called heresie as in Pauls time though the truth be scorned reproached evill spoken of though the wise men of the world thinke no better of those that buy truth than of such as pay dear for a trifle and say of them in their hearts A fool and his money are soon parted though thou must bee counted a fool and a mad man as Festus termed Paul yet buy it howsoever 5. Be content to buy Truth with expence of time though that be very precious esteem that time well bestowed which is laid out for Truth Doe not say Wherefore is this waste Though time cannot be bought with gold yet it is well spent for the purchase of Truth Apelles beholding a curious picture Drawne by Protogenes admired the wormanship but understanding that it had been seven yeers in hand he said the grace of the work was not answerable to the time and paines bestowed upon it But if those whom the Lord in his providence hath called together shall be able by the good hand of their God upon them to draw to the life that glorious body of Truth in all its lineaments for matter of doctrine worship government discipline I doubt not but in conclusion it would be found time well imployed though it should cost more moneths then some expected And as in this more publike enquiry after truth so in particular searchings after it bee carefull to redeem time from other occasions that thou mayest spare it for buying of truth It is part of the blessed mans description His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law he doth meditate day and night 6. Peace is one of the great blessings of God upon a people and yet if need be we must part with this also to purchase truth If peace may be hadwith truth it is exceedingly to be desired as in toher respects so for truths sake to which if well improved it may be very serviceable and usefull towards the opening of a free trade for truth which is many wayes obstructed and interrupted by war But when truth cannot be secured but by the sword and all wayes are tried which are consistent with the purity safety and honour of truth and recourse is had to warre as the last remedie in such a case peace it selfe must be broken that truth may be preserved and purchased Object Some may say there is no sufficient cause at this day in relation to truth Answ and the businesse of Religion to ground a necessary warre upon I answer 1. I doe not take upon me to assert that this warre was primarily and originally a warre of Religion But secondly if that were granted I desire that case betweene the Tribes of Israel may be considered The two Tribes and an halfe beyond Jordan built an Altar by the River tidings came to the rest of Israel who apprehended this as an Act tending to the falsifying and corrupting of the Truth of God and the Ordinances of his Worship This was conceived a just ground for a Warre For the whole Congregation of the Children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shilo to goe up to warre against them But yet desiring a peaceable accommodation if it might be had without prejudice to truth they resolve to treate with them and send Phineas a man of great eminencie and ten Princes with him These deale throughly in the businesse and presse it home upon them the Defendants make a free and candid declaration of their intentions shewing that this Altar was not erected for Burnt offering nor for Sacrifice but onely for a Monument of their interest in the God of Israel whereupon both the Ambassadours and at their returne the people were fully satisfyed Now suppose this Altar had beene built for sacrifice as was suspected and compare with this the many hundred Altars I beleeve lately erected in this Land to the darkning at least of those great Truths of the Gospel that Christ is the only Altar which sanctifyeth all the offerings of the faithfull that His Sacrifice of himself once offered by Himself is the onely Propitiation adde hereunto the Idolatrous bowings and cringings the Crucifixes and Images set up in many places the indeavours to corrupt the Truth and Doctrine of Christ in divers points of great importance the plots laid to stop the course of the Gospell propagating of the truth the obstinate resistance against such a Reformation as the Truth of God cleerely revealed in His Word requireth c. And see whether there were not many causes for a Warre against the Enemies of the truth in England for one which Israel had though that had beene such as was surmised Oh that the Lord would deliver our King from those that are Adversaries of his Truth and make him an Instrument to execute His wrath upon the great whore that so the Truth of God might have a free passage through the severall Regions of the World I have read of some Mariners who being tossed on the sea in a Tempest were so superstitiously slavish as to vow or promise at least upon their safe arrivall on the shore to build a Temple the mortar whereof should be tempered with Malmsey I desire it may be considered whether those be not more lavishly prophane who being terrifyed with the stormes of warre could be content to make the sacred Truth of God more precious then all the golden veynes in the bowells of the Earth to serve in stead of mortar for the cementing or rather daubing up an unsound peace with men Object But it may be said the losse of peace implyeth by consequence the losse of life the expence of bloud and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Answ I answer it is true and doubtlesse The Lord will make inquisition for their bloud And yet in the last place even this precious bloud of God his people is not too precious to be adventured or spent in the necessary defence of Gods Truth Did not Christ himselfe shed his most precious bloud worth more than all the best bloud under Heaven to seal the Truth of the Gospell the truth of all the promises of the new Covenant none of all which had been true if Christ had not shed his bloud to verifie them For all the Promises of God in him are yea and in him Amen The Law is true in it selfe but the Truth of the Gospell and Word of Promise dependeth wholly upon Christ The Law hath an intrinsecall and native truth Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Booke of the Law to doe them But the Truth of the Promise is borrowed the promise of the pardon of sinne of justifying the ungodly of being mercifull to unrighteousnesse passing by iniquity blotting out transgressions c. seemeth to crosse the Truth of God His Justice and Holinesse if ye consider it without reference to Christ It is true then onely in Christ the Truth of this Testament
the market though it be neere their owne doores who grossely neglect precious opportunities of hearing the word upon slight pretences Did they know the worth of truth and looke upon it as their life they would not think every petty inconvenience a just excuse A little change of weather or distemper of body will not keepe those within doores who are necessitated to seek out for that without which they cannot live Those that followed Christ sometimes three dayes together having nothing to eat might have had a fair plea in appearance to shift off their attendance Such as will suffer nothing in this case but make the hearing of the word a meere recreation when they can doe it with ease and at pleasure are not likely to go to the price of truth 4. Of those that come onely as meere spectatours rather than buyers who view many glorious Gospel-truthes openly proposed and freely tendred to all but are content to looke on whilst others buy Such are our common sort of ignorant hearers compared to the way side who hear the word and understand it not The seed lieth above ground then commeth the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowne in his heart The father of lies easily robbeth such a one of the word of truth 5. Of such as seem to cheapen but doe not buy those who are somewhat affected with the truth and think it worth the carrying home if they might have it at their own price they hear it perhaps talk of it repeat it c. And of these there are two sorts the one compared to the stony the other to the thorny ground the former would own the truth were it not accompanied with the crosse but when persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended They never gave the truth rooting in their hearts and so when the Sun ariseth it is scorched and withered The latter suffer it to be overgrown and choaked with thornes there may be some stirrings in their spirits some springings of their affections upon the receiving of the seed of truth but then their unmortified lusts the care of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches and pleasures of this life draw away the strength of their hearts from the truth and it becometh unfruitfull they will not renounce their earthly-mindednesse or their voluptuous ambitious corrupt affections to make a full purchase of truth Herod did many things and heard John gladly but would not yeeld so far to the commands of truth as to forsake his Herodias there was a thorny lust which choaked all The yong man also seemed willing to buy What good thing shall I doe that I may have eternall life what shall I give to buy truth again All these have I kept from my youth what lack I yet Thus much I have offered if this be not enough I am willing to give more I beleeve he thought hee offered like a chapman But when he heard Christ raise his demands so high Goe and sell all that thou hast and give to the poore he brake off went away sorrowfull as if the price had been unreasonable I feare many who countenance the cause of truth some who are great actours in it yea some who may venture their lives in the prosecution of it may deceive themselves There may be some thornes not rooted up some root of bitternesse not killed some corrupt principle which may carry men far this way some by-end which may poison all If I give my body to be burned and have not love it profiteth me nothing A man may seem to die for the truth and yet never buy it Use 2 2. This is for for exhortation 1. In generall to us all 2. In speciall to those whom the Lord hath honoured above others for the patronage and promoting of the great cause of his truth And 1. let me stir up you and my selfe by all meanes to make this purchase 2. Not to think any cost too much for that purpose concerning the former 1. Get a cleer and solid understanding of all the main and most necessary truthes Learn to be throughly acquainted with the Fundamentalls of Faith Great is the mystery of godlinesse And the knowledge of it is of great concernment it is a great mystery and requireth a deep search An overly slight and superficiall view of those great secrets which the Angels desired to looke into must not satisfie them who will indeed buy truth Labour for a right understanding of the Alsufficiency and infinite excellency of God in all his attributes as hee hath revealed himselfe in his word of the person natures offices of Christ of the covenant of grace of the fountain of all spirituall blessings in heavenly things in Christ the eternall love and good purpose of God toward his and those glorious wayes and meanes whereby the Lord is pleased to bring poore lost soules to glory reconciling them to himselfe by the death of his Sonne calling them by his Word and Spirit uniting them to Christ adopting them for his children and heires justifying them freely by his grace sanctifying quickning and keeping them by his mighty power through Faith unto salvation These and the like are especially to bee studied and wee are to take heed lest Satan intangling us in doubtfull disputes about things of an inferiour nature should cunningly divert our thoughts from searching into these hid treasures I confesse the rents and divisions which follow upon contrariety of opinions are sad and such as we have cause to lament but I am perswaded this is not the onely nor the greatest mischiefe I feare Satan gaineth much advantage by engaging young beginners and wanton wits in the agitation of controversies ere they have laid the foundation much more before themselves have taken root in Christ or so much as proved themselves to be in Christ and Christ to be in them 2. Let us labour to make those Truths which we understand our owne 1. By mixing them with faith The word preached did not profit the unbeleeving Israelites not being mixed with faith in them that heard it they did but view not buy the truth we cannot make the truth our owne nor truly say we have bought it unlesse we so mixe and temper it with faith as that it becometh one with our soules or rather our soules become one with it faith strongly closing with the word digesting it and so leavening all the powers of the soule with the truth and causing them to relish of it 2. By receiving the truth in sincere love No man buyeth truth who doth not truly love it So much truth as thou lovest is thine owne Some may hastily conclude from hence Then all the promises of pardon are mine for these I love from my heart though not those precepts of obedience and qualifications of repentance morification and holinesse But know this It is easie to mistake lies of our owne coyning for God his
thee to buy the truth let not their differences about few and lesse materiall things discourage thee 4. Cast off that prejudice which Satan may suggest unto thee in regard of the meanenesse of those persons who hold forth the truth either as the Lord his Agents whom he maketh use of to invite buyers the Ministers of the Gospell or as purchasers who having bought the truth desire to commend their penny-worths to others as Philip did to Nathanael We have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write Jesus of Nazareth Come and see If any such be contemptible in the eye of the world as those were who followed Christ whom the proud Pharisees overlooked with so much scorne This people who knoweth not the Law are cursed Let not this seeme any disparagement to the Truth of God which needeth not borrow any thing from man it s owne soveraigne Authority is enough to command all its native beauty and proper worth is sufficient to commend it to all When King Amaziah had set up and worshipped the Idolls of the same people whom himselfe had lately overcome in battle the Lord sent him this Message by a Prophet Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people which could not deliver their owne people out of thine hand This was a Truth which carried so much strength and evidence of Reason in it that it seemeth to preclude all contradiction yet see how pride and prejudice against the person that held it forth prevailed saith the King Art thou made of the Kings Councell forbeare why shouldest thou be smitten Art thou a fit person to reprove a King thou art none of the Privie Councell marke how the Prophet replyeth and twice descanteth upon the Kings words I know that God hath Counselled to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened to my Counsell Doest thou despise my Message because I am not made of thy Councell Know this that in this particular the King of Kings hath made me of his Councell and the word which I brought is the very Truth and Counsell of the great God as thou shalt find to thy ruine inasmuch as thou hast despised it The Truth of God needeth not receive any reputation from rotchets or scarlets if thou despisest it for the meannesse of those that bring it thou despisest Him that sendeth it 2. Let us consider what we must give up or lay out for Truth when the Lord calleth for it And here observe that although truth be alwaies alike precious in it selfe yet at some time the purchase of it is more costly then at other Bread-Corne it is as good in it selfe and as necessary for the life of man at one time as at another yet ye know in some time of scarcity one bushell may cost as much as three or foure in times of plenty but whatever it cost it must be had Men must live so Truth hath its deare yeares when those that will buy it must give greater rates than ordinary but whatsoever it cost it must be had we must buy it or else we perish Now we must alwayes give up our selves to God that we may buy truth our understandings wills affections our soules and bodies to his guidance soveraigne command and disposing And as it is said concerning God He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things so on our part he that sincerely giveth up himselfe to the Lord to be wholly his how can he thinke any thing too dear when the Lord requireth it why did not the young man give up his possessions upon Christs demand because he had not given up himselfe When the Lord told Peter what he should suffer for the truth and by what death he should glorifie God he questioneth about his Fellow-Disciple whether out of curiosity or some spice of envie I know not And what shall this man doe Jesus saith unto him If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee If I will that he live till I come and call him in an ordinary way of visitation and that the Truth of the Gospell shall prove more costly to thee than to him what doeth that concerne thee If both of yee give up your hearts to mee and my truth it is no great matter whether it cost you more or lesse in other regards 2. Then yee must buy truth though it cost yee never so much of your treasures either to procure the meanes or to maintaine the cause or to retaine the profession and practice of Truth All these things must be looked upon as losse and dung in comparison of the excellency of Christs truth What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole world and lose his soule and if he leave the truth he loseth his soule It may seeme the times are come upon us wherein the Lord will make discoveries who they are that prize this earthly drosse above those rich treasures of his Kingdome Let us not say in our hearts we could willingly purchase truth if it might be had at such easie rates as our Fathers bought it No if we will not buy it now at such a price as it may be had whatsoever it be neither would we have bought it then though at a lower rate And those who lived and died in those times and purchased truth indeed would have bought it at a farre higher rate had it beene exacted of them He that giveth up his heart to God for truth will never breake off for the price he that doth not yeeld up his heart doth never truly buy though he liveth in the cheapest times 3. Be content to lay out your strength for truth to take any paines to undergoe any labour What if any of you be forced to travell more miles than others such a reason doth not keepe people from Faires and Markets although the English Merchant hath a longer voyage to the East Indies than the Portugals by many leagues this doth not make them give over trading Though it cost thee more paines in reading studying meditation by reason of the slownes of thy apprehension weakenes of judgment or memory more striving in prayers more fears more labouring with thine own heart to bring it in subjection unto truth than it doth some other let nothing beat thee off buy it whatsoever it may cost thee 4. Be content to engage all the credit which thou hast with the world for the purchase of truth Buy it with the hazard and if need be the losse of thy reputation Among the chiefe rulers many believed â—n Christ but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God They valued their credit with men above the truth of God miserable folly though the way of truth should be
dependeth wholly upon the death of the Testatour To this end saith he was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse to the Truth How many thousands of God his Saints have drunk of the same Cup in severall Ages It is appointed to all men once to dye and that is a blessed improvement of death when a man dyeth not onely in the Lord but for the Lord and His Truth He that loseth his life shall find it He shall find mortality swallowed up of life His life is hid with Christ in God far above the reach of any weapons of warre and when Christ who is his life shall appear then shall he also appeare with him in Glory And now give me leave Much honoured Worthyes to bespeake your selves in the Name of the God of Truth whom I looke upon as precious Instruments of the Lord for the advancing and promoting of His Truth Truth of doctrine of worship of discipline truth and power of Godlinesse Ye are farre engaged in this Cause of truth already and it concerneth you to goe on both in Conscience and in point of Honour but chiefely for the Honour of your God who hath so highly dignifyed and so many wayes encouraged you by notable testimonies of His Presence Let it appeare that ye are so possessed with the truth so overpowered by the truth that ye may justly apply that of the Apostle to your selves We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth and then Christ will not fayle to make good that title which he hath assumed to himself The Amen the faithfull and true witnesse The People of God have reposed a great trust in you and they expect truth from you And blessed be God they have had their desires in great measure already answered and the Worke is yet in your hands these first-fruits seeme to be pledges of a full Harvest if our sinnes doe not blast our hopes One of the cleerest evidences I conceive which ye can give of the truth of your hearts to the Publick Cause is Selfe-denyall and quitting of Private Interests Of this ye have given reall demonstration in your readines to devest your selves of militarie and civill dignities that ye might reserve your selves for your proper worke Hereupon yee may with greater Authority exact truth from those whom yee shall imploy a true accompt of the publick service and for the future at least a true accompt of the publick treasure though perhaps for the time past it may be difficult if not impossible in regard of those many sudden exigents confusions unexpected occurrences which have happened yea inasmuch as ye have made your selves such eminent precedents of self-denyall how can others in modesty refuse if you require them not to seeke great things for themselves in making over much advantage of the publick miseries especially such whose service is attended with no hazard and very little labour some redresse in these things might encourage the well affected to more cheerefulnesse in assisting the common Cause and stop the mouthes of others More particularly let me beseech you in the first place to examine every man the truth and sincerity of his owne heart in managing the great businesse which yee have in hand To professe a mans selfe engaged in the Cause of truth and yet to be salfe-hearted toward it and to harbour treacherous aimes against it is not onely contrary to the duty of a Christian but a thing far below the spirit and ingenuity of a Gentleman it suiteth better with the basenes of common cheaters then with men of place and worth A man who by his corrupt principles is led out of the way and put into a posture of defiance and open hostility against the truth is lesse odious by many degrees then a false brother I am perswaded there was more of the Devill in one Judas then in all the High Priests Cavaliers and that Christ resented more hellish malignity in that one Traytours kisse than in all their swords and staves Wherefore Let every man prove his owne worke and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe and not in another For every man shall bear his owne burden It is not enough to joyne with those who are sincere in the Worke of the Lord but every man must prove his own worke with what heart out of what inward principles to what end upon what grounds and motives in what manner he doth it that he may have rejoycing in himselfe and not in those with whom he joyneth in a good cause nor by comparing himselfe with those who either directly oppose or basely desert it For in the great day of account every man shall beare his owne burden men shall not be ranked on the right hand by whole Companies Corporations Regiments Brigades Armies Houses of Parliament but as in that search which was made in Achan his case they shall be singled out man by man and every mans worke shall be tried in particular 2. Be united among your selves in the great cause of Truth according to that of the Apostle Stand fast in one spirit with one minde striving together for the Faith of the Gospel The expressions are strong he speaketh to them as to Champions of the Truth as the originall word importeth and to whom may it bee applyed if not to such â—oble Champions as your selves stand fast keep your ground Servate gradum as Beza maintain your station and that in one spirit in the power and strength of that Holy Spirit of Truth with one minde or one soul wrestling or striving together as if ye were a combination of many bodies associated and concentred together by one soul as one man with joynt forces contending for the Truth of the Gospel and for the cause of Truth so should ye be able to strengthen your spirits with that encouragement following In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of salvation and that of God Your uniting would be a terrour to the adversaries a strengthening to your selves an encouragement to those who are friends to the truth and your friends and servants for the Truthes sake If a noble Heathen out of a morall bravery of spirit could privatas inimicitias reipublicae condonare passe by private quarrells for the Common-wealthes sake far be it from any Member of a Christian Parliament not to lay down all private grudges and crosse designes at the feet of this afflicted Church and State far be it from them not to quit them for the truthes sake lest the cause of truth should miscarry through their default If the greatest persons who will approve their hearts to God must throw down their Crownes at the footstoole of Christ how much more their corruptions But especially let every one take heed of raising or fomenting divisions out of a secret desire to hinder the carrying on of the great work
in it if any through their own weaknesse shall be discouraged from buying when they hear those whom the Lord imployeth as his trustees and factours to be cried downe and stigmatized for Baals priests limmes of the beast Ministers of Antichrist The way to bring a shop out of custome is first to bring it out of credit 5. Procced in that worke wherein ye have already made so good a progresse in removing those who are either unskilfull or unfaithfull dispensers of the truth or whose fingers are so foul that they fully the truth by handling it causing the word and way of truth to be evill spoken of and discouraging men from buying The very heathens may shame those who censure you in this who seem to have been very tender of the honour of their idol-gods in this kinde Livy as I remember hath a story to this purpose A Vestall virgine was suspected of incontinency because of her neatnesse in apparell courtly deportment or some such thing but being called in question no such crime appeared upon examination yet was she sent away with a check or admonition willed to remember Sancte magis quam scite colendas esse religiones That the services of their gods required rather sanctity in those that were actours in them than any such curious dresse as might carry an appearance of evill And Sozomen inserteth the Copie of a letter written by Julian the Apostate to Arsacius Arch-Priest of Galatia requiring him to charge those heathenish priests under his superintendency neither to haunt Theaters or according to our times stage-playes nor to frequent Tavernes and that upon paine of deprivation Seneca in his Controversies hath such a case as this A Virgine being taken captive by Pyrates was sold to a Pandour prostituted in a Stewes yet preserved her virginity and at last slew a man in defence of her chastity whereupon she was arraigned and upon hearing of her cause acquitted after this she sueth to be admitted as a Priest to attend on one of their goddesses this barre was put in against her plea by way of supposition Tres petunt Sacerdotium capta prestituta rea Suppose three severall Virgins should come in competition for the Priesthood whereof one had beene captivated the second prostituted the third arraigned Omnibus nego I reject them all much more when all these meete in one and yet in all these three was nothing criminall but rather something of disparagement How much more when the question is concerning the admission of men to the Ministry of the Gospell or retayning those that were formerly admitted suppose one of them a drunkard another a swearer a third superstitious a fourth an ignorant person a fift idle c. Omnibus nego none of them shall have my voyce and what shall we say of them in whom many of these meete It was further pressed in behalfe of that virgine that her suite should be regarded out of compassion to her sufferings it was answered Non facimus miserandos Sacerdoteâ— In choosing Priests we must respect the honour of our gods not the miseries of those who desire the office the wants and necessities of persons and families in this case are not to be looked at but the glory of Christ and the wants and miseries of poore soules yet I desire from my heart that mercie may be shewed them in other kinds that they may have meanes of subsistance and those who are knowne to be learned and studious may not be deprived of their Libraries Lastly I beseech you shew your selves tender of the honour of Truth it selfe in bridling those who cast foule aspersions upon it rich wares troden under feele and spoiled may lie by neglected buyers are nice and will hardly come off unlesse that which is tendered to them be sightly This the Devill knoweth and therefore stirreth up his Instruments to throw dirt upon the beautifull face of truth not onely in blinde corners but also in pulpits and printed pamphlets And if it belong to a Court Martiall to do right to a man of quality in poynt of honour surely it well becometh the supreame Court of Parliament to vindicate the Honour of God his everlasting Truth Many motives might bee used to set on the Exhortation both generall and speciall exciting us to this great purchase of Truth and to the promoting of the cause of Truth Much might bee said of the glory riches majesty beauty and divine excellencie of truth and heavenly wisedome for which I referre you as to other Scriptures so in particularly to the eighth chapter of this booke of Proverbs Give me leave for the present in few words to touch upon these three things and so conclude 1. The power of truth 2. The speciall engagements obligeing us of this Age and Nation to purchase and promote it 3. A serious consideration of what value the truth will be at the last Admirable is the power and strength of truth for all that buy and possesse it against all that either oppose or neglect it All the most unlikely Prophesies of Scripture have beene or shall be accomplished by the power of divine Truth all the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospell have beene or shall be performed by it all the dreadfull threats verifyed The Power of truth raysed a Seede of the vanquished woman to bruise the head of the Serpent and god of the world It brought the Son of God to descend from His Throne of Supreame Majesty to cloath himselfe with flesh subject himselfe to the guilt of sinne and curse of the Law to the death and shame of the Crosse to drinke the bitter Cup of his Fathers Wrath and for that end to suspend the excrcise of His Authority in calling downe Legions of Angels from Heaven to rescue him out of the hands of his enemies The Power of Truth which is the Power of Christ Himselfe raysed Him from the dead and advanced Him to the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty on High c. Yea this Power of truth what wonderfull alterations hath it wrought in the world how hath it dissolved the severall Mineralls whereof that Image was composed the gold silver brasse and iron broken in pieces famous Monarchies and Empires of the world blasted and in great part already consumed the power of that man of sin enfeebled the strength of that Beast whom the world worshipped and wondred at It is admirable to consider how the strength of divine Truth breaketh thorough all opposition beareth downe all resistance Pulleth downe the mighty from their Seates Exalteth the humble and meeke witnes a late and notable example in this Land The Ruine of the Prelacy Truth had long since spoken it I will spew thee out of my mouth yea such is the power of truth that it maketh its very enemies serve its ends and in the midst of the most perplexed concurrence of second causes crosse interferings and overthwart interposings of inferiour Agents holdeth
a steady course towards its full accomplishment and moveth on in a streight line to its finall period where it arriveth most exactly in its owne proper poynt of time The Power of God his truth brought Israel out of Egypt at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self-same day it came to passe All Pharaohs oppositions all his tergiversations could not prorogue the terme of Israels bondage one day beyond that terme which truth had prefixed nay these served rather to spinne out that interim to fill up that voyde space of time that the truth might take place in its owne time Woe to them who stand up against the Power of truth at such a time when any of its great workes are to be accomplished for the Israel of God Those persons or what degree soever Meane men Nobles Peeres Princes who happen to stand up as Adversaries against the truth at such a time seeme to have beene borne in an evill houre Pharaoh I am perswaded might have gone to his grave with a great deale lesse guilt upon his conscience had he lived and reigned in another Age and not at that time when the Power of truth was to be put forth in Israels deliverance some of his Ancestours perhaps had hearts as bad but had no such occasion in so high a degree to treasure up wrath against their owne soules the like may be said of his Courtiers and People that joyned with him in that designe When the Lord by visible and glorious signes of the times and extraordinary dispensations of providence owneth the cause of his People in bondage and saith againe and againe Let my People goe let my People goe that they may serve mee according to mine owne minde and direction then let men tremble to hearden their hearts and oppose God lest in the issue it appeare that for this cause they were set up that the Lord might make his Power knowne upon them On the other side the Power of truth is strong for all that embrace it and labour to promote it It will carrie them through all dangers and difficulties and in the end crowne them with Glory In a word this Power of truth is sufficient to deliver poore slaves and captives out of the power of Satan and to make them free Then said Jesus to those Jewes which beleeved on him If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed and ye shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make ye free In a Sea-fight betweene the Spanyards and Hollanders it is sayd that a poore captive in one of the Spanish Galleyes had his chayne wherewith he was fastned broken asunder by a Cannon shot himselfe not hurt and perceiving that he was loose leapt into the Sea with a Peice of his chayne and escaped to the other ship by this strange providence regaining his liberty many seeme afraid of the truth especially when it commeth thundring like a Cannon shot from the mouth of some Boanerges but if thou receive it yeeld and subject thy self to it it will never hurt thee no it will breake thy chayne those chaines of death and darkenesse whereby Satan holdeth thee captive and make thee free and though thou mayest carry a piece of thy chaine with thee to thy dying day yet it will wholly free thee in the end Buy Truth and walk in the power of the spirit of Truth and ye shall be mighty in the strength of Christ to overcome and shall sit downe with Him in his Throne even as he overcame and is set downe with His Father in his Throne 2. Many and great ingagements lie upon us of this Nation and in particular upon us of this generation to make us buy truth and stand for Truth to the uttermost Wonderfully hath the Lord wrought for the bringing in the restoring preserving and propagating of the Truth among us To say nothing of the first introduction of the light in or neere the Apostles times How graciously did the Lord visit this Nation about 200. yeers before Luthers dayes by the ministery of Wickliffe and others raising up a succession of faithfull witnesses to seal the Truth with their blood in the severall Reignes of our Kings who according to the blindnesse of those times gave their power to the Beast Then followed that strange act of Henry the eighth in abolishing the Popes Supremacy next the wonderfull workings of our God upon the heart and by the hands of our English Iosias King Ewâ—râ— 6. In whose Reigne it is very observable that by an admirable conjuncture of providence the Churches of Germany should be under persecution and the Churches in this Land should enjoy a short breathing time of Peace that so England which had need to borrow light from forreigne parts might be supplyed from Germany Divines were called both such as were Orthodox and such it seemeth who were tainted with the Lutheran errour one at least viz Brentius a man noted to bee much infected aswell with that great errour of ubiquity as that of the Corporall presence in the Sacrament a person of eminent authority for his Learning and manifold accomplishments and one who had he accepted of the call might have sowed such seed in one or other of our Universities as might have overspread the Land perhaps those weeds which might have sprang from it would not have been rooted out unto this day especially if that be considered that our leading men Cramner Ridley c. were supposed not to be wel informed in that point at that time I conceive there was a gracious overruling providence of God in it diverting him and moving him to decline so faire an offer though it seemeth hee was troubled to finde a place wherein to hide his head with safety On the other side the Lord was pleased to incline the hearts of Martyr Bucer and Phagius three pious and Orthodox Divines to accept the call What were all our multiplied deliverances in the Reigne of Queen Elizabeth among the rest that of 88. And since her time from the Powder-treason and now of late a wonderfull series or large Catalogue of extraordinary events brought about by the mighty hand of God what are all these I say but the glorious workings of our God for the procuring and continuing unto us these precious opportunities of buying truth and therefore they ought to be mighty provocations to our spirits not to neglect such a price put into our hands unlesse we will shew our selves of all people upon the earth most unthankfull and so most unexcusable Let me name one of the last sort that as in the dayes of Josh. The Lord hearkened to the voice of a man saying Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Aialon and the Sun stood still in the midst of Heaven and hasted not to go down about an whole day so whereas our Parliaments have formerly been made like fleeting meteors or