the merciful Dispensations of God to them 1 Sam. 15.17 18 19. And Samuel said When thou wast little in thine own sight wast not thou made the Head of the Tribes of Israel and the Lord annointed thee King over Israel and the Lord seat thee on a journey and said Goe and utterly destroy the Sinners c. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord And Nathan said to David c. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. I annointed thee King over Israel and delivered thee out of the hand of Saul And I gave thee thy Masters House and thy Masters Wives into thy bosome and gave thee the House of Israel and of Judah and if that had been too little I would morcover have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight And hath there not been as much disingenuity and unkindness in our Sins The Lord hath given his Statutes to us and his Laws He hath not so dealt with all the Nations under Heaven He hath nourished and brought us up as Children Isa 1.2 3 4. but we have rebelled against him The Oxe knoweth his Owner and the Asse his Masters Crib but Israel doth not know my People my People doth not cousider Ah sinful Nation a People laden with iniquity c. God fetcheth a deep sigh Ah! under the burden of this Ingratitude His Spirit is laden and troubled with it They have provoked the Holy One of Israel Mis-improvements of Mercies are very provoking When God comes for Bread to be sent away with Stones must need vex the good Spirit of the Lord. Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for the Lord hath spoken it Oh for Professours to be worse than Publicans for they will be kind to such as are kind to them Have not we sinn'd against God even with his favours and requited him evil for good May not the Lord say unto us Deut. 32.6 Do ye thus require the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee All the mercies we have received greaten our sins The more richly that God hath heaped his Blessngs upon us the more wantonly we have followed the swinge of our own Lusts and the more contemptuously spurned at his holy Commandements We have great cause to be ashamed for that all our sins have been 〈◊〉 gainst mercy and therefore against the Principle and Law of Nature It is a perpetual Spot not to be worn out by time that of King Jeash that he slew Zechariah the Son of Jehojada the High Priest who had been loyal unto him in the getting of the Kingdom and faithful in the administration of it ◠Chron. 24.22 23. Thus Joash the King remembred not the kindness which Jehojada his Father had done to him but slew his Son and when he dyed he said the Lord look upon it and requite it And it came to pass at the end of the year that the Host of Syria came up against him and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people from among the people But alas What Engagements could Zechariah possibly lay on Joash that may weigh with the Mercies of our God to us And yet how have we made his choicest Favours as Arrows to shoot at the God that sent them What wretched Prodigals have we been to wast all in the service of Hell which were conferr'd with so open an hand to draw forth our time strength and spirits in the praises and services of God For this our Ingratitude Ezra 9.13 14. the Lord may justly be angry with us till he hath consumed us so that there shall be no remnant nor escaping O that you would remember the Lord from Shittim to Gilgal Mica 6.5 i. e. from the beginning of Mercy to the end of it And you will hardly find that you any of you have been the better for it but many Jeshurun-like have waxed fat and kicked God is this day calling out of Heaven to England and to each particular person in it Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise I could even wish for the thousands of our Israel that they had received fewer Privileges or had had the grace to serve the Lord in the abundance of all things better than they have to this very day If ever you purpose sound Repentance then take a view of all the Mercies of God towards you Goe back to the time when the first stone was laid yea goe back to the eternal projects of God to make thee out of nothing and to redeem thee when worse than nothing Review the upper and lower Springs with which Soul and Body have been refreshed Remember how many eminent Deliverances and Salvations God hath wrought for thee And if at any time thou hast been straitned in outward comforts yet remember how thou hast been enlarged with spiritual graces if God hath denyed thee in one kind of mercy he hath supplyed it by a gracious wonderfull commutation in another in a better if thou hast been denyed the fleshpots of Egypt and the land flowing with honey yet it hath been all made up in the bread the Mannah that fell from Heaven if thou hast had sometimes bodily infirmities yet thou hast been strengthned with all might in the inward man if thou hast been denyed thee the gold of the earth yet God hath supplyed thee in making thee rich in faith If sometimes Friends have been unfriendly inconstant or treacherous yet God hath stood by thee when all left thee God hath dealt with you as with Sons your gleanings are better than the Vintage of the world Having laid these and innumerable such mercies in one Scale now lay in the other Scale thy soul ingratitude not only that particular sin of unthankfulness that thou hast been guilty of of which before but the ingratitude that hath been in all thy sins in thy pride hypocrisie formality self-love self-seeking impatience neglect of duty to Superiours Equals and Inferiours profaneness intemperance unrighteousness c. that Remembring the Lord and his goodness towards thee together with thy cursed returns thou may'st yet abhor thy self in dust and ashes Take words and say My Salvations are more than I can number Blessed be God the Father of all mercy But my sins also are innumerable I cannot recount them shame upon me O! how vile have I made my self whilst by abuse of rich mercy Mat. 5.47 Isa 1.3 I have lived below the ingenuity that is found in Publicans and Beasts O that God would give me the success that the Angel had on such a sinfull people as you are Judg. 2.1 2 3 4. And the Angel of the Lord come up from Gilgal to Bochim and said I made you to go up out of Egypt and have brought you into the land which I swear unto your
but questionable yea which have been found in unsound Hypocritical hearts and so deceive themselves Their groundless Pleas that they have closed with Christ as if they had a Christ and real Grace within them How do they live upon these Signes comfortably all their dayes without a Christ Excuse me if I bring in their Pleas and answer them briefly 1. I am changed from what I was nay changed inwardly So was Saul And it was so 1 Sam. 10.9 that when he had turned his back to goe from Samuel God gave him another heart Thou mayest have another heart and yet not a new heart 2. I have extraordinary Gifts I was dull unable to speak of God tongue-tyed among the Saints but I can now hold a discourse with them and manage some of the highest services as well as they Might not Saul say so much for himself had not he the Spirit of Prophesie to admiration When a company of Prophets met him 1 Sam. 10.10 11. the Spirit of God came upon him and he prophesied among them Then the people said one to another What is this that is come to the Son of Kish Is Saul also among the Prophets The Spirit of God was upon him also at another time 1 Sam. 19.23 24. and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah and he stript off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner and lay downnaked all that day and all that night He was so great a Proficient that as one observes As soon as he was admitted into the Society he commenced Doctour and prophesied with the best of them They stood and prophesied he went on he could run and prophesie yea he was so full of the Spirit of Prophesie that he neither eat nor drank nor slept nor rose but lay down naked all the day and all the night he was as in a traunce all that while and wanted neither meat nor drink nor clothes nor sleep 3. I was full of revenge but now I am come to such a pitch of Religion that I can pass by Offences yea pass them by when I have an opportunity of punishing them that affront me Had not Saul so much Religion The Children of Belial said 1 Sam. 10.27 How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no Prosents but he held his peace He bears much that can bear being derided 4. Though I am meek in mine own Cause yet when the Name of God and the Church of God suffer I can be very much inflamed So was hypocritical Saul 1 Sam. 11.2 6. When Nahash the Ammonite told the men of Jabesh On this condition will I make a Covenant with you that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tydings and his anger was kindled greatly 5. I am merciful to men to mine Enemies because God hath shewed me mercy So was Saul And Saul said 1 Sam. 11.13 There shall not a man be put to death this day for this day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel Though he was incited to revenge yet he would not 6. When I have any Mercy from God I see God in the Mercy and is not this a good Sign Truly no better than Saul had 1 Sam. 11.13 To day the Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel 7. I engage God with me before I set upon any considerable Undertakings Did not Saul so much Then said I the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal and I have not made Supplication to the Lord 1 Sam. 13.12 I forced my self therefore and offered a burnt Offering And Saul said unto Ahiah Bring hither the Ark of God c. And Saul asked counsel of God Shall I goe down after the Philistines 8. When I Pray I look what becomes of my Prayer and I suspend many of my Motions till I have an Answer Saul the Hypocrite went so farr he look'd after his Prayer and would not goe down after the Philistines 1 Sam. 14.37 because God answered him not that day 9. If I have no Answer to Prayer I examine the Reason and I am sure this is more than most Professours do But not more than Saul did When God answered him not that day 1 Sam. 14.37 38. Saul said Draw ye nigh hither all the chief of the people and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day 10. I am troubled for other mens sins and cannot but reprove sinners Is not this a Sign of Sincerity I answer No unless Saul were sincere When he was told the People eat the blood he was troubled and reproved them too 1 Sam. 14.33 He said Ye have transgressed 11. My Zeal against Sin is such that I punish it where-ever I find it I am impartial in my rebukes of sin my Children as well as my Servants are corrected if they trespass against the Lord. Hence I conclude mine estate is good And so might Saul 1 Sam. 14.29 As the Lord liveth who saveth Israel though it the sin be in Jonathan my Son he shall surely dye 12. I conclude God loves me from a constant series of smiling Providences that followeth all that I take in hand I find that the Lord blesseth me in my goings out and comings in whatsoever I do doth prosper And had not Saul strange Successes and Victories When Israel was so low that they had no weapons for Warr nor Smiths to make any Saul took the Kingdome over Israel 1 Sam. 14.47 and fought against all his Enemies on every side c. and whither soever he turned himself he vexed them 13. I find a readiness to confess others better than my self so did Saul with tears in his Eyes And Saul said 1 Sam. 24.16 17. is this thy voice my Son David And Saul lift up his voice and wept and he said to David thou art more righteous than I. 14. I continue my duties when I fear God hath rejected me even in desertion I keep on worshiping So did Saul when Samuel told him God hath rejected thee 1 Sam. 15.25 30 31. he desired Samuel to turn again with him that he might worship the Lord and he prevailed with Samuel to turn again and Saul worshiped the Lord. 15. I see a beauty in the Church and People of God So did Balaam How goodly are thy Tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel As the Valleys are they spread forth Numb 24.5 6. as Gardens by the Rivers sides as the Trees c. which the Lord hath planted and as Cedar trees besides the waters 16. I cannot for the greatest advantage be brought to sin against God Neither could Balaan Numb 24.13 If Balak would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot go beyond the Commandement of the Lord c. 17. I live up to the dictates of
to pity them Drones are to be beaten out of the Hive and starved in Winter It is the Workman that is worthy of meat in Christs account Mat. 10.10 Idleness hath brought much evil upon you and bred many in you it begets many diseases in the body but many more in the Soul Psal 91.11 it exempts a man from the protection of Angels and it exposeth to Gods wrath it brought ruine upon Sodom and the Cities round about Jude v. 7. and they are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 2. In their general callings How are we guilty of abundance of Idleness in our general callings And above all Idleness Spiritual sloth is most dangerous I find some with unwearied diligence labouring to enlarge their Possessions and to raise their Posterity they rise early and sit up late and eat the bread of carefulness but all is for the Body they do little or nothing for their precious Souls and for Eternity Christ and Heaven stand by and few regard them Few work out their Salvation with fear and trembling Some will not be at so much pains for their Souls as to perform the common outward Duties of Religion They will goe to the Market or to be merry with Friends many a mile but if a Lecture he but a few paces from their thresholds they count it intollerable to wet their â—â—et to expose themselves to the air Well Well God hath eased you of this labour But if men are for some easie parts of Religion yet how few are for the difficult parts thereof They cannot endure to watch their hearts to sanctifie the Lords day so strictly as not to think their own thoughts nor speak their own words nor do their own deeds How many Professours have so long given way to their lazy distempers have lain so long upon the Bed of sloth that when we press them to any painful and laborious Duties they think it excuse enough to say We have put off our Coat and loth we are to put it on We have given way to sloth so long that we hate to take pains for Christ and for Eternity Hence Self-examination Meditation Watchfulness against the first risings of sin Mortification of inward heart-sins c. these works are totally laid by and the longer we neglect them the more ado there is to perswade us to take them up We are like truant-Boyes who hate their Book after a long vacation All we have to uphold our selves with is this that the Spirit is willing when God knows the contrary We are willing to be rich and therefore take pains So we would in Spiritual things too if we were so desirous of them If we were willing to enjoy Christ in our Closets would we be even asleep there upon our knees If we were willing to know the way to Glory would we not take so much pains as to goe to the Shepheards tents and ask for the good old way O! O! It will cut you to the heart when you come to Hell-gate that you mist of Heaven for not enquiring the way thither and that you took more pains to be rich and to damn your Souls than to save them Had that time been spent in Prayer holy Conference and in Self-arraignments which was wasted in the Bed Shop Fields unnecessarily you might have had an eternal rest whereas Hell will be as intollerable to all so especially to them who have stood idle all the day long CHAP. XXIV Their Unmercifulness THE Fourth Sin of Sodom was this Professors unmercifulness Ezek. 16.49 Neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy That is they were unmerciful and inhumane And are not some Professours even in England very hard-hearted and cruel I have oft thought and said That Our late Civil Wars have had too great influence upon us to make us cruel If there be among you a poor man of one of thy Brethren within any of thy Gates Deut. 15.7 8. in thy Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor Brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need Luke 14.13 in that which he wanteth O! The poor we have alwayes with us But When we make a Feast do we call the poor Who invites the Guests that Christ hath bid for our Tables When I consider how rare Bowells of mercy and kindness are Col. 3.11 it makes me fear and I have Scripture-grounds for my fear that few are the Elect of God O hard-hearted Professours Hear ye the Word of the Lord Jam. 2.13 He shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy He shall have all judgement pure judgement without any mixtures of mercy unmixed wrath shall be his portion Christ is so resolved to punish the Unmerciful that he will over-look any sinner rather than him yea for the greater honour of the Justice of God Mat. 25.41 42 c. Mat. 9.36 The Lord seems to begin and end the great Assizes with the Arraignment and Sentencing of the Unmerciful man How few compassionate Professours are there The proper vital act of Mercy is Compassion How few resent the miseries of others as if they were their own Luke 10.33 How few set themselves to do good to those who are miserable Such what-ever they pretend are indeed unmerciful for Mercy is an active and a communicative thing How few are merciful to others Souls How few pity and set themselves to help sinning Souls but more of this under another Head How few are merciful to the Bodies of others How many are there that will not spare of their superfluities to cloth Christs naked shoulders or to fill his hungry belly Men lay out more to adorn a Cup-board or the walls of their houses than ever they gave to Jesus Christ and his Servants all their dayes Men can feed their Birds their Catts their Doggs their Swine but the Sucklings and Lambs of Jesus Christ perish for want Christ tells you what kindness you shew to his Spouse Matth. 25.40 his Friends his Children he counts as done unto himself and believe it all the scornes and neglects you have cast on either his Ambassadors or poor Saints he will remember another day Go to thy Closet and carry this with thee who so stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor he also shall cry himself Prov. 21.13 but shall not be heard If you give to whom is it Is it not only to the poor of your own party But hath not the Lord charged you to give to every man that asketh Luke 6.30 Gal. 6.10 Hath he excepted any but idlers Are not you to doe good to all though especially to the Houshold of faith And among them should not your greatest charity have been set forth on them who are become poor not by vile courses but by Gods
of hard hearts We are too much like Gideons dry fleece and like the Mountains of Gilboa or rather like Jonah fast asleep though the Winds blow the Seas roar and make a noyse and we are ready to be dash'd every hour against the Rocks I confess Israel was an hard hearted people but yet they mourned Psa 137.1 they cryed with a voyce they wept when they remembred Zion So have not we The Rod of old was the only engine by which Moses was to work all his miracles on the Rock on the Aegyptians on the more obdurate Israel But the Rock Pharaoh and Israel were sooner sensible of the Rod than we have been How do we evacuate and reproach frustrate and defame all Gods Methods and pronounce to all the world that God hath miscarried in his design upon us God hath not yet heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18 It is true God hath chastised us but we have not been as sensible as the Bullock nor so soon tamed we have not been mended under the Rod nor edified by the dolefull Lectures that God hath read us Therefore thus saith the Lord God Woe to the bloody City Ezek 24.9.10 11 12 13. I will even make the pile for fire great Heap on wood kindle the fire consume the flesh and spice it well and let the bones be burnt Then set it empty upon the coals thereof that the brass of it may be hot and may burn and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it that the scum of it may be consumed She hath wearied her self with lyes and her great scum wene not forth out of her her scum shall be in the fire In thy filthiness is lewdness because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee Jerusalem shall be burnt and why In thy filthiness is lewdness thou art obstinate hardned in wickedness Obstinacy in Sin is worse than the Sin it self Jerusalem had Prophets Ordinances Sabbaths Sacrifices Mercies Judgements by which God would have purged her but she was not purgged She did not humble herself for her sins the scum went not off Therefore thus saith the Lord God Woe to the bloody City Ezek. 24.6 to the pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it bring it out piece by piece let no lot fall on it Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved Jer 5.3 thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder than a rock they have refused to return This is a Nation Jer. 7.28 that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God nor receiveth correction How many years hath the word of the Lord come to yâ—â— Jer. 4.4 that you should circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skin of your hearts ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like Fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings And hath not the Lord cut off in his fierce anger the horn of Israel and burned against us like a flaming fire Lam. 2.3 4. which devoureth round about He hath poured out his fury like Fire And yet how few behold the desolations that he hath made How many look on this Judgement as chance But consider not the hand of the Lord that is gone out against us Do not some say in the pride and stoutness of their hearts Isa 9.10 Isa 26.9 the Bricks are fall'n down but we will build with hewn stones the Sycamores arâ— cut down but we will change them into Cedarâ— When judgement is executed and Gods hand is lifted up men should fear and learn righteousness But if you will still go on in wickedness God will reckon with you for despising him and his judgements I doubt not but thousands and ten thousands are sensensible of poverty coming in upon them and theirs as an armed man irrisistably But I fear we are too insensible that it is the Lords controversie with us How soon was the Pestilential Judgement forgot Were not men as vile Drunkards Sensualists Sabbath-breakers Oppressors and Unclean since the dreadfull Plague as before and others as proud and formal since the Plague as before That Arrow shot so remarkably from Heaven was soon forgot And now that the fury of the Lord hath been upon the City and therein upon the whole Land in the late shower of Fire I am afraid that even this Dispensation will be forgotten at least not improved as it ought to be Many and many a time have I feared Isa 29.10 that the Lord hath powred upon us the spirit of a deep sleep and that the Judgement on Ariel is descended on us Like men in a deep sleep we are not able to with-stand the Judgement and like such we have been insensible who hath wounded us or why we are wounded We have not considered the deserving Cause Pride Carelessness Intemperance Idleness c. and what way to heal our selves and extricate our selves out of our miseries Like a wild Bull in a net Isa 51.20 that can hamper and entangle it self more and more but takes no course to wind its self out of its misery Who searcheth for the Achan that hath troubled our Israel Who sits down and justifieth God Who condemneth himself for Pride for contempt of the Gospel for Luxury for Idleness for Covetousness and prophaning Gods Sabbaths The Lord humble us Jer. 6.29 for the Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed and yet the Founder melteth in vain The Lord took it ill from the men of Judah when they were not turned by the signes he gave them by Ezekiel When he was to take a Tile Ezek. 4.1 2 5 11 12. and pourtray Jerusalem upon it and lay siege against it c. When he was to lye upon his left side 390. dayes When he was to drink Water by measure and to bake his Cakes with the dung of man When he was to take a Rasor and shave his head and beard and to burn a third part with sire Ezek. 5.1 2 3. and to smite a third part with a knife and a third part to scatter in the wind and to bind up a few hairs in his skirts and to take of them again and to cast them into the midst of the fire When by these and such like signes they were not awakened out of their security when they reformed not when they feared not the wrath and judgement of God but said It is not near Ezek. 11.3 23. Let us build houses Then the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the City and stood upon the Mountain which is on the East side of the City And when the glory departed then Thus saith the Lord of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the Land of Israel They
of your provocations humbled in the very dust be sure to keep Conscience tender Let not your convictions dye strike again and again smite on the thigh again and again whilst the Iron is hot This fire may be kept alive by bringing new fuel to it Labour exquisitely to afflict your Souls that you should be so foolish so vile as under Christs Livery to commit so great and so hideous abominations Take words and say O the Light that I have abused O the means of Grace that I have slighted O the little service that I have done to Christ O the many dis-services Let these things cut and grave and afflict and humble thy Soul exceedingly from morning to evening and from evening to morning till God be pacified towards thee beware lest the motions of a lazy heart cause thee to desist sooner A patient that hath had a long disease must continue in the use of the prescriptions till the ill humour be purged away 4. Indignation Let your sorrow be accompanied with detestation See all your sins and loath them and your selves too This is promised they shall loath their ways and doings which are not good O! how much sin have we confessed which yet we have secretly hug'd in our hearts Labour to have your hearts rise against your pride hypocrifie c. Hate sin not only for Hell but as Hell yea hate your selves for your sins yea hate your selves that you can hate your sins no more O that my hatred of my Lusts might be greater than ever my love was unto them I wish from my Soul Professors were more apprehensive of Gods Judgements that are upon them and the Nation for their sins I wish many of us were come up to the frames of the hard-hearted Jews and expressed so much tenderness as they did when Gods hand was heavy upon them their sins also were an heavy burden Hos 7.14 In their affliction they sought God early they mourned and humbled themselves very much though with the removal of their trouble their sorrows wore away However be not satisfied with this sorrow but labour for such sorrow as David had when he was wounded in his heart for sin though Nathan told him his sin was forgiven yet he continued his sorrows for his great transgressions Labour I beseech you for tears of hatred and indignation be greatly displeased with your selves because you have so foolishly and wretchedly dishonoured God and ventured your eternal undoing and if yet thine eyes be not like the Fish-ponds of Heshbon for thy sins take words and sament before God thine hardness of heart that thou shouldst so grievously offend and provoke God so good so gracious a God and that notwithstanding thine heart should remain unbroken 5. Supplication Let there be added hearty cries to God for pardon of all these and all other abominations Who forgives him that scorns to sue for Remission Here is your work in this day the Devil and a false heart will put you upon other work but this is your present work Cant. 1.6 They made me the keeper of the Vineyards but mine own Vineyard I have not kept But O! do not leave the work that God sets you about I know it is your duty to provide for the bodies of your Children but consider the danger of thy Soul what guilt thou art under and give the Lord no rest till he hath blotted out all thy sin and art assured that he will remember it no more Relieve not thy self with the general bounty of God or with the free grace and rich mercy of God whilst thou neglectest to cry to God for grace and mercy He will be sought unto by the house of Israel Prize thy condition that thou art alive to pray thou mightst have been in Hell there to howl for ever and ever Seek the Lord whilst he may be found Seek in time before it be too late And if thou doubtest whether thou hast an interest in Christ and the promises because of thy hideous transgressions yet remember the gracious words that tell once from the mouth of Christ to the Samaritan John 4.10 If thou didst know the gift of God thou wouldst have asked and he would have given thee living water Though thou art unworthy of Childrens bread and hast deserved to be cast forth among the dogs yet thou hast to do with a bountifull and mercifull Lord and therefore be not cast down so as to be discouraged from waiting on the Lord. It was ill said of him why should I wait on the Lord any longer There is no hope I would have thee take better words into thy mouth and say Lord I am unworthy to be the object of thy mercy unworthy to live worthy to be denyed because thou didst call and I did not hear therefore if I call thou mayst justly turn me off in thy fury thou mightest answer me by terrible things in righteousness But deal not with me according to my deservings O! make me the great instance of the power of thy grace let thy mercy in pardoning be great exceeding great O God! Do not delay the suing out thy pardon Without delay away quickly to the Throne of Grace Remember Faelix put off his work till some other time There is danger in delays lest your sense of sin and sorrow for it vanish and decay blow up the first sparks of grace lest they go out and dye again take the first advantages of the grace of God Hast thou an inclination to humble thy self to pray to seek Gods face improve it quickly lest the wrath of God who is nighly provoked already against thee break form upon thee and there be no remedy Do not you know that you have lost the sense of the love of God But have you also lost all sense of Gods wrath Do not you wonder you escape that you are yet alive that you are not free among the dead incorporated with the Hypocrites and damned crew Will you dare you go on in your hardness of heart Will you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath O! God forbid Lay by the world thy false friend thy treacherous Joab that hath smitten to the earth with its kisses and its smiles Here is a business on which thy life the life of thy precious Soul depends Prepare to meet thy God wrath is gone out from the Lord howl weep cry it may be you shall be hid is the day of the Lords wrath it may be your sins shall be forgiven Though the law be a looking-glass to shew you your spots the Baver under the law was made of looking-glosses yet it cannot cleanse you it is the Gospel alone that pardons Away ye wandring Sheep to the great Shepheard of your Souls Hebr. 13.20 great he is in affection and love to his flock he hath laid down his life for you he hath purchased you with his own bloud Nathans parable of the Ewe-Lamb is most true of Christ and
1 Tim. 1.13 I was a Persecutour a Blasphemer and injurious What saith God Remember this day What day The day wherein you were delivered from the house of bondage under Sin the World and Satan O! how have we forgotten that the Lord by a strong and irresistable work of his blessed Spirit translated us out of the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of his dear Son It was he that made Jordan to give back and delivered us from Egypt and the Wilderness that we might inherit the good Land O! what Enemies were we studying to be damned galloping to Hell till God met us How seldome do we look back to the Spring from whence all our Mercy flowes For Election How unthankful have we been for that Original-fountain-Mercy eternal Election Why should God single us out a People for himself Why did Grace blossom from Eternity Why did God plot and study my happiness before I had a beeing What was there that Jacob is smiled upon and Esau not so God might have had his Revenues of Glory out of my ruine O that he should glorifie the riches of his mercy in my Salvation And yet how little is God magnified for this How little do we bless God for Christ For Christ Though he be the Stream that alone refresheth the City of God yet how seldome is his Love his stoops and condescentions for us his bleeding and dying for us remembred by us with hearty Praises and Thanksgivings For the Covenant of Grace and the Spirit How little do we bless God for the Covenant of Grace which Mr. Allen excellently calls The Bow in the Cloud after a Deluge of Sin and Misery the forfeited Lease of Eternity renewed the Magna Charta of the City of God the Hopes of Sinners and the Riches of Saints And in particular for the Promise of the Spirit in all his Offices and Operations for the application of the purchased Possession Ezek. 36.27 For outward Salvations I will put my Spirit within you How little do we remember to bless the Lord for outward Salvations You begin perhaps with a little as Jacob and now behold you have two bands a troop of Children Friends c. and an Estate to maintain them When others have had one Mess you have had Benjamin's Portion the silver cup put into the sacks mouth Riches and God too Estate and Christ too Peace and the God of Peace too the World and a good Title to it and yet do not you seldome cry out Bless the Lord O my Soul and let all that is within thee praise his holy Name How seldome do you consider who hath maintained you all this while Who hath delivered you and pull'd you as brands out of the sire You have had the Sentence of Death in your selves you have been with David and Paul in the mouth of the Lyon and yet saved near to perish by the Bullet Sword Pestilence Feaver and other dangers and yet your Lives given you for a prey But how soon have you forgotten the wonders shewen unto the dead O the many preventing Mercies that you have been made partakers of Hath not God secured you in many travails How many have died much younger than you whilst the Lord lengtheneth out your dayes in order to Repentance How many have died in an instant and been snatch'd away without any warning given of Death's approach whilst you have had many an Harbinger to give you to understand its nearness to you How many have been crush'd by falls from houses and câ—â—oured by beasts and by other accidents have been hastened to their long home whilst God is long-suffering to you How many have you seen drawn on Sleds led to shameful and violent Deaths whilst you have been kept from such dismal ends And are there no thanks due to the Name of God And yet how seldome do you admire at distinguishing Providence and preventing loving kindnesses You have a guard of Angels to attend you day and night to secure you from danger but how little do you bless the Lord for the Heavenly Host And yet if you do thank God for some signal outward Mercies perhaps for ease from the Stone Gout Cholick perhaps for security from the rage of the devouring Pestilence if you thank not God more for deliverance from Hell from the guilt and power of Sin than for outward Salvations you discredit God and his choicest Mercies by under-rating Spirituals to Temporals We should have blessed God for his Rod For sufferings for Christ as well as for his Staffe for both are Mercies but how unthankful are we even for sufferings for righteousness sake God expects that in every thing we give thanks as we should not be partial in our Obedience so neither in our Thanksgiving How little have we imitated the ancient Christians whose mouths were alwayes full of Thanks be unto God They saluted one another with Deo gratias and when they heard tydings of Persecution or Protection of Crosses or Comforts still they cried out God be thanked How unlike are we to famous Bradford If said he the Queen will release me I will thank her if she will keep me in Prison I will thank her if she will burn me I will thank her Thou shouldst say from thy very heart Though sick though scorned though threatned though all the day long counted as a sheep for the slaughter yet blessed be God that I am counted worthy to suffer for his Name Blessed be God that he counts me for a Son and chasteneth me for my profit that I may be made partaker of his holiness Blessed be God that I am chastened that I may not be condemned But how few give thanks alwayes in all things unto God Eph. 5.20 Isa 24.15 1 Pet. 4.16.13 We have been too backward to glorifie God in Zion much more in the Fires The Apostle Peter would not have any man suffering as a Christian to be ashamed but to glorifie God on this behalf and to rejoyce in as much as he is partaker of Christs sufferings But God knows how farr from Praises we have been when the Storms have been high and threatned our Tabernacles How hath God charged us to remember Mercy Confiderations against Vnthankfulness and to praise him for it Ye that fear the Lord praise him Praise him O ye Servants of the Lord Praise thy God O Zion Psal 22.23.135.1.147.12.148.1.150.1 2. Praise him in the heights Praise God in his Sanctuary Praise him for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Doth not the innumerableness of Gods requiries of Praise and Thanksgiving aggravate our neglect of this Duty What Provision hath Christ made against this Sin Hath not he appointed the Sacrament of his Supper on purpose to help us to Remember him and his saving benefits Do this in Remembrance of me But have not many Professours been so resolved to be unthankful that they have neglected this great Ordinance
which was appointed to strengthen their Remembrance of past Mercies Hath not God told us that he hath formed us for his praise And what yet backward thereunto We can never love God to an height whilst we forget his loving Kindnesses I wonder not that many complain of their decayes of Love to God whilst they forget his wonders of Grace and Love to their Souls Even Publicans will love those of whom they are beloved And did we oftner recount the Mercies of God they would work endearments betwixt God and our Souls Did we consider what a wonder it is that God should draw us out of nothing that he who stoops to behold the things of Heaven should put his singer to our workmanship that he should curiously work us as Needle-work in the dark Vaults of Nature and that when we were fuller of sin than the Toad of poyson that yet he should feed a Toad and cloath a Cockatrice the Fire of Love to God would burn within our breasts How is God provoked by this sin God took it ill at the hands of the Israelites that they remembred not his hand Psal 78.42 nor the day in which he delivered them How much more do we grieve the Lord who remember not the goodness and salvations of the Lord in Canaan yea in Zion Our Saviour was grieved that his Disciples remembred not the five Loaves Mat. 16.8 9 10. and the seven Loaves and how many Baskets they took up Innumerable greater favours hath God shewed to us and yet we forget them How have we forgot the God that bridled Natures proud waves and said Hitherto ye shall goe and no farther When we were ripe for Judgement then Mercy stept in and yet how slow to give thanks Hardly one of tea blesseth God for cleansing Mercy as they ought Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine This makes me fear People have not had a deep sense of the misery and stains of Nature for that their Saviour is no more thanked Did not the Lord force thee by an over-powering work of Grace upon thy Soul at first Conversion to be willing to be made happy Did not he compel thee to come into the Feast Was it not God that brought thee to such a Parish to such a Minister and to such a Text And did not he by his Almighty power enable thee to believe and apply Was it not he that broke thine heart when as hard as a nethermost Mill-stone and made it soft malleable and pliant to his will and pleasure And what forget the wonders of the Lord in the deep This vexeth the Lord to the heart Did not he cause the Walls of Jerâ—co to fall as by the voice of Rams-hornes by weak inconsiderable means Did not he alienate thine heart from Lusts that were dearer to thee than thine eyes Did not he present the face of Christ as lovely to thy Soul who before was despised aend rejected And hath not Christ fed thee with fresh supplyes of free Grace that have watered thy Soul every moment so that you have been kept through his mighty power How many doubts hath Christ answered and how many scruples hath he by his Holy Spirit satisfied thee in And yet O wretched heart how unthankfull hast thou been Thou hast forgot all his benefits A man would think it were impossible that every unpleasing Providence should make us so forgetful of all the mighty Works that have been done within doors upon our Souls How just is it with God to plague us for this our unkindness unto him Isa 17.10 11. Because thou hast forgotten c. therefore the harvest shall be an heâ—â— In the beginning all succeeded well saith Vatablus upon the place according to our desire In the day the Plant grew and in the morning the Seed flourished but because of unthankfulness extreme misery followed Wonder not that the Showres are with-held that the Lord causeth the Sun to set on the Prophets at Noon day that the Manna falls not before your doors that the hidden Mannah Ingrato quod donatur deperditur Sen. and white Stone are denied you you have been unthankfull you have not taken care for the fragments that nothing be lost Gods Mercies have been lost upon you Or Waters were become Wines our Gleanings were better than the Worlds Vintage God dealt with us as Sons But now if he draws in his hand and make his Garden as a desolate Wilderness for this sin who can say unto God What dost thou Must not all of us put our mouths in the dust Did not we sit under our own Vines Had we not our solemn Assemblies Did not we goe in troops to the house of the Lord Was not Holiness in credit Did not the mix'd multitude joyn with us and desired to be numbred amongst us because God was with us Did not fear come upon all the People And had not the Churches rest Did we fear the shaking of the Spear Might we not have been as holy as we pleased Had not we as much liberty as we desired But O then how unthankfull were we How troubled were we that every Mordecai did not bow that every one would not be of our mind and dance after our Pipe God knows what a Controversie there is with the Land for the Unthankfulness of them that dwelt therein O how glad would ye be of one of the dayes of the Son of man of your old Privileges and Spiritual Liberties Because ye have not served God with joy and praise in dayes of plenty therefore it is but a righteous thing that you serve in scarcity and famine of Bread of the Word of the Lord. CHAP. XIII Their neglect of Prayer especially of secret Prayer 6ly NEglect of Prayer is another part of Ungodliness Professors neglect of Prayer too common even among Professours Request and Thanksgiving are saith one like the double motion of the Lungs by which they suck in and breath out the air again In the Petitionary part of Prayer we desire either the bestowing of some good thing or the preventing or removing of some evil from our selves or the inflicting of some evil on Gods implacable Enemies And in the Gratulatory part of Prayer we return the praise of glory of what we have received from God unto God Though the Thanksgiving part of Prayer be most yet the Petitionary part of Prayer is too much neglected It is Ungodliness to goe about any Business or Journey to fix our Abode to use any Creature Food or Physick without asking Gods leave and blessing in Prayer Yea it is a branch of Atheism this Brat of irreligion is laid at the door of Atheism by the Psalmist Is it not a Lamentation Psa 14.1 3 4. and should it not be for a Lamentation that so many Professours should be guilty of such Ungodlineâ—â— Are there not many that never prayed in all their lives Never Praying Professours are looked upon by the world as Praying people
hasten the birth and spoyl the conception The Prophet of old complains of some Isa 35.4 Isa 28.16 that they were of an hasty heart whereas He that believeth maketh not hast God deferrs to put an edge on our desires a value on what is promised and to exercise our Faith The Word that is gone forth out of the mouth of the God of truth should quiet but it doth not Isa 60.22 Psa 102.13 I the Lord will hasten it in its time The Lord will arise and have mercy upon Zion when the time to favour her yea when the set time is come And is not Gods time the best 9. Abusing Promises How have many abused rather than applyed Promises How many dogs take the Children's bread How many Hypocrites tast of the forbidden fruit Lay hold on that which doth not belong unto them When they read those sweet delicious promises of the pardon of Sin of the love of God of the freeness of grace of the glory to come they count them as theirs whereas they are but Usurpers they set their mark on anothers goods they are thieves and robbers for they are strangers to the Promises How many abuse the mercy of God in the Promises so that even the Promises become an occasion of stumbling whilst they continue in sin in hopes of pardons through the Promises We are not led by the sweetness of the Promise to Repentance but rather harden our hearts presuming of pardons on course from the God of grace Gluttons surfet soonest upon the greatest dainties thus many venture to continue to sin that grace may abound hence Repentance is put off because men hope God will abundantly pardon when ever the wicked forsakes his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts The Promises are not made a Sanctuary unto which men fly from sin but as a Sanctuary to protect them in their sinfull courses God is mercifull slow to wrath he will abundantly pardon c. therefore c. Do not we overlook all the threatnings and terrible denunciations of God against our sins and wholly pitch on the comfortable Promises of the Gospel Do not we eye Promises and yet hate Commands Do not we mind Temporal Promises with the neglect of Spiritual and therein disparage God by setting a deeper value on Earth than on Heaven on our back and bellies than on God Do not we eye the Promises that speak of mercy but pass over those that lead to duty View with pleasure pardoning Promises but neglect the Promises of sprinkling us with clean water and that Sin shall not have Dominion over us We like it that God will be our God but we love not to be Gods people under his command and at his dispose How do we eye the absolute Promises but neglect the conditional We take hold of Promises of deliverance when under any misery but we forget the condition If my people shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their evil wayes c. little is that minded by us which the Prophet speaks At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation Jer. 18.9 10. and concerning a Kingdome to build and to plant it if it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voyce then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them We love we like Promised mercies and every one is looked upon as an unbelieving Thomas that doubts of the mercy but we overlook the preparatory duties of Fasting Praying Repenting and Reforming our hearts and wayes c. Hence men dote almost on the Promises of grace but secretly hate the Promises to grace because they find no gracious qualifications in themselves they love to hear of Gods readiness to pardon but they are loth to hear that they must come to Christ for Repentance and then for Remission they would fain have the penny but they cannot endure labour God hath linked his Promises and our seeking together Ezek. 36.37 Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them But how many of us do either altogether neglect or slothfully go about to perform the condition of the Promise Are not some of us altogether strangers to faith the condition of the whole covenant of grace know not what an heart purifying faith means We never gave our selves unto the Lord yet run away with the Promises of forgiveness though ignorant of the Mediatour betwixt God and sinfull creatures though full of pride and high concerts of our own Righteousness though we live in an open disesteem of the Gospel of Christ though we cannot but find an incompliance of heart with subjection to Christ yet we boast Abraham is our Father the blessing of Abraham is come upon us the Promises are ours How do the Promises of God make some slothfull in the use of appointed means How formal in duties are we May it not be said of us Deest aliquid intus as of the Image there is somewhat wanting withinâ— Are not we silly doves without heart Are not we only bolstred up with the Promises O! these pillows under our heads make us slumbring Virgins All is well God is mercifull c. but we do not sweat and get our living by labour we strive not to enter in at the straight gate c. We look for the blessed hope but we live not soberly I know saith God the thoughts that I think towards you thoughts of peace Jer. 29.11 12. but not of an evil to give you an expected end but be sure that ye call upon me and goe and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you 10. Nicely applying them How nice and curious are some in applying of Promises They forsooth take no pleasure in any Promises but such as they think no hand touched before their own They neglect the plain clear open rich Promises of the Gospel and if any be more abstruse and hard to be found out by an ordinary eye they are greedily suck'd in They are only or mainly for mystical Promises Such think they are delighted with the goodness of the Promise whereas they are only pleased with the newness of it or with their own invention and that they can see farther into a Mill-stone than another I have known some of these and I have seen what is become of them their pride and affectation hath led them also from the plain paths of holiness 11. How many will not close with a Promise such is their folly till the thing promised be found within them Not applying them till they have what they should apply them for Because their hearts are so corrupt therefore they will not apply the Promises of subduing iniquity and of purifying the heart whereas there is no way to get their corrupt hearts cleansed but by laying hold on such Promises and the longer they keep off the Promise the worse it will be with them
9. Accounting Gods Judgements greater than their Deserts Do not we think God hath punished us above our Deserts Do not we hence cry out more of our smart and pain than we do of our sins and provocations Were we humble we would bless the Lord that he hath restrained his rough wind in the day of his East wind We would wonder that it is so well with us that we are not in a worse condition We would cry out Lam. 3.40 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins How loth are we to confess our iniquities have deserved all that we suffer and a great deal more and therefore to humble our selves for our sins How do we endeavour to hide our sins from God Man and our selves 10. Admiring what they suppose they have How apt are we to admire our selves for supposed Excellencies For supposed Beauty Parts Reason Wit and Understanding yea and for supposed Grace Man saith one is a proud piece of flesh and a small matter will make him shew his pride and spread his plumes 11. Boasting of what Good they have and do How apt are we to boast of any Good we do Of our Valour in the Field of our Discourses in such and such Company how wisely we discharged such a Service how well we behaved our selves in such an Action Come see my Zeal for the Lord. Look to your hearts you will find them unduly transported as with the thoughts of your gifts and graces so with what you do through the gift of grace Our very Graces are often an occasion of boasting 'T is a rare thing to see a man rich in gifts 1 Cor. 8.1 Puffed up with any thing of theirs and poor in spirit Even knowledge puffeth up 12. Doth not any thing of ours swell us Are not some puff'd up with their fine Clothes new Attires Ribbons Dressings yea with their very Spots Their Feathers their Hair the excrements of Beasts and Men make them flye high Are not some puff'd up with their Birth Hence they boast that they have the Blood of Kings and Nobles running in their Veins or else that they are of the Stock of Abraham descended from Parents eminent for Piety though they have sadly degenerated from their lives and walks How many are swell'd with their Estates That they have Shops full Houses full and Baggs full puffeth them up Whilst all the treasure is shewed how glad is the heart Even Hezekiah was glad to shew the Embassadours the house of his precious things Isa 39. â— How are others puffed up with the smiles and respects of great men And yet how soon may the Sun be over-cast Then they are no more heeded than the Dial is when the Sun is in a Cloud How doth the bodily strength and perfections of others swell them though every moment they are going down into the dust What is your life It is even a vapour James 4.14 that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away How are others swell'd with their Church-priviledges The Temple of the Lord Ezek. 7.4 the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are we These are lying words not to be trusted in Others with their revelations and high enjoyments 3 Cor. 12.7 Paul was in danger of being exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations therefore was given to him a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure Rom. 12.3 Gal. 6.3 How few have heeded that of the Apostle Let no man think of himself more highly than he ought to think and that If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself How have we been puff'd up with our Reformation Ministers Churches Professours Preferring them before others at home and abroad 13. How little suspicion have we of our selves Not suspecting themselves Of our baseness and sinfullness the deceits and treachery of our own hearts With how much confidence do we thrust our selves into wicked mens company and fear not to be leavened with them How little do we suspect that we shall fall from the grace we have or seem to have We are high minded and therefore fear not We do not suspect that there are worse abominations within than yet are discovered How do we pretend to bless God that our hearts are good We fear not the worst of our selves If others be overcome with uncleanness passion c. we are confident we shall never so dishonour God 14. Fuming at plain dealing Do not we fret and fume when any go about to discover the vileness within I have heard of some Ladies that have hated the glass that gave them a true sight of their spots Psa 141.5 and deformities Humble David loved them best who most convincingly reproved him for what was amiss in him 15. Not being able to deny themselves in any lawfull content Being troubled that any Rule besides themselves We must be pleased we must have our sports and the utmost of our liberty though GOd and man suffer by it never so much we cannot stoop to deny our selves some lawfull contentments though God be to be honoured thereby 16. How have we been troubled that any save our selves have Ruled and been in Authority Few have learnt the Humility of Jothams Olive-tree Fig-tree and Vine The Bramble thinks himself worthy to be in the highest place O! what fightings what sidings what Plots to get higher Haman was never contented till every knee bowed not so much as one Mordecai must be excused If men would but speak out they think they are fitter for Magistrates and Ministers than those that are employed so that whereas the humble man thinks every one better than himself they on the contrary think themselves the only men 1 Pet. 2.13 Do not we account it below us to to submit to every Ordinance of man though for the Lords sake And when we cannot do what we are commanded who suffers meekly and not in anger against the highest Powers Do not we suffer in proud wrath Prov. 21.24 And glad to be commended by others though they discommend themselves 17. How glad are we if others take notice of our actions And how are we pleased if they commend us for them and yet we would not have them think so We will discommend our own Prayers for deadness straitness and our selves for want of parts c. on purpose to draw forth others praise How few are unwilling that others should have good thoughts of them in reference to themselves How few are troubled at the praises of their friends more than at flashes of lightning cast into their faces 18. How do we rejoyce when others cry us up yea to be cryed up undeservedly even when we know it is unjustly when we know how hollow-hearted
you cannot so exhort as Ministers c. But have you not been told that God can work by small means as well as by great and that by things that are not God can confound the wisdome of the flesh and bring to naught the things that are Is not this like the pretence of not being eloquent Do you not know have you not heard that the issue and event depends on the blessng of the Lord rather than on the work it self Is it not all one to the Lord to wound by a short as by a long sword Cannot God bless a few words in thy mouth as he did in Christs and the Apostles Can'st not thou say follow Christ and may not presently a Matthew a Publican leave his sinfull courses and embrace the Christian faith Can'st thou not say Repent and Believe that your sins may be blotted out and may not God concur with thee as he did of old times Is the Lords hand shortned that it cannot help If Israel be not gathered yet thy reward is with the Lord if thine heart were upright and could testifie that night and day thou hast not ceased to warn to rebuke and counsel Certainly your memories are not so bad but you must remember the weight of sin and of the wrath of God you have seen the wonders of the Lord in the deeps you that have escaped to shoar can tell of the Rocks and Shelves and Storms which you have been delivered from and will you set other Shipwrack their Souls rather than hold out your light unto them 〈…〉 may avoyd their ruines What shall I say to humble you There is more 〈◊〉 in Hell than you can afford Blush blush and be ashamed to have less zeal love and pitty to perishing Souls than Dives in Hell had he would have his Brethren saved from the Valley of Hinnom Your silence will make others think that Hell is a tollerable place that sin is not so evil and bitter a thing that to lye under Gods wrath is not so great a misery whilst you are so slow and backward to warn your Friends and Acquaintance that they slee from these and take Sanctuary in the true City of Refuge the Lord Jesus Christ O! If you know the worth of a Soul pitty the multitude with whom the day is not broke whose forlorn Souls are under a continual Massacre from the bloudy Butcher of Hell Besmear your Souls no longer with the guilt of their bloud Let them not starve for want of bread whilst you have to give them I shall bless God for ever and ever if this your negligence of the Souls of those whom you may account without may be cordially bewailed and you for the future double your diligence for their conversion Ministers cannot convert without the Concourse of Omnipotency neither can you Though Satan and thy own lazy heart hath told thee thou art unfit to set upon this work yet better do it meanly than wholy omit it God like Parents on earth loves to see his Children lift at those duties which are too hard for them and then he steps in and is a Co-worker with them What God did by illiterate Fishermen by Priscilla he can do by thee The Lord pardon thy former unmercifulness to the Souls of men But if thou continue careless and cruel if thou wilt not by Prayers for them and counsels to them seek their reducement as sure as thou art reading the voyce of thy Brothers blood is crying against thee from the earth By your example before if not since Profession you have been the cause of the destruction of Souls of how many who can tell And as Jeroboam made Israel to sin many years after he was rotten in his grave so your sin your wicked examples may propagate the trade of sin from generation to generation until Christ shall come to Judgement Tremble tremble at the thoughts of it if thou hast not the heart of a Beast in thee O! how many Souls are crying in Hell against thee cursing the day they knew thee or their Ancestours knew thee for that by thee they learned to sin the more and were strengthned in their wickedness by thy tongue and by thy life And now are not you bound to do your utmost to make restitution to labour to save them that be alive Is it not reasonable that you should labour to win Souls to Gods as you have to the Devils service and to have many blessing God in the Heavens for you that ever they were in the company of such an active zealous Christian who by word and life was instrumental to bring them to the knowledge of themselves and of their God And is it not a glorious work to hold forth such Light to the World that they seeing your good works may glorifie God and you may be Propagators of Zeal and Holiness from Generation to Generation till Christ shall appear to judge the World and to reward you for all the services you have done to his Name O! how welcome shall that man be to Heaven and Christ who hath fed the Souls and clothed the Souls and visited the Souls which he hath purchased with his own precious blood Christ will own thee for his Benefactour CHAP. XXXVII The Dis-ingenuity and Scandalousness of their Miscarriages WHen God had given the Prophet Ezekiel a large Catalogue of Judah's Abominations The wickedness of the former miscarriages Ezek. 8.9 V. 6 13 15. he then shew'd him the Wickedness of their Abominations He said unto me Goe in and Behold the wicked Abominations they do here He commanded him once and again and again to turn him yet again and he should see greater Abominations I cannot indeed promise thee that thou shalt now see greater Abominations than those already mentioned All that I shall now do shall be to represent the former Miscarriages in their crimson dye and scarlet colour And The First Thing I shall mention Commitred against so good and kind a God Eph. 4.30 as making your Sins Professours out of measure sinful is your Dis-ingenuity in so sinning against God O! You have sinned against a gracious God You have grieved the good Spirit of God whereby some amongst you have been sealed to the day of Redemption I am bold to say that one godly man's sinning against light and mercy doth more break the heart of God than the bruitish Sins of a Pagan Kingdom Ezek. 6.9 I am broken saith God with your whorish heart which hath departed from me c. And ye shall loath your selves for your evils which ye have committed in your abominations Amos 2.13 God hath been press'd down with your sins as the Cart with sheaves till he hath even Creak'd under the weight God expected more from the Treet planted in Zion than from the wild ones in the Wilderness Luke 13.9 Grief and Burthen springs much from unexpected Unkindnesses I looked for Fruit and there was none How were David's and Saul's Sins aggravated from
and yet you dare even then be vain and frothy you know the Lord is much grieved at the backslidings of his people and yet you have lost you antient faith love tenderness zeal publick-spiritedness and communion with God yea you have not only known these to be sins but you have spoken against them as evils you have told men how hainous a thing it is to sin against the Lord and yet you your selves have added iniquity unto iniquity What cloak have you for your sins And very impenitently Fourthly You have sinned impenitently notwithstanding all means for your repentance and reducement which God hath most wonderfully vouchsafed you The Lord hath for many years striven with you to put a stop to your sins and to reclaim you from your miscarriages Sometimes God hath gone up to Mount Ebal and threatned you with Sword Famine Fire and Pestilence and yet you have refused to hear from thence he hath leapt up to Mount Gerazim and allured you by all kind of blessings and yet you have carried your selves stoutly and impudently towards all the offers and tenders of grace for your recovery Jer. 3.4 7. God would have healed you he hath said wilt thou not from this time cry unto me my Father thou art the guide of my youth turn thou unto me yet you returned not You have had many of the Lords faithful Ambassadours who have laid siege at you hearts to engage them to the Lord and to take you off from your sinfull wayes but alas all the glad tidings of mercy have not affected you have not won you all the Ordinances of Jehovah have found little place in you have left no impre â—ion upon your Souls Ezek. 16.51 Hos 4.17 You have justified Judah and Samaria in all their stubborness and rebellion against the Lord. How righteous is it with the Lord to call upon the Ministers Let them alone threaten them no moâ—e promise them no more Rev. 22.11 Let him that is filthy he filthy still you have broken through Armies of Ordinances to commit sin therefore Gospel and Gospel-Ministers let them alone judgements overtake them my plagues my curses seize upon them Let them suddenly be destroyed Prov. 29.1 and that without remedy because they have hardned their necks though often reproved God hath waited more than three and three years on you expecting fruit but he sees little save the Clusters of Sodom upon you he hath born with you so long he hath held his tongue and said nothing so long that you have wickedly thought God to be such an one as you Psal 50.21 So that God must needs be a swift witness against you for the vindicating of his great and glorious Name unless you speedily repent and seek the Lord Zeph. 2.3 if perhaps he may be found O! how long hath God commanded you every where to repent not only by his threats but by his judgements which have begun at the House of God What lowd calls have we had Joel 2.11 1 Pet. 5.6 Turn to the Lord with weeping Let your laughter be turned into weeping Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and yet how stupid how insensible how impenitent have you remained to this very day though you have felt the Arrows of the Lord stying amongst you yea though you have been told Jer. 18.8 If you repent it shall repent the Lord of the evil he had thought either to continue upon you or to bring down on you yet alas where are the stirrings of your affections the soundings of your bowell the meltings and relentings of your repenting hearts O what marble breasts and hearts of Adamant have you How few are there mourning for all the wrongs they have done to the Majesty of God Evidenced in their being infensible of their own sins for all the abuses offered to the grace of God Perhaps the fear of Hell and so indeed self-love hath humbled some Ahabs and made them crouch because they would not be miserable But how few are humbled for their abuse of the love and grace of God by their great offences Whaâ— the Lord complains of by the Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 3.8 of the house of Israel that they would not hearken to the Messengers be sent them but were impudent and hard hearted may be again renewed against England and all its dominions the heart of stone is not yet taken away where is the man almost that can say God hath made mâ— heart soft Job 2â— 16 Though you have born arms against God though you have sinned against the Lord with an high hand though upon self-tryal you may sind those very sins amâ—ngst you which brought Fire and Brimstone on Sodom and Gomorrah Psal 42.3 and desolation on Israel yet alas when were tears thy drink When didst thou make thy Bed to swim Is thy beauty gone away for trouble Dost thou abhor thy self in dust and ashes before the Lord Know Reader that the Authors Pen had proceeded thus far before he heard of the late dreadful Burning of London the following lines shew thee what impressions it made on his thoughts and should on thy Soul Perhaps in Rama there is a voice heard Lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children that dye by the Sword or Pestilence or are burnt in their beds Perhaps in London and throughout the Land there are some tears shed for the Coals of fire that God hath scattered the last week over that famous and antient City But how few are mourning for their pride worldliness contempt of the Ministers and Apostasies for which God seems to be contending not only by the Sword and the Pestilence but by Fire with us where are the Dovâ—s of the Valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity A â—haraoh may so far repent as to say Take away the Plague but few cry out Take away iniquity Few detest their sins few loath them few are so burthened with them as that they desire heartily to have them taken away Possibly Sin in its effects in its sad consequences as it consines men to the Pest-house as it endangereth health and life as it is the founder of graves and hells as it burns up your houses and goods is someway burthensom but few are troubled with it Ezek. 10.2.7.16 Hos 14.2 as it grieves resisteth and quencheth the Spirit of God as it is a piece of the highest ingratitude and as it kicks against the breasts of mercy And therefore no wonder if Few are to be found mourning for other mens sinnes Though Jesus Christ be crucified afresh Of other mens sins and put to open shame though the blessed Spirit of our God be always vexed and resisted though there be so much Atheism Epicurism contempt of God and his Ambassadours and Gospel Blasphemy Violence Falshood Pride Adultery Sodomy though there be setting up the posts of men with an apparent contempt of Gods holy
own our Sins to be the Incendiaries Jer. 8.6 saying What have I done And What have I done to stop the mouths of so many of Gods faithful Ministers to unsheath the Sword to bring forth the destroying Angel to kindle the dreadful Fire in London Are there not such sins amongst us for which God hath plagued much people If secret sins of particular Persons have drawn down wrath on whole Nations Why not thy scandalous sins Say no more Such Opposition Oppression Idolatry uncleaness c. will bring in misery as an armed man but say there is danger lest God should make an utter end of poor England for my pride for my unthankfulness for my trusting in an Arm of flesh for my back-slidings O! how many have I caused to fall by the Sword and how many by the Pestilence And how many have I caused to be ruined by the Fire Verily if thou art guilty of no other sin save pride yet thou canst not clear thy self from being one of Englands Incendiaries O! how was the wrath of God upon Jerusalem and Judah because Hezekiah's heart was lifted up But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem 3. No Repentance no returns of mercy but more wrath Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing without repentance the mercies you are deprived of because of your sins will never be returned or not in mercy yea greater judgements will follow Unless you return unto God from whom you have departed God will not return unto your Souls If ye forsake him 2 Chron. 15.2 he will forsake you imports as much as if you continue to forsake him he will continue to forsake you If you repent not God will not return your liberties your trade his own Ordinances in purity and power or at least he will not return these or any other mercies you have sinned away in mercy But you may expect greater judgements than ever yet you saw to fall not only upon your selves and families but upon the Land Think not that they were the greatest sinners in England upon whom the Sword or Pestilence or Fire fell Remember Christs I tell you Nay Luk. 13.3 5. Luk. 6.25 but except you repent you shall all likewise perish Wo unto you that laugh now for ye shall mourn and weep And will you run the hazard of this dreadful Wo Will you run the hazarding of perishing all and altogether Is it not better to mourn now than to cry and howl in the pit of Hell for ever God hath determined within his own breast nay he hath expressed this to be his pleasure to the Children of men that sooner or later all shall mourn for sin either in this life or in the next And is it not better to feel the weight here than on a death bed or in Hell What said a Ruffian once when in the midst of his jovial Companions he clapt his hand on his breast and cryed out well one day I must know what a wounded Conscience meaneth God is resolute in this you shall one time or other find it an evil and bitter thing to provoke him And shall this consideration nothing move you I know this should not be the chief ground of your sorrow But yet Christ was no legal Preacher when he cryed out sin no more least a worse thing happen to you Go thou sluggard to the Ant provide in Summer for the Winter But O the great cheats that poor souls put upon themselves they hope though they repent not though they remain careless worldly c. yet others are not so careless as they though they fast not yet they hope some do though they spend not days in prayer they hope others do and they hope to fare the better for them This is like the Doctrine of Rome the Romanists teach that there are some opera paenalia some penitential works that you may have others to do for you and yet fare as well as if you did them your selves But for my part I shall as soon believe that I shall be cured of the stone in the bladder or of a filthy Leprosie by anothers taking Physick for me as that I shall be saved by anothers repentance O! what folly is this to take relief and sanctuary in others fervent Petitions and deprecations of wrath whilst thou thy self cryest out Soul take thine ease store is laid up for thee by others Alas how dost thou know what others are a doing Doe they blow the Trumpet when they go to fast the more likely it is that they be Hypocrites But hath not God said Ezek. 9.4 Go through the midst of the City through the midst of Jerusalem and set a mark only upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof and again Son of man when the Land sinneth against me by transgressing grievously then will I stretch out mine hand upon it and will break the staff of the bread thereof and will send a famine upon it Ezek. 14.13 14. and will cut off man and beast from it Though these three men Noah Daniel and Job were in it they should deliver but their own Souls by their righteousness saith the Lord God 4. Impenitents lose all they do and suffer for God Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing so long as you are impenitent all you do and suffer for God is abominable in his sight Hardness of heart is a nasty disease it is like a Leprosie that makes all to shun a man If you had such a disease that all would abhor you would it not humble you to the very dust your impenitency makes you neither fit company for God nor his Saints you are loathsome in the sight of both whilst you are under so much guilt and yet insensible of it A tender broken hearted Christian is lovely in Gods and his peoples eyes but how ugly a sight is it to see a daring bold insensible sinner persisting in a course of sin without repentance If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes c. in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live c. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness Ezek. 18.21 22 24. 2 Ep. of John v. 8. Gal. 3.4 Their persons are loathed and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned And is it nothing to you to lose the things you have wrought Is it nothing to suffer and to suffer so many things in vain 5. Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing so long as you are impenitent God doth not only
loath your services but he cannot take any delight in your persons yea you cannot be restored into his love and favour without Repentance there is no Remission Repent ye therefore and be converted Act. 3.19 that your sins may be blotted out And what have you no mind to be forgiven your own and your other mens sins Deus noâ— infund it oleum misericordiae nisi in vas contritum Bernard have you no will to be at peace with God and to be restored into his love and favour Are you content that all these and innumerable sins more should be charged upon your Account O then beg of God to break your hearts for and from your sins A broken vessel a broken heart will hold best the oyl of mercy The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God! thou wilt not despise 6. But their Repentance would exceedingly please God and refresh his Ministers Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins seeing your Repentance will be so pleasing and so reviving to your even broken-hearted Ministers Your Repentance will more please God than all your sins have displeased him Though your sins have very much displeased him yet he was loth to depart from you he hath departed only gradually But if you will repent he will readily return in his departure he hath gone as it were a Snayles pace but if you will return he will return with speed he will turn towards you and fall upon your Necks and kiss you and not upbraid you with any of your former miscarriages And O! what a refreshing will it be to your fainting Ministers to see you returning Prodigals Believe it our Chains would be worn as Bracelets and Jewells and our Exiles would be a Paradise to us did we see you putting your mouths in the dust and crying out because of all your Provocations It is your security your seeking great things for your selves your pride your foolish expectations of our returns whilst you and we are so unfit for such a mercy that is our greatest burden and lies heavier on us than the wrath of any save of God Almighty God knoweth who knoweth the secrets of our Souls that we could be contented to be banished from the face of men so that you were delivered from the power of your lusts If you live and stand fast in the faith we live and though we have nothing yet we possess all things joying and rejoycing to see your Zeal your Repentance your Indignations and Revenges against your sins But we is unto us we fear we have spent our Lungs our Time our Studies our Life in vain upon you whilst we behold your benummedness your insensibleness of all the tokens of Gods displeasure by reason of your transgressions And will you add affliction to the afflicted Is it not enough that we are turned out of the Vineyard where we loved our work better than our lives Is it not enough that we are cast forth from among our People and Friends to seek bread for our selves and little ones from door to door But will you have a greater hand in our misery than any others Will you lay the greatest load of trouble upon us whilst others oppress our outward man will you go on to vex our Spirits Have pitty upon us O Children whom we have begotten in the Gospel you call us your Spiritual Fathers you did receive us as Angels yea as Jesus Christ you would have plucked out your eyes to do us good O! now what do we beg not to have your eyes out but fill'd fill'd with tears Gal. 4.15 and your hearts fill'd with sorrow for hatred and indignation against your sins Weep not for us but weep for your selves And is there not a cause Your tears will be our meat and drink a great part of our joy will arise from seeing your godly sorrow Hagar was not more refeshed with her fountain than we shall be to find your heads as waters and your eyes as fountains of tears and you weeping day and night for your own and others provocations Let it suffice you that you have so long grieved us and Christ by your Security Self-love Worldliness Pride and Passions O that now the Egyptians that we have seen among you may be seen alive no more Let us not be hastned to our graves by your impenitencies and stubborn departures from God We are troubled to find still among you and upon you those very sins which have laid Kingdoms and Churches wast and yet you secure as if the Lord had powred out a Spirit of slumber upon you those very sins which overthrow the Churches of Judea and Asia are found among you and will you not repent and do your first works It grieves us to the heart to see sins run through you as water through a Mill and you regard it not We beseech you out of love to God to your own Souls and to us and our comforts that you would cease to do evil and learn to do well Be moved with fear and prepare an Ark. The old world would not believe Noah But the Lord made them to know he was a Prophet of Righteousness We pitty your Souls we are troubled to see what confidence you put in uncertain Signs and Prognostications which beget carelessness and security in you and how little you fear the threatnings of most dreadfull Judgements against those very sins you have lived in many a sad thought we have about you whilst we see your fickleness inconstancy stupidity and ungrounded because unscriptural hopes O! return return repent repent that we may be able to say ye are our joy our Crown our rejoycing in the day of Christ 7. 〈◊〉 or â—â—ver for ought they know And Lastly Should not your hearts be broken for and from your sins even by what may be seen in this Glass seeing now God gives you not only time to Repent but an opportunity of Repentance and such an one as if you neglect it you may never have the like again When time and the means are married and lodged together saith one they beget opportunity Now time and means meet together to effect your Repentance If this opportunity be lost you may never have another and if you should never have any other your case is desperate Opportunities cannot be pray'd or wept back again Heb. 12.17 Esau's instance puts it out of all doubt In Gods opportunity it is an easie thing to repent but if this opportunity should be lost by you which God forbid it may be impossible for you to repent See Mr. Fenners danger of deferring repentance folio 35 36. God may justly give you up to Judicial impenitency It may be God doth now by this Treatise speak home unto thy Soul now it may be God warms thy heart now it may be God works in thee good thoughts and desires Now is thy day of grace But to use the words of one