A Warning Piece to Afflicted England, Maxim 6
The sixth Maxime.
In times of Desertion; generally Grace decays; Sin grows ripe. Judgments are augmented, and at length Desolation is decreed.
GRace decays. First, in the Principle of life; the Holy Spirit with-holding his counsels, quicknings, sweet motions and gracious strivings. 2. Grace decays in its vivacity and working, so that men are not so vigorous for God, and ready to good works and cheerful in duties as they were. 3. Grace decays in the extent, when Love grows cold towards God and our brethren: Faith is scarce to be found, men are difficult in receiving Gospel-truths and Gospel-commands that are of great importance, the word not made a rule, nor savorie in its precious consolations. No delightful expectation of Christs appearing; zeal for God very rare, and low; and little delight in communion with God. 4. Grace decays in its effects. 1. When there is not much comfort in mens spirits but doubts, fears, wounds, scars, complaints. 2. When Satan takes courage against Christians, and comes on with great wrath and violence, as a Conqueror when he fees his enemies give ground, and cast away their shields comes on with power. 3. Christians are like foolish Virgins drowsie and unprepared for Christs coming.
Sin grows ripe, Gen. 6. 5. 7. 11▪ 12, 13. 1. Sin grows ripe, when the root is come to its full magnitude; now the root of sin is the love of sin; when men allow themselves in their sin, and hate him and persecute him that reproves him in the gate, having a fixed purpose to go on their way, whatsoever God and his Spirit and Ministers say against it. 2. Sin grows ripe when the branches are many and large; great enormous crimes are the branches of sin, great pride, and vain glorious pomp and state, greedy coveting of worldly things; oppression of the poor, and afflicted, rioting, and high jollitie joyned with an insensibleness of the sad judgments of God abroad, and the afflictions of Gods distressed Joseph; profanation of the Sabbath, contempt of Gods Word, and counsel of his faithful Ministers; persecution of the godly, Isai 5. 8, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Levit. 26. 14, 15, 34, 35, 43. 2 Chron. 26. 15, 16, 17, &c. Luke 21. 12, 16, 17. Amos 6. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, &c. 3. Sin grows ripe, when its pestilential shadow spreads large over all sorts and conditions of men, Court and Country, Prince and Prophets, Cities, Universities, Courts of justice, and Councels of the Nation, killing by its deadly quality every plant that is set under it. 4. Sin grows ripe, when its fruit grows mellow, men being imboldned in sin and facilitated to it to commit sin with ease, and without check of conscience, steeled against the reproofs of God, taking up a resolution of Sceler a sceleribus tuenda. Old monstrous exploded sins and errors being revived amongst men.
Judgments are augmented: God begins his reproof of Nations with easier judgements at first, and then raises them higher and higher, making one take what the other left, God sometimes rises by seven fold, Levit. 26. 16. to 39. Joel 1, 2,Mat. 24 8. 7. 6. Isai. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8. Judges 8. 32. 3. Hos. 3. 4. 3, 4, 6, 7. Luke 21. 8, 9, 10, 11, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26. famines, droughts, deluges, want of free-trading with forreign Nations, sickness, pestilences, upon men and beasts, earthquakes, fire, windes, in the civil state great mutations in the government for the worse not for the better, civil wars, tumults, Anarchy, forreign invasions. At length Desolation is decreed: when a people will not bow to God, they must needs break at length, Zeph 2. 2. &c. Luke 21. 20, 24. Isai. 1. 7, 8, 28, 29, 30, 31.
The Church is dissolved; the Church is the citie wherein God is said to dwell, and when that is dissolved God is departed, Hebr. 12. 22. Zech. 2. 5, &c. Or else through continual wastings it is reduced to a small number, Micah 7. 1. 2.