CHAP. II. A LAMENTATION FOR THE UNKIND WELCOME THAT GOSPEL NEWS FINDS IN THE WORLD; WITH TWO OR THREE SAD GROUNDS OF FEAR AS TO US IN THIS NATION, TAKEN FROM THE PRESENT ENTERTAINMENT THE GOSPEL HATH AMONG US, WITH A DOUBLE EXHORTATION TO THE SAINTS TO REJOICE IN THIS JOYOUS MESSAGE, AND CHIEFLY IN THIS. SECT. I. USE 2. A sad lamentation may be here taken up, that so good news should have such ill welcome as the Gospel commonly finds in the world. When the tidings were first told at Jerusalem of a Saviour being born, one would have thought, especially if we consider that the Scripture-reckoning for the birth of the Messiah was now out, and they big with expectation of his coming, that all hearts would have leaped within them for joy at the news, to see their hopes so happily delivered and accomplished; but behold the clean contrary. Christ's coming proves matter of trouble and distaste to them; they take the alarm at his birth, as if an enemy, a destroyer (not a Saviour) were landed on their coast, and as such Herod goes out against him, and make him flee the country. But possibly, though at present they stumble at the meanness of his birth and parentage, yet when the rays of his divinity shall shine through his miracles, then they will religiously worship him whom now they contemn; when he comes forth into his public ministry, opens his commission, and shews his authority, yea with his own blessed lips tells the joyful message he brings from his Father unto the sons of men, then surely they will dearly love his person, and thankfully embrace, yea greedily drink in, the glad tidings of salvation which he preacheth to them. No: they persist in their cursed unbelief, and obstinate rejecting of him, though the Scripture (which they seemed to adore) bears so full a testimony for Christ that it accuseth them to their own consciences, yet they will have none of him. Christ tells them so much: "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me; and ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life;" John v. 39, 40. Life they desired, yet will lose it rather than come to him for it. And is the world now amended? doth Christ in his Gospel meet with any kinder usage at the hands of most? The note that Christ sings is still the same: "Come unto me, that you may have life." The worst hurt Christ does poor souls that come unto him is to put them into a state of life and salvation; and yet where is the person that likes the offer? O it is other news that men generally listen after: this makes the Exchange, the market-place, so full, and the church so thin and empty. Most expect to hear their best news from the world; they look upon the news of the Gospel as foreign, and that which doth not so much concern them, at least at present; it is time enough to mind this when they are going into another world. Alas! the Gospel is not accommodated to their carnal desires; it tells them of no fields and vineyards that it hath to give; it invites them not with the gaieties of worldly honours and pleasures. Had Christ in his Gospel but gratified the cravings of men's lusts with a few promises for these things, though he had promised less for another world, the news would have gone down better with these sots, who had rather hear one prophesy of wine and strong drink than preach of Heaven itself. Truly they are but a very few, and those sufficiently jeered for their pains, that like the message of the Gospel so well as to receive it cordially into their hearts; if any one does but give entertainment to Christ and it be known, what an alarm does it give to all his carnal neighbours? who if they do not presently beset his house, as the Sodomites did Lot's, yet set some brand of scorn upon him; yea make account they have now reason enough to despise and hate him, how well soever they loved him before. O what will God do with this degenerate age we live in? O England, England, I fear some sad judgment or other bodes thee. If such glad tidings as the Gospel brings be rejected, sad news VOL. II. 2 T cannot be far off; I cannot think of less than of a departing Gospel. God never made such a settlement of his Gospel among any people but he could remove it from them. He comes but upon liking, and will he stay where he is not welcome? Who will, that hath elsewhere to go? It is high time for the merchant to pack up and be gone, when few or none will buy; nay, when instead of buying, they will not suffer him to be quiet in his shop, but throw stones at him, and dirt on his richest commodities. Do we not see the names of Christ's faithful messengers bleeding at this day under the reproaches that fly so thick about their ears? Are not the most precious truths of the Gospel almost covered with the mire and dirt of errors and blasphemies, which men of corrupt minds (set on work by the Devil himself) have raked out of every filthy puddle and sink of old heretics, and thrown on the face of Christ and his Gospel! And where is the hand so kind as to wipe off that which they throw on, the heart so valiant for the truth that will stop these foul mouths from spitting their venom against Christ and his Gopel? If any thing be done of this kind, alas! it is so faintly that they gather heart by it; justice is so favourably sprinkled, like a few drops upon fire, that it rather encreaseth the flame of their rage against the truth than quencheth it. A prince calls not home his ambassador for every affront that is offered him in the streets; but when he is affronted and can have no redress for the wrong. SECT. II. Object. But some may say, Though it cannot be denied that the Gospel hath found very unkind entertainment by many among us, and especially of late years, since a spirit of error hath so sadly prevailed in the land; yet make us not worse than we are. There is, blessed be God, a remnant of gracious souls yet to be found to whom Christ is precious, who gladly embrace the message of the Gospel, and weep in secret for the contempt that is cast upon it by men of corrupt minds and profane hearts; and therefore we hope we are not in such imminent danger of losing the Gospel as your fears suggest. Answ. If there were not such a sprinkling of saints among us, our case were indeed desperate, conclusum esset de nobis. The shades of that dismal night would quickly be upon us. These are they that have held the Gospel thus long among us. Christ had, as to his Gospel-presence, been gone ere this, had not these hung about his legs, and with their strong cries and prayers entreated his stay. But there are a few considerations as to these, which, seriously weighed, will not leave us without some tremblings of heart. First, Consider what little proportion (as to the number I mean) do these that embrace the Gospel bear with those that continue to reject it; those that desire to keep Christ among us, and those that wish him gone, and would gladly be rid of him. Were it put to the vote, would not they carry it, by thousands of thousands, that care not whether we have a Gospel or not? And doth it not prophesy sadly when the odds is so great? In all the departures of God from a people, there were ever some holy ones mingled amongst the rout of sinners. Sardis had her "few names, which had not defiled their garments;" but yet the "candlestick was removed." All that they could get was a promise for themselves in particular: "They shall walk with me in white." Rev. iii. iv. but no protection for the Church. God can pull down the house, and provide well for his saints also that he finds there. A few voices are easily drowned in the outcry of a multitude; a few pints of wine are hardly tasted in a tun of water: and a little number of saints can do sometimes but little to the saving of a wretched people among whom they live. Possibly, as in a weak body where the disease hath got the mastery, nature putting forth its summum conatum, its utmost strength, may keep life awhile in the body for some days or weeks, but cannot long, without some help to evacuate the distemper; so a few saints, shut up in a degenerate age amongst an ungodly Christ-despising people, may awhile prorogue the judgment, and reprieve awhile the life of such a people; but if there be no change made upon them for the better, ruin must needs break in upon them. Secondly, Consider of these few gracious ones found amongst us that embrace the Gospel how many are new converts, such I mean as the Gospel hath of late days won to Christ? I am afraid you will find this little number of saints chiefly to consist of old disciples, such as were wrought upon many years since. Alas! the womb of the Gospel hath been in a great measure shut up of late as to the bringing forth of souls by a thorough solid work of conversion. Indeed if they may pass for converts that baptise themselves into a new way and form of worship, or that begin their religion with a tenet and an opinion, we have more than a good many to show of these but, in this old age of England's withered profession, how great a rarity is a sincere convert! We cannot deny but God is graciously pleased to bring the pangs of the new birth now and then upon some poor souls in our assemblies (that his despised servants may have his seal to confirm their ministry, and stop those mouths which are so scornfully opened against it) yet, alas! it is but here and there one; and doth not this prophesy sadly to this nation? I am sure, when we see a tree that used to stand thick with fruit now bring forth but little, may be an apple on this bough, and another on that, we look upon it as a dying tree. Leah comforted herself from her fruitfulness, "that therefore her husband would love her, and cleave to her;" Gen. xxix. 34. may we not, on the contrary, fear that God will not love but leave a people when they grow barren under the means of grace? God threatens as much, Jer. vi.8. “Be instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee;" and if God's soul departs then he is upon his remove as to his visible presence also; so indeed it follows: "lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited." O my brethren, those golden days of the Gospel are over when converts came flying as a cloud, as the doves to their windows in flocks. Now Gospel-news grows stale, few are taken with it. Though a kingdom hath much treasure and riches in it, yet if trade cease, no new bullion comes in, nor merchandise be imported, it spends upon its old stock, and must needs in time decay our old store of saints (the treasure of their times) wears away apace; what will become of if no new ones come in their room? Alas! when our us, |