if Moses had any self-ends or aimes proposeth something to take him off and stop his mouth for he promiseth to make him a multiplying Nation Indeed self-aiming men that shall look to their own ends will never stand the Church in a strait in any stead No he saw the people threatned to ruine See how Moses argues and wrastles with God Vers 3.14 15 16. and then closeth and gaines upon God by Prayer giving as it were the other hug in this wrastle in the 17 18 89. Verses Pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of the people See Vers 20. And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word See 1 Nehemiah 2 3 4. I have loved you saith the Lord c. Acts 27. Paul perceiving the voyage would be exceeding dangerous to those in the Ship Vers 21. the Text saith he used long abstinence you have our Saviour Christ also for an example when he beheld the contraction of his Fathers brow wrinkled up with full pleats of displeasure and pure wrath against our souls and a Decree against us to suffer hell and damnation and none could or durst enter to endeavour a reverse when he beheld the plot against us and our precious immortall souls undone for ever and liable to Satans fury he immediately disrobes himself of glory and immantles himself with the rags and badges of poverty and enters into the veile of flesh and then and there plies it night and day contesting with men and Devils nay wrastles with God with the deep groans of his spirit sweats at this work water and bloud and never quit his free undertaking untill he sweetly breathed it out to us that the great businesse of his Church was done and that they were delivered from all their enemies with an It is finished Precious and high-prized mercies must cost us some labor we must not look to carry home that which all the treasure in the Land cannot purchase for nothing your words or the Propositions you present may not take with the Kings heart but your suitable performances by way of preparation to the Churches present misery to God may take with God and God can take his heart and dispose of it as pleaseth him Ezra 1.1 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to build his house There are many Arguments and perswading Reasons as sinewes to strengthen the Truth proved by fore-mentioned Scriptures and Examples First Why exact and proportionable duty to the Churches misery is required of al those that are interested in seeking its delivery 1. Argument That we may make it appear we are cordially sensible of its condition that we beleeve indeed it is as miserable as it showes for and that God is as angry as he seems to be with the Kingdome that it complaines not without a cause we can never yerne in our bowels with compassion to those though never so neerly related to us who we beleeve not be in passion and affliction The sense of the Churches mourning in misery must precede in our hearts our groaning for mercy the tender hearted mother then and not before then makes it her work all things set apart to send for a Physitian and to Physick and tend her sick child when shee hath laid to heart the simptomes of its disease and considered the consequences of it When we imagine slight hurts we afford them slight healings like those 8. Jer. 11. but when laid to heart then Oh! Is there no Balm in Gilead no Physitian there Jer. 9.1 Oh! that my head were waters and mine eyes fountains of tears that I may weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people c. It was an old fault which the Prophet complained of that no man laies to heart the miseries of the Church 2. Argument That we may make it appear that we set a high estimate on the Churches safety that we intend to gaine it whatever it cost that we think not much nor repine no not any layings out for it truly we have bid little of nothing nationally or personally for this great mercy as yet Object Why have we not freely offered our superfluous riches have we not cashiered our vain pleasures have not many hazzarded the displeasures of their eminent friends procured to themselves many enemies ventured their lives nay have we not made many prayers observed many Fasts and is this nothing Sol. Truly as the case may stand it may be worse then doing nothings and God may say to us as to those that professed to be his people Esa 1.11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices here you hear of many sacrifices much cost God knowes to little purpose of no purpose we bid very much I confesse for mercy but we would have God take our publike faith for it we would still have God take our promises for it when he expects performances for it he is so well acquainted with our backslidings that he is unwilling to trust us any more It 's true we come often to cheapen mercy it may be once or twice a moneth publikely or privately for the Church in misery and for a day hold down our hearts like a bull-rush as if we were undone if we had it not but when the price is set at a word and God fallen as low as he can to save by it to his glory and the honour of his justice For the most part the most men are apt to flink away or to promise to come again or the like What is it to bid and bid for a rich jewell again and again yea a thousand times over if we under-bid for it surely it argues a slighting of the jewel must needs be a great provocation to the Merchant God had as live you bid nothing as all you have bidden or abidden if you come not up to his price wht's that why it is expressed and set downe Esa 1.16 17. Wash ye make you cleane put away the evill of your doings c. also Isa 58.3 The Jewes question God why though they bid faire for mercy they cannot have it Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not c. God gives them accompt in the last words of the third and fourth Verses Behold in the day of your fast ye find pleasure ye fast for strife and debate c. wherefore he cannot part with it at that rate sets down what he resolves to have Vers 6 7 8. Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to deale thy bread to the hungry c. you must bid as the Nenevites did Ionah 3.7 8. Let neither man nor beast herd or flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water but let them cry mightily unto God let them turne everyone from his evill way c. Or as the people in Joel 1.13 14. God will not part with deliverance and mercy for his Church till we depart from our sin Hosea 14.3 Take away all iniquity
or any other way to win upon him This is the strength of all other means he useth to pacifie his brother and vers 28. you see the excellent consequence of his Prayer As a Prince hast thou power with God and men and hast prevailed And I pray observe this for a truth That powerfull men with God are ever prevailing men with Man If we can but get strengh enough to wrastle with God let us trust God to wrastle with the hearts of men 1 Kings 18.37 yea the greatest Princes Oh had not this Nation laboured under the malignant distempers of sinne nay did not the Covenant-Servants of God such as passe for his own children lie dangerously weak under sad divisions yea so that the whole body is out of joynt and then what strength we might have prevailed for the Kings heart it being in Gods hand before this day For why might not we if rightly quallified obtaine a heart out of our hands and in the Lords hand for the good of a Nation nay three bleeding Nations as well as he for himself and his family Gen. 33.4 you have an incouraging president where killing is come to kissing shedding of blood to sheddig of tears They both wept The charging each other is the imbracing each other It will be an argument against us of Nationall weaknesse and wickednesse that one shall doe more then so many with God And if this be Truth we have none more to cry out of then our selves for the continuance of our sorrow may not the Lord say as sometimes to Israel Perditio tua exte we may thank our selves his hand is not shortned that it cannot save nor his eare heavie that he cannot hear but our prayers are weak because our hearts are wicked that cannot hold out a wrestle with God Indeed we act duty but not proportionable for the Churches necessity or as cordially sensible of its misery and speedy calamity not as if we see no way but one for it or beheld it sentenced to death under a Decree no we look most of us as Eliahs servant upon the first command 1 King 18.4 when misery was on Germany Ireland and Scotland being often perswaded by the Eliahs of those times to look out what we could see the return of our hearts was that we saw nothing Indeed we laid it not to heart as any thing Nay when at this day commanded to look out those within Lines of Communication and fenced Garrisons can see but a little cloud out of the Sea like a mans hand we esteeme all the Protestant blood nay the Saints blood that hath been shed as nothing do all the cruelties Murders Woundings Imprisonings Fireings Plunderings Deformings Reproachings of the Saints as yet appear as nothing How many sighing groaning lamentable complaining sad-hearted good Christians may you see in many parts of this distracted Kingdome seeking for bread and glad to part with their former pleasant things to relieve their families pressing necessities How doth many a gallant family sit solitary How many beautifull houses forlorne Yea how many are aggravating their misery by viewing over the records of their former injoyments How in many places doth the Enemy magnifie himself against God and his people having possessed and dispossessed our Congregations and destroyed the place of the Assembly How doth the blood of the Church spring forth as wine out of the wine-presse and lies spilt on the ground abroad the Sword consuming at home lofty and sad divisions even the wills of men like wild horses renting limb from limb the poore Church of God the Enemy hearing of this trouble and being glad Nay in a word The cause of God in three Kingdomes crying with them in the 1 Lament verse 12. Is it nothing to you O all ye that passe by Is there any sorrow like to my sorrow and yet who with Mordeca although it be past beyond a Decree and come to the Haman-like action of cruelty against the Church before your faces even at the doores and gates of your Cities in heart yet saith Is it any thing Nay let me adde something more Although God be so angry as to licence his enemies to pull out his own eyes for his Church is as dear to him as the apple of his eye and he must be incensed highly when he will permit this yet who laies this to heart as any thing Nay even now although God hearken and hear who speaketh aright at all or if but for a day and then every man with the day casts off the duty and returneth with the dog to his vomit and with the wrinsed sow to wallow in the mire Had Mordecai lookt thus a squint on the condition of the Jewes he had never laid it to heart and if never laid to heart it had not been communicated to every one that in probability might conveigh it to Esthers eares and had she slightly entertained it as newes onely it had never come to the hazzarding of her life in the Churches cause or prescribing an order for so serious preparation for the Churches preservation Will you license me to advise you I know you will you called me to that purpose to this duty this day Why then as the Prophet 1 King 10. Prepare your Chariots so you and I wish the whole Church of God their hearts and improve you all your interests noble Patriots of the Cause of God and let them improve theirs by proportionable and importunate duty for successe this day suitable to the Churches necessity and misery Esa 22.4 you have the story of the invading the Land of Jewrie by the Persians by reason whereof the Church of God and the Kingdome were like to be brought into a sad condition it was like to be a day of trouble and treading downe and of perplexity by the Lord breaking downe walls and breaches seen in the City of David mark in the 4. Vers what the Prophet puts immediately in practice to divert it Therefore said I look away from me mind me not of any thing else I have nothing else comparatively to look after this is the businesse of the time what I will weep bitterly or as the Originall hath it I will be bitter in weeping Labour not to comfort me because of the spoyling of the daughter of my people Jer. 8 21 22. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt I am black astonishment hath taken hold on me c. i. grief to an extasie hath seized on me that I am not my self the hurt of the Church is his hurt I then he seeks proportionably a remedy Moses when God is angry with the people he fals sensibly to the work and being to wrastle out reconciliation and a diversion of Gods expresse resolution against them he is at it 40. dayes and nights together So againe upon another provocation Numb 14.11 How long will this people provoke me Ver. 12. I will smite them with the Pestilence and disinherit them and now God
and receive us graciously The sacraficing our dearest sinnes will instantly bring in the greatest mercies for the Church We may truly say of the Land as David of himself Psalm 28.3 There is no rest in my bones because of sinne Lay a man upon never so many soft Down beds if the disease be in the bones the paines continue the way to make him rest is to take the cause of the paine out of his bones You may lay the Church at this day and the Kingdomes on the soft downe-bed of Gods promises on the downe-bed of Councells Armies Propositions for Peace Fastings Prayings The way to give the Land rest is to render and make such Propositions to God as may get sin out of the heart and pardoned and God reconciled To conclude this Reason I may truly say we trouble our selves and bid much but this one thing is necessary 3. Argument Because the Lord takes no notice of easie performances or lazie prayers He expects if the Church be in necessity and well sensible of it that we should use importunity It becoms His Majesty to be so sought unto for such like mercies Ezek. 36. Vers 37. I will yet for this he inquired after saith the Lord c. A man that will have his Vineyard to thrive and be fruitfull must labour and worke in it and a man that will have his prayer thrive must labour in prayer it must be his daily Trade 2 Cor. 1.11 You also labouring for us in prayers God will never answer a lazie begging Christian we must not be reporters of the Churches necessities but petitioners Yea petitioners with a kind of holy impudency not to be put off with privitive silence or positive deniall Nay although God seem to affront us for the present yet must we give God no rest no not hold our peace untill he make his Church the praise of the whole earth Our labouring in prayers will soonest bring the Church to rest from calamities You never found any rich mercy obtained by lazie duty easie seldom performances produce slow remedies a straitned Church cals for an active and inlarged heart And mark it even when the Church prayes with most ease it reaps the least profit or comfort when prayer is a pennance or irksome exercise to us as in 1. Malachy many say what a wearinesse it is and snuffe at it it is never an acceptable service for us But he that is laborious and active in duty cannot long be passive under misery labouring in prayer is that which puts God upon expedition he cannot long delay us or deny us if we industriously ply the worke of Prayer And as a remedie to cure this malady in prayer by the way take this Recipe wouldst thou amend thy easie praying repent of thy active sinning You shall never shew me a man that is active and laborious in sinning but I will show you the man that is and must of necessity be easie and lazie-hearted in praying 4. Argument Because proportionable duty hath Gods promise intailed upon it James 5.16 The prayer of the righteous availeth much if it be fervent ever marke this the more fervency the more prevalency Dauid in Psal 14 1â— desireth that his prayer may come up before the Lord as incense and you know incense never went up without fire Prayers of words are to our and the Churches necessities and against our Enemy as Powder without Ball which may make a great noise and terrifie for a time but hurts them not nor helps us Of all the Elements the Naturallists observe fire gets neerest to heaven and of all means a zealous fervent prayer gets neerest to the God of heaven Our earthie cold-hearted prayers are like a Bell which whilst it lyeth on the ground can make no musick but when steepled then it sounds loud cold or luke-warme water can never fetch out the blood or rawnesse of flesh it must have fire put to it to make it fit for nourishment cold prayers can never fetch out the corruption and scum of our filthy hearts no a heavenly fire must prepare our prayers for Gods digestion 5. Argument In regard of the Churches mercies and deliverances that we stand in need of mercy appeareth best when by a proportionable duty we blazon out our miserie it is a disparagement to Nationall mercy to come at the summons of halfe-duty or duty performed by halves raggs and torne pieces of duty are unbecoming mercy descending from majesty Every good and perfect gift saith S. James comes from the Father of lights and if upon easie requests we would soon slight them if we could get mercy easily we would forget it as easily who prodigall away their estates sooner then they that never sweat to gaine a penny of it that penny that is got with most labour and trudging for is not so usually rioted away in excesse but hoarded up That Samuel that Hanna can with difficulty wrastle out of Gods hand shall be dedicated to his service all the daies of his life the things that cost us deare we ever prize most those Colours we take with hazard of life are charily laid up as Trophies of honour truly it much advanceth friendship when it appeares in necessity and it doeth as much heighten mercy when we gaine it in our faintings for it when in the Mount God is seen hee can rarely be forgot 6. Argument Because the heart of the King is in the Lords hand and he is able to turne it which way soever pleaseth him every way of a man is right in his own eyes but the Lord ordereth the heart Prov. 21.1 2. yea more for your encouragemenâ— to performe exactly Proportionable duty the answer of the tongue is from the Lord Prov. 16.19 21. There are many devices in mans heart neverthelesse the counsell of the Lord that shall stand Job 33.12 God is greater then man and ordereth him at pleasure Psal 33.10 The Lord bringeth the counsell of Princes to nought he maketh the devices of the people of none effect Isaiah 46.11 My counsell shall stand and I will performe all my pleasure c. Ver. 12. Hearken unto me you stout-hearted that are far from righteousnesse I hold out all these Scriptures to you as lights to show where the Kings heart is and who hath the ordering of it it is out of his owne hands a decree sealed by the King is nothing to oblige Ahashuerosh if God wil have it reversed concerning his people Nay although it appeare so it is not in Hamans hand to dispose on nay with comfort I dare speake it the Kings heart is not in Digbys or Hydes or any other such Haman-like hands in the world no it is in the Lords hands God altered the heart of Abimelech Gen. 20 Laban thought his heart to be in his owne hand to act against Iacob he pursued after him seven dayes Gen. 31.23 but read the 24. Vers God commands him to speake to Iacob nothing but good and to enter
CHARLES by the Grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. A SERMON Preached before the COMMISSIONERS of both KINGDOMES The same day they delivered THE PROPOSITIONS TO The Kings Maiesty FOR A Safe and well-grounded PEACE By SAMUEL KEM Batchelour in Divinity Esther 1.9 And he sent the Letters unto all the Jewes to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdome of Ahasuerus with the words of PEACE and TRUTH 2 Chron. 29.15 And they gathered their BRETHREN and sanctified themselves and came according to the Commandement of the KING 2 Sam. 19.14 All the men of Judah even as the heart of one man sent this word unto the KING Returne 1 Sam. 20 21. Then come thou for there is PEACE to thee and no hurt as the Lord liveth LONDON Printed for R. Austin 1646. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The Commissioners of the Lords and Commons of the Parliament of England assembled at Westminster AND The Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland sent with the Propositions to His Majestie Right honourable Lords and Gentlemen I Speake my experience that if a Souldier succeed well upon his first Charge he is not to be withheld from a second Adventure You favoured this Sermon so much when Preached that I am confident you will not reject it Printed nor this my Dedicatory although I begin not after the common stamp of Dedication with some hoary or gray-headed Apophthegme or some strained sentence out of Tully I professe my selfe a Souldier during this Cause as well as a Schollar and therefore must crave leave to speake in such language as affectionate duty can best expresse it self by the tongue I confesse when I meditate the height of your noble Spirits and withall the flatnesse of my poore abilities as I present this in love so with much fear lest my endeavours convert into a vapour ere they can reach the height of your merit stoop but so low as to cherish them and it shall ever add to your Honour The ancient and moderne custome of Dedication of Bookes to the hands of Eminency was and is either to have them powerfully protected or in affection as devoted or to appeare gratefull for benefits received all these moved me to hover under your wings being confident that you that under God protected me out of the jawes of the Lyons and Beares will also protect me from the greatest Philistims And therefore have I presumed to prefix your names it being none of the smallest hazards I have run to oppose this Sermon to the worlds view whereby I expect to be charged againe and againe and it would conclude me guilty of Poultranisme to feare the Sciopii and Pacientii here when not the Zolimi at Oxford I well know carping curiosity will have its lash to me too Aelian reports when Diogenes saw certaine Rod an Gallants gorgeously attyred he laughed saying Hic nihil est praeter Fastum And after seeing certaine Laconians in sordid apparell Et hic alius Fastus est said he These poore-clad lines I feare will not passe without envy and without the censure of pride and ambition how ever whilst you keep the Front I fear no charge neither Oxfords sword nor any other two-edged sword of the tongue and the lesse because I perceive opinions and censures are as various as the Arguments on which they discourse Calumny and squint-ey'd detraction violently charging against Christian charity and judgement in these times And to save them a labour â—eare not to let them know although that many a storm and tempest hath beat against me yet God hath not suffered me to be cast down and whatever they shall say with Apollonius I resolve they may trouble themselves but I will not be troubled at whatsoever the one shall say or the other do I have long before this time Dedicated my life in this Cause to God in the Parliaments Service any thing lesse then the losse of it I can easily endure It must be a long feast to find a dish for every appetite and many in these times will find faults that will not mend one I never indeed intended the publishing this Sermon before the preaching of it nor could ever gain time to refine it since only importunity of some friends and the mis-report that I heard it had to his Majesty made me presume with your Favour to show the world the Truth and implore your Honours to be Judges of it My first thoughts when I meditated this subject were onely to breath into your unfurled sayles such a blast as might give you the advantage to make a saving voyage to your selves if not a more prosperous voyage for the whole Church of God importunate prayer being the fairest wind can blow in the heavens to carry the Church of God to her safe Pâ—rt And as David rescuing his wives and recovering his goods from the Enemy was never a whit the lesse honour to him because a young man made way for the discovery so it being your happinesse to be imploy'd in this service so becoming nobility or any of the sonnes of men to seek peace for the Church of God in which Gods blessing Mat. 5. attends you is it any diminution to your honour that I the meanest of my brethren pointed you the way to prosper It being the constant prayer of my soule daily that you may reape the fruits of those so brave and gallantly mannaged labours yea I hourely expect and look out for a return of those adventures from heaven even when God shall speake by His Majesty to his three Kingdomes Peace which is the hearty prayer as also for all your honours that you may still do worthily in Ephrata and be famous in Bethlehem of him who is Yours devoted even by word and deed to the losse of his utmost drop of blood To serve you for JESUS CHRIST Samuel Kem. A SERMON PREACHED before the Commissioners of both Kingdomes at the Delivery of the PROPOSITIONS to the KING UPON ESTHER Chap. 4. Vers 16. Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast ye for me and neither eat nor drink three dayes night or day I also and my maidens will fast likewise and so I will go in unto the King which it not according to the Law and if I perish I perish OUr new Practises against the Church proceed from old Principles and what an Ocean of Saints blood hath streamed out from the fountain of Cains malice as it there were a 〈◊〉 project to deluge that with blood which God preserved from water his righteous family the Scriptures plentifully demonstrate but with this observable hint of refreshing That the Red Sea hath in the end ever devoured the devourers and although by division shrunck up it self into straits to spare a passage to the Church of God for its deliverance So that the Church of God is not now to learn to be content to be let blood it may in probability
into Covenant and to blesse them Balak thought it in the power of his heart to curse the people Numb 22. ult sends to Balaam a Sorcerer to this purpose Balaams heart is now in his owne power In the 8. Verse Lodge here and I will bring you word againe as the Lord shall speake unto me First read what followes Verse 12. and Verse 24. Numb 13. There is no sorcery against Iacob See Esay 8. Verse 9 10 11. It is not to be held counsells Saul had spent much time in the pursuit of David and his heart was set for evill against him and yet God upon their meeting disposeth of his heart and tongue to blesse him read 1 Sam. 26.25 Princes hearts have been nay they still are there you see it is but improving of proportionable Nationall and Personall interests and strength with our God in duty and without all question we may gaine this eminent mercy and have his heart with us before his person who thinks on or grudgeth his hazardous voyage to the Indies when he considereth a probability of getting gold pearles and diamonds we never think of the hardships of warfare and the difficultie of duties when we are bent upon honour and were we resolved for Nationall mercy and such a blessing as the Kings heart to subscribe to the just desires of all his Kingdomes we should not stick at any duty if we were but a little love-sick of mercy it would break a little more out of our lips And thus having given you reasons for this truth I shall supplicate you for a little patience whiles I apply it Use 1. For information of us how much they are to blame that do not at this day supply the lamentable imploring necessities of the Church of God in both Kingdomes but are extreme short in duty if they consider the length heighth depth and bredth of their misery little water will not quench or decrease a great fire no rather increase the flame the taking away a little bloud will not cure the Calenture the body must in such a case be brought low the leaving of a few grosse sins will not cure the Churches evill nor the simple performance of monethly duties no the Church of God is brought low but our hearts are not brought low no they must if ever we will do good on it be brought much lower yet 2 Such as consider not at all or take no notice or looke a squint on the Churches misery Amos 6.1 Woe to those that are at ease in Zion and trust in the mountains of Samaria that put farre from them the evill of the Nation and lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves on couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and calves out of the stall And so Ver. 5 6. That chant to the sound of the Viole and invent to themselves instruments of musick That drink wine in bowles and annoint themselves with the chiefe oyntment but they are not grieved for the affliction of Ioseph How many in the Kingdome keeping the Churches fasting dayes as feasting days instead of neither eating nor drinking day nor night drink if not eat day and night 3. Such as delay the answering the Churches necessity in misery by performance of proportionable dutie like Solomons sluggard A little more sleep a little more slumber and a little more folding of the hands and so misery eats in like a gangrene it is an old saying Quod cito fit bis fit An oppâ—rtune remedy is a double curtesie he that helps at a pinch helps to purpose he that cryeth spare the child when the stripes are given gives little case gets little thanks O that we would know what belongs to the Churches peace Luk. 19.41 in this our day before these recovering mercies are hid from our eyes he speaks too late to the Judge for a reprieve when the ladder is turned It may be God will now heare and grant to morrow he will not In Cant. 2. the Church that drowsily neglected her safety after in the third Chapter seeks it night and day but found it not It is good stepping into the poole upon the motion of the waters if you misse your wind you may lose your voyage the season hath pantings and swounding fits already take heed it go not away in one of these fits Fourthly they also are much to blame who proportion their duties to the measure of their own pressing necessities and so are injurious to the cause of the Church of God Jeremy was not hurt for the hurt of himself but the daughter of his people Many are praying and fasting for their owne interests no Esther thinkes not of her self but her people so it must not be thy life or my life or thine or my goods estate children c. or thy personall suffering that must affect thee and afflict thee but the sufferings of all the members of Jesus Christ In all their afflictions thou must be afflicted and for them all thou hast must be hazarded And now right honourable and well-beloved suffer me to come to you in a word of Exhortation with some few Motives and I shall conclude all with supplications for God to guide your hearts to such personall preparations that you may this day find favour in the sight of God and the King and return at least with hopes of Peace or some small branch to show the waters are abated and that God in due time will cause the Arke which is the Church of God to rest safe upon the mountaines of hope 2. Use of Exhortation That by way of preparation for your addresse to His Majestie for the Churches preservation you and the Church of God would learn and practice that lesson that you may be prayerfull and powerfull You see Esthers practice for her distressed people Nay you see the three Kingdomes like that man that fell among theeves wounded and bleeding to death Oh be not like the hard-hearted Priests and Levites that minded more the market then their neighbours miserie But put on the good Samaritans compassion and go and do likewise let your bowels yerne towards the poore wounded lacerated halfe-dead Kingdomes looke out for oyle betimes to poure into the deepe wounds of it O apply such plaisters as may cat out the putrifying cores and if yet you cannot heale yet keep open and sweat the wounds of the Church of God I know you are men of skill and know how to doe it you indeed with those Honourable Houses that sent you under God are the Physitians must doe it It is you that must heale up the wounds make up the breaches that must bring backe God to his people and fetch the Kings heart to his God and your selves and his people And I heartily pray there may be found no Mountebanks amongst you who are more affected wâ—â—h the goods of the Nation than the good of the Nation such who mount the Stage to vent old drugs by faire bumbasted expressions for wholesome and