yea or no whether the wrath of God be a rediculous thing yea or no. Oh feare and tremble at the thoughts of these things that which hath been said might make the heart of every unrepentant sinner shake and his joynts to tremble This is the first use The second use and all the use in the generall that shall be made of the point in hand Usâ— 2. is an exhortation to Repentance Is the wrath of God gone out against all the ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Oh Repent Repent betimes ere this wrath come upon you I have lately exhorted you to repentance by the mercies of God by his love and goodnesse and the sweet provision that he hath made he hath raised up his son the Lord Jesus to give that blessing to you You need not say the work is too hard it is a thing impossible for us to repent You have heard where your strength lies I must now goe another way to worke and exhort you to repentance by the Judgments of the Lord the text which I am handling calls for it and the providences of the Lord they call for it also Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men saith the Apostle so must we do likewise Let me speak to every soul of you that belongs to this place be thy rank or condition whatsoever it bee be thou in higher or meaner place Repent and that speedily before the indignation of the Lord come upon you to the uttermost I remember what John Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadduces that came to his baptisme it may bee looked upon as a kind of argument to presse the doctrine of repentance more closely on them Math. 3.7 who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come I may say concerning you of this place the wrath of God is already come it hath already appeared it is revealed from heaven in the face of the open sun that all that passe by you cannot but take notice of it Oh repent repent lest this wrath come upon you to the uttermost Luke 13 4.5 Suppose yee those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloam fell slew them thinke yee that they were sinners aboue all men that dwell in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish He doth not say that they which suffered those things were no sinners at all or that they were little sinners but he would not have them that escaped that danger put off the businesse from themselves as if so be they that were slaine and made the immediate examples of Gods displeasure were the onely sinners in Jerusalem no he tels them their sins might be as great as any of the rest and therefore he advises them to look about themselves for unlesse they repented they likewise should perish Do not thinke my bretheren that the poore children that were crushed to death the men and women that had their armes and legs broken or disioynted their bodyes sorely bruised were sinners above all the people in Witney or that there are no other sinners but theÌ„ amongst you Nay I tell you all except yee repent ye shall all likewise perish Vnlesse thou ô man or woman who ever thou art repent of thy drunkennesse lying covetuousnesse of thy coldnesse and indifferency in religion thou shalt one day perish the word saies it conscience tels thee so the damned in Hell they feele it to be so Oh what a strange passe are men come unto the wrath of God is revealed from heaven and yet they will not believe God hath testifyed it from heaven that every drunkard and swearer and prophane person shall certainly be damned and yet men will not believe 1. Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous c. why This is a plaine thing an evident a manifest thing a man may say it is dark at noone day if he will but this is cleare and beyond all doubt it selfe Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God The gate of heaven shall never be opened to any unrighteous soule no uncleane thing shall ever enter there No if the holy and righteous God be in heaven-thou which art an unholy and an unrighteous soul shalt never get there and if the Saints and Angells stay in heaven thou which art so unlike them shalt never come there Oh think on this for the Lords sake From heaven thou art pointed out to destruction all the leaves in the Bible make against thee all the Judgments that ever God hath executed are cleare and plaine before thine eyes and yet men will not believe What will become of this Atheisticall generation There is no man feares there is no man considers his way Though the blessed God from heaven tell men that their ungodlinesse unrighteousnes doth bring his wrath upon them wil damne theÌ„ in the end they wil not believe it they will not lay it to heart The word that threatneth wrath the JudgmeÌ„ts of God they reveale make known this wrath the devils in hell they believe tremble at it the damn'd they feel it yet the stout hearted sonnes of men they care not for it 1. Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy are we stronger then he Do we incense p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pha. exasperate and put the Lord himselfe to it to shew what he can do are we content the Lord should doe his worst doe we q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesâ—ch equall and compare our selves with him dare we justle and contend with him for mastery Oh fearefull are you come to this point let the Lord do his worst we shall deale with him and his wrath well enough Oh desperate forlorn man It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh repent repent Heb. 10.1 It was one of the dying words of a famous Martyr Repent O England repent repent so say I to you O Witney repent repent otherwise I feare some more dreadfull plagues will befall you You that have ungodly neighbours servants or friends go to theÌ„ ask them what meane you to lie in your ignorance prophanenesse neglect of God and holy things still What do you love to be damned and are you well pleased to be sent packing to hell as soone as you dye For the Lords sake set upon this work speedily if you do not I feare some worse thing will come next Certainely my Brethren the hand of the Lord is gone out against you in this late Tragedy for so it should be called it was not a Comedy no no it was a Tragedy a dolefull Play it had a dolefull end a bloudy a sad end Those of you that heard the screekings and bitter complaints the fearfull heart-piercing cries that saw the broken bones the disioynted armes the dead carcasses of so many children will say it was a Tragedy indeed a dolefull play and the wrath of God hath been
revealed from heaven it is revealed from heaven against thee O Witny If there be any mockers or scoffers in the congregatioÌ„ that are come to deride the word I say if there be any such though I hope better things of the most of you yet if there be any secret scoffer in a corner I shall say to him as Job did to his friends when they had made light of his calamity and said it was just Job 11.3 Suffer me that I may speake and after that I have spoken mock on You that make so light of the hand of God laugh at all his judgements heare the message which the Lord sent if after that ye have a mind to mock then mock ye on take your fill of laughter and it may be you may have your belly full of mocking another day Brethren mistake me not my aime is not to make you sad though it is fit indeed you should be humbled for your sins Alas what pleasure can it be to the proor servants and messengers of the Lord to make any one sad No no it is your good and happinesse it is the welfare and happinesse of this place I aime at and I hope by that time you have heard all I have to say you will be convinced that it is so indeed Let me speak to you as the Apostle doth to his Corinthians 2. Cor. 11.1 Would to God you could bare with me a little in my folly and indeed beare with me And then at the 20 verse for ye suffer if a man bring you into bondage if a man devoure you if a man take of you if a man exalt himselfe if a man smite you on the face Many I feare are apt to plead for their lusts and corruptions for their games and sports which have devoured them and consumed them and brought them low and is there not as much reason they should beare with the word which comes in all plainnesse and faithfulnesse to doe them good Certainly my brethren the hand of the Lord is lifted up the great and dreadfull God the King of the whole earth hath shewen himselfe in the midst of you I could have hoped there would not be found a man in this place that was come to that height of Atheisme as to say this not was the hand of God this was not a judgement it was only a chance a mis-fortune such a thinge might fall out the house was weak the beam was not strong enough to support such a multitude I could here cease speaking to such a man and desire a corner to turne aside weep in even power out rivers of teares in his behalf It was that which made the Prophet cry out in the like case Isai 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see How was the Lords hand lifted up Do but read the former verses and you will find in the 9. verse we heare of his judgements being abroad and in the 10. verse we heare of favour shewen to the wicked Let favour be shewen to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse The Lords hand was lifted up in a way of judgment and in a way of mercy it was his righteous judgment that some were cut off and it was his mercy that others were spared and yet when his hand was lifted up so Emenently they would not see The Lord hath shewen both his severity and his goodnesse amongst you severity to them that sufferred and goodnesse to you that were preserved Is it not the Lords goodnesse or to returne to the Prophets expression is it not a favour shewen to thee that thou hast thy life giventhee when others were crushed to death is it not a favour that thou art safe and sound when others had their limbes broken their bodies grievously bruised Oh this was that which so moved the Prophet or the church her selfe that is brought in speaking in that chapt that she knew not well how to beare it Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see It is a patheticall speech and it savours of somewhat a grieved and troubled spirit Oh the hard-heartednesse the pride and stoutnesse that is in men not to see when the Lords hand is so lifted up What is thy heart flint and thy Bowels made of brasse will not wrath from heaven great wrath affect thee Read what followes in the same verse They will not see but they shall see Thou winkest with thine eyes now but the Lord will open them at last thou wilt not believe this is the wrath of God thou wilt believe it to purpose another day and it may be that day is not far off That I may shew you the wretchednesse of this disposition not to see and acknowledge the Lord in such great things but to lay them upon chance misfortune second causes and the like Consider 1 This is a meer heathenish temper the Heathens could not do worse then so the Philistines they said if the matter fell not out so and so as they had cast it it was not the hand of the Lord that smote them but it was a chance that happened 1. Sam. 6.9 shall we make our selves Philistines shall we compare our selves with the worst of the heathens Nay some of the heathens have acknowledged the r Vide Lipsium Physiolog Stoic l. 1. Dissert undecimá et seq Arrian lib. 1. cap. 6. 12 mo Jamblich de vitâ Pythag. cap. 28. Stobaeum Eclog. Physic lib. 1. cap. 3. Providence of God in such Å¿ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroâ—l in aur carm paulo post 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 matters t Nec Homerus hoc nescivit qui de Graecis adflictis causam reddit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lips diss 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. apud Sâ—obaeum in Phys they lookt upon evills befalling them as the just punishments of their sinnes they have feared and trembled at the things that have come to passe as acknowledging a Divine Power that was the cause of them u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hieroc in Aur. Car. The x Circa religiâ—nâ—â— talem accepimâ—â— Tomtrua sulgura paulo â—nâ—â—rmius eâ—pavescchat Suct in Augustâ— Roman Emperours yea those among them who have been most y Ausus interdum non solum vultum attollere sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Refert Casaub de Caligula ex Dione prophane wicked and at sometimes have contemned God religion it selfe and have lookt the judgments of God in the face with pride scorne at other times they have been surprized with a Panick feare If they heard but z Nam qui De os tantopere contemneret ad minima tonitrna fulgura connivere caput obvolvere advero majora proripere se estrato sub lectuque condere solebat Sue Calig thundering lightning they would croutch under their bedds and hide their heads fearing that some plague from heaven was comming upon them The Historian reports of
bring astonishing judgments Some sins of this nature were they that destroyed Sodom and caused fire to come down from heaven upon it viz the sin of uncleannesse and unnaturall lusts These things are too fowle to be named these things are enough to make the sun in the firmament to blush and be ashamed and the light of the day to hide and couer it selfe in which there is mention made of such things 3. A third sin which is too visible and apparent is Neglect of the word and ordinances Some of them that did attend upon the ordinances have turned their back upon them and the generality amongst you doe apparently sleight them Formerly what flockinge hath there been to sermons how hath this place been filled every Alley corner crowded No people so famous for readinesse diligence in hearing the word as the people of Witny Ministers that have occasionally preached among you have observed it your Name hath been famous amongst others How thin are your Congregations grown upō the lords day how small an handfull there are upon Lecture dayes I am to sad a witnesse Brethren suffer me to speak my feares I feare one of the great sins that bath pluct down this judgment was the neglect of the Gospell It was not long since the last time that ever I preacht amongst you on the Lords day in a full assembly I beseeched you I intreated you by all the arguments of love gentlenesse sweetnesse that possibly I could to attend upon the word I beseecht you by the love of God by the mercies of the Lord by the bowells of his goodnesse that you would not sleight the word The Text was from that of St. John 1 Iohn 4.8 9. God is love and the poynt from it was that the Love of God monifested to the world in the dispensation of himselfe by Jesus Christ it was the most peerelesse matchlesse incomperable love that ever was Hence were you called upon in such exhortations as these in the Applciation Oh do not grieve such a Love doe not sleight it doe not abuse it Oh unkind sinner Oh hard-hearted sinner worse then the blackest divell in hell that canst be drunk that canst sweare that canst laugh at holinesse in the face of that very Love which is come to save thee to pardon thee that hath sent the only begotten sonne that thou might'st have life through him Do not sin against this love do not grieve it suffer this love to attaine its ends to accomplish its desires The designe of love is to bring thee unto life and it hath cost it deare to bring about that designe the sonne of God must come downe from heaven to bring this to passe and is that so small a matter why should any of us be willing to stop this love in its workings to hinder it in its aimes and intentions all the designe of this love is to bring us unto life and is there any harme in that Ah my Brethren is Death spirituall Eternall death such a sweet such a pleasant thing that we should be in love with it Is wrath the wrath of the Almighty everlasting wrath a thing to be desired that we should refuse to accept of the offers of eternall love when it comes to offer life and salvation With many more Reasonings in this kind After this you were exhorted to make use of the meanes of life and of salvation in some such words as these If you are willing to come to the Lord Jesus for life you cannot be unwilling to attend upon those meanes and that word that holds forth Christ and salvation Will any one say that that man prizes a pardon that will not vouchsafe so much as to look upon it nor to read it when it is sent unto him Oh my Brethren the Gospell is the word of life the word of peace of pardon and of salvation can he be said to prize salvation and Christ that will not come to that word which brings Christ salvation and all Is that man willing in good earnest to be saved however all men say they are willing God forbid els but is he so in good earnest that will not step over his threshold to heare a Sermon where this gospell is brought the meās of salvation tēdred I beseech you suffer me to speake to you in the name of the Lord I beseech you in the name of Jesus Christ I beseech you in the bowells of Jesus Christ if you think this loue of God the greatest love that revealeth pardō life happinesse salvation do not think it much to wait upon the word that reveales it and makes it manifest Faith commeth by hearing and hearing is the ordinary meanes to beget Faith and so to bring to Christ and to salvation I beseech you do not sleight this Exhortation if you do I must tell you though I am loath so to do yet I am constrained this Sermon will rise up in judgment against you at the last day and I must come in as a witnesse against you These were some of the arguments wher-withall you were pressed yet not-with-standing all these beseechings and entreaties to my griefe I observed it scarce were there any that did the more frequent the word preached hath not the Lord shewen his hand severely whereas there are scarce many Scores that wil cōe to hear the word there are some Hūdreds will go to see a wicked an ungodly play Certainly the Lord hath bin avēged for this Do but read that 10. of Lu. frō the be ginning so on at the 5. verse it is said Into whatsoever house you enter first say Peace be to this house but what followes in the 10 verse it is said But into whatsoever citty ye enter and they recieve you not goe your waies out into the streets of the same and say even the very dust of your citty which cleaveth on us we do wipe off against you And then there is a sad close in v. 12. But I say unto you that it shall be more tollerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment then for you 4. Another provoking sin is the sin of Atheisme and irreligion Do but read what the Lord Jesus speakes to the Church of Pergamos Rev. 2.14 I have a few things against thee why what is the matter Thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam and then againe at the 15. ve So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans The doctrine of Balaam is expressed He taught Balaack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto Idolls and to commit fornication The Doctrine of the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphanius de Nicolao Nicolaitans was much of the same nature and I blush to tell you what it was they did not onely hold a liberty of uncleannesse but a necessity of it Now what was the quarrell which Christ had with this church thou hast
that formerly haue been professors but now are fallen off 3. To them that do still feare the Lord and hold on in his way 4. To all the people of the place in generall 1 To the looser prophaner sort the exhortation is Oh put away all your drunkennesse formication uncleannesse oathes blasphemies let him that was filthy be filthy no more let him that stole steale no more oh that you would think of leaving all these base unworthy desperately foolish wayes and think of turning to the Lord with your whole heart and your whole soul You that have layen rotting and stinking in your lusts many yeares together thou that art an old gray-headed sinner think at last of returning to the Lord. Ah poor creatures what meane you will you ruine the place you live in and damne your own soules eternally If men had but common humanity in them they would not continue in their grosse and hideous abominations that would pull downe wrath upon their wives and children friends and neighbours the towne and place in which they live But this is a small matter in comparison if they had but a tender regard of their own soules if they made any account of their owne salvation if they had but so much as a principle of selfe-love in them they would cast away those sinnes that will certainly damne them in the end There is none of the sinnes which thoulovest so dearly and huggest them with so much tendernesse and will not be brought to part with them upon any termes thou hadst rather part with thy life then with such a lust there is none of these thy most beloved sinnnes but it will cost thee the losse of everlasting life it will cost thee the losse of God It will cost thee the losse of the Kingdome of Heaven The word speakes it out aloud No fornicator nor Idolater nor adulterer nor effeminate person nor theefe nor covetuous person nor drunkard nor reviler shall ever inherit the kingdome of God 1. Cor 6. Poor man doest thou know what the Kingdome of God meaneth from whence thou art for ever to be shut out or doest thou know what that for ever is which is the line and measure of thy torments Sit downe and pause a while and think what eternity is thy life is but a minnute a dreame a shaddow it is gone before thou think of it count over the houres of the day and is the day so long a thing it is but the running of a few such and then there is a period set to all thy pleasures How quickly mayest thou on thy death-bed look over all thy life past and account it as a very little thing as a meer point and beginning only of that which is life but canst thou look beyond eternity canst thon conceive when everlastingnesse will have an end all thy pleasures are gone and passed they are passed over as in a dreame and now thou art in the midst of eternity before thou art aware How fearfull then will these thoughts be what must I be ever thus Must I be tormented in these flames without end Is there no hope no possibilities of being otherwise then I am After I have suffered so many millions of yeares is there for ever still behind Try a little in thine owne thoughts and see where thou canst put bonds and limits to that which is for ever Try where thou canst put a stop beyond which thou canst think of no more is it better to be everlastingly happy or everlastingly miserable after a score for two of yeares Think of these things I beseech you by all the calls mercies judgments of the Lord by all the riches of his patience forbearance long-suffering exercised towards you Oh do not put off the thoughts of these things Do not any more chuse abominable things which his soule hateth Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is neer Let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 2. To those that have forsaken their former profession the exhortation to them is O Returne Returne to the good old way of God returne to the ordinances returne to the use and exercise of holy duetyes to the use of prayer confession of fin and the like if you do not fearfull will your Judgment be I hope some of them that are gone astray do belong to the Lord but truly you must come back by weeping-crosse I could tell you sad storyes in this kind I speak not by heare-say I have knowen them that have smarted deeply for sleighting the ordinances neglecting prayer for low and undervaluing thoughts of Christ and his bloud I could tell you of some that living under such a temptation but for a week or two in that short time had lost all their former communion with God and being delivered from the snare accounted their recovery as a new conversiō The experience of one in this kind was so eminent that I thought I was bound to make it publick that it might serve to stop and restraine them which are so prone to apostacy in the present age and I shall set it down as neer as I can in the same words and expressions as I had it frō the persons own hand Being not well established I was soon drawn away in my hearte secretly to decline frō that good old way which formerly I walked in I heard one upon justification and Christs comming in the flesh upon that place Christ in you the hope of glory in such a manner as I never heard the like before that I was struck with amazement with the manner of his plansible speech And having heard a good report of the man and had some experience before that he was an able mā to minister comfort to them that were in distresse I was exceedingly taken with what came from him And in his poynt of Iustification he did labour to beat off from repentance and from confession of sin or begging of pardon for sin and held it out that these were a calling in question the faithfullnesse of God for he shewed that all that the Saints had to do was to beleeve and render prayse and as he sayd he spake his owne experience that he had found more of God in one dayes walking in beleeving then in many yeares in walking in that strict course of praying and fasting and keeping dayes of humiliation and blamed those Ministers that did hold forth such doctrines These things he backed on with such Arguments that it did take much upon the affections of them that heard him For I never heard him pray but he would sometimes give thanks and that so sweetly that it did even ravish the soules of them that heard him and did much presse on to that duty Thus hearing him at severall times by degrees I fell from the good