times You shall shew your selves the daughters of Sarah if you have such a spirit as Sarah had not to be afraid with any amazement not through your inordinate feare either hinder your selves your husbands or any other in the service of the Lord. If God call you or them to suffer you must not through feare pull backe but go on with courage undauntedly then you are indeed the daughters of Sarah And that a spirit may be put even into women in these times that call for all to be above sinfull feares let them consider these three things First The first time that ever any speaking to God called him by this name the Lord of Hosts it was a woman and that was Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 11. Shee vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt indeed looke on the affliction of thine handmaid c. Secondly One of the principallest Psalms wherin this title of the Lord of Hosts is most magnified is a Psalme tuned to that Musical instrument that virgins and women use to play on from whence the Psalme hath its title A Song upon Alamoth Ps 46. Which is as much as A song upon the Virginals for the Hebrew word comes of a root that signifies to hide and so we formerly made use of it but from thence because Virgins used to be covered and hidden hence Gnalamoth signifies Virgins and here used for the musical instrument of Virgins Virgins and Women it seems had wont to sing this Psal and play to it upon the instrument Now it is supposed that their hearts should be some way sutable to what they sung played here they rejoycingly sing The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge ver 7 And again The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge ver 11. besides other passages yea almost all the same tending this way 3. The most brave expression of a strong valiant spirit triumphing over enemies in time of battel is from a woman Jud. 5. 21. it is the speech of Deborah O my soul thou hast trodden down strength As if she should have said They come with a great deale of strength that they think to prevail with but to me all their strength is but as the dirt in the streets my soul is above it though my body be weak yet O my soul thou hast troden down strength Where have we a braver expression of a more raised spirit either in Scripture amongst any of the Lords valiant ones or in humane story amongst any of the great Captaines and Conquerours that ever were I cannot but repeat it again O my soule thou hast trodden down strength Let not women then so complain of their weaknes as thereby to think to excuse their sinfull feares I will give you a notable speech comming neer this from another woman that Ecclesiasticall story records of one Julitta there are many famous things recorded of her but this speech of hers to other women of her acquaintance is most remarkable Cease to accuse sayes she the fragility of the Foeminine sexe What are not we made of the same matter that men are Yea after Gods Image are we made as wel as they God did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity We are bone of his bone in token we must be strong in the living God If the spirit of The Lord of Hosts were with you even you may daunt your enemies You may make such preparations for your own defence as not to let your lives go at a cheap rate but that the losse of every one of yours may cost the life of one of them at least Even you may cast shame upon them If there were such a spirit in you they would fly before women for their spirits are base and vile If God be the Lord of Hosts if he hath such wonderfull workings of his providence in wars and battels hence in all war and battels there is some speciall thing of God to be looked at Surely this great Lord of Hosts doth not use to raise War to go into the field for nothing there is some great thing aimed at especially where he appears in more then an ordinary way as certainly he doth in these wars of ours We should not hearken after or speake of Warres onely as matter of news but observe what the way of God is in them what his aim looks to in ordering of them what his intentions work at how he brings his own ends to passe furthers his glory by them Whosoever lives to see the issue of these great stirs and warlike commotions amongst us shall see that God had a hand in them to bring great things to passe that the mercy he intended for us was worth all the trouble these have brought upon us yea all the bloud the most precious bloud that hath been shed amongst us God hath many promises to his Churches to accomplish many Prophecies to fulfil many glorious things to declare many mercies for his Saints to bestow these stirs amongst us wil make way for all We have had much mercy from God on free-cost that mercie that is to come it may be is of an higher nature therefore God intends it shall be more costly to us it may cost many of our lives but we or our posteritie shall see that when it comes it wil pay for all That this Lord of Hosts had great thoughts of heart for the good of England when he raised these Civil wars amongst us though it be the sorest judgement yet it may make way to the greatest mercy It is our duty diligently to observe how God works in his Providence to the attaining such ends of his 6. God is The Lord of Hosts Hence know from whence it is that we have enjoyed so much peace as we have with the comfortable fruits of it it is from The Lord of Hosts who hath all power in his hands to keep off or bring war as he pleaseth It it is he alone that hath kept off from us those hideous things others have suffered it is from him that we have not all this while wallowed not sweltred in our bloud that our garments have not been rowled in bloud as our brethrens have but we have enjoyed our houses beds tables wives children we have had all comforts for soule and body about us Micah 4. 4. They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid From whence is this The words following wil tell you The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it The Vines and Fig-trees we have sate under have not beene empty Vines nor barren Fig-trees to us we have not onely had refreshment from the shadow of them but much comfort from the fruit of them It was this Lord that promised to Israel that he would cause their enemies not to desire their land when they went up to Jerusalem to worship What a
becomes of them as if there were no such men and women of resolution like them but in Gods cause they have no such spirit they are far enough from resolutenesse and courage there they are not valiant for the truth as Jer. speaks Chap. 9. 3. But it is our wisdome if we have any metall in us any spirit of courage not to lavish it out in mean and unworthy things in our own causes but to reserve it for God God may call us to such things as we may find need of all the metal and courage we have in our hearts though it were much more then it is When soldiers have but a little powder and feare an enemie they will not spend that they have vainly but keep it till they have use of it they know not what they may need Be not you so presently on fire if you be crossed keep the activity the vigour of your spirits for God for the maintenance of his truth and cause Lastly hee had rather dye honourable then live basely Viri fortis est aut pulchrè vivere aut fortiter mori It is the part of a valiant man either to live honourably or to dye valiantly It was a speech of Cyrus and it was a true one One of the two he will have the world cannot hinder him And as things are now if we venture our estates and lives to preserve Religion Liberties to our selves and our posterity God may and we hope he will give us our lives Religion and Liberties and so we may enjoy them with comfort and honour Of if our estates and lives should be lost suppose the worst they wil be lost honourably The losse of them wil be better then that enjoyment we shall have of them if I may at all call it an enjoyment that wee are like to have of them if nothing now be ventured What will our estates or lives be worth if our Religion be gone faithful Ministers be gone the Saints be fled imprisoned or massacred When our Liberties are gone our Lives then wil hardly be worth the account of the lives of Men much lesse of Christians He must needs be very greedy of a life that desires it upon such terms Wee reade of Anchises Aeneas his father when Aeneas would have saved his life in such a way as he judged not to be honourable he makes this answer to him Absit ut excisa possim supervivere Troja God forbid that I should out-live Troy If it be spoiled what is my life worth Wil our lives be worth the taking up in the streets if we out-live our Religion and Liberties Put all these together and here is a spirit indeed beseeming our relation to this Lord of Hosts Had wee such spirits how comfortably may we passe this our pilgrimage we might goe through all difficulties and oppositions conquering and to conquer The world and devil would have little heart to meddle with us we should free our selves from many temptations we should honour our profession we should do God abundance of service at last have an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ An Army of such soldiers would be the most glorioos sight in the world We reade of the Suns standing stil once and it was to behold the prowesse of Joshua that brave soldier and to enlighten his conquests If ever it stand stil againe it is like it wil be to admire such a glorious sight Let the cosideration of the glory of our God in this his Name teach us to give glory to him for all the good we enjoy by Armies it is all from him He hath of late been exceeding gracious to our Army he shewed himselfe indeed The Lord of Hosts in that batel at Keynton This was the acknowledgment both of General Captains and Souldiers Never lesse of man in such a businesse never more of God The Lord was seen in the Mount He shewed us that it should not be by a multitude that hee would helpe us it was by his spirit comming mightily upon a handful that were left in comparison of the adversaries When the adversary thought yea cryed out the day was theirs God turned it suddenly by a mighty hand O how free is the grace of the Lord to us in this That Scripture Jer. 51. 5. is fully made good to us Israel hath not been forsaken nor Judah of his God of the Lord of Hosts though their land was filled with sin against the Holy one of Israel The fulnesse of sin in us hath not abated the fulnesse of grace in God towards us The Lord is God the Lord is God he is the Lord of Hosts holy and reverent is his Nause There have been times wherein the Lord hath dealt in another manner even with his own people that I may set forth unto you the fulnesse and freenesse of Gods goodnesse to us in our preservation from being delivered up to the rage of vile men I will shew you what the severity of God in this kinde hath been towards his own people who were as worthy of mercy as we We must not think that every particular is to be applyable to us onely in the generall thus far the consideration of the grievous afflictions of the Church formerly sets out Gods goodnes to us in preventing such evils amongst us So that it cannot be said it is with us as it was with them Not long after God had delivered his people out of their Captivity therein fulfilling many gracious promises to them and they being returned built the Temple and the wals of Jerusalem there was a glorious reformation the work of the Lord went on prosperously through many and great difficulties Yet after a little time when Antiochus rose up against them God suffered him to prevaile exceedingly in all his Warlike affaires against them Dan. 8. 9. There came a little horn which waxed exceeding great not onely towards the South and towards the East but towards the pleasant Land that is towards the Land of Judea for indeede it was a pleasant Land The word signifies Decus gloria ornamentum towards the glory and ornament of the whole world So was that Countrey especially in regard the worship of God had beene newly set up againe in that Countrey Yet Antiochus comes against it and waxeth great for a while although at first he was but a little horne for he was a younger brother and had beene a prisoner not long before in Rome but now having got liberty and some command he rageth especially against the people of God ver 10. He waxed great even to the Host of heaven Here the Church is called The Host of heaven howsoever despised by the world yet this Lord of Hosts accounts his Church The Host of heaven and yet Antiochus waxeth great against this We have many through Gods mercy in our Host godly and faithfull but we presume not to give it this title that God gives his people The
out time as much as he could There is a famous story of Pompilius being sent by the Senate of Rome to this Antiochus to declare to him the pleasure of the Senate that he must not goe to Egypt Antiochus now requires time to deliberate but Pompilius makes a circle about him with the staffe he had in his hand and told him he must not goe out of that circle til he had given his absolute answer I or No But Antiochus would faine have put him off with a complement but Pompilius rejects his complement and bids him answer speedily otherwise he knew what to doe These speedy resolutions are of mighty advantage in many of the great affaires of the world esecially when we have to deale with cunning adversaries who lye to catch advantages The Text farther sayes He shall destroy wonderfully he shall make such spoile of faire plentifull countries make such waste where he comes leave all so poore and miserable as will be a wonder for any to see it who knew the Countrey in the plenty and riches of it but a few weeks before he came into it Yea he shall destroy the mighty and the holy people men of brave spirits even gracious godly men and stout valiant men yet they shall fall before him And ver 25. Through his policie also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand If there be any devices shifts cunning underminings any false wayes in the world he will make use of them and he shall get advantage by them and he shall magnifie himselfe in his heart When he hath got an advantage any way by falsifying promises protestations or by what means soever it shall please him at the heart he shall magnifie himself in his very heart and others about him shall puffe him up and seek to magnifie him and by peace he shall destroy many That is 1. By promising peace by treatles of peace they shall think all is well now there will be peace and so being secure he shall come upon them unawares and destroy many Or 2. by peace that is by his prosperity that he shal enjoy all shal account him happy thereby be ready to joyn with him they shal promise to themselves to be delivered from many troubles by comming in to him Surely he will have the better of it it is best for our safety if we would hold our lands and estates to come in joyne with him and thus by his peace he shall destroy many Or 3. In pace in peace Calvin interprets thus In a silent quiet way he shall withdraw himselfe and his Forces there shall not be much noise of him but hee shall weary the Forces of the other and their party and gaine time and advantages of them When he seems to be quiet and comes not against them in a hostile way even then shall he destroy many yea hee shall stand up against the Prince of Princes He shall not acknowledge the Majesty the power of God he shal set himself against those waies of Providence that are apparently against him howsoever he will not see it but then sayes the Text he shall be broken without hand God himself in some wonderfull way that you know not of shall break him when all means faile and all people shall be afraid that all will come to ruine and misery then shall he be broken without hand VVe complaine much of sad things that we suffer but we suffer not such things as the people of God so deare unto him suffered in those times Our sins cry as loud as theirs for the like miseries but God is free in his grace It is from the Lord of Hosts that we are preserved from such fearful evils as these It may be some may say Why are we in any danger of such miseries as the Jews suffered under Antiochus If bloody Papists and cursing and blaspheming Cavaliers might have their wils on us our miseries would soon parallel theirs if not rise above them seeing so many of them are got together and they are growne to such a height in their rage it is onely from this great Lord of Hosts that they break not in upon us as a deluge of the most hideous woes and dreadful miseries that ever befel any Christian Nation upon the face of the earth but blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth Let the Crown of all our mercies and more especially of that great mercy in the late battel be set upon the head of this glorious Lord of Hosts We reade 2 Sam. 12. 27 28. when Joab fought against Rabbah when the work was almost done he sent to David to come and take the City that he might have the glory of it that the Kings Crowne which was of gold and precious stones might be set upon Davids head Although God hath made use of instruments in this great work and due honour is to be given to them yet let the crown of the work be set upon the head of the Lord of Hosts I find in a Treatise of Plutarchs about the evill of taking honour to ones selfe a notable relation of one Pytho who having slaine a great enemie of the countrey whose name was Cotys whilst the officers of the people were striving who should doe him most honour he speaks thus unto them These things some of the gods have done as for us we have but lent our hands to this work It is true the General and many of our Captains and Souldiers have done worthily but it is as true that they have onely lent their hands to this work The Lord of hosts hath done this great thing both for them and us If we would expresse our respects to the General and honour him as he hath deserved in this thing especially we should doe it to speake well of him before this Lord of Hosts and to pray much for him It was a custome among the Romans when a victory was got to use solemne Processions for many dayes together offering Prayers and Sacrifices to their gods in behalfe of their Generall The manner was after the victory to send to the Senate Letters dight with Laurel wherein was required that they would decernere Supplicationes appoint such solemne Supplications for the Generall The conclusion of all is the glory of this great work must stick no where but passe through all to this our strong redeemer the Lord of hosts Let that Doxologie of the Angels Esay 6. 3. be ours this day Holy holy holy Lord of Hosts The whole earth is full of thy glory Let our streets our congregations our families our hearts be now full of the glory of this Holy holy holy Lord of Hosts And thus you have had one part of the glory of this great name of God opened and applyed If you will give me but a little time more I will give you some little glimpse of the other part of this glorious name and wind up all suddenly
Lord Ye shall not goe up to fight against your brethren returne every man to his house The Text sayes They hearkned to the word of the Lord and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord. What a mighty work of God was this what power hath God over the spirits of men yea of the greatest who think it an unsufferable dishonor to be controlled in any thing they have set their hearts upon Rehoboam a wicked man in the heighth of his pride and wrath thus strong apprehending himselfe exceedingly wronged so much of his Kingdome rent from him and there comes onely a poore Prophet and speakes to him in the name of This Lord of Hosts that hee should not fight against his brethren and all is stayed he returnes back again and sits down quiet Oh that now some Prophet of the Lord might have accesse to His Majesty and tell him that hee must not goe this way he doth that he is drawn aside by evill men about him that there is a misunderstanding betweene him and his people that nothing is done by us but according to the minde of God that we doe not endeavour to deprive him of any lawfull power he hath given him by God or man but onely to preserve our lawfull liberties as truly ours as he is born unto the Crown and that we might with peace enjoy the Gospell and serve the Lord and His Majesty in our own Land 11. The providence of God in war is great in removing it from one place to another The Lord of Hosts gives the sword commission to ride circuite from one Land to another Countrey and from one part of a Kingdome unto another Ezech. 14. 17. Or if I bring a sword upon that Land and say Sword goe through the Land so that I cut off man and beast in it The sword hath beene in many parts of our Land already even in the utmost parts Northumberland and Cornwall the two extremities of the Land as Dan and Bersheba in the Land of Canaan Just were it with God to give it commission to goe up and downe in the midst of it yea in great part hee hath done it already and how is it devouring even almost round about us the guilt of the misery our brethren have suffered the guilt of their blood is upon the whole Kingdome in as much as the whole Kingdome hath not risen even as one man to prevent it but wee suffer our brethren in severall places to bee devoured one after another one countrey hopes it will not come there and another countrey hopes it shall escape and in the meane time wee suffer our brethren to bee spoyled Jer. 12. 12. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wildernesse They are come from the Countrey to the City the Countrey is to them but as a wildernesse in comparison of the City For the Sword shall devoure from the one end of the Land to the other no flesh shall have peace Jer. 25. 15. The Lord bade the Prophet take the cup of the wine of his fury and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it God hath given other Nations this cup of his fury France Holland Germany have beene drinking these 24. yeeres Spain Italy have had it a little of the top of it Scotland had we were afraid of it then here and they and we cryed to God If it be possible let this cup of blood passe from us and God in his great mercie caused it to passe from us but it went to our brethren in Ireland they have drunke deepe of it and still are drinking and whether God intends that wee shall drinke the dregs of it we know not wee had neede doe as Christ did in his Agonie Luk. 22. 44. yet pray more earnestly the second and third time If it be possible let this cup of bloud passe from us If an Agony cause Christs spirit to rise in Prayer it should then do ours it is a sad thing to have our spirits heavy dull and strait in such a time as this 12. The work of this Lord of Hosts in Warre is to give wisdome and counsell for the managing of the affaires of it and hee takes away wisdome and counsell when he pleaseth 2 Sam. 22. 35. Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight The same wee have Psal 144. 1. Other Generals have their Councell of War to help them that they may not miscarry in it but this Lord of Hosts gives all the counsell and wisdome from himselfe to all under him And in this there is much of Gods glory Esay 28. 24 25 26 27. The Lord accounts it his glory that hee teacheth the Plowman to plow his ground to sow his seede to thresh his corne his God doth instruct him to discretion the Text sayes much more then is the glory of God in giving wisdome to order and to leade Armies And when the Lord pleaseth he takes away counsail he besots men in their counsails mingles a perverse spirit amongst them befools them he turns their counsails upside downward and insnares them in the work of their own hands This made David pray against the counsaile of Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. 31. O Lord turne the counsail of Achitophel into foolishnesse what counsail that was you may finde 2 Sam. 17. 2. Fall upon him while he is weary and weake This war was raised up against David for his sin and yet God heares Davids prayer against Achitophel The same counsell was given against our Army of late by a great Achitophel when the question was whether they should come to the City or fall upon the Army the counsail cast it upon the Army because they were weary and weake not being together and how hath God turned that counsail into folly it hath bin our safety and preservation but their shame There God wrought for David in that Achitophels counsail was not followed although it was a more politique counsail it had more warlike wisdome in it then Hushaies had but for us God wrought in that Achitophels counsail was followed Thus Isai 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsails of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh are become brutish where are they where are the wise men and again The Princes of Zoan are become fooles Why are the Princes of Zoan so much mentioned there Because Zoan was the Metropolis of Egypt where the great counsail of Egypt was and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof and they have caused Egypt to erre in every worke thereof as a drunkenman staggereth in his vomit Jerom upon the place adds this to expresse the meaning Non solum ebrii sed vomentes furorē draconū furorē aspidum insanabilem not onely drunken but vomiting the fury of Dragons the incurable fury of Aspes And is not this the vomit of our adversaries at this day who are drunke with
to shift out as well as they can for his part he is loth to meddle or stir he may bring himselfe into trouble when he needs not no he will not you cannot bring him to it To such men it may well be said as Moses to the children of Gad and the children of Reuben Numb 32. 6. Shall your brethren goe to war and shall ye sit here Why shall they encounter with dangers and suffer hard things and you sit still and have your ease you may have shifts and pretences for this but to you I say this day as Moses to them ver 23. If ye will not joyne with your brethren behold ye have sinned against the Lord and be sure your sin will find you out 3. A spirit of valour Such a one as is indeed the spirit of a souldier of this Lord of Hosts when hardnesse when troubles come it is able to endure them 2 Tim. 2. 3. As a good souldier of Jesus Christ endure hardnes Many seem to be resolute before troubles come but when they come they cannot bear them Romanū est fortia pati a speech of Mutius Scaevola More true Christianum est fortia pati if part of a Romane to suffer great things much more of a Christian If you be dainty and cannot suffer you are not fit to be a Christian Nimis delicatus es saith Tertullian you are too delicate The Eagle shews the generousnesse of her spirit that though she suffers hunger she will not make a noise as other fowls do when they want meat it is not for a souldier to complain of cold of want of a meale or two of hard lodging c. From this ability of his spirit to endure hardnesse 1. He doth not repent of his engagements of what he hath undertaken or done when he meets with troubles and many sore afflictions in his way as the base spirit of a coward will do That Scripture Exo. 13. 17. is very observable for this God sayes there that he would not lead the people of Israel through the land of the Philistims although that was neare for God said Lest peradventure the people repent them when they see war and return into Egypt God saw they were of a low mean spirit though they groaned under the bondage of Egypt and cryed for deliverance God had delivered them with a mighty hand yet when they met with any danger they would begin to repent that ever they came out of Egypt and wish themselves there again And indeed we find in the History of their being in the Wildernesse that upon every strait they were in they began to murmur and often said Oh that we were in Egypt again But what would they have done then if they had presently met with wars when the Spies told them of the children of Anak that they must fight with When they were even at the borders of Canaan they were disouraged were about making themselves a Captain to return to Egypt These were men of a poore vile spirit hence God sware against them that none of them should ever come into Canaan onely Caleb and Joshua who were men of another spirit as the holy Ghost testifies of them they should go in possesse the land Thus it is this day with us how did we not long agoe groan under our bondage our liberties our religion our estates were almost gone we scarce knew what was our own our Ministers were banished every man that departed from evill made himself a prey superstition oppression cruelty prevailed throughout the Land The whole Kingdome was filled with complaints and sighs and groans by reason of their cruel bondage Vile men were exalted and men of precious spirits were cast out as filth Now when wee knew no means of help but lay down under our burdens and were as a Kingdome devoted to misery then did the Lord appeare in a glorious manner when he saw there was no man that would stand up and help Nay such was the malady as it seemed even to be past help The Lords owne arme hath brought salvation never did God more wonderfully appeare for a nation then he hath done for us strange have the workings of the Lord bin and behold how great a deliverance hath he wrought and he hath given an opportunity to this Kingdom to deliver it self fully if we have hearts the thing is soon done But now because some troubles arise because we see war in our gates how vile unworthy are the spirits of many they begin to wish themselves to be as formerly they would rather return into Egypt again we were better be as we were we were not wont to hear the beatings of the Drum the noise of the Cannon the ratling of warlike instruments amongst us 2. This strength of spirit doth so support him under the heaviest sorest afflictions that he will never seek to deliver himself out of them by forsaking the cause of God or using any shifting indirect means but as Paul told those officers that were sent from the Magistrates of Philippi to fetch him out of prison Acts 16. 35 36 37. They have cast us into prison let them come themselves and fetch us out in this Paul shewed what a spirit he had he stood upon an honourable way of deliverance the same doth every true souldier of Christ stand upon God himself hath brought me into affliction now temptation shewes some back door to get out of it slily Nay saies a spirit of courage certainly I will never go out that way let the Lord come himself and fetch me out Fourthly A spirit beseeming the childe of this great Captain aims at doing great things for God and enjoying great things from God although with hazard of great troubles and afflictions rather then will sit down with small things that are to be done or enjoyed with ease and safety sometimes God hath high things of great consequence to bring to passe rich glorious mercies for his Churches but great difficulties must be passed through to reach these Men of low and meane spirits look upon them as things above them and so they mind them not much they had rather satisfie themselves in lower meaner things so they may have ease and not hazard present comforts It is otherwise with a true raised spirit that hath courage and magnanimity in it such an one rejoyceth in Gods highnes as we have the expression Isay 13. 3. I have commanded my sanctfied ones I have also called my mighty ones even them that rejoyce in my highnesse If God hath high things to accomplish these Sanctified ones mighty ones will rejoyce in this highnesse of God contrary to that spirit of Issachar of whom Gen. 49. 14 15. Issachar is a strong Asse couching down betweene two burthens and he saw that rest was good and the Land that it was pleasant and bowed his shoulder to beare and became a servant to tribute He was loath to hazard his peace hee had good farms a fat soile
earth With what infinite indignation must God needs look upon such vile wormes who dare resist such a glorious Majesty as he is God can but speak to any humour of thy body and it shall make thee lye roaring out in anguish and grievous torture thy life shall be more bitter then death unto thee This God may give commission to the next crumbe of bread and it shall choak thee and send thee down to hell God himselfe is against thee he walks contrary to thee in all his Attributes The swords point of his infinite Justice is at thine heart All the creatures of God stand ready armed against thee and would fly upon thee if God did but give out the word The Angels stand prepared Lord shall but one of us goe and cut off that wretch who dares presume to blaspheme thy name to lift up himselfe against thee As Abishai said to David 2 Sam. 16. 9. Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the King let me goe and take off his head The Ayre cryes Lord shall I conveigh infection into his body and poyson him The Water Shall I stop his breath The Fire shall I seize on him and burne him The earth Shall I open and swallow him up The beasts of the field Shall we run upon him and tear him Thy meat thy drink Shall we choak him or be bane to him Thou art in the midst of Gods Hosts compassed about on every side 1 Chron. 13. 14. When Judah looked back behold the battel was before and behind and they cryed unto the Lord. Look about thee oh distressed soule and see the Hosts of the Lord before thee and behind thee and cry to the Lord. Certainly there is no creature neere thee but thou hast cause to looke upon it with a shaking heart thou knowest not but that it may be thy ruine sent of God to cut thee off that thou mightest go to thine owne place Certainly it cannot be but ere long some creature or other will break in upon thee and be an executioner of Gods wrath upon thee if not prevented by thy repentance When God awakens a guilty conscience every creature is terrible to it the wrath of God is seene in the face of every creature Cain cryes out Every one that meets me will kill me Why Who was there in the world then to kill him not many besides his father and mother and yet every one will kill him especially if it be some extraordinary work of God in the heavens or seas or elsewhere as in extreame thunder stormes and tempests or the like how terrible is that to such a conscience as to Caligula and others The Prophet Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant to see Gods Hosts about him to deliver him from feare my prayer is that God would open thine eyes that thou mayst see Gods Hosts about thee that thou mayst feare if thy eyes were open it would be with thee as it was with those who came there against Elisha when their eyes were opened they saw themselves in the midst of Samaria in the midst of their enemies Certainly so long as God is thine enemy all creatures in heaven earth are thine enemies Wherefore consider how unable thou art to stand out against this glorious God lay down thy weapons of enmity cry out bitterly of thy desperate folly make it thy great work above all things in the world to make up thy peace with him God yet offers mercy to thee as Alexander did those he warred against while the Lamp burned If they staid untill it was out there was nothing but bloud expected The Lamp of thy life is stil burning come in that thy soule may live There is no standing out against this God he will have glory from thee in spight of thy heart FINIS A briefe Answer to Doctor Fernes Booke tending to resolve Conscience about the Subjects taking up of Arms. By JER BURROUGHES THere came to my hand a Book of D. Fern tending to resolve Conscience in the case of the Subjects taking up Armes I find it carryed on without giving any ill termes but in saw expressions sutable to a Treatise that concernes Conscience and the more likely to prevail with it Onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth I shall very briefly yet faithfully give you the strength of it Where he speakes right I will acknowledge it and where he mistakes I will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise I confesse he hath great advantage in the subject because it is for the King 1. Because it is safer to plead for the King though a man mistakes but if there be a mistake in lessening the Kings right a man endangers his utter undoing 2. Truth about this argument hath alwayes been tenderly handled those who have pleaded for the King have with courage vented themselves to the utmost but others have been forced to be silent or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out lest they presently meet with not arguments but things of another nature to answer them In which regard the power of Kings hath been raised to the height and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them as they have heard confidently affirmed practised and seen in Books and feeled by many taxations and censures but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke not daring to appeare Therefore well might the D. call what now people begin to heare and enquire after a new doctrine it is an old truth but newly discovering it self The name of King hath taken such impression in the hearts of people that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power or maintaining our right against it What there is in the Epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience will be answered in what follows Preamble to SECT I. SO many good people that are come to a sense of Religion and godlinesse are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the Parliament c. to be infallibly true and just It seems those who have not a sense of Religion do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the Parliament This is most certaine who are hardest to beleeve what the Parliament sayes but Papists and notorious blasphemers and prophane livers I condemne not all but compare the generality of the one side and of the other you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one from the lives of the other Yea so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane or loose at least or zealous for ceremonies he was accounted a Puritan so now a Round-head that is in their ordinary interpretation one for the Parliament If it be said This is because Religion is pretended on the Parliaments side So it is on the other with as loud a cry