they willingly imparted to Idolatrie shall at the day of Iudgement giue sentence against vs. A third carnall means to encourage the wicked in their traiterous purposes is the hope of such honors and preferments as may afterward befall them Great is the abiectnesse which is incident into pride and the slauerie which ambition is subiect vnto is intollerable What wickednesse is there which the hope of honour will not digest what danger is there which it will not cause to aduenture Let our first Parents be but tickled with this hope that they shall be like vnto God and they will not sticke to commit that whereby they become subiect to the Diuell Let Diotrephes haue this spurre and hee will easily make shipwracke of a good conscience Oh that our climing heads would consider this that such pleasant baites haue such deadly hooks And seing there is an eternall weight of glorie reserued for vs in the heauens which onely may bee compassed by good and holy means Oh that the hope of a certain and euer-during honour might so far prouoke vs to well-doing as the hope of this vaine and transitorie shadow preuaileth with the wicked to whet theÌ„ on to euill Well let vs trie our selus hereby least otherwise they condemne vs in the day of Christ. And so much of the Carnall meanes Now it followeth that we speake of the spirituall means By spirituall meanes we vnderstand such whereby the mind and conscience is in some sort resolued and seemingly satisfied but indeed deceiued in the doing of so great and outragious mischiefes For in vaine should Satan offer all these carnall meanes to perswade the attempting of such monstrous and horrible actions vnto those that pretend conscience and boast of exquisitie perfection in all their actions if now the conscience were vtterly vnresolued in the lawfulnes thereof What policy then doth Satan vse to perswade the conscience Surely as he is the Lords executioner to blind the minds of such who not obaying the truth are therefore iustly giuen ouer to be deceiued by strange delusions so as God of this world doth he blind the minds of Infidels not only making theÌ„ to shut their eies against the truth but further also infatuating their iudgments that they shal call darkenesse light and light darkenesse and so their iudgements being peruerted he worketh vpon their affections not onely to mooue them to doe such things as are most inconuenient but further so to flatter themselues in the doing thereof that in so doing they shall doe God good seruice So hath that great deceauer bewitched his followers not onely perswading the lawfulnes of that act of the murthering of Princes although contrary to the word of God and common law of nature and equitie but further aduancing the fact to an high degree of merit yea aduancing the authors if they will beleeue him to an extraordinarie measure of glorie for this their abhominable act of the murther of Princes And that nothing may be wanting to encourage them thereunto Behold he hath his Buls to release them of their loyaltie as if hee were able to loose that on earth which is bound in heauen and that their disobedience may not be discouered here serue his dispensations to tolerate their obedience so long till oportunitie shal serue to effect their mischiefe And when the wickednesse is to be accomplished behold then he bindes them to the same euen by the straightest bonds of their religion We read of the souldiers that lay in wait for Paul that they bound themselues by an oath that they would not eat before they bad depriued him of his life But this man of sinne is not content only with an oath but their vowes must further be in heauen as Parry acknowledgeth yea to make vp the measure of their wickednesse Behold they must confirme themselues by the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus that so they may more desperatly shed the blood of the Lords Annointed Oh that we were wise to consider these things That seing the verdict of the coÌ„science is the warrant of euery action and yet the conscience may be so informed as to giue ayme to such vile and abhominable practices wee would therefore labour for the true information of the conscience that so it maye giue in a right verdict Certainly as there is no knowledge to the worde of God so there is none to this to informe the conscience And seing that obedience to this blessed word of God is the only meanes to haue this sauing knowledge continued vnto vs labour wee in the feare of God to make conscience of this obedience that so the conscience may not be giuen vp to such strong delusions And seeing that the knowledge of the Gospell is the doctrine of obedience oh let vs not harken to that diuelish polycy which sayth that where the people are ignorant there they may be best ruled but where they are full of knowledge there they grow busie and will prooue seditious But let vs endeauour that the word of God may dwell plentifully among vs that therin performing obedience vnto God we may also be blessed in our obedience vnto man Let it no more be said that ignorance is the mother of deuotion but let it now appeare that ignorance is the mother of rebellion And if this be a case of conscience to lay hands vpon the Lords annoynted Oh let vs take â—â—ede of the cloake of religion which may be a broker to such vile practices Let vs not feare the curses of such an accursed religion whose vowes and sacraments imployed to the strengthening and encouraging of such damnable mischeifes do necessarily draw downe a curse not a blessing therevpon Yea detest we vtterly such an abhominable religion whose foundation is treason and whose practice is blood-sheding And in the name of God proceede wee couragiously to the rooting out thereof that so the more they curse and rage against the Lords ordinance the more the Lord may blesse and prosper the same the more they fome and breake out in the discouerie of their damnable enterprizes the more may they rypen and make vp the measure of their sinne that so the Lord may consume theÌ„ with the power of his coÌ„ming Distrust we from hence forth all popish holines which is to be approoued and gained by such impious practices And seeing this is the fruite of all forraine subiection from the bottome of our hearts renounce we all such vsurped power which thus exaltes it selfe aboue all that is called God thus controwling the woorde and abusing the meanes of Gods worship to such horrible purposes presumeth and iustifyeth the remoouall of the Lords annoynted It followeth They commune togeather to lay snares priuily and say who shall see them Behold here a second policie whereby the wicked confirme them selues in their desperate practices against the Lords Annoynted namely
also to greater blessings as hauing beene faithfull in the lesse If thou shalt with a large eie behold how great things the Lord hath done for thee thou shalt herein behold the greatnesse of the giuer and so thy mouth shall confesse to saluation Great is the Lord and worthy to be praised And if thou shalt wisely behold what God hath done for thee and so shalt giue him the praise that is due vnto his name this shal be a meanes to sharpen thine eie of faith that so thou maist be able to see a farre of And then behold as our Sauiour told Nathaniel Thou shalt see greater things then these yea such which neuer eie saw nor yet euer entred into the heart of man thou shalt here see by faith and hereaftet see face to face This benefit maist thou gaine by beholding the bles sings of God But this is not all For if thou shalt with a single eye looke further into such mercies as God hath bestowed vpon thee thou shalt in the greatnesse of his goodnesse behold thine owne vilenesse then nearer thou approachest vnto God in the apprehension of his mercie the deeper shalt thou wade into the sense of thine owne miserie rottennesse shall enter into thy bones and horror shall possesse thee That is the apprehension of Gods power and great goodnesse shall abase thee in his presence that so thou maist find rest in the day of trouble that so in the sense of thine owne vilenesse acknowledging thy selfe vnworthy of the least of those mercies thou hast aheady receiued thou maist be partaker of further deliuerances Thus shall the beholding of Gods blessing causing thee aright to know thy selfe by them lead thee also to a right vnderstanding of them namely that they are the free gifts of God and not due vnto vs whereby thou shalt happily ouercome the second temptation For now in the glasse of thine owne wretchednesse thou shalt plainely see that whatsoeuer thou hast it is of the free mercie and bountie of thy God thy selfe beeing so sarre from deseruing any good as that indeed nothing is due vnto thee but shame confusion of thy selfe for euer By which as thou shalt bee humbled in the sense of thine owne vnworthynesse and so be both contented with that thou hast and imploy thy Talent in feare and trembling so shalt thou hereby reape these benefits not only that that which thou hast be it neuer so little d shal serue thy turne yea be farre better vnto thee then great riches of the vngodly so long as thou hast the vessell of a thankful heart faithful calling to entertaine and vse the blessings but further also whatsoeuer thou hast being by these meanes sanctified vnto thee it shal be a Pledge vnto thee of that vnchangeable loue of GOD who hauing bestowed these things vppon thee of his meere loue and mercye therefore seeing whom hee loueth he loueth vnto the ende as he hath begunne the worke so hee will perfect it in thee and will not cease following thee with his blessings till he hath made thee perfect in his Sonne Behold here the singular benefit of this dutie of beholding the workes of GOD namely that thereby wee Shal be prepared in some good measure to thank fulnesse Which if wee shall not attaine vnto as all haue not faith to see this spiritually into them yet behold the wonderfull wisedome and power of God in making the wicked heere inexcusable in that they shall not choose but behold the great and gratious workes of GOD and howsoeuer they shall say in their hearts there is no GOD yet with their eyes in these his workes they shall most plainely see him A very notable and effectuall meanes to conuince the Atheisme of the world and such as leaues all vtterly without excuse For though many may pretend ignorance and simplicity that they cannot comprehend GOD in his word yet who can say that hee hath not seene him in his workes what eye can bee shutte at so great a deliuerance what eare will such fearefull iudgements euen make to tingle as do light vpon Traytors Tremble therefore oh thou Atheist at the prouidence of GOD who hath a way to confound thee in thine owne wisedome and very wonderfully to condemne thee in thine owne policies Didst thou say in the depth of thy heart when thou laydest snares against the righteous That no eye should see no not the eye of GOD himselfe Flattering thy selfe in thine owne iniquity That the Lord is hidde in the Clouds and cannot see neither will the GOD of Iacob regard it And didst thou hope hereby to escape scot-free as deceiuing thine owne heart That the Lord will neither doe good nor euill Consider thou vnwise that the Lord will bring his iudgements to light that euery eye may see them and then thou shalt see the eye of God was vpon thee what thou hast Done secretly the Lord will then discouer openly that all men may see it and laugh at thee saying This is the man that tooke not God for his strength but put his strength in his malice and in his mischieuous policies yea thine owne eyes shall see now what before thou wouldest not beleeue That the Lord careth for the righteous but as for the wicked them doth his righteous soule abhor that so though thou continue thy malice against the saints yet now thou shalt not hereafter haue this comfort that thou didest it ignorantly because thou hast seene that God taketh their part and therefore against this reuealed light conuincing thine owne conscience thou shalt hereafter appeare desperately to fight against God Now shalt thou say no more Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that we may see it For thou hast seene the wonderfull iustice and mercie of thy God and if this sight will not appall thee but still thou wilt persecute know then that thou shalt one day see him to thy confusion whome thou hast now pierced in his members when thou shalt wish the mountaines to hid thee that thou maist not see him and yet shalt lie naked before the eye of his iustice by which thou shalt be pierced with eternal sorrows Oh that we would try our selues by these things that seeing the beholding of the workes of God shall condeme the Atheist because he is not able to make a further vse of them whether therfore the c Atheist may not condemne many of vs professors herein who will not vouchsafe the worke of God that entertainment as he hath done If this wonderfull deliuerance of the state and Church of God at this time hath so farre preuailed euen with the profanest enemies as that they haue stood at a gase in the view thereof as somtimes did the people of Israel at the Corpes of Amasa If the very aduersaries themselues haue wondred at the prouidence of GOD in the defeating of these practises
acknowledge that our cause is Gods yet they shall continue their malice against so good a cause yet they shall thus desperately fight against heauen and prouoke the holy one of Israel to their iust confusion And yet behold the Lord will open their mouthes further to their fearefull condemnation euen by the gratious deliuerances that he performeth vnto his children It was much that Saul should iustifie the innocencie of Dauid wonderfull was the Lord herein to wring from a reprobate the approbation of his seruant and very holy herein was the Iustice of God in discouering this wilfull obstinacy of a cast-away that so hee might prepare him thereby to his further condemnation But all this while innocency though it were praised yet it went a begging Dauid might be promised a kingdome yet was not sure of his life Nay for the safegard of it he is driueÌ„ to a narrow shift euen in a sort to venture his innocency it selfe So are Gods children to seeke of that which is theirs in hope that God may haue the glory of what they do enioy so doth the Lord prepare his to the obtaining of a blessing that comming vnto it at so hard a rate they might more highly prize it when they shall obtaine But did not the Lord heere giue his seruant some token that hee would recompence him according to his innocency yea surely the Lord that opened the mouth of his enemy to giue testimony vnto the one hee also opened the same to be a Prophet of the other HarkeÌ„ my beloued woÌ„der at the prouidence of God I know saith Saule that thou shalt be King and that the kingdome of Israel shal be established in thy hand Loe here Saule is amonge the Prophets to declare glad tidings to the Saints to speak feareful things against themselues Harken howe the wife of Haman becomes a prophetesse vnto her husband of the deliuerance of the Church and a swift witnesse of the destruction of the enemies thereof If Mordecay saith she be of the seede of the Iewes before whom thou hast begunne to fall thou shalt not preuaile against him but shalt surely fall before him Marke I pray you the ground of this prophecye the wicked haue begunne to fall before the righteous nation some vpper hand haue they had against their enemies what doth this infidell collect herevpon surely the wicked shall fall more and more before the righteous till at lenght the righteous shal haue dominion ouer them in the morning Wouldst thou then haue a token that thine enemies shal be confounded consider then howe from time to time they haue fallen before thee certeÌ„ly if thou be of the seed of the Iewes and of that royall generation thou shalt one day haue all thine enemies thy footstoole Wouldst thou haue a further euidence to confirme this vnto thee behold the Lord shall open the mouth of thine enemie to bewray their fainting spirits that so thou maist be comforted as Gideons Souldiers were by this testimony of thine enemies that the Lord shal giue them vp into thy hands and thou shalt make a ful end of them Oh but thou wilt say how can these things stand together Saul tells Dauid he shall certenly be King and yet hee continues persecuting him to take away his life from him May not this be a policy to make him secure that he may the more easily seaze vpon him I see indeed will the weake Christian say that God hath deliuered his church from time to time I heare euen the enemie giuing ouer for a time as confessing with the Pharesie Behold we preuaile nothing against him for all the world runneth after him and yet I see the aduersaries are in hope stil I see they are stil practising and plotting against the soules of the righteous what may I conceaue hereof may I not iustly feare with Dauid that I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul that at length these aduersaries shall obtaine their desire against the church and therevpon resolue rather vpon some indirect course to corrupt my conscience or abate of my sincerity that so glosing with them I might finde fauour in their sight Oh stay here whosoeuer thou art that shalt be thus affected giue mee the hearing a while to satisfie thee herein Tell me I pray thee why doth Sathan our maine aduersary so violently and incessantly persecute the Church of GOD doth not the spirit giue thee the reason because his time is short if thou therefore seest the instruments of Satan still to rage more fiercely against the spouse of Christ know thou for a certenty that their time is but short and that thou maist not want a prophesie to confirme thee herein consider but what their desperate practises doe speake vnto thee If they were not affraid to loose their kingdome if they had not a presage in their conscience that Christs Kingdome would one day preuaile surely they would be still and follow their flesh potts they would not so persecute and plot as they doe they would not thus spend their goods and venture their liues and all against the poore Church of God Alas it is not for Christs kingdome what pretence soeuer they haue for they haue said plainelie We will not haue this man to raigne ouer vs. But the trueth is to holde their own Here is the matter the Iewes had this Oracle from their Father the Deuill that if they let Christ alone the Romanes would come and take away their Kingdome And therefore they resolue that Christ must bee persecuted his death must be the life of their vsurped power their conscience told them that they were but vsurpers the very life and holy conuersation of Christ was a manifest conuiction and condemnation of them so that their conscience told them that Christ Iesus was that holy one whom they ought to haue obeyed and yet their hypocrysie replyed if wee giue him honour wee shall loose ours and so their deuilish policy concluded to their owne confusion better one perish then our whole Kingdome goe downe faine would they haue done him homage so he would haue serued their turne to Daube vp their hypocrisie and vnderproppe their toâ—tering Kingdome but yet because they saw his course to bee cleane contrary a sharpe reprouer of their hipocrisie and a mayne beaterdowne of their carnall pompe and vanity hereupon against their conscience they followed their persuite against him and doe you marke herein how their Father deceiued them their practises against the sonne of God made way to his Glory and the redemption of mankind and so proued the occasion of the ouerthrow of their kingdome So doth the Lord Confound the wisdome of the wise and turneth their malice vpon their owne pates In like sort the aduersaries of the Church haue carried themselues A kingdome they haue vsurped vpon by the power of Sathan and through his Subtilty and violence they haue seazed vpon the Lords