you and they as much united in guilt as Conjugall Contract will dye together in the same sinnes have ye no compassion upon your poore Infants those innocent sucklings that have not as yet contracted the guilt of your Rebellion Are ye content there should remaine no other remembrance of Iudah but onely of your sinnes and my wrath would ye willingly stand as an eternall monument to the whole world of divine Fury a reproach and a Curse So that posterity shall make mention of your name onely in their solemne Execrations The Lord make thee a Curse and an astonishment as he did Ierusalem and Iudah Or what doe you flatter your selves with hopes of impunity in Egypt doe you thinke to find security in that place whither you have carried downe with you my Curse and your old sins is Jerusalem destroyed and shall Egypt goe free Have all my Judgements upon you beene like the beating of the aire by the wings of a bird in his flight that leaves no footsteps or remembrance behind him Have ye forgotten the wickednesse of your Fathers and of your Kings Have your Fathers nay your Kings been made to drinke deepe of the cup of my Fury and shall you escape who were kept alive onely because ye were the poorest of the people Cannot all the Calamities you have suffered bring you upon your knees and melt your hearts into contrition for your sinnes I should have thought that the long tract of time and the severe discipline I have used might long e're this day have led you quite home to repentance But alas what shall I say of you you have not even to this day so much as set one foot in the way thither Nondum humiliati all the Judgements you have suffered have not made any no nor the least impression upon you God himselfe seemes amaz'd at this and to be at a stand as well as the Prophet and to want an expression to reach the height of this obstinacy and therefore breakes off in an admiration at the desperate perversenesse of this People by way of Epiphonema in the words of the Text They are not humbled even unto this day These words are Onus Iudae in terrâ Aegypti The Burden of those Jewes who contrary to Gods prohibition and their own protestation were gone downe into Egypt In them you may please to observe with me these three particulars 1. A duty implied the performance whereof the great Judgements of God so long upon them call'd for all their hands and the want whereof he here upbraides to them by way of admiration and that is Humiliation they should have beene humbled 2ly The neglect of that duty censured They are not humbled 3ly The Aggravation of that neglect 1. from the persons guilty They the Jewes Gods owne people that could not pretend Ignorance of their duty nor of the equity thereof 2ly From the Circumstance of time even unto this day Time they had and teaching enough to have learn'd their duty but yet after all instructions and invitations thereunto by the tenders of mercy all comminations against them for their obstinacy yea moreover and not onely after some scatterings of wrath upon themselves in lesser Judgements but also after as dreadfull a Tempest of vengeance as ever fell upon a people Even unto this day They are not humbled even unto this day These are the parts of the Text the sense whereof may be resolved into these three propositions 1. From the duty implied that which this people ought de jure to have done when Gods hand was against them in those terrible Judgements the Inference is That when Gods wrath is revealed from heaven against a 1 Propos people in the way of his Judgements it is high time then for them to be humbled 2ly From the neglect of this duty in that the Jewes de facto in their greatest distresse under the sorest Judgements were not humbled I conclude That a people in outward Covenant with God 2 Prop. may even under the extremity of the greatest Judgements remaine unhumbled 3ly From the aggravation of this neglect both in respect of the guilt it laies upon such a people in this verse and the wrath it drawes downe upon them at the next The Result is 3. Propos That it is the highest aggravation of the sinne of a people an evident token they are designed to ruine not to be humbled under the mighty hand the great and continued judgements of God They are not humbled even unto this day neither have they feared nor walked in my Law nor in my Statutes that I set before you and before your Fathers therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will set my face against you for evill and to cut off all Iudah But should I insist upon all these propositions severally I feare I should graspe more matter then I should be able to hold within the compasse of the time should I omit any I might seeme to trespasse upon the Text. I shall therefore take a middle way to reconcile both pitching upon the first as the head streame the other two as the lesser into which it runnes that as bearing the inscription of this dayes duty for the doctrinall part of this dayes exercise the other two will fall in either by way of proofe or Application In the handling of which I shall indeavour to follow St Hieroms counsell to Nepotian Ita docere ut non clamor populi sed gemitus suscitetur so to speake as to provoke the teares not the applause of my hearers such thoughts are unworthy to ascend this mount at any time much lesse at this words conceived only in the brain and born in the lips of the Speaker for the mos part dye upon the eare of the hearer they which come from the heart are likeliest to descend thither To feast the eare by an eloquent discourse this day were to breake the Fast while we are at the Church The eare and the eye every member of the body and faculty of the soule must beare a part in this dayes affliction as well as the belly The golden eareings were the matter of which the golden Calfe was made 't were an abomination to bring them into the house of mourning The children of Israel in the day of Gods displeasure and their sorrow Exod. 35.5 were commanded to plucke off their Ornaments that God might know what to do unto them till then they were not so much as in a posture for mercy sackcloth and ashes are the best Ornaments sighes and teares the best Orators of this day could I but mourne out a Sermon and you sit before the Lord this day weeping it would be best preacht and heard the word sowne in teares would be reapt in joy then might we hope that this Fast would prove a blessed Eve to some glorious Festivall the dismall cloud of wrath that now darkens the whole land and almost every day falls downe in
the Church and Kingdome rather then the time of the great perplexity and distresse of both the very names of our womens tackling would fill up the whole third Chapter of Esay Neither Gods Ministers nor yet his Judgements can preach downe this sinne no not so much as their blacke spots and their paintings Is it such a blackensse as this thinke ye that the Prophet Ioel speakes of Ioel 2.6 All faces shall gather blackenesse Consider that and be affraid ye know not how neare that day is and remember the fate of painted Iezabell Hath it not beene almost the Eccho of every Sermon against oathes and blasphemies and those cursed imprecations Oh doe not this abhominable thing that God bates and indeed should we be silent the very stones in the streetes would speake and the timber out of the house would answer them yet the wicked know no shame those sinnes are growne to a presumption both against God and the King The children of Israel faith God could not stand but turned their backe before their enemies because they were accursed Jos 7.12 Alas then how shall these stand in the day of battaile that doe so often curse and confound themselves It is said of the Thracians that when it thunders they shoot up their Arrowes as it were in defiance against heaven these men their oathes and execrations That excellent Law we have against this sinne hath beene strengthened by two pious Proclamations of late Oh that there were a like care and zeale in the execution Honourable and Beloved let me in the name of God and in the behalfe of this poore Kingdome beseech you as the Father in the Gospell sometimes did our Saviour for his child possessed with an uncleane spirit If you can doe any thing have compassion on us and helpe us I would I could say with our Prophet Mark 9.12 Surely those are poore and foolish they know not the way of the Lord nor the Iudgements of their God Jer. 5.4 5 I will goe to the great men and speake unto them for they have knowne the way of the Lord and the Iudgement of their God Oh ye heads of our Tribes 2 Chron. 28.10 and ye the sonnes of Levi as the Prophet Oded sometimes spake are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God Pardon me I beseech you if I speake freely The Sacrifice of this day is a sinne offering and 't is Gods expresse command Lev. 5.11 that neither oyle nor frankincense be put upon it it is a sinne offering Lay your hand upon your heart and tell me what Reformation doe you find every one in his owne heart what one sinne have you forsaken of which before you were guilty what one duty doe you now make conscience of which you formerly neglected doe you find a Frame of spirit in your selves answering the sad and trembling condition of the Land in a word are ye humbled even unto this day I would I could heare a good answer from you that I might yet hope for better times as your persons are representative so are your sinnes too your sinnes are the sinnes of a whole Towne a County a Diocesse and so should I account your humiliation I doubt not but here are many which are exil'd from their houses and â—ifled of their Estates your condition is sad but let me put the Question to you Are your hearts humbled O Humiliation Humiliation what 's become of thee where shall I finde thee that thou mayst be a Pella a City of refuge to protect us from the Avengers of bloud a Noahs Arke to save a sinfull nation from the flood of Gods wrath The City says she knowes thee not the Court complaines thou art a stranger there and the Country cries thou art gone out of the Land Though the two great destroyers the Red the Pale horses have march't through the whole Land multitudes of people every day swept away the cries of our oppresed wounded spoyled undone freinds Fathers Brothers kinsmen sound every houre in our eares the sighes and teares and groanes of our dying nation are fresh and loud the ruine of the Kingdome and desolation as it were in sight yet are not most of us like that stupid judge in the Acts Act. 11.17 And Gallio cared for none of these things The truth is when these cloudes first began to gather together there was much perplexity amongst us where the tempest then hanging over our heades would fall we were all in great feare what the event of those distractions would be but now that our feares are come upon us we cease to be affraid like those Froggs in the Fable when Jupiter threw downe the logg amongst them it put them in a great fright for a time so that they held their croaking but after a while when the feare was a little over they came neare to the Log and leapt upon it The most of us seeme to be sicke of Ichorams disease 2 Chron. 21.15 our bowells of compassion to others nay which is yet more of pitty to our selves are fallen out We relent not at the murther and undoing of so many thousands of our brethren we can heare the passing-bell tole and see the panges of death upon our owne Country with dry eyes and unhumbled hearts and not so much as say Alas my mother what Jeremy nay what seas of teares even teares of blood are sufficient to lament this obstinacy Jonah 4.11 Should I not have compassion on a great City wherein are six hundred thousand soules that know not the right hand from the left the greatnesse of the multitude was a motive that prevailed with God to spare Ninive and should not this be an Argument as prevalent with us to withdraw us from sinne and to perswade us this day every one to humble himselfe Exod. 10.3 O my wretched heart How long Pharaoh like wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe If thou hast no pitty upon thy selfe yet shouldst thou not have compassion upon a perishing Kingdome Shall I carry to my grave nay to Hell with me the guilt of the bloud of so many thousand Innocents Those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that walke in their sleepe they will venture upon dangerous precipices because they know not their danger but when they are awakened and come to see what they have done they are astonish't and even strooke dead with the apprehension of the danger escaped it is a wonder to see that men awakened by the loud cries of Gods judgments or if we be asleepe still we are in a dead sleepe should dare to go on in such desperate wayes as many of us do that we should have our eyes open and see our danger and yet not be affraid that the wrath of God should be so long upon the Land and we not humbled even unto this day In a word to close up all I have already tyred both you and my selfe as Jotham sometime spake to the men
stormes of bloud would blow over and the sunne of Gods favour which is now hidden shine forth that we which the Lord in mercy grant and this whole Nation might see the salvation of our God I come now to the point When Gods wrath is revealed from heaven against a Nation in the way of his judgements then 't is high time for them to be humbled For the carrying on of which point I shall propound and endeavour to resolve these 3 Questions 1. What it is to be humbled and consequently what the sin is of which the Jewes stand charged in the Text they are not humbled 2ly Why 't is said that when Gods Judgements are upon a people then 't is high time for them to be humbled These 2 in Thesi And 3ly In Hypothesi to put our owne Case what cause we of this Nation have to be humbled at this day Having dispatcht these I shall then by Gods grace close up all with a seasonable application For the first what it is to be humbled I answere that it is not to be understood passively in this sense never Nation more humbled then they in the Text they were humiliati à Deo a people formerly exalted in Gods favour above all other in the world indeed they were his only by way of eminency and distinction His people but now not only degraded from that dignity but expos'd as the greatest object of contempt and wonder How hath the Lord covered the Daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger and cast downe from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel and remembred not his footstoole in the day of his anger Lam. 2.1 All the Chronicles in the world cannot match the sad downefall of this People Peceatum humiliaverat sinne had taken off their Crowne from their heades and deprived them of their exellency they were humiliati but not humiles ipsi se non humiliaverunt they did not humble themselves 't is an active humiliation the neglect whereof is upbraided here unto them and of which God and the Prophet complaine They are not humbled even unto this day This active humiliation or selfe humbling implies 3 things 1. A sense both of sinne and the punishment a tendernesse of heart oppos'd to that the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Tertullians language Duricordia the hardnesse and unmalleablenesse of heart uncapable of any horror of sinne or impressions of wrath that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or indolentia stupidity and desperate senselessenesse of our hand against God and his against us when though the fierce wrath of God lies upon us yet we feele it not Heb. 12. â— a despising of Chastisement a not laying to heart of our owne wayes and of Gods our sinnes and his judgements a stupidity frequently charg'd against this people one place only I shall mention it comes home to our present case Esa 42.24 25. Who gave Iacob to the spoile and Israel to the Robbers did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned for they would not walke in his wayes neither were they obedient unto his Law Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and he hath set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Here is a perfect and full Character of an unhumbled people to lye under the guilt of the greatest sins and the pressure of the sorest Judgments and yet to remaine insensible of either not to lay them to heart 2ly Contrition Tremelius and some others render it nondum attriti and upon our owne Margent according to the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contrivit comminuâ—â— we have contrite for humbled in the Text They are not contrite even unto this day The heart is then humbled when it is broken in peices hence those two phrases are joined together in Scripture Psal 51.17 The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a contrite and broken heart cor contritum humiliatum O Lord thou wilt not despise It is called an abhorring of our selves in dust and ashes in Iob's phrase a rending of the heart in Ioeumll's a being in bitternesse in Zecharie's Afflicting of the soule in Moses Confusion of face in Daniel's a laying of the mouth in the dust in Ieremie's it is called Compunction or the pricking of the heart when sinne becomes as a thorne in the spirit and as a dagger at the heart it is said of Saint Peters hearers Act. 2.37 That they were pricked at the heart when the heart is smitten within the thigh without Ephraim's posture whom we find Jer. 31.19 thus bemoaning himselfe under his chastisement Surely saith he after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth When the inward greife of the heart doth expresse it selfe outwardly in sighes and teares the affliction of the soule in that of the body by those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Is Pelusiot termes them Fasting and Sackcloth I clothed me with sackcloth and humbled my soule with fasting Psal 35.13 When the soule and the body which like Simeon and Levi were confederates in sinne shall sympathize in their sufferings and exercise a mutuall revenge upon themselves for the offences they have done when with David we shall wash that bed with our teares which we have defiled with our sinnes when those eies which before darted out rayes and sparkles of Lust shall streame forth waters to wash and those haires curl'd and frizl'd up to provoke dalliance shall hang downe to wipe our Saviours feet as Mary Magdalens In breife when the soule comes to be surprized with the horror of it's owne guilt and the feare of Gods Judgments and is more afflicted with bitternesse at the review of the dearest and most adored sinne then ever it was affected with delight in the commission of it The 3d thing implied in this active humiliation is a taking of shame to our selves and giving God the glory of his Iudgments according to the Counsell of Ioshuah to Achan My sonne give God the glory Joâ— 7 19. This is called the confession of our sinne and acceptance of our punishment as in that signall place Lev. 26.41 a place very worthy our notice as in which we may read both our duty and hopes in this our present distresse The Lord having there mustered before the Children of Israel a whole Army of plagues which he threatens to let in upon them in case of disobedience and from time to time to recruit against them with the vast accession of new and seven times greater calamities in case of Rebellion opens a doore of hope unto them even in the very worst condition If they shall confesse their iniquity and the iniquity of their Fathers and their trespasses which they have trespassed against