THE TRUMPET IN SION SOUNDING A General Alarm IN THE NATION By J. G. G. Blow the Trumpet in Zion and sound an Alarm in my holy Mountain Let all the Inhabitants of the Land tremble for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand Joel 2.1 LONDON Printed And are to be sold by Dan. Browne at the Black-Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar 1700. TO THE READER AMongst great many and frequent Dangers 't is a Blessing to have Warning given and to take it for by these means Evil may be prevented This World is like a Wilderness full of fiery Serpents and other hurtful things which on all Sides we are compassed about and can one go upon hot Coals and his Feet not be burnt Which should put us in mind of the Prophet's Question Who can or shall dwell with everlasting burnings Which in Hell shall be a Punishment for Sins committed here if not pardoned in the way to Salvation We have Enemies within and without Our Heart is false Corruptions strong the World wicked Temptations common and powerful the Devil is subtle and Sin deceitful which all to resist we must Repent Believe and Pray for converting confirming and restraining Grace This Reader is my advice and warning to you You shall know more after the perusal of the following Sheets Remember that without Repentance no remission of Sins and as without Faith it is impossible to please God so without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord. ERRATA THey are very few whereof the First and Fourth are material which the Reader may be pleased to Correct with a Pen. In Page 5. line 8. instead of care not read take care Page 11. line 21. read plaister for plaistering Page 56. line 2. friendly for friend Page 64. last line assoon for also Page 79. line 17. for War read Warrant Page 104. line 9. for earth read land THE TRUMPET IN SION CRY aloud spare not Isai 58.1 lift up thy voice like a Trumpet and shew my people their Transgressions and the house of Jacob their Sins These are the Words of Eternal and Almighty God to a great Prophet who was considerable not so much for his extraordinary Parts and Royal Extraction for he was the Son of Amos Brother to Azariah King of Judah as for the Excellency of the signal Visions and Revelations which the Lord was pleased to honour him with and he being dead yet speaketh to us Seeing all God's Actions are so wise and so just we must conceive such an express and positive Order not to be given without a weighty Cause for God never in vain employs his Servants nor indeed none of his Creatures which are all his Servants Ps 119.91 The Occasion of this Commission and Command to the Prophet was at that time a Complication of Sins among the People whereof Hypocrisy and want of Charity were some of the chief but though by their shews of Piety as seeking God daily drawing near unto him Fasting c. they imposed upon Men yet could not do so upon God who will have his Prophet with diligence and severity to reprove Sinners for their Sins though for some more sharply than for others As for me thô I be no Prophet nor Son of a Prophet yet I thank God Prophets are no strangers to me for I daily am conversant with Prophets and with Apostles too out of whose Writings after several worthy Persons whose heart God hath stirred up to appear against the great and many Sins of the Times as 't is every one's Duty in his station to do I hope I may give in my Evidence 'T is a great Work that requires many hands Multorum manibus grande levatur onus Sometimes God makes use of several instruments inconsiderable in themselves in different ways to carry on his works thô all be tending to the same end and although through the perverseness of Mens hearts the Effect doth not always answer the Design Ezek. 2.5 yet they shall know that there hath been if not a Prophet among them yet an Admonisher who hath given warning May the Lord be pleased to bless with success the weak Endeavours of all that are desirous to promote his honour and service with the good of Souls and to enlarge the Kingdom of Christ in a time when we see the Sins of all Ages of all Nations and in all kinds more and more discovered and practised among us Isai 1.6 From the sole of the Foot unto the head as the same Prophet complains of here the Disease is become Epidemical and its Fits very frequent if not continual The house of Israel wanted being told of their Sins so doth England thô told often but who can tell the number diversity and frequency of them However I by the grace of God shall endeavour to run over the most palpable and conspicuous I shall speak first of the Sins after of the Punishments according to God's threatning due and inflicted for them The Sins are of two general Kinds some in Doctrine others in Practice otherwise called Error and Vice Errors in Judgment are usually followed by those in Practise As Sin is extended over every Faculty of the Soul and Member of the Body so there are Sins seated in the Mind as well as there are in the Heart as indeed without a sound Mind the Heart can hardly be Sound When the Soul's Eye is blind how great must her darkness be The mistakes of the Understanding which commonly from the Latin word are named Error are by the Greeks called Heresie relating to Religious Matters which is a division in the Church caused by some erroneous Opinion against the Fundamentals of Religion And thô all such be bad enough yet some there are worse then others according as they more or less strike at the Root of Christian Religion Those Paul calls perverse things and Doctrines of Devils and Peter Damnable Heresies Acts 〈◊〉 30. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Pet. 2.1 Now there is in England too many of those as strike at the very Foundation of our Holy Religion First Here are Atheists not that properly speaking any can be such for there is no Man in the World but at one time or other hath within himself convictions that there is a God for such a degree of Knowledge is naturally in Men Hence it is that there was never in the World so Barbarian and Ignorant a Nation but owned and worshipped some Divinity or other for 't is only the fool that saith in his heart there is no God Ps 14.1 yet he is not such a Fool as to publish it for he dareth not for shame but saith it in his Heart where against the Light of Nature and Testimony of Conscience he would smother the sense of a Godhead because he wishes it But the Atheists I mean are those who speak and live as if there was no God and these I may well call worse then David's Fool for they blunder out Atheistical words indirectly
hinting that there is no God Giddily Impiously Prophanely and Blasphemously striking if not at the Being yet at his Attributes Works Word and Providence express it in their Discourses and Coversation and some in their Writings whereby they seduce and corrupt the Judgment of some influence the Weak and give a great Scandal to those who fear God and have an awful reverence for his Holy Name when they happen to hear them in their Atheistical fits This is a presumptuous and defying Sin which among us too many are guilty of such teach the way to Hell and were taught in the School of Vanninus and of such abominable Wretches for he who owns not the true God and hath not the right Notion of and due Reverence for him is as if he believed no God This is so odious and shameful that Men take it as a great Injury to be call'd Atheists and thô the thing be really in them yet hate to be call'd by its Name and we have cause to remember how because the Title of a Bill was against Atheism c. great exceptions were taken against it as of a great stain upon the Nation that we thereby should declare to Foreign Countries how we have Atheists among us which is too true thô some whom there is cause to suspect to be such would not have it said But I would have such to answer me one question Which of these two brings a greater Scandal and Reproach to England either not to forbear saying we have Atheists when we have and not to punish them or else to own the Truth that we have some but care not to restrain and punish them David declareth Ps 53.1 that where abominable Iniquity is committed and no regard had to Virtue or Vice there is no God Next we have the Deists whose Religion consists only in acknowledging one God and think that is enough to be Saved Who thô they own a God yet fancy him to be other then he is and to act otherwise then he doth they are for a Natural Religion without and against Revealed they think all Religions to be equal and that any one is at liberty to chuse which he pleases and that he may be saved in any Idolatry is another Sin of the Nation I mean not only the Spiritual one of those whose God is their Riches Honour Pleasures and their Belly but gross and material Idolatry of those who believe Religious Worship to be due to the Creature and actually render it and in too many Places there are too many Books that justifie it I thank God Protestants here are not of that Opinion but Papist are own and practise it and that Abomination is in the sight of all still committed in the Land which is thereby defiled Priests contrary to Laws do every where even out of Foreign Parts swarm as much as ever Papists are as free as can be whilst poor Protestants against the Laws of their Country are barbarously Persecuted in Popish Dominions yet one would think we might somewhat better their Condition with threatning here Papists with the like Usage I shall not say as to Liberties and Lives for our Religion like theirs doth not bind us to be Sanguinary but as to Estates and Fortunes with our Neglecting to take the same care to Defend our Religion as they do to Promote theirs we seem to intimate that theirs is better than ours but if we whosoever we are under the Notion that we are not Persecutors be ashamed of Christ and of his Cause in his due time he will be ashamed of and disown us I may say I remember the time when here it was not so Is it not the height of impudence for Popish Priests to go as of late they have done to dying Men To Doctor Connor after they by Protestant Ministers had been prepared for Death to disquiet them and not give over till they had made them do what upon such occasions is usual for Papists yet this hath been winked at no inquiry made no examination taken against those who so notoriously break the Laws of the Land The following Paper in French was on a Lord's Day April 24. 1698. posted up over the French Chapel door in St. James's and other Places in these words Hereby notice is given that in case any French Refugee be willing to go back into France there to abjure Heresie he may address himself to the French Ambassador and according to his Quality he shall be rewarded By this beginning we may see what we must expect from his being here one would think such things should not belong to his Instructions or Commission but what would they say if our Ambassador in Paris had attempted any thing of the like nature Never till of late any Foreign Minister was allowed two Popish Chapels one Private for Himself and Family which no Man will question and to the great grief of many another Publick one for all that have a mind to come to 't with Four or Five Priests belonging to it and neither Legislarive nor Executive Powers would take any notice of it but God will in his due time and may be punish us by such Snakes as we keep in our Bosom For these many years together we have had very near this City a Nunnery hitherto undisturbed and one more near about the same distance but another way is a forming or rather already formed Another Mass-Chapel in Town is as much frequented by hundreds at this time as it was when in the hands of Benedictine Friars And now Priests to seduce People as much as ever do transform themselves into all shapes and too often do prevail upon Servants Prentices and Masters too Yet by the Laws it is Treason to intice any one to be reconciled to the Romish Church as well as to be reconciled to 't But as yet it doth not appear that any effectual care hath been taken to hinder that great Evil and to prevent this Venom of Popish Idolatry from spreading farther to the Ruine and Destruction of precious Souls the Scandal of Religion and Shame of the Nation Blasphemy unhappily we have here Socinians who would be called Vnitarians and others have in every possible way taken great care to infect the Nation and spread among us their Blasphemous Opinions against the most Holy Trinity they are so well known by their impious Doctrines and unwarrantable Practices to propagate them that there is no need any longer to mention them here in this Place 'T is pity they have not been taken notice of in the way of Punishment as in their presumptuous Offences against God's Cause Another sort of Blasphemers as execrable as can be do impiously in their Discourses ridicule the adorable Mystery of the Incarnation our Saviour's Birth of a Virgin the Holy Scripture and the whole Christian Religion which they call Priest-Craft a Forgery of Melancholick Brains and such other abominable things as makes one's Hair stand on end Libertinism is here
an Epidemical Sin again (c) v. 20. who call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter that are wise in their own Eyes and prudent in their own sight which justifie the wicked for Reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him Doth not every thing here reach some of us But in the same Chapter the Prophet adds the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but mark what follows as a mighty aggravation but they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands an effect whereof is therefore my People are gone into Captivity But that which is worse and damnable therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure If it were but the Grave it were enough to terrifie Men from such things and in v. 24 25.26 we read of further Judgments very terrible with a therefore to shew they are the fruits of their Sins which should make us all fear and tremble They are God's own Words to the same People to us as well as to Israel (d) Jer. 5.22 Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my Presence If ye do not I will make you before I have done For all these Judgments which ye feel my anger is not turned away but my hand is stretched out still Not long before his death (a) Josh 24. Joshua gathered the People to put them in mind of what God had done for them to represent unto them their Duty and gave them a strict charge about it in a remarkable circumstance (b) v. 26.27 he took a great Stone and set it up there and said behold this Stone shall be a Witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord. God uever wanteth Witnesses and rather than fail the very Stones shall speak However he often is pleased to make use of weak Instruments whose Testimony is not to be rejected when they speak in his Name and out of his own Word As for me who am come to an Age wherein I have little to hope for desire or fear from Men and tho' I had I would always Fear God rather than Men therefore being instructed by some experience which my God hath given me of his gracious and wise Providence do now upon this nice and important conjuncture give in my Evidence for God and a serious warning to all Sinners in the Land I begin with and speak to my self first as the chief of Sinners then to King Parliaments Judges Magistrates Clergymen and others of all Conditions Ages Relations and Professions whatsoever as at the last and terrible day we shall answer to God every one within our respective Stations as much as in us lieth to encourage and promote Piety and Virtue to discountenance punish and suppress Error and Vice and let every one begin with himself in his own Person or else I denounce God's terrible and infallible Judgments upon you and upon me and these lines of mine shall upon occasion if we neglect our Duty be Evidences against you and against me this is neither time nor thing to flatter or to dally with for (a) Num. 16.46 there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun therefore hear that faithful Servant of God Moses as speaking to you (b) Deut. 30.35 see I have this day set before thee life and death good and evil light and darkness Heaven and Hell Christ and Sin chuse well and be wise unto Salvation I have brought and laid a looking Glass before all wherein every one may see himself therefore make a right use of it as much as I could I made what I said to reach all I hope none that is good will take ill what I write as for the bad and impenitent I neither intend nor care to please them truth doth offend some who thereupon harden themselves others are better for hearing it and mend these will thank God for the occasion he affords them to learn by being told to the other in Pauls words I say (c) Gal. 4.16 am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth but know I will not betray it for any Man's sake Our Sins are many great and frequent and God's hand is lifred up against us therefore let every one Prince and Subject High and Low Rich and Poor Man and Woman Young and Old mend and repent and in his place do his duty or else (d) Amos 4.12 prepare to meet thy God O Israel If not in the way of Repentance in that of his Judgments which I am afraid are hanging over our heads at least we have cause to think so therefore hear ye the sound of the Trumpet and know the meaning of it learn and be wise for thereby God doth invite us all to repent and to mind his work and Service which is Honourable Glorious and Profitable But if blowing the Trumpet in Sion cannot do with but be neglected by Men then (a) Joel 3.16 the Lord also shall roare out of Sion nay hath already roared and if (b) Amos 3.8 the Lion hath roared who will not fear 'T is a terrible voice which denounceth Judgments and thundereth Threatnings and if yet by this Men will not be awaked from their Sins then at that (c) Joel 2.31 great and very terrible day of the Lord at last they shall come out of their Graves to suffer the punishment due to their impenitence and unbelief when (c) 1 Thess 4.16 the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God May the great God our most gracious Father be pleased to prevent us with Temporal blessings to continue with Spiritual and to end with Eternal by the merits and mediation of his only begotten Son our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through the powerful working of the Holy Ghost in one most simple and undivided Godhead three Persons Co-essential in Nature Co-eternal in Time and Co-equal in Power to whom be by every Creature rendred as most due all Honour Glory Power Majesty and Dominion now and for evermore Amen FINIS Some Books Printed for D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar FOur Tracts 1. A shore Discourse about Divorce and its Causes Fornication and Adultery 2. A Charge to Judges Juries and Witnesses concerning Oaths 3. About Infant Baptism 4. A Letter to a Lady who hath forsaken the Protestant Religion for the Romish The 2. Edition Free Thoughts in Defence of a Future State as discoverable by natural Reason and stript of all Superstitious appendages Demonstrating against the nominal Deists that the consideration of Future Advantages is a just motive to Virtue of Future loss and misery a powerful and becoming restraint of Vice With occasional Remarks on a Book Intituled an enquiry concerning Virtue and a Refutation of the revived Hylyzoicism of Democritus and Leucippus A compleat History or Survey of all the dispensations and methods of Religion from the beginning of the World to the consummation of all things as represented in the Old and New Testament shewing the several Reasons and Designs of those different Administrations and the wisdom and goodnes of God in the Government of his Church through all the Ages of it in which also the Opinion of Dr. Spencer concerning the Jewish Rights and Sacrifices is examined and the certainty of the Christian Religion demonstrated the Cavils of the Deists c. By John Edwards C. D.