Israels Lamentation After the Lord — Oliver Heywood

Israels Lamentation After the Lord · Oliver Heywood

Iſrael's Lamentation after the Lord.

1 Sam. 7.2.

—And all the Houſe of Iſrael lamented after the Lord.

THe whole ſeries of the Hiſtory of the Times in which this Scripture was writ, take in ſhort thus: After the Judges in the preceding Book (ſo called) God raiſed up Eli, who was both a Judg and Prieſt, who though he was a good man himſelf, yet his Sons were prophane, c. 2.12-17.and oppreſſed the People, by requiring both boyled-fleſh and raw for roaſting, abuſing the women that came to the door of the Tabernacle ſo that their ſin was very great, and of bad conſequence, for men abhorred, the offering of the Lord. Eli being informed of his Sons profligate courſes, 1 Sam. 2.23. Ser. 10. deſects in this reproof. Polirit. in los.too much indulged them, or too mildly rebukes them; Why do you ſuch things? too ſoft words for ſuch hard and hainous acts: there wanted deeds, he being a Magiſtrate ought to have puniſhed or removved them, c. 2.27.if not put them to death: well, God ſends a man of God to Eli, [Whether Elias, or an Angel, or Phinehas or Elkanah, I diſpute not] to rebuke and threaten him and his houſe, but he not reforming God inſpires and commiſſions young Samuel to give him a Sound admonition, c. 3.18.and warn him, as immediately from the Lord: the good old man falls under the Admonition though by a Child, but now the diſeaſe was grown paſt his curing, his counſel did no good, and he could not correct them, 1 Sam. 3.18.no doubt he acknowledged his fault, and ſince it will be no better he puts the matter over into Gods hands, let him do what ſeemeth him good: God can by his grace curb and cure them, or by his power he can cruſh and confound them, let him uſe his pleaſure, I give my children into his hands, let my Lord get to himſelf a name of Glory by them or upon them, I freely ſubmit: a ſpeech becoming a man of God and religious Prieſt:well, God himſelf undertakes to deal with them; in the 4th Chapter the Iſraelites and Philiſtins joyn battel, 1 Sam. 4.2, 3, 4.four thouſand Iſraelites are ſlain, the Ark is ſent for into the Camp, the Tables of the Law within it are broken, yet the Ark muſt be their Palladium. They doted on the Ark, but provoked the God of the Ark: they repent not of their corrupt manners or defiling Gods Worſhip, they neither uſed outward means by recruiting their Army, which was a tempting of God, nor do they uſe proper religious means, to get reconciliation with God, but fondly preſume upon Gods lenity and indulgence to them becauſe of the meer preſence of the Ark: the Ark comes, Hophni and Phinehas carry it, Iſrael ſhouts for joy, 1 Sam. 4.9. v. 10.the Philiſtines animate one another, imagining, if they now prevailed, they conquered the God of Iſrael, v. 10.looking on the Ark to be Iſraels Idol, or at leaſt, that Gods power was tyed to it, after the conceit of Idolaters; 1 Sam. 4.10, 11, 12.they fight, prevail, kill, thirty thouſand Hebrews, & Hophni & Phinehas, take the Ark priſoner, the tidings whereof broke Elies heart, then his neck, v. 18, 19.brought pangs on Phinehas wife, and though ſhe was a mother, yet full of grief, which ſhe bequeathed to the world in the name of her ſurviving child, Ichabod: Well, the Philiſtins now lead Iſraels God in triumph, as they judg, they bring it to Dagon they God in Aſhdod, in reproach of the true God; 1 Sam. 5.1, 2.but the triumphing of the wicked is ſhort, though Iſrael be a loſer, yet Dagon and his Worſhippers are no gainers by the Ark of Gods preſence: 1 Sam. 5.3, 4.Dagon falls on his face, proſtrated in homage thereto, beaten on his own dunghil; being crected again, his head & hands were knockt off by another fall. So that now he had neither wit nor ſtrength to help himſelf the fair Venus, or womaniſh part was gone, the fiſhy part only is left; but this was but a ſport in compariſon of what befell Dagons Worſhippers, 1 Sam. 5.6.for Gods hand was heavy on them all; Aſhdod or Azotus, as the Spartan Boy carryed the Fox in his boſom till he ſtopt his vitals, ſo theſe, the Ark that was ſalutiferous to its obſervers, was mortiferous to its contemners; even as the Lords Supper is profitable to due partakers, but unworthy receivers find it to turn to their judgment here, 1 Cor. 11.29.and damnation hereafter. Carnal hearts pretend a fond reſpect to ordinances, but find the Lord a jealous God upon their perverting his inſtitutions or unſuitable carriage: Aſhdod was ſoon weary of Gods Ark, they hold a councel of their Lords: they poſt it away to Gath, which was their Metropolis, thinking belike, that to be a better air, or under a more benign influence of the ſtars: 1 Sam. 5.9.But here alſo Gods hand was upon them with a very great deſtruction, they had painful and incurable Emerods in their ſecret parts; being weary of the Ark, they would ſhift it off to Ekron, v. 10.but the Ekronites were wiſe by others harms, and a conſultation was had to carry back the Ark into its place, 1 Sam. 6.2.for all the five citys of the Philiſtins were ſharply puniſhed, thoſe ſeven months it was in their country. And they were weary of it; only conſulted the Diviners how to ſend it back, they adviſed to ſend it with a treſpaſs offering, 1 Sam. 6.4.i. e. five golden Emrods and five golden Mice, give glory to the God of Iſrael upon a new cart, drawn by two milch Kine, and by their motion they might know whether it was Gods hand or a chance, and peradventure they might be healed; they did ſo, 1 Sam. 6.12.the Kine went ſtraight to Bethſhemeſh a city of the Levites, they rejoyced to ſee it coming, but though they offered a burnt-offering to the Lord, yet looking into the Ark, the Lord ſmote fifty thouſand threeſcore & ten men with death; and they lamented it, & cryed out, v. 19.20.Who is able to ſtand before this holy Lord God? But alas, they lament not their Sacriledg & injury to the Ark, but the death of their People, imitating the Philiſtine (qui propter culpas non dolebant, ſed propter paenas ululabant) they houled for the puniſhment, not kindly mourning for their offences: they reflect not on their own miſcarriages, but transfer the cauſe to Gods holineſs: And now they alſo would be glad to be rid of ſo chargeable a Gueſt, and ſend meſſengers to Kiriath-jearim, to fetch it to them: who came and fetcht it.

Qu. Why did they not ſend it to Shilo where it was before?

Anſ. 1. That was far off, this near, they in haſt to get delivered of that burden.

2. Divine providence removes from Shilo for the impiety thereof, Jer. 7.12. you ſee ordinances are not perpetually entailed on one place: the Goſpel is a flitting Goſpel, God ſometimes breaks up houſe and is gone to another coaſt: Pſal. 78.58, 61. Mat. 21.43.

Qu. Why were not they of Kiriath jearim afraid of Bethſhemeſh's puniſhment?

Anſ. they knew that plague was not for the Arks ſake but for their Irreverence and Curioſity; now they reſolve to reform that and take warning as David did, 1 Chron. 15.13. it becomes perſons that ſuffer in Ordinances, not to find fault with God or them, but Charge it on themſelves, and amend what is amiſs; mens own ſins are the procuring Gods juſtice, the impoſing cauſe of troubles; that's a good Scholar that learns theſe two Leſſons under Gods hand.

I ſhall not trouble you with enumerating the ſeveral places in which the Ark reſted amongſt the Iſralites before it was brought by David into Obed Edoms houſe, 2 Sam. 6.10. Nor what this Sanctifying Eleazar, or ordaining him to the Sacred Miniſtry: what this keeping the Ark is, that nothing be taken away, or no uncomly thing be done to it or about it: nor why Eleazar the Son, and not Abinadab the father was imployed about it: whether Abinadab was old and decrepid, or dead, or buſie about houſehold affairs, or Eleazar was more holy, is not much material to inquire. But it may be asked whether the Ark was only twenty years there? Anſ. 1. The Ark was there all the days of Saul, which was above forty years, Act. 13.21.but this was [jam annus vigeſimus] the twentieth, till this time of Samuels Preaching his Sermon, in the following verſe: or before Iſrael much inquired after it, or were ſenſible of their loſs of it: So deeply were the roots of impiety and idolatry faſtened in them.

The text contains

1. The Ark's receſs.

2. Iſrael's repentance.

1. for the former in the Arks receſs.

Obſerve

1. The place where; in Kirjath-jearim, more particularly, Abinadabs houſe, v. 1, 2.

2. The time or duration; 20 years; a long time indeed.

Qu. 1. What's meant by the Ark here?

Anſ. 'Tis needleſs to explain the word foreign which ſignifieth a Cheſt or Coffin, Gen 50.26. or to put money in, 2 Kin. 12.10. but this Ark was appointed by God, where the Tables of the Law were laid up, therefore called the Ark of the Teſtimony, there God communed with Iſrael, hence called the Ark of his preſence, Exod. 25.22. here the People of Iſrael were to Worſhip, and inquire Gods mind at it, and it guided their journeyings, Numb. 10.35, 36. And though the Ark have many ſignifications, yet good Expoſitors think that what the Ark of God was to the Iſraelites of old that the Goſpel Ordinances are to us: which are means of grace, tokens of Gods preſence, and inſtitutions of Worſhip.

Qu. 2. What's meant by the Arks being in Aibnadab's houſe in Kirjath-jearim?

Anſ. It imports its privacy, Solitude, i. e. comparatively, few could few would frequent it, as formerly at Shiloh.

1. Becauſe this city was near the Philiſtins upon the borders of the land, and ſo the other tribes could not ſo commodiouſly reſort to it for devotion, or they durſt not, leſt the Philiſtins ſhould ſet upon them, if any numbers come together for that end, as indeed they did, v. 7. Never is the Devil and his Imps more enraged againſt God's people than when they meet to worſhip God: for the Philiſtins had interdicted Iſrael to meet together, and now they ſuſpect them of Sedition and Rebellion:

2. Becauſe the Ark being but in a private houſe, few could meet there at once to worſhip God, or hear the word; ſome (it's poſſible) cared not for it, had other ways of their own hearts they followed, others had a months mind to it, but being aged or infirm, could not get thither, or continue comfortably before the Lord there, but were ſubject to many inconveniences: others were afraid of the ſcoffs and reproaches of their adverſaries, and few would be at the pains to go attend on God in his appointments.

Qu. 3. had the People no publick Ordinances or Inſtructions all this time?

A. 'Tis likely they had ordinary Levites and Prieſts to offer Sacrifices, and inſtruct the People, though in the time of ſeveral Judges, there was ſad work both in civils & ſpirituals; Judg. 17.6.18.1.19.1.21.25.ſometimes there was no King or publick Magiſtrate in Iſrael, and then every man did that which was right in his own eyes; hence Micah gets a houſe of graven Images & a Levite to be his Prieſt, Judg. 17.5—18. certainly there was ſad ignorance and woful degeneracy into impiety and Idolatry as is aparent by many inſtances.

Expoſitors obſerve but two Prophets, in all the time of the Judges which was 450 years, Act. 13.20. the one was Debora a Propheteſs, Judg. 4.4. and that Judg. 6.8. the Lord ſent a prophet, except that Angel that came up from Gilgal to Bochim, ch. 2.1. by a Prophet; So that Peter begins to number the Prophets from Samuel, Act. 3.24. and Paul mentions Samuel the Prophet as not an ordinary Perſon, yea he broke forth like a certain glorious Sun out of the night of darkneſs both of ſin and errour; and till thoſe days the word of the Lord was precious, 1 Sam. 3.1. i. e. it was, [1. rarus, 2. charus] either rare, becauſe there were few Prophets to declare Gods Word to the People; rarely did the Lord reveal himſelf, and therefore was it the more precious and highly eſteemed by all; but that text ſaith further, there was no open viſion, that ſeems to be an interpretation of my Text; no Viſion diffuſed, or ſprinkled abroad, common, multiplyed, but ſhut up in a fence, Erumpere i.e. copioſe producere.pail or within walls, ſo the word ſignifys, foreign, no broken viſion; a loaf that's whole, nouriſheth not; a book cloſed up inſtructs not; a fountain ſhut up waters not; the open preaching of the word diſtributes it abroad to all parts, & members of the myſtical body, this is the multiplication of ſeeds, bread, as in Chriſt's miracles, diſtributed amongſt thouſands, but alas there was none to break the bread of life to ſouls, till Samuel aroſe, and then the word of Samuel came to all Iſrael, 1 Sam. 4.1. he now preached repentance to all, and that they ſhould make an expedition againſt the Philiſtins, however for want of reformation it proved not ſucceſsful, but that evil was brought on them to promote their humiliation: poſſibly Samuel foretold this fall to them as a puniſhment of their Sin.

And now Samuel renews his Exhortation, providence producing this Argument, to reinforce the duty of Repentance, and though this lamenting after the Lord be mentioned before his Sermon, yet it's probable it was the conſequent thereupon, as their reformation alſo was ver. 4. yea it may be this is the ſame with their drawing water, and pouring it out before the Lord ver. 6. which ſome underſtand of penitent tears.Vid. Pol. Syn. in loc.

Take ſome general obſervations from the context thus explained:

1. God gives his People ſenſible tokens of his ſpecial preſence, viſible Ark, audible voice betoken ſpiritual inviſible grace; ſo the Ark, and, preaching.

2. God thinks good ſometimes to abſcond and hide theſe tokens of his preſence from a profeſſing people.

3. This with drawing may be continued a long time, 2 Chron. 13.3. ſo in Babylon Zoch. 1.13. in latter days, Hoſ. 3.4.

4. God takes particular notice of the duration of his Churches affliction, in Egypt 400. years, ſo Rev. 11.11.

5. Peoples Priviledges may be long removed before they be kindly ſenſible of their loſs, long before they recover themſelves.

6. When Gods Ordinances are but privately diſpenſed, it's a great loſs to the body of a People, ſuch as need them moſt have then leaſt of them:

7. Continuance in ſin prolongs deliverance, and abſence of the Ark or Ordinances is an occaſion of continuing in ſin. Men do withdraw their hearts from God, that's ſinful; God withdraws helps from them, that's poenal; men repent not ordinarily without helps; God denies helps, and is juſt therein.

8. Attendance on Ordinances raiſeth the envy of wicked men; this hath been the quarrel from the daies of Cain and Abel, ſucceſſively to this day, Gen. 4.5, 1 King. 18.Exod. 9.1. Ezra 4.12, 13. Gal. 4.29. Eſther 3.8. Dan. 3.12. & 6.13.

9. One ſtirring active Inſtrument for God, may by God's bleſſing promote Repentance and Reformation amongſt a people. Oh what hurt may one ſinner do! So what good may one uſeful man do when God ſtirs up their hearts. Samuel ſets things a working, ſo Ezra 5.1, 2. Hag. 5.12.

10. When God deſigns a Reformation and Reſtitution of his Ordinances, he orders an harmonious concurrence of providences for that end. The accompliſhment of God's threats affright, awaken. Samuel comes in the nick of time, ſpeaks words upon the wheel; God moves, things go on apace, 2 Chron. 29.36. & 31.21.

Theſe I paſs briefly, and paſs on to the main Point from the laſt clauſe of the verſe [And all the Houſe of Iſrael lamented after the Lord.]

They did not lament ſo much under their preſſing burdens, grievous oppreſſions by the Philiſtins, but after the Lord, i. e. for the Ark of the Lord, and the Lord of the Ark; for the recovery of God's gracious preſence, and the viſible tokens thereof; [lachrymis deplorarunt ſummam miſeriam Religionis & Reipublicae] they bitterly lamented the calamities of Church and State, Religion and Polity. This, ſay Interpreters, is an admirable place, by reaſon of the general Converſion and Repentance of the whole People; we have ſcarce the like in all the Scripture, except Acts 2.

From the words then reſults this Doctrine.

That when God's Ark is long obſcured, or Ordinances obſtructed, it becomes God's Iſrael, or profeſſing People, to lament after the Lord.

Serious lamenting after God is well becoming thoſe whom God afflicts in the loſs of Priviledges.

The Text preſents to us, 1. The Perſons lamenting, God's peculiar People, theſe only love, and mind God's preſence, when the Lords and Cities of the Philiſtins are weary of him and ſend him away, yea and the Bethſhemites, though a city of the Levites belonging to the Church of God, through their ill management of matters ſend to get a releaſe, yet Gods Iſrael will look after their God.

2. Here's the object they lament after; not peace, plenty, victory over enemies, but after the Lord, Jehovah is the object of their affections, 'tis him they love, and long for communion with, Pſal. 63.1, 2. O God thou art my God, early will I ſeek thee, my ſoul thirſteth for thee to ſee thy power and thy glory ſo as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary.

3. Here's the Univerſality of theſe; all Iſrael; the whole houſe of Iſrael come; they that had wofully degenerated, and were gone after their Idols; what a wonderful act of Gods power and ſoveraignty was this upon their ſpirits? by this he manifeſts that he is the true God, and that Samuel was his Servant; the like ſee in Elijahs prayer, preaching, Sacrifice and ſucceſs of all 1. Kin. 18.21, 37, 39.

4. Here's the manner and nature of the Peoples repentance, they lamented after the Lord, which is a very comprehenſive word, and I ſhall open it anon.

In proſecuting this point I ſhall proceed in this method.

1. Shew how ordinances are obſtructed, obſcured.

2. What's implyed in lamenting after the Lord.

3. How and why Gods Iſrael thus lament.

4. Anſwer an objection.

So make application.

1. What is it for ordinances to be either

1. Obſtructed, or 2. obſcured, both which may be a great affliction to Gods People and oft occaſion a lamentation.

1. For Ordinances to be obſtructed is a prevention of the liberty of diſpenſation of them, and ſuppreſſion of its diſpenſers, by impriſonment, baniſhment, inhibition, or ſuſpenſion, as in Ahab's daies, Jezabel cut off the prophets of the Lord, the reſt werehid by fifty in a Cave, and fed with bread and water, 1 Kin. 18.4. yea ſuch ſcarcity was there at that day, that Elijah thought he was left alone, 1, Kin. 19.10. Such as were left were latent, and had indeed their lives, not liberties, to proclaim the Word, or to celebrate God's Ordinances openly. It's true, Truth ſeeks not corners; yet publiſhers of Truth may be driven into corners. God's Candles may be put under a Buſhel; the Church's pleaſant things may be taken away; Sabbaths and ſolemn Aſſemblies may be forgotten in Zion, and the waies of Zion mourn, Lam. 1.4, 7. The Church complains, Pſal. 74.9. We ſee not our ſigns, Rev. 12.14. Rev. 11.7.there is no more any Prophet—The Church may flee into a wilderneſs of obſcurity and perſecution, her witneſſes may be ſlain by a natural or civil death, ſome time or other theſe prophecies have an accompliſhment; Jeremah and Ezekiel may both have their mouths ſtopped by their brethren, and God himſelf may be a little Sanctuary to ſuch as want the open Sanctuary-priviledges, Ezek. 11.15, 16. Goſpel-courſe may be ſtopped, obſtructed, ſo that Paul is putting believers on to pray for him that the word of the Lord may have free courſe, 2 Theſ. 3.1. intimating that it had met with a ſtop; by what? by mens rage, or the Devils ſubtilty, or both 1 Theſ. 2.16. forbidding us to ſpeak to the Gentiles, and v. 18. Satan hindred us. Some times the Devil ſtirs up men to obſtruct the courſe of the Goſpel. The hiſtories of the Church in all ages will offer their Service to bear witneſs to this truth, that liberty of Ordinances is ſometimes infringed, and ſo the Ark is retired into private; for where God hath a people they muſt and will worſhip God, and attend his Inſtitutions, if they cannot do it openly, they act more privately, as Chriſts Diſciples frequently met in houſes, in the night, the doors being ſhut, and that for fear of the Jews. Joh. 20.19. And it may be that word in Iſa. 8.16. refers to ſuch a day, Bind up the Teſtimony, ſeal the Law among my Diſciples.

2. The Ark & Ordinances may ſomtimes be obſcured, as well as obſtructed; this refers to the Purity, as the former, to the liberty of God's Appointments. The light may be dimned, as well as diminiſhed. Painted Glaſs obſcures the Light: So Humane Inventions corrupt God's pure Worſhip. Jeroboam's Golden Calves hindered the purity of Ordinances; ſo that Religious People, and Prieſts, fled to God's ſincere Worſhip at Jeruſalem, 2 Chron. 11.13, 16. This defilement of Ordinances makes God's poor Children cry out, Death is in the Pot. Our Saviour ſaith of the Scribes and Phariſees, Thus have you made the Commandments of God of none effect, by your Traditions, and therefore in vain did they worſhip God, Mat. 15.6, 9. God's Inſtitutions are ours, but men may mar and ſpoil them with their fond Additions, or Alterations, Ezek. 7.20. As for the beauty of his Ornament, he ſet it in Majeſty, but they made the Images of their abominations, and of their deteſtable things therein, (though they call and account them delectable things) therefore have I ſet it far from them. Men may be guilty of (crimen laeſae Majeſtatis) treaſonable practices, by adulterating the King's Coin, or ſetting their own ſtamp thereon, or by Clipping it. There's a ſad woe, both in the beginning, middle, Deut. 4.2. Prov. 30.6. Rev. 22.18, 19.and end of the Bible, againſt thoſe that add to, or diminiſh from God's Word or Inſtitutions. It's a dangerous thing to think to mend what God hath thought good to enjoyn. Antichriſt hath ſo corrupted God's Worſhip (as well as Truths) that they that love their Souls or Safety, are called upon to come out of her, Rev. 18.4. God is a jealous God, and will not hold ſuch guiltleſs (i. e. will deal with them as guilty malefactors) as take his Name in vain. Nay, God bids men rather go ſerve their Idols, than pollute his holy Name, Ezek. 20.39. Yea ſome Shepherds alſo are ſaid to tread down with their feet the reſidue of the Paſtures, and ſoul the Waters with their feet; ſo that God's Flock is in danger of pining, Ezek. 34.18. God's Children know how to avoid a ſinful Separation on one hand, and a Communion that neceſſitates them to ſin, on the other hand; there's danger of both extreams. Poor ſcrupulous tender Conſciences are too apt to run into the former, and adventurous Spirits are too apt to run into the latter for by and baſe ends. Sometimes the latter falls out as well as the former, that godly Miniſters and Chriſtians muſt either ſin, or ſuffer; and to a conſcientious Soul, the caſe is ſoon determined; and hence it comes to paſs that their Perſons and Ordinances with them have been forced into retirements. The Witneſſes will rather chuſe to propheſie in Sackcloth with purity, Rev. 11.3.according to God's Will, than live in the greateſt pomp and ſplendour in betraying the Truths and Appointments of God, by Superſtition or Idolatry, to gratifie the fleſh, or comply with the humours of men: They judge it ſafer to be baniſhed from the Altar, than bring ſtrange fire to it; they think it ſafer to venture on mens diſpleaſure, (though the Furnace be heated ſeven times hotter) than caſt themſelves into the dreadful vengeance of the great God, by ſinning againſt him, and provoking the Eyes of his glory. They reſolve to ſtick to the Ark, though in Abinadab's houſe, Rev. 14.4. Rev. 12.4.and follow the Lamb whitherſoever he goeth, rather than be dragg'd down to ſin and Hell with the Dragon's Tail: Though Perſecution attend the former, as in the Marian daies, and Preferment wait on the latter.

2. General Head to be explained in the Text and Doctrine, is, what is this lamenting after the Lord? The word foreign comes from foreign quieſcere, the ſame word with Noach, which ſignifies reſt; They reſted after the Lord, it's in Niph. which encreaſeth its ſignification, and notes theſe ſeven things.

1. They inclined after the Lord; they had wandred away from the Lord, and never thought after him; they had turned aſide after vain things, but now they begun to hearken after Samuel's preaching, and begun to look about them, conſider what they were doing, had a months mind (as we ſay) after God, and his ways and worſhip, and a heart to inquire after the Lord, is a good ſtep; as it's ſaid of the men of Shechem, their hearts inclined after Abimelech, or to follow him, Judg. 9.3. It's well ſo, for when people ſtand ſtill, poſe themſelves, what have we been doing? have we done well or ill? what courſe is beſt to be taken? and begin to have ſome inclinations after God more than formerly, this is the firſt ſtep.

2. They were ſetled, eſtabliſhed after the Lord; they ſtaggered formerly, were but in ſuſpence, wavering, like the Apoſtle James's double-minded man, Jam. 1.18.not knowing which way to take, like thoſe in 1 King. 18.21. Why halt ye between two Opinions? one while leaning to Baal, another while to God, reeling like drunkards, halting like lame men, whoſe Leggs are not equal, fluctuating to and fro with divers thoughts: But now this people is firm, well reſolved, with purpoſe of heart determined to cleave to the Lord, Acts 11.23. The trembling Needle fixeth towards its center; the Tree is rooted; the Will is bowed; the Affections ſetled; the Conſcience reſolved; nothing ſhall obſtruct their courſe; they have ſet down the Staff, and ſay as Ruth to her Mother-in-law, Ruth 1.16, 17. Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goeſt I will go, &c. So theſe, though they had been haeſitating and doubtful what to do, yet [jam in Dei obſequio gradum figunt ſtabilem & certum] they get a ſure footing in their motion God-wards.

3. They were congregated and aſſembled after the Lord; ſo ſome read it; they now begin to flock like Doves to their windows, they troop after him, [collecti ſunt poſt Dominum] Jer. 3.17.— All Nations ſhall be gathered to it, to the Name of the Lord God; yea Judah ſhall go with Iſrael, v. 18. See alſo Jer. 50.45. They had been broken, now they are united. Some went after ſome mens commands and examples, ſome after others; but now the great God makes an Act of Uniformity and Unanimity, Zech. 14.9. In that day there ſhall be one Lord, and his Name one: One Soveraign Commander, one Way, one Worſhip. That great God doth not only injoyn one thing, but doth joyn them in one bond and mind. Oh happy day! when the Grace of God heals the breaches that are in mens ſpirits, and diviſions in the Church!

4. They groaned, complained, bemoaned themſelves in their following the Lord, as a Child followeth his departing Father, and as Phaltiel followed his Wife Michal, weeping behind her to Bahurim, 2 Sam. 3.15, 16. or as Micah followed the Danites that took away his Idols, crying after them; they ſaid, What aileth thee? he ſaid, Ye have taken away my Gods—and what have I more? and what is this that ye ſay unto me, What aileth thee? Judg. 18.23, 24. q. d. You could not have done me a worſe turn; lay your hands on your hearts, ask your ſelves whether any loſs can parallel this, of loſing ones God! You need not be inquiſitive for a reaſon of my ſollicitude and complaint, when all good is comprehended in this chiefeſt good, whether real or imaginary. Thus, this people lamented, laid to heart this great evil of God's departure, the which no temporal good can compenſate or countervail.

5. They called, cryed, and ſhouted after the Lord, by earneſt prayer and ſupplication; ſo the word imports ſometimes ſighing; Let the ſighing of the Priſoner come before thee, Pſal. 79.11. Sometimes it's rendred [inclamarunt] for lifting up the voice, as Lam. 2.18. not only their hearts cryed unto the Lord, but tears run down like a River day and night: Yea, v. 19. Ariſe, cry out in the night pour out thine heart like water; lift up thy hands towards him: Yea, Lam. 3.8. She did both cry and ſhout, not that God is deaf, or buſie, or purſuing enemies, or ſleepy, and muſt be awaked, 1 King. 18.27.as Elijah ironically twits Baal's Worſhippers with their God, but for our own ſakes, to evidence the honeſty and zeal of our hearts, and as a gracious diſpoſition to which mercy is promiſed. Hence it was that when the Children of Iſrael cryed, and their cry came up unto God, Exod. 2.2, 3. Crying is the Accent of Prayer. A crying Prayer ſounds loud in God's Ear. The tender Mothers bowels make her look back on her crying Child. God loves to be called back by a fervent affectionate Prayer.

6. They betook themſelves to the Lord, [Receperunt ſe ad Dominum] i. e. by faith, by repentance, covenanting with God, returning from ſin, having recourſe to God by a ſincere Reformation, and without this all the former were inſignificant; but thus did the Children of Iſrael, according to Samuels command, and ſuppoſition, in this Chap. v. 3. If ye do return with all your heart to the Lord, then put away the ſtrange Gods, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and ſerve him only, and they did ſo, v. 4. This was their beſt way of lamenting after the Lord: No coming after God with a lye in our right hand, or our Idols in our hearts; if we do, God will ſpurn us back into confuſion, for nothing keeps perſons at a diſtance from him, but ſin; they that hold faſt ſin & pretend to follow God do either run from him, or follow him with a Sword in their hand to wound him, but ſuch as caſt away their abominations follow the Lord aright and ſhall overtake him; this is the method preſcribed by God himſelf, Jer. 4.1, 2. If thou wilt return O Iſrael, faith the Lord, return unto me, and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of thy ſight, then ſhalt thou not remove, & thou ſhalt ſwear the Lord liveth. Then, and never till then are Souls fit to joyn in covenant with God when they are divorced from all beſides.

7. They were acquieſcing in, and fully ſatisfyed with the Lord; this is the proper notion of this word, [Chald. quieti fuerunt poſt cultum Domini] their hearts were abundantly quieted in the manner of Gods worſhip, and much more in the object of their worſhip, and in the union of their hearts to God, and communion with him; no Satisfaction like this. David ſaith, Return unto thy reſt Oh my Soul, Pſal. 116.7. No ſuch reſt, as God is, who is the Souls only Center and Sabbath, Jer. 31.25. I have ſatiated the weary Soul, and I have repleniſhed every ſorrowful Soul: As God reſts in his Love to his Saints, ſo they are well ſatisfied with their choyce of God, and look not out other ways, or beyond him for any contentments to their Spirits. Thus then theſe good Souls, theſe lamenting penitents, might ſay, Alas we have been like wandring ſheep that have gone aſtray, every one wandring in his own way, or as a bird wandring from its neſt, or as Prodigals from our Fathers houſe, but now, now at length by Samuel's Prophecy we are throughly informed that God is the true God, that this his preſcribed Worſhip is of his Inſtitution, and the mean of communion with him. At our firſt hearing this man of God we were touched, and began to incline towards him, at laſt came to fixed reſolution to follow the Lord in this his way, we were aſſembled together to this purpoſe, bemoaned our ſtate in the loſs of ſo dear a friend, cryed after him, Put away our Idols and luſts, returned to the Lord by faith and repentance, and now we ſee it's not in vain, it's good, yea very good for us thus to draw near to God, we find, full content in him, we find the injoyment of him a full recompence for all this pains in a mournful purſuit of him: We have found him, at laſt we have found him, & happineſs in him, he is come whom we ſought, we need not look for another, we care not for any other. We fear nothing ſince we we have found our God.

From hence we may diſcern, foreign doluit, poenituit, foreign Ne que per Antiphr. dedoluit, dolere deſiit, conſolari non meruit.the reaſon why the ſame word in Heb. ſignifies both to repent and to comfort, to mourn and to ceaſe mourning, to lament and rejoyce, for as true comfort belongs only to penitent Souls, ſo ſorrow is the porch and inlet to joy; none are exalted but they that are firſt caſt down, none bring forth the bleſſed babe of joy but ſuch as Travel in the pangs of ſorrows, Joh. 6.21. The Painter can with a touch of his Pencil turn a crying into a laughing face, thus ſaith David, Thou haſt turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou haſt put off my ſackcloth, and girded me with gladneſs, Pſal. 30.11.

This is the ſecond general head, what is implied in this Lamenting after the Lord.

3. Another head in the preſcribed method is the Reaſons why it's ſo fit that Gods Iſrael or profeſſing People ſhould thus lament after the Lord, when Gods Ark is obſcured or his Ordinances obſtructed. In confirmation of this Point, I muſt demonſtrate,

1. That they muſt lament after the Ark of the Lord. 2. After the Lord of the Ark, Briefly for both theſe.

1. Gods Iſrael or profeſſing People muſt lament after the Ark i. e. the Ordinances of the Lord, when obſcured, or obſtructed:

1. Becauſe the Ark or Ordinances of the Lord are a Peoples greateſt glory, their beauty, ſtrength & honour. Wherein is Iſrael better than other Nations, then by having Ordinances of God among them, Pſal. 147.19, 20. He ſhewed his word unto Jacob, his ſtatutes and his judgments unto Iſrael, he hath not dealt ſo with any Nation—q.d. This, this is that that exalts Iſrael above all other Kingdoms, that they have the viſible tokens of Gods preſence, which is a peoples only glory; ſo faith the Apoſtle, Rom. 9.4. To the Iſraelites pertain the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, the Service of God, and the Promiſes. This is Iſrael's Heritage, Patrimony, and a rich one it is: hence when the Ark was taken, Phinehas's Wife breathed her laſt, with that heaviſom Ditty, The Glory is departed from Iſrael, for the Ark of God is taken, 1 Sam. 4.21.

2. Becauſe the obſcuring and obſtructing of Ordinances is an heavy Judgment, worſe than all other Plagues, both abſolutely conſidered in it ſelf, and comparatively, if it be compared with other Judgments. God threatens to do by Jeruſalem, as he did by Shilo, Jer. 7.14. How that was this context ſhews. And Ezek. 24.21. I will prophane my Sanctuary, the excellency of your ſtrength. Many other threats ſpeak God's hot diſpleaſure in this caſe, and the evil is greater, becauſe it reacheth to the Soul, which is the beſt part of man. Hence Amos 8.11, 12. Behold the daies come, ſaith the Lord, that I will ſend for a Famin in the Land, (which ſurely is a dreadful Judgment, worſe than the Sword, Lam. 4.9. But what a Famin?) Not a Famin of Bread, or a Thirſt for Water, but of hearing the Words of the Lord: This, this is the foreſt Judgment; this Judgment on the Soul is the Soul of Judgments, when poor ſinners are in danger inevitably to die and be damned in Hell without means or remedy. Where no Viſion is the people periſh, Prov. 29.18. Hoſ. 4.6. My people are deſtroyed for lack of knowledge.

3. Becauſe there's much advantage in the injoyment of Ordinances: Herein conſiſts the Kingdom of Heaven; ſo is the Preaching of the Goſpel frequently called; and this Word is the Word of the Kingdom, and Goſpel of the Kingdom, becauſe it is an introduction or means to enter Perſons into the Kingdom of Grace, and ſo of Glory; and that's a dreadful Threatning, Matth. 21.43. Therefore ſhall the Kingdom of God be taken from you, and be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. If any ask me, as Rom. 3.1, 2. What advantage hath the Jew? (ſo the profeſſing Chriſtian under the Goſpel-diſpenſation) or what profit is there of Circumciſion, or of Spiritual Priviledges? I anſwer, much every way, chiefly becauſe that unto them were committed the Oracles of God, Joh. 4.22.and ſo Salvation is of the Jews; as our Lord faith; even ſo thoſe that have Goſpel-Ordinances, have great helps for the converſion, edification, and ſalvation of their Souls; Iſa. 11.10.for Chriſt hath ſet up his Enſign among them for Souls to flock unto. Theſe are Wells of Salvation, Iſa. 12.3. & 25.6. & 66.11. Mat. 16.9. Iſa. 60.1. Act. 14.27.2 Cor. 3.8.2 Cor. 6.2.a Feaſt of fat things, breaſts of conſolation, where Souls may milk out, and be abundantly delighted, here are the Keys of the Kingdom, by which Heaven-gates ſtand open continually; the door of Faith, the miniſtration of the Spirit, the day of Salvation, &c. And is not all this worth lamenting after the Lord to enjoy? then what is?

4. Becauſe this is the character and property of a Child of God to lament after the Ark and Ordinances of God. I have, ſaith David, loved the habitation of thy houſe, Pſal. 26.8. Therefore makes this his [unum magnum] one Thing which he deſires of the Lord, to dwell in the houſe of the Lord, Pſal. 27.4. Two things put on a Chriſtian Spirit to lament after God for the Ark; 1. His Principles; 2. His Experiences. 1. He hath a gracious Principle, an enlightened Eye to ſee what others cannot diſcern; the Chriſtian calls ſuch places and waies, Beer-la-hai-roi, as Hagar, Gen. 16.14. The Well of him that liveth and ſeeth me. So the Chriſtian ſees God's way in the Sanctuary; Pſal. 77.14. Pſal. 27.4. Pſal. 60, 24.there he beholds the beauty of the Lord. They have ſeen thy goings, O God, even the goings of my God, my King, in the Sanctuary. Yea the devout Soul hath a ſtomach and taſt ſuitable to what he meets with in the Ordinances of God, Faith, Love, Deſire, Joy; as new-born Children have a natural inſtinct to their Mothers Milk for conſervation of life, ſo 1 Pet. 2.2. The Saints as new-born Babes deſire the ſincere Milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby. The Law of God ingraven in his heart, bears proportion to the Word he hears opened by Miniſters, Chriſt within him (by his Spirit and Graces) as the hope of Glory, prompts him to a love and longing to Chriſt, in the holy Supper, and all other his Inſtitutions. 2. Add to this the frequent Experiences the believing Soul hath had of the ſweetneſs of Divine Grace in Ordinances, which cannot but ſet him a longing for the like Experiments again, Pſal. 63.1, 2. My Soul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee, in a dry and thirſty Land, where no water is, to ſee thy power and thy glory ſo as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary. So Song 2.3, 4. I ſate down under his ſhadow with great delight, and his fruit was ſweet to my taſt; yea, he brought me into his banquetting houſe, and his banner over me was Love. No wonder if ſhe was ſo ſick when ſhe wanted him.

This leads me to the next Head.

2. That Chriſtians muſt lament after the God of Ordinances, or God in Ordinances; ſo ſaith the Text, The Houſe of Iſrael lamented after the Lord. Why?

1. Becauſe God is infinitely more worth than all Ordinances; his preſence is prizable for it ſelf. The Ark is but to be eſteemed for his gracious preſence; In his favour is life, Pſal. 30.5. His lovingkindneſs is better than life, Pſal. 63.3. This is the marrow of Heaven, the want of this is Hell. Woe alſo be to them when I depart from them, Hoſ. 9.12. And this the Child of God knows.

2. God purpoſely withdraws that men may lament after him; as a Mother ſteps out of the Child's ſight, that it may ſee ſhe's gone, and cry after her, Hoſ. 5.15. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and ſeek my face; in their affliction they will ſeek me early.

3. Becauſe due lamenting after the Lord may fetch him back; he purpoſely hovers, waits and expects, that his people ſhould call him back by their prayers, intreaties, moanings; not as though God were moved, or changed by mens pitiful complaints and out-crys, but that ſuch an earneſt lamenting qualifies the ſubject, capacitates for mercy, and puts Souls into the condition of the promiſe, Jer. 29.12, 13. Then ſhall ye call upon me, and ſhall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you, and ye ſhall ſeek me and find me, when ye ſhall ſearch for me with all your heart.

4. God bleſſeth his People uſually in and by Ordinances, with his beſt bleſſings, Pſal. 133.3. There the Lord commanded the bleſſing, Even life for evermore, Eph. 1.3. Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who hath bleſſed us with all ſpiritual bleſſings (foreign) in heavenly (places, things, means) in Chriſt. It would be needleſs to reckon up all the bleſſings that our dear Lord conveys to his People by Ordinances, and that it becomes us to lament after the Lord for, in his Appointments; (for now I joyn them together.)

1. Sometimes God gives outward bleſſings with his Ark. So the Lord had bleſſed the Houſe of Obed-edom, and all that pertained to him becauſe of the Ark of God, 2 Sam. 6.12. The Goſpel of Peace oft brings outward Peace and Plenty, though through the corruption of mens hearts it ſtirs up oppoſition occaſionally.

2. But the chief bleſſings are ſpiritual, as, Converſion of the Soul to God, Regeneration, effectual Vocation; ſo that it may oft be ſaid, as of Zion, This and that man was born there, Pſal. 87.5. So alſo increaſe of grace, 2 Cor. 3.18. We all with open face, beholding as in a Glaſs (this broader Glaſs of Ordinances, and the ſecret Glaſs of private Duties) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the ſame Image from glory to glory (i. e. from grace to grace) as by the Spirit of the Lord, or of the Lord the Spirit [foreign:] Beſides, Ordinances diſcover, and help to cure thoſe foul ſpots that are in the face of the Soul, Jam. 1.23, 24. Sanctuarydiſcoveries reſolve many intricate caſes in the providences of God. See Pſal. 73. v. 17. Here alſo the hearts of God's People may be abundantly ſatisfied, Pſal. 36.8. for here's goodneſs from God to do it, Pſal. 65.4. Ordinances are [Canales gratiae] Channels through which Divine Grace and Influences flow to Souls, Zech. 4.12. Theſe diſplay Chriſt; open Goſpel-priviledges, Promiſes, Terms of Salvation, are as the gate of Heaven; well then may, and muſt the obſervant believing Soul, lament after both the Ordinances of God, and God in his Ordinances.

4. Head is an Objection, which may be framed againſt all I have ſaid. You'l ſay, What's all this Canting for? How doth it concern us? Have we not publick Ordinances? Doth not the Goſpel flouriſh? Is there not excellent Preaching in Publick Places? The generality have no reaſon to complain, ſince we have Chriſtian Magiſtrates, a glorious Church, Learned Preachers; nay, others that pretend Tenderneſs of Conſcience; theſe do complain before they are hurt; Have they not their Separate Meetings in a Publick way without diſturbance? Little reaſon have any to make this ado in lamenting: What cauſe have you to lament?

I anſwer as Cleophas, Art thou only, a ſtranger in Jeruſalem [in England] and haſt not known the things which are come to paſs there in theſe days? Luke 24.18, 19.If you ask what things? Do I need to inform you, or rub up your memories by telling you, that twenty years ago two thouſand Miniſters then found in peaceable poſſeſſion of their publick places were diſpoſſeſſed and ejected by the Act of Uniformity commencing Aug. 24. 1662. and ſhortly after 1665. were prohibited meeting together above four for Religious Worſhip, and another Act prohibited them from coming or being within 5 miles of any ſuch place where they had preached, or a Corporation, and were ſeverely menaced and puniſhed by a Second Act, againſt Conventicles, with Sharper penalties; and though the Kings Majeſty ſet them at liberty for a ſeaſon, yet that was quickly retracted, and many could have little benefit by it, and whether the ſilencing of Miniſters be not an obſtructing of the Goſpel, and of Ordinances, judge you; and if you ſay you are not concerned in this caſe, I ſhall not ſpeak to you, but turn my diſcourſe to others: Only I ſhall briefly propound ſome Queſtions, 1. About the Ordinances of God; 2. The God of Ordinances, and leave it to you to judge whether there be not ſome cauſe to lament after the Lord.

1. Are all congregations, ſupplyed with able faithful Miniſters? God forbid I ſhould condemn all, or cenſure any; bleſſed be God there are ſome gracious men in publick ſtation, whoſe main deſign is to win Souls to God: but Oh how ſmall is their Number; I would rather you read an account of this in Ichabod; or five groans of the Church writ by a conformable Miniſter A. Dom. 1663. lamenting 3000 raw young heads, that teach before they have learned, 1500 debauched Miniſters, many factious men, ſome illiterate trades-men, Simoniſts, Pluraliſts and Non-Reſidents particularly deſcribed; God knows whether theſe things be true; but it's well if many have not cauſe to complain as our Lord, Matth. 9.36. Who when he ſaw the multitudes, he was moved with compaſſion on them becauſe they fainted and were ſcattered abroad as ſheep having no Shepherd; you know what follows: If all publick places were well ſupplyed there would be leſs need of us: If there were no need, we ſhould be glad of a Superſedeas.

2. Yet is there not work enough for all the Miniſters in England, if all were faithful, conſcientious, and ſet themſelves ſeriouſlly to the work of God; Oh how many thouſand ignorant Souls to be inſtructed! Obſtinate, See Ezek. 34.4.to be admoniſhed, careleſs to be quickened, weak to be ſtrengthned, wandring to be reduced; ſurely they that know any thing of the worth of Souls, of the work of the Miniſtry, and of the importance of eternity cannot but bitterly lament that ſo little is done for ſaving of ſinners, and that there are ſo few to lay out themſelves, or that do actually or effectually, the work of faithful Paſtors, for the conviction and edification of ſinners Souls: If every Miniſter in England were gracious, and had an hundred perſons under his cure and charge, he would find it as difficult to manage as a Phyſician, dealing with ſo many patients under ſeveral diſeaſes :hic labor, hoc opus.

3. Is not the liberty that ſome take in their diſpenſing Ordinances under many diſadvantages? Are they not ſubject to fines, confiſcations, impriſonments, baniſhments, cenſures, and all have not equal opportunity of feeding Chriſts flock, where there is as much neceſſity: What liberty is taken, it's but ſtoln, and upon courteſie; ſtill they are expoſed to the rage of malevolent ſpirits, and under the laſh of the Law, and cenſures of being undiſcreet Zealots, that adventure further than their more prudent Brethren; yet ſtill the Candle is under a buſhel, and they that need it the moſt, have leaſt ſhare in it, and are glad they are out of the ſound of it, and are furniſhed with ſtones enow, even from preſent conſtitutions, to caſt at ſuch as would diſturb them in their career of ſin, and poſting to Hell; and they whoſe Eyes are opened to ſee the blind running into a Pit, cannot but lament that their hands are ſo bound that they cannot ſtop them.

4. Are there not ſad ſymptoms upon us of a departing Goſpel? It would not now be ſeaſonable to enumerate the Prognoſticks of God's taking away his Ark and Ordinances. Chriſtian in Compleat Armour, part 2. p. 325.Mr. Jurnal ſpeaking of the unkind welcom the Goſpel hath found among us, addeth; Oh what will God do with this degenerate Age we live in! O England, England! I fear ſome ſad Judgment or other bodes thee! If ſuch glad Tidings as the Goſpel brings be rejected, ſad news cannot be far off. I cannot think of leſs than a departing Goſpel. God never made ſuch a ſettlement of his Goſpel amongſt any People, but he could remove it from them: He comes but upon liking, and will he ſtay where he is not welcom? who will that hath elſewhere to go? Read the reſt.

Two words on this, obſerve, 1. Have there not been great Attempts made to quench the Light amongſt us? Oh what a Combination is there at home and abroad, of Papiſts and Atheiſts, Pſal. 83.3-8. Iſa. 30.10, 11.to rout out the Name of Iſrael, and to baniſh the God of Iſrael, and cauſe him to ceaſe from amongſt us! Oh what crafty Councels, and potent Confederates, animated with deviliſh hatred, may we eſpy in this our Native Country! Antichriſt makes many furious Aſſaults, with a Deſign to kill the poor Witneſſes, after they have been Propheſying in Sackcloth, Rev. 11.3, 7. Yea among our ſelves, Is there not ſome that are indifferent whether the Ark or Maſs, Goſpel-preaching, or dumb Idols take place? Job 21.14.Yea ſome ſay unto God, Depart from us, we deſire not the knowledge of his waies. Rev. 16.9.Men are ſcorched with the glorious Rayes of the Goſpel-Sun, and blaſpheme God, rather than kindly melted by its warm and benign Influences. How many Ahabs hate Micaiah's, or Felix's? at beſt that adjourn the Court of Conſcience, and Plain-Preaching: Or Gadarens, that prefer their Swine-Sty to God's Sanctuary, and deſire bleſſed Jeſus to depart out of our Coaſts. God's Ark is a troubleſom Gueſt to graceleſs Philiſtins. 2 Theſ. 2.10.Some that received not the Truth in love, are in danger to be given up to Popiſh Deluſions, and the mixt multitude that fell a luſting or longing for the Onions of Aegypt. If the Goſpel may be ſinned away, ſurely it is in hazard now to depart. If prodigious luſts, daring Heaven, unfruitfulneſs, decay of Zeal, loſs of firſt Love, carnal confidence of Priviledges, and contempt of the Power of Godlineſs, neutrality, empty Formality, have robbed People of this Pearl; ſurely without a prerogative, add, of mercy, we cannot keep it long.

2. Where are the Souls that ſtir up themſelves to take hold of a withdrawing God? Iſa. 64.7.Some I hope there are that ſtand in the gap, but oh how few, and how faintly! Where is there a Moſes, to hold up his hands, a Joſhua to fall at God's feet, a Phinehas to execute Juſtice? God ſees that there is no man, Iſa. 59.16.and may wonder that there is no Interceſſor. Strange! That there ſhould be none to guide her among all the Sons ſhe hath brought forth; What! Iſa. 51.18.none to take her by the hand, of all the Sons that ſhe hath brought up: What! Is there no Rod ſtrong enough for bearing ſuch a weight? Well, this is a lamentation, and ſhall be for a lamentation.

But may not the Innocent deliver the Iſland? May not the poor wiſe man deliver the City? Are not Saints Prayers effectual? Anſ. Yes. But where are they? The old Stock is worn out, and few new ones come in for a ſupply. Strong Torrents are carried by the dead Sea into the Ocean of Eternity; and new Springs are yet rare and faint. Where ſhall we find Elijah's Spirit doubled on ſucceeding Eliſha? Though a Kingdom may have much Treaſure in it, yet if Trade ceaſe, no Bullion or Merchandiſe be imported, it will decay, becauſe it ſpends upon the old Stock. This is our caſe, old Saints are worn away, few Converts fit to plead with God, come in their room. And this is the Devils deſign, to wear out the Saints of the moſt High, and extirpate the genuine Seed of Jacob. But alas! By whom ſhall Jacob ariſe? for he is ſmall. His face waxeth pale, having of late loſt ſo much good blood. And doth not our Lord ſometimes withdraw the Spirit of Prayer, which is an interpretative ſaying, Pray not for this People. Doth not ſtupidity and ſleepineſs ſeize on the Diſciples, even when Jeſus is in his Agony? Doth not this bode evil? Is there not in them, even in them, ſins enow to weaken and evacuate their own Prayers? Alas! What Diviſions, what Decaies, Deadneſs, Unproſitableneſs! The Old Puritan-Spirit is gone; we are wofully degenerated: Profeſſors are grown like the world: How unlike are we to Primitive Saints? Abraham is ignorant of us, Iſrael would not acknowledge us for their genuine Seed. But may we not think our diſeaſe is grown ſo ſtubborn and inveterate, that no Doſes will conquer the Diſeaſe, though [ultimi conatus] theſe hard ſtruglings of Nature may maintain Life for a ſeaſon? Judgments have been prorogued upon the Vinedreſſers interpoſing importunity, three years longer, but beware the forth. God's Patience hath bounds; his Spirit will not alwaies ſtrive. We look like a people ripe for ruine. However Noah, Ezek. 14.14.Dantel and Job may deliver their own Souls (though none beſides) by their righteouſneſs. God can make thoſe few Names in Sardis to walk in white, Rev. 3.3, 4.though he come againſt her as a Thief, and leave her in Aegyptian darkneſs: He can find harbour for his Children, though he pull down the houſe upon the heads of formal Hypocrites: And if there be not cauſe of lamenting after the Ark when its removal is feared, to be ſure men will ſee cauſe to lament when this evil is felt. The Anger of the Lord ſhall not return, until he hath executed, and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart; In the latter daies ye ſhall conſider it perfectly, Jer. 23. v. 20.

2. Is not the God of Ordinances much removed from amongſt us? And is not he worth lamenting after? God makes gradual removes. Amos 8.9.It's true, ſometimes the Sun ſets at noon-day; yet ordinarily the Sun leaves the Horizon by ſenſible declinings. Ezek. 9.3.The glory of the Lord goes up from the Cherub, to the Threſhold of the houſe, c. 11.23.thence to the middle of the City, thence to the Mountain.

I ſhall briefly mention four Removes which our Lord hath taken from us: By way of Query.

1. Is not reſtraining grace much gone from amongſt us? Some perſons in former times were wont to be civil, orderly, and in many things conformable to the letter of the Word; but now God hath caſt the Reins in their necks, and they get the Bit of Conſcience betwixt the teeth of ſenſual affections, and obſtinate ſinning, and there's no hoe with them; they run mad in their own waies; petty Oaths of Maſs or Troth, are commence to Dam me, and full mouth'd blaſphemies; tippling to down-drive Drunkenneſs, and open reeling; wanton dalliances to defended Adulteries; ſquibbing Strictneſs, to open perſecution of all that looks like ſeriouſneſs; from queſtioning Divine Providence, men advance to avowed Atheiſm, and open defiance of Heaven. Some men are given up to ſuch ſins as are not fit to be named, and which themſelves formerly would have bluſht at the mention of; and if any had predicted their committing them, would have ſaid as Hazael, Is thy Servant a Dog? 2 King. 8.13.Sinners that uſed to walk under a Vail or Mask, now go bare-fac'd, and men glory in their ſhame. Phil. 3.19.Many abhor Sobriety, Juſtice, Temperance. We overpaſs the deeds of the wicked; the Moral Heathens would be aſhamed of us. Men work all uncleanneſs with greedineſs: Yea, if they court God in a few formal Prayers, they think they are delivered to do all theſe abominations; as though they had got a Popiſh Indulgence and Diſpenſation to ſin. As Breerwood in his Enquiries tells us, The common people think they do the Prieſt a kindneſs to find him work by new ſinning to get pardons. Yea, 1 Pet. 4.4.ſome think ſtrange at others, that they are not as bad as themſelves: Terras Aſtraea reliquit.And is not this matter of lamenmentation, to ſee the Earth thus for ſaken by a righteous God, and poſſeſſed by ſo many Bears, Lions, Tygers and Goats? that men are grown Wolves, yea Devils to each other! Is it not time to lament after that God that gives up men to ſuch profligate and prodigious courſes as haſten their own damnation, and England's deſolation? Is it not time to ſeek God till he come and Rain Righteouſneſs upon us? Hoſ. 10.12.

2. Is not converting grace much withdrawn from the Ordinances of God? And doth not this call ſenſible Souls to lament after the Lord? Rev. 6.2.Time hath been that our Lord hath mounted his white Horſe, Pſal. 45.5.and hath bent his Bow, and ſhot his Arrows of Conviction, and made them ſharp in the hearts of the King's Enemies, Song 3.11.and cauſed people to fall under him, going forth conquering; hath had his Crown ſet upon his head by the Daughters of Jeruſalem. But alas! now the Church hath a miſcarrying Womb, Iſa. 55.1. 49.4.and dry Breaſts. Miniſters cry out, Who hath believed our Report? I have laboured in vain. God doth not go forth with his Word as formerly. The Apoſtles were Fiſhers, incloſed many at a draught; preſent Miniſters Hunters, ſhout and run all day, and catch but one or two, and well too. It's worth a whole lifes pains. Though it cannot be denied, God's deſpiſed Servants have now and then ſeals of their Miniſtry to God's glory, their incouragement, and the ſtopping of the mouths of ſlanderers. Jeruſalem is built even in troubleſom times: The Goſpel is not bound, though Miniſters be. Men civilly dead, may convey ſpiritual life. God hath not left his Servants without ſome Teſtimonies in the Conſciences and Converſations of their Hearers, that God is in his Ordinances of a truth. But alas! how few gleanings hath our dear Lord, compared with the full Vintage Satan gets among men? We take theſe firſt fruits thankfully till the full Harveſt come. Let Miniſters and People lament after the Lord, that he would fill his Houſe with glory, haſten the day of his Power, to make People chearful Volunteers in the Lord's Warfare. Oh that more might knock at our doors with a [What muſt I do to be ſaved?] Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Lord, cloath thine Ordinances with thy Power. When ſhall Aaron's Rod bring forth ripe Almonds? Lord, let the Children of the Covenant own the God of their Fathers, and be ſprinkled with Covenant grace. Lord, break up that bleſſed Writ of Electing Love, in converting grace. Let Sermons be ſeconded with power. Make thy Word the Arms of God unto Salvation.

3. Doth not God much withdraw from the Societies of his Servants? Is there to be ſound that entireneſs, ſingleneſs, faithfulneſs amongſt God's People to each other as in former daies? Is there not much pride, worldlineſs, decay of love to God, abating ſpiritual zeal for God, ſuch as was in the daies of old? Alas! we have reaſon to think the Spirit of Prayer is much withdrawn; that cloſe walking, that diſtance from appearances of ſin, that entireneſs for God, that endearedneſs and uſefulneſs of Chriſtians amongſt themſelves, as is wont to be. Yea, hath not God ſeemed to take Peace from the Earth? Is not Manaſſe… againſt Ephraim, Iſa. 9.21.and Ephraim againſt Manaſſeh, and they together againſt Judah? Papiſts againſt Proteſtants, and Proteſtants againſt Papiſts, and they together againſt zealous Worſhippers, and exact walkers according to pure and Primitive Inſtitutions? Are not ſome Members of the ſame Church, that deſire to keep cloſe to the Rule, Song 1.6.rendred black, while the Sun hath looked upon them with ſome malignant aſpects and reflections of diſpleaſure? Yea even the ſame Mothers Children are angry with them. Yea their own Shepherds pity them not: Nay, ſome Watchmen are ſo rigid and cenſorious, Song 5.7.that they find them out, wound them, take away their vail from them, expoſe the Members of the ſame Church, as if they were factious, traiterous, or heretical, and will hold no communion with them that have much charity for them, and purſue them with intreaties to beg their conſent to walk with them towards Heaven, and joyn in God's work for winning of Souls; and alas, they browbeat them, and ſeem to deny them liberty to worſhip the ſame God, own the ſame Bible, or partake of the ſame common Saviour: If this be not for a lamentation, what is? Methinks ſome deal with their Brethren, as Saul's Courtiers with honeſt David, 1 Sam. 26.19.—They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord, ſaying, Go ſerve other gods: Or, as it is, Ezek. 11.15. Son of Man, thy Brethren, even thy Brethren, the men of thy kinred, & all the houſe of Iſrael wholly are they unto whom the Inhabitants of Jeruſalem have ſaid, Get ye far from the Lord, unto us is this Land given in poſſeſſion. Monopolies are dangerous in Spirituals. What envy hath excluding others begot in theſe caſes? Lamentable is the Story here in England of thehaughty carriage of Auſtin the Monk, Mr. Clark's Martyrol. part 1. p. 13.and petulant behaviour of the Brittiſh Biſhops, who neglected to joyn with the other upon private animoſities to Preach the Goſpel to the Idolatrous Saxons. Auſtin predicted and menaced, that if they would not have Peace with their Brethren, they ſhould have Wars with their Enemies. Shortly after Ethelbert King of Northumberland, being a Pagan, went with a great Army againſt the City of Cheſter, (whether animated by Auſtin, God knows) overcame the Brittans, ſlew eleven hundred Monks (i.e. perſons religiouſly devoted to God) for praying for the Brittans, only fifty eſcaped with Brockmail Mayor of Cheſter. A Spirit of Aemulation in ſo good a work, hath alwaies bad Effects; and Pride hath dreadful conſequences. Church-Diviſions are much to be lamented, and very rarely iſſue without Civil Diſſentions. For the Diviſions of Reuben there ought to be ſad ſearchings, Judg. 5.15, 16.and heavy thoughts of heart. Lord, when ſhall Conſcience-racking Oaths be broken? How long ſhall intangling Orders for decency rend the bowels of thy Church? When ſhall Subſcription to Chriſt's Laws ſuffice?

It's ſure a matter of lamentation that the Devil caſts the Bone among Profeſſing Chriſtians, and they ſnarl at each other about it. How long ſhall the pride and wrath of men make and blow up that ſpark into a flame, that Satan the great make-bait caſts among them? When will men ſee the hand of Joab is in all this? and diſcern at laſt that among all theſe contending Clients, none is gainer but that common Barreter? Lord open mens Eyes, heal our bleeding wounds, and bring back that antient Chriſtian Spirit of Love, and Peace, Charity & Humility.

4. Once more; Is there no cauſe for Gods Children to lament after the Lord for his return to their Spirits? Is not God much withdrawn from the hearts of his People? If a Child of God ſay as Sampſon, I will go out as at other times before, and ſhake my ſelf; Judg. 16.20.But he wiſteth not that the Lord is departed from him. When he reflects on himſelf & and finds it ſo, will he not ſee ſad cauſe to lament? And have not ſome Godly Souls cauſe to ſay as Gideon, Judg. 6.13. Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles which our Fathers told us of! But now the Lord hath forſaken us:

1. In point of quickening, exciting, and actuating their graces: May not that ſad complaint be taken up, Iſa. 64.7. There is none that calleth on thy name, that ſtirreth up himſelf to take hold on thee. For thou haſt hid thy face from us, & haſt conſumed [Heb. melted] us becauſe of our iniquities. Where is that flaming love, that working faith, Goſpel-repentance that lively hope, that filial fear, that ſpirit of adoption, that found mind, tender conſcience, and working affections as in former days? It's much to be feared there's a general decay of grace, or damp in point of exerciſe on the Spirits of living Chriſtians: it's well if the Bridgroom find not even the wiſe Virgins aſleep.

2. As to ſtrength and aſſiſtance, againſt the aſſaults of temptation, and outbreakings of corruption: many Thorns in the fleſh, 2 Cor. 12, 7, 8.Meſſengers of Satan do too prevalently puſh forwards Gods Children to ſin, and they find not his grace ſufficient for them as ſometimes, but ſtumble, and fall, and are broken, ſnared and taken; Yea ſometimes to the breaking of their bones, diſhonouring of God, ſcandal of their profeſſion, and endangering of their precious Souls: Oh let not ſuch things be told in Gath, or publiſhed in Askelon, leſt the uncircumciſed Philiſtins triumph over Gods People, and be hardened in their ſinful ways. Alas, where ſhall Gods tender Spirited Children hide their faces when their brethren prophane Gods holy Name, and men ſhall ſay, Theſe are the People of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land, Ezek. 36.20. Theſe are your Praeciſians, and ſcrupulous Zealots that will not do as others; now they ſhew that they are a pack of Hypocrites. This cuts deep, and wounds to the heart.

3. As to communion with God, Gods People of old could aſſert it with a [truely] however carnal men ſcorn it now, 1 Joh. 1.3. Truly our fellowſhip is with the Father, and with his Son Jeſus Chriſt; Not only in that ſecret, eſſential fundamental communion whereby grace is maintained in its being and life, but that ſweet, ſenſible, Soul-refreſhing fellowſhip that gives grace its activity, & maintains intercourſe betwixt God and the Soul in duty: But alas! have not Gods Children cauſe to complain as the Church, that God withdraws himſelf; Song 3. 1. c. 5. 6.She ſeeks him but finds him not, in publick Ordinances, in ſecret Duties, in communion of Saints, Gods Children complain with Job, chap. 23.8, 9. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive him, &c. He looks Eaſt, Weſt, North, South but in vain; This is ſtrange that God who is every where ſhould be found no where—but though the Child of God be aware of Gods general Omnipreſence, and feel his common Providence, yet is not ſatisfied without his ſpecial preſence, and gracious influence; And miſſing this, he hath reaſon to lament after the Lord when he hides himſelf.

4. As to aſſurance, ſettlement and comfort ſometimes Gods Children are left to a ſad, unſatisfyed and doubting frame, full of fears, troubles, jealouſies, are much in the dark in point of ſtate; this is a very general complaint at this day. Many have blurred their evidences by ſins, or careleſneſs, and cannot give any diſtinct account how their principles are ſtated, what condition their Souls are in, are damped and daunted as to their intereſt in Chriſt, title to the promiſes, hopes of Heaven; Have not theſe great cauſe to lament after the Lord? And ſurely theſe muſt ſay as David, Pſal. 51.8.—12. Make me to hear joy and gladneſs, that the bones which thou haſt broken may rejoyce; reſtore unto me the joy of thy ſalvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit: O my God! Pſal. 49.6.My Soul is caſt down within me, one while I argue with my own heart communing, expoſtulating challenging, charging my Spirit, and alas, I can do no good with it, other whiles turning me to God, but ſtill I am reſtleſs, cannot be quiet, but am toſſed with tempeſts, and not comforted. Well, Jon. 2.4.I am determined to look towards Gods holy temple, and caſt my ſelf at Gods feet in the vertue of that promiſe, Hoſ. 6.3. Then ſhall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he ſhall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Thus much for the Doctrinal part, and the clearing of an objection.

All the Application I ſhall make of this point ſhall only be of Exhortation, to put us all upon this ſo ſeaſonable and needful a duty of lamenting after the Lord; the Ark of the Lord and the Lord of the Ark.

In proſecuting this, I ſhall do theſe four things.

1. Propound ſome Motives and Arguments to preſs this duty upon our Spirits.

2. Diſcover what ſort of Perſons are concerned thus to lament after the Lord.

3. Lay before you ſome Helps to carry on this work of ſerious lamenting.

4. Propound ſome Cordials to incourage our hearts till we overtake the Lord.

1. For Motives to perſuade, prevail with our hearts to practice this duty, once at laſt; and indeed it's a very ſad conſideration that this People of Iſrael were twenty years before they began to feel their feet, or come to themſelves. This ſhall be the

Firſt Argument, That a profeſſing People may lye long under dreadful Spiritual judgments without a ſenſible Spirit; It was ſo with them here, it's well if it be not ſo with us: And this ſenſleſs frame is greater evil than any other judgments.

Qu. But how comes it to paſs that men may be ſo long ſenſeleſs and not lament after the Lord all this while?

Anſ. 1. From the nature of ſin; ſin is of an hardening, ſtupifying, brutifying nature, when men fall into ſin, their hearts are hardened by it, Heb. 3.13. Sin is of a cold congealing nature, it freezeth the Soul, rocketh conſcience aſleep, and like the Fiſh Torpedo, that diffuſeth its benumming poiſon through the hand, arm, and creeping at laſt to his heart, kills him; ſo doth ſin. It's not to tell how David's ſin rockt him aſleep, and led him on to other ſins, till it indangered his Soul's ſleeping the ſleep of death.

2. From the worldly enjoyments men have in room of Ordinances; as the Captives in Babylon being well ſettled in their conveniences, forget God's Appointments, and Jeruſalem comes [not] into their mind, while their enjoyments afford contentment. Yea, though ſome returned, they can ſleep quietly in their Cieled houſes, while the Houſe of God lies waſte, Hag. 1.4. God's Ark is forgotten, when mens private Cheſts are full. Perſonal comforts thruſt our ſpiritual, as the Sun Beams eat out the Kitchin fire.

3. From the want of quickening Means in the want of Ordinances. When the Prophets are dead naturally or civilly, their Monitors to duty are taken away, Pſal. 74.9. We ſee not our ſigns; there's no more any Prophet, neither is there any among us that knoweth how long. When men want an Haggai or Zechariah, they lie ſtill aſleep, for want of awakening Helps. It's Samuel that promotes this lamenting after the Lord.

4. From the withdrawings of God's grace, Pſal. 80.18.—Quicken us, and we will call on thy Name. As long as God turns his back on us, we ſhall be ſo far from kindly lamenting after him, that we ſhall turn, go back from him. My Soul followeth hard after thee, Pſal. 63.8. How comes that to paſs? why, Thy right hand upholdeth me. It's God that gives a repenting heart, a lamenting Soul. Oh what are we if God leave us to our ſelves! Study theſe cauſes of ſenſleſneſs, and let our Souls be aſhamed. Tremble at theſe cauſes, and their effects; bewail ſin; ſettle not in worldly injoyments; beg quickening helps, and above all, Divine grace for our aſſiſtance in lamenting after the Lord. This is the firſt.

2. That God's Profeſſing People may, and muſt ſtir up themſelves to lament after the Lord. All men have rational faculties. Gracious Souls have ſpiritual Principles, ſloth kills both: Self excitation is poſſible, and a furtherance to this lamentation after God. Men as men have Conſciences, and Conſcience is the Candle of the Lord, Prov. 20.27ſearching all the inward parts of the belly, by ſelf-reflection, diſcovering the want of God and goodneſs, checking for evil, putting on to what is good; if you follow it not as far as it leads you, you wrong it, rebel againſt its Maſter, and deprive your ſelves of further helps: Contradict this Preacher in thy boſom at thy peril. Means intervene betwixt a man's can, and his cannot; if thou canſt not move a ſpiritual ſtep, thou muſt move a natural ſtep after the Lord; if thou canſt not create a new heart, Ezek. 18.31.yet thou canſt and muſt endeavour to make thee a new heart, and a new ſpirit. If thou be not able to do God's work, thou muſt be doing thy own work; bemoan thy ſelf, tell him what an unruly Bullock thou art, and deſire him to turn thee, and then thou ſhalt be turned. Jer. 31.18. Iſa. 64.7.2 Tim. 1.6. Pſal. 62.5. Eph. 5.14.Stir up thy ſelf to take hold on God. Stir up the Gift of God in thee. Charge thy ſelf as David, My Soul, wait thou only upon God. Awake thou that ſleepeſt, ariſe from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light. Awake, awake, put on thy ſtrength, oh Zion! put on thy beautiful Garments, oh Jeruſalem!—ſhake thy ſelf from the duſt;—looſe thy ſelf from the bands of thy neck, oh Captive Daughter of Zion! Iſa. 52.1, 2. Now at laſt God expects you ſhould labour to work your hearts to a diſcovery of your miſery, the neceſſity you have of God, of his preſence and Ordinances. You may rouze your ſelves to this work, you muſt, and if you do, God will help, if not, your deſtruction will be of your ſelves.

3. This lamenting after the Lord and his Ark hath been the practice, and is the true Character of God's Children. Eli's heart trembled for the Ark of God. 1 Sam. 4.13, 21.Phinehas's Wife thought it not worth the while to live when the Ark was gone: I will wait on the Lord that hideth his face from the houſe of Jacob, and will look for him, Iſa. 8.17. This was when it was ſaid, Bind up the Teſtimony, ſeal the Law among my Diſciples, v. 16. Yea, if you would ſeek and find God, ſeek not to familiar Spirits—but to the Law, and to the Teſtimony, v. 19, 20. For, ſhould not a People ſeek unto their God? Sirs, ſhew what you are, and act as you ſeem: If you be God's Children, Jer. 17.17.run weeping after your Father; cry after him, and ſay, Be not a terrour to me. Yea, why ſhouldeſt thou be as a ſtranger in the Land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aſide to tarry for a night? Lord, art not thou in the midſt of us? We are called by thy Name, leave us not, Jer. 14.8, 9. Be not thou far from me, Pſal. 22.11, 19.O Lord, for trouble is near, for there is none to help. Oh! where is that antient ſerious Spirit of lamenting after the Lord? Where are thoſe genuine workings of Child-like bowels after ſuch a Father? What's become of that ſighing frame of heart, that Spirit of Adoption, that God's Children of old were indued with? It's well if new Notions do not drive out that old Spirit of lamentation. Shew you are Saints by this, as thoſe few declared themſelves Saul's faithful Souldiers whoſe hearts God had toucht, 1 Sam. 10.26. & 13.7.following him trembling, or trembling after him. So Hoſ. 11. v. 10. They ſhall walk after the Lord; he ſhall roar like a Lion, when he ſhall roar, then the Children ſhall tremble from the Weſt. Obſerve it, God's roaring in terrible threatnings or executions, drives not God's Children from him, but to him, only they come trembling, appealing from God to God, from an avenging Juſtice offended, to tender Mercies through the Merits of Jeſus. Learn this Myſtery an Chriſtian Property.

4. This is no controverted Point, but a granted duty on all hands, I am perſuading to: Who dare contradict it? Yea, who dare diſpute it? What exceptions can any bring againſt this, of lamenting after the Lord? I challenge any Caviller to produce any ſhew of reaſon againſt either branch of it; either as to the Ordinances of God, or God in his Ordinances. I think all Parties are agreed in the Theory. Oh that all were alſo agreed in the practice of this duty! whatever diſputes men make about other Rules, or Canons of practice, methinks there ſhould be none about this. Let us therefore; as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if in any thing ye be otherwiſe minded, God ſhall reveal even this unto you; nevertheleſs, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the ſame Rule, let us mind the ſame thing, Phil. 3.15, 16. Whence I diſcern, 1. That it's a vain praepoſterous thing for perſons to ſpend time in diſputing about abſtruſe and dark Points, while they neglect momentous and palpable duties. 2. The only way to get Unity in leſs material Truths or Duties, is conſcientious practice of what is neceſſary and indubitable. I may truly ſay, that nothing is more likely to make us cordial Friends; than the practice of the Duty in my Text; when Judah & Iſrael fall a weeping and ſeeking the Lord then they go together. Jer. 50.45.How amicable doth converting grace make thoſe that were at deadly and deſperate feud? Mal. 4.6.for Repentance turns the hearts of Parents and Children to each other. Alas! till our faces be ſet towards the Lord, our backs will be on each other, and we ſhall ruſh with fury one againſt another: But if we agree in this beſt act and object, we ſhall agree amongſt our ſelves: Lamenting together would clear up our eye-ſight, and beget an harmony of hearts.

5. Other perſons in all other caſes do lament after the Objects that their hearts are ſet upon. David followed his dead Friend Abner with ſorrow, and bitterly lamented his dead Son Abſalom. The Companions of Jephthah's Daughter yearly lamented her. Yea David much lamented Saul (though his Enemy while living) and his ſworn Brother Jonathan, Jeremiah lamented for Joſiah, and all the ſinging-men, & ſinging-women ſpake of Joſiah in their lamentations to this day. Yea, they made them an Ordinance in Iſrael, 2 Chron. 35.25. And which of you are ſo hard-hearted, but you would lament a dead Friend, or Brother, Siſter, Wife, Child, Parent? And canſt thou not find in thy heart to ſpend ſome ſad thoughts on thy departing Lord, or follow the ſad Hearſe of deceaſed Ordinances? Ah carnal hearts! Ah hard hearts Wo be to ſtupid wretches! Shall a poor Idolatrous Micah cry out after his Teraphim? And ſhall we let the only true God go with ſilence and dry eyes? Is not our God worth lamenting after? Will even careleſs women lament at laſt for the teats, Iſa. 32.12.for the pleaſant fields, for the fruitful vine? And ſhall not Gods Children lament for thoſe full breaſts of Goſpel ordinances? Shall not Children cry and long for the ſincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby? 1 Pet. 2.2.If you were ſenſible, you would cry out, my Father, a little bread to an hungry Soul, my Mother, let me ſuck thoſe breaſts of conſolation: I am pining, languiſhing, famiſhing to death, let me be nouriſhed to eternal life.

6. If we lament not after the Lord and his Ark, he will go yet further from us, if not totally leave us. There was never ſuch ſymptoms of Gods taking away the Candleſtick, and leaving us to the Idolatry, and Cruelties of Popery, in this Kingdom, ſince the Reformation as there is at this day: horrible Abominations and Atheiſm preparing for it, our ingratitude for prevention thus long, the general Antipathy to a Sound Miniſtry, a Spirit of giddineſs to entertain the moſt ſenſeleſs fopperies, a mincing ſome groſſer Popiſh doctrines by pretended Proteſtants, humane Inventions coyned in darkeſt times of Popery retained, Courts, Fees, Officers, Ceremonies; Popiſh names places, Cuſtoms defended; Want of Sympathy with our ſuffering brethren abroad in that kind; attempts for Reformation not ſucceeding oppoſed: Inſtruments reſerved, prepared for Scourges; denying plots as clear as the Sun; Preferring Popiſh Tyranny before Chriſts Government; moſt debauchery in ſome that ſhould be beſt; Popiſh Emiſſaries ſwarming; Popiſh Families increaſing; Honeſt Miniſters much laying aſide Weapons, Antidotes; fearleſneſs in many, unpreparedneſs of all for ſuch a diſpenſation; impreſſions on many of Changes; Freedom of Ordinances to lay in for a ſtorm; unprincipled profeſſors muſt paſs an Ordeal-Tryal; judgment beginning at God's houſe; Choyce ſtakes taken out of the hedg, tranſplanted to Heaven; Witneſſes prophecying in Sackcloth; muſt be ſlain, the Whore muſt ſit as a Queen, and ſee no loſs of Children; Antichriſt muſt render himſelf more cruel and odious, to ſtir up Kings hearts againſt the Church: indifferency of great potentates in the cauſe of Religion, Policy for outward ſecurity, the compaſs that moſt ſtear by; Chriſt's intereſt is low in Proteſtant Countries; God's laying them under ſevere rebuke by his immediate hand; Little notice taken of providences, no publick faſtings and humiliations, former guilt of blood unwiped off; Such things as theſe ſpeak black ſhowrs of Popiſh darkneſs and barbarous ſhowrs of blood; God almighty prevent; But certainly theſe things call for bitter lamenting after the Lord; either to prevent them or prepare our hearts for them, or both. I ſhall add,

7. There is no way to bring our Lord or his Ark back to us, but this courſe of lamenting after him. God hath withdrawn himſelf purpoſely to make us follow him mourning; And he ſeems to ſtand ſtill and hearken what we do in this caſe Jer. 8.6. I hearkened and heard ſaith God, but they ſpake not aright: What was that? certainly repenting of their ſins, & lamenting inquiries after God; And Jer. 31.18, 19. If God can but hear perſons bemoan themſelves, follow God, deſire the Lord to turn them, and turn to them, ſee what kind language he gives them, ver 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son? Is he a pleaſant Child; for ſince I ſpake againſt him, I do earneſtly remember him ſtill; therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will ſurely have mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord. God doth carry in this caſe as a loving Father, being provoked to Whip or leave his offending Child, looks back on his ſobbing, broken-hearted lamenting Child, ſaying, Alas, my Child what ails thee! What's the matter with thee? What wanteſt thou? Doſt thou want an heart, to repent, friendſhip with me? Doſt thou lament ſo ſadly after reconciliation with me, and return to thee? I am glad of it, that was all I aimed at; I have attained mine end; come, come, thou art welcome to me, come my dear; my lovely Child, let me wipe thy blubbered cheeks, and kiſs thee again; I am glad my rod and anger work ſo kindly, I will return to thee with love and ſweeteſt embraces: Thus doth our Lord return with loving kindneſs and mercies, and they ſhall be as if he had not caſt them off: There's no way probable or poſſible to bring God or his Ark back but this, and ſhall we not take this courſe? It's true its a doubtfull and dangerous caſe, we are not certain he will return, but yet there's a May-be, a who can tell in it: We are ſure, running from him, and ſinning againſt him, with an hard-heart, will undoubtedly rob us of him, and ruine us, but we have loſt more labour to leſs purpoſe, therefore let us turn to the Lord, with all our heart, with faſting, with weeping & with mourning, &c. Joel 2.12, 13. and then ſay, as Gods directs them, v. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a bleſſing behind him, even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord our God? Oh how well doth God take ſuch a carriage! How willing is he to return back to us! Only he expects we ſhould be ſenſible of his withdrawing, and bitterly lament after him.

8. If we do not lay to heart the loſs of God's Preſence and Ordinances, God will make us to lament upon other accounts: If he deſign us good, he will pinch us till we feel, and cry out, if not, we ſhall be left to lament hopeleſs, and helpleſs in Hell torments. If we will not lay to heart ſpiritual Judgments, God threatens to ſend a Curſe upon us, and to curſe our bleſſings, Mal. 2.2. How? why, if men prize not their Temple Priviledges, God can blaſt the fruits of the Earth, Hag. 1.9. We looked for much, and loe it came to little, and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it [or blow it away;] why? ſaith the Lord of Hoſts; becauſe of mine houſe that is waſte, and ye run every man to his own houſe. Self-ſeeking here is ſelf-undoing: Men ruine themſelves by neglecting God's Intereſt: Lam. 1.3.If men will not lament the Ark's Captivity, God will make Judah go into Captivity. If men lay not to heart the mourning waies of Zion, Lam. 1 4, 6.God hath a way to make them go without ſtrength before the purſuer. Men can well diſpenſe with the loſs of the pleaſant things of the Sanctuary, Lam. 1.7, 10, 11.it ſhall be tryed how they will reſent the loſs of their temporal pleaſant Enjoyments. If men lament not the Gates of Zion, the Gates of the City ſhall lament & mourn, Iſa. 3.26.and being deſolate, ſhall ſit upon the ground. 2 Chron. 36.21.If profeſſing People lay not to heart ſad and ſilent Sabbaths, God may make the Land to keep her Sabbaths. Iſa. 5.9.Great and fair Houſes muſt be deſolate without Inhabitant, becauſe God's Houſe is deſolate, and none regardeth. God can tell how to meet with the ſelfiſh, heedleſs perſons: If they regard not God's Intereſt, God will care as little for theirs. See Micah 2.4, 5.He can tell how to come near you in matters of ſenſe, that can make nothing of what concerns your Souls. And Ordinances of God will then be good, when ſickneſs, pain, poverty, death arreſt you: Or theſe ſpiritual things will be good when out of your reach, and you ſhut up in the Priſon of Hell, where there is weeping, wailing, and gnaſhing of teeth, Pſal. 141.6. When their Judges are overthrown in ſtony places, they ſhall hear my words, for they are ſweet. When that ſad Plague of Sweating Sickneſs was here in England, how much were proud Nobles in ſeeming love with faithful Miniſters? how glad were they of advice from them? then Ordinances were of more worth than purſes full of gold. God can make his Miniſters to be prized by the prophaneſt Scorners; yea, he knows how to make a wounding Sword to make way through their bleeding ſides, for inſtructions to enter the moſt flinty hearts, as Bernard told his ranting Brother.

9. How long muſt the Lord wait for your ſenſible lamentings? we are ſoon weary of the yoak, and think it long to wander in the wilderneſs: Sometimes we are for returning back into Aegypt, Numb. 14.4. with v. 40.and then all in poſt-haſt for Canaan, as Iſrael in the Deſert. The captive exile haſteneth that he may be looſed, Iſa. 51.14.that he ſhould not die in the Pit; but then we would break Priſon, and are loth to take God's way, or ſtay God's time; this retards us rather than quickens our deliverance. God puts us to our [how longs] becauſe we put him to his [how longs.] How long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? Jer. 4.14.How long will it be ere you attain to innocency? Oh Jeruſalem! Hoſ. 8.5.wilt thou not be made clean? Jer. 13.27.when ſhall it once be? We were in poſt-haſt for a Reſtitution many years ago, as Moſes for Miriam; Heal her now, O God, I beſeech thee. God ſaith, Numb. 12.13, 14.If her Father had but ſpit in her face, ſhould ſhe not be aſhamed ſeven daies? But our heavenly Father hath ſpit in our face in the open ſight of the world, & we have been ſhut out of his houſe well near three times ſeven years; yet alas, it's to be fear'd we are not Evangelically aſhamed. 2 Sam. 13.38.14.28.Abſalom was three years at Geſhur, and two years at Jeruſalem, and ſaw not the King's face; and pretended diſſatisfaction therewith. Oh! but where's our real longing to enjoy the Lord in his Ordinances? Alas! it's not length of time that will put our hearts into frame. When at laſt will God raiſe up ſome awakening Samuel, that ſhall ſound the Alarum in the Ears of all Iſrael? Oh! when ſhall we awake out of our long ſleep? when ſhall we ſee our need of God in his Ordinances? when ſhall our Souls lament after God to purpoſe? Surely it's time to beſtir our ſelves once at laſt.

10. Can we lament to any elſe that will or can hear or help us? May not Kings or great ones ſay as that King once to that crying Woman, that ſaid, Help my Lord, 2 King. 6.26, 27.O King; he ſaid, If the Lord do not help thee, whence ſhall I help thee? Alas! we may ſay, Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Hills, and from the multitude of Mountains. Truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Iſrael, Jer. 3.23. The greateſt Princes are not to be truſted in. God thinks fit to fruſtrate our expectations from men; to confute our carnal confidence in man. Surely men of low degree are vanity (if they have a mind to help they cannot) and men of high degree are a lye (if they can help; yea, if they promiſe to help, they will not) our beſt courſe then is to pour out our hearts before him, and ſay, God is a refuge for us, Selah, Pſal. 62.8, 9. For all Power is God's, v. 11. We may ſay as David, I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my Soul; I cryed unto thee, O Lord, Pſal. 142.4, 5. The Comforter that ſhould relieve our Souls is far away. There's none to guide poor Zion, of all the Sons whom ſhe hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the Sons that ſhe hath brought up, Iſa. 51.18. As for us, Lam. 4.17.our Eyes as yet failed for our vain help; in our watching, we have watched for a Nation that could not ſave us. We are as Napthali, and have been ſtruggling as ſore for a Maſculine Parliament, as the Antient Primitive Church long travelled for a Man-child, a Chriſtian Emperour; we had one; they alſo ſtruggled for uniting the Proteſtant Subjects, and alleviating our grievances; they were broken off by breaking up: We had a ſecond which ſet themſelves to help us; but the Children were come to the birth, and there was no ſtrength to bring forth; all Attempts prov'd abortive, ſince our Moſes and Aaron (by Votes or Diſputes) have repreſented our caſe, ſought favour, and uſed means of help, our Bricks are doubled, Spirits are more inraged, and our ſavour is abhorred, and a keener Sword is put into ſome mens hands to execute the Law with more ſeverity; and is it not time to have recourſe to God? We are not permitted ſo much as to petition to men, and make a true repreſentation of our caſe; that way is barred, and all other doors are lockt up; what elſe can we do but lament after the Lord; he is able to help, he is willing, and hath promiſed. Oh! let's go to our God. There and there only we may eaſe our hearts, and find help: let us lift up our Eyes above the Hills, from whence cometh our help; Our help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth, Pſal. 121.2.

2. Head is, Who are the Perſons, People, that are to lament after the Lord?

I anſwer 1. Graceleſs perſons, theſe have the greateſt reaſon to lament after the Ordinances of God, and the God of Ordinances; For alas, theſe poor Souls are without Chriſt, being Aliens from the common wealth of Iſrael, ſtrangers from the covenants of promiſe, having no hope, and without God in the world, Eph. 2.12. Ah poor ſinners what will become of you if you live and dye without God? You had better be without money, trades, credit, eaſe, houſe relations, cloaths, meat, every thing all things in the world, then without God, what will your lives or any thing advantage you without God? Alas! have you lived thus long in the world without an intereſt in God! How know you but death is at the next door? And what will you do in the day of viſitation, and in the deſolation that ſhall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help, and where will ye leave your glory? Iſai. 10.3, 4. Without me ſaith God they ſhall bow down under the priſoners '& they ſhall fall under the ſlain: Wo to you, if death the King of terrours meet you, and God the King of heaven be not on your ſide: What a woful caſe was Saul in when the Philiſtins were upon him and God was departed from him? Oh when ſickneſs, diſeaſes, 1 Sam. 28.15.death, thy own conſcience make war againſt thee, and thou haſt no God to flee to what a ſad caſe wilt thou be in? Alas friends, eſtate, honours or all that the world can do for thee will be inſignificant: If thou live and dye without God, thou muſt be for ever baniſhed from him: And how canſt thou in an ordinary way expect to have relation to God without the means of his appointment for obtaining that end? The Ark of the convenant is the way of convenanting: Rom. 10.14.the preaching of the Goſpel is the door of faith, ſaving faith (by which the Soul is intituled to God) comes by hearing, 2 Cor. 4.3.and if our Goſpel be hid it is hid to them that are loſt: Little reaſon have the mad-frantick world, to rejoyce over the ſlain witneſſes, to make merry, Rev. 11.10.and ſend gifts one to another becauſe theſe Prophets tormented them, i. e. would not let them go quietly to Hell, but would be jogging them out of their ſecurity, and ſummoning them to repentance. No, no, their departure, may be like Ezekiel's book, Ezek. 2.10.written within and without with lamentation and mourning and wo: Ezek. 3.26.Ah poor Soul! God ſeems to ſtop Miniſters mouths, and ſaith, thou ſhalt not be to him a reprover, Gen. 6.3.my Spirit ſhall ſtrive no more with them, feed them no more; Zech. 11.9.that that dyeth, let it dye, and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off, q. d. I will concern my ſelf no further about them, they regarded not my Counſels, and ſlept away the day of grace and refuſed the calls of God, now they ſhall be given up, as a branch cut off from the Tree, I'le prune it no more, but take it away and lay it under that Goſpel-curſe, Never fruit grow on thee from henceforth for ever. Joh. 15.2.Or like the flouriſhing vineyard of the Jewiſh Church, Take away the hedge thereof, Iſa. 55.9.break down the ſtone wall, lay it waſt, it ſhall not be pruned, nor digged, but there ſhall come up briars and thorns, I will alſo command the Clouds that they rain no rain upon it. And have men cauſe to rejoyce in this? Is it not rather, ground of the greateſt lamentatation, as a prologue, and pledge of damnation, and a token of rejection? Will any but Mad men rejoyce at the approach of calamity, upon themſelves? Or will any but frantick Bedlams triumph that thoſe are gone that ſtopt them from running into a pit, fire, or that kept them from daſhing out their own Brains? We think thoſe young men fools that are glad their parents are dead that reſtrained their vicious courſes. If carnal mens eyes were open to know the advantages of a powerful Miniſtry, or pure Ordinances, they would lay it to heart as the dreadfulleſt evil that ever befel them, and lament after the Lord with bitter crys for the return of the Means of Grace; And ſay, O Lord, is light gone, and my Soul left ſtill in darkneſs? is life gone, and I dead ſtill? Are means of Salvation departed, and my Soul left under a neceſſity of periſhing? Many tears did Miniſters ſhed for me: Oh what prayers to God! what beſeechings of me to be reconciled to God! But I regarded not; Woe is me, theſe embaſſadours of peace are called home, or have their mouths ſtopt, what can I now expect but a Proclamation of war! Lord have mercy on me, and ſend thoſe men of God to knock again at my door, and I hope I ſhall give them and their meſſage better entertainment. Thus carnal Perſons ſhould ſay; But alas ſuch as moſt need, do often leaſt regard theſe things, God knows, and after twenty years lying in the grave we may fear they will not ſtill believe, tho we ſhould ariſe from the dead; And if after all this, there be little or no hopes of theſe laying this matter to heart I will turn me to another ſort.

2. Ye gracious Souls, lament you after the Lord, though Iſrael play the harlot yet let not Judah offend; Though wicked men will not underſtand nor lay any thing to heart, yet let Gods People, his Children lay to their hearts the diſpleaſure of God and with bitter cries lament after their departing father: Oh that it could be ſaid in this caſe as Gods own teſtimony is, Hoſ. 11.12. Ephraim compaſſeth me about with lies (pretending to worſhip God, when they intend nothing leſs) And the houſe of Iſrael with deceit, cheating men, thinking to deceive God, himſelf) but Judah yet ruleth with God, (i. e. keeps up his intereſt at the throne of grace and prevails with me) and is faithful with the Saints (in point of communion and repute, or with the moſt holy: Marg. Oh bleſſed Judah! but doth not Gods Judah need ſtirring up to lament after the Lord! Alas! how ſenſeleſs, and ſlack are the beſt hearts in this work! Who would have once imagined that ſuch a Spirit of worldlineſs, ſecurity neutrality would have ſeized on Gods own Children? Ah friends! Can you let God depart either from your ſpirits or from the Aſſemblies of his People and not ſtir up your ſelves to take hold of him? Who would have thought that God himſelf or the tokens of his preſence ſhould go from you without weeping eyes, or mournful complaints? Who muſt hold him if you will not? Who muſt fetch him back if you will not follow him, and call after him: You that have intereſt in him: You that have given up your ſelves to him: You that have had ſweet experience of his preſence; And now pretend more love to him than any elſe; You that he hath drawn with cords of Love, will not you lament after him? Have not you ſome reaſon to ſay, as ſhe Hoſ. 2.7. I will go, and return to my firſt husband, for then it was better with me then now, Eſpecially conſidering how he hath hedged your way with hewn thorns, diſappointed you in your overtaking your other lovers: have not your Souls grown lean, and ready to famiſh in other wayes? Have you not in all this time diſcerned ſome difference betwixt the pure and wholſom waters of the Sanctuary, and the impure puddle-water of mens Traditions? Yea, have you not to your coſt diſcerned ſome difference by your dearbought experience betwixt the powerful Ordinances, and the very ſame or like thereto formally, heartleſly, lifeleſly carryed on? Tell me, deal ingenuouſly and candidly in the caſe; Have not your Souls been ready to pine for want of proviſion? Yea, have you not been tempted to loath ſome diſhes handed to you by blind or Slovenly Cooks? Have you not been in danger to be rockt aſleep by ſuch Truths as ſhould have awakt you, and would, if faithfully mannaged? Have you not been forced to eat that which ſome have trodden under their feet, Ezek. 34.19.and to drink that which ſome men have fouled with their feet? Alas, Sirs! Whatever others have, have not you ſome reaſon to lament with holy David, Oh God thou art my God, Pſal. 63.1, 2.early will I ſeek thee: My Soul thirſteth for thee, my fleſh longeth for thee in a dry and thirſty land, where no water is, to ſee thy power and thy glory ſo as I have ſeen thee in the Sanctuary: Oh my Lord, time hath been that my Soul hath been ſatisfyed as with marrow and fatneſs, and my doubts reſolved, graces quickened, luſts diſcovered, weakened in thine Ordinances, ſo that I could truely ſay in my own experience, God was in them of a truth: But alas for this long time matters have been otherwiſe, I have attended (as I judged) in obedience to thy command, and have ſometimes met with aiery notions or ſapleſs ſtuff, or mixture of errours, or ſuch complementing with God in a dry formality, that methinks my ſoul is dryed with this light food; I have reaſon to lay the blame upon my ſelf, and charge my own unprofitable heart as the proper cauſe, but Oh my Lord, I long for an heart-Searching, ſtate-diſtinguiſhing, ſinrebuking word, Oh when ſhall my Soul injoy heart-melting Ordinances! Thou that adapteſt means to the end, and doſt uſe to work converſion, conſolation, confirmation, by moſt proper probable inſtruments, give ſuitable means of grace, and grace by the means; Oh Lord, revive thy work in the midſt of the years, Hab. 3.2.in the midſt of the years make known, in wrath remember mercy: Let all thy Children ſay, Amen.

3. You that are young, of the riſing Generation, that are coming up, and coming on, in the rooms of your Anceſtors, it becomes you to lament after the Lord and his Ark; be it known to you, that your Predeceſſors Piety will not be your Sanctuary or Security. You may pleaſe your ſelves with being the Children of the Church, but think not to ſay within your ſelves, Mat. 3.9.We have Abraham to our Father; for God is not bound to you; Joh. 8.44. Luk. 16.25.you may be Children of the Devil, and may be caſt into Hell under that title: No, no, you muſt have a Faith of your own, a perſonal, as well as a foederal relation to God. It's diſputed at what Age Children are to ſtand on their own leggs for perſonal Faith, at five, or ſeven, or ten, or twelve; to be ſure, at years of diſcretion, when they can diſcern betwixt good and evil, they are to chuſe for themſelves, and are not to ſtand upon heir Parents bottom any longer, however they may improve their Parents Covenant. But, oh you young perſons! begin betimes to cry after your Father: God loves to be followed (as with the Hoſanna's once, ſo) with the ſmall voice, and to be held with the little hands of young Children: Try what you can do with him; ſay not, you need him not, you cannot ſet up without him, you cannot live ſafely without him; and I am ſure you are undone if you die without relation to him, and you may die young. Oh then make ſure of God, you are caſt upon him from the womb; ſay to him, Thou art my God from my Mothers belly, Pſal. 22.10. v. 30.ſo ſhall you be a ſeed to ſerve him, and ſhall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. What an advantage will it be when your Father and Mother forſake you, Pſal. 27.10.(by unkindneſs or death) if you have a God to take you up. Pſal. 71.7, 9, 17, 18.If God hath been your truſt from your youth, he will not caſt you off in old Age: But if you run away from God, all your younger daies, with what confidence can you lament after him in old Age? May he not ſay, Go to the gods and luſts which you have ſerved, gratified? you come but to me for a reſerve, with ſelf-ends, and becauſe you can follow your ſenſual pleaſures no longer; I ſhould never have had your company, if you had been capable ſtill to have made as good a bargain of the World as you are wont: You followed your luſts with a young and ſwift foot, but me you can but follow with a ſlow, Snails-pace; a little of this lamenting more early, had been more acceptable: It's an hard venture (if you now go laughing in the Devil's ways) whether you'l be cordial in lamenting after God in Old Age, and ſo whether the Lord will entertain you: And as you would enjoy God, lament after the Ordinances of God. Thy Teſtimonies, ſaith David, have I taken as an heritage for ever. O bleſſed Heritage! Oh precious Patrimony! beg it, plead it, be not content without it. Whatever other Inheritance you have, ſay, Pſal. 44.13.Lord, mine Ears have heard, our Fathers have told us, what work thou didſt in their daies, in the times of Old. What Providences were produced to ſettle Ordinances? What excellent, powerful, heart-warming Preaching they had; how God wrought wonders on Conſciences by his Word and Spirit; what pure Worſhip they had, Communion of Saints, wholſom Diſcipline, and what ſweet intercourſe with thy ſelf in all; now Lord, thou haſt threatned, in part executed this Spiritual Plague of the Famine of thy Word, obſtructing and obſcuring Ordinances, and thy hand is ſtill upon us; thy end is not attained: Papiſts threaten to darken our Heaven, and totally to put out our Lights, and thy ſelf ſeems to menace the removing of the Candleſtick; ſtop, O Lord! execute not thy whole diſpleaſure. Alas! ſhall we be that curſed Generation that muſt again be involved in worſe than Aegyptian darkneſs? Alas! who ſhall live when God doth this? God forbid that we ſhould out-live this bright Sun-ſhine of the Goſpel, that we ſhould not be Heirs of our Fathers ſpiritual Priviledges, as well as earthly Patrimonies. Oh! when theſe are loſt, we muſt ſadly ſigh and ſay, What have our Forefathers been doing that they have deprived us of the Means of our Souls good? Muſt they and we meet in Hell? they for non-improvement, we for non-enjoyment? Woe is us! curſed Children, of curſed Parents! Lord, if we have not peace, or plenty, let us have the Goſpel of Peace and true Piety; the Goſpel of Grace, and Grace by the Goſpel, and then we ſhall ſay, Pſal. 16.6.The Lines are fallen to us in pleaſant places, we have a goodly Heritage.

4. Aged perſons, and houſholders; you that are Parents have reaſon to lament after the Lord of the Ark, and the Ark of the Lord, that the Waters of the Sanctuary may run both with a clear and ſtrong ſtream to your Families and Poſterity. Alas! we that have Children, have been Inſtruments to propagate filth, and guilt, and wrath to our Off-ſpring, and what can we do to heal and help them? But if the Lord would be our God, he hath promiſed to be the God of our Seed. God forbid we ſhould intail a Curſe on our Poſterity, and give them occaſion to curſe us to all eternity. What unworthy Parents are thoſe that have fair Eſtates left them, and by their Prodigality leave their Children Beggars or Bankrupts! But oh! how ſad would this be to deprive our Poſterity of this Goſpel-Legacy? it will be both their loſs, and our own. Lord, ſuffer us not to go off the Stage in a ſnuff, and leave ſuch a ſtink behind us: Better we had never been born, than to fry and blaze in Hell flames, we and our poor Children bundled up in Faggots together. God thinks good to bind up Parents and their Seed in the Bond of the Covenant. Oh Lord! we are reſolved to follow after thee for the ſure mercies of David: Be thou our God, and we ſhall have better hopes for our Seed. O remember that word, Iſa. 59.21. As for me, this is my Covenant with them, ſaith the Lord, my Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed, ſaith the Lord, from henceforth and forever. This word is full and ſatisfying: 1. Thy Spirit ſhall be upon me and mine in Sanctification. 2. Thy words in my mouth, and Childrens mouths in profeſſion, ſolemn Worſhip. 3. They ſhall not depart from my Seeds Seed to many Generations. 4. No, not for ever. 5. God, even Jehovah undertakes this. 6. It's through Chriſt the Redeemer that's come to Sion. 7. It's a new Covenant-mercy. 8. It doth concern all Converts, and ſuch as turn from tranſgreſſion in Jacob; and am not I one of theſe? My dear Lord, make thou this word good to me and mine, thou that liveſt for ever and ever. I ſhall live in my Poſterity, when I ſhall be here no more, let the Goſpel-meſſage ſurvive me, and the Goſpel-grace live in them when I am gone. Oh! cut not off thy kindneſs from my Seed; let not them that follow me be deprived of that which I have found ſo much ſweetneſs in. Gen. 17.18.O that Iſhmaels may live in thy ſight! What will become of ſuch as are born in ſin, if they want means of Conviction and Converſion? There's much ado to awake the ſleepy Conſciences of our dead Poſterity under quickening Ordinances. Oh! what then will become of theſe, when ſuch helps are gone? How can I endure to ſee or foreſee the deſtruction of my own bowels? Oh! it cuts me to the heart to think of the damning of any, much more my own fleſh. Lord prevent; I will pray in hope, live in hope, die in hopes of the continuance of Goſpel-Priviledges.

5. Miniſters muſt make it their work to lament after the Lord; You, you are the Perſons mainly concerned; You muſt ſound an alarum, to awake others; you are appointed by the Lord as Inſtruments to carry on this work; and if ever God do return, he will excite his Servants to quicken themſelves and others to this work, as Samuel here; Gird your ſelves and lament, Joel 1.13.ye Prieſts, howl, ye Miniſters of the Altar, come lye all night in ſackcloth ye Miniſters of my God. Yea let the Prieſts, the Miniſters of the Lord, Joel 2.17.weep between the Porch and the Altar, and let them ſay, Spare thy People, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen ſhould rule over them, wherefore ſhould they ſay among the People, Where is their God? Alas my brethren! have you been ſo long caſt out of Gods publick Work and Worſhip, even twenty long years, and have you not yet leavned to lament? Joſh. 6.8.ſhall our Maſter caſhie us his ſervice, and not judg us worthy to blow our triumpets of Rams horns, break a pitcher, or hold the lamps for him? Surely he is very ſore provoked, ſhall I ſay, three Shepherds he cut off in one month; Zech. 11.8.nay near three thouſand in one day. And hath drawn out his wrath a great length, and is there no fault in us? Yes, certainly our Father would not have ſpit in our face, or poured contempt upon us, upon us peculiarly, but he hath found great fault in us; he hath doubtleſs ſeen much amiſs in us: He doth not uſe to ſingle out a ſort of men to ſhoot his arrows at, without fault; we cannot excuſe inſtruments, but certainly we have deſerved all this at God's hands; is not God puniſhing Eli's houſe for the iniquity he knoweth of? Let us my Brethren, 1 Sam. 3.deal faithfully and impartially with our ſelves before God and the world, caſt the firſt ſtone at our ſelves, at laſt juſtify the Lord by taking ſhame to our ſelves. Hath God ſet us in this office only to tell others of their faults? Have we not reaſon to call to remembrance our own faults this day? I hope ſuch as are truly gracious have made this reflection many times; Nor is this my preſent work to rake in this dirty Channel; only it becomes us to enquire why God hath made us contemptible and baſe before all the People, Mal. 2.1—9. My preſent work is to quicken our lamenting after the Lord, that if it be poſſible we may fetch him again. I may ſay as Mal. 1.9. And now, I pray you, beſeech God that he will be gracious unto us. This hath been by your means. O it's well if our People have not reaſon to ſay ſo of their Miniſters (how beit ſincere Repentance will not make men throw it off themſelves by laying it on others) but we may ſadly eccho, Yes, yes, it hath been by our means, we have put out our Candles, by the Thief we have lodged therein; We having obſcured our glory by ſinning; We have robbed our People of the Ark, and expoſed them to Seduction and deſtruction by the abominations that have been found amongſt us. Let us fall cloſe to our work of Preaching, reforming, praying, calling God again; who knows but if we mourn to our People but they may lament? Mat. 11.17.Our watery eyes may affect Peoples hard hearts; If the Fiſhers mourn and ſuch as caſt angles into brooks lament, Iſa. 19.8.our People will be moved, & God will hear our univerſal cry, and awake for us. Some will needs have our wearing black to import our mourning; If ſo, let us not be Hypocrites, but lament indeed, not in ſhew. Some obſerve, that People are much formed after the preaching, examples, diſpoſitions of their Teachers; But it's to be feared they'l ſooner dance after our wanton Pipes, then mourn after our pious Elegies: But God forbid the blame or blemiſh ſhould proceed from us: However for Zion's ſake let us not hold our peace and for Jeruſalems ſake let us not reſt until the righteouſneſs thereof go forth as brightneſs, and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth, Iſai. 62.1. For God ſaith, ver. 6.7. I have ſet watch-men upon thy walls, Oh Jeruſalem which ſhall never hold their peace, day nor night; Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not ſilence and give him no reſt, till he eſtabliſh and till he make Jeruſalem a praiſe in the earth:

6. Magiſtrates, ſupreme and ſubordinate, muſt lament after the Lord. It's not a work below them, though they may think it a work above us to mind them of it; but mean perſons have been Monitors to mighty Princes. An inconſiderable Page rouzeth up Philip King of Macedon with this Alarum; Remember, Sir, you are a man. Daniel's Counſel was ſeaſonable (he wiſheth it may be acceptable) to the Babylonian Monarch, to break off his ſins by righteouſneſs, and his iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poor, if it might be a lengthening of his tranquillity, Dan 4.27. God gives Jeremiah a Commiſſion, to ſay to the King, and to the Queen, Jer. 13.18.Humble your ſelves; ſit down. It's not unbecoming the greateſt Princes to adore at the Foot-ſtool of the King of Kings. 'Tis propheſied of the GoſpelChurch, that Kings ſhall be her Nurſing Fathers, and Queens her Nurſing Mothers, Iſa. 49.23. Yea, ſaith the Lord, They ſhall bow down to thee with their faces towards the Earth, &c. Which is to be underſtood not in a literal, Popiſh ſenſe, of a civil ſubjection of their Power to the proud Uſurpations of that Man of Rome, but a voluntary reſignation of all to the great Jehovah, and our bleſſed Jeſus; an undervaluing their earthly Honours in compariſon of ſpiritual Priviledges; as Conſtantine the Great, and Theodoſius, who profeſſed he would rather be a Member of Chriſt, than Head of the Empire. It's not below Majeſty on Earth to lament after the God of Heaven. David, Aſa, Jehoſaphat, and Hezekiah followed the Lord with cares & prayers, fears and tears, and how doth God approve and applaud that tender-hearted Joſiah, 2 Chron. 34.27, 28. Becauſe thine heart was tender, and thou didſt humble thy ſelf before God, when thou heardeſt his words againſt this place, and againſt the Inhabitants thereof, and humbledſt thy ſelf before me, and didſt rend thy cloaths, and weep before me (mark the outward tokens of inward ſorrow) I have even heard thee alſo, ſaith the Lord. 2 Chron. 33.11, 12.And when Joſiah's Grandfather, Manaſſes, was unruly, God took a courſe to humble him, and ſet him a following God by hearty prayer, and great humiliations: But when his Father Ammon, 2 Chron. 33.23, 24. c. 36.12, 13.and his Son Zedekiah did not walk in theſe mournful ſteps of penitent lamentings after the Lord, God took another courſe with them, and cut them off. Yea, God hath brought Heathen Kings upon their knees, to lament after God in the beſt manner they could; as the King of Nineveh, Jonah 3.5, 6. and God took it well, v. 10. Yea, this outward humiliation prevented Ahab's temporal deſtruction, 1 King. 21.27, 29. And when God threatned Rehoboam by Shiſhak's Invaſion, and Shemaiah's Commination, the Princes of Iſrael, and the King humbled themſelves, and ſaid, The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 12.6, 7. And God ſaith, I will not deſtroy them, but grant them ſome deliverance, or for a little while. Much more if Princes and Nobles be ſincere in humiliations for ſin, and lamentations after the Lord, and univerſal Reformations: Oh what mercy doth the Lord reſerve for ſuch! Thus in the daies of Ezra, Nehemiah, & Eſther: The Inſtances are numerous and pregnant. Oh that God would ſtir up the hearts of the Governours of his People, to ſay, Surely we and our People have provoked the Lord againſt us. Yea, 'tis well if our hands have not been chief in the treſpaſs. Oh that, as we have been exemplary in ſinning, we might be exemplary in our repentings; as we have driven God from us and our People, ſo we might be the firſt to fetch him back again. God forbid that we ſhould ſay with Pharaoh, Who is the Lord? or refuſe to let the Servants of the Lord to go and ſerve him according to Scripture-Rules, though they may differ from us in ſome modes of Worſhip. Yes, Zech. 12.3.it's fit the Governours of Judah ſhould ſay in their hearts, The Inhabitants of Jeruſalem ſhall be my ſtrength in the Lord of Hoſts their God. Theſe, 2 King. 13.14.theſe are the Chariots and Horſe-men of Iſrael, as once a King ſaid of a Prophet. God forbid we ſhould arm or animate ſome Proteſtants againſt their Brethren, while Papiſts are putting us on, and warming themſelves by the fire of their own kindling; and when they ſpy their opportunity, will ſnatch up both the Cocks they have ſet a fighting, and writhe off their Necks, and feaſt on them. Let's rather improve our utmoſt Intereſt to make them Friends, and beſpeak their joynt-prayers for us. And ſince we need the Lord, and his Appointments as well as others, as much as the meaneſt of our Subjects, let us alſo follow the Lord with bitter crys and lamentations: The Princes digged the Well, Numb. 21.17, 18.the Nobles of the People digged it, by the direction of the Law-giver with their Staves. Why may not we alſo work hard in theſe Sacred Wells of Ordinances? and then cry out, Spring up, O Well! And then alſo put on others, ſaying, Sing ye unto it? May we alſo paſs through this Valley of Bacah (or weeping) and make a Well? Pſal. 84.6.The Rain alſo filleth the Pools; [Benedictionibus amicietur Doctor] or Teachers ſhall be clothed with bleſſings. And ſo this Valley of Bacah, will be a Valley of Berachah, our ſpeaking comfortably to thoſe laborious Levites that teach the good knowledge of the Lord, 2 Chron. 30.22.will reach their hearts, and ſo we ſhall bring upon our ſelves the bleſſing of them that were ready to periſh: Yea, may call them up hither into publick Worſhip, and ſend them to the People in the fulneſs of the bleſſing of the Goſpel of Peace. We, even we have need of Ordinances as well as others; we have ignorant minds, ſtubborn wills, ſtrong luſts, violent temptations; Neh. 3.5.and of all ſorts of perſons, Nobles are moſt unwilling to put their Necks to the work of the Lord. We have greater hinderances in the way to Heaven, and therefore need better helps than others. Oh! let it never be ſaid of us, that when the poor are but ignorant Souls, fooliſh, Jer. 5.4, 5.and know not the way of the Lord, that we, the Great men, Noblemen and Gentlemen, that know much indeed, but do leſs for God, nay more againſt him, that we ſhould altogether break the Yoak, and burſt the Bonds: Our Intereſt is greater, and Influence more upon others, therefore our ſin of neglect will be greater, and Account heavier. Lord, let us have Means of Grace, and Grace by Means: Be thou our Portion in this, and another World, or of all men we ſhall be moſt miſerable; our loſs will be more dreadful, our torments more intollerable; as we read of one of our own degree in Sacred Writ, that in this World was clothed in Purple, and fine Linnen, Luk. 16.19, 23, 24.and fared ſumptuouſly every day, but in the other World was found in Hell, and being in torments, was denied one drop of Water to cool his Tongue. Oh Lord! ſuffer us not to riot and rant it here, and be caſt out from thy preſence hereafter; but let us lament after thee now, that we may everlaſtingly enjoy thee.

7. Let Chriſtian Churches, Congregations and Societies lament after the Lord. Our deareſt Lord ſeems to depart from theſe: Oh that once at laſt we could diſcern the ſad Symptoms of his Removal! This is the caſe in the Text, 1 Sam. 7.5. Gather all Iſrael to Mizpeh, v. 6. and they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and faſted on that day—Why they met in Mizpeh, Vid. Poli Syn. Crit. in loc.whether becauſe Samuel judged Iſrael there, or it had an Altar or place of Prayer, I ſhall not diſpute: Or what this drawing out Water was, whether it was the Water of Trial, or a Ceremony uſed at ſuch Solemnities, or Water of penitential tears, which is moſt likely: Theſe tears running from their Eyes, betokened and accompanied their affected and affectionate hearts running after the Lord; one while mourning for the ſins that baniſhed him; another laying to heart their loſs of him, and with a greedy eager heart breathing in prayers after him: This was their practice, Judg. 2.1—5. Where an Angel of the Lord doth 1. Reckon up God's kindneſſes to them; 2. Their duty to God; 3. Their ill requital of God by diſobedience; 4. God's diſpleaſure againſt them; upon which the People lift up their voice and wept; and ſo great was that weeping, that the place received its title from it; they called the name of that place Bochim, i. e. Weepers; they were baptized in their own tears: Oh! cryed they, one to another, Brother, Neighbour, do not you hear theſe heavy Tydings? God is angry; the Almighty commenceth a Suit againſt us; he hath ſent a Summons to us, drawn up an Indictment againſt us; who is able to contend with him? We are conſcious to our ſelves that we are guilty, deeply guilty; we deſerve to be forſaken of God, for we have forſaken him: Thus they lookt at one another with grieved hearts, ſeeing others weep, they fell a weeping, and cryed bitterly with an harmonious out-cry, Lord come, come again, leave us not into the hands of theſe curſed Canaanites, who bear a mortal grudg againſt us; a bitter and haſty Nation, a People cruel and skilful to deſtroy. Another Inſtance you have in Exod. 33.1—6. where God chides them, ſeems to diſown them, as if they were not his People, but Moſes's; tells them, he will ſend an Angel, but he will not go with them, for they are a ſtiff-necked People. The Text ſaith, When the People heard theſe evil Tidings, they mourned, no man put on him his Ornaments. Alas! alas! ſay they, doth God take his leave? will he depart, and not go with us, but ſubſtitute an Angel in his room? What can an Angel do? Can an Angel bear our manners, forgive our ſins, and ſupply our wants? No, no, all the Angels in Heaven cannot do that for us that we need: An Angel of the Lord may do much in oppoſing and deſtroying our enemies, defending us, but we are conſcious to our ſelves that we are a rebellious People, have a ſtiff Neck that none can break or bow but God; and though it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a ſin-revenging Judge, yet there's ſome incouragement if we have in the midſt of us a covenanted God, yet, yet we have hopes thou wilt be a tender-hearted Father. Exod. 32.25.Lord, we follow thee naked, quite ſtript of any Aid but thine; our late guilt hath made us naked as to defence, and we make our ſelves naked as to Ornaments, and have no manner of excuſe for our wicked act; Whip us, O Lord, upon the bare, but forſake us not. We broke off our Ear-Rings to make a golden Calf, now we put off the reſt of our garments, as not worthy of one ragg, and forfeiting all our mercies: However, our fine Attire ſhall go, we will ſtrip our ſelves in an holy revenge, that having put off our cloths, we may follow the faſter after thee with ſighs and tears. Oh that we could alſo put off our ſins with our garments, and ſo put on the Lord Jeſus.

But this is that I urge, that Chriſtians in their Societies and Aſſemblies do unanimouſly, ſocially joyn together to lament after the Lord. God is greatly to be feared in the aſſembly of the Saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him, Pſal. 89.7. Let Chriſtians provoke one another to this love of God: Let them bring ſpurs to quicken; Yea let them ſhoar up one another by mutual Supports in this holy purſuit of God, with prayers and tears, as Iron ſharpens Iron, ſo let us ſharpen one another, taking each other by the hand; Zech. 3.10.Let us every one call his neighbour under the vine and under the Fig-tree; Joh. 3.45, 48.As Philip found Nathaniel under the Fig-tree and tells him the joyful tidings of Meſſiah; Let Perſons in the ſame family get together in Gods ſolemn Worſhip, and lament after the Lord; Husbands apart, and Wives apart; Zech. 12.12.Children a part, and Servants apart, and ſometimes all together; let families & neighbor houſes get together, & humble themſelves and ſay, Come neighbours, God is gone or going, let us lift up our voices, hands and hearts together to fetch him back: Alas! We have converſed about our Farms, Oxen, Sheep, Trades together, ſhall we not at laſt begin to converſe with each other as Chriſtians? We have drunk ſhots feaſted, played, been ſinfully merry together, and by our ſins baniſhed God, and ſhall we find no time to mourn for our ſins and lament after the Lord together? Let Villages, Towns, and Cities gather into aſſemblies, and Chriſtian Societies, and do as thoſe Zech. 8.21. The inhabitants of one City ſhall go to another [not ſtay till they come to them] ſaying [they are not dumb images, but lively monitors] let us go [let's Travel for it to the place of Gods Solemn Worſhip] ſpeedily, [alas, we have put off ſuch exerciſes too long, till God be almoſt paſt calling back] to pray before the Lord [not go to ſuch a City, to buy and ſell, and get gain] and to ſeek the Lord of hoſts. [Alas! We have loſt him, him who is the God of Armies, who arms our foes againſt us.] I will go alſo, [i.e. I will put you upon no other work then I will undertake my ſelf; I will contribute my beſt aſſiſtance to further this ſo good a deſign:] All this ſhews great zeal for God and flaming charity to each others, as when men are converted, they will draw others to God in his Worſhip, and give a lively example of it in practice.

Obj. But this practice is uncouth, this path is untrodden, few it uſe in the place where we live, we ſhall be laughed to ſcorn for our labour. It's Anſwered ver. 22. Yea many People and ſtrong Nations ſhall come to ſeek the Lord of hoſts in Jeruſalem, and to pray before him. God will greatly multiply Converts and ſo take off the ſcandal of paucity of Worſhipers; it's not a few giddy headed, factious Spirits, but it's Nations, many and ſtrong, Nations rich and potent. Gentile Converts flock like Doves to the windows (not by compact and frand, but) by peculiar operations of the Spirit in the Miniſtry of the Word, People of Divers languages, at great diſtance; The ſame Spirit acts in all Goſpelworſhippers to flock to God in Ordinances; Yea warlike Nations, and Iſlands afar off, unapproachable or invincible by men, ſhall be conquered by the Goſpel; as 'tis ſaid of Britain [Romanis inaceſſa, Chriſto vero Subdita] though the Romans could ſcarce come to it, yet our Lord Subdued it: You need not fear want of Good company; Yea your zeal may provoke others; One forward Chriſtian in a place ſhall have companions in Gods work in due time; And how doſt thou know but thou wilt find ſome ſpark of goodneſs in ſome of thy neighbours that thy invitation may blow up, and draw forth? Try them by a gentle call, & thou mayſt find more of God in them than ever thou waſt aware of; poſſibly, baſhfulneſs, ſenſe of weakneſs, want of acquaintance with Chriſtians; Want of a call and opportunity have kept Some lights under a Buſhel, which if called out of their retirements and alittle ſnuffed, might ſhine bright in the Church.

Obj. But alas, I am a perſon of weak gifts, cannot lament after the Lord in any ſocieties, can be of no uſe, but a burden!

Anſ. Thou needeſt help ſo much the more; Hence the Text ſaith ver. 23. That ten men ſhall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew; Like little Children that are not able to go of themſelves, afraid to fall, will get hold of the hem of their Fathers garment, to hold them up from falling, and ſtrengthen them to walk more ſecurely, or to direct him in a way that he hath not known. Sincere proſelites will look after communion of Saints. The Apoſtle mentions fellowſhip in the Goſpel from the firſt day, Phil. 1.5. And there's great advantage by it, for Solomon ſaith, Two are better then one, Eccl. 4.9, 10, 11. Which he Illuſtrates there in ſeveral caſes, which I muſt not inlarge upon; But 'tis certain, you may find great help in communion of Saints.

But how ſhall I know they are Saints, or fit to joyn with? I may be deceived and miſled into by-ways of errour?

Anſ. We have heard that God is with you, with his Apoſtles by ſtrange ſigns, gifts, miracles, holineſs in converſation; What appearances of God for you, by you, in you; You may ſafely joyn in with ſuch as God thinks fit to own, and communicate himſelf to; I am convinced from the bright beams of Goſpel-light, and from the powerful influences and convictions of the Spirit, that this is indeed the way of God. I am therefore reſolved to inquire after God in it, and joyn with them that travel in it heavenwards: Thus much for the ſecond head, who are the Perſons concerned in this work.

3. Another Head is the helps and furtherances in this lamenting after the Lord. What courſe ſhall we take both to perform this duty aright, and to obtain what we lament after, viz. either the God of Ordinances, or the Ordinances of God?

Here I might repeat what was mentioned in the Explication, by way of Inſtruction: As,

1. They were inclined after the Lord. It were well if poor Sinners would but ſtop their vain career, ſtand ſtill, pauſe upon it, bethink themſelves, have a tendency God-wards; this is the firſt ſtep to Repentance. See Jer. 8.6.

2. Settled after the Lord. Oh that men were well reſolved upon good grounds, that their hearts were well fixed, inflamed, deſigned for God! as our Saviour, Luk. 9.51.that ſtedfaſtly ſet his face to go to Jeruſalem, or as Paul, Acts 21.13.

3. Congregated, gathered, united together, to go hand in hand after the Lord, Zeph. 2.1. Gather your ſelves together, yea gather together, O Nation not deſired! foreign colligite a foreign palea, i. e. contrahite vos, ne ſitis ſiout palea.Gather your ſelves by mutual accommodation, and ſincere repentance, to get under the wing of God, as Chickens under the Hen, or (as the alluſion in that Text is) that ye be not as Chaff that is diſſipated by the wind, v. 2. for there's an affinity in the words; ſincere Repentance unites to God and his People.

4. Groaned, complained, bemoaned themſelves after the Lord, as Iſrael, Jer. 31.18. I have ſurely heard Ephraim bemoaning himſelf: Oh that I ſhould by my ſin forfeit God's preſence, and for ſin loſe it! how miſerable am I in this ſo ſad and aſtoniſhing loſs!

5. They cryed, called after the Lord, by earneſt ſupplication, expoſtulation; and it becomes a Child to follow his Mother with bitter out-crys to fetch her back, Jer. 31.9. They ſhall come with weeping, and with ſupplications will I lead them, Marg. with favours, (ſo the word foreignſignifies from foreign miſertus, gratificatus, doluit) That's the beſt Prayer that flows from love, and follows God with grief and tears from an earneſt good will to God, without outward conſtraint, and ſlaviſh fear.

6. They betook themſelves to the Lord by Faith, Repentance, Reformation. Oh what efficacy is in this courſe! Judg. 10.13. God ſaith, I will deliver you no more, but bids them cry unto the gods whom they had choſen, v. 14. For they had cryed to the Lord, v. 10. and confeſſed ſin, yet God ſeems peremptory in denying aid then they reinforce their confeſſion, and ſupplication, and withal added Reformation, v. 6. They put away the ſtrange gods from among them, and ſerved the Lord, and ſee the bleſſed effect, his Soul was grieved for the miſery of Iſrael; and he delivers them. No way like this.

7. They acquieſced in the Lord, were fully contented and ſatisfied with the Lord, both as to the object of worſhip, and manner of worſhipping: And oh for ſuch a frame as that! Iſa. 26.13. O Lord our God, other Lords beſides thee have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name, i. e. by thy Precepts, according to thy Inſtitution will we worſhip thee; our fear towards thee ſhall be no more taught by the Precepts of men; Iſa. 29.13.we will worſhip thee only in thy own way; and by thee i. e. in thy ſtrength, by the aſſiſtance of thy grace, thou alone ſhalt be the Author and object of our love, deſire, pleaſure and delight. Aſhur ſhall not ſave us, we will not ride upon Horſes, neither will we ſay any more to the work of our hands, ye are our Gods, for in thee the fatherleſs findeth mercy, Hoſ. 14.3.

Theſe are the Duties implied in the Text ſpread before you, required of us all in this World, work of lamenting after the Lord.

But to help our hearts to, and in the due performance of theſe required Duties, I ſhall propound ſome qualifications, as ſo many Directions to carry on this work ſucceſsfully.

1. See to your State and Principles; except you be related to God, you'l not lament after him, nor be much concern'd about him, or his Ark, whether going or coming. Relation is the foundation of Affection. A Child will cry after his own Father. Now God is not our Father ſince the Fall, till Regeneration make a real, and Adoption a relative change of our State; and when we have received the Spirit of Adoption, then, never till then, ſhall we cry, Abba, Father, Rom. 8.15. They only will cry after God that love him, fear him, honour him, as a Father, with a filial Affection, and they only ſhall be entertained by him; as for others, he owns their out-crys no more than the howlings of a Dog. Oh therefore examine your State God-wards! Hath Converting Grace under Ordinances changed your hearts? Hath the Spirit awakened your Conſciences, convinced you of your undone State by Nature, transformed you by the renewing of your Minds, tranſlated you out of darkneſs into light? deal faithfully with your Souls in this caſe; you come into the World with your backs turned upon God, and you will never lament after him without a turn: Yea naturally there's an enmity and antipathy in our hearts to God and his waies. Hath God cruſhed and conquered that, and planted right Principles in you, to incline you to him? if yet you find not a Divine Nature, a new Nature begot in you, flatter not your ſelves, you will rather run farther from him, than lament after him. Let your Souls be chiefly concerned for this firſt, then for the reſt. Union precedes Communion: A real Title is antecedent to laying Claim: A Principle of Grace is before an actual exerciſe of it: There muſt be life, before there can be any deſire of, or nutrition by food. I have no hopes of prevailing with graceleſs Souls to lament after God, till they have life and breath, voice and lungs, except formally, for company, or for carnal ends, which is inſignificant. Oh for grace, truth of grace, & a reality of intereſt in Chriſt, and all the Priviledges he hath purchaſed.

2. Inform your ſelves throughly of the terms we ſtand in with God. Conſider how the Lord carries towards us, as to our particular Souls, and the Nation in general. We ſhall never lament after him till we ſee him withdrawn. Ignorance of the State of things with us keeps Perſons in ſenſleſneſs. What the Eye of (body or mind) ſees not, is never laid to heart: Make ſome collections and conſtructions of things at this day: Yea, make compariſons betwixt former and preſent Times. What think you? Hath not God manifeſted himſelf more in his Providences for us, than of late? Have we not reaſon to take up the Church's complaint, in Pſal. 44.1—9. or to expoſtulate as Gideon, Judg. 6.13. Oh my Lord! If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his Miracles which our Fathers told us of? I have told you how much reſtraining grace is withdrawn from many; how rare Converſion is by Ordinances; how much God hath withdrawn both from the Societies and Spirits of his Servants. I ſhall not trouble you with repetitions; look over theſe things, compare them with what you ſee and obſerve, and if you find the Lord as formerly, be thankful; if otherwiſe, be humbled, and lament after him. It's to be feared, that if you be obſervant diſcerning Chriſtians, you'l yet find out more than hitherto hath been mentioned, both demonſtrations of God's remove, and Prognoſticks of future removes. The moſt excellent and eminent Servants of God pluckt away by death from amongſt us, and God ſaith, They are taken away from the evil to come, Iſa. 57.1. The Spirit of Giddineſs, Atheiſm and Idolatry ſpreading at a ſtrange rate, beyond all parallel. Other things I might mention, but I leave them to your inquiry: Only there's one Text methinks is aſtoniſhing, Zech. 11.8. Three Shepherds alſo I cut off in one month, and my Soul loathed them, and their Soul alſo abhorred me. It's one of the ſaddeſt words in all the Bible. Whether they were good or bad Shepherds that were cut off, it's dreadful that it hath no better effect than mutual abhorrency. Oh that this were not our caſe! We lie under woful fruits of God's loathing us, and it's well if men do not loath him. A Spirit of oppoſition to Godlineſs is the ſad fruit of Divine dereliction, which produceth greater Spiritual and Temporal Plagues. Hence he adds, v. 9. Then ſaid I, I will not feed you, that that dieth, let it die, and that that is cut off, let it be cut off, and let the reſt eat every one the fleſh of another. They ſhall have no Goſpel-Paſtors to feed their Souls; that's a Spiritual Plague which fell on the Jews for rejecting Chriſt. They ſhall devour one another with curſed rage and malice, as in ſeditions, conſpiracies, or in their neceſſity of food by the terrible Famine. Thus the Jews were deſtroyed in Jeruſalem's miſerable Ruin. The like Prognoſticks are upon us. Lord prevent the fame effects, and awake our hearts to uſe God's appointed Means for prevention.

3. Make diligent inquiry into the Reaſon of our preſent and approaching calamities. Is there not a cauſe? Surely affliction cometh not forth of the duſt, neither doth trouble ſpring out of the ground. Job 5.6.Sin is the Mother and Nurſe of ſorrow. Is not God bringing our iniquities upon us? Doth not our own wickedneſs correct us, and our backſliding reprove us? Doth not this Rod ſay, Jer. 2.19.Thy ways and thy doings have procured theſe things unto thee, this is thy wickedneſs, becauſe, it is bitter, becauſe it reacheth unto thine heart, or Soul, Jer. 4.18. Let Miniſters and People, lay their hand on their heart, and ſearch our Conſciences & Converſations? Is it not I that ſhut out Miniſters, as the good Woman ſaid, I broke my Miniſters Leg; My pride, unteachableneſs, unprofitablebleneſs, formality, neglect of duty, cenſurings and uncharitableneſs, ſenſuality & worldlineſs, hypocriſy and lukewarmneſs, vain glory and mindleſneſs of Gods glory and my Souls eternal good; theſe, theſe made all the excluding, baniſhing, fining impriſoning Laws that ever came out againſt God's Servants; Theſe chiefly have broken all aſſemblies, ſcatterred meetings, armed all the Officers, retarded our deliverance: By our ſins are our enemies ſtrong, and the hands of our friends weak: Peccatis noſtris fortes ſunt Barbari.Alas! It's my own iniquity that hath brought us, low, ſet back a good work, baniſht God, lift up the right hand of our enemies; Nor is it the Sins of profane, but profeſſors, Of the Rock that begat us we have been unmindful, and forgotten God that formed us, Deut. 32.18, 19. Therefore, when the Lord ſaw it be abhorred us, becauſe of the provoking of his Sons and of his daughters, Oh our wretched ingratitude, rebellion, covenant-breaking, our ſins have reached to heaven; therefore our judgments are unparallel'd. We may ſay as Dan. 9.12. Under the whole heaven hath no: been done, as hath been done upon us: It's well if we have not reaſon to add alſo ver. 13. That all this evil is come upon us, yet made we not our prayer! [Heb. intreated the face] before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and underſtand thy truth: It's true, we have prayed, but it's well if we have ſo prayed. Is not the accurſed thing to be found amongſt us to this day? We have been long in the fire, but are we cleanſed? Alas, alas, May not that ſad complaint and charge be brought in againſt us, as in Jer. 6.28, 29, 30. They are grievous revolters, walking with Slanders, braſs and Iron, they are all corrupters, the Bellows are burnt, the Lead is conſumed of the fire; the Founder melteth in vain, for the wicked are not plucked away, Reprobate Silver ſhall men call them, becauſe the Lord hath rejected them. Oh that this were not our caſe, and that Character alſo given of that profeſſing people, Jer. 9.3—7. But I ſhall leave Chriſtians to this heart-ſearching work, beſeeching, requiring and charging all perſons to deal faithfully with their own Souls; find out the Achan that troubles the Camp, ſtone it; Caſt lots to find the Jonah that raiſeth this tempeſt, caſt it over-board, confeſs, bewail, reform, get pardon of Sin, and who knows but we ſhall have a calm?

4. Get your hearts ſenſible of the evil of God's departure from us: Otherwiſe you will not think it worth the while to ſpend time in lamenting after him: Come to an heart, an houſe, a ſociety, a congregation, or the nation, and make inquiry, is God there? If it be anſwered, no, he's gone in whole or in part, what's then left that's good? Surely if God go, all good goes, and all evil comes, 2 Chron. 15.3—6. Now for a long ſeaſon Iſrael had been without the true God. and without a teaching Prieſt, and without Law [whether this was under Jeroboam, and his Succeſſors, or ſome other time] and in thoſe times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countreys—For God did vex them with all adverſity. Mark it, when God goes, all evil comes. They that were without the true, pure, publick Worſhip of God, and with a ſtanding Miniſtry, to teach publickly, plainly, powerfully, but had in their places, falſe Prophets, lying Rabbins, or graceleſs Loyterers, and it may be the People loved to have it ſo. No wonder if they had Civil Diſcords, Forein Invaſions, Eccleſiaſtical Diſſentions, all things going to wrack, ſetting up one Ruler againſt another, ſo joyning in Parties, Factions, uſing barbarous cruelties, imbroyling all in ſad contentions, imbruing their hands in one anothers blood: When God goes he breaks down the hedg of his protecting providence, Pſal. 80.12, 13.ſo that the Boar out of the Wood waſts his Vineyard. Iſa. 55.6, 7.Then it's eaten up, trodden down, it ſhall not be pruned nor digged, but there comes up Briars & Thorns, yea he commands the clouds that they rain no rain upon it; what then will become of it! Surely the incloſed Vineyard of the Church ſoon becomes a a wild Common of barbarous Infidels: When God removes his Candles, darkneſs comes, Rev. 2.5.but when he removes Candleſticks alſo, Mahomet fills up the room: The famous Aſian Churches are a dreadful inſtance: If the ſun ſet, night comes on: If the King be abſent, what Court can be kept? If Chriſt ſtay not where's the Church? If God ſhould leave his glorious manſion in heaven; It would inſtantly become a dark dungeon of hell: Yea if God depart from a People as a friend, he comes againſt them as a dreadful foe: If he go away he tears as a Lion; Hoſ. 5.14.conſumes as a Moth: If he hide his face in Love, he comes in wrath, and fury to ſlay them, 1 Sam. 28.15.Jer. 33.5. Saul was in a woful plight when God was departed from him, and the Philiſtins were upon him. Yea, if God depart the Devil comes. When the good Spirit went from Saul, an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled, tormented him, 1 Sam. 16.14, 23. Satan was from God, as framing his nature, commiſſionating him to puniſh Saul, but his wickedneſs and malignity in his deſigns and actings from himſelf: Oh how glad is the Devil to take up that room that God leaves? truly then ſaith the Lord, Hoſ. 9.12. Yea woe alſo to them, when I depart from them: There's a wo of ſinning, and ſuffering attends God's departure: Whither will not men run when God forſakes them? If the hand withdraw, the ſtaff falls; if the glaſs without foot be not held up, it falls, and breaks, and the liquor Spills, the very beſt man is no more dayly, but as the Lord makes him: Sampſon, David, Peter, will fall if God go: Much more they that have no hold of God, or God of them in a covenant-way, they'l not ſtop till they commence at the height of Sin and fall into the depth of Hell! Hoſ. 9.17. My God will caſt them away becauſe they did not hearken to him: Hoſ. 7.13. Woe unto them, for they have fled from me, yea deſtruction to them, becauſe thay have tranſgreſſed againſt me: Yea everlaſting deſtruction from the preſence of the Lord and from the glory of his power. 2. Theſ. 8.9. Were we kindly affected with all this, we ſhould lament after the Lord: We have reaſon to tremble, left it prove our caſe, and removing his ordinances is a great ſtep to all this: And if we knew what it meant, we ſhould with old Eli have trembling hearts for the Ark of God, 1. Sam. 4.13.

5. Study the advantages and benefit of having God preſent with us; as fear of evil is one motive to avoid it; ſo a deſire of the contrary good, adds wings in ſeeking earneſtly for it. When God goes, all good goes: So when God returns or continues with a People, they enjoy all good, inward, outward. The People that have God with them, have a ſtrong Guard to defend them, a wiſe Guide to direct them, rich Grace to ſupply them, high Honour to advance them, full Reſt to content them, an abundant Reward in the enjoyment of him: They have enough, they need no more. Happy is the People whoſe God is the Lord. Pſal. 144. ult.Luther's Pſalm, that Song upon Alamoth, Pſal. 46. is admirable for this; for when the Church can ſay, God is our refuge and ſtrength, a very preſent help in trouble; verſ. 1. She builds great confidence and comfort on this ſolid foundation; verſ. 2. Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed, &c. Yea, ſhe ſtands upon this impregnable Rock, triumphing over all dangers and enemies, with this word repeated, verſ. 7, 11. The Lord of Hoſts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. And if God be for us, who can be againſt us? Rom. 8.31. Who would not follow after ſuch a God with prayers, tears, groans, and hearty lamentations, that he would return to us, continue with us? Oh! who would not have an hand in bringing back the King, ſuch a King as by his preſence can make us truly and eternally happy? See what it is to have God with us, Iſa. 42.13, 14, 15, 16. Yea, it becomes every one to ſtudy the uſefulneſs of God's Ordinances, that their hearts may be ingaged to, and inlarged in lamenting after the Ordinances of God? Both theſe are larger Subjects than I can proſecure, to explain the advantages coming to a People by the preſence of the Ordinances of God, or the God of Ordinances. You muſt look on the Ordinances as fruits and tokens of God's ſpecial favour, for all have not the Ordinances of God, Pſal. 147.19, 20. He ſheweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judgments unto Iſrael; he hath not dealt ſo with any Nation; and as for his Judgments, they have not known them. That this Sun-ſhine of Goſpel-Light is on one place, and not on another, proceeds from diſcriminating Providence, who ſent Embaſſadours for the Goſpel to be brought to them. Surely that's preventing kindneſs: Song 5.5.But when it hath left ſome impreſſion on hearts, ſome Myrth upon the handles of the Lock, ſuch ſhould, yea will lament after him, when he's gone, as the Church did: For ſuch have taſted how good the Lord is, and look on the Ordinances as their Heritage and higheſt Priviledge. Oh that you knew what helps Ordinances are to promote God's work in our hearts, in begetting and increaſing Faith, Repentance, Love, new Obedience; this is that clear Chryſtalglaſs through which we may ſee the face of God, 2 Cor. 3.18.and be transformed into his Image; Jam. 1.24.that Glaſs in which we may ſee the face of our Souls, and be humbled and aſhamed: Here you may have your doubts reſolved, fears diſperſed, hearts ſatisfied, graces quickened, fellowſhip with God promoted, our Souls prepared for Heaven. Oh that your eyes were opened to ſee the neceſſity, excellency, utility of God's Ordinances! I am very confident, that if your Souls be as new born Babes, you will deſire after the ſincere Milk of the Word, if ſo be ye have taſted that the Lord is gracious, 1 Pet. 2.2, 3. As for others that want ſpiritual life and light to diſcover and feel the marrow of Ordinances, no wonder if they ſlight or deſpiſe both the Appointments themſelves, and ſuch as long for them, and lament the want of them; and therefore I urge this, that you learn by your own experience the ſweetneſs and advantage of enjoying the preſence of God in the Ordinances of God.

6. Get and maintain publick Spirits. Oh take heed of private Spirits, to look only after your own concerns, and worldly Intereſts! This hath been the Ruine of the Church, and alſo of particular perſons at laſt, Hag. 1.4. Is it time for you, O ye! to dwell in your cieled Houſes, and this Houſe lye waſte? therefore ye have ſown much, and bring in little, q.d. You think to ſecure your perſonal and domeſtical comforts with neglect of my concernments, but I will croſs you in that which concerns you, becauſe you are heedleſs in what concerns me. On the contrary, David concern'd himſelf about God's Houſe, and God built his Houſe, 3 Sam. 7.2—11. So true is that of our Saviour, that whoſoever will ſave his life ſhall loſe it; Mat. 16.27.and whoſoever will loſe his life for my ſake ſhall find it. Self-ſeeking is the way to ſelfundoing; ſelf-denying is the only way to ſelf-advancing: Scripture and Experience prove this. Well then, my advice is, that you chiefly mind the Intereſt of our Lord in the World; and put as great an accent on this in your prayers, as if it were your own caſe; and indeed it is your own: Your little Boat hangs on the great Ship; but all judge not ſo, therefore there are few lamenters after the Lord: But if you would look on Zion's caſe as your own, and ſo carry it as having yours really involved in that bottom, it would be both an help and ſpur in your lamentings. The more gracious perſons have been, the more have they forgot themſelves to think on the Church. 2 Cor. 11.28. Numb. 11.11.Upon me, ſaith St. Paul, cometh daily the care of all the Churches. Upon Moſes lay the burden of all the People. Uriah will ſympathize and ſuit himſelf to the Ark, 2 Sam. 11.11.and Iſrael, and Judah in the Camp, and not ſuit himſelf to the delights of the City. Nehemiah inquires after, Neh. 1.24.and condoles with his ſuffering Brethren. Look through the Bible, and you'l find this gracious publick Spirit breathing in all the Servants of God, Pſal. 137.5, 6. If I forget thee, O Jeruſalem! let my right hand forget her cunning: If I do not remember thee, let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jeruſalem above my chief joy, Marg. the head of my joy, q.d. I profeſs my ſelf to be a Member of that Myſtical Body the Church, and how can a Member rejoyce when the whole Body mourns? If the touching of one String of an Inſtrument make the reſt move, how can I forbear a ſad Eccho to the Church's mournful Elegy? Shall not her dewy Eyes cauſe mine Eyes to water? How can it go well with me, when it goes ill with the Church? Mr. Rutherford's Letters, p. 17.Oh that I could ſet ſelf aſide! We have need, ſaith one, to be redeemed from our ſelves, rather than from the Devil, or World. I ſhould make a ſweet bartering, and give old for new, if I could ſhuffle out ſelf, and ſubſtitute Chriſt my Lord in place of my ſelf. Oh wretched Idol! when ſhall I ſee thee wholly decourted, and Chriſt wholly put in thy room? Nobis non nati ſumus.Oh that I had but gone as far yet as the Heathens Primar, we are not born for our ſelves; ſurely then I ſhould not be ſo much taken up with my own matters, but think on the Church. Alas! what's my danger to Zion's damage? if it go well with Zion, it ſhall comfort my heart, whatever my perſonal troubles be. But I muſt hang my Harp on the Willows, while the Church is in Captivity. Lord, Pſal. 51.18.do good in thy good pleaſure to Zion, build thou the Walls of Jeruſalem; though my broken bones be not ſet, or though my heart ſtill keep bleeding.

7. Learn the right Art of praying and pleading with the Lord! this lamentation is in the way of ſupplication; that a gracious promiſe, Zech. 12.10. I will pour upon the houſe, of David and the inhabitants of Jeruſalem [Princes and People] the Spirit of grace and of Supplications; And then follows a great mourning, both in families and in cloſets. Oh that this work were ſet forward? Surely if all the People of England, yea profeſſing People; could ſet forwards in this ſo needful a work, what mercy were it! prayer is needful at all times, in all caſes, but much more now; If any thing fetch back a departing God, it muſt be a believing prayer, 2 Chron. 7.14. If my People which are called by my Name, ſhall humble themſelves, and pray, and ſeek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their ſin, and will heal their Land. You ſee the duty; You ſee the incouragement; prayer is ſutable to a ſad diſpoſition, and diſpenſation: Prayer is the Conduit of comfort. Afflictions make us ſeek out Promiſes, Promiſes to ſeek Faith, Faith to ſeek Prayer, Prayer to ſeek and find God. What ſhould God's Children do, were it not for this priviledge of praying? When they cannot preach, and hear, they may pray; when they cannot meet together, they may meet at the Throne of Grace; when they are ſhut out from petitioning men, they may be admitted to the Court of Heaven, Pſal. 34.15.and the Lord's Ears are ſtill open to their cry. I ſhould think the Spirit of Prayer to be the beſt token for good to us, Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cauſe thine Ear to hear, Pſal. 10.17. Exod, 32.10, 11.Moſes beſought the Lord, and the Lord ſeems as bound faſt by his prayer; Let me alone, ſaith God. The People here intreat Samuel, 1 Sam. 7.6.not to ceaſe to cry to the Lord for them; and he did pray, and you ſee the iſſue. Oh that we could not only pray, but lift up a prayer for the Remnant that's left! 2 King. 19.4.If God return to us, it muſt be upon the wings of ſuch an advanced Prayer. 2 Chron. 32.19, 20.When Sennacherib had ſent Rabſhakeh to blaſpheme God, the Text ſaith, For this cauſe Hezekiah the King, and the Prophet Iſaiah, the Son of Amoz, prayed, and cryed to Heaven. For this cauſe: If any thing will quicken God's Children to Prayer, ſurely it will be the diſhonour of their Father; they would not anſwer them, but complain to God; this was then, and is ſtill, the moſt effectual courſe to ſpeed. When Nehemiah was to make requeſt to a great King, he ſaith, Neh. 2.4.Then prayed I to the God of Heaven. It was an ejaculatory Prayer, for he ſpoke it not, yet it was effectual; he thought if by Prayer he could move the main wheel, all the reſt would move. This is a way to ſet a work all Second Cauſes. Indeed we have no other means in proſpect; let us betake our ſelves to this ſpiritual Armour, for Prayers and Tears are the Church's Weapons, Epheſ. 6.18, 19. Praying alwaies with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perſeverance and ſupplication for all Saints, and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the Myſtery of the Goſpel. This is our caſe, we beg our Peoples Prayers for our reſtitution. Oh that Miniſters and People could ſtrive (or be in an Agony) together in their mutual Prayers to God for each other! Rom. 15.30. v. 29.If you could pray more and better, we ſhould come the ſooner, and with a greater bleſſing, even in the fulneſs of the bleſſing of the Goſpel of Chriſt; and for your encouragement to pray for us, we hope we can truly ſay, as Heb. 13.18. Pray for us, for we truſt we have a good conſcience in all things, willing to live honeſtly. Though we ſuffer as evil-doers, and are reproached as factious, ſeditious, ſchiſmatical; as Paul was accounted an Apoſtate, an enemy to the Law; but we carry our ſelves as Subjects, as Miniſters, living orderly in our places, giving none offence, ſo that none can challenge us in any thing ſave in the matters of our God, and in that they muſt excuſe us, if we cannot in all things ſee with their Eyes, nor ſwallow down ſuch Oaths, Subſcriptions, as ſome dare, whom we judge not, but are afraid of nothing ſo much as ſin; and as for our Preaching to you, though prohibited by men, it's our obligation to duty: For, woe be to us if we Preach not the Goſpel. Zeal for God's glory, and love to your Souls, that expoſeth us to all theſe cenſures and oppoſitions; it is for your ſakes that we bear all theſe affronts, and will not you pray for us? Surely your ſelves are concerned in our work; we are content to endure all for the Goſpels ſake; we ask nothing of you but your entertainment of our Meſſage and Prayers for our perſons; we ſpend our time, and ſtrength, and lungs for you; will not you pray for us? If God help us, will not this turn to your advantage? Your Prayers will return into your own boſoms. We have been ſerving almoſt three Apprentiſhips in our divorcement from Publick Places and Imployments, yet our God hath not forſaken us, but ſecured our Perſons, and ſome Liberties; he hath delivered us, doth, and will deliver liver us, 2 Cor. 1.10, 11, 12. You alſo helping together in prayer for us, that for the gift beſtowed upon us by the means of many perſons, thanks may be given by many on our behalf; for our rejoycing is this, the teſtimony of our conſcience, &c. Having obtained help of God, we continue to this day at great uncertainties; Melch. Adam, vit. Melanct. p. 357.as Melancthon ſaid [Ego jam ſum hic, Dei beneficio, quadraginta annos, & nunquam potui dicere, aut certus eſſe, me per unam ſeptimanam manſurum eſſe.] So we may ſay, we have continued, by Divine bounty and care of us twenty years, and could never ſay aſſuredly, nor upon any probable grounds, that we ſhould abide one week to an end: Much of this may be aſcribed to the effectual Prayers of the Church, as a mean under God. Who can tell but in a ſhort time your Prayers may fetch us back again: Howſoever, we are perſuaded that theſe things ſhall turn to our [and your] Salvation, through your Prayer, and the ſupply of the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, Phil. 1.19. Only ſee that your Prayers be ſuch as God will accept. I cannot inlarge on this Head, but hint the due qualifications of ſuch a Prayer as ſhall undoubtedly prevail.

1. Your Perſons muſt be in covenant.Joh. 9.31.

2. You muſt act Faith upon the Mediator Chriſt.Joh. 16.23.

3. You muſt pray in the Holy Ghoſt.Jude 20.

4. Ask what is according to God's Will.1 Joh. 5.14.

5. Aim at God's Glory as your main end.1 Cor. 10.31.

6. Caſt away all ſin in heart and life.Pſal. 66.18.

7. Live in the daily exerciſe of Repentance.Heb. 10.22.

8. Maintain an holy Awe of God in your hearts.Pſal. 2.11.

9. Set your hearts in order for the duty.Job 11.13.

10. Pray with underſtanding, minding1 Cor. 14.15. the object.

11. With fervency, importunity.Luk. 11.8, 9.

12. Forgiving others that have offended you.Mark 11.25.

13. Watching againſt Temptations.Col. 4.2.

14. Living up to your Prayers.Joh. 15.7.

15. Maintaining communion with God.Luk. 2.37.

16. Coming with hopes to ſpeed.Jam. 1.6.

17. Be Sincere, as to frames and ends.Mat. 6.5, 6.

18. Be dayly ſenſible of wants, Mat. 5.6.weakneſſes.

19. Wait patiently for returns of prayer.Pſal. 5.3.

20. Be thankful for any in-comes after Phil. 4.6, 7.Prayer. Such diſpoſitions as theſe you muſt have and act in the duty of Prayer, and then you ſhall prevail for your ſelves and others. This is the Third general Head.

4. The laſt I ſhall briefly hint at is, ſome Cordials which may ſupport and bear up our hearts till our Souls overtake our dear Lord, or he turn again to us, in our lamentings after him.

1. Lamenting Souls after the Lord are moſt likely to be the remnant eſcaping in approaching Calamities: Zeph. 2.3.Theſe have the Mourners mark on them, and ordinarily are left, Ezek. 9.4, 6. and Ezek. 7.16. But they that eſcape of them ſhall eſcape, and ſhall be on the Mountains like Doves of the Valleys, all of them mourning every one for their iniquity. If Land-deſtroying Calamities come, you are likelieſt to ſurvive and be a holy Seed for ſtoring the Church in future times.

2. You may be the Inſtruments to prevail with the Lord for keeping in the midſt of us: Yet there's a poſſibility; Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a bleſſing behind him? Joel 2. v. 14. There's yet a may-be in it, Amos 5.15. Hate the evil, and love the good, and eſtabliſh Judgment in the Gate; it may be that the Lord God of Hoſts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joſeph. God hath condeſcended to his Peoples ſupplications, why not yours? The poor wiſe man hath delivered the City; Eccl. 9.15. Job 22.30.the Innocent may deliver the Iſland. Lot ſped for Zoar, Abraham for Lot, yea very far for the Cities of the Plain. Make a tryal; and what comfort will it be to you, if your lamenting Prayers turn the Scales for God's ſtay with us!

3. However, you may ſtay him with your own Souls; Is that nothing? God is as willing to be friends with us, as we can be to deſire it, and much more, Iſa. 27.5. Or, Let him take hold of my ſtrength, that he may make peace with me; and he ſhall make peace with me; And is this nothing? Oh what is God's preſence worth! How have David, Job, Heman, and all the Saints prized it? Do you not want it? Follow on to know [and own and acknowledge] the Lord, and you ſhall find his going forth is prepared as the morning, and he will come to you as the Rain, Hoſ. 6.3. Your Fleece ſhall be wet when others are dry. If you cannot obtain mercy for others, yet as Noah, Daniel and Job, Ezek. 14.14.you may deliver your own Souls by your righteouſneſs.

4. Yet the Lord hath not forſaken us; he is yet in the midſt of us by his gracious Providences and Influences; he hath been hitherto prevailed with, though he threatned us to leave us, and we had cauſe to fear Execution; his Candleſticks are fixed, and Candles are ſhining, though not all in their proper Sockets, but under a Buſhel: This is an incouraging mercy, our God hath not forſaken us. Yea now for a little ſpace grace hath been ſhewed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to eſcape, and to give us a Nail in his holy Place, that our God may lighten our Eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage, Ezra 9.8, 9. It was not our deſervings that hath kept him with us; no, no, Iſrael bath not been forſaken, nor Judah of his God,—though their Land was filled with ſin againſt the holy One of Iſrael, Jer. 51.5. What's the reaſon then that God is not quite gone? See 1 Sam. 12.22. For the Lord will not forſake his People for his great Names ſake, becauſe it hath pleaſed the Lord to make you his People. The Argument holds for us, and it's ſtill in force; bleſſed be God he hath not caſt us off as yet, and the Covenant with Anceſtors ſtill holds good, as in 2 King. 13.23.

5. God ſeems to be in ſuſpenſe whether he ſhould leave us or no, to draw us on in our lamentings after him; juſt as he expreſſeth himſelf in Hoſ. 11.8. How ſhall I give thee up Ephraim? How ſhall I deliver thee Iſrael? How ſhall I make thee as Admah? How ſhall I ſet thee as Zebbim; ſtrange Language ſpoken by the infinitely wife and immutable God; As though he were puzzled and knew not what to do. Surely this is ſpoken after the manner of men, & ſpeaks God loth to puniſh, for indeed it is his ſtrange work; q. d. the ſeverity of my threats call on truth to make execution, ſed quomodo hoc à me impetrabo?] But how ſhall I prevail with my ſelf to do it? The glory of my Name, free-grace, and conſtant love to my Covenanted people get hold on my wrathful hand when ready to ſtrike the fatal ſtroke, the righteouſneſs of a Judg ſaith, ſtrike; The bowels of a Father ſay, hold; And when God thus deliberates, it is to ſtay and ſee if his People will get hold of him, by faith and prayer: Is not this his carriage towards us in his providence? certainly the Lord comes and goes as if he were loth to puniſh us, and is not this a very great incouragement to us to lament after him? Since he looks back, as a Mother to her Child, with a wiſhly eye, as if he had not the power to go, as if he ſhould ſay, call me back and you ſhall have me, my heart is towards you, though I am forced to turn my back on you, you ſhall have me if you will lament Evangelically after me.

6. You have good company in your lamenting after the Lord, though there be too too many vile Atheiſts and debauched wretches that ſay to God, depart from us, cauſe the holy one to ceaſe from the midſt of us, yet there are mourners in Zion that are very importunatly crying and lamenting after the Lord, with all their might ſeeking to fetch back the Ark: Though they be few comparatively, and though deſpiſed, and poſſibly hid in corners, and as little taken notice of as thoſe ſeven thouſand in Elijah's days, … King. 19.that had not bowed their knee to Baal: but God ſearcheth out ſuch clandeſtine worſhippers, that pray, and complain to their Father in ſecret, and he will reward & anſwer them openly with what concerns more then themſelves. Oh! it's good to be of the number of theſe hidden ones! How bleſſed a thing is it to twiſt intereſts with this lovely Society? There is a communion of Saints in prayer, though unknown to each other: And I can ſay it, for your incouragement, Oh ye praying mourning Souls, that you are not alone, God hath thouſands in theſe Nations that have been hard at it many years, and preſent circumſtances do quicken their crys; Our danger increaſeth our pangs, and thoſe advance our crys; be not diſcouraged, you have many aſſiſtants; A threefold cord is not eaſily broken, God hath ſome Children to cry after him from all parts of the Kingdom, and though many of the old ſtock of weeping Souls are worn out, yet ſome wreſtling young ones are planted in their room, ſome begotten in the bonds of the Goſpel, for the word of God is not bound, though Embaſſadors be. Zion hath been built in this troublous time. And I think it may be truly ſaid, that as the Ark hath more viſible followers, ſo more ſincere lamenters after it, then when it was taken out of its publick ſtation, as Tertullian of old ſaid, ſo it muſt be acknowledged that the more God's field is cut, the more graſs Springs up.

7. God hath a dear and tender reſpect to ſuch as lament after him for the Arks ſake, and will do them good upon that very account, Pſal. 122.6. pray for the peace of Jeruſalem, they ſhall proſper that love thee. They ſhall not only proſper and prevail for Jeruſalem, but God will proſper them in other reſpects, in their graces, in comforts, yea oft in worldly concerns: A publick Spirit is a perſonal gainer; God never ſuffers ſuch to be loſers by him, that deny themſelves for him, Zeph. 3.18. I will gather them that are ſorrowful, for the ſolemn Aſſembly, who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Pſal. 55.22.Such as ſtudy Gods intereſt, have the Lord to ſtudy their intereſt? If we put our ſhoulder to bear his burden, he will bear both us and ours. Conſider now, ſaith God, from this day and upward from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laid, conſider it,—From this day will I bleſs you, Hagg. 2.18, 19. How much doth God value and how fully doth he reward an eſteem for his Worſhip! God builds their houſes that have but a good will to build his houſe; As in David: Thus our Lord bids us prove him by our obedience, and ſee if he will not open the windows of Heaven and pour down a bleſſing, Mal. 3.10, 11, 12. Who would not then own and lay to heart Zions caſe?

8. Lamented for Ark and Ordinances will be the ſweeteſt and moſt profitable when returned and injoyed. None will ſo gladly welcome the Ark, & improve it as they that moſt deeply laid to heart its removal. Such will be like hungry ſtomacks, lay to hard when they can get to this. Soul-refreſhing food; a thirſty Perſon will prize and improve a little Water: David never ſo gredily longed for God's Preſence and Ordinances, as when he was in a dry and thirſty land where no water was, Pſal. 63.1. The full ſtomach loaths the honey-comb, Pſal. 42.1.but to the hungry Soul every bitter thing is Sweet: Oh what pantings? As the Hart chaſed panteth for Water-Brooks! You'l gain more days preaching then, then formerly in many days.

9. Souls that lament after the Lord ſhall injoy him immediately in the end: in Heaven you ſhall need no Ordinances, Rev. 21.22. I ſaw no Temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it, Rev. 22.4. 1 Cor. 13.12. 1 Joh. 3.2.for you ſhall ſee his face immediatly and no more through a Glaſs darkly, yea you ſhall ſee him as he is, which cannot but felicitate Souls perfectly therefore its called the Beatifical viſion. Oh what a day will that be? You ſhall not then need to fear any diſturbance from men nor Devils, but his Servants ſhall Serve him, and his name ſhall be in their foreheads; There's no more skulkIng into corners, nor meeting in the night for fear of mens Laws, and perſecution. Yea the more you lamented after the Lord and his Ark the more ſhall you increaſe your joy in the Lord: The more your ſorrows abound, the more will your comfort abound; The lower the Ebb, the higher the Tide: You that loved Jeruſalem ſhall be glad with her, yea, you ſhall rejoyce for joy with her, all ye that mourned for her, Iſa. 66.10.

10. In the mean time God himſelf will ſupply the want of Ordinances; the great God will be a little Sanctuary in the want of other means of Worſhip; Ezek. 11.16.1 Sam. 30.6. Hab. 3.16.he himſelf will ſupply that defect. David could incourage himſelf in the Lord his God; Habakkuk rejoyce in the Lord, when deſtitute of outward comforts, yea and in the abſence of external Priviledges. What want you from Ordinances, that the Alſufficient God cannot ſupply you with? light, love, warmth, ſtrength, reſolution of doubts, ſatisfaction of your hearts; God is all in all, and all without all theſe helps. O Friends! (though you may not chuſe to be without means of Grace, becauſe they are God's Inſtituted waies of conveying himſelf to us here, yet) you muſt be content to be without them, when Providence cuts you ſhort of them, and ſay in this caſe as holy David, (with which I ſhall conclude this Subject,) 2 Sam. 15.25, 26. Carry back the Ark of God into the City, if I ſhall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and ſhew me both it and his habitation; but if he thus ſay, I have no delight in thee, behold, here am I, let him do to me as ſeemeth good unto him.

The End.

End of the text · Oliver Heywood, Israels Lamentation After the Lord (1683)

Israels Lamentation After the Lord, Text

p. 1Iſrael's Lamentation after the Lord.

Iſrael's Lamentation after the Lord.