Our God being the Lord of Hoasts could have prevented them and can allay them stilling the proudest waves as hee pleases Hee knows how to preserve his Friends and to reserve his Adversaries 2 Pet. 2. 9. Hee who can command light to shine out of darkenesse 2 Cor 4. 6. can as easily bring order out of confusion and unlesse hee could bring good out of evill hee who is the Supreame Governour of the whole world would never suffer any evill to befall his People It doth not argue any defect either in his power or love that his people in England have so long smarted and still goe under such heavy pressures but it is the manifold various wisedome of the great Lord Generall so to marshall all his Hoasts as they may doe execution according to the Counsell of his will and all in reference to his grand designe The advancing his own great Name in the salvation of his People you have no reason to mutter because sometimes it is male cum bonis bene cum malis because sometimes the godly suffer and the wicked prosper mis-interpreting such providences humours and feeds Atheisme why should not you allow God the honour of his Soveraignty Hee is the Lord of Hoasts and as hee makes use of his prerogative in saving the soules and in using the parts and abilities of men so likewise in the sparing and afflicting of them The same God who Isa 4. 56. hath said Hee will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon all the Assemblies a cloud and a smâ—sk by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night c. by way of protection hath likewise said for affliction Isa. 45. 7. I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord doe 〈◊〉 these things It is good therefore when God is come out of the habitation of his holinesse for all flesh to bee silent before him Zach. 2. 13. and in stormy times to saile by the Psalmists Compasse Psal. 37. 7. beâ— silent to the Lord and waite patiently for him If God bring thy estate low get thy spirit as low If God break and shatter the kingdome get thy heart broken and humbled under his mighty hand Let thy soule lye levell with Gods providence Remember the God of Hoasts is his name Amos 4. 15. If God delight in conficting times to represent himselfe to his Church as the Lord of Hoasts Then beware of cowardly feare suffer not your selves to bee discouraged by the most potent adversaries when you are ingaged in his worke who is the God of Hoasts Solomon tells us Prov. 29. 25. The feare of man bringeth a snare but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall bee safe Carnall feare betrayes reason as well as faith when it is predominant Thousands in England have found this true by wofull experience who out of distrustfull feares chusing rather to sin than to suffer have miserably insnared themselves whereas if by faith they had taken Sanctuary in him who is the Lord of Hoasts hee would have been their safety their high place What though puissant Armies should combine and raise great mountains of opposition in the way yet the great Lord Generall who commands heaven and earth will carry on his own worke Hence hee gives a challenge to those mountainous Adversaries who did hinder Zerubbabel in Temple-work Zach. 4. 7. Who art theâ—â— O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine and bee shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings But how should this bee carryed on not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts What though enemies doe most proudly insult then remember what the Lord saith Zeph. 2. 8 9 10. I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon whereby they have reproached my people and magnifyed themselves against their borders Therefore as I live saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall bee as Sodom and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah even the breeding of netles and saltpits and a perpetuall desolation This they shall have for their pride because they have magnifyed themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts In defiance to the pride of railing Rabshakehs the Lord of Hosts will still appeare like himselfe in the behalfe of his own people even when their power is gone The Lord shall judge his people their enemies shall slide in due time Deut. 32. 35 36. not alwayes in our time but in due time Often his childrens extremity proves his opportunity to helpe as 2 King 14. 25 26. Suppose your Army should bee in straits the cause is still the same and your God is still Lord of Hosts possibly this may bee his Method to our Redemption first to humble us before hee will exalt us I hope you keepe a fresh remembrance of the late glorious successe in the Northerne parts so far beyond your thoughts and hopes Underprop your spirits when they beginne to sinke with a branch of that Psalme which Luther delighted so much to sing when the Church was in troubles Psal. 46. 7. The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge If second causes should faile the first cause the Lord of Hosts can supply or govern their deficiency to his peoples advantage Hee is great in counsell and mighty in worke a God that will do wonders rather than suffer his own cause or people to miscarry no reason therefore in the worst times to bee discouraged Hence learne this Lesson very seasonable for these Military times Be improving daily this Stile whereby God makes known himselfe to his People as the Lord of Hosts As you indevour to fortifie your selves and the Kingdome against numerous adversaries so with all bee sure to cry mightily by Prayer to him who is the God of Hosts It is a peace of singular Christian skill when you addresse your selves to seeke God then by an eye and hand of Faith to single out those divine perfections in him which are most sutable to your exigents In these times of sad and bloody distractions in all the three Kingdomes when so many are up in Armes concurring with the Irish Rebells who would plunder us of our Religion and lives as well as of our Liberties and estates it is a most proper season for us all to muster up our teares and sighes to besiege Heaven with our importunities that wee may ingage the Lord of Hosts to appeare on our side let us say as in Psal. 74. 22 23. Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the forlish man reproacheth thee daily forget not the voyce of thine enemies the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually I might produce a cloud of witnesses to incourage your Prayers You may read Exod. 17. 11. When Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed and when hee let
people it is then a proper season for them to set their hearts upon their wayes and seriously to consider them Consider your wayes It is in the Hebrew set your hearts upon your wayes doe not onely by direct acts in a brutish manner follow on what is before you and without your selves but retire in words seriously six your hearts upon your owne waies that you may know and consider them Considering imports a bending of the mind to thinke upon and observe any thing The hearts reflecting upon its owne courses by comparing them with the rule of Gods word and withall here undoubtedly it implies a weighing the events and successes of their affaires how God blesses and prospers them The holy Ghost commends unto us the considering of our wayes as a singular meanes to steere our courses aright It may possibly prevent the commission of sin Psal. 4. 4. Stand in owe and sinne not commune with your owne hearts Prov. 4. 26 27. Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes bee established turne not to the right hand nor to the left remove thy foot from evil It may reduce the straying soule when it hath sinned Lament 3. 40. Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe unto the Lord The Devill well knows the spirituall advantage that may be gained by this practice and therefore doth still with all his might upon every occasion oppose it You shall ordinarily find that people are more easily drawne to read then to pray and will sooner be perswaded to move in a track of customary praying then seriously to consider themselves The more necessary any duty is the more opposite Satan and our wretched hearts are there unto Amongst all others whether Merchants Travellers c. Consideration hath great influence and without exception is as usefull in Christianity And especially is most seasonable for Christians in evill times This is one of Wise Solomons Oracles Eâ—cles. 7. 14. In the day of prosperity bee joyfull but in the day of adversity consider Every one can in the day of adversity complaine of their wants and troubles can quarrell with the faults and impotency of Instruments yea and will very frequently repine at the dispensations of Gods providence whereas the proper worke were to apply themselves to a serious consideration of their owne wayes When you feele the smart of an evill of punishment then you should bee searching for the evill of sinne consider then both the inflicting and the procuring cause who it is that smiles and why he smites Why is the consideration of our waies so seasonable when Gods hand is stretched out against us Because such inside worke as it is a good fruit of Heavenly wisedome so it may bee an evidence of our sincerity which will prove an excellent cordiall to cheare us in evil dayes Hypocrisie may teach us to multiply out-side performances sincerity draws the heart inwards to selfe-reflection and to employ it selfe upon its owne wayes by self-considering and self-judging The bodily eye sees other things but not it selfe so the eye of the carnall mind hence the Lord complaines of their wickednesse appearing herein No man saith What have I done Jer 8. 6. But the more seriously any lay out their thoughts how to discover the evill of their owne wayes the greater matter of rejoycing they have at home what ever evils they meet withall abroad The testimony of such a conscience in the worst times would bee a continuall feast when to him that wants it All the dayes of the afflicted are evill Prov. 15. 15. Secondly considering of our wayes is the most proper eccho of Gods correcting hand and that spirituall emprovement hee expects wee should make of his chastising us Mic. 6. 9. The Lords voice cryeth unto the City and the man of wisdome shall see thy Name Heare yee the Rod and who hath appointed it God speakes not onely by his Word but also by his workes and that with a louder voice hee calls by his word but hee cries by his Rods even to this very end that wee may consider what he saith by it Our present Rod which hath whipped so many thousands to death since this unnaturall Warre began preacheth this doctrine of self-consideration unto ENGLAND In 1 King 8. Solomon makes divers Prayers at the dedication of the Temple answerable to the severall exigents of Gods people one is that God would heare their prayers and maintaine their cause when they goe out to battell against their enemies vers. 44 45. And suppose they then sinne against God and provoke him to deliver them into the hand of the enemy yet their case is not desperate verse 47. If they shall bethinke themselves and repent then heare 〈◊〉 prayer and maintaine their cause ver. 49. Where you see that retiring into their own hearts and bringing their hearts upon their wayes is that which the Lord lookes for in the evill day before they shall find deliverance When this is wanting hee complaines by his Prophets as of Israel in Amos 4. yet have yee not returned unto me this expression is found foure severall times in the same Chapter ver. 6 8 10 11. They did not return unto the Lord because by his judgments they did not first learn to return into themselves Thirdly because consideration of our wayes is the most compendious method to our self-humbling and self-reforming and the Scripture way to obtaine reconciâ—â—ation with God David first considered his wayes before hee turned his feet unto Gods testimonies Psal. 119. 59. The Prodigall Sonne came first home to himselfe Luke 15. 17. by the consideration of his former evill wayes before hee came home to his Fathers house to find gracious entertainment there And then when once a sinner by his self-reflection hath learned to renounce his evils the Lord is most ready to embrace him as a reconciled Father with the sweetest evidences of his love and favour Esa. 1. 16 17 18. When you have learned by considering your wayes to put away the evill of your doings from before Gods eyes come now and let us reason together saith the Lord The holy God would not entertaine such a familiarity with them before they were cleansed By all which it clearly appeares that as we desire a comfortable argument of our owne sincerity to make a wise emprovement of the correcting hand of our God to bee loosened more from sinne and to enjoy more sweet evidences of the favour of our God in evill times especially when his hand is stretched out wee should set our hearts upon our wayes and seriously consider them Here then two sorts of people their Errours in the glâ—sse of this Truth First of such as set their hearts upon their worldly comforts upon their carnall ends and interests in evill times when Gods hand is stretched out against England but not upon their wayes to consider and reforme them This was Baruchs distemper Jer. 45. 5. for
ten hornes that is ten Kingdomes into which the Empire in the time of the last head is rent This Dragon continually watched how to crush the Church of Christ like Pharaoh and Herod in the birth and infancy of it Hee well knows that the advancing of Christs Kingdome in the building of the Temple is the ruining of his usurped Dominion which exasperates him so much that hee will muster up all his Forces to hinder the progresse of it The Adversaries of Temple-work are very subtile and industrious to raise such prejudices against it as may cloud the glory of Reformation This is often whispered though most unjustly as if the Reformers would make not a Renovation but an Innovation and as if they would erect a frame of Church-Government opposite to Civill Authority What the Devill what the Jesuites with all the seed of the Serpent can devise shall bee throwne in as blocks in the builders way they will still do their utmost to cast mountaines of difficulty to keep off Zerubbabel from adding the top stone The cordiall Instruments to carry on Temple-worke are but â—ew in comparison of adversaries and some of them too often either grow weary and sloathfull if not treacherous or being swayed by earnall policy degenerate into selfe-seekings and selfe-servings and others from whom much is expected so miserably divided amongst themselves that in stead of combining against the common Enemy to advance the building of Gods House they fall into sharpe contestations one with another whereby Temple-work is most unhappily obstructed England is like to find the sad experience of this as well as Germany Power and Authority which have the great influence are seldom so happy as to bee imployed and improved readily for God which occasions many delays in Temple-work 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many mighty men not many noble are called either to injoy Salvation in Heaven or to do great Services on Earth Cunning adversaries know how to flatter Princes to abuse their Greatnesse to hinder Goodnesse Diverse of the Persian Governours acted successively in an opposing or hindering the re-building the Temple before a Darius could be found who would resolutely promote the finishing of it There were many Generations of bloody persecuting Nerves amongst the Roman Emperours before one Constantine who would imploy his power to advance the building of the Christian Church God will be All in all and especially acknowledged in Temple-worke and therefore suffer it to bee carryed on through such delayes and difficulties that wee shall have evident reason to cry Grace Grace to the Lord of Hosts as in Zach. 4. 7. In the beginning of this Parliament the Counsels of Reformation did move very vigorously as if the work would have been suddainly done People began to eye the Creature too much and to set up some second causes too high advancing them even into Gods Throne The Lord hath since taken from us by death divers zealous and worthy Instruments and suffered so many intervening rubs to hinder our dispatch of Temple-work that we are taught to eye God more and now to speak this Language The zeale of the Lord of hosts will perform this Isai. 9. 7. If Temple-worke bee not easily not suddenly accomplished Then why should any bee offended with delayes and difficulties in the present work of Reformation Gods glorious works have ordinarily small beginnings are carryed on without externall pompe and for the most part make very slow progresse this possibly may offend carnall spectators but our Saviour pronounces all them Blessed who shall not bee offended in him Matth. 11. 6. How mean so ever hee appeare in his word or in his workes God hath laid the Foundation of a glorious Temple for himselfe in England The work indeed hangs long in our Zerubbabels and Joshuahs hands many are herewith much offended and discouraged Bee pleased to read over the Story of Gods Providences about the building and reforming of his Church from time to time you shall then finde the motion in Temple-work is seldome quick Great works as well as great bodies move but slowly By the good hand of our God upon us there is a beautifull Fabrick of his House as neere as wee can according to the Apostolicall pattern preparing amongst us and some such things are already done towards it as will bee of singular concernment both in reference to the Honour of the Lord himselfe and also to the comfort of the Inhabitants In stead of the High Commission which was a sore scourge to many godly and faithfull Ministers wee have an Honourable Committee that turns the wheele upon such as are scandalous and unworthy In the roome of Jeroboams Priests burning and shining Lights are multiplyed in some dark places of the Land which were full of the habitations of cruelty In the place of a long Liturgie wee are in hope of a pithy Directory In stead of Prelaticall Railes about the Table wee have the Scripture Railes of Church Discipline in good forwardnesse Where Popish Altars and Crucifixes did abound wee begin to see more of Christ crucifyed in the simplicity and purity of his Ordinances In stead of the Prelates Oath to establish their owne exorbitant power with the appurtenances wee have a Solemne Covenant with God ingaging us to indevour Reformation according to his Word yea and the extirpation of Popery and Prelacy it selfe Who could expect that such great matters should bee easily and suddenly effected Yet still you must make account the Devil will bestiâ—re himselfe to ralise all the Forces hee can from Hell or on the Earth to hinder the progresse in this Blessed work and admit your hopes should yet hee deferred however suffer not your Spirits to sinke with discouragement In these delayes the Adversaries may have one designe hoping hereby to undermine the building before it bee finished but the wise God hath another designe herein hee knows how to take the wise in their own craftinesse and through their retardings to carry on Temple-work with great advantage All our delayes and difficulties may prove the Lords method to fetch off peoples Spirits to close more fully with his own work The businesse of Church-Reformation stuck here most of all even in the reluctancy of the peoples minds against it and their indisposednesse to comply with it as in good Jehosophats dayes The high places were not taken away for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their Fathers 2 Chron. 20. 33. Our Temple-work was no more forward because the hearts of the most of England have been so backward to it Behold here the admirable providence of God how hee hath improved the lengthening of our Troubles Hereby hee hath by little and little moulded peoples spirits to a more plyable disposition and made many much more ready to concurre in the building of the Temple in the Advancing of Reformation When the warres began thousands in England who in a