Newcastles Call to Her Neighbor and Sister Towns, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI.
The main Duty, concerning our ſpeedy uſing of means to pacifie Gods preſent Wrath, urged and preſſed by divers Motives in the Text: And firſt becauſe this Peſtilence is Wrath.
NOw all I aime at from theſe ſeverall points handled, and from this text, is by way of generall uſe, to inferre and inforce upon us the uſe of the Remedy, which we are taught from the firſt word For: wrath is gone out, the Plague is begun; therefore run in with thy Cenſer, &c. Or take a Cenſer— and goe quickly, and make an attonement; For there is wrath gone out from the Lord, the Plague is begun.
The maine duty of the Text hath beene named already in the beginning, which now muſt be proſecuted: and it is,The maine duty repeated, and urged. when God once manifeſteth his wrath, (whether it bee by Peſtilence or otherwiſe) all lawfull meanes are ſpeedily to be uſed for the pacifying of the ſame. Meanes are ſpeedily to be uſed, for the pacifying of Gods wrath.Aaron there, receiving his Injunction, preſently obeyed and ran into the Congregation and made the attonement. The like did Moſes (not only here with Aaron, who perceiving God ready to deſtroy them all in a moment, preſently fell upon their faces, and obtained this anſwer and direction; an… conſequently ſparing, fo… the preſent to the moſt o… the Congregation, bu… elſe where) when once h… perceived the Lords anger was kindled againſt the people for the golden Calfe, which they made and worſhipped whilſt he was abſent from them, with the Lord in the Mount,Exod. 32.8.9 10.11-14. he preſently (as it were) caught hold on the Lords hand, which was lifted up againſt them, to conſume them; and beſought the Lord, urging him with many arguments,2. Sam. 24.16.17-25. Iſa. 38.1.2.3-21. ſo that hee repented him of the evill which hee thought to doe unto his people. King David ſmitten in his people by Peſtilence, did likewiſe: ſo did King Hezekiah, ſmitten therewith, as is probably thought, in his owne perſon.
Now why wee at this time ſhould doe likewiſe I ſhall endeavour to ſhew by ſuch arguments,Why? as the Text will afford; and after that I ſhall direct generally to the Meanes and Remedies, which more particularly and ſeverally I ſhall handle on other grounds of Scripture.
1. Why we are ſpeedily and carefully to uſe all lawfull meanes to pacifie Gods wrath now gon… out by Peſtilence againſt us of this place and nation,Foure motives from the text. the text will afford us foure Arguments, whilſt wee ſhall conſider that this Peſtilence is 1. Wrath or a ſigne of Gods diſpleaſure. 2. Wrath gone …ut or manifeſted. 3. Wrath gone out, and as yet, but gone out and begun; and therefore ſuch as, firſt by ſpeedy and timely repen…ance, and reformation may bee ſtayed from proceeding farther, or ſecondly, being not ſo ſtayed, will proue but the beginning of wrath, and will not end where it begins.
4. It is wrath begun and gone out from the Lord, and therefore ſuch as can no way bee withſtood, unleſſe the Lord be …acified.
1. Becauſe Peſtilence is a ſigne of Gods wrath.1. Plague here is made an effect and ſigne of Gods wrath and anger: which therefore is not to be neglected, but to bee laid to heart and apprehended, yea and pacified in time leſt wee periſh by it. Here I may ſay, Bee wiſe O ye… Kings; bee inſtructed ye… Iudges of the earth, ſerve the Lord with feare, and rejoyce with trembling: Pſal. 2.10.11.12.kiſſe the Sonne leſt hee be angry, and yee periſh from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little, bleſſed are all they that put their truſt in him. How unhappy diſmall, dangerous at leaſt and fearefull is the caſe and condition of ſuch, as under ſuch wrath remaine ſecure and continue unhumbled? Is it not high time to looke out when wrath is gone out? to look about us, when the ſparkes of Gods vengeance flie ſo about our eares? in a word to look to our ſelves and to our owne ſafety, when Gods heavy wrath is like to meet us at every turne? why then doe we not in time humble our ſelves?Which is as the ſword of the Angell. Is not the deſtroying Angell gone out, and doe we not heare morning by morning, concerning this houſe and that; yea, thoſe many houſes, where not a night or day paſſeth,Smiting in every houſe almoſt. but ſome one at leaſt or moe are ſtruck dead in it? and will wee yet bee ſecure? what are we doing? what vvill vve doe? here I may ſay as Pharaoh his ſervants to him,Exod. 10.7. know wee not yet that New-caſtle, that England, that ſuch and ſuch a Citie, (novv undervvrath) is deſtroyed? hovv long ſhall this ſvvord of the Angell devour?And calling for our ſinnes. How long ſhall our ſinnes bee a ſnare unto us? hovv long vvill it bee er… vve let our ſinnes goe, tha… vve may ſerve the Lor… our God acceptably? Fo… God novv ſends this Peſtilence to us (as formerly both the like and other judgements) vvith this meſſage; Let your ſinnes goe, that you may ſerve mee and not ſinne: For othervviſe, I will at this time ſend all my Plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy ſervants, and for now I will ſtretch out mine hand that I may ſmite thee and thy people with Peſtilence, Exod. 9.13.14.15. & 10.3.and thou ſhalt bee cut off from the earth. How long wilt thou refuſe to humble thy ſelfe before me? even thus may God ſpeak to Pride vvithin us, to Selfe-love: let thy beloved ſin goe, or I will fall upon thee with Peſtilence, or with the ſword. And novv beloved, tha… this vvrath is gone out already, vvhy doe vve not part vvith, and ſend avvay our ſinnes, as at length Pharaoh vvas forced to let goe the people, and the Philiſtines the Arke: of vvhom (to our ſhame) vve may learne what to doe for being forced by judgements to ſend backe the Arke, their Prieſts adviſed not to ſend it away empty, but in any wiſe to return God a treſpaſſe offering, that ſo they might be healed, 2. Sam. 6.3.and that it might bee made knowne unto them, why his hand was not removed from them: Thus, ſay they, which words are alſo appliable to us) yee ſhall give glory to the God of Iſrael: peradventure hee will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your land. Verſ. 4. & 5.Wherefore then doe you har…en your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharao hardned their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people goe, and they departed? And is it not time for us to do likewiſe (even to give glory to God, by taking ſhame to our ſelues, and by offering our ſinne offering, no longer hardning our hearts, but letting our ſinnes goe) when the deſtroying Angell thus laies about him?And it is as a Meſſenger from God. Here againe I may ſay our Enemy is gone out to ſeeke us, (and who a greater enemy to ſinners then God him ſelfe?) and will wee caſt to meet him in our ſinnes? here are Gods Meſſengers,And as a ſtorme. as it were Purſevants ſent out with warrant to arreſt us, and will wee not hide our ſelves? here is Iudgement laid to the Line and Righteouſneſſe to th… Plummet, Eſay 28.17 From which wee ſhould hide our ſelves.and haile threatned to ſweepe away the refuge of lies, and waters to overflow all our owne hiding places (whereby wee ſecure our ſelves againſt the overflowing ſcourge) and will wee not bee ſo wiſe as moſt of Pharaoh his ſervants were, who being told of ſtormes,Exod. 9.19.20. of great haile in the field feared the word of the Lord, and made their ſervants and their cattle flee into the houſes? And ſhall we ſo little regard the word and wrath of the Lord (now gone out againſt us) as not to renounce all vain confidences and refuges of our owne, and to ſeeke forthwith by faith and Humiliation,Iſa. 32.2. to hide our ſelves under the wings of Chriſt, as under the ſhadow of a great rocke from the wind, Zephan. 2.1, 2, 3. As a roaring Lyon.and as under a covert from the tempeſt, that ſo wee may be hid in this day of the Lords anger, and prevent greater & fiercer wrath to come? The Lyon alſo hath now roared after his prey,Amos 3.1. and will wee not be afraid? will wee not proſtrate and humble our ſelves before him?Prov. 19.12. & 16.14. The Kings wrath … as the roaring of a Lyon; yea, it is as a meſſenger of death, which yet wiſe men will pacifie: and will wee neither feare the wrath of God, nor goe about to pacifie it? How ſhall hee not be unto us, (as once to Ephraim) as a Lyon, Hoſ. 5.14.and a young Lyon (which is more fierce) to teare and goe away, to take away, and none ſhall reſcue us? Thus therefore ſpeaketh this Lyon to us in merciemercy, Now conſider this, Pſalm. 50.22.yee that forget God, leaſt I teare you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
Laſtly, And as fire kindled.let us conſider that this wrath of God is as Fire, and that wee now are under it, and that it is already kindled againſt us. Now who would ſet the Briars or Thornes againſt God (who is this fire) in battell? I would, ſaith God, Eſay 27.4.even goe thorow them, I would burne them together. Frō which wee ſhould withdraw fuell,Fire, wee know, is of a catching nature, and it lickes up every thing it meets withall, which is of a combuſtible nature, and growes more fierce where it finds ſuch fuell to feed it. Now Sin and Sinners in their impenitencie afford matter and fuell to this fire of Gods wrath (which therefore in hell burnes for ever.) And will wee ſtill by adding Sin to Sin,Seeking to quench it by teares of repentance. ſeeke to make this fire greater and fiercer? Is it not yet big enough? Will wee needs periſh, and be devoured by it? Why doe wee not rather draw buckets of water, and run in therewith to quench this fire, by ſhedding unfained,1 Sam. 7.6. Iudg. 2.4.… Ier. 9.1, …. and abundant teares of Godly ſorrow and repentance for our Sins, and become weepers, and true mourners, ſtill wiſhing wee could weepe more. Why doe wee not take hold on Gods ſtrength (even on Chriſt by faith in him,Eſay 27.4, 5. who was ſignified by the Arke of Gods ſtrength) that wee may make peace with him? ſeeing hee hath both told us that Furie is not in him; and promiſed, that thus ſeeking to make peace with him, Wee ſhall make peace with him, and hee will bee reconciled unto us.
Now would we ſee the proofe of this promiſe by and in Examples? Examples of ſuch as have turned away wrath.Learne wee then to avoid Gods wrath by faith, and humbling of our ſelves from the practiſe of good King Hezekiah, K. Hezekiah.who having offended by unthankfulneſs and pride, for which cauſe there was wrath upon him, 2 Chron. 32.25, 26.and upon Iudah and Ieruſalem, did yet humble himſelfe for the pride of his heart, both hee and the Inhabitants of Ieruſalem, ſo that the wrath of the Lord came not upon them in the …ies of Hezekiab. The …e wee learne from the example of Gods merciemercy to King Ioſiah, K. Ioſiah.becauſe his heart was tender, 2 Kings 22.11-13, 19, 20.and be humbled himſelfe before the Lord (when he apprehended the greatneſſe of his wrath, which was kindled againſt him and his people) and wept before him: The Lord hereupon heard his prayer, and …ewed him merciemercy. Yea, ſee how graciouſly God dealt with King Rehoboam (one,K. Rehoboa…. none of the very beſt) who,2. Chron. 12.6, 7. being puniſhed by Shiſhak King of Aegypt, for forſaking the Lord, repented (both hee and his Princes) at the pre… ching of Shemaiah; a… humbled themſelves, ſa… ing, The Lord is righteo… Wherupon they were delivered (though not fro… the ſpoile, yet) from deſtruction: for thus ſaid th… Lord, They have humble themſelves, therefore I … not deſtroy them, but I … grant them ſome deliverance, and my wrath ſha… not be powred out upon Ieruſalem by the hand of Shiſhak. & 12.So when hee humble himſelfe, the w…ath of th… Lord turned from him, th… hee would not deſtroy him altogether: and alſo in Iudah things went well.
Now why ſhould not the preſent ſence of Gods wrath, which is now gone out againſt us by Peſtilence, worke like effects, and like humiliation in us? which, doubtleſs if it doe not, wee muſt looke to periſh in his wrath. And thus for the firſt Motive taken from the conſideration of Gods wrath.