at the Altar with Prayers in our mouthes Have not many Souldiers who are out of this life departed fighting and dying in their owne blood cryed aloud in the ears of God and shall we be silent who are left as yet alive after them Shall not we Pray for the Churches Peace who living in the bosome of the Church have had our lives given us for a Prey in this time of War Can we be so senselesse carelesse both of our own and others present calamitou Condition That would not only be laid to our charge as a Sinne but also redound to our great Shame in succeeding Ages even from all posterity Loe this is a duty which we owe unto the Church our Mother and she may justly claime it at our hands The word here Pray in our Text is rendred by some orate and by others rogate but the word in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which being translated is postulate The Hebrew Radix is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth Rogavit Quaesivit precibus impetravit impetrare est quod petitur obtinere in petione effectum habere That is to importune God uncessantly and never to give him over by our Prayers untill he be intreated of us that the Church enjoyeth her Peace Behold our gracious God willingly accepteth uncessant Suters and also dearly loveth importunate Petitioners Yea the more earnestly he is desired of us the more sweetly he is delighted in us And therefore men of Israel helpe helpe with your Prayers Psal 121.2 for our helpe standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth So that it is He and onely He that can preserve the Churches Peace from disturbers Oh then let us flye and that speedily to the Lord of Hosts and importunately implore his assistance Let us be earnest suters to heaven and desire the Almighty to command his Angell to pitch his tents about his Church And for the preservation of her Peace Zecha 2.5 that his providence may be as a wall of fire round about her to surround and incircle her from the insurrection of wicked doers And thus whilst others digge out of the bowels of the earth powder and shot for our destruction let us fetch our Ammunition from Heaven let us looke up to the hils above and to the heavens above them from whence commeth our help Yea let us all resolve with holy David Psal 44.6.7 O Lord we will not trust in our bow it is not our sword that can helpe us but it is thou that savest us from our enemies and puttest them to confusion that rise up against us Vnto thee therefore do we lift up our eyes Psal 123.1 O thou that dwellest in the heavens O Pray for the Peace c. And now by the way of a necessary digression we are to pray not onely for the Church in generall but also for our selves in particular Art thou fallen into any sinne Then pray that thou maist recover thy foote out of the snarne of the Devil Doest thou stand upright in thine integrity Then Pray that thou maiest not be led into Temptation And thus upon every occasion we should repaire unto the Throne of grace to finde grace and helpe in the time of need that so we may have a speedy supply of assistance from heaven against all our infirmities At which Throne of grace our faithfull and fervent prayers will find acceptance and will be so prevalent both for our selves and others that we shall grow in the strength thereof from one degree of grace unto another untill we become perfect members in Jesus Christ And therefore let us not cease to pray particularly for our Selves and generally for the Peace of the Church O Pray for the Peace c. Reprehension Vse 3 TO reprove all those persons that doe not pray for the Peace of the Church My Charitable censure of this Congregation is that there are no such persons present here But if there be any then to them I say Oh Ungratious Children what are ye utterly void of all humanity Are ye stupified and become altogether senselesse of your Mother the Churches callamity Are ye wholly deprived of all naturall affection Is your Mother in misery and can ye not mourne for her Is Shee in adversity and can ye not pitty her Is she in distresse and can ye not pray for her Unto whom shall I compare you but unto that Widdow of whom S. Paul speaketh to Timothy who living in pleasure 1 Tim. 5.6 is dead whilst she liveth Or to the Angel of the Church of Sardis of whom the blessed Spirit of God saith Rev. 3.1 Thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead Loe thus such persons are frozen in the dregges of their owne impieties and will not suffer the heat of Gods blessed Spirit to enter into their hearts to dissolve them Whereby their hearts might relent and their bowels of Compassion yerne within them towards the distressed Church which they professe to be their Mother Oh how justly are those unnaturall Children to be reprehended Let therefore all such persons be ashamed for their neglect herein for the time that is past and make it their practice to pray for the Churches Peace for the time to come O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Consolation Vse 4 TO Comfort the hearts of all those persons that have conscionably performed this Christian duty of praying for the Peace of the Church for their reward is with God The God of the true Church for whose Peace thou hast prayed and whom thou hast greatly pittied when she was like a Lily amongst the Thornes will one day imbrace thee in the armes of his mercy And thou shalt see the Church in her perfect beauty and shalt with her from God receive a Crowne of immortall glory And therefore comfort thy selfe for having done the worke thou shalt be sure to have thy wages not as deserving any thing that is good at the hand of God but onely proceeding from Him ex merâ gratiâ having laboured faithfully by fervent prayer to procure the peace of the Church militant here upon earth Thou shalt be sure to reigne with her when she shall be gloriously Tryumphant in heaven Where all tears shall be wiped from her eyes and she shall sing Hallelujah Praise Rev. 5.13 and Honour and Glory and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for evermore And thus much for the exhortary Christian Religious Duty set downe in this word Pray O Pray for the Peace c. From which word you may remember the Doctrine Prayer to God is the onely salve to cure calamity and to continue the favour of God unto his people And now let us come to the next considerable in our Text viz. the Subject of this Duty set downe in the word Peace From which word you may remember the Doctrine Doct. Peace is a pretious blessing
The LORD is a man of Warre his name is Jehovah c. Deborah Iudg. 5.1 2 3 4 5 6. Barak the sonne of Abinoam sang a song of Praise for the peoples Victory Hannah 1 Sam. 2.1 praised God for her sonne Samuell It was S. Phil. 4.6 Pauls Exhortation to his Philippians that they should be Thankfull unto God And also to his Colossians Col. 2.6 7 that they should abound with Thanksgiving Thus Raguell praised God for the preservation of Tobias life Tob. 8.15 O God said he thou art worthy to be praised with all pure and holy praise therefore let thy Saints praise thee with all thy Creatures and let all thine Angels and thine Elect praise thee for ever It was the desire of wicked Balaam to have the Righteous mans Death Num. 23.10 But he would not live the Righteous mans life If therefore we desire to be happy with the Saints at our Death Let us endeavour to imitate them in our Life And one way whereof must be by being thankfull to God for his Blessings received Holy Davids thankfull heart unto God makes it his Quaerie Quid retribuam Domino What shall I give unto the Lord Psal 116.11 12. for all the benefits he hath done unto me I will receive the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Yea the serious consideration of Gods Blessings caused David to stir up his owne soule to be thankefull unto God when he said Praise the Lord O my soule Psal 103.2 and forget not all his benefits And the same Princely Prophet foure times in one Psalme heartily wisheth that the people would praise the Lord and set forth his loving kindnesse to the world Psal 107.8 15 21 31. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Our Thankfulnesse to God ought to be testified as far as Mortals may in a threefold duty In Corde In Affectione In Lingua In Professione In Vita In Actione In Affection Profession and in Action Cordially Verbally and Visibly 1. Thankefulnesse in Affection is when willingly we accept the Benefit and heartily think our selves indebted for it 2. Thankfulnesse in Profession is when we make publication of a benefit received to the praise of the Giver 3. Thankfulnesse in Action is when the party receiving a gift doth expresse a reality of gratitude gratifying thereby the Donor to the uttermost of his power So that our reall thankfulnesse must be by a constant cordiall and universall obedience to Gods commandements It should therefore be the care of every one who would be truly Thankefull to be the same all these three wayes viz. In Heart in Mouth and in Life Let us therefore call to mind my beloved Brethren how many Bonds of Thankfulnesse the Lord hath bound us in And also consider with our selves it was onely his free mercy towards us that we had not beene those children that were ripped out of their Mothers bellies 2 King 8.12 Or those young men that perished in the Battell Judg. 9. Or those women that ate their Babes to preserve their lives 2 King 6.29 Or that we were not Infidels Pagans Papists Atheists or Hereticks So that we may comfortably say with the Prophet David He hath not dealt so with every Nation Psal 147. ult Let therefore evermore the Praises of God be in our Hearts the Word of God in our Mouthes and the Gospel of Christ in our Lives And by how much the more we have tasted of the Lords Goodnesse above others so much the more let him tast of our Thankfulnesse above others And let us all in Gods feare pray continually for the Peace of England and the flourishing estate of this Church and Common-wealth wherein we live Use the meanes to keep it refuse the way to lose it and long yea for ever may they prosper that love it O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Thus much for the Subject of this Duty being the Third Considerable in our Text set downe in this word Peace From whence you may remember the Doctrine Doct. Peace is a pretious blessing of God well deserving the prayers of his faithfull servants And now let us come to the last Considerable in our Text viz. the Object of this Subject set down in the last word of our Text Jerusalem By which is meant the Church of God From the which word you may remember the Doctrine Doct. It is required as a due debt from the Children of God that they should pray for the peace of the Church their Mother O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And here I am not to speak of the invisible Church triumphant in Heaven but of the visible Church Militant here upon Earth and of that as briefly and orderly as I may The word used for Church in the Originall language of the New Testament is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to call for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was called of the Graecians an Assembly of the Citizens called from home by the voice of a Cryer to heare the Judgement of the Senate But the Jewes called their place of publique meeting for the reading of the Law and the Prophets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Synagogue that is a gathering together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to gather together to bring together and to assemble together But the Christians that by the very name of publique meetings they might distinguish betweene their Christian meetings and the Jewish assemblies have used and kept the word Church for the Congregation of them that professe Christ So that the Church of God is the company of selected Saints being effectually called from the world by the Preaching of the Gospell and chosen before all Worlds to the Worship of God being also Justified and Sanctified in Christ Jesus through the Operation of the Holy Ghost who heartily desire to serve and earnestly endeavour to please their Creator in all things whilst they live here in this world and shall have the full fruition of Eternall happinesse hereafter in the world to come And from being Members of this Church none that are true Believers are excepted whether they be high or low rich or poore old or young noble or ignoble learned or unlearned simple or politique of what estate degree or condition soever they be For there is neither Jew nor Grecian Gal. 3.28 there is neither bond or free there is neither male or female but they are all one in Christ Jesus The Sapient Solomon describeth the Church as though it were a Stately Court Cant. 6.7 in which there are none but those that are of the Blood Royall viz. Kings Queenes and those that are Heires apparent to the Kingdome of Heaven So that the true essentiall Members of the Church being faithfull Believers in Christ Jesus are the most precious and Noble Persons that live upon the earth even
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Loe this truth Paul and Barnabas preached at Lystra Iconium and Antiochia and S. Luke reports it with an Oportet signifying the necessity of suffering Act. 14.22 We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Shall we hope to live with Christ in the Church Triumphant and not be content to die with him in the Church Militant Would we gladly reigne with Christ there and not willingly first suffer with him here Let us not deceive our selves None shall have teares wiped from their eyes in Heaven but those that have first shed them upon the Earth So that no perplexity no felicity no misery no glory no Crosse no Crowne For our happinesse is Conditionall Si sustinemus conregnabimus If we suffer with Christ meaning in Affliction we shall also reigne with him that is in glory 2 Tim. 2. Therefore let all the true Members of Christs Church arme themselves for Troubles so long as they live upon the face of the Earth Amos 6.6 and never forget the afflictions of Joseph but mutually pray one for another O pray for the Peace of Ierusalem Reprehension Vse 3 TO reprove all those Persons that are Disturbers of the Churches Peace And for brevitie sake I will but onely Hint at them and they are of two sorts 1. Those that help her not 2. Those that hurt her So that the Church hath both Omissive and Commissive Enemies Omissive neglecting to help her and Commissive endeavouring to hurt her 1. Those that help her not Whosoever is not for her is against her and whosoever gathereth not with her Mat. 12.30 scattereth abroad And they are of two sorts 1. Ministers 2. Lay-persons 1. Ministers who have Pastorall Charges in the Church of Christ and doe not feede those flocks that are committed to their Charge And they are of two sorts 1. Those that are Ignorant and cannot feede them 2. Those that are Idle and will not feede them The Ignorant that cannot are called reproachfully dumbe dogs Isay 56.10 and the Idle that will not must be accountable for the blood of that part of their flock that perish through their defect Ezech. 33.6 2. Lay-persons and they are of three sorts 1. Those that pray not at all either for themselves or for the Church Such stupified persons being both senslesse and carelesse of their owne and others conditions though they dwell amongst Christians yet to their shame be it spoken they live like Heathens Their foolish hearts are full of darknesse Rom. 1.21 They live as strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts Ephes 4.18 and are as without God in the world Ephes 2.12 2. Those that if they pray at all pray but onely for themselves utterly neglecting the Church never laying to heart the afflictions of Joseph Amos 6.6 3. Those that if they pray for the Churches Peace they performe that great and weighty duty but lightly and perfunctorily as not being earnest and zealous in the performance thereof Yea give me leave I humbly pray you to demand of you all here present assembled before me who is there amongst you that in the sincerity of his heart can stand forth and say when once he did humble himselfe upon the bended knees of his soule unto God and sigh and groane and pray and shed teares flowing from a penitent heart on the Churches behalfe Oh how few there are that can truly say when once they did heartily humble themselves unto God for the good of the Church I will not censure so uncharitably of that number as if there be any to say of that party he is a Phenix But I feare I may too truly say of them they are black Swans even rare Birds amongst us Beloved if they be true Members of her it cannot be but they must Sympathizingly suffer with her and consequently pray unto God for her And therefore they come justly under the lash of Reprehension that are defective herein 2. Those that hurt her And they are also of three sorts 1. Open prophane persons who revile her by casting obloquies and reproaches against her as Potiphars wife to Joseph Shimei to David and Rabshakeh to Hezekiah Let all such know that whosoever revileth or reproacheth the true Members of Christs Church Christ taketh it as done unto himselfe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 2. Those that live in the bosome of the Church and make a profession of Religion and yet are vicious in their Conversations Those are cruell Enemies to the Church of Christ they make the Enemies of God to blaspheme cause the way of Truth to be evill spoken of scandalize the Gospell of Christ and are unto the Church as the Canaanites were to the Israelites even thornes in their eyes and pricks in their sides I shall referre all such Hypocrites to that learned Father who reprehensively saith Oh Hypocrite if it be a good thing to be good indeed why wilt thou not be that which thou seemest to be And if it be an evill thing to be evill indeed why wilt thou be that which thou wouldest not seeme for to be My counsell in this case to all such persons shall be I pray them in the bowells of Jesus Christ to consider that God is Omnipresent and that all things are naked before him and they cannot blinde the All-seeing Eye of the Omniscient God whose eyes are Ten thousand times brighter then the sunne beholding all the wayes of men and considering the most secret parts Ecclus. 23.19 The Lord beholdeth the ends of the world and seeth all that is under heaven Job 28.24 He seeth all the imaginations of the thoughts of mens hearts Gen. 6.5 He beholdeth our wayes and telleth all our steps Job 31.4 And pondereth all our paths Prov. 5.21 And there is no thought hid from him Job 42.2 The Hebrewes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of thoughts And he is called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Searcher of the heart Loe this truth is acknowledged by holy David where he saith O Lord thou hast searched me out and knowne me thou knowest my downe-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts long before Psal 139.1 Yea he knew right well Jezabels Fast 1 King 21.9 Absaloms Vow 2 Sam. 15.7 and Judas kisse Mat. 26.49 although their bloody intents and mischievous purposes were never so secret for He beholdeth and tryeth the very hearts and reines 1 Sam. 16.7 Psal 7.10 So that he perfectly knowes both the true-hearted Nathaniel John 1.47 and the false-minded Simon Magus Act. 8.20 Yea the Everlasting Searcher of the hearts hath written the sinne of Hypocrisie being double iniquity with a pen of iron and the point of a Diamond Jer. 17.1 So that
such as are descended of the Blood of Christ in which regard they are the dearest of men and nearest unto God Yea they are a people distinct from all others by Gods Grace of Election and stand before him in their new Birth and Second Creation in which the Lord lookes joyfully upon them and delights to behold them because they sprang from Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Eph. 3.15 And this Church Metaphorically and by way of similitude is called Mater Fidelium the Mother of the Faithfull because she brings forth Sonnes unto God unites them to Christ and nourisheth them by the Preaching of the Word and by the Examples of good Workes And hence is that expression Non posse quemquam habere Deum Patrem qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem No man can have God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother alluding to that of S. Paul Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell So that if we would have God for our Father we must account the Church for our Mother and procure her Peace with our best endeavours and there is no more prevalent way for us to helpe her then by praying heartily to God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Jerusalem was the Metropolis of Judea And she was also a Tipe of the Church of Christ and that in diverse respects viz. 1. Jerusalem was a Citty compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of love and Order that was amongst the Citizens themselves as in this Psalme verse the 3. Jerusalem is builded as a City that is at unity in it selfe So in like manner the Members of Christs Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit Ephes 4.3 And they joyntly endeavour to keepe the unity of that Spirit in the bond of Peace 2. In Jerusalem was the Sanctuary a place of Gods Presence and Worship So in like manner the Church of Christ is the roome of the Sanctuary in which we must seeke the presence of God and the word of Life 1 Tim. 3.15 Therefore the Church is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pillar and ground of Truth 3. The Lord mercifully promised the people of Jerusalem that if they would call upon his Name they should have Deliverance Joell the 2. ult the which hath resemblance to the Church of Christ amongst the Gentiles alluding to that of S. Paul There is no difference betweene the Jew and the Grecian Rom. 10.12 13. for he that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved 4. In Jerusalem the Citizens yeelded obedience to their Kings So in like manner the Members of Christs Church being true Believers Eph. 2.19 are fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And they yeeld obedience unto Christ their King Esa 2.5 5. In Jerusalem was the Throne of David as in this Psalme verse the 5. So in like manner in the Church of Christ is the Throne or Scepter of Christ Rev. 3.7 figured by the Kingdome of David 6. Zach. 2.8 The Lord chose Jerusalem above all other places in the world and tendered the people therein even as the apple of his owne eye So in like manner the true Members of Christs Church are a Chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a Peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light Lastly in Jerusalem the names of the Citizens were inrolled in a Book So in like manner all the true Members of the Church of Christ Rev. 20.12 have their names written in the booke of Life S. John had a Revelation of the last Judgement And he saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes Whereupon we may orthodoxally resolve and infallibly infer that whosoever have not their names written in that Book of Life must have their portion with the Devil and his Angels for evermore as plainely appeareth in the last verse of the same Chapter And whosoever was not found written in the Booke of Life was cast into the lake of fire Loe thus Beloved you have heard the neere Resemblance and Typicall Representation betweene the City of Jerusalem and the Church of Christ Now let us come to the Reasons of the Observation Reas 1 Because the Church is in a continuall warfare in this world and therefore she is called the Church Militant because she is daily fighting against the Flesh the World and the Devill yea she hath many enemies that come from Satans Campe very fiercely against her Who like Tyrants by violence and force of strength like Sophisters by subtilty and corruption of doctrine like Hypocrites by dissembling and superstition and like Epicures by leudnesse of life and filthinesse of conversation doe daily assault and sight against the Church of Christ Loe these like cunning Fowlers strive daily and hourely for to intrap her the Flesh would infect her the World would deceive her and the Devill would destroy her And therefore it behoveth us with our best endeavours even heartily to pray unto God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Reas 2 Because whosoever desires to have his Habitation in Gods Tabernacle must love make much of the members of Gods Church Psal 15.4 And how can we better manifest our love untothem then by praying for them when they are in distresse And this duty of Love to the Members of Gods Church is both Commanded Commended Approved and Rewarded in the holy Scriptures It is 1. Commanded 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandement that we should believe in the name of his sonne Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement 2. Commended 1 Cor. 13. ult Now abideth Faith Hope and Love even these three but the chiefest of these is Love 3. Approved Apoc. 2.19 The Blessed Spirit of God spake to S. John to say to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira I know thy Workes and thy Love meaning towards the Members of Gods Church 4. Rewarded Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour of love which ye shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister Yea beloved and were it so that the love to the Members of Gods Church were neither Commanded Commended Approved nor Rewarded Yet notwithstanding if thou hast received an Influence of Grace from Heaven the sparkes of Grace will so kindle in thy soule that thy praying for
barbarous and mercilesse men Hereupon the poore Innocents were apprehended and some of them clad with skins of wilde beasts were torne in pieces by dogs And others cast one upon another untill they became great heaps after the manner of Bone-fires and then fire put to them and their bones burning served for light in the night in the stead of Torches But at the last this wicked wretch the causer of all that cruelty exercised upon the poore Christians seeing himselfe in danger to be murthered by one appointed for that purpose as a just reward for his horrible unjust and inhumane dealing hastned his owne death by killing himselfe as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth Lib. 5. We reade in History of one Cyrillus a Deacon of Heliopolis scituate neare to Lybanus who lived under the Empire of Julian the Apostate and came to a miserable end For after Constantine was deceased by whose authority the holy Martyr had broken downe many of their Images and Idols the abominable Idolaters did not onely murther him but also devoured his liver with bread as if it had beene the sweetest morsell of meat in the world But the all-seeing eye of Almighty God beholding their villany his revengfull rod bruised them to pieces For their teeth wherewith they chewed that unnaturall food fell out of all their heads and their tongues wherewith they tasted it rotted and consumed to nothing and lastly their eyes which beheld it failed them and they became all blinde Loe thus were they all served bearing justly the markes of Gods indignation for so horrible inhumane and unnaturall Cruelty as Theodoret reporteth lib. 3. chap. 7. Valerian the Emperour was a deadly Enemy to the professors of Religion and very terribly persecuted them in his Dominions But shortly after himselfe was taken prisoner in the Persian Warres being Threescore and ten yeares of age and was made a slave to his Conquerour all the rest of his life And whose condition was so miserable that Sapor the King of Persia used his back as a block or stirrop to mount upon his Horse and at the last to make up the full number of his miseries he caused his Skinne to be taken from his Flesh whilst he was alive and then poudred him with salt as Josephus reporteth in his Ecclesiasticall History Booke 7. Chap. 30. The cruell mercilesse and hard-hearted Jewes did persecute even unto the death the innocent Lambe of God who is the Lord of life our Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus But did they escape Punishment Verily no for the avenging hand of the Just-punishing sinne-revenging God followed after them overtooke them and seized upon them to their Destruction For they were driven up and downe from place to place in diverse Countries by the Deputies And after that there were slaine of them at Cesaria in one day Twenty thousand At Alexandria another time Fiftythousand At Zabulon and Joppa Eight thousand and Foure hundred besides the burning of both the Townes At Damascus Ten thousand had their throats cut And as for the Jewes that were in Jerusalem they were pinched with so sore a famine as that they did eate the excrements of Oxen and many women were constrained to boile and to eate their owne Children And in that great extremity many thinking to save their lives by flying to the Enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to finde gold and silver in their bowells And at the last the whole City was taken by force the holy Temple consumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable Warre during which time Fourscore seventeene thousand Jewes were taken Prisoners and Eleven hundred thousand slaine Some of the Prisoners were carried reproachfully into Rome Others were murthered at their Conquerours wills Some were torne in pieces and devoured of wilde Beasts Others were constrained to march in Troupes against their Fellowes and kill one another as if they had beene Enemies And the Remnant of that wretched people which remained alive after the mighty tempest of Gods Wrath was past were dispersed and scattered abroad throughout all Nations under Heaven So that their condition at this day is so vile and contemptible as that no Nation under Heaven is halfe so miserable which is a manifest evidence of Gods vengeance still abiding upon them As Josephus reporteth in his bookes of the Jewish Warres And here I might also be very copious in the expressions of the remarkable Destructions of Agag Goliah Benhadad The Moabites and Ammonites Nicanor Herod-Agrippa Domitian Trajan Hadrian Antonius Severus Decius Aurelian Dioclesian Maximinus Maxcentius Licinius Arnolphus Smaragdus Mamucha c. Who were destroyed for persecuting the Church of Christ Yea beloved and many more terrible examples of Gods fearfull Judgements that fell upon diverse other bloody Persecutors of Gods Church I could here recite but for brevity sake I passe them over Oh then at the consideration of this that hath beene spoken let all the bloody Persecutors of Gods Church tremble and desist from so doing lest the Lord come suddenly as a swift witnesse against them and speedily be avenged of them to the ruine of their bodies in this world and the utter destruction both of bodies and soules in the world to come And let them also labour to the uttermost of their power to make up the Ruines of the Church of Christ and doe their best endeavours for her by praying for her Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Instruction Vse 2 TO teach the Church to arme her selfe for Troubles Crosses and Afflictions so long as she remaineth here upon the face of the Earth For as the comfortable sun-shine Dayes and the uncomfortable darksome Nights in the order of Nature follow each other So in like manner in the Administration of the Church of Christ there is a continuall Entercourse amongst the Members of Christ Church between Peace and Persecution To live continually in Jollity and be alwayes free from Crosses is one of the Worlds pleasing Cognizances of Satan's Imps for being alwayes without Chastisements Heb. 12.6 7 8. whereof all Gods Children are Partakers we are Bastards and not Sonnes Beloved There is a strict Dependence neere Relation and close Connexion betwixt Christianity and the Crosse they are Concommitants Individuals and inseparable Companions This is an infallible Aphorisme of Divine Observation under the Kingdome of Christ an indubitable Axiome of Christs Gospell Providence the which proceedeth from the good pleasure and providence of God in the dispensation of things under the Gospel Our blessed Saviour told his Disciples and in them every true Member of his Church In the world ye shall have affliction Ioh. 16.33 And it was also the generall Proclamation of Christ to the whole World Mat. 16.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Crosse and follow me The which Crosse although to unregenerate men in their Naturall Condition it be
tedious and burthensome yet notwithstanding to the faithfull Members of Christs Church they making a right use thereof it will be helpfull and profitable As for example Holy David was so greatly oppressed with troubles as that he complained in the anxiety of his soule The snares of death compassed me round about Psal 116.3 and the paines of Hell gate hold upon me What Adversaries are more horrible and Enemies can be more terrible then Death and Hell And yet notwithstanding he making a snactified use thereof they wrought in him most blessed and happy Effects the which he found experimentally in himselfe and therefore freely confesseth Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep thy word Psal 119.67 And Verse the 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learne thy Statutes And the Lord saith of the Israelites by his Prophet Hosea Hos 5.15 In their affliction they will seeke me diligently And the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Faithfull in affliction saith Lord in trouble have they visited thee Esa 26.16 they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them So that Afflictions being Gods Rods are his Childrens Remembrancers yea Troubles make many Returners and Seekers to God who formerly have been Revolters and Straglers from him as were the Israelites Manasseh the Prodigall Sonne and diverse others Yea beloved and to be continually without Crosses Troubles and Afflictions men may justly suspect themselves to be rather Members of the Devils Church Malignant than of Christs Church Militant St. Ambrose that godly devout and religious Bishop travelling with some others towards Rome went to a Rich-mans house resolving to lodge and remaine there till the next morning And after some short discourse he demanded of the man of the house how it went with him and in what case he stood concerning his present condition for the things of this Life Unto which the Rich-man replyed Sir my condition hath ever beene happy and fortunate I never tasted any kinde of Adversity I never had any sicknesse or losse of goods all things have hitherto beene with me even according to my hearts desire When Saint Ambrose heard this he said unto them that were with him Eamus hinc nam Deus non est hic Let us goe from hence for God is not in this place And immediately after they were departed from the Rich-mans house the Earth suddenly opened her mouth and swallowed up the Man together with his house and all that he had Intimating thereby to the World that God is not there in mercy present where the Crosse is continually absent Hence then Let all the Faithfull Members of Christs Church account it as an indubitable Aphorisme of infallible Truth believe it as an Orthodoxall Article of their Christian Faith and hold it as an undeniable Maxime in Divinity that as the Children of Israel went through many Troubles before they could come to the Earthly Canaan which was a Type of the Faithfuls Passage from Earth to Heaven So in like manner the Children of God must passe through many Afflictions before they can come to the Heavenly Jerusalem St. Paul desired to know nothing amongst his Corinthians but Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 and him Crucified And he also rejoyced in nothing so much as in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World was crucified to himselfe and himselfe unto the World Gal. 6.14 He also expresseth to the World that no man is Crowned except he fight lawfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.5 And also confesseth of himselfe I bear in my body the markes of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 The lawfull and valiant fighting of earthly Souldiers for their King Country and Religion greatly reflecteth upon them with Credit and exceedingly redounded to their Honour they also account those Wounds that are given to their Bodies in Skirmish as Markes of their Magnanimity Cognizances of their Courage and Characters of their Valour intimating thereby to the World for whom they have fought how they have suffered and who they are Now for Application of this to our selves Heaven is appointed for none but onely Spirituall Conquerours viz. the valiant fighting Members of the Church of Christ against their Soules Adversaries surprizing subduing and conquering all their spirituall Enemies For they wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities Eph. 6.12 against Powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this World against spirituall wickednesse in high Places So that of necessitie they must be Fighters for without a Fight there can be no Conquest and without a Conquest there will be no Crowne And therefore they must not onely be Fighting Souldiers but also Conquerours upon Earth before they can be Inheritors of Heaven For a Man to be a Christian and not a spirituall Souldier is to falsify his promise at the Font of Baptisme For a Man to be a Christian and a spirituall Souldier and not to fight under Christs Banner both manfully and faithfully for Christ is the Cognizance of a pusilanimous spirited Souldier and Badge of an Hypocrite For a Man to be a Christian and a spirituall Souldier and to fight for Christ and not to Conquer is to lose the Reward promised to Conquerours But to be a Christian a spirituall Souldier a Fighter for Christ and a Conquerour of all his owne spirituall Enemies Loe that Man and onely he shall be a Partaker of the rich Reward promised even the full fruition of the heavenly Inheritance And therefore whosoever thou art that desirest to be a true Member of Christs Militant Church thou must resolve with thy selfe to live the life of a Christian to a be a spirituall Souldier a Fighter for Christ and also a Conquerour Hence then we may infallibly collect that none shall be crowned hereafter in Heaven but onely those that in some measure first endure a spirituall Fight here upon Earth that so they may become crucified Christians and thereby made conformable to Christ their Head Phil. 3 10. The which Conformity is the greatest Honour that this World can afford to the Sonnes of Mortals And to such spirituall Conquerours Christ Jesus himselfe hath made a large promise even of no lesse Reward then Eternall Life He that overcommeth shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life Apoc. 3.5 And ver 21. To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne And Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crowne of life Apoc. 2.10 and Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And what Fight is it that we should not willingly undergoe for to inherit Eternall Life And herein let Christ Jesus himselfe be
earthly Purgatory I meane the Afflictions of this Life before we can come to the heavenly Paradise viz. the Joyes of the Life to come Yea we must goe by the Suburbs and Gates of Hell before we can come to the City of the new Jerusalem and joyes of Heaven Every true Member of Christs Church is a crucified Christian and therefore not onely incident to suffering but also strict in his Conversation for strait is the Gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it Mat. 7.14 None must live the life eternall hereafter in the joyes of Heaven but onely those that first Crucifie their carnall Corruptions and mortifie their sinfull Affections here upon Earth We must live in the Spirit and not in the flesh For He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting Gal. 6.8 And hence is that of S. Paul to his Colossians Mortifie therefore your Members which are on the earth fornication uncleannesse the inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatrie Col. 3.5 6. For the which things sake the wrath of God commeth on the Children of disobedience The Members of Christs Church publiquely promised by their Sureties at their Baptisme to forsake the Devill and all his Workes and constantly believe Gods holy Word and obediently keep his Commandements and were incorporated into Christs Church to confesse the Faith of Christ crucified to be faithfull Souldiers for Christ their Saviour and manfully to fight under his Banner against Sinne the World and the Devill and the Lord expects the constant spirituall Performance of this their publique Promise during the troublesome time of their earthly Pilgrimage And how shall the Valour of Souldiers be evidenced to the World who keep themselves continually in their Quarters and never goe upon service who lye alwayes in the Campe and never come into the Field But when once Troubles doe arise and the Enemy draweth nigh and Christs Souldiers by the sound of Drums and Trumpets are called from their Quarters and they march forwards and meet their Enemies in the face Loe then Abrahams Faith Davids Piety Vriahs Constancy Jobs Patience Jonathans Love Jehues Zeal Gideons Valour and Pauls Courage will appeare who like valiant spirited and heroicall hearted Souldiers will zealously strive unanimously desire for the Glory of God the Honour of their King the Peace Good and Welfare of their Country to be placed in the Front of the Battell So in like manner when Troubles seize upon the Soules of the Members of Christs Church then the Graces of Gods blessed Spirit within them as occasion is offered will be operative and working yea the more excellent in Graces the more eminent in Affflictions and thereby they are distinguished from the Souldiers of Sathan The Earth of it selfe will bring forth little else but briers and weedes if it be not tilled and Vines will wax wilde if they be not pruned Even so the corrupt and sinfull Affections of our gracelesse and rebellious Hearts like pernitious Briers and noisome Weeds would quickly over-runne not onely all the Parts and Members of our Bodies but also all the Powers and Faculties of our Soules if our Gracious God by his tender Care over us loving Chastisements upon us and powerfull working of his blessed Spirit in us should not effectually Purge Dresse and Manure us And the superfluous Branches of our naturall Corruptions would spread so far abroad within us as everlastingly to destroy us if the Lord by sharp sanctified Afflictions should not prune them and by his loving fatherly Corrections cut them off Therefore let the Church of Christ be content to suffer Afflictions here upon Earth and also be glad to bear the yoak in her youth Lam. 3.27 The present Condition of Christs Church Militant in her Warfare at this day in our Land resembleth the case of Judah Manasseth Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseth and they both shall be against Judah Loc this is the Sting of the Churches Crosses and unto her it is inevitable For it was the portion of Christ her Head and shall the Members expect to escape It was the Lot of her Master and shall the Servants thinke to fare better It was the condition of the Saints in the Old Testament and also of the Apostles in the New Of the Saints in the Old Abraham banished both from his Country and kindred Jacob lay in the fieldes Joseph in the prison David hunted as a Partridge upon the mountaines Elijah full of feare through Jezabels bloody Tyranny desired the Lord to take away his life from him Job scraped himselfe with a potsherd upon the dunghill Jeremy put into the dungeon The three Children into the fiery Furnace Daniell cast into the den of Lyons And Susanna brought almost to the place of her execution Yea the Church her selfe complaineth of her suffering condition O Lord behold mine affliction Lam. 1.9 for the enemy is proud And verse the 12. Have ye no regard all ye that passe by this way behold and see if there be any sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger The Apostle rehearseth a Catalogue of the Saints sufferings that were before Christs Incarnation They were tried by mockings and scourgings yea moreover by bonds and imprisonment They were stoned Heb. 11.36 37 38. they were hewen asunder they were tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandred up and down in sheep skins and in goats skins being destitute afflicted and tormented Whom the world was not worthy of they wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dens and caves of the earth Loe these were the sufferings of the Saints in the Old Testament And as for the Saints in the New Poore Lazarus lay in a wofull condition at the rich Gluttons gate but there was found no mortall heart to sorrow for him nor eye to pitty him nor hand to relieve him And none of Christs Apostles dyed a naturall death but onely S. John and he was banished by the Emperour Domitian to the I le Patmos and also put into a Tunne of hot oyle at Rome as both Tertull. and S. Jerom report So that although with the rest he suffered not an immature death yet notwithstanding he also tasted deepe of his Masters Cup of which every one must be contented to drinke that is a true Member of the Church of Christ Beloved this is the Lords usuall dealing towards all the true Members of his Church thereby to make them Crucified Christians that so they might be like unto Christ their Captaine who is called by the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Man of sorrowes and acquainted with griefe Esa 53.3 And it was Saint Pauls generall rule to Timothy 2 Tim. 3.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All that will live
and let us imagine some device against Jeremiah for the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor Councell from the Wise nor the Word from the Prophet Come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words If thus you shall requite me then may you justly feare that the righteous Lord will be wrathfully displeased with you and that may redound to your owne ruine But let me crave your candid censure for I call Heaven and Earth to record that I speak not this out of the spirit of betternesse against the Saints of God whose sanctified Conversation is answerable to their holy profession zealously serving and faithfully worshipping the living God in spirit and truth as he commandeth Yea Ioh. 4.24 my hearty Prayers I sincerely confesse are constantly unto God for them that he would continue them in the wayes of holinesse and daily increase the number of them in our Land and that they may splendidly shine as Lights in obscurity in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation amongst whom they live that so they might not onely glorifie God themselves but also be holy Patterns and godly Examples for imitation unto others whereby to draw them the more speedily to the service of God But I speak onely and that reprehensively of those who are mere tongue-tipped-table-Gospelers having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 who onely make a shew of sanctity having their hearts full of all manner of guile and hypocrisie who are facilie perceptible by their Fruites and evidently conspicuous to the world by their Actions walking in the wayes of dissimulation which lead to the infernall Pit of eternall perdition Mat. 24.5 And therefore if such persons will become true Members of Christs Church let them stand no longer at a distance from the Church but let them labour with expedition to purge out their owne Corruptions abandoning their former leud Conversations humble themselves for their sinnes come in and close with Christ and speedily pray for the Churches Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Consolation Vse 4 TO comfort the Church in her saddest condition by calling to minde Psa 126.6 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy And heavinesse may endure for a night Psal 30.5 but joy commeth in the morning Considering also that Christ calleth none unto him with a promise to comfort them but those that are grieved persons Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And remembring the Cordiall that Christ gave unto his Disciples when he was to depart from them and in them to his whole Church John 16.20 Ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into joy That is ye shall rejoyce that ever you were sorrowfull As if Christ in other words should have said unto them Comfort your hearts my beloved Disciples for although I shall leave you for a while as Pilgrimes in the wildernesse of this wicked world yet notwithstanding ye shall hereafter come to the land of the heavenly Canaan even to the new Jerusalem whither I am now going and there you shall receive the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules 1 Pet. 1.9 Psa 16. ult where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore The Lord without doubt will preserve his Church from the scratching Pawes of savage Beares the tearing Mouthes of ravenous Wolves and the covetous Clutches of greedy Cormorants who lie daily and hourely in waite to supplant subvert and devoure Her and all under the spetious pretence of Piety the counterfeit shew of Holinesse and candid colour of Religion Will not Christ Mat. 23.37 who wept over Jerusalem and would often have gathered the Children of the Jewes together as a Hen gathereth her Chickings under her wings preserve his Church from perishing Certainely yea And will not God who clotheth the Lillies Mat. 6.26 28. and feedeth the foules of the aire preserve his Church under the winges of his Providence Zach. 2.8 whom he tendereth as the apple of his owne eye Undoubtedly yea Conjugall-love is strong Paternall-love is powerfull Loyall-love is very effectuall But Divine-love viz. the love of God to his Church farre transcends them all Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord to his Church Yea and let the Church also listen to that sweet Expression of the Lord by his Prophet unto his people Isay 51.7 8. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law feare ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings For the moath shall eate them up like a garment and the worme shall eat them like wooll but my righteousnesse shall be for ever and my Salvation from generation to generation So that the Church of Christ needeth not to feare though at any time she should be plunged into the depth of calamity for rather then her Persecutors shall goe unpunished the Lord will make the very moathes and wormes and other contemptible creatures of the earth to be the Instruments of her enemies confusion and his hand shall bring unto her everlasting salvation And therefore what although the Church for the present sits pensively and mournes like a desolate widdow tristively weeping and lamenting for the personall absence of Christ her Husband Mat. 28. ult yet notwithstanding his comfortable Spirit is present with her and also will be unto the end of the World And at the appointed time there will be a cessation from all her sorrowes for he will joyfully returne unto her lovingly embrace her Rev. 7. ult and wipe away all teares from her eyes and then she shall receive a full deliverance from all afflictions both of body and soule Then that confident expected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Slavabit into Salvavit he will save into he hath saved And then all the violent brumall winter stormes of bloody persecution shall be fully passed over and the glorious sun-shine beames of Gods loving and comfortable countenance most splendidly shine upon her And then all the Chaines of her afflictions shall be broken asunder Psa 124.6 and she delivered as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler And the Lord will give unto her beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning Esay 61.3 and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse And when all these consolatory Blessings are come upon her then hearken unto her rejoycing Isay 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord and my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousnesse he hath decked me like a bridegroome