Messengers for hee medled onely with beards and garments the cutting off of which shed no blood whereas these have offered bloody indignities to the Lords Embassadors Thirdly those Ammonitish insolencies brought upon Messengers onely a civill inconformity in hayre and vestments to the manners of Gods Israel whereas the practises of these men have forced a Spirituall conformity on Gods Ministers to the manners of that great Strumpet and Mother of whoredomes Fourthly Davids messengers were abused onely in Beards and Garments but these have been Convented Suspended Deprived Degraded ExcoÌ„municated Imprisoned Impillored Fined stript of all Exiled and exposed to great extremities Thus the indignities considered in themselves were farre inferiour unto these Thirdly Hanun never sinned herein against Conscience as these have done for he was misguided by his Princes and so hee knew not that the Messengers were Spies whereas the Prelats have offered horrible indignities to many such of whose integritie they have themselves first given ample testimony Fourthly Hanum did nothing obstinatly for his Nobles perswaded him but with these all the Noble men in the land could not prevaile with that Arch-Ammonite and his followers to deale favourably with the Lords Embassadors Fiftly If we looke upon the Messengers Hanuns inhumanitie was offered to the messengers of a mortall Prince but these men have most dreadfully abused the Embassadors of the Prince of the Kings of the Earth For the Lord hath sent his Messengers to England and one they have beaten another they have killed a third they have stoned or that which is as bad Againe the Lord hath sent more Servants and they have done to them likewise Lastly those were sent only to minister a little comfort to a man who it seemes had no great need of it but these have been sent to publish the Gospell of everlasting Peace to the wearied O monsters among men that these Prelats are trained up by Tygers whom no incestuous of-spring of Lot can parallel by a thousand degrees that if such Prodigies among men doe this day stinke in the nostrils not of Israelites onely but even Ammonites also wee have great cause of thankfulnesse none of wonder Secondly This may shew us the sad estate of these noisome enemies of CHRIST and his Messengers for seeing they are thus unsavory what are they good for What use can there be made of unsavory Salt It is neither fit saith Christ for the Land nor for the Dung-hill It is good saith he for nothing but to be cast out and troden under foot of men Math. 5.13 An unsavory Ammonite may be good either for the land or for the dung hill Moah was troden downe as straw for the dung-hill Isa 25.10 But an unsavory Prelate is good for neither as being unsavorie Salt The most noisome Dung that is is good enough for the dung-hill but unsavory Salt is not because it is so farre from making barren land fruit-full that it makes fruit full land barren And such salt are the enemies of CHRISTS Embassadors that where-ever a Prelate hath been cast the place though fruit full before hath soone proved barren in Religion round about him For as they have no favour of life in themselves they cannot endure either that Minister or People that have Oh what will become of them now whom the very dunghill doth reject Who shall lament for them now saying Ah my brother or ah Lord or ah his glory when they shall be cast forth beyond the gates of Ierusalem As for other men though never so vile or degenerous that are still good enough for the dunghill men will find some mean imployment or other to put them to If there be refuse people in a land thou shalt have a drumme beaten up to call them together that they may be sent forth in some service against the enemies of the land whereas these want both ability and fidelity for such a service Yea should they come and crouch for a piece of silver or a morsell of bread saying put us into the Priests Office or as it is rendred after the Original put us into somewhat about the Priesthood as much as to say make Parish Clarks of us that we may eat a peece of bread they are not fit for it for they cannot say Amen to the prayers of Gods people this day They are not fit to occupy any roome in Church or Common wealth they are not fit for Pulpit or Presse for Church-government Counsell-Table Parliament Iusticeship Traffique who have thus long traded onely for the mother of Whoredome and who begin now to weepe and mourne because no man buyeth their Marchandise any more Revel 18. 11. They are not then good for warre nor peace for Prince not people for Church nor State onely being wiser in their Generation then the Children of light like that wicked Steward they have robbed and spoiled and feathered their nests before they were turned out of their Stewardships as being conscious to themselves that digge I cannot and to begg they are ashamed Thirdly This should make us this day more earnest with God for England that he would purge the Land of this filth for otherwise how noysome will that Countrey be wherein there are so many unsavory creatures Not that we desire any other purging of them then their deposing and repentance for their horrible indigâ—aties and inhumaâ—ities to the Embassadours of the King of Kings And thus much for the grounds of Ammons Preparations to muster up Forces against David because they saw that they stanke before him Secondly we have their hiring of Auxiliaries to defend them in their wickeduesse They sent and hyred the Syrians of Beth Rehob and the Syrians of Zoba c. Observation When wicked men are come to that height of sinne that they stinck in the nostrils of Gods people they will rather dye then confesse and repent of their wickednesse We have the like example in the Benjamites against the eleven Tribes And it is made good this day in the Prelates against England For wheras they should have put on sackcloth on their loines and ropes upon their necks and gone to the King and Parliament saying Your servants say 〈◊〉 pray you let us live they have stood out rebelliously and protested against Parliamentary proceedings Nay their monies have gone most profusely for the hiring of Syrians and the maintenance of warres against the Scots calling it Bellum Episcopale The Bishops Warre It was 1000. talents of silver that the Ammonites expended to hire helpe against the Israel of God when first they had offred them such a moustrous indignity But how many thousand talents these have disbursed and collected among themselves and their Clergy and Popishly affected partie it is not easie for to say For The Angell of the Lord hath powered out his vi-all upon their Sun and they have been scorched with great heat and have blasphemed the name of the Lord which hath power over these Plagues and they have not repented to give him glory
is the ruine of Antichrist for he could never have beene if the Covenant had beene kept his Babel can never be built where men keep close to God and one another Vse First this sheweth us the wonderfull goodnesse of God in foure particulars which should melt our hearts this day First in uniting the Honourable Nation of the Scots by Covenant against the Prelates in their late defence against their Tyranny Which how powerfull and successefull it was we may easily see not onely by the carriage and issue of things on their parts but also by the continuall attempts of the Prelates to have devided them Secondly In the firme brotherly Union of England and Scotland as it were of Joab and Abishai and that too by such an occasion as the Prelates hoped should have engaged them in blood the one against the other like Manasseh against Ephraim or as if Ioab and Abishai should cut one anothers throats Thirdly In uniting both houses of Parliament they having to do with such Ammonites and Syrians It is such a knot that the very Sword of Alexander we hope shall not easily cut asunder A Kingdome united into one body will endure a mighty shock Men standing single are soone jusled downe most difficult when they are all imbodied into one Fourthly In uniting the hearts of all the Churches in this Land to one another and all of them this day to our deare Countrey in opposing the common Adversâ—ry Fâ—r what hath England said to us of late If the Papiâ—…s Prelats and Atheisâ—s be too strong for us thâ—n you shall help us and if at any time the enemy be too strong for you wee will help you O let us all enter into Covenant with England to live and dye against these Ammonites and Syrians Secondly If so necessary bee a Covenant of mutuall assistance against a common Enemy such a one as we heare of how much more had the Israel of God need to enter into Covenant with the Lord of Hosts in opposing such an Adversary What is a Politicke to a Religious Covenant When the Israelites fled and fell before the men of Ai the Lord gives the reason of it unto Ioshua Iosh 7.11 Israel hath finned and they have transgressed my Covenant which I commanded them for they have taken of the accursed thing c. Where by the way you may see how neerely this Covenant uniteth that what one doth which the rest might with circumspection have prevented is imputed to them all The Lord will never have need to say to England or to us If the Malignant party with their Cavaliers be too strong for mee then shall you help me but we shall have need so to say to him and therefore wee had need see that we be in covenant with him And where a people are in Covenant with God and cleave onely to him having cast away whatsoever is displeasing to him hee enters himselfe presently the Generall of all their forces leades their Armies and fights their Battails And then who can bee against us For one shall chase a thousand and ten ten thousand because their Rock will not fell them nor the Lord shut them up And so much for the Covenant of mutuall assistance We are now come to Ioabs words of Encouragement wherein we have First an Exhortation Secondly a Resignation An exhortation to be Valiant in fighting the Lords Battels and a Resignation of their wills into the Lords hands First of the Exhortation Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people for the Cities of our God And here we may observe the grounds of their encouragement viz. They were to fight for all that they had or were God and their Countrey Church and State soules and bodies their owne and others Observations When Religion and Policie Church and Common-wealth lye at stake Gods people had need to encourage themselves and one another Therefore we shall finde that when the people of God were to go to battell against his enemies both the Lords the Priests and the Officers did All give them encouragement Deut. 20.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. The place is pregnant to this purpose and worthy our reading Excellent are the words of Nehemiah to this point Neh. 4.14 He said to the Nobles and Rulers and the rest of the people Bee not afraid of your Enemies remember the Lord which is great and terrible and fight for your Brethren your Sonnes and your Daughters your Wives and your Houses They were to fight for the Lord whose cause was then in hand and for the Common-wealth and each mans private interesses therefore saith he Be not afraid of your Enemies Vse First this sheweth us how direct a way it hath pleased the Lord herein to guide both Houses of Parliament to walke in viz. A way of undaunted courage and resolution as if they should say to one another as once those Trojans The onely way to safety to the Conquered is to turne desperate Some may thinke they transgresse their limits No for how can they take lesse courage to themselves who being beset behind and before with Syrians and Ammonites are to bestirre themselves for their people and the Cities of their God God and England and every Shire and Citie in England doe this day cry out unto them saying Bee strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you whithersoever you goe Therefore let us not onely have high thoughts of them and such as are alwayes Honourable but magnifie the Lord who hath put such resolutions into them Secondly let these words of Joab sound in our eares this day Be of good courage and let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God Beloved I cannot but look upon the Churches in this Land this day as upon so many severall Regiments or bands of Souldiers lying in ambush here under the fearn and brushet of the Wildernes like the lyers in wait beside Gibeah against the wretched rebellious Benjamites I know wee are little dreamt of at this time in any part of Christendome our weapons being as invisible to the eye of flesh as our persons are to all the world So much the better we shall fight this day with the greater safety to our selves and danger to our enemies among whom I am confident in the Lord thousands shall fall and never know who hurt them We arrogate nothing to our selves for if the weapons of our warfare are mighty it is not through us but through God But if the Israel of God would have thought of a way of quickest discomfiture to the adversary what course could they have taken better then to have divided their Forces and to have sent some to lye in wait in the wildernesse to come upon the backs of Gods Enemies with deadly Fastings and Prayer murtherers that will kill point blanke from one end of the world to the other Here then is our
REV. 16. 8. 9. But whom now doe the Ammonites hire but a sort of flagitious Pagans that neither looked into the price of other mens blood their own soules or the justnesse of the cause A thousand talents have soone bought them to fight the battels of the Devill against the Lord of Hosts Observation There is no cause so wicked or deplored but money will hire some mercinarily minded to abet who wil damne their soules for a little silver And how many such there have been even in the Christian world the Prelates better know then wee What forlorne creatures Papists Atheists Neuters and mongrell Protestants had they procured to fight against the Scottish Nation When wicked men are conscious to the insufficiency of their cause they muster up the greater forces and place their affiance in the arme of flesh that what innocence here could not doe three and thirty thousand Pagans joyned to the forces of Ammon shall But thus much shall suffice to be spoken of Ammons Preparations both their ground and helps Secondly in Davids providing to encounter them we have First his sending of Ioab with all the Host of the mighty men David you see is sencible of the horrible abuses done to his Embassadors Observation Indignities offered to Embassadors redound to their King who cannot be insensible thereof especially they being Embassadours of Peace And thus it is with God as it is written The Lord God of their Fathers sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes and sending because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose and there was no remedy Therefore he brought upon them the King of the Caldees who slew the young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary and had no compassion upon young man or may den old man or him that stooped for age he gave them all unto his hand 2 Chro. 36. 15 16 17. And now under the Gospell when the Lord of the Vineyard sends his servants to the Husbandmen and the Husbandmen beat one and kill another and stone a third and when hee sends yet more servants and they doe unto them likewise surely he will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his Vineyard to other Husbandmen which shall render him the fruits in their season Matth. 21. 33. Beloâ—ed CHRIST is this day sensible of all the abuses that have been offered by the Prelats to his Messengers How often hath he cryed from heaven if that poore soule had not been utterly deafe Laud Laud Why persecutest thou me It is hard for thee to kicke against the pricks Oh! CHRIST in his Messengers hath given his back to the smiters and his cheeks to them that have plucked off the haire his beard hath beene cut and his garments curtold by these Prelatique Ammonites The Messengers of Iesus have bin made a spectacle to the world Angels and men they have beene made partakers of Christs sufferings and have filled up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in their flesh for his bodies sake which is the Church And is Christ sensible and shall not these Ammonites heare of it Yes for he is now awaking as out of sleep and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of Wine Ah! saith hee I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge meâ— of mine enemies and put them to perpetuall shame But so much be said of this Ioab now approaching with his Forces when loe the Adversaries have cunningly devided themselves some standing at the entrance of the gates of the Citie the residue in the open field Ioab a wise Generall and prepared for difficulties forecasteth the best way of encounter and fitting himselfe to assault the Syrians leaves the Ammonities to his brother Abishai but with this covenant of mutuall assistance for I must now put sundry things together If the Syrians be too strong for me then thou shalt help me but if the Children of Ammon be too strong for thee then will I come and help thee Observation When Gods Israel hath to doe with many potent subtill most wicked and desperate enemies they had need to enter into a covenant of mutuall helpe and assistance Abraham was confederate with Mamre Eschol and Aner when hee was to encounter with the foure Kings that had carryed away his cousen Lot prisoner Gen. 14. 13. 24. Yea it is lawfull for us herein to learne wit of an enemy For thus the enemies of Israel confederate themselves Come say they let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may bee no more in remembrance Yea they have consulted together with one consent and are confederate against Israel the Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moah and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalech the Philistims with the inhabitants of Tyre Assur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Psal 83. 4 5 6 7 8 9. And in the daies of Ahaz it was told the house of David saying Syria is confederate with Ephraim Isa 7. 2. And this covenanting in case of opposing many powerfull cunning wicked desperate Enemies is very requisite Seeing a Kingdome divided cannot stand which firmely united by confederacie is not easily vanquished when every mans interesses are anothers and the same ingagements common unto all And this Antichrist knowes well enough for hee being set forth most lively under the Type of Antiochus Epiphanes in the 11.th of Daniel his heart is said to be against the holy Covenant vers 28. by and by hee is said to have intelligence with them that forsake the holy Covenant yea and to have indignation against the holy Covenant vers 30. And such as doe wickedly against the Covenant He is said to corrupt by flatteries vers 32. Marke these expressions His heart is against the holy Covenant His very heart riseth at the name of Covenant and Covenanting and Covenanters and those are the most odious people with him in all the world Yea he hath indignation against the holy Covenant Hee could teare it in his teeth the very gall of bitternesse riseth in him at it And with whom hath he intelligence but with them that forsake it They are his Counsellours that either fall off from the Covenant or are learned to declaime and raile against it And such as doe wickedly against the Covenant he corrupteth by flatteries If there be any who are more malicious then others against the Covenant and the Covenanters who will goe about to breake the League to raise Armes to hatch Treasons to confound Kingdomes Common-wealths and Parliaments and to bring all things into combustion that he may fish in troubled waters O these are his white boyes these he smooths and stroakes and flatters these shall have Prebendaries Bishopticks Cardinals Caps and great preferments c. And no marvaile for these Covenanters