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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	great_a	king_n	law_n	4,029	5	4.5431	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93347	Gods unchangeableness: or Gods continued providence, in preserving, governing, ordering and disposing of all creatures, men, actions, counsels and things, as at the beginning of the world, so to the end of the world, for ever, according to the counsel of his own will. From whence is gatherd six necessary inferences very applicable to the changes, alterations and vicissitude of these our present times. Wherein is clearly demonstrated and proved, that Oliver Cromwell is by the providence of God, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. to whom the people owe obedience, as to him whom God hath set over them. Unto which is added, the causes of discontent, repining and murmurings of men: also, some serious advertisements, and seasonable admonitions to the discontented, and reprehensions to all impetuous, arrogant murmurers. Together with answers to some cheif objections made against the Lord Protector and his present government, endeavouring (if possible) satisfaction to all men. / Therefore written and published for publicke good, by George Smith, Gent.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1655 (1655)	Wing S4036; Thomason E824_4; ESTC R207687	84,417	65

u there is a time of warre and there is a time of peace w We had our time of war and tasted of the bitternesse of it God now in great mercy offereth us our time of peace if we will not accept of it but provoke God by our murmuting we may fear the event Christians and Englishmen I pray consider that saying of Ahner to Joab Shall the sword devour for ever will it not be bitternesse in the latter end x You know how it proved bitter both to Abuer and to Joab Discontents Ambiand false Interest procured the sword to eat the flesh of them by the just hand of God As Abuer had shed the bloud of many in Israel in an evil cause his bloud was shed by Joab wickedly y And Joab because beshed the bloud of war in the time of peace z he was slain by the sword at the horns of th● 〈◊〉 a God hath manifested his will to us by clear providences Let us as men tha● fea● God and own his providence submit unto it and not murmure nor repine but with patience wait to see what God will yet do for us He hath multitudes of blessings to the obedient and as many curses and scourges to the murmurers If it he as the Psalmist saith a good and pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity b Then it must needs be an evil and unpleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in discord dissention strife and variance all disunited and disjointed in affections Consider what I have said and the Lord give every one a good and right understanding in all things If that I have said being well weighed be not found to be truth beleeve it not But if it be the truth follow it practise it or this that I say shall one day be a witnesse against him that readeth and slieghteth it and give me leave to adde this to the rest and tell you that those that are contemners and murmurers against the government of a Common-wealth in the Infancy of it they are he greatest enemies to that Common-wealth not hurtful only to themselves but to the whole Nation the evil example of one murmurer draws more to the imitation of that sin then the perswasion and good counsell of many can divert and so all or multitudes oft perish together As we see in the men that were sent to spy out the Land of Canaan they murmured and brought an evil report of that good Land which caused all the people to weep and murmure and cry out against Moses and Aaron c for which their murmuring they were excluded from that good Land and promise And not only so but they even those men that brought up the evil report were destroied before the Lord by a plague d Consider what God hath done he will do still For God is unchangeable It is one of his Attributes which he takes only to himself I am the Lord I change not e In him is no variablenesse neither shadow of change f Therefore it must of necessity follow from Gods unchangeablenesse that whatsoever he hath done in former times he will do the same for he is the same what judgements he hath inflicted for any sin or that he hath threatned to inflict he will still do the same therefore the Apostle tels even us Christians that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning g c. I confesse my Brerhren when I took my pen in hand to write upon this subject Discourse I intended not above three sheets of paper but the matter is encreased before me and I could not expresse my self with more brevity I would yet for further satisfaction modestly give Answers to some Objections made by some sorts of men against his Highnesse the Lord Protector which I will do in as few lines as I can possibly Object It is Objected That the cause of our war which hath cost so much bloud and treasure was To defend our Rights and Freedoms against the Tyranny of Kings to be governed under a Parliament as free People by just Laws c. But the Lord Protector assumes to himself the Authority of a King by exercising a greater Tyranny over the people then the King did to give Laws c. Answ I answer the cause of our warre as instrumental was To defend the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament the Freedom and liberty of the People and the defence of the true Religion against incroaching Tyranny and innovations subtlely insinuated by the late King and his evil Counsel But that our Warre intentionally was against the lawful Authority of Kings or against the Person of the Late King as he was King or against his just prerogative I deny Only against his evil Councel the War was raised that the Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the People and the truth of Religion might be defended and established This will appear by severall Parliament Declarations Protestations and solemn Covenant wherein the Parliament do declare protest and covenant as their own priviledge freedom and liberty c. to defend and preserve the Kings person his just Rights and Prerogatives so far as it might stand with the preservation of Religion and the peoples Rights But the late King standing in strong opposition to the Parliament and Liberty of the people and his Rights and Prerogatives coming in competition with or against the preservation of Religion and Priviledges of Parliament and the peoples Right He defending and taking upon himself all the evil Actions and wicked devices of his evil Councell miscarried for so providence had ordered it should be And the people as providence led them submitted to a Parliament to govern them as a free People they expected much ease and great Reformation but enjoyed Now I would ask the Objectors these two short Questions 1. If a Parliament should become more tyrannicall then a King and lay heavy burthens upon them reaching to their persons lives and estates by an unknown Law or arbitrary power and suffer Innovations to come in on every side to the contempt of Religion and adulterating every truth turning Religion into every shape to metamorphise truth whether in this case if such should be the people might not as justly cry out and take up Arms against such a Parliament as against a King 2. If all these evils could be found and sensibly felt by the people whether it were justice to themselves acceptable to God or benefit to their posterity to cast off and to abandon for ever the authority and use of Parliaments I think they would give their negative except such as would live without all order or command which is to be worse then devils Nor is the office nor just power of a King to be for ever rejected because there have been Tyrannical oppressing superstitious or idolatrous Kings for the office of a King is the Ordinance of Jehovah and cannot be made null by man To this

men if all might elect whom they would to serve in Parliament or all that would by designs get to be elected should be Members it is more then probable the Enemy might in short time be Masters of the Militia and by it not only give away our Freedoms so much talked of and the liberty of the people but take away our lives also and which is more then all take from us the priviledge of the Gospel and what else hath been purchased with so much bloud and treasure and turn our pleasant Eden into an Acheldama The good people of this Nation with his Highness may say at this time as David once said The Sons of Zervia he too hard for me which caused David to omit the doing that justice he willed to be done And truly my judgement tels me if his Highness should for his time whatever he may for publike good grant for future part wholly with the Militia from his hand he should provoke providence and betray his trust to the Commonwealth which consists not of a few men that appropriate singularity to themselves for private interests but all the people and give his life as a prey to his enemies and with himself the three Nations which till some settlement be established depend upon his welfare As also the interest that all true Christian people in the world have in the welfare of this Nation There must be a trust somewhere but every man may not be trusted though every free born subject have right in it Nor can it be trusted in the hands of the multitude for they rule by voice not by Law nor to some of them because others have equal right Nor can it be safe under the hand of a government Democratical the thing mightily aimed at by the opposites to his Highness under specious shews to please and to deceive the people which is as experience tels us next cosen to the highest Tyranny why then not rather in him of whose trust and fidelity the people of this Nation have good experience and great deliverance from a first and second thraldom till he by Gods blessing with his Parliaments advice can settle it in safety for the future And whereas it is objected That he seeks a negative voice to the Parliaments resolves is a scandal He asks it not but only in those things that fundamentally concern the government and that is if men could see for publike benefit that neither Oligarchy nor Domocracy may start up to enthrall and enslave the people by governing them according to will and fancy by promises without known Laws where then would be the freedom and liberty of the people now so much talked of by the Objectors These things he only excepts against in all other things whatsoever of Parliament Resolves being drawn into Bils and offered unto his Highness if he consent not unto them within twenty daies they are to passe into and to become Laws although he shall not give his consent as is exprest in Art 24. And for his seeking to have power to make Laws and to raise money it is meer calumniation he seeks it not nor claims it not but leaves it to the wisedom of Parliament as appears in Art 6. except as is there excepted for and in cases of safety and of necessity till the time that this presant Parliament were assembled and that to be done by him with the advice of his counsel as in Art 30. so then he seeks not the strength nor treasure of the Nation to himself nor to have it in his own power as is objected And for Religion he seeks nor to have it in his power but leaves it also to the Parliament to debate consult and resolve that he by them and they by him might receive all light possible in so great a business for In the multitude of counsel there is safety It is indeed a great work beyond the wisedom of man to appoint without divine assistance and spiritual wisedom His Highness well knows the evil of the rigid prelatical Persecution in Tyrannizing over the consciences of men in that rigid st●ictness And he as well knows the evil of unbridled liberty that it is abused and made a Cloak of maliciousness and as servants to corruption occasions to the flesh and to licentiousness blasphemies heresies and doctrines of devils the original of all discord dissenti●ns quarrels seditions and confusion which seldom ends if tolerated but with destruction to the best and most flourishing Commonwealths These are Rocks that will split the Ship of the best fortified Commonwealth therefore carefully to be avoided by the best advice and skill of the most experienced Pilot in which his Highness doth not refuse the counsel of this Parliament nor doth he refuse to pass the Bill they shall agree on except in his wisedom he see as our chief Pilot something in it be dangerous to the well-being of the Nation and give them satisfaction therein for he is more in this case then any one man in Parliament possibly a vote may be carried by one man which in such a case he may justly deny because the utility peace and happiness of a Commonwealth depends upon the right Discipline in Religion and the justice of Execution of just Laws for regulating between two extreams Religion in the power of it in all godlinesse is a Law in it self and needs no Law to command it for Religion is truly the very nursing Mother to all vertues graces peace and unity among men And I must tell the Objector that the late Kings have not really endeavoured this but he or they had power to have done it the neglect was his ruine and a chief cause of Englands misery Nor did we engage against this power or authority of the late King but against his misusing of that power casting off those just Laws which by his authority he should have observed and commanded to be executed for the good of his people He seeking to rule by his own will by absolute power in himself to cast off all just Laws and adulterate Religion at his pleasure this was the Original of our war and this is that which the Ancients in all times have called Tyranny But his Highness assumes not to himself so much Authority as the late and former Kings claimed and exercised That which he claims is such a power as may enable him to establish Religion in its purity and that he with his Parliament might enact and give life to all just Laws under which the people may live in all peaceableness and be governed in all sobriety and godlinesse with tranquillity and utility for present and future that the people may dwell safely every man sitting under his own Vine and under his Figree as in the daies of Solomon 1 King 4. 15. Besides we ought to consider that for severall years past we have travelled in a wilderness in untroden and uneven waies and are digressed much from the right way of good discipline almost

p. 7 8. Why Jehu was punished like Achab. p. 8. Admonition to those that God hath made punishers of others sins ib. Providence ordereth all actions and things to advance men and Nations as pleaseth him p. 9 10. Providence ordered Oliver Cromwell to be Lord Protector p. 11. Every mercy and every judgment is from God not from men but as instrumeuts in Gods hand p. 11 12. Inferences drawn from the Doctrine of Providence p. 13. All mercies to men or Nations are of Gods free grace and love ib. Particular mercies instanced p. 14 15. All Judgments are from God as recompence for sinne p. 16. Particular sinnes instanced and at ripeness in England ib. How Priviledges of Parliament were lost p. 17. A Memento of the Covenant ib. The wicked are taken in their own craftiness and fall by their own designs p. 18. Observations of some Actions and Designs of King James and of the late King p. 18 19. Six peeces of Providence very observable to the late King p. 20. Considerable Providences to the long Parliament p. 21. Six considerable Quaeries propounded p. 22. God hath set a time when he will give in mercies and when he will instict Judgements p. 22 23. And upon whom ib. And how much it shall be p. 24. But all those times and purposes in God are unknown to men p. 24 25. Mens boldness to foretell Gods times and purposes ib. Revelations and visions in these times but vain fancies p. 26. These are trying and shaking times p. 26 27. God shaketh Nations severall wayes ib. The word of God like fire shall consume all opposers p. 28. The greatest Reformation hath ever met with greatest opposition ib. Three things have long threatned Judgment to England ib. Men not able to bring any enterprise to pass by all their contrivings p. 29. The Lord Protector set up by Providence made successfull by Saints prayers ib. Although God hath set the time for every purpose which cannot be altred yet men are to be diligent in the use of all lawfull means p. 30 31. How God is said to repent or to be changed p. 32. No means must be used but lawfull means p. 33. We must not trust in means nor be too solicitous in the use of means without a particular Promise ib. Nor to use unwarrantable means to obtain lawfull things ib. Christs Kingdom is spiritual 34 He accepts not the use of the sword in the Saints hand to set up his Kingdom ib. Reasons why p. 35. The pressings in mens spirits not alwaies agreeable to the Spirit of God p. 35 36. The Spirit of God leadeth but to one truth ib. The right means to obtain Mercies and to avoid Judgments 36 37. What the Doctrine of Paul and Peter is concerning the civil Magistrate ib. The civil Magistrate hath authority to command the worship of God and to punish the contemners of it p. 38. When God hath manifested his will by the work of Providence we are to submit and not to murmur p. 39. Murmurers reproved ib. The effects of murmuring ib. The causes of mens murmurings p. 40. Severall sorts of murmurers noted p. 41 42. Order in discipline required by Christ in his Church ib. Men ascribers are God prescribers p. 43. The murmuring of Corah was against the Offices of Magistracy and Ministry p. 43 44. Advice to the people p. 44 45. Men are building new Babels ib. Kings nursing fathers to the Church under the Gospel ib. Christs enemies shall be slain miraculously by the sword that goeth out of his mouth p. 46. It was Israels sinne in asking a King before God gave him And it is a sinne in any people to reject a King when God gives him p. 47. Seditious persons like Sheba the sonne of Bichri ib. The bitterness of warre instanced in Abner and Joab ib. Five principall Objections made against the Lord Protestor Answered p. 48. The cause of our late warre what p. 49. The Lord Protector vindicated as to former promises p. 50. In his trust to the Parliament and Nation ib. In breach of Priviledges of Parliament p 51. That this is a free Parliament ib. Concerning the Militia p. 52. Concerning his Negative voice p. 53. Concerning Religion p. 54. Concerning making Laws and raising of Money p. 55. That he is no favourer of Cavaliers but as in justice he ought ib. Gods Vnchangeablenesse OR Gods continued Providence in preserving guiding ordering and disposing of all Creatures Men Actions Counsels and Things as at the beginning of the world so to the end of the world for ever According to the counsell of his own Will THat there is a God that hath created the world and all things we all acknowledge the Heathen confesse the same but know not the true God in his essence and being God hath hid himself from them farther then what is revealed to them by the works of creation therefore they frame gods to themselves according to their fancies and so make many gods We Christians do acknowledge one God and but one God distinguished by three persons Father Sonne and holy Ghost And that there is three Persons or three Hypostases and but one God is revealed to us by the Word of God contained in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament where only this mystery of the Godhead is to be known therefore the wisest and most prudent of the Heathen cannot know this because they have not the sacred Scriptures made known to them But this we all prof●sse to know and to beleeve therefore it we●e in vain and lost labour to use Arguments to prove it But that this one God the God of Israel doth govern order and dispose all C●eatures Actions Things Men and Counsels according to the purpose of his own will is not so clearly acknowledged nor beleeved but contrary it is denied by some though by name they are Christians yet they go not in their practise in this particular beyond the old Sect of Stoick Philosophers who though heathen acknowledge a Deity yet leave the guidance and ordering of things to nature and so tye God to second causes Therefore it will not be unnecessary to prove that there is a secret and special providence of God that governeth and ordereth all things for indeed the want of the knowledge and practice of this is the cause of great complainings discontents and murmurings against God and against men We look at instrumental causes but see not the efficient cause the cause of all causes Jaco● did not only look to the foot of the ladder which he see in his vision but he 〈◊〉 at him who sate at the top of the Ladder a This Ladder doth literally set forth Gods Providence governing all things The steps or gradations of the Ladder are the divers means which God useth The Angels ascending and descending are the ministring spirits which God sendeth forth to execute his will as the Apostle tels us they are all ministring spirits sent forth to minister

common Enemy is vigilant watching and seeking all advantages against us if God should as they hope give us into their hand were it not just with God And were it not by our own procurements may not God say to us as to Israel Thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help r Give me leave ye people of England my Brethren to put you in remembrance of one sin more And it is not a little one of which I fear many thousands are guilty more or lesse You made a Solemn Covenant with your hands lift up to the most High God in the time of your distresse for Reformation and defence of Religion as should be agreeable to the Word of God not the established Discipline in Scotland nor England but for the setling one Discipline in the three Nations and that is no lesse then the command of God Ye shall have one Ordinance both for the stranger and for him that is born in the Land ſ I fear we are so far short of performing what we covenanted in this particular that we or very many have purposely acted the quite contrary We covenanted against Popery and Prelacy which is God be blessed in a great measure cast off But heresie schism blasphemy and prophanesse are encreased which we also covenanted to extirpate We covenanted to preserve Priviledges of Parliament and liberty of the people but where are they if lost who lost them the power of the Enemy could not take them from us but lost they are or in great measure lost I will not dispute whether a Parliament or an Army lost them or took them from us for it was neither It was self-seeking that lost all Now hopeful by providence to be again restored by his Highnesse stirred up by Providence I hope with confidence to be Englands deliverer As to that part of the Covenant that concerned the late King And that which concerned the Union of the three Nations I conceive them to be lesse substantiall and more conditional conditions and circumstances not well observed makes the forfeiture on that side Providence I trust will put us into a better Union then we intended or could then think of God worketh all things after the counsell of his own will I charge no particular person nor blame any more then my self I know my own heart is deceitful to my self I cannot say so much of any other mans All my aim and desire is as to my self so to all others to stir them up to considerate remembrance that we are yet under such a Covenant and that I and every one may examine whether we have done our duty or not and what we finde to be wanting in us let us in the strength of the Almighty endeavour to make up by humbling our souls before God whom we have offended For the Covenant was lawfull or it was unlawfull if lawfull we have provoked the high God by our sleighting of it if unlawfull we have dishonoured God in swearing before him to that which he would not own so there is great cause and good ground why we should be deeply humbled in the presence of God Every particular person covenanted to reform himself and to endeavour Reformation in others and each one to endeavour to go before another in example of real Reformation if we have done what we were able in this particular we have done well if not sinne lieth at our door and judgement will surely enter into our houses for as God is true and just he will avenge the quarrell of his Covenant t Let no man great or small promise to himself safety nor think it is fogotten by God though it be cast off by men Joshua and the Princes of Israel made a Covenant with the Gibeonites with whom they might not make Covenants but had commission to slay them yet Saul four hundred years after brake that Covenant And for the breach of that Covenant God brought a famine three years year after year in the time of David until execution was done upon Sauls house u God takes notice of all our doings but especially of our keeping or breaking of Covenants Because God is as it were called from his place to come to witnesse our sincerity and uprightnesse the breach whereof God calleth the pollution of his Name k and for it threatneth Israel to destroy them by the sword of an enemy and by the pestilence And to remove them into all Kingdoms captives which in the time appointed was made good Gods forbearance is no acquittance though men foolishly imagine it so Because sentence is not speedily executed against an evil work therefore the hearts of the Sons of men is set in them to do evil l Though God suffers for a time yet all that time Providence ordereth Actions and Things for safety to some and for destruction to others And this brings us to the third Inference The third Inference is That the evil designs of men their wicked counsels their aims and ends are all ordered by providence and turned contrary to their designs to be their own ruine This truth is obvious it is proved by Scripture and by common and daily experience The Lord saith the Psalmist is known by his judgements which he executeth the wicked is snared by the work of his own hand m This is one of Gods Judgements upon wicked men and wicked counsels they shall be snared by their own works He taketh the wicked in their own craftinesse and the counsell of the froward is carried ●eadlong n yea his own counsel shall cast him down o Thus Haman the Agagite was snared in his own wicked devises and Ahitophels own counsell became his ruine You know how it fared with Rehoboam the Son of Solomon and with Jeroboam the Son of Nebat Rehoboam forsook the counsell of the old men that were counsellors to his Father and followed the counsell of young men like himself The people come unto him for ease of their heavy burthens which Solomon his Father had laid upon them He by his counsell gives them a very rough Answer and tels them his father chastised them with whips but he would chastise them with scorpions He would adde more to their burthens heavy oppression and his finger should be thicker then his Fathers loins p but God turned his own aim and all his counsell to his losse Ten Tribes revolted from him and from his Family for ever and made Jeroboam their King Jeroboam he fearing lest the people of Israel should return again to Rehoboam if they should go up to Jerusalem to offer Sacrifice therefore to establish himself in the Kingdom he took counsel and made two Altars and two Calves of gold pretending it was too far a journey for the people to go up to Jerusalem q and he set one in Bethel and the other in Dan and he made of the lowest and basest of the people to be Priests in the high places Now this

if we ask according to our own will he will not hear him that is he wi●l not give him what he asketh And we must also ask in faith without wavering Jam. 1. 6. but how can we have faith in asking any thing for which we have not a promise for faith is grounded upon the promise Abraham beleeved the promise Rom. 4. 3. he staggered not at it he was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to perform and would do it q And without faith it is impossible to please God r what is not of faith is sin without faith God accepts no praier ſ and in the last place we must ask all that we pray for in the Name of Iesus Christ Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you t See Joh. 14. 13. And in extraordinary cases we must adde spiritual ●●sting to our praier for there is a kinde of devil that goeth not out but by praier and fasting u humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Jam. 4. 10. we must come with humbled hearts willing and desirous to bring our wils to Gods will but take beed of fasting and praying and making appeals to God w to bring Gods will to your will it is not safe to tempt God For our God is a consuming fire The next means is to get the love of God kindled in our hearts let us get burning zeal to the truth and receive the truth in the love of it contend for verity not for victory Advance the Gospel in the Ministry of it love the brotherhood honour all men fear God and honour the Supream Magistrate x whether King or Lord Protector this is Apostolical doctrine Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God y This is the Apostle Pauls doctrine and this is the Apostle Peters doctrine Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake z for so is the will of God a This is no new devised doctrine nor is it in the least Antichristian but the doctrine of the Law and the doctrine of the Gospel If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine that is that denieth this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed b to deny this truth of the Gospel and teach for Gospel another thing is to bring in another Gospel But I am commanded by the Gospel that though men or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel then what the Apostles have preached not to beleeve it c The Gospel establisheth a standing Magistracy and a standing Ministry by them Liberty and Religion is maintained and preserved if well regulated Therefore it highly concerns Parliaments of which by Gods mercy and love to his people we are not wholly deprived nor by one for ever oppressed It is Gods mercy and his honour the Lord Protector I mean whom God hath made instrumental to call this Honourable Assembly in Parliament together I say it concerns them to consider whence we are fallen and whether we are going and by their authority to put bars against licenticusnesse and loose liberty and to be a wall of protection unto the truth that those Foxes may be taken that spoil the Vines for our Vines have tender grapes d Honourable Parliament if my Scribling Sheets ever come to your view take notice from them that God hath by his good providence called you together to make up the breach that finne hath made or rather God for sin upon us We have been perfidious to God and God hath removed justice and equity from us You must be both Phinchas and Aaron Phinchas to rise up with courage and zeal not only to do justice but to give life to the just Laws of the Nation that justice may be done by a Law against the transgressors of Gods Law e and Aaron to stand between the dead and the living that Gods anger may be appeased f You in behalf of the good people of these three Nations are to settle by Gods assistance these unsetled Nations what is possible for the present and with all possible care to look to the future the God Almighty be your strength and your Counsellor in the great work under your hands that you may be instruments in 〈◊〉 hand to establish a just and setled Magistracy and a holy religious Ministry That the glory of the Lord Jehovah may be advanced and the people of these Nations may again enjoy their Rights and Proprieties our sins cry to God for g●eate● judgements and the people cry under great pressures And God hath called you that are the great men of these Nations to prove and to try what you will do for him Jer. 5. 5. You have known the way of the Lord and the judgement of your God turn you not aside as others have done God seeks now as he did in Jerusalem to finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement and secketh the truth that he may spare poor England Jer. 5. 1. And let not the poor of these Nations be forgotten by you provide houses and stock to set them to work in all Cities Countreys and Towns that there may not be a beggar in our Israel g Debts ought to be paid but Publike Faith debts not paid is most dishonourable to the Nation I know as things have been managed it is no easie thing to pay them But to purge the University and Nurseries of Learning from their open pollutions and vicious practices and Schools of Learning to be purged of vitious Schoolmasters the poyson of youth and the bane of age and ages is a work acceptable to God a means to obtain blessings to posterities and it will cost no money to do it These and the like means diligently used really prosecuted freed from self-interest vain-glory or hypocrisie will assuredly multiply mercies on the Nations and prevent the judgements threatned and cause England to be the praise of the whole earth I pray give me leave to say what the Lord by the Prophet said in another case concerning Tythes then due by a Law of God leviticall only belonging to the Jews now due by no such right but they were unjustly withheld Therefore saith the Lord Prove me now therewith if I will not open to you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing h c. So I say Use such means as before I have briefly mentioned and prove the Lord if he will not double and redouble all sorts of blessings on this Common-wealth I blesse God that there hath been a beginning of a Reformation of some things by his Highnesse more then in some years past by others though much was promised And I blesse God that put into his Highnesses heart and this present Parliament to call for a general and

publike day of Humiliation for emergent causes named which God will doubtlesse accept of as of late he did by a signet of his favour when we by his Highnesse order sought God for Rain in our great necessity Although some who stile themselves Saints not only refused to joyn in our Petitions but used unchristian speeches to Gods dishonour and contempt of the duty And truly it was sad to observe the general neglect of our late Solemn Fast that only Shops should be shut and places for recreation full as I was informed but Churches shut or empty in respect of the numbers of Inhabitants many omitting the duty out of carnal respects and many out of will because it was commanded and because the end crossed their self-interests I do affirm that it is no lesse a duty in the Christian Magistrate to command the duties and performance of duties for the true worship of God then it was duty to the Magistrate under the Law but the Magistrate under the Law did command such duties as Asa Jehosaphat Jehojada Hezckiah and others We know that Asa did not only command Reformation of Gods worship bur annexed to his command a great punishment i And Ezra did the like k And the Apostle Paul diminisheth nothing of the Magistrates Authority under the Gospel nor is there any Scripture that offers the least doubt of that their authority but rather makes it greater Heb. 10. 28. therefore I say that the neglect or rather contempt of such duties and the suffering of it uncontrolled by the Magistrate will in stead of a blessing bring a curse as is threatned by the Prophet Jer 48. 10. but the due observance of the holy and spiritual worship of God held forth by the Magistrate and practised by the Minister and People is the chief means to divert the judgements we fear and procure the blessings we want I come now to the sixth and last Inference and that is That when God hath effected and done his will in any thing visibly made known to us by the work of providenee we are not to murmure nor repine though it be in any thing contrary to our expectation or desire or though it be to our great affliction but to submit to it willingly only by praier to seek unto God and patiently wait his time and means for deliverance This hath been the practice of the godly in all ages k Thus holy David did while his childe was yet alive he used all lawful means for the life of it But when God had done his will and the childe was dead he left off to mourn and murmured not but patiently bear the affliction Thus did just and righteous Job he feared his Sons might sinne and procure Gods displeasure he therefore used the right means to prevent it m but when Providence had brought that to passe which he feared and God had visibly manifested his pleasure Job was patient he murmured not neither against providence nor instruments but blessed the Name of the Lord n The Church under her great affliction murmured not they acknowledged Gods hand and complained of their sins the cause of all o and waited patiently for their deliverance It is good saith the Prophet that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord p Surely saith Job it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more q And the Apostle exhorts that we be followers of them that by faith and patience inherit the promise r But to murmure against providence is wickednesse and the effects of murmuring and discontents is very dangerous Dangerous to a mans self and bringeth others into dangers too You know what became of the murmuring Israelites in the wildernesse from time to time as is recorded in the Books of Exodus and Numbers Consider the case of murmuring Korah and all his murmuring company the earth opened and swallowed them up ſ This was the immediate hand of God not Moses nor Aaron yet such was the rebellious hearts of the people that the next day they all fall to murmuring against Moses and against Aaron and accused them that they had killed tho Lords people t And for this there died presently of them fourteen thousand and seven hundred by a sudden plague u You know that for this sin of murmuring all the people that came out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward were excluded from the promise except Caleb and Ioshua w Hence the Apostle exhorts us Christians not to tempt God as they tempted him nor to murmure as they murmured and were destroied for saith he All these things happened unto them for our examples x God is the same to us that he was to them only he hath divers dispensations of his judgements he is an unchangeable God for evert If we sin like them that went before us we shall be as greatly punished as they were yea greater Though God do not so usually strike men suddenly for sin as formerly yet there is greater wrath to come Let us a little consider the cause of mens murmuring and see if it do not arise from a carnal heart a carnal man propounds ends to himself as the Merchants St Iames speaks of that say they will go to such a City or such a Countrey and buy and sell and get gain but say not if God will so it is with men that seek their own ends in any thing they propound this or that but God is not in their thoughts they say no● if God will but we will do this or that thing or would have this or that done c. It may be nay it is common with these men that they will have the Name of God in their mouths but as the Psalmist speaks God is not in all their thoughts And therefore when their wils and designs are crossed they are angry and repine against God and men Thus the people of Israel did in the wildernesse they met with crosse providences which they looked not for and they could not bear it but cry out against Moses saying because there were no graves in Egypt Hast thou brought us to die in the wildernesse y and again wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us in the wildernesse our children and our cattel z Thus at this day we have seen many strange Providences such as we looked not for and men have had many and diverse designs aims and ends but meet with crosse Providences which they cannot bear nay resolve they will not bear they complain and cry out against this and that thing but specially they murmure against God and own not his providence in governing the world Therefore they also murmure at the thing done and against the Instruments doing it this is I say against God himself for he alone orders every thing and every Action as is proved in the beginning of this