A Plain Dealing and Plain Meaning Sermon, Sermon
HOSEA 6.1.
Come let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath ſmitten, and he will binde us up.
WEe have here a repenting people; and they the people of Iſrael, Gods people. Now repenting ſuppoſes ſinning; for repentance is not but for ſin. If there were no ſinning, there were no need of repenting. Now, All ſin, for there is no man living that ſinneth not, as 1 Kings 8.46. Particular perſons ſin, and people and Nations in general ſin. All ſin, even Gods people, his peculiar people ſin. And if his people ſinne as well as others, they ſhall ſuffer as well as others: Nay, Becauſe they are his people, therefore, if they ſin, they above all others ſhall ſuffer. Thus the Lord by the Prophet Amos, Chap. 3. verſ. 2. You onelyonly have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore I will puniſh you for all your iniquities. Well, Gods people ſin, and Gods people ſuffer for their ſin: ſo theſe here. We may read of their ſin both before, and after the Text. In the Chapter before the Text, there you may read of multiplyed, complicated ſins, impudently, wilfully committed. Both Princes, the houſe of the King, and Prieſts, and all the people they had been nets and ſnares to betray one another into ſinne, Verſ. 1. of the foregoing Chapter. And in the 2d. Verſ. Thoſe revolters were profound to make ſlaughter; ſlaughter of men, and ſlaughter of ſacrifices. They would kill, and commit murder, and yet pretend unto Religion. And in this they were profound notable hypocrites, deep diſſemblers. For though they won't frame their courſes to Gods minde, verſ. 4. Yet they will go with their herds and their flocks to ſeeke the Lord, verſ. 6. Oh! they'l be hugely religious, they'l not ſpare for coſt, they brought their herds and their flocks to make ſacrifices: But yet for all that, they ſhall not finde the Lord, ver. 6. God won't accept of ſuch impoſtors, ſuch pretenders, he hath withdrawn himſelf from them. He will not countenance, protect, or ſecure them, in the ſame verſe. Nay, if they go on in their ſin, and go further from God, God will go yet farther from them; I will go and return to my place, ver. the laſt. God will not appear amongſt them as he was wont by his wonted mercies, and gracious providences; Let the Aſſyrian, and King Jareb help them if they can. Thoſe Phyſicians of no value, to whom they fled for refuge and for healing, when they were ſmitten and wounded. If they ſerve falſe gods, let them when they have need go to them whom they have ſerved.
This was the ſtate and condition of the Princes of Iſrael at that time: But how was it with Ephraim? how was it with the people? (for ſo doth Ephraim ſometimes ſignifie.) Why, like Princes, like people. Being broken in judgement, (a ſottiſh, baſe, cowardly company) they willingly walked after the Commandement. An Idolatrons command went forth from curſed Jeroboam: And the people being oppreſſed and over-born by power, they willingly walked after the commandement, verſ. 11. Oppreſſion makes men baſe and cowardly; and like Iſſachars Aſſe to couch and lie down under every burthen. And thus by their joynt and generall ſinning, they draw down a generall judgement: And that is verified, Delirant Reges, plectuntur Achivi.
And now God being gone, all their ſhifting cannot help them. In vain is ſalvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains, Jer. 3.23. Great men, men in high places, men in authority, that are as mountains and hills, theſe cannot ſave Truly in the Lord God onelyonly is the ſalvation of Iſrael, In the ſame vers.
True, Salvation is in the Lord, but he is with-drawn and gone; he is returned to his place, and hides himſelfe, he will not ſave, we cannot finde him. Oh! fooliſh people and unwife, thus to forſake God, and to cauſe him to forſake you, and to leave you naked to your oppreſſors, when there is none to helpe, none to deliver.
But is he clean gone? will the Lord caſt off for ever? will he be favourable no more? hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger ſhut up his tender mercies? Pſal. 77.7. No, though Gods people forget him, yet he will not forget them, Iſa. 49.15. But if he will not forget them, why doth he with-draw? why doth he hide himſelfe? why doth he not come in for his peoples reſcue, their aid, their help and ſuccour? And how long will he hide himſelfe in this our affliction, diſtreſſe, and miſery? Why? he is with-drawn, and returned to his place, he hides himſelfe as it were in heaven, till we acknowledge our offences, and by true repentance and unfained faith ſeek his face and favour; God doth with-draw to this purpoſe, that by his with-drawing he might draw us after him. He hides himſelfe till we acknowledge our offences, and by a lively act of faith fervently ſeek his face. For ſurely (ſaith the Lord, if they be not altogether ſenceleſs) in their affliction they will ſeeke me early, diligently, ſeriouſly, Chap. laſt, verſ. laſt. Come therefore, and let us return unto the Lord, &c. Come let us, Ʋs that are here this day, Come let Ʋs: And oh! that all the Nation might hear this Call, and anſwer it: Come let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torne and he will heal us, he hath ſmitten, and he will binde us up. After two dayes he will revive us. In the third day he will raiſe us up, and we ſhall live in his ſight.
We have in the words,
Firſt, an invitation to repentance.
Secondly, an incouragement thereunto.
The invitation, Come let us return unto the Lord.
The incouragement, He hath torn, and he will heale us; he hath ſmitten, and he will binde us up.
The Text may be taken as the Word of God, by the Prophet, put into the peoples mouths; Or as a direction and preſcription from God to his people, ſhewing them what to do in a ſad afflicted ſtate and condition. And beloved, this is no ſtrange notion, And it is a comforting and encouraging conſideration: God, he is ſo willing of his peoples returnings, that they might enjoy his favourable countenance, as that, even when his afflicting hand is upon them, he not onelyonly nvites them to it, but he even teaches them what to ſay, and in what words to addreſs themſelves unto him, that they might prevail with him; ſo gracious and tender a Father is he. This you have moſt ſweetly and fully in this very Prophet, Hoſea 14.1. O Iſrael return unto the Lord thy God, for thou haſt faln by thine iniquity, take with you words; (what are they? why thoſe that follow) ſay unto him, Take away our iniquities, and receive us graciouſly, and ſo will we render the calves of our lips. (And then it follows) Aſhur ſhall not ſave us, &c. And when his people take this advice, and returne unto the Lord, then will the Lord heale their back-ſliding, and love them freely, then will his anger be turned away from them, &c.
Oh beloved! what precious mercies, and unexpreſſible kindneſſes doth God offer to a repenting, a returning people: So tender a Father is he, that he doth not only invite to repent, but teaches them how to demean themſelves, and puts words into their mouths, to come unto him withal. As a tender Mother, that deſires to have her Child to go, ſtretches forth her hand to it, bids it come, gives words of encouragement to it that ſo it may come; Even ſo, God the Lord calls, invites, incourages his people to come unto him by unfeined repentance. Nay, not only ſo, but (as I ſaid) he teaches them with what words to come unto him. So here; Come let us return unto the Lord, &c. Beloved, it is a great incouragement to poor, diſtreſſed, afflicted ſouls, that the Lord is ſo deſirous of our repentance, as that he not onelyonly invites us to repent, but alſo teaches us how to repent, and return to him. Come therefore let us return unto the Lord. Ʋs of this Land and Nation, Ʋs of the three Nations, Ʋs of this City, Ʋs of this Congregation, Let us return unto the Lord.
Return unto the Lord! Why? have we departed from him? or can we depart from him? how can we depart from him? Is not God preſent every where? Pray ſirs read what David tells you in Pſ. 139.7. Whither ſhall I goe from thy ſpirit? or whither ſhall I flye from thy preſence? If I aſcend up into heaven, thou art there: If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the utmoſt parts of the ſea, even there ſhall thine hand lead me, and thy right hand ſuſtain me, How then can we go from God? and conſequently return to him?
To this I anſwer: It is one thing to depart from (and conſequently to return to) Gods eſſentiall and all-powerful preſence; And it is another thing to depart from, and return to his gracious and moſt merciful preſence. There is an eſſential preſence (a preſence of Gods power & might,) And there is a gracious preſence; a preſence of his mercy and protection. Now, Gods eſſential preſence is never with-drawn from his Creatures; For in him they live, and move, and have their being. But then all who partake of his powerful preſence, do not partake of his gracious preſence. God is ſaid to be near or far off a people, and they are ſaid to be near or far from God, as they are in his grace and favour. When in mercy he extends his grace and favour to a people, then is he ſaid to be neare: unto them.
Now beloved, There is one thing makes a diſtance and ſeparation between God and a ſoule, or between God and a people: and that is ſin, Iſa. 59.1. Behold the Lords hand is not ſhortned that he cannot ſave, neither his eare heavy that he cannot hear; but your iniquities have ſeparated between you and your God: Your ſins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. By ſin we go away from God, and then God goes away from us: not by his power, that he cannot do, for he is preſent ſo every where, But he goes away, in with-drawing his grace, his love and favour, his moſt mercifull providences, protections, and ſpeciall preſervations from a people; That's Gods going away. And we by further ſin, go away further from God, and make the diſtance greater. And as by ſin we go away, ſo by repentance we return again to God, and ſo God returns again to us, and receives us into grace and favour.
And now, ſirs, Let me aske you; Have we not ſinned, and gone away from God? Do not our iniquities teſtifie againſt us plainly, to our faces? And hath not God departed from us, and left us to run unto the Aſſyrian, and King Jareb? Interpreters do give various Interpretations of that word what is meant by King Jareb; but yet all agree in this, that it ſignifies vaine helps. Friends, all helps and refuges are vaine, when God forſakes a people: And by the vanity and inſufficiency of all our helps and helpers that have all failed us, is it not very manifeſt that God hath hitherto left us? And why is it? but becauſe by ſin we have left him, and departed from him. Will you give me leave to be plain, (and why ſhould not I at ſuch a time as this is?) Have not our Kings and Princes heretofore, and our princely Prieſts and Biſhops been as ſnares upon Mizpah, and nets upon Tabor? (their high places and great offices) have they not tyrannized too much? Have they not revolted, and been profound to make ſlaughter, notwithſtanding they have been reproved and admoniſhed? I beſeech you ſirs, let not the apprehenſion of our preſent greater ſufferings cauſe us altogether to forget our former iniquities. People are apt generally to complain of the preſent burthen, and murmur and forget what is paſt. And indeed, the greatneſſe of our burthens may make us willing to be rid of them; But yet let us not be ſuch ſottiſh aſſes, as not to remember our former gal'd backs. In this day of our Humiliation, when we are ſeeking for establiſhment, let us not forget the cauſe and ground of our unſettlement. It was a ſore Judgement that we were removed from our old foundations, but we muſt remember who it was that removed us. Friends let us conſider who it was that broke us, was it not the Lord? Come let us return unto the Lord, for he hath ſmitten us, &c. Whatſoever be the hand that gives the ſtroke, or whoſoever be the inſtruments, yet it is God that guides it. Amos 3.6. Shall there be evill in the City, and the Lord hath not done it? Shall there be evill in a City, in a Nation, in the three Nations, and the Lord hath not done it? By evil, I underſtand the evil of puniſhment. Now I ſay, is the evill of puniſhment in the Nation, in the three Nations, or upon any particular perſon, without the evill of ſin? will you ſay that the righteous Judge of heaven and earth hath not done right? When he hath brought the evill of puniſhment upon a Nation or perſon, will you ſay that the evill of ſinne was not the preceding, and the procuring cauſe? I know well that God doth ſometimes puniſh the ſinne of Princes in and upon the People, and the ſin of People in and upon the Princes: but then both of them have ſinned. And though it may be the ſin of the one hath been more provoking then the ſinne of the other; yet when God comes with ſweeping judgements upon all, ſurely all have had a great ſhare in ſinning. And whether the ſins of our Princes, or the ſins of the people, have brought theſe heavy judgements upon us, God the Judge of all the earth beſt knows: I ſhall not take upon me to determine it; for what am I, that I ſhould ſtep into the Chair of the Almighty? but yet let it be conſidered, From that very time that thoſe three eminent men ſtood in ſuch a diſgraceful and opprobrious manner upon a pillory at Weſtminſter like Rogues and Cutpurſes, Let me tell you, ſince that time, neither the King, nor his party proſpered; I mean thoſe three worthy profeſſors of the three noble Sciences, Divinity, Law, and Phyſicke. But yet ſurely the ſins of this Land were ripe for judgement, or elſe the judgement would not have been ſo univerſal and generall. Hath not that dreadful judgement threatned and denounced of old, been moſt ſadly fulfilled upon us? Iſa. Ch. 3. begin. Behold, the Lord of hoſts doth take away from Jeruſalem and from Judah the ſtay and the ſtaff, the whole ſtay of bread and the whole ſtay of water: the mighty man and the man of war, the Judge and the Prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient, the Captain of fifties, and the honourable man, and the Counſellors, the cunning Artificer, and the eloquent Oratour: And I will give children to be your princes, and babes ſhall rule over them: And the people ſhall be oppreſſed every one by another, the child ſhall be have himſelfe proudly againſt the ancient, and the baſe againſt the honourable, &c.
Hath not this been, and is it not this day ſadly verified? Is not contempt of Magiſtracy and Miniſtry grown to an inſupportable height? Hath not this I ſay, been ſadly verified in theſe our dayes? And is it not becauſe our ſins have been univerſall? We will not … the fault upon one head, but take it upon all, for we have all contributed to the common heaps of ſin, and its infinite mercy that we have not been involved all in the common deſtruction: And have not we, we of this City, Magiſtrates and Miniſters, Parents and Children, Maſters and Servants, have we not all had a hand in the provocation more or leſſe? Can we forget that torpor, indifferency, lukewarmneſſe and neutrality in our Magiſtracy, that heretofore gave occaſion to that flood of Hereſie and Blaſphemy to come in amongſt us, and to make their ſeat here, to the poyſoning of the Country round about us?
And as for the people of this City, let me not be unfaithfull towards them. Sirs, you complain that your Trade is decayed, and that you are ready to break, many of you, and I think you don't lie. Your Trade hath ſo forſaken you, that you are ready to forſake your Trades. And what is the reaſon? Surely God doth not leave a people but upon ſome occaſion. Truly when God forſakes Tradeſmen, no marvail if they forſake their Trades; without God none can proſper: Tradeſmen may work hard, and fare hard, and go mean in habit, riſe up early, go to bed late, and cark and care, and get nothing unleſſe the Lord be with them. Ʋnleſſe the Lord keep the City, the watchman watcheth in vain, &c. Pſal. 127. Why now, a general forſaking of God, will cauſe the Lord to depart generally from you. And beloved, that I may not dwell altogether on generals, not to mention that drunkenneſſe and prophaneneſſe, Sabboth-breaking, blaſphemous Oaths, and bitter Execrations, Pride, contempt of Magiſtracy, and undervaluing of our Superiours, which upon this loſſe of government is now ſadly returning again upon us, I ſay to let theſe alone (which yet do too evidently ſtare us in the face) and not to ſpeak to them: Do not the people of this City in general, & have they not for a long time departed from God, and forſaken him in his Miniſters and ſervants whom he calls and ſends forth into his Vineyard? I will not now enter upon that common place of that comfortable and honourable incouragement that is due to the Miniſters of the Goſpel: It's ſo clear a truth, that in plain reaſon you cannot gainſay it. And yet how infamouſly famous is this City above all other Cities in this Nation in this particular? Beloved, let me not be counted your Enemie for telling you the truth, (as you know I do) and dealing thus plainly; Surely ſirs, 'tis forſaking God, to forſake his ſervants, and he will not take it kindly. I might mention other ſins whereby we have gone away from God, and ſo cauſed him to go away and forſake us. And if God forſake us, no marvail if we be in a broken and diſtracted condition. See this 2 Chron. 15.1,2,3. The ſpirit of the Lord came upon Azariah the ſon of Obed, and he went to meet Aſa, and ſaid unto him, heare me Aſa, and all Judah and Benjamin, the Lord is with you whilſt you be with him: If you ſeek him he will be found of you, but if ye forſake him, he will forſake you. And ſee then their ſad ſtate after. Beloved, when God goes away with the honey of pity and mercy, he leaves ſuch a ſting of wrath and judgement behind him, that it ſhall vex and torment the very ſoules of a people: And then ſhall they finde that it is a ſad and a bitter thing to forſake the Lord
And now beloved, what remains, but that we having forſaken the Lord, we return again unto him. Come, let us return again unto the Lord, for he hath ſmitten, and he will heale, &c.
Come let us return. Returning is nothing but repenting, and both of them do intend amendment. He that amends, repents, and he that repents returns; you ſhall find them oft put together in Scripture. So Ezek. 14.6. Thus ſaith the Lord, repent and turne your ſelves from your idols, and turne away your faces from all your abominations. So in Chap. 18. of the ſame Propheſie, Caſt away from you all your tranſgreſſions whereby you have tranſgreſſed, make you a new heart and a new ſpirit, for why will you dye O houſe of Iſrael? If you repent of the evill of ſin, God will repent of the evill of puniſhment: And if you return from your evill wayes, God will return to you in mercy, and tender compaſſion. Come then let us return. Return, return, O England, Return O Briſtoll, Return O thou my ſoule, and all you beloved that hear me this day, Return unto the LORD our God, for we are broken by our ſinne, Chap. 14 1.
Watchman what of the night? ſaith the Lord by the Prophet, Iſa. 21.11,12. Watchman what of the night? He anſwered, the morning cometh and alſo the night, if ye will enquire, enquire; Return, Come. Sirs, there is a night and a morning, this I ſee. If you put this Querie to me, Watchman what ſeeſt thou? I ſay the morning cometh, and alſo the night. We have a night and a morning in our Text, and ſo alſo in our Nation if we neglect it not. We have had by Gods chaſtiſing hand upon us (and oh, that it may be a reforming hand) nights of tearing and ſmiting, the Lord hath torne us, and he hath ſmitten us. The hand of God upon us hath been a darke night of terrours and ſorrows. Dark and black diſpenſations hath the Lord exerciſed us with: He hath ſmitten us, he hath broken us, theſe are our nights. The morning now we hope alſo cometh: He will heale us, he will binde us up, that's the morning: And oh! Let that happy morning of Englands joy and deliverance make haſt, and not tarry. It may be, beloved, as we have been under the curſe, and judgement formerly mentioned, Iſa. 3. So we may alſo ſee that happy morning of joy and reviving that is promiſed by the ſame Prophet Iſay 1.25,26. I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy droſſe, and take away all thy tinne. Do you expect a ſettlement? Truly then your ſins muſt be purged away, and then I will reſtore thy Judges as at the firſt, and thy Counſellors as at the beginning; Afterwards thou ſhalt be called a City of righteouſneſſe, the faithfull City: Sion ſhall be redeemed with judgement, and her converts with righteouſneſſe. Oh beloved! for ſuch a happy day, when God the Lord ſhall delight in us, and in mercy ſhall beſtow upon us that bleſſing here promiſed, of a righteous, juſt, and lawfull Government. And though God ſhould not do it in ſuch a way as we expect, yet he will do it in ſuch a way as is beſt for us, if we pleaſe him, which let us leave to him and our Superiours. Let us then return unto the Lord, and leave it to him for our eſtabliſhment and ſettlement. Let us I ſay, turn unto the Lord. Truly ſirs (will you give me leave to open my heart unto you) my heart trembles to think of ſome mens turnings, and of ſome turnings which ſome men look for; not a turning to God, but a turning further from God. Many people expect a change, not that they might change their lives, or manners; No, beloved, they would have a turning, not to God, but to the Devill. Oh! how would ſome men turn to the Devil of drunkenneſs? how would ſome men turn to the Devil of ſwearing? to the Devil of Sabboth-breaking, and all manner of prophaneſſe? That they might live and ſin without controul. Friends is this the turning that God looks for? Surely ſirs, theſe people (if they might have their wills) would bring in a night, a ſad and darke night in ſtead of a light and gladſome morning, a ſadder night then ever yet England ſaw; For if the Lord ſhould eſtabliſh us, and we make uſe of that eſtabliſhment to eſtabliſh our ſelves in ſin, and ſo provoke the Lord to go further from us, and leave us, we have juſt grounds to fear that the Lord would then never come again amongſt us.
Do theſe men turn unto the Lord? how many of them probably are in the Tavern at this time? how many in the Alehouſe at this very time? At this time I ſay, wherein (as one would expect) we ſhould all as one man joyn together in our earneſt prayers, to implore a bleſſing from heaven upon the Counſel of the Parliament, ſhortly to be aſſembled, that the Lord would make them inſtruments for our ſettlement and eſtabliſhment now after all our breakings and ſhakings. But where are they? Do theſe men walk in Gods wayes? Do theſe men look for a change that may be for the better? Do theſe men look for eſtabliſhment, and that the Nation ſhould be ſetled upon their deſires, and upon their endeavours?
There is a place, that I hope in all things doth not run parallel, but in this is to our purpoſe. It is in 1 Sam. 12.19. All the people ſaid unto Samuel, pray for thy ſervants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not, for we have added unto all our ſins this evill to aske us a King. Now I ſay, I do not conceive that the Text runs parallel with our caſe in this particular; therefore miſtake me not. But now marke, Samuel ſaid unto the people, feare not, ye have done all this wickedneſſe; yet turn not aſide from following the Lord, but ſerve the Lord with all your hearts, and turn not aſide, for then ſhould you go after vaine things that cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain. It was not ſo great a ſinne in them, but that deſiring and having a King was conſiſtent with ſerving the Lord: Nor had they thereby ſo ſin'd as to forſake God. Turn not aſide (ſayes he) from following the Lord, but ſerve the Lord, &c. But then go on to the two laſt verſes: OnelyOnly feare the Lord and ſerve him in truth with all your heart, for conſider how great things he hath done for you: But if you ſtill do wickedly, you ſhall be conſumed both you and your King
People think, Oh I if they had a King, all ſhall be well, their ſtate and condition ſhall then be proſperous, and they ſhall be all ſafe. But beloved, If men go after vaine things, if they do wickedly, it cannot be a King that can help them. The people of Iſrael they had a King according to their deſires; But what, was that enough to ſecure them? Surely if the Lord forſake them, it could not be their King that could help them: and therefore ſaith the Prophet, verſ. 22. The Lord will not forſake his people for his great names ſake, becauſe it hath pleaſed the Lord to make you his people. If the Lord hath once aſſumed a people to be his, he will do much for them, and beare long with them ere he will forſake them. And therefore as the Prophet there, verſ. 29. would pray for them, ſo alſo would he teach them the good and right way. Fear the Lord, ſaith he, and ſerve him in truth, with all your hearts, for conſider how great things he hath done for you, verſ. 24. And beloved, hath not God done great things for us? What great hopes hath he given us of a ſettlement after all our feares and confuſions? And we expect a King: But if ye ſtill do wickedly, ye ſhall be deſtroyed both you and your King. Mark, That which the hearts of the people were ſet upon, was a King, nothing would pleaſe them but a King, yea you ſhall have a King; But yet do not go away from God, and follow after vain things, for if you do, you ſhall be conſumed and deſtroyed, both you and your King together. Beloved, there's nothing that ſo ſurely brings ruine and deſtruction upon a King and Kingdome, as wilfull and reiterated ſins and wickedneſſes: If you ſtill do wickedly, you ſhall be deſtroyed both you and your King. You did wickedly before, and what became of your King? was it your wickedneſſe or his? Many of you will not ſay it was his. And if you ſtill do wickedly, the next King (for ought I know) may fare as he did, therefore take heed of ſin. Beloved, I propoſe this one thing to you, it was either the ſin of the King (the Father) that brought the evill upon him, or the ſin of the People, or both together. If his own ſinne, then the judgement was juſt upon him as to God, though not in them who did it; But if it was the ſin of the people, let me ask you, will not that which ruin'd the Father ruine the Son? If you ſtill do wickedly, you ſhall be deſtroyed both you and your King.
Surely Kings, Princes, and chief Magiſtrates are leaſt beholding to drunkards, to murderers, to prophane perſons, to unclean laſcivious perſons, to thoſe that wallow in the ſtinking puddle and naſty dunghill of ſin: Kings and Princes are leaſt of all beholding unto them, for they draw down judgement upon the whole Nation. Theſe perſons, though they look for a morning of joy and gladneſs upon the Nation, yet will ſurely bring a diſmal night of ſorrow notwithſtanding their expectations.
And therefore, Come let us return unto the Lord, that as he hath torn us for our ſins, ſo he may binde us up; and as he hath broken us for our tranſgreſſions, ſo he may heale us upon our returning: Here's incouragement, which is the ſecond part of the Text. Of which a little.
Friends, none but he that ſmites us can beale us; none but he that tear's can binde us up. All other Phyſitians, all other Chyrurgions, they are but meer Quacks and Empericks. We may ſay of them as Job of his friends, Job 13.4. Ye are forgers of lies, ye are phyſitians of no value. And beloved, have we not found it ſo in our State-Mountebancks, who have ſet up their Stages, that they might pick our Pockets, and made us bow down, that they might ride over us? Have we not found that of David verified? Men of high degree are a lie, and men of low degree are altogether vanity? Are they to be truſted in? Is there any more weight in them then in the duſt of the ballance? O let us return therefore unto the Lord, for he hath broken us, and he will heale us, he hath ſmitten us, and he onelyonly can binde us up: He hath here promiſed it, if we return (as before) unto him: And beloved, conſider this, as God wounds and ſmites by his inſtruments, ſo he alſo heals and binds up by inſtruments. The enemies of Gods people, God makes uſe of as the rod in his hand to chaſtiſe and correct his Children for their ſins: and he alſo raiſes up inſtruments to deliver them from their ſufferings. In Eſay 58. there you have a promiſe made, that the juſt and righteous ſhall build the old waſte places, ſhall raiſe up the foundations of many generations, and ſhall be called the repairer of the breach, the reſtorer of the paths to dwell in. Do you look for happy dayes in England? Would you have the Old waſte places built, and the breaches repaired? Why, then ſee what the Lord requires of you: Read that place fore-quoted, Iſa. 58.6. Is not this the Faſt that I have choſen? &c. This is a day wherein you faſt and humble your ſelves to ſeek eſtabliſhment. Well, will you ſee what Faſt the Lord requires? Looſe the bands of wickedneſſe, undo every heavy burthen, let the oppreſſed go free, and that ye break every heavy yoke; It is to deale thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are caſt out to thy houſe; When thou ſeeſt the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thy ſelf from thine owne fleſh: Then ſhall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health ſhall ſpring forth ſpeedily, &c. And verſ. 12. They that be of thee ſhall build the old waſte places, thou ſhalt raiſe up the foundations of many generations, &c. Though our government hath layn in the duſt theſe many yeares, and though we have had a dark and black night upon us, yet God can cauſe our light to break forth as the morning; he can raiſe us up ſome to build our waſte places, to be repairers of our breaches, and reſtorers of paths to dwell in.
But I ſay, the promiſe is to good and righteous men; Theſe are the men, if any, that muſt lay the foundations: not prophane looſe wretches, enemies to all righteouſneſſe, the Lord in mercy keep ſuch out of that great Aſſembly of Parliament: And if any get in, the Lord in his wiſdome find out a way to caſt them out again. Beloved, nothing but juſtice, and truth, and righteouſneſſe, and mercy can heale a broken Nation, let us then this day, and every day elſe beg of God, that he would graciouſly be pleaſed to be preſent with, and to ſit Preſident in, and over that great Councel of the Land, that they may break off every yoke, and take off every heavy burthen, and keep off all unjuſt yokes and heavy burthens that any whatſoever would impoſe upon us. That ſo that great Aſſembly may be a repairer of our breaches, and a reſtorer of our paths to dwell in. Let us pray that both they, and all we may be more carefull to bring King Jeſus into our hearts, then K. Charles into his Throne: Not as if I looked on theſe two as contradictory, oppoſite, or deſtructive the one unto the other; But thus, I tell you King Jeſus is to be preferred before any mortall creature whatſoever: And if he that ſhall rule be carefull to rule according to Truth, and under King Jeſus, If God and the great Council of the Nation ſhall think fit, Let him come and welcom.
But ſirs, let me tell you, King Charles cannot ſave your ſoules; but if King Jeſus rule in your hearts, he can and will ſave you: What would it advantage you, if all of you had your hearts deſire here? If things go even as you would wiſh? and yet when Death comes, you ſhould be drag'd to Hell, to endleſſe torments, what would it advantage you? Be not then ſo mad as to purſue worldly concernments, or worldly comforts with ſuch eagerneſſe: But above all ſeek and purſue after things of everlaſting concernment: And I tell you no mortall King can ſave your ſouls, and therefore let us moſt look that King Jeſus his reign and government may be eſtabliſhed over us. See his ſweet and gracious government, Iſa. 32. begin. Behold a King ſhall reign in righteouſneſſe, and Princes ſhall rule in judgement, and a man ſhall be as a hiding place from the winds, and a covert from the tempeſt as rivers of water in a dry land, & as the ſhadow of a great rocke in a weary land, &c. Ther's a deſcription given of a bleſſed and good King: He ſhall be a ſhelter, a covering, he ſhall be all in all to a diſtreſſed people. Jer. 23.5. there it is ſaid, Behold the dayes come ſaith the Lord, that I will raiſe unto David a righteous branch, and a King ſhal reign and proſper, and ſhall execute judgement and juſticein the earth; in thoſe days Judah ſhall be ſafe, and Iſrael ſhall dwell ſafely, and this is the name whereby he ſhall be called, The Lord our righteouſneſs. This is ſpoken of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, he that is the King of Kings, he ſhall rule in Righteouſneſs. And he or they that Rule under him, muſt rule in Righteouſneſſe; Let us not then look ſo much (as moſt do) after wordly peace and freedome, and temporal deliverance from preſent burdens, as after ſpiritual peace, and freedome from everlaſting torments; not ſo much to enjoy periſhing comforts, as to have the comforts of everlaſting enjoyments: And then may we expect the performance of what is promiſed in the cloſe of our Text. After two dayes will he revive us, in the third day he will raiſe us up, and we ſhall live in his ſight; We ſhall live not onelyonly temporally, comfortably and happy, but a life heavenly and everlaſting, we ſhall be happy to all eternity. Then (as it follows) ſhall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord, more of Gods minde, and of his mercies, and he ſhall come unto us as the raine, as the early and latter rain upon the earth, which being parched with drought, receiveth it in readily, fructifieth, and bringeth forth abundantly. Come then, let us all return unto the Lord, for as he hath torne, ſo will he heale, and as he hath ſmitten, ſo will he bind us up.
FINIS.