with those whom God ownes Shall all these things be forgotten and spilt as water on the ground is there nothing of glory sparkling out through these manifestations that may convince us of our opposition and disaffection to these proceedings It cannot be but some men conquer their convictions as the Army hath done malignant persons who yet hate them because of their owne interests But to goe on how gloriously hath God appeared ever since while the enemy beyond the water have been studying with what solemnity to Crowne their King God hath crowned our cause with many Diadems of his glory and mercy for after that Battel at Dunbar and the strangenesse of the issue contrary to all their faith and assurances and many who were accounted the honest party began to reflect on their former principles and carriages and having rallyed in the West by their friends adde more strength and remonstrate against the State for their tampering so much with the King and their juglings among themselves which they have largely exprest in print whereby they show some sence of Gods hand against them yet neverthelesse what ever thought they had of their owne party at home they continued their enmity against us and notwithstanding all overtures made to supple their spirits and improve these convictions which if truly weighed are from the same principles with ours and no more difference then of a Scots and English interpretation of the same thing notwithstanding all these faire and cordiall affections we to the utmost exprest to them yet they cunningly watched their opportunities First to slip into England of which they were prevented and then Secondly to fall upon a part of our Army in their quarters where God appeared againe and both took their chiefe Leaders and â—cattered their whole party this great and further appearance of God wants not its circumstances to make it an eminent mercy and to strike deep into our spirits for First they were the Army which had most of the hearts of the godly with them as being separated from the grossnesse of the royal principles protesting with more zeale and honesty for the Kirkes interest and so would have gained more then ordinary on mens spirits and againe they had the great command in the West whereby they did great damage to our Army and had advantages of stealing into England both to withdraw part of our Army from them and stirring up new fires among us which would too soone have been effected by their Covenant pretences besides the manner of their overthrow is as remarkeable God striving in all this war to leave signal characters of his own hand in every of our mercies for when the General had marched a great way from Edenborough towards the West and sent expresse orders to the Major General to meet him without fail at such a time in such a place where the General came according to his appointment with a great body of Horse and foot they could not hear any newes of the Major Generals approach the weather being so bad and provisions so seanty both for horse and man his Excellency was forced to march back with all his forces and frustrate his own intentions the Countrey people hearing of the Generals retreat run to Kerr and his party tell them of the estate of things and how his Excellency was returned to Edenburgh and that Major Generall was left alone Kerr seeing his advantage which he had long waited for presently fals on his Quarters promising himselfe a full defeat of that party But they being in readinesse received them valiantly with some few Troops and quite routed him and pursued and tock and shattered all his confidents whereby we may see how every deliverance and victory is circumstantiated with some beame of peculiar glory and providence And if the delivery of Edenborough Castle that impregnable Fortresse were added and the manner of obtaining it it would bring forth a new matter both for praise and conviction but I intend not this for an exact history Thus it hath been from first to last and every victory like one star that differs from another in glory and however there may be a difference between persons and parties in respect of profession or hol nesse as there was between the Army under Kerr and that under Lieut. General Leslye the former being more purged and professing of principles with more zeale and indeed we may justly call them a Sectarian Army opposing and divided from the publique proceedings of Kirke and State yet they are all one looked on by God as to helpe and prosperity when they either with others or by themselves have lifted up their hands against this cause a consideration which is not slightly to be rejected and which may well make men wary of second actings against them God hath yet made that good in these Nations to this Common-wealth and Army so farre as they have had sincere intentions in the management of this warre which he did once to Israel No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper though carved and whetted by the fairest glosses and religious instruments Wee have hitherto in summe and as in transitu given the Reader an account of the series of Gods workings for us since he thought fit to make use of this Army against the common enemy Let us now reflect with wonder and astonishment at the dulnesse of our apprehensions and strangenesse of the opposition and inward murmurings of many otherwise observant and godly against this Common-wealth and Army for which God give us leave a little to expostulate with their spirits with whom are you angry who hath done all these things is there nothing of the image of Gods mercy power and wisdome written on any of these victories could so small a bulke of flesh and bloud destroy such potent Armies storme such brasen walls clime such high places with so little losse if the Almightie had not seconded and engaged his right hand with them These are farre from Rhetoricall but they are reall expostulations Are wee angry that God hath heard our prayers which wee so long time put up to him for subduing the common enemy in the three Nations or that he hath done his own worke without our mediums What shall be said shall all these actions of Gods power in and so much goodnesse be buryed in a discontented humour and the glory of them blasted by a designed prejudice God forbid the ages to come shall remember our insensiblenesse with teares of bloud and owne themselves to be our children as high raised up-starts doe their poore parents who blush when they are named But if any spirit be so sleight as to say all these are but events and no proper declarations of the truth of a good principle they being oftentimes occasionall and permissive by God to a bad as a good cause I answer in generall that its true that commonly and ordinarily God keepes such an even course in the universe that all things fall alike to all and the same event unto both the bad and the good cause thus
God suffers it for a long time for the hardening some and destroying others and to draw off the hearts of his from depending on these injoyments or advantages in this world yet at the same time he would not have his people put the right of their sufferings or his enemies prosperity on so large and indifferent a supposition but to look into the Will of God in thus disposing of their states and to find out the particular end of God to them in it But as there is a general and special providence of God in the World so there are events sutable these special Providences of God â—all on all men for serious observation for in them God goes out of his ordinary course and they do show either his special owning or dis-respect whether to a person or party and are often distinctions of the truth of Principles and Actings and if there were nothing to be seen of God more by these then other manifestations the World might grow careless and secure from expecting any evil from the hand of God or any punishment for iniquity more then what a godly man himself may have by the same strokes And if this principle should be true what reason have the Malignants or Papists to look any more into Gods hand on them or to think their cause the worse because Providence overthrows their Armies why should any cry out on them for hardned and obstinate persons saying they have no more but events to convince them being still confident of the justness of their cause And to what end have we kept so many days of Thanks-giving for Victories if there be nothing in the issues of affairs testifying to the Truth of things it can be nothing else but a mocking of God to give him solemn praises for that which can neither shew us the goodness of our cause or Gods peculiar respect to us more then our enemies for we have no more witness to the Truth of our Principles then they have save our confidence which is as firm and stablished in them as us Let our Brethren look and remember what expressions they used formerly in their thanks-giving sermons both before the Parliament in the City and up and down all the Kingdom for any show of a Victory when the Army was commanded by the Lord of Essex when any party was routed under Sir William Waller or any of the first Commanders though we lost it as soon as we gained it and they were far from the Victories are now despicably called Events of War with what affection and zeal did they prove the equity of our fighting against the King by these mediums it became a common expression at such days That our God was not as their God our enemies themselves being Judges and by what should our enemies be judges against themselves for us but by Gods appearing against them and ordering the issue of things beyond all their height of confidence and expectation Many other such like expressions have been with much heartiness exprest in such days blessing God for owning his people in a day of need and making a difference between them and their enemies the testimony of all which they gathered from particular successes But why trifle we in a matter of such consequence are all these actings in England Scotland and Ireland for these many yeers so negligently to be taken notice of only as Events of ordinary actings What can then be called Glorious Appearances of God in this World or what Victories can we have so much conscience as to write Gods Name as on these How can a model of the workings of God for his people be drawn in fairer and clearer colours Had God acted with these that dissent and by these instruments which they had sanctified for the work though far lower than he hath dore with these whom they despise the world should have another account and these providences should have been proclaimed in other names then accidents and events if not the persons canoniz'd loâ—g â—re this in every Church and Chappel and if God had permitted such an overture that the Scots had beaten and overcome our Army at Dunbar which would have been the saddest day that ever Englishmen saw we need not question but the name of all these former eminent and conâ—inued Victories both in England and Ireland would be blotted out from the earth except these hearts in whom the glory and mercy of them were engraven with the same finger that wrought them and nothing else but the just judgements of God declared to be executed against the Sectarian Parliament and Army by Gods faithful and Covenant-keeping people who can imagine that tryumphant conclusion that would then be made of the wickedness of our Cause Principles and Persons of the truth of mens railings and the reason of their discontents how would all men be exhorted from henceforth to beware upon penalty of the like judgements of God to withdraw from any complyance or conjunction with these who were the declared enemies of God against whom he had bent his Bow utterly to destroy telling all men to consider â—ow God had at last found his secret enemies and vindicated the cause of his Covenant especially in Scotland where it was made and preserved we may easily without uncharity guess that a thousand such inferences would soon be drawn from such an event But seeing God hath given us the use of such an argument and added that mercy to all the rest with a cleerer representation of his face towards us than ever before why shall we think them common or unclean are our Victories less precious to us than theirs would be to them are we more glad to see another Nation conquer us than we to defeat them in their Designs against us or can we rejoyce that God useth forraign Instruments in his work rather than these of our own Nation How are we degenerated how surpris'd in our affections that we should desire more for the Scots to conquer us than for the English to preserve us from them If we have lost our consciences yet let us retain our natural affections and if this Government be evil in our eyes yet let us have so much wisdom and self-love left as to prefer it before a Scottish Tyrannie if our mercies be not in every point and circumstance fashioned according to our model let us not throw away the substantialls of our Liberties by maligning and opposing those which are the visible preservers of them Let us once again look back upon Gods providences for us and mind the series of them with the variety and manner of bringing them forth and study more the nature of them for they deserve the most refinedness of our thoughts to be set on them and the purest place in our hearts to have them registred if every fly and gâ—at every piece of dung and filth shews forth somthing of God to
hearâ—â— they finde little else but Histories of Civil affaires râ—vilings and defamings of authorityes and casting fire bals of sedition up and downe Congregations to incense mens spirits against the present Government This is one of the greatest reasons which I can by observance finde out that the Ministry is so low and in such contempt because they mingle Christ and this world so promiscuously together and do not keep within the bounds of the Gospel in their publique preachings to the world But speake more in the language the of Stage then of a crucified Christ and this makes many withdraw from the publique assemblies because they can heare little but cavils in Pulpits and Christ in private houses I wish the honour of the Ministry might shine in the glory of the Gospel for other respects they will finde them to be but temptations and hinderances to their worke Is there any thing else which stands in our way for stâ—â—wes must be removed as well as reall blockes before pâ—â—judiced eyes are there any complaining wee are yet 〈◊〉 setled and opprest Let these men answer themselâ—â—â— that if they will have a settlement they must contribute to the procuring of it for while every one divides who shall settle If they cry out of oppressions it s very unjust they should expect otherwise who will not come under protection as it s most unreasonable any should desire protection who will not engage to be serviceable to promote the Common-wealth I shall end with proposing some Queries to zealous and honest men with a word of application from what is done in Scotland and no more trouble the Reader in this kinde First Whether must there bee an act of oblivion past for all the mercies and victories wee have had over the common or secret enemies of this State or to what use shall wee put all these wonders Secondly What lower improvement could there have bâ—en of so much bloud and continuall deceipt among us by the name of the King and his family but a cutting off the one and racing out the name of the other or whether ever any peace with these persons could bee sound or acceptable without some speciall sacrifice of them to Justice let it lye on our consciences Thirdly Whither wee can imagine that God had not higher ends then wee first proposed in our engaging against the King or then what could bee at first by us forâ—seene or whither any condescension in us could have gaind him without hazard and losse of our maine liberties and priviledges Fourthly Whither the providences of God seeing they have been so peculiarly acted are not to be guides and rules to us in prosecuting a generall and indefinite principle or how wee can with comfort satisfie our selves in civill quarrells but by providentiall events or what is that event wee thinke most demonstrative of Gods minde if these are not Fifthly Upon what hinge will wee turne the aâ—ore of our affaires if not upon the continuall and daily manifestations of God having our end and principle right or whither any person or power can foresee all the turnings and changes in a multiplyed affaire without some leading providence of Jehovah Sixthly Whether is the better foundation for action a supposed principle with contrary actings of providence or the like supposed principles with extraordinary lettings forth of Gods power and Majestie But what need wee querie humors and discontents will soone turne all these expostulations to encouragements wee are now through Gods blessing come to a period at home all the expectations of our enemies is from the broken reed of Scotland but the vaile is now off the malignant party is but retired there under another head and if wee may beleeve the Scots themselves and those which are accounted the honest party and their Remonstrances wee have nothing to fight against but the malignant party in Scotland the honest party who were first deluded being first subdued and now beyond the water they are put to the shifts of a generall complyance which will be no discouragement to us as formerly for then wee fought against many pretenders to the Covenant and who were with a conscience engaged and yet God esteemed it not but now wee have a full marke the old enemy newly crowned and all things made up in Scotland to follow this designe But I hope Englishmen can doe no lesse then the honest Scots have done remonstrate against those proceedings and yet God makes them know that bare Remonstrance against that party without union with Gods instruments will not serve but there must be an unanimous correspondency of all good men against these shifting zealots And wee have now a more ground of hope against them if God hath owned us when they seemed to keepe at a distance from the malignant party and to fix their principle on a surer and more cleare foundation how will he now appeare for his people when they have past thorough all delusions and are to meete againe with their old enemy but what horror of spirit will fall on these good men who will rather venture themselves with malignant assistances then comply with Gods workings I have no more to say he that cannot trust God now with our cause hath either too much interest or too much ignorance after all the wayes God hath taken to open our eyes Let our Parliament and Army never doubt encouragement but keepe up their spirits high for Gods ends seeing they have none now to encounter but their old enemies without any pretence that may trouble their consciences or delay their marches And let godly men know who stand yet out as God hath done all for us without them so he will now more especially because they are now under the first consideration and must come under the same viall and at least expect the sprinkling of it while they have any conjunction with that party which God hath devoted to destruction if our consciences be not quite asleepe and if wee have any sensiblenesse of our present advantages and future miseries let us set our seales to Gods actings and rejoyce in the Lords will so gloriously manifested and not strive against the streame of providences but as men convinced by God not by men engage our selves to maintaine this Common-wealth which is the onely Bulwarke left us both to keepe out tyranny and preserve our liberties which in due time wee shall have most free and stablished if our owne fond affections to strangers and prejudices of our friends doe not undoe all FINIS