^ ^^"!;?) a contemptuous appellation of idolatrous priests. It occurs 2 Kintjs xxili. 5; IIos.x.5; Zepli. i. 4; and is derived from a Syriac word, blackness; in the concrete, one in black attire, an ascetic, a priest. — Ed.
882 Christ's kingdom and
ter: and tliore is not a wise man or woman amongst tliem that can dissuade them. Strange! that Ephraim shouhl join Avith Syria to vex Judah their brother, — that the Netherlands, whose being is founded merely upon the interest you have undertaken, should join with the gi-eat antichristian interest, which cannot possibly be set up again without their inevitable ruin. Hence also are deep thoughts of heart; men are perplexed, disquieted, and know not what to do.
I could mention other lusts, and tumultuatings of the spirits of men, that have an influence into the disturbance of the heai-ts of the most precious in this nation, but I forbear.
4. Men's own lusts disquiet their spirits in such a season as this. I could instance in many; I shall name only four:— (1.) Unstahleness of mind; (2.) Carnal fears; (3.) Love of the luorld; (4.) Desire of ■pre-eminence.
(1.) Unstahleness of mind, which makes men like the waves of the sea, that cannot rest. The Scripture calls it axaratfraff/ai/, " tumultu- atingness" of spirit. There is something of that which Jude speaks of, in better persons than those he describes, — " raging like waves of the sea, and foaming out their o'svn shame," verse 13. If God give men up to a restless spirit, no condition imaginable can quiet them ; still they think they see something beyond it that is desirable. Han- nibal said of Marcellus, that he could never be quiet, — conqueror nor conquered. Some men's desires are so enlarged, that nothing can satiate them. Wise men, that look upon sundry godly persons in this nation, and beholding how every yoke of the oppressor is broken from off their necks, that no man makes them afraid, that they are looked on as the head, not as the tail, — enjoying the ordinances of God ac- cording to the light of their minds and deshcs of their hearts, no man forbidding them, — are ready to wonder (I speak of private persons) what they can find to do in their several places and calhngs, but to serve the Lord in righteousness and holiness, being without fear, all the days of their lives. But, alas ! when poor creatures are given up to the j)0wer of an unquiet and unstable mind, they think scarce any thing vile, but being wise unto sobriety, — nothing desirable, but what is without their proper bounds, and what leads to that confusion v/hich themselves, in the issue, are least able of many to undergo. It is impossible but that men's hearts should be pierced with disquiet- ness and trouble, that are given up to this frame.
(2.) Carnal fears. — These even devour and eat up the hearts of men. What shall we do? what shall become of us? Ephraim is con- federate with Syria, and the hearts of men are shaken as the trees of the wood that are moved with the whid. What! now troubles still! new un settlements! This storm will not be avoided; this will be worse than all that hath befallen us from the vouth of our undertak-
THE magistrate's POWER. oS3
ings. God liath not yet won upon men's sj)irits to trust him in shak- ings, perplexities, alterations ; they remember not the manifestations of his wisdom, power, and goodness in former days, and how tender hitherto he hath been of the interest of Christ, that their hearts might be established. Could we but do our duty, and trust the Lord with the performance of his promises, what quietness, what sweetness might we have I
I shall not instance in the other two particulars. It is too mani- fest that many of our piercing and perplexing thoughts are from the tumultuating and disorder of our own lusts. So that what remains of the time allotted to me I shall spend only in the use of this point, and pi'oceed no farther.
Use. Of instruction, to direct you into ways and means of quiet- ness, in reference unto all these causes and occasions of piercing, dividing thoughts in such a season as this. The good Lord seal up instruction to your soids, that you may know the things that belong to your peace, and what Israel ought to do at this, even at this time. For my brethren's and companions' sake, I wish you prosperity. Though my owti portion should be in the dust, for the true, spir^itual, not imaginary, carnal interest of the church of God in this nation, and the nations about, I wish you prosperity.
(L) First, then, in reference to the things that God is doing, both as to their greatness and their manner of doing; whose consideration fills men "svith thoughts that grieve their spirits in the midst of their bodies. Would you have your hearts quieted in this respect? — take my second observation for your direction; — The only way to extricate and deliver our spuits from under such perplexities and entangle- ments, is to draw nigh to God in Christ for the discovery of his will. So did Daniel here in my text. I fear this is too mvich neglected. You take counsel with your own hearts, you advise with one another, — hearken unto men under a repute of wisdom; and all this doth but increase your trouble, — you do but more and more entangle and dis- quiet your own spirits. God stands by and says, " I am wise also;" and little notice is taken of him. We think we are gi'own wise our- selves, and do not remember we never prospered but only when we went unto God, and told him plainly we knew not what to do. Public fastings are neglected, despised, spoken against; and when appointed, practised according as men's hearts are principled to such a duty, — coldly, deadly, unacceptably. Life, heat, warmth is gone ; and shall not blood and all go after? The Lord prevent it! Private meetings are used to show ourselves wise in the debate of things, with a form of godly words ; sometimes for strife, tumult, division, disorder. And shall we think there is much closet inquiring after God, when all other actings of that principle which should cany out