Jewes Come Hos 6.1 and let us returne unto the Lord for he hath Wounded us and he will heale us he hath broken us and he will bind us up And let us heartily send up our Prayers into Heaven for the Remnant that is left Be uncessant Suiters to the Lord for Peace Let me intreat you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ to make your approaches to the beautifull Gate of Gods mercy and importune the God of Peace even for his deare sake who is the Prince of Peace that he would be pleased to looke once againe with his eye of pitty compassion upon the distressed estate of this Church and Kingdome And to take the matter into his owne hand and compose the divisions of Ruben for whose sake there are great thoughts of heart That he that maketh men to be of one minde in an house Psal 68.6 would unite the heart of King and People that in their happy Union Peace may flourish in our Land That he who maketh warres to cease in all the world that breaketh the bow Psal 46.9 and knappeth the speare in sunder and burneth the Chariots in the fire Esa 2.4 Mic. 4.3 would break our swords into plow-shares and our speares into mattocks and pruning-hookes that he would once more speake Peace unto his people that he would give unto his people the blessing of Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Peace be within her walles Psal 12◠7 and plentiousnesse within her Palaces This is the way yea the onely way left that I know to Preavile with the God of heaven that he may be intreated for the Land Loe thus it remaines then on our part that by the breath of our prayers and windy sighs and groanes through Gods permission and acceptance we labour to blow away the dark and black cloud of Gods vengance that hangs over our heads and threatens a deluge of blood to fall upon us lest wrath break forth to the uttermost against us and there be no remedy for us And then he raine upon us in his displeasure snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest Psal 11.7 and make this our portion to drink From the which miserable forlorne wretched wofull and calamitous condition as we are the workmanship of thine owne hands For thy mercy sake Good Lord deliver us all And yet notwithstanding all this that hath been spoken peradventure it may by some Weakling be demanded What although I diligently use all the Meanes here prescribed viz. Pray Humble my selfe and cast away all my Transgressions for to procure the Churches Peace Yet I can conceive but little probability of prevailing for the true Members of Christs militant Church are but a little flocke Luk. 12. and their naturall strength is weak in comparison of the numerous multitude of the Church-Malignant and therefore how shall they be able to encounter with them when they doe oppose them My answer hereunto shall be that of Asa's in his humble prayer unto God for his assistance against the multitude of his Enemies 2 Chron. 14.11 It is nothing with the Lord to help with many or with no power the words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against many without power The sacred Scriptures perspicuously and fluently declare unto us that God hath in all Ages performed great wonderfull and admirable Actions and that even by weak Meanes contrary to the expectation and also the conception of humane sense and reason as for example He overthrew the innumerable Army of the Midianites Iudges even by Gideons three hundred men He slew a Garrison of the Philistines 1 Sam. 14. even by Jonathan and his Armour-bearer He Conquered the Kings of Sodom Gen. 14. Gomorrah Admah Zeboijim Bela and diverse other Kings about them even by Abraham and his Family He surprised Goliah by David 1 Sam. 17. Sisera by Jael Judg. 4. and Abimelech by a woman Judg. 9. And who would ever have thought Iudg. 3.31 that Shamgar the sonne of Anath with an Oxe-goade should have slaine six hundred men And Samson with the Jaw-bone of an Asse a thousand Philistines Judg. 15.16 It was not possible that so great execution could be done onely by them being but weake Instruments to encounter with such puissant Adversaries there was more then so in those their Warlike Actions There was the Eternall Omnipotent Providence unto which all the Designes and Actions of all Mortalls have been subject from all Eternity Yea there was also the supernaturall and effectuall Concurrence of the divine and powerfull assistance against which all the forces in the world could make no resistance So that it is neither the number nor the meanes that the Almighty regardeth when he resolveth to get himself the Victory When once the Lord God Omnipotent is pleased to arise in his own strength all Nations in comparison of him are but as the drop of a bucket yea lesse then nothing and vanity it self Isay 40.15.17 all their forces united together are not so much for him to destroy as the Elephant to break the Spiders webbe Gods heavenly and unlimited Providence farre transcends the carnall eye of all humane discovery Who would ever have thought that Moses from the Bulrush-Cradle floating on the teares of the weeping river should thereby have derived his Princely title in Pharaoh's Court And that Pharaoh's daughter should preserve that vessell as a Cabinet of pleasure Exod. 2. which Moses Mother with an heavy heart at his last farewell bestowed upon him her poor innocent Infant as a mournfull Coffin Or that Pharaoh's tyrannous decree against the people of God in Aegypt Exod. 14. projected for his safeguard and their extirpation should have turned to Israels deliverance and Pharaoh's destruction Loe thus the Lord can when he pleaseth drive the Enemies of his Church into the ruinous Labyrinth of their owne Confusion And as the Lord in times that are past hath done great things for his Church even by weake meanes So in like manner Esa 59.1 his hand is not shortned but that he can doe as great or greater things by as weak or weaker means for times that are to come Oh then in Gods fear let us all walke as dutifull children before him our heavenly Father let us Pray unto him Humble our selves before him and cast away all our Transgressions from our selves that so we may be in his favour and have him to shelter us under the wings of his fatherly Providence in all Exigents that doe befall us and to be our Protector in our greatest danger Then shall we be secure from the violence of all adversary power though all the men in the world were mischievous Malignants against us and purposed with bloody malice to destroy us For If God be on our side who can be against us Rom. 8.31 Thankfulnesse Vse 4 TO TO be thankfull to God for that Peace we now enjoy and although it be not so compleat a
The LORD is a man of Warre his name is Jehovah c. Deborah Iudg. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang a song of Praise for the peoples Victory Hannah 1 Sam. 2.1 praised God for her sonne Samuell It was S. Phil. 4.6 Pauls Exhortation to his Philippians that they should be Thankfull unto God And also to his Colossians Col. 2.6 7 that they should abound with Thanksgiving Thus Raguell praised God for the preservation of Tobias life Tob. 8.15 O God said he thou art worthy to be praised with all pure and holy praise therefore let thy Saints praise thee with all thy Creatures and let all thine Angels and thine Elect praise thee for ever It was the desire of wicked Balaam to have the Righteous mans Death Num. 23.10 But he would not live the Righteous mans life If therefore we desire to be happy with the Saints at our Death Let us endeavour to imitate them in our Life And one way whereof must be by being thankfull to God for his Blessings received Holy Davids thankfull heart unto God makes it his Quaerie Quid retribuam Domino What shall I give unto the Lord Psal 116.11 12. for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Yea the serious consideration of Gods Blessings caused David to stir up his owne soule to be thankefull unto God when he said Praise the Lord O my soule Psal 103.2 and forget not all his benefits And the same Princely Prophet foure times in one Psalme heartily wisheth that the people would praise the Lord and set forth his loving kindnesse to the world Psal 107.8 15 21 31. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Our Thankfulnesse to God ought to be testified as far as Mortals may in a threefold duty In Corde In Affectione In Lingua In Professione In Vita In Actione In Affection Profession and in Action Cordially Verbally and Visibly 1. Thankefulnesse in Affection is when willingly we accept the Benefit and heartily think our selves indebted for it 2. Thankfulnesse in Profession is when we make publication of a benefit received to the praise of the Giver 3. Thankfulnesse in Action is when the party receiving a gift doth expresse a reality of gratitude gratifying thereby the Donor to the uttermost of his power So that our reall thankfulnesse must be by a constant cordiall and universall obedience to Gods commandements It should therefore be the care of every one who would be truly Thankefull to be the same all these three wayes viz. In Heart in Mouth and in Life Let us therefore call to mind my beloved Brethren how many Bonds of Thankfulnesse the Lord hath bound us in And also consider with our selves it was onely his free mercy towards us that we had not beene those children that were ripped out of their Mothers bellies 2 King 8.12 Or those young men that perished in the Battell Judg. 9. Or those women that ate their Babes to preserve their lives 2 King 6.29 Or that we were not Infidels Pagans Papists Atheists or Hereticks So that we may comfortably say with the Prophet David He hath not dealt so with every Nation Psal 147. ult Let therefore evermore the Praises of God be in our Hearts the Word of God in our Mouthes and the Gospel of Christ in our Lives And by how much the more we have tasted of the Lords Goodnesse above others so much the more let him tast of our Thankfulnesse above others And let us all in Gods feare pray continually for the Peace of England and the flourishing estate of this Church and Common-wealth wherein we live Use the meanes to keep it refuse the way to lose it and long yea for ever may they prosper that love it O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Thus much for the Subject of this Duty being the Third Considerable in our Text set downe in this word Peace From whence you may remember the Doctrine Doct. Peace is a pretious blessing of God well deserving the prayers of his faithfull servants And now let us come to the last Considerable in our Text viz. the Object of this Subject set down in the last word of our Text Jerusalem By which is meant the Church of God From the which word you may remember the Doctrine Doct. It is required as a due debt from the Children of God that they should pray for the peace of the Church their Mother O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And here I am not to speak of the invisible Church triumphant in Heaven but of the visible Church Militant here upon Earth and of that as briefly and orderly as I may The word used for Church in the Originall language of the New Testament is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to call for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was called of the Graecians an Assembly of the Citizens called from home by the voice of a Cryer to heare the Judgement of the Senate But the Jewes called their place of publique meeting for the reading of the Law and the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Synagogue that is a gathering together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather together to bring together and to assemble together But the Christians that by the very name of publique meetings they might distinguish betweene their Christian meetings and the Jewish assemblies have used and kept the word Church for the Congregation of them that professe Christ So that the Church of God is the company of selected Saints being effectually called from the world by the Preaching of the Gospell and chosen before all Worlds to the Worship of God being also Justified and Sanctified in Christ Jesus through the Operation of the Holy Ghost who heartily desire to serve and earnestly endeavour to please their Creator in all things whilst they live here in this world and shall have the full fruition of Eternall happinesse hereafter in the world to come And from being Members of this Church none that are true Believers are excepted whether they be high or low rich or poore old or young noble or ignoble learned or unlearned simple or politique of what estate degree or condition soever they be For there is neither Jew nor Grecian Gal. 3.28 there is neither bond or free there is neither male or female but they are all one in Christ Jesus The Sapient Solomon describeth the Church as though it were a Stately Court Cant. 6.7 in which there are none but those that are of the Blood Royall viz. Kings Queenes and those that are Heires apparent to the Kingdome of Heaven So that the true essentiall Members of the Church being faithfull Believers in Christ Jesus are the most precious and Noble Persons that live upon the earth even
A REMEDY FOR THE WARRES OR Certaine Deplorable Expressions of the great Miseries and wofull Effects which the Horrid Bloody Cruell Domestick and Intestine Warres have lately produced amongst us in this our Kingdome of England Together with Spiritual Salves for the Cure thereof By JOHN TARLTON Preacher of GODS Word and Minister of Ileminster in the County of Somerset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed in the Yeare 1648. TO The Right Honourable RALPH Lord HOPTON Baron of STRATTON Grace and Peace from the Father Prince and Spirit of Peace Amen Right Honourable THe infallible mouth of the Arch Doctor of all truth hath told us that every Scribe which is taught unto the kingdome of heaven is like unto a housholder which bringeth forth out of his Treasure things both new and old Mat. 13.52 Answerable hereunto there hath beene in former ages of the Church and are also now in these latter times many able and Orthodox Divines whose hearty desire for the good of others have stirred them up to write for the advancement of true Religion and the benefit of the Church of Christ that through Gods blessing upon their writings they might win many soules unto God whereby being dead themselves they might still speake to those that are alive that so their holy DOCTRINE might be transmitted and propagated unto posterity after them Of which number my selfe being one although the meanest of all the rest labouring in the same Vineyard have thought it necessary to gather one handfull of Grapes and carry them to the Presse thereby to increase the water of life wherewith to refresh the Church of Christ when she is either sick or sorrowfull The which as the poor widdowes Mite will adde somewhat to the Churches treasury according to that Talent which the Lord hath lent me And in this Age there was never greater cause for Spirituall Physitians to provide restoring comfortable Cordialls for sick cast downe and dejected soules then in these present deplorable and calamitous dayes Naturall experiment tacitly tels us that the sad expression of woefull calamity can never be welcome to a truly Christian and sympathizing heart This Ioab the Generall of King Davids hoast knew right well and therefore he would not suffer Ahimaaz whom he loved to carry tydings to King David of Absaloms death 2 Sam. 18.20 The Sword of the late domestick unnaturall and intestine Wars hath eaten up many thousands of our English Nation yea hath swiftly snatched them away even as the Oxe licketh up the grasse so great have Rubens divisions beene in our Land My self also having borne a great share thereof almost as bitter as death it self For divers of us of the Tribe of Levi were imprisoned in one roome in the Metropolis of this Kingdome in which Prison they all ended their dayes And about one month after all their deaths my selfe onely and that by way of exchange escaped alive like one of Jobs messengers to declare somewhat VIVA VOCE concerning those that are in their graves And as an Aggravation to my Affliction I have beene a long time and still remaine under Sequestration being deprived both of Living and Goods whereby my selfe and family are at this present destitute of the means of subsistence So that the premises maturely and seriously considered I thought it therefore my duty both unto God my heavenly Father and also to the Church of England my Spirituall Mother in this her present and sad condition to expresse to the world her wofull calamity together with a Remedy for the same For which cause I doe here humbly present unto your Honours this ensuing Treatise the which may not unfitly be termed A REMEDY FOR THE WARS Which through Gods blessing upon the holy Endeavours and Religious Practises of those persons unto whom it shall come there may be a present surceasing of these bloudy unnaturall and intestine English Wars and both Church and Common-wealth even speedily and happily enjoy their pristine condition Many thousands of us English Natives since these troubles arose amongst us have deeply suffered and still doe by a stupendious kind of dispersion in Opinion and Practice and yet how few there are who in lowlinesse of Spirit and humblenesse of heart truly repenting them of all their wickedness smite their breasts saying What have I done Jer. 8.6 And yet I hope the deep apprehension of these present Distractions amongst us doth exercise and that not unworthily the heads of many that are of great Wisdome and Policy to thinke how this distracted Church and Common-wealth may againe be re-united If ever we would have a wel-grounded firme and permanent Peace in this our Kingdome then must we sincerely performe these three particular Duties 1. Aversion from Sin 2. Conversion to God 3. Humble hearty and constant Prayer unto God to inable us by the power of his grace and blessed Spirit for the speedy and constant performance of both At the request and importunity of some who are more able both in gifts of Nature and Learning then my self who having had a sight of this Booke privately in my Study before it was fully finished I was prevailed with to present it to the publike view and at their instance being resolved so to doe I called to mind your Noble Lordship as in duty I am obliged who so willingly freely and speedily condescended to my Enlargement by the way of Exchange when I was in Prison humbly craving the peaceable Passage of this my Booke under the shelter of your Honourable Patronage and Protection being well assured that your Honourable Name and Noble Aspect casting an approbatious and indulgent eye upon it have such attractive power in them as that by vertue thereof they will set such a splendid luster upon this my weake Worke that thereby as by the efficacy of a Load-stone the eyes and hearts of many thousands will be drawne unto it whereby also it may take the deeper impression in their hearts for the reformation of their lives and the conversion of their soules unto God through Jesus Christ the which through Gods blessing upon it may greatly conduce to the glory of the God of Peace and the benefit and comfort of many poore disquieted soules I humbly intreat your Noble Lordships charitable and candid censure for my Super-audacity in this nature For through the fervent zeale which I have for the glory of God and hearty desire for the salvation of his childrens souls wishing also both the present permanent Peace and the speedy continuing Comfort of his distressed Militant Church in this our disquieted perplexed and distracted Kingdome I have in imitation of Saint Paul to his Romans somewhat boldly after a sort written for the benefit of the English Natives as one that putteth them in remembrance through the grace that is given me of God Rom. 15.15 I doe ingenuously and submissively confesse my great and over-boldnesse to Dedicate this weake worke unto your Honour yet I humbly beseech your Honour both to pardon this
sorrowfull sowrenesse When the Lord by his Prophet Ezekiel declared the Swords comming upon the Jewes for their sins He commanded him to say A Sword a Sword Ezech. 21.9 10. both sharp and furbished It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter and it is furbished that it may glitter How shall we rejoyce So in like manner our present wofull and hearts-convincing condition tacitely tels us that we have little to do with this Davids joy now in these sad times of War and Sorrow Can there be joy in our hearts whilst there is War in our gates Sackcloth and ashes becomes us better Davids case in the next Psalme before this save one suites better with our condition where he complaines Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar Psal 120.4 5 6. My soul hath long dwelt among them that be enemies unto Peace I labour for Peace but when I speake unto them thereof they make ready to battell Loe This perverse practice of preposterous persons must needs greatly afflict a truely charitable and Christian-sympathizing heart who heartily desireth and earnestly endeavoureth both for himselfe and others to have the blessing of Peace The like also our Kingly David in these late times of our wofull War hath often solicited the sons of Mortals for a speedy setled firme and wel-grounded Peace not onely for Himself but also on the behalfe of many thousands more of our English-Natives yea even the whole Kingdome but alas the birth of all those His Solicitations as yet hath proved abortive Eminent and publique Persons placed in Authority above others ought above all others to make the Word of God the Rule and the Glory of God both the Aime and End of all their Actions But woe and alas may we at this day justly cry out that too many such persons of our English Nation have of late years wilfully rejected the holy Commandements of the righteous Lord and greedily followed the sinfull lusts of their owne gracelesse and wicked hearts for their Self Sinister and By-ends whereby utter ruine hath been wrought to the lives of many thousands that are already dead and also great detriment brought to this English Church and Common-wealth wherein still we live to the great grief and prejudice of our Gratious and Dread Soveraigne His Majesty and all His wel-affected obedient dutifull and loyal-hearted Party both in and also of this our divided and distracted Kingdome How many thousands of poor distressed destitute desolate disconsolate Women and almost hunger-starved Children have often submissively Petitioned and that according to the severall Ordinances pretendingly extant on that behalf with grieved hearts and watry eyes for some relief out of their owne Estates wherewith to preserve their languishing lives But alas their Petitioning hath been to no purpose insomuch as that they have not onely been perfunctorily neglected but also scornefully rejected Oh that those poor distressed creatures violent Adversaries might not too truely be termed Viri inexorabiles inflexibiles implacabiles immisericordes qui nullius precibus flectuntur I blush to expresse to the Vulgar in English the condition of such persons and the rather for the preservation of the Gospels purity because they have put upon their shoulders the Cloakes of Religion and yet deale thus cruelly with their Native Nationall and Christian Brethren The Orders Ordinances which have been made for the relief of such distressed persons are repealed at the pleasures of the Authors thereof and thus they practise Penelopes telam retexere viz. Doe and undoe assoone as they apprehend that their so doing will conduce to their owne advantage O Heav'ns be pleased in mercy towards us to helpe us speedily Or else the Kings Loyall-hearted party will perish suddenly The Scripture tels us For the Divisions of Ruben there were great thoughts of heart and for the Divisions that lately have been among our selves there have been great searchings of the heart Searchings indeed when the Sword point hath been imployed as the Instrument like a bloody inquisitive revenging Searcher to rip up the bosome and to make the scrutiny digging there untill the last drop of the heart-blood issued to the great griefe of heart and disturbance of the peace of Jerusalem the Church our Mother that her Children should deale thus unnaturally one with another Oh how justly may the Lord in these troublesome times complaine of England as once he did by his Prophet Jeremiah concerning Jerusalem As the fountaine casteth out her waters Ier. 6.7 so she casteth out her malice cruelty and spoile is continually heard in her before me with sorrow and stroakes So that England for the present in these particulars may undeniably be parallel'd unto Jerusalem And not onely so but also what great and just cause at this day hath our distressed Militant Church of England to complaine of her calamity with the church of Jerusalem expressed in the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah She findeth no rest Lam. 1. all her Persecutors tooke her in the straits The Adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Her Princes are become like Harts that find no pasture and they are gone without strength before the Pursuer Her Priests sigh her Virgins are discomfited and she is in heavinesse Yea Mat. 2.18 She mourneth like Rachell for her lost Children and will not be comforted because they are not In so much as that not onely many thousands of the Vulgar sort of our English Nation have been lately slaine but also many Noble Worthy and Valiant Champions who were Loyall hearted Subjects have in the behalf of their King Country and Religion willingly exposed themselves not onely to the bloody pangs of uncertaine hazards receiving dangerous wounds in their Bodies but also to the mercilesse jawes of cruell Death whereby they have been deprived of their pretious Lives in this bloody English and unnaturall Quarrell If but a little while we recollect our thoguhts and imploy them in these Tragicall passages we shall coactedly conclude that we have all just cause joyntly to pray for the peace of this our Jerusalem For listen either East West North or South and you shall hear not only private whisperings of Multitudes who hastily fled from their lawfull habitations to escape the inraged Violence of outragious Souldiers in their fierce fury fearfully affrighting their disconsolate families left behind them and violently Plundering their lawfull goods unlawfully from them but also publique complaints of those that have lost their nearest and dearest friends whose dearest heart-blood hath been spilt like water on every side of Jerusalem Thus Death and Desolation have of late rid tryumphantly through many parts of our Kingdome and also made both visible and tragicall Expressions of their puissant and successefull Valour and magnanimity maugre all malignancy in their desperate attempts against all their Opposers swiftly cutting downe with their fatall swords of War divers of all sorts from
which delusive Pretence of fighting for the Protestant Religion there hath been produced many unhappy yea cursed effects of late amongst us of which I will nominate a few viz. The Omission of the holy Prayer of Jesus Christ The not publishing of the Law of God The not reading of the Apostles Creed The not administring of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The mixture of the Fancies Inventions and Corruptions of men with the pure and holy Gospell of Jesus Christ The deprivation of all the Lands Livings Goods and Estates of all the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Laity of this Kingdome that either are or were of the Kings Party The over-burdening of this whole Kingdome with intollerable Taxes The bitter fatall and deadly imprisonment of many for their Kingly fidelity in which Prisons some of them yeelded up their soules into the hands of their heavenly Father my selfe then being in the Metropolis of this Kingdome a Prisoner with them and at the deaths of divers of them These together with the losse of many thousands of the Kings faithfull adhering Subjects innocent lives have beene some of those woefull effects which the delusive specious Pretence of fighting for the Protestant Religion hath lately produced amongst us in this Kingdome God in mercy looke upon us and speedily deliver us all out of this destructive and calamitous condition War may not unfitly be compared to a cruell wilde Beast a Savage Tyger or a fierce Lion which at the best lookes gasht and grim even then when he is first rouzed out of his Den But nothing to that he will doe afterwards when he hath been well baited and chafed Oh then death sparkles through every looke And in the end he growes savage and teares and rents all that lies in his way God looke downe in mercy upon us and keepe us from those distastefull fruits of War that other Nations have tasted Sower fruits have they been unto them by which their teeth have been set on edge such as the Dishonouring of Matrons the Deflowring of Virgins the tossing of Children upon the pikes of remorslesse Souldiers the rosting of Infants Murthers Rapes Massacres and all Tragicall Pompe of bloody cruelty that useth to attend upon the inraged Sword And when the Sword hath acted his part awhile and the Drums sounded alarums to the Battell and the Trumpets blown preparatives for the War and the Cannons roared loud destruction from the one end of the Kingdome to the other Then steps up Famine for a new scene of Misery and this proves no lesse cruell and altogether as fatall as the former Then those over-gorged stomacks and full bellies that have been too much filled with dainty diets variety must be made a prey to the hungry jawes of pining Scarcity This sets forth the Prophets cry in the streets My leanenesse my leanenesse Esa 24.16 This brings the late fastidious over-curious palate to the loathsome diet of Horse flesh and Dogs flesh and vermine and excrements of Beasts yea of old shooes and leather trunkes Such a black Bill of distastefull dyet and surfeiting fare Josephus brings in of Gods owne people when Titus and Vepatian laied siege to the wals of Jerusalem The Children there cryed out unto their Mothers Lam. 2.12 Where is bread and drinke when they swoonded as the wounded in the streets of the City and gave up the ghost in their Mothers bosome Yea the Prophet complaines there of the peoples extreamity through Famine Behold O Lord saith he and consider to whom thou hast done this shall the women eat their fruit and Children of a span long Verse 20. The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Little of educations What obdurate hearted Parents cannot mourne for their little Infants in so great extreamity Also the Famine in Samaria was so great 2 King 6.25 that an Asses head was sold at fourscore pieces of Silver and the fourth part of a Cab of Doves dung at five pieces of silver Yea in the extremity of Famine Mothers have eaten their owne Children which caused the woman to cry out against her neighbour unto the King Helpe my Lord O King The King said unto her What aileth thee And she answered this woman said unto me Give thy sonne that we may eat him to day and we will eat my sonne to morrow So we sod my sonne and did eat him and I said to her the day after Give thy sonne that we may eat him but she hath hid her son When the King heard this 2 King 6. he rent his clothes in token of humiliation Oh whose heart cannot relent within him at the consideration of this woefull condition That the hunger-starved and pined mother though compassionately affected and tender hearted to her Infant shall be driven to dish up her owne Childe for a Breakfast And thus a miserable Myriam sacrificing her sonne to famine shall be constrained to make the Wombe of her increase the Tombe of her posterity And so to turne the fruit of the Wombe into meat for the belly Beloved if it be a griefe to any to hear this what then will it be for them to see it and suffer it Loe thus have we heard of the woefull misery of Famine which War produceth And therefore let us all in Gods feare doe our best endeavours to procure the Blessing of Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem The word here Peace in our Text in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod significat pacem habere id est pace vel prosperitate frui which signifieth to have Peace that is to say to enjoy Peace or prosperity And would we not willingly enjoy Peace certainely yea Then let us now at the last learne the true and right way to remedy this our evill of War amongst us lest by our carelesnesse and continuance in wickednesse our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of God become unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of Affliction and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vision of Peace be made unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most homely and unpleasant place and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of Grace and Favour be turned against us into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of Anger and Displeasure and whereby also the Lords long-suffering turne against us into Wrath and consequently the Sword of War our lives into Death The Meanes then to attaine Gods blessing of Peace in this our disturbed Kingdome follow and they are these viz. The first is Prayer The second is Humiliation The third is casting away all our transgressions For a Man to be in Misery and not to Pray is an infallible Signe of his Infidelity For a man to pray and not to humble himselfe is an evident Token of his Hypocrisie For a man to pray and humble himselfe and not cast away all his Transgressions is an apparent Testimony of his Obstinacy And therefore
the Old World Gen. 7.21 Then the Deluge took his part so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against the beastly Sodomites Gen. 19.24 Then the fire and brimstone from Heaven took his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against the blood-thirsty Aegyptians pursuing the Israelites Exod. 14.28 Then the Red-sea took his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those Rebellious Persons Numb 16.32 Korah Dathan Abiram and their Complices Then the Earth tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those cursed Amorites Iosh 10 11 12 13. warring against the Gibeonites Then the Sunne the Mooone and the Hailestones from Heaven tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction And the Starres also in their courses fought against Sisera Iudg. 5.20 When He fought against those reviling Mockers of the Prophet Elisha 2 King 2.24 Goe up thou bald-head Goe up thou bald-head Then the Beares tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those accusing Idolaters of the Prophet Daniell Dan. 6.24 Then the Lions took his part and so he wrought their Destruction Loe Thus the Lord hath not onely these but also all other Creatures in the world ready at his owne command to fight against wicked Persisters in sinne At the beginning the greatest and strongest Creatures were by Nature and Creation subject to Man but alas now not onely they but also all others both great and small are either become our Enemies or else our Conquerers And what must this then teach us but onely how Odious hatefull and abominable Sinne is in the sight of Almighty God Sinne It was forbidden by God It was condemned by Angells It is revenged by Beasts And punished by Divills It drave Adam out of Paradise It kept Moses from Canaan It destroyed the Inhabitants of Jerusalem And it hath also excluded infinite thousands from the Kingdome of Heaven It was wilfully committed by the disobedience of Man It was willingly redeemed by the life of Christ It was faithfully reproved by the death of Martyrs And yet still it is wickedly maintained by the practice of Multitudes Oh whose heart bleeds not within him to see such a wicked Monster made more account of then all other good things in the world which was hatcht by the Devill fed by the life of Soules and yet still raignes that it might winne Millions of Soules unto Condemnation Shall reasonable Men rescue it when unreasonable Beasts fight against it Every Creature in his kinde cries Vengeance against it It made the Angels Damnable It made the World Abominable It maketh the Beasts Corruptible And it maketh Men Miserable Miserable I say by Birth for they were borne in it Miserable by Life for they are vexed with it And most miserable by Death for then they shall be accursed by it Loe Thus doth the Earth cry woe unto Sinne for it cursed her Thus doth the Heavens hate it for it destroyeth her Children Thus doe the Starres fight against it for it dazleth their Light And thus doe the wilde-Beasts warre against it because it increaseth their Groanes It was the Jewes complaint in their extremity O Lord Ier. 14.7 though our Iniquities testifie against us deal with us according to thy Name for our Rebellions are many we have sinned against thee It was the Wickeds expression in their Calamity for sinne We roare all like beares Esa 59.11 12. and mourne like doves we look for equity but there is none for health but it is farre from us For our trespasses are many before thee and our sinnes testifie against us So that unlesse thou leavest thy Sinnes expect no Peace but look for mourning instead of mirth according to that Curse imposed upon the Jewes for their sinnes declared by the Prophet The Earth lamenteth and fadeth away Esay 24.4 5 6 7 the world is feebled and decayed the proud people of the earth are weakned The earth also deceiveth because of the inhabitants thereof for they transgressed the lawes they changed the Ordinances and brake the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the earth and the inhabitants thereof are desolate wherefore the inhabitants of the land are burned up and few men are left The wine faileth the vine hath no might all that were of merry heart doe mourne Thus beloved we see that Sinne is the Cause and Punishment the Effect So that Sublatâ Causâ tollitur Effectus The Cause being taken away the Effect ceaseth And untill then expect no Peace For so long as our hearts are full of Corruptions let us look to have our lives full of Afflictions Afflictions are divine medicines sent from God to correct our corruptions Yea they are Chastisements for sinnes that are past and also Preventions of sinnes that are to come like a Prophylacticke Phlebotomy or a Preservative Purgation And hence is that expression of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 11.32 We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world So that we have here Life and Death set before us performe the Meanes prescribed and we shall live comfortably neglect them and we shall perish miserably Loe this truth the Author of all truth hath expressed Levit. 26.17.18 I will set my face against you and ye shall fall before your enemies and they that hate you shall reigne over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not for these things obey me then will I punish you seven times more according to your sinnes Hence then we may learne that if the former punishments of Pestilence Famine and the Sword which lately have beene amongst us and upon us will not reclaime and reforme us then the Lord will send more and heavier judgements upon us untill we either are converted or confounded And now for a Prevention of Englands Confusion let me speake unto her as once the Lord did by his Prophet Jeremiah unto Jerusalem Jer. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soule depart from thee lest I make thee desolate as a Land that none Inhabiteth So say I both freely and mournfully Be thou instructed O England learne righteousnesse and speedily be reclaimed from all thy wickednesse lest the righteous Lord in displeasure against thee suddenly depart from thee and so thou becommest a Desolation The which Desolation that we may all escape let every one throughout this whole Kingdome seriously examine his owne heart of all those sinnes wherein at this day he stands guilty before the Lord and search and try his wayes and speedily turne unto the Lord our God And for a prevalent Motive hereunto Let all Traitors against the King call to minde Gods just Judgements upon Ahithophell 2 Sa. 17.23 2 Sa. 18.14 1 Sam. 8.3 1 Sa. 4.18 2 Sa. 20.22 Ester 7.10 Rebels upon Absalom Corrupt Judges upon Samuels Sonnes Idle Ministers upon Eli Wicked Magistrates
such as are descended of the Blood of Christ in which regard they are the dearest of men and nearest unto God Yea they are a people distinct from all others by Gods Grace of Election and stand before him in their new Birth and Second Creation in which the Lord lookes joyfully upon them and delights to behold them because they sprang from Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Eph. 3.15 And this Church Metaphorically and by way of similitude is called Mater Fidelium the Mother of the Faithfull because she brings forth Sonnes unto God unites them to Christ and nourisheth them by the Preaching of the Word and by the Examples of good Workes And hence is that expression Non posse quemquam habere Deum Patrem qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem No man can have God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother alluding to that of S. Paul Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell So that if we would have God for our Father we must account the Church for our Mother and procure her Peace with our best endeavours and there is no more prevalent way for us to helpe her then by praying heartily to God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Jerusalem was the Metropolis of Judea And she was also a Tipe of the Church of Christ and that in diverse respects viz. 1. Jerusalem was a Citty compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of love and Order that was amongst the Citizens themselves as in this Psalme verse the 3. Jerusalem is builded as a City that is at unity in it selfe So in like manner the Members of Christs Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit Ephes 4.3 And they joyntly endeavour to keepe the unity of that Spirit in the bond of Peace 2. In Jerusalem was the Sanctuary a place of Gods Presence and Worship So in like manner the Church of Christ is the roome of the Sanctuary in which we must seeke the presence of God and the word of Life 1 Tim. 3.15 Therefore the Church is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pillar and ground of Truth 3. The Lord mercifully promised the people of Jerusalem that if they would call upon his Name they should have Deliverance Joell the 2. ult the which hath resemblance to the Church of Christ amongst the Gentiles alluding to that of S. Paul There is no difference betweene the Jew and the Grecian Rom. 10.12 13. for he that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved 4. In Jerusalem the Citizens yeelded obedience to their Kings So in like manner the Members of Christs Church being true Believers Eph. 2.19 are fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And they yeeld obedience unto Christ their King Esa 2.5 5. In Jerusalem was the Throne of David as in this Psalme verse the 5. So in like manner in the Church of Christ is the Throne or Scepter of Christ Rev. 3.7 figured by the Kingdome of David 6. Zach. 2.8 The Lord chose Jerusalem above all other places in the world and tendered the people therein even as the apple of his owne eye So in like manner the true Members of Christs Church are a Chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a Peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light Lastly in Jerusalem the names of the Citizens were inrolled in a Book So in like manner all the true Members of the Church of Christ Rev. 20.12 have their names written in the booke of Life S. John had a Revelation of the last Judgement And he saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes Whereupon we may orthodoxally resolve and infallibly infer that whosoever have not their names written in that Book of Life must have their portion with the Devil and his Angels for evermore as plainely appeareth in the last verse of the same Chapter And whosoever was not found written in the Booke of Life was cast into the lake of fire Loe thus Beloved you have heard the neere Resemblance and Typicall Representation betweene the City of Jerusalem and the Church of Christ Now let us come to the Reasons of the Observation Reas 1 Because the Church is in a continuall warfare in this world and therefore she is called the Church Militant because she is daily fighting against the Flesh the World and the Devill yea she hath many enemies that come from Satans Campe very fiercely against her Who like Tyrants by violence and force of strength like Sophisters by subtilty and corruption of doctrine like Hypocrites by dissembling and superstition and like Epicures by leudnesse of life and filthinesse of conversation doe daily assault and sight against the Church of Christ Loe these like cunning Fowlers strive daily and hourely for to intrap her the Flesh would infect her the World would deceive her and the Devill would destroy her And therefore it behoveth us with our best endeavours even heartily to pray unto God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Reas 2 Because whosoever desires to have his Habitation in Gods Tabernacle must love make much of the members of Gods Church Psal 15.4 And how can we better manifest our love untothem then by praying for them when they are in distresse And this duty of Love to the Members of Gods Church is both Commanded Commended Approved and Rewarded in the holy Scriptures It is 1. Commanded 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandement that we should believe in the name of his sonne Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement 2. Commended 1 Cor. 13. ult Now abideth Faith Hope and Love even these three but the chiefest of these is Love 3. Approved Apoc. 2.19 The Blessed Spirit of God spake to S. John to say to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira I know thy Workes and thy Love meaning towards the Members of Gods Church 4. Rewarded Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour of love which ye shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister Yea beloved and were it so that the love to the Members of Gods Church were neither Commanded Commended Approved nor Rewarded Yet notwithstanding if thou hast received an Influence of Grace from Heaven the sparkes of Grace will so kindle in thy soule that thy praying for
and as a bride tyreth her selfe with her jewells Beloved the serious consideration of this may serve as an Antidote to keep the Church of Christ from despaire for the yeare of her everlastaing Iubile will certainly come Oh what unspeakable joy and ineffable comfort doth this afford unto all the distressed Members of the Church of Christ considering that although the Church of Christ be subject to sorrows yet the Lord bestoweth upon her proportionable comforts Whereupon the Psalmist in the person of the Church experimentally confesseth In the multitude of the sorrowes that I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soule Psal 94.19 And therefore let the Church continually comfort her selfe with this infallible confidence of Gods love and mercy towards her that as Christ put forth his hand and preserved Peter when he was in danger Mat. 14.31 So in like manner the Lord will never suffer those that are his to sinke in the bitter waters of Marah and sorrowfull Seas of this turbulent life so farre as to perish but will sanctifie all the dispensations of his providence unto them and sweeten all their sorrowes with the comforts of his blessed Spirit 1 Cor. 10.13 and will also give an issue in all their afflictions that they may be able to bear them And therefore let them comfort themselves together and mutually pray one for another O pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Exhortation Vse 5 THe last Use is for Exhortation and that is three-fold 1. To pitty the Church when she is in calamity 2. To labour to become true Members of the Church of Christ 3. To use the meanes to attaine the end for procureing the Churches Peace 1. To pitty the Church when she is in calamity And herein I shall speak 1. Generally 2. Particularly 1. Generally and that shall be concerning this whole Kingdome whereof we are all Members and wherein also we live And of that I say Be thou exhorted O England and seeing the Lords Judgements are now in our Land Let the Inhabitants thereof learne righteousnesse Esay 26.9 And speedily be reclaimed from all thy wickednesse and frequently faithfully and fervently pray unto the Lord to fill thy heart full of the rich Graces of his blessed Spirit and endeavour by the power of his grace and blessed Spirit to live the life of grace to subdue all thy naturall corruptions to resist all sinne and wickednesse whatsoever to deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2.12 And heartily lament all thy sinnes fully forsake them and speedily turne unto the Lord our God Come thus to the Lord with confidence that he will receive thee and for his mercy and promise sake thou shalt be received for there is still mercy with the Lord Psal 130.4 that he may be feared and we are not as yet consumed because his Compassions faile not Lam. 3.22 And though our Sinnes have abounded Rom. 5.20 yet his Grace doth Superabound And therefore to us he will certainly be mercifull if we can be truly sorrowfull For although every sinne be damnable yet no sinne actually condemneth but the sinne of impenitency Therefore let my councell now be acceptable to thee O perplexed England Esay 55.6 Seeke the Lord while he may be found And call upon him while he is nigh at hand Draw neere unto God in Prayer in Faith and in humblenesse of heart that thou mayest be healed Come to the Lord prayingly confidently and humbly that thou mayest finde mercy Lest the righteous Lord in displeasure against thee suddenly depart from thee and so thou becomest both ruinous and desolate to thy utter Confusion 2. Particularly Beloved we know experimentally that in the Naturall body if any Member be wounded all the rest joyntly doe their best endeavours to succour and helpe it The Eare is open to hearken after a remedy for it The Eye looketh upon it The Hand toucheth it The Tongue calleth for a Chyrurgion to cure it And all the Members of the same body in a sympathizing way are ready to relieve it And shall not the Members of Christs Mysticall Body be as ready to pitty one another and to relieve each other when they are in distresse That were not onely a Sinne but also a Shame unto them What shall the promptnesse and practice of the Flesh condemne the dulnesse and slacknesse of the Spirit Shall a Naturall Sympathy out-strip a spirituall Congruity And shall Naturall Pitty transcend spirituall Piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbid It was Saint Pauls Exhortation to his Galatians Gal. 6.2 Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the Law of Christ Intimating thereby that there is mutuall love betweene those that are true Members of the Church of Christ So that if one of them be grieved all the rest that heare of it are afflicted for that party till he be relieved An instance hereof we have in the Churches practice on the behalfe of S. Peter Acts 12.5 when Herod had imprisoned Peter the faithfull Members of Christs Church met together and earnest prayer was made of the Church unto God for him Oh how greatly doth this condemne the practice of all those unnaturall Persons who hearing that the Members of Christs Church are in distresse doe wholly shut up their bowells of Compassion from them and will neither relieve their Bodies with their Purses nor their Soules by their Prayers 2. To exhort all those that are as yet without to labour to become true Members of the Church of Christ without which there is no salvation And for this cause S. Luke reporteth that the Lord added to the Church from day to day Act. 2.47 such as should be saved The Church of Christ is most excellent in her selfe because in her alone salvation is to be found and no where else Answerable unto that preservative Expression of S. Paul to the Centurion and the Souldiers concerning the Mariners Acts 27.31 Except these abide in the ship ye cannot be saved When the Lord destroyed the Old World by the generall Deluge of water none were preserved but onely those that were with Noah in the Arke Gen. 7.23 Which Arke was a Type and Figure of the Church of Christ And beloved thus shall it also be at the end of the world when Christ shall come in the Cloudes to judge both the quick and the dead none shall be saved from everlasting burning in the fire of Hell but onely those sheepe that are of Christs fold Mat. 25.34 even those that are true Members of the Church of Christ Now lest any should be deceived thinking themselves to be true Members of Christs Church and are not I shall briefly lay downe some Markes whereby they may try themselves whether they be or not And for brevity sake I will but onely Hint at some of them Markes 1. Peace 2. Holinesse 3. Love 4. Regeneration 5. Obedience 1. Peace Concord
amongst the Children of God is like the agreement and harmony in Musique yea it is well pleasing to God and acceptable to all good men God is the God of Peace 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you throughout And he is also the Authour of Peace 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the Authour of confusion but of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saints And his Children are the Children of peace Isay 11.9 None shall hurt or destroy in all the mountaine of mine holinesse And Christ in his Sermon upon the Mount pronounceth a blessing unto them that labour for Peace Blessed are the Peace makers Mat. 5.9 for they shall be called the children of God When as King Salomon who had his name from Peace built that most glorious and stately materiall Temple for the Worship of God it is very remarkeable that in the making thereof no Noise was heard by strikeing or beating upon any of the materialls whereof it was made the which Temple was also a Type of Christ Esay 53.7 who was mute like a sheepe before the Shearers and with Patience did beare silently many injuries and indignities not onely offered unto him but also laide upon him In imitation whereof all true Beleevers in Christ who are the Spirituall Temple of the living God 1 Cor. 3.17 ought both silently to suffer and also patiently to endure the troubles and miseries of this their militarie Warfare according to that rule of our blessed Saviour learne of me Mat. 11.29 for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your soules And S. Paul when he was to leave his Corinthians he exhorted them to Peace that after his departure from them they might have the comfortable presence of the God of Peace with them Leaving them this memorable Valediction at his ultimum vale Finally brethren fare ye well be perfect 2 Cor. 13.11 be of good comfort be of one minde live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you So that to live peaceably towards others is a Marke of the true Members of the Church of Christ 2. Holinesse The Apostle S. Peter speaking to the faithfull who should be heires of everlasting glory exhorts them to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 Heaven is an holy place and none must inhabit there but holy persons viz. Saints those that are made holy by the blood of Christ those whose soules are washed in the blood of the Lambe Whosoever is not thus qualified must for ever from heaven be excluded Apoc. 22.15 Without shall be dogs and Enchanters and whoremongers and mutherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lies Yea the Apostle is peremptory herein Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without the which no man shall see the Lord. Therefore labour to finde this Grace of Holinesse in thy selfe for it is an infallible Marke of the true Members of the Church of Christ 3. Love Spirituall Love is the most excellent effect of the Soule and also a fruit of Gods blessed Spirit Gal. 5.22 Yea and our blessed Saviour to distinguish his Disciples from the prophane persons of the world expresseth Love as the cognizance of distinction By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples Ioh. 13.35 if ye have love one to another So that spirituall Love is also a Marke of the true Members of the Church of Christ 4. Regeneration Art thou sensible of thy new Spirituall birth Dost thou finde in thy selfe experimentally Mortification and Vivification a killing of the Old man and a quickning of the New dost thou feele the power of Christs Death in thee more and more to mortify and kill thy sinnes his Blood to sanctify and purge thy heart and the Vertue of his Resurrection to quicken thy soule unto newnesse of life and to make thee stand manfully and with an undaunted courage and magnanimous Resolution valiantly to fight against Sinne and Satan If these things be in thee they are certain Evidences unto thee that thou art a true Member of the Church of Christ 5. Obedience This is a satisfactory Duty well-pleasing and acceptable both to God and Man The time was and that of late yeares that England had a plentifull Peace and a peaceable Plenty throughout this Kingdome and also lived in filiall Feare of the righteous God and dutifull Obedience to Her lawfull Soveraigne at which time the Lord even loaded Her with plentifull Store both of Spirituall and Temporall Blessings She being then for satisfactory Accommodation to Her Inhabitants Gen. 47.6 farre transcending Goshen to the Israelites in the Land of Aegypt insomuch as that She was comfortable to Her Friends terrible to Her Enemies and the glory of all Her neighbour Nations round about Her so that they all must beare Her witnesse that as once the Dew of Heaven fell downe onely upon Gideon's Fleece when as all the Earth beside was drie about it So in like manner the Dew of Gods Blessings hath onely fallen upon this our English Kingdome when all our neighbour Countries have been destitute of it lying drie and unfruitfull and being also utterly untilled by the Plough of the Farmer but yet every where harrowed by the Hand of the Souldier and almost rent in sunder with all those great Calamities which the fierce Fire and cruell Sword could bring upon them all which while untill of late yeares our English Nation lived in Peace dwelt without Feare sate in Safety and slept Secure But when flourishing England waxed wickedly wanton supine and carelesse and fell from the Light of Grace into the Darknesse of Sinne wilfully walking in corrupt waies according to the carnall Lusts of Her owne sinfull Heart being very dishonourable to God distastfull to all good Men and disgracefull to the Protestant Religion and also grew both Vnthankefull and Vnfruitfull and like an untamed Heifer Ier. 31.18 cast off the yoake of Her dutifull Obedience both towards God and Her lawfull Soveraigne Loe then the Lord in Judgement against Her being wrathfully displeased with Her turned Her Peace into Warre Her Plenty into Penury Her Strength into Weaknesse and Her Glory into Shame since which time of Alteration She hath liberally pluck't the Grapes of gall and plentifully dranke the gall of Bitternesse Yea and so deeply hath She dranke of the bitter and poysonous Dregges thereof as that those deadly Draughts which lately have beene forcingly given Her have turned the Lives of many thousands into Death And yet woe and alas She still remaineth incorrigible under Gods afflicting hand by the sharpe stroakes of his Rods of Remembrance and will not yeild Obedience to God and Man as in the sacred Scripture She is commanded Obedience is two-fold in respect of the Persons to whom we owe it 1. Unto God 2. Unto the King 1. Unto God for himselfe as being our Celestiall Soveraigne 2. Unto the King in God and for
wherein they themselves have offended as they have done unto others even so in like manner God himselfe doth unto them According to that dolefull Expression of Adoni-bezek concerning himselfe Iudg. 1.7 Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbes and their great-toes cut off gathered their meat under my table as I have done so God hath rewarded me And also answerable to that scornfull Exprobration of deriding Eliphaz to distressed Job I have seene Iob 4.8 saith he they that plow iniquity and sow wickednesse reap the same And therefore in the feare of God let every one of us who professe the Name of Christ alwaies doe unto others Mat. 7.12 as we would they should doe unto us For so to doe is the very Drift and Scope of the sacred Scripture Ever remembring those equall requiting words of our blessed Saviour Mat. 7.2 With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe Loe thus the righteous Lord being the just Revenger of all Injuries but especially of Murther payed Joab home in his owne kinde According to that Law which God gave unto Noah after the Flood when he came forth of the Arke to replenish the Earth Who so sheddeth mans blood Gen. 9.6 by man shall his blood be shed Hence then let all those that are guilty herein tremble at the consideration hereof for if Cain will murther Abel then shortly after the blood of Abel will crie up into Heaven for Vengeance against Cain Gen. 4.10 So in like manner the blood of those innocent English Persons whose Bodies have beene lately murthered in our Land by the fierce Violence of their furious Adversaries cryeth up into Heaven against the Murtherers of them for speedy Vengeance to fall upon them like those faithfull Soules of the blessed Martyrs under the Altar who cried with a loud voice against their bloody Persecutors Apoc. 6.10 saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How long ô Lord holy and true doest thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the Earth Oh then that the serious Consideration hereof might so deeply take place in the hearts of all those that are guilty herein that they may speedily endeavour especially now in this time of Warre to make their Peace with God and the King whom they have offended lest Wrath breake forth to the uttermost against them speedily seize upon them and then there be no Remedy for them And for the speedy Reclamation and present Reformation of all such guilty Offendors I humbly intreat and also heartily desire them all in the bowels of Jesus Christ to consider diligently of the immortality of their Soules and that upon the short and weake Thred of this brittle and mortall Life dependeth the welfare or ilfare of their Eternity and also attentively to hearken to the vexing Instructions checking Dictates of their troubled Consciences which cannot chuse but be full of horrour although remorselesse And then answer me in their owne Soules if they doe not often heare to their great Terrour within them a powerfull divine convincing and condemning Eccho summoning them to appeare in the Cloudes at the Generall Assizes before the High-Bench Bench of the Lord Chiefe Justice of the whole World and Peeres of Heaven there to receive their just and deserved Doomes for their wilfull Disobedience unto lawfull Authority And therefore as all such Persons tender the glory of God and the everlasting welfare of their owne Soules let them stand no longer at a distance but let them mourne for their sins and speedily come in and lay hold upon the present Opportunity of being reconciled both unto God and Man that so they may be in the favour of God and love of their King that thereby they may have Mercy from God Peace in their owne Consciences the manyfold Distempers of our Kingdome cured and our Land enjoy againe her former pristine peaceable Condition for if ever they will make their Peace with God and the King in this particular Now is the time and therefore let them not neglect it lest their negligence therein turne to their utter Destruction For it is a Maxime in Divinity that to none belongeth the mercy of forgivenesse but onely those who are Desisters from sinne and Repenters of sinne And as for all the rest who constantly have fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse Ephes 5.11 they are justly reserved by the righteous Judgement of God to the blacknesse of darkenesse for ever Iude 13. And for the continuall preservation both of my selfe and all others who feare God and honour the King from that cursed and damnable Condition of Rebellion I shall ever pray with that Good Old Hebrew Patriarch Jacob as he did against the hainous and crying Sinnes of Simeon and Levi his wicked and bloody Sonnes Gen. 34. who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Brethren Instruments of Iniquity Destinate for Division whose bloody Cruelty began with Craft prosecuted eagerly in crafty Blood-thirstinesse palliated with Religion and ended murtherously in the blood of the wounded Shechemites to their deadly Confusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O my Soule come not thou into their secret Gen. 49.6 unto their Assembly mine honour be not thou Vnited The word here translated Secret is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Concilium vel Coetus Consultantium Wherein also according to Jacob's sense is implied Impiorum From which for ever Good Lord deliver us all The Sword of the Lord and Gideon is but one two-handed Sword and when it is wrested by violence out of the hands of the King then doth God take it into his hands and with it wound the head of his Enemies Psal 68.21 O consider this ye that forget God and the King and God in the King lest he teare you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50.22 Oh! whos 's Christian Sympathizing heart bleeds not within him at the deepe Apprehension and serious Consideration of the fatall and destructive Actions of the dismall Dayes in these mortiferous Times wherein we live Wherein also many thousands are so farre from yeilding either Active or Passive Obedience unto lawfull Authority as that they doe not onely wilfully reject it but also wickedly practice against it without any remorse at all towards their poore distressed over-oppressed and languishing Patients yea and so farre are they from sorrowing for those persons who so bitterly and sharply suffer by their so doing as that they rejoyce in it and also take delight in the perpetration of that hainous horrible black and bloody Sinne of Rebellion And yet such pestilent Agents being both the Church and Common-Wealths Disturbers doe oftentimes deceitfully expresse to the World that they earnestly desire to have Peace and heartily pray for a speedy Period to these present Troubles and also greatly mourne for so great store of Christian English blood which of late hath been so profusely fluently and
home to the guilty Consciences of all obstinate Offendors all those infallible Truths that here already have beene together with all other that hereafter shall be delivered by Mee being but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weake infirmed Mortall and sinfull Man and to make them become Divine Physicall convincing Aphorismes serving as prevalent healthfull soveraigne spirituall Potions for the speedy Curing of blinde ignorant sinfull and sicke Soules that so they may prove to the Soules of diseased Persons as sweet Balsame of Grace wherewith to heale them for their present Preservation and also to keepe them from future Destruction being made by the mighty power of God Profitable to teach to improve to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse 2 Tim. 3.16 And through the Divine Operation of his Blessed Spirit to worke so powerfully by them in the hearts of all those Persons of what Quality soever that are any wayes guilty of Disobedience unto lawfull Authority as speedily to open their eyes that they may turne from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Acts 26.18 And also to rouze them up from lying any longer in the drouzie Lethargie of their sinnes under the hellish Power and damnable Domion of cursed bloudy and sinfull Rebellion lest Pharaoh-like they sleepe so long in their Sinnes untill the voice of Gods mighty thunders Exod. 9.23.24 and haile mingled with fire from Heaven awake and rouze them up And to prevaile so farre with them as to walke in those wel-pleasing Pathes both to God and the King which the sacred Scripture expresly commandeth of that subjective Fealty Christian Loyalty and dutifull Obedience which all Subjects owe to their lawfull Soveraigne For to live Anarchically where there either is or else ought to be Monarchicall Government is to live as it were Without God in the World Eph. 2.12 But if obstinate Rebels will not be awaked rouzed up and reclaimed then let them hearken to the Lords Servant Moses predicting their fatall Doomes He that heareth the Words of this curse and blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace although I Walke according to the stubbornesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst the Lord Will not be mercifull unto him but then the wrath of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and every curse that is Written in this booke shall light upon him and the Lord shall put out his name from under heaven Deut. 29.19 20. Oh fearefull Judgements What both Temporall and Eternall Not onely corporall for the Body but also spirituall for the Soule And both of which Punishments no lesse then insufferable and that for ever Loe this must needs inevitably fill a sensible guilty Heart full of perplexing Amazement and tormenting Horrour And let Mee also tell them both as a timely faithfull Remembrancer to them of their past and present Sinnes and also as a Christian sensible Sympathizer of their future Sorrowes they may all justly feare that unto them belongeth that fatall propheticall Expression judiciously pronounced against Old Elies disobedient and rebellious Sonnes They hearkened not unto the voice of their Father because the Lord would slay them 1 Sam. 2.25 And therefore in Christian Pitty and tender Compassion towards them my greatly grieved Heart shall wofully mourne and sympathizing sorrowfull Soule bitterly weepe in secret for them Jer. 13.17 When there was no King in Israel every man did whatsoever seemed good in his owne eyes Judg. 21.25 Anarchie looseneth the Bridle whereby wicked men take liberty to themselves for the perpetration of all ungodlinesse without any Restriction and will thereby in a short time through the perversnesse of their wicked Wils and prevalency of their cursed Corruptions become like wilde Horses left to themselves without their Riders to command them Such loose Libertines and carnall Gospellers despise Government and speake evill of them that are in Authority Jude 8. By whose wicked Words and Workes great Detriment befalleth both Church and Common-wealth Those good necessary and Ancient Lawes of this Kingdome which formerly have beene and still ought to be the Rules of the Subjects continuall Obedience to all lawfull Authority are now by such Anti-monarchicall Persons converted into Club-lawes For the Arbitrary and Military power is now growne to such an height as that will you doe such a Thing Or will you pay such a Summe If answer to either Question be made No Then presently followeth take him Souldiers by the power of the Sword but if ye cannot apprehend his Body then speedily seize upon all his Goods with violence and sell them with expedition for his disobedience Is this the Liberty of the Free-borne Subjects Is this the Priviledge of the English Nation God forbid that Zion should be built up with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity Micah 3.10 that were abhorring judgement and perverting all equity Was it ever knowne that the Children of God strove to erect and establish a Religion by the power of the Sword To lay the Foundation thereof in Blood To draw obedient Subjects against their wills into Disobedience To make others with themselves to falsifie their sworne Fidelitie to their lawfull Soveraigne To compell the Conscience and force it by Violence To kill the Body to convert the Soule and that also without affording any time of Preparation for the Kingdome of Heaven The which is rather a Prevention of the Soules Conversion and consequently the Destruction of both Loe such sinfull hainous and diabolicall Practices were never formerly heard of to be in this our Land especially amongst those who desire to be reputed as refined and purified Christians who also publiquely professe themselves to be Saints zealously walking in the Wayes of Holinesse constantly living in the Power of Godlinesse and also faithfully performing all their Workes in Righteousnesse every particular whereof necessarily requireth a farre more ample and larger Discourse than this superficiall short occasionall Glance expresseth Oh then what a great happy and rich Blessing is a godly vertuous and Religious King from whom his people under God receive the whole Benefit of Religion and Justice He is the Anointed of the Lord the Nurse of the Church the Father of the Common-wealth an Husband to the Widdow a Mouth for the Dumbe Limbes to the Lame the Light of our Eyes the Breath of our Nostrils and without whom where there either is or else ought to be Monarchicall Authority both Church and Common-wealth will be in the way of Confusion of which our selves of late have bitterly tasted by wofull Experiment Oh then how ought we to love our Dread Soveraigne to obey Him to doe our best endeavours to preserve Him to magnifie God for Him to rejoyce in Him and both constantly and heartily to pray unto God for the long continuance of Him amongst us and His happy and prosperous Reigne
over us and that now at the last the All-powerfull God of Heaven would be pleased in mercy towards our Gracious Soveraigne to arise in his owne Strength and make bare his owne Arme on His behalfe and to smite through the Loynes of all His Enemies bow downe the Backs of all His Adversaries and inable Him to set His feete upon the Necks of all those that either now doe or hereafter shall rise up in Rebellion against Him and to direct and protect Him continually from all Treacheries Conspiracies and Treasons and to hedge Him about with his Providence and Protection Zech. 2. ◠and to be constantly as a Wall of fire round about Him to preserve Him from the Violence of all adversary Power both bodily and ghostly and to raise Him up Forces both by Sea and Land potent and powerfull and to let his blessed Spirit come along with them and direct them in all their military Practices and teach their hands to warre and their fingers to fight and cover their heades in the day of Battell and give them the Victory over all His Their and Our Adversaries and to wipe away all teares from His Eyes and cheare up His sorrowfull heart with the sacred Influences of comfort from his blessed Spirit and comfort Him for the time in which he hath afflicted Him and for those yeares wherein of late He hath suffered Adversity and to dissolve the Bonds and breake the Fetters of His Captivity and re-establish Him in His Throne of Righteousnesse for the advancement of Gods Glory the farther propagation of Christs Gospell the extirpation of all Poperie Heresie Superstition Atheisme and all other Sects and Schismes which are at this day remaining in this our Kingdome dissonant to Gods Will revealed in his Word for the Peace and Tranquillity of this Land and the flourishing Estate of this Church and Common-wealth wherein we live distasting as He hath ever done both Alteration of the true Religion Toleration of any other chusing rather to suffer a long hard tedious and barbarous Imprisonment than to perjure Himselfe by the Breach of that Oath formerly taken by Himselfe at His Coronation Oh therefore in Gods feare as it is our bounden Duty let it also be our constant Care and frequent Practice to pray to the Glorious Mighty and Great God for our Gracious Pious and Religious King together with His illustrious Off-spring that there may never be wanting one of that Royall Race to sway the Scepter of this our Kingdome righteously and religiously untill Christ shall come in the Clouds at the latter day for to judge the World The very officious Denominations of King and Subject are necessarily usefull for them both whereby to put them both continually in mind of what they ought inevitably to performe in all their particular Actions each unto other viz the one by Office to Governe and the other in Duty to Obey and both of them at all times to performe the same in Obedience to God unto whom they must both of them be one day responsible if guilty either by omitting those Good things which God hath commanded or by commitring those Evill things which God hath forbidden viz Rex à regendo dictus Subjectus à subjiciendo dictus And to the end that Subjects may not be ignorant of this their Duty of Obedience Almighty God himselfe who is the great and universall Monarch of the whole World having all Kings and Subjects at his owne Command expresly commands us in the holy Scripture to honour the King whom he hath made his Vice-gerent over us here upon Earth the which Honour consisteth in the hearty Expression of our willing and loving Obedience towards Him the Resistance of which supreame Authority by Subjects casting off the yoake of their lawfull Obedience being upon the Penalty of no lesse to the illegall Actors thereof then Damnation Rom. 13.2 So that whosoever he is that by wilfull Disobedience contrary to the Light of his Knowledge and Conscience trespasseth injuriously against the King whom God hath expresly commanded to be Honoured and Obeyed doth very wickedly even by the same sinfull rebellious Act as farre as in him lyeth smite through the King even at God himselfe What shall God constitute a King and appoint him to reigne over a People and command the People to Obey him Rom. 13.1 and to Pray for him 1 Tim. 2. v. 1 2. and shall the People dare to disobey him and revile him Oh! that many thousands of this Kingdome were not at this day deeply guilty of this cursed condition What other thing I pray you may such a sinfull Quality in such a perverse People be called then contemptuously smiting at God himselfe through the King Yea and so dearely doth God affect and tenderly love those who are lawfull and religious Kings as that whatsoever Subjects shall doe to such their lawfull Soveraignes delegated by God himselfe to the sublime Offices of supreame Authority either by yeelding dutifull Obedience to them or else by wilfull Disobedience resisting them the everlasting Lord Paramount of all Dominion Almighty God himselfe who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King of Kings accounteth the same as done to himselfe for through Gods Mercy there is so neare a Relation and close Connexion betwixt God himselfe and such religious Kings as that in reference hereunto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings are called Gods themselves and that in a twofold respect Primò in respectu Potestatis Secundò in respectu Pietatis First because of that extraordinary Power and Authority which God hath conferred upon them above others Secondly because of that exemplary Piety and Integrity which God requireth to be in them beyond others And what Kings soever are thus qualified by God both with Power and Piety as blessed be God for it our Soveraigne is they carry continually the Character and Image of God himselfe in their Persons amongst the People And to this alludeth that of the Prophet David Psal 82.6 7. I have sayd ye are Gods and ye all are the Children of the most High But being subject to mortality therefore ye shall die like men and fall like one of the Princes Loe thus corrupt hearted and virulent spirited Persons by such their Disobedience unto so qualified lawfull and Kingly Authority become even Fighters against God Acts 5.39 The which Truth is perspicuously evidenced unto us in that religious Dehortation given to those Israelitish Rebels who tooke up Armes and fought against their lawfull King Fight not against the LORD GOD of your Fathers 2 Chro. 13.12 Intimating thereby to the whole World that whosoever taketh up Armes and fighteth against his lawfull King fighteth even against God himselfe Hence then let all those that are guilty herein tremble tremble yea tremble with Amazement at the strict Rumination and serious Consideration of so great horrible ineffable Impiety the unfathomable depth whereof doth farre transcend the deepest and largest Comprehension both of Men and
and the Actuall the Effect and Fruit proceeding from the same and both Originall and Actuall joyntly concurring and cursedly conducing to the utter Ruine of all Sinners And thus 1 Joh. 5.19 Hos 13.9 the whole world lying in wickedness every one that perisheth therein is the sole-Causer of his own Destruction And here if We of this English Nation would seriously consider and should strictly search with soundnesse of Judgement either as deep Divines or profound Philosophers into the mysterious Manner of God's working against us in these present Distractions amongst us we shall evidently find no small Argument to be drawn from the great Disparity between Divine Providence and Worldly Policy the Generall Result whereof must necessarily be this ensuing Hebrew divine Aphorisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id vulgò apud Latinos dicitur Homo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Proponit Pro. 16.9 Pro. 16.33 Psal 33.11 sed Deus Disponit Man meerly Proposeth id est Voluntas Hominis that is the Will of Man but God wholly Disposeth id est Decretum Dei that is the Decree of God Answerable to that Expression of Solomon Prov. 19.21 Many devices are in a mans heart but the councell of the Lord shall stand For as in the vast Frame of Nature Bodies compared one with another seem Heterogenean consisting not onely of different Constitutions but also of divers and sundry opposite Operations yet notwithstanding as so many Wheeles in an artificial Engine are by the same Hand directed to the same common Use even so all the Councels and Actions of men howsoever they seem casually to meet with and oppositely to justle one against the other yet are they certainly pre-ordained by the same Infinite Councell to co-operate to the same Universall End The which Proposall of Man and Disposall of God is a Proposition which amongst worldly minded Polititians is better known as a Proverb then acknowledged in their Practice And yet the longer they Run in this Maze of Worldly Policy the farther they Estrange themselves from Christian Piety and the Distance which at the first seemed to be below their Sense will at the last be found to be above their Understanding And thus may it also one day befall those super-polipragmatical Polititians of this Age in this Land now amongst us who when they are in the midst of their Mirth and have mounted themselves up to the highest Step of their usurped Power and Ambition even then Dan. 5.6 they may Belshazzar-like be stricken with Fear and Consternation for those horrid bloody and treacherous Actions which they have now usurpatiously attempted at which time through their Unskilfulnesse for the wise managing of those wicked though weighty Affaires being then justly infatuated by the justice of God against them they may in a confused Combustion Act the part rather of Phaeton then of Phoebus to the Confusion of themselves and many others But had such politique Persons been so religiously happy as to have had so much saving Acquaintance with the Word of God for the good of themselves and others as they craftily had and still have with their own wicked Wills cunning Combinations and pernicious Projects against both King and Kingdome they should doubtlesse have heard the Lord in the holy Scriptures before this time both frequently calling to them and also severely threatning to inflict his Judgements upon them the which long agoe would have staggered the politique Councel of the Wicked and turned the worldly Wisdome of the Wisest of them into Folly But they resembling the blind Andabates will not see Psal 58.4 5. and as deaf Adders refuse to hear the Truth declared to them whereby their Consciences might be convinced their Souls converted and their Lives reformed that so there might be a speedy Peace fully concluded and firmly settled throughout this whole Kingdome between King and Subjects for the Glory of God and Well-fare of our English-Nation But woe and alas may we of this English-Nation at this day justly cry out that those pernicious Polititians being averse to Peace are in their present Practice become like wilfull Mariners having as it were already ship'd themselves for a dangerous Voyage are now desperately resolved to sail along in the vast Ocean as the windy Gusts of their new Councell will drive them and the inconstant Tyde of Occasion shall befriend them adventuring all Hazards of their own and others Safety which by the means of Enemies Tempests Rocks Gulphs Whales Quick-sands c. may any ways befall them running rashly thereby the great Danger of their own and many others both Temporall and Eternall Ruine Lo such desperate Rebells by their pernicious practices in Rebellion may not unfitly be parallel'd to those impious Spirits Zijm and Ochim Isa 13.21 breathing-out nothing but destructive Desolation against our poor distracted and distressed English-Nation And yet notwithstanding all the Adversaries Opposition at this day against Kingly Authority there was never under the Cope of Heaven a clearer Truth so antient so generally acknowledged by all Christians and that also in all Ages since the name of Christ was first professed upon the Earth as is the Doctrine of Faith in God and of Obedience to lawfull Princes which being fully known and throughly practiced doth alone indeed make Christians and Christian Religion manifestly to differ from all other People and Religions in the World and the same Orthodox Doctrine England hath willingly embraced and obediently practiced for many years last past with Glory to God and Comfort to Herself untill of late the horrid sin of Rebellion like the Witchcraft of Circe transformed Her into another Creature which strange unhappy and unlooked-for Metamorphosis doth mournfully minister at this day just Occasion to every religious and judicious Spectator both to exclaime of Her and to lament for Her She being now foully fallen off from the holy Condition of Her first Creation For the sacred Image of God stamp'd in the reasonable Soul of man is to the Children of God both Law and Liberty aswell to preserve the just Rights of their lawfull Princes as the full Freedome of their own Priviledges but the ugly Embleme of Satan imprinted in the unsanctified Souls of wicked men is to the Sons of Belial Liberty without Law respecting onely the full Freedome of their own Priviledges nothing regarding the just Rights of their lawfull Princes That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behemoth Job 40.10 the multitude of earthly Beasts the belluina multorum capita that many-fold headed serpentine Hydra I mean the rebellious Anti-monarchicall Patty of the English-Nation whose Hearts Heads and Hands by affecting projecting and acting the hainous Sin of horrid Rebellion against their lawfull Soveraign doe thereby shew themselves rather heathenish and mischievous Monsters then rationall and religious Men. And here I willingly would demand What is that which those obstinate Persons would have who at this day thus rigidly barbarously and violently oppose our Gracious King Would they
we need not feare either the raging Malice of Malignant men or the hellish fury of Devouring Devils For the Love of God towards us will be as Armour of proofe for us to defend us against all their bloody malice fierce fury and raging cruelty whereby God shall be glorified our selves preserved and our Enemies confounded So that these Motives seriously considered should stirre us up to labour to become true Members of the Church of Christ I Will close this passage with the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 We are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God And therefore let all those that are as yet in their naturall condition hasten to become true Members of the Church of Christ and speedily Pray for her Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem The Third and Last Use is to exhort us all in Gods feare to use the Meanes to attaine the End for procuring the Churches Peace and that must be by Praying for Her And therefore let us all zealously labour by our hearty prayers to awake Christ and earnestly intreat him to rebuke the boisterous windes and the raging waves of the turbulent Seas wherein the now distressed Church of Christ amongst us betweene Scilla and Carybdis doth dangerously saile and cause unto her with glory to himselfe and rejoycing to us all a comfortable Calme Mat. 8.26 Whereby also Glory may once againe dwell in our Land And let us not cease to importune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The strongmost mighty God Esay 9.6 to arise in his owne strength and make bare his owne arme on the behalfe of his Church Psal 68.1 and to scatter abroad all her enemies And to infatuate the Counsels blast the Designes and confound the Enterprises of all those malevolent spirited Persons that are Enemies to the Peace of our Church and Kingdome And by the joynt forces of our Prayers together to set upon God with an holy violence that he would be pleased to set on worke his Power his Wisdome and his Goodnesse for the speedy exaltation of his distressed Church and the utter confusion of her implacable Adversaries Yea let us all on her behalfe cry unto God for her Peace prayingly and pray for her Peace cryingly and through the importunity of our uncessant prayers unto God on her behalfe give him no rest untill he be intreated of us and till he repaire and set up our Jerusalem Esa 62.7 the praise of the world And herein let us take the Prophet Jeremy for our Patterne Jer. 9.1 Oh that my head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people And let not our hearts be possessed with blockish Senslesnesse and Stoik Stupidity called by the Phylosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is averse to our fellow feeling of others calamity and also repugnant to our Christian Charity But if as fellow-feeling Members of the Churches miseries we faithfully and fervently pray for her Peace when she is in Calamity doubtlesse the Lord will be intreated of us and when it shall make most for his glory and her good Rev. 7. ult the Lord will wipe away all teares from her eyes and will give her rest Whereby also to many other of Gods former blessings bestowed upon us this of Peace may be added as one more having thereby as it were our lives given us for a Prey in this time of Warre it might be unto us as a farther ingagement of our humble and dutifull Obedience to carry our selves ever hereafter towards Him as a people preserved by their God And that so we of this English Nation may in sincerity of heart amongst our selves joyfully sing in this our Land that Angelicall Antheme once sang at the birth of our blessed Saviour Glory to God in the highest Luk. 2.14 and on Earth Peace Good will towards Men. The which Glory to thee our heavenly Father we heartily intreat the assistance of thy powerfull Spirit working in us to performe unto thee and blessing of Peace and Good Will amongst our selves we humbly pray thee to bestow upon us that so there may be a blessed and speedy Period to all the present distractions in this our Kingdome and thy blessing of Peace upon thy poor distressed Militant Church in this our Land That we may all with one minde and one mouth rejoycingly say with the blessed Virgin Mary Luk. 1.94 He that is mighty hath done great things for us and holy is his name And also justly say in Confidence and Thankfulnesse with the Prophet David We shall not die Psal 118.17 but live and declare the workes of the Lord. And that both in our Church and Common-wealth Mercy and Truth may lovingly meet and hold together Psa 85.10 and Righteousnesse and Peace sweetly imbrace and kisse each other That the Sonne of righteousnesse may arise Mal. 4.2 and speedily come amongst us with healing in his wings That so the Rents of this divided Kingdome may be closed and the Breaches thereof made up the destroying Angell put up the Sword of thy Justice into the Sheath of thy Mercy that the Sword of vengeance may eate no more flesh nor drinke no more blood in our Land but that the current of Christian English blood may speedily be stopped amongst us Psal 144.14 that there may be no more leading into Captivity no crying nor complaining in our Streetes but that we may all continually keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Ephes 4.3 and joyfully serve thee our gracious God with that willing obedience comfortable alacrity of heart as thou commandest And so we that are thy people and sheepe of thy pasture Ps 79. ult shall give thee thanks for it for ever and will alway be shewing forth thy praise for the same even from generation to generation Heare us and helpe us and heale us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name who art the God of Peace and for thy deare Sonne his sake who is the Prince of Peace to whom with thine owne Majesty and God the the holy blessed and sanctifying Spirit three Persons and one Eternall Immortall Invisible and onely wise God we ascribe as is most meete of us and of all thy Creatures all honour and glory power praise and majesty might dominion and hearty thanksgiving from this time forth for evermore AMEN Deo Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto omnis Laus Gloria in Seculo FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
violently take from Him that Soveraign Right which the God of Heaven hath freely given Him over Them Would they wholly anihilate all Kingly Authority Would they utterly abolish the worthy and antient Church-government of this Kingdome Would they fully destroy the good wholsome necessary and fundamentall Laws of this Land Would they speedily turn a well settled Monarchy into a licentious Anarchy whereby themselves might live like loose Libertines without any Restriction If these be their Intentions then let me tell them as a timely Remembrancer these things for them to doe are not onely Irregular and Impious but also Difficult and Dangerous and therefore let the desperate Attempers thereof take heed least by their earnest endeavouring to Effect them they doe most miserably involve this whole Kingdome both Church and Common-wealth into a Labyrinth of Languishment and Chaos of Confusion When God at the beginning had made Adam he gave him Power over all the Creatures so that there was nothing but Monarchy at the Creation and the like also was restored to us by Christ at our Redemption and so to be taken by us both from the Father and the Son as the best most excellent and onely Form of Government for all Nations in the World And not onely Monarchicall Government appointed for Men but also as it were for all other Creatures in the World for every Species of all Creatures have a Subordination to some one of the same Kind as the Birds of the Aire to the Eagle the Beasts on the Land to the Lyon the Fishes in the Sea to the Whale the Bees in their Hives to the Chief Governour amongst them c. But wo and alas the irrationall Creatures by the very Instinct of Nature yield more subjection to their Superiors then the Rebels of England living in the Light of the Gospel do at this day to their lawfull Soveraign And as a farther Aggravation to his Majesties Affliction divers of those pernicious Polititians that are guilty of and also Agents in this horrid Rebellion against our lawfull Soveraign are such as have been raised to great Honours by Court-Preferments who with their court-like Dissimulation seemed to their over-credulous Kingly Master as Angels of Light by their Words but woe and alas they proved to be against Him like Devills of Darknesse by their Deeds Even such as those ungodly and wicked Doers were of whom the Psalmist complained which speake friendly to their Neighbours but imagine mischief in their hearts Psal 28.3 And thus equivocatingly they dissembled the profession of Fidelity towards Him in their Mouths keeping treacherously an impious Disloyalty against His Royall Person Crown and Dignity in their Hearts the which as Opportunity offered it self to them they manifested to the uttermost in their Lives But against all such unnaturall and ingratefull Rewarders Solomon pronounceth a sorrowfull Sentence Pro. 17.13 He that rewardeth evil for good evil shall not depart from his house The Evil of such impious Ingratitude shall constantly dwell with and certainly bring Punishment upon such evil Rewarders To render Evil for Evil is the Part of a Beast to render Good for Good is the Part of a Man to render Good for Evil is the Part of a Saint but to render Evil for Good is the Part of a Devill And yet notwithstanding woe and alas the last of these Renderings have lately been and still are rigidly Rendered to our Gracious Soveraign by his ungracious and ingratefull Enemies So that our gracious lawfull and loving Soveraign may justly at this day say of those his graceless lawless and envious Enemies as the princely Prophet David himself in his days spake of his cruell injurious and false Friends Thus have they rewarded me evil for good Psal 109.4 and hatred for my good will For thus diabolicall hath their Disposition been in their late perverse Passages acted against Him And therefore of upon and against all such evil Agents may we all at this day with causefull heavy Hearts complainingly cry out Quis furor O caeci surdi scelerum O you blind and deaf men what strange Madnesse to act such Evils hath seized upon your Spirits What can you justly imagine will be the finall conclusion of these continued Courses but onely the calamitons Confusion of the English-Nation which by such your pestilent Practices you will bring upon your selves with many thousands of others to both your and their deadly Destruction And yet in the Interim know all of you assuredly that all your Power upon Earth is limited by the Power of Heaven and when God shall be pleased to relieve his own Children that are now by your Tyranny over them greatly afflicted then your usurped Power will be totally restrained and your selves also wholly confounded And then the Children of God shall joyfully sing with the Psalmist Psal 124.7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the Fowlers the snare is broken and we are delivered So that although the Plots and Counterplots of Rebellious Men may be craftily contrived pernitiously prosecuted and for a while also absurdly abusively and violently acted by ambitious malitious and wickedly witty cunning Politicians yet notwithstanding both themselves and all their Actions have Relation to the Divine Providence and Permission and when once the Lord God Omnipotent shall be pleased to look down from Heaven with his pitifull Eyes of tender Compassion upon the bleeding Condition of poor distracted and distressed Englands Affliction and to arise in his own Strength make bare his own Arme on her behalfe and take the Matter into his own Hand he can put an Hooke into their Nostrils and a Bridle into their Lips whereby to restraine them and also maugre all their Designs speedily bring their greatest Power to its utmost Period for the Divine Eternal Providence and Wicked Worldly Policy may not unfitly be compared to the Arke of God and the Idoll Dagon 1 Sam. 5.3 4. the Former shall for ever stand but the Latter in God's due time of punishing must certainly fall Oh! how ought the serious Consideration hereof to quench the fiery heat and quell the fierce fury of the most desperate deceived Rebells from their farther military prosecution against their lawfull Soveraigne And here as a memorable Caveat against all such desperate Rebells let me instance unto them that fearfull Judgement which befell Adonijah for his Usurpation The hauty Heart of aspiring Adonijah being proudly puf'd up with an ambitious desire of Kingly Power prepared for Himself Charets and Horsemen and Fifty men to run before him whereby to expresse publiquely to the World his Regall Magnificence and also spake very largely to that purpose saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ani emloch 1 King 1.5 I will raign Lo thus in his Thoughts he Projected by his Words he Declared and by his Actions he Attempted quantum in se what lay in his Power even by his wicked Usurpation for to Rule the Kingdome of Israel unto
which he had no Right for it properly belonged to his Brother King Solomon But what became of him for his Usurpation Lo the just Judgement of God seized upon him insomuch as that although Himselfe was of the Blood-Royall His dayes were ended in blood 1 King 2◠25 And here my Heart compells my Hand to iterate these tragicall Words as a Christian Caution to all the obstinate Rebells of our English-Nation whereby to deterre them from any such godlesse and gracelesse Usurpation HIS DAYES WERE ENDED IN BLOOD God give them Grace to amend their Lives in this Particular least as bad or a worse End befall them for the like Usurpation at this day practiced by them For in the hainous Sin of bloody Rebellion there lieth secretly wrap'd up the just Vengeance of the righteous God and when the Sin of Rebellion is throughly ripe then the due deserved Punishment of it will certainly break forth and fiercely fly upon the Committers thereof to their inevitable and deadly Destruction Insomuch as that those pernitious Persons whose Heads at this day project whose Hearts affect and whose Hands act the Sin of Rebellion against their lawfull Soveraign the Prophet David who was inspired with the blessed Spirit of God plainly tells them Psal 62.3 They shall be slain all the sort of them yea as a tottering wall shall they be and like a broken hedge And yet notwithstanding all this methinks I hear some obstinate and incorrigible Rebell who desperately desiteth though against both the Word of God and the Laws of this Land to continue still in his own present and cursed Condition to persist in his perverse Paths and to walk in the wicked Wayes of his own rebellious Heart say unto me What necessity is there for so much to have been spoken of concerning Monarchicall Authority Must we subject our selves so strictly thereunto Can we not evade it but must we inevitably be obedient to it Quest What although in Antient time the Old Testament under the Law required such Obedience to Kings as you have here declared yet notwithstanding we who are Believers doe conceive that we are not obliged to such Obedience to Kings now in the New Testament under the Gospel and therefore why should Obedience to Kings be so earnestly preached unto us and so strictly pressed upon us in these daies Doth the New Testament binde us to such Obedience Answ Unto which I Answer The holy Apostle S. Peter who was himselfe a Gospel Preacher called immediately to that sacred Office by Jesus Christ and also inspired powerfully with the Holy Ghost and according to that heavenly and blessed Inspiration expresly commanded the Jewes and in them also all Christians to the End of this present World in these very words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.17 the which words being translated are Feare God Honour the King He there links God and the King together as justly he may for there is such a neere Relation and close Connexion betwixt God and the King as that the true Feare of God and due Honour of the King are Individuals they are Inseparables never to be divided but constantly dwell together in one and the same syncere Heart of a faithfull Servant to God and loyall Subject to the King Hence then let none deluding the World fallaciously say they have Gods true Feare before their Eyes who have not really the Kings due Honour in their Hearts And if the Kings due Honour be in their Hearts then it will both constantly and perspicuously appeare in their Lives for every Tree is knowne by its fruits Mat. 7.20 If Men truly feare God then will they also faithfully honour the King in God and for God whose Vice-gerent He is Which due Honour of the King consisteth in the Peoples Love and Obedience to Him viz when as His People shall obediently Love Him and lovingly Obey Him The which Feare of God and Honour of the King in such a People so qualified will inevitably worke in them a constant cordiall and universall Obedience to all the Commandements of God as also an hearty wel-wishing towards their lawfull Soveraigne by frequently faithfully and fervently praying to God for Him and also a continuall wel-speaking of Him constantly vindicating His Honour by boldly contradicting all those that falsly and malitiously speake against Him and also helping Him to the uttermost of their Abilities both with Persons and Purses as Necessities require and Occasions are offered So that if disobedient to the King then fearlesse of God and if fearlesse of God then ready to run into all Impiety and that with as much Violence Eagernesse as the Horse rusheth into the Battel Jer. 8.6 Of which our distracted England of late hath sorrowfully tasted by wofull Experience But woe and alas the quite contrary Effects to those which the true Feare of God and due Honour of the King produce have not onely beene formerly but are also still both too fluently and frequently practised by too many thousands amongst us in these Dismall and Disastrous Daies Insomuch as that If sturdy Tumults arising and violently proceeding by the which driving our Dread Soveraigne through feare from His Royall Habitation be honouring of Him then at the beginning of these Troubles He was Honoured If furiously chaseing His Majesties Royall peaceable and innocent Person from place to place circumventingly pursuing Him and craftily hunting after Him even Saul-like towards David as a Partridge upon the Mountaines be honouring of Him then He hath beene Honoured If Raising Forces upon Him and taking up Armes against Him whereby to suppresse His Regall Power be honouring of Him then He is Honoured If Separation of His lawfull and Royall Consort to gether with all those Olive Branches His Deare and Princely Children from Him be honouring of Him then He is Honoured If Deprivation of all His just Rights Priviledges Prerogatives and Revenues unjustly from Him be honouring of Him then He is Honoured If the Imprisonment of His Royall Person abridging Him of His Princely Liberty and falsly calumniating His Candid and Royall Reputation be honouring of Him then He is Honoured Loe these are a few of those many inhumane Injuries and barbarous Indignities which formerly have been and still are most injuriously perpetrated against Him Oh pitifull Condition into which at this day He is deeply involved Is this that Legall Active Obedience which all Loyall-hearted Dutifull Subjects who rightly feare God and heartily honour the King owe to their Just and Lawfull Soveraigne God Forbid And the Lord in much Mercy with his tender Eyes of loving Pity looke downe from Heaven and speedily deliver this our distressed guilelesse faithfull and true hearted Israelite out of all His Troubles Me-thinks I heare His Majesty in the Anxiety Anguish and Bitternesse of His Soule with great Solicitude Sadnesse and Pensivenesse of Spirit whose pious Affections through Gods grace moving Him to follow Christ His Captaine and as a faithfull spirituall Souldier manfully to