Works Volume 4, Sermon 10 – To the reader 3
The X. SERMON, Prepared at Carisbrook-Caſtle, but not Preach'd.
ISAIAH 1.5.
Why ſhould you be ſtricken any more? you will revolt more and more.
IT is a heavy complaint of Gods, and though expreſs'd without much noiſe, yet in a deep melting hearty paſſion, not only in the verſe next before my Text, with heaven and earth call'd to be witneſſes of the complaint, but with a little varying of the expreſſion, every where elſe, throughout the Prophets, that Iſrael doth not know, Gods people doth not conſider. All the arts of diſcipline and pedagogie had been uſed to teach them knowledge, and conſideration, i. e. to bring them to a ſight, and ſenſe of their eſtate, Lectures, warnings, chidings, blows, ſhaking, and rouzing, and hazening them, if it were poſſible, to awake them out of that lethargick, ſenſleſs condition. The whole people uſed like that proud King of Babylon, driven from men, ſet to live and converſe with the beaſts of the field, (ſuch were the Chaldeans, whither they were carried captive) if ſo be, as it fared with him, ſo it might poſſibly ſucceed with them, the Field be a more gainful School than the Palace had been, that by that means at leaſt they might lift up their eyes to heaven, and their underſtanding return to them, Dan. 4. Turn'd from men into Beaſts, that that ſtranger Metamorphoſis might be wrought on them, a transformation from men into men, from ignorant brutiſh, into prudent conſidering men, nay delivered up even unto Satan by way of diſcipline, that Satan might teach them ſenſe; The plagues of Aegypt, of Sodom, of Hell let looſe upon them, to try whether like the rubbing and the ſmarting of the Fiſhes gall, it might reſtore theſe blind Tobits to their eyes and ſouls again. To work the ſame work, if it be poſſible, upon us, is, I profeſs, my buſineſs, and only errand at this time; There hath been a great deal of pains taken by God to this purpoſe, doctrine and diſcipline, inſtructions and corrections, and all utterly caſt away upon us hitherto, the whole head ſick, and the whole heart faint, in the words next after my Text, which you muſt not underſtand, as ordinarily men do, of the ſins of that people, that thoſe were the wounds, and bruiſes, and purified ſores, (give me leave to tell you, that is a miſtake, for want of conſidering the context) but of judgments, heavy judgments, diſeaſes, piteous diſeaſes, both on head and heart, Epilepſies, wracking pains in the head, the whole Kingdom may complain in the language of the Shunamites Child, O my head, my head! nay, in the Prophets, the crown is fallen from our head, the crown of our head torn and fall'n from our head, and the heart in terrible fainting fits, every foot ready to overcome; From the ſole of the foot to the crown of the head, from one extream part of the Nation to another, nothing but diſtreſs or oppreſſion, ſuffering, or acting direful Tragedies, miſery or impiety, (the latter the more fatal ſymptome, the greater diſtreſs of the two) and yet no man layeth it to heart, England will not know, will not conſider.
The truth is, the deformities which are in our ſelves, we are ſuch partial ſelf-paraſites, that there is no ſeeing in a direct line, no coming to that proſpect, but by reflection; ſhall we therefore bring the Elephant to the water, and there ſhew him and amaze him with the ſight and uglineſs of his proboſcis? the ſtate of the Jews is that water, where we may ſee the image of this preſent Kingdom moſt perfectly delineated in every limb and feature, its proſperity, its pride, its warnings, its provocations, its captivities, its contumelious uſing of the Prophets, ſcorning the Meſſengers from God that came to reprieve them, at length its fatal preſages, the deadly feuds, foreign & foreign, Zelots and Brothers of the ſword, plowing it up to be ſow'd with ſalt and brimſtone, and all this chargable culture and diſcipline caſt away upon them uttterly, mortifying (in ſtead of ſins and impieties) nothing but the relicks of piety, and civility and ingenuous nature; a ſtrange peſtilential feaver, feiſing upon their very ſpirits and ſouls; and now nothing but a Roman Eagle, or a Hell, a Titus, or a fiend, left behind to work any reformation on them. Thus all Gods thunderbolts being exhauſted, his methods of diſcipline pozed, and nonplus'd, and fruſtrated, there is nothing behind, but calling in and retracting thoſe rods, the no longer vouchſafing thoſe thunderbolts; a news that perhaps you would be glad to hear of, a reſpite of puniſhments, but that the moſt ominous direful of all others, the moſt formidable of all Gods denouncings, the laſt and worſt kind of deſertion; Why ſhould you be (not embraced and dandled, but ſcourged and) ſmitten any more? You will revolt more, and more.
Theſe words will afford you theſe four fields of plain and uſeful meditation:
1. Gods cuſtom of ſtriking ſinners, and encreaſing ſtripes on them, in order to their reformation.
2. The prime proper ſeaſons for ſuch ſtriking: 1. In caſe of revolt. 2. In caſe of revolting more.
3. The one only caſe in which ſtriking becomes uncharitable, when the more and the more God ſmites, the more and the more the ſinner revolts.
4. And laſtly, the pitiful eſtate of the ſinner when he comes to this, when in this caſe God removes ſmiting, for though it be an act of mercy in God, yet 'tis that which bodes very ill, 'tis an indication of the moſt deſperate eſtate of the Patient. Why ſhould you be ſtricken any more?
I begin firſt with the Firſt, (which lies not ſo viſible and diſtinguiſhable in the Text, but is the foundation, that is ſuppoſed under it, and on which all that is viſible is ſuperſtructed) and that is Gods pious and charitable deſign in ſmiting ſinners, and encreaſing ſtripes on them; though now, on more prudential conſiderations, they ſhall not be any more ſmitten.
If my children forſake my Law, &c. I will viſit their offences with the rod, and their ſin… with ſcourges, ſaith God by the Pſalmiſt. God hath his viſits for diſtempered children, not only like that of St. Pauls, in the ſpirit of meekneſs, but alſo foreign, with the rod: and if that ſingle engine of diſcipline will not do it, there are ſharper and more behind, the flagella, or ſcourges, in the Plural. And this by the way of prudent medicinal proceſs, of ſolemn deliberate diſpenſation, according to rules of Art: You will preſently diſcern it, if you but look into the nature, and cauſes, and proceſs of the diſeaſe: I ſhall give you but one way of judging of theſe, by remembring you, that all ſin is founded in bono jucundo, in the pleaſing, or delighting of the carnal faculty: Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own luſt and enticed, when his carnal pleaſurable faculty foreign, draws him out of his road of piety, by an amiable pleaſurable lure or bait: Of this kind, if you will look into the retail, you ſhall find every ſin in the world to be, ſome law of the members, ſome dictate of the fleſh, which is all for ſenſitive pleaſure, a warring, a contending, arguing, and pleading before the will, againſt the adverſary law of the mind, againſt the dictates of honeſt, or vertuous, of the rational, or chriſtian, which is a pretending and contending on the other ſide. Three repreſentations there were of the apple in the firſt ſin, and every of thoſe under this notion of pleaſure: The woman ſaw, 1. That 'twas good for food, pleaſurable to the taſte: 2. A deſire (as 'tis in the Heb.) which we render again, pleaſant to the eyes: And 3 that 'twas to be deſired to make one wiſe, i. e. according to the ſame Heb. notion, pleaſurable in this, that it would make them know more than they did before, a kind of ſatisfaction, and ſo pleaſure to the underſtanding, (as you know, knowledge, though it be but of trifles and news, is a moſt pleaſurable thing.) And, ſo generally every ſin is begotten after the image and likeneſs of that firſt; the pleaſures of luſt, the pleaſures of revenge, (that huge high Epicuriſm) the pleaſures of pride, (the greateſt that Ariſtotle, or the Author foreign conceived that the old Heathen gods could pretend to, in their receſſes, their not vouchſafing to ſee or hear any thing, but by Perſpectives and Otacouſticks) or again, the pleaſures of hereſie, of ſchiſm, which he that is guilty of, ſaith the Apoſtle, is he not carnal? the pleaſures of ſingularity, and being head of a Faction, they ſay, the hugeſt ſenſuality, and voluptuouſneſs, the moſt bewitching raviſhment of any: And even covetouſneſs, and ambition, the ſins which ſeem to be particularly faſtned on two other notions of the forbidden fruit, the profit and honour, the wealth and greatneſs, the baits of the world, and not of the fleſh, (and may have ſmitings of God proportion'd to them, on our eſtates, and honours, as well as on our fleſh) yet, I ſay, even theſe would certainly never be able to work upon us, if there were not a notion of pleaſure in them: and therefore one of them is call'd the luſt of the eye, and the worldly pomp, and greatneſs, the object of the other, (as that in Moſes, of the honour of being called the ſon of Pharaohs daughter) is diſtinctly ſtyled the pleaſures of ſin, in the plural, Heb. 11.25. And indeed the matter is clear and demonſtrable, there being but two contrary faculties about us, the rational, and the carnal principle, the inward and the outward man, as every vertuous and chriſtian thought and action is a foreign, Rom. 7.22. a complacency and delight of the upper nobler ſpiritual faculty in the law of God, the object apportion'd to that, ſo is every ſin that is ever committed, a foreign, a complacency, or conjunction in liking, a being pleaſed with the law of the members, a chuſing of that which may be moſt agreeable and proportionable to the deſigns of the fleſh, i. e. moſt deſirable and pleaſurable to that.
Having given you the character of the diſeaſe, the diſtinct nature of ſin, the propriety of the diſtemper, that ſome either true or falſe ſenſual pleaſure, ſomething that is really delectable to the fleſh, or that either by a falſe glaſs of paſſion, or cuſtom, or elſe by an imperfect half light, appears to be pleaſurable, is the foundation and matter of every ſin, (never any revolts from God, but when we hope to enjoy our ſelves better in ſome other company, ſome revenue or income of foreign, or joy to the fleſh expected, and aim'd at in every extravagance or out-lying) you cannot now chuſe but acknowledge the propriety of the Phyſick, which we have here before us, the uſefulneſs of the ſtrokes, or ſmitings for this recovery. When a man is in the purſuit of a meer pleaſurable object, which he confeſſes to value for nothing elſe, but that it is ſweet to taſte, could he but diſcern or eſpy the whole ſweetneſs and pleaſurableneſs of it ſecretly let out, or ſpilt upon the ground, or evaporate before his eyes, or but a ſcourge held over his head, or a Vial of gall or wormwood imbibed, that for every dram of pleaſure ſhall give him a terrible proportion of bitterneſs at the preſent, of inſtant pain and ſmart: 'tis not imaginable that any man in his ſenſes ſhould advance one ſtep further in this purſuit; the more ſenſual and carnal man he is, the more he muſt abhor ſuch marches as theſe, which are ſo treacherous and malicious to the very fleſh; he that can ſatisfie himſelf with the empty name of ſin, though … taſte never ſo ſowr or loathſome, that will not in this caſe compremiſe, and compound with innocence, take purity on Chriſts terms, rather than venture on preſent racks and torments, had need be a ſublime, aereal, ſpiritual ſinner indeed, like Lucifer himſelf, who we know, is all Spirit, he muſt have nothing left of ſenſe or fleſh about him; Were but the thouſandth part of that Hell which expects the indulgent ſinner in another world, mixt in the very cup of his pleaſurableſt ſin here, the leaſt preſent whip inſtead of all thoſe future ſcorpions, it would be almoſt impoſſible for the moſt magnanimous ſinner to venture ſo deep for that empty honour, the bare opinion, or phanſie or credit of having aſſaulted and rebelled againſt Heaven, and gain'd nothing by it, to pay ſo dear for that which is not bread, hath nothing of ſubſtance or ſatisfaction in it; And therefore this is the deſign of Gods rod, his ſmitings, his puniſhments, to give us a little of that Hell before hand, (which our infidel ſenſes apprehend nothing of, as long as 'tis future) to help us to ſome diſreliſh to ſin at the preſent, to give us ſome part of its portion, (of the odiouſneſs & bitterneſs of it) in the very mouth, that we may not have any joy in chewing, or ſwallowing down ſo abhorred a mixture, which hath ſuch a certain arrear of horror, and bitterneſt in the ſtomach, to rain down ſome fire and brimſtone into our throats, whenſoever we are gaping after that forbidden Tree; thus to diſcourage, if not to allay our h…dropick thirſt, to incumber and traf… us in our violent furious marches, to pluck off the wheels of our Egyptian chariots, that they may drive more heavily, that finding the moſt pleaſurable ſin ſuch a ſad foreign, a compoſt of more bitter than ſweet at the very inſtant, we ſhould never be ſuch blind obedient Votaries of Satan, never ſo perfectly renounce and deny our ſelves, our own eaſe, our own all kind of intereſts and advantages, never be ſuch profeſt enemies and tyrants againſt our own fleſh, as to go on in ſuch chargeable ways of ſin, when we ſee and feel ſo ſadly, how without and before the certain cures of a chill'd old age, by this charitable anticipation of Gods ſmiting hand, the days are come upon ſin, that we can truly ſay that we have no pleaſure in it. And ſo you ſee the grounds of this medicinal method, the charity and piety of Gods deſign in ſmiting, my firſt obſervable; I proceed briefly to the prime proper ſeaſons of this charity, this ſmiting, 1. In caſe of revolt, 2. Of revolting more, my ſecond particular.
Gods firſt ſeaſon of puniſhing is inſtantly upon revolt, at the firſt breaking off, or averſion, or departure from God; And ſure he that is not ſuffer'd by God to enjoy one eaſie or comfortable hour in ſin, that is preſently call'd to diſcipline, taught what a jealous God he hath provoked, that is rouzed and awaked at the firſt nod, watch'd over by the moſt vigilant Monitor, (that he cannot move out of his poſture of piety, but preſently God in heaven is a calling out to him to reduce him to his rank again) cannot chuſe but acknowledge himſelf a prime part of Gods care and ſollicitude. The firſt day of going out into the field, as in Gods, ſo in Satans ſervice, is generally a nice and a critical day; according to the ſucceſſes or diſcouragements we meet with then, we have more or leſs mind to the trade for ever after; ſhould but our beginnings of revolt from God, our firſt treacherous intentions againſt him prove lucky, and ſmooth, and proſperous, 'twere eaſie and prone (and not at all improbable) for us to glide inſenſibly into all rebellions and impieties, to ſwear fealty to Satan, that hath entertain'd us ſo hoſpitably, and ſuddenly to engage ſo deep under his colours, that there would be no retiring with honour, no returning to God without being infamous, without undergoing the brand of Apoſtates from Satan, of a kind of Foedi-fragi▪ Covenant-breakers and Deſertors; Our repentance would go for the more ſcandalous thing, our reduction to our allegeance to Heaven, would be the forfeiting of a truſt, and within a while appear the more ill-favour'd, reproachful revolt of the two; Whereas if we meet with ſome checks and diſcouragements betimes, ſome rouzing bruſhes at the firſt entrance into the ſervice, 'tis poſſible we may diſcern our error; eſpecially, if it were the fleſh that helped to ſeduce us, if the hope of advantage that brought us into it, becauſe the wicked goes unpuniſhed, therefore the heart of man is wholly ſet to do evil, ſaith Solomon, and therefore, that God may not be thought to deſert them preſently at the firſt revolt, to deliver up that heart of theirs to that hell upon earth upon this firſt ſingle provocation, God is concern'd in faithfulneſs to cauſe them to be troubled, not to lead them into this temptation, to profane continuance in ſin, but to give them this grace, this gift of puniſhment, to reduce and recal them preſently, as ſoon as they are revolted, to let Satan or his inſtruments looſe, to diſeaſe and awake this drowzy ſervant of his, who therefore to ſuch purpoſes though he be caſt out of heaven, from being Gods menial ſervant, is ſtill foreign, Gods officer, and miniſter, retains ſo much of his old angelical title, of being a miniſtring ſpirit, and that, if we be not wanting to our ſelves, to the greateſ… advantage of our ſouls, foreign, not foreign, a piece of edifying, not ſanguinary diſcipline. And let me tell you my opinion, that for that which is called punitive juſtice, ſeverity or revenge on ſin, that part of the Magiſtrates office among men, to be foreign, an avenger for wrath, were it not in meer neceſſary charity to them that are puniſhed, or to them that are warned by others puniſhment, there were no reaſon for any man to inflict it upon another, 'twere wholly to be left to Gods tribunal.
From this hint, two things I deſire to commend to my Auditory, by way of Application.
1. The care that they are to have, to take ſpecial notice of every the ſofteſt degree of ſmiting that ever befals them in their lives; be it ſickneſs, or a miſcarriage, a thouſand to one, it is an application of Gods to ſome ſpecial diſtemper of thine, to ſome degree of revolt from him: This I will not ſay is perpetually true, becauſe I know there be other uſes of ſmitings, for the exerciſe of many Chriſtian vertues, (which would ruſt and fully and come to little, and ſo Chriſt loſe all the glory and renown, and we all the reward of them, if we had not ſuch occaſions to exerciſe them) but I ſay, the odds is ſo great, when the rod of God comes, that it comes for ſome ſuch revolt of thine, that certainly it is thy duty, ſo far to diſtruſt thine own excellencies, as to doubt that it comes not to thee meerly as to an athleta, or combatant, or perfect Chriſtian, foreign, by way of trial only, but as to one guilty of ſome kind of revolt, and ſo foreign, for puniſhment and reformation: And though I cannot be confident it is ſo, yet believe me, thou haſt ſo much reaſon to ſuſpect thy ſelf, that it will be worth thy pains to examine, upon every ſtroke on thy body, thy eſtate, nay on thy reputation, every curſing of a Shimei, eve… approach, or terror, brandiſhing the rod, or ſword againſt thee, that 'tis ſome preſent ſin of thine, ſome degree of inſtant revolt that hath brought this ſtroke upon thee. foreign, ſaith S. James, If any man be ſick, &c. The whole Text ſuppoſeth it ſtrongly probable, that he that is thus viſited, hath committed ſome act of revolt, either of greater or leſſer moment, either againſt God, or his brother, to which that ſickneſs hath ſome relation; and there is a notable place, Ecclus. 18.21. Humble thy ſelf before thou be ſick and in the time of ſins, ſhew repentance, ſuppoſing the time of ſins to be the forerunner of ſickneſs; and he that would but thus examine himſelf, whenſoever he hath any ſuch bitter potion ſent him from God, ask his own conſcience (his beſt adviſer) the queſtion, to what former diſeaſe it is, to which God foreign, not as an enemy, but a Phyſician, hath accommodated this application, he might perhaps forty years hence thank me for this admonition, and be able to tell me that from this day to that, he hath experimented the truth of the obſervation, never received a corroſive plaiſter from God, but upon enquiry, he found a piece of dead fleſh in himſelf, to which it clearly belonged; I doubt not but a few good memories might preſently bring me in a catalogue of proofs to my obſervation, I deſire you will be your own Confeſſors, and do it to your ſelves; and then do the duty that in ſuch caſe belongs to you. And that is, (in the ſecond place) not only to acknowledge the diſeaſe before God moſt freely, and apply his phyſick and our diligence to the cure of it, but withal to look upon theſe ſtrokes, as the ſoveraign'ſt mercies, ſo many beams of meer grace, Sermons from Heaven, the very [bath Col] the voice from heaven of old, that ſeldom came but with a clap of thunder along with it, methods of Gods reſtraining, and exciting Spirit, and thank God as heartily for them, as for the richeſt boons, the warmeſt ſunſhines, that you ever received from the ſun of righteouſneſs; and being once made whole, reſcued (upon thy return) from one ſuch firſt ſmiting, it concerns thee nearly for ever after, to go, ſin no more, leſt a far worſe thing happen unto thee.
For ſo I told you, there is a ſecond ſeaſon of ſmiting, and that, of doubling the blows, viz. upon our revolting more. God doth not preſently upon the firſt recidivation, or relapſe, give up the ſinner for deſperate; he concludes indeed moſt juſtly and deliberately, that the foreign, or diſaffection is the ſtronger, when it breaks forth again, the leproſie more dangerous, that it ſpreads in the fleſh, after it hath been lookt on by the Prieſt, that the former Phyſick, if 'twere ſufficient to ſet him on his legs again, was not yet able to make him a hail ſound man, ſome venomous humour was left behind, and in all probability, a ſtronger phyſick is now neceſſary, perhaps a whole courſe of ſteel: A phyſick, God knows, that this Kingdom hath been under five or ſix years, I would I could ſay, the Patient proſpered under it; nay, that it had not grown far worſe, gone backward in all auſpicious ſymptomes ever ſince, as if that ſteel, not ſufficiently prepared, were turned into the habit of the body, and now wanted ſome higher chymical preparations to work it out again. If this be the caſe, as God knows its too ſuſpitious it is, I am then fallen on my third general, the only caſe wherein this ſharp phyſick becomes unſeaſonable, when the more and more God ſtrikes, the more and more the ſinner revolts; and to that I muſt now haſten. Why, &c.
A nice ſubtile queſtion and diſpute there hath been among Divines, which may in par… have its deciſion from hence, concerning a peculiar middle third kind of knowledge in God; as whether, on ſuppoſition that ſuch a thing ſhould come to paſs, which never ſhall, God knows what will follow by way of conſequence. To this purpoſe many notable paſſages of Scripture there are: the Oracle, that David received about the men of Keilah, the aſſurance that they would deliver him up, if he entruſted himſelf to them; though the truth is, he never made the tryal of their ſincerity, but believed God the ſearcher of their hearts, without that more coſtly experiment. So when Chriſt affirms of Tyre and Sidon, that, if the miracles done in Bethſaida, had been done among them, they had infallibly repented. And ſo St. Paul in his voyage by ſea, that told the Mariners how certainly they ſhould be caſt away, if any went out of the ſhip, though they neither went out, nor loſt one life. And ſo here, where God by the Prophet foretels, that in caſe he now ſhould ſmite them any more, they would revolt more and more, and therefore reſolves to give over ſmiting. To enter into any part of that ſubtile debate, is not my deſign, as remembring that of Greg. Naz. that the Ammonites and the Moabites were not permitted to enter into the Church of God, i. e. ſaith he foreign, curious and ſubtile diſcourſes, which are not very apt to miniſter grace, or edification to the hearers: the utmoſt that will be of uſe or profit to us, is, to obſerve this poſitive aphoriſm of Gods methods of diſcipline, of his gracious oeconomies, ſeldom or never to ſend puniſhments on any, but when they are probable to do ſome good, to work reformations on them. Two caſes there are in Phyſick, when the Phyſician in all reaſon withdraws his hand and his drugs, 1. When the Patient is deſperate, and the Phyſick of an high nature; for then ſuch coſtly drugs ſhould neither be poured out, nor defamed, neither loſe their vertue, nor adventure their reputation on the deſperate patient; as long as there is hope, they muſt be placed, (be it never ſo chargeable or painful) even to cupping and ſcarifying, even skin after skin, (as thoſe words in Job would be render'd, thoſe things that are neareſt to us one after another) and all that he hath will he give for his life; and when there is no hope, ſome eaſie Phyſick, ſome indifferent, tame cordials may be allow'd, till the laſt gaſp; but the nobler drugs muſt not be thus riotouſly dealt with; and ſo in like manner to the deſperate revolter, the ſun may ſhine, and the rain may fall on him, as well as on the moſt hopeful, ſome indifferent ordinary ways of cure, ſuch are proſperity, affluence of Fortune, and the like; but for the magiſtrals of nature and art, ſuch are Gods ſmitings and puniſhments, which coſt God dear, as it were, he is fain to fetch them from far, to go out of his place for them, in the Prophets ſtyle, God will not be ſo prodigal of theſe, but when there is hope that they may prove ſucceſsful.
And ſo again, ſecondly, when the condition is more hopeful, yet in caſe the kind of phyſick is become too familiar with the body, when it ceaſes to be phyſick, and proves diet, turns into nouriſhment and encreaſe of the diſeaſe, 'tis then more than time to change the bills, to ſet the Patient to ſome new courſe; and this is the caſe in the Text again; and I heartily wiſh to God, it were not the very caſe of the Kingdom: I will not ſay, 'tis a deſperate patient, that no method of Gods could poſſibly work good on us, (no, I will hope and pray yet againſt our wickedneſs, and do it on this very ſcore; For although ſome part of the Nation have had, for a long time, little of this bitter phyſick adminiſtred to them by God; yet ſure ſome of us are ſtill under this cure of the rod, have not all our cauſtick plaiſters torn off from us, from whence I think I may conclude, that God is ſtill a wreſtling with our diſeaſe, hath not yet given us quite over unto death) but this I am afraid, I may too truly ſay, that of thoſe that are ſtill under this ſharp and ſoveraign courſe of Phyſick, this of puniſhments, it is become too familiar with moſt of us, we look not on our afflictions as on medicines ſent us immediately out of the ſpecial diſpenſatory of Heaven, but as the ordinary diet and portion of mortal mutable Men; I wiſh I could not add, that our malady hath moſt highly thrived, and proſpered under our Phyſick, more new kinds, and varieties of ſinning, from all the Nations about us, nay from Hell it ſelf taken in, incorporate and naturaliz'd among us, in a few years of Gods ſword being drawn, his thunderbolts ſcattered among us, a greater progreſs toward Atheiſm made generally in this Nation under this preaching of the rod, than in many Ages before had been obſervable among us; Let it be conſidered with ſome ſadneſs, and it will certainly appear to the eternal ſhame of a provoking people that to every degree of oppreſſion and injuſtice, that this Nation was formerly guilty of, the thouſand-fold were now a very moderate proportion; to every oath, that was formerly darted againſt Heaven, there are now whole vollies of perjuries, never did ſo courſe and ſturdy, ſo plain, and boiſterous a ſin, ſo perfect a Camel go down ſo glib, and go over ſo eaſily. To omit that prodigy of lying and ſlandering (a vapour that came viſibly out of Hell, aſſoon as it was there reſolved that innocence muſt ſuffer) ſome ſins as waſting as any in the whole inventory, have of late grown ſo frequent, and faſhionable in the world, that they have quite put off the nature of ſin, by being our daily food, digeſted and converted into other ſhapes, as if ſwallowed by a pious man (who, God knows, muſt anſwer the deareſt for his revolts) they ſhould turn into his ſubſtance, become acts of piety, of the higheſt ſize, one ſuch metamorphos'd, transfigured ſin is become able to commute, and expiate for a hundred more, that have not had the luck of that diſguiſe; and, in a word, our revolts are ſo prodigiouſly increaſed, improved into ſuch a mountainous vaſtneſs, ſuch a colony of none but gyantly ſhapes, that though I cannot undertake to foretel our fate, or affirm that we are thoſe very men come to that very criſis, upon which God by the purport of the doom in my Text, will ſoon give over ſmiting any more, (which perhaps ſome might be ſo mad as to think an happy news, if they could but hear of it, and would be content to venture any hazard that this could bring on them) yet this I ſhall from hence be able to pronounce dogmatically, that ſhould ſuch a fate befal us, (either the Nation in general, or any of us in particular) ſhould there be a reſpite of the rod, before any laying down of the ſins that call'd for it, a ceſſation of arms betwixt heaven and earth, before a ceſſation of hoſtilities between earth and heaven, this were as the laſt, ſo the worſt of evils, a calm to be dreaded beyond all the loudeſt tempeſts, which will be the better evidenc'd and demonſtrated to you, if we proceed to the fourth and laſt particular, the pitiful eſtate of the ſinner, when in this caſe God removes ſmiting, Why, &c.
To diſcern the ſadneſs, and deplorableneſs of this eſtate, I ſhall need give you no ſharper character of it, than only this, that 'tis a condition that forceth God to forſake us in meer mercy, to give over all thoughts of kindneſs to us, and that the only degree of kindneſs left, whereof we are capable: In plain terms, to that man or people, that is the worſe for ſtripes, theſe two moſt unreconcileable contraries are moſt ſadly true:
The removing of theſe ſtripes is the greateſt judgment imaginable.
And yet 2. That greateſt judgment is the only remaining mercy alſo.
Conſider theſe two apart, and you will ſee the truth of them.
1. The removing the phyſick before it hath done the work, is the greateſt judgment, even ſubſtraction of all grace, downright deſertion, and nothing more fatal than that, to him that cannot recover, or repent of himſelf, without the aſſiſtance of that phyſick; ſtrokes are not ſent by God, but as a laſt, and neceſſary reſerve, when a long peace and proſperity have been tried, and not been able to make any impreſſion on ſin; nay perhaps, have gone over to the enemies ſide, taken part with ſin, prov'd its prime friend, furniſh'd it with weapons, and ammunition, enabled it to riot, and grow luxurious, and to think of being final Conqueror over the Spirit of God, which had it been kept low, it could not have done; and in this caſe, the weight and fortune of the whole battel lies on ſtripes, and if thoſe be commanded away by God, if recall'd upon a firſt or ſecond repulſe; if all Gods thunderbolts, the only remaining hope, have the retreat ſounded to them, what a deſtitute, routed, forlorn, eſtate is the Soul then left in? Had ſin been wounded or worſted in the fight, brought to ſome viſible declination, yet this withdrawing of thoſe forces that gave this luſty aſſault, would preſently reſtore it to ſome heart and courage again, would give it ſpace to rally and recover ſtrength; and ſo oft it falls out, that when afflictions have done their work, mortified our exceſſes, and ſo march home again to God, in triumph over the enemy, yet within a while (after the ſmart is forgotten) the very vanquiſh'd luſt returns, and gets ſtrength again, and, as 'tis oft in Thucydides ſtory, by that time the trophies are ſet up, the baffled enemy regains the field and victory: But when on the other ſide, ſin after the combate with Gods rod, comes off unwounded, and haile, and the bruiſed and batter'd rod is ſeen to have retired alſo, then this is the greateſt fleſhing of ſin imaginable, a perfect bloudleſs victory over grace, over Gods merciful Spirit, ſtriving with us; and nothing but haughtineſs, and triumph, and obduration is to be lookt for, after ſuch ſucceſſes; And this is that ſad ſtate of deſertion I told you of, a leaving the poor ſoul, like him that had fall'n among thieves, wounded, and half dead; and not ſo much as one good Samaritan near to bind up, or pour in the leaſt drop of oyl, into the wounds, (for 'tis not imaginable, that eaſe, or peace, ſo calm, ſo ſoft, ſo puſillanimous a creature, as affluence or proſperity is, ſhould ever come in to the reſcue, ſhould do ſuch valiant acts, when ſo much ſtouter, ſterner inſtruments have been ſo utterly repulſed) And yet in this ſad caſe, the matter is not yet at the higheſt; but, (which was the ſecond part of the true, but doleful Paradox) this very deſertion is the only tolerable mercy now behind. Should God continue ſtripes, and they ſtill make the ſinner more Atheiſtical, this, I ſay, would but increaſe the load in hell; Every improſperous ſtroke on the ſteel'd anvil heart, will but add to the tale of oppoſitions, and affronts, and reſiſtances, and ſo to the catalogue of guilts and woes, that ſad arrear which another world will ſee paid diſtinctly; and ſo the calling off, or intercepting of theſe ſtrokes, (i. e. theſe our unhappy advantages and opportunities of enhanſing our ſcore, or reckoning) is a kind of mercy ſtill, though but a pitiful one; and if God do not think fit to afford us this mercy, if God do not give over ſmiting in this caſe, this is then his greater ſeverity yet.
And ſo I conceive the impenitents ſtate brought to an extraordsnary iſſue, that whatſoever God deal out to us, the conſequence is of a nature moſt exquiſitely miſerable; If he take off his puniſhments, we are in a deſperate eſtate, there's nothing left, in any degree probable to do any good on us; and if he do not take them off, they do but accumulate, and heighten our future torments; the mercy is a cruel mercy, and the ſeverity a cruel ſeverity; the firſt leaves us in a palſie or lethargy, a dead ſtupid mortified ſtate, and the ſecond encreaſes the Feaver, adds fuel to the flames: If he ſtrike not, we lie dead in ſin, as ſo many trunks and carkaſſes before him; if he ſtrike on, he awakes us into oaths and blaſphemies, and ſo ſtill more direful provocations.
And ſo, as we are wont to ſay of an erroneous Conſcience, in caſe the commands are lawful, which that thinks unlawful, it ſins which way ſoever it moves; by diſobedience, againſt the duty of the fifth Commandment; and by obedience, againſt the dictate of conſcience (a ſad exigence, no way in the world to be avoided, but by getting out of the prime fundamental infelicity, getting the erroneous Conſcience informed and rectified:) ſo is it, in a manner, with God towards this unhappy creature of his, that hath not, nor is like to edifie under ſtripes, he wounds it mortally, whatſoever he deſigneth toward it; his deſertion is cruel, and his not deſerting is cruel too. Lay but the ſcene of this Kingdom at this time, (of which I may ſay, 'tis a ſtubborn unnurtur'd ſcholar of Gods, a very ill proficient under ſtripes; far worſe, and more hopeleſs now, than when firſt it came under this diſcipline) and I ſhall challenge the prudenteſt Diviner under Heaven, to tell me rationally, what 'twere but tolerably charitable to wiſh, or pray for it, in reſpect of the removal of Gods judgments: ſhould we be reſpited, before we be in any degree reformed, th…t out of Gods School, now we are at the wildeſt? This were a woful change, removing of Canaanites, and delivering us up to the beaſts of the field, breaking down the incloſure, and letting us out into the wilderneſs, reſcuing us out of purgatory, and caſting us into hell, and never any Orate pro animâ, prayer for deliverance out of thoſe Poetick flames, was ſo impious, ſo unkind as this. And whilſt I have this proſpect before me, methinks I am obliged in very charity to pray, Lord keep us in this Limbo ſtill, theſe but tranſitory afflictions of this life, which in compariſon with ſpiritual deſertion, or delivering up to our ſelves, is a very chearful and comfortable condition: And yet ſhould God thus hearken to that prayer, continue us under this diſcipline longer, provide a new ſtock of Artillery, and empty another Heaven, another Magazine, and Armory upon us, and all prove but bruta fulmina ſtill, another ſeven years of judgments thrive no better with us, than the laſt ſad apprentiſhip hath done; O what an enhanſement would this be of our reckoning? What a ſad ſcore of aggravations, (that is, of ſo many mercies and graces, ſo many wreſtlings of his ſpirit with ſin, all griev'd and repell'd by us) and conſequently, what a pile of guilts toward the accumulating of our flames? what is the natural and the only ſalvo to this intricacy, I ſuppoſe 'tis prone to any man to divine; why to reform the fundamental error, which can no otherwiſe be repair'd after; to begin, if it be but now, to edifie, and to be the better for ſtripes, to ſet every man to this one late, but neceſſary reſolution, and not to be content to have done ſomewhat at home in private, every man in mending one, as they ſay, (though if that were done uniformly, 'twould ſerve the turn) but every man, whoſe heart the Lord hath ſtrucken, to be a convert-humble-mourner for the iniquity of his people, (for the provocations of this Church, and Kingdom, and for the plague of his own heart) to go out, and call all the idle by-ſtanders in the field, to draw as many more, as 'tis poſſible, into that engagement, and in this ſenſe to bring into the ſervice a whole army of Covenanters and Reformers, every man vowing hoſtility againſt thoſe waſting ſins of his, that have thus long kept a tortur'd broken Kingdom, and Church upon the wheel, which can never get off, till we come whole ſholes of ſuppliants, and auxiliaries to its reſcue; nay, till the ſins that firſt brought it to this execution, become the foreign, be delivered up chearfully to ſuffer in the ſtead. That this work be at length begun in ſome earneſt, you will ſurely give God and his Angels, and your friends leave to expect with ſome impatience; and 'twere even pity they ſhould any longer be fruſtrated: If they may at laſt be ſo favour'd by us, our ſtate will be as great a riddle of mercy and of bliſs, as 'twas even now of ſadneſs and horrour: Let God do what he pleaſe to us for the turning, or for the continuing our Captivity, 'twill be matter of infinite advantage, and joy to us; If he continue us ſtill upon the croſs, after the conſummatum eſt, after the work is done, after it is a reform'd, purifi'd Nation: O that is a ſuper-angelical ſtate, a laying a foundation in that deep, for the higher and more glorious ſuperſtructure of joy and bliſs in another world; Nay, if he ſhould ſweep us away in one akeldama, this were to the true Penitent, but the richer boon, a tranſplantation only, a ſending us out a triumphant (not captive) colony to heaven. Or if we be then taken down from the Croſs, and put into the quiet chambers, or dormitories, if there be ſeaſons of reſt and peace yet behind upon this earth in theſe our days, O they will be rich ſeaſons of opportunity to bring forth glorious proportionable fruits of ſuch repentance, a whole harveſt of affiance and faithful dependence upon Heaven, a daily continual growth in grace, in all that is truly Chriſtian: In a word, of rendring us a kingdom of angelical Chriſtians here, and of Saints hereafter; Which whether it be by the way of the Wilderneſs, or of the Red-ſea, by all the ſufferings that a Villanous world can deſign, or a gracious Father permit and convert to our greateſt good, God of his infinite mercy grant us all, even for his ſon Jeſus Chriſt his ſake, To whom with the Father, &c.
SOME PROFITABLE DIRECTIONS BOTH FOR Prieſt and People, IN TWO SERMONS Preached before theſe EVIL TIMES: THE ONE To the CLERGY, THE OTHER To the CITIZENS of LONDON.
By H. HAMMOND, D. D.
LONDON Printed, MDCLXXXIII.
Theſe Two following Sermons were ſubjoyned by the Author to the Review of his Annotations on the N. T. publiſhed 1657. with this Advertiſement,
TO THE READER.
MY fear that theſe Additional Notes may fall into ſome hands, which for want of ſufficient acquaintance with the larger Volume, may miſs receiving the deſired fruit from them, hath ſuggeſted the affixing this Auctarium of two plain, intelligible diſcourſes; the one prepared for an Auditory of the Clergy, the other of Citizens or Laity, and ſo containing ſomewhat of uſeful advice for either ſort of Readers, to whoſe hands this Volum ſhall come. That it may be to both proportionably profitable, ſhall be the prayer of
Your Servant in the Lord, H. HAMMOND.