and is it not a mercy when God will prevent this But secondly Looke upon civill wars and you will judge them a greater judgement when brethrens Swords come to bee drawne against their brethren when a mans deadly enemies must prove those that were his old companions when Cities are divided among themselves and Countries among themselves and all the miseries of Warre come to bee inflicted by them that have beene acquaintance and deare to us when safety and shelter may as soon be expected among enemies as old friends let all men that have understanding say whether this doth not double or treble the miseries of warre had it been an enemy that had done mee this displeasure I could have borne it but tu Brute thou my friend and companion that these things should come from thy hand all men know how deepe this sinkes this teares the heart of man in peeces Solomon saith that a brother offended is harder to bee wonne then a strong City and they are like the barres of a strong Castle it 's hard breaking of them but when once they are divided they are more hardly joyned as wee say of a strong Cord made up of a great many threds it is hard to bee broken but when it is broken you 'le hard ever sew it againe to make it strong by how many arguments any did perswade their hearts that they should not receive plunder or spoile or mischiefe from such a man or family from so many arguments ariseth a difficulty if not impossibility to be reconciled and hence arise lasting grounds of animositie enmitie and hatred scarce ever to bee worne out when upon every meeting this thought is suggested This is the man who as an enemy entred my habitation and spoyled my wealth it may bee murdered my children or parents ravished my wife or daughter adde further that frequently in these civill broyles the victory ends not the occasion or ground of the quarrell nor takes away but increaseth the former misery the conqueror commonly proving insolent inhumane cruell and more grievous to the Common-wealth then the thing or persons were against whom men have fought that I may boldly set downe for a certaine the conclusion of a wise man that civill warres are not onely a Malady but a fiery sicknesse even a Frenzie to a State and how ever God sometimes brings good out of them as sometimes men have better health after a deadly sicknesse yet for the most part States are never made better but very often ruin'd by them and when once the seed of it hath tooke deep root in a Land if God from heaven doe not miraculously appeare that fire burnes till all is consumed And is it not then a mercy from God seasonably to prevent brethren when they are falling into civill warres thereby to devoure and destroy one another But thirdly which is nearest to my Text and indeed nearest to the occasion of our meeting The greatest misery of all miseries in the world is When Brethren of the same Religion when Gods people and servants come to bee so farre prejudiced against one another or mistaken that they come to imbrew their hands in one anothers blood this I say is the heaviest judgement that ever God powres upon his Church and people There is nothing so contrary to Christianitie the Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace his holy Spirit is a Spirit of peace his children are all called the children of peace and by their Covenant and duty bound to live in peace if it bee possible they must live in peace with all men but among one another they must keepe the unity of this Spirit in the bond of peace there must nothing hurt or destroy in the Lords holy mountaine wch is his Church now when these that are one body have one spirit have one Father one Lord one hope one Baptisme one hope of their calling one everlasting inheritance prepared for them that these should so farre deny their Christianitie as to imbrew their hands in one anothers blood and not bee content to let one another live and breath on earth with whom yet they hope to live eternally and triumphantly in heaven O quâ—a dementia Quisialia fando temperet à lacrymis who is able to thinke of it without horrour what upon earth brings forth so cursed fruits as warre amongst the people of God Infinite dishonour to Gods name when his redeemed covenant servants walke so contrary to his rule Religion becomes a stumbling blocke a thing even therefore abominated by the enemies of it when the professors of it shall bee looked upon as factious seditious turbulent bloody hatefull and hating one another it overthrowes all power of godlinesse in their owne hearts when once the grace of Love which nourishes all good in the hearts of Gods people is overthrowne and the Spirit of God thus quenched in them grace decayes and the wofull fruites of Satan and sinne prevaile over them and now they grow corrupt in their mindes and conversation loose from their God bitter against their brethren companions with wicked men with whom they joyne against their brethren and so leave their Religion profession and name as a curse behind them Now to have all these prevented not onely warre and civill warre prevented but brethren in Religion who are the Lords people hindred from destroying one another when God seasonably apppeares to prevent all this Is it not a mercy worthy the acknowledgment To all this I might adde the excellency of the blessing of peace which is hereby preserved that blessing which is the Jewell of the world yea the unitie peace and love of the Church and people of God preserved by such a seasonable prevention which is such a mercy as no tongue or pen is able to expresse Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity This is like Aarons garment this is like the dew upon the mountaines of Sion which makes every seed and every plant of Gods planting to prosper where this is the Lord commands his blessing even life for evermore A large Volume would not contain what might be said of this precious Jewell which is hereby preserved But all this further cleares it that it is a mercy worth abundance of praise when God seasonably appeares to prevent his peoples engaging in Warre one against another I come now to the Application of it and there are but three Uses that I shall make of this Lesson First This Lesson doth speak very sadly against severall sorts of People If it be so great a Mercy when God will prevent his peoples destroying one of another then certain it is a great curse for any to bee guilty of making Gods people destroy one another that is clear Therefore al such are guilty as are the Moral causes of the destruction of Gods people in blood and war I mean who live in such sinnes as
they request them that if they thought their land was unclean because they had not among them those pledges of Gods presence the Arke and Testimony which their brethren had that they would leave that Countrey where they should be exposed to such temptations and with all their hearts they would part with a portion of their owne inheritance that they might live together as brethren To this the Tribes and halfe make answer First they doe solemnely call God to witnesse that they were farre from being guilty of that which was laid to their charge it never came into their thoughts to build an Altar to offer Sacrifice they pleaded not guiltie Secondly they tell them the true reason of that fact of theirs namely they were afraid lest the Generations to come might occasion their posteritie to fall off from the true worship of God when the rest of the Tribes should tell them that Jordan was the bounds of Gods peoples inheritance and so they bee cast off as people that were not within the Communion of Saints hereupon they resolved to build this Altar that it might be a pledge and that the generations to come might plead it that this was set up at the time when the warres ended to remaine as an evidence that they and their brethren were all one both in Nation and Religion Which as soon as the Commissioners heard they rejoyced they concluded God was amongst them and they returne home and acquaint their brethren with it who when they heard it were all well pleased The thing pleased the children of Israel and they blessed God and resolved they would have no warre with their brethren Here is the Summe of the Story and in this story there are very many excellent things for our instruction This Altar built on the bankes of Jordan is much debated of in the dispute of humane significant ceremonies in the worship of God or for religious use Whether such ceremonies may be justified by this example is very disputable but without any dispute here are many notable examples of Piety it was a great example of Piety in the two Tribes and halfe that they were so desirous to provide that their posteritie might not bee deprived of the Communion of Gods people in his Ordinances And a great example of Piety there is in this that they were so ready by not onely Protestations but Oathes to cleare themselves from any thought of corrupting the worship of God Wee have also a great example of Piety in the other Tribes that in such a cause as the case of Apostasie from Gods truth they would not have spared the lives of their owne brethren And a great example of Piety was in them that they were so desirous by all Arguments to take them off from any such sinfull way yea to have parted with their owne inheritance to them rather then they should bee exposed to temptations to Apostasie Here are notable examples likewise of justice amongst them justice in the Tribes that before they would beleeve any informations or apprehensions of their brethren they would send Commissioners to know the bottome of it to see whether the things were so and justice in the Commissioners that they did so faithfully relate backe to the Tribes the true state of the case and so to hinder as much as in them lay the effusion of blood Here are likewise some examples of humane frailtie that are not to bee excused it 's not to bee excused in the two Tribes and halfe that they would goe upon such a dangerous businesse which is disputable to this very day whether such a thing was lawfull to bee done to set up such a way of instruction or remembrance that they would goe about such a thing which might prove a stumbling block and not first acquaint their brethren with their intentions And as great or greater weakenesse was that in the nine Tribes and halfe that they would almost resolve upon a warre and make preparations for it upon a rash and wrong interpretation before they did so much as know whether there were cause or no But the greatest document of all the rest in the whole story is that which they made the ground of their warre which you 'le finde about the 23. Verse That if their brethren had played the Apostates from God in matters of his worship the wrath of God would presently fall upon the whole Nation unlesse they had joyned together to vindicate the glory of God All these severall other Lessons are worth the handling but I resolve to make a short Sermon and therefore wave them all and confine my selfe to that which is the result and event of the Treatie which was a solemne Thanksgiving to God They blessed God and they resolved not to go to warre against their brethren the words are cleare and I think need no interpretation they blessed God that their brethren had not committed the sinne that they were afraid they had done and that therefore the wrath of God was not like to bee kindled against them and as the close of both these that God had mercifully prevented that which they feared that they should have beene compelled to embrew their hands in one anothers blood they blessed God that there was no cause of fighting And from this I shall by the Lords assistance handle this and this onely lesson That it is a Mercy worthy of abundance of praises to God when God doth seasonably appear to prevent his peoples ingaging in one anothers blood when they are neare to doe it This lesson lyeth cleare in the words 1 In the 31. Vers as soon as Phinehas had heard their Apology hee tells them This day wee perceive the Lord is among us now you have delivered the Children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord And all this Congregation here in my Text blesse God and intend not to fight they rejoyced because the ground of a warre was prevented and for further proofe of it looke into a few plaine Texts of Scripture you shall finde one in the 1. of Samuel 26. about the 32. Vers It is an example of David who upon an unworthy usage of a Gentleman in the Countrey a great man one Nabal that had extreamely provoked him and abused him had sworne that hee would cut off his Family and not leave a man of them and in his heate was going to avenge himselfe but as hee was in the middest of his march Abigail Nabals wife meets him tells him the story infinuates into him by her excellent Counsell endevours to stop his hand from his enterprize now marke how David rejoyceth in it though the warre would have beene but against one Family where hee was to meete with no resistance Blessed be thou of the Lord and blessed be God that sent thee to mee and blessed bee thy Counsell that hath with-held my hand from shedding blood hee looked upon it as a wonderfull mercy that when hee was ready to engage
compell the honorable Houses of Parliament to passe what they pleased shall reproach them revile them shall thereaten their lives shall enter the House and order what the Speaker must propound to the question what the Glerke must write and after eight houres keeping them prisoners and using them at their pleasure when night was comming on the Members hardly to escape with their lives such an indignitie it was that I am perswaded if rightly understood many hundred thousands in this Kingdome of England would not count their dearest blood too great a price to vindicate or expiate and as if this were not enough against the next Friday Printed Bills set up to call all the company together againe and hereby the Speakers and many of the Noble Lords and Gentlemen compelled to flie so that they could not with safetie of their lives attend the publique serieve this you know was the Originall Secondly Consider the persons that were ingaged in preparation for a new warre First the Honorable Houses tooke both conscience and honour engaged to have this vindicated and their safety provided for The Generall and Officers of the Army hearing of the violence that was offered to the Parliament resolved to enable the Parliament to call it to an accompt or they would perish in it and thereupon the Army that was scattered almost 200. Miles within the space of one weeke was brought together to a Randezvouz which was within a few houres march of the Citie of London The Citie of London not to patronize or protect the insolencie offered against the Parliament for multitudes of them professe and protest an abhorrencie of it but apprehending that the Army would come and either plunder them or give Lawes to them are presently upon their preparation for defence the Army on the other side looking upon the Cities preparation judge that the Citie was resolved to protect this Insolency and Villany that was committed thus both make all possible preparations Thirdly take in the propinquitie of it how neere this was to execution so neere that I am perswaded most men that looked upon it did as to the judgement of man conclude it unavoydable wee must now dash one upon another so neere that the very night before the day wherein we might have been embrewitg our hands in one anothers blood there appeared no probability of right understanding between the two differing parties so neer that I thinke there was never any destructive worke so neere the execution unlesse it were the Gun-pouder plot And lo now in this nicke of time the Lord appeares in the Mount the cloud breakes the Citie will trust the Army they will open their works their gates to them the Army will trust the Citie they will march in peace quite thorough it from end to end no word or act of hostilitie betweene them both The Speakers and the Honorable Lords and Gentlemen who were driven away returne backe the Parliament fits in peace and safety and all this preparation for war and destruction ends in a calme all this hath God done but this will yet appeare more wonderfull if you take in the fourth consideration and that is The Consequents of it First What would have beene and must have been if God had not appeared And Secondly The Consequents that are and I hope shall bee upon this his mercifull appearing for us The Consequents that would have beene my tongue cannot expresse my heart cannot conceive how sad our condition would have beene if the Lord had suffered this neare engagement to have been brought to execution if he had permitted this child of blood to have been borne certainly either the Parliament that hath so dilligently and constantly consulted the good of the Kingdome Citie and Army must have been destroyed or the Army that hath fought so faithfully resolutely and successefully for Parliament for Kingdome and Citie must have been destroyed or the Citie which in the worst of our times hath so cordially with their state and blood adhered to Parliament and Army must have been destroyed and in the destruction of any one of these I am able to apprehend nothing but the ruine and destruction of them all wee should have seene a sad Catastrophy an end of all the expected hopes even the giving up the ghost of what wee have fought and contended for hitherto wee had seene the Embryo of Reformation strangled and made an end of we had seene all delivered up into the hands of that partie that was full with the expectation of such a day and now doubted not but all must be in their hands who hoped soone to give Lawes both to Parliament and Army Citie and Ministers to all godly people by what names or titles soever they bee called each should bee carved out what they would have alotted unto them In a word actum esset there had been an end of England for any good dayes that we should have hoped for but the Lord appearing hath prevented this and given us hopes of better things for already wee have that wch Phinehas took as a blessed fruit of his Embassage here in my Text We perceive this day that God is with us This day have we a further pledge that God is not wearie of the Parliament of England not weary of the Citie of London not weary of the Army but his interposing thus seasonably to take weapons out of their hands shews us new evidence of his watchfull eye of his carefull heart to doe good to us all gives us a further proof that he hath waies of deliverance when wee have none and is not that a blessed consequence and this likewise we see already that the Parliament not only sits in peace and safety but hath an opportunity put into their hands to send some timely succors to Ireland that our Brethren there may have cause to blesse God with us and for us and to settle and make a comfortable close of the long calamities of England and the King and Parliament City and Army come to a better understanding each of other there may be such consequences and fruit of it if God please to blesse and guide the Parliament to improve it that the generations to come shall have great cause to praise God for appearing upon that day when he kept his people from imbruing in one anothers blood Now Honourable and Beloved is not this a mercy worthy of acknowledgments have we not cause to say this day Loe This is our God and we have waited for him and he will save us this is our God we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation hath not the Lord done very mercifully when as beyond our expectation hee hath put this song of Praise into our mouths whereas this day we might have all been flying into caves or deserts or seeing our dearest friends blood pouring out and our selves given up for a spoil O if you understand these things aright give
for which God in his righteous judgement gives the Sword a commission to come and devour flesh and to drink blood such as are the fins of Idolatry and superstition Judg. 5. 8. Contempt of the Word and Ordinances and Ministery Mat. 21. 35. neglecting the day of Grace Luk. 19. 42. unprofitablenesse under the meanes of grace and Salvation Esa. 5. 4. living in sins of blood Ezek. 35. 6. Carnall security laying nothing to heart Jer. 5. 12. abuse of Peace and Plenty Deut. 28. 47. trusting in an Arm of flesh 2 Chron. 16. 9. Sabbath breaking 2 Chron. 36. 21. Pride in apparell Esay 3. 16 25. want of Compassion to them who live and lye under the misery of war Amos 6. 67. For these sins and such as these are God hath threatened to send a Sword to avenge himself upon the doers of these things and upon the Nations where these live unpunished and therefore let all such who dare walke in any of these wayes know that however they may goe for good Patriots amongst men when they happen to take the right side in these Publick quarrels yet before God they will one day bee found guilty of the rapine and blood and spoile and plunder and all the miseries that War hath brought upon us and if they repent not of it let them be assur'd it will one day lye at their door and they must answer for it Secondly It speakes more terribly against those that are the Physicall causes of it that directly and properly doe endeavour to widen differences to divide between King and Parliament between Parliament and City between City and Army that they may by all meanes keep our wounds open and all this for their owne private ends and interests These indeed are cursed men whereas good men would be willing to die for their Countrey a generation of men are found amongst us that are willing their Countrey should perish for them or perish with them who are willing to have the lives and blood of poore Innocents sacrificed to their lusts as if the people for whom Jesus Christ thought not his owne blood too precious for their redemption were no more worth then to perish like brut Beasts for their cursed and carnall ends who like the Priests of Mars scatter curses and firebrands betwixt Army and Army to provoke and raise their fury who to their utmost labour that animofities and divisions blood and contests bee kept on foot These Politicians use to take in the differences of Religion which are found among Gods people and weave them into their own designes and pretend to stand for Religion and joyne with this and that party for Religion-sake and thereby ingage the consciences of such as feare God when in the meane time Religion is no part of their care but onely seek to make use of godly men for their own ends and interests God will finde them out and reckon with them in his own time I 'll say no more to them now but as old Jacob said of his two sons Cursed bee their rage the instruments of cruelty are in their hands my glory be not thou associated with them into their lot let my soule never come And let us al pray that when God comes to cal all men to an accompt none of us be ever found among the people that delight in War And as these are cursed so truly there is a third sort are not to bee excused this day I meane Whoever they are who in stead of rejoycing and enlarging their hearts to blesse God for this his late mercy shewed in preventing the misery and ruine that was comming upon us have their hearts even grieved and cannot looke upon the worke of this day as that which deserveth praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God I would not willingly passe a rash sentence upon any I know jealousies and misapprehensions have been many on both sides and Gods administrations have been so dark that the Consciences of many godly men have not been clearly satisfied in the carriage of things but however methinks any man that could look upon the Lords dealing with a single eye must needs say it was an infinite mercy That God should thus unexpectedly turn away that torrent of Blood that was comming in upon us For I beseech you for what end should it have been what good could ever have come of it to say nothing of the misery of them that would have had the worst of it I am certain who ever had been the Conquerors must have taken up the lamentation of the ten Tribes when they had almost destroyed the Tribe of Benjamin in the 21. of Judges And in stead of keeping a day of Thanksgiving must have kept a day of mourning and said Alas alas O Lord God of Israel why is it come to passe this day that there should bee one Tribe lacking in Israel Alas Lord why is it come to passe that either the Parliament is destroyed or alas Lord why is it come to passe that the goodly Citie is destroyed or alas Lord why is it come to passe that the Army that hath done so worthily is destroyed certainly who ever had had the best lamentation and woe would have been written upon every honest heart and therefore why all our soules should not bee enlarged to praise God for it joyne with those who have their hearts inlarged I know not Nulla salus bello our fighting could have produced nothing but ruine The second and maine use I intended is To helpe you this day to give that glory and praise to God which the mercy of this day calls for at all our hands God hath in all our publique troubles watched over us and appeared in the mount of all our difficulties and hath hitherto alwayes found out wayes when we could find none and alwayes come in with seasonable deliverances blessed bee his name for it but to my poore thoughts never did the Lord give a more seasonable deliverance and appeare more mercifully to keep us from utter ruine then in that mercy which wee meet this day to celebrate and I thinke you will judge so if with me you consider these foure things that meet in it First The sad occasion of our danger Secondly The persons some of them through mis-information who were ingaged in the preparation to this new warre Thirdly The propinquitie the neare approach of utterruine by it And fourthly The consequents of it First The occasion of it the Originall was that most horred and abominable rape and violence offered unto the two Houses of Parliament wherein the most loath some filth and durt was throwne in the faces of our Nobles and our Senators that I thinke was ever found in any Nation confident I am the like was never done in England so great a blot and stain cast upon the Parliament as I may truely say is tantum non irreparable when a rude multitude shall by violence