Lecture and Sermon

A LECTURE

THE Goodness of GOD does not always leave Man, when he staps out of GODs Way; Indeed it might do so: And when we Depart from GOD, GOD might say now, go Good Providence and Leave them. But what does the Goodness of GOD, it stays and bides until it bring some Folk back again to GOD; and then when they are Returned, the more that the Goodness of GOD has been with them, it makes them the more to Mourn when they Return again! We have an Instance of this in this Chapter: We have here a King, and a Good King, and he has gone out of GODs Way; and yet GODs Goodness has not left him, but it stayed, even after his sinful Accession in Association with Ahab. It's said, he returned in Peace to his House to Jerusalem.

Now in this Chapter, there are several Things spoken of him; For this Chapter speaks not only of his Fall, and sets out all his Goodness; But it speaks, First, Of his Deliverance, and then of the rest. First, And he came to his House at Jerusalem in Peace.

Secondly, It speaks of the Sharp Reproof he meets with from the Prophet upon the very entry. Any Body would have thought they should have gone and met their King with Praise, and Flattery; Nay, but the Prophet of GOD goes to meet with him with a Sharp Rebuke: Sharp Rebukes were meetest for him, meeter nor any other thing, even the best of them all: But here the Holy Ghost marks the Sharp Rebuke he gate from the Prophet. We hear nothing of what Return he gave to the Prophet; but he took with it. It is a Rare Thing to see a Mean Person to take with a Reproof from a Prophet: But much more to see a King acknowledge & say, Indeed I am Guilty. I say it's a Rare Thing to see a Mean Person to take with a Reproof; But here a King takes with a Rebuke, Them that stands out against GODs Reproof, GOD will give over to Reprove them till the Day of Judgment, and then the Lybel will be altogether put in their Hand, and see who will Refuse then. But here he takes a Reproof Sweetly from GOD. O bless him that he is Wairing a Reproof uupon You, and bid him now tell on, and say, What more has he now to Reprove me of? O! the Heart of Man is so Proud that it will not take with Conviction and Reproof. We say it again, The Heart of Man is so Proud that it will not take with Conviction, and the Reproof of GOD, without Humbling Grace.

But, Thirdly, The Third Thing shown of him, is this, He takes with his Reproof, and that is a Token of it, for he goes on to the Work of GOD, notwithstanding of the Prophets Reproving of him, he goes on I say, to the Work of Reformation: We shall say this General, where ever there is an Association with Wicked Men, they will forget Reformation, until Association be broken again: Here he forgets Reformation, till the Association with Ahab be broken, and then he goes on to Reformation. We shall say that one Word, our Sinful Association with the Malignant- Party in Scotland, not only has made us forget the Work of Reformation, but has shut the Door altogether, that none should go foreward in a National Reformation: And till this Association be quate, Ministers nor People will never set foreward in Reformation again. And wad ye know when the Reformation began to be at a stand or stay, it was that Day when we took the Malignant- Party by the Hand; and it has stood all this time; & till that be quate again, it will never be set foreward, & when it is quate, it will set foreward, and that by everyone of you in your several Places & Stations; And then it will be said, them that did most withstand is now Removed out of the Way, and made to fly away; and then ye shall see nothing but Reformation going on. O if it were come to that.

But, Fourthly, There is the Reformation itself, which is set out in these Three. (1.) It is set out in the Body of the Land the Generality, or Body of the Land: What does he to them? Verse 4 He went throw the People and brought them back to the LORD GOD of their Fathers: They were like Run-away-Servants; yea not only so, but like the Levite 's Concubine that had Departed from her Husband & had played the Whore; And so he brings them back again to the Lord. But now you see what is the Duty or Office of a King, to bring back the People of GOD to GOD. Wa, What has the King done, and these Rulers? Wa, Their Exercise in these Kingdoms has been to Debauch Folk from their Obedience to GOD; And in a word, it has been to Exauterate that Authority of GOD, and Introduce and Heighten Man's Authority; and has not that been that which all of them has been Carrying on? Let the Commands of Men be Great with you, and the Commands of GOD be Small; This they have Imployed themselves all into: But never a word of the Commands of GOD, nor his Authority. But, I say, this is the Work and Matter he Imploys himself into; He goeth throw Judah, & he bringeth the People back again to GOD, like Run-away-Servants, or the Levite 's Concubine. They had been away: But now this Holy King, he Imploys all his Power to bring them back again to GOD; and he thinks them Good Subjects, if they be Good Saints. But what is Obedience to him in regard of Obedience to GOD; But the contrary is said and done by the Men of this Generation: We are sure we see this plain from the Scripture, or Word of GOD, that this is a part of the Office of a King: And he that hath no Regard to this, ought no more to be Esteemed a King, but a Tyrrant and Enemy to GOD.

But, Secondly, A second part of Reformation is done upon the Civil State, What doth he there? He sets Judges in every City of Judah &c. We will get Customers anew in all the Cities of Judah: But few Judges, more for Exactions and Customs, nor for Judgment. Now undoubtedly as he was a Holy Man himself, so he set Holy and Good Judges in every City. For every King will choose out such Judges as himself is. Officers and Judges will tell you what a Nature the Kings are of. Soldiers and Curates shows what's the Disposition their Prince is of. Then we may know what is the Nature of the King and Court. A Holy King will have Holy Judges that will give Justice and Equity to all; But now we need not look for Equity and Justice; if they would let us alone with their Injuries, Now I say, that is the second part of Reformation (viz.) in the Civil or State, he gives Holy Judges, and he has a particular Exhortation to them, when he puts them in their Office, Verse 6. And, 1. It is Remarkable, that he says to them in the Entry of their Office: Any Body wade have thought that he wade have said, See well to my Prerogatives and Privileges, let not them be Wronged; Let not the Royal- Rents be Decreased; See that the Crown- Rights be no Way Diminished. These and the like ordinarily Kings Recommend at first. But what says he? He said to the Judges, Take heed what Ye do, for Ye judge not for Man, but for GOD the LORD, Who is with You in Judgment. Remember this, I commit Judgment to You, but the Judgment is not mine, it is the LORDs; and Remember what ye do, is for GOD; Then do it as if GOD Himself would do it; Do it as if He were Sitting there. Now where is there any Judges that does this Way? And where is there a King that Desires them to do so, or to do this Way? Says Kings now, Ye man Judge for Me, ye have your Office of Me, and therefore Judge for Me. But says he, I give you Authority of Judging; but Remember ye must Answer to GOD for your Judgment, for GOD is with you in Judgment; That is to say, He is present with you to Help you if ye do Right, and to be Displeased with you if ye Judge Wrong; He is Present to Protect you, if ye do Right: But to be a Witness, & to Punish you, if ye do Wrong: That's the Thing he Commends unto them. Now I have given you Power, and set you in a Capacity to Judge Matters Rightly; Then see ye well to it: For the Judgment is not Mine, but the LORDs; And if ye Judge Rightly, GOD will be with you in it; GOD he will Preserve you and Protect you: But if otherways, no. But there is one word in the Exhortation before we proceed to the Third Thing, Wherefore let the Fear of GOD be on you, for there is no Respect of Persons with GOD, &c. O but this were Necessary, if every King when he puts a Judge upon the Bench, wade give him such an Exhortation as this when he Sits down, saying, Take heed to your Selves, let the Fear of GOD be upon you. It is even but in Vain to speak to Men, if there be not something of the Fear of GOD on them to make them do Rightly and Well; So if there be a Principle of the Fear of GOD in them, then an Exhortation may be Usefull, and Profitable: But let the Fear of the LORD prevail, and if that make you not do Right, it will not be all the Exhortations of Men will do it otherways, or if that be not, ye will slip evermore when ye have the Opportunity, and ye will never be Sicker in Good.

But now let the Fear of the LORD be on you, for there is no Iniquity in GOD; He will do no Iniquity himself, and the Unjust Counsel he will not allow of; So this is one Thing that everyone wade Remember and look to. There is no Iniquity in our GOD, and ye need not think that when ye do Wrong in Judgment that he will allow of it: For all Processes and Judgments that have been given out by Men, will be seen by GOD at the long run; For He is like a Great King that must Survey every Thing. It's true Kings now never looks to the Judgments that Inferior Officers does, if they be according to Law. So then, he says to them, see to it, GOD will be with you in Judgment; It will be seen by GOD how ye have judged, and according to the Judgment that ye have given, GOD will give you Judgment. Now GOD is no Accepter of Persons. What is that? Give everyone his Due, for GOD will give everyone his Due. Think you GOD will spare a King more nor a Beggar? No, for all are his Creatures, he hath set up a King there: Therefore Kings are more bound to him than others. Said Christ who ought to Love most? It was answered, He to whom GOD has given most. So he that has gotten most Tokens of GODs Love, he should be most Holy; And they to whom less has been given, less is expected of: And so they should be most Holy who Command others; For with GGD there is no Respect of Persons, and so there ought to be no Respect of Persons with Judges, Folk thinks that Kings are above Laws: But let any Man show us that Kings are above Laws, either from Scripture or Reason. GOD hath said it, that with him there is no Respect of Persons; So this will bring a King in under Law, as well as others. Then he who Judges for GOD must say that if he say Rightly: Even this with us, there ought to be no Respect of Persons. Indeed we will add this one Word, which is necessary to be added in this Case: There is no Body that Rules, but they will be liable to Failings in Ruling: And therefore if all Faults of Rulers should be exactly looked to, there would be none who would Rule a Day to an end, but we might find Faults in them, for which to Depose them ere Night: But we will say this, it is one thing to be a Failing in Infirmity, and another thing to be in a constant Course of Wickedness, and Enmity against GOD. The first may be spared; but not the last. Then look where we are now: But whatever ye think of this, it is the Truth of GOD which we are Declaring unto you at this time.

But, Thirdly, The Third Thing in the Reformation is anent the Priest-hood; So that in effect he takes up the whole Land. (1.) The Body of the People, (2.) The State, or Civil-Magistrate. (3.) The Priest-hood, or the Ministry: And so a Perfect Reformation should go on throw the Three altogether. Let everyone bring it to his own Heart, Kings and Rulers must Reform without in the Land, under, or in a time of Reformation: But will ye not Reform your Selves, Verse 8. He appointed Levites and Priests in every City, and the Chief of the Fathers for the Judgment of the LORD, and for Controversies, when they Returned to Jerusalem. Verse 9. He Charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the Fear of the LORD Faithfully, and with a Perfect Heart. This was the Great Judicatory that they had in the Land; It was made up with Priests and Law-men; There was some Priests in it, and some Civil-men, and they judged together in the LORD 's Matters; The Matters of the LORD belonged to them, to wit, The Priests. And the Kings Matters belonged to the others: But all was to judge according to the Word of GOD. We shall say this one word more, there is one Great Thing Folk stumbles at in that Paper that Kings ought to Rule or Judge according to the Judicial Law; and that these Laws Kings ought to Rule by, ought to be according to the Word of GOD, And think ye this a Great Wrong? The People of GOD was ruled Two Hundred Years and upwards by this Law only, and can any be fitter to be a Law-Giver than GOD? Have we Laws, have we them from Men or of GOD? If of Men, then they had them of GOD. Then the GOD of Nature, or the GOD that Created All is far better to Teach Laws than Man that is under GOD. We say stumble not that it is said, the Laws of GOD ought to be the Laws of the Land; For it will never be Well with you (especially the Mein of the Land) till the Laws of GOD be the Laws of the Land; Then we will not be fashed with Great Ones to Oppress: For when they have Laws to make, they never do thing but Oppress the Poor. But when the Law of GOD speaks, it will give Right to the Poor as well as to the Great. So the Law of GOD should be our Law. Where the Law of GOD is received where Christians are; Let Christians go to the Law which GOD has found out; And let Heathens and Turks go to the Law that Nature finds out. Now they Judge in the Matters of the LORD, and in Controversies, &c. For Understanding this better; There was a Great Court at Jerusalem, and all the Difficult Matters came there. There were Courts and Judicatories throw the Land, and there was Judges of Hundreds, and other Officers; and Judges of Thousands throughout the Land. But all Hard Matters they brought to Jerusalem. And now he sets Judges to receive these Hard Matters that they could not Judge among themselves, and they gave Judgment in these Matters.

Now the Last Thing (and we will not go to speak anymore) is their Charge he gives them. Verse 9. And he Charged them, saying, Thus shall ye do in the Fear of the LORD. There is great Necessity to be Earnest with them that Kings commit Judgment too, that they be Faithful; There is much need for it now: For if Kings Laws be seen too, there will be little Regard what come of the Law of GOD; We know this by Experience; All the Supplications of this Poor Land has been Rejected, and the Laws of Man well seen too. We thought to begin to speak to all these particularly; But First, A Word of his Delivery; He comes in Peace to his House. Why does the Holy Ghost Mark this? If ye Observe the Chapter before, he was in a Dangerous Battle, where he had a Sore Assault; They set upon him for the King of Israel, and the LORD Delivered him out of that. And so the Holy Ghost Marks this, He came Home in Peace. And the Holy Ghost will have us to Mark this of it, that notwithstanding of this Sinful Plight he was in, in Associating with Ahab, yet GOD Graciously brought him off. He Associated with Ahab, and GOD might have letten him fall with him; Yet Ahab fell, and he is safe; The Battle is Lost, and he Returns in Peace. We shall say this one Word, Who ever hath gotten such special Deliverances from GOD (especially when under Slips) they wade consider Narrowly in their Hearts what they have been Doing: Wherefore they have met with such Deliverances. But ye will say to us, We were not in a Sinful Association; We were not Associated with Sinful, Wicked and Profane Men. But we shall say this one Word, We were Associate in a Sinful Union; And so there was as Sinful. Association with an Evil Course. Now that many Fell, was it not Just and Holy Dealing in GOD that some were preserved in such a Fall as that. O! Consider well wherefore it was that GOD has so Remarkably preserved you, especially when He might have taken away your Life. Now there are severals here that have had a part of such a Deliverance as this, not only once, but once and again. O! Great Deliverances has He given to some, even when they were Associate with a Sinful Cause: Then Mind now and Remember wherefore it is, that GOD has preserved you; It is to Repent of Sin: Yet more, it is that ye may be ready at a Good Turn again when He calls for it at your Hands; But beware of this, though' He let you go in a Sinful Action once, beware of the next time by no more joining in Sinful Associations; For Sinful Associations is ever Dangerous. Whatever the Ungodly meet with in them, yet certainly the Godly never Thrives in such Associations. Now this is the Thing that we wade say, Let every Man that has a part in such Remarkable Deliverances, say, Wherefore has Thou preserved me? Wherefore is it that I have Life? Is it a Blessing? But I think not so much of it as I should, that I have it so wonderfully. Is it not for some End, even that I may Imploy it some Way for GODs Glory; Go back and ask, Wherefore it is so Remarkable He gave you your Life when in Danger, and while ye were in a backsliding Course, and while ye were associated in a Sinful Way; and when ye were involved in a Course with the Deadly and Destroying Enemies. Consider this therefore, Wherefore has GOD given you this Life? Say, Wherefore has Thou preserved this Life? Is it that I may be for Thee? and Imploy it for Thee?

The next Thing to be considered is, The Prophet 's Reproof: He is an Misleard Prophet, Wade any Body think that he should speak so to a King? Ay, but we must be Faithful in Reproving Kings as well as others. Modesty is Ruin here. Modesty in such a Case is Ruin to Rulers: For if we had • one and told them their Sins, they had not gone on in • uch a Course as they did. Silence or Modesty here, it is • ot a Virtue but a Vice: It is but Unfaithfulness to GOD •… d Man, might he not have letten him come Home: Nay, •… hy? Will he make him Sad? Why will he make him Sader •… d Sader? There is a most be. Why are you Sad? If it be Affliction you are Sad for, ye must not be so, that is not the thing •… e ought to be Sad for: There is Sin you must be Sad for: So ye would think Folk should be spared that is in Affliction; Nay, but spare them not, for then they will best hear Reproofs when under Affliction, never better nor then. Now the thing •… e says to him is this, Shouldest thou Help the Ungodly, and Love them that Hate the LORD? How fit is this to be applied to our Times? See hence whoever Helps the Ungodly is in the Fault. They now talk Good Men are upon both Parties, Whom shall we Condemn or Follow? We shall say this one word, be they Good or Evil, if they Love them that Hate the LORD, and Help the Ungodly, they are to be reproved; See who does such are on the Wrong Side, and to be reproved. Shouldest thou Help the Ungodly, and Love them that Hate the LORD? Should ye Help them Higher for all the Little Good they have done with their Power which they have gotten already; They have too much of it already. O! that all the Ungodly in the World, were many steps Lower nor they are. What will they do then when ye have set them up? They will set up Wickedness with it. O! Help GOD and the Godly; But beware to Help up the Ungodly; They are High enough already, and there is none who will Help to Raise or Hold them up: But GOD will Reprove them; for they can do Nothing when they are raised up, but Wickedness. This Scripture speaks plainly, Shouldest thou Help the Ungodly? We shall say no more of it but this, Whoever has Helped the Ungodly at this Time, are worthy of a Reproof. We are in Two Parties now: There is one Party, the LORD and the Godly; And the other Party, the Ungodly. See what Party ye will take now. Shouldest thou Love them that Hate the LORD, and Help the Ungodly? Be what he will to you. Jehoshaphat was joined in Affinity with Ahab, and so came of it. But be who he will, Father, or Mother, or your King, should ye Love and Help him that Hates the LORD? We shall only say this word, and take heed to it, for it is the Word of Truth, Enmity and Hatred against GOD, cuts off all Obligation. Indeed we will say that, though' we were in the nearest Obligation, that is to say, even in that Relation betwixt a Father and a Son; Yet in this Case it is cut off: The Holy Ghost says, That his Father and Mother shall thrust him throw while he is Prophesying. We say this, then Hatred of GOD takes away all near and far off Obligation, for if they go on to Hate the LORD, and to Blaspheme the Name of GOD afrontedly, and Oppose the Truths of GOD, and with Malice and Hostility Oppress the Work of GOD; We may not Help and Join with them: If any Man can give better Doctrine nor this, he may; But he cannot: But Remember he brings it not from the Scriptures of GOD, if he give you that which is contrary to this; but we shall leave it.

A SERMON

WE see here, the Feast is done, and the Reckoning is come. The most part of us that's here, has gotten already that which Sin can give us. I say the Feast is Small, and there is no Body, but they will say so, when it's over. O! but I have gotten Little. There are some Woeful Creatures that thinks they shall have their Penny-worths of Sin: But there was never a Man yet that got a Penny-worth at the Devils Hand, and so it is in his Hand now. Have ye gotten your Wills out? There are some Folk who must have out their Wills, cost what it will. Well, it shall cost you Dear enough. Has the Great Ones gotten their Wills out? Nay, They have not gotten it out yet; They have gotten out some of it, and some of it no yet; They will be keeped always short of it: For when they shall be raised and reckoned with, they will begin and say then, I have not gotten my Will. And ye got your Will, the Earth would be made like a Hell. Now we must consider whom he is speaking this of, Whom is he speaking it of? He speaks it of Men like ours; that had made many a Sinful Act. We call them ours. We desire in the Sight of GOD to retract that word: But he speaks to Men that had done many Sinful Acts. In the first Verse it is said, Woe to them that Decree Unrighteous Decrees, and that Write Grievousness that they have prescribed. And if they have not Decreed Unrighteous Decrees, and prescribed Grievousness, let their Act of Council and Parliament Testifie. The Generation afterwards will Wonder that ever Men made such Acts. It may be thought, there has been as Ill Acts made before. There was an Abominable Act made by a King in Scotland, that all the World counted Abominable: But they have over-passed that Filthy Law of King Kenneth: For their Laws are more Abominable, nor if they should have Enacted Public Whoredoms and Stew-Houses. We shall say that one word, The first of Sinful Laws lights on the Subjects; But the last and the heaviest lights upon the Makers; I say the last: and the heaviest. Now it has been heavy and sad to us to Obey▪ But it has been sader and heavier for us to Suffer; That was the first: But what will come of the last and the heaviest? And what will come of you when you come to Reckon for your Laws and Grievances. Shortly thir words shows that Great Law-Makers on Earth will be put to thir Questions. Yet Kings must come down off their Thrones, and stand at the Bar of the Tribunal of GOD, and their Laws; Which they have made will be laid down before them, and it will be said to them, Will ye own them? Own them we must: He that will own them, must Disown GOD, & that Intaills him to the Wrath of GOD; and they own their Laws before GOD, as they own them now, it will be a strange thing: But this is the thing that we are saying, and which we see here, that the Greatest upon Earth, upon the account of thir Laws which they have made, will be put to thir Questions before GOD, and there are Three Questions in thir words. O! that everyone of us where at a Point, and could give an Answer and Solution to them.

The first Question is, What will ye do in the Day of Visitation? What you is this? Even you that made Laws What more these nor other Folk? Because they made Evil Laws: How so? Ye did set up a direct contrary Judicatory to GOD. When Laws is directly a conrrare Judicatory to GOD, it says, Ye take upon you to give out Laws, and Laws that are contrary to GODs Laws. Now what will ye do? O! but this Question will put to Silence and Amazement the great part of Men. What, we have nothing to do with their Sinful Laws, we never made the Laws; Well, nevertheless, ye did give Obedience to their Laws: It will be, here the Law Maker, and the Law Obeyer. What will ye do in the Day of Visitation? If ye Consented to their Laws; Is there Nothing that you Fear? Dare you boldly come before GOD? Mind this, but till you get the Book of Items, it Concerns you all that you can give an Answer to this Question, What will you do in the Day of Visitation? GOD will be through you all, He will be through us all; and ere long the Lowest of us all will give an Account of his Doings. Now, What will ye do in the Day of Visitation? Says some, I have done ells. What have ye done ells? I have Compted, I have Payed, I am Discharged: That's well, if you can say these Three. I have Reckoned, I have Judged my Self, I have Payed, not by my Self, but by another, viz. The Cautioner came in & told down for me, and GOD Reckoned it up in my behalf. Have you Payed then? I have Reckoned, I have Payed, Thirdly, I am Discharged. Where is it? We have it in a Common Proverb, such a Man is evident, that is to say, it is not Subscribed, that is a Fools Evidence. Many says they have the Evidences, but they want the Subscription. O to have the Seal of the Living GOD to every Discharge. There was Wrestling before I got it, and I have laid it up, and keeped it well, and when I take it out at the Great Day, He will acknowledge that it is His own Hand. Now see to it. Then Woe to him that Ventures upon the Tribunal of GOD, unless he have these Three; I have Reckoned, I have Payed, I am Discharged.

But now, What will ye do in the Day of Visitation? Consider it; It will put you sore to it. Sin will seek out and find you out; Justice will Pursue you: And if ye let it come to that, Remember this, they that come to the Judgment of God Unpardoned, never goes without Condemnation. They use to say of some Prisoners, they that Enter by such a Gate comes out to the Scaffold again: So they that Venture upon the Tribunal of GOD Unpardoned, What will come of them? They never come out Uncondemned. What will you do then? Even this, if you answer rightly; I must go to Hell. And what have I for that?

A Second Question is this, To whom will ye Flee for Help? That Imports this, Is there any in the World can Shelter you against GOD? Ye have GOD your Pursuer, remember that. Where will ye get a Sheltet? Where will ye Flee to? Is any Stronger nor GOD? Can any Hide you from GOD? Can any come between you & GOD? and take off your Reproof from of your Hand, and say here I am to Answer for him, I bade him do so: Nay, nay, ye will have enough to do to Answer for your own. Your bidding is sinful, and his obeying is sinful, and both shall Suffer. We shall say this one word, Let every Man look to what Obedience he gives to Powers, to Rulers, to Tyrrants; They are no Rulers but Tyrrants. It's true they are Powers; but not Powers ordained of GOD, that is a Terror to Evil Works, and a Praise to Good. Well, let every Man look to what Obedience he gives to Wicked Laws: It will not be that it is the King 's Law; It will not be Kings-Courts, nor Councils, or Parliament; They must be looked over, if they have not the Character of Justice and Equity, there must none of them be Obeyed. They will speak of a Sacred Character on them; There is no Sacred Character on any: There must be another kind of a Stamp. But Laws must be Stamped with this, with Justice and Equity, and so they have the Authority of Heaven, as well as the Authority of Men; And if ye Obey them without considering whether or no they have this Mark, in Obeying of them, ye Disobey GOD; and Remember this, stand to it. Now ye see the many Orders that hath gone forth, so that ye cannot do so much as give a Soldier Provenent for his Beast, but ye Displease GOD. Let them take what they will, and be answerable to GOD for it; but my Hand shall not give it. There are many who thinks nothing of it. Woeful Creatures, think you nothing to Uphold Soldiers, all whose Works is to Fight against GOD and Religion. Now see if ever there was another Turn in their Hand. But before we proceed to the next Question, we shall speak a few words, To whom will ye Flee? Who will Shelter you against GOD? There was never a Man so Great, but there was ay some fleeing from him, and there was some Power to which we might have joined ourselves that would be able to Defend us from him. But where will you Flee? GOD is the Pursuer, Who can be the Defender? We shall say that one word, There would not be such ready Obedience to the Sinful Commandments of Men, if the Greatness of GOD were Considered. It is a Dreadfull Thing to fall into the Hands of the Living GOD. I put myself in the Hands of Justice by giving Obedience to Sinful Laws. I Homologate their Deed, and my Obedience is as if I Consented to their Deed; So they come to every Mans Door, obey, or not obey: He who obeys, Consents to their Laws; and he that disobeys, Dissents, and Protests: But the Thing that is evidently held out, (for we will not return again) is this, in all the World against Justice and the Stroaks of GOD, Where will ye Flee, to whom will ye Flee for Help? Go your way, and do as ye will: But Remember, this you shall have, the Justice of GOD to pursue you. Next, and to whom will you Flee?

But now the next and last Question, is this, And where will ye leave your Glory? What means he by this? They would hide their Glory that it should not be Stained. Nay, there is more in it nor that; There Glory shall be, as it were, a Sting. How are ye therein? It will be said to Kings and Rulers, How got ye that Glory? Then they would gladly be quite of all their Ill-gotten Glory, lest the Just Judgment of GOD come on them when they are upon their Thrones, because they got them Ill, and used them Worse. Now where will ye leave your Glory? Well then, Remember that the Day is coming when these Things that Men boast of, they would gladly hide them, because it will be their Ruin, when GOD is Judge, Verse 4. Without me they shall bow down under the Prisoners, and shall fall under the Slain, &c. We shall say this one word from it; It is enough to want GOD, but it is more to have GOD. One Enemy (without me) if Judgment come, ye shall fall under them, though' they were Prisoners and Slain-Men, they shall be enough to Slay you; without me, ye cannot bide nor bear Judgments; but much less can ye able to bear, when I am not only absent from you, but turned to be your Enemy. We shall now hasten to an end.

The first Thing Observable, is this, There is a time of Visitation coming, and all has need to Prepare for it: For it will put all Sore to it. What Sin have ye? What Debt have ye Payed? What Discharge have ye? There is a Twofold Visitation, (to wit) Of Mercy and Judgment. First, Of Visitation in Mercy; These words are spoken. We heard that GOD had Visited his People by giving them Bread. But, Secondly, There is another Visitation of Judgment: The Justice of GOD will go about and hold his Court; It will go about, and through all the Land and keep its Court, and Arraign all Subjects, all Kings, and Rulers are as well Subjects here, as the Meanest Beggar. O but it is wonderful to hear tell that the Ministers of the Gospel should Talk at such a Rate. Where was ever such a Thing as that heard? What Scripture can you get (say they) for to Excommunicat Kings. Are they not Creatures and Subjects to GOD? And are they not bound to be Holy as well as the Meanest. This word we shall say, Unworthy are they that ever they should be Cloathed with Authority that follows not GOD with it. Will not GOD Judge Kings? And should not the Ministers of the Gospel Excommunicate Kings? But the Scripture that says, Kings ought to be Excommunicat; says, put away the Wicked Person from amongst you. And if a King be a Wicked Person, it says, put him away. But the Ministers of Scotland has woefully perverted the Power which GOD has given them; For they have Excommunicat Godly and Holy-Men; and the Excommunication of Godly, and Worthy, and Valiant Strachan, is lying upon the Church of Scotland, and they have neglected the Excommunication of the most Vile and Profligate Persons. Are Kings excemed then? There •… a Visitation of Judgment, we say, and it is of Two or Thre •… Kinds. There is a Temporal Visitation: GOD sits a while •… in one Land, as it were, and a while in another Land, an •… He Judges, and executes Judgment, and makes the Pestilence sometimes to be the Rope, sometimes the Sword, sometimes the Famine; So that all these are Visitations of Judgment. Scotland has been long Unvisited; now the Long •… the Sorer; it will have a Sore Visitation. O! for Wisdom O! for Tenderness to Tremble: For Wisdom to Foresee, an •… for Grace to Prepare against the Day of Visitation, and a Severe GOD. But next, There is a Great Visitation of the whole when all the World shall be Visited; and this is such a Narrow Net that None will go throw: Ye may Escape Visitations on Earth, and win by the sides of that Net one Way o •… another by Providence: But there is a Net coming that wi •… Catch all. What will ye do? Tho' ye should win by all Things •… ye will never win by the Judgment of GOD, and the Tribunal of GOD. What will ye do then when you come there?