Select thoughts, or, Choice helps for a pious spirit a century of divine breathings for a ravished soule, beholding the excellencies of her Lord Jesus / by J. Hall ...

XXXII.

What a madness it is in

us to presume, on our in∣terest in Gods favor, for the securing of our sinful∣ness from judgment? The Angels were deeper in it then we mortals can ever hope to be, in these houses of clay; yet long since are ugly Devils; and they which enjoyed the liberty of the glorious Heavens, are now reserved in everlasting chains of darkness; And if we look down upon earth, what darl∣ing had God in the world but Israel? This was his first born, his lot, his inhe∣ritance; of whom he said, Here I have a delight to dwell. And now, where is it? O the woful desolations of that select people! What is it to tell of the suffossion of

her vineyards? vastation of her tents? the devouring of her land? demolition of walls? breaking down Al∣tars? burning of Cities? spoyling of houses? dashing in peices their children, ravishing their wives, killing of their Priests, eating of their own children of but a span long, and a thousand such woful symptomes of war: the Psalmist hath said a word for all (in a just, but contrary sense) Destructions are come to a perpetual end; what destru∣ction can be more, when there is no Israel? How is that wretched nation vanish∣ed no man knows whither! so as it was Jezebels curse that nothing was left, whereof it could be said, this was

Jezebel, So there is not one peece of a man left in all the world, of whom we can say; This was of one of the tribes of Israel: as for those famous Churches, which were, (since that) honored with the preaching, and pens of the blessed Apostles, where are they now to be lookt for, but amongst the rubbish of cur∣sed Mahumetism? O that we could not be high-minded, but fear.

Notes

• Psa. 80. 13.
• Jer. 4. 20.
• Esa. 1. 7.
• Psa. 89. 40.
• Esa. 27. 11.
• Esa. 13. 16.
• Psa. 78. 84.
• Lam. 2. 26.