manner in judgment not in mercy And therefore saith our Saviour here Oh if at least in this thy day And hear we him speaking the like to every of us this day Oh that you in this your day The time of this life is our day A day that hath no morrow And the time of grace is our day Shall we let slip this day then expect we God's day even that diem ultionem the day of vengeance Such days our Saviour foretelleth were coming upon the Jewes Luke 21.22 These be the dayes of vengeance speaking of the time of Jerusalems destruction wherein the Lord would severely revenge all those indignities offered to his Son And such dayes of vengeance God hath for all obstinate sinners It may be in this life If not yet at that last day which wil be a day of blacknesse and darknesse a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God Now knowing the terrour of that day Oh! that all of us would be perswaded now in this our day to look out to take notice of what belongs to our peace and comfort at that day This is our day 3. But one day a time allotted us by God for this purpose to husband for the good of our souls And 3ly this is but one day As for the Labouring-man he hath many dayes allowed him to do his work in And so if he have lost one he may yet recover it get it up again at another time But as for us we have but one day If that day be past there is no recovery Soles occidere redire possunt The Sunn setteth and riseth again upon the earth But if the Sunn of our life and the Sun of God's grace be once set upon us never look that it should rise upon us again O! therefore in the fear of God be wee all of us awakened and stirred up that we may not sleep nor trifle away this our day either in doing of nothing or that which is worse Remember that upon this our day depends our Eternitie And therefore now whil'st it is called to day all of us look out to what belongs to our eternall peace Behold at this day the Lord Jesus is riding in triumph in the midst of his Ordinances as here he did to Jerusalem in the midst of his Apostles and Disciples O that there were such a heart in every of us that wee might now Lift up set open those everlasting doors the doors of our souls that this King of Glorie might enter in that the Lord Jesus might come and take a full possession of all our hartes so as to rule thereby his Word Spirit Then quà m faelices beati how blessed and happie shall wee be Such use make wee of this Generall day this day of Grace Particular days in the general day Wherein there are also particular days particular times and seasons in which Christ cometh unto men as here he did to Jerusalem offering himselfe to them after a more speciall manner This is that which he tells the Laodicean Angel Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore and knock So he doth at the doors of mens Consciences where he knocketh both by Outward means by his Word by mercies Chastisements every of which is a knock at this door and by inward motions of his Spirit Now is it so that Jesus Christ thus knocketh at any of our hearts at this or at any other time let us forthwith open unto him That is the meaning of every such knock It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saith the Spouse saying open unto me Cant. 5.2 And this doe we receiving him into our hearts by Faith that he may dwel theare as a Saviour a Lord. And this do wee forthwith Not knowing but this may be the last knock as this was the last time that ever our Saviour knocked at Jerusalem's gates which if it be and shall be sleighted then what remaines but a just retaliation even that which we meet with Luke 13 25. That the doore being shut wee should stand without and knock receiving no other Answer but that which is there returned I know yee not whence ye are Or that which wee finde in the close of the Text that the things which belong to our peace should be from thenceforth hid from our eyes So it followeth But now they are hid from thine eyes Jerusalems doom In which words wee have Jerusalem's Doom or Judgment the spirituall part of it for that onely I intend to deal with A Judgment answearing to their sinn Their Sinn was that they had not seene they would not when they might Their judgment is that as they did not so should not see what they might have done But now they are hid from thyne eyes Q. But what was thus hid Vide Gerhardi Harmon ad loc A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is hidden A verbe of the Singular number admitting say some of a two-fold reference Either to what went before or what followeth after Judgment hidden from Jerusalems eies 1. To what followeth after So it is looked upon by some as relating to what our Saviour in the subsequent verses foretelleth concerning the finall destruction and desolation of Jerusalem The daies shall come upon thee c. This was hid from their eyes A truth It was so and that through their incredulitie Often had they heard the judgments of God denounced against them as by the Prophets so by Christ himselfe but they gave no credit to what they heard Their eyes being blinded with their present temporall prosperitie and with the spiritual privileges which they then injoying looked upon as intailed upon them and their posteritie they were readie rather to make a mock of all threatnings of that nature Flattering themselves even as Babylon is said to do Isa 47.8 which said in her heart I am and none else besides me she was a Nonsuch I shall not sit as a Widow neither shall I know the loss of Children Thus did Jerusalem what ever was told her by whomsoever yet shee did not shee would not beleeve that ever such a change should happen unto her This was hid from her eyes And even this was a sad thing deserving to be lamented over in as much as hereby their condition was rendred the more desperate But I shal not insist upon this 2. Things belonging to Jerusalems happinesse hid from her eies More properly these words are conceived to look backwards relating to what went before And so much those particles doe intimate unto us But now as looking back to the words precedent If thou hadst knowen even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace But now they are hid from thine eyes viz. the things themselves or the knowledge of those things Q. But how is this here said to be hid from their eyes A. Why it was so for the Present And that both for the present and
now at an end Now are these things hid from thine eyes And questionlesse so may it be with some particular persons whom God in his just judgment hath given up to final impenitence so delivering them up unto Satan and themselves as that from thenceforth they never shall know the things belonging to their peace The doubtful supposal of a despairing sinner answered and satisfied Obj. But what then may some say may not this be our case And if so then it is in vain for us to strive to seek for what is not to be found to knock at that door which is shut uppon us as it shall not be opened A. In answer to this I shall deal as tenderly as I may so as I may not discourage or dishearten any soul that intertaines but a thought of returning and coming in unto God that begins so much as to cast a glance heaven-ward Wherein I shall do no other then what the Lord Jesus himself doth of whom it was prophecied that he should not quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12.20 Such was and is the gracious lenity and clemency of the Lord Jesus in his dealing with poor sinners in whom there are as yet onely some weak desires after grace some slender beginnings of conversion and faith And so shall I deal with all such Gods revealed will the onely Rule to walk by 1. Willing them in the first place to take notice what is their Rule to walk by Not the secret but the revealed will of God Secret things belong unto the Lord but those things which are revealed to us and to our children for ever Deut. 29.29 This is that which we are to look at and take notice of And therefore let not any upon this account disquiet and trouble their own soules with such anxious disquisitions as neither they nor any other for them whether man or Angel is able to resolve But apply themselves to the use of means This will men do as concerning their temporall estates They ne-over stand prying into Gods decree to enquire what portion in his secret purpose he hath layed out for them but they set about the work of their calling applying themselves to the use of means And so do you touching your spirituall and eternall estates Stand not to enquire how God hath diposed of you in his secret purpose but go about the work of your general calling apply your selves to the use of such means as God hath appointed to bring you home to himself by so waiting upon his good will and pleasure This is that which the Lord requires you to do And therefore in obedience to his command do it with that Poor impotent person John 5. lying at the pool untill the Angell shall come down and stir the waters attending upon Ordinances untill God by his spirit concurring with them shall please to work effectually by them inclining your hearts to look towards himself giving you a sight and sense of your own sinfulnesse and miserie making you to see and feel the need you have of Jesus Christ and heginning to draw your hearts towards him Which when you find let this be a comfortable evidence unto you that your day is not yet past Onely be not you now wanting to this grace of God The motions of the Spirit to be intertained in giving intertainment to these motions of the spirit in opening of the doore of your hearts that so the Lord Jesus who is now knocking at them may enter in Which in the feare of God be ye now perswaded to do Not knowing but that this may be the last knock this the last sermon that ever we shall heare or the last mention of the spirit that ever you shall feele Now therefore even now before you goe from this place strike up the Covenant betwixt Jesus Christ and your soules accepting and receiving him in all those Gospell Relations not onely as a Saviour casting your soules upon him so as to rest upon the alsufficiencie of his merit for the pardon of sin and eternall salvation but also as a Lord a Husband a Head giving your selves up undo him to be guided and governed by him by his word and Spirit so receiving him into your hearts as that he may dwell in you and rule over you and that for ever This being done now know you for your comfort that you are through grace and mercie exempted out of this black list Where Christ is received the day of grace is not past out of the number of those from whose eies the things belonging to their peace are hid God having thus revealed his Sonne Christ not onely to you but in you as the Apostle saith of himself Gal. 1.16 not oneiy revealed him to your eares but to your hearts as by his word so by his spirit inclining your hearts to close with him to receive him upon these Gospel tearms now he hath made you to know the things which belong unto your peace Which whilest he hath hid from others he hath revealed to you For which differencing mercie to close up all in a word blesse you God Vse Blesse God for his differencing mercy giving unto him the glorie of this his free grace which hath put such a difference betwixt you and others This doth our Saviour in the behalfe of his Disciples in the Text forecited Math. 11.25 I thanke thei O father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes The great miseries of his Kingdome God had revealed them unto the poore and simpler sort of people the poore received the Gospell whilest in the meane time they were hid from the Scribes and Pharises men worldly wise and learned And this our Saviour there acknowledgeth to be his work an art of his meere good will and pleasure Even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight v. 26. And the like doe you for your selves Seeing God hath now revealed unto you those things which he hath hid from others many others who upon a Naturall or Civill account are far your betters being preferred before you as in place and estate so in understanding and worldly wisedome Give ye unto him the glorie of this mercie acknowledging it to be an art of his free grace a singular favour vouchsafed unto you For which let your soules for ever bless him praising and magnifying him who hath thus now made you Children of light whereas others the greatest part of the world still sit in darknesse in the shaddow of death some of them having their eies already closed up so as they neither do nor ever shall see the things belonging unto their peace being already doomed and adjudged to everlasting darknesse You are now called into that marvellous light as Saint Peter calleth the grace of the Gospell 1 Pet. 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not undeservedly so stiled in as much as therein are revealed those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wonderfull things of God As the Apostles auditors of them at the day of Penticost that they heard them speake the wonderfull workes of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 magnifica the magnificent great and admirable things of God Such are the ministers of the Gospell wherein those wonderfull acts and Counsels of God touching the salvation of his Elect by Christ are revealed and held forth A misterie which the Angels themselves do earnestly desire to looke into as Saint Peter telleth us 1 Pet. 11.2 Being much taken there with when they sawe it more clearly revealed under the Gospel then it had been under the Lawe they even stooped bowed down as it were for so the word there used properly signifieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as desirous to prie and looke narrowly into it Now these are the things which God hath revealed unto you And for this do you praise and magnifie his name for ever Taking this as a pledge and assurance of what hereafter you shall see Faith an assurance of Vision Your eyes being thus opened to see Christ by faith here you shall see him hereafter when you shall have a full sight of him see him as he is see him in his glory Which when you shall do then shall ye be made like unto him as St. John assureth you 1 Joh. 3.2 like him in glorie When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Col. 3.4 Which beautifull vision the Lord of his free grace and mercie in Jesus Christ vouchsafe to everie soul of us Amen FINIS
TEARS FOR IERVSALEM OR The compassionate Lamentation of a tender hearted Saviour over a rebellious and obdurate people A subject entered upon on the late day of solemn Humiliation December 6. 1655. afterwards prosecuted and now published as useful at all times but very seasonable for the present By John Brinsley Minister of the Gospel at Great Yarmouth Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children Luke 23.28 LONDON Printed by J. L. for Tho. Newberry 1656. To the Mourners in Sion Such as being truely sensible of are cordially affected with the present sad and calamitous condition of the Church of God in the Island of Great Britain Much esteeemed in the Lord. THe last year I sent forth a Groan a Groan for Israel I now here second it with Tears Tears for Jerusalem And whether there be cause for both these I appeal to you whom God hath in any measure made sensible of the present state of the land of your Nativity and specially of the Church therein When Nehemiah heard that sad report concerning Jerusalem that the remnant which were left therein were in great affliction and reproach and that the Wall thereof was broken down c. It came to passe saith he when I heard these words that I sate down and wept and mourned Neh. 1.4 And is not this the Condition of the poor Church of God among us in this Nation at this day Is not the Wall thereof broken down All Church-Government levelled By reason whereof all kind of dangerous and damnable Errours and Heresies and enormious practises with unbrotherly and unchristian divisions have broke in upon us to the rendring of us a scorn and derision to the Nations round about Thus doth Englands sore run in this night of her Affliction and ceaseth not her calamity every day increasing And yet which is no small addition to her misery how few are there who so lay it to heart as to seek out for cure and remedy Nay how many who refuse it being offered not induring to hear of any such thing as Church-Government Insomuch as the servants of God some and many of them may take up the like complaint concerning this Nation that Babylons friends once did concerning her Jer. 51.9 We would have healed her but shee is not healed Nay that which is far worse shee refuseth so to be So deplorable and almost desperate is her condition now become Now in this case what shall Sions friends do What desert and forsake her This indeed is the resolve of Babylons friends there Let us forsake her say they and let us goe every man into his own Countrey for her Iudgment reacheth unto heaven and is lifted up unto the skies They will give her over and every one shifteth for himselfe But far be such thoughts from all the servants of God in this Nation How ever it must be acknowledged they have cause enough to feare the event having so many sad symptomes before their eyes yet not knowing but that there may be hope in Israel concerning this thing let them not in the day of her adversity forsake their Mother in whose womb they were conceived and whose breasts have given them suck But let them with faith and patience yet looke out look up for from thence must come Englands cure being importunate with the God of Israel that he who hath in his just judgment for our unfruitfulnesse broken down the hedge of his Church amongst us so as the Boar out of the wood doth waste it and the wild beast of the field doth devour it would in his free grace and mercy return and look down from heaven and visit this vine and the vineyard which his own right hand hath planted Which that all may be excited to do is the design of this small Treatise To which end if it may be in any degree serviceable to any I have that I aimed at In the hopes whereof I rest Your Brother and Companion in the Kingdome and Patience of Jesus Christ John Brinsley Great Yarmouth Feb. 2. 1655. TEARS FOR IERVSALEM OR The compassionate Lamentation of a tender hearted Saviour over a rebellious and obdurate people Luk. 19.41 42. And when he was come near he beheld the City and wept over it 42. Saying If thou hadst known even thou at the least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace But now they are hid from thine eyes THis portion of Scripture I now take up The text upon what occasion taken up not that I look upon it as Prophetical to England So indeed it was to Hierusalem to which it is was spoken I wish it may not be so to this Nation But as concerning it both useful and seasonable for the present times and as proper to the present occasion as any I can meet with finding it put into my hands by that Declaration which hath upon this day called us together where we are directed to make this one chief part of our arrand at the throne of grace to beg it of God that he would give his people in this nation to know the things which belong unto their peace Declaration Novem. 21. 1655. which is the very thing which our blessed Saviour here wisheth to Hierusalem and that with tears in his eyes And when he was come near he beheld the City c. In the words we have a short History reported onely by this one Evangelist Division setting forth unto us the Passionate lamentation of our blessed Saviour over Hierusalem wherein the occasion of it Parts three the expression of it the ground or cause of it We may take notice of three things First The occasion of that lamentation his approaching and beholding of the City And when he was come near and beheld the City Secondly The expression of it by tears He wept over it Thirdly The ground or cause of it the sad state of the City in regard of a two-fold evil the one of sin the other of punishment of sin the stupidity and blindnesse of the inhabitants of that City in not laying hold upon the offers and tenders of grace and mercy held forth to them If thou hadst known c. The punishment first generally declared But now they are hid from thine eyes Then more particularly explained in the verses following These are the severals some of which I have now to deal with Begin with the first The occasion of this lamentation And when he was come near Part 1. The occasion of this lamentation he beheld the City So he did and that Oculis tam animi quam corporis with the eye both of his body and mind With the eye of his body he beheld the place And beholding it wept over it Thus is the eye of the body oftimes as a window to let in affection The eye lets in affection to the heart and passion into the soul Love and hatred joy and grief they often enter at this
now what God intends towards thee who knoweth Should he remove thy Candlestick take away â—he Gospel from thee which is cause enough â—o fear should he bring the like evils upon â—hee as our blessed Saviour here threatens â—gainst Jerusalem should he make our Houses Cities Temples desolate should he bring utâ—er desolation both upon Church and State should he give a near and larger Commission to â—he Sword to eat flesh and drink bloud secondâ—ng it with those ordinary attendants which â—hrough a wonderful providence we have hiâ—herto been freed from Famine and Pestilence â—o sweeping us as dung off from the face of the earth yet must we acknowledg the Lord to be just and righteous In the humble acknowledgment whereof Vse 2. What to be done for the preventing of judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hic est utinam Grotius ad loc let all of us seriously set our selves for the diverting and preventing of these Judgments To which end be we admonished and exhorted yet to hearken to this wish in the Text. So some here â—ook upon the words in the Text reading them Optatively utinam nosses O that or would to God that thou hadst known And O that England would yet hearken to this wish so as to comply with it Then which what can be more desirable for it What those things are you have heard viz. to receive Christ and his Gospel to give such entertainment to him and it as he requireth Now let all of us as we wish well to our own souls in particular and to this Nation in general seriously apply our selves hereunto As yet through riches of grace the Gospel of peace is held forth unto us As yet we enjoy the Ordinances of Christ Word and Sacraments with liberty and purity O let us now make much of them and make use of them with holy care and conscience waiting and attending upon them thereby making it manifest what esteem we have of them Specially indeavouring to profit by them to finde the power and life of them inwardly in our hearts in the changing and transforming them and to express that power in the course of our lives and conversations by so walking as becometh the Gospel So doing now may we yet comfortably hope that he who doth here so compassionately mourn over a rebellious people rejecting him and his Gospel will much more pitty spare a repenting people that is willing to hearken to his voice So pitty us as to turn away those threatned evils continuing the Gospel of peace with the peace of the Gospel to us and our posterities after us so long as the Sun and Moon endureth Thus I have done with the substance of this Complaint come we now to the circumstances the Aggravations The Aggravations of this complaint Aggravatâ—on 1. of this Evil. Which as I shewed you are two the Persons and Time Begin with the former If thou hadst known The Persons even thou 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si vel tu nosses Si cognovisses tu Not If thou hadst even known as the former Translation renders it putting the Emphasis upon the word Known but if even thou hadst known with reference to the Persons or Place Even thou Thou also say some thou Jerusalem as well as others Thou as well as others Diodate Annot ad loc as well as this poor troop of my Apostles and Disciples or as divers other lesser Cities and Villages have done or as this company now doth which acknowledgeth me to be what I am crying Hosanna or as some other places heretofore have done some of which have been so happy as timely to take notice of what belonged to their peace So did that great City Nineveh at the preaching of Jonah they repented John 3.5 whose example elsewhere we finde propounded by our Saviour to the Jews Mat. 12.41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment against this generation and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah And the like had some other places and persons done And O that Jerusalem had also done the like If thou also hadst known Thou as well as others Or Secondly Thou rather then others Thou rather then others So Calvin and divers other Expositors here conceive of it As if our Saviour did here compare Jerusalem with other Cities of Judea Yea with all other Cities of the whole world All which Jerusalem excelled in respect of many priviledges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vel tu urbs illa suprà omnes terrae urbes Deo dilecta urbs David urbs Regia urbs sacris dicata Grotius ad loc Jerusalem a Non-such in respect of spiritual priviledges This was the City of David the Emperial City yea the City of the great King the City of God a City beloved of God above all other places upon the earth Coeleste in terris Sacrarium as Calvin saith of it a heavenly Sanctuary upon earth where God had betrusted his Oracles his Ordinances where he had manifested his presence after a special manner dwelling between the Cherubins according to that of the Psalmist Psal 132.13 14. For the Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell Such was Jerusalem Heavens favorite Earths Non-such a City paramount preferred and advanced above all other Cities and places upon earth in respect of spiritual priviledges And this our Saviour here taketh up as an Aggravation An Aggravation both of his Sorrow and her Sin 1. Of his Sorrow 1. Of Christs sorrows Even thou As for other places other Cities suppose Chorazin Bethsaida Capernaum the Gadarenes or Samaria or the like for any of these to perish and miscarry as they did this were no other but a sad thing deserving to be lamented over But that Jerusalem should do so this went nearer our Saviours heart then any other Even as Brutus his stab did to Caesars which made him cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tu Brute what thou my son thou Brutus Even so did Jerusalems obstinacy and ingratitude here to our Saviour And thereupon he crieth out after the same manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even thou Like as it is with a natural parent he cannot but be offended with the miscarriage of any of his children but that his darling the son of his delights whom he hath set his love upon and shewen most affection to that he should miscarry this goeth near him So was it with Jacob when he apprehended some sad disaster to have befallen his son Ioseph his dear son the son of his age to whom he had expressed more affection then the rest of his Brethren as appeared by his party coloured garment this went near his heart insomuch that he refused to be comforted resolving to go down to the grave to him mourning as we have the story Gen. 37.3.35 And so was David affected with his Absolon He being his
future and it was so for the future For the present they did not see it for the future they should not see it Q. But how came it thus to be hid A. Hereof a double ground or Reason may be assigned 1. Their owne willfullnesse 2. The grouÌ„d thereof double God's righteous judgment Through the former it was that they did not see and through the latter it was they should not see what belonged to their peace Upon these two I shall insist severally 1. This was hid from their eies 1. Their own wilfulness through their own wilfulnesse They would not see what belonged to their peace their temporal and eternal happinesse Notwithstanding that it had been clearly revealed and held forth unto them yet they shut their eies against the Light This is that which our Saviour chargeth upon this people the people of the Jews in that known place Joh. 3.19 Light is come into the world but men loved darknesse rather then light So was it with the generalitie of that Nation Christ who was the light of the world he was come into the world and in particular come unto them declaring and making known to them what belonged to their peace But they loved darknesse the darknesse of sin and ignorance preferring it before the heavenly light of Divine Truth which shone forth unto them Such was their obstinacie that they even closed their eies and would not see So our Saviour himself sets it forth Mat. 13.14 where citing the prophecie of the Prophet Isaiah he sheweth how it was verified in that people of the Jews in his time In them saith he is fulfilled the prophesie of the prophet Isaias which saith Behold hearing yee shall hear and shall not understand and seeing yee shall see and shall not perceive though they daily heard the Word saw the Works of Christ with their bodily ears eies yet they did not believe him or in him How so The reason followeth in the next verse For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eies they have closed lest they should at any time see with their eies and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts c. Such was the wilful obstinacie of that people that they even stopped their ears against the Word of Christ and closed their eies against his Works they would not see what belonged to their peace and in this way it came to be hid from their eies And this our Saviour here taketh up as a just matter of Lamentation to him and Exprobration to them bewailing them for it and upbraiding them with it And so it is Obs Wilful ignorance asad and sinfull thing Wilful ignorance is a matter of just Lamentation and Exprobration to a people So our Saviour here taketh notice of it in Jerusalem But now these things are hid from thine eye Hoc non dicitur ad levandam Hierosolymae culpam saith Calvin upon it our Saviour doth not speake this any wayes to excuse or exâ—enuate Jerusalem's fault but to aggravate and highten it Such is wilfull and affected ignorance True indeed as for simple ignorance where men are ignorant through the want of the meanes of knowledge that excuseth a tantô in part The servant which not knowing his Masters will did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes saith our Saviour in the Parable Luke 12.48 In as much as he should have known it and might have known it had he enquired after it which he ought to have done therefore his ignorance doth not wholly excuse him yet being an extenuation of his fault it is so also of his punishment Simple ignorance of the minde and wil of God as concerning what we do or beleive is no just plea for any no just excuse in as much as they are by duty bound to know it might know more of it then they do were they not wanting in the inquiry after it But wilful affected ignorance when men refuse to know close their eyes against the light stop their eares against instruction shutting it out of their souls this is an high aggravation of the sin and punishment of those that are guilty of it R. And well may it so be looked upon in as much as it is not a meer neglect R. Being a contempt against God but carrieth a contempt with it Now we know wiâ—h what an eye Contempts are looked upon in the Courts of men upon earth When men refusâ— to take notice of their Orders and decrees this is highly taken as being an affrâ—nt to the Court and the offendors are severeâ—y proâ—eeded against And so is it in the Court of heaven when men shall refuse to take notice of the minde and will of God clearly intimated unto them this being a contempt an affront to heaven God cannot but take it highly at the hands of those that are guilty of it and make them know that he doth so So much we have fully expressed in thoâ—e words of Wisdome Prov 1.24 Because I have called and ye have refused c. ye have set at nought all my counsell and would none of my repâ—oof I will laugh at your calamity c. And again vers 29 For that they hated knowledge c. Therefore shall they eat the fruit of their own ways c. Of such dangerous and desparate consequence is it to shut out any beam of divine light out of the soul To close the eyes against Gospel-light a-high contempt to stop the ear against any word of God Specially when men shall close their eyes against Gospel-light stop their ears against the word of life the word of grace and salvation This was Jerusalems case here She did not she would not know the things belonging to her eternal peace notwithstanding he who was the Prâ—nce and Lord of peace the great Peace-maker the Son of God himself came to preach peace unto them to shew them what it was that was of so great concernment to them yet they would not hearken to him And by reason hereof these things were now hid from their eyes And upon this account the Lord Jesus as a tender hearted Saviour here so passionatly weepeth over them And surely of all things that can happen unto man upon earth there is no one thing more deplorable then this when men are thus wilfully blinde obstinately ignorant And to make some Application of this Branch Is not this the case of too many among our selves at this day Applica Too many among our selves guilty hereof Alass how many such poor ignorant souls are every where to be found Men and women willingly and wilfully ignorant of what concerneth their eternall peace They cannot say it is for want of light that the are blind that they do not see No the light of the Gospel hath for a long time shone forth unto them They have been born and brought up in Gospel-times and places where they have
patience you have abused and whose grace you have rejected do in his most righteous judgment seal up your eies passing an irrevocable sentence upon you that seeing you will not see therefore you shall not see but that these things be now from henceforth for ever hid from your eies And so I am fallen upon the second Particular 2. The second cause of Jerusalems blindness Gods righteous judgment the second ground and cause of this blindnesse in Jerusalem .. The things belonging to her peace were hid from her eies as through her own wilful obstinacie so also through Gods righteous judgment And thus they were hid not onely for the present but also for the future 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But now they are hid from thine eies That is from henceforth so as now thou shalt not see them and that through the righteous judgment of God hiding them from thee Thus it is Daies of Grace have their dates Obs Days of grace have their dates Mark it This is the Observation which this passage naturally yieldeth us Daies of Grace have their dates Times and seasons wherein the Grace and Mercie of GOD is offered and tendered to the Sons of men for their acceptance they are limited they have their terms and boundaries beyond which they shall not extend Hence is it that they are called by the name of Daies If thou hadst known in this thy day Now a Day is a determined time However there are Winter-daies and Summer-daies some shorter others longer yet each is limited and measured by the motion of the Sun And so are the Seasons of Grace which God vouchsafeth unto the Sons of men upon earth though some are longer then others yet all limited all determined by God What the Prophet Habakuk â—aith of Prophetical Vision Hab. 2.3 The Vision is for an appointed time the same may be said of these gracious dispensations the offers and tenders of grace and mercie they are for an appointed time Daies of Grace have their dates their limits So have both National and Personal daies 1. National daies 1. Nationall days wherein God offers mercie to communities of men these are limited So it was we know with the old world concerning which we may hear God declaring his purpose Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not ever strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his daies shall be an hundred and twentie years A long time God had striven with the men of that generation He had so done and that both outwardly and inwardly Outwardly as by his Works so by his Word which was preached to them by Noah whom Saint Peter calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Preacher or publisher of Righteousnesse of the righteous judgments of God in case they should not repent to which in the name of God he perswaded them By him it was that Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison as the same Apostle hath it 1 Pet. 3.19 This he did by the Ministerie of Noah or some others who were inspired by him In and by them he preached to the men of that generation who were then alive but at this time when Peter wrote that Epistle dead and their spirits their souls many of them in the prison of Hell And besides this Outward striving by his Word he did also strive with them Inwardly by the inward motions and operations of his Spirit pressing and urging their consciences to Reformation and Repentance Thus he had striven with them and that long but he will not ever so do My Spirit shall not ever strive with Man And thereupon hee limits them a time for their Repentance The daies of Man shall be an hundred and twentie years Not that the time of man's life should not afterwards exceed that number of years for we finde diverse after the Flood living much longer but so long should their day of grace and mercie last So long a time out of his gracious indulgence God would yet allow to that generation to bethink themselvs to reform their hearts and lives in which if once past and not improved for the end to which it was allotted them then they must look for no more mercie but a deluge of vengeance should sweep them off from the face of the earth To this I might subjoin that of Nineveh which had her fortie daies and no more allowed unto her for the same end Fortie daies and Nineveh shall be destroied Jon. 3.4 viz. except within that time they repented which condition God reserved to himelf Thus there is a time appointed and determined by God which though he do not declare to others yet he hath set down with himself how long hee will strive with a Nation a people how long he will wait for their Repentance which time being past then the date of mercie is out So it was with Jerusalem here she had had he Day a day of grace and that a long day wherein she might have seen what belonged to her peace but that day being now spent Now these things are hid from her eies 2. Personall days 2. And as Nationall so Personall dayes The times and seasons allotted unto particular persons for their accepting the offers of grace and mercie held forth unto them these also are limited So is not onely the Common and Generall day The time of this life beyond which the tenders of mercie do not extend The generall day the time of this life Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 6.2 speaking as he is conceived of the time of this life This is the day of grace If this day be gone mercy is gone As for those who have here abused the patience and long sufferance of God not considering that it should have led them to repentance so sleighting the offers of Mercie let them look for nothing but Juâ—tice hereafter That rich Glutton who would not out of his abundance spare poor Lazarus a crum of bread baing in hell may call and crie for a drop of water to cool his tongue with and yet go without it The Sacrifices of Grace and Mercie are onely so long as this day of grace lasteth during this life If this be gone then as the tree falleth towards heaven or hell so it lieth Death closing up the eies of impenitent sinners then are the things which belong to their peace their happinesse for ever hid from them But also Particular daies Particular days particular times and seasons and that during this life Certainly such times and seasons there are As there are appointed times for all other occasions To every thing there is a season and a time to every pupose under heaven saith the Preacher Eccl. 3.1 So it is to things Natural however to us they may be Casual and in themselvs Contingent or it may be Voluntarie left to the will of man yet they are all determined as for other circumstances so for the time and that by
who knoweth what his thoughts may yet be towards this sinful and most unworthy Nation Onely turn we unto him with all our hearts and soules And then as the Prophet Joel goeth on Joel 2.14 Who knoweth if he will return and leave a blessing behind him And thus have I done with the first branch of the Application Application in particular as is directed to the Nation in general Come we in the next place to bring it nearer home applying it to every of our selves in particular And this I shall do in the first place by way of Terrour to some Is it so Vse 1. Terrour to obstinate and obdurate sinners that daies of grace have their dates what terrour may this strike into the hearts of all obstinate and obdurate sinners of which kind I wish there were none before me this day Despisers of Grace such as have had their Day their day of grace and mercy wherein God hath shewen unto them the things belonging to their peace but they have not known them they would not know them they have done what the Jewes did stopped their eares closed their eies hardned their hearts refusing to hearken to the counsel which Wisedome gave them to hearken to Jesus Christ speaking to them in and by his Ministers not regarding the counsel which the word held forth to them sleighting those offers of grace and mercie tendred to them in the Gospell upon their receiving of Christ but still going on in their wonted Rebellions Now to all such be it spoken how do you know but that the date of your day may be out the time of grace and mercy may be past and the dreadful doom passed upon you in heaven which our Saviour here denounceth against Jerusalem upon earth that Now the things belonging to your peace are hid from your eyes so as you shall never see what you have refused to see Certainly so it hath been with some others And why not so with you for ought that you or others know How ever a just and righteous thing it is with God God that it should be so that seeing you have closed your eyes and would not see that he should seal them so as you should not see And if so how deplorable how miserable is your condition So we loook upon a poor blind man whose bodily eyes are put out past hope of ever recovering his sight again What is it then to have the eye of the soul blinded So as it shall never see never se what belongeth to its peace hapines but is shut up under an everlasting darkness Miserable and deplorable is the condition of every such a soul in as much as it is now desperate helplesse hopelesse So is it with a person upon whom this doom is once passed Now he may call and cry for mercy with Esau seeking blessing with tears but all in vain Neither his own nor yet the prayers of any other shall be available on his behalf Though Noah Job and Daniel the chiefest favourites of heaven should undertake to intercede for such a one yet shall they not be able to procure a revocation and reversement of that sentence which is past upon him Such was Sauls case upon whom Samuel denounceth that irrevocable sentence from the Lord 1 Sam. 15.26 Thou hast rejected the word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee A sentence not to be reversed So he tels him v. 29 Also the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent for he is not as man that he should repent No though Saul himself sought God by confessing and bewailing of his sinne as he doth v. 24. begging pardon for it desiring Samuel to go along with him that he might worship God as it followeth v 25. which accordingly he did v. 31 Yet would not all this avail No nor yet though Samuel was an intercessour for him praying and mourning for him as we find him v. last So irreversible was that sentence which the Lord had passed upon Saul that what ever he did or Samuel could do all could not change the purpose of God concerning him Rejected he was for his Rebellion and rejected he should be O fear and tremble you obstinate and rebellious sinners who stand guilty of the same sin that is charged upon him of rejecting the word of the Lord not hearkning to his voice not yeilding obedience to his Commands but doing what is good in your own eies fear ye and tremble I say least the Lord should have passed or should passe the like sentence upon you which if once done I and others may do for you what Samuel there did for Saul mourn for you but cannot help you Obj. But what is Gods decree so absolute Whether Gods decrees be so absolute as not to be reversed and peremptory concerning any particular person here upon earth that what ever mean shall be used by themselves or others for them shall not be able to reverse it It was not so with that barren Figtree in the Gospel upon which the owner had passed his doom that it should be cut down giving order to the dresser of his vineyard that he should execute what he had decreed Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground Yet notwithstanding at that his servants request it was reprived and spared one year longer Luk. 13.7 8 9. A. True thus God is pleased to deal sometimes with some to exercise great long sufferance and forbearance towards them Gods dealing not a like with all Yea sometimes reverting the sentence which is past upon them Thence it is that he is said sometimes to Repent Sometimes he is said to Repent of what he hath done or intended to do So he did concerning the Ninevites which Jonah supecting taketh up as his excuse for his not going to the City according to Gods direction to denounce that sentence against them but rather fleeing to Tarshish Jon. 4.2 Therefore saith he I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of the evill the evil intended and threatned which accordingly he did reversing that sentence which was passed upon them And the like he did to Israel at Moses's intercession the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people Exod 32.14 But it will not hence follow But not alwaies that because God dealeth thus with some therefore he will do so to all However that Figtree was spared for a year yet the other Fig-tree which we read of was not spared an hour So the Storie tels you Matth. 21.19 Jesus passing by the way and espying a figtree on which he found no fruit however as St. Mark notes it Mark 11.13 the time of Figs was not yet yet he presently blasteth it passing that doom upon it let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever which sentence wag accordingly executed and that forthwith So it followeth And presently