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
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
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
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
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
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
will be their greatest advantage They know our Throats will lye open to be cut by their cruel hands when once we have emptied our hearts of sollicitous thoughts of destruction Hence hence it is instruments are active to inform us deceitfully that we are sufficiently provided against them for this they instruct theirs and the Devils Martyrs to obtrude on the world the highest Protestations of Innocency For this they strain their throats to swallow renouncing Oaths which they will as certainly keep as ever they intended which I fear was not at all Hence they force themselves to a Parish-Church that we may certainly think they cannot belong to the Romish Mother and that we may fancy they cannot go thence to contrive our miserable ruine Oh then if this be their plot how have they got us by it How do we please our enemies and promote their designs by our sinful Security But shall we not fear the Hammer and Nail will cleave our Pates when Sisera-like we are droll'd into sleep with a Lordly Dish of Butter and Honey You may certainly believe this stupifying Opium will be like the poyson of Asps at last Is not this the Posture most have been in when Judgments came upon them What was there but careless and senseless doings when that dreadful Deluge surpriz'd the world of old Mat. 24.37 38. How unexpected was the ruine of Sodome and Gomorrha How incredulous were the Jews of their sad Captivities and of their utter Desolation at last Observe we but the frame of persons when Judgments have been rained from Heaven upon them and we shall finde they were fearless of any storms and conceitedly secure from any miseries When the Massacre broke forth in Paris the cruel butchering was acted in Ireland the ruining Persecutions and Distresses fell upon Germany they were all involv'd in Lethargical Distempers besotted with fatal Security This is the time the beasts of prey have ever gone out to glut themselves with fatning blood This hath been the season ever selected to manage the overthrow of Kingdoms Yet examples do not warn us but we foolishly seem resolv'd to gratifie our enemies with a suitable season to ruine us Is not this the posture that God hath severely threatned in his Word to which he will ever be faithful Isai. 22.13 14. In that day the Lord of Hosts called to mourning and weeping and behold joy and gladness and it was revealed in my ears Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die Nothing urges Justice more to confound a people with floods of Vengeance than Epicurean stupidity under awakening Alarums Hath not the Lord threatned Prov. 29.1 He that being often reproved and still hardens his neck shall be destroyed suddenly and that without remedy Why then do we flatter our selves and cry Peace peace Shall we say as those Zeph. 1.12 The Lord will do neither good nor evil Will not God then say as v. 13 Therefore your goods shall become a booty and your houses a desolation Whatever may be the foundation our Security is builded upon so long as provoking Sins are heaping up Wrath Security doth but hasten our Misery 'T is possible we are incredulous that Judgments can ever destroy a People renowned in Profession as we but since our Profession is but as Samuel's mantle under which are shrouded most devilish sins or as a carpet cast over the mouth of Hell it can never be a shelter for us but stirs up the Lord to vengeance Outside-Holiness and mocking Formality renders our condition the worse Micah 3.11 12. They leaned upon God in ways of sin and said Is not the Lord among us do we not profess him and worship him Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps and the mountains of the House of the Lord as the high places of the forrest The Ark of the Lord could not save the Israelites sinning Zion will be no shelter for Hypocrites 'T is in vain to flatter our selves with conceits of safety in an outward shew of Godliness that hay and straw can be no fence from the ruining flames of Divine Vengeance Awake then from brutish security and fall to work to prevent the threatned ruine by repentance and amendment Fancy not your selves beyond the reach of judgments but tremble in your selves that you may have rest in the day of trouble Make the Almighty your friend that he may not be a terrour in the day of Evil. Be afraid of all his judgments For if you will not learn to fear that great and dreadful Name the Lord thy God then will he make thy plagues wonderful Deut. 28.38 Is not destruction coming after deliverance Are not dreadful days approaching to us Consider these few particulars following and you will see what cause we have to shake off security and prepare our selves to meet the Lord in ways of judgments who have so long enjoy'd the shines of mercy 1. May we not justly fear our ungrateful carriage towards God will hasten his formidable departure from us Unkindness shown to friends coming to us will certainly discourage them from abiding with us The happiness of a Nation consists above all in the fruition of the favourable presence of God and if by a regardless carriage or displeasing behavior we provoke him to depart our sudden ruine will be the consequence of his deserting of us Hos. 9.12 Wo also to them when I depart from them There is that absolute necessity of the presence of the Lord with a people to conduct them by his Counsel to protect them by his Power to succeed them by his blessing in use of saving means to deliver them in unconquerable dangers that if he withdraws it from them none of these things can be done by another hand Hence the Lord unwilling to ruine Ierusalem with bowels of compassion cries out Ier. 6.8 Be instructed O Ierusalem lest my soul depart from thee and thy land becomes desolate and not inhabited The soul of a man is the vivisick principle on the separation of which from the body there ensues a death all strength counsel beauty leaves the body Thus when the Lord departs the soul of a Nation is gone and then the Nation is only a mouldring heap and as a liveless carcass We certainly loose all good when the presence of God is withdrawn from us If we by our sins make the Almighty go away he for our sins will take away all kinde of Mercies from us Deut. 3.1.17 I will forsake them The regardless Athâ—ists of our age will say Let him go and what then Oh says the Lord. Then shall ye be devoured and many evils and troubles shall come upon you so that they shall say in that day Are not these evils come upon us because the Lord is not amongst us Now may we not fear God will depart from a people that behave themselves so unkindly as we at this day We slight his presence abuse his
kindness can we think to be blest with his presence long We read Hos. 8.3 Israel hath cast off the thing that is good The Hebr. is only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repulit à se bonum i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beneficium or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praeter quem non est bonum So Rivet Grotius and others that is Israel hath driven from it God the onely good hath made its kind Benefactor go away Oh have we not done thus have we not been driving God away from us as weary of his Ordinances tired with Gospel-proffers nauseating Mercies and despising Deliverances How can we think God can walk with us any longer when we walk so frowardly and contrary to him Amos 3.3 How can two walk together unless they be agreed thereby God shews them how impossible it was for him to continue in ways of mercy to them since they refused to walk with him in ways of duty which is the sweet harmony God expected from them says the Lord You would have me to walk with you and bless you yet ye depart from me and blaspheme my Name How can I longer walk with you Thus the Lord threatens a people Lev. 26.21 If ye walk contrary to me I will walk contrary to you v. 24. I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you according to your sins Oh how perversely have we walked How contrary is Disobedience to Deliverance Sinning to Salvation Cursing to Blessing and may not God justly leave us to ruine and suffer our destruction who deal thus unanswerably with him 2. May we not justly fear that our provoked God in justice will set the wicked over us who have despised his righteous and blessed Government August says God sets up wicked oppressors cum judicat res humanas talibus dignas dominis when he judges a people meriting such masters When Religion is coâ—nted an intolerable yoak under a Government that decrees the observance of it we may with terrour expect a yoak to be laid upon our necks that shall be so heavy that we shall see our unspeakable folly in accounting the service of God a slavery to him Have we not cause to fear that dreadful word Deut. 28.47 48. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart in the abundance of all things Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and thirst and nakedness and in want of alâ— things and they shall put a yoak upon thy neck until they have destroyed thee Our wanton spirits under sometimes-a-prosperous Rule may be humbled by the severities of either forreign Princes prevailing or home-enemies raigning God punishing the iniquity of a people is said Hos. 13.11 To give them a king in his wrath When God sets the wicked over a people 't is a manifest indication of his anger God often sets the worst of Governours over the worst of people As a holy man pleading with God about one Phocas made an Emperour Cur Domine Phocam Imperatorem constituisti responsum datum accepit Quia non inveni pejorem Why Lord hast thou made Phocas an Emperour he was answered Because I could not find a worse May not our hearts then dread the fatal effects of removing our present King whom God preserve Should God in anger do it what bloody confusion may follow in this nation and will not our sins in the abundance of mercies make him destroy both us and our King Prov. 28.2 For the transgression of a Land many are the Princes thereof that is the continuance of Kings on this account is stortned and for the punishment of their villanies the lives of their Kings are abbreviated and one is set up after aâ—other which great mutations are often attended with great confusions and innumerable calamities 3. May we not justly fear the Lord may suspend his divine influence from the Councels of this Nation that since we have little regarded what he hath done for us the ablest Advisers the most politick Counsellours may be disabled from doing those things which may be profitable for us How often have the Councellours of a Nation deserted by God been unprosperous in their enterprises and undertakings for a people Notwithstanding the care our vigilant Soveraign hath taken or may take to suppress the growing power of Popery by his Royal Proclamations and although the hearts of our Parliament may be filled with sincerest intentions to act for the advantage of the Nation yet they may fail in the means and be disappointed of the end if God should desist from concurring with them What if their Counsels shall not have acceptance What if their advice may seem unsafe and others must needs be chosen Will not the Enemies of our Nation be working all this while Will not our Foes be contriving and hastening our ruine ere we have counsel to prevent it Would not this be a heavy Judgment And may not this be feared by us who have seen how hard it is to give acceptable counsel in these difficult and dangerous times What if the Lord should do to us as to the Counsellors of a people of old Isai. 19.14 He mingled a spirit of perversness in the midst of them Hence they became as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit They staggered about were always unfixed ever unstable but reeled this way and that way not knowing what to do or where to go Should this Spirit of division be mingled with ours what shall we finde but the breach made wider the distress made greater Private animosities would be the destruction of publick advantages The Blessing that hath been promised to the godly hath been wanting to Councellors in our age Psal. 1.3 Whatsoever he doth shall prosper But hath not a miscarrying Womb and dry Breasts been the Curse of the Lord upon us What if the Lord should suffer them to mistake the means of our recovery or fall short in what they do Sometimes it hath been known that Governours have been too sparing to the wicked to their own ruine The King of Israel lost his life for sparing Benhadad that should have died 1 Kings 20.41 Thus saith the Lord Because thou hast let go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction therefore thy life shall go for his life and thy people for his people It seems Ahab had too great a kindness for Benhadad who deserved to dye being an implacable enemy to them And are there not such enemies to be destroy'd at this day He also held by Tyranny places belonging to the Israelites and therefore deserved death And are there not those who are seeking to possess what belongs unto us that ought to be cut off for their malicious enterprizes He was also one that God did manifest his displeasure against by destroying 100000 Footmen of them whereby he might understand Gods displeasure against him Now for him to spare this enemy to intreat so honourably this publick