that shew that Princes may make use of other help So there is for Subjects to make use of other helps against the oppression of their Princes many Scriptures have been mentioned formerly and cleered Further besides this we answer that the power of all Kings is not alike it is no argument because one King hath such and such power therefore all must needs have The power of Kings is limited or enlarged by the severall Laws of severall Countries Let us see what the third Scripture sayes for yet our consciences are not scrupled it is Numb 10. That the people might not go to war but by order from him that had the power of the Trumpet Because there was a positive order there that Moses must make trumpets and thus use them Doth it follow that this must be so every where you may by as true a consequence urge the necessity of silver trumpets and that the Priests should blow them as well as the former The consequence would be full as good No King can use Trumpets in war but by the blowing of the Priests for it is commanded there as that no people can go to war till the Magistrates use the Trumpets because it is so ordered there we know the Law is judiciall and for those judiciall Laws the equity binds no further then according to rules of prudence and justice every countrey shall see behoofefull for their conditions Besides if this did binde then it were a sinne for an Act to passe to put the Militia for any time into any other hands for certainly it might not then be done no not with Moses and Aarons consent The next Scripture is 1 Sam. 26. 9. who can stretch out his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltlesse Why doth the D. speake of stretching forth the hand against the Lords Anointed who endeavours it doth not the Parliament professe the defence of the Kings Persons 2. Doctor willet upon this place gives you this Answer That indeed it is not lawfull for a private man to lay hands no not upon a tyrant for it is not lawfull for a private man to kill a thiefe of a murderer much lesse a Magistrate a Prince But secondly he tels us of some that have laid hands upon a King and yet have been guiltlesse as Ehud upon Eglon King of Moab therefore from that Scripture there cannot be a generall Proposition drawn that no man in any case may stretch forth his hand against a King Yea Doctor willet answers in the third place that yet Tyrants and wicked Governours may be removed by the whole State He indeed limits this and sayes it must be understood of such Kingdomes as goe by election as in Polonia and gives this reason From whom Kings receive their authority by them may they be constrained to keep within bounds This it seems was good Divinity in those dayes This distinction he used to deliver the opinion from opposition in England but if the distinction be examined there will appeare little strength in it We doe not find that D. willet was ever reproved or his writings censured for this thing Concerning that restriction of his to Kingdomes by election we shall when wee come to shew from whence all Kings have their power see that if it proves true of them it will prove true of others for the foundation of all power that such and such men have over others will be found either from election or covenant which will come to all one D. Ferne proceeds thus If the King had come into the battel his person might have been hurt as well as any This had been but accidentally If a father should voluntarily goe into the Army of the common enemy against whom the childe is in service and the child in discharging upon the enemy should slay his father being there especially he being desired beseeched by any meanes not to be there but to withdraw himselfe doth the child contract guilt in such a case His next Argument from Scripture is That the Prophet reprechending the Kings of Israel and Judah for Idolatry and oppression none ever called upon the people for this duty of resistance First There is much difference betweene Kings now and those Kings The people then did neither give them their power nor limit their power They doe both now when first they are set up Secondly if this be a good argument that because when Kings oppressed the prophet did not cal upon people for resistance therefore all resistance in any case is unlawful then if when people have resisted cast oft the Government of their King the Prophets have not reproved them for it then it is lawfull for people in some case to resist He that will harken to his own reason must acknowledge there is par ratio If the Prophets exhorted not to resistance then there may be no resistance sayes the Doctor Then if when there is resistance the Prophets rebuke not that resistance then there may with as good reason be resistance say I. When the ten Tribes cast off the Government of Rehoboam for his oppression and hearkning to his young Cavalliers about him rather then to his ancient grave counsel the Prophets did not rebuke the ten Tribes for what they did but rather seemed to take their parts 1 Kings 12. 24. â—eturn every man to his house for this thing is from mee Now the D. comes to his great place again Rom. 13. which he sayes be will free from all exceptions Nay bare me an Ace of that The truth is he vever so much as mentions nor thinks of the great exception which duly considered will clear the Text to be nothing to his purpose First he supposes that the King is the supream as Peter calls him or the higher power as here 1. It is true Peter cals the King Supreame but in the same place he is made an ordinance of man and therefore to be limited by man He may be the chiefe man in authority and yet limited in that authority he is supreame but not absolute We grant that the Houses of Parliament and we all are his Subjects but not Subjects to his will but to that power of his that Law gives him 2. He takes for granted the King is the higher power Here observe his mistake Let it be granted that the King hath the highest power yet what propriety of speech is it to say that he is the highest power It is proper to God to say that he is Power in the abstract Well The King hath the highest power and we must be subject to this power of his and not resist it Who denies all this When all this is granted the D. hath got nothing at all for if we resist not that power which Law hath given him we do not resist the higher power although we do not do nor suffer what hee would have us to do or suffer Then he reasons from the person whosoever
The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts Opened in two SERMONS At MICHAELS Cornhill LONDON Vindicating the Commission from this Lord of Hosts to Subjects in some case to take up Arms. WITH A POST-SCRIPT Briefly Answering A LATE TREATISE BY HENRY FERNE D. D. BY JER BURROUGHES PSAL. 48. 8. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts LONDON Printed for R. Dawlman 1643. To his Excellencie ROBERT Earle of Essex Viscount Hereford Baron Ferrars of Chartley Lord Bourchier and Lovaine one of His Majesties most Honourable Privie Counsel and General of the Army raised by the Parliament in defence of the true Protestant Religion His Majesties Person the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and the priviledges of Parliament THere is no man this day upon the face of the earth whom it more concernes to have this name of God The Lord of Hosts presented to him in the due lustre glory of it then your Excellencie whom the Lord hath not onely honoured to stand up even in the fore front to maintain his cause and the cause of his people but he hath even put upon you this his owne name he hath made you the Lord of his Hosts It is that which every Souldier may justly glory in that God himselfe seems to affect the glory of Arms when he causeth himselfe to be as it were sir-named THE LORD OF HOSTS The beams of this glorious name puts some lustre upon the meanest in an Army What a lustre then doth it put upon your Excellencie who stand so neare it Happy the time that ever you were borne to be made use of by God and his people in so noble and honourable a service as this We reade ZECH. 3. 3. of Joshua that great instrument of Reformation in the returne of JUDAH from her Captivity that he stood in filthy garments but the Angel spake to those who stood before him saying Take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I wil cloathe thee with change of rayment Those who stand up most eminent and forward in the cause of God and his people shal ever have some who wil seek to stain their glory by slanders and reproachfull names to put them into vile garments what viler garment can there be then the garment of Treason and Rebellion But the Angel stands by to take off these vile garments and to clense his servants even from this nominall iniquity he will put change of rayment upon them he will one day make it appeare that there were none so faithfull to God their King and Countrey as they The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem saith the Text ver 2. wil rebuke them who thus stand up against his servants The Lord who hath set his heart to bring mercie to Jerusalem to his Church will certainly rebuke such as stand to resist the great instruments thereof Wherefore that which the Angel of the Lord protested to JOSHUA v. 6. I may in the name of the Lord with a little change protest unto your Excellencie Thus saith the Lord of Hosts if you will walke in my wayes and if you will keepe my charge then you shall have an eminencie in my house and I will give you places among these that stand by That is among the blessed Angels in the heavens If a cup of cold water shall not go without a reward surely then the venturing estate liberty limbes honour bloud life for the cause of Christ shall not goe without its reward Wherefore most noble Lord of our Hosts yea of the Hosts of God Goe on with true Heroicke magnanimity and prosper in the name of this glorious Lord of hosts The prayers of the Churches are for you the blessings of the Saints are upon you I beleeve never any Generall upon the earth hath been mentioned more in heaven then your Excellencie hath been and yet is in this cause That which is storyed of the Crosse appearing to CONSTANTINE with these words HOC VINCES I may with far more confidence apply to this name of God The Lord of hosts This I present unto your Excellence with this Motto Hoc vinces The name is in it selfe a box of sweet ointment give me leave to open it before your Excellencie that it may be fragrant indeed and adde quickning and strength To that true noble heroick spirit fit for great actions that God hath honoured you withall I here humbly present it opened and poured forth The blessing of it be upon you and those great things undertaken by you which is and shal be the prayer of Your Excellencies in all humble service and duty Jer. Burroughes To the Reader THe necessity of the time put me to preach upon this subject the City being in great feare of a great Army comming against it in the name of the King and the necessity of the subject for this time made me not unwilling to yeeld to the making my meditations upon this subject yet more publike Something I have enlarged especially in the argument of justifying the present taking up armes so much cryed down as if it were against the King to be by commission from the Lord of Hosts which is discussed page 27. and so on the satisfation of the consciences of men in this thing is of so great consequence in this time that every man is bound to afford what help hereunto he is able I should have had guilt lye grating upon mine own conscience if I had stifled what I might afford to the helping towards the satisfaction of others although therefore I am not ignorant but sensible enough that it is an argument wherein a man runs hazard enough yet whatsoever I suffer in it may I be usefull I have enough This I can say if I ever did or am like to publish any thing in the uprightnes of my heart aiming at the glory of God and thy good I blesse God I have comfort in this and in this whatsoever the issue be I shal rejoyce Certainly things had never come to that passe they are at if mens consciences had bin rightly informed in the liberties God hath given them The infusing contrary principles and making men beleeve that the subject must and would suffer any thing rather then rise up to maintaine his own right hath beene the cause of the bold adventures of many amongst us What I have said is breife comming to you as a Sermon it could not admit of larger discourse but if there be need it would not be very difficult to enlarge these things in another way Read for thy profit and I have my end Yours to serve for Christ Jer Burroughes IT is ordered this first day of December 1642. by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing That this Book entituled The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts be printed by Robert Dawlman appointed thereunto by M. Ieremy Burroughes the
Author thereof John White The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts ESAY 47. 4. The Lord of Hosts is his Name IN this Chapter wee have Gods mercie to his Church threatning the destruction of Babylon When Babylon is used as Gods rod it is then cast into the fire If Israel when God was about to deliver from Babylonish Captivity should aske the Question that Moses thought would be asked upon his sending to be their Deliverer from the Egyptian bondage What is his Name Exod. 13. 3. The Prophet answers here The Lord of Hosts is his Name There his Name was I am Here it is The Lord of Hosts And if they should say But how can this deliverance be here Can Babylon bee destroyed Babylon is strong who shall bring downe her power Yes there is one can doe it The Lord our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his Name Here then we have this glorious title of the Lord for the comfort of his people in their distresse and the terrour of their enemies in their pride The Lord of Hosts The Lord of Armies The English word Hosts is from the Latine Hostis because an Army is either for defence or offence against enemies The Redeemer of Gods people is the Lord of Hosts The work then I have to do in this Sermon is to teach you how to sanctifie the Name of the Lord in this his glorious title The Lord of Hosts It is the duty of the Saints to observe what the way of God is in the times of their generation To see what name of God is most conspicuous in his administration accordingly to sanctifie that Name of his We may say of this Name of God The Lord of Hosts as God himselfe sayes of his Name Jehovah Exod. 6. 3. By my Name Jehovah was I not known to them So by this name The Lord of Hosts God hath scarce been known to us here in England but now he appears to us by this name in a glorious way And we shall not know how to sanctifie it except wee search into it to see how much of Gods glory there is in it which we shall find much more then at first view seems to be then most of us have ever thought All Gods titles are full of excellencie The excellencie of this I shall open unto you that this Name of God may not be taken in vain by you but be sanctified as it is worthy It is a title that God hath heretofore delighted much yea gloryed much in we find it not lesse then two hundred times in the Old Testament and most frequently in the Prophecie of Zechariah Chap. 1. ver 3. we have it three times in one verse and in one short Chapter Zech. 8. we have it there eighteene times But why is it used so frequently in that Prophecie more then others Because the scope of that Prophecie was to encourage the people of God in building up Ierusalem and the Temple in which work they had many enemies and therefore they had need of a spirit of magnanimity and fortitude in it Hence it was the Lord revealed himselfe to them so much by the name of The Lord of Hosts Times of Reformation Temple-work usually meets with much with strong opposition We had need therefore to have this name of God in our eye and sanctifie it in our hearts in such times while such work is on foot It is true God did this work without bloud-shed it was done not by power or by might but by the Spirit of the Lord as we have it Zech. 4. 6. but because the work was such as in regard of second causes needed an Army to effect it although God did it himselfe yet his Name was to be sanctified in it as the Lord of Hosts In the New Testament we seldome find this title it is but twice that I remember in all the New Testament and in one of those two places it is quoted out of the Old Testament Rom. 9. 29. There the Hebrew word is retained The Lord of Sabbaoth not of Sabbath as many take it There is a great difference between these two The Lord of Sabbath and The Lord of Sabbaoth The one is the Lord of rest the other is the Lord of Hosts those words come from a different root in the Hebrew The second place is James 5. 4. and there you have not the English word Hosts but the Hebrew word Sabbaoth likewise In the New Testament we have Gods Titles fuller of sweetnesse and grace as The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The God of all consolation The Father of mercies The God of peace c. The more cause have we to be humbled who live in the times of the Gospel and yet are come to such times wherein God hath changed as it were his name and even in the times of the Gospel appears to us in this dreadfull name of his The Lord of Hosts This Title is in it selfe a very fearfull one and yet before we have done with it we shall find it like that name of Christ Cant. 1. 3. Thy name is as an ointment poured forth a sweet refreshing pleasant ointment In the 2. of Sam. Chap. 6. ver 2. the Lord speaks of this name of his set between the Cherubims Whose name is called by the name of the Lord of Hosts that dwelleth between the Cherubims Now you know the Mercy-seat was between the Cherubims and that which I shall endeavour this day is To shew you this name of the Lord of Hosts written upon the mercy-seat between the Cherubims Although it be dreadfull in it selfe yet all Gods Saints shall have it this day presented to them from the mercie-seat A name as full of goodnesse and mercy as our hearts can desire We have already seen in this Kingdom the Lord of Hosts upon his Mercy-seat making this his dreadfull title to be amiable and lovely to us from thence dispensing grace and abundance of mercy in the manifestation of this his glorious title It is comfortable to behold the Lord of Hosts sitting upon his Mercy-seat and thus am I to present him this day unto you Now God is called The Lord of Hosts in two respects First because all creatures in heaven and in earth are his armies He is the absolute great Lord over them all The Angels Sunne Moon Stars the Dragons the Deeps the Fire Haile Snow Wind the Mountains Trees Cedars the Beasts and all creeping things the flying Fowles the Kings of the earth and all people are the Hosts of the Lord. Psal 148. ver 2. c. Secondly in regard of that speciall providence of God in the great affaires of wars and battels in the world It is true the providence of God is over the least things in the world but God challengeth a more speciall and peculiar ackowledgment of his work of Providence about War-like affaires in regard whereof he takes this title to himselfe The Lord of Hosts If I should
is with them there Deut. 20. 4. The Lord your God is he that goeth with you to fight When God sayes I am with you you may write down what you will to make up this promise a compleat one for your safety and comfort As thus I am with you to assist you I am with you to direct you I am with you to encourage you to blesse to save you to comfort you to reward you c. I am with you saies God This is as it were a piece of a line that our faith must make up If we once have this promise got into our hearts whatsoever we want we may adde to it and then our peace and joy may be full We reade Judges 4. 8. Barak would not goe into the field except Deborah would goe with him It is ill going into the field except God goe with you but if you have this promise in your hearts you cannot but have strength in your hands Zac. 10. 5. They shall be as mighty men which tread downe their enemies as mire in the streets in the battell and they shall fight because the Lord is with them and the riders on horses shall be confounded 7. God is not onely with his people in their fight but he goes before them as their Captain to lead them That one place will suffice for all Josh 5. 13. Joshua saw a man with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went to him and said Art thou for us or for our adversaries And he said Nay but a Captaine of the host of the Lord am I now come It is apparent this was Christ for Joshua fell on his face and worshipped and said What saith my Lord unto his servant And the Captaine of the Lords Host said unto Joshua Loose thy shoes from off thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy 8. God condescends lower even to be the Trumpeter in the wars of his people It is accounted too mean a work for a Generall to blow the Trumpet to his Armie but this great Generall The Lord of Hosts that he might encourage his people the more in his battels he blows the Trumpet himselfe to them Zach. 9. 14. And the Lord shall blow the trumpet and shall goe with the whirle-winds of the South Why of the South Those winds are hottest and therefore swiftest If ye see the South-wind ye say it will be hot sayes Christ and so it commeth to passe Luk. 12. 54 55. If we think our General follows too slowly this great General The Lord of Hosts follows swiftly enough In the words before The arrowes of the Lord are said to goe forth like lightning Swiftnesse in an Army is of great consequence it hath been a special advantage to our adversaries We doe little except in this we equall them 9. God is the Rereward of his people in times of Battail Isa 52. 12. Ye shall not go out with haste nor by slight for the Lord will goe before you and the God of Israel will be your Rereward Not the Reward but Rereward the guard defence behind When an Army is strong in the Rereward as wel as in the Front it is safe God is both before and behind in the Armies of his people 10. Gods providence in Wars works in the continuance of them How long they shall abide in a Land and when they shall cease is wholly from the appointment of the Lord of Hosts He workes in the upholding parties bringing in supplyes breaking asunder treaties c. We are ready presently to cry out How long shall the sword devour but when God gives Commission to the sword it must stay it must goe on devouring till the Commission be out Jer. 47. 6 7. Oh thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into the scabbard rest and be still The answer is there How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon against the sea shore there hath he appointed it Hos 11. 6. The sword shall abide on his cities and consume his branches and shall devour them because of their own counsels We are troubled at the sword comming neare our Cities but how sore would the misery be if it should come into our Cities but if abide in our Cities what miserable spoile and ruine would there be If wee would be delivered from so great an evill let us take heed of our own counsels If God leaves Parliament or City to their own counsels the sword will abide amongst us longer time then we for the present imagine even until it hath devoured God usually is a long time before he draws his sword he is whetting preparing delaying it but when it is once drawn he many times will not put it up again untill it bee bathed filled fatted satiated drunke with blood All these expressions we finde in Scripture Esay 34. 5 6. My sword shall be bathed in heaven it shall come downe upon Idumea upon the people of my curse When Gods sword hath to deale with the people of his curse then it shall be bathed indeede And surely God hath a people of his curse amongst us this day who they are is easie to know You may know them to bee cursed of God by the horrid blasphemies and hideous unheard-of curses that come out of their mouthes The earth was never stained with such dreadfull execrations and blasphemies since man lived upon the face of it as now it is by these men Surely the brand of Gods curse is upon them feare them not Ver. 6. it is said The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatnesse and Jer. 46. 10. The sword shall devoure it shall be satiate and drunke with their blood And when God is pleased to give the word hee makes wars to cease Psal 49. 9. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in sunder he burneth the chariot in fire Of Gods worke in stilling wars we have a most admirable example 1 Kings 12. 21. we have not the like in all the Booke of God neither was there ever the like before or since in the world King Rehoboam was incensed against the ten Tribes falling off from him he was in as great a heat and rage against them as we can imagine a man could be put into This fire of his rage was blowne up to the height by those young daring Cavaliers that were about him he had got an Army together strong enough an hundred and fourescore thousand men a mighty force and it was but to bring the Kingdome to the house of David Well their power was great their rage was fierce their cause they questioned not they were going forth with a high hand with cruel and bloody intentions How was all stilled now You shall find that The word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the Prophet saying Speak to Rehoboam Thus saith the
Lord Ye shall not goe up to fight against your brethren returne every man to his house The Text sayes They hearkned to the word of the Lord and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord. What a mighty work of God was this what power hath God over the spirits of men yea of the greatest who think it an unsufferable dishonor to be controlled in any thing they have set their hearts upon Rehoboam a wicked man in the heighth of his pride and wrath thus strong apprehending himselfe exceedingly wronged so much of his Kingdome rent from him and there comes onely a poore Prophet and speakes to him in the name of This Lord of Hosts that hee should not fight against his brethren and all is stayed he returnes back again and sits down quiet Oh that now some Prophet of the Lord might have accesse to His Majesty and tell him that hee must not goe this way he doth that he is drawn aside by evill men about him that there is a misunderstanding betweene him and his people that nothing is done by us but according to the minde of God that we doe not endeavour to deprive him of any lawfull power he hath given him by God or man but onely to preserve our lawfull liberties as truly ours as he is born unto the Crown and that we might with peace enjoy the Gospell and serve the Lord and His Majesty in our own Land 11. The providence of God in war is great in removing it from one place to another The Lord of Hosts gives the sword commission to ride circuite from one Land to another Countrey and from one part of a Kingdome unto another Ezech. 14. 17. Or if I bring a sword upon that Land and say Sword goe through the Land so that I cut off man and beast in it The sword hath beene in many parts of our Land already even in the utmost parts Northumberland and Cornwall the two extremities of the Land as Dan and Bersheba in the Land of Canaan Just were it with God to give it commission to goe up and downe in the midst of it yea in great part hee hath done it already and how is it devouring even almost round about us the guilt of the misery our brethren have suffered the guilt of their blood is upon the whole Kingdome in as much as the whole Kingdome hath not risen even as one man to prevent it but wee suffer our brethren in severall places to bee devoured one after another one countrey hopes it will not come there and another countrey hopes it shall escape and in the meane time wee suffer our brethren to bee spoyled Jer. 12. 12. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wildernesse They are come from the Countrey to the City the Countrey is to them but as a wildernesse in comparison of the City For the Sword shall devoure from the one end of the Land to the other no flesh shall have peace Jer. 25. 15. The Lord bade the Prophet take the cup of the wine of his fury and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it God hath given other Nations this cup of his fury France Holland Germany have beene drinking these 24. yeeres Spain Italy have had it a little of the top of it Scotland had we were afraid of it then here and they and we cryed to God If it be possible let this cup of blood passe from us and God in his great mercie caused it to passe from us but it went to our brethren in Ireland they have drunke deepe of it and still are drinking and whether God intends that wee shall drinke the dregs of it we know not wee had neede doe as Christ did in his Agonie Luk. 22. 44. yet pray more earnestly the second and third time If it be possible let this cup of bloud passe from us If an Agony cause Christs spirit to rise in Prayer it should then do ours it is a sad thing to have our spirits heavy dull and strait in such a time as this 12. The work of this Lord of Hosts in Warre is to give wisdome and counsell for the managing of the affaires of it and hee takes away wisdome and counsell when he pleaseth 2 Sam. 22. 35. Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight The same wee have Psal 144. 1. Other Generals have their Councell of War to help them that they may not miscarry in it but this Lord of Hosts gives all the counsell and wisdome from himselfe to all under him And in this there is much of Gods glory Esay 28. 24 25 26 27. The Lord accounts it his glory that hee teacheth the Plowman to plow his ground to sow his seede to thresh his corne his God doth instruct him to discretion the Text sayes much more then is the glory of God in giving wisdome to order and to leade Armies And when the Lord pleaseth he takes away counsail he besots men in their counsails mingles a perverse spirit amongst them befools them he turns their counsails upside downward and insnares them in the work of their own hands This made David pray against the counsaile of Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. 31. O Lord turne the counsail of Achitophel into foolishnesse what counsail that was you may finde 2 Sam. 17. 2. Fall upon him while he is weary and weake This war was raised up against David for his sin and yet God heares Davids prayer against Achitophel The same counsell was given against our Army of late by a great Achitophel when the question was whether they should come to the City or fall upon the Army the counsail cast it upon the Army because they were weary and weake not being together and how hath God turned that counsail into folly it hath bin our safety and preservation but their shame There God wrought for David in that Achitophels counsail was not followed although it was a more politique counsail it had more warlike wisdome in it then Hushaies had but for us God wrought in that Achitophels counsail was followed Thus Isai 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsails of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh are become brutish where are they where are the wise men and again The Princes of Zoan are become fooles Why are the Princes of Zoan so much mentioned there Because Zoan was the Metropolis of Egypt where the great counsail of Egypt was and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof and they have caused Egypt to erre in every worke thereof as a drunkenman staggereth in his vomit Jerom upon the place adds this to expresse the meaning Non solum ebrii sed vomentes furorē draconū furorē aspidum insanabilem not onely drunken but vomiting the fury of Dragons the incurable fury of Aspes And is not this the vomit of our adversaries at this day who are drunke with
that were few in number that went from one countrey to another them for whose sakes Kings were reproved he said that these anointed ones must not be touched though the Kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones yet God accounts them his anointed ones and will not have them touched but if Kings shall meddle with them to doe them any hurt he will reprove thē for their sakes You may see how God reproved that King Nebuchadnezar for their sakes Jer. 50. 17. This Nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones observe the expression This Nebuchadnezar he makes but a This of Nebuchadnezar a great King when he comes to reprove him for the sake of his anointed ones and mark further how the reproofe is when their inheritance is but touched Jer. 12. 17. Thus saith the Lord against all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance c. Behold I will pluck them out of the Land If they do but touch my peoples inheritance I will pluck them out of the Land And Isa 10. 27. all this care of God over his people is laid upon their anointment The burden shall be taken off their shoulder and the yoake from their neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anointing I suppose now every one that lookes into this Scripture Touch not mine anointed will see that it hath been grosly abused and made to speak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the Holy Ghost But for futher satisfaction consider it is not peculiar to Kings to be anointed It is true they were anointed in the time of the Law but as they were anointed so Priests were anointed Prophets were anointed yea other Magistrates and Captaines of Gods people are called the anointed ones First for Priests Numb 3. 3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron the Priest that were anointed And you know the Prophet Elijah anointed Elisha And Zac. 4. 14. speaking of Zerubbabel and Joshua the text saies these are the anointed of the Lord now then if this meaning could be put upon the words that those which are Gods anointed must not be touched whatsoever they do then Priests and Prophets whatsoever they do must not be touched for they are as truely Gods anointed as Kings are yea Captaines and inferior Magistrates must not be touched because they are Gods anointed also The third thing is the difference between Kings anointing then as David and Solomon and others were and Kings anointing now Then God chose such himselfe by revealing from Heaven that they should be Kings it was the immediate choice of God and then they were upon this submitted to by the people but now the people first agree that such a one shall be King the Kingly power shall be in such a family successively and then God establisheth this choise or agreement There is a great difference between these two First Gods chusing and then the peoples establishing and this the peoples chusing and then Gods establishing There the Kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant but with us it was and so is with others But what if the Kingdom be got by Conquest the right come in that way Those who plead thus for Kings know not what they do in making this plea For if there were no other right neither precedent nor consequent but meerly because such a one was the stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is the strongest at any time he hath right if a stronger then he comes he shall have the right This is no good Divinity nor Polity to plead thus that which subjects my conscience to such a one is the submission upon some compact covenant or agreement This may be when Kings are elective but what will you say concerning Kings that are hereditary Kings that inherit inherit no more then their fathers had and their fathers no more then those before them so that you must come at length to the root to the first who had this Kingly power invested upon him and by whom was he invested with this but by the people and what subjected the consciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family more then another man or another family but only the agreement that passed between this people and such a man or family But there is yet one Objection more out of Scripture We reade that Davids heart smote him but for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment because Saul was Gods Anointed The consequence that follows from hence is cleerly this That no private man in his own cause for so was David then by his own power may seize upon the person of a King in an offensive way especially such a King which had his call immediatly from heaven what further consequence that concerns our busines in hand let any shew from this place that can But is not this a Popish tenet that in case of Religion Subjects may rise up against their King Papists hold and practice against this and for this and beyond this as they see they may serve their own turns in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people yea and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends who have preached up that all is the Kings that his wil is our Law that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed either by doing or suffering Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine so that to question this was dangerous enough yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings is because their being but few they hope to gain some of them at least to them and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth and upholding Popery In gaining one King they gaine almost the whole Kingdome if this King may rule by his absolute power if once he be a Papist then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power it is the Prelates absolute power for if he useth it not as they please they can excommunicate him they can free their Subjects from their allegiance yea being by them excommunicated Marke what follows it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans We take them not in any wise to be man slayers who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother shall happen to kill an excommunicated person This they teach and practice if they doe not gaine them to be full Papists yet if they can by popish matches or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them or remisse in the profession of the truth they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power
we heare that blessed voice The Kingdomes of the earth are the Lords his Christs and he shall reigne for evermore O that thy Kingdome might come more powerfully in our hearts and that it might be more conspicuous in Church and State The speciall reason thou knowest why we are willing to venture our selves as we do to endure any hardship to part with our estates is that Antichrist may never rule amongst us againe but that we and our posterity may be under the Kingdome of Jesus Christ Surelie this is the voice of those who have the Lord of Hosts to be their God That is an everlasting rule If he be thy King he is thy God Now then for the full comfort and encouragement the Church of God may take from this glorious name Consider the Relation that the Church hath to this Lord of Hosts and the Relation this Lord of Hosts hath to the Church For the first 1. The Church is the City of the Lord of Hosts it is not onelie Gods Citie but his Citie under this Title Psal 48. 8. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts Wee may comfortablie say This Citie of London is the City of the Lord of Hosts God hath precious Saints here abundance of them and it hath done worthilie for the honour of the Lord of Hosts of late and therefore surely the Lord of Hosts will defend it If there bee any Citie under heaven that may be called The Citie of the Lord of Hosts then I am confident the Citie of London may But we are to take here the City in a spirituall sense for the Church of God as it is usuall in Scripture Now we know when an Army hath to do with a City that is in the inheritance of the Generall then if there be any power in Generall or Army it will bee all put forth to the utmost either for the defence or gaining that City As the City of Breda in the Low-Countries when that was besieged it was soon won by the Army of the Prince of Orange because that City was the Princes own City his proper inheritance he had a speciall eye and care over that City Surely the eye and care of this Lord of Hosts though it be over Towns and Countries and walled Cities yet it is most over his Church if he hath any power in all the Armies in heaven and earth it shal be put forth for the defence of and supplying good unto this City Hence that passage in the prayer of Solomon 1 King 8 44. If thy people go to battell and shall pray to the Lord toward the City which thou hast chosen then heare in heaven Jerusalem was the City God then chose which was but a type of every Church in the time of the Gospel 2. The Church is the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts Esay 5. 7. For the Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel Certainly God will not suffer the wild beasts and boares of the field to devoure and lay waste his Vineyard A Generall will be very carefull in keeping enemies out of fruitfull Countries but especially our of his own Vineyard We reade 1 Kin. 21. 2 3. how loth Naboth was to part with his Vineyard though King Ahab was sick for it yet God forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee Gods Vineyard is beloved of him and deer to him Esa 27. 3. I the Lord keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day 3. It is the Mountain of the Lord of Hosts Zac. 8. 3. in which regard God professeth himself very jealous for it Thus saith the Lord of Hosts I was jealous for Sion with great jealousie I was jealous for her with great fury He gives the reason in the latter end of the 3. ver Jerusalem shall be called the City of truth and the Mountain of the Lord of Hosts the holy Mountain As if the Lord should say What are they come to hurt my Mountaine my holy Mountaine my Church Fury riseth up in the face of God presently Yea Esa 31. 4. When the Lord comes to fight for mount Sion he comes forth as the young Lion roaring on his prey so shall the Lord of Hosts come downe to fight for Mount Sion God will leave heaven to fight for his Church will not you leave your shops and your houses 4 The Church is the house of the Lord of Hosts Hag. 1. 14. The Text sayes They did worke in the house of the Lord of Hosts which typified Gods Church A Generall will fight to maintain his own house it were a signe the enemy had prevailed indeed if hee should come and plunder the Generals own house In regard of this that is said of the Church to bee Gods House vve have that expression Psal 24. 9 10. Lift up your heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting doores and the King of glory shall come in Who is the King of glory The Lord of Hosts he is the King of glory You know when a Prince comes to his own house the great gates are set open when other men come thither they come in at the wicket at some lesse doore but when he comes himselfe then all is set wide open 5. The Church is the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts Isay 18. 7. To the place of the name of the Lord of Hosts Mount Sion now Gods name is deare and precious to him It is a great priviledge God grants to his Church that it is the place he chooseth to set his name there Exod. 20. 24. Nehem. 1. 9. As God would have us highly to esteem that place to seeke after that place as Deut. 12. 5. Unto the place where God shall choose to put his name there shall ye seeke and thither shalt thou come thither shall you bring your burnt Offerings and Sacrifices c. So surely God himself puts a high price upon that place and he will preserve it 6. The Church is the place of the glorious reign of the Lord of Hosts Isa 24. 23. The Moon shall be confounded and the Sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts shal reign in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem before his Elders gloriously God hath yet a further and more glorious Kingdome to be set up in his Church then ever hath been at which all the glory of the world shall be darkned by reason of the brightnesse of this glory it is the Lord of Hosts that shall thus reigne Surely then all the Hosts shall have their strength put forth in defence of and providing for this place of this glorious reigne of their great Generall 7. The Church is the people of the Lord of Hosts Zep. 2. 10 11. This shall they have for their pride because they have reproached magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts The Lord will be terrible
Host of heaven and yet God suffers the enemie to prevaile against that Host and is pleased to magnifie his mercy to ours to give them so great a deliverance yea so to prevaile against that as to cast down some of the Host and of the starres down to the ground and to stamp upon them He prevailes as if now he had power over the heavens to pull down the starres and to stamp upon them The more eminent any are the more is he enraged if they be starres in this heaven if he can get to them he puls them down and stamps upon them Oh the rage of our adversaries against the most eminent Ministers of our Kingdome They stamp for anger that they have them not and if they had them how would they stamp then That which one Antiochus did there many Atheists and Papists would gladly doe amongst us if they had power but this Lord of Hosts delivers us in mercie from them yea ver 11. He magnifies himselfe even to the Prince of the Host to this Lord of hosts he sets himselfe against him Oh! what rage even against God himselfe what horrid blasphemies are there against this Prince of the Host of his people but although he doth magnifie himselfe and blaspheme surely he can never prevaile against the Prince of this Host yes he is suffered for the present to take away the daily Sacrifice and to cast down the place of his Sanctuary and ver 12. An Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression and cast it down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered upon which the people of God were exceedingly troubled ver 13. One Saint speakes to another Saint asking this question with hearts full of sorrow enough God knowes How long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be troden under foote Here you see that for any to set himselfe against Gods worship is to set himselfe against God himselfe proud malicious adversaries especially aime at this and God here suffered the adversary to prevaile even against this God proceedes against his people for their transgression an Host comes upon them yea the Text sayes if we observe it that an Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression Antiochus had never been able to raise such an Host had it not beene for the transgressions of Gods people yea so far was God provoked with the transgression of his people as that hee suffered this Host raised against them to cast downe the truth to the ground to practise and to prosper We have cause to lay our hands upon our hearts to acknowledge our transgressions as great as any they were charged with and yet although God hath thus far chastised us as to raise an Host against us yea such a one so many of them being Papists and such horrid blasphemers as we have cause enough to feare they would take away the daily Sacrifice and cast down so much of the Sanctuary as is built up already and even cast down the truth to the ground but oh the riches of the infinite goodnesse of our gracious God! he hath not suffered them he hath turned the rage of man to his praise hee hath wrought gloriously for us he hath delivered us out of their power although many of our brethren suffer hard things we may yet have the daily Sacrifice and the Sanctuary that is the true worship of God amongst us if we will yet the truth is preached in our Congregations it is held forth in the beauty and excellencie of it it is not cast down to the ground they indeed have practised but through Gods mercy to us they have not prospered this is of the Lord of Hosts let this glorious name of his bee magnified by us for ever Yea yet further for the setting out mercie to us that glory may be given to this Lord of Hosts Consider what the Holy Ghost sayes ver 23 24 25. of this 8. Chap. concerning Gods taking advantage against his people for their sins which hee hath not done against us as it appeares this day When the transgressors are come to the full a King of fierce countenance one of an extream bold daring spirit a Prince that will venture upon such desperate things as few Princes in the world would dare to venture upon the like if any of his Nobles or others come before him and speake any thing to him not agreeable to his designes he lookes with a fierce countenance upon them his countenance shewing the extreame fiercenesse of his spirit Hence it was that his name was changed from Epiphanes to Epimanes for his fierce cruelty but beside his fiercenesse he shall carry things subtilly too he shall be one that understands dark sentences by his wit and subtilty and by the help of those about him he shall make such expositions of darke things as a man would wonder at it no man could have thought that such things could have beene pickt out of passages as he shall pick up and by this he shall bee able to put such a colour upon the foulest things as they shall appeare very specious to many And his power likewise shall be mighty God will suffer him to grow to a great strength but not by his own power so sayes the Text although you could not see how he could raise any such power of his own yet he shall have a great power he shall have money Ammunition strength from forreigne Princes or as some would have it God himselfe shall give power to him beyond what he hath of his own Surely if the power against the Church be Gods rather then the adversaries own then the power for deliverance of the Church must be acknowledged to bee Gods rather then our own but I rather take the former sense to be the intent of the Holy Ghost in that place It follows he shall prosper and practise he shall not be alwayes consulting demurring delaying but he shall bee doing and thereby he shall prosper The word is faciet he shall doe something The prosperous successe of war depends much upon action Alexander was asked How he did so great things in so little a time He answered By neglecting no advantage I have read of Charles the sonne of Charles Duke of Anjou who was King of Sicily and Jerusalem he was called Carolus Cunctator that is Charles the Delayer but not in that sense that Fabius who was the Shield of Rome in his time he was called likewise Cunctator but that was because he used to stay till opportunity came but the other used to stay till opportunity was lost Antiochus was no such Cunctator stayer till opportunity was lost he practised and so prospered and because he prospered therefore he stil further practised But when he saw delaying and gaining time might advantage him then hee would seek to put off and spin
God is the Lord of Hosts in respect of that absolute command he hath over all creatures he hath all creatures in heaven and earth under him as a Generall hath his Souldiers The Angels they are his Hosts Psal 68. 17. The Charyots of God are twenty thousand even thousands of Angels The Lord is among them as in Sinai In the Hebrew the word is in the singular number the Charet to note the joynt-service of all the Angels they are but as one Charet although they be many thousands yea Myriads of thousands as we have it here there never is any mutiny amongst these Souldiers their harmony is most blessed their union firm indissoluble That which your English turns Twenty thousand even thousands is Myriades thousands and the word translated Angels is not elsewhere found in Scripture in that signification it comes of Shanah to second as being second or next to God the chiefe Princes the Nobles of Gods Court as Dan. 10. 13. Michael one of the chiefe Princes The Seventy translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The chearfull ones who serve this Lord of Hosts readily and freely and joyfully in his wars they derive it from the Hebrew Shaan which signifies to bee in tranquility and joy as in Sinai that is as God was in Sinai with ten thousand of his holy ones when hee gave the Law Deut. 33. 2. so he is in Sion likewise the Angels Gods Hosts makes Sion as dreadfull to all her enemies as those Angels as appeared to God on Mount Sinai made it dreadfull to the people Thus Dan. 10. 20. The Angel tels Daniel That he was to returne to fight with the King of Persia God hath his Angels to stand out against the great Princes of the earth they go forth to fight with them they often meete with terrible strokes from Angels when they little thinke of them The stars in Heaven they are the Hosts of God Judges 5. 20. They sought from heaven the stars in their courses fought against Sisera The waters are Gods Host they drowned Pharoah in the red sea and here ver 21. The River Kishon swept away the mighty Host of Sisera The windes are the Hosts of God Psal 148. together with the haile and snow there reckoned up with many others fire and vapour beasts and creeping things Livy reports of the windes in Cannensi pugna raising dust in the eyes of the Romans while they went in fight that they could not see The locusts are Gods Hosts Joel 2. 25. What an Host did God muster up against Pharaoh frogs and flies lice and caterpillers They were all the Armies of God against him God gave commission to the fire and it burnt up Sodome he gave commission to the earth and it swallowed up Corah Dathan and Abiram But the chiefe thing I intend in this is to shew you the glory of God in this title of his from this consideration 1. God is glorious in this that he hath an exceeding great Army The greatnesse of an Army is the glory of a Generall now Gods Army onely of his Angels that are about him is very great Dan. 7. 10. Thousand thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him His Army of Locusts is called a great Army Joel 2. 25. this then of the Angels is much more to be esteemed a great Army 2. His Army is exceeding strong and powerfull and in this likewise the glory of a General consists much God did but send one of his Captains he hath with him in heaven and in one night he slew one hundred fourscore and foure thousand of the Host of Senacherib 2 Kings 19. 35. 3. He hath multitudes of Armies it is the glory of a great Prince to have many Armies in the field at once one in one place another in another place and so compassing round about his adversaries with his Armies The Lord of Hosts hath Armies in the heavens Armies in the aire armies in the seas Armies on the earth dispersed in every Countrey all the whole world is filled with the multitudes of the Armies of the Lord. 4. All these Armies of the Lord are always in a readinesse they are prepared Armies it is but giving out the word and they fall on they are in battel array evermore ready armed to doe the pleasure of their Generall No Prince no Commander hath thus his Armies always in readinesse many times when they have use of them much time is lost in getting Companies together and in getting their Arms. 5. Gods Armies alwaies accomplish what God intends by them they alwayes prosper in their fight they are never conquered but effect what God sends them for Psal 140. 8. Fire haile snow vapour stormy wind fulfilling his word Many of you Mariners wil not fulfil Gods word but God when he hath you at Sea he sends stormie winds and they fulfill Gods word upon you Psal 103. 21. Blesse ye the Lord yee his Angels that excell in strength that doe his Commandements hearkning unto the voice of his word How many men who think themselves great demeane themselves as if they thought themselves above Gods Commandments but the Angels that excel in strength they doe his Commandments they hearken to the voice of his word They stand listening to heare what it is that God hath to command them and are ready to obey And that which is said of the Angels is true of all Gods Hosts for so it followes ver 21. Blesse ye the Lord all ye his Hosts ye ministers of his that do his pleasure Blesse ye the Lord all his works in all places of his dominion God sayes to one Doe this and hee doth it to another Come and he commeth yea Gods Armies are ready to destroy themselves in the service of their Lord. The command of a Generall in an Armie is powerfull he may keep his Armie from spoile if he please Plutarch in the life of Pompey tels of him that hearing of his soldiers offering violence in an unjust way he caused all their swords to be sealed up so as no man dared break open the seale without leave He did more then bid them yea more then command them that they should not spoile 6. Yea God forceth his enemies to fight for him and can turn their weapons against themselves which is a high power beyond all other Captains and Generals in the world Sozomen and Nicephorus tell us of a great work of God in the defence of that good Emperour Theodosius by a mighty wind the arrows of his enemies were turned upon them which Claudian likewise mentions Oh thou beloved so exceeding much of God for whom the skies and the wind fight c. There are no other creatures but devils and men but doe readily and faithfully fight for God and even these God forces to fight for him whether they will or no even then when they seeme to fight most against him As many men who say they defie the devil yet
without them and can doe infinitely more by his word alone in an instant then they can doe as long as the world stands Oh how great is this God this Lord of Hosts To apply it in a few words 1. Who would not feare this God then Job 13. 11. Shall not his excellencie make you afraid Behold here a great part of the excellencie of his name let it strike a reverentiall feare into our hearts Psal 76. 4. Thou art more glorious and excellent then the mountains of prey The stout-hearted are spoiled At thy rebuke O God of Jacob the chariot and the horse are cast into a dead sleep Then the inference ver 7. Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry 2. Surely then it is good being on Gods side to be of his party this is the strongest side this certainly will have the victory It is safest to joyn with the Lord and it is most honourable You know what Christ said to his Disciples to strengthen them against feare I could pray to my Father and he would send me twelve Legions of Angels David Psal 27. though alone yet he thinks himselfe safe enough with the Lord of Hosts ver 3. Though an Host shall encampe against me my heart should not feare Though Warre should rise against me in this will I be confident In what ver 1. That the Lord is his light his salvation and the strength of his life If we be with the Lord we may be sure that we shall ever have with us more then against us 2 Chron. 32. 7 8. Be strong and couragious be not afraid nor dismayed for the King of Assyria nor for all the multitude that is with him for there be moe with us then with him With him is an arme of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battels And the people sayes the Text rested upon the words of Hezekiah Here is a full object for our faith to rest upon If we look upon God onely in this latter consideration of him as The Lord of Hosts we need never feare want of Souldiers seeing all creatures in heaven and earth are his armed trained Souldiers and he himselfe is infinite in himself Oh how happy should we be if we could in all our straits exercise faith in this Lord of Hosts looking upon him in this consideration You will say It is true this Lord of Hosts is indeed a full object of faith were it not that we have sorely provoked him to come out against us yea we are afraid he is now appearing in wrath against us I will give you one Text of Scripture in such a case as this is when your provocations of him lye heavy upon you and it is as sweet and full and encouraging a Scripture as any I know Zach. 1. 17. The Lord had professed in the beginning of the Chapter that he had been sore displeased with their Fathers ver 2. yea and it appeares by the 3. and 4. ver that they were no better then their Fathers and ver 12. it is said The Lord of Hosts had had indignation against Jerusalem these threescore and ten yeeres so that even at that present when the Prophet spake to them it seemes God was in such a way towards them as his indignation appeared against them but that their hearts might break and their faith be raised marke what a gracious promise comes in to them even now in this 17. ver Cry yet saying Thus saith the Lord of Hosts My cities through prosperity or through good so the word is in the Hebrew shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Sion and shall yet choose Jerusalem Mark here are foure yets in this ver and they are very gracious ones Cry yet shall yet be spread shall yet comfort and shall yet choose Jerusalem and all these from the Lord of Hosts yea and from the Lord of Hosts sorely dispeased yea although he was provoked to indignation We have sinned cry yet We have provoked wrath shall yet be spread We are miserable wretched creatures shall yet comfort We are unworthy shall yet choose O the free grace of our God to his people Thou troubled distressed soule look up to him as making himselfe knowne by this glorious name cry to him by this name Lord thou commandest Angels heavens earth seas now let thy power worke for the good of my soule give commandement from heaven to this distemperd heart of mine to yeeld to submit to thee to these lusts that rise against thee that they may be subdued yea destroyed Lord in any difficulties we finde our selves brought into let us not be discouraged We cannot see how Antichrist should be brought downe But Revel 18. 8. Her plagues shall come in one day he shall utterly be burnt with sire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her And further it is most honourable to joyne with to be under this Generall Souldiers boast much of the power greatnesse magnificence of their Generall they account themselves honoured by it The people of God have infinite cause to make their boast of this Lord of Hosts under whose banners they fight he is their praise and their glory Psal 148. God is gloriously set forth with his Hosts about him The conclusion ver 14. is this He is the praise of all his Saints Not onely Objectively because the Saints are exercised in his praises but Relatively he is a praise and honour to his Saints his Saints glory in this that they serve under such a Commander There are two Captains in the world under whose command all the world serve this Lord of hosts and the Devil for he also hath his Armies fighting for him the Dragon and his Angels all wicked men are under him and fight for him his great Lieutenant is Antichrist It is no dishonour to run from these Commanders to get under the Banners of the Lord of Hosts 3. Let us honour this Lord of hosts by being willing to be put into what rank he shall please to be ordered in what place he shall appoint and there to keep out ranks If God wil put us in the fore-front where there is hottest service let us not murmur the hotter the service is the greater will the reward be We must not choose our own places All other creatures except the Angels are onely passive to the work of their Lord in ordering them We should be active in yeelding our selves freely to his ordering and be well pleased with it and keep our ranks It is an easie matter to keep rank whilst we march along but when we come to fight we shall not find it so Lastly how dreadfull must this glorious name of God needs be to all ungodly ones who walk on in wayes of enmity against such a God Esay 45. 9. Woe to him that striveth with his Maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the
earth With what infinite indignation must God needs look upon such vile wormes who dare resist such a glorious Majesty as he is God can but speak to any humour of thy body and it shall make thee lye roaring out in anguish and grievous torture thy life shall be more bitter then death unto thee This God may give commission to the next crumbe of bread and it shall choak thee and send thee down to hell God himselfe is against thee he walks contrary to thee in all his Attributes The swords point of his infinite Justice is at thine heart All the creatures of God stand ready armed against thee and would fly upon thee if God did but give out the word The Angels stand prepared Lord shall but one of us goe and cut off that wretch who dares presume to blaspheme thy name to lift up himselfe against thee As Abishai said to David 2 Sam. 16. 9. Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the King let me goe and take off his head The Ayre cryes Lord shall I conveigh infection into his body and poyson him The Water Shall I stop his breath The Fire shall I seize on him and burne him The earth Shall I open and swallow him up The beasts of the field Shall we run upon him and tear him Thy meat thy drink Shall we choak him or be bane to him Thou art in the midst of Gods Hosts compassed about on every side 1 Chron. 13. 14. When Judah looked back behold the battel was before and behind and they cryed unto the Lord. Look about thee oh distressed soule and see the Hosts of the Lord before thee and behind thee and cry to the Lord. Certainly there is no creature neere thee but thou hast cause to looke upon it with a shaking heart thou knowest not but that it may be thy ruine sent of God to cut thee off that thou mightest go to thine owne place Certainly it cannot be but ere long some creature or other will break in upon thee and be an executioner of Gods wrath upon thee if not prevented by thy repentance When God awakens a guilty conscience every creature is terrible to it the wrath of God is seene in the face of every creature Cain cryes out Every one that meets me will kill me Why Who was there in the world then to kill him not many besides his father and mother and yet every one will kill him especially if it be some extraordinary work of God in the heavens or seas or elsewhere as in extreame thunder stormes and tempests or the like how terrible is that to such a conscience as to Caligula and others The Prophet Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant to see Gods Hosts about him to deliver him from feare my prayer is that God would open thine eyes that thou mayst see Gods Hosts about thee that thou mayst feare if thy eyes were open it would be with thee as it was with those who came there against Elisha when their eyes were opened they saw themselves in the midst of Samaria in the midst of their enemies Certainly so long as God is thine enemy all creatures in heaven earth are thine enemies Wherefore consider how unable thou art to stand out against this glorious God lay down thy weapons of enmity cry out bitterly of thy desperate folly make it thy great work above all things in the world to make up thy peace with him God yet offers mercy to thee as Alexander did those he warred against while the Lamp burned If they staid untill it was out there was nothing but bloud expected The Lamp of thy life is stil burning come in that thy soule may live There is no standing out against this God he will have glory from thee in spight of thy heart FINIS A briefe Answer to Doctor Fernes Booke tending to resolve Conscience about the Subjects taking up of Arms. By JER BURROUGHES THere came to my hand a Book of D. Fern tending to resolve Conscience in the case of the Subjects taking up Armes I find it carryed on without giving any ill termes but in saw expressions sutable to a Treatise that concernes Conscience and the more likely to prevail with it Onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth I shall very briefly yet faithfully give you the strength of it Where he speakes right I will acknowledge it and where he mistakes I will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise I confesse he hath great advantage in the subject because it is for the King 1. Because it is safer to plead for the King though a man mistakes but if there be a mistake in lessening the Kings right a man endangers his utter undoing 2. Truth about this argument hath alwayes been tenderly handled those who have pleaded for the King have with courage vented themselves to the utmost but others have been forced to be silent or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out lest they presently meet with not arguments but things of another nature to answer them In which regard the power of Kings hath been raised to the height and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them as they have heard confidently affirmed practised and seen in Books and feeled by many taxations and censures but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke not daring to appeare Therefore well might the D. call what now people begin to heare and enquire after a new doctrine it is an old truth but newly discovering it self The name of King hath taken such impression in the hearts of people that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power or maintaining our right against it What there is in the Epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience will be answered in what follows Preamble to SECT I. SO many good people that are come to a sense of Religion and godlinesse are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the Parliament c. to be infallibly true and just It seems those who have not a sense of Religion do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the Parliament This is most certaine who are hardest to beleeve what the Parliament sayes but Papists and notorious blasphemers and prophane livers I condemne not all but compare the generality of the one side and of the other you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one from the lives of the other Yea so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane or loose at least or zealous for ceremonies he was accounted a Puritan so now a Round-head that is in their ordinary interpretation one for the Parliament If it be said This is because Religion is pretended on the Parliaments side So it is on the other with as loud a cry
who knowes what he would have done but we are sure as it is it is defensive and that is all it is to prove that Subjects may take up Arms â—o defend themselves against the injustice of their Kings For that example of David at Keilah all the answer to that is that it is an uncertain supposition But examine the place you shall finde it as certain as a supposition can be It appeares plainly that David had some expectation that the men of Keilah would have stood to him and kept oft Saul comming against him and if they would it is apparent by the Text that David would have stood to it though Saul had come against him In the Text it is as plain as this Suppose the King were neere Hull going a-against Sir J. Hotham and Sir J. Hotham should seek to make sure of the men of Hul and enquire whether they would deliver him or not if the King came and he should come to know that certainly they would and upon that very ground slies away is this now an uncertaine supposition that Sir John Hotham would willingly have the Town stand to him and if they would stand to him he would stay there and defend himselfe against the Kings forces Hi last answer to Davids example is that his example was extraordinary because he was anointed to be King after Saul But yet for the present he was a private man although God had bestowed somthing extraordinary upon him more then upon other men but it follows not therefore that in this case he had an extraordinary power to resist the Prince Prince Charls hath no more power to resist his Father then the Parliament hath For the example of Elisha using the Kings messenger rough'y that came to take away his head he sayes it sayes little to the question in hand Yet he grants as much as it is brought for that defence is lawful against sudden and illegall assaults of Messengers sent by the King if against sudden why not against deliberate and plotted for they are worse This is one end of the raising of the Army to prevent such assaults If it be lawful to be done by violence by 2. or 3. when the messenger is but one then it may be done by 2. or 3000. when the messengers are 1000. For the example of the Priests thrusting out the leprous King That which this is brought to prove is thus much That there may be such uncleannesse in a King that may cause Subjects lawfully to resist him when he would doe a wicked act The Doctor sayes First Gods hand was upon him So when God shall leave a King to some horrible way of evil certainly Gods hand is upon him then He answers But he hasted to goe out himselfe But the Scripture tels us the Priests likewise thrust him out they would not suffer him to be in the Temple The next thing in the Sect. is a similitude from the naturall body Though a member may defend it selfe against outward violence yet no member must be set against the head for that tends to the dissolution of the whole If the similitude may be followed we say that some members are as necessary to the life of the head as the head is necessary to the life of those members 2. A Kingdome may sometimes have one head sometimes another but so cannot a naturall body Further he grants Personall defence doth not strike at the order and power that is over us but generall resistance by Arms he saith doth No it may maintain and regulate order and there may be as little injustice on the one side as the other But the case is not as Elishaes for the King professeth he will use no violence and we cannot know his heart But that example of Elisha is brought to prove the lawfulnes of using force against Kings in using violence and what violence hath been already used the world knows Page 10. He comes to Scriptures denying resistance let us see what full Scriptures these are The first is Num. 16. 1. c. The conspiracie of Corah and his company against Moses and Aaron It is strange that this example must be paralleld with our Parl. taking up Arms Was it not a most unjust and vile conspiracie meerly out of the pride of malicious spirits Can the D. or any man think that in justifying Arms in some case we justifie all villanous conspiracies and out-rages Besides this place condemns rising up against the Priest as well as the King Yea certainly if they had risen against the meanest officer that God had appointed in Church or Common-wealth as here they did against Moses Aaron it would have bin a very hainous offence Yea if Moses himself should have thus risen against any Officer appointed by God it had bin a vile sin in him therefore this proves no more against subjects resisting Princes then Princes resisting subjects or one subject resisting another Further we do not rise against His Majesty as they rose up against Moses Aaron we desire not that he should have lesse power then God the Laws have given him but we would preserve this in him and keep off the stroke of any further power so that we need not for this thing so much as examine the cause upon which they rose whether it were supposed or not for the case is far differing in the end of the rising But Corah and his company supposed the cause sufficient Supposed causes for any thing is not enough now we are not examining the truth of the cause of taking up Arms but whether they may not be taken up by the Subject against the mind of the King for any cause Wel our consciences need not be much scrupled from this Scripture Let us examine the rest he brings The second is 1 Sam. 8. 11 18. where the oppression of the King is mentioned and no means of help mentioned but crying to the Lord. Is the bare relation of the oppression of a King without mention in that place of any means of help but crying to God a sufficient proof that though Kings oppresse never so much yet there is no help Suppose I bring a place of Scripture where there is a relation of Subjects rising up in a wicked way against their Prince in that place there is no other help mentioned but only the Prince committed this to God God revenged it can there be drawn from thence an argument that when Subjects rise against Princes that they have no other help against them but committing the cause to God We need not go far for a Scripture in this kind the very place the D. brought before wil do it Num. 15. when Corah and his company rose against Moses we there read of no other help that Moses used but he committed the thing to God God revenged it But you wil say yet there are other places