1. An unwillingness and backwardness to the great work of Reformation, to the great work that God is now about, is one thing that doth make a stoppage in the proceedings of Englands mercy. When the children of Israel were in Egypt, they groaned unto the Lord, God sent a deliverer to them, Moses, and they being vexed by their taskmasters, after he came they murmured, and for anguish of soul, hearkened not unto Moses, God bare with that, till he got them on the other side of the water, carried them through the red sea, when they came there, tho they did sin and murmur, God did not swear they should not ⟨p. 13⟩enter into Canaan, but at the last they made them a captain, and they would return back to Egypt, says God, seeing you are there, I swear in my wrath you shall never enter into my rest, but your carcasses shall fall here; you shall neither go backward nor forward; We have a long time, the Lord look upon us, set under Egyptian darkness, and the Lord hath sent his Messengers to you to draw you out, and you would not, or for anguish of soul you hearkened not; Well, but now there is a tender of Reformation made, and hath been lately: if people shall say now, What need this Reformation? Were not things well before? This provokes the Lord, and causes him to say, Your carcasses shall fall. And yet, Oh how hath this been among us, what ado is here says one? What need this work? Were not things well before? 2 King. 10.32. In those days the Lord began to cut Israel short, What days were those? They were in a way of Reformation, and they cut short the Reformation; and in those days the Lord began to cut them short of mercy. At the 18. verse, he got together the Worshippers of Baal by craft; at the 25. verse, he slays them; at the 29. they break down the Images in the house of Baal: Howbeit at the 29. verse, From the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not, &c. Then at the 32. verse, when they thus cut short Reformation, the Lord began to cut them short. You know what our Saviour Christ says, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not; behold your house is left unto you desolate. Beloved, when Christ comes to gather us, as certainly there is a time when Christ comes a gathering, and if people will not be gathered, then behold thy house is left desolate.
1. An unwillingnesse and backwardnesse to the great work of Reformation, to the great work that God is now about, is one thing that doth make a stoppage in the proceedings of Englands mercy. When the children of Israel were in Egypt, they groaned unto the Lord, God sent a deliverer to them, Moses, and they being vext by their taskmasters, after he came they murmured, and for anguishof soul, hearkned not unto Moses, God bare with that, till he got them on the other side of the water, carried them through the red sea, when they came there, tho they did sin and murmure, God did not swear they should not ⟨p. 13⟩enter into Canaan, but at the last they made them a captain, and they would return back to Egypt, sayes God, seeing you are there, I swear in my wrath you shall never enter into my rest, but your carcases shall fall here; you shall neither go backward nor forward; We have a long time, the Lord look upon us, set under Egyptian darknesse, and the Lord hath sent his Messengers to you to draw you out, and you would not, or for anguish of soul you hearkned not; Well, but now there is a tender of Reformation made, and hath been lately: if people shall say now, What need this Reformation? Were not things well before? This provokes the Lord, and causes him to say, Your carcases shall fall. And yet, Oh how hath this been among us, what ado is here sayes one? What need this work? Were not things well before? 2 King. 10.32. In those dayes the Lord began to cut Israel short, What dayes were those? They were in a way of Reformation, and they cut short the Reformation; and in those dayes the Lord began to cut them short of mercie. At the 18. verse, he got together the Worshippers of Baal by craft; at the 25. verse, he slayes them; at the 29. they break down the Images in the house of Baal: Howbeit at the 29. verse, From the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not, &c. Then at the 32. verse, when they thus cut short Reformation, the Lord began to cut them short. You know what our Saviour Christ sayes, Oh Ierusalem, Ierusalem, how often would I have gathered you, and you would not; behold your house is left unto you desolate. Beloved, when Christ comes to gather us, as certainly there is a time when Christ comes a gathering, and if people will not be gathered, then behold thy house is left desolate.
