3. Are not the professing part of the nation at this day divided, both in their judgments and affections .? And what a singular ad- vantage the enemy hath thereby, is obvious to every considering person : w^e have been often told, that except the spirit of love did speedily close up those unchristian breaches, the common adversary w^ould enter in at them. It was a worthy speech of Brentius, when the divines of Germany were scuffling one with another in the midst of the popish party, « Tollendo meritOy &c. Let all quarrel- ' ling and bitteraess be laid aside, and let us subject our judgments < to our Lord Jesus Christ: Our adversaries yet live, and are *• daily more bold ; night and day they labour to extinguish the ' light of the gospel which is risen among us, and to bring back ' the ancient darkness ; mean while, we, who in the beginning, f by the grace of God professed the gospel unanimously, turn our
* weapons one against another, and exhibit a gi-ateful spectacle to ' our enemies ; who place more trust and confidence in our con- ' tentions, than in the vain foundation of their own cause ; and all ' their own art and power.'
I liave a long time looked upon our contentions as upon a blaz- ing comet, portending utter desolation, if the Lord heal them not speedily. Think upon this you that fear the Lord, and tremble at his judgments: How have we beaten our fellow-servants? Un- sainted those that jumped not with us in our opinions ? That saint was too high, and that too low ; but here is an enemy, that like Procrustes the tyrant, will cut you all of a length : If you were ten thousand more than you are, you were no match for tlum, as long as you lie in tliis posture. How easily did Gideon, with his little handful, vanquish the huge host of the IMidianites; when every man set his sword to the breast of his fellow, and instead of opposing him, slew every man his brother.? Judges vii. 22. I make no question but the Papists have blown up these sparks of dissension among us, to warm their own fingers by our flames; they have animated and fomented that spirit of bitterness and wrath among us; as one that hath set two cocks a fighting, that having killed each other, he may sup upon them both at night. This Avas the sad posture of Jerusalem, when the enemy entered her gates. O England ! England ! thy destruction is of thyself. " If the hearts of the fathers be not turned to the children, and " the hearts of the children to the fathers, what can we expect, " but that God should come and smite the earth with a curse ?^ Mai iv. ult. " Lord heal the breaches of England, for it shaketh," Psal. Ix. 2.
4. Fourthly and lastly. That which much appals and daunts my spirit is, they find us as deeply guilty of the abuse of the best mercies, as ever any nation was. So that I am afraid this enemy will prove the Jlagellum Dei, the scourge of God, (as Totilas of old, from his cruel persecution of the Christians, was called) to avenge our unthankfulness for those choice favours, which lieaven hath showered down upon this ungrateful nation. Saint Jerom speaking of the church's enemies, < By our sins (saith he) our ene- ' mies are made strong :' And history tells us, that when Vespasian had conquered Jerusalem, he refused to have the crown set upon liis head, saying, / indeed am the rod in the hmid of God^ but it is their sins only that have subdued them. Upon what nation under heaven hath God more richly heaped his blessings, than upon England ? And what people have more wantonly abused them ? or more contemptuously spurned at the tender mercies of him that conferred them ? What blessing is it which deserves to be stiled matchless, transcendent, glorious, that England hath not enjoyed ^
568 TIDI^'GS FROM ROME ; OR,
If peace be it, we have had it ; if plenty, we have had it ; if the light of the blessed gospel shining in its meridian splendour be it, we have had it : " But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked :" O dreadful fore-runner of national ruin ! What was it that gave the Saracens footing in the eastern empire, but the wantonness of those churches, abusing the light which they enjoyed ? How impatiently did the people of God in former times thirst for liberty to wor- ship God purely ! and when they had obtained it, what was the use they made of it ? Horresco referens^ I tremble in speaking it ; did we not play with our light, fight with our brethren by it, till God blowed out the candle ? And so (I wish I could say) ended the quarrel.
^Ve may say of our libertv, as the philosopher speaks of ^vaters, Sins tf7-minis diffidU conthieiitur. They are difficultly kept within their bounds ; why, brethren, did you think that God v/ould suf- fer such precious mercies to run at the waste-spout much longer ? did you think he was weary of his mercies, to continue them to such as little regarded them ? Or, that it was not as grievous to the blessed God, that his children should smite one anotlier, as to see the enemy smiting them ? No darkness is more formidable than that of an eclipse, which assaults the very vessels of light ; no taste more unsavoury than that of sweet things when corrupted ; and no sin more hideous than that which darkens the brightness of God's love, and corrupts the sweetness of his mercy. O England ! thou hast abused a darling attribute of God, thou hast sinned against the most deeply engraven principle, and law of nature : The very irrational creatures, yea, the heaviest and dullest among them, the ox and ass are not so deficient in gratitude to their owners, as thou hast been to thy God, Isa. i. 3. justly therefore may he upbraid thee, and say, " Be astonished, O ye heavens at this, and be ye *' horribly afraid," S^c. Sicne rependis f Is this thy kindness to the God of thy mercies ? Marvel not then if God pluck up the hedge of his protection from about thee, and let in cruel foes upon thee to chastise thee for thine ingratitude ; and though he will not make a full end of thee, yet may he say concerning thee, as of Is- rael, 2 Chron. xii. 7, 8. " I will not utterly destroy them, but '* will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be '^ poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak ; never- " theless they shall be his servants, that they may know my ser- '' vice and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.'" The Lord, I trust, will not utterly forsake his dwelling-place in Eng- land ; but verily I fear he may permit Antichrist for a time to af- flict us, that we may know the difference between the sweet and easy yoke of Christ, which we would not endure, and the yoke of Antichrist tliat shall gall our necks and consciences with cruel ser-