[2.] Now for the manner. This must be done —
(1.) Speedily. It is no time to dally. ' Whilst he is yet a great way off, he sendeth an embassy.' We must not tarry till the judgment tread upon our heels, or the storm break out upon us. A man cannot soon enough be in the arms of Christ. They that are in good earnest are in haste : ' who have fled for refuge,' &c. Heb. vi. 18 ; the avenger of blood being at their heels. Sin and we cannot part soon enough. Many a time a brabble falleth out between a man and his lusts ; but he delayeth, and all cometh to nothing. In an heat, we bid the naughty servant be gone ; but he lingereth, and before the next morning all is cool and quiet again ; we are agreed again as much as ever.
(2.) Seriously ; for God will not be mocked. In real danger it is no time to dally with God. The work of humiliation must be serious. God abhorreth mock fasts, hanging the head for a day like a bulrush, Isa. Iviii. 5. A little drooping, a few mournful postures for the present, and putting a natural fervency in our prayers, will not serve the turn ; it is but howling. Are you indeed sensible of the weight of God's dis- pleasure, so that you make the seeking of his face in Christ to be your great work ? 2 Chron. vii. 14, ' If the people that is called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, &c., then will I pardon theu' sins, and heal their land.' God's favour and reconciliation by Christ, do you seek this above all things ? So your coming to God by Christ must be serious : Heb. x. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart.' Not like Judas, kiss to betray him ; or as Joab's embracing of Abner. Come with an unfeigned purpose of doing and being what God would have you to do and be. Your reformation must be serious : Jer. iii. 10, ' Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.^ There was an outward turn, for it was in the days of Josiah, ver. 7 ; and then the law was recovered, the
30 A FAST SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT.
worship of God restored, a covenant made with him, 2 Kings xxii. 23 ; but for all this pretended change the mischiefs continued, all was in pretence, as appeareth by their speedy revolt. Usually, in the changes of the world, the persons are changed, but not things. The men are cast out, but the corruptions live. Or else all is but pretence. In Josiah's time, many nasty corners were unswept : Zeph. i. 1, ' The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah, in the days of Josiah' — (A man would wonder, that he should come with such a thundering prophecy in the days of a reforming magistrate) — ' I will utterly consume all things from the land ; I will consume man and beast.' A sad desola- tion threatened. Why all this in Josiah's time ? See in ver. 4, ' I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests.' Some relics of the old superstition, which Josiah could not discover, and the people would not reform. The Chemarims were kept officers of the idols ; idolatrous Chemarims, wicked priests. So ver. 6, ' And them that are turned back from the Lord, and those that have not sought the Lord,' &c.
God's anger is increased by mock turns. Hypocrites, if there be any hotter place in hell, it is their portion : Mat. xxiv. 51, ' And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with hypocrites.' The land of darkness is their heritage and fee-simple. So an hypocritical nation : Isa. x. 6, ' I will send him against an hypocritical nation, to take the spoil and take the prey ; ' the Assyrian, a profane nation, and Judah, an hypocritical nation. They professed reformation, and dallied with God. God doth not stand upon the choice of a rod when his people mock him, as an angry father taketh what cometh next to hand. The basest people may be employed against them that mock God with vain pretences, feigned words, and empty shows. If, in a church, forms of Avorship be only changed, and not the manners of men ; in a state, the instruments, but not the corruptions, the Lord will not be put off so.
(3.) If must be done earnestly, and with aflPection. Humiliation implieth an afflictive sorrow, and that the heart be melted and broken before the Lord ; ' a rending of the heart : ' Joel ii. 13, ' Eend your hearts and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord.' Stout hearts must be broken, and affected with the sense of God's displeasure. This is not a work to be lightly passed over. Our looking for mercy in Christ, it must be earnest. The messengers of the king of Assyria waited for the word, brother. With such earnestness should you look for the answers of grace. And your resolutions for God must be earnest, loathing our sins, and returning to the Lord with all the heart, seeking his face with diligence and seriousness. It may cost you much wrestling to get and keep his favour and communion with him.