Gods Call to England, Proposition 5

Gods Call to England · Proposition 5

p. 65PROPOSITION 5.

Destruction for sinning after deliverance, will be the most dreadful destruction: what can be more clear than this, from the words of my Text? Should we again break thy commands, wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping? That is, no common calamity would then fall upon us; no ordinary punishment would be our portion; but we exceeding p. 66the common measure and degree of sin, thou wouldst exceed the common degree of judgment: E dulcissimo vino acerrimum fit acetum; The sweetest wines make sowrest vinegar; the strongest perfumes are fatal as poysons; abused mercy will be avenged with unusual miseries. No mercy is to be expected in judgment, when mercies are despised that kept off judgments. Kindness not effecting an answerable reformation, will abundantly aggravate revengeful destruction: Isaiah 29.1, 2. God threatens Ariel, sc. Ierusalem, that wonderful distress should fall upon it; and it should be to him as Ariel. Ariel was the Altar for wholeburnt offerings, Ezech. 43.15. Now to avenge their abuses of mercies there, God would make their City, once the richest of their mercies, an Altar on which their blood should be offered as a sacrifice to justice. Thus our mercies abused, may become knives to open our throats; our Cities and Towns so often delivered, may be as Altars, about which our lifeless bodies may be heaped as sacrifices about the Altar. The quintessence of all judgments, the substance of all Plagues, shall be mingled in one cup, with all the dregs of p. 67wrath, for the despisers of clemency and mercy. Mercy is sweet that is extended to us in midst of judgments; and judgments severe, when executed on a people abounding with mercies. A deliverance cannot bring so great mercies, but sinning after it will usher in as dreadful judgments. By how much the greater the deliverance is we receive, so much the greater will be the destruction for sinning after it. A thick cloud hath been over our heads, and the favourable gale of mercy hath partly disperst it; but the ascending of sinful vapours will cause the Lord to return our sins upon our heads, with overwhelming inundations of judgments; slighting the gales of mercy, preventing ruine, will bring most dreadful storms of vengeance. Our float of goodness may be turned into floods of misery. Our sun may set at noon-day; and our cisterns, now fill'd from the boundless ocean of unmerited benignity, may soon be filled from the vials of wrath, with the waters of Marah. Our destruction adjourned a while, may return with unexemplify'd terrour. The Lord threatned the backsliding Iews, Deut. 4.25, 26. That if after his kindness in conducting them from p. 68Egyptian slavery, with infinite mercies through a tiresome wilderness, to the blessed land of Canaan; (I say) if then they should sin against him, although they had remained a long time there, they should not prolong their days upon it, but utterly be destroyed from off it. Thus notwithstanding our sinful Nation hath many years been like an Eden, a Palace of Royal glory, a Canaan flowing with milk and honey, a Theatre of mercies, an unparalleld monument of many deliverances; yet continuing in sin, will deface its envyed glory, and render it a stage for destroying judgments, and lay it waste with storms of successive plagues; and then it shall be said, This is the Nation that would never leave sinning, till it forced the Almighty to make it a ruinous heap, a Land desolate and not inhabited. What high time is it then to depart from sin, left an Ichabod be wrote upon us! which signifies, Their glory is departed.

With what terrour may we look on those words? Psalm 68.20, 21. VntoUnto God belongs salvation, but he will wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin: Though he will multiply salvations to such as serve him the more for them, yet p. 69will he glorifie his justice in destroying such as go on in sin after them. The Hebr. word foreign signifies altè imprimere; God will make a deep impression of the hands of justice on all such incorrigible persons. The heaviest judgments will fall on the contemners of the highest mercies. Judgment will be with most amazing terrour, on the contemners of the Almighties favour. As Gods resolutions against such sins will make destruction irrevocable, so his wrath backt with unlimited power, will make them intolerable.

Now here I shall endeavour to shew you for what reasons destroying judgments will be thus heightned by provoking sins after deliverance.

1. Because the longer judgments are coming, the greater severity they are attended with, when falling upon us. The longer a blow is fetching, the deeper impression is made by its force. If God tarries long before he punishes, the greater terrour will be in his punishment. The destruction of the old world was delayed for many years, but at last it was accomplisht with the greater severity. Deus tardus est ad iram, sed tarditatem vindictae gravitate compensat. Whilst sinners ruine is p. 70deferr'd, God is putting himself into postures of judgment, whetting his glittering sword, sharpning his terrible arrows feathered with our sins, that so he may make the more sharp and sudden destruction. There is Crudelitas parcens, sparing cruelty, as well as misericordia puniens, punishing mercy.

The longer the cloud is gathering, the more dripping showre is expected when it falls. So the greater provocations are treasur'd up in the days of Gods patience, the more miserable destruction will be in the days of his vengeance: Isa. 42.14. A long time have I held my peace; I have been still and refrained my self; now will I cry like a travailing woman, I will destroy and devour at once. You shall know I have not lost my power, though I have exercised my patience; though yo… have shared so much in my mercy, I will at length proportion the severity of my justice, to the clemency of my mercy. I will destroy you at once; I'll give no more alaruming warnings, awakening calls, or monitory afflictions; but now will I bring ruine on a sudden, with unavoidable calamities: Iob 21.31. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; there p. 71will be a murdering day for rebellious malignants, they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. The Hebr. foreign we Translate brought forth, signifies, Cum mora & pompa deducere, Mer. To lead them to it with delay, to bring them to it by degrees, and also with some pomp and splendour: but what is it they shall be brought forth to? What are they going to with their pomp and glory? oh 'tis but to a day of wrath; ad diem furorum, a day of wraths and fury; a day majorum poenarum, of greater punishment. When the wrath of God for every sin shall consume them, and increase their deferred torments. Sinners are brisk because judgment is delayed; but alas, sinners, though you go on with security, yet far from safety, the day of wraths will come. Ier. 12.1. we read the wicked prosper; why are they not stopt in their courses? They take root, Hebr. pergunt, they go on: Non posuit Deus prohibitionem: Vatab. God doth not hinder them; are they happy therefore? will this always continue? No, v. 3. They shall be pulled out like sheep to the slaughter, they are set apart for the day of destruction. When a day is set apart, some eminent thing is intended in it. When a day is p. 72set apart for destruction, an eminent destruction is implyed by it: a day is coming when sinners shall feel the smart of Divine vengeance for abuses of patience. This is call'd their day, as deserved by them, as peculiar to them: Psal. 37.10. The Lord knows their day is coming: Chald. dies calamitatis ejus: The day of his signal and dreadful calamity is approaching; and the longer this day is coming, the more horrible it will be. As eternal condemnation will be nothing the less for a present reprieve upon earth; so temporal destruction will be nothing the more tolerable, for a patient toleration and continued delay before it comes. We are little aware what is coming upon us, now our dangers are a little over; but whilst we are insensibly sinning after the expressions of unmerited favour, the bottles of wrath are filling, and the clouds of vengeance gathering; and who knows but suddenly they may ease and unburden themselves in a deluge of ruine upon us an undaunted people? Will not the punishment of sins continued against light and love, distress and deliverance, so many years as we have enjoyed them, be of that nature that might make our p. 73hearts tremble to conceive it? will not the vials of wrath be unspeakably full, and the storm of vengeance most horrible, which hath been so long in gathering? Sinning after deliverance, renders the destruction dreadful, as they make it in a peculiar manner our own. Now destruction lyes at our own door, and our selves onelyonly are to bear the blame of it. In mercy God begins first, but in miseries we make the beginning. And what can be a more dreadful aggravation, than to have cause to say, Mercies are gone, God is departed, Enemies prevail? and what may we thank but our pride and profaneness, our ingratitude and ungodliness, after obliging mercies? what makes up the endless and intolerable torments of damned Souls, for ever banisht from the comfortable presence of the excellent glory, but this, that all that misery was procured by themselves? 'Tis observed of some Birds, that the lime is made of their own dung that is used to destroy them: The lime-twigs of Gods judgments, are made of the dung of our own sins. Our sins are the feathers, whereby …he fatal darts of judgments fly unto us. Propriis conficimur alis, wounded with p. 74our own weapons, with Arrows made from our selves: we do ill unjustly, and then suffer ill deservedly. All the judgments that spring up, are but from seeds of our own sowing. The Garment is ruin'd by the Moth bred in …t, and we by enemies of our own breeding. It was great aggravation to the misery of the Iews, that God told them, Ier. 4.18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee. I have delivered you, rescued you from miseries, and these now coming on you, you pull down upon your selves. This is thy wickedness; lay it not to enemies power, think not me unrighteous; this is all thy own. How miserable a condition is this, to have no other comfort in calamities than this, to have God tell us this is our own? How sad when distressed to think, this is my slighting of mercy, my abusing patience, my persistence in drunke…ness, Sabbath-breaking, when I was delivered! Oh that I should be such an enemy to God and my self! Oh that I should bring such miseries on my self, by despising mercies! Nothing makes the condition of a people more hopeless, than their bringing themselves into a helpless condition. Hos. 13.9. Oh Israel, thou hast p. 75destroyed thy self: Thou wondrest at thy destruction, when it is from thy self. But in me is thy help. Learned Drusius translates the Hebr. … alioquin; that is, otherwise thou hadst bad help from me. Had enemies ruined thee, I would have relieved thee; but since thou hast involv'd thy self in misery, thou mayst expect no mercy from me. I will not be the author of deliverance to them, that are so wilfully authors of destruction to themselves: you shall perish in the evils of your own procuring.

3. Destruction now will be greatly aggravated, because a people thus sinning, deserve to be exposed to the naked fury of incensed justice, without the least mitigation of their miseries by the interposing of abused mercy. If we with ungrateful carriages contemn the help of mercy, we justly deserve to be utterly forsaken and cast off by it. And now, oh how dreadful will it be to drink the cup of Gods destroying fury, without any mixtures of relieving mercy! If mercy it self delivers us up to the cruel hands of inexorable justice, what then shall we experience, but vengeance without clemency, punishment without pity, and p. 76destruction without delay? Oh how sad will it be for helpless creatures to lye under the displays of vengeance, and none to cover them? to have innumerable iniquities crying for judgments, and none to plead for them? to have invincible enemies opposing of them, and none to assist them? If mercy be dis-engaged, however fiercely the storms of wrath may be pour'd out upon us, there can be no shelter from it. Whatever wounds are made, there will be no salve to cure them. If merciful deliverances cannot prevail upon us to reform us, will not mercy cease pleading for us? will it not say as Christ, Iohn 17.9. I pray not for them? I will put in no more intreaties for their salvation: Justice, take them, destroy them, ruine them, I have nothing to plead for them. How often doth mercy plead, as the merciful Vine-dresser did for the cumber-ground fig-tree, Luke 13.7, 8. Lord, let it alone this year also: let not thy wrath yet break out, let not thy fury ruine them, but spare them this time; try what they will do with one deliverance more? but when nothing is successful, mercy gives over; and what but intolerable vengeance will then lye upon us?

p. 77But who can speak the dread of destruction, that unmixed anger involves a people in? How dreadful will it be to fall into the hands of God, when armed with nothing but destroying indignation? How can our hearts endure, or our hands be strong, when all the Attributes of his glorious Majesty shall conspire together to make us miserable? When infinite wisdom shall be exercised in contriving, and infinite power shall be engaged in executing the miserable destruction of a sinful people, it must needs be intolerable.

Here I shall take occasion to shew you the misery of a people, when mercy is dis-engaged from relieving of them; that so we may be fearful of depriving our selves of that blessed succour we have hitherto enjoyed by it.

1. Mercy dis-engaged, all miseries endured are pure wrath. Such miseries are much of the nature of the Torments of the damned in Hell, whose plagues are a cup of vengeance without mixture. The happiness of Saints in all their sufferings, consists in enjoying ingredients of love in the bitterest cup that is mixed out to them: when outward distresses are most unpleasing to sense, they refresh themselves p. 78with delightful objects, then visible to the eye of faith: Psal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts, thy comforts delight my Soul. But merciemercy dis-engag'd, there is no cordial to support us, no sugar to sweeten the bitterest cup enforced upon us: Ezek. 7.5. Behold, an evil, an onelyonly evil cometh. God never sends judgments alone to such as he favours; but designing the utter destruction of a people, he mixes a potion of onelyonly fatal poysons for them: then he sends an onelyonly evil.

2. Mercy being dis-engaged, the lowdest cries, and most importunate prayers that a people can put up, will be denyed and rejected. God will admit no Prayers from such as contemned his former returns of them. The ears of justice will only hear the cries of our sins, to avenge them; 'tis mercy hears the voice of our prayers, to answer them; or all the answer we shall have, will be by terrible things in righteousness. But mercy dis-engaged, we are deprived of that unspeakable privliedge of Audience with God; and then we may swelter in our miseries, roll in our blood, despair in our torments, without a redress.

p. 79Should we by our impudent continuance in sin, make mercy our enemy, our most urgent cries would prove unsuccesful; and though joyned with floods of tears, would be unprofitable: for this will bring us under the doom of those, Zech. 7.13. Because when I called you would not hearken, therefore also when you cry unto me I will not hear. How just a retaliation was this from God, although a most dreadful affliction! not to have the merciful ear of God in affliction, is the worst of afflictions. It is dismal now to find our hearts so strangely shut up, as not be able to pour out prayers: but how miserable then shall we be, if when involved in sinking troubles, God should shut out our prayers, & not be prevailed with by them? Oh ruining state, when we in distress shall be crying, Save Lord, or we perish, and then receive no other return, but, Perish you may, and perish you shall, for all the help you shall have from me. These sins so much overcome his mercy, that our prayers will never overcome his anger. And as it is an argument of the greatest sinfulness in man, not to pray; so of the greatest anger in God, not to hear prayers. These iniquities are so intolerable p. 80a slighting of him, that he will unmercifully slight all we do. Oh what will become of a Nation, when that key which was wont to unlock the Treasuries of bounty, the store-house of blessings, can do nothing? when that Embassador that was wont to prevail for a gracious Treaty, shall be denyed? when that successful friend shall be denyed admittance to the Court of Heaven? when that omnipotent engine can attract no compassions? Whither now shall we go, when access is denyed to God? where shall we have supplies, if our former store-house be shut up? whither can we turn, when he turneth away our prayers? Will not our furious enemies prevail over us, when our most fervent prayers cannot prevail with God? What a shaking commination was that, Ier. 11.11. I will bring an evil upon them, they shall not escape; and though they cry, I will not hearken. God will take no notice of their cries, who would take no notice of his kindness. What can be said worse to a people than this, I will not hear? If he will not hear, he will not help; if he gives no audience, he will give no assistance. This speaks the sum of all evils in one. The root of all miseries p. 81lyes here, in Gods not hearing. This effectually seals men up for destruction. Ezech. 8.18. I will deal with them in my fury; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear. As lazy prayers will not prevail now, so the loudest Prayer shall not prevail then. Thou maist then spend thy breath, that now thou spendest worse, and not speed. Thou maist stretch out thy hands, and yet receive nothing: but disengaging Mercy may suffer like those, Isai. 1. When ye stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes; and when ye make many Prayers, I will not hear. Audire Dei est concedere, i. e. I will not grant what you ask. In the days of my Grace ye might have prevail'd, and did not pray, or did it formally; and now in the day of my fury ye may pray, but shall not prevail.

Neither can the Prayers of the greatest Favourites in the Court of Heaven prevail for a people under such circumstances. Should the dearest Servants plead with greatest fervency, they must be denied when Mercy is disengaged, Ier. 15.1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, my heart could not be towards this people. Standing is the Posture of Praying. Though these should endeavour to draw p. 82out my Affections to them by their importunate cries, yet they should never gain my heart: I cannot love them, I cannot yield it to them. Tantum mediocriter malis ob pios interdum parcitur, non ita contumaciter flagitiosis. God only spares those that are indifferently wicked for the sake of the godly, not those that are obstinately flagitious and ungodly. Ezech. 14. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were here, &c. they should prevail only for their own Souls. Oh, says God, you think the cries of your Prayer shall drown the voice of your Sins; you imagine your earnest calls will make my bowels yearn to you; or if you cannot prevail alone, you will engage others: but I tell you, neither ye, nor my greatest friends that can most prevail, shall perswade me to spare so ungodly a people as you; they and you shall not effect your desires with me so.

3. Mercy disengag'd, the wrathful blows of Divine Vengeance will be (to speak after the manner of men) inflicted in a careless manner on a Mercy-contemning people. The Vine-dresser is most exact and curious in abscinding the luxuriant branches of a fruitful Vine, but hacks and hews the unfruitful tree in a p. 83careless manner. Thus the Almighty God measures out and limits the Judgments that are out of Mercy to a fruitful people, to increase their fruit; but regards not how he strikes a barren generation, that are only to be hewed down as cumber-ground trees. Whilst tender Affections remain in the heart of God to a people, he limits the proceeding of enemies, he restrains the rage of their foes; he afflicts pondere & mensura, with weight and measure: But when Justice only is exercised in Judgment, the worst of times, the most fierce enemies, the most astonishing manner is chosen in afflicting. When we are regardless of a mans life, we say, Let him eat, drink, do what he will, I will be no hinderance to him: Thus Mercy disobliged says, Let enemies wound, massacre, slay whom and how they will, I shall not help, I will not hinder. God permits enemies to do their worst, to go as far as they can, when he designs the ruine of a people. The Prophet prays, Jer. 10.24. Lord, correct me, but with judgment, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. In thy correction use moderation, for the anguish of thy anger is intolerable; the blows of thy wrath alone will bring us to p. 84nothing. The fatherly Anger of God is dreadful, but the fierceness of his Anger is fatal. If God doth not moderate his anger, we can never sustain the dreadful terrour of it.

4. Mercy disengag'd, we become under a total impossibility of receiving help from any means. If Mercy that should stop miseries be taken away, miseries must needs flow in. Whither shall the poor creature go, if Mercy be gone? If we resort to creatures for help, they all say, It is not in me: If God affords you no help, I cannot; if God withdraws his merciful influence, I have no efficacy. Psal. 3.8. Salvation belongs to God. 'Tis the honour of God, that he can easily save without any else, and that none else can save without him. However suitable means may be to relieve us, unless there be the harmonious conjunction of God with them, they prove ineffectual. Creatures can never help us in distress, if Mercy stands off. There is a counterpoising power to the ability of created agents, that may obstruct their success: there are unseen circumstances that may invalidate their attempts: there are intercurrent Causes, and unprovided-for Accidents, that may be unconquerable p. 85hinderances to their endeavours. The most suitable instruments voluntatem habent, non potestatem, have only an impotent Velleity or Will, but no effectual Ability to help us. A Nation deserted by Mercy, is like a diseased, dying man, Head a king, Heart fainting, Wits confounded, Spirits consumed, given over by Physicians, Friends stand behind the Curtains sobbing and sighing, weeping and bewailing; willing to relieve, not able. Thus 'tis with a Nation when Mercy is disengag'd, 'tis bleeding to Death, gasping for Life, its Friends dejected, their Hearts melted; but dye it must, dye it will, none can help it. Let men be never so sollicitous, most unspeakably industrious to help a perishing Nation, they will be successless without mercy, for they are but media deferentia, non operantia, means of conveyance, not of efficience.

Mercy disengag'd, there can be no binding the hands of Justice, no obstructing its fatal Blows, no stopping the floods of Vengeance, no perswading to spare, no prevailing to stay, no hindering its arrests, no opposing its violence; but destruction will be unavoidable. The highest profession, the richest possessions, p. 86the strongest fortifications; will be no security; no shelter on earth, can secure from the vengeance of Heaven. The united forces of all Creatures, can no ways impede the actings of their Sovereign Creator. Job 9.12, 13. He taketh away, and none can hinder him. If God will not withhold his anger, the proud helpers must stoop under. However great the Patrons of our Cause may be, whatever Allies may consociate with us, whatever Assistants shall appear for us, yet they can never prosper to protect us, or succeed to deliver us from the hands of resolved Justice. Our helpers must have the assistance of God, or they cannot procure deliverance for us. Had we thousands as strong as that world-bearing Atlas, they could never uphold us: had we a world of Confederates, they could never preserve us, if Justice designs our ruine. The most potent Friends can never deliver those, who have the Omnipotent God to be their enemy. If Mercy will not help us, we must needs be helpless. Job 27.22. God shall cast upon him, and not spare; he would flee out of his hands. …ugere cona…itur, sed non effugiet. He shall strive to get out of his hands, but shall not escape. p. 87Neither Policy, Power, or Prayer, can prevail with, or succeed against God, when not seconded with the aid of Mercy. Dan. 4.35. There is none can stay his hand. None can deliver from the destroying hands of Justice, but victorious Mercy. What need then is there to be careful, that we disoblige not Mercy? What grateful carriage should we have under Mercies, lest we make them our enemies? And if Mercy be once against us, all things will work against us.

5. Destruction after Deliverance will be exceedingly aggravated by that self-confounding desperation that will be in our Souls, when God shall come out against us to vindicate the quarrel of abused mercies, to avenge the contempt of former deliverances. Then we shall not only have God against us, but Conscience also will direfully torment us: the reflecting on former deliverances, will cause as great terrour as present dangers. The very thoughts of contemn'd deliverances, will damp and destroy the confidence of the Soul in renewed Miseries. How can a man lift up his face before God to desire a mercy, that hath turn'd his back upon God when he obtain'd a mercy? p. 88How can he go to God for fresh supplies of Mercy, who getting a mercy, hath gone away from God? When God hath lifted thee up from a low condition, and thou hast gone on in a wicked life, with what face canst thou look upon God again? Canst expect a good look, when thou lookest to him? What canst expect but a denial from him, when thou hast denied obedience to him? Oh how will Conscience fly on thy face, and check thy Soul! Remember when you were in distress before, thou didst cry to God, and he delivered thee; but thou never didst love him the more, serve him the better for it. Then wilt thou imagine with thy self, Oh how can I go to God again! How can I think he will try me with further Mercies, who have been so unfaithful under those I received? How can I expect he will be prevail'd with to prolong my Life, when I have heapt up provocations, after his former prolongations of it? Oh what heart-faintings and failings will a sense of despised Mercy produce! What a Hell of Misery will this be to all thy Torments, that thou durst not approach to God? Will not inward troubles be a dreadful increase of distress p. 89in times of Judgment? And what inward trouble more heavy than this, to finde our hearts condemning of us, and to be clogg'd with the sense of abused Mercies? Wilt thou not fear God will tell thee, thy Prayer is an abomination? Wilt not dread lest he say, as Iephthah to the Elders of Gilead, after they had expell'd him, Judg. 11.7. Are ye now come unto me, when ye are in distress? What, are you so impudent after all your unkindness to me, to seek kindness from me? What, do ye think I will shelter such enemies as you? Will not God say thus to us, when fleeing to him in distress? What, do ye that have forsaken me so long, flee to me now? Do ye that despised my former Deliverance, come to me for another? Will not God say, Be gone, I'll admit you no more, I'll hearken neither to your Prayers nor Promises? And then we may cry out as Salv. Quid dignius, quid justius? non audivimus, non audimur; non respeximus, non respicimur. What more merited, what more just? We have not heard God, and we are not heard; we have not regarded, and we are not regarded. What confusion will this fill our faces withal? What a p. 90Calamity will this be to all our Misery? Oh take heed then of incurring any further displeasure from God, by abusing deliverance; lest when renewed dangers come upon you, thy mouth should be stopt, thy confidence dampt, and thy conscience thus checking of thee. But put Iniquity far from thee, and then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; then shalt thou have access to the Lord in thy troubles: and if destruction should come, thou maist cry for deliverance, and have gracious returns. Destruction for sinning under these circumstances, will be aggravated by that pitiless frame that shall be not only in God, but in man, to those that are involv'd in such deserved destruction. God will not pity, but be strangely hard-hearted to such hardened Sinners. Misery calls for pity; but there can be no pity, where there is no mercy, or where Mercy is disengaged: Ezech. 5.11. Neither shall my eye spare, neither will I have pity. He laid aside his tender compassions; his bowels of mercy were shut up, and now he hath no tender affections to them.

Thus men also that may be preserved from our calamities, will have just cause p. 91to be pitiless to us. It was said of Vitellius, when going to Execution, with his Hands bound, divested on Robes, that men had no pity of him, Nam deformitas vitae misericordiam abstulerat, Tacitus. The impiety of his Life, had taken away mens pity for his Death. Will not our sinning after Deliverance give such cause of abstaining from pitying of us? Will not men say, They deserve to be miserable, that will not desist from being sinful. Oh dreadful aggravation of misery, to have all bowels shut against us! Extrema est miseria, cùm nemo miseri vices dolet. 'Tis extreme misery, the height of distress, when we are not only destitute of Help, but destitute of Pity. Jer. 22.18. Shall not say, Ah, my brother, or ah, my sister: They …hall not lament for him, saying, Ah, Lord, … ah, his glory.

I shall now endeavour to make some particular Vses of what hath been spoken.

Vses from the 1. Propos. Vse I.

Is it the great designe of God in delivering p. 92a people from imminent dangers, to oblige them to break off sin? Let then the remarkable Deliverance that the Almighty God in abounding goodness hath lately bestowed upon us, effect this blessed change in our lives and conversations. With what face can we trample on the just and sacred Commands of our merciful God, whilst he smiles upon us with such unmerited favours? Can our Hearts be so damnably obdurate, so insensibly hardned, as not to be melted by such an unexpected Deliverance as this? Should we again break his Commandments? What pretence can favour such Impieties? What profession can cloak such Wickedness? What Allurements can entice us against Conscience, Reason, and Religion, to obviate and oppose the righteous requests and demands of such a patient God?

Should we again return to our Fleshpleasing security in sin, the Fountain and Spring of our greatest misery? What but our belluine and besotting stupidity involved us in our direful dangers? and shall we return to our former posture, not regarding the rousing alarums the late discoveries of misery have sounded to us, p. 93nor minding the awakening calls to prepare for Judgments, or turn from the Impieties that deserve them? Would not this be an unpardonable crime, and a means most infallibly to ruine us? Should we again dishonour this delivering God, by profane, licentious courses? filling our Land with the hateful noise of our crying Iniquities, when God hath fill'd it with the blessed sounds of unspeakable Mercies? What an unworthy, ungrateful, unanswerable carriage would this be deem'd by all that bear the title of Christians?

Would Heathens offer to do such things to their feigned Gods, or offer such affronts unto them, could they but do such favours for them? And shall we, to affront the Majesty of Heaven, belch out abominable Oaths, and account them as pleasing Ornaments of Language? Shall we shew our despite to our God, by blasphemous Expressions against inviolable Truths concerning the nature and being of God? Shall we, to express how little we value his kindness, provoke the eyes of his Glory by Noon-day Drunkenness, Rioting, and Debaucheries? Shall we witness a cursed contemning of him by p. 94impudent profanations of his holy Sabbaths, as before we have done? Shall not his Kindness courting us to amendment, prevail? Shall not his Goodness endeavouring our betterment, operate upon us? Is it not impossible to be so wicked, after such wonderful expressions of Love?

Should we again with greedy minds pursue the perishing enjoyments of this alluring world, neglecting the profitable exercises of Religion, and required Devotion? Did the Almighty prolong our expiring Lives, to spend them thus? With what conscience can we allow our selves those large dispensations from holy Duties, for the sake of our worldly employments, after we are purposely deliver'd, to augment and increase our deserved Obedience? Will not our days be yet shortned, if we remain so straitned in Duties still? And if we cannot spare a little of our strength to work for God, can we think that God will improve his mighty strength, to work out any further Salvation for us? If our houses that might have been without People, still remain without Prayer, may we not expect an angry God will soon unpeople p. 95them? If now we shall cast off Duty, will he not suddenly cast off us?

Should we again be rending and tearing one another by ravenous Oppression? and ruining one another by unhappy Divisions? Should not this wonderful Love excite such bowels in our softned hearts to one another, that we should no longer be maintaining with unreasonable rigidness one anothers assumed Opinions, to the unspeakable prejudice of Church and State? But rather be sodering together into a perpetual Harmony, by mutual condescensions and compliances; thereby ending our unprofitable janglings in indissolvible Unity. Shall not we, who have partaken of this favour together, live always together in the beauty and glory of undissembled Friendship, and unfeigned Love? And if this effect shall not follow our being delivered together, 'tis to be feared, the effect of such disorders will be no other than to be destroyed and cut off together. Oh then let the Kindness of God to us, sweeten our tempers to one another; and let us be so fully united together, that all our Affections may make but one channel of Love, that so the God of Love may dwell among p. 96us. For as this sincere adherence to one another by Love, would be most effectual to prevent the designs of enemies against us; (who delight to see and sow our Divisions) so it would be so grateful an improvement of d…liverance, that God would more readily continue it to us. What then remains? But that we should lay aside Pride and Prejudice, and Selfdesignings; and standing to the compleat and unalterable Rules of Worship, and Principles of Religion, laid down in the blessed Word, henceforth (I say we should) dwell in most beautiful Unity, and worship our God as far as can be, in a most desirable Uniformity.

Should we again become formal and hypocritical in our solemn Worship of the great God? Were this a suitable return for Gods delivering, to mock him with dissembling Services, and weary him with heartless Offerings? Are Ordinances continued, and the glorious Sun…ine of the blessed Gospel preserv'd un…louded; and shall we requite the Lord …o otherwise, than by profaning and busing of them?

Oh the price we should set, the value we should have of our Ordinances! What p. 97are these but the Wells of Salvation, the Conduits of Grace, the Ensignes of eternal Glory, the Food of immortal Souls, the Pledges and Models of eternal Loves, the blessed Mounts of Glory; in which are the clearest Resemblances of Heaven, the sweetest Refreshments on Earth, the most lively stamps of Divine Majesty, and the most blessed Appearances and comfortable Visits of Christ? And can we contemn such Enjoyments, without abominable Ingratitude? Are they given to us by a new deliverance? let us shew our esteem by a new improvement. Never be so backward to attend them, so careless under them, so unanswerable to them hereafter. Let God see that his kindness is not lost, his cost is not in vain, but that you endeavour a faithful return to what he doth for you.

But into what a large Field am I entring? Let all sins be reformed, let all holiness be embraced; be universal in reformation of known sins, though I cannot be particular in the enumeration of them; minde every particular duty, though I can name them but universally; let the love of God in delivering, constrain you: And that the deliverance p. 98may have greater influence upon you, I shall lay down before you in a few particulars the greatness of it.

1. The greatness of our deliverance is manifest and apparent from the consideration of the Enemies from whose hands an Almighty power hath rescued us. The managers of the designs for our ruines, are the Race of murdering Cain, the bloudy Off-spring of devouring Cannibals; whose monstrous cruelties are divulg'd in every corner of the world, recorded in innumerable Histories; experienc'd in many Nations, known in Germany, felt in Paris, found in Ireland; and we are wofully acquainted with them in England.

The most barbarous Inhabitants of the world can't parallel their inhumane Massacres: the most desperate wretches in Hell can't exceed their practis'd Cruelties. These Hell-bred Salamanders delight onelyonly in ruining fires; these patrisating Children of the grand Murderer, love no drink like the fulsome liquor of Innocents bloud; these Apostates from humane nature, can solace themselves with no pleasures like the tormenting butcherings of harmless Saints. How p. 99cruel are their tender mercies! how savage is their sweetest carriage to those that submit not to that burdensome yoak that neither we nor our Fathers could bear! What love can answer the kindness of our God in giving escapes from these merciless Lions, from these pictures of malicious Satan, and fire-breathing Dragons of the infernal Pit? Can we do less than make our selves compleat Holocausts by the flames of ascending affections, to our gracious God, who hath delivered us from being Sacrifices to these most cruel beasts of prey? Had not these men been thus degenerated from merciful Humanity into belluine Ferocity, they could never have attempted the confusion and ruine of such innocent unmeriting a People as we.

But these empty Pretenders to Christianity could never have accomplish'd their sincere designes of destroying us, had they not impudently laid the ground of all this wickedness with the Orient colour of specious Religion; and so preserv'd deluded Souls from the disturbing flashes of unstupifi'd Conscience. But the Principles of their avowed Religion warranting its Patrons in such Impieties, and p. 100defending such damnable Courses, hath animated their cruel minds with mighty expectations of renowning Merit by such bloudy Exploits.

Thus they transforming themselves into Angels of Light, have seduced a blinded Multitude, and by this powerful Engine have gain'd innumerable Allies to promote a Designe most diametrically opposite to Reason and true Religion. Thus Religion is us'd to destroy the Religious; and Policy cloathing it self with the title of Piety, insinuates unspeakable Vigour into infatuated Mortals in the pursuit of gainful designes through greatest difficulties. And had not the Almighty discountenanced such Religion by blasting designes promoted by it, their Religion had brought our ruine, and the shadow of Religion had consumed the substance of it. Now what favour have we found with God, that he should disappoint a Contrivance manag'd by those who had gain'd in so many Confederates by the deluding Pretences of Religion? which is also to make its seduced Zelots do more than the greatest Allurements imaginable.

Hence were the wonderful incitements p. 101to that unwearied Industry now visible among them, to confound and destroy us. Some drops of their Bloud they could undauntedly part with, that they might drink some draughts of ours. What Charges could seem too burdensom to them, to discharge the world of such Hereticks as we are accounted by them? How were their Breasts like threatning Thunder-clouds, whose Vapours never leave working till they vent themselves with amasing Terrour to the trembling world? How have their Heads, Hearts, and Hands, been willing, contriving, preparing for many years? How have they been, as is said of the Princes of Israel, Ezek. 22.6. Every one to their power to shed bloud? No Harmony, no Help, no Hearts, no Hands, no Power, no Purse was a long while wanting in attempting this Murdering Atchievement. What greater Deliverance was ever bestowed on a People than this, when all the Forces of Hell and Ro…e with its Allies, are defeated?

How might I make this appear from the wonderful height of Power they were by all their endeavours arrived at: From the greatness of the danger, as most wickedly p. 102kept secret by means of inviolable Obligations and Oaths, which laid those that were conscious to it, under the greatest incapacity of revealing of it: From the familiar Converse our fatal Enemies had among us: From the abominable Engagings of rotten Members to destroy the body they belong'd to, and cut off the Head that was over them: From Assistances forreign Enemies provided and promised against us! But what hath been spoken, sufficiently speaks the greatn…ss of our Deliverance, with respect to the persons contriving our Destruction.

2. It appears from the consideration of that miserable Destruction we were appointed unto, all these subtile heads and bloudy hands are not at work to accomplish a petty Destruction. Their Throats, enlarg'd as Hell, would never be satisfied with Personal Revenge; no less than a Nation, yea, Nations of Protestants, can make up a single Meal for these savage Bloud-hounds. These tyrannical Nero's are for the cutting off the Necks of all Christians at a blow. No less Bonefire would serve their turns, than the horrid Conflagration of a whole Nation. A Dioclesian Persecution was nothing p. 103to this hellish Enterprize and attempted Destruction. How fain would Antichrist have waded to an usurped Throne to the neck in the bloud of opposing Martyrs!

Had it not been a Destruction none like unto it? Had not Rome out-done its former Cruelties? Had not this dreadful day been a None-such? Come, and see. What should you have seen? Had this Designe been perfected, you had seen or heard, if alive, innumerable Troops of frightful Warriors, fierce in Countenance, more in Carriage, breaking forth, like the Plunderers of Troy from that fatal Horse, from the Bowels of our Land: You had seen the disguising Vizards of dissembling Friends thrown off, and the distinguishing Mark of the Beasts company, worn by thousands of our unsuspected Inhabitants: You might have seen the multitude of profane ones turn Popish, and the Neutralists become absolute Papists: You might have seen an astonishing Force of forreign Idolaters admitted to enter our English Coasts by the treacherous hands of mercenary Subjects: You might have seen the horrid Instruments of undreaded Death brought from their unsearched p. 104hoards, ready to be prov'd on thy own body. Ah, dreadful day, none like it! When those unthought-of Enemies had shewn themselves in warlike postures, arm'd with invincible Power, wing'd with speedy Fury, resolv'd with undaunted Courage, assisted with large Auxiliaries; what then had been the Work? Come and see. Then had the Streets been dy'd with a Sea of Crimson-bloud, the Channels ran down with the Lives of massacred Christians: Then had our bolted doors in nocturnal silence been forcibly open'd, and our sleepy Bodies drag'd from their resting Beds, and butcher'd by cruel hands: Then had our mangled Carcasses been strew'd in our peaceless Streets, to be trampled on like dirt by our Foes: Then had our Weapons, prepar'd for our defence, been murdering pieces for our Enemies service: Then had there been some fleeing in amaze, some fighting in confusion, some turning out of fear, some tortur'd for not turning. Oh, black and gloomy day! Then had our stately Buildings become a Prey to the fiercest of Elements, as well as we to the fiercest of Men: Then had the desire of our eyes been p. 105taken away with a blow, we our selves not escaping: Then had the noise of bitter Lamentation, though nothing prevailing, been heard in our Streets; the Shrieks of the wounded piercing our hearts, the sight of the Dead amazing our spirits. Oh, what had they done? Come and see. How had the places of shelter been places of greatest dangers! how had it been in vain for unarmed men to oppose a furious Crue of well-equipag'd Souldiers! How fruitless had it been to flee, when dangers were unknown! How sad had it been to behold tender Infants rent from the bodies of their rifled Mothers, and cast into their Flames! Who could have endur'd the sight of Sucking-babes snatch'd from their Mothers breasts and dash'd against destroying stones? Who could have seen them sprawling on the tops of Pikes and hurl'd into cruel Flames, without bleeding hearts? Oh the gastly visages of the once most beautiful Objects, that then had been mar'd with deforming wounds! Oh what a deliverance is this, to be thus far freed, to be thus long delivered from such a Destruction! Oh let this Mercy obtain its designe, lest the things we have feared should come upon us.

p. 1063. The greatness of this Deliverance will appear on the consideration of the condition we were in, who were design'd to be destroyed. Consider we but the daring provocations we have given the Almighty to forsake us, it appears a Mirrour of Mercy that he should spare us. Might he not justly have said, Now will I ease me of my Adversaries, and avenge me on my Enemies: Now will I make known the dread of my unregarded wrath, for their impenitent sinning: Now will I shew how bitter a thing it is to abuse my patience by rebellion, and my goodness by offending? But now behold, his bowels wrought in him; he delivered us rebels, rescued us sinful wretches: and who can but lay to heart this mercy?

How helpless had we been in such a dismal Surprizal? the mighty men would not have found their hands, the valiant would have lost their couragious hearts, and we should have been but Magor missabibs, terrour round about.

But the misery of our condition had lain in our unreadiness to have encoun…ed the King of Terrours, to have follow'd that amazing Messenger to the dreadful Tribunal of the Eternal God. p. 107How unfit had we been to die at a moments warning? How miserable had thousands been to whom all space of repenting had been ended, whose present misery had been the beginning of eternal torments, whose unprepared Souls had been sent to the place prepar'd for the devil and his angels? Oh then that now we could lay to heart these Riches of Grace that continues a preparing space: Patientia poenitentiae expectatrix: His Patience expects Repentance. Let not our prolonged days be spent in provoking him any longer; let us not now be treasuring up wrath to the day of wrath.

I might shew you the greatness of this Deliverance, by the nearness of the Destruction; it was in articulo mortis, all was almost concluded, our Passing-bell rung, the day was presum'd to be their own, and now delivered, as Daniel, è faucibus perditionis, from the very jaws of Destruction, from the very mouths of our Enemies. Oh wonderful goodness!

And most fitly might I mention the means of our Deliverance.

Vna eadémque manus vulnus opémque feret.

p. 108How did this sweetest Honey come from the Lions carcass? Men of their own Party must impart it to us; those of their own Conclave are means, under God, to deliver us from their own Counsels. Oh the wonderful Authority of God, that wrought on their Consciences so long benum'd! Oh the Wisdom of God, that works by contrary means! No Violence constrained them, but what the Almighty used with them; no Policy induced them, so much as Divine Power.

Vse 2.

Is it the designe of God in delivering, to reduce from sin, and oblige to Holiness? Let us then examine our selves, whether we have answer'd these holy designs of our gracious God. Oh Reader, faithfully ask thine own heart, Have I not been as loose and profane, as vile and vain, as carnal and formal as ever I was before? What inducement hath this gracious preservation been to the reformation of my Life? What Sin have I faithfully forsaken? what displeasing Lust have I unfeignedly left? what spiritual Obedience have I closed withal, since I enjoyed this p. 109unspeakable Mercy? Doth not thy Conscience accuse thee of thy regardlesness of it? Doth not thy heart smite thee, for not observing the Duties thou art oblig'd to by it? Abasuerus would know what was done to Mordecai, for the good deed he had done for the Kingdom. Ask thy self, What good hath been done to God for all the good deeds he hath done for thee? What hath been done to him for his delivering of thee? Hast thou not sinned the more against him, and turn'd his Grace into wantonness? Is that a meet requital for his kindness? Are Pride, Drunkenness, Sensuality, fit Votive Tables for our merciful escapes? Oh let not this Mercy be lost for want of improvement, lest you never enjoy such another. Remember, exoneratio supplicii est oneratio officii; the laying off and freeing thee from punishment, lays obligations upon thee for dutiful Obedience. Mercies are to be like showers on Valleys, making them fruitful; as a grain of corn sown in the tilled earth, bringing forth a plentiful crop of expected fruit. God hath sown the seeds of his Mercies, let not the Devil reap a crop of Sin. Oh how might I plead with you, as loving Ionathan with p. 110hard-hearted Saul, 1 Sam. 19.4. Let not the King sin against David, for he hath not sinned against thee; and because his works are good. Oh let not us sin against God; let us not rebel against him; he never dealt unjustly with us, but his deeds are good. He is ever working for us. He is ever heaping up Mercies, shall we sin against him? It will be better not to receive a Mercy, than not to be better'd by it. Oh come now and consider with your selves, say with thy self, Hath God in his Providence made me a freeman from Popish Slavery, and shall I make my self a Slave to Lusts, and a Vassal to the Devil? Shall God continue my Life, and shall I cast it away as worth nothing? Oh examine your selves how you have acted. Plato, seeing any disorderly, would say, Num ego talis? Am I such an one? Thou seest many go on in sin, ask thy self, Am not I such an one? Do not I go on in sin? What a folly is it in us, that we utimur perspicillis plusquam speculis, use spectables to see other faults, more than looking-glasses to see our own? Learn the Art of Self-reflection, and that is the way to Self-reformation.

p. 111Vse 3.

Is it Gods design and desire to reduce us from sin by these merciful methods? Then let us not foolishly cause the Lord to use more forcible and fearful means, to effect this in us. Let us not force a gracious God out of his delightful ways of Mercy. Why should we make him be doing his works of Judgment, since he declares his unwillingness to it? Shall we turn his Scepter into a Rod? Shall we drive away those precious Mercies by sinful courses, which, with mournful hearts and wringing hands, we shall be glad to be recalling? Shall we make our Showers of Mercy end in Flouds of Vengeance? Shall we wrest the Sword of Justice out of the Sheath of Patience, and violently pull down Vengeance on our own heads? Will you tell the Lord, you are weary of his Mercies, and will never regard them? Will you declare in the presence of God, that if he will not powre out his Vengeance, and display his Justice, and make your Plagues wonderful, that you will not fear him, nor break off sins? Is your strength so great p. 112to stand before his Anger, that you are resolute in provoking of him? Will nothing serve your turn but destruction, and desolation, and undoing judgements? You must either cease sinning, or God will cease waiting, and give over favouring of you. God speaks, Ezech. 6.9. how the Jews had broken him with their whorish heart; that is, he tells them, they should remember Eum quasi objecta quadam violentiâ à proposite abductum, & invitum planè adductum essë eorum persidia ut interrumperetur cursus misericordiae, Calv. That he was turn'd from his gracious purposes, with the violence their sins offered to him; and that it was by their perfidiousness he was brought to break off the course of his mercies. Thus God is broken off from ways of mercy, by our not breaking off our ways of sin.

The holy God is resolv'd to make us leave off sinning one way or other: if his goodness cannot gain us, if his mercies cannot induce us, his justice will come out against us, and by his mighty power he will rule us. Ezek. 20.33. As I live, saith the Lord, surely with a mighty hand, and an out-stretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you. God p. 113will bring us into subjection by mercies or judgments; his fury shall do that his favour will not. But why should we cause the Lord to be so severe unto us? we weary man, but will ye weary God also? Let us be constrained to amendment by his love, or else he must curb us by tormenting punishments. It was said of Israel, Psal. 81.11. Israel would have none of me. Shall it be so said of England, that we refus'd and slighted what God gives, and what he doth in way of mercy? Shall it be said we will have none of his mercies, none of his deliverances? shall we not then have his judgments, and feel his vengeance?

Vse 4.

Is this the designe of God in delivering? then wisely make use of this as an Argument to invalidate all future temptations to sin. When sinful occasions offer themselves unto you, damp the hurtful influence of them by objecting to thy self the unreasonableness of sinning, after such mercies confer'd upon thee. Thus Ioseph did invalidate the eager assaults of his wicked Mistriss, Gen. 39.9. How can p. 114I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? He did not rashly admit the temptation, but consulted Conscience, and repel'd it with this weighty Argument: How can I sin against a God that hath of late been so favourable to me, hath delivered me from death, and advanced me to honour? Oh I cannot slight so much kindness, to please a sinful humour: I will never do it. When then thou meetest with allurements to sin, take to thy self this corroborating disswasive from it, and couragiously oppose all unworthy motions to Rebellion by pondering on it.

Inferences from the second Proposition concerning our proneness to sin after Deliverances.

1. Hence we see the absolute Necessity that there is of Divine Power, to render any means effectual to bring us from sin. However probable means may be to effect this end, they are not powerful enough without the cooperation of an Almighty arm superadded to them. If rational Arguments were sufficient, such as are drawn from infinite Mercy might be p. 115enough to charm our Wills to a loyal Obedience to our God; but we see that outward Mercies, not conferring inward Grace, cannot accomplish such difficult work. The chiefest engine that draws the heart of man from sin, is Mercy; but 'tis the arm of God must fasten it to the heart of man, and Divine Power that can only attract him by it. Mercies are only cords, which Divine Power uses to draw men from sin. If Moral Perswasions were so wonderfully effectual in converting Sinners, as some would have them, it is strange men cannot overcome themselves to forsake their sins, by the consideration of the merciful Preservations, and gracious Deliverances the Almighty bestows upon them: Strange it is men cannot be perswaded to cease provoking God to Judgements, by the declaring his unwillingness to them by the experiences of deliverances from them. But how do we experience the ineffectualness of outward Mercies, whatever valid motives may be drawn from them! What need then is there to apply our selves most frequently to the Throne of Grace, for heavenly Influences on earthly Blessings?

p. 116How should we earnestly crave the concurrence of God's Omnipotency, for the bettering of us by the confluence of Mercies bestowed upon us? Isai. 48.17. The Lord teaches to profit. In the greatest abundance of Means and Mercies, we shall have no profit, without the aids and assistance of God; He must teach us to improve Deliverances, to gain by his Goodness. When cords of Mercy are put into our hands, let us lift up out hearts to the Father of Mercies, and cry, Draw us, and we will follow thee. When Mercies are sown like precious seeds most plentifully amongst us, let us implore the showers of Divine Blessing to make us fruitful by them. When such invaluable Talents are put into our hands, let us seek to the Almighty for strength to work with them. Plead with the Lord to deliver thee from sin, by his Deliverances; to give thee the incomes of his Grace, to improve thy Life miraculously continued to thee. Leave not the Throne of Grace, till Grace is given thee to leave thy sins: Cease not to importune the Almighties help against thy sins, till he hath delivered thee from them, as he hath done from thine enemies. Acknowledge p. 117thine own weakness, and so thou wilt engage the strength of God: Tell him with holy boldness, that now he hath given thee his Mercies, thou canst not be content without his Blessing with them. Let temporal Deliverance edge thy appetite after spiritual and eternal. Thou hast but half a Mercy, till thy Soul is better'd by a Deliverance, whether it be from Enemies, or Sickness, or any other distress or danger.

2. Are we so prone to sin after Deliverance? Then hence be warned to be very watchful upon the enjoyment of such a Mercy. Oh that we, who enjoy so eminent escapes from danger, might use our greatest industry to prevent our proceeding in sin! Let us fortifie our selves against such an evil practice. Make conscience of what you do in a delivered condition. Let us no longer carelesly run on in our sins, but seriously consider the inducements we have to a holy Life.

Now in order to prevent our proceeding in sin, admit this serious counsel, and observe these Directions:

1. Make frequent Reflections on the great Deliverance in part bestowed upon p. 118us. When the Creator of the ends of the Earth survey'd his glorious Works, he saw they were good, and delighted in them; and he greatly delights that we should be frquent in Meditations of his glorious Works of Creation and Providence, and live in perpetual admirings of them, applauding the shines of his Power, Wisdome, and Mercy in them. The least of Gods Works deserve the admiration of the greatest Angel in Heaven. Inconsiderate Persons gain little advantage by the most considerable Mercies. Were our hearts more thankful, we should make a particular Computation and exact Chronology of dayly and yearly Mercies. The forgetfulness of Mercy is the ground of our forsaking God after them. 'Tis mighty effectual to ballast our hearts against our impetuous inclinations to sin, to be much in considering what God hath done for us.

Hence the people of Israel were admonished to be frequent in reviewing their sad condition in Egyptian bondage, with the blessed escape given them from it. Deut. 26.1, 2.5, &c. When thou art come into the land—thou shalt speak and say, A Syrian ready to p…rish was my father, and p. 119he went down into Egypt, and became there a great nation,—and the Egyptians intreated us ill,—and the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, &c. Thus they were to make a frequent commemoration of their miserable state, and merciful escape. In like manner it were necessary for us to look back on what we lately were, and say, A little while since I was at the gates of Death, by the subtile contrivances of Popish Enemies; a little time past I had near been devoured by the jaws of those preying Lions: Some few months are past since the Nation was in danger of being involv'd in incomparable Miseries; it hath almost been made a Stage for the acting a bloudy Tragedy, an Altar on which had been sacrificed innumerable precious Lives, a Prey to Roman Fury; and now behold (blessed be the Lord) the Scene is changed, the Curtains of Secrecy that covered the nasty vault of Popish Conspirators, is happily drawn aside; the God of our lives, by his over-awing Majesty, hath influenced the hearts of Enemies to detect the Snare they once did endeavour to lay. Should we not then argue, duplicate page duplicate page p. 120Should I that was so lately in such danger of losing my precious life, now squander it away as a contemptible thing? Should I thus lately experiencing mercy from God, manifest my self by wicked courses to be a rebellious Enemy to him? Should not the thoughts of the death, danger, and miserable calamity God hath brought me from, bring me unfeignedly to love him, and constantly to yield obedience to him?

Let us therefore, to prevent proceeding in sin, reflect on the kindness of God: Seriously think how miserable thou hadst been without the Deliverance. Oh miserable state, had it not come! Enemies raging, if not reigning; Gospel corrupted, if not removed; Lives endanger'd, if not destroyed. How had we been fleeing on Mountains, hiding in Dens, or burning in Flames, tortur'd with Racks! How had we been without Bread to eat, Houses to lodge in, or else all robbed by those pilf…ring Papists, if not burnt by their horrid malice, which is enough to put the whole Universe into miserable Conflagrations! How should we meditate how seasonably Deliverance came! we helpless, careless, and ignorant, then p. 121was it that his mighty arm brought a blessed Salvation to us. Behold, how unworthy we were of such a Mercy, of such a Deliverance! A sinful rebellious people, for us to partake of so much favour, is the greatest Mirrour in the world. Now can we forget this goodness? If we have no memories to retain Mercies, we soon may have no Mercies to retain in memory. Or can we sin in the sight of such kindness? We shall never see such a glorious Deliverance, if we sin in the face of this. Oh let us often say as those, Numb. 23.22. What hath the Lord wrought among us! Oh what a glorious Work was this, embroider'd with Mercy, set forth with the shines of Wisdome, and illustrious by the impressions of infinite Power! Oh forget not this Work! If we forget Deliverances, God may forget to deliver: Isai. 17.10, 11, They were made desolate for forgetting the God of their Salvation. 'Tis known that the breasts that afford the sweetest Milk, will dry up, if not drawn; the breasts of Mercy will be certainly dryed up, if no benefit be drawn from them by a serious remembrance, and faithful improving of them. Prayers and Tears are the best means to p. 122obtain Mercies, and a thankful remembrance will be the best way to have them continued to us.

2. To prevent thy proceeding in sin, think with thy self what Promises and Obligations, what Pleas and Arguments you would have made to the Lord, and urged him with, to have induced him to have given such a Deliverance as this. Would you not have promised, that if it should please him to exercise his Power in saving of you, you would engage, that to the utmost of your power you would serve him? Oh what great obligations would you willingly have laid your selves under, to be freed from so dreadful a Destruction as you were appointed to? What obedience, service, love, and respects, do sinners vow to God on a Bed of sickness, languishing to death? What would we have promis'd then, when no less than a whole Nation was languishing, and every Enjoyment ready to give up the Ghost? Oh what solemn engagements to all possible obedience would then have been made! Would you have promised these things, and will you not perform them? Let the readiness of God to do it without these engagements, p. 123make you more ready to do those things than if you had engaged to do them.

Consider also what pleas thou wouldst have used with God to spare thee; think what arguments might have prevailed with him to deliver thee; and let them prevail with thee to forsake sin. Thou wouldst not have said, Lord▪ spare me to go on a while longer in rebellion against thee; cut me not off till I have dishonoured thy glorious Name a little more; give me my life to be a Drunkard, Swearer, Lyar, Sabbath-breaker, yet a while longer. Thou couldst never have the impudence to plead thus, thou couldst never imagine these Arguments could prevail; therefore use the considerations of Arguments which thou thinkest would prevail to curb thy heart from sin, as thou thinkest would have been proper to prevail with God to deliver thee. And what are those? Oh spare me, that I may prepare for death! Oh give me space, that I may repent of my sins, and reform! And let thy carriage be such now in part delivered, as may answer such motives as these, which would have been used with God to deliver thee.

p. 1243. Consider how thou wouldst carry to man, if receiving a thousand times smaller kindnesses from him. Oh the thanks that shall be return'd to man for a small favour! What readiness to do for man, when doing for us? Should a man but save us from perishing, how grateful, how serviceable should we become unto him? And shall kindness from sinful creatures make such impressions on our hearts, and the abounding goodness of the glorious God be disregarded? We love man loving of us, and shall we not love a loving God? We devote our selves to the service of our earthly Benefactors, and shall we be so devilish as to deny obedience to the great God, under all his benignity to us? Shall God have worse dealings from us than men? Wouldst thou not offend an earthly Friend, and wilt thou offend a heavenly Friend? Wilt make nothing of displeasing God, when he gives thee such Mercies as all the men on Earth cannot bestow upon thee? Oh let but this be considered, and surely thou canst not persist in sin.

p. 125Vse 5.

See here the unconquerable stubbornness of mans heart. Oh how do our hearts stand out against God under all his dealings with us! We are foreign, an unperswadable generation. Oh wonderful obstinacy, that the sweetest Melody of mercy cannot charm us! Oh what hardned souls are in us, when the pleasant distillations of showers of mercy upon us, cannot soften us! Oh what foreign, strong holds, have sin, that the cords of mercy can't draw us from them! Oh how hard is it to gain a Victory over corrupted nature and accustomed sins! Oh strange affections that we have to sin, that the strongest engagements can't bring us from it! Such is the stubbornness of unchanged souls, that whether God walks in ways of Mercy, or paths of Judgment, they will go contrary to him. Oh the hardness to be lamented, that appears among us! Though the Almighty hath done thus much for us, we have not to this day been duly affected with what he hath done. We have gone on frowardly, when God hath p. 126dealt most kindly by us: we go on to provoke the eyes of his glory, when he hath made so much of his glorious goodness pass before us. Oh stubborn souls, that will not regard the melting kindness of God! but do as it were resolve, whatever God doth, they will sin against him. Though he seek reconciliation, they will follow rebellion: though he strives to out-do their Rebellion with mercy, they will not lay down their Arms, but be avenged on his many mercies.

Inferences from the third Proposition concerning the hainousness of sin after deliverance.

1. Is sinning after deliverance such hainous sinning? Behold then what crying sins are to be seen amongst us! Have we not sins of the greatest magnitude, who have mercies of the highest nature? Are not our sins worse than Sodoms, when our mercies are abundantly more than that enjoyed? Sins in England, are greater than sins in other Nations, that have not partaken of such signal favours as we. We wonder God bears with Antichristian Rome, with forreign Idolaters; Alas, their p. 127sins are not of that nature that ours are. Our sins it may be are minoris infamiae, of lesser infamy, but majoris reatus, of greater guilt than theirs. Our sins are double; and the more our mercies increase, the more abundant aggravations belong to our sins. Are we not sinners above all, that have favours beyond any? Our sins that are small in abstracto, considered abstractly, are great in concreto, considering the circumstances of them. If small sins will not startle us, here are great sins then to amaze us. Oh let our sins that we have committed be more before us, that so the sense of their greatness may prevent our proceeding in them!

2. Hence see what need we have of great Repentance; an ordinary sorrow will not answer our extraordinary sins. Gravissima peccata gravissimis lamentis indigent. Greatest provocations call for greatest lamentations. Oh what tears and lamentations can be great enough for our horrid sins? What sighs can be deep enough for a Nation so deeply involved in sin? Should not our mourning be as in the mourning of Hadadrimmon, in the Valley of Megiddon, every family apart, every person apart? Should not Ninive p. 128be our president? Should not our England become a Bokim, and our Island be overflown with tears? Oh what floods of tears is there need of, to wash away our abominable pollutions! Oh what wailing and weeping should be in a Nation living and wallowing in such iniquities? Aut poenitendum vel pereundum. Repentance onelyonly can prevent our ruine; Repentance onelyonly can make justice to retreat; Repentance onelyonly can deliver us now delivered: But where shall we finde it? Where are the weeping eyes, the mourning hearts? Oh that repentance might appear among us, lest judgments appear against us! Oh that we could lay our selves down at the feet of mercy by humiliation, that we may not be laid down in a dreadful desolation, by the hands of justice! Oh that a hearty repentance might prevent our hastening ruine! Oh that we might lie in breathing sweats of Godly sorrow, that we may not lie sweltring in our blood! Our sins reach up to Heaven, let our sorrow reach to heart. Oh that each part of unfeigned repentance might be really acted by us!

Let us make a strict inquiry into our fins, commune with our hearts; let us p. 129go the Circuit of our hearts and lives, and see the abominable sins to be condemned there. Let us read the Book of Conscience, and see what sins we there stand indicted for. As Letters wrote with the juice of Oranges, are not to be read but by the fire; Thus some have their sins written, and will not read them now; but shall at last read them by the fire of Hell. Lam. 3.40. Let us search and try our ways. Oh we are senseless of our sins; but aeger non sentiens periculosius laborat; a senseless sick man is most in danger. Oh open your eyes then, and see what disorders in heart, what wickedness in life! refuse not a sight of thy sins now; one day God will set them before thy eyes.

Disown not the Charges that are against thee, without reason. Let us no longer sew Fig-leaves on our sins. The impartial Judge of Heaven and Earth knows our crimes. Let us therefore return and say, Father I have sinned. Thus did those, Lam. 5.16. Wo be to us, we have sinned. David yeilded the case to Nathan, I am the man: maist thou not justly say, I am the man that have been nothing the better for deliverance; I am the man p. 130or woman have gone on in Pride, Sensuality, without repentance, reformation? Defend not thy sins by excuses, but own them; be convinced without further demur, and condemn thy self as a guilty malefactor. Then let us pour out our tears, and open the Flood-gates of Godly sorrow; and if we would escape, let us be like those, Ezek. 7.16. Who were like Doves in the Valleys, mourning every one for their own iniquity. Oh that our proud hearts might yeild to this work! Our dry eyes be filled with tears. Let us fill Gods bottle with our tears! What is weeping good for, but to testifie our sorrow for sin? it cannot recover a dying friend, it may a dying Nation: it cannot stop the course of death, it may the coming of judgments. Open then the windows of Heaven, and break up the deeps, and let us make us a hearty weeping, as may prevent the heavy judgments our great sins are calling for.

Then let us make a holy resolution, in the strength of the Almighty, to cease from our sins. Say as holy Iob, Job 34.32. If I have done evil I will, do it no more. With holy indignation reject thy former villanies. Oh let our souls be p. 131raised to a deserved hatred of these great iniquities, and let nothing content us, but the utter ruine of our ruining sins. Let us not be dismai'd at the difficulty attending that blessed work: 'Tis hard to destroy sin, but will it not be harder to be damned for it? If it be hard to bear the launching of those ranker'd wounds, what will it be to bear the smart of the envenomed arrows of divine justice for ever? Know also, thou may'st do all things through Christ that strengthens thee; then carry thy sins with the solemnity of penitential tears, to their eternal funeral. And unless this reformaon shall attend thy repentance, thou repentest with an absurd contradiction. Optima poenitentia est nova vita: The best repentance is a new life. This is the repentance our hainous sins require; and all this is to be done in a more than ordinary way, because of the greatness of our sins.

3. If sins after deliverance are so great, hence▪ see how near judgments may be unto us, because the measure of our iniquities will be so suddenly …illed. The patience of H…aven will soon be worn out with these daring provocations. As we p. 132are heaping up Sin, the Almighty is heaping up Wrath; and the greater sins, the sooner the treasures of wrath will be full. The more fuel we bring, the sooner the fire will be kindled to consume us. The Lord in his mercy is waiting to be gracious, backward to judgment; but such iniquities will soon waste his patience, and provoke his wrath.

We read, Gen. 15.16. that the Lord delayed punishment, because the iniquity of the Amorites was not yet full. The measure of sin and wrath are often filling many years; and according as sins are aggravated, judgments approach faster or slower. Thus Ioel 3.13. God calls for Sickles to be put in, because the harvest was ripe, the pressës were full, and the fats did overflow. God will suffer sinners to stand till they are come to their full stature in sin, and then he cuts them down, and makes an end of them. Thus Christ speaks to the Scribes and Pharisees, Mat. 23.32. Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers. i. e. Ye will be filling up the measure of their sins, till the Lord comes and measures out judgment to you, according to the measure of your sins. Oh then what cause have we to fear, lest the Vials of p. 133wrath should suddenly be poured out upon us! Is not the harvest of sin almost ripe? or will not these showers of mercy suddenly ripen it? And then the sickle must be put in; a bloody enemy let in among us, that shall cut us down as the reapers do the corn. Oh let us dread the approaches of vengeance under the increases of sin and wickedness! The measures of wrath have been long a filling; the iniquities of our fathers are lay'd up for us, and may be rewarded on our heads when the measure is full. We ripen apace for judgments now; destruction may be at the door ere we know.

Inferences from the fourth and fifth Propositions concerning the destructive nature of Sinning after deliverance. Vse I.

May destruction come after deliverance? Then hence we may learn, that present impunity can be no evidence of our future safety. Mercies are not so inseparably entail'd upon us, that justice cannot deprive us of them. Present prosperity may have a mournful ending in dismal p. 134adversity. National, as personal salvation from present dangers, may end in destruction. The wings of our feathery confidence had need be clipt, when we fondly presume the Almighty to be ever bound to deliver such a people as we, because he hath once more graciously done it. 2 Pet. 2.9. God reserves the unjust to judgment. The bird that escapes the fowlers net for once, may be afterwards caught: we that are wonderfully preserved from the snares of hellish Plotters, may at last be made a prey, if we grow no more watchful. Our cloudy Heavens threaten new storms. The world is very full of great and unexpected mutations: The turnings of the wheels of Providence are very swift and various. We may now as suddenly be destroy'd, as we have often been delivered. Iud. 5. After delivered, God destroyed those that believed not. The ship that evades the dangers of the Sea more than once, may be swallowed up in its Sands, or shattered by its Rocks at last.

The reprieved malefactor may justly expect his deserved execution, after a little space afforded for preparation. And in truth, the relief our offended God hath p. 135given us, seems more like a Reprieve, than a Deliverance; and cause we have most seriously to fear, that ere long we shall experience that Justice can destroy, as Mercy can deliver. Our impunity is not from Gods impotency, but patience; and that may soon be expir'd. We have cause to dread that awakening word, Josh. 24.20. If ye forsake the Lord, then will he turn and do you hurt, after all the good he hath done you. Our not returning under good, will make him turn to do us harm. Proceeding in sin will interrupt the course of mercies, and introduce successions of judgments. You may be surprised with sudden miseries, in the midst of your feigned safety. God will not always draw with cords of love. Hos. 11.3.4, 5. I drew them with cords of a man, with bonds of love; that is, I dealt with them in the most gracious manners, striving to draw their rebellious hearts into subjection; but since I cannot prevail, v. 5 They shall not go down to Egypt, they shall have no shelter there, but the Assyrian shall be their King, and the sword shall abide in their cities, and devour his branches. Thus may the dealings of God be changed, and cords of love p. 136be turned to chastising rods, to lash the backs of stubborn fools. We cannot ensure the continuance of mercies, but by our compliance with the designs of God by them. That which was spoken to Ephraim, may fall upon us, Hos. 9.11. As for Ephraim, his glory shall flee away like a bird. We imagine we have mercies sure as a bird in the cage: but as the door being opened the bird flies away, so mercies will take their wings, and be gone from a sinful people. Trust not then to your present freedom, you may be enslaved; flatter not your selves in hopes of perpetual deliverance, destruction may come at last.

3. Will this persistence in sin hasten such certain and miserable ruine! Then see what reason there is to shake off our pleasing but hurtful security, admitting some fearful thoughts, and affecting our hearts with apprehensions of our eminent danger. Unwilling we are to admit of such Truths near our decoying hearts, which may affect us with fear or grief: But 'tis far from the nature of wisdom to flatter our selves into ruine; or to fancy our selves secure in a glorious Paradise, till we be miserable in a desolate wilderness. p. 137Three things, says Luther, will undo a Nation; Oblivion of Mercies, Politick contrivances, and Carnal Security. Well will it be, if these prove not our ruine at last.

Oh what a fearless Age do we live in? we sleep on pillows stuft with the fire of divine vengeance: We cry, Peace, Peace, and destruction is coming. How do we stupifie our Senses, fear our Consciences, lock up our Understandings, to keep out all fears in the midst of most dreadful dangers? What stupifying Opiums hath the Devil perswaded us to swallow, that makes us so mindless of approaching miseries? How do we fortifie our selves with most fond presumptions against the threats of vengeance denounc'd from Heaven? Can fancyed safety deliver our Nation from Enemies, when we have nothing else to secure us? Can empty boastings of conceited ability to defend our selves, prevent the assaults of Enemies, or deliver our Land from the ruine designed? Will security in sin be sufficient guard to preserve us from all Conspiracies? can neither God nor man do us any harm, whilst we imagine our selves out of danger? Oh nos miserrimos! Oh miserable p. 138England! how do we surfeit with mercies, and wax sick with the kindness of Heaven, and yet say, It shall be well with us? How do we wound our selves, when the Lord is healing; and destroy our selves, when the Lord is delivering, and yet say. The Lord will go on to deliver? What Prosperity do we promise our selves, whilst God is threatning our ruine? What Halcyon-days do we vainly expect, though Miseries are ready to seize us? Oh the dreadful Dooms that are threatned to so stupid a people in the Word of the Lord! Oh the sad Calamities have come upon a people in this condition!

Is not this the posture our Enemies so greatly desire to finde us in? What is their work, but to lull us asleep, and then to be butchering of us? What is the great contrivance at this day of the Papists, and such as affect them, but to suppress our fears by cheating devices? knowing our deepest security will be their greatest advantage. They know, our Throats will lye open to be cut by their cruel hands, when once we have emptied our hearts of sollicitous thoughts of destruction. Hence, hence it is, instruments p. 139are active to inform us deceitfully, that we are sufficiently provided against them: for this they instruct theirs and the Devils Martyrs to obtrude on the world the highest Protestations of Innocency: For this they strain their throats to swallow renouncing Oaths, which they will as certainly keep as ever they intended, which I fear was not at all. Hence they force themselves to a Parish-Church, that we may certainly think they cannot belong to the Romish Mother; and that we may fancy, they cannot go thence to contrive our miserable ruine. Oh then if this be their plot, how have they got us by it? How do we please our enemies, and promote their designs, by our sinful Security? But shall we not fear the Hammer and Nail will cleave our Pates, when Sisera-like we are droll'd into sleep with a Lordly Dish of Butter and Honey? You may certainly believe this stupifying Opium will be like the poyson of Asps at last.

Is not this the Posture most have been in, when Judgments came upon them? What was there but careless and senseless doings, when that dreadful Deluge surpriz'd the world of old? Mat. 24.37, 38. p. 140How unexpected was the ruine of Sodome and Gomorrha? How incredulous were the Jews of their sad Captivities, and of their utter Desolation at last? Observe we but the frame of persons when Judgments have been rained from Heaven upon them, and we shall finde they were fearless of any storms, and conceitedly secure from any miseries. When the Massacre broke forth in Paris, the cruel butchering was acted in Ireland, the ruining Persecutions and Distresses fell upon Germany, they were all involv'd in Lethargical Distempers, besotted with fatal Security. This is the time the beasts of prey have ever gone out to glut themselves with fatning blood. This hath been the season ever selected to manage the overthrow of Kingdoms. Yet examples do not warn us, but we foolishly seem resolv'd to gratifie our enemies with a suitable season to ruine us. Is not this the posture that God hath severely threatned in his Word, to which he will ever be faithful? Isai. 22.13, 14. In that day the Lord of Hosts called to mourning and weeping, and behold joy and gladness: and it was revealed in my ears — Surely this Iniquity shall not be purged from you till you p. 141die. Nothing urges Justice more to confound a people with floods of Vengeance, than Epicurean stupidity under awakening Alarums. Hath not the Lord threatned, Prov. 29.1. He that being often reproved, and still hardens his neck, shall be destroyed suddenly, and that without remedy? Why then do we flatter our selves, and cry Peace, peace? Shall we say as those? Zeph. 1.12. The Lord will do neither good nor evil. Will not God then say, as v.13. Therefore your goods shall become a booty, and your houses a desolation? Whatever may be the foundation our Security is builded upon, so long as provoking Sins are heaping up Wrath, Security doth but hasten our Misery. 'Tis possible we are incredulous that Judgments can ever destroy a People renowned in Profession as we; but since our Profession is but as Samuel's mantle, under which are shrouded most devilish sins, or as a carpet cast over the mouth of Hell, it can never be a shelter for us, but stirs up the Lord to vengeance. Outside-Holiness and mocking Formality renders our condition the worse. Micah 3.11, 12. They leaned upon God in ways of sin, and said, Is not the Lord among us? do we not profess him, p. 142and worship him? Therefore shall Zion for your sakes be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountains of the House of the Lord, as the high places of the forrest. The Ark of the Lord could not save the Israelites sinning; Zion will be no shelter for Hypocrites. 'Tis in vain to flatter our selves with conceits of safety in an outward shew of Godliness; that hay and straw can be no fence from the ruining flames of Divine Vengeance.

Awake then from brutish security, and fall to work to prevent the threatned ruine, by repentance and amendment. Fancy not your selves beyond the reach of judgments, but tremble in your selves, that you may have rest in the day of trouble. Make the Almighty your friend, that he may not be a terrour in the day of Evil. Be afraid of all his judgments, For if you will not learn to fear that great and dreadful Name, the Lord thy God, then will he make thy plagues wonderful, Deut. 28.38. Is not destruction coming after deliverance? Are not dreadful days approaching to us? Consider these few particulars following, and you will see what cause we have to shake off security, and p. 143prepare our selves to meet the Lord in ways of judgments, who have so long enjoy'd the shines of mercy.

1. May we not justly fear our ungrateful carriage towards God, will hasten his formidable departure from us? Unkindness shown to friends coming to us, will certainly discourage them from abiding with us. The happiness of a Nation consists above all, in the fruition of the favourable presence of God; and if by a regardless carriage, or displeasing behavior, we provoke him to depart, our sudden ruine will be the consequence of his deserting of us. Hos. 9.12. Wo also to them when I depart from them. There is that absolute necessity of the presence of the Lord with a people, to conduct them by his Counsel, to protect them by his Power, to succeed them by his blessing in use of saving means, to deliver them in unconquerable dangers, that if he withdraws it from them, none of these things can be done by another hand. Hence the Lord, unwilling to ruine Ierusalem, with bowels of compassion cries out, Ier. 6.8. Be instructed, O Ierusalem, lest my soul depart from thee, and thy land becomes desolate and not inhabited. The soul of a man is the p. 144vivisick principle, on the separation of which from the body, there ensues a death; all strength, counsel, beauty, leaves the body. Thus when the Lord departs, the soul of a Nation is gone, and then the Nation is only a mouldring heap, and as a liveless carcass. We certainly loose all good, when the presence of God is withdrawn from us. If we by our sins make the Almighty go away, he for our sins will take away all kinde of Mercies from us. Deut. 3.1.17. I will forsake them. The regardless Ath…ists of our age will say, Let him go, and what then? Oh, says the Lord. Then shall ye be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come upon you; so that they shall say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because the Lord is not amongst us?

Now may we not fear God will depart from a people that behave themselves so unkindly as we at this day? We slight his presence, abuse his kindness; can we think to be blest with his presence long? We read, Hos. 8.3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good. The Hebr. is only, foreign repulit à se bonum, i. e. foreign, beneficium, or foreign, Praeter quem non est bonum. So Rivet, Grotius, and others: p. 145that is, Israel hath driven from it God the onelyonly good, hath made its kind Benefactor go away. Oh have we not done thus? have we not been driving God away from us; as weary of his Ordinances, tired with Gospel-proffers, nauseating Mercies, and despising Deliverances? How can we think God, can walk with us any longer, when we walk so frowardly and contrary to him? Amos 3.3. How can two walk together, unless they be agreed? thereby God shews them how impossible it was for him to continue in ways of mercy to them, since they refused to walk with him in ways of duty; which is the sweet harmony God expected from them: says the Lord, You would have me to walk with you, and bless you, yet ye depart from me, and blaspheme my Name. How can I longer walk with you? Thus the Lord threatens a people, Lev. 26.21. If ye walk contrary to me, I will walk contrary to you. v. 24. I will bring seven times more Plagues upon you, according to your sins. Oh how perversely have we walked! How contrary is Disobedience to Deliverance, Sinning to Salvation, Cursing to Blessing! and may not God justly leave us p. 146to ruine, and suffer our destruction who deal thus unanswerably with him?

2. May we not justly fear that our provoked God in justice will set the wicked over us, who have despised his righteous and blessed Government? August. says, God sets up wicked oppressors, cum judicat res humanas talibus dignas dominis; when he judges a people meriting such masters. When Religion is co…nted an intolerable yoak, under a Government that decrees the observance of it, we may with terrour expect a yoak to be laid upon our necks that shall be so heavy, that we shall see our unspeakable folly in accounting the service of God a slavery to him. Have we not cause to fear that dreadful word? Deut. 28.47, 48. Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart in the abundance of all things: Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee, in hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and in want of al… things; and they shall put a yoak upon thy neck, until they have destroyed thee. Our wanton spirits under sometimes-a-prosperous Rule, may be humbled by the severities of either forreign Princes prevailing p. 147or home-enemies raigning. God punishing the iniquity of a people, is said, Hos. 13.11. To give them a king in his wrath. When God sets the wicked over a people, 'tis a manifest indication of his anger. God often sets the worst of Governours over the worst of people. As a holy man pleading with God about one Phocas made an Emperour, Cur Domine Phocam Imperatorem constituisti? responsum datum accepit, Quia non inveni pejorem. Why Lord hast thou made Phocas an Emperour? he was answered, Because I could not find a worse.

May not our hearts then dread the fatal effects of removing our present King? (whom God preserve.) Should God in anger do it, what bloody confusion may follow in this nation? and will not our sins in the abundance of mercies, make him destroy both us and our King? Prov. 28.2. For the transgression of a Land, many are the Princes thereof: that is, the continuance of Kings on this account is stortned, and for the punishment of their villanies the lives of their Kings are abbreviated, and one is set up after a…other; which great mutations are often attended with great confusions, and innumerable calamities.

p. 1483. May we not justly fear, the Lord may suspend his divine influence from the Councels of this Nation, that since we have little regarded what he hath done for us, the ablest Advisers, the most politick Counsellours, may be disabled from doing those things which may be profitable for us? How often have the Councellours of a Nation deserted by God, been unprosperous in their enterprises and undertakings for a people? Notwithstanding the care our vigilant Soveraign hath taken or may take to suppress the growing power of Popery by his Royal Proclamations; and although the hearts of our Parliament may be filled with sincerest intentions, to act for the advantage of the Nation, yet they may fail in the means, and be disappointed of the end, if God should desist from concurring with them.

What if their Counsels shall not have acceptance? What if their advice may seem unsafe, and others must needs be chosen? Will not the Enemies of our Nation be working all this while? Will not our Foes be contriving and hastening our ruine, ere we have counsel to prevent it? Would not this be a heavy p. 149Judgment? And may not this be feared by us, who have seen how hard it is to give acceptable counsel in these difficult and dangerous times?

What if the Lord should do to us, as to the Counsellors of a people of old, Isai. 19.14. He mingled a spirit of perversness in the midst of them: Hence they became as a drunken man that staggereth in his vomit. They staggered about, were always unfixed, ever unstable, but reeled this way and that way, not knowing what to do, or where to go. Should this Spirit of division be mingled with ours, what shall we finde but the breach made wider, the distress made greater? Private animosities would be the destruction of publick advantages: The Blessing that hath been promised to the godly, hath been wanting to Councellors in our age, Psal. 1.3. Whatsoever he doth shall prosper. But hath not a miscarrying Womb, and dry Breasts, been the Curse of the Lord upon us?

What if the Lord should suffer them to mistake the means of our recovery, or fall short in what they do? Sometimes it hath been known that Governours have been too sparing to the wicked, to p. 150their own ruine. The King of Israel lost his life, for sparing Benhadad that should have died, 1 Kings 20.41. Thus saith the Lord, Because thou hast let go out of thine hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people. It seems Ahab had too great a kindness for Benhadad, who deserved to dye, being an implacable enemy to them: And are there not such enemies to be destroy'd at this day? He also held by Tyranny places belonging to the Israelites, and therefore deserved death: And are there not those who are seeking to possess what belongs unto us, that ought to be cut off for their malicious enterprizes? He was also one that God did manifest his displeasure against, by destroying 100000 Footmen of them, whereby he might understand Gods displeasure against him. Now for him to spare this enemy, to intreat so honourably this publick Adversary, when given into his hands, brought him under this threatning. Should our enemies be even spared like him, should we not suffer after this manner? And will not this be a bad exchange, to give our lives for theirs? Will this be a worthy deed, to p. 151spare a thief from the gallows to cut our throats? See 1 Sam. 14.21, 23. There is little trusting such enemies, whatever pretences they make. Iudaeo baptizato, & lupo domestico, non est credendum. We must not trust a baptized Iew, being an inward enemy to a Christian; nor a house-wolf, that will still make murder among the sheep.

Sometimes in the world it hath been known, that as men have been too sparing to the wicked, so too cruel to the godly. The rod hath been laid on the wrong back, as the Poet said,

Dat veniam corvis, vexat censura columbas. The innocent Doves are censur'd, whilst the ravenous Crows are pardoned. The Christians in former days have been cloath'd with Bears-skins, and then baited. Some persons are misrepresented, and then more severely reprehended than those a thousand times more guilty. We read in Scripture how Ahasuerus, that mighty Prince, was brought to decree the ruine of the Iews, by the aspersions Haman cast upon them, as if they were a people not fit to live, and that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them; and by this means this innocent people had utterly been p. 152destroyed, had not a wonderful Providence prevented. Hence sometimes it hath been experienced, that a poor afflicted people have born the punishments designed for and deserved by others, only from the misprisions of prejudiced persons. Should it then be ever thus with us, how soon would our ruine come upon us? How would the hands of enemies be strengthened, and the Nation disabled from helping it self?

4. May we not justly fear our enemies have now set forward, by their doubled diligence, that designe which was set back by the discovery of their accursed Plot? Our enemies may be like the Devil, qui surgit armis quibus dejicitur, rises by the weapons by which he is cast down: So these politick Wretches may improve the discovery of their designs, to make for the advancing of them, by laying their Plots more cunningly. We have often heard of repulsed Armies gaining force, and at last become triumphing Conquerours. Our enemies may yet be rallying upon us, and that with a more invincible fury. The Fowler often removes his snares, understanding the birds perception of it; our enemies may change p. 153or remove their snares, and yet be as nea to slay and undo us as before. And when we are most secure from it, we are nearest to it. The dreadful battle was against Gibeah, when he knew not such an evil was near him, Judg. 20.34. Those Serpents will not dye because their tails are cut off. Those grand Politicians can contrive more ways than one. 'Tis possible their fainting hearts have had some Cordials from Rome to revive them. France can help them at a dead lift: and their Ghostly Father will prevent the ruine of his cursed brats, if all he can do can ruine us. May we not fear things are brought to be statu quo, as they were before, or rather worse, if that be possible? I fear every gap is not yet stopt, whereby our enemies may possibly invade us. I think it may be feared our enemies are not yet so much impaired, but that they are able to recover their loss of some Arms they had to spare, and some men they will not miss amongst their thousands. Do they not cry in the stoutness of their hearts and pride of spirit, as Isa. 9.10. The bricks are fallen down, we will build with stones; the sycomores are cut down, we will build with cedars? We have been p. 154too remiss this once, but now we will be more invincible. The water cast upon their fire, may make it burn the more fiercely, and vexatious disappointments will make them more diligent.

5. May we not justly fear the relief that we have, may be no other than a faint chearing before a miserable death? How often do we see men labouring under deadly diseases, revive a little, and give up the Ghost? How often do we know a whist calm, before a raging storm? A people may get a little heart immediately before their ruine. 2 Kings 17.4. compared with Hos. 1.8. When Lo-ammi was born, the ten tribes that before were dispirited, and by presents did homage to the King of Assyria year by year, begin to be jolly, and hope to cast off the yoak of bondage, and bring presents no longer; but joyned in confederacy with Egypt, which was immediately before their rejection. God begins to save with a little escape, but it may be but a little lightning before death. The Dolphin sports much before a storm. Men in jolly and fearless condition, is a dreadful presage of a ruining storm. So true p. 155it is in maximâ fortunâ minima licentia. In the greatest prosperity, we are not allowed the least sinful liberty. God threatning to bring down judgments upon Israel, says, he will feed him as a lamb in a large place, Hos. 4.16. To enlarge a peoples bounds, is in Scripture taken to free them from troubles; so God designing great distress, would a while free them from troubles. 'Tis a metaphor taken from Butchers, who about to slay their Cattle, first put them into large pastures to fatten them; so God about to destroy a people, often gives them a freedome from distress, and leaves them to fill up apace the measures of their sins, and then brings them out to slaughter: Hence Merc. on the place; Nunc Israelitas copiosè pascet, ut mox saginati hostibus dedantur trucidandi. He feeds the Isralites most plentifully with mercies, that being fatted up, they may become a prey to their butchering enemies. Oh how fast do we fatten! How soon shall we be ready to be sacrifices to our enemies?

6. May we not justly fear, that as God in his wrath hath dealt with others, he may deal with us? When Judgments on others are not made use of as warnings, duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page p. 156they become but examples and patterns of our own destruction. Luke 13.3. Except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. The Sword of Justice is not so blunted by wounding others, but it can wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on in sin. The Arrows of Divine Vengeance are not yet spent, there may be many in reserve to pierce our obstinate, hardened hearts. God is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; the same to love, protect and secure his obsequious people; the same to ruine and destroy rebellious sinners. Ezek. 20.36. Like as I have pleaded with your Fathers, so will I plead with you. The punishments of sin other Nations have experienced, may at last be inflicted on us. The Vengeance of God on others, is a signe to us, Jer. 7.12-14. Go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel; and now because ye have done all these works, saith the Lord, therefore will I do so to this house, &c. May not the dealings of God with others, prognosticate his dealings with us? May not the sore Desolations in Germany, the distresses of Protestants in France, the ruines of the Churches we read of in Iohn's Revelations, p. 157cause us to fear we at last shall experience the same Miseries, and drink of the same cup of Astonishment that hath been given to them? 2 Pet. 2.5, 6. If God spared not the old world, shalt thou escape his judgment? What have we more to secure us? Why should we not be made as Sodome by judgments, that parallel it in sins? Let us take the caution God gave to Israel, Deut. 24.9. Remember what the Lord thy God did unto Miriam by the way, when he brought thee from Egypt. Minde what God hath been doing to other Nations. The Inscription on Senacherib's Statue may be written on all ruined Nations, foreign. Beholding me, learn to be godly. But especially when distresses fall on a people near us, we are greatly to regard them. The Protestants in France are already involv'd in unspeakable trouble, and as the Poet said,

—Tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardet. Thou art greatly concerned when thy Neighbours house is in flames. The Cup passes from one to another.

7. To conclude, Although we may have an escape from final Ruine, and glorious Times may succeed our unhappy p. 158days, may we not justly fear, that our Mercies may be ushered in with a great deal of Misery, and that a black Storm will precede our glorious Sunshine? The approaches of Mercies may be attended with amazing Terrour. Great distresses may justly be expected, before our great Deliverance.

The shorter the time of enemies raigning is, the greater will be their rage. A Cloud ushered in the presence of God to the Tabernacle; Christs coming to redeem his people, appears in a cloud. The darkest hour is a little before the dawning of the glorious day. The sorest conflicts Israel had, was on their entrance into their blessed and promised Canaan. Mercies of greatest excellencies, have proportioned difficulties. Iosephs pearled Crown, & Chains of honour, had answerable links of trouble. We have just cause from Gods promises to expect some glorious days, but certainly a gloomy day will be first. The earth will be shaken when Babylon shall fall. Before we can be happy, the filth of England must be washed away with the spirit of judgment and burning. We may be dealt with as is spoken of the Iews, Zech. 13.8, 9 Two parts p. 159may be cut off, and the third refined. I may confidently assert, God will bring more glorious days than yet the world enjoyed; but as Balaam said, Alas, who shall live when the Lord does this? Numb. 24.24. Thou or I may be cut off, with millions more; and seeing this time is at hand, be not secure. The onelyonly way to secure any future deliverance, is by improving this. The way to have future salvation, is to make use of this you enjoy, to mortifie sins. For the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those that turn from iniquity in Jacob, Isa. 59.20. So then let us no longer abuse the patience of God; but since he is an indulgent Father, let us become obedient Children; that so we may hope, that he that hath delivered, and can deliver, will still be continuing deliverances to us.

SOLI DEO GLORIA.

FINIS.

ERRATA.

PREFACE. Page 6. line 14. for health read hearts.

BOOK. Page 21. line ult. read foreign p. 22 l. 10. r. multiplicavi. p. 47. l. 24. for willing, r. unwilling. p. 59. note, that at the twelfth line begins a fourth head. p. 73. note, l. 5. begins a second head. p. 90. note, l. 13. begins a fourth head. p. 100. l. 26. for also, r. able. p. 103. l. 3. for usurped, r. envied.