The Dead Saint Speaking to Saints and Sinners Living, Treatise 6 · Argument 3
3. Arguments from our ſelves.3 Arguments from our ſelves
3. There may be ſome Arguments taken from our ſelves; to induce us to hope, that God will do a wonder for us.
1. Though it bee true, wee have many fearful ſins and abominations among us; And thoſe are publick too; ſuch as have overſpread the whole land: yet theſe ſins are not national: they have not yet been countenanced by a Law. There is prophanation of the Sabbath. But there are good Laws againſt it, and for the ſtrict obſerving of it. There hath been Idolatry among us, But there have been Laws againſt it; Swearing, yet Laws for the puniſhing of them.
Which affords mee this comfort: 1. That, though theſe ſins bee in our Nation, and do abound among us: yet they are not the Sins of our Nation. There have been Laws againſt them: and ſo long they are not national.
And it hath been
1. Either the Corruption.
2. Or the cowardiſe of our Magiſtrates,
That ſin hath not been puniſhed. I ſay, the corruption of many, who have ſtrengthned the hands of evil doers, either conniving at them, ſiding with them, or abetting of them in their way. And ſo thoſe, who ſhould have been the bolts to have kept out ſin, have been the Latches to draw in ſinne, let in ſin.
Or it hath been the Cowardiſe of them, that they durſt not appear for the puniſhing of ſinne, Ezek. 22.30. I ſought for a man among them, that ſhould make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before mee, for the land; that I ſhould not deſtroy it: I ſought for a Phineas, that might ſtand up to execute Judgement, and what was there none? Certainly there were many: but they were Cowards and durſt not appear againſt ſin.
2. Though theſe ſins were in a kind National; as indeed the Corruption and connivance of them in Authority gives too much largeneſſe to them, increaſeth the latitude of them, makes them of greater extent and guilt: yet now wee are about reforming them.
And wee never read, that ever God did ruine a Nation, when a Nation was in a way of reforming.
Indeed, that which comes neereſt to it, and that, which is the ſaddeſt peece in all the Scriptures, is in that example of Joſiah: Hee ſet upon the work of Reformation, yet God held up his purpoſe of deſtroying that people; You ſhall read it 2 King. 23.26, 27. Notwithſtanding the Lord turned not from the fierceneſſe of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled againſt Judah, &c. Notwithſtanding all that Reformation, as you may ſee in that Chapter: Yet the anger of the Lord was not turned back, but his hand was ſtretched out still; Firſt, to cut off that godly King, and afterwards to cut down that ungodly people.
1. But firſt I muſt tell you, That Gods decree was then paſt againſt them. And God had pronounced it long before, as you ſee in his meſſage to Hezekiah, 2 King. 20.17. and I hope there is yet no Decree gone out againſt England.
2 And ſecondly, Though he would not revoke, what he had Decreed: yet this good act of Joſiah procured the Deferring of Gods Judgements, all his days, 2 King. 22.18, 19, 20. But to the King of Judah, thus ſhall yee ſay to him, Behold, I will gather thee to thy Fathers, and thou ſhalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, and thine eyes ſhall not ſee all the evill that I will bring upon this place.
So that this is yet ſtrong. God did never deſtroy a Nation at any time, when his People were about the Reforming of that Nation.
And it hath pleaſed God at this time, to ſet us up a choice Aſſembly. An Aſſembly choſen by Prayer, brought together by Prayer, and held together, and preſerved to this day, by the might of Prayer.
And their ſpirits have been held up amidſt many difficulties and ſtrong oppoſitions, to Hazard themſelves, their lives, and eſtates, for the good of our ſouls, our bodyes, nad eſtates.
And I ſay, it was never heard of, nor read of: It is an untracted caſe, that God ſhould deſtroy a Nation, whileſt they are ſuch, whom hee hath himſelf ſingled out, and ſet up for the Reforming of a Nation.
If hee would have deſtroyed us, hee would never have been at the pains to Reform us. One cannot ſtand with the other.
3 A third Argument from our ſelves. And that is taken from the beginnings of mercy.
You know what our Condition hath been before, the remembrance of it is freſh. God at that time did hear the cry of our ſouls, and pittyed us in our low eſtate, and did go forth in the beginnings of mercy to us. And may wee not Reaſon; if God would have deſtroyed us, he would never have done thus much for us.
That which God hath done is an earneſt unto us, and an ingagement upon God, To go on in the finiſhing of what he hath begun to do for us already.
Shall wee think, hee hath brought us out of Egypt, to deſtroy us in the Wilderneſſe? Shall wee think, the Sun of Mercy hath ſhined on us, but only to warm our heads againſt a ſtorm? ſhall wee think, hee hath exalted us thus high, that hee might lay us the lower in the end?
Indeed thus God hath done with the wicked. But wee never read that hee hath ſo done with his own people.
Shall wee think hee hath delivered us from leſſer, to reſerve us to greater Judgements? Freed us from Rods, to whip us with Scorpions? delivered us from leſſer evils, to ruine us at once? this cannot bee I think, though the appearances were greater againſt us than they are.
Thus God may do with wicked men; but thus God did never do with his own.
A fourth Argument taken from our ſelves, to induce us to Hope, that God will do a wonder for us, is, There is a ſtock of Prayers going out, and laid up for the good of this Church and Nation.
Many Prayers have been made. And I tell you, all the praying ſpirits in the World are now at work for England. Who hath a tongue, and doth not ſpeak? who hath a hand, and doth not ſtretch it out? and I tell you, this is ſomething conſiderable.
If the Prayer of one Moſes could do ſo much; what will the prayers of ſo many thouſands? What? hath God heard England for Scotland? and England for Ireland? and will hee not hear England for it ſelf? that were ſtrange. Shall they ſave all others, but their own ſouls?
Indeed wee ſometimes read, that praying ſpirits could not prevail to ſave others: but yet they ſaved their own ſouls. As God ſaid; Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in Jeruſalem, they ſhould not deliver Son nor Daughter; they ſhould only bee delivered themſelves, Ezek. 14.20. But wee never read, that they ſhould prevail to ſave others, and yet not bee able to ſave their own ſouls. Will God then hear us for others, not for our ſelves? would a friend grant you a requeſt for another? and deny the ſame to your ſelf? No certainly. Nor will God.
A fifth Argument is; This hath been a time, wherein God hath drawn out the Graces of his People; which perhaps had they been ſuppreſt and not diſcovered, wee had been in no hazard.
And do you think that God will draw out the graces of his People, for the deſtruction of his people? Indeed nothing is more ordinary, than to draw out the ſins and corruptions of wicked men, for their own ruine, to bee Cart-ropes to binde themſelves. But wee never heard God did draw out the graces of his people for their ruine. Wee read, hee hath hardened wicked men to deſtruction▪ but never made the heart tender, ſenſible to deſtruction. Men have periſhed by their fear, deſerting the cauſe of God: but never any who periſhed by their courage and ſtanding to it.
Did Eſther loſe any thing by her Obedience? did Daniel? did the three Children? It brought them into the fire, but preſerved them in the fire: nothing was conſumed but their bands: not one hair was ſinged. Though God do draw out the ſins of wicked men, to their deſtruction, as Pharaoh, Haman, &c. yet hee never draws out the graces of his People to their deſtruction.
I ſay no more but this. If God ſhould not preſerve us; if hee ſhould not do a wonder for us at this time, it is an untracted peece of Providence: wee have not a preſident of the like, ſince God had a Church: Hee doth with us ſo, as hee never did with any of his people ſince the beginning of the World.