(4.) A fourth reason is, that His own people, seeing all earthly things shaken and removing, may be raised up to the laying hold of that diirable kingdom that shall not be removed.^ All carnal inte- rests will doubtless be shaken with that of Babylon. Many of God's people are not yet weaned from the things that are seen : ^ — no sooner is one carnal form shaken out, but they are ready to cleave to an- other, yea, to warm themselves in the feathered nests of unclean birds. All fleshly dominion witliin doors, and all civil dominion that opposeth without doors, shall be shaken. Now, these things are so glued also to men's earthly possessions, the talons of the birds of prey having firmly seized on them, that they also must be shaken with them; and therefore from them also will he have us to be loosed, 2 Pet. iii. 12, 13.
And these are some of the reasons of the position laid down, which is so bottomed, so proved, as you have heard. Of the speedy accom-
' Pctra dedit Petio, Petrus diadema Rudolfo. - Ileb. xii. 2S.
"2 Cor. iv. 18.
OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 269
plishment of all this I no way doubt. " I believe, and tlierefore I have spoken." Whether I shall see any farther perfection of this work whilst I am here below, I am no way solicitous ; being assured that if I fail of it here, I shall, through the grace of him who loved us, and gave himself for us, meet w4th the treasures of it otherwhere.
Come we to the uses.
Use 1. The rise of our first use I shall take from that of the pro- phet, " Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein," Hos. xiv. y. Labour for this heavenly wisdom and prudence, that Ave may know these things, and be acquainted with the mind and will of God in the season and generation wherein we live. His way is not so in the dark, nor his footsteps in the deep, but that we may perceive what he is about.
Luke xii. 54-56, our Saviour gives it in as a sure testimony of the Pharisees' hypocrisy, notwithstanding all their pretences, and pos- session of Moses' chair, that they were wise in eaithly things, and had draAvn out experiences, by long observation, of what was like to come to pass as to the weather, by considermg the ordinary signs of the alterations thereof; but notwithstanding that mighty effectual concurrence of signs in heaven and earth, with the accomplishment of jorophecies, all pointing to the instant establishment of the kingdom of God in the coming of the Messiah, not discerning them at all, they come and cry, " If thou be the Christ, give us a sign;" when, without satisfying their sinful curiosity, heaven and earth were full of signs round about them. Men who will not receive God's signs, suppose they should be wonderful proficients in credulity might they have signs of their own fancjdng. The rich glutton thought that if his way of teaching might have been set up by men rising from the dead, there would have been a world of converts, — more than were made by preaching the word of God.^ Men suppose that if God from heaven should give in some discriminating prodigy, oh, how abundantly should they be satisfied ! The truth is, the same lust and corruption that makes them disbelieve God's signs, moves them to look after signs of their own. For this veiy thing, then, were the Pharisees branded as hypocrites, that having wisdom in natural things, to calculate and prognosticate from necessary signs, yet in the Avorks of the Lord, though the signs which in his -wisdom he was pleased to give were plentifid round about them, they must have some of their own choosing. I pray God none such be found in our day.
1 Chron. xii. 32, it is said of the men of Issachar, that they " had
' ' a^^Duri Maria xixi rohs -Tr^oipnTai. Ohyu va-r-Q ' AS^aaff aXX' lav ns aTu M.icpZv ^o^ivly,, Luke xvi. 2i), 30.
270 THE SUAKIXG AND TRAXSLATIXG
understand ing of the times, to know wliat Israel ought to do.''* Israel is in the dark, and knows not what to do, if the times and seasons be not discovered to them. If the mind and will of the Lord in their generation be not made out unto a people, it will be their ruin. Hence it is that the Lord encourageth us to make inquiiy after these things, to find out the seasons wherein he will do any great work for his people, knowing that mthout this we shall be altogether useless in the generation wherein we live, Isa. xlv. 11, " Ask me of things TO COME concerning my sons ; and concerning the work of my hands COMMAND ye me." And what is this that the Lord will have his people to inquire of him abovit ? Even the great work of the ruin of Babylon, and restoration of his church ; which yet was not to be accomplished for two hundred and forty years. And this he tells you plainly in the following verses : " I have raised him up" (Cpiis) " in righteousness, and I will direct all his waj^s : he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor rewaixl, saith the Lord of hosts," verse 13. Tlie Lord is earnest with his people to inquire into the season of the accomplishment of his gxeat intend- ments for the good of his church, v/hen as yet they are afar off; how much more wlien they are nigh at hand, even at the doors ! " Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord," Ps. cvii. 43. The prophet tells you (Dan. ix. 2) that this was his great study, and at length he understood by books the approach of the time wherein God would deliver his church from Babylonish captivity and pollution. Now, this discoveiy hath two or three notable products.