The Voice of the Glorious God in the Thunder, Sermon 2

The Voice of the Glorious God in the Thunder · Sermon 2

p. 17THE VOICE of THUNDERS, Heard September 16. 1694.

It is written REV. VIII. 5.

— And there were Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings, and an Earthquake.

§. THere were two Famous Ministers of our Lord Jesus Christ, upon whom our Lord in his New Creation did put very signal Names, as was done of Old unto some significanter and considerabler parts of the Old Creation, because they were to bear a more than common Figure in this New Creation, and as it is said Mark 3.17. He surnamed them Boanerges, which is, the sons of Thunder. The Word for Thunder, in that Name signifieth Earthquake as well as Thunder: And Learned Men think, that our Lord in giving that Name to these Eminent Men, had respect unto that Prophecy in Hag. 2.7. I will shake all Nations, and the desire of all Nations shall come. It is very possible, that these two Ministers of our Lord had, as Nazianzen intimateth, a lively, notable, audible delivery, in their Preaching, by the advantage whereof the Truths of God by them delivered, came like so many Soul-surprising Thunders upon the Souls of p. 18those that were the Hearers. But this is not all, there were mighty Commotions in subserviency unto the Interests of the Gospel, then to be effected, and our Lord would have a singular Improvement made of these two Ministers, for the producing and promoting of those Commotions; and in the midst of those Revolutions these two Ambassadors of the Lord were to carry the Gospel with a force like that of Thunder, thro' the Jewish Nation: For this cause were James and John called the Sons of Thunder.

§. Indeed our Lord expects this from all his Ministers, that they should endeavour to be Boanerges's, in the dispensations of his Word unto every Creature under the Firmament thereof: But, O how much may I think, that the Lord, whose I am, and whom I serve, does expect such an Endeavour of sinful me, who have been newly signalized by the merciful and marvellous Thunders of the Lord. When Moses, the Servant of the Lord, had been in the midst of those terrible Thunders, which were on every side of him, tearing all before them, he went from thence down unto his Congregation, with the Laws of God in his hand. My Brethren, I must come unto you this day with those holy, and just, and good Laws of God, wherein you are are now to be sensible of louder Thunders then those, from the midst which it is that I am come. In-as-much as the Thunders of God have lately been falling on my House, I suppose and believe it is his will, that I should now be filling of his house with the greater Thunders of his Word. It is the Remark of the Scripture on the Thunder, that the Rain accompanieth it, Jer. 10.13. 'tis said, When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of Waters in the Heavens, and he causeth the vapours to astend from the ends of the Earth, he maketh lightning with p. 19rain, and bringeth forth the Wind out of his treasures: Yea, but the Word of God, which cleanses and softens the Hearts of Men, is on many accounts compared unto the Rain, the Doctrines of that Word are to fall as Rain upon the Grass. Christians, the Rain of God is this Afternoon to fall among you; but, O let this Rain sink deep into every one of your Hearts, and the deeper, because of the concomitant Thunders, that give an Accent thereunto.

§. I am carrying of you into that Revelation, which is the last Letter that we have had from the Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven, for these by-past sixteen hundred years; the Scope of which Letter is to advertise us, how our Lord having begun to set up his Kingdom in the World, by the preaching of the Gospel, would overturn, overturn, overturn, and from time to time, confound all powers that make head against it, until the coming of him, who doth here say, Behold, I come quickly. It is a Commentary on what hath been written by Daniel, on the Fourth Monarchy, with some Touches upon that approaching Fifth; wherein the Kingdom shall be the Lords, and the Lord shall be Governour among the Nations; wherein the Kingdom, and Dominion, and the Greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the People of the Saints of the most High; and wherein there shall be a New Heaven, and a New Earth, in which there shall dwell Righteousness.

§. There was a Volume, a Volume of divers leaves, inscribed both on the backside and inside, and rolled into a Cylindriacal form, under seven Labels, fastened with so many seals; the showing and opening of this Volume unto the Beloved Disciple, gave unto him a Scheme of what was to come to pass, from the Ascension to the second coming of our Lord. The p. 20Book being unrolled and unfolded, there were seven Trumpets, with many wonderful Circumstances, exposed unto the view of this Disciple; which Trumpets are to denote seven most memorable Judgments of God upon the Roman Empire, to make way for the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. These Judgments are most sitly exhibited under the Notion of so many Trumpets, all sounding as the Cornets for seven days about Jericho of Old, for the fall of it; so these for the fall of the Romish Jericho; in as-much as they sound the Allarums of Divine Vengeance against the World, for their Indisposition unto the Reign of our Lord.

§. John was prepared for that sight of these Judgments in the seven Trumpets, by an amazing Vision of a most Heavenly and Glorious Matter, in the eternal Temple of God. If you will now walk with me, I will carry you unto that Coelestial Temple, and you shall see those things, which blessed are your eyes that they may see such things this day! In the Holy of Holies, it was the usage of the High-Priest that he should there cause Incense to ascend before the Lord, from the Golden Altar of Incense. This is done, this very thing is done continually by the Lord Jesus Christ, who ever lives, that he may be doing so continually. For that cause we are here told, An Angel came and stood at the Altar, having a Golden Censor, and there was given unto him much Incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the Golden Altar, which was before the Throne: And the smoak of the Incense, which came with the prayers of the Saints, ascended up before God, out of the Angels hand. Our Lord Jesus Christ is that Angel of the Lord, even the Angel who is the Lord of Angels, and the Angel the Lord. Our Prayers, as far as the Spirit of God p. 21is in the Composition of them, are grateful to the Lord Jesus Christ; we bring our allowable Desires to that praying Lord, and he takes them into his illustrious Hand, he perfumes them, he offers them, he causes them to go up like the Odour of sweet Incense before his everlasting Father; yea, if there be any fleshly savour in the Sacrifices of our Devotions, that odious and loathsome Nidour is taken away by this Incense of our Lord.

§. In our Text we have the effect of Supplication to the Lord, made effectual by the Intercessions of the Lord; the Angel takes the Censor, and filleth it with fire of the Altar, and casteth it into the Earth, to make way for those Effects. But now the Effects of the Prayers that are made by the pious, what are these? they were Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings, and an Earthquake. And what was the meaning of these things? Perhaps here may be an Hendiades, by voices, and thundrings, and lightnings, may be meant the voices of thunderings and lightnings: No wonder that an Earthquake is added hereunto, for thundrings and lightnings do pretty often go with earthquakes; they did so when Corah perished, and they are so denounced in Isa. 29.6. Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire. But the signification of these Appearances in our Text was thus much: It was not only that God had Plagues in Store for his Enemies, but also that the Prayers of his People found Acceptance with him.

§. Agreeably unto this, you shall have these things more particularly remarked unto you in three Reflections, with their Applications, to be made upon these words of the Lord among you.

p. 22§ The first Reflection is, The most faithful God of Heaven, who sometimes hath loudly testified by Thundrings and Lightnings, that he hath heard the Prayers of his faithful People, hath indeed his Ear always open to their faithful prayers. The Saints have their Prayers ascending before God; these Prayers of the Saints are accepted with God: How is this discover'd? by Thundrings and Lightnings that come thereupon, wherein God as it were says concerning them, Your prayers are come up, your prayers have pierced the clouds that are now breaking over you. This Reflection is to be pursued with two Observations and one Inference.

§. The first Observation is, Great Thunders have been sometimes given as a testimony that the prayers of good men have been heard by the great God of those Thunders. It is here said, there were Voices, and Thundrings, and Lightnings. What were the Voices therein contained? The Voices were, Your Prayers, Your Prayers are come up before God; God will tell you thus with replies Louder than those of the loudest Thunders were. The Clouds of sincere and speeding Prayers, have more then once before now shot fiery Thunderbolts. It is what we have exemplified in Psal. 18.6. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God; he heard my voice out of his Temple, and my cry came before him, even into his Ears. And what then? As a sign of this, the Lord thundered in the Heavens, and the Highest gave forth his voice; Hail stones and coals of fire, yea, he sent out his arrows, and he shot out his Lightnings. When our Lord Jesus Christ had been crying to his everlasting Father, that by his means much Glory and service might come to the Name of such a Father, there was then a voice from Heaven, heard over the place where he stood, in Joh. 12.28. whereupon the p. 23People that stood by and heard it, said, that it thundered; others said, an Angel spake to him, but Jesus answered and said, this voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Samuel, that reverend and renowned Prophet of the Lord, had been calling upon the Lord, for an evidence of his being what he was, and strait-way there was that Evidence of it, recorded 1 Sam. 12.18. Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder: and rain, and all the People, greatly feared. It is a most memorable passage, which is, in Psal. 81.7. I answered thee in the secret place of thunder. A Critical Interpreter has this Gloss upon it, tu invocasti me in secreto Ego exaudivi te manifeste, publico tonitrui miraculo: My publick thunders answer thy secret Prayers. Moses had been much in Prayer with and for Israel; God heard his Prayer; and how did he prove that? from the secret place of thunder. What says the Psalmist, in Psal. 65.5, 8. By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our Salvation. How will he answer? they that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens, i.e. thy thunders; which are thy tokens terrible, and yet Comfortable, yet Favourable. The thunders of God have sometimes been the Effects of Prayers that have been sent up to God, —

§. But then our next Observation is, tho' such extraordinary tokens of prevailing Prayers, as thunders, are not now to be expected, yet the prevalency of good men's Prayers is always to be believed, as much as if the shrillest thunders had assured it. There are voices equally sonorous unto those of the thunderings and lightnings; and what are they? They are such as those in Psal. 50.15. Call upon me, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt Glorifie me. What is the Name of God? it is the Hearer of Prayer; he will sooner p. 24forget his Name, then leave of to be so. Both Testaments do speak this unto us, as with concurring thunders. From the Old Testament you hear it spoken in Psal. 34.15. The Ear of the Lord is open to the Cry of the Righteous. You hear it spoken from the New Testament in 1 Joh. 5.14. If we ask any thing according to his Will, he heareth us. The Qualifications of a right Prayer are, Cum boni petant bonum benè & ad bonum; when good men do ask a good God, for good things, after a good manner, and unto a good purpose. Now I am to tell you, that such prayers are never lost, there is an Assurace from Heaven given us, beyond that of thunder from the Excellent Glory, in Psal. 91.15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. Who is this that shall thus call upon God, and God will answer him? He that hath set his love upon me, and hath known my name. This was ever the experience of all those that seared God. For the establishing of this Assurance, there are two things that are said unto us: One is, every one that is godly will pray; and another is, this poor man cryed, and the Lord heard. Let us be much in Prayer to God, by the Spirit of God; and therefore let our prayer to God be much for that Spirit, so let us pray without ceasing, and you shall make then such a conclusion with me as this, Psal. 6.9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping! The Spirit of God gives unto a Servant of God, a strong, and a firm, and full Perswasion, that his Prayers are heard; he does it more signally than if the thunders themselves were to utter it, — Well then, the Inference to be raised from hence, is,

§. That those who are fervent in Prayers, need not be afraid of thunders: There is a filial fear of God in the thunders, which well becomes a Child of God, a reverend, a serious and sensible Disposition of p. 25Soul. He was a Child of God, who when it was thundring, (as is conceived) said, Job 37.1. At this my heart trembled! But then there is a slavish fear of the thunder, which is offensive unto the God of thunder, and which is troublesome and afflictive enough to those that have the fear. It was said when it thundred, in Psal. 46.6. He uttered his voice, the Earth melted: Even so it may be said of many; when God uttered his voice, their heart is melted; but I say, a Praying Man may be above such a carnal, and such a shaking, and such a sinful fear. What tho' the thunder should kill such a man, as it may do, and has done, yet still it will never do the man any hurt; it may kill him, but it will only send him perhaps the easiest way to Heaven that ever was gone: Besides, let a man be abundant in Prayer, and such a man may say, I serve such a God that will never hurt me, he is concerned for my Peace, he is concerned for my ease, and he is concerned for my universal welfare. They that are much in speaking to God, need not have their hearts to fail them, when they hear God speaking to them; instead of that, were you present when such a man is entertained with the thunder, you should hear him saying, It is my Fathers voice, we must not be afraid! As for those that are so much afraid, as even to loose themselves and their wits, when God is thundring over them, shall we invert those words that are in Job 15.4. Thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God? and say, therefore it is that they are in such fear, because they restrain Prayers before God? Oh! that the thunder of God might then bespeak our seasonable Prayers unto him; our Prayers, I say, before we may justly imagine he is going to cut us off by the Thunder-bolts of his Indignation; what a lamentable case is it when a poor Creature is under the Thunder, p. 26for him then to say, there is a God whom I am not yet at peace withall! I have never yet prayed aright unto that God whose thunders now drive me to my Prayers! They that are strangers to Prayer, with what face can they look to God, when he shoots down thundring and lightning upon them? God says then to them, Do you pray now, you should have prayed before this! Oh! consider of it, this is our first Reflection.

¶. But now the second Reflection is, in answer to the Prayers of his faithful people, the God of Heaven will cause those Earthquakes that shall shake terribly the earth, and even shake the Earth to pieces. When there were thundrings and lightnings upon the voices of the Saints, (we'll say) in their Prayers, there was an Earthquake too. What litterally came to pass in Acts 16.25, 26. At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God, and suddenly there was a great earthquake; that figuratively and metaphorically much oftner comes to pass, when the people of God are praying to him he makes prodigious Earth-quakes for them, State-quakes, and Nation-quakes, and Kingdom-quakes are caused by the Prayers of the faithful People of God. There were two such praying Men, Hezekiah and Isaiah, who were concerned for the Church; when they prayed, this followed, Psal. 64.3. [I suppose the Psalm written by one of them] The Earth removed, the Water swelled, and the Mountains shook.

There are Three Meditations, which are to adjust this Reflection, and from them one Corollary is to be deduced.

§. The first Meditation is, They are usually cruel and bloody persecutions upon the people of God, which drive them to their prayers: Now the Persecutions of a praying people bring shaking desolations upon the Persecutors. p. 27The Oppressors of the Church do that thing in Job. 34.28. They cause the cry of the poor to come unto God, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted. What comes of this? why, horrible overturning Earthquake, have come upon all those Empires, wherein there has been an oppressed people of God? The Cup of trembling, in Earthquakes, has been carried unto all Kingdoms hitherto where the People of God have been evilly treated; Why so? Because that People have been driven to more then ordinary Praying, by the Persecution of their Adversaries. Hence we read concerning the Praying Witnesses, in Rev. 11.13. their Enemies beheld them, and the same hour there was a great Earthquake; that very Earthquake, which you may Believe it, Aeurope is now entered into. The Earth, from whence there has gon a cry to the Lord God of Sabaoth, for the violence done to his People, shall be shaken with an Earthquake; Why this? it is thro' the Praying of the Witnesses; they Cry to God from the Earth, and God shaketh that Earth, upon which they have been abused.

§. The Second Meditation is, the Anger of God is dreadfully burning against those that inflame the Prayers of his People, and that anger will make stupendous Earthquakes of them. The Omnipotent God is angry at them, who cause the Complaints of those that are grieved, when they behold transgressors, who cause the Complaints of those that Sigh and cry for the abominations that are done where they are; and who cause the Complaints of those whose righteous Souls are vexed by their ungodly deeds. But what will the Issue of that Anger be? An Earthquake will be the Issue of it. It was said Job. 9.5.6. He removeth the Mountains, and they know not: He overturneth them in his Anger: He shaketh the Earth out of her place, the pillars p. 28thereof tremble. And it was said, Isa. 13.13. I will shake the Heavens, and the Earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of Hosts, and in the day of his fierce Anger. Even so, when the Anger of God comes upon those about them, against whom his People has been Complaining, that Anger will tumble all into confusion; it shall be notorious, that there is no standing before an Angry God; and therefore God will make the very Earth to reel like a drunken Man, as it is said Isa. 24.18, 19. The foundations of the Earth do shake, the earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly; the earth shall reel too and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a Cottage, and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.

§. The third Meditation is, The Kingdom of God is to come, according to the Prayers of his People, but without most horrendous Earthquakes that Kingdom cannot come. When Israel went out of Egypt, there seems to have been an Earthquake, which contributed unto the parting of the Sea; for tho' Moses writ nothing of it in Exodus, yet he or some other does in Psal. 77.18, 19. The voice of thy Thunder was in the Heaven; the Lightnings lightned the World, the Earth trembled and shook: Thy way is in the Sea, and thy path in the great Witers, and thy foot-steps are not known: An Earthquake made a path for them thorow the Waters. Even so the Waters are to be divided at this day, that so the Israel of God may have such a passage to his Worship as they are to have. Again, the Romish Corah that stands up against the Lord Jesus Christ must be extinguished: How? It was an Earthquake that swallowed the Crew which followed Corah; so God will make an Earthquake that p. 29shall swallow the Corahites of Rome. Once more, when the last Hour-glass of the Papacy is running, Then there will be voices, and Thunderings, and Lightnings, and a great Earthquake, such as was not since Men were upon the Earth. As at the Resurrection of our Lord there was an Earthquake, for the removing of the Stone that kept him in the Grave, so upon the Prayers of his People for the removing of those disadvantages that keep them under hatches, there will be an Earthquake. There are those Antipathies and Contrarieties in the hearts of mankind against the Interests of the Lord Jesus Christ, that must be shaken out, that so men may be prepared for the coming of the Lord; but they will not without horrible Earthquakes be shaken out. Hence our Lord says, Heb. 12.26. Yet once more I shake not the Earth only, but also Heaven; Why so? to make way for those things that cannot be shaken.

The Corollary is this: Hence in our days the most astonishing Earthquakes that ever shook the World, are now like to shake it. From the Altar there comes an Earthquake: There have been Souls under the Altar for these many ages, and the number of the Souls is increased and compleated in this our latter age. Hence now may be expected a great Earthquake, that shall make all to fly before it. Proper Earthquakes are now like to be multiplied, Our Lord has given us the premonition in Luke. 21.11. and great Earthquakes shall be in divers places. The Subterranious fires that are to burn e're long, will get head, so that on a sudden a great Earthquake will be pusht on by these Fires. Yea, there is one Earthquake to come, and a Proper one, wherein Millions of Men shall Perish: Italy shall know when that cometh. Be ready for Earthquakes, I say then, Be ready for them. p. 30What if the Earth should now set a shaking under us? Are we sure that we shall not Go up, when ever we Go down? The Earth will Open for us all in a little while, the Sexton will Open it, when we shall be carried on the arms of our friends into it: And God knows whether His own Hand may not Open the Earth more wonderfully and suddenly, for those that are little aware of it! But however, Improper Earthquakes will come on amain; It was said in the Psalm inspired into Deborah, Judg. 5.4, 5. Lord, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedst out of the Field of Edom, the Earth trembled, and the Heavens dropped, and the Clouds also dropped Water, the Mountains melted from before the Lord. Sirs, the Lord is coming forth from Heaven, and think you not that the Earth will shake when he cometh? There are dreadful Convulsions that will … upon the World; Convulsions that shall overset both Civil and Sacred Orders; Convulsions that shall sheath the Swords of Men into one anothers Bowels; Convulsions that shall make mens hearts to fail, for fear of those things that come upon the Earth! But so much for the second Reflection.

¶ The third and last Reflection is, When the Almighty God sends Thunderings and Lightnings, as well as when he sends Earthquakes, there are Mighty Voices to accompany them. Voices here go with the Thundering and Lightnings and Earthquakes. The Earthquakes have their Voices; there is a Speaking of Heaven in the tremend shaking of the Earth, but Thunderings and Lightnings are the things, the Voices whereof do now most call for our attention. Wherefore, This Reflection shall be conveyed into your minds, with only a double Admonition, and so we shall conclude.

p. 31§. The first Admonition is, Natural Thunders have a Mighty Voice of the Almighty God in them, and it is our Duty to hear that Voice. The Thunders 'tis most Emphatically called, the Voice of God; so David, so Elihu called it. Indeed there are Natural Causes for Thunders, but still these Causes, as well as the Thunders caused, are under the Conduct of God, the High Thunderer. If a Bird fall not, I am sure a Bolt falls not without His will. The Angels are often times employed in the forming of his Thunders. Good Angels and Bad Angels too, are the Thunderers; but still the Executioners of God's Thunder, and under God's Commission. It is said, Ezek. 1.24. that there was the noise of the living Creatures in their wings, like the noise of great Waters, as the voice of the Almighty: i. e. As the Thunders, these living Creatures, there are their voices in the Thunders oft, but it is in, and with, and under the voice of the Almighty: So then the voice hereof is to be attended unto. Will you be deaf to Thunder, Hear the Voice of God, when he Thunders, as he has lately done; first, the voice of the Almighty in the Thunder, is, Adore the power of God, and Fear such a God. It was said in Psal. 76.7, 8. Who may stand in thy sight, when once thou art angry? Thou didst cause judgment, i. e. Thunder, to be heard from Heaven, the Earth feared and was still. It is elsewhere said, That the strength of God is in the Clouds: The Thunder in the Clouds does proclaim the Strength of God. It is also said, Hast thou an Arm like God? Or canst thou Thunder with a Voice like Him? The Thunder tells us what an Arm he hath. This then is the Voice of Thunder, O who dares lay himself open to the displeasure of this God, that can by Thunders strike him into a Piller of Salt!

§. Secondly, The Voice of the Almighty in the p. 32Thunder, is, Admire the Goodness of God, and love such a God! It was said 2 Sam. 22.14, 17, 20. The Lord thundered from Heaven, and the most high uttered his voice: Well, at this time when the Thunder fell, what became of him? He sent from above, he took me; he delivered me, because he delighted in me—For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God; and then saith he, Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy Name. We are to sing Praises to the Name of that God who thundereth, and doth not make us desolate. As for us, we are upon every provocation apt to call for fire from Heaven, that is, for Thunder, as the angry Disciples did: O! if God should by fire from Heaven consume us, as often as our sins call for it, what would become of us! It is then the voice of the Thunder, O the patience of God! How compassionate is he, he doth not make us perish from our way.

§. Thirdly, The voice of God in the Thunder, is, speedily, presently, thoroughly, make your peace with God. When the thunder comes, at what rate is it? We have it in Psal. 11.6. Ʋpon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest. The thunder comes like snares upon them: This then is the voice of thunder, Oh, get out of your unregeneracy immediately, lest the thunder of God ensnare you in that unregencracy! We see by thunder that Men go down in a moment to the grave: Therefore the voice of thunder is, O get into good terms with God, before such a moment comes, do it this very moment. Alas, when it thundereth, a man that is acquainted with God in Christ, may say, What a miserable man were I, if my great work were now to do! but when that is well done, let thunder come; a p. 33Pagan could say, He that is not conscious to himself of any fault, need not fear a Thunder-bolt. Well then, get rid of all thy sins, by a lively Faith in him that is the only Saviour of his People from their sins; that to live may be Christ, and to dye gain; this the thunder calleth for.

§. The Second Admonition is, There is a mighty voice of the Almighty God, uttered like that of thunder, in the wheels of Providence, that are now turning in the World. May I now do the part of a John Baptist, who said once, I am the voice of one crying to the people of God in the Wilderness. It is here said, there were voices, shall I now bring out those voices articulately to the Understanding of those whom I am addressing? We read in Rev. 10.3, 4. When the Lord Jesus Christ had cried with a loud voice, seven thunders uttered their voices. Truly, our Lord Jesus Christ has been crying with a loud voice, and thunders too have been uttering their voices among us. Indeed when John was about to write the voices of the thunders, he heard a voice from heaven, saying, write them not. But when I was about to bring the voices of our thunders to you, I had no such voice from the Lord, bring them not: No, his voice to me was, bring them out, therefore I shall bring them to you, had I a voice like thunder, there are seven Words which I should have to utter among you. Let it be demanded, what are the thundring voices that are at this day to be heard among the Nations? these voices we will run over them swiftly, like rapid thunder.

§. The First Thundring voice of the Almighty unto us, is, Let not the unvaluable Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ be undervalued, lest the most consuming Povidences of the Lord revenge that contempt. p. 34Do you ask where I heard this voice? how I learnt this voice? why, from the very Text I am upon. The Angel took the Censor, and filled it with fire of the Altar, and cast it into the Earth, and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. The Altar of God, at which the Ordinances of God are celebrated, if once the things of that Altar come to be cast upon the earth, God hath fearful things to do against these people of the earth, where they shall be so abused. This is the warning piece to be now fired off with thunder; Oh! let not the Earth so take you up, as to make you despise the Altar of God; be not so inchanted with the Earth, as to have no Communion with the Altar of God. If Men grow weary of Ordinances, if Men grow careless of Ordinances, if Men grow unfruitful under Ordinances, this is the voice to those Men, God hath Thunders, and Lightnings, and Earthquakes in his Temple to bring upon them.

§. A Second Thundring voice from God is this, Let the Lord Jesus Christ be set upon his Throne, else that Lord of all will dart burning vengeance from his Throne. Would you know how I came at this voice? You may read in Rev. 4.5. Out of the Throne proceeded lightnings, and hunderings, and voices. The voice unto you is about the Throne of our Lord Jesus Christ, O set him upon his Throne, else there will come thunders and lightnings upon you, from the Throne of his Glory. Let us exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, as the King of Sion, as the only Law-giver of his Church, and let us duly submit to all his Orders. Yea, let us have high thoughts of our Lord, and set him on a glorious high Throne. Could we hear the Angels of God speaking with their voices unto us, I know what they would say, their voices would p. 35be, O little do ye think, what a Jesus our Jesus is! Why do not ye prize that Jesus, love that Jesus, serve that Jesus for ever? the Voice then is, Let us have such thoughts about our Lord Jesus Christ.

§. A Third Thundering voice is this, Let men beware exceedingly, beware continually, beware lest they wrong the Lord Jesus Christ before they are aware! How comes this to be among the voices? It was once thus, you find it spoke in thunder and lightning, Acts 22.7, 8. I heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, who art thou Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest. Truly so there is a voice from the Lord Jesus Christ unto us all, O see to it, that ye do not wrong me! His voice is, you wrong a Jesus, when you wrong those that represent Jesus, those that resemble Jesus! ye wrong a Jesus, when ye persecute a Church of Jesus! you wrong a Jesus, when you neglect great Salvation of Jesus! This is the voice unto you from Heaven, see to it, that ye do not give unsuspected blows to the Lord Jesus Christ, who can by thunder chastize those that give the blows.

§. A Fourth voice as of thunder to us, is, The Lord is at hand! make ready every Soul, make ready for the appearance of the Lord. It was the Cry, in Mat. 25.6. There was a Cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him. Even so there is a voice this day, and that is, The Lord is coming, be ready to meet him. It will not be long before the Lord Jesus Christ shall make his descent into our Air, it will not be long before the Lord Jesus Christ shall come, and he shall not keep silence, a fire shall devour before him; it will not be long, e're the Lord will come to judge the Earth with Righteousness, p. 36and the People with Equity. There is a Concurrence of a thousand things advertising us, that his coming is at hand. Many particulars are considerable, and this among the rest. When a King is coming home, there is whispering among his Domestick Servants that he is a coming; thus among the Ser…nts of our Lord there is a discoursing about the coming of the Lord, they who are not buried in the slumber, which alas, are to fetter you most in our days, are now much talking upon this, When will the Lord come, and what shall be the signs of his coming? The Voice about it is, I come quickly.

§. A Fifth Voice is, as of Thunder unto us, woful, dolefull, dismal will be the day and the doom of all that shall shortly be found strangers to the Lord Jesus Christ: Let none of you be found in that wofull Number. Are you to seek for his Voice? It was said in Rev. 11.14, 15 The Second Wo is past, and behold the Third Wo cometh quickly. Why? the great voices in Heaven are going to sound, with the Thunder of the Seventh Angel, and there is a voice to be made on Earth about it. It will be a Woful Trumpet unto the Wicked that is now going to sound. The voices now are, shortly Wo to all the Prophane, Wo to all the Cursing, Wo to all the Swearing, Wo to all the Wanton, Wo to all the Injurious, Wo to all the Fraudulent, Wo to all the Abominable. Yea, and there are other Wicked ones, not so grosly Wicked. 'Tis said, God shall turn all the Wicked into Hell, and all that forget him. Very shortly Wo will be to all Prayerless Persons, for they are the Forgetters of God? Wo to all that are so taken up with the things of this World, who are so busie, zealous and eager therein, that they hardly ever once a Week Pray before the God of Heaven. These Woes are now a going thro' the Earth, to make p. 37a rueful rack among such, and all such as have no Interest in the Precious Lord Jesus Christ. There was once a voice, an Ark! an Ark! for a drowning Wretch! so I say now, and Oh! could I speak it with a voice of Thunder, a Christ, a Christ, for a Perishing Soul! Wo to that Soul that prefers a Lust above a Christ, at such a day as this.

§. A sixth voice, equal to any Thunders, is, All Rotten secret Hypocrites among Fair Professors, will most manifestly be most miserable Creatures: Take heed of being among those Miserables. Are you at a loss what we have to form this voice? You have it in Mat. 3.12. he that was a voice, did there say of the Lord, He will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his Wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the Chaff with unquenchable Fire. This I say, with as Penetrating a voice as I can, this take; take it as a voice from Heaven; That the Lord is quickly upon doing some very strange things to purge his Church. There are Hypocrites in the most Holy Societies, and such as indulge themselves in the vilest of Impieties; but the Lord is just going to do such Men-discovering things, as will strangely make the Churches know that he searcheth the hearts and the reins; such men-distinguishing things as will separate the Precious from the vile. As we read of Old, when Thunders fell upon the Assyrian Camp, Fear surprized the Hypocorites in Sion: So those Voices are now to be heard as might justly Smite the Hypocrites with a fearful amazement of Soul!

§. But Lastly, the Seventh voice, which I am to utter like Thunder among you, is, The Everlasting Gospel is Preached among You; O do not slight that Gospel! There was a voice once in Rev. 14.7. An Angel flew in the midst of Heaven, having the Everlasting p. 38Gospel to Preach, and he said with a loud voice, Fear God, and give Glory to him, for the hour of his Judgment is come. Thus I say with a loud voice; I have here the Everlasting Gospel in my hand, this Gospel that has been Preached to you, hath come like Thunder upon your Souls full many a time. Well, the voice is, if this Gospel be slighted, that God that hath lately visited my House with his Thunder, without hurting any thing, may bring worse Thunders upon the Souls of those that shall tread under foot this Gospel, that is brought unto them in this. Disobey this Gospel, and what will follow? There is no Thunder like that, Let never fruit be found on that Soul! No thunder like that, He that is Ʋnjust, let him be Ʋnjust still! he that is filthy, let him be filthy still! Spiritual Plagues, none are so Thunder-struck as those that are struck by such Plagues. Now, what if God for the slighting of his Gospel, cause these Thunders to fall upon you, I say then, Here is the Gospel; O embrace the Jesus Christ that is offered in the Gospel! Receive the Blood offered in this Gospel! Receive the Grace offered in this Gospel! This Gospel with the New-Covenant, the Gospel-Covenant, and the Blood, and the Grace, and the Christ of the Gospel, has been brought you many a time: Oh! Give the consent of your Souls to it. The voice of the Lord from Heaven, is, Shall I save thee according to this Covenant? Shall I rule thee according to this Covenant? Shall my Spirit lead thee according to this Covenant? According to this Covenant, shall I give thee Grace and Glory, and every good thing? O Reply, My God, I do consent! and say it with a serious voice, a sincere voice; and so God will say with a Kind voice, These are dear Children, and I will surely have Mercy on Them!

FINIS.

End of the text · Cotton Mather, The Voice of the Glorious God in the Thunder (1695)