Author thereof John White The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts ESAY 47. 4. The Lord of Hosts is his Name IN this Chapter wee have Gods mercie to his Church threatning the destruction of Babylon When Babylon is used as Gods rod it is then cast into the fire If Israel when God was about to deliver from Babylonish Captivity should aske the Question that Moses thought would be asked upon his sending to be their Deliverer from the Egyptian bondage What is his Name Exod. 13. 3. The Prophet answers here The Lord of Hosts is his Name There his Name was I am Here it is The Lord of Hosts And if they should say But how can this deliverance be here Can Babylon bee destroyed Babylon is strong who shall bring downe her power Yes there is one can doe it The Lord our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his Name Here then we have this glorious title of the Lord for the comfort of his people in their distresse and the terrour of their enemies in their pride The Lord of Hosts The Lord of Armies The English word Hosts is from the Latine Hostis because an Army is either for defence or offence against enemies The Redeemer of Gods people is the Lord of Hosts The work then I have to do in this Sermon is to teach you how to sanctifie the Name of the Lord in this his glorious title The Lord of Hosts It is the duty of the Saints to observe what the way of God is in the times of their generation To see what name of God is most conspicuous in his administration accordingly to sanctifie that Name of his We may say of this Name of God The Lord of Hosts as God himselfe sayes of his Name Jehovah Exod. 6. 3. By my Name Jehovah was I not known to them So by this name The Lord of Hosts God hath scarce been known to us here in England but now he appears to us by this name in a glorious way And we shall not know how to sanctifie it except wee search into it to see how much of Gods glory there is in it which we shall find much more then at first view seems to be then most of us have ever thought All Gods titles are full of excellencie The excellencie of this I shall open unto you that this Name of God may not be taken in vain by you but be sanctified as it is worthy It is a title that God hath heretofore delighted much yea gloryed much in we find it not lesse then two hundred times in the Old Testament and most frequently in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 1. ver 3. we have it three times in one verse and in one short Chapter Zech. 8. we have it there eighteene times But why is it used so frequently in that Prophecie more then others Because the scope of that Prophecie was to encourage the people of God in building up Ierusalem and the Temple in which work they had many enemies and therefore they had need of a spirit of magnanimity and fortitude in it Hence it was the Lord revealed himselfe to them so much by the name of The Lord of Hosts Times of Reformation Temple-work usually meets with much with strong opposition We had need therefore to have this name of God in our eye and sanctifie it in our hearts in such times while such work is on foot It is true God did this work without bloud-shed it was done not by power or by might but by the Spirit of the Lord as we have it Zech. 4. 6. but because the work was such as in regard of second causes needed an Army to effect it although God did it himselfe yet his Name was to be sanctified in it as the Lord of Hosts In the New Testament we seldome find this title it is but twice that I remember in all the New Testament and in one of those two places it is quoted out of the Old Testament Rom. 9. 29. There the Hebrew word is retained The Lord of Sabbaoth not of Sabbath as many take it There is a great difference between these two The Lord of Sabbath and The Lord of Sabbaoth The one is the Lord of rest the other is the Lord of Hosts those words come from a different root in the Hebrew The second place is James 5. 4. and there you have not the English word Hosts but the Hebrew word Sabbaoth likewise In the New Testament we have Gods Titles fuller of sweetnesse and grace as The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The God of all consolation The Father of mercies The God of peace c. The more cause have we to be humbled who live in the times of the Gospel and yet are come to such times wherein God hath changed as it were his name and even in the times of the Gospel appears to us in this dreadfull name of his The Lord of Hosts This Title is in it selfe a very fearfull one and yet before we have done with it we shall find it like that name of Christ Cant. 1. 3. Thy name is as an ointment poured forth a sweet refreshing pleasant ointment In the 2. of Sam. Chap. 6. ver 2. the Lord speaks of this name of his set between the Cherubims Whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubims Now you know the Mercy-seat was between the Cherubims and that which I shall endeavour this day is To shew you this name of the Lord of Hosts written upon the mercy-seat between the Cherubims Although it be dreadfull in it selfe yet all Gods Saints shall have it this day presented to them from the mercie-seat A name as full of goodnesse and mercy as our hearts can desire We have already seen in this Kingdom the Lord of Hosts upon his Mercy-seat making this his dreadfull title to be amiable and lovely to us from thence dispensing grace and abundance of mercy in the manifestation of this his glorious title It is comfortable to behold the Lord of Hosts sitting upon his Mercy-seat and thus am I to present him this day unto you Now God is called The Lord of Hosts in two respects First because all creatures in heaven and in earth are his armies He is the absolute great Lord over them all The Angels Sunne Moon Stars the Dragons the Deeps the Fire Haile Snow Wind the Mountains Trees Cedars the Beasts and all creeping things the flying Fowles the Kings of the earth and all people are the Hosts of the Lord. Psal 148. ver 2. c. Secondly in regard of that speciall providence of God in the great affaires of wars and battels in the world It is true the providence of God is over the least things in the world but God challengeth a more speciall and peculiar ackowledgment of his work of Providence about War-like affaires in regard whereof he takes this title to himselfe The Lord of Hosts If I should
earth With what infinite indignation must God needs look upon such vile wormes who dare resist such a glorious Majesty as he is God can but speak to any humour of thy body and it shall make thee lye roaring out in anguish and grievous torture thy life shall be more bitter then death unto thee This God may give commission to the next crumbe of bread and it shall choak thee and send thee down to hell God himselfe is against thee he walks contrary to thee in all his Attributes The swords point of his infinite Justice is at thine heart All the creatures of God stand ready armed against thee and would fly upon thee if God did but give out the word The Angels stand prepared Lord shall but one of us goe and cut off that wretch who dares presume to blaspheme thy name to lift up himselfe against thee As Abishai said to David 2 Sam. 16. 9. Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the King let me goe and take off his head The Ayre cryes Lord shall I conveigh infection into his body and poyson him The Water Shall I stop his breath The Fire shall I seize on him and burne him The earth Shall I open and swallow him up The beasts of the field Shall we run upon him and tear him Thy meat thy drink Shall we choak him or be bane to him Thou art in the midst of Gods Hosts compassed about on every side 1 Chron. 13. 14. When Judah looked back behold the battel was before and behind and they cryed unto the Lord. Look about thee oh distressed soule and see the Hosts of the Lord before thee and behind thee and cry to the Lord. Certainly there is no creature neere thee but thou hast cause to looke upon it with a shaking heart thou knowest not but that it may be thy ruine sent of God to cut thee off that thou mightest go to thine owne place Certainly it cannot be but ere long some creature or other will break in upon thee and be an executioner of Gods wrath upon thee if not prevented by thy repentance When God awakens a guilty conscience every creature is terrible to it the wrath of God is seene in the face of every creature Cain cryes out Every one that meets me will kill me Why Who was there in the world then to kill him not many besides his father and mother and yet every one will kill him especially if it be some extraordinary work of God in the heavens or seas or elsewhere as in extreame thunder stormes and tempests or the like how terrible is that to such a conscience as to Caligula and others The Prophet Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant to see Gods Hosts about him to deliver him from feare my prayer is that God would open thine eyes that thou mayst see Gods Hosts about thee that thou mayst feare if thy eyes were open it would be with thee as it was with those who came there against Elisha when their eyes were opened they saw themselves in the midst of Samaria in the midst of their enemies Certainly so long as God is thine enemy all creatures in heaven earth are thine enemies Wherefore consider how unable thou art to stand out against this glorious God lay down thy weapons of enmity cry out bitterly of thy desperate folly make it thy great work above all things in the world to make up thy peace with him God yet offers mercy to thee as Alexander did those he warred against while the Lamp burned If they staid untill it was out there was nothing but bloud expected The Lamp of thy life is stil burning come in that thy soule may live There is no standing out against this God he will have glory from thee in spight of thy heart FINIS A briefe Answer to Doctor Fernes Booke tending to resolve Conscience about the Subjects taking up of Arms. By JER BURROUGHES THere came to my hand a Book of D. Fern tending to resolve Conscience in the case of the Subjects taking up Armes I find it carryed on without giving any ill termes but in saw expressions sutable to a Treatise that concernes Conscience and the more likely to prevail with it Onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth I shall very briefly yet faithfully give you the strength of it Where he speakes right I will acknowledge it and where he mistakes I will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise I confesse he hath great advantage in the subject because it is for the King 1. Because it is safer to plead for the King though a man mistakes but if there be a mistake in lessening the Kings right a man endangers his utter undoing 2. Truth about this argument hath alwayes been tenderly handled those who have pleaded for the King have with courage vented themselves to the utmost but others have been forced to be silent or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out lest they presently meet with not arguments but things of another nature to answer them In which regard the power of Kings hath been raised to the height and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them as they have heard confidently affirmed practised and seen in Books and feeled by many taxations and censures but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke not daring to appeare Therefore well might the D. call what now people begin to heare and enquire after a new doctrine it is an old truth but newly discovering it self The name of King hath taken such impression in the hearts of people that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power or maintaining our right against it What there is in the Epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience will be answered in what follows Preamble to SECT I. SO many good people that are come to a sense of Religion and godlinesse are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the Parliament c. to be infallibly true and just It seems those who have not a sense of Religion do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the Parliament This is most certaine who are hardest to beleeve what the Parliament sayes but Papists and notorious blasphemers and prophane livers I condemne not all but compare the generality of the one side and of the other you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one from the lives of the other Yea so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane or loose at least or zealous for ceremonies he was accounted a Puritan so now a Round-head that is in their ordinary interpretation one for the Parliament If it be said This is because Religion is pretended on the Parliaments side So it is on the other with as loud a cry
that God hath chosen such wisps and clots to scoure us with Secondly God suffers this because his people are not humbled throughly The want of through humiliation before God cost the lives of forty thousand men Iudges 20. although in that battel they had a good cause A good cause is not enough for safety in time of battel there must be humiliation before this great God Thirdly the adversary may prevaile because the Saints doe not awaken the Lord of Hosts by Prayer Psal 59. 9. Thou therefore O Lord God of Hosts the God of Israel awake to visit all the heathen be not mercifull to wicked transgressors Esay 51. 9. Awake awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes as in the generations of old Art not thou he that hast cut Rahab and wounded the dragon We have here in one verse three times crying to God to awake God hath strength enough to help his people There is an Arme of the Lord but yet this Arme of the Lord may be for a time as it were asleep therefore the Church cryes Awake O Arme of the Lord And that shee may be sure the Lord should heare she cries again and again Awake awake O arme of the Lord put on strength We are now to look back to former times to see how God hath manifested himself The Lord of Hosts and to cry to him that now in our dayes hee would shew forth the glory of this glorious title of his as he hath done in the generations of old Lastly God hath many secret passages of his providence to be brought about which in after times we come to see clearely but for a time are hidden and therefore the adversary is suffered to prevaile The 46. Psalme speakes much about the fury of the adversary and of this Title of the Lord and the Title of that Psalme is A song upon Alamoth which word signifies secrets because of the hidden counsailes of God in wars Thus you have had the doctrinall part of one branch of this glorious title of the Lord presented to you The application neerely concernes us in these times First it beseemes then those who are in Armies to be godly because their great Generall is The Lord of Hosts and this Lord of Hosts is likewise The holy one of Israel Even in this verse holinesse is joyned to his warlike greatnesse And Exod. 15. he is magnified as a man of war overthrowing the enemy and ver 11. hee is said to bee glorious in holinesse and Esay 6. 3. where the Cherubims and Seraphims are magnifying his glory they cry out Holy holy holy Lord of Hosts It is very observable that Gods holinesse is joyned with this title of his The Lord of Hosts surely then holinesse and valour in us are not onely consistent one with another but subservient one to another It it is an abominable maxime of Machiavil that Religion makes men cowards the most valorous souldiers in the world have beene the most eminent in Religion Souldiers use to endeavour to be like their Generall in any thing yea in their naevis Alexanders Souldiers accounted it a gracefull posture to hold their heads aside because Alexander their Generall did so surely then to be like the Lord of Hosts in that which is his excellencie and glory must needs put a lustre upon those who are his souldiers Plutarch reports of a Theban Band of souldiers which they called the Holy band in which there was more considence put then in any because they prospered above others The Lord of Hosts who is holy will delight to be amongst them that are godly to blesse them in their way Deut. 23. 9. When the Host goeth forth against the enemy then keep thee from every wicked thing yea they must keep from outward bodily uncleannesse they must carry a paddle with them to cover it ver 14. the reason is there given For the Lord thy God walketh in the middest of thy Campe therefore shall thy Campe be holy that he see no uncleane thing in thee and turne away from thee It is true God lookes more at the cause then at the instrument yet he rejoyceth most to use instruments that are fitted to give him the praise of his worke One day the Lord will convince the world that the strength of Nations and Kingdomes consist in the interest that the godly have in this Lord of Hosts Zach. 12. 5. And the Governours of Judah shall say in their hearts Our strength is in the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Lord of Hosts their God Oh that this prophesie were fulfilled it begins to be more now then ever in our dayes or our forefathers Even those who have beene accounted hypocrites factious heretofore yet now even the Governours of Judah begin to see their strength is in them Who hath the burden of the great worke in this State layne upon but the Religious party hath it not beene published in your City by chiefe men in the Army that the great things in the Army were done by those that are called Round-heads We hope our Governours will every day be more and more convinced that their strength is in these Revel 17. 14. Hee is the Lord of Hosts the King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull and therefore it is said the Lamb shall overcome They are not such as are called faithfull but such as are called and faithfull There was one in our Army whose name was Faithfull that turned head against us but these that are with the Lamb are called and faithfull It is a blessed thing for a Kingdome when their Army may be said to be as it was said of that Army Luke 2. 13. a heavenly Host This great Lord of Hosts who is the God of Heaven will certainly doe great things by such an Host Secondly If God be the Lord of Hosts if this be one of Gods glorious titles then the worke of a souldier is an honourable imployment As the estate of marriage is much honoured in that Christ is pleased to expresse the great mystery of the Gospel the blessed union betweene him and his Church by it which is a great engagement to those in such a condition that they walke so as their lives may put in minde of the excellencie of Christs Communion with his Church So the calling of a Souldier is much honoured in this that God himselfe will set forth his glory by this title The Lord of Hosts or The Lord of Armies Psalm 24. 10. The Lord of Hosts is the King of glory surely some beame of this glory must needes shine upon souldiers that serve under him The Romans honoured a Souldier much The Latine expresses a souldier and a Knight by the same word Miles The serving under this or that Captaine they expressed by this phrase Mereri sub hoc vel illo duce Hence miles emeritus for an old souldier that was to take his ease In any
anoint Hazael and Jehu and Elisha As if hee should say I have Armies in the field he that escapes the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay he that escapes the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay How should Elisha slay but by his prayers they will reach and cut down a great way off That Scripture is very observable Psal 76. 2 3. In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion there brake he the arrows of the how the shield and the sword and the battel Where brake he them there in Salem in Sion where his Tabernacle was in the congregation of Saints praying there the arrow of the bow the shield and the speare is broken It is reported of the King of Sweden that as soone as he set foot in Germany he fell down to prayer to this Lord of Hosts and what great things did he in a little time In this Gods servants have the advantage of their adversaries they can pray to the Lord of Hosts the other cannot They can blaspheme but pray they cannot In this they have alwayes the advantage of the hill and the winde of their enemies and this is a great encouragement in battaile It puts heart mightily into Souldiers that know any thing of God to thinke that they go forth with the blessing of prayers with them and that they have prayers continually sent up to heaven for them At that great fight neere Banbury October 23. when many ranaway those that were left fell on with courage and gave a mighty shout Now for the fruit of prayer Now for the fruit of prayer and so their spirits were raised to more then an ordinary height and they prevailed mightily slaying neer ten to one Wherefore then let us be encouraged to pray let us strive with God in Prayer while our brethren are striving with the enemie in battel They venture their lives for us and endure great hardship shall not wee pray Yea let us put on now with more earnestnesse not content our selves in our ordinary way Great workings there are of God in the world great things depend upon the successe of these wars He is an unworthy member of Church or Common-wealth who hath not an heart to pray now Now we have need of praying Christians indeed Every foole can sin and provoke Gods wrath but men and women of choice spirits onely can pray such as have interest in this Lord of Hosts It is observable in Solomons Prayer 1 King 8. three or foure times he prays against enemies and yet he was in peace his time was a time of peace If then much more now when vve have such raging enemies in our own bowels And as we must pray so we must trust we must relye upon this Lord of hosts in all our War-like undertakings Psal 20. 7. Some trust in horses some in Chariots but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God He is our strength our fortitude our shield our buckler Cursed be the man that makes flesh his arme Our adversaries come out to us with Sword and Canon but though means are to be used yet let us goe forth against them in the name of the Lord of Hosts 1 Chron. 5. 18. We reade of the sonnes of Reuben the Gadites halfe tribe of Manasses that they were valiant men skilfull in War and that there went out of them forty foure thousand seven hundred and sixty here a compleat Army of skilfull Warriors yet they rusted not to their strength or skill but ver 20. They cryed unto the Lord and he was intreated of them because they trusted in him There must be depending upon God added to crying unto God wee must so cry to God as to make account here is good to be done here is our strength and helpe when all is done It was a notable speech that Josephus reports Herod made to his Souldiers it came from the mouth of a Herod but it well beseeme the mouth of the most godly Christian Captain Some may say sayes he our cause is just but we are few and weak where truth and justice is there is God and where God is there wants neither multitude nor fortitude It was an observation of Origen that others since have observed that God in all the victories he gave his people to possesse them of Canaan he never used the help of horses The adversary had horses and chariots both the Egyptian and the Canaanites but Gods people had none Wel if our enemies should exceed in horses which yet we hope they shall not but of that they boast yet let us look higher we may have Canaan though we should want horses After all our endeavours then must all be referred to this Lord of Hosts It was a most brave expression of a valiant Commander of Joab 2 Sam. 10. 12. Be of good courage let us play the men for our people for the Cityes of our God and the Lord do what seemeth him good From this glorious name of God we learne how infinitely fit it is that those who have a speciall interest in this God who have him to be their God their Father that they should have spirits full of courage and fortitude such a spirit as beseems the servants much more children of such a God whose they are whom they serve God loves to see the impression of his spirit upon these who are his He is a God of wisdom he loves to see the shine of his wisdom upon the spirits of his Saints he is an infinite holy God he delights to see the lustre of his Holinesse glorious upon them He is the Lord of Hosts he loves to see a spirit of valour a spirit of magnanimity in them What Captain what Souldier of renown but delights to see his children and alliance those who challenge any interest in him to be valiant It is reported of Manlius Torquatus his son that having by a spirit of valour overthrown the enemies of the Romans and killed with his own hands a man of note in single combat being full of joy hee seeks out his father who was the General of the Army bearing in his hands the spoiles of his enemies and saying aloud Father behold the cause why I may be esteemed your son If we have a spirit of courage sutable to our Father we may with more comfort and better acceptance come to this Lord of Hosts to be acknowledged for his children but otherwise we shall be a dishonour to him We read of Alexander the Great who having a Souldier in his Army of his name that was a coward he comes to him bad him either change his name or be valiant If Alexander thought it a dishonour to him to have one of his name to be a coward he would have thought the dishonour much more if he had had one of his blood his own childe a coward What an unworthy thing were it for the son of such a brave warrior as the K. of Sweden was to be of a
becomes of them as if there were no such men and women of resolution like them but in Gods cause they have no such spirit they are far enough from resolutenesse and courage there they are not valiant for the truth as Jer. speaks Chap. 9. 3. But it is our wisdome if we have any metall in us any spirit of courage not to lavish it out in mean and unworthy things in our own causes but to reserve it for God God may call us to such things as we may find need of all the metal and courage we have in our hearts though it were much more then it is When soldiers have but a little powder and feare an enemie they will not spend that they have vainly but keep it till they have use of it they know not what they may need Be not you so presently on fire if you be crossed keep the activity the vigour of your spirits for God for the maintenance of his truth and cause Lastly hee had rather dye honourable then live basely Viri fortis est aut pulchrè vivere aut fortiter mori It is the part of a valiant man either to live honourably or to dye valiantly It was a speech of Cyrus and it was a true one One of the two he will have the world cannot hinder him And as things are now if we venture our estates and lives to preserve Religion Liberties to our selves and our posterity God may and we hope he will give us our lives Religion and Liberties and so we may enjoy them with comfort and honour Of if our estates and lives should be lost suppose the worst they wil be lost honourably The losse of them wil be better then that enjoyment we shall have of them if I may at all call it an enjoyment that wee are like to have of them if nothing now be ventured What will our estates or lives be worth if our Religion be gone faithful Ministers be gone the Saints be fled imprisoned or massacred When our Liberties are gone our Lives then wil hardly be worth the account of the lives of Men much lesse of Christians He must needs be very greedy of a life that desires it upon such terms Wee reade of Anchises Aeneas his father when Aeneas would have saved his life in such a way as he judged not to be honourable he makes this answer to him Absit ut excisa possim supervivere Troja God forbid that I should out-live Troy If it be spoiled what is my life worth Wil our lives be worth the taking up in the streets if we out-live our Religion and Liberties Put all these together and here is a spirit indeed beseeming our relation to this Lord of Hosts Had wee such spirits how comfortably may we passe this our pilgrimage we might goe through all difficulties and oppositions conquering and to conquer The world and devil would have little heart to meddle with us we should free our selves from many temptations we should honour our profession we should do God abundance of service at last have an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ An Army of such soldiers would be the most glorioos sight in the world We reade of the Suns standing stil once and it was to behold the prowesse of Joshua that brave soldier and to enlighten his conquests If ever it stand stil againe it is like it wil be to admire such a glorious sight Let the cosideration of the glory of our God in this his Name teach us to give glory to him for all the good we enjoy by Armies it is all from him He hath of late been exceeding gracious to our Army he shewed himselfe indeed The Lord of Hosts in that batel at Keynton This was the acknowledgment both of General Captains and Souldiers Never lesse of man in such a businesse never more of God The Lord was seen in the Mount He shewed us that it should not be by a multitude that hee would helpe us it was by his spirit comming mightily upon a handful that were left in comparison of the adversaries When the adversary thought yea cryed out the day was theirs God turned it suddenly by a mighty hand O how free is the grace of the Lord to us in this That Scripture Jer. 51. 5. is fully made good to us Israel hath not been forsaken nor Judah of his God of the Lord of Hosts though their land was filled with sin against the Holy one of Israel The fulnesse of sin in us hath not abated the fulnesse of grace in God towards us The Lord is God the Lord is God he is the Lord of Hosts holy and reverent is his Nause There have been times wherein the Lord hath dealt in another manner even with his own people that I may set forth unto you the fulnesse and freenesse of Gods goodnesse to us in our preservation from being delivered up to the rage of vile men I will shew you what the severity of God in this kinde hath been towards his own people who were as worthy of mercy as we We must not think that every particular is to be applyable to us onely in the generall thus far the consideration of the grievous afflictions of the Church formerly sets out Gods goodnes to us in preventing such evils amongst us So that it cannot be said it is with us as it was with them Not long after God had delivered his people out of their Captivity therein fulfilling many gracious promises to them and they being returned built the Temple and the wals of Jerusalem there was a glorious reformation the work of the Lord went on prosperously through many and great difficulties Yet after a little time when Antiochus rose up against them God suffered him to prevaile exceedingly in all his Warlike affaires against them Dan. 8. 9. There came a little horn which waxed exceeding great not onely towards the South and towards the East but towards the pleasant Land that is towards the Land of Judea for indeede it was a pleasant Land The word signifies Decus gloria ornamentum towards the glory and ornament of the whole world So was that Countrey especially in regard the worship of God had beene newly set up againe in that Countrey Yet Antiochus comes against it and waxeth great for a while although at first he was but a little horne for he was a younger brother and had beene a prisoner not long before in Rome but now having got liberty and some command he rageth especially against the people of God ver 10. He waxed great even to the Host of heaven Here the Church is called The Host of heaven howsoever despised by the world yet this Lord of Hosts accounts his Church The Host of heaven and yet Antiochus waxeth great against this We have many through Gods mercy in our Host godly and faithfull but we presume not to give it this title that God gives his people The
Host of heaven and yet God suffers the enemie to prevaile against that Host and is pleased to magnifie his mercy to ours to give them so great a deliverance yea so to prevaile against that as to cast down some of the Host and of the starres down to the ground and to stamp upon them He prevailes as if now he had power over the heavens to pull down the starres and to stamp upon them The more eminent any are the more is he enraged if they be starres in this heaven if he can get to them he puls them down and stamps upon them Oh the rage of our adversaries against the most eminent Ministers of our Kingdome They stamp for anger that they have them not and if they had them how would they stamp then That which one Antiochus did there many Atheists and Papists would gladly doe amongst us if they had power but this Lord of Hosts delivers us in mercie from them yea ver 11. He magnifies himselfe even to the Prince of the Host to this Lord of hosts he sets himselfe against him Oh! what rage even against God himselfe what horrid blasphemies are there against this Prince of the Host of his people but although he doth magnifie himselfe and blaspheme surely he can never prevaile against the Prince of this Host yes he is suffered for the present to take away the daily Sacrifice and to cast down the place of his Sanctuary and ver 12. An Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression and cast it down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered upon which the people of God were exceedingly troubled ver 13. One Saint speakes to another Saint asking this question with hearts full of sorrow enough God knowes How long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be troden under foote Here you see that for any to set himselfe against Gods worship is to set himselfe against God himselfe proud malicious adversaries especially aime at this and God here suffered the adversary to prevaile even against this God proceedes against his people for their transgression an Host comes upon them yea the Text sayes if we observe it that an Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression Antiochus had never been able to raise such an Host had it not beene for the transgressions of Gods people yea so far was God provoked with the transgression of his people as that hee suffered this Host raised against them to cast downe the truth to the ground to practise and to prosper We have cause to lay our hands upon our hearts to acknowledge our transgressions as great as any they were charged with and yet although God hath thus far chastised us as to raise an Host against us yea such a one so many of them being Papists and such horrid blasphemers as we have cause enough to feare they would take away the daily Sacrifice and cast down so much of the Sanctuary as is built up already and even cast down the truth to the ground but oh the riches of the infinite goodnesse of our gracious God! he hath not suffered them he hath turned the rage of man to his praise hee hath wrought gloriously for us he hath delivered us out of their power although many of our brethren suffer hard things we may yet have the daily Sacrifice and the Sanctuary that is the true worship of God amongst us if we will yet the truth is preached in our Congregations it is held forth in the beauty and excellencie of it it is not cast down to the ground they indeed have practised but through Gods mercy to us they have not prospered this is of the Lord of Hosts let this glorious name of his bee magnified by us for ever Yea yet further for the setting out mercie to us that glory may be given to this Lord of Hosts Consider what the Holy Ghost sayes ver 23 24 25. of this 8. Chap. concerning Gods taking advantage against his people for their sins which hee hath not done against us as it appeares this day When the transgressors are come to the full a King of fierce countenance one of an extream bold daring spirit a Prince that will venture upon such desperate things as few Princes in the world would dare to venture upon the like if any of his Nobles or others come before him and speake any thing to him not agreeable to his designes he lookes with a fierce countenance upon them his countenance shewing the extreame fiercenesse of his spirit Hence it was that his name was changed from Epiphanes to Epimanes for his fierce cruelty but beside his fiercenesse he shall carry things subtilly too he shall be one that understands dark sentences by his wit and subtilty and by the help of those about him he shall make such expositions of darke things as a man would wonder at it no man could have thought that such things could have beene pickt out of passages as he shall pick up and by this he shall bee able to put such a colour upon the foulest things as they shall appeare very specious to many And his power likewise shall be mighty God will suffer him to grow to a great strength but not by his own power so sayes the Text although you could not see how he could raise any such power of his own yet he shall have a great power he shall have money Ammunition strength from forreigne Princes or as some would have it God himselfe shall give power to him beyond what he hath of his own Surely if the power against the Church be Gods rather then the adversaries own then the power for deliverance of the Church must be acknowledged to bee Gods rather then our own but I rather take the former sense to be the intent of the Holy Ghost in that place It follows he shall prosper and practise he shall not be alwayes consulting demurring delaying but he shall bee doing and thereby he shall prosper The word is faciet he shall doe something The prosperous successe of war depends much upon action Alexander was asked How he did so great things in so little a time He answered By neglecting no advantage I have read of Charles the sonne of Charles Duke of Anjou who was King of Sicily and Jerusalem he was called Carolus Cunctator that is Charles the Delayer but not in that sense that Fabius who was the Shield of Rome in his time he was called likewise Cunctator but that was because he used to stay till opportunity came but the other used to stay till opportunity was lost Antiochus was no such Cunctator stayer till opportunity was lost he practised and so prospered and because he prospered therefore he stil further practised But when he saw delaying and gaining time might advantage him then hee would seek to put off and spin
God is the Lord of Hosts in respect of that absolute command he hath over all creatures he hath all creatures in heaven and earth under him as a Generall hath his Souldiers The Angels they are his Hosts Psal 68. 17. The Charyots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai In the Hebrew the word is in the singular number the Charet to note the joynt-service of all the Angels they are but as one Charet although they be many thousands yea Myriads of thousands as we have it here there never is any mutiny amongst these Souldiers their harmony is most blessed their union firm indissoluble That which your English turns Twenty thousand even thousands is Myriades thousands and the word translated Angels is not elsewhere found in Scripture in that signification it comes of Shanah to second as being second or next to God the chiefe Princes the Nobles of Gods Court as Dan. 10. 13. Michael one of the chiefe Princes The Seventy translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chearfull ones who serve this Lord of Hosts readily and freely and joyfully in his wars they derive it from the Hebrew Shaan which signifies to bee in tranquility and joy as in Sinai that is as God was in Sinai with ten thousand of his holy ones when hee gave the Law Deut. 33. 2. so he is in Sion likewise the Angels Gods Hosts makes Sion as dreadfull to all her enemies as those Angels as appeared to God on Mount Sinai made it dreadfull to the people Thus Dan. 10. 20. The Angel tels Daniel That he was to returne to fight with the King of Persia God hath his Angels to stand out against the great Princes of the earth they go forth to fight with them they often meete with terrible strokes from Angels when they little thinke of them The stars in Heaven they are the Hosts of God Judges 5. 20. They sought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera The waters are Gods Host they drowned Pharoah in the red sea and here ver 21. The River Kishon swept away the mighty Host of Sisera The windes are the Hosts of God Psal 148. together with the haile and snow there reckoned up with many others fire and vapour beasts and creeping things Livy reports of the windes in Cannensi pugna raising dust in the eyes of the Romans while they went in fight that they could not see The locusts are Gods Hosts Joel 2. 25. What an Host did God muster up against Pharaoh frogs and flies lice and caterpillers They were all the Armies of God against him God gave commission to the fire and it burnt up Sodome he gave commission to the earth and it swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram But the chiefe thing I intend in this is to shew you the glory of God in this title of his from this consideration 1. God is glorious in this that he hath an exceeding great Army The greatnesse of an Army is the glory of a Generall now Gods Army onely of his Angels that are about him is very great Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him His Army of Locusts is called a great Army Joel 2. 25. this then of the Angels is much more to be esteemed a great Army 2. His Army is exceeding strong and powerfull and in this likewise the glory of a General consists much God did but send one of his Captains he hath with him in heaven and in one night he slew one hundred fourscore and foure thousand of the Host of Senacherib 2 Kings 19. 35. 3. He hath multitudes of Armies it is the glory of a great Prince to have many Armies in the field at once one in one place another in another place and so compassing round about his adversaries with his Armies The Lord of Hosts hath Armies in the heavens Armies in the aire armies in the seas Armies on the earth dispersed in every Countrey all the whole world is filled with the multitudes of the Armies of the Lord. 4. All these Armies of the Lord are always in a readinesse they are prepared Armies it is but giving out the word and they fall on they are in battel array evermore ready armed to doe the pleasure of their Generall No Prince no Commander hath thus his Armies always in readinesse many times when they have use of them much time is lost in getting Companies together and in getting their Arms. 5. Gods Armies alwaies accomplish what God intends by them they alwayes prosper in their fight they are never conquered but effect what God sends them for Psal 140. 8. Fire haile snow vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word Many of you Mariners wil not fulfil Gods word but God when he hath you at Sea he sends stormie winds and they fulfill Gods word upon you Psal 103. 21. Blesse ye the Lord yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his Commandements hearkning unto the voice of his word How many men who think themselves great demeane themselves as if they thought themselves above Gods Commandments but the Angels that excel in strength they doe his Commandments they hearken to the voice of his word They stand listening to heare what it is that God hath to command them and are ready to obey And that which is said of the Angels is true of all Gods Hosts for so it followes ver 21. Blesse ye the Lord all ye his Hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure Blesse ye the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion God sayes to one Doe this and hee doth it to another Come and he commeth yea Gods Armies are ready to destroy themselves in the service of their Lord. The command of a Generall in an Armie is powerfull he may keep his Armie from spoile if he please Plutarch in the life of Pompey tels of him that hearing of his soldiers offering violence in an unjust way he caused all their swords to be sealed up so as no man dared break open the seale without leave He did more then bid them yea more then command them that they should not spoile 6. Yea God forceth his enemies to fight for him and can turn their weapons against themselves which is a high power beyond all other Captains and Generals in the world Sozomen and Nicephorus tell us of a great work of God in the defence of that good Emperour Theodosius by a mighty wind the arrows of his enemies were turned upon them which Claudian likewise mentions Oh thou beloved so exceeding much of God for whom the skies and the wind fight c. There are no other creatures but devils and men but doe readily and faithfully fight for God and even these God forces to fight for him whether they will or no even then when they seeme to fight most against him As many men who say they defie the devil yet
evils imminent nor rectifie these disorders extant but by power added to their authoritie although there be no such horrible things as the Doctor speaks of namely the Kings intentions to subvert Religion and our Laws and liberties if the King do but denie to assist in the delivering us from those dangers not upon groundlesse jealousies feared but upon certain proofs we know we are in and in the delivering up of such delinquents as justice must not our safety cannot suffer to escape there is cause enough to satisfie our consciences in the lawfulnesse of our taking up Arms. Yea our protestation and duty though we had never so protested binds us to maintain by all our strength the Parliament in this and in maintaining them we do not at all prejudice the King in any lawfull power of his This generall is enough to satisfie in what is said in the two last Sections As for particulars mentioned there many of them are answered alreadie in the former discourse others being matters of fact it is more easie for any one to answer that hath a mind to examine what passages have falne out To go through them particularly I shall leave to some who have more time to spare then I they are far more easie to answer then what was before but not so profitable and yet the answer would exasperate more they are Subjects more suteable for Lawyers and Statists to treat about then for Divines Wherefore where as in the conclusion of all the Doctor defires those who will run the Hazard of this resistance first to set their consciences before the tribunall of God and confider whether they will excuse them there when they have shed blood to say we supposed our Prince would change Religion overthrow liberties No Doctor We can comfortably and will freely and really set our conscience before Gods tribunall in this case but we will not make that our plea but we will stand thus before the Lord. Lord thou who art the searcher of our hearts and our Iudge thou knowest we aimed at no hurt to our King we desired to live in peace we according to our solemne vow and Protestation have only endeavoured to deliver our Kingdom Parliament from the rage of ungodly and violent bloody men to bring forth the wicked unto justice to preserve what thy Maiestie what the law of nature and the Law of the Land hath made our own If thou wilt please to call us to suffer for thy Name we hope we shall be readie but because thou tellest us that it is not the part of a Christian but of an Infidell not to provide for his family therefore we have not submitted our selves wives and children to the rage of these bloody men for the substance of what we have done it hath been in thy Name that we may be faithfull to the King Kingdom Parliament and to posteritie What failings thou hast seen in the managing of it Lord pardon to us for Christ his sake Thus we are willing to meet the Doctor at Gods Tribunall but he shall not lay our plea for us we fear he will have enough to do to answer for himself yea to answer for that Book he hath put forth in such a time as this For a Conclusion of all LEt none think that though we thus iustifie taking up Arms that therfore we are of those that delight in War God forbid Our souls desire after peace we pray for peace we would gladly lay down our lives if we know our own hearts for peace Lately my name was injuriously added to a printed paper wherein there was a Petition against Accommodations It sayes I went along with it whereas I knew nothing at all of it untill neere a week after it was delivered to the House Thus are we at the mercy of every malignant spirit if he can get a Printer to assist him to be rendred to the world as odious as he pleaseth As great an injury I suffered before though in another nature when a few pieces of a Sermon I preached to young men were gathered together and patched up with a deale of non-sense and additions of their owne as they pleased and then put out as mine Although we live amongst men set on fire yet God forbid but we should follow peace but it must be the peace of Jerusalem not the peace of Babylon And the truth is had the people knowne their liberties before it is very probable these warres would have been prevented This I am confident hath been the great encouraging fomenting argument for these warres If we goe in the name of the King none will dare to stir against us What will they take up Arms to resist their King Had they seen the weaknesse of this their Argument as it is applyed to this businesse in hand that bloud that hath been shed would have been prevented And if the people of the Land knew the Liberty that God and Nature and Law gives them there would soone be an end of these Warres but a few such Doctors as this is may helpe to prolong them by dividing the people and putting them into a maze comming in so plausible a way to informe Conscience whereas in truth he gives no bottome for Conscience to rest on but rather puts it to a stand or rather into a labyrinth There is a necessitie that in these times peoples Consciences should be further satisfied in their liberties in this case then formerly because the time is we hope at hand for the pulling down of Antichrist and we find by Scripture this work at first will be by the people Revel 18. 2. The Angel came down from heaven and cried mightily with a strong voice Babylon the great is falne is falne And vers 4. I heard another voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people ver 6. Reward you her as she hath rewarded you and so to the 9. ver her destruction is threatned Now ver 9. the Text sayes The Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewaile her and lament for her saying Alas alas Ver. 11. And the Merchants of those things which were made rich by her shall stand weeping and wailing ver 15. All her Proctors and Commissaries and Chancellors that grew rich by her they shall lament No marvaile then though so many Proctors get together to seek for peace upon any terms Here you see Babylon must down and yet the Kings lament her fall Who then must pull her down but the people Not that the people can raise a War meerly for Religion but God will so order things that the Papists shall by their malice be put upon such plots and enterprises that they shall make themselves lyable to the justice of the Law so that Kings shall have no legall power to rescue them from it but inferiour Magistrates assisted by the people shall in a just way fall upon them even then when the Kings of the earth and their