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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81241	Gods rising, his enemies scattering; delivered in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons, at their solemne fast, 26. Octob. 1642. But, through many occasions and hinderances, not printed till this 25. of May 1644. By Thomas Case, preacher, at Milk-street, London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1644 (1644)	Wing C830; Thomason E127_38; ESTC R4759	45,209	66

to divide it self into these Ten distinct Branches whereof the two last shall bee the two Branches of the Doctrine that yet remains untoucht and we shall briefly winde up all in ten words First then If God be Risen then let us Rise in our Observations take notice what God is doing in the World and take notice what God is doing here in England For shame Sirs let not God arise and we lie sleeping in the bed of security and supine inadvertency Awake Barak awake thou sonne of Abinoam Awake Christians and observe diligently what God is doing either with us or for us It is that word which God himself causes to bee proclaimed before him when hee stirres up himself for the help of his Church Zach. 2.13 Bee silent all flesh before the Lord for the Lord is raised up out of his holy habitation Silence is the note or posture of exact diligent attention And this God expects from all the World Be silent oh all flesh much more from his own people when hee is risen out of his Sanctuary and gone forth for their Redemption as if he should say Peace be quiet stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord Observe diligently what God is doing How else shall wee bee able to pray As one sayes of Preachers they should take their Text from Gods works observe what God is doing and Preach upon that So I may say to Christians You should make Gods works abroad in the World the subject of your Prayers and Prayses at home observe what God is doing and pray upon it An Inadvertent Christian is an unpraying Christian How else shall you be able to know the Lord if you observe him not Isal 9.16 The Lord is known by the judgements which he executeth An unobservant Christian is an ignorant Christian Who so is wise Psal 107.1 and will observe these things they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. The Prophet had been discoursing of the works of Providence all the Psalm through and builds two Conclusions upon the Premisses First That it is a point of speciall wisdome to observe what God doth in the various and wonderfull dispensations of his providence Who so is wise will observe c. An unobserving man or woman is a fool Secondly That this observation is the next way to grow into the acquaintance with God and the knowledge of his loving kindnesse For By this means you may come to see all the Attributes of God his Wisdome Power Goodnesse Justice Unchangeablenesse shining forth in the wonderfull and miraculous deliverances of his Church and the stupendious destructions of the Enemies thereof By this means you may come to bee acquainted with the faithfulnesse of God in making good the promises And by this means you may come to bee acquainted with Gods love to you in the answers and returns of your prayers Wherefore since so much of Gods glory and your comfort is bound up in this duty let it be a mighty awakening call to your spirits to arise in your observations Secondly O ye people of God rise in your faith Is God up and shall our faith be down Is God risen out of his holy habitation and shall our faith lie in bed What a shame is it for Christians not to beleeve God further then we see him What a sad thing that after so many cleer discoveries of God in his word and works we should not to this day have faith enough to carry us from one miracle to another to bee tossed up and down in our hopes as if God were one day upon his Throne and the other day upon the threshold Christians let not the shield of faith hang by the walls any longer Behold the plots and conspiracies of your Enemies shall be given up to the hands of your faith there shall all your enemies be imprisoned more then in strong-holds and fenced Cities Let your faith bee fetters and prisons to your adversaries Do but study and observe what faith hath done and what Victories it hath been crowned withall in all Ages and your hands shall be strong God crowns faith because faith crowns God God loves faith above all other Graces because if God put a crown upon it Psal 115.1 the modesty of faith will come and lay it down at Gods feet Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the praise Why should your hearts fail you It is an awakening word and remember it I beseech you As for God his way is perfect Psal 18.30 hee is a buckler to all that trust in him q. d. Follow God in the way of his promises and providence and you shall finde no crooked turning in it from one end to another you shal not finde God stepping one foot awry The word of the Lord is tried there be millions of Saints that have tried it in all ages and will be ready to bring in their letters-testimoniall for the truth of it Hee is a buckler to all those that put their trust in him Hee hath been Armour of proof to all those that have trusted in his protection which hath rendred them invulnerable invincible against all the Gun-shot and Artillery of men and devills There is not a man to be found that can say I have trusted in God and hee deceived me no saith David Thou never failest them that seek thee Psal 9.10 The summe is thus much You may trug God if you will and be safe if not secure your selves better where you can Sirs I beseech you after so much experience of God both others and our own let not God have cause to complain of us as once of that people in the Wildernesse Numb 14.11 How long will this people provoke mee and how long will it be ere they beleeve mee for all the signes which I have shewed among them If after all this England should perish which God forbid this shall bee our Epitaph Matth. 13. ult Hee could not do many mighty works there because of their vnbelief Rise therefore in your faith Thirdly Rise in your courage and resolution for behold God is risen and seems to encourage us as once his Israel Fear not thou worm Jacob Isaiah 41.14 c. What can bee more inconsiderable then a worm and yet fear not thou worm Jacob fear not thou worm England A Worm and a God shall be hard enough for all the World Thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small and shalt make the hils as chaffe It is strange work that a Worm shall make with the Mountains when God stands by it It is the charge that God gives to all his Worthies and Commanders when they go out to Battell this is the Word FEAR NOT And indeed Brethren what is there in the Enemy that we should fear Why should we fear them that fear not God Their cause is damn'd there consciences are damn'd Do you not hear how they rave for their own

execution of his righteous and dreadfull judgements for a time in the world then the cursed malignity and venom that is in the spirits of wicked men will discover it self to purpose They will rage and storm plunder and imprison deflowre virgins ravish women murder burn destroy and exercise all the cruelty and villany that the wit of malice can invent lie swear and forswear curse blaspheme and even dare the God of heaven to do his worst In a word then the Atheisme and villany that is in their spirits will break out like a stream of wild-fire devouring all that stands before it Like a Wolf when the Shepherd is out of the way or laid down to sleep then falls a worrying and tearing the poor sheep and tender lambs The encouragement to all this villany is Gods lying still They break in pieces thy people O Lord and afflict thine heritage They slay the widow and the stranger and murder the fatherlesse What is it that emboldens them to all this villany It follows They say The Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Iacob regard it The enemies of God that are up in arms against him and his people in this Kingdom have put such blasphemous Glossee upon this Text that if David were alive he would bee afraid to read his own Text in Paraphrase Surely because sentence against evill doers Eccles 8.11 is not spcedily executed therefore the heart of these sonnes of men or rather these sonnes of Belial is fully set in them to do evil They take Gods silence for Gods consent because hee holds his peace Psal 50.21 they think he is altogether like themselves But hee will reprove them and set their sinnes in order before their eyes And surely in that order there will bee nothing else but confusion And this may be the meaning of those words of Simeon to Mary Luke 2.35 A sword shall passe through thine own soul that the thoughts of many bearts may he revealed that is God would leave his own dear Son in the power of men and make as if hee were asleep and did not see that so the secret hypocrisie and atheisme and villany that was in mens spirits might fully discover it self That 's the first Reason Secondly Hos 5.15 God doth this that he may see what his people will do I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offences c. I will see whether they will confesse and mourn and repent and humble themselves and pray and wait and keep close to God and stand for him and venture their Liberties Estates and Lives for Jesus Christ and his Gospel Whether they love father and mother sonne or daughter or any thing in the world more then me Yea Brethren God seems to sleep that they may not sleep he seems to sleep that hee may awaken them out of the sleep of security hee seems to lie still that he may raise them up hee lets the cradle of his Providence stand still a while till the children crie and then he bestirs himself with the tender hearted mother Thirdly hee doth this that so wee may see what hee will do Stand still and see the salvation of God God seems to sleep that so his enemies may go on and gather themselves together and so he may bring them all into an Ambush and destroy them together Gods sleeping time is nothing else but his enemies Ambushing-time There are two famous places for this Josh 11.19 20. speaking there of the Nations the Text saith Iosh 11 19 20. There was not a Nation that made peace with the children of Israel save the Gibeonites why For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts that they might go against Isracl in Battell that they might bee destroyed and finde no mercy God suffered them to gather together that so they might be destroyed together and save Israel a labour in pursuing and slaughtering them in too many places There is a prophesie of the like Providence in the fourth of Micha 11 12 13. verses where you shall finde God using the same Stratagem It shall come to passe that many Nations shall gather together against Sion one poor little Sion that in all naturall probability was not able to have raised strength enough to have waged war with one Nation behold many Nations associate against her armed with fury as well as with power For so you hear them insulting and threatning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Insultabimus or per metathesin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adultera est punietur Let her be defiled and let our eye look upon Sion Let her be defiled or lapidetur let her be stoned which was the proper punishment of Adulteresses and so some read it She is an adulteresse or unclean defiled and therefore let her bee stoned put to death so they palliat their cruelty with the garment of Justice as if they came but to execute Gods Commission so Rabsheka Isa 36.10 Am I now come up without the Lord against this land to destroy it The Lord said to me go up against this land and destroy it They pretend Justice I say but they betray malice and hatred in the very next words Let our eye look upon Sion i. e. let us delight and sport our selves in the desolation of Sion they promise to satisfie both their lust and cruelty at once upon Sion and what should hinder them God seems to be asleep all this while and there is but one Sion to many Nations one would surely give Sion for lost that should see her beset with such multitudes of Armies and her God stand by and say nothing all this while Oh but saith the Prophet let them alone fear them not let them come when they will They know not the thoughts of the Lord they know what they mean they know not what God meanes They little know what a designe God hath upon them stand still and see the Salvation of God for saith he God all this while is but laying an ambush for them and when he hath them at the advantage you shall see what work the Lord will make with them Vers 13. for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor Arisc and thresh O daughter of Zion For I will make thine horn iron and I will make thy hoofs brasse and thou shalt beat in pieces many people They had thought to have thrasht Sion but Sion shall thrash them They had thought to have destroyed Sion but Sion must destroy them God ariseth and bids Sion thrash them Lay on Sion spare them not till thou hast beat them to dust I will stand by thee and strengthen thee to do execution to purpose upon these Enemies and haters of God and Sion I will make thine horne iron and thy hoofs brasse thou shalt hold out till thou hast utterly consumed them The sum of all you have Isa 1.28 The destruction of transgressours and of sinners shall be together God

lets them go and gather themselves together and then when they think they are ripe for their Designes God findes them ripe for his and destroys them at once All the vse I shall make of this Vse shall be onely to turn you to that place and the Lord turn your hearts to it Isa 26.6 7. O you that are the Lords remembrancers Isa 62.6 7. give him no rest till he arise c. For that very purpose hath God set you upon the wall that when he seems to sleep you should come and awaken him and give him notice of the approach of the Enemie and cry him up to the rescue of his Church and people Arise O Lord least man prevail c. This is your very calling you that are the Ministers of the Gospel and people of the Lord Give him therefore no rest untill you have raised him out of his holy habitation and till he hath made Sion the praise of the whole earth It is our sin and folly that if God seem to be a sleep we go to sleep too if God be down we are down also either in security or despaire What mean you oh sleepers arise and call upon your God c. and awaken him with your importunate cries Let God arise c. But so much for that point I come now to the fourth Doctrine which is this God hath a time wherein he will awake and arise Doct. 4 though he hath seemed before to be asleep you need not doubt of the truth hereof you have the promise from Gods own mouth Isa 33.10 Now will I arise and oft in Scripture elsewhere c. And the servants of the Lord dare beleeve him upon his word Psal 102.12 Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion God promiseth it and they beleeve it and dare not do otherwise Now that which I shall endeavour to do in the managing of this precious truth shall be these four things viz. First to open to you the meaning of the phrase what it doth import and shew you what it is for God to arise Secondly I shall shew you what these Nows or times are when God will arise and when his people may expect that he will exalt himself in their behalf Thirdly The Grounds of it why God will arise Fourthly I shall improve it according to the seasonablenesse thereof First What it is for God to arise I will arise c. God doth like himself but he speaks like man for the infirmity of our flesh this I shall desire you to carry along with you while I open this expression to you for which purpose take this in Generall look whatsoever this phrase doth import amongst men you shall finde in Scripture the same things are attributed vnto God and God doth assume them to himsef when he doth arise for the deliverance of his people Now this expression amongst men namely to arise That is to arise to the undertaking of some work as the Encountring with and the Conquering of an Enemy as here it doth imply six or seven gradations and you shall finde them all in Scripture to bee attributed unto God First to arise amongst men in the first degree of it doth implie an opening of the eyes a man cannot arise till he be awaked and this very thing you shall finde attributed to God God himself useth the expression Exod. 3.7 8. I have surely seen the affliction of my people c. God hath seemed for some hundreds of yeers together to have been asleep and all that while to have taken no care what became of his people in Egypt therefore the first newes of Deliverance comes to them in this language God is awaked and hath seen your affliction c. Secondly It doth imply a taking of counsell Counsell is nothing else but the awaking and raising of the Intellectualls to any undertaking and this also God doth assume to himself You may hear him calling all his Enemies to take notice of the counsell which he took against them Ier. 49.20 Therefore heare the Counsell of the Lord that he hath taken against Edom Ier. 49.20 and his purpose that he hath purposed against the Inhabitants of Teman Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out Surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them and so Chap. 51.11 there God speaks thus My devise is against Babylon to destroy it this is the second step of Gods vengeance God had opened his eyes to see the opressions of his people in Babylon as formerly in Egypt and now God calls as it were a Councell of War how he may execute his vengeance upon Babylon The vengeance of the Lord the vengeance of his Temple Thirdly it implieth resolution a man is up when his spirit and resolutions are up Isa 14.24 25 26. and this is attributed unto God also as I have thought saith God so it shall stand God had a long time lyen still and then they began to trample God and his people under foot and God is resolved to bear it no longer therefore faith he This is my purpose I am determined what to do I will cast the Assyrians out of the Land Fourthly Rising amongst men implieth preparing and making ready for warre preparing men monies Ammunition and all other manner of warlike Artilleries 2 Sam. 3.21 saith Abner to David I will arise and go and gather all Israel together that is I will prepare them for warre and thus God is exprest Psalm 7.12 13. If a man will not turn hee will whet his sword hee hath bent his bow and made it ready hee hath also prepared his instruments of death c. Hear and tremble and desire the people of God to pray for you if there be any of the enemies of God and his people here this day you are all dead men God hath whet his sword and bent his bow and made it ready against all that are up in Arms against him and his people how can you escape Fifthly Another step or gradation in mans and so in Gods rising in the sence mentioned is The putting on of the Armour the harnessing of himself for the Battell Then is a man up when he hath put on his clothes and then is a Souldier up when hee hath put on his Armour and this also is spoken of God by the Prophet in Elegant language as hee was taught by the holy Ghost And hee looked and there was no man Isaiah 59.17 and hee wondred there was no Intercessour therefore his own Arm brought salvation c. He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing and was clad with zeal as with a cloak Thus you see God armed from head to foot then wo bee to his enemies for it follows Verse 18. According to their deeds accordingly will hee repay fury to his adversaries recompence to his enemies to the Ilands he will repay recompence Sixtly It doth imply a Marching toward the enemie It was the word

change thy voice before I have done I will make thee know I am God and thou but man when thou shalt die a base and ignominious death the death of the uncircumcised A third Now is when the people of God are persecuted for Gods sake when God and truth and Religion is the onely quarrell Psal 44.22 and this Argument doth the Church plead for her selfe For thy sake are we killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter as if they should have said it is true Lord we are not so good as we should be but truly the Enemies do not persecute us because we are so bad but because we are no worse The quarrell is That we are thine and desire to stand for thy Cause v. 23. v. 26. and for thy truth And therefore upon this consideration she bottoms her petition and doubles it verses 23 26. Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever ver 26. Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercies sake And as upon this ground the Church beggs Isaiah 66.5 so upon the same God promiseth her Deliverane Hear the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you that cast you out for my Names sake said let the Lord be glorified but he shall appear to your joy and they shall be ashamed because they were excommunicated and exiled and reproachfully used for no other reason but because Gods Name was called upon them God promiseth to stir up himself and appear for their Redemption Psal 60.4 And this promise you finde made good Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee that it may be displayed because of thy truth Because the people of God stood up for the Truth of Doctrine and Discipline for the truth of Worship and pure Ordinances therefore God gave them a banner that is for deliverances and victories over their Enemies fresh and frequent occasions of triumph and joy Because the truth of God was precious in their eyes therefore their lives were precious in Gods eyes A fourth Now of Gods rising is when the Enemies grow outragious and unsatisfiable in cruelty See that place Isa 33.8 Isa 33.8 The high waies lye waste the wayfaring man ceaseth hee hath broken the covenant he hath despised the Cities he regardeth no man See there how the enemie in his pride and cruelty had laid all waste the land before him was a Garden of Eden Behinde him a desolate wildernesse there was no pity nor humanity left in him saith God it is time for me to arise If I sit still they will not leave me one that fears my Name alive to praise me I will hold no longer I will arise and that you may know God is in good earnest he trebles it Now will I arise Now will I be exalted Now will I lift up my self Esther 7.8 God seems to ask that angry question that Ahashuerus did concerning Haman What will he force the Queen before my face So saith God What will they plunder and burne and tear up women with childe and dash the childrens brains against the stones and devour all before my face and shall I let them alone Nay I will arise and cut them off in the midst of their rage and madnesse against my people Fifthly God doth rise when his Enemies daringly begin to open their mouthes in cursed plasphemies against him Psal 74.22 God usually suffers it not long at their hands therefore the Church takes that hint of calling out God to her succour Psal 74.22 arise Lord remember how the wicked men blaspheme thee daily three times this Argument is used in that Psalm q. d. Lord if our peace and lives and comforts were onely concerned in this matter we would have held our peace but lord thy Glory lies at stake wicked men take occasion from thy Patience and long-sufferance to blaspheme thee to thy face v. 18. dost thou not hear how the foolish men rail upon thy name and reproach thee daily And what wilt thou do for thy great Name Oh forget it not Lord Forget not the voice of thine Enemies v. 23. the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually Sixthly When he seeth his people in a helplesse condition and if he do not rise they must of necessity fall and if he do not appear they must perish Deut. 36.32 when he seeth their power is gone and there is none left and when he seeth they are like to be swallowed up by the devouring Enemie then he will arise Then the Lord shall Judge his people and repent himself concerning his servants Seventhly When God seeth his people deeply affected with and afflicted for the sufferings of the Saints when they lay to heart the sorrowes and sufferings of Zion This is an hour when God will arise Psal 102.17 Thou wilt arise and have mercy upon Zion Why Oh saith she the set time is come I but how knew she that She will tell you For thy Servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof The prophet observ'd how the people of God behaved themselves when the Churches were in misery he could see them every where wringing their hands and mourning for Zion crying out alas for Zion this is Gods bebeloved Zion whose stones ly in the dust and she in her blood c. saith God I can forbear no longer If I hold my peace and do not arise and deliver them these poore children will cry their eyes out of their head and themselves to death Now I will arise c. But Eightly When gods people accept of their punishments that is Levit. 26.41 when under the afflictions that lie upon them they are sensible of divine displeasure * 1 King 8.47 turn in upon themselves labour to finde out the * Josh 17.17 accursed thing the Achan that troubles Israel acknowledge the equity of Gods dealings * Nehe. 9.33 justifying God and judging themselves Yea not the Equity onely but the * Ezra 9.13 moderation and indulgence of Gods proceedings in laying the affliction farre beneath the provocation and in conscience of offended justice labour to * Mich. 7.9 submit and ly down at Gods feet study Gods meaning and labour to answer his expectation to * Mich. 6.9 hear the rod and him that smites when I say God sees his people in such a posture God hath them where he would and then saith God I will remember my Covenant with Jacob Levit. 26.42 and also my Covenant with Israel and also my Covenant with Abraham will I remember and I will remember the land Gods remembrance is a part a degree of Gods Rising when God saies he remembers and sees the affliction of his people it will not be long before hee march forth for their Salvation as you saw before Ninthly When God seeth his people cordially and

presently the enemy fell a trembling 4. By arming the very inanimate creatures against them Sun Moon and Stars fire hail storms tempest earth water the whole Creation all prest to fight the battells of the Lord of Hoasts 5. By raising the spirits and courage of people above themselves to Lion-like Angel-like prowesse and unconquerablenesse of spirit so that he that is weak among them is as David who slew the Lion and the Bear and he that is as David becomes like the Angel of God who went out and slew an hundred fourscore and five thousand in one night Surely when the Spirit of God comes upon his people Armies and legions of Armies are not able to stand before them as you may see in Jephtah Gideon Samson David and other the Worthies of the Lord of Hoasts they cry Let us flee for the Lord fights for Israel against Egypt They perceive God filling the spirits of his people with invincible courage and taking their part and betook themselves to their heels Objection But is this all the effect of Gods Rising that the Enemies shall be scattered onely and his haters put to flight shall they escape by flying Answer No sure This expression implies more then a bare flight For you know in war the Routing of the Enemie is the first degree of their ruine when they begin to fly they begin to fall Psal 18.37 42. when once they turne the back and break their ranks they can make no resistance and then the Armies of God and the God of Armies pursues them slaying and beating them down with a great destruction as David describes it I have pursued mine Enemies and overtaken them neither did I turn again till they were consumed Vers 42. Then did I beat them as small as dust before the wind I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets And therefore David desires no more but to see his enemies retreat and loose ground and begin to flie he is then confident of the victory Psal Psal 9.3 9.3 When mine enemies are turned back they shall fall and perish at thy presence Do they fly Nay then I am confident they shall fall and never rise again So that in a word Hab. 3.8 flying is but put Synechdochically for their totall and finall perishing and destruction it must needs be so for sure they must fly fast whom God when he rides upon his Horses and Chariots of Salvation cannot overtake I come now to the Vse Vse 1 which shall be two-fold 1. Consolation or Encouragement 2. Exhortation or Engagement The first use shall be for Comfort or Encouragement for are these Gods Rising times and is Gods Rising time the Enemies flying time Then hence for our Encouragement we may take notice what time of day it is though as yet we cannot see the Sun of Righteousnesse fully risen in our horizon with healing in his wings yet we may make some hopefull conjecture and gvesse that it is about Sun-Rising Our God is Rising yea already upon his March Look over else all those ten Nowes or Times wherein God hath engaged himself to rise for his peoples Deliverance and tell me which of them do you finde wanting upon our Times 1. Doe not the people of God in divers places of the Kingdom as in other parts of the Christian world sigh and groan under their unsupportable burdens and oppressions Surely the cry of the poor and needy that are plundered and stript naked of their subsistence the crie of the poor captives that are made to serve the lusts and cruelty of the Enemies of God in their own houses the crie of the fatherlesse children and widdowes Lam. 5.9 who are wandring up and down in perill of their lives to seek bread to relieve their soules because of the sword of the wildernesse the cry of violence and oppression but above all the crie of Blood is gone up to heaven James 5.4 Gen. 4.10 and cries in the eares of the Lord of Sabbath For if of one righteous Abels blood God said unto Cain The voice of thy brothers blood bloods in the Hebrew cryeth unto me from the ground If every drop of Abels blood had a tongue to cry to God for vengeance then how much lowder doth the blood of more innocent persons then Abel had drops of blood in his body powred out in England and Ireland like water upon the ground crie in the eares of a righteous God against the Fratricidious yea and Parricidious Caines of our times Vengeance vengeance From heaven hath the Lord beheld the earth Psa 102.19.20 Our prisoners at Oxford even to hear the groaning of the prisoners c. his poor hunger-starved prisoners many of whom have given up the ghost for want of bread and others that surviue forced for hunger to rake the gutters and sinkes of their mercilesse enemies for a little stinking food to relieve their dying soules Surely all these sighs and groans have forced their way into Gods presence long before this time Though men do not hear friends cannot and Enemies will not yet God doth and will hear from the height of his Sanctuary Secondly In the mean time doth not the Enemy carry himself as if he were more then man Surely They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression they speak loftily they set their mouth against the heaven and their tongue walketh through the earth Psal 73.9 10. They will do this and they will do that and they will make the proudest of them stoop Yea have not some of them lately as if they had been God taken upon them to threaten the poor besieged people of God with Eternall fire Who yet within few houres after as the Psalmist speaks died like a man slain as it is conjectured by the hand of a childe Thirdly But thirdly are not these enemie and haters of God grown to a strange and unheard of height of cruelty Surly the very merceis of these wicked men ar cruell Plunderings and firings and down-right murders are mercies with this Generation of men shall I say or incarnate Divels Oh when the stories of these Warres in Ireland and England shall be reported to the world posterity shall read and look pale and be astonished and ready to give up the Ghost for anguish of spirit Yea Turkes and Infidels shall hear and be ashamed to see themselves so out-bid in cruelty by them that call themselves Christians and that one upon another The land before them is as the Garden of God and behinde them like a desolate Wildernesse Fourthly And weat is the Quarrell all this while is it not Religion and the Truth of God The truth of Doctrine the truth of Discipline the truth of Worship May not the Parliament and the Parliaments friends crie to God For thy names sake O Lord are we killed all the day long Surely had not the Gospel and the Government of Jesus Christ been precious in their eyes they might have compounded for

their civill Liberties upon infinitely cheaper termes then it hath cost them already and yet the Lord knows what it may cost them more but whatever it is or may be Happy England and happy they in England that can say For thy sake O Lord are we killed all the day long Woe to them to whom God will say when they ly gasping of their wounds Ier. 2.17 Hast thou not procured these things unto thy self and stand and laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear comes Prov. 1.26 Fifthly But in the next place are not these Enemies and haters of God as Blasphemous against God as they are outragious against his people You have heard of their blaspemies I dare not repeat them I tremble to think of them Their blasphemous imprecations of Damnation upon themselves are grown now to be their hope their oath now with many of them is as they hope to be damned and it is nothing now with them to drink healths to the confusion of the Round-heads Parliament unlesse they may now also I know not how to utter it drink healths to the confusion of the Round-heads God many other blasphemies I could tell you of which the Divell may happily invent but I dare say he dares not vent for he beleeves and trembles neither of which these Belials do Rabshecah was a punie and might have gone to chool to Oxford to have learned to blaspheme of these monsters who have there taken many degrees in this black hellish art but I could wish they might be cast into the pit from whence they came that the ears of posterity might never be defiled nor offended with the report of such unheard-of cursednesses Sixthly In the midst of all these blasphemies against God and violences against Gods people are not or at lest were not the true Protestant partie that cleaves to God and the Parliament brought very low Oh how low before the beginning of this Parliament When the proud imperious Enemy had all the power both of Common and Martiall Law in their own hands and not a man found that durst open his mouth against them but were presently clapt up close prisoners or sent into banishment c. How low have we been brought and that more then once since the Parliament sate and since providence hath put defensive Armes into our hands How oft have I seen men with their hands vpon their Loyns and pains take hold of them as upon a woman in travell How oft have many even of our most discerning Christians given all for lost meditating and preparing for flight How oft have we concluded of our selves in fits of unbelief as those captives in Babylon Ezek. 37.11 Our bones are dryed and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts The Lord pardon and helpe our vnbelief for Christs sake Seventhly However yet Sion and her stones Jerusalem and her afflictions wherewith the Lord hath afflicted her in the day of his fierce anger findes compassion in the eyes and hearts of gods people while they are ready to bring forth not only their silver and gold but have been contented to spend and to be spent to engage state blood lives and whatever is dear unto them for the recovery of Zion out of the dust witnesse the Well-affected of this City who have bled themselves almost into a consumption to fill Sions veines and witnesse our Dear Brethren of Scotland who have put their lives in their hands to come forth to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty What meanes all those frequent dayes of humiliation both in publike and private that are kept in this Citie and other parts of the Kingdome where the Wilde bore rageth not Doubtlesse either they are bestowed upon the breaches and wounds of Sion and Gods dishonours or else we are guilty of the deepest hypocrisie that ever people were in which case woe woe unto us Eightly In these also do they not profess to accept of the punishment of their Iniquities Justifying God judging themselves enquiring into the cause of that fierce wrath that smoakes against us and labouring to quench it with their tears wrestling with God for grace to answer his expectation Ninthly And have not both Nations joyned themselves to the Lord in an everlasting covenant never to be forgotten Tenthly And is not one main designe in that Covenant Davids vow and Oath to the Lord Psal 132.2 that they will not go into the tabernacle of their house nor go up into their bed that they will not give sleep to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-lids till they have found out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Surely beloved Christians if the people of God be but as cordiall in what they do as the Enemies of God and his Christ are in their designes if the people of God be but as sincere as they are busie and active there is not one of all these Nowes mark't out in Scripture for Gods Rising to the help and salvation of his Church but it is to be found upon us and our times in a fair and Legible character And now Noble Senators and beloved friends if one of these postures and conditions of the Church or her Enemies have been enough in former times to Raise God out of his holy habitation to come forth for the rescue of his bleeding languishing people how much more I pray observe it how much more I say when all these Ten seeme as it were by an happy conspiracy to meet together and kisse each other in this hour of Englands Temptation may we with an awfull and humble confidence conjecture if not conclude that God is Risen God is Risen at least God is Rising God is Rising for the help of his poor oppressed people in England And if so then as here is a word of Terror to Enemies Vse 2 for Gods Rising is their scattering their flying time Terror to the Enemies so also here is a word of Exhortation to all you that are his friends and I beseech you suffer it It is the third and last vse an vse of Exhortation In generall it is but this one word If God be Risen or Rising Then all you that are his friends Do you Rise too It was the salutation of the Antient Christians upon the Lords dayes in the morning The Lord is Risen and they an-answered one another The Lord is Risen indeed So may we salute and answer one another The Lord is Risen The Lord is risen indeed and let us withall stir up and awaken one another Let us Rise too by our prayers we say Let God Arise Now in this word of Exhortation let me call upon you and do you call one upon another Let all Gods people arise c. This is the Use in generall But that I may not speak confusedly nor give an uncertain sound for then who shall prepare himself to battell it craves leave