Newcastles Call to Her Neighbor and Sister Towns, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
In that this wrath is but gon out, and this plague but begun (which therefore as it may be ſtaid frō proceeding, if wee timely meet God in the way of his judgmēts; ſo it wil prove but the beginning of greter evils if we repent not) we have cauſe ſpeedily to run in with our Cenſers, and to prevent our owne ruine.
LEt us now conſider what cauſe we have to haſten our repentance frō this that is he… … is gone out, … … tancethe pl…g… … … gun. Conſider wee … that this wrath is but go … out, this plague is but begun: it is not yet gone on ſo far, as it may and will, if it be not ſtayed in time: it is not yet conſummate or ended: where it wil end, or what the end of it will be, who knows? This affords us a double conſideration,Seeing this Plague is but begun. firſt of Mercy, ſecondly of Iuſtice and Security, if wee meet not God by times.
1. Wrath is but gone out,1. Gods mercy ſhould move us in that it is but begun. the Plague is but begun: and therefore may be ſtayed if means be uſed in time. God in his wrath doth not (yet) deſtroy us all at once, as not theſe rebels heere, though hee threatned to conſume them as in a moment. Verſe …5.Moſes and Aaron falling on their faces,And therefore may be ſtayed. obtained ſome reſpite for them then, as doubtleſſe, Gods faithfull ſervants obtaine like merciemercy for us now. From this merciemercy and long-ſuffering in God it is, that wee are not all conſumed, that we periſh not all at once, that the puniſhment of our Sin is not like to that of Sodom that was overthrowne as in a moment, Lament 4.6.and no hands ſtayed on her. The truth is, God (ſome thirty yeares agoe) in the powder Furn…ce prepared by the Papiſts for us,God deſtroyes us not in a moment all at once, as once hee threatned. did let us ſee both the extremity of their rage and wicked intentions toward us, as alſo the greatneſſe of our guiltineſſe, and how juſtly he might have given us then ſo long ſince into their hands, to have beene ſwallowed up quicke by them, when their wrath was kindled againſt us. Pſalm. 124.3.Hee was neere then to have conſumed us all at once, when the fire like that of Sodome, ſhould not have begunne in ſome remote place (as when it takes in ſome one or few houſes, in a towne or citie) by which others farther off might have beene awakened, taken warning, and have provided for their owne ſafety at leaſt, if not alſo have ſtayed the farther ſpreading and raging of it: no, it ſhould have begunne and ended all at once, and at once made an end of all. Thus hee then might have delt with us, even deſtroyed us by that their mercileſſe fire and ſword, or by ſome other ſudden vengeance, ſuch as fell upon the hoſt of the Aſſyrians, And as he delt with others.when the Angell of the Lord in one night deſtroyed an hundred foureſcore and five thouſand of the chiefe of them; or as hee did the old World by water, or as he deſtroyed Pharaoh and his whole Army at once in the red Sea, or as it ſhall be at the laſt Iudgement. But ſee, inſtead of ſuch ſudden and univerſall deſtruction (which being formerly ſo neere, may ſeeme in regard of our deſerts, and for our great unthankefulneſſe, and forgetfulneſſe of that and other mercies, at this time to be much nearer:) The Lord did not onelyonly then reſpite us, but now (when hee might juſtly give us over to their mercileſſe hands, to bee judged with their judgement, that is, to bee conſumed at once in their boundleſſe rage) hee keeps the rod in his owne hand, and begins as it were at an end of us, ſmites ſome few (in compariſon of all) and ſo gives warning to the reſt, hovering as it were,Hee expects wee ſhould meet him a far off. and ſtanding at our gates, at our neighboring townes and cities, expecting what we will doe to ſtay his wrath, hearkning and liſtning, as it were, to heare what wee will doe, what we will ſay to him, whether wee will repent us of our wickedneſſe, ſaying, What have we done? As hee meets us in our wayes of ſinne.or whether wee wil turn to our courſe, as the Horſe into the battell, without all feare of his wrath; as once hee did with the Iewes: Ier. 8.6.in effect telling us it is much what in our power (and ſo asking us) whether he ſhall proceed in wrath againſt us, or no; whether this Plague now begun ſhall preſently end, or elſe proceed and make an end of us alſo; notwithſtanding our preſent ſeeming ſafety, in places remote from the infection, or whilſt wee have removed and fled bodily from the ſame.
This is a mercy then not to be neglected, that God gives us ſpace and time to conſider what we will do, that hee gives us warning of his approach, letting us know that hee our Iudge hath begun to ride his circuit,As hee met with Balaam. and is on his way already, and hath ſent out the deſtroying Angel before him, with a ſword of Peſtilence in his hand, to meet us in our ſinfull wayes, ſtanding in our way for an adverſary againſt us, as once againſt Balaam in his way of ambition and covetouſneſſe being gone out to withſtand us (as once him)Numb. 22.22.32. becauſe our way is perverſe before him. Oh that wee were not in this caſe more ſtupid & blind then Balaams Aſſe! which ſaw the Angell of the Lord ſtanding in the way, and his ſword drawne in his hand, and turned out of that way, or would not go on but fall downe to the ground under Balaam. Oh that the Lord would at length open our eyes, as he did Balaams, to ſee the Angell of the Lord ſtanding in our way; whatſoever it be, whether that of Covetouſneſſe, or whether it be Pride, Ambition, Malice, hatred of the good, defection from the goodwayes of God, wearying of his yoke and Goſpel, ſenſualitie and love of pleaſure, ſelfe-confidence, and carnall ſecurity, feeding and feaſting without feare, profanation of Gods name. Aſſuredly God by his ſword and judgement is comming towards us, and threatens us (who once were as a fire-brand pluckt out of the burning) to overthrow us, Amos 4.11.12.as he overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (that is all at once and ſuddenly:) And ſhall wee not take that ſpoken unto us (ſeeing we yet have not returned unto him) which he graciouſly ſpake to Iſrael, Becauſe I will doe this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God ô Iſrael, ô England, O ſinfull towne, citie, or place, will we yet ſit ſtill, and ſettle on our lees through ſecurity, and ſuffer the Deſtroyer to enter into our windowes, our houſes, our bed-chambers; yea our beds and boſomes? will wee not run out with intreaty of peace, fall downe before him, and make ſupplication to our Iudge? Let us not at leaſt come behind Balaam, who at length ſeeing the Angel & his ſword drawn in his hand, bowed downe his head, Numb. 22.31.34.and fell flat on his face-ſaying, I hauehave ſinned; now therefore if it diſpleaſe thee, I will get mee back againe. This he ſaid, but it was not altogether in that ſincerity, ſeeing his heart ſtill went after his covetouſnes; which his hypocriſie wee muſt take heed of: but bee aſhamed to come behind him and his Aſſe (which alſo fel down before the Angell) in humility, whilſt vve neither (upon this occaſion) do or profeſſe halfe ſo much. Novv that the Angell diſcovered himſelfe unto Balaam, and hee hereupon humbled himſelfe, it vvas a mercy to him; for othervviſe,Verſe 33. the Angell had ſlaine him. And as hee met with Ionah. Ionah 1.1.2.3. &c.So the Lord in like mercy (and vvith an intent to bring to repentance & reformation) met vvith Ionah by ſtormes and tempeſts at Sea in the vvay of his diſobedience, and (as I may cal it) non-reſidence: vvith Moſes in the Inn,With Moſes. in the vvay of Neglect, vvhom by the way in the Inn, the Lord met and ſought to kill him, for not circumciſing (through too much reſpect to his vvife) his ſonne in time. And doubtleſſe,And the Iewes. this is a mercy if vve could ſee it, vvhen God by any judgement ſtands in our ſinful vvaies, and as the Prophet ſpeaketh, Hedgeth up our way, Hoſ. 2.5, 6, 7.that wee ſhould not find our paths, &c. As Beaſtes are kept within their owne Paſtures by ſharp and thornie hedges, leaſt they breake out and loſe themſelves: ſo the Lord, when we are ready to goe aſtray from him, proves, in regard of ſome afflictions which he ſends, as a thornie hedge to us, ſo that wee cannot offer to goe on in ſinfull waies, or to breake our bounds, but wee runne upon the thornes,And with Paul. Act. 9.5. and kick againſt the pricks, as it was told to Saul (or Paul) when Chriſt met with him in his way of Perſecution, and ſtrucke him to the earth. It was happy for Saul that God went out thus and me him. And ſo it will be our happineſſe, if whilſt God meets us by Peſtilence in our evill waies, as once hee met King David in the way of his Pride, and ſelfe-confidence, and vaine-glory, wee would conſider our waies, which proove thus bitter and croſſe to us, and ſpeedily turne from them, leſt wee meet with deſtruction in the ſame, or goe on therein to perdition.
Wee may ſay, and that truly, that God now meets with us (by this ſword, o… arrow of peſtilence) in ou… way of Sinfull companying one with another, wherby wee infect one another i… ſoule by good fellowſhip, … wee call it, by potting, b… zeling, goſsiping, exceſſe i… feaſting, exceſſe of wine… revellings, banquetings &c. So hee now meet with us in the way of ou… Idle diſcourſes, and unſavourie communication, an… unprofitableneſſe in companie, of uncleane behaviour and adulteries, of unlawful mariages, of needleſſe intertaining of Gods enemies and unneceſſarie acquantance and familiaritie wit… …em. So, in our way of …orldlineſs, covetouſneſs, …nd abuſe of trading, de…arring us of free and ſafe …ading or commerce one with another: and ſo in …he way of our other Sins. And will wee yet Goe on …owardly every one of us in …he way of his owne heart? Will it not now concerne …s to conſider every one …is owne Sin, ſeeing wee …annot goe on therein, but wee muſt meet with the Deſtroyer,It will concerne us to meet him in time, as the forenamed did; and hee with …s, and ſo Wee periſh in the way, one of his Pride, another of his Vncleanneſſe, a third, of his Prophaneneſſe, Superſtition, Diſobedience, Perjurie, or other S…n.
Were it not better for us with Balaam to ſay (b… with better ſinceritie) If … (my way) diſpleaſe thee, Balaam.will get mee backe againe▪ with Ionah, Ionah.to ſet ou… ſelves to our charge with out feare of man,Moſes. or lo… of eaſe: with Moſes, to obey Gods command and ordinance, not caring whom we diſpleaſe whilſt wee pleaſe him; and to Circumciſe (as he his Son▪ ſo wee) our hearts:The Iſraelites. with the Iſraelites to ſay, I wil… goe and returne to my firſ… Husband, for then was a better for mee than now: … will goe no more a who…ng after the world, no …ot for a world, &c. And …ſtly with Paul, trem…ling and aſtonied to ſay, …ord, what wilt thou have …ee doe? and accordingly …eſolve to do it. Or ſhould …ot wee (ſo many of us …s ſeeme, as yet furtheſt …rom danger) while this …reat King is gone forth …o make wa… againſt us, …eeing wee are not able to …eet him in our Sins that …ommeth againſt us, And …hile hee is yet a great …ay off, —ſend an Embaſ…age, and deſire Conditions …f Peace of him, as the …ounſell is given in another caſe? This Embaſſage is our Prayers and Teares,Luke 14.31, 32. and the Sacrifice of a broken, contrite, an… alſo new heart; herein alſo imitating the wiſedom… of Iacob, And as Iacob,who knowing h… Brother was offended … him, as hee was on h… way,Gen. 32.3-6-9-13, &c. ſent Meſſengers t… Eſau, and alſo preſents, … ſoone as ever hee hear… that his Brother was comming againſt him, to mee… him, and foure hundre… men with him: but firſ… he earneſtly prayeth un… God for his deliverance all which was done with good ſucceſſe.And Abigail. Even … wiſe Abigail no ſoone …nderſtood that evill was …etermined by David a…ainſt her Husband Nabal …nd all his houſhold,1 Sam. 26.17, 18, 19-23, 24, &c. but hee made haſte and tooke … preſent, and ſent it away …efore her—and when ſhe …aw David, Shee haſted, …nd lighted off the Aſſe, …nd fell before him on her …ace, and bowed her ſelfe to …he ground, and by good words and intreaties ſhee …acified his wrath for the preſent, and found that favour with him, that not …ong after hee made her his wife. Oh happy wee,Prov. 22.3. if wee could be ſo wiſe, as fore-ſeeing the evill, to hide our ſelves in time; to acknowledge Gods merciemercy, in giving us ſuch fair warning a far off, and t… make uſe of it.
But (which is the ſecond conſideration) where th… mercy is neglected,Otherwiſe fear wrath. & tha… no man ſpeakes aright, ſaying, Ier. 8.6.What have I done? … man repents him of hi… wickedneſſe, This plague is but begun.but every …n turnes to his courſe, as the barr'd horſe ruſheth (without all fear) into the battell; where men go on frowardly in the way of their owne hearts; Eſa. 57.17.there they run upon their owne ruine, as it is ſaid, the ſimple paſſe on and are puniſhed. Prov. 22.3.In this caſe then (of our impenitencie and obſtinacy in ſinne) we muſt know againe,And will prove but a begining & harbinger to greater evils. That wrath is but gone out, the plague is but begun; that is, what we ſuffer now, is but the leaſt part of that which wee may and muſt expect, as elſwhere it is ſaid,Math. 24.7, 8. There ſhalbe famines, and peſtilences, and earthquakes in divers places: all theſe are (but) the beginning of ſorrowes. Eſay 28.15-18.This overflowing ſcourge will not here ſtay, … ſhall paſſe through, and …ome even unto us, and we ſhall bee troden downe by it, …hough we ſecure ourſelvs …ever ſo much, and make …ur covenant with death, & …ake lies our refuge, & under falſhood hide our ſelves, that is, though we truſt to our vaine confidences, and ſecure our ſelves frō ſuch things (as our wit, wealth, friends, confederates, places of refuge, &c.) vvhichwhich wil all faile us in our greateſt need, and proove rods of reed unto us; the plague is yet but begun and gone out (eſpecially in regard of the vvhole nation) and vve who will not now be warned when we heare of it a farr off, ſhall have this arrovv of God to reach even to us, and to ſmite us thorovv the liver: there ſhall be yet greater vvrath, and the later the greater (whe… repētance intercedes not) as vvee are told of ſeven Angels having the ſeven laſt plagues, Revel. 15.1.in which is filled up the wrath of God. Where vve take no vvarning by beginnings, there the leſſer judgment is but a preſage of much greater,As to Famine. vvhether in the ſame kind or ſome other. Famine commonly accompanieth the Peſtilence, Anno 1630.as it did but of late yeares moſt grievouſly in Cambridge, and as it ſhould much more have prevailed with multitudes of the poorer ſort among*Of Newcaſtle. 1636 us, were it not …hat by Gods bleſſing and …he care of our Magiſtrats in diſpoſing the revenues of our Chamber vveekly, in great ſummes for their reliefe; as alſo by their and other Inhabitants free loanes, & ſome good help and aſſiſtance made freely by kind neighbours, they were competently provided for; not the ſick or infected only, but ſuch as are impoveriſhed throgh want of imployment in their manuall Crafts and Calings; yea, after peſtilence, where it doth no good neither workes any reformation, there follovve… commonly ſome greate… judgment and deſtruction… As wee ſee in Pharoah an… his people, againſt whom God came, as by divers leſſer plagues, ſo at length by the death of the Firſt-borne,But eſpecially to the Sword. which wee ſhewed (probably at leaſt) to have beene by Peſtilence: but when after that ſtroake, Pharoah ſtill hardned his heart, and purſued Gods people, the Lord met with him in the Sea, which ſwallowed him and his whole armie up all at once moſt fearfully. So it was with Ieruſalem of old, as God did fore-tell, and threaten them by Ieremie, (and it is good for us to obſerve Gods method in his dealing with others, and to take warning therby:Ier. 21.6, 7.) I will ſmite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beaſt; they ſhall dye of a great peſtilence: And afterwards, ſaith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah King of Iudah and his ſervants, and his people, & ſuch as are left in this citie, from the peſtilence, from the ſword, (that is, ſome leſſer hurt by it from the king of Aegypt) and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of thoſe that ſeeke their life, and hee ſhall ſmite them with the edge of the ſword; hee ſhall not ſpare them, neither have pitie, nor have mercy. Peſtilence is the laſt of Gods mercifull rods.And thus I may call Peſtilence the laſt of Gods mercifull rods, which if it be neglected, it ſerves for our further conviction, & to make way for mercileſſe judgements, and for the juſtification of his ſeveritie in them; ſeeing wee take no warning by this his laſt triall of us:Which neglected, is for conviction. For vvhat may vve expect, if vvhen God himſelfe comes apparantly againſt us, and ſtands in our vvay, vvee ſubmit not to him by humbling our ſelves, but vvill on as it vvere in deſpite of him: as vvee reſiſt him, he vvill reſiſt us, and become a conſuming fire unto us, as hee ſaith,Eſa. 27.4. who would ſet the briars and thornes againſt mee in battle? I would goe through them, I would burn them together: but of this more in the laſt motive. Only novv conſider,And foreruns greater evils, vvee that vvhere beginnings of vvrath (as of fire) and former and leſſer ſtrokes and judgements are neglected, there at length a heavier vveight of vvrath follovves, yea utter deſtruction: leſſer judgements neglected, are but threatnings and fore runners of greater, & as the laying of the Axe to the root of the trees; or as the lopping of them and digging at the roots of them; after vvhichwhich if they continue ſtill barren and unfruitfull, then follovves that irrevocable ſentence,Luke 13.7. cut it downe. Whatſoever judgements hauehave gone before, they are all as nothing, and make vvay for greater to follovv, as the leſſer vvedge for the greater. Thus ſaid the Lord to Iſrael of old;Iſa 9.12, 13, 14. The Syrians before, and tho Philiſtines behind, and they ſhall devoure Iſrael with open mouth: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill; for the people turneth not unto him that ſmiteth them, neither doe they ſeeke the Lord of hoſts: Therefore will the Lord cut off from Iſrael head and tayle, branch and ruſh in one day. So hee had almoſt done with us, as is ſaid in the Powder Furnace, And ſo calls on us in time to turne to the Lord.yet hath beene graciouſly pleaſed both to reſpite us then, and ſince to come towards us leiſurely by ſlow paces, and approaches. Now ſeeing wee will not ſeeke to pacifie him at the firſt going out of wrath, & when the Plague is, as yet but only begun, what may we expect but that, having already ſent the Peſtilence into the land,Ezek. 14.19, 20. hee poure out his fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beaſt, as hee threatned his people, and when no Interceſſor ſhould be accepted for them.
Let us of this place eſpecially thinke of this now,On us eſpecially of this place. when God at the firſt going out of his wrath among us, makes greater ſpeed then ordinarily hee hath done here, yea or elſe where in our land formerly in any one place:Anno 1624. 1625. ſo that in the mother citie eleven yeares agoe, there died not ſo many of the Peſtilence in their 120. pariſhes within and without the liberties, for the firſt 3. moneths (though before all was done, it became the greateſt that any man living could remember, and greater I take then their generall bill, for the yeare would make it, unleſſe you will allow above eighteene thouſand to die, (in plague-time) of ordinary diſeaſes in one year.) I ſay there died then not ſo many there in the firſt three moneths (by their bils) as with us in our foure pariſhes, within the ſpace of fourteene or fifteene dayes,S. 114. and that only within liberties. And conſidering how ſince it increaſeth, rageth rather, runs & ſpreads like wild-fire, will …it not concerne us then to uſe ſpeed? which if Aaron had not done here, (who being commanded to goe quickly unto the Congregation, did run into it) what had become of the whole Congregation (conſiſting of divers hundred thouſands) which God threatned to conſume as in a moment, when for all his haſte, running in at the firſt going out of wrath, and at the very beginning of the Plague, before he got to doe his office, and make the atonement, there were dead fourteene thouſand and ſeven hundred? how ſoone, yea how juſtly might God make a ſpeedy riddance of us all, by this or ſome other worſe plague, if his patience were not much, yea infinitly more then our haſte? Let us therefore take that (or the like in effect) ſpoken to us, which was ſpoken by the Lord to his people of old, when for their ſinne hee juſtly plagued them:Exod. 32.35. Yee are a ſtiffe-necked people, I will come up into the midſt of thee in a moment, and conſume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee (that is, betake thy …elfe to faſting and to …rayer) that I may know …hat to doe unto thee: This vvas accordingly, and …orthvvith done by them. Novv for us I adviſe, that vvhat vve doe, it bee done …peedily, yea and diligently, Ezra 7.2…-23.as King Artaxerxes decreed in a like caſe, for why (ſaith hee, though an heathen) ſhould there bee wrath againſt the Realme of the King and his Sons?
Doubtleſſe, this motion and pace of Gods juſtice being naturall to him, (as well as that of mercy) is ſwifter at the later end thā at the beginning, and I am afraid wee ſhall ſo find it … we take not our time out … hand for prevention. Nearer ſudden deſtruction w… of this nation cannot be (to eſcape) then we were:Novem. 5.160 5. ſuffer we once his long patience to turne into fury, and then expect wee no after-warnings: ſome one blaſ… of helliſh, popiſh ſulphurous malice, or ſome one ſtroke of divine juſtice ſome other way, ſhall doe the deed, and diſpatch us all at once. But of this point of doctrine, & of the proceeding of Gods wrath againſt obſtinate, obdurate and impenitent ſinners, even till he utterly deſtroy and conſume them, I have ſelfwhere treated largely.*Prognoſticks Divine: or Treat: on Eſay 9.12.13. My concluſion here ſhalbe …y wiſh, The Lord in mer…ie avert and turne ſuch …eavie vvrath from us, by converting and turning us, by the power of his grace, unto himſelfe. Amen.