ver 16. taken all the chiefe passages of knowledge so that whatsoever man or paper book or Minister had not pronounced their Shibboleth aright he should have bin crushed or suppressed in the birth 4. Yea higher yet because some Puritanicall Ministers I speake in their Dialect had an art of preaching and pestring in their very prayers before and after Sermon therefore a course is taken that they must confine themselves in the Pulpit before Sermon to a certaine Canonicall Sceleton that is layd downe in one of their illegall Canons in which me thinkes the Minister doth profer and promise the people fairly concerning prayer but is hardly so good as his word to the end and after Sermon they concluded with certain Collects at the Communion Table 5. Nay once more to shew you the Superlative depth and blacknes of this darknes some have bin forbidden and checkt if not punished for using of conceived prayer in their Families and because they did not there bind themselvs to the Common prayer book only Judge ye Brethren whether we were not about to be shut up under darknes as bad as Aegyptian Did I say as bad nay ours was worse in a double respect 1. First Aegypts darknes was Corporall and Outward but Englands was Spirituall and Mentall which is an immediate and certain fore-runner of darknes eternall Isa 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therfore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no pitty 2. Aegypts was not Vniversall for all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Ob. So we had some Goshen too among us may some say in the worst of those times some Dioces Ex 10.23 some Church-men were not so bad as the rest An. Brethren there is a kind of method even in the setting of the Sun it is dark at Norwich and London and there awayes before it is night at Sarum Exon and Launceston because those former Counties are more Esterly but the same blacke cloud was comming apace over all the rest though they were not wholy and actually over-whelmed The month nay the very day was set for a generall Ecclipse yea for an extirpation of all those lights in the Land which should have stucke at that horrid Oath November the second last yeare one thousand six hundred and fourty then then was the time when the great Curefue-bell should have bin rung out for covering of fires and putting out of Candles in every County City Towne and Parish throughout the Kingdome Thus was our plague of Darknes the worst indeed of all the nine And yet the Removall or Remedy of this also do our eyes behold for there is an Order now come from the House of Commons both for setting up of Weekly Lectures by the Parishoners and for after-noon preaching where there is none so that if we will light may now shine out of darknes and that so brightly that the darknes may not be able to comprehend it The 10th and last was that Death of their First-born And it came to passe that at mid-night the Lordsmote all the First-borne in the Land of Aegypt Exod. 12.29 from the First-borne of Pharaoh that sate on his throne ver 30. unto the first-borne of the Captive that was in the Dungeon and all the first-borne of Cattell This I must Paralell with our late troubles in the North with that warre against our Brethren of Scotland True there is a difference in this that in Aegypt there was not an house in which there was not one dead by that plague in England and Scotland not many have dyed by this warre But for that difference blessed be the over-ruling hand of our good God no thanke to those Incendiaries for could they have obtained their purpose 't is more then probable that the death of one of every house in this Island would not have served the turn but rather that there would scarcely have bin one of an house left alive in many Families of the two Kingdoms Therefore that 's no great difference But the Paralell doth hold in divers respects as 1. Exod. 12. v. 29. First that Aegypts plague was at midnight so this warr was so contrived as to come upon us in the depth of our palpable Aegyptian darknesse of which before First the eye of knowledge should have bin put out amongst us and then Sampson-like we had bin fit to grind in their Mill or rather as he to have pulled downe the house upon our owne heads 2. In Aegypt that plague was the last of the tenne yea it was an immediate cause and fore-runner of Israels freedome and Deliverance from their intollerable taske masters He smote also all the first-borne in the land Ps 105.36 37. the chiefe of all their strength And then immediately he brought them forth with silver and gold and there was not one feeble person among their tribes 3. So it is our hope Bretheren for Removall that the good God will make that Northerne warre the conclusion of all these our plagues yea and an occasion or cause of our greater strengthning and enrichment Judg. 14.14 We see that there is some meate come out of the eater and out of the strong there is come some sweetnesse already Perfect thou ô Lord the thing which thou hast begunne amongst us So much touching Removall The third branch of Deliverance which we gather by looking upon our evills felt or feared it was called Prevention It is a great mercy to a sick man to have the paine and perill of his disease stopped it is a greater to have his malady quite Removed but for a person to be kept and preserved safe from all touch of a disease that was neere him to be blessed with a Prevention of the plague that was next doore this is a mercy above many And therefore this third branch is both higher and greater then both the former and yet it is lesse valued generally then either of those For those plagues which are Stopped or Removed from a Nation they were present and actuall but that mischiefe which is prevented and kept off is at most in respect of our apprehension but a possible and future evill and therefore we are lesse sensible of this though greater evill In short that bitternesse which we have felt we know by sence to be bitter whereas much more being escaped by us because escaped may seeme lesse Hence it is that the Lord doth loose much prayse and glory for this sort of mercy Nabal we know did returne but little thanks and lesse requitall to David for the safe guarding of his Shepheards in Carmel 1 Sam. 25.10 the reason was because the good done to him by David was a Prevention he did preserve the men and flocks from danger so that the chutle felt no evill and therefore did value the curtisie as nothing So is it twixt us and God we give him little prayse for great mercy
were certainly going But to remove that deceit of heart consider these particulars 1. First that some were utterly and actually already gone and driven out and this both East and West can too truly testifie Looke Eastward into Holland and how many of our choyce and extraordinary Teachers were driven thither and durst not shew their heads here untill this Parliament for fear of Prisons and Pursevants and all for scrupling at a few Ceremonies confessed by the Innovators themselves to be indifferent Look but upon the books of those Ministers which they have sent over since their banishment Looke upon their Sermons and services done for us besides the damnage to cloathing occasioned by their departure and then you cannot but acknowledge that many of our choise Ministers were driven away actually into the East to our great damnage But the West can tell us of a farre greater number now wandring in the Deserts of America One man of God is a precious Jewell in a Kingdome and may doe much for the publick safety and Reformation of a whole Land in time of need as we see in Elijah and Elisha 2 Kin. 2.12 what a losse is it then to one poore Island to have scores of such Chariots and Horse-men driven away at a clap 2. Others if not quite gone yet were going apace How many honest Kenites were packing up their Fardels 1 Sam. 15. v. 6. how many powerfull Pastours in England were just now upon the hiding point Some for Ceremonies others for faithfullnesse in their Ministry were fain to fly from chamber to chamber to hide themselves These beginnings of Ministers banishment may ensure and convince us sufficiently that the Continuance of those that remain is a mercy yea a favour Superlative Secondly and as of Ministers so for the continuance of all other Spirituall and Nationall good things which I say again stood a tiptoe and were as it were upon the wing they are all new given unto us We may say of them all as the father of his returning Prodigall Lu. 15. v. 24. They were dying and are alive againe they were losing and are found Hast thou an estate of Lands or houses goe home and new date thy leases let them all run from the yeare 1640. I say againe One thousand Six hundred and fourty for then was thy tearme renewed I mean that very yeare might thy lands have been Aceldama the stage of warres and thine houses fewell for wilde-fire In a word hast thou but a wife children yea a life of thine owne to lose I tell thee man all these are new given thee too in the same yeare 1640. And therefore as the Lord by Moses said to Israel concerning the Moneth Abib Exod. 12. v. â— This moneth shall be unto you the beginning of moneths it shall be the first moneth of the yeare to you So may I say of this very yeare unto us all and especially to Ministers of the moneth November in this particular that this deserves to be accounted the beginning of our yeares and moneths In a word in them we received our second first being Consider therefore to close this point how all our old good things are now become new 5. Head of this Deliverance we called Addition or Increase The present great worke of Mercy is so full of rich particulars that 't is like a speciall messe of meat which we may turne againe and againe and still find in it another choise or delicate morsell and therefore though we have heard of Stoppage Removall Prevention and Continuance already yet there is a fifth list of Additions now to be spread before your eyes In setting them forth I may chance to touch upon some instances or particulars which have been named before but if I doe it shall be under another Notion and to a different end How common an objection is it especially amongst Atheists and Delinquents that they see no such great things already done for us by this present Parliament Object as some over-working heads doe seeme to intimate I answer first to the Persons Sol. perhaps those men doe look through the wrong end of the Perspectiveglasse and then great things may seem very little unto them Perhaps their Organ is vitiated their judgement is corrupted and then they put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter But secondly to the point it self I answer he that hath the heart of a Protestant the mind of a good Subject or the eyes of a reasonable Creature and doth not wincke with those eyes that he might not see he must both see and say that the Lord hath done many great things for us already for which we have cause to rejoyce If any man ask me for an exact Enumeration of them I answer as he Oceani fluctus me numerare jubes In Scripture phrase they are more then J am able to expresse I must give them in by heaps We heard before of a Paralell to all the ten plagues of Aegypt but what if I should now shew a Catalogue of great works of this Parliament out-stripping yea doubling that number I will not over-lay your attentions before hand with a promise of prolixity but let us observe some famous particulars done already and those for the Glory of our God the perpetuall Honor of our dread Soveraigne and the lasting praise of this Parliament 1. The first observable Addition must be that Act for the Confirmation of the Treaty of Pacification I cannot but set it in the fore-front of my catalogue as the first lincke in this golden chaine and the basis of all the rest of our late mercies The whole Act is true 't is large but to me so much the sweeter let him that can for me reade it over with dry eyes I meane for joy for I thinke that Act is looked upon by diverse sorts of men as was the foundation of the second Temple among the Jewes 'T is said that Many wept with a loud voyce and many shouted aloud for joy Ezr. 3.11 12. So doubtlesse all that wish well to our Zion and Jerusalem to Church and State they cannot but rejoyce in reading thereof but as many as are contrary-minded like enough doe repine and howle in secret to see so blessed a close of so perilous a businesse Brethren let me commend the serious reading or hearing of that Act to every judicious and fit Protestant and Subject now present and also if they please to all those which have bin so loud fierce and active heretofore against our Bretheren of Scotland Oh let these latter reade blush repent and change their minds with shame and sorrow but the former let them be confirmed and lifted up in their holy loyall intentions and proceedings The substance of the whole Act or Statute may be reduced to these three heads First there are I doe not trifle away holy time about secular things the Commissions upon which that treaty at Rippon was grounded As oft as I reade them over and doe
made knowne when their hypocrisie deceipts malice c. doe begin to be discovered then 't is very probable that they shall not proceed any further their market is marred And is it not so with our Enemies at this time their vailes vizards maskes and periwigs are plucked off so that men see them in their colours Secondly they are met withall and crossed even by a Divine hand in all their plots projects and conspiracies As the Prophet Elisha directed the King of Israel to meet with the King of Syria in all his stratagems 2 Kin. 6. v. 8. to ver 13. Then the King of Syria warred against Israel and tooke counsell with his servants saying in such a place shall be my camp And the man of God sent unto the King of Israel saying Beware that thou passe not such a place for thither the Syrians are come downe And the King of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of and saved himselfe there not once nor twise Therefore the heart of the King of Syria was sore troubled for this thing and he called his servants and said unto them will ye not shew me which of us is for the King of Israel And one of his servants said none my Lord ô King but Elisha the Prophet that is in Israel telleth the King of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bed-chamber Now when the bed-chamber counsels of traiterous Enemies doe come abroad 't is a signo that they are declining apace Exod. 14.24 ver 25. The Aegyptians we know were mirrours of incurable stubbornnesse against the Lord and yet even they when they saw that their hoast was troubled and that their Chariot wheeles were taken off so that they drave them heavily even they do confesse 't is time to flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for them against the Aegyptians And so 't is reported of those Spaniards that came against England in that Armado in Eighty eight that seeing the windes and seas and all against them they cryed out that God was turned Lutheran ô me thinkes the present factions of Papists Anti-Deliverancers and Anti-Reformists they might as well imagine now that the Lord God is turned Covenanter and Puritan I take the word so as those men doe usually abuse it Act. 14 14. And for mine owne part after the way which many persons doe call Puritanisme so desire I to worship the Lord God of my Fathers But this is a second signe of their tottering and of our standing upright Thirdly which followeth from both the former they doe grow weaker continually both in their party 2 Sam 3. v. 1. and in their spirits 'T is said There was long warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of David but David waxed stronger and stronger and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker Yea and in Sauls owne particular case 1 Sam. 28. v. 15 see how spirit-falne he is when his destruction approacheth And Samuel said to Saul why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up And Saul answered I am sore distressed for the Philistines make warre against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames ver 20. therefore I have called thee that thou mayest make knowne unto me what I shall doe And after hearing his doome from the Divell Then Saul fell straight way all along on the earth and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel and there was no strength in him But you will say nay Ob. rather the Enemies now doe grow more desperate and couragious No Answ there is a vast difference betwixt desperatenesse and valour though for the first fit they may seeme to be alike There is great oddes betwixt the playing of Fishes in the pond and their frisking in the kettle though both may seeme alike Desperate attempts are sure badges both of a conquered man and a coward for though dead men cannot bite yet dying persons doe bite most deadly These are grounds of Probability from the Enemies But from the Church and the Reforming party Ground 2 we may gather Arguments quite contrary to all these three For 1. Their Counsells doe prosper like that of Hushai against Achitophel And Absalon and all the men of Israel said 2 Sam. 17. v. 14 the counsell of Hushat the Archite is better then the counsell of Ahitophel for the Lord had appointed to defeat the counsell of Ahitophel And 2. They are now more and more Honourable before all tollerable men as was Joseph Gen. 41. v 39. comming out of prison Dan. 6. v. 28. and Daniel out of the den of Lyons Yea the hand of the Lord is upon them for good as it was with the same Joseph and Daniel 3. In short both their party and their spirits doe in a comfortable degree increase and grow continuall as it was with the house of David before mentioned 3. Ground 3 Probable ground of Deliverance and Reformation are the Lords Ingagements in this businesse and these are of two sorts First his Ingagements to the worke it selfe as an helper Auxiliary or beginner and these ought to support our hopes not a little It is an Argument with which I find the Saints in Scripture doe much stay their hopes and presse the Lord in times of great provocation and perill As when they had committed that great sinne in making a Calfe and the Lord had a kinde of desire to consume them Exod. 32. v. 9. ver 10 11 12 yet Moses useth this Argument to appease wrath and to continue preservation and doth obtaine his request 2 Chro. 20.1 2 So when Jehoshaphat was in triple danger there were three Nations to one against him but he giveth himselfe to prayer and a maine argument of his prayer is set downe to be this ver 5 6 7. Art not thou our God who didst drive out the Inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever Lo with how many Relations and Ingagements doth he there presse the Lord His Relations doe lye in these wordes Our God thy people and the seede of Abraham thy friend The Ingagements in these words Thou didst drive out the inhabitants of this land and gavest it to the seede of Abraham c. Brethren let us in an humble and edifying way to the Lords honour the works promotion and our encouragement edifie one another with these sayings This is the Lords Ingagement to the work as an helper 2. Is his Ingagement against the Enemies as a Party or a Principall And this we may gather if we looke upon the great blasphemyes of the Enemies even against the Lord himselfe 'T is good newes for the Church when her Enemies are growne rancke in blasphemy when they are come so farre as to despight the power of godlinesse and to hate holinesse quatenus ipsam as
and Mid-sommer out of Mid-winter this must needs be done by a divine power for Natura nihil agit per saltum Nature in all her workes doth proceed by degrees In a word when the wicked are taken in their owne pit Psal 7.15 16. that is in a pit of their owne digging so that themselves doe not or cannot avoid their owne workes I tell you this is the Lords doing 3. When there is a Concurrence of many casualties and accidents together Gods speciall providence is cheefely seene in such a case 4. When there is a great working upon mans spirits Ezra 1. v. 1. as it is said of this Jewish Deliverance that God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus 5. When there is a smooth harmony of helpfull Circumstances as in Hamans fall and defeat as 1. Esth 6 v 1. That the King Ahashuerus should be sleepelesse that night 2. Next that among many other meanes of passing the time he should make choyce of hearing the Chronicles read unto him 3. That in reading ver 2. ver 3. they should fall upon that story of Merdecaies good service 4. That the Kings thoughts should pitch upon such a reward for him to breake Hamans hopes and heart 5. ver 6 7. That Haman should then come in when the King was contriving how to honour Mordecai 6. Yea ver 4. that he should be comming in with such an errand to beg the hanging of the same Mordecai This consort of Circumstances doth declare cleerely a speciall providence 6. A proportion of Punishment upon the enemies of the truth As that Haman which would have hanged Mordecai should be payd in his owne coyne Esth 7. v. 10. Act. 23.2 3. and upon his owne gallowes That Ananias the smiter should also be smitten All these prints of a speciall providence are very legible in our present Deliverance Therefore let us all conclude concerning this first branch the Authour with the words of the Psalmist This is the Lords doing Psal 118. v. 23. it is marvelous in our eyes So much touching the Authour 2. The Misery Captivity But what is that he hath done Answ He hath turned our Captivity Why you will say we were never in bondage to any man Quest So said the Jewes indeed Answ though at the same time they were Tributaries Joh. 8. v. 33. nay vassals to Rome But to the point There is a two-fold liberty Religious and Civill 1. For the first who is ignorant that the free preaching of pure Doctrines the free exercise of powerfull practice have beene by some they were neither few nor meane ones hated persecuted suppressed Lectures destroyed Sabbaths trampled Worship innovated and what redresse was there to be had and then had we Religious liberty 2. The other is Civill or Politique The benefits of Lawes freedome from illegall burdens upon persons and goods liberty to oppose such impositions legally And I appeale to your selves what was become of this freedome too He that will be ignorant let him be ignorant Thus have we paralleld the Author and the Misery It would be too large a taske as I sayd to doe the like with the rest of the particulars I shall therefore now fall off into that method by which I conceive the choysest branches of our present Nationall Deliverance may be most exactly discovered If you aske me then How may we observe and remember accurately the wonderfull things done of late Quest and now doing for this still Beloved Isleland I answer Answ we may gather a lyst of the heads of them by these two generall Rules or Helpes viz. First if we looke upon the Evills which of late we felt and feared and here we gather three sorts or branches of Mercy I shall call them 1. Stoppage 2. Removall 3. Prevention 1. By Stoppage I meane the stanching or stopping of Mischiefes begun in Church and State 2. By Removall The taking away of that evill which actually lay upon us 3. And by Prevention I doe understand the keeping or holding off or away of such evills as were approaching and imminent These particulars we gather by looking upon our evills c. Secondly if we looke quite contrary upon the good things that we have and hope for Here we may fish out three other precious particulars and these I shall call 1. Continuance 2. Additions And 3. Probabilities 1. By Continuance I meane the Continuing even to this time of those mercies which we yeelded not long since for lost and desperate 2. By Additions I would signifie an increase or a casting in of much more then we had at best 3. And by Probabilities let us understand our possibilities hopes and likelihoods of future things yet greater then those additions These heads will appeare more clearly as we shall treat of them severally The Stoppage of Mischiefs that were begun amongst us THe fire was kindled that had like to have devoured us all the voines were opened by which we had like all to have bled our selves to death and all this no longer since then about a yeare agoe Now for the Lord to quench that fire and to stanch that bloud Brethren I tell you this was no ordinary mercy But you will aske me perhaps what sire Quest what veines were those I will instance but in two The one Civill Answ the other Ecclesiasticall I meane in State in Church 1. The Civill Mischiefe in State shall be that bloudy and more then Civill war which was not only come home to our doores but had one foot over the threshold Two Armies of Brethren were in the field ready to sheath their swords in the bowels of each other as those twelve men of a side before Jeab and Abner 2 Sam. 2. v. 16. They caught every one his fellow by the head ver 14. and thrust his sword in his fellows side And all this to play or to make sport before some Abuers our enemies O what a dismall sight or hearing was it if we were sensible to see Subject against Subject Protestant against Protestant yea Brother against Brother ready to dig out the bowels of each other We have read the History of Israels war against Beniamin eleven Tribes against the twelfth there the cause was very warrantable and yet how sad is the issue Judg. 21. v. 2. And the people came to the house of the Lord and abode there till Even before God and lift up their voyces ver 3. and wept sore And said O Lord God of Israel why is this come to passe in Israel that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel But it would have been far nearer and sadder to have had one Kingdome lacking in three yet I doe suppose the least and that which some men accounted the best but what if that the Scot in falling should have pulled downe our English Fabricke too as Sampson did the house on the Philistines Judg. 16.30 so that both Kingdomes should have clashed
holynesse for then the Lord himselfe doth take the matter into his owne hand and will be a principall in the cause and this ought to be our comfort See a ground for it in Scripture in the case of Hezekiahs distresse when Rabshakeh had rayled against the wayes of the Lord in him see how God doth take it to himselfe And Isaiah said unto them that is Isa 37. v. 6. to the servants of King Hezekiah thus shall ye say to your Master thus saith the Lord be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard wherewith the servants of the King of Syria have blasphemed me marke the last syllable me He goeth on ver 7. Behold I will send a blast upon him and he shall heare a rumour and returne to his owne land and J will cause him to fall by the sword in his owne land Yea the Lord doth put himselfe into the quarrell ver 23. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed and against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high even against the holy one of Israel ver 24. By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord c. But J know thine abode and thy going out and thy comming in and thy rage against me ver 28. ver 29. Because thy rage against me and thy tumult is come up it to mine eares therefore I will put my hooke in thy nose and my bridle in thy lipps and I will turne thee backe by the way by which thou camest Thus when the Lord is ingaged to a worke as an Auxiliary Luk 21. v. 28. or against the Enemies as a Principall then let the Adversaries looke to it but let the righteous lift up their head for in Probability their redemption draweth nigh But although there are all these severall grounds of Probabilities yet let me tell you to prevent confidence that there are also some Improbabilities of the prosperous successe of this worke there are Bitts as well as Spurres yea many a rough winde and tyde is against it and therefore we should doe well to follow that counsell of the Psalmist Psal 2. v. 11. Serve the Lord with feare and reioyce with trembling Rejoyce we may for the Probabilities but we must also tremble to consider what Improbabilities there are Would we heare some of them 1. Then first consider our generall Backwardnesse and unwillingnesse to be Reformed Remember againe that place of Ezekiel Ezek 24.13 Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee What an universall unthankfullnesse is there now in England for mercies lately received The Scots are still rayled against by some whilst Straffords memory is favourably reported The day of Thankesgiving was generally sleighted and there are those which durst to grumble against the Parliaments zeale and diligence Besides those Declarations Orders and Edicts which tend to purging and punishing of wickednesse what neglect of them what disputes against them doe we heare of on all sides Brethren these things doe not a little set backe the ballance of mine hopes 2. Improbability may be the too much dullnesse selfe-love and selfe-seeking of too many Professors even in these times Base feare muddy covetousnesse and Reserving pride these doe benumme their tongues singers heads and hearts so that they doe not pleade spend contrive and pant for the publique good of Zion Here I may fitly take up those words of our Saviour though spoken in another sence For the day of vengeance is in mine heart Isa 63. v. 4. ver 5. and the yeere of my redeemed is come But how was it entertained And I looked and there was none to helpe and I wondred that there was none to uphold Upon such a ground as this was that exclamation of Ieremiah ô that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of wayfaring men Jer. 9. v. 2. that I might leave my people and goe from them Why For they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth ver 3. they proceed from evill to evill and they know not me saith the Lord. These are Improbabilities Seeing then that there is both hope Quest and hazard perill and possibility in the businesse oh what and how may we doe for our particulars to remove our feares and to attaine our hopes I answer againe Answ be Active be Active I have already shewed you wherein and I shall now adde only to shew you wherefore or why we must be thus Active My desire is to stirre us up by some motives to further the worke begun First consider the great Peril the manifold mischiefes Motive 1 and Inconveniences of an imperfect Reformation and Deliverance I say againe the manifold mischiefes for they are diverse As 1. In respect of the Lord himselfe who is hereby provoked and offended farre more then if nothing at all had bin done Halfe-service is as bad and sometimes worse to him then none and therefore such a remisse servant is accursed Cursed is every one that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Jer. 48. v. 10. Luk. 10. v. 27. God will have service as love with all the heart mind soule and strength We know what a brand and blemish there is set in Scripture upon the memories of those Kings which did Reforme in part but not thoroughly 2 King 14. v. 4. 2 King 15. v. 4. ver 25. because the high places were not taken away Thus we find a blot upon Amaziah upon Azariah upon Iotham c. Thus in respect of God 2. Such an halfe-stroake in Reformation doth breed an Inconvenience in respect of the worke it selfe for that is hereby made farre more difficult then if it had never bin attempted A foule cloth that hath bin slim'd as they say in washing so that the dirt is scalded into it will require farre more labour to clense it then if it had never bin touched A wild Colt that hath once cast his rider will put him doubly to it to sit him the next time 3. Yea in respect of other after-reformers too such an halfe doing will be no small disheartning and prejudice unto them in case they may set upon the same worke in time to come What will it be said will these men doe more then their wise predecessors could compasse Tush this attempt is an old fancy a stale project Thus in such and such a time of old there were some of your humour that made a great noyse of Alterations and Reformations they forsooth would needs doe strange businesses but what was the issue either nothing or a very small matter Thus the cure is made more difficult to those Physitians which shall come after and they by this meanes are discouraged from the undertaking 4. But especially such imperfect attempts and meere beginnings of a Reformation and Deliverance are most mischievous in regard of the Enemies of those workes
the Lord would pardon that the Law would punish and that all good Christians and Loyall Subjects would complain of this rotten and totering faction 2. COMFORT Let our hearts be towards the governours of our Israel Vse 2 that offered and doe offer themselves willingly among the people Judg. 5. v. 9. blesse ye the Lord. i.e. Let us blesse the God of Spirits for raising the spirits of all such as have put forth their hands to this plow yea let us honour and cherish them as precious and publike spirits Brethren it is said of good in generall Quo communius eô melius by how much the more common by so much the better and therfore a publike is the best of spirits for it is a common one Yea such a soule me thinks comes neare unto the nature of Angels For are they not all ministring spirits Heb 1. v. 14. sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation So publike spirits are like them or like the Sun and Starrs those heavenly worlds of light which doe travell chiefly for the use and benefit of others And therefore to such persons themselves let me say Great shall be your reward in Heaven Mat. 5. v. 1â— In earth perhaps you may sometimes meet with cold comforts and bad requitals but in Heaven doubtlesse your publike spirits shall procure unto you eminent places of glory as our Saviour promised to his Disciples for their self-denyall and activity Mat. 19. v. 28. yee also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel Two Objections commonly there are with which the men of the world and our owne timerous infirmities doe hit such men in the teeth Perill and Poverty I shall present you with an incouragement and preservative against both Consider but the Lords Protection and Providence over all such publike and active spirits and for both these in one example look seriously upon Elijah That he was a man very famous for his publike active spirit no man that beleeves Scripture can deny it or if one should 1 King 17.18 19 c. ver 1. ver 3. 9. ver 42. Cap. 19. v. 3. yet the whole History of his life would invincibly prove it In which observe briefly 1. His Travels From Tishbe to Samaria from Samaria to the river Cherith from Cherith to Sarephath from Sarephath to Mount Carmell from Mount Carmell he runneth like a page to Jezreel from Iezreel to Beersheba thence a daies journy into the wildernesse hence to Horeb and from Horeb who knows whither For he is sent to annoynt Hazael Iehu and Elisha It even tires our eyes to trace him in the History In short if I may beleeve my Geographer all the travels of this active Prophet were one thousand thirty and three Dutch miles and of our English foure times as many above foure thousand in all 2. Besides his travels all on foot for I reade not that he did â—ide Note his couragious and adventurous actions He had an Ahab and a Jezebel and about eight hundred false Prophets to deale withal and yet observe how wonderfully the Lord preserveth him both from Perill and Poverty 1. From Perill I mean of death his preservation was manifold King Ahab did hunt for him over all the world thereabouts 1 King 18.10 As the Lord liveth saith Obadiah there is no Nation nor Kingdome whether my Lord hath not sent to seeke thee and when they said he is not there he tooke an oath of the Kingdome c. but yet the Lord hid him that while and in the Kingsowne Dominions afterwards he doth appeare and hath but a cold welcome from Ahab ver 17. Art thou he that troubleth Israel But the Prophet doth not abate him an ace as wee say and yet comes he off in the end of that Chapter with the death of eight hundred and fifty false Prophets Againe besides Ahab he had a Jezebel also to cope withall 1 Kin. 19.2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah saying so let the gods doe to me and more also if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time She was a Queen and she vowed his death but yet she proves both too weake and forsworne at last yea her threatning is the intelligence that preserveth the Prophet In a word this active man of God lived to see Ahab slaine by the Syrians the prophets of Baal and of the groves rooted out and at last was so farre from dying a violent death that he never properly dyed at all but was translated to Heaven alive in a fiery Chariot and after his translation 2 King 2. 2 Kin. 9.10 both Iehoram the sonne of Ahab with his whole posterity were cut off and Jezebel was eaten of Doggs Feare not therefore ô all ye holy and loyall active spirits whither Magistrates Gen. 15.1 Ministers or private Christians the Lord himselfe is your buckler and your exceeding great reward and in his might one aealous Elijah is an over-match for eight hundred Baalites speake therefore and doe valiantly not fearing the faces of men Ob. But they may mistake or wrest my words An. Brethren suppose there were now an hundred Bandites with in these wals every one with his paper or table-booke yea and that they stood behind the pillars out of sight as that catch-pole Clearke in the Acts and Monnments that tooke notes behinde the Hangings Suppose all this and much more danger yet the Lord can 1. Change their hearts even in that act and catch those catchers as the Father was caught 2. At least he can dash their Notes and confound their languages 3. Yea and take them off in their owne play as Baals prophets were twice taken off by Elijah and by Iehus 1 Kin. 18.4 2 Kin. 10.25 Indeed if any man could prove unto me that Satan and his instruments were too wise or too hard for God then I should conceive that there were cause for your holy publike active spirits to be in feare but so long as we know the quite contrary to be expresse Scripture be we valiant and venturous for the truth The Lord hath said it the Lord he hath said it 1 Cor. 10.25 The foolishnesse of God is wiser than men and the weakenesse of God is stronger then men Thus the Lord was Elijahs buckler and kept him from danger 2. And from want and Poverty too did God preserve him 3. Obiect When we prosse men to be of publike and active spirits this is another grand Objection ò 't is the way to be undone Sol. But marke farther God was also Elijahs great reward at least hee was a competent maintenance still unto him How likely was he to have starved at the brooke Châ—rith There he had drinke indeed water but no meate therefore the devouring Ravens shall feed him morning and evening 1 Kin. 17.3 ver 4 6. But now that he hath recovered meat loâ—
after a while his drink faileth him ver 7. ver 9 10. And it came to passe after a while that the brooke dryed up c. Now the Lord provideth him another Hostesse at Zarephath and she is as unlikely a Cater as the former ver 11 12 13. for she had but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a Cruse Yet see rather then this precious realous v. 13 14 15 16. publike spirit shall want a miracle shall be wrought The barrell of meale shall not waste neither shall the cruse of oyle faile c. So provident is the Lord for such persons Ob. But now miracles do cease An. Yet the same providence doth still continue and wonders are wrought for such persons to this day doe we not see it Ps 105. v 17. ver 18. Have not some such active spirits of late bin like Ioseph as it were sold for servants and exiles Whose seet they hurt with fetters they were laid in irons But what 's the issue May we not goe on ver 19. Vntill the time came that their cause was known the Word of the Lord tried them ver 20. The King sent and delivered them the Peeres and the people let them goe free And hath the Lord done thus in our times already Then let all holy loyall active publike spirits know this that hee is still the same and his yeares doe not faile What need wee any more examples Psa 37 28. I conclude this Consolation with those words of the Psalme The Lord loveth iudgement and forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved for ever 3. Vse 3 EXHORTATION The third Generall Exhortation last and greatest Vse is a vehement Exhortation which must be divided into two parts the first Generall the last Particular 1. Generall Let all reall Christians and loyall Subjects bestirre themselves to the uttermost now or never to imitate these Israelites in my Text and Chapter 1. In the Chapter as before there is Ioshua and the chosen men being lawfully thereunto called fighting with idolatrous and implacable Amalek in the vally ver 9. 2. In the Text and bordering verses Moses ver 10 11 12. Aaron and Hur clime up to the top of the hill to pray and to encourage the rest Thus every one doth further the great publike worke either by himselfe or by others either immediately and directly or remotely and by consequence and so let us all set our selves against Amalek By Amalek I mean all spirituall and politike all forraigne and domestike all open and secret enemies of our God our Religion our King Kingdome Lawes and Reformation Loe here in my Text are both old and young high and low no age therfore no condition that is able may be exempted Exo. 7. v. 7. Exo. 33.11 For Moses Aaron and Hur they were aged men Moses was fourescore yeers old and Aaron fourescore and three when they spake unto Pharaoh Ioshua he was a young man Againe Moses was chiefe Magistrate Aaron the High-Priest there are both Nobles and Clergy and Hur with Ioshuah and his souldiers 1 Chro 2. â—0 may not unfitly represent the Commons the Army the Artificers and all For Hur was grandfather unto that famous Bezaleel Thus all estates and ages are representatively present and all present are active learne wee therfore this heart-lesson from the Text. Quest But how and what may we doe to be active and to hold up our hands to purpose against Amalek Answ In this generall part of mine Exhortation I shall prescribe some generall lessons meanes or directions to be observed If we would further the great work against Amalek then 1. Meanes 1 Looke we backe with shame and sorrow upon our former cowardize and pollutions Brethren these Ecclesiasticall and Civill Amalekits the popish and tyranicall faction have a long time bin unto the best of us but as those ensnaring Midianites to Israel While Israel abode in Shittim Num. 25.1 2 3 the people began to commit wheredome with the daughters of Moab which called the people unto the Sacrifice of their gods and the people are and bowed downe to their gods And Israel coupled himselfe unto Baal-Peor wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel And thereupon command is given ver 17 18. to vex the Midianites and smite them for saith Moses they trouble you with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi c. We have eaten too much of their broth and have had our fingers many of us too deepe in the pye as they say by our connivance silence cowardize c. I speake this both to Ministers and people They have vexed us with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled us in the matter of 1. Of the Sabbath by their Antisabbatarian doctrines and commands and we have many of us yeelded too farre unto them both within booke and without It was the fashion you know of late to dismoralize the fourth Commandement that holy just and good law so strongly centered in the very heart of the Decalogue and so providently fenced and marked in the fore-head with a Memento Remember that law hath bin of late repealed by wicked men and then Antisabbaturianisme was become a stirrop to preferment But alas alas here lyes our shame and sorrow we have basely as it were held that stirrop to those men as that Emperour did to the proud Pope whilst they have mounted themselves into the saddle of prophanenesse Oh that ever the sincere and powerfull Ministers of the Gospell Gal. 2.11 12 13 14. should so farre be led away with the error of the ungodly that ever like Peter James and Barnabas they should walke with a limping or crooked foote and destroy againe the things which they had builded Well Brethren let us 1. Sit downe and pick these thornes out of our consciences Râ—v 16.15 2. Let us henceforth watch better and keepe our garments lest we walke naked and men see our shame 3. Let every one that hath bin thus seduced by feare or flattery let him Sampson like now revenge himselfe in an holy and loyall way upon those Midianitish-Amalekitish-Philistines for his eyes which they have put out let him put up one fervent prayer the more daily against them Let him presse if a Minister one Text one Sermon one â—â—se at least the more towards a pure and thorow reformation And as the Romane history faith of that Empresse when her husband Domitian was slaine she dealt one blow amongst the rest and said take that for the death of my Paris she spake and did that most unlawfully but let us as we may in a most loyall and Christian way give one stabbing prayer protestation exhortation the more against the wickednesse of such ungodly mâ—n and say lo that for your Antisabbatarianisme take this for the fourth Commandement Brethren this is the way to draw good out