Thirty-One Select Sermons, Sermon collection · Sermon 19
A Set Time FOR Iudgement.
JER. 8.7.
The Stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times, and the Turtle and the Crane, and the Swallow obſerve the time of their coming; but my people know not the Iudgement of the Lord.
EVery faithful Miniſter of God hath a double reference.
Firſt, unto the particular Flock over which God hath made him an Over-ſeer, Acts 20.28.
Secondly, unto the Land in general where he lives, unto whom God hath made him a watch-man to foreſee danger, Ezek. 3.17. and a Trumpeter to diſcover it, Numb. 10.8.
For firſt, every private Officer in the Church is to have a publike ſpirit, and ſo to perform his particular duty, as to have reſpect unto the general good; a Miniſter is ſo limited to a particular Flock, as he muſt alſo remember that he is the ſervant of the whole Church; and as every particular Church hath an intereſt in the gifts of all, 1 Cor. 3.21. ſo every particular Miniſter is to have a care of the good of all: though in a more peculiar manner of the Flock committed unto his own charge.
Secondly, there are not only Congregational and Perſonal ſins, and mercies, but there are National alſo; and there are times when God cals a people to be humbled for the one, and to be thankful for the other: and in both theſe, the Miniſters of the Goſpel muſt be employed as Trumpeters to ſound forth the praiſe of God, and as watch-men to give warning of Gods diſpleaſure, and of the time and approach of Judgement.
Being thus debters unto both, we muſt pay both debts in their ſeaſon, and be ſo far careful of our particular charge, that alſo we forget not to be faithful to the Nation, and Church wherein we are: for this is the common Ship in which we are all embarked, and if this in Judgement be caſt away, whether daſhed againſt the Rock of any forraign power, or ſwallowed up in the quick-ſands of domeſtick diviſions, it muſt needs hazard all the paſſengers.
Or if you were ſure that for your parts you might be ſafe, would it not be a bitter thing to you to ſtand upon the ſhore, and to ſee ſo glorious a Veſſel as this Nation is to be caſt away: to ſee this glorions Land defaced, the bleſſed Goſpel polluted, the golden Candleſtick removed, it cannot but affect men that have any bowels.
Or if this move you not, yet to ſee a ſtranger to Lord it in thy habitation, and thy dwelling to caſt thee out; for your delightſom dwellings, your pleaſant and welltilled fields to be made a prey, and for you to ſow, and another to reap, Impius has ſegetes, &c. for the delicate woman upon whom the wind muſt not blow, and that ſcarce dares venter to ſet the ſole of her foot upon the ground for tenderneſs, Deut. 28.26. to be expoſed to the luſts and cruelty of an enemy, and to be glad to flie away naked to prolong a miſerable life: which they would be glad to part with for death, were it not for fear of the exchange; for the tender mother to look upon the child of her womb, and conſider, Muſt this child in whom I have placed the hope of my age (for omnis in Aſcanio…ſtat chari cura parentis) he that hath been ſo tenderly bred up, muſt he fall into the rough hands of a bloody ſouldier, skilful to deſtroy? it had been well for me if God had given me a miſcarrying womb and dry breaſts, rather then to bring forth children unto murderers: if you might be ſafe, how could you endure thus to ſee the evil that ſhould come upon your people, and the deſtruction of your kindred? as it was her expreſſion, Heſt. 8 6. I do not Rhetorize and fawn to draw your affections: your Brethren are a ſad Comment upon what I have ſpoken, and Ireland the ſtage upon which you may ſee this Tragedy acted before your eyes.
And is this nothing unto all you that paſs by, are you nothing concerned in the miſery of your Brethren? is not the Lord come neer un to you? and may not you be conſumed by the ſame fire? tunc tua res agitur. &c. is not Iudah neerly concerned in the deſolation of Iſrael? can we ſee the dealing of the Lord with our Brethren, & ſay, I ſhall ſit down as a Ladyfor ever, & I ſhall ſee no forrow? ſhal we ſay, when the over-flowing ſcourge ſhall paſs over, it ſhall not come at us? Iſa. 28.15. ſhall we imagine that when the cup of fury that is in the Lords right hand hath gone round, and all nations have taſted of it, and yet that we ſhall not drink thereof? Ier. 25.15. may it not be as truly ſaid of us, as of our brethren, Ezek. 12.4. thou haſt cauſed thy dayes to draw neer, thou art come even unto thy years: there is a time for Judgement, the text tels you, upon a Nation; and he that is wiſe ſhall know and diſcern both time and Judgement, Eccl. 8.5.
Now as I have before ſhewed you th… Miniſters are Servants, ſo alſo they are the Prophets of the Nation, and therefore preaching is called prophecying; and the Miniſters of the Goſpel are called Prophets 1 Cor. 4.32. though not in ſo full and compleat a ſenſe as the Prophets antiently were, yet foreign, quadam, by a true reſemblance and analogy, though not a fore-telling, yet a fore-ſpeaking things to come, for that God that had made all things by his word, doth uphold all things by the word of his power, Heb, 1.3. governing all things by the rules of the ſame, exactly diſpenſing puniſhments and rewards according to the tenour of the promiſes and threatnings therein recorded, ſo that as he hath appointed the Sun Moon and Stars to rule by day and by night over this natural world, Pſal. 19. ſo he hath ſtretched forth the Expanſum of the Law over the rational world, Rom. 10.18. all things being ordered according to the precepts, promiſes and threatnings thereof: Now as a man that is skilful in the one by obſerving and calculating the influences, and aſpects, and conjunctions of the one, can foretel in many things what is to come in the natural world; So the other by obſerving the promiſes and threatnings, and the ſpecial aſpects that is in them both, can in a great meaſure fore ſpeak what is like to come to paſs in the rational world alſo: ſutable hereunto the Prophet here tels …s that there is, Firſt, a time for Judgement. Secondly, that this time may be known. Thirdly, the ignorance of this time makes a man more bruitiſh then the unreaſonable creatures.
For the ſcope of the place ſeems to be this, that ſuch is the wiſdom of unreaſonable creatures, the Stork, Crane and Swallow, that in winter they flie from cold and hard places, unto thoſe where there is a more temperate and moderate air, they knowing the ſeaſons and the appointed times, for this they flie away before, and by the inſtinct of nature to make proviſion for a natural life: Now God had made man wiſer then the Beaſts that periſh, above the beaſts of the field, and he hath appointed a time for Judgement, and he hath foretold it ſhall come; and yet man is not ſo wife for himſelf, as either to prepare for it, or to flie from it; and this is meant by not knowing the Judgement of Jehovah, foreign The Judgement of God is either Directive, as the Law written in the Book, or the Law written in the heart, as Mat. 12.20. bring forth Judgementto Victory.
Secondly, Corrective.
Thirdly Deſtructive; and this laſt is meant here; it is ſpoken of the Judgement of utter ruine and deſolation upon whom the former Judgements, neither the directions of the word, nor corrections of Gods rod had taken its due effect, its proper work.
Neither is it meant of the Judgement it ſelf only, that it ſhould be utter deſtruction, the fatal blow, the laſt and utter ruine of that people, but alſo the time of this Iudgement which was at hand, and this the people knew not, and ſo much the word in the Hebrew foreign ſignifies, tempus certum & conſtitutum; a certain and an appointed time. Gen. 17.21. My Covenant will I ſtabliſh with Iſaac, which Sarah ſhall bear unto thee foreign at this ſet time in the next year: and this ſeems to be intimated by the ſubjects; the Stork and the Crane know their times, but my people know not the Judgement: that is, not only the Iudgement it ſelf, but not the time of Iudgement that is at hand: that which the Prophet had ſo often told them, and that which they were continually admoniſhed that it was neer, cum in re tam clara & dilucida coecutirent; therefore here the Prophet doth juſtly complain that they were more bruitiſh then theſe unreaſonable creatures, foreign they know not; verba ſenſus ſignificant cum affectu & effectu; In the count of the Holy-Ghoſt in Scripture, a man knows no more then he believes, and is affected with, and makes uſe of: they knew not, they conſidered not, believed not, were not affected with, neither did they make uſe of it, either the Iudgement it ſelf, nor the time of the Iudgement, either to fear it, or to flie from it: ſo that the Iudgement and the time of Iudgement was appointed; this they ſhould, and they might have known, believed and been affected with, but they were more unwiſe for themſelves, and for their temporal and eternal ſafety, then the unreaſonable creatures; they knew not the Iudgement of the Lord.
Hence the obſervations that I purpoſe to inſiſt upon, are theſe two. Firſt that there is unto a ſinful Nation, a ſet and an appointed time of Judgement. Secondly, that this time may and ſhould be known or elſe in vain are they blamed for not knowing it.
Firſt Doctrine.
Doctrine. There is unto a ſinful Nation a ſet and an appointed time for Iudgement: a time when Iudgement ſhall infallibly come, and God will bear with them no longer: God being the antient of dayes, he is the Lord of time, and the great Land-lord of the world, and he hath ſet unto every thing a ſeaſon, or an appointed time to every thing under Heaven, Eccl. 3 1. but in reference to the point in hand, it will be requiſite that we conſider of a ſix-fold time appointed by him that is Lord of time.
Firſt, there is a time of ſinning, a ſet and an appointed time; for there is, Firſt a fulneſs of ſin, appointed by God that it ſhall have its period, it ſhall not grow in infinitum, Gen. 15.16 The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full: and as there was a fulneſs, ſo there is a time appointed to fill up this meaſure, to fill the Ephah, Zach. 5.6. where the meaſure of the ſin of the people of Iſrael is ſet out for the greatneſs of it by an Ephah, the greateſt dry meaſure amongſt the Iews: and there was a time for the filling up of the Ephah, before it was carried into the Land of Shinar.
Secondly, there is a meaſure of wrath which every veſſel of wrath ſhall treaſure up (for all ſhall not have the ſame meaſure) and the Reaſon is, becauſe all do not treaſure up the ſame meaſure unto themſelves, Rom. 2.4,5. Now ſeeing it is a Treaſure that doth grow by degrees and ſeveral additions, there muſt be a time for the filling and the gathering of this Treaſure; ſome Exchequer daies when this Treaſure is brought in; ſo that the time in which men fill up the meaſures of ſin, and the treaſure of wrath, this is that which I call an appointed time of ſinning.
Now as ſome men, and ſome Nations meaſures and treaſures are greater then others, ſo God gives them an appointed time to fill it up; and being conſidered in it ſelf, the greateſt Iudgement that can befall a man is for the Lord to give unto a man or a Nation a long time of ſinning: as the time that man hath to ſin is but ſmall, only during the time of the body, for he ſhall only give an account of the things done in the body, not thoſe that are done in ſtatu ſeparato, 2 Cor. 5.10. and to a man in the body, there is an appointed time under heaven, Iob. 7.1. a ſhort time appointed for his being, and therefore a ſhort time for his ſinning. But the Devil hath a large time, from the beginning of the world, unto the end of it, to the day of Iudgement, which argues that there is much wrath reſerved and prepared for him, that muſt have ſo long time to enlarge the veſſel, and fit it to receive it; for as gray hairs are a Crown if they be found in the way of righteouſneſs, Pro. 16.31. that is, it is a ſpecial mercy to live long to add to a mans Crown. ſo it is a ſpecial curſe for a man to go on in evil, and yet his daies to be prolonged, Eccl. 8.12.
Secondly, a time of patience, when the Lord holds his peace and reproves not, Pſal. 50.21. indeed God is angry with the wicked every morning, Pſal. 7.11. there is not a day that he riſeth, but a cloud of Gods diſpleaſure riſeth over him, but yet he deferrs his Iudgement, holds his hand; there is a time, when he is preſt under their abominations as a Cart is preſt under ſheavs, Amos 2.13. for to have men go on to ſin againſt him, and becauſe Iudgement is not executed ſpeedily, therefore to have their hearts fully ſet in them to do evil, and the patience of God to be made the ground and the encouragement of ſinning, cannot be but a great and a heavy burthen to the patience of God; and yet there is a time when the Lord bears, and doth not by and by eaſe himſelf of his adverſaries, as he ſaith in Iudgement he doth, Iſa. 1.24. and it is an eaſe to him, Ier. 32.31. the City of Ieruſalem, the Lord ſaith, had been a provocation to him from the day that it was built, which was many hundred years, and yet the Lord had born it, and had not removed it out of his ſight according as he threatned for to do; for there is a ſeaſon for God to glorifie all his attributes; he will make them all exceeding glorious in their time; now after this life there ſhall be time to glorifie Iuſtice, Mercy and Truth; but the patience of God can have no place in heaven, nothing that ſhall burthen Gods patience: and in hell he will ſhew forth no patience: nothing but wrath to the veſſels of wrath: it is the breath, the fury of the Lord that is a River of Brimſtone burning in it, foreign Iſa. 30. ult. therefore there muſt be a time for the Lord to glorifie his patience, and a time for Chriſt to rule in the midſt of his enemies; and a time for him to rule over them, when they ſhall be made his foot-ſtool: there muſt be a time for the decree to conceive and to bear before it bring forth, Zeph. 2.1. The truth is, we conſider not what a precious time even the time of patience is; to have a poor ſoul that expects to be executed at laſt, but to have two or three years added to his life by way of a reprival, how great a favour doth he eſteem it? So for a man or a people to have deſerved death, for the Lord to cut ten or twenty years out of eternity, but to reſpit the Iudgement, and give a man but ſo much time of eaſe, it is a ſpecial and extraordinary favour. It is not time of ſlackneſs, but time of patience, 2 Pet. 3.9.
Thirdly, there is a time of repentance, when God doth defer and reſpit the Iudgement after ſinning, of purpoſe that man may return and come in, Rev. 2.21. I gave her ſpace to repent, and ſhe repented not: the words are Emphatical, foreign; he gave it, and the principal and proper intent that God had in it, was this, that they might have time to repent, come in and make their peace in a time wherein the Lord calls men to repentance, by the miniſtery of the word, ſtretching out his hands all the day long, Ier. 32.33. when the Lord calls to weeping, mourning, baldneſs and ſack-cloath, Iſa. 22.7. a time when the Lord ſtrives inwardly with the ſpirit of a man, to bring him to a ſight of ſins and ſorrow for them: a time when, if men ſeek him he will be found, Iſa. 55.6. and when though the Lord do threaten never ſo ſeverely, it is but with condition of repentance; and if then they will come forth and take hold of his ſtrength, and make peace with him, they ſhall make peace according to his promiſe, Iſa. 27 5. when though there be a cloud of blood hang over a people, and grievouſly threaten danger, but yet it is but conditional, and if they return and repent they ſhall make their peace and God will be again reconciled, and the judgement ſhall not come, as we ſee in Nineveh: for that only I call time of repentance, when there is hope of mercy; elſe repentance will not profit; for it comes too late.
Fourthly, the time of patience and repentance have their periods; indeed theſe times are not of the ſame length to all: to ſome God ſhew… but a little patience, and to others a great deal, riches of patience, and forbearance, that though they do evil a hundred times, yet their daies are prolonged: ſo for repentance, ſome have but a winters, and others a ſummers day: but when theſe are longeſt, yet there is a time when they will expire, and time ſhall be no more: they have their fixed and ſet bounds, that they cannot paſs.
Firſt, time of repentance; for though the ſpirit may ſtrive and ſtrive long, yet he ſaith, he ſhall not alwaies ſtrive, Gen. 6.3. and though if in the day of repentance men do come in, he will turn from his fierce wrath, Iſa. 55.6. Yet if this time be paſt there is a time when the Lord will not be found. Ieruſalem had the day of her viſitation, wherein ſhe might have known the things belonging to her peace; but a great while before the Iudgement came, they were hid from her eyes, Luke 19.42.
Secondly, it is true, the time of patience may laſt longer then the time of repentance: for God may with-hold his hand, even when Judgement is determined againſt a people, but yet the time of patience will not alwaies laſt; the longeſt day hath its evening: there is indeed a long time ſometimes of whetting the ſword, and bending the bow, and making it ready, Pſal. 7.12,3. But there will be a time of ſmiting alſo; no ſouldier doth alwaies whet his ſword, but becauſe he hath a purpoſe to cut at laſt; though the decree bear long in its womb yet it will not bear alwaies: there is a time when it will bring forth, Zeph. 2.1. ſo that the time of patience hath its period.
Fifthly, when the time of patience is expired, there is then a time for Iudgement, a day of recompence, a year of vengeance, a time for the expending of thoſe Treaſures of wrath that have been ſo long laying in; becauſe there was by ſinning a time of treaſuring: and ſo there ſhall alſo come a time of ſpending, Rom. 2.4,5. a time for the wall that is ſwelled out to hang, but there will come a time alſo when it will fall, Iſa. 30.13. husbandmen expect with much patience the ripening of the grapes; there is a time of ripening, and there is a time of preſsing and treading the winepreſs, Rev. 14.10. The Butcher ſtayes till the cattle be fat; there is a fatting-time, and there is a killing time: and then they ſhall be plucked out as ſheep for the ſlaughter, Ier. 12.3.
Laſtly, when this time doth come, the Lord will forbear a people no longer: this determinating of Iudgement in the time of it is exceedingly ſet before us in the word, and that under divers expreſſions.
Firſt, the Lord doth expreſs it by a full and a peremptory reſolution that he will do it, Ezek. 21.27. I will over-turn, over-turn, over-turn, and it ſhall be no more, I the Lord have ſpoken it, Chap. 24.14. It ſhall come to paſs, I will do it, I will not go back, neither will I ſpare, neither will I repent, but according to thy waies and according to thy doings ſhall they judge thee, ſaith the Lord God; they are the expreſſions of a great, and a full, and peremptory reſolution that will not be turned.
Secondly, it is called a decree, or the bringing forth the decree, Zeph. 2.2. foreign properly ſignifies decretum or ſtatutum ſcriptum, from the root foreign ſcripſit: and ſo it is commonly uſed in the Scripture, and ſo I conceive it to be underſtood, non de occulto conſilio, ſed de decreto promulgato. Its true in that the word of God by the miniſtery of the Prophets, there were many threatnings and judgements denounced, but faetus adhuc in utero latet: there is a time when all theſe threatnings will take place, for they ſhall not be in vain, there is not a word that goes forth, but it ſhall accompliſh the thing that I ſpeak, Iſa. 55.11.
Now it is called a decree in a double reſpect.
Firſt decrees are acts of authority.
Secondly, they are eſtabliſhed and firm, they ſhall not be altered or diſannulled; therefore every judgement is a decree, and though it may be long hid, that a man doth not know what is in the womb of it, yet there will come a time for the Decree of God to be delivered, and then there is no hope: men ſhall be as chaff, and paſs away in that day.
Thirdly, it is called ſwearing in his wrath, Pſal. 9.11. It is true that the word of God is as firm and ſure as his oath; for Heaven and Earth ſhall paſs away, rather then one jot of it ſhall paſs away: but yet in the word there may be, and commonly is, an implicit and a tacit condition; as we ſee, Ier. 18.18. If I ſpeak concerning a a Nation or a Kingdom, to pluck it up and deſtroy it, if that Nation turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them: but the oath of God ſhuts out all ſecret and tacit conditions whatſoever, that nothing ſhall ariſe de novo, that ſhall hinder the accompliſhment thereof; which muſt not be conceived, as if it were peculiar unto that time, or unto this people, but that the Lord doth conſtantly the ſame againſt other people, and in other times alſo, as the Apoſtle plainly manifeſts to us, Heb. 3.11,12.
Fourthly, thoſe means that do uſually prevail with God, and turn away Iudgement when it is threatned, In the time of Iudgement they prevail nothing with the Lord: and they are theſe.
Firſt, repentance comes too late; ſo much the Prophet doth intimate, Zeph. 2.1,2. gather your ſelves, that is, by repentance and publike humiliation, but what is the ſeaſon? it muſt be before the decree come forth implying otherwiſe it would not avail; many there were no doubt in Iudah, that were the Basket of good figs, that did repent and humble themſelves but yet it came too late to keep off the Iudgement, they muſt be carried into captivity as well as the bad: indeed repentance never comes too late, if it be true, to prevent the curſe: but many times it may come too late to keep off the croſs
Secondly, but if that to their repentance they add prayers, will not the Lord hear them? Prov. 1.28. they ſhall call, but I will not anſwer: for there is a time when that the Lord will not be found, Iſa. 55.6.
Thirdly, but what if to their prayers they add faſting, will not the Lord hear them then? No, Ier. 14.12. When they faſt I will not hear their cry, but I will conſume them by the ſword, by the famine, and by the peſtilence.
Fourthly, but if God will not do it for their own ſakes, yet it may be he may for ſome other godly mans ſake, if the godly pray for them; they may ſtand in the gap, as we know Moſes did, and did hinder the breaking in of Iudgement upon the people: No, then the Lord will not hear them, Jer. 7.16. Pray not for this people, neither lift up a cry or a prayer for them, for I will not hear thee.
Fifthly, but yet if he will not hear one of the Saints apart, yet the united prayers of the godly may prevail far with him, and that may overcome; but the Lord names the moſt powerful men with God that ever were, Ezek. 14.14. Noah, Daniel, Job, and Moſes, and Samuel, Jer. 15.1. and yet the Lord ſaith, if they did ſtand before him (an expreſſion of prayer and interceſſion) yet his mind could not be towards that people.
There is therefore a ſet and appointed time for judgement, and if that be once come, the Lord will forbear a people no longer; it will be eaſier to weigh the fire, to meaſure the winds, to recall the day that is paſt, to change the Ordinances of heaven, and to reſtore the verdure of the withered graſs, then to reverſe the Sentence and Decree gone forth againſt a ſinful Nation; for as Samuel ſaid to Saul, he is not a man that he ſhould repent.
Doctrine.
This time of Judgement may and muſt be known: for why are they blamed if they might not? and how juſtly could they be blamed if they ought not to have known it? Mat. 16.3. It is that Chriſt reproves in the Phariſees, they could diſcern the true face of the sky, but could not diſcern the ſigns of the times: one might have been done as wel as the other, if they had applyed themſelves to the like care and induſtry.
But may it be known? as the Lord governs the world by the Sun, Pſal. 19.1. Rom. 10.18. and in nature doth many times cauſe Comets and blazing Stars as tokens of ſome dangerous and diſmal accidents approaching in nature: ſo hath the Lord ſet forth by the Book of the Word, ſome ſigns alſo hat are as ſo many Comets to the world, if a man doth wiſely behold them by a ſpiritual eye and a right judgement reſulting from them: for the waies of God are unchangable; he is not wearied with proceſs of time, neither can he be ever won to give his bleſſing in one age, which he hath curſed in another: and therefore that which hath been a ſign of Iudgement in one age, muſt needs be ſo in another: for the word of God is like to a well-drawn picture, that caſts an eye upon every perſon and every Nation alike. It is neceſſary therefore to enquire what be the ſigns foregoing Iudgement, which the Scripture doth ſet down.
I will only mention theſe two, which I deſire every one that is wiſe will lay to heart, that ſo he may be able a little to diſcern the ſigns of the times.
Firſt, a fulneſs of ſin: that is made the ſign when Iudgement was to come upon the Amorites, Gen. 15.16. when their iniquity was full: and this is made the ground of bringing Iudgement, put in thy ſikle and reap, for the harveſt is ripe, Ioel 3.16. So Jer. 1.11,12. An Almond tree hath the firſt ripe fruit of any tree, and it notes the haſtening of them to ripen their ſins; and the Lord ſaith, as they did haſten their ſins to a ripeneſs, ſo he would haſten to ripen his Iudgements, ſo that this is a certain ſign foregoing Iudgement: But when is ſin full? when is it ripe in a Nation? I know Divines commonly and truly ſet forth the fulneſs of ſin by its univerſality, impudency and obſtinacy, but I will not inſiſt upon theſe.
But let us look into this Nation of Iudah, of which our Prophet ſpeaks here, and ſee what did ripen their ſins, and brought them to that fulneſs that brought the Iudgement: ſee what it was amongſt them that filled the Epha, and made way for the women with the wind in their wings to carry them away.
Firſt, when a people ſeeks to make void the Law: then it is time for God to work: that is, to execute Iudgement; ſo David ſaith, Pſal. 119.126. the word in the original is foreign which ſignifies irritum facere, non palam ex profeſſo, ſed oblique: not by open oppoſing, but by ſecret undermining; it is fitly expreſt by our Saviour, Mat. 13.6. foreign ye have unlorded, taken away the ruling power of the Law by your Traditions; how this hath been done in this Nation, in theſe latter times, is not unknown unto them that know any thing of the Doctrine of this Church; ſometimes by oppoſing Scripture to Scripture, ſometimes by ſubtile diſtinctions, grounded upon Scriptures in a ſhow, by miſinterpretations and frigid expoſitions put upon Scripture, by falſe concluſions and Paralogiſmes drawn out of Scripture, and by cuſtoms and Church traditions put upon it as the practiſe of the Primitive Church, the Iudgement of the learned; and all that the wiſdom of men, and not the Law of God might rule; but when men come ſo far that they dare not only to change the Laws of men, but to temper with, and un-lord the Law of God, it is time for the people of God to pray, and then it is time for God to work.
Secondly, corrupting the worſhip of God by humane inventions, that have a ſhow of wiſdom, and willworſhip to hold correſpondency with Idolaters, Jer. 2.33. Why trimeſt thou thy way to ſeek love? he ſpeaks it of their correſpondence with Idolaters: ſometimes with Egypt, and ſometimes with Aſſyria… they did ſo order things in Gods worſhip as might beſt further their Politick ends; now this triming did pleaſe, and then another, and all was to pleaſe their Lovers. How much triming hath been uſed in this Nation of late years? we muſt have Altars, Crucifixes, Copes, Tapers, Baſons: ſometimes we have been taken with the French, ſometimes the Spaniſh, and ſometime the Italian faſhion; what is this but to trim our way to ſeek love?
Thirdly, Confederacy with Idolaters of a contrary Religion. Ier. 2.36. why gaddeſt thou about to change thy way? ſometimes they went down to Egypt, ſometimes they did ſlie to Aſſyria, &c. this is called the fornication of the Nations Ezek. 16. The gadding of this Nation of latter times in this kind, I need not ſpeak of that; it is too well known unto moſt Nations in the Chriſtian world; but all that ever we are like to get by it is the ſame that was the gain of this people; Ahaz made a confederacy with the King of Aſſyria. 2 Chron. 28.20. and he came and diſtreſſed him, but ſtrengthened him not.
Fourthly, abuſing the Meſſengers of God, 2 Chron. 36.16. They mocked his Meſſengers, and they miſ uſed his Prophets, till the wrath of God roſe up againſt them that there was no remedy. How far this hath taken place in theſe latter daies is not unknown to all; many of them impriſoned, diſgraced, deprived: and thoſe that did enjoy their liberty for the moſt part Prophecied in Sackcloth, Rev. 11. in much affliction and full of doubts and fears, every one ſuſpecting whether what he did would pleaſe or no.
Fifthly, not laying to heart the afflictions of our Brethren, Amos 6.6.7. They drink wine in bowls, and ſtretch themſelves upon beds of Ivory; therefore they ſhall go into Captivity with the firſt that go Captive: how far we have been affected with the diſtreſſes of our bretheren in France formerly, the deſolations in Germany, and the preſent unheard of cruelties in Ireland, our hearts know very well, and it will be well if in the day when the Lord makes in juiſition for blood, ſome of this blood be not found bound up in our own skirts.
Theſe were the evils that ripened the harveſt of ſin with them, and moved the Lord to ſay unto the Executioner of Judgement, put in thy ſickle and reap, oel 3.13. and how can we expect but that it ſhall be ſo with us alſo? for God meaſures all Nations with the ſame line, and the ſame plumet, Iſa. 28.17.
Secondly, the beginnings of Iudgement are an evident token that the time of Iudgement draws neer: When the Fig-tree puts forth leaves you ſay ſummer is neer; ſo when you ſe theſe things come to paſs ſay it is neer, even at the door. Lu 2.30 3 For he ſaith in Judgement, when begin, I wil alſo make an end, 1 Sam. 3.12 as former mercies be pledges of future and meat for the ſoul to feed upon in the expectation of mercy; he gave them to be meat to his people in the wilderneſs, Pſal 74.14. ſo former Judgements are meat alſo for the ſoul to feed upon in the expectation of future; for the wrath of God breaking in upon a people, is like a breach in awall where the enemy will be ſure with all violence to break in if no man ſtand in the gap to make reſiſtance: impoſsibile a patente porta iram Dei non procedere. For by a leſſer Judgement God makes way for his anger, for a perfect and an utter ruine, Pſaul. 78.50.
Let us ſee whether the ſame way be not made with us as it was with them.
Firſt, all Nations about them were againſt them, Ier. 12.9. Mine inherit…nce is as a ſpeckled Bird; the Birds round about her are againſt her as a ſtrange Bird ſeldom ſeen: the Birds uſually fall upon and ſet themſelves againſt her; & if we did wiſely conſider the eſtate of this Kingdom how it is a ſpeckled bird, and how the Nations about her are againſt her as a ſtrange bird, it were eaſy to conceive, and what expectations moſt of them have from the preſent ſtate of things amongſt us it is not hard to gueſs.
Secondly, the general corruption and decay of truth and wiſdom of men in places of greateſt truſt: their ſilver becomes droſs, and their wine mixed with water, Iſa. 1.22. their Judges and Officers, and men in authority, growing daily more and more corrupt: the beſt of them is a Briar, Mich. 7.4. that is, a poor man flies to them for ſhelter as a ſheep to a thorny hedge, and inſtead of defending, they do fleece him in; and what follows? the day of thy watchmen, and thy viſitation cometh; now ſhall be their perplexity; what hath been the condition of this ſtate we all know; how ſervants have ruled over us, and there was none to deliver us out of their hands: men of ſervile birth and education, and ſervile ſpirits, in ſo much that there hath been no peace either to him that went out, or to him that came in; for God did vex us with all adverſity, 2 Chron. 15.6.
Thirdly, the ſubverſion of fundamental Laws of the Kingdom, which the Scripture calls the foundation upon which a Kindom ſtands: which was a bitter complaint of the Church of God in this ſtate; all the foundations of the earth were out of courſe, Pſal. 82.5. what invaſions have been made upon us, and our Laws, hath been abundantly of late diſcovered: and Solomon tells us, that he that breaks a hedge, a Serpent ſhall bite him, Eccl. 10.8. he ſpeaks it of this hedge by which a people are defended, and kept ſeveral, that all do not become firſt a Common, and then a Wilderneſs.
Laſtly, private and inteſtine diviſions amongſt us, the fore-running of Gods laſt and fierceſt wrath upon that people, Ephraim againſt Manaſſch, and both againſt Iudah, Iſa. 9. ult which the Lord ſaith is as if one member in the ſame body ſhould be injurious to another as if a man ſhould eate the fleſh of his own arm; and how far the wrath of God is at preſent ſtretched forth againſt this Nation, we all know and complain of; what ſecret whiſperings and murmurings, what jealouſies and fears there are one of another, and what parties, and how for theſe diviſions there do ariſe great thoughts of heart, we can never ſufficiently bewail, which doth continnally threaten that the Lord will take us and daſh us one againſt another as Potters Veſſels.
Theſe were the fore-runners of Judgement with this Nation, which did ſhow them that the time of Judgement was at hand: and theſe are now the ſins of the times, which may juſtly occaſion us to conceive that the time of Judgement is at hand; let it not be our ſin which is here reproved as theirs, that we ſhould not know the time of the Judgement of the Lord.
Ʋſe.
Uſe for direction only in five things.
Firſt, not to know the time is miſery enough: therefore men are taken ſuddenly & unawares inſnared in an evil time, as birds in an evil ſhare, and as fiſhes in an evil net, Eccl. 9.12.
Secondly, that you may know the time to improve this promiſe. Whoſoever keepeth the Commandment ſhall find no evil; a wiſe mans heart ſhall diſcern time and Iudgement, Eccl. 8 5.
Thirdly, a wiſe man foreſees the evil, and hides himſelf; but fools paſs on, and are puniſhed, Prov. 22.3.
Firſt, by a work of humiliation; Hab. 3.16. When I heard, my belly trembled; rottenneſs entred into my bones, I trembled in my ſelf, that I might reſt in the evil day.
Secondly, a work of reformation, Zeph. 2.3. Seek righteouſneſs, ſeek meekneſ…; it may be you may be hid in the day of the Lords wrath.
Thirdly, improve all the promiſes, that perfection to which you are called, Iſa 26 ult come my people, enter into your chambers: the Promiſes and Attributes are the chambers of the godly; but you muſt come into them, elſe they will afford no ſhelter: upon all the glory ſhall be a defence.
Fourthly, be much in prayer; to lay in for this time, will be profitable for you; for know, prayer never proves ineffectual to a ſpiritual end: it never in this reſpect comes too late, becauſe God never comes too late. 1 King, 18.45. Luke 21.36. Watch therefore and pray continually, that you may be accounted worthy to eſcape all thoſe things that ſhall come to paſs: fidelibus orationibus Deum ambimus, coelum tundimus.
Fifthly, betake thy ſelf to the mediation of Chriſt, Mich. 5.5. for this man ſhall be the peace when the enemy comes into the Land: he is a refuge from the ſtorm, a defence from the wind, a river of water in a dry place: and the ſhaddow of a great Rock in a weary Land, Iſa. 52.2. therefore return you to your ſtrong holds, you priſoners of hope, Zach. 9.12. Remember his name is Shilo the peace-maker, and he is ſo called everywhere; when the Scepter departs from Judah, Gen. 49.9. there muſt needs be nothing but trouble: yet then he is the peace-maker, then doth Shilo come.
End of the text · William Strong, Thirty-One Select Sermons (1656)