Practical Divinity, Sermon 10
THE SIGNES OF GODS forſaking a people.
Preached by That laborious and faithfull Meſſenger of CHRIST, WILLIAM FENNER, Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge, and late Miniſter of Rochford in Eſſex. Being the laſt Sermon that he preached.
THE SIGNES OF GODS forſaking a people.
JER. 14. 9.
And we are called by thy Name; leave us not.
TWo things (Brethren and beloved in Chriſt Jeſus) are intended and expreſſed by the holy Prophet from the firſt verſe to the 13. verſe.
There is firſt a denomination of a judgement, and that is dearth or famine from the firſt verſe to the ſeventh.
Secondly, the ſword is threatned to the thirteenth verſe; he will ſend the famine, then the ſword, and he will not bee intreated.
Then in the eighth and ninth verſes we have the importunate prayer of the Church to turne away theſe judgements: And the prayer is marvellous ſweet, in confeſſion, where they confeſſe their ſins, and ſeek to God for ſuccour.
Firſt, they deſire God that he would not take his providence from them, why, ſtayeſt thou but for a night? verſe the 8, as if they ſhould have ſaid, it is marveilous ſtrange, that thou behaveſt thy ſelf ſo like a ſtranger; thou ſeeſt our ſorrowes, and doſt not help us; thou perceiveſt our troubles, and thou regardeſt us not; It is ſtrange, it is ſtrange; that the God of Iſrael ſtands as a man aſtoniſhed; that thou that haſt heretofore received us, ſhouldſt now ſtand as a man amazed and aſtoniſhed, as if thou wert weary of this thy work, and couldſt do no more, as if thou ſhouldſt ſay Ieruſalem cannot be ſaved, and Judah cannot be ſuccoured.
Secondly, they deſire that God would not take away his preſence from them; leave us not to our ſelves ſay they; let us ſee thy face; though we die, yet let it be in thy preſence; yea though thou help us not, yet it doth us good to look upon our Saviour, and thou canſt help us; and thus you ſee the arguments wherewith they preſſe the Lord how, ſweet they are, viz.
Firſt, thou art the hope of Iſrael; Alas if thou forſake us we are all loſt; our hope is not in the meanes only; but our hope is in thee, leav us not, for thou art the hope of Iſrael, it is the taſk that thou haſt taken upon thee, leave us not therefore.
Secondly, thou haſt made thy ſelfe a Saviour, and now is the time of trouble, therefore now performe what thou haſt undertaken.
Thirdly, thou art in the midſt of us, that is, thou art a great Commander amongſt us, alwayes ready to ſuccour us; and wilt thou now ſee us periſh? thou art more neer to us then the Ark in the middeſt of the Campe, 1 Sam. 4. 6. As if they ſhould ſay he lives in the midſt ofus, and will hee not ſave us?
Fourthly, we are called by thy name, and therefore wee have intereſt in thee, to whom ſhould wives go, but to their husbands? to whom ſhould children go, but to their fathers? to whom ſhould ſervants go, but to their Maſters? to whom then ſhould we go, but to thee our God and Saviour? leave us not therefore and wee will meddle with none but thee.
Secondly, though God might leave them, yet they beg that he would not; that is, the A men to their prayers; though thou ſtand and wilt not help us; yet let us die in thy preſence; and this is the great requeſt of the Saints, they deſire not to be left of God, although God might leave them; whence learne that God might caſt off a people.
Iſrael did feare it, and it is that which they prayed againſt, God might leav them: I doe not ſay that God will caſt off his elect ones eternally, but thoſe in outward covenant. ſee Eſay 1. verſe 2. &c. Heare O Heavens, Hearken O Earth, I have nouriſhed and brought up children, but they have rebelled againſt mee; The Oxe knoweth his Owner, and the Aſſe his Maſters Crib, but Iſrael hath not knowen, my People have not underſtood, &c. and verſe the ſeventh; ſee the judgement; your cities are burnt with fire; ſtrangers devoure your land in your preſence, and it is deſolate like the overthrow of ſtrangers.
There is an outward Calling, as well as an effectuall Calling; God may reject; for many are called, but few choſen ſaith our Saviour. My brethren caſt your thoughts afarre off, and ſee what is become of thoſe famous Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira and the reſt mentioned Rev. 1. verſe 11. And who would have thought that Jeruſalem ſhould have been made an heap of ſtones and a vagabond people? and yet we ſee God hath forſaken them, ſhewing us thereby that although God will never forſake his own elect ones; yet hee may forſake ſuch as are in outward covenant with him.
The Lord is ſaid to diſ-church or diſcharge a people Hoſea. 1. 9. there God ſaith call his name Loammi for yee are not my people, and therefore I will not bee your God. And as I may ſo ſay, he ſues out a bill of divorcement; as it was in the old Law, they that had any thing againſt their wives, they ſued out a bill of divorcement againſt them, and ſo doth God, ſee Hoſea. 2. 2. Plead with thy Mother, tell her ſhee is not my Spouſe nor my beloved; but let her caſt away her fornications out of her ſight, and her adulteries from between her breaſts, leſt I make her as at the firſt, that is, as ſhee was in Egypt, poore and miſerable. As if God ſhould now ſay to England, plead, plead with England all yee that are my Miniſters in the way of my truth, and ſay unto her, let her caſt away her rebellions, leaſt I leave her as I found her in the day of Captivity and bondage under the blindneſſe of popery and ſuperſtition.
Ob. But how doth God caſt off a people?
Sol. I anſwer, firſt when he takes away his love and reſpect from a people; and as his love, ſo the token of his love, which is his Word and Sacraments, the meanes of ſalvation.
Secondly, when he takes away his providence, I meane when he takes downe his walls, that is, his Magiſtracy and Miniſtry.
Thirdly, when in ſtead of Councelling there comes in Bribing; and in ſtead of true teaching there comes in daubing with untempered morter; when God takes away the hedge thereof, Eſay 5. 5. or the ſtakes growe rotten and are not renewed then is God going away.
Fourthly, when God takes away the benefit of both theſe helps, they are ſignes of Gods departure.
Vſe May God un-church or diſcharge a People and caſt a Nation off? Oh then let this teach us to caſt off all ſecurity; for miſeries are nigh at hand in all probability; when wee obſerve what God hath done for us, all things are ripe to deſtruction, and yet we feare it not, but wee promiſe to our ſelves ſafety, and conſider not that England is ready to be harrowed, and yet wee cannot entertaine a thought of Englands deſolation; when there are ſo many htopheſies in it of its deſtruction, yet wee cannot be perſwaded of it, but in our Iudgements it muſt not be, it muſt not be as yet; as if it were unpoſſible that God ſhould leave England, as if God were a cockering Father over lewd children; God may leave a Nation, and his elect may ſuffer, and why may not England? Englands ſins are very great, and the greater, becauſe the meanes are great, and our warnings are and have been great; but yet our mercies are farre greater; England hath been a mirrour of mercies; yet now God may leave it, and make it the mirrour of his juſtice. Look how God ſpake to the people that did brag of their temple Jer. 7. 4. ſaith God, Truſt not in lying words, ſaying the Temple of the Lord, this is the Temple of the Lord; but what ſaith the Lord by the Prophet in the twelfth and fourteenth verſes, Goe now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I ſet my name at the beginning, and behold what I did unto it for the wickedneſſe of my people Iſrael, &c. Even ſo England, thou haſt the Temple and the Prieſts; and yet may not God that deſtroyed Shiloh, deſtroy thee? Goe to Bohemia; and from thence to the Palatinate, and from thence to other parts of Germany; Doe but imagine that you were there or doe but mark what travellers ſay. Gods Churches are made heapes of ſtones, and thoſe Bethels wherein Gods name was called upon, are now defiled Temples; For Satan and ſuperſtition to raigne in, you cannot goe three ſteps but you ſhall ſee the head of a dead man; And goe a little further, and you ſhall ſee the heart pickt out by the fowles of the ayre, or ſome other ſad ſpectacle? and then ſurely you will say, Tylly hath been here or there; now are theſe Churches become deſolate, and may not England? Doe but goe into their Cities and Townes, and there you may ſee many compaſſed about with chaines of Captivity, and every man bemoaning himſelf. Doe but look under a tree, and there you may ſee a poor fatherleſſe child ſending out his breath and crying unto his helpleſſe Mother; ſtep but a little further, and you ſhall ſee the helpleſſe Wife, the ſad Wife bemoaning her Husband, and this is her miſery, ſhe cannot die time enough, but ſhee ſhall ſee greater miſery; for either ſhe ſhall (as ſhe thinks) ſee her little ones daſht againſt the ſtones, or toſſed upon the Pikes, or if they live, that then they ſhall be brought up in Popery, and then ſhee weeps again, and thinks that if her Husband be dead it is well: But it may be he is upon the rack, or put to ſome other torment, and then ſhe dies an hundred times before ſhe can die; Thus if you can ſet your ſoules in their ſoules ſtead, and imagine you were in their condition, and ſay, may not this bee the condition of England, and who knowes but it may? O my beloved, bee not high minded; but feare; for as we have Gods bountie on the one ſide, ſo (for ought I know) we may have his ſeverity on the other ſide, Pranck not then your ſelves with fooliſh imaginations ſaying, who dare come to hurt England? the Spaniard hath his hands full, and the French are too weak. But beloved be not deluded; who would have thought that Jeruſalem the Lady city of all Nations, whither the tribes went up to worſhip, ſhould become a heap of ſtones and a vagabond people? but yet you ſee it was, and is to this day; And I pray, why may it not be Englands caſe? Learne therfore, heare, and feare God, for aſſuredly God can be God without Englands proſperity; Doe not ſay here are many good Chriſtians; doe you think that God is beholding to you for your religion? ſurely not: For rather then he will preſerve ſuch as profeſſe his name, and yet hate to be reformed; he will raiſe up of theſe ſtones children unto Abraham, he will rather go into Turky and ſay unto them, Thou art my people, and I will be your God.
But wilt thou let God goe England? are you ſo content, and will youlet Chriſt goe and God goe? O no, no; lay heart and hands upon him as they did upon Paul; every one of you lay hold on him and ſay thou ſhalt not goe from us, for we are called by thy name, therefore leave us not; And for my part I will pray that he doth not take his leave of us. Doe you thihke that Rome will forſake or part with her Gods? no, they will rather looſe their lives; and wilt thou let thy God goe O England? plead with thy God and let him not depart, but part rather with thy rebellions.
Wee are called by thy name, leave us not.
You ſee the Church is very importunate to keep God with them, they lay hold on God with Coards of arguments; O thou hope of Iſrael, doe not leave us; they beſet God with their prayers, and as it were they watch him at the townes end that he ſhould not goe away, and they ſay, thou ſhalt ſtill abide with us, they are importunate that he doe not leave them, whence obſerve, Doct. That it is the importunate deſire of the Saints of God, ſtill to keepe God preſent with them. They cared not ſo much for ſword or famine, as they did for the loſſe of Gods preſence; O Lord, leave us not ſay they; this was their prayer; and blame them not; for conſider what a grief it is that God ſhould ſtand by and not help them, Good Lord (ſay they) leave us not, wee cannot abide to thinke that God ſhould leave us, much leſſe can we endure to feele it or taſte it; thus they did, and thus the Saints of God ſhould doe, Exod. 33. 14, 15. Moſes ſaith if thy preſence goe not with us, carry us not hence; alas, Moſes might have gone upon faire termes; yee ſhall (ſaith God) poſſeſſe the land in peace with proſperity; But what ſaith Moſes? though wee might have Canaan and all the delights there, yet carry us not hence unleſſe thy preſence goe with us; this is the ſtay and the ſtrength that he ſtickes too. So Pſal. 80. 18, 19. Turne us again O Lord of hoſts, make thy face to ſhine upon us; here is a man, a David, a heart worth gold, hee makes not many ſuits, but hee comes home, he ſues to the purpoſe, make thy face (ſaith hee) to ſhine upon us; as if he ſhould have ſaid that is proſperity enough, for it endureth for ever.
But what is the preſence of God? In a word, it is the particular favour of God which hee expreſſeth in his Ordinances, it is all the good and ſweetneſſe that flowes from the purity of Gods worſhip, whereby God reveales himſelfe unto us. It is not gold, wealth, nor proſperity, that makes God to be our God; for there is more gold in the Weſt Indies, then in all Chriſtendome, but it is Gods ordinances purely adminiſtred that brings Gods preſence to a people. God forſooke Shiloh becauſe his ordinances were not purely kept there; when the people left the Arke (viz) hs pure worſhip, then God left the people; when the Arke of Godspreſence was among them, the word in the purity of it, then his face was there, and there God was principally preſent; hence it was that Cain is ſaid to be caſt out of Gods preſence; becauſe he was caſt out from the Church, hee was caſt out from Gods ordinances; if a people doe outwardly reforme, and ſincerely worſhip God they may remaine; if Sodom and Gomorrah had but legally repented, they had remained, they had not been deſtroyed; And hence it is that the Saints are ſo urgent for Gods Ordinances in the purity of them: But the wicked ſay once a Sabbath is enough, and once a week is too much; by this we may ſee that England; is ripe; and is ſhee nor weary of God? nay, ſhee is fat fed to the ſlaughter. But it was not ſo with the Saints and people of God in former times; it was Davids grand requeſt, that hee might dwell in the houſe of the Lord, Pſal. 27. 4. And Pſalme the 42. and the firſt verſe hee ſaid, his ſoule did pant for Gods ordinances. Thus you ſee that the Saints of God are marvellous importunate to keepe God in his ordinances.
Queſt. But may not a man bee ſaved without preaching?
Anſw. I anſwer, the argument is clear, the Saints maintain God in his ordinances, the want of which is under the penalty of death and damnation, becauſe wee have more need of God in his ordinances than of all the gold in the world; for all the gold in the world will not ſatisfy a hungry man; It is bread that hee muſt have, becauſe hee hath need of it; ſo the Saints have moſt need of God and of Chriſt; for though they have but ragged coats, and their bodies pincht with hunger, yet God is hee that they ſtand moſt in need of. In Pſalme the 37. and the 25. verſe David fretted at the proſperity of the wicked; but at the laſt he breaks of kindly, ſaying, whom have I in heaven but thee? As if hee ſhould have ſaid, let them have what they will, I will have nothing but thee. And why ſo? why? thou art my ſtrength and my portion for ever; marke, hee ſaith that God is his ſtrength, yea the ſtrength of his heart, hereby ſhewing that all the helps in the world cannot help the heart of man, if God and Chriſt bee wanting; you were as good offer a journey to refreſh a weary man, or the ayre to feed a hungry man, as to offer riches, honours and eaſe to help a diſtreſſed ſoule. Theſe will never help a man; hee may well dote upon them, but his ſoule and conſcience will be galled and troubled ſtill; it muſt bee the God of peace that muſt ſpeak peace to troubled ſoules. It muſt bee the God of peace that muſt ſpeak peace to a diſtreſſed ſoule, to a ſoule that is damned in it ſelfe; it is hee that muſt ſay, I will bee the ſtrength of their hearts, and their portion for ever; no marvell then if a poor ſoule cryes to God, when happily the heart is full, when the ſoul gnaws and cries within it ſelfe, I am damned, I am damned; happily the palate is pleaſed with delicates, when the poor ſoule for ought it knowes muſt goe down to hell; oh then beloved, if you will have ſafety, goe where God is; for every good gift comes in with him; if once a man hath got God into his company, hee hath all good things with him. God bleſſed Obed Edoms houſe for the Arkes ſake; now the Arke was a type of Chriſt, and where it came, many bleſſings came with it; even ſo when God comes unto a people they are married unto him in righteouſneſſe, in judgement, in loving kindneſſe and in mercies for ever, Hoſea 2. 9. When a man is married to a wife, all is his; ſo get Chriſt and all is thine, and then what wouldſt thou have more?
God ſpeaks to the raine, and it heares; to the corne, and it heares; but if thou be in Chriſt, hell and death are thy ſervants; but they that have outward things only, as profits, pleaſures or the like, they have their ruine, unleſſe they have Chriſt with them; get Chriſt therefore, for if hee be wanting all outward and inward dangers befall that man; or that Nation; woe be unto him or them that are without God. For though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there ſhall not bee man left; yea woe alſo to them, when I doe depart from them; Ephraim, as Tyrus is planted in a pleſant place: but Ephraim ſhall bring forth his children to the murderer, Hoſea the 9. 12, 13. verſes. True indeed, woe bee unto that heart, County or Kingdome, that God is departed from; when God who is the God of mercies and all conſolation, is departed away, who can but pitty that ſoule, County or Kingdome who will not ſubmit to Gods peace conſolation and ſalvation? when God parts, all miſeries follow; for that man that makes no conſcience in outfaceing God in the Congregation, mark what the text ſaith Dent. 28. 15. I will forſake them, and many miſeries ſhall overtake them, and when the floud gates are once up, then comes in all evils; And then they ſhall ſay, are not theſe things come upon us becauſe God is not with us? If therfore we would avoid woe and ſorrow, ſlaying and killing one another; if the wife would not ſee her husband killed before her tender eyes, and the man ſee his wife ſnatcht out of the world by the hands of wicked men, then leave not God, but hold him faſt, and then evill dayes, will depart from us; It is our holding of God that keepes miſeries from us; oh then what ſhall wee think of them that are weary of God, and that ſay to the Almighty depart from us? Job 22. 17.
Ob. But are there any amongſt us that are weary of God? I hope there are none ſuch amongſt us.
I anſwer, thou that art a ſervant, and rejecteſt the Command of thy Maſter, in it thou doeſt reject God, and all ſuch as have a mean conceit of the worſhip of God and the word of God, and thinke that prayer or preaching is continued too long; I ſay, theſe men know not what they thinke or ſay, but certainly it is becauſe they would be freed from the Ordinance; of God: well, God will free thee from them one day, I will warrant thee, and then thou wilt bee in a miſerable condition; oh that thou wouldeſt pitty thy poor condition; but thou that art weary of Gods ordinances and of his mercies, his preſence and patience, know thou that thou ſhalt bee deprived of Gods goodneſſe, and thy portion ſhall bee with thoſe that hate God in this life here, and after this life (if thou repent not) thy portion ſhall bee with them in Tophet where the worme dyeth not, and where the fire goeth not out, and then thy crying will not availe, God will bee God over thee in deſtruction, yea when he hath ſpurned thouſauds and ten thouſands into hell, ſuch as thou art, then ſhalt thou bee the everlaſting object of his never dying wrath, then notwithſtanding all thy ſhrill cryes, though thou couldeſt be heard out of that dungeon, yet were thy help never the near; for God is God ſtill. I adviſe thee therefore what to do, whilſt thou art here in this life, make thy peace with God in Chriſt, and lay thy ſelfe low before him, and bear patiently his hand in his wrath which thou haſt deſerved. And marke what I ſay, thou haſt deſerved to bee in hell an hundred times, that is the leaſt; and therefore bee contented with thy condition; for thou haſt choſen death rather than life: and God ſhould wrong himſelfe and thee alſo, if he ſhould not let thee have thy chooſing.
Will not theſe things move you, my brethren? Me thinks I ſee your colours riſe, I am glad of it, I hope it is to a good end; you may be wiſe, and happily ſo wiſe as to chooſe life rather then death: Now the Lord grant it, for ſee delights not in your deſtruction.
I will adde one word more, to leave the more impreſſion in your hearts; my deſire is the health of your ſoules; though my meat ſeem ſowre, yet my minde is the will of God. Thou man or woman, that canſt not abide ſo much Preaching, but ſtandeſt upon thorns whilſt it is preaching: Too much of one thing (you ſay) is good for nothing; You do as much as ſay you will not have God with you; you will have a little of God, but you will have more of your pleaſures: is this your deſire, your delights? Know then, whoſoever thou art, that haſt an ill will to God and his Ordinances, and wilt not have the goſpel in the purity of it; thou ſhalt have thy deſires: Thou ſayeſt, depart Preachings, and ſo it ſhall, thou ſhalt, have thy deſires. When thou ſhalt hear the trumpets ſound, and when thine eares ſhall tingle with the ſound of war; then depart for ever, you that are weary of God, get you down to hell for ever: Fulfill your baſe luſts (then will God ſay) for I have fed you on earth this twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, nay ſixty yeares and upwards, and my milde Word could not rule you nor prevail with you, and therefore now get you to hell, and there remain for ever. Think thus with your ſelves; will God ſerve me thus? yea that he will, for he hath prepared a place, for the proudeſt Kings, Princes, Monarchs Captains, &c. that are, or ever were in the world, if they will not be ruled nor guided by God, and his word. See Iſa. 30. 33. the Text doth as good as ſay, he delighteth to make bonfires about their eares: And muſt this be the way to glorifie God?
But ſome may ſay, ſurely Kings and Monarchs are exempted, they need not fear that ſuch torments ſhall come upon them.
To this I anſwer, that God will ſay unto them, raign there if thou wilt, and then they ſhall know that there is a King that laughs at their deſtruction. Take notice of this I beſeech you, and reaſon thus with your own ſoules: Is he a good ſonne that cannot abide the preſence of his own father? is ſhe a good wife that cannot abide the company of her husband? and is he a good Chriſtian that cannot endure the company of Chriſt in his ordinances?
Vſe. This may ſerve to rebuke Gods people for their neglect. You ſee the Goſpel is going, Chriſt is departing, he is going to ſeek better entertainment. (But I marvaile you give no better attendance; I pray hearken what I ſay and have to ſay, ſtand up and heare, and the Lord give you grace to believe.) I will deale plainly with you; as ſure as God is God, God is going from England. Shall I tell you what God told me? nay I muſt tell you on pain of my life; Will you give eare and believe me? I am a poor Ambaſſador ſent from God to do his meſſage unto you; and although I be low, yet my meſſage is from above, and He that ſent me is great, and from above; and oh that He would grant that this my meſſage might be believed! What if I ſhould tell you, that God told me (yeſternight) that he would deſtory England and lay it waſte? What ſay you to this, my beloved? it is my meſſage, by meditation is Gods word, that he bid me do to you, and he expects and anſwer from you: I do my meſſage as God commanded me; what ſayeſt thou unto it, England? I muſt return an anſwer to my Maſter that ſent me, yea this preſent right I muſt return an anſwer; for the Lord hath appointed a ſet time, ſaying, To morrow the Lord will do this thing in the Land, Exod. 9. 5. Why ſpeak you not? an anſwer you muſt give: Do you think well of it? will you have England deſtoyed? will you put the aged to trouble, and your young men to the ſword? will you have your your young women widows, and your virgins defiled? will you have your deare and tender little ones toſſed upon the pikes and daſhed againſt the ſtones? or will you have them brought up in Poperie, in idolatrie, under a neceſſity of periſhing their ſouls for ever, which is worſt of all? Will you have theſe Temples wherein we ſeeme to worſhip God, will you have them and your houſes burnt with fire, and will you ſee England laid waſte without inhabitants? are you well contented it ſhall be ſo? I am an importunate ſuitor for Chriſt, oh ſend me not ſad away, but ſpeak comfortably and cheerfully, what are you reſolved of? Are you willing to enjoy God ſtill, and to hve him dwell with you? it is well, I am glad of it if it be ſo; but you muſt not only ſay ſo, but you muſt uſe the means, and you muſt plead importunately with your God: for although his ſword be drawn, and in his hand, lifted up and readie to ſtrike; yet ſuffer him not to deſtroy, but rather to ſheath his ſword in the blood of his enemies. I would be glad to have England flouriſh ſtill; but if deſolation do come, thank your ſelves for it, it is your own fault if you bee deſtroyed, and not Gods, for he delights not in the death of any. We may juſtly take up the complaint of the Prophet Eſay, who ſaith, No man ſtirreth up himſelfe to lay hold on God, Iſa. 64. 7. But this is our comfort, or rather our miſery, that we have quiet proſperitie, with eaſe and commoditie, our bellies full, our coffers full, and our backs curiouſlie clothed, &c. not remembring the afflictions of our neighbour Nations; but all is well with us, and it will ſerve our turnes: and if we do humble our ſelves a little, we think it is well. And thus we play mockholiday with God and with his gospel, in making it out pack-horſe. Well, look to it, for God is going, and if he do go, then our glorie goes alſo; and then we may ſay with Phineahs wife, I Sam. 4. 22. Glory is departed from Iſrael, ſo glory is departed from England; for England hath ſeen her beſt daies, and the reward of ſin is comming on apace; for God is packing up of his goſpel, becauſe none will buy his wares: God begins to ſhip away his Noahs, which propheſied and foretold that deſtruction was neer; and God makes account that New-England ſhall be a refuge for his Noahs and his Lots, a rock and a ſhelter for his righteous ones to run unto; and thoſe that were vexed to ſee the ungodly lives of the people in this wicked Land, ſhall there be ſafe. Oh therefore my brethren, lay hold on God, and let him not go out of your coaſts; look about you I ſay, and ſtop him at the townſ-end, and let not thy God depart, O England, lay ſiege about him by humble and heartie cloſing with him; and although he be going, he is not yet gone; ſuffer him not to goe farr, ſuffer him not to ſay farewell or rather fare ill England; therefore becauſe I will doe thus unto thee, prepare to meet the God of Iſrael O England. Amos 4. 12. Now God calls upon thee, as he did ſometime upon Jeruſalem Jer 6. 8. Bee thou inſtructed therefore O England, leaſt my ſoule depart from thee, and leaſt I make thee deſolate like a Land that none inhabiteth; and thus we ſee what the godly have done before us, and now let it bee our Coppie, and let us with Mary claſpe cloſe about Chriſt; they have broke the Ice, let us follow them: this is our day of atonement; this preſent day is ours, wee have nothing to doe with tomorrow; wee are at odds with God; and this is the day of our reconciliation this is the day wherein we are to make our peace with our God; and to end all controverſies, let us labour therfore to prevail with God, and that we may not loſe his preſence, doe as the ſpouſe Cant. 3. 1. ſhe ſought him, but ſhe could not find him, yet ſhe gave not over but ſhee followed him till ſhe found him; So our God is going, and ſhall we ſit ſtill? would you have the Goſpel kept with lazie wiſhes, Oh no, no; ariſe, ariſe from your downy beds, and fall down upon your knees, and intreat God to leave his Goſpel to you and to your poſteritie; ſhall wee by our ſins diſinherit our Infants and poſteritie of ſuch a bleſſing which is or ſhould bee the life of there lives? and ſo have them brought up in ſuperſtition? no, no; Lord we cannot abide this, Oh give us neither wealth nor any other bleſſing but thy Goſpell; this is our Plea Lord; and when have found God then let us bring him home to our houſes, and there retaine him, that ſo he may be our God and the God of our poſterity, in all our and their afflictions; and this will make you to rejoyce exceedingly; Oh my beloved carry God whom with you, and let him be a Father to you and to your poſterity.
Queſt. But now may wee keep the Lord, it would he worth our labour; for at his right hand there are pleaſures for evermore.
Anſ. Firſt, wee muſt be ſure to prepare a room for him; for he is a King, and a King you know ſends his harbinger before him to prepare a roome for him; ſaying come out of her my people and touch no unclean thing, and then I will be thy God and thou ſhalt be my people 2. Cor. 6. 17. ſo my beloved brethren, come out of all ſinfull courſes, pleaſures, and practiſes, and you may expect Gods comming unto your houſes; And when you ſit downe by your fires, or lie downe in your beds, think thus with your ſelves, what an equall condition doth God propound, it is but only to part with a ſin, a luſt, a Dalilah, which I may very well ſpare, as well as I may ſpare water out of my ſhooes, or a coale out of my boſome; I ſay thinke thus with thy ſelfe and ſay in thy heart, will God keep Company with mee, if I will not keep Company with ſin? are the termes no harder? this is a good offer; I will at once then bid ſin adue; for now I am upon another bargaine; here is an offer that I was nor aware of; I will quickly diſpatch this bargaine and make my peace with my God; and thus if you would have God to bee yours, then let your ſoules and bodies be his by forſaking all ſins; and when you ſhall call, God will come and ſay here am I, Eſay. 58. 9.
Secondly, as you muſt prepare a room for God, ſo you muſt give him content too; let God have his will croſſe him not. Where the King is, he will have all things to his minde, even ſo it is with God, If he may have his own worſhip, you pleaſe him wonderous well; you muſt dreſſe his diſhes according to his tooth; but if you put poyſon into his meat, if you mingle the traditions of men with Gods worſhip, then you diſcontent him. Lay aſide therefore all your ſuperſtitions, and erronious opinions of God and his worſhip, and do it according to his will in his word reuealed, and then yon pleaſe him indeed; when a Nation or a ſoule ſubmits to God and to his truth in all things. To bow at the name Jeſus, is not meant at the word Jeſus for ſo to give him the bow is to commit ſyllabicall Idolatrie; but the meaning is, wee ſhould worſhip him in ſpirit and in truth, humbly ſubjecting our ſelves unto Chriſt.
Thirdly, as we muſt give him his mind, ſo wee muſt give him welcome, if you diſpleaſe God and look loweringly or ſowerly upon him, and grudge at God or at his truth, no wonder then if God goe away; land ſurely this is the ſinne of England, we bear an ill will unto God and his word, and God hath done well for this Land, and what could hee have done more then hee hath done for this Land, as hee ſaith of his vineyard? Eſay 5. 4, 5. but it brought forth contrary fruit; even ſo wee doe all contrary to Gods expectation; mark therefore what God ſaith, hee will take away the hedge, and it ſhall be trodden down; and for ought that may be collected, ſo it is like to bee with us, if his mercy prevent it not; for, are wee better than the old world? the ſame ſins that were found in the old world, are found in us; Sodom's and Gomorahs ſinnes were but ſtrawes in reſpect of ours; and yet God rained down fire and brimſtone upon them; tell me, are there not as great ſinnes amongſt us as were in Jeruſolem, who were carried captives, their city deſtroyed, and they a vagabond people untill this day? Are we better then other Brethren and neighbour Nations, that have drunk ſo deeply of Gods wrath? I tell you truly, we area burden to God, he cannot long beare us, and he will think his burthen well over when he hath deſtroyed us. You know all men are glad when their pain is over; even ſo it is with God, we are a pain and a trouble unto him and why ſhould God go continually pained with us, which are worthy to be deſtroyed? Then ſhall England ſeek peace, but ſhall not find it, God ſhall not pity us: Oh, my beloved brethren, what a pitifull thing it is, when a mercifull God ſhall ſhew himſelf unmercifull when his patience ſhall be turned into impatience? There is a hard time ere long befalling England, if God in mercy prevent it not; but we do not conſider it, lamentable is our time. Chriſt wept over Jeruſalem; Oh (ſaith he) that thou hadſt known in this thy day of viſitation, the things that do concern thy peace! but now thy are hid from thine eyes Beloved, what do you think we ſhall do, when Gods mercies are turned into juſtice? Look to it England, the Lord hath wept over thee in mercy many years; What ſhall we do when we have leiſure to conſider what once we did enjoy? for Gods patience is never truly prized, till we want it; and then the poor ſoul will thus ſay: There was a time when we might have been at peace with this patient God, but now he is hid from our eyes, now the gate is ſhut, barred and locked up. thus when a people doth abuſe Gods mercy hee ſends the contrary judgements, and then it will grieve and wound our ſoules to think what once wee did enjoy; but that ſoule that will bid God welcome to his heart, may goe ſinging to his grave.
Fourthly, You muſt be importunate with God to tarry, and account it a great favour if he will ſtay: For God hath roome enough in heaven, and therefore you need not lodge him for want of lodging, but you muſt be beholding to him to tarry with you (yet in theſe dayes men doe not love to be beholding;) Jacob wreſtled with God, and by that meanes he held him till he bleſſed him: you live under the meanes, and know the way, and will you not doe it? what greater condemnation can there, be, and how great will your judgement be unto you, more then unto them that have no meanes? and as it was ſaid of Capernaum, ſo ſay I to England, Thou England that was lifted up to heaven with meanes, ſhalt be brought down to hel; thou ſhalt be abuſed for it; for if the mighty works which hath been done in thee, had been done in India or Turkie, they would have repented ere this time; And therefore Capernums place is Englands place, which is the moſt ſcaldings tormenting place of all, if it repent not; And marke what I ſay, the poore native Turks and Infidels ſhall have a more coole ſummer Parlour in hell then England ſhall have, for we ſtand upon high rates; therefore thy torment ſhall be the more intollerable to bear.
Now the Lord write theſe things in our hearts by the finger of his holy ſpirit for his Chriſts ſake, under whom I would we were all covered. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Fenner, Practical Divinity (1647)