it by this if you hate your own iniquity if that be your great care Psal 18.23 Ezech. 7.19 they shall not satisfie their souls because it is the slumbling block of their iniquity c. 13. neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life that is the whole comfort and delight of their lives doth come in by it it is all the pleasure and the joy they have men looking upon the vanity of the world every man hath his Treasure something that he doth chuse to himself either in his age Psal 119.9 or in his calling or in his acquaintance in his custom and if ever a man do meet with an opportunity of temptation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is then he is to take heed to himself as the exhortation is in Luke 8.13 you have been Conquerers take heed now you be not overcome with the Devil and you have fought for liberty take heed you be not the worst of slaves as that man is that is a servant to his lust You have asserted the liberty of others maintain your own liberty also and be not the servants to sin Fifthly if you be holy you will have respect unto all the commandments Psal 119.6 he that doth despise any one Commandment makes conscience of none it is universality that is the great note of sincerity now to live in the willing neglect of any known duty and the Law of God comes in against a man and the man is afraid to hear of such a duty because his guilt arises and his trouble is renewed thereby and therefore the man would shift it off would disburden himself of the sens of it surely then that soul has cause to fear holiness is not his aim but now when the commandment comes and the man is a co-worker with God as it were and is willing it should be set on upon his soul and is not willing to give himself a dispensation from it but he saith I must walk up to the extremity of the rule and observe it to the uttermost extent of it for I must be Judged by it God will lay Judgement to the line c. this is the sense of a holy heart Sixthly if you are holy your holiness will answer the Law of God for it is the Law written in the heart that you must come up to you have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine which was delivered to you we are cast into it as into a mold and therefore it must be a perfect form there are the great things of the Law Rom. 11.17 Heb. 13.8,9 and it was the sin of the Pharisees that they only regarded lesser things and left the great things of the Law undone and it s the great sin of hypocrites whether it be in point of sin or in point of duty to be only zealous against lesser things therefore trie your selves by these rules for it is a matter of the greatest concernment of your lives c. By these may you know if you are in the way to the Beatifical vision by these may you judge of your holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Babylons utter ruine THE SAINTS Triumph At a Thanksgiving for the victory of Ireland against the Irish Aug. 29. 1649. REVEL 18.2 Babylon the great is fallen is fallen c. THE great works of the Saints in this life are to believe Gods promises and to serve his providence and reflect his praises and it is the great thing that God doth expect as the fruit of all his marvellous works that when his works do praise him that is give matter of praise his Saints should bless him Psal 145.10 and for this cause there are three titles given unto the Saints in the Scripture First they are said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those that take delight in the works of the Lord they being all of them wonderful and glorious and only to be admired whereas other men only study the works of men and be taken with them but they only take pleasure in studying the works of God Secondly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking pleasure in them they study them and search into them that they may find out all the excellency and glory that is in them which at first sight no man is able to find out Psalm 111.2 Thirdly they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords Recorders Isa 62.6 they received the promises of God and their accomplishment of these things the hearts of the Saints are a faithful Register his mercies are written in their hearts as well as his Laws the one that they may serve him and the other that they may rejoyce in him Now you that have pleasure in the works of God ye are come before the Lord this day to enter an eminent National mercy upon publike record and if ye search into it after a diligent scrutiny ye will find there are these six things specially to be observed therein First it is a return not only of late but of antient prayers It is one of the great Questions that the Saints of God have as matter to dispute in all the mercies that they receive whether they have them as effects of providence or as the heirs of the promise whether they have of them only a jus Politicum or Evangelicum the one indeed non fundatur in Gratiâ but the other is now if it be given in answer to prayers it is a birth of the promise which the prayers of the Saints help to deliver Isa 37.3 but specially when mercies have been long delayed and the answers of prayers have been long deserr'd wheâ— Abraham had prayed for a child twenty years then to have the promise speak and when thechildren of Israel had prayed 70. year then when they were even out of hopes and gave their prayers for lost now to be answered in them made them to be like them that dream to recover an old debt and to receive a ship safe home and richly laden that hath been long at Sea and we know not what was become of it it comes home with the greater joy Why doth the Lord delay the answers of the prayers of his people not that he doth not intend to grant them for Bernard Bernard Priusquam engrâ—ssa est oratto ex ore tuo ipse scribi jubet in libro suo But he doth wait to be gracious Now delaying of the mercy doth raise the price of it now ye come to reap of the harvest of many of your prayers that are past and gone that you even now gave for lost there is a twofold joy that the Scripture speaks of as transcendent the joy of harvest and the joy of souldiers when they divide the spoil and truly there is matter of both these joyes in this mercy administred to you for you divide the spoil of the enemie and with all you reap to your selves the harvest of all your former prayers and petitions Oh how did
in an afflicted condition He went mourning all the day long for the oppression of his enemies and the Lord hid his Face And his soul was dejected within him but yet he had hope in God For I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God The Saints do comfort themselves in their saddest condition with their Interest in things to come that the Lord will wait on them and be gratious and will not keep his anger for ever Consider these Eight thiâ—gs Secondly But how shall things to come become the Saints In respect of good and evil things to come 1. They are delivered from temptations to come A man shall be delivered from them and not left unto them and there is a great deal of mercy in the preventing grace of God this way in being freed from temptations The Lord will not lead his People through the Land of the Philistines Exod. though it was the neerest way to the Land of Canaan lest the people see it and their hearts turn back again into Egypt c. And indeed the Lord doth strangely order things in his Providence that temptations may be hid from his Peoples Eyes Satan desires continually to winnow the Saints but the Lord rebukes him and all his temptations 2. If Temptations sometimes assault them yet he doth make provision for them against Temptation Satan hath desired to winnow thee saith our Lord to Peter Luk. 23.31 but I have prayed for thee The Lord lays in consolation for the future tryals of the Saints and as the Temptation was fore-appointed so also is the Consolation Jer. 10.11 When the children of Israel were in Babylon and should have temptations to worship other Gods they were bid to make this Answer The Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens And 't is very observable that one Answer God puts into their mouths is wrote in the Chaldee Tongue c. So the Saints shall be able to withstand them by vertue of the Intercession of Christ c. 3. Afflictions to come either they shall be delivered from them as Hezekiah thou shalt saith God be gathered into thy grave in peace God had an Ark for Noah and a Grave for Methusalah The Floud was appointed to come upon all the Earth well at the time appointed it comes But first Methusalah must be delivered for he lived until that very Year the Flood came and God provides him a Grave takes him away from the evil to come him does God deliver from it But Noah he must abide the tryal for him God provides an Ark and safely carries him through it Isa 4.5 Upon all the glory there shall be a defence The great water Floods shall not come nigh unto thee or else if they be afflicted they shall be gratiously supported under them The grace of God shall be sufficient for he hath promised When thou goest through the fire I will be with thee Isai 43.2 There is gratia perveniens assisteus in suffering as well as in sins and duties Psal 43.46 We will not fear though the earth be removed for there is a River the streams whereof shall make glad the City of God 4. Mercies to come to the Saints shall prove Mercies indeed Saul hath a Kingdom as wel as David but it was a mercy to David and therefore the Lord did qualifie him for it and gave him Kingly graces and weaned hii soul from the Mercy before he had Bernard Bern. Ecce paratum est cor meum vis me constituere pastorem ovium aut regem populorum My heart is as a weaned child Psal 131.2,3 And therefore it 's sayd Isa 30.18 that the Lord waits to be gracious he doth not defer because he is unwilling to bestow mercies upon us but because we are not prepared to receive Mercie for Mercies to unprepared soules are like unto Cordials unto foul stomacks the which do but increase the peccant humours and therefore the Lord never gives them till the season of them and till he hath prepared the soul to receive them There is a double right that the people of God have to Mercy First there is jus haereditarium a right of Inheritance and that they have as soon as they are converted but yet they are but then as a child in its nonage Secondly there is a jus aptitudinarium a right of fitness that is wanting and the Lord doth not give any Mercy in Mercy till both be found in the soul till there is a right of fitness as well as an hereditary right Fifthly Sins to come If God leaves under any temptation that we are foyled by it as that the best of Gods people may for I know no sin but may overtake such but final impenitency and the sin against the Holy Ghost yet all things shall work together for good to them that fear God Et si omnia qui ni etiam peccata Aug. Aug. If all things then sin it self is not excluded God makes a strange use of sin to his peoples good and benefit either to discover unto a man what is in his heart and so to abate his carnal confidence as the Lord did let Hezekiah fall to that end that the work of Mortification may be perfected and the Sword of Godly sorrow may go the wider and the Plough of Repentance the deeper and that shall be the fruit of it that the man may be more vile in his own sight or else to make him the more instrumental in that kind to do good unto others being able to comfort them with the same consolation with which he himself was comforted of God And being himself converted he may be the better able to convert and strengthen the brethren Luk. 22.32 And the Saints of God do see great Mercy even in their sins to come as well as in their suffering that as some of the Antients have blessed God for the Falls of the Saints those Horrenda naufragia by reason of the comfort and support and admonitions that they had from them So they do see cause many times to bless God for that Grace that brings so much good out of their sins also and so much they may promise themselves from a principle of Faith in regard of sinning as well as suffering Sixtly in respect of the happy and glorious condition of the Church that is promised in the latter daies there is a time coming when all the kingdoms of the earth shall become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Rev. 11.16,17 and unto the holy people of the most high Dan 17.27 And when the smoak out of the Temple shall vantsh and the Temple shall be opened in heaven and a man may see into the Court of the Testament which is within the vayl The darkness of the preâ—ent dispensation of God shall be done away and new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and doth arise meerly from the compacts and agreements betwixt men Rex debet esse sub Deo sub lege quia Rex Regem facit Bracton Bracton 4ly It is a Judgement God threatens on Magistrates Zach. 11.16 that their right arm shall wither they may lose their ruling power amongst men and that justly both in reference to God and men Fifthly in all difficult cases it is best to go the safest way that a whole Nation perish not through their own wilfulness I shall add no more When the Lord riseth when the Lord is raised out of his holy habitation then as all unregenerate men let them silence their murmurings silence their slanderings and censurings So all you that fear God for you are but flesh silence your doubtings silence your srettings before the Lord. And so much now shall serve for this Text The Lord give you understanding in all things THE Duty and Dignity OF Magistrates A Sermon Preached at Laurence Iury Sep. 29. 1651. at the Election of the Lord Maior ZACH. 10. ver 4. Out of him shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Out of him the Battle bow Out of him every Oppressor together LAws are in Scripture called the foundations of the Common-wealth Psal 11.3 Magistrates also they are the Pillars when the Lord intendeth to go fotth in Judgement against any people he goes forth against them in both these he gives them Laws that are not good and â—udgements by which they shall not live Ezek. 20.25 And he doth send them Magistrates also that shall establish iniquity by these Laws Psal 94.20 But when the Lord returns unto a people in mercy he doth give them righteous Laws and gracious Rulers In this Chapter you have the Lord returning unto his own people in mercy There is a double visitation of God One of his enemies in wrath the other of his people in mercy His enemies in wrath in the former verse before the Text. I was angry with the Shepherds and I did punish the Goats it is spoken of those former tyrannical Governors that ruled over them sometimes called Shepherds in the 11. Chap. ver 5. their possessors slay them and hold not themselves guilty and their own Shepherds pitty them not Sometimes stiled Goats oppressing Governors are commonly so called in the Scripture Isa 14.9 All the Rulers of the earth it is the same word in the Original all the Goats of the earth for Goats feed high they are of all creatures most lustful and yet amongst the creatures very unuseful nec ad bellum prosunt nec ad aratrum a fit resemblance of Oppressors This was the Lords visitation now of his enemies in wrath Secondly he visiteth his people in mercy and though the appearances of God in this visitation were glorious for he was mightily seen in their deliverance yet he makes themselves to be the instruments to effect it God doth it but he doth it by themselves I will make Iudah as a goodly horse in the battle the excellency of the horse is in the battle Iob 39.21 he meets he goes forth to meet the armed man he doth mock at fear and he turneth not back from the sword for thou hast clothed his neck with thunder such a goodly horse now doth the Lord make his own people to be in the battle it is ordinary in Scripture for God to resemble his people to all sorts of war-like instruments Zach. 9.13 I will bend Judah for me and fill the bow with Ephraim Iudah is the bow Ephraim the arrows as there they are resembled to a bow in the battle so here they are Gods charging horses they are my goodly horses It is true indeed the Lord is the rider the motions of these horses are ordered by him and when the victory is now it is not the horse wins it is not the horse conquers but the rider yet notwithstanding they are my goodly horses for the battle Thus you see the Visitation of God First of his enemies in displeasure Secondly of his people in mercy Now the words that I have read to you set forth a glorious promise that God makes unto his people when they were delivered Out of Iudah shall come forth the corner for I should not read it as it is in your books out of Iudah came forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is in futuro out of Judah shall come forth this is the promise when God hath delivered them Out of Judah shall come forth the Corner Out of him the Nail Let us look into the meaning and the difference of these words a little surely all Scripture was written for our learning First then the promise is Out of him shall come forth the Corner what is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word in the original is and is commonly a Metaphor used for Magistrates and Governors I shall give you several places Look into Iudg. 20 2. and all the chief of the peeople came together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All the corners of the people came together 1 Sam. 14.38 draw neer hither all the Corners of the people all the chief of the people that is all the corners of the people Isa 19.13 the Princes of Zoan are become fools they have seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of their tribes you read it is in the original they that are the corners of the Tribes Then by the Corner is here meant Magistrates And there are three great Reasons thereof or three things wherein the Analogy doth lie why the Magistrates should be called the corners of the people First the corner-stone laid in the foundation aedificium sustinet it upholds the building the main weight of the building lies in the corner-stone so you shall find it used Isa 28.16 behold I will lay in Sion a precious Corner-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a foundation the Lord Jesus Christ is made the foundation upon which the building of the Church stands and there is the main stress in the corner-stone 1 Pet. 2.6 Secondly the corner-stone doth not uphold the building only but parietes conjungit the corner-stone joyns and coupleth the wall it is a uniting stone so you shall see the Metaphor used Eph. 2.20,21 Christ is said to be the Corner-stone in which all the building is fitly framed together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitly framed together Thirdly and lastly the corner-stone aedificium ornat it adorneth the building so you shall find the Metaphor used Psal 144.12 Your daughters shall be as corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace because there is more labour spent in polishing the corner-stone then in the ordinary stones of the building Anguli prae aliis aedificiorum partibus exornari solent Meller Meller Now in all these respects see how fitly Magistrates are called the corner the weight of the building they uphold The several parts of the building they unite And the whole building in both
of meekness and forbearance c. but what was this for to what end did the Lord do all this was it for their spiritual good no it was in Judgement that they might fall baâ—kward be broken and ensnared there are no people liable unto such terrible Judgements as they that live under Ordinances and whose plagues flow from them Heb. 6.6,7,8 There are many that live under the Gospel and by the grace of it they come unto the highest pitch of common works they are inlightned and taste of the heavenly gift and are made partakers of the holy Ghost taste of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come yet afterward they fall away and that with a malitious and final Apostasie with despight and revenge the reason is given of it For the ground that drinks in the rain and brings not forth fruit answerable is nigh unto cursing for the curse is answerable unto the blessing and therefore they that live under the offers of the greatest spiritual blessings if they be neglected and are unfruitfull under them they are neerer to cursing then other men which is the reason why in judgement they are given up after such great and common works to apostasie and final impenitency because they have drunk in the rain of Ordinances and influences and have not brought forth fruit meet for him that dressed it as it s said of Christ Luk. 2. it is true of the Gospel also it is set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fall as well as the rising of many in Israel and let me tell you the more spiritual Ordinances are the more spiritual shall the judgments be as we see it in the Ordinances of the Gospel as they were more spiritual so were the judgements that were executed by them more spiritual as the more spiritual any mans light grows the more spiritual will his temptations grow so the more spiritual Truths grow in any Age the more spiritual Judgements grow for answerable to the measure of spiritual blessings such shall be the measure of spiritual plagues and as the more spiritual Ordinances are the more desirable so the more spiritual they are if abused the more dangerous Secondly there are no Judgements of God like unto spiritual Judgements those are of all other the most dreadfull Isa 13. Why should you be smitten any more ye will revolt more and more Hos 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom nor your Spouses when they commit adultery c. Impunity in sinning is the greatest punishment that can befall a sinner but the people that do not understand shall fall that is shall sin without restraint without controul Drusius He that is filthy let him be so Drusius And the grounds of it are these First because every spiritual Judgement is in it self a sin it is a judgement as from God but in us they are sins also now as there is not a worse evil then sin for sin is the greatest evil so it cannot be punished with any thing worse then it self the Apostle cannot call it by a worse name then it self Rom. 13.7 sinful sin and God cannot inflict a greater punishment then it self and therefore after this life though the demerit of sin shall cease the obligation of the Law ceasing as binding unto further punishment when a man is actually under the sentence of condemnation yet there is an obligation to the precept of the Law still for thou art bound to the precept as thou art a creature and to the curse only as thou art a sinner now the nature of sin shall remain though the demerit of sin hath an end after this life and yet in Hell pertinet ad damnationis poenam As all holiness and obedience in heaven pertinet ad beatitudinis praemium The one is a part of a mans torment as the other is part of a mans reward Secondly because of the subject on which it lights is the soul the soul is far more precious then the body and as any mercy to the soul is far beyond any blessing unto the body so if the soul prosper and the inward man be renewed it is no great matter what become of the outward man though there be crus in nervo si animus in coelo for it is in the soul that the Lord dwells and in the excellency of the soul that he doth delight therefore let the hidden man of the heart be adorned there is no adorning like it Tertul. Bernard Aliter pigmentatae sunt vestes Indutus purpura cum conscientia pannosa And if the beauty of the inward man be so glorious then there is no defilement like to that of the inward man nor no punishment I ke to that upon the soul as the Schoolmen say of Spiritual it is to be preferred before corporal Aquinas Eleemosyna cordis major quam corporis spirituales Elcemosynae sunt corporalibus simpliciter praeferendae So may we say of Spiritual Judgements there are no judgements of God so much to be feared as Spiritual Judgements as there are no mercies so much to be desired as spiritual mercies the prosperity of the soul should be unto a Saint the measure of all prosperity and the misery of the soul and judgements upon it should be the measure of all miseries and Judgements whatsoever Thirdly Spiritual Judgements are an argument of the greatest wrath and displeasure of God its true its a judgement that God doth sometimes inflict upon his own people Isa 63.17 Why hast thou caused us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear but yet it is a greater testimony of his displeasure then God doth shew towards the men of his good will there is no such evidence of his wrath in the world as this is and so it is to wicked men also for God to give them up unto their own hearts lust and to deliver them to Satan as we see Christ did Judas Austin Parcit iratus iratus Deus dat amanti quod male amat Austin Jerome Magna est ira Dei quando peccantibus non irascitur Deus Jerom. In the afflictions of his people Emendationi instat Deus It is to restrain us and reclaim us c. But in spiritual Judgements the Lord doth give a man up to sin and leave him in the power of sin and under the dominion of sin as if he did never intend to do him good more Fourthly it s the saddest evidence of a mans reprobation and a most dreadfull earnest of a mans damnation First it s a sad evidence of a mans reprobation for there are three consequents of reprobation and both of them are spiritual Judgements 1. Permissio peccati the permission of sin 2. In peccato derelictio the being left in sin 3. Traditio Satanae to leave a man in the power of Satan to give him over unto Satan to carry him captive at his will and all these are spiritual
bosom to mourn with them and have compassion over them and this he is to do not only for some of the great ones but he is to do it impartially over all the flock For God makes no difference in respect of any mans title or place but he that hath the best heart is the best man in Gods account and in Church members those should be esteemed by us that have the greatest graces not the greatest places Fourthly it is the Pastors duty if any man in the Church walk disorderly or inordinately he is to mourn for them Jer. 13.17 My soul shall weep in secret for your pride and Phil. 3.18 Now I tell you weeping c. Their miscarriage should be to him as the errors of a child unto a tender Father he should bewail them with bitterness to consider how they thereby go about to destroy themselves should exceedingly affect the Pastor as Christ when he beheld Ierusalems sins he wept over it and many times there is nothing left for a minister to do for a person but to shed tears Secondly he is to admonish them and that authoritatively â— Thes 5.12 Know them which labour amongst you and are over you and admonish you in the Lord that is by vertue of the authority that is commited unto me by Christ I do admonish you in the Lord and this is to do a thing in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 5.4 Yea reprove them sharply and so Paul doth propose it unto the Corinthians Whither he should come to them with the rod or in the spirit of meckness Thirdly if nothing else will do they must together with the Church in which they are have the main hand they are to stir them up to cast out such a person and to represent it to the Church according to the power that is committed unto them by Christ for the Churches edification Rev. 2.3 they must not bear them that be evil they must be cast out they should look upon it as their Burthen that any amongst them should deserve to be cast out from the Church yet they must do their duty this is the rule that they have over you in the Lord Heb. 13.17 Fifthly they must walk as examples to the flock 1 Pet. 5.3 Go before them in a holy life 2 John 10. it is said Christ is the Shepherd and he goes before the sheep and his sheep do follow him the meaning is he went before them in a holy conversation for he hath in all things given us an example a Copy to write after that we should walk as he hath walked Pastors should be a living Scripture and walking Bibles more then any other men and yet ye are to take this as a rule be you followers of us as we are of Christ and mark them who so walketh as they have us for an example Philip. 3.17 Secondly for the dispositions with which all these duties are to be done which I will lay down in six particulars First from a tender love and care God doth put this care of the flock unto those whom he calls to be their Over-seers in mercy and he doth give them graces sutable Pastors graces 2 Cor. 8.16 God did put the same care into the heart of Titus Phil. 2.26 Epaphroditus that was their Pastor he doth long for them exceedingly and his love was so great that he would not have them so much as grieved and therefore he was sorry that they had heard that he had been sick there was in the heart of our Lord Christ a Law of love written thy Law is in the middle of my bowels as there should be a love amongst the members so in a special manner in those that are Pastors and Fathers to a people their bowels should yern over them Secondly all this is to be done with the spirit of meekness in a way of Ministry and not in a way of Majesty For we are but your servants for Christs sake and we are not to rule as Lords over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 and therefore pride and imperiousness must be avoided for all that we have to do is by the word and we can rule no other way Thirdly all things must be done without self-respects and to make a gain of the people we must feed the flock not for filthy lucres sake that though the Pastor is to eat of the milk of the flocks and though it be the peoples duty 1 Cor. 9.14 God hath ordained that they should yet this is not to be the end propounded by the Minister or Pastor unto themselves for them to have such a low end as this put me into the Priests office that I may eat a piece of bread no we are to seek you and not yours and to expect our crown of glory at the appearing of the great Shepherd of the sheep 1 Pet. 5.9 Fourthly it must be with faith and an expectation that God will in a special manner bless their endeavours and labours unto that people over which God hath put them over which the holy Ghost hath made them overseers for with the call of God there doth go the blessing of God and if God do put a man into any office he may expect a blessing upon him in that imployment he doth call Christ and he doth promise him the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand and Christ sends forth the Apostles and he promises to be with them to the end of the world Math. 28.19 the people are to expect a greater blessing by them because God hath put them over them Heb. 13.17 they watch for your souls So the Ministers also that go forth with faith to preach the Gospel the Lord will make them a blessing to the people where he sends them Fifthly it must be done as those that give an account for your souls that are the people committed to his care Heb. 13.17 there are great accounts that men have to give for talents and opportunities of doing good and of Riches that God hath entrusted them with and Honours and the day of grace but the greatest account is that of souls which are precious unto all those to whom their own souls are precious and as the Lord Jesus himself comes in at the last day before the Father Here am I and the children that thou hast given me Heb. 2.13 So also this will be the work of the Ministry at the last day they will give an account of your souls O what a great thing is it for a Minister to be able to say I prayed for such a soul I instructed such a soul he was blind before and God used me as an Instrument to convey light to him I watched over such a soul for it is your souls only that we have to do with all and its only with reference to your souls that we watch over you Sixthly the Pastors of a people do their duty as those whose crown of glory it will be at the last day
for us to deliver our flock well into the hands of the great Shepherd at the last day that he hath betrusted them with 1 Thes 2.19.20 This is our glory and Crown of rejoycing yea in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming c. to see their graces thrive their souls prosper Christ gloried in it he sees the Travel of his soul and is satisfied and it is a great satisfaction unto poor Ministers in this particular also and having given their charge safe into the hands of Christ they shall then lay down the burden of their office and they and their flock shall be made happy together and though the particular relation shall cease between them yet shall they take more special comfort and communion one with another as Saints in glory for ever their relation that they had to each other here will sweeten their glory hereafter Secondly Now to make up this Order of the Gospel also there is a duty that the Members do owe unto their Pastors that are in this manner chosen by them and they are these First it is the peoples duty to pray for them as those that God sets in authority over them if your Pastor prays for you as being over you you should also pray for him as being over you First pray for their gifts and abilities to go through their duty the whole compass of it Eph. 6.10 and for me saies the Apostle that utterance may be given unto me Secondly for their preservation Rom. 15.30 That you strive together in prayers that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea Thirdly pray that they may have a sanctified use of all their afflictions and of all Gods dispensations Phil. 1.19 I know that this also shall turn to my salvation through your prayers when the prayers of Pastor and people meet together at the Throne of grace each for other it is exceeding acceptable to God Secondly honour them in your hearts let it be answerable to the honour Christ hath given them in the Congregation 1 Thes 5.13 Know them and esteem them highly in love for their works sake they are to look upon themselves as your servants and to look upon you as the Lords heritage and that they are not Lords of the flock they are not to know in that respect their own honour as Moses his face did shine it was seen of others but not of himself but yet there is an honour that is due from you unto them also Thirdly submit unto them or be perswaded by them Heb. 13.17 Attend upon their ministrie as those from whom you may expect a special blessing though it may be they may not have such great parts and gifts as others yet they are those that God hath set over you and do you submit to them though they be in outward respects far inferiour unto you yet as they are Pastors so they stand in Christs stead for remember they are so by an Institution and so disobedience unto them speaking in the name of Christ is a disobedience unto Christ he that hears you hears me and he that despiseth you despiseth me it is a very dangerous thing for a people to have their Minister go to God against them and bewail the contempt that is put upon them and say Lord thou hast sent me to a rebellious and gain saying people Christ says to such a one Thou shalt kick the dust of thy feet against them it will be easier for Sodom then it will be for that man in the day of Judgement Fourthly encourage his labours strengthen his hands stand by him look upon your selves as concerned in all things that befall him Phil. 2.26 Epaphroditus was sick and they were very sensible of it though he were absent from them and he was willing to venture his life for the Churches service and indeed the labour is burdensom and continual do what you may to make it easie to him that he may undergo it with cheerfulness For if he give up his account with grief it will be unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 So if he do his work with grief also it will be as unprofitable to you as uncomfortable to him Fifthly admonish him of what evil so ever you see in him if he do not walk with a right foot towards the Gospel or be negligent in the performing of his office say to him Take heed to thy Ministry Col. 4.17 It were a misery for the greatest officer to be exempted from that ordinance of admonition which is a mercy to the meanest member and yet be careful do not take up every flying report against him for there are no men so subject to the scourge of the Tongue as they are but God as he will wipe all tears from their eyes will also wipe off all blots from their name Sixthly there is a supply which you are to make to their wants and it is your duty to administer unto them of your substance according to your ability Gal. 6.6 You must make him partaker of all good things First you must do it in obedience as an Ordinance of God Secondly it must be given proportionably to a mans ability for it must be in all good things Thirdly not to think much of what you give them if the ministers of the Gospel sow spiritual things why should we count it a great matter if we let them reap of our carnal things these things which are the truths that the Gospel holds forth as the Lord hath enabled me I have endeavoured to give every one their portion both Pastor and people what remains further in relation to both as God gives opportunity I shall by his assistance set before you I shall now beg your prayers that the Lord would teach me how to go in and out before you that so I may be given you in mercy and not in Judgement Church-Officers According to Institution Preached at the Churches choosing of Officers HEB. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you THE Church of Christ is sometimes called The Tabernacle Rev. 11.1 c. And as in the Tabernacle all was by Institution done according to a pattern both Ordinances and Officers so it must be in the Church of God the spiritual Tabernacle of God amongst men 1 Cor. 12.4,5,6 There are three things that are by the Lord exceedingly differenced in the Church first there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all have not the same gifts but the Lord divideth them according as he will Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there are diversities of Offices all the members in a Church have not one and the same office or ministery or labour Thirdly there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 different effects of those offices and gifts men labour in them with a different fruit and
first Rule for your drawing neer Be much in the use of all Ordinances But yet observe the spiritual presence or absence of God in them Secondly if you will draw neer to God Walk in a continual fear that God should withdraw himself from you That is another Rule of Communion Truly all people that know what belongeth to walking with God and drawing neer to him know they must be acquainted with such spiritual truths walk in a continual fear of Gods withdrawing of himself from you It was the Churches misery in Cant. 5. I opened and my Beloved had withdrawn himself my Beloved had withdrawn himself August Augustine I remember speaks of a chast and of whorish fear a sinful fear and he expresseth it by the disposition of a Wife and a Harlot both stand in awe of the Husband of the man but saith he Haec virum timet ne veniat illa ne descedat one fears least the Hushand will come the other fears least the Husband will depart these are the dispositions certainly of a soul that knows what belongs to Communion with God a man that hath once obtained Communion with God to approach but afterwards the Lord departs it is uncertain whether ever he shall obtain that approach of Communion again or no. Bernard I remember it was Bernards observation and truly it is a sad one speaking of those that did fall from their Communion saith he Perpaucos invenimus qui unquam redeunt ad gradum pristinum we shall find very few of those that ever obtained their former approach of fellowship again make this your business walk in continual fears least the Lord withdraw himself In the third place If you would grow in Communion and draw neer to God you must grow in conformity unto him for I have told you already that according as our Conformity is so shall our Communion be so I beseech you observe it in Iohn 15.10 Christ saith to his Disciples Keep my Commandments saith he and abide in my love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love abide in his love doth our abiding in the love of Christ stand upon our keeping his Commandments it is spoken here of abiding in the sense and the apprehension of his love walking in the light of his countenance there is a double love of Christ unto the Saints there is amor benevolentiae amor complacentiae there is a love of benovelence and that is the ground indeed it is free grace is the ground of all grace whatsoever this is not grounded upon our conformity to Christ for he loved us when we were enemies But there is a love of delight and that is grounded upon the image of God in us and our conformity unto his and the Lord so much the more delighteth in the creature as he sees the more of his image in it So then if you would draw neer to God grow into conformity and your communion shall grow In the fourth place Observe the times of fellowship I beseech you remember this There are peculiar times when God draws neer to you mollissima tempora sandi do you then draw neer to God call upon him while he is neer that is the expression the Spirit of God Tertullian observes Tertullian res delicata spiritus Christi is a delicate thing a delicate Spirit easily provoked to depart when the Lord knocketh and offers love and men will not entertain it Courtiers have their peculiar times of speaking when they may have Communion in all their requests with grace Observe these times the Lord thus draws neer you cherish as your life these seasons of times and these sweet warblings of the Spirit of grace observe when God draws neer to you That is a fourth Direction And in the last place Take heed of all those sins that may interrupt your fellowship it is true indeed every sin separateth between us and God and the smallest sin the smallest body hath its shaddow but yet notwithstanding there are some sins that in a more peculiar manner break a mans Communion and hinder a mans comfort And here let me give you to understand there is a sin that the Scripture calls a mans iniquity the sweet morsel that a man hides under his tongue and will not forsake a mans darling his minion lust for as in the new man though there be all grace wrought in a mans heart yet there be some graces that are a mans peculiar excellency that art more then others Abrams peculiar excellency was his faith in Ioseph his chastity in Iob his patience in David his spirituality Now so it is in the old man though there be all sins yet notwithstanding some lusts act more then others and the uprightness of a mans heart as David observes lies in this in Psal 18.23 I was upright before thee and I kept my self from mine iniquity Now there is no sin that ingrosseth the heart like to this therefore there is no sin keeps the heart so much from Communion with God as this therefore above all evils as you do desire to draw neer to God so take heed above all sins keep down the darling corruption for there is no sin I say that ingrosseth the heart so much there is no sin that casteth so much shame in the face and takes off the Spirit in all his approaches to God as this Then these be the Rules that I commend to your consideration if you would keep close Communion with God Be much in the use of all Ordinances walk in a continual fear least God should withdraw himself from them Grow in your conformity and you shall grow in your Communion Observe especially those times when God draweth neer to you And in a special manner take care to keep your selves from your own iniquity To enforce this exhortation take these few considerations First you may draw neer to God by reason of the neer Relations in which you stand to him the great promises of the Gospel be personal promises I will be thy God and give thee my Son and my Spirit Now when God makes over himself by Covenant unto the creature it s a great ground of our coming to him had he said I will be to thee a Father or a Husband c. it would have but carried with it all the comforts that could have been in such a relation but when he saith I will be thy God that is tant us quantus est what ever there is in God shall be as truly thine for thy good as it is his for his own glory my mercy to pardon thee my power to perfect thee my wisdom to direct thee my grace to heal thee my glory to crown thee and therefore David called him the God of my mercy and the God of my life and your interest in him may be a great encouragement to you to draw neer to him Secondly the more a man draws neer to God the more communion he hath with him
when this Treasure is brought in so that the time in which men fill up the measures of sin and the treasure of wrath this is that which I call an appointed time of sinning Now as some men and some Nations measures and treasures are greater then others so God gives them an appointed time to fill it up and being considered in it self the greatest Iudgement that can befall a man is for the Lord to give unto a man or a Nation a long time of sinning as the time that man hath to sin is but small only during the time of the body for he shall only give an account of the things done in the body not those that are done in statu separato 2 Cor. 5.10 and to a man in the body there is an appointed time under heaven Iob. 7.1 a short time appointed for his being and therefore a short time for his sinning But the Devil hath a large time from the beginning of the world unto the end of it to the day of Iudgement which argues that there is much wrath reserved and prepared for him that must have so long time to enlarge the vessel and fit it to receive it for as gray hairs are a Crown if they be found in the way of righteousness Pro. 16.31 that is it is a special mercy to live long to add to a mans Crown so it is a special curse for a man to go on in evil and yet his daies to be prolonged Eccl. 8.12 Secondly a time of patience when the Lord holds his peace and reproves not Psal 50.21 indeed God is angry with the wicked every morning Psal 7.11 there is not a day that he riseth but a cloud of Gods displeasure riseth over him but yet he deferrs his Iudgement holds his hand there is a time when he is prest under their abominations as a Cart is prest under sheavs Amos 2.13 for to have men go on to sin against him and because Iudgement is not executed speedily therefore to have their hearts fully set in them to do evil and the patience of God to be made the ground and the encouragement of sinning cannot be but a great and a heavy burthen to the patience of God and yet there is a time when the Lord bears and doth not by and by ease himself of his adversaries as he saith in Iudgement he doth Isa 1.24 and it is an ease to him Ier. 32.31 the City of Ierusalem the Lord saith had been a provocation to him from the day that it was built which was many hundred years and yet the Lord had born it and had not removed it out of his sight according as he threatned for to do for there is a season for God to glorifie all his attributes he will make them all exceeding glorious in their time now after this life there shall be time to glorifie Iustice Mercy and Truth but the patience of God can have no place in heaven nothing that shall burthen Gods patience and in hell he will shew forth no patience nothing but wrath to the vessels of wrath it is the breath the fury of the Lord that is a River of Brimstone burning in it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 30. ult therefore there must be a time for the Lord to glorifie his patience and a time for Christ to rule in the midst of his enemies and a time for him to rule over them when they shall be made his foot-stool there must be a time for the decree to conceive and to bear before it bring forth Zeph. 2.1 The truth is we consider not what a precious time even the time of patience is to have a poor soul that expects to be executed at last but to have two or three years added to his life by way of a reprival how great a favour doth he esteem it So for a man or a people to have deserved death for the Lord to cut ten or twenty years out of eternity but to respit the Iudgement and give a man but so much time of ease it is a special and extraordinary favour It is not time of slackness but time of patience 2 Pet. 3.9 Thirdly there is a time of repentance when God doth defer and respit the Iudgement after sinning of purpose that man may return and come in Rev. 2.21 I gave her space to repent and she repented not the words are Emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he gave it and the principal and proper intent that God had in it was this that they might have time to repent come in and make their peace in a time wherein the Lord calls men to repentance by the ministery of the word stretching out his hands all the day long Ier. 32.33 when the Lord calls to weeping mourning baldness and sack-cloath Isa 22.7 a time when the Lord strives inwardly with the spirit of a man to bring him to a sight of sins and sorrow for them a time when if men seek him he will be found Isa 55.6 and when though the Lord do threaten never so severely it is but with condition of repentance and if then they will come forth and take hold of his strength and make peace with him they shall make peace according to his promise Isa 27 5. when though there be a cloud of blood hang over a people and grievously threaten danger but yet it is but conditional and if they return and repent they shall make their peace and God will be again reconciled and the judgement shall not come as we see in Nineveh for that only I call time of repentance when there is hope of mercy else repentance will not profit for it comes too late Fourthly the time of patience and repentance have their periods indeed these times are not of the same length to all to some God shew◠but a little patience and to others a great deal riches of patience and forbearance that though they do evil a hundred times yet their daies are prolonged so for repentance some have but a winters and others a summers day but when these are longest yet there is a time when they will expire and time shall be no more they have their fixed and set bounds that they cannot pass First time of repentance for though the spirit may strive and strive long yet he saith he shall not alwaies strive Gen. 6.3 and though if in the day of repentance men do come in he will turn from his fierce wrath Isa 55.6 Yet if this time be past there is a time when the Lord will not be found Ierusalem had the day of her visitation wherein she might have known the things belonging to her peace but a great while before the Iudgement came they were hid from her eyes Luke 19.42 Secondly it is true the time of patience may last longer then the time of repentance for God may with-hold his hand even when Judgement is determined against a people but yet the time of patience will not alwaies last the longest day
soul to feed upon in the expectation of mercy he gave them to be meat to his people in the wilderness Psal 74.14 so former Judgements are meat also for the soul to feed upon in the expectation of future for the wrath of God breaking in upon a people is like a breach in awall where the enemy will be sure with all violence to break in if no man stand in the gap to make resistance impossibile a patente porta iram Dei non procedere For by a lesser Judgement God makes way for his anger for a perfect and an utter ruine Psaul 78.50 Let us see whether the same way be not made with us as it was with them First all Nations about them were against them Ier. 12.9 Mine inheritâ—nce is as a speckled Bird the Birds round about her are against her as a strange Bird seldom seen the Birds usually fall upon and set themselves against her if we did wisely consider the estate of this Kingdom how it is a speckled bird and how the Nations about her are against her as a strange bird it were easy to conceive and what expectations most of them have from the present state of things amongst us it is not hard to guess Secondly the general corruption and decay of truth and wisdom of men in places of greatest trust their silver becomes dross and their wine mixed with water Isa 1.22 their Judges and Officers and men in authority growing daily more and more corrupt the best of them is a Briar Mich. 7.4 that is a poor man flies to them for shelter as a sheep to a thorny hedge and instead of defending they do fleece him in and what follows the day of thy watchmen and thy visitation cometh now shall be their perplexity what hath been the condition of this state we all know how servants have ruled over us and there was none to deliver us out of their hands men of servile birth and education and servile spirits in so much that there hath been no peace either to him that went out or to him that came in for God did vex us with all adversity 2 Chron. 15.6 Thirdly the subversion of fundamental Laws of the Kingdom which the Scripture calls the foundation upon which a Kindom stands which was a bitter complaint of the Church of God in this state all the foundations of the earth were out of course Psal 82.5 what invasions have been made upon us and our Laws hath been abundantly of late discovered and Solomon tells us that he that breaks a hedge a Serpent shall bite him Eccl. 10.8 he speaks it of this hedge by which a people are defended and kept several that all do not become first a Common and then a Wilderness Lastly private and intestine divisions amongst us the fore-running of Gods last and fiercest wrath upon that people Ephraim against Manassch and both against Iudah Isa 9. ult which the Lord saith is as if one member in the same body should be injurious to another as if a man should eate the flesh of his own arm and how far the wrath of God is at present stretched forth against this Nation we all know and complain of what secret whisperings and murmurings what jealousies and fears there are one of another and what parties and how for these divisions there do arise great thoughts of heart we can never sufficiently bewail which doth continnally threaten that the Lord will take us and dash us one against another as Potters Vessels These were the fore-runners of Judgement with this Nation which did show them that the time of Judgement was at hand and these are now the sins of the times which may justly occasion us to conceive that the time of Judgement is at hand let it not be our sin which is here reproved as theirs that we should not know the time of the Judgement of the Lord. Vse Use for direction only in five things First not to know the time is misery enough therefore men are taken suddenly unawares insnared in an evil time as birds in an evil share and as fishes in an evil net Eccl. 9.12 Secondly that you may know the time to improve this promise Whosoever keepeth the Commandment shall find no evil a wise mans heart shall discern time and Iudgement Eccl. 8 5. Thirdly a wise man foresees the evil and hides himself but fools pass on and are punished Prov. 22.3 First by a work of humiliation Hab. 3.16 When I heard my belly trembled rottenness entred into my bones I trembled in my self that I might rest in the evil day Secondly a work of reformation Zeph. 2.3 Seek righteousness seek meeknesâ— it may be you may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath Thirdly improve all the promises that perfection to which you are called Isa 26 ult come my people enter into your chambers the Promises and Attributes are the chambers of the godly but you must come into them else they will afford no shelter upon all the glory shall be a defence Fourthly be much in prayer to lay in for this time will be profitable for you for know prayer never proves ineffectual to a spiritual end it never in this respect comes too late because God never comes too late 1 King 18.45 Luke 21.36 Watch therefore and pray continually that you may be accounted worthy to escape all those things that shall come to pass fidelibus orationibus Deum ambimus coelum tundimus Fifthly betake thy self to the mediation of Christ Mich. 5.5 for this man shall be the peace when the enemy comes into the Land he is a refuge from the storm a defence from the wind a river of water in a dry place and the shaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land Isa 52.2 therefore return you to your strong holds you prisoners of hope Zach. 9.12 Remember his name is Shilo the peace-maker and he is so called everywhere when the Scepter departs from Judah Gen. 49.9 there must needs be nothing but trouble yet then he is the peace-maker then doth Shilo come
Mat. 16.3 It is that Christ reproves in the Pharisees they could discern the true face of the sky but could not discern the signs of the times one might have been done as wel as the other if they had applyed themselves to the like care and industry But may it be known as the Lord governs the world by the Sun Psal 19.1 Rom. 10.18 and in nature doth many times cause Comets and blazing Stars as tokens of some dangerous and dismal accidents approaching in nature so hath the Lord set forth by the Book of the Word some signs also hat are as so many Comets to the world if a man doth wisely behold them by a spiritual eye and a right judgement resulting from them for the waies of God are unchangable he is not wearied with process of time neither can he be ever won to give his blessing in one age which he hath cursed in another and therefore that which hath been a sign of Iudgement in one age must needs be so in another for the word of God is like to a well-drawn picture that casts an eye upon every person and every Nation alike It is necessary therefore to enquire what be the signs foregoing Iudgement which the Scripture doth set down I will only mention these two which I desire every one that is wise will lay to heart that so he may be able a little to discern the signs of the times First a fulness of sin that is made the sign when Iudgement was to come upon the Amorites Gen. 15.16 when their iniquity was full and this is made the ground of bringing Iudgement put in thy sikle and reap for the harvest is ripe Ioel 3.16 So Jer. 1.11,12 An Almond tree hath the first ripe fruit of any tree and it notes the hastening of them to ripen their sins and the Lord saith as they did hasten their sins to a ripeness so he would hasten to ripen his Iudgements so that this is a certain sign foregoing Iudgement But when is sin full when is it ripe in a Nation I know Divines commonly and truly set forth the fulness of sin by its universality impudency and obstinacy but I will not insist upon these But let us look into this Nation of Iudah of which our Prophet speaks here and see what did ripen their sins and brought them to that fulness that brought the Iudgement see what it was amongst them that filled the Epha and made way for the women with the wind in their wings to carry them away First when a people seeks to make void the Law then it is time for God to work that is to execute Iudgement so David saith Psal 119.126 the word in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies irritum facere non palam ex professo sed oblique not by open opposing but by secret undermining it is fitly exprest by our Saviour Mat. 13.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye have unlorded taken away the ruling power of the Law by your Traditions how this hath been done in this Nation in these latter times is not unknown unto them that know any thing of the Doctrine of this Church sometimes by opposing Scripture to Scripture sometimes by subtile distinctions grounded upon Scriptures in a show by misinterpretations and frigid expositions put upon Scripture by false conclusions and Paralogismes drawn out of Scripture and by customs and Church traditions put upon it as the practise of the Primitive Church the Iudgement of the learned and all that the wisdom of men and not the Law of God might rule but when men come so far that they dare not only to change the Laws of men but to temper with and un-lord the Law of God it is time for the people of God to pray and then it is time for God to work Secondly corrupting the worship of God by humane inventions that have a show of wisdom and will-worship to hold correspondency with Idolaters Jer. 2.33 Why trimest thou thy way to seek love he speaks it of their correspondence with Idolaters sometimes with Egypt and sometimes with Assyria◠they did so order things in Gods worship as might best further their Politick ends now this triming did please and then another and all was to please their Lovers How much triming hath been used in this Nation of late years we must have Altars Crucifixes Copes Tapers Basons sometimes we have been taken with the French sometimes the Spanish and sometime the Italian fashion what is this but to trim our way to seek love Thirdly Confederacy with Idolaters of a contrary Religion Ier. 2.36 why gaddest thou about to change thy way sometimes they went down to Egypt sometimes they did slie to Assyria c. this is called the fornication of the Nations Ezek. 16. The gadding of this Nation of latter times in this kind I need not speak of that it is too well known unto most Nations in the Christian world but all that ever we are like to get by it is the same that was the gain of this people Ahaz made a confederacy with the King of Assyria 2 Chron. 28.20 and he came and distressed him but strengthened him not Fourthly abusing the Messengers of God 2 Chron. 36.16 They mocked his Messengers and they mis used his Prophets till the wrath of God rose up against them that there was no remedy How far this hath taken place in these latter daies is not unknown to all many of them imprisoned disgraced deprived and those that did enjoy their liberty for the most part Prophecied in Sackcloth Rev. 11. in much affliction and full of doubts and fears every one suspecting whether what he did would please or no. Fifthly not laying to heart the afflictions of our Brethren Amos 6.6.7 They drink wine in bowls and stretch themselves upon beds of Ivory therefore they shall go into Captivity with the first that go Captive how far we have been affected with the distresses of our bretheren in France formerly the desolations in Germany and the present unheard of cruelties in Ireland our hearts know very well and it will be well if in the day when the Lord makes in juisition for blood some of this blood be not found bound up in our own skirts These were the evils that ripened the harvest of sin with them and moved the Lord to say unto the Executioner of Judgement put in thy sickle and reap oel 3.13 and how can we expect but that it shall be so with us also for God measures all Nations with the same line and the same plumet Isa 28.17 Secondly the beginnings of Iudgement are an evident token that the time of Iudgement draws neer When the Fig-tree puts forth leaves you say summer is neer so when you se these things come to pass say it is neer even at the door Lu 2.30 3 For he saith in Judgement when begin I wil also make an end 1 Sam. 3.12 as former mercies be pledges of future and meat for the