The Reformed Pastor, Chapter 6 · Section 4
SECT. IV.
HAving found ſo great Reaſon to move us to this work, I ſhall, before I come to the Directions. 1. Apply them further for our Humiliation and Excitation. And 2. anſwer ſome Objections that may be raiſed.
And 1. what cauſe have we to bleed before the Lord this day, that have neglected ſo great and good a work ſo long? That we have been Miniſters of the Goſpel ſo many years, and done ſo little by perſonal inſtructions and conference for the ſaving of mens ſouls! If we had but ſet a work this buſineſs ſooner, that we have now agreed upon, who knows how many more might have been brought over unto Chriſt? and how much happyer we might have made our Pariſhes, ere now? And why might we not have done it ſooner as well as now? I confeſs many impediments were in our way, and ſo there are ſtill, and will be while there is a Devil to tempt, and a corrupt heart in man to reſiſt the light: But if the greateſt impediment had not been in our ſelves, even in our own darkneſs, and dulneſs, and undiſpoſedneſs to duty, and our dividedneſs and unaptneſs to cloſe for the work of God, I ſee not but much might have been done before this. We had the ſame God to command us, and the ſame miſerable objects of compaſſion, and the ſame liberty from Governors of the Common-wealth. But we ſtood looking for changes, and we would have had the Magiſtrate not only to have given us leave to work, but have done our work for us, or at leaſt to have brought the game to our hands, and while we lookt for better daies, we made them worſe, by the lamentable neglect of a chief part of our work. And had we as much petitioned Parliaments for the interpoſition of their Authority to compell men to be catechized and inſtructed by the Miniſter, as we did for maintenance and other matters; its like we might have obtained it long ago, when they were forward to gratifie us in ſuch undiſputable things. But we have ſinned, and have no juſt excuſe for our ſin; ſomewhat that may perhaps excuſe à tanto, but nothing à toto; and the ſin is ſo great, becauſe the duty is ſo great, that we ſhould be afraid of pleading excuſe too much. The Lord of Mercy forgive us, and all the Miniſtry of England, and lay not this or any of our Miniſterial negligences to our charge. O that he would cover all our unfaithfulneſs, and by the blood of the everlaſting Covenant, would waſh away our guilt of the blood of ſouls, that when the chief Shepherd ſhall appear, we may ſtand before him in peace, and may not be condemned for the ſcattering of his Flock. And O that he would put up his controverſie which he hath againſt the Paſtors of his Church, and not deal the hardlyer with them for our ſakes; nor ſuffer underminers or perſecutors to ſcatter them, as they have ſuffered his Sheep to be ſcattered! and that he will not care as little for them, as they have done for the ſouls of men; nor think his ſalvation too good for them, as they have thought their labour and ſufferings too much for mens ſalvation: and as we have had many daies of Humiliation in England, for the ſins of the Land, and the Judgements that have lain upon us, I hope we ſhall hear that God will more throughly humble the Miniſtry, and cauſe them to bewail their own neglects, and to ſet apart ſome daies through the Land to that end; that they may not think it enough to lament the ſins of others, while they over-look their own; and that God may not abhor our ſolemn National humiliations, becauſe they are managed by unhumbled Guides; and that we may firſt prevail with him for a pardon for our ſelves, that we may be the fitter to beg for the pardon of others.
And O that we might caſt out the dung of our Pride, Contention, Self-ſeeking and Idleneſs, leſt God ſhould caſt our ſacrifices as dung in our faces, and ſhould caſt us out as the dung of the earth, as of late he hath done many others for our warning! and that we might preſently Reſolve in concord to mend our pace, before we feel a ſharper ſpur then hitherto we have felt.