support it as the Annotators speak upon the place The mighty Man such as are mighty for strength of Body or courage of mind which in the phrase of the Scripture are usually called Mighty men of valour such were David's Worthies and such were promised God would bless his people withal that one should chase a thousand and two of them should put ten thousand to flight Men that were not afraid to speak with the Enemy in the Gate but dare lift up their Spears one of them against some hundreds of their Enemies or such as were mighty by way of power of command and authority as were Joab and Abishai and Ittai under each of whose command a third part of Davids Army was put when they were marching out against Absolom The man of War Men that are skilful and expert in feats of Arms and making War that know how to go out and to come in before a People for this requires as well wisdom of the mind as courage and resolution of the heart and strength of the Body The Judg and the Prophet Publick Officers of the Common-wealth and of the Church the one to reform and punish vice by the execution of Justice and inflicting of punishment upon Offenders the other to press on to the study and practice of vertue by instruction of mens minds in the knowledge of the truth The Prudent and the Antient In the Hebrew it is the Diviner but not to be taken in an evil sence to foretel future events by a Diabolical art of Divination but on the better for men of much sagacity and depth of Judgment strength of Reason to bolt out the truth in things difficult and abstruse to foresee effects in their causes to deem of future consequences by present appearances readily to make conjecture of following events by the present estate of affairs as if he had a spirit of Divination and by a kind of secret instinct could foretel a Storm of evil while it is impending in the Clouds over head The wise mans heart discerns of time and judgment that which is said of the men of Issachar who had understanding in the times to know what ought to be done for the avoiding of the evil feared or to bring about the good desired such were the wise men that stood before Solomon who could tell Rehoboam what would become of his Kingdom if he attended the sudden and rash advice of his young upstart Counsellers And the Antient Such as by their years and age have had experience of all kind of affairs and therefore are the more able to guid the helm of publick concerns especially in a stormy season It is dangerous sailing on those seas in winter or stormy times The Captain of fifty Such breaches were made in their Military matters that there was scarce left a man able to command fifty followers no such were left as were able to undertake the conduct of Martial designs some of whom were called to lesser and some greater numbers as well as them that were to lead the whole The Honourable In the Hebrew it is Eminent in countenance not by Descent or Pedigree or Nobility of Stock which properly are not our own as the Poet speaks Nam genus proavos c. one that by reason of his wisdome and gravity carries Authority with him in his very countenance though he pretend to no honour by his extraction as our Saviour intimates That a true Prophet deserves honour at home as well as abroad though he should be the Son of a Carpenter and not of a Prophet Authority that is acquired by desert or real worth is much better than that which is obtained by dignity of place or birth Lewd persons may reproach the stock they issue from and gain Families no honour thereby as one answered Tu dedecus generi tuo c. The Counsellour Such as are able to advise in the most weighty matters of Church or state Solomon the wisest of Men would not act without counsel himself as he advised others to take that course as a way of more safety for we know he had those that stood before him for that end And we read that Hezekiah took counsel with his Princes in his Warrs with the Assyrian and it is to be feared that good Josiah lost his life by acting without or against the counsel of his few counsellers as Rehoboam did his Kingdom When things of great moment are managed without counsel all is like to fall to the ground or miscarry at home or abroad The Cunning Artificer and eloquent Orator The one is necessary for Ornament as the other for Stabiliment and Safety Moses and Solomon might have made a courtly Tabernacle and Temple without the help of such cunning Artificers as were Bezaleel Aholiab and Hyram but not so magnificent God had sometimes promised to make his people Israel the head and not the tail which must be understood of curious Artifices as well as of costly Contrivances and other Badges of Dignity In the Catalogue of the Captives of Judah are reckoned up the Smiths and other Artizans as well as the rich Citizens for as the King himself is served by the Field so is the honour of a State maintained by the skill of their Artificers in their several occupations Therefore the removal of these is to be looked upon as a special judgment as well as the loss of any other sort of men As for the eloquent Orator it is in the Hebrew He that is skilled in Charms i. e. one that hath that power and efficacy in his speech either by the strength of his Arguments or Eloquence of his utterance or Elegancy of his Language subtilty of his Expressions that he is able to overcome and carry them Captive that he speaks unto as t is said of David that he bowed the hearts of all the Men of Judah as one man the iron sinews of mens wilful obstinacy and rebellious humors are as it were melted by an insinuation of sweet words The soft tongue breaketh the bone such Eloquent Orators by the silver Cords of their Rhetorick do as it were chain the Hearers to their Lips and his affable Words and Perswasions have the same efficacy upon the Hearers as a spell or charm hath upon the Serpents who as the most malicious of all creatures will bite without Inchantment Thus Abigail as it were charmed David by her speech And the wise Woman of Abel by her words of Wisdom charmed Joab and his Army first and then the City so as they laid aside their Hostility on either side and hearkened to reason in not destroying a mother City in Israel Deriosthenes by his Eloquence did as much among his Athenians as Philip the Father of Alexander the great could with his Arms and Weapons of War among the Macedonians When such as are the forementioned are born into the World the Inhabitants thereof would rejoyce if they knew it as they do when they may sit under the shadow of
Truth temporal Deliverances in those times were but as Types and Shadows figuring out the spiritual Salvation of the Church of the Gospel when being delivered from the hands of all spiritual Enemies they might serve God with Holiness and Righteousness all their dayes even in those times when the Church of the Faithful was visited with the Day-spring from on high and made to see this Salvation of God in the full accomplishment of it as to this life Many are the afflictions of the Righteous saith David of old but God delivereth you out of all Psal 34.19 David himself was a long time exercised with troubles and trials but by Faith and Patience he lived to see the Salvation which God had promised to come out of Sion This was but a type of that general Salvation of the World through Christ by the preaching of the Gospel which was to begin at Jerusalem The Writings of Moses are as full of Promises and Threatnings as they are of Precepts and Exhortations to keep the way of the Lord and to do justice and judgment The 26th Chapt. of Levit. and the 28th of Deut. are wholly taken up that way Dwell in the Land and do good so verily thou shalt be fed and see good Behold the upright and perfect man Psal 37.37 the end of that man shall be peace whatever are the various changes God leads them through by his unsearcheable dispensations so t is said Isai 1.19 If ye be obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land so long as they were obedient they did so both in the former and following times All the dayes of Joshuah and the Elders that over-lived Joshuah they saw the Salvation of God in all their enterprizes because all their time they ordered their way aright to keep the Commandments of the Lord and to do judgment and justice but when they of the next Generation fell from God and turned into other wayes what miserable calamities befell them in the time of the Judges and their Idolatrous Kings there was no peace to them that went out and to them that came in for God vexed them with all adversity and they could never come to see the salvation of God Gods providences ordinarily have been like Weather-glasses the waters thereof as to their peace and prosperity might have been discerned to rise and fall according as his people did ebb or flow in the course of their obedience They say the Egyptians use to presage of the health or fertility of every year by the rising of the River Nilus higher or lower so might any one who lived in the time of any of their Judges or Kings have foretold the prosperity or misery of the people according to the measure of their obedience When they did evil it went ill with them and when they did well in the lowest degree and that which was right in the sight of the Lord though not in that perfect manner as they should yet ordinarily they were made to see the salvation of God As in the first years of Rehoboam Abijah Joash Amazias and Vzzias Thus did God ordinarily proportion the wayes of his providence to his peoples obedience When of old the whole World degenerated from the true Religion and worship none was found Righteous but Noah and a few in his Family God makes him and them only see the Salvation of God So afterwards 2 Sam. 8. t is said David prospered whither soever he went even against five several Nations at once because his heart was right and he ordered his way aright before God he was made a lasting monument of Gods deliverance as he had been a standing pattern of obedience Thus we may say with the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews time would fail to speak of other Instances upon whom this promise was made good both before and after the captivity who ever walked with God and ordered their way aright before him they were made to see the salvation of God in the midst of Armies Lions Dens Fiery Furnaces and amongst multitudes of Enemies who were all armed with envy and malice against them as well as with force and power Afterward as Ezrah ordered his way aright in bringing up as many as he could perswade to attend thereunto out of the Captivity and in seeking the face of God by solemn Fasting and Prayer so God caused him to see his Salvation more immediately then if he had obtained a band of Horse-men from an Heathen And Nehemiah at another time obtains favour in the sight of the man as he desired who had then all power under God in his hands concerning the poor captive Jews because he ordered his way aright first to seek God by solemn Prayer and then to go on couragiously without fearing the face of Man especially such Sons of malice and wickedness as were Sanballat and Tobiah who though they pretended a desire to help build the Temple of God at Jerusalem yet in their hearts were filled with rancour and enmity and ready to gnash their teeth that any came thither that sought the welfare of the people of God As for the state of the Christian Church since Christs time for this first three hundred years how mightily did the Word of God increase and prevail The savour of the knowledge of Jesus Christ even triumphed in every place the three measures of meal i. e. the three parts of the World then known were levened with the Doctrine of the Christian Religion the whole World was in a manner overspread therewith notwithstanding all the fury rage and malice of their persecuting Enemies he that sate upon the white Horse with his Bow and his Crown went on conquering to conquer and did prevail All this while they ordered their way aright they set themselves by faith and patience to wait upon God and were made to see his Salvation When Israel came first out of Egypt if God had led them presently into the possession of the land of Canaan before they had been inured to the difficulties of a War God must miraculously have cut off all their Enemies to have put them in possession of Canaan and then they would have been in danger to have been overcome with luxury sensuality and security as too soon came to pass afterwards therefore God in his infinite wisdom did train them up to encounter with Marches and Journyings in the Wilderness and then acquainted them with the difficulties of along War that they might learn Obedience by what they underwent so in a manner were Gods dispensations toward the Christian World God would not miraculously subdue them to the obedience of Faith but by the labour and travel of the Ministry in holding forth the Doctrine of the Gospel the word of Christs patience least if it had been otherwise they should have grown secure and carnal and turned the Grace of God into lasciviousness as many were too apt unto but presently after the winter of Adversity and Persecution was over and past and
Tema to be dryed up but wells are living fountains and if one should fail yet there are many wells of Salvation prepared for such as order their way aright Say not these wells are deep and we have nothing to draw for those that walk arighâ— shall find a bucket as well as a well and strength also to draw It was a joyfuâ— time with Israel when they encamped in the Wilderness at Elim where were seventy Palm trees and twelve wells of water A well for every one of the tribeâ— in particular yet this was but at one station but there are wells of Salvation now under the Gospel in every station of their Pilgrimage such considerations as these that follow may furnish us with this Salvation 1. God who is the God of all such as order their way aright is the God of Salvation Psal 68.20 which implies these things 1. That he is able to save his People No Enemy so potent no difficulty so great no sickness so dangerous but he is able to save his people from He is also said to be a God to whom vengeance belongeth God will then avenge his people of their Enemies These are dreadful speeches to the enemies of Gods People and more comfortable to themselves which ye have Deut. 32.39 c. I even I am he and there is no God with me that glorious great and supreme God his glory is spread over all the World I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hands c. If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold of Judgment I will render vengeance to mine enemies and reward to them that hate me c. From the beginning of revenges upon the Enemy Rejoyce O ye Nations with his People for he will avenge the blood of his Servants and will render vengeance to his Adversaries and will be merciful to his Land and to his People i. e. beginning at the head the Devil who is the prince of this world as Diodati notes on the place or as the prince of the great worldly Empire enemy to the Church seeing those great Empires which have named themselves universal have alwayes warred against God and his Church let none say that these speeches concerns the nation of the Jews only for though it might respect them primarily yet secondarily it includes the Church and people of God in all following ages and all those who have opposed them and hath accordingly been made good upon them as is evident in the vengeance of God upon Antiochus Dioclesian Maximinus Maxentias and Julian afterwards who were all destroyed by some more than ordinary hand of God in a way of vengeance upon them They are saved also from their sins the worst of their Enemies for now under the Gospel the People of God for all such are supposed to order their way aright being delivered from the hand of their Enemies shall be enabled to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of their life 2. It is here implied that he is willing to save them He taketh pleasure in this work of Salvation Who is a God like unto thee saith Micah that delighteth to pardon iniquity or that passeth by transgression because he delighteth in mercy he will subdue their Iniquities If sin be subdued that is the worst and most dangerous of all our Enemies there is no great fear from any of the rest And if the malady of sin be taken care for there is no other disease insident to such a people that will prove deadly The Inhabitants of Sion shall never complain of any sickness when once their sins are forgiven them 3. That he is wont to save them Such titles come to be appropriated to Rulers from their usual custom to do such or such things He is wont to be the hope of Israel and Saviour of them in the time of trouble did they ever miss of Salvation in one regard or other that waited upon him for Salvation Idolaters Hypocrites and Vnbelievers in time of their distress shall curse their King and their God and look upward Isa 8.21 i. e. to see if any help will come to them from Heaven they may look indeed but there will be none to save even unto the Lord but he will give them no answer Saul was one of these therefore God gave him no answer neither by Urim nor Thummim nor yet by Dreams or Visions 2. God hath appointed a Saviour for his People and hath imposed a Name upon him that declares it His name shall be called Jesus Mat. 1.21 for he shall save his People from their sins He is also said to be able to save unto the utmost all that come unto God through him when the question is asked who is this that cometh from Edom glorious in his Apparel it is answered I that speak in righteousness mighty to save i. e. The Lord Jesus Christ who hath promised everlasting Salvation to his Church and will powerfully perform it If this seem a difficult thing his other Names make way for the belief thereof The Government shall be upon his shoulder and His Name shall be called Wonderful Counsellour the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of peace i. e. as is interpreted the everlasting Son of God and hath taken our nature upon him by being born of the Virgin and defends the Churches right against all her Enemies in quality of a Mediator and head of the same who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords who hath made peace betwixt God and his People and Reigneth thereby to Life and Salvation for ever 3. God hath promised to be the Salvation of his People There is a ground for Faith to work upon Salvation is said to be the end of our Faith there is no other ground for Faith to build hope of Salvation upon but the Word of God Faith is the substance of things hoped for It gives Subsistence Being to the things that are hoped for such as walk before God in a right way may conclude he is faithful who hath promised who also will do it It was said of Archimedes the great Mathematician of old that he would undertake by the force of Engines which he would invent that if he had a Foundation to place his Engine upon he would raise the whole body of the Earth out of its Center it was a great speech but natural Ingeny will never be able to out-vye Theology Faith can do greater things than natural strength or skill Gods immutable word is a foundation for Faith to rest upon while it accomplishes all things that are needful for Salvation God is our strength and refuge sayes David Psal 46.1 2. a present help in time of trouble therefore we will not fear though the Earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea what is this great mountain before Zerubbabel the least degree of Faith as our Saviour tells
present Generation of New-England upon the enquiry if they be such as order their way aright It is now a day of rebuke a time of Jacobs troubles he is brought very low by whom shall he arise It is Gods Salvation alone that we must expect and who are they that shall be assured to see that They are only such as order their Conversation aright Our fore-Fathers did approve themselves as such and accordingly they were made to see Gods Salvation they had as many Enemies met with as many dangers encountred with as many difficulties yet God delivered saved them out of all Do we that are yet surviving and coming on so order our way that we may say or hope we shall be made to see the salvation of God We were at the first planted a righteous Generation and noble Vine do we so continue Of all the Reformations that ever yet began in the World there have been but a very few observed to continue above an hundred years in that splendor and brightness with which they were at the first set forward Take for instance those of antient time before or since the Gospel began That of David and Solomon Asa and Jehosaphat Hezekiah and Josiah lasted but their time That of the Maccabees did not out-live their time at least in the beauty of it That of the Primitive Church was not so much a reforming as a new planting of the Church in Gospel Order when the night of Heathenish darkness and Jewish Ceremonies was quite spent and the day of the Gospel was at hand But the Reformation of Constantines time scarce continued in its primitive lustre and glory a full hundred years before a great degree of Apostasie appeared for t is said The Woman fled into the Wilderness after the birth of her Man-child that was to rule the Nations with a rod of Iron She hasted into the Wilderness where she was to continue 1260 dayes prophetical dayes which are so many Julian Political years It is to be supposed that the Church was some considerable time going before she was quite gone into the Wilderness The day of this last Reformation began first to break out in the time of Wickcliffe but it was not perfect day till Luther's time from whose dayes to the present time who ever takes a view may easily determine whether in the Nations that first embraced the Protestant Religion there be the same measure of Piety Zeal Holiness as was at the first In what integrity Geneva hath stood since Calvin's time is not unknown to many of them who are carrying on the Work of the present Generation As for our selves here in New-England we were or might have been set in the right way having no prejudicate Opinion or practice to forestal our Judgments but had the help of all the former ages and other Nations as well as our own Godly and Learned Divines in them to take pattern and example from in the laying our first Foundation both of Religion and Righteousness Doctrine and Discipline Church and Common-wealth Our first Rulers and Leaders in both were careful to order all things according to the pattern in that Mount Children that would not lye so God became their Saviour saving them from forreign and intestine Foes If we that are their posterity be found Children that will lie deny our first principles either in Faith or manners how can we expect that God should be our Saviour Now compare things 1. In the first place They sought first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and waited upon God for addition of such other things as he judged necessary They came not hither for the World or for Land or Traffick but for Religion and for liberty of Conscience in the Worship of God which was their only design and accordingly God blessed them and gave them the desire of their hearts they had the priviledges of God's Kingdom to their great content and satisfaction he added outward things above what was or could be expected in a Wilderness and when the first way of supply began to be stopped up God in his merciful providence opened another by turning us into a way of Trade and Commerce to further our more comfortable subsistence So God was pleased to bless our Issachar in his Tents and our Zebulun in their goings out who still called the People to the mountain and offered Sacrifices of Righteousness while they did thus like Solomon that sent his Ships to Ophir which brought in that which was of necessary and of substantial use God blessed them and made them see his salvation but when men could not content themselves in such a way of dealing but Traded only for Apes and Peacocks as was said by Mr. C. that is brought in nothing but Sack and Sugar Commodities to make fuel for Lust and called young people not to the mountain of the Lords house but to our own private recesses to offer Sacrifice to Bacchus and Venus and burns Incense to the evil Fiend hath not God broken our Ships at Ezion Geber and is he not now laying the Axe to the root of our Religion as well as Civil Rights and Liberties and begins to cut us short every way Hath not God called to contend by Fire and by Water by Famine and by Blasting Mildew Sword and Pestilence and is not his hand stretched out still Our Estates and Persons are spoiled by Murderers and barbarous Mahometans and it is to be feared the Lords controversie is not yet ended The Daughters of our Sion walks with stretched out necks c. And may we not find an Inventory of our Virgins Wardrobes in the third Chapter of Isaiah The Ensignes of Pride are exalted in our high places and all the produce in a manner of the whole Countrey is converted to maintain a commerce of superfluous vanities God threatens not to save but severely punish the Minister and Schollar the Mistriss and her Hand-maid for such thing as these yea to cut off the Tabernacles Jacob for such things as these 2. That Generation were zealous for the Worship of God they would by no means admit of any mixture of humane Inventions with divine Institutions in the matter of Gods Worship When they came over hither they were as Rasa Tabula fit to receive any Impression from the spirit of truth either as to Doctrine or Worship It might have been said of them in way of commendation that they could not bear them which were evil and seducers from the way of truth and that they tried them which said they were Apostles and were not and did find them Liars They also hated the deeds of the Nicholaitans which were also hateful to the spirit of the Lord Jesus They kept the word of Christs patience they were also kept from the hour of Temptation None were suffered among them to wear a rough Garment to deceive but they were ready to shew the wounds which they received in the house of their Friends none were
regular our Churches State and Persons happy Blessed is the Man that feareth God and he shall see peace upon Israel 2. Humility a precious virtue of strange operation it lays a man low and yet exalts him God gives Grace to the humble it is prescribed by an antient Doctor for the same Malady Sit aliquis fidelis sit potens in explicanda cognitione fit sapiens in Sermonum justa dijudicatione fit castus in operibus quanto major esse videtur tanto humilior esse debet The humble Spirit sensible of its own unworthiness will find work enough at home and think all his diligence too little to secure his own heart will find no spare time or abilities to pry into other mens wayes suspects himself more than he doth others esteeming them better than himself the object of his greatest displeasure is within he is most severe to himself and indulgent to others he will seek for and embrace peace abroad that he may make War at home where his most deadly Enemies lurk which he makes his only business not engaging himself in the contest of others believing they may be composed by the prudence of a few wise men and would be enflamed by the intermedling of men of no greater abilities than he will own to be in himself and truly wise men and weak men will very hardly be drawn to make or intermeddle in a Fray lest they get a broken head for their pains The humble man is not ambitious of advancements least he get a fall and Qui jacet in terra non habet unde cadat He acknowledges God hath given him a full employment with his own business and an ample reward for all his services in his present state and for the remainder promised is very well content to stay till the general day of payment in the mean time he thinks bene vixit bene qui latuit and therefore will not tread upon other mens heads that he may be the more conspicuous nor fire the temple of Diana that he may be talked of nor evaporate his science and scatter his notions that he may be admired dicier hic est all his ambition is to know Christ and to be known of him 3. Charity a Divine vertue the efficacy whereof is inexpressible inerrabilis saith one Omnia sustinet nihil illiberale aut sordidum in charitate nihil superbum charitas non agnoscit schisma charitas seditionem non movet charitas omnia in concordia facit According to the Doctrine of Paul 1 Cor. 13. It vaunteth not is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoiceth not in iniquity it never faileth having a divine original the love of God shed abroad in our hearts That inexhaustible fountain can never dry up nor the streams thereof ever cease runing it makes us not only love God but those whom God loves he that loves him that begat loves him also that is begotten because he is a Son of God not because he is of the same opinion or that this or that quality in him is pleasing such love of the brethren is no character of our Adoption though the want of it will be of the contrary Novit amor spiritualis nos in hac vita non nisi ex parte cognoscere at amor carnalis non nisi omnia scientem per omnia consentientem amare novit one scruple of this love so streightly commanded and so highly commended to us by our Lord and Saviour and by his beloved Disciple that we love one another were sufficient to remove our distempers and unite us in him and enforce us to love those whom he hath loved and for whom he died were our differences and provocations arrived to a greater height then thanks be to God as yet they are and which this discourse labours to prevent and if it effect it not I le change my Profession from a Physitian to a Preacher and tell you that he that loveth not his Brother the love of the Father is not in him Brethren ye have been called unto liberty only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another but if ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another our Father will certainly find some Rod to make his Children quiet and agree together 4. Meekness a Virtue most necessary to fit for Society making us gentle tractable perswadable willing to bear the yoke in a Society without it men are like wild Beasts and untamed Heifers that will strike with the foot and push with the horn there is no coming within them they are children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of unperswadableness or of disobedience the one being a natural effect of the former The meek spirits are the Glue and Soader that unites Societies by this Moses bare the manners of a crooked Generation in the wilderness and without it would have treated them as Rebels for so he terms them Hear ye Rebels when he spake unadvisedly with his lips Take away meekness you take away peace from the Earth they are the meek Souls that keep the World quiet and have our Saviours promise to inherit the Earth they are the only meet Schollars of Christ Learn of me for I am meek them he promises to teach his way and to guid in judgment they that have learnt of such a Master cannot but be desirable being easie to be intreated whenas others like thorns cannot be handled without pricking the one lamb-like may be lead by a Child the other Lion-like not yielding to the greatest strength Duris ut ilex tonse bipennibus will stand many a stroak before they fall some men are led as Bears to a stake and are held there with no less difficulty till opportunity be gained of running to their Den they cannot see they cannot understand a Sickness it seems infesting our Nation in Chancers time that which English-men wills not that he understands not It is a sickness of the flesh we labour of under hatred variance emulations envying wrath strife the cure of which prescribed by the Apostle is recipe of the fruit of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness 5. Honouring and reverencing our Seniors in all respects especially your Rulers and Leaders in Church and State it is the first Commandment with promise honour to whom honour fear to whom fear it is a just debt we owe them the non-payment whereof will occasion many contests and suits witness our many Courts and the much time spent in deciding the controversies of Meum Tuum you 'l say our common speech will evince we are not defective in this matter we call them Honoured and Worshipful and Reverend c. good words I confess and I could wish those that deserve them might never have worse but good words will not pay debts we have learnt to Complement if we were hearty it would be demonstrated by a more ingenious remuneration at least as to the specie then is done in many places sed hoes obiter preter scopum my intention is that honour and respect which God and nature requires from us to our Parents Leaders Guids and Shepheards My sheep hear my voice a Son honoureth his Father Travellers follow their Guids and Souldiers obey the commands of their Captain and unless they do so will undoubtedly miscarry Sheep scattering from their Shepheard are in danger of the Wolf Souldiers disputing the Commands of their Captain lay themselves open to the Enemy Travellers quarrelling with their Guid may happen to lose their way and Children disobeying their Parents may fall short of their Portions we must not pervert the order of God and nature why should I expect my fellow-traveller should direct my way better than my guid why then do I employ him that my Comrade should give a command more advantagious than my Captain that a Sheep though it were vir gregis should lead the flock into better Pasture than the Shepheard that my Brother should have a greater care for me than my Father At bonus aliquando dormitat Homerus they may mistake they are but men subject to passions errors and irregularities They claim no freedome from humane infirmities and failings yet we may say they are not meer men though not Dii majorum or minorum gentium yet the Scripture honoureth them with the title of Gods and also calls them Men of God who acting for God in his stead and by his order and appointment may expect a greater assistance from the spirit of truth than private men considering also their advantages of Education and experience and the joynt Prayers of those for whom they labour which I hope will not be denied them But what greater certainty can you have of others are they infallible may not they also do not they mistake have not they their frailties undoubtedly they have and though amongst them there may be acknowledged divers pious prudent knowing men I pray God increase their number near will envy for their sakes yet they have not the same call from God nor the like promise of assistance as their Leaders have and such men doubtless if they are what they are taken to be will be most forward to assist and support the Authority of their Leaders and be the most exemplary in obedience and for others or those that are otherwise minded that can espy and love to behold their Fathers nakedness let them but remember from whom they are descended that such ways lead to confusion and every evil work and will in conclusion draw upon them heavy judgments let not us that have and do enjoy the greatest priviledges havâ—â—â—â—en preserved hitherto by wonderful providences hasten our own ruin by our sinful miscarriages to prevent which I have proposed these Medicaments A Receipt of these five simples without composition accompanied with Fasting and Praying till they are well digested with Gods blessing may bring about the expected cure for the Dose you need not trouble your self there is not danger of taking too much And if this should fail which I fear not I have another Receipt but I fear it is somewhat corroding which I hope I shall never have occasion to use my lenitives working according to my expectation so I take my leave committing you to God a good Nurse FINIS