Key. III. 2.] England's spiritual languishing. 423
think all the devils in hell cannot disappoint you, yet God can, for he supposeth their presumption grown so confident, as that they speak the word ; that is, give out threats and boasts, and yet then it shall not stand. The reason is rendered in the close of all ; for Emmanuel, for God is with us. Indeed, there is the ground of all. God never made a creature, or any combination of creatures, that should be too hard for him ; God with us, is enough. You do but spit against the wind when you oppose those with whom he is. The drivel will be returned upon your own face : Isa. liv. 18, ' Surely they shall gather together, but not by me. Whosoever shall gather together against thee, shall fall for thy sake.' There may be tumults and confusions, but being without God there is little hope, and against God there is certain ruin. The heathens were convinced of this ; they would not war against a nation till they had called out their gods from them. Mac- robius, in his Saturnalia, hath a chapter, De Ritu Evocandi Deos. It was upon this errand that Balaam went to Balak, to get away the God of Israel, Num. xxiii. Certainly nothing goes so near to the hearts of God's people as the insultations of their adversaries, when they have lost their shadow and the defensive presence of their God ; as when David had fallen scandalously in the matter of Uriah, his adversaries boasted, ' Now there is no help from him in God. Selah,' Ps. iii. 2 ; and this went to his soul. So still our scandalous miscarriages give the adversaries hope that our shadow is gone, &c.
3. In having God, you have men too ; he can preserve friends, or awe enemies; and therefore, still I say, to gain the respects of men, the best way is to get in with God : Prov. xvi. 7, ' When a man's ways please the Lord, his enemies shall be at peace with him.' Remember God's power over the spirits of men, and then you will see that your main Avork lieth with him. Jacob's hardest task was with God ; he wrestleth with God, and findeth embraces from Esau. Eeconcile yourselves to God, and take hold of his strength, and then he can take away the enmity of the creature. God can recover lost hearts, preserve the re- spects of subjects entire to the supreme powers. It is very notable that in Gen. xxxiv. 30, compared with Gen. xxxv. 1, when the miscar- riages of Simeon and Levi had made Jacob stink among the inhabitants of the land, and he was afraid the Canaanites and Perizzites would combine against him to slay him, God biddeth him go to Bethel and pay his vows. Such disasters should put him in mind of his covenant ; the performing of which was the best way to support him against his present fears. Oh ! consider, if any have made you stink in the land, your business is to go to Bethel and pay your vows. Force will not be so great a security as godliness. Armies make long work, but God can soon still the rage of the people ; and when he doth it, it is done in a more kindly way. The door is more easily opened by a key than an iron bar, and men's hearts sooner gained by the power of God than men. God can clear up your renown, recover your glory and esteem a^rain, calm the people, and cause all to be still. There are two things that are of great difficulty, and they are joined in one verse, Ps. Ixv. 7, ' He stilleth the noise of the seas, and the tumult of the people.' In the accomplishing of either of these things, man is at the greatest loss, either in assuaging the natural or the metaphorical waves ; and there-
424 England's spiritual languishing. [Rev. III. 2.
fore it was well done of that king who, to disprove his flatterers that had soothed him with the greatness of his command and empire, both by sea and land, caused his chair to be set near the sea-side, and the waves beating upon it without any reverence, said, Lo ! as great a king; as I am, I cannot rebuke one wave. Truly no more can princes of themselves still the tumult of the people, for they are both of an equal difficulty, and must be left to the overruling power of God, the noise of the seas, and the rage of the people.
I come now to apply the point. We have found that getting in with God, by establishing religion, and repairing the decays of godli- ness, is a special means of preservation.
Oh ! then let us consider this with reflection upon ourselves ; we are concerned in it. England heretofore was compared to Laodicea for its lukewarmness/ it may be compared to Sardis for its languishing.
We have a name that we live. Our renown is gone into all lands, for savoury and practical tniths ; but, alas ! our crown is like to be taken from us, and our glory laid in the dust. Religion of late seemeth to have lost all life and spirit, and godliness to degenerate into a cold form. The ordinances that erstwhile were wont to open heaven and break hearts, through the abundance of spirit that was in them, seem now to have lost all their converting power. Visions are open and few gained ; Christ is crucified before our eyes, but some fatal en- chantment and fascination seemeth to abide upon our congregations, for few hearts are broken, few brought into the obedience of the truth. The English Christians heretofore were famous for their severe in- nocency, strict walking, constant communion with God, undaunted zeal, sweet experiences, holy conferences and communications, whereas now we meet with few but such as are, like the vain men of Israel, of a light spirit, loose conversation ; given to vain wranglings and disputes more than to practice and holy life, and measuring religion not so much by the power of godliness, as by form and faction, and siding with parties. God knoweth how unwilling I am to lay open our own nakedness, and to declaim against the times to which he hath disposed me. I know the nature of man is querulous and complaining ; the unthankful good one will always be commending the former times, and accusing his own ; it is often the voice of discontent and peevishness, ' The former times were better than these,' Eccles. vii. 10. Besides, every trifling zeal vents itself in loose invectives and flings. It is easy to rake in this puddle, and to reproach our times with such crimes and allegations, quoe quisque suis temporihus objicit, as Tacitus observed, with which every one upbraideth his own age ; therefore I shall en- deavour to make out the conviction more particularly for our humilia- tion and instruction. My method is this : —