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A85013
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A fast sermon preached on innocents day by Thomas Fuller, B.D. Minister of the Savoy.
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Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing F2423; Thomason E86_16; ESTC R22109
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16,581
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34
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and Judah desired and endeavour to preserve the life of his brother Joseph and yet these two imbracing different meanes did not onely crosse and thwart but even ruine and destroy the desires of each other for Ruben moved and obtained that Joseph might not be killed vers. 22. And Ruben said unto them shed no blood but cast him into this Pit that is in the wildernesse and lay no hand upon him that he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his Father againe Judah also desired the same but being not privie to Rubens intents and to avoid the cruelty of the rest of his Brethren propounded and effected that Joseph might be sold to the Medianitish Merchants meetly so to preserve his life and thereby he did unravell all the web of Rubins designes and frustrated his endeavours Thus when God will have a people punished for their sinnes hee will not onely suffer but cause mistakes without mending and misprisions without rectifying to happen betwixt brethren who meane and really intend the same thing so that they speake the same matter in effect and yet be Barbarians one to another as either not or not right understanding what they say each to other Thus the maintaining of the Protestant Religion in the purity thereof the vindicating of the lawfull Prerogative of the King the ascertaining of the just rights and priviledges of the Parliament the defending of the dues and properties of the Subject are pleaded and pretended on both sides as the ultimate ends they aime at Well as our Saviour said to the blinde man Mat. 9. 29. according to your faith be it unto you so according to the sincerity and integrity of their hearts whom God knowes means most seriously be it unto them we wish them good victory in the name of the Lord and yet even herein a friendly peace were as much better then victory it selfe as the end is better then the means for blessed are the Peace-makers 31 Objections But may some say though we doe never so much desire peace we shall not obtaine that blessing which is pronounced in my text for the Peacemakers are to be blessed And it is to be feared that our breaches are too wide to be cured and Gods justice must have reparation upon us 32 By Peace-makers Peace-endeavourers are to be understood not only the effectours of Peace but even the Affectours of Peace shal be blessed Rom. 12. 18. If it he possible as much as in you lyeth live peaceably with all men God out of his goodnesse measures mens reward not by their successe but desires 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 33 And yet I am not out of heart but that there is hope of Peace and that as yet our sinnes are not sweld so high but that there is mercy with God for our nation First my hope is founded on the multitude of good people in this land which assault and batter Heaven with the importunity of their prayers We read of Ptolomeus Philodelphus King of Egipt that he caused the Bible to be translated by seventy Interpreters which seventy were severally disposed of in seventy severall Cels unknown each to other and yet they did so well agree in their several translations that there was no considerable difference betwixt them in rendering the text an argument that they were acted with one and the same spirit Surely it comforts me when I call to minde what shall I say seventy nay seven times seventy yea seaventy hundred yea seventy thousand which are peaceable in Israel which on the bended knees of their souls daily pray to God for peace These though they know not the faces no not the names one of another nay have neither seen nor shall see one another till they meet together in happinesse in Heaven yet they unite their votes and centre their suffrages in the same thing that God would restore Peace unto us who no doubt in his due time will heare their prayers 34 The second thing that comforts mee is when I looke on Gods proceedings hitherto in our Kingdome his judgements seeme to be judgements rather of expostulation then of exterpation we read Exod. 4. 24. that God being angry with Moses for not circumcising his Sonnes It came to passe by the way in the Iane that the Lord met him and sought to kill him Sought to kill him strange did God seeke to kill him and not kill him Speake Lord speake to the Fire and it shall with flashes consume him to the Ayre and with pestilent vapours it shall choake him to the Water and with deluges it shall over-whelme him to the Earth and with yawning chops it shall devoure him Well the meaning is this God sought to kill him that is in some outward visible manner whereof Moses was apprehensive God manifested his displeasure against him that so Moses might both have notice and leisure to divert his anger with removing the cause thereof He that saith to us Seeke and yee shall finde doth himselfe seeke and not finde and good reason too for he sought with an intent not to finde Thus I may say that for these last foure yeeres God hath still sought to destroy the Kingdome of England manifesting an unwillingnesse to doe it if in any reasonable time we would compound with him by serious repentance Thus the loving Father shakes the rod over his wanton childe not with an intent to beat him but to make him begge pardon and such hitherto hath beene Gods dealing with our Nation that he even courts and woes us to repentance as loath to punish us if wee would understand the signes of his anger before it breake out upon us 35 But if all faile yet those that are Peace-makers in their desires doe enter a caveat in the Court of heaven That if warres doe ensue yet for their part they have laboured against it If a man slaine were found in the field and it not knowne who slew him God provided Deut. 21. 7. That the Elders of the next City should wash their hands in the blood of an Heifer and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it be mercifull O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israels charge and the blood shal be forgiven them So this one day will be a comfort to the consciences of godly minded men that they may appeale to the God of heaven how they have prayed heartily for peace have petitioned humbly for Peace have been contented to pay deerly for peace and to their powers have endevoured to refraine themselves from sinnes the breakers of peace and therefore they trust that Christian English Protestant blood which shall be shed which hath beene and hereafter may be shed in these wofull warres shall never be visited on their score or laid to
that High and Honourable Court though that they know fulwell that peace is that we stand in need of yet they take delight in our duty yea expect our service herin to petition for peace that so our begging of peace may in effect be a modest mannerly expression of an harty thanks for their long and constant endeavours herein Wherefore what Tertullus said flatteringly to Felex we may say truly and feelingly to them seeing that very worthy deeds are done to this Nation by their providence we accept alwaies and in all places with all thankfulnes Notwithstanding I pray you that you of your Clemency would heare us a few words And let us in all Humility not directing but beseeching them without a tumultuous thought most peacable and pathetically begge of them and sue unto them to continue their care in advancing a seasonable and happy accomodation that so the blessing pronounced in my text may lie both upon them and theirs Blessed are the Peacemakers 26 Thirdly we must be content soundly to pay for peace we read Exod. 38. 8. And he made the Lever of Brasse and the foot of it of Brasse of the Looking-glasses of the Women assembling which assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation It seemeth that the backsids of their Looking-glasses were made of brasse which commonly with us are made of wood and they consigned them over for Gods service and good reason too for formerly they had given their eraerings for the making of a Calfe Justly therefore now they did pennance for their pride as counting it Honour enough that that wherein they looked their owne faces should make the foot of Gods Leaver But what should not people give to buy a true peace and a peace with Truth O how many yeeres purchase is it worth let us not thinke much to give all our superfluities but to give fome of our necessaries for the advancing and obtaining of it 27 Fourthly let us banish out of our mouthes all words and phrases of contempt and reproach I could instance in the word but that it is beneath the Majesty of a Pulpit which the malice of men hath minted and fastned on opposite parties O let us have no other Christian name then the name of Christians or other surname then Christian Protestants neither answering to nor calling others by any term of disgrace 28 Fifthly let us with a speedy serious and generall repentance remove the crying sinnes of our Kingdome which as long as they last wil bane all peace amongst us I say speedy least the physick come too late for the disease serious least the tent be too short for the wound generall least the plaster be too narrow for the sore Suppose that the Sea should breake forth in this Land as such a thing may come to passe The Lord is King saith David let the earth rejoyce yea let the multitude of of the Isle he glad thereatr Psal. 97. 1. And good reason hath the Iles to be glad as more particularly concerned for if the water were not countermanded by Gods Prerogative Royall it would speedily recover its naturall place above the earth But suppose the Sea should break into the Land it is not the endeavours of a private man can stop it what if he goes downe with a faggot on his backe and a matrock on his shoulder and a spade in his hand his desire is more commendable then his discretion it being more likely the Sea would swallow him then he stop the mouth thereof No the whole Country must come in children must bring earth in their hats women in their aprons men with handbarrowes wheelbarrowes carts carres waines waggons all must worke least all be destroyed I rather instance in this expression of the irruption of the Sea because I finde Gods anger so compared in holy writ 1 Chron. 14. 11. David said God hath broken in upon mine enemies like the breaking forth of waters So when a generall deluge and inundation of Gods anger seaseth upon a whole Kingdome it cannot be stopt by the private endeavours of some few but it must be an universall work by a generall repentance all must raise bankes to bound it Till this be done I am afraid we shall have no peace and to speak plainly I am afraid we are not yet ripe for Gods mercy as Gideon Judg. 7. 4. had too many men for God to give victory to so we are too proud hitherto for God to give peace too many of us are Humiliati but few of us are Humiles Many by these warres brought loe but few made loely so that we are proud in our poverty and as the unjust Steward said to beg I am ashamed so we are too stout thogh halfe starved on the bended knees of our soules with true repentance to crave pardon of God for our sinnes which till it be done we may discourse of peace and superficially desire it but never truely care for it or can comfortably receive it 29 And indeed wee may take forcible motives from our owne miseries to endeavour peace by all possible meanes for look upon the complexion of the warre and doth it not look of a most strange and different hue from other warres The wars of Germany which give me leave to say if we had pittied by the proxie of a true Simpathy we had never so soon suffered them in our owne person were far lighter affliction then ours In Germany people when hunted with warre took covert in their fenced Citties But here in England we have no guard against wars blow but lye open to plundering and destruction Germany was a great Continent bearing six hundred miles square so that whilst one part thereof was mowed downe with warre the other enjoying peace might grow up in the meane time But little England great onely in her miseries severed by the Sea from other Countries and by devisions parted from het selfe is a morsell which civill warre will quickly devoure Thirdy in Germany commanly they lay in Garrison in winter and fought in sommer we read 2 Sam. 6. 1 And it came to passe at the time when Kings goe forth to battell This all Comments generally expound of the spring time But alas if we in our woes were Antipodes to all others our miseries begin when others end in the winter time Pray saith out Saviour that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabboth-day winter fights woful fights Sabboth wars sorrowful warres and yet such are these in our Kingdome Lastly in Germany Papists did fight against Protestants where as our intestine wars are against those that professe the same Religion 30 It hath been a great curse of God upon us to make a constant misunderstanding betwixt our King and his Parliament whilest both professe to levell at the same end I cannot compare their case better than to the example of Ruben and Judah Gen. 37. There Ruben desired and endeavoured to preserve the life of his brother Joseph