onely but they indured as much heat of fire as the hearth-stone that is daily under the extremitie of the fire so the Apostle speaketh of himselfe 1 Cor. 4. 8. For I thinke God hath set forth us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the last Apostlâ—s as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and to men and Angels The Apostles in regard of their great sufferings were so exposed to violent death as in the Roman Playes Bulls Dogs Lions were set forth to fight one another to death they were made worlds wonders and gazing-stacks to heaven and earth to men and Angels for their great sufferings Behold how strong the tempest was that invaded that barke that carried the witnesses of Jesus to heaven Heb. 11. 35. they were tortured stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the Sword The reason of the Lords so dealing is 1. God declareth himselfe more impatient of sinne in his owne children then in the wicked I meane of Gods impatience Evangelick in regard that it is a sinne of higher ingratitude to sinne against the Gospel 2. Illumination 3. And the mercy of regeneration then to sinne against the Law and common favours and gifts though Gods legall impatience in regard of revenging justice bee farre more against the sinnes of the wicked then against the sinnes of beleevers it being an act of vengeance which God cannot exercise towards beleevers and if Antinomians would acknowledge an Evangelick displeasure and anger of God against the sinnes of beleevers as the Scripture doth 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31. 2 Sam. 11. 27. they should not so stumble at the Gospel as they doe I say God is more displeased with the sinnes of his owne children then with the sinnes of the wicked even as the husbandman is more offended that Thristles and Thorns grow in his Garden then in his out-field Esay 1. 2. Heare O heaven hearken O earth why it is more then an ordinary defection that moveth the Lord to this I have nourished and brought up children and they rebell against me God taketh it also harder that violence and unjustice should bee in Parliaments and Assemblies then in Prelates Courts and High Commissions The Lord expecteth nothing else but sowre grapes from his enemies 2. The hell of the godly and the heart of their hell should ordinarily bee heavier then the borders and margin of the hell of the wicked the sufferings of the Saints in this life is their whole hell wicked men have here a heaven and but fore-tastings of hell which I grant in regard they want the presence and comforts of God in this life and also that their curses are in themselves heavier then the afflictions of the godly but not so in their apprehension 3. Gods deepe counsells worke under-board providence is a great mystery why these three kingdomes having a good cause and contending for Christ yet should bee put to a more bloody condition and have more of floods of blood for a while then bloody men who defend a cursed cause is wondred at by us as ignorance is the cause of admiration hee that never saw husbandry thinketh sowing losing and casting away of good Corne the end cujus gratia which seasoneth Gods workes with wisedome and grace is unseene hony is sweet but tasting onely discerneth it neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it our senses cannot reach the reason of his Counsell who will have the godly plagued every morning If it bee so that the godly the greene tree suffer such a fire it must bee more then fire that is abiding the enemies O enemies of the Gospel O Malignants and haters of the Lord and his Saints have you Castles and strong holds to runne to in the day of wrath or are your Castles judgement-proofe Cannot death and hell scale your walls and though you shut your doores climbe in at your windowes are your bulworkes and walls salvation have you strength to bide the proofe and shot of the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple hath not the second death long and sharpe tuskes will you indure the siege and batteries of everlasting wrath vengeance will have nothing under your pretious soules take your pleasure kill and destroy the mountaine of the Lord the feast is good ever till the reckoning come Job 28. 8. Can you drinke a Sea of vengeance and floods of gall and wormewood there is a Sword before the throne forbished that will lap and swallow up blood and never bee quenched wrath wrath creepeth on the sinners in Zion by theft without a cry or noyse of feet you heare not the ratling of your sunnes wheeles when it is setting and the night falleth on you the day of wrath is secret and uncertaine you sleep you see not hell at your heels what will you do when you shall make your prayers to the hills to cover you quick This serveth to condemne our softnesse who love a wanton and a smooth providence and Golden and silken sayling to bee carried away quickly to land without wind or storme wee desire to goe to Paradise through no other way but Paradise and a way strowed with Roses nay but wee must indure hardnesse and resolve the way cannot bee changed to flatter our softnesse it is as God hath carved it out there bee not two wayes to heaven one way strowed with blood and brimstone and deaths to Christ and another to us white faire easie heaven was not so feazable to Christ but it was to him sweating if Christ had taken the faire way and a street to heaven like Paradise and left the rough way to us wee had the more reason to complaine But it should silence us that Christ saith you have no harder usage then the Captaine of your salvation had Joh. 15. 18. when wee see wee must suffer wee would bee at a chosen Crosse and afflictions carved by our owne wit or flowred and perfumed with Diamonds and Rubies so our heart saith any judgement but warre and any warre but civill warre the hatred of the world is not much but hatred from our brethren the sonnes of our Mother O that is hard yet it is not to bee expected but the flesh will warre in the Saints against both the Spirit and the flesh in other Saints no lesse then the flesh warreth against the Spirit in one and the same Saint wee are to kisse and adore providence wee can no more change the foule and dirtie way to faire heaven then wee can remove heaven it selfe out of its place God hath drawn and moulded the topographie to heaven and set all our Guests before hee is a bad Souldier who followeth such a Captaine of salvation as Christ weeping and murmuring But what doth this ship lead us to certaine it is that it holdeth forth to us the condition of the Church of God tossed with wind and wave and the world
people with a stretched out arme Moses his word of deliverance and Gods decree of bringing out the people is upon the extreame banke and margin of perishing Israel hath an hoast of cruell enemies behind them and the raging Sea before them and mountaines on every side here bee many deaths in a circle round about the Church this is like to God sleeping and the wheeles of providence at a stand there is no place for helpe from a creature except immediate omnipotency break a gap in the circle and divide the red Sea the Church of God is a field of dry and dead bones so as it is said Ezek. 37. 2. Behold the bones were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} very or exceeding dry and they say Vers 11. our hope is losed and wee are cut off yet wee know God made his owne word good Vers 12. Behold O my people I will open your graves and bring you to the land of Israel Deut. 32. 36. The Lord shall judge his people and repent himselfe for his servants But when shall that be Omnipotency is good at a dead lift when hee seeth their strength is gone Heb. that their hand is gone and there is none shut up and left when the Saints have neither hands nor feet the Lord ariseth for Christ can saile with halfe wind and play about and fetch a compasse yea hee can sayle against tide and wind and with no wind hee never sincks his bark nor breaks his helme nor loses a passenger nor misseth his harbour so how hopelesse was the condition of the Church when loving Jesus Christ is couched under a cold stone in the grave the onely hope of Davids throane he who was to restore the kingdome to Israel is gone and what shall the people of God now do utter desolation is so neare that God is put to it and the poore Churches coale so cold that they are at Lord either now or never either within three dayes restore the head of the Church or never Then the Lord Act. 5. 31. exalted buried Christ with his right hand to bee a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes 1. Reason Omnipotencie can walke in the extreame and out most margin and most pendulous banke hanging over hell and not fall Christ can drive his Chariot over mountaines and rocks and not breake one pin or wedge of it poore nothing to omnipotency is as good as Speare and Shield 2. Reas. This declares the depth of the wisedome of Gods unsearchable dispensation he suffereth malignants to ride over his people that hee may perfume the worke of hell in the enemies who are as it were skullions to purge the vessells of mercy and to humble them and may instampe their Acts with supernaturall events of faith and patience malignants plow the Church and sow blood in the three kingdomes the father of Christ the good husband man comes in to breake the clods and the fallow ground and reape the crop of the quiet fruits of righteousnesse and it is depth of wisdome to consider how God maketh use of mens sinfull ingagements having chainzed men to his cause and carries his owne holy and cleane worke of reformation through many foule hands and durtie intentions so when men thwart and crosse Gods will of precept they serve Gods will of providence a passenger walkes on the hatches of the ship toward the west Sea and tide and winde doe carry both him his motion and ship to the east the wisedome of God the Pilot of his Church overpowereth mens intentions which are set on gaine honour factions their owne by-ends ease and pleasure It is not unlike that when this worke now under the Lords wheeles in Britaine is come to a height of extreame desolation that wee are at this Lord either now or never and the Sea is come in at the broad side of the ship that the Lord will deliver by some immediate way and wee see feavours come to a height and then decrease and coole and when doth the Sea turne to an ebbing not while it flow to the utmost score of the coast and then be fullest seldome doth ever the Lord deliver his Church while their hope be gone and what if it bee so here that Parliaments Assemblies armies of and in both kingdomes navies shippings treaties victories can doe no more and then the Lord arise and by some immediate omnipotency wee never dreamed of calme our Sea and bring his owne ship to land First you never saw creatures doe any great worke but something was left to omnipotency and to God onely to bee done Moses led the people out of Aegypt but hee could not divide the red Sea and that was their way Secondly in Gods greatest workes immediate providence hath had hand The victory over Midian had more of Gods immediate worke then of Gideons Sword in it this truely to me is one continued miracle that these 1600. yeares God hath carried his ship and kept the passengers alive when persecuting Emperours when bloody Babylon when Hereticks Kings the hornes of the beast that rose out of the Sea fire faggots sword torments have torne the sailes of Christs Ship broken the Mast drowned the passengers yet wee live Joseph is blessed but when hee is separated from his brethren then blessings come upon the head of Joseph He was fast asleepe This is the saddest circumstance in their suffering What is death and the drowning of them all so they have Christ with them But Oh! Christ to their sense is as good as absent for hee is fast alseepe and as they complaine hee careth not for them Christ walking and working for a soule in the saddest affliction of the world is a blessed visitation To bee in heaven if Christ sleepe and bee not with you is a hell and to bee in hell and want his presence is two hells to bee sicke and the onely Physitian Christ will not come at mee is two hells Gods watching presence first bringeth the courage of faith To bee in the midst of devils the beleever having God with him walketh without feare even cold death that king of terrours walking with him at his right side hee hath a passe-port that will take him safe through the grave as these places prove Psal. 16. 8 9 10. Psal. 23. 4. Psal. 46. 2. 3. Mic. 7. 8. Secondly God is not present with his owne in trouble as the picture of a friend who hath much love in his heart while hee stands at your bed side seeing you goe to a great hell through a little hell of sicknesse and paine and cannot take off you one graine weight of sorrow and paine But God is in a farre other manner present Psal. 91. 15. I will bee with him in trouble but this is not all I will deliver him Esay 43. 2. when thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou
and Malignants were on the top of their wheeles God from despised and contemned beginnings raised the worke to a great height 2. our adversaries were agents and would not rest but did cooperate to their owne destruction They would move the King to change Religion in Scotland against all Lawes 2. They would stirre him up to raise Armies by Sea and Land against Scotland 3. They moved the King to break the articles of peace and the word of a Prince to his Subjects after an accommodation and set him on bloody warres againe 4. After his Army was defeated and a Parliament granted in England they moved him first to come and yeeld to all that is just and right in a Parliament of Scotland but against their mind with no purpose to keepe their faith and then to raise Tragicall and bloody warres in England and in all these they were coagents and workers with a judiciall and secret providence to their owne destruction 3. They have beene searching to find out that our intentions were not to establish Religion in power and puritie and to bee freed of the bondage of arbitrary and tyrannicall domination over Church and State but to change monarchy and set up another government this they could never yet find 4. They see God against them prophanitie and wickednesse on their side and with them Papists Idolaters Irish murtherers the cruellest of men the scumme and refuse of the Churchmen yet they will not see God in this 5. They find and see their treachery popery tyranny discovered by many plots come to light by letters under the Kings hand their intentions to bring in a forraigne nation ere popery and arbitrary government bee not established and that all Treaties have beene intended not for a just peace but for this end that a peace being once patched and sowed up all things shall returne to their ancient Channels as the King speakes in his instructions to his Commissioners at Vxbridge yet they will not see God in all these passages of his deepe providence If naturall men wonder at the power and excellency of Christ in that hee with a word commands Sea and winds and they obey him should not Christ bee to us a worlds wonder should hee not bee to us altogether lovely were it possible to lay in the counter-scale of the ballance to Christ a world of Angels put in yet millions of worlds of Angels adde to them a world of Solomons with tripled wisedome put in all the delights of the sonnes of men put in yet the flowre and Rose of ten thousand possible worlds perfections they should bee under-weight to him the ballance should never downe Oh! wee glory in good armies wee rejoyce in victories and successe in a good Parliliament in godly Commanders in a good reformation all is excellent to us that hath any lustre or glimpse of created goodnesse but why doe wee not rather wonder admire and extoll excellent Jesus Christ who setteth him on high above the skies who lifts up his throne and his glory Consider but what is said of him Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature Vers 16. For by him were all things created c. 17. And hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18. And hee is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things hee might have the preheminence see what wonders are there in Christ as first hee is Gods equall every way as high as God being the substantiall Image of God begotten of the Father and without all beginning Secondly as man the eldest of the creation of God and as God the Creator of the new world Thirdly no lesse the Creator of all then the Father wee have a head who can make and unmake all the glorious Angels in heaven the royallest of the house of heaven these principalities and powers these little Gods the eldest and supreme Courtiers the higher house of the Peeres of heaven are but peeces of dependent shadowes that fell from the fingers of our highest King when hee framed this great all and the rich Palace-Royall of this greatest body of heaven and earth and all the furniture within the bosome of the great world Fourthly the Lord Jesus hath all the created world so in the hollow of his hand as a man that holdeth a bowle of glasse in his hand in the aire should hee take his arme from under it it should fall to the earth and breake in a hundred peeces and doe no more good if Christ in whom all things consist some say as the notes of an excellent musick in a song draw in his armes of conserving providence the world should go all out of tune and the Globe of Crystall glasse should fall to a thousand meere nothings and as a man betweene his fingers may crush an Egge so hath Christ the huge created Lump of the whole creation in his hand if hee but thrust his two fingers together with a little crush all the world is dissolved like a broken Egge Fiftly hee is the head of the Church and such a head as is deaths eldest sonne and heire hee lay in deaths wombe and as the doubly blessed first-borne had the key of death with him in the inner side and opened the wombe and tooke away the ports and gates of death on his backe that now all the younger brethren might come out at the same passage also yea hee came a bridegroome from heaven to suite in marriage a bride his Church was sicke and died of love for a Princes daughter his lovely Church rose the third day from death and married her Sixtly he hath so the absolute preheminence in all things that the highest of the Angels are but his vassals and servants is now in such incomparable eminency of Glory above all creatures that when the beloved-disciple John who came that neare to him in the dayes of his flesh that hee leaned on his bosome saw him in his glory hee fell downe at his feet dead Revel. 1. 17. yea there was more of heaven in Christ then his eyes of flesh could behold FINIS Iob. 20. 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Esay 17. 6. Esay 30. 26. Six parts of the Text The words opened Part I. Preachers are to converse much with Christ why {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} How carefully Christ husbanded time How both kingdomes faile in improving of opportunities of mercy A generall faile of all in the care lesse improvement of time Part II. Christ and his Ship have more then ordinary stormes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Reason why the afflictions of the people of God are so extreame Evangelick legall anger in God Vse 1. Wrath untolerable to the ungodly Vse 2. We love a soft and a chosen providence of our owne carving Eight particulars considerable in the ship in which Christ and his Church is carried The Church a moveable thing as a ship {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Great change of the spirituall condition of the Church of particular Saints The Ship sayleth in a Sea of glasse mingled with fire Hope the Anchor of the Church The wares of the ship Seven sorts of passengers in the ship Why Christ took on our nature and infirmities Christ God and man and why The influence of the Godhead in Christs sufferings was active not passive Vse 1. Vse 2. It were sacriledge in the Roman Empire and Senate to give out decrees to the Churches as the Apostles and Elders did Acts 15. Innocency can sleepe sound amidst the greatest calamities How God is said to sleepe God will have his Church cause within a haires breadth of losing except he arise and helpe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Why God saveth not while the Church be betweene the sinking and the swimming The presence of God in trouble how comfortable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Part III. The unitie and harmony of Christs Disciples in their trouble Reasons for Christian unitie Doct. Wee put unkindnesse on Christ because wee are not presently delivered and the reasons thereof {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Et non addet bene velle ultra â— Iudgements of themselves are the occasion rather then the cause of praying Some signes that sinne not afflictions put us to fasting and praying How the rod of God must work us to humiliation ere we be delivered Grace doth not extirpate but regulate feare and other affections The faults of the Disciples feare It were good to inquire the causes of the judgement Vse 2. The causes of misapprehending of Christ What is a small or weake faith Faith and fainting may consist together in one Reasons why wee know our grace so hardly The grounds of a faith weak in action Faith and sense compared together Simile Faith from instinct of grace sometime rather then from light of discourse The speciall cause of all sinnes of infirmitie From {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis mucio and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} captivus or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis hastae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. How God really rebuketh the creature Gods omnipotency in creating and ruling the earth and Sea Vse This sword in Brittaine not the sword of men but of the Lord It is proper onely to omnipotency to make peace Part V. Two Characters of God in this miracle 1 That it is done in an instant and irresistibly 2 That it is great Things necessary to the Creature to the Creator have a may not be Things contingent to the Creature may have a must bee to the Creator Vse It is enough that our sea be calme when Christs is calme Greatnesse is printed on all the works of God Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Part VI Wee see little of God in his wayes Vse 1. God most visible in that hee now doth in Brittaine but Malignants will not see him Vse 2. The Lord Jesus a wonder to all
out of great tribulation out of the Sea of glasse mingled with 〈◊〉 and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe The Ship is sayling in Britaine now in a Sea of blood Christ must bring her safe to land Fourthly there bee three excellent vertues of the anchor of hope Heb. 6. 19 20. first which hope wee have as an anchor of the soule {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} out of danger and sure Secondly it is tothed in good ground it is up within the vaile in heaven hee must shake heaven who loseth the Anchor Thirdly Christ the forerunner who leapt first ashoare and as the first begotten of the dead first hanselled heaven with our fresh hath the farre end of the Anchor in his hand Christ strengthneth the Tackling and the cords of the ship the Church a ventruous Pinnage that through the strength of Christ ventures thorough 2 Cor. 6. 5. Stripes imprisonments tumults labours watchings fastings by honour and dishonour through evill report and good report and landeth safe John 14. 3. I will come againe and receive you to my selfe that where I am there you may bee also Fiftly the pretious pearle of the Gospel is carried in this ship yea Christ who holdeth the seven starres and walketh in the midst of the golden Candlesticks is in the ship Bee not afraid said the Emperour to the waterman thâ—u carriest Caesar So here Christ saith to the shipmen Bee not afraid you carry the King of Kings in this poore Barke of the Church indeed there bee more pretious wares in the ship then if shee carried from India millions of Navies of Gold and shipfulls of Diamonds and Rubies Sixtly there be many passengers of divers qualities of which I speake with reference to the times as first some greene professors beleeved as children doe it was but a play to bee ingaged for the good cause But when the King left his Parliament and made warre with his good Subjects of both kingdomes they then became to bee Sea-ficke and to vomit out their protestations and covenant men should seriously put downe in paper aforehand what it will cost them if they indent with Christ to follow him Luke 14. 28. Secondly some ingaged to the cause and embarked upon life and death did cast themselves in the Sea thinking to swim to the nearest shoare they stole away from Christ and cast Cause Gospell Lawes and Liberties over board to save themselves but hee that will save his life shall lose it Thirdly some still remaine in the ship but as Judas did with Christ waiting an opportunitie either to play a game for Malignants or to foster divisions betweene the kingdomes and divisions in the Church to raise a mutinie amongst the passengers of Christ that the one halfe may throw the other over board in the Sea Fourthly Some are like Jonab downe in the sides of the ship sleeping these are indifferent passers by Lament 1. 12. they 'l neither sweat at the Pumpe nor lay one finger on a rope nor move an Oare but say they in their heart Christ is a good enough Seaman if he will not guide his owne ship to shoare let him see to it Fiftly some passengers are merchant men their Sea voyage in the ship is to gaine to buy and sell Religion and live on the winning these that would draw in to themselves gaine from the publike now would crucifie Christ for his coate Sixthly some trusting in multitude and strength thinke by hard rowing and sweating at the Oares to bring the ship to land but a horse is a vaine helpe Seventhly sincere professors are willing to stay and take faire or foule weather with Christ to sinke or swimme with the Gospell and not onely to stay but to row and pray Wee cannot but see winds and stormes loud and mightie tossing the poore ship in Britaine Pirates and robbers have made stops in the ship by plots much underwater is come in Eighthly though the winds be strong and the Sea tempestuous yet the port is sure for this is the promise of the Lord who sits at the helme Esay 54. 11. O thou afflicted and tossed with tempests behold I will lay thy stones with faire colours and lay thy foundations with Saphires Christ can saile with contrary winds yea the harbour is neare Behold I come quickly saith the Lord in the greatest storme that ever was the Church can see the shoare and dry land Mic. 7. 9. and faith in warre seeth peace and in shipwrack is assured of the land and in saddest times when God is farthest off the children of God feele the smell of the flowers of the higher garden Romans 5. 3. Wee rejoyce or wee leape for joy in tribulation And hee was fast asleepe Wee are here to consider farther of the condition that they were it it is a storme but Christ sleepeth First a word of Christs sleeping Secondly of his sleeping at this time If wee compare the Text with it selfe wee shall finde hee was sleeping who can neither slumber nor sleepe and that hee is waking while hee is sleeping for hee who is the mightie God the Prince of peace and rebuked the Sea and the winds and there was a calme does not sleepe How then can God sleepe hee that is in one person God-man can sleepe First because in this rare peece of our redemption Christ-God took all our infirmities on him except sinne as hee tooke our nature so hee tooke our condition and place to expresse the depth of the love of God to mankind the lower and the baser our glorious redeemer was it hath the greater impression of love Love love answereth all our questions of wonder O way of life why wast thou wearied O bread of life why wast thou hungry O well of life why wast thou thirsty Hast thou not made all the fountaines and all the Vines in Judea and in all the earth O ancient of dayes why becamest thou young and a weeping infant blessed Jesus would become a workhouse of sufferings and infirmities for us and love free love answereth all these questions for us for us sinners hee came thus low Secondly here is a wonder if there be a wonder in the world Christ God and man in one person is more then a miracle The mightie God giving infinite subsistence to a finite nature Isa. 9. 6. Thirdly here is an able and sufficient Saviour furnished to us one who is more then a man why there was not onely need of infinite worth and merit to the person but of infinite strength under the sufferings man as man is but a creature and all the Angels in heaven and a world of worlds of new created Angels could not indure the infinite wrath of God and therefore God must bee in this play unlesse all had beene marred Qu. But the Godhead could not suffer nor be a passive subject of suffering God therefore though bee had not made one person with the
in the rwo kingdomes some say it is because libertie is not given to every man to live in what Religion hee pleaseth but this is a sin that every man doe What seemeth good in his owne eyes because there is not a judge to put any to shame Judg. 18. Chap. 19. 1 2. the contrary then cannot bee the cause of the so great judgement Others say rebellion against the King is the cause but rather the not timous rising to helpe the Lord and his oppressed people against the mightie is the cause The defection of both kingdomes to altar worship imagerie idolatry Popish and Arminian Doctrine the articles of Perth Assembly followed and practised in our owne kingdome without repentance the ignorance of God people perishing for want of knowledge both under prelacy and now the not building of the house of God in this land the backsliding of many after the Covenant of God is sworne are the true causes and it is to bee feared that if Presbyteriall government bee erected in this land as wee hope it shall if this bee not taken heed to it shall continue a judgement on the Land and it is this many both preachers and professors shall conforme to the Government as they would doe to either the prelaticall or congregationall way as many time-servers doe and shall hate and persecute the power of godlinesse under the pretence of Sectaries Brownists Separatists independents and the like and retaining an Antichristian and rotten heart shall doe what in them lies under that colour to vex oppresse and banish many godly men out of the land But this is to bee considered if it were not needfull there were a Fast through both kingdomes to deale with God to find out the true causes of our fastings and these heavy judgements in which in the three kingdomes many hundreth thousands are killed I doubt if under any Prince or Emperour there bee a history can parallel the blood shed within these few yeares Job when God visited him desired to know wherefore God contended with him it is a sad thing to lye drowned under unknown and fatherlesse plagues wee being ignorant of the causes of Gods judgement so wee suffer blind crosses like the Oxe that beares the yoake and knoweth nothing of the art of husbandry or the horse killed in the battell and yet is ignorant of State-affaires and of the causes of warre and of disorders in Lawes Liberties Religion in State and Church wee are like one smitten in the dark night by a spirit or a ghost but hee seeth not who striketh Oh it were good wee would inquire as the Prophet doth Esa. 42. 24. who gave Jacob for a spoyle and Israel to robbery and wherefore is all this come on us why doth the Lord contend with us O make us know our iniquities Often the rod maketh a lying report of God and accuseth Christ in our desertions O! Christ is unkind hee is changed hee hath forsaken me wee can sooner spy a fault in Christ under desertion then in our selves and wee often reason from that which is no cause for the cause Christ seemeth changed to us and unmercifull and sleepey and carelesse First when the judgement is extreame and wee apprehend it as a fruite of the anger and vengeance of God Apprehension gives life to afflictions and casteth in many ounce weights of wrath in our cup which was never there because our conscience giveth in against us lying libells and unjust complaints such as this thou art not in Christ nor a convert nor a pardoned and justified sinner and wee first retort the lying libell upon Christ O! Christ hath forgotten to bee mercifull wee see Christ in the false glasse in our extreame suffering our sinne and apprehension joyning together Secondly Christ may sleepe and hide himselfe in a great tryall and when hee is gone and grace hath no actuall influence on our soules then wee languish and die the passes of the Clock being laid by there is no motion at all and the wheeles gather rust Should wee suppose that the Creator of nature did suspend his influence all naturall operations should cease there should bee no motion in the Sunne it should neither rise nor goe downe the raine should not fall the wind should not blow living things could not move Beasts could not walke Fowels could not fly Fishes could not swimme Roses Flowers and Hearbs could not grow c. because hee causeth all these to bee and his immediate influence addeth oyle to all wheeles and rowleth and moveth them else they could not stirre so Christ in the spheare of grace being the first mover if his influence stand still all our wheeles as wanting oyle and motion gather rust and stand still Paul cannot call Jesus Lord the Spouse runneth not for the bridegroome will not draw Can. 1. David dieth and withereth a hundreth deaths for God hides his face Hezekiah fainteth for God glowmeth Haman is downe amongst the dead in the grave Christ his life worketh not so here in trouble Christ standeth behind the mount and the poore Disciples faint and die and dreame and are all afraid in a storme because God seemeth to sleepe as if God were dead Oxthodoxe and sound apprhensions of Christ in us are not habits but acts and are in us as lightnings are in the ayre when nature actually cooperateth or as fire is in the flint not but when it is beaten out with force Thirdly distempers and feavers on faith take away the taste and the honey out of Christ the father is not a father to the child in a fit of an ague Thirdly when extreame danger is neare and the Army foyled and the enemy entering in at the ports our courage is as farre to seeke as ever was the courage of the Apostles Oh then wee are gone this is our death the cause is now losed Christ is buried hee cannot rise againe Esay 7. 2. It was told the house of David saying Syria is confederat with Ephraim and his heart was moved as the trees of the field the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is to bee moved from place to place and is ascribed to Cain the vagabond Gen. 4. 12. wee feare the creature too much because hee can kill the body and wee feare the Lord of heaven and earth to little though hee have dominion over both soule and body remember what a forgetting of God it is to feare the creature in Gods cause Esay 51. 12. I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that shalt bee afraid of a man that shall die and of the Sonne of man that shall bee made as grasse is it so great a sinne to feare man ay the next words beare no lesse 13. and forgettest the Lord thy maker that stretched out the heaven and laid the foundation of the earth an unbeleeving people hath a feare of their owne which the people of God are not to follow Esay 8. 12. Feare yee not the