the true practise of Christianity consisting in a holy endevour to walke conscionably in every commandment of the Lord and in being zealous for his Gospell which is our cheife honour become far more vile and reproachfull except in some small remnant then to live in drunkennesse daily in swaggering and blaspheming in scorning and jesting at all religion and in making but a sport of sinne namely of those sins which are directly against the Lord in the first table which yet will one day be found the most heinous and intollerable of all sinnes yea which may make the whole land to tremble Hath not that glorious name of a Christian become a nick-name a name of reproach with too many This was well beseeming Italie and Rome it selfe the throne of the Beast as that worthie Doctor Fulk shewed long agoe but for any of us to take it up from them or for that it had beene abused by any to use it scornefully and against those chiefly who most unfainedly beleeve and shew forth the power of the Gospel this may make our flesh to quake and our very bones to shiver And yet also to proceed a little further Are not the lewdest commonly in credit and reputation for the only goodfellowes but for a man to make conscience to shun the forenamed and all other sinnes and not to runn with all sorts to all excesse of vanity doth not every one see that this is the only matter of generall obloquie To come unto the Lords owne messengers whom he hath sent to us in kindnesse and compassion as David sent his seruants to the king of Ammon and to the end that he might turne us from our evill way and spare us if they be such as are faithfull as the Lords owne mouth and will tell us of these and all other our sinnes who seeth not although they be never so formall how welcome their feete are to all sorts who have set themselves to run after Popery and all profanenesse or to live in their evill courses though amongst all the sinnes of the land there be no one which the Lord can lesse indure Oh is this now become our thankfullnesse to him that hath beene so kind unto us to be ashamed of him his word messengers and seruants who notwithstanding hath not beene ashamed to countenance and to shelter us and who hath so honoured us before all the world in such admirable deliverances fighting as from heaven for us unto this day But to leave the Lords messengers where is that unity become that hath beene formeâ—ly amongst us when diversity of judgment for ceremonies which may fall upon the deerest servants of the Lord could not hinder our love and holy agreement in Christ Did not all joyne cheerefully as one man of one heart and of one soule for the building up the Temple of the Lord yea were not those most truly reverenced who were the painfullest faithfullest and most powerfull builders and all those most rightly had in honor who walked most conscionably and uprightly in all the good waies of God to the stoppings of the mouthes of all the aduersaries Hath not the glory of the Lord made a sensible remove in this behalfe Let us see what we can answere him herein Have not our dissentions and our violent inuectives and courses one against another made not onely the Lord his glory to be reproached as if there were no unity nor certainty in our religion and that therefore we are none of the Lords but have they not caused moreover the enemie to insult over us as now surely falling and overcome by our selues And are they not heartened hereby to our destruction when we have begun to fall by the hands of one another and every one to make way for the common enemie to invade And yet to proceed a little further where is that countenance and love that was wont to be shewed to the lovers of the Gospell even for the Gospels sake which we professe doe not the Popish sort put us to continuall shame heerein in shewing ordinarily more countenance and kindnesse to the most contemptible of their profession the basest runnagate or most ignorant priest for their very religion which they professe then we commonly to the faithfullest preachers of the Gospell or the deerest seruants of the Lord for the love of him and his most sacred truth In a word where is that submission in the greater sort to yeeld to the word of the Lord brought us by his messengers for his honour whose message it is for the reverence of the word it selfe being the eternall truth of Iesus Christ Must not all needs acknowledge that our glory is much departed in these respects But to come to the third part of our glory The Lords gracious protection Hath he not sundry times threatned most manifestly the utter removing of it so as all of us have oft feared his final departing and leaving of us Most true it is That never nation was eyther recorded or heard of to have the glory of the Lord more brightly shining upon it in admired peace wonderfull deliverances and even miraculous overthrowes of the enemies and discoveries of their secretest plots then England hath had That we may truly say as the Psalmist did of Iudah The Lord hath heerein beene well knowne amongst us his name hath beene great in England yet we cannot forget how many a time the glory hath beene almost gone from us and how certainly it had gone if ever the bloudy Antichrist or any of his marked souldiers had prevailed in any one of their desperate designes Nor that it was ever more neerely gone from any nation with whom it remained after then it hath beene from us Did not they themselues account all dispatched and the glory quite removed in their triumphs which they had for their navy inuincible and that therein they should have carried all utterly away Did not many an English heart tremble for feare therof And what could we looke for in all mans reason considering their long threats mischievous designes when ever the eies of our tender nursing mother should be laid but either a finall taking it away or a fearefull eclipsing or obscuring of it What heart wished not that it might never see that day Did not other nations wonder at the most incredible inthronizing of our dread Soveraigne and liege Lord in such an unexpected peace were we not all become as men that dreame when the Lord so turned away our captivitie in a moment even before it came Could we for many daies thinke that it was so indeed or rather that we were but as in a dreame untill that we perceived the Lord ratifying and confirming it in so strangely continuing our admired peace beyond all hope and not a dogg to move his tongue against us were not our mouthes at that time
for that worke as having by it deserved worthily of all good learning Therefore seeing in all his labours his good affection towards the Church of God our dread Soveraigne with all his royall Progenie and dominions doth cleerely appeare seeking only the wealth of all and to unite all hearts as unto the Lord of heaven so to our Soveraigne Lord and King and to his royall seed for our happinesse for ever with what thankfull acceptation are all his labours to be received And this above all the former wherein he now only strives to helpe to awaken us out of our deepest securitie in the midst of our extremest perill and necessitie and when the times call us to watch and pray yea to fast and pray if ever heretofore First I say to rise up and watch that we may pray To pray for the distressed state of all the poore Churches and our brethren abroad who mourne and wring their hands by reason of their slaveries butcheries manifold feares and miseries both of their soules and bodies above all for them of Bohemia and the Palatinate the very chiefe of them a principall part of our selves and withall for our brethren of France now in great tribulation for the profession of Christs Gospell taking their case to heart as feeling members little knowing how soone it may be our owne and ever fearing that terrible curse from the Angell of the Lord Curse ye Meroz said the Angell curse the inhabitants thereof because they came not out to helpe the Lord against the mightie Secondly to watch and pray yea to mourne and crie for the fearfull viols of the Lords wrath in all likelihood so neerely readie to be powred downe upon our own heads unlesse we speedily meet the Lord in unfained repentance If in the yeere 88. all sorts so generally feared it when yet at our generall humiliation in fasting and praier by publike commandement and our promising amendment God heard our cries deferred the execution of his wrath upon us and contrarily fought for us from heaven arming the windes and waters for his Church amongst us how much more may we justly feare it now If then I say all joyntly confessed that if God had so dealt with us as he threatned we had most righteously deserved it for all our hainous abominations and for that no other meanes could prevaile with us and if in our severall acknowledgements praiers and thanksgivings upon sundrie occasions since we have againe and againe confessed as much how much more truly may we now at this present Seeing the Lord hath granted us since not one yeere more alone to see if wee would meet him truly with intreatie of peace and unfained submission but ten yea thrice ten yeere and more and also used all meanes to reclaime us both by abundant fatherly corrections and in his long patience and commiseration given us our third most dreadfull admonition at the powder treason never to be forgotten when he even plucked us out of the furnace and now that our sinnes are in stead of repenting ten times more increased through all those meanes in the judgement of all who rightly consider of them how can we expect any longer mercy What can we looke for now in that we see men so generally chiefly most of our Gallants to make but a mocke of sinne yea of all Gods admonitions at home and abroad hating all true pietie and scorning it under most odious names Or how can we thinke truly that our land is purged of any of our abominations but stands presently guiltie of them all having now filled up our measure seeing we commit most of those fearfull abominations so often confessed with an higher hand then ever heretofore Or how can we imagine that our land is out of danger seeing many amongst us begin to doat againe upon the bloudie Romish Idolatrie and that now our enemies are so increased in Malice Pride and Multitude and so many of the infernall Locusts feared to be in the midst amongst us My desire therefore is that as this labour hath beene undertaken for the saving of us all from such a vengeance as upon these grounds we have just cause to feare and for our perpetuall happinesse and must needs for that cause concerne us all that every one would take notice of it and consider seriously of every point as God gives him opportunitie especially they who have leisure and spend many houres yea many dayes and yeeres either wickedly or at least vainly which will bring them nothing but sorrow in the end to helpe hereby to turne away the wrath or at least to save their owne soules The worke is large I grant but too large thou canst not thinke it seeing the Author of it desireth to make all plaine to the capacitie of the simplest and truly to awake every soule and for that I know not of any point in it which doth not directly tend hereunto or can well be made shorter without hurt to the whole chiefly the generall good considered that every sinner that repents not turning from his evill way must die And therefore doubtlesse no man shall haue just cause to repent him of his labour spent in hearing or reading of it but if God give him an heart by the right applying of it to helpe to appease the wrath or at least to turne and to seeke to cause others to turne he shall have cause to blesse the God of heaven for it which that every one may doe and that we may all instantly set our selves to seeke his face and favour I humbly intreat his heavenly Majestie to grant and rest Thine in Christ Iesus Edward Elton B. in D. and Pastor of S. Mary Magdalens Barmondsey neere London AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE CHRISTIAN READER FOr those who would read this book with comfort and reape the blessing desired by it in obtaining mercie and favour from the Lord for themselves and the whole land my humble request is that they would first correct these faults noted after then read and weigh these Contents in the beginning both generall and particular whereby they may see the summe and drift of all and have as it were a plaine view of the whole in their heads afterwards to read the praier in the end which is according to the same that they may better conceive and make a right use thereof and then to read the whole in order if their leisure and opportunitie serve or at least such parts of it as they shall thinke most necessarie and especially the last chapter which most neerely concerneth every soule That considering all as before Christs judgement seat like as I have endevoured to doe and so striving joyntly in faith and love for our selves and all other the poore afflicted Churches of Christ the Lord may fulfill all our holy desires turne away all evills from us and them and make us to continue a flourishing Church and a happie Nation to the comming of the Lord Iesus in the clouds
to make open protestation against all Idolatrie even in the very enemies land p. 358 There was in them notwithstanding a very generall inclination to run a whoring after Idols p. 359 Hezekiah and Iosiah raised up to destroy deface Idolatry p. 359 The zeale of the people in destroying Idolatrie in Ezekiahs daies Gods admirable favour to Ezekiah Iudah therupon p. 359 Their relaps to Idolatrie with Manasseh falling to be worse then the heathen p. 359 Manasseh led captive for this his repentance and destroying Idolatrie againe p. 359 Iosiah raised up to worke a thorow reformation and with a most strange detestation of Idolatrie in the hearts of the people p. 360 Iosiah solemnly renues the Covenant with the Lord to worship him only according to his will and compelleth all to stand to it so by all meanes convincing them before the Captivitie p. 360 The Lord sent them moe Prophets and with more power before the Captivitie then ever in former time p. 360 Idolatrie was usually one sinne whereof they did ever warne the people p. 361 Idolatrie practised secretly in all Iosiahs daies p. 361 The remnant of Baall with the Chemarims and those who sware by the Lord and Malcom still remaining in his daies p. 361 Idolaters compared to shamelesse strumpets sending for their lovers viz. Priests to teach them the worship of their Idols p. 362 The Rulers fell to most horrible Idolatrie in secret hard before the Captivitie as the Lord shewes Ezekiel p. 362 The outward forme of Gods religion may seeme to have continued even unto their very last desolation without any publike Idolatrie p. 362 A publike fast proclaimed by Iehoiakim hard before the Captivitie but not performed as it ought p. 363 Vengeance denounced for this sinne of Idolatrie To cause them to run into the holes to hide them and to curse their Gods p. 363 The Lord threatneth to raise their lovers against them who should use them as strumpets for this and cause their fornications to cease p. 364 To plague them from Egypt and Babylon p. 364 The Covenant ours as well as theirs p. 364 The Lord as much detests Idolatrie now as then p. 364 The Lord hath raised up sundrie of his worthie servants to destroy Idolatrie as well with us as with them p. 365 The Lord may complain of us herein as much as upon Iudah p. 365 In this sin we seeme farre to exceed them in the daies of Iosiah p. 366 367 Yet the vengeance came on them presently after the death of Iosiah and principally for this sinne amongst others p. 366 Certaine points to be seriously thought of by all the favourers of Poperie amongst us and by all who stand in suspence p. 367 1. The occasion and manner of casting Poperie out of our land p. 367 2. The bloud of so many learned and most holy Martyrs as Cranmer c. witnessing against it p. 367 Answer concerning their pretended Martyrs p. 369 3. So many worthie Preachers in each part of our land convincing all ever since then p. 369 4. So many learned writers unanswerable confuting it and every peece of it p. 369 5. The discoverie of their Index Expurgatorius for their wicked dealing against the Gospell and for upholding Poperie p. 370 6. So many discoveries of their unnaturall cruelties the fruits of their religion and for the supporting thereof p. 370 The chiefe of them made trumpetters of the abomination of their religion p. 370 Our Saviours argument most strong against that religion to prove it to be a principall religion of Sathan under a shew of holinesse especially the Iesuited Papists religion p. 371 7. Their religion teacheth these things witnesse those evidences which follow in the end of this Abomination viz. p. 371 Abomination 32. This alone sufficient to cause all not utterly given up to flie out of Babylon p. 372 8. Miraculous deliverances and preservations of our Princes religion and us all at the Spanish invasion the death of Queene Elizabeth and so wonderfully bringing in the Lords Anointed amongst us and at the gunpowder treason p. 372 9. The wonderfull bringing the Gospell againe after Queene Mary with the admirable preservation of the Lady Elizabeth p. 372 10. The wonderfull continuance of the Gospell since notwithstanding so innumerable stratagems against it p. 372 These as infallible arguments of Gods favour and love towards us as theirs were towards Iudea and ought as much to knit our hearts to the Lord and his truth and to a detestation of that bloudie Religion p. 373 Our happinesse if wee have hearts to meditate of these things p. 373 374 To thinke what it is to take the marke of the Beast chiefly after these convictions p. 373 11. The relenting of most hearts for the present in sundrie discoveries of their wickednesse p. 373 12. Exhortation to thinke of these things and to compare our way of life with theirs whether is more equall and whether is more agreeable to the word of the Lord. p. 374 To reade the French massacre and the Spanish Inquisition p. 375 What they long for who seeke to bring in Poperie againe p. 375 Answer to the vaine perswasion of our professed Papists concerning their owne safetie if God should leave us into the hand of the enemie p. 375 All the rich should be made Hugonotes as in Paris at the French massacre p. 375 What they may looke for who looke to bee enriched by such a day p. 375 Warning to all who foreseeing these evils doe not their uttermost endevours to turne them away p. 376 God speakes to each as Mordecay to Hester p. 376 Three necessarie questions 1. How so many have and doe daily fall to Poperie notwithstanding all these things 2. How to be resolved of the truth 3. How to be kept from backesliding from the truth p. 376 For answer to the first to consider 1. Who they have beene that have fallen p. 377 2. Reasons why such have and doe so fall in Gods justice p. 378 All are contemners of the truth who never so received the love of it as by all holy meanes to search the knowledge of it and to obey it p. 379 The reasons why some of Gods deare servants have and may fall for a time p. 381 God may thus leave up his owne for a time but he will fetch them againe at least by strong hand if they be his elect indeed p. 382 Answer to the second question viz. How those who stand in doubt may be resolved which is the Religion of the Lord. p. 382 Answer to the third Question viz. How to be kept from declining to Poperie and from falling from the Lord. p. 385 For those with whom no other meanes can prevaile to cause them to be afraid of Poperie First to consider as before Christ of the former reasons p. 385 2. To ponder our Saviours reason against the malicious lewes Iohn 8. 44. to prove they were of the devill and so one reason against Poperie
The Lord hath beene wont to inflict some lesser judgement when the humiliation hath not beene unfained though he have saved his people from the greater and why p. 492 When the time is that the Lord will not spare his people any longer no not at the private praiers of his dearest servants p. 493 Three principall signes hereof 1. When a land is full of bloud 2. When it is full of declining and perversnesse 3. When it is overgone with Atheisme p. 494 For the first what that bloud was whereby their land was so dâ—filed that God would not spare them p. 494 c. The second maine sinne for which God would not spare them their generall all perversnesse and defection increased without hope of returning p. 499 Neither word judgements nor mercies would doe them any more good p. 500 There was also amongst them a marvellous corruption of judgement both in misjudging of the good waies of God and also in wresting of judgement p. 500 Perversnesse in judgement cause of their perversnesse in manners p. 501 Their last and principall sinne a senslesse Atheisme growing upon all that they did not acknowledge God in his judgements as they had beene wont p. 501 Reasons why the Lord cannot spare when these sinnes come to this height as theirs were p. 502 Application to our selves whether we be come to this height of sin and have these tokens thereof p. 504 God hath manifested his love as much to our nation as to any other and that he is most unwilling thiu to enter into judgement with us p. 504 505 He spreadâ—th out to us both his white and his blacke tent together p. 50â— To trie what we can answer the Lord if he charge these things on us as first that our land is full of bloud p. 505 The crie of violence and oppression goeth up to heaven for the crueltie of Landlords Vsurers and men void of commiseration p. 506 The like crie amongst us as was in the daies of Nehemiah p. 506 The crie of the poore in dearths p. 507 The holy law of God for the care to be had for all the poore of the land p. 509 We must sometime lend looking for nothing againe p. 509 How the Lord will blesse such a care for the poore and contrarilie p. 510 Vumercifulnesse crieth loud for vengeance and will bring judgement without mercy p. 510 The generall crie of the poore that they and theirs must be brought to perpetuall beggery p. 511 The husbandman cannot pay his rent but by selling his corne at high prizes and according to the same must usually all other commodities bee that the poore must live in miserie p. 512 What we are growing to hereby p. 512 The cause of all our unmercifulnesse and spoiling commonly viz. to maintaine those sinnes of Sodome Ezek. 16. 49. p. 513 Our land defiled with the bloud of Gods servants in Queene Maries daies p. 513 Deadly malice against all who make conscience to walke in the waies of God by all those who have chosen to live in their owne evill waies p. 514 The advice that a mans wisest friends will give to any noted for profâ—ssion rather to put up all wrongs then in most places to seeke redresse p. 515 Our land full of the bloud of soules p. 515 What our state must needs be herein through the multitude of ignorant and unconscionable Ministers p. 516 Multitudes destroyed by evill ensamples and through the generall neglect of superiours for the soules committed to them p. 517 Application of the second cause why the Lord could not spare them viz. That they fell away more and more p. 517 The word in many places become unfruitfull and without power p. 518. Gods mercies have made us so insolent as to say we will not heare p. 518 Gods judgements have made us to fall away more and more especially since our deliverance from our so long feared day p. 518 Pestilence famine and wilde beasts next forerunners of the sword p. 519 All Gods strokes so multiplied to make us to seeke him have made us more senslesse and to walke more stubbornly against him p. 520 This of all other a most infallible for erunner of vengeance when men wax uncurably worse by smiting p. 520 The manner of the Lords proceeding in judgement against Israel before her Captivitie is recorded for a president to us p. 520 Application to our selves of Gods manner of proceeding with us in judgements p. 521 We almost overthrowne as Sodome being as a firebr and pluckt out of the burning p. 521 God threatneth us with whatsoever he hath denounced seeing we amend not p. 522 God threatneth to smite us seven times more to bring one plague in the end seven times greater then any of the former unlesse we repent p. 522 God having shewed such tokens of his love and compassion towards us will be magnified accordingly p. 522 The third signe of Gods anger and for which he threatneth he cannot spare to wit Atheisme and how it declareth it selfe openly amongst us p. 523 If we had beene rightly perswaded that all our judgements had been sent by the Lord for our sinne we had repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes p. 523 Our timorousnesse to manifest our love to the Lord and our hatred of sinne p. 524 Our generall leaving off to mourne for all our sinnes and tokens of Gods wrath or to tremble before him p. 524 Whence come these menâ—â—â—ned but from some spice of close Atheisme that we thinke at least that God is not so angry against sinne or so regardeth it p. 524 Cause of our drowsie professing in many for that iniquitie hath â—â—gotten the upper hand that it seemes unpossible that ever pietie should looke up againe therefore best to frame our selves to the time p. 525 CHAP. XVI What brings true boldnesse to appeare before the Lord. p. 526 The assurance and safetie of the mourners before the destruction come being sure marked by our Saviour repeated againe for our further comfort p. 526 To be put in minde ever to beare his marke in our foreheads that so we may alwaies have boldnesse before him p. 527 The boldnesse of the marking Angell appearing againe before the Lord and giving up his Commission p. 527 This only can bring boldnesse to appeare before the Lord when we can say Lord I have done as thou hast commanded me p. 528 Our obedience is chiefly in our willingnesse and unfained endevour mourning for our wants and this doth our God accept p. 528 Two notable ensamples of boldnesse hereupon to appeare before the Lord. p. 529 530 Reasons why they only who have done as the Lord hath commanded can be bold to appeare before him p. 531 When all nations shall tremble and shrike they alone shall lift up their heads for joy because of that their happiest day p. 532 The contrary horrour of all who have not done as the Lord hath commanded them whensoever their consciences shall be truly awaked more
vengeance Thorow out haue I striuen to shew my loue and earnest desire not onely to the whole but also to saue euery soule from these plague Yet haue I not indeuoured any more herein than the Angell for Lot in labouring to pull vs out of the destruction remayning for the impenitent nor any more than Esay Ieremie Ezechiel with other the Prophets and faithfull men of Iudah did before the Captiuitie in seeking to turne away that calamitie and all other their miseries from them nor going past the bounds of the word of the Lord deliuered by those Prophets Nor yet any more at all than I take to be the dutie of euery faithfull Minister and Man of God so far as the Lord shall offer him opportunitie to seeke to preserue all from Gods wrath and to plucke euery soule out of the fire of his vengeance And this by shewing all sorts their sinnes to bring them to repentance thereby by haling drawing to get euery Lot out of Sodom before the destruction come If any one shall be offended for the discouerie of his sinne amongst the generall without the knowledge and sight whereof he cannot be saued and that onely because he would still liue in it or would not be awaked his displeasure therein is no more to be regarded than if one in an heauy sleep in the midst of an house all on fire about him now ready to fall vpon his head to burne him to ashes whom God shall enable to pull forth any such when he shall awake them and cause them to see their danger wherein they were and their gracious deliuerance then will they magnifie his great name that those did so aduenture themselues for them and esteeme such aboue all other of the earth And as for the displeasure of men better is it ten thousand times to haue all the world offended with vs for our labouring in loue and dutie in our place to saue and pull men from vnder Gods wrath and forth of the very pit of hell so much as he shall vouchsafe vs mercy than to haue the Lord angry with vs for being vnfaithfull in that which hath beene committed vnto vs and for neglecting to saue his people from destruction Oh what extreme foolishnes is it to feare man whose breath is in his nostrils and whose heart is in the Lords hand to turne as the boates in the waters to incline as pleaseth him who cānot moue a finger at vs but by his permission nor do any more than he wil turne to 〈◊〉 good and not to feare him who if he be angry with vs neuer so little all our dayes are gone Who would haue killed Moses for omitting the circumcising of his childe who brought the tempest on the sea and would not suffer it to cease vntill that Ionah was throwne into it because he prouided for his owne peace with neglect or at least through feare of performance of that dutie inioyned him which was to goe to Niniue to preach vnto them That within fortie dayes Niniue should be destroyed Who finally threatneth Ieremie to destroy him before the people if he feare their faces and will certainely whip his dearest seruants vnto his worke if they begin to loyter We therefore who are Gods messengers had neede to looke vnto it to indeuour so far as we may keeping within our limits to pull all sorts of sinners with violence out of the fire and to striue to set their sinnes before their faces in their natiue colours And the rather that so all of vs seeing the heynousnesse of our owne sinnes and of the sinnes of our Land may come to some more due consideration of the infinitenesse we did not vnderstand them I take and hold it to be necessarie still to try further all holy meanes we know not which the Lord will blesse Surely for the greatest part the most plaine is the most profitable But if it shall be obiected that the applications to the particular kindes of sinnes and sinners are ouer plaine and come too neere the quicke I answer againe Blessed man is he who can finde them to come neere to his owne corruption and sinne Is not this the onely way to driue vs to behold the true brasen serpent when we feele our selues stung at our hearts Can euer any wretched sinner cry out Men and Brethren what shall I doe that I may be saued vntill he haue his soule thus pierced Or can any fornicator adulterer blasphemer or any other notorious sinner finde the soueraigne cōfort which is in Christs bloud but only such a one Yet this I say vnto euery soule that if any thing doe seeme to pierce which is not the word of the Lord or is any way misapplied that it is not any more to be feared than darts of stubble But so far as it is his blessed word following necessarily out of the same it will one day certainely wound vs and better here whilest we may haue our wounds cured againe by applying that soueraigne remedie of the bloud of the Son of God than to be smitten thorow with it when all hope of cure is past and so to haue our hearts galling vs and vexing vs eternally I therefore here doe also humbly beg of all the worthy and faithfull seruants of the Lord as I haue in my former labours to helpe me to bring euery peece of this worke to the tryall for the full assurance of euery soule who is desirous to see his euill way and would escape the day of the Lords wrath or who would seeke to helpe to pacifie his wrath kindled against vs. If there be in it any one sentence which is not either the word of the Lord or not arising out of it and agreable thereto that it may be reformed or if it bewray the least partiall affection in leaning to any side but to the Lord and to his manifest truth agreed vpon by vs all who soundly professe Christs Gospell or the least false testimonie Our most holy and blessed God infinite in wisdome power needes not our lye to bring any of his to repentance nor for setting forth of his glory No no his owne word is inough and shall be found aboundantly sufficient to saue all his elect to destroy all his enemies to deliuer his Church to get himselfe the victorie I dare not wittingly affirme one vntruth no not against the bloudie enemie nor against Sathan himselfe no nor yet wrong any creature vnder heauen farre be it from me to giue the Accuser that aduantage How then may I doe it for the cause of the Lord who abhorreth the very least iniquitie and with whom no euill can dwell Moreouer sith all this wholly tendeth to helpe towards the making and establishing our peace with our God by seeking to recall vs all vnto his obedience that we may euery one renew our vow and couenant with him
among them that he may shew his love to his and the care that he hath for them in the greatest confusions to the end that they may gather themselves unto him before and prepare to be accounted worthy to be hid by him or else delivered or certainely some way finde comfort in the evill day That hereby their love and care may better appeare unto the world in their seeking by all meanes to save and pull others from the vengeance to come More specially that their faith and obedience may be seene to all how they beleeve and feare the Lord and the tokens of his wrath And that they may set themselves to become suters unto the Lord for the rest as Abraham Moses Ieremie and others that so he may either spare all at their supplications and that thereby the world may take notice in what high favour such are with his Majestie even all they who make conscience to walke in his Covenant and endevour to be righteous in their generations when he spares so sinfull a people at their prayers or at least that their prayers may returne into their owne bosomes Secondly the Lord doth use to manifest his judgements aforehand even unto the wicked as we heard and for their causes also howsoever they for the most part use all devises to flatter and harden themselves yea to lull themselves asleepe in their securitie and to blinde their owne eyes left they should see the judgements of God comming upon them and so still perswade themselves that there shall be no such matter And this he doth also to declare the riches of his mercy towards the most wretched sinners and how unwilling he is to take vengeance so long as there is any other remedie or if they will turne unto him in any time This is most apparent in the Lords infinite compassion in sparing Ninivie that proud Citie after Ionah had proclaimed Yet fortie dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed And also in reproving Ionah for his impatience saying Thou hast had pitie on the gourd for which thou labouredst not neither madedst it to grow which came up in a night and withered in a night and should not I spare Ninivie that great Citie wherein are six score thousand persons which cannot discerne betweene their right hand and their left and also much catâ—le And hereupon it was that God spared it at that time though after when having forgotten that great deliverance they fell into their old sins he tooke vengeance for all as may appeare by the Prophet Nahum executing most severely whatsoever he had formerly threatned He dealeth thus moreover with the very wickedest that every mouth may be stopped and all the world compelled to acknowledge his judgements to be most righteous thus to justifie him therein when no admonition at all will serve So we see how he hath set downe this point most clearely and also the reasons of it and that he hath not bin wont to give any such warnings in vaine or without most dreadfull execution of his wrath where his warnings have not bin regarded Now then to apply this point to our selves we are first wisely to inquire whether the Lord hath not likewise forewarned us that most plainly of some terrible judgments towards this our Nation That if we finde it so we may then all know for certaine that it is full time to look to our selves to betake us all forthwith to such a course as whereby we may either altogither appease his anger or at least in some sort mitigate and asswage it To come to our very consciences Must we not all be inforced to acknowledge and say with the Prophet Amos The lion hath roared who shall not then be afraid The Lord God hath spoken who can but prophecie Hath not the lyon roared upon us sundry times as being ready to crush our bones in sunder or to devoure us at once but principally within our fresh memorie when the proud enemie came against us in their Navie invincible And more also when that long threatned day came whereof the insolent enemie had so much triumphed and for feare whereof the whole Land had trembled for so many yeeres togither But most of all in that more than Babylonish and unnaturall furnace that hellish crueltie from which we were so marveilously delivered in a moment before we felt or so much as feared any such thing at all To omit the insurrection by the rude multitude about the throwing downe of the inclosures the danger whereof all who are wise-hearted did manifestly see if any bloodie enemie had set it on foote to have bin a Leader unto them which issue all neere unto them did very greatly feare had not the Lord so graciously prevented that perill in an instant quencht that fire when the flame was now ready to have brust forth so high that getting above our heads it would have bin hard to overcome it without much blood to have quenched it And to passe over in silence all other the treasonable devises against that our worthy Deborah both before her comming to the Crowne and after that almost never yeere was without some new plot though continuing constant with our God they were never able to touch one haire of her head and since also against our Iosiah the breath of our nostrills of whom we have gloried as Iudah of Iosiah that under his shadow we should be preserved 〈◊〉 amongst our cruellest enemies as we have bin untill this day thorough the endlesse mercy of our God had they not almost taken him in their nets to have made him and all his a perpetuall prey if the watchfull eye of our gracious God had not wonderfully preserved and delivered them But to leave all these Hath not the Lord moreover thundred out vengeance by his heavenly word in the mouthes of all his faithfull servants thorough the whole Land for the abounding of iniquitie and that for many yeeres togither Hath he not besides spoken unto us from heaven as he did to Ierusalem seeming to have inclosed us all in that dreadfull tent spred directly over all our heads and compassing us in round on every side which was so terrible to behold with pillers of horrible darknesse pillers of fire and pillers of blood about some twelvemoneth before the powder-furnace At the beholding of w th most fearfull sight all whose hearts were not utterly sensles could not but tremble for feare of the Lords dreadfull anger for mine owne selfe I remember it well and hope I shall never forget it Did he not also for a long time togither heretofore send most strange lights and flashings in the heavens and even at that very instant of that threatned powder-destruction in a terrible manner Which howsoever they are taken now that they were but ordinarie matters thorough the long continuance of them and
the Lord who are for harmelesnesse as little children may be without perill in the presence of them who were sometimes as venemous as the Aspe and the Viper When they shall feed communicate together cheerefully and lovingly in the word and Sacraments and in all the religion and service of the Lord and none to hurt in all the mountaine of the Lords holinesse within the bounds and limits of his Church By this all must needs see that such are indeede the Disciples of Christ when they love one another And when in regard hereof the feet of them who bring the glad tidings of peace to wit of all the faithfull preachers of the Gospell publishing life and salvation and working this obedience and love are beautifull when their comming among a people is most acceptable as of the messengers of the Lord of hosts Now both these are such evident demonstrations of the glory of the Lord upon a people that they make them amongst whom they are conspicuous and eminent to be a glorious people and cause them to be had in honour and to be feared of all nations round about them This Moses sheweth plainly in Deut. 4. Where he thus speaks to the people of Israel Behold I haue taught you ordinances lawes as the Lord my God commanded mee that you should doe even so in the Land whether you goe to possesse it Keepe them therefore and do them for this is your wisdome and vnderstanding in the sight of the people which shal heare al these ordinances and shall say Onely this people is wise of understanding and a great nation for what nation is so great unto whom the Gods comes so neere unto them as our God is neere to us in all that we call unto him for The Lord himselfe also hath bidden all his people to glory in this That they know and feare him not in their wisdome strength or riches declaring all the glory of these earthly things to be nothing to that and all the true outward glory of a people to consist in their holinesse and peace among themselves and in the right knowledge and sincere profession of his heavenly word As the kingdome of heaven which is inwardly felt in every one of Gods Servants is in righteousnesse peace and heavenly joy so when these abound amongst any people there is the kingdome of heaven truly begun Christ reigning visibly Such were those worthy congregations mentioned in the Acts and those to which Paul writ his Epistles and such are all Churches which are like unto them at this day And even as these things also doe more abound and are more apparant among them so are they still more glorious and Christ more evidently holding up his scepter there Thus much for the two first parts of the outward glory The third principall thing whereby the Lord is wont to declare his glory in his Church so brightly as that it may be beholden of all about is in the protection and defence thereof And this is more visible also when he doth miraculously deliver it plaguing and overthrowing all the enemies with all their wicked devises which they plot against his people To omit the carefull protection of Abraham Isaac and Iacob with all theirs in all places wheresoever they went the smiting of their enemies and that herein stood a chiefe part of their honour was not this that glory whereby he did so grace his Church in Egypt when he sheltered his people and made them to grow notwithstanding the cruel oppressions of their enemies when they were as the bush in the midst of the fire that yet consumed not And secondly when he plagued the Egyptians and still kept his people safe in the midst of all those miraculous judgements Thirdly when he went before them out of Egypt and thorow the wildernesse towards Canaan in the piller of fire and of the cloud so conducting them that the enemies could not come at them neither by day nor night In regard whereof he being angry with them for the golden calfe had threatned that he would not goe up with them because they were a stiffe-necked people as they sorrowed and wept for this so Moses in particular saith If thy presence goe not with us carry us not hence And wherein saith he shall it be knowne that I and thy people have found favour in thy sight Shall it not be when thou goest up with us So I and thy people shall have preheminence before all the people of the earth for which importunitie of his the Lord condescended thus still to continue his happy presence in that apparent manner Fourthly the Lord declared this his glorious presence in the miraculous keeping of their land that no enemie should invade it nor so much as once dare to attempt the same or thinke of any such matter no not then when all their men went up generally thrice in the yeere at their solemne feasts to Ierusalem from all the parts of their land and none left at home to keepe their frontiers from invasion or houses from spoiling but a few poore women and children As he had promised this unto them so he faithfully performed it so long as they continued to know and feare him So long as they made any conscience to retaine those two former parts of his glory in knowledge and obedience so long also continued this their gracious preservation yea so long as they would but humble themselves under his hand at those his threatnings and at the shaking of his rods against them promising amendment and would then beleeve and obey his Prophets so long abode this glory with them This the Lord wrought moreover in such strange deliverances of them from all that did offer to assaile them and in such great overthrowes of their proud enemies as never were heard of before in any nation As in their delivery in the sea with the overthrow of the proud Egyptian many a time in the wildernesse in setting them also in Canaan by Iosuah no man being able to resist them so long as they obeyed him So likewise in the dayes of the Iudges though they provoked him by their rebellions yet ever usually when they sought him againe humbling themselves he shewed himselfe their deliverer fighting for them both from heaven and earth with haile and thunder and all his hosts causing the very Sunne to stand still until the people avenged themselves upon their enemies And yet more specially in their famous victories in the dayes of Samuel against the Philistims In Iehosaphats victorie against the Ammonites the Moabites and them of mount Seir causing their enemies to turne their swords upon themselves and every one to fall upon another But above all in that wonderfull deliverance of Ierusalem in the dayes of Ezekiah and that notable overthrow of
that proud and blasphemous Senacherib and his huge Armie when the Angâ—ll of the Lord slue an hundred and fouresâ—ore thousand of the enemies in one night upon which considerations and the like in former times the Holy Ghost faith that God is well knowne in Iudah his name is great in Israel All the world talked of his name and feared Because as his Tabernacle was there so there he brake the arrowes the bowe There he shewed his puissance and his power restrayning the rage of the enemies and turning it unto his praise and so there made himselfe terrible to the Kings of the earth To conclude this point likewise This is a principall part of that glory of the Church in the earth which is so foretold by the Prophet Esay to be in the Churches of God in the flourishing estate thereof in the dayes of the Gospell That when the Lord should wash away the filthines of his people by his word and Spirit he would create upon every place of Mount Sion and upon the assemblies thereof a cloud and a smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory should be a defence and a covering should be for a shadow in the day from the heat and a place of refuge and a covert from the storme and from the raine In which words all these parts of the Lords glory upon his Church are comprized evidently foretelling that as he would adorne and glorifie his Church then with abundance of knowledge and holinesse so his protection should shelter it from all danger as the coverings did the Tabernacle And this indeed was the glory of the Primitive Church according as it was spoken of by Esay Yea every wicked man whose conscience is not utterly scared when he commeth into any such a Congregation where these three shine bright is inforced to acknowledge such a place to be a glorious and blessed place and God to be there untill that men have by their disobedience to the word and by their maliciousnesse put out the eye of their soule and conscience altogither To applie all this And first to this people of Iudah If wee marke well wee may cleerely see how God had wonderfully withdrawne from them that outward glory which formerly they had enjoyed and had also shewed them evident tokens of his departure in every one of these respects before he went away utterly And first for holy knowledge when they daily waxed more blind and senselesse by all the paines of their Teachers and all other their forewarnings so that they were worse therein then the oxe and the asse as the Prophet Esay complained many yeeres before Secondly for holinesse of life the abominations following will evidently demonstrate for reverence of the Lords messengers in that they misused them untill there was no remedy So for peace and unitie when Ephraim was against Manasseh Manasses against Ephraim and both against Iudah when all the godly who followed the true Prophets and cleaued only to the word and the covenant of the Lord were generally hated made as signes and wonders like as the Prophets were whose word they obeyed And lastly for protection when as the glory was almost gone in Ezechias dayes when he himselfe and Ierusalem were in that danger by Senecharib and cleane gone by Manasses at what time he was carried away captive into Babylon Afterwards also was Iosiah their shelter cut downe by the enemie which was the next most manifest forerunner of the finall departure and of their glory So they had after this overthrow after overthrow untill this plague was utterly come upon them and their glory also departed without hope of recovery till Gods anger was fully accomplished upon them Thus we have seene this point at large wherein the outward glory of the Church consists how all this was fully verified amongst them according to the vision That God had indeed made all these removals of their glory before his finall departure But now let us in the second place returne home from Iudah unto our selves and lay it neere unto our hearts considering well first whether the Lord have not begun as sensible removals of all this glory even amongst our selves in every one of these kindes sundry wayes and at sundry times proceeding by degrees And whether he doe not thereby threaten manifestly that he is purposed utterly to remove and to take away all his glory and his gratious presence from us and to leave us to the will of our enemies to be made a reproch and a shame when he is departed from us unlesse we prevent and retaine him by our speedie amendment To begin and apply in order as in the presence of the Lord. Where is that delight of ours in most places that we were wont to take in his word our inciting and incouraging one another Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord our talking of it and our rejoycing in it as of our chiefe glory Do we not in steed hereof waxe weary of it very generally hearing it commonly for a fashion or for satisfying of the law or some like respect Are we not growne to this passe for the most part to be ashamed of talking or reasoning of it Yea what is more common than in steed hereof to discourage one another from being forward in following after it and those holy assemblies of his people where he hath promised his presence for ever Are not our people in steed hereof set rather to flocke to all kinds of vanities and places of the worse resort to dishonour and provoke the Lord even to those places where is open profession of all impietie and schooles of all lewdnesse and ungratiousnesse Let the ordinarie frequenting of so many profane and lascivious playes fitter for Sodome than the Church of God be witnesse Where is that holy sound and powerfull knowledge of God amongst the people become which in regard of the long and quiet time of the Gospell that thorow the riches of the Lords mercy we have enjoyed should have growne to ripenesse that which was wont so to abound amongst us in many goodly Congregations whereby the Popish sort were ashamed of themselves for their ignorance specially as was said that love which hath bin so declared in hungring after the word in delighting in it as our felicitie Nay what is become for most part of that singular commendation for readinesse in the Scriptures and soundnesse of judgement in the word of the Lord wherein many of our Gentry and cheifer sort in many places did sometimes excell for which they were much to be commended and indeed it was their dutie far so to excell for they of all other have the most meanes for all good helps and leysure to get the knowledg of the Lord and also are most bound thereunto