no vncleane thing The frute will be this You shall eate your bread in plenteousnes and dwell in your Citie safely Leuit. 26.5 6. God will send peace in the land and ye shall sleepe and none shall make you afraid He will couer you vnder his wings Psal 91.4 and you shall bee safe vnder hys feathers his truth shall be your shield and buckler You shall not be afraid of the feare of the night nor of the arrowe that flyeth by day for he shall giue his Angels charge ouer you vers 11. to keepe you in all your wayes And this will the Lord doo for you and much more if you feare loue serue obey him For he will receiue you he will be a father vnto you and you shall bee hys sonnes and daughters 2. Corinth 6.17 18. hee will dwell with you and walke among â—ou he will be your God and you shall be â—â—s people Leu. 26.12 Finally that I may conclude with the Prophet with whom I began if ye consent and obay ye shall eate the good things of the lande Esaie 1.19.20 But if ye refuse and bee rebellious yee shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This same our Lord God who alone pondereth 2. Chron. 6.30 trieth ruleth the harts of the sonnes of men Pro. 21.2 guide vs our harts to the loue of him 1. Thess 2.4 mollifie and soften vs Act. 1.34 and them by the gratious and mighty working of his holy and blessed spirit 2. Thess 3.5 that we may sensibly feele perceiue how good and louing a God and mercifull father hee hath beene and is vnto vs and that we may shew our selues thankfull and obedient vnto him liuing vnto his lawes and embracing his word and obeying his commandements so dooing wee shall be the Lords chiefe treasure aboue all people â—he will fight for vs as he did for the Israelites his elect chosen children he will carrie vs on Eagles wings as he did them throughout the dangers and troubles of this wofull Egypt till wee come to the hauen of perfect rest to the land of the celestiall Canaan where we shal haue the fruition of endles ioyes 1. Cor. 2.6 which eye hath not seen neither eâ—re hath heard neither haue entred into the hart of man prepared of God for them that loue him Of which ioyes God of his infinite mercie grant vs all to be partakers through the merites and death of Iesus Christ his sonne our Lord and sauiour to whome with the holy Ghost triple in person but one in substance be praise and glory and wisedome and thankes honour and power and might for euermore Apoc. 7.12 Now let vs pray O Lord thou that liuest for euer which beholdest from thy holy hill the things that are done vpon earth heare and hearken we beseech thee vnto the Prayers of thy seruants and receiue into thine eares the petitions of thy creatures Looke not O Lord vpon the multitude of our iniquities and haue no respect to the number of our sinnes let it not bee thy will to destroy vs which appeare worse before thee than the Oxe and Asse for the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Cribbe but we thy children whom thou hast nourished and brought vp as a most louing father haue not knowne and wee that in time past were not a people but nowe thine owne people haue not vnderstand VVe must acknowledge and confesse vnto thee our Lord and God that euen the byrdes of the Ayre as the Storke and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow doo better knowe and obserue the times of their comming then we the iudgments of thee our God Our misdeedes are great and they presse vs downe as an heauy burden Our iniquities are as the sand of the sea in number before thee Thou hast O Lord many and iust causes to doe with vs according to our offences because wee haue not kept thy commandements neither haue walked in duty and obedience before thee but haue rebelled as did thy people the Iewes VVee haue the sickenesse of our Fathers wee haue done amisse and dealt wickedly Notwithstanding O Lord wee trust that thou wilt be fauourable and gracious vnto vs. In a contrite heart and an humble spirite let vs be receiued Deale with vs thy seruants which put their trust in thee after thy louing kindnes and according to the multitude of thy mercies so shalt thou be called mercifull and we shall haue great cause to praise and glorifie thee both for this and all other thy former benefits specially for that as vpon this day thou diddest deliuer vs and our Citie out of the handes of our wicked enemies and hatefull foes which sayd that they would burne our dwelling places and kill our yong men with the sword dash our sucking children against the ground and make our infants as a pray our virgins a spoyle which also sayd we will diuide the booty our lust shall be satisfied vpon them and then wee will draw the weapon and our hand shall destroy them But thou the Lord of Hoasts which art great and glorious maruelous and inuincible in power whose voyce no creature can abide diddest soone bring them and their deuises to naught Thy right hande was glorious in power thy right arme brused the enemy In thy great glory thou diddest ouerthrow them that rose against thee thou diddest send forth thy wrath which consumed them as the stubble and by the blast of thy nostrels the waters came which ran mightily through the channels of our streets so drowned the labours of their hands And so from that day to this as the Egle doth her yong ones thou hast carried vs vppon the winges of thy mercy out of all dangers for which and all other thy blessinges most gracious and louing father we shall from age to age remember thee and thy goodnes this shall bee a feast day vnto vs and our posterity we that are now and they that are to come shall sing prayses vnto thee exalt thy name Thou O Lord wast and art our strength and power thou wast and art our saluation thou hast beene and art our refuge our defence our castle and the rocke of our might thou art our God thou art the God of our fathers we will magnifie thee And here also wee are bolde to make our deuout and harty prayers vnto thee Lord almighty and father of vs al that thou after thine accustomed mercy wilt vouchsafe continually to remember vs from thy holy mount to looke downe vppon vs. Keep vs Lord as the apple of thine eye graue vs as another Zion vppon the palme of thine handes and let our walls bee euer in thy sight VVhen men shall rise vp against vs and shall be wrathfully displeased at vs if wee turne to thee with all our hearts and with all our soules and confesse thy name and pray and make supplication before thee in this house heare thou then O Lord in heauen in the dwelling place of thy habitation what prayer and supplication so euer shall bee made of any man or of all thy people and pardon the sinne of thy seruants and bee mercifull to the transgressions of thy children punish vs not according to our deserts deliuer vs not whom thou hast purchased for a spoile vnto captiuity and death sell vs not into the hands of our enemies round a-about vs giue vs not ouer for a pray vnto their teeth make vs not for a Prouerbe of reproch to the Nations farre and neere lest they aske where is now their God Let not the Heathen say which haue heard the fame of thee because the Lorde was not able to saue this people in the land that he gaue them or because hee hated them therefore hee hath left them in the handes of spoilers to spoile them and of the Nations to raigne as Lordes ouer them Lord we are thy people and thine inheritance which thou deliueredst of olde by thy mighty power and preseruedst by thy stretched out arme Let this greatnes of thy power continue withdraw not thy accustomed fauor from vs hide not thou thy face from vs in the time of troble but be thou mercifull vnto vs according to thy great mercies Let all the earth be filled with the brightnesse of thy glory let all such that beare euill will at Zion which seeke to lay thy vineyard wast which thou so graciously hast planted fortified on euery part to bring thine heritage to confusion be confouÌ„ded by thy great force and power and let their strength bee broken that they may knowe that thou which art called Iehouah art alone euen the most High ouer all the earth Finally O Lorde carry vs thy people by thy great mercie whom thou deliueredst bring vs we beseech thee in thy strength vnto thy holy habitation plant vs in the mountaine of thine inheritance which is the place that thou hast prepared for to dwell in euen in the Sanctuarie O Lorde which thine handes shall stablish make vs ioyfull Citizens of thy holy Citie Hierusalem which is aboue goe before vs both by day and by night in the pillar of thy fauour and goodnesse to leade vs the way that we may safely passe through this vale of misery and wretchednesse and finish this our pilgrimage with ioy And lastly that through the ayde and assistance of our true Ioshua thy son Iesus Christ we thy children hauing passed all difficulties may rest and dwell with thee our father in the Kingdome of all happines and felicitie Euen so Lord Iesus Nomb. 6.24 The Lord blesse you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine vpon you and be mercifull vnto you the Lord lift vp his countenance vpon you and giue you peace to your City and your selues now and euer Amen Soli Deo Gloria FINIS
prophet begā to prophesie after that God had blessed him maruellously had giuen him many notable victories thereby was grown to be strong lifted vp his heart and vsurped the priests office and went into the temple of the Lord to burne incense vpon the altar of incense and when he was willed to leaue off would not but waxed wroth as it is in the second of Chronicles and 26. chap. v. 19. Ierusalem a faithfull citie and which had promised fidelitie vnto God as a wife to her husband is now become a common harlot and a filthie strumpet Esa 1.21 She was once full of iudgement and iustice was lodged within her brest but now she is full of rauen crueltie and deceit verse 22. Her siluer is become drosse and her wine is mixt with water The testimonies of the Lord which sometime were pure and without drosse like vnto siluer that is tried with fire are now defiled with pharisaicall traditions and doctrines of men The commandements of the Lord which were like vnto pure wine reioycing the heart through watery dregs haue lost their strength colour and beautie verse 23. The princes of the people were rebellious and companions of theeues they loued giftes and followed after rewardes they iudged not the fatherlesse neither did the widowes cause come before them Ierem. 2.8 The Priests said not so much as where is the Lorde and they that should minister the lawe knew not God Deut. 32.15 He that should haue beene vpright when he waxed fatte and grose and was laden with fatnesse spurned with his heele and forsooke the Lorde that made him regarded not the strong God of his saluation And therefore the state and condition of Iudah Ierusalem being thus corrupt whom neither the benefits of God could win nor his punishments amend the Lord by his Prophet dooth iustly charge them with ingratitude and disobedience in this sort They haue rebelled against me Wherein they did rightly imitate and follow their forefathers Psal 78.8 a stubborne and rebellious generation a generation whose heart was not aright and whose spirit was not faithfull vnto God For no sooner had God brought thē out of Egipt out of the house of bondage with a mighty hand and stretched out arme Psal 106.7 but they forgate his great goodnesse and rebelled at the Sea euen at the red Sea Exo. 16.3 In the wildernesse of Sin they grudged for bread and flesh Exod. 17.2 and in Rephidim for water They made a calfe in Horeb Exod. 32.4 worshipped the molten image Psa 106.19 They maliced Moses Aaron the holy one of the Lord. v. 16. They would haue stoned Caleb and Ioshua Nom. 14.10 They ioined themselues vnto Baal peor did eat the offrings of the dead Psa 106.28 They sacrificed their sonnes and daughters vnto deuils shed innocent bloud euen the bloud of their sonnes and daughters whom they offred vnto the idols of Canaan Deut. 32.17 gods whom they knew not new gods that came newly vp forsooke the Lorde God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egipt and followed other gods as Baal and Ashtaroth the gods of the people that were round about them and bowed vnto them Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was hote against Israel and he deliuered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them and solde them into the hands of their enemies round about them Notwithstanding the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressours ve 16. but they would not obey their Iudges for they wet a whoring after other gods and worshipped thē Iudg. 10.6 as the gods of Aram Zidon and Moab the gods of the children of Ammon and of the Philistins forsooke the Lorde God and serued not him And thus they rebelled and their posteritie to the dayes of Iohn the fore-runner of Christ and his Apostles insomuch that of Christ before him of Iohn the Baptist they are called Progenies viperarum the generations of vipers Mat. 3.7 And because they were the children of them which murthred the prophets fulfilled the measure of their fathers Mat. 23.31 the lord vpbraideth casteth in their teeth not onely their owne but also their fathers malice Many a time would the Lord haue gathered them together Matt. 23 37. as the hen doth her chickens vnder her wings but they would not And therefore did Stephan to their faces charge them with stubbornesse and rebellion calling them Act. 7.51 stifnecked and of vncircumcised hearts and eares alwaies resisting the holy Ghost as their fathers did So that though Israel and Iudah after a sort could colour their rebellion and stifnesse of heart against the Lord and against his annointed with the multitude of sacrifices Esa 1.11 with the burnt offerings of Rams and fat of fed beasts with the bloud of bullockes of Lambes and of goates with the obseruation of new moones Sabbaths and solemne daies with the stretching out of hands and making many praiers yet we see what they are and the Lord who alone looketh into the harts of all by the prophet here chargeth the very Rulers to be rebellious companions of theeues ve 23 yea and the whole packe of them for their impietie and wickednesse to be like vnto the princes of Sodoma and people of Gomorah The application And now to applie these former points vnto our selues before we come to the exaggeration of this peoples ingratitude and vnkindnesse let vs take some short view whether our condition be the same with the condition of Israel and Iudah or whether ours be better than theirs was The Lorde our God as yee all know hath nourished and brought vp vs his children in as good and ample manner as euer he did the Iewes his elect and chosen people He hath giuen vs for our comfort Psa 8.7.8 the beasts of the field the foules of the ayre and the fishes of the sea He brought vs out of the yron fornace of Romish Egipt at what time the Egyptian tyrants made vs wearie of our liues with sore labourin the clay and bricke of hellish superstition and with all maner of bondage which they laide vpon vs most cruelly Hetherto the Lorde hath gone before vs by day in a pillar of a cloude and by night in a pillar of fire to lead vs the way and to giue vs light that we might go both by day and by night out of all danger He hath giuen vs Manna frō heauen not Manna of which the Fathers did eate in the wildernesse and are dead but a liuing Manna a Manna that giueth life vnto the world a Manna of which he that truly eateth shall liue for euer Ioh. 6 38. The Israelites after they had drunke of the water out of the rocke thirsted againe but of the water which he shall giue vs if we once drinke we shall neuer be more a thirst Joh 4.14 for it is the water of life euen the grace and loue of God in
his sonne Christ shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost vnto eternall life This our God for our peace hath smitten of late yeares Sihon of Rome and Og of Spaine who sought to make the Lords heritage an abhomination that so to this very day the heritage standeth as it did it is as it was and in as good plight if not better it remaineth in the hand of the right owner we trust that it shall still remaine euen in the hand and possession of Israel his seruant for which we do and shall praise his holy blessed name for euer This our God the lord God of hosts hath made vs a mighty nation a fearefull and a terrible to all the Princes Potentates of the earth He conducteth vs not by Iosua but by a Iesus not to a terrestrial but to a celestial Canaan the lād of eternall felicitie whose brightnesse is God whose light is the lambe the lot of the faithfull and the possession of the saued The Lord finding vs in this vale of miserie as he found Iaacob in the land of a roaring wildernesse Deuteronomie 23.9.10 hath ledde vs by his spirite taught vs by his worde gouerned vs by his grace and kept vs as the Apple of his eye As the Eagle he stirreth vp his nest he fluttereth ouer vs his young ones stretcheth out the winges of his mercie taketh and beareth vs on the same to the best and surest places of the earth that so we eate the fruites of the fields and sucke honie not from the stone as did the Iewes but from the Bee and oile not from the rocke as they but from the Oliue we eate the butter of kine and the milke of sheepe with the fat of Lambes and Rams fed not in Bashan but in England with the fat of the graines of wheate and for good and perfect digestion we drawe from the enemy the licour of the red grape This our good and gratious God hath caused vs to multiply as the bud of the field We are to the knowledge of the nations round about vs increased and waxen great many of vs haue gotten many goodly and excellent ornaments Our breasts are fashioned our haire is growne The Lorde hath giuen vs riche and precious iewels bracelets for our hands chaines for our necks frontlets for our faces earings for our eares beautifull things for our heads in which would God we did not delight and reioyce so much as we do The Lord hath decked vs with gold and siluer our raiment is of the finest linnen and silke and broidered worke we eate fine floure and honie and oile yea better things than euer did the Iewes and thus wee become beautifull more than the sonnes and daughters of Zion and we are growne into a kingdom God graunt not into pride The Iewes in the first of Haggei vers 8. are commanded to go vp to the hill Lebanon which was not within the borders of Iewry but of Zidon Tyrus Ezra 3.7 frō thence to bring home Cedarwood for the building of the Temple Truly a figure of the Lordes aboundant mercie and most comfortable for vs Gentiles that albeit wee bee not borne of Iewes yet we are trees meete to builde Gods house with and God willeth vs to bee brought home vnto him by the preaching of his worde that wee may be plankes or boardes bases or props sides or postes pillars or beames rafters or tenons one thing or other of that house wherein himselfe will dwell and he delighted with vs and among whome he will declare his glorie Beside all these which hath beene alreadie obserued for a blessing vpon Israell and Iudah Esa 5.1.2 the Lord hath planted his vineyard in a very frutful soile he hath giuen it a skilfull vinitor one indued with all gifts and qualities necessarie for regiment euen a learned religious gentle mercifull gracious and louing Prince by name Elizabeth the rest of God the seauenth of God and fulnes of the othe of God a great blessing the Lorde continue it and make vs thankfull for it This skilfull vinitor our gracious Soueraigne comparable for fortitude with Iosua for magnanimitie with Gedeon for victories with Macchabeus for wisedome with Salomon for zeale with Hezekiah for deutoion with Dauid hath caused the stones that pestered the vineyard to bee gathered out the briers and thornes to be grubbed vp rubbidge and whatsoeuer was noysome to be remooued 2. Thes 2.3 Antichrist the man of sin with his trash and traditions to bee exiled that nowe the fielde is cleared the vineyard clensed the Church purged and all this concluded and more without any great sedion or tumult at all It was the Lordes doing and it is wonderfull in the eyes of as manie as doe truely behold it No vineyard no Church no people vnder the heauens more inriched with the blessings of God so that the Lord may iustly say vnto vs as he did vnto his people of old Es 4.5 what more could I haue done vnto my vineyard which I haue not done vnto it The Lord haue the glorie for it and he in his mercie preserue keepe and maintaine the vinitor our gracious queene in health wealth peace and prosperitie that to the ioy and comfort of all her loyall heartie true trustie subiects she may long continue liue and reigne an old mother in Israel he that from the verie bottome of his heart doth not so wish and praie and say Amen the rauens of the valley pick out his eyes and the young Eagles eate them vp Pro. 30.17 This vineyard so planted in a most fruitful ground cleansed from stone thorne brier watered with the dew of Gods truth cherished with his Sacramentes pruned with the two edged sword of his most holy spirit vnder propped with the authoritie of zealous magistrates fortified with good and godly lawes to keepe both roote and braunche in order hath brought foorth many a goodly and pleasaunt grape amongst others peace spirituall and peace ciuill peace toward God peace amongst men and amongst our selues and so the peace of conscience which passeth all wisdome and vnderstanding pleasant grapes and a riche blessing He that hath felt the euill of warre can best speake of the good of peace Warre as a Locust maketh scarcitie but peace like vnto the morning and euening dew worketh plenty as Eras Apo. lib. 6. noteth Croesus king of Lydia by this onely argument preferred peace before warre Quòd pacis tempore filii sepelirent patres in bello contrà patres sepelirent liberos that in the time of peace children did burie their fathers contrariwise in warre fathers did burie their children So contrarie is the fruite of warre to the fruite of peace which we through the benefit of God vnder his Anointed haue enioyed long time without any effusion of bloud to speake of except of a sort of Archtraitors who receiued but the rewarde they deserued and which I pray God all traitours with their adherents may receiue
hereafter if they practise conspire and rebell as they did This florishing peace hath made not only this Citie but also the whole lande to flowe like another Canaan with milke and honie The God of peace hath done this for vs he be praised therefore and prosper her maiestie by whom it is gouerned and maintained Whereas the Nations about vs struggle in the field tumble in warre and wallow in bloud expecting no end of their miseries but vtter ruine and desolation we in the meane while sit at home by our fires in our furred gownes corked slippers trimmed buskins and warme mittons Am. 4.6 We lie vpon our costly beds and stretch out our selues vpon them we eate the Lambes of the flocke and the Calues out of the stall verse 5. We sing to the sound of the Violl the Harpe and Pipe and wine are in our feasts and the wine we drinke in bowles Esa 5.12 Am. 6.6 In which great peace and plentifulnesse God make vs worthily to consider the workes of his handes and to be sory for the affliction of Ioseph and his bretheren Vers 6. of which now many are slaine in Fraunce Flanders and els wheare in defence of the Gospel propagation of the truth and safetie of this Land Moreouer whereas the nations people about vs do eate in feare and drinke in dread and like fearefull hares doe flee awaye at the wagging of euerie leafe we sit quiet and safe as did Israel and Iudab 1. King 4.20 like vnto the sand of the Sea in number eating drinking making mery euery man vnder his vine and vnder his Boothe from Dan to Beer-sheba to wit from the one end of this land to the other For God hath made the bars of the gates of our Ierusalem strong Psa 147.5 and hath blessed our children within hir He hath set peace in hir borders and satisfied hir poore with the floure of wheate His worde is come from Iaacob and his statutes from Israel vnto vs the best and greatest blessing that may be He hath not dealt thus with euerie Nation vers 20. as hee hath dealt with vs the least Nation of all Our punishment and fall will bee the greater if we be not thankefull It must be confessed that some stonnes haue bin raised in hir Maiesties daies before time in the daies of hir deare brother King Edward the sixt which somwhat disturbed our happy rest But the Prince of peace soueraigne Lord of our tranquillitie soone ceased the waues of the sea stilled the fury madnes of those heathen miraculously preuented their wicked deuises and confounded the deuisers of them Thus was the Lorde of Hoasts iealous for his Zion with great iealouzie he was iealous for hir with great wrath Zach. 8.2 Hee was not vnmindfull of his people nor forgetfull of his inheritance A mother may forget hir childe and take no compassion on the son of hir wombe Esay 49.15 such stepmothers there are But though such vnnaturally giuen forget yet will not the Lord forget Zion for he hath grauen hir vppon the palme of his hands and hir walls are euer in his sight Christ the shipmaster our saluation Matth 8.24 slept in the shipp on a pillow the ship couered with waues the Disciples Mar. 4.38 with no litle diffidence and distrust awoke him they put him out of his napp A faithles and needles labour For hee that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe Psal 121 4. wee haue felt the experiment For the Lorde in our Cities distresse in the time of Commotion as we call it or insurrection awaked as one out of sleepe and as a Giant refreshed with wine Psal 78.65 He smote his enemies and ours in the hinder parts and put them to a perpetuall shame verse 66. They ran about vs like Bees but they were extinct sodainly as a fire of thornes Psal 12. Our soule escaped euen as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare was broken and we deliuered Psal 124.7 The Plowers would haue plowed vpon our backs and made long furrowes at their pleasure Psal 129.3 But the righteous Lord tooke in hand the two edged sword of his iustice and hewed the snares and cordes of those wicked in pieces vers 4.5 He in like measure reward as many as haue euill will at Sion This was the Lords worke and it is maruellous in our eies Psal 118.23 This is the day which the Lord made we will reioice and bee glad in it verse 24. This is the day which you call Iesus daie whether because it is so fixed in the Calender I knowe not but sure I am that it was Iesus day vnto you a day of saluation For if Iesus the Lord had not been on our side Psal 114.1 may not Israal but Exeter now say if the Lorde had not bin on our side when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quicke so vnable wer we to resist when their wrath was kindled against vs. The waters had drowned vs the streame and swelling waters had gone ouer our soule verse 4. But praised be the Lord who gaue vs not ouer for a pray vnto their teeth And thus hath our good gratious God continued his fauor toward vs to this present day that there is no leading into captiuitie nor any complaining in our streets Psal 144.14 Blessed are wee that bee in such a case yea blessed are we which haue the Lorde for our God For this great calme for this miraculous peace let vs thanke the Lord. But what are we thankefull vnto him for these and other his blessinges or liue we as children obedient to a father If we do not would we did all doo not For behold how many of vs like vnto Israel Iudah are turned backe and started aside like a broken bowe Psal 78.57 The Lorde looketh that we should bring forth sweete grapes but wee bring forth sowre ones There are at this very day in our streets vsury deceit crueltie and oppression Wee haue as the Iewes had our Sabbaths and solemne dayes our assemblies and appointed feasts we stretch out our hands and make manie praiers as they did and yet see as theirs were our harts if not our hands are full of blood Esa 1.13.15 Nowe that wee are waxen fatte and grose nowe that wee haue what wee would haue as did Israel we spurne with the heele we forsake the Lord that made vs and regard not the mightie and strong God of our saluation Deu. 32.15 We beginne to loath Manna and to long for the flesh pots of Egipt Num. 11.6 Wee professe that wee know God but our workes testifie that we denie him Exo. 19.3 As for the word of the Lorde wee count it vaine Tit. 1.19 we can be content to say to the Sâ—ers see not and to the Prophets prophesie errours Esa 36.10 Like vnto the meÌ„ of Anathoth we desire to bee flattered and soothed in our sins Ier 11.17 The Lord hath set watchmeÌ„ ouer vs that crie take