necessities and those no way to be supplyed but by Prayer This is the seed we must sow we must sow to the Spirit if ever we meane to reape the harvest and increase of Gods blessings It is our Saviours owne rule and may serve as a proof of this Doctaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aske and it shall be given you seeke and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Here is but Aske Seeke and Knocke and ye shall obtaine Loe thus Christ doth exhort us to make use of a Triple-chaine consisting of three links viz. Asking Seeking and Knocking Aske with the Mouth Seeke with the Heart and Knocke with the Hand but the Mouth must be guilelesse the Heart faithfull and the Hand righteous So that we must Aske with a guilelesse Mouth Seeke with a faithfull Heart and Knocke with a righteous Hand And so shall we obtaine by our guilelesse Mouthes Asking things Temporall for our bodies By our faithfull Hearts Seeking things Spirituall for our Soules and through the merrites of Christ by our righteous Hands Knocking things Eternall both for our bodies and soules But alas there are at this day many Antithesticall persons in the world who are contrary to these in disposition viz. Such as have guilefull Mouthes faithlesse Hearts and unrighteous Hands whose guilefull Mouthes speake deceitfully whose faithlesse Hearts conceive unbeleevingly and whose unrighteous Hands perpetrate wickednesse violently Such as were those wicked Heads of Jakob and the Tyrannicall Princes of the House of Israel of whom the Lord complaineth by his Prophet They hate the good Mic. 3.2 3. and love the evill they pluck off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones And they eat also the flesh of my people c. In which words the Lords Prophet condemneth those cruell Tyrants not onely of cursed Covetousnesse unjust Robery and bloody Murther but also compareth them unto Savage beasts who are of Wolvish and Lion-like dispositions Will the Lord hear the prayers and grant the requests of such cruell and mercilesse persons Certainely no But he will rather cast their prayers as dung upon their faces Mal. 2.3 And will also hide his face from them Mic. 3.4 Esay 59.2 and will not heare them But when Godly and sincere hearted Religious persons Pray the Lord will heare their Prayers and grant their requests They shall call and the Lord shall answer Esay 58.9 they shall cry and the Lord shall say Here I am Behold of all helpes Prayer is the readiest at hand for all persons upon all occasions in all places and at all times And by its fervent and faithfull performance as we ought we shall assuredly obtaine full Remission of all our sinnes hearty Repentance for all sinnes that are past and irrisistible power against sinnes for the time to come And also be kept from Afflictions or made able to beare them And God will certainely give us either all outward good things necessary for us with a Blessing upon them or else his blessing of contentednesse without them The which contentment although in this worlds conception it be a despicable condition yet it is the Blessing of Nature the Salve of Poverty the Master of Sorrow and the End of Misery The Psalmist when he would inroll and magnifie the goodnesse of God towards his people tels us Psal 84.12 that he will give grace and worship and no good thing will he withhold from them that live a Godly life Indeed the Lords hand is ever open to give but then he lookes also that our mouthes should be open to receive Open thy mouth wide saith God wide Psal 81.10 in prayer and supplication to heaven and I will fill it His grace like a cloud still hangs over our heads but the drops of that cloud descend not unlesse first dissolved by the breath of our Prayers Ye have not because ye aske not Iam 4.2 And there are some also that aske and yet goe away empty Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Iam. 4.3 that ye might consume it upon your lusts True it is beloved that the Children of God have a full and unquestionable Right to all those Blessings that descend from above All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.12 23. saith the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods A large Patent including all good things whether Temporall or Spirituall or Eternall whether of this life or that to come all are theirs But how hold they their Charter now surely the conveyance runs altogether in a stile of mercy Rom. 2.4 according to the riches of his goodnesse And according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 Alas there is nothing in us that can intitle us upon merit to the least expression of Gods goodnesse our tenure is ex merâ gratiâ written and sealed up unto us in the blood of the Lambe And although we make no Purchase of our Christian Estate but receive it by deed of Gift yet God hath reserved some small Homage or as it were some peny-Rent as due unto himselfe and that is our prayers and thanksgiving For the non-payment whereof our Estate becomes escheat and forfeited and returnes back into the hands of the Land-lord So that we connot claime so much as one morsell of Bread without our Prayers and if we are not uncapable of it yet I am sure we are unworthy of it Psal 145.16 if we begge it not at his hand who opens his hand and fils all things living with plentiousnesse And for this cause we are taught by our blessed Saviour to pray Mat. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread Which Petition we may not thinke to be put into the Lords-Prayer onely for poor men but even they also whose barns are full of corne and have bread laid up in store for many yeares have as much need to supplicate God with this Petition as the poorest man that now liveth upon the face of the Earth If there be any one in this place so hard driven through extreame poverty that he can Vye necessity with that poore Widdow of Sarepta and protest in the integrity of his heart as she did I have not so much as a cake 1 King 17.12 but a handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse which I am now to dresse for me and my sonne that we may eat it and dye Why yet I say the rich man that swims in the confluence of all outward good things and knowes no end of his riches is as deeply engaged to begge his daily bread as he Because man liveth not onely by bread Mat. 4.4 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God If men be provided of bread and have not Gods blessing on their bread they are like to fare as ill
God as being Gods Terrestriall Vice-gerent So that Caesar must have Casars as God may have Gods that the body of Christ may be kept without a Rent as his Coate was without a Seame and that thereby also may be both produced and continued a melodious Harmony delightfull Agreement and sweet Consent amongst our selves in this English Christian Common-wealth whereof we all are Members and wherein we live Therefore Obedience either Active or Passive must be yeilded to all lawfull Authority whereas 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion being as the sinne of Witchcraft The which as an infernall polluted Embryo lurking in the hatefull Heart of a malicious malecontented disobedient and revengefull spirited Person having her sinfull Increasing cursed Birth wicked Growth and mischievous bloody and polipragmaticall Operation by the hellish working pernitious provocation and damnable power of the Devill is not onely diametrically repugnant to our subjective Fealty but also utterly abhorrent to all Christian Loyalty Heb. 10.26 27. and being wittingly willingly and wilfully contrary to the Light both of Knowledge and Conscience committed continued justified and maintained the condemnable pestilent Incendiarie for the present Overthrow and speedy Confusion of a Christian Common-wealth the hatefull Compendium of cursed Cruelty the horrid Epitome of all Impiety and the very Character of the Firebrands of Hell wanting nothing to all such illegall Actors thereof but onely the sharpe fatall Stroake of impartiall Death whereby to cut assunder the brittle Thred of their mortall Lives and thereby to send their sinfull soules into the deepe Dungeon of Eternall Darknesse there to be intollerably tormented with the Devill and all damned Spirits World without End The word translated Rebellion is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth Bitternesse and is applied to Apostacy and Disobedience and that in a two-fold respect 1. Because Rebellion is more distastfull to God than bitter things are to the Palate of that Man between whose Tast and Bitternesse there is an Antipathy who naturally desireth to tast onely those things that are sweet 2. Because it provokes and exasperates both God Man unto Wrath Bitternesse For in one and the same Act of Rebellion there may be committed both a Sinne against God and a Trespasse against Man So that both being offended by the same Act of Rebellion they are also both of them thereby provoked to Wrath and Bitternesse against the Offendors Rebellion is the Fore-runner of Gods Vengeance to the Actors Confusion According to that fatall Querie of the Lord by his Prophet Jeremie concerning the Jewes Doe they provoke me to anger Ier. 7.19 saith the Lord and not themselves to the confusion of their owne faces So that Rebellion being Disobedience provoketh to Wrath and Wrath worketh Confusion to the Provokers thereof To satisfie the carnall Lusts inordinate Appetites and greedy Desires of military desperate Rebels in their violent prosecution of horrid Rebellion either by bloody Murther or plundering Theft is unto them for the present very sweet but the Consequent of it to all those that are guilty of it will certainly prove according to the Originall signification of it viz very bitter answerable to Abner's speech of Joabs devouring Sword viz 2 Sam. 2.26 Bitternesse in the latter end So that he that conscionably careth not Now for that cursed Act of his Sinne shall compulsively care Hereafter for the bitter Smart of his Punishment The word Sword in the Hebrew language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab Exsiccando Vastando dictus a Radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Exsiccatus fuit both which words have a distinct Difference as well in Pronuntiation as in Signification and yet all the Characteristicall Consonants of both which words viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Schem and Ponghall in Gnavar Noune and Verbe being the same may both necessarily and also profitably serve to put us all in mind of a reciprocall Punishment waiting upon the Sword when it is not rightly used as God in his Holy Word hath expresly commanded The which is very perspicuously instanced unto us in mischievous minded sanguine hearted and bloody hand-acting murtherous Joab for Joab having slaine Abner and Amasa men more righteous and better then himselfe must die for so doing by the Sword of Benaiah notwithstanding his hastening to the Tabernacle of the Lord 1 King 2.28 and there laying hold on the hornes of the Altar What Hath bloody Joab committed Murther upon Murther against that holy Commandement of the righteous Lord which expresly forbids the perpetration thereof saying Thou shalt not kill Exod. 20.13 And then would he have the Lords sacred Tabernacle to be his preservative Protection from due deserved Punishment for it No No that may not be his Counterfeit Holinesse could not so farre palliate his murtherous Ungodlinesse nor still the loud voice of His crying Wickednesse as to exempt him from Execution but the just punishing sin-revenging Hand of the righteous God will follow after him must overtake him and inevitably seize upon him to his deadly Destruction His golden outside of Religion and deceitfull seeming Devotion could not preserve him No safe Sanctuary of preserving Refuge could murtherous Joab finde wherein to secure his bloody life from the swift Swords fatall stroake of impartiall Death but Volens vel Nolens Lex talionis whether he will or will not the Law of Retaliation must both necessarily and also inevitably be executed upon him So that as Joab himselfe had formerly done to others the Lord rewarded him with the same Punishment upon his owne head 1 King 2.34 Thus Joab's bloody Murther must Recalcitare id est retrò pedem jacere By which just rebounding and retrograde punishing Passage of bitter Punishment retorted from sweet Sinne committed we evidently see that Sinne and Punishment are Reciprocates being both of a close Connexion neere Relation resemblingly characterized in Hipocrites Twinnes suitable in Corditions and being deeply involved together have their unhappy Reflections upon each other who may not unfitly be paralell'd to the Camets Catuph T and Chateph Camets T amongst the Hebrewes of whom it is said Idem esse recipiuntur varying not any thing in Figure as here plainly appeareth and also differing nothing at all in Signification but onely in the length of time in Pronuntiation So in like manner the Worke of Sinne goeth before and sometimes the same Wages of Punishment very shortly followeth after As it fared with Chush the Sonne of Jemini Davids Enemy of whom David himselfe spake by way of Sinnes penall reflection Psal 16. He hath graven and digged up a pit and is fallen himselfe into the destruction that he made for other His travell shall come upon his owne head and his wickednesse shall fall on his owne pate The which reciprocall Punishment justly proceedeth from the strict hand of our impartiall God God often punisheth Offendors in the same kind
peradventure that Consideration might have been as a Bridle to have restrained them viz. the outward just disgraceing and due deserved publique vilifying of their Reputations and Persons after the pestilent Perpetration of such Treacherie though never so eminent in the eyes and esteeme of others before the Discoverie the inward discontentments and vexations of Minde deeply wounding themselves with the unappeaseable Horrour of their guilty Consciences which will continually gripe gnaw and terrifie them unlesse they be cauterized but most of all the everlasting Damnation of both their Bodies and Soules for ever to the darke and unconceiveable tormenting Pit of eternall Perdition the which without true Repentance will at the last Judgement day certainly be their Portion Oh! that such guilty Persons had timely layd to heart even in those their daies the Felicity of Fidelity and the Misery of Treachery so might they faithfully have performed their loyall Promises which might have conduced to their owne both Temporall and Eternall Peace but woe and alas the former of these is to them already past and God grant the latter be not too late I shall not censuring charitably doome such guilty Persons being Selfe-servers for such their treacherous black-Workes to the Land of Eternall Darkenesse for so to doe farre transcends both the Power and Knowledge of any Mortall but I will speake both of them and to them by way of Interrogation for their present Convincement and future Animadversion What could seeming-loyall Subjects deale thus disloyally with their King Did He preferre them to honourable Places above others depending upon their Fidelitie and have they requited His loving Kindnesse with no lesse then damnable Treacherie Were they so farre intrusted by Him and have they dealt thus deceitfully with Him Did they pretend themselves as faithfull Friends to helpe Him and have they proved His perfidious Enemies for to hurt Him Oh treacherous Dealing This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed Simulatio ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Occultatio judicii Malum sub specie boni celatum It is Iniquitie in a Mysterie even masked Vngodlinesse a Thes 2.7 Et dum non cognoscitur non cavetur and being in their blacke Breasts not descried it could not be declined The which treacherous Iniquitie being most detestable abominable and double Impietie cryeth aloud in the Eares of God for Vengeance to fall upon the pernitious Perpetrators thereof I greatly tremble at the serious Consideration hereof and therefore let none that are guilty herein falsly flatter themselves in their corrupt hearts with deceitfull hopes of perpetuall Impunity for assuredly such Hypocriticall Treacherous Malefactors for such their Notorious Perfidious and cursed Malefactorship cannot without great Repentance escape the heavy Wrath and just Judgement of the sin-punishing just-revenging righteous God but it will follow after them overtake them and seize upon them to their Destruction Fidelitie and Treacherie are ever at Enmitie they are like two great Warriours in one and the same Heart stisly striving violently opposing and fiercely fighting against each other for Mastery And as they are Heterogenean in Conditions so in like manner as they prevaile they produce contrary Effects viz. Fidelitie Joy and Comfort But Treacherie Sorrow and Terrour As for Example Fidelitie seeketh no Corners but shineth splendidly as the bright Beames of the glorious Sunne in the firmament of Heaven at Noone-day when he is in his chiefest Brightnesse fullest Splendor and greatest Luster to the great comfort of the Actors thereof and all others concerned therein But Treacherie lyeth in Obscuritie ever fearing the Light and alwaies trembling at the remembrance of the Touch-Stone of Truth the which may not unfitly be compared to that thicke blacke tangible Aegyptian-Darkenesse sent as a Punishment upon Pharaoh for his Disobedience Exod. 10.21.22 The sharpe Smart whereof hath lately beene bitterly felt by too many thousands in this our Kingdome to the great terrour of Conscience to the Committers thereof and sorrowfull utter Ruine of many others thereby Fidelitie desireth heartily though it be to her Hinderance the full performance of that Trust reposed in her but Treacherie laboureth craftily for her owne Advantage to falsifie her Promise to those that intrusted her Fidelitie wisheth lovingly the wel-fare of others as well as her owne but Treacherie endeavoureth secretly but onely for her owne safety not careing for the Ruine of all others Fidelitie being rightly principl'd is syncerely guided by the blessed Spirit of God who is the King of Glory and he sweetly affects her and lovingly leads her in the delightfull and pleasing Paths of Obedience Truth and Righteousnesse and at the End of this World he will certainely remunerate her with the full Fruition of Eternall Happinesse but Treacherie being falsly grounded is corruptly guided by the cursed Spirit of the Devill who is the Prince of Darkenesse and he leads her on blindly in the deceitfull Wayes of Disobedience Errour and Unrighteousnesse and for her sinfull Service he will surely reward her at the End of this mortall Life with the bitter and cursed Wages of Everlasting Death Fidelitie Larke-like rejoyceth at the Light and desireth to be publiquely Exemplary to all others singing praises to God with a comfortable Conscience because her workes are wrought in God but Treacherie Batte-like being an uncleane Bird flyeth not abroad but onely in Darkenesse Lev. 11.19 desiring no Notice to be taken of her for when once the Light approacheth she keepeth her selfe close in a Corner as not daring to appeare in the Light of Truth because her Workes are not wrought in God but onely by the Subtilty Instigation and Power of the Devill Loe thus we evidently see that there is as great an Antipathie Contrarietie Disparitie Difference between FIDELITIE and TREACHERIE as is between Light and Darkenesse Truth and Errour Obedience and Rebellion Peace and Warre Life and Death Heaven and Hell God and Satan So that no marvell although our perplexed Kingdome be at this day so greatly divided having lately had therein the damnable Sinne of Treacherie so frequently practiced Those that have done such treacherous Workes may justly challenge to themselves their due deserved Wages which Workes of Treacherie must have the Wages of Iniquitie the which Saint Paul expresseth in that Theologicall Aphorisme of his to the Romanes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The wages of sinne is death Rom. 6. ult Death temporall to the Body in this life and without repentance Death eternall to both Body and Soule in the life to come And therefore now as a spirituall Physitian for the speedy and perfect Curing of sicke fore and wounded Englands great Distractions and manifold Distempers my Soule sincerely desireth and Heart also earnestly wisheth as a Christian sensible and sorrowfull Sympathizer of Englands wofull Distresses that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong Omnipotent God would Graciously be pleased in much Mercy and tender Compassion towards this bleeding sinfull English-Nation for to set
sorrowfull sowrenesse When the Lord by his Prophet Ezekiel declared the Swords comming upon the Jewes for their sins He commanded him to say A Sword a Sword Ezech. 21.9 10. both sharp and furbished It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter and it is furbished that it may glitter How shall we rejoyce So in like manner our present wofull and hearts-convincing condition tacitely tels us that we have little to do with this Davids joy now in these sad times of War and Sorrow Can there be joy in our hearts whilst there is War in our gates Sackcloth and ashes becomes us better Davids case in the next Psalme before this save one suites better with our condition where he complaines Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar Psal 120.4 5 6. My soul hath long dwelt among them that be enemies unto Peace I labour for Peace but when I speake unto them thereof they make ready to battell Loe This perverse practice of preposterous persons must needs greatly afflict a truely charitable and Christian-sympathizing heart who heartily desireth and earnestly endeavoureth both for himselfe and others to have the blessing of Peace The like also our Kingly David in these late times of our wofull War hath often solicited the sons of Mortals for a speedy setled firme and wel-grounded Peace not onely for Himself but also on the behalfe of many thousands more of our English-Natives yea even the whole Kingdome but alas the birth of all those His Solicitations as yet hath proved abortive Eminent and publique Persons placed in Authority above others ought above all others to make the Word of God the Rule and the Glory of God both the Aime and End of all their Actions But woe and alas may we at this day justly cry out that too many such persons of our English Nation have of late years wilfully rejected the holy Commandements of the righteous Lord and greedily followed the sinfull lusts of their owne gracelesse and wicked hearts for their Self Sinister and By-ends whereby utter ruine hath been wrought to the lives of many thousands that are already dead and also great detriment brought to this English Church and Common-wealth wherein still we live to the great grief and prejudice of our Gratious and Dread Soveraigne His Majesty and all His wel-affected obedient dutifull and loyal-hearted Party both in and also of this our divided and distracted Kingdome How many thousands of poor distressed destitute desolate disconsolate Women and almost hunger-starved Children have often submissively Petitioned and that according to the severall Ordinances pretendingly extant on that behalf with grieved hearts and watry eyes for some relief out of their owne Estates wherewith to preserve their languishing lives But alas their Petitioning hath been to no purpose insomuch as that they have not onely been perfunctorily neglected but also scornefully rejected Oh that those poor distressed creatures violent Adversaries might not too truely be termed Viri inexorabiles inflexibiles implacabiles immisericordes qui nullius precibus flectuntur I blush to expresse to the Vulgar in English the condition of such persons and the rather for the preservation of the Gospels purity because they have put upon their shoulders the Cloakes of Religion and yet deale thus cruelly with their Native Nationall and Christian Brethren The Orders Ordinances which have been made for the relief of such distressed persons are repealed at the pleasures of the Authors thereof and thus they practise Penelopes telam retexere viz. Doe and undoe assoone as they apprehend that their so doing will conduce to their owne advantage O Heav'ns be pleased in mercy towards us to helpe us speedily Or else the Kings Loyall-hearted party will perish suddenly The Scripture tels us For the Divisions of Ruben there were great thoughts of heart and for the Divisions that lately have been among our selves there have been great searchings of the heart Searchings indeed when the Sword point hath been imployed as the Instrument like a bloody inquisitive revenging Searcher to rip up the bosome and to make the scrutiny digging there untill the last drop of the heart-blood issued to the great griefe of heart and disturbance of the peace of Jerusalem the Church our Mother that her Children should deale thus unnaturally one with another Oh how justly may the Lord in these troublesome times complaine of England as once he did by his Prophet Jeremiah concerning Jerusalem As the fountaine casteth out her waters Ier. 6.7 so she casteth out her malice cruelty and spoile is continually heard in her before me with sorrow and stroakes So that England for the present in these particulars may undeniably be parallel'd unto Jerusalem And not onely so but also what great and just cause at this day hath our distressed Militant Church of England to complaine of her calamity with the church of Jerusalem expressed in the Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah She findeth no rest Lam. 1. all her Persecutors tooke her in the straits The Adversaries saw her and did mock at her Sabbaths Her Princes are become like Harts that find no pasture and they are gone without strength before the Pursuer Her Priests sigh her Virgins are discomfited and she is in heavinesse Yea Mat. 2.18 She mourneth like Rachell for her lost Children and will not be comforted because they are not In so much as that not onely many thousands of the Vulgar sort of our English Nation have been lately slaine but also many Noble Worthy and Valiant Champions who were Loyall hearted Subjects have in the behalf of their King Country and Religion willingly exposed themselves not onely to the bloody pangs of uncertaine hazards receiving dangerous wounds in their Bodies but also to the mercilesse jawes of cruell Death whereby they have been deprived of their pretious Lives in this bloody English and unnaturall Quarrell If but a little while we recollect our thoguhts and imploy them in these Tragicall passages we shall coactedly conclude that we have all just cause joyntly to pray for the peace of this our Jerusalem For listen either East West North or South and you shall hear not only private whisperings of Multitudes who hastily fled from their lawfull habitations to escape the inraged Violence of outragious Souldiers in their fierce fury fearfully affrighting their disconsolate families left behind them and violently Plundering their lawfull goods unlawfully from them but also publique complaints of those that have lost their nearest and dearest friends whose dearest heart-blood hath been spilt like water on every side of Jerusalem Thus Death and Desolation have of late rid tryumphantly through many parts of our Kingdome and also made both visible and tragicall Expressions of their puissant and successefull Valour and magnanimity maugre all malignancy in their desperate attempts against all their Opposers swiftly cutting downe with their fatall swords of War divers of all sorts from
lockt then against Theeves and Robbers S. Paul is peremptory in this particular Be not deceived saith He neither Theeves 1 Cor. 6.10 nor Covetous nor any of that cursed rabble he speakes of there shall have any inheritance in the Kingdome of God and of Christ But no sooner comes the penitent Thiefe with this Key of Prayer Domine memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome but presently the doore is open unto him with an Hodie mecum eris in paradiso This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise A Key did we call Prayer It seemes rather to be a Pick-lock that did not onely open heaven gate but also even let in a Thiefe He that formerly had rob'd passengers on the way and walked in the way of errour and shaddow of death Now bids Stand to the Way it selfe And sets onely upon him who is the Way Ioh. 14.6 the Truth and the Life and by his prayers unto him as it were by a new kinde of theft steales Heaven And as the Thiefe by his prayers opened the doores of heaven so Elijah the Prophet by his prayers made them fast He prayed that it might not raine Iam 5.17 and it rained not by the space of three years and six monethes 1 King 18. When he fled from the presence of Ahab He tyed up the influences of heaven and carryed away the Clouds in his Mantle It seemes God who is the Father of the drops of dew saith Job Ioh. 36.28 Mat. 5.45 and sendeth raine upon the just and unjust saith our blessed Saviour had granted unto Elijah a Patent or Monopoly of the raine and his prayers were the onely Rent he paid for it Eusebius reporteth Lib. 5. That in the Primitive Church Anno Dom. 175. The Army of Christians was called the Thundering-Legion because upon their prayers God scattered their Enemies with Thunder and refreshed themselves with comfortable showers from Heaven But not to loose our selves and protract the time in this Panegyrick of Prayer It is our Christian Sacrifice the calves of our lips which after all the abolished Sacrifices of the Law doth yet answer them all It is our morning and evening Sacrifice our incense offering which we put into the hand of our high-priest Christ Jesus to offer for us Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight like the incense saith David and the lifting up of my hands be an evening Sacrifice Psal 141.2 Like incense it vapors up in a sweet perfume in the nostrils of God It is our Juge Sacrificium our daily Sacrifice pray continually saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5.17 pray without ceasing Prayer is our sinne-offering our clensing-offering Oratio sonat pestes mentis saith the Father It cures the plague-sores of the Soule And God accepts of the fruit of the lips proceeding from a penitent heart for the faults of the whole body Lastly Prayer is our Elevatum or heave-Offering even the lifting up of our hands in his sight And blessed are they that can lift up pure hands in his Sanctuary they shall be sure to have the Victory and to triumph over all their Necessities When Moses hands were lifted up Exod. 17.11 then Israel prevailed but when they hung downe then Amaleck prevailed Moses is the History and every man that is a meeke and faithfull man as Moses was is the Morall When we lift up our hands and hearts to God in faithfull and fervent Prayer then our sinnes and enemies doe both retire but when we let them hang downe neglecting that necessary Duty then they charge us with double Forces Which teacheth us how dangerous a thing it is to faint in Prayer And therefore cease not to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And thus doe I passe from the Dignite of Prayer unto the Reasons of the Observation viz. Wherefore Prayer to God is the onely salve to cure calamity and to continue the favour of God unto his people Reas 1 Because it is the Lords expresse Injunction together with a gratious promise to grant our requests Call upon me in the time of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I heare thee and thou shalt praise me Reas 2 Because there is a blessing pronounced by our blessed Saviour unto those persons that labour for the Peace of others Blessed are the Peace-makers Mat. 5.9 for they shall be called the Children of God Reas 3 Because we being Children of the Church our Mother we have a Portion in our Mothers Peace For the Church our Mother and we her Children are relata and mutually sympathize the distresses of each other And as we should condole the Church our Mothers adversity so in like manner we ought to congratulate her prosperity our Portion being in her Peace Reas 4 Because of the happy Effect that Prayer produceth If saith God I shut the heaven that there be no raine 2 Chron. 7.13 14. or if I command the Grashopper to devoure the Land or if I send Pestilence among my people If my people among whom my name is called upon doe humble themselves and Pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked wayes then will I hear in heaven and be mercifull unto their sinne and will heale their Land Unto which also S. James alludeth where he saith Pray one for another that ye may be healed Iam. 5.16 for the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent And therefore Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And thus doe I passe from the grounds of the Observation unto the Application The Uses of this point are briefely foure viz. 1. Vse of Examination 2. Vse of Exhortation 3. Vse of Reprehension 4. Vse of Consolation Examination Vse 1 TO Examine thy selfe whether thou Prayest for the Peace of the Church or no if thou doest then it is an Argument of thy Regeneration But if thou doest not then it is an Argument that as yet thou art without the pale of the Church and art still in thy Naturall cursed condition And one of the bastard-brood of Sathan and consequently a firebrand of hell rather then a faithfull Son of God and Heire of Heaven Exhortation Vse 2 TO exhort us all in Gods feare to pray for Jerusalems Peace And this ought to be done secretly privately and publiquely secretly by our selves privately with our families and publiquely in the Assembly Beloved if thou art so aged or otherwise possessed with infirmities as that thou canst not fight for the Church when she is in distresse yet if thou cast Pray thou art for the Churches turne and that thou maiest doe for Prayer is a Spirituall quality of the Soule which may be performed by a weake and infirmed body and therefore as occasion is offered neglect not the same But admit the Lord hath decreed as I hope he hath not that we should perish in a generall Calamity yet notwithstanding let us all endeavour for to die
Hosts Iosh 1.2 Rev. 19.16 who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords had this exhortation from the Lord annexed unto it with a gratious promise unto his proceedings Iosh 1.8 Let not this booke of the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe and doe according to all that is written therein for then shalt thou make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good successe The which is recorded and still remaineth in force for succeeding Ages Hence then All Souldiers should learne that in all their Military Actions they ought to make the word of God to be their guide for the Omniscient and Omnipotent God is the great and universall Warriour of the whole world He it is who directeth every Bullet Sword Speare and Dart to the Person appointed And wherefore it commeth to passe that in the Battell some are wounded some out-right killed and some escape untouched is a secret lockt up in the bosome of God and therefore not to be pried into by the sons of men Every Souldier that putteth himselfe into Military service and doth execution upon others ought to have in his heart zeale for the glory of God without any by-ends or sinister-respects of his owne unto himselfe otherwise he is a Murtherer in the sight of God For the Lord saith by his Prophet Hoseah Hos 1.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu That is I will be revenged upon Jehu for the blood that he shed in Jezreel for although God stirred him up to execute his judgements upon wicked persons yet he did that Military service for his owne Ambition thereby to satisfie the lusts of his owne proud heart and not for the glory of God The word there in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth bloods intimating thereby to the world that the blood of every particular person that hath been so shed by a party not so qualified shall be reputed as Murther in the sight of God Oh then let every Souldier seriously examine his owne heart in what condition he standeth whether he be justly acquitted for what he hath done in that nature or standeth guilty as a Murtherer in the sight of God Object But happily some Souldier may here say in defence of himselfe who hath not chiefely and zealously aimed at the glory of God in the passages of his hostile service I have beene pressed to this service against my will and that which I have done in any Battell was but in mine owne defence and therefore if I have slaine any the guilt of that blood will lye upon those that compelled me so to doe my selfe shall be acquitted of it and they themselves responsible for it but howsoever I know assuredly that the Lawes of the Land can lay no hold upon me for it Answ Although thou maiest have security given thee from all Temporall Lawes and freedome from all corporall punishments yet notwithstanding Murther is such a cruell bloody hainous and horrible sinne as that the guilt thereof will continually wound thy Conscience and constantly will follow thee at the heeles as the Jaylor doth his Prisoner ever stinging vexing troubling and tormenting thee at the inevitable remembrance of the righteous judgements and just vengeance of the all-powerfull revenging God unto which by the sinne of Murther thou hast made thy selfe lyable every houre untill thou doest truly throughly and heartily repent thee of it And therefore whosoever thou art that takest upon thee the honourable calling of a Souldier examine thy condition by the word of God viz. The justice of thy cause the willingnesse of thy heart the lawfulnesse of thy calling the readinesse of thy obedience to Gods commands as to strike when he biddeth and to forbeare when he forbiddeth Have regard unto this I humbly pray thee as also not to Rob nor Plunder nor Kill nor fight but against a lawfull Enemy ever remembring and constantly practising that Religious exhortation of Moses Deut. 23.9 unto Souldiers when they goe to War When the Hoaste goeth forth against the enemies then keepe thee from every wicked thing And so shall thy service bring glory to God Credit to thy Person and comfort to thy Conscience And as Souldiers in a skirmish if they keepe not Ranke and File they will be in danger of their bodies destruction So in like manner if Souldiers observe not these Rules they will be in danger of perishing their Soules But alas all Souldiers observe not these Rules for many times in the Wars there is Gaine instead of Godlinesse Courage instead of Equity Blood-thirstinesse instead of Valour Policy instead of Justice and which is also greatly to be lamented in many Souldiers no Religion for seldome doe they pray till they be in danger of Death And yet how carefull ought they to be to have grace in their hearts who carry as it were their lives continually in their hands But O how defective are many of them of what they ought to be being full of fierce fury enraged Violence cruell Hatred cursed covetousnesse thievish Plundering swinish Drunkennesse beastly Whoredome abhominable Oathes horrid Blasphemies hellish Curses impure Discourses terrible Threatnings false Accusations filthy Communications c. The consideration whereof greatly grieveth the soules of Consciencious men and frequently maketh their hearts to tremble within them Can such irregular Souldiers to the Lawes of God hopefully expect in mercy a Blessing from God upon their Military Designes and Actions Certainely no but rather in judgement fear a Curse where by there shall be to themselves nothing but Ruine Confusion And therefore I heartily wish that all Souldiers would henceforth carry themselves in all their thoughts words and Warlike Actions so Religiously towards God as that they may be constantly in favour with him and consequently have him for their Protectour in their greatest danger and not resolutely to follow the wicked wayes and leud lusts of their owne corrupted hearts to the great dishonour of God in this world and the everlasting and just condemnation of their owne soules in the world to come But here peradventure some may Object Object We fight for the maintenance and continuance of the Protestant Religion Unto which I answer Answ Religion as it is in truth and sincerity is highly and greatly to be esteemed being a Divine honouring of God according to his holy will revealed in his word but woe and alas may we all justly cry out as it hath beene formerly so it is now in these disasterous dayes especially the delusive specious Pretence the deceitfull dangerous Masker and the dazling golden outside of all Rebellion And to the great griefe both of our Dread Soveraigne and all His faithfull Subjects the very Load-stone to draw and attract the Iron hearts of many thousands of this Kingdome into unnaturall unchristian and horrid Rebellion against all just Regall and lawfull Authority Under
which delusive Pretence of fighting for the Protestant Religion there hath been produced many unhappy yea cursed effects of late amongst us of which I will nominate a few viz. The Omission of the holy Prayer of Jesus Christ The not publishing of the Law of God The not reading of the Apostles Creed The not administring of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The mixture of the Fancies Inventions and Corruptions of men with the pure and holy Gospell of Jesus Christ The deprivation of all the Lands Livings Goods and Estates of all the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Laity of this Kingdome that either are or were of the Kings Party The over-burdening of this whole Kingdome with intollerable Taxes The bitter fatall and deadly imprisonment of many for their Kingly fidelity in which Prisons some of them yeelded up their soules into the hands of their heavenly Father my selfe then being in the Metropolis of this Kingdome a Prisoner with them and at the deaths of divers of them These together with the losse of many thousands of the Kings faithfull adhering Subjects innocent lives have beene some of those woefull effects which the delusive specious Pretence of fighting for the Protestant Religion hath lately produced amongst us in this Kingdome God in mercy looke upon us and speedily deliver us all out of this destructive and calamitous condition War may not unfitly be compared to a cruell wilde Beast a Savage Tyger or a fierce Lion which at the best lookes gasht and grim even then when he is first rouzed out of his Den But nothing to that he will doe afterwards when he hath been well baited and chafed Oh then death sparkles through every looke And in the end he growes savage and teares and rents all that lies in his way God looke downe in mercy upon us and keepe us from those distastefull fruits of War that other Nations have tasted Sower fruits have they been unto them by which their teeth have been set on edge such as the Dishonouring of Matrons the Deflowring of Virgins the tossing of Children upon the pikes of remorslesse Souldiers the rosting of Infants Murthers Rapes Massacres and all Tragicall Pompe of bloody cruelty that useth to attend upon the inraged Sword And when the Sword hath acted his part awhile and the Drums sounded alarums to the Battell and the Trumpets blown preparatives for the War and the Cannons roared loud destruction from the one end of the Kingdome to the other Then steps up Famine for a new scene of Misery and this proves no lesse cruell and altogether as fatall as the former Then those over-gorged stomacks and full bellies that have been too much filled with dainty diets variety must be made a prey to the hungry jawes of pining Scarcity This sets forth the Prophets cry in the streets My leanenesse my leanenesse Esa 24.16 This brings the late fastidious over-curious palate to the loathsome diet of Horse flesh and Dogs flesh and vermine and excrements of Beasts yea of old shooes and leather trunkes Such a black Bill of distastefull dyet and surfeiting fare Josephus brings in of Gods owne people when Titus and Vepatian laied siege to the wals of Jerusalem The Children there cryed out unto their Mothers Lam. 2.12 Where is bread and drinke when they swoonded as the wounded in the streets of the City and gave up the ghost in their Mothers bosome Yea the Prophet complaines there of the peoples extreamity through Famine Behold O Lord saith he and consider to whom thou hast done this shall the women eat their fruit and Children of a span long Verse 20. The words in the Originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Little of educations What obdurate hearted Parents cannot mourne for their little Infants in so great extreamity Also the Famine in Samaria was so great 2 King 6.25 that an Asses head was sold at fourscore pieces of Silver and the fourth part of a Cab of Doves dung at five pieces of silver Yea in the extremity of Famine Mothers have eaten their owne Children which caused the woman to cry out against her neighbour unto the King Helpe my Lord O King The King said unto her What aileth thee And she answered this woman said unto me Give thy sonne that we may eat him to day and we will eat my sonne to morrow So we sod my sonne and did eat him and I said to her the day after Give thy sonne that we may eat him but she hath hid her son When the King heard this 2 King 6. he rent his clothes in token of humiliation Oh whose heart cannot relent within him at the consideration of this woefull condition That the hunger-starved and pined mother though compassionately affected and tender hearted to her Infant shall be driven to dish up her owne Childe for a Breakfast And thus a miserable Myriam sacrificing her sonne to famine shall be constrained to make the Wombe of her increase the Tombe of her posterity And so to turne the fruit of the Wombe into meat for the belly Beloved if it be a griefe to any to hear this what then will it be for them to see it and suffer it Loe thus have we heard of the woefull misery of Famine which War produceth And therefore let us all in Gods feare doe our best endeavours to procure the Blessing of Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem The word here Peace in our Text in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à radice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod significat pacem habere id est pace vel prosperitate frui which signifieth to have Peace that is to say to enjoy Peace or prosperity And would we not willingly enjoy Peace certainely yea Then let us now at the last learne the true and right way to remedy this our evill of War amongst us lest by our carelesnesse and continuance in wickednesse our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of God become unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of Affliction and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vision of Peace be made unto us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most homely and unpleasant place and our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of Grace and Favour be turned against us into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the house of Anger and Displeasure and whereby also the Lords long-suffering turne against us into Wrath and consequently the Sword of War our lives into Death The Meanes then to attaine Gods blessing of Peace in this our disturbed Kingdome follow and they are these viz. The first is Prayer The second is Humiliation The third is casting away all our transgressions For a Man to be in Misery and not to Pray is an infallible Signe of his Infidelity For a man to pray and not to humble himselfe is an evident Token of his Hypocrisie For a man to pray and humble himselfe and not cast away all his Transgressions is an apparent Testimony of his Obstinacy And therefore
the Old World Gen. 7.21 Then the Deluge took his part so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against the beastly Sodomites Gen. 19.24 Then the fire and brimstone from Heaven took his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against the blood-thirsty Aegyptians pursuing the Israelites Exod. 14.28 Then the Red-sea took his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those Rebellious Persons Numb 16.32 Korah Dathan Abiram and their Complices Then the Earth tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those cursed Amorites Iosh 10 11 12 13. warring against the Gibeonites Then the Sunne the Mooone and the Hailestones from Heaven tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction And the Starres also in their courses fought against Sisera Iudg. 5.20 When He fought against those reviling Mockers of the Prophet Elisha 2 King 2.24 Goe up thou bald-head Goe up thou bald-head Then the Beares tooke his part and so he wrought their Destruction When He fought against those accusing Idolaters of the Prophet Daniell Dan. 6.24 Then the Lions took his part and so he wrought their Destruction Loe Thus the Lord hath not onely these but also all other Creatures in the world ready at his owne command to fight against wicked Persisters in sinne At the beginning the greatest and strongest Creatures were by Nature and Creation subject to Man but alas now not onely they but also all others both great and small are either become our Enemies or else our Conquerers And what must this then teach us but onely how Odious hatefull and abominable Sinne is in the sight of Almighty God Sinne It was forbidden by God It was condemned by Angells It is revenged by Beasts And punished by Divills It drave Adam out of Paradise It kept Moses from Canaan It destroyed the Inhabitants of Jerusalem And it hath also excluded infinite thousands from the Kingdome of Heaven It was wilfully committed by the disobedience of Man It was willingly redeemed by the life of Christ It was faithfully reproved by the death of Martyrs And yet still it is wickedly maintained by the practice of Multitudes Oh whose heart bleeds not within him to see such a wicked Monster made more account of then all other good things in the world which was hatcht by the Devill fed by the life of Soules and yet still raignes that it might winne Millions of Soules unto Condemnation Shall reasonable Men rescue it when unreasonable Beasts fight against it Every Creature in his kinde cries Vengeance against it It made the Angels Damnable It made the World Abominable It maketh the Beasts Corruptible And it maketh Men Miserable Miserable I say by Birth for they were borne in it Miserable by Life for they are vexed with it And most miserable by Death for then they shall be accursed by it Loe Thus doth the Earth cry woe unto Sinne for it cursed her Thus doth the Heavens hate it for it destroyeth her Children Thus doe the Starres fight against it for it dazleth their Light And thus doe the wilde-Beasts warre against it because it increaseth their Groanes It was the Jewes complaint in their extremity O Lord Ier. 14.7 though our Iniquities testifie against us deal with us according to thy Name for our Rebellions are many we have sinned against thee It was the Wickeds expression in their Calamity for sinne We roare all like beares Esa 59.11 12. and mourne like doves we look for equity but there is none for health but it is farre from us For our trespasses are many before thee and our sinnes testifie against us So that unlesse thou leavest thy Sinnes expect no Peace but look for mourning instead of mirth according to that Curse imposed upon the Jewes for their sinnes declared by the Prophet The Earth lamenteth and fadeth away Esay 24.4 5 6 7 the world is feebled and decayed the proud people of the earth are weakned The earth also deceiveth because of the inhabitants thereof for they transgressed the lawes they changed the Ordinances and brake the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the earth and the inhabitants thereof are desolate wherefore the inhabitants of the land are burned up and few men are left The wine faileth the vine hath no might all that were of merry heart doe mourne Thus beloved we see that Sinne is the Cause and Punishment the Effect So that Sublatâ Causâ tollitur Effectus The Cause being taken away the Effect ceaseth And untill then expect no Peace For so long as our hearts are full of Corruptions let us look to have our lives full of Afflictions Afflictions are divine medicines sent from God to correct our corruptions Yea they are Chastisements for sinnes that are past and also Preventions of sinnes that are to come like a Prophylacticke Phlebotomy or a Preservative Purgation And hence is that expression of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 11.32 We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world So that we have here Life and Death set before us performe the Meanes prescribed and we shall live comfortably neglect them and we shall perish miserably Loe this truth the Author of all truth hath expressed Levit. 26.17.18 I will set my face against you and ye shall fall before your enemies and they that hate you shall reigne over you and ye shall flee when none pursueth you And if ye will not for these things obey me then will I punish you seven times more according to your sinnes Hence then we may learne that if the former punishments of Pestilence Famine and the Sword which lately have beene amongst us and upon us will not reclaime and reforme us then the Lord will send more and heavier judgements upon us untill we either are converted or confounded And now for a Prevention of Englands Confusion let me speake unto her as once the Lord did by his Prophet Jeremiah unto Jerusalem Jer. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soule depart from thee lest I make thee desolate as a Land that none Inhabiteth So say I both freely and mournfully Be thou instructed O England learne righteousnesse and speedily be reclaimed from all thy wickednesse lest the righteous Lord in displeasure against thee suddenly depart from thee and so thou becommest a Desolation The which Desolation that we may all escape let every one throughout this whole Kingdome seriously examine his owne heart of all those sinnes wherein at this day he stands guilty before the Lord and search and try his wayes and speedily turne unto the Lord our God And for a prevalent Motive hereunto Let all Traitors against the King call to minde Gods just Judgements upon Ahithophell 2 Sa. 17.23 2 Sa. 18.14 1 Sam. 8.3 1 Sa. 4.18 2 Sa. 20.22 Ester 7.10 Rebels upon Absalom Corrupt Judges upon Samuels Sonnes Idle Ministers upon Eli Wicked Magistrates
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
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
our President Who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the throne of God Heb. 12.2 Oh what a comfortable and joyfull day will that be to thy immortall and pretious Soule when stepping forth of her earthly Prison and speedily conducted by the blessed Angels to the Tabernacle of Heaven she shall rejoycingly be there received by the honourable Companies of that heavenly Consistory viz. with all those blessed Spirits mentioned in the holy Scriptures viz. Angels Arch-angels Vertues Powers Principalities Dominations Thrones Cherubims and Seraphims also with the holy Patriarches Prophets Martyrs Innocents Confessors and Saints of God together with the blessed Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ all which shall then greatly triumph and exceedingly rejoyce at her Coronation and Glorification Yea and farre more Happinesse she shall enjoy than all this viz. the Knowledge of the invisible Nature of the most blessed Trinity The All glorious and Beatificall VISION the sight of God which maketh us happy of which St. Augustine saith Haec sold est summum bonum nostrum This SIGHT of God is our onely and chiefest Happinesse in which consisteth the Soveraigne Good and Life of the Soule which no mortall Eye hath seene nor Eare hath heard neither hath it entred into the Heart of Man The which SIGHT of God is the full Beatitude and totall Glorification of Man Loe this is the Happinesse which the Soule of a Christian Spirituall Fighting Conquering Souldier shall for ever enjoy Where 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 Quest But here peradventure some may demand What shall I doe when I have been a long while under the grievous and weighty pressure of many Troubles great Crosses and heavy Afflictions and still continue under them seeing as yet no probability by sublunary assistance of ease in them no likelyhood of freedome from them or Deliverance out of them Answ If this now be or at any time hereafter shall be thy deplorable Condition Loe then I beseech thee in the Bowels of Jesus Christ as a Sympathzing Brother of thy sorrowes murmur not thereat but acknowledge God to be righteous and that thou sufferest justly for thy sinnes and be not sorrowfull because thou sufferest but for the Cause of thy suffering which are thy sinnes which thou hast committed According to that complaining Querie of the Prophet Jeremiah Wherefore is the living man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne Lam. 3.39 And also labour for to live by Faith and not by Sense For the Just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Ever being mindfull of and also constantly depending upon the Providentiall name of God amongst the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which denoteth unto us the speciall Prodience of God towards his children in all their distresses resolving also constantly in thine owne Soule without wavering that whether longer continuance of Life or speedier seizing upon by Death shall befall thee yet notwithstanding according to that comfortable Expression of the Apostle Antid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 The continuall Consideration hereof should serve as a spirituall Antidote to preserve thy afflicted languishing Soule for ever from Despaire And God Almighty who is the onely Physitian both of Soule and Body and can at his pleasure apply a Remedy to every Malady according to each particular Persons severall wants and necessities give a speedy comfortable helpfull healing Blessing to the divine Operation thereof within thee Of which my selfe can speake both comfortably and experimentally who being fast lock't in Prison for my Kingly Fidelity with diverse others of the ministeriall Function and having not any corporall Sustenance allowed us for above forty dayes together wherewith to preserve our languishing naturall Lives they all ended their dayes in the same Prison and shortly after all their Deaths my Body was from Prison enlarged and Life from Death under God thereby preserved Loe thus farre the speciall Providence of God extended unto me when I was wel-nigh brought to the Period of my Life and almost cast into the cruell jawes of devouring Death Blessed be the God of my Life and Liberty for it for ever Beloved a Valiant and Couragious hearted Souldier will not be discouraged at the roaring of Cannons the clashing of Armes the clattering of Weapons or the hideous noise of furious Enemies comming siercely upon him although that military Service be never so sharp or dangerous unto him because he expects to receive some rich Booty to himselfe when the Battell is ended so in like manner a true crucified Christian who hath the blessed Spirit of God in him which is the only Spirit of all true Valour and Courage will not be daunted or dismayed at the comming on of Troubles Crosses or Afflictions how great or many soever they be because he is not left to himself alone as a Souldier in the field when all his pusilanimous spirited fellow-Souldiers have deserted the Service and forsaken him but hath the All-powerfull Lord of Heaven with him compassing him about with his speciall Providence as a never-failing Shield and defensive Buckler to preserve him from perishing onely bringing him into the Field that so he may fight against his Enemies and thereby have the great Glory and rich Reward of a magnanimous spirited and valiant Conquerour In earnall Judgment and the fleshly Eye of humane sense and reason the rich Gluttons case was desirable Luke 16. and poor Lazarus condition despicable but the poor Man was received to Mercy and the rich Man rejected to Judgement And herein beloved we may behold the great grosse and palpable Errour of the carnall mens Judgement of this World who conceive their chiefest Happinesse consisteth in creature Comforts and esteeme it their greatest Delight to swim in the Confluence of all outward good things and account it their principall Felicity to be in the present possession of outward Pomp and earthly Prosperity Loe thus blind erroneous and ignorant are carnall-minded men in their naturall Condition But the Children of God to whom the heavenly light of Truth hath appeared who have been often exercised in Troubles Crosses and Afflictions being crucified Christians living unto God and not to themselves are of a contrary Judgment knowing assuredly that Afflictions are necessary physicall Potions for their Soules to purge out their sinfull Corruptions to try and exercise their Faith and to refine their Soules whereby they may be the fitter Receptacles for the Spirit of God Although the Heaven of Heavens be exceeding High yet notwithstanding the Gate thereof is very Low and none but humble hearted and lowly spirited Persons being crucified Christians shall enter therein Beloved we may not think to goe to Heaven in beds of Downe we must in this Vale of misery passe through an
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
the Diabolicall sinne of Hypocrisie must at the last breake forth be detected And therefore let them not be deceived for God cannot be mocked as they sow so shall they reape their seed-time wherein they sow nothing but the seedes of wickednesse is in this life and their harvest shall be in the end of this life in the land of everlasting darknesse for the Hypocrites portion shall be in utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24. ult 3. Those that are Schismaticks who separate themselves from the Church of Christ Against all such persons of that dangerous Brood S. Paul gave in one verse a Three-fold Caveat to his Philippians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.2 The first the Apostle termeth Dogs The Second Evill-Workers And the Third the Concision 1. By Dogs is meant those who barke against the truth of Christ for lucre sake And hence it is that there is such a Deluge of Errours at this day flowing in the Church viz. the splendor glittering shew of Balaks gold which hath not onely dimmed but also blinded the avaricious eyes of the bastard brood of corrupt-hearted Balaams and against the light of their knowledge turned their Consciences into covetousnesse answerable to that true saying of Virgil the Heathen Poet O sacra auri fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis O cursed desire of gold what mischiefe is it but for the love of thee thou forcest man to attempt it Whereby they are not onely fitted to worke their owne sinfull ends by sinister meanes but also eagerly exercised as every opportunity is offered in speaking both privately and publiquely those things though never so pernicious to the soules of their Auditors that shall conduce to their worldly Advantage and helpe to their expected and greedy-wished-for wages for the satisfying of their unlimited and avaricious desires Who serve not the Lord Jesus but their owne bellies whose glory will turne to their shame minding as they doe nothing but earthly things Phil. 3.19 The approach of which Medusa's head being Demas-like avariciously affected in this declining Age of the World 2 Tim. 4.10 wherein the people are as desirous of Novelty as subject to Discontent the world hath suffered a fearfull and fatall Metamorphosis and justly may wonder to finde her selfe so great and grosse a Changeling but politique Hypocrisie accounting Gaine to be Godlinesse is a building which hath but a lubricall sandie and slippery foundation and therefore with terrour to her co-operating Agents and comfort to her over-oppressed Patients she cannot promise to her selfe and her viperous Brood any certainty of long continuance although her deceitfull and pestilent Agents are never so Active The which pernicious practice of those pragmaticall and pestilent Impostors may not unfitly allude to those late upstart factious pedanticall Novelists who pretend to the world they are sufficiently gifted to be Teachers of others and that they also are the onely able Orthodox and powerfull Preachers of these latter Times and yet they are not able to read the Texts of the Old and New Testaments in those Languages wherein God by his Prophets and Apostles Originally spake to his Church wherein is contained the infallible Demonstration of the holy Scriptures Such ignorant Pedants not knowing what they speak or whereof they affirme must of necessity build their Christian Faith if they have any upon the judgements and opinions of other men as not being able themselves for to discerne betweene Truth and Error 1 Cor. 2.14 And yet notwithstanding they often speake swelling words being vainely puft up with their fleshly minds Who partly out of their Pride or Malice or Covetousnesse or Ignorance or some other as great or greater sins moving them teach desperately erroneous Doctrines to corrupt the minds of their itching-ear'd-hearers and divulge the brain-sick devices of male-contented factious persons which onely tickle their all-hearing Auditors itching eares but worke no saving grace in their hearts mixing with the limpid and pure waters of Life the putrified dregs and polluted schismaticall and foule corruptions of their owne filthy and deceitfull factions turning the heavenly sweetnesse of Truths infallible and plaine direction into the hellish bitternesse of hereticall expressions and erroneous Confusion Thereby causing their seduced Proselites to wander from the direct and true paths of Gods Commandements leading to Heaven and Salvation into the devious and by-paths of cursed sinne and infectious wickednesse walking blindly in the broad way leading to the wide gate going downe to the darke and uncomfortable lodgings of Death Isa 30. ult and terrible Tophet of Perdition 2. By Evill-workers those that make their whole life a trade of sinning whose sole practice is to doe nothing but evill and are also ever plotting mischiefe against the Church of Christ As was the practice of Cain against Abel Gen. 4. Esau against Jacob. Gen. 27. Pharaoh against the Israelites Exod. 14. Saul against David 1 Sam. 23. Benhâ—dad against Jehoshaphat 1 King 22. Senacherib against Hezekiah 2 King 19. Haman against the Jewes Esther 3. The Jewes against our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus Mat. 26. Also Nero Domitian Trajan Adrian Anthony Dioclesian divers other malignant Emperours against the zealous and religious Christians in the tender Ages of the Christian Church Loe thus there hath been even from the beginning inveterate hatred in the Church Malignant against the Church Militant the which Malignity even as a Gangrene or Leprosie hath pernitiously spread it selfe so far abroad into the world as that we of this English Nation may experimentally at this day with sadnesse of spirit and great griefe of heart justly complaine of the bitter fruits thereof the which hath unhappily produced by the violence of the enraged Sword the late great destruction that hath been in our Land and the present afflicting Distractions that still remaine amongst us Such persons are as opposite to the true Members of Christs Church as Light is to Darknesse Heaven to Hell and God to Satan Yea that cursed Brood of venomous Vipers having their hearts set on fire of Hell are both maliciously minded and bloodily affected whose wisdome is earthly sensuall and devilish Lam. 3.15 exercising their power to the uttermost against the true Members of the Church of Christ nothing regarding to contemne the approved Truth and Peace of the Church 3. By Concision those that make Rents and Divisions in the Church of Christ those Separatists that pluck up the pales and teare up the hedges thereof giving liberty thereby to the subtile Foxes to pluck off her grapes whereby to strip and speedily starve her and the wilde Boare of the Forrest to root her up and utterly destroy her Such as were those over-selfe-conceited arrogant and contemptuous Jewes of whom the Prophet maketh expression Isa 65.5 who said Stand apart come not neere to me for I am holier then thou But Agur the sonne of Jakeh describeth the condition of such insolent spirits Pro. 30.12
amongst the Children of God is like the agreement and harmony in Musique yea it is well pleasing to God and acceptable to all good men God is the God of Peace 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of peace sanctifie you throughout And he is also the Authour of Peace 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the Authour of confusion but of peace as we see in all the Churches of the Saints And his Children are the Children of peace Isay 11.9 None shall hurt or destroy in all the mountaine of mine holinesse And Christ in his Sermon upon the Mount pronounceth a blessing unto them that labour for Peace Blessed are the Peace makers Mat. 5.9 for they shall be called the children of God When as King Salomon who had his name from Peace built that most glorious and stately materiall Temple for the Worship of God it is very remarkeable that in the making thereof no Noise was heard by strikeing or beating upon any of the materialls whereof it was made the which Temple was also a Type of Christ Esay 53.7 who was mute like a sheepe before the Shearers and with Patience did beare silently many injuries and indignities not onely offered unto him but also laide upon him In imitation whereof all true Beleevers in Christ who are the Spirituall Temple of the living God 1 Cor. 3.17 ought both silently to suffer and also patiently to endure the troubles and miseries of this their militarie Warfare according to that rule of our blessed Saviour learne of me Mat. 11.29 for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your soules And S. Paul when he was to leave his Corinthians he exhorted them to Peace that after his departure from them they might have the comfortable presence of the God of Peace with them Leaving them this memorable Valediction at his ultimum vale Finally brethren fare ye well be perfect 2 Cor. 13.11 be of good comfort be of one minde live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you So that to live peaceably towards others is a Marke of the true Members of the Church of Christ 2. Holinesse The Apostle S. Peter speaking to the faithfull who should be heires of everlasting glory exhorts them to be holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 Heaven is an holy place and none must inhabit there but holy persons viz. Saints those that are made holy by the blood of Christ those whose soules are washed in the blood of the Lambe Whosoever is not thus qualified must for ever from heaven be excluded Apoc. 22.15 Without shall be dogs and Enchanters and whoremongers and mutherers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lies Yea the Apostle is peremptory herein Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without the which no man shall see the Lord. Therefore labour to finde this Grace of Holinesse in thy selfe for it is an infallible Marke of the true Members of the Church of Christ 3. Love Spirituall Love is the most excellent effect of the Soule and also a fruit of Gods blessed Spirit Gal. 5.22 Yea and our blessed Saviour to distinguish his Disciples from the prophane persons of the world expresseth Love as the cognizance of distinction By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples Ioh. 13.35 if ye have love one to another So that spirituall Love is also a Marke of the true Members of the Church of Christ 4. Regeneration Art thou sensible of thy new Spirituall birth Dost thou finde in thy selfe experimentally Mortification and Vivification a killing of the Old man and a quickning of the New dost thou feele the power of Christs Death in thee more and more to mortify and kill thy sinnes his Blood to sanctify and purge thy heart and the Vertue of his Resurrection to quicken thy soule unto newnesse of life and to make thee stand manfully and with an undaunted courage and magnanimous Resolution valiantly to fight against Sinne and Satan If these things be in thee they are certain Evidences unto thee that thou art a true Member of the Church of Christ 5. Obedience This is a satisfactory Duty well-pleasing and acceptable both to God and Man The time was and that of late yeares that England had a plentifull Peace and a peaceable Plenty throughout this Kingdome and also lived in filiall Feare of the righteous God and dutifull Obedience to Her lawfull Soveraigne at which time the Lord even loaded Her with plentifull Store both of Spirituall and Temporall Blessings She being then for satisfactory Accommodation to Her Inhabitants Gen. 47.6 farre transcending Goshen to the Israelites in the Land of Aegypt insomuch as that She was comfortable to Her Friends terrible to Her Enemies and the glory of all Her neighbour Nations round about Her so that they all must beare Her witnesse that as once the Dew of Heaven fell downe onely upon Gideon's Fleece when as all the Earth beside was drie about it So in like manner the Dew of Gods Blessings hath onely fallen upon this our English Kingdome when all our neighbour Countries have been destitute of it lying drie and unfruitfull and being also utterly untilled by the Plough of the Farmer but yet every where harrowed by the Hand of the Souldier and almost rent in sunder with all those great Calamities which the fierce Fire and cruell Sword could bring upon them all which while untill of late yeares our English Nation lived in Peace dwelt without Feare sate in Safety and slept Secure But when flourishing England waxed wickedly wanton supine and carelesse and fell from the Light of Grace into the Darknesse of Sinne wilfully walking in corrupt waies according to the carnall Lusts of Her owne sinfull Heart being very dishonourable to God distastfull to all good Men and disgracefull to the Protestant Religion and also grew both Vnthankefull and Vnfruitfull and like an untamed Heifer Ier. 31.18 cast off the yoake of Her dutifull Obedience both towards God and Her lawfull Soveraigne Loe then the Lord in Judgement against Her being wrathfully displeased with Her turned Her Peace into Warre Her Plenty into Penury Her Strength into Weaknesse and Her Glory into Shame since which time of Alteration She hath liberally pluck't the Grapes of gall and plentifully dranke the gall of Bitternesse Yea and so deeply hath She dranke of the bitter and poysonous Dregges thereof as that those deadly Draughts which lately have beene forcingly given Her have turned the Lives of many thousands into Death And yet woe and alas She still remaineth incorrigible under Gods afflicting hand by the sharpe stroakes of his Rods of Remembrance and will not yeild Obedience to God and Man as in the sacred Scripture She is commanded Obedience is two-fold in respect of the Persons to whom we owe it 1. Unto God 2. Unto the King 1. Unto God for himselfe as being our Celestiall Soveraigne 2. Unto the King in God and for
fight under his Banner against Sinne the World and the Devill is now brought by the Providence and Permission of God into the fiery Fornace of Affliction for the firme triall of His saving Faith and profitable Christian Exercise of Gods heavenly graces within Him and also by probability extracted from fatall Conjectures in the very Twilight of His time betwixt the Day of Life Night of Death being now a PRISONER in Carishrooke-Castle in the Isle of Wight mournfully complaining unto God in these words Oh! my loving and compassionate God who by thy most holy wise and powerfull Providence dost continually preserve and governe all thy Creatures and all their Actions I humbly pray thee for Jesus Christ his sake to grant me Pardon and Patience thou that searchest the heart and triest the reines thou knowest the Sincerity of my Soules Service towards thee my constant Resolution for the continuation of the Protestant Religion the carefull Preservation of the Ancient Lawes of this Kingdome the rightfull Priviledges of Parliament the just Liberty of the Subjects the firme Settlement of Truth and Peace amongst the People and the Conscience I make of keeping that Oath administred to Me and also taken by Me at My Coronation for which things sake c. I am now deeply involved into great Misery and therefore O My tender-hearted God take Me into the safe custody of thy powerfull Protection and shelter Me under the preservative Wings of thy speciall Providence for the fierce Floods of popular Rage are risen up against Me the swelling Surges of mischievous malitious Adversaries looke big upon Me the rough Waves of the rude Multitude strive to overflow Me the proud Billowes of insolent insulting Enemies have almost overwhelmed Me and the violent Streames of the bitter waters of Affliction are also every day ready to swallow Me up all which I know thou canst if thou wilt suppresse at thy Pleasure who stillest when thou pleasest the raging of the Seas Psal 65.7 the noise of the Waves and the madnesse of the People And now ô Lord in this My great Extremity I flie unto thee who art Almighty with whom there is Helpe from whom there may be Reliefe upon whom dependeth My Hope and in whom resteth My Confidence one Deepe calling upon another Psal 42.9 the Depth of My Misery calling upon the Depth of thy Mercy craving thy present powerfull Assestance for My speedy and joyfull Deliverance And though for the present My Body from Liberty be restrained yet through thy Mercy towards me My Heart with grace from thee is greatly enlarged and Love in Me towards thee much increased thou hast often put the oyle of gladnesse into My heavy Heart and such sacred Influences of heavenly Comforts I daily doe receive from thee as that I nothing doubt of thy Mercy towards Me. Oh my deare God! thou hast beene graciously pleased to make Me thy Vice-gerent over three Kingdomes but woe and alas I am now deprived of all that Power which formerly I had in them all three abridged not onely of that sweet Society of My deare Consort but also of all My loving and tender-hearted Children who might in this My great Distresse as comfortable Cordials to My heavy Heart afford Me some Comfort those who formerly were and still ought to be My loyall Subjects are now risen up against Me have here Imprisoned Me and I am now become not onely as an Abject unto them but also the very Object of their Reproach Scorne Contempt and Derision and none of My Subjects in all My three Kingdomes will vouchsafe to rescue Me out of Mine Enemies hands And in this My great Distresse My teares have beene my meate day and night Psal 42.3 while Mine Enemies daily and hourly reproach Me and also craftily plot greater Mischiefes against Me not onely for the deadly destruction of My mortall Body but also for the utter Extirpation of Monarchicall Authority whereby My Royall Issue and their Princely Posterity should for future times be for ever abridged of all their just lawfull and Kingly Power in this Kingdome after Me for which My potent Adversaries so wickedly intending and cruelly practising against both My selfe and Mine I have often eaten the bread of Carefulnesse and mingled my drinke with weeping Psal 102.9 Now in this My deplorable captivated and calamitous Condition I beseech thee O My gracious God who breakest not the bruised reede nor quenchest the smoaking flax looke downe with thy favourable Eyes of fatherly Pitty upon me and let thy mercifull and loving Bowels of tender Compassion yerne towards Me Heare my prayer ô Lord with thine eares consider my calling hold not thy peace at my teares Psal 39.13 And if it shall please thee O my good God to deliver Me out of the hands of Mine Enemies whereby My Life may be preserved from their furie I shall ever praise thee for being so mercifull to Me but if otherwise in thy heavenly Wisdome thou hast decreed concerning the last Period and inevitable Expiration of My naturall Life that Martyr-like I shall deeply drinke with My blessed and sweet Saviour in his owne passionate Cup of bitter Death and so My mortall Body to perish and be destroyed by the Violence of the People yet shall I ever acknowledge thee to be righteous and will alwaies even to the last breath of My Life pray from the ground of My Heart Lord pardon whatsoever I have done amisse through the whole course of My Life and sanctifie all the Dispensations of thy Providence in these My great Sufferings unto Me forgive all Mine Enemies their cruell and unnaturall dealing towards Me lay not their Sinnes to their Charge and then Not my will but thine ô righteous Father for ever be done Loe these pittifull Passages proceeding from His Majesties greatly grieved Heart together with many others me-thinks I heare Ecchoing in mine Eares for which by way of Christian Sympathie as well as obliged subjective Duty towards His Majesty my heavy Heart Heaven is my Record doth often pray privatly and sorrowfull Soule mourne secretly on his behalfe and so in like manner all other loyall hearted Subjects ought for to doe as well as my selfe that thereby we might prevaile with the God of Heaven for our gracious Soveraigne His present Deliverance out of all His Troubles and speedy Re-establishment in His Throne of Righteousnesse The which over-joyous welcome Blessing to this perplexed and distracted King-dome our good God in his great Mercy grant to us all for the Glory of his great Name the Peace of this disquieted Land and the slourishing Estate of this English Church Common-wealth wherein we live and let all those who sincerely professe and faithfully love the Lord Jesus Christ truely searing the living God and heartily honouring their lawfull King say hereunto unfeignedly with my selfe even from the very ground of their HRARTS and SOULES So be it Amen Amen Oh! let us all in the filiall feare of God