tears but you shal reap in joy Psal 126. 5. 6. You are imprisoned and hated for the sake of Christ but he wil shortly appear to your joy and your adversaries shal be ashamed Isa 66 5. You hope for beleeve and pray for the coming of Christ to rule over the world in righteousness Behold it is but a little while and he that shall come will come and wil not tarry Heb 10. 37 You are now underlings to the world and now you suffer for Christ but you shal reign as Kings upon Earth Revel 5 10. Read the Sermon of the fifth Monarchy preached by Mr. Thomas Goodwyn and printed by Livewel Chapman in Popeshead-Ally Only be careful to keep your garments unspotted of the world and hold fast the word of Christs patience that no man take your crown Rev 3. 10 11. And when you see nothing but fire and sword devouring on every hand and the powers of Heaven shaken and mens harts failing them for fear and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth Then lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh Finally to conclude let me speak a word or two to my Brethren in New England I know you are â—ot the Land of which this Prophet speaks in particular yet I may analogically apply the same to you I could shew you how you have passed under two of these forms of Government in some measure and degree how sometimes you were under FEAR lest the Magistrate should have assumed too much power to themselves although it was more your fear then any reality and you took a speedy course to prevent that and now you are fallen into the PIT and have the main power residing in your Deputier Beware lest you come to another change of your own devising for that will certainly become a SNARE To you therefore give me leave to commend this word of advice and counsel as from God that you may avoid the SNARE Remember you had an old Prophet of the Lord amongst you who is now at rest and he according to the wisdom given him of God collected a whole Sistemee or body of Laws as you cal it out of the word of God with a divine stamp upon them and presented the same to your general Court to have been ratified by their professed subjection therunto which had you done it might have saved you many thousands of pounds that since have been spent in making and repealing of Laws of your own framing wheras as Christs Laws are made to your hand are unrepealable I know you wil acknowledg your own Laws are not perfect some capitals only excepted wherein you followed the advice of that antient Prophet and you wil also acknowledg that there is no imperfection in the Laws given by Jesus Christ our King Therfore I beseech you again to revise what was commended to you by that faithful servant of Christ Mr Cotton I mean and weigh with your selves whether Christs Laws be not equally as wise compleat and perfect touching the civil administrations of Judgment and Justice in the Common-wealth as in the matters that concern his Church and if so then be perswaded in the Lord to take his Laws for yours and make them your Magna charta And let all your administrations of Judgment be according to that perfect platform only that it may be said of your Judgments they are not yours but the Lords I might give you sundry arguments and motives hereunto as first from the example of that Nation whereof the Prophet here speaks which after tryal of sundry forms of Government finds nothing but FEAR and a PIT and a SNARE in them all 2ly Your solemn Ingagement before God in your Church covenants to submit your selves wholly to Jesus Christ as your King and the dangerous consequences which wil follow the breach of that everlasting covenant in so main a part of it But 3ly and principally let me press this argument as most suitable for Evangelical christians You wil hereby greatly honour the Lord Jesus your King when you own his wisdom faithfulness and perfection as wel in civils as in spirituals And you wil hereby become exemplary to all other christian Nations whose eys are upon your actings And let me tel you this that your desert herein hath greatly impeded the work of Christ with us For wel may men reason a minori ad majus that if the Laws of Christ our King be not sufficient to guide a smal colonie much less can they be thought an adaequate rule for administration of Judgment and Justice in such great and populous Nations I might have added much more but verba sapienti sat est I could have answered many Objections which are usually made by such as would grasp into their hands a share with Christ in making Laws but I judg it not fit for this place and this time And I know you have many amongst your selves that are far better able to obviate such slight pretences shadows these things I thought it my duty to recommend to you as one that hath spent upwards of 22 years amongst you and stil cordially affects the peace of your Jerusalem I may assure you of this that if old England Christians who walk in holy fellowship together had had the opportunity which you have had and still have they would ere this have set up Jesus Christ as King not only in their churches but in the common-wealth also You are a as a Beacon set on a Hil. Great things God hath done for you and great things he expects from you Do not you therfore so unkindly requite him as to dishonour his Son by withdrawing your necks from under his Yoak whose Yoak is easie and his burden light And the Lord that perswades Japhet perswade you the Sons of Japhet to dwel in the Tents of Shem FINIS
And it seems that this Most high one hath the command of the Militia of that land wherefore the Militia is called his Militia or host It may also be called his Militia because they have been instrumental to advance him to that height or highness and so the fourth verse seems to intimate Or if you will it may include both But take it which way you please the Lord Jehovah that gives all Beings their existence and gives a Being to all his judgements will visit the Militia of that MOST HIGH ONE with the MOST HIGH ONE You may either understand it thus that God will make that MOST HIGH ONE an instrumental cause of the Hosts punishment or that he will punish the Host in that MOST HIGH ONE as being the head and chief of them or else that he will punish them both together The phrase is very observable and though our English translation read it otherwise That God will punish the host of the high ones that are on high yet it is not so proper For 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word is there used in the singular number not in the plural 2. There is affixed an Emphasis to the word the Host of that most high one And 3. The word there used signifies properly height in the abstract And is as much as if you should say in our English Idiome that MOST HIGH ONE And in propriety of speech there can be but one Most High Wherefore God assumes it as his own proper title vers 18. And David attributes it to God Psal 56. 2. Oh thou MOST HIGH Let mortal sinful men therefore tremble to arrogate such titles of God unto themselves unless God give it them The place of the punishment of this MOST HIGH ONE and his host together with the Kings of the earth it is in this world God will not respite it unto the world to come For so much is implyed in that phrase upon the earth And well it is for them if they may receive their punishment in this world onely What the kind of their punishment shall be is not expressed save onely that they shall be gathered with a gathering a prisoner for the dungeon and shall be shut up in prison Or as we use to say shall be close prisoners And whether that onely shall be their punishment or whether they shall be reserved unto further punishment afterwards is not very clear from the text Possibly if they then repent as Manasseh did God may shew them mercy Vers 23. Then the Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed The word translated confounded doth signifie to digg through the earth as men use to do untill they come to a living spring And so the word is used Gen. 26. 18. And Isaac digged again the wells of water which they had digged in the dayes of Abraham his father The meaning is God will so digg through all those earthly mouldy carnal politicks of civil Government in that land till he shew them at length the limpid clear fountain and living spring of righteousness and Judgement out of the word of Christ so that they will be confounded with shame at all their former mouldy principles after which they have walked in all their former administrations And the Sunne shall be ashamed The Churches of Christ even the most reformed shall then blush to see how far they fall short of the Primitive institution Thus will God shame them when he begins to set up the Government of his Son in this and in other of the Nations And so I come to the time when all these things shall be fulfilled when God will put a period unto all earthly forms of Government in the land here spoken of and in the rest of the Nations and when God will visit that MOST HIGH ONE and his Host and the Kings of the neighbouring Nations It is when Jehovah of Hosts shall Reign you may understand the word translated when or for either as an Adverb of time and so it shews forth the season wherein these things shal come to pass Or you may take it for a Conjunction causal and so it shew forth both the principal efficient cause of all that hath been spoken before and also the main scope and end or the main design which God had in hand and aimed at in all these mutations in Churches and Civil State to wit That Jehovah might Reign and so that word is also used And whereas it is said when Jehovah shal Reign or for Jehovah Reigneth or that Jehovah may Reign and there makes a distinction it argues there will be some beginning of Christs Reign in that Land and in the other Nations of the Gentiles before the calling of the Jews but the most glorious manifestation of Christs Kingly power both in Church and State will be reserved for his ancient people the Jews when they are called home again In brief therefore to gather up the sence of the words it is as if the Prophet should have said after Christ hath proceeded by all the forementioned gradations to dissipate the old Heaven and old Earth to wit their civil and Church administrations of their own invention and to set up new Heavens and new Earth new administrations in them both according to his Word Then Jehovah the Lord of Hosts the Lord Jesus Christ wil Reign in that Nation whereof the Prophet speaks and then he wil punish the Host of that MOST HIGH ONE and that HIGH ONE both together and so proceed to the rest of the Nations and will there rule and Reign as King in Mount Zyon and in Jerusalem in Church and Common-wealth throughout the Nations But most gloriously before his Antients the seed of Abraham to whom God hath of old promised and sworn that his Seed should possess the gate of his enemies Gen 22. 17. And indeed God shewed to Abraham as in a Type or shadow what he would do in the ends of the world in subduing all the four Monarchies and giving the Kingdom and greatness thereof to Abrahams seed For in the 14 of Genesis you read of four Kings to wit Amraphel King of Shinar Ariech King of Elleaser Chederlaomer King of Elam and Tiddal King of Nations whom Abraham pursued to rescue his Kinsman Lot and overcame them and slew them These four Kings were the root as I may say of the four Monarchies which in after-times became afflictive to the Church of God And the fal of these was prefigured in the overthrow of those which Melchisedeck doth so congratulate with a blessing from the most High God possessor of Heaven and Earth In Mount Zyon and in Jerusalem I wil not deny that Mount Zyon and Jerusalem are here literally meant for it is an undeniable truth that Christ wil Reign there But withal I take it that by Mount Zion and Jerusalem is here intended the Church and civil State not in Jury only but in all other the Nations For Mount Zyon is often put for the
the first Government and might have been safe under the second form of Government of which more will we spoken hereafter in its proper place Vers 2. In this verse follows a perfect and reall levelling of all ranks and estates unto the power of that High One of the people Wherefore the Prophet saith It shal be as with the people so with the Priest as with the servant so with his master c. God will levell the Clergy as they are called and the Lâ—ity and all ranks and qualities of men not in their estates and proprieties but he will levell them to judgement none of them shal escape it but as they have been all sharers in sin and have all broken the everlasting covenant so they shal all be sharers in the punishment thereof For that is the true meaning of the phrase Like People like Priest as appears in Hos 4. 9. where the like expressions are used Ver. 3. Things thus standing in that land it seemes there will be an assembly of a second Representative by that most High one of the people but of short continuance and therefore he saith in emptying they shall be emptied or as our translation renders it and not unfitly the land shall be utterly emptied and suddenly all at once not by degrees and steps as the former was but there shall be a speedy dispatch of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet with a bubling noise and murmure of the people as the word imports some saying it is well done others otherwise This breach or dissolution will be worse resented then the former wherewith men seemed contented or at least shewed no discontent And thus you have a short end of the second Representative after which followes a third of which it is said it shall be utterly spoyled The word here used may be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived either from a word * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that signifies to abase render a thing contemptible or it may be derived from another word that signifies to make a prey * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or spoil of them as souldiers do in war and if you take it in this latter sence it argues the exercise of a Military power to overcome them and bind them to conditions unsuitable to their former ancient customes which renders them despicable and abaseth them according to the former derivation of the word For these two Roots have a neer affinity one with the other Thus have you a metaphoricall representation of the various changes of the Government in that land And the certainty of all those events is expressed in the next words For Jehovah hath spoken this word God that cannot lie and God that gives Being to all things hath spoken it it is an irrevocable word But as touching the consequences of all these mutations and alterations mentioned from the sixth verse and so forward God hath not affixed this word of ratification thereunto but leaves a room for repentance that the judgments may be removed either in whole or in part whereof more will be said in the close of this Discourse Verse 4. The land mourneth fadeth By land as I said before I understand the Representative of the land part being put for the whole by a Synechdoche It mourneth fadeth The word translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fadeth doth signifie such a fading as happens to leaves or flowers or fruits when they have lost their moisture and begin to wither and at length fall from their trees Which doth imply the drying up of the power of the lands Representative which kept them fresh flourishing their mourning expresseth their unwillingness thus to be bereaved of their ancient liberties So unpleasing a thing wil it be to this land here spoken of to part with their old earthly forms of Government and to become subject to the kingdom and government of Jesus Christ alone They look at them as their birthright and mourn as a man would do for losse thereof and whilst thus they are mourning over their loss they wither and fade the source and spring being now dried up which formerly kept them fresh and green 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After which it is said the whole World languisheth fadeth that is the rest of the Nations fall into a languishing consumption as the word signifieth and grow sick of their forms of government being sensible of their tyranny and oppression and they also fade away like a leaf wither and at last do fall as leaves in Autumne which argues the removall of those earthly forms of government both in that land and in all the rest of the Nations and Countries adjacent And this is the accomplishment of that word Heb. 12. 26 27. Yet once more I shake not the earth only but also heaven And this yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are or may be shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain Thus you see the dying state of earthly governments throughout the world and especially in that land spoken of It now remains to shew you what wil be the condition of that High One of the people of whom it is said The most High One of the people do languish The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word translated Most High One doth properly signifie height in the abstract but is usually put for the superlative degree of the concrete as Psal 56. 2. And it signifies an exaltation or lifting up in height above the rest of the people Concerning which High one it is said they doe languish in the plurall number Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies that this High one and those that have advanced him to that height shall all of them fall into a consumption and languish And this holds forth a decay and abatement of strength by degrees which will come upon them as it is usual with men in a ling ring disease Thus you have a brief description of the manifold mutations and changes that will happen to that land inparticular and to the whole world in general lastly to this High one of the people and his advancers In the next verse follows the ground and cause of all these evils to wit their hypocrisie and apostacie Ver. 5. The land also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word translated defiled * doth properly signify to dissemble and play the hypocrite to sin fraudulently secretly malitiously and by a Metaphor to defile The meaning thereof is that the whole land in generall have played the Hypocrites and dealt falsly and fraudulently with God and defiled themselves with apostacie as the Prophet proveth afterwards in sundry particulars The universality of this Hypocrisie and apostasie seemes to extend unto all that inhabit the land The people the High one of the people and the Representative of the people They are all guilty and this the Prophet proves in three
words I understand do hold forth to us a threefold gradation leading to a dissolution of the second Government called the PIT The first step is expressed in these words The land is sore bruised speaking of the representative of the land The word Translated sore bruised in the Hebrew is The land in bruising is bruised Which word properly signifies bruising 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by collision of two hard things together Jer. 10. 9. And it also implies that this bruising shall be by the exercise of the power of the sword as may appear from the Psal 2. 9. where the same word is used And that rod of iron meanes the power of the sword Revl 19. 17. So that the meaning as I conceive is this that by the power of the Militia the Representative of that land shall be sore bruised The next step is They shall be utterly broken or in breaking they shall be broken The word properly signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to evacuate or break a thing upon some semblance or pretence of condition which argues that there will be some condition ground or reason pretended for the breach and dissolution of the Representative of that land The third step is this The Land is quite displaced or moved out of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 place An argument that after the dissolution of the first Representative there will be a second But that is here said to be moved quite out of place Or as it is in the Hebrew In moving out of place it shall be moved out of place The word here used doth properly signifie to move a thing out of its place And the phrase seems to imply such a motion as from the first calling of them together to their dissolution is quite out of course and not agreeing with the ancient customes of the Representatives of that land And thus you are come to the end of the second Representative and the second form of Government together The third kind of Government which is called a SNARE followeth And you have three steps and degrees to the ablition of that Verse 20. The land shall reel to and fro like a drunkard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These words shew the giddy tottering unsetled condition of the land under the third kind of Government The word signifies the nodding or trembling of the head And it argues the unstayed giddiness of the representative reeling as a man in drink sometimes this way sometime that way The next step is They shall be removed as a cottage The word Translated removed properly signifies to wander as a Vagrant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Vagabond It was the curse of Cain Gen. 4. 12 14 16. A vagabond shalt thou be upon earth And now behold the woful state of the land here spoken of they shall wander here and wander there and know not where to rest The phrase I conceive doth express the consternation and dejection of their spirits under the heavy pressure of their sins as it follows in the next words and Gods just indignation against them for the same And now they are like Cain afraid of all kinds of Government having felt already the sad and woful effects and fruits of one after another and finding nothing but FEAR and the PIT and the SNARE in them all God hath so blasted all earthly Governments and the glory of them that now the poor land is afraid to make proof of them any more They are gotten into the land of NOD a vagrant condition by reason of their transgression as it is in the next words For the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it These words give us the reason of all these woes and calamities to wit their transgression and their impenitency under the same because they would not hearken to the messengers of Christ The word translated transgression doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifie such a transgression as is against light and such as is accompanyed with obstinacy and contumacy It is a compound of Pride and Rebellion Or as Aben Ezra saith it is an exemption of a mans self from a lawful power and an opposition against the same The meaning I take to be this that the land here spoken of counts it self free and exempted from the jurisdiction of Christs Laws and Statutes and assumes to it self a legislative power which is here called transgression or contumacy against the light held forth by the servants of Christ And this lies heavy upon the land as an insupportable load or burden that presseth it down For I conceive that here will be fulfilled in some degree at least the word of the Lord Rev. 14. 19. And the Angel thrust in his sicle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the winepress of the wrath of God And the winepress was troden without the City and blood came out of the winepress even unto the horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs May not this City well be called the City of confusion as our English Translation reads it And now follows the third and last step under the third kind of Government It shall fall and never rise any more These words put a period to the third and last kinde of Government in that land The heavens pass away with a noise the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3. 10. And now will be fulfilled that word of Isaiah Isa 65. 17. who saith the old heaven and earth shall not come upon their heart They will henceforth have no more to do with earthly forms of Government but now they are prepared to submit unto Christs Government and administration according to his word alone And when thus they are ashamed and confounded for their folly in all their civil administrations and Church-administrations also then they set up Christs plain pure and perfect administrations in both And this was Christs maine scope and design from the very first mutation and change in the beginning of the Chapter which being now attained unto in some good measure in that land behold Christ takes a speedy course with that HIGH ONE and his host which have been instrumental in all these sad changes and have obstructed the work of Christ in that Nation Verse 21. And it shall come to pass in that day To wit when God hath subdued the spirits of the people and prepared them as waxe to receive the impression of a new form of Government and now they are willing the Government should lie Isa 9. 6. Isa 33. 22. upon the shoulder of Christ and are resolved Jehovah shall be their Legislator and not a Representive of their own Now I say when it is thus Jehovah will punish the hoast of that MOST HIGH ONE with that MOST HIGH ONE To wit him that in the fourth verse is called the MOST HIGH ONE of the people