Heart Humiliation, Sermon 8
SERMON VIII.
Iſaiah 1. 10, 11. &c.
Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom, give ear unto the Word of the Lord ye People of Gomorrah.
IT is ſtrange to think what Mercy is mixed with the moſt Wrath-like Stroaks and Threatnings; There is no Prophet whoſe Office and Commiſſion is only for Judgment: Nay to ſpeak the truth, it is Mercy that premiſes Threatnings. The entering of the Law both in the Commands and Curſes, is to make ſin abound that Grace may ſuperabound; So that both Rods and Threatnings are the Meſſengers of Jeſus Chriſt to bring ſinners to him for Salvation: Every thing ſhould be meaſured and named by its end; So, call Threatnings Promiſes, call Rods and Judgements Mercies; Name all good, and good to you, if ſo be ye underſtand the purpoſe of God in theſe. The ſhorteſt Preaching in the Bible uſeth to expreſſe it ſelf what it means, though it be never ſo terrible. This is a ſad and lamentable beginning of a Prophets Miniſtery; The firſt word is to the Heavens and to the Earth. A weighty and horrible regrate of this People, as if none of them were to hear, as if the Earth could be more eaſily affected then they. The Creatures are taken witneſſes by God of their ingratitude, and then who ſhall ſpeak for them: If Heaven and Earth be againſt them, who ſhall ſpeak good of them? Will their own Conſcience? No certainly, it will in the day of Witneſſing and Judging precipitate its ſentence, and ſpare the Judge the labour of probation; A mans enemy ſhall be within his own houſe, though now your Conſciences agree with you: Nay, why doth the Lord ſpeak to them? Becauſe the People conſider not, becauſe Conſciences have given over ſpeaking to them; Therefore the Lord directs his Word to the dumb Earth: Yet how gracious is he, as to direct a ſecond word even to the People, though a ſad word. I… is a complaint of iniquity and backſliding, and ſuch as cannot be uttered: Yet it is Mercy to challenge them, yea, to chaſten them. If the Lord would threaten a man with pure and unmixed Judgements, if he would frame a threatning of a Rod of pure Juſtice, I think it ſhould be this, I will no more reprove thee, nor chaſten thee; And he is not far from it, when he ſayes, why ſhall ye be ſtricken any more, &c. verſ. 5. As if he would ſay, it is in vain now to ſend a Rod, ye receive no correction; I ſent the Rod that it might open your hearts and eares to the Word, and ſeal your inſtruction, but to what purpoſe is it? Ye grow worſe and worſe: Well, the Prophet campares here Sin and Judgement, and the one far ſurmounts the other. Ye would think a deſolate Countrey, burnt Cities, Deſolation made by Strangers, a ſufficient recompenſe of their corruption and miſorders, of their forſaking and backſliding. Ye would think now, if your preſent condition and the Lands preſſed you to utter Jeremiahs Lamentation, a ſadder then which is not almoſt imaginable, ye would think I ſay, that you had received double for all your ſins: And yet alas, how are your iniquities of infinite more deſert: All that were Mercy, which is behind infinite and eternal puniſhment: that there is room left for complaint, it is Mercy: that there is a remnant left, it is Mercy.
Now to proclaim unto this People and to convince them that their Judgement was not ſevere; He gives them one word from God. And indeed it is ſtrange, that when the Rod is ſent, becauſe of the deſpiſing of the Word, that after the deſpiſing of both Word and Rod, another word ſhould come. Alwayes this word is a Convincing Word, a Directing Word, and a Comforting Word; Theſe uſe to be conjoyned, and if they be not alwayes expreſſed, we may lawfully underſtand them: We may joyn a Conſolation to a Conviction, and cloſe a Threatning with a Promiſe, if we take with a Threatning: Jonahs Preaching expreſſed no more but a Threatning and Denounciation of Judgement, but the people unde…ſtood it according to Gods meaning, and made it a Rule of Direction, and ſo a ground of Conſolation. How inexcuſeable are we who have all theſe expreſſed unto us and often inculcated, line upon line, and precept upon precept, and yet ſo often divides the Word of Truth, or neglects it …together. Moſt part fancy a belief of the Promiſes, and neither conſider Threatnings nor Commands: Some believing the Threatnings, are not ſo wiſe for their own Salvation, as to conſider what God ſayes more, but takes it for his laſt word. Shall not Niniveh riſe up in Judgement againſt this Generation; They repented at one Preaching, and that a ſhort one, and in appearance very defective: And yet we have many Preachings of the Son of God, and his Apoſtles in this Bible, both Law and Goſpel holden forth diſtinctly, and theſe ſpoken dayly in our audience, and yet we repent not.
This is a ſtrange Preface going before this Preaching, and more ſtrange in that it is before the firſt Preaching of a young Prophet, He ſpeakes both to Rulers and People, but he gives them a name, ſuch as certainly they would not take to themſelves, but ſeing he is to ſpeak the Word of the Lord, he muſt not flatter them, as they did themſelves. Is not this the Lords people, his Portion and Inheritance which he choſe out of the Nations? Are not theſe Rulers the Princes of Judah and the Lords Anoynted? Were they not both in Covenant with God, and ſeparated from the Nations both in Priviledges and Profeſſion? How then are they Rulers of Sodom, and People of Gomorrah? Likned to the worſt of the Nations; And not likened to them, but ſpoken off, as if they were indeed all one. When ye hear the Preface, ye would think that the Prophet were about to direct his ſpeech to Sodom and Gomorrah: But when ye look upon the Preaching, ye find he means by Judah and Jeruſalem, and theſe are the Rulers and People he ſpeaks of. Certainly according as men walk, ſo ſhall they be named and ranked; External priviledges and profeſſion may give a Name before men, and ſeparate men from men before the World: But they give no Name, make no difference before God, if all other things be not ſuitable to theſe. He is not a Jew, (ſaith Paul) who is not one inwardly, but be who hath that Circumciſion in the heart in the Spi…it and not in the Letter. Outward profeſſion and ſigns may have praiſe of men, but it is this that hath praiſe of God, Rom. 2. 28, 29. Circumciſion and uncercumciſion, baptiſme or unbaptiſme availeth nothing but a new creature. A baptiz…d Chriſtian and an unbaptized Turk are alike before God, if their hearts and wayes be one, Gal. 6. 15. All Chriſtians profeſſe Faith, and glory in Baptiſme, but it avails nothing except it work by love; Gal. 5. 6.
Now what Name ſhall we give you? How ſhall our Rulers be called? How ſhall ye the People be called? If we ſhall ſpeak the truth, we feat it inſtruct you not, but irritate you; Yet the truth we muſt ſpeak, whether ye chuſe, or whether ye refuſe. Ye would all be called Chriſtians, the people of God: But we may not call you ſo, except we would flatter you, and deceive you by flattering, and murder you by deceiving. We would gladly Name you Chriſtians in the Spirit, Saints choſen and precious. Oh that we might ſpeak ſo to Rulers and people: But alas, we may not call you ſo, except ye were ſo indeed: We may not call you Chriſtians, leaſt ye believe your ſelves to be ſo: And yet alas, ye will think your ſelves ſuch, ſpeak what we can: Would ye know your Name then? I perceive you liſten to heat what it is. But underſtand that it is your Name before God, which bears his accompt of you: What matter of a Name among men? It is often a ſhadow without ſubſtance, a Name without the thing. If God Name you other wayes, you ſhall have little either Honour or Comfort in it: When men bleſſe you and praiſe you, if the Lord reckon the among the beaſts that periſh, are ye honoured indeed? Well then, hear your Name before God, what accompt hath he of you? Ye Rulers, are Rulers of Sodom, and ye people, are people of Gomo…rah. And if ye think this a hard ſaying, I deſire you will notice the way that the Prophet Iſaiah takes to prove his challenge againſt them and the ſame may be all…dged againſt Rulers and people now. VVe need no proof but one of both. See Verſ. 23. Thy Princes are rebellious, becauſe, though they hear much againſt their ſins, yet they never amend them, they pull away the ſhoulder: If they hear, yet they harden their heart. Is there any of them hath ſet too to pray in their Families, though earneſtly preſſed? VVell, what follows? Every one loves Gifts. Covetouſneſſe then and Oppreſſion proves Rulers to be Rulers of Sodom. Shall their houſes ſtand, Shalt thou reign, becauſe thou cloſeſt thy ſelf with cedar, Jer. 22. 15. No certainly, men ſhall one day take up a proverb againſt them, woe to him that encreafes that which is not his, and loadeth himſelf with thick clay, they ſhall be for booties to the Lords ſpoylers, Hab. 2. 6. VVoe to them, for they have conſulted ſhame to their houſes, and ſinned againſt their own Soul. Their deſigne is to eſtabliſh their Houſe, and make it Eminent, but they take a compendious way to ſhame and ruine it. Alas it is too publick that Rulers ſeek their own things, for themſelves and their freinds: And for Jeſus and his Intereſts, they are not concerned? But are ye the people any whit better? Oh that it were ſo. But alas, when ye are involved in the ſame guiltineſſe, I fear ye partake of their plagues. VVhat are ye then? People of Gomorrab. Is not the Name of God blaſphemed dayly becauſe of you? Are not the abominations of the Gentiles the common diſeaſe of the multitude, and the very reproach of Chriſtianity. Set apart your publick ſervices and profeſſions, and is there any thing behind in your Converſation, but Drunkeneſſe, Lying, Swearing, Contention, Envy, Deceit, VVrath, Covetouſneſſe, and ſuch like? Have not the multitude of them been als civil, and carried themſelves als blameleſly, and without Offence, as the throng of our Viſible Church? What have ye more then they? It is true, ye are caled Chriſtians and ye boaſt in it. Ye know his will, and can ſpeak of points of Religion, can Teach and Inſtruct others, and ſo hath, as it were, in your minds a form and method of Knowledge, the beſt of you are but ſuch: But I ask, as Paul did the Jews in ſuch a caſe, Thou that teacheſt another teacheſt thou not thy ſelf, thou that makeſt a boaſt of the Law; throw breaking of it, diſhonoureſt thou God, Rom. 2. 17. &c. 23. Why then, certainly all thy profeſſion and baptiſm avails nothing, and will never extract the from the Pagans, with whom thou art one in Converſation; Thy profeſſion is ſo far from helping thee in ſuch a caſe, that it ſhall be the moſt bitter ingredient in thy Cup of Judgment, for it is the greateſt Aggravation of thy ſin, for through it, Gods Name is Blaſphemed; If they had not known, they had not had ſin. Pagans ſin is no ſin in reſpect of Chriſtians: If ye conſider Chriſts Sermon, Matth. 11. Ye will ſay, Iſaiah is a meak and moderate man in regard of him; Iſaiah calls them people of Gomorrah, but Chriſt will have them worſe, and their Judgment more intolerable then theirs. And that not only the profane of them, but the civil and Religious like, who believed not in him: VVell then, here is the advantage ye get of your Name of Chriſtianity, of your priviledge of hearing his VVord dayly; Ye who never ponder it, to tremble at it, or to rejoyce in it, who cannot be moved either to joy or grief for Spiritual things; Neither Law nor Goſpel moves the moſt part of you; I ſay here is all your gain, ye ſhall receive a reward with Gentiles and Pagans; Yea, ye ſhall be in a worſe caſe nor they in the Day of the Lord. The civil Chriſtian ſhall be worſe then the profane Turke, and ye ſhall not then boaſt that ye were Chriſtians, but ſhall deſire that ye had dwelt in the place where the Goſpel had never been preached: It is a Character of the Nations, that they call not on God, and of Heathen Families, that they pray not to him, Jer. 10. 25. And wrath muſt be poured on them. VVhat then are the moſt part of you? Ye neither bow a Knee in ſecret, nor in your Families to God, your time is otherwayes employed, ye have no leiſure to pray twice or thrice a day alone, except when ye put on your Cloathes ye utter ſome ordinary b…blings; Ye cannot be driven to Family worſhip, ſhall not God rank you in Judgement with theſe Heathen Families? Or ſhall it not be more tolerable for them nor for you? And are not the moſt part of you, every one given to Covetouſneſſe, your heart and eye after it, ſeeking Gain and Advantage more then the Kingdome of Heaven? Doth not every one of you, as you have power in your hand, oppreſſe one another? wrong one another? Now our end in ſpeaking thus to you, is not to drive you to deſparation: No indeed, but as there was a word of the Lord ſent to ſuch by Iſaiah, ſo we bring a word unto you. That which ruines you, is your carnal confidence; Ye are preſumptuous as this people, and cryes, the Temple of the Lord, the VVork of the Lord, &c. as if theſe would ſave you: Know therefore that all theſe will never cover you in the day of wrath; Know there is a neceſſity to make peace with God, and your righteouſneſſe muſt exceed the righteouſneſſe of a profeſſion and external priviledges and duties, or elſe ye ſhall be as far from the Kingdome of Heaven as Sodom and Gomorrah. VVe ſpeak of Rulers ſins, that ye may mourn for them, leſt ye be Judged with them; If ye do not mourn for them in ſecret, know that they are your ſins; Ye are Companions with them: Many fret, grudge, and cry out againſt Oppreſſion, but who weeps in ſecret? Who prayes and deprecats Gods wrath, leaſt it come upon them? And while it is ſo: The Oppreſſion of Rulelers, becomes the ſin of the oppreſſed themſelves.
Hear the Word of the Lord] It were a ſuitable preparation for any Word that is ſpoken, to make it take impr…ſſion, if it were looked on as the Word of the Lord and Law of our God. And truely no man can h…ar aright, unleſſe he hear it ſo. Why doth not this Word of the Lord return with more Fruit? Why doth not men tremble or rejoyce at it? Certainly becauſe it is not received as Gods Word: There is a practical Hereſie in our hearts, which rather may be called Atheiſm, VVe do not believe the Scriptures. I do not ſay, men call it in queſtion, but I ſay, ye believe them not. It is one thing to believe with the heart, another thing not to doubt of it: Ye doubt not of it, not becauſe ye do indeed believe it, but becauſe ye do not at all conſider it. It is one thing to confeſſe with the Mouth, and another thing to believe with the Heart; For ye confeſſe the Scriptures to be Gods VVord, not becauſe ye believe them, but becauſe ye have received ſuch a Tradition from your Fathers, have heard it from the womb unqueſtioned. Oh that this were engraven on your Heart, tha… theſe Commands, theſe Curſes, theſe Promiſes are Divine Truthes, the VVords and th… Oath of the Holy One. If every word o… Truth came ſtamped with his Authority, and were received in the Name of God himſelf what influence would it have on the Spirits and the practices of men; This would be a great Reformer, would Reform more in a MonethMonth, then Church and Sta…e hath done theſe many Years. VVhy are Rulers and People not Converted and Healed for all that is ſpoken? Here it is, Who believes our report; VVho believes that our report is thy own Teſtimony, O Lord? When Miniſters threaten you in Gods Name, if his Authority were ſtamped on the Threatning, if men did ſeriouſly apprehend it were Gods own Voice, would they not tremble? When the Goſpel and the joyful Sound comes forth, if ye apprehended that ſame Authority upon it, which ye who are Convinced, believes in the Law, would ye not be comforted? Finally, I may fay, it is this point of Atheiſme, of Inconſideration and Brutiſhneſſe that deſtroys the multitude, makes all Means Ineffectual to them, and retards the progreſſe of Chriſtians. Men do not conſider that this word is the word of the Eternal and True and Faithful God, and that not one Jot of it will faill. Here is a Poynt of Reformation I would put you to; If ye mind indeed to Reform, let this enter into your Hearts and ſink down, that the Law and Goſpel is the Word of God, and reſolve to come and hear Preachings ſo, as the Voice of Jeſus Chriſt the true and faithful witneſse: If ye do not take it ſo now, yet God will Judge you ſo at the end. He that deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth me, and he that hears not you, heares not me. If ye thought ye had to do with God every Sabbath, would ye come ſo careleſly, and be ſo ſtupid and inconſiderate before the Judge of all the Earth: But ye will find in the end, that it was God whom ye knew not.