you can in a little time For when the Dayes are Evil you know not how little time you may have how few Opportunities of well-doing you may enjoy * Eph. 5.15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as Fooles but as Wise Redeeming the Time because the Daies are evil The fourth Branch LIve in the exercise of your most excellent graces Let the Lustre of them appear in the eyes of the World that so you may diminish the Darknesse of an evil Generation When the Nights are darkest every one should be careful to hang out their Lights When the Sun the Chariot of Light hath carried the Day to another World the Night comes forth deckt with all her Jewels Search your Cabinets put on your Jewels exercise your Graces your Faith Love Patience Humility Zeale Hope Confidence and so labour to preserve a Day of Light and Holinesse in spight of all the encroachments of the darknesse of Sin and Vice Labour to be every whit as Good as others are Evil. Stir up your selves especially to the exercise of those Graces which stand in opposition to the reigning Vices of the Times Study to shew your selves as Active for God as others are for the World as truly Content with your condition as others are Covetous Oppressive Ambitious as Faithful as others are False as Pious as others are Profane as much to excel in Charity Moderation Humility as others exceed in Cruelty Censoriousnesse and Pride It well becomes Saints to be best when the Times are worst So Fire burnes hottest in the coldest weather and Stars shine brightest in the darkest Nights So shall you lift up the Name and Glory of God in the World and your lives shall be illustrious Testimonies for the cause of God against a wicked world Beg Grace of God therefore that in evil and perillous Times you may live to his Glory * Phil. 2.15 That ye may be blamelesse and Harmless the Sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation among whom ye shine as Lights in the World The fifth Branch DAre to appear in your places for the Cause of God against the Evils of the Times Why should not every pious Christian dare to do more for God and the interests of his Glory then any profane Politician dares to do against him Why should you be afraid to appear on the stronger side It is indeed desperate Folly and Madnesse in impotent man to presume upon any action or undertaking which carries in it an apparent or consequential Opposition to an Omnipotent God upon whose Providence he hath a continual dependance insomuch as without some concurrence thereof he cannot move a Hand nor stirre a step Alas This Almighty God can with the least Finger of that glorious Hand by which he governes this All in one moment crush the greatest Armies of the mightiest men upon earth as a †Job 4.19 Moth and crumble them into dust But for the Saints that are guarded with an Omnipotent Arme they may with a holy confidence appear in the Cause of God against the most potent adversaries in the world For greater and stronger is he that is with us then they that are with them For as the good King Hezekiah said to the Captaines of his Army at the approach of the King of Assyria * 2 Chron. 32.7 8. with them is an Arme of Flesh but with us is the LORD our God to help us And †Rom. 8.31 if God be for us who can be against us Fear not then ye sonnes of the mighty ye children of the most high to appear for God and his cause against the impieties and iniquities of evil and perillous times Remember * Rev. 21.8 the fearful are set in the Front of that Troop of Rebels that shall be sent to Hell Know you not that in this case when Gods Cause and Glory suffers He that is not for God is against him Take heed then lest while you fear a lesser danger you fall into a greater 'T is then your greatest wisdome and safety to take the strongest side and that is to appear for God So may you say with David †Ps 118.6 The LORD is on my side I will not fear what man can do unto me And again * Ps 56.11 In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me †Psal 118 8 9. It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in man It is better to trust in the LORD then to put confidence in Princes Dare to appear for God therefore in your places and to plead his Cause against wicked and unreasonable men with more Courage Resolution and Boldnesse then they have to oppose it Stand up therefore in Dayes of Danger and appear for the Truth and Glory of God that made you for the Honour and Interests of the Lord Jesus Christ that redeem'd you with his own precious blood appear for his Word and Worship his Ordinances and Ministers his Sabbaths and Sacraments his Church and Saints and all the just Rights Dues and Priviledges thereof against a wicked Generation of men that dare openly deny the Truth and profane the Name of God that are not afraid to cast Contempt and Reproach upon his Word and Worship to scoff at his Sabbaths and Sacraments and slight his holy Ordinances to abuse revile and vilifie his Ministers his Ambassadours seeking to pluck their meat from their mouths desiring to imbrue their hands in their blood endeavouring their utter extirpation out of the Church of God that dare to lay sacrilegious hands upon the Rights and Revenues of the Church which she holds by a firmer Title then the greatest Lord in the Land does or can do his inheritance and thereby seek to turne her children out of their Possession that they may enrich themselves as too many have done by the Churches Ruines Now Christians will you be afraid or asham'd to appear in so just a cause against such wretched men such wicked Adversaries as these Shall these come under the Name of Religion and rob you of the thing while you sit still and do nothing Shall the Interests of Christ and Glory of God fall to the ground rather then you will rise up and appear for the maintenance of the one and defence of the other How will you answer it to God at the great day of account O therefore be not afraid to appear for the Cause of God against the Evil of the Times in the Places and Stations wherein God hath set you This will be your Crown of Glory and Cause of Rejoycing at the great Day of the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ And oh that those that are Highest in Place and Power would seriously lay these things to heart and quitting all self-interests inconsistent with the Cause and Interests of the Kingdome of Christ sincerely study and endeavour the advancement of Gods Glory in
from your own souls prevent the Dishonour of God and the Destruction of the Land This also would very much conduce to a Happy Change of the Times For never can we expect to see good Dayes till †Am. 5.24 Judgement run down as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame for the purging of the Land from its Impurities and Abominations The third Duty Prayer for Amendment IS it your Lot to live in Evil Times Dayes of Danger and Distresse Then Pray to the Father of Eternity for the Change and Amendment of the Times All our †Ps 31.15 Times are in his Hand he changes them from good to bad or bad to good as pleases him 'T is he that causes the Sun to shine or covers it from us with a Cloud as he pleases Our Dayes are clear or cloudy our Times are good or evil according to his Ordering and Government To whom then should we go but to him that orders all changes for the change of evil and perillous into good and prosperous Times He can take away evil men or make them good and so amend the Times When we see men continue in their sinnes and daily grow to a greater height of Wickednesse we have then cause to fear the Times will grow worse rather then better And therefore in this Case the People of God had need be very earnest and importunate with God in their Prayers lest the Provocations of the wicked should be more prevailing for the bringing down of the Judgements of God then the Prayers of his People for the Prevention of those Judgements and the Procurement of his Mercies upon the Land When the sins of the Land cry aloud for Judgment the Saints of God had need to cry aloud for Mercy The Prayer of Faith is the most effectual means by Gods own appointment for the Removal of evils felt the Prevention of evils feared and the Procurement of good things desired There is not therefore a more sad Symptome of the approach of some dreadful Judgement then the Restraint of the Spirit of Prayer in the People of God Thus when Israel had fearfully provoked God by customary commission of grosse sinnes after glorious deliverances as Theft Murder Adultery Perjury Idolatry and had extreamly aggravated these sins by pretences of Religion and godlinesse For they would come and stand before the LORD in his House as if they should say We are deliver'd to do all these Abominations as the Lord hath testifi'd against them by his Prophet * Jer. 7.9 10 and when thereupon God purposed to cast them off for their sins he forbad his Prophet to pray for them For sayes the Lord †Jer. 7.15 16 I will cast you out of my sight as I have cast out all your Brethren even the whole seed of Ephraim Therefore pray not thou for this People neither lift up Cry nor Prayer for them neither make Intercession to me for I will not hear thee This Prohibition of the Prophets Prayer for them was more terrible then the Commination of the sorest Judgement against them While a Praying Spirit is kept up in the hearts of Gods people there is hopes of prevailing with God for mercy for a sinful Nation Prayer does as it were binde up the hands of Omnipotency that an offended God cannot inflict a deserved Punishment upon a provoking People And therefore when the Israelites had made them a Molten Calf and worshipped it and the wrath of God was kindled against them to destroy them Moses by his Prayer prevented their Destruction And therefore did the Lord speak thus to Moses * Exod. 32.9 10. with Deut. 9.13 14 I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore LET ME ALONE that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and blot out their name from under Heaven And I will make of thee a great Nation even a Nation mightier and greater then they Thus we see God could not execute his fierce wrath upon his people unless Moses would let him alone by ceasing to pray for them But this Command being rather Declarative of Gods wrath against Israel then expressive of his Pleasure that Moses should cease Praying Holy Prayer being Gods Delight Moses still proceeds in his Intercession for Israel and joynes Fasting with his Prayer and so prevailed for Mercy For it is said †Exod. 32 11 12. Moses besought the LORD his God and said Lord why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people c. Turn from thy fierce wrath and repent of this evil against thy people And how gracious an Answer did he receive unto his prayer For it is said hereupon * ver 14. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people And again when Moses had beheld their abomination in making and worshiping the molten Calf he thus relates his Carriage success †Deut. 9.18 19 And I fel down saith he before the Lord as at the first fourty daies and fourty nights and I did neither eat bread nor drink water bâ—cause of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger For I was afraid of the Anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against you to destroy you But the Lord hearkened unto me at that time also And therefore is it recorded of him in the Holy Scripture that the Lord said That he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the Breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them * Psal 106 23 And doth not the Lord such is his infinite Patience before he proceeds to the Execution of his Judgements upon a rebellious People for their unsufferable Provocations seek for a man among them that may make up the hedge and stand in the Gap before him for the Land that he may not destroy it †Ezek. 22 30 O then that some Moses might arise and plead with the Lord for his people that he might remove his Judgements and continue his Mercies to them and spare a sinfull Nation a defiled Land So Abraham brought down Gods Mercy by Steps in his * Gen. 18.23 ult Intercession for Sodom so far that if but Ten righteous persons had been sound in that whole sinfull City God would not have destroyed it Now how great an Encouragement should this be unto you Christians in Perillous Times to make your Addresses to God by fervent Prayers Oh! Is there none that will lift up a Prayer for a sinfull Nation before the Lord proceed to execute the fierceness of his wrath upon it O stir up your selves to wrestle with God in his own strength and resolve not to let him go till he bless the Land O Pray Pray Pray without ceasing that the Lord would turn away his Anger from us and after all our Shakings and Divisions settle Peace and Truth
a one as so loves himself as that he despises others in comparison of himselfe and seeks his owne Praise in all things Thus do hypocrites under the cloke of Religion seek themselves their own Honour Praise Pompe and the like and this is a sinful self-love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 igitur sunt isti qui sibi vehementer placent suisque Commodis impensè student †Jodoc Vilich in loc Addo ex Bullingero * In locum aliorum rebus vel neglectis vel afflictis etiam Lovers of themselves therefore are such as extreamly please themselves and mainly study and pursue their own Interests yea not only with the neglect but to the Prejudice of others This is that sinful self-love which as a drop of Poyson extinguishes both Life and Heat banishes both Piety and Charity from the Heart Such men are their own Idols and their own Idolizers They set Self above God they set Self in the Throne and God at the Footstoole This Self-love is the Root of all Vitiousnesse It 's here set in the Van of a Troop of Vices Self-denial is the Foundation of all Christian Vertues But Self-love is the Groundwork of a Babel of sinne and Vice Vanity and Confusion Self-love occasions the souls losse and so becomes the ground of Self-destruction The second Character 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui nummos admirantur Tales sunt qui Religionem in Questum convertant †Aret. in loc 2. Covetous Silver-Lovers as the Word impo t s Such as are over-in-love with Money Such are they that take up Religion for Advantage * 1 Tim. 6.5 supposing that Gain is godlinesse These men are no better then Idolaters and †Mat. 6.24 Mammon is their God Sure we are * Col. 3.5 Covetousnesse is Idolatry And Idolatry cannot be consistent with true Piety Silver-Lovers what ever their pretences be cannot well be Saints The third Character 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veritati opponitur est ejus Excessus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quaedam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hi praeterea fingunt honestas Causas ubi nullae sunt Tales in Religione perniciosi sunt Ad hos pertinent qui ob Flagitia pulsi Nomine Evangelii exulare se fingunt de Persecutionibus suis ac constantia gloriantur sine Ratione †Aret. in loc 3. Boasters Now Boasting according to the Import of the Word here used is a Vice whereby men speak of them selves and to their own Praise more then the Truth It 's a feigned shew as are the Colours of the Rainbowe without substance a flourishing Ostentation of some Excellency which is not in them These in Matters of Religion are very Pernicious Such are they who coine good Causes for the credit of bad Actions Such are they also who when banisht for their Wickedness pretend they suffer for the Gospel and so without any Cause at all glory of their Persecutions and Constancy in their sufferings They are * Elati Ver. lifted up with a high Conceit of their own Excellencies wherein they †Gloriosi Bez. Syr. glory Such are they Qui plura sibi arrogant quà m revera possident * Keck Ethic Vel Plura promittunt quà m praestare possunt †Ulpianus Who arrogate more to themselves then they do indeed possesse and promise more to others then they can performe The word here used * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper Epithete of a Peacock Such have a glorious traine but foule feet Their Lives proclaim their Pollutions while their Lips boast of their Perfections Boasting is ever a signe of Emptynesse Empty vessels give the greatest sound The fourth Character 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isti enim se in omnibus quaerunt arrogantes sunt animo elati †Aret. in loc 4. Proud This Pride is the Daughter of Self-love the Sister of Covetousnesse and Mother of Boasting 'T is near akin to the former Vices and the Venome of them runnes in the Veines of this For such men seek themselves in all things arrogate to themselves more then they ought and are lifted up with high conceits of themselves Pride is the Companion of every Vice and the Ring-leader in every Faction Proud Persons gild themselves with an outward glory while they are utterly empty of real worth They spread a great Saile upon an empty Bark They are painted Bubbles shining Meteors gilded Nothings lying Vanities The fifth Character 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maledici * Bez. Syr. 5. Blasphemers Evil-speakers †Died. Slanderers and Defamers This is a Vice of the Tongue as the former were Vices of the Heart The Tongue is a Conduit-pipe by which the evil of the Heart flows out and this is that which defiles a man * Mat. 15.18 Herewith they blaspheme God and defame men the word here used imports both reviling both Magistrates and Ministers Obtrectantes fidelibus Doctoribus Deum ipsum traducunt †Pareus in loc They are such who not onely defame their faithful Ministers but presume to traduce the Name of God himself Whither will not desperate Atheisme and unbridled Impiety carry men Thus is the Word used in the Scripture as when it s said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Rev. 16.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 †Jude 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Rom. 3.8 They blasphemed God They spake evil of Dignities As we are slanderously reported The Hebrew word †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used to blaspheme or curse * Num. 23.13 signifies also to strike or pierce thorough †Hab. 3.14 Blasphemies are impoyson'd Arrows which wicked men shoot at God Almighty's Face slanders are venemous Darts wherewith they transfix the Names of his children The sixth Character 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui hominibus suis i. e. iis qui presunt sibi non obtemperant * Syr. Interp Trem. 6. Disobedient to Parents Who are not subject to them that according to Gods order are set over them By Parents according to the Hebrew Idiome †Exod. 20.12 we are to understand all Superiours Rulers Governours whether Domestical Civil or Ecclesiastical There are Natural Spiritual Political Parents The first are properly called Father and Mother the two last are Ministers and Magistrates the word then in the latitude of its signification denotes such persons as being children are refractory towards their Parents such People as are regardlesse of their Pastor such Subjects as are rebellious against their Prince It imports that sin which stands in the Violation of the fifth Commandment Such are the persons here describ'd as cast off the Golden Yoke of Government and break the silken bands of wholesome Laws whether founded in a Natural Moral or Civil Interest The seventh Character 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ingrati * Beza Negantes Beneficium †Syr. Interp Trem.
dissembled sayes Augustine is not Equity but double Iniquity because dissimulation is Iniquitie And the more glorious the Pretence is which covers a base Designe the more vile and wicked is the Person that thus audaciously steals the Robes of vertue to cloath his otherwise naked viliany Caligula the Romane Emperour was never more Profane then when in his Pride he would put on the Vestments of the Gods Nero within and Cato without is an abhor'd Monster in the Church of God When the Devil appears in the habit of Samuel 't is but to prophecy the prevalency of the Philistines and the Overthrow of Israel When Pernicious Projects are vail'd with glorious Pretences the Times are perillous When Piety is made subservient to Policy and Gain is accounted Godlinesse This is not Religion but Robbery Latro est Domum Dei convertit in speluncam Latronum qui Lucra de Religione sectatur cultusque ejus non tam Cultus Dei quam negotiationis occasio est †Hier. sup Mâ—t. l. 4. He is a Robber says Jerome and turns the House of God into a Den of Thieves who takes up Religion meerly for the getting of Gain and whose worship of God serves onely for a fitter Occasion to advance his Trading in the World And we know it was not long after the Temple was made a Den of Thieves that it became a heap of Ruines The Times are perillous when the Royal stamp is put upon counterfeit coine and self-interest is called the Cause of God And the Danger is greater according to the Degree of the Person Self-seeking especially under plausible pretences of the Good of the People is extreamly pernicious in such Persons as have the chiefest Power in their hands which ought not to be used as an Engine for the advancement of mens private Interests but to be ever put to the best improvement for the Publick Good And therefore the pious and learned Father makes this the great difference betwixt a Tyrant who rules after his own Lusts and a King that governes his People by good and wholesom Laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this sayes he does a Tyrant differ from a King that the one has still an Eye to his own Interests the other lays out himself for the Good of his Subjects But yet amongst a People professing godlinesse such Tyrants which makes their wickednesse so much the worse are wont to pretend the interests of Religion and the Honour of God for the colouring of their irregular enterprizes and the covering of their wicked intentions till they have accomplish't their cursed Designes and so attain'd their own ends So the bloody Nero in the beginning of his Reigne made great Pretences of Piety but when he was establisht in his Empire he delighted in nothing but wickednesse and cruelty And how perillous those Times were to the Christian Church the Teares and Blood of many thousand persecuted Christians gave sufficient Testimony whose †Rev. 6.9 10 Souls are under the Altar of God still crying with a loud Voice and saying How long O Lord Holy and True dost thou not judge and avenge our Blood on them that dwell on the Earth But now was it not for such faire Pretences these bloody Tyrants could never so smoothly carry on such foule Enormities to a full accomplishment It 's the Glory of God therefore which they pretend to the world to be the End of their audacious Actings but their own Names are firmly wrought into that Shield of Gods Glory which they hold out to the world for the Protection of the basest Designes as it s said the Name of Phidias was by his curious Art wrought into the Shield of Minerva Wo be to the People that are subjected to the Power of such pernicious persons for these aâ—e they which do with a witnesse make the Times perillous The Times then are perillous when glorious Titles are stampt upon base Designs and glorious ends are pretended for the crediting of such Enormous Actions as Religion cannot but blush that they should be called her children Thus Celsus the Philosopher having written a Defence of Paganisme gilds over his rotten wood with this golden Title or Inscription Verbum Veritatis †Orig. contra Cels l. 2. The Word of Truth Thus Absalom pretended a solemne Act of Religion in paying his Vow unto God when having plotted a cursed Treason he went on purpose to raise a bloody Rebellion against his Prince and Father * 2 Sam. 15 7-10 Thâ—â— Jâ—hu pretended the Reformation of Religion when he sought nothing but the establishment of the Kingdome to himself †2 King 9 and 10. and therefore the executions done by him though according to Gods Order and Appointment * 2 King 9.6 7 are charged upon him as so many bloody Murthers soliciting the Divine Vengeance For sayes the Lord †Hos 1.4 yet a little while and I will avenge the Blood of Jezreel i. e. the bloodshed in Jezreel * 2 King 9 15 24 25 26 30. ult the Royal City of the Land of Issachar †Josh 19.17 18. upon the House of Jehu and will cause to cease the Kingdome of the House of Israel Thus one wicked Tyrant may be the Ruine of the whole Kingdome Yet does this bloody Wretch this Self-seeking Jehu while he was yet reeking in Blood and hot in pursuing his selfish Designes boast of his zeal for the Cause of God Come sayes he to Jehonadab * 2 King 10.15 16. Come with me and see my zeal for the LORD Thus do many wear a Cloak of Zeal upon a Habit of Vice Thus Saul out of his Zeale for the Israelites became a bloody Butcher of the Gibeonites and so brought a plague upon the whole Land of Israel †2 Sam. 21 1 2 Thus that wicked Ahab proclaimes a Fast for the putting to death of Naboth that he might take to himself his Vineyard and so by one Act involves himself in the guilt of Murder Perjury and unjust Usurpation of the Right and Possession of the Innocent and Righteous * 1 King 21 12-16 So the Historian tells us of the Devilish Policy of Hanno a rich Prince of the Carthaginians who having laid a desiâ—ne for the Destruction of the whole Seâ—ate herein worse then Heliogabalus whose Pride was satisfi'd in the Expulsion of the Senators †Fulg. l. 9. c. 5. made use of a sacred Sâ—lemnity in the Celebration of his Daughters Marriage Ut Religione Votorum nefanda committeret nefanda Commenta facilius tegerentur * Justin Hist l. 21. For the Execution and Concealment of his Damnable Designe and Hellish Treason Thus did the Monster of men Herod pretend he would †Mat. 2.8 worship Christ whilst he was plotting to murder him in the prosecution of which bloody Designe he cruelly * Mat. 2.16 put to death as it is thought about fourteen thousand Innocents the
despised and whose COVENANT he brake even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty Army and great Company make for him in the War by casting up Mounts and building Forts to cut off many Persons Seeing he despised the OATH by breaking the COVENANT when lo he had given his HAND and hath done all these things he shall not escape Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD As I live surely mine OATH that he hath despised and my COVENANT that he hath broken even it will I recompence upon his own head And I will spread my Net upon him and he shall be taken in my snare and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his Trespasse that he hath trespassed against me And all his Fugitives with all his Bands shall fall by the Sword and they that remaine shall be scattered towards all windes and ye shall know that I the LORD have spoken it Thus will no Force no Confederacy availe for the securing of that person from a deserved Punishment who by this sin of Perjury and Covenant-breaking is become obnoxious to Divine Justice An OATH is a sacred thing it bindes in the Name of God if it be violated it provokes God to arme his Justice with vengeance against the Violator The LORD will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his NAME in vain †Exo. 20.7 Perjury * A pejerando fit Vox pejor quod perjurio nihil pejus is a desperate and damnable sin It proceeds from Atheism the mother of Abominations and produces Rebellion with a thousand impieties It s a sin which the Heathens have not onely justly condemn'd but also severely punished The Egyptians and Scythians punish't Perjury with Death The Romanes censure of it in the Law of the twelve Tables was this Perjurii Poena divina Exitium humana Dedecus †Cic. l. 2. de Legibus Though Perjury have no punishment amongst men but Disgrace it 's punish't by God with Destruction That which was thus detestable amongst Heathens should be much more abominable amongst Christians However God hath declar'd his Wrath against it from Heaven as some remarkable Passages of the Divine Providence do fully declare whereof we shall mention two out of the Turkish History The Emperour Albert had made a Truce with the great Turk and solemnly ratifi'd the same with an Oath But Pope Eugenius the fourth sent him a Dispensation from his Oath and excited him to renew the Warre against the Turk Thus does the man of sin make void the Law of God But in the first battel wherein the Emperour engaged he was discomfited and slaine Thus he that with his Sword cut in two the sacred Band of his Oath had his Perjury written by his enemies Sword with his own Blood whereas had he kept his Oath he might have sav'd his Life But the Infidels hereupon took occasion to cast reproach upon Christianity as a Religion that gave Patronage to Perjury and Covenant-breaking when the most solemne Obligation had been sealed with the Name of Christ Thus Covenant-breaking brings the most blessed Religion in the World into contempt and makes Christianity the scorne and reproach of Heathens Uladislaus King of Hungary having for a time manag'd his War with Amurath the great Turk with good successe at length brought him to conditions of Peace which were to himself sufficiently advantagious For upon this Agreement certaine Provinces were to be restored to the Hungarians which otherwise could not have been recover'd by the sword without the losse of many Lives But a Peace being concluded betwixt them a solemne League and Covenant for the confirmation thereof was interchangably sealed with an Oath taken by both Parties But the Pope whose Holinesse was thought sufficient to sanctifie the sinfulnesse of the vilest Perjury sent a Letter of Dispensation to his son Uladislaus as a Key of his Cabinet to unlock those Bonds and Fetters wherewith he was bound hand and foot from the further prosecution of the Warre with the Turks And to promote the Popes designe the Cardinal of Florâ—nce See the Hungarian History Admiral of the Navy on the one hand and Cardinal Julian the Popes Legate in Hungary on the other hand help to lift him up out of his Honourable Restraint the Liberty of Warre being barr'd up to him by a League of Peace into an infamous Freedome by strong sollicitations to the renewal of the War with Amurath Hereupon staining the glory of his Crown with the breach of his Covenant he assaulted the Turk unawares with a great Army who yet rallying his Forces with all the speed and vigour he could Dubiis victoria pennis Inter utrumque volat gave him Battel The Victory for a good while together hanging in an equal Ballance enclin'd to neither side But at length the Scales began to turne and Victory forsaking the Army of Amurath seem'd now ready to alight upon the Standard of Uladislaus Amurath perceiving this and withal seeing a Crucifix in a displayed Ensigne of the Christians Army advanc't against him pluckt the Writing wherein the late League was contain'd out of his bosome and with eyes and hands cast up to Heaven said O thou crucifi'd Christ Behold this is the LEAGVE which thy Christians made with me and seal'd with a solemne OATH swearing by thy Name and this have they without cause this day violated If thou be a GOD as they say thou art Revenge the wrong done unto thy Name and the injury offer'd unto me upon thy perjur'd People who though they honour thee in their Words do in their Deeds deny thee Immediately hereupon the battel turn'd and thâ— Turks prevail'd mightily against the Christians The King himself was slaine by the Janissaries and fell in the midst of his Enemies though not so much by their hands as by a stroke of Justice from heaven The Christians fled before the Mahumetans and perish't by a miserable slaughter eleven thousand being slaine in the place very few escaping with their Lives Thus hath the Blood and Lives of many slaughter'd Christians given testimony to the Justice of God triumphing in the punishment of Perjury and the violation of Covenants This is that which according to the intent of the wicked counsel of Balaam * Rev. 2.14 engages God himselfe against his own People Xenoph. Agesilaus general of the Grecian Army returned this answer to Tissaphernes Lieutenant to the King of Persiâ—'s Army when contrary to his Oath he had levy'd an Army and denounc'd War against him That he gave him no small thanks for that by his Perjury he had made the Gods angry with the Persians who he hoped for his Fidelity would be favourable to the Grecians And the Event answer'd the Omen for joyning Battel he gave the Persians a great overthrow Pausanius notes this to be one chief cause why Philip King of Macedon with all his Posterity were so quickly destroy'd because
extreamly evil and perillous Yea when a wicked Generation of men shall be suffer'd with Impunity to cast Contempt upon all the Ordinances of Gods Worship to vilifie and reproach the Assemblies of the Saints calling them the Synagogues of Satan with many more vile reproaches which I think not meet to mention what shall we think are not the Dayes evil the Times perillous When those shall be countenanc't honour'd advanc't in the State being set in Places of Power and Trust who do what they can to cast an Odium upon the Ordinances of the Gospel are not the dayes evil the Times perillous These sacred Ordinances are the paths of Christ wherein he walks amongst his People and hereby do men * Ps 79.51 reproach the footsteps of Gods anointed Hereby do vile persons cast dirt at the Chariots of the King of glory Hereby is the Lord continually provoked to depart from such a people and therefore the dayes which are defil'd with these Abominations must needs be perillous Times The fift Case Sinners Sedulity and Sloth in Saints VVHen the spirit of Errour and Profanesse prevailes more and more in the World and the Spirit of Prayer and Zeale for truth and holinesse decayes more and more in the Church the Dayes are evil the Times perillous When false Fires appear and the Fire of the Altar goes out sure God is departing from his Temple When the Locusts and Caterpillars swarme in the Fields and the Frogs croak in every corner of the House the Judgement of God is already upon the Land When †2 Tim. 3.6 7 silly women are led captive in Troops by subtile Deceivers and soul-deluding Seducers * 2 Pet. 2.2 draw many Disciples after them the last Dayes which we are told shall be perillous Times are come upon us Activity of bad men in carrying on their wicked Designes and Lukewarmnesse in good men in promoting the Cause and Interest of Christ is a sad Symptome of some sore evil at hand When few are zealous for Truth and Righteousness multitudes are zealous for Errour and Impunity in the contempt of Gods holy worship we may justly feare God will shortly bring some fearful judgement on the Land When †Mat. 24.12 Iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold the Winter is come and stormes must be expected When the Spirit of Prayer departs the Spirit of Judgement comes in the roome of it When the Winde ceases presently the Rain falls When the hands of Moses fall down in Prayer and Amalek prevailes in battel we must needs expect it should go ill with Israel When Christians are fallen from their * Rev. 2.4 first Love and Professors are grow'n †Rev. 3.16 Lukewarm in Religion yea and many are become Key-cold in the Cause of Christ whilest others are very forward and zealous to promote the Honour and Adoration of the Deified IMAGES of their own Fancies they must needs be perillous Times ZEALE is the Pulse of the Church as JUSTICE is of the Common-wealth Now a wise Physician by feeling the Pulse may judge of the state of the Patient If it be violent and irregular the body is inflam'd and in a great distemper if it be very weak slow remiss and much interrupted it is a sad Symptome of approaching Death Apostacy in Religion is a fore-runner of Ruine and Destruction to such a particular Church and People * Jer. 8.5 15 Lukewarmnesse in Religion is a loathed temper I know thy Works sayes the Lord of the Church of Laodicea †Rev. 3.15 16. too true a Patterne of the Church of England that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art Lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth In these cases all good Christians have cause to bewaile the sad condition of the Church of Christ The ninth Symptome Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries THe children of the Church have experience of perillous Times When the Professors of the true Religion are divided and the profest enemies thereof are united When the Canaanites are combin'd against the Israelites and the Israelites are divided amongst themselves needs must they be distressed by their Enemies When Idolatrous Nations joyne in Confederacy against the People that professe the true Religion their State must needs be dangerous Of this does the Psalmist complain as speaking the sad state of the People of God and therefore he makes his earnest suit to God for redresse saying * Psal 83 1-8 Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy Peace and be not still O God For loe thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty COUNSEL against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one CONSENT they are CONFEDERATE against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Needs must those be perillous Times with the People of Israel when as a small Flock of sheep they were surrounded with so many troops of Wolves Lions and Bears thirsting after their blood and ready to teare them in pieces and devoure them When in the Dayes of Jehoshaphat †2 Chr. 20 Moab and Ammon and mount Seir conspired against Israel and came up against Jehoshaphat to battel both he and all the people of the Land were struck with feare in the apprehensions of their great danger And well might they fear when three Nations had arm'd themselves against that People that had provoked the Lord by their sinnes to give them up into their Enemies hands But behold a strange turne of Providence which affords a further illustration to the matter in hand These three great Armies by a wonderful stratagem of the Divine Providence were divided one against another and so now their great strength became the cause of their weaknesse and destruction for even without any stroke struck by Israel they themselves destroy'd one another insomuch that when Israel came against them they had none to encounter with but the * v. 24. dead Bodies of the slaine which were fallen to the earth and none escaped Thus as their Conjunction was their strength their Division became their overthrow Sad Divisions and bitter Contentions amongst Christians do not onely make them a scorn and Derision to their enemies but also expose them to the danger of an utter Destruction Such Christians as like Cranes fight amongst themselves do easily become a prey to others Their enemies like Eagles and Vultures will hasten to their Overthrow Thus did the Romane EAGLES prey upon the miserable Jews conflicting together in