A SERMON TENDING To set forth the Right Vse of the DISASTERS that befall our ARMIES PREACHED Before the Honourable Houses of Parliament at a Fast specially set apart upon Occasion of that which befell the Army in the West In Margarets Westminster Sept. 12. Anno 1644. BY Matthew Newcomen Minister of the Gospell at Dedham in Essex JUDG 20.26 Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up and came unto the house of God and wept and sate there before the Lord and fasted that day untill Even and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 1 SAM 14.58 And Saul said Draw ye neere hither all the Chiefe of the people and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day 1 SAM 26.19 And David said unto the King If the Lord have stirred thee up against me let him accept an offering but if they be the children of men cursed be thâ—y before the Lord. LONDON Printed by George Miller for Christopher Meredith at the Signe of the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1644. Die Veneris 13. Septembr 1644. IT is this day ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Sir Thomas Cheeke doe returne the Thankes of this House unto Master Newcomen for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon yesterday being a particular day of Humiliation and also Sir Robert Harley to doe the like to Master Coleman and to desire them to print their Sermons And it is ordered That none shall presume to print their Sermons without leave under their hand writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I doe appoint Christopher Meredith to print this Sermon MATTH NEWCOMEN TO THE HONOVRABLE The Houses of PARLIAMENT THe publishing of this Sermon what ever the preaching of it was may seeme Right Honourable as unseasonable as that Consolatory Embassy the Trojans sent to the Emperour Tiberius upon the death of his son Drusus Sueton. in Tiberio which came so extremely late that the Emperour to requite their kindnesse tels them That as they were sorry for the death of his son so was he for the death of their Hector implying that they were both equally forgotten Possibly that sad Accident in the West which first ministred occasion for the preaching of this Sermon is so too and then quorsum haec if at all why not sooner if not sooner why now I might plead many things in mine own excuse why not sooner My avocations employments since the preaching of this Sermon have been so many that had I been most desirous of obeying your Command for the printing of it I could scarce sooner have accomplished it but I must confesse my desire was that this unworthy piece the conception of so few houres might never have out-lived the houre in which it was delivered except by the blessing of God in the hearts of those that heard it But then why now why at all made publike God is my Record the only reason that extorts this from me at this time is because we are still encompassed with the Evidences of that Displeasure which in the West began to break out upon us which makes me feare that some of that heart-searching sin-discovering heart-humbling Covenant-acting work which God then call'd us to hath on some hand or other been neglected We whom God hath made Seers to his people must not shut our eyes Ezâ—k 33. â—3 c. and refuse to see what God reveales nor lay our hands upon our mouths and fear to declare what we see And certainly you have it from the mouth of more then one or two or a few of those that preach before you that God is very sore displeased still There are manifest signes of Gods displeasure against a Nation such as every eye that beholds them may read wrath and indignation in them And there are secret intimations of Gods displeasure 〈◊〉 oculi 〈…〉 exâ—on◠〈◊〉 ipaâ—â—â—s â—amen quo â—â—ram Dei indi â—nt cognoscuntur Maâ—â— loc com which though they be visible in themselves yet few know how to interpret them and to collect the displeasure of God from them The sword is a manifest signe of Gods wrath against the Nation Iob 19.29 Be ye afraid of the sword for wrath bringeth the punishment of the sword that you may know there is a Iudgement But besides this there are Characters though all cannot read them of Gods indignation against his own people in this Kingdome against those that have appeared engaged themselves for him There is that saith When God is angry with a people Less de Perfectionibus Divinis li. 13. c. 10. and intends to dash them in pieces he leaves them sine animo sine concilio c. without heart without Councill without strength without fit Commanders so involved with difficulties forreigne and domestick they know not how possibly to extricate themselves If one give good counsell presently another by captious arguments overthrowes it those that should judge of both have not light enough to discerne which is for the publike safety and which destructive If any opportunity of Service be presented either there is no notice takeÌ„ of it or to save a little charges it is neglected or none knowes how to improve it Dangers imminent are either not fore-seen or slighted Traitors creepe in that discover their Councels to their enemies There are jealousies factions among their great men in favour whereof one studies to crosse the designes and successes of the other though the Publike be undone by it The Treasury is wasted in needlesse expences the souldiers mutine and are seditious and when they have plundered a Country must have as much given them to forbeare plundering as would maintain a war Finally while all seek their own profit no mans heart is upon the Publike good all runs to ruine On the contrary the enemies whom God intends to punish that people by though they be far more wicked and ungodly yet they prosper their courage their strength increases they take opportune counsels they know how to improve pursue advantages there is great concord among their Leaders no man seeks to undermine overthrow another no man blends his own private quarrels with the Publike Cause In a word all things succeed as if God favoured their cause directed their counsels when yet their cause is unjust and their intentions wicked and there is nothing further from their heart then God But this Discourse you need not much lesse any Application of it who are apprehensive of this already and have therefore set your selves very lately to seeke the Lord and Attonement with him by Fasting and Humiliation in such away as never Parliament did before you That God who hath put it into your hearts thus to seeke him In the East iâ— Lincoâ—nes-Inne Chappell kept Decemb. 18. grant that you and we may find such fruit successe therof in your selves Counsels Armies as this poore Church and Nation after so many dayes of mourning may
saith God both rendring the Reason why Israel was smitten and directing Joshua to what he would have done Israel hath sinned Whence observe Observ 5 That God would have his People in all the Disasters that befall their Armies take notice of their owne sinnes Vp Joshua wherefore lyest thou upon thy face What doest thou weeping and breaking thy heart There is other worke for thee to doe Israel hath sinned goe find out that You know this was that which God instructed his people in long before that nothing should ever cause their Armies to miscarry but their owne sinnes so Levit. 26.14 17. If you will not hearken unto me and will not doe all these Commandements I will set my face against you and you shall be slain before your enemies and ver 36. upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintnesse into their hearts in the land of their enemies and the sound of a shaken leafe shall chase them c. so Deut. 28.15 25. If thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to doe all that I command thee the Lord will cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies thou shalt goe out one way against them and flee seven wayes before them And in all experience the people of Israel found it so They never were worsted in their battles but when they had sinned against their God Israel from the time of their comming up out of Egypt had been but once put to the worse before their enemies till this Time and the Story of that you have Numb 14. ult The Amalekites came downe and the Canaanites which dwelt in the hill and smote them and discomfited them even unto Hormah But the reason of this you may collect from the former verses Israel had sinned And all along the whole Story of the Bible you shall constantly find it thus when Israel was faithfull with their God they ruled with their God and prospered in their warres whithersoever they went Nay even Balaam himselfe could tell that while Israel kept themselves from sin God would keep them from mischiefe in their Army The Divell himselfe should not hurt them Numb 23.21 23. He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob nor hath he seene perversnesse in Israel Vide Drus ad diff loc Numer Ainsworth ad locum Weems upon the Morall Law part 1. The true meaning of which Scripture what ever sence the Antinomians would put upon it in favour of their opinion That God seeth no sinne in his people is this That at this time when Balaak hired Balaam to curse Jacob and defie Israel there was no Peccatum flagrans no sin lying upon the Congregation flaming in the eye of God or stinking in his Nostrils that might provoke his wrath against them or cause him to suffer any calamity to befall them therefore ver 23. saith he Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob neither is there any Divination against Israel No it is in vaine for men and divels to plot mischiefe against the Armies of Gods people when there is no sin among them to pull that mischiefe upon them All our Disasters of this kind they are the fruits of our owne sinnes and God would have us look upon them as so God would have his people in the Disasters that befall their Armies to take notice of their owne sinnes And that Reason 1 First that they may hereby be preserved from Atheisme and Apostacy from God from thinking either that there is no God or that the God whom they have commended their cause unto is a God that cannot will not succour them a thing that the Nature of man is very subject to you may remember what is said of King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.23 Ahaz sacrificed to the Gods of Damascus which smote him and said because the Gods of the Kings of Syria help them therefore I will sacrifice unto their Gods that they may helpe me also There is a Root of this Atheisme and Impiety in the heart of every man And such as God doth not teach to reade the cause of their defeats in themselves are ready to thinke the enemies cause Religion God to be the better Now that his people may be preserved from this God will have them know that their sinne is the cause of their Disasters And secondly God will have them take notice of this that they may with the more quietnesse submit to these dispensations of God and say The Lord is righteous That they may not murmure repine nor be too querulous at such a time as this therefore the Lord saith to us as it is Ier. 4.18 Thy way and thy doings have procured this unto thee this is thy wickednesse and as it is againe Ezek. 14.23 Ye shall know that I have not done without cause all this that I have done saith the Lord. That our hearts and mouths may justifie God God will have us know that our sins are the cause of our Disasters It is not enough to Take notice of the stroke and Mourne for that But we must Take notice of the sin and mourne for that Vp Ioshua wherefore lyest thou upon thy face Israel hath sinned Application In the first place This may serve to fill our faces this day with shame before the Lord would our God have us in all the Disasters that befall our Armies take notice of our owne sinnes Ah Lord when did we doe thus Is this the first time that God hath frowned upon our Armies No no who hath not heard of the disappointment at the Vises where a glorious victory slipt out of our hands when we were almost possest of it The losse of Bristoll The raising of the Siege at Newarke I know the mention of these things may expose us to the scorne of our enemies And let them scorne us so we may give glory to our God But have we in these disasters taken notice of our sinnes as the Causes of them Nothing lesse Men that are not led by Principles of Judgement and Conscience but by successe that doe not owne the cause for it selfe they upon such Providences as these are ready to desert it and take over to the enemies And others are ready to impute it to Cowardize or carelesnesse or falshood or treachery to something or other in those who are the instruments of managing the businesse as if there were not those sinnes among us that might provoke the Lord to crosse the endeavours of the most able and faithfull Instruments as if we could all say with that Romane Emperour Antoninus Philosophus ut refert â—uâ—at Gallicâ—n Aâ—â—dro Gassio Non sic Deos coluimus aut sic vivimus ut ille nos vinceret We have not so served God nor doe we so live as that such an enemie should overcome us We still cry out of Treachery Treachery and accuse others But O how few are the men that upon such occasions as these enter into their Chambers and there between God and
their soules inquire and say What have I done Vt nemo in sese tentat descendere Nemo Pecl. The Lord hearkened and heard but no man spake aright No man repented him of his evill deeds saying What have I done There is indeed an opinion That Beleevers the Children of God ought not to thinke that their sinnes have any influence into the Judgements that are upon a people A soule perverting a Land destroying opinion it is The Lord preserve us from it I am sure David was not of this opinion Lo I have sinned and I have done wickedly saith David 2 Sam. 24. when Israel was consumed by the Pestilence and the Spirit saith expressely 2 Chron. 32.25 That for the sinne of Hezekiah and for the pride of his heart came wrath upon him and upon all Ierusalem And yet David was a Beleever and a Child of God Hezekiah was a Beleever and a Child of God If Hezekiah to his former pride that brought wrath upon Jerusalem had added this further pride to thinke that his sin had not at all provoked that wrath because He was a Beleever a justified Person ô what a provocation would that have beene The Lord deliver all his people from such pride of heart it is too bad out of a slightnesse and carelesnesse of spirit not to take notice of our sinnes in our Disasters But when this proceeds from an opinion from a fixed Principle of Judgement and Reason This makes it much worse In the second place Is it the will of God that his people should take notice of their sinnes in the disasters of their armies Then I beseech you let us labour to doe this will of God and as before I called you to take notice of the Blow to be sensible of that so let me now call you to take notice of the sin and the Lord help us that we may be sensible of that The Lord speakes to us in this Disaster as he did here to Joshua Israel hath sinned But who shall give us a particular discovery of the sinne or sinnes that are the cause of this Disaster we cannot goe and as Joshua did here or as Saul did 1 Sam. 14.38 cast the lot that we may know and see where this sinne hath been Who is the prudent man that knoweth this and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken that he may declare it for what the land perisheth Jer. 9.12 Oh that we could discover it It is a Discovery that might more advantage England then the Discovery of as much Treasure as is in both the Indies It might be the saving of the rest of our Armies of the Cause and therein of All. What may we think the sinne the cause of this Disaster to be I will tell you what we may not thinke it to be We may not we must not thinke that there is sinne in the foundation of the Action That the Ground and cause of the warre is unjust and sinfull because of this Disaster no more then Ioshua's here or the Benjamites Iudg. 20. no though God should frowne yet further upon us and breake us with breach upon breach We must yet say as the Church Psal 44.17 18 19. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of Death Never repent that we have imbarqued our selves in the quarrell for the sinne lies not in the cause it selfe But where then I professe sincerely I cannot tell you where if I could I durst not be so unfaithfull to God to your soules to the Kingdome as to conceale it All that I can say is That as God in this his Providence hath frowned upon not onely our Armies but the Parliament the City and the whole well-affected Party both Ministers and People so All have sinned and possibly all our sinnes have an influence into this calamity that is now upon us And therefore let All of us Parliament-men Commanders Souldiers Citizens Ministers People All of us ô let us search our selves and enquire in our severall Orbes and Activities what our wayes have been that so if possible we may find out what and where this sinne is There is a spirit in man which is as the Candle of the Lord searching the innermost parts of the belly Prov. 20.27 that consulted with will discover hidden things Now therefore every one of you consult your owne spirits And first you that are Members of the Honourable Houses of Parliament for I must speake to you God and your selves have called me hither this day to what end if not to speake to you Oh how doe I feare least some sinnes of yours may have a great influence into this Disaster that is now upon us This I am sure of Parliament sinnes and sinnes of Parliament men are great Provocations Looke how much honour God hath put upon every One of you singly more then upon others of your Ranke that are not Members of this Honourable Body and looke how much more honour God hath put upon you joyntly as a Parliament more then upon other Parliaments so much the greater is your Engagement unto God and if you sinne it is so much the greater Provocation ô that you would ever remember it Was there ever Parliament that had so many Prayers Deliverances Wonders waiting upon it as you Was there ever Parliament that had God so neere unto them in all things ô such a Parliament should as Caesar said sometimes of his wife be free not only à culpâ sed à suspitione In the Name of Iesus Christ whose Minister I am and to whom I must give account of the discharge of this dayes service I beseech you Right Honourable let this hand of God under which you are met to humble your selves this day cause every one of you seriously and impartially to review your wayes not as men but as Parliament-men commune every one with your owne hearts and say What have I done How have I discharged the trust that God and man have committed to me ô remember God and man have entrusted you with that which is dearest to them both God hath entrusted you with his Gospell with his Glory with the affaires of the Kingdome of his Sonne with the welfare of that Church which he hath purchased with his owne Bloud Men have entrusted you with their Estates Liberties Lives ô that these things were written upon the wals of the Houses where you daily sit as over the gate of the Senate house in Rome was written Ne quid Respublica detrimenti capiat Let the Common-wealth receive no dammage But your care must be not only for Common-wealth but for the Church and Religion to both are committed to your Trust But ô that you would inquire this day how you have discharged this Trust Every
man reflect upon himselfe and say Am I the man that have been cold and lukewarme in matters of Religion that have retarded businesses of Reformation That have said It is not yet time to Build the Lords house If we settle any thing in matters of Religion we shall be loosers by it Am I the man that am afraid to heare of Government or Discipline lest it should give checke to some lust or opinion of mine Am I the man that have made use of the Power and Interest God hath given me in Parliament to turne aside the right of a man to subvert a man in his cause to oppresse the righteous cause of an enemie or advance the unrighteous cause of a friend To obstruct or pervert that course of strict and impartiall Justice which God and man call for the execution of Am I the man that have driven my owne designes in publike service that have made it my worke to seeke great things for my selfe at such a time as this when God seemes to be taking down what he had built up and plucking up what he had planted and shouldest thou seek great things for thy selfe Jer. 45. Am I the man c Pardon me Beloved if I mention these particulars your very friends that Love you Honour you Pray for you that have it in their hearts to live and to dye with you cannot but mourn to see your proceedings in Religion and Iustice so fore-slowed though where the fault is we know not ô that you would enquire among your selves this day Again and againe in the bowels of Iesus Christ I humbly beseech you Search Search and try your wayes ô if there should be any corruption any perversnesse any rottennesse any selfe-end any ungodly designe in any of you God will search it out if you will not your sin will find out you if you will not find out it I say unto you from God as Moses did to those of Israel Numb 32.23 Be sure your sin will find you out And remember I beseech you what the Spirit of God saith Eccles 9.18 Wisedome is better then weapons of warre but one sinner destroyeth much good The Wisedome of a Parliament is better then the weapons of an Army and may doe much good but one sinner may destroy it all and may make the Counsels of a Parliament and the weapons of warre in the hand of the gallantest Army in the world miscarry Did not Achan the sonne of Zerah commit a trespasse in the accursed thing and wrath fell on all the Congregation of Israel and that man perished not alone in his iniquitie Josh 22.20 ô Better thou hadst never knowne Parliament then to sit in Parliament and by thy sin destroy all the good that a Poore Bleeding Kingdome that THREE Poore Bleeding Kingdomes might reape by it Were I to speake to our Souldiery this day I would be as earnest with them that they would search themselves I would turn them to that Scripture Deut. 23.9 When thine host goeth forth against thine enemy then keepe thee from every wicked thing For ver 14. the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy Camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee therefore shall thy camp be holy that he see no uncleane thing in thee and turne away from thee I would aske our Souldiers how they have kept this Commandement of the Lord. I would say to them as the Prophet Oded did to the Army of Israel 2 Chron. 28.10 Are there not with you even with you sinnes against the Lord your God Nay I would dare to say There are And therfore in the Name of Jesus Christ would charge them every one to consult their own Consciences and say What have I done Is it my drunkennesse or my blasphemy my uncleannesse my rapine my violence my oppressing the Godly and well-affected party for whom I pretend to fight these Pests our Armies are too full of is it my c. that is the cause of this Displeasure this disuster Yea I would speake to our Commanders and bid them say to their owne hearts Is it my doing the worke of the Lord negligently Jer. 48.10 is it my height of spirit my ambition my standing upon Punctilio's my preferring my own interest and honour before the good of an Army of a Kingdome c. ô that men of brave Heroicke spirits Christians should not be able to deny themselves in point of honour or interest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herodot in Vran. or personall wrong or difference for a Publike good as much as heathens How memorable is that of Themistocles and Aristides who forgetting old grudges and injuries could in a time of common danger joyne their Counsels and forces together against the common enemy It is time now saith Aristides to lay by other contentions and contend now who should do most good to his Native Country But of all the spirit of that Romane Fabius justly called Maximus was most admirable who being advanced to a place of highest dignitie and command to be Dictator of the City of Rome an office of absolute and unlimited Power met with the most unworthy and undeserved affronts and discouragements and overcame them with the greatest constancy to his employments and counsels and faithfulnesse to his Cause and countrey that ever almost man did Liv li. 2◠c. 18. Minutius the master of the horse the next man in command to himselfe first clancularly traducing him in the army for a heavy slothfull man a man of no courage or activity only because he was not so precipitate and rash to put all to a push as he would have him Cap. 14. Then after daring publikely in the head of the Army to declaime against him and make a speech tending to no other end but to put the army into a mutiny In Rome the people are filled with prejudice against him by letters and rumours from the Army Metilius one of the Tribunes of the people makes a bitter invective against him in a solemne and publike audience Cap. 25. The Senate the Parliament as it were of Rome whereof himselfe was a member will scarce heare him with patience make his own defence In conclusion things are brought to that passe that the Dictator is tantùm non put out of office But contrary to all former President they make a Law that Minutius shall have equall command with him Cap. 27. and the supreme command to be equally shared between them both Accordingly the Legions are divided Fabius hath one halfe and Minutius the other horse and foot Some man nay almost any man would have flung downe his sword abandoned the service let such an indiscreet such an ingrate people sinke or swimme But saith the Historian qua animi gravitate criminantes se ad populum tulerat eadem populi in se saevientis injuriam tulit Nay within a little while after when Minutius and the party under his command had like to have been
shame and goest not forth with our Armies Thou makest us to turne our backe from the enemies and they that hate us spoile for themselves was the sorrowfull complaint of the Church of old Psal 44 9 10. and may be ours this day The Lord help us to beare this indignation in a right manner and to mourne aright under it So farre as my poore observation enables me to judge This is the saddest rebuke that God hath given us since the first beginning of this action and therefore calls for as sad hearts this day as ever we brought with us into the presence of our God Sure I am that what ever there was in this disaster which befell the Army of Israel that might be matter of greefe and consternation to Joshua and Israels Elders the same is in this disaster that hath befallen us and calls for the like affection in men of Noble generous gracious spirits such as you are 1. Did Joshua plainly see the anger of the Lord in their disaster we may if we be not blind see the same in ours much more The wound the breach that God hath made upon us by this disaster is deeper wider Theirs was but the losse of 36. Men Ours the dissipation of a Brave Gallant hopefull Army An Army that was sent out with solemne fasting and prayer and since they came to be in the streights wherein they unhappily mis-carried were solemnely againe sought of God by fasting and prayer And yet this Army lost and lost in a weeke of fasting and prayer that hath used to be a weeke of deliverances victorys mercies Can you thinke of this and not thinke God angry even with our prayers as well as with our Armies And can we thinke God angry and not fall at his feet every one of us with Joshua and cry ô Lord what shall I say unto thee 2. Were there any circumstances accompanying this disaster that might make it yet more grievous unto Joshua and the Elders and doe not the same circumstances accompany ours It was indeed * Omnia subita videntur majora Cicer. Praecogitati mali molliâ— ictus venit Senec. an unexpected blow a blow that Joshua did neither feare nor fore-see this made it the heavyer 1. Joshua knew the Cause he managed by the sword was good God owned it and warranted him in the prosecution of it 2. He had lately received a testimony of Gods favour towards it before the walls of Jericho 3. And this was the first time that ever the Armies of Israel under the conduct of Joshua turned their backs before their enemies This makes him amazed it is such a thing as never was before ô Lord what shall I say saith he when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies And that 4. A dispised enemy an enemy that upon good advice they thought not fit to engage their whole strength upon but only send out a partie ver 3. Let not all the people goe up but let about a two or three thousand men goe up and smite Ai but let not all the people labour thither for they are but few Now for Israel to fall in such a Cause at such a time before such an enemy all this concurres to make the measure of Joshuah's griefe and consternation the more full ô Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies And doe not all these circumstances meet in ours to make our disaster equall unto theirs ô that the senoe of it might be as equall was not this a blow unexpected Did not 1. The goodnesse of our Cause wherein we have not only the witnesse of our own consciences and the witnesse of Neighbour Churches Scotland Zealand Helvetia c. in their Letters to the Assembly of Divines but the witnesse of God himself with us Did not 2. That â—ccent and much to be remembred testimony of Gods favour towards us in it by that great and glorious victory given us before the walls of Yorke make us hope for a good issue of this Expedition into the West And 3. Is not this the first time that ever your Army under the Conduct of his Excellency turned their backs or became a spoile unto the Enemy And was not the Enemy I meane the adverse Army despised in our eyes It is not long since they did nothing but flitt and sculke their whole strength being shrunke up into some Numbers of Horse and now they had drawne together a Body of Foot did we not looke upon them all as an inconsiderable Rabble rather then an Army forced men raw Souldiers not worth the ingaging all your Powers upon I feare it was our fault Politically I doe not say our sin Theologically to undervalue the Powers of our Enemies so farre But all this makes our disaster the sadder and should make our sence of it the deeper for such an Army in such a Cause to be given up to such an Enemy and at such a time as this is when if God had blest us in all probability we might have seen a speedy and happy end of these calamitous wars ô Lord what shall I say Thirdly Were there any consequences that did fall in upon the thoughts of Joshua as aggravations of Israels disaster and his griefe Consider if the same consequences doe not fall in here Did Joshua feare not with a Pannick but with a rationall prudentiall feare a feare becomming a man of wisedome and resolution Did Joshua thus feare that the Nations who not long before trembled at the thoughts of Israel Josh 5.1 would now resume their courage and joyne their strengths together for the utter extirpation of the Israel of God And have not we cause to feare the like It is not long since the out-stretched Arme of God at Yorke strucke a trembling into the hearts of our enemies that they began to say as Exod. 13.25 Let us flee from the face of this people for the Lord fighteth for them And many of the malignant enemies of the Kingdome began to thinke of making their peace and made at least feined submission But now you are wise enough to think what flocking together there will be of Papists and Malignants what gathering together into bodies what an Army or rather how many armies you may quickly have against you of English Irish Popish and others if the over-ruling Providence of God prevent it not as here whose Rage will be satisfied with nothing lesse then the Cutting off our Name from the earth If not the Name of England yet the Name of Parliament the Name of Protestant Religion c. Possibly some may say What if they do strengthen themselves and multiply their Armies thankes be to God we have yet Armies as many and as considerable as any they have we have so many thousand in the North and so many thousand yet in the West and so many thousand advancing from the North into the West And what then might not Joshua have said as much as this he
had six hundred thousand fighting men in his Camp still and what if all the Inhabitants of the land come against them they are enough are they not to deale with them yea but Joshua saw that God was angry he went not forth with their Armies and Joshua knew that if his 600000 Men were 600000 Millions if God continue still angry with them they should all fall before their enemies we talke of thousands were our thousands multiplyed into Millions if God frowne still upon our Armies as he now begins to doe we are but bread for our enemies Beleeve it it is a signe of a carnall heart that would shift off this stroke of God and is loth to lie under the sence of it to comfort it selfe at such a time as this is in our remaining Armies If God will not withdraw his anger the proud helpers stoope under him Job 9.13 If we will not beleeve this God will make us feele it Joshua had men of warre enough to have comforted himselfe in but he could not durst not doe it Fourthly did Joshua feare that this Disaster would give occasion to the proud heathen to blaspheme the Name of the God of Israel therefore he saith What wilt thou doe to thy great Name And may not wee feare the same upon this of our Army Nay doe we not know it how have they heretofore how often have they as with a sword pierced the hearts of Gods people Witnesse Bristoll and Bolton c. while they say daily in their reproach Where is now your God Psal 42.10 Where is now your God your God to whom you have prayed before whom you have wept fasted of whom you have made your boast Where is now your God Encline thine eare O Lord and heare Open thine eyes O Lord and see and heare all the words of thine enemies whereby they reproach the living God Isai 37.13 〈…〉 But O Brethren shall not all this affect our hearts shall not all this cause us to lie in the dust before the Lord seriously and sincerely humbled under him and mourning before him Oh that I could find this disposition in my selfe O that I could behold it in you especially in you Parliament men O that I could see your Eyes speaking the sense which your hearts have of this sad hand of God upon us even in Teares Beleeve it Right Honourable it would become you nay it is your duty O that I might obtaine it from you or obtaine it at the hand of God for you O Parliamâ—nt Teares are pretious Teares would you drop but every man a Teare this day before the Lord for England O what a Balme might it be for this bleeding Kingdome I tell you Brethren it is more to that great God before whom you stand and whose face you desire to seek this day to see you Parliament men to see you unfeinedly judging your selves sitting in the dust at his feet giving him glorie in all his righteous dealings with you Mourning under this frowne that he hath cast upon you it is more to God to see you doing this then to see some thousands of others in such a Posture Are not you as all the Tribes of England is not all England epitomized contracted in you If you be humbled All England is humbled virtually eminently If Joshua and the Elders be humbled it is as if all Israel were humbled if Rehoboam and the Princes of Judah be humbled it is as if all Judah had been humbled God will grant some deliverance and things shall goe well in Judah 2 Chron. 12.6 7 12. It hath often been the Prayer of some of your Remembrancers at the throne of Grace upon our dayes of Humiliation that whatever God doe with private Congregations yet that in this place and upon your hearts there might be a mightie Presence and Effusion of the spirit of Humiliation the same is my desire and prayer this day O that God would humble us all every soule of us but if not all if there be any of us whom God for our personall sins will leave to the hardnesse and dedolency of our hearts this day yet the Lord be mercifull unto you and unto us all in you That your hearts may be as Gideons fleece moystened with a dew from Heaven though we round about you should be dry which yet to us would be exceeding sad But somewhat it would comfort us concerning England would the Lord please to humble you Now the Lord humble you The Lord affect your hearts with his dealing the Lord cast you downe at his feet with Joshua that with a hand of mercy he may lift you up as he did Joshua and say Arise wherefore liest thou upon thy face Thirdly for Reproofe But if there be any Man here especially any Parliament man to whom it were more fit to say as the Master of the ship did to Jonah Vp sleeper and call upon thy God if so be that God will thinke on us that we perish not then as here God to Joshua Arise wherefore liest thou upon thy face If there be any man here that upon such a Day and such an Occasion as this is hath an unstirred and unawakened heart within him And I feare there are too many such I seldome come in a Fast into any Congregation where it is discernable by the face and garbe of the Assembly that they are in a dutie of Fasting and Mourning Our monethly Fasts are degenerated into most lothsome Formalities into lesse then a formality lesse then an outside then an appearance of Fasting and Mourning But that Man that can be so this day hath a heart more Atheisticall then the very Heathens had Inops Senatus auxilii humani ad Deos populum vota convertit lussi cum conjugibus ac liberis supplicatum ire pacemque exposcere â—â—cûm omnia delubra impâ—ent Stratae passim Matres crinibâ— Templa verrentes veniam irarum coelestium exposcunt Liv. lib. 3. He that reads the Romane Story will finde how they upon such like occasions as is this day presented unto us kept solemne dayes of Supplications and with what throngs of men women and children their Temples were filled how sad and mournfull their demeanour was how their Ladies and Matrons rowled themselves in the dust and swept the very pavements of their Idoll-Temples with the haire of their heads ô how farre are many amongst us from any such affection consternation I cannot but feare that there is a great deale more Atheisme and a great deale lesse sence Irarum Coelestium of the Anger of a God against us in the Calamities now lying upon us then was in those very Heathens O that their Dayes of Supplication may never rise up in Judgement against ours to condemne them The Lord humble every Soule of us that hath not yet been humbled Even this alone is sufficient Cause why we should now be humbled because in all our Dayes of Humiliation we have been unhumbled hitherto many of
made with mee and now have violated without cause If thou be a God as they say thou art shew thy power and powre out thy wrath upon this perjured people Dictum factum God did justice upon the Appeale of an Enemy a Turke who in his very appeale spake Blasphemy yet God will doe him Iustice presently the battel turnes and it prooved a very bloody fatall day to the Christian Army the King and many of their chiefe Commanders slaine the whole army routed a great part of that Country lost nothing the cause of all this more then breach of Covenant The Violation of the Covenant of God is such a sinne as will bring disaster upon any Army under Heaven Now to apply this to our selves I am sure you have not forgotten for it is not yet a full yeare since you did with your hands lifted up to the most high even in this place Sweare a SOLEMNE LEAGUE AND COVENANT in a most solemne and religious manner I may say to you as Ioshua did unto the people when they had renewed their Covenant with God Ioshua 24.27 Behold these stones are a witnesse unto you that you have made a Solemne Covenant with God as ever people made Sure you have not forgotten it I am sure God hath not God remembreth it God hath remembred it in mercy all this yeare hitherto and now God seemes to begin to remember it in Iudgement Me thinkes this stroake of God upon us so neere that time Twelve-moneth wherein we tooke the Covenant seemes to speake as if God intended once a yeare to require an account of this Covenant at the hand of England ô that we could call our selves to account this day The Iewes have a proverbe Non est paena super Israelem in qua non sit unci◠vituli There is no punishment upon Israel in which there is not one ounce of the Golden Calfe meaning thus That was such a transgression as it is in Gods remembrance every time he plagues them and hath some influence into every calamity that falls upon them In like manner we may say Non est poena super Angliam in qua non sit uncia Foederis We fall under no punishment but there is an ounce of our Covenant in it I beseech you please to review a little some of the chiefe Articles of that Covenant and see how we have observed it In the first we engage our selves sincerely really and constantly to endeavour the Reformation of Religion in England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Patterne of the best Reformed Churches A blessed and glorious worke which as it hath the first place in our Covenant so challengeth and deserveth the first and chiefe in our hearts But what hath been done in this great work since the Covenant was taken It is that God and man enquire after What hath the Assembly done what hath the Parliament done in the Reformation of Religion When will some Order be setled for the Worship of God When will the Government of the Church be established according to the Word of God I feare God takes it very grievously that since we have made a Covenāt for Reformation we have spent now a year done so litle in it We have covenanted in like manner without respect of Persons to endeavour the Extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Schisme Prophannesse and what ever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godlinesse And blessed be God for the extirpation of Popery Prelacie and Superstition much hath bin done But I know not by what unhappinesse it is but so it is that this last yeare since we all covenanted to endeavour to our utmost without respect of Persons to endeavour the extirpation of Heresie and Schisme Heresie and Schisme have encreased upon us more then ever We are grown beyond Arminianisme Brownisme Anabaptisme we are come I meane many among us to down-right Libertinisme There are two opinions which if encouraged they are encouraged if connived at will open a door to Turcisme Iudaisme Atheisme Polytheisme any monster of opinion The one is That every man is to be left to the Liberty of his own Religion an opinion contended for by the bloudy tenets John Baptist Liberty of Cōscience and the like Pamphlets An opinion most pernicious and destructive as to the souls of men so to the Common-weale of the Kingdome Gerhard 〈◊〉 com de Magistratu § 199. Libertas illa quidlibet credendi saith Gerhard nihil aliud est quam libertas errandi c. That Liberty of beleeving what men will or of holding what faith they please is no other then a Liberty of erring and of erring in a matter that concernes the Eternall Salvation of the Soule wherein to erre cannot but be most dangerous and destructive and therefore saith he as it cannot be safe for sheep to be left alone to wander in mountaines and deserts and graze in what pastures they please Lest they fall upon some unwholesome herb or become a prey to the Wolfe And as it cannot be safe to leave a Ship to it selfe to be driven by the windes and waves without any guide or Steerage lest it dash it selfe against the Rockes So it cannot be safe for Magistrates to leave people to a Liberty of being of what Faith and what Religion they please Lest being carried away from the true Faith and Religion they become a prey to destruction Nor is any thing almost more destructive to a State or Common-weale Praecipuum Concordiae vinculum est Religionis similitudo de cultibus Divinis Consensio Likenesse of Religion and agreement in the Worship of God is the strongest Bond of Concord Bucholc in Chronol Nor is there any thing that doth more unite the Mindes of men then the same opinions of God and Communion in sacred things On the contrary Diversity of Religion dis-joynts and distracts the minds of men and is the Seminary of perpetuall hatreds jealousies seditions warres if any thing in the world be and in a little time either a Schisme in the State begets a Schisme in the Church or a Schisme in the Church begets a Schisme in the State That is either Religion and the Church is prejudiced by Civill Contentions or Church controversies and disputes about opinions breake out into cruell warres Quod à nobis avertat Deus Men will at last take up swords and speares in stead of Pens and defend by Armes what they cannot doe by Arguments Nor doe we want Examples that tell us that Bella sacra are managed with more enraged mindes then common warres are Gualth in Luc. cap. 10. For as another saith Constat nulla esse atrociora odia c. It is apparent that no hatred is so cruell no dissention so bitter as that which ariseth from difference in Religion For such is the Power of Religion that it possesseth the whole man and if once it
us The Lord so humble every one of us by the mighty working of his owne blessed Spirit that he may please to take notice of his own worke in us as he did here in Joshua and say Arise wherefore liest thou upon thy face I have done with That which God tooke notice of in Joshua But before I passe to That which God gave notice of to Joshua Let me entreat you to take notice of something in God from God taking notice of something in Joshua and that is Gods tender and gratious regard to a humbled mourning heart No sooner doth Joshua here humble himselfe but God presently takes notice of him speakes comfortably to him Joshua Get thee up wherefore liest thou upon thy face Lord what is man that thou art thus mindfull of him that no sooner can a poore sinner in humblenesse of soule cast himselfe to the earth but the great God reacheth his hand from Heaven to raise him up againe Lord what is man that thou shouldest thus magnifie him and set thine heart upon him If the glorious Majestie of our God abase himselfe to behold the things that are done in Heaven Psal 113.6 ô then what a Condescension is it in our God to behold a Man a worme abased upon earth But Joshua was no ordinary man Joshua was a Saint a Friend a Son of God A man of such rare and matchlesse Piety as in all the thousands of Israel nay in all the world there was scarce such another man But One that we reade of if One in his Dayes that was to be compared to him No wonder if when such a man be humbled God takes notice of him But will God regard the Humiliations of other Men Men that are not of such rare and extraordinary holinesse when they are humbled will God take notice of them I will give you but two instances more to consider of for the proofe and illustration of this point and judge by them My first Instance is of Rehoboam who certainly was none of the best men nay as farre as we can take his Character by all that Scripture speakes of him first and last he was a very bad man For it is said of him in the 2 Chron. 12.1 that he forsooke the Law of the Lord he and all Israel with him And if you would know what was the degree and measure of their wickednesse how farre he and his people had forsaken the Law of the Lord looke in 1 Kings 14.22 23 24. and reade what their wickednesse was And Judah did evill in the sight of the Lord and they provoked him to jealousie with their sinnes which they had committed above all that their fathers had done For they also built them high places and images and groves on every high hill and under every greene tree And there were also Sodomites in the land and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord cast out before the Children of Israel These sinnes within a very few yeares after Rehoboams comming to the Crowne had made them ripe for the judgement of the sword for so 2 Chron. 12.2 In the fifth yeere of Rehoboam King of Judah Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. The terrour of this invasion is such as Rehoboam and his Princes cannot but humble themselves Whereupon the Princes of Israel and the King humbled themselves and they said The Lord is righteous ver 6. Now doth the Lord despise their Humiliations because they had been an idolatrous uncleane wretched people No reade and wonder at the goodnesse of our God towards humbled sinners ver 7. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves so then God tooke notice of this even in these the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them but I will give them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak And because God would have us take good notice of this his respect unto their Humiliations the holy Ghost mentions it againe in the 12. verse And when he humbled himselfe the wrath of the Lord turned away from him that he would not destroy him altogether and also in Judah things went well God did not only deliver him out of his present danger but prospered all the affaires of his Kingdome in his hand and yet certainly he even after this his Humiliation none of the best men as we may collect from that Censure which after this the Lord leaves of him ver 14. And he did evill because he prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord. My next Instance shall be of a Man who was so farre from having any thing of Piety at all in him that he was a man of the most transcendent Impiety that ever any almost was King Ahab is the man Doe but remember what the holy Ghost saith of him It is said 1 Kings 16.30 That Ahab did evill in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him and ver 33. he did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger then all the Kings of Israel that were before him and in 1 Kings 21.25 But there was none like to Ahab c. None of all that went before him or came after him like to him in wickednesse There were twenty Kings in Israel from the time that the ten Tribes revolted from the house of David to the time that God removed them out of his sight Of these twenty Kings there was onely One good Jehu And yet his Integritie may be doubted too But the other nineteen were all wicked and yet not One among them all to be compared to Ahab But there was none like unto Ahab An Oppressour he was and a murtherer and an idolater and a persecuter of that holy Truth which God had plentifully revealed to him by his Prophets and powerfully confirmed to him by miracles and mercifully sought to endeare to him by many gratious deliverances There were not such Prophets in Israel in any Kings dayes as were in his Nor such miracles wrought as in his Nor had any King more glorious Victories and Deliverances and Providences manifested towards him then he had and therefore in all likelihood he was an obstinate sinner and as some thinke very neere the sin against the holy Ghost This is that King Ahab against whom God by his servant Elijah thunders dreadfull things 1 Kings 21.20 21 22 23 24. The very hearing whereof something breakes the pride of his heart ver 27. And it came to passe that when Ahab heard those words he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly But will God regard it cares God for Ahab Truly we should have been ready to thinke that if such a wretch as Ahab should not onely have rent his clothes but have rent his flesh his heart should he