to Christ's Followers not be chained only a Change shall obtain on them and a little after it is expresly open'd so for the Envy of Ephraim shall depart vers 13. c. They shall not envy and vex each other So doth Zachary foretel ch 14.8 When the Lord shall be King in all the Earth then one Lord and his Name one Name notes Worship and it shows that all fatal Differences shall center and terminate in one Object one Dominator and Saints only strive which knows and does the Lord's Will best And so all Names of Dissent and Contest shall relinquish their lifeless Forms wherein the Enmity both breeds and feeds and contentedly be buryed in Oblivion That his Name Power and Worship may be one from the East to the West Mal. 1.11 2. For Right it shall not be run down by Might the Poor shall have as true and as much Justice for God's sake as the Prince So is Scripture pregnant the two great Maladies that Bars and Courts groan with of Denyals and Delays of Right shall by this have suited Cures the one by seeking out a wronged Cause the other by hasting Righteousness Isai 16.5 And Christ that Tree of Life in his days will spread the Earth over with Branches laden with all sorts of blessed Fruits How then should we pray for that King and Kingdom that alone will bring that Fruit Now when we seek this Kingdom and thirst for the Righteousness of it Mat. 5.6.6 33. When we pray the Word may run and be glorified 2 Thes 3 2. It is a good Argument of our being on Christ's side and this is the Defence David begg'd of God for his Life for fear of the Enemy Psal 64.1 And often for the good Cause he ingag'd for And it being all the Service you can do had you not need say the old Prayers with a new Spirit that God may help yet once as Sampson prayed and then pulled at the very Pillars Judg. 16.28 v. 30. And so dyed a Martyr for Israel and a Judge against the Philistims though himself sunk in that Adventure And truly the state of God's people is such some aged worn out and weak some poor low and discouraged many of the Rich timerous and of Nabal's temper the rest not yet pinch't with the Sorrows and Hardships of their own Flesh and all divided in their Notions about these Things that if by our Prayers we can serve Religion no better than by a Carnal Weapon we are like to suffer as sharp a Lash and as long as ever unless God by an Act of arbitrary Grace Works Wonders for us as here he did at Samuel's Prayers for Israel and thunder vengeance on the implacable in an extraordinary way and why not so now Since Promises do oft entertain us with hope Isai 10.26 Joel 2.21 Mic. 7.15 that God will do Wonders and lift up the Rod and that after the manner or Aegypt But matter of Prayer exemplified in Scripture of this kind is both various and frequent It may suffice to cite a few of many noted Petitions for Defence Let all that trust in thee rejoyce Psal 5.11 Why so For thou defendest them or thou puttest a Cover or Protection over them Psal 7.10 God is my Defence that saves the Vpright in Heart In a third he prays Let the Name that is the Power Worship of the God of Jacob defend or set thee on high psal 20.1 2. as the word is A fourth runs Be thou a Rock of Strength a House of Defence to save me ch 31.2 A fifth time he resolves to wait on him for God is my Defence ch 59.1 9. v. 17. It was when Saul watcht the House to kill him ch 62.2 6. What need had we of such Prayers I conclude the Direction for prayer with that of the Apostle That the Word may run and we may be delivered from unreasonable men or absurd men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 3.3 men out of Place of no Topicks For if these fall on the Law of God is again like to be led in Triumph as it was by Titus Vespatian when Jerusalem was took But let it be intence and earnest not lazy Prayer Mr. B. St. on the Parable of the ten Virgins for as one concludes his Book God relieves no ilde Beggars I only cite a Line of a Doctor at the end of his learned Apostolick History in prayer for the Jews thus Cause Truth to ride prosperously as the Sun at Noon Mr. S. Cradock pag. ult set up thy pure Worship and Institutions throw down false Worship and Errour break the yoaks of Oppression and Violence rebuke Profaneness unite Christians in all the main Fundamentals that may invite the Jews to Christ give us a Forbearance in less matters c. Now 2dly For Deprecation it is imply'd in our Lords Direction Lead us not into Temptation Mat. 6.13 So then we are to pray against all the Inlets of Temptation that within or without draw us to evil And more particularly 1. Deprecate God's Recess Leave us not was and still is an useful Request Exod. 33.15 Moses and Jeremiah did so the one chose to dwell still in the Wilderness with God rather than to go into the Land without him The other crys Leave us not we cannot sense this Loss till after His Presence is our Glory Jer. 14.9 2. Deprecate selling into men's hands that is slavery this follows that selling giving up and delivering into men's hands Isai 47.6 are acts near of kin and as he gets nought of the enemy but Blasphemy Psal 44.12 so to be sure we lose both civil and religious Rights by that Bargain once in slavery you may work long ere you buy off the Yoak men hardly let go a Slave 3. Pray against the Sins that demerit both If God protect his Worship and us in it shall we forget our Glory and Defence at once We may do it easily but are sure to repent it dearly What Sins do conduce to this I need not here to recite but a small fret as Miriams or wrong touch as Vzah's or false fire as Aaron's two Sons Lev. 10.2 or Formality and Mixtures soon drive God away or provoke him 3. For Imprecations in our Prayers let us first premise a Word next provoke and direct I depone two Positions and distinguish next 1. There is a lawful holy Curse now under the Gospel as was under the Law Jacob curst the rage of Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.7 So David the Sons of men that incenst Saul against him and drave him out to serve other Gods 1 Sam. 26.19 So Jeremiah had a holy Arrow for his indurate Foes Lam. 3. ult Paul had the like for the Galatians Troublers Gal. 5.12 2. Some men are fit Subjects of a Curse against whom this Weapon is of right to be drawn Psal 109.17 18. The sin to death secludes from all benefit of or blessing by Prayer 1 John 5.16 The delivery to Satan is a just
Wrath and burning City and Kingdom if not God will surely revenge polluting of the Sabbath Trouble you him in his Rest and will he not surely perturb your Peace Some think says he God brought Noah's Flood on that Day first called Gen. 7.10 the sevench Day for the profaning of it and that Day Prague was taken So he Dr. Beard p. 150. observes of an English Town Feverton in Devonshire it was twice burnt Anno 1598 and 1612 for that Market on the second Day that occasioned its profaning And O London is the 2d of September that Sabbath-Day so soon forgot when Popish Flames made the whole City die a Martyr If all be forgot see how one concludes a Book on the Sabbath in a Protestant Nation Let this be for a sore Lamentation Mr Wells on the Sabbath p. ult 2dly For Assemblies I excuse not Rudeness nor the Carcase of Formality which as Mr. Shepherd of New-England very smartly foretells may justly cause God to send Crows and Vultures or Roman Eagles to pick our Carcases barer yet may I plead for reverend learned and pious Brethren as to this My Plea for our Meetings shall be comprehensive of all that in Conscience and Simplicity dissent Corrupt Latitudes on the one hand may be and morose narrow Spirits on the other with different Persuasions in some Points of Doctrine and Order but extra-fundamental and some lie open to more Offence than others Yet I plead all their Cause and Rights as to Assemblies Presbyterian Independents Baptists and Quakers so distinguish'd by common Note right or not For the first of them Presbyterians I ask any that can give a sober Reason for that Prejudice took in against them others I deem not worth the while to expostulate with that only say without reason they rather will chuse Popery than presbytery to submit to till their Eyes are rubb'd open in Smithfield But to the rest I say Ye've small cause to seclude your Presbyterian Friends from Lenity and Charity the one calls to the Justices the other to the Clergy for those of that way concurr'd and contributed to the King's Restoration as freely as any and consulted it too before in a time when it cost them no small Hazard and some Death Most of them are Men of Parts Education Degrees in Universities pious and charitable very Loyal and have a Latitude many of them to own your Church-Worship and Ministry and also would return to you again would you draw them by the Lenity of a Comprehension not drive them by a Lash of Compulsion So you do owe them some Moderation making Conscience of that Covenant the keeping whereof the late King himself recommended in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the Independents they are a small distinct associated people willing only as that Doctor said in the Peace-Offering to pass the King's High-way in Peace with the small Flocks that attend their Pastors giving most of them all that Assurance that the sacred Oaths can afford And being all laborious some opulent others poor and neither offenfive to their Vicinity nor yet mutinous or numerous what harm can your Lenity do your selves if you labour first to win them by Reason or if that cannot be to wait till God shall reveal his Mind to them in what they differ from you Phil. 3.15 For the Anabaptists in point of Faith and Order they say the same Things with the two former little differing from you save those of the Free-will-Point of which Faith also are some of your own only in Paedobaptism they very finding no Law in the New-Testament for Infant Baptism and there being also too many found whose Baptism wants of the Essence of that Ordinance Were but the Odium took off them that partial Historians of foreign Anabaptiss do load them with and the modern Urbanity Sobriety Charity Humility and Piety they adorn themselves with and Societies they own preponderated sure the Errors of some of that or any Party should not be imputed to all there would be small cause to crush ruine and spoil them as Antimagistratical Some amongst these are also to be found that are stigmatized and perhaps the whole for their sake as Chyliasts Millenaries Seekers and Seventh-day Me or Sabbatarians Fifth-Monarchians of which I need not be more particular As they 're few mean single persons so also misrepresented or not understood One of your own Conformists Plea 4th Part. distinguishes some last nam'd into two sorts the one of Mr. Jos Mede's Notion who yet was of the Church of England and so not to be condemned for one innocent Error But for the latter if any brand us all with Venner's End I advise such to Thankfulness that his Number was but Twenty Nine for had they been so many Scores or Hundreds as Persons into what a Case and Fright they would soon have redacted Court City and Country let them judg that saw the Action For those called Quakers I say not much having touch'd them before What is offensive and justly blameable in Doctrine Order or Moroseness of Converse I here justify not what is good be it in Baptist or Quaker I willingly own let it please or not One Thing I willingly prize and praise in them tho not in exclusion of others i. e. their open Adherence and their bold and noble facing the Armed and keeping the ground without a Weapon tho it costs some their Life in defence of their Meetings at set Time and Place Which tho it infers not all true they say or hold yet in my Conscience it pleads a Justification of the Practice and is some amends for the disuse of the carnal Weapon with them and 't is to me the same Argument of brave bold Manhood and Self Conduct to give the Back and Cheek to Smiters Goods to spoil in the Exercise of Patience as to give the Face to an Enemy at War in the Field And very comfortable 't is for such as come out to try their Valour on those unarmed Assemblies of Men Women and Children to think and see what Butts and Bulwarks they have to shoot at and yet how firm still they stand for if the old Man and Manhood should by Injuries be awaked some that are so daring to give the provocation would to save their Faces with the first turn the Back Besides this People are grown numerous and in all their own Affairs keep correspondence with their Friends mutually for relief of Sufferers and other good Ends in all Parts And to invert Haman's Argument Esth 3.8 't is not for the King's Honour or Profit to let them be ruin'd at home or exil'd abroad that are so frugal numerous and industrious They alone may by the Assemblies here in London be calculated to be a great Body and with all the other sorts of Dissenters both in the City and all the Land in two Isles what a Body do they make The wisest King has a Political Maxime In the Multitude or Plenty of a People is
rest till the white Horses post after the black to bring Joy Peace and Rest to the opprest in the North which will soon follow the former Distresses One observes on Hosea of that King that on a morning was cut off Hos 10. ult It was Hoshea and that in him the whole Line and Reign of the ten Tribes surccast and were extinct 2 Kings 17.4 For he being false to his word the Assyrian deposes and imprisons him subverts Samaria and his Kingdom and Captives the ten Tribes And why all this For the Sin of Bethel what they thought would confirm and settle did subvert the Kingdom Anaxagoras for writing a Book of the Moon 's Ecclipses after they in Athens had received her for a God was imprisoned and but for Pericles had died Had they so foolish a Jealousie for a fictitious mutable God and shall not the true God that changes not be as Jealous for his Glory Truth Ways and Worship Surely with Nahum I may say Oh Judah keep thy Solemn Feasts for the Belial is utterly cut off Nahum 1.15 3. As Providence is active in punishing some so is also in preserving others that is the darker this is the brighter side of it there God's Horses are black here all white Such as Jesus rode on in conquering the first Emperial Dragon Apoc. 6.2 19.11 And keeps still for the last Papal Victory That Victoria Halelujatica when all the Armies in Heaven are so mounted not on white Horses in the Letter but on a Series of glorious Successes purely on the Lambs and his Followers account and also on Seats of Rule and Dignity of which that Colour was a Sign or Badge of old Judg. 5.10 Now in nothing more doth Providence weave the curious Webbs of Salvation than in this So was Lot pulled out of Sodom Jacob preserved from Esau and Laban also Joseph saved from his Brethren and by their Envy advanc't over them all so all the Family was fed in Aegypt so Moses is hid drawn out Nursed by his own Mother Exod. 2.7 8. adopted educated advanc't in the Court nay at last as a God over it as when but an Infant was predicted of him Burr on Heb. 11 25. Thus is Israel brought out with an High Hand and Wonders wrought at Sea and Land for it Thus David in the Cave Jeremiah and Baruch also were hid So Esther wheels the King about and turns the Plot on Haman So the three Children in the Furnace and Daniel in the Den of Lions are rescued Dan. 6.23 So Jesus with Joseph and Mary are sent to Aegypt for Safety and about two years after call'd back and the Infants blood avenged on Herod but Jesus is saved Mat. 2. For further Instances of Gods wondrous and secret Providence in saving his at their Duty many are worthy of Recognition In Psalms God is called a Sun and a Shield Psal 84.11 i.e. the one to direct the other to protect also the Preservation of the Woman's Birth is attended with an Acclamation Rev. 12.9 10. Now is Salvation the Kingdom of our God and the Power of his Christ And why that Cry of Salvation now Why first because of this bewildred state it is more a wonder to be then sav'd in a Desert than all the Blessings of the Land of Canaan 2. For the Circumstance of time now in her Travel v. 4.5 when she and her Man-Child had no visible means of Protection but were open to the Envy of a furious Dragon 3. For the means of her Safety three fold 1. By the Sufferings of the Faithful v. 11. And 2. By the Wings of the Eagle v. 14. i.e. says Dr. T. Taylor the providence of God protecting the Oracles of God directing to a slight Or as Mede the Roman Empire spread and divided as the two Eagles Wings of the divided Empires the East and the West that helpt the Woman to this escape And 3dly By Earthly Men Means and Ends as that Doctor gives Examples of divers kinds Dr. Taylor in Apoc. 12. p. 816. c. David bids us Go about Zion tell her Towers and mark well her Bulwarks Psal 48.13 Two sorts of Defence about Zion are to be remark't to all Successions The one is the Out-works or Mud-walls made all of Earth about his People The other is the In-works of Gods Attributes and Angels Of these I did touch Only let 's view that regular Line of strong Fortification drawn about Zion by the Bull-warks of Earth cast about her Sometimes pernitious Designs do turn to advance our Interest and Preservation as Aug. observes ad Sixtum Quod in perniciem Inimici machinantur Deus convertit in adjutorium What the Enemy devise to our hurt God converts to our help So Josephs Slavery by Brethrens Envy is well over-rul'd though it was ill meant Sometimes Men for Earthly Ends or by fear of Ruine plead the Cause of God's Worshippers as did Pharaoh's Courtiers the Land being almost destroyed Exodus 10.7 Sometimes Fits or Pangs of Conviction perswade to some Urbanity as King James of Scotland long ere he came for England put on that Moderation and Vrbanity to that People that a Coyn of Crown Pieces was made with a Sword and on the Point of it a Crown the Motto Pro me si merer in me The Sword is for me if I deserve against it He bravely own'd that he ow'd his Kingdoms to Christ deriv'd from him in the following Sonet to his Son I wish also it may extend to Grand-Sons Basilicon Doron God gives not Kings the stile of Gods in vain For on his Throne they do his Scepter Sway And as their Subjects ought them to obey So Kings should fear and serve their God again If then you would enjoy a happy Reign Observe the Statutes of your Heavenly King And from his Law make all your Laws to Spring Since his Lieutenant here you should remain Reward the Just be stedfast true and plain Repress the Proud maintaining aye the Right Walk always so as ever in his Sight Who guards the Godly plaguing the Prophane And so you shall in Princely Vertues shine Resembling right your mighty King divine These I find rescribed at the end of one Mr. W. Symond's Pisgah Evang. pag. ult A. D. 1606. upon the Revela And would all Princes take out that Copy and follow it the Lord would both lengthen their Days and reward their Love to the Godly here with a Crown of Glory Eternal Now the Verses of a King having given this royal pleasant and not impertinent digression I return to our Matter The providential Preservations of God's Courtiers is a Theam worthy of the wit reading and Pen of Angels not only to observe the Shield of Defence held cut for the Safety of the Pious personally in all Times of danger but in a more special way over the whole Body of the Elect in the most perillous Times that have or can come He that views the People of God in Ages by-past when the Church