such as are descended of the Blood of Christ in which regard they are the dearest of men and nearest unto God Yea they are a people distinct from all others by Gods Grace of Election and stand before him in their new Birth and Second Creation in which the Lord lookes joyfully upon them and delights to behold them because they sprang from Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Eph. 3.15 And this Church Metaphorically and by way of similitude is called Mater Fidelium the Mother of the Faithfull because she brings forth Sonnes unto God unites them to Christ and nourisheth them by the Preaching of the Word and by the Examples of good Workes And hence is that expression Non posse quemquam habere Deum Patrem qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem No man can have God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother alluding to that of S. Paul Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell So that if we would have God for our Father we must account the Church for our Mother and procure her Peace with our best endeavours and there is no more prevalent way for us to helpe her then by praying heartily to God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Jerusalem was the Metropolis of Judea And she was also a Tipe of the Church of Christ and that in diverse respects viz. 1. Jerusalem was a Citty compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of love and Order that was amongst the Citizens themselves as in this Psalme verse the 3. Jerusalem is builded as a City that is at unity in it selfe So in like manner the Members of Christs Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit Ephes 4.3 And they joyntly endeavour to keepe the unity of that Spirit in the bond of Peace 2. In Jerusalem was the Sanctuary a place of Gods Presence and Worship So in like manner the Church of Christ is the roome of the Sanctuary in which we must seeke the presence of God and the word of Life 1 Tim. 3.15 Therefore the Church is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pillar and ground of Truth 3. The Lord mercifully promised the people of Jerusalem that if they would call upon his Name they should have Deliverance Joell the 2. ult the which hath resemblance to the Church of Christ amongst the Gentiles alluding to that of S. Paul There is no difference betweene the Jew and the Grecian Rom. 10.12 13. for he that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved 4. In Jerusalem the Citizens yeelded obedience to their Kings So in like manner the Members of Christs Church being true Believers Eph. 2.19 are fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And they yeeld obedience unto Christ their King Esa 2.5 5. In Jerusalem was the Throne of David as in this Psalme verse the 5. So in like manner in the Church of Christ is the Throne or Scepter of Christ Rev. 3.7 figured by the Kingdome of David 6. Zach. 2.8 The Lord chose Jerusalem above all other places in the world and tendered the people therein even as the apple of his owne eye So in like manner the true Members of Christs Church are a Chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a Peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light Lastly in Jerusalem the names of the Citizens were inrolled in a Book So in like manner all the true Members of the Church of Christ Rev. 20.12 have their names written in the booke of Life S. John had a Revelation of the last Judgement And he saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes Whereupon we may orthodoxally resolve and infallibly infer that whosoever have not their names written in that Book of Life must have their portion with the Devil and his Angels for evermore as plainely appeareth in the last verse of the same Chapter And whosoever was not found written in the Booke of Life was cast into the lake of fire Loe thus Beloved you have heard the neere Resemblance and Typicall Representation betweene the City of Jerusalem and the Church of Christ Now let us come to the Reasons of the Observation Reas 1 Because the Church is in a continuall warfare in this world and therefore she is called the Church Militant because she is daily fighting against the Flesh the World and the Devill yea she hath many enemies that come from Satans Campe very fiercely against her Who like Tyrants by violence and force of strength like Sophisters by subtilty and corruption of doctrine like Hypocrites by dissembling and superstition and like Epicures by leudnesse of life and filthinesse of conversation doe daily assault and sight against the Church of Christ Loe these like cunning Fowlers strive daily and hourely for to intrap her the Flesh would infect her the World would deceive her and the Devill would destroy her And therefore it behoveth us with our best endeavours even heartily to pray unto God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Reas 2 Because whosoever desires to have his Habitation in Gods Tabernacle must love make much of the members of Gods Church Psal 15.4 And how can we better manifest our love untothem then by praying for them when they are in distresse And this duty of Love to the Members of Gods Church is both Commanded Commended Approved and Rewarded in the holy Scriptures It is 1. Commanded 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandement that we should believe in the name of his sonne Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement 2. Commended 1 Cor. 13. ult Now abideth Faith Hope and Love even these three but the chiefest of these is Love 3. Approved Apoc. 2.19 The Blessed Spirit of God spake to S. John to say to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira I know thy Workes and thy Love meaning towards the Members of Gods Church 4. Rewarded Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour of love which ye shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister Yea beloved and were it so that the love to the Members of Gods Church were neither Commanded Commended Approved nor Rewarded Yet notwithstanding if thou hast received an Influence of Grace from Heaven the sparkes of Grace will so kindle in thy soule that thy praying for
my boldnesse and to accept the minde of the Offerer accept also the Booke offered if not for the Authour of the Booke yet for the Authour of the Text and those necessary things contained therein being pertinent to these present times And thus fearing to hinder the course of your Honours more serious cogitations in all humility I take my leave heartily desiring Almighty God that when the last Period of your mortall life shall present it self you may looke Death in the face without Dread the Grave without Feare the Lord Jesus with Comfort and Jehovah blessed for ever with everlasting joy Your Honours in all duty to be commanded John Tarlton To the Christian Reader Gentle Reader ALthough the writings of all men that are presented unto the publique view are arraigned at the Barre of each Readers understanding and sometimes the Authors thereof too rashly censured by Polipragmaticall Over-curious and Criticall persons yet this should be no Obstacle to hinder the faithfull Ministers of the Gospell from doing their best endeavours as well by writing as by preaching to build up the Church of Christ This Booke although it treateth of the miseries of Wars and also of the Members of Christs Church yet it medleth not at all with any Controversies in the Church or any thing in the state Ecclesiasticall but onely for the good of Christs Church in a patheticall way imploreth our constant assistance by the practice of Prayer on her behalfe as the great prevailing Ordinance of God for the curing of all her distempers and putting a Period to all her distractions wherewith at this present she is greatly disquieted As for carping and censorious Criticks I care not to satisfie them my desire is to convince the Wicked to comfort the Godly being afflicted to edifie the Conscience and increase the Vnderstanding And if herein thou either finde any thing amisse or thy self not fully satisfied in particular then I pray thee remember what is the Lot of the most Learned mens Workes even to be left after a sort naked and imperfect for every one that is mortall knoweth but in part 1 Cor. 13.9 I crave thy charitable construction of my poore Endeavours being willing to be convinced and reformed read them impartially and those truths therein contained practice them both speedily and profitably give God the glory thereof and much Benefit and comfort may thy soul receive thereby The blessed spirit of God co-operate with this Worke in the hearts of the Readers for the glory of his great name and the salvation of their poore soules through Jesus Christ Thine in the Lord Jesus John Tarlton A REMEDY FOR THE VVARS PSAL. 122.6 O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem THis Psalme as one of our Church both Learned and judicious well observeth breaths out nothing but a sweet perfume of inflamed affection such as the only bird the dying Phenix lying in her bed of spices all the spices in Arabia fired with the pure beames of the Sun cannot parallel If you please with me to view it considerately with a spirituall eye we shall conspicuously see it primarily begins with Davids tryumphant joy I was glad when they said unto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand in thy gates O Jerusalem The first word of this Psalme in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Laetatus fui that is I have been glad and the Radix from whence it is derived is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Laetatus vel Hiralis fuit that is to say hath been glad or merry metaphoricè Luxit the which word Metaphorically is borrowed from the Light for as those that are blind or sit in Darkenesse are deprived of that benefit which the Light affords unto others that participate thereof So in like manner those persons who live in the Darkenesse of ignorance wandring in the devious by-paths of blind Superstition dangerous Errors and walking in the thick foggie mists of seducing opinions and shaddow of death never comming into the house of God but altogether neglecting his holy Ordinances neither tast the comfortable sweetnesse nor behold the joyfull Light which others partake of that zealously frequent them and conscienciously are exercised in them And hence is that saying of Solomon Prov. 13.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The light of the righteous shall rejoyce Thereby giving us to understand that the knowledge of God greatly delighteth his Children and they also rejoyce to communicate it to others So in like manner as is here expressed Davids delight consisted in gathering the children of God together and his joy was in the assembly of the Saints furthering them in the service of God But alas beloved what have we to doe in these cloudy and darkesome dayes with this Davids joy Every Naturalist will tell us there is an Antipathie between Joy and Sorrow yea they are as contrary Heretogeneall and opposite in their operations as Light and Darkenesse Peace and War So that our former late joyfull Comedy being turned into a present dolefull Tragedy how then can we rejoyce The sad and great disaster which lately hath befallen us whispers in our ears and tacitely tels us that we must now for a Remedy set our faces Sion-way and with our weeping eyes half blinded with brinish tears immitate those sorrowfull Saints in this our sad dejected and cast-downe condition Too truely may I for mine owne particular and that by wofull experience in the sadnesse of Spirit and pensivenesse of Soule together with many thousands more of this distracted Kingdome who are unhappily co-involved into the same pittifull predicament at this day condolingly complaine of Englands distractive and calamitous condition having had hastily taken from us altogether contrary and also inconsistent to the practice both of Humanity and Christian Charity our Houses Goods Lands Livings and all other meanes of our livelyhoods present subsistence both Spirituall and Temporall properly and lawfully belonging to us whereby we are now left in a most despicable languishing and perishing Condition And as an aggravation to this our present affliction our names are ignominiously traduced and we are both in the Judgement and also the Eyes of our remorselesse Enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Spectacle or Gazing-stock to the World 1 Cor. 4.9 And even as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The filth of the World 1 Cor. 4.13 and the off-scouring of all things Yea as Abjects unto our Adversaries and also the very Objects of their reproach scorne contempt and derision So that we have cause rather Crane or Swallow-like to chatter Esay 38.14 or Dove-like to mourne with afflicted Hezekiah then with joyfull David here in the beginning of this Psalme to rejoyce Yea woe and alas may we justly cry out the bitter fruits of War in our Land proceeding from the provocation of our crying sins from the swift swords sharpnesse hath turned our former late joyes sweetnesse into present bitter
necessities and those no way to be supplyed but by Prayer This is the seed we must sow we must sow to the Spirit if ever we meane to reape the harvest and increase of Gods blessings It is our Saviours owne rule and may serve as a proof of this Doctaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aske and it shall be given you seeke and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Here is but Aske Seeke and Knocke and ye shall obtaine Loe thus Christ doth exhort us to make use of a Triple-chaine consisting of three links viz. Asking Seeking and Knocking Aske with the Mouth Seeke with the Heart and Knocke with the Hand but the Mouth must be guilelesse the Heart faithfull and the Hand righteous So that we must Aske with a guilelesse Mouth Seeke with a faithfull Heart and Knocke with a righteous Hand And so shall we obtaine by our guilelesse Mouthes Asking things Temporall for our bodies By our faithfull Hearts Seeking things Spirituall for our Soules and through the merrites of Christ by our righteous Hands Knocking things Eternall both for our bodies and soules But alas there are at this day many Antithesticall persons in the world who are contrary to these in disposition viz. Such as have guilefull Mouthes faithlesse Hearts and unrighteous Hands whose guilefull Mouthes speake deceitfully whose faithlesse Hearts conceive unbeleevingly and whose unrighteous Hands perpetrate wickednesse violently Such as were those wicked Heads of Jakob and the Tyrannicall Princes of the House of Israel of whom the Lord complaineth by his Prophet They hate the good Mic. 3.2 3. and love the evill they pluck off their skins from them and their flesh from their bones And they eat also the flesh of my people c. In which words the Lords Prophet condemneth those cruell Tyrants not onely of cursed Covetousnesse unjust Robery and bloody Murther but also compareth them unto Savage beasts who are of Wolvish and Lion-like dispositions Will the Lord hear the prayers and grant the requests of such cruell and mercilesse persons Certainely no But he will rather cast their prayers as dung upon their faces Mal. 2.3 And will also hide his face from them Mic. 3.4 Esay 59.2 and will not heare them But when Godly and sincere hearted Religious persons Pray the Lord will heare their Prayers and grant their requests They shall call and the Lord shall answer Esay 58.9 they shall cry and the Lord shall say Here I am Behold of all helpes Prayer is the readiest at hand for all persons upon all occasions in all places and at all times And by its fervent and faithfull performance as we ought we shall assuredly obtaine full Remission of all our sinnes hearty Repentance for all sinnes that are past and irrisistible power against sinnes for the time to come And also be kept from Afflictions or made able to beare them And God will certainely give us either all outward good things necessary for us with a Blessing upon them or else his blessing of contentednesse without them The which contentment although in this worlds conception it be a despicable condition yet it is the Blessing of Nature the Salve of Poverty the Master of Sorrow and the End of Misery The Psalmist when he would inroll and magnifie the goodnesse of God towards his people tels us Psal 84.12 that he will give grace and worship and no good thing will he withhold from them that live a Godly life Indeed the Lords hand is ever open to give but then he lookes also that our mouthes should be open to receive Open thy mouth wide saith God wide Psal 81.10 in prayer and supplication to heaven and I will fill it His grace like a cloud still hangs over our heads but the drops of that cloud descend not unlesse first dissolved by the breath of our Prayers Ye have not because ye aske not Iam 4.2 And there are some also that aske and yet goe away empty Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Iam. 4.3 that ye might consume it upon your lusts True it is beloved that the Children of God have a full and unquestionable Right to all those Blessings that descend from above All things are yours 1 Cor. 3.12 23. saith the Apostle whether it be Paul or Apollos or Cephas or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods A large Patent including all good things whether Temporall or Spirituall or Eternall whether of this life or that to come all are theirs But how hold they their Charter now surely the conveyance runs altogether in a stile of mercy Rom. 2.4 according to the riches of his goodnesse And according to the riches of his grace Eph. 1.7 Alas there is nothing in us that can intitle us upon merit to the least expression of Gods goodnesse our tenure is ex merâ gratiâ written and sealed up unto us in the blood of the Lambe And although we make no Purchase of our Christian Estate but receive it by deed of Gift yet God hath reserved some small Homage or as it were some peny-Rent as due unto himselfe and that is our prayers and thanksgiving For the non-payment whereof our Estate becomes escheat and forfeited and returnes back into the hands of the Land-lord So that we connot claime so much as one morsell of Bread without our Prayers and if we are not uncapable of it yet I am sure we are unworthy of it Psal 145.16 if we begge it not at his hand who opens his hand and fils all things living with plentiousnesse And for this cause we are taught by our blessed Saviour to pray Mat. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread Which Petition we may not thinke to be put into the Lords-Prayer onely for poor men but even they also whose barns are full of corne and have bread laid up in store for many yeares have as much need to supplicate God with this Petition as the poorest man that now liveth upon the face of the Earth If there be any one in this place so hard driven through extreame poverty that he can Vye necessity with that poore Widdow of Sarepta and protest in the integrity of his heart as she did I have not so much as a cake 1 King 17.12 but a handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse which I am now to dresse for me and my sonne that we may eat it and dye Why yet I say the rich man that swims in the confluence of all outward good things and knowes no end of his riches is as deeply engaged to begge his daily bread as he Because man liveth not onely by bread Mat. 4.4 but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God If men be provided of bread and have not Gods blessing on their bread they are like to fare as ill
lockt then against Theeves and Robbers S. Paul is peremptory in this particular Be not deceived saith He neither Theeves 1 Cor. 6.10 nor Covetous nor any of that cursed rabble he speakes of there shall have any inheritance in the Kingdome of God and of Christ But no sooner comes the penitent Thiefe with this Key of Prayer Domine memento mei cum veneris in regnum tuum Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome but presently the doore is open unto him with an Hodie mecum eris in paradiso This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise A Key did we call Prayer It seemes rather to be a Pick-lock that did not onely open heaven gate but also even let in a Thiefe He that formerly had rob'd passengers on the way and walked in the way of errour and shaddow of death Now bids Stand to the Way it selfe And sets onely upon him who is the Way Ioh. 14.6 the Truth and the Life and by his prayers unto him as it were by a new kinde of theft steales Heaven And as the Thiefe by his prayers opened the doores of heaven so Elijah the Prophet by his prayers made them fast He prayed that it might not raine Iam 5.17 and it rained not by the space of three years and six monethes 1 King 18. When he fled from the presence of Ahab He tyed up the influences of heaven and carryed away the Clouds in his Mantle It seemes God who is the Father of the drops of dew saith Job Ioh. 36.28 Mat. 5.45 and sendeth raine upon the just and unjust saith our blessed Saviour had granted unto Elijah a Patent or Monopoly of the raine and his prayers were the onely Rent he paid for it Eusebius reporteth Lib. 5. That in the Primitive Church Anno Dom. 175. The Army of Christians was called the Thundering-Legion because upon their prayers God scattered their Enemies with Thunder and refreshed themselves with comfortable showers from Heaven But not to loose our selves and protract the time in this Panegyrick of Prayer It is our Christian Sacrifice the calves of our lips which after all the abolished Sacrifices of the Law doth yet answer them all It is our morning and evening Sacrifice our incense offering which we put into the hand of our high-priest Christ Jesus to offer for us Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight like the incense saith David and the lifting up of my hands be an evening Sacrifice Psal 141.2 Like incense it vapors up in a sweet perfume in the nostrils of God It is our Juge Sacrificium our daily Sacrifice pray continually saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5.17 pray without ceasing Prayer is our sinne-offering our clensing-offering Oratio sonat pestes mentis saith the Father It cures the plague-sores of the Soule And God accepts of the fruit of the lips proceeding from a penitent heart for the faults of the whole body Lastly Prayer is our Elevatum or heave-Offering even the lifting up of our hands in his sight And blessed are they that can lift up pure hands in his Sanctuary they shall be sure to have the Victory and to triumph over all their Necessities When Moses hands were lifted up Exod. 17.11 then Israel prevailed but when they hung downe then Amaleck prevailed Moses is the History and every man that is a meeke and faithfull man as Moses was is the Morall When we lift up our hands and hearts to God in faithfull and fervent Prayer then our sinnes and enemies doe both retire but when we let them hang downe neglecting that necessary Duty then they charge us with double Forces Which teacheth us how dangerous a thing it is to faint in Prayer And therefore cease not to Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And thus doe I passe from the Dignite of Prayer unto the Reasons of the Observation viz. Wherefore Prayer to God is the onely salve to cure calamity and to continue the favour of God unto his people Reas 1 Because it is the Lords expresse Injunction together with a gratious promise to grant our requests Call upon me in the time of trouble Psal 50.15 so will I heare thee and thou shalt praise me Reas 2 Because there is a blessing pronounced by our blessed Saviour unto those persons that labour for the Peace of others Blessed are the Peace-makers Mat. 5.9 for they shall be called the Children of God Reas 3 Because we being Children of the Church our Mother we have a Portion in our Mothers Peace For the Church our Mother and we her Children are relata and mutually sympathize the distresses of each other And as we should condole the Church our Mothers adversity so in like manner we ought to congratulate her prosperity our Portion being in her Peace Reas 4 Because of the happy Effect that Prayer produceth If saith God I shut the heaven that there be no raine 2 Chron. 7.13 14. or if I command the Grashopper to devoure the Land or if I send Pestilence among my people If my people among whom my name is called upon doe humble themselves and Pray and seeke my presence and turne from their wicked wayes then will I hear in heaven and be mercifull unto their sinne and will heale their Land Unto which also S. James alludeth where he saith Pray one for another that ye may be healed Iam. 5.16 for the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent And therefore Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem And thus doe I passe from the grounds of the Observation unto the Application The Uses of this point are briefely foure viz. 1. Vse of Examination 2. Vse of Exhortation 3. Vse of Reprehension 4. Vse of Consolation Examination Vse 1 TO Examine thy selfe whether thou Prayest for the Peace of the Church or no if thou doest then it is an Argument of thy Regeneration But if thou doest not then it is an Argument that as yet thou art without the pale of the Church and art still in thy Naturall cursed condition And one of the bastard-brood of Sathan and consequently a firebrand of hell rather then a faithfull Son of God and Heire of Heaven Exhortation Vse 2 TO exhort us all in Gods feare to pray for Jerusalems Peace And this ought to be done secretly privately and publiquely secretly by our selves privately with our families and publiquely in the Assembly Beloved if thou art so aged or otherwise possessed with infirmities as that thou canst not fight for the Church when she is in distresse yet if thou cast Pray thou art for the Churches turne and that thou maiest doe for Prayer is a Spirituall quality of the Soule which may be performed by a weake and infirmed body and therefore as occasion is offered neglect not the same But admit the Lord hath decreed as I hope he hath not that we should perish in a generall Calamity yet notwithstanding let us all endeavour for to die
barbarous and mercilesse men Hereupon the poore Innocents were apprehended and some of them clad with skins of wilde beasts were torne in pieces by dogs And others cast one upon another untill they became great heaps after the manner of Bone-fires and then fire put to them and their bones burning served for light in the night in the stead of Torches But at the last this wicked wretch the causer of all that cruelty exercised upon the poore Christians seeing himselfe in danger to be murthered by one appointed for that purpose as a just reward for his horrible unjust and inhumane dealing hastned his owne death by killing himselfe as Cornelius Tacitus reporteth Lib. 5. We reade in History of one Cyrillus a Deacon of Heliopolis scituate neare to Lybanus who lived under the Empire of Julian the Apostate and came to a miserable end For after Constantine was deceased by whose authority the holy Martyr had broken downe many of their Images and Idols the abominable Idolaters did not onely murther him but also devoured his liver with bread as if it had beene the sweetest morsell of meat in the world But the all-seeing eye of Almighty God beholding their villany his revengfull rod bruised them to pieces For their teeth wherewith they chewed that unnaturall food fell out of all their heads and their tongues wherewith they tasted it rotted and consumed to nothing and lastly their eyes which beheld it failed them and they became all blinde Loe thus were they all served bearing justly the markes of Gods indignation for so horrible inhumane and unnaturall Cruelty as Theodoret reporteth lib. 3. chap. 7. Valerian the Emperour was a deadly Enemy to the professors of Religion and very terribly persecuted them in his Dominions But shortly after himselfe was taken prisoner in the Persian Warres being Threescore and ten yeares of age and was made a slave to his Conquerour all the rest of his life And whose condition was so miserable that Sapor the King of Persia used his back as a block or stirrop to mount upon his Horse and at the last to make up the full number of his miseries he caused his Skinne to be taken from his Flesh whilst he was alive and then poudred him with salt as Josephus reporteth in his Ecclesiasticall History Booke 7. Chap. 30. The cruell mercilesse and hard-hearted Jewes did persecute even unto the death the innocent Lambe of God who is the Lord of life our Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus But did they escape Punishment Verily no for the avenging hand of the Just-punishing sinne-revenging God followed after them overtooke them and seized upon them to their Destruction For they were driven up and downe from place to place in diverse Countries by the Deputies And after that there were slaine of them at Cesaria in one day Twenty thousand At Alexandria another time Fiftythousand At Zabulon and Joppa Eight thousand and Foure hundred besides the burning of both the Townes At Damascus Ten thousand had their throats cut And as for the Jewes that were in Jerusalem they were pinched with so sore a famine as that they did eate the excrements of Oxen and many women were constrained to boile and to eate their owne Children And in that great extremity many thinking to save their lives by flying to the Enemy were taken and slit in pieces in hope to finde gold and silver in their bowells And at the last the whole City was taken by force the holy Temple consumed by fire And this in generall was the miserable issue of that lamentable Warre during which time Fourscore seventeene thousand Jewes were taken Prisoners and Eleven hundred thousand slaine Some of the Prisoners were carried reproachfully into Rome Others were murthered at their Conquerours wills Some were torne in pieces and devoured of wilde Beasts Others were constrained to march in Troupes against their Fellowes and kill one another as if they had beene Enemies And the Remnant of that wretched people which remained alive after the mighty tempest of Gods Wrath was past were dispersed and scattered abroad throughout all Nations under Heaven So that their condition at this day is so vile and contemptible as that no Nation under Heaven is halfe so miserable which is a manifest evidence of Gods vengeance still abiding upon them As Josephus reporteth in his bookes of the Jewish Warres And here I might also be very copious in the expressions of the remarkable Destructions of Agag Goliah Benhadad The Moabites and Ammonites Nicanor Herod-Agrippa Domitian Trajan Hadrian Antonius Severus Decius Aurelian Dioclesian Maximinus Maxcentius Licinius Arnolphus Smaragdus Mamucha c. Who were destroyed for persecuting the Church of Christ Yea beloved and many more terrible examples of Gods fearfull Judgements that fell upon diverse other bloody Persecutors of Gods Church I could here recite but for brevity sake I passe them over Oh then at the consideration of this that hath beene spoken let all the bloody Persecutors of Gods Church tremble and desist from so doing lest the Lord come suddenly as a swift witnesse against them and speedily be avenged of them to the ruine of their bodies in this world and the utter destruction both of bodies and soules in the world to come And let them also labour to the uttermost of their power to make up the Ruines of the Church of Christ and doe their best endeavours for her by praying for her Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Instruction Vse 2 TO teach the Church to arme her selfe for Troubles Crosses and Afflictions so long as she remaineth here upon the face of the Earth For as the comfortable sun-shine Dayes and the uncomfortable darksome Nights in the order of Nature follow each other So in like manner in the Administration of the Church of Christ there is a continuall Entercourse amongst the Members of Christ Church between Peace and Persecution To live continually in Jollity and be alwayes free from Crosses is one of the Worlds pleasing Cognizances of Satan's Imps for being alwayes without Chastisements Heb. 12.6 7 8. whereof all Gods Children are Partakers we are Bastards and not Sonnes Beloved There is a strict Dependence neere Relation and close Connexion betwixt Christianity and the Crosse they are Concommitants Individuals and inseparable Companions This is an infallible Aphorisme of Divine Observation under the Kingdome of Christ an indubitable Axiome of Christs Gospell Providence the which proceedeth from the good pleasure and providence of God in the dispensation of things under the Gospel Our blessed Saviour told his Disciples and in them every true Member of his Church In the world ye shall have affliction Ioh. 16.33 And it was also the generall Proclamation of Christ to the whole World Mat. 16.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Crosse and follow me The which Crosse although to unregenerate men in their Naturall Condition it be
tedious and burthensome yet notwithstanding to the faithfull Members of Christs Church they making a right use thereof it will be helpfull and profitable As for example Holy David was so greatly oppressed with troubles as that he complained in the anxiety of his soule The snares of death compassed me round about Psal 116.3 and the paines of Hell gate hold upon me What Adversaries are more horrible and Enemies can be more terrible then Death and Hell And yet notwithstanding he making a snactified use thereof they wrought in him most blessed and happy Effects the which he found experimentally in himselfe and therefore freely confesseth Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep thy word Psal 119.67 And Verse the 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learne thy Statutes And the Lord saith of the Israelites by his Prophet Hosea Hos 5.15 In their affliction they will seeke me diligently And the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Faithfull in affliction saith Lord in trouble have they visited thee Esa 26.16 they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them So that Afflictions being Gods Rods are his Childrens Remembrancers yea Troubles make many Returners and Seekers to God who formerly have been Revolters and Straglers from him as were the Israelites Manasseh the Prodigall Sonne and diverse others Yea beloved and to be continually without Crosses Troubles and Afflictions men may justly suspect themselves to be rather Members of the Devils Church Malignant than of Christs Church Militant St. Ambrose that godly devout and religious Bishop travelling with some others towards Rome went to a Rich-mans house resolving to lodge and remaine there till the next morning And after some short discourse he demanded of the man of the house how it went with him and in what case he stood concerning his present condition for the things of this Life Unto which the Rich-man replyed Sir my condition hath ever beene happy and fortunate I never tasted any kinde of Adversity I never had any sicknesse or losse of goods all things have hitherto beene with me even according to my hearts desire When Saint Ambrose heard this he said unto them that were with him Eamus hinc nam Deus non est hic Let us goe from hence for God is not in this place And immediately after they were departed from the Rich-mans house the Earth suddenly opened her mouth and swallowed up the Man together with his house and all that he had Intimating thereby to the World that God is not there in mercy present where the Crosse is continually absent Hence then Let all the Faithfull Members of Christs Church account it as an indubitable Aphorisme of infallible Truth believe it as an Orthodoxall Article of their Christian Faith and hold it as an undeniable Maxime in Divinity that as the Children of Israel went through many Troubles before they could come to the Earthly Canaan which was a Type of the Faithfuls Passage from Earth to Heaven So in like manner the Children of God must passe through many Afflictions before they can come to the Heavenly Jerusalem St. Paul desired to know nothing amongst his Corinthians but Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 and him Crucified And he also rejoyced in nothing so much as in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World was crucified to himselfe and himselfe unto the World Gal. 6.14 He also expresseth to the World that no man is Crowned except he fight lawfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.5 And also confesseth of himselfe I bear in my body the markes of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 The lawfull and valiant fighting of earthly Souldiers for their King Country and Religion greatly reflecteth upon them with Credit and exceedingly redounded to their Honour they also account those Wounds that are given to their Bodies in Skirmish as Markes of their Magnanimity Cognizances of their Courage and Characters of their Valour intimating thereby to the World for whom they have fought how they have suffered and who they are Now for Application of this to our selves Heaven is appointed for none but onely Spirituall Conquerours viz. the valiant fighting Members of the Church of Christ against their Soules Adversaries surprizing subduing and conquering all their spirituall Enemies For they wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities Eph. 6.12 against Powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this World against spirituall wickednesse in high Places So that of necessitie they must be Fighters for without a Fight there can be no Conquest and without a Conquest there will be no Crowne And therefore they must not onely be Fighting Souldiers but also Conquerours upon Earth before they can be Inheritors of Heaven For a Man to be a Christian and not a spirituall Souldier is to falsify his promise at the Font of Baptisme For a Man to be a Christian and a spirituall Souldier and not to fight under Christs Banner both manfully and faithfully for Christ is the Cognizance of a pusilanimous spirited Souldier and Badge of an Hypocrite For a Man to be a Christian and a spirituall Souldier and to fight for Christ and not to Conquer is to lose the Reward promised to Conquerours But to be a Christian a spirituall Souldier a Fighter for Christ and a Conquerour of all his owne spirituall Enemies Loe that Man and onely he shall be a Partaker of the rich Reward promised even the full fruition of the heavenly Inheritance And therefore whosoever thou art that desirest to be a true Member of Christs Militant Church thou must resolve with thy selfe to live the life of a Christian to a be a spirituall Souldier a Fighter for Christ and also a Conquerour Hence then we may infallibly collect that none shall be crowned hereafter in Heaven but onely those that in some measure first endure a spirituall Fight here upon Earth that so they may become crucified Christians and thereby made conformable to Christ their Head Phil. 3 10. The which Conformity is the greatest Honour that this World can afford to the Sonnes of Mortals And to such spirituall Conquerours Christ Jesus himselfe hath made a large promise even of no lesse Reward then Eternall Life He that overcommeth shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life Apoc. 3.5 And ver 21. To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne And Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crowne of life Apoc. 2.10 and Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And what Fight is it that we should not willingly undergoe for to inherit Eternall Life And herein let Christ Jesus himselfe be