Helps to Stir Up to Christian Duties, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. How Gods Children ſhould ſeek unto God in evill times, when hee gives tokens of his diſpleaſure.
THere is none that calleth upon thy Name.] This is the firſt thing they charge themſelves withall; not that they were altogether praierleſſe, as the Heathen, or prophane; but it grieved them that this their ſervice had not beene according to the Law of prayer; they had not intended their inward affections to apprehend the Lord, to keepe him with them in their affliction, they were ſluggiſh, and did not ſeeke to ſtay Gods wrath before the judgment came. Hence we may obſerve, In evill times, when the Lord gives tokens of his diſpleaſure, then not to call upon him with intention of ſpirit, increaſeth ſinne and wrath.
This appeares, whether it be an evill time with a mans ſelfe, or with a Land and Nation: The Hypocrites in heart (ſaith Elihu in Iob) put to wrath, or heape it up, Iob 36.13becauſe they cry not when God bindeth them; having wilfull and rooted ſtubbornneſſe in them, habituall contempt of God, without all reverence of his word, or Rod; that even in adverſity they will not ſubmit themſelves to God, but obfirme and harden themſelves under the evils. Of this alſo the Prophet Ieremy complains,Ier. 5.3 Thou haſt ſtricken them, but they have not grieved. The people ſtriving and ſtomacking againſt God, they intreat not his mercy and favour, therefore their curſe is augmented more and more,Verſ. 6. verſ. 6. This the Prophet Eſay affirmed of the people of his time; The people turneth not to him that ſmiteth them, Iſay 9.13neither doe they ſeeke the Lord of hoaſts; therefore the Lord will cut off from Iſrael, head and taile, branch and ruſh in one day. So in Zephany, the Lord threatens the neglecters of his worſhip, not only Idolaters, and thoſe that mingled their Religion with ſuperſtitions: but thoſe that have not ſought the Lord, Zeph. 1.6nor enquired for him: i… e. not ſought him by prayers, and intreated his helpe in ſuch a declining and corrupt time.
Vſe 1 What cauſe then have men to feare Gods hand going out againſt them? whoſe courſe and practiſe, if it were ſearched with a candle, it would bee found that they had never opened their mouthes, nor lifted up one petition this way, ſeeing what deſolations have beene wrought in forraine parts, what tokens of his diſpleaſure amongſt our ſelves in the land wee live in; nay, when the Lord hath knock'd at their owne dores, brought it home to them, and the very markes and ſignes of his anger have been upon themſelves, their wives, or children, yet then to have the heart ſo ſinke and fall, and to be ſo over-growne with ſenſeleſneſſe, as not to be able to commend the caſe of themſelves, or theirs, to the Lord; this ſhewes the Atheiſme of the heart; for in what degree a man is praierleſſe, in that degree hee is godleſſe.
Vſe 2 How may it humble Gods owne children? How may it goare our very hearts, and make them bleed, that wee have beene ſo wretchedly wanting both to God, our owne ſoules, the good of others, and the good land in which God hath planted us? How juſtly may we take up the confeſſion of the Prophet Daniel, Dan. ….13, 14All this evill is come upon us, yet made wee not our prayer before the Lord our God. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evill, and brought it upon us.
How may they call and cry to us out of the Palatinate, Bohemia, and other places, & ſay, Some of you have ſeene, and moſt have heard of the grievous evils that have befallen us;Lam. 1.12 Behold and ſee if there were ever ſorrow like unto our ſorrow, to have the glorious Goſpell of Chriſt taken from us, the Arke diſplaced, and Dagon ſet in his roome; our Miniſters baniſhed, and our people betrayed unto Antichriſtianiſme; our Country laid waſt and deſolate, m…ny a Family driven from houſe and home, not knowing where to lay their heads; many of us ſeldome going to bed with dry eyes, confidering the many preſſures, ſtraights, and neceſſities of our ſelves and ours. O then why were your prayers and teares wanting to helpe to extinguiſh the flame of Gods wrath broken out againſt us? May not many amongſt our ſelves of this land cry againſt us, when Gods hand hath been upon them by the Pestilence, Pſal. 91.6.which walked in the ſtreets at noone-day; by Famine, and other miſeries, yet our prayers have not bin with the Lord with intention. O we put not forth our ſelves as wee ought to have done, by ſtrong cryes in the behalfe of the diſtreſſes of our bretheen: What may we thinke is juſtly owing us to this day for our great neglects herein? the Lord grant it be not laid to our charge.
Vſe 3 Let us hence be exhorted to be more frequent, and intent in this ſervice in the behalfe of our ſelves, Gods Church, and people: To make amends in time to come, plying the Throne of grace with all earneſtneſſe, whileſt we ſee the judgment hanging in the threatning, or already executed upon others, leſt this ſtare thee in the face another day, and thy conſcience upbraid thee when the day of thy calamity hath overtaken thee, or thou art enwrapt in the common judgement, and ſay unto thee, Remember, the time was when thou ſaweſt Gods judgements on the Land, the Church, &c. and thou heldeſt thy peace, and didſt not helpe by thy prayers as thou oughteſt to have done; ſee now how heartleſſe and ſhiftleſſe thou art, and it is juſt with God it ſhould bee ſo; O this will adde to the bitterneſſe of the croſſe, and ſtrike the ſtings of it deeper into thy Spirit. On the other ſide, if thou haſt diſ…harged thy conſcience this way, if the worſt fal,Zeph. 2.2 yet either thou ſhalt be hid in the day of Gods wrath, or with Noah, Ezech. 14.14Daniel, and Iob, thou ſhalt deliver thine owne ſoule; or thou ſhalt be mightily aſſiſted, and furniſhed with faith and patience to undergoe the preſent affliction, and thy prayer ſhall returne into thy owne boſome like Noah his Dove into the Arke, with an Olive branch of peace in its mouth; and God, who hath beene a witneſſe of thy heart and waies, will looke to it, that thou ſhalt not loſe thy reward.