more and more sin one mischiefe covering it selfe with another conceiving it cannot be safe but by so doing As we see it was thus with David in the matter of Vriah and Ahab in the case of Naboth the beginnings of which are oft but small but alas alas how great a sire will a little sparke kindle He that made the whole world the object of his contemplation as he was griev'd to see some idle and others ill imploy'd so was he also griev'd to see many bufie in other mens matters Such endeavours are seldome acceptable or successfull and this connivence they carry ever along with them if well they are but well if evill the more paines the lesse thanks ye accessaries in this case come in as principles and beare the reward of their follyes in their sufferings Briefly God hath placed every man in his own station appoynted him some office calling imployment or businesse of his own This let him doe it with all diligence and following the Aposties rule Let him study to be quiet and medle with his own businesse 1 Thes 4.15 Sin and sinners in generall we must not medle with My son if sinners intice thee consent thou not if they say Wee will lay wait for blood c. vid. 1 Prov. v. 11. We shall finde precious riches and fill our houses with spoyle Cast in thy lot amongst us we will all have one purse My son walke not in their way refraine thy foot from their paths c. Good old Jacob whom neither affection to his children nor love of gaine could court to the countenancing of cruelty abominates that villany of his sons in slaying the Sichemites though they pretended great and urgent reasons for it especially after overtures of peace for the future and tender of satisfaction for by-past injuries he confesses that it made him stinke in the nostrills of other Nations and many years after even upon his death-bed to evidence his perpetuall hatred of such treachery he disclaimes any society with or approbation of that act Into their secrets let noâ— my soule enter in their assemblies mine honour be not thou united and passes sentence upon them that were chiefe actors in it Simeon and Levi Devide them O God in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49. 5-7 But to speake to the object in the text The seditious Sedition is the murtherer of pietie the bane of charitie the mother of consusion It is a hell upon earth as having nearest relation to and confederacy with the Devil and his Angels Satan never acts so like himselfe as when in the shape of an Angel of light he attempts workes of darknesse and by his delusions and devices throws all into extremities and those often contrary casting some into the fire and others into the water Sedition is that Grand Trapan which not onely carries away deceived soules such as in the simplicitie of their hearts goe on thinking no evill but also perverts good intentions and in time converts them into most horrid practises Sedition hath this evill in it that it usually corrupts the best knowing such when corrupted to be ever the worst That poyson is most mortall that hath seised on the vitalls and thus it is in a Church or State when Religion is turn'd to faction and peace the daughter of pietie is so fatally betrayed that she becomes the mother of dissention and grand-mother of destruction Nor do I wonder at it in our dregs of time when in those purer dayes the Apostle tells the Corinthians that he fear'd he should sinde what he was unwilling to finde strife envyings wrath contentions backbitings swellings and discords Behold an Army of Saints whose Cause is envie and swellings whose Artillery is strife wrath and contention and whose Military provision seems no better then backbitings and discords If thus it be with the greene tree what shall become of the dry and if the righteous could not be preserved from those evills how shall the wicked and ungodly appeare But to come to the Text the seditious seeme to be of two sorts which I gather from the last word Both a word necessarily relating to two and indeed in State-affaires two factions or seditions are most dangerous First Such as would have Monarchy degenerate into tyranny Who cannot be content to have Soveraignty like the tree of life planted in the midst of the paradise of God whose fruit is food and whose leaves are physick to heale the Nations but they must have it as that overgrowne tree whose height must reach to heaven It was a foule signe of Babels approaching ruine when his Princes and people who knew the King to be but a man must honour him as a God Is not this great Babel that I have built for mine Honour c. preceded that fatall deposing Thy kingdome is taken from thee c. Dan. 4.28 Herods flatterers were his murtherers had not they cryed out The voyce of God and not of man Herod might have been a man much longer but they giving and he accepting divine Honour he was smitten with a mortall disease He was eaten with wormes and gave up the ghost Acts 12.22 Such as those Hosea 7.3 That make the King glad with their wickednesse and Princes with their lyes That see vanitie and devise folly and say The Lord saith it Arbitrary Power and government at pleasure This shall be the Custome 1 Sam. 8.11 They interpret it This shall be the right power prerogative royall of your King to take your sons your daughters your tenths and till you cry out because of your King Such as Rehoboams young Counsellours Make thy little singer heavier then thy Fathers loynes 1 Kings 12.10 I take no delight to rub up old sores yet I request those whom it may concern to remember That flatterers have been most fatall to Prinâ—â—â— A Court Parasite is a Court Plague It is most certainty true That a King is made for the people and not they for him Their safety and welfare ought to be the aime and end of his government in requitall of and thankfulnesse for which his ease should be their labour his honour their endeavour his safety their hazard and in as much as their securitie is his chiefest worke their tribute and Honour ought to be duly payd to him as his just wages Princes are called Gods An unjust cruel tyrannicall god is non-sense and blasphemie with all sacred reverence be it spoken and receiv'd If God himselfe were as the son of man that he might erre or could be deceiv'd an arbitrary and unlimited power terminated in crueltie and oppression would depose him from his royaltie and make him even such a Creator hatefull to his Creatures God who is the holy one of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie may deale with men as the Potter with his Clay and who shall say What doest thou his wayes are unsearchable and his judgements past finding out but for man yea the best of men who in their
Wood where we may see under over and through it each end and side of it and yet cannot get out of it Is not our nation betrayed by it self either pitied scorn'd or hated by all where have we a friend where not an enemy In such a case who will not say What shall I doe It hath often been the result of my serious thoughts I have often with Paul breathed out Lord What wouldst thou have me to doe Your consciences your honours your interests your posterities cannot I am confident but engage your most constant desires and endeavours with a holy and watchfull prudence for the glory of God and the peace and happinesse of this nation In such a case if you shall enquire of God as I hope you have done take this returne as an Oracle of divine truth and a most sacred directoty My sons fear you the Lord and the King c. Let not the greatest take it for a solecisme that the meanest of their servants calls you son God often intrusts his treasure in earthen vessells Poor Eliah was in some sence a Lord with that good and great Courtier Obadiah and Moses a man and of mean parentage upon a divine account was no lesse then a God to Pharoah but indeed the counsell is of God who am I that I should attempt or undertake such a design unsolicited by any but moved by that good â—â—irit of God mercifully preventing me in all the duties of my calling I have appeared It is very true that there is somthing in piety as well as Policy to countenance that which some account unparaleld prudence evidenced in silence the prudent will keep silence in that time for 't is an evill time But there is as a time to keep silence so a time to speake Believe it the banes betwixt the King and his people hath been published once and again those that it is either now time to speak or to be silent for ever Such a marriage would be honourable amongst all men May it therefore goe on and prosper all that are sons of Sion pray for the Peace of our Jerusalem and may they prosper that love it in order to which fear the Lord and the King This is our duty and will be our safety I have had some struglings within me whether fully to subscribe my name or no I have resolv'd not to do it not that I fear any danger or apprehend any cause of danger The greatest enemy is envy but because I would not Court applause or worship the Rising Sun Take all the notice I shall afford you I am A Lover of Truth and Peace W. H. A CHANGLING no Company for the Lovers of LOYALTY Prov. 24.21 22. My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both THe genius of the Text as it is plain pleasing and plausible so it is necessary just and honourable I cannot in these dayes of confusion but congratulate the Text to the times oh that I could reduce the times to the Text I cannot but own it as a guide to the blind as a naile of the Sanctuary fastned in a sure place as a seasonable speech spoke by him that sits in the congregation of the Gods is president in all the counsels of men and establish or overthroweth them at his pleasure what shall I say I looke upon it as the only balm of our Gilead prepared by God and to be apply'd by men for the health and recovery of the daughter of his people Licurgus the great Law-giver to the Lacedemonians and no lesse then a King in Sparta ordain'd that if any man came to propound a novelty he was to come with a halter about his neck to signifie his submission to a speedy execution in case that which he propounded was judged evill and inconvenient tending to sedition or ruine but if just necessary and safe his halter was taken off and an honourable reward assign'd him for his good service and encouragement The latter of those I expect not the former I do not fear I know whose the command is and who hath appointed it It is divine and therefore uncontroulable It is a charge not a humble Petition or Advice But was it meerely morall The saying of Seneca Isocrates Plato Aristotle yea of Machivell himself The state of affairs justly lookt upon with prudent and impartiall eyes such as are neither blood-shot nor have the beams of profit and self-love then I durst and would if call'd to it before a free and full Parliament not packt by faction nor over-aw'd by force propound it in the Lacedemonian posture as the best advise most seasonable and sutable counsell that they can take or any man can give Fear the Lord c. Wisdome and authority say our Lawyers necessarily concur to the being of a law Wisdome without authority makes as little impression upon some mens spirits as an arrow upon a wall of flint it may be powerfull to do well but seldome prevalent to hear well The wisdome of a poor wise man may deliver the city but no man regards or rewards the poor wise man Authority without wisdome easily degenerates into tyranny no fury like a fool cloath'd with authority Absolon and Abimeleck of old our Butlers Brewers and Coblers now adays can sufficiently evince it I countenance it in none I abhorre it in all better is a wise child then an old and foolish King But in my text wisdome and authority go hand in hand and God himself having joyn'd them together let not man dare to put them asunder if we look upon God the Author of this and all other holy writ who shall resist his will If upon the penman it was Solomon for his wisdome stil'd the Preacher for his authority the son of David king of Israel Solomon as he had a threefold title so had he also a threefold imployment in holy Scripture we may not unfittingly terme his three books his Ethicks his Physicks and his Metaphysicks or if you will they seeme to have relation to or resemblance with the three integrall parts of his sacred building The First was the Court of the people common to all Israelites The Second The Court of the Priest into which might come only the Tribe of Levi. The Third The Temple and holy of holies into which might enter Priests especially consecrated to that purpose for the time and the high Priest in the most sacred and solemne feast The Song of songs is only a fit subject for sanctified souls none that are common or prophane may enter into it or intermeddle with it Ecclesiastes is only fit for the Preacher or worthy Church-man But the book of the Proverbs is of generall concernment belonging equally to the Prince and Peasant and such is the Text equally directed to every man high and low rich and poor every soul My son fear thou the
Lord and the King c. The Text is easily divided into two generall Parts First A Doctrine which is a word of Command Secondly The Reason which is a word of Terror The Doctrine is 1. Positive My son c. 2. Negative and meddle not c. The Positive consists of three Parts First The Schollar My son c. Secondly The Duty Feare Thirdly The Object of this fear God and the King In the Negative First the Prohibition meddle not Secondly The hatefull object The Seditious In the Reason That word of terror Observe .. First an Assertion In which observe 1. The Terror Destruction 2. The Propriety or particularity Their 3. The certainty It shall come 4. The Expedition Suddenly Secondly An Expostulation in which the Assertion is doubled illustrated and confirmed Who knows the ruine of them both Of those in their order But first I shall commend the work and workman unto the Protection of the Allmighty My God my God Who art also my King send help unto Sion By thee Kings reigne and Princes sit in judgment build up our Sion but not with blood establish our kingdome in righteousnesse and equity Look not O Lord look not upon the iniquities of our Jacob behold not in severity the multiplyed transgressions of our Israel but thou O Lord the Lord God of Hosts returne unto us and let the joyfull shout of a King be amongst us Remember thy sure mercies of old and regard the face of thine anoynted Cloath thy Priests with salvation O Lord and let thy Saints rejoyce in thy goodnesse As the just punishment of our breach of Covenant with thee thou hast broke thy Covenant with us and being angry with thine anoynted hast prophaned his Crown and east it unto the ground but return O Lord for the salvation of thy people and for the salvation of thine anoynted Wound the head of the house of the wicked and discover the foundations of their cruelties and subtiltyes even to the neck Bring the wickednesse of the Wicked to an end but guide the just in thy feare Order the heart and hand of thy servant sanctifie both to thy glory and the Nations good Prosper thy Word as a word of truth meeknesse and Righteousnesse With joy and gladnesse let our Princes be established That thy name may be remembered through all generations and the people shall give thankes unto thee world without end Amen Amen Son is a word that intimates authority and relation and enjoynes submission and obedience he must have if not gray haires yet gravitie sufficient to speake him a father who calls another man his son It is sometimes a Civil Complement if Dives call Abraham father Abraham by a returne of civilitie will call him Son Thus Joshua to Achan My Son give glory to God Son is sometimes the denomination of Rationall creatures Angells and men and here if the Sons of God be assembled Satan himselfe will come amongst-them though he be turn'd out of doores with Ishmael and with Cain doom'd to wander when the Sons of God are assembled Satan will come if not to claime yet to clamor for a blessing and though with Ruben he shall not prevaile yet with Esau he will accuse threaten condemne seek the destruction of his younger Brother who hath got the blessing But let it be us'd when by whom and in what sense it will it speakes authoritie in him that speaks it and calls for attention in the party spoken to A son honoureth i. e. is bound to honour love and obey his Father But My Son intimates a more singular authoritie mixt with affection and not onely commands but constrains to a singular obedience mixt with reverence and holy feare When Isaac was to be sacrified we read not of the least opposition cry or complaint though he was suddenly surpriz'd and had no lesse then the appearance of unnaturall crueltie and barbarisme to heighten and aggravate the Act. That expression My Son did as it were charme him to obedience The cords of affection and bands of love binding an ingenuous nature faster then Sampsons new and untried Ropes But from the Son of Abraham come to the Son of God This is that my beloved Son By which expression God did not onely acknowledge him for his Son but oblige him as a Son to duty Heare him what he says In the volumne of thy booke it is written of me I come to doe thy will yea though it was to be led as a lambe to the slaughter and to lye bound and dumbe as a sheep before his shearer But to come to our selves he that hath sealed the Charter of our adoption hath impos'd upon us a necessitie of subjection He that hath entred us into the Prerogative Office of the Sonnes of God commands us to receive him and to believe in his Name You then that are or would be called The Sons of God learne Gods love and your duty his authoritie and your submission Where the word of King is there is power if the Lyon roare who will not feare If the Lord have spoken who can but prophesie Let not your prudence obstruct your pietie nor your love of the world extinguish the love of God in your hearts He that knows the will of God and dares not doe it for feare of men he is as ill if not worse then prophane Esau who sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage Every man therefore that desires the honour or claims the priviledge to be the Son of God That prayes our Father as The sons of the living God let them with Reverence observe The duty Feare Feare is sometimes so far from a duty that it is a disturbance It puts all out of frame and makes him more timorous then the Hare That ought to be bold as the Lyon The Apostle calls it by a fit name when he calls it the Spirit of bondage for this is that that not onely binds a man up both hand and foot but casts him into utter darknesse Unbelievers and those that are thus fearefull Rev. 21.8 as they are both blinde usually lead one another so they fall into the same ditch The Indians feare the Devil and sacrifice to him not out of love but least he should hurt them And many that are called Christians feare God upon no better account This was the sad effect of the first transgression I was affraid because I was naked c. and to subdue this in us was the end of Gods sending his Son into the world that we being delivered from our enemies might serve him without feare The love of God shed abroad in our hearts casts out this feare Secondly Therefore feare is an awfull respect to and regard of with love reverence and honour This seasons all the duties of men and makes them acceptable to God This feare attends upon and ushers in great joy This is Commanded Serve the Lord with feare Heb. 12.28 and rejoyce with trembling To distinguish this from the
and uncontroulable question Who can 1 Sam. 26.9 lay his hand on the Lords anointed and be guiltlesse if a statesman if an injured person then David if reasons of state principles of pollicy if all that wit reason can contrive to have excused it could have excused it it had been excusable in David but David could not The Lord keep me from doing this thing to my master c. for he is the Lords anoynted vid. 1 Sam. 24.7 may he ask who can he must produce a commission written with Gods own hand that can do it and be innocent I am not ignorant of what is objected against this in case of Tyrants bloody Princes c. all that I shall say is Reason is a good servant but a bad Master God sees that good for me that neither I nor my reason can see good for my self David had reason enough on his side but see what he sayes As the Lord liveth either the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come or he shall goe down into the battle and perish 1 Sam. 26.10 but the Lord keep me c. In a word he that can thankfully and humbly wait upon the justice of God when he gives us such a king in his anger can submissively and patiently waite upon his pleasure to take him away in his wrath Fourthly The King is the most visible resemblance of the invisible God His servant authorised and commissioned by him to execute his will He is as the very garment wherewithall the Majesty justice and power of God is covered and presented to the eye as a visible object I speak not of a Princes robes but his royalty not of his outward apparell but his spirituall gift and soveraignty The Queen of Sheba 2 Chron. 9.8 hath this expression Blessed be the Lord thy God that loved thee that set thee on his throne as king instead of the Lord thy God That saying of God himselfe 1 Sam. 16.1 I have provided me a King is very considerable He was a man after Gods own heart in his publique administrations of judgement and justice though his personall faults were very great It is no untruth to say he was a better King then a man In his infirmities he teaches even the most precious Saints and servants of God to remember that they are but men but in his executions of justice he lessons Princes that they ought to be no other then gods i.e. Embassadors Stewards servants substituted and appoynted by God I might adde many more reasons why God is pleas'd so strictly to charge and require submission and obedience doubtlesse every act of obedience and disloyaltie especially publique and in eminent persons doth as it were unloose the bands and dissolve the Covenant betwixt a King and his Subjects If Kings be as usually they are too ready to improve advantages to encrease their power and greatnesse Treasons disloyalties c. gives them opportunities and makes them eye those as Captives subdued which before they beheld as subjects yea as sonnes in their Dominion It is good therefore to feare the King to prevent our misery and his tyranny it being most certainly true in Politicks That every rebellion subdued makes the King more a King and the Subjects more subject But we have said sufficient to perswade yea to enforce obedience from such as feare the Lord Their consciences are deare unto them and a godly peaceable and quiet life most desirerable The oath of God they feare and the Covenant as a Covenant of God they hold inviolable They can look beyond the shadow to the substance and in and under the visible man can see the justice wisdome power and Majesty of God and pay the tribute of their feare and reverence due to God to the King as his receiver They have learnt our Saviours lesson If a man much more a King will take away thy coat let him take thy cloake also They judge it better to be famous for their sufferings then infamous for their actings Thus good Mephibosheth when he had more cause to be angry at the Kings unjust connivance and distribution doth not onely submit without the least impatience or opposition but gives us the best counsell in his own example and the best instruction in his resolution Let him take all so that my Lord the King may but returne in peace To reasonable men enough hath been sayd to unreasonable men and such as have no faith it is to small purpose to say any more Their subtilties can evade or jealousies pervert what can be sayd nor will they read their sin but in their punishment nor be convinc't of this duty till they have overwhelm'd themselves and the Nation in unavoydable ruins Before I leave this let me congratulate this happy union The Lord and the King not here alone but elswhere joyned together and observable it is that the feare of God and honour of the King goe hand in hand and where the King is dishonored the feare of God is also violated It was a fatall prediction the unhappy consequence of home-bred distractions that Israel refusing directions from the Law and the Testimonies should goe to and fro and fretting themselves should Curse their God and their King It was also a happy prediction and oh that our eyes might see the accomplishing of it that Israel upon his Conviction should seeke the Lord and David their King Thus in Blessings and Cursings God and the King are joyned The Almightie himselfe in order to the preservation of peace and administration of Justice is pleas'd with his own hand to put into the same scabbard of eternall truth the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon I have now done with the positive part of the doctrine My son Feare the Lord and the King Now I come to the Negative part Medle not with the seditious or those that are given to change First Medle not Medlers are fruit that was never planted in the paradise of God nor are suffered to prosper in the places of his pleasure They will indeed as ill weeds be springing up and when they are over-growne they are dangerous but the diligent hand must weed them out God hath made ample provision against this corruption he condemnes them as inordinate walkers that are busy-bodies 2 Thes 3.11 Such as goe from house to house are not onely idle but pratlers and busybodyes 1 Tim. 5.13 If such suffer they suffer justly to prevent which we have a divine Caution 1 Pet. 4.15 Let no man suffer as a murtherer or as a thiefe or as an evill doer or as a busy-body the word is expounded word for word a Bishop in another mans diocesse Thus vices are linked together as evill words corrupt good manners and evill thoughts hatch and generate evill words so needlesse intermedlings especially in State-affaires often ushers in evill doings these carry us forward to theft and sacriledge these to murther and what not Sin if not prevented ever plunging the soule into
as he that blessed God that he was born a vassall to the Crown of England Barrabas was committed for sedition and murther Those two are not easily seperated Yet oh the misery of popular tumults how easily are they moved to put to death the holy one and the just and to require a murtherer to be given unto them Seditions against Princes and government established are not very many in Scripture yet some we read of as that of insinuating Absalom who saved the executioner a labour and was hang'd in a halter of his own spinning That of Sheba the Son of Bieri whose head soon after ransomed the whole body of his Army both against David The best Princes have many times the worst subjects their pliable natures are easiest abused and turbulent spirits having as the man in the fable by some concessions gain'd a handle for his ax in requitall cut down the Tree But of all seditions in holy writ that which the Apostle calls The gainsaying of Corah seems to be take it in all parts and under all considerations the most dangerous and desperate Numb 16. The Ring-leader is Corah an eminent person in the Tribe of Levi with whom Dathan and Abiram two of the sons of Ruben who gain into their confederacy two hundred and fifty men Captains of the assembly famous men in the congregation and men of renowne these gather together against Moses and Aaron and in plain terms tell them That they take too much upon them all the congregation is holy yea every one of them why then should they seeing the Lord was amongst them lift up themselves above the congregation of the Lord. Was not this recorded in sacred writ I could scarcely receive it for a truth being a faction made up of pretended religion and intended ambition Specious pretences countenanced by men famous both in Church and state so coloured and covered over with dissembled sanctity that even Moses and Aaron the King and the Priest must suffer in their reputation and honour and in the Vulgar account passe for Tyrannicall and Antichristian But true it is for truth it self hath recorded it and in as much as it is written for our learning We may learn from it First That innocence it selfe is no guard against impudent and slanderous tongues Moses though the meekest of men must passe for a Tyrant if seditious souls will dare to say others will be ready to believe it though there be no cause for it Secondly Moses and Aaron the Magistrate and the Minister are equally levelled by factions and as instituted at first by God to comfort and support one another as Saul and Jonathan lovely in their lives so in their deaths they are not seperated Thirdly That blasphemy hypocrisie and counterfeit holinesse ever ushers in sedition and rebellion All the Congregation is holy every one and the Lord is with us c. Fourthly That the grand abetters and maintainers of faction are not only bred but often eminent in Church and State Their enemies being usually those of their own houshold I shall descant no longer on this seditious subject may those that reade it consider what hath been said and the Lord give us grace to prevent that woe which is threatned against them that followed the wayes of Cain who slew righteous Abel and are lead away like Balaam with the wages of deceit ready to doe any thing for money and have perished in the gainsaying of Corah Jude v. 11. And this leads me by the hand from the Doctrine the word of Command My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with the seditious to the Reason a word of terrour for their destruction shall come suddenly and who knows how speedy may be the ruine of them both What Daniel sayd of the Dreame let me say of this for the certainty of it it is doubled first by way of assertion secondly of expostulation of these in order In the assertion observe first The judgement threatned Destruction When Separation and Confusion is the worke what fitter wages then ruine and destruction Is not destruction to the wicked and strange punishment to the workers of iniquitie Job 31.3 Is it not Gods solemne protestation Ezek. 35.6 As I live saith the Lord I will prepare thee unto blood and blood shall pursue thee except thou hate blood blood shall pursue thee Are not the threatnings of this nature many Is not the vision plaine Though it tarry for an appointed time yet he that shall come will come Have not the children of affliction comforted themselves with these meditations in their worst conditions It is Davids Counsell Psal 55.22 Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and he shall nourish thee and will not suffer the Righteous to fall for ever But for the implacable enemies and treacherous friends of his Church such as maintaine crueltie and strife in the Citie such as lay their hands upon those that be at peace and breake the Covenant Whose words are softer then butter but warre is in their hearts whose expressions are smooth as oyle yet are they swords Such God will bring downe into the pit of destruction bloody and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their dayes v. 23. But this is not all not onely a destruction but theirs is threatned observe Secondly A destruction appropriated as it were to the nature of the Crime seasonable to the time and sutable to the occasion in the punishment God writes the sin and in the penaltie proclaimes Lo this is the Man and this was his Fault Adonibezecks confession may be their superscription As I have done so God hath rewarded me Judg. 1.7 They either suffer with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we call them either God casts them into the same pit that they have digged for others or into another like it either he hangs them with Hamman upon the same gallowes or makes another very like it There is ever some conformitie either of the subject or some remarkable Circumstance of time or place Their destruction is mighty bitter strange great deadly compar'd to illustrated by and often joyn'd with hell it selfe Briefly it may be said of the seditious what is recorded of Corah his companions The Lord creates a new thing in the earth they are not visited as others are neither doe they die the death of other men God usually pleads the Cause of his servants before the sons of men bringing without any desire or endeavour of theirs the mischievous designs of their enemies upon their own heads and their violent dealings upon their own pates Which leads me to a Third Observation It comes unexpected uncontriv'd No secret plots are needfull to contrive that which God hath design'd publiquely to bring about in the sight of Heaven and before the Sun Mans device cannot further but may at least seemingly obstruct Gods resolution It comes many wayes how often is the Candle of the wicked put out and their