which would have bin just as he said Plusquam civilia betwixt Brethren wars with those whose fidelity and loyalty we are now commanded to proclaime to all the world And on the other-side we may we must lay open all the Zibas Doegs and Hamans which were Incendiaries to those Commotions O give me leave here to digresse a little for joy is an excursive affection You know how Ziba by his slander upon Mephibosheth did gaine all his Lands for a while 2 Sam. 16.3 4. yea and Mephibosheth during that time is accounted by king David little lesse than a Traitor 2 Sam. 19.24 c. but at last truth that is strong doth prevaile the slander is discovered and the poore honest mortified loyall Mephibosheth is found to have bin the Kings constant good friend and true Subject So though Doegs villany did succeed a while to the destruction of many of the Lords Priests as conspiratours with David Psa 52. yet at last a prayer full charged with curses and heaviest imprecations is let fly after the accuser and doubtlesse did overtake him in due time Est 3.8 9. c. because it proceeded from the Spirit of the Lord. But the example of Hamans sinne and punishment is for our purpose more remarkable then both the former He had accused bought and begg'd of King Ahashuerus the whole Nation of the Jewes his pretence was ver 12. because they were a scattered dangerous factious and rebellious people The Decree for their destruction was written by the Kings Scribes sealed with his ring and the letters for dispatch were sent by Postes into all the Kings Provinces ver 13. to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all Jewes c. But what 's the issue Est 6. Surely on Hamans part it is two-fold First Haman is commanded by the same King publikely to honour Mordecai in person ver 10. Then the King said to Haman make haste and take the apparell and the horse as thou hast said and doe even so to Mordecai the Jew that sitteth at the Kings gate let nothing faile of all that thou hast spoken Then tooke Haman the apparell and the horse and arraied Mordecai and brought him on horsback through the street of the City and proclaimed before him Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the King delighteth to honour ver 11. Let us but imagine with our selves how scurvily did Haman looke when like a page he did lacky along before Mordecai's horse yea and how faintly and unmusically did he sigh out that Proclamation Thus shall it be done unto the man c. This was the first issue But the second the Catastrophe of all was more sad Est 7.10 Est 8.2 for Haman supplieth the place of Mordecai upon his owne gallows whilst Mordecai fils up Hamans roome in the Court and favour of the King So true is that Proverbe of the Spirit of God by the wise man Pro. 11.8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in his stead But to returne from this digression to my Antideliverances again and to expostulate the matter with them more fully I must tell them yet farther that they are guilty of a double transgression for 1. First they are ingratefull both to the Lord and to his choyce instruments they doe trample unparalel'd Nationall mercies under foot and so are unworthy to breath in these blessed times which we see Is this your thankfullnesse to the Lord the King and the supreame Councell of the Kingdome all which doe deserve your praises and selves for their protection wisdome and watchfullnesse over us or what els thinke you are not King and Parliament so wise so Orthodox so well affected to the publike good as your selves Shall the Lord shew his speciall providence in an astonishing Deliverance shall the greatest in the Land acknowledge it and shall publike command be given to proclaime it and yet will nay durst ye still to bite the lip to shake the head or to grumble secretly at such proceedings Brethren I speak to all true Protestants and cordiall Subjects I charge you by your thankfullnesse and by all the mercies lately received that ye observe marke out and pursue lawfully to the uttermost all such murmurers and repiners at the present blessings of Deliverance and Reformation They are Ingratefull in a high measure 2. Secondly they are no friends to our greatest good neither for who are they which doe now suffer but Delinquents and Delinquencies Who are they which do pursue but the justice of God and man Again what is it that is now laboured for by those great Steers-men above but to stablish and defend true Religion Soveraignty Laws Parliaments and Liberties And yet we have men who either expresly or about the bush dare tell the people of a kind of persecution afflictions hard times now and I know not what And indeed it is common with men-slayers and fellons to account the publike Assizes a time of afflictions Yea with all Delinquents the execution of Justice is nick-named a persecution and is it imaginable then that this Tribe can give hearty thanks for the present worke of Deliverance Note them out therfore for men of corrupt minds back-friends yea back-biases to the weal-publike and such to whom our gladnesse is but their sadnesse Rumpatur quisquis rumpitur invidia In a word do but marke my Brethren what persons Lay or Clergy are most dull and backward to the means and pieces of this Reformation as first To dayes of publike humiliation injoyned Next to the late Vow and Protestation and finally to this last duty of publike joy and thankesgiving but on the contrary are very quick free and forward to promote or favour Arminian Antisabbatarian licentious papers pamphlets or practises mark these and then ye have found them ten to one which I call Anti-Deliverancers Anti-Reformists 2. Vse Let this presse us closely even all good Protestants and Subjects to set our selves seriously upon this worke namely the Accurate observation and remembrance of our now astonishing Deliverances Those words of Moses to Israel Deut 4 32. may be mine to England touching our present mercies Aske now of the dayes that are past which were before thee since the day that God created man upon Earth and aske from the one side of Heaven unto the other all former times and all other places whether there hath beene any such thing as this great thing is or hath beene heard like it Did ever people heare the voyce of God speaking out of the midst of the fire the late kindled fire of Civill warrs as thou hast heard and live ver 33. ver 34. Or hath God assaied to goe and take him a Nation from the midst of another Nation a Nation of Protestants out of a Nation of Papists by temptations by signes and by wonders and by warre and by a mighty hand and by a stretched out arme and by
the Lord would pardon that the Law would punish and that all good Christians and Loyall Subjects would complain of this rotten and totering faction 2. COMFORT Let our hearts be towards the governours of our Israel Vse 2 that offered and doe offer themselves willingly among the people Judg. 5. v. 9. blesse ye the Lord. i.e. Let us blesse the God of Spirits for raising the spirits of all such as have put forth their hands to this plow yea let us honour and cherish them as precious and publike spirits Brethren it is said of good in generall Quo communius eô melius by how much the more common by so much the better and therfore a publike is the best of spirits for it is a common one Yea such a soule me thinks comes neare unto the nature of Angels For are they not all ministring spirits Heb 1. v. 14. sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation So publike spirits are like them or like the Sun and Starrs those heavenly worlds of light which doe travell chiefly for the use and benefit of others And therefore to such persons themselves let me say Great shall be your reward in Heaven Mat. 5. v. 1â— In earth perhaps you may sometimes meet with cold comforts and bad requitals but in Heaven doubtlesse your publike spirits shall procure unto you eminent places of glory as our Saviour promised to his Disciples for their self-denyall and activity Mat. 19. v. 28. yee also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Two Objections commonly there are with which the men of the world and our owne timerous infirmities doe hit such men in the teeth Perill and Poverty I shall present you with an incouragement and preservative against both Consider but the Lords Protection and Providence over all such publike and active spirits and for both these in one example look seriously upon Elijah That he was a man very famous for his publike active spirit no man that beleeves Scripture can deny it or if one should 1 King 17.18 19 c. ver 1. ver 3. 9. ver 42. Cap. 19. v. 3. yet the whole History of his life would invincibly prove it In which observe briefly 1. His Travels From Tishbe to Samaria from Samaria to the river Cherith from Cherith to Sarephath from Sarephath to Mount Carmell from Mount Carmell he runneth like a page to Jezreel from Iezreel to Beersheba thence a daies journy into the wildernesse hence to Horeb and from Horeb who knows whither For he is sent to annoynt Hazael Iehu and Elisha It even tires our eyes to trace him in the History In short if I may beleeve my Geographer all the travels of this active Prophet were one thousand thirty and three Dutch miles and of our English foure times as many above foure thousand in all 2. Besides his travels all on foot for I reade not that he did â—ide Note his couragious and adventurous actions He had an Ahab and a Jezebel and about eight hundred false Prophets to deale withal and yet observe how wonderfully the Lord preserveth him both from Perill and Poverty 1. From Perill I mean of death his preservation was manifold King Ahab did hunt for him over all the world thereabouts 1 King 18.10 As the Lord liveth saith Obadiah there is no Nation nor Kingdome whether my Lord hath not sent to seeke thee and when they said he is not there he tooke an oath of the Kingdome c. but yet the Lord hid him that while and in the Kingsowne Dominions afterwards he doth appeare and hath but a cold welcome from Ahab ver 17. Art thou he that troubleth Israel But the Prophet doth not abate him an ace as wee say and yet comes he off in the end of that Chapter with the death of eight hundred and fifty false Prophets Againe besides Ahab he had a Jezebel also to cope withall 1 Kin. 19.2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying so let the gods doe to me and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time She was a Queen and she vowed his death but yet she proves both too weake and forsworne at last yea her threatning is the intelligence that preserveth the Prophet In a word this active man of God lived to see Ahab slaine by the Syrians the prophets of Baal and of the groves rooted out and at last was so farre from dying a violent death that he never properly dyed at all but was translated to Heaven alive in a fiery Chariot and after his translation 2 King 2. 2 Kin. 9.10 both Iehoram the sonne of Ahab with his whole posterity were cut off and Jezebel was eaten of Doggs Feare not therefore ô all ye holy and loyall active spirits whither Magistrates Gen. 15.1 Ministers or private Christians the Lord himselfe is your buckler and your exceeding great reward and in his might one aealous Elijah is an over-match for eight hundred Baalites speake therefore and doe valiantly not fearing the faces of men Ob. But they may mistake or wrest my words An. Brethren suppose there were now an hundred Bandites with in these wals every one with his paper or table-booke yea and that they stood behind the pillars out of sight as that catch-pole Clearke in the Acts and Monnments that tooke notes behinde the Hangings Suppose all this and much more danger yet the Lord can 1. Change their hearts even in that act and catch those catchers as the Father was caught 2. At least he can dash their Notes and confound their languages 3. Yea and take them off in their owne play as Baals prophets were twice taken off by Elijah and by Iehus 1 Kin. 18.4 2 Kin. 10.25 Indeed if any man could prove unto me that Satan and his instruments were too wise or too hard for God then I should conceive that there were cause for your holy publike active spirits to be in feare but so long as we know the quite contrary to be expresse Scripture be we valiant and venturous for the truth The Lord hath said it the Lord he hath said it 1 Cor. 10.25 The foolishnesse of God is wiser than men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men Thus the Lord was Elijahs buckler and kept him from danger 2. And from want and Poverty too did God preserve him 3. Obiect When we prosse men to be of publike and active spirits this is another grand Objection ò 't is the way to be undone Sol. But marke farther God was also Elijahs great reward at least hee was a competent maintenance still unto him How likely was he to have starved at the brooke Châ—rith There he had drinke indeed water but no meate therefore the devouring Ravens shall feed him morning and evening 1 Kin. 17.3 ver 4 6. But now that he hath recovered meat loâ—
after a while his drink faileth him ver 7. ver 9 10. And it came to passe after a while that the brooke dryed up c. Now the Lord provideth him another Hostesse at Zarephath and she is as unlikely a Cater as the former ver 11 12 13. for she had but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a Cruse Yet see rather then this precious realous v. 13 14 15 16. publike spirit shall want a miracle shall be wrought The barrell of meale shall not waste neither shall the cruse of oyle faile c. So provident is the Lord for such persons Ob. But now miracles do cease An. Yet the same providence doth still continue and wonders are wrought for such persons to this day doe we not see it Ps 105. v 17. ver 18. Have not some such active spirits of late bin like Ioseph as it were sold for servants and exiles Whose seet they hurt with fetters they were laid in irons But what 's the issue May we not goe on ver 19. Vntill the time came that their cause was known the Word of the Lord tried them ver 20. The King sent and delivered them the Peeres and the people let them goe free And hath the Lord done thus in our times already Then let all holy loyall active publike spirits know this that hee is still the same and his yeares doe not faile What need wee any more examples Psa 37 28. I conclude this Consolation with those words of the Psalme The Lord loveth iudgement and forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever 3. Vse 3 EXHORTATION The third Generall Exhortation last and greatest Vse is a vehement Exhortation which must be divided into two parts the first Generall the last Particular 1. Generall Let all reall Christians and loyall Subjects bestirre themselves to the uttermost now or never to imitate these Israelites in my Text and Chapter 1. In the Chapter as before there is Ioshua and the chosen men being lawfully thereunto called fighting with idolatrous and implacable Amalek in the vally ver 9. 2. In the Text and bordering verses Moses ver 10 11 12. Aaron and Hur clime up to the top of the hill to pray and to encourage the rest Thus every one doth further the great publike worke either by himselfe or by others either immediately and directly or remotely and by consequence and so let us all set our selves against Amalek By Amalek I mean all spirituall and politike all forraigne and domestike all open and secret enemies of our God our Religion our King Kingdome Lawes and Reformation Loe here in my Text are both old and young high and low no age therfore no condition that is able may be exempted Exo. 7. v. 7. Exo. 33.11 For Moses Aaron and Hur they were aged men Moses was fourescore yeers old and Aaron fourescore and three when they spake unto Pharaoh Ioshua he was a young man Againe Moses was chiefe Magistrate Aaron the High-Priest there are both Nobles and Clergy and Hur with Ioshuah and his souldiers 1 Chro 2. â—0 may not unfitly represent the Commons the Army the Artificers and all For Hur was grandfather unto that famous Bezaleel Thus all estates and ages are representatively present and all present are active learne wee therfore this heart-lesson from the Text. Quest But how and what may we doe to be active and to hold up our hands to purpose against Amalek Answ In this generall part of mine Exhortation I shall prescribe some generall lessons meanes or directions to be observed If we would further the great work against Amalek then 1. Meanes 1 Looke we backe with shame and sorrow upon our former cowardize and pollutions Brethren these Ecclesiasticall and Civill Amalekits the popish and tyranicall faction have a long time bin unto the best of us but as those ensnaring Midianites to Israel While Israel abode in Shittim Num. 25.1 2 3 the people began to commit wheredome with the daughters of Moab which called the people unto the Sacrifice of their gods and the people are and bowed downe to their gods And Israel coupled himselfe unto Baal-Peor wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel And thereupon command is given ver 17 18. to vex the Midianites and smite them for saith Moses they trouble you with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi c. We have eaten too much of their broth and have had our fingers many of us too deepe in the pye as they say by our connivance silence cowardize c. I speake this both to Ministers and people They have vexed us with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled us in the matter of 1. Of the Sabbath by their Antisabbatarian doctrines and commands and we have many of us yeelded too farre unto them both within booke and without It was the fashion you know of late to dismoralize the fourth Commandement that holy just and good law so strongly centered in the very heart of the Decalogue and so providently fenced and marked in the fore-head with a Memento Remember that law hath bin of late repealed by wicked men and then Antisabbaturianisme was become a stirrop to preferment But alas alas here lyes our shame and sorrow we have basely as it were held that stirrop to those men as that Emperour did to the proud Pope whilst they have mounted themselves into the saddle of prophanenesse Oh that ever the sincere and powerfull Ministers of the Gospell Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. should so farre be led away with the error of the ungodly that ever like Peter James and Barnabas they should walke with a limping or crooked foote and destroy againe the things which they had builded Well Brethren let us 1. Sit downe and pick these thornes out of our consciences Râ—v 16.15 2. Let us henceforth watch better and keepe our garments lest we walke naked and men see our shame 3. Let every one that hath bin thus seduced by feare or flattery let him Sampson like now revenge himselfe in an holy and loyall way upon those Midianitish-Amalekitish-Philistines for his eyes which they have put out let him put up one fervent prayer the more daily against them Let him presse if a Minister one Text one Sermon one â—â—se at least the more towards a pure and thorow reformation And as the Romane history faith of that Empresse when her husband Domitian was slaine she dealt one blow amongst the rest and said take that for the death of my Paris she spake and did that most unlawfully but let us as we may in a most loyall and Christian way give one stabbing prayer protestation exhortation the more against the wickednesse of such ungodly mâ—n and say lo that for your Antisabbatarianisme take this for the fourth Commandement Brethren this is the way to draw good out
Chron. 17.6 that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord I meane the sence of fresh deliverance should strengthen our faith to trust to the Lord more perfectly it should enlarge our love to cleave unto him more affectionately it should kindle our zeale to stand for him more couragiously and so in all the rest of our graces This of all sort of prayses is the highest 2. Another Branch are Prayers The use of this duty is commanded and the nature parts and qualifications prescribed in one and the same Text by Saint Paul to his sonne Timothy 1 Tim. 2.1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in authority that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty I need to goe no further then those two verses for the foundation or limits of my discourse in the present point Let us therefore fully discusse the words In them we may observe these three generals 1. The severall sorts of prayers which are to be made and those are foure Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of Thanks 2. The persons for whom all those prayers must be put up Generally all men i.e. all rankes indefinitely More specially for Kings c. 3. The scope drift and end of our prayers for them it must be peace and quietnesse but with two qualifications the first Spirituall Godlinesse the other Morall Honestie As for the middlemost of three heads viz. the persons especially to be prayed for they are the Supreme Majesty and the houses of Parliament and 't is most evident I shall insist upon the other two the first and the last viz. 1. The sorts of prayers to be made for them 1. Supplications 2. Prayers 3. Intercessions and 4. giving of Thanks 'T is generally agreed by all good Subjects that the King and High Court ought to be prayed for and many doe fumble about the duty give me leave to set my selfe and you in a right way it is this saith Saint Paul we must make for them 1. Supplications Deprecations is the proper English word To deprecate in their behalfe is to pray off from them all evils of sin or punishment feared or felt whether in soules bodies or estates 'T is a Defensive Prayer to pray them safe and sound from all dangers To give an instance or two in Scripture First to pray for the removall of all bad Counsellors Take away the wicked from before the King Prov. 25. v. 5. and his Throne shall be established in righteousnesse Next for Security and safeguard from plots and enemies Psal 61. v. 6 7. Thou wilt prolong the Kings life and his yeares as many generations O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him Thus we must Deprecate all evill from King and Parliament 2. Prayers Which most generall name is used because it doth signifie the largest Branch of all namely Petition We must beg for them all gifts graces and mercies not onely in truth but in the highest degree especially for governing gifts and graces in the most superlative measure As Wisedome and Judgement is one So in Salomons prayer at Gibeon And now O Lord my God 1 King 3. v. 7. ver 8. thou hast made thy servant King c. And now thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen a great people c. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people ver 9. that I may discerne between good and bad Next the Feare and dread of the Lord. Moreover Exod 18. v. 21. 2 Chr. 19. v. 6. thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as feare God c. And he said to the Judges take heed what ye doe for ye iudge not for man but for the Lord. ver 7. Wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it Againe The spirit of Courage and Zeale saith Jehosaphat Deale couragiously ver 11. and the Lord shall be with the good 3 Intercessions We must not onely deprecate all evill from them and petition for all good things upon them but also we must postulare intercede pleade wrestle and strive with God in prayer as is said in another case Rom. 15. v. 30. For the Lord Jesus Christs sake and for the love of the Spirit we should strive together with them in our prayers to God for them ver 31. that they may be delivered from them that doe not beleeve and that their service which they have for England may be accepted of the Saints In great and extraordinary times of hope and danger the Lord will not be moved with few and ordinary prayers Gen. 32 v. 6. ver 7. See Jacobs perillous condition in his returne from his Unckle Laban he is told that his twise offended brother Esau commeth against him with foure hundred men then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed But how doth he wind out of this trouble Loe an ordinary striving is not enough ver 24. ver 25. At Peniel Iacob was left alone And there wrestled a man with him untill the breaking of the day and he touched the hollow of his thigh and the hollow of Jacobs thigh was out of joynt ver 28. and he wrestled with him Then said God as a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed It cost him an ache yea an halting to prevaile with God in such a grand extremity Diffiâ—ilia quae pulâ—â—ra Good things are difficult Once more see what labour it cost Elijah and his servant to obtaine raine for Israel 1 Kin. 18. v. 42. after three yeares drought in the land And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and he cast himselfe downe upon the earth and put his face between his knees What a painfull groveling posture was that ver 43. And he said to his servant goe up now looke toward the Sea and he went up and looked and said there is nothing And he said goe againe seven times and it came to passe at the severth time that he said Behold there ariseth a little cloud out of the Sea ver 44. like a mans hand c. Thus Brethren it hath been a long time of drought with us many of our clouds in Church and state though they have hid the face of our Sunne from us yet have proved to the land but as clouds without water Jud v. 12. carried about with diverse â—inâ—s so that we have wanted both the former and the latter raine in their seasons Now what meanes are to be usâ—d that the Lord may be moved to send a gracious raine upon this his Inheritance Psal 68. v. 9. and to refresh it now it is weary Looke upon this zealous Elijah get we all up to our closâ—ts and there cast downe our selves upon the earth with
and that more wayes then one for by this meanes 1. They doe become more bold and audacious in their evills according to that of the Preacher Eccles 8. v. 11. Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily I may put in thorowly therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill or at least the enemies doe hereby grow more subtill and cautious if not more impudent As a I ox that hath once broken the snare or ginne it will cost you double art paynes and patience to get him upon that advantage againe So if once the Enemies can escape such a scowring they will worke more wisely ever afterward and tenne to one if ere you take them so fairely upon the hyp in future times 2. But chiefely such short sparring as we say doth make the Enemies more fierce cruell and malicious against all the Reforming party for ever afterward When Moses and Aaron did attempt and begin the Redemption and Deliverance of Israel out of Aegypt and that they had made but an entrance upon the worke Exo. 5. v. 1. 3 they had but broken the ice with Pharaoh concerning letting the people goe Lo then for a time it is farre worse with the poore Hebrewes then ever before for the tale of their brick is doubled straw is denyed them and insteed thereof stripes are layed upon them Suppose now that those two great Deliverers Moses and Aaron had left the worke in this plight had they not bin rather enemies then friends to Israel in so doing But once more Suppose that the Aegyptians had recovered the Israelites back againe Exod. 14. when they pursued them to the red-Sea Oh then what triple tusks of bricks with Scorpions instead of rodds would they have layed upon them To illustrate this poynt a little more cleerely Suppose a hunter or Woodman in shooting of a Stagg or Wilde-Boare doth not strike it dead in the place but onely wounds it is not then the shooter himselfe in as much danger as the game is it not time for him presently to fly for his owne life for feare least the bleeding beast doth fall upon him Or once more Suppose that a Priest or Levite of old when he had a Bull or Bullock tyed to the hornes of the Altar suppose I say that he had given it such a faint blow upon the head as might onely have amazed the furious beast and caused him to breake the cordes had it not then bin high time for the man to looke to himselfe for feare least the Sacrifice should have offered up the Priest We know that the Philistines brought downe Sampson very low Judg. 16. ver 19. ver 21. for they did shave off the locks of his head and with them his strength they did put out his Eyes and bound him with fetters of brasse and he did grinde in the prison house A man would have thought that this enemy of theirs had bin sufficiently disabled from hurting them for ever after but the case was otherwise ver 22. for in time the haire of his head began to grow againe and at last when they made but a play-game of him ver 25. ver 28. ver â—0 he was at once avenged of them for his two eyes Yea he pulled downe that house-full of the Philistines at one plucke so that the dead which he slew at his death were more then they which he slew in his life Therefore there is no good trusting of shaven blind bound and imprisoned Sampsons their haire may grow againe and then woe to the other side if ever they recover hold fast in the pillars of the house In short whosoever doeth not strike home in cases of great Reformations and publike acts of Justice he doth but irritate the enemy to the extreme perill of himselfe I doe here remember that speech of Goliah unto David and may well allude unto it Chuse you out a man for you saith he and let him come downe to me if he be able to fight with me and to kill me 1 Sam. 17.8 9. then will we be your servants but if I prevaile against him then shall ye be our servants and serve us The like words me thinks I heare founding from the mouth of every grand-delinquent and from each mighty Anti-Reformist amongst us at this time If the Reformers be now able to match and vanquish us then we must be servants for ever but if our party can at this time prevaile kill and conquer them then all is ours and they shall be our perpetuall servants and serve us And hence I suppose doe spring all those divellish Treasons and hellish Machinations of the Adversaries in all the three Kingdomes ever since the beginning of this Parliament Irish Scottish and English Rebellions Treasons and Conspirasies The enemies are busie like their father the Divell because their time is short Now or never therefore let the holy and loyall side bestirre themselves too even in their owne defence And to set on this point yet more closely we may allude in this case unto that speech of our Saviour concerning the re-entry of the uncleane spirit Mat. 12. v. 43. When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh thorough dry places ver 44. seeking rest and finding none then he saith I will returne into my house from whence I came out and when he is come ver 45. he findeth it empty swept and garnished Then goeth he and taketh with himselfe seven other spirits more wicked then himselfe and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse then the first The States Ecclesiasticall and Civill in this Kingdome were not long since pestered and in part possessed with divers bad members which were unto us like so many uncleane spirits some of these have bin lately dispossessed I meane by flight imprisonment death so that at present we doe walke through dry places that is in better wayes seeking rest and a thorow Reformation but if now we finde none then then let us be sure that those Cacodemons evill spirits may returne againe and take with themselves many other spirits more wicked then themselves and if possible enter in and dwell here and the last state of this Nation shall then be worse then the first The Lord grant that it be not even so unto this Generation In briefe my Brethren let me speake it as effectually as I doe now faithfully say it The Blessed Reformers and their Adherents doe at this time as they say hold a Wolfe by the eares By the Wolfe I doe understand all Papists and Delinquents if they chance to let goe this ravenous beast he may turne againe and all to rent them if they hold it there for longer time this also may be perilous A third way yet remaineth and that is to be sure and swift 5. Finally Such short-shooting may much redound or at least be objected
to Esther And who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this This Motive it seemes did strike the stroke with Queene Esther and carried her thorow all difficulties so that now neither the wrath of a King nor the late sad president of Queene Vasthi no nor the feare of death it selfe could hold her in When the Lord hath a purpose to doe great publike workes of Reformation and Deliverance and doth so farre honour any of his servants as to bring them forth in such a nick yea and perhaps to call them to that service it is then their duty and the Lords expectation that they would indeavour to raise fit and proportion their spirits to the worke that is set before them yea and God himselfe at such times is ready to be with them in an extraordinary measure Thus when the Lord would have that first Temple builded at Ierusalem 2 Sam 11.25 1 Chr. 22.9 10 1 Kin. 3.9 1 Kin. cap 5. what a King did he give unto Israel he was no lesse then a ledidiah and a Salomon beloved of the Lord and peaceable Nay how doth that King indeavour to fit and furnish himselfe both by prayer for wisdome and by diligent contrivall for materials Ezra 5.1 2. So for the building of the second Temple what active Prophets and Princes did the Lord raise up and how doe they rowse up themselves for that worke as Haggai and Zechariah with couragious Zerubbabell and Jeshua besides Ezra and Nehemiah about the same time Neh 3.1 So in building of the walls of Jerusalem what choice and forward spirits doe we find in that third Chapter of Nehemiah first among the Priests and afterward from the Princes and from them it runneth down to the very Trades-men ver 8. ver 32. as Gold-smiths Apothecaries and Merchants In like manner when the Lord had a purpose to root out Baal Iezebell and Ahabs posterity what a man for the nonce did he raise up 2 Kin. ca. 9.10 even furious Iehu the son of Nimshi And so in England heretofore when the time was come for rooting out those Romish Baalites and that Babilonish Jezabell did not God raise up our English-Iehu King Henry the eighth a man made for the purpose Brethren let us lay this to our hearts we all of this age and Island are now honoured to be the Spectatours of a wonderfull worke yea and some of us perhaps are borne to be happy instruments thereof in some degree Magnâ—â— anmus magnaâ—â— fortunam decet ô let us take this gratious opportunity as an honourable blessing let us improve it richly to the honour of him who hath so highly honoured us Yea let every one that can doe any thing and who cannot holily and loyally doe something towards this work let him or her say with themselves Who knoweth whether J am come to my present place case and condition for such a time as this 1. First let every Magistrate and Officer say with himselfe who can tell whether I am made a Maior or Justice of the Peace c. in such an eminent County City or Borough for such a time as this namely that I may promote and enliven within my Spheare the Declarations and Orders that doe come from Parliament that I may certifie against contemners effectually and may to my utmost apprehend and send up all that shall let and offend the present worke Nay me thinks the very wives of such Magistrates may as well say to themselves as Mordecai did to Esther the wife of King Ahashuerus Who knoweth whither we are come to our derived dignity and reflected authority for such times as these 2. In like manner would I have every other inferiour Officer to commune with his owne heart in his Chamber and say I am now suppose a Constable and ordinary service is not sufficient in extraordinary times I am but a meane man may another say and have prayed perhaps heretofore for an occasion and opportunity to further the Reformation Lo now I am one of the Church-Wardens of my Parish and there is a Declaration for abolishing of Crucifixes c. now put into my hands and even dropt into my mouth A third man may tell his owne heart there is now come downe an Order for setting up of Lectures and I am a wealthy leading man amongst my Neighbours Who knowes whether I am come to this Parish to this estate for such a time as this 3. But finally and especially let this consideration kindle the spirits of all faithfull Ministers and make them blaze with holy loyall flames of zeale and activity O my Brethren that we unworthy we should be made Watch-men and Pastours in such hopefull and yet fearfull times as these wheras so many of our better Predecessours have desired to see these things but could not see them me thinkes this consideration should melt and ravish us yea it is almost enough to make us cut up our flesh into hearts and if it were possible to distribute and deale them abroad into the bosomes of our friends to enliven them To winde up all let every soule that wisheth well to our Zion and Jerusalem to Church and State cast himselfe and his upon the present Reformation Let him as a good Christian and true Subject adventure his All in that bottome 't is no small hinderance to the publicke good worke that many thousands of people doe stand in bivio wavering in their judgements and affections they have as it were one foot upon the shore and the other in the Ship so that if the Sea doth chance to swell and grow rough they are provided to retire to shoare with safety but if the waters prove calme they will goe off wholly into the Arke amongst the Reformers and this division is the reaâ—y way to cast away both ship and men Let me say therefore to all these as Saint Paul said of those shipmen which were about to forsake their vessell in the storme Except these abide in the Ship yee cannot be saved Act. 27.30 31. Let us all according to our places leape off wholly with both feet into the publike Arke of Reformation and now to set on this last Motive with a paire of spurrs at parting let us in our thoughts and imaginations represent the past and future ages as now present to encourage and quicken our Activity First for Past-ages let us thinke and suppose with our selves that if our Ancestors of the last generation were now living againe even thy father and mine and his thy husband wife or perhaps brother deceased I speak only of such dead friends as wished well unto Zion ô how would these spit in the faces of some of their children nephewes or kins-men which are against this Reformation how would they checke and spurr up all their midling kindred but as for all those of their off-spring that goe the right way ô how would they kisse blesse and embrace them and what