z E pH. II. I, 2, 3· Take heed alfo of being drowned in Senfual lulls and Pleafures, Surfeiting ~nd Drunkennefs, Luk. 21.34· Ma1t,24-38. Thry atr a11d they drauk, aHd the Flood [wept them away; for.they make a man fecurc, prefumptuous , more unfit and unwieldy to.fuffer. K,eep your felves alfQ free from the fins of the Times; if you mean' to be free then , P tJrta/<e 11oJ of.Jheir Ji•ts, lrfl of thtir P ttJgtm. Tlus was the Leifon that God taught ija:ah, C~ap.8.u. God i11f/rufledme, that I /bould not walk itll,he W llJ of thJS People. 1t was when God threatned the AffyruJIJ to ccme .in; and having care ol his People, he bids them feat that ( v.16.) among thell), nor to be carried with the fiream of Times, and then I will be a S<Jn!Juary unto them. What Corrupt practices in State; what corrupt Opinions do men raife up ? .Free your felves of them. If they fay a CotJjultracy, an tmltJwful Leagur o,r Peacr, fay nor thou fo; bur go to God, and there gtve }our V01ce at leafi agai~fi it. Indeed in an Evil time a Prudent man is fain to be filent, ~s Amos 5. 8. to Man namely ; burgotoGod,andcomplain roGod, and mourn tor them, and fo thou !halt wa!h thy hands of them. 2 Cor. 7· 11. How did Lot wa!h his hands of the fins of Sodom, he wa<vtxt at them, 2 Pet. 2. 7· and God delivered him. How did the People of lfrael clear the .Land of Murther, when it was not known who did it. 'Deut. 21. 6, 7· The Priefis !hould flay a Heifer, and wa!h their hands of it; Ut havt tJOt foed thi& olood,~c. and fo put it away. Not only mourn for, but intend your Zeal againfi the fins of the times and places you live in, fo'far as your C,allings do ex,teod. .For, becaufc that J eremy ( and his R.emnant) was a man of contention againfi the fins of thofe 1imes, ~c. they ·curfed him, Ja. 15. 10. therefore the Lord faid, v. 11. Veri!;; it/ball be wellwith thy Rrmnant, and 1 will catt{e the Enemy to enireaf thee well m tht timt of tvit and affliClion. Even fo it feemeth jufi and good to our good and wife God, that when be recompenceth tri6ulrttion to them that troubleyou, then to give reil to you that are troubled, '2. Tbejf.1.6, 7· as tbe Aponle mere fpeaks in another cafe; and becaufe we contend for God with the Enemies of his gtory, therefore the Enemies of our peace !hall deal well with us. And indeed, if ever Godly mens zeal and valour for the Truth was to be <jUickned and fiirred up, it is moll at fuch times as thefe, For now, God him– felf begins to be zealous, and his difpleafure again!! fin to wax hor. In lfai.59· IJ,I4, 1.5. when God faw nothing but Opprelfioit, and dtpartitJg from God, and Jt•dgmmt turned b!Jckward; that Truth W/14 fatlm ill the flreets, and that Equity could 11ot wttr; The LordJaw it, and it dijpltafed him, v.15. and v. r7· he clad himfelf with Zeal as with a Cloak, coming forth to repay them accord– ing to their deeds, v.18. When therefore we fee like-rimes, and that God be– gins tn take up his Cloak to come abroad mto the World amonga us in fury and difpleafure, we !hould fympathtze wtth htm , and be affeCled as he is; as Cour– tiers are with their Kings. So Mofes, Numb.11. r.10. when the People murmured and it dilpleafed God, v.1. and his Anger.wos kindled greatly;. the Text adds, and Mojts alfo wM dt{pteafed. For thts IS a general R.ule gtven, 1 Job11 4· •7· that as God is in this World, fo !hould we be, to behave our fdves in the exercife of rhe fame Moral veriues that he doth exercife, as to fhew forth kindnefs and long-fuffering to the perfons of the Evtl and Unthankful, as he doth, fo to be zealous againfi their Sins, according to our Calling, as he !hews himfelf to be; and then mofi efpecially when he cloaths himfelf with it. . See what God fays of Phi11eM, Numb. 25.1 1. becaufe he was zealous with my Jealou(ie, fo out of the Original lnterpret<rs read it, though we tranflate it For my (akt; that is, he was affected as God was at the unclean act; yea, and ti:ls IS the fpeed~e!l way to abate hts zeal. When he !hall fee us take his part here below, and begw to be hot and valtaot for Jus truth; he thinks then that he may be quiet, and fo his wrath flacks, as it did there. Though men grow the more furious in fuch a cafe, .\Vhen. they fee others back them and fecond them, yet God doth not. And tl we m our places, and our Rulers in theirs would firike through the loins of Sinners; we with R.eproofs nayling their 'souls to Hell. Z and
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=