Israels Lamentation After the Lord, Title page – Author to the reader
Iſrael's Lamentation After the Lord: OR, A DISCOURSE, WHEREIN
Every well-wiſher to Zion is excited, and directed how to lament after the Lord with Prayers and Tears,
To maintain the Ordinances of God, or God's preſence with his Ordinances amongſt us.
BEING Some Meditations upon 1 Sam. 7.2.
Pſalm 80.4. O Lord God of Hoſts: how long wilt thou be angry (Heb. ſmoke) againſt the Prayer of thy People?
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the three Crowns & Bible at the lower end of Cheapſide. 1683.
AN Humble Addreſs TO THE Righteous GOD.
RIghteous art thou, O Lord, Pſal. 145.17. Jer. 12.1.in all thy ways, and holy in all thy works, muſt Duſt and Aſhes ſay when they ſpeak to thee, or plead with thee; All Iſrael have tranſgreſſed thy Law, Dan. 9.11, 12.and deſpiſed thy Goſpel, therefore haſt thou brought upon us a great Evil, ſuch as hath ſcarce ever been done under the whole Heaven; not three Shepherds cut off in a month, Zech. 11.8.but ſome thouſands in one day, and this not for a day, or month, or year, but even twenty years already; Pſal. 74.9.neither is there any among us that knoweth how long this ſad Cloud may be upon us: Thy will be done: Thou haſt puniſhed us leſs than our iniquities deſerve; Ezra 9.13.but to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveneſſes, Dan. 9.9. Gen. 18.25.though we rebelled againſt thee; and ſhall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? Look down from Heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy Holineſs, Iſa. 64.15. Pſal. 9.18.and of thy Glory: Shall the needy alwaies be forgotten? ſhall the expectation of the Poor periſh for ever? Be not wrath very ſore, Iſa. 64.9.O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: Behold, ſee we beſeech thee, we are all thy People; though our iniquities teſtifie againſt us, Jer. 14.7.do thou this for thy Names ſake; for behold for thy ſake we are killed all the day long. The Lord God of Hoſts, Pſal. 44.22.the Lord God of gods, he knoweth, and Iſrael he ſhall know, Joſh. 22.22.if it be rebellion, or tranſgreſſion againſt the Lord. Judg, Pſal. 26.1.O Lord, them that have walked in their integrity: Recompence thy Servants according to the cleanneſs of their hands in thine Eye-ſight, Pſal. 18.21, 24.that have not wickedly departed from their God; or, by the grace of God have acknowledged their offence, returned to thee, Hoſ. 5.15. Hoſ. 6.13.and who at laſt are following on to know the Lord, and pleading and hoping for a reviving and raiſing up after theſe daies or years of death, let thy dead men live, Iſa. 26.19. Rev. 11.11, 12.thy ſlain Witneſſes be called up, and aſcend to Heaven in a Cloud; let there be a ſhaking, Ezek. 37.6, 9.that theſe dry Bones may come together: Come O Wind, and breath on them, Dan. 9.17.that they may live: Cauſe thy face to ſhine upon thy Sanctuary, for the Lord's ſake. In midſt of Judgment remember mercy, and at laſt revive thy work. Give us the opening of the mouth. Hab. 3.2. Ezek. 3.27. Mat. 5.15.Set thy Light on a Candleſtick. Hold the Stars in thy right hand. Rev 2.1.Let thy Peoples Eyes ſee their Teachers. Iſa. 30.20.Give us help from trouble, Pſal. 60.11.for vain is the help of man. Purifie the Sons of Levi, Mal. 3.3.that they may offer to the Lord an Offering in Righteouſneſs. Mal. 3.6.Thou art Jehovah, and changeſt not, therefore we the Sons of Jacob are not all conſumed. Thou art the Creator of the Ends of the Earth, Pſal. 40.28. Pſal. 44.4.and therefore canſt command deliverance for Jacob. There's no ſearching of thine underſtanding, 2 Sam. 14.14. 1 Cor. 10.13. Iſa. 44.26. Iſa. 30.18.therefore canſt deviſe ways for the baniſhed to be reſtored; a faithful God, and wilt perform thy Promiſes, and confirm the Word of thy Servants. But our God is a God of Judgment; bleſſed are all they that wait for him. He which teſtifieth theſe things, Rev. 22.20.ſaith, Surely I come quickly, Amen; even ſo come Lord Jeſus.
TO All the Mourners IN ZION, That wait for The Conſolation of Iſrael, Grace, Mercy, and Peace.
THe ſharp rebukes that Divine diſpleaſure hath laid us under theſe many Years, have cauſed many thoughts of heart; whilſt prophane men have ſhot their Arrows, bitter words, it becomes Gods Children to have many ſolemn ſearchings of hearts and ſerious Enquiries after the Reaſon of the Lords Controverſie with the Daughter of Zion, Hag. 1.5.word and Rod call to us to conſider our ways, and Gods People have called on themſelves and one another ſaying. Lam. 3 40.Let us ſearch and try our ways and turn again to the Lord: Doubtleſs the occaſion is given by us, we turned away from God before he turned his back upon us. 1 Pet. 4 17.Judgment is begun at the houſe of God, and he expects repentance ſhould begin there; That pacification: may be firſt begun there: God ſaith, You only have I known of all the Families of the earth, Amos 3.2.therefore I will puniſh you for your iniquities: And well he may for the provocation of his Sons and Daughters goes neareſt his heart, Deut. 32.19.as being againſt greater light, and love, means, mercies, obligations and expectations then any others; ſurely it's high time for us to awake out of ſleep: Rom. 13.11The charge is drawn up, the indictment is read, Scourges have been laid on, yea of ſuch a nature as have come neareſt the hearts of the Godly. Loſs of Goſpel-priviledges, is a greater affliction then loſs of Gold, Goods, Houſes, Liberties, Relations, Yea of life it ſelf; Hoſ. 9.12.Yea ſaith God, Woe, alſo unto them when I depart from them. God doth not uſe to depart till he be ſlighted, or thruſt away; This hath been a long dark and gloomy day, a day of rebuke and Blaſphemy, a day of Scattering and treading in down the valley of Viſion. Miniſters and their dear flocks rent aſunder; Solemn aſſemblies ſorrowfully broken up; Sad and ſilent Sabboths, by ſome profaned; Ignorance increaſing, converſion work ſtopped, Sinners hardened, Young beginners in Religion diſcouraged, Atheiſm abounding, Preſecution revived, and thouſands of precious Souls wandring about as ſheep that have no ſhepheard; Many publick uplaces being ill ſupplyed, and guilt broaght upon the nation, preſſing us down tow ords deſtruction, yea ſuch ſins as leave a People remedileſs, mocking the meſſengers of God, deſpiſing his words, miſuſing his prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16.till the wrath of the Lord ariſe againſt us, till there be no remedy, or no healing; this brought Iſrael into captivity out of their own Land. Yea this hath brought the final ſcattering of that forlorn Nation to this day, killing the Lord Jeſus, their own Prophets perſecuting the Apoſtles, forbidding them to ſpeak to the gentiles that they might be ſaved, to fill up their ſins alwaies, for wrath is come upon them to the uttermoſt: 1 Theſ. 2.15, 16,& ſurely this lies neareſt the hearts of real Saints next to Gods glory and their own Souls, that poor ſinners damn themſelves & deſtroy the Nation. It's dreadful indeed to ſee debauchery in the land abounding, and baſeſt of men vent perſonal malice againſt Gods deareſt Children for no other fault but worſhipping God and praying for their perſecutors.
Men write voluminous treatiſes of invectives againſt us, charging us with Schiſms, Sedition, Faction, and Rebellion which, God knows, our Souls hate, and we durſt appeal to our worſt adverſaries in their ſober intervals, that they cannot but know the contrary; and after all theſe longlaſting and heavy-preſſing evils come upon us, Jer. 8.20.one barveſt is paſſed, and many ſummers and winters ended, and we are not ſaved. As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help, in our watching we have watched for a Nation that cannot ſave us: Lam. 4.17.We looked for peace, but no good came, for a time of health, and behold trouble. Jer. 8.15.And we may diſcern Gods anger in the wrath of men: And after all this ſhall we ſit ſtill, and be ſottiſh under this aſtoniſhing hand of God? Surely our work is not to complain of, much leſs oppoſe men but look into our own hearts and lives by ſelf examination, Humiliation, Reformation, for theſe vapours that darken the Heavens ariſe from our filthy hearts and lives, theſe Arrows are winged with our own feathers, Hoſ. 13.9. Jer. 4.18.it may be ſaid to every individual, thy way and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee, this is thy wickedneſs; Becauſe it is bitter, becauſe it reacheth unto thine heart, yea to thy Soul: Salvian complained of old, that by our ſins the enemies were ſtrong; this is the Achan, in the camp, the Jonah in the ſhip, the worm in the gourd; if ſin abide ſtill in us, we cannot be ſafe, it's in vain to expect deliverance till the cauſe of the provocation on our part be diſcarded and purged away: It's true God is the inflicting cauſe, wicked men the inſtruments, but our own ſelves are the deſerving and procuring cauſe of all our woes: The proteſtants in Queen Marys days lamented that their unprofitableneſs, contempt of the Goſpel, under King Edward 6th brought on them thoſe bloody days of Perſecution, and if we do not mourn, and reform, we may conclude theſe are but the beginnings of ſorrow, as drops before the ſhower of blood, that after this propheſying in ſackcloth, witneſſes ſhall be ſlain, and the number of Martyrs accompliſhed, and Antichriſts ſins filled up; By ſetting up the abomination of deſolation, which God Almighty prevent.
Theſe things conſidered, and often rolled in my thoughts, I caſt about what was the fitteſt courſe to be taken for preventing God's further Removes, and reduce him back to our Souls, and Aſſemblies; and I find that 1. God purpoſely removes to make us follow him, Hoſ. 5.15.as a wiſe Nurſe doth by a weak Child. 2. He ſtops and halts, as in ſuſpenſe what to do, that he may both alarum us, Hoſ. 11.18.and afford us leiſure to conſider what courſe to take. 3. He makes a gracious promiſe, that if we do follow on to know the Lord, Hoſ. 6.3.his going forth ſhall be prepared as the morning. And 4. He complaineth that there is none that calleth on his Name, Iſa. 64.7.that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold on God, i. e. to keep him from departing, or to fetch him back. Conſidering the Premiſes, I was deſirous in my poor meaſure, to promote God's work in the Souls of his People, and ingage all that have any Intereſt in God, to improve it at this day for the preventing of his total Removal, and detaining of God with us; not as the Inhabitants of Tyrus, when Alexander beſieged it; and one of their Diviners told them, that it was revealed to him in a Dream, that Apollo their god was ſhortly to depart from them, thereupon they take the Image of Apollo, and bind it with a Chain of Gold to a Poſt, thinking thereby to detain him. No, no, we cannot force God againſt his will to tarry, but we are in obedience to God's command, and diſcharge of our duty, and in performance of the Condition of his Promiſe, to lament after the Lord with Prayers, Tears, Confeſſions, Reformations, pleading with God through the Interceſſion of his Son, for his Return, and Reſidence with us. While wicked Gadarens are by words and works bidding bleſſed Jeſus depart out of our Coaſts, it becomes us ſolemnly to invite him, open the doors of our hearts to him, and give him free welcom, ſaying, Lord abide with us: Luk. 24.29.thus he may be conſtrained to tarry with us. And though in this horrid Tempeſt, that the Ship of the Church is ſorely toſſed with, Mat. 8.24, 25.ſo that it's covered with Waves, our Lord be aſleep, yet Faith and Prayer will awake him: And though we cannot peremptorily ſay, he will ſave our Perſons, Priviledges, or his Church in England, yet we may with ſome confidence ſay, he will certainly ſave Zion, and build his Church ſomewhere in the World; he will ſave our own Souls, and it may be we ſhall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger; Zeph. 2.3.it may be that the Lord God of Hoſts will be gracious unto the Remnant of Joſeph. Amos 5.15.Who knoweth if he will return and repent, Joel 2.14.and leave a bleſſing behind him? Even an Heathen King took this courſe, Jonah 3.7, 8. Ezra 10.2.and upon no other aſſurance, than a [Who can tell?] There is hope in Iſrael concerning this thing, only it becomes us to wait God's leiſure, and patiently, yea valiantly paſs through the Fiery Tryal before us; wherein Papiſts will far exceed Proteſtants in rage: However Mr. Greenham ſaid, He that will ſuffer by Papiſts, muſt learn to ſuffer by Proteſtants; and he that hath well paſſed the Pikes in Campfight, may hope to paſs ſafe through the Fire-Ordeal. Integrity and uprightneſs will preſerve us, ſeconded by a Divine manutenency in ſharpeſt Tryals. The God of all Grace, who hath called you into his eternal Glory by Chriſt Jeſus, after that ye have ſuffered a while, 1 Pet. 5.10.make you perfect, ſtabliſh, ſtrengthen, ſettle you.
May it pleaſe the Lord to own theſe weak (though ſeaſonable) Labours for quickening the Spirits of his People to lament after the Lord; it may be he will return to the many thouſands of his People in theſe Nations. And after we have been digging Eſek [Strife] and Sitnah, [hateful oppoſition] God may cauſe us unanimouſly to digg Rehoboth [Room] that the Lord may make room for us, Gen. 26.20, 21, 22.and make us fruitful in the Land. Oh for ſuch a day! There is a day wherein they ſhall not hurt nor deſtroy in all God's holy Mountain; Iſa. 11.6, 7, 8, 9.wherein the Wolf ſhall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard ſhall lie down with the Kid, &c. Wherein his People ſhall ſee Eye to Eye, and ſerve him with one conſent, or ſhoulder, Zeph. 3.9. v. 13.and that he will turn to his People a pure Language, or Lip; that they ſhall feed and lye down, and none ſhall make them afraid. It becomes God's People to make a Catalogue of theſe and ſuch like Promiſes, and ſpread them before the Lord; for he is a faithful God, and will perform his Promiſe, which ſaith, Jer. 30.17. For I will reſtore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, ſaith the Lord, becauſe they called thee an out-caſt, ſaying, This is Zion, whom no man ſeeketh after: And let all that love her ſay Amen. Then the Angel of the Lord anſwered and ſaid, Zech. 1.12, 13.O Lord of Hoſts! how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jeruſalem, and on the Cities of Judah, againſt which thou haſt had indignation theſe threeſcore and ten years?
And the Lord anſwered the Angel that talked with me, with good words, and comfortable words.
That this may be the Iſſue of this Diſpenſation, Interceſſion, Lamentation, is the hearty Prayer of
Thy Soul-Friend, O. H. Aug. 22. 1682.