when he came to destroy her Had Zimri Peace who slew his Master 2 King 9.31 And to this purpose also speaketh the Prophet Isaiah where he saith Esay 57. ult There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked Reas 3 Because of the great Benefits both Temporall and Spirituall which the blessing of Peace unto us produceth Temporall In the time of Peace men may follow the ordinary workes of their particular callings without molestation or interruption whereby worldly wealth may be attained which through Gods blessing upon it may be for the comfort of our selves whilst we live and the benefit of our families when we are dead Spirituall In the time of Peace the Temples of Gods may be freely frequented the holy Communions reverently received Opportunity had to hearken to the word preached Leisure also to read pray and meditate upon the sacred Scriptures all tending to the salvation of the Soule in the world to come Whereas if there be dissention and War then the offices of husbandry and all profitable callings are neglected corne and grasse are spoiled houses fired women ravished all holy duties through fear of the Enemies violence omitted whereby prophanenesse and barbarisme commeth to prevaile to the ruine of the body and the destruction of the Soule All which are answerable to that Expression Concordia res parvae crescunt discordia dilabuntur By Concord small things grow great but by discord great things are soone wasted and brought to nothing Loe thus beloved I have apparently proved unto you that Peace is a sweet Blessing a Blessing of Blessings yea and as considerable a gift as any of those that descend from above And thus I passe from the Reasons of the Observation to the Application The Uses of this point are briefely foure viz. 1. Vse of Caution 2. Vse of Instruction 3. Vse of Exhortation 4. Vse of Thankefulnesse Caution Vse 1 IS it so then that Peace is a pretious Blessing of God well deserving the prayers of his faithfull servants Oh then let us all beware and take heed that we violate not that Peace which God is pleased to bestow upon us by sowing the seedes of discord and kindling the coales of dissention in those places where it is Eph. 4.3 But doe our best endeavour to preserve the same and to keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace That so we may be in a capacity to live comfortably in this world and also prepare our selves to live joyfully in the world to come And therefore Pray for the Peace c. Instruction Vse 2 TO teach us to lay the foundation of this Blessing of Peace above with God Wouldest thou be at peace with all men and that all men should be at peace with thee then be thou carefull that thy conversation displease not God that he may be at peace with thee who hath all power when he pleaseth to turne the hearts of all men in the world against thee Wouldest thou be at peace with the Creatures Iob 5.23 and have a league made with the stones of the field and the beasts of the field Then be thou at one with their Creator whose hosts they are to destroy thee at his pleasure For the creatures are all armed against him who by sinne taketh up armes against their Creator Doest thou desire to have inward Peace in thy Heart and Conscience whereby to strengthen thy Heart and comfort thy Conscience in thy inward conflicts and Spirituall combats against the filthy lusts of the Flesh that they infect thee not the inticing allurements of the world that they deceive thee not and the subtile suggestions of the Devill that they destroy thee not whereby thy pretious soule maugre all Malignity may be safely preserved from Infection Deception and Destruction Then thou must list thy selfe under the PRINCE of Peace become a dutifull and faithfull servant unto his Commands and a magnanimous and valiant Souldier for to fight couragiously under his Banner Wouldest thou have all opposite power against thee subdued under thee and thine enemies to become thy friends then let thy wayes please the Lord. In a word Wouldest thou enjoy prosperity then acquaint thy selfe with God Iob 22.21 make peace and thou shalt have prosperity And labour speedily to become a Childe of the Church Esa 54.13 for much peace shall be to her Children Also delight thy selfe in the law of God Psal 1.2 3 4. Object But none have more peace in this world then the wicked man he prospereth in the world and all things goe well with him even according to his hearts desire David is hunted like a Partridge upon the mountaines 1 Sam. 26.20 while Saul and divers others joyfully pursue him expecting his ruine Hezekiah liveth in pensivenesse 2 King 18. while Rabshakeh raileth blasphemously against him at his pleasure Lazarus lieth at the rich mans gate in a pittifull condition Luk. 16. while the rich man himselfe is at ease and swimmeth in the confluence of outward good things The Jewes are sorrowfully captivated in Babylon Psal 130.7 while their reprochfull Enemies insultingly and triumphantly over them are glad and rejoyce The Israelites are vassalized Exod. 5. being oppressed with heavy burthens in Aegypt while Pharaoh and the Aegyptians live in jollity and plot greater mischiefe against them And are there not also at this day here in England amongst our selves many living in great want and poverty Godly Religious indigent and poore persons living in great want and poverty whose hunger-starved Skelleton-like bodies are as it were Anatomized dead Corpses while their Soules are still remaining in them lying under the heavy pressures and intollerable burthens imposed upon them the which have been unto many who lately have departed this present life no lesse bitter then Death it selfe whose blood I am perswaded like that of Abels cryes up into heaven for vengeance to descend upon those their unnaturall cruell and mercilesse oppressours the Lord in mercy towards our English Nation speedily put a period to this Evill amongst us Whereas there are also amongst us many godlesse gracelesse and vicious persons Psal 73.7 whose eyes swell with fatnesse and they doe even what they lust fatting themselves without Repentance against the day of slaughter posting in the way that leads to the Land of everlasting darkenesse and yet prosper in the world enjoying for the present abundance of worldly wealth Peace and prosperity Loe the consideration of this seemingly prosperous strange condition exceedingly troubled the Prophet Jeremiah Ier. 12.1 2 O Lord saith he if I dispute with thee thou art righteous yet let me talke with thee of thy just judgements wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper why are all they in wealth that rebelliously transgresse Thou hast planted them and they have taken root they grow and bring forth fruit thou art neere in their mouth and far from their reines And this also greatly grieved the Prophet
of God Let us all therefore in Gods feare to whom God hath given a greater Talent of knowledge then to others deale with their souls as holy Job did with infirmed bodies who was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame Iob. 29.15 Labour to make the deafe to heare the ignorant to understand That so we may strengthen the weake armes and feeble knees in the service of God and bring home those weake and blind Wanderers into the sheep-fold of Christ Reprehension Vse 3 TO Reprove all those persons that take a quite contrary course who instead of stirring up others to the practise of holinesse and piety they provoke them to profanenesse and impiety Who pray over daily the black-booke of damnation that say one to another Prov. 1.11 Come with us let us lay wait for blood let us lurke privily for the innocent without a cause Or with those Epicures that say one to another Wis 2.6 7 8 9. Come and let us enjoy the pleasures that are present c. But those beastly belly-Epicures rest not themselves satisfied with this their voluptuous living frequenting the Schools of Drunkennesse and Temples of Bacchus and putting in practice Sardanapalus Epitaphe Ede bibe lude post mortem nulla voluptas Eate drinke and be merry for after death there is no pleasure But they goe one step farther in their impiety reviling righteous men for not runing into the same excesse of riot with themselves Vers 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Come say they let us defraud the righteous man for he is not for our profit he is contrary to our doings He checketh us for offending against the Law and blameth us as transgressors of discipline c. But will you read the doome of those men by their owne confession in their mentall alteration justifying others whom they have condemned and condemning themselves whom they have justified Then shall the righteous man stand with great boldnesse before the face of him that hath tormented him Wis 5.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. and taken away his labours c. Certainely beloved if they that doe their best to convert soules and draw them to the service of God shall shine like stars in the firmament of heaven Dan. 12.3 then they that make it their worke to pervert soules and seduce them shall shine too But not as stars in the firmament of heaven above but as firebrands in the region of darkenesse and shaddow of death in hell beneath And therefore woe will it be with all such persons at the last judgement day Consolation Vuse 4 TO comfort the hearts of all those who have been diligent in the conversion of the soules of others Cheere up thy heart my beloved brother for there are degrees of glory in heaven and the greater number thou doest convert and bring to the true knowledge of God here upon earth the greater degree of glory shalt thou have hereafter in heaven Almighty God is a bountifull Benefactor his service never goeth unrewarded He seeth in secret Mat. 6.4 and will reward his servants openly Loe this S. Paul knew right well the which caused him rejoycingly to say I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to them also that love his appearing And therefore up and be doing 2 Chron. 19. 1 Cor. 15 58. and the Lord will be with thee and thy labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. Thus much for the Particle or Interjection O which stands here in the Front of our Text as a patheticall Preface to some ensuing weighty Declaration not onely craving our diligent attention but also our best assistance for our Mother the Churches Consolation O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And thus having passed through the Portch let us now enter into the Temple The next considerable in our Text is the exhortary Christian Religious Duty set downe in this word Pray O Pray From which word you may remember the Doctrine Doct. Prayer to God is the onely salve to cure calamity and to continue the favour of God unto his people O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem By Prayer I do not meane after the manner of Rhetoricians an Order of speech throughly laboured by art which the Graecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but I meane according to Divinity a holy speech or talke with God not so much of the mouth as of the heart which also in other termes according to the Originall of the New Testament we call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est invocare implorare to call upon and to request quod propriè de eo dicitur qui in periculo constitutus Dei subsidium cum clamore petit which is properly spoken of him who being in danger desireth the helpe of God with a crying out Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro toto Dei cultu accipitur hence by a Synecdoche it is taken for the whole worship and service of God Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Act. 2.21 Whereby S. Peter teacheth that Prayer is the remedy to avoid the wrath of God and to obtaine Salvation The severall parts or kinds of prayer are foure 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deprecatio whereby we desire the aversion of present punishment or imminent evill 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Petitio whereby we desire those things that make for the glory of God and the benefit of our selves 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intercessio whereby we intercede mediate for others Acts 12.5 as the Church did for Peter when he was in prison 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est gratiarum actio wherein we give thankes unto God for benefits bestowed both upon our selves and others All which foure parts or kinds of Prayer are set downe in one Verse by S. Paul to Timothy I exhort therefore 1 Tim. 2.1 that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men But beloved if thus I should handle this word Prayer Common-place way then should I walke in so large a path as would tire your patience and therefore for brevity sake I shall herein reduce my self unto these two particulars together with the Reasons of the Doctrine and the Application viz. 1. Orationis Necessitas 2. Orationis Dignitas 1. The Necessity of Prayer 2. The Dignity of Prayer And upon these two considerations as upon the two wings of Prayer I desire your soules may flye aloft unto the hill of the Almighty O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And First for the Necessity of Prayer Certainly a great Necessity of Prayer lyeth upon every one of the sons of Adam whose whole composition is nothing else but wants and
Hosts Iosh 1.2 Rev. 19.16 who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords had this exhortation from the Lord annexed unto it with a gratious promise unto his proceedings Iosh 1.8 Let not this booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good successe The which is recorded and still remaineth in force for succeeding Ages Hence then All Souldiers should learne that in all their Military Actions they ought to make the word of God to be their guide for the Omniscient and Omnipotent God is the great and universall Warriour of the whole world He it is who directeth every Bullet Sword Speare and Dart to the Person appointed And wherefore it commeth to passe that in the Battell some are wounded some out-right killed and some escape untouched is a secret lockt up in the bosome of God and therefore not to be pried into by the sons of men Every Souldier that putteth himselfe into Military service and doth execution upon others ought to have in his heart zeale for the glory of God without any by-ends or sinister-respects of his owne unto himselfe otherwise he is a Murtherer in the sight of God For the Lord saith by his Prophet Hoseah Hos 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu That is I will be revenged upon Jehu for the blood that he shed in Jezreel for although God stirred him up to execute his judgements upon wicked persons yet he did that Military service for his owne Ambition thereby to satisfie the lusts of his owne proud heart and not for the glory of God The word there in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth bloods intimating thereby to the world that the blood of every particular person that hath been so shed by a party not so qualified shall be reputed as Murther in the sight of God Oh then let every Souldier seriously examine his owne heart in what condition he standeth whether he be justly acquitted for what he hath done in that nature or standeth guilty as a Murtherer in the sight of God Object But happily some Souldier may here say in defence of himselfe who hath not chiefely and zealously aimed at the glory of God in the passages of his hostile service I have beene pressed to this service against my will and that which I have done in any Battell was but in mine owne defence and therefore if I have slaine any the guilt of that blood will lye upon those that compelled me so to doe my selfe shall be acquitted of it and they themselves responsible for it but howsoever I know assuredly that the Lawes of the Land can lay no hold upon me for it Answ Although thou maiest have security given thee from all Temporall Lawes and freedome from all corporall punishments yet notwithstanding Murther is such a cruell bloody hainous and horrible sinne as that the guilt thereof will continually wound thy Conscience and constantly will follow thee at the heeles as the Jaylor doth his Prisoner ever stinging vexing troubling and tormenting thee at the inevitable remembrance of the righteous judgements and just vengeance of the all-powerfull revenging God unto which by the sinne of Murther thou hast made thy selfe lyable every houre untill thou doest truly throughly and heartily repent thee of it And therefore whosoever thou art that takest upon thee the honourable calling of a Souldier examine thy condition by the word of God viz. The justice of thy cause the willingnesse of thy heart the lawfulnesse of thy calling the readinesse of thy obedience to Gods commands as to strike when he biddeth and to forbeare when he forbiddeth Have regard unto this I humbly pray thee as also not to Rob nor Plunder nor Kill nor fight but against a lawfull Enemy ever remembring and constantly practising that Religious exhortation of Moses Deut. 23.9 unto Souldiers when they goe to War When the Hoaste goeth forth against the enemies then keepe thee from every wicked thing And so shall thy service bring glory to God Credit to thy Person and comfort to thy Conscience And as Souldiers in a skirmish if they keepe not Ranke and File they will be in danger of their bodies destruction So in like manner if Souldiers observe not these Rules they will be in danger of perishing their Soules But alas all Souldiers observe not these Rules for many times in the Wars there is Gaine instead of Godlinesse Courage instead of Equity Blood-thirstinesse instead of Valour Policy instead of Justice and which is also greatly to be lamented in many Souldiers no Religion for seldome doe they pray till they be in danger of Death And yet how carefull ought they to be to have grace in their hearts who carry as it were their lives continually in their hands But O how defective are many of them of what they ought to be being full of fierce fury enraged Violence cruell Hatred cursed covetousnesse thievish Plundering swinish Drunkennesse beastly Whoredome abhominable Oathes horrid Blasphemies hellish Curses impure Discourses terrible Threatnings false Accusations filthy Communications c. The consideration whereof greatly grieveth the soules of Consciencious men and frequently maketh their hearts to tremble within them Can such irregular Souldiers to the Lawes of God hopefully expect in mercy a Blessing from God upon their Military Designes and Actions Certainely no but rather in judgement fear a Curse where by there shall be to themselves nothing but Ruine Confusion And therefore I heartily wish that all Souldiers would henceforth carry themselves in all their thoughts words and Warlike Actions so Religiously towards God as that they may be constantly in favour with him and consequently have him for their Protectour in their greatest danger and not resolutely to follow the wicked wayes and leud lusts of their owne corrupted hearts to the great dishonour of God in this world and the everlasting and just condemnation of their owne soules in the world to come But here peradventure some may Object Object We fight for the maintenance and continuance of the Protestant Religion Unto which I answer Answ Religion as it is in truth and sincerity is highly and greatly to be esteemed being a Divine honouring of God according to his holy will revealed in his word but woe and alas may we all justly cry out as it hath beene formerly so it is now in these disasterous dayes especially the delusive specious Pretence the deceitfull dangerous Masker and the dazling golden outside of all Rebellion And to the great griefe both of our Dread Soveraigne and all His faithfull Subjects the very Load-stone to draw and attract the Iron hearts of many thousands of this Kingdome into unnaturall unchristian and horrid Rebellion against all just Regall and lawfull Authority Under
Peace as we desire yet to rejoyce in it and to be heartily thankfull to God for it The Motives hereunto are many but I shall onely and briefly declare Six Motives Motive 1 BEcause of the Effects which Thankfulnesse produceth viz. it doth not onely retaine Gods favour for the present but also moveth him to bestow his Blessings upon us for the time to come So that Thankfulnesse for present Peace may not onely continue it to us as it is for the present but also for our greater comfort increase it for the future You know beloved that Thankfulnesse even Inter homines amongst men is not onely a meanes still to retaine their former Favours but also to purchase the fruites of their future Affections Now if Policy amongst men produceth this gratefull Effect ought not then Religion towards God to work it in us much more Certainly yea Oh then let us not be like those nine unthankfull healed Lepers in the Gospell who returned no thanks unto Jesus for healing their infirmity But let us be like the Tenth of that company that good Samaritane who thankfully for his cure turned back and fell on his face at Jesus feet and with a loud voice praised God Luke 17.15.16 Motive 2 Because it is Gods owne Injunction to his people Deut. 8.10 When thou hast eaten and filled thy self thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee And Psal 50.15 Call upon me saith God in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt praise me Then contrarywise not to be thankfull is to disobey God and consequently to contemne his Command What Doth God Command and shall not man Obey Oh what is Impotent Man the Creature that he should oppose the Omnipotent God his Creator The Larkes and other little sensitive Birds that fly in the Aire doe after a sort in their language sing praises to their Maker And shall rationall Men whom God hath indued with understanding be more remisse in performing their Duty then they Let all Ingratefull men then blush for shame that those little sensitive Creatures should transcend them And learne to be more thankfull for blessings received and to make God the Object of their praises for the time to come Motive 3 Compare our present condition in this Land with other Countries beyond the Seas which have been visited with greater desolations and destructions then we our selves as yet have been So that their Wives like those of this Land are not onely Widdowes and their Children Fatherlesse but also their Cities Townes and Villages sacked and burned their Women ravished their Virgins defloured their Infants rosted their Goods plundred their Cattell destroyed and Country wasted So that by reports a man may travell many miles before he shall meet with any person for his travells farther direction or visibly discerne for his hungry and thirsty bodies repose and present refection a place of repast and supplying Habitation So that those places that formerly have been habitations for Christians are now become Nests for wild Birds Dens for favage Beasts and Receptacles for Toads Adders Snakes Serpents and such like Vermine Oh then what great cause have we to magnifie God that we are not as yet in their condition Motive 4 Consider what we are in our personall walking towards God even dissolute in our deportments and desperate Rebels against his Lawes Alas Beloved what are we but the spurious off-spring of our unhappy Progenitors from whose loynes we are polluted with originall cursed corruption which hath contaminated all the powers and faculties of our soules and defiled all the parts and members of our bodies and we have and still doe daily bring forth the fruits thereof in our conversations So that we justly deserve even present destruction And there is nothing but the free bountifull goodnesse and the admirable unparalleld longanimity of our gracious God that restraines his destroying Angel from seizing upon us to our utter confusion And have we not great cause then to praise him for our peaceable Preservation Motive 5 Let us reflect into our selves recollect our thoughts and seriously consider what we have deserved at Gods hands if he should enter into Judgement with us and deale in Justice against us Loe then we could looke for nothing but all manner of temporall punishments in this World and everlasting burnings in the World to come In which never-dying flames Cursings should be our Himnes and Howlings our Tunes Blasphemies our Ditties and Lacrymies our Notes Lamentations our Songs and Shreekings our Straines These should be our morning and evening yea mourning Songs there Moab should cry out against Moab Father against Sonne and Sonne against Father that ever he begat him And those infernall Torments should be unto us both Endlesse Easelesse and Remedilesse not onely for a Thousand yeares but also unto all Eternity Oh let us all then consider the mercifull dealing of our gracious God towards us in this Condition who still suffers us to live in this time of Grace and also in the bosome of the Church from whence the light of Truth shines most splendidly unto us and doth out of his goodnesse toward us suspend his Judgements from us and gives us time to repent of our Wickednesse and to cry unto him for the pardon of our Sinnes that so we may escape those intollerable Punishments which by our sinnes we have deserved Whereas it had beene just with God that our Bodies should long agoe have beene laid in their Graves and the Wormes gnawing upon them and our Soules cast into Hel-fire and the Devils tormenting of them What great cause then have we to magnifie God for giving us so gracious an Opportunity untill this Moment whereby we may endeavour our selves by Humiliation to pacifie Gods displeasure and have him become a reconciled Father to us in Jesus Christ Motive 6 Thankfulnesse to God hath ever beene the Practice of the Saints of God for all the Benefits he hath bestowed upon them whereof our selves can speake experimentally the blessng of Peace is not the least Noah after his deliverance from the Flood Gen. 8.20 built an Altar to the Lord in thankfulnesse and offered burnt offerings upon the Altar Abrahams servant when he found experimentally that the Lord had prospered his journey Gen 24.48 blessed the Lord for guiding him in his way Isaack Gen. 26.25 built an Altar to the Lord in Beersheba for his Blessings and there he called upon the name of the Lord. Moses and the people of Israel sang praises to God for their deliverance from Pharaohs fury And the Forme of their Thanksgiving was this Exod. 15.1 2 3. I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he overthrowne in the Sea The Lord is my strength and praise and he is become my salvation He is my God and I will prepare him a Tabernacle He is my Fathers God and I will exalt him
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
peradventure that Consideration might have been as a Bridle to have restrained them viz. the outward just disgraceing and due deserved publique vilifying of their Reputations and Persons after the pestilent Perpetration of such Treacherie though never so eminent in the eyes and esteeme of others before the Discoverie the inward discontentments and vexations of Minde deeply wounding themselves with the unappeaseable Horrour of their guilty Consciences which will continually gripe gnaw and terrifie them unlesse they be cauterized but most of all the everlasting Damnation of both their Bodies and Soules for ever to the darke and unconceiveable tormenting Pit of eternall Perdition the which without true Repentance will at the last Judgement day certainly be their Portion Oh! that such guilty Persons had timely layd to heart even in those their daies the Felicity of Fidelity and the Misery of Treachery so might they faithfully have performed their loyall Promises which might have conduced to their owne both Temporall and Eternall Peace but woe and alas the former of these is to them already past and God grant the latter be not too late I shall not censuring charitably doome such guilty Persons being Selfe-servers for such their treacherous black-Workes to the Land of Eternall Darkenesse for so to doe farre transcends both the Power and Knowledge of any Mortall but I will speake both of them and to them by way of Interrogation for their present Convincement and future Animadversion What could seeming-loyall Subjects deale thus disloyally with their King Did He preferre them to honourable Places above others depending upon their Fidelitie and have they requited His loving Kindnesse with no lesse then damnable Treacherie Were they so farre intrusted by Him and have they dealt thus deceitfully with Him Did they pretend themselves as faithfull Friends to helpe Him and have they proved His perfidious Enemies for to hurt Him Oh treacherous Dealing This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed Simulatio ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Occultatio judicii Malum sub specie boni celatum It is Iniquitie in a Mysterie even masked Vngodlinesse a Thes 2.7 Et dum non cognoscitur non cavetur and being in their blacke Breasts not descried it could not be declined The which treacherous Iniquitie being most detestable abominable and double Impietie cryeth aloud in the Eares of God for Vengeance to fall upon the pernitious Perpetrators thereof I greatly tremble at the serious Consideration hereof and therefore let none that are guilty herein falsly flatter themselves in their corrupt hearts with deceitfull hopes of perpetuall Impunity for assuredly such Hypocriticall Treacherous Malefactors for such their Notorious Perfidious and cursed Malefactorship cannot without great Repentance escape the heavy Wrath and just Judgement of the sin-punishing just-revenging righteous God but it will follow after them overtake them and seize upon them to their Destruction Fidelitie and Treacherie are ever at Enmitie they are like two great Warriours in one and the same Heart stisly striving violently opposing and fiercely fighting against each other for Mastery And as they are Heterogenean in Conditions so in like manner as they prevaile they produce contrary Effects viz. Fidelitie Joy and Comfort But Treacherie Sorrow and Terrour As for Example Fidelitie seeketh no Corners but shineth splendidly as the bright Beames of the glorious Sunne in the firmament of Heaven at Noone-day when he is in his chiefest Brightnesse fullest Splendor and greatest Luster to the great comfort of the Actors thereof and all others concerned therein But Treacherie lyeth in Obscuritie ever fearing the Light and alwaies trembling at the remembrance of the Touch-Stone of Truth the which may not unfitly be compared to that thicke blacke tangible Aegyptian-Darkenesse sent as a Punishment upon Pharaoh for his Disobedience Exod. 10.21.22 The sharpe Smart whereof hath lately beene bitterly felt by too many thousands in this our Kingdome to the great terrour of Conscience to the Committers thereof and sorrowfull utter Ruine of many others thereby Fidelitie desireth heartily though it be to her Hinderance the full performance of that Trust reposed in her but Treacherie laboureth craftily for her owne Advantage to falsifie her Promise to those that intrusted her Fidelitie wisheth lovingly the wel-fare of others as well as her owne but Treacherie endeavoureth secretly but onely for her owne safety not careing for the Ruine of all others Fidelitie being rightly principl'd is syncerely guided by the blessed Spirit of God who is the King of Glory and he sweetly affects her and lovingly leads her in the delightfull and pleasing Paths of Obedience Truth and Righteousnesse and at the End of this World he will certainely remunerate her with the full Fruition of Eternall Happinesse but Treacherie being falsly grounded is corruptly guided by the cursed Spirit of the Devill who is the Prince of Darkenesse and he leads her on blindly in the deceitfull Wayes of Disobedience Errour and Unrighteousnesse and for her sinfull Service he will surely reward her at the End of this mortall Life with the bitter and cursed Wages of Everlasting Death Fidelitie Larke-like rejoyceth at the Light and desireth to be publiquely Exemplary to all others singing praises to God with a comfortable Conscience because her workes are wrought in God but Treacherie Batte-like being an uncleane Bird flyeth not abroad but onely in Darkenesse Lev. 11.19 desiring no Notice to be taken of her for when once the Light approacheth she keepeth her selfe close in a Corner as not daring to appeare in the Light of Truth because her Workes are not wrought in God but onely by the Subtilty Instigation and Power of the Devill Loe thus we evidently see that there is as great an Antipathie Contrarietie Disparitie Difference between FIDELITIE and TREACHERIE as is between Light and Darkenesse Truth and Errour Obedience and Rebellion Peace and Warre Life and Death Heaven and Hell God and Satan So that no marvell although our perplexed Kingdome be at this day so greatly divided having lately had therein the damnable Sinne of Treacherie so frequently practiced Those that have done such treacherous Workes may justly challenge to themselves their due deserved Wages which Workes of Treacherie must have the Wages of Iniquitie the which Saint Paul expresseth in that Theologicall Aphorisme of his to the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. ult Death temporall to the Body in this life and without repentance Death eternall to both Body and Soule in the life to come And therefore now as a spirituall Physitian for the speedy and perfect Curing of sicke fore and wounded Englands great Distractions and manifold Distempers my Soule sincerely desireth and Heart also earnestly wisheth as a Christian sensible and sorrowfull Sympathizer of Englands wofull Distresses that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong Omnipotent God would Graciously be pleased in much Mercy and tender Compassion towards this bleeding sinfull English-Nation for to set
my boldnesse and to accept the minde of the Offerer accept also the Booke offered if not for the Authour of the Booke yet for the Authour of the Text and those necessary things contained therein being pertinent to these present times And thus fearing to hinder the course of your Honours more serious cogitations in all humility I take my leave heartily desiring Almighty God that when the last Period of your mortall life shall present it self you may looke Death in the face without Dread the Grave without Feare the Lord Jesus with Comfort and Jehovah blessed for ever with everlasting joy Your Honours in all duty to be commanded John Tarlton To the Christian Reader Gentle Reader ALthough the writings of all men that are presented unto the publique view are arraigned at the Barre of each Readers understanding and sometimes the Authors thereof too rashly censured by Polipragmaticall Over-curious and Criticall persons yet this should be no Obstacle to hinder the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell from doing their best endeavours as well by writing as by preaching to build up the Church of Christ This Booke although it treateth of the miseries of Wars and also of the Members of Christs Church yet it medleth not at all with any Controversies in the Church or any thing in the state Ecclesiasticall but onely for the good of Christs Church in a patheticall way imploreth our constant assistance by the practice of Prayer on her behalfe as the great prevailing Ordinance of God for the curing of all her distempers and putting a Period to all her distractions wherewith at this present she is greatly disquieted As for carping and censorious Criticks I care not to satisfie them my desire is to convince the Wicked to comfort the Godly being afflicted to edifie the Conscience and increase the Vnderstanding And if herein thou either finde any thing amisse or thy self not fully satisfied in particular then I pray thee remember what is the Lot of the most Learned mens Workes even to be left after a sort naked and imperfect for every one that is mortall knoweth but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 I crave thy charitable construction of my poore Endeavours being willing to be convinced and reformed read them impartially and those truths therein contained practice them both speedily and profitably give God the glory thereof and much Benefit and comfort may thy soul receive thereby The blessed spirit of God co-operate with this Worke in the hearts of the Readers for the glory of his great name and the salvation of their poore soules through Jesus Christ Thine in the Lord Jesus John Tarlton A REMEDY FOR THE VVARS PSAL. 122.6 O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem THis Psalme as one of our Church both Learned and judicious well observeth breaths out nothing but a sweet perfume of inflamed affection such as the only bird the dying Phenix lying in her bed of spices all the spices in Arabia fired with the pure beames of the Sun cannot parallel If you please with me to view it considerately with a spirituall eye we shall conspicuously see it primarily begins with Davids tryumphant joy I was glad when they said unto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem The first word of this Psalme in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Laetatus fui that is I have been glad and the Radix from whence it is derived is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Laetatus vel Hiralis fuit that is to say hath been glad or merry metaphoricè Luxit the which word Metaphorically is borrowed from the Light for as those that are blind or sit in Darkenesse are deprived of that benefit which the Light affords unto others that participate thereof So in like manner those persons who live in the Darkenesse of ignorance wandring in the devious by-paths of blind Superstition dangerous Errors and walking in the thick foggie mists of seducing opinions and shaddow of death never comming into the house of God but altogether neglecting his holy Ordinances neither tast the comfortable sweetnesse nor behold the joyfull Light which others partake of that zealously frequent them and conscienciously are exercised in them And hence is that saying of Solomon Prov. 13.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The light of the righteous shall rejoyce Thereby giving us to understand that the knowledge of God greatly delighteth his Children and they also rejoyce to communicate it to others So in like manner as is here expressed Davids delight consisted in gathering the children of God together and his joy was in the assembly of the Saints furthering them in the service of God But alas beloved what have we to doe in these cloudy and darkesome dayes with this Davids joy Every Naturalist will tell us there is an Antipathie between Joy and Sorrow yea they are as contrary Heretogeneall and opposite in their operations as Light and Darkenesse Peace and War So that our former late joyfull Comedy being turned into a present dolefull Tragedy how then can we rejoyce The sad and great disaster which lately hath befallen us whispers in our ears and tacitely tels us that we must now for a Remedy set our faces Sion-way and with our weeping eyes half blinded with brinish tears immitate those sorrowfull Saints in this our sad dejected and cast-downe condition Too truely may I for mine owne particular and that by wofull experience in the sadnesse of Spirit and pensivenesse of Soule together with many thousands more of this distracted Kingdome who are unhappily co-involved into the same pittifull predicament at this day condolingly complaine of Englands distractive and calamitous condition having had hastily taken from us altogether contrary and also inconsistent to the practice both of Humanity and Christian Charity our Houses Goods Lands Livings and all other meanes of our livelyhoods present subsistence both Spirituall and Temporall properly and lawfully belonging to us whereby we are now left in a most despicable languishing and perishing Condition And as an aggravation to this our present affliction our names are ignominiously traduced and we are both in the Judgement and also the Eyes of our remorselesse Enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Spectacle or Gazing-stock to the World 1 Cor. 4.9 And even as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The filth of the World 1 Cor. 4.13 and the off-scouring of all things Yea as Abjects unto our Adversaries and also the very Objects of their reproach scorne contempt and derision So that we have cause rather Crane or Swallow-like to chatter Esay 38.14 or Dove-like to mourne with afflicted Hezekiah then with joyfull David here in the beginning of this Psalme to rejoyce Yea woe and alas may we justly cry out the bitter fruits of War in our Land proceeding from the provocation of our crying sins from the swift swords sharpnesse hath turned our former late joyes sweetnesse into present bitter
necessities and those no way to be supplyed but by Prayer This is the seed we must sow we must sow to the Spirit if ever we meane to reape the harvest and increase of Gods blessings It is our Saviours owne rule and may serve as a proof of this Doctaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aske and it shall be given you seeke and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Here is but Aske Seeke and Knocke and ye shall obtaine Loe thus Christ doth exhort us to make use of a Triple-chaine consisting of three links viz. Asking Seeking and Knocking Aske with the Mouth Seeke with the Heart and Knocke with the Hand but the Mouth must be guilelesse the Heart faithfull and the Hand righteous So that we must Aske with a guilelesse Mouth Seeke with a faithfull Heart and Knocke with a righteous Hand And so shall we obtaine by our guilelesse Mouthes Asking things Temporall for our bodies By our faithfull Hearts Seeking things Spirituall for our Soules and through the merrites of Christ by our righteous Hands Knocking things Eternall both for our bodies and soules But alas there are at this day many Antithesticall persons in the world who are contrary to these in disposition viz. Such as have guilefull Mouthes faithlesse Hearts and unrighteous Hands whose guilefull Mouthes speake deceitfully whose faithlesse Hearts conceive unbeleevingly and whose unrighteous Hands perpetrate wickednesse violently Such as were those wicked Heads of Jakob and the Tyrannicall Princes of the House of Israel of whom the Lord complaineth by his Prophet They hate the good Mic. 3.2 3. and love the evill they pluck off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones And they eat also the flesh of my people c. In which words the Lords Prophet condemneth those cruell Tyrants not onely of cursed Covetousnesse unjust Robery and bloody Murther but also compareth them unto Savage beasts who are of Wolvish and Lion-like dispositions Will the Lord hear the prayers and grant the requests of such cruell and mercilesse persons Certainely no But he will rather cast their prayers as dung upon their faces Mal. 2.3 And will also hide his face from them Mic. 3.4 Esay 59.2 and will not heare them But when Godly and sincere hearted Religious persons Pray the Lord will heare their Prayers and grant their requests They shall call and the Lord shall answer Esay 58.9 they shall cry and the Lord shall say Here I am Behold of all helpes Prayer is the readiest at hand for all persons upon all occasions in all places and at all times And by its fervent and faithfull performance as we ought we shall assuredly obtaine full Remission of all our sinnes hearty Repentance for all sinnes that are past and irrisistible power against sinnes for the time to come And also be kept from Afflictions or made able to beare them And God will certainely give us either all outward good things necessary for us with a Blessing upon them or else his blessing of contentednesse without them The which contentment although in this worlds conception it be a despicable condition yet it is the Blessing of Nature the Salve of Poverty the Master of Sorrow and the End of Misery The Psalmist when he would inroll and magnifie the goodnesse of God towards his people tels us Psal 84.12 that he will give grace and worship and no good thing will he withhold from them that live a Godly life Indeed the Lords hand is ever open to give but then he lookes also that our mouthes should be open to receive Open thy mouth wide saith God wide Psal 81.10 in prayer and supplication to heaven and I will fill it His grace like a cloud still hangs over our heads but the drops of that cloud descend not unlesse first dissolved by the breath of our Prayers Ye have not because ye aske not Iam 4.2 And there are some also that aske and yet goe away empty Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Iam. 4.3 that ye might consume it upon your lusts True it is beloved that the Children of God have a full and unquestionable Right to all those Blessings that descend from above All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.12 23. saith the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods A large Patent including all good things whether Temporall or Spirituall or Eternall whether of this life or that to come all are theirs But how hold they their Charter now surely the conveyance runs altogether in a stile of mercy Rom. 2.4 according to the riches of his goodnesse And according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 Alas there is nothing in us that can intitle us upon merit to the least expression of Gods goodnesse our tenure is ex merâ gratiâ written and sealed up unto us in the blood of the Lambe And although we make no Purchase of our Christian Estate but receive it by deed of Gift yet God hath reserved some small Homage or as it were some peny-Rent as due unto himselfe and that is our prayers and thanksgiving For the non-payment whereof our Estate becomes escheat and forfeited and returnes back into the hands of the Land-lord So that we connot claime so much as one morsell of Bread without our Prayers and if we are not uncapable of it yet I am sure we are unworthy of it Psal 145.16 if we begge it not at his hand who opens his hand and fils all things living with plentiousnesse And for this cause we are taught by our blessed Saviour to pray Mat. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread Which Petition we may not thinke to be put into the Lords-Prayer onely for poor men but even they also whose barns are full of corne and have bread laid up in store for many yeares have as much need to supplicate God with this Petition as the poorest man that now liveth upon the face of the Earth If there be any one in this place so hard driven through extreame poverty that he can Vye necessity with that poore Widdow of Sarepta and protest in the integrity of his heart as she did I have not so much as a cake 1 King 17.12 but a handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse which I am now to dresse for me and my sonne that we may eat it and dye Why yet I say the rich man that swims in the confluence of all outward good things and knowes no end of his riches is as deeply engaged to begge his daily bread as he Because man liveth not onely by bread Mat. 4.4 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God If men be provided of bread and have not Gods blessing on their bread they are like to fare as ill
to free our selves from the guilt of Infidelity Hypocrisie and Obstinacy let us speedily put in practice the Meanes here prescribed viz. Prayer Humiliation and Casting away all our Transgressions Concerning the first of these viz. Prayer I shall not need to say much because I have spoken so largely thereof already yet notwithstanding in regard Prayer is one of those Meanes here prescribed for the Aversion of the judgement of War from us I shall therefore speake a little more thereof Prayer is the great prevailing Ordinance of God both for a prevention from our falling into evils and also for our speedy deliverance out of them being fallen into them The Saints of God have ever made Prayer the Alpha and Omega of all their Actions The good and right use of holy Prayer amongst devout and Religious persons hath alwayes been esteemed both the first and last Remedy in our greatest dangers as being most prevalent with God for our speedy deliverance For when all earthly Policy and worldly Stratagems are fled from us and all our former fast friends shrinkingly from us have forsaken us and Death stands at our elbowes ready to seize upon us yet still Prayer is left with us as a gracious Oratour and an effectuall Advocate to intercede for us And unto this we have Gods owne Injunction Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble so I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me And here also we must remember that our Prayer must be cordiall if it be prevalent Non vox sed votum non musica cordula sed cor clamat in aure Dei It s not the voice but the vote not the musicall harmony but the heart that cryeth in the eare of God Thus Hannah prayed 1 Sam. 1.13 she spake in her heart her lips onely did move but her voice was not heard Yea Prayer hath also beene the Practice of the Saints of God in the time of their calamity as for example David Prayed to the Lord when he was in trouble Psal 120.1 and the Lord heard him Hezekiah Prayed to the Lord to send him aide against the King of Ashur 2 King 19.15 16 17 18 19. 2 King 6.18 And he prevailed Elisha Prayed to the Lord to smite his enemies with blindnesse that were sent to apprehend him And he obtained Jehoahaz 2 King 13.4 Prayed to the Lord being surprized by the King of Aram And he was delivered Asa 2 Chro. 14 Prayed to the Lord for aide against his enemies And the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled Jehoshaphat 2 Chro. 20 Prayed to the Lord for helpe against the Ammonites Moabites and inhabitants of Mount Seir his enemies that came against him to destroy him And the Lord laid ambushments against them and they fought one against another and when the Ammonites and Moabites had destroyed the men of Mount-Seir then every one helped for to kill each other The Israelites cryed to the Lord when they were in trouble Exod. 2. Iudg. 6. Psal 107. and he heard them and delivered them Loe thus the Lord hath formerly heard the Prayers of his servants being in afflictions and also granted their requests for his glory and their comfort and still he is the same God his hand is not shortned Esay 59.1 And therefore let us not neglect to practise this duty of Prayer it being the great prevailing Ordinance of God either to prevent us of falling into troubles or else to free us out of them being fallen into them For the Second viz. Humiliation We have Gods Querie to the Prophet Elijah concerning the Aversion of Gods judgements from Ahab Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himselfe before me 1 King 21.29 Because he humbleth himselfe before me I will not bring the evill in his dayes but in his sonnes dayes will I bring the evill upon his house And when God by his Prophet Jonah threatned the Ninevites adhuc quadraginta dies Nineve subvertetur Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed Yet notwithstanding upon their Humiliation that threatning was reversed and the Nirevites preserved And God saw their workes Iona. 3.10 that they turned from their evill waies and God repented of the evill that he had said that he would doe unto them and he did it not What were the sinfull Ninevites spared from Destruction through Gods mercy towards them upon their Humiliation Oh then how ought we in this our present and deplorable condition to make expression of our Humiliation with zealous Nehemiah Neh. 1.4 who when he heard of Jerusalems Calamity He sate downe and wept and mourned certaine dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven Humility is the first helpefull step by which we ascend the heavenly Throne of Gods sacred Majesty for mercy and also the first raising Round of Godly Jacobs long reaching Ladder by which like swift Angels our pretious Soules climbe up to God in Heaven and his holy Angels and heavenly blessings descend downe to us upon earth Loe thus the most great and glorious God whose habitation is in the highest Heavens Esa 57.15 yet also vouchsafeth his gratious presence to dwell amongst humble minded men here upon Earth in the lowest hearts Therefore one of the meanes to obtaine mercy in this our present misery is in by and through Humility But admit thou canst not by thy Humiliation obtaine at the hands of God the deliverance of a Nation from a Generall calamity yet notwithstanding thou shalt thereby procure for thy selfe the Marke of the Servant of God Ezek. 9.4 And although our Humiliation be not the cause of healing our Lands distempers yet notwithstanding it is one of those meanes which God hath ordained for procuring the Cure thereof and therefore it must not be neglected by us for God hath commanded us to use the meanes to attaine the end And using the meanes as we ought there will be no cause for us to doubt of Gods blessing upon them Despaire not then of helpe in thy greatest dejection for there is yet Balme in Gilead and Hope in England And as Shechaniah once said unto Ezra in another case Yet now there is Hope in Israel concerning this thing Ezra 10.2 The which I hope may not unfitly be applyed to us English Natives in these many present and great distractions amongst us For God is more mercifull then we have been sinfull if we can be truely sorrowfull And for the proofe hereof I will declare unto you two examples in the holy Scriptures The one in the time of the Law And the other in the time of the Gospel 1. That in the time of the Law shall be that of Manasseh the King of Judah He was a notorious Malignant against the Lord He committed many horrible and hainous abominations wherewith the Lord was wrathfully displeased against him He shed so much innocent blood till he had filled Jerusalem from one end
upon Sheba Proud persons upon Haman Fornicators Nu. 25.8 Nu. 15.36 upon Zimri and Cozbi Prophaners of the Lords Sabbath upon the Stick-gatherer Ion. 1.15 Disol edient persons upon Jonah Swearers and Blasphemers Lev. 24.16 upon the Aegyptian-Israelite False witnesses upon those wicked Elders Susanna's Accusers Susan 62. Iosh 7.25 Covetous persons upon Achan Murtherers upon Joab 1 K. 2.34 Despisers of the Gospell Ministery Word Sacraments and all true Religion Act. 8.23 upon Simon Magus And all Thievish Blood sucking Cursed Intruding Vsurpers contrary to all Law and Justice into the Rights Estates and Possessions of others both Clergy and Laytie upon greedy covetous and avaricions Ahab 1 K. 21.19 who wrongfully took away Naboths Vineyard And the Lord in mercy towards us grant so much grace unto us that the consideration of their punishments may worke so effectually in our hearts as that it may cause our speedy amendments And that thereby all Magistrates may leave their Connivency and too much Winking Men of eminent Places their Partiality and too much Favouring Patrons their Theevery and too much Church-robbing Ministers their Soothing up and too much Flattering Lawyers their Subtiltie and too much Delaying Courtiers their Policie and too much Dissembling Citizens their Pride and too much Deceiving Gentlemen their Racking and too much Oppressing Country-men their Lawing and too much Contending And also every one of us forsake our deare darling and bosome Sinnes whereby we may amend our Conversations by casting away all our Transgressions greatly grieving and heartily lamenting that we have lived so long in them that so we may ascape Destruction and Desolation which the Sword of Warre at this day in our Land being shaken against us threatneth to bring upon us to our Confusion Oh then let the serious Consideration hereof sink so deeply into our hearts as feelingly to move us and also speedily to make us put in practice these ensuing Exhortations of the Lords Prophets and Apostles viz. Esay 1.16.17 Wash ye make you cleane put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evill Learne to doe well seeke judgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherlesse and defend the widdow And Ezekiel 18.31 Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel And Jam. 1.21 Lay a part all filthinesse and superfluitie of naughtinesse and receive with meeknesse the engrafted word which is able to save your soules And 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God And 1 Thes 5.22 Abstaine from all appearance of evill Upon all which places of holy Scripture my Inference shall be that of the Lords Prophet Isaiah If ye consent and obey Isa 1.19 20. ye shall eate the good things of the land But if ye refuse and be rebellious ye shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it So that my Exhortation then in this Use of Exhortation to you all shall be that of the Lords Prophet Daniel unto Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babell O King Dan. 4.24 let my counsell be acceptable unto thee and breake off thy sinnes by righteousnes and thine iniquities by mercy towards the poore Loe let there be an healing of thine errour That is cease to provoke God to displeasure by thy sinnes and suffer the former errours of thy life to be redressed We lye under the pressure of an heavy affliction and that which makes the Burthen the more intollerable is That it is not an open enemy that hath done us this dishonour for then we should have borne it But it is thou my Companion Psal 55.14 15. my guide and mine owne familiar friend wee tooke sweet Councell together and walked in the house of God as friends But woe and alas this is now our wofull Condition that those who formerly have lived friendly now altogether voide of humanity sheath their swords into each others bowells and so mutually worke each others Destruction Beloved as you desire to Preserve your Selves your Lives your Wives your Children your Brethren and Companions your Cattell and Substance yea and the whole Kingdome from Destruction speedily performe the meanes delivered But alas the Meanes here prescribed is by many too much neglected and the contrary too fluently and frequently practiced Beloved I doe heartily wish on the behalfe and for the welfare of our English Nation that there may never be justly objected against them the Lords complaint against the Obstinate Jewes And in that day did the Lord God of Hoasts call unto weeping and mourning Esay 22.12.13 and to baldnesse and girding with sackcloth And behold joy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheep eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morrow we shall die But I greatly feare there are too many thousands at this day in England that are foully faulty herein and deeply guilty hereof who little or nothing at all lay to heart the wofull miseries of these present sad and calamitous times never calling their sinnes to minde and smiting their breasts saying What have I done Ier. 8.6 or using any of these Meanes here declared whereby to pacifie Gods displeasure that so he might have mercie upon us and speedily be intreated of us whereby we might also once againe sweetly enjoy from him his former Comfortable blessing of Peace inour Land Such carelesse yea impious Persons by their Prophane Carnall and Pernitious Practices hasten to draw downe Gods Just and heavy Iudgements both upon themselves and many others to the ruine of their bodies in this world and without Repentance the everlasting destruction both of bodies and soules in the world to come Now the three Salves that I have prescribed for the Curing of these Sores viz. Prayer Humiliation and casting away all our Transgressions are all summed up By the blessed Spirit of God in the former part of one verse in the holy Scripture If saith God I shut the heaven that there be no raine Chron. 7.13 14. or if I command the grashopper to devour the land or if I send pestilence amongst my people If my people among whom my name is called upon doe humble themselves and pray and seek my presence and turne from their wicked wayes Then will I hear in heaven and be mercifull unto their sinne and will heal their land So that if we performe these three things then the Lord hath promised that he will heare us and help us and heale us Thus beloved if carefully and faithfully we use the Meanes here prescribed we shall certainly have Gods blessing upon our endeavours therein as he hath promised whereby our sorrow will be turned into joy our mourning into mirth and our Warres into Peace Oh then let us speedily put in practice the Prophet Hoseas exhortation to the
barbarous and mercilesse men Hereupon the poore Innocents were apprehended and some of them clad with skins of wilde beasts were torne in pieces by dogs And others cast one upon another untill they became great heaps after the manner of Bone-fires and then fire put to them and their bones burning served for light in the night in the stead of Torches But at the last this wicked wretch the causer of all that cruelty exercised upon the poore Christians seeing himselfe in danger to be murthered by one appointed for that purpose as a just reward for his horrible unjust and inhumane dealing hastned his owne death by killing himselfe as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth Lib. 5. We reade in History of one Cyrillus a Deacon of Heliopolis scituate neare to Lybanus who lived under the Empire of Julian the Apostate and came to a miserable end For after Constantine was deceased by whose authority the holy Martyr had broken downe many of their Images and Idols the abominable Idolaters did not onely murther him but also devoured his liver with bread as if it had beene the sweetest morsell of meat in the world But the all-seeing eye of Almighty God beholding their villany his revengfull rod bruised them to pieces For their teeth wherewith they chewed that unnaturall food fell out of all their heads and their tongues wherewith they tasted it rotted and consumed to nothing and lastly their eyes which beheld it failed them and they became all blinde Loe thus were they all served bearing justly the markes of Gods indignation for so horrible inhumane and unnaturall Cruelty as Theodoret reporteth lib. 3. chap. 7. Valerian the Emperour was a deadly Enemy to the professors of Religion and very terribly persecuted them in his Dominions But shortly after himselfe was taken prisoner in the Persian Warres being Threescore and ten yeares of age and was made a slave to his Conquerour all the rest of his life And whose condition was so miserable that Sapor the King of Persia used his back as a block or stirrop to mount upon his Horse and at the last to make up the full number of his miseries he caused his Skinne to be taken from his Flesh whilst he was alive and then poudred him with salt as Josephus reporteth in his Ecclesiasticall History Booke 7. Chap. 30. The cruell mercilesse and hard-hearted Jewes did persecute even unto the death the innocent Lambe of God who is the Lord of life our Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus But did they escape Punishment Verily no for the avenging hand of the Just-punishing sinne-revenging God followed after them overtooke them and seized upon them to their Destruction For they were driven up and downe from place to place in diverse Countries by the Deputies And after that there were slaine of them at Cesaria in one day Twenty thousand At Alexandria another time Fiftythousand At Zabulon and Joppa Eight thousand and Foure hundred besides the burning of both the Townes At Damascus Ten thousand had their throats cut And as for the Jewes that were in Jerusalem they were pinched with so sore a famine as that they did eate the excrements of Oxen and many women were constrained to boile and to eate their owne Children And in that great extremity many thinking to save their lives by flying to the Enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to finde gold and silver in their bowells And at the last the whole City was taken by force the holy Temple consumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable Warre during which time Fourscore seventeene thousand Jewes were taken Prisoners and Eleven hundred thousand slaine Some of the Prisoners were carried reproachfully into Rome Others were murthered at their Conquerours wills Some were torne in pieces and devoured of wilde Beasts Others were constrained to march in Troupes against their Fellowes and kill one another as if they had beene Enemies And the Remnant of that wretched people which remained alive after the mighty tempest of Gods Wrath was past were dispersed and scattered abroad throughout all Nations under Heaven So that their condition at this day is so vile and contemptible as that no Nation under Heaven is halfe so miserable which is a manifest evidence of Gods vengeance still abiding upon them As Josephus reporteth in his bookes of the Jewish Warres And here I might also be very copious in the expressions of the remarkable Destructions of Agag Goliah Benhadad The Moabites and Ammonites Nicanor Herod-Agrippa Domitian Trajan Hadrian Antonius Severus Decius Aurelian Dioclesian Maximinus Maxcentius Licinius Arnolphus Smaragdus Mamucha c. Who were destroyed for persecuting the Church of Christ Yea beloved and many more terrible examples of Gods fearfull Judgements that fell upon diverse other bloody Persecutors of Gods Church I could here recite but for brevity sake I passe them over Oh then at the consideration of this that hath beene spoken let all the bloody Persecutors of Gods Church tremble and desist from so doing lest the Lord come suddenly as a swift witnesse against them and speedily be avenged of them to the ruine of their bodies in this world and the utter destruction both of bodies and soules in the world to come And let them also labour to the uttermost of their power to make up the Ruines of the Church of Christ and doe their best endeavours for her by praying for her Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Instruction Vse 2 TO teach the Church to arme her selfe for Troubles Crosses and Afflictions so long as she remaineth here upon the face of the Earth For as the comfortable sun-shine Dayes and the uncomfortable darksome Nights in the order of Nature follow each other So in like manner in the Administration of the Church of Christ there is a continuall Entercourse amongst the Members of Christ Church between Peace and Persecution To live continually in Jollity and be alwayes free from Crosses is one of the Worlds pleasing Cognizances of Satan's Imps for being alwayes without Chastisements Heb. 12.6 7 8. whereof all Gods Children are Partakers we are Bastards and not Sonnes Beloved There is a strict Dependence neere Relation and close Connexion betwixt Christianity and the Crosse they are Concommitants Individuals and inseparable Companions This is an infallible Aphorisme of Divine Observation under the Kingdome of Christ an indubitable Axiome of Christs Gospell Providence the which proceedeth from the good pleasure and providence of God in the dispensation of things under the Gospel Our blessed Saviour told his Disciples and in them every true Member of his Church In the world ye shall have affliction Ioh. 16.33 And it was also the generall Proclamation of Christ to the whole World Mat. 16.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Crosse and follow me The which Crosse although to unregenerate men in their Naturall Condition it be
earthly Purgatory I meane the Afflictions of this Life before we can come to the heavenly Paradise viz. the Joyes of the Life to come Yea we must goe by the Suburbs and Gates of Hell before we can come to the City of the new Jerusalem and joyes of Heaven Every true Member of Christs Church is a crucified Christian and therefore not onely incident to suffering but also strict in his Conversation for strait is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mat. 7.14 None must live the life eternall hereafter in the joyes of Heaven but onely those that first Crucifie their carnall Corruptions and mortifie their sinfull Affections here upon Earth We must live in the Spirit and not in the flesh For He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting Gal. 6.8 And hence is that of S. Paul to his Colossians Mortifie therefore your Members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatrie Col. 3.5 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the Children of disobedience The Members of Christs Church publiquely promised by their Sureties at their Baptisme to forsake the Devill and all his Workes and constantly believe Gods holy Word and obediently keep his Commandements and were incorporated into Christs Church to confesse the Faith of Christ crucified to be faithfull Souldiers for Christ their Saviour and manfully to fight under his Banner against Sinne the World and the Devill and the Lord expects the constant spirituall Performance of this their publique Promise during the troublesome time of their earthly Pilgrimage And how shall the Valour of Souldiers be evidenced to the World who keep themselves continually in their Quarters and never goe upon service who lye alwayes in the Campe and never come into the Field But when once Troubles doe arise and the Enemy draweth nigh and Christs Souldiers by the sound of Drums and Trumpets are called from their Quarters and they march forwards and meet their Enemies in the face Loe then Abrahams Faith Davids Piety Vriahs Constancy Jobs Patience Jonathans Love Jehues Zeal Gideons Valour and Pauls Courage will appeare who like valiant spirited and heroicall hearted Souldiers will zealously strive unanimously desire for the Glory of God the Honour of their King the Peace Good and Welfare of their Country to be placed in the Front of the Battell So in like manner when Troubles seize upon the Soules of the Members of Christs Church then the Graces of Gods blessed Spirit within them as occasion is offered will be operative and working yea the more excellent in Graces the more eminent in Affflictions and thereby they are distinguished from the Souldiers of Sathan The Earth of it selfe will bring forth little else but briers and weedes if it be not tilled and Vines will wax wilde if they be not pruned Even so the corrupt and sinfull Affections of our gracelesse and rebellious Hearts like pernitious Briers and noisome Weeds would quickly over-runne not onely all the Parts and Members of our Bodies but also all the Powers and Faculties of our Soules if our Gracious God by his tender Care over us loving Chastisements upon us and powerfull working of his blessed Spirit in us should not effectually Purge Dresse and Manure us And the superfluous Branches of our naturall Corruptions would spread so far abroad within us as everlastingly to destroy us if the Lord by sharp sanctified Afflictions should not prune them and by his loving fatherly Corrections cut them off Therefore let the Church of Christ be content to suffer Afflictions here upon Earth and also be glad to bear the yoak in her youth Lam. 3.27 The present Condition of Christs Church Militant in her Warfare at this day in our Land resembleth the case of Judah Manasseth Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseth and they both shall be against Judah Loc this is the Sting of the Churches Crosses and unto her it is inevitable For it was the portion of Christ her Head and shall the Members expect to escape It was the Lot of her Master and shall the Servants thinke to fare better It was the condition of the Saints in the Old Testament and also of the Apostles in the New Of the Saints in the Old Abraham banished both from his Country and kindred Jacob lay in the fieldes Joseph in the prison David hunted as a Partridge upon the mountaines Elijah full of feare through Jezabels bloody Tyranny desired the Lord to take away his life from him Job scraped himselfe with a potsherd upon the dunghill Jeremy put into the dungeon The three Children into the fiery Furnace Daniell cast into the den of Lyons And Susanna brought almost to the place of her execution Yea the Church her selfe complaineth of her suffering condition O Lord behold mine affliction Lam. 1.9 for the enemy is proud And verse the 12. Have ye no regard all ye that passe by this way behold and see if there be any sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger The Apostle rehearseth a Catalogue of the Saints sufferings that were before Christs Incarnation They were tried by mockings and scourgings yea moreover by bonds and imprisonment They were stoned Heb. 11.36 37 38. they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandred up and down in sheep skins and in goats skins being destitute afflicted and tormented Whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dens and caves of the earth Loe these were the sufferings of the Saints in the Old Testament And as for the Saints in the New Poore Lazarus lay in a wofull condition at the rich Gluttons gate but there was found no mortall heart to sorrow for him nor eye to pitty him nor hand to relieve him And none of Christs Apostles dyed a naturall death but onely S. John and he was banished by the Emperour Domitian to the I le Patmos and also put into a Tunne of hot oyle at Rome as both Tertull. and S. Jerom report So that although with the rest he suffered not an immature death yet notwithstanding he also tasted deepe of his Masters Cup of which every one must be contented to drinke that is a true Member of the Church of Christ Beloved this is the Lords usuall dealing towards all the true Members of his Church thereby to make them Crucified Christians that so they might be like unto Christ their Captaine who is called by the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe Esa 53.3 And it was Saint Pauls generall rule to Timothy 2 Tim. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that will live
and let us imagine some device against Jeremiah for the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor Councell from the Wise nor the Word from the Prophet Come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words If thus you shall requite me then may you justly feare that the righteous Lord will be wrathfully displeased with you and that may redound to your owne ruine But let me crave your candid censure for I call Heaven and Earth to record that I speak not this out of the spirit of betternesse against the Saints of God whose sanctified Conversation is answerable to their holy profession zealously serving and faithfully worshipping the living God in spirit and truth as he commandeth Yea Ioh. 4.24 my hearty Prayers I sincerely confesse are constantly unto God for them that he would continue them in the wayes of holinesse and daily increase the number of them in our Land and that they may splendidly shine as Lights in obscurity in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation amongst whom they live that so they might not onely glorifie God themselves but also be holy Patterns and godly Examples for imitation unto others whereby to draw them the more speedily to the service of God But I speak onely and that reprehensively of those who are mere tongue-tipped-table-Gospelers having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 who onely make a shew of sanctity having their hearts full of all manner of guile and hypocrisie who are facilie perceptible by their Fruites and evidently conspicuous to the world by their Actions walking in the wayes of dissimulation which lead to the infernall Pit of eternall perdition Mat. 24.5 And therefore if such persons will become true Members of Christs Church let them stand no longer at a distance from the Church but let them labour with expedition to purge out their owne Corruptions abandoning their former leud Conversations humble themselves for their sinnes come in and close with Christ and speedily pray for the Churches Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Consolation Vse 4 TO comfort the Church in her saddest condition by calling to minde Psa 126.6 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy And heavinesse may endure for a night Psal 30.5 but joy commeth in the morning Considering also that Christ calleth none unto him with a promise to comfort them but those that are grieved persons Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And remembring the Cordiall that Christ gave unto his Disciples when he was to depart from them and in them to his whole Church John 16.20 Ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into joy That is ye shall rejoyce that ever you were sorrowfull As if Christ in other words should have said unto them Comfort your hearts my beloved Disciples for although I shall leave you for a while as Pilgrimes in the wildernesse of this wicked world yet notwithstanding ye shall hereafter come to the land of the heavenly Canaan even to the new Jerusalem whither I am now going and there you shall receive the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules 1 Pet. 1.9 Psa 16. ult where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore The Lord without doubt will preserve his Church from the scratching Pawes of savage Beares the tearing Mouthes of ravenous Wolves and the covetous Clutches of greedy Cormorants who lie daily and hourely in waite to supplant subvert and devoure Her and all under the spetious pretence of Piety the counterfeit shew of Holinesse and candid colour of Religion Will not Christ Mat. 23.37 who wept over Jerusalem and would often have gathered the Children of the Jewes together as a Hen gathereth her Chickings under her wings preserve his Church from perishing Certainely yea And will not God who clotheth the Lillies Mat. 6.26 28. and feedeth the foules of the aire preserve his Church under the winges of his Providence Zach. 2.8 whom he tendereth as the apple of his owne eye Undoubtedly yea Conjugall-love is strong Paternall-love is powerfull Loyall-love is very effectuall But Divine-love viz. the love of God to his Church farre transcends them all Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord to his Church Yea and let the Church also listen to that sweet Expression of the Lord by his Prophet unto his people Isay 51.7 8. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law feare ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings For the moath shall eate them up like a garment and the worme shall eat them like wooll but my righteousnesse shall be for ever and my Salvation from generation to generation So that the Church of Christ needeth not to feare though at any time she should be plunged into the depth of calamity for rather then her Persecutors shall goe unpunished the Lord will make the very moathes and wormes and other contemptible creatures of the earth to be the Instruments of her enemies confusion and his hand shall bring unto her everlasting salvation And therefore what although the Church for the present sits pensively and mournes like a desolate widdow tristively weeping and lamenting for the personall absence of Christ her Husband Mat. 28. ult yet notwithstanding his comfortable Spirit is present with her and also will be unto the end of the World And at the appointed time there will be a cessation from all her sorrowes for he will joyfully returne unto her lovingly embrace her Rev. 7. ult and wipe away all teares from her eyes and then she shall receive a full deliverance from all afflictions both of body and soule Then that confident expected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Slavabit into Salvavit he will save into he hath saved And then all the violent brumall winter stormes of bloody persecution shall be fully passed over and the glorious sun-shine beames of Gods loving and comfortable countenance most splendidly shine upon her And then all the Chaines of her afflictions shall be broken asunder Psa 124.6 and she delivered as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler And the Lord will give unto her beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning Esay 61.3 and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse And when all these consolatory Blessings are come upon her then hearken unto her rejoycing Isay 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord and my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousnesse he hath decked me like a bridegroome
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
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
of God and therefore God threatned to visit the blood of Izreel upon the house of Jehu Hos 1.4 What Jehu That prosperous Valiant and victorious Conquerour Must He who did so much military Service and that also by Gods owne Injunctions and expresse Commands Must He I say be accounted as a Murtherer in the sight of God yea even Jehu himselfe must be reputed guilty of Murther and his Posterity must be responsible and suffer for the same And therefore deceive not thy selfe with the false Conception of war-like Prosperity for prosperous Successes in Military Services are not always infallible Arguments of the Favour of God Josiah for one man may perish in them and yet be in Gods Favour and another man may prosper in them Jehu and yet be in Gods Displeasure The prosperous Successe which some wicked men have in their evil Actions doth Dadulus-like make them Wings whereby they will mount so high towards the Sun untill the heat of God's just Anger shall melt the Wax which holds the feathers thereof together and then themselves Icarus-like must fall down into the deep Sea of God's Displeasuer to their deadly Destruction Prosperous Successe in evil Actions makes wicked men think that they are carried on as the Sun Moon and Stars are without any restraining Resistance Yea as long as there is a prevailing Ingredient the which with prosperous Successe answereth the Expectation of wicked men in their ungodly Enterprises so long they will endeavour to make all those their evil Actions justifiable because for the present they serve their turn being compatible with their own carnal Contentment and will continue mustering up their Forces marching still forward and John-like driving on furiously in their pestilent pernicious and perverse paths of rebellious Impiety though at the last their so doing should prove to the Destruction of themselves and many others Every Logician will rationally tell us that the Consequence will necessarily follow its undoubted Premises Hence then Syllogis the Argument may thus be framed viz. Whosoever shall rebelliously take up Armes Proposit and fight against that lawfull Authority unto which he ought legally to yield Obedience and Subjection though never so prosperous therein for the present doth thereby make himselfe liable to the Malediction and Wrath of God The guilty Consciences of too many thousands of this English-Nation Assumpt will hereunto at this day adde the Assumption And what subtill Sophister is there to be found in all this sublunary World Conclusion that without great absurdity can deny the Conclusion Furthermore for our fuller Satisfaction in this particular we must necessarily consider the Cause of wicked mens such prosperous Successe as it reflects upon God permitting the same The Primary Chief and Efficient Cause à qua res est causa causati sine qua non est Causa Upon which all other Causes with their concomitant Circumstances have their Dependance and from whence also all inferior Agents fetch their Strength and Action is The Eternall and Omnipotent Power of Almighty God as the onely Center from which all Operations first spring and the boundless Circumference into which all Actions run Nam Aug. Deus est in omnibus rebus causa essendi For all Powers have their being from God Answerable to that of the Apostle For whom are all things Heb. 2.10 and by whom are all things And also according to that Nominal Attribute of God used amongst the Grecians denoting his Essence viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by his Omnipotency he runneth through and compasseth all things whatsoever Ephe. 4.6 Who is above all in his Power and through all by his Providence Heb. 1.3 Psal 103.19 Mat. 10.29.30 Eph. 1.11 Whose powerfull Providence doth continually govern all his Creatures and all their Actions And in both Creatures and Actions at all times and in all places working all things after the councell of his own will And as alluding to this very Purpose the Naturall Philosophers themselves call God Principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Effectivum primam Naturam primam Causam Causam infinitam primum Motorem primum Movens And farther also as by Philosophy we learn that the Soul of Man is the Originall Cause of all Motion in Man lame and impotent Motion onely excepted the which proceedeth from another Cause viz. some defect in the Body Even so by Divinity we are taught Gen. 2.7 that God is the Life of the Soul And without him we can have neither Life Act. 17.28 Moving nor Being Answerable to that Expression of Christ himself to his Disciples Ioh. 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing And that acknowledgment also of the Church herself concerning the Almightie's Power Psal 74.13 God is my King of old the help that is done upon the earth he doth it himself So that we may truly collect from Philosophy that God is the Beginner and first Cause of Motion but not of defective Motion that is from our Selves And also safely conclude from Theology Amos 3.6 that God is the Originall and Author of every Action but not of any Evil in any Action that is from the Committers thereof themselves Hence then we may learn this infallible Point of our Christian Religion without the true Knowledge and right Understanding whereof it is not possible for us to preserve the Purity of Christian Doctrine in divers other Orthodoxall Points of our Protestant Religion viz. that the mercifull Concurrence of God's Power in all the good Actions of Godly men by his Providence working and the just Withdrawment thereof from all the evil Actions of Wicked men by his Permission suffering makes clearly for the full Justification of the righteous God and the just Condemnation of unrighteous Men. According to that condoling Complaint of the Lord himself concerning Israel's just Hos 13.9 and due deserved Self-Ruine O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help And here for the farther clearing of this Point which to many Persons may seem somewhat abstruse we are inevitably put in mind of the Decree of God and the Will of Man and ought also therein seriously to consider of their joynt Concurrence in one and the same Thing and severall Orderings and Operations in particular Actions for to Order and to Act are two severall Things and may also be differently done by two particular Persons in one and the same Action and yet the One not compell'd by the Other either to Order or Act. As for Example God's Decree doth not enforce Man's Will but the Will of Man worketh and moveth of it self Yea the Will of Man hath in it self the beginning of evil Motion and sinneth willingly Therefore though the Decree of God imposeth a Necessity upon all secondary Causes so that they must needs be framed and disposed according to the same yet are they not coacted or compelled thereunto but are all
of them carried with their own voluntary Motion So that God's Decree doth move all secondary Causes but not take away their own proper Motion For all secondary Causes are so moved of God himself being the primary Mover of them as that he always doth well holily and justly in every one of his particular Movings Psal 145.17 being righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works But the secondary Causes themselves being moved are carried in contrary Motions according to their own Nature and Frame If therefore they be Good then they are carried unto that which is Good but if they be Evil then they are carried unto that which is Evil. So that according to the double beginning of their Motion and Will there is a double and divers Work and Effect performed by them From whence then we may safely collect that the Decree of God doth not take away the Will of Man or the Contingency thereof but onely order and dispose it The which Disposall both of Man's Will and its Contingency is not done onely in part but also even to the full and that by the just Decree of our holy God According to that Expression of Solomon Prov. 16.33 The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposition thereof is of the Lord. The words there translated Lot and Lap are in the Originall Language of the Old Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haggoral ve Chek and the next words following viz. the whole disposition thereof are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Colmischphato Intimating thereby that nothing ought to be attributed to Chance or Fortune because all things are determined in the Councell of God which shall come to pass and by the Power of his Decree Providence and Permission in his due time they shall be effected True it is indeed that the translated Scripture tells us of Chance and Fortune yet ought we to be informed that there is nothing casuall in regard of God's Knowledge but there are many things casuall in respect of Man's Ignorance So that we must not ascribe any thing to blind Fortunes Performance but attribute all unto God's All-seeing Providence yet so that the Divine Providence doth not take away the Will of Man or the Contingency thereof for God according to the common Axiome of the School non necessitat sed facilitat he doth induce the Godly to doe good with Alacrity not inforce them against their Will with the least Urgency A plain and pregnant proof we have to this purpose by the Fall of Adam being at the first both Himself his Will made good yet mutably good for he so stood as that he might fall The Cause of whose Fall was the voluntary Inclination of his own Will unto Evil. Not that his Will was any thing at all forced or by any Violence of God's Purpose compell'd thereunto but Adam fell of Himself without any Coaction at all from God And for the better clearing of this Point we must a little farther consider of Adam in first Condition to whom God gave at his Creation Naturam flexibilem à flexible Nature being subject to mutation creating him in Potestate standi seu Posse cadendi in Power of standing or Possibility of falling His Power of standing proceeded from God as being his Creator his Possibility of falling came from himself as being but a Creature Aug. Con. Whereupon Saint Augustine saith God made Man ex nihilo of Nothing and therefore left in Man a Possibility to return in nihilum into Nothing if he transgressed the Command of his Maker And thus Man was even ab Origine suo from his Creation very incident to his Alteration The which evidently sheweth the great Difference between the Omnipotent Unchangeable Nature of the holy God the Impotent and Instable Condition of sinful Man For it is a Maxime in Divinity Immutabiliter esse bonum proprium solius est Dei. Mal. 3.6 Heb. 6.17 Isa 14.27 2 Chron. 20.6 Job 9.12 Pro. 21.30 To be immutably Good is onely proper to God Hence then we may learn that the Decree of God did not take away Adam's Will nor the Contingency thereof but onely order and dispose the same So that Adam's Fall was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Spontaneus Voluntary even of his own Accord without any Compulsion by any other Whereupon a learned Writer saith Beza Volens peccavit proprio mout He sinned willingly and of his own proper Motion The Guilt of whose Sin hath spread it self through the whole World even as a Leprosie upon all his Off-spring strictly obliging them with himself to eternall Punishment into which Adam by that his Fall joyntlyentangled himself all his Posterity For as the Person of the first Man corrupted the whole Nature even so that very Nature it self doth now corrupt all the Persons of his Posterity The which bitter Root of Adam's planting hath brought forth innumerable Multitudes of wild Gourds 2 King 4.39 whereof all his Posterity must needs tast though it be with never so great Distastfullnesse yea and Death it self to them all Rom. 5.12 For Sin and Death being cursed Correlatives will one day cleave as close together 1 Sam. 15.33 Rom. 6.23 as Samuel's Sword and Agag's Flesh did to each other no way under Heaven can possibly be found out to keep them afunder So that all the Sons of Adam that either heretofore ever were now are and hereafter shall be as they tast thereof may justly cry out against themselves as did those Children of the Prophets to the Prophet Elisha when they had so distastfully tasted of their own bitter Broth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mavet bassir 2 King 4.40 id est Latine Mors est in Olla Death is in the Pot. Therefore no Evil at all be it of the least Nature whatsoever either in the Fall of Adam or in any other Person whomsoever ought to be imputed to the Decree of God but must fully and onely be attributed to the Will of Man The which wholly proceeds from the voluntary Inclination of Man 's own Will unto Evil. Ezek. 18.31 Rom. 6.12 The stinking Camarina filthy Puddle and foul Fountain whereof being the very Seed and Spawn of all Sins whatsoever which so greatly infecteth contagiously contaminateth and pestilently poysoneth the Bodies and Souls of all Adam's Off-spring in this World is Originall Sin viz. the cursed Corruption of Man's polluted Nature the which is Originally born and propagated together with our Selves being by naturall Generation lineally descended from the defiled Loynes of our polluted Primogenitor disobedient Adam which makes all the Sons of men as long as they live in this world so incident to fall into Sin For Sin Originall and Sin Actuall are Species subalternatae inter se Kinds subordinate one to another the Latter having an hereditary Relation to the Former as the Daughter to the Mother the Originall being as it were the Cause and Root
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
both continually remember carefully observe and constantly put in practice S. Paul's patheticall Exhortation to his Romanes If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drinke Rom. 12.20 And also that pious Precept of our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus in that holy Sermon of his in the Mount unto the people Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefull use you and persecute you Mat. 5.44 What are we expresly commanded to be thus helpfull to our Enemies and shall we sit still contentedly and suffer our royall Friend our nursing Father yea our Gracious Soveraigne to remaine in Prison and not strive to rescue Him to lie in Misery and not labour to relieve Him Shall not His Extremity be our Opportunity and such a One also as He is of whom we may all truely and deservedly expresse this Encomium and Commendation without the least touch of pleasing Flattery that He is one of the Jewels of the Protestant Princes of Christendome for those rare incomparable and celestiall Endowments and Qualities that so illustriously at this day shine in His royall Person being as a perfect Patterne of Patience and pretious Pearle of Piety unto His People and amongst them to be remembred for the same even from Generation to Generation Loe here we Loyalists of this English Nation may all justly crie out against our selves and that with watery Eyes heavy Hearts convincing Consciences and sorrowfull Souls Oh superlative Remisnesse disgracefull Disloyalty and ineffable Ingratitude For We even We our selves in this Particular are at this day deeply guilty of too much Slacknesse and Negligence herein And how shall all those that are sworne to subjective Fealty be able to answer for this their perjur'd perfidious Remisnesse before Christ the just Judge both of quick and dead when he shall come in the Clouds at the latter day for to judge the World But although His Majesty in this present pitifull Predicament and extreame wofull Exigent is at this day by His seeming-loyall Subjects so remisly regarded and unnaturally neglected as to suffer His Majesties Continuation in Durance and His Adversaries still insultingly to triumph over Him yet let me tell them and also in them the whole World that a truely loyall-hearted Subject will constantly carefully and diligently out of his dutifull Obedience study with his best Endeavours to the uttermost of his Power though it be to his owne Prejudice for to helpe his Prince And here I will relate unto you one remarkable instance of a loyal-hearted Subject unto which you may all hearken with Admiration There was a right Noble and Valiant Knight whose name was Zopyrus who seeing Darius the King his Master could hardly surprize Babylon bethought himselfe of a wonderfull strange practice Domi se verberibus lacerari tote corpore jubet nasum Iabia aures sibi praecidi saith the Historiographer Justin lib. 1. in fine He went home to his owne house and caused his servants to rent his whole body all over with whipping him and also to cut off his nose his lippes and his eares And then speedily running to Babylon in such a fearefull and mortified manner he made the Assyrians believe that Darius the King had exercised this Cruelty upon him because he had spoken on their behalfe counselling him for to breake up his Siege and to remove his Army from assaulting their Citie The Assyrians hearing this report and the rather thinking it to be true because they saw him so shamefully dis-figured in his body were presently perswaded for to make him their Chiefe Captaine By which meanes he betrayed them all and surrendred both them and their Citie into his Masters hands O most faithfull loving and loyall Subject yea most worthy resolute and Couragious Heart who spared not the parts of his owne Body but voluntarily dismembred himselfe for to helpe his Prince I doe earnestly wish with the hearty desires of my soule unto God on our Dread Soveraigne His behalfe that His Sacred Majesty may find many such Subjects yea may see us all as true unto God faithfull to Himselfe and constant to our Country as Zopyrus was to his Prince Ob. But here peradventure some may object against me You are indeed very sharpe in your Reprehensions but we suppose milder passages might be more prevalent Ans Unto which I answer Every Minister of God is strictly obliged by the infallible Rule of Gods Word at all times to reprove Sinnes but more especially those sinnes that are most raging and predominant both when and where he preacheth otherwise he will prove but a false Prophet daubing deceitfully the walls of his spirituall building with untempered Morter to the great dishonour of God and utter destruction both of himselfe and many others And for mine owne particular herein as I hope to have communion with God in Christ I onely aime in the whole Current of this my Booke at the Glory of God and both temporall and spirituall welfare of this our English Nation that we may all unanimously worship God in the beauty of Holinesse and once againe enjoy Gods healing and comfortable Blessing of Peace in our Land And therefore dispence I pray you with my boldnesse and sharpnesse in reproving for wild Horses must have rough Riders and when milde Perswasions will not prevaile then sharpe Corrections must be used or else the wounded putrified and sinfull soules cannot be cured And thus as briefly as I could I have here hinted at some Markes of the true Members of the Church of Christ Motives Mot. 1 WE shall have the Prayers of all the true Members of the Church of Christ For when they pray they pray not Particularly for themselves alone but they pray generally even for all the sheepe of Christs Fold as well as for themselves So that although that most excellent necessary and holy prayer of Jesus called the Lords-Prayer containing in it both heavenly fulnesse of matter also exactnesse of order be at this day by some so much neglected I will not say censuring charitably despised Yet notwithstanding the true Members of Christs Church will never desert it but will ever highly account of it strictly observe it and frequently use it earnestly endeavouring and heartily desiring the welfare of others as well as their owne That God-man Preacher Christ Jesus our blessed Lord and onely Saviour who spake as never man spake Joh. 7.46 yea he was also without sinne 2 Cor. 4.21 and therefore he could not erre And shall that Prayer which he hath made for us be by us excepted against God forbid Yea farre be it from the Protestant English-Nation who zealously professe the Name of Christ to be guilty hereof Let not oh let not us I beseech you repute that holy and heavenly Prayer of our Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus to be ridiculous and as unnecessary triviall and frivolous being made by the wisdome of God published from the mouth of the Authour
of all Truth yea by the voice of him who is the Way the Truth and the Life John 14.6 even Truth it selfe for Quicquid in Deo Deus est The judgement of Man may erre Humanum est errare He may pray and not obtaine Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Jam. 4.3 A man may pray long and often and yet his Prayer may be erroneous or defective he may pray for those things that may rather hurt than helpe him and yet his prayer may proceed from the utmost of his understanding and he may also aske many good things at the hands of God and yet omit divers things which he ought earnestly to crave of God both for himselfe and many others but that holy and heavenly Prayer of our Jesus is both true and perfect even the Truth and Word of God it selfe and therefore well might Christ deliver it to his Disciples as a Patterne saying to them when ye pray say Our Father Which art in heaven c. for it is the very Summe Complement and Epitome of all Prayers whatsoever containing in it all things necessary both for our Bodies and Soules even for this life and that which is to come It is a PRAYER farre more than worthy to be written with Letters of purest Gold in Tables of the most pretious and permanent Marble as a continuall religious Commemoration to all succeeding Ages and the constant forme of Prayer-practice for all Posterity yea the very Marrow Pith Substance and Quintessence of all necessary Prayers to be offered up to the God of Heaven by the sonnes of Mortals is contractedly contained in that Prayer And therefore whensoever thou prayest lest thy Prayers though long and many should be erroneous or defective be sure thou concludest with that holy and heavenly prayer of Iesus that thou mayst aske and receive both for thy selfe and others all those necessary things contained therein and so benefit others by thy Prayers as well as thy selfe Mot. 2 2. We shall have the helpfull assistance of the blessed Angels This truth the Apostle declared to the Hebrews Heb. 1. ult where speaking of Angels he saith Are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation Yea beloved if we be true Members of Christs Church then there will be a neere Relation a sweet Society and a heavenly Communion betweene the blessed Angels and our selves The which confisteth in these five ensuing Particulars 1. They and we shall be Fellow-servants worshipping and serving one and the same God as the Angell himselfe confesseth 2. They and we shall be Brethren in the Testimony of Jesus as the same Angell affirmeth in the words following 3. They and we shall be Fellow-Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12.22 4. They are Souldiers under the Standards of God and are also our Guardians Psal 34.7 we are under their protection and are also their Charge 5. They are our Patternes and we their Resemblances both for Obedience whilst we live here upon Earth Mat. 6.10 and also for Glory hereafter in Heaven Luke 20.36 Mot. 3 3. We shall have Peace of Conscience the which transcends all earthly and mundane Comforts It was reported of Socrates that he so greatly delighted in Vertue as that no kinde of sorrow did ever alter his countenance But beloved the inward Jubile of the minde in the Kingdome of Grace doth farre excell his condition which standeth not in meate or drinke or any other outward things but in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 The which Peace of Conscience amongst the Ancient Fathers hath many honourable Titles given unto it They call it Agrum beatitudinis Hortum deliciarum Gaudium Angelorum Domum Spiritus sancti Paradisum animae They call it a Field of Blessednesse a Garden of Delight the Joy of Angels the House of the holy Ghost and the Paradise of the Soule So that I may truly say The Spirit of a true Member of the Church of Christ being sound in sincerity and seconded with a good Conscience is able to beare out all his infirmities together with all the miseries incident to his humane Nature And through the power of Gods Grace is able also to encounter with the terrours of Death and the fearfullnesse of the Grave yea to endure with a gracious humility even the glorious presence of God and his holy Angels at the last Judgement Day Whereas there is no Peace to those that are without the Church Esa 57. ult continuing in their sinnes So that if any one of them had strength in his Limbes transcending Sampsons and power in his Bones excelling all the sonnes of Anack united together yet notwithstanding unlesse his Conscience be seared he shall often heare to his terrour an Authenticke Divine condemning Eccho summoning him to appeare before Christs Tribunall-Barre to give an accompt of all his evill thoughts words and workes the which will so greatly terrifie his bitter afflicted and wounded Conscience as that he shall be restlesse even in the midst of all his earthly delights and worldly pleasures For unlesse the Consciences of such wicked persons are Cauterized they have often times gripings and gnawings and horrible convulsions within them which are as it were certaine flashings of the flames of Hell-fire unto them before they come into that place of torment But the Peace of Conscience which the true Members of the Church of Christ have is so comfortable a Cordiall unto them as that it made the Apostles to rejoyce in their afflictions Act. 5.41 that they were counted worthy to suffer for their Masters sake This was it that made Paul and Silas to sing in prison at mid-night Act. 16.25 And as Augustine saith made holy Job more happy in Stercore on the top of a Dunghill then Adam was in Nemore in the midst of Paradise because as he saith of himselfe Job 27.6 I will keepe my righteousnesse and will not forsake it mine heart shall not reprove me all my dayes So that Nihil jucundius nihil tutius nihil diutius bona Conscientia fremat Orbis orcus illa erit secura There is nothing more sweet nothing more safe nothing more durable then a good Conscience rage World roare Hell that Person who hath this Peace of Conscience within him is ever at quiet Mot. 4 4. We shall ever have the Love and Favour of God Beloved if we are in the Love and Favour of God then God hath a will for to doe us good and we know he wants no power for he is Omnipotent Impotent men when those whom they love are in distresse would sometimes helpe them but cannot but no impediment can let nor obstacle hinder the Omnipotent God If an earthly King favour any man and beare a speciall Love towards him what needeth that man to care though the Subjects hate him So in like manner if we are in the Love and Favour of God
fight under his Banner against Sinne the World and the Devill is now brought by the Providence and Permission of God into the fiery Fornace of Affliction for the firme triall of His saving Faith and profitable Christian Exercise of Gods heavenly graces within Him and also by probability extracted from fatall Conjectures in the very Twilight of His time betwixt the Day of Life Night of Death being now a PRISONER in Carishrooke-Castle in the Isle of Wight mournfully complaining unto God in these words Oh! my loving and compassionate God who by thy most holy wise and powerfull Providence dost continually preserve and governe all thy Creatures and all their Actions I humbly pray thee for Jesus Christ his sake to grant me Pardon and Patience thou that searchest the heart and triest the reines thou knowest the Sincerity of my Soules Service towards thee my constant Resolution for the continuation of the Protestant Religion the carefull Preservation of the Ancient Lawes of this Kingdome the rightfull Priviledges of Parliament the just Liberty of the Subjects the firme Settlement of Truth and Peace amongst the People and the Conscience I make of keeping that Oath administred to Me and also taken by Me at My Coronation for which things sake c. I am now deeply involved into great Misery and therefore O My tender-hearted God take Me into the safe custody of thy powerfull Protection and shelter Me under the preservative Wings of thy speciall Providence for the fierce Floods of popular Rage are risen up against Me the swelling Surges of mischievous malitious Adversaries looke big upon Me the rough Waves of the rude Multitude strive to overflow Me the proud Billowes of insolent insulting Enemies have almost overwhelmed Me and the violent Streames of the bitter waters of Affliction are also every day ready to swallow Me up all which I know thou canst if thou wilt suppresse at thy Pleasure who stillest when thou pleasest the raging of the Seas Psal 65.7 the noise of the Waves and the madnesse of the People And now ô Lord in this My great Extremity I flie unto thee who art Almighty with whom there is Helpe from whom there may be Reliefe upon whom dependeth My Hope and in whom resteth My Confidence one Deepe calling upon another Psal 42.9 the Depth of My Misery calling upon the Depth of thy Mercy craving thy present powerfull Assestance for My speedy and joyfull Deliverance And though for the present My Body from Liberty be restrained yet through thy Mercy towards me My Heart with grace from thee is greatly enlarged and Love in Me towards thee much increased thou hast often put the oyle of gladnesse into My heavy Heart and such sacred Influences of heavenly Comforts I daily doe receive from thee as that I nothing doubt of thy Mercy towards Me. Oh my deare God! thou hast beene graciously pleased to make Me thy Vice-gerent over three Kingdomes but woe and alas I am now deprived of all that Power which formerly I had in them all three abridged not onely of that sweet Society of My deare Consort but also of all My loving and tender-hearted Children who might in this My great Distresse as comfortable Cordials to My heavy Heart afford Me some Comfort those who formerly were and still ought to be My loyall Subjects are now risen up against Me have here Imprisoned Me and I am now become not onely as an Abject unto them but also the very Object of their Reproach Scorne Contempt and Derision and none of My Subjects in all My three Kingdomes will vouchsafe to rescue Me out of Mine Enemies hands And in this My great Distresse My teares have beene my meate day and night Psal 42.3 while Mine Enemies daily and hourly reproach Me and also craftily plot greater Mischiefes against Me not onely for the deadly destruction of My mortall Body but also for the utter Extirpation of Monarchicall Authority whereby My Royall Issue and their Princely Posterity should for future times be for ever abridged of all their just lawfull and Kingly Power in this Kingdome after Me for which My potent Adversaries so wickedly intending and cruelly practising against both My selfe and Mine I have often eaten the bread of Carefulnesse and mingled my drinke with weeping Psal 102.9 Now in this My deplorable captivated and calamitous Condition I beseech thee O My gracious God who breakest not the bruised reede nor quenchest the smoaking flax looke downe with thy favourable Eyes of fatherly Pitty upon me and let thy mercifull and loving Bowels of tender Compassion yerne towards Me Heare my prayer ô Lord with thine eares consider my calling hold not thy peace at my teares Psal 39.13 And if it shall please thee O my good God to deliver Me out of the hands of Mine Enemies whereby My Life may be preserved from their furie I shall ever praise thee for being so mercifull to Me but if otherwise in thy heavenly Wisdome thou hast decreed concerning the last Period and inevitable Expiration of My naturall Life that Martyr-like I shall deeply drinke with My blessed and sweet Saviour in his owne passionate Cup of bitter Death and so My mortall Body to perish and be destroyed by the Violence of the People yet shall I ever acknowledge thee to be righteous and will alwaies even to the last breath of My Life pray from the ground of My Heart Lord pardon whatsoever I have done amisse through the whole course of My Life and sanctifie all the Dispensations of thy Providence in these My great Sufferings unto Me forgive all Mine Enemies their cruell and unnaturall dealing towards Me lay not their Sinnes to their Charge and then Not my will but thine ô righteous Father for ever be done Loe these pittifull Passages proceeding from His Majesties greatly grieved Heart together with many others me-thinks I heare Ecchoing in mine Eares for which by way of Christian Sympathie as well as obliged subjective Duty towards His Majesty my heavy Heart Heaven is my Record doth often pray privatly and sorrowfull Soule mourne secretly on his behalfe and so in like manner all other loyall hearted Subjects ought for to doe as well as my selfe that thereby we might prevaile with the God of Heaven for our gracious Soveraigne His present Deliverance out of all His Troubles and speedy Re-establishment in His Throne of Righteousnesse The which over-joyous welcome Blessing to this perplexed and distracted King-dome our good God in his great Mercy grant to us all for the Glory of his great Name the Peace of this disquieted Land and the slourishing Estate of this English Church Common-wealth wherein we live and let all those who sincerely professe and faithfully love the Lord Jesus Christ truely searing the living God and heartily honouring their lawfull King say hereunto unfeignedly with my selfe even from the very ground of their HRARTS and SOULES So be it Amen Amen Oh! let us all in the filiall feare of God