terror to the Army of Israel and Vriah may an opponent say He kill'd many Philistims that they sung Saul his thousand and David his ten thousand and Vriah may he say and if other of his victories he alledged tending to his honour this might still be opposed yea but he kill'd his servant Vriah the Hittite yet notwithstanding the atrocity of the fact and all the anger about it and all the threatning of him and his houshold in his adversitie he cryed to God when his enemies rose up against him and his prayer was heard At his latter end he could say that the Lord had redeemed his soule out of all adversitie This much illustrateth the grace of God and may strengthen our consolation in these times Surely there is hope for England and Scotland wee have had and have so many praying dayes and have so many praying men praying Commanders praying Souldiers praying Parliament men a praying Assembly and other praying Ministers and praying people and we have had comfortable experience of the good effects events of our prayers specially after our extraordinary Fasts After that which was kept before the battell at Naseby when the Armies were to be ingaged and the Gospel lay at stake and wee were in distresse and feare wee sought the Lord and he heard us and wee had a great deliverance and a glorious victory and a little after when our Army marched towards Taunton then strongly besieged and were to ingage againe wee prayed and the Lord gave a gracious returne to our supplications the good people in those parts were relieved by our men and a formidable Army of the enemy was routed Wee have sundry times seene the salvation of God when there have been failings on our part and great advantages on the other side and when we have been in a low condition and the enemies in the height of their strength and confidence the Lord of Hosts hath appeared for us the God of our salvatioÌ„ hath favour'd our righteous cause and brought out adversaries to confusion After the extraordinary Fast kept for Scotland wee soone had intelligence of a great overthrow given to Montrosse God did great things for our brethren of that Nation whereof we have cause to rejoyce they are our brethren and confederates of the same faith with us and have deserved our prayers and good endeavours for them by their prayers for us in our trouble and the great service they have done to this Kingdome and to the Church of God amongst us they shewed zeale and courage and quicken'd us when wee in a manner had lost our selves and there was little life in us they have been instruments to promote the Reformation which wee have that Church was famous in the Reformed Churches for doctrine worship government and discipline when ours was in an ill name for corruptioÌ„s that Church had the honour to be in the Antitype to Philadelphia the best of those Churches of Asia when ours was made the Antitype to Laodicâ—a the worst of the seven and they have had the happinesse to keep their Church without heresie or sectaries for above fifty yeares and greater love than this hath no man than to lay downe his life for his friend and that they have done for us and many thousands in and about the Citie that now sit warme might have sit cold had it not been for them and had they been overthrown their fall would have been our fall therefore wee have cause to pray for them and to rejoyce that God of his 〈◊〉 hath heard their prayers and ours It will be said by our adversaries that they pray too and why may not they be heard as well as wee It is true they pray some of them to our Lord and some to our Lady as they call her some say Our Father some Pater noster and Ave Maria and some make use of their Beads and Crucifixes when they pray and many revile and curse the godly party yea they curse them bitterly that have come out to help the Lord against the mightie the generalitie of them read somewhat in a book but how many of them pray in the Spirit Certainly there is great difference between their praying and the praying on this side and there is great difference between the men that performe prayer on both sides and those they pray for and were their praying in some respect better than it is their cause is nought and their Armies are too like the Absalomian Army to prosper they are risen up against the righteous and help the ungodly to destroy godly men and are bloudy-minded as they were and being like them in other vices they will be like Absalom to a hair as I may say affecting long hair as he did not regarding what St Paul saith that it is a shame for a man to weare long hair making it a shame rather not to weare it long In some respects many of them are worse than the Absalomians namely for superstition and damme-swearing therefore God will not heare them no when they fast he will not heare their cry To us there is more ground of hope for good because there is more of David in our Commanders and many of our Officers and Souldiers and in those that have sent them forth for the defence of our Religion and Lawes and Liberties and of those that stand for them and wee have seene that God hath heard our prayers and prosperd our Armies in all parts of the Kingdome Wee have had great incouragement from heaven and what if we have not obtained yet a cessation of the warre no more did David in the war between the house of Saul and him though he prayd at first and constantly yet there was long warre between the house of Saul and the house of David but he obtained that he grew stronger and stronger and the house of Saul weaker and weaker and the like wee have obtained to our comfort through Gods great mercy notwithstanding our sinnes One circumstance more we are to take notice of and that is that as David prevailed so with the Lord by his prayer after that he had sinned against him so it was after his repentance humble confession of it unto God after that he was in statu quo with him upon as good termes as ever and had mercy upon mercy to his dying day Beloved Repentance obtaineth audience and pardon that maketh every sin veniall that saveth the soule and that saveth a Nation from ruine and destruction Repentance causeth God to repent maketh him better than his word when he threatneth evill as both the Israelites and Ninivites found him therefore to conclude repent and pray and waite and yee shall still see the salvation of God FINIS Exod 4. 10. Obsequium 〈◊〉 esse 〈◊〉 Id though not sine subduâ—â—ione sudore Lips Ep 2 Sam. 23. 10. By Westchesier 2 Chro. 12. 18. Ira cos Fortitudinis Jer. 10. 23. James 4. 13. Prov. 16. 1. Numb. 21. Ezra 7. 27. Prov. 21. 1. Gen. 20. 6. Gen 45. 5. 8. Job 5. 21. Chap. 16. Psal. 145. 17. Mat. 22. 29. Psal. 113. Ludibria joci naturae Scal. in exerc Heb. 1. 3. 1 Cor. 3. 6. Joh. 6. 29. 2 Cor. 3. 9. Minima pars operis Cal. Phil. 2. 13. Et ut velimus ut valeamus Fulgent Acts 8. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Cor. 12. 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Joh. 15. 5. Ab Jove principium Comparatio non aquiparatio Chap. 13 3. Gen. 3. 1. Exod. 1. 10. Dan. 6. Jer. 9. 23. 1 Cor. 10. 12. 1 Cor. 6. 5. Deut. 1. 13. Pro. 18. 17. 1 King 3. 22. 1 King 21. Pro. 20. 18. Eccl. 9. 16. 2 Sam. 20. 16. 22. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luk. 12. 20. Jer. 8. 9. Psal. 119. 24. 98. Isa. 29. 14. Psal. 33. 10. 1 Cor. 2. 14. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Tim. 2. 1. Rom. 13. 1. Tit. 3. 1. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 14. 37. 1 Cor. 5. Heb. 13. 17. Judg. 20. Josh. 8. 3. Diodorus Siculus l. 17. Ad fallendum hostem 1 Ne veneno aut sicarus agatur 2 Ne fides data frangatur 3 Ne jura belli violentur Psal. 109. Psal 15. 4. Psal. 13. 4. Psal. 34. 21. Psal. 105. 14. Zach. 2. 8. 1 Pet. 4. 5. Exod. 11. 7. Mal. 3. 16 17. Finis operantis and finis operis 2 Sam. 14. 25. 1 Kings 16. 1. Judg. 20. 13. c. Chap. 21. 3. 6. 2 Chro. 13. Psal. 78. 72. Psal. 146. 8. 2 Thes. 1. 6. Ezek. 14. 21. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Deut. 32. 35. Vse Phil. de Com. 2 Sam. 21. 16. Bilson of perpet Gov. 1 Sam. 22. 1â— 2 Chro. 16. 9. 2 Sam. 19. 6. 2 Chro. 19. 2. Psal. 141. 5. 1 Chro. 12. 18. Deodat 1 Sam. 21. 6. 9. Chap. 22. 20 c. 1 Sam. 24. 17. Pro 25. 5. Heb. 11. 25. Mr Jo. Dod. Job 29. 13. Hos. 6. 6. Prov. 21. 3. Acts 24. 14. Bilson perpet Gov. without Crosse and Surplesse Psal. 110. 1. Con Ahithophel Absalom Judg. 5. 31. 2 Sam. 15. 31. Chap. 18. 2. He set Hushai on worke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Tfiuua Heb. Exod. 14. 15. Chap. 17. 11. 2 Chro. 14. 9. 11 12. 2 Chro. 20. 3. 2 King 19. 4 5 Zach. 2. 8. Exod. 23. 22. Psal. 50. 15. Heb. 13. 6. John 8. 47. Psal. 140. 6. Vse James 5. 15. Pro. 15. 8. Pro. 15. 29. Psal. 18. 41. Prov. 28. 9. Zach. 7. 11. Jer. 14. 12. 1 Sam. 17. Psal. 57. 1. 1 Sam. 23. 27 28. Vbi est Deus Theodosij 2 Sam. 12. Sen: Nat. q. l. 6. c. 23. 1 King 1. 15. Brightmâ—â—…in Apoc. cap. 3. 2 Cor. 11. Jâ—r 14. 12. 2 Sam. 3. 1. 2 Sam. 12. 13. Psal. 51. 1 Chr. 1. 29. 28 James 5. 21 Jer. 18. 7. Judg. 10. 13. c. Jonah 3. 10. That very day the salvation of God was seen wonderfully by Westchester Sept 24.
knoweth any thing knoweth nothing as he ought to know 1 Cor. 8. 2. And without Christ wee can doe nothing he saith not nihil magnum no great matter as Augustine observeth but nothing and therefore Honourable Senators yee do well that every morning before yee goe to the work of the day yee begin with prayer to God for his direction and assistance and blessing I hope every Member doth it with an humble heart apprehensive of his owne impotency and nothingness for certainly neither the ablest Church-men in spirituall affaires nor the wisest Statesmen in temporall can do any thing well without God and therefore it is good to follow the old rule and that is to begin with God lest errors be committed for want of his direction Secondly Observe what humane wisdome is and all great parts without the feare of God and learne we hence that Policy without piety turneth to folly and bringeth misery What Ahithophel was for wisdome and counsell and State policy appeareth by that which is written of him in the end of the former Chapter The Counsell of Ahithophel which he counselled in those dayâ—s was as if a man had inquired at the Oracle of God so was all the counsell of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom But what he was for Religion and conscience may appeare by his forsaking David and complying with Absalom his wicked Son and by giving counsell to Absalom to goe into to his Fathers Concubines and by offering his service to kill David a meer Politician a Fox wise to do evill skilfull to destroy and to doe mischiefe but not wise towards God or for his own soule his wisdome turned to folly his policy proved vanitie in the end What came of him yee may reade after being crost in his expectation and taking to heart the disgrace done unto him by their preferring Hushai's counsell before his he presently rode home in discontent and became selo de se a self-murtherer Of Jonadab it is said he was a very subtle man but his counsell that he gave to Amnon came to nought to his own shame and his friends destruction and all for want of the feare of God which he did not set before his eyes That old Serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field but his counsell brought evill upon himself And the King of Aegypt said Come on let us deale wisely with them lest they multiply but the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied and grew and that Daniels enemies plotted against him proved against themselves and for him and no marvell for the wisdome of God is infinitely beyond the wit of man and it is for his glory to defeat the counsell of the wisest of men and to establish his owne and the rather because though they have nothing but what they have received from him and that they have is little in comparison of that which he hath and they have not yet coÌ„monly they are proud of that little and trust to it specially if they prosper they are puffed up and assume to themselves the glory that properly belongeth to God and they seek themselves and not him and many times worke against God and his servants and people and therefore they are infatuated and confounded by the hand of Heaven Which first may serve for admonition to all that are destitute of the feare of God and yet are wise in their own eyes and superciliously disdain others Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome and let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Wisdome even civill and worldly wisdome is the gift of God which he hath given unto the sons of men and is of necessary use to end Controversies between neighbour and neighbour hence the Apostle writing to the Corinthians that went to Law one against another reproveth them and saith Is it so that there is not a wise man amongst you no not one c As if it were a shame for them if there were not for Religion doth not make men fooles It is necessary specially in publick persons hence required in the choice Take yee wise men and understanding He that is first in his cause is just saith Salomon one would thinke he were as honest a man as liveth and that he hath had a great deale of wrong then cometh his neighbour and inquireth and all that heare both finde that one tale is good till another be told Sometimes there is no witness as when the two Harlots appeared before Salomon and both claimed the living childe Sometimes there are false witnesses as in the case of Naboth and therefore there is need of a great deale of wisdome to finde out the truth and to doe Justice in warre it is necessary therefore Salomon saith By counsell make warre for wisdome is better than strength A poore man by his wisdome delivered the Citie A woman also by her wisdome But if the feare of God be wanting in those that are worldly wise they will not prove very wise in the end for themselves or for their own good or others Thou foole witless man saith the voice this night they shall fetch away thy soule c. They have rejected the Word of the Lord saith the Prophet and what wisdome is in them The Word is that which teacheth wisdome therefore David made that his Counsellor and that made him wiser than his enemies Secondly This may keepe us from feare of our adversaries in regard of their wit and policy and counsell against us The wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid The Lord bringeth the counsell of the heathen to nought he maketh the devises of the people of no effect As he did to Ahithophel so he will doe to those that are like unto him their policy shall turn to folly Thirdly Therefore such as are not to be too much esteemed or followed what ever abilities they have specially in things pertaining to God his Church and Ordinances having no power of godlinesse in them Meer Politicians are not good Interpreters of Scripture though they have read the Scriptures nor are they fit Judges in spirituall matters they savour not the things of the Spirit they cannot relish them they perceive not the things of the Spirit they have not the capacitie they are beyond them they cannot have right hearts to Christ and to his Ministers and to the pure Ordinances Give me favour for an observation or two in a way inoffensive to candid hearers The French have a Proverb that a Minister should know nothing but the Scripture Well let that be free to us to know that and to teach that in one thing as well as in another and prove all things and hold that which is good The observation is this that S. Paul was as much for the civill
Magistrate as any man I will saith he that prayers and supplications with thankesgiving be made for all men for Kings and for all in authoritie under them and Let every soule be subject to the higher powers and Put them in remembrance that they be subject to principalities and powers and that they obey Magistrates but withall he saith Obey them that have the oversight of you that watch for your soules and the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets teaching us that Preachers should be referd to Preachers that can best judge of their doctrine Preachers should refer themselves to Preachers and submit to their judgement if they will not there is an appearance of a great deale of arrogancy in them Moreover When there was an incestuous person in Corinth that had his Fathers wife the Corinthians had him not before a Justice to have him imprisond or otherwise punished by the Magistrate but they informed the holy Apostle of him and he tooke order that he should be censur'd by the Church that he might be brought to repentance and saved And Christ in whom were all treasures of wisdome was for Caesar and would have him to have all that was due unto him but in case of trespasse between brother and brother after graduall admonition he saith Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be unto thee as a Publican and an heathen Where by Church cannot be meant the Sanedrin greater or lesser for those Councels consisted of unbeleeving men which refused Christ the Head of the Church and persecuted his members and it is not likely that he would have Christians to tell one anothers faults to unbeleevers and so expose themselves to derision and abuses and sure he would not have them accounted as heathen and no Church-members that would not heare such a Councell The name of Church is appropriated to Christian Congregations throughout the Acts of the Apostles and neither one Justice or the whole Bench is ever called the Church in the Scripture And compare that place in Mat. 18. with that of Mat. 5. 25. and Luk. 12. 58. and there will appeare a manifest difference between civill Officers and Church-Officers In Luke the civill Magistrate is called the Magistrate in both places the Judge and he speaketh of his Officer and of the prison the place of punishment for malefactors plainly putting a difference between those Governours of the Common-wealth and Church-Governours Compare place with place and consider for our part we give unto the civill Magistrate as much as the word of God giveth them and if any give more the more shame for them there is more flattery than honesty in it for my own part I had rather be under government than put to governe if I did not speake as I think I durst not speake it in this place My reason is because of the burden and the account to be given to Christ for miscariages for every Steward must give account of his stewardship the civill Magistrate of his and Church-governours of theirs and if the same men will take both temporall and spirituall government upon them they will have such an account to make in that day as few are sensible of for the present Therefore let all be advised what they doe and take heed how they leane to the wisdome of naturall men what parts so ever they have in things of this nature rather hearken to those that are religiously wise and judicious and conscientious so Christ shall have his right and the civill Magistrate shall have no wrong but power and honour though without trenching upon the Churches right and God be glorified and many trespassers shall be brought to repentance and their spirits saved in the day of the Lord Jesus which was that which the holy Apostle aymed at in all Church-censures and which we ought all to ayme at in the feare of God And thus much touching the act of God in defeating the good counsell of Ahithophel the great Politician of Israel Before I come to the processe of the judgement against Absalom a question may be touching that which Hushai did whether it were lawfull or no I answer it was a military stratageme and he had instruction from David to doe what he did And in sundry places of Scripture we find examples of such practises God taught Joshua to lay an ambush for those of Ai as such things have been done by Alexander and other famous men of warre among the heathen so by the Israelites and their Leaders of eminent note having to deale with such enemies as Hushai was to deale with it was no time for plain dealing not that it is lawfull for men in warre to say and doe any thing there are certain cautions to be observed 1. That no poysoning be used or privie murthering 2. That faith once given be not broken 3. That the law of armes be kept not violated There must be respect had to Honour and Honesty There is no comparison between that which Ahithophel did and that which Hushai did there was cunning but honest cunning for it was in a good cause and for the publick good it was to save David and the godly partie with him and he shewed fidelity to his friend that confided in him Let there be a faire interpretation of his words and a favourable judgement given of his doings and that which Hushai did is rather imitable than culpable and may be done in the like case without offence to God and it may be observed in the text that God owned that which he did as his act and deed had any serv'd David as Hushai did Absalom it had been wicked the wicked may not doe that to the righteous which the righteous may do to them the righteous may pray against the wicked so may not the wicked against the righteous the righteous may and ought to despise the wicked but the wicked may not despise the righteous the righteous may hate the wicked as David did but the wicked cannot hate the righteous without sin it is said they that hate the righteous shall be desolate it is never said they that hate the wicked shall be desolate a charge is given to Kings not to touch his anointed servants and to doe his Prophets no harme and he reproved Kings for their sakes he that toucheth the righteous toucheth the apple of his eye to those that speak evill of them it is threatned that they shall give account at the day of judgement God would have them know that he puts a difference between the Aegyptians and Israel and he would have all to know that he putteth a difference between the righteous and the wicked therefore we are to judge the best of that which Hushai did for the righteous against the wicked and rather justifie it than condemne it I come now to
against all sects and sectaries faithfull to Christ and firme to the Parliament And it is your honour and may be your comfort Honourable Senators that the hearts and prayers of such men are for you and that yee have the prayers of the best affected in Scotland also and in all Reformed Churches Such as were for David are for you such worthies as are like to Amasa when the Spirit came upon him Commanders in chief eminent for valour and piety fidelitie and humility desiring that all glory may be given unto God in our dayes of thankesgiving and that they may be forgotten pitie it is that such Noble Patriots that fight for their Countrey should want any incouragement that the Kingdome can give them Honourable Gentlemen discourage not the godly party quench not any degree of their zeale for you by suffering any Officers in Commission under you to favour Malignants and to oppresse your friends by neglect of widows that are brought to that sad condition having lost their husbands in the Parliaments service by rejecting just and lamentable complaints or by sending away sad Petitioners crying one after another The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me saith Job and I made the widowes heart to sing for joy Fasts do well but I will have mercy and not sacrifice saith the Lord And to do judgement and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice Yee all stand in need of mercy practise mercy that yee may find mercy in that day and this day and all the dayes of your lives If yee do well shall yee not be accepted if yee do evill sin lieth at the dore at the Parliament dore as well as other mens dores for ought I know To returne to our adversaries that are Protestants with what comfort can they help the ungodly and such as seek the extirpation of the Protestant Religion in all the three Kingdomes The Pope is much beholding to them they do as he would have them all the Priests and Jesuites and Papists in England are beholding to them they do as they would have them the Irish cut-throats are beholding unto them they doe as they would have them when they fight against Protestants and against the most zealous Protestants but their Countrey is little beholding to them and the Church of God hath little cause to thanke them or the Lord Jesus the Head of the Church for any service they have done to him towards the advancing of his Kingdome But many will say they stand for the Common Prayer Book and they will fight for that as long as they can stand on their legges A resolution fitter for the vulgar Welch than for understanding Englishmen for that book was never of Gods making and no wise man will venture his life and shed his bloud for any book made by man were it never so good for he can look for no reward of God for it therefore though some that be wise may talke for it yet it is folly to fight for it But it hath been often said Take away the Common Prayer Book take away our Religion Nay our Religion is in the Bible there is our God and our Christ and our faith our Creed in all points The whole Bible was St Pauls beliefe there are the Psalmes of David and his prayers and the Lords Prayer and other prayers by which wee may learne to pray we have still the Lords songs the songs of Sion sung by many with grace in their hearts making melody to the Lord though without Organs there we have all the Commandements though they be not read so often as they have been but when they were ordinarily read were they better kept Were the second the seventh the fourth better kept then in Westminster then they are now Sure I hope as some other Commandements so the Sabbath is much better kept now Our Court-Prelates made the King Lord of the Sabbath and themselves Lords of mis-rule Compelling Parents and Masters and Ministers and Magistrates to suffer their sons and daughters and servants of both sexes to play and sport and dance if they had a mind to it and to prophane a great part of the day Here was trenching upon Gods Prerogative God must stand to their courtesie how much of the day he must have had it not been for the Parliament wee had lost a Commandement They that were for the book of sports would not indure the name Sabbath As for the Sacraments yee have them still reverently perform'd without the book and that is the old way that which they call the new way is the old way for two hundred yeares after Christ they had no set forme of prayer they buried without the book and baptized and administred the Lords Supper and prayd and gave thankes without it so as the alterations are for the better and none have just cause to clamor against them much lesse to fight Though there be lesse painting there is more light though there be lesse ceremony there is more substance though there be lesse superstition there is more Religion though there be lesse piping there is more preaching though there be lesse of man there is more of God and of Christ and of the Spirit therefore be patient and content Beloved it is Davids Religion that we contend for Davids Lord even the Lord Jesus the Son of David that he may have his throne amongst us and rule by the Scepter of his Word wee are for Christ and Sion they are for Antichrist and Babylon that are against us therefore side not with them but rather help the Lord against the mightie And let those that are about his Majestie if they love him perswade him to quit the sword and to hearken to Propositions for Peace and to returne to his Parliament and sit there in royall Majestie with his Peeres as he hath done There was a good Motto written over the gates at Yorke at King James his first entrance into that Citie Suavis victoria amor populi the sweet victory is the love of the people to win that then come and welcome the sooner the better If a King will come like a King with royall attendance he will be receiv'd with all love and joy and honour will be done unto him by all sorts but if they perswade him to come like an Enemy with martiall attendance with wicked company skilfull and ready to plunder and to destroy so as good people must stand to their mercy that have no mercy other Cities will answer as one did in that case Wee will rather live Souldiers than die slaves Pray for his Majestie that his heart may be turned the right way for his own good and the Publick Let those that have mis-led him and animated him to proceed in this war beware lest evill pursue them till they perish Let the young Germane Princes beware who have rewarded evill for good unto this Nation Let all