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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78965	The great danger of covenant-refusing, and covenant-breaking. Presented in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Thomas Adams Lord Mayor, and the Right Worshipfull the sheriffes, and the aldermen his brethren, and the rest of the Common-councell of the famous City of London, Jan. 14. 1645. Upon which day the solemne League and Covenant was renued by them and their officers with prayer and fasting at Michael Basinshaw, London. / By Edmund Calamy, B.D. and pastor of Aldermanbury London.; Great danger of covenant-breaking, &c.	Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666.	1646 (1646)	Wing C254; Thomason E327_6; ESTC R200648	37,036	51

into the wildernesse it will be because of these sinnes And therefore if ever you would have blessed dayes you must make it your great businesse to remove these 19 mountains and to repent of these land-devouring and soul-destroying abominations At this time I shall pick out the first and the tenth sin to speak on The first is selfe-love which is placed in the fore-front as the cause of all the rest Selfe-love is not only a sin that makes the times perilous but it is the cause of all those sins that make the times perilous For because men are lovers of themselves therefore they are covetous proud unholy c. The tenth sinne is truce-breaking and for feare lest the time should prevent me I will begin with this sinne first The tenth sin then is truce-breakers or as Rom. 1. 33. Covenant-breakers The Greek word is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth three things First such as are foederis nescii as Beza renders it or as others infoederabiles that is such as refuse to enter into Covenant Or secondly such as are foedifragi qui pacta non servant as Estius hath it or sine fide as Ambrose that is such as break Faith and Covenant Or thirdly such as are implacabiles or as others sine pace that is such as are implacable and haters of peace According to this three-fold sense of the word I shall gather these three observations Doct. 1. That to be a Covenant-refuser is a sin that makes the times perilous Doct. 2. That to be a Covenant-breaker is a sin that makes the times perilous Doct. 3. That to be a peace-hater or a truce-hater is a sin that makes the times periloùs To begin with the first Doctrine the first That to be a Covenant-refuser is a sinne that makes the times perilous To be foederis nescius or infoedederabilis For the understanding of this you must know that there are two sorts of Covenants There are devillish and hellish Covenants and there are godly and religious Covenants First there are devillish Covenants such as Acts 23. 12. and Isaiah 28. 15. such as the holy league as it was unjustly called in France against the Hugonites and that of our Gun-powder Traitors in England such are our Oxford Covenants for the destruction of the Parliament and godly party Now to refuse to take such Covenants is not to make the times perilous but the taking of them makes the times perilous Secondly there are godly and religious Covenants such as Job 31. 1. I have made a Covenant with mine eyes why then should I thinke upon a maid Such as Psal. 119. I have sworne I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements such as 2 Chron. 15. 14. And such as this is which you are met to take this day For you are to sweare to such things which you are bound to endeavour after though you did not swear Your swearing is not solum vinculum but novum vinculum is not the onely but onely a new and another bond to ty you to the obedience of the things you sweare unto which are so excellent and so glorious that if God give those that take it a heart to keep it it will make these three Kingdomes the glory of the world And as one of the Reverend Commissioners of Scotland said when it was first taken in a most solemn manner at Westminster by the Parliament and the Assembly That if the Pope should have this Covenant written upon a wall over against him sitting in his chair it would be unto him like the hand-writing to Belshazzar causing the joints of his loynes to loose and his knees to smite one against another And I may adde that if it be faithfully and fully kept it will make all the Devils in hell to tremble as fearing lest their Kingdome should not long stand Now then for a man to be an Anti-covenanter and to be such a Covenant-refuser it must needs be a sin that makes the times perilous And the reason is 1 Because you shall find in Scripture that when any nation did enter into a solemn religious Covenant God did exceedingly blesse and prosper that nation after that time As appeares 2 Chron. 15. 19. 2 Kings 11. 20. And we have a promise for it Deut. 29. 12 13. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God c. That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himselfe and that he may be unto thee a God c. And therefore to be a Covenant-refuser is to make our miseries perpetuall 2 Because as it is the highest act of Gods love to man to vouchsafe to engage himselfe by Oath and Covenant to be his God so it is the highest demonstration of mans love to God to bind himselfe by Oath and Covenant to be Gods There is nothing obligeth God more to us then to see us willing to ty and bind our selves fast unto his service And therefore they that in this sense are Anticovenanters are sons of Belial that refuse the yoake of the Lord that say as Psalm 2. 3. Let us breake his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us such as Oderunt vincula pietatis which is a soul-destroying and land-destroying sin 3 Because that the union of England Scotland and Ireland into one Covenant is the chief if not the onely preservative of them at this time You shall find in our English Chroniclers that England was never destroyed but when divided within it self Our civill divisions brought in the Romans the Saxons Danes and Normans But now the Anti-covenanter he divides the Parliament within it self and the City within it self and England against it self he is as a stone separated from the building which is of no use to it self and threatneth the ruine of the building Jesus Christ is called in Scripture the corner-stone which is a stone that unites two ends of a building together Jesus Christ is a stone of union and therefore they that sow division and study unjust separation have little of Jesus Christ in them When the ten tribes began to divide from the other two tribes they presently began to warre one against another and to ruine one another The Anticovenanter he divides and separates and disunites and therefore he makes the times perilous The use is 1 To reprove those that refuse to enter into Covenant with God and more particularly those that refuse to take this solemne League and Covenant These are of two sorts 1. Such as refuse it out of Malignity 2. Such as refuse it out of unnecessary scrupulosity that raise and foment doubts to hinder themselves and others from taking it As for the first I will not call your goodnesse and my charity so much in question as to spend time about them And for the second I conceive that those that scruple it are amongst the number of those that are absent and therefore I should but idle away

lateritiam reliqui marmoream For the better bringing of this to passe you did lately renue your solemne League and Covenant at which time this ensuing Sermon was preached Since which time not only the Sermon but the Preacher of it hath undergone many harsh and bitter censures It is the wickednesse of these dayes to build their own designes upon the ruine of other mens good name But surely God will never prosper such bloody practises It is said of Antiochus a vilde person Dan. 11. 28. That his heart shall be against the holy Covenant We have many amongst us that in this are like unto Antiochus whose hearts tongues and hands are not only against our solemne League and Covenant but against all that preach for it or write in the defence of it There is indeed a Covenant that some do much contend for and make the very form of a particular Church without which a Church cannot be a true Church which is called a Church-covenant For my part I conceive that whosoever shall say that a Church-covenant I meane an oath expressed by formal words is an Ordinance of Christ and necessary to the very being of a visible Church doth not only un-church most of the Churches of Jesus Christ but doth also set up his own invention for an Ordinance of Christ In the New Testament we reade of no such Church-oath at the admission of Members And there is no place in the Old Testament for ought I could ever reade that speaks of a Church-oath to be taken at our admission into Church-fellowship Indeed we have mention made of a Nationall Covenant and of the Covenant of grace and of subscribing with our hands unto the Lord But what are these to a Church-oath without which no man is to be accounted a Church-member or to have right to the seales of the covenant of grace To urge this as an Ordinance of Christ is to set our posts by Gods posts and our threshold by Gods threshold Ezek. 43. 8. But if I should expatiate any further in this point I should exceed the limits of an Epistle and therefore I forbear My hearty desire is That this Covenant which you have now taken the second time may be carried about you in continuall remembrance And that it may serve in stead of a thousand Arguments to make you zealously serviceable to God to Church and State It is reported of Theseus that he was so taken with the wonderfull works of Hercules that he could not sleep for thinking of the wonders of Hercules and when he slept he dreamt of Hercules wonders and was never satisfied till he had imitated him in working wonderfull things also And it is also related of Themistocles that he had alwayes in his thoughts by night and by day the victories of Miltiades and this made him insatiable till he had imitated him Oh that you would thus deale with the Covenant That you would think of it in your bed in your closets in your walks and think of what particulars you have sworn unto and never leave thinking untill you have fully performed your Oath and Covenant And if you keep Covenant with God the great God will keep Covenant with you and all the blessings of the Covenant which are mentioned in the book of God which is the book of the Covenant shall be your portion for ever and ever Which is the prayer of Your much obliged Spirituall Servant EDM. CALAMY The great danger of Covenant-refusing and Covenant-breaking 2 TIM. 3. 3. Truce-breakers or Covenant-breakers YOu are here met this day to humble your soules before the Lord and to renue your solemne League and Covenant I say to renue it and take it the second time It is no unusuall thing for the people of God to repeat and reiterate their Vows and Covenants The great and solemne vow which we made to God in Baptisme is renued every time we come to the Lords Supper And upon every Fast day wee binde our selves anew to God by Covenant The people of Israel entred into covenant Ezra 10. 3. And the same people as Chronologers observe did re-engage themselves in the same Covenant Neh. 10. The Scripture tels us that Almighty God did * six times make one and the same covenant with Abraham and sware the same covenant twice to Isaac Gen. 26. 4. 34. And therefore blessed be the great God who hath put it into your hearts to engage your selves a second time into a Nationall Covenant There are six reasons to justifie this dayes solemnity before God and all that require satisfaction about it 1. Because this Nationall Covenant hath been a long time as it were dead and buried and quite forgotten amongst most people And therefore it is high time to raise it out of the grave of forgetfulnesse and I hope this day will be to the Covenant as a Resurrection from the dead 2. Because of the great scorn and contempt that is cast upon it by divers sorts of people The Malignants call it a conspiracy others though not Malignants yet maligne the Covenant and call it a snare a trap a temptation and account it a signe of a tender conscience to boggle at it and of a loose conscience to swallow it without scruple And therefore to vindicate the honour and reputation of the Covenant and to wipe off the aspersions that are cast upon it you doe well to take it the second time 3. Because there are some that do openly professe their sorrow that ever they took it and would fain recant and retract what they have done And therefore to manifest that you are still of the same judgement and that you doe not repent of what you have done you doe well to take it the second time 4. Because of the pronenesse that is in all men even the best of men to break covenant with God A Covenant indeed is a golden Girdle to tye us fast to God it is a joyning and glewing our selves to the Lord The word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth an Oath comes from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth a Hedge An Oath and Covenant is a strong hedge to keep us from breaking out into disobedience It is an entring into bond to become the Lords it is a binding our selves apprentice to God Voluntas saith Aquinas per votum immobiliter firmatur in bonum But yet notwithstanding the nature of the best man is very apt to break these bonds and to run away from his great Lord and Master to suffer this Hedge to decay and this golden girdle to loosen and untye and to disjoyne and unglew himself from God And therefore it is not only commendable but very necessary and for this cause you are met this day to enter into bond the second time to binde and inroll your selves again unto the Lord to make up this hedge to tye this golden girdle yet faster and to joyn and glew your selves once more

unto the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant never to be forgotten It is reported of Bishop Hooper that when he was at the stake to be burnt the Officers offered to tye him to the stake but he said You need not tye me for that God that call'd me hither will keep me from stirring and yet because I am partly flesh I am willing you should tye me fast lest I should stir So may the best Christian here present say Lord I am carnall sold under sinne I have broken those golden cords of the Covenant with which I have tyed my selfe unto thee Though I am spirit yet am I flesh also And therefore I come to binde my selfe anew As Dalilah dealt with Sampson c. so do I desire to deale with my self and to tye my self yet faster and faster to God if by any meanes I might be kept firme to him 5. Because of the many glorious deliverances and salvations which God hath vouchsafed unto us For since June last we have had about 60 considerable blessings and mercies which all are as 60 Arguments to call upon us not only to renue our thankfulnesse but our Covenant also Thus the people of Israel when God had delivered them out of Egypt renued their Covenant at Horeb Exod. 19. And when they were delivered from their Wildernesse-enemies Deut. 29. And the same people did afterwards when God had given them the possession of Canaan re-oblige themselves by a covenant Josh. 24. 6. Because of the sad condition the Church of God is in at this time For though God hath given us glorious victories over our enemies yet the Churches of Christ lye desolate Church-reformation is obstructed Church-Discipline unsetled Church-divisions increased The famous City of London is become an Amsterdam Separation from our Churches is countenanced Toleration is cried up Authority lyeth asleep And therefore it is high time to take the Covenant again that so you may endeavour with renued strength as one man vigorously and courageously for the setling of the tottering Ark according to the sphere of capacitie in which God hath put you You shall reade in Scripture that the people of God did never any great service for the Church till they renued their Covenant and you shall never read but that they did very great and glorious services for the Church after the renuing of their covenant with God In Zerubbabels time the Temple-work ceased for many yeares but after Ezra and Nehemiah caused the people to enter into covenant with God it went on prosperously and uninterruptedly What famous things did the people of God after Jehojada had drawn them into a covenant 2. Kings 11. 7. 18. All the people of the Lord went into the house of Baal and brake it downe his Altars and his Images brake they in pieces throughly c. The like we reade of Asa 2 Chron. 15. 14 15 16. and of King Josiah 2 Chron. 34. 31 32 33. And thus I doubt not but you will endeavour to do in an orderly way according to your places These are the Arguments to justifie this dayes work before God to all the Christian world To help you in this so pious so Christian so necessary so solemne a businesse I have chosen this Text In the beginning of the Chapter the Apostle tels us the condition that the Church of God should be in in the last dayes This know also that in the last dayes perilous time shall come In the second Verse he tels us the reason why these times should be such hard and dangerous times For men shall be lovers of themselves covetous c. The reason is not drawn from the miseries and calamities of the last times but from the sins and iniquities of the last times It is sin and iniquity that makes times truly perilous Sin and sin onely takes away Gods love and favour from a Nation and makes God turn an enemy to it Sinne causeth God to take away the purity and power of his Ordinances from a Nation Sin makes all the creatures to be armed against us and makes our own conscience to fight against us Sin is the cause of all the causes of perilous times Sin is the cause of our civill warres 2 Sam. 12. 11. Sin is the cause of our divisions James 4. 1. Sin is the cause why men fall into such dangerous errours 2 Thess. 2. 11. Sin brings such kinds of judgements which no other enemy can bring Sin brings invisible spirituall eternall judgements It is sin that makes God give over a Nation to a reprobate sense Sin makes all times dangerous Let the times be never so prosperous yet if they be sinfull times they are times truly dangerous And if they be not sinfull they are not dangerous though never so miserable It is sin that makes afflictions to be the fruits of Gods revenging wrath part of the curse due to sin and a beginning of Hell It is sin and sin only that imbitters every affliction Let us for ever look upon sin through these Scripture-Spectacles The Apostle in four Verses reckons up 19 sins at the causes of the miseries of the last dayes I may truly call these 19 sins Englands Looking-glasse wherein we may see what are the clouds that eclipse Gods countenance from shining upon us the Mountains that lye in the way to hinder the settlement of Church-discipline Even these 19 sins which are as an Iron whip of 19 strings with which God is whipping England at this day which are as 19 Fagots with which God is burning and devouring England My purpose is not to speak of all these sins Only let me propound a Divine project how to make the times truly happy for soul and body And that is To strike at the root of all misery which is sin and iniquity To repent for and from all these 19 sins which are as the Oyl that feedeth encreaseth the flame that is now consuming of us For because men are lovers of themselves Vsque ad contemptum Dei Reipublicae Because men drive their own designes not only to the neglect but contempt of God and the Common-wealth Because men are covetous lovers of the world more then lovers of God Because they are proud in head heart looks and apparell Because they are unthankfull turning the mercies of God into instruments of sin and making Darts with Gods blessings to shoot against God Because men are unholy and heady and make many covenants and keep none Because they are as the Greek word signieth Devils acting the Devils part in accusing the brethren and in bearing false witnesse one against another Because they have a form of Godlinesse denying the power thereof c. hence it is that these times are so sad and bloody These are thine enemies ô England that have brought thee into this desolate condition These are the sins that will recruit the Kings army if ever it be recruited and if ever God lead us back

little while will lose all religion in the crowd of questions Inter disputandum veritas religio amittitur There was a time not many years agoe when God did blesse our Ministery in the City to the Conversion of many people unto God but now there are many that study more to gain parties to themselves then to gain souls to God The great work of Conversion is little thought on And never so few if any at all converted as in these days wherein we talk so much of Reformation And is this to keep Covenant with God 3. We sweare to endeavour to amend the lives and reforme not only our selves but all those that are under our charge But where is this Family-reformation Indeed I reade of Jacob that when he went to perform his vow and covenant he first reformed his family Gen. 35. 3. And that Joshua resolved and performed it for himself and his family to serve the Lord And so did Josiah 2 Chron. 34. And oh that I could adde And so do we But the wickednesses committed in our families proclaim the contrary to all the world What Noblemans what Aldermans what Merchants family is more reformed since the Covenant then before We speak and contend much for a Church-reformation but how can there be a Church-reformation unlesse there be first a Family-reformation What though the Church-worship be pure yet if the worshippers be impure God will not accept of the worship And if families be not reformed how will your worshippers be pure 4. We swear to endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion confession of Faith form of Church-government Directory for worship and catechizing c. But are there not some that write against an Vniformity in Religion and call it an Idoll Are there not many that walk professedly contrary to this clause of the Covenant There are three texts of Scripture that people keep the quite contrary way The first is Mat. 6. 34. 31. 25. Take no thought what you shall eat c. take no thought for to morrw And most people take thought for nothing else The second text is Matth. 6. 33. Seek ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse c. And most people seek this last of all The third text is John 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endureth for ever c. And most people labour not for the meat that endureth for ever but for the meat that perisheth As these three texts are kept so do many people keep this part of the Oath for there were never more divisions and differences in the Church never more difformity and pleading against Vniformity then now there is 5. We swear to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme c. And yet not withstanding there are some that have taken this Oath that contend earnestly for a Toleration of all Religions which as I conceive is as contrary to this clause of the Covenant as Heaven is to Hell 6. We swear against a detestable indifferency and Neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God c. And yet how many are there amongst us that are like unto Gallio that care not what becomes of the cause of God so they may have peace and quiet That will not be the backwardest of all and yet will be sure not to be too forward for fear lest if the times turn they should be noted amongst the chief of the faction That are very indifferent which side prevaile so they may have their trading again That say as the Polititian That they will be carefull not to come too near the heels of Religion lest it should dash out his braines And as the King of Arragon told Beza That he would wade no farther into the sea of Religion then he could safely return back to shoar In all these six particulars let us seriously search and try our hearts whether we be not amongst the number of those that make the times perilous The third use is for Humiliation Let the consideration of our Covenant-breaking be a heart-breaking consideration to every one of us this day Let this be a mighty and powerfull Argument to humble us upon this day of Humiliation There are five considerations that are exceedingly soul-humbling if God blesse them unto us 1. The consideration of the many Commandements of God that we have often and often broken 2. The consideration of the breaking of Jesus Christ for our sins how he was rent and torn for our iniquities 3. The consideration of the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine in the Sacrament which is a heart-breaking motive and help 4. The broken condition that the Kingdome of England Scotland and Ireland and that Germany is in at this time 5. The many Vowes and Covenants that we have broken our Sacrament-Covenants our Fasting-Covenants our Sick-bed-covenants And especially the consideration of our often breaking of our Nationall-covenant which you come this day to renue This is a sin in Folio a sin of a high nature and if ever God awaken conscience in this life a sin that will lye like a heavie Incuba upon it A greater sin then a sin against a Commandement or against an Ordinance A sin not only of disobedience but of perjury A sin of injustice of spirituall adultery A sin of Sacriledge A sin of great unkindnesse A sin that makes us not only disobedient but dishonest For we account him a dishonest man that keeps not his word A sin that not only every good Christian but every good Heathen doth abhorre A sin that not only brings damnation upon us but casteth such into horrible disgrace and reproach upon God that it cannot stand with Gods honour not to be avenged of a Covenant-breaker Tertullian saith that when a Christian forsakes his covenant and the colours of Christ and turnes to serve as the Devils souldier he puts an unspeakable discredit upon God and Christ For it is as much as if he should say I like the service of the Devill better then the service of God And it is just as if a souldier that hath waged war under a Captaine and afterwards forsaking him turnes to another and after that leaves this other Captaine and returns to his former Captain This is to preferre the first Captain before the second This makes God complaine Jer. 2. 4. What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me c. And in the 11 verse Hath any Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Basil brings in the Devil insulting over Christ and saying I never created nor redeemed these men and yet they have obeyed me and contemned thee ô Christ even after they have covenanted to be thine And then he addes Equidem ego

upon a willing Covenant-breaker The Lord fasten these meditations and soul-awaking considerations upon your hearts The Lord give you grace to keep close to the Covenant in keeping of it to keep God and a good conscience wth are both lost by covenant-breaking There are six things which I shall perswade you unto in pursuance of your Covenant 1. To be humbled for your own sins and for the sins of the Kingdome more especially Because we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy of him in our lives which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us Gospel-sins are greater then legall-sins and will bring Gospel-curses which are greater then legall-curses And therefore let us be humbled according to our Covenant for all our Gospel-abominations 2. You must be ambitious to go before one another in an example of reall reformation You must swear vainly no more be drunk no more break the Sabbath no more c. You must remember what David saith Psal. 50. 16. But unto the wicked God saith What instruction and castest my words behinde thee To sin willingly after we have sworn not to sin is not only to sin against a Commandement as I have said but to sin against an Oath which is à double iniquity and will procure a double damnation And he that takes a Covenant to reform and yet continueth unreformed his Covenant will be unto him as the bitter water of jealousie was to the woman guilty of adultery which made her belly to swell and thigh to rot c. Numb. 5. 22. 3 You must be careful to reform your families according to your covenant and the example of Joshua and Jacob and the godly Kings forementioned 4. You must endeavour according to your places and callings to bring the churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the nearest conjunction uniformity in religion c. O blessed Vnity how comes it to passe that thou art so much sleighted and contemned Was not unity one of the chief parts of Christs prayer unto his Father when he was here upon earth John 17. 11. Is not unity amongst Christians one of the strongest arguments to perswade the world to believe in Christ John 17. 21. Is it not the chiefe desire of the holy Apostles that we should all speak the same things and that there should be no divisions amongst us but that we be perfectly joyned together in the same mind in the same judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 1 2 3 c. Is not unity the happinesse of heaven Is it not the happinesse of a City to be at unity within it self Is it not a good pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity How comes it then to passe that this part of the Covenant is so much forgotten The Lord mind you of it this day And the Lord make this great famous City a City of holinesse and a City at unity within it self For if unity be destroyed purity will quickly also be destroyed The Church of God is una as well as sancta It is but one church as wel as is it a holy church And Jesus Christ gave some to be Apostles some Evangelists some Prophets some Pastors and Teachers c. till we all come to the unity of the faith Not only to the purity but to the unity of the faith The government of Christ is appointed for the keeping of his Church in unity as well as purity Those things which God hath joyned together let no man put asunder That government which doth not promote unity as well as purity is not the government of Christ Oh the misery of that kingdom where Church-divisions are nourished and fomented Would it not be a sad thing to see twelve in a family and one of them a Presbyterian another an Independent another a Brownist another an Antinomian another an Anabaptist another a Familist another for the Prelatical government another a Seeker another a Papist and the tenth it may be an Atheist the eleventh a Jew the twelfth a Turk The Lord in his due time heal our divisions make you his choice instruments according to your places that the Lord may be one his name one in the three kingdoms 5. You must endeavour in pursuance of your Covenant to extirpate Popery Prelacy Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse c. That so this City may be a City of holinesse unity and a City of truth as is prophecied of Jerusalem Zach. 8. 3. Oh blessed truth how is it that thou art so lightly esteemed on Is not truth more precious then gold and more to be prized then Rubies Are we not to buy the truth and sell it not Did not Christ come into the world to bear Witnesse to the truth Did not grace and truth come by Iesus Christ Is not Christ the way the truth and the life How is it then that truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter how is it that truth faileth and he that departeth from evill maketh himself a prey Esay 59. 14 15. How is it that men bend their tongues like bowes for lies but they are not valiant for the truth upon earth The Lord make you lovers of truth and peace 6. You must take heed of that cursed monster of Indifferency Neutrality Study these six texts of Scripture Judg. 5. 23. Judg. 8. 6 7. 16. Deut. 23 3 4. Jer. 48. 10. Mat. 12. 30. Mar. 8. 38. O that these Scriptures were written in your hearts with a pen of iron A Neuter in Gods cause is a lukewarm Christian whom God will spue out of his mouth he is a dead member of Christs body fit to be cut off Oh that the Lord would raise up your hearts this day Right Honourable Right Worshipfull and Well beloved to a high pitch of zeal for him and his cause God hath made you instruments to do wonderfull things for this kingdom you have been the Saviours of the kingdom you have vindicated the liberties of the Parliament and your own liberties and the Kings army by your means in a great measure is brought very low But yet as Christ said to the young man so do I to you There is one thing wanting and that one thing is the one thing necessary The Church is unsetled Discipline unerected Religion is tottering For Zions stir up your zeal and your strength Use your interest and your power in an orderly and regular and peaceable way according to your places And what can you not do You have ventured one arrow already shoot another and if that miscarry shoot another you will speed at last He that cuts down a tree though he cuts it not down at the first and second blow yet the first and second and third blow