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A85013
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A fast sermon preached on innocents day by Thomas Fuller, B.D. Minister of the Savoy.
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Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing F2423; Thomason E86_16; ESTC R22109
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16,581
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34
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the ground but who will not pity greene apples when they are cudgelled downe from the tree And the maidens were not given in marriage So that the fairest flowers of virginity were faine to wither on the stalke whereon they did grow for want of hands to gather them The Priests were flaine with the sword Sed quid cum Marte Prophetis Well then there they were though they were none of the best of the Priests being lewd Hophnee and Phyneus and there they were killed for ought I know if these times hold Gods best Samuels must goe the same way And their widowes made no lamentation You will say the more unnaturall women they O no they made no lamentation either because their griefe was above lamenting such as onely could be managed with silence and amazement or else because they were so taken up with deploring the publike calamity they could spare no time for private persons to bemoane their particular losses 8. But warre is not so terrible in it self as in its attendants first the Plague which brings up the reare of war the Plague I say which formerly used to be an extraordinary embassador in this Citie of London to denounce Gods anger against it but is of late grown a constant legier and for these many late yeares hath never been clearly removed from us surely some great unrepented sin lyes on this City that this constant punishment doth visit us which will be more terrible when it shall be extended over the whole Realme 9. Secondly Famine a waiter in Ordinary on Warre Truly it may seeme a riddle and yet it is most true that Warre makes both lesse meat and fewer mouthes First because in time of war none dare attend husbandry wherewith Solomon saith The King himself is maintained Secondly because Souldiers spoile more out of prodigality then they spend out of necessity When our Saviour multiplied loaves and fishes there were those appointed who tooke up the twelve baskets of fragments but alas no such care is taken in souldiers festivals Hitherto indeed wee have had plenty enough and as yet in this City are not sensible of any want But you know next Pharaohs full eares came Pharaohs blasted ears next Pharaohs fat kine came Pharaohs lean kine I pray God poor people for this years store be not next year starved 10. Thirdly wilde beasts see Gods foure cardinall punishments reckoned up Ezech. 14. 21. For thus saith the Lord God for much more when I send my foure sore judgements upon Jerusalem the sword and the famine and the noysome beast and the pestilence to cut from it man and beast Some perchance wil say that there is more danger of wilde beasts in our Iland which is invironed with water Truely there need no other wilde beasts then our selves who are Lions Beares Boares Wolves and Tygers one to another And though as yet wee were never plagued with wilde beasts yet wee know not how soone God may hisse for them over and for our new and strange sins cause new and strange punishments Now conceive a City as bigge as your thoughts can imagine and fancy the Sword marching in at the East-gate and the Plague comming in at the West-gate and Famine entring in at the North-gate and wilde beasts passing in at the South-gate and all meeting together in the Market-place and then tell me how quickly will your voluminous Citie be abridged to a poor pittance 11. But hitherto wee have only spoken of the miseries of War in generall but the worst is still behind for we are afflicted with Civill war many warres have done wofully but this surmounteth them all In Civill war nothing can bee expected but a ruine and desolaion What said Mordecai to Hesther Hesther 4. 13. Think not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more then all the Jewes So let none in what house soever in the Kings House or House of Lords or House of Commons or strongest Castles or walled Towns or fenced Cities flatter themselves with a fond conceit of their safety for if Civill warres continue long they must expect as well as others to bee devoured yea none can promise great Persons so much happinesse as to bee last undone For for ought any knowes it may come their turnes to be the first as being the fairest markes to invite envy and malice against them Meane time poore Ireland which as the man in the vision cryed to Saint Paul Come over into Macedonia and helpe us which hath so long so often so earnestly intreated implored importuned our assistants must be lost of course The Protestants there which have long swom against the tide till their armes are weary must at last of necessity even give themselves over to bee drowned That Harpe which when it was well tuned made so good musicke must now and hereafter for ever bee hung upon the willowes a sad and sorrowfull tree and our distraction will hasten their finall destruction We reade Deut. 28. 56. That in a great Famine the eye of the mother shall be evill towards her son and towards her daughter shee shall grudge every morsell of meat which goes besides her owne mouth preferring nature before naturall affection If these times doe continue London will grudge London-derry her daughter and England Mother generally of Ireland as a Colony deduced from it will grieve to part with the least meat money and munition to it 12 But all these Mischiefes are nothing in respect of the last namely the scandal and dishonour which hereby will redound to the Protestant religion whereof a true Christian ought to be more tender and sensible then of any worldly losse whatsoever Tell it not in Gath nor publish it in Ascalon lest the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph O what musick doth our discord make to the Romish adversaries We reade Genes 13. 7. And there was a strife between the heard-men of Abrahams cattel and the heard-men of Lots cattell and the Cananite and the Perizite dwelled then in the Land And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene my c. Wherein observe that the Canaanites and Perizites being there in the Land is mentioned as a motive with Abraham to make him make the speedier accommodation with Lot lest the true religion and service of God should suffer in the censure of Pagans by their discords being Uncle and Nephew ingaged in a brawle by their servants dissention How many Canaanites and Perezites behold our bloudy differences and clap their hands to see us wring ours yea insult and rejoyce to see us sheath our swords in one anothers bowels wee used formerly to taske the Papists of cruelty to Protestants but hereafter as Abner said to Asahel 2 Sam. 2. 22. How then shall I hold up my face to Joab thy brother So how shall we looke in the face from this day forwards of our Romish adversaries Tell them no more of their
and Judah desired and endeavour to preserve the life of his brother Joseph and yet these two imbracing different meanes did not onely crosse and thwart but even ruine and destroy the desires of each other for Ruben moved and obtained that Joseph might not be killed vers. 22. And Ruben said unto them shed no blood but cast him into this Pit that is in the wildernesse and lay no hand upon him that he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his Father againe Judah also desired the same but being not privie to Rubens intents and to avoid the cruelty of the rest of his Brethren propounded and effected that Joseph might be sold to the Medianitish Merchants meetly so to preserve his life and thereby he did unravell all the web of Rubins designes and frustrated his endeavours Thus when God will have a people punished for their sinnes hee will not onely suffer but cause mistakes without mending and misprisions without rectifying to happen betwixt brethren who meane and really intend the same thing so that they speake the same matter in effect and yet be Barbarians one to another as either not or not right understanding what they say each to other Thus the maintaining of the Protestant Religion in the purity thereof the vindicating of the lawfull Prerogative of the King the ascertaining of the just rights and priviledges of the Parliament the defending of the dues and properties of the Subject are pleaded and pretended on both sides as the ultimate ends they aime at Well as our Saviour said to the blinde man Mat. 9. 29. according to your faith be it unto you so according to the sincerity and integrity of their hearts whom God knowes means most seriously be it unto them we wish them good victory in the name of the Lord and yet even herein a friendly peace were as much better then victory it selfe as the end is better then the means for blessed are the Peace-makers 31 Objections But may some say though we doe never so much desire peace we shall not obtaine that blessing which is pronounced in my text for the Peacemakers are to be blessed And it is to be feared that our breaches are too wide to be cured and Gods justice must have reparation upon us 32 By Peace-makers Peace-endeavourers are to be understood not only the effectours of Peace but even the Affectours of Peace shal be blessed Rom. 12. 18. If it he possible as much as in you lyeth live peaceably with all men God out of his goodnesse measures mens reward not by their successe but desires 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 33 And yet I am not out of heart but that there is hope of Peace and that as yet our sinnes are not sweld so high but that there is mercy with God for our nation First my hope is founded on the multitude of good people in this land which assault and batter Heaven with the importunity of their prayers We read of Ptolomeus Philodelphus King of Egipt that he caused the Bible to be translated by seventy Interpreters which seventy were severally disposed of in seventy severall Cels unknown each to other and yet they did so well agree in their several translations that there was no considerable difference betwixt them in rendering the text an argument that they were acted with one and the same spirit Surely it comforts me when I call to minde what shall I say seventy nay seven times seventy yea seaventy hundred yea seventy thousand which are peaceable in Israel which on the bended knees of their souls daily pray to God for peace These though they know not the faces no not the names one of another nay have neither seen nor shall see one another till they meet together in happinesse in Heaven yet they unite their votes and centre their suffrages in the same thing that God would restore Peace unto us who no doubt in his due time will heare their prayers 34 The second thing that comforts mee is when I looke on Gods proceedings hitherto in our Kingdome his judgements seeme to be judgements rather of expostulation then of exterpation we read Exod. 4. 24. that God being angry with Moses for not circumcising his Sonnes It came to passe by the way in the Iane that the Lord met him and sought to kill him Sought to kill him strange did God seeke to kill him and not kill him Speake Lord speake to the Fire and it shall with flashes consume him to the Ayre and with pestilent vapours it shall choake him to the Water and with deluges it shall over-whelme him to the Earth and with yawning chops it shall devoure him Well the meaning is this God sought to kill him that is in some outward visible manner whereof Moses was apprehensive God manifested his displeasure against him that so Moses might both have notice and leisure to divert his anger with removing the cause thereof He that saith to us Seeke and yee shall finde doth himselfe seeke and not finde and good reason too for he sought with an intent not to finde Thus I may say that for these last foure yeeres God hath still sought to destroy the Kingdome of England manifesting an unwillingnesse to doe it if in any reasonable time we would compound with him by serious repentance Thus the loving Father shakes the rod over his wanton childe not with an intent to beat him but to make him begge pardon and such hitherto hath beene Gods dealing with our Nation that he even courts and woes us to repentance as loath to punish us if wee would understand the signes of his anger before it breake out upon us 35 But if all faile yet those that are Peace-makers in their desires doe enter a caveat in the Court of heaven That if warres doe ensue yet for their part they have laboured against it If a man slaine were found in the field and it not knowne who slew him God provided Deut. 21. 7. That the Elders of the next City should wash their hands in the blood of an Heifer and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it be mercifull O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israels charge and the blood shal be forgiven them So this one day will be a comfort to the consciences of godly minded men that they may appeale to the God of heaven how they have prayed heartily for peace have petitioned humbly for Peace have been contented to pay deerly for peace and to their powers have endevoured to refraine themselves from sinnes the breakers of peace and therefore they trust that Christian English Protestant blood which shall be shed which hath beene and hereafter may be shed in these wofull warres shall never be visited on their score or laid to