth of the New Testament the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is to be acknowledged Because the Divine Authority of the Old Testament is asserted by Christ and his Evangelists and Apostles in the New 1. Next to the Redemption of the world the great business which Christ had to do upon Earth was to Convince men that he was the Messias and so to assert his Legislative Authority And the great Argument which he used for the conviction of the world was this All the Marks and the entire Character of the Messiah and of his Actions and Passions were prefigured and foretold by the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms i. e. in the Volume of the Old Testament And all things foretold or prefigured concerning the Messiah were accomplished by himself So that though the great Works of Christ and the purity and excellency of his Doctrine and of his Life were of themselves sufficient to justifie the Introduction of his Law into the World yet he was pleased to resolve as it were his own Authority into the Divine Authority of the Old Testament and to make use of those otheâ—
Divine Authority And because our Lord Christ did undertake not only for himself but for the Inspiration of his Apostles also 1. In the examination of the next Opinion I shall be obliged to lay before you some of the evidences of Divine Authority in Christ and his Apostles here it is sufficient to produce their assertions of it The time of our Lord Christs ministration betwixt three and four years was spent in preaching and working and his Authority was often questioned In Luke 20. 1. and in the parallel places While he was in the Temple teaching the People and preaching the the Gospel the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the Elders came upon him saying tell us by what Authority thou dost these things preachest to the people and who gave thee that Authority Knowing the perverseness of their minds he was not pleased to gratifie them at that time with a direct answer but confounded them with a question concerning the Baptism of Iohn But at other times upon other occasions we find the Divine Authority of his teaching abundantly declared and asserted by him I am the way the truth and the life The words which I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life The words which I speak I speak not of my self but of the Father which dwelleth in me My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me so I speak I have not spoken of my self but the Father that sent me he gave me a Commandment what I should say and what I should speak Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me so I speak Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Thus did our Saviour assert the Divine Authority of his Words 2. And so likewise the Apostles are very frequent in asserting the Divine Authority of the things which they delivered In the 15. of the Acts we find them assembled about the question of Circumcision and they accounted it no robbery to entitle their Decrees to the Holy Ghost It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us v. 18 Nor do they pretend to revelation when gathered in Council only but each one severally for himself St. Peter professes of himself that he was a partaker of the glory which was revealed And of his Gospel that it was revealed from Heaven St. Iohn declares that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Father and the Son as for his other writings that they contained the things which he had heard and seeen with his eyes which he had looked on and his hands had handled of the Word of life As for the Apocalypse he professes that being in the Spirit in Isle of Patmos he received it and was commanded to write it in a Book The greatest writer among the Apostles was St. Paul and the greatest question hath always been amongst Unbelievers concerning his Calling and the Authority of his Gospel He knew this very well and therefore we find him asserting both his Calling and his Gospel with abundant care and diligence He affims himself to have been an Apostle not of man neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father That by God himself he was separated to preach constituted a Preacher an Apostle and a defender of the Gospel As concerning his Gospel he professes to have received it by Revelation of God As for the Spirit wherewith he wrote and preached he professed himself ready to give a proof of Christ speaking in him He appealed to the Prophetick Spirit then in the Church If any man think himself a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge the things which I write to be the Commandments of God Out of this assurance it was that he enjoyned his Epistles to be read in the Churches of Coloss Laodicea Thessalonica and excommunicates such as should be disobedient in that particular And lest any one should here repeat the Objection made against our Saviour Thou bearest witness of thy self thy witness is not true St. Paul speaking of all the Apostles affirms that God had set them in the Church and that the Mystery of the Gospel was revealed to the holy Apostles by the Spirit Particularly notwithstanding that dispute betwixt St. Peter and St. Paul from the first Ages of the Church to our own Times objected by Unbelievers to the prejudice of Religion it is remarkable that in the same place where St. Paul gives an account how Peter was to be blamed and how and wherefore he withstood him to his face at Antioch he doth expresly affirm that the Gospel of the Circumcision was committed to Peter and that God wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision On the other side St. Peter in that very place where he may seem to complain of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of St. Paul yet even there he owns him as his beloved Brother acknowledges his Wisdom to have been gi-given him of God and numbers all his Epistles inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the other Scriptures 3. Lastly For such as would put a difference of degrees betwixt the Authority of the words of Christ and the writings and Sermons of the Apostles they may take notice that the Authority of these resolves it self into the veracity of Christ himself He it was who being to leave the World promised his Disciples again and again that he would send down upon them the Holy Spirit that should instruct them and teach them all things that should Lead them into all truth Bring to their remembrance all things which he himself had spoken that should shew them things to come that with this Spirit they should not be lightly dash'd or sprinkled but that they should be Baptized and as it were plunged into it How all these promises were performed and how the Assertions of the Divine Authority of the Words of Christ and the Apostles were proved to be true I am next to shew In the interim I conclude that supposing the truth of the words of Christ and his Apostles they are to be esteemed of Divine Authority III. The third opinion is of such as pretend to believe matters of fact to have been truly related in the New Testament but they do not believe the truth of the Doctrinal parts relating to Faith or Manners Of these there have always been too great a number not only pretenders who under a form of Christianity deny the power thereof but generally all sorts of Hereticks When Porphyrius had revolted from Christianity to Platonism and had bent all his forces against the Scripture-History he was refuted not only by Lactantius and Methodius men Orthodox in Doctrine but by Eusebius and Apollinaris and of late days Socinus and others have well asserted the truth of the Scripture-History
of men is into reasons of Duty and of Interest If there be Wickedness in Infidelity it is matter of Duty if there be Danger in it and Danger of it it is matter of Interest and Concernment to Beware of it This Heart of Unbelief is an Evil heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is Wickedness in it It grieves the Spirit of God It provoked him so that he sware in his wrath that he would take Vengeance for it there is Danger in it Yet it was a thing Ordinary and common amongst the Fathers of these Hebrews it was neque Novum neque Rarum there is Danger of it It is the Duty and Concernment of every one Professing Christianity to take heed lest there be in them an heart of Unbelief and to use all means to prevent it This is the Antecedent Wherefore take heed brethren c. which is the Exhortation by way of Caveat Exhort one another dayly c. which is the way to prevent it So then for the enforcement of the exhortation upon the whole matter I am to speak I. Of the Evil of Infidelity II. Of the Danger of falling into it III. Of the means of preventing it And then to conclude with IV. The Exhortation of the Text. In speaking of the Evil of Infidelity I shall not discourse at large but confine my self to an enquiry into two pretences Which having been broached in the late times of Infidelity towards the King are said to have operated very far towards a general Apostacy from the faith and the production of Infidelity towards God both which appealing to the tenor of the Scriptures must be examined by them The first is of a famous Author and it is this That the Scriptures do not make Infidelity to be a Sin at the time of the delivery of the Scriptures The second is of a Writer more obscure but in it self so agreeable to the disposition of the present generation that it hath possessed the minds of many it is this that Although Infidelity according to the Scriptures in the times of Christ and his Apostles were sinful and inexcusable yet in our times it is excusable These are the pretences to be examined The Substance of the Gospel as it immediately relates to Christian duty is summarily reduced to the Doctrines and Injunctions of our Lord Christ and his Apostles The Author of Leviathan cap. 42. pag 286. tells us in plain terms that We do not read any where in the Scriptures that they which received not the Doctrine of Christ did therein Sin And again that the Injunctions of Christ and his Apostles men might refuse without sin Now concerning this assertion I cannot chuse but say that had I not been acquainted with the works of that Author especially those relating to religion I should exceedingly wonder at it because it supposes men never to look into their Bibles which is the thing it would perswade In the 21. of Matth. Our Saviour askes the Jews this question Did ye never read in the Scriptures such a thing a question which I must repeat to the Assertors of this doctrine Did they never read in the Scriptures the Sinfulness the Danger the Heinousness of Infidelity Surely he that runs may read it Our Saviour Christ before his death did oftentimes vehemently rebuke his Disciples for Infidelity O faithless and perverse generation how long shall I endure you Quousque tandem abutemini patientiâ nostrâ And after his Resurrection he calls them fools and slow of heart for unbelieving Did they never read these Increpations The Author of this Epistle and the rest of the Apostles do every where vehemently and earnestly dehort from Unbelief Did they never read these Dehortations In the 8 of Iohn Christ tells the Jews that if they believe not they shall dye in their Sins That the wrath of God abideth on them that he that believeth not is damned already Did they never read these Denunciations Yes these last it seems this Author had read and as his manner is thinking he could accomodate an answer to these he hath pronounced securely of all the rest To these he saith that they import only a non-remission of the sins committed against the Laws of their Countrey that they should dye in them but that they do not evince any sinfulness to be in Infidelity Wherefore I must crave licence to proceed The Apostle in the 21 of the Revelations gives a Catalogue of such sinners as are of the highest rank Such as are most abominable in the eyes of God Such as are to have their portion in that lake which burneth with fire and brimstone and he puts Unbelievers in the head of this Regiment The fearful and Unbelievers and Abominable and Murtherers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Lyars shall have their portion in that lake But it may be perhaps that the Scripture doth not in plain and express terms affirm Infidelity to be Sinful The Text tells us plainly and expresly that an heart of unbelief is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not incommodious but wicked But Philosophers and Mathematicians pretending strictness and demonstration in discourse regard not general words but have recourse to the Definitions of things and from thence proceed to affirm or deny the Attribution which is under question Let us therefore have recourse to the definition of Sin Those who have spoken most accurately concerning the nature of Sin they have resolved that the formal notion of it consists in a departure from God It is Aversio à Deo Conversio ad creaturam In the second of Ieremy and the twelfth we find the Prophet as it were in furore sacro in a prophetick rage breaking forth into this Exclamation Be astonished O ye heavens be ye horribly afraid be very desolate saith the Lord What ailes the Prophet to cry so loud to make the heavens resound his Exclamation My people saith he have committed two Great evils they have Forsaken me that 's the first An heart of unbelief is an evil heart in departing from the living God It is true that the Spirit of God in the Scriptures doth not usually descend to Logical accuracy to the quatenus or Causality to the observation of the rules of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this makes it oft◠times harder to deal with men of perverse minds then many do imagine But the more rare this is the more you will take notice of the Providence when you shall consider how accurately and how fully the Scripture hath determined that which is in Question In the 16. of Iohn v. 8. our Saviour tells them that the Spirit shall rebuke the world of Sin of righteousness of judgment Of Sin Because they believe not on him Joh. 3. 18. he that believeth not is Condemned because he believeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rejection of the Gospel is said to be the
very Condemnation So expresly is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delivered to us by Causal and Identical propositions in the Scripture Who is it now that can perswade us that the Scriptures do not affirm any Sinfulness to be in Infidelity Yes verily the Scriptures not only teach us that unbelief is a sin but they teach us likewise 6. The Heinousness and Aggravation the Sinfulness and Punishment of this Sin It was this that brought all other sin into the World and every Premeditated sin arises from it It hardens the heart and sears the Conscience and makes it bid defiance to the Lord of Glory Concerning David we read in the Psalms that once he said in his haste that all men are lyars did he revoke it when he was at leisure No the more he thought of it the higher he proceeds and becomes the more assured in this charge Surely saith he Men of low degree are Vanity and men of high degree are not lyars but a Lie Yet if one gives the lie to one of these lyars it is the utmost provocation it is the stated word of defiance concluded fit to justifie the Duel or the Stab On the other side God glories in this that he is not a man that he should lye that the strength of Israel will not lye yet infidelity gives him the lye He that believeth not God makes him a Lyar. 1 John 5. 10. 7. I desire to know what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereby the Heinousness of any sin is to be estimated Is it the denunciation of Future Vengeance The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance upon Vnbelievers and they shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the presence of his power Is it Old or New Past or Present Instances of Vengeance Were not the body of this people newly cut off for unbelief And of ancient days whose were the Carcasses that fell in the wilderness and to whom did God swear in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest but to them that believed not Consider but the story from whence the Exhortation of the Text arises How God was provoked through unbelief The text tells us that he was Moved he was Tempted he was Grieved he was Provoked till he sware in his wrath The words are taken out of the 95 Psalm to which the 78. is parallel They were saith the Psalmist a stubborn and rebellious Generation They tempted God and spoke against him Therefore the Lord heard this and was wroth So a fire was kindled against Iacob and anger against Israel Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his Salvation When God heard this he was worth and greatly abhorred Israel he gave way to his Indignation wrath anger displeasure and Iealousy I conceive now the first Question to be stated viz. Whether according to the tenor of the Scripture Infidelity were sinful and dangerous in the time of the delivery of the Scriptures I proceed to the second Question viz. However it was in ancient times 2. Whether Infidelity be not in such times as ours Excusable My meaning is this Whether speaking according to the Scriptural grounds and reason Now that Miracles extraordinary gifts and Prophesies are ceased Infidelity be not become Excusable however it might be Sinful and inexcusable during the time when Prophesies and Miracles were in use The first verse of this Epistle to the Hebrews tells us what powerful and noble motives to believe God had afforded to the Fathers God himself was pleased to speak to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at sundry times and in divers manners In the times of the Patriarchs Judges Kings and Prophets by the ways of Visions Dreams Voices Similitudes Urim and by divers miracles and wonders So likewise for those that are here exhorted About the time of the Writing of this Epistle God had spoken to them by his Son the brightness of his Glory the image of his person And by the Apostles to whom also he bare Witness by mighty signs and wonders by divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost Now that such men as these who had so great advantages to bring them to believe should be severely punished for Infidelity I am perswaded there is hardly any man but thinks it very just and reasonable That such as had seen the wonders of God in Egypt and the Wilderness so manifestly miraculous so often repeated and yet for all this would not believe that their Carcasses should fall in the Wilderness That Ananias and Sapphira who had known the miracles which had been done by the Apostles should think to Cousen the Apostles it deserved the Judgment that befel them As for our selves had we lived in times of Miracles or Prophesies we doubt not but we should have believed Or as Philip said shew us the father and it sufficeth Could we but once see a miracle or talk with one returning from the dead it should suffice we would believe But seeing it is now many hundreds of years since these things are ceased and we have nothing left us Praeter miraculorum famam If we shall not believe the Gospel by some it is openly pretended and by many it is secretly imagined that in this case we may be Excused I could wish that the time would serve clearly to rid away this phantasm In order to it I shall briefly doe three things 1. Shew that this Phantastical imagination is no new invention but that it hath of old been the conceit of abominable Hypocrites 2 ly I shall inquire a little into the grounds of this Conceit and shew the mistake of those suppositions into which it is resolved 3 ly I shall shew that our Saviour Knowing the thoughts of men hath taken particular care to prevent this Imagination and hath clearly decided the matter in Question 1. Though the present age be fruitful in inventions tending this way yet this hath been Anticipated by the Wits of former times In the 11 of Luke 47. We find the Scribes and Pharises building the Sepulchres of the Prophets whom their fathers had killed If we would know what they pretended in so doing we shall find it in the parallel place of Matthew They said if we had been in the days of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets That these men did not believe the Prophets it is manifest Christ tells them if they had believed the Prophets they would have believed him for they wrote of him But that they would have believed the Prophets and not have murthered them had they lived in their times this they pretended and it is very probable they had that opinion Yes Verily had they lived in the days of Miracles and Prophesies they would have believed the very conceit which is now Pretended But the Truth is these men were
of the Gospel And to the Apostles the Promulgers of the Gospel Wherefore it is to be believed The Antecedent of this Enthymem is the sum of what I shall deliver When the Pharisees said unto Christ thy Record is not true because thou bearest record of thy self I am one saith Christ that bear record of my self and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me Moreover he tells the Disciples that the Comforter should testify of him And ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning So that beside the Witness of the Apostles the Gospel had the Attestation of all the persons of the Trinity viz. 1. Father of the 2. Son 3. Holy Ghost 1. God the Father bore witness to his Son and that he did by 1. Visible Signs and 2. Audible Voices 3. by Mission of Angels 4. by Co-operating in his Miracles c. 1. At his Nativity a new Star appeared At his Baptism they saw the heaven opened and the Spirit sent from the Father in the visible shape of a Dove and lighting upon him Before his Passion he was transfigured in their sight And At it the Sun was eclipsed when the Moon was full the Veil the Rocks rent so that the Centurion said Surely this man was the Son of God Bodies of Saints were seen of many All these were visible signs 2. As for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Daughter of the Voice In his Baptism Lo a voyce from heaven Saying This is my beloved Son At his Transfiguration â— Voyce came out of a cloud which said This is my beloved Son hear him A little before his death as he was Praying Father glorifie thy Name There came a voyce from heaven Saying I have both glorified it and will glorify it again 3. For mission of Angels by the Father We find them still ready upon all occasions from before his Coming down to the time of his Ascension into Heaven Before his Conception the Angel Gabriel appeared to Zachary and to Mary before his Nativity to Ioseph saying fear not Ioseph At the time of his Nativity a whole Chorus appeared to the Shepherds In his Infancy an Angel appeared twice to Ioseph admonishing him of his going to Egypt and his return from thence In his Adult age they ministred to him in his hunger Before his death they strengthned him in his Agony After it they rolled away the stone from his Sepulcher They declared his Resurrection and in his Ascension they stood by and foretold his coming again to Judgment Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing This same Iesus 4. The Father co-operated with him according to that of our Saviour The father worketh hitherto and I work c. These are some of the Attestations of the Father 2. Christ bore witness of himself And this he did by proving himself to be the Messiah viz. by fulfilling all the prophesies relating to the Person or Offices the Life and the Death of the Messiah His Generation was such as cannot be declared he was born at Bethlehem of the Tribe of Iudah of the Family of David about 490 years after the return from Captivity When the Scepter was just now departed from Iuda He performed not only the Substance of the Prophesies but all the Circumstances foretold concerning the Life and Death of the Messiah 1. He was to be a Prophet and so he was The Spirit of the Lord anointed him to preach and he spake as never man spake He foretold many things to come they all bare him witness 2. He was to be a King and so he was His Name was Wonderful his Power was shewen throughout the universal System of the World the Angels good and evil the Heavâ—ns Elements Plants Fishes Brutes Health and Sicknessâ— Life and Death were all obedient unto his Word 3â— He was to be a Priest and so he was He made an Atonement by his Obedience and by his sufferings to the least punctilio to the taking of a little Vinegar and when all things were fulfilled He cryed with a loud voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the Ghost Moreover for the Justification of his Gospel and that he might leave no place for Infidelity he rose again from the dead appeared to many convinced them by all their Senses They saw him They heard him They felt his hands and his side They Eat and Drank with him They Conversed with him 40 dayes He was seen by more then 500 at once and lastly in the sighâ— of Many of them hâ— Ascended Visibly into Heaven These were some of the Testimonies which our Lord Christ bare to himself 3â— The time would fail me if I should speak of all the Testimonies given by the Holy Spirit In his Conception to Mary fulfilling the Promise of Gabriel Before his Nativity to Zachary and Elizabeth in his Infancy to Simeon and Hanna in his Baptism to Iohn I knew him not saith Iohn but he that sent me to baptize said unto me upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and resting on him that is he and I saw the Spirit desâ—ending Throughout his whole Ministry till his Death the Spirit gave witness to him Moreover in his Resurrection he was declared the Son of God with power by the Holy Ghost After his Ascension the Holy Ghost fulfilled all his undertakings in that Grand Manifestation at Pentecost at the time and place which Christ had undertaken for A manifestation made to all the Senses and to men of every nation under heaven Parthians besides a Multitude of other Instances Such were the Attestations given to Christ the Author and finisher of our faith 2. And for the Apostles the Promulgers of it besides the Change of their Spirits from darkness to light Whereby they were led out of Ignorance and Infidelity into all Truth And from torpid and pusillanimous persons during the life of their Master they became when he was dead the most active and magnanimousin the world I say besides this Change They had bestowed upon them All things necessary either for their 1. Own Assurance or for the 2. Conviction of the World Concerning the truth of the Gospel which they delivered 1. As for themselves besides the Conversation with their Master before and after his Resurrection they had 1. Apparitions of Angels And to one of them Christ himself appeared after he was ascended to his father 2 They had the Bath Kol Voices from Heaven In the 9 of the Acts we find a Voice from Heaven maintaining a Dialogue with Paul and at another time a voice saying to Peter Arise Peter Kill and Eat 3. They had extatical Visions Peter was in a trance Act 10. 10 19. Paul rapt up to the third heaven 4. They had monitory Dreams Paul saw a man in a Dream saying unto him Come into Macedonia and help us 5. They had Impulses of
freedom in his actions and if so he deserves either good or evil and if there be deserts there must be rewards and if there be rewards there must be a Judgment So then so sure as thou art an understanding creature so sure there is a Judgment to come Once more Reward is answerable to desert and desert is only in what is free and what is free in man is the ways of his heart wherefore they are to be brought to Judgment and if any then all for no reason can be fancied why some should be brought to Judgment and others not Wherefore if it be sure that God is in Heaven and that Man hath an understanding soul then it is also sure that for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment that God shall bring to judgment every secret thing And now how sure and evident are these things more sure and more plain if we will attend than any other truths in the world for there is not any known truth which doth not evict the truth of these things We know a truth because we plainly and evidently understand the composition or division of the notions in a Proposition or the Deduction of a Proposition from some others therefore if we know any truth we presuppose that we have souls which understand the notions of things and if souls which understand these notions then to be sure they are not bodies no combination of fire and air and earth and waâ—er no disposition of insensible atomes can cause the subject to apprehend and judge to reason and discourse and if they be no bodies then they are not subject to corruption It is evident therefore that our souls are understanding and also immortal deserving and capable of future Judgment And as evident it is also that there is a soveraign Power a God that governs and will Judge the Earth This is not a Rhetorical undertaking but a just an measured truth there is not any thing in the world from whence these two may not be plainly and evidently evicted viz. a Godhead from the Creature and thine own Immortality from the discovery of a Godhead The world which thou seest had it a beginning or had it not if it had a beginning he is thy God that made it if it had no beginning then there are past as many myriads of years as minutes of time which is infinitely more absurd to grant than to say thou hast as many hands as fingers as many wholes as parts If then at any time we find our selves to doubt of these things it is not because we are the beaux esprits or forts esprits our doubting proceeds from dulness and the want of that strong reason to which we do pretend the things are certain in themselves and evident He is not far from any one of us in whom we live and move and have our being and the Light of nature discovered our Immortality not only to Philosophers but even to the Heathen Poets to him that sung to us that We are also his off-spring So that now thy pretences are all taken off and every imposture of the heart discovered Return then once again into thy bosome and take account of thy apprehensions The day of the Lord is coming and stealing upon thee as a thief in the night the day of Judgment the great and terrible day A day of darkness and of gloominess a day of a whirlwind and a tempest a day of anguish and tribulation Where wilt thou hide thy self O that 's impossible Where shall we go then from his presence shall we call to the Mountains to fall upon us How wilt thou appear O that 's intolerable for our God is a consuming fire What wilt thou do when the day of Judgment comes and this may be the hour this minute thou mayest be smitten and hurried hence to Judgment Thousands have fallen besides us and ten thousands at our right hand and why may not we be next The time of our particular Judgment cannot be far away and why may we not reasonably apprehend the approach of the General Judgment either of this World or at leastwise of this sinful Nation Our Lord Christ indeed tells us that of the day and hour of the final Judgment Knoweth no man Yet he hath given us the signs of his coming The Apostles have left us Characters of the last days the Prophets have declared the manner and apparatus of the coming of the Lord to Judgment We read that when the Disciples admired the stones and the buildings of Herod's Temple at Ierusalem Christ told them That the day was coming when there should not be left one stone upon another upon this the Disciples ask him privately three Questions 1. When shall these things be 2. What shall be the sign of thy second coming And 3. of the end of the World As for the precise moment of these things he denies to tell it them Nay he professes that as he was the Son of Man he did not know it But for the other two he condescends to their curiosity he tells them the signs of his coming and of the end of the World and that they shall be such as these You shall hear saith he Matth 24. of Wars and rumours of Wars Nation rising against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdâ—m There shall be Traytors and false Prophets Saying Lo here is Christ Behold a new Messias in the Wilderness Lo there is Christ Behold he is at a Conventicle in the secret Chambers He tells us that iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall wax cold that he shall hardly find faith on the earth as it was in the dayes of Noe they ate they drank till the floud came and swept them all away so shall the coming of the Son of Man be He tells us Luke â—1 there shall be Famines and Earthquakes Pestilence and fearful sights great signs from Heaven in the Earth distress of Nations great perplexities the Sea and Waves roaring Mens hearts failing them for fear looking after those things that are coming upon the Earth Concerning the last dayes St. Paul tells us that there shall be perilous times that on one hand there shall be a sort of men that shall be lovers of themselves Covetous Proud Boasters Ranters and Blasphemers On the other hand there shall be a Race of heady high minded Traytors having a form of godliness creeping into houses leading captive silly women They shall despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities they shall be Separatists from the Church and false pretenders to the Spirit These saith St. Iude are they that separate themselves sensual having not the Spirit St. Peter tells us that in the last times there should be a loose prophane a bold Atheistical Gigantick race of scoffers walking after their own lusts saying Where is this God of Iudgment let him make speed and hasten his work that wâ— may see it Where is the promise his of coming since the fathers
very same words Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel since the day that your fathers came forth of the land of Egypt until this day I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets daily rising early and sending them yet they hearkned not to me nor inclined their ear Where unto shall I liken this generation I have piped Sometimes they hear it as a song Loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song Sometimes they refuse it positively They say to the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us As for the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee They endeavour to suppress and to destroy it When Iehudi had read three or four leaves in Ieremies roll he cut it with a pen-knife and cast it into the fire until all the roll was consumed in the fire Instead of faith and obedience it meets with infidelity and atheistical opposition and contradiction Who hath believed our report saith one All the day long have I stretch'd forth my hands to a gain-saying people is the complaint of another They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of his ways Speak to them in the name of Lord they say Who is the Lord that I should fear him discourse to them of the Almighty they say What is the Almighty that we should serve him What can the Almighty do What profit shall we have if we pray unto him Speak to them of God's searching Eye Surely say they God sees it not Tush God cares not for it of his over-ruling Providence nay say they but all things come alike to all there is one event to the just and to the unjust Tell them they must appear before the Judgment-seat of God and of Christ they scoffingly reply Where is the Promise of his coming since the Fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were before Where is the God of Iudgment let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it This is the general entertainment of their message and for the persons of the Messengers they devise devices against them they smite them with the smiting of the tongue they threaten them they beat them sometime they take away their Liberty and sometime their Lives this was the portion of Ieremiah the men of Anathoth sought his life saying Prophesy not by the Name of the Lord that thou die not by our hand They charged him falsly they smote him they imprisoned him in the house of Jonathan they cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah they let him down with chords into the mire What do I instance in one particular since at once we read the general entertainment of the Prophâ—ts that were of old That they had trial of cruel mockings and courgings yea moreover of bâ—nd and imprisâ—nment they were stoned were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the word they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Moreover they scourged and crucified the Lord of Glory they put him to an open shame Neither were the disciples above their master or the servants above their Lord after scourgings and bands and imprisonments and many a sad and barbarous usage St. Iames was knocked on the head S. Peter was crucified S. Paul was beheaded and the râ—st were used accordingly Behold saith God I send unto you Prophets and wise men and some of them ye shall scourge in your Synagogues and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie If we diligently search the Scriptures and histories of the Church we shall find this to have been generally the success of the Word of God and of his Messengers instead of trembling and penitence and reformation to be enterteined with scorn and contempt and persecution 2. But it may be the Works of God may have better success upon the hearts of the children of men his works of 1. Mercy or of 2. Judgment The Apostle tells us that God's patience and fâ—rbearance leadeth menâ— unto repentance And the Prophet that when his judgments are abroad the inhabitants of the World will learn righteousness Indeed a Logical man reasoning upon Principles will be apt so to conclude But alas it is not so with men alas that so clear reasoning should be contradicted by evident experience and observation Nay they despise the riches of God's mercy and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath From the patience and longanimity of God they make perverse and Athâ—istical conclusions when thou of 〈◊〉 â— thief thou consentedst untoâ— him and hast been partaker with the adulterer these things hast thou done and I kept silence and thou thoughtest wickedly that I am such an one as thy self Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the Sons of men are fully set in them to do evil Solomon tells us that the prosperity of Fools shall destroy them and there are few so circumspect and wise as not to stumble at this stone of stumbling Neither Salomon's Wisdom nor his Father's Piety could preserve them upright amidst the snares of prosperity The danger as well as wickedness of this is intimated in Nathan's exprobration to Davidâ— Thus â—aith the Lord the God of Israel I anointed thee King over Israel I delivâ—red thee out of the hand of Saul I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosom I gave thee the house of Israel of Iudah wherefore hast thou killed Uriah and taken his wife to be thy wife This was a temptation which the Israelites never could withstand notwithstanding all the Caveats given them by Moses When the Lord shall bring thee into the good land and shall give thee cities and houses which thou buildedst not Vineyards and Olive trees which thou plantedst not when thou shalt have eaten and be full Then beware lest thou forget the Lord thy God But Ieshurun waxed fat and kicked as the Lord multiplied his mercies â—o they multiplied their transgressions his prodigious and wonderful deliverances were answered with prodigious and wonderful ingratitude for they sinned yet the more and lightly esteemed the God of their Salvation But if the mercies of God will not prevail to draw men to repentance surely his judgments cannot fail to drive them to it whether they are sent upon a city or upon a man only Shall the Lion roar and shall not the forest tremble shall a trumpet â—e blown in the city and the people not be afraid Behold therefore and tremble and be afraid all ye that look upon Repentance as a slight and an easie duty and that deferr it for that reason It is not every horrour and shaking that will bring a man to Repentance And the instances are many wherein the judgments of God instead
work upon them when six Angels could not convert them nor six Trumpets awaken them nor six Judgements subdue them nor six preservations allure them to repentance Then Iohn beheld and he saw another mighty angel cloathed with a cloud and he set his left foot upon the earth and his right foot upon the sea and he cryed as when a lyon roareth and he lifted up his hand to heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever That there shall be time no longer APPLICATION I Have now done with the persons in the Text and the observations arising from them Suffer me for a word of Application humbly to pray that ye will come near and consider the things that have been spoken That ye will search the Scriptures and see whether it be as you have heard or no that you will ponder the matter and weigh the concernment of it that ye will not hear it as a song or slightly pass it by Is it nothing unto you O all ye that pass it by I shall not undertake to make a precise Interpretation or Application of this Vision of the seven Angels and seven Trumpets I know the destiny of the bold expositors of the Apocalypse He frustrateth the tokens of the lyars and maketh diviners mad The Vision indeed speaks of Angels and Trumpets Gods Messengers and his loud alarms of plagues and preservations of a remnant kept alive It tells of extraordinary thunder and lightning of blasting of grass and of trees of the death of hoves and cattel of part of the Sea turned into bloud of mountains of fire cast into the Sea and a third part of the Ships destroyed Of two unusual Stars or Comets of smoke issuing from the bottomless pit it may be groundless fears and jealousies of Locusts which sometimes are said to have no king but in this place to have Abaddon or Apollyon for their King It tells us of men killed by fire and by smoke and by brimstone by gunpowder Yet all these things shall not extort from me a literal and particular Application of this Vision to our selves I know there are many things which cannot I trust the sad Catastrophe shall not be so applyed However methinks it may be lawful in a general way to quicken my self and all that hear me to examine our selves touching the considerations laid before us in reference both to our personal and our national concernments Is there any one person that hears me this day upon whom God hath not called aloud and often that they would repent with whom he hath not contended sundry ways and in divers manners to turn them from the evil of their ways By powerful instructions and personal experiences by signal mercies and wonderful deliverances by checks of conscience by happy diversions and wholesome disappointments by a well-timed sickness by the wind which bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof and knowest not whence it cometh For God speaketh once yea twice though man perceiveth it not In a dream in visions of the night Is there any man so stupid as not to have considered national invitations to repentance the Angels and the Trumpets the warnings of Gods Ministers the loud alarms of his Providence the interchanges and intermixtures of National mercies and National judgements which we have had Since the day that he brought our fathers out of Egypt his Book hath been opened his Trumpet hath given a certain sound he hath sent his Messengers rising every day and sending them The Lord gave the word great were the company of the Preachers precept hath been upon precept line upon line Hath any Nation had the experiences which we and our fathers have had Enquire from one end of the heaven to the other My song shall be of mercie and judgement Concerning Gods own people once we read of it as a wonder that their land had rest forty years Twice forty years together God was pleased to deliver the land of our Nativity from forreign invasion and domestick rebellion He put to slight the armies of the aliens he scattered the Armada's that called themselves invincible The virgin the daughter of Sion laughed them to scorn They came forth one way and returned seven He disappointed the insolent invader he said he shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow there nor come before it with shield nor cast a bank against it The horse and his rider were thrown into the sea He disappointed the plots and stratagems of domestick traytors the gates of hell could not prevail â—he suffered not their devilish machinations to succeed Peace and plenty and the publick profession of the true Religion flourished there was no decay no leading into captivity no complaining in our streets No! but there was pride and idleness and fullness of breaâ— the sins of her ancient sister Sodom the cry thereof â— went up to heaven and suddenly we tasted of the fire of Sodom and the brimstone of Gomorrha The bottomless pit was opened and the smoke arose of absurd and groundless fears and jealousies and the Sun and the Moon were darkned by reason of the smoke And there came out of the smoke Locust Their faces were as the faces of men they had breast-plates of iron their sound was as many horses running to the battel They had a king which is the angel of â—he bottomless pit in Hebrew Abaddon in greek Apollyon Twenty years the Nation laâ— under the dreadful scourge of war and confusion the most horrible kind of war the most lamentable of confusions The fire came out of the bramble and consumed the cedars of Lebanon The anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits the breath of our nostrils our king and our princes were among the gentiles The law was no more the prophets received no vision from the Lord. Hunted we were from form to form empâ—yed from vessel to vessel scattered like the bones which the prophet saw in the valley which were very many and very dry When bâ—hold another interchange of providence sudden and wonderful There was a noise and behold a shaking and the bones came together bone unto his bone loe sinews and flesh came upon them and theâ— skin covered them they were restored as at the first breath came into them and they lived and stood upon their feet and were a great army Five years are not compleated since we are tryed again by such a miraculous restitution indeed by an absolute resurrection And now since that time how various have been the mixtures how quick and sudden have been the changes of his providence Three years he expected fruit of his barren fig-tree he let it alone the fourth also saying If it hear fruit well and if not he seemed to say I will cut it down He called a destroying Angel he put a new sword into his hand and with it a commission to kill
and to destroy his thousands ten thousands hundred thousands Who can express the horror of his execution the terrors and consternations of them that did escape the various complications of anguish and misery torments and deaths of them that fell in the execution How did the city become solitary that was full of people she sate as a widow her children forsook her her friends fled away from her her streets were desolate her houses were full of the noisome carcases of the slain O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people And now again behold another interchange the goodness as well as the severity of God towards them that fell severity towards us goodness if we continue in his goodness He hath mingled mercy with his judgements he puts the experiment to the utmost to try if yet we will repent He hath not suffer'd us to fall into the hands of man not given us over into the hands of our insolent and barbarous enemies He hath given victory to the King he hath wonderfully preserved the person of his Royal Highness he hath kept our Ships and Navies from destruction In a marvailous way of mercy he hath sheltered our most gracious Soveraign and his Royal Relations and his whole Train and Family Those noble and eminent persons both of Church and State who to make themselves a stay and comfort to the poor and infected of the City cheerfully and constantly exposed themselves to danger he hath deliver'd from the snare of the hunter and from the noisome pestilence He hath given plenty And lastly he hath caused the destroying Angel to sheath his sword and stay his hand And we are met together a preserved râ—mnant of men that have not been killed by these plagues What shall we render O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Let us repent therefore and turn from our evil ways let us do no more foolishly lest a worse thing come unto us We have seen the danger of Impenitency after so many Motives to Repentance Behold now wisdom cryes unto us and utters her voice in this great and noble Congregation How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye scorners delight in scorning Turn ye turn ye at my reproof for why will ye dye ye house of Israel Never let it be said of us which is here spoken of the persons of the Text that the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands FINIS A SERMON AGAINST Ingratitude Preached at WHITE-HALL Soon after the great Plague By SETH then Lord Bishop of EXON LONDON Printed by E. T. and R. H. for Iames Collins at the Kings-arms within Ludgate near S. Pauls 1672. Note that the Sermon against Ingratitude ought to have been placed before that of Repentance A SERMON AGAINST Ingratitude DEUT. 32. 6. Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise THese words are part of a Song made by Moses and both the song it self and these particular words are so very considerable that I should think it a disrespect put upon the judgments of a venerable intelligent auditory to be very laborious in gathering arguments to perswade your attention to them the matter the antiquity the penman do all render it considerable For as for the subject matter of the song it contain in it as the Hebrew writers have observed a summary of the law or pentateuch of Moses Consider it as a piece of Antiquity there is hardly any poem so venerable it was written before Homer or Hesiod Orpâ—eus or Linus David's or Asaph's poems and except a piece of the same hand it is the most antient song that is extant in the world It was penn'd by one of the most considerable persons look upon him humanely and he was very remarkable for his abstruse learning He was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians for his military conduct for his policy in administration of Government for his felicity in giving a law so suitable to the genius of the people that after so many thousand years it alone of all antient laws continues in veneration to this day But if we look upon him in reference to God there was none like unto him he conversed with God face to face he was admitted to his secrets he was entrusted with the administration of his powers in signs and wonders in the sight of Egypt and of Israel It was inspired and dictated not by the Muses or Apollo but by God himself Write thee this song and he wrote this song the same day whilest he was yet Deoplenus before the divine afflatus before his transport and rage had left him and therefore although he was the meekest and most modest man upon the earth although he resolutely declined his Embassy till God was angry because he was not eloquent but of a stammering speech yet now being conscious of that Spirit which moved within him he commends and justifies this song he undertakes for the fluency and smoothness and the exuberance of it he summons the â—ribes to record the expressions of his rage he callâ— upon heaven and earth to hear the verses made by indignation by indignation kindled and conceived by the contemplation of the greatness and excellency of God and his goodness in his dealings with this people of Israel and of the unworthiness of their return Give ear O Heaâ—ens saith he and I will speak and hearken O earth to the words of my mouth my doctrine shall drop as the rain c. The song indeed it self is large and very satyrical but the great argument or burthen of it is in the words of my text Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise The words are as I said the burthen or argument of the song applicable to every part of it repetible at the end of every stanza and indeed of every period God is a rock his work is perfect his ways are judgment They have corrupted themselves they are spotted perverse and crooked Do ye thus requite the Lord But more particularly God hath been good to Israel he raised him from nothing he redeemed him from bondage he was his Protector his Guide his Proveditore his food was of the most delicious his drink was generous of the pure blood of the grape and he grew fat upon it But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked Do ye thus requite O popule ingrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again well but will God endure this base ingratitude doth he not see it or not resent it doth it not move him can he not will he not revenge himself upon them Yes the Lord saw it and was moved to Iealousie a fire was kindled in his anger Do ye thus requite the
duly executed to conserve all estates orders and degrees in the greatest happiness whereof any society is capable conducting us by the hand of Moses and Aaron and their subordinate Ministers to the great ends of the great ordinance of God in the world and apt to enable and to dispose well-minded men by the means of grace and motives to sobriety righteousness and godliness which we enjoy by peace and plenty by liberty and prosperity in all which we exceed all others to produce effects of noble courage and magnanimity such as we read of in the stories of our Ancestors and of Piety and Devotion in proportion answerable to those of our glorious Predecessors that is not inferiour in their kind to any nation in the world Surely this also hath been of the Lords doing in reference to Society Civil and Sacred it is he that hath made us and not we our selves Now let us pass to the second enquiry 2. Hath he not redeemed us and that also in both capacities personal and national 1. For our persons spiritually and temporally hath he not bought our souls at a price hath he not offered us a plenteous redemption by the blood of the everlasting Covenant redeemed us from the curse of the Law the bondage of Sin the power of Satan the wrath of God Again is there any one single person to whom he hath not given many a temporal deliverance known and unknown or at least-wise unconsidered Hath not he redeemed us from the prison of the womb from the hazards of our infancy from the perils of our childhood from the wildness and precipitancy of youth from the snares and entanglements of our riper years Is there any one whom he hath not redeemed from six troubles and from seven in our bodies estates liberty reputation whom he hath not powerfully and frequently rescued from the folly and perverseness of our selves from the malice of our neighbours from the rage of Devils Hath he not redeemed us in our personal capacities 2. Hath he not redeemed our nation again and again in all its interest civil and sacred Who else was it that delivered our fathers and our selves from Barbarisme and Idolatry from Tyranny and Superstition from fanatical Anarchy and Irreligion To omit former deliverances can we forget how it is but a little while since the wrath of God was poured out upon this Kingdome to the uttermost since our Sun was turned into darkness and our Moon into blood our stars ravisht from their Orbs the Royal father Martyred the Son banished the Nobles confounded the State dissolved the Church destroyed our Religion Laws Liberty Property torn away our bones were dryed our hope was gone and we thought we had been clean cut off Then when we cried unto the Lord in our trouble he delivered us out of our distress He sent redemption to his people he turned our captivity as the Rivers of the South then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with Ioy. The Symptoms of joy and triumph were heard and seen in all the corners of the land nay the Sea roared and the floods clapped their hands the hills and the heavens resounded because of the redemption for he cometh for he cometh c. And now I say unto you hath he not redeemed us 3. Hath he not established us that is to say the Estalishment which we enjoy is it not all from him and hath not he done his part for our establishment our spiritual and temporal our private our publick establishment Doth not the God of all grace continually press upon us the means of grace calling us to his Eternal glory endeavouring to make us perfect to establish strengthen and settle us in his truth to establish us in the faith and in holiness to strengthen our inward man that we may be rooted and grounded and built up in him to a lively hope and an humble assurance of eternal life All spiritual Establishment is it not from God is there any person within the verge of his Majesties Dominions for whom God hath not provided plentiful means foâ— this Establishment Again for our temporal private condition is there any one of us destitute of some sort of provision subsistance some sort of settlement or Establishment Is there any one that hears or hears me not for whom God hath not provided some honest way of Establishment by donation of pious Founders and Benefactors by legal desâ—â—â—â— by voluntary Bequest 〈◊〉 which they builded not c. by labour of the hand or contrivance of the brain by assistances of Alliances or friends by charitable benevolence by the bounty of contingency or the like Are not every one of these from the Lord is any one destitute of one or more of these ways of establishment or that can answer that God hath made no provision for them hath he not given us our temporal establishment Lastly hath not God done his part towards a National and a publick establishment of this Church and Kingdom Hath he not in order thereunto resetled our gracious Sovereign in the throne of his Royal Predecessors Re-established the Church upon its rightful Basis and foundation Restored all orders and degrees to their legal rights proprieties privileges and liberties Reinforced our Religion and our Laws in the due administration of Discipline and Justice Reduced all things into that ancient frame and constitution which had from many Generations derived happiness and glory to the people of England Finally for preservation and continuance of all these hath he not restored the actual strength of the Kingdom our Forts and Castles our stores and magazines our Towns and Cities our Armies and Navies lately rescued out of the hands of rebellious Usurpers to those Royal hands to which they do of right belong In one word therefore to conclude this first enquiry hath not God dealt with us as he did with Israel hath he not made us redeemed us established us The next consideration ought to be whether we have not so requited the Lord as they requited him Whether our behaviour hath not been answerable to that of Israel in reference both to the foolish part and the unwise And here alas how clear and conspicuous is the parallel in respect of their ingratitude and imprudence Have we not dealt do we not deal ungratefully with the Author and instruments of all our mercies Have all Gods methods and various dealings with us prevailed so far as to bring out persons to repentance or our Kingdom to a Reformation Have we been convinced or have we not been hardened by his wonders converted to his fears or sealed up into a sottish stupidity and senseless contempt of Religion a spirit of Atheism and downright infidelity Do we not murmur against Moses and Aaron do not some amongst us still abet the cause of Corah Dathan and Abiram are not some of us ready to make them a Captain and to return into Egypt Have we not soon forgot God our saviour have
Iudah loved him After all this you know his Provocations his Advantages and his Behaviour he durst not touch the Lords anointed and when another pretended to have done it at Saul's entreaty in extremis he revenged his death and lamented over him Ye mountains of Gilboa c. 2. But that other Pretence that after a lawful Sovereign is established according to the Supposition of my Text and my Discourse the power still remains in the people in the diffused body of them or their Representatives to alter the Government as they please it is in respect of Policy and Government what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is to Religion it destroys the foundations of the peace and safety of men and makes that to be the Artifice of man which is the Ordinance of God How much God abhorred this Pretence will appear in the Case of Corah and his company When God sent Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt he sanctifyed him and put his Name upon him Thou shalt be to hinâ— instead of God and when he had brought them forth he made him a Prince and a Law-giver over them The supreme Power was in Moses who called to his assistance a Senate or Parliament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 consisting of the Heads of the Tribes of Israel In this Council Nature soon began to work some envied Moses whom God had chosen and Aaron the Saint of the Lord. Dathan and Abiram the Sons of Eliab Heads of Families in the Tribe of Reuben thought both the Civil Power and if that must be transferred from the first-born to one Tribe the Priesthood also was due to them being Eldest Brethren of the Eldest Tribe Korah an eminent man amongst the Levites was offended that the High-Priests Office went beside him and was settled upon Aaron and his Posterity These were their secret griefs for a redress whereof they make a party in the Parliament they gain to them two hundred and fifty men famous in the Parliament men of renown and in order to their ambitious Designs they remonstrate against Moses Vers. 13. and their Declaration was this Pretence which we are upon that all the Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Holy and that Moses and Aaron had lifted up themselves above them that is that their power was a contrivance of themselves not an Ordinance of God that notwithstanding what God had done to settle the Civil and Ecclesiastical power it remained still in the people or their Representatives assembled together Now the Scripture tells us that since the world began God was never more highly provoked then upon this occasion when he heard this he was wrath and greatly abhorred them he invented a new thing in the world for their sakes for the Earth opened and swallowed up Datâ—an and covered the Congregation of Abiram I have now done with these Pretences and my endeavour hath been to vindicate Religion from the charges of unbelieving Politicians and indeed to shew that it is not a Spirit of carnal Compliance but the true and genuine Spirit of Christianity which runs through the Doctrine and Government of the Church of England After what hath been spoken I hope I may presume to say with the Apostle Do we now make void the Laws through â—aith yea we establish the Laws We have seen the Christian Theory doth the Philosophical Theory provide better for the safety of Princes and the estabishment of Government It tells us in effect that Might is Right that every thing is just or unjust good or evil according to the pleasure of the prevailing Force whom we are to obey till a stronger then he cometh or we be able to go through with resistance That in reference to this life Obedience is a matter of Wit and Prudence and after life there remain for us no Concernments How stramineous is this Theory compared with the Christian Theory which speaks in this wise Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers c That this is the genuine Christian Theory hath in some measure been demonstrated so that indeed it may be wondered from whence these Prejudices have arisen But alas that my head were waters They have one grand Objection to which having spoken I shall conclude If this be the Doctrine of Christianity how comes it to pass that those who pretend the highest to Religion and profess themselves the onely Christians the Bigot and Jesuited Romanist the frighted and transported Reformist have been authors of the most horrible Treasons and Rebellions On the one hand what mean the Catholick Leagues On the other the Solemn League and Covenant forced upon Subjects renitente Principe On one hand what means shall I say the lowing of the Oxen or rather the roaring of the Bulls the thundring of Excommunications the absolving Subjects from their Allegiance the Actual Murthers of Princes the attempts for blowing up King Lords and Commons at one clap What is the meaning of the noise of the Bells of the claps of Squibs and Fire-works which we hear On the other hand what was the meaning of that black and terrible dispensation which will cause the ears oâ— all Posterity to tingle It is but a little while since the anointed of the Lord the holiest the wisest the best of Kings was taken in the snares of men pretending to reformation and sacrificed to the fury of men possessed by an evil Spirit from the Lord. He was offered as a Lamb that is dumb or rather like the Lamb of God to the rage of wild fanatical Enthuâ—iasts It is but a very little while since the Lamentation of Ieremy was in the mouth of all the faithful in the Land Our Kings and our Princes were amongst the Gentiles provoked to serve other Gods the Law was no more the Prophets also received no vision from the Lord. And all these things were brought to pass by men pretending wonders in Religion And they would know the reason of all these Dispensations But who art thou O man who pressest into the secret of Gods Pavilion How unsearchable are his Iudgments and his ways past finding out such knowledge is too wonderful we cannot attain unto it It may be these things have been done that the Sayings of our Saviour might be fulfilled It cannot be but offences will come but wo be to them by whom they come and It were better that a milstone c. It may be the Gunpowder-Treason was permitted to be designed that the disappointment might be had in everlasting remembrance and celebrated as it is this day Son of man write the name of the day even of this same day the King of Babylon set himself against Ierusalem this same day It may be God suffered the late Rebellion to prevail that he might not leave himself without witness but shew forth his wonders in our days in the miraculous restitution of our gracious Sovereign and the Church If he had not been driven
he hath swallowed up the habitations of his people he hath taken away his Tabernacles and destroyed his places of Assemblies the Ramparts and the Walls lament and languish her Gates are sunk to the ground her Barrs are destroyed Who can express the terror of this fatal Judgment the unexpected eruption the sudden increase the irresistible force the remorsless rage the insatiable voracity of this fiery Judgment the present sufferings the lasting miseries of private persons are inexpressible the publick damage the dangerous consequences it may be unconceivable What thing shall I liken to thee O Daughter of my People Whereunto shall I compare the day of thy Visitation To the destruction of Ierusalem to the great and terrible day of Judgment O the terrors and affrightments the shriekes and lamentations the agonies the confusions of that Day They that were on the house top durst not stay to take any thing out of their houses nor he that was in the field return back to take his Cloaths they that were in the City betook themselves to the Fields and Mountains where they beheld their flaming habitations where they trembled to behold the abomination of desolation raging in the holy places How were the wise men amazed and the strong men terrified despair seised them counsel and strength fled away from them there was no help in them they presently gave all for lost they stood affrighted at a distance gazing at the dreadful spectacle in vain they thought it to contend it looked so like the coming of the Son of Man The breath of the Lord kindled the fire he rode upon Cherub he came flying upon the wings of the wind He made the winds his Messengers and the flames of fire his Ministers He brought the Winds out of his Treasure and to point the flame directly upon the bulk and body of the City through his power he brought in the South-East wind as a thief in the night as pains upon a woman in travel as the lightning that cometh from the East and passeth to the West so came this flaming Judgment and so shall the coming of the Son of Man be I cannot endure to dilate upon this Argument Sorrow and anguish are in the consideration of it Animus meminisse horret luctuque refugit Great is the Judgment and there is reason for us to fear that it may be portending and symptomatical YEt who can tell but God may have mercy upon us but he may yet save us from destruction though our breach be great as the Sea yet is not in it self irreparable though our wounds be deep and gaping they are not desperate or uncurable hitherto we may say with the Apostle We are chastned but not killed afflicted but not in despair The signs and symptoms of an approaching final Judgment are not so decretory and peremptory that we should despair God's signal Judgments have hitherto been accompanied with signs of mercies and this is a plain case that he is not fond of our destruction and that he had rather that we should live He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men He stands pausing and hesitating as he did once before O Ephraim how shall I give thee up O Ephraim O England How shall I give thee up O England What mean else those Alternations and those mixtures and combinations of wonderful Judgments and of wonderful deliverances and mercies which our ears have heard and our eyes have seen We have heard with our ears and our Fathers have told us what wonderful deliverances he wrought in their time of old We have seen vicissitudes great and prodigious mixtures and combinations marvellous in our eyes horrible destructions and wonderful restitutions succeeding one another raging Plagues at home and signal Victories abroad God hath filled us with bitterness and covered us with ashes But it is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not If the arm of his Justice and Severity hath been made bare that it might be seen of all the people He hath not left his mercy without witness If his Judgment hath been great and terrible in that which is consumed his Mercy is wonderful and miraculous in that which is preserved Plainly except the Lord had left us a Remnant and visibly interposed to do it we should not have had this place wherein to humble our selves before him We should have been as Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah It was he that in the midst of Iudgment remembred mercy when the flaming vengeance was in its height when in the opinion of all men it had arrived at the state of irresistibility and when every mans heart failed him when the hopes of all men were sunk into despair He checked the domineering vengeance he put up the flaming Sword he conâ—roul'd the streaming waves of fire and said thus farr shall ye come and no further In a wondeful manner he preserved the Goods and Persons of the poor Inhabitants of the City He restreined the rage of our enemies that cryed concerning our Ierusalem Down with it Down with it Aha! so would we have it He suffered not a foreign Enemy to land nor our domestick foes to make a head in our confusions He was a wall of fire about the the persons of our Gracious Sovereign and his Royal Highness and of those valiant Noble Persons which adventured boldly and strenuously and indefatigably laboured the publique preservation He hath given signal Preservations and Victories to our Fleets abroad he hath restored our High-born and Noble Generals and our Fleet in health and safety He hath given us plenty of all things necessary for the life of man In one great word to sum up an aggregation of great and various mercies he hath upheld our Religion and our Government in peace and for an earnest of his further preservation he hath given us this seasonable opportunity with health and safety in this place to attend the Publique Service to advise and assist in this arduous Juncture of affairsâ— Arduous and difficult indeed it is to restore our City and defend our Country to restore the Houses of God and Publique Buildings to re-edifie ten Thousand private habitations to sustein the poor and needy to preserve the rights and properties of men to find such a temper of Justice and equity that there be no decay no just complaining in our Streets To uphold the Traffick of the Nation and to keep it in order and security free from private Robberies and publick Insurrections and therefore in order to all those ends to uphold our religion in the zealous and effectual exercise in the sincerity and uniformity thereof to preserve it from encroachments and undermining Tolerations ruinous to Religion destructive to the Government of the Nation And all this while to make provision against our dangerous and cruel enemies Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the French Dutch and the Dane who have conspired to our destruction These things are arduous but