Sermons and Discourses Volume 2, Sermon 1
A SERMON Preached before the KING, June 30th 1667.
Iſa. IX.12, 13.
For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill: For the people turneth not unto him that ſmiteth them, neither do they ſeek the Lord of Hoſts.
IN the former part of this 12th verſe, the Prophet threatens that Iſrael ſhould be brought into great diſtreſs, and ſet upon by Enemies on every ſide, the Syrians before, and the Philiſtines behind; and that they ſhould devour Iſrael with open mouth: And though this was like to be a very ſore and dreadful Judgment, yet he foretells that this would not ſtay Gods hand, nor ſatisfie his anger, becauſe he foreſaw that they would ſtill grow worſe, and continue impenitent. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill: For the people turneth not unto him that ſmiteth them, neither do they ſeek the Lord of Hoſts.
In which words there are theſe two things, very uſeful at all times, but at this time eſpecially moſt proper and ſeaſonable for our conſideration.
1. The deſign and intention of God in ſending Judgments upon a People; and that is, to reclaim them from their ſins, imply'd in theſe words, For the people turneth not to him that ſmiteth them; which intimate to us, that this is the end which God aims at in his Judgments, to take us off from our ſins, and to bring us to himſelf.
2. The reaſon of the continuance of Gods Judgments; becauſe the people were not reclaimed by them. And this is fully expreſs'd in the Text, that therefore Gods anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, becauſe the people turneth not unto him that ſmiteth them, &c.
Of theſe Two I crave leave to ſpeak as plainly and briefly as I can.
I. The deſign and intention of God in ſending Judgments upon a people; And that is to reclaim them from their ſins. This indeed is the intention of all Gods diſpenſations towards us in this World. The end of all his mercies and benefits, is to take us off from ſin, and to oblige and win us to our duty: So the Apoſtle tells us Rom. 2.4, That the deſign of Gods goodneſs, and long-ſuffering, and forbearance towards us, is, to lead us to Repentance.
And this is the way wherein God delights to deal with us. The way of Judgment and ſeverity is that which he is more averſe from, a courſe which he unwillingly takes with us, and not without ſome difficulty and reluctancy, He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men: And were it not that we are ſuch perverſe Creatures as not to be wrought upon by kindneſs, ſo wild as not to be tamed by gentle uſage, God would not handle us in any other way. It is our obſtinacy and intractableneſs to the methods of his goodneſs which conſtraineth, and almoſt forceth him againſt his inclination, to take the Rod into his hand, and to chaſtiſe us with it. He would draw us with the cords of love, and the bands of a man, (as he expreſſeth himſelf in the Prophet), but we will not follow him: And therefore we provoke him to turn theſe Cords into whips, and to change the gentle methods of his kindneſs into ways of harſhneſs and ſeverity.
And yet when he comes to take this courſe with us, he ſtill, like a kind and tender-hearted Father, aims at our benefit and advantage. He deſigns kindneſs to the ſons of men by all thoſe judgments which do not kill them, and cut them off from the opportunity and poſſibility of improving them. If he ſend Evils upon us, it is that thereby he may do us ſome greater good: If he afflict us, it is not becauſe it is pleaſant to him to deal harſhly with us, but becauſe it is profitable and neceſſary for us to be ſo dealt withall: And if at any time he imbitter our lives by miſeries and ſufferings, it is becauſe he is loth to ſee us periſh in pleaſant ways, and chuſeth rather to be ſomewhat ſevere towards us, than ſuffer us to be utterly undone.
This Moſes declares to have been the great end of all the ſevere Providences of God towards the People of Iſrael, in their long wandring in the Wilderneſs, and all the difficulties and hardſhips they were there exerciſed withall for the ſpace of forty years, Deut. 8.15, 16: Who led thee through that great and terrible Wilderneſs, wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions, &c. That he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end.
So that the afflicting providences of God are not only apt in their own nature to do us good, but which is a more expreſs argument of the Divine goodneſs, God intends and aims at this end by them: He does not ſend Judgments upon this Theatre of the World for his ſport and paſtime, nor ſet on one part of his Creation to bait another for his own diverſion: He does not, like ſome of the cruel Roman Emperours, take pleaſure to exerciſe men with dangers, and to ſee them play bloody prizes before him.
Nay, he does nothing that is ſevere out of humour and paſſion, as our earthly Parents many times do. Indeed he is angry with us for our ſins; but yet ſo as ſtill to pity our perſons: And when his Providence makes uſe of any ſharp and cutting inſtruments, it is with this merciful deſign, to let out our corruption: If he caſt us into the Furnace of affliction, it is that he may refine and purifie us from our droſs.
So that though the Judgments of God be Evils in themſelves, yet conſidering the intention of God in them, they are no real objections againſt his goodneſs, but rather arguments for it; as will appear if we conſider theſe three things.
1. That the Judgments of God are proper for the cure of a far greater Evil of another kind.
2. They are proper for the prevention of far greater Evils of the ſame kind.
3. They are not only proper to theſe Ends, but in many caſes very neceſſary.
Firſt, The Judgments of God are very proper for the cure of a far greater Evil of another kind; I mean the Evil of ſin. We take wrong meaſures of things, when we judg thoſe to be the greateſt Evils which afflict our bodies, wound our reputation, and impoveriſh our Eſtates. For thoſe certainly are far the greateſt, which affect our nobleſt Part; which vitiate our underſtandings, and deprave our wills, and wound and defile our ſouls. What corrupt humours are to the body, that ſin is to the ſouls of men, their diſeaſe and their death.
Now it is very agreeable with the goodneſs and mercy of the Divine providence, to adminiſter to us whatever is proper for the cure of ſo great an evil. If we make our ſelves ſick, that is our own folly, and no fault of the Phyſitian; but we are beholden to him if he recover us, though it be by very bitter and unpleaſing means. All temporal Judgments which are ſhort of Death, are properly Medicinal; and if we will but ſuffer them to have their kindly operation upon us, they will work a cure; and how grievous and diſtaſtful ſoever they may be for the preſent, they will prove mercies and bleſſings in the iſſue. Upon this account David reckons afflictions among the happy bleſſings of his life, Pſal. 119.72, It is good for me (ſaies he) that I have been afflicted; And he gives the reaſon of it in the ſame Pſalm, ver. 67, Before I was afflicted I went aſtray, but now have I learn'd thy precepts.
So that though all afflictions are Evils in themſelves, yet they are good for us; becauſe they diſcover to us our diſeaſe, and tend to our cure: They are a ſenſible argument and conviction to us of the evil and danger of ſin. We are commonly ſuch fools as Solomon ſpeaks of, who make a mock of ſin; and like Children, will be playing with the edge of it till it cut and wound us: We are not ſufficiently ſenſible how great an evil it is, till we come to feel the diſmal effects and conſequences of it. And therefore to rectify our apprehenſions concerning it, God makes us to ſuffer by it. Thus Elihu deſcribes to us the happy effect of afflictions upon ſinners, Job 36.8, 9, 10, If they be bound in fetters, and held in cords of affliction, then God ſheweth them their work, and their tranſgreſſion that they have exceeded. He openeth alſo their ear to diſcipline, and commandeth that they return from their iniquity. God doth but invite and entreat us by his mercies, but his Judgments have a more powerful and commandng voice. When he holds men in cords of affliction, then he openeth their ear to diſcipline. In our proſperity we are many times incapable of counſel and inſtruction; but when we are under Gods correcting hand, then are we fit to be ſpoken withall.
Secondly, The Judgments of God are likewiſe proper for the preventing of far greater evils of the ſame kind; I mean farther puniſhments. In ſending of temporal Judgments upon ſinners, God uſually proceeds with them by degrees: Firſt he lets flye ſeveral ſingle ſhots at them, and if upon theſe they will take warning and come in, they may prevent the broad-ſides and volleys of his wrath.
But the great advantage of all is, that temporal Judgments may prove to us the opportunities of preventing the miſerable and unſpeakable torments of a long Eternity. For all Judgments which are not final, leaving men a ſpace of Repentance, have in them the mercy of Reprieve, which by a ſerious and timely return to God, may be improv'd into a Pardon.
Beſides, that adverſity and afflictions do uſually diſpoſe men, and put them into a fit temper for Repentance; They fix our minds, and make us ſerious, and are apt to awaken us to conſideration, and ſuggeſt to us ſuch thoughts and meditations as theſe: If temporal evils be ſo grievous, how inſupportable then will be the extreme and endleſs torments of the next life? If in this day of Gods grace and patience we ſometimes meet with ſuch ſeverity, what may we not look for in the day of vengeance? If theſe drops of Gods wrath which now and then fall upon ſinners in this world, fill them with ſo much anguiſh and affliction, how deplorably miſerable will thoſe wretches be upon whom the ſtorms of his fury ſhall fall? Who would venture to continue in ſin, when the greateſt miſeries and calamities which we feel in this life, are but a ſmall and inconſiderable earneſt of thoſe woful wages which ſinners ſhall receive in the Day of Recompences?
Thirdly, The Judgments of God are not only proper to theſe Ends, but in many caſes very neceſſary. Our condition many times is ſuch, as to require this ſevere way of proceeding, becauſe no other courſe that God hath taken, or can take with us, will probably do us good. God does not delight in the miſeries and calamities of his Creatures, but we put him upon theſe extremities; or rather his own goodneſs and wiſdom together, do prompt and direct him to theſe harſh and rigorous ways. May be we have brought our ſelves into that dangerous ſtate, and the malignity of our diſtemper is ſuch, that it is not to be remov'd without violent Phyſick; and that cannot be adminiſtred to us without making us deadly ſick.
So that the Judgments of God which are many times abroad in the earth, are nothing elſe but the wiſe Methods which the great Phyſitian of the World uſes for the cure of Mankind; They are the Rods of his School, and the Diſcipline of his Providence, that the inhabitants of the world may learn righteouſneſs: They are a merciful invention of Heaven, to do men that good which many times nothing elſe will; and to work that bleſſed effect upon us, which neither the wiſe counſels and admonitions of Gods Word, nor his milder and gentler dealings with us can uſually attain.
Thus we find in the Parable, Luk. 15. that the Providence of God makes uſe of hunger and extreme neceſſity to bring home the Prodigal; and by him our Saviour repreſents to us the temper of moſt ſinners: For till we have ſpent that ſtock of mercies which God hath given us, till we come to be pinch'd with want, and are ready to periſh, we are not apt to entertain thoughts of returning to our Father.
It may be there are ſome ſinners which are more tractable and eaſie to be reduced to goodneſs, that are not ſo headſtrong and obſtinate in their way, but that they may be reclaimed by milder and ſofter means: But there are likewiſe a great many ſenſleſs and outragious ſinners, who are madly and furiouſly bent upon their own ruin: Now to treat theſe fairly, with the allurements of kindneſs, and the gentle arts of perſwaſion, would be to no purpoſe: The only way that is left of dealing with them, is rigour and ſeverity. When ſinners are thus beſides themſelves, ſome thing that looks like Cruelty is perhaps the greateſt mercy that can be ſhown to them; nothing ſo proper for ſuch perſons as a dark Room, and a ſpare Diet, and ſevere Uſage; A Rod for the back of Fools, as the Wiſe-man ſpeaks.
Thus have I done with the firſt thing I propounded to ſpeak to, namely, The merciful deſign and intention of God in ſending Judgments upon a People, which is, to bring them to Repentance, and by Repentance to prevent their Ruin. I proceed to the
II. The Reaſon of the continuance of Gods Judgments, viz. becauſe the people were not reclaimed by them; therefore his anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, becauſe the people turneth not to him that ſmiteth them, neither do they ſeek the Lord of Hoſts.
And how can it be expected it ſhould be otherwiſe; When incorrigibleneſs under the Judgments of God is a provocation of ſo high a nature, a ſign of a moſt deprav'd and incorrigible temper, and an argument of the greateſt obſtinacy in evil? Upon this account we find that the Holy Spirit of God in Scripture brands Ahaz as a ſingular and remarkable ſort of ſinner, (2 Chron. 28.22.) becauſe, in the time of his diſtreſs he ſinned yet more againſt the Lord. The longer Pharaoh and the Egyptians reſiſted the Judgments of God, the more ſtill they were harden'd, and the more they were plagu'd: Levit. 26.23, after God had there threatned his people with ſeveral ſore Judgments for their ſins, he tells them, that if they will not be reform'd by all theſe things, he will puniſh them ſeven times more, and after that, ſeven times more for their ſins: And if in ſuch a caſe the juſt God will puniſh ſeven times more, we may ſafely conclude that ſins after Judgments are ſeven times greater.
So likewiſe, Deut. 28, after a long and dreadful Catalogue of Curſes there denounc'd againſt the people of Iſrael in caſe of their diſobedience, God at laſt threatens them with a Forreign Enemy, that ſhould diſtreſs them in their gates; And if they would not be reclaim'd by all this, he tells them, That he hath ſtill more and greater Judgments for them in ſtore, v. 58, and 59, If thou wilt not obſerve to do all the words of this law, that thou mayeſt fear this great and glorious Name, THE LORD THY GOD, then the Lord will make thy Plagues wonderful. If we be of ſo ſtrange and monſtrous a diſpoſition, as to grow worſe under Judgments, God will deal with us after an unuſual and prodigious manner, he will make our plagues wonderful.
This incorrigible temper the Prophets of old every where make the great aggravation of the ſin of Iſrael, Iſa. 1.4, 5, Ah ſinful Nation! a people laden with iniquity; and after a great many other expreſſions to ſet forth what heinous ſinners they were, he ſums up all in this, That they were ſo far from being reform'd by the ſeveral Judgments of God which had been inflicted upon them, that they were the worſe for correction; Why ſhould they be ſtricken any more? they will revolt more and more. So likewiſe, Hoſ. 7.9, 10, Ephraim, though brought very low, is repreſented as of the ſame refractory temper, Strangers have devour'd his ſtrength, &c. But they do not return to the Lord, nor ſeek him for all this. I will mention but one Text more (and methinks it bears but too near a reſemblance with our own condition, both in reſpect of the judgments which have been upon us, and our carriage under them,) Amos 4. where God upbraids his people ſeveral times with this, as the great aggravation of their ſins, That they continued impenitent under all thoſe terrible Judgments of God which had been upon them; I have ſent among you (ſays he) Famine; and then Peſtilence; and then the Sword; and laſt of all a terrible Fire which had almoſt utterly conſumed them, verſ. 11. I have overthrown ſome of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning: yet have ye not return'd unto me. And becauſe all theſe Judgments had not been effectual to reclaim them, He tells them that he was reſolved to go on in puniſhing; and therefore he bids them to expect it, and prepare themſelves for it, verſ. 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Iſrael; and becauſe I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Iſrael. When God hath begun to puniſh a people, and they are not amended by it, the honour of his Juſtice is concern'd to proceed, and not to give over. By every ſin that we commit, we offend God; but if he ſmite us, and we ſtand out againſt him, then do we contend with him, and ſtrive for maſtery. And when the ſinner is upon theſe ſtubborn and inſolent terms, then prepare to meet thy God; A bitter Sarcaſme, as if man could be a match for God, and a poor weak creature in any wiſe able to encounter him to whom Power belongs. There's a ſevere expreſſion concerning Gods dealing with ſuch perverſe and obſtinate ſinners, Pſal. 18.26, With the froward thou wilt ſhew thy ſelf froward, or, as the words may more properly and conveniently be render'd, with the froward thou wilt wreſtle. God will not be outbrav'd by the ſins of men; and therefore if we continue impeninent we have all the reaſon in the world to expect that God will go on to puniſh.
But to come nearer to our ſelves, and to conſider our own caſe; which is in truth ſo very bad that we may almoſt be afraid to conſider it. The wiſe and good God, like a prudent and indulgent Father, hath uſed all the arts of his Providence towards this Nation, to reclaim us. He hath invited us to him by many bleſſings, but we would not come;Biſhop Sanderſon. ſo that (to borrow an apt illuſtration from a great Divine of our own) we have forced him to deal with us as Abſalom did with Joab; he ſent one civil meſſage to him after another; but he would not come; at laſt he ſets on fire his Corn-field to try whether that would bring him: This courſe God hath taken with us; we would not be perſwaded by meſſages of kindneſs (by his many bleſſings and favours) to return to him, and therefore hath he ſent amongſt us the terrible meſſengers of his wrath. Firſt we were engag'd in a Foreign War; and though God was pleas'd to give us ſome conſiderable ſucceſs in it, yet it ſeems our provocations were ſo great, that he was reſolv'd to puniſh us. He was loth to let us fall into the hands of men; and therefore he took the work into his own hand, and puniſh'd us himſelf, by ſending a Peſtilence amongſt us, the ſoreſt and moſt deſtructive that hath befallen this Nation for many Ages. But we did not upon this, return to him; and therefore his fierce anger kindled a fearful Fire amongſt us, which hath laid the honour of our Nation, one of the greateſt and richeſt Cities in the World in the duſt; and that by ſo ſudden and irreſiſtible, ſo diſmal and amazing a devaſtation as, in all the circumſtances of it is, ſcarce to be parallel'd in any Hiſtory.
I doubt not but moſt of us were mightily affected with this Judgment whilſt it was upon us. So aſtoniſhing a calamity, could not but make us open our eyes a little, and awaken us to conſideration; Even the richman in the Goſpel, though he had all his life-time been immers'd in ſenſuality, yet could not but lift up his eyes when he was in Flames.
And ſurely God expects, that ſuch Judgments as theſe ſhould not only rouze us a little for the preſent, but that they ſhould have a permanent operation and effect upon us, and work a thorough and laſting reformation amongſt us; but yet I am afraid that this dreadful Fire hath had no other influence upon us, but what it uſes to have upon Metals, which are only melted by it for the preſent, but when the Fire is removed, they ſuddenly cool and return to their former hardneſs.
One would have thought, that the ſenſe of ſuch a calamity as this, ſhould have remain'd longer upon us. Methinks God ſeem'd to ſay to us after this Judgment as he did once to Jeruſalem, Zeph. 3.7, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive inſtruction; but we (like them) have been but the more forward to provoke him, (they roſe early and corrupted their doings) we have after all this harden'd our hearts from his fear, and refuſed to return. And therefore God is now come to one of his laſt Judgments, Our Enemy diſtreſſeth us in our Gates. God hath begun to let us fall into the hands of men, and by giving our Enemies a ſudden and fatal advantage upon us, hath ſmitten us with a Breach great as the Sea.
Theſe were terrible calamities indeed to come ſo thick and ſo ſwiftly upon us, like deſolation, and as a whirlwind. Such a quick ſucceſſion of Judgments, treading almoſt upon one anothers heels, does but too plainly declare that God is highly incens'd againſt us. For ſurely theſe are not the wounds of a Friend, but the terrible aſſaults of an Enemy. They do not look like the diſpleaſure of a Father, but the ſeverity of a Judg; not like viſitation, but like vengeance.
And beſides theſe more viſible Judgments upon the Nation, we are by a ſecret curſe of God inſenſibly decayed in our riches and ſtrength. We are, I know not how, ſtrangely impoveriſht in the midſt of plenty, and almoſt undone by victories. And which adds to our miſery, few among us ſeem to be ſufficiently ſenſible of it, or to take any notice by what ſilent ſteps and imperceptible degrees (like gray hairs and the infirmities of old age) poverty and weakneſs are ſtealing in upon us; ſo that we may fitly apply to our ſelves, what the Prophet ſays of Ephraim, Hoſ. 7.9, Strangers have devoured his ſtrength, and he knoweth it not; yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, and yet he knoweth it not.
And our condition, as we are a Church, is not much better. How is this famous Proteſtant Church of ours, which was once the admiration of her Friends, and the envy of her Enemies, ſunk and declin'd in her glory, and reduc'd into a very narrow compaſs? So that ſhe is left like the Daughter of Sion, (Iſa. 1.8.) as a Cottage in a Vineyard, as a Lodge in a garden of Cucumbers, as a beſieged City; ſtraitned and hem'd in on all parts, by the impudence of Atheiſm, the inſolencies of Popery, and the turbulency of Faction; all which do every day viſibly and apace gain ground upon her, and diſtreſs her on every ſide; juſt as the condition of the Jewiſh Church is deſcrib'd before my Text, The Syrians before, and the Philiſtines behind, both ready to devour Iſrael with open mouth.
And ſurely it is not for nothing that God hath brought us thus low, that he hath ſent all theſe Judgments upon us, and that he doth ſtill threaten us with more: The reaſon is plain, becauſe we are ſtill impenitent; the people turneth not to him that ſmiteth them. There hath been almoſt an univerſal degeneracy amongſt us, and there is ſtill, I fear, a general impenitency, the people turneth not, &c. Notwithſtanding all thoſe diſmal Calamities which our eyes have ſeen, wickedneſs doth ſtill prevail in the Nation, and overflows it like a mighty Deluge; ſo as to overſpread all Ranks and Orders of men: And not only ſo, but is grown impudent, and appears with a whores forehead; all kind of modeſty ſeems to have forſaken the ſinners of this Age.
And is this Repentance? to live in filthy and abominable luſts, to teare the Name of God by horrid Oaths and Imprecations; to be Atheiſtical and prophane, and by an unexampled boldneſs to turn the Word of God it ſelf, and the graveſt and moſt ſerious matters of Religion into Raillery? This is not to turn to him that ſmiteth us, but to turn upon him and ſmite him again. And yet ſuch crying and clamorous ſins as theſe, are almoſt come to be the garb and faſhion of the Nation, and to be aecounted the wit and gallantry of the Age.
And Shall not God viſit for theſe things? ſhall not his ſoul be aveng'd on ſuch a Nation as this? Yes, he hath viſited; and 'tis for theſe things that the wrath of God hath been ſo manifeſtly revealed from Heaven againſt us. For this cauſe, miſery and deſtruction have been in our ways, and the way of peace have we not known, becauſe there hath been no fear of God before our eyes. Hence it is, that God's anger is not turned away, but his hand is ſtretched out ſtill, becauſe the people turneth not to him that ſmiteth them, neither do they ſeek the Lord of Hoſts.
But do not we ſeek God? Do we not every day acknowledg our ſins to him, and pray that he would have mercy upon us miſerable offenders, and grant, that we may hereafter live godly, righteous and ſober lives? Do not we ſeek the Lord of Hoſts, when we continually beg of him to ſave and deliver us from the hand of our enemies? Indeed we do thus ſeek him, but we ſhould firſt turn to him; otherwiſe, if we hope our prayers will prevail with God to do us good, we do but truſt in lying words. If we go on in our ſins, our very prayers will become ſin, and encreaſe our guilt: For the prayer of the wicked (that is, of one that is reſolv'd to continue ſo) is an abomination to the Lord. Can we think it reaſonable for men to addreſs themſelves to God after this manner? Lord, though we have no mind to turn to thee, yet we pray thee turn away thine anger from us; though we are reſolv'd not to forſake our ſins, yet we make no doubt but that thy mercy will forgive them: Give peace in our time, O Lord, that we may purſue our luſts ſecurely and without diſturbance: Deliver us, we pray thee, from the hands of our Enemies, that we may ſin againſt thee without fear all the days of our lives. Would it not be horrible impudence and impiety to put up any ſuch petitions to God? And yet this, I fear, is the moſt genuine interpretation of our prayers and lives compar'd together.
And if this be our caſe, what can we expect? God may give us peace with our Enemies, but then he will find out ſome other way to puniſh us: For if we ſtill perſiſt in our Atheiſm and Prophaneneſs, in our contempt of God and of his holy Worſhip, in our ſcorn and deriſion of Religion, in our abominable luſts and horrid impieties, what can we look for, but that God ſhould be angry with us until he have conſum'd us, and there be no eſcaping? Nothing can be a ſadder preſage of our ruin, than not to be reform'd by thoſe dreadful judgments of God which have been upon us. This was that which brought final deſtruction upon the Egyptians in the Red Sea, that they had held out ſo obſtinately againſt ſo many Judgments, and had been hardned under ten Plagues. To be impenitent after ſuch ſevere corrections, is to poyſon our ſelves with that which is intended for our Phyſick, and by a miraculous kind of obſtinacy to turn the Rods of God into Serpents.
And now perhaps ſome will be apt to ſay, That theſe are things fit for men of our Profeſſion, becauſe it is our Trade and we live by it. Indeed they are ſo, things very fit to be ſaid, and withall very fit for every one to conſider, who profeſſeth himſelf a Chriſtian, and who owns the belief of a God, and a Providence, and another World. And if they be ſo, where is the fault? Is it, that there is a peculiar Profeſſion of men whoſe proper work it is to tell men of their faults, and to perſwade them to reform? No, there is no harm in that neither. Is it then that they live by their Profeſſion, and yet would be believed? Yes, there lies the force of the objection. To which I ſhall only at preſent return this anſwer, That men do not argue thus in other caſes, where yet the reaſon ſeems to be the very ſame. In matters that concern their Bodies and Eſtates, the Phyſitian and the Lawyer are believ'd, though it is verily thought that they live by their Profeſſions as well as we; why then ſhould men deal ſo partially and unequally only with their Souls? Were we not mov'd by better principles, and ſway'd by the arguments and conſiderations of another World, we might, for ought we know, with every whit as much advantage to our ſelves, ſuffer men to be quiet, and to ſleep on ſecurely in their ſins; If we did not believe our ſelves in theſe matters, what ſhould hinder, but that we might with as much gravity and confidence cry Peace, Peace, when there is no Peace, and flatter men with as much art, and with as good a grace as any of thoſe can do, who live delicately, and wear ſoft clothing?
But we believe the threatnings of God, and therefore do we ſpeak: We know the terrour of the Lord, and therefore we endeavour to perſwade men. And O! that we could perſwade them to break off their ſins by righteouſneſs, and to turn every one from the evil of his way, and from the violence that is in his hands: And then, who can tell but God may turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger that we periſh not.
The good God make us all wiſe, to know in this our day the things that belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes; and grant that we may all turn to him that hath ſmitten us, by Repentance and real Reformation of our lives; that God may be pleas'd to turn away his Anger from us, and to ſtretch out his hand for our Deliverance; which we humbly beg of him for the ſake of Chriſt. To whom with the Father, &c.