publike day of Humiliation for emergent causes named which God will doubtlesse accept of as of late he did by a signet of his favour when we by his Highnesse order sought God for Rain in our great necessity Although some who stile themselves Saints not only refused to joyn in our Petitions but used unchristian speeches to Gods dishonour and contempt of the duty And truly it was sad to observe the general neglect of our late Solemn Fast that only Shops should be shut and places for recreation full as I was informed but Churches shut or empty in respect of the numbers of Inhabitants many omitting the duty out of carnal respects and many out of will because it was commanded and because the end crossed their self-interests I do affirm that it is no lesse a duty in the Christian Magistrate to command the duties and performance of duties for the true worship of God then it was duty to the Magistrate under the Law but the Magistrate under the Law did command such duties as Asa Jehosaphat Jehojada Hezckiah and others We know that Asa did not only command Reformation of Gods worship bur annexed to his command a great punishment i And Ezra did the like k And the Apostle Paul diminisheth nothing of the Magistrates Authority under the Gospel nor is there any Scripture that offers the least doubt of that their authority but rather makes it greater Heb. 10. 28. therefore I say that the neglect or rather contempt of such duties and the suffering of it uncontrolled by the Magistrate will in stead of a blessing bring a curse as is threatned by the Prophet Jer 48. 10. but the due observance of the holy and spiritual worship of God held forth by the Magistrate and practised by the Minister and People is the chief means to divert the judgements we fear and procure the blessings we want I come now to the sixth and last Inference and that is That when God hath effected and done his will in any thing visibly made known to us by the work of providenee we are not to murmure nor repine though it be in any thing contrary to our expectation or desire or though it be to our great affliction but to submit to it willingly only by praier to seek unto God and patiently wait his time and means for deliverance This hath been the practice of the godly in all ages k Thus holy David did while his childe was yet alive he used all lawful means for the life of it But when God had done his will and the childe was dead he left off to mourn and murmured not but patiently bear the affliction Thus did just and righteous Job he feared his Sons might sinne and procure Gods displeasure he therefore used the right means to prevent it m but when Providence had brought that to passe which he feared and God had visibly manifested his pleasure Job was patient he murmured not neither against providence nor instruments but blessed the Name of the Lord n The Church under her great affliction murmured not they acknowledged Gods hand and complained of their sins the cause of all o and waited patiently for their deliverance It is good saith the Prophet that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord p Surely saith Job it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more q And the Apostle exhorts that we be followers of them that by faith and patience inherit the promise r But to murmure against providence is wickednesse and the effects of murmuring and discontents is very dangerous Dangerous to a mans self and bringeth others into dangers too You know what became of the murmuring Israelites in the wildernesse from time to time as is recorded in the Books of Exodus and Numbers Consider the case of murmuring Korah and all his murmuring company the earth opened and swallowed them up Å¿ This was the immediate hand of God not Moses nor Aaron yet such was the rebellious hearts of the people that the next day they all fall to murmuring against Moses and against Aaron and accused them that they had killed tho Lords people t And for this there died presently of them fourteen thousand and seven hundred by a sudden plague u You know that for this sin of murmuring all the people that came out of Egypt from twenty years old and upward were excluded from the promise except Caleb and Ioshua w Hence the Apostle exhorts us Christians not to tempt God as they tempted him nor to murmure as they murmured and were destroied for saith he All these things happened unto them for our examples x God is the same to us that he was to them only he hath divers dispensations of his judgements he is an unchangeable God for evert If we sin like them that went before us we shall be as greatly punished as they were yea greater Though God do not so usually strike men suddenly for sin as formerly yet there is greater wrath to come Let us a little consider the cause of mens murmuring and see if it do not arise from a carnal heart a carnal man propounds ends to himself as the Merchants St Iames speaks of that say they will go to such a City or such a Countrey and buy and sell and get gain but say not if God will so it is with men that seek their own ends in any thing they propound this or that but God is not in their thoughts they say noâ— if God will but we will do this or that thing or would have this or that done c. It may be nay it is common with these men that they will have the Name of God in their mouths but as the Psalmist speaks God is not in all their thoughts And therefore when their wils and designs are crossed they are angry and repine against God and men Thus the people of Israel did in the wildernesse they met with crosse providences which they looked not for and they could not bear it but cry out against Moses saying because there were no graves in Egypt Hast thou brought us to die in the wildernesse y and again wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt to kill us in the wildernesse our children and our cattel z Thus at this day we have seen many strange Providences such as we looked not for and men have had many and diverse designs aims and ends but meet with crosse Providences which they cannot bear nay resolve they will not bear they complain and cry out against this and that thing but specially they murmure against God and own not his providence in governing the world Therefore they also murmure at the thing done and against the Instruments doing it this is I say against God himself for he alone orders every thing and every Action as is proved in the beginning of this
distributed to every man through one man is oppression Every mans waies are right in his own eyes o as the holy Ghost is pleased to express And they would do as when there was no King in Israel but every one did what was right in his own eyes p to adulterate Religion abuse the Ministers of the Gospel teach for doctrines the precepts of men commit adultery blasphemy and kill or what not as in the time of vacancy of Judges in Israel that there was no publike Magistrate in the Land to put them to shame in any thing q Was not England almost brought to this condition And is it not the thing so much laboured for at this day and that under the specious pretence of a Reformation such a Reformation as ascendeth out of the smoak that came out of the pit r blessed be our Jehovah that hath thus far holpen us against such designs that they have been prevented by his good providence And let the Instrument be blessed by Iehovah who hath been used by his hand to disappoint their purposes of whom I hope and expect much better things then from those Reformers or then we have seen in our Age for due administration of justice and establishment of Religion and Laws that Religion may be advanced held forth to the people by a holy discipline according to the Word of God which is the will of Christ not the fancies of men for God is a God of order and not of confusion He is not the Authour of confusion but of peace in all the Churches of the Saints Å¿ And it was the Apostles joy in beholding their order and stedfastnesse of faith in Christ t And for this cause as himself saith he left Titus at Crete that he should set things in order that was wanting and ordain Elders in every City u Order by a discipline of worship in the purity of Ordinances is the way to that Reformation the Lord Jehovah looketh for and the establishment and due execution of good and just Laws that every man may enjoy his own propriety and that justice may be distributed to every man without favour or revenge impartially and that oppressors may be punished severely according to their offence This is the thing God looks for at the hand and by the place to which he hath called the Lord Protector And this I beleeve he intendeth and will do if murmurers will have but patience If he do it not he dissembleth with God and God will judge him who only knows the secrets of all hearts For Judgement belongs unto God alone he hath not given that unto men but he hath commanded us not to judge but our selves Judge not that ye be not judged w for the Lord is a God of Judgement blessed are they that wait upon him x The Prophet Malachy sharply reproveth the Jews in a case like ours at this day Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein have we wearied him when ye say every one that doth evil is good in the sight of the Lord y that is you make acclamations against God and blasphemous clamours because you have not forthwith what ye desire and in their own way as if he were a favourer of evil doers therefore ye cry out Where is the God of judgement as a violent affirmative that there was no such just God thus murmurers weary God Shall not God search out this for he knoweth the secrets of the heart z Why then do we judge and condemn the man that hath done us good and no harm and why do we murmure against God and repine at providence The Lord in mercy open the eyes of all his people and bring their hearts suitable to himself that they may willingly submit their wils to the will of God You know we had a long time of peace and knew not the bitternesse of war and we had a happy beginning of Reformation in the daies of Q. Elizabeth but in stead of going forward we went backward and fell into the hands of oppressors and persecutors of Gospel-Truths which was the procurement of war a sore punishment we expected relief from men but were more oppressed they neither cared to ease us nor pitied out condition our Religion grew to be mixed with multitudes of new devices and all old heresies cried down by the primitive Church Under these calamities we groaned and cried to God yea many of Gods people sought him by praier and fasting private and publike for deliverance And that God would give us Judges as at the first and Counsellors as at the beginning a that we might be called the righteous and faithfull Nation yet we will not give God leave to do it for us though we see Providence working it we will not be satisfied except God bring his will to our will nay to our wils except God will give us the thing we ask in our own way and by the means we our selves prescribe and set down we will not own it any other way We ascribe too much to our selves therefore we prescribe unto God things times men and means God by providence hath given us again a free Parliament freely chosen by the people or it is their own fault if some of the Members that the people have chosen be discontented and are of any of those sorts of murmurers before spoken of so as they refuse to act for the good of the Commonwealth it is their fault and I fear their sin It is not his Highnesses fault nor the peoples but it will be some grief to the refusers when they shall see the work done without them or that it should miscarry by their neglect they knowing that at this day the pillar and ground of truth is shaken And the two great and standing Ordinances of God strongly assaulted by many of that kinde of temper that Korah and his company was That rose up against the office of Moses and the office of Aaron who would have no Magistrate but themselves nor no Ministry but of themselves The office of Magistracy was in Moses the office of the Ministry waâ— in Aaron They are two distinct Offices and not promiscuously to be mixed nor to be severed from a Christian Commonwealth Gods word is the rule to both Moses and Aaron were Brethren and of one Tribe signifying a propinquity in their Offices they go together and are defence and instruction one to the other Now against these Offices Korah and 250 Princes of the people men of renown rise up and say Moses and Aaron wherefore lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord you take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy even every of them b Moses in this case makes his appeal to God the murmurers did the like as some among us too presumptuously have done God decides the controversie between them and saith he will cause their murmurings to cease God gave
u there is a time of warre and there is a time of peace w We had our time of war and tasted of the bitternesse of it God now in great mercy offereth us our time of peace if we will not accept of it but provoke God by our murmuting we may fear the event Christians and Englishmen I pray consider that saying of Ahner to Joab Shall the sword devour for ever will it not be bitternesse in the latter end x You know how it proved bitter both to Abuer and to Joab Discontents Ambiand false Interest procured the sword to eat the flesh of them by the just hand of God As Abuer had shed the bloud of many in Israel in an evil cause his bloud was shed by Joab wickedly y And Joab because beshed the bloud of war in the time of peace z he was slain by the sword at the horns of th◠〈◊〉 a God hath manifested his will to us by clear providences Let us as men tha◠fea◠God and own his providence submit unto it and not murmure nor repine but with patience wait to see what God will yet do for us He hath multitudes of blessings to the obedient and as many curses and scourges to the murmurers If it he as the Psalmist saith a good and pleasant thing for brethren to dwell together in unity b Then it must needs be an evil and unpleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in discord dissention strife and variance all disunited and disjointed in affections Consider what I have said and the Lord give every one a good and right understanding in all things If that I have said being well weighed be not found to be truth beleeve it not But if it be the truth follow it practise it or this that I say shall one day be a witnesse against him that readeth and slieghteth it and give me leave to adde this to the rest and tell you that those that are contemners and murmurers against the government of a Common-wealth in the Infancy of it they are he greatest enemies to that Common-wealth not hurtful only to themselves but to the whole Nation the evil example of one murmurer draws more to the imitation of that sin then the perswasion and good counsell of many can divert and so all or multitudes oft perish together As we see in the men that were sent to spy out the Land of Canaan they murmured and brought an evil report of that good Land which caused all the people to weep and murmure and cry out against Moses and Aaron c for which their murmuring they were excluded from that good Land and promise And not only so but they even those men that brought up the evil report were destroied before the Lord by a plague d Consider what God hath done he will do still For God is unchangeable It is one of his Attributes which he takes only to himself I am the Lord I change not e In him is no variablenesse neither shadow of change f Therefore it must of necessity follow from Gods unchangeablenesse that whatsoever he hath done in former times he will do the same for he is the same what judgements he hath inflicted for any sin or that he hath threatned to inflict he will still do the same therefore the Apostle tels even us Christians that whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our Learning g c. I confesse my Brerhren when I took my pen in hand to write upon this subject Discourse I intended not above three sheets of paper but the matter is encreased before me and I could not expresse my self with more brevity I would yet for further satisfaction modestly give Answers to some Objections made by some sorts of men against his Highnesse the Lord Protector which I will do in as few lines as I can possibly Object It is Objected That the cause of our war which hath cost so much bloud and treasure was To defend our Rights and Freedoms against the Tyranny of Kings to be governed under a Parliament as free People by just Laws c. But the Lord Protector assumes to himself the Authority of a King by exercising a greater Tyranny over the people then the King did to give Laws c. Answ I answer the cause of our warre as instrumental was To defend the Rights and Priviledges of Parliament the Freedom and liberty of the People and the defence of the true Religion against incroaching Tyranny and innovations subtlely insinuated by the late King and his evil Counsel But that our Warre intentionally was against the lawful Authority of Kings or against the Person of the Late King as he was King or against his just prerogative I deny Only against his evil Councel the War was raised that the Priviledges of Parliament the Liberty of the People and the truth of Religion might be defended and established This will appear by severall Parliament Declarations Protestations and solemn Covenant wherein the Parliament do declare protest and covenant as their own priviledge freedom and liberty c. to defend and preserve the Kings person his just Rights and Prerogatives so far as it might stand with the preservation of Religion and the peoples Rights But the late King standing in strong opposition to the Parliament and Liberty of the people and his Rights and Prerogatives coming in competition with or against the preservation of Religion and Priviledges of Parliament and the peoples Right He defending and taking upon himself all the evil Actions and wicked devices of his evil Councell miscarried for so providence had ordered it should be And the people as providence led them submitted to a Parliament to govern them as a free People they expected much ease and great Reformation but enjoyed Now I would ask the Objectors these two short Questions 1. If a Parliament should become more tyrannicall then a King and lay heavy burthens upon them reaching to their persons lives and estates by an unknown Law or arbitrary power and suffer Innovations to come in on every side to the contempt of Religion and adulterating every truth turning Religion into every shape to metamorphise truth whether in this case if such should be the people might not as justly cry out and take up Arms against such a Parliament as against a King 2. If all these evils could be found and sensibly felt by the people whether it were justice to themselves acceptable to God or benefit to their posterity to cast off and to abandon for ever the authority and use of Parliaments I think they would give their negative except such as would live without all order or command which is to be worse then devils Nor is the office nor just power of a King to be for ever rejected because there have been Tyrannical oppressing superstitious or idolatrous Kings for the office of a King is the Ordinance of Jehovah and cannot be made null by man To this
GODS UNCHANGEABLENESS OR GODS Continued Providence in preserving governing ordering and disposing of all Creatures Men Actions Counsels and Things as at the beginning of the world so to the end of the world for ever according to the counsel of his own will FROM WHENCE Is gathered six necessary Inferences very applicable to the Changes Alterations and vicissitude of these our present times WHEREIN Is clearly demonstrated and proved That OLIVER CROMWELL is by the Providence of GOD Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland c. to whom the People owe obedience as to him whom GOD hath set over them Vnto which is added The Causes of Discontent Repining and Murmurings of Men Also Some serious Advertisements and seasonable Admonitions to the Discontented and Reprehensions to all Impetuous Arrogant Murmurers Together with Answers to some chief Objections made against the Lord Protector and his present Government endeavouring if possible satisfaction to all men Therefore written and published for publike good By GEORGE SMITH Gent. JER. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps PSAL. 75. 6 7. For promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one aâ—d setteth up another 1 PET. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme Or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God c. LONDON Printed for Tho. Underhill at the Ancor and Bible in Pauls Churchyard and Lawrence Chapman next to the Fountain Tavern in the Strand 1655. TO ALL FREE-BORN PEOPLE of England that are lovers of Peace and Truth Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord JESUS CHRIST c. CHRISTIAN READER THere is not any Doctrine more usefull to the life of man or more necessary to be known to the comfort of the Saints then the Doctrine of Providence for not to know and beleeve that God the Creator doth by his secret and wise providence govern all things is injurious to God and hurtfull to our selves and as much as to deny the Soveraignty and high prerogative of the Lord Jehovah over the worlds which is indeed the exercise of his Kingly dominion in ordering the whole universe which in the following Discourse I offer unto your serious consideration But because these times are pestered with many pestilent opinions and seditious practises all truths cannot please all men every man believeth or denieth whatsoever may most advance their own particular judgments and interests so that I well know this discourse will be very unpleasant to many of this age Therefore good Readers and my friends let me beg your patience not only in the matter of my discourse thwarting the desires and self-designes of men it being against the common stream of the now raigning opinions but in the manner also in my applications to the present Changes and alterations designs and interests so strongly strugled for by the most of men to all which this my discourse runs in flat opposition the same thing being flatly denied which I affirm and do defend I think I am the first that in this way and manner hath published any thing in defence of the present Government under his Highness the Lord Protector I have not read nor seen any thing written of this nature but what hath been to the contrary by which I received so little satisfaction or am so farre from being satisfied by what I have read that my spirit burned within me to make opposition thereunto which caused me to put my pen to paper on this subject Give me also leave to give my Judgment in the matter I am one of the free-born of the Nation and claim my vote as well as any other having a proportionable right to all priviledges and must proportionably share in any affliction that God shall please to inflict upon the Nation Therefore it concerns me to speak as well as to hear others speak if I speak not their sense let me be born with as I bear with them that speak not my sense if any my friends be offended at what I write I cannot help their passion nor will I be angry at them I know not any mans aym nor end in what they do so well as I know my own I know my own I know my aym is publike good and my end Gods glory nor do I seek to please men but to please God I seek not victory but verity if God accept of my endeavour I have my end if men reject it or me for it I pass not yet I would so speak and write that I may not give any offence neither to the Jew nor to the Gentile nor to the Church of God but if offence be taken without cause why therefore should I lose my liberty in which Christ hath made me free But though I be free from all men as the Apostle speaketh yet would I be servant to all in the sense the Apostle speaketh that I might gain the more to God There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence If ever there were a time to speak for God and the Cause of the Saints on earth the despised ones it is now no time to be silent but to contend earnestly for the truth and for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints It was but once delivered I dare not say it shall be delivered a second time to them that have had it once delivered if they lose it whether it be to a Nation or to a man only We in England have had it delivered to us We beyond Capernaum have been exalted unto Heaven c. the mysteries of the Gospel have been unfolded unto us above all other Nations and God hath long owned us to be his people the Word hath been operative working in power piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit joynts and marrow a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart It hath been a converting Word else whence had those rebellious children their conversion boasted of that cast off their Mother that bare them and brought them forth an Antichristian Church brings not forth a Christian brood It is thus farre true that we have had much chaff mixt with the pure wheat many weeds have grown in this vineyard of Gods planting Was there ever wheat without chaff Was there ever a garden without weeds but never so many as at this day some have been alwayes and some will be to the end of the world there shall be there must be tares among the good corn the evil one will cast tares where God casts good seed and that evil one hath been busie in this age above all ages the field of Gods Kingdom seemeth
for them who shall be heirs of salvation And the b Psalmist exhorting us to the praise of God saith Who is like the Lord our God that hath his dwelling on high and yet abaseth himself to behold the things in the heaven and in the earth Psa. 113. 5 6. He so beholdeth all things as to order all things and all actions not only Men and Angels but the unreasonable creatures yea inanimate things by a providence As the Israelites were led through the wildernesse by a pillar of a cloud by day and by a pillar of fire by night So all creatures are guided by providence You know that when the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle the Israelites journeyed and went forward so long as the pillar went before them but when the â—pillar staid they staid in that place where the cloud abode there they pitched their tents as is said Num. 9. 17. Again when the cloud was taken up whether by day or by night they journeyed and so long as it rested they remained in their Tents whether it was for a day or for daies for moneths or for years c God is the same to us that he was to Israel his providence is the same though altered in the dispensations c. God is eternal and he is unchangeable in all his waies he made himself known in times past by his wondrous works and special Revelations but now he maketh himself known by his word as well as by his works The visible things created which are but part of the works of God do set forth to the whole world his power and wisedom Psa. 19. and as the Psalmist saith The Lord is known by the judgements which he executeth Psa. 9. 16. But especially by his word he hath made himself known to his people his word is contained in the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testament there he hath revealed himself in his Attributes Names Titles eternal essence and being and by his word we come to know what his works are they are revealed in Scripture to be Decree Creation and Providence Decree was the purpose of God before all time what should be in time and till time shall be no more Creation was the making of the worlds and all things in them of nothing and that was in the beginning of time Providence is the governing and disposing of all things by which God the Creator doth exercise his Kingly power for ever according to the decree and secret counsel of God effecting every purpose in the time place and by the means pre-ordained by God Now that there is such a ruling providence that ordereth all things and every thing in the world is necessary to be known and beleeved by all Therefore I shall endeavour to prove it by Scripture and experience and that nothing comes to passe by chance or meerly by nature nor can be effected and done by any devisings contrivings wisedom or power of men without the disposing of providence For if there be a God that made all things it must needs be that the same God governs all things and their Actions according to his will But God made all things that 's confessed why did God make the creature not for themselves nor to leave them to act and do as they list But God made all for himself for his own gloâ—y d yea he made the wicked for the day of wrath It was indeed a glorious work to make the worlds and all creatures but it is a more glorious work to govern the worlds and every creature by his most wise providence This providence he calleth the eyes of his glory e by it his glory is manifested in every thing and this glory he will not give unto any other f Providence is the absolute Soveraign power of God over the creatures exercising his eternal Decrees and secret counsell ordering things and actions according to his good pleasure after the counsell of his own will g Thus saith the Lord speaking of things done from the beginning of the world and things to be done my Counsell shall stand and I will do all my pleasure h Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord saith the Prophet and reade not one of these things shall fail nor ssiall misse one of another i All things shall come to passe and be so ordered and fitted unto another as the sword to the Scabbard or knife to the sheath I will speak the word and the word that I speak shall be done k The Lord of Hosts purposeth and who shall disanull it l he spake and it was done saith the Psalmist he commanded and it stood fast m There was a sore Famine in Samaria and the Prophet telleth them that the next day there should be great plenty but this seemed a thing impossible and was not beleeved the Assyrians being then with a mighty Army besieging Samaria n Now the Lord made the host of the Assyrians to hear a noyse of horses aad chariots and of a mighty host and for fear they all fled from their Tents and left their Tents and Camp even as it was with all provisions and fled for their lives o Now there were four lepers that were in distresse and ventured themselves to go to the Camp of the Assyrians where they found abundance of food and treasure and all the host was fled these bring tidings to Samaria And as the Lord had said by his Prophet so it came to passe p Here was no contrivance nor wisedom nor power of men in all this but the work of providence So you shall see that when two men go into the field to hew wood the head of the Axe sticth from the helve at unawares and killeth one of these men q This is the work of providence and in such a case God himself saith I have delivered such a man to the slayers hand r If God take care of a Sparrow he much more taketh care of a man But a Sparrow falleth not to the ground without the providence of God and a mani of more value then many Sparrows Å¿ Two men travell on the way the one is robbed of his purse the other is never assaulted this is providence in the one and in the other You know Ahab would needs go up to Ramoth-Gilead he was very confident of victory he takes much advice and counsell about it strengthens himself by the assistance of King Jehosaphaâ— and is encouraged by no lesse then four hundred false Prophets all say to him Go and prosper t Only Micâ—iah the Prophet of the Lord tels him from the mouth of God that he should not return in peace Ahab scorns the Prophets words and imprisons him and goes on with confidence of his design Now what crossed him in his design contrivements and power c. the Text tels you a certain man drew a bow at a venture â—nd shot an arrow He knew not Ahab nor
people but Providence ordered him to use those those words That as he was High-Priest that year he prophefied that Christ should die for the Nation p So the Wiseman tels us Many seek the favour of the Ruler but every mans judgement is from the Lord As we know men usually seek the favour of a Judge before whom they have a matter to come but they consider not that the verdict shall be as providence shall order it Yea Providence extendeth to the least and smallest of things as well as to the greatest for God worketh all things after the counsell of his own will even those things that men corruptly call Chance or Fortune The very hairs of a mans head they are numbred q a Sparrow is one of the meanest of birds yet a Sparrow falleth not to the ground but by Providence r The grasse the corn the Trees the Plants and the Flowers of the Field grow and flourish by providence Å¿ yea the lot that is cast or drawn as we say by chance is ordered and disposed by providence Providence ordereth all and every thing And as God by Providence governs and orders all creatures and their Actions so all creatures readily obey his command they are all at his call at his beck they come and at his beck they go whatsoever he commandeth that they do Every creature in their kinde own him for their Creator and Preserver The eyes of all saith the Psalmist wait upon thee and thou givest them their meat in due season t God is the great master of the whole Universe the great Family of the world he sets every one in their station appoints every one their work and pays them all their wages Thy judgements saith the Prophet are a great deep thou preservest man and beast u The young Lions seek their meat of God w and God prepareth for the young Ravens their food x The Creatures are the Hosts and Armies of God at what time soever he is pleased to muster them together The contemptible grashoppers if God please to whistle them shall be a destroying Army y Poor despised Flies shall come in swarms to plague a whole Nation if God command them yea at Gods command Frogs and Lice shall be irresistible Armies And who can stand before them The Hail the Ice the Snow the Fire the Water the Windes all and every thing are at his command All things in heaven on the earth in the Seas and in hell are at his beck Angels Men Beasts Birds Fishes yea devils themselves are commanded by God and are his Instruments to punish overturn lay desolate and destroy the mightiest Monarchs Kingdoms or people as pleaseth him Yet further That order that nature hath set in the creatures or things when God pleaseth to command shall be altred and changed in extraordinary manner The Red Sea must part in sunder and stand as a wall on this side and on that side The proud streams of the River Jordan shall be altred and turned back even in the time of her highest pride and overflowings z The Sun which as the Bridegroom cometh out of his chamber and as a Giant rejoyceth to run his race a must at Gods command for execution of his Decree stand still upon Mount Gibeon b Again when God pleaseth it shall neither stand still nor go forward but it must go backward ten degrees c Let Jouah be cast into the Sea if God command the waters shall not drown d if Daniel must be cast into the Den of cruell hungring ravening Lions they shall not be able one of them against Gods command to open a mouth to hurt him e If the three Children must be cast into a double-heated fiery Furnace the fire shall not burn nor so much as scorch one hair of their head f When God will have Israel come out of Egypt in quiet not so much as a dog in all Egypt shall move his tongue at man or beast g And when God commands the very dogs of Jezabels own house shall tear and devour Jezabel h all things act or forbear to act as God pleaseth to command them they readily execute all his pleasure Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world i that is nothing is new unto God in all the works of providence he knows all and every thing from all eternity what shall be for ever There is no contingency in the Decrees of God they are certain and unchangeable nothing shall fail of all that he hath purposed but providence shall surely effect and accomplish every work in its appointed time and season and by the means appointed according to the pleasure of God but unto men the works and Decrees of God are unknown they are contingent both in respect of Actions and Events And hence it cometh to passe that great works and strange events that providence bringeth to passe in the world are wondred at because they are strange to us we never see such a thing such a change such an overturn c. nor looked not for any such thing As the Prophet speaks When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for when thou camest down the mountains flowed down me thy presence k that is when God appeareth in the world in acting any new and great work which we have not seen nor looked for whether it be in the delivering of the Church out of some great affliction or bringing calamities upon his Church for their sins Or whether it be in visiting the Nations Inhabitants of the earth for their long-born with iniquities their abominable murthers cruelties and oppression their contempt of God and persecution of his servants the Ministers c. When God I say shall come and unexpected by us unlooked for overturn overturn throw down the mighty lay waste and make desolate strong Cities fortified Nations and the greatest Monarchies Then the mountains shall melt or flow down as water at Gods presence all obstructions shall be cast out of the way the great men and most crafty counsellors that stood like mountains a little before seeming impossible to be removed these shall vanish and come to nothing Who art thou O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain l God will throw off Kings and corrupt irreligious oppressing Parliaments let them make their mountains never so strong they shall be cast down This is the absolute Soveraignty of God the exercise of his Kingly power his everlasting dominion Who is as the Apostle expresseth the blessed God and only Potentate m He who hath on his vesture and on his thigh a Name written KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS Rev. 19. 16. He changeth times and seasons removeth Kings and setteth up Kings c. He is a just and righteous God and hath no respect of persons keepeth Covenant and promises to his people will not fail nor can be hindred He is
wicked design by which he thought to establish himself became his ruine r See the like by the experiences of our time King James Father to our late King not thankful for Gods mercies to him bringing him from a mean Kingdom to a rich and plentifull Nation flowing with milk and honey grew wanton and like Jeshurnâ— kicked he came to strong Cities a fat Land houses filled with goods Wells digged Vineyards Olive-yards Fruits c as is expressed by Nehemiah Ch. 9. 25. but he like Israel rebelled against his God and cast his Law behinde his back and persecuted the Prophets and Ministers that testified against him exalting himself and prerogative to make his Son and Family like Nimrod What strange wickednesse did he act in his private chamber and openly gave away the lawful wives of men to others viz. the Lady Rich to the Lord Mount-joy the Countesse of Essex to Carre c. Did he not design to bring the people of this Nation under by laying heavy burdens upon their shoulders What else was Loan-money illegal Fines for Buildings and his fooling of Parliaments endeavouring to make them uselesse and himself a great Monarch preparing for a greater work which his Son was to act which design our late King endeavoured to exalt and in pursuance thereof followed the footsteps of his Father not in personal sins but in publike grievances Like Rehoboam to make one of his fingers heavier then his Fathers loins And like Jeroboam to set up Calves in Bethel and in Dan to ensnare the people to advance prerogative Did not he endeavour by his Prelats or his Prelats by him to bring in a compliance or neer Union between England and Rome and to effect their design they endeavoured to weaken the Nations of able religious men and of Arms why else was Rochel betraied under pretence of releeving it and many able and godly men slaughtered Why else was that mock-voyage to Cadis why else were our honourable Parliaments disgraced called only of necessity for money sake but not suffered to reform any evil nor to put them to any shame which were the Actors of abominable wickednesse but honourable members of Parliamennt for such things were imprisoned where many died others were banisht their houses into remote Countreys Prisoners and Exiles c. And for the advance of prerogative new waies were invented to get money without Parliaments or Law Loan-money Knighthood-money Ship-money Compositions for Cottages Compositions for New Buildings Moneys for Forrest Lands Woods Timber c. Monopolies upon all our necessary commodities Taxes upon Customs and gun-powder ingrossed and kept from the Subject their Arms seized Companies of Souldiers were billeted in most Market-Towns of the Nation and lest that should be too little to effect the Tyrannical design the Duke and his plotrers had provided to have 600 Flanders Horse brought into England with Swisser Riders No man is so silly I think as to ask why all this was done for the reason is plain to every reasonable man Nor was this all for all zealous and godly Ministers were weeded out of every Town and Countrey Bishop Wren can easily name you some scores if not hundreds that he drove from their Livings and Habitations besides them he procured to be imprisoned and banisht Arminianism was advanced and they were made Bishops that defended it Lectures were put down Afternoon Sermons on the Lords Day were forbidden Books were published to give way to prophane the Lords Day by sports and pastimes these Books were commanded to be read in all Churches to ingratiate the multitude and such Ministers as refused to reade these Books were suspended the morality of the Sabbath was denied preached against Sunday called no Sabbath the name Minister was changed to Priest the Table to an Altar on which Basons and Tapers were set there was very little wanting to plain Popery but the name Thus far the design was carried on smoothly Scotland only stood in the way as some rub that must be removed and to that end a Liturgy was sent down to them which they would not swallow Therefore they must be forced an Army to that purpose was prepared The Scots make opposition money grew wanting to manage that design to leavy more forces A Parliament was called to raise money which refusing to give were quickly dissolved The Scots grew enraged had encouragements make invasion which caused another Parliament to be called That Parliament would give no money except they might be established to sit till they had reformed abuses and things They were established by an Act to sit until both Houses consented to dissolve and also two Acts of grace was passed viz. to take away the High-Commission and Star-Chamber All this to please the people that they might assist in their further design of war as shortly after appeared wherein providence ordered their designs counsels aims and ends to Gods glory and to their own ruine Here take speciall notice of six severall peeces of providence 1. That the great pressures innovations and the designs apparent of bringing on greater oppression even to a perpetual slavery caused great fears in the people which could not be secured but by an established Parliament 2. That providence infatuated the late King and his counsell in passing an Act of unlimited time for establishment of that Parliament which was the giving away of one chief part of prerogative by which he might else have dissolved that Parliament after some years and saved his head Esau sold his birthright but he designed to have the blessing Providence had infatuated him that he considered not that the blessing was annexed to the birthright Our late King sold that part of his exercised prerogative with design to get it double not only to be King still but Tyrant too How Providence hath ordered those designs we know Thirdly That after the signing of the Act aforesaid the Soveraign Authority was in the Parliament which the late King by a wicked Councel and lying Clergy was seduced to take Arms against as Ahab was by his Councell and 400. lying Prophets to go up to Ramoth-Gilead to his own ruine and the ruine of his Family Fourthly That his heart was hardened and the hearts of his Councel and would not hearken to any offer of peace or reconciliation though many addresses were made to him from time to time by the whole house unanimously but his heart like Pharaohs was hard and the time of his peace was hid from him until it was too late when he desired it and might not have it Fifthly That Providence should make use of the Earl of Essex to be the Instrument to drive the late Kings wife from him whose Wife the late Kings Father gave to another man Sixthly That the late King by his refusal of all offers of reconciliation and his delaies entreaties providence over-ordering all things against his designs became his irrecoverable ruine of whom we may say as Sir Walter Rawleigh saith of Darius He was
speak it And do apprehend that his purposes tend thereunto As also to the honour safety and benefit of the Common-wealth manifested by his ordering affairs abroad in making honourable peace thereby stopping more and greater effusion of bloud and exhausting of treasure As also his Highnesses care for proving Ministers to eject those that are scandalous and unsound in which I yet hope his Highnesse and present Parliament will make better and further progresse that known Heresies apparent Blasphemies and open prophanesse may be extirpate and â—ast out of these three Nations which that they may do shall be my constant praier And that as God hath added to his Highness encrease of worldly honour he will also double and redouble to him spiritual humility wisedom holinesse with all other graces And let this be the praier of Zions Saints that Peace and Truth may be established Jesus Christ set up in ouâ— hearts and sincerely worshiped in his own Ordinances that the purity of Ordinances may stand like the Ark of God before which all heresies seducements and doctrines of devils may fall like Dagon to the earth so that if it be possible Eugland may be the Beloved Nation and the praise of the whole Earth for the which let us all pray and endeavour and this brings us to our fifth Inference The fifth Inference is that although God have set a time for the giving in of mercies and for inflicting of Judgements which shall certainly be aâ—complished in their time yet men are to be diligent in the use of all lawful means for the enjoying of the one and the avoyding of the other This was ever the practice of holy men in all ages the Prophet Daniel notwithstanding he was well assured of the performance of Gods promise for the deliverance of his people after the set time of seventy years was expired yet he praieth with his face toward Ierusalem g yea when he knew the time was at hand he yet praieth for the accomplishment of it and confessed his own sins and the sins of the people h nor did he think it sufficient to pray for a spurt but he praied from the morning until the time of the evening Sacrifice i Thus Zion her self complaineth unto God and praieth for deliverance k and Nehemiab when the time was come mourned fasted and praied and used all lawful endeavours l He looked sad in the presence of the King sigâ—â—â—â—ing the sorrow of his heart for the ruines of Ierusalem and this was aâ—â—â—â—ns by which he obtained favour to make his Râ—quest to the King yea â—â—â—lest his tongue was speaking to the King his heart praied to the God of hâ—aven m and God gave him his desires not only to build the Temple at Ierusalem but to have all materials necessary for the woâ—k The reason why all lawful means must be used is Because whatsoever God in his secret counsel hath determined to be done he hath also determined and appointed the means how it shall be done As he hath decreed the end he also hath decreed the means conducing to that end So it was in the things of rebuâ—lding the City and Temple God had determined it should be built again promised it by his Prophets And he had also determined and appointed that â—yrus should be the means or secondary cause of it Therefore he cals Cyrus his Shepherd He that shall perform all his pleasure even saying to Ierusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple â—by foundation shall be laid n and he shall let go my captives o And this was at the time appointed made good as you may see Ezr. 1. 1. and herein Gods purpose and secondary causes work together God worketh by such men and endeavours as he hath appointed and such means men are to use You know God promised to Israel many blessings both temporall and spiritual he promiseth the downfal of their enemies and great encrease of all things multiplicity of blessings in all outward comforts p so he promiseth to them and in them to us Christrans all spirituall blessings freely given for his own Name sake he promiseth to sprinkle clean water on us to clense us from all our filthinesse and from our Idols He will give us a new heart and put his Spirit into us and cause us to walk in his Statutes q signifying thereby the merits and bloud of Jesus Christ which cleanseth us from all iniquity c. yet saith the Lord notwiâ—hstanding he will surely give all these blessings freely I will be sought unto I will be enquired of by the house of Israel to doe it for them r so you shall see God sends the Prophet to Hezekiah to teâ—l him he should suâ—ely die of the disease of which he was sick Hezekiah notwithstanding makes his addresses by praier unto God unto God to spare his life and obtains his desire God addes fifteen years Å¿ praier obtains the mercy desired that 's one means yet there must be another means added Hezekiah must take a bunch of figs and apply to the mortall sore and he shall recover t when God alloweth nay requireth that we shall use all lawful means for us to neglect to use the means or obstinately reject the means we are self-enemies and it is just with God to withhold the mercy we desire or to bring the judgements upon us we would avoid to neglect slieght or contomn any lawfull means is a tempting of God that man that shall cast off all means and say he will rest upon providence neither beleeves there is indeed an over-ruling providence nor can rest upon providence upon any Scripture ground He that will rest upon providence must follow the dictate and waies of providence else he deceives himself The Physician in cases of any necessity is the means for health the Chirurgion is a means for cure of a fretting wound ulcer or gangrene The Lawyer to clear a questioned Title or to pleade a doubtful cause before the Judge he that shall in such or the like cases neglect or reject such means providence offering it to him shall be justly condemned of folly by any wise man so it is in all things between God and us to obtain mercies or to avoid judgements we are to search out and to use all lawfull means But in the use of any means though never so lawfull we must take heed that we trust not to the means for that is sinful and the way to deprive our selves of what we do expect or most desire and to involve our selves in these troubles and miseries we would avoid and most fear This was the siâ— of that good King Asa in his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physicians u We must be diligent in means but trust in God as much as if we had no means to use You shall see that when Moses was to leade the people of Israel through a vast and barren wildernesse God
gave him a pillar of a cloud by day and of fire by night to go before them and the Ark of the Lord went before to finde out a resting-place w for where the Ark rested they staied and as long as the Cloud rested upon the Ark they rested in their Tents x This was providence guiding the people to convenâ—ent places for water and rest yet Moses the Servant of God is very inquisitive with his Father in Law whom Providence had brought to him and who was acquainted with the waies of the wildernesse and places where was Springs of water to instruct him in the way and be a guide unto him y he would not be wanting in the use of any lawful means When the Prophet Nathan sent from God tels David that his childe should surely die David notwithstanding sets himself to the use of means to preserve the childes life z yet David did not therein oppose himself against Gods will for David knew that the use of lawful means was no way crossing of Gods purpose He well knew that Gods comminations are sometimes conditional and sometimes absolute as indeed they are and so are the promises of mercies Gods threatning of judgement against Nineveh was conditional Yet forty daies and Ninevth shall be destroied that is if Nineveh do not repent but Niâ—eveh repented and was spared a The Text saith God saw they turned from their evil waies and repented of the evil he said he would do to them Not that God indeed repented or can repent or be changed the word repent we finde several times in Scripture 1 Sam. 15. 35. The Lord repented that he made Saul King and Gen. 6. 6. It repented the Lord that he had made man So in Ioel 2. 13. God is slow to anger and of great kindenesse and repenteth of the evil and in ver. 14. who knoweth if he will repent and leave a blessing behinde him These and other the like Scriptures are by some objected against the absolute decrees and purpose of God as if God did not absolutely determine what he would do but as if there were a contingency in God and that he upon occasion changeth his decree and purpose To this I answer That the word repent or repentings is but an expression which the holy Ghost useth after the manner of the speech of men whereby the pity and compassion of God is set forth unto us and how unwilling he is to punish his creatures as in Lam. 3. 33. He doth not afflict willingly that is he delighteth not to punish to afflict or to grieve the â—hildren of men but as he is provoked by their sins which he hateth and he hateth nothing but sin or for sin but God is said to delight in mercy Mic. 7. 18. We are not to search into the secret decrees of God which is absolute nor which is conditional but we know God is unchangeable in all his purposes and varieth not The strength of Israel saith the Prophet will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent b Therefore repentance in God is nothing else but his unchangeable ordering and disposing of changeable things God is not changed in any thing but things change and alter Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world c and what he hath purposed shall be done nothing can alter it as is shewed in our former discourse God is immutable he changeth not In him iâ— no variablenesse nor shadow of turning d But God is said to change when they whom God loveth and taketh care of are changed then God changeth the course of things so as it is for their good God unchangeably forgiveth them that repent as he did Nineveh and unchangeably punisheth them that go on in their wicked waies as he did Saul All comminations of God are means to repentance and to reformation and repentance with reformation is the means to prevent the judgements threatned except where the Decree is absolute as in the case of Esau Heb. 12. 17. and with Cain or Iudas c. and in case of resisting the means and motions of repentance as the stiff-necked Israelites Heb. 3. 11. to whom there is no place for repentings But this is the secret counsell of God and belongs not to us to search into farther then it is revealed in Scripture and the Revealed will of God is our rule we are to look no further but practise according to what it holds forth to us whether the threatning of judgements be absolute or conditionall it is not for us to enquire into it but we are to use all lawful means to prevent it as to obtain any mercy promised For all comminations of God are either for our repentance that we may prevent the evil or to our obduration that we may be without all excuse therefore God saith At what instant he shall speak concerning a Nation or concerning a Kingdom to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it If that Nation turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them and at what instant he shall speak concerning a Nation or Kingdom to build and to plant it if it do evil in his sight he will repent of the good wherewith he said he would benefit them e God is pleased to give encouragement to all and the Covenants which God hath made between himself and mankinde are conditional The Covenant with Adam was upon exact obedience on mans part Do this and live The Covenant in Christ is not of works but of grace established upon better promises as the Apostle reacheth f given by the hand of a Mediator ties us by the condition to beleeve and repent the fiâ—st Covenant under the Law sheweth what we should do but cannot The second Covenant under the Gospel teacheth us how all is done for us if we beleeve and repent The promises of the Law are to the exact workers and doers of the Law g The promises of the Gospel are to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly h c. Now if we break the condition on our part God is no way bound to us for if we beleeve not we shall be condemned i if we repent not we shall perish k Thus it was to the Nation of the Jews wrath came on them to the utmost because of their Impenitency and Unbelief how much more shall it be so to all other Nations and so it is to England Great blessings are promised and destroying udgements aâ—e threatned But God will surely withhold our mercies will pluck up what he planted and will hasten destroying judgements if we do not beleeve and repent Therefore it is Englands duty to be diligent in the use of all lawfull means to obtain mercies and to avoid Judgements Here let me give caution in two things 1. That we use no means but such as is lawful
if we ask according to our own will he will not hear him that is he wiâ—l not give him what he asketh And we must also ask in faith without wavering Jam. 1. 6. but how can we have faith in asking any thing for which we have not a promise for faith is grounded upon the promise Abraham beleeved the promise Rom. 4. 3. he staggered not at it he was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able to perform and would do it q And without faith it is impossible to please God r what is not of faith is sin without faith God accepts no praier Å¿ and in the last place we must ask all that we pray for in the Name of Iesus Christ Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you t See Joh. 14. 13. And in extraordinary cases we must adde spiritual â—â—sting to our praier for there is a kinde of devil that goeth not out but by praier and fasting u humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you up Jam. 4. 10. we must come with humbled hearts willing and desirous to bring our wils to Gods will but take beed of fasting and praying and making appeals to God w to bring Gods will to your will it is not safe to tempt God For our God is a consuming fire The next means is to get the love of God kindled in our hearts let us get burning zeal to the truth and receive the truth in the love of it contend for verity not for victory Advance the Gospel in the Ministry of it love the brotherhood honour all men fear God and honour the Supream Magistrate x whether King or Lord Protector this is Apostolical doctrine Let every soul be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God y This is the Apostle Pauls doctrine and this is the Apostle Peters doctrine Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake z for so is the will of God a This is no new devised doctrine nor is it in the least Antichristian but the doctrine of the Law and the doctrine of the Gospel If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine that is that denieth this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed b to deny this truth of the Gospel and teach for Gospel another thing is to bring in another Gospel But I am commanded by the Gospel that though men or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel then what the Apostles have preached not to beleeve it c The Gospel establisheth a standing Magistracy and a standing Ministry by them Liberty and Religion is maintained and preserved if well regulated Therefore it highly concerns Parliaments of which by Gods mercy and love to his people we are not wholly deprived nor by one for ever oppressed It is Gods mercy and his honour the Lord Protector I mean whom God hath made instrumental to call this Honourable Assembly in Parliament together I say it concerns them to consider whence we are fallen and whether we are going and by their authority to put bars against licenticusnesse and loose liberty and to be a wall of protection unto the truth that those Foxes may be taken that spoil the Vines for our Vines have tender grapes d Honourable Parliament if my Scribling Sheets ever come to your view take notice from them that God hath by his good providence called you together to make up the breach that finne hath made or rather God for sin upon us We have been perfidious to God and God hath removed justice and equity from us You must be both Phinchas and Aaron Phinchas to rise up with courage and zeal not only to do justice but to give life to the just Laws of the Nation that justice may be done by a Law against the transgressors of Gods Law e and Aaron to stand between the dead and the living that Gods anger may be appeased f You in behalf of the good people of these three Nations are to settle by Gods assistance these unsetled Nations what is possible for the present and with all possible care to look to the future the God Almighty be your strength and your Counsellor in the great work under your hands that you may be instruments in 〈◊〉 hand to establish a just and setled Magistracy and a holy religious Ministry That the glory of the Lord Jehovah may be advanced and the people of these Nations may again enjoy their Rights and Proprieties our sins cry to God for gâ—eateâ— judgements and the people cry under great pressures And God hath called you that are the great men of these Nations to prove and to try what you will do for him Jer. 5. 5. You have known the way of the Lord and the judgement of your God turn you not aside as others have done God seeks now as he did in Jerusalem to finde a man if there be any that executeth judgement and secketh the truth that he may spare poor England Jer. 5. 1. And let not the poor of these Nations be forgotten by you provide houses and stock to set them to work in all Cities Countreys and Towns that there may not be a beggar in our Israel g Debts ought to be paid but Publike Faith debts not paid is most dishonourable to the Nation I know as things have been managed it is no easie thing to pay them But to purge the University and Nurseries of Learning from their open pollutions and vicious practices and Schools of Learning to be purged of vitious Schoolmasters the poyson of youth and the bane of age and ages is a work acceptable to God a means to obtain blessings to posterities and it will cost no money to do it These and the like means diligently used really prosecuted freed from self-interest vain-glory or hypocrisie will assuredly multiply mercies on the Nations and prevent the judgements threatned and cause England to be the praise of the whole earth I pray give me leave to say what the Lord by the Prophet said in another case concerning Tythes then due by a Law of God leviticall only belonging to the Jews now due by no such right but they were unjustly withheld Therefore saith the Lord Prove me now therewith if I will not open to you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing h c. So I say Use such means as before I have briefly mentioned and prove the Lord if he will not double and redouble all sorts of blessings on this Common-wealth I blesse God that there hath been a beginning of a Reformation of some things by his Highnesse more then in some years past by others though much was promised And I blesse God that put into his Highnesses heart and this present Parliament to call for a general and
a signal testimony on the side of Moses and Aaron shewing who was the man that God did chuse by causing the rod of the Tribe of Levi to budd blossom and to bear Almons in the Tabernacle of witnesse c We are not to expect such miraculous signs in our time yet it cannot be denied our enemies themselves being witness but that God hath done wonderfull things by his Highnesse for us and against our enemies of which we have and may have a lasting benefit if we provoke not the Almighty by our murmurings and cause him to turn our blessings into a curse Faith makes not haste but staies Gods time and waits upon Providence But it appears we live more by sense then by faith We trust God so far as we see reason for it and no farther We say as the murmurers in the Wildernesse did to Moses Thou hast not brought us into a Land that floweth with milk and honey or given us inheritance of fields and Vineyards Wilt thou deceive us and make thy self a Prince over us and put on t the eyes of his people d Dost thou think they do not see thy falshood toward them These murmurings kept the people from the Land they looked for and brought a curse upon them which they looked not for and thus it may befall us if God be not more merciful to us Who is then the sinner and who shall posterity have cause to curse I beseech you My Brethren of England be not impatient take heed that you fight not against God murmure not at any Providence beleeve that God ruleth in the earth and governs all things and that all the turnings and overturnings and the changes which we have lately seen is of God And all these yea all things shall work together for good to them that love God e Let us trust God who is faithful in all that he hath said and will make good whatsoever he hath promised and that to us in our times if we provoke him not Let us therefore be followers of them that by faith and patience inherit the promise f Consider what our condition was before our last change and whether men were leading of us if Providence had not disappointed their design were we not hasting into that or worse condition that Israel was in at the beginning of Asa's government when they were without the true worship of God Without a Teaching Priest and without a Law and there was no peace to him that went out or to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countreys g If it were so with us then let us imitate those good people and do as they then did they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord their God and sought him and he was found of him 2 Chro. 15. 4. And at that time God stirred up the heart of Asa and he reformed all the evils and they were delivered God as I have said by strange providences evident to us hath stirred up his Highnesse and given him the honour to be Lord Protector of his people who knoweth what the Lord our God will do for us by him Let us seek God for him and daily pray that God will give him wisdome as to Solomon and courage as to Phinehas and zeal for the Lord of Hosts and for the religion of his God as to good Asa Hezechiah and others that God made instrnmentall for the glory of his Name and for the good of his people Such I hope his Highnesse will be to us not only in these three Nations but to the Church militant through the whole world take the Apostles rule and practise it Put up your praiers supplications intercessions and thanks-giving for all men but especially for all that are in authority and why that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and holinesse h But if we will disobey such precepts as this and provoke such Providences as have led us thereunto and be obstinate in our own waies and wils as if we would build new Babels to our own fancies and say as those Builders said Let us make us a Name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth i God will surely bring the evil upon us that we seek to prevent and we shall be scattered in our work Have we not some of us begun to lay the foundation of such a work why else are we thus confounded that we cannot understand one another One cals for mortar and another brings a mattock one cries out for brick and stone another brings a hammer and an axe One is building and another is breaking down One saies Christ Jesus is setting up Kings and chief Magistrates according to his own heart to be his Vicegerents on earth such as shall own the Lord Christ and acknowledge that they reign by him and for him according to that Prophesie of the Evangelicall Prophet Isa. 49. 23. Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers and Queens shall be thy Nursing Mothers they shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth and lick up the dust at thy feet and thou shalt know that I am the Lord c. that is as the Nurse feeds the childe and defends it from harm so Kings and Queens under the Gospel shall tender the Church of Christ to provide for it by providing holy Ministers and honourable maintenance for them that they may not serve Tables but wholly attend to the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments and be a wall of protection to keep them from harm and that corrupt doctrines break not into the Church and they shall bow down to thee with their faces to the earth that is they shall acknowledge the Lord Christ to be their head before whom they shall cast down their Crowns and acknowledge they are but his Vicegerents by him appointed to feed cherish and defend his faithful ones and to reverence the word of Christ c according to that of the Psalmist All Kings shall fall down before him all Nations shall serve him k Others say that Christ is Staining the pride of all glory and bringing into contempt all the honourable of the earth pulling down all Kings and kingly powers Isa. 23. 9. Others say that Christ is only pulling down all wicked Kings Tyrants and Persecutors and will stain the pride of all humane glory such as Babylon and Tyre against whom the Prophet Isaiah in the 23. Chapter before-mentioned denounceth judgement but not against all Kings yet deny not that the Lord Christ who is said to ride upon a white horse going forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6. 2. shall conquer all Kings and Kingdoms that are his enemies all shall stoop before him Others say Christ only shall reign and shall be King of the Saints and shall be set up in his glory and Kingdom on earth by the Sword of his Saints in bloud alluding to that in Rev. 19. 13. He was
cloathed in a vesâ—ure dipt in bloud And as in Psa. 58. 10. The Saints shall wash their feet in the bloud of the wicked and in Psa. 68. 23. That thy foot may be dipped in the bloud of thine enemies c. The meaning of these places is plain to be no more but the suddain destruction which the Lord Jehovah should bring upon the wicked such as are enemies to the Church as in the words going before in Psa. 58. 8 9. As a Snail that melteth they shall passe away and before the pots can feel the thorns he shall take them away as with a whirlwinde He shall who is that he It is God Jehovah he shall do it not the Saints the Lord Christ to whom all power and dominion is given and was given to him from the time of his Incarnation as he himself witnesseth Mat. 28. 18. All power is given to me c. he doth not say It shall be given me but in the present tense It is given unto me Hence is that of Isa. 63. 3. I have trâ—d the wiâ—epresse alone and of the people our Saints there was none with me for I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury See Rev 14. 20. and Rev. 19 17 18. by which it is evident that the destruction of Christs Enemies shall not be by the sword in the hand of the Saints but by some miraculous way from heaven like that expressed in Rev. 20. 9. Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them It is doubtlesse true that Satan is let loose out of prison and God useth him instrumentally to deceive the Nations we see it and the Lord Jehovah doth cause them by Satans deceits to destroy and consume one another but the great destruction must come by some great and miraculous way from the hand of God and thus Christ is said to be King of Nations and he is King of Saints in a peculiar manner he is the protector and safe preserver of the Saints on earth and he ruleth in them spiritually notwithstanding M. Spittlehouse be of an erring opinion as he expresseth in a late Paper published in print I shall esteem and strive to imitate him in any vertue but I must dissent from his errours Of this I have spoken in our fifth Inference to which I referre the Reader for further satisfaction We that make Scripture our rule say and shall ever aver that the Kingdom of Christ is set up by praier and that is the power of the Spirit of God within us he shall rule in the hearts of the Saints and by his Kingly power shall and will subdue our lusts or fantasies and self-waies mortifie the flesh and the affections thereof that we may be fit Temples for him to dwell in that he alone may rule and reign there l Others there be that will have none to rule over them but Caesar Caesar must be their King they will neither have Christ nor his vicegerent to be their King but they say stoutly as the unbeleeving Jews Away with him away with him we have no King but Caesar m Such are the great Disciples of M. Evans who hath a notable Art to abuse Texts of Scripture Many other such Babel practices we have to work confusion in a poor shattered Common-wealth but God in his appointed time will prove our buildings and what they are whether we have built upon the sands or upon the rock n I shall at this time omit to numerate mens self-waies and shall with the Apostle Paul give this caution to all he saith of himself according to the grace of God which was given to him as a wise Master Builder he had laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon for the fire shall try every mans building what it is 1 Cor. 3. 10 13. Let not any that professe to be Christians contend for victory but seek verity for strife and division are fleshly and carnal as the Apostle expresseth in the Chapter last mentioned The Lord Christ exhorts us to peace the Apostles all exhort to peace love and concord and Saint Paul tels us If we bite and devour one another we shall be consumed one of another o And the Lord Christ by a convincing Argument saith that If a Nation be divided against it self it cannot stand p Consider how great things God hath done for you q therefore serve the Lord with all your heart But if you will murmure against God and do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King these are the words of Samuel to the people when they bad sinned in asking a King not simply in asking a King but violently desiring it before Gods time came that he would give them a King for David was from the beginning ordained to be their King although they had not asked a King as is evident Gen. 49. 10. and Kings are Gods Lieutenants on earth It is no lesse sinful to refuse a King when God gives him then it was sinful to ask a King before Gods time was come wherein he would give them a King Let not this be Englands sin it will not be unpunished we have seen the work of Providence all along in setting up our Lord Protector all the plottings and devices and counsels of men could never have effected such a thing in such a way it is evident that God hath done it we have seen the working of the wheels and the living creatures by the wheels spoken of by the Prophet Ezechiel in Chap. 1. 15 16 17. c. and in Chap. 10. 13. c. And a wheel in the middle of a wheel r It is hard to kick against pricks and it is a dangerous thing to provoke providence I have seen a seditious Paper sent abroad by some that stile themselves sober Christians intitled Some Memento's to the Army I hope they are as they stile themselves But I am sure Christians have neither precept nor example of such practice to stir up rebellion There was one Sheba the son of Bichri a very seditious man upon Scripture record a Son of Belial of whom it is said He blew a Trumpet and said We have no part in David every man to his Tent O Israel Å¿ Bichri prepared as he intended for a new war against David What his reward was from the hand of a just God you shall see 2 Sam. 20. 22. he lost his head by the hands and consent of his associats Scatter thou the people saith the Psalmist that delight in war t You may know that warre is every where in Scripture threatned as one of Gods sorest judgements and peace is promised as a singular mercy to a Nation it was so to the Nation of the Jews and is especially promised to the Church under the Reign of Christ Kingdom when they shall beat their swords into plow shares and their spears into pruning books
office though not by the Name or Title of a King God by his providence hath exalted the Lord Protector And he that resists his just Authority and Government resists the Ordinance of God It is evident he hath not assumed to himself that authority he that objects that I beleeve speaks against the dictates of his own conscience except his conscience be cauterized and that he hath exercised any Tyranny or oppression over the people it is false and malicious calumniation or that he will ever do any such thing is but envies suspicion therein measuring his Corn by their own Bushell He hath been the instrument in Gods hand to withhold greater oppressions from the people and what at this day lies upon their shoulders were laid on by others not by him from which he is endeavouring to free us Let us not therefore whilest he is easing of us cry out against him and say he hurts us like the dogge that bites him that saves him from the tree And for Laws he hath given none of himself for he refers that to the Honourable Parliament now sitting and successors That which he did by advice of his Councel in the regulating of the Chancery and ejecting scandalous Ministers and bringing all treasuries into one c. were I think very acceptable things and beneficial to the Nation such as were long looked for from but they came not Object 2 Obj. I but he hath protested engaged and promised before God and men against the government to be by one person and that the government should be by succeeding Parliaments c. I answer not contesting whether he made any such particular engagement and promise or not but grant he did such a thing I hope the Objector will grant for it cannot be denied that in every promise or engagement there is some condition the condition not kept the promise or engagement is void Whether it were between man and man in private contract or whether it were between a publike person of trust and a Nation or to other persons of publike concernment if in any thing of private contract doubtlesse although the promiser were a looser by it he is in strictnesse of conscience tyed to perform what he promised But if to publike concernment the conditions failing in the least he is not bound to perform what he promised and intended for that were the highest breach of trust possibly his Highness might by perswasion and conditions promised engage against the government by Kings and to be governed by Parliaments beleeving such or such conditions being performed it might be most for the Peoples Freedom and Liberty but when he found the conditions waved and that the Freedom and Rights of the people was monopolized and their liberty turned into licentiousness he might change his minde and purpose A good Father that promiseth to his childe such or such an Inherinance and really intends to do it yet if he be fully and experimentally convinced that his childe will abuse that donation he revokes his promise alters his intention and gives it to any other and that justly I am unwilling to speak all the truth in this case because I would not cast dirt c. But the question is whether his Highness was not bound rather to wave such a promise to preserve posterity then to keep it to enslave a Nation he being a chief and principal man in trust For as I said just now in every promise there is some condition as when it was imposed by supream authority on all the people of the Nation to engage to be true and faithful to that government then without King or House of Lords The condition was implied that the people must have honest and just protection under that government And the end of all promises and engagements ought to be to Gods glory and publike good Now if after such promise or engagement made by his Highnesse if either the condition or the end did not concurre or answer the intention as we know it did not his Highness is absolutely freed from his promise or engagement and no way tied unto such a promise Object 3 It is further objected That he was the Commenwealths Servant trusted by Parliament to maintain the Priviledges of Parliament and was paid for what he did But for him to dissolve Parliaments break their Priviledges and set up himself to rule and govern as he please is not just Answ Let it be granted he was the Common-wealths servant he ever acknowledged it so was the Parliament too but became Lords over the people at their own will and although he were trusted by the Parliament yet he was not a servant to the Parliament farther then the Parliament was Servant to the Commonwealth for publike benefit he himself as a member had equal voice in Parliament and had greater trust imposed on him then all even by the authority of Parliament for their lives and liberty and the well-being of the three Nations lay in his trust and faithfulnesse who never failed in the least of any performance in which by the blessing of God upon his industry providence made him instrumental of â—heir preservation and of the nations He was as a Souldier well contented with his pay he repined not nor sought for more only endeavoured that the fruits of Gods blessing given in by God to the Nations by his industry and faithfulnesse might be distributed to the people in all justice which was not done but the contraty Therefore I say he being established the chief person in trust was bound to discharge that trust in all things for publike good especially providence leading him by gradations step by step to what he did which if he had neglected or shall hereafter neglect God will raise up some other but if he had been unfaithful in this then what should he do as Job speaketh when God shall arise up and when God visiteth what should be answer him Nor did he break the priviledge of Parliament though he dissolved that Parliament for the priviledges of Parliament were broken but not by him long before their dissolution by whom and upon what design the whole people of the Nation knew and I willingly omit to repeat If the attempting to take out five Members was a breach as surely it was then the taking out or driving away of more then half five hundred was a greater breach and as much as a whole dissolution which priviledge could not well be restored without a dissolution for if that Parliament as was in design by some had been perpetuated or if as was by some others designed there had been another force upon the house or as they called it another purge where had been the priviledges of the people What would have become of the fundamental Laws of the Nation and amongst how many heresies and corrupt new formed Religions must we have searcht to finde truth and who should have known his right or enjoyed his propriety in any thing Nor did his Highnesse