Cant. 8. many waters cannot quench this love c. In wrath he remembers mercy and will not contend for ever lest the spirit should faile before him Isa 57.16 and the soules that he hath made The Lord will repent himselfe for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Deuteronomie 32.36 The tender mercies of the wicked are cruell their malice is endlesse but the Lord in wrath remembers mercy When his people are humbled his repentings are kindled his bowels are troubled and acknowledgeth that Jerusalem hath received double at his hands for all their sinnes Isa 40.2 Duplum in Christo Junius And so one addes an Argument besides those I have set downe out of these words which may silence the Devill and all implacable enemies Thus This people is sufficiently punisht therefore God is not to be urged to adde to their punishment Sanctius Fourthly the enemy shall not alwaies blaspheme the Lord will stop the mouth of iniquitie he will still the enemy and avenger Deut. 32.26 27. the Lord would have scattered the Israelites into corners and caused the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that he feared the wrath of the enemy Fifthly thus the Lord takes course for his own Name although not for our sakes yet for his owne Names sake he will worke for us that his Name be not polluted And so Ioshua pleads Josh 7. Chap. 7. that for this reason the Lord would not leave his people in the enemies hand for then What saith he wilt thou doe unto thy glorious Name Fourthly here is implied that if the Lord beginne in mercy he will finish Psal 102. Psal 138.8 when the time to favour Sion the set time is come then the Lord will perfect his worke concerning us he will doe it in despight of all Devils and Antichristians though there be mountaines before his Zerubbabels God will make them plaines and bring forth the head-stone of his worke with shouting He can make the hardest resistance as Clay or Wax to the Signet the greatest impediment shall give place as Euphrates did to Cyrus that he might take the old Babylon He saith to the deepe Isa 44. Be drie and so will the Lord doe that he may be avenged on Rome Revel 16.11 Yea things adverse shall not onely yeeld but concurre The Lord will make away in the wildernesse and rivers in the desert the beasts of the field shall honour him the Dragon Isa 43.19 20 21. and the Owles c. As the beginnings of the ruine of the wicked evidenceth their certaine totall ruine If Haman begin to fall he shall not faile but fall so the beginnings of deliverance from our Romish enemies are pledges of compleat deliverance the beginnings of the repairing of Gods Temple evidence the certaine finishing of it beginnings of woe were signes to the Iews of the extremitie of woe and beginnings of blessednesse and puritie are like signes of perfect blessednesse and puritie First for the Lord hath chosen Ierusalem and his beginnings declare what he hath decreed If God hath decreed to deliver to build to beautifie the place of his Foot-stoole and make it glorious who can hinder the Lord God hath purposed and who can disanull it Isa 14.24.27 he hath stretched forth his hand and who can turne it back Secondly It stands God upon for his honour to goe on in mercy when he begins in mercy his Truth his Wisdome and Power are ingaged Moses therefore was much affected when the Lord threatened to destroy Israel as one man after he had puld them out of the Egyptian burnings Exod. 32.12 Lord saith he why doth thy wrath waxe hot against thy people which thou hast brought forth out of the Land of Egypt with great power and with a mightie hand Wherefore should the Egyptians speake and say for mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them in the mountaines Num. 14.15 16. And now if thou wilt kill all this people as one man then the Nations which have heard the fame of thee will speake saying Because the Lord was not able to bring this people into Canaan he hath slaine them in the wildernesse The Lord would not have us such unwise builders as beginne and cannot finish such builders are exposed to scorne and shame therefore the omnipotent onely wise God will not doe so The Lord also is tender of his servants honour he will still the enemie Psal 8. Sanballat Tobiah and Geshem will laugh Nehemiah and other Worthies to scorne Neh. 2.19 20. What is this thing that ye doe Neh. 4.2 3 4. Will ye rebell against the King What doe these feeble Iewes will they fortifie will they sacrifice Then his fellow Even that which they build if a Foxe goe up he will breake down their stone wall but Nehemiah and such may be confident and say The God of heaven will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build and make all knowne to God who careth for your persons your names and honours Heare O our God for we are despised and turne their reproach upon their owne head The reproach of his servants he will wipe away Isa 66.5 The Lord will appeare to your joy when they shall be ashamed Thirdly God is constant so is his love and resolution to doe us good he is not as the sonne of man that he should repent Num. 23.19 Mal. 3.6 1 Sam. 12.22 he is God and changeth not The Lord will not forsake his people for his great Names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people Therefore when the Lord beginnes he goeth on as Naomi said of Booz The man will not be in rest untill he finish the things this day Men are mutable discouraged weary but the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not Natura not dilassatur opere as the heavens are never wearie the Sunne after millions of revolutions continueth still rejoycing as a mighty man to runne his race much lesse is the God of Nature and the God of these Heavens weary shall the Lord then begin and not finish Shall I bring to the birth Isa 66.9 and not cause to bring forth saith the Lord The Lords care over his Church is also a constant care his eyes are continually upon it upon one stone that is Christ Iesus the Corner-stone on whom we are built there are seven eyes that is many eyes the Lords eyes are upon Gods House Populi causam Deus semel tucudan suscepit ac proinde qua est constantia â—â—nquam deseret cam Drusius his chosen and so shall be till all be perfected concerning his people They may be in the burning but they shall certainly be rescued and if so perfectly delivered The constant zeale of the Lord of Hosts will performe this First sympathize and pity Ireland almost burnt Vse 1. Levit. 10.6
men women and children Judg. cap. ult except some virgins reserved for the Beniamites I beseech you that my exhortation and advise may be acceptable I could multiply many other considerations to set you on in a course of zeale but if these I have spoke helpe not to bring you to a further degree of heate especially now that we are in the fire round about we may feare that gray haires are upon us we are in a decaying condition as David whom many cloathes could not make warme Let all malignant spirits marke Vse 6. let this consideration take them off from their malice in opposing Altaschith is the title of some Psalmes Destroy not as a caution and a confident expression of the boldnesse malice and deficiencie of the enemie Let the gold and silver vessels c. be every one in his place as it is by Darius Decree seconding Cyrus Now therefore Tatnai and Shethar-Boznai and so Rehum the Chancellour and Shimshai the Scribe and such companions must be farre from thence If thou oppose the peace of Gods people and the building of the Lords house it is in vaine thou wilt be found to fight against God It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks therefore meddle not to thy hurt the Lord will finish in despight of thee The Devil and his instruments could doe nothing when Israel was in Chaldea deprest and buried how much lesse now when they are delivered lift up to Heaven brought to Ierusalem and the Temple so the policie and power of the enemy could doe nothing when the faithfull were enthralled under the Hierarchie when they had all advantages how much lesse now when the Lord hath tooke off those yokes and advanced his servants as the starres into the right hand of Christ Rev. 1. But the Devils malice is such that although he know that his owne practises shall ruine his owne kingdome yet he will not he cannot desist from mischiefe for malice is naturall to the Devil and therefore he is necessarily malicious as the fire is naturally and so necessarily hot and burning Zanch. de malis angelis and as Zanch. saith id in angelis est casus quod hominibus mors therefore as men after death are either pertinaciously evill or constantly good so are the Devils after their fall pertinaciously wicked and malicious and so it is with Gods enemies in whom the devil workes with efficacie they are not onely devilish but even equalize the devill in malice and mischiefe Iudas was even a devil Iohn 6. The enemies know and see that the Lord is with his Parliament with his Armies yet they go on the devil drives them and thrusts them on as the Turkish horsemen doe their foot to their manifest inevitable ruine When thy hand is lifted up Isa 26.11 they will not see It is an evidence of and dealings as Revel 16. It is noted that notwithstanding the powring out of the vials they were vexed and pained and gnawed their tongues yet they repented not and they repented not O let this take thee off when the Lords hand is lifted upon to deliver his people or judge the enemies Thou wilt not see but thou shalt see to thy woe if thou goest on to oppose the Lord. It is usually askt Is the devill in such a one whom we see mad and maliciously bent what devil then shall we thinke is in those that will yet in malignitie of spirit oppose themselves * Qua voce adeo potenter fregit satanae vires ut nullum postea reliquum fuerit impedimentum Zanch. in loc This reprehension for ought we know took off the devil himselfe as thus doest thou not see that the Lord hath puld his people out of the fire he thinks they have burnt long enough he hath begun their deliverance and so is ingaged to perfect it then why wilt thou offer to be an adversary how transcendently devilish then are those enemies of all pietie they see that there is no wisdome nor understanding nor counsell against the Lord and yet they will continue obstinate in their malice The Lord rebuke them the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke them Job 41.8 O consider ye that forget God whom you have to deale withall Remember the Battle and doe no more I adde to this an admonition to every one Vse 7. O let us take heed of hindering the good of Christs Church and chosen Know I beseech you that it is not onely hindered by Malignitie and Neutralitie but even the best have a hand in stopping God which causeth him after he hath begun so to pause and to be at a stand How First by our Infidelitie Thus were Moses and Aaron and all Israel kept out of Canaan after their deliverance out of Egypt Matth. 13. ult The Lord cannot do many moe mightie works for us because of our unbeliefe Thus when things are adverse we give our selves for lost our hope is cut off as though God were not all-sufficient when things are prosperous we do nothing lesse then rest on God we leane on an arme of flesh we have a prudent Parliament a potent Army we have counsell and strength for warre so the Lord is deprest and these exalted which provokes the Lord to let us see the vanitie of these without his helping band and may provoke him to reject our confidences and sweare in his wrath that we should never prosper in them Secondly there hath been but bad use made of Gods beginnings First we have despised the day of small things Thankfulnesse would make us account small beginnings great favours yet what the Lord hath already wrought should not seeme small in our eyes considering what the Lord hath pull'd down and what he is setting up what he hath pluckt up and what he is about to plant what task-masters we are delivered from and what blessed freedome we enjoy Successes have made us more insulting then thankfull and tooke us off from our dependance on God who wrought for us Secondly we are a stubborn people now that Christ would reigne amongst us we say this man shall not reigne over us now Christ is coming toward us we bid him depart out of our coasts we are loath to subject our necks to his yoke our pride is such This makes him also at a stand Thirdly since the Lord hath multiplyed mercies we have multiplyed divisions and keepe in and foment such fires of dissention among our selves as justly provokes the Lord to let us lye in the burning Such a fire was kindled between Abimelech and the men of Shechem fire went out from Sechem and devoured Abimelech and fire went out from Abimelech devoured the men of Shechem Judg. 9. the Lord quench the fire threatening the like evils amongst us It is a fearefull signe of the fire of Gods anger ready to kindle on us when he sends and suffers an evill spirit to prevaile so between King and people but for the
A FIREBRAND PLUCKT OUT OF THE BVRNING A SERMON PREACHED AT Margarets Westminster before the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemn Fast Novemb. 27. 1644. By Benjamin Pikering Minister of Gods Word at Buckstead in Sussex and a Member of the Assembly of Divines Published by Order of the said House Jer. 50.33 34. Thus saith the Lord of hostes The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together and all that took them captives held them fast they refused to let them goe Their Redeemer is strong The LORD of hostes is his Name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon LONDON Printed by I. L. for Philemon Stephens and Samuel Gellibrand in Pauls Church-yard 1645. Die Mercurii 27. Novem. 1644. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament That Master Sallowey and Master Knightley doe from this House give thanks to Master Pikering and Master Gipps for the great paines they took in the Sermons they preached this day at the intreatie of this House at S. Margarets Westminster It being the day of Publique Humiliation and to desire them to Print their Sermons And it is Ordered that none shall presume to Print their or either of their Sermons without leave under their or either of their Hand-writing H. Elsying Cler. Parl. D. Com. I Appoint Philemon Stephens and Samuel Gellibrand to print this Sermon BEN. PIKERING TO THE HONOVRABLE House of Commons Assembled in Parliament HOnourable Senators Your patient attention unto and thankefull acceptance of my undeserving paines in this Sermon now according to your Order printed and in all humility presented unto you emboldens me againe to reinforce my exhortation that you would be of good courage and goe on zealously to work with God untill he be pleased to make you and all Gods people happy and blessed in ordaining peace perfecting Reformation and working all your workes for you Nothing is so preiudiciall to your proceedings nothing so much hinders good things from us as many grievous provoking sinnes in the midst of us Hence is it that when peace and freedome with Truth in purity have beene flowing in toward us as a River the Lord hath caused them as Iordan to be driven backwards the night seemed to be past and the day of the glorious Gospel with peace on earth seemed to spread it selfe over us but now the shadowes are againe stretched out black clouds hang over our heads still threatening a day of darkenesse and gloominesse The profanenesse and incorrigiblenesse of the multitude declare that we are ripe for iudgement indisposed and unfit for such mercies as have beene ever since the happy beginning of your sitting tendering themselves unto us The vitals of this Kingdome are fearefully distempered the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint Our sinfull distempers threaten the dissolution of the whole body Therefore through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the Land darkened and the people are as fuel for fire and their carkasses lye torne in the midst of the streets for all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Certainly it will be acceptable to God available to the healing of the Land and reducing us to a fitnesse for Reformation if you could as you have begun set up a faithfull Ministery and establish iudgement and iustice in the Gates If iudgement had its free course in Citie and Countrey the course of Gods iudgements would determine Let your zeale for the Lord burne and this burning which the Lord hath kindled would be quenched Phinehas stood up and executed iudgement and the plague ceased Let not the sonnes of Belial say There is no law now Let them not be as when there was no King in Israel every man doing that which was right in his owne eyes let them know that the Kingly power resides in his High Court of Parliament Let your terrour be on all the wicked bring the wheele upon them or make them flee into desolate places to cut up the mallowes by the bushes Job 30. and Juniper roots for their meate If iniquitie were purged and the wicked tooke away God would leave off melting Jer. 6. Satan would be rebuked the enemies unarmed no weapon formed against you should prosper Every knowne sinne suffered amongst us if not prevented nor punished by you will be as yours and will give the enemie advantages Greg. Moral 10. â— 20 Therefore some thinke that Satan is said to stand at Ioshua's right hand and so of his fellow reformers as having iust accusation and therefore too hard for Ioshua and his fellowes Nam dextra fortius aliquid majus significat to this purpose they bring that in the 109. Psalme Let Satan stand at his right hand and thus expound it fac ut Satan in judicio superiores habeat partes The reason why they thus thought was because Ioshua did not carefully oversee and instruct the people in Babylon he was not zealous in exciting to the building of Gods Temple And although we read not that he was faulty in marrying a strange woman as some say but without Scripture he did yet this was accounted his sinne that his brethren and somes by his neglect or sufferance had done so Rabb Hieron As Sanctius hath it Ezra 10. Thus farre this is usefull to excite you to prevent sinne in others and to take away occasion from all that seeke occasion either to asperse or hinder your pious proceedings in building the Lords House and setting up his Worship and Ordinances in puritie O be carefull lest the Adversary get advantage for you are not ignorant of his devices Iustice also requires that you should make speed to heare and to releeve the innocent that cry to heaven that cry to you as Gods on earth let not their eyes faile with waiting Be zealous for Christs cause delay not to establish his government and discipline with vigour proceed so on in your reforming and treating that glory may dwell in our Land that mercy and truth righteousnesse and peace may meete together and kisse each other Let your wisdome find out a way so that for circumstantiall differences there be no rent made by those who are one body The wisdome which is from above which is pure and peaceable so direct you that you may take away all pretences of separation or schisme that every mouth may be stopt that brethren may dwell together in unitie serving the Lord with one shoulder that the God of love and peace may be amongst us Your religious approbation and expediting of the Directory for Gods worship is no small refreshing to the spirits of all the godly you have gone farre but forget the things that are behind and presse on toward the marke So long as the Iewish builders and reformers minded more themselves and their owne houses then the House of God Satan prevailed by the Kings wicked Counsellours
in Babylon and the Samaritancs about Iudea to hinder their counsels and endeavours you have given good proofe that you exalt God and preferre his glory with the hazard of the depressing of your selves and yours The Lord is faithfull who will not forget your unparallel'd zeale and labour of love Continue in your integritie and the Lord will continue a Sunne and shield to you Psal 105.14 he will for your sakes rebuke Princes he will rebuke Satan and all his malignant Instruments that they shall be as still as a stone Although Satan be at your right hand feare not so long as our Mediatour sits at the right hand of God feare not if you with Ioshua stand before the Angel of the Covenant continue to stand before him as your Master whose worke you are about expecting what he will prescribe or enioyne Continue in his worke that you may be found so doing so acquit your selves that he may say Well done good and faithfull servants you have beene faithfull in all my house enter into your Masters ioy Stand before this Angels as your Iudge to whom in all your iust proceedings you may appeale and have reliefe Stand before him as your Advocate who hath undertaken the Patronage of your righteous cause and the promoting of your pious undertakings in heaven with his Father there he speakes good there he pleads for you and the Lord will answer him with good words and comfortable words concerning you and concerning his Ierusalem To his powerfull Patronage constant care and gracious guidance you and all your weightie Affaires are commended in the daily prayers of Your most unworthy but faithfull and humble servant BEN. PIKERING A SERMON PREACHED AT Margarets Westminster before the Honourable House of COMMONS at their late Solemn Fast Novemb. 27. 1644. Zach. 3. latter part vers 2. Is not this a brand pluckt out of the fire IT is the Lords pleasure that the condition of his Church many times should be such as the Prophet expresseth I beheld the earth and lo it was without forme and void Jer. 4.23 and the heavens had no light Thus it was with Gods people in the Babylonish captivitie Heaven and Earth Church and Common-wealth were in a confusion It is the Lords goodnesse to have respect to his people in such extreamities and when all is in a Chaos to stirre up helps and wayes to a new Creation of this heaven and earth The God of the spirits of all flesh for this end stirs up the spirit of Cyrus to give way and of Zerubbabel Ioshua Ezra and Nehemiah to revive the stones out of the rubbish to build the Citie and Temple and to set up the true worship and pure ordinances of God It is observable that the best undertakings meet with greatest discouragements As these Builders and Reformers did both from the Kings Courtiers and Malignant neighbours stirred up by the Devill Therefore lest they should faint and be weary lest their spirits should faile the Lord sends encouragements by his Prophets Haggai and Zachary Ezra 5.1 The like oppositions much Honoured you have had and such encouragements the Lord hath not been wanting in to you This Prophet Zachary First to fit and dispose the people for mercy exhorteth to repentance Thus is a people prepared for the Lord. Secondly by sevetall visions the Lord first sheweth how he had dealt with them that is with moderation not according to their deserts but in measure and much mercy Chap. 1. 2. Secondly for their comfort he declareth how he would deale with them Chap. 3. 7. that is he would deale graciously with them if they would turne to him and build his Temple and set up his worship and ordinances in their puritie In this third Chapter is set down the fourth vision which the Lord manifested to this Prophet that is Ioshua the high Priest and Satan standing at his right hand In Ioshua the high Priest a type of Christ is set out the restauration of the Church and Priesthood and true worship He stood before the Angel of the Lord that is the second person of the Trinitie called the Angel of the Covenant and vers 2. of this Chapter Iehovah attending his commands expecting his ayde he was in vile raiment not as the high Priest of old though the Priesthood and Church be in a vile despicable condition you see it is in Christs eye he hath care of it Satan an adversary stands at his right hand to resist The devill will still be hindering the acting hand in the things of God Our Saviour found it so when first he entred upon the worke of a Mediatour and Saint Paul in his pious intentions Matth. 4. 1 Thess 1. Satan hindered us The Devill hateth all Divine Order and pure Ordinances therefore he resists Ioshua in whom the Priesthood and Divine worship were restored Hence vers 3. the Lord is pleased to grant a threefold encouragement to Ioshua and the rest which is also a threefold discouragement to the adversary First The Lord hath chosen Ierusalem and the Ministery appointed to gather and build up his people and the Lord by deliverance of his people hath manifested his election therefore he will not forsake those whom hee hath chosen Gods choosing is loving Iacob have I loved Whom God loves he loves to the end therefore feare not Secondly The Sonne of God undertakes the Patronage of his Church he prayeth for them he makes intercession to Iehovah God the Father Iehovah said Iehovah rebuke thee and observing the reduplication the Lord rebuke thee even the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee we may see vehemency of affection in our Mediatour toward his Church and chosen he was heard alway whilest he was upon earth Joh. 11. Father I know thou hearest me alwayes Therefore now he is at the right hand of God he is heard The Lord will rebuke the adversary and answer this angel with good and comfortable words concerning Ierusalem This was to Ioshua and the rest and is to you another singular encouragement The third is in the words of the Text read unto you that is present rescue This manifests what Gods purpose is toward his people he hath delivered them out of a wofull captivitie likely to consume them as a brand out of the fire therefore the Lord will save them to the uttermost hath he begun and shall he not finish what worke he begins he will perfect it the Lord will perfect that which concerneth his chosen Psal 138.8 Thus may the Lords chosen instruments and servants be encouraged and thus the malignant enemy tooke off Vpon this third let us stay our soules I shall not trouble you with varietie of interpretations nor with multitude of observations which might very aptly be drawn out but shall labour to present the summe in this generall instruction Gods people may be in the burning but they shall certainly be rescued and perfectly delivered Doctrine This I shall
labour to explaine and prove with the same labour 1. First Here is implyed that calamities by the enemy is a burning as also Amos 4.11 So this people finde it and so expresse it From above hath he sent fire into my bones and it prevaileth against them he hath burned against Iacob Lam. 1.13 Chap. 2.3 like a flaming fire which devoureth round about First Psal 124. If fire have the mastery it is raging devouring and wasting fire and water have no mercy we say of them they are good servants but ill masters so if the cruell enemy get the mastery he ruines all and layes all waste A fire devoureth before them and behind them a flame burneth Joel 2.3 The land is as the garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate wildernesse yea and nothing shall escape them When through the Lords anger this fire is kindled it devoureth every greene tree with every dry tree that is both the good which are as the greene tree having some sap of grace and the wicked which are as the dry tree fit for nothing but fuell Ezek. 20.47 and all faces from the North to the South shall be burnt therein They pitie not the young nor regard the person of the old even as the devils malice and spite ceaseth not notwithstanding that Ioshua and the Iews were but newly come out of the fire Auget culpam Satana Drufius as it were brands halfe burnt Secondly burning is a tormenting painfull punishment so is this The Lord is angry and malicious men helpe forward the affliction and it 's more smarting because it 's by their hand when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he Hab. 1. Thirdly fire is unsatiable it makes no end of burning so long as there is any thing combustible Thus are the enemies and the multitude of those that distresse Ierusalem they are even as a dream of a night vision as when a hungry man dreameth and behold he eateth Isa 29.7 8. but he awaketh and his soule is empty or as when a thirsty man dreameth and behold he drinketh but he awaketh and behold he is faint and his soule hath appetite although they load themselves with plunder and spoyle and glut and make themselves drunk with bloud yet they are no more satisfied then though they had onely dreamed of such things they are as one of the things that never say It is enough Their rage ends not with the life of the godly but it extends it selfe even to their ashes as was seene in Wicklif Bucer and Phagius Fourthly Fire is purging it trieth it separates divides things Heterogeneall as the drosse from the silver so this evill is to Gods people as a Refiners fire it purgeth them from their hypocrisie worldly-mindednesse and selfe-love c. Also it separates the wicked of the earth as drosse from the godly as in this season the truly zealous from the malignant now combined together Michael and his Angels against the Dragon and his angels 2. Secondly here is implied Revel 12. that Gods people are often in this burning and that to some extremitie and for continuance the Lord lets them lie in till they apprehend themselves even consumed as a brand in the fire For first we are not immediately purged the bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed out of the fire Jerem. 6. the Founder melts in vaine the wicked nor our wickednesses are not tooke away as it is now seene notwithstanding we are in the burning yet our dissentions and fires amongst our selves are not quenched as it was with the Iewes when they were neere to be consumed by the Romanes our Pride our Covetousnesse c. are not tooke away Then no wonder if we continue yet in the burning Secondly it may be also the Lord will thus feed the malignitie of the enemy till he become prodigious in crueltie blasphemies and insolencie and fill up a full measure of vengeance for himselfe And thirdly Gods wisdome is best seene when we are at our wits end and the Lords power is most manifest when we are at the extremitie of miserie when we think and say we are cut off for our parts Ezek. 37. And secondly when the enemies are at the height of their malice and extremitie of crueltie when the Pope was at his height then Luther with others about that time gave him a second deadly wound and when Gods people in this Nation groaned under the Hierarchie as Israel under Egyptian Task-masters even then when Tyranny was come to the height the Lord was seene in the Mount then his wisdome and power wrought for us There was none to helpe then his owne arme brought salvation by Englands Parliament and Scotlands Armie Thus some understand the enemies ruine in Armageddon expounding it to be the Mount of Megiddo Isa 63.5 Revel 16. Judg. 5.19 because the enemies are at a height when they are brought to Horma an utter destruction as Israels enemies were at the waters of Megiddo Fourthly contraries are ordinarily cured by contraries cold diseases by hot Medicines and hot diseases by cold we are a cold Nation at the most we are as we are aptly resembled by Mr. Brightman to Laodicea but luke-warme therefore the Lord applies these burnings unto us that he may bring some warmth into us 3. Thirdly Here is exprest that though Gods people be in the fire they shall certainly be pul'd out as Israel was out of Egypt from the Iron furnace and out of the miserable captivitie in Babylon where they indured this burning here mentioned first they are in hazard then certainly rescued The enemie said I will pursue Exod. 15.9 10.13 I will overtake I will divide the spoyle my lust shall bee satisfied on them I will draw my sword mine hand shall destroy them Thou didst blow with thy wind the Sea covered them they sanke as lead in the mighty waters Then Lord thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people whom thou hast redeemed So they seeme to be in their graves when in Babylon but the Lord that quickneth the dead tels them Isa 26.19 Thy dead men shall live the dead bodies shall arise awake and sing ye that sit in the dust for the Lords favour is as the dew of herbes First thus the Lords Power Wisdome and Truth shine forth when we say Our bones are dried Ezek. 37.11 and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts Secondly then the Lord is sought unto in their affliction they will seek me early and rested upon when we know not what to doe when refuge faileth and none careth for our soules And then the Lord will never leave us nor forsake us he will not be as waters that faile Thirdly Gods love is immutable more constant then the mothers love to her sucking child Isa 49. No waters can quench it the coales thereof are coales of fire which have a most vehement flame
and England in the fire Let the whole house of Israel bewaile the burning which the Lord hath kindled let your compassions be toward the Palatinate that Vine that had strong rods for the Scepters of them that beare rule but fire is gone out of a rod of her branches which hath devoured her fruit Ezek. 19. ult so that there is no rod for a Scepter to rule This is a lamentation and it shall be for a lamentation let your compassions be kindled so that they may set you on a course to help them out of the fire use means as the Lord hath put into your hands if so be there may be balme for their healing if we shall still look on without contributing to their reliefe looke for the like measure from others in our miseries Who shall pity thee O England or who shall bemoane thee or who will turn aside to aske how thou dost we have beene too much and too long wanting unto Gods distressed Churches feare lest the fire of Gods anger be kindled against us because we have beene a staffe of reed unto the house of Israel Ezek. 29.6 Secondly let the Lord be magnified by us First for giving warning he sets us on fire round about before his wrath kindle upon us It is the Lords mercies that we are not consumed let your praise be continually of him for keeping off this fire when the enemy hath been coming in like a floud the Spirit of the Lord hath lift up a Standard against him he hath appointed barres and limits unto these raging waves of the enemy and said Stay there thy proud waves and goe no further Secondly blesse the Lord for chastising in measure for that he hath not powred out all his anger he might have scattered Brimstone upon our habitations and made us as Sodome and Gomorrah Blesse our God ye people c. For thou O God hast proved us thou hast tried us as silver is tried Psa 66. we went through fire and through water hence we have good hone that the Lord hath not ordained us to wrath for when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Thirdly magnifie the Lords Omnipotencie that hath kept his Church in the midst of flames Numb 21. The bush burneth and is not consumed Israel was preserved among fiery Serpents so are we kept amongst a Malignant company the brood of the Serpent who are set on fire Magnifie the God of Truth who hath spoke with his mouth and with his hand fulfilled it When thou walkest through the fire Isa 43.2 thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee Is it not marvellous in your eyes that the religious in France have beene preserved in Massacres and Butcheries and the Protestants in England in the fires in Queene Maries reigne and since from the damnable Powder-Plot and many a time since from the Antichristians set on fire against us and their Adherents brutish men skilfull to destroy Fourthly let the Lord be magnified for making some impressions on the Antichristian party The Lord God of recompences hath begun to give burning for burning Let all give glory to the Lord for stirring up the spirits of our Worthies to hate the Whore to make her desolate to eat her flesh and burne her with fire O glorifie ye the Lord in the midst of the fires Thirdly let us not think our selves exempt the Lord hath brought this fire upon all his people and shall we be free First therefore shake off securitie and bestirre your selves to prevent and keepe our selves out we have been as brands in the fire The burnt child dreads the fire Our neighbours house is on fire we cannot but be concerned in this I will not meddle in Politiques onely advise thus Therefore first kindle not the Lords jealousie by superstitions cast not a favourable eye toward the Whore of Rome leave not an hoofe of the Beast in England Secondly tempt not God complaine not of his wise administration thinke not say not as Israel Can God doe this can he perfect Reformation can he give pure Ordinances can he subdue such a people as we are to his Scepter can he ordaine Peace can he worke all our workes for us When the Lord heard this he was wroth so a fire was kindled against Iacob Psal 78.21 and anger also came up against Israel Thirdly purge out every cursed sinne by repentance let this be manifested in a holy indignation against all remainders of Idolatry and Superstition as you have zealously begun make the stones of the Altars as Chalke-stones beat them to pieces Isa 27. Every sinne makes us as readie to take fire even as Gun-powder let us therefore have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare for first Our God is a consuming fire and secondly this fire of the Enemy is dreadfull A fire devoureth before them and behinde them a flame burneth all that is desireable will be consumed by them Gods Sanctuary shall be laid waste his Worship his Ordinances polluted we shall lose communion of Saints the excellencie of our strength the desire of our eyes no fire makes such a desolation as this An Idolatrous Army is the abomination of desolation Ezek. 24. And if the Lord have stretched out his hand so that we cannot put it back but that this fire doe kindle upon us I shall prescribe the same course Turn to him that smiteth take away the sting from the fiery Serpents that is our sinnes The sting of death and every deadly evill is sinne sinne is as fuel and bellowes both increasing the flame and the wrath of God as a streame of Brimstone If we could have broken hearts the Lord would binde up our broken State our broken Church If we be not found in our sins the fire can have no power over us Dan. 3. Satan shall not be at our right hand so as to prevaile But if we continue in our neutralitie like warmenesse divisions and heats one toward another in covetousnesse pride injustice unthankfulnesse despising the day of small things and contempt of the Gospel grieving Gods holy Spirit by which he still striveth with us the Lord wil be turned to he our enemie how then can our hearts endure or our hands be strong in the day that the Lord shall deale with us hereunto will be added the burning of an evill conscience Ezek. 22. a terrible devouring fire and thus the fire will be as Nebuchadnezzars furnace Heb. 10. seven times hotter Be instructed lest the Lords soule depart from you let this fire that the Lord hath kindled be a Refiners fire lest the Lord come from his place as a consuming fire and everlasting burnings Our God hath beene trying to purge us a long time he hath smitten us with Pestilence after the manner of Egypt but we have not turned to him he hath now drawne
divisions of Gods people there should be great thoughts of heart as for the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts and great seachings of heart It is to be lamented with the teares of us all to see brethren agreeing in all substantials serving one God having one Father and Hope c. yet for some circumstances in matters of Discipline their contentions are as the barres of a Castle and the heat is increased as betweene Guelphs and Gibellines Honourable Senators here your Wisdome yea a Divine Wisdome from above must be obtained for you would shine if you could repaire all these breaches and compose things so that brethren might with peace of conscience dwell together in unitie then we should see that the Lord would delight over us to goe on to doe great things for us and the graces of God would then shine in his servants when they would in the spirit of meeknesse yeeld one to another so that the unitie of the spirit might be kept in the bond of peace This onely I adde If ye bite and devoure one another Gal. 5. take heed that ye be not consumed one of another Fourthly when we have had mercies showring down from heaven we have slackt our hands in prayer when Moses hands fell downe Amalek prevailed and so through our slacknes coldnesse in this dutie and others more then through the slacknesse of our Armies the enemies who were not long since even prayed downe have strengthened themselves to our reproach and danger Fifthly Selfe-love which sets us upon selfe-seeking and selfe-ends is so predominant that the publique concernments are not so promoted If we had publique concernments are not so promoted If we had publique spirits our endevours would have had a further influence into the publique good then yet they have had And many provocations there are amongst us to bewaile many Achans amongst us many cursed things not onely hid in the tents but brought forth in the sight of the Sunne they declare their sinne as Sodome and hide it not much cause of humiliation these are unto us all this day and we must not looke to see Gods work-perfected till we All mourne and repent for the many evils in the midst of us How long shall I see the Standard and heare the sound of the Trumpet Jer. 4.21 It is answered in the next words by the Prophet My people is foolish c. Junius reads it So long as my people is foolish and sottish and wise to doe evill And Honoured Worthies I beseech you to admit of me that I may use boldnesse This burden concerns all and cals upon all it is for admonition to all but especially You When Israel had provoked the Lord by their spell and bodily uncleanesse the people were plagued in a fearefull manner there fell in one day foure and twenty thousand Moses was not blamed Num. 25. but the Heads of the people Hang up the heads of the people that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel Why the Heads of the people They should have lookt better to the people in governing so to prevent sin or they should have beene more swift to execute judgement when they fell into sinne It is not enough that you are not grosse sinners that you are reformed so long as there are in the midst of Citie and Kingdome even where your Power also reacheth many abominations there are as Ezekiel speakes Ezek. 22. in thee in thee much excess many profanations horrible uncleannesse I speake what I know even abominable incest not onely acted once or twice but continued in to the just provocation of Gods anger against you and all of us and there is no course for redresse none to punish or put them to shame there is in the midst of us oppression and crueltie there are in the midst of us many Innocents whose faces are ground and their bones crusht and broken most injuriously they cry for reliefe they stretch out their hands to you for helpe O releeve the oppressed and judge the cause of the helplesse lest the Lord heare their cry and it be sinne unto you Delay not make speed to seeke judgement to bring the wheele upon the wicked put not off such things the delaying of which delayes all your hopefull proceedings delay not one day to trouble those that trouble Israel but as Ioshua said so doe ye God shall trouble thee this day These and many such things lye upon you therefore provoke your spirits to zeale and courage feare not faint not if Christ had fainted in the worke of our Redemption what had become of us he fainted not not was discouraged till he set judgement in the Earth do ye likewise Observe how the Lord describeth the Horse Iob 39. His neck is cloathed with thunder he paweth in the valley and rejoyceth in his strength he goeth out to meet the armed man the quiver rattleth at him the glittering speare and the shield he saith among the Trumpets aha and doth God care for horses glorifie God in the creature and learne courage from him break through all like lightning as in naturall motion so the neerer you come to your haven where you would be let your motion be swifter The Lords beginnings engage him to finish ye are Gods as Psalme 82. Follow God the Lord hath beene very zealous for you and us take heed of coldnesse in this heat labour to hasten Reformation in the Church that it may be the gladnesse of Gods people to goe to the beautie of holinesse that the Tribes may goe up to the Testimony of Israel and for the better governing the Common-wealth let there be set thrones of judgement in all places as Psal 122. And to conclude Let us all put to our helping hands armes purses counsell encouragement for the helpe of the Lord against the mightie let the Ministers of Christ be carefull to maintaine unitie to provoke Christians to peace to unite against the common Enemie on some have compassion making a difference and others save with terrour pulling them out of the fire O let all be humbled before our God this day and put our mouthes in the dust and then our prayers will be very prevalent with God our legions would be thundering legions as Christian armies of old dreadfull to the enemie let us all helpe with our constant prayers be the Lords remembrancers give him no rest till he refine his Church and pull it out of the fire he that hath neither purse nor weapon nor hands nor counsell to helpe hath a heart O poure it out in prayer give not over till the Lord hath made Ierusalem a praise in the earth It is usuall to put words into a Delinquents mouth whereby he is delivered from death The Lord deales thus with us he bids us take words and he also suggests words whereby we may be delivered from iniquity received graciously Hos 14.2 So Ier. 3.19 He deviseth a way for us how we should obtaine the lengthening of our tranquillitie It is the Lord that asketh the question How shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land even a goodly heritage of the hostes of nations And I said thou shalt call me My Father and shalt not turne away from me This then is the Lords way that he would have us take to cry Father Abba Father to pray to devote our selves to God and never to turne from him No people ever had more encouragements and more needs then we have to wrastle with God O wrastle with God leave him not till he blesse us give him not over till we prevaile when we are Princes and prevailers with God then shall we see Mercy and Truth meeting Righteousnesse and Peace kissing then would the Lord be with us in these fires or pull us as brands out of the fire and then and not till then we shall be prevailers over men FINIS