old Sins Let us not be high-minded saith the Apostle but fear indeed If God be for us who can be against us saith the same Apostle Rom. 8. 3. But how can he be Friends with us when we walk so cross and perversly with him His Name that ought not to be mentioned without highest Reverence is continually Blasphemed Isa 52. 5. Nothing hated but Holiness and the Lovers of it made the Song of the Drunkards and By-word of the People and a desire to walk with God according to our Christian Profession Soberly Righteously and Godly Tit. 2. 12. made a derision all the day c. Neither let us think to appease him and hold his Friendship with a few Sermons and Ceremonies of outward Service as the tything of Mint Cummin and Dill when we neglect Justice and Fidelity a Gospel Reformation of our Lives and Conversations and the weighty things of the Law and Gospel as our Lord speaks Matth. 23. 23. See what the Lord speaks by the Prophet Jeremiah For I spake not unto your Fathers nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt concerning Burnt-offrings and Sacrifices But this thing commanded I them saying obey my Voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my People and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you that it may be well unto you Jer. 7. 22 23. When in the mean time we hold his truth in Unrighteousness when I know not for what politick respects we prefer Musical Delight Am. 5. 23. and Solemnity in his Service before the Spirit and Understanding 1 Cor. 14. 15. and Justifie by our practice the Idol-Service which we accuse in our Books and Preaching And now O ye Priests this Commandment is for you saith the Prophet Malchi If ye will not hear and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory to my Name saith the Lord of Hosts I will even send a curse upon you and will curse your Blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to Heart Mal. 2. 1 2. I will dash them a Man against his Brother the Father and the Son together saith the Lord I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them Jer. 13. 14. and 16. Give Glory to the Lord God before he cause Darkness and before your Feet stumble upon the dark Mountains and while ye look for Light he turn it into the shadow of Death and make it gross Darkness These things are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come 1 Cor. 10. 11. Excellently doth Ezra express the Affection Resolution and Reformation of the Jews after their Escape and Deliverance from Babylon and return to Zion with these words And after all this is come upon us for our evil Deeds and for our great Transgressions seeing thou our God hast punished us less than our Iniquities deserve and hast given us such a Deliverance as this should we again break thy Commandments and joyn in affinity with the people of these Abominations Wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us so that there should be no remnant nor escaping Ezek. 9. 13 14. Let us take heed that we fulfill our Ministery as the Apostle exhorts Timothy 2 Tim. 4. 5. that we lose not our Church it self wherein Men glory so much your Glorying is not good saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. 6. that it flee not away like a Bird as the Glory of Ephraim from the Birth and from the Womb and from the Conception as the Prophet Hosâ—a speaks and our selves also The Dissenters as we call them are like to steal it away from us and leave us naked and bare to read Prayers to bare Walls and empty Pews as many do already in City and Country Behold your house shall be left unto you desolate saith our Lord to the Jews What house The Prophet Isaiah tells us Our Holy and Beautiful House where our Fathers praised thee is burnt up with Fire and all our pleasant things are laid waste the only Cathedral that God had in all the World wherein was the Glorious Symbol of his Presence and the great Mystery of Godliness that praefigured Christ with all his Benefits This was done afterwards by the Caldeans He tells them further Therefore I say unto you the Kingdom of Heaven shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the Fruits thereof Matth. 21. 43. What is meant by this Kingdom of Heaven The Church visible the Phrase often used in the beginning of St. John's Preaching and Christ's Matth. 3. 2. and 4. 17. and in the Parable of the Sower This Phrase is taken from Daniel And in the days of those Kings shall the God of Heaven set up a Kingdom and the Kingdom shall not be left to another People but it shall break in pieces and consume all these Kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44. The Church visible is now to be made up of the Gentiles as of old of the Jews chiefly our Lord having taken down the Wall of Partition that was set up by God himself between them why may not Men take down and demolish even to the Foundation the Wall of Separation dawbed with intempered Mortar of Malice and Envy set up in their Heart against their Brethren unless there be such a great Gulf fixed between them by it so that they which would pass from hence cannot nor can they pass to us that would come thence as Father Abraham speaks to the rich Man in Hell that would fain have changed his Quarters and Post for any Ease or mitigation of pain Luk. 16. 26. The Evangeilst Matthew tells us That this saying is commonly reported among the Jews to this day Matth. 28 15. that Christ's Disciples came by Night and stole him away while the Watch-men slept Mary Magdalen upon a double mistake thought that the Gardiner had stolen him out of his Grave Joh. 20. 15. We read of a great quarrel between the ten Tribes and the Jews about the stealing away of King David in his own Presence And behold all the Men of Israel came unto the King and said unto the King why have our Brethren the Men of Judah stolen thee away 2 Sam. 19. 41. The good and wise King could not decide the controversie without a Mutiny and sad Dissention as follows in the Text Moses tells us that Jacob stole away the Heart of Laban the Syrian when he fled from him Gen. 31. 20. upon the fall of his Countenance towards him with all that he had and that his Daughter Rachel stole away his Teraphim his Gods there was a Heartless and Godless Man left and what had he more Judg. 18. 24. as Micah speaks to the Men of Dan yet after all his fierce pursuing after Jacob with all his forces and overtaking him and searching all his stuff he found nothing of his to accuse Jacob of
Peace of God See 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no division among you that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment Exhort Let us then for the better calming of our Passions bethink us and ask our selves these few Questions First Who and what we are and were Our Lord resolveth this Question chiefly in his Epistle to the Church of Laodicea Because thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayâ—st be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be cloathed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayest see Rev. 3. v. 17. 18. Secondly Who it is that calls us When our Lord commanded blind Bartimeus to be called that cried after him Jesus thou son of David have mercy on me And they call the blind man saying unto him be of good comfort rise he calleth thee and he casting away his garment rose and came to Jesus Mark 10. 50. So ought we to cast away all our Animosities and petty Dissentions and admit this sweet and easie Yoak of the Peace of God to rule in our hearts for faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it saith the Apostle 1 Thess 5. 24. And again God is faithful by whom ye are called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord saith the Apostle Peter 1. 2. 9. 2. From the dominion of sin and Satan unto the glorious liberty of the children of God Rom. 8. 21. Gal. 5. 1. From the troubles of this tumultuous World that is like the raging Sea that cannot rest and the Christians are as weary of it as David was of Mesek when he said Wo is me that I sojourn in Mesek that I dwell in the Tents of Kedar my Soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace I am for peace but when I speak they are for war And again he said O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flye away and be at rest Psalm 55. v. 6. Upon which account our Lord calleth his Church from the World the Seat of cruel men to Heaven in these endearing expressions Come with me from Lebanon my Spouse with me from Lebanon loâ—k from the top of Amana from the top of Shema and Harmon from the Lions Den from the Mountain of the Leopards Cant. 4. 9. Fourthly Unto what are we called God hath called us unto peace 1 Cor. 7. 15. Let our Calling admonish us of our Duty We are called unto Peace saith this Text also Peace peace to him that is afar off and to him that is near saith the Lord and I will heal him Isa 57. 19. Knowing this that we are thereunto called that we should inherit a blessing saith Peter 1 Pet. 3. 9. And what greater blessing than peace that in the bowels of it hath all blessings lodged And our Apostle tells us above Sixteen hundred years ago That the God of peace shall bruise Satan the grand Enemy of our peace under our feet shortly Rom. 26. v. 20. That we may know in this our day the things that belong to our peace that they be not hid from our eyes as our Lord spake when he wept over Jerusalem Luke 19. 42. I will conclude this first Reason Why the peace of God should bear rule in our hearts Because we are called thereunto with our Lords charge to his Disciples in bidding them Beware of offences He concludes his Speech thus Have salt in your selves and have peace on with another Mark 9. 42. 50. Where the Salt of true Grace is it will make the means of peace sweet and savoury and no stain of corruption or the least unsavouriness shall remain to disrelish any squeamish Stomach Let us remember withal That he that is the God of peace that hath called us to peace is also the God of all grace Who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus as Peter speaks 1 Pet. 5. 10. And so an entrance shall be ministred unto us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. v. 1 1 where we shall enjoy everlasting peace Reas 2. The second Reason why the peace of God should rule in our hearts is this That we are in one body For that this is a distinct Reason appears because he says Not unto our body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in one body This Similitude more fully is as much as to say You Christians with Christ make as it were a body Therefore as it were monstrous if one body should yield members fighting one against another and making as it were a civil war in the natural body So it is if disorder be found amongst you Christians that which Christ makes up a mystical body The resembling Christians to a body is at large exemplified and garnished 1 Cor. 12. and in divers other places of Scripture mentioned Val. Max. Flor. tit 1. P. 27. Yea we read in the Roman History That upon a time there was a great Sedition in the City of Rome the Commons complaining of the Senate and Nobility rose up tumultuously against them One Menenius Agrippa wiser than the rest brought them to peace and unity again by this very Similitude of Members and Body and made such an Oration unto them At what time said he in man's Body the Members did not as now agree in one but each had his several counsel and speech the rest of the parts had indignation that by their care labour and industry and ministry all things were provided for the Belly it being quiet and at ease in the midst did nought else but enjoy the Pleasures that were given it Whereupon they conspired that the Hand should not reach any meat to the Mouth nor the Mouth receive it being given nor the Teeth chew it Whilst thus enraged they would needs master the Belly with Famine The Members themselves withal and the whole Body came to an extream Consumption whereby appeared that the Bellies Service was not the worst nor slackest that it did not less nourish than receive nourishment yielding back into all the parts the life and blood which having digested the meat it laboureth thereout and divideth withal into the Veins and Conduits of the whole Body Such said he is the Civil Discord and Anger of the People against the Senate By this means he perswaded the People to lay down their Arms and so turned their Minds from their intended Hostility and Violence to Unity and Peâ—ace And indeed the Apostle's Speech If ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye be not consumed one of another Gal. 5. 25. tends to the same
or Jehoshaphet you marcht out against the Enemies of God and Man or else he hath none in this World and he in whom ye trusted hath made you more than Conqueror in pacifying Scotland subduing Ireland and preserving the Peace and safety of England and in checking the Pride and Insolency of your sworn Enemies beyond Sea and setting a bound to it that it cannot pass and though the Waves thereof toss themselves yet they cannot prevail tho' they roar yet can they not pass over it Jer. 5. 22. as the Prophet speaks of God's bounding the Sea when he said Hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves stay themselves Job 38. 11. Your Majesties Soul is bound up in the bundle of Life with the Lord your God in all your hazardous high and honourable undertakings and the souls of your Enemies them shall he fling out as out of the middle of a sling as vertuous Abigail speaks to King David 1 Sam. 25. 29. For as an Angel of God so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad therefore the Lord thy God will be with thee saith the wiâ—e Woman of Tekoah to the King 2 Sam. 14. 17. Therefore saith he to the God of this Life Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of Iniquity which speak peace to their Neighbours but mischief is in their hearts For they speak not peace but devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the Land Psal 28 3. and 35. 20. If the Peace of God rule in your Royal Heart because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high because he hath known my name saith God to David He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble I will deliver him and honour him with long life will I satisfie him and shew my salvation Psal 91. 14 15 16. no richer Promises in all the Book of God than those that are made to God's King and again I will make thy officers peace and thine exactors righteousness violence shall be no more heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy borders Thy people shall be all righteous saith the Prophet Isa 60. 17 18 21. And the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever and my people shall dwell in peaceable habitations and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Isa 32. 17 18. Again Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee Isa 26. 4. For the King trusteth in the Lord and through the mercy of God he shall not be moved saith King David Psal 21. 7. and therefore he protests thus For my brethren and companions sakes I will now say Peace be within thee Psal 122. 8 But who were these Men whom the King honoured thus to account his Royal Brethren and worthy Companions Not such as the sons of Zeruiah that were his Cousins and were too hard for him 2 Sam. 3. 39. that were bloody Men and Murdererers of Princes nor such as Haman the Agagite Companion to King Ahasuerus that plotted and contrived the murder of all Gods people in one day Esth 3. 8 9. nor such as Doeg the Edomite that at Saul's Command butchered the Priests of the Lord even four score and five persons that did wear a Linnen Ephod 1 Sam. 22. 18. in his eyes all such vile persons were contemned Psal 15. 4. as David professeth he would know no such wicked personss they should not tarry in his sight Psal 101. 4. 7. But he tells us I am companion to all them that fear thee to them that keep thy precepts Psal 119. 63 65. to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight Psal 16. 3. why so Because the Law of God is in his Heart what Law The Law of Peace Great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 119. 165. Then there shall be no breaking in by foreign Invasion nor going out by domestick Insurrection no complaining in our Streets Happy is that people that is in such a case the Psalmist corrects himself yea happy is that people whose God is the Lord Psal 144. 15. whose peace rules in their hearts My second Address shall be in all due Reverence and Humility to the Right Honourable the High Court of Parliament consisting of Lords and Commons I will with Jeremiah the Prophet get me unto the great Men and speak unto them I hope with better acceptance and Success than he did for they have known the way of the Lord and the judgment of their God Jer. 5. 5. are better acquainted with it having had better breeding and means of instruction than others of meaner Estate Let the Peace of God rule in your Hearts unto which ye are all called in one Body politick That ye all speak the same thing that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same â—â—ind and in the same judgment as the Apostle charges the Corinthians by the name of Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 1. 10. That there be in none of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Or amongst you a profane person as Esau to sell his bitth right for a Mess of Popery as he did for a mess of Pottage as the Apostle speaks Heb. 3. 12. and ch 12. 16. You are the most solemn Representative of our Church and State our Law-makers and living Laws are the most honourable Assembly of Christians under Heaven at this day an Assembly of Philosophers and Divines yea of Kings and Priests unto God the Father and his Christ Rev. 1. 6. You are our first born that have a double portion of Honour put upon you above your Brethren to be our Rulers and Law-givers to use the Apostle's words You are a chosen Generation a royal priest-hood a holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darkness unto his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. As those that sate there before you above an Hundred and Twenty Years ago were like so many Zorobabels that led the people of God from Caldean to Babylon that laid the foundation of our Reformation upon Christ anotheâ— foundation no man câ—n lay 1 Cor. 3. 11. saith the Apostle and his truth and sounded by the Trumpet of the Gospel a fair retreat from Romish Popish Babylon the mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth Rev. 17. 5. the mistress of Witchcrafts that selleth nations through her whoredoms and families through her witchcrafts Nah. 3. 4. as the Prophet speaks so God hath called you together that your Hands may finish it that ye may bring forth the head-stone thereof with shouting crying Grace grace unto it as the Angel speaks Zach. 4. 7. That
5. 20. whom we preach warning to every Man and teaching every Man in all wisdom that we present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. 2. And for their Works sake And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you And to esteem them very highly for their works sake and be at peace among your selves saith the Apostle to the Thessalonians 1 Thes 5. 12 13. upon which account the Apostle says to the Galatians They received him as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus and he bears them Record that if it had been possible they would have pluckt out their Eyes and have given them to him Gal. 4. 14 15. 3. And for their own sake These Men are the Servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of Salvation saith the Pithoness by divine Inspiration Act. 16. 17. They must not hate them and persecute them for speaking the truth of God unto them Am I therefore become your Enemy saith the Apostle because I tell you the truth Gal. 4. 16. As Ahab to his shame professeth concerning Micaiah by whom we enquire of the Lord but I hate him for he doth not Prophesie good concerning me but evil 1 Kin. 22. 8. he received the just reward of his hatred by a shot at RamoahGilead the Jews hated Jeremiah the Prophet but to theiâ— Destruction Jer. 38. 4. And thus they dealt with our Lord that spake as never Man spake unto them and did what never Man did among them both him and his Followers to their dispersion as at this day for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost 1 Thess 2. 16. He that seeketh my Life seeketh thy Life saith David to Abiathar that fled from Saul's Massacre of the Priests of the Lord and their Town of Nob but with me thou shalt be in safety 1 Sam. 22. 23. Good Obadiah hid an Hundred Prophets of the Lord by fifty in a Cave and fed them with Bread and Water 1 Kin. 18. 13. from Jezâ—bel's Cruelty as Rabab the Cauponess as the Caldee Paraphrase styles her hid the Spies from the King of Jerico ' s rage When the Minister shall say at the great day to the Judge of the Quick and Dead Loe I and the Children that God hath gave me Heb. 2. 13. And the words which thou gavest me I have given unto them and they have received them Those that thou gavest me I have â—ept and none of them is lost saith our Saviour Joh. 17. 8 12. The Apostle tells the Thessalonians For what is our Hope or Joy or Crown of Rejoycing Are not even ye in the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming 1 Thes 2. 19 20. 3. To Husband and Wife IF the Peace of God rule in the Heart of Husband and Wife which is the first and dearest Relation in the World and the root of all others unto which they are called in one Body that they should no more be two but one Flesh Gen. 2. 24. Then the Husband will not deal treacherously against the Wife of his youth Mal. 2. 15. that is his Companion and Wife of his Covenant that is Bone of his Bones and Flesh of his Flesh as the first Man speaks but nourish and cherish it as the Lord the Church Eph. 5. 29. as the Apostle speaks of the second Man that is the Lord from Heaven Comfort her as Elkanah did Hannah in her Affliction Hannah why weepest thou and why eatest thou not Am not I better to thee than ten Sons 1 Sam. 1. 8. Not give an occasion of Speech against her to bring up an evil Name upon her that she deserves not Deut. 22. 14. He will rejoyce with the Wife of his youth she shall be to him as a loving Hâ—nd and as a pleasant Roe her Breasts will satisfie him at all times he will be always ravished with her love Prov. 5. 18 19. and never be bitter against her Col. 3. 19. but dwell with her according to knowledge giving Honour to the Wife as the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life that their Prayers be not hindred 1 Pet. 3. 7. He will observe with Joseph the Embrace of a strange Woman whose Mouth is smoother thdn Oyl but the end more bitter than Wormwood sharper than a two-edged Sword her Feet go down to Death her steps take hold on Hell Prov. 5. 3 4 5. Her House saith he is the way to Hell going down to the Chambers of Death Pro. 7. 27 who so pleaseth God shall escape from her but the Sinner shall be taken by her Eccles 7. 26. Live joyfully with the Wife saith he again or enjoy Life whom thou lovest all the days of thy Life of thy Vanity which he hath given thee under the Sun for that is thy Portion in this Life and in thy Labour which thou takest under the Sun saith Solomon that injoyneth Cohabitation Eccles 9. 9. 2. If the Peace of God rule in the Heart of the Wife that was taken out of the Side of her Husband Gen. 2. 21. then she will be as careful to preserve his Life as Michal was that when her Father Saul sent to kill him Lo Michal let David down thro' a Window and he went and fled and escaped 1 Sam. 19. 11 〈◊〉 and she laid a Teraphim in his Beâ— She will never forsake the guide of her yâ—uth nor forget the Covenant of her God Prov. 2. 17. that she solemnly entred into in the day of his Espousals in the day of the Gladness of his Heart She will prove another Lucretia so famous among the Romans for Vertue and Hatred of Baseness that when she suffered Violence that she could not resist stabb'd her self to the Heart which indignity occasioned a great change in their Government or rather like the vertuous Woman whose Price is far above Rubies the Heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her Prov. 31. 10 11. because she hath set him as a Seal upon her Heart as a Seal upon her Arm her love to him being as strong as Death Cant. 8. 6. which she will more readily choose to undergo than go aside to Uncleanness with any instead of her Husband upon whom the Spirit of Jealousie shall never come which is cruel as the Grave the Coals thereof are Coals of Fire which hath a most vehement flame the Tryal and Punishment whereof whether just or unjust is most severe as of any Sin whatsoever Numb 5. 21 22. Jealousie saith Solomon is the rage of a Man therefore he will not spare in the day of Vengeancâ— he will not regard any Ransom neither will he rest content though thou givest many gifts the Husband will accept of no Ransom to save the Adulterer Prov. 6. 34 35. Her Husband is known in the Gates not by base Scoffs and Nick-names when he sitteth among the Elders of the Land Prov. 31. 23. but by his Wives Godliness and Vertue she will do him Good and not