A SOLEMN PERSWASION TO MOST Earnest PRAYER For the Revival of the WORK of GOD Bringing forth the Kingdom of CHRIST when ever it Appears Declining under his Indignation WHETHER In our own Souls In the Nation to which we belong In the Churches of Christ throughout Upon Occasion of the late STROKE of Divine Displeasure in the Death of the QUEEN of so Blessed Remembrance By T. BEVERLEY Amos 7.2 5. Oh Lord by whom shall Jacob Arise For He is small LONDON Printed for W. Marshall at the Bible in Newgate-Street MDCXCV The PREFACE to the READER IT is indeed a Most Vndoubted Duty as to behold in All Persons in the General Humane Nature Dying the Exemplification of our own Mortality It is a further Duty to consider in Christians the Patterns of a Holy and Religious Conversation God offers to us in any of them And This Duty is Rais'd by the Honour and Dignity of Station and such have been placed in by God On which Account the many Discourses on so Great a Person as our Religious and Gracious Queen are Justified But yet as in All Princes that can bear any Relation to the Church of God There is a Peculiar Attention and Regard Due on which Account It is Remarkable Scripture Takes the Names of Heathen Princes into its Records which had never else Appeared or been Heard of in it but as God made Them Instruments of his Grace or Displeasure to his own People how much more is both the Life and the Death of Princes who are by Profession joyn'd to such a People as the Kings of Israel and Judah though so many Bad But most of All when they were themselves Holy Personages because All Princes over the People of God have an Eminent Relation to the Mercy or Wrath of God upon such Nations and God Changes Times and Seasons as Daniel observes by setting up or Removing such Princes And yet beyond All this there is a Consideration due to that Figure Princes and Governments make in Order to the Kingdom of the Great Son of man Our Lord Jesus Christ On Account of which Daniel had so Great Visions of the four Monarchyes and especâ—ally of the Fourth or Roman so immediately in its Expiration Consining on that Kingdom And this is that Highest and most weighty Point of both Discourse as in Publick so of the Prayers and Meditations of Christians in Private on such a Publick Providence as the Death of a Christian Protestant Princess I having therefore through the Gracious Assistance of God set my self by the Books of Scripture wherein the Sure Word of Prophecy is for the Churches of Christ Deposited to find out the Time for the Accomplishing the Desolations of the Sanctuary could not but take Notice of that so Monumental Providence in its Season the late Revolution 1688. Vpon which I then made Publick my Observations to be found still I doubt not in many Hands I looked upon my self therefore under as great Obligation to make most Humble and Awful Remarks upon so Astonishing a Perez a Breach or Stroke upon us in the Death of the Queen 1694. when the Succession of the Kingdom of Christ is so much nearer according to my Computation as in 1697. within Little more than Two Years who sustain'd so Illustrious a Figure in it And though I Fram'd it onely into such a Discourse as was most suited to a Plain Christian Auditory yet because Wise and Good and Considering Persons are not so Confin'd to Curiousness of Words or Artifice of Connexion but are most intent upon Things and can take Short and even the most Free and Natural Intimations of them under more Ample and Accurate Reflections I have Expos'd it to General View mostly as it was at first spoken designing the Substance and Materiality of what I have herein offered to deepest Consideration and leaving the more Critical to Correct the Errors of Form that they to whose Minds the most Plain Discourses have easiest Access may not lose the Benefit And I am Encouraged in making such a Publication in regard of both the main Design which is to Consider How such a Breach upon us is Posited towards the Kingdom of Christ and that Great Revolution of its entring into Succession in 97. as also to Present it in such a Native Freedom and In-Artifice and upon one and the same Account in both That is I have Remarked That no Divine Dâ—spose in our Memory hath brought forth so Abundantly all Kinds of Celebrations of any Person as of our Excellent Princess both in Religious Improvements of so Severe a Chastisement As also Accumulating Highest Praises upon so Worthy and Meritorious a Subject speaking of her with Relation to Men but Abating whatever any may have spoken of Her like the Blasphemies of the Antichrist an Beast against them that dwell in Heaven For all such Praises are in Sacred Style no other than Blasphemies not only against God but Against Those so Celebrated There is therefore in my Esteem no Room for any more Publications on those first Topicks But I have also observed none have Pitched upon the Examination of so Remarkable a Dispose as dating the Review from the Introduction of this Government upon the removal of King James by so out-stretched a Hand nor carrying the Prospect to that much greater Change God is about to make nor giving direction what the Servants of God are so to direct their Faith and Prayers upon Now I having singled out these Points to Address my self unto the Servants of Christ therein to Excite their Meditation and Practise I have taken greater Considence in setting them in an open Light as not Treated upon by any before on this so notable Providence And yet I have not neglected on just occasions to make those Memorials of Praise that Scripture Allowes and hath even set apart to them that Fear the Lord and to Honour the Remembrance of the Queen by them I have also Pointed upon those Duties of Practice so necessary on so Sad and Solemn an Occasion in General And on this very same Account that others have so Abounded in all the Florid parts of such Kind of Discourses I have Hoped that a Sermon in so Ordinary and Vn-Adorned a Dress will be the more gladly Suffered I have therefore been only Intent on this main End that is that every one may earnestly seek of God the coming of the Kingdom of Christ in Power in his own Soul And that Powers and Nations may in General wait for it and wisely Place themselves in a just subordination to it being most Assured if we are not removed from this Earth under the immediate Views of it as we know we may soon be even as this Great Princess hath been it will yet make such Appearances from Heaven in coming upon us as will Amaze the World to behold even its Kingdoms becoming the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ And though the Lord makes use of what greater and more Honourable
Mountains of Spices upon the glory of his own Kingdom as the Anointed Certainly I say This cannot be far off let us compute Time how we can there is such Evidence that we must needs believe it And happy will it be for any One of us whom God continues in the present State in this World to see but the Dawns and the beginning of that Kingdom O how Comfortable would it be to Live or to Dye as God is pleased to Call us to it if we could but once see those Dawns If we could but hear those Loud Voices from Heaven resounding upon Earth The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ I shall now shut up what I have spoken in very brief Application APPLICATION The First Application offer'd to us is VSE I. A Wise and a Holy and a Prudent Christian Commemoration of the Graces and Vertues and Excellencies that God hath given to any Persons of our Times And so Particularly to this Eminent Personage that God hath lately removed from us It doth become the Serious and Holy Servants of God and of Christ to make a VVise and a Prudent Commemoration This is warranted to us by what I say we have in the 2 Sam. 1. David speaks thus The Beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places How are the mighty fallen Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the Streets of Askelon They were Cities of the Philistines the Enemies of the People of God the Enemies of Israel O let there not be an occasion for them to Triumph and Rejoyce in it Let God do somthing Graciously for the Nation We should earnestly Pray that God would do some Gracious thing for the Nation That though they will be Triumphing and Rejoycing and making great Mirth upon it yet notwithstanding that God may Laugh at them with a far greater Scorn and have them in Derision that are Enemies of his Gospel and of his Kingdom And If any Person whom they thought and did look upon as a Friend and Servant to the Kingdom of Christ and an Enemy to their Interest that are of another kind of another Region of a Region below that God would snatch their Triumph and their Singing out of their Mouth which we should earnestly Beg and Desire and we should beg it of God that he would Interpose against it And therefore we may make a Wise and I say a Prudent Record of any Person of Eminency and Service And so we ought to do upon this occasion by this Example of David upon Saul and Jonathan Therefore according to all Freedoms of Apprehension and Expression we may do it As David sayes in 2 Sam. 1. 23. Saul and Jonathan they were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided Jonathan undoubtedly was an excellent Person every way And Saul in regard of his Government and bearing a representation of the Kingdom of Christ he is thus spoken of by David Though otherwise Scripture hath set very black Characters upon him So we may say The King and the Quâ—en were Lovely and Pleasant in their Lives And it is the great Goodness of God that they have been Divided in their Death And that God hath been pleased to Reserve and Preserve the King and that he would still Preserve him our Earnest Prayer should be upon it and any thing of Mercy that God doth to the Nation by those that he hath set in so Eminent Place and Station and Soveraignty over it we should Adore Him in And you see here there may be a Covering of Imperfections You see that David covered the great Evils that were in Saul And the Spirit of God speaks of it and hath Enrolled it in the Book of Jasher That I say there may be a wise and a Prudent and a Holy Commemoration And much more when there was such an Eminency as in our Case for we may say So great a Person so Exemplarily Fearing God ought according to the Word of God to be praised Her Memory to be Blessed She ought to be had in Perpetual Remembrance We may say of Her Many Daughters have done Vertuously but thou excellest them all as was said before And so we find God oftentimes in his Word speaks of his Servants Moses my Servant is Dead saith God That was a kind of Solemn Memorial of Moses And so we find of Josiah Jeremiah spoke of him in his Lamentations to this Day to After Times Now therefore That God hath been pleased to take away one of the Pillars though as it were the Left-Hand-Pillar onely preserving the Life of the King We have Reason to speak of it with Apprehensions of His Goodness and also of His Stroke the Stroke that looked like a stroke of Displeasure In that Regard we ought to Consider as in a Day of Adversity VSE II. In the Second Place it teaches us to make a Holy and a Wise and Spiritual Use of this Providence in relation to our selves 1. To Consider the great Weakness and uncertainty of our Condition here 2. To take out any of the Exemplars God gives us the Exemplarit of good and gracious Persons and of the good we find in any of Eminency And in that Eminent Person that God hath Taken and Removed from the Nation We ought to Consider wherever there is any thing of Worth and Loveliness and Excellency in any of the Servants of God and any that have been Instruments of Publick Good and Advantage VSE III. In the Third Place it Teaches us to be Apprehensive lest God should have still in Reserve a Scourge and secret Stroke as it were upon the Nation You see we don't know what a Day and much less what a Week Moneth or Year may bring forth how God may Change the Publick State of Things within such a Time And therefore it should teach us to lye Low before God to Humble our selves and earnestly to seek him And then VSE IV. In the last Place It should teach us to hope in the Salvation of God both in Relation to Publick and Private and in relation to the Glory and Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ earnestly to pour out our Hearts in Prayer and Supplication to Him that he would be pleased to manifest himself in great Power and Glory for the Glory of his Kingdom especially and for the Glory of the Gospel for the Glory of the particular Nation and Community that we are of And also for great Grace and Infinite Mercy every one particularly to our Selves to Cry out O Lord Revive thy work in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known in wrath remember mercy For we have heard thy speech and are afraid O Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years c. And therefore by way of Supplication and lifting up our Hearts Let us set before us that 64 of Isaiah O that thou wouldest rent the heavens that thou wouldest come down that the mountains might flow down at thy presence That there might be such great works of God As when the melting fire burneth the fire causeth the waters to boyl to make thy Name known to thine Adversaries that the Nations might tremble at thy presence To make known the wrath of God to his Enemies and by terrible things that we looked not for that he would be pleased to shew himself to us in Salvation A HYMN 1. O Lord in sunder Heavens part Them open Lord to thee That coming Down in Grace to us Thy Glory We may see 2. O let the World thy Power Know The Nations All perceive How great a God our Lord is when His Kingdom He 'll Receive 3. Let Mountains all Distill and Melt At thy Great Presence near But let our Hearts much more thy Grace Feel them Aright to Steer 4. Such Efficacies Let us feel In Answer when we Pray So far surmounting all our Thoughts In their most free Display 5. That in a Holy Wonder We May Fear and Praise and Joy In thy Great Righteousness and Live When Our Sins thou l't Destroy FINIS
out and Destroy and yet notwithstanding this did not prove an end of Gods work But as you find in Hosea 2. 15. a most comfortable place when at any time God is pleased to make a stroke upon his People he thus speaks I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a door of hope Which was the place where the Children of Israel were Discomfitted and where God seemed to make a Breach upon them I 'll give it her for a door of hope God turned that very Valley of Achor into a door of hope So when God seems to make an End of his Work of Grace he may make it a Door of Hope So God made a Breach upon Vzza David could not tell what to make of it whether he would Establish him and give him the Happiness of his House David was afraid of it But yet notwithstanding in a little time after this the Ark was brought down to the City of David So I say that was not an Argument that God would put an End to his Intentions of Grace toward David and his Family though he made so Dreadful a Breach to strike Vzzah immediately in that he mistook and was in an Error concerning the Ark. So we have the Case in the 2 Sam. 1. when God took away Saul and Jonathan his Son Sauls Kingdom was undoubtedly a Type of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ though it did not continue in Saul's Person and Family But immediately you see the House of David David's Kingdom and Solomon's Kingdom rose up So I say it is not an Argument when God hath an Intention of Grace that he will not carry it on or that he does intend to put an end to it because he makes some breach yet we should pour out our hearts before God in all such Cases and say unto him O Lord in wrath remember mercy O Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years 2. The Second Consideration by way of Consolation is this That God hath yet and doth yet and as the Apostle saith we should trust and earnestly pray that he will yet continue the King and make him a great Instrument for the Advancement of his Glory and the good of the Nation The Lord yet hath left us a Nail in his Sanctuary as the Expression is a nail in his House God gives us yet our hopes by such a Nail in his House as he preserves among us And though we know No other Nail except Christ alone is fastened in so sure a Place but that it may be remov'd yet we may have Hopes that God that hath been pleas'd so immediately to make the King his Instrument in reviving his Work in these Nations when it seem'd declining so Fast amidst the years of K. James will sustain and support him till the very Time of the Right of that Greatest King for entring into the Succession of his Kingdom when the Time Times and Half Time given by his Oath to Antichrist shall be at an End and such Time be no more for ever as is also sworn by Christ which I have made out as I doubt not to affirm on such Grounds as will not Fail to be at the so near 97. from the Compare of the two Oaths the first giving Times and half Dan. 12. the latter defining those Times and half to be at an End and never to be renewed Rev. 10. It should cause us yet in relation to this to cry out O Lord revive thy work in the midst of the years in wrath remember mercy in the Preservation of the Government to us as there is an Establishment of the Reformation from Antichristianism and as there is an Enjoyment of the Ordinances of the Gospek in so much Freedom And then 3. The Third thing I would mention to you by way of Consolation and so I shall immediately conclude in Application is this That surely we cannot I am humbly bold in the Word of God to say to you we cannot be far off We cannot upon any Account whatever be far off from a far greater Revolution and Change that God will make by the Succession of the Kingdom of Christ The very Labour in the Fire and Wearisomnesses for very Vanity that we behold in All States amidst all Persons and on the account of so great Persons as we now Memorialize removed from us suddenly is a certain Assurance it is near even at the very Doors For I dare Appeal to All the World whether though the World hath been alway full of Wars and of Rumors of Wars yet whether ever there were Wars of so little Fruit Success or Archeivement Whether even there was such Labour of Nations and of People in the very Fire all consum'd without Fruit and for very Vanity nothing come of it as hath been of late years And is not this God hath spoken and Challeng'd the whole World upon Hab. 2. 14. Is it not saith he of the Lord of Hosts so ordered and contrived it should be thus Because the Knowledge of the Glory of the Lord that is in the First Appearances and Encreasing Glory of his Kingdom rising like Ezekiels Waters first to the Ancles then to the Knees and Loynes and then like the Great Sea covering All. This therefore that we are so Apt to Complain of so much Charge and Labour and no Effect is a Comfortable Prognostick the Kingdom of Christ draws near and will by the bitterness of the Former State be thus welcom'd into the World We should therefore take Comfort in this very third of Habakkuk as the Prophet goes on in his setting out the glorious Works of God of old And he does it to that very purpose to Comfort Ver. 3. God came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran Selah His glory covered the Heaven and the Earth was full of his praise He stood and Measured the Earth Ver. 6. he beheld and drove asunder the Nations and the everlasting Mountains were scattered the perpetual Hills did bow And so he goes on setting out the Works of God And he Concludes let Appearances be never so Dark V. 17. Although the Figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines though things be never so Dark saith he yet I 'll rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord is my strength and he will make my feet like Hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon mine high places He Alludes to such Expressions as set out the Glory of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ And he hath left it as a Song to all Ages To the chief Singer on my Stringed Instruments That is Let all the Servants of God in every Age prepare to Sing upon these Grounds that I have laid to Sing to the Praise and Glory of God and to the glory of his Kingdom even till Jesus Christ our great Beloved shall make haste and be as a Roe and as a young Hart upon the