Israel's lamentation after the Lord, or, A discourse, wherein every well-wisher to Zion is excited, and directed how to lament after the Lord with prayers and tears, to maintain the ordinances of God, or God's presence with his ordinances amongst us being some meditations upon 1 Sam. 7.2. Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702. 1683 Approx. 211 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 82 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2009-10 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A43579 Wing H1768 ESTC R22352 12300304 ocm 12300304 59151 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A43579) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 59151) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 634:3) Israel's lamentation after the Lord, or, A discourse, wherein every well-wisher to Zion is excited, and directed how to lament after the Lord with prayers and tears, to maintain the ordinances of God, or God's presence with his ordinances amongst us being some meditations upon 1 Sam. 7.2. Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702. [16], 143 p. Printed for Tho. Parkhurst ..., London : 1683. Marginal notes. Reproduction of original in Bodleian Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- O.T. -- Samuel, 1st, VII, 2 -- Meditations. 2008-09 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2008-09 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2008-10 John Pas Sampled and proofread 2008-10 John Pas Text and markup reviewed and edited 2009-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion Israel's Lamentation After the Lord : OR , A DISCOURSE , WHEREIN Every well-wisher to Zion is excited , and directed how to lament after the Lord with Prayers and Tears , To maintain the Ordinances of God , or God's presence with his Ordinances amongst us . BEING Some Meditations upon 1 Sam. 7.2 . Psalm 80.4 . O Lord God of Hosts : how long wilt thou be angry ( Heb. smoke ) against the Prayer of thy People ? LONDON , Printed for Tho. Parkhurst , at the three Crowns & Bible at the lower end of Cheapside . 1683. AN Humble Address TO THE Righteous GOD. RIghteous art thou , O Lord , in all thy ways , and holy in all thy works , must Dust and Ashes say when they speak to thee , or plead with thee ; All Israel have transgressed thy Law , and despised thy Gospel , therefore hast thou brought upon us a great Evil , such as hath scarce ever been done under the whole Heaven ; not three Shepherds cut off in a month , but some thousands in one day , and this not for a day , or month , or year , but even twenty years already ; neither is there any among us that knoweth how long this sad Cloud may be upon us : Thy will be done : Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve ; but to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses , though we rebelled against thee ; and shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right ? Look down from Heaven , and behold from the habitation of thy Holiness , and of thy Glory : Shall the needy alwaies be forgotten ? shall the expectation of the Poor perish for ever ? Be not wrath very sore , O Lord , neither remember iniquity for ever : Behold , see we beseech thee , we are all thy People ; though our iniquities testifie against us , do thou this for thy Names sake ; for behold for thy sake we are killed all the day long . The Lord God of Hosts , the Lord God of gods , he knoweth , and Israel he shall know , if it be rebellion , or transgression against the Lord. Judg , O Lord , them that have walked in their integrity : Recompence thy Servants according to the cleanness of their hands in thine Eye-sight , that have not wickedly departed from their God ; or , by the grace of God have acknowledged their offence , returned to thee , and who at last are following on to know the Lord , and pleading and hoping for a reviving and raising up after these daies or years of death , let thy dead men live , thy slain Witnesses be called up , and ascend to Heaven in a Cloud ; let there be a shaking , that these dry Bones may come together : Come O Wind , and breath on them , that they may live : Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary , for the Lord's sake . In midst of Judgment remember mercy , and at last revive thy work . Give us the opening of the mouth . Set thy Light on a Candlestick . Hold the Stars in thy right hand . Let thy Peoples Eyes see their Teachers . Give us help from trouble , for vain is the help of man. Purifie the Sons of Levi , that they may offer to the Lord an Offering in Righteousness . Thou art Jehovah , and changest not , therefore we the Sons of Jacob are not all consumed . Thou art the Creator of the Ends of the Earth , and therefore canst command deliverance for Jacob. There 's no searching of thine understanding , therefore canst devise ways for the banished to be restored ; a faithful God , and wilt perform thy Promises , and confirm the Word of thy Servants . But our God is a God of Judgment ; blessed are all they that wait for him . He which testifieth these things , saith , Surely I come quickly , Amen ; even so come Lord Jesus . TO All the Mourners IN ZION , That wait for The Consolation of Israel , Grace , Mercy , and Peace . THe sharp rebukes that Divine displeasure hath laid us under these many Years , have caused many thoughts of heart ; whilst prophane men have shot their Arrows , bitter words , it becomes Gods Children to have many solemn searchings of hearts and serious Enquiries after the Reason of the Lords Controversie with the Daughter of Zion , word and Rod call to us to consider our ways , and Gods People have called on themselves and one another saying . Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord : Doubtless the occasion is given by us , we turned away from God before he turned his back upon us . Judgment is begun at the house of God , and he expects repentance should begin there ; That pacification : may be first begun there : God saith , You only have I known of all the Families of the earth , therefore I will punish you for your iniquities : And well he may for the provocation of his Sons and Daughters goes nearest his heart , as being against greater light , and love , means , mercies , obligations and expectations then any others ; surely it 's high time for us to awake out of sleep : The charge is drawn up , the indictment is read , Scourges have been laid on , yea of such a nature as have come nearest the hearts of the Godly . Loss of Gospel-priviledges , is a greater affliction then loss of Gold , Goods , Houses , Liberties , Relations , Yea of life it self ; Yea saith God , Woe , also unto them when I depart from them . God doth not use to depart till he be slighted , or thrust away ; This hath been a long dark and gloomy day , a day of rebuke and Blasphemy , a day of Scattering and treading in down the valley of Vision . Ministers and their dear flocks rent asunder ; Solemn assemblies sorrowfully broken up ; Sad and silent Sabboths , by some profaned ; Ignorance increasing , conversion work stopped , Sinners hardened , Young beginners in Religion discouraged , Atheism abounding , Presecution revived , and thousands of precious Souls wandring about as sheep that have no shepheard ; Many publick uplaces being ill supplyed , and guilt broaght upon the nation , pressing us down tow ords destruction , yea such sins as leave a People remediless , mocking the messengers of God , despising his words , misusing his prophets , till the wrath of the Lord arise against us , till there be no remedy , or no healing ; this brought Israel into captivity out of their own Land. Yea this hath brought the final scattering of that forlorn Nation to this day , killing the Lord Jesus , their own Prophets persecuting the Apostles , forbidding them to speak to the gentiles that they might be saved , to fill up their sins alwaies , for wrath is come upon them to the uttermost : & surely this lies nearest the hearts of real Saints next to Gods glory and their own Souls , that poor sinners damn themselves & destroy the Nation . It 's dreadful indeed to see debauchery in the land abounding , and basest of men vent personal malice against Gods dearest Children for no other fault but worshipping God and praying for their persecutors . Men write voluminous treatises of invectives against us , charging us with Schisms , Sedition , Faction , and Rebellion which , God knows , our Souls hate , and we durst appeal to our worst adversaries in their sober intervals , that they cannot but know the contrary ; and after all these long-lasting and heavy-pressing evils come upon us , one barvest is passed , and many summers and winters ended , and we are not saved . As for us , our eyes as yet failed for our vain help , in our watching we have watched for a Nation that cannot save us : We looked for peace , but no good came , for a time of health , and behold trouble . And we may discern Gods anger in the wrath of men : And after all this shall we sit still , and be sottish under this astonishing hand of God ? Surely our work is not to complain of , much less oppose men but look into our own hearts and lives by self examination , Humiliation , Reformation , for these vapours that darken the Heavens arise from our filthy hearts and lives , these Arrows are winged with our own feathers , it may be said to every individual , thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee , this is thy wickedness ; Because it is bitter , because it reacheth unto thine heart , yea to thy Soul : Salvian complained of old , that by our sins the enemies were strong ; this is the Achan , in the camp , the Jonah in the ship , the worm in the gourd ; if sin abide still in us , we cannot be safe , it 's in vain to expect deliverance till the cause of the provocation on our part be discarded and purged away : It 's true God is the inflicting cause , wicked men the instruments , but our own selves are the deserving and procuring cause of all our woes : The protestants in Queen Marys days lamented that their unprofitableness , contempt of the Gospel , under King Edward 6th brought on them those bloody days of Persecution , and if we do not mourn , and reform , we may conclude these are but the beginnings of sorrow , as drops before the shower of blood , that after this prophesying in sackcloth , witnesses shall be slain , and the number of Martyrs accomplished , and Antichrists sins filled up ; By setting up the abomination of desolation , which God Almighty prevent . These things considered , and often rolled in my thoughts , I cast about what was the fittest course to be taken for preventing God's further Removes , and reduce him back to our Souls , and Assemblies ; and I find that 1. God purposely removes to make us follow him , as a wise Nurse doth by a weak Child . 2. He stops and halts , as in suspense what to do , that he may both alarum us , and afford us leisure to consider what course to take . 3. He makes a gracious promise , that if we do follow on to know the Lord , his going forth shall be prepared as the morning . And 4. He complaineth that there is none that calleth on his Name , that stirreth up himself to take hold on God , i. e. to keep him from departing , or to fetch him back . Considering the Premises , I was desirous in my poor measure , to promote God's work in the Souls of his People , and ingage all that have any Interest in God , to improve it at this day for the preventing of his total Removal , and detaining of God with us ; not as the Inhabitants of Tyrus , when Alexander besieged it ; and one of their Diviners told them , that it was revealed to him in a Dream , that Apollo their god was shortly to depart from them , thereupon they take the Image of Apollo , and bind it with a Chain of Gold to a Post , thinking thereby to detain him . No , no , we cannot force God against his will to tarry , but we are in obedience to God's command , and discharge of our duty , and in performance of the Condition of his Promise , to lament after the Lord with Prayers , Tears , Confessions , Reformations , pleading with God through the Intercession of his Son , for his Return , and Residence with us . While wicked Gadarens are by words and works bidding blessed Jesus depart out of our Coasts , it becomes us solemnly to invite him , open the doors of our hearts to him , and give him free welcom , saying , Lord abide with us : thus he may be constrained to tarry with us . And though in this horrid Tempest , that the Ship of the Church is sorely tossed with , so that it 's covered with Waves , our Lord be asleep , yet Faith and Prayer will awake him : And though we cannot peremptorily say , he will save our Persons , Priviledges , or his Church in England , yet we may with some confidence say , he will certainly save Zion , and build his Church somewhere in the World ; he will save our own Souls , and it may be we shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger ; it may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious unto the Remnant of Joseph . Who knoweth if he will return and repent , and leave a blessing behind him ? Even an Heathen King took this course , and upon no other assurance , than a [ Who can tell ? ] There is hope in Israel concerning this thing , only it becomes us to wait God's leisure , and patiently , yea valiantly pass through the Fiery Tryal before us ; wherein Papists will far exceed Protestants in rage : However Mr. Greenham said , He that will suffer by Papists , must learn to suffer by Protestants ; and he that hath well passed the Pikes in Camp-fight , may hope to pass safe through the Fire-Ordeal . Integrity and uprightness will preserve us , seconded by a Divine manutenency in sharpest Tryals . The God of all Grace , who hath called you into his eternal Glory by Christ Jesus , after that ye have suffered a while , make you perfect , stablish , strengthen , settle you . May it please the Lord to own these weak ( though seasonable ) Labours for quickening the Spirits of his People to lament after the Lord ; it may be he will return to the many thousands of his People in these Nations . And after we have been digging Esek [ Strife ] and Sitnah , [ hateful opposition ] God may cause us unanimously to digg Rehoboth [ Room ] that the Lord may make room for us , and make us fruitful in the Land. Oh for such a day ! There is a day wherein they shall not hurt nor destroy in all God's holy Mountain ; wherein the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb , and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid , &c. Wherein his People shall see Eye to Eye , and serve him with one consent , or shoulder , and that he will turn to his People a pure Language , or Lip ; that they shall feed and lye down , and none shall make them afraid . It becomes God's People to make a Catalogue of these and such like Promises , and spread them before the Lord ; for he is a faithful God , and will perform his Promise , which saith , Jer. 30.17 . For I will restore health unto thee , and I will heal thee of thy wounds , saith the Lord , because they called thee an out-cast , saying , This is Zion , whom no man seeketh after : And let all that love her say Amen . Then the Angel of the Lord answered and said , O Lord of Hosts ! how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem , and on the Cities of Judah , against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years ? And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me , with good words , and comfortable words . That this may be the Issue of this Dispensation , Intercession , Lamentation , is the hearty Prayer of Thy Soul-Friend , O. H. Aug. 22. 1682. Israel's Lamentation after the Lord. 1 Sam. 7.2 . — And all the House of Israel lamented after the Lord. THe whole series of the History of the Times in which this Scripture was writ , take in short thus : After the Judges in the preceding Book ( so called ) God raised up Eli , who was both a Judg and Priest , who though he was a good man himself , yet his Sons were prophane , and oppressed the People , by requiring both boyled-flesh and raw for roasting , abusing the women that came to the door of the Tabernacle so that their sin was very great , and of bad consequence , for men abhorred , the offering of the Lord. Eli being informed of his Sons profligate courses , too much indulged them , or too mildly rebukes them ; Why do you such things ? too soft words for such hard and hainous acts : there wanted deeds , he being a Magistrate ought to have punished or removved them , if not put them to death : well , God sends a man of God to Eli , [ Whether Elias , or an Angel , or Phinehas or Elkanah , I dispute not ] to rebuke and threaten him and his house , but he not reforming God inspires and commissions young Samuel to give him a Sound admonition , and warn him , as immediately from the Lord : the good old man falls under the Admonition though by a Child , but now the disease was grown past his curing , his counsel did no good , and he could not correct them , no doubt he acknowledged his fault , and since it will be no better he puts the matter over into Gods hands , let him do what seemeth him good : God can by his grace curb and cure them , or by his power he can crush and confound them , let him use his pleasure , I give my children into his hands , let my Lord get to himself a name of Glory by them or upon them , I freely submit : a speech becoming a man of God and religious Priest : well , God himself undertakes to deal with them ; in the 4th Chapter the Israelites and Philistins joyn battel , four thousand Israelites are slain , the Ark is sent for into the Camp , the Tables of the Law within it are broken , yet the Ark must be their Palladium . They doted on the Ark , but provoked the God of the Ark : they repent not of their corrupt manners or defiling Gods Worship , they neither used outward means by recruiting their Army , which was a tempting of God , nor do they use proper religious means , to get reconciliation with God , but fondly presume upon Gods lenity and indulgence to them because of the meer presence of the Ark : the Ark comes , Hophni and Phinehas carry it , Israel shouts for joy , the Philistines animate one another , imagining , if they now prevailed , they conquered the God of Israel , looking on the Ark to be Israels Idol , or at least , that Gods power was tyed to it , after the conceit of Idolaters ; they fight , prevail , kill , thirty thousand Hebrews , & Hophni & Phinehas , take the Ark prisoner , the tidings whereof broke Elies heart , then his neck , brought pangs on Phinehas wife , and though she was a mother , yet full of grief , which she bequeathed to the world in the name of her surviving child , Ichabod : Well , the Philistins now lead Israels God in triumph , as they judg , they bring it to Dagon they God in Ashdod , in reproach of the true God ; but the triumphing of the wicked is short , though Israel be a loser , yet Dagon and his Worshippers are no gainers by the Ark of Gods presence : Dagon falls on his face , prostrated in homage thereto , beaten on his own dunghil ; being crected again , his head & hands were knockt off by another fall . So that now he had neither wit nor strength to help himself the fair Venus , or womanish part was gone , the fishy part only is left ; but this was but a sport in comparison of what befell Dagons Worshippers , for Gods hand was heavy on them all ; Ashdod or Azotus , as the Spartan Boy carryed the Fox in his bosom till he stopt his vitals , so these , the Ark that was salutiferous to its observers , was mortiferous to its contemners ; even as the Lords Supper is profitable to due partakers , but unworthy receivers find it to turn to their judgment here , and damnation hereafter . Carnal hearts pretend a fond respect to ordinances , but find the Lord a jealous God upon their perverting his institutions or unsuitable carriage : Ashdod was soon weary of Gods Ark , they hold a councel of their Lords : they post it away to Gath , which was their Metropolis , thinking belike , that to be a better air , or under a more benign influence of the stars : But here also Gods hand was upon them with a very great destruction , they had painful and incurable Emerods in their secret parts ; being weary of the Ark , they would shift it off to Ekron , but the Ekronites were wise by others harms , and a consultation was had to carry back the Ark into its place , for all the five citys of the Philistins were sharply punished , those seven months it was in their country . And they were weary of it ; only consulted the Diviners how to send it back , they advised to send it with a trespass offering , i. e. five golden Emrods and five golden Mice , give glory to the God of Israel upon a new cart , drawn by two milch Kine , and by their motion they might know whether it was Gods hand or a chance , and peradventure they might be healed ; they did so , the Kine went straight to Bethshemesh a city of the Levites , they rejoyced to see it coming , but though they offered a burnt-offering to the Lord , yet looking into the Ark , the Lord smote fifty thousand threescore & ten men with death ; and they lamented it , & cryed out , Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God ? But alas , they lament not their Sacriledg & injury to the Ark , but the death of their People , imitating the Philistine ( qui propter culpas non dolebant , sed propter paenas ululabant ) they houled for the punishment , not kindly mourning for their offences : they reflect not on their own miscarriages , but transfer the cause to Gods holiness : And now they also would be glad to be rid of so chargeable a Guest , and send messengers to Kiriath-jearim , to fetch it to them : who came and fetcht it . Qu. Why did they not send it to Shilo where it was before ? Ans . 1. That was far off , this near , they in hast to get delivered of that burden . 2. Divine providence removes from Shilo for the impiety thereof , Jer. 7.12 . you see ordinances are not perpetually entailed on one place : the Gospel is a flitting Gospel , God sometimes breaks up house and is gone to another coast : Psal . 78.58 , 61. Mat. 21.43 . Qu. Why were not they of Kiriath jearim afraid of Bethshemesh's punishment ? Ans . they knew that plague was not for the Arks sake but for their Irreverence and Curiosity ; now they resolve to reform that and take warning as David did , 1 Chron. 15.13 . it becomes persons that suffer in Ordinances , not to find fault with God or them , but Charge it on themselves , and amend what is amiss ; mens own sins are the procuring Gods justice , the imposing cause of troubles ; that 's a good Scholar that learns these two Lessons under Gods hand . I shall not trouble you with enumerating the several places in which the Ark rested amongst the Isralites before it was brought by David into Obed Edoms house , 2 Sam. 6.10 . Nor what this Sanctifying Eleazar , or ordaining him to the Sacred Ministry : what this keeping the Ark is , that nothing be taken away , or no uncomly thing be done to it or about it : nor why Eleazar the Son , and not Abinadab the father was imployed about it : whether Abinadab was old and decrepid , or dead , or busie about household affairs , or Eleazar was more holy , is not much material to inquire . But it may be asked whether the Ark was only twenty years there ? Ans . 1. The Ark was there all the days of Saul , which was above forty years , but this was [ jam annus vigesimus ] the twentieth , till this time of Samuels Preaching his Sermon , in the following verse : or before Israel much inquired after it , or were sensible of their loss of it : So deeply were the roots of impiety and idolatry fastened in them . The text contains 1. The Ark's recess . 2. Israel's repentance . 1. for the former in the Arks recess . Observe 1. The place where ; in Kirjath-jearim , more particularly , Abinadabs house , v. 1 , 2. 2. The time or duration ; 20 years ; a long time indeed . Qu. 1. What 's meant by the Ark here ? Ans . 'T is needless to explain the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Chest or Coffin , Gen 50.26 . or to put money in , 2 Kin. 12.10 . but this Ark was appointed by God , where the Tables of the Law were laid up , therefore called the Ark of the Testimony , there God communed with Israel , hence called the Ark of his presence , Exod. 25.22 . here the People of Israel were to Worship , and inquire Gods mind at it , and it guided their journeyings , Numb . 10.35 , 36. And though the Ark have many significations , yet good Expositors think that what the Ark of God was to the Israelites of old that the Gospel Ordinances are to us : which are means of grace , tokens of Gods presence , and institutions of Worship . Qu. 2. What 's meant by the Arks being in Aibnadab 's house in Kirjath-jearim ? Ans . It imports its privacy , Solitude , i. e. comparatively , few could few would frequent it , as formerly at Shiloh . 1. Because this city was near the Philistins upon the borders of the land , and so the other tribes could not so commodiously resort to it for devotion , or they durst not , lest the Philistins should set upon them , if any numbers come together for that end , as indeed they did , v. 7. Never is the Devil and his Imps more enraged against God's people than when they meet to worship God : for the Philistins had interdicted Israel to meet together , and now they suspect them of Sedition and Rebellion : 2. Because the Ark being but in a private house , few could meet there at once to worship God , or hear the word ; some ( it 's possible ) cared not for it , had other ways of their own hearts they followed , others had a months mind to it , but being aged or infirm , could not get thither , or continue comfortably before the Lord there , but were subject to many inconveniences : others were afraid of the scoffs and reproaches of their adversaries , and few would be at the pains to go attend on God in his appointments . Qu. 3. had the People no publick Ordinances or Instructions all this time ? A. 'T is likely they had ordinary Levites and Priests to offer Sacrifices , and instruct the People , though in the time of several Judges , there was sad work both in civils & spirituals ; sometimes there was no King or publick Magistrate in Israel , and then every man did that which was right in his own eyes ; hence Micah gets a house of graven Images & a Levite to be his Priest , Judg. 17.5 — 18. certainly there was sad ignorance and woful degeneracy into impiety and Idolatry as is aparent by many instances . Expositors observe but two Prophets , in all the time of the Judges which was 450 years , Act. 13.20 . the one was Debora a Prophetess , Judg. 4.4 . and that Judg. 6.8 . the Lord sent a prophet , except that Angel that came up from Gilgal to Bochim , ch . 2.1 . by a Prophet ; So that Peter begins to number the Prophets from Samuel , Act. 3.24 . and Paul mentions Samuel the Prophet as not an ordinary Person , yea he broke forth like a certain glorious Sun out of the night of darkness both of sin and errour ; and till those days the word of the Lord was precious , 1 Sam. 3.1 . i. e. it was , [ 1. rarus , 2. charus ] either rare , because there were few Prophets to declare Gods Word to the People ; rarely did the Lord reveal himself , and therefore was it the more precious and highly esteemed by all ; but that text saith further , there was no open vision , that seems to be an interpretation of my Text ; no Vision diffused , or sprinkled abroad , common , multiplyed , but shut up in a fence , pail or within walls , so the word signifys , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , no broken vision ; a loaf that 's whole , nourisheth not ; a book closed up instructs not ; a fountain shut up waters not ; the open preaching of the word distributes it abroad to all parts , & members of the mystical body , this is the multiplication of seeds , bread , as in Christ's miracles , distributed amongst thousands , but alas there was none to break the bread of life to souls , till Samuel arose , and then the word of Samuel came to all Israel , 1 Sam. 4.1 . he now preached repentance to all , and that they should make an expedition against the Philistins , however for want of reformation it proved not successful , but that evil was brought on them to promote their humiliation : possibly Samuel foretold this fall to them as a punishment of their Sin. And now Samuel renews his Exhortation , providence producing this Argument , to reinforce the duty of Repentance , and though this lamenting after the Lord be mentioned before his Sermon , yet it 's probable it was the consequent thereupon , as their reformation also was ver . 4. yea it may be this is the same with their drawing water , and pouring it out before the Lord ver . 6. which some understand of penitent tears . Take some general observations from the context thus explained : 1. God gives his People sensible tokens of his special presence , visible Ark , audible voice betoken spiritual invisible grace ; so the Ark , and , preaching . 2. God thinks good sometimes to abscond and hide these tokens of his presence from a professing people . 3. This with drawing may be continued a long time , 2 Chron. 13.3 . so in Babylon Zoch . 1.13 . in latter days , Hos . 3.4 . 4. God takes particular notice of the duration of his Churches affliction , in Egypt 400. years , so Rev. 11.11 . 5. Peoples Priviledges may be long removed before they be kindly sensible of their loss , long before they recover themselves . 6. When Gods Ordinances are but privately dispensed , it 's a great loss to the body of a People , such as need them most have then least of them : 7. Continuance in sin prolongs deliverance , and absence of the Ark or Ordinances is an occasion of continuing in sin . Men do withdraw their hearts from God , that 's sinful ; God withdraws helps from them , that 's poenal ; men repent not ordinarily without helps ; God denies helps , and is just therein . 8. Attendance on Ordinances raiseth the envy of wicked men ; this hath been the quarrel from the daies of Cain and Abel , successively to this day , Gen. 4.5 , Exod. 9.1 . Ezra 4.12 , 13. Gal. 4.29 . Esther 3.8 . Dan. 3.12 . & 6.13 . 9. One stirring active Instrument for God , may by God's blessing promote Repentance and Reformation amongst a people . Oh what hurt may one sinner do ! So what good may one useful man do when God stirs up their hearts . Samuel sets things a working , so Ezra 5.1 , 2. Hag. 5.12 . 10. When God designs a Reformation and Restitution of his Ordinances , he orders an harmonious concurrence of providences for that end . The accomplishment of God's threats affright , awaken . Samuel comes in the nick of time , speaks words upon the wheel ; God moves , things go on apace , 2 Chron. 29.36 . & 31.21 . These I pass briefly , and pass on to the main Point from the last clause of the verse [ And all the House of Israel lamented after the Lord. ] They did not lament so much under their pressing burdens , grievous oppressions by the Philistins , but after the Lord , i. e. for the Ark of the Lord , and the Lord of the Ark ; for the recovery of God's gracious presence , and the visible tokens thereof ; [ lachrymis deplorarunt summam miseriam Religionis & Reipublicae ] they bitterly lamented the calamities of Church and State , Religion and Polity . This , say Interpreters , is an admirable place , by reason of the general Conversion and Repentance of the whole People ; we have scarce the like in all the Scripture , except Acts 2. From the words then results this Doctrine . That when God's Ark is long obscured , or Ordinances obstructed , it becomes God's Israel , or professing People , to lament after the Lord. Serious lamenting after God is well becoming those whom God afflicts in the loss of Priviledges . The Text presents to us , 1. The Persons lamenting , God's peculiar People , these only love , and mind God's presence , when the Lords and Cities of the Philistins are weary of him and send him away , yea and the Bethshemites , though a city of the Levites belonging to the Church of God , through their ill management of matters send to get a release , yet Gods Israel will look after their God. 2. Here 's the object they lament after ; not peace , plenty , victory over enemies , but after the Lord , Jehovah is the object of their affections , 't is him they love , and long for communion with , Psal . 63.1 , 2. O God thou art my God , early will I seek thee , my soul thirsteth for thee to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary . 3. Here 's the Universality of these ; all Israel ; the whole house of Israel come ; they that had wofully degenerated , and were gone after their Idols ; what a wonderful act of Gods power and soveraignty was this upon their spirits ? by this he manifests that he is the true God , and that Samuel was his Servant ; the like see in Elijahs prayer , preaching , Sacrifice and success of all 1. Kin. 18.21 , 37 , 39. 4. Here 's the manner and nature of the Peoples repentance , they lamented after the Lord , which is a very comprehensive word , and I shall open it anon . In prosecuting this point I shall proceed in this method . 1. Shew how ordinances are obstructed , obscured . 2. What 's implyed in lamenting after the Lord. 3. How and why Gods Israel thus lament . 4. Answer an objection . So make application . 1. What is it for ordinances to be either 1. Obstructed , or 2. obscured , both which may be a great affliction to Gods People and oft occasion a lamentation . 1. For Ordinances to be obstructed is a prevention of the liberty of dispensation of them , and suppression of its dispensers , by imprisonment , banishment , inhibition , or suspension , as in Ahab's daies , Jezabel cut off the prophets of the Lord , the rest werehid by fifty in a Cave , and fed with bread and water , 1 Kin. 18.4 . yea such scarcity was there at that day , that Elijah thought he was left alone , 1 , Kin. 19.10 . Such as were left were latent , and had indeed their lives , not liberties , to proclaim the Word , or to celebrate God's Ordinances openly . It 's true , Truth seeks not corners ; yet publishers of Truth may be driven into corners . God's Candles may be put under a Bushel ; the Church's pleasant things may be taken away ; Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies may be forgotten in Zion , and the waies of Zion mourn , Lam. 1.4 , 7. The Church complains , Psal . 74.9 . We see not our signs , there is no more any Prophet — The Church may flee into a wilderness of obscurity and persecution , her witnesses may be slain by a natural or civil death , some time or other these prophecies have an accomplishment ; Jeremah and Ezekiel may both have their mouths stopped by their brethren , and God himself may be a little Sanctuary to such as want the open Sanctuary-priviledges , Ezek. 11.15 , 16. Gospel-course may be stopped , obstructed , so that Paul is putting believers on to pray for him that the word of the Lord may have free course , 2 Thes . 3.1 . intimating that it had met with a stop ; by what ? by mens rage , or the Devils subtilty , or both 1 Thes . 2.16 . forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles , and v. 18. Satan hindred us . Some times the Devil stirs up men to obstruct the course of the Gospel . The histories of the Church in all ages will offer their Service to bear witness to this truth , that liberty of Ordinances is sometimes infringed , and so the Ark is retired into private ; for where God hath a people they must and will worship God , and attend his Institutions , if they cannot do it openly , they act more privately , as Christs Disciples frequently met in houses , in the night , the doors being shut , and that for fear of the Jews . Joh. 20.19 . And it may be that word in Isa . 8.16 . refers to such a day , Bind up the Testimony , seal the Law among my Disciples . 2. The Ark & Ordinances may somtimes be obscured , as well as obstructed ; this refers to the Purity , as the former , to the liberty of God's Appointments . The light may be dimned , as well as diminished . Painted Glass obscures the Light : So Humane Inventions corrupt God's pure Worship . Jeroboam's Golden Calves hindered the purity of Ordinances ; so that Religious People , and Priests , fled to God's sincere Worship at Jerusalem , 2 Chron. 11.13 , 16. This defilement of Ordinances makes God's poor Children cry out , Death is in the Pot. Our Saviour saith of the Scribes and Pharisees , Thus have you made the Commandments of God of none effect , by your Traditions , and therefore in vain did they worship God , Mat. 15.6 , 9. God's Institutions are ours , but men may mar and spoil them with their fond Additions , or Alterations , Ezek. 7.20 . As for the beauty of his Ornament , he set it in Majesty , but they made the Images of their abominations , and of their detestable things therein , ( though they call and account them delectable things ) therefore have I set it far from them . Men may be guilty of ( crimen laesae Majestatis ) treasonable practices , by adulterating the King's Coin , or setting their own stamp thereon , or by Clipping it . There 's a sad woe , both in the beginning , middle , and end of the Bible , against those that add to , or diminish from God's Word or Institutions . It 's a dangerous thing to think to mend what God hath thought good to enjoyn . Antichrist hath so corrupted God's Worship ( as well as Truths ) that they that love their Souls or Safety , are called upon to come out of her , Rev. 18.4 . God is a jealous God , and will not hold such guiltless ( i. e. will deal with them as guilty malefactors ) as take his Name in vain . Nay , God bids men rather go serve their Idols , than pollute his holy Name , Ezek. 20.39 . Yea some Shepherds also are said to tread down with their feet the residue of the Pastures , and soul the Waters with their feet ; so that God's Flock is in danger of pining , Ezek. 34.18 . God's Children know how to avoid a sinful Separation on one hand , and a Communion that necessitates them to sin , on the other hand ; there 's danger of both extreams . Poor scrupulous tender Consciences are too apt to run into the former , and adventurous Spirits are too apt to run into the latter for by and base ends . Sometimes the latter falls out as well as the former , that godly Ministers and Christians must either sin , or suffer ; and to a conscientious Soul , the case is soon determined ; and hence it comes to pass that their Persons and Ordinances with them have been forced into retirements . The Witnesses will rather chuse to prophesie in Sackcloth with purity , according to God's Will , than live in the greatest pomp and splendour in betraying the Truths and Appointments of God , by Superstition or Idolatry , to gratifie the flesh , or comply with the humours of men : They judge it safer to be banished from the Altar , than bring strange fire to it ; they think it safer to venture on mens displeasure , ( though the Furnace be heated seven times hotter ) than cast themselves into the dreadful vengeance of the great God , by sinning against him , and provoking the Eyes of his glory . They resolve to stick to the Ark , though in Abinadab's house , and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth , rather than be dragg'd down to sin and Hell with the Dragon's Tail : Though Persecution attend the former , as in the Marian daies , and Preferment wait on the latter . 2. General Head to be explained in the Text and Doctrine , is , what is this lamenting after the Lord ? The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quiescere , the same word with Noach , which signifies rest ; They rested after the Lord , it 's in Niph . which encreaseth its signification , and notes these seven things . 1. They inclined after the Lord ; they had wandred away from the Lord , and never thought after him ; they had turned aside after vain things , but now they begun to hearken after Samuel's preaching , and begun to look about them , consider what they were doing , had a months mind ( as we say ) after God , and his ways and worship , and a heart to inquire after the Lord , is a good step ; as it 's said of the men of Shechem , their hearts inclined after Abimelech , or to follow him , Judg. 9.3 . It 's well so , for when people stand still , pose themselves , what have we been doing ? have we done well or ill ? what course is best to be taken ? and begin to have some inclinations after God more than formerly , this is the first step . 2. They were setled , established after the Lord ; they staggered formerly , were but in suspence , wavering , like the Apostle James's double-minded man , not knowing which way to take , like those in 1 King. 18.21 . Why halt ye between two Opinions ? one while leaning to Baal , another while to God , reeling like drunkards , halting like lame men , whose Leggs are not equal , fluctuating to and fro with divers thoughts : But now this people is firm , well resolved , with purpose of heart determined to cleave to the Lord , Acts 11.23 . The trembling Needle fixeth towards its center ; the Tree is rooted ; the Will is bowed ; the Affections setled ; the Conscience resolved ; nothing shall obstruct their course ; they have set down the Staff , and say as Ruth to her Mother-in-law , Ruth 1.16 , 17. Intreat me not to leave thee , or to return from following after thee , for whither thou goest I will go , &c. So these , though they had been haesitating and doubtful what to do , yet [ jam in Dei obsequio gradum figunt stabilem & certum ] they get a sure footing in their motion God-wards . 3. They were congregated and assembled after the Lord ; so some read it ; they now begin to flock like Doves to their windows , they troop after him , [ collecti sunt post Dominum ] Jer. 3.17 . — All Nations shall be gathered to it , to the Name of the Lord God ; yea Judah shall go with Israel , v. 18. See also Jer. 50.45 . They had been broken , now they are united . Some went after some mens commands and examples , some after others ; but now the great God makes an Act of Uniformity and Unanimity , Zech. 14.9 . In that day there shall be one Lord , and his Name one : One Soveraign Commander , one Way , one Worship . That great God doth not only injoyn one thing , but doth joyn them in one bond and mind . Oh happy day ! when the Grace of God heals the breaches that are in mens spirits , and divisions in the Church ! 4. They groaned , complained , bemoaned themselves in their following the Lord , as a Child followeth his departing Father , and as Phaltiel followed his Wife Michal , weeping behind her to Bahurim , 2 Sam. 3.15 , 16. or as Micah followed the Danites that took away his Idols , crying after them ; they said , What aileth thee ? he said , Ye have taken away my Gods — and what have I more ? and what is this that ye say unto me , What aileth thee ? Judg. 18.23 , 24. q. d. You could not have done me a worse turn ; lay your hands on your hearts , ask your selves whether any loss can parallel this , of losing ones God! You need not be inquisitive for a reason of my sollicitude and complaint , when all good is comprehended in this chiefest good , whether real or imaginary . Thus , this people lamented , laid to heart this great evil of God's departure , the which no temporal good can compensate or countervail . 5. They called , cryed , and shouted after the Lord , by earnest prayer and supplication ; so the word imports sometimes sighing ; Let the sighing of the Prisoner come before thee , Psal . 79.11 . Sometimes it 's rendred [ inclamarunt ] for lifting up the voice , as Lam. 2.18 . not only their hearts cryed unto the Lord , but tears run down like a River day and night : Yea , v. 19. Arise , cry out in the night pour out thine heart like water ; lift up thy hands towards him : Yea , Lam. 3.8 . She did both cry and shout , not that God is deaf , or busie , or pursuing enemies , or sleepy , and must be awaked , as Elijah ironically twits Baal's Worshippers with their God , but for our own sakes , to evidence the honesty and zeal of our hearts , and as a gracious disposition to which mercy is promised . Hence it was that when the Children of Israel cryed , and their cry came up unto God , Exod. 2.2 , 3. Crying is the Accent of Prayer . A crying Prayer sounds loud in God's Ear. The tender Mothers bowels make her look back on her crying Child . God loves to be called back by a fervent affectionate Prayer . 6. They betook themselves to the Lord , [ Receperunt se ad Dominum ] i. e. by faith , by repentance , covenanting with God , returning from sin , having recourse to God by a sincere Reformation , and without this all the former were insignificant ; but thus did the Children of Israel , according to Samuels command , and supposition , in this Chap. v. 3. If ye do return with all your heart to the Lord , then put away the strange Gods , and prepare your hearts unto the Lord , and serve him only , and they did so , v. 4. This was their best way of lamenting after the Lord : No coming after God with a lye in our right hand , or our Idols in our hearts ; if we do , God will spurn us back into confusion , for nothing keeps persons at a distance from him , but sin ; they that hold fast sin & pretend to follow God do either run from him , or follow him with a Sword in their hand to wound him , but such as cast away their abominations follow the Lord aright and shall overtake him ; this is the method prescribed by God himself , Jer. 4.1 , 2. If thou wilt return O Israel , faith the Lord , return unto me , and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of thy sight , then shalt thou not remove , & thou shalt swear the Lord liveth . Then , and never till then are Souls fit to joyn in covenant with God when they are divorced from all besides . 7. They were acquiescing in , and fully satisfyed with the Lord ; this is the proper notion of this word , [ Chald. quieti fuerunt post cultum Domini ] their hearts were abundantly quieted in the manner of Gods worship , and much more in the object of their worship , and in the union of their hearts to God , and communion with him ; no Satisfaction like this . David saith , Return unto thy rest Oh my Soul , Psal . 116.7 . No such rest , as God is , who is the Souls only Center and Sabbath , Jer. 31.25 . I have satiated the weary Soul , and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul : As God rests in his Love to his Saints , so they are well satisfied with their choyce of God , and look not out other ways , or beyond him for any contentments to their Spirits . Thus then these good Souls , these lamenting penitents , might say , Alas we have been like wandring sheep that have gone astray , every one wandring in his own way , or as a bird wandring from its nest , or as Prodigals from our Fathers house , but now , now at length by Samuel's Prophecy we are throughly informed that God is the true God , that this his prescribed Worship is of his Institution , and the mean of communion with him . At our first hearing this man of God we were touched , and began to incline towards him , at last came to fixed resolution to follow the Lord in this his way , we were assembled together to this purpose , bemoaned our state in the loss of so dear a friend , cryed after him , Put away our Idols and lusts , returned to the Lord by faith and repentance , and now we see it 's not in vain , it 's good , yea very good for us thus to draw near to God , we find , full content in him , we find the injoyment of him a full recompence for all this pains in a mournful pursuit of him : We have found him , at last we have found him , & happiness in him , he is come whom we sought , we need not look for another , we care not for any other . We fear nothing since we we have found our God. From hence we may discern , the reason why the same word in Heb. signifies both to repent and to comfort , to mourn and to cease mourning , to lament and rejoyce , for as true comfort belongs only to penitent Souls , so sorrow is the porch and inlet to joy ; none are exalted but they that are first cast down , none bring forth the blessed babe of joy but such as Travel in the pangs of sorrows , Joh. 6.21 . The Painter can with a touch of his Pencil turn a crying into a laughing face , thus saith David , Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing ; thou hast put off my sackcloth , and girded me with gladness , Psal . 30.11 . This is the second general head , what is implied in this Lamenting after the Lord. 3. Another head in the prescribed method is the Reasons why it 's so fit that Gods Israel or professing People should thus lament after the Lord , when Gods Ark is obscured or his Ordinances obstructed . In confirmation of this Point , I must demonstrate , 1. That they must lament after the Ark of the Lord. 2. After the Lord of the Ark , Briefly for both these . 1. Gods Israel or professing People must lament after the Ark i. e. the Ordinances of the Lord , when obscured , or obstructed : 1. Because the Ark or Ordinances of the Lord are a Peoples greatest glory , their beauty , strength & honour . Wherein is Israel better than other Nations , then by having Ordinances of God among them , Psal . 147.19 , 20. He shewed his word unto Jacob , his statutes and his judgments unto Israel , he hath not dealt so with any Nation — q.d. This , this is that that exalts Israel above all other Kingdoms , that they have the visible tokens of Gods presence , which is a peoples only glory ; so faith the Apostle , Rom. 9.4 . To the Israelites pertain the Adoption , and the Glory , and the Covenants , and the giving of the Law , the Service of God , and the Promises . This is Israel's Heritage , Patrimony , and a rich one it is : hence when the Ark was taken , Phinehas's Wife breathed her last , with that heavisom Ditty , The Glory is departed from Israel , for the Ark of God is taken , 1 Sam. 4.21 . 2. Because the obscuring and obstructing of Ordinances is an heavy Judgment , worse than all other Plagues , both absolutely considered in it self , and comparatively , if it be compared with other Judgments . God threatens to do by Jerusalem , as he did by Shilo , Jer. 7.14 . How that was this context shews . And Ezek. 24.21 . I will prophane my Sanctuary , the excellency of your strength . Many other threats speak God's hot displeasure in this case , and the evil is greater , because it reacheth to the Soul , which is the best part of man. Hence Amos 8.11 , 12. Behold the daies come , saith the Lord , that I will send for a Famin in the Land , ( which surely is a dreadful Judgment , worse than the Sword , Lam. 4.9 . But what a Famin ? ) Not a Famin of Bread , or a Thirst for Water , but of hearing the Words of the Lord : This , this is the forest Judgment ; this Judgment on the Soul is the Soul of Judgments , when poor sinners are in danger inevitably to die and be damned in Hell without means or remedy . Where no Vision is the people perish , Prov. 29.18 . Hos . 4.6 . My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge . 3. Because there 's much advantage in the injoyment of Ordinances : Herein consists the Kingdom of Heaven ; so is the Preaching of the Gospel frequently called ; and this Word is the Word of the Kingdom , and Gospel of the Kingdom , because it is an introduction or means to enter Persons into the Kingdom of Grace , and so of Glory ; and that 's a dreadful Threatning , Matth. 21.43 . Therefore shall the Kingdom of God be taken from you , and be given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof . If any ask me , as Rom. 3.1 , 2. What advantage hath the Jew ? ( so the professing Christian under the Gospel-dispensation ) or what profit is there of Circumcision , or of Spiritual Priviledges ? I answer , much every way , chiefly because that unto them were committed the Oracles of God , and so Salvation is of the Jews ; as our Lord faith ; even so those that have Gospel-Ordinances , have great helps for the conversion , edification , and salvation of their Souls ; for Christ hath set up his Ensign among them for Souls to flock unto . These are Wells of Salvation , a Feast of fat things , breasts of consolation , where Souls may milk out , and be abundantly delighted , here are the Keys of the Kingdom , by which Heaven-gates stand open continually ; the door of Faith , the ministration of the Spirit , the day of Salvation , &c. And is not all this worth lamenting after the Lord to enjoy ? then what is ? 4. Because this is the character and property of a Child of God to lament after the Ark and Ordinances of God. I have , saith David , loved the habitation of thy house , Psal . 26.8 . Therefore makes this his [ unum magnum ] one Thing which he desires of the Lord , to dwell in the house of the Lord , Psal . 27.4 . Two things put on a Christian Spirit to lament after God for the Ark ; 1. His Principles ; 2. His Experiences . 1. He hath a gracious Principle , an enlightened Eye to see what others cannot discern ; the Christian calls such places and waies , Beer-la-hai-roi , as Hagar , Gen. 16.14 . The Well of him that liveth and seeth me . So the Christian sees God's way in the Sanctuary ; there he beholds the beauty of the Lord. They have seen thy goings , O God , even the goings of my God , my King , in the Sanctuary . Yea the devout Soul hath a stomach and tast suitable to what he meets with in the Ordinances of God , Faith , Love , Desire , Joy ; as new-born Children have a natural instinct to their Mothers Milk for conservation of life , so 1 Pet. 2.2 . The Saints as new-born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word , that they may grow thereby . The Law of God ingraven in his heart , bears proportion to the Word he hears opened by Ministers , Christ within him ( by his Spirit and Graces ) as the hope of Glory , prompts him to a love and longing to Christ , in the holy Supper , and all other his Institutions . 2. Add to this the frequent Experiences the believing Soul hath had of the sweetness of Divine Grace in Ordinances , which cannot but set him a longing for the like Experiments again , Psal . 63.1 , 2. My Soul thirsteth for thee , my flesh longeth for thee , in a dry and thirsty Land , where no water is , to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary . So Song 2.3 , 4. I sate down under his shadow with great delight , and his fruit was sweet to my tast ; yea , he brought me into his banquetting house , and his banner over me was Love. No wonder if she was so sick when she wanted him . This leads me to the next Head. 2. That Christians must lament after the God of Ordinances , or God in Ordinances ; so saith the Text , The House of Israel lamented after the Lord. Why ? 1. Because God is infinitely more worth than all Ordinances ; his presence is prizable for it self . The Ark is but to be esteemed for his gracious presence ; In his favour is life , Psal . 30.5 . His loving-kindness is better than life , Psal . 63.3 . This is the marrow of Heaven , the want of this is Hell. Woe also be to them when I depart from them , Hos . 9.12 . And this the Child of God knows . 2. God purposely withdraws that men may lament after him ; as a Mother steps out of the Child's sight , that it may see she 's gone , and cry after her , Hos . 5.15 . I will go and return to my place , till they acknowledge their offence , and seek my face ; in their affliction they will seek me early . 3. Because due lamenting after the Lord may fetch him back ; he purposely hovers , waits and expects , that his people should call him back by their prayers , intreaties , moanings ; not as though God were moved , or changed by mens pitiful complaints and out-crys , but that such an earnest lamenting qualifies the subject , capacitates for mercy , and puts Souls into the condition of the promise , Jer. 29.12 , 13. Then shall ye call upon me , and shall go and pray unto me , and I will hearken unto you , and ye shall seek me and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart . 4. God blesseth his People usually in and by Ordinances , with his best blessings , Psal . 133.3 . There the Lord commanded the blessing , Even life for evermore , Eph. 1.3 . Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings ( 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ) in heavenly ( places , things , means ) in Christ . It would be needless to reckon up all the blessings that our dear Lord conveys to his People by Ordinances , and that it becomes us to lament after the Lord for , in his Appointments ; ( for now I joyn them together . ) 1. Sometimes God gives outward blessings with his Ark. So the Lord had blessed the House of Obed-edom , and all that pertained to him because of the Ark of God , 2 Sam. 6.12 . The Gospel of Peace oft brings outward Peace and Plenty , though through the corruption of mens hearts it stirs up opposition occasionally . 2. But the chief blessings are spiritual , as , Conversion of the Soul to God , Regeneration , effectual Vocation ; so that it may oft be said , as of Zion , This and that man was born there , Psal . 87.5 . So also increase of grace , 2 Cor. 3.18 . We all with open face , beholding as in a Glass ( this broader Glass of Ordinances , and the secret Glass of private Duties ) the glory of the Lord , are changed into the same Image from glory to glory ( i. e. from grace to grace ) as by the Spirit of the Lord , or of the Lord the Spirit [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 : ] Besides , Ordinances discover , and help to cure those foul spots that are in the face of the Soul , Jam. 1.23 , 24. Sanctuarydiscoveries resolve many intricate cases in the providences of God. See Psal . 73. v. 17. Here also the hearts of God's People may be abundantly satisfied , Psal . 36.8 . for here 's goodness from God to do it , Psal . 65.4 . Ordinances are [ Canales gratiae ] Channels through which Divine Grace and Influences flow to Souls , Zech. 4.12 . These display Christ ; open Gospel-priviledges , Promises , Terms of Salvation , are as the gate of Heaven ; well then may , and must the observant believing Soul , lament after both the Ordinances of God , and God in his Ordinances . 4. Head is an Objection , which may be framed against all I have said . You 'l say , What 's all this Canting for ? How doth it concern us ? Have we not publick Ordinances ? Doth not the Gospel flourish ? Is there not excellent Preaching in Publick Places ? The generality have no reason to complain , since we have Christian Magistrates , a glorious Church , Learned Preachers ; nay , others that pretend Tenderness of Conscience ; these do complain before they are hurt ; Have they not their Separate Meetings in a Publick way without disturbance ? Little reason have any to make this ado in lamenting : What cause have you to lament ? I answer as Cleophas , Art thou only , a stranger in Jerusalem [ in England ] and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days ? If you ask what things ? Do I need to inform you , or rub up your memories by telling you , that twenty years ago two thousand Ministers then found in peaceable possession of their publick places were dispossessed and ejected by the Act of Uniformity commencing Aug. 24. 1662. and shortly after 1665. were prohibited meeting together above four for Religious Worship , and another Act prohibited them from coming or being within 5 miles of any such place where they had preached , or a Corporation , and were severely menaced and punished by a Second Act , against Conventicles , with Sharper penalties ; and though the Kings Majesty set them at liberty for a season , yet that was quickly retracted , and many could have little benefit by it , and whether the silencing of Ministers be not an obstructing of the Gospel , and of Ordinances , judge you ; and if you say you are not concerned in this case , I shall not speak to you , but turn my discourse to others : Only I shall briefly propound some Questions , 1. About the Ordinances of God ; 2. The God of Ordinances , and leave it to you to judge whether there be not some cause to lament after the Lord. 1. Are all congregations , supplyed with able faithful Ministers ? God forbid I should condemn all , or censure any ; blessed be God there are some gracious men in publick station , whose main design is to win Souls to God : but Oh how small is their Number ; I would rather you read an account of this in Ichabod ; or five groans of the Church writ by a conformable Minister A. Dom. 1663. lamenting 3000 raw young heads , that teach before they have learned , 1500 debauched Ministers , many factious men , some illiterate trades-men , Simonists , Pluralists and Non-Residents particularly described ; God knows whether these things be true ; but it 's well if many have not cause to complain as our Lord , Matth. 9.36 . Who when he saw the multitudes , he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no Shepherd ; you know what follows : If all publick places were well supplyed there would be less need of us : If there were no need , we should be glad of a Supersedeas . 2. Yet is there not work enough for all the Ministers in England , if all were faithful , conscientious , and set themselves seriouslly to the work of God ; Oh how many thousand ignorant Souls to be instructed ! Obstinate , to be admonished , careless to be quickened , weak to be strengthned , wandring to be reduced ; surely they that know any thing of the worth of Souls , of the work of the Ministry , and of the importance of eternity cannot but bitterly lament that so little is done for saving of sinners , and that there are so few to lay out themselves , or that do actually or effectually , the work of faithful Pastors , for the conviction and edification of sinners Souls : If every Minister in England were gracious , and had an hundred persons under his cure and charge , he would find it as difficult to manage as a Physician , dealing with so many patients under several diseases : hic labor , hoc opus . 3. Is not the liberty that some take in their dispensing Ordinances under many disadvantages ? Are they not subject to fines , confiscations , imprisonments , banishments , censures , and all have not equal opportunity of feeding Christs flock , where there is as much necessity : What liberty is taken , it 's but stoln , and upon courtesie ; still they are exposed to the rage of malevolent spirits , and under the lash of the Law , and censures of being undiscreet Zealots , that adventure further than their more prudent Brethren ; yet still the Candle is under a bushel , and they that need it the most , have least share in it , and are glad they are out of the sound of it , and are furnished with stones enow , even from present constitutions , to cast at such as would disturb them in their career of sin , and posting to Hell ; and they whose Eyes are opened to see the blind running into a Pit , cannot but lament that their hands are so bound that they cannot stop them . 4. Are there not sad symptoms upon us of a departing Gospel ? It would not now be seasonable to enumerate the Prognosticks of God's taking away his Ark and Ordinances . Mr. Jurnal speaking of the unkind welcom the Gospel hath found among us , addeth ; Oh what will God do with this degenerate Age we live in ! O England , England ! I fear some sad Judgment or other bodes thee ! If such glad Tidings as the Gospel brings be rejected , sad news cannot be far off . I cannot think of less than a departing Gospel . God never made such a settlement of his Gospel amongst any People , but he could remove it from them : He comes but upon liking , and will he stay where he is not welcom ? who will that hath elsewhere to go ? Read the rest . Two words on this , observe , 1. Have there not been great Attempts made to quench the Light amongst us ? Oh what a Combination is there at home and abroad , of Papists and Atheists , to rout out the Name of Israel , and to banish the God of Israel , and cause him to cease from amongst us ! Oh what crafty Councels , and potent Confederates , animated with devilish hatred , may we espy in this our Native Country ! Antichrist makes many furious Assaults , with a Design to kill the poor Witnesses , after they have been Prophesying in Sackcloth , Rev. 11.3 , 7. Yea among our selves , Is there not some that are indifferent whether the Ark or Mass , Gospel-preaching , or dumb Idols take place ? Yea some say unto God , Depart from us , we desire not the knowledge of his waies . Men are scorched with the glorious Rayes of the Gospel-Sun , and blaspheme God , rather than kindly melted by its warm and benign Influences . How many Ahabs hate Micaiah's , or Felix's ? at best that adjourn the Court of Conscience , and Plain-Preaching : Or Gadarens , that prefer their Swine-Sty to God's Sanctuary , and desire blessed Jesus to depart out of our Coasts . God's Ark is a troublesom Guest to graceless Philistins . Some that received not the Truth in love , are in danger to be given up to Popish Delusions , and the mixt multitude that fell a lusting or longing for the Onions of Aegypt . If the Gospel may be sinned away , surely it is in hazard now to depart . If prodigious lusts , daring Heaven , unfruitfulness , decay of Zeal , loss of first Love , carnal confidence of Priviledges , and contempt of the Power of Godliness , neutrality , empty Formality , have robbed People of this Pearl ; surely without a prerogative , add , of mercy , we cannot keep it long . 2. Where are the Souls that stir up themselves to take hold of a withdrawing God ? Some I hope there are that stand in the gap , but oh how few , and how faintly ! Where is there a Moses , to hold up his hands , a Joshua to fall at God's feet , a Phinehas to execute Justice ? God sees that there is no man , and may wonder that there is no Intercessor . Strange ! That there should be none to guide her among all the Sons she hath brought forth ; What! none to take her by the hand , of all the Sons that she hath brought up : What! Is there no Rod strong enough for bearing such a weight ? Well , this is a lamentation , and shall be for a lamentation . But may not the Innocent deliver the Island ? May not the poor wise man deliver the City ? Are not Saints Prayers effectual ? Ans . Yes . But where are they ? The old Stock is worn out , and few new ones come in for a supply . Strong Torrents are carried by the dead Sea into the Ocean of Eternity ; and new Springs are yet rare and faint . Where shall we find Elijah's Spirit doubled on succeeding Elisha ? Though a Kingdom may have much Treasure in it , yet if Trade cease , no Bullion or Merchandise be imported , it will decay , because it spends upon the old Stock . This is our case , old Saints are worn away , few Converts fit to plead with God , come in their room . And this is the Devils design , to wear out the Saints of the most High , and extirpate the genuine Seed of Jacob. But alas ! By whom shall Jacob arise ? for he is small . His face waxeth pale , having of late lost so much good blood . And doth not our Lord sometimes withdraw the Spirit of Prayer , which is an interpretative saying , Pray not for this People . Doth not stupidity and sleepiness seize on the Disciples , even when Jesus is in his Agony ? Doth not this bode evil ? Is there not in them , even in them , sins enow to weaken and evacuate their own Prayers ? Alas ! What Divisions , what Decaies , Deadness , Unprositableness ! The Old Puritan-Spirit is gone ; we are wofully degenerated : Professors are grown like the world : How unlike are we to Primitive Saints ? Abraham is ignorant of us , Israel would not acknowledge us for their genuine Seed . But may we not think our disease is grown so stubborn and inveterate , that no Doses will conquer the Disease , though [ ultimi conatus ] these hard struglings of Nature may maintain Life for a season ? Judgments have been prorogued upon the Vine-dressers interposing importunity , three years longer , but beware the forth . God's Patience hath bounds ; his Spirit will not alwaies strive . We look like a people ripe for ruine . However Noah , Dantel and Job may deliver their own Souls ( though none besides ) by their righteousness . God can make those few Names in Sardis to walk in white , though he come against her as a Thief , and leave her in Aegyptian darkness : He can find harbour for his Children , though he pull down the house upon the heads of formal Hypocrites : And if there be not cause of lamenting after the Ark when its removal is feared , to be sure men will see cause to lament when this evil is felt . The Anger of the Lord shall not return , until he hath executed , and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart ; In the latter daies ye shall consider it perfectly , Jer. 23. v. 20. 2. Is not the God of Ordinances much removed from amongst us ? And is not he worth lamenting after ? God makes gradual removes . It 's true , sometimes the Sun sets at noon-day ; yet ordinarily the Sun leaves the Horizon by sensible declinings . The glory of the Lord goes up from the Cherub , to the Threshold of the house , thence to the middle of the City , thence to the Mountain . I shall briefly mention four Removes which our Lord hath taken from us : By way of Query . 1. Is not restraining grace much gone from amongst us ? Some persons in former times were wont to be civil , orderly , and in many things conformable to the letter of the Word ; but now God hath cast the Reins in their necks , and they get the Bit of Conscience betwixt the teeth of sensual affections , and obstinate sinning , and there 's no hoe with them ; they run mad in their own waies ; petty Oaths of Mass or Troth , are commence to Dam me , and full mouth'd blasphemies ; tippling to down-drive Drunkenness , and open reeling ; wanton dalliances to defended Adulteries ; squibbing Strictness , to open persecution of all that looks like seriousness ; from questioning Divine Providence , men advance to avowed Atheism , and open defiance of Heaven . Some men are given up to such sins as are not fit to be named , and which themselves formerly would have blusht at the mention of ; and if any had predicted their committing them , would have said as Hazael , Is thy Servant a Dog ? Sinners that used to walk under a Vail or Mask , now go bare-fac'd , and men glory in their shame . Many abhor Sobriety , Justice , Temperance . We overpass the deeds of the wicked ; the Moral Heathens would be ashamed of us . Men work all uncleanness with greediness : Yea , if they court God in a few formal Prayers , they think they are delivered to do all these abominations ; as though they had got a Popish Indulgence and Dispensation to sin . As Breerwood in his Enquiries tells us , The common people think they do the Priest a kindness to find him work by new sinning to get pardons . Yea , some think strange at others , that they are not as bad as themselves : And is not this matter of lamenmentation , to see the Earth thus for saken by a righteous God , and possessed by so many Bears , Lions , Tygers and Goats ? that men are grown Wolves , yea Devils to each other ! Is it not time to lament after that God that gives up men to such profligate and prodigious courses as hasten their own damnation , and England's desolation ? Is it not time to seek God till he come and Rain Righteousness upon us ? Hos . 10.12 . 2. Is not converting grace much withdrawn from the Ordinances of God ? And doth not this call sensible Souls to lament after the Lord ? Time hath been that our Lord hath mounted his white Horse , and hath bent his Bow , and shot his Arrows of Conviction , and made them sharp in the hearts of the King's Enemies , and caused people to fall under him , going forth conquering ; hath had his Crown set upon his head by the Daughters of Jerusalem . But alas ! now the Church hath a miscarrying Womb , and dry Breasts . Ministers cry out , Who hath believed our Report ? I have laboured in vain . God doth not go forth with his Word as formerly . The Apostles were Fishers , inclosed many at a draught ; present Ministers Hunters , shout and run all day , and catch but one or two , and well too . It 's worth a whole lifes pains . Though it cannot be denied , God's despised Servants have now and then seals of their Ministry to God's glory , their incouragement , and the stopping of the mouths of slanderers . Jerusalem is built even in troublesom times : The Gospel is not bound , though Ministers be . Men civilly dead , may convey spiritual life . God hath not left his Servants without some Testimonies in the Consciences and Conversations of their Hearers , that God is in his Ordinances of a truth . But alas ! how few gleanings hath our dear Lord , compared with the full Vintage Satan gets among men ? We take these first fruits thankfully till the full Harvest come . Let Ministers and People lament after the Lord , that he would fill his House with glory , hasten the day of his Power , to make People chearful Volunteers in the Lord's Warfare . Oh that more might knock at our doors with a [ What must I do to be saved ? ] Where is the Lord God of Elijah ? Lord , cloath thine Ordinances with thy Power . When shall Aaron's Rod bring forth ripe Almonds ? Lord , let the Children of the Covenant own the God of their Fathers , and be sprinkled with Covenant grace . Lord , break up that blessed Writ of Electing Love , in converting grace . Let Sermons be seconded with power . Make thy Word the Arms of God unto Salvation . 3. Doth not God much withdraw from the Societies of his Servants ? Is there to be sound that entireness , singleness , faithfulness amongst God's People to each other as in former daies ? Is there not much pride , worldliness , decay of love to God , abating spiritual zeal for God , such as was in the daies of old ? Alas ! we have reason to think the Spirit of Prayer is much withdrawn ; that close walking , that distance from appearances of sin , that entireness for God , that endearedness and usefulness of Christians amongst themselves , as is wont to be . Yea , hath not God seemed to take Peace from the Earth ? Is not Manasse● against Ephraim , and Ephraim against Manasseh , and they together against Judah ? Papists against Protestants , and Protestants against Papists , and they together against zealous Worshippers , and exact walkers according to pure and Primitive Institutions ? Are not some Members of the same Church , that desire to keep close to the Rule , rendred black , while the Sun hath looked upon them with some malignant aspects and reflections of displeasure ? Yea even the same Mothers Children are angry with them . Yea their own Shepherds pity them not : Nay , some Watchmen are so rigid and censorious , that they find them out , wound them , take away their vail from them , expose the Members of the same Church , as if they were factious , traiterous , or heretical , and will hold no communion with them that have much charity for them , and pursue them with intreaties to beg their consent to walk with them towards Heaven , and joyn in God's work for winning of Souls ; and alas , they brow-beat them , and seem to deny them liberty to worship the same God , own the same Bible , or partake of the same common Saviour : If this be not for a lamentation , what is ? Methinks some deal with their Brethren , as Saul's Courtiers with honest David , 1 Sam. 26.19 . — They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord , saying , Go serve other gods : Or , as it is , Ezek. 11.15 . Son of Man , thy Brethren , even thy Brethren , the men of thy kinred , & all the house of Israel wholly are they unto whom the Inhabitants of Jerusalem have said , Get ye far from the Lord , unto us is this Land given in possession . Monopolies are dangerous in Spirituals . What envy hath excluding others begot in these cases ? Lamentable is the Story here in England of the haughty carriage of Austin the Monk , and petulant behaviour of the Brittish Bishops , who neglected to joyn with the other upon private animosities to Preach the Gospel to the Idolatrous Saxons . Austin predicted and menaced , that if they would not have Peace with their Brethren , they should have Wars with their Enemies . Shortly after Ethelbert King of Northumberland , being a Pagan , went with a great Army against the City of Chester , ( whether animated by Austin , God knows ) overcame the Brittans , slew eleven hundred Monks ( i.e. persons religiously devoted to God ) for praying for the Brittans , only fifty escaped with Brockmail Mayor of Chester . A Spirit of Aemulation in so good a work , hath alwaies bad Effects ; and Pride hath dreadful consequences . Church-Divisions are much to be lamented , and very rarely issue without Civil Dissentions . For the Divisions of Reuben there ought to be sad searchings , and heavy thoughts of heart . Lord , when shall Conscience-racking Oaths be broken ? How long shall intangling Orders for decency rend the bowels of thy Church ? When shall Subscription to Christ's Laws suffice ? It 's sure a matter of lamentation that the Devil casts the Bone among Professing Christians , and they snarl at each other about it . How long shall the pride and wrath of men make and blow up that spark into a flame , that Satan the great make-bait casts among them ? When will men see the hand of Joab is in all this ? and discern at last that among all these contending Clients , none is gainer but that common Barreter ? Lord open mens Eyes , heal our bleeding wounds , and bring back that antient Christian Spirit of Love , and Peace , Charity & Humility . 4. Once more ; Is there no cause for Gods Children to lament after the Lord for his return to their Spirits ? Is not God much withdrawn from the hearts of his People ? If a Child of God say as Sampson , I will go out as at other times before , and shake my self ; But he wisteth not that the Lord is departed from him . When he reflects on himself & and finds it so , will he not see sad cause to lament ? And have not some Godly Souls cause to say as Gideon , Judg. 6.13 . Oh my Lord , if the Lord be with us , why then is all this befallen us ? And where be all his miracles which our Fathers told us of ! But now the Lord hath forsaken us : 1. In point of quickening , exciting , and actuating their graces : May not that sad complaint be taken up , Isa . 64.7 . There is none that calleth on thy name , that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee . For thou hast hid thy face from us , & hast consumed [ Heb. melted ] us because of our iniquities . Where is that flaming love , that working faith , Gospel-repentance that lively hope , that filial fear , that spirit of adoption , that found mind , tender conscience , and working affections as in former days ? It 's much to be feared there 's a general decay of grace , or damp in point of exercise on the Spirits of living Christians : it 's well if the Bridgroom find not even the wise Virgins asleep . 2. As to strength and assistance , against the assaults of temptation , and out-breakings of corruption : many Thorns in the flesh , Messengers of Satan do too prevalently push forwards Gods Children to sin , and they find not his grace sufficient for them as sometimes , but stumble , and fall , and are broken , snared and taken ; Yea sometimes to the breaking of their bones , dishonouring of God , scandal of their profession , and endangering of their precious Souls : Oh let not such things be told in Gath , or published in Askelon , lest the uncircumcised Philistins triumph over Gods People , and be hardened in their sinful ways . Alas , where shall Gods tender Spirited Children hide their faces when their brethren prophane Gods holy Name , and men shall say , These are the People of the Lord , and are gone forth out of his land , Ezek. 36.20 . These are your Praecisians , and scrupulous Zealots that will not do as others ; now they shew that they are a pack of Hypocrites . This cuts deep , and wounds to the heart . 3. As to communion with God , Gods People of old could assert it with a [ truely ] however carnal men scorn it now , 1 Joh. 1.3 . Truly our fellowship is with the Father , and with his Son Jesus Christ ; Not only in that secret , essential fundamental communion whereby grace is maintained in its being and life , but that sweet , sensible , Soul-refreshing fellowship that gives grace its activity , & maintains intercourse betwixt God and the Soul in duty : But alas ! have not Gods Children cause to complain as the Church , that God withdraws himself ; She seeks him but finds him not , in publick Ordinances , in secret Duties , in communion of Saints , Gods Children complain with Job , chap. 23.8 , 9. Behold , I go forward , but he is not there , and backward , but I cannot perceive him , &c. He looks East , West , North , South but in vain ; This is strange that God who is every where should be found no where — but though the Child of God be aware of Gods general Omnipresence , and feel his common Providence , yet is not satisfied without his special presence , and gracious influence ; And missing this , he hath reason to lament after the Lord when he hides himself . 4. As to assurance , settlement and comfort sometimes Gods Children are left to a sad , unsatisfyed and doubting frame , full of fears , troubles , jealousies , are much in the dark in point of state ; this is a very general complaint at this day . Many have blurred their evidences by sins , or carelesness , and cannot give any distinct account how their principles are stated , what condition their Souls are in , are damped and daunted as to their interest in Christ , title to the promises , hopes of Heaven ; Have not these great cause to lament after the Lord ? And surely these must say as David , Psal . 51.8 . — 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness , that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce ; restore unto me the joy of thy salvation , and uphold me with thy free Spirit : O my God! My Soul is cast down within me , one while I argue with my own heart communing , expostulating challenging , charging my Spirit , and alas , I can do no good with it , other whiles turning me to God , but still I am restless , cannot be quiet , but am tossed with tempests , and not comforted . Well , I am determined to look towards Gods holy temple , and cast my self at Gods feet in the vertue of that promise , Hos . 6.3 . Then shall we know , if we follow on to know the Lord ; his going forth is prepared as the morning , and he shall come unto us as the rain , as the latter and former rain unto the earth . Thus much for the Doctrinal part , and the clearing of an objection . All the Application I shall make of this point shall only be of Exhortation , to put us all upon this so seasonable and needful a duty of lamenting after the Lord ; the Ark of the Lord and the Lord of the Ark. In prosecuting this , I shall do these four things . 1. Propound some Motives and Arguments to press this duty upon our Spirits . 2. Discover what sort of Persons are concerned thus to lament after the Lord. 3. Lay before you some Helps to carry on this work of serious lamenting . 4. Propound some Cordials to incourage our hearts till we overtake the Lord. 1. For Motives to persuade , prevail with our hearts to practice this duty , once at last ; and indeed it 's a very sad consideration that this People of Israel were twenty years before they began to feel their feet , or come to themselves . This shall be the First Argument , That a professing People may lye long under dreadful Spiritual judgments without a sensible Spirit ; It was so with them here , it 's well if it be not so with us : And this sensless frame is greater evil than any other judgments . Qu. But how comes it to pass that men may be so long senseless and not lament after the Lord all this while ? Ans . 1. From the nature of sin ; sin is of an hardening , stupifying , brutifying nature , when men fall into sin , their hearts are hardened by it , Heb. 3.13 . Sin is of a cold congealing nature , it freezeth the Soul , rocketh conscience asleep , and like the Fish Torpedo , that diffuseth its benumming poison through the hand , arm , and creeping at last to his heart , kills him ; so doth sin . It 's not to tell how David's sin rockt him asleep , and led him on to other sins , till it indangered his Soul's sleeping the sleep of death . 2. From the worldly enjoyments men have in room of Ordinances ; as the Captives in Babylon being well settled in their conveniences , forget God's Appointments , and Jerusalem comes [ not ] into their mind , while their enjoyments afford contentment . Yea , though some returned , they can sleep quietly in their Cieled houses , while the House of God lies waste , Hag. 1.4 . God's Ark is forgotten , when mens private Chests are full . Personal comforts thrust our spiritual , as the Sun Beams eat out the Kitchin fire . 3. From the want of quickening Means in the want of Ordinances . When the Prophets are dead naturally or civilly , their Monitors to duty are taken away , Psal . 74.9 . We see not our signs ; there 's no more any Prophet , neither is there any among us that knoweth how long . When men want an Haggai or Zechariah , they lie still asleep , for want of awakening Helps . It 's Samuel that promotes this lamenting after the Lord. 4. From the withdrawings of God's grace , Psal . 80.18 . — Quicken us , and we will call on thy Name . As long as God turns his back on us , we shall be so far from kindly lamenting after him , that we shall turn , go back from him . My Soul followeth hard after thee , Psal . 63.8 . How comes that to pass ? why , Thy right hand upholdeth me . It 's God that gives a repenting heart , a lamenting Soul. Oh what are we if God leave us to our selves ! Study these causes of senslesness , and let our Souls be ashamed . Tremble at these causes , and their effects ; bewail sin ; settle not in worldly injoyments ; beg quickening helps , and above all , Divine grace for our assistance in lamenting after the Lord. This is the first . 2. That God's Professing People may , and must stir up themselves to lament after the Lord. All men have rational faculties . Gracious Souls have spiritual Principles , sloth kills both : Self excitation is possible , and a furtherance to this lamentation after God. Men as men have Consciences , and Conscience is the Candle of the Lord , searching all the inward parts of the belly , by self-reflection , discovering the want of God and goodness , checking for evil , putting on to what is good ; if you follow it not as far as it leads you , you wrong it , rebel against its Master , and deprive your selves of further helps : Contradict this Preacher in thy bosom at thy peril . Means intervene betwixt a man's can , and his cannot ; if thou canst not move a spiritual step , thou must move a natural step after the Lord ; if thou canst not create a new heart , yet thou canst and must endeavour to make thee a new heart , and a new spirit . If thou be not able to do God's work , thou must be doing thy own work ; bemoan thy self , tell him what an unruly Bullock thou art , and desire him to turn thee , and then thou shalt be turned . Stir up thy self to take hold on God. Stir up the Gift of God in thee . Charge thy self as David , My Soul , wait thou only upon God. Awake thou that sleepest , arise from the dead , and Christ shall give thee light . Awake , awake , put on thy strength , oh Zion ! put on thy beautiful Garments , oh Jerusalem ! — shake thy self from the dust ; — loose thy self from the bands of thy neck , oh Captive Daughter of Zion ! Isa . 52.1 , 2. Now at last God expects you should labour to work your hearts to a discovery of your misery , the necessity you have of God , of his presence and Ordinances . You may rouze your selves to this work , you must , and if you do , God will help , if not , your destruction will be of your selves . 3. This lamenting after the Lord and his Ark hath been the practice , and is the true Character of God's Children . Eli's heart trembled for the Ark of God. Phinehas's Wife thought it not worth the while to live when the Ark was gone : I will wait on the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob , and will look for him , Isa . 8.17 . This was when it was said , Bind up the Testimony , seal the Law among my Disciples , v. 16. Yea , if you would seek and find God , seek not to familiar Spirits — but to the Law , and to the Testimony , v. 19 , 20. For , should not a People seek unto their God ? Sirs , shew what you are , and act as you seem : If you be God's Children , run weeping after your Father ; cry after him , and say , Be not a terrour to me . Yea , why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the Land , and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night ? Lord , art not thou in the midst of us ? We are called by thy Name , leave us not , Jer. 14.8 , 9. Be not thou far from me , O Lord , for trouble is near , for there is none to help . Oh! where is that antient serious Spirit of lamenting after the Lord ? Where are those genuine workings of Child-like bowels after such a Father ? What 's become of that sighing frame of heart , that Spirit of Adoption , that God's Children of old were indued with ? It 's well if new Notions do not drive out that old Spirit of lamentation . Shew you are Saints by this , as those few declared themselves Saul's faithful Souldiers whose hearts God had toucht , following him trembling , or trembling after him . So Hos . 11. v. 10. They shall walk after the Lord ; he shall roar like a Lion , when he shall roar , then the Children shall tremble from the West . Observe it , God's roaring in terrible threatnings or executions , drives not God's Children from him , but to him , only they come trembling , appealing from God to God , from an avenging Justice offended , to tender Mercies through the Merits of Jesus . Learn this Mystery an Christian Property . 4. This is no controverted Point , but a granted duty on all hands , I am persuading to : Who dare contradict it ? Yea , who dare dispute it ? What exceptions can any bring against this , of lamenting after the Lord ? I challenge any Caviller to produce any shew of reason against either branch of it ; either as to the Ordinances of God , or God in his Ordinances . I think all Parties are agreed in the Theory . Oh that all were also agreed in the practice of this duty ! whatever disputes men make about other Rules , or Canons of practice , methinks there should be none about this . Let us therefore ; as many as be perfect , be thus minded , and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded , God shall reveal even this unto you ; nevertheless , whereto we have already attained , let us walk by the same Rule , let us mind the same thing , Phil. 3.15 , 16. Whence I discern , 1. That it 's a vain praeposterous thing for persons to spend time in disputing about abstruse and dark Points , while they neglect momentous and palpable duties . 2. The only way to get Unity in less material Truths or Duties , is conscientious practice of what is necessary and indubitable . I may truly say , that nothing is more likely to make us cordial Friends ; than the practice of the Duty in my Text ; when Judah & Israel fall a weeping and seeking the Lord then they go together . How amicable doth converting grace make those that were at deadly and desperate feud ? for Repentance turns the hearts of Parents and Children to each other . Alas ! till our faces be set towards the Lord , our backs will be on each other , and we shall rush with fury one against another : But if we agree in this best act and object , we shall agree amongst our selves : Lamenting together would clear up our eye-sight , and beget an harmony of hearts . 5. Other persons in all other cases do lament after the Objects that their hearts are set upon . David followed his dead Friend Abner with sorrow , and bitterly lamented his dead Son Absalom . The Companions of Jephthah's Daughter yearly lamented her . Yea David much lamented Saul ( though his Enemy while living ) and his sworn Brother Jonathan , Jeremiah lamented for Josiah , and all the singing-men , & singing-women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day . Yea , they made them an Ordinance in Israel , 2 Chron. 35.25 . And which of you are so hard-hearted , but you would lament a dead Friend , or Brother , Sister , Wife , Child , Parent ? And canst thou not find in thy heart to spend some sad thoughts on thy departing Lord , or follow the sad Hearse of deceased Ordinances ? Ah carnal hearts ! Ah hard hearts Wo be to stupid wretches ! Shall a poor Idolatrous Micah cry out after his Teraphim ? And shall we let the only true God go with silence and dry eyes ? Is not our God worth lamenting after ? Will even careless women lament at last for the teats , for the pleasant fields , for the fruitful vine ? And shall not Gods Children lament for those full breasts of Gospel ordinances ? Shall not Children cry and long for the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby ? If you were sensible , you would cry out , my Father , a little bread to an hungry Soul , my Mother , let me suck those breasts of consolation : I am pining , languishing , famishing to death , let me be nourished to eternal life . 6. If we lament not after the Lord and his Ark , he will go yet further from us , if not totally leave us . There was never such symptoms of Gods taking away the Candlestick , and leaving us to the Idolatry , and Cruelties of Popery , in this Kingdom , since the Reformation as there is at this day : horrible Abominations and Atheism preparing for it , our ingratitude for prevention thus long , the general Antipathy to a Sound Ministry , a Spirit of giddiness to entertain the most senseless fopperies , a mincing some grosser Popish doctrines by pretended Protestants , humane Inventions coyned in darkest times of Popery retained , Courts , Fees , Officers , Ceremonies ; Popish names places , Customs defended ; Want of Sympathy with our suffering brethren abroad in that kind ; attempts for Reformation not succeeding opposed : Instruments reserved , prepared for Scourges ; denying plots as clear as the Sun ; Preferring Popish Tyranny before Christs Government ; most debauchery in some that should be best ; Popish Emissaries swarming ; Popish Families increasing ; Honest Ministers much laying aside Weapons , Antidotes ; fearlesness in many , unpreparedness of all for such a dispensation ; impressions on many of Changes ; Freedom of Ordinances to lay in for a storm ; unprincipled professors must pass an Ordeal-Tryal ; judgment beginning at God's house ; Choyce stakes taken out of the hedg , transplanted to Heaven ; Witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth ; must be slain , the Whore must sit as a Queen , and see no loss of Children ; Antichrist must render himself more cruel and odious , to stir up Kings hearts against the Church : indifferency of great potentates in the cause of Religion , Policy for outward security , the compass that most stear by ; Christ's interest is low in Protestant Countries ; God's laying them under severe rebuke by his immediate hand ; Little notice taken of providences , no publick fastings and humiliations , former guilt of blood unwiped off ; Such things as these speak black showrs of Popish darkness and barbarous showrs of blood ; God almighty prevent ; But certainly these things call for bitter lamenting after the Lord ; either to prevent them or prepare our hearts for them , or both . I shall add , 7. There is no way to bring our Lord or his Ark back to us , but this course of lamenting after him . God hath withdrawn himself purposely to make us follow him mourning ; And he seems to stand still and hearken what we do in this case Jer. 8.6 . I hearkened and heard saith God , but they spake not aright : What was that ? certainly repenting of their sins , & lamenting inquiries after God ; And Jer. 31.18 , 19. If God can but hear persons bemoan themselves , follow God , desire the Lord to turn them , and turn to them , see what kind language he gives them , ver 20. Is Ephraim my dear Son ? Is he a pleasant Child ; for since I spake against him , I do earnestly remember him still ; therefore my bowels are troubled for him , I will surely have mercy upon him , saith the Lord. God doth carry in this case as a loving Father , being provoked to Whip or leave his offending Child , looks back on his sobbing , broken-hearted lamenting Child , saying , Alas , my Child what ails thee ! What 's the matter with thee ? What wantest thou ? Dost thou want an heart , to repent , friendship with me ? Dost thou lament so sadly after reconciliation with me , and return to thee ? I am glad of it , that was all I aimed at ; I have attained mine end ; come , come , thou art welcome to me , come my dear ; my lovely Child , let me wipe thy blubbered cheeks , and kiss thee again ; I am glad my rod and anger work so kindly , I will return to thee with love and sweetest embraces : Thus doth our Lord return with loving kindness and mercies , and they shall be as if he had not cast them off : There 's no way probable or possible to bring God or his Ark back but this , and shall we not take this course ? It 's true its a doubtfull and dangerous case , we are not certain he will return , but yet there 's a May-be , a who can tell in it : We are sure , running from him , and sinning against him , with an hard-heart , will undoubtedly rob us of him , and ruine us , but we have lost more labour to less purpose , therefore let us turn to the Lord , with all our heart , with fasting , with weeping & with mourning , &c. Joel 2.12 , 13. and then say , as Gods directs them , v. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent , and leave a blessing behind him , even a meat-offering and a drink-offering unto the Lord our God ? Oh how well doth God take such a carriage ! How willing is he to return back to us ! Only he expects we should be sensible of his withdrawing , and bitterly lament after him . 8. If we do not lay to heart the loss of God's Presence and Ordinances , God will make us to lament upon other accounts : If he design us good , he will pinch us till we feel , and cry out , if not , we shall be left to lament hopeless , and helpless in Hell torments . If we will not lay to heart spiritual Judgments , God threatens to send a Curse upon us , and to curse our blessings , Mal. 2.2 . How ? why , if men prize not their Temple Priviledges , God can blast the fruits of the Earth , Hag. 1.9 . We looked for much , and loe it came to little , and when ye brought it home , I did blow upon it [ or blow it away ; ] why ? saith the Lord of Hosts ; because of mine house that is waste , and ye run every man to his own house . Self-seeking here is self-undoing : Men ruine themselves by neglecting God's Interest : If men will not lament the Ark's Captivity , God will make Judah go into Captivity . If men lay not to heart the mourning waies of Zion , God hath a way to make them go without strength before the pursuer . Men can well dispense with the loss of the pleasant things of the Sanctuary , it shall be tryed how they will resent the loss of their temporal pleasant Enjoyments . If men lament not the Gates of Zion , the Gates of the City shall lament & mourn , and being desolate , shall sit upon the ground . If professing People lay not to heart sad and silent Sabbaths , God may make the Land to keep her Sabbaths . Great and fair Houses must be desolate without Inhabitant , because God's House is desolate , and none regardeth . God can tell how to meet with the selfish , heedless persons : If they regard not God's Interest , God will care as little for theirs . He can tell how to come near you in matters of sense , that can make nothing of what concerns your Souls . And Ordinances of God will then be good , when sickness , pain , poverty , death arrest you : Or these spiritual things will be good when out of your reach , and you shut up in the Prison of Hell , where there is weeping , wailing , and gnashing of teeth , Psal . 141.6 . When their Judges are overthrown in stony places , they shall hear my words , for they are sweet . When that sad Plague of Sweating Sickness was here in England , how much were proud Nobles in seeming love with faithful Ministers ? how glad were they of advice from them ? then Ordinances were of more worth than purses full of gold . God can make his Ministers to be prized by the prophanest Scorners ; yea , he knows how to make a wounding Sword to make way through their bleeding sides , for instructions to enter the most flinty hearts , as Bernard told his ranting Brother . 9. How long must the Lord wait for your sensible lamentings ? we are soon weary of the yoak , and think it long to wander in the wilderness : Sometimes we are for returning back into Aegypt , and then all in post-hast for Canaan , as Israel in the Desert . The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed , that he should not die in the Pit ; but then we would break Prison , and are loth to take God's way , or stay God's time ; this retards us rather than quickens our deliverance . God puts us to our [ how longs ] because we put him to his [ how longs . ] How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee ? How long will it be ere you attain to innocency ? Oh Jerusalem ! wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be ? We were in post-hast for a Restitution many years ago , as Moses for Miriam ; Heal her now , O God , I beseech thee . God saith , If her Father had but spit in her face , should she not be ashamed seven daies ? But our heavenly Father hath spit in our face in the open sight of the world , & we have been shut out of his house well near three times seven years ; yet alas , it 's to be fear'd we are not Evangelically ashamed . Absalom was three years at Geshur , and two years at Jerusalem , and saw not the King's face ; and pretended dissatisfaction therewith . Oh! but where 's our real longing to enjoy the Lord in his Ordinances ? Alas ! it's not length of time that will put our hearts into frame . When at last will God raise up some awakening Samuel , that shall sound the Alarum in the Ears of all Israel ? Oh! when shall we awake out of our long sleep ? when shall we see our need of God in his Ordinances ? when shall our Souls lament after God to purpose ? Surely it 's time to bestir our selves once at last . 10. Can we lament to any else that will or can hear or help us ? May not Kings or great ones say as that King once to that crying Woman , that said , Help my Lord , O King ; he said , If the Lord do not help thee , whence shall I help thee ? Alas ! we may say , Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the Hills , and from the multitude of Mountains . Truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel , Jer. 3.23 . The greatest Princes are not to be trusted in . God thinks fit to frustrate our expectations from men ; to confute our carnal confidence in man. Surely men of low degree are vanity ( if they have a mind to help they cannot ) and men of high degree are a lye ( if they can help ; yea , if they promise to help , they will not ) our best course then is to pour out our hearts before him , and say , God is a refuge for us , Selah , Psal . 62.8 , 9. For all Power is God's , v. 11. We may say as David , I looked on my right hand , and beheld , but there was no man that would know me ; refuge failed me ; no man cared for my Soul ; I cryed unto thee , O Lord , Psal . 142.4 , 5. The Comforter that should relieve our Souls is far away . There 's none to guide poor Zion , of all the Sons whom she hath brought forth ; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the Sons that she hath brought up , Isa . 51.18 . As for us , our Eyes as yet failed for our vain help ; in our watching , we have watched for a Nation that could not save us . We are as Napthali , and have been struggling as sore for a Masculine Parliament , as the Antient Primitive Church long travelled for a Man-child , a Christian Emperour ; we had one ; they also struggled for uniting the Protestant Subjects , and alleviating our grievances ; they were broken off by breaking up : We had a second which set themselves to help us ; but the Children were come to the birth , and there was no strength to bring forth ; all Attempts prov'd abortive , since our Moses and Aaron ( by Votes or Disputes ) have represented our case , sought favour , and used means of help , our Bricks are doubled , Spirits are more inraged , and our savour is abhorred , and a keener Sword is put into some mens hands to execute the Law with more severity ; and is it not time to have recourse to God ? We are not permitted so much as to petition to men , and make a true representation of our case ; that way is barred , and all other doors are lockt up ; what else can we do but lament after the Lord ; he is able to help , he is willing , and hath promised . Oh! let 's go to our God. There and there only we may ease our hearts , and find help : let us lift up our Eyes above the Hills , from whence cometh our help ; Our help cometh from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth , Psal . 121.2 . 2. Head is , Who are the Persons , People , that are to lament after the Lord ? I answer 1. Graceless persons , these have the greatest reason to lament after the Ordinances of God , and the God of Ordinances ; For alas , these poor Souls are without Christ , being Aliens from the common wealth of Israel , strangers from the covenants of promise , having no hope , and without God in the world , Eph. 2.12 . Ah poor sinners what will become of you if you live and dye without God ? You had better be without money , trades , credit , ease , house relations , cloaths , meat , every thing all things in the world , then without God , what will your lives or any thing advantage you without God ? Alas ! have you lived thus long in the world without an interest in God! How know you but death is at the next door ? And what will you do in the day of visitation , and in the desolation that shall come from far ? To whom will ye flee for help , and where will ye leave your glory ? Isai . 10.3 , 4. Without me saith God they shall bow down under the prisoners ' & they shall fall under the slain : Wo to you , if death the King of terrours meet you , and God the King of heaven be not on your side : What a woful case was Saul in when the Philistins were upon him and God was departed from him ? Oh when sickness , diseases , death , thy own conscience make war against thee , and thou hast no God to flee to what a sad case wilt thou be in ? Alas friends , estate , honours or all that the world can do for thee will be insignificant : If thou live and dye without God , thou must be for ever banished from him : And how canst thou in an ordinary way expect to have relation to God without the means of his appointment for obtaining that end ? The Ark of the convenant is the way of convenanting : the preaching of the Gospel is the door of faith , saving faith ( by which the Soul is intituled to God ) comes by hearing , and if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost : Little reason have the mad-frantick world , to rejoyce over the slain witnesses , to make merry , and send gifts one to another because these Prophets tormented them , i. e. would not let them go quietly to Hell , but would be jogging them out of their security , and summoning them to repentance . No , no , their departure , may be like Ezekiel's book , written within and without with lamentation and mourning and wo : Ah poor Soul ! God seems to stop Ministers mouths , and saith , thou shalt not be to him a reprover , my Spirit shall strive no more with them , feed them no more ; that that dyeth , let it dye , and that that is to be cut off , let it be cut off , q. d. I will concern my self no further about them , they regarded not my Counsels , and slept away the day of grace and refused the calls of God , now they shall be given up , as a branch cut off from the Tree , I 'le prune it no more , but take it away and lay it under that Gospel-curse , Never fruit grow on thee from henceforth for ever . Or like the flourishing vineyard of the Jewish Church , Take away the hedge thereof , break down the stone wall , lay it wast , it shall not be pruned , nor digged , but there shall come up briars and thorns , I will also command the Clouds that they rain no rain upon it . And have men cause to rejoyce in this ? Is it not rather , ground of the greatest lamentatation , as a prologue , and pledge of damnation , and a token of rejection ? Will any but Mad men rejoyce at the approach of calamity , upon themselves ? Or will any but frantick Bedlams triumph that those are gone that stopt them from running into a pit , fire , or that kept them from dashing out their own Brains ? We think those young men fools that are glad their parents are dead that restrained their vicious courses . If carnal mens eyes were open to know the advantages of a powerful Ministry , or pure Ordinances , they would lay it to heart as the dreadfullest evil that ever befel them , and lament after the Lord with bitter crys for the return of the Means of Grace ; And say , O Lord , is light gone , and my Soul left still in darkness ? is life gone , and I dead still ? Are means of Salvation departed , and my Soul left under a necessity of perishing ? Many tears did Ministers shed for me : Oh what prayers to God! what beseechings of me to be reconciled to God! But I regarded not ; Woe is me , these embassadours of peace are called home , or have their mouths stopt , what can I now expect but a Proclamation of war ! Lord have mercy on me , and send those men of God to knock again at my door , and I hope I shall give them and their message better entertainment . Thus carnal Persons should say ; But alas such as most need , do often least regard these things , God knows , and after twenty years lying in the grave we may fear they will not still believe , tho we should arise from the dead ; And if after all this , there be little or no hopes of these laying this matter to heart I will turn me to another sort . 2. Ye gracious Souls , lament you after the Lord , though Israel play the harlot yet let not Judah offend ; Though wicked men will not understand nor lay any thing to heart , yet let Gods People , his Children lay to their hearts the displeasure of God and with bitter cries lament after their departing father : Oh that it could be said in this case as Gods own testimony is , Hos . 11.12 . Ephraim compasseth me about with lies ( pretending to worship God , when they intend nothing less ) And the house of Israel with deceit , cheating men , thinking to deceive God , himself ) but Judah yet ruleth with God , ( i. e. keeps up his interest at the throne of grace and prevails with me ) and is faithful with the Saints ( in point of communion and repute , or with the most holy : Marg. Oh blessed Judah ! but doth not Gods Judah need stirring up to lament after the Lord ! Alas ! how senseless , and slack are the best hearts in this work ! Who would have once imagined that such a Spirit of worldliness , security neutrality would have seized on Gods own Children ? Ah friends ! Can you let God depart either from your spirits or from the Assemblies of his People and not stir up your selves to take hold of him ? Who would have thought that God himself or the tokens of his presence should go from you without weeping eyes , or mournful complaints ? Who must hold him if you will not ? Who must fetch him back if you will not follow him , and call after him : You that have interest in him : You that have given up your selves to him : You that have had sweet experience of his presence ; And now pretend more love to him than any else ; You that he hath drawn with cords of Love , will not you lament after him ? Have not you some reason to say , as she Hos . 2.7 . I will go , and return to my first husband , for then it was better with me then now , Especially considering how he hath hedged your way with hewn thorns , disappointed you in your overtaking your other lovers : have not your Souls grown lean , and ready to famish in other wayes ? Have you not in all this time discerned some difference betwixt the pure and wholsom waters of the Sanctuary , and the impure puddle-water of mens Traditions ? Yea , have you not to your cost discerned some difference by your dear-bought experience betwixt the powerful Ordinances , and the very same or like thereto formally , heartlesly , lifelesly carryed on ? Tell me , deal ingenuously and candidly in the case ; Have not your Souls been ready to pine for want of provision ? Yea , have you not been tempted to loath some dishes handed to you by blind or Slovenly Cooks ? Have you not been in danger to be rockt asleep by such Truths as should have awakt you , and would , if faithfully mannaged ? Have you not been forced to eat that which some have trodden under their feet , and to drink that which some men have fouled with their feet ? Alas , Sirs ! Whatever others have , have not you some reason to lament with holy David , Oh God thou art my God , early will I seek thee : My Soul thirsteth for thee , my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land , where no water is , to see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary : Oh my Lord , time hath been that my Soul hath been satisfyed as with marrow and fatness , and my doubts resolved , graces quickened , lusts discovered , weakened in thine Ordinances , so that I could truely say in my own experience , God was in them of a truth : But alas for this long time matters have been otherwise , I have attended ( as I judged ) in obedience to thy command , and have sometimes met with aiery notions or sapless stuff , or mixture of errours , or such complementing with God in a dry formality , that methinks my soul is dryed with this light food ; I have reason to lay the blame upon my self , and charge my own unprofitable heart as the proper cause , but Oh my Lord , I long for an heart-Searching , state-distinguishing , sinrebuking word , Oh when shall my Soul injoy heart-melting Ordinances ! Thou that adaptest means to the end , and dost use to work conversion , consolation , confirmation , by most proper probable instruments , give suitable means of grace , and grace by the means ; Oh Lord , revive thy work in the midst of the years , in the midst of the years make known , in wrath remember mercy : Let all thy Children say , Amen . 3. You that are young , of the rising Generation , that are coming up , and coming on , in the rooms of your Ancestors , it becomes you to lament after the Lord and his Ark ; be it known to you , that your Predecessors Piety will not be your Sanctuary or Security . You may please your selves with being the Children of the Church , but think not to say within your selves , We have Abraham to our Father ; for God is not bound to you ; you may be Children of the Devil , and may be cast into Hell under that title : No , no , you must have a Faith of your own , a personal , as well as a foederal relation to God. It 's disputed at what Age Children are to stand on their own leggs for personal Faith , at five , or seven , or ten , or twelve ; to be sure , at years of discretion , when they can discern betwixt good and evil , they are to chuse for themselves , and are not to stand upon heir Parents bottom any longer , however they may improve their Parents Covenant . But , oh you young persons ! begin betimes to cry after your Father : God loves to be followed ( as with the Hosanna's once , so ) with the small voice , and to be held with the little hands of young Children : Try what you can do with him ; say not , you need him not , you cannot set up without him , you cannot live safely without him ; and I am sure you are undone if you die without relation to him , and you may die young . Oh then make sure of God , you are cast upon him from the womb ; say to him , Thou art my God from my Mothers belly , so shall you be a seed to serve him , and shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation . What an advantage will it be when your Father and Mother forsake you , ( by unkindness or death ) if you have a God to take you up . If God hath been your trust from your youth , he will not cast you off in old Age : But if you run away from God , all your younger daies , with what confidence can you lament after him in old Age ? May he not say , Go to the gods and lusts which you have served , gratified ? you come but to me for a reserve , with self-ends , and because you can follow your sensual pleasures no longer ; I should never have had your company , if you had been capable still to have made as good a bargain of the World as you are wont : You followed your lusts with a young and swift foot , but me you can but follow with a slow , Snails-pace ; a little of this lamenting more early , had been more acceptable : It 's an hard venture ( if you now go laughing in the Devil's ways ) whether you 'l be cordial in lamenting after God in Old Age , and so whether the Lord will entertain you : And as you would enjoy God , lament after the Ordinances of God. Thy Testimonies , saith David , have I taken as an heritage for ever . O blessed Heritage ! Oh precious Patrimony ! beg it , plead it , be not content without it . Whatever other Inheritance you have , say , Lord , mine Ears have heard , our Fathers have told us , what work thou didst in their daies , in the times of Old. What Providences were produced to settle Ordinances ? What excellent , powerful , heart-warming Preaching they had ; how God wrought wonders on Consciences by his Word and Spirit ; what pure Worship they had , Communion of Saints , wholsom Discipline , and what sweet intercourse with thy self in all ; now Lord , thou hast threatned , in part executed this Spiritual Plague of the Famine of thy Word , obstructing and obscuring Ordinances , and thy hand is still upon us ; thy end is not attained : Papists threaten to darken our Heaven , and totally to put out our Lights , and thy self seems to menace the removing of the Candlestick ; stop , O Lord ! execute not thy whole displeasure . Alas ! shall we be that cursed Generation that must again be involved in worse than Aegyptian darkness ? Alas ! who shall live when God doth this ? God forbid that we should out-live this bright Sun-shine of the Gospel , that we should not be Heirs of our Fathers spiritual Priviledges , as well as earthly Patrimonies . Oh! when these are lost , we must sadly sigh and say , What have our Forefathers been doing that they have deprived us of the Means of our Souls good ? Must they and we meet in Hell ? they for non-improvement , we for non-enjoyment ? Woe is us ! cursed Children , of cursed Parents ! Lord , if we have not peace , or plenty , let us have the Gospel of Peace and true Piety ; the Gospel of Grace , and Grace by the Gospel , and then we shall say , The Lines are fallen to us in pleasant places , we have a goodly Heritage . 4. Aged persons , and housholders ; you that are Parents have reason to lament after the Lord of the Ark , and the Ark of the Lord , that the Waters of the Sanctuary may run both with a clear and strong stream to your Families and Posterity . Alas ! we that have Children , have been Instruments to propagate filth , and guilt , and wrath to our Off-spring , and what can we do to heal and help them ? But if the Lord would be our God , he hath promised to be the God of our Seed . God forbid we should intail a Curse on our Posterity , and give them occasion to curse us to all eternity . What unworthy Parents are those that have fair Estates left them , and by their Prodigality leave their Children Beggars or Bankrupts ! But oh ! how sad would this be to deprive our Posterity of this Gospel-Legacy ? it will be both their loss , and our own . Lord , suffer us not to go off the Stage in a snuff , and leave such a stink behind us : Better we had never been born , than to fry and blaze in Hell flames , we and our poor Children bundled up in Faggots together . God thinks good to bind up Parents and their Seed in the Bond of the Covenant . Oh Lord ! we are resolved to follow after thee for the sure mercies of David : Be thou our God , and we shall have better hopes for our Seed . O remember that word , Isa . 59.21 . As for me , this is my Covenant with them , saith the Lord , my Spirit that is upon thee , and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth , nor out of the mouth of thy Seed , nor out of the mouth of thy Seeds Seed , saith the Lord , from henceforth and forever . This word is full and satisfying : 1. Thy Spirit shall be upon me and mine in Sanctification . 2. Thy words in my mouth , and Childrens mouths in profession , solemn Worship . 3. They shall not depart from my Seeds Seed to many Generations . 4. No , not for ever . 5. God , even Jehovah undertakes this . 6. It 's through Christ the Redeemer that 's come to Sion . 7. It 's a new Covenant-mercy . 8. It doth concern all Converts , and such as turn from transgression in Jacob ; and am not I one of these ? My dear Lord , make thou this word good to me and mine , thou that livest for ever and ever . I shall live in my Posterity , when I shall be here no more , let the Gospel-message survive me , and the Gospel-grace live in them when I am gone . Oh! cut not off thy kindness from my Seed ; let not them that follow me be deprived of that which I have found so much sweetness in . O that Ishmaels may live in thy sight ! What will become of such as are born in sin , if they want means of Conviction and Conversion ? There 's much ado to awake the sleepy Consciences of our dead Posterity under quickening Ordinances . Oh! what then will become of these , when such helps are gone ? How can I endure to see or foresee the destruction of my own bowels ? Oh! it cuts me to the heart to think of the damning of any , much more my own flesh . Lord prevent ; I will pray in hope , live in hope , die in hopes of the continuance of Gospel-Priviledges . 5. Ministers must make it their work to lament after the Lord ; You , you are the Persons mainly concerned ; You must sound an alarum , to awake others ; you are appointed by the Lord as Instruments to carry on this work ; and if ever God do return , he will excite his Servants to quicken themselves and others to this work , as Samuel here ; Gird your selves and lament , ye Priests , howl , ye Ministers of the Altar , come lye all night in sackcloth ye Ministers of my God. Yea let the Priests , the Ministers of the Lord , weep between the Porch and the Altar , and let them say , Spare thy People , O Lord , and give not thine heritage to reproach , that the heathen should rule over them , wherefore should they say among the People , Where is their God ? Alas my brethren ! have you been so long cast out of Gods publick Work and Worship , even twenty long years , and have you not yet leavned to lament ? shall our Master cashie us his service , and not judg us worthy to blow our triumpets of Rams horns , break a pitcher , or hold the lamps for him ? Surely he is very sore provoked , shall I say , three Shepherds he cut off in one month ; nay near three thousand in one day . And hath drawn out his wrath a great length , and is there no fault in us ? Yes , certainly our Father would not have spit in our face , or poured contempt upon us , upon us peculiarly , but he hath found great fault in us ; he hath doubtless seen much amiss in us : He doth not use to single out a sort of men to shoot his arrows at , without fault ; we cannot excuse instruments , but certainly we have deserved all this at God's hands ; is not God punishing Eli's house for the iniquity he knoweth of ? Let us my Brethren , deal faithfully and impartially with our selves before God and the world , cast the first stone at our selves , at last justify the Lord by taking shame to our selves . Hath God set us in this office only to tell others of their faults ? Have we not reason to call to remembrance our own faults this day ? I hope such as are truly gracious have made this reflection many times ; Nor is this my present work to rake in this dirty Channel ; only it becomes us to enquire why God hath made us contemptible and base before all the People , Mal. 2.1 — 9. My present work is to quicken our lamenting after the Lord , that if it be possible we may fetch him again . I may say as Mal. 1.9 . And now , I pray you , beseech God that he will be gracious unto us . This hath been by your means . O it 's well if our People have not reason to say so of their Ministers ( how beit sincere Repentance will not make men throw it off themselves by laying it on others ) but we may sadly eccho , Yes , yes , it hath been by our means , we have put out our Candles , by the Thief we have lodged therein ; We having obscured our glory by sinning ; We have robbed our People of the Ark , and exposed them to Seduction and destruction by the abominations that have been found amongst us . Let us fall close to our work of Preaching , reforming , praying , calling God again ; who knows but if we mourn to our People but they may lament ? Our watery eyes may affect Peoples hard hearts ; If the Fishers mourn and such as cast angles into brooks lament , our People will be moved , & God will hear our universal cry , and awake for us . Some will needs have our wearing black to import our mourning ; If so , let us not be Hypocrites , but lament indeed , not in shew . Some observe , that People are much formed after the preaching , examples , dispositions of their Teachers ; But it 's to be feared they 'l sooner dance after our wanton Pipes , then mourn after our pious Elegies : But God forbid the blame or blemish should proceed from us : However for Zion's sake let us not hold our peace and for Jerusalems sake let us not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness , and the Salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth , Isai . 62.1 . For God saith , ver . 6.7 . I have set watch-men upon thy walls , Oh Jerusalem which shall never hold their peace , day nor night ; Ye that make mention of the Lord , keep not silence and give him no rest , till he establish and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth : 6. Magistrates , supreme and subordinate , must lament after the Lord. It 's not a work below them , though they may think it a work above us to mind them of it ; but mean persons have been Monitors to mighty Princes . An inconsiderable Page rouzeth up Philip King of Macedon with this Alarum ; Remember , Sir , you are a man. Daniel's Counsel was seasonable ( he wisheth it may be acceptable ) to the Babylonian Monarch , to break off his sins by righteousness , and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor , if it might be a lengthening of his tranquillity , Dan 4.27 . God gives Jeremiah a Commission , to say to the King , and to the Queen , Humble your selves ; sit down . It 's not unbecoming the greatest Princes to adore at the Foot-stool of the King of Kings . 'T is prophesied of the Gospel-Church , that Kings shall be her Nursing Fathers , and Queens her Nursing Mothers , Isa . 49.23 . Yea , saith the Lord , They shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the Earth , &c. Which is to be understood not in a literal , Popish sense , of a civil subjection of their Power to the proud Usurpations of that Man of Rome , but a voluntary resignation of all to the great Jehovah , and our blessed Jesus ; an undervaluing their earthly Honours in comparison of spiritual Priviledges ; as Constantine the Great , and Theodosius , who professed he would rather be a Member of Christ , than Head of the Empire . It 's not below Majesty on Earth to lament after the God of Heaven . David , Asa , Jehosaphat , and Hezekiah followed the Lord with cares & prayers , fears and tears , and how doth God approve and applaud that tender-hearted Josiah , 2 Chron. 34.27 , 28. Because thine heart was tender , and thou didst humble thy self before God , when thou heardest his words against this place , and against the Inhabitants thereof , and humbledst thy self before me , and didst rend thy cloaths , and weep before me ( mark the outward tokens of inward sorrow ) I have even heard thee also , saith the Lord. And when Josiah's Grandfather , Manasses , was unruly , God took a course to humble him , and set him a following God by hearty prayer , and great humiliations : But when his Father Ammon , and his Son Zedekiah did not walk in these mournful steps of penitent lamentings after the Lord , God took another course with them , and cut them off . Yea , God hath brought Heathen Kings upon their knees , to lament after God in the best manner they could ; as the King of Nineveh , Jonah 3.5 , 6. and God took it well , v. 10. Yea , this outward humiliation prevented Ahab's temporal destruction , 1 King. 21.27 , 29. And when God threatned Rehoboam by Shishak's Invasion , and Shemaiah's Commination , the Princes of Israel , and the King humbled themselves , and said , The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 12.6 , 7. And God saith , I will not destroy them , but grant them some deliverance , or for a little while . Much more if Princes and Nobles be sincere in humiliations for sin , and lamentations after the Lord , and universal Reformations : Oh what mercy doth the Lord reserve for such ! Thus in the daies of Ezra , Nehemiah , & Esther : The Instances are numerous and pregnant . Oh that God would stir up the hearts of the Governours of his People , to say , Surely we and our People have provoked the Lord against us . Yea , 't is well if our hands have not been chief in the trespass . Oh that , as we have been exemplary in sinning , we might be exemplary in our repentings ; as we have driven God from us and our People , so we might be the first to fetch him back again . God forbid that we should say with Pharaoh , Who is the Lord ? or refuse to let the Servants of the Lord to go and serve him according to Scripture-Rules , though they may differ from us in some modes of Worship . Yes , it 's fit the Governours of Judah should say in their hearts , The Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of Hosts their God. These , these are the Chariots and Horse-men of Israel , as once a King said of a Prophet . God forbid we should arm or animate some Protestants against their Brethren , while Papists are putting us on , and warming themselves by the fire of their own kindling ; and when they spy their opportunity , will snatch up both the Cocks they have set a fighting , and writhe off their Necks , and feast on them . Let 's rather improve our utmost Interest to make them Friends , and bespeak their joynt-prayers for us . And since we need the Lord , and his Appointments as well as others , as much as the meanest of our Subjects , let us also follow the Lord with bitter crys and lamentations : The Princes digged the Well , the Nobles of the People digged it , by the direction of the Law-giver with their Staves . Why may not we also work hard in these Sacred Wells of Ordinances ? and then cry out , Spring up , O Well! And then also put on others , saying , Sing ye unto it ? May we also pass through this Valley of Bacah ( or weeping ) and make a Well ? The Rain also filleth the Pools ; [ Benedictionibus amicietur Doctor ] or Teachers shall be clothed with blessings . And so this Valley of Bacah , will be a Valley of Berachah , our speaking comfortably to those laborious Levites that teach the good knowledge of the Lord , will reach their hearts , and so we shall bring upon our selves the blessing of them that were ready to perish : Yea , may call them up hither into publick Worship , and send them to the People in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Peace . We , even we have need of Ordinances as well as others ; we have ignorant minds , stubborn wills , strong lusts , violent temptations ; and of all sorts of persons , Nobles are most unwilling to put their Necks to the work of the Lord. We have greater hinderances in the way to Heaven , and therefore need better helps than others . Oh! let it never be said of us , that when the poor are but ignorant Souls , foolish , and know not the way of the Lord , that we , the Great men , Noblemen and Gentlemen , that know much indeed , but do less for God , nay more against him , that we should altogether break the Yoak , and burst the Bonds : Our Interest is greater , and Influence more upon others , therefore our sin of neglect will be greater , and Account heavier . Lord , let us have Means of Grace , and Grace by Means : Be thou our Portion in this , and another World , or of all men we shall be most miserable ; our loss will be more dreadful , our torments more intollerable ; as we read of one of our own degree in Sacred Writ , that in this World was clothed in Purple , and fine Linnen , and fared sumptuously every day , but in the other World was found in Hell , and being in torments , was denied one drop of Water to cool his Tongue . Oh Lord ! suffer us not to riot and rant it here , and be cast out from thy presence hereafter ; but let us lament after thee now , that we may everlastingly enjoy thee . 7. Let Christian Churches , Congregations and Societies lament after the Lord. Our dearest Lord seems to depart from these : Oh that once at last we could discern the sad Symptoms of his Removal ! This is the case in the Text , 1 Sam. 7.5 . Gather all Israel to Mizpeh , v. 6. and they gathered together to Mizpeh , and drew water , and poured it out before the Lord , and fasted on that day — Why they met in Mizpeh , whether because Samuel judged Israel there , or it had an Altar or place of Prayer , I shall not dispute : Or what this drawing out Water was , whether it was the Water of Trial , or a Ceremony used at such Solemnities , or Water of penitential tears , which is most likely : These tears running from their Eyes , betokened and accompanied their affected and affectionate hearts running after the Lord ; one while mourning for the sins that banished him ; another laying to heart their loss of him , and with a greedy eager heart breathing in prayers after him : This was their practice , Judg. 2.1 — 5. Where an Angel of the Lord doth 1. Reckon up God's kindnesses to them ; 2. Their duty to God ; 3. Their ill requital of God by disobedience ; 4. God's displeasure against them ; upon which the People lift up their voice and wept ; and so great was that weeping , that the place received its title from it ; they called the name of that place Bochim , i. e. Weepers ; they were baptized in their own tears : Oh! cryed they , one to another , Brother , Neighbour , do not you hear these heavy Tydings ? God is angry ; the Almighty commenceth a Suit against us ; he hath sent a Summons to us , drawn up an Indictment against us ; who is able to contend with him ? We are conscious to our selves that we are guilty , deeply guilty ; we deserve to be forsaken of God , for we have forsaken him : Thus they lookt at one another with grieved hearts , seeing others weep , they fell a weeping , and cryed bitterly with an harmonious out-cry , Lord come , come again , leave us not into the hands of these cursed Canaanites , who bear a mortal grudg against us ; a bitter and hasty Nation , a People cruel and skilful to destroy . Another Instance you have in Exod. 33.1 — 6. where God chides them , seems to disown them , as if they were not his People , but Moses's ; tells them , he will send an Angel , but he will not go with them , for they are a stiff-necked People . The Text saith , When the People heard these evil Tidings , they mourned , no man put on him his Ornaments . Alas ! alas ! say they , doth God take his leave ? will he depart , and not go with us , but substitute an Angel in his room ? What can an Angel do ? Can an Angel bear our manners , forgive our sins , and supply our wants ? No , no , all the Angels in Heaven cannot do that for us that we need : An Angel of the Lord may do much in opposing and destroying our enemies , defending us , but we are conscious to our selves that we are a rebellious People , have a stiff Neck that none can break or bow but God ; and though it 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a sin-revenging Judge , yet there 's some incouragement if we have in the midst of us a covenanted God , yet , yet we have hopes thou wilt be a tender-hearted Father . Lord , we follow thee naked , quite stript of any Aid but thine ; our late guilt hath made us naked as to defence , and we make our selves naked as to Ornaments , and have no manner of excuse for our wicked act ; Whip us , O Lord , upon the bare , but forsake us not . We broke off our Ear-Rings to make a golden Calf , now we put off the rest of our garments , as not worthy of one ragg , and forfeiting all our mercies : However , our fine Attire shall go , we will strip our selves in an holy revenge , that having put off our cloths , we may follow the faster after thee with sighs and tears . Oh that we could also put off our sins with our garments , and so put on the Lord Jesus . But this is that I urge , that Christians in their Societies and Assemblies do unanimously , socially joyn together to lament after the Lord. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints , and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him , Psal . 89.7 . Let Christians provoke one another to this love of God : Let them bring spurs to quicken ; Yea let them shoar up one another by mutual Supports in this holy pursuit of God , with prayers and tears , as Iron sharpens Iron , so let us sharpen one another , taking each other by the hand ; Let us every one call his neighbour under the vine and under the Fig-tree ; As Philip found Nathaniel under the Fig-tree and tells him the joyful tidings of Messiah ; Let Persons in the same family get together in Gods solemn Worship , and lament after the Lord ; Husbands apart , and Wives apart ; Children a part , and Servants apart , and sometimes all together ; let families & neighbor houses get together , & humble themselves and say , Come neighbours , God is gone or going , let us lift up our voices , hands and hearts together to fetch him back : Alas ! We have conversed about our Farms , Oxen , Sheep , Trades together , shall we not at last begin to converse with each other as Christians ? We have drunk shots feasted , played , been sinfully merry together , and by our sins banished God , and shall we find no time to mourn for our sins and lament after the Lord together ? Let Villages , Towns , and Cities gather into assemblies , and Christian Societies , and do as those Zech. 8.21 . The inhabitants of one City shall go to another [ not stay till they come to them ] saying [ they are not dumb images , but lively monitors ] let us go [ let 's Travel for it to the place of Gods Solemn Worship ] speedily , [ alas , we have put off such exercises too long , till God be almost past calling back ] to pray before the Lord [ not go to such a City , to buy and sell , and get gain ] and to seek the Lord of hosts . [ Alas ! We have lost him , him who is the God of Armies , who arms our foes against us . ] I will go also , [ i.e. I will put you upon no other work then I will undertake my self ; I will contribute my best assistance to further this so good a design : ] All this shews great zeal for God and flaming charity to each others , as when men are converted , they will draw others to God in his Worship , and give a lively example of it in practice . Obj. But this practice is uncouth , this path is untrodden , few it use in the place where we live , we shall be laughed to scorn for our labour . It 's Answered ver . 22. Yea many People and strong Nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem , and to pray before him . God will greatly multiply Converts and so take off the scandal of paucity of Worshipers ; it 's not a few giddy headed , factious Spirits , but it's Nations , many and strong , Nations rich and potent . Gentile Converts flock like Doves to the windows ( not by compact and frand , but ) by peculiar operations of the Spirit in the Ministry of the Word , People of Divers languages , at great distance ; The same Spirit acts in all Gospel-worshippers to flock to God in Ordinances ; Yea warlike Nations , and Islands afar off , unapproachable or invincible by men , shall be conquered by the Gospel ; as 't is said of Britain [ Romanis inacessa , Christo vero Subdita ] though the Romans could scarce come to it , yet our Lord Subdued it : You need not fear want of Good company ; Yea your zeal may provoke others ; One forward Christian in a place shall have companions in Gods work in due time ; And how dost thou know but thou wilt find some spark of goodness in some of thy neighbours that thy invitation may blow up , and draw forth ? Try them by a gentle call , & thou mayst find more of God in them than ever thou wast aware of ; possibly , bashfulness , sense of weakness , want of acquaintance with Christians ; Want of a call and opportunity have kept Some lights under a Bushel , which if called out of their retirements and alittle snuffed , might shine bright in the Church . Obj. But alas , I am a person of weak gifts , cannot lament after the Lord in any societies , can be of no use , but a burden ! Ans . Thou needest help so much the more ; Hence the Text saith ver . 23. That ten men shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew ; Like little Children that are not able to go of themselves , afraid to fall , will get hold of the hem of their Fathers garment , to hold them up from falling , and strengthen them to walk more securely , or to direct him in a way that he hath not known . Sincere proselites will look after communion of Saints . The Apostle mentions fellowship in the Gospel from the first day , Phil. 1.5 . And there 's great advantage by it , for Solomon saith , Two are better then one , Eccl. 4.9 , 10 , 11. Which he Illustrates there in several cases , which I must not inlarge upon ; But 't is certain , you may find great help in communion of Saints . But how shall I know they are Saints , or fit to joyn with ? I may be deceived and misled into by-ways of errour ? Ans . We have heard that God is with you , with his Apostles by strange signs , gifts , miracles , holiness in conversation ; What appearances of God for you , by you , in you ; You may safely joyn in with such as God thinks fit to own , and communicate himself to ; I am convinced from the bright beams of Gospel-light , and from the powerful influences and convictions of the Spirit , that this is indeed the way of God. I am therefore resolved to inquire after God in it , and joyn with them that travel in it heavenwards : Thus much for the second head , who are the Persons concerned in this work . 3. Another Head is the helps and furtherances in this lamenting after the Lord. What course shall we take both to perform this duty aright , and to obtain what we lament after , viz. either the God of Ordinances , or the Ordinances of God ? Here I might repeat what was mentioned in the Explication , by way of Instruction : As , 1. They were inclined after the Lord. It were well if poor Sinners would but stop their vain career , stand still , pause upon it , bethink themselves , have a tendency God-wards ; this is the first step to Repentance . See Jer. 8.6 . 2. Settled after the Lord. Oh that men were well resolved upon good grounds , that their hearts were well fixed , inflamed , designed for God! as our Saviour , that stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem , or as Paul , Acts 21.13 . 3. Congregated , gathered , united together , to go hand in hand after the Lord , Zeph. 2.1 . Gather your selves together , yea gather together , O Nation not desired ! Gather your selves by mutual accommodation , and sincere repentance , to get under the wing of God , as Chickens under the Hen , or ( as the allusion in that Text is ) that ye be not as Chaff that is dissipated by the wind , v. 2. for there 's an affinity in the words ; sincere Repentance unites to God and his People . 4. Groaned , complained , bemoaned themselves after the Lord , as Israel , Jer. 31.18 . I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself : Oh that I should by my sin forfeit God's presence , and for sin lose it ! how miserable am I in this so sad and astonishing loss ! 5. They cryed , called after the Lord , by earnest supplication , expostulation ; and it becomes a Child to follow his Mother with bitter out-crys to fetch her back , Jer. 31.9 . They shall come with weeping , and with supplications will I lead them , Marg. with favours , ( so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misertus , gratificatus , doluit ) That 's the best Prayer that flows from love , and follows God with grief and tears from an earnest good will to God , without outward constraint , and slavish fear . 6. They betook themselves to the Lord by Faith , Repentance , Reformation . Oh what efficacy is in this course ! Judg. 10.13 . God saith , I will deliver you no more , but bids them cry unto the gods whom they had chosen , v. 14. For they had cryed to the Lord , v. 10. and confessed sin , yet God seems peremptory in denying aid then they reinforce their confession , and supplication , and withal added Reformation , v. 6. They put away the strange gods from among them , and served the Lord , and see the blessed effect , his Soul was grieved for the misery of Israel ; and he delivers them . No way like this . 7. They acquiesced in the Lord , were fully contented and satisfied with the Lord , both as to the object of worship , and manner of worshipping : And oh for such a frame as that ! Isa . 26.13 . O Lord our God , other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us , but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name , i. e. by thy Precepts , according to thy Institution will we worship thee ; our fear towards thee shall be no more taught by the Precepts of men ; we will worship thee only in thy own way ; and by thee i. e. in thy strength , by the assistance of thy grace , thou alone shalt be the Author and object of our love , desire , pleasure and delight . Ashur shall not save us , we will not ride upon Horses , neither will we say any more to the work of our hands , ye are our Gods , for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy , Hos . 14.3 . These are the Duties implied in the Text spread before you , required of us all in this World , work of lamenting after the Lord. But to help our hearts to , and in the due performance of these required Duties , I shall propound some qualifications , as so many Directions to carry on this work successfully . 1. See to your State and Principles ; except you be related to God , you 'l not lament after him , nor be much concern'd about him , or his Ark , whether going or coming . Relation is the foundation of Affection . A Child will cry after his own Father . Now God is not our Father since the Fall , till Regeneration make a real , and Adoption a relative change of our State ; and when we have received the Spirit of Adoption , then , never till then , shall we cry , Abba , Father , Rom. 8.15 . They only will cry after God that love him , fear him , honour him , as a Father , with a filial Affection , and they only shall be entertained by him ; as for others , he owns their out-crys no more than the howlings of a Dog. Oh therefore examine your State God-wards ! Hath Converting Grace under Ordinances changed your hearts ? Hath the Spirit awakened your Consciences , convinced you of your undone State by Nature , transformed you by the renewing of your Minds , translated you out of darkness into light ? deal faithfully with your Souls in this case ; you come into the World with your backs turned upon God , and you will never lament after him without a turn : Yea naturally there 's an enmity and antipathy in our hearts to God and his waies . Hath God crushed and conquered that , and planted right Principles in you , to incline you to him ? if yet you find not a Divine Nature , a new Nature begot in you , flatter not your selves , you will rather run farther from him , than lament after him . Let your Souls be chiefly concerned for this first , then for the rest . Union precedes Communion : A real Title is antecedent to laying Claim : A Principle of Grace is before an actual exercise of it : There must be life , before there can be any desire of , or nutrition by food . I have no hopes of prevailing with graceless Souls to lament after God , till they have life and breath , voice and lungs , except formally , for company , or for carnal ends , which is insignificant . Oh for grace , truth of grace , & a reality of interest in Christ , and all the Priviledges he hath purchased . 2. Inform your selves throughly of the terms we stand in with God. Consider how the Lord carries towards us , as to our particular Souls , and the Nation in general . We shall never lament after him till we see him withdrawn . Ignorance of the State of things with us keeps Persons in senslesness . What the Eye of ( body or mind ) sees not , is never laid to heart : Make some collections and constructions of things at this day : Yea , make comparisons betwixt former and present Times . What think you ? Hath not God manifested himself more in his Providences for us , than of late ? Have we not reason to take up the Church's complaint , in Psal . 44.1 — 9. or to expostulate as Gideon , Judg. 6.13 . Oh my Lord ! If the Lord be with us , why then is all this befallen us ? and where be all his Miracles which our Fathers told us of ? I have told you how much restraining grace is withdrawn from many ; how rare Conversion is by Ordinances ; how much God hath withdrawn both from the Societies and Spirits of his Servants . I shall not trouble you with repetitions ; look over these things , compare them with what you see and observe , and if you find the Lord as formerly , be thankful ; if otherwise , be humbled , and lament after him . It 's to be feared , that if you be observant discerning Christians , you 'l yet find out more than hitherto hath been mentioned , both demonstrations of God's remove , and Prognosticks of future removes . The most excellent and eminent Servants of God pluckt away by death from amongst us , and God saith , They are taken away from the evil to come , Isa . 57.1 . The Spirit of Giddiness , Atheism and Idolatry spreading at a strange rate , beyond all parallel . Other things I might mention , but I leave them to your inquiry : Only there 's one Text methinks is astonishing , Zech. 11.8 . Three Shepherds also I cut off in one month , and my Soul loathed them , and their Soul also abhorred me . It 's one of the saddest words in all the Bible . Whether they were good or bad Shepherds that were cut off , it 's dreadful that it hath no better effect than mutual abhorrency . Oh that this were not our case ! We lie under woful fruits of God's loathing us , and it 's well if men do not loath him . A Spirit of opposition to Godliness is the sad fruit of Divine dereliction , which produceth greater Spiritual and Temporal Plagues . Hence he adds , v. 9. Then said I , I will not feed you , that that dieth , let it die , and that that is cut off , let it be cut off , and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another . They shall have no Gospel-Pastors to feed their Souls ; that 's a Spiritual Plague which fell on the Jews for rejecting Christ . They shall devour one another with cursed rage and malice , as in seditions , conspiracies , or in their necessity of food by the terrible Famine . Thus the Jews were destroyed in Jerusalem's miserable Ruin. The like Prognosticks are upon us . Lord prevent the fame effects , and awake our hearts to use God's appointed Means for prevention . 3. Make diligent inquiry into the Reason of our present and approaching calamities . Is there not a cause ? Surely affliction cometh not forth of the dust , neither doth trouble spring out of the ground . Sin is the Mother and Nurse of sorrow . Is not God bringing our iniquities upon us ? Doth not our own wickedness correct us , and our backsliding reprove us ? Doth not this Rod say , Thy ways and thy doings have procured these things unto thee , this is thy wickedness , because , it is bitter , because it reacheth unto thine heart , or Soul , Jer. 4.18 . Let Ministers and People , lay their hand on their heart , and search our Consciences & Conversations ? Is it not I that shut out Ministers , as the good Woman said , I broke my Ministers Leg ; My pride , unteachableness , unprofitablebleness , formality , neglect of duty , censurings and uncharitableness , sensuality & worldliness , hypocrisy and lukewarmness , vain glory and mindlesness of Gods glory and my Souls eternal good ; these , these made all the excluding , banishing , fining imprisoning Laws that ever came out against God's Servants ; These chiefly have broken all assemblies , scatterred meetings , armed all the Officers , retarded our deliverance : By our sins are our enemies strong , and the hands of our friends weak : Alas ! It 's my own iniquity that hath brought us , low , set back a good work , banisht God , lift up the right hand of our enemies ; Nor is it the Sins of profane , but professors , Of the Rock that begat us we have been unmindful , and forgotten God that formed us , Deut. 32.18 , 19. Therefore , when the Lord saw it be abhorred us , because of the provoking of his Sons and of his daughters , Oh our wretched ingratitude , rebellion , covenant-breaking , our sins have reached to heaven ; therefore our judgments are unparallel'd . We may say as Dan. 9.12 . Under the whole heaven hath no : been done , as hath been done upon us : It 's well if we have not reason to add also ver . 13. That all this evil is come upon us , yet made we not our prayer ! [ Heb. intreated the face ] before the Lord our God , that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth : It 's true , we have prayed , but it 's well if we have so prayed . Is not the accursed thing to be found amongst us to this day ? We have been long in the fire , but are we cleansed ? Alas , alas , May not that sad complaint and charge be brought in against us , as in Jer. 6.28 , 29 , 30. They are grievous revolters , walking with Slanders , brass and Iron , they are all corrupters , the Bellows are burnt , the Lead is consumed of the fire ; the Founder melteth in vain , for the wicked are not plucked away , Reprobate Silver shall men call them , because the Lord hath rejected them . Oh that this were not our case , and that Character also given of that professing people , Jer. 9.3 — 7. But I shall leave Christians to this heart-searching work , beseeching , requiring and charging all persons to deal faithfully with their own Souls ; find out the Achan that troubles the Camp , stone it ; Cast lots to find the Jonah that raiseth this tempest , cast it over-board , confess , bewail , reform , get pardon of Sin , and who knows but we shall have a calm ? 4. Get your hearts sensible of the evil of God's departure from us : Otherwise you will not think it worth the while to spend time in lamenting after him : Come to an heart , an house , a society , a congregation , or the nation , and make inquiry , is God there ? If it be answered , no , he 's gone in whole or in part , what 's then left that 's good ? Surely if God go , all good goes , and all evil comes , 2 Chron. 15.3 — 6. Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God. and without a teaching Priest , and without Law [ whether this was under Jeroboam , and his Successors , or some other time ] and in those times there was no peace to him that went out , nor to him that came in , but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countreys — For God did vex them with all adversity . Mark it , when God goes , all evil comes . They that were without the true , pure , publick Worship of God , and with a standing Ministry , to teach publickly , plainly , powerfully , but had in their places , false Prophets , lying Rabbins , or graceless Loyterers , and it may be the People loved to have it so . No wonder if they had Civil Discords , Forein Invasions , Ecclesiastical Dissentions , all things going to wrack , setting up one Ruler against another , so joyning in Parties , Factions , using barbarous cruelties , imbroyling all in sad contentions , imbruing their hands in one anothers blood : When God goes he breaks down the hedg of his protecting providence , so that the Boar out of the Wood wasts his Vineyard . Then it 's eaten up , trodden down , it shall not be pruned nor digged , but there comes up Briars & Thorns , yea he commands the clouds that they rain no rain upon it ; what then will become of it ! Surely the inclosed Vineyard of the Church soon becomes a a wild Common of barbarous Infidels : When God removes his Candles , darkness comes , but when he removes Candlesticks also , Mahomet fills up the room : The famous Asian Churches are a dreadful instance : If the sun set , night comes on : If the King be absent , what Court can be kept ? If Christ stay not where 's the Church ? If God should leave his glorious mansion in heaven ; It would instantly become a dark dungeon of hell : Yea if God depart from a People as a friend , he comes against them as a dreadful foe : If he go away he tears as a Lion ; consumes as a Moth : If he hide his face in Love , he comes in wrath , and fury to slay them , Jer. 33.5 . Saul was in a woful plight when God was departed from him , and the Philistins were upon him . Yea , if God depart the Devil comes . When the good Spirit went from Saul , an evil Spirit from the Lord troubled , tormented him , 1 Sam. 16.14 , 23. Satan was from God , as framing his nature , commissionating him to punish Saul , but his wickedness and malignity in his designs and actings from himself : Oh how glad is the Devil to take up that room that God leaves ? truly then saith the Lord , Hos . 9.12 . Yea woe also to them , when I depart from them : There 's a wo of sinning , and suffering attends God's departure : Whither will not men run when God forsakes them ? If the hand withdraw , the staff falls ; if the glass without foot be not held up , it falls , and breaks , and the liquor Spills , the very best man is no more dayly , but as the Lord makes him : Sampson , David , Peter , will fall if God go : Much more they that have no hold of God , or God of them in a covenant-way , they 'l not stop till they commence at the height of Sin and fall into the depth of Hell ! Hos . 9.17 . My God will cast them away because they did not hearken to him : Hos . 7.13 . Woe unto them , for they have fled from me , yea destruction to them , because thay have transgressed against me : Yea everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power . 2. Thes . 8.9 . Were we kindly affected with all this , we should lament after the Lord : We have reason to tremble , left it prove our case , and removing his ordinances is a great step to all this : And if we knew what it meant , we should with old Eli have trembling hearts for the Ark of God , 1. Sam. 4.13 . 5. Study the advantages and benefit of having God present with us ; as fear of evil is one motive to avoid it ; so a desire of the contrary good , adds wings in seeking earnestly for it . When God goes , all good goes : So when God returns or continues with a People , they enjoy all good , inward , outward . The People that have God with them , have a strong Guard to defend them , a wise Guide to direct them , rich Grace to supply them , high Honour to advance them , full Rest to content them , an abundant Reward in the enjoyment of him : They have enough , they need no more . Happy is the People whose God is the Lord. Luther 's Psalm , that Song upon Alamoth , Psal . 46. is admirable for this ; for when the Church can say , God is our refuge and strength , a very present help in trouble ; vers . 1. She builds great confidence and comfort on this solid foundation ; vers . 2. Therefore will not we fear though the Earth be removed , &c. Yea , she stands upon this impregnable Rock , triumphing over all dangers and enemies , with this word repeated , vers . 7 , 11. The Lord of Hosts is with us , the God of Jacob is our refuge . Selah . And if God be for us , who can be against us ? Rom. 8.31 . Who would not follow after such a God with prayers , tears , groans , and hearty lamentations , that he would return to us , continue with us ? Oh! who would not have an hand in bringing back the King , such a King as by his presence can make us truly and eternally happy ? See what it is to have God with us , Isa . 42.13 , 14 , 15 , 16. Yea , it becomes every one to study the usefulness of God's Ordinances , that their hearts may be ingaged to , and inlarged in lamenting after the Ordinances of God ? Both these are larger Subjects than I can prosecure , to explain the advantages coming to a People by the presence of the Ordinances of God , or the God of Ordinances . You must look on the Ordinances as fruits and tokens of God's special favour , for all have not the Ordinances of God , Psal . 147.19 , 20. He sheweth his Word unto Jacob , his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel ; he hath not dealt so with any Nation ; and as for his Judgments , they have not known them . That this Sun-shine of Gospel-Light is on one place , and not on another , proceeds from discriminating Providence , who sent Embassadours for the Gospel to be brought to them . Surely that 's preventing kindness : But when it hath left some impression on hearts , some Myrth upon the handles of the Lock , such should , yea will lament after him , when he 's gone , as the Church did : For such have tasted how good the Lord is , and look on the Ordinances as their Heritage and highest Priviledge . Oh that you knew what helps Ordinances are to promote God's work in our hearts , in begetting and increasing Faith , Repentance , Love , new Obedience ; this is that clear Chrystal-glass through which we may see the face of God , and be transformed into his Image ; that Glass in which we may see the face of our Souls , and be humbled and ashamed : Here you may have your doubts resolved , fears dispersed , hearts satisfied , graces quickened , fellowship with God promoted , our Souls prepared for Heaven . Oh that your eyes were opened to see the necessity , excellency , utility of God's Ordinances ! I am very confident , that if your Souls be as new born Babes , you will desire after the sincere Milk of the Word , if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious , 1 Pet. 2.2 , 3. As for others that want spiritual life and light to discover and feel the marrow of Ordinances , no wonder if they slight or despise both the Appointments themselves , and such as long for them , and lament the want of them ; and therefore I urge this , that you learn by your own experience the sweetness and advantage of enjoying the presence of God in the Ordinances of God. 6. Get and maintain publick Spirits . Oh take heed of private Spirits , to look only after your own concerns , and worldly Interests ! This hath been the Ruine of the Church , and also of particular persons at last , Hag. 1.4 . Is it time for you , O ye ! to dwell in your cieled Houses , and this House lye waste ? therefore ye have sown much , and bring in little , q.d. You think to secure your personal and domestical comforts with neglect of my concernments , but I will cross you in that which concerns you , because you are heedless in what concerns me . On the contrary , David concern'd himself about God's House , and God built his House , 3 Sam. 7.2 — 11. So true is that of our Saviour , that whosoever will save his life shall lose it ; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it . Self-seeking is the way to self-undoing ; self-denying is the only way to self-advancing : Scripture and Experience prove this . Well then , my advice is , that you chiefly mind the Interest of our Lord in the World ; and put as great an accent on this in your prayers , as if it were your own case ; and indeed it is your own : Your little Boat hangs on the great Ship ; but all judge not so , therefore there are few lamenters after the Lord : But if you would look on Zion's case as your own , and so carry it as having yours really involved in that bottom , it would be both an help and spur in your lamentings . The more gracious persons have been , the more have they forgot themselves to think on the Church . Upon me , saith St. Paul , cometh daily the care of all the Churches . Upon Moses lay the burden of all the People . Uriah will sympathize and suit himself to the Ark , and Israel , and Judah in the Camp , and not suit himself to the delights of the City . Nehemiah inquires after , and condoles with his suffering Brethren . Look through the Bible , and you 'l find this gracious publick Spirit breathing in all the Servants of God , Psal . 137.5 , 6. If I forget thee , O Jerusalem ! let my right hand forget her cunning : If I do not remember thee , let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth , if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy , Marg. the head of my joy , q.d. I profess my self to be a Member of that Mystical Body the Church , and how can a Member rejoyce when the whole Body mourns ? If the touching of one String of an Instrument make the rest move , how can I forbear a sad Eccho to the Church's mournful Elegy ? Shall not her dewy Eyes cause mine Eyes to water ? How can it go well with me , when it goes ill with the Church ? Oh that I could set self aside ! We have need , saith one , to be redeemed from our selves , rather than from the Devil , or World. I should make a sweet bartering , and give old for new , if I could shuffle out self , and substitute Christ my Lord in place of my self . Oh wretched Idol ! when shall I see thee wholly decourted , and Christ wholly put in thy room ? Oh that I had but gone as far yet as the Heathens Primar , we are not born for our selves ; surely then I should not be so much taken up with my own matters , but think on the Church . Alas ! what 's my danger to Zion's damage ? if it go well with Zion , it shall comfort my heart , whatever my personal troubles be . But I must hang my Harp on the Willows , while the Church is in Captivity . Lord , do good in thy good pleasure to Zion , build thou the Walls of Jerusalem ; though my broken bones be not set , or though my heart still keep bleeding . 7. Learn the right Art of praying and pleading with the Lord ! this lamentation is in the way of supplication ; that a gracious promise , Zech. 12.10 . I will pour upon the house , of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem [ Princes and People ] the Spirit of grace and of Supplications ; And then follows a great mourning , both in families and in closets . Oh that this work were set forward ? Surely if all the People of England , yea professing People ; could set forwards in this so needful a work , what mercy were it ! prayer is needful at all times , in all cases , but much more now ; If any thing fetch back a departing God , it must be a believing prayer , 2 Chron. 7.14 . If my People which are called by my Name , shall humble themselves , and pray , and seek my face , and turn from their wicked ways , then will I hear from heaven , and will forgive their sin , and will heal their Land. You see the duty ; You see the incouragement ; prayer is sutable to a sad disposition , and dispensation : Prayer is the Conduit of comfort . Afflictions make us seek out Promises , Promises to seek Faith , Faith to seek Prayer , Prayer to seek and find God. What should God's Children do , were it not for this priviledge of praying ? When they cannot preach , and hear , they may pray ; when they cannot meet together , they may meet at the Throne of Grace ; when they are shut out from petitioning men , they may be admitted to the Court of Heaven , and the Lord's Ears are still open to their cry . I should think the Spirit of Prayer to be the best token for good to us , Thou wilt prepare their heart , thou wilt cause thine Ear to hear , Psal . 10.17 . Moses besought the Lord , and the Lord seems as bound fast by his prayer ; Let me alone , saith God. The People here intreat Samuel , not to cease to cry to the Lord for them ; and he did pray , and you see the issue . Oh that we could not only pray , but lift up a prayer for the Remnant that 's left ! If God return to us , it must be upon the wings of such an advanced Prayer . When Sennacherib had sent Rabshakeh to blaspheme God , the Text saith , For this cause Hezekiah the King , and the Prophet Isaiah , the Son of Amoz , prayed , and cryed to Heaven . For this cause : If any thing will quicken God's Children to Prayer , surely it will be the dishonour of their Father ; they would not answer them , but complain to God ; this was then , and is still , the most effectual course to speed . When Nehemiah was to make request to a great King , he saith , Then prayed I to the God of Heaven . It was an ejaculatory Prayer , for he spoke it not , yet it was effectual ; he thought if by Prayer he could move the main wheel , all the rest would move . This is a way to set a work all Second Causes . Indeed we have no other means in prospect ; let us betake our selves to this spiritual Armour , for Prayers and Tears are the Church's Weapons , Ephes . 6.18 , 19. Praying alwaies with all Prayer and Supplication in the Spirit , and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints , and for me , that utterance may be given unto me , that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the Mystery of the Gospel . This is our case , we beg our Peoples Prayers for our restitution . Oh that Ministers and People could strive ( or be in an Agony ) together in their mutual Prayers to God for each other ! If you could pray more and better , we should come the sooner , and with a greater blessing , even in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ ; and for your encouragement to pray for us , we hope we can truly say , as Heb. 13.18 . Pray for us , for we trust we have a good conscience in all things , willing to live honestly . Though we suffer as evil-doers , and are reproached as factious , seditious , schismatical ; as Paul was accounted an Apostate , an enemy to the Law ; but we carry our selves as Subjects , as Ministers , living orderly in our places , giving none offence , so that none can challenge us in any thing save in the matters of our God , and in that they must excuse us , if we cannot in all things see with their Eyes , nor swallow down such Oaths , Subscriptions , as some dare , whom we judge not , but are afraid of nothing so much as sin ; and as for our Preaching to you , though prohibited by men , it 's our obligation to duty : For , woe be to us if we Preach not the Gospel . Zeal for God's glory , and love to your Souls , that exposeth us to all these censures and oppositions ; it is for your sakes that we bear all these affronts , and will not you pray for us ? Surely your selves are concerned in our work ; we are content to endure all for the Gospels sake ; we ask nothing of you but your entertainment of our Message and Prayers for our persons ; we spend our time , and strength , and lungs for you ; will not you pray for us ? If God help us , will not this turn to your advantage ? Your Prayers will return into your own bosoms . We have been serving almost three Apprentiships in our divorcement from Publick Places and Imployments , yet our God hath not forsaken us , but secured our Persons , and some Liberties ; he hath delivered us , doth , and will deliver liver us , 2 Cor. 1.10 , 11 , 12. You also helping together in prayer for us , that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons , thanks may be given by many on our behalf ; for our rejoycing is this , the testimony of our conscience , &c. Having obtained help of God , we continue to this day at great uncertainties ; as Melancthon said [ Ego jam sum hic , Dei beneficio , quadraginta annos , & nunquam potui dicere , aut certus esse , me per unam septimanam mansurum esse . ] So we may say , we have continued , by Divine bounty and care of us twenty years , and could never say assuredly , nor upon any probable grounds , that we should abide one week to an end : Much of this may be ascribed to the effectual Prayers of the Church , as a mean under God. Who can tell but in a short time your Prayers may fetch us back again : Howsoever , we are persuaded that these things shall turn to our [ and your ] Salvation , through your Prayer , and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ , Phil. 1.19 . Only see that your Prayers be such as God will accept . I cannot inlarge on this Head , but hint the due qualifications of such a Prayer as shall undoubtedly prevail . 1. Your Persons must be in covenant . 2. You must act Faith upon the Mediator Christ . 3. You must pray in the Holy Ghost . 4. Ask what is according to God's Will. 5. Aim at God's Glory as your main end . 6. Cast away all sin in heart and life . 7. Live in the daily exercise of Repentance . 8. Maintain an holy Awe of God in your hearts . 9. Set your hearts in order for the duty . 10. Pray with understanding , minding the object . 11. With fervency , importunity . 12. Forgiving others that have offended you . 13. Watching against Temptations . 14. Living up to your Prayers . 15. Maintaining communion with God. 16. Coming with hopes to speed . 17. Be Sincere , as to frames and ends . 18. Be dayly sensible of wants , weaknesses . 19. Wait patiently for returns of prayer . 20. Be thankful for any in-comes after Prayer . Such dispositions as these you must have and act in the duty of Prayer , and then you shall prevail for your selves and others . This is the Third general Head. 4. The last I shall briefly hint at is , some Cordials which may support and bear up our hearts till our Souls overtake our dear Lord , or he turn again to us , in our lamentings after him . 1. Lamenting Souls after the Lord are most likely to be the remnant escaping in approaching Calamities : These have the Mourners mark on them , and ordinarily are left , Ezek. 9.4 , 6. and Ezek. 7.16 . But they that escape of them shall escape , and shall be on the Mountains like Doves of the Valleys , all of them mourning every one for their iniquity . If Land-destroying Calamities come , you are likeliest to survive and be a holy Seed for storing the Church in future times . 2. You may be the Instruments to prevail with the Lord for keeping in the midst of us : Yet there 's a possibility ; Who knoweth if he will return and repent , and leave a blessing behind him ? Joel 2. v. 14. There 's yet a may-be in it , Amos 5.15 . Hate the evil , and love the good , and establish Judgment in the Gate ; it may be that the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph . God hath condescended to his Peoples supplications , why not yours ? The poor wise man hath delivered the City ; the Innocent may deliver the Island . Lot sped for Zoar , Abraham for Lot , yea very far for the Cities of the Plain . Make a tryal ; and what comfort will it be to you , if your lamenting Prayers turn the Scales for God's stay with us ! 3. However , you may stay him with your own Souls ; Is that nothing ? God is as willing to be friends with us , as we can be to desire it , and much more , Isa . 27.5 . Or , Let him take hold of my strength , that he may make peace with me ; and he shall make peace with me ; And is this nothing ? Oh what is God's presence worth ! How have David , Job , Heman , and all the Saints prized it ? Do you not want it ? Follow on to know [ and own and acknowledge ] the Lord , and you shall find his going forth is prepared as the morning , and he will come to you as the Rain , Hos . 6.3 . Your Fleece shall be wet when others are dry . If you cannot obtain mercy for others , yet as Noah , Daniel and Job , you may deliver your own Souls by your righteousness . 4. Yet the Lord hath not forsaken us ; he is yet in the midst of us by his gracious Providences and Influences ; he hath been hitherto prevailed with , though he threatned us to leave us , and we had cause to fear Execution ; his Candlesticks are fixed , and Candles are shining , though not all in their proper Sockets , but under a Bushel : This is an incouraging mercy , our God hath not forsaken us . Yea now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God , to leave us a remnant to escape , and to give us a Nail in his holy Place , that our God may lighten our Eyes , and give us a little reviving in our bondage , Ezra 9.8 , 9. It was not our deservings that hath kept him with us ; no , no , Israel bath not been forsaken , nor Judah of his God , — though their Land was filled with sin against the holy One of Israel , Jer. 51.5 . What 's the reason then that God is not quite gone ? See 1 Sam. 12.22 . For the Lord will not forsake his People for his great Names sake , because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People . The Argument holds for us , and it 's still in force ; blessed be God he hath not cast us off as yet , and the Covenant with Ancestors still holds good , as in 2 King. 13.23 . 5. God seems to be in suspense whether he should leave us or no , to draw us on in our lamentings after him ; just as he expresseth himself in Hos . 11.8 . How shall I give thee up Ephraim ? How shall I deliver thee Israel ? How shall I make thee as Admah ? How shall I set thee as Zebbim ; strange Language spoken by the infinitely wife and immutable God ; As though he were puzzled and knew not what to do . Surely this is spoken after the manner of men , & speaks God loth to punish , for indeed it is his strange work ; q. d. the severity of my threats call on truth to make execution , sed quomodo hoc à me impetrabo ? ] But how shall I prevail with my self to do it ? The glory of my Name , free-grace , and constant love to my Covenanted people get hold on my wrathful hand when ready to strike the fatal stroke , the righteousness of a Judg saith , strike ; The bowels of a Father say , hold ; And when God thus deliberates , it is to stay and see if his People will get hold of him , by faith and prayer : Is not this his carriage towards us in his providence ? certainly the Lord comes and goes as if he were loth to punish us , and is not this a very great incouragement to us to lament after him ? Since he looks back , as a Mother to her Child , with a wishly eye , as if he had not the power to go , as if he should say , call me back and you shall have me , my heart is towards you , though I am forced to turn my back on you , you shall have me if you will lament Evangelically after me . 6. You have good company in your lamenting after the Lord , though there be too too many vile Atheists and debauched wretches that say to God , depart from us , cause the holy one to cease from the midst of us , yet there are mourners in Zion that are very importunatly crying and lamenting after the Lord , with all their might seeking to fetch back the Ark : Though they be few comparatively , and though despised , and possibly hid in corners , and as little taken notice of as those seven thousand in Elijah's days , that had not bowed their knee to Baal : but God searcheth out such clandestine worshippers , that pray , and complain to their Father in secret , and he will reward & answer them openly with what concerns more then themselves . Oh! it 's good to be of the number of these hidden ones ! How blessed a thing is it to twist interests with this lovely Society ? There is a communion of Saints in prayer , though unknown to each other : And I can say it , for your incouragement , Oh ye praying mourning Souls , that you are not alone , God hath thousands in these Nations that have been hard at it many years , and present circumstances do quicken their crys ; Our danger increaseth our pangs , and those advance our crys ; be not discouraged , you have many assistants ; A threefold cord is not easily broken , God hath some Children to cry after him from all parts of the Kingdom , and though many of the old stock of weeping Souls are worn out , yet some wrestling young ones are planted in their room , some begotten in the bonds of the Gospel , for the word of God is not bound , though Embassadors be . Zion hath been built in this troublous time . And I think it may be truly said , that as the Ark hath more visible followers , so more sincere lamenters after it , then when it was taken out of its publick station , as Tertullian of old said , so it must be acknowledged that the more God's field is cut , the more grass Springs up . 7. God hath a dear and tender respect to such as lament after him for the Arks sake , and will do them good upon that very account , Psal . 122.6 . pray for the peace of Jerusalem , they shall prosper that love thee . They shall not only prosper and prevail for Jerusalem , but God will prosper them in other respects , in their graces , in comforts , yea oft in worldly concerns : A publick Spirit is a personal gainer ; God never suffers such to be losers by him , that deny themselves for him , Zeph. 3.18 . I will gather them that are sorrowful , for the solemn Assembly , who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was a burden . Such as study Gods interest , have the Lord to study their interest ? If we put our shoulder to bear his burden , he will bear both us and ours . Consider now , saith God , from this day and upward from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month , even from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laid , consider it , — From this day will I bless you , Hagg. 2.18 , 19. How much doth God value and how fully doth he reward an esteem for his Worship ! God builds their houses that have but a good will to build his house ; As in David : Thus our Lord bids us prove him by our obedience , and see if he will not open the windows of Heaven and pour down a blessing , Mal. 3.10 , 11 , 12. Who would not then own and lay to heart Zions case ? 8. Lamented for Ark and Ordinances will be the sweetest and most profitable when returned and injoyed . None will so gladly welcome the Ark , & improve it as they that most deeply laid to heart its removal . Such will be like hungry stomacks , lay to hard when they can get to this . Soul-refreshing food ; a thirsty Person will prize and improve a little Water : David never so gredily longed for God's Presence and Ordinances , as when he was in a dry and thirsty land where no water was , Psal . 63.1 . The full stomach loaths the honey-comb , but to the hungry Soul every bitter thing is Sweet : Oh what pantings ? As the Hart chased panteth for Water-Brooks ! You 'l gain more days preaching then , then formerly in many days . 9. Souls that lament after the Lord shall injoy him immediately in the end : in Heaven you shall need no Ordinances , Rev. 21.22 . I saw no Temple therein , for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it , for you shall see his face immediatly and no more through a Glass darkly , yea you shall see him as he is , which cannot but felicitate Souls perfectly therefore its called the Beatifical vision . Oh what a day will that be ? You shall not then need to fear any disturbance from men nor Devils , but his Servants shall Serve him , and his name shall be in their foreheads ; There 's no more skulkIng into corners , nor meeting in the night for fear of mens Laws , and persecution . Yea the more you lamented after the Lord and his Ark the more shall you increase your joy in the Lord : The more your sorrows abound , the more will your comfort abound ; The lower the Ebb , the higher the Tide : You that loved Jerusalem shall be glad with her , yea , you shall rejoyce for joy with her , all ye that mourned for her , Isa . 66.10 . 10. In the mean time God himself will supply the want of Ordinances ; the great God will be a little Sanctuary in the want of other means of Worship ; he himself will supply that defect . David could incourage himself in the Lord his God ; Habakkuk rejoyce in the Lord , when destitute of outward comforts , yea and in the absence of external Priviledges . What want you from Ordinances , that the Alsufficient God cannot supply you with ? light , love , warmth , strength , resolution of doubts , satisfaction of your hearts ; God is all in all , and all without all these helps . O Friends ! ( though you may not chuse to be without means of Grace , because they are God's Instituted waies of conveying himself to us here , yet ) you must be content to be without them , when Providence cuts you short of them , and say in this case as holy David , ( with which I shall conclude this Subject , ) 2 Sam. 15.25 , 26. Carry back the Ark of God into the City , if I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord , he will bring me again , and shew me both it and his habitation ; but if he thus say , I have no delight in thee , behold , here am I , let him do to me as seemeth good unto him . The End. Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A43579-e160 Psal . 145.17 . Jer. 12.1 . Dan. 9.11 , 12. Zech. 11.8 . Psal . 74.9 . Ezra 9.13 . Dan. 9.9 . Gen. 18.25 . Isa . 64.15 . Psal . 9.18 . Isa . 64.9 . Jer. 14.7 . Psal . 44.22 . Josh . 22.22 . Psal . 26.1 . Psal . 18.21 , 24. Hos . 5.15 . Hos . 6.13 . Isa . 26.19 . Rev. 11.11 , 12. Ezek. 37.6 , 9. Dan. 9.17 . Hab. 3.2 . Ezek. 3.27 . Mat. 5.15 . Rev 2.1 . Isa . 30.20 . Psal . 60.11 . Mal. 3.3 . Mal. 3.6 . Psal . 40.28 . Psal . 44.4 . 2 Sam. 14.14 . 1 Cor. 10.13 . Isa . 44.26 . Isa . 30.18 . Rev. 22.20 . Notes for div A43579-e520 Hag. 1.5 . Lam. 3 40. 1 Pet. 4 17. Amos 3.2 . Deut. 32.19 . Rom. 13.11 Hos . 9.12 . 2 Chron. 36.16 . 1 Thes . 2.15 , 16 , Jer. 8.20 . Lam. 4.17 . Jer. 8.15 . Hos . 13.9 . Jer. 4.18 . Hos . 5.15 . Hos . 11.18 . Hos . 6.3 . Isa . 64.7 . Luk. 24.29 . Mat. 8.24 , 25. Zeph. 2.3 . Amos 5.15 . Joel 2.14 . Jonah 3.7 , 8. Ezra 10.2 . 1 Pet. 5.10 . Gen. 26.20 , 21 , 22. Isa . 11.6 , 7 , 8 , 9. Zeph. 3.9 . v. 13. Zech. 1.12 , 13. Notes for div A43579-e1600 c. 2 . 12-17 . 1 Sam. 2.23 . Ser. 10. desects in this reproof . Polirit . in los. c. 2.27 . c. 3.18 . 1 Sam. 3.18 . 1 Sam. 4.2 , 3 , 4. 1 Sam. 4.9 . v. 10. v. 10. 1 Sam. 4.10 , 11 , 12. v. 18 , 19. 1 Sam. 5.1 , 2. 1 Sam. 5.3 , 4. 1 Sam. 5.6 . 1 Cor. 11.29 . 1 Sam. 5.9 . v. 10. 1 Sam. 6.2 . 1 Sam. 6.4 . 1 Sam. 6.12 . v. 19.20 . Act. 13.21 . Judg. 17.6.18.1.19.1.21.25 . Erumpere i.e. copiose producere . Vid. Pol. Syn. in loc . 1 King. 18. Rev. 12.14 . Rev. 11.7 . Deut. 4.2 . Prov. 30.6 . Rev. 22.18 , 19. Rev. 11.3 . Rev. 14.4 . Rev. 12.4 . Jam. 1.18 . 1 King. 18.27 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doluit , poenituit , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neque per Antiphr . dedoluit , dolere desiit , consolari non meruit . Joh. 4.22 . Isa . 11.10 . Isa . 12.3 . & 25.6 . & 66.11 . Mat. 16.9 . Isa . 60.1 . Act. 14.27.2 Cor. 3.8.2 Cor. 6.2 . Psal . 77.14 . Psal . 27.4 . Psal . 60 , 24. Luke 24.18 , 19. See Ezek. 34.4 . Christian in Compleat Armour , part 2. p. 325. Psal . 83 . 3-8 . Isa . 30.10 , 11. Job 21.14 . Rev. 16.9 . 2 Thes . 2.10 . Isa . 64.7 . Isa . 59.16 . Isa . 51.18 . Ezek. 14.14 . Rev. 3.3 , 4. Amos 8.9 . Ezek. 9.3 . c. 11.23 . 2 King. 8.13 . Phil. 3.19 . 1 Pet. 4.4 . Terras Astraea reliquit . Rev. 6.2 . Psal . 45.5 . Song 3.11 . Isa . 55.1 . 49.4 . Isa . 9.21 . Song 1.6 . Song 5.7 . Mr. Clark's Martyrol . part 1. p. 13. Judg. 5.15 , 16. Judg. 16.20 . 2 Cor. 12 , 7 , 8. Song 3. 1. c. 5. 6. Psal . 49.6 . Jon. 2.4 . Prov. 20.27 Ezek. 18.31 . Jer. 31.18 . Isa . 64.7.2 Tim. 1.6 . Psal . 62.5 . Eph. 5.14 . 1 Sam. 4.13 , 21. Jer. 17.17 . Psal . 22.11 , 19. 1 Sam. 10.26 . & 13.7 . Jer. 50.45 . Mal. 4.6 . Isa . 32.12 . 1 Pet. 2.2 . Lam. 1.3 . Lam. 1 4 , 6. Lam. 1.7 , 10 , 11. Isa . 3.26 . 2 Chron. 36.21 . Isa . 5.9 . See Micah 2.4 , 5. Numb . 14.4 . with v. 40. Isa . 51.14 . Jer. 4.14 . Hos . 8.5 . Jer. 13.27 . Numb . 12.13 , 14. 2 Sam. 13.38.14.28 . 2 King. 6.26 , 27. Lam. 4.17 . 1 Sam. 28.15 . Rom. 10.14 . 2 Cor. 4.3 . Rev. 11.10 . Ezek. 2.10 . Ezek. 3.26 . Gen. 6.3 . Zech. 11.9 . Joh. 15.2 . Isa . 55.9 . Ezek. 34.19 . Psal . 63.1 , 2. Hab. 3.2 . Mat. 3.9 . Joh. 8.44 . Luk. 16.25 . Psal . 22.10 . v. 30. Psal . 27.10 . Psal . 71.7 , 9 , 17 , 18. Psal . 44.13 . Psal . 16.6 . Gen. 17.18 . Joel 1.13 . Joel 2.17 . Josh . 6.8 . Zech. 11.8 . 1 Sam. 3. Mat. 11.17 . Isa . 19.8 . Jer. 13.18 . 2 Chron. 33.11 , 12. 2 Chron. 33.23 , 24. c. 36.12 , 13. Zech. 12.3 . 2 King. 13.14 . Numb . 21.17 , 18. Psal . 84.6 . 2 Chron. 30.22 . Neh. 3.5 . Jer. 5.4 , 5. Luk. 16.19 , 23 , 24. Vid. Poli Syn. Crit. in loc . Exod. 32.25 . Zech. 3.10 . Joh. 3.45 , 48. Zech. 12.12 . Luk. 9.51 . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colligite a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 palea , i. e. contrahite vos , ne sitis siout palea . Isa . 29.13 . Job 5.6 . Jer. 2.19 . Peccatis nostris fortes sunt Barbari . Psal . 80.12 , 13. Isa . 55.6 , 7. Rev. 2.5 . Hos . 5.14 . 1 Sam. 28.15 . Psal . 144. ult . Song 5.5 . 2 Cor. 3.18 . Jam. 1.24 . Mat. 16.27 . 2 Cor. 11.28 . Numb . 11.11 . 2 Sam. 11.11 . Neh. 1.24 . Mr. Rutherford's Letters , p. 17. Nobis non nati sumus . Psal . 51.18 . Psal . 34.15 . Exod , 32.10 , 11. 1 Sam. 7.6 . 2 King. 19.4 . 2 Chron. 32.19 , 20. Neh. 2.4 . Rom. 15.30 . v. 29. Melch. Adam , vit . Melanct. p. 357. Joh. 9.31 . Joh. 16.23 . Jude 20. 1 Joh. 5.14 . 1 Cor. 10.31 . Psal . 66.18 . Heb. 10.22 . Psal . 2.11 . Job 11.13 . 1 Cor. 14.15 . Luk. 11.8 , 9. Mark 11.25 . Col. 4.2 . Joh. 15.7 . Luk. 2.37 . Jam. 1.6 . Mat. 6.5 , 6. Mat. 5.6 . Psal . 5.3 . Phil. 4.6 , 7. Zeph. 2.3 . Eccl. 9.15 . Job 22.30 . Ezek. 14.14 . ● King. 19. Psal . 55.22 . Psal . 42.1 . Rev. 22.4 . 1 Cor. 13.12 . 1 Joh. 3.2 . Ezek. 11.16.1 Sam. 30.6 . Hab. 3.16 .