draw them vp into heauen after him Oh that we were wise to try our selues that we did not content our selues to be branches vnlesse we bring forth fruit seeing then the fruitlesse shal be cut off and yet the fruitfull shal be cut and lopped yea passe through the fire though it be not consumed thereof Doeth the hypocrite make a shewe his candle shall be put out Is he gone out from vs he was neuer with vs yet must be stil be with vs that he may purge out our coruption and be cast out from vs when his iniquitie is ripe and sinne being made out of measure sinfull becomes inexcusable and desperate Yea which is the wonderfull prouidence of God power of the word he cannot choose but be with vs. The sweetnesse of the Word allures and inticeth him hee is caught thereby to giue consent vnto the same to receiue it with ioy yea to doe many things galdly yea the power of the Word binds kings in chaines It makes Felex tremble and brings Ahab to his sack-cloth yet for all this Agrippa will be at the best but almost a Christian Knowledge puffes vs and so not accompanied with grace hardens the heart against grace What is this Carpenters sonne What is thy Beloued more then other beloueds Who is the Lord that I should let Israel goe that I should part with my sinne for a dreame or a report Doe any of the Rulers beleeue in him Are not Abanah and Pharphar Riuers of Damasco better then Iorden must I be taught by an earthen vessel See how Dauid is become as a foole that vncouereth himselfe in the eyes of carnall Micholl The Iew now seekes a signe and the Rich man despiseth Moses and the Prophets none will serue his turne but a messenger raised from the dead This base Micheah prophecieth no good vnto him hee will not giue him leaue to burie his father and therefore you must pardon him heare you happily he will for his credite and aduantage but the trueth is his heart is taken vp with his couetousnesse pleasure c. Hee hath bought a Farme or marryed a Wife hee hath knowledge enough hee must liue and hee may bee too holy hee may runne madde or seditious and therefore hee cannot come Or if yet hee come hee wanteth his wedding garment therfore the issue is he must receiue his sentence and comes onely to bee cast out Thus is the wisedome of GOD foolishnesse to the flesh and therefore the wisedom of the flesh is enmitie against GOD the more it heareth the more it is hardened and ripened thereby vnto the day of vengeance Onely the true Beleeuer becommeth a foole that hee may be wise his wisedom appeares in obeying the Word his wisedome shines in conuerting and confirming others It is his true wisedome to abide in the Church his abiding in the Church makes the Church eternall and the Church crownes his constancie with eternall glory in heauen Shall wee proceede yet further to the confirmation hereof Consider wee then the prouidence of our GOD in the gouernment of his Church how doth hee guide her by his counsell that hee may bring her vnto glory how doth hee aduance his power in her weaknesse how doth he perfect his power by her weakenesse Behold Iapheth shall dwell in the Tents of Shem hee shall dwel for euer and that in tents that are to be remoued And shal the Church endure for euer and yet dwell in moueable Tents Oh consider and wonder at the wisedome and power of God The Church in this life dwelleth in tents It is not tyed to any place least Gods power should not bee infinite and his mercies not free and euerlasting to his people nay it is not tyed to any time it is so permanent on earth that it is moueable to heauen because while it is in the body it is absent from the Lord and therefore it is moueable to the attaining of hit full desires euen for euer to be vnited vnto her head IESVS CHRIST for euer to enioy the fellowshippe of her GOD the fruit of her labours Why then doe wee flatter our selues in vaine with the continuall mercie of our GOD why doe wee boast of his glory and habitation among vs seeing wee driue him from vs by our vnthankefulnesse and cast his words behinde our backes Shal not the Kingdome of heauen be taken away from vs and giuen to a nation that will bring foorth better fruit Shall not the Lord giue vs vp to our owne councells and saciate vs with our owne wayes Let the man of God heare the rodde and who hath appointed it let him see the plague and hide himselfe let it comfort Ioseph that Egipt shall receiue him when Canaan casteth him out let it comfort Israel that when Egipt is renounced Canaan shall be ready for him Our God is the God of all the earth his Church is moueable that it may bee spread ouer the face of the earth This trauelling of his Church is for the gathering of the Saints when the Saints are gathered the Churches warre-fare hath an end When her warre-fare is ended her present glorie beginneth and now she hath an immoueable and durable house for to enioy for euer her constant and euerlasting glorie Shall we yet further wade into the consideration hereof that she may be fully satisfied with the reason of the same Behold then the Church of God in this life dwelleth in Tents she is not onely mooueable that shee may bee enlarged to perfection but she is also weake and subiect to infirmitie her best abiding here is a transitorie Tent a very fit yet fraile habitation euen a body of sinne and lumpe of corruption though finding some shelter and refuge thereby yet in great weakenesse and not exempted from stormes so exposed to weather as thereby greater stormes are preuented so subiect to infirmities that infirmities may be healed and corruption abolished a very earthen vessel fraile and contemptible that the glory might be of God and not of vs hauing a stubbe remaining in the flesh notwithstanding all earnest desire to be eased of it that Gods power might bee seene in weaknesse and his mercie perfited by infirmities that while we wrestle with these infirmities we may haue experience of the sufficiencie of his grace may sigh to be deliuered from this burden of corruption that we may be clothed with sufficiencie of glorie that out of the sense of our weakenesse wee may haue more compassion of our brethren and so labouring their conuersion may make sure and enlarge our Crowne and being daily couered with Christ his righteousnesse to couer her infirmities might haue free and dayly accesse with comfort vnto the Throne of grace to bee accepted in her seruice and supplyed in her wants being alwayes gracious in the eyes of her Husband and fitted by his grace to her full and finall Communion with him for euer in
vs wings as to auoyd vnnecessary and desperate extremities so to flie speedily in the execution of the will of God That by this willing minde we might not onely be comforted in respect of our outward failing seeing the Lord hath promised Not to quench the smoaking Flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but encouraged also and enabled to constancie and perseuerance that so continuing to the ende the Crowne may not be taken from vs. Thus by the marks of conuersion is the manner thereof confirmed vnto vs Thus by this manner thereof are we assured of the continuance of the same And is our Conuersion then a worke of grace and free compassion from the Lorde Is it accomplished by the word of peace and sweet promises of the Gospell applyed to the fainting soule by the Spirite of grace and Compassion Is it conueyed vnto vs by vessels of Infirmitie which might better haue compassion on vs and allure vs to mercie as being subiect to it and therefore hauing experience of our miserie Is it effected by melting the heart with the apprehension of the loue of God Is is perfited by enlarging the heart to the obedience of our God Well then may fire and fagot confound both bodie and soule well may Antichrist enlarge an earthly monarchy with sword and outward violence but the milde voyce of the Gospell must conuert the soule The meanes to fill Heauen must be the alluring of the spirit Oh why dispaire we to conuert though now miracles are ceased seeing by the power of the Word the secrets of the heart are made so manifest that God wil be acknowledged to be in vs that so we may conuert vnto God If they will not belieue Moses and the prophets neither will they belieue though one come from the dead and yet to coÌ„uert a sinner is more wonderfull theÌ„ to raise froÌ„ the death How vainely do they bragge of a Church that exclude the word of God how can we hope for the continuaÌ„ce of a Church where the sound therof doth not coÌ„tinne what hope is there of coÌ„uersion where doctrine is not deliuered by which the mind is perswaded what feare of further peruersion where lawes are not executed to coÌ„pell men to perswasion where deceiuers are permitted to poyson with corrupt perswasion Who so is wise let him consider this Let him see the plague and hide himselfe Let him trie his conuersion by the perswasion of his Iudgement that he is rooted in knowledge not wauering in opinion Let him examine his effectuall calling by the readinesse of his minde and cheerfulnes in obedience euen to all the will of God not a part thereof that constantly and continually not being weary of well-doing being more ready to doe well then for the present he is able and so enabled to well doing that at length he may attaine his desire as of perfect obedience which he shall attaine so of perfect happinesse the recompence of his labours full contentment of his vtmost desires And therfore let him pray for the continuance of the gospell to quickeÌ„ his desires Let him earnestly desire the confusion of Antichrist that sonne of darknes enemy to this glorious light Let him be wise to discerne betweene the chaffe the wheate to trie the Spirits and hold what is good Let him especially make much of the Annoynting and hearken to the voyce behinde him not grieuing the Spirit nor quenching the motions thereof that still there may be light in the Land of Goshen in the dayes of Famine hee may haue enough Exod 8. Iob 5. Comforting himselfe that seeing his conuersion is from Gods alluring of free loue and perswading by a power vnresistable not desired by him therefore being conuerted he shall surely hold when Heauen and earth shall passe though thousands fall daylie at his right hand and ten thousands at his left hand yet shall not this plague of Apostasie seaze on him who is kept by the mightie power of God vnto that great day that hee may be presented blamelesse vnto the Lorde Iesus And therefore not being discouraged for theyr going out from vs that were neuer truely of vs but rather enlarged with continuall praise vnto his God that leaues not him also to himselfe to fall away with this present euill worlde but still humbles his flesh to keepe life in his soule and counts him worthie to suffer with his Christ that so the life of Christ might daily appeare for his approching to glory Thus doth God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Thus is a Christian conuerted by perswasion And thus doth God giue him a Dowrie with his marriage Iapheth being perswaded is also enlaged The kingdome of heauen being bestowed interesses also the Faithfull in the possessions of the earth The true belieuer alone is the right owner of all Gods blessings He that first seekes the kingdom of heaueÌ„ shall haue these things also cast vpon him Matth 16. 33. So profitable is godlines aswell for this life as that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. 9. So Christ being ours who is Lord of all in heauen earth Math 28. all with him is ours both in heauen and earth 1. Cor. 3. Rom 8. So haue wee onely grace to vse those well and therefore are only fit for them So are those onely fit for vs as being sanctified by vs vnto vs. Oh how vaine then is theyr boasting and labour that toyle for these things without grace how fearfull is their account that possesse them without Christ What comfort haue we in the least seeing it is vnto vs as all what hope of that which shal be sufficieÌ„t for vs What wisedome ought wee to vse to make first sure of the best what conscience in approuing our right by our holy vsing of these things What Faith in a better right by renouncing Confidence in these by our williingnes vpon iust occasion to part with them either to the good of our brother though we cast our bread vppon the waters or to the glorie of God though wee euen cast our liues after them Shall not hee which thus leaueth House or lands haue recompence an hundred-folde shall not hee finde his life that thus is willing to loose it Oh how can we better shewe our free power ouer these things theÌ„ by keeping them short that they may haue no power ouer vs neither ouer our hearts by Couetousnes which is Idolatrie nor ouer our bodies by pinching and niggardlines nor ouer our Coâ—sâ—â—â—nce by making difference where God hath made all good nor ouer our libertie by abiectnes and scrupulositie Oh that we would learne to renew and increase our soueraigntie ouer the Creature by our daily subiection vnto God in acknowledgment of our unworthines of the least in crauing his blessing euen vpon the greatest As by the sense of our vnworthines renuing our right in Christ
and disavowing confidence in the greatest by submitting the blessing thereof vnto our God that so giuing God the glory of his mercies hee may enlarge himselfe vnto vs to the making of vs meete to be vessels of glorie And thus are the Saints Lords of the earth And thus is the Church of IESVS CHRIST spread farre and neere ouer the face thereof That not onely the God of them may be blessed by one Nation at Ierusalem but that Iapheth also may be enlarged and diffused to dwell in the Tents of Shem that the Gentiles being dispersed farre and neere might receiue the Gospel and also being Conuerted might Conuert their Brethrem euen all the Nations vpon the face of the earth GOD enlarge IAPHETH So then Iapheth must bee perswaded and enlarged aswell as Shem. The Gentiles must bee conuerted aswell as the Iewes And why Surely God hath so decreed it from all Eternitie and reuealeth the same by his eternall Word long before the accomplishment thereof Hee accomplisheth it in particulars as pledges of a more plentifull Haruest and he permitteth obstinacie to come vpon the Iew that the wilde Oliue might be engraffed So in the fulnesse of time was this harnest brought in in part by the Husbandmen of the Lord IESVS and in the fulnesse of time shall the fulnesse of the Gentiles be brought in that the remnant of the cast-away Israel may be reaped in with glory And are not the wayes of God most equall herein Shall not the winde blow where it pleaseth Hath God any respect of persons Is not God the Lord of all the earth Was not the blood of Christ auaileable to saue euen a thousand worlds Must not the Church to this end be a Traueller vpon the face of the earth shall not the sound of the Word goe to the ends of the world Must we not pray for all sorts because God will haue some among all sorts to be saued Is not this our little sister that hath no breasts yet shall giue sucke Is not this the barren that shall bring foorth and haue more children then the married wife Are not these the infinite number which none could reckon which should stand before the Throne and the Lambe with long white robes and Palmes in their hands Thus shall the Gentiles imbrace the Gospel 1. And is not the word of God Yea and Amen Is not Iapheth perswaded and the Kingdome of Christ enlarged among vs Hath it not a long time rested in the tabernacles of Iapheth 2. And was it remooued from the tents of Shem that so it bee planted in the inhabitants of Iapheth Oh then let let vs consider that Shem is to be replanted 3. Let vs desire the restoring and reclaiming of the first born 4. Let vs feare the casting off of the Little sister seeing the elder was cast off and is to be recalled 5. And let vs looke for the remoueall of the Gospel from one nation to another where it is not retained with conscience profit And if God will not forsake vs till wee forsake him take heede then we put not from vs the word of life And what if we be preparing a place in Virginea or Ireland to receiue the same 6. These must haue a calling and we a cooling for the time that we may be prouoked to zeale euen by foolish and forlorne nations and recouer our first loue by extending it to our brethren That as the falling of one Nation may bee the raising of another so this revniting of the Gospel may bring in the number of the Elect that so our war-fare being finished our glory may begin neuer to haue an end Thus shall Iapheth bee perswaded to dwell in the moueable tents of Shem that Shem and Iapheth may dwell for euer in full and constant happinesse But some will say what neede Iapheth to bee perswaded to dwell in the Tents of Shem who already was a member with Shem of the true Church as performing the duties of pietie to God and men Wee answere that the holy Ghost not onely entendeth the person of Iapheth as desiring his continuance particularly in the true worship of God but especially hath reference to Iapheths posteritie as foreseeing their declination from true Religion to Idolatrie which fell out not long after and therefore directing the Spirit of holy Noah not onely as a Father to desire the returne of his posteritie to the Church of Christ but especially as the mouth of God to pronounce their restitution in the ages to come Whence wee learne many notable Lessons As first that godly parents and beleeuers ought not onely to haue care for the present but also for the future estate of their posteritie the true Church of God that so it may abide in the Faith of IESVS CHRIST So do they imitate GOD who prouides for Eternitie so doe they approoue their Faith when they see a far off so do they testifie their loue which abides for euer 1. Cor. 13. So doe they manifest their hope in the full accomplishment of the Elect So do they further the propagation of the Church to her perfect consummation Communion in heauen To this end are they commanded to declare the will of GOD vnto their children To this end did they set vp Monuments of Gods speciall loue and memorials of his will and fauour not only to testifie their thankefulnesse for the present but to teach the Generations to come that the people which were to bee created should prayse the Lord. And if they were worse then Infidels that prouided not for the outward estate of their posteritie where is then their Faith that neglect the soules of their successors Oh what a curse then is Barrennesse and depriuation of posteritie How much greater a plague to make wicked our posteritie by preposterous worldly prouision and neglect of Spirituall Legacies How happy those parents that sendssuch wicked seed before thē But thirce vnhappy they that reioyce in their wickednesse prouoking them by euill example to imitation of euill and applauding euill imitation vnder pretence of ligitimation as if to differ from them in sinne were to bee degenerate and bastards How can they call GOD their Father that neglect to bee nursing fathers to his Church either caring for their owne as if the time to builde Gods house were not yet come and therefore they neglect the restoring of it or else lay it further desolate as eclipsing their glorie and confounding their pleasures Oh where shall such Iulians appeare that seeke to repaire Babylon againe and deriding the poore members of CHRIST that they must suffer affliction doe therefore adde affliction to affliction and cry downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Surely though Abraham know vs not and Israel hath forgotten vs yet the Keeper of Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe He is our Father and will haue compassion on vs and
bridegroome Iesus Christ And shall not this little flock haue a certaine euidence thereof euen in her condition in this life May she not assuredly perswade her heart that the Lorde will make good his word as aduancing his free loue giuing him the glorie of all his mercies 1. And doth not the Lord reserue the glory intirely to himselfe when hee brings light out of darknes and shewes his power in weaknes working by none or most vnlikely meanes Consider wee I pray you to this purpose the Condition of the Church of Christ militant heere on earth yet further shadowed out vnto vs in these Tents of Shem. What great outward beautie was there here when the house of God was in Tents what pompe and visibilitie in this simplicitie and meeknes Behold then another marke and cognisance of the true Church of God in this life The glorie that she hath is especially within Her beautie is that which God hath imparted vnto her Shee is faire by my beautie which I haue put on her Spirituall beautie frō an inuisible God As for her shewe in the world she is blacke and contemptible 1. euen as her head Christ Iesus that had no forme nor beautie in him and other she cannot be so long as she is a Stranger a Souldier in this worlde She must needes haue blowes and falls too How can shee choose but be soyled being to trauell in such slippery myrie places 1. And is it not good she should be thus blacke to preuent spiriruall pride Doth not this manifest the carnall desposition of the wicked who stumble at this outward basenesse Are not the Saints hereby purged of corruption and so prepared to glorie Is not the Lord glorified in accepting such blacknes doth not his free mercie triumph in sauing such deformitie Is not Christs sacrifice auaileable to heale such infirmitie Can a true member be discerned by sence Is not our greatest part in Heauen 1. How deceitfull then is that Church which is alwayes glorious and visible How doth the pompe and brauerie of the strumpet deforme defile the chaste spouse of Iesus Christ Is not the word of God truely glorious in the spirite doth not the outside kill Is it not the spirite that quickeneth doth not the Authoritie of man abase and annihilate the power thereof Are not the Prophets iustly vile before the people because they are partiall in the law adulterating the same by the intentions of men obscuring deprauing the simplicitie and inward beautie of the gospell by theyr outward vernish and carnall pollishing And shall not Dagon fall before the Ark of the Lord Is it not enough that the foūdation of God stands sure the Lord knoweth who are his Though wee bee as Wonders yea as the Off-scowring in the reputation of the world Are wee lesse dearer vnto God then the apple of his eye Are wee not all faire in his sight and no spotte to bee found in vs Is not the Church euen then the glorie of God when shee is most inglorious in the world Is it not because wee are accepted with God that wee are despised of men And are wee not despised of men that so wee may hate the worlde and cleaue more firmely to our God that so wee might be more and more cleansed to bee made fitte for our glorious God Doth not our inglorious estate in this life prepare vs to the glorie of the life to come Let it therfore content vs that we are knowne vnto our God and let it be our comfort that our life is hid with Christ in God that so when Christ which is our life shall appeare wee may also appeare with him in glorie Let them begge Honour of the people that are cast out of Gods fauour And let such build vp resting places and mansiōs in the earth that are runnagates from God castawayes from his fauour hauing no hope nor right in the heauēly māsions If God cast these things vppon vs wee haue a right in them and so haue grace to vse them The Church obtains honor in Aegipt Babilon euen in the lād of her captiuity she prospers is renowned Only let vs not ambitiously seeke this worldly greatnes It must not be so with vs. The seruant is not aboue his master and the Master though Lord of all yet was seruant vnto all that so wee might learne of him to bee humble and meeke that wee might learne to be abased as well as to abound that we might become all vnto all to win some vnto CHRSIT IESVS Let vs not therefore much lesse stand peremptorily vpon this outward pompe as if the Church were but in her infancie when she was in her natiue puritie and simplicitie but the more outward glory she hath gained the more she growes to perfection and therfore as the times are cannot be without worldly dignitie All things are lawfull but all things to all sorts not expedient Greatnesse breeds enuie not loue vsually and how shall wee winne them if they doe not loue vs Fulnesse breeds securitie and securitie idlenesse how then shall we plucke them out of the fire if wee will take no paines How shall wee giue vp our account with ioy if we bury our talent in a napkin How shall we make our Ministerie fully knowne without suffering afflictions The Lord giue the Church more and more fauour with Princes that as it hath begun so it may increase euen in outward peace and prosperitie and a florishing estate which may serue as a good meanes for the propagation of the Gospel that Iapheth may dwell for euer with Shem in his fathers house Thus though Iapheth dwell herein tents meanely and obscure yet shall both Shem and Iapheth shine gloriously for euer in most durable mansions euen in the Kingdome of heauen which shal not fade nor be diminished Shall we consider yet further the ground thereof Must not Iapheth dwell in the tents of Shem the first borne of his father the sonne of the inheritance the stocke of the promised seede And are any then of the true Church of CHRIST but they alone that haue the priuiledge of the first borne who are of the election of God for whom the father hath ordained a kingdom And will the Sonne loose any that the Father hath committed vnto him Did he die for any but for his Church who is the Sauiour of his body which is his Church Is he the Sauiour of any especially but those that doe beleeue 1. Tim. 4. 8. And doe any beleeue but those that are ordained to euerlasting life Acts 13. Behold here the true members of the Church of Iesus Christ euen they alone whose hearts are purified by Faith onely such are they that are dead vnto the world and know no man after the flesh that haue their conuersion in heauen whose names are written in heauen whose head CHRIST IESVS is ascended to
for the present that so many combats so many conquests so many conquests so many crownes to establish vs for the time to come Oh what a comfort is here vnto the Saints of GOD that though they haue pitched their Tents yet still they dwell in Tents the place of their war-fare is the place of their safetie The Church exposeth to the combate and prouideth means for the conquest being their retyring place in their falles resting place for their refreshing Their Armorie to serue them with weapons and their forge also to whet and sharpen them to the battell Shee that presseth them to the warre-fare teacheth their hands to fight and bindeth vp their wounds and giueth rest vnto their soules The Church is the safegard and shelter of the Elect. No saluation without it though no carnall rest within no true happinesse but from it though to bee of it is of all men if our hope were onely in this life most wretched and miserable Here is no rest to corruption that incorruption may bee obtained Heere is all peace in CHRST IESVS though in the world wee must looke for nothing but afflictions from the world yet the Church is in the world and therefore shall haue Kings and Queenes to bee her Nursing Fathers and Foster Mothers that the Elect may be gathered and the reprobate conuinced Heere shee sleepes with her beloued and findes his yoke easie here shee is refreshed with his Flaggons and rauished with his perfumes heere shee delights in his presence and is Loue-sicke with his beauty What shall I say the Church is Gods House yea the gate of Heauen and can there bee greater safetie where GOD is the Owner Can there be happier securitie where heauen is the purchase The Church is Christs spouse his beloued his vndefiled And can there be danger where sinne is not imputed Is there any lacke or losse in Loue shall not all the worlde be forsaken to cleaue to the wife of our bosome to giue her rest and contentment to delight in her beautie to giue her honour as the weaker vessell to prouide aboundantly for her to spread the wing of the garment ouer her for protection to dwell for euer with her to reioyce in her loue continually Is not the Church the Lordes portion and inheritance giuen by God the Father to his sonne Iesus Christ by him to be preserued vnto perfection and glory Psal 2. Ioh 17. Is it not the bed of Salomon wherein the Christian soule takes his sweete and sure repose as being garded with the Lord worthies his blessed Angells to put off all daungers and preuent disquietnes 3. Cant 7. Psal 34. Is it not the mountaine of the Lorde euen as Mount Syon the place of his Holines that shall neuer be remoued Psal 125 1. 2. Is it not the pillar of truth 1. Tim 3. 57. contenting and establishing it followers therein Psal 2. 6. 3. 5. Is it not as a cup of poyson and as coales of fire to confound and deuoure all the enemies thereof Zach 12. Is it not as an heape of stones to breake in pieces whomsoeuer shall oppose thereto 1. Pet 3. Is it not the Arke to preserue the true belieuer in amidst all the Tempests and ouerslowings of sinne and sorrowes Is it not the Market-place that affords the childrens food euen milke for babes and strong meate for men Hebr 5◠Is it not the priuie Chamber of Iesus Christ wherein he communicates that ioy vnto his Elect that the world hnowes not of which is vnspeakable and glorious passing all vnderstanding Cantic 1. 3. 1. Pet 1. 8. Is the Church otherwise blacke but that shee is also comely and acceptable in the eyes of our Sauiour Doth shee remaine in the Tents of Kedar any otherwise but that still there is light all safety in the land of Goshen though all Aegipt be filled and consumed with the Arrows of Gods vengance Is not Peter a sleep sweetly euen in the prison laden with bolts Act 12. Do not the Apostles reioyce in Tribulation Doe they not gaine and thriue in theyr greatest troubles Act 5. Doe they not liue though they die daily Possesse they not all things though they haue nothing in comparison Doe not the weake gaine by theyr sufferings to speake more boldly Are not the wicked confounded by their meruellous protections and deliuerances Is not Heauen sealed vp vnto them by theyr Heauenly and gracious conuersation by theyr mighty preseruation in and out of all ther troubles And is not the Church the bodie of Christ Is not hee our head and wee his members And did euer any hate his owne flesh Will not Christ preserue and cherish this mysticall bodie that to redeeme and purge the same spared not his naturall bodie but gaue it euen to the death euen the cursed death of the Crosse that hee might sanctifie and wash vs to present vs as a pure Virgine vnto himselfe to make vs glorious perfect without spot or wrinkle 1. Why are wee then fearfull Oh wee of little Faith why awake wee this beloued with our contentions and outcryes seeing our Husband hath deeepely charged his beloued should not be awaked Why seeke we not our peace in the peace of Syon why hasten wee not the confusion of Antichrist why doe wee not labour the peace of Iesusalem and well-fare of Syon Why dream we of carnall peace seeing our beauty is within why plot we for the flesh which is an enemie to our peace whose peace is perdition contentmēt confusion Shuld we not ioyn together against the common enemie Oh let our vnitie bee in the spirit to maintaine the true bond of peace Surely if wee could pray vnfainedly for the peace of Ierusalem and take these little Foxes that destroy the vineyards If we shall cast out those whippes of scorpions that haue made the breach giue way vnto the power of the word which is the onely procurer of this peace Setting vp the Lord and his ordinance onely to raigne ouer vs and subiecting and compelling man by holy discipline to the obedience therof maintaining continuall warre against sinne corruption and making glad the hart that God hath cōforted If wee would ease the Church of all vnnecessary eye-soares and pray for such Nursing-fathers as God hath raised vp for the maintenance of it peace If the messengers of this peace be had in due estimation for theyr workes sake And the friends of the Church be nourished aduāced This is the way to procure peace to the Church thus shall the prosperitie of Sion be maintained And then if we we liue by faith we shall delight in these Tents howsoeuer moueable fraile to a carnall eye It shall be our comfort that Gods power shal be seene in weaknes his wisdome in humane infirmitie that God may haue the glorie and we further informed so to rest in these Tents as still to