again Heb. 12. 22. And we come to it and on it Christ will ere long stand in head of a Palm-bearing number Rev. 14. 1. ch 7. 9. He and they both invincible i. e. Victorious for crescit sub pondere palma For as his Fort is there so his Pallaces are too and in them he dwells and will for ever Now all the devout Worshippers and Visiters of this Court may know their strength lies in her Defence and that others may see the Folly of all Assaults and so forbear let it be a little surveyed in her Impregnable Fortifications As now it is said The Name of the Lord i. e. The Lord himself is a strong Tower the Righteouâ— fly or run to it and are safe or set on high Prov. 18. 10. His Wisdom Goodness Power Providence are all for our defence in all our perils for God as one notes on that place His Wisdom contrives ways Jer. Dyke in Locum p. 2. 3. defensive or offensive Goodness moves him to take on Relation and be concerned in our Hazard his Power steps betwixt us and the Danger to oppose the Injury designed against us and Providence is a quick Executor of the whole and oft a retorter of the Mischiefs on our Foes 1. Wisdom contrives ways and apt means applyes them in the fittest time lyes ambush against his Enemies foresees the design as Haman's Plot let 's all run to a day and then surprizes them with some Frustration 2. Power is all sufficient to corroborate the Mind to arm Faith with Courage and takes hold of Shield Spear and Buckler Psal 35. 2 3. and stops in the full Cariere or causes the Ass to dash the Masters foot to the Wall as Balaam that madds the Rider more Now in rushing times when the Waves are swelling yet the Lord is more mighty than many Waters or Waves of the Sea Psal 93. 4. 3. Goodness is the strong inner Spring of all thy Congregation dwelt therein thou of thy goodness preparedst for the Poor Psal 68. 10. 'T is Christ's triumphant Psalm Goodness then is active to provide for the Poor Assemblies Nahum witnesses to this after his report of God's terrour Nahum 1. 4. He concludes The Lord is good and it follows a strong Hold in the day of trouble and knows them that trust in him v. 7. i. e. Vejodeang chosei bo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acknowleging them that hope in him as the Chicken under the Wing that word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speravit recipere se ut in loco tuto ibi secure conquiescere And oft joyned with a Wing as two or three Texts show Psal 18. 31. and 57. 1 2. So 91. 4. Vnder the Shadow of thy Wings I trust till these Calamitice be past This was in the Cave and some read as if a Webb was woven ore the Caves hole that hid David and so once was a Martyr If God own any of his Servants those that run to his Protection are most likely they This is joyned with a Threat to Nineveh some 40 years after destroyed about the 15th year of Hezekiah's Lease given him of the Lord. vide Dr. Mayer Which I note to shew that he survived to see that Prince and City destroyed that besieged Zion the City of God and so it became a quiet Habitation as was promis't Isai 33. 20. And Nahum's Prophesie in ch 1. ult was about 4 or 5 years after verified in their solemn Feasts after this Son of Belial was cut off Now this is the Buckler and these are the Bullwarks that did do and will defend all the Sons of Zion that run to them Having spoke to God's Attributes before I add no more to this A word to Promises Now 2dly for Promises they are Springs that empty themselves by golden Pipes in our dry Cisterns dayly to quench our Thirst and cool our Heat in Persecution and these allay our Fears before Troubles come which oft are worse than the Troubles and this do they in two Rivolets the one is the nature the second is their various matter a little to both especially the first the latter less being toucht before that I may avoid all prolixity and not bis cocta apponere 1. The nature and proper adjuncts of Gods Promises are food and fence to the pious Two Ingredients make them very cordial the Properties of God are the In-works of our Fort. The Promises as one says are the Out-works if we get Jer. Dyke Righteous Man 's Tower P. 34. into them that is our Safety and the Tower is the Safety of the Out-works and all that flee to them These are the Clefts of the Rock So he Oh my Dove thou art in the Clefts of the Rock let me see and hear thee there says Christ to his Spouse Cant. 2. 14 15. And now take the Foxes to note our Safety in the Clefts of Promises from all Foxes and wild Beasts of Prey that should no more hinder them as Mayer observes in Duties of Piety and holy Feasts God's Doves being as Coneys feeble and fearful the Hawks pursue the one and ferrets the other are glad to nest and burrow in the Rock Now it is not the lot of the Spouse ever to be visible sometimes in Deserts and Dens as one says Hylary Non tect is exteriori pompâ but in plain Russet as when her Lord first espoused her Now the good of a Promise lyes in twâ— things 1st It is suitable to our Case 2dly Sure and durable and in both great like the Author and pretious in their use to us For the first no Case can befall but some Promise or somewhat in the Promise obviates it Doth Zion mourn He will restore again Comfort both to Her and her Mourners Isai 57. 18. Are her Assemblies sâ—attered A Promise is of gathering Zâ—ph 3. 18. Are Teachers in Corners Thy Eyes shall see thy Teachers c. Isai 30. 20. Are they exiled to the Ends of the Earth Yet he will hiss for them and they shall come Zech. 10. 1. And bring their Offering Zeph. 3. 10. As one abroad at Queen Mary's death said in a Sermon and soon after the News of her death came and they were recalled home Promises are adapted to all the sad Cases of Zion's Sons 2. They are sure firm and perpetual Promises fail not far less for evermore 2 Cor. 1. 20. A delay or suspense may be for the Sin of declining that may look as a Breach of Promise or turn to a Threat Numb 14. 34. But 't is fulfilled with use to the next Age. As Justice stands bound for the Threat and Goodness for the Promises So is Gods Truth and Veracity for both Oh Zion beloved of God fear not look up thy King lives that was dead and he dyed not Intestate but now he lives to make good that Legacy of Peace here to his Followers Joh. 14. 27. Besides the Inheritance at last Who will approve his Fidelity to his Word Promise and Oath
a subtile Jesuit gets their Ear or an envious Haman their Favour can easily be wheedled to renounce that Profession and for their holy Fathers Blessing espouse their own Fathers Curse and Gods too by Apostacy from the God of their Fathers Now if a great Man falls out of the Saddle or be kickt off by a natural Death and another mount and get the Reines as has oft been O how easily will the hand of the Rider reine about with the Head the whole Body being jaded first to profess a new Faith and persecute the old Now here among the Shelves and Syrts I am betwixt Sylla and Charybdis under fear of Paul's Euroclydon and glad to cry to the Helm No near as the Mariners do least I fall as once the Royal-Oak split on those Rocks the Bishops and Clarks I will therefore lore Top-galon and sail gently only say that Satan's cloven Foot is to be trac't in all the Persecutions from Abel's and Job's by Brethren to that of the Dragon this of the Pope and all the Roman Bishops succeeding in his Spirit And thus the Rise is seen it rests to open next the unreasonableness of it Now 2dly Persecution thus deriving Who that will bear the Christian Name or follow the Doctrine Worship and Practice of him that was crucified on a real Roman Cross would joyn hands with Rome to persecute for Conscience sake Here let me a little reason it out with some of this Spirit and then remove Allegations urged for it 1. What is that we call properly Persecution Is it not an eager pursuit of Brethren in the Cause of Religion for not yielding to that in Worship that in Conscience is judged Sin or doing that which you account against Law In both Branches this is the Dissenters Case and all agree that Fides verbis suadenda est non verberibus cogenda Faith is not to be forced and the like now is urged for Worship too they account it Sin to conform you judge it their Sin to meet apart and prosecute we say persecute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one word fits both If any say it is no more a Persecution then that of Fellons is by just Laws here comes in the appeal to God who will at last decide in the mean time we alledge that of the Prophet Your Brethren cast you out for my Name sake Isai 66. 5. You say that Compellation is not due to us yet if God allow it us who will deny it What Brethren be it by Name Kin Nation Vicinity Society and yet they hated you that is the sad old Root of bitterness and interpreted Killing Mat. 5. 22. 1 Joh. 3. 15. Sure that is a Persecution And cast you out Unchurch you Why for my Name sake just as our Lord predicts to and of the Apostles so are we cast out and yet never were in but coercively and yet worse for his Name that is his Worship that is for calling on it or refusing to pollute it as Paul compelled some to blaspheme Acts 26. 11. Now if any desire more see Jer. Burr on the place Zion's Joy Isai 66. 10. pag. 28. 29. glossing on that Let the Lord be glorified q. d. God's Glory Religion Union Peace pretended that is sorest Persecution they deem it a Service that God loves that is cultum prestare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 16. 2. So do the Papists and says he That Persecution by Trajan was the sorest though he was a Pattern of good temper Thus blind are men as Oedipus killed Laius his Father for his Enemy but it dishonours God and disunites yea it shakes that Church which you say it settles 2. Do ye not symbolize with that Roman Church and is it not a brand of a Church Antichristian to persecute of the true Spouse to be persecuted It is a Cannon of the Thirdentine Faith to pursue the Evangelicks as Hereticks Scismaticks c. Sir Simon D'Eves pag. 1. out doing the Turks in that that says Conscience cannot be compelled and if it be it gains little the old Brittans Anno 466. wore out Pelagians by a mild Spirit and disputing for the Truth 3. Would ye so be dealt with your selves be expelled from Place and Use deprived of and proscribed from Kirk and Market suspended of Office and Profits exiled among Aliens and put as Musculus to weave dig or beg should Papists succeed and serve you as you have others which God forbid may you not say God is just to repay you in your Coyn Did not our Lord give more equal Rules to his Followers Mat. 7. 12. and threatned a day unawares to him that smites his Fellow Servant and eats and drinks with the drunken ch 24. 49 50 51. but if at a sacred Feast then 't is more criminal for with such though a Brother one may not eat 1 Cor. 5. 11. 4thly To ingross Trade is bad Bread is far worse but worst of all for any sort of men to confine the weighty significant Names of Church or chief Rulers Overseers universal Pastors to themselves c. and as such to authorate exauctorate suspend excommunicate and assume a Power Christ never gave exclusive of others his Servants Why should Church-state be appropriate to the Clergy alone or Synods take Denomination from the Ministers only and not the Fraternity too as that first and best did Acts 15. 22 23. When People multiply in a Nation and Forreigners are freely admitted yea Lutherans Jews or Papists to the exercise of their Religion in their own way is it not hard it should be denyed Natives that God and the Law have naturalized Or why should Republicks abroad indulge all Dissenters more and fear them less than our Kingdom at home doth Monarchy being deem'd preferrable to all other sorts of Governments 5. As 't is impossible so 't is impracticable to make Converts by fear and force you may fright men in by civil Laws and uncivil Curses to a temporary complyance as one that gives a Thief the Purse to evite a greater Loss But will God reward your blind Zeal or theirs Will Christ thank them that for a sweet rational Luke 14. 23. compelling in Guests use a belluine force You bring two bad Guests to the Feast the unworthy and the unwilling has the Church of England any comfort or her Sons Credit in putting in her bosome both Hypocrites Hereticks and Prophane you may so propagate Popery and fill Hell not the Church and make that a means of their Spiritual Death that Christ ordained for the food of eternal Life Some false Christians renouncing their Sacra told the Turk they had given their Name to Mahomet who aking their reason they said to escape Taxes and Oppressions on which the Grand Seignior rejected their forc't Conversion and continued the Taxes If Turks abhor such Votaries why should Christians hug them unless as Cheats and Pick-pockets do to filtch their Penny 6. What comes in by a cursed means is like to arrive at a cursed end
Capernaum Antioch Rome so Hippo Heydelberge c. And how long has Lo. been in the Declination Who can say Now its fatal time is come Seneca the Moralist observes it of one a second Author of another City in France Vna dies interest inter magnam nullam A City at Morn at night in Vrne As Trap in Lam. How sits this City late so Populous Thus solitary Like a Widow thus Empress of Nations Queen of Provinces She was but now she Tributary is But as the glory comes so it goes with God that lies in the power and kernel of Pyety which being lost as oft it is by divisions and formalities God has no long delight in the Shell Tent or outer Court and Shadow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apoc. 11. 2. This is cast out so John is bid as no place sit for God but the heathen to tread in No Piety no Priviledge nor Presence 2. God leaves his own Institutions and not without a sign of Wrath. If the sin of one good Woman Miriam Numb 12. 9. caused the Cloud to depart and out breaks on her the Leprosie What may the provocation of all the Lords Sons and Daughters procure us Was the Temple of old or Shilo◠dear or any other place ever so priviledged that God might not be provok't away Let all that now glory in our new built fair adorned Oratories a late purged by Fire fear to reincense Roman Flames for though it is pity Mass should be said in them yet if no Spirit be found in them how can we hope but that Roman Eagles Mat. 24. 28. will soon prey on our Carcases that so gyres and hovers over us And it is observed Eagles use to hover about Armies joyning Battle our love to the small Fibres of Popery in Rites Shadows Festivals gives Rome hopes we begin to look that way If sacred things by us profaned cause God's Remove sure Execrations and Curses one against another for Circumstances will never invite his stay 〈◊〉 we say Prayers in Latin If God go he is soon hid from us and then long may he be sought ere we find him again yea from Sea to Sea to seek the Word Amos 8. 12. So Moab went to his Sanctuary but prevailed not Isai 16. 12. So did the Priests but Vision failed no Answer from God Mic. 3. 7. Nor is any covert from that Storm sacred Orders excuse not if the Persons be unsuitable to them If Men petition for Sanctuary as the Priests to Titus Vespatian his Answer is ours Viz. It is meet the Priests should suffer in and with the Temple so both were burnt Such Priviledges are no shelter but make death more terible God's Recesses are most seen afterwards 't is beter to retain him while present than as one says by the sad Rivers of Babel to mourn in remembrance of once sweet enjoy'd Zion 4. Lights go out with him and People being left in the Dark can foresee no stumbling block before them but dash uuawares on them Or as Ships at Sea in a storm dash or divide that is a sad Complaint the Anger of the Lord has divided them he regards them no more Lam. 4. 16. No sadder sign of wrath than to be resigned up to dividing Principles or to the cloven pens of pernitious boutefeus 5thly and lastly his Departure takes both the Beauty and Bull-works away the one lamented Lam. 1. 6. the other ch 2. 6 7 8. He has destroyed the Places of Assembly the great Court is called Gnazarah 2 Chron. 4. 9. from a word that notes Help for hence Help came to them that fled here for Sanctuary Psal 20. 2. Here came their Answers to the People Now to have no Place to assemble in was a loss of Word Sacrifice Altar Priests and Sabbaths as ch 17. c. 2. 6 9. And an occasion of the Adversaries Taunts the Jews say five things were so lost as not restored by the Captivity three of them are the Holy Fire Vrim and Shechina i. e. the Glory or Majesty of God and in this third all the rest are included Now of all the Premises a double Use may be partly to answer them that reproach us for if our Defence is departed that is to our Sorrow and Loss but it may prove your Wo also if you provoke him as the Philistines did and partly to call all that love God to condole his recess both the Sins procuring and signs of it and to cry for his speedy return That is the second use A third is Exhortation Here I deal with two sorts 1. The Offenders against it 2. The Befrienders of it and Attenders to it As for the first sort I find Gods Holy Worship has had unfriendly usage from two sorts 1. From the more Supreme 2. From subordinate and inferiour Rulers To the first of these the meanness of my Circumstances reads me a Lecture of Modesty and the grandeur of the Mighty such a picture of Majesty that I am easily silenc't else I should make address as once Israel to Pharaoh Exod. 5. 15. for some ease Or else preach Jonas's Street Sermon to Nineveh Jonah 3. 6. Or make a Petition as that Noble Captain Terentius did to Valens the Arrian Emperour for a freedom to Orthodox Christians which when rejected and rent he takes up his rent shreads and petitioned no more yet since it is expected Thus would I make Supplication not in my own Name but for God's Sake nor to one Protestant Potentate alone but to all Popish Princes that govern by that Florentine's Maxim Machiavel That Princes ought rather to be feared than loved and to seem piòus rather than really be so And to these with all the Noble Lords that counsel or attend them Thus would I say O ye Demy-Deities Princes and Potentates of this mortal vain and mutable World you that personate God should you not be like him that Rule by his Sovereign Deputation Ought you not judge and fight for him Shall a Worm under your feet as Jacob is call'd Isai 41. 14. mussitate or whisper in your Ears Do not slight the Plea or at least hear it clemently O take not the Place of God in the Soul of Man let his Lordship in the Conscience alone let Worship be free not forc't let God preside there and Scripture guide Let Law and Reason with Power sit at the Helm is Force found the best Weapon-Salve to cure Infidelity or create Faith God calls for Sincerity and would you rather hale Hippocrites in or make men to sacrifice an Abomination to God themselves or others as all obedience is that is not spontaneous and ex animo Is it Policy or Prudence to provoke the desperate to favour Vindex as Nero did that Roman Knight that sought by a Plot his Death is it good Physick to cure a Phrenzy by Decollation or the Vertigo by an Opiate to cure a Cataract by putting out the Eyes or a gouty Leg by mutilating the other Are not Rulers called Healers Isai
Impera to serve your Rapine 3. You accuse Men that are innocent falsly as if Rebels to the King for obeying God's Command or Hereticks in the Church for adhering to Truth or seditious and factious to the State while you by Slanders are the Seeds-men of those Tares or Schismaticks for dividing from Babel when our Bishop's Plea was No Peace with Rome Bishop Hall Nor know you zealots well that so pursue our Conventicles what to define them If Minshew's Word may pass in the ill Sence a Conventicle is Conventus seditiosorum sceleratorum a Meeting of seditious and wicked Men. If Bishop Bridgman's be right reported to me 't is a little Meeting of Men out of several Precincts to consult on State-Affairs and the Doors shut for Secrecy Ours are not such 4. How many Towns Cities Families are endanger'd by you Some imprison'd or begger'd some forc'd out pious Ministers exposed to flee from their Families to escape your Raven for 100 l. Fine and sober Gentlemen hector'd by you that would not vex their honest Neighbours Tenants and Friends and Officers of Peace and whole Towns fermented divided and perturbed 5. Lo what Guilt you incur by afflicting the Just offending Christ's little Ones that believe in him prohibiting the publication of the Word of Life profaning the Sabbath your selves by hindring others coveting to take the Spoil and Goods of the Poor taking Oaths and telling Lies and Tales for Gain smiting Fellow-servants Mat. 24. 49. and Subjects by the Tongue serving the Devil in casting Men in Prison Rev. 2. 10. 6. This has been the Sin and has brought Misery on the Heads of others Marshal and Stroud in London of late you took no warning Obstinacy and Obduration is now aggerated on your Guilt you approach the Sin unto Death 1 John 5. 16. that is not to be forgiven You dread not the Marks of Cain Doeg Judas Beware you feel not the Horror of a despairing Conscience like Spira Latomus Eccebolus that said Calcate me salem insipidum Porphyry c. That 's a Worm immortal 7. The Course you run is not like to obtain the Means answer not the End you attempt Impossibilities Can you stop the Tide hedg in the Birds imprison the Wind stay the Sun or bind Arcturus and loosen the Bands of Orion Nor can you damme or restrain the strong Stream of the Spirit extinguish Sun-Light or bind up the Gales of that Wind of the Word John 3. 8. but in spite and sight of you and all your Persecutions the Gospel shall prosper and that by your very Opposition Quo magis furunt eò amplius procedo The more they rage the more I go on said Luther Thirdly Look to the End of your Course What is it but Hatred of God and Man Perhaps they that employ you may desert you to the Justice of the Vulgar and give you a Reprimand like that the Council and Priests gave Judas Mat. 27. 34. What 's that to us see thou to that So will the Wages of Unrighteousness 2 Pet. 2. 15. melt in your Consciences and make Hell-Fire sparkle and flash in your Eyes and be too hot to hold You have rid like Balaam and the Asses you bestride shall crush your Foot and cut your Consciences with the Rebukes that he had And the Gain you hunt shall fail you your Neighbours shall dread and decline you as Pests to Society you shall be driven from Light to Darkness and chased out of the World Job 18. 18. As you have abused Religion so its Comforts shall abandon you The Hornet of Cain's Horror shall sting you the Heavens shall reveal your Iniquity and the Earth rise up against you Job 20. 27. And happy is that Man that God and better Times favour with Repentance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or After-Wit this is your best Game tho rare One tells Conformists Plea 4th Part but of a single Instance of this and blessed he that so comes off saying to and of his guilty Soul I have sinn'd in betraying the Innocent accusing Vertue for a Vice and Religion as Rebellion come you to pray for me that I wrong'd and I promise not to do the like And if the Sorrow be right such is the Peace that follows it O blessed Issue If not it is an Earnest of full Payment and but a drop of that Sea of Hell a Taste of that unmix'd Cup of pure Vengeance and the River of Brimstone that you are lanch'd into And as you ride ore the Bridg of your Life your Horse as one did of old may take a leap and you cry desperately Horse and Man and all to the Devil Now to put you all together I beseech you for Lenity Put on Spectacles the Night is dark you soon may run on the dark Mountains and repent too late Had I the Wealth of Dionysius or Craesus the Glory of the Hill Amara all the Cash and Mines of both the Indies I would in Humility deposit it for our quiet Sabbaths and the Freedom of Religion and a good Conscience and for my Brethren and Companions sake would say and so should you that desire to be Zion's Sons Let Peace be to her Psal 122. 8. As therefore you love God pity Religion tender the Weal of Princes or People favour a woful sinning sinking Kingdom and the Glory of your new-built Church and City go not on the Pikes of Peril ride not o're your own Fields and Franchises to your undoing drive not your Head as if you were blind to precipitant Courses He may understand his own Affairs better than most think yet as wise as Solomon or Solon may as he cry out too late O Solon Solon You drive at antiquating Parliaments and municipal Bounds and so French Laws all of one that 's no Religion that you 'll never get Or if by Disuse and long Suspense of Parliaments you make them frightful and uneasy the Remedy if it comes that way will be the painfuller to bear in the effect So you prove but Servants and Guides to your Master as they that led Henry of Luxenburgh Emperor of Germany who hearing that Charles of Bohemia and Philip of Valois the French King were joining Battel against the English and being unfit for War because blind would take part with the French and so commands his Men of War to mount him and guide him into the Fight to give one blind Blow to the English they far blinder than he fearing to cross his Will and yet to lose him in the Preass tie him fast to the Reins of their Bridles so as they meant all to perish together and so 't was they coupled him so that they all were found dead and fast bound Horse and Man the Battel lost at Cressy the French King lost 15 Princes of the Blood 80 Colours 1200 Knights and 30000 Men. Dr. Beard out of Froishart Vol. 1. cap. 30. If you will perish alone be not so blind Guides to fall under the Ruines of others Yet