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A29207 A sermon preached in Yorke Minster, before his Excellence the Marques of Newcastle, being then ready to meet the Scotch Army, January, 28. 1643. By the Bishop of Derry. Published by speciall command Bramhall, John, 1594-1663.; Newcastle, William Cavendish, Duke of, 1592-1676. 1644 (1644) Wing B4234; ESTC R214129 15,024 25

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the cities of God For two reasons First because the Lord had a peculiar interest in this land above all other lands Levit. 25.23 The land shall not be sold for ever for the land is mine ye are strangers and sojourners with me So the Lord was the true owner the Israelites were but the usufructuaries Secondly because they were the Church of God Juda was his Sanctuary Israel his Dominion in them he had put his name Solomon knew the true mother from the feigned by her love to the childe So a genuine sonne of the Church may be distinguished from a counterfeit by his affection to the Church By the rivers of Babylon we sate downe and wept when we remembred thee O Sion And Arise O Lord and have mercy upon Sion for why thy servants thinke upon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the dust But the Church requires not onely our affections and supplications but our best endeavours It is recorded of Theodosius that good Emperour to his eternall honour that upon his death bed he was more solicitous for the cities of God that is the Churches then for himselfe or his posterity And when ordinary endeavours will not serve the sword is never more justly drawne then to defend Religion As we reade of those builders of Jerusalem who laboured with their trowells in the one hand and their swords in the other hand Neh. 4.17 But these were builders up not pullers downe whatsoever they did was by the license and upon the speciall warrant of the great King Artax●rxe● not rebelliously upon their owne heads What a pittifull complaint did Laban make for his Images tulerunt deas they have taken away my gods and Mary for the dead body our Saviour tulerunt Dominum they have taken away my Lord Much more have we cause to be moved when men goe about by force to robbe us of our Religion A private man may lawfully keep the possession of his house or land against all acts of violence much more may a whole Church hold the possession of their Religion Three sorts of losses principally concerne a man First in his estate that is but chaffe next in his body that is but branne lastly in his soule that 's the flower and there is the greatest losse What shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his soul We do not reade of any Wars among the Heathen for Religion except to punish Sacriledge The reason was partly in their Gods which were sociable to admit fellowes When Tiberius made a motion in the Senate to have Christ admitted into the number of their Gods it was answered that he was impatiens consortis not like their Gods he would admit no companions And partly in themselves many of them were of opinion that as variety of instruments makes the sweetest consort so variety of Religions makes the best harmony in the eares of God But now see how the world is turned Sacriledge is grown a principall part of Gods service or else some have but a little share of Religion who yet despise all others as profane Now uva vel faba a Grape or a Beane is too too much for Gods service though David was of a more generous disposition 2 Sam. 24.24 Nay but I will surely buy it of thee at a price neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing Now the duties which many men pay to the Deity are nothing but opinions and crotchers and for these they thinke it lawfull for private men to mingle Heaven and Earth together for Subjects to invade their Soveraignes Dominions They who lately cryed for nothing but liberty of conscience now will obtrude their owne conceits upon strangers by the sword In this case he is no good Christian no good Common-wealths man no true English man that will not say cheerfully with Joab in my Text Be of good courage and let us play the men for our People and for the Cities of our God Deo duce ferr● comitante with a good sword to attend them and God Almighty to lead them That brings me to my last part And let the Lord doe that which seemeth him good This shewes Joabs dependance upon God and his submission to the will of the Lord If he see it be good for us to be Conquerers we shall be Conquerers If not we shall die gloriously however Blessed be the name of the Lord Men never prosper who deale too magistrally and will needs be their owne carvers with God When the husband man hath tilled and sowne his ground he may not challenge a good crop at the hands of God but expect it of his bounty Paul may Plant and Apollo Water but still it is God that gives the encrease We are blind and know not what is truly good for ourselves Perieramus nisi perrissemus said Themistocles to his children We had perished if we had not perished that is in our owne opinions Rachell longs and cries for children and she dies in child-bed Therefore the Heathen prayed O Jupiter If I begge of thee those things which will prove hurtfull to me with-hold them from me But that which seemeth good to God is alwayes truely good who disposeth all things sweetly and out of poyson can extract a good cordiall Then let us doe our duties and submit the successe to God Carking and macerating cares dry up the bones plow up deep furrowes in the forehead make the white Almond-tree to flourish before the time shorten the life Our Saviour bids take no thought yet Saint Paul tells us That he that taketh no care is worse then an Infidell How are these reconciled Take care for the means that is good Take no care for the event that is bad Tolle quod tuum est Take up thy part and leave Gods part to himself Play thou the man and let God doe that which seemeth him good But besides the dependence it shewes also Joabs confidence let not us be wanting to our selves and God will not be wanting to his owne Cause The knowne justice of the Cause is a great incouragement to a Souldier in the day of Battell This was the reason of that Roman pollicy before they began any Wars the Herald or Feciall went to the confines of the enemies Country and made a solemne prayer Audi Jupiter c. Heare O Jupiter and thou Juno Quirinus thou and all ye Gods Caelestiall Terrestriall and Infernall I call you to witnesse that this people is unjust c. And having so said he threw his javeline into the enemies Countrey But leaving them to their superstitions It is an happy conflict which is undertaken for a good cause where they neither fear sinne from the slaughter of their enemies nor danger from their own deaths where they kill securely and are killed more securely being defended with armour without and with a good conscience within Now I have done with my Text The Application is