Sermon

*ISAIAH 21. 11, 12.* 11 The burden of Dumah. He calls to me out of Seir, Watchmen, what of the night? Watchmen, what of the night? 12 The watchman said, The morning comes, and also the night: if you will enquire, enquire you: return, come.

Times of public calamity, either felt, or justly feared, are trying times; these do call in a solemn manner for consideration, and especially to enquire into the causes, and bethink of the sad events. This is New-England's day, wherein God has at least taken the rod into his hand, and is showing some part of his severity toward us; and though he mix it with much moderation, yet there is a great deal of bitterness in the cup: 'tis time therefore humbly to enquire into the grounds, and consider of the consequences of these calamities. The text before us may afford us something by way of instruction and direction in this enquiry.

The words are a prophecy against Dumah, delivered by way of question and answer.

The question is propounded ver. 11.

The answer short, full, and sharp, ver. 12.

The meaning of the words take up as they come to be handled in particular.

The burden] that is, a prophecy containing threatenings of wrath, and predictions of misery: an ordinary phrase it is among the prophets, to express any vision of sad consequence. See Chap. 13. 1 and this Chapter, ver. 1, 13. And therefore the prophet interprets the sense of the word, ver. 2. An hard vision. See also (2 Kings 9:25; Jeremiah 23:33) and elsewhere. Hence

Doct. The denunciations of God's wrath against a sinning people is a burden, a thing heavy and grievous. In divers considerations.

1. They are a burden to God's messengers: that is, grievous and hard to them, their spirits are oppressed, and many times even overwhelmed within them, to fore-think of the message they have to deliver. See ver. 3. 4. Chap. 15. 5. & 1[illegible]. 9. (Jeremiah 48:31, 32; Jeremiah 4:19, 20).

2. They are a burden to the people to whom they are sent. This in two respects:

(1.) They are a burden of grief and sorrow to the godly, who hear and fear (Habakkuk 3:16).

(2.) Of indignation to the wicked, who cannot endure so much as to hear of them, the very threatening is to them intolerable (Amos 7:10; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Jeremiah 26:8, 9).

3. In some sense they are a burden to God, who speaking after the manner of men, expresses a relenting at the very mention of it (Hosea 11:8, 9).

4. A burden in the effects of them, or matter of threatening contained in them, which is sore and heavy to bear: context, ver. 2.

The reasons are:

1. Of the first; from the sympathetical compassionateness of God's messengers towards their fellow-creatures, there is a [illegible], a love of man naturally in man, this is increased by grace: this we see eminent in Paul (Romans 9:1) and Moses, Blot me rather out of your book.

2. Of the second; from the sense of the severity of God's displeasure in the godly, and hence it produces sorrow for their sins.

(1.) It brings sin to mind, which is the cause (Psalm 25:17, 18).

(2.) The people of God know what a sad thing it is to have to do with an angry God (Psalm 76:7).

3. Of the third; from the pride of heart which is in the wicked (Jeremiah 43:2), they are too good to be reproved, will not hear by reason of the height of their spirits, think so well of themselves, that they cannot believe that God is displeased at them.

4. Of the fourth; from the compassions of God towards poor sinners, he herein discovers his merciful nature (Hosea 11:8).

5. Of the fifth; from the averseness of the nature of man from sorrows and miseries: they are against our nature, and therefore must needs be burdensome; yes, they are punishments, and are therefore grievous.

Use 1. See here a reason why God's warnings and threatenings find no more welcome, and why plain preaching ministers are [illegible]: sinning man is gotten above warning, though by our sins we are pulling down God's judgements upon our heads, all this is nothing, but he that tells us plainly of them, and represents the anger of God before us for them, he is the troubler of Israel.

Use 2. Learn hence to interpret the threatenings of judgement denounced by God's messengers in the best sense, when they tell you of God's wrath. Oh do not think that they tell you as they would have it, or that they take any delight in bringing such heavy tidings, but they must say as God commands them (Jeremiah 28:6); they can be gladly content that the threatening may never be fulfilled.

Use 3. Here is a mark to distinguish the people of God from hypocritical professors: when God tells us plainly of our sins, and speaks of his wrath, 'tis indeed a burden to all; but how? Why, the wicked endeavour to throw it off themselves, and cast it upon God's ministers, and violently to pull their shoulder from under it; but the people of God sit down under it, and bear it patiently, yes, take up a new burden of sorrow for the sin which has procured it (Lamentations 3:27, 28, 39).

Use 4. Learn hence what use to make of the threatening of God's judgements, and reproofs of your sins, if it be a burden to hear of them, what then will it be to bear them? If you cannot endure to sit quietly while you are told of them, how will you endure when God shall do according to the word of his messengers? Let such thoughts as these move you to prepare yourselves, this use God would have these burdens attain (Amos 4:13).

Of Dumah] that is, of the land of Idumea, the place of the posterity of Esau, called Edom: these were, though of the posterity of Abraham and Isaac, yet a nation rejected by God, and become a heathen nation; and yet God tells them aforehand what he intends against them, and condescends to give them a warning to repentance. Hence

Doct. God, though grievously provoked, yet seldom brings desolating judgements, before he gives warning. Edom, though out of God's covenant shall nevertheless hear from God before they feel his wrath, and Babylon, and Arabia, and Tyre, &c. as we find scattered in the prophecies, how much more a people in covenant with him.

Reas. 1. Because this is the day of God's forbearance, and therefore he will exalt it towards sinners, and make them to taste of it. It is the time wherein justice is moderated by mercy.

2. That sinners may have an opportunity to repent: when God speaks to them before he strikes them, he puts a price into their hands, [illegible] on it as such a season (Revelation 2:21).

3. To take off all excuse in the day of vengeance, that all mouths may be stopped, sinners shall have nothing to say for themselves, as having been warned; they shall have no plea, shall not be able to say, We never heard of it: no cloak shall be left them.

Use. This may be a rule to teach us what use to make of those manifold warnings which God vouchsafes to afford to us.

1. Hearken to his warnings, hear his threatenings, attend to them, and believe them.

Quest. How does God warn us?

Ans. First, by his messengers, these are ambassadors, to declare the mind and counsel of God, and proclaim his judgments.

Obj. But revelations cease, how then can they give us a true account of the mind of God, and his purposes of bringing judgments on us?

Ans. God gives a greater portion of his Spirit to his ministers, than to others, and by that Spirit he extraordinarily

1. Stirs them up to a consideration of his mind and counsels: he directs their thoughts that way.

2. Discovers to them the sins of the times and places they live in, makes them to observe the frames and manners of the people he sends them to.

3. Enables them to compare his ancient dealings with sinners, in the several respects and circumstances, and hence to draw conclusions, and hence verifies that promise (Amos 3:7). Now these conclusions are a sure word of prophecy: for

1. The rule is standing, crying sins are answered with certain judgment. God is the same he was, his holiness and justice remain inviolable, and unchangeable, and therefore sinners have no hopes to escape, if they remain in their sins.

2. Like sins bring like judgments; Sodom's sins are followed with Sodom's plagues; and therefore if our sins answer former times, we may expect our sufferings to be like theirs.

3. The prophecies of the prophets were cautioned with the condition of repentance, either explicit, as appears by the invitations to repent annexed to their threatenings frequently; or at least implicit (Jeremiah 18:7, &c.): so are theirs.

Secondly, by his providences: gathering of clouds, and some drops of rain presage [illegible] signs speak, the rod has a voice in [illegible] and may be heard, though it be but shaken over us.

2. Let the patience of God break our hearts, and lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). Remember, God might have stricken when he warned us; he might have made our plagues seven times heavier, when he did lay some gentler stroke upon us; he might have made haste, begun, and made an end with us in one day, after he has so long in patience waited upon us.

3. Give credit to God's threatenings, do not think he is in jest, look at such times wherein ordinances and providences concur in denouncing wrath against us, to be real tokens of divine displeasure, and to have a loud voice in them; and therefore let it teach us to meet God, and that without delay.

He calleth, &c.] Here is the question or introduction to the prophecy.

He] that is, some person, or messenger.

Calleth] that is, comes to enquire.

To me] that is, Isaiah.

Out of Seir] Mount Seir lying in the land of the Edomites, is taken for the whole land of Idumea.

Watchman, what, &c.] By Watchman is meant the prophet, these are called watchmen by God, because he sets them to discern his wrath, and give warning to the people. The meaning or intent of the question is diversely understood: I find a twofold interpretation.

1. Some take it to be an expression of the bitterness and anguish of the Edomites, concerning the future event of those troubles which were beginning upon them: it seems war was threatened by the Assyrian; through which anguish they send to the prophet, to know what was likely to ensue, what troubles they should meet withal: for night is here a metaphor of the time of affliction, as it is often in Scripture (Isaiah 26:9, &c.), and then the ingemination of the interrogatory implies an earnestness of desire to be informed.

2. Others understand it to be spoken in a flouting way, and so they call the prophet Watchman by way of derision; as if they should say, Isaiah, you pretend to be a watchman, and have foretold much of the time of trouble and desolation to come upon us, but we still enjoy the morning of prosperity, we are a free people, and not in subjection; come, what do you say to it now? Either interpretation will stand with the analogy of faith: though I think the latter to be more suitable to the answer given in the following verse; in which sense the doubling of the question is an aggravation of the scoff in a sarcastic speech.

From these words observe,

Doct. 1. Times of calamity are fitly compared to the night season.

There is much of analogy in these.

1. In the night nothing can be distinguished from the darkness, all things lie equally mantled under that black [illegible] hence the grave is called a land of darkness, because all meet equally, and [illegible] there: in times of calamity the affliction is universal, good and bad are not to be distinguished by the outward face of divine providence (Ecclesiastes 9:1).

2. The night is a joyless time, darkness and obscurity hide from us objects of joy and mirth: in times of calamity objects of joy are removed, these outward symptoms and expressions of delights and pleasures are removed (Jeremiah 7:34).

3. The night is full of terror, the darkness has a kind of influence upon our fancy, leaving an impression of strange apprehensions and possessing us with fears. Calamitous times are fearful and terrible times, fill us with suspicions, a man knows not whom to trust, lives in a fearful expectation of sudden miseries to seize upon him.

4. The night is a solitary time, breaks up societies, and scatters them to their several chambers, to feed upon their melancholy thoughts and fears. Troublesome times bring places full of inhabitants to sit solitary.

Use. 1. See here a reason why the people of God ought to do their utmost to prevent the day of calamity: though they shall get good by all providences, yet no affliction is in itself joyous, but grievous, and they shall find a great deal of night of trouble at such a time. Hence wonder not to hear them so earnest to deprecate that day, and labor with God for a prevention of it. Christ himself, in whom was no sin, begs again and again, if it be possible that the cup might pass away from him; how much more they that have sin as well as sorrow to grapple withal.

Use 2. See here the analogy between sin and sorrow, both are in Scripture called darkness: hence the punishment is suitable to the fault, God pays men in their own coin; if men will hurry themselves into the shades of sin, God justly brings them into a land of darkness, and of the shadow of death.

Use 3. This consideration may warn us to have a care how we provoke God's judgments against us, to bring wrath upon us; we may be bold and fearless while the daytime lasts, and our sun of prosperity shines upon us, but if we pull down judgments upon our heads, we shall find the night to be

1. Joyless, we shall see the difference between joy and sorrow experimentally when God shall have removed our comforts away from us, our peace, our outward supplies, all our precious things, we shall then feel what it is to be benighted.

2. Terrible, full of amazement. Ah! little do we know what the terror of this night mean, to be oppressed with pining hunger, with pinching penury; to hear the cries of children following us for bread, and none to give them; to hear the sound of the trumpet, and alarm to war; to hear the cries of the wounded, and see the slain in our gates; to see the raging of famine and pestilence, and natural affection changed into a tiger-like cruelty, tender-hearted mothers shutting up their bowels of pity, and laying violent hands on the children they have born; to go into captivity, and serve an enemy whose tender mercies are cruelty; to live in fear of every sight, every noise, lest it should be some messenger of death, or that which is worse.

3. Solitary and lonesome, when you shall be made desolate, and like Job, who was made a stranger to the wife of his bosom; and hence you shall have that which will fill head and heart full of perplexity: how careful then should we be that we provoke not God against us, to bring darkness of adversity upon us.

Doct. 2. 'Tis the guise and disposition of the wicked, to despise and [illegible] at the threatenings of God's judgment against them, especially if God delay execution.

Thus the Edomites here, they had been threatened, but they yet were in peace, and though the enemy was coming, they yet are secure. See also for this (Ecclesiastes 8:11; Ezekiel 12:22). Poor sinning man, though he might read the [illegible] of death in himself, yet is not willing to believe any evil till he feels it. If God delay, his messengers presently are liars.

Reas. 1. From the natural [illegible] possesses the hearts of the unregenerate: sinful man is naturally secure, which security arises from

1. Their not seeing and being affected with their sin, justly provoking of God (Malachi 2:7); men grope in their darkness, and cannot see wherein they have done amiss. Men, especially if they have taken a form of godliness, and begin to be sticklers in religion, they observe not that they want the power, and having taken up a good apprehension of themselves, the word of conviction passes by as a thing in which they are not concerned. Hence they wonder that God should have any thing against them, they cannot believe it, and so they despise, and make a mock of those that tell them of wrath against them.

2. Their misinterpretation of God's patient dealing with them: natural men make a God to themselves of their own minds (Psalm 50:21); if God delays them, then presently he approves of their ways, at least they must have him a God all of mercy, they exalt his compassion to the injury and violation of his holiness and justice; and so, what should be a means of their repentance (2 Peter 3:9), is an occasion of their hardening.

3. Their false hopes and promises of their escape, their covenants with hell and death (Isaiah 28:17, 18), make all men (thriving in the world in a way of wickedness, and being rooted deep in their outward enjoyments) begin to account this a kind of deity to them, and hence build up their hopes and thoughts upon an unchangeable estate (Psalm 49:11), and hence can disdain, and flout away the denunciation of a change.

Reas. 2. Because their present prosperity so takes up their senses, that they despise God, no wonder then if they scoff at his threatenings. Pharaoh sitting in the pomp and glory of the crown of Egypt, demands, Who is the Lord? Natural men are ready to say (in times of prosperity) with Niobe, Major sum quam cui possit fortuna nocere. I am greater than the hand of Providence can reach to do any injury to, and hence beat a challenge to the Almighty (Job 21:13, 14).

Use 1. See here a reason why God's messengers are so slighted by a secure and prospering people: when they speak of days of wrath, men do not believe them, their preaching is accounted as false tales and vain stories; why, men live at ease, and therefore they are accounted fools that speak of a storm, and are made a may-game [illegible] here of the prophet: and no wonder, for they do so by God himself; I spoke to you in your prosperity, and you would not hear. Men are short-sighted, though they can discern the signs of [illegible] yet they are not willing to see any thing of the signs of divine displeasure, and if they see nothing, they will believe nothing, yes though they do see they are not willing to believe.

Use 2. To convince us of, and humble us for even this very sin before God this day. God has given New England many days of prosperity, it has been day with us a long time, but meanwhile sin has been growing upon us, and increasing, and God's messengers have dealt faithfully [illegible] and told us of it, and warned us by the clear demonstrations of the word of God, that judgments hang over our heads, but have not these admonitions been despised and mocked by us?

Quest. You will say, How?

Ans. 1. Some have mocked them in plain terms, we have not been clear of this brazen-faced impudence, some to flout at the warnings of God, yes to hate those that have been most serious in reproving our sins, especially that have pointed [illegible] out.

2. Others have not believed, [illegible] those not a few neither, but the most; we may almost use the [illegible] demand (Isaiah 53:1).

3. Have not these warnings been practically slighted and disregarded?

How few hearts have been affected? And not to be affected, is a degree of mocking: how few mourning hearts? How few that hear and fear? How few tremblers at the Word of God? Or that with old Eli sit by the way, trembling for the Ark of God? We can sit under the convictions of the Word, and no whit convinced; little remorse when these burdens are laid upon us, and we go away and wipe our mouths, and say, What have I done? We (like deaf men) startle not when the trumpet sounds, because we will not hear it.

What little care is there to return and meet God by repentance, and what is this [illegible] then to slight and mock God?

Obj. But many days of humiliation have been kept?

Ans. True; and to what purpose?

Where is the reformation that has followed? In Isaiah 58, the Lord owns that only as a true fast, which is a day of reformation [illegible]; but what has been amended? If we [illegible] miss before, we are so still, notwithstanding all that is made to appear to the view of the world: and this is a manifest mockery.

Have we not kept days to encourage ourselves to sin more boldly upon a new score, with the verse in (Proverbs 7:14, 15)? Thought to have cleared all old scores with God by an overly confession, that, so we might more securely run into new arrears: and is not this a great mockery, to think to pay God with such counterfeit coin? What have we to do then, but to confess and bewail this sin before God, and labor to amend it? For motive: consider,

God will make you to know who sent these messengers, that it was not of their own heads, nor on their own errands, that his ministers came to you, but that it was from him (Ezekiel 2:5), and that you have not scoffed and neglected them, but God himself: you shall see this.

God's patience has a bounded time (Habakkuk 2:3). God may delay long, he will not do so always; know it, he is just as well as merciful: God will take a season, find out a fit opportunity to be known in his judgments upon those who despise his patience, and reject his counsels and fore-warnings, he will not strive always with man, who is flesh (Genesis 6:3).

Such a spirit will provoke God to make haste (Ezekiel 12:23). If God send, yes rise up early and send, and so far condescend to a rebellious people, as to send messenger after messenger, and message upon message, and these mocked and despised, that news quickly comes there is no remedy (2 Chronicles 36:16), this ripens men apace for destruction.

Such a spirit is an immediate fore-runner of swift calamity (1 Thessalonians 5:1). No surer and more infallible token of great calamities to be hastening upon a people than this, when God tells them of trouble and calamity, they cry Peace, Peace, and lay themselves down (in despite of all counsels and warnings) upon the bed of security, and take their ease in sin without remorse. Let us then be deeply affected with this evil, as knowing that there is nothing whereby we have more [illegible] provoked God, and vexed his Spirit, than by this. Lie low before him in the sense of it, it may be he will pardon and forgive it.

[illegible]

You see Edom here makes a great do of enquiry: there is a hypocritical and false, and there is a sincere and true enquiry made about divine dispensations, and the one apparently, and to the view of the world, may be as earnestly pressed as the other.

Reason 1. Because there are other things which may excite such an enquiry, besides the fear of God; namely,

A natural fear, which may be stirred up at the first hearing of threatenings, and discovery of tokens presaging calamity; the sight of dismal clouds, and the noise of some terrible thunder cracks, do at the first carry a kind of consternation along with them: and this makes men, till by degrees they outgrow their affrightment, to be very sedulous to know what these things mean.

A naturally busy talkative spirit, that loves to be busy, talking and discoursing, many affect to be in discourse, and hence they enquire that they may have something to spend time in discourse.

A desire to be thought wise, discerning and prudent, hence men will enquire for light: we love to have the esteem for prudence and discretion, to be accounted men of discerning spirits, that observe and know the times, and hence take some pains in searching.

An ironical and flouting spirit: such this seems to be in the text, not that we have any true desire to know any thing, but in disdain of God's ministers: we enquire of them as for knowledge, but in the mean-while look upon them to have no more knowledge of the mind and counsel of God than ourselves: with this spirit those proud men seem to have come to enquire of the prophet (Jeremiah 43).

Reason 2. Because there are other ends of such enquiry, besides such as accompany sincerity; namely,

A bare desire of external knowledge and discourse: there is seated in man a great natural desire of the knowledge of the nature of things, and that especially of future contingencies; hence men take a great deal of pains, and busy themselves much in seeking to know such things, when it is to no other end but to know.

An intent to cavil at God's dispensations (Isaiah 58:2). Some enquire to no other end, but that they may pick a quarrel with divine providence, and charge the ways of God with injustice, as if they were wiser than God, as if he did not rule the world by an equal law.

Use 1. For trial: there is much talk nowadays among us, about the judgments of God, and those awful providences that are rolling over our heads: there is a great enquiry made, but let us not think or conclude ourselves ever the better, because we are among the number of those who are possibly the most forward upon this account, but examine ourselves whether we do it in sincerity or in hypocrisy.

Signs of hypocritical enquiry.

When we enquire more after the events of calamity, then the causes procuring of it: thus those Idumeans, What of the night? that is, What is like to come upon us? So there is much enquiry, what the issue of these rolling providences is like to be; what things are like to come to: but there are few say, What have I done? wherein is the Lord's anger incensed, etc.? This shows we are more afraid of sorrow then sin, when we look so much at the rod, and not at the hand which wields it: this argues a spirit of hypocrisy, for we neglect our work; which is to search and try our hearts, and meddle with God's work, whose sovereignty it is to rule and order the affairs of the whole world at his own pleasure.

When we enquire more after natural then spiritual causes: we are very inquisitive to know what may be the natural cause of these blastings which have for many years diminished and corrupted the best of our grain; and hence, many projective endeavours in vain attempted to prevent it, by a seeking to remove that cause, which we are to this day baffled in, and as far off to seek as ever: but the causes spiritual (which are more manifest, and easy to be discovered) are slightly sought after, and so but little endeavour to remove them, hence no wonder that the effect remains, we enquire in hypocrisy.

When we enquire, but 'tis without any desire or willingness to see the true reason or causes, or be convinced of them, we enquire with a kind of fore-stalled and prejudicate spirit; we have taken up already what our determination is and must be: hence this it is, and no other thing, hence we arm ourselves with a resolution to outstand all conviction, and so lay a block in the way to prevent any efficacious meeting God in such a way as might remove his hand off from us, and prevent the process of more and worse miseries.

When we enquire, but never intend to reform: this was the enquiry of those (Jeremiah 43), their promises were indeed fair, but when the Prophet had gone to God and enquired for them, and brought them word back again, [illegible] they discover their hypocritical heart, chapter 44:16. They would make a formal kind of process, as if they had been desirous of God's counsel to direct them; and had the answer been to their minds, what godly men might they have passed for: has God told us nothing? Have not his messengers pointed at something? Have not the very providences themselves given light to our enquiry? But all this while, where is the amendment? Who turns from his evil way to the Lord?

When we enquire, but not of God's watchmen: times have been when they have been esteemed, and looked upon as watchmen indeed, who were best able to inform us in the counsels of God; but now who more blind than they in our practical judgement? A prejudicial eye is cast upon them, and they laid by as useless. Oh how is the cavilling of an Anabaptistical and censorious spirit (who can spit his venom in the face of magistracy and ministry, and make these the causes of all our trouble) set by among many? while the faithful warnings of God's servants are contemned.

When possibly we enquire of them, but with a slighty and disdainful spirit: oh how many go with their nice queries to their ministers, when they despise them in their hearts? And either lay snares for them, as they dealt by Christ himself, Is it lawful to pay tribute, etc.? or at least do not go to them as such whom they do indeed look upon and esteem to be sent of God, and therefore may hopefully expect to receive better information from them, then from others, hence they little regard, and less do they practice.

When we enquire, but we are not willing the cause should be in ourselves, but in others: and hence though we enquire with some earnestness, yet if the answer (though true) touch us, and our corruptions, we cannot bear it; this shows that we enquire with a censorious (which is an hypocritical) spirit: we regard not how much blame be laid upon others, but are willing to take none of the blame and shame of the sin to ourselves; and therefore come not up to this, which is the only sincere first enquiry, What have I done?

Use 2. To humble us for our hypocrisy upon this account: and how much cause the best of us may have to take the shame of this sin upon us before God this day, if we did seriously enquire, we might in some measure discover: let us then bewail it seriously. For motive: consider,

It is no light matter to mock God; [illegible] we do in every act [illegible] hypocrisy: God is not mocked, says the Apostle, that is, he will not be put off with, nor will he put up our mockeries.

God and your sin will find you out: God discerns the heart, and therefore it is no mocking of him; he is a jealous God, and therefore he will make you to know how ill he takes it, he will smoke against your best services, that you may understand your hypocrisy is observed by him (Isaiah 58:1—).

Thus much of the question of the Idumeans.

The answer of the Prophet follows. The answer is short and full.

The Watchman, that is, the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah owns his office, though they put it upon him as a scoff and mockery, but he is not ashamed of it in the least. Hence

Doct. The ministers of God are not ashamed of their office, though the world seem to despise and flout at it. Let the men of the world think never so undervaluingly of the place and work they are in, they yet prize and esteem it.

Reas. 1. Because it is an office instituted by God, and therefore will be defended, and vindicated by him: he owns them, though the world despise them, and he will take upon him to plead the cause of his despised ministers.

Reas. 2. Because it is a high and honourable office, though despised: let the world look upon it with an eye of disdain, yet it is in itself a dignity, an honor; ministers are ambassadors from God to men (2 Corinthians 5:20), now the majesty of the Prince is represented in the ambassador, God looks that part of his own honor is engraved upon this office, ministers therefore have no reason to be discouraged by the contumelies of the world.

Reas. 3. Because it is a work which is accompanied with the glorious power of God, and made a means of the salvation of God's elect: this is Paul's reason why he is not ashamed of the Gospel (Romans 1:16). When they see God putting forth his power, and making the stoutest sinners fall (like the walls of Jericho) at the sounding of the preaching of the Gospel, and many souls by their ministry brought effectually home to God, this is enough to make them disdain the standers and [illegible] of men, and glory in their ministry.

Reas. 4. [illegible] with God: ministers look not for, nor would be satisfied with an earthly reward; their praise is of God and [illegible] shall not lose their reward, and they dare trust him, and can cheerfully endure, and meet with all that reviling and contempt which wicked men delight to be venting against them: the crown will more than pay for all.

Use. Learn hence to have a care that you contemn not God's ministers, and above all the office of the ministry: doubtless the low esteem of this great work appearing by too many evident symptoms, is one thing for which God is now pleading with us, and therefore seasonable at this time to be hinted to us. Oh beware of this sin. Consider,

1. If we despise them, we despise God (Luke 10:18). The prince accounts all the affronts and indignities offered to his ambassadors, to bear a proper respect to himself; and do you then think that God will bear it? Moses may hold his peace, God's ministers may pity and pray for you, yes will; but God will not suffer his own glory thus to be trampled upon, nor his servants thus to be abused.

2. If we contemn them, and receive not their ministry, it is the ready way to be given up by God to a spirit of delusion (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Observe, and you shall see, this has been the door out of which so many have gone away into those giddy distempers which they are now inflicted withal, even those many enthusiasms of the Devil; an undervaluing of the ministry, an elevating and [illegible] up private gifts, &c. which has led men by degrees to those great apostasies, whereby their light (which would have shone clearly in its proper orb) has spent itself in a blaze, and gone out in a stinking snuff.

The Watchman said] that is, from God, and by his direction, we here see the Prophet gives them a serious answer. Hence

Doct. Whatever end a people have in enquiring, it is the duty of God's ministers faithfully to answer them according to the mind and counsel of God. See Jeremiah 42:19, 20: the people they dissembled, but Jeremiah tells them the truth.

Reas. 1. From the nature of their office, which is to be watchmen, which depends not upon the acceptance, or not acceptance of their message, but is an absolute duty, whose neglect cannot be dispensed withal: whether they will hear or no, Ezekiel must discharge his office (Chapter 2:7). Yes, it lies so upon him, as the neglect of it brings him under the dreadful [illegible] of God's wrath (Chapter 2:18). He breaks his charge if he neglect it, yes and hazards the undoing of [illegible] whom he is set up to be a watchman.

Reas. 2. Because God will have a rebellious people left inexcusable (Ezekiel 2:5). Though the prime end, and natural tendency of the ministry, be for the conversion and good of the people to whom they are sent, yet God in just judgment will sometimes have it to be to increase their condemnation, and to make their misery more dreadful: line upon line, &c. is sometimes given to make a people stumble and [illegible] (Isaiah 28:13). All this is for God's glory, the shine of the glory of his justice, when he shall come to recover the honor of his despised counsels and warnings, and plead with a people for their wretched and inexcusable violation of both covenants.

Use 1. See here a reason why God's faithful ministers use so little human policy in the execution of their place and office: should they connive at our sins, few pillows under our elbows, fawn upon us, or at the least speak in the dark and aloof off, they were most likely, in an eye of human reason, to live more quietly, and less hated: he is ready to be accounted our enemy who tells us the truth. How easily might they accommodate themselves to human affections, but they dare not do it, but speak plain; not because they are ignorant of the probability of what entertainment they are like to meet withal, but because they dare not to be false to the charge and trust which God has laid upon them. I confess, concerning some things there may be an indiscreet zeal, in these there is a time to hold one's peace; but in the discovery of the counsels of God, and laying open crying sins, &c. it is not the fear or favor of man, but the awful command of God, which must be, and is, the rule of the serious minister, who being sent from God, must deliver his embassy.

Use 2. Learn hence how faithful God is to us, how unfaithful soever we be to him, and to our own souls; might we have our own desires, we would hear nothing else but soothing and pleasant words; he that preaches sin and wrath, is a legalist, a Micaiah, he never speaks good to us; thus would we go sleeping and secure to Hell, run ourselves jocundly into all misery, such enemies are we to our own souls: but how faithful is God, who seeing us falling into the seas of wrath, sends to awaken us out of our sleep, to tell us of our evil ways, and to reclaim, and bring us back. That God has ordained and set up the office of the ministry under that solemn and dreadful charge, as they will answer it in the great day, if they will not bring the guilt of the blood [illegible] upon their own heads, to tell sinners of their ways, and [illegible] seasonable and constant warning; herein is the faithfulness of God, and his great goodness wondrously exalted.

Use 3. Learn hence to account a plain-dealing ministry to be of God, however they cross our corruptions: if any in the world are indeed sent of God to us, then surely those, who laying aside all self-ends and worldly interests, lay themselves open to the hatred and persecution of the world, hazard to lose our love and good will, to be evil spoken of, to suffer want, and hard usage among us, rather than be silent in an evil day; rather than hold their peace, and let us alone in our sins, or palliate and dissemble with us in the cause of God and our own souls. Pray to God that you may always have and enjoy such ministers, and that he would put this spirit into his ambassadors.

The morning comes, and also, the night] Here the Prophet answers them according to their particular enquiry about the success. In which observe

1. A concession; The morning comes: It is true indeed, you do for the present enjoy a season of prosperity, though evil have been denounced against you; and it comes still, that is, you have still a short season behind of day.

2. A warning and also the night: that is, as you have your morning, so assure yourselves you have your night; think not, nor deceive yourselves into such a foolish hope, as to promise yourselves you shall never have adversity, because you now live at ease and prosper.

3. The words carry in them the face of an argument: he compares their condition to a natural day, in which there are two constituting parts, namely day and night, light and darkness, which naturally follow one upon another: the day of the people of God usually (as the natural day) begins with darkness, and ends in [illegible]; the wicked's day begins with morning, but shall end with night. Hence if they look for night to follow the clearest day, why do they dream as if sorrow could not come in the room of their present pleasure and delight? Hence

Doct. 1. [illegible] an hundred and forty years, are with the [illegible]

Reas. 1. Because this is the day of God's [illegible]: God is perfectly just, and he shall be known to be so in the day of vengeance, when the great assizes shall be set, and he shall render to every one according to their works; but meanwhile he has a day of mercy, wherein (without any infringement to his justice and holiness) he moderates the sentence past upon sinners; and delays the full execution of it, meanwhile conferring much of his goodness upon them. Now the season of the shine of this attribute of mercy, appearing in his clemency and benignity, is properly here in this world: God will have the glory of all his attributes shine out and appear in his efficiency; now there is no room for, nor knowledge of his patience, long-suffering, and goodness in Hell, where the cup of wrath is without mixture. God therefore now makes it appear in the [illegible] of wrath fitted to destruction (Romans 9:22).

Reas. 2. Because God has in his decrees, not only laid men out for punishment, but for their measure and degrees of punishment, which they come to by the height of their sin, and by the number of mercies abused: this is an awful, but an undeniable truth, that God has not only designed such sinners to destruction, but has allotted them their place in Hell; Judas is gone to his place: there is a Hell more and less tolerable (Matthew 11:15), as also that men come to this, by their abusing and misimproving of mercies (Romans 2:5); hence therefore sinners must have such a time of patience, so many mercies, &c. beyond which, as they shall not be spared, so before which they shall not be disturbed, but let alone till their measure be fulfilled, till they are ripe, and fully fitted to destruction (Genesis 15:16).

Use 1. Learn hence, that outward prosperity is no sure token of God's special favor (Ecclesiastes 9:2). A person or people may have and enjoy the world's abundance, and overflow in the outward things of this life, and yet be the hated of God, such whom God turns like oxen, into a rich pasture, where they may be fatted up for the slaughterhouse of Hell: reckon not therefore upon this. Have any of you escaped the [illegible] which God has been [illegible]: do not soothe yourselves with this, and flatter yourselves into an opinion that God loves you [illegible] the better; a dear child of God may be under the most severe [illegible], while you that are not [illegible] may be a [illegible]. [illegible] and solemn examination of ourselves, what [illegible] we have made of those many days of prosperity which we have [illegible]: it is not enough that we have had them, but how have we improved them. Know it, the day of reckoning is coming, and then an account will be taken, when the more any have received, the more they will have to answer for. We have been a people wonderfully favored by the Lord, but let not this make us secure; who knows but we have turned God's great mercies into great curses by abusing of them: 'tis time then (now God is coming to recover his mercies out of our hands) to ask our own hearts, whether we have not highly abused, yes so that if repentance prevent not, to our final destruction.

Doct. 2. A people in the very height of outward prosperity, may be very near to ruin and destruction. The Prophet speaks here quick, as of sudden changes, The morning comes, also the night; intimating, as if there should be no long distance between their morning and night, as if it should be a short morning, a day soon changed into night. You remember how it was with the Old World, and with Sodom, who were taken in the height of their pleasures, in the top of their prosperity, and suddenly brought to a final end, and fearful desolation; and our Savior Christ speaks of such times in the days of the Gospel (Luke 17:26, &c.).

Reas. 1. Because such days ripen men faster for destruction (Romans 9:22): the more men have, and abuse, the deeper they run into God's debt-book, the larger accounts they have: the better the pasture is, the sooner the ox is fat; now you know the ox is not taken from his pasture, till such time as the day of slaughter comes, hence God takes men in their height, and makes them come down wonderfully.

Reas. 2. From the nature of patience, which as it can bear and endure a great deal, and a long while, so when it once comes to be worn out, and provoked, breaks forth into a most sudden and direful flame: Loesa patientia fit furor (Jeremiah 4:4). That anger which is not suddenly and speedily stirred up, when kindled is most furious and unappeaseable.

Reas. 3. From the nature of sin, which the more goodness of God it enjoys, the more it heightens itself into boldness and violence: Sodom's fulness (which called to glorify God) was an occasion of the crying sins that were among them; hence they pull down wrath, and there is no remedy.

Use. This may convince us of a great [illegible] the goodness and rich mercy of God expressed to us-ward in every thing, in that he has not brought our calamity and desolation on us all at once, but has come by degrees, he has not dealt with us as with Sodom, whose desolation came in a day, sudden as a whirlwind; whose morning was fair and clear, who saw the Sun shine upon them, the same day wherein they were overwhelmed with a storm of fire and brimstone. Our Sun has been obscured, our day brought to the twilight, before sudden and thick darkness: these are tokens of God's long suffering and great favor towards us; hereby God gives us further warning, and more space to [illegible]. Oh let us then make this use of it; God shows by this that he is willing to be stopped in his way, to accept the sacrifices of an humble spirit.

Doct 3. God would have us in the morning to think of night. While times of peace and plenty continue, God would that we bethink ourselves of a change (Ecclesiastes 11:8). God would have these Edomites to consider that night would come after their morning was over.

Reas. From the suitableness and seasonableness of these thoughts at such a time.

1. The serious consideration of it may be a means to prevent it: by removing the cause, the effect ceases; God brings sorrow for sin, repentance stops him in his course, and brings back his favor. A wise and holy improvement of the day of God's goodness and favor, causes the Sun to stand still in our firmament, and the day of prosperity to last: but the sinful abuse of it hastens the setting of our Sun, and coming of the black and dark night; now to think of this beforehand, affords us a solemn and awakening motive carefully to improve our time of visitation, whereby we may enjoy a blessed lengthening out of our tranquillity.

2. The due improving of these thoughts may be a means to fit us for the night: fore-warned (as we say) and fore-armed; the expectation of storms and tempests, drives persons to seek a seasonable shelter and hiding-place from the wind and rain: this makes serious souls prepare to meet with their God. They that never think nor consider of a change, never think of being emptied from vessel to vessel, are like fishes taken in an evil net, are horribly unprepared; but the serious expectation of days of calamity, will drive us (if any thing) to make our peace with God, to take up our shelter under the wings of the Lord Jesus Christ, [illegible] evil of these evils overtake us not.

3. These thoughts [illegible] make us wise to improve our morning to the best advantage: when we see night coming, and a great deal before us to do, this doubles our diligence, while many times we idle away much of the day, as long as we think it a great while to night; as long as we [illegible] the Sun to be in its height, we sleep, but when it is near setting, [illegible] redeem the time. Oh how laborious Christians should we be, how sedulous in the work of God, if we did but carry along with us in our minds the thoughts of the evil day, did we but with a cautious expectation every day look for a change!

Use. 1. See here how grievously they provoke God, who in the day of their prosperity mind nothing but their ease and pleasure (Amos 6:1) — it is an iniquity which God cannot bear, as follows in the sequel: it is a note of a wicked man, when he enjoys the favor of God, to do nothing but spend his days in mirth; there are the afflictions of Joseph to mind, yes also and our own change to mind: what was the ground of Jerusalem's destruction but this (Lamentations 1:9)?

Use 2. This may be for direction to us, what use to make of the consideration and fore-thoughts of the night of trouble, in a few things:

First, consider what just reason we have to expect a night, a change, more sorrows still; namely,

1. The grievous loss of precious time in the best, oh how much of our time here have we wasted away, aliud agendo, in that which profits not. None in the world ever enjoyed a happier advantage to serve God in, than we have done for so long a season in this Wilderness, wherein we have enjoyed peace, and the liberties of the Gospel, liberty to be as good as we will, and all encouragements to serve God; but oh how much have we been wasting away unprofitably, in contentions, and busy wranglings about matters of an inferior consideration, about our worldly cares and perplexities, &c. We have used but little care to redeem those precious hours from those encompassing vanities which beset us.

2. [illegible] provocations of God's wrath in many, which may make God say of us as of Israel, that we press him as a cart is pressed with the sheaves. Oh how many crying sins have been found among us? Should God come and [illegible] with us, (and indeed so he does, and has been pleading with us a great while) and [illegible] over to us a bill of our several items, how few need he leave [illegible] those [illegible] against Jerusalem, in that heavy accusation accorded (Ezekiel 22:14). I need not mention in particular, crying [illegible] been found, and are prevailing, and shall not God visit for [illegible] things? Will he not be avenged on such a people, who promised, and gave [illegible] of better things?

Secondly, consider what warnings God has given us:

1. In the ministry: has it not been the voice of God in the mouth of all his prophets, has there not been a full and universal consent of all God's messengers, that God has a controversy with his people, and cannot be silent? How long has this been a conclusion, and they have been faithful to discharge their duty, and acquit their consciences on this account by declaring it: this we have heard often proclaimed, and by sound demonstration cleared to us, but we have made too light of that, ministers must say something to keep up their credit, and keep the people in awe. And therefore

God has warned us in his providences, that so he might make us believe his Word in the mouth of his messengers: and that not only by many signs and prognosticks usual forerunners of calamitous times, but also by the vaunt-courriers of his army of judgements, beginnings of sorrows; many have been the sad and awakening providences of these latter years, he is a stranger in our Israel who is unacquainted therewithall. If we will not credit the Word, yet let us believe the rod; if in the morning we have been easily deluded into false and vain hopes, to think it would never be night, yet one would think, when the sun seems to be setting in our horizon, and the dusk of the evening is coming upon us, we should now be ready to give credit to it, unless we are fallen into a lethargic, and dead sleep of security.

Now let us bethink our selves how it may be prevented: to what end should we be warned, but that we might endeavour to prevent and escape the drinking the dregs of this cup, whereof we have been already made to sip?

Believe that God is yet willing to be stopt, he shews how unwilling he is to [illegible], and therefore is ready to be stayed. God loves to be hindered in these proceedings he himself looks to set if there be any to stand in the gap, and make up the breach, and he is grieved when [illegible] none: [illegible] encouragement. The God of Israel is a merciful God, and will be ready to extend that mercy to us, notwithstanding any advantage he has in his hand against us: he therefore (when in the midst of judgements) swears, that he delights not in the sinners death, and calls upon them to return to him (Ezekiel 36:11).

Improve the means of prevention that are appointed by God: as there is a possibility of stopping the process of God's wrath, so there is but one only way whereby it can be done, and that is by returning by a thorough repentance, by a confessing and forsaking those sins that pull down wrath; we must confess, that he may be acknowledged just; we must forsake, because the cause must be taken away before the effect cease.

Prepare that if the night come you may make advantage of it for your good: though the night has many sad disadvantages, yet it has its advantages too; though it pay the sluggard with shame, yet to him that has done his work, 'tis sweet, and helps his rest: if it find you in a way of righteousness, it can do you no hurt, it shall do you a great deal of good. Oh prepare, get your sins pardoned and done away, if the guilt of these remain, they will interpose as a thick and dismal cloud, between the light of God's countenance and your souls, then it will be a black and dark night indeed: get into Christ, make him your shelter and rock, he is a sure refuge, and the tempest cannot break through him to do you any harm, though it should bear down, and wash away the clay house of your earthly tabernacle, yet it cannot keep you from, but will hasten you to a more speedy possession of your eternal mansion, your house of rest, whose [illegible] and maker is God.

If you will enquire, enquire you:] The Prophet having answered their question about the events of providence, and confirmed his forewarnings, by taking off the objection from present prosperity, and ascertained them of the hastening of their calamity; being desirous to prevent their utter desolation, adds a [illegible] of serious advice to them from God, wherein he tacitly reproves the hypocrisy of their former inquisitiveness, and calls up to sincerity in their enquiring. Hence

Doct. 1. Hypocritical service is in God's [illegible] no service. [illegible] makes a seeming enquiry, but they did it not in earnest, hence the Prophet speaks of it as [illegible]. The [illegible] much, and were angry that God did not answer them, [illegible] their [illegible]ffliction still remained on them; God tells them he looked upon it as no fast (Isaiah 58:3).

Reas. is, Because it

Comes not from a right principle; grace, which only can do any thing acceptably to God: where there is not this, the sacrifice is an abomination. That which has the matter of visible service in it, is looked upon as the greatest sin (Isaiah 66:2).

Is not done in a right manner, namely, sincerity of heart. God requires the heart in every service, for that commands all the faculties, and what way that goes, there indeed all aim; hence the complaint is, Their heart [illegible]as not upright toward God.

Neither does it aim at the right end, namely, the glory of God: this is the end of all true service, to bring glory to our Maker, and if this be not our aim and end, God is not indeed served in it. Now every hypocritical service wants all these ingredients, and therefore is not a serving of God, hence no wonder if he do not accept it.

This may be for trial, to see whether our services and enquiries have not been hypocritical, whether or no we have not drawn near to God with our lips, while our hearts have been far from him: surely there is great reason why we should make such an enquiry as this is, if we consider what effects have followed upon our fastings.

How little fruit of reformation has there been on our part: what one thing has there been amended? What public sin has been reclaimed? Is there ever the less vanity, pride, profaneness, oppression, contention? Or do not these and the like evils seem rather to increase and grow more after all? And is not this a note of hypocrisy, to confess, and seem to bewail, and yet not to amend, but grow worse?

Wherein has there been a removal of the rod on God's part: do not our calamities seem to increase, and the stroke to be more and more heavy? We lost many instruments of the glory of God, and suffered many bodily calamities, and blastings of our labours, and we have fasted, but his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still; yes, more varieties of sorrows are heaped upon us: we may therefore well examine our own hearts, what is the reason of all this, unless we have not yet indeed turned to him who smote us, the Lord our God.

Doct. 2. Whatever [illegible] we make, yet God knows with what hearts we come to him, to ask [illegible] and direction from him. The Idumeans seem earnest and urgent, but yet the Lord tells them that they make none (that is, no acceptable) enquiry.

Reas. From his Omniscience (Psalm 94:8; Hebrews 4:13), he is the heart maker, and therefore has the power of discerning the heart, and all the motions and turnings of it; all the nooks and corners of it are open: it is so full of deceitfulness, that we cannot know it throughly, but he perfectly and exactly views, and discerns it; if he did not know the secrets of our hearts, if any thing were [illegible] from him, he were not God.

Use. Learn hence that you cannot deceive God, man you may put off with fine words and fair pretences, but not so God: has not God made it to appear that he will not be mocked by us? We have offered up to him hypocritical services, and accordingly we have been paid: we come with an idol in our heart, and he has answered us according to our idol. Let us then look to our selves, and beware how we come before him, with what heart we come into his presence: know it, if we sow wind, we shall reap the east-wind; we may think to deceive and put him off with our mockeries, but he observes and takes notice even of those thoughts, and will make us to see and feel that he is displeased with them. Bring then no more vain oblations, offer up no more heartless sacrifices to him, but come loathing our selves, taking the true shame of our sins, and with a real desire to be rid of them, and we shall be accepted.

Doct. 3 Those that would be instructed by God, in the grounds of his quarrel, and means of restitution, must enquire in good earnest. God loves no this hypocritis, and if we bring it, he will answer accordingly (Ezekiel 14:4). God may indeed answer those that enquire in hypocrisy, but it is an unwelcome answer he gives them, namely a commission, and a ratifying of his threatenings, and an [illegible] fulfilling of them. All the news that Edom hears, is, that their night shall come on them, the [illegible] determined shall be brought to [illegible] them: but God gives an answer of peace only to those that enquire in sincerity.

Reas. 1. Because this hypocrisy is a great reason of the continuation of God's anger, and there [illegible] must be [illegible] before God [illegible]; they had sinned, and God had afflicted; they [illegible] God had added to their affliction, and they now would [illegible] the iniquity of their fasting procured the [illegible]; Is this such a fast as I have required? Hence God directed the [illegible] to fast aright, in the sequel. Judah had been full of [illegible], but God was [illegible] (Isaiah 1); he tells them how they should come and reason out the case with him, and enjoy pardon and mercy at his hands (ver. 16, 17).

Reas. 2. Because there can be no hope of true reformation, where there is not sincerity in [illegible] enquiring: if we enquire hypocritically, we cannot [illegible] to repent; for the very first step to repentance, is a serious [illegible] and enquiry into our hearts and ways (Lamentations 3:40). Those proud men (Jeremiah 43), they come in hypocrisy, and hence when they have an answer from God, and are counselled for their [illegible], they take up a resolution that they will not do according to the word of the Lord.

Use. I for Trial: Let us examine whether this be not the reason why God has not yet made us to see, and be sensible of the grounds of his contest with this poor land. This is the great and general complaint, We have fasted and prayed, sought and enquired, but his hand is stretched out still, and he is yet pleased to hide the reason from us, and not to let us know why he [illegible] with us. Oh, do not charge God [illegible] of [illegible] or hard dealing: God, though he be sovereign, and not [illegible] of any of his matters, yet he is a gracious God, and [illegible] to the humble soul to make a discovery of his counsels. Would we know why God hides his mind from us; look upon our selves, did we ever yet enquire in good earnest? God's hand has been heavy on this account upon us.

1. In some things God has divided the apprehensions of his messengers, as is too manifest and apparent; and this is your [illegible], which ought to be your sorrow, for if in any point the [illegible] give an uncertain sound, yours is the suffering [illegible] to be, [illegible] yet this is a general out-cry, What do you expect from [illegible] what do you think we should do, when our ministers are not [illegible]. It is a humbling thought, but do not wash your hands, and [illegible] your mouths, as if you were clean in this point, [illegible] find the root and cause of the affliction in your selves; [illegible] you [illegible] God [illegible] good earnest for your ministers, and [illegible] as you ought to do, and [illegible] of God to give [illegible] out heart, there would be a [illegible] among them.

2. In other things [illegible] a general consent and agreement among God's ministers, but the people of God are divided in apprehension: and hence a check in many [illegible] put to the comfortable carrying on of the work of Reformation. Some are of one mind, some of another; some consent with, and other dissent from the messengers of God, and hence are ready to charge each other mutually as the causes of our calamity. And what's the reason of these divisions in Reuben, but that we have enquired of God with an idol in our hearts? We first take up conclusions that we are in the right, and all others out of the way that are different from us; and then, with these conclusions we go to God, and make as if we enquired of him.

3. In other things all agree as to the theory, namely as to many moral causes and occasions, which are justly provoking to God to bring a scourge upon us. Who agrees not that pride, profaneness, contention, &c. are things which provoke God's anger, and cause him to smoke against a people in the fire of his displeasure? Yes, who agrees not that these sins are prevailing and increasing among us? And yet we little reform these things in our selves, neither are we satisfied in our enquiry, but still remain querists; and why? We still enquire hypocritically: this may be matter of humiliation this day, among others let us not forget to bewail this sin in the presence of God, and beg of him to give us grace to seek him so as we may be heard by him, and he found by us.

Use 2. for Exhortation: We come this day humbly to ask of God what his mind is, why he is offended at his people, and seems to be unwilling to be pacified, and to be angry at our requests; why if you will enquire, enquire: if you would be satisfied, and receive an answer of peace at God's hands, come in good earnest, and God shall satisfy you this day: none ever asked counsel of him with a true and sincere heart, but was satisfied. For your help herein by way of direction in this great business, if you would receive help and counsel from God, then

1. Lay down your own judgements and wills at the foot of God, there are many that bring a fore-stalled judgement, and will (as we heard) take up their rash conclusions, according to their own opinions, and resolve never to be moved from them: this provokes God to leave us up to be seduced by our own delusions. Empty yourselves therefore of your own wisdom and will, that you may be ready to entertain his.

2. Make the Word of God your rule [illegible], make that your light and lamp to lead you in your search [illegible] the causes of God's displeasure: go not by human policy, [illegible] carnal reason, or other men's judgements and apprehensions, which are fallacious; no, [illegible] God be true, and every man a liar. Compare we ourselves by his Word exactly, by the rule, and by examples, and let conscience be an impartial judge, and doubtless we shall discover more than a little.

3. Come with an humble heart, prepared to submit to whatever God shall discover. Consider, many things have been told you, but they have met with, and crossed your corruptions, and so you have rejected them: a proud heart is never like to be so familiar with God as to be instructed by him, he sees such at a distance: would you have God to teach you, submit humbly to his teaching.

1. If the sin fall upon you in particular, be ready to take the shame of it: if while you are standing before God, asking him by whom and for what he is provoked? if he answer, You are the man, for these and those things he is provoked and offended; why, now lay your mouth in the dust, reply not against him. While the sin is laid open to others, and it touches not us, as we conceive, or at least only our natural infirmities, &c. we are well pleased; but when our [illegible] come to be opened, rubbed and chafed, why then we kick, and fling, and rage, and grow mad. Avoid this frame, and bear patiently to be laid open and reproved.

2. If the command laid upon you be never so cross, be ready and willing to obey it: it may be, that which God expects may be exceeding averse, an opinion which you have been long rooted and riveted in, and dwelt upon with great confidence; a sin which has brought you in a great deal of profit, credit, or the like: the thing which God commands may seem to carnal reason unreasonable, &c. now a proud heart will fling away; but have a care you bring not such a heart before the great Searcher of hearts: Come, able in some measure sincerely to say, Speak Lord, your servant heareth; Command me what you will. I am ready to obey and follow you.

4. Begin at home in your enquiry: be sure search your own hearts in the first place, whether the Achan, the troubler of Israel be not lodged in your own breast. We keep a great deal of do abroad, searching, enquiring, censuring as if we were true men to God, and resolved to [illegible] but we are like some treacherous constable, that has a warrant to search for a malefactor, he is very busy and strict in his office, searches and ransacks every house in the town, pries into every corner, as very desirous to find him out, and bring him forth, and yet meanwhile he lies hid at home in his own house: Oh! this will never do, if you know any sin harboured in your heart, lie not to God by thus enquiring, yes if you do but suspect it, let that be enough to cause a search: and to that end examine all your ways and actions, and see whether they have not been provoking to God. Examine them thoroughly.

1. In the matter of them, see whether you have not fallen short in many things of the letter of the law, committed those very sins, neglected those very duties, which the least light of conscience might have convinced you to be your duty to be done or avoided.

2. In the circumstance of your actions.

1. Of time, a thing beautiful in its season: unseasonable, is ugly and deformed: have you taken the seasons of Christian duties? Have you spoken against your neighbour's sins plainly to his face; privately, or not rather behind his back, slanderously reviling him, &c.?

2. Of place or persons: David would hold his tongue in presence of the wicked; how many times have you failed of due consideration, when, or before you have thus done, or thus said.

3. In the manner of the carriage of yourselves: it may be you have for the matter attended your duty, but have you for the manner too? Have you not [illegible] out of your duty, and run into sin upon this account? Have you not under pretext of zeal of God's glory, and upholding his name and honor, given the reins into the neck of unruly passions, and [illegible] Moses spoken unadvisedly; yes worse than he, raged, reviled, &c.? Examine every thing, and possibly God may discover to you more of this mischief lodged in your own heart, than ever yet you were aware of.

Obj. But general visitations argue a general provocation, and therefore they argue that we [illegible] look abroad.

Ans. The objection has [illegible] in to impair the necessity of the duty urged in the direction, at such a time as this: for,

1. Sometimes a private person [illegible] be the occasion of a general and public calamity: Achan [illegible] Israel; Israel is charged with his sin, and fly before their [illegible]: we read of nothing else that the Lord charges upon them, but only his sin.

2. General is made up of [illegible] particulars, and therefore you may well [illegible] yourself upon the account of public and general visitations. If one should so excuse themselves, where should the sin be found? God says in you are found such, &c. (Ezekiel 22), he does not there lay every particular sin upon all, yet all these went together to make up the provocation of God's wrath, and procure their public calamity.

You it may be are a private person, and therefore can do but little upon a public account but by your prayers; labor therefore to do the more with your own heart. God has not set every man in such a place, wherein he is called to busy himself in matters of public concernment, these belong to persons in public employment, whom we can only assist by our prayers, or a detection and discovery of such particular enormities as we are privy to, that they may receive their due reward, and sin may be taken out of Israel: but we have the more scope and opportunity to be searching our own hearts, and if we neglect that work, we do little or nothing.

You are not fitted to look abroad, till you have first made a thorough work at home (Matthew 7:1). You are like to make but poor work in public matters, while you harbor sin in your own heart; if therefore you have a desire to do God service upon that account, you had need to be more than ordinarily careful to clear your own accounts with God, lest you be found guilty of hypocrisy. It will be found the ready way to bring yourself under inexcusable condemnation before God, to search after and condemn those sins in others, which you yourself live in the daily practice of (Romans 2:1). You must therefore prepare yourself to this work by a thorough search of your own heart.

Particular repentance goes before general mercies (Zechariah 11:9). If God intend good to this poor land he will bring us to this, he will make us get alone, and every one lay his finger upon his own sore, and mourn over our sins wherewithal we have been provoking his Majesty: and when he has once brought us to that, the time of his gracious visitation is near at hand. Yes, that indeed is the first great mercy, for which let us this day seek his face.

Reform according to your ability, and where you cannot reform, there mourn.

First, reform according to your latitude.

Reform your [illegible] by due discipline towards it, here you cannot be too strict; let the search be thorough, and the reformation universal: mortify your lusts and corruptions, ransack and cleanse every corner of your heart, let none of your idols remain, but put them all away; resolve with Ephraim, that you will have no more to do with them (Hosea 14:8), and beg of God grace that you may stand to your resolutions.

Reform others that are under your charge, as far as you can do your best; say to your children, as Jacob to his sons, Put away every one from among you his strange gods; Joshua, you know, could undertake not only for himself, but for his too, I and my house will serve the Lord: be sure to reform them as to the outward man; you can indeed do no more, but be sure do that. Content not yourselves to give them some slight reproofs for their sins, that was Eli's sin, which removed his family from the priesthood, but make use of that authority which God has put into your hands, as occasion may require, and then commend the success to God.

Pray to God that he would

Give and continue an endeavor after reformation to the magistracy and ministry, and give them an advantage, and encourage them in that work. Bless God in as much as you see their hearts towards the work, beg of him that he would remove all obstacles and hindrances out of the way, that there may be a thorough and glorious work of it. Oh be earnest with God for this, without it we have but little hopes to see any more good days.

Give a spirit of reformation to all his people, that such a work may be universally consented to, that we may all set our hearts and shoulders to the work: doubtless there is no greater good we can beg for at the hands of God at this time.

Secondly, where you can do no good, there mourn: beg of God to give you a spirit of mourning for all the sins of the land. We find this spirit to have been eminent in good David (Psalm 119:136, 158), and it is that, which (if it tend not to the prevention of public calamity, yet) will bring a private blessing along with it, such shall not be forgotten in the day of calamity, but be noted for mercy (Ezekiel 9:4).

Let your further enquiry be accompanied with amendment of what is at the present discovered, that is the way to know more; to be faithful [illegible] I have now my finger upon the right sore. [illegible] say indeed this is New England's great disease; God has begun in his judgments to visit us, and there is a great deal of enquiry after the cause: God's ministers endeavor faithfully to discover it, and yet still we are querists, divine Providence speaks, and points at many things evidently, and still we are where we were; we acknowledge many things, and grant them to be amiss, and yet still the cry is, What's the reason? God is pleased to hide the reason: and why? Why, men cannot see wood for trees: if we wait for immediate revelations, we may wait long enough, there is no expecting of one to come from the dead to tell us. Indeed we can hardly look anywhere, but we may see causes apparent.

Let every private person look at home, take an account with his own heart, and he shall see enough to mend there. Out of doubt, if we deal here ingenuously, we shall find that which may teach us to justify God, and declare him righteous in what concerns us.

Look into families, and see what disorders there are, children rising up against parents, and carrying themselves disobediently, which has a dreadful curse denounced against it: parents neglecting the due care of their children, to nurture and bring them up in the admonition of the Lord, cockering, and making them their equals, not keeping their due distances; and too many families without the worship of God in them, being more like pagan, than Christian houses.

Look into towns, and there you shall see disorders, young men despising the aged, and carrying themselves contemptuously towards them; vanity and profaneness abounding; a selfish spirit growing upon the most, together with a neglect of one another's good, that love which is due one to another wholly in many neglected; town societies rent in pieces with disorderly contention.

Look into congregations, and there you shall see confusions; some contending with their ministers, and others biting and catching at one another; some not agreeing about the setting up of the ordinances of God among them, and others not contented when they have them, but pulling them down again with [illegible] and main; great emulations, jealousies, false surmises, etc. Ministers despised, their office questioned, their authority cast off, and trampled upon, their persons undervalued and vilified, their comfortable supply and maintenance neglected, ordinances not frequented with care and constancy, etc.

Look into [illegible] or civil state, and there you shall see the sinews of our [illegible] society wondrously loosened: the want of power in the supreme representative body to strengthen them, by reason of the necessary [illegible] incident to a declining popular government; and hence arise many misbehaviors, which time forbids to mention.

Look into the body ecclesiastical, and there you shall see churches; some ready to exalt themselves above the civil magistrate, and disowning his civil power in matters appertaining to godliness; others ready to renounce consociation and communion one with another, and many the like: and yet we still enquire; What's the reason? Why is God displeased? Why, is all this nothing? Yes sure: why, who knows not that these are our distempers?

But there is some particular thing which must be known, and this is either in magistrate, or ministers, or both: when shall you find in Scripture that God ever brought public judgments on his people, but the sins of princes, priests and prophets were the causes of it, and are so declared to have been? And therefore we must enquire yet further.

This objection is strange and impertinent, it is as if a physician should come to a person all over full of mortal wounds, and yet neglects them all, and strangely cries out, There is one singular wound which I must find out: is not this to suffer the person wilfully to perish, by letting him bleed out his life at the known wounds, while he goes upon the discovery of one unknown? Is not this New-England's case, such as was once Judah's (Isaiah 1:5), and shall we yet grope as in the dark after some singular thing? I therefore fear that this is but a fond and hypocritical excuse, to put off the edge of the conviction of present sins, and keep up our credit too, as if we would willingly know the mind of God.

Suppose there be some singular sin: yet

First, it does not need presently terminate upon the magistracy and ministry, though wherein they may be wanting in their places, the Lord give them to see and reform it, but it is not my work to scandalize those who cannot hear me speak: yet I say the sin is not needfully theirs.

It may be universal, a spreading and over-running distemper. It is true indeed, God sometimes speaks to these, For your sakes they shall go into captivity; but if we be wise and compare Scripture, we shall elsewhere hear God saying, My people would have it so; there is a concurrence, a delight in it.

[illegible] form, but we will not be reformed: our [illegible] government both in church and commonwealth, is partly [illegible] whose corruption and degeneracy being anarchy, the guilt of the errors of administration fall upon the people, especially if persons in office and place do their endeavour to rectify and attend them, but are overpowered. Yes, though they attain an outward reformation, yet there may remain the guilt of that sin unrepented of upon a land, which God will not forget, but (though he may delay for a while) will find out a time to call to reckoning. Josiah was the greatest reformer in Judah that ever was, yet though there were peace in his time. Read 2 Kings 22:25 and 23:25, 26.

Consider (though I speak not to excuse sin in any, where they may be guilty before God) yet consider why has God lately taken away so many of his precious servants in the ministry, it is not to their damage or wrong, they are gone to their rest, have left a sinful and sorrowful world, to be invested with a crown of glory, and to be with Christ, which is best: but we are bereaved, the lights are put out of our candlesticks; they were despised here, and they are now received to honor and glory: and this may call us to solemn consideration. Consider Isaiah 57:1—

Secondly, be it a singular sin, and let it center where it will, it seems we are to seek about it; I tell you, the way to know it, is to reform what we do know. God reveals himself by degrees to a people according to their improvement. God has told us of these and those things; why should he discover any more, since we mend not, but make so ill use of what he has discovered. Let me tell you, and I can assure you of it to be a truth, prove it, and you shall have experience of it, If we repent from our hearts of our known sins, God will either remove the stroke off from us, or further discover what is provoking to him.

Return, come.] *Verba festinantes.* The words

Contain a general duty: this duty is a serious repentance, implied in both words put together. Return. Esau went out from the church, despised the privileges of it, his posterity, here is called upon to come back again. Come; that is, Come to God, to him from whom you went away in that apostasy: which two are true repentance; A turning away from sin, a going to God.

They [illegible] both words [illegible]; Forsake sin, and [illegible] God, this is a whole work.

[illegible] repentance, Return, come. God is at a word with them, if they [illegible] then make haste. Hence, to sum up all in one, observe this

Doct. When God begins to visit a sinning people for their sins, he expects a thorough and [illegible] repentance.

God now expects repentance: he promises himself such an effect (Isaiah 26:9); hence he calls for it (Jeremiah 26:12, 13).

God expects a thorough repentance, it is no halving of it with God, when once he has taken the rod into his hand (Jeremiah 4:1).

God expects a speedy repentance, God is in haste, and so must we, ibid.

From God's merciful nature, who had rather sinners should repent and live (Ezekiel 36:11); he had rather spare than destroy, but it must be so as his honor may not be wronged, which is near and precious to him, and therefore it must be by giving glory to him in a way of repentance. Hence God when he has begun, uses delays, and moves slowly in bringing his judgments.

Reas. 2. Of the second; Because partial repentance is but a mockery: We owe God all, and therefore in every thing wherein we have offended him, we ought to repent and return, and seek to make it up. He that does not repent seriously of every sin, does not repent truly of any sin; he that does not return to God, does not in truth turn away from his sin: a half repentance therefore is no repentance at all.

Reas. 3. Of the third:

1. Because this is the last means, and therefore if this do it not, what hopes are there remaining of such a people's reformation. God takes not the rod in his hand till he be enforced to it (Lamentations 3:37). He uses all other means first, convictions, reproofs, warnings, threatenings, and waits to see if these will not reach his ends, and work repentance; when all these fail then he begins to afflict a people: now if this will not effect it, nothing will, such a people are beyond hopes obstinate in rebellion, whom judgements will not awaken to repentance, and therefore, God has little encouragement to use any long delays with such a people.

2. Because God delays till he be indeed provoked, and therefore there is need to make haste. God in this exalts his patience to wait a long time upon a rebellious people, but if patience be worn out, we had need have a care now to ourselves (Isaiah 27:4).

Use. Here we see what is our work today: God has begun and made an entrance, and has been bringing of us on to a stage of judgements, I need not mention the particulars wherein his hand has been out against us. Here you see what God expects at our hands.

First, He must have repentance, if you come not to this you do nothing; if you only confess, it is but half a fast, you must forsake too.

1. God will be owned to be just, in the most retired thoughts of your hearts, he cannot bear it to be found fault withal, or be thought to do any [illegible], he will have you to acknowledge, that in all [illegible] has done, he is righteous.

2. Hence you must see your sins, your many provocations, your covenant-breakings, and your particular enormities, you cannot else justify God aright, for that is only done by a sight of sin in its being, its heinousness and guilt.

3. God punishment for sin, hence therefore you must forsake them, you must part with those sins which have parted between God and you: God's holiness will keep him at a distance from you, so long as you keep your sins, and do not willingly part with them: he cannot love you, till you hate your sins.

Secondly, He must have a thorough repentance.

1. You must repent of all your sins, that is, all universally, and all particularly, as he comes to discover them to you, you must be sure hide none under your tongue, spare none, but bring them all forth, and confess them before God; the least sin reserved, will keep you at a distance from God.

2. You must amend your ways, you must live a new life, take out a new lesson and learn to practise it; you must live no longer after the old sort, you must not now go out of God's presence, and do as bad as ever you did, God will not endure such halving with him.

3. You must cleave to God with your whole heart, and not sit loose [illegible] have heretofore done, you must not have your [illegible] and on's, sometimes you are for God and his service, and sometimes offended in him, God will have you take up your firm resolution, to be for him, and for no other.

Thirdly, He must have a speedy repentance, you have [illegible] with [illegible] him [illegible] sent to you by his messengers many a time [illegible] your [illegible] but now he [illegible] he will not be played with [illegible] you intend to repent, set about [illegible] you go [illegible] week, you have [illegible] and [illegible] broken all covenants, now there [illegible] must see it [illegible] and you must not [illegible] any delays. God [illegible] he has [illegible] already. But if you will [illegible] God has mercy in [illegible] for you, and you shall be [illegible] to take of it. If New England's sin become New England's ruin, which God in his rich mercy prevent, yet then shall you have a mark of [illegible]: But if you yet resolve to delay, and [illegible] God off expect swift and sudden ruin, you have tasted of the [illegible], but God has [illegible] heavy plagues in store, expect to go captive with the [illegible] captive, to be [illegible] with the first that are slain by the sword, to be [illegible] with the first that perish with hunger: But repent, and God is merciful, the sword of his wrath shall return into its sheath, there is yet hope in Israel concerning this thing, but you must make haste. Oh! come with speed, lest repentance come too late.

FINIS.