unto them They in their pride lift up themselves and magnifie themselves against the Saints as if they were a company of silly weak men they doe not know that they are the people of the Lord of Hosts therefore God threatens there that he will be terrible unto them And thus you have the Relation of the Church to God revealing himselfe in this name The Lord of Hosts yet marke further the Relation that God hath to them in this his name As 1. The Lord of Hosts is the portion of his Church Jer. 10. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them hee is the former of all things The Lord of Hosts is his name Wherefore if there be any thing in The Lord of Hosts that can doe them good they may challenge it for God The Lord of Hosts is their portion they may make use of all that is in him for their good 2. Hs is their Redeemer That you have in the Text Our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord undertakes the redeeming of his people under this title of his on purpose that the multitude the greatnesse the fury of their enemies might not daunt them Your Redeemer is not one that cannot save he is The Lord of Hosts and one you may certainly confide in for he is The holy One of Israel 3. He is the pleader yea the through pleader of the cause of his people Jer. 50. 34. Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon God hath begun to plead the cause of his people already and hee hath shewne himselfe The Lord of Hosts in it but hee hath not yet throughly pleaded their cause as he meanes to doe when he shall doe that he will then give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon This work will cost the inhabitants of Babylon deare they were never so disquieted amongst us as they are at this day They have troubled the Saints and God now troubles them but will yet disquiet them more although they thinke to defend themselves by gathering Armies yet the Lord of Hosts shall disquiet them and give rest to his people There remaines yet a rest for the people of God even in this world 4. The Lord of Hosts is the Husband of his Church and this is the most neare and sweet relation of all Esa 54. 4 5 6. Feare not c. For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken grieved in spirit when thou wast refused saith thy God Alas saith the Church I am a poore desolate widow a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit every one neglects me I am rejected of all Well sayes God I took thee when thou wert thus forsaken to be my Spouse I have marryed thee to my selfe therefore now feare not I am the Lord of Hosts the God of the whole earth Surely a Generall if he hath the heart of a man in him he will fight for his Spouse he will not suffer his Spouse to be ravished before his eyes What sayes Ahasuerus concerning Haman Will he force the Queen before my face Vile men are risen up and they seeke to ravish the Church the Spouse of the Lord of Hosts and do you think he will suffer this before his face Shall not all the Armies in heaven and earth rather come together and fight for her deliverance Now then if all these things be thus we have cause then to quiet our hearts in the midst of all our fears and distractions to stand still and see the salvation of God the salvation that this Lord of Hosts is working for us This is the businesse that I have been endeavouring to enlarge before you the object of your faith and to lessen the object of your feare Surely if the Lord of Hosts hath such a relation to his Church and the Church such a relation to him he cannot but be exceedingly provoked against any that shall meddle with his Church to doe it hurt I will give you one notable expression of his anger against such Esa 3. 15. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poore saith the Lord of Hosts God here speaks angerly What am I the Lord of Hosts and will you offer this What mean you As when we flie upon a man in anger whom we see doth things to our prejudice or the prejudice of any neer to us in an absurd maner we say What doe you mean to do thus what are you mad Doe you know what you doe Doe you know who they are you thus abuse From all these gracious expressions of this Lord of Hosts to the comfort and encouragement of his people the result is that in the 8. of Esay 12 13. Say not A confederacy to them that say A confederacy oh many of their forces are joyned together feare not their feare but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himselfe and let him be your feare and let him be your dread The Name of God is a strong Antidote to drive feare out of the hearts of the weakest Upon what we have seene in this title of God we may well say to the fearful in heart be strong feare not as we have it Isa 35. 4. Let women and all such as are naturally feareful take heed of sinfull feare The fearfulnesse of women hanging about their Husbands and children and friends crying out when they should goe forth in this service and going up and down wringing their hands and making dolefull outcries may do abundance of hurt exceedingly hinder the work that the Lord hath now in hand Let women take heed they be not hindrances but let them learne to exercise faith and take spirit to themselves that they may further their Husbands children and friends in this work of the Lord of Hosts Marke that Scripture 1 Pet. 3. 6. Yee are the daughters of Sarah so long as you do well and be not afraid with any amazement Yee would all willingly be accounted the daughters of Sarah Observe how the holy Ghost puts it upon this that you be not afraid with any amazement it may be nature may cause some feare but grace must keepe it that it be not with any amazement Why is it thus put upon this As Abraham is most commended for his faith and so by beleeving wee are the children of Abraham so it seemes Sarah his wife in those difficulties that Abrabam went through she was no hinderance but a furtherance to him she did not cry out to him Why will you leave your fathers house and all your kindred and go up and downe in a strange country in the middest of dangers and many straits no but shee rather was a helpe to him and an encourager of him so saies Peter who speaking to Christians who lived in troublesome and dangerous
Author thereof John White The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts ESAY 47. 4. The Lord of Hosts is his Name IN this Chapter wee have Gods mercie to his Church threatning the destruction of Babylon When Babylon is used as Gods rod it is then cast into the fire If Israel when God was about to deliver from Babylonish Captivity should aske the Question that Moses thought would be asked upon his sending to be their Deliverer from the Egyptian bondage What is his Name Exod. 13. 3. The Prophet answers here The Lord of Hosts is his Name There his Name was I am Here it is The Lord of Hosts And if they should say But how can this deliverance be here Can Babylon bee destroyed Babylon is strong who shall bring downe her power Yes there is one can doe it The Lord our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his Name Here then we have this glorious title of the Lord for the comfort of his people in their distresse and the terrour of their enemies in their pride The Lord of Hosts The Lord of Armies The English word Hosts is from the Latine Hostis because an Army is either for defence or offence against enemies The Redeemer of Gods people is the Lord of Hosts The work then I have to do in this Sermon is to teach you how to sanctifie the Name of the Lord in this his glorious title The Lord of Hosts It is the duty of the Saints to observe what the way of God is in the times of their generation To see what name of God is most conspicuous in his administration accordingly to sanctifie that Name of his We may say of this Name of God The Lord of Hosts as God himselfe sayes of his Name Jehovah Exod. 6. 3. By my Name Jehovah was I not known to them So by this name The Lord of Hosts God hath scarce been known to us here in England but now he appears to us by this name in a glorious way And we shall not know how to sanctifie it except wee search into it to see how much of Gods glory there is in it which we shall find much more then at first view seems to be then most of us have ever thought All Gods titles are full of excellencie The excellencie of this I shall open unto you that this Name of God may not be taken in vain by you but be sanctified as it is worthy It is a title that God hath heretofore delighted much yea gloryed much in we find it not lesse then two hundred times in the Old Testament and most frequently in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 1. ver 3. we have it three times in one verse and in one short Chapter Zech. 8. we have it there eighteene times But why is it used so frequently in that Prophecie more then others Because the scope of that Prophecie was to encourage the people of God in building up Ierusalem and the Temple in which work they had many enemies and therefore they had need of a spirit of magnanimity and fortitude in it Hence it was the Lord revealed himselfe to them so much by the name of The Lord of Hosts Times of Reformation Temple-work usually meets with much with strong opposition We had need therefore to have this name of God in our eye and sanctifie it in our hearts in such times while such work is on foot It is true God did this work without bloud-shed it was done not by power or by might but by the Spirit of the Lord as we have it Zech. 4. 6. but because the work was such as in regard of second causes needed an Army to effect it although God did it himselfe yet his Name was to be sanctified in it as the Lord of Hosts In the New Testament we seldome find this title it is but twice that I remember in all the New Testament and in one of those two places it is quoted out of the Old Testament Rom. 9. 29. There the Hebrew word is retained The Lord of Sabbaoth not of Sabbath as many take it There is a great difference between these two The Lord of Sabbath and The Lord of Sabbaoth The one is the Lord of rest the other is the Lord of Hosts those words come from a different root in the Hebrew The second place is James 5. 4. and there you have not the English word Hosts but the Hebrew word Sabbaoth likewise In the New Testament we have Gods Titles fuller of sweetnesse and grace as The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The God of all consolation The Father of mercies The God of peace c. The more cause have we to be humbled who live in the times of the Gospel and yet are come to such times wherein God hath changed as it were his name and even in the times of the Gospel appears to us in this dreadfull name of his The Lord of Hosts This Title is in it selfe a very fearfull one and yet before we have done with it we shall find it like that name of Christ Cant. 1. 3. Thy name is as an ointment poured forth a sweet refreshing pleasant ointment In the 2. of Sam. Chap. 6. ver 2. the Lord speaks of this name of his set between the Cherubims Whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubims Now you know the Mercy-seat was between the Cherubims and that which I shall endeavour this day is To shew you this name of the Lord of Hosts written upon the mercy-seat between the Cherubims Although it be dreadfull in it selfe yet all Gods Saints shall have it this day presented to them from the mercie-seat A name as full of goodnesse and mercy as our hearts can desire We have already seen in this Kingdom the Lord of Hosts upon his Mercy-seat making this his dreadfull title to be amiable and lovely to us from thence dispensing grace and abundance of mercy in the manifestation of this his glorious title It is comfortable to behold the Lord of Hosts sitting upon his Mercy-seat and thus am I to present him this day unto you Now God is called The Lord of Hosts in two respects First because all creatures in heaven and in earth are his armies He is the absolute great Lord over them all The Angels Sunne Moon Stars the Dragons the Deeps the Fire Haile Snow Wind the Mountains Trees Cedars the Beasts and all creeping things the flying Fowles the Kings of the earth and all people are the Hosts of the Lord. Psal 148. ver 2. c. Secondly in regard of that speciall providence of God in the great affaires of wars and battels in the world It is true the providence of God is over the least things in the world but God challengeth a more speciall and peculiar ackowledgment of his work of Providence about War-like affaires in regard whereof he takes this title to himselfe The Lord of Hosts If I should
malice and rage against us yea against Christ himselfe and his Saints 13. The spirit of valour and courage is also from this Lord of Hosts When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson Gideon and others of the Worthies of the Lord what great things did they Heb. 11. 33 34. Who through faith subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouthes of Lyons out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in sight turned to slight the Armies of the Aliens It was through faith they were enabled to doe all this faith fetcht valour and courage from this Lord of Hosts Hag. 1. 14. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of Joshua and the spirit of all the Remnant of the people and they came and did worke in the house of the Lord of Hosts their God It was a warlike spirit to resist their enemies to encounter with dangers God hath stirred up a spirit in many of our Nobles in our Worthies of Parliament in some of our people if a spirit were now stirred up in the remnant of our people our worke would soone bee at an end It were the unworthiest yea the most horrible thing that ever was in this world that now people should forsake Nobility those they have chosen in Parliament and Ministers who have had a spirit to stand up for God and their liberties Oh that a spirit of indignation would arise in the whole Kingdome that they may not suffer themselves to be baffled out of their Religion their Liberties their estates by a generation of vile men that are risen up amongst us Zac. 10. 3 5. The Lord of Hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battel They shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battel It seems they presumed to come into their towns and Cities therefore sayes the Text They shall tread them down us mire in the streets They are vile and therefore to be trodden down as mire in the streets The spirits of those that seem to be the greatest terror amongst us are mean and base What worthy thing have they ever done have they ever stood before those that opposed them All their valour is in going up and down to Countrey houses in a poore unworthy manner pillaging and pilfring A spirit in people raised by God would scorne to be brought under by men of such spirits as these Further as God gives a spirit of courage so he takes it away when he pleases Is 19. 16. And in that day shall Egypt be like unto women and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of Hosts which he shaketh over it and the land of Judah shal be a terror unto Egypt every one that maketh mention thereof shal be afraid in himself because of the counsell of the Lord of Hosts It may be they will not confesse that they are afraid but may make their boast as if they had got the better but marke the words every one shall be afraid in himself If we could look into their bosoms we should see blacknes tremblings the terror of the Lord upon them Ps 76. 5 The stout hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep none of the men of might have found their hands at thy rebuke O Lord the horse chariot are cast into a dead sleep and v. 12. He shal cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth he shall wipe them off as a man will doe a flower between his fingers or as easily as a bunch of grapes is cut off from the vine 14. The Lord of Hosts hath the absolute power over all weapons in battel to let them prosper or not prosper as he pleaseth This is beyond all the Generals in the world Isay 54. 17. No weapons formed against thee shall prosper If any shal say This is a speciall promise to them at that time mark what follows This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord This that is this promise of the Lord is the inheritance of his servants Now we of late have had the benefit of this our inheritance the last Lords day fortnight we did inherit this promise when there were 17. Canons discharged from the Adversary and not one man slain by them How was this made good that no weapon formed against thee shall prosper The adversary was enraged at this they said they thought the devil was in the powder No it was God that was there fulfilling this promise of his to his servants 15. All the successe in battels is from the Lord of Hosts It is not in men nor ammunition nor in advantages Eccles 9. 11. The battel is not to the strong A horse is but a vaine thing for safety Psal 33. 17. Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Hab. 2. 13. Yea lastly the whole battel is the Lords when it is a just cause 1 Sam. 17. 47. The battel is the Lords Now you see what the Scripture saith about Gods providence in battel You have the summe presented here together in which is a full and strong encouragement to those who fight the battels of the Lord. Now if the Question be asked Why doth the Lord thus work in Armies The Answer is 1. Because the lives of men are precious to him In them multitudes of creatures are cast for their eternall estates If not a sparrow not a haire from the head falls to the ground without providence much lesse the life of a creature appointed for eternity 2. Because of the great things of consequence that depend upon War the mighty turnes of Nations and changes of Kingdoms depend upon them But how comes it to passe seeing God is thus The Lord of Hosts that yet the adversaries of Gods people doe often prevaile in battel 1. It is for the chastisement of his people Ashur is made sometimes the rod of Gods anger Jer. 12. 7. I have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of her enemies She is the dearly beloved of Gods soule yet she is given into the hands of her enemies We must not judge by the present prevailing that God loves those who have the day and hath rejected those who seeme to have the worst God sometimes for chastisement brings the worst of men upon them Ezek. 7. 24. I will bring the worst of the heathen and they shall possesse their houses The Lord hath raised up against us many that are the worst the vilest upon the face of the earth and they have possessed the houses of many of his Saints the dearly beloved of Gods soule We use to take the vilest the worst of men to be Hangmen the worst rags and clouts to scoure withall It is an argument that we are very foule
see them to bee of the same mould wee are of God hath not revealed from heaven by his Prophets that this or that family must be so much above others rather then other families That then that now makes the difference between man and man is from men setting up this family rather then another or this person rather then another but is it possible to conceive that any Common-wealth should set up any to their owne ruine Were it that men kept in due order or that when the most abominable injustice and violence that is offered men did not presume so audaciously to make use of the name of the King these reasonings would never bee occasioned in mens hearts woe therefore to them by whom such dangerous offences come The Lord deliver us and the Lord deliver His Majesty from these men and such fearefull scandals as they cast upon him How dangerous a temptation is this to Princes to have such an apprehension infused into them whatsoever they doe whatsoever spoile of Kingdomes they make and violence they offer they shall still enjoy what they had and be acknowledged as they were That Land is in a sad condition where these thoughts are applyable to the Prince thereof and lie boiling in the hearts of the people For our parts we desire as long as ever we are able to charge onelie even in our very hearts the actors of all the violence and spoile amongst us and our brethren in Ireland as the Authors of it and therefore we judge it is the best service we can doe for the King to deliver him from these mischievous men that his throne being established in righteousnesse his Crown may slourish upon him and his posterity These things I have spoken out of conscience of my duty to God and to the Kingdome knowing that if some do not open these things as they are able to satisfie the ignorant and doubting and erroneous consciences of many they will he found guilty of betraying themselves their brethren their posterities their religion and liberties Now having endeavoured to cleare that what wee doe we doe by commission from the Lord of Hosts the way is cleare to fetch soul-staying supporting satisfying comfort from this glorious Name of God It is not more glorious then comfortable to the Church of God Surely we need not feare wars strength of enemies roaring of Canons clattering of weapons beating of drums neighing of horses so long as God our God is the Lord of Hosts Now I come to what I promised to shew you this name of God written upon the Mercy-seat Xerxes used to pitch his tent on high and stand looking upon his Army when they were in fight to encourage them This our great Generall stands on high looking upon his people in their battels let them looke up to him and there is encouragement enough to fill any heart in the world This Title is an exceeding vast treasurie of comfort and encouragement Deut. 30. 3 4. Heare O Israel you approach this day to battell against your enemies let not your hearts faint feare not do not tremble neither be terrified Observe the variety of expressions Faint not Feare not Tremble not Be not terrified Why For the Lord your God is he that goeth with you to fight for you If so much encouragement meerly from Gods going with us to fight for us what is there from all those severall workings of God in battels which this Lord of Hosts is pleased to declare himselfe in Psal 46. 7. The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge and ver 10. Be still and know that I am God I will be exalted and again I will be exalted Quiet your hearts in this If any distracting sinking discouraging thoughts arise in your hearts still them all with this And therefore ver 11. in the next words he repeats that againe The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge Luther was wont in sad tumultuous times to say to those about him Come let us sing the 46. Psal It is a Psalm most sutable for these times to be sung often Isa 51. 12. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man Surely thou doest not know what thy priviledge is thou knowest not what interest thou hast in the Lord of Hosts that thou art afraid of a man that must die wherefore it follows v. 15. I am the Lord thy God that divided the sea The Lord of Hosts is his Name But you will say Ah! if we knew indeed that the Lord of Hosts were ours that he were with us then we might well comfort our selves in these times of wars but that is all the question to us for want of the assurance of that our hearts are troubled First Though you doe not know certainly that you have any speciall interest in him yet it is a great comfort to know that all things in wars are carryed on by him yea though he were a meere stranger to you and you to him as suppose you were sure there should be nothing done in all these stirs about wars but by the will of the most wise the most holy and most mercifull man in the world that hath all the holinesse all the wisdome all the mercy that all the men in the world ever had although this man were a stranger to you you never saw his face in your life yet would it not be a stay and comfort to your hearts to heare that all things were committed to the dispose of this man and not a stroke struck nor any hurt should come to any but as this man gave out his commissions certainly it would quiet our hearts much but that all is at the dispose of this Lord of Hosts is far better whose holinesse wisdome and justice is infinite although yet we do not know any further of him wee cannot say we have any speciall interest in him Secondly Although you doe not know your interest in this Lord of Hosts yet your hearts may be stayed yea comforted in this that the cause hath a deep interest in the very heart of this Lord of Hosts and therefore that shall prosper howsoever The satisfafaction the soul takes in this is a speciall argument of interest in this God Thirdly Yet further I will tell you how you shall know whether you have any speciall interest in this Lord of Hosts or not from that Scripture Psal 84. 3. O Lord of Hosts my King and my God Here are these two Lord of Hosts and my God Now all the question is about the Copula that which joynes these two together there you have it my King that is set betweene them if then you can say O Lord of Hosts my King you neede not staie there but may confidentlie goe further to the other my God If you can out of the uprightnesse of your hearts say O Lord thou knowest the desires of our Soules are that thou mayest rule over us O when shall
that were few in number that went from one countrey to another them for whose sakes Kings were reproved he said that these anointed ones must not be touched though the Kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones yet God accounts them his anointed ones and will not have them touched but if Kings shall meddle with them to doe them any hurt he will reprove thē for their sakes You may see how God reproved that King Nebuchadnezar for their sakes Jer. 50. 17. This Nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones observe the expression This Nebuchadnezar he makes but a This of Nebuchadnezar a great King when he comes to reprove him for the sake of his anointed ones and mark further how the reproofe is when their inheritance is but touched Jer. 12. 17. Thus saith the Lord against all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance c. Behold I will pluck them out of the Land If they do but touch my peoples inheritance I will pluck them out of the Land And Isa 10. 27. all this care of God over his people is laid upon their anointment The burden shall be taken off their shoulder and the yoake from their neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anointing I suppose now every one that lookes into this Scripture Touch not mine anointed will see that it hath been grosly abused and made to speak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the Holy Ghost But for futher satisfaction consider it is not peculiar to Kings to be anointed It is true they were anointed in the time of the Law but as they were anointed so Priests were anointed Prophets were anointed yea other Magistrates and Captaines of Gods people are called the anointed ones First for Priests Numb 3. 3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron the Priest that were anointed And you know the Prophet Elijah anointed Elisha And Zac. 4. 14. speaking of Zerubbabel and Joshua the text saies these are the anointed of the Lord now then if this meaning could be put upon the words that those which are Gods anointed must not be touched whatsoever they do then Priests and Prophets whatsoever they do must not be touched for they are as truely Gods anointed as Kings are yea Captaines and inferior Magistrates must not be touched because they are Gods anointed also The third thing is the difference between Kings anointing then as David and Solomon and others were and Kings anointing now Then God chose such himselfe by revealing from Heaven that they should be Kings it was the immediate choice of God and then they were upon this submitted to by the people but now the people first agree that such a one shall be King the Kingly power shall be in such a family successively and then God establisheth this choise or agreement There is a great difference between these two First Gods chusing and then the peoples establishing and this the peoples chusing and then Gods establishing There the Kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant but with us it was and so is with others But what if the Kingdom be got by Conquest the right come in that way Those who plead thus for Kings know not what they do in making this plea For if there were no other right neither precedent nor consequent but meerly because such a one was the stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is the strongest at any time he hath right if a stronger then he comes he shall have the right This is no good Divinity nor Polity to plead thus that which subjects my conscience to such a one is the submission upon some compact covenant or agreement This may be when Kings are elective but what will you say concerning Kings that are hereditary Kings that inherit inherit no more then their fathers had and their fathers no more then those before them so that you must come at length to the root to the first who had this Kingly power invested upon him and by whom was he invested with this but by the people and what subjected the consciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family more then another man or another family but only the agreement that passed between this people and such a man or family But there is yet one Objection more out of Scripture We reade that Davids heart smote him but for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment because Saul was Gods Anointed The consequence that follows from hence is cleerly this That no private man in his own cause for so was David then by his own power may seize upon the person of a King in an offensive way especially such a King which had his call immediatly from heaven what further consequence that concerns our busines in hand let any shew from this place that can But is not this a Popish tenet that in case of Religion Subjects may rise up against their King Papists hold and practice against this and for this and beyond this as they see they may serve their own turns in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people yea and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends who have preached up that all is the Kings that his wil is our Law that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed either by doing or suffering Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine so that to question this was dangerous enough yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings is because their being but few they hope to gain some of them at least to them and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth and upholding Popery In gaining one King they gaine almost the whole Kingdome if this King may rule by his absolute power if once he be a Papist then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power it is the Prelates absolute power for if he useth it not as they please they can excommunicate him they can free their Subjects from their allegiance yea being by them excommunicated Marke what follows it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans We take them not in any wise to be man slayers who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother shall happen to kill an excommunicated person This they teach and practice if they doe not gaine them to be full Papists yet if they can by popish matches or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them or remisse in the profession of the truth they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power
they shall doe will be nothing yea they themselves wil be nothing No marvail therefore although they and the Kingdome with them stand for that But what is that It is that the defence of the King Kingdome and Parliament from the danger of the plots attempts of Papists and all Malignants may be put into the hands of those that they may confide in To what purpose are good Laws made To what purpose is a Parl fitting if Papists Prelats Popish and Prelatical men Atheists Delinquents so infinitely discontent whom we had cause enough to fear that they would endeavour to get power that they might disanul all and according to those fears wee see what is come to passe if wee may not have the Militia of the Kingdome that is the onely positive Legall way next to that we have from the Law of Nature to resist such power as would endeavour to undoe all If a man should be bound to pay me such a debt and withall to joyn with me to provide safe means of conveying both my self and money to such a place if this man at the day appointed should pay the debt duly to a farthing but when I tell him of great danger by the way many lye in wait to surprise me and my money and I require of him to joyne with me to afford me such aid as I may goe safely for go I must if he refuseth and will onely consent to such aid as I not without good grounds have cause to suspect to be as dangerous even as those that lie in wait for me yea it may be I can prove that even some principal ones of those he would have for my aid safety are confederate and of the same company with those that lye in wait for me Now I demand what advantage is it to me that the debt is paid me supposing I must go have no other way to help my self but that which he denies to me is it not all one to me as if he had refused to pay the debt Doe you think that good words would be enough to you in such a case if hee should say I le warrant you you may be safe when I know certainly these men are of the company with those who lie in wait for me I have other men by whom I know will be faithfull and can be no prejudice to the other party and I desire him that hee would suffer those to goe along with me for my safety and he refuseth it But howsoever were it not better to harken to peace if possibly there may be wayes of Accommodation Peace is indeed a most lovely and desirable thing we desire with our soules to live in peace God himselfe knows there is nothing that would be more acceptable to us then to serve God the King in waies of peace God forbid but that we should in all our waies shew our selves the children of peace We could make large orations in commendation of peace as well as others yea in the midst of all the clatterings of our Arms and sounds of war-like instruments yet peace is in our eyes and hearts As faithfull Ministers in all the terrible threats they denounce in the name of God against impenitent sinners seeke the true peace of their souls so the true souldier who is faithfull to God and his Countrey although he hath the sword in one hand and fire in the other yet it is with this Motto Sic quaerimus pacem For a full Answer to this Objection I shal first answer meerly as a Divine out of the Scripture and then we may consider what may be said in true wisdome of Politic. For the first The Scripture tels us James 3. 17. The wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable Such an expression did it not come from an Apostle would be scorned by many profane Atheisticall spirits amongst us yea they would accuse James himselfe if they dared for a Puritan for speaking thus The Scripture frequently joynes Peace and truth peace and holinesse peace and righteousnesse grace and peace together We must be sure so to seek peace as we must seek the God of peace the Gospel of peace That were a fearfull peace that should make war between the God of peace and us or deprive us of the Gospel of peace Let us not dis-joyn or disorder the Angels Doxologie Glory be to God on high peace on earth good will towards men So peace on earth as glory may be to God on high and the good will the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this our God towards us Placet ista distributio sayes Bernard this distribution pleaseth me wel that God should have glory we have peace Oh that this Angelical distribution of glory peace might please us all The truth is peace is sweet and those which are thought enemies to it pray a hundred times more to the God of peace for peace then those who plead so much for it Peace is to be purchased at any rate but with the losse of Truth if this be the price of it we buy it too deare We use to say We may buy gold too deare It would be a hard bargaine if the glory of God if the liberty of his Ordinances that now we have an opportunity to enjoy if the most religious party in the Kingdome should be now sacrificed for a supposed peace which upon such terms certainly will not hold long This would make God our enemie not only because his glory truth Saints are dear unto him but because those who are most religious have stuck most to the Parliament they have ventured their estates their lives their children their servants for the safety of King Kingdome and Parl. Never was Parl. so engaged to any party in England as they are engaged to these now Therefore it were the most horrible injustice that ever was in the world if the Parl. should leave them yea sacrifice them to their adversaries only to provide for a false uncertain dishonourable peace for themselves and others It cannot be imagined that such a thought could enter into them God would never suffer such injustice as this to passe this world without the expressions of his high indignation against it And in way of true wisdome of civill polity these foure things must be considered of 1. How far treaties may be advantagious to the adversaries We read Dan. 8. 25. that through peace many should be destroyed Under the name of peace there may be fomented the most bloody cruell war that ever England hath knowne Many people when they hear of the word Peace they are so pleased that they run away with that not knowing what bloody cruel designes may lye under it and be promoted by it and they think that if some follow not the treaty presently though upon never so great disadvantage it is because they are bloody and love war whereas in truth it is that they might prevent
he had rather live in the Countrey bring up his cattell and be quiet though he payes great taxes and be brought to be very servile yet that he may not be troubled his spirit can beare that servility let who will minde great things he loves to be quiet This was a low poore spirit and his posterity were for the generall very unworthy and vile For you shall finde in the division of the Land of Canaan that Issachars lot fell in Galile Josh 19. from the 18. ver to the 23. The description of their lot there from the cities as Jesreel the first and the out-goings of their border were at Jordan shews Galile was their place Now you know what was said of that place Doth any good come out of Galile usually it is so the posterity of men of servile spirits are vile and lewd 5. Difficulties are so far from disheartning men of courage that they raise their spirits They love a busines the better when they hear some difficulty is to bee passed through as Alexander said when he met with a great danger here is periculum par animo Alexandri Here is a danger fit for the spirit of an Alexander The example of David in this case is very remarkable in 1 Sam. 18. When Sauls servants told David that he might be the Kings sonne in law David was troubled at it and did not seeme to entertain the motion ver 22 23. but when they after told him of the termes upon which he should have this honour put upon him that it was to bring an hundred of the foreskins of the Philistims ver 25. which was a work of difficulty and hazard for on Sauls part it was propounded on purpose to be a snare to him for so sayes the Text Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistims now marke ver 26. when Sauls servants told David these things it pleased David well to be the Kings sonne in law that which he seemed to be troubled at when it was propounded absolutely that he is well pleased with when it is propounded with such a condition as had some difficulty in it wherby he had an opportunity to shew forth the excellencie of his spirit A base low spirit would have beene better pleased with it to have had such a thing without any such condition It is reported of the Lyon that such is his spirit as if he meetes with a prey that another hath killed before he will not meddle with it but he will seeke for one to kil himselfe if it be done to his hand as wee say he cares not for it but he will have one that shall be his own that he must doe something himselfe for it or else it pleaseth him not 6. A spirit of courage and true valour is not onely able to suffer willing to suffer raised by sufferings but can rejoyce triumph glory in sufferings account sufferings in a good cause great riches When we sit at home by our fire sides and have our tables furnished with varietie of dishes and goe to our soft beds and have the curtains drawne close we pitty poore souldiers that now lye abroad in the stormes upon cold earth who drinke water and often want bread yea many that might have fulnesse enough at home but that warlike spirit of theirs is above these things they can rejoyce in their hardships as much as you in all your abundance They think their lives more comfortable then yours because they are in service for the publique they have opportunity to doe worthily in their generations and you what do you doe you sit at home and have your ease and pamper your selves and doe nothing they would not by any meanes live your lives A true souldier like spirit is in his true element when he is in the midst of all the hardships of warres he loves to live and dye in such a condition Thus the Apostle a true souldier of Christ Rom. 5. 2. We glory in tribulations Moses accounted the reproach of Christ greater riches then all the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. 27. Ignatius hath this expression He had rather be a Martyr then a Monarch When he heard his bones crash between the wilde beasts teeth Now sayes he I begin to be a Christian Cruaelitas vestra est gloria nostra sayes Tertullian to the persecutors Your cruelty is our glory Many of the Martyrs prepared themselves for their sufferings as Brides use to prepare themselves for their Bridegroomes with joy and gladnesse of heart The wounds they receive in the cause of Christ have more glory issue forth from them then blood they are an ornament to them they put a beauty upon them They account it far better to lose for God then to enjoy for themselves that part of their estates they part with in a good cause they account the best part of their estates they account themselves more rich in that then in what they still retaine Heb. 10. 34. They take joyfully the spoiling of their goods The reason of all is because their spirits are raised above creature-comforts their happinesse consists not in them they are not beholding to them for their peace and joy they can finde matter of joy in the parting with them as well as in the having them through that divine principle of holinesse that God hath put into them 8. A spirit of true courage hath all its fears swallowed up in the fear of God it hath learned to feare nothing but God and in order to God it sets the fear of God against all other fears One man fears poverty but I fear the God of heaven another fears reproach but I fear the God of heaven another imprisonment but I fear the God of heaven another death but I the God of heaven It sanctifies this Lord of Hosts and makes him to be the fear and the dread of it onely Cornelius the Souldier the Centurion of the Italian band is commended for his feare of God Act. 10. 2. a strange commendation of a souldier to be commended for feare yes for the feare of God This drives out all base fears by this he comes to fear nothing else but to be feared by his enemies 9. He reserves all his valour for this Lord of Hosts he hath no valour at all for sin there he is very fearfull his heart shakes at the very temptation to it and at the first risings of it there he seems to a worldling to be a very coward Other men have spirit valour enough for sin if we may call it valour but none for God This mans valour is all for God in his owne cause he is very flexible he manifests little spirit but when the cause is Gods then his heart rises there you may try him many people have passionate gunpowder spirits soon on fire in their own cause If they be crossed in their wils oh how resolute are they They will and they will they care not they care not what
Host of heaven and yet God suffers the enemie to prevaile against that Host and is pleased to magnifie his mercy to ours to give them so great a deliverance yea so to prevaile against that as to cast down some of the Host and of the starres down to the ground and to stamp upon them He prevailes as if now he had power over the heavens to pull down the starres and to stamp upon them The more eminent any are the more is he enraged if they be starres in this heaven if he can get to them he puls them down and stamps upon them Oh the rage of our adversaries against the most eminent Ministers of our Kingdome They stamp for anger that they have them not and if they had them how would they stamp then That which one Antiochus did there many Atheists and Papists would gladly doe amongst us if they had power but this Lord of Hosts delivers us in mercie from them yea ver 11. He magnifies himselfe even to the Prince of the Host to this Lord of hosts he sets himselfe against him Oh! what rage even against God himselfe what horrid blasphemies are there against this Prince of the Host of his people but although he doth magnifie himselfe and blaspheme surely he can never prevaile against the Prince of this Host yes he is suffered for the present to take away the daily Sacrifice and to cast down the place of his Sanctuary and ver 12. An Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression and cast it down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered upon which the people of God were exceedingly troubled ver 13. One Saint speakes to another Saint asking this question with hearts full of sorrow enough God knowes How long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be troden under foote Here you see that for any to set himselfe against Gods worship is to set himselfe against God himselfe proud malicious adversaries especially aime at this and God here suffered the adversary to prevaile even against this God proceedes against his people for their transgression an Host comes upon them yea the Text sayes if we observe it that an Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression Antiochus had never been able to raise such an Host had it not beene for the transgressions of Gods people yea so far was God provoked with the transgression of his people as that hee suffered this Host raised against them to cast downe the truth to the ground to practise and to prosper We have cause to lay our hands upon our hearts to acknowledge our transgressions as great as any they were charged with and yet although God hath thus far chastised us as to raise an Host against us yea such a one so many of them being Papists and such horrid blasphemers as we have cause enough to feare they would take away the daily Sacrifice and cast down so much of the Sanctuary as is built up already and even cast down the truth to the ground but oh the riches of the infinite goodnesse of our gracious God! he hath not suffered them he hath turned the rage of man to his praise hee hath wrought gloriously for us he hath delivered us out of their power although many of our brethren suffer hard things we may yet have the daily Sacrifice and the Sanctuary that is the true worship of God amongst us if we will yet the truth is preached in our Congregations it is held forth in the beauty and excellencie of it it is not cast down to the ground they indeed have practised but through Gods mercy to us they have not prospered this is of the Lord of Hosts let this glorious name of his bee magnified by us for ever Yea yet further for the setting out mercie to us that glory may be given to this Lord of Hosts Consider what the Holy Ghost sayes ver 23 24 25. of this 8. Chap. concerning Gods taking advantage against his people for their sins which hee hath not done against us as it appeares this day When the transgressors are come to the full a King of fierce countenance one of an extream bold daring spirit a Prince that will venture upon such desperate things as few Princes in the world would dare to venture upon the like if any of his Nobles or others come before him and speake any thing to him not agreeable to his designes he lookes with a fierce countenance upon them his countenance shewing the extreame fiercenesse of his spirit Hence it was that his name was changed from Epiphanes to Epimanes for his fierce cruelty but beside his fiercenesse he shall carry things subtilly too he shall be one that understands dark sentences by his wit and subtilty and by the help of those about him he shall make such expositions of darke things as a man would wonder at it no man could have thought that such things could have beene pickt out of passages as he shall pick up and by this he shall bee able to put such a colour upon the foulest things as they shall appeare very specious to many And his power likewise shall be mighty God will suffer him to grow to a great strength but not by his own power so sayes the Text although you could not see how he could raise any such power of his own yet he shall have a great power he shall have money Ammunition strength from forreigne Princes or as some would have it God himselfe shall give power to him beyond what he hath of his own Surely if the power against the Church be Gods rather then the adversaries own then the power for deliverance of the Church must be acknowledged to bee Gods rather then our own but I rather take the former sense to be the intent of the Holy Ghost in that place It follows he shall prosper and practise he shall not be alwayes consulting demurring delaying but he shall bee doing and thereby he shall prosper The word is faciet he shall doe something The prosperous successe of war depends much upon action Alexander was asked How he did so great things in so little a time He answered By neglecting no advantage I have read of Charles the sonne of Charles Duke of Anjou who was King of Sicily and Jerusalem he was called Carolus Cunctator that is Charles the Delayer but not in that sense that Fabius who was the Shield of Rome in his time he was called likewise Cunctator but that was because he used to stay till opportunity came but the other used to stay till opportunity was lost Antiochus was no such Cunctator stayer till opportunity was lost he practised and so prospered and because he prospered therefore he stil further practised But when he saw delaying and gaining time might advantage him then hee would seek to put off and spin