Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	death_n	sin_n	sting_n	1,797	5	12.9319	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

Communication be Yea yea Nay nay For whatsoever is more then these cometh of evil The Apostle James * Chap. 5. ver 12. further backs this Injunction and earnestly presses this Prohibition But above all things saith he my Brethren Sweare not neither by Heaven neither by the Earth neither by any other Oath but let your Yea be yea and your Nay nay lest ye fall into Condemnation How strange it is that men should delight to pollute their own soules and pull down judgement on the Land by the Customary Commission of a sin so strictly prohibited under the Pain of Damnation This is a sin which hath in it no Profit no pleasure no not sensual sweetnesse enough to bait a temptation How does this argue a Devilish Disposition in men that they will do a thing so much abhord of God so strictly forbidden in the Word so certainly Destructive to their souls when they cannot tast so much as a seeming sweetnesse nor see so much as an appearing Goodnesse in it to be any ground of their Allurement thereunto or occasion of their frequent Commission thereof when such a fin abounds must not God needs be provokt to plague and punish such a desperately wicked People So for the sin of cursing a sin of the same Hellish nature a fruit of the same root of bitternesse how hath the Lord manifested his Displeasure against it by the punishment which he ordained to be inflicted on such as were guilty of it in his holy Word We reade † Lev. 24 10-16 of the Son of an Israelitish woman whose Father was an Egyptian that went out among the Children of Israel in the Camp And this Son of the Israelitish woman blasphemed the Name of the LORD and cursed And they brought him unto Moses And they put him in Ward that the mind of the LORD might be shew'd them And the LORD spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath Cursed without the Camp let all that heard him lay their hands upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him And hereupon the LORD made it a Statute in Israel that whosoever should be found guilty of this sin whether Israelite or Stranger he should surely be put to Death And therefore however amongst men this sin may go unpunished yet seeing the Name of God is hereby profan'd the LORD will not hold them guiltlesse * Exo. 20.7 that are guilty of it nor suffer them to escape his Righteous judgement That Imprecation of the Psalmist is Prophetical and hath the force of a Commination † Psal 59.12 13. For the sin of their Mouth and the words of their Lips let them even be taken in their Pride and for Cursing and Lying which they speak Consume them in wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the Ends of the Earth Doubtlesse the Curse of God hangs over the Heads of those that are given to Cursing Dreadful is that Jmprecation of David of the same Nature with the former * Psal 109 17 18 19. As he loved Cursing so let it come unto him as he delighted not in Blessing so let it be far from him As he cloathed himself with Cursing like as with his Garment so let it come into his Bowels like Water and like Oyle into his Bones Let it be unto him as the Garment which covereth him and for a Girdle where with he is girded continually Woe be to him whose Body Belly Bones are thus cloath'd fill'd consum'd with Cursing This is doubtlesse worse then the most deadly Disease and will prove more intolerable then the torturing Wracks of the terriblest Tyrants in the World Cursing will surely fill the awaken'd Conscience of the guilty sinner with tormenting Agonies which shall last to Eternity Oaths and Curses are as Arrows shot up against heaven which at length fall down upon the Heads of them that shot them Yea they are sparks of Hell-fire or rather Firebrands of Hell which are thrown into the Aire and may if timely Repentance with speedy Reformation and infinite mercy prevent not kindle a deadly burning in that City or Nation wherein they abound unpunished And yet is not this the sinne not onely of the basest sort but of many of the great Gallants of the Times Oathes are the Sause of their Mirth and Curses are the Stings of their Anger Oathes are in Fashion amongst them and to rap them out roundly is a piece of their Gallantry Curses still wart upon their commands and whosoever or whatsoever doth but a little crosse them they wish all the Plagues of hell to light upon them Surely the Devil himself cannot speak more desperate language and utter more damnable speeches then these horribly Profane Gallants If any where there be a Hell upon Earth 't is where these Children of Hell these first-born sonnes of the Devil that have Damnation written in their Foreheads are met together and sit the Devil being doubtlesse in the Head of the Company Bowzing Swearing Storming Cursing Blaspheming as if they would tear Heaven to let down flaming Vengeance and rend the earth to the Bottom of Hell that they might go down quick into that fiery Prison fall down headlong into the burning-Lake A wonder it is of the Divine Patience that when they are rending the Sacred Name of God with Oathes Blasphemies Cursings God doth not give them up into the hands of the Devil to tear them instantly in pieces as we read he hath dealt with some and carry them Body and Soul into Hell But God in Justice lets them live for the Aggravation of their sins and the encrease of their Torments in Hell-fire to Eternity For how can they hope for any salvation by Christ or benefit by his Blood who desperately wrap up his wounds and blood in their Oathes and Curses and so as it were throw them in God Almighty's Face whence is it he doth not with some dreadful Thunderbolt instantly smite them into Hell How should they expect that God should save them in the Day of their Death who disperately bid God damne them every day How can they escape Hell and Damnation who are still bidding the Devil take them upon every slight occasion O desperately Profane Wretches O Devilish wicked Creatures Is it possible there are such to be found under the Sunne Is it possible there should be such Monsters found within the Pale of the Church such Incarnate Devils in a Land enlightned with the Gospel of Christ and honoured with the glorious Profession of Christianity O that the tingling Ears and trembling Hearts of many of Gods children who have occasionally heard this Language of Hell though never privy to the thousandth Part of these Hellish Impieties were not too sad an evidence of these Abominations abounding in the Land Now shall not the Lord visit for these things Shall not his soul be avenged on such a Nation as this Is it not a wonder Heaven

anothers use who can deprive him of them without Intrenchment upon his just Right to whom they are given And then is not he guilty of † Mal. 3.8 Robbing of God which shall take away that and turn it to a secular Use for his own advanrage which was consecrated to Gods holy service Yea though a man that dedicates any thing to God should not do it with a Right intention yet is it the Lords Right after it is consecrated to a Religious Vse And therefore Christ calls the Temple built by Herod for vain glory his Fathers HOUSE and whips out them that profan'd it * 1 John 2.15 16. Much more will God scourge with his judgements those that under the pretence of Religion commit Sacriledge 'T was one of the Laws of the twelve Tables in Rome Sacrum Sacrove commendatum qui clepserit rapseritve Parricida esto † Cic. pro Rosc Let him that stealeth or violently taketh away holy things or things dedicated to a holy Use be reputed and punished as a Parricide And should Sacriledge be esteemed a lesse Crime amongst Christians then it was amongst Heathens shall we think it a lesse sinne to rob the true God the * Gen. 1.1 Ps 124.8 Creator of Heaven and Earth whose † Eph. 2.10 Workmanship we are for his * Psal 119.73 hands have made and fashion'd us then they did to rob their false gods which were so created by men to defraud their Idols which were the † Ps 115.4 work of mens hands being but * Ezek. 20.32 Wood and Stone or at the best but † Psa 135.15 Silver and Gold Surely if they to expresse the heinousnesse of this sin reckon'd it amongst the vilest murders of Bodies we shall want a sin with which to match it which is in effect a murder of souls It 's sad to think how many thousand souls were murder'd at one stroke when the Revenues of the Church were alienated in many places in England an act then which the Infernal Powers could hardly have decreed any thing more Diabolical and Destructive to the Kingdome of Christ however pretended for the purging of the Land from Superstition and spiritual Tyranny For have not many thousand souls by this means eternally perisht in their sinnes who for want of a competent maintenance for a sound and able Ministry have never enjoy'd the Means of Grace and Salvation but have sat down in Darknesse and the shadow of Death under an ignorant unprofitable and scandalous soul-murthering Ministry maintain'd by some broken reversions of those rich Revenues which were cut off from the Church by that cursed Sacriledge Doubtlesse the Blood of thousands of soules will give Testimony to the truth hereof at the Day of Judgement to the eternal confusion of such damned Sacrilegists who if they escap't punishment in this present Life shall be overtaken with the Wrath and Vengeance of God in the world to come Of this great evil does Calvin complain upon account of the Alienation of Abby-Lands and other depredations made upon the Churches revenues here in England in his Epistle to Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury as a mighty obstruction to the prosperous successe of the Gospel and Hindrance of the flourishing of the Christian Religion For sayes he Id quo minus fiat occultis quidem artibus obsistit Satan Unum tamen apertum obstaculum esse intelligo quod praedae expositi sunt Ecclesiae Reditus Malum sane intolerabile That this might not be Satan by his secret slights prevailes to the raising of a strong resistance But one thing I understand is an open Obstacle and that is that a Sacrilegious Rape is committed upon the Churches Revenues This is indeed a mischief intolerable And therefore it was both wise and holy Counsel and worthy of a Christian Prince which Christopher of Wittenberg gave to Andrew an eminent Divine in his Dominion when he was sent for by Lodwick Count of Oeting for his advice in some special concernments in the Church that if Count Lodwick should set upon a REFORMATION that under the Pretence of Religion he might rob God and by seizing upon the Revenues of the Church under the pretence of suppressing SUPERSTITION because they were anciently given for the maintenance of Monasteries turn them to his own private use and advantage he should presently leave him as a SACRILEGIOUS Person and come back to his own Countrey How strange is it that such Sacrilegious Persons should go on secure in their sins without fearing the judgement of God which is at their heeles in pursuit of them What a sad end befel Cardinal Woolsey that first began to enrich himself by Lands given to Monasteries And what a revenging hand pursu'd his five chief Agents that were most serviceable to him in that Sacrilegious Enterprize One of them kill'd his fellow in a Duel and was hang'd for it a third drowned himself in a Wel● a fourth fell from a great estate to extreame Beggery Dr. Allen the last and chiefest of them being made Arch-Bishop of Dublin was cruelly slaine by his Adversaries Whereupon sayes the * Scult●t Relator of this sad Story Utinam his similibus Exemplis edocti discant homines res semel Deo consecratas timidè attrectare O that these and such like Examples might teach men to be afraid to meddle with such things as have at any time been consecrated unto God But judgement does not alwayes fall upon the Person but is sometimes reserv'd for the Posterity of those who have stain'd their hands with the guilt of Sacriledge Dionysius of Syracuse was wont to make a Mock of Sacriledge a sinne he thought he might boldly jest with as having made it his Familiar Amongst the rest he took a golden Vestment from the statue of Jupiter Olympius and instead thereof put a Cloak of cloth upon it saying Gold was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter but this would suit well with either Season Some have pretended the Churches good in taking away her G●●ments of Gold as if while her cloathing is of wrought Gold she can never be all glorious within † Ps 45.13 Now might not all men expect some remarkable judgement should be inflicted upon this Sacrilegious Tyrant Yet herein were mens expectations frustrated For sayes Valerius he underwent not the punishment he deserved But take notice for its worthy our observation of the Divine Conclusion which the Heathen Historian makes hereupon Qui tametsi debita supplicia non exolvit Dedecore tamen Filii mortuus Poenas rependit quas vivus effugerat Lento enim gradu ad Vindictam sui Divina procedit Ira tarditatemque supplicii gravitate compensat * Val. Max. l. 1. c. 1. Though sayes he he suffer'd not the punishment due to his insolency during his Life yet was the DISGRACE of his SON a punishment of his pride and stain to his glory after his Death Thus Divine Justice

those that are called to govern were not at all ambitious of Government must needs be best govern'd and freest from sedition and the contrary is to be concluded concerning that City which hath Magistrates of a contrary Disposition Experience is a sufficient Comment upon this Text. The Orators Observation may sufficiently verifie the Philosophers Conclusion Sayes he Complures se seclere contaminarunt imperii cupiditate * Cicer. Offic. l. 3. Many out of an inordinate desire of Rule have contaminated themselves with the guilt of wicked attempts And do we not know that many have attempted the murder of Princes yea and have accomplisht their wicked and bloody Designs that they might make a seizure of the Supream Power and possesse themselves of the chief seats of Government Hath not such a Fire of Ambition been kindled in some mens Breasts as that nothing would quench it but the Life-blood of their lawful King Is not this it for which the LORD complaines of the People of Israel the children of Ephraim † Hos 7.7 They are all hot as an oven and have devoured their Judges all their Kings are fallen there is none among them that calleth upon me That is sayes a learned and Pious Expositor * Diodat Their rage discovers it self chiefly in their seditions frequent conspiracies and murthers of their Kings Thus did Baasha conspire against Nadab King of Israel and slew him and reigned in his stead and so in his Blood founded his most wicked Government yea and for his greater security therein he slew all the Royall Family insomuch as he left not alive any that breath'd † 1 Kin. 15 25-34 Then after his Death when Elah his son began to reigne over Israel Zimri his servant Captaine of half his Chariots conspired against him and flew him and reigned in his stead * 1 King 16 8 9 10. Thus he that had taught Subjects Treason and Rebellion by cutting off the Family of his Prince for his own establishment had his own Family presently after his Death by the like act cut off from the Government which he had usurpt Thus The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth † Psal 9.16 Thus we read that when Zachariah the sonne of Jeroboam was made King over Israel Shallum the sonne of Jabesh conspired against him and smote him before the People and slew him and reigned in his stead * 2 King 15 8 9 10. And when Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reigne and had reigned a full moneth in Samaria Menahem the sonne of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samariah and smote Shallum the sonne of Jabesh in Samaria and slew him and reigned in his stead † v. 13 14 This bloody Menahem to maintain his security in the possession of an usurpt Kingdom laid heavy Burdens upon all the rich men of Israel exacting a summe of money from all the mighty men of wealth for the raising of a thousand Talents of silver to engage the Forces of the King of Assyria to confirme the Kingdome in his hand * v. 19 20. By this means he held the Kingdome for the space of ten years and then by the King of Terrours who would not be bribed with gold he was at once deprived of his life and Kingdom Yet did his sonne Pekahiah reigne in his stead But by that time he had reigned two years Pekah the sonne of Remaliah a Captaine of his conspired against him and smote him in Samaria in the Palace of the Kings House with Argob and Arieh and with fifty men of the Gileadites and he killed him and reigned in his roome † v. 23 25 Thus was the Scepter ravish't by the Sword and the Soveraignty deflour'd by the Souldiery Thus was the Palace polluted with the Blood of a Prince or rather it was wash't from Pollution with his Blood who by the Effusion of Blood had polluted it Thus was an Vsurper slain and dispossest of his Kingdome by the hand of a Traitor But what became of the bloody Parricide Pekah Is it not strange that he that waded to the Throne in Blood and rul'd the Kingdome rather by the Sword then Scepter should for * v. 27. twenty years together sit upon the Throne of Israel But yet at length behold the Sun of his Soveraignty sets in a cloud of Blood For it 's said † v. 30. Hoshea the sonne of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the sonne of Remaliah and smote him and slew him and reigned in his stead Thus we have open'd a bloody Scene and shew'd you the Treasons Murders Cruelties Exactions Revenge which are the terrible Attendants that continually wait upon this State-Fury AMBITION which is maintain'd in the world by the Breath of Honour and the Blood of Kings Now who will not judge these to be perillous Times to the People of God But when Iniquity thus Reignes then does God at length come in as a Righteous Judge and executes his just Judgements upon such perfidious Traitors and unjust Judges For * Psal 82.1 2. God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty he judgeth among the Gods How long saith he will ye judge unjustly and accept the Persons of the wicked The Injustice of men sollicits the just Vengeance of God His Judgements hang like mighty weights upon slender wires over the heads of such a provoking People He in his wise and holy Providence suffers wicked men for a time to be set up but at length by his hand of Power and Justice he casts them down And therefore Tolluntur in altum Ut lapsu graviore ruant They are but lifted up on high that they may have the greater Fall as the Eagle carries the shell-fish up into the Aire that so letting it fall it may break in pieces upon the Rock The Wisdome Power and Justice of God is wonderfully seene in the punishment of the wicked when he turns their cruel designes against the righteous to their own destruction I shall therefore conclude these Political Observations with holy Davids Prophetick Representation of the Practice and Punishment of the Profane Politician with the Praise which he therein returnes unto God Behold sayes he † Psa 7.14 17 he travelleth with Iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falshood He made a pit and digg'd it and is fallen into the ditch which he made His mischiefe shall return upon his own Head and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own Pate I will praise the LORD according to his Righteousnesse and I will sing praise to the Name of the LORD most high The fifth Symptome Perjury and Covenant-breaking THe Times must needs be perillous When the most sacred Tyes of Conscience Oaths Protestations Vowes and Covenants are made no account of in cases of Loyalty and Religion When they are but as Spiders webs which entangle the smaller Flies but the greater break through and escape When as Sampsons

bands they snap them in two like * Judg. 16.9 threads of Flax when they touch the Fire As the Demoniack which was bound with Chaines and Fetters but he brake all the bands wherewith he was bound † Luk. 8.22 You may call such LEGION for many Devils are surely entred into them to try their strength in them The Laws of men are chaines of Iron the commands of God are chaines of Gold Oaths and Covenants added thereunto are chaines of Adamant If Satan once be so strong in men as that they break all these chaines we may well expect perillous Times For what desperate wickednesse will not such men attempt What horrid and unheard of Villanies will not such men commit as bid defiance to God in the breach of the most sacred bands of Duty and solemne Obligations to obeObedience Woe be to the Inhabitants of the Earth when such Furies of Hell shall be let loose upon them This sin of Perjury and Perfidiousnesse of false-hood and lying unto God in the violation of Vowes and Covenants is a sinne which exceedingly incenses Heaven and provokes the Lord of Hosts the King of glory whose sacred name is hereby profan'd to execute his fiercest judgements upon such a People and therefore is a sad Symptome of perillous Times and fearfull Presage of following Judgements Thus when Saul out of his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah as the Scripture tells us sought to destroy the Gibeonites as being strangers to the Common-wealth of Israel God punisht the Violation of that League which Joshuah had * About four hundred years long before made with them † Josh 9.3 16 17. by bringing a Famine upon the Land for three years uncessantly in the dayes of David * 2 Sam. 21 1 2 Though the Gibeonites deceit was the foundation of this Covenant and Sauls Zeal the principle of the prosecution of them contrary to it yet is the violation hereof severely punisht by the plague of Famine Though it be the Fire of Zeal that burns in two these sacred bands yet will the Fire of Gods wrath be kindled against them that shall voluntarily violate them So the LORD threatned Captivity and very sore Judgements against the Princes and People of Israel for their violation of their Covenant of granting a Manumission to their Hebrew servants and the Punishment answer'd the Prognostick Observe the Lords Charge and Commination the sting of that Prophecy wherewith Jeremiah was sent unto them † Jer. 34 13-22 Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel I made a COVENANT with your Fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the Land of Egypt out of the House of Bondmen saying At the end of seven yeares let ye go every man his Brother an Hebrew which hath been sold unto thee and when he hath served thee six years thou shalt let him go free from thee But your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their eare And ye were now turned and had done Right in my sight in proclaiming every man Liberty to his Neighbour and ye had made a COVENANT before me in the House which is called by my Name But ye turned and polluted MY NAME and caused every man his servant and every man his Hand-maid whom he had set at Liberty at their pleasure to returne and brought them into subjection to be unto you for Servants and for Handmaids Therefore thus saith the LORD Ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming Liberty every one to his Brother every man to his Neighbour behold I proclaime a Liberty for you saith the LORD to the Sword to the Pestilence and to the Famine and I will make you to be removed into all the Kingdoms of the Earth And I will give the men that have transgressed my COVENANT which have not performed the words of the COVENANT which they had made before me when they cut the Calfe in twaine a Rite signifying so let it be done to him that shall violate his Covenant and passed between the Parts thereof the Princes of Judah and the Princes of Jerusalem the Eunuchs and the Priests and all the People of the Land which passed between the Parts of the Calfe I will even give them into the hand of their Enemies and into the hand of them that seek their Life and their dead Bodies shall be for meat unto the Fowles of the Heaven and to the Beasts of the Earth And Zedekiah King of Judah and his Princes will I give into the hand of their Enemies and into the Hand of them that seek their Life and into the Hand of the King of Babylons Army which are gone up from you Behold I will command saith the LORD and cause them to return to this City and they shall fight against it and take it and burne it with Fire and I will make the Cities of Judah a Desolation without an inhabitant Thus for this sinne of Covenant-breaking may God break in pieces a perfidious People with the Iron Rod of War and lay a flourishing land desolate For this sinne does the Lord by the Prophet Amos draw up a Charge likewise against Tyrus * Am. 1.9 10 Thus saith the LORD For three transgressions of Tyrus and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because they delivered up the whole Captivity to Edom and remembred not the BROTHERLY COVENANT which was formerly made between David and Solomon Kings of Judah and Hiram King of Tyre who being Brethren by identity of Office as Kings and mutual Amity as Friends did hereby knit the Bands of Brotherhood with a faster knot † 2 Sam. 5.11 1 King 5.1 and 9.13 But I will send a Fire on the Wall of Tyrus which shall devoure the Palaces thereof God himself takes an Oath and solemnly swears by his Life that he will punish the King of Judah with Death and his People with Destruction for his violation of his Oath and Covenant with the King of Babylon See how severely the Lord proceeds against him for this Sin Say now to the Rebellious House sayes the LORD to the Prophet Ezekiel * Chap. 17 12-21 Know ye not what these things mean Tell them Behold the King of Babylon is come to Jerusalem and hath taken the King thereof and the Princes thereof and led them with him to Babylon And hath taken of the Kings seed and made a COVENANT with him and hath taken an OATH of him he hath also taken the Mighty of the Land that the Kingdome might be base that it might not lift it self up but that by keeping of his COVENANT it might stand But he rebelled against him in sending his Ambassadours into Egypt that they might give him Horses and much People Shall he prosper shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he BREAK THE COVENANT and be delivered As I live saith the Lord GOD surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him King whose OATH he

8. silence in that time for it is an evil time This unlesse they had a Call from God as had the Prophets of the Lord to reprove these wicked ones for their sinnes and to give in their Testimony in the behalf of God against their irregular and unjust proceedings The times are unquestionably perillous when the Terrible one is in Power and the Scorner is in Favour and they that watch for iniquity are rewarded That make a man an Offendor for a † Sub Tyranno voces non sunt liberae multo minus in Tyrannum Drepan Paneg. c. 2. Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the just for a thing of nought These are perillous Times to the People of God neither can the Church according to the Scripture-Calculation expect good Dayes till * Isa 29.20 21. the terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for Iniquity are cut off That make a man an offendor for a Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the Just for a thing of nought In that day † v. 18 19 shall the meek encrease their joy in the LORD and the poore among men shall rejoyce in the Holy One of Israel Then * v. 24. they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine When the Great men of the Times shall become Terrible ones to the People of God and watch for opportunities to ensnare his Prophets and seek an occasion to persecute the Preachers of his Word who reprove them for their fearful Impieties and horrid enormities whereby they pluck down Judgements upon the whole Land the Times must needs be evil and perillous But yet let such know the Judgement of God is ready to fall upon their own heads who have thus laid snares for the life of others For Judgement is toward you saith the LORD † Hos 5.1 2 O House of the King O ye State-Robbers that have turned the Kings House into a Den of Thieves because ye have been a SNARE on Mizpah and a NET spread upon Tabor i. e. You have laid snares to entrap the Innocent in their Lives and Goods as Hunters and Fowlers do upon the Hills of Mizpah and Tabor * Diod. Annot. And the REVOLTERS are profound to make SLAUGHTER q. d. they are profound in making PLOTS to murther men though I have been a REBUKER of them all who have thus villanously conspired against them who have rebuked them for their sins in my Name Thus will the Lord at length finde out and punish proud and presumptuous Persecutors of his Prophets and People yet during the time of their Prevalency and Predominancy in Church and State the Dayes must needs be evill the Times perillous When Micaiah the Prophet of the LORD is rudely interrupted by false Prophets and smitten on the cheek for prophecying the Truth † 1 King 22.24 When this Injury is protected by an ungodly Prince yea and seconded by a false Imprisonment it 's surely a perillous Time When a wicked Ruler rashly engaged in a destructive enterprize shall say concerning a Preacher of Gods Word that sought to reclaime him * ver 27. Put this fellow in the Prison and feed him with Bread of affliction and with Water of affliction until I come in Peace When if a Prophet of the Lord do but forewarne the People of following judgements some furious Captaine shall apprehend him and falsely † Accusandi frequens publica Rabies gravius togatam civitatem confecit Senec. l. 3. c. 26. de Benef. accuse him to the Princes of the people and these shall without Colour of Law or Justice smite him and cast him into prison Yea when this will not yet satisfie their malice and cruelty but they shall press hard upon him with their false Accusations saying He weakens the hands of the Souldiers and Citizens by preaching such things as these are at such a season as this is and so under these pretences seek to put him to Death these are manifestly perillous Times for the People of God and surely some great Judgement hangs over the Heads of such a Nation For just thus did the Princes of Judah deale with the Prophet Jeremy and what follow'd thereupon but the utter Ruine and Destruction of the City Jerusalem and the carrying Captive both of the Princes and of the People into Babylon as we read in the sacred Records of the Holy Scripture † See Jer. 37 38 and 39. ch Behold his usage the fore-running presage of these soon-following calamities on the Jewish Nation It came to passe says the sacred Story * Jer. 37 11-15 that when the Army of the Caldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaohs Army then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the Land of Benjamin to separate himself thence in the midst of the People And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin a CAPTAINE of the Ward was there whose name was Irijah the sonne of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah and he took Jeremiah the Prophet saying Thou fallest away to the Caldeans Then said Jeremiah It is false I fall not away to the Caldeans but he hearkened not to him so Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the Princes Wherefore the PRINCES were wroth with Jeremiah and smote him and put him in PRISON in the House of Jonathan the Scribe for they had made that the Prison But these wicked Princes are not yet satisfi'd herewith We have a further account of their injurious proceedings against him their false charge and bloody Petition prefer'd in an unjust Court with the Issue thereof suiting to their own Desires or rather though disguis'd in a Petitionary Way as appeares by the story their peremptory Demands so little Reverence did they beare to the Authority of their King For thus is it recorded † Jer. 38 1-6 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan and Gedaliah the son of Pashur and Jucal the sonne of Shelemiah and Pashur the sonne of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the People saying Thus saith the LORD he that remaineth in the City shall die by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence but he that goeth forth to the Caldeans shall live for he shall have his Life for a Prey and shall live Thus saith the LORD This City shall surely be given into the hand of the King of Babylon's Army which shall take it Therefore the Princes said unto the King We beseech thee let this man be put to DEATH for thus he weakneth the Hands of the men of War that remain in the City and the Hands of all the People in speaking such words unto them for this man seeketh not the PEACE * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Welfare of this People but the HURT Then