also it is said of Zedekiah that the men of his peace set him on and prevailed against him c. they that no enemies could conquer have been overcome by their friends wild counsellors they will prove ill friends and thy feet will sink in the mire and they will turn away back they will leave thee to shift for thy self in the greatest of thy streights nay they will be the worst enemies against thee as an Ivy twists about an Oak and lives by the sap of it but he hath a root of his own and yet by his embraces he eats out the heart of it and he doth flourish and grow green but the Oak doth wither who is thus imbraced and loseth its verdure from day to day c. And the rule of this courage must be the Law Resolution without a rule is like a horse without a bridle which hath no restraint it s running well but out of the way and it must be according to the Law known and rightly understood for he must meditate therein day and night it must dwell richly in him that is in authority it must not be the Law unlorded Mat. 15.6 the word is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not by the traditions of men nor by the frenzies and inspirations of men for there is a kind of mystical Divinity that is brought forth by men that cannot be contented to be wise according unto what is written that turn all the Scripture into fancies and Allegories and far fetched imaginations there is wisdom from beneath and there is inspirations from Hell when Satan will transform himself like an Angel of light as well as there is inspirations from heaven but let me tell you we must know no Law within us but that which is derived from the Law without and answers to it as the Counterpain to the Copy and we must know no other Christ but he that was born at Bethlem and was crucified at Ierusalem and no other Antichrist but mystical Babylon the mother of Harlots which is the City that rules over the Kings of the earth and to speak of another spiritual Christ and Antichrist apart from these and so to turn all into fancies this is not the Law as delivered by God but as framed by men whose fancies go beyond their faith and their pride exceeds them both And this Law he should not only have in his heart and in his eye but he should have it alwaies in his mouth he is not to depart from thence non tantum sibi privatim sed toti populo The knowledge that he hath of the Law of God he should hold forth to the people in his government and let him profess the truth which he doth believe the same duty lies upon him both as a Magistrate and as a man or else the ten Kings could never as Kings destroy the whore else as a Magistrate let him never be called Christian if he bear not the testimony of Christ let him be Christian as a man if he do profess Christ but let him not be so as a Magistrate that thinks he is born to do no more for Christ under whom he acts then a Pagan is All Magistracy came in by sin nomen istud culpa meruit non natura Austin est Remedium corruptae naturae Luther A natural subjection there should have been but no civil subjection of one man to another and it is by Jesus Christ after the fall the government being put into his hands Prov. 18.15,16 by me Kings raign it is not spoken of Christ barely as God but as Mediator in a Covenant and Decree so that the Government of all Nations belongs to him he is King of Kings and they that will serve him must not only do his work but serve his end now his end is that the Providential Kingdom be subordinate to the Spiritual Eph. 1. ult and that must be their aim also or else they will never be accepted of Christ as we see it in Iehu notwithstanding the great services he did yet because his end was not Gods therefore they were not accepted We come not to Magistrates for a Confession of faith in this as if the Gospel had not strength enough of it self to defend it there was a time when Magistrates were not Christian and yet the Gospel wanted not its defence and when the Magistrate is Christian we know Diabolus nondum factus est Christianus Austin Aust We have the same Law-giver who is the Judge and we know the Churches support tarries not for man it waits not for the sons of men Mich. 5.7 it hath in a readiness to revenge all disobedience I do profess that were it not that we desire to be sensible of Gods dishonour and dare not but be faithful unto your souls and the Nations good because we know that the soul of the Lord will be dis-joynted by these means we should never so much as move you in this kind for we know that the 〈◊〉 and stubble the fire will consume them and we know that the day of the Lord will come when he will destroy Antichrist with the breath of his mouth and the brightness of his coming and all these which are but appendixes will vanish with them only we would not have you neglect your duty and thereby bring a guilt upon your selves and upon your government and we would not have you lose your share in the honour of it before God and the Nations and after such solemn professions and publick expectations to the contrary and now to be put off from them by fancies suspitions of impositions and that from men that never desired any thing from you but a publick owning of those things which we know you dare not deny to be truths and a not-countenancing if we may not attain a discountenancing of the contrary Neither is profession enough but there must be an answerable practice the Magistrate must observe to do all that is commanded therein it is obedience that is the life of the Law he must be ready to do every good work without practice the Law is but a dead letter to a man and it is the fruit of grace Eph. 2.10 created in Christ unto good works dead works flow from a dead man a man that is living will act lively and it s the glory of our profession let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works c. If we speak never so high and Angelical yet if our conversation be not in heaven we do nothing our waies are in hell when our words seem to be in heaven the Angels and those that stand by they receive that they may do they go and come as lightning they are ready and speedy in it and they that do so shall have a place amongst them Zach. 3.7 and there is the same distance between God and great men that is between him and mean men for he regards the rich no more then
reformation God will honour and bless it unto us also But if it be such a fast as the Lord hath chosen and in which he delights it must be a day for a man to afflict his soul for that is the duty of a fast Isa 58.5 I know the Hebrews do put soul for person and the humiliation should reach to the whole man but yet so as that which is the main in the man do not pass unhumbled nor un-affected rend your hearts and not your garments it is the soul hath the great hand in the sin it is the soul that is the sole and the arch-rebel against the Law now only to humble the body is but Mountebank-like to lay salve to the weapon but not to the wound And it is inforced Lev. 23.29 that soul that is not afflicted that day shall be cut off from amongst the people c. And there is nothing that will afflict the soul like to sin it being of all evils the greatest when it is felt and by the lively coming of the Commandment it revives and the man dies answerable unto the reformation such must be the humiliation now there is a double reformation that we do profess to endeavour personal and National there can be no expectation of the latter without the former therefore both must be laid to heart and that chiefly in your own particulars by you whom the Lord we hope will use in this great work he that will be a vessel of honour for the Masters use must be purged and when Ioshuah was to negotiate a publick reformation and to administer a publick service his filthy garments must be taken away and he cloathed with change of rayment Zach. 3.4 there are no mens sins that are of such dangerous consequence as yours and your personal sins have an influence upon your publick imployments and services and the sins of such a man do send up a prohibition and will blast the wisdom of his head and the labour of his hands and their personal sins are a great ground and cause of National sins Ita nati estis ut bona vel mala vestra ad Rempublicam pertineant Tacit. Tacit. In omnibus peccantibus pecco Prosper it is a sad saying of Prosper if ever you would have National Iudgements removed and mercies to be conferred you must be affected with National sins first for as an ungodly man cannot love his brother because he doth not love himself Non diligit proximum quia non diligit seipsum and so he can never be affected with other mens sins his eyes cannot gush out Rivers of tears because men do not keep the Law of God c. because he is not affected with his own for sin is filthiness and therefore it is the more loathsom to a man the neerer he is to it therefore my work at this day shall be to set your own sins before you that you may pluck out the beam that is in your eye first and ye shall be able to see clearly to pluck out the beams that are in the eyes of the Nation and to affect your hearts with your own personal guilt and neglects if the Lord be pleased to make me instrumental this day that it be unto you a day of atonement I shall look upon it as a great mercy and a great step unto our National deliverances and protections and as for more publick mis-carriages and the other parts of the work of this day I hope God will be with the spirits of those his servants that afterward are to carry on the work of this day Here we have the Churches condition set forth to us which shall be the same for the first 6000. years which being ended according to the Jewish accompt postea sabbatum the time of Satans seduction is at an end for Poperie but the time of his persecution is not the witnesses are not yet slain c. but there will come a time when in this respect Satan also shall be bound In fine sexti millessimi anni malitia omnis aboleatur e terra Lactant. Lactant. de divin Imper. p. 576. It is black as the Tents of Kedar but yet comely as the Curtains of Solomon there is a very great comliness under the Churches blackness with which in her suffering she supported her self Here we have also the causes of the Churches blackness which is the Sun in general it was not natural and blackness that grew out of her self but from the Churches adversaries the Sun hath lookt upon me persecution hath scorcht me but yet it was not only from enemies without though it is true as the Lilly amongst thorns so is my love amongst the daughters tot hostes quot extranci Tertul. but it is from those of the same family the Churches enemies are those of her own house my mothers children matris filios non patris vocat men born in the same Church and claiming the same interest in the Church with the true members qui maxime conjuncti videbantur qui sese Ecclesiae nomine venditant Mercer Mercer Hostes Ecclesiae intestini authoritate sua ad ipsius perniciem abutentes Beza Beza They were angry with me the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies iram vehementem excandesentiam bitter fierce anger anger exasperated and kindled as a flame the same word is used Isa 41.11 All they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and the men of thy strife shall perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Septuagint they strive with me or they fought against me the bitterest indignation against the Church and the bitterst opposition is from those within it self her mothers children the ground of the greatest persecution of the Church is laid in the composition and constitution of the Church and therefore the flourishing and prosperous condition of the Church in the latter daies is upon this gronnd Isa 54.12,13 When the foundations are laid with Saphir the windows made of Agates and the gates of Carbuncles de hominibus non de doctrina Calvin Calvin Then great shall be the peace of the Church in right cousness shalt thou be established and thou shalt be far from oppression c. To constitute Churches of a mixed multitude as it laies the matter of all Church corruption so it laies the foundation of the bitterest Church persecution Now how did they vent their displeasure it was by putting them upon difficult and distracting imployments for I do not understand that of Churches becaus the Church is in Scripture commonly called a Vine-yard the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel Isa 5. and the Lord brought a Vine out of Egypt and planted it c. neither did these mothers children take so much care of Churches but they laid all the care of the Churches upon them and they took none at all both the care of Church and Common-wealth was laid upon them and by this means they were distracted and
keep thy house For they are in a special manner thy own Vineyard First keep thy heart Prov. 4.23 above all keeping keep thy heart it was the great care of David Let my heart be sound in thy statutes I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt inlarge my heart and it was the grand honour of David that his heart was upright with God and it is made the pattern of his sincerity to the Governors that followed c. and it was the grear comfort of Hezikiah when he came to dye after he had ruled the people skilfully all his daies Remember that I have walked before thee with a perfect heart and it is this that is the bitter reflexion upon all the good that Iehu had done after that glorious testimony of God to him thou hast done all that was right in mine eyes and which was in my heart 2 King 10.30,31 but he took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart c. And the grounds of it are these four First this is properly your own it is the soul is the darling it is the soul is the man it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore he that doth lose his soul is said in another place to lose himself It is true that there is a great trust committed unto a man in other things but yet they are all but this worlds goods a mans estate is no more and a mans honour is no more nay a mans inward gifts and abilities of his mind are no more they do all dye with him if there be tongues they shall cease and knowledge it shall vanish away 1 Cor. 13.12,13 Now if propriety be an engagement as we do love persons and things because they are our own Christ loved his own he loved them unto the end c. Surely there is nothing that is your own like unto your heart therefore keep thy heart above all keepings for if thou lose thy soul thou art a lost man and a Son of perdition Secondly this Vineyard above all others is in danger and the most fought against First by sin 1 Pet. 2.11 it is against the body and state and brings all plagues upon both but it is eminenter against the soul Numb 16.38 sinners against their own souls so that as it is really the act of the soul the sin of the soul for sin is in the soul as grace is it is radicaliter in corde redundanter in corpore as sin is mainly the act Micha 6.8 the sin of my soul c. it is the mischief of sin which doth really light upon the soul and it is to the prejudice thereof Secondly Satan mainly fights against the soul he is Abaddon the destroyer he seeks to devoure all the man I but it s the soul that is the sweet morsel that he doth continually with greediness gape after he doth take away the word it is Mat. 13. least they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and be converted it is the conversion of the soul that he really is an enemy to and when he knows he can hinder the salvation of a soul there is no such pleasure to him for there is no walking in the narrow way without entering at the straight gate Satan is the envious one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now as the greatest mercie is that of the soul so the greatest envy of Satan is that which reacheth unto the soul Thirdly the main Judgements of God are upon the soul as the greatest blessings from God are spiritual so the greatest Judgements from God are also spiritual and that is when he doth suffer the soul to prosper in a way of sinning Hos 8.11 they made them Altars to sin Altars shall be unto them to sin Magna est ira quando peccantibus non irascitur Deus Ierom. Jerom. Tu dixisti Domine ita est ut omnis malus animus sibi ipsi sit poena Austin Aust Thirdly answerable to the prosperity of the soul so do all things else prosper all prosperity is to be measured by it oh 3.2 So Paul did measure all his prosperitie 2 Cor. though his outward man did decay so his inward man was renewed it was that he could rejoyce in because he measured his prosperitie be that of his soul and otherwise for a man to have an enate honour and a high place in the world and to mount all the steps of honour and to prosper in it in waies of briberie and blood all this is but that Psalm 106.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Muis translates repletienem emaciantem Muis. a fulness that doth cause a leanness in the soul to be indutus purpura cum conscientia pannosa truly that man doth not prosper whose soul prospers not though all things else be according to the desire of his heart c. Fourthly this will have a very great influence upon your government and therefore keep this Vineyard Psal 47. ult Magistrates are said to be Shields of the earth they should be scuta Deo as well as hominibus to keep off the Judgements of God to stand in the gap with Moses and Ioshua who did this in a common slaughter and David in a publick famine c. And is he like to prevall with God for a people who hath neither communion with God nor interest in him is he like to turn away Judgement who is every day instrumental in procuring it and who is also to be fuel for the same consuming fire And in respect of men also there is a power over the bodies and estates of men and there is a power over their hearts and in their consciences and such a one God doth give unto gracious Magistrates as we see he gave his people of old as David c. There is a double Image that a Magistrate must bear an Image of God in him as a man as well as upon him as a Magistrate and the heart of men will stoop to them that are such Magistrates Let me tell you It is not a Scepter a Sword nor a Mace a Navy nor an Army that can long govern a Nation An evil heart will destroy a mans wisdom and will blast his government and make it unsuccessful whatever he be though he be never so great a Polititian and never so much admired and cryed up by men yet if he be not a godly man be shall not prosper the Lord was with him and whatever he did he made it to prosper I that is the true ground of all success in government therefore be sure keep your own Vineyard c. But you will say How shall we make our Government prosper Take there directions First keep a good conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in this â—…xercise my self daily saith Paul to keep a conscience void of offence Government is a burdensome thing and therefore it is said that Christ hath the Government upon his shoulders
the poor they are all the work of his hands they shall be all judged alike and shall all stand up alike before the Judgement Seat of Christ distances amongst men may perswade the vain mind of man that there is something that makes them differ but with the Lord it is not so and it is a small thing as well as a vain to profess we know God when in works we deny him And the fruit of all this is that thou maist make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success the words have many efficacies prosperous that is to have all things go well with him and his undertaking to answer his design whereas many times it doth not but the contrary and the counsels of wise men are turned backwards and though they conceive one thing yet another is brought forth it is as the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man that goes well on in his way and it is the same word used Psal 1. Whatsoever he does shall prosper and the other word for good success it doth signifie to do wisely the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viam tuam diriges intelliges eam Jerom. Jerom. Res tanta est ex qua omnis ratio Magistratus bene gerendi pendebat inculcanda est Massius Massius in loc Doctrine The only way for a godly Magistrate to rule wisely and prosperously is in all his government to have respect unto the word and to keep close thereunto First this is the way to walk by an un-erring rule let me tell you the policies of men will deceive you for they do many times deceive themselves the wise are taken in their own craft and burnt as Bees in their own hives and the Devil doth commonly make use of the wisdom of the wise also cupit diabolus c. Satan hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any man can act the Devils lusts but all men cannot understand and reach his depths therefore the Devil will make use of wise men in the world this way but this is a rule in which a man shall never err never miscarry Prov. 19.16 he that keeps the Commandments keeps his soul and as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them it is the way to peace only Secondly this is the only vvay to rule with God Hos 11.12 they rule for God ye Iudge not for men but for the Lord and it is a great happiness to have God rule with them there are tvvo great Judgements that in a special manner vve should fear the one is to have God to depart from our Magistrates and the other from our Ordinances 2 King 18.6,7 Hezekiah clave to the Lord and departed not from him but kept his Commandments so the Lord was with him and he prospered in all things he took in hand every Government doth stand upon a double Covenant First between God and the Magistrate Secondly between the Magistrate and the people 2 King 11.17 between the Lord and the King and the people that they should be the Lords people likewise between the King and the people So that a people coming under the authority of men and obeying them for conscience sake it is still with respect unto the authority of God that they will so be under government as they wil be the Lords people still therefore the care of Magistrates should be not only that they rule in a way of providence Dan. 4.17 but in a way of grace Magnus Caesar sed Deo minor and whilest the Magistrate rules according to the word of God and hath respect to it in his Government so long God rules in and with the Magistrate and therefore all that he doth undertake shall prosper Thirdly this is the only way to have the spirit to be their guide in Government he hath undertaken to his people to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Leader not only as Saints as he is to all the Saints in general but also in their particular places and callings and imployments Ioh. 16.13 he shall lead you into all truth it is not to be understood in omnem veritatem absolute but necessariam all that is necessary to your calling imployments and condition in which he hath set you and where shall a man hear the voice of the spirit speaking but in the word it is in the Sanctuary of the Lord there David found the rule he was shewed the way the way of the spirit is in the word it is the light that shines in a dark place unto which you do well to give heed Fourthly this is the way to come under the favourable aspect of many gracious promises of success and prosperitie in your undertakings and administrations 1 King 2.3 Keep the charge of the Lord thy God his Statutes his Commandments his Judgements his Testimonies that thou mayst prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thy self 2 Chron. 22.13 Only the Lord give thee wisdom that thou mayst keep the Law of the Lord thy God then shalt thou prosper c. 2 Chron. 24.20 Zachary was cloathed with the spirit and he had need be so that speaks to an apostatizing Magistracie and to a revolted and backsliding people and he said that they did transgress the Commandment of the Lord and therefore they could not prosper and Zach. 11.16 there is an Idol Shepherd or a foolish Shepherd it points unto the folly of the Government that was afterward to arise that is when they did forsake the Law of the Lord and what wisdom was there in them then Their Arm their power and authority with the people and their Eye their counsel shall be nothing but they shall err and cause the people to err in every work of their hands the Lord will mingle a perverse spirit upon them c. Use Then surely this is the way for you to prosper and this will be your wisdom in the sight of the Nations to keep close to the word and here I shall exhort you to keep close to the word First in the Doctrine of it Secondly in the worship it holds forth Thirdly in practice First for Doctrine Let the word be alwaies before you that you may receive it and give a testimony to it there is a form of Doctrine a pattern of wholsome words there is a personal foundation and there is a doctrinal foundation Heb. 6.1 Rev. 21.14 which the Saints ought to build upon all the superstructures let them be for clearing the truth and establishing not for subverting of the faith Sit profectus fidei non permutatio under persecution Satan acted another part Cogit homines negare Christum nunc docet Austin Austin Here are three things that I shall speak to First that the great interest Christ hath in the world is Truth First it is that by which Christ rules and conquers Psal 110.2 Rev. 6.2 Secondly it is that upon which the Church stands