not to war with Counsell for then we should have raged in cold bloud and upon mature deliberation But we have now escaped both these and all the war is concluded in a Parliamentary peace Brethren Exod. 14. v. 13. here let us stand still awhile and see the salvation of God let us even loose our selves in an unparallel'd wonder Call to mind all your readings in Scripture in Civill Histories new and old Greeke Latine English were all these particulars ever read or heard to concurre in one businesse since the day that God created man upon the earth I say all these particulars First that ever any Nation living in the same continent under the same Monarch and Religion with a Sister Nation was by that Sister I meane generally and publiquely preached against prayed against proclaimed disclaimed exclaimed against throughout all their Churches And that Secondly this Sister Nation was with an Army in the field skirmished withall even to bloud-shed in the bowels of her Sister Kingdome And yet Thirdly now marke the wonder that this people so called and used as traitors should anon bestiled and enacted Our Brethren by a Parliament and that their faithfulnesse and constant loyalty should be commanded by the King and supreame Court of the Kingdome to be proclaimed in the same places and by the same men which before proclaimed them the worst of enemies and all this shut up in a day of publicke thanksgiving 4. Nay and to make the wonder overflow in a word the greatest sticklers in this Commotion those which like Zedekiah the sonne of Chenaanah 1 King 22.11 did make themselves hornes to push most at these supposed Syrians they are caught by their owne hornes Gen. 22. v. 13. like Abrahams ramme in the thicket and are now like to be sacrificed in stead of Isaack I meane in in stead of the innocent party Let me conclude this wonder with those words of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 64. v 3. taken in our sence When thou didst terrible things O Lord which we looked not for thou camest downe the mountaines flowed downe at thy presence ver 4. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the eare neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee which doth so for him that waiteth for him And was not this a great Removall But I am too narrow all this while in staying so long upon one though a great particular There are many many many evils removed from us Brethren I have thought with my selfe in this point upon the plagues of Egypt they were exceeding great you know and very many but what if we can paralell them all in both respects in those evils which are already in whole or in a great part removed from us Give me leave to enter upon a Collation or Comparison many of them I am sure doe fall in properly My method in every particular of the Collation shall be this 1. To set downe the Egyptian Plague 2. The English Paralel 3. The Parliamentary Removall But before hand take this my just Apology concerning this Collation In the following enumeration of Grievances and in all other like passages of these Treatises mine onely end and purpose is to magnifie the Lords mercy our Soveraignes goodnesse and the Parliaments noble service in freeing the Kingdome from these evils The fault and guilt doth rost wholly upon the Proiectors Procurers and Executioners and that offence is so much the more hainous in them because they have misinformed so gracious a Soveraigne and have abused those grants to the oppression of the Subiects which his Maiesty did vouchsafe under the notion of publicke benefits and did apprehend as commodities to his people and therefore I conclude mine Apology with some of those words of King Solomon to Shimei 1 King 2 cap. v. 44 45. Therefore the Lord shall returne their wickednesse upon their owne heads and King Charles shall be blessed and the Throne of his Father shall be established before the Lord for ever And in this sence I proceed to the Paralell 1. The first plague in Egypt was the turning of their waters into bloud Aaron did lift up his red and smote the waters that were in the river in the sight of Pharaoh Exod. 7. v. 20. and in the sight of his servants and all the waters that were in the river were turned into bloud And the fish that was in the river died ver 22. and the river stuncke and the Aegyptians could not drinke of the water of the river and there was blood throughout all the Land of Aegypt Now what are the waters of a Kingdome Quest I find in Scripture two sorts of them which are eminent Answ 1. Eze 47. v. 1.2 c. There are the waters of the Sanctuary which are the Ministry and preaching of the word these are the Ecclesiasticall waters And alas how were those turned into blood throughout the Land Instead of cleansing which is one use of waters they did defile and pollute For Popery Arminianisme Antisabbatarianisme c. they were the rising Doctrines generally vented in your golden Pulpits And instead of refreshing and quickning too for that 's another use of waters they did in many places grieve the hearts of the righteous How common a practice was it to preach downe preaching and to jostle out praying with prayers When poore soules asked or came to the Church for bread Mat. 7. v. 9. lo a stone was given unto them nay cast at their heads if they asked for fish ver 10. the waters were turned into blood the fish was dead and instead thereof too many Ministers gave them a Scorpion like unnaturall spirituall parents as they were Thus were the spirituall waters turned 2. There are Civill waters of Judgement in a Kingdome too Amos 5. v. 24. Let iudgement runne downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame Amos 6. v. 12. But alas againe how were these also turned into gall and hemlock yea into blood in diverse cases and places the potion it selfe became a poyson unto many for those very waters of our Lawes which were enacted to purge away the wicked like drosse and to refresh and releeve all loyall subjects these streames like Jordan were driven backward Psal 114. v. 3. upon the free holy loyall spirits of the Kingdome and our owne Ordinances were turned upon us This was ours Paralell to the first of Aegypts Plagues 3. But now behold the Removeall of this already in some comfortable measure Pure doctrine is againe let loose yea truth insteed of falling in the streets now lifteth up her voyce in the places of concourse and equity can also enter Unsound doctrines are suspended and extra-judiciall opinions are now judged themselves Reddita Roma sibi est England doth once more at present enjoy her English protestanisme and priviledges The second Aegyptian plague was the Frogs And the Lord spake unto Moses say unto
if it be bestowed upon us in a Prevention whereas should the Lord have suffered those evills now prevented to have come upon us in part and then had taken them off againe we should have given him greater prayse for a lesser favour But here you may aske me Quest what means can we use or what may we doe to see and value this branch of mercy which you call Prevention because mischiefes kept off did never come within kenne Though those evills which have bin prevented never came in kenne of dull and short-sighted eyes Answ yet let me tell you that every holy wise and gratefull Seer might and did perceive them to be many and grievous And that I may quicken those shorter sights give me leave to lend them some few perspective or spectacle glasses to quicken and strengthen their apprehensions First then see what a black Northerne cloud of warre and ruine did hang over our heads of late though it pleased the God of peace to blow it beyond us so that it did not breake and fall upon this Island What head can guesse what heart can bewaile sufficiently the probable end and issue of those intestine commotions utter destruction of one Kingdome who knowes which was the best issue that could in likelyhood be hoped But of this I have spoken before 2d. Prevention is of Treasons more then one yea since the sitting of this Parliament 1. One in England who can be ignorant thereof a plot it seemes it was both against that highest Councell and the whole Kingdome the lesse we doe know of it the greater in my judgement and the deeper should it be thought Sure I am of these two things in print First that some of the plotters are fled and pursued by Proclamation a Nationall Hue and Cry is gone after them Secondly the Preamble to that thrice worthy Protestation doth declare how some endeavours had bin used to bring the English Army into a misconstruction of the present Parliament The Prevention of this Treason because as yet some what unknown to us may deserve the more of our prayses and prayers 2. And another in Scotland too as doth appeare by their proceedings in that Kingdome 3. Prevention is of a Tyranicall Arbitrary governement That some did attempt this is too too evident by many arguments The Preface to the Protestation the late Extrajudiciall opinions the strange Arbitrary proceedings in Courts suppressed and finally the just censure and execution of that trayterous Earle doe all manifest the same thing Brethren these Arbitrary men are the persons which would have made the whole body Politique like a child sick of the Rickets The Rickets is a disease in Children which causeth an extraordinary growth or rather swelling in the upper parts of the body toward the head but the lower members all the while doe pine languish and waste away and therefore 't is not so much a naturall nutrition as an unnaturall corruption of the whole body Let us conclude our prayses for this Prevention with those verses of David Ps 18.48 He delivereth me from mine enemies yea thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me ver 49. thou hast delivered me from the violent man Therefore will I give thanks unto thee ô Lord among the heathen and sing prayses unto thy name 4th Prevention is of Superstition and Popery No no saith many a man Ob. I cannot be so weake as to conceive that they could have brought in Popery nor so uncharitable as to thinke that they would have done it Because this doubt or Objection is somewhat Common Sol. and that the contrary opinion is thought to be but the evill surmizings and uncharitable jealousie of some puritanicall spirits I shall therefore spend some time to answer it But first let me premise a Caution Brethren Caution there are some certaine sorts of persons which will not which must not take an answer and be convinced of this poynt that the innovating guilty faction would have brought in Popery As First all your Delinquents that have had a finger in the pye your guilty persons that are the foremost parties in the case these must not beleeve this nor be convinced Secondly all their Dependents too that doe any way hang upon the guilty faction or have neere relations unto them You must also give these men leave to be hard of beliefe in this point Thirdly yea and all others which in their Sermons and discourses by their pennes purses or otherwise have engaged themselves against the Scots perhaps or for the late innovations and illegall impositions All these and all the rest of the like kinde must not see Reason or ground why any one should thinke that they could or would have brought in Popery But for others which are innocent free and ingenious if they make this question now I answer them And first let me speake to that part of the Objection that they could not have brought in Popery 1. True it is if we looke upon our Soveraigne we have a gratious orthodox fixed protestant Majesty As appeareth not only by his constant firmenesse when he was in Spaine the Shop of Popery but by his Royall promises Vow Oath and practice ever since he swayed the Scepter And in this respect we must presume and conclude that they could never have brought it in 2. But yet when I looke upon the nature of the Popish Religion with what wiles and violence it makes it's way where once it enters how it marcheth over Crownes and Scepters and swimmes to it 's owne end through all sorts of bloud And when I call to mind the strange prevalency and power of some in passing the late Oath and Canons to the prejudice of the King and Kingdome then I am farre from the peremptorinesse of those which doe so boldly affirme that they could never have brought in Popery So much for the could not 2. But for that other part of the Objection touching the will and intention of that party that they would not have done it pardon I cannot be so Vncharitable Blinde or Vndutifull as not to think that they would have brought it in First not so Vncharitable namely to those many Orthodox able holy judgements which are cleare and strong of this opinion True t was thought by some godly and judicious ones at first that Arminianisme was the only aime and end of the Innovatours but they did soone out-shoot this marke and so shewed that that heresie was but their stalking-horse Next it was guessed they did drive at Lutheranisme but at last it was both seen and felt that nothing lesse then flat Popery perhaps French Popery indeed could terminate their desires I cannot therefore be so Vncharitable to such considerable judgements as to thinke that they Would not have brought it in And indeed this alone in my judgement is true Charity if a man be so charitable as that withall he may keepe the truth for there is a kind of Crudelis miscricordia
evill spirits shall be cast out and the diseases will depart Let us not therfore lose so great and cheap an opportunity Ob I know it is much objected by some that 't is no wisdom nor good manners for any one to come to a Councell before he is called and that all we of the meaner sort must leave both things and persons to the judgment and censure of that supream Court of the Kingdome Answ 1. True we must not sit in the Councell unlesse we are chosen thereunto but yet we may wait upon the Councellors with our submissive Informations and Petitions This themselves do both allow and expect at our hands 2. So also we which are inferiour persons must leave suspected things and persons to the censure of the Houses true but yet I hope we may nay I know we must bring such Grievances thither and there leave and lay them down being proved at the feet of Justice If any man shall be against this lawfull priviledge and loyall duty of every good Subject I shall suspect him for a Delinquent and shall conclude him as a secret underminer of Reformation and the weale-publike Nay my meaning is that we must complain not only of those Grievances in which our selves have felt a share but I do presse my selfe and you all to seeke out and gather up those things which doe publikely offend and to weed the common field Brethren this is a duty generally neglected and therfore it is necessary that all godly active spirits should looke after it When shall we see an husbandman grubb up bryers or gather stones out of a field that lyes in Common to a whole Parish No but we say every mans businesse is no bodies businesse Extreamly needfull it is therfore that some choice Angelicall spirits whose hearts the Lord hath touched should put to it and become ministring spirits Heb. 1.14 as sent forth to minister for the good of the publike Ob. But would not such stirring be accounted pragmaticall Shall we not be called busie bodies Answ Yes by Atheists Papists and Delinquents but with good men or reasonable it must needs be acknowledged necessary Let us looke either upon the condition of divers places and persons which doe suffer such Grievances or else upon the nature of that great Court to which the complaint is to be made and in both respects we shal see divers reasons for this duty of stirring for the publike 1. In respect of the nature of that Court to which complaints are to be preferred For 1. They cannot see all that is amisse every where because themselves are not of all places distributively though they are representatively every Subject and sometimes A stander-by we say may see more then he that playeth 2. Besides Experience is the best Informer of Grievances Plus videur oculi quam oculâ—s and who hath more woefull experience this way then the meane and poore which pay for all There are some Cob-webb oppressions in a Kingdome which the greater Flies doe with ease breake thorow not taking notice that they were snares but the poore lesser flies are held in them fast enough and therfore the cry of these little ones may informe of a great oppression Besides in bodily cures we know that a plain and illiterate man being the patient in a disease may give more light to the Physitian towards the cure by his relation then all his learned books and long study may afford for that Patient can tell him how when and where the distemper did take and hold him So is it in politike diseases a plain man that hath felt Greevances can better speak of them then a greater person or Schollar that kenns them but by reading or heare-say 3. It is not the proper office of that Court to be Informers because they are Judges and therefore my selfe have heard some of their members wiâ—h that the Country would doe that office to take off from them the aspersion of pragmaticall 'T is needfull therfore and reasonable that we inferiours do inform in respect of the Court that is to judge 2. In respect of many that suffer 't is expedient that other active men should complaine in their behalves For first many places as well as persons doe want skill and abilities to helpe themselves they cannot tell their owne tale as we say and therefore 't is charity to them as well as duty to the State to be feete to the lame and a mouth unto the dumbe But by the way I should advise all such to follow the example of Pauls sisters sonne Act. 23. v. 18. he was a young man and therefore like enough somewhat bashfull and unable to expresse himselfe to a great man and therefore first he goeth to his Unckle Paul ver 16. and from him is sent by a Centurian to the chiefe Captaine so let them informe such as may informe or at least as may leade them or their sute to some one of the chiefe Captaines 2. Others are fearefull and faint-hearted and so durst not complaine they are perhaps threatned and over-awed by some tyrannous Land-lord or insolent though scandalous Parson Vicar perhaps Curate and therefore as couragious Abishai rescued fainting David from Ishbi-benob the Giant 2 Sam. 21. v. 15 16 17. who thought to have slaine him so ought it to be done in this case when some perhaps good mens hearts doe faile them in the contestation and pursute then every valiant and active Abishai should arise to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty 3. Finally Judg. 5.23 others are unwilling to goe for redresse nay which is lamentable they thinke themselves happy in their spirituall miseries and delight in their grievances Jer 5.30 31. A wonderfull and horrible thing is committed in the Land saith God the Prophets prophesy falsely and the Priests beare rule by their meanes and my people love to have it so and what will ye doe in the end thereof Quest What will we doe in the end Answ Surely the end is like to be extremely miserable therefore Brethren let us now in due time deliver such poore soules against their wills Jud. v. 23. let us pull them violently out of the fire in which they delight to lye and be consumed therefore Informations to the Parliament and that in the behalfe of others is now very needefull and most reasonable Ob. But whereof and how shall we complaine and informe Ans Matters to be complained of and informed against are all grievers and grievances persons and things both Ecclesiasticall and Civil in Church and Common-wealth 1. Ecclesiasticall Persons These Brethren as I conceive are the very fountaines or fewell of all other grievances amongst us Mat. 24. v. 15 16. When the abhomination of desolation stands in the holy place I doe but allude then 't is time for them which be in Judea to flee into the mountaines Spirituall wickednesses doe usher in Civill disturbances 2 Chro. 15 3. For
sine destructive conclusions and upshots of Jesuiticall emissaries 4. Lastly to the same purpose we might adde ver 9. Their brest-plates of yron noting their serpentine defective craft and power their swiftnesse and noyse upon the wing shewing their compassing of Sea and Land to make one Proselyte And finally Their tailes like Scorpions Mat. 23. v. 15. ver 10. intimating what a sting they leave behind them and what bitternes in the latter end The Multitudes of these worst of Papists have bin very great amongst us of late yea 't was conceived by some of judgement and conscience that in our Metropolis there were more of these Locusts I meane of Jesuites at one time then there were Protestant Ministers of all sorts in that City Sure I am that the preamble before our late made Protestation doth much complaine of their present indeavours to undermine our Religion and to subvert the fundamentall laws of this Kingdome But now for the removall of these we know that they have had a day of departure set them already and many of them it is hoped are gone Let us pray that the Lord would deale with those that remaine as he did with these Aegyptian Locusts Ex. 10.19 That he would turne a mighty strong winde and cast them into the Sea so that there might not remaine one Locust in all the coasts of England Amen Amen The ninth Plague was palpable Darknesse And Moses stretched forth his hand toward Heaven Ex. 10.22 and there was a thick darknes in all the Land of Aegypt three daies they saw not one another ver 23. neither rose any from his place for three dayes c. And Brethren to match this what think yee of the grosse suppressing of light in this Kingdome of late and the many meanes that have bin used both to drive and to keep cut knowledge Let me shew you but some steps and degrees of this darknes 1. First our weekly Lectures and all meere Lecturers were suppressing or suppressed already in some Dioces they were wholy put down in others partly besides that the setting up of more was either denied or supplanted Yea in those places where the enemies of light had not the face or power utterly to suppresse Lectures yet there they would quarter them yea doubly and triply quarter them foure eight twelve men in some Townes were appointed for one weekly exercise that so it might become like that web of Penelope that one man might untwist that the other did spin or at least that the multitude of Cookes might marte the potrage No no this sort of lights was too bright and blazing for those enemies to suffer them they were as wandring Planets or Comets rather and did as they thought cast a dangerous influence upon their Tribe and therefore they must be extinguished Hence the very name of Lecturer was become to some Church-men both ridiculous and odious Yea as these many Petitioners against Episcopacy from Ireland doe complain in that Kingdome the Priests and Fryers were both guests and neighbours to some of their grand Church-men when a poore Lecturer could not be suffered to live nay durst scarce be seen amongst them Yea further it was grown a maxime amongst your great Clearks great in Benefices I meane that a Lecturer had no footing in the Church of England and this maxime perhaps shortly should have bin made a Canon too but a strange position me thinks it is that one which hath bin called to the Ministry ordained by themselves and is commanded by the Lord yea by his Ordinary to preach the Gospell which he doth suppose ably faithfully and fruitfully that yet this man should have no footing in the Church of England This makes me to wonder farther what a Church of England these Rabbies would make such a Church it seems it must be as doth exclude and dismember those Ministers which are too very Preachers In a word you know Brethren if you know any thing how this sect of men as they accounted them were every where spoken against as the troublers of Israel How many of them are driven away into the wildernesse of America Others were so fast imprisoned that they could not obtaine the liberty of a banishment and other-some silenced suspended deprived by companies And least after those undoing censures they should shelter themselves and maintaine their poore families by some other liberall faculty they were way layd by these Canons which did enjoyne to the very School-masters the same subscription as to Ministers Let me conclude touching this sort of men and their former condition especially We are made by them as the filth of the world and as the off-scouring of all things unto this day 1 Cor. 4.13 Thus this sort of light was ecclipsed But those were accounted wandring Planets as I said and such as had no footing 2. Let us looke next upon beneficed Ministers these are acknowledged by the great Extinguishers to be fixed Stars and to have footing in their Church of England and yet even these especially if painfull and conscientious could not have footing in their owne Pulpits upon the weeke-dayes nor in the after-noone of the Sabbath Nay they were in some whole Counties forbidden then to catechize save onely in the bare words of that Childish Catechisme ☞ they durst not goe an inch out of their truckle Here I might adde the many cunning inventions and cruell pressings of multitudes of Innovations especially in matter of worship Tables were Altared Crucifixes erected bowings introduced and many other scandalous ridiculous and burdensome actions and gestures imposed and all these were used but as so many fanns or rinsives ot boult out the tender-hearted Orthodox and active Clergy that they might be blowne off as chaffe in every Dioces Thus both our Planets and fixed Starrs were darkned But now was there no other kind or means of light besides those two which the people might procure to guide their feet into the wayes of grace and peace Quest 3. Answ Yes there was another a third kind or means it was the Candle-light of Orthodox and holy Bookes these might have supplied in some measure the want of both the former And therfore the grand Extinguishers were well enough aware of this also and do take a compleat course for prevention The springs and fountains of godly Treatises they knew to be of two sorts some were penned within the Kingdome and to meet with these an Order is procured from Starr-chamber that they must all come through the hands of their Creatures Other such books might be brought in from other countries and therefore in the same order it is provided that all forraigne books likewise must passe under the selfe same Censors and all this least those poore conscientious souls which they call Mechanicall and Puritanicall Vulgars should get so much as lamp-light to guide themselves and to discover their mis-leaders Thus had these men like those Gileadites at Jordan Jud 12.5
ver 16. taken all the chiefe passages of knowledge so that whatsoever man or paper book or Minister had not pronounced their Shibboleth aright he should have bin crushed or suppressed in the birth 4. Yea higher yet because some Puritanicall Ministers I speake in their Dialect had an art of preaching and pestring in their very prayers before and after Sermon therefore a course is taken that they must confine themselves in the Pulpit before Sermon to a certaine Canonicall Sceleton that is layd downe in one of their illegall Canons in which me thinkes the Minister doth profer and promise the people fairly concerning prayer but is hardly so good as his word to the end and after Sermon they concluded with certain Collects at the Communion Table 5. Nay once more to shew you the Superlative depth and blacknes of this darknes some have bin forbidden and checkt if not punished for using of conceived prayer in their Families and because they did not there bind themselvs to the Common prayer book only Judge ye Brethren whether we were not about to be shut up under darknes as bad as Aegyptian Did I say as bad nay ours was worse in a double respect 1. First Aegypts darknes was Corporall and Outward but Englands was Spirituall and Mentall which is an immediate and certain fore-runner of darknes eternall Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therfore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no pitty 2. Aegypts was not Vniversall for all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Ob. So we had some Goshen too among us may some say in the worst of those times some Dioces Ex 10.23 some Church-men were not so bad as the rest An. Brethren there is a kind of method even in the setting of the Sun it is dark at Norwich and London and there awayes before it is night at Sarum Exon and Launceston because those former Counties are more Esterly but the same blacke cloud was comming apace over all the rest though they were not wholy and actually over-whelmed The month nay the very day was set for a generall Ecclipse yea for an extirpation of all those lights in the Land which should have stucke at that horrid Oath November the second last yeare one thousand six hundred and fourty then then was the time when the great Curefue-bell should have bin rung out for covering of fires and putting out of Candles in every County City Towne and Parish throughout the Kingdome Thus was our plague of Darknes the worst indeed of all the nine And yet the Removall or Remedy of this also do our eyes behold for there is an Order now come from the House of Commons both for setting up of Weekly Lectures by the Parishoners and for after-noon preaching where there is none so that if we will light may now shine out of darknes and that so brightly that the darknes may not be able to comprehend it The 10th and last was that Death of their First-born And it came to passe that at mid-night the Lordsmote all the First-borne in the Land of Aegypt Exod. 12.29 from the First-borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne ver 30. unto the first-borne of the Captive that was in the Dungeon and all the first-borne of Cattell This I must Paralell with our late troubles in the North with that warre against our Brethren of Scotland True there is a difference in this that in Aegypt there was not an house in which there was not one dead by that plague in England and Scotland not many have dyed by this warre But for that difference blessed be the over-ruling hand of our good God no thanke to those Incendiaries for could they have obtained their purpose 't is more then probable that the death of one of every house in this Island would not have served the turn but rather that there would scarcely have bin one of an house left alive in many Families of the two Kingdoms Therefore that 's no great difference But the Paralell doth hold in divers respects as 1. Exod. 12. v. 29. First that Aegypts plague was at midnight so this warr was so contrived as to come upon us in the depth of our palpable Aegyptian darknesse of which before First the eye of knowledge should have bin put out amongst us and then Sampson-like we had bin fit to grind in their Mill or rather as he to have pulled downe the house upon our owne heads 2. In Aegypt that plague was the last of the tenne yea it was an immediate cause and fore-runner of Israels freedome and Deliverance from their intollerable taske masters He smote also all the first-borne in the land Ps 105.36 37. the chiefe of all their strength And then immediately he brought them forth with silver and gold and there was not one feeble person among their tribes 3. So it is our hope Bretheren for Removall that the good God will make that Northerne warre the conclusion of all these our plagues yea and an occasion or cause of our greater strengthning and enrichment Judg. 14.14 We see that there is some meate come out of the eater and out of the strong there is come some sweetnesse already Perfect thou ô Lord the thing which thou hast begunne amongst us So much touching Removall The third branch of Deliverance which we gather by looking upon our evills felt or feared it was called Prevention It is a great mercy to a sick man to have the paine and perill of his disease stopped it is a greater to have his malady quite Removed but for a person to be kept and preserved safe from all touch of a disease that was neere him to be blessed with a Prevention of the plague that was next doore this is a mercy above many And therefore this third branch is both higher and greater then both the former and yet it is lesse valued generally then either of those For those plagues which are Stopped or Removed from a Nation they were present and actuall but that mischiefe which is prevented and kept off is at most in respect of our apprehension but a possible and future evill and therefore we are lesse sensible of this though greater evill In short that bitternesse which we have felt we know by sence to be bitter whereas much more being escaped by us because escaped may seeme lesse Hence it is that the Lord doth loose much prayse and glory for this sort of mercy Nabal we know did returne but little thanks and lesse requitall to David for the safe guarding of his Shepheards in Carmel 1 Sam. 25.10 the reason was because the good done to him by David was a Prevention he did preserve the men and flocks from danger so that the chutle felt no evill and therefore did value the curtisie as nothing So is it twixt us and God we give him little prayse for great mercy
the Heavens according to the colour of the â—lâ—ss so doth the Heaven seeme to be coloured Your judgements affections countenances touching that Court doe give aime and copies to them all both for their opinions speeches actions Therfore let it be your care to Countenance 2. Next Promote Parliamentary edicts and proceedings That is put on publish prosecute and execute all such new Edicts Orders and Commands especially touching Reformation as are sent and issued from them To instance there is a Vow or Protestation commended unto us by their practice and approbation there is An Order for the due observing of the Sabbath c. Now the promotion of all those and the like doe lye upon your charge and consciences in the first place and the neglect of them amongst us when once granted to you will be required at your hands Ye are our Civill watchmen see your duty Ezok. 33. each of you according to his place is our Moses to take the Lawes at their mouth and to declare them unto us that we may heare and doe them This is one weighty duty 3. Next Second them That is whilst they doe endeavour above to set right the great body of the Kingdome ye should labour here below to reforme your petty and particular Jurisdictions this would be no little furtherance to that great worke As petty brooks doe make up a River and many Rivers fill a Sea so Family-reformations make up Parishionall and all Parishionall ones doe fill up a Nationall and Vniversall 'T is a Proverb as true as ancient The way to have a cleane street is for every one to sweepe his owne doore So let the Magistrates and Officers in every County City Corporation Parish now sweepe their own severall Jurisdictions and then the great publike work of Nationall clensing will more easily succeed So much to Magistrates 2. Partiular Lesson may be to Ministers Brethren I confesse my selfe one of the last and least of all your Tribe but yet so cleere and necessary is this lesson that the meanest Embassador may nay must presse it upon us at this time suffer therefore the word of exhortation Now or never is the nick of time in which we ought to play the trumpeters Ezek. 33.3 c. to stirre and call men up to the helpe of the Lord in this great worke who knowes but that that God which did throw downe flat the walls of Jericho by the trumpets though meane ones of seven Priests going before the Arke I say Josh 6.20 who knowes but he may also be pleased to doe great things now by our poore service therefore let us up and be doing and if we doe need spurres in our sides because the way seems somewhat cragged let us consider these two or three Motives First looke we upon the eminent examples of our most ancient and famous Scripture-Predecessors in like times and cases I meane let us turne over the Histories of Deliverances and Reformations in Judah and there we shall find that their Prophets Priests and Levites were some of the greatest and most active instruments in both they were as it were the holy bellowes to blow up the refiners fire Let us take an instance or two to kindle us First in that Deliverance and Reformation in the beginning of young King Jehoash his raigne 2 Kin. 11. There good Jehojada the high Priest being thereunto called is the very primum mobile ver 4 5 c. the founder and finisher of that great worke yea that tripartite Nationall Covenant to which the Lord the King and the people were parties was contrived and perfected by his meanes 2 Chr. 29.3 So secondly in King Hezekiahs Reformation as the first thing that he beginneth withall is the Temple so the first persons that we find him consulting with ver 4. ver 5. they are the Priests and Levites He brought in the Priests and Levites and gathered them together into the East-street and said unto them Heare ye me ye Levites sanctifie now your selves c. Yea and for furthering that Covenant which he made these must be the cheefe men in the businesse ver 10. ver 11. Now it is in mine heart saith he to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel My sonnes be not now negligent for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him to serve and that ye should minister unto him and burne incense 'T is no meane honour Brethren to be made some of the prime and immediate Ministers of the Lord in such great workes and yet alas I speake it to mine griefe and to the generall shame of our Tribe who more backward to set on Deliverance and Reformation now then are many of us The Protestation the Declaration for abolishing of Images c. how slowly how faintly are they executed Yea and the more dully I beleeve in many places because the execution of them partly depends upon the Minister Let all the true Embasâ—adours of Christ think upon this and be kindled 2. Another Motive may be this Our very Callings doe presse us hereunto Ezek. 33.2 c y Sam. 9.9 Isa 58.1 We are said to be Watchmen we are Seers yea we are called trumpeters as before and what is meant by all these but that it is our duty to descry publike evills and dangers to discover opportunities of good and so to call men off from the one and onward to the other 3. Thirdly this is a meanes both to settle and prosper us all in our functions and to entaile them and a blessing upon our posterities See how the Tribe of Levi came by their Ministeriall prerogative Exod. 33. When Aaron and the people had made a Calse for this great sinne justice must be executed ver 26. and Moses calleth for it Then Moses stood in the gate of the Camp and said who is on the Lords side let him come unto me And all the sonnes of Levi gathered themselves together unto him Being called they doe promote justice Hereupon see what a Reward and Blessing followed ver 27 28. Num. 3.5 6. First a Reward And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Bring the Tribe of Levi neere and present them before Aaron the Priest that they may minister unto him Deuâ— 33.8 Secondly a Blessing And of Levi he said let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one ver 9 whom thou didst prove at Massah c. Who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children c. They shall teach Jacob thy Judgements ver 10. ver 11. and Israel thy Law they shall put incense before thee and whole burnt Sacrifice upon thine Altar Blesse Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands smite thorow the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not againe There is a blessing with a witnesse See