Hence is this quarrel they could get no meeting at Mizpeh but the evil eye of some Informes the Lords and out do they go Armed to Hector the Lord of Hosts the Ark had frighted them and yet they will persue it in cold blood it slew them at home yet they persue it abroad they are forced to remit the Ark and yet now allow not the good use of it In all ages the purest souls and services were stil most liable to Hostility Ishmael mocks the promised Seed Joseph is a dreamer the Archers shot at him Pharaoh calles it idle to crave freely to serve God Exod. 5. 8. the Archers of Jabin made a noise even in places of drawing waters as Judges 5. 11. be it natural or religious Water Ariel may be distressed Isaiah 29. 1. And Gods City besieged yea Christ himself preaching is assaulted Joh. 7. 32 45. And again in the Garden with Bands Swords and Staves the stone on the Sepulchre watcht to prevent Resurrection or stealth Mat. 27. 64. Satan oft Resisteth Paul The Witnesses Rev. 11. 5. 9. must lye dead as such i. e. Naturally or Politically so and in a sort they may be so in spirit too Thus sacred things are exposed This may come to pass three wayes either by the neglect of them on whom it is incumbent Or the profane abuse of the male administration or else by the open opposers of it expressed so Some aâ— Saul doing it avowedly others under some pretended odium by which they eclipse and slander it The last I intend the rest I gently passe As for the neglect of so sacred a thing if total it argues grose Ignorance or Atheistical contempt or Scepticisme no Worship no Diety so it produces a great Oblivion of Gods name often so complained of as Isai 65. 11. Jer. 23. 27. 28. Of this Israel in Sauls time I doubt by his meanes was guilty the Ark of God was obsolete then they Inquired not at it 1. Chron. 13. 3. in Sauls Reing yet in 1. Sam. 14. 19. Saul attempted it for he bids Ahiah bring the Ark but after bids him forbear so did scarce ask or staid not for answer and once forced himself to offer but staid not for Samuel and in vers 37. 41. he did ask again but did it amiss and so God answered not to his wrath and hast whether the neglect flowed from Saul that minded War more then Worship or from the Peoples sloth that are stil apt to dance or sleep to the Courts Pipe Regis ad exemplum This was the omission all Sauls and Part of Davids Reign forty six years Now this exposes Divine worship and all sacred things to contempt and Oblivion Omissions are still born sins yet do cry and pull down Breaches as in Vzahs case 1 Chr. 15. 2 13. and God beares not well to see Duty neglected or done amiss That exposes the Worship this provokes Secondly Pure Worship is exposed by corrupt or male Administrations that antiquates it by disuse This alienates God from it by abuse of both the Object and Institution that makes it nothing this another thing that Subjects it to Mans will do or not do this to Gods Wrath for our miss-doing Now Gods Judgments are changed Laws violate and so Ordinances and Covenants broke Isai 24. 5. To miss the Object the Order Way and manner of Adoration is to defile and vitiate the thing break Second and Third Command and make it all vain It is done by Addition or Detraction by Innovation or Invasion upon it of this Kings Preists and others have been guilty in Scripture time and since 1. Kings have intruded on Gods Altar layd by their Scepter for the Censer Vziah being strong and his heart up-lift to his fall the sight of the brazen Altar suffices not he 'll attempt the golden to offer incense 2 Chr. 26. 16 19. The Act was good but the Agent bad and not consecrated for it the Priests tho but Subjects were both above and against the King in that it was the persons Arrogancy not the Power but the vitions pride that Azariah and those eighty valiant Preists bravely withstood Nay one sayes the City was poluted and robbed of prophesie because they detruded him not Josephus adds then was an Earthquake and the Temple was rent a beam of Light so flashed on his face that the Leprosie presently fell on him he that went open-faced to the Altar that without the gold-plate of Holiness the very Priest durst not do is smote with a shamefull Plague and so secluded for ever from men for that so daring an approach to God unduely Thus the Worship of God was exposed to Violence he that by place ought to defend it is a profane Intruder forfeits Crown and Scepter to use the Censer by incense inflames wrath sets his will above Gods deems his person under as high and sacred an Unction as High Priest as Bishop Hall sayes His soveranity is too high to be checked by a subject and as he speaks God smites it is a foolish and bold misprision to think that being great on earth we may be bold with heaven when Gods messengers counsel intreat and threaten in vain it is time for God to show immediate judgments wilful offenders must look for nothing but fearful revenge affecting the Alter lost him his Throne So he Let that Pontifex maximus of Rome see and tremble and all his successors that so invade Gods Alter not to offer but sit in the side of the Congregation to hinder them that would serve and ought know ye the scab is in its frontles front the right eye is darkened and the crys of the Alter defiled with blood and violence are gone up before the Lord God of Zaboth But of all the daring exposals of Worship to injury and alteration no Prince passed Jeroboam that is therefore so oft said to make Israel sin for coming in smooth and by pretence of divine unction upon Rehoboams tyranny and Israels revolt he layes the bottom of his Throne upon the spring of Idolatry and as slily makes the insinuation plausible to Israels case He pleads thus If they return to God they cannot long be mine I must divert them from Jerusalem or I shall not live and reigne I may change tho not inhibit Religion They saies Hall shall have the same God with formality to ease them I 'll humour them as Aaron with two Calves of Gold and now 't is no Calves no King he must needs know Idolatry rent ten parts off to him and yet will use profane policies to promote his Kingdom by it He knew Images were forbid and rival Altars to Gods at the Temple yet dares to innovate for settlement of his Throne And what follows see H. Answorth his Plea and now he makes bold with Gods Law No sooner the Calves are up but ten Tribes are down on their Knees the vulgar soon are carry'd to the Religion of Authority as the Vane veirs about under the
to be preached a straw for mans Priviledge the Glory being gone our strength falls into the Enemies hands If Worship is injured the Crown and best Jewel in it is fallen now Wo Lamen 5. 16. that we have sinned Thirdly Worship may be injured by practises oppugnant to or distructive thereof that is either by forgoing of Laws or Precepts or forming Plots and Projects against it and the free excercise of it in any Land As Legislative power exerted for it and for God in it is a favour of a benigne aspect and no common blessing to them that have it be they natives or captives so Ezra 7. 23 25 27. and Kings were blest by it and God for it to so when humane Law thwarts with divine and instead of deriving from God deviates from all reason justice and divine Perscript it degenerates and declines to a Throne of iniquity and the Chair is no more Moses's but a Chair of pestilence a curse to all under it and worse to the sitter on at last and both to be deprecated of all Now of that first kind of injury to holy Worship are Princes States and Councels Legistaâ—ive most guilty of the latter are they guilty that manage and execute Power by virulent and violent Caballs inferior Projectors Officers and Informers Of both these I touch a little First When unjust decrees obtain against Piety and any part of it or person at it So Pharaoh lets the Israelits from going free to serve God Exod. 5. 1. 2. 17. calls it idleness to talke of Sacrifice Such Omri's Statutes and Ahabs precepts were Mica 6. 16. thus unrighteous decrees are threatened Isa 10. 1. with a woe for it it is a woful thing to prescribe Gravimina Greviances i. e. to inhibit what is Gods command or injoyn what is not and against conscience too Of this latter we read in Dan. 3. to 17. A golden Monster by decree is erected all must bow or burn musick is also consecrate vers 5. Idolatry is a merry liturgy now is work for greedy Informers verse 8. it was a decree verse 10. but three scruple to comply and the Accusers stretch worse then a ryot from it make it a disregard and contempt of the Royal Person nay a rebellion to his Placits Sicophants raise his fury and abuse his eares to ruin his best servants He frets and rages as if on purpose vers 14. the King is hot as hot as the Furnace the three Innocents as calme not anxious to answer in sacris non est consultandum they Ver. 16. like John Careles Martyers go into the Fire in a two-fold Glory First A bold Resolution not to Worship Civil duty they paid kept Conscience-Worship to God only O bold brave Souls A Second Glory is Faith Our God will deliver but if not that brought them off and out at length nought could greive them unless to be called out into the worse company now was not pure Worshipers forc't by Law yet it tended to convince a King and that is much if to convert it were more Hear what Coo the Martyr said on it in discourse with the Bishop of Norwich being askt if he would not obey the King's Laws Yes said Roger Coo as they agree with Gods Law Said the Bp. Agree with the Word or no we are bound to obey were the King an Infidel Said Coo Had the three Children done so Nebuchadnezzar had never confest the true God Said Bernard to the Pope I obey as a Child in disobeying Magis dijs obtempandum est Jeroboam for all his unction is called Usurper on Gods Law by Divines and Intruder Law against God quamvis ligat quoad paenam non obligat conscientiam God gave them Statutes not good Ezek. 20. 25. Polluted them in their own Gifts yet is it a Sin to bring a corrupt gift To do the Law of God and the Kings conjunct is a happy Union and easie but to obey separate is impossible Either you must obey as Moses not fearing the Kings command Hebr. 11. 23 27. or his wrath or else one must obey the King singly and so make him an Idol which exposes him to Gods just Jealousie our self also to Blasphemy to say God gives any power against himself by divine Sanction Nor was that decree in Dan. 6. 9. 12. less cruel for though it was irrational very surreptitiously got by clancular Malice and but limited to thirty dayes yet is holy Daniel ready to dye not consult how to give a Go-by does not abate the times elaps the thirty dayes shuts the Windows or abscond Personal Devotion but standing the brunt of the Penalty by that breaks the Neck of a wicked Decree Nor in declining times need Malice any more to make one a Prey then To depart from Evil Isa 59. 14. as of Caijus S. was a good man but a Christian Old Caijus Seijus bonus vir sod Cristianus to Pray and look to that Phanatick Temple though dilapidate was Daniels Virtue yet by a Law a Vice So in after times how did Antiochus prohibit Sacrifices as Cambises also did The Roman Nero that dedicator of the first Christian Blood to Martyrdom ishued this Edict That if any confessed Christianity he should straight be slain as a Foe to mankinde And he was by Senate so served voted an Enemy to mankind and to dye more majorum Ephesus decreed also That no sobâ—r man must live among'um Athens banisht the best by Ostracism Josepus says Afore Jerusalems fall Piety was not a matter of Form only but of Scorn Bede of the Brittains ere the Saxons came said they cast Odium in Religionis Professores tanquam in Adversarios They cast Hatred on pious Professors as on Foes The Council of Constance decrees Apocrypha to be equal to very Cannon of Scripture so the vulgar Traditions Hence all things lawful save Piety especially at Court Omnia cum liceant non licet esse pium Exeat aula qui velit esse pius But Henr. 3. of France prohibits to Pray with the Family Dola-Jesuits forbid to say of God good or bad To come home Hen. 7. Poles the People by Dudley and Empson And Hen. 8. by Proclamation prohibits English Books Popery is impatient of Light and Truth for which Latimer boldy deals with the King Nor has Gods Sabboth of Old or a late been better served or sanctified witness the Assaults on the Jews on that day upon hope they would not prophane it as the Enemy did by self defence till after the Jews learned little better Wit acts of Necessity and Charity being as lawful then as Piety The Proclamation I have it by me and could have soon recited it were it needful for lawful Sports on that day may here be noted by whom and why is known but he that first read the K's pleasure and after read and expounded the fourth Commandment in his Pulpit I trow preached twice that day first of the Sin of man secondly on the Law of God c.
and Water too One illustrates it by that in Zach. 2. 5. called a Wall of Fire and I add ch 9. 8. wher 's it is stiled a Camp about God's House of which in the Use In Deut. 33. 12. note of Benjamin this was his Blessing The Beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him i. e. Judah and Benjamin shall divide the Glory and Temple by a Righ-line betwixt them as some note Weemes H. Ainsworth and others the Line divided the Temple Sanctum Sanctorum and the very two Cherubs where the Shechina or Divine Majesty and Oracle sate and spake and he shall dwell betwixt his Shoulders col hajom all the day Now all I urge hence is to prove that God is the Safety of Assemblies in worship of his Name and though Objections may be made and answered in the Sequel yet if God be as good as his word as oft he is better and if yet any remain of Zions Daughters he is the same defence yesterday to day and for ever as Heb. 13. 8. Modern Instances will yet further occur from History to prove ex abundanti the truth of it And so far is the 2d head in the Act of Duty how Gods defends his Worship 3dly Now let 's explain how God defends his Worshippers afterwards Tho it may be the Lot of the best to be exposed and God in his Wisdom for good and holy ends suffers the worst of Men to prevail over the best and to trample on the most sacred things and Persons most for his own times and ways he must take to perform his Word not ours yet after men have prospered a long time and Saints suffered with and for the Sanctuary a little while he comes a tergo unawares after the one with Vengeance and unto the Godly rides fast for their help and deliverance There is none like the God of Jeshurun said Moses Deut. 33. 26. that is of Upright Ones that rides on the Heavens for thy help and in his Excellency on the Skies Note 1. God is titled by the stile of a General his Excellency for he excells in Might in Wisdom in Command ore all in chief 2. Though he delays and is long and far behind our hasty desires yet 't is but as a Captain that steps to the Rere to bring them safe off and he is not dismounted he rides still and on swift Steeds the Skies the Heavens which Spheres do naturally move wondrous quick so that he can soon overtake the foot of his Host and also the Horse of his Enenemies 'T is a Note of * Burr Lord of Hosts one that the old Wars of Israel were on their part still on foot though Pharaoh pursued with Chariots and Horses yet I am sure God rides with celerity has a running Army and all for onr help To be a little more particular in this third head How God defends his Worshipers after tho in the act of duty he may delay a little space of time to try both their courage and patience and perseverance in well doing and herein he helps them also not a little and that is also a token of their Salvation But now as the after-clap Thunder is loudest and that which brings the Bolt of Execution on the highest things So Does Gods fulminating Stroaks On Basbans highest sturdy Oaks And lofty Hills as Psal 81. 7. feriunt summos fulmina montes That Psalm says of Israels Deliverance out of Pharaoh's Slavery He answered in the secret place of Thunder i. e. by sore and heavy Judgments on Aegypt Exod. 9. 23. And this not the least for as the Thunder terrified them and the Hail and Fire mikt smote Grass Herbs and Trees so that v. 28. the King melts and thaws a while and at Moses's Prayer it was removed again but the Heart freezes as hard as before to inslave God's Children till the Red-Sea soakt it once for all Nor are extraordinary Examples of this wanting here when no ordinary obtain sometimes God's Cannons go off and the Report and Execution is done at some distance and heard of afterwards sometimes it is immediately and so here on that day v. 10. he discomfited them possibly sentence is not speedily as Eccl. 8. 11. It may be at Night as in the Siege of Jerusalem prophesied Isai 17. 14. performed ch 37. 36. and that Night too as to the Host and v. 38. as to the King verified and even in the act of his own Worship it seems in the House of his false God his Sons perhaps in a Jealousie of being prevented in the Succession slew him and so he that did invade and besiege Gods City and Sanctuary is cut off in his own to read us his Crime in his own condemnation Polibius said of Antiochus he came to that ill end for attempting to spoil Apollo's Temple it was indeed for this assaulting of Gods For v. 34. is a Promise to defend that City as a Shield so the Word notes Herodotus says of this defeat * Tho misapplied to Setho Priest of Vulcan and death soon after that on his Tomb was found that Epitaph Look on me and beware By this it is plain God is in some Cases severe in expediting vengeance tho he is slow to anger yet if once angry he rides swiftly and though he forbears some other Sinners long as that Question implies 1 Kings 14. 14. I will rise against the House of Jeroboam but what even now That notes either not yet or in a very few years and it was now in hand to be done by Baasha and partly begun in the death of Abijah his Son and fulfilled thereafter in two years or little more as Mayer observes But revenges for wrongs and ruines of the Lords Altar and Service may be observed to overtake some times Persons in particular and sometimes Cities and People in bulk For the former the Judgments of God have oft surprised none of the meanest men and that for the cause of Zion that is Liberty and Purity of Worship and its lovers see what followed Cain for guilt of Abel's blood that bloody Cut-throat as that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes 1 John 3. 12. not brooking a preciser Devotion Crit. Sacr. proprie est ferro fratrem jugulo adacto occidere than his butchers a poor Brother for Conscience but God setts a mark of visible terrour and secret horrour on him that followed him as a Blood-hound to the end the first quarrel was as one says circa media sacrificii A Curse followed it Gen. 4. 11. and still does all that go in Cain's way of Persecution Judg. v. 11. and Balaam's the way of cursing 2 Peter 2. 15. Like John Diazius that having killed his own Brother fled to Rome as Cain to Nod and there is cannonized but so dogged in his Soul that for want of a Gibbet he hanged himself at the neck of his Mule As Tacitus Sin it self is turned to a Plague flagitia tandem