choise unparalleld workings of him against the Powers of this world who stand in his way to the advancement of his Sons Throne God writes his mind somtimes in his Works as well as in his Word and there are many overtures in Civil affairs which the Word doth not so positively direct but providence and the necessity of affairs must be the rule in and how ever the providences of God are not demonstrations a priori as they say yet they may very well be a posteriori though they do not state things yet they do distinguish them and as God will rather have heaven and eâ—rth to pass away then one iota or tittle of his Word to fail so he will have all men to give him the glory of his Works else he will destroy all the civil Heavens and earths which men sets-up and God blames his people as often for not observing his Works as for disobeying his Statuâ—es If the permissive acts of Gods justice in the world ought to make all men fear and tremble how much more these positive and errectual assistances of Instruments in executing his righteous judgements the children of Israel were blamed for nothing more than that they forgat the wonders of God at the red Sea and in the Wilderness But that we may not look on these things at large let us view what have been accompanying all our transactions in these last yeers which make them more than events to convince our spirits First all that God hath yet acted for us hath been from the smallest and contemtiblest beginnings that even wise men have been afraid of their own Acts and our enemies have laughed in secret at us seeing our ruine in our first foundation and so weak we were that we were rather objects of the piâ—y of our friends and scorn of the contrary party who would ever have imagined that such a new Model should have thriven better than so great and well accomplish'd Army which preceded or what could wise men either fore-see or Christians believe concerning any great matters to be accomplished by such Pigmies Secondly As God took the lowest condition to begin this work so he ever brought our estates unto the greatest straits ere he appeared to point out to all men that he would be alone seen in the prosecution of this cause and that he would have the glory of making this Nation a Common-wealth In England remember especially Naseby when the King was the â—ighest that ever he was since the war began where was the first experiment of Gods engaging with them at Kent Essex ' Waâ—es especially at Preston when the Nation was most divided and incensed against these proceedings and our Army scarce a third part In Ireland when all was lost but two Towns Dublin and Derry But above all in Scotland when we fed on our Vital Spirits more than Bread and lived by our courage and Gods support more than food how hath God helped I have often looked on it as an absolute and general observation in Gods actings that he never brings his enemies into straits to help them but it is his usual way where he means to make his providence glorious and his people most praising to let them be past saving in their own sense and their enemies hopes and truly our Victories were seldom given until not only our means but almost our faith failed us Thirdly these successes have been uniform and universal in every part and against every party which have upon any pretence whatever banded themselves against this State and their transactions yea so eavenly hath God gone forth and so impartially that how ever we may at first question the principles we cannot deny the acts but to be from God Yea not only height of Royalty and the grosness of Malignancy but the flourishes of the best precenses have been blasted and overthrown by these manifestations the Church as well as the World have been under a Divine censure for opposing themselves and complying with the first or new modell'd enemy against this State which may make all godly hearts serious and wary if not to tremble at their fire and heat in their reflections on these things If these things be not timely considered but our obstiâ—acy grows with Gods admonitions the next work will be Excommunication Fourthly all these works we now see have been begotten and brought forth in the midst of the plots of open and secret enemies plots laid so secret and sure that nothing but he that discovers the hidden things of darkness could discern or prevent and so hath God ordered and casted the season of our deliverances that they have been beyond the enemies designes and perfectest perswasions and our expectations of the most observant spectators that God might have all the glory Who could imagine what hath been working in hell and the corners of darkness against this work of God now in part broughâ— forth and yet all disappointed and frustrated with condignet punishment on the heads of principal Authors It will be endless to run over the variety of these discoveries and other circumstances which if well considered are as much as the mercies themselves amount unto The last great demonstration of Gods presence with this Army in Scotland may serve instar omnium to Uniting our confidences if all the rest be of no value which was Gods determination of the iustness of our Cause after solemn appeal to God on both sides especially on ours this being the publique expression of our Army in that candid Remonstrance ere they entred Scotland that they did appeal to God the righteous Judge of quick and dead if their hearts were not sincere in what they remonstrated and in their affections to that Nation and did moreover put it only on God if ever they came to engagement pardoning human infirmities to deal with them according to the justness of their Cause and the truth of their hearts I quote this especially because as it was the most solemn appeal to Divine Justice so what God did in this was the confirmation of all the rest of his publique actings by them and the Umpire only left to God to own them or destroy them as his wisdom and justice saw their hearts and cause how was Gods arm made bare for them at last though he carried himself a long while as if he meant to make good the reproches of their enemies against them It must be confest Appeals are of a very high and dangerous nature if not done with the greatest seriosity and upon the surest grounds and they do either argue abundance of carnal confidence or integrity and pureness of spirit that they ought not to be frequent and common but where no other way is or can be found out of deciding controversies of a high and controvertible nature where confidence on both sides are equally positive and immoveable by mediate arguments yea It is without question trivial and common affaires cannot be grounds of Appeal to God there being
remote in Wales that they might more insensibly supply the whole and the designe might be thought more barbarous and lesse considerable while stronger and more effectuall influence were operating nigher hand yet this poor Army must through all the Generall in Kent and Essex the Lieut. Generall in Wales and Major-Generall Lambert in the North having all their hands full and the Scots under Hamilton when the conjunction of Langdale and the old Malignants making up the harmony of malignancy though in a discord No sooner had our now worthy Generall ordered the affairs of Wales but new work was provided for him In the North Major General Lambert had long expected him and though he had by his wisdome and valour kept his own ground yet the Enemie who grew like a snow-ball by going got mighty advantages and taking their way through Lancashire a place they thought good Quarters for their Army as to find capable and zealous Subjects for their design but God who ever appears in the best opportunity to shew forth his continuall displeasure against any conjunction with the royall party upon what pretence sover brought up then Lieut. Generall Cromwell to joyne with the Major Generall who both with all their Forces could not make a third part of the Army they were to encounter withall but God so appeared that they routed that vast Army which carryed with them the highest designe and had more advantages of power and plea then any Army of such a mould that ever came into England What can be more immediatly from God then such overtures will God justifie the wicked so poâ—itively and perpetually against the godly and that by his owne power not only by permission Is there nothing in these affairs can take our hearts Doth God doe strange and unexpected things for to be dis-respected Let any Nation shew a parallell and not draw such conclusions as we now draw It 's true and it must be one cause of our daily humiliation that we have not answered God in our duties sutable to those manifestations but yet the neglect on our parts should not annihilate or darken the glory of God in his owne actings but rather shame us and heighten Gods goodnesse unto us who is so in love with Englands liberties that our unworthinesse unsutablenesse cannot stop him in his course of grace and mercy Let us if wee must needs take our prejudices and satisfie them as to all Gods actings in England yet when we look on Ireland and it 's sad condition before and how and when restored and by what instruments and then let malice act to the utmost if there be but a spark of honesty or any glance of a spirituall eye left and we must needs stand amazed though discontented at Gods goings with these whom we despise How have we cryed out against these bloudy rebells as wee had just cause for how many yeares were monethly publique fasts throughout the Nation kept for poore Ireland besides all the private unknowne bleeding of the soules of many Saints in corners and yet no fruit considerable that wee could call an Answer untill God appeared by himselfe when this Army was on the Sea-side in readinesse to be transported and in what a manner and method of miracles God hath appeared there is not to be exprest at a distance God gave in the first wonder at Dublyn by that ever to be honoured Coll. Jones ere the Army came over that they might not have their flesh and bloud too much discouraged both at home and abroad and yet would have them ready ere he began that they might improve and finish it What of designe had the Parliament in this Expedition to divide their Army which was so small at home among so many enemies or what hopes could that part of the Army have to encourage them to leave their owne Nations without God had moved them when they lay at the water side ready for a winde to saile from their owne Nation where God had made them so prosperous against the common enemy and to leave all their friends and to arrive at a a Nation wholly engaged and enraged against them and but two Townes Dublyn and Derry that were left as receptacles of them or earnests of hopes and these both besieged by farre more then the full Number of this Army could Muster and yet how willingly did they goe and how gloriously did God appeare making a whole Nation both of bloudy rebells and royall Malignants to be overthrowne by them not suffering them to give them one defeate though they had multitudes of advantages and in one yeare almost to reduce that Nation to a new obedience and were that History of Ireland well printed how farre would it exceed all the Relations of its first Conquest by this Nation when little else save ambition of domination and of enlarging our power not to execute Gods righteous judgements against bloud-thirsty men did put them upon endeavouring the Conquest of that Nation What of flesh and bloud can be demonstrated to be predominaut in these transactions but love and zeale in the instruments to free the Protestant party from further cruell miseries by the Popish and royall party there who became soone one power from God to back these undertakings Are wee sorry because God imployes not these instruments that suite with our particular humors and stated interests is the worke of God the lesse to be eyed because he useth despicable and poore instruments or moves beyond our Modell the generations to come will remember these things and take them in though we thorough the clouds made by the vapours of our owne engagements and factions see little in them Irelands Protestants will doubtlesse keepe a Chronicle of these acts and blesse God for the instruments when they are entombed in the bloud of the enemies of the Gospel and who knowes but Ireland who hath never yet soild the Gospel but have been under the sad persecutions for the little light they had in it and have not yet extracted factions and divisions out of Gods mercies to advantage the common and watchfull enemy If Irelands wonders will not make you in love with Gods actings which was nothing else but the prosecution of the same cause beyond the Sea yet let the harmony and continuance of Gods appearances to owne this cause and this Parliament in the three Nations the motions in each deserve a particular History let the universall proportion of divine actings for I dare not call them otherwise pardoning mens insirmities be a confirmation of each other for what ever the pretences and pleas have been either civill or sacred in England Ireland or Scotland yet God hath drawne one line of providence thorough all and given an equall and astonishing successe against every party in each which have but appeared against them If wee passe by all the rest and come into Scotland a priviledged place and one would thinke holy ground yet when once they came to dally with
both the bad and the good cause thus God suffers it for a long time for the hardening some and destroying others and to draw off the hearts of his front depending on these injoyments or advantages in this world yet at the same time he would not have his people put the right of their sufferings or his enemies prosperity on â—o large and indifferent a supposition but to look into the Will of God in thus disposing of their states and to find-out the particular end of God to them in it But as there is a general and special providence of God in the World so there are events sutable these special Providences of God call on all men for serious observation for in them God goes out of his ordinary course and they do show either his special owning or dis-respect whether to a person or party and are ofteâ— distinctions of the truth of Principles and Actings and if there were nothing to be seen of God more by these then other manifestations the World might grow careless and secure from expecting any evil from the hand of God or any punishment for iniquity more then what a godly man himself may have by the same strokes And if this principle should be true what reason have the Malignants or Papists to look any more into Gods hand on them or tò think their cause the worse because Providence overthrows their Armies why should any cry out on them for hardned and obstinate persons saving they have no more but events to convince them being still confident of the justness of their cause And to what end have we kept so many days of Thanks-giving for Victories if there be nothing in the issues of affairs restifying to the Truth of things it can be nothing else but a mocking of God to give him solemn praises for that which can neither shew us the goodness of our cause or Gods peculiar respect to us more then our enemies for we have no more witness to the Truth of our Principles then they have save our confidence which is as firm and stablished in them as us Let our Brethren look and remember what expressions they used formerly in their thanks-giving sermons both before the Parliament in the City and up and down all the Kingdom for any show of a Victory when the Army was commanded by the Lord of Essex when any party was routed under Sir William Wâ—ller or any of the first Commanders though we lost it as soon as we gained it and they were far from the Victories are now despicably called Events of War with what affection and zeal did they prove the equity of our fighting against the King by these mediums it became a common expression at such days That our God was not as their God our enemies themselves being Judges and by what should our enemies be judges against themselves for us but by Gods appearing against them and ordering the issue of things beyond all their height of confidence and expectation Many other such like expressions have been with much heartiness exprest in such days blessing God for owning his people in a day of need and making a difference between them and their enemies the testimony of all which they gathered from particular succesâ—es But why trifle we in a matter of such consequence are all these actings in England Scotland and Ireland for these many yeers so negâ—igently to be taken notice of only as Events of ordinary actings What can then be called Glorious Appearances of God in this World or what Victories can we have so much câ—nscience as to write Gods Name as on these How can a model of the workings of God for his people be drawn in fairer and clearâ—r colours Had God acted with these that dissent and by these instruments which they had sanctified for the work though far lower than he hath dore wiâ—h these whom they despise the world should have another account and these providences should have been proclaimed in other names then accidents and events if not the persons canoniz'd long ere this in every Church and Chappel and if God had permitted such an overture that the Scots had beaten and overcome our Army at Dâ—nbar which would have been the saddest day that ever Englishmen saw we need not question but the name of all these former eminent and conâ—icued Victories both in England and Ireland would be blotted out from the earth except these hearâ—â— in whom the glory and mercy of them were engraven with the same finger that wrought them and nothing else but the just judgements of God declared to be executed against the Sectarian Parliament and Army by Gods faithful and Covenant-keeping people who can imagine that tryumphant conclusion that would then be made of the wickedness of our Cause Principles and Persons of the truth of mens railings and the reason of their discontents how would all men be exhorted from henceforth to beware upon penalty of the like judgements of God to withdraw from any complyance or conjunction with these who were the declared enemies of God against whom he had bent his Bow utterly to destroy telling all men to consider â—ow God had at last found his secret enemies and vindicated the cause of his Covenant especially in Scotland where it was made and preserved we may easily without uncharity guess that a thousand such inferences would soon be drawn from such an event But seeing God hath given us the use of such an argument and added that mercy to all the rest with a cleerer representation of his face towards us than ever before why shall we think them common or unclean are our Victories less precious to us than theiâ—s would be to them are we more glad to see another Nation conquer us than we to defeat them in their Designs against us or can we rejoyce that God useth forraign Instrumeâ—ts in his work rather than these of our own Nation How are we degenerated how surpris'd in our affections that we should desire more for the Scots to conquer us than for the English to preserve us from them If we have lost our consciences yet let us retain our natural affections and if this Government be evil in our eyes yet let us have so much wisdom and self-love left as to prefer it before a Scottish Tyrannie if our mercies be not in every point and circumstance fashioned according to our model let us not throw away the substantialls of our Liberties by maligning and opposing those which are the visible preservers of them Let us once again look back upon Gods providences for us and mind the series of them with the variety and manner of bringing them forth and study more the nature of them for they deserve the most refinedness of our thoughts to be set on them and the purest place in our hearts to have them registred if every fly and gnat every piece of dung and filth shews forth somthing of God to be observed by us what do these
those that lies in Christs way to his royal Throne and the glorious exercise of his Kingly power shall be first on the Powers of this world who have combined together against the Lord and his Anointed and have bin the most undermining and profest enemies that Christ and his Saints have had in the world and all those that seek to underprop that tottering state must expect to fall with it for God hath either laid aside or destroyed the best sort of men who though with never so much tenderness or zeal put forth a hand to uphold this Monarchy and if ever Haman begin to fall before Mordecai he never riseth more but to his utter ruine What is it that lies so weighty on our spirits that no providence no argument can ballance I wish it were not to be feared of many they have made snares for their Consciences and then catch themselves willingly in them Are not the dayes of Mourning for the late King yet expired and our hearts refreshed by what God hath acted since in these three Nations It s now high time for us to wean our hearts from the flash ravishments of Names and Titles when we have so long suffered for our affections Surely if we were impartial Judges of that Act which I may call the first cleer and thorow Act of Justice that ever was executed in the Western World and if we did like good and wise men observe the nature and fruit of Actings we shall find that as never an Act of Justice wâ—s accompanyed with more remarkable observations and blest with more happy Testimonies of Approbation then the beheading the late King Besides the righteous grounds upon which they gave sentence of death against him which when looked into we had rather need to wonder such a Head should sâ—â—nd on his shoulders then that it was solemnly severed from it being one who was the Author of the shedding so much blood in three popolous Nations meerly for his prerogative tyranny for all other things he might have had and much of that also with the hearts of all good subiects But the circumstances if they doe not deserve a better name in his execution may inform us somthing more then ordinary if we shut not our eyes First that God should so order it to bring him to his death and shed his blood before that very place where the first blood in this war was shed while he looked out through that window with sport God doth somtimes write mens sins in their punishments Secondly that in so populous and vast a City among millions of his most intire and desperate friends there should not be found the least tumult or motion or insurrection for to rescue him all men being under a divine restraint and awed by the dreadfulness of Gods justice in such an act what was that poor Army who were disperst up and down the City to the legions of enemies that were against them who might have destroied them in a moment and eat them up at one morsel I am loath to strain these things too far but only to name them to make us consider that they are not ordinary It was one of the great circumstances named in the childrens of Israels deliverances out of Egypt that not a dog did bark at them but doubtless never was such an act of such concerment done since that time in the world with less noise and silence then that which argues that something more then humane was at the doing of it and which may not be omitted God hath not suffered the least hair of the heads of any of the prime Instruments in that glorious piece of service to be touched by any Assassinate notwithstanding all the threatnings and bloudy malice that works strongly in dissolute and desperate spirits And if we have had but any eyes to view the consequences and issues of it we cannot say but that there is at least occasion of seriousness and ponderousness of spirit ere we have a thought amiss concerning the lawfulness and justness of it for as until that time we did but trifle and dally with the sword and were but off and on up and down more in hazards then hopes so from that day hath God blest us and without intermission or halt freely fought our battels and intirely engaged himself in England Ireland and Scotland and which is more hardly a drop of blood hath been spilt in England on that Quarrel ever since as if God should say the sacrifice is offered up the Achan is destroyed my wraâ—h is appeased all the blood you shed before was an aggravation of your sin while that person who was the Author of all and the common person and head to give life and motion to all the rest was untouched in such a dialect God seems to speak to open and attentive ears by all his actings since I leave these as considerations to employ second and more serene thoughts upon yet if any be of so tender Conscience in that particuler that they still scruple let them not judge others who are clearly satisfied they have their liberty of dissent yet let them know they are bound to present dutyes which if we had but a faculty of arguing how easie might we draw the necessity of cutting of the late King commune with your own thoughts was not he guilty of all the blood which hath been so prodigally spilt among us It must either ly on him or the Parliament if on the Parliament we condemn our selves for joyning with them and we are partakers of the same murther if it lay on the King what way had we to free this Nation of the guilt but letting him bear his own punishment all other acts of friendship would be but contracting of his guilt on us for as there be two ways of making a man guilty either by his own personal act or by complyance with another which is done by countenancing the malefactor as by coacting with him as he that keepes a murtherer in his house and gives him any counâ—enance is in law made equally guilty with him It would have been thus with our Parliament had they gone on in any other way then to preserve this nation but by revenging blood with blood for how ever publique wars may seeme to be an excuse and mitigation of guilt of killing of man yet it s the cause that gives the advantage of innocency and righteousnes in these acts the wrong cause make all the rest murtherers in Gods sight and he will prosecute them as murtherers especially the prime agents in such affairs yet all meanes was used to the utmost until we had almost lost our selves and the sence of our cause again let us seriously contemplate what good we could have of such a person after all his high and bloody actings against this Nation when he refused to grant the propositions of the Parliament so necessary for this Nation and only shewing a willingness to grant some of them and that