men are conceiving the bitterness of death is past they little mind to reform the baseness of their lives They care not how little they live to God when they presume they shall live long Eccles. 8.11 Because sentence is not speedily executed therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in themselves to do evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syr. roboratur their hearts are strengthened emboldned in them to go on in evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Because of this delaying judgments they go on with a full confidence they sin with courage This is as wind to their sayls that drives them on briskly in sinful courses With this did the wicked Jews under Divine comminations hearten themselves in their ways Ezek. 11.3 saying It is not near Gods abstinence from judgments was made an encouragement for continuance in sin So Ezek. 12.21 22. The days are prolonged Carnal persons are willing to go on in sin as long as they can and when dangers are a little gone off they more boldly go on in desperate sinning 5. This proneness to sin after such mercy arises from flattering expectations that in renewed returns of Distress they shall ever meet with the same deliverance How do men argue from their present safety to their future security How fondly do men conceive that God will be ever merciful because of his present mercies Did men wisely consider after deliverance how soon they may stand in need of the same helping arm how soon they may want the same mercy they could not be so audacious as to slight and contemn it left the next time they be deprived of it Gods present deliverances are evidences of his power to deliver us again but not assurances of his Will to do it 'T is a groundless Supposition men go upon who think Mercies are entail'd upon them and inseparably annexed to them We shall experience if we do not leave off sinning God can leave off delivering If we can still forsake God he can at last forsake us 6. We are thus inclined to sin against God after deliverance as we being delivered our hearts are brought off from their dependance on God and we are magnifying our selves instead of God When God hath given us our precious lives from the hands of devouring Enemies we imagine we can live of our selves and thence are regardless of living to God Hos. 13.6 They were filled and their heart was exalted therefore have they forgotten me Their outward fruitfulness caused their sinful forgetfulness Our hearts are apt to be set upon enjoyments and not on the God that gives them Hos. 4.11 Whoredome and wine take away the heart The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies auferre to take away by force so did those things take away their heart from God by force or occupare to occupy They occupy and take up that room in the heart God should have Thus we having worldly enjoyments continued by deliverances our hearts are detained by them that we mind not God care not how we go on in sin against him mind not how little obedience we yield to him as if we could live well enough without him 7. This proceeding in sin is partly caused by persons apprehending themselves to be innocent and their courses to be harmless from the deliverances God gives to them Carnal persons are apt to reckon their ways to be lawful because they are spared and unpunished in them Hos. 12.8 Ephraim said I am become rich I have found me out riches in all my labours they shall find no iniquity in me that were sin As much as to say Were my courses unrighteous they would not be prosperous whatever the Prophets charge me with it appears by the dealings of God with me that my doings are good if I were so sinful I should not be succesful Thus corrupted persons will vainly argue from Gods delivering were I so wicked were my actions so displeasing God would not have spared me but delivered me to destruction But oh how vain are these reasonings God bears with long-suffering the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction out of his mercy he gives a space to repent of thy sins And who so wicked to conclude that because God exercises patience therefore they are no offenders This is a sign of Gods goodness but not of thine PROPOSITION 3. Sinning after Deliverance is the most hainous sinning It renders sin exceeding great to commit it after great mercies It is a great sin to count any sin small that is committed against a great God yet sin hath its aggravations and admits of degrees according to the circumstances under which 't is committed There are two things which render a sin most abominable when sin is committed against light and against love They are no little nor light sins that are aggravated with convictions by light nor are sins against love of an inferiour nature nothing more intolerable to Man or God than to have ill will for good deeds 'T is sinful to render evil for evil to man much more to render evil for good to God What more provoking sight can be beheld than a man impudent in evil under judgment and barren in good under mercies Affronts to love are more unsufferable than Rebellion under displays of wrath The highest unkindness is the highest sinfulness The sin of David is aggravated by the recording Gods kindness to him 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy masters house And if that had been too little I would moreover have given thee such and such things Wherefore then hast thou despised the command of the Lord to do this evil in his sight To sin in the face of God when smiling upon us with unmerited mercy is one of the greatest contempts can be cast upon God To manifest our sinfulness when we enjoy the greatest testimonies of goodness is the height of madness To withdraw our necks from an uneasie galling yoak to rebel under the severities of a cruel Tyrant to cast off the service of an imperious Master may admit some excuse but to wax wanton under mercies to despise the clemency of Heaven to deny obedience to a loving Father is an offence indefendible a crime unpardonable When God would lay a people under a conviction of the hainousness of their crimes he repeats his gracious dealings to them Ierem. 2.20 Of old time I have broken thy yoke i.e. When thou wert in Egyptian bondage under intolerable slavery I set thee free And thou saidst thou wouldst not transgress yet thou hast slighted my favours and broken thy vows and under every green tree thou wandrest playing the harlot And v. 22. this is noted for an indelible sin such sins as these are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not written but engraven they are of the deepest die and most permanent stain Hos. 7.15 Though I have bound and strengthened their arms yet do they imagine mischief against me It hath an
little by the greatest Mercies the sense of which caused a holy man to pray Domine da Gratitudinem cum Misericordiâ nolo Misericordiam sine Gratitudine Oh Lord give me a thankful heart with thy Mercies Lord I desire not Mercies without a grateful heart to improve them And we shall finde it true that Mercy unregarded Deliverance not improved will render our condition more desperate and dangerous and our end more miserable But Oh! How much is it to be lamented that a Vertue so applauded for surpassing excellency a Duty enjoyned with such indispensable Necessity is so much unseen in all and unpractised by most How are the Mites of Mens Bounty more regarded than the Mountains of Gods Mercy Of the Ten Lepers that our Saviour healed but one returned to glorifie God Luke 17.17 18. How few of a whole Nation delivered from the barbarous hands of bloody-minded men from the complicated Contrivances of Romish Agents have returned deserved Praises to our blest Redeemer How are both private and publick Mercies buried in the Grave of Unthankfulness which is the reason of that Unprofitableness which lays us under the greatest Curse Yet an Ungrateful temper is extremely odious in the thoughts of all men It receives a black doom even from such as may justly be condemned for it Ingratitude is that sin which Lycurgus a Heathen-Lawgiver accounted so prodigious in humane and abominable that he thought it was so impossible for reasonable men to be guilty of it that it would be superfluous to enact a Law to condemn it And 't is reported of the Egyptians that those among them that wanted Humanity to return Kindness to Benefactors underwent no lesser Penalty than to be disabled from having a Posterity to survive them that the world might not be pester'd with an ungrateful Progeny But if the contempt of humane kindnesses gives such offence to mortal men and receives such Punishments What punishment doth it merit what hatred doth it deserve when the guilt is infinitely raised by the consideration of that infinite Glory that is affronted by it The just Threats of the Eternal God against such Offenders express its provoking nature Deut. 8.19 If ye at all forget the Lord I testifie against you ye shall surely perish If such Severity be to those that at all forget what will be the portion of such as altogether forget the Mercies of God But oh which of us hath not suffered Divine Favours to slip out of our minds What less in our thoughts than how much God hath done for us Will not Vengeance fall upon us with a witness if we proceed in such ungrateful courses Now therefore to use the words of Jude I will put you in remembrance how that the Lord having saved the people out of the Land of Egypt afterwards destroyed them that believed not Iude 5. Such will be the portion of all those we may fear who will neither love nor obey the Lord after all the great things He hath done for us but accounting them small things deny those respects they ought to shew to him that did them Who is wise in Counsel and excellent in working But shall we be worse than the Ox or Ass that know their Masters and serve them Shall we be more ungrateful to God than we are to Men The People of Israel told Gideon Iudg. 8.22 Thou shalt rule over us seeing thou hast delivered us from the hands of the Midianites Shall we not say to God O Lord since in thy infinite Mercy thou hast delivered us from the hands of our enemies we will now submit unto thee and thou shalt rule over us Oh how pleasing would this be to God How happy should we be under such acknowledgments of God's Deliverances But to persist in sin is very unreasonable Mic. 6.3 Oh my people testifie against me What have I done to thee vers 4. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants c. Oh my people says God remember what great Deliverances I have wrought what Miracles my arm hath performed for you and will ye sin after all this Oh England Remember what God hath done what Deliverance from a heathenish condition what an escape from Popish darkness what Redemptions from Romish Conspiracies God hath bestowed and then let Conscience speak whether you do well or no to sin against such a God as this This will never be tolerated long by a Holy God This will make him say as Ezek. 21.3 Behold I am against thee and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked The Sword of Iustice sheathed by Divine Patience will be drawn out to avenge the abuse of Mercies Will not contempt of Goodness bring the fulfilling of that Threat upon us Ezek. 44.25 I will not watch over you for good but for harm Providence hath hitherto been watchful over us to secure us from ruine but miserable shall we be when God shall watch opportunities to ruine and destroy us Now I must tell you whatever our apprehensions of things may be there is nothing will prevent our destruction after Deliverance but a serious Repentance and hearty Reformation 'T is not our Policy or Power 't is not our Courage or Undauntedness can possibly secure us but except we repent we shall surely perish Our Profession and Priviledges are insufficient to give us safety Jerusalem the holy City is now a ruinaâ—ted heap a place of strength so that the Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the enemy and adversary should enter its gates Lam. 4.12 and yet it is made a perpetual desolation by the fire of God's wrath kindled against it Neither may the Greatest in our Land if living in sin think to escape by or in wickedness The hand of God will finde out his enemy though never so potent though guarded with all humane securities And certainly if God shall at last for our sins suffer our enemies to prevail Prince and Peasant shall suffer alike Royal as base blood will be a Drink-offering And if in Policy they spare a while yet in Cruelty they will slay at last The dainty Dish is reserv'd for last The best blood and the best wine are brought forth at last the courser blood runs out before that pure blood that flows from the heart is drawn forth Let none therefore flatter themselves in sin because exalted to eminent degrees of Honour in a sinful Land But if in sincerity we turn from our sins the Lord shall be our Security and appoint Salvation for Walls and Bulwarks This shall be a sign we shall still escape when we shall be mourning for and leaving off those sins that have brought us into danger Ezra 7.16 Those that have escaped shall escape for they shall be on the Mountains as Doves in the Valleys mourning every one for their own Iniquity Were
there such an universal Mourning for our particular sins we should soon â—ee Providence scattering the â—hreatning Clouds that hang over â—ur heads and raising a foundaâ—ion for our further hopes of â—scape Oh then that Charity to â— ruining State that Compassion â—o the languishing Church of our Lord Iesus Christ that our Graâ—itude to a gracious God for his Mercies or that our dread of a â—onfounding Majesty and hasteâ—ing Misery may make us break off â—n God calls as Ier. 14.17 I â—ave seen thy abominations Wo â—nto thee oh Ierusalem wilt thou â—ot be made clean when shall it â—nce be Oh when shall we leave â—ur sins after so many years of Patience tiring Iustice-daring Provocations When shall it once â—e after so many lesser Judgments â—ounding warnings to us to prevent â—ur ruine Oh when shall it be â—fter all the miraculous engaging Deliverances God hath given Oh let this be the time Now to this end I have presented thee with those Considerations that may be Inducements to all to learn to live more holily after such rich enjoyments of Mercies and prevent the abusing of them to sin For as Hermes after Wine was wont to take a grain of Mastick to prevent its Coagulation into destructive Tartar so should we wisely fortifie our selves by weighty Considerations so to prevent those sins we are naturally pronâ— to commit after the receipt oâ— Mercies And especially because when Satan by his Instruments hatâ— attempted our destruction and ouâ— gracious God hath prevented their designs by delivering not sufferinâ— the gates of Hell to prevail againsâ— us our vigilant Adversary seeinâ— he cannot destroy us will exercisâ— all his wylès to deprive us of thâ— benefit of Deliverances given tâ— us by endeavouring to divert our minde from considering them and â—entâ—cing us to a wrong Improvement of them Let us also believe our future condition is like to be according to our carriage under Gods present gracious Dispensations And I may say of Mercy as the Heathens of Fortune Nec cultores praeterit nec haeret contemptoribus It slights not its Worshippers neither will it stay with its Contemners So those that are grateful for Mercies shall never want them those that are abusers shall not long enjoy them Continuance in son will be so great discouragement to God in ways of Mercies that we shall have just Cause to despair of future relief from him 'T is reported of Alphonsus King of Spain that a Noble beggered by his wickedness seeking relief was denied with this Answer If thou hadst â—pent thy estate in my Service there were reason to provide foâ— thee but since you have foolishly wasted it thou shalt live iâ— thy wants without my relief Sâ— although God will deliver thosâ— whose dangers arise from serving of him yet he may justly deny deliverance to those that involvâ— themselves in miseries by sinning against him Now Reader if thou wonderesâ— so important a Subject as this iâ— undertaken by so weak a hand aâ— mine know that gratitude raiseâ— the price of the meanest presentâ— And this is certain God doth noâ— choose means because effectual buâ— means are effectual because God chooses them Young Samuel was chosen to carry a message to Olâ— Eli who did not contemn him foâ— his youth but received the messagâ— the Lord sent by him And 〈◊〉 though I am the meanest of Saints my weak endeavours may be prosperous with the blessing of an Almighty God There is such a pruritus scribendi in this diseased Age that would force me to make some plea for exposing this small Treatise to publick view But Apologies commence so low that they are rather believed to be flatteries than truths and as one saith should the highest Protestations of my humble intentions be entered I know men will take the liberty to believe or question at pleasure Therefore all I shall say is onely this The subject and Treatise is peaceable not mingling with the intemperate and preternatural heats of the Christian or rather unchristian Gladiatours of these days The Treatise is also practical designed to reduce the lives of persons to better order and not stuffed with nice speculations to gratifie mens itching ears and wild fancies I believe also you will say 't is plain if not too uncouth But I shall not affect the vain Pedantry of plausible ostentation for I reckon the simplicity of sober well-meaning hearts need no such curious embellishments And I shall be willing to be judged by any whether it be not seasonable and so I shall depend upon the Lord to accompany it with his blessing to the Souls of those who shall vouchsafe to peruse it whose Prayers I shall desire that I may spend my days to the glory of God and in promoting the publick welfare and so remain Chelmsford Octob. 8. 79. An unfeigned Well-wisher to the publick good THOMAS GOVGE God's Controversie WITH ENGLAND FOR Contemning Deliverances Ezra 9. 13 14. Seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve and hast given us such a deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandments Wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping SInce one effectual means to promote the deserved honour and transcending glory of the Soveraign Governour of Humane Affairs is by a suitable Improvement of his various Providences to us an industrious inquiry into the blessed designs of his providential dispensations in order thereto will be accounted no unnecessary work to such as intend that Religious improvement of them Of these providential occurrences which may not be pretermitted without some serious Meditations on them some are of that sort which we call common from the frequent enjoyment of them of which kind is our daily Preservation Provision Gubernation although they are special considering our unspeakable misery without them and these I say cannot be slighted and dis-regarded without an unworthy disparagement of infinite mercy and contempt of Soveraign Majesty But besides these ordinary works of Providence there are oftentimes extra-ordinary works presented to our view attended with special displays and bearing some eminent impressions of Mercy or Justice which are not to be over-look'd in a cursory way or dispatch with a single glance but require a deliberate Meditation a fixed inspection and a singular improvement Such unusual dispensations from the Almighties hand have frequently been known both in ways of Mercy and Justice in our sinful Nation which hath been a Theatre for the mixed displays of these Glorious Attributes for many years and especially of late our long-suffering God hath stampt most illustrious impressions of mercy on many of his eminent Providences to us of which our Miraculous Deliverance in part vouchsafed to us is an apparent testimony and requires the most faithful improvement that finite creatures can make of the doings of an infinite God The Deliverance I mean was that when the supream Overseer of created beings in all their
operations cast an unmerited eye of pity on our sinful Nation languishing with undiscerned distempers when the boundless goodness of the Eternal God made a timely stop to our hastning ruine when the heavenly witness that is conscious to the secret actions of unmindful Mortals detected the vaulted contrivances of the undermining Moles of our Common-wealth when the Almighty God who places bounds to the roaring waves and says to the raging sea Hitherto and no farther took off the Chariot-wheels of our furious Enemies when he unto whom belongs the issues from death as by a glorious Resurrection rescued us from the jaws of destruction who bore the Image of death upon us when the faithful God discovered the unfaithful dealings of perfidious Plotters and by a glorious ray of infinite goodness shining on our clouded Land hath made us a Land of Goshen who were near to be made a miserable Golgotha This is the Deliverance never to be forgotten the wonderful work with such impressions of mercy which is to be beheld with most fixed intention Now can we cast our eye on this magnificent master-piece of mercy but our eye must needs affect our hearts and ingenerate such motions as were in the heart of thankful David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render to the Lord for all his mercy Can we pass by this Heavenly favour without a pious inquiry into the gracious designs of our blessed God in bestowing of it Hath this unexpected deliverance continued the choicest of blessings to us and shall we dis-appoint the expectations of God who is looking for signal requitals of it Surely such a glorious work as this wherein hath appeared the immediate hand of Almighty God the most wonderful goodness of his sweetest nature the highest testimonies of his enduring patience can never be over-looked by us unless we design to affront his mercy disdain his kindness and dare his justice But oh miserable Nation oh ungrateful people Where are the tokens of thankful respects for unmerited favours What notice is there taken that such a work hath been done amongst us Who lays to heart the operations of his hands Where are the lips that praise him the lives that honour him for it The Idolatrous Philistines could assemble and sacrifice to their Dagon for delivering Sampson their Enemy into their hands Iudg. 16.23 24. But when have we assembled to offer the sacrifice of praise to our God for delivering us from the hands of our Enemies Oh regardless people if talking of Deliverance be recompense enough we have paid it if cursing our foes be sufficient reward we have given it but if repentance of disobedience be the onely return we have yet omitted it if reformation can onely be regarded as a suitable requital we are without it What have we seen but unchanged conversations in our changed condition What have we given to the Lord but a doubled measure of Impieties for his doubled mercies What have we done but endeavoured to revenge our selves on the mercy of God that hath spared us Oh undeserving Generation that we are how do we enjoy mercies and never improve them How do we comfortably reap the profit of Deliverance and unfaithfully rob the Lord of the glory of it How do we bless our selves in escapes and forget the Almighty that gives them to us We are sollicitous wanters but careless enjoyers How are we joyful when getting out of danger but how little careful then are we to be getting out of sin Methinks the Moon that is often changing and still keeps its old spots is a plain Emblem of our wicked Nation when all things are ruining sin remains unruined when enjoying escapes from ruine still sin remains to be again a cause of ruine Oh what unchangeable Ethiopians are we in our sins How like are we to the hardned Mariners who escaping the fatal dangers of a threatning storm remain secure till another Tempest hangs over their heads What succession of mercies do we promise our selves in the vilest continuance in destroying iniquities But is there no hope◠that the consideration of delivering Mercies may over-power us from going on in our wicked courses Were they prest upon our Consciences would they not prevail to effect some reformation It may be a word that will suit to the works of the Lord amongst us may make some impression effect some conviction and produce some amendment Behold then a Word enough to melt our hearts with the reading of it to dissolve us into tears by meditating on it to make us reform by applying of it Seeing thou hast given us such a deliverance as this should we again break thy commandment Wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us c. In these words are contain'd 1. A thankful acknowledgment of the undeserved mercy their gracious God had exercised towards them consisting in these two things 1. He had punished them less than their sins deserved They admire the Clemency of Almighty God that when their iniquities were wonderfully great their punishments should be mitigated with so much mercy The Hebrew Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifies 1. Cohibere se to with-hold ones self And so the sence is elegant Thou hast with-held thy self from doing what our iniquities deserved from thee Thou wouldst not suffer thy direful anger to break out against us to the utmost but didst refrain thy self from making an irreparable ruine amongst us Hadst thou proportioned thy destroying judgment to our daring provocations and thy wrathful dealings to our vast deserts we had not been a people at this very day but thy mercy detain'd the hands of thy Justice and thou didst not so much design to consume us but onely to correct us The like acknowledgment have we cause to make having had experiences of the same clemency for when our provoked God hath come out against us with wasting Wars destroying Plagues devouring Flames yet he restrained his wrath and suspended the greatest part of the judgments we deserved from him and although when he began there was cause enough to make a full end of us all yet in the midst of Justice he remembred mercy and graciously desisted from ruining of us 2. The word signifies Cohibere aliquid to restrain any thing else So the sence is Thou hast restrained kept down our sins from rising up in judgment against us for had they appeared against us we had utterly been ruin'd 2. This Mercy was exprest to them by the working out for them so great a deliverance Since thou hast given us such a deliverance implying how merciful how seasonable how undeserved a deliverance that was they received and such is ours that the Almighty God hath vouchsafed to us 2. You have here the deep sense of duty that was upon his heart which duty was to break off sin which onely can be a just return to God for his goodness 3. You have his sense of danger if sin was persisted in after such a deliverance Wouldst
thou not consume us c. 4. You have the aggravation of that destruction under such hainous sinning Till there were no remnant nor escaping The general Heads I shall insist upon which are immediately contained in or may serve to explain this Text are these 1. That the great design of God in bestowing merciful deliverances on a people is to reclaim them from sin 2. That such is that wickedness that is in the most of men that they are prone to wax worse after deliverances 3. That sinning after Deliverance is the most hainous sinning 4. That sinning after Deliverance hath a peculiar influence to hasten destruction 5. That Destruction for sins after Deliverance will be the most dreadful destruction Now I shall endeavour Deo juvante to speak something to each of these in order PROPOSITION I. The design of God in delivering a people from eminent dangers of ruine is to oblige them to forsake all sinful and wicked practices The intent of delivering mercies is to cause us to repent of our destroying iniquities The main end of Gods exercising goodness towards us is onely to effect some goodness in us The design of special mercies is to make us a special people The Almighty God delights not to reduce a people from sinful courses by laying them under such heavy judgments as may render them incapable of committing those sins which otherwise their wills incline them to but the way of his pleasure is to confer such mercies upon them as may sweetly conquer their stubborn hearts and gain their averse minds to himself Hence when the sin and folly of an obstinate people hath reduc'd them to inextricable straits the eternal God doth not suffer his destroying wrath to break forth against them saying I see them helpless and past recovery now therefore will I ease me of my adversaries and avenge me of my enemies but compassion being kindled in his merciful breast Now says the Lord I will lend a helping hand and give them that experience and those evidences of my goodness that shall for ever oblige them to me and win them from proceeding in ways of rebellion against me Thus all our deliverances lay us under perpetual obligations to devote our selves to the blessed work and service of our delivering God Our mercies are not beautiful Tombes in our way wherewith we may delight our eyes but Chariots to carry us on with more pleasure and cheerfulness in the ways of our gracious God The end of deliverances is plainly seen Luke 1.74 75. That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies may serve him without fear in Righteousness and Holiness all the days of our lives We are not delivered from enemies to continue enemies to God but an escape is given us from the hands of enemies that we may resign up our selves into the hands of our God When God prevents our becoming miserable preys to unmerciful foes 't is to oblige us ever to praise him with thankful Hearts and obedient lives Psal. 105.37 He brought forth that people with silver and gold spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light in the night v. 39. He brought quails and satisfyed them with bread from heaven he brought forth his people with joy and his chosen with gladness v. 43. And what was the design of all this favour v. 45. That they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws Although our mercies are Gods gifts yet they greatly raise our debts The favours we receive from our gracious God are not as payments given to servants to discharge from work but like the encouragements tender Parents give to Children to increase their dutiful service and obedience 'T is promised Hâ—s 3. uâ— They shall fear the Lord and his goodness or ob tantam Dâ—i beneficentiam Grot. they shall serve and obey him for his goodnesses in returning and restoring of them that wonderful kindness was for this end to ingenerate obedient love and induce to constant loyalty to so blest a Redeemer Now had not these blessed intentions and gracious designs been in the heart of our God he had never exercised his Almighty power for our help and relief as of late he hath done but he designing to reclaim us from sin hath restrained his wrath and revealed our danger that so by giving us the advantage of such a mercy we might render to him the glory of it And what can be more reasonable than to give God the glory of that whereof we have the profit What more unjust than to cross such gracious designs as these And therefore unless we design to debar our selves from future mercies it concerns us greatly to answer Gods design in these unless we intend by our incorrigibleness to bring irreparable ruines upon our selves it highly concerns us by this goodness of God to be led to that Repentance and Reformation intended by it For to what end hath this grace of God appear'd but to teach us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts and that we might live soberly righteously and godly in this present world I shall now propose some few Reasons why the glorious God condescends to strive with Man with thus much goodness rather than reduce him by forcible coactions and destroying judgments why he doth not ease him of his Enemies by his Almighty power but endeavour to make them friends by obliging favours REASON I. Because this way and method is most suitable to his gracious nature Rough spirited men in reducing offenders will use nothing but harsh severity but such whose nature is tempered with amiable meekness abhor such wrathful means and will make experiment what clemency and kindness will do before they proceed to powerful compulsions Thus the great God having declared himself to be most gracious will experience how far he can prevail by the exercise of goodness before he proceeds to the displays of his justice and greatness So good is our God that he is ready to make proof of the efficacy of a thousand smiles of mercy rather than of a single stroak of Justice The titles of honour which discover his nature do mostly set out his abounding goodness Exod. 34.5 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in truth and goodness The whole world is embroidered with infinite impressions of goodness Among his blessed Attributes his grace is uppermost and though he be equally just as good yet he exercises his goodness more than his justice This is the fairest flower in the garland of Majesty the brightest ray that issues from that un-approachable light the height of his immensurable and Imperial glory Now if we consider his readiness to mercy and his slowness to anger his frequency in displays of goodness and the rarity of amazing judgments his resolvedness in ways of grace and reservedness in ways of justice we may easily see 't is most agreeable to his nature to accomplish his designs by clemency REASON 2. Because this merciful method is
against me As judgments will not bridle us so mercies will not break us off our sinning Isa. 26.10 Let favour be shown to the wicked yet will he not learn righteousness In the former verses the Prophet shews that the people of God would serve him even under afflictions but as for the wicked neither mercies nor afflictions work upon them Mercies are messengers to instruct us our duty but although for many years we have been called upon by them yet how little have we learnt to love serve and obey our God by them Noah miraculously delivered is abominably drawn into sin He that had the highest proofs of the mercy and justice of God mercy to himself justice to the world lyes drunk in his Tent preserved from waters overcome by wine behold you may see him guilty of the sin for which he saw the world condemned you may see him to be rebuked for the sin he so often had reproved and he that was so holy before now becomes a pattern of uncleanness and example for future wickedness thus prone are the best to sin after deliverance Thus holy Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.24 25. God delivered him from death but he rendred not to the Lord according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up not with thankfulness but haughtiness not in praises but with pride Deut. 32.15 Ieshurun waxed fat and kicked then be forsook the God that made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation Deliverance had made way for his promotion and he being promoted God was rejected Righteous Lot by distinguishing favour escaping the flames of Sodom fell into the fire of sin The ashes of Sodom the pillar of salt made him not wise enough to shun the drunken bed of Incest Who could have thought Lot should fall into such Impieties upon the receipt of such mercies but thus prone are we to abuse goodness and ready to slight the greatest kindness how often do we turn our Physick to poison How often do we make our Mercies Commeatus peccandi Inlets to sin 'T is said concerning Eve that God design'd her an helper to Adam and made her of his rib but the devil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took his rib and made it a fatal dart So God gives Mercies with good intentions but Satan siding with our corrupt inclinations makes use of them to our great disadvantage I shall now consider how it comes to pass that Deliverances have no more Influence upon us and how we become so prone to sin after them 1. It arises from the mighty Power that accustomed sins have upon the heart When highest Reasons are obliging to leave sin the force of Custom prevents their operation When men are soaked in Sensuality flesht in Villany thorough-paced in Rebellious courses what is able to change them Hereby the heart is so direfully hardned the Devil's Kingdom so invincibly fortified and sin itself so much endeared that there is unspeakable difficulty in conquering of it Ezek. 16.4 When delivered from Egypt 't is said Their Navil was not cut The Navil is that whereby the Child is supplyed with nourishment in the Mothers Womb. So this expression means Israel was still drawing in Egyptian Manners and Superstitions being accustomed to them they still hankered after them notwithstanding their great deliverance And although for a while a deliverance may seem to make some impression yet as the water heated redit ad ingenium grows cold again so affections to God wear off and men are hankering after their former Lusts. So Ezek. 23.8 Neither â—eft she her whoredoms brought from Egypt Difficile est ab usitatis desinere Accustomed â—ins are hardly deserted sins often renewâ—d are hardly reformed sudden mercies â—hough never so great will hardly wear â—ut continued sins 2. The reason why our Deliverances work no greater Reformation is because â—e fix our Eyes too much upon second â—auses and inferiour Instruments withâ—ut a due acknowledgment of the hand â—f God Hence we are prone to conâ—eive our selves more obliged to Men than 〈◊〉 God himself How wickedly do ma 〈◊〉 ascribe more to Humane Policy and Heathenish Fortune than to infinite power and Heavenly favour Hos. 11.3 They knew not that I healed them Nescire dicitur qui gratiam non refert He is ignorant who neither observes nor answers the merciful hand of God Attributing Deliverances to man hinders the performance of duty to God The reason why mercies are not seconded with obedience to God is because we look too much to second causes so those Hab. 1.16 Their portion was fat and they sacrificed to their nets and burnt incense to their drags Thus the Assyrian proudly ascribed all to himself Isa. 10.14 By the strength of my hand have I done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent How can the mercy of God be answered if it be not owned How can we requite God for delivering if we deny the receipts of deliverance from him If we look not upon our mercies as given by God we shall give God nothing foâ— his mercies 3. Deliverances are no more influentia to reclaim from sin because of our unreasonable oblivion of them Our greatest mercies are but nine days wonders present impressions made by deliverance are soon worn off by neglect of future consideration The sense of our Engagements to Obedience wearing off our inclinations to sin make head When mercies are new how frequent is our remembrance of them Whilst employed in our daily labours our minds are admiring delivering love When waking in the night these are the objects of Meditation when conversing with friends these are the Theams we discourse of Now somewhat must be done to requite this kindness but too sudden a forgetfulness anticipates and prevents the performance of our acknowledged obedience Deut. 32.17 18. they are charged with abominable sins and it stands as a reason because they forgot the God that formed them and the rock that begat them Did we not forget our mercies our Consciences would force us to forsake our sins Were our hearts more but Repositories for Gods favours so much Iniquity would not be lodged in them Forgetting Gods mercies is not onely a base unworthy sin but a breeding sin many desperate sins arise from despising the kindness of our God And oh how unspeakably strange is it that we can forget him who doth so much to be remembred That we can suffer his mercies to pass out of our mind whose mercies are new every moment How impossible would it be to live in unlamented sin did we live in the sense of undeserved mercies Hence it is we are so prone to sin after deliverances because we are so apt to suffer them to slip out of our labile memories 4. This continuance in sin after deliverances arises from persons bolstring up themselves with sinful presumptions that the dangers of destruction are past When men begin to apprehend all things are well they are apt to take occasion to do ill When
Pavidus as one afraid of us astonish'd at our iniquities A man astonisht doth walk up and down this way and that way knows not what course to take so our sinning whilst God is delivering makes God at a loss what to do Sometimes he goes forward with deliverance sometimes it seems to stand still another while it looks as if it were set back and all this because we amaze God with our daring sins God told the people of Israel admiring he went not on with deliverance Isa. 59.1 2. My hand is not shortned that it cannot save nor my ear deafned that it cannot hear but your iniquities separate between you and your God c. We drive God from us by our sins and how then can our Salvation be carryed on Shall we make God go back and repent of the good he hath seemed to design for us our sinning will do it Ier. 18.10 If it doth evil in my sight I will repent of the good wherewith I said I will benefit it Shall we not repent of sinning rather than provoke God thus to repent of his purpose to deliver Why will you blast all your hopes of escape and wither that flower that 's springing up Oh then if you desire a farther deliverance desert your former sins or else God will resolve to add no more By this most abominable persistence in sin the Lord is provoked not onely to stop deliverances but to step into ways of judgments and that with unalterable resolutions to destroy Instead of enabling people against enemies he enables enemies against them Instead of delivering from cruel adversaries he justly delivers them up unto them Hereby his saving arm becomes a smiting hand and mercy it sâ—lf is made an enemy Hereby our greatest friend becomes an implacable foe and whereas oftentimes before he had graciously sent Commissions from Heaven for deliverance now in his wrath he dispenseth commands and issues out Writs to destroy This severity to a sinful people you may see Isa. 63.9 10. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them but they rebelled and vext his holy Spirit therefore he was turned to be their enemy and fought against them Now how can they hope to escape that have a victorious God to oppose them How miserably will those be ruin'd that by despising Gods helping pitty convert it to destroying enmity Oh that the terrour of Divine displeasure for such transgressions thus exemplified in others might have that sutable influence on our hearts as to prevent them in us let others corrections be our admonitions let Gods vindictive judgments on others be instructive warnings to us Rev. 15.4 Who will not fear thee thy judgments are made manifest Let others confusion be a subject of our consideration and know if we continue Enemies to God after his friendly fatherly dealings he will soon become our enemy and fight against us then the deepest policy the highest power can be no security to us But that which is the most direful consequence of this horrid sinning is that it brings the Eternal God to unmoveable resolutions to accomplish the destruction of such a people He will not be prevailed with to deliver those whom his mercies could not prevail with to desist from sin If we grow incorrigible under mercies God will grow inexorable when under judgments If a deaf ear be turned to God when by mercies he calls for duty he will turn a deaf ear to us when we in misery invocate his mercy whatever hopes we may flatter our selves withal we shall meet with no help from God when thus provoked Although such is the goodness of God that he often repents before he destroys yet such provocations will make him weary of repenting and resolve to ruine Ier. 15.6 7. Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou hast gone away backward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee I am weary of repenting I have long indulged you but I will now spare no longer but avenge your sins Some render it Laboravi rogans c. I have taken pains intreating you to repent till I am weary but now ye that have wearyed me with your sins shall be wearied with judgments So v. 7. I will fan them with a fan in the gates that is I will scatter them about as the chaff is scattered with a fan I will bereave them of children and destroy my people sith they return not from their ways Thus impenitent sinning brings unavoidable judgments and Divine vengeance will infallibly pursue such as persist in these hainous sins No Sanctuary shall shelter these ungrateful wretches from the hands of justice nor shall flattering intreaties prevent the ruine of such unrepenting sinners The deserved judgments that belong to these inhumane offenders of mercy will be threatned with unalterable certainty Thus you may see them denounced against an incorrigible people Ezech. 24.13 14. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged till I have caused my fury to rest upon you Because I have purged thee q. d. I have endeavoured to perswade thee and oblige thee to leave thy filthy sins Verba quae effectum notant saepe de conatu intelliguntur Estius So God is said to do what he requires desires permits or perswades to be done Thus God had been inducing of them to obedience reducing of them from sin but under all they were unspeakably obstinate which caused these desperate resolutions in God against them He would make his fury rest upon them and their doom is confirmed with the highest asseverations conceivable v. 14. I the Lord have spoken i. e. I that am of undoubted faithfulness and cannot lye of infinite power and can execute my pleasure I have spoken it and it shall come to pass whatever evasions you think to make however secure and careless you are it shall come to pass and I will do it I will undertake the ruine of such as rebel against my mercies and abuse the greatest instrument of raising my honour viz. my patience I will not go back neither will I spare or repent When I begin I will carry on my work I will not break off my judgments since ye will not break off your sins the sentence is irrevocable you must expect no reversion of it nor deliverance from it Now surely vengeance threatned with thus much certainty will fall upon a people with intolerable severity When judgments are thus punctually determined it cannot be expected they should be a long while delay'd What hopes now can we have if persisting in sin after our many merciful escapes Will not this grave-stone be laid upon us Will not a consumption be decreed from the Lord of Hosts against us What though we are spared this once after all our former evasions Are we now out of danger Are there no instances to be found of a people preserved delivered as often as we and at last the Writs of destruction were issued forth What think you of that
this Deliverance by the nearness of the Destruction it was in articulo mortis all was almost concluded our Passing-bell rung the day was presum'd to be their own and now delivered as Daniel è faucibus perditionis from the very jaws of Destruction from the very mouths of our Enemies Oh wonderful goodness And most fitly might I mention the means of our Deliverance Vna eadémque manus vulnus opémque feret How did this sweetest Honey come from the Lions carcass Men of their own Party must impart it to us those of their own Conclave are means under God to deliver us from their own Counsels Oh the wonderful Authority of God that wrought on their Consciences so long benum'd Oh the Wisdom of God that works by contrary means No Violence constrained them but what the Almighty used with them no Policy induced them so much as Divine Power Vse 2. Is it the designe of God in delivering to reduce from sin and oblige to Holiness Let us then examine our selves whether we have answer'd these holy designs of our gracious God Oh Reader faithfully ask thine own heart Have I not been as loose and profane as vile and vain as carnal and formal as ever I was before What inducement hath this gracious preservation been to the reformation of my Life What Sin have I faithfully forsaken what displeasing Lust have I unfeignedly left what spiritual Obedience have I closed withal since I enjoyed this unspeakable Mercy Doth not thy Conscience accuse thee of thy regardlesness of it Doth not thy heart smite thee for not observing the Duties thou art oblig'd to by it Abasuerus would know what was done to Mordecai for the good deed he had done for the Kingdom Ask thy self What good hath been done to God for all the good deeds he hath done for thee What hath been done to him for his delivering of thee Hast thou not sinned the more against him and turn'd his Grace into wantonness Is that a meet requital for his kindness Are Pride Drunkenness Sensuality fit Votive Tables for our merciful escapes Oh let not this Mercy be lost for want of improvement lest you never enjoy such another Remember exoneratio supplicii est oneratio officii the laying off and freeing thee from punishment lays obligations upon thee for dutiful Obedience Mercies are to be like showers on Valleys making them fruitful as a grain of corn sown in the tilled earth bringing forth a plentiful crop of expected fruit God hath sown the seeds of his Mercies let not the Devil reap a crop of Sin Oh how might I plead with you as loving Ionathan with hard-hearted Saul 1 Sam. 19.4 Let not the King sin against David for he hath not sinned against thee and because his works are good Oh let not us sin against God let us not rebel against him he never dealt unjustly with us but his deeds are good He is ever working for us He is ever heaping up Mercies shall we sin against him It will be better not to receive a Mercy than not to be better'd by it Oh come now and consider with your selves say with thy self Hath God in his Providence made me a freeman from Popish Slavery and shall I make my self a Slave to Lusts and a Vassal to the Devil Shall God continue my Life and shall I cast it away as worth nothing Oh examine your selves how you have acted Plato seeing any disorderly would say Num ego talis Am I such an one Thou seest many go on in sin ask thy self Am not I such an one Do not I go on in sin What a folly is it in us that we utimur perspicillis plusquam speculis use spectables to see other faults more than looking-glasses to see our own Learn the Art of Self-reflection and that is the way to Self-reformation Vse 3. Is it Gods design and desire to reduce us from sin by these merciful methods Then let us not foolishly cause the Lord to use more forcible and fearful means to effect this in us Let us not force a gracious God out of his delightful ways of Mercy Why should we make him be doing his works of Judgment since he declares his unwillingness to it Shall we turn his Scepter into a Rod Shall we drive away those precious Mercies by sinful courses which with mournful hearts and wringing hands we shall be glad to be recalling Shall we make our Showers of Mercy end in Flouds of Vengeance Shall we wrest the Sword of Justice out of the Sheath of Patience and violently pull down Vengeance on our own heads Will you tell the Lord you are weary of his Mercies and will never regard them Will you declare in the presence of God that if he will not powre out his Vengeance and display his Justice and make your Plagues wonderful that you will not fear him nor break off sins Is your strength so great to stand before his Anger that you are resolute in provoking of him Will nothing serve your turn but destruction and desolation and undoing judgements You must either cease sinning or God will cease waiting and give over favouring of you God speaks Ezech. 6.9 how the Jews had broken him with their whorish heart that is he tells them they should remember Eum quasi objecta quadam violentiâ à proposite abductum invitum planè adductum essë eorum persidia ut interrumperetur cursus misericordiae Calv. That he was turn'd from his gracious purposes with the violence their sins offered to him and that it was by their perfidiousness he was brought to break off the course of his mercies Thus God is broken off from ways of mercy by our not breaking off our ways of sin The holy God is resolv'd to make us leave off sinning one way or other if his goodness cannot gain us if his mercies cannot induce us his justice will come out against us and by his mighty power he will rule us Ezek. 20.33 As I live saith the Lord surely with a mighty hand and an out-stretched arm and with fury poured out will I rule over you God will bring us into subjection by mercies or judgments his fury shall do that his favour will not But why should we cause the Lord to be so severe unto us we weary man but will ye weary God also Let us be constrained to amendment by his love or else he must curb us by tormenting punishments It was said of Israel Psal. 81.11 Israel would have none of me Shall it be so said of England that we refus'd and slighted what God gives and what he doth in way of mercy Shall it be said we will have none of his mercies none of his deliverances shall we not then have his judgments and feel his vengeance Vse 4. Is this the designe of God in delivering then wisely make use of this as an Argument to invalidate all future temptations to sin When sinful occasions offer themselves unto you damp the hurtful influence of
them by objecting to thy self the unreasonableness of sinning after such mercies confer'd upon thee Thus Ioseph did invalidate the eager assaults of his wicked Mistriss Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God He did not rashly admit the temptation but consulted Conscience and repel'd it with this weighty Argument How can I sin against a God that hath of late been so favourable to me hath delivered me from death and advanced me to honour Oh I cannot slight so much kindness to please a sinful humour I will never do it When then thou meetest with allurements to sin take to thy self this corroborating disswasive from it and couragiously oppose all unworthy motions to Rebellion by pondering on it Inferences from the second Proposition concerning our proneness to sin after Deliverances 1. Hence we see the absolute Necessity that there is of Divine Power to render any means effectual to bring us from sin However probable means may be to effect this end they are not powerful enough without the cooperation of an Almighty arm superadded to them If rational Arguments were sufficient such as are drawn from infinite Mercy might be enough to charm our Wills to a loyal Obedience to our God but we see that outward Mercies not conferring inward Grace cannot accomplish such difficult work The chiefest engine that draws the heart of man from sin is Mercy but 't is the arm of God must fasten it to the heart of man and Divine Power that can only attract him by it Mercies are only cords which Divine Power uses to draw men from sin If Moral Perswasions were so wonderfully effectual in converting Sinners as some would have them it is strange men cannot overcome themselves to forsake their sins by the consideration of the merciful Preservations and gracious Deliverances the Almighty bestows upon them Strange it is men cannot be perswaded to cease provoking God to Judgements by the declaring his unwillingness to them by the experiences of deliverances from them But how do we experience the ineffectualness of outward Mercies whatever valid motives may be drawn from them What need then is there to apply our selves most frequently to the Throne of Grace for heavenly Influences on earthly Blessings How should we earnestly crave the concurrence of God's Omnipotency for the bettering of us by the confluence of Mercies bestowed upon us Isai. 48.17 The Lord teaches to profit In the greatest abundance of Means and Mercies we shall have no profit without the aids and assistance of God He must teach us to improve Deliverances to gain by his Goodness When cords of Mercy are put into our hands let us lift up out hearts to the Father of Mercies and cry Draw us and we will follow thee When Mercies are sown like precious seeds most plentifully amongst us let us implore the showers of Divine Blessing to make us fruitful by them When such invaluable Talents are put into our hands let us seek to the Almighty for strength to work with them Plead with the Lord to deliver thee from sin by his Deliverances to give thee the incomes of his Grace to improve thy Life miraculously continued to thee Leave not the Throne of Grace till Grace is given thee to leave thy sins Cease not to importune the Almighties help against thy sins till he hath delivered thee from them as he hath done from thine enemies Acknowledge thine own weakness and so thou wilt engage the strength of God Tell him with holy boldness that now he hath given thee his Mercies thou canst not be content without his Blessing with them Let temporal Deliverance edge thy appetite after spiritual and eternal Thou hast but half a Mercy till thy Soul is better'd by a Deliverance whether it be from Enemies or Sickness or any other distress or danger 2. Are we so prone to sin after Deliverance Then hence be warned to be very watchful upon the enjoyment of such a Mercy Oh that we who enjoy so eminent escapes from danger might use our greatest industry to prevent our proceeding in sin Let us fortifie our selves against such an evil practice Make conscience of what you do in a delivered condition Let us no longer carelesly run on in our sins but seriously consider the inducements we have to a holy Life Now in order to prevent our proceeding in sin admit this serious counsel and observe these Directions 1. Make frequent Reflections on the great Deliverance in part bestowed upon us When the Creator of the ends of the Earth survey'd his glorious Works he saw they were good and delighted in them and he greatly delights that we should be frquent in Meditations of his glorious Works of Creation and Providence and live in perpetual admirings of them applauding the shines of his Power Wisdome and Mercy in them The least of Gods Works deserve the admiration of the greatest Angel in Heaven Inconsiderate Persons gain little advantage by the most considerable Mercies Were our hearts more thankful we should make a particular Computation and exact Chronology of dayly and yearly Mercies The forgetfulness of Mercy is the ground of our forsaking God after them 'T is mighty effectual to ballast our hearts against our impetuous inclinations to sin to be much in considering what God hath done for us Hence the people of Israel were admonished to be frequent in reviewing their sad condition in Egyptian bondage with the blessed escape given them from it Deut. 26.1 2.5 c. When thou art come into the land thou shalt speak and say A Syrian ready to pâ—rish was my father and he went down into Egypt and became there a great nation and the Egyptians intreated us ill and the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and out-stretched arm and with great terribleness c. Thus they were to make a frequent commemoration of their miserable state and merciful escape In like manner it were necessary for us to look back on what we lately were and say A little while since I was at the gates of Death by the subtile contrivances of Popish Enemies a little time past I had near been devoured by the jaws of those preying Lions Some few months are past since the Nation was in danger of being involv'd in incomparable Miseries it hath almost been made a Stage for the acting a bloudy Tragedy an Altar on which had been sacrificed innumerable precious Lives a Prey to Roman Fury and now behold blessed be the Lord the Scene is changed the Curtains of Secrecy that covered the nasty vault of Popish Conspirators is happily drawn aside the God of our lives by his over-awing Majesty hath influenced the hearts of Enemies to detect the Snare they once did endeavour to lay Should we not then argue Should I that was so lately in such danger of losing my precious life now squander it away as a contemptible thing Should I thus lately experiencing mercy from God manifest my self by wicked courses
what crying sins are to be seen amongst us Have we not sins of the greatest magnitude who have mercies of the highest nature Are not our sins worse than Sodoms when our mercies are abundantly more than that enjoyed Sins in England are greater than sins in other Nations that have not partaken of such signal favours as we We wonder God bears with Antichristian Rome with forreign Idolaters Alas their sins are not of that nature that ours are Our sins it may be are minoris infamiae of lesser infamy but majoris reatus of greater guilt than theirs Our sins are double and the more our mercies increase the more abundant aggravations belong to our sins Are we not sinners above all that have favours beyond any Our sins that are small in abstracto considered abstractly are great in concreto considering the circumstances of them If small sins will not startle us here are great sins then to amaze us Oh let our sins that we have committed be more before us that so the sense of their greatness may prevent our proceeding in them 2. Hence see what need we have of great Repentance an ordinary sorrow will not answer our extraordinary sins Gravissima peccata gravissimis lamentis indigent Greatest provocations call for greatest lamentations Oh what tears and lamentations can be great enough for our horrid sins What sighs can be deep enough for a Nation so deeply involved in sin Should not our mourning be as in the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Valley of Megiddon every family apart every person apart Should not Ninive be our president Should not our England become a Bokim and our Island be overflown with tears Oh what floods of tears is there need of to wash away our abominable pollutions Oh what wailing and weeping should be in a Nation living and wallowing in such iniquities Aut poenitendum vel pereundum Repentance onely can prevent our ruine Repentance onely can make justice to retreat Repentance onely can deliver us now delivered But where shall we finde it Where are the weeping eyes the mourning hearts Oh that repentance might appear among us lest judgments appear against us Oh that we could lay our selves down at the feet of mercy by humiliation that we may not be laid down in a dreadful desolation by the hands of justice Oh that a hearty repentance might prevent our hastening ruine Oh that we might lie in breathing sweats of Godly sorrow that we may not lie sweltring in our blood Our sins reach up to Heaven let our sorrow reach to heart Oh that each part of unfeigned repentance might be really acted by us Let us make a strict inquiry into our fins commune with our hearts let us go the Circuit of our hearts and lives and see the abominable sins to be condemned there Let us read the Book of Conscience and see what sins we there stand indicted for As Letters wrote with the juice of Oranges are not to be read but by the fire Thus some have their sins written and will not read them now but shall at last read them by the fire of Hell Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our ways Oh we are senseless of our sins but aeger non sentiens periculosius laborat a senseless sick man is most in danger Oh open your eyes then and see what disorders in heart what wickedness in life refuse not a sight of thy sins now one day God will set them before thy eyes Disown not the Charges that are against thee without reason Let us no longer sew Fig-leaves on our sins The impartial Judge of Heaven and Earth knows our crimes Let us therefore return and say Father I have sinned Thus did those Lam. 5.16 Wo be to us we have sinned David yeilded the case to Nathan I am the man maist thou not justly say I am the man that have been nothing the better for deliverance I am the man or woman have gone on in Pride Sensuality without repentance reformation Defend not thy sins by excuses but own them be convinced without further demur and condemn thy self as a guilty malefactor Then let us pour out our tears and open the Flood-gates of Godly sorrow and if we would escape let us be like those Ezek. 7.16 Who were like Doves in the Valleys mourning every one for their own iniquity Oh that our proud hearts might yeild to this work Our dry eyes be filled with tears Let us fill Gods bottle with our tears What is weeping good for but to testifie our sorrow for sin it cannot recover a dying friend it may a dying Nation it cannot stop the course of death it may the coming of judgments Open then the windows of Heaven and break up the deeps and let us make us a hearty weeping as may prevent the heavy judgments our great sins are calling for Then let us make a holy resolution in the strength of the Almighty to cease from our sins Say as holy Iob Job 34.32 If I have done evil I will do it no more With holy indignation reject thy former villanies Oh let our souls be raised to a deserved hatred of these great iniquities and let nothing content us but the utter ruine of our ruining sins Let us not be dismai'd at the difficulty attending that blessed work 'T is hard to destroy sin but will it not be harder to be damned for it If it be hard to bear the launching of those ranker'd wounds what will it be to bear the smart of the envenomed arrows of divine justice for ever Know also thou may'st do all things through Christ that strengthens thee then carry thy sins with the solemnity of penitential tears to their eternal funeral And unless this reformaon shall attend thy repentance thou repentest with an absurd contradiction Optima poenitentia est nova vita The best repentance is a new life This is the repentance our hainous sins require and all this is to be done in a more than ordinary way because of the greatness of our sins 3. If sins after deliverance are so great hence see how near judgments may be unto us because the measure of our iniquities will be so suddenly â—illed The patience of Hâ—aven will soon be worn out with these daring provocations As we are heaping up Sin the Almighty is heaping up Wrath and the greater sins the sooner the treasures of wrath will be full The more fuel we bring the sooner the fire will be kindled to consume us The Lord in his mercy is waiting to be gracious backward to judgment but such iniquities will soon waste his patience and provoke his wrath We read Gen. 15.16 that the Lord delayed punishment because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full The measure of sin and wrath are often filling many years and according as sins are aggravated judgments approach faster or slower Thus Ioel 3.13 God calls for Sickles to be put in because the harvest was ripe the pressës were full and the fats did overflow
GOD's CALL TO ENGLAND For Thankfulness after gracious DELIVERANCES Wherein is shewed That our DELIVERANCES Not answered with Reformation Will be followed with Sorest Destruction By Thomas Gouge JOSH. 20. If ye forsake the Lord he will turn and do you hurt after the good he hath done you Gratiarum â—essat discursus ubi recursus non fuerit Nec modo nil augetur ingrato sed quod ascipit vertitur ei in perniciem Bern. Serm. 1. cap. Jejunii LONDON Printed for Iohn Hancock at the three Bibles in Corn-hill entering into Popes-head-alley 1680. A PREFACE Pressing to the great Duty of Thankfulness for Mercies THE eminent Appearances of a Divine Hand delivering this sinful Nation in its plunges of woful Distresses have been such remarkable Testimonies of Infinite Goodness and Patience as are sâ—â—rce to be parallâ—â—â— in any Age of the World in any Nation under Heaven So numerous are the Expressions of Mercy to a People daring Heaven with their Impieties that whoever shall review the Catalogue of them will be amazed to see one more superadded to the former so abused and slighted as wickedly they have been by many of us Yet Prerogative Mercy which acts beyond expectation and desert conquering all Difficulties and Discouragements hath not stept aside to give way to Justice but hath continued its progress towards us Had it not been for this we had certainly seen more direful Effects of our Enemies Projects than yet we have beheld Had it not been for this we had been as deeply involv'd in Misery as we are in Sin Hence in our great extremity after all his forgotten favours he hath spoken in his Love as in Ierem. 16.21 I will this once caâ—â—â— them to know I will cause them to know 〈◊〉 hand and my might and they shall know my Name is the Lord. This once will I cause them to know my Mercy to understand my unwillingness to destroy them and hence it is that England has not been forsaken of the Lord although it is full of sin against the Holy One of Israel Ier. 51.5 Now what hath encouraged what hath induced the Lord to express thus much favour to such as so provoke the eyes of his Glory It is only because He will have Mercy on whom he will have Mercy Rom. 9. Be it known O People of England 't is not for your Righteousness that the Lord hath done this for ye are a stiff-necked People Deut. 9.6 Our works and ways deserve nothing but utter ruine and perpetual desolation For his Names sake has be done all this and that he might make his mighty Power to be known Psal. 106.8 his super-transcendent Goodness hath wrought out these sweet Deliverances for us And for this end hath he done it that we might remember our evil ways and our doings that were not good and might loath our selves in our own sight for our iniquities and abominations Ezech. 36.31 And now shall we be a happy People if Mercies shall so prevail upon us as to effect this blessed frame and disposition in us For this end hath the Almighty tryed us with another Deliverance because he hath said It may be they will present every one their Supplications and return from their evil ways Ier. 36.7 Oh what expectations hath God to see a repenting reforming holy obedient carriage upon our receipts of such wonderful favours from him He looks that we will appear another manner of People than we have been after these eminent frequent seasonable and Miraculous appearances for us Oh therefore since the Lord hath not forsaken us a sinful People but stood by us and redeemed us when appointed to Death Let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten Ierem. 50.5 Let us offer up our selves to the Lord as a whole-burnt-offering in the ascending flames of purest Affections Let us not occasion the cessation of Heavenly Kindnesses by a wicked regardlesness of them Let it be our employment to applaud and improve the Infinite Love of God in all his Mercies Come let us view the sudden and sweet Dispensations of God's heavenly and holy Providence and fix our thoughts on his surprizing Benefits till our hearts are enamour'd with the Authour of them and transform'd into the likeness of that loving God that gives them let us trace him in his ways of Mercy till we are sweetly brought into the ways of Duty Let our Souls be drawn up to the Center of Heaven by the Golden Chains of Mercies let down from thence unto us Let us continue a leisurely Meditation on our gracious Deliverances till our Affections are sublimated our hearts inflamed and a Thankful frame produced Let us behold our most precious Lives preserved our inestimable Liberties secured the conspicuous and glorious Light of the Gospel continued the Life of his Sacred Majesty defended I say let us contemplate these things till our health shall sound Melodious Praises to that Almighty Power that hath done all this Now Courteous Reader what doth the Lord require for all this Kindness but a truely thankful Heart and Life And what less canst thou give to God than this Thou canst present the Almighty with no such pleasing Offering as a grateful Heart For God hath sufficiently exprest his esteem of such Presents by appointing the Altar of Incense which was for Thank-Offerings to be encompassed with a Crown of purest Gold for though the most odoriferous Incense is nothing in his account the thank-ful heart that presents it as a Testimonial of unfeigned Gratitude is highly esteemed by him Neither is there any thing more consonant to the Dictates of Reason than that we express all manner of kindness to those that oblige us by their large Munificence for Quisquis magna dedit voluit sibi magna rependi The Donors of great favours expect answerable requitals And however we may forget what we give we must not forget what we receive And therefore I may say as Bernard Cùm amat Deus nil aliud vult quam amari when the Lord expresseth love he designes to be loved And verily a grateful reflexion of honour to God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our highest and lowest Divinity the highest pitch of attainments is but Love the lowest return can be nothing beneath it if any thing at all The only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Requitals we can render to God for his richest Favours are only Testimonials of Thankfulness by extolling his holy Name with unfeigned Praises and reflecting Honour on his blessed Majesty by chearful Obedience to his sacred Commandments Now therefore as the piercing Rays of the glorious Sun though passing through the transfluent Air with an imperceptible motion yet meeting with a Solid Body rebound with an increasing lustre so should our Hearts and Lives reflect the honour of all our Mercies on our Heavenly Benefactor And unless the Bounty of Heaven gains so far upon our obstinate Hearts as to effect this work we shall gain
most agreeable to the nature of man The most powerful Engine to attract the will of man is the good will and mercy of God Man being of a generous spirit is more easily drawn than driven perswaded than forced Murdering severity may force a slavish fear but never produce any loving obedience Dipping in the sweetest oyl of mercy is most effectual to soften the hardned hearts of men Parisiensis relates a History of a stubborn sinner that nothing would reclaim but God heaping up favours upon him at last he cries out Vicisti benignissime Deus indefatigabili bonitate Oh kindest God thou hast conquered me with thy unwearied goodness Were a man to relieve an inveterate enemy in a perishing condition it could not but effect a change and make him become an intimate and constant friend Sullen peremptory and imperious commands have little influence to sway obdurate Enemies The kindness of conscientious David in sparing Saul his mortal Enemy melted his stony heart and made him promise eternal friendship 1 Sam. 26.21 I have sinned says Saul I will do thee no more harm seeing my life was precious in thy sight And will not the most refractory sinner be ready to come to terms of peace at the receiving such kindness from the hand of God will he not say Ah Lord I have been an ungodly Enemy and impudent Rebel against thee thou hadst me in thy hand and mightest have suffer'd my bloody Enemies to have cut me off thou mightest have dispatcht me to eternal Torments but since thou hast been so gracious to spare and deliver me thy Enemy henceforth I shall ever be thy friend and never offer to rebel any more REASON 3. God proceeds in these gracious methods because of the experienc'd ineffectualness of destroying judgments to effect a sincere Repentance and produce an unfeigned obedience Mercy hath ever prevailed more with sinners than wrath Severity in exercising judgments may curb a head-strong sinner from outward enormities but the bent of his will and the inclination of his heart still remains to commit it These usually have no farther influence than to render men like roaring Lyons confin'd by Iron grates like ravenous dogs restrain'd by heavy chains onely making an impediment from acting not an amendment as to the will to act A lock may stop a Thief yet it alters not his mind This ineffectualness of judgments hath often been evidenc'd in the devilish behaviour that hath appeared in many under them How many in blasphemous enraged passions have belch'd out most execrable Oaths and reproachful speeches against Heaven and the instruments of Divine vengeance Et quem oderunt perire cupiunt wishing the destruction of the God that destroyed them As the Cilicians made War against Mount Aâ—tna spitting out sulphureous flames upon them with such madness do rebellious wretches contend with the Almighty consuming them by the fire of deserved vengeance How often do men bid defiance to God heaping up plagues upon them and stopt in their sinful courses as Balaam by the Angel still will spur on in despite of God himself Zeph. 3.5 Every morning be brings his â—udgments to light but the wicked know no â—hame Sins were continued under continual judgments so Ier. 5.3 They were smitten and did not grieve And if at any time judgments have affected a sinful people by reason of the extremity of them yet all those appearances of Devotion under them have been mostly delusions being onely the workings of nature expressing a sense of suffering not the effects of grace declaring a sorrow for sinning hence hardned Pharaoh unâ—er the distress of miraculous judgments is seemingly moved with Repentance Thus thousands are beautiful in pangs but 't is onely the operations of judgments on the body not their impression on the heart But this â—neffectualness of destroying judgments â—s declared abundantly by the following carriage of the sufferers by them For how many have we known after the weaâ—ing off the smarting sense of vengeance have proved the grandees and Imperialists in provoking wickednesses and the storm of judgements being a little over have rid on with a full carreer and unâ—ridled chase in their unlicensed courses Since then this way effects so little God will rather make use of mercies since horrid desolations will make no mere impression God will make experiment what deliverance will do So then to conclude this head God uses these means because as Sola misericordia deducit Deum ad homines so Sola misericordia reducit homines ad Deum As mercy onely brings down God to man so mercy onely brings back man to God PROPOSITION 2. Such is the wickedness of our corrupted hearts that we are prone to proceed in sin notwithstanding the Lord is using these means with us to reclaim us We are apt to make use of our deliverances to further our sins rather than improve them to the forsaking of them For as the red Sea drinks in the River Iordan yet is never the sweeter and the vasâ— Ocean all other Rivers yet is not thâ— fresher so we receive the most excellent mercies and yet are but little the better So entire is our cursed affection to ouâ— espoused Lusts that whoever be dis-engaged and whoever be displeased we arâ— too much resolv'd to continue in them Hence the mercies God gives for encouragements to serve him we turn to be instruments of sinning against him When God doth most for us in ways of mercy we are prone to do most against him in ways of sin 'T is reported of the Leopard that 't is most savage to those that do most for it Too true it is of us we are wretchedly most unkind to those that shew most kindness to us Felicitate corrumpimur outward felicitie makes us abound in iniquity After the receipt of special favours we often loosen the reins to Impiety and run more extravagantly after our own inventions How many become more nimble in the feats of iniquity by being anointed with the oyl of mercy Men nurse the hateful brats of their devilish lusts at the breast of Divine bounty Our envenom'd natures extract food for the nourishment of abominable sins from the singular favours of a gracious God As when the season grows warm by fructifying rays of the Sun the weeds spring up so by the increase of mercies there is often the abounding of iniquity Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty vine or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vitis luxurians a wild vine according to the multitudes of his fruits he hath increased the altars i. e. Quo res habuit prâ—speriores eo magis indulsit Idololatriae Groâ— The more prosperity the more Idolatry 'T is observed of the Spleen the greater it grows the less the body is the more Temporal mercies the less heavenly spirits and holy obedience Hos. 4.7 As they increased they sinned against me Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sicut multiplicari eis as I multiplyed to them or as I increased deliverances honour riches so they sinned
allusion to men with broken bones Oh what would they give for a healing Chirurgion what price would they give to be free from pain so these in distress would promise any thing to God for deliverance but says the Lord though I bound them up and cased them though I strengthened them against the destructive assaults of their enemies yet still with the highest wickedness and unkindness they imagine mischief against me the more I did to engage them the more they have done to dishonour me The people of Israel were charged with their sinning at Gilgal above all other places Hos. 9.15 All their iniquity is in Gilgal The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render all signifies summum praecipuum i.e. their highest chiefest most notorious si◠was at Gilgal why there because there it was they received abundance of mercies Here was the great circumcision when the reproach was rolled away after they had past over Iordan and arrived to the Land of Canaan Iosh. 5.7 here Ioshua pitcht the twelve stones the everlasting memorial of their wonderful deliverance out of Iordan Iosh. 4.20 here was the beginning of the rest promised to them in the Land of Canaan Now to be involved in sin when encompast with so many mercies to be forsaking God after such late experience of his goodness this was the highest crime imaginable Now I shall lay down some particular aggravations of sins after deliverances that so you may lament those you have committed and labour to prevent them for the future 1. Such sins most wretchedly cast a blot upon the most Holy God as if he were a countenancer of sin and a patron to persons Impieties rather than a severe avenger of them Christ was accounted a friend to Publicans and sinners for shewing kindness unto them and will not Atheistical wretches be ready to asperse the glorious God as a friend to sin for improving his power to deliver such persons as improve his deliverance onely for sin 'T is reported of one prophane Dionysius that when by his covetous pilfering he had preyed on a Temples glory and enricht himself with its Sacred Treasure and after transporting his Treasures escaping a fatal Shipwrack of which he was in danger with the greatest impudence cryes out How do the Gods love Sacriledge Because he presumed they delivered him a Robber he imagined they loved Robbery Psal. 50.21 Because I kept silence thou thoughtst me altogether such an one as thy self i. e. Quod tuis maleficiis delector Muis. Gods patient forbearance made him reckon God unrighteous as himself To go on in sin when delivered from ruine is practically to say I am delivered to sin Such an Impiety was charged on the Jews Ierem. 7.10 Will ye steal and murder and say We are delivered to do all these abominations They were not come to that height of profaneness to declare it in so many words but by their ungodly courses after his gracious deliverances they did as much as say it What is this but to make God an unholy God What greater aggravations of our sins can there be than to cast dirt on the holiness of God which is the aggravation of all his glory Certainly if God suffers dishonour by his exercising goodness to us we shall suffer destruction for our abusing of it God will shew no favour to those who make him a favourer of sin 2. Such sinning is so abominable because 't is a justification of all our former sins This is in effect to say We have done well enough in sinning God is not angry with us therefore we will still go on in our former courses and follow our old wickednesses How provoking must this needs be to God when instead of a humiliation for sins he sees a justification of them instead of a contrite lamentation for our evils he finds an audacious approbation of them How can a holy God bear this at our hands We cannot justifie the best of our actions before the Lord how abominable then to justifie those that are apparent evils It was very displeasing to God for Ionah to say I do well to be angry And shall we say We did well to be proud and profane to be drunkards and swearers and what else is our persistence in sin but a testimony of our allowance of it 3. Such sinning implies a daring provocation of God to destroy us To despise God sparing and delivering is to dare him to smite and destroy us Not to care for deliverance is as much as to say we do not fear destruction Isa. 5.19 Let him hasten his work that we may see it This impudent expression either respects Gods power q. d. let him do his worst we fear not as men that had over-grown Divine Justice and become too big and too strong for the Almighties arm or it may be spoken in respect of the Truths and threatnings declared by the Prophets challenging God to the accomplishment o◠them But will God suffer himself to b◠dared by worms can you daunt his unalterable courage can you hold the Almighties hands or lay bonds on his judgments that they shall not destroy you Will God suffer his creatures to insult ove◠him are we out of his reach that we fea◠no ruine can we match him with equa◠forces sure we are nothing to him How then can he indure a challenge from us How can he suffer our sins after mercies By these sins we are like those Iob 15.25 26. Who stretch out their hands against God and strengthen themselves against the Almighty c. But who ever contended with him and prospered It will be dreadful to fall into the hands of a living God And this will certainly be the portion of those that affront him with such daring provocations 4. These sins are so hainous as by them the delivering mercy of God is horribly undervalued What is our Rebellion after the reception of such mercies but to declare we account not our selves obliged to God for them What is this but to disown the greatness of the favours God bestows upon us What greater dis-ingenuity can be exprest than to diminish the greatest favours of God in love to our devillish lusts Every mercy that comes from so great a God must needs be great but to undervalue the choicest blessings and highest mercies must needs be a point of the highest wickedness VVas it a small mercy that by our late deliverance so many thousand lives have been continued such multitudes of Souls have been kept out of Hell Is it nothing in your eyes to be delivered from Popish slavery to have the glorious Gospel continued amongst us Is the security of Church and State the miraculous preservation of Priviledges and Liberties a contemptible kindness shall all these things have no notice taken of them shall they all be dis-regarded will you say 't is not worth while to leave sinning for these dare you declare they deserve no obedience let your Conscience speak would not this
be horrid Blasphemy could you bear such undervaluing of kindness from fellow-Creatures how then can God from you 5. Those Sins are the testimonies of the highest Ingratitude conceivable Ingratitude is the worst of Sins and sinning after Deliverance is the worst Ingratitude This is unkindness that pierces the heart of God to rebel against him dealing with us as the dearly beloved of his Soul How ungrateful is't to assassinate a Prince to whose care we owe our Lives and Fortunes To rip open the bowels of her to whom we owe our being So is it to dishonour a God that is both our Protector and Benefactor our Preserver and Deliverer David was greatly incens'd at the Ingratitude of churlish Nabal 1 Sam. 25.21 Surely in vain have I kept all this fellow had in the wilderness and he requites me evil for good Will not the Almighty thus complain of an ungrateful people Surely in vain have I kept them from the hands of their bloody Enemies in vain I have delay'd the execution of Judgment since all my return is Dishonour for Deliverance sinning for saving of them May not God speak to us after the manner our blessed Saviour spoke to the Jews For which of my good works do you stone me For which of my good Works do you sin against me Will you oppose me because I appear so often for you Will you hate me because I help you Will you rebel because I relieve you Is this the fruit of my Goodness The Lord was greatly offended with his Vineyard Isai. 5. because after all his care to make it fruitful it brought forth wild grapes I looked it should bring forth grapes and it brought forth wild grapes When God bestows any Mercies upon us his eye is upon us to see what improvement we are making of them He looks to see what â—hou dost with thy Time thy Talent His eye is upon thee to see what use thou makest of Means Deliverances and all thy Enjoyments And when he uses good means he looks for good fruit and if we ungratefully bring forth wild Grapes we shall highly provoke him and to our disadvantage displease him How intolerable a Sin must it needs be to fight against God with his Goodness to mischief his Honour with his Mercies Should you be an instrument of raising a decayed Friend and he turn your Enemy and use the estate procured by you to manage mischievous designs against you would you not count it intolerable baseness Now what less yea how infinitely more is your abusing the Mercies of God to the disadvantage of his Glory and dishonour of his Name Should aâ— neighbourly Physician freely endeavour the relief of a helpless Beggar and after his cost and care when this man is restor'd he should make it his work to study the death of this worthy Friend how intolerable Ingratitude would this be accounted What else is our sinning against God on his sparing of us What is it but the destroying the Honour of him who saved us from destruction Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus requite the Lord ye foolish people and unwise When ungrateful Brutus was among those that came to destroy Caesar he pathetically cryed out Etiam tu Brute What thou my Son Brutus Wilt thou stab me May not God cry out upon us What ye oh People of England will ye still be enemies You whom I have so deliver'd You whom I have so often preserved shall I meet with these dealings from you Of all people you are obliged to love and serve me and will you improve all my Mercies against me 6. By sinning after Deliverance we most unjustly deny to Goâ— that which is â—is Right and due foâ—â—â—livering of us Deliverance is the price of God for our Lives and Services God redeeming of us we remain no longer our own but are especially obliged to be his What can we give to God for preserving our Lives less than 〈…〉 and that 's an unanswerabl◠〈◊〉 for the exercise of â—is Wisdome and Power 〈◊〉 delivering of us Can we then rob God of his due without 〈◊〉 height of Injustice Is not this the most â—â—tolerable Sacrilege The Mercies of God are to hire us to Obedience Will a Master suffer a Servant to be engag'd in the work of another when he hath hired him for his own Is it not a provoking sin for you to be employ'd in the service of the Devil when God hath hired you into his The Apostle pressing the Corinthians to Obedience tells them They are not their own but are bought with a price Thus may we be perswaded to Obedience by considering God hath bought our Lives by saving us from Death 7. Sinning now is so heinous as hereby God is frustrated of his designs in granting such favours What may God expect when stretching out his hand to help us but thaâ— then we will inclinâ— our hearts to honour him What are thâ— designs of God in displays of Mercy buâ— to raise up Glory to himself He exerciseth Goodness to promote his own Interest in the world not the Devils Wiâ— God exercisâ— Mercy to his own disadvantage Will a â—ational man put Weapons into the hands of those would slay him with them Would you deliver â— man to destroy you Surely the Lord may justly expect Love for his Kindness Duty for his Mercy Obedience for hiâ— Deliverance Isai. 63.8 9 10. He said Surely they are my people children that will not lye so he became their Saviour This verse contains a kinde of Expostulation that might be in God Why should I save such a people as this I have enough against them to destroy them I have found their unfaithfulness to their promises their unanswerableness to my gracious Providences why should I deliver them Then God comes to a Resolution Mercy turns the scale Goodness prevails I will try them once more they are my people children that will not lye I hope they will not frustrate me any more I may take this opportunity to cut them off but I will make experiment once more But proving unfaithful he became their enemy and fought against them How heinous a sin â—s it to cross Gods ends to walk contrary to him 8. Sinning now is so heinous as 't is not only a neglecting Duty but despising Remedy There are Peccata contra officia and contra remedia Sins against Duties in omitting things commanded and sins against remedy slighting and opposing â—he means which are designed for recovery from former evils And now what sin can be greater than to despise the means that are used to cure our bleeding wounds what aggravates the sin of unbelief and makes it the destroying sin but because 't is the contemning of that blessed Remedy which is provided for miserable sinners Hence this sin binds on the sinners guilt with an eternal bond and makes Salvation impossible Thus also slighting deliverance is the highest sin as thereby we bid open defiance to all means of recovering of us from sin destruction
Neglecting Salvation hath a most provoking influence on the wrath of God Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation VVill the Lord bear this affront to his mercy that when he is willing to save we declare we regard no Salvation This will be an unpardonable crime there will be no escaping for us To sin with deliverance is no less than to throw away the healing balm that mercy provides and resolve to make our wounds incurable PROPOSITION 4. Sins after deliverance have a peculiar influence to procure and hasten destruction Our present safety is no security against future Judgments destruction deferred by Gods deliverances will be hastned by our sinning after them those whom undeserved mercies can't reclaim incensed justice will speedily ruine The Monuments of greatest mercies have been made examples to declare the severity of Justice for the abuses of them Such have experienced the most direful suffering to whom the Almighty hath been most long-suffering VVitness the deplorable state of the hardned Iews to whom the most singular favour was extended of any people on earth yet now who more miserable than those rejected wretches for their abusing favours Justice will frown most sharply upon the disdainful affronters of mercy No people are nearer an utter desolation than those who heap up sin when God is heaping up mercies Although the Lord be most willing to smite yet he knows not how to spare when provoked in this manner Ier. 5.7 How shall I pardon thee for this When I had fed them to the full then they committed Adultery v. 9. Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall I not be avenged on such a Nation as this These sins put God to a stand he knows not how to go about a pardoning act although he delights so greatly in it how shall I pardon Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parcam how shall I spare thee any longer I can't withhold the hands of my justice I can't defer the punishment of these transgressions Thence v. 10. God gives a Commission to enemies Go upon the Walls and destroy c. delay no longer let those feel the smarting impressions of Justice that despise the sweetest expressions of mercy This wrath of God against despisers of goodness appears 1 Sam. 12.24 25. Consider how great things the Lord hath done but if ye still continue to do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King When once a people rise to that height of Impiety that the most obliging kindness Heaven can show can't win their hearts to obedience what can be expected from Heaven but the severest vengeance an Almighty arm can bring upon them Will not the Lord soon rush out upon a people with wonderful plagues when they are knocking at the door of justice by such impenitent courses The most gracious Prince would dispatch that man who should impudently persist in traiterous designs against him after a deliverance from death by his pardoning of him Thus will the King of Heaven miserably destroy delivered sinners rebelling against him Divine patience sheathing the sword of Justice will at last desist its pleading for the abusers of it and impatient justice by its revengeful arm will avenge the quarrel of despised mercy Ezek. 16.43 Because thou hast not remembred the days of thy youth q. d. the kindness and favour I then extended to thee the deliverances thou hadst from me Behold I will recompence thy ways upon thy â—ead Thou hast grieved me with sin I will grind thee to pieces with judgments thou hast recompensed me with hatred for â—ove I will recompense hatred for your â—atred Thus will God deprive those of mercies that deprive him of the glory of â—hem 2 Kings 21.13 God there threaâ—ens to wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a â—ish q. d. He would take away all their â—elicate enjoyments as meat is thrown â—ut of a dish They shall feed on judgments who were wanton when fed with â—ercies but the Hebrew signifies Delebo Ierusalem sicut deleri solent tabulae As impressions on tables are wont to be wiped out so shall my impressions of goodness upon them the former inscriptions of honour and prosperity shall no more be seen but the prints of destroying judgments shall be found upon them It shall no more be written These are a people delivered but These are a people destroyed for abusing deliverance This fatal consequence of despising favours may be illustrated from the words of God Hos. 6.4 Oh Ephraim what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it passeth away Many interpret your goodness the goodness bestowed on you or your mercies So the sence is My goodness that I bestow upon you is but like a morning cloud that is dissipated and scattered and doth no good to you you are not the better for it And as the early dew it passeth away i. e. Gratiam misericordiam meam malitia vestra absorbetis You soon wear off the impressions of my mercy as the moistnings of the early dew are soon dryed up by the earth therefore v. 7. I have hewed them by the Prophets my judgments are broken out upon them or otherwise The tokens of my mercy make but short impression on you your goodness fades away you soon return to sin what now shall I do to you I am resolved to try no more mercies I have made you grow with my kindness like flourishing Trees now will I hew you down because you are so unprofitable I will be unmerciful to you Here it will not be amiss to consider how this persistence in sin after deliverance promotes and hastens the destruction of a people 1. Hereby that peculiar respect that God hath for one people above another is made to cease and they are lookt upon no otherwise than the vilest of people in the world In Gods providenâ—ial dispensations he bears some singular favour to some beyond what he doth to others although these may be nothing more deserving than other Nations and from this favour he confers singular Temporal Blessings upon them and these he â—alls his people as especially cared for â—reserved and provided for by him But 〈◊〉 these despise his kindness and conâ—â—mn his goodness he then un-peoples â—â—em and casts them out of his favour â—nd then they become as liable to judgâ—ents as the greatest abjects in the world Thus was it with the people of the Iews the Lord separated them from all the world for his care and charge hence he did mighty things for them but continuing long in their sins notwithstanding his mercies Hos. 2.9 he bids the Prophet tell them Ye are not my people I will not be your God and this rejection made way for that ruine now upon them In the 9th of Amos the Prophet is threatning judgment against that sinful people against which they fortified themselves with presumptuous boastings of their being Gods people chosen by him so
often owned by deliverances but for their abusing mercies God tells them v. 7. Are ye not as the children of the AEthiopians unto me saith the Lord i.e. Non pluriâ— vos facio quam AEthiopes Grot. You are now no more to me than the vilest people You have been under my care and now ye are under my curse ye remain unchangeable in your sins as the AEthiopians in their colour and therefore ye shall bâ— of no more account with me than theyâ— VVhat though we have been more to God than any people on earth and received more blessings then any Nationâ— near us insomuch that we might be called his chosen people for his care over us VVill not despising mercies sinning after deliverances make him say as Hos. 9.15 I will love you no more VVhat shall we be more to him than the AEthiopians if we be like them in sin Ezek. 15.2 What is the Vine-tree more than another i.e. If the Vine bring forth no fruit what is it more than another tree why should it not be burnt VVhatever we have been if we be fruitless and ungrateful why should we not be punisht If we be not bearing trees may not God make us burning trees If we be not bettered by deliverance why may we not be destroyed 2. Hereby the Lord is made in a manner to repent of delivering a people when men have gratified their fellow-creatures with signal favours and after such expressions of respect have nothing but ungrateful returns it makes them wish they had never bestowed their love on such unworthy persons Thus the Almighty God unjustly requited for mercies is said to repent him of his conferring kindness on a people But we must observe that golden rule Quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deo tribuuntur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debent intelligi Those things which are attributed to God after the manner of men must be understood as become the Majesty of God So Gods repenting is an improper allusive term expressing not a change in Gods mind but in his action not implying such an affection in God as repentance but alluding to the effect of such an affection in man Gen. 6.6 It repented God that he made man and it grieved him to the heart This implies Gods wrathful indignation at mans miscarriage but no disturbing alteration in the mind of God who is ever the same But to speak after the manner of Men when a people continue in sins after deliverance God may say Oh! it repents me that I have delivered a people thus to dishonour me it repents me to do so much for a people to do thus much against me Oh! how near are such a people to destruction of whose deliverance God repents him How soon will they be involved in ruine of whom God may be provoked to say as David of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.21 In vain have I kept all this man hath in the wilderness In vain have I preserved the lives and liberties of this people since the fruit of all is onely to be rebelled against and dishonoured by them If we thus make the Lord griev'd at the heart for bestowing mercies God will grieve us to the heart by destroying judgments 3. Hereby God is provoked to stop all proceedings in way of deliverance and leave a people to successless shiftings for themselves Iudges 10.12 13. Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites yet ye have forsaken me I will deliver you no more Sinning after deliverance dis-engages God from appearing any more for us And what can be more dreadful than to hear God say in his wrath Oh ye ingrateful people I have once and again improved my wisdom and power on your behalf to prevent your ruine but since ye go on still to provoke me whatever your condition is hereafter you must never look for help from me whoever be your enemy you must not look for me to be your friend I will never stand up for such Rebels nor dishonour my Name in delivering you to sin against me We cannot want comfort whilst under promises of Divine assistance and help from Heaven in our dangers but if God stands off we must inevitably fall into the hands of our enemies and become preys to their greedy lusts If God says I will add no more deliverance there is none can promise deliverance to us Oh miserable people whom God thus forsakes in anger we shall never see another deliverance if the Lord should resolve I will add no more We shall never out-live the dangers we daily live in if God should determine to leave us to them Corruption in our ways under mercies will cause a cessation of them So it was with the people of the Iews Hos. 1.6 Call her name Lo-ruchamah for I will not add any more to the house of Israel but I will utterly take away I will add no more days of prosperity years of plenty no more gracious deliverances or pledges of mercy but I will utterly take away I have been filling but now will I empty you the Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies obliviscendo obliviscor in forgetting I will forget them I will no more be favourable to them but forgetful of them though they perish I wo'nt remember them they have not minded my mercies I will not mind their miseries Thus God puts a stop to the streams of mercy locks up the store-house of blessings and adds no more David prays Psal. 36.10 Oh continue thy loving kindness c. Hebr. signifies Pertraha draw out lengthen out the tokens of thy love but this will be onely to those that are drawn to God by them They may call every mercy a Iosâ—ph which signifies God will add more But 't is not so with ungrateful sinners God will make an end of bestowing mercies unless they make an end of abusing of them God will cease deliverances unless we cease dishonouring him with them Yea although a deliverance may be begun to a people whereby they appear in a happy way to escape yet persisting in sin God will carry on the work no farther but leave them to ruine Hence then what especial care should be used to reform our lives and renew our repentance lest our deliverance should be left unperfected we are in no better capacity to finish it now begun than we were to begin it if God stands off Our proceeding in sin will hinder our God from proceeding in mercy Indulging our provoking lusts will endanger our precious lives These merciful buddings of Providence may easily be knipt This small glimmering light may soon be over-clouded our door of hope may soon be shut Shall we provoke a gracious God to say I will add no more Shall we make him complain of being weary of delivering What makes a stop to our deliverance but our continuance in sin This makes God in the posture we read of Ier. 14.9 As a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save Hebr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
example Amos 7. In the vision of the Prophet the judgments of God on that people were shadowed by various destructive things v. 1. by Grass-hoppers meaning the Army of the Assyrians which were ready to invade them but God from his infinite clemency prevented their ruine by them v. 3. The Lord repented for this and said It shall not be V. 4. this people are threatned with another consuming judgment exprest by fire whereby was signified either a drought or the devastations of their Cities by that unmerciful enemy and Element or the ruining calamities which they were near involved in by Teglathphalasar yet now again he delivers them v. 6. This also shall not be But this Language is too good to hold always to unbettered sinners now therefore v. 7. God will wink no longer at their ungrateful sinning he now is weary of repenting The Lord stood upon a wall with a plumb-line in his hand A Metaphor from those that build walls they use a line to proceed exactly Thus the Lord declares he would no longer tolerate their abuses nor use his clemency to deliver but would exercise strictest justice till they were ruined Hence v. 8 9. a miserable destruction is threatned I will pass by them no more c. Enemies shall now prevail judgments shall effectually take place I will use nothing but strictness and severity Now this leads me to the fifth Proposition PROPOSITION 5. Destruction for sinning after deliverance will be the most dreadful destruction what can be more clear than this from the words of my Text Should we again break thy commands wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping That is no common calamity would then fall upon us no ordinary punishment would be our portion but we exceeding the common measure and degree of sin thou wouldst exceed the common degree of judgment E dulcissimo vino acerrimum fit acetum The sweetest wines make sowrest vinegar the strongest perfumes are fatal as poysons abused mercy will be avenged with unusual miseries No mercy is to be expected in judgment when mercies are despised that kept off judgments Kindness not effecting an answerable reformation will abundantly aggravate revengeful destruction Isaiah 29.1 2. God threatens Ariel sc. Ierusalem that wonderful distress should fall upon it and it should be to him as Ariel Ariel was the Altar for whole-burnt offerings Ezech. 43.15 Now to avenge their abuses of mercies there God would make their City once the richest of their mercies an Altar on which their blood should be offered as a sacrifice to justice Thus our mercies abused may become knives to open our throats our Cities and Towns so often delivered may be as Altars about which our lifeless bodies may be heaped as sacrifices about the Altar The quintessence of all judgments the substance of all Plagues shall be mingled in one cup with all the dregs of wrath for the despisers of clemency and mercy Mercy is sweet that is extended to us in midst of judgments and judgments severe when executed on a people abounding with mercies A deliverance cannot bring so great mercies but sinning after it will usher in as dreadful judgments By how much the greater the deliverance is we receive so much the greater will be the destruction for sinning after it A thick cloud hath been over our heads and the favourable gale of mercy hath partly disperst it but the ascending of sinful vapours will cause the Lord to return our sins upon our heads with overwhelming inundations of judgments slighting the gales of mercy preventing ruine will bring most dreadful storms of vengeance Our float of goodness may be turned into floods of misery Our sun may set at noon-day and our cisterns now fill'd from the boundless ocean of unmerited benignity may soon be filled from the vials of wrath with the waters of Marah Our destruction adjourned a while may return with unexemplify'd terrour The Lord threatned the backsliding Iews Deut. 4.25 26. That if after his kindness in conducting them from Egyptian slavery with infinite mercies through a tiresome wilderness to the blessed land of Canaan I say if then they should sin against him although they had remained a long time there they should not prolong their days upon it but utterly be destroyed from off it Thus notwithstanding our sinful Nation hath many years been like an Eden a Palace of Royal glory a Canaan flowing with milk and honey a Theatre of mercies an unparalleld monument of many deliverances yet continuing in sin will deface its envyed glory and render it a stage for destroying judgments and lay it waste with storms of successive plagues and then it shall be said This is the Nation that would never leave sinning till it forced the Almighty to make it a ruinous heap a Land desolate and not inhabited What high time is it then to depart from sin left an Ichabod be wrote upon us which signifies Their glory is departed With what terrour may we look on those words Psalm 68.20 21. Vnto God belongs salvation but he will wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin Though he will multiply salvations to such as serve him the more for them yet will he glorifie his justice in destroying such as go on in sin after them The Hebr. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies altè imprimere God will make a deep impression of the hands of justice on all such incorrigible persons The heaviest judgments will fall on the contemners of the highest mercies Judgment will be with most amazing terrour on the contemners of the Almighties favour As Gods resolutions against such sins will make destruction irrevocable so his wrath backt with unlimited power will make them intolerable Now here I shall endeavour to shew you for what reasons destroying judgments will be thus heightned by provoking sins after deliverance 1. Because the longer judgments are coming the greater severity they are attended with when falling upon us The longer a blow is fetching the deeper impression is made by its force If God tarries long before he punishes the greater terrour will be in his punishment The destruction of the old world was delayed for many years but at last it was accomplisht with the greater severity Deus tardus est ad iram sed tarditatem vindictae gravitate compensat Whilst sinners ruine is deferr'd God is putting himself into postures of judgment whetting his glittering sword sharpning his terrible arrows feathered with our sins that so he may make the more sharp and sudden destruction There is Crudelitas parcens sparing cruelty as well as misericordia puniens punishing mercy The longer the cloud is gathering the more dripping showre is expected when it falls So the greater provocations are treasur'd up in the days of Gods patience the more miserable destruction will be in the days of his vengeance Isa. 42.14 A long time have I held my peace I have
prevail upon us to reform us will not mercy cease pleading for us will it not say as Christ Iohn 17.9 I pray not for them I will put in no more intreaties for their salvation Justice take them destroy them ruine them I have nothing to plead for them How often doth mercy plead as the merciful Vine-dresser did for the cumber-ground fig-tree Luke 13.7 8. Lord let it alone this year also let not thy wrath yet break out let not thy fury ruine them but spare them this time try what they will do with one deliverance more but when nothing is successful mercy gives over and what but intolerable vengeance will then lye upon us But who can speak the dread of destruction that unmixed anger involves a people in How dreadful will it be to fall into the hands of God when armed with nothing but destroying indignation How can our hearts endure or our hands be strong when all the Attributes of his glorious Majesty shall conspire together to make us miserable When infinite wisdom shall be exercised in contriving and infinite power shall be engaged in executing the miserable destruction of a sinful people it must needs be intolerable Here I shall take occasion to shew you the misery of a people when mercy is dis-engaged from relieving of them that so we may be fearful of depriving our selves of that blessed succour we have hitherto enjoyed by it 1. Mercy dis-engaged all miseries endured are pure wrath Such miseries are much of the nature of the Torments of the damned in Hell whose plagues are a cup of vengeance without mixture The happiness of Saints in all their sufferings consists in enjoying ingredients of love in the bitterest cup that is mixed out to them when outward distresses are most unpleasing to sense they refresh themselves with delightful objects then visible to the eye of faith Psal. 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts delight my Soul But mercie dis-engag'd there is no cordial to support us no sugar to sweeten the bitterest cup enforced upon us Ezek. 7.5 Behold an evil an onely evil cometh God never sends judgments alone to such as he favours but designing the utter destruction of a people he mixes a potion of onely fatal poysons for them then he sends an onely evil 2. Mercy being dis-engaged the lowdest cries and most importunate prayers that a people can put up will be denyed and rejected God will admit no Prayers from such as contemned his former returns of them The ears of justice will only hear the cries of our sins to avenge them 't is mercy hears the voice of our prayers to answer them or all the answer we shall have will be by terrible things in righteousness But mercy dis-engaged we are deprived of that unspeakable privliedge of Audience with God and then we may swelter in our miseries roll in our blood despair in our torments without a redress Should we by our impudent continuance in sin make mercy our enemy our most urgent cries would prove unsuccesful and though joyned with floods of tears would be unprofitable for this will bring us under the doom of those Zech. 7.13 Because when I called you would not hearken therefore also when you cry unto me I will not hear How just a retaliation was this from God although a most dreadful affliction not to have the merciful ear of God in affliction is the worst of afflictions It is dismal now to find our hearts so strangely shut up as not be able to pour out prayers but how miserable then shall we be if when involved in sinking troubles God should shut out our prayers not be prevailed with by them Oh ruining state when we in distress shall be crying Save Lord or we perish and then receive no other return but Perish you may and perish you shall for all the help you shall have from me These sins so much overcome his mercy that our prayers will never overcome his anger And as it is an argument of the greatest sinfulness in man not to pray so of the greatest anger in God not to hear prayers These iniquities are so intolerable a slighting of him that he will unmercifully slight all we do Oh what will become of a Nation when that key which was wont to unlock the Treasuries of bounty the store-house of blessings can do nothing when that Embassador that was wont to prevail for a gracious Treaty shall be denyed when that successful friend shall be denyed admittance to the Court of Heaven when that omnipotent engine can attract no compassions Whither now shall we go when access is denyed to God where shall we have supplies if our former store-house be shut up whither can we turn when he turneth away our prayers Will not our furious enemies prevail over us when our most fervent prayers cannot prevail with God What a shaking commination was that Ier. 11.11 I will bring an evil upon them they shall not escape and though they cry I will not hearken God will take no notice of their cries who would take no notice of his kindness What can be said worse to a people than this I will not hear If he will not hear he will not help if he gives no audience he will give no assistance This speaks the sum of all evils in one The root of all miseries lyes here in Gods not hearing This effectually seals men up for destruction Ezech. 8.18 I will deal with them in my fury and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice I will not hear As lazy prayers will not prevail now so the loudest Prayer shall not prevail then Thou maist then spend thy breath that now thou spendest worse and not speed Thou maist stretch out thy hands and yet receive nothing but disengaging Mercy may suffer like those Isai. 1. When ye stretch out your hands I will hide my eyes and when ye make many Prayers I will not hear Audire Dei est concedere i. e. I will not grant what you ask In the days of my Grace ye might have prevail'd and did not pray or did it formally and now in the day of my fury ye may pray but shall not prevail Neither can the Prayers of the greatest Favourites in the Court of Heaven prevail for a people under such circumstances Should the dearest Servants plead with greatest fervency they must be denied when Mercy is disengaged Ier. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me my heart could not be towards this people Standing is the Posture of Praying Though these should endeavour to draw out my Affections to them by their importunate cries yet they should never gain my heart I cannot love them I cannot yield it to them Tantum mediocriter malis ob pios interdum parcitur non ita contumaciter flagitiosis God only spares those that are indifferently wicked for the sake of the godly not those that are obstinately flagitious and ungodly Ezech. 14. Though Noah Daniel
to be a rebellious Enemy to him Should not the thoughts of the death danger and miserable calamity God hath brought me from bring me unfeignedly to love him and constantly to yield obedience to him Let us therefore to prevent proceeding in sin reflect on the kindness of God Seriously think how miserable thou hadst been without the Deliverance Oh miserable state had it not come Enemies raging if not reigning Gospel corrupted if not removed Lives endanger'd if not destroyed How had we been fleeing on Mountains hiding in Dens or burning in Flames tortur'd with Racks How had we been without Bread to eat Houses to lodge in or else all robbed by those pilfâ—ring Papists if not burnt by their horrid malice which is enough to put the whole Universe into miserable Conflagrations How should we meditate how seasonably Deliverance came we helpless careless and ignorant then was it that his mighty arm brought a blessed Salvation to us Behold how unworthy we were of such a Mercy of such a Deliverance A sinful rebellious people for us to partake of so much favour is the greatest Mirrour in the world Now can we forget this goodness If we have no memories to retain Mercies we soon may have no Mercies to retain in memory Or can we sin in the sight of such kindness We shall never see such a glorious Deliverance if we sin in the face of this Oh let us often say as those Numb 23.22 What hath the Lord wrought among us Oh what a glorious Work was this embroider'd with Mercy set forth with the shines of Wisdome and illustrious by the impressions of infinite Power Oh forget not this Work If we forget Deliverances God may forget to deliver Isai. 17.10 11 They were made desolate for forgetting the God of their Salvation 'T is known that the breasts that afford the sweetest Milk will dry up if not drawn the breasts of Mercy will be certainly dryed up if no benefit be drawn from them by a serious remembrance and faithful improving of them Prayers and Tears are the best means to obtain Mercies and a thankful remembrance will be the best way to have them continued to us 2. To prevent thy proceeding in sin think with thy self what Promises and Obligations what Pleas and Arguments you would have made to the Lord and urged him with to have induced him to have given such a Deliverance as this Would you not have promised that if it should please him to exercise his Power in saving of you you would engage that to the utmost of your power you would serve him Oh what great obligations would you willingly have laid your selves under to be freed from so dreadful a Destruction as you were appointed to What obedience service love and respects do sinners vow to God on a Bed of sickness languishing to death What would we have promis'd then when no less than a whole Nation was languishing and every Enjoyment ready to give up the Ghost Oh what solemn engagements to all possible obedience would then have been made Would you have promised these things and will you not perform them Let the readiness of God to do it without these engagements make you more ready to do those things than if you had engaged to do them Consider also what pleas thou wouldst have used with God to spare thee think what arguments might have prevailed with him to deliver thee and let them prevail with thee to forsake sin Thou wouldst not have said Lord spare me to go on a while longer in rebellion against thee cut me not off till I have dishonoured thy glorious Name a little more give me my life to be a Drunkard Swearer Lyar Sabbath-breaker yet a while longer Thou couldst never have the impudence to plead thus thou couldst never imagine these Arguments could prevail therefore use the considerations of Arguments which thou thinkest would prevail to curb thy heart from sin as thou thinkest would have been proper to prevail with God to deliver thee And what are those Oh spare me that I may prepare for death Oh give me space that I may repent of my sins and reform And let thy carriage be such now in part delivered as may answer such motives as these which would have been used with God to deliver thee 3. Consider how thou wouldst carry to man if receiving a thousand times smaller kindnesses from him Oh the thanks that shall be return'd to man for a small favour What readiness to do for man when doing for us Should a man but save us from perishing how grateful how serviceable should we become unto him And shall kindness from sinful creatures make such impressions on our hearts and the abounding goodness of the glorious God be disregarded We love man loving of us and shall we not love a loving God We devote our selves to the service of our earthly Benefactors and shall we be so devilish as to deny obedience to the great God under all his benignity to us Shall God have worse dealings from us than men Wouldst thou not offend an earthly Friend and wilt thou offend a heavenly Friend Wilt make nothing of displeasing God when he gives thee such Mercies as all the men on Earth cannot bestow upon thee Oh let but this be considered and surely thou canst not persist in sin Vse 5. See here the unconquerable stubbornness of mans heart Oh how do our hearts stand out against God under all his dealings with us We are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unperswadable generation Oh wonderful obstinacy that the sweetest Melody of mercy cannot charm us Oh what hardned souls are in us when the pleasant distillations of showers of mercy upon us cannot soften us Oh what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 strong holds have sin that the cords of mercy can't draw us from them Oh how hard is it to gain a Victory over corrupted nature and accustomed sins Oh strange affections that we have to sin that the strongest engagements can't bring us from it Such is the stubbornness of unchanged souls that whether God walks in ways of Mercy or paths of Judgment they will go contrary to him Oh the hardness to be lamented that appears among us Though the Almighty hath done thus much for us we have not to this day been duly affected with what he hath done We have gone on frowardly when God hath dealt most kindly by us we go on to provoke the eyes of his glory when he hath made so much of his glorious goodness pass before us Oh stubborn souls that will not regard the melting kindness of God! but do as it were resolve whatever God doth they will sin against him Though he seek reconciliation they will follow rebellion though he strives to out-do their Rebellion with mercy they will not lay down their Arms but be avenged on his many mercies Inferences from the third Proposition concerning the hainousness of sin after deliverance 1. Is sinning after deliverance such hainous sinning Behold then
God will suffer sinners to stand till they are come to their full stature in sin and then he cuts them down and makes an end of them Thus Christ speaks to the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.32 Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers i. e. Ye will be filling up the measure of their sins till the Lord comes and measures out judgment to you according to the measure of your sins Oh then what cause have we to fear lest the Vials of wrath should suddenly be poured out upon us Is not the harvest of sin almost ripe or will not these showers of mercy suddenly ripen it And then the sickle must be put in a bloody enemy let in among us that shall cut us down as the reapers do the corn Oh let us dread the approaches of vengeance under the increases of sin and wickedness The measures of wrath have been long a filling the iniquities of our fathers are lay'd up for us and may be rewarded on our heads when the measure is full We ripen apace for judgments now destruction may be at the door ere we know Inferences from the fourth and fifth Propositions concerning the destructive nature of Sinning after deliverance Vse I. May destruction come after deliverance Then hence we may learn that present impunity can be no evidence of our future safety Mercies are not so inseparably entail'd upon us that justice cannot deprive us of them Present prosperity may have a mournful ending in dismal adversity National as personal salvation from present dangers may end in destruction The wings of our feathery confidence had need be clipt when we fondly presume the Almighty to be ever bound to deliver such a people as we because he hath once more graciously done it 2 Pet. 2.9 God reserves the unjust to judgment The bird that escapes the fowlers net for once may be afterwards caught we that are wonderfully preserved from the snares of hellish Plotters may at last be made a prey if we grow no more watchful Our cloudy Heavens threaten new storms The world is very full of great and unexpected mutations The turnings of the wheels of Providence are very swift and various We may now as suddenly be destroy'd as we have often been delivered Iud. 5. After delivered God destroyed those that believed not The ship that evades the dangers of the Sea more than once may be swallowed up in its Sands or shattered by its Rocks at last The reprieved malefactor may justly expect his deserved execution after a little space afforded for preparation And in truth the relief our offended God hath given us seems more like a Reprieve than a Deliverance and cause we have most seriously to fear that ere long we shall experience that Justice can destroy as Mercy can deliver Our impunity is not from Gods impotency but patience and that may soon be expir'd We have cause to dread that awakening word Josh. 24.20 If ye forsake the Lord then will he turn and do you hurt after all the good he hath done you Our not returning under good will make him turn to do us harm Proceeding in sin will interrupt the course of mercies and introduce successions of judgments You may be surprised with sudden miseries in the midst of your feigned safety God will not always draw with cords of love Hos. 11.3.4 5. I drew them with cords of a man with bonds of love that is I dealt with them in the most gracious manners striving to draw their rebellious hearts into subjection but since I cannot prevail v. 5 They shall not go down to Egypt they shall have no shelter there but the Assyrian shall be their King and the sword shall abide in their cities and devour his branches Thus may the dealings of God be changed and cords of love be turned to chastising rods to lash the backs of stubborn fools We cannot ensure the continuance of mercies but by our compliance with the designs of God by them That which was spoken to Ephraim may fall upon us Hos. 9.11 As for Ephraim his glory shall flee away like a bird We imagine we have mercies sure as a bird in the cage but as the door being opened the bird flies away so mercies will take their wings and be gone from a sinful people Trust not then to your present freedom you may be enslaved flatter not your selves in hopes of perpetual deliverance destruction may come at last 3. Will this persistence in sin hasten such certain and miserable ruine Then see what reason there is to shake off our pleasing but hurtful security admitting some fearful thoughts and affecting our hearts with apprehensions of our eminent danger Unwilling we are to admit of such Truths near our decoying hearts which may affect us with fear or grief But 't is far from the nature of wisdom to flatter our selves into ruine or to fancy our selves secure in a glorious Paradise till we be miserable in a desolate wilderness Three things says Luther will undo a Nation Oblivion of Mercies Politick contrivances and Carnal Security Well will it be if these prove not our ruine at last Oh what a fearless Age do we live in we sleep on pillows stuft with the fire of divine vengeance We cry Peace Peace and destruction is coming How do we stupifie our Senses fear our Consciences lock up our Understandings to keep out all fears in the midst of most dreadful dangers What stupifying Opiums hath the Devil perswaded us to swallow that makes us so mindless of approaching miseries How do we fortifie our selves with most fond presumptions against the threats of vengeance denounc'd from Heaven Can fancyed safety deliver our Nation from Enemies when we have nothing else to secure us Can empty boastings of conceited ability to defend our selves prevent the assaults of Enemies or deliver our Land from the ruine designed Will security in sin be sufficient guard to preserve us from all Conspiracies can neither God nor man do us any harm whilst we imagine our selves out of danger Oh nos miserrimos Oh miserable England how do we surfeit with mercies and wax sick with the kindness of Heaven and yet say It shall be well with us How do we wound our selves when the Lord is healing and destroy our selves when the Lord is delivering and yet say The Lord will go on to deliver What Prosperity do we promise our selves whilst God is threatning our ruine What Halcyon-days do we vainly expect though Miseries are ready to seize us Oh the dreadful Dooms that are threatned to so stupid a people in the Word of the Lord Oh the sad Calamities have come upon a people in this condition Is not this the posture our Enemies so greatly desire to finde us in What is their work but to lull us asleep and then to be butchering of us What is the great contrivance at this day of the Papists and such as affect them but to suppress our fears by cheating devices knowing our deepest security