a blessed and good King He shall be a shelter a covering he shall be all in all to a distressed people Jer. 23.5 there it is said Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise unto David a righteous branch and a King shal reign and prosper and shall execute judgement and justicein the earth in those days Judah shall be safe and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby he shall be called The Lord our righteousness This is spoken of the Lord Jesus Christ he that is the King of Kings he shall rule in Righteousness And he or they that Rule under him must rule in Righteousnesse Let us not then look so much as most do after wordly peace and freedome and temporal deliverance from present burdens as after spiritual peace and freedome from everlasting torments not so much to enjoy perishing comforts as to have the comforts of everlasting enjoyments And then may we expect the performance of what is promised in the close of our Text. After two dayes will he revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight We shall live not onely temporally comfortably and happy but a life heavenly and everlasting we shall be happy to all eternity Then as it follows shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord more of Gods minde and of his mercies and he shall come unto us as the raine as the early and latter rain upon the earth which being parched with drought receiveth it in readily fructifieth and bringeth forth abundantly Come then let us all return unto the Lord for as he hath torne so will he heale and as he hath smitten so will he bind us up FINIS HEre 's my Sermon now where 's my sin What 's my Charge with which I have been so I cannot say whether more ignorantly or maliciously traduced why its three-fold I have preacht against the King and the coming in of the King So some My whole Sermon drives at this The coming in of the King would bring in prophanenesse so others A third sort say I am angry Now to answer to these distinctly And first I have preacht against the King and his coming in I ask wherein how doth that appear I will come as close and as speedily as I can to my Charge I mean to that part of my Sermon from whence they might suppose me criminous I shall therefore passe over almost one halfe of it for that was but by way of Explication And it concern'd others Israel That troubles not no preaching at a distance and speaking of other mens faults and reproving them that bites not as much as you will of that But this home-preaching and treading too close upon our heels This gauls this vexes this troubles us Why what 's the matter what 's the matter Did not you say That because by our sins we had left God therefore God had left us And did you not say That our Kings and our Princes heretofore and our Princely Priests and Bishops had been as snares upon Mizpah and as nots upon Tabor their high places and great offices And how have they not rag'd and tyranniz'd c. And did you not beseech us that we should not let the apprehensions of our present greater sufferings cause us altogether to forget our former iniquities And did you not advise us that upon that day of our solemn Humiliation wherein we sought to God for settlement that we should not forget the cause and ground of our unsettlement Here 's enough to answer at once and together and I think this is my greatest charge And now what of all this Let me ask you by your cavilling against this Don't you discover your ignorance Is it not plain you are not acquainted with the Scripture Or that you take no notice or understand not what you read or hear That you are meer strangers to the nature and manner of a true Fast Is not a fasting day especially publique generall and such solemn Fast dayes a day wherein to humble our soules before the Lord by a hearty sincere and impartiall confession and acknowledgement of all our sinnes And being a generall day of Humiliation through the whole Land to confesse and be humbled for the sins of the whole Land in general And in such a day are not the sins both of Princes and People both past and present to be remembred and acknowledged And that not onely in generall termes which is mostly slight and overly but punctually and particularly of those sins they were guilty of and lay under This is if you know not as it seems you do not for your better information and as I desire Reformation Do but read the instances of the Solemn Fasts recorded in Scripture and you will be wiser hereafter I reser you for this more particularly to those three most Solemn Fasts which are there recorded Ezra 9. Nehem. 9. and Dan. 9. And see and observe the manner of the celebration and whether their particular sins were not enumerated confessed and bewailed And had we of this Land and Nation no sins to be remembred to be confessed Are you so forgetfull or were you ignorant of them Are we not unsetled Are not our foundations of government overturned Do not the pillars of the Nation tremble Is it not a Judgement Do I not say so much And what were there no sins that are the causes of it Do such great and heavy and generall judgements befall a Nation both King Princes Priests and People without sin procuring them you dare not say so And were there no sins in England but the sins of the people What was the Popish Match and the building of Houses and Chappels thereupon for Idolatrous and superstitious worship What was the countenancing and exercise of that false worship even in the Kings own dwelling And were not our Communion Tables turn'd into Altars with superstitious cringings and bowings towards them and in some places wax Tapers set upon those Altars and second Service which the people could not 〈◊〉 there performed How was the zealous profession of Religion under the nickname of Puritanisme discountenanced and disgraced How did the Court-Bishops especially the Bishop of Canterbury Dr. Laud vex perplex and ruine men in their High Commission Court and Star-Chamber How would drunken and prophane Ministers if but zealous for Ceremonies give the checke to and upon the least occasion trouble and sue the best Knights and Gentlemen in the Country even for trifles and be therein upheld and countenanced by those Court-Bishops Insomuch that when the Knights and Gentlemen were assembled in Parliament and had opportunity to be revenged upon them they ding'd them quite down without mercy or consideration I need not tell you what courses were taken that the King might be maintained without Parliaments and so with out the love of his Subjects and rednesse of their grievances I could name much more you that liv'd in those
Isa 21.11,12 Watchman what of the night He answered the morning cometh and also the night if ye will enquire enquire Return Come Sirs there is a night and a morning this I see If you put this Querie to me Watchman what seest thou I say the morning cometh and also the night We have a night and a morning in our Text and so also in our Nation if we neglect it not We have had by Gods chastising hand upon us and oh that it may be a reforming hand nights of tearing and smiting the Lord hath torne us and he hath smitten us The hand of God upon us hath been a darke night of terrours and sorrows Dark and black dispensations hath the Lord exercised us with He hath smitten us he hath broken us these are our nights The morning now we hope also cometh He will heale us he will binde us up that 's the morning And oh Let that happy morning of Englands joy and deliverance make hast and not tarry It may be beloved as we have been under the curse and judgement formerly mentioned Isa 3. So we may also see that happy morning of joy and reviving that is promised by the same Prophet Isay 1.25,26 I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tinne Do you expect a settlement Truly then your sins must be purged away and then I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning Afterwards thou shalt be called a City of righteousnesse the faithfull City Sion shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousnesse Oh beloved for such a happy day when God the Lord shall delight in us and in mercy shall bestow upon us that blessing here promised of a righteous just and lawfull Government And though God should not do it in such a way as we expect yet he will do it in such a way as is best for us if we please him which let us leave to him and our Superiours Let us then return unto the Lord and leave it to him for our establishment and settlement Let us I say turn unto the Lord. Truly sirs will you give me leave to open my heart unto you my heart trembles to think of some mens turnings and of some turnings which some men look for not a turning to God but a turning further from God Many people expect a change not that they might change their lives or manners No beloved they would have a turning not to God but to the Devill Oh! how would some men turn to the Devil of drunkenness how would some men turn to the Devil of swearing to the Devil of Sabboth-breaking and all manner of prophanesse That they might live and sin without controul Friends is this the turning that God looks for Surely sirs these people if they might have their wills would bring in a night a sad and darke night in stead of a light and gladsome morning a sadder night then ever yet England saw For if the Lord should establish us and we make use of that establishment to establish our selves in sin and so provoke the Lord to go further from us and leave us we have just grounds to fear that the Lord would then never come again amongst us Do these men turn unto the Lord how many of them probably are in the Tavern at this time how many in the Alehouse at this very time At this time I say wherein as one would expect we should all as one man joyn together in our earnest prayers to implore a blessing from heaven upon the Counsel of the Parliament shortly to be assembled that the Lord would make them instruments for our settlement and establishment now after all our breakings and shakings But where are they Do these men walk in Gods wayes Do these men look for a change that may be for the better Do these men look for establishment and that the Nation should be setled upon their desires and upon their endeavours There is a place that I hope in all things doth not run parallel but in this is to our purpose It is in 1 Sam. 12.19 All the people said unto Samuel pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not for we have added unto all our sins this evill to aske us a King Now I say I do not conceive that the Text runs parallel with our case in this particular therefore mistake me not But now marke Samuel said unto the people feare not ye have done all this wickednesse yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your hearts and turn not aside for then should you go after vaine things that cannot profit nor deliver for they are vain It was not so great a sinne in them but that desiring and having a King was consistent with serving the Lord Nor had they thereby so sin'd as to forsake God Turn not aside sayes he from following the Lord but serve the Lord c. But then go on to the two last verses Onely feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he hath done for you But if you still do wickedly you shall be consumed both you and your King People think Oh I if they had a King all shall be well their state and condition shall then be prosperous and they shall be all safe But beloved If men go after vaine things if they do wickedly it cannot be a King that can help them The people of Israel they had a King according to their desires But what was that enough to secure them Surely if the Lord forsake them it could not be their King that could help them and therefore saith the Prophet vers 22. The Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people If the Lord hath once assumed a people to be his he will do much for them and beare long with them ere he will forsake them And therefore as the Prophet there vers 29. would pray for them so also would he teach them the good and right way Fear the Lord saith he and serve him in truth with all your hearts for consider how great things he hath done for you vers 24. And beloved hath not God done great things for us What great hopes hath he given us of a settlement after all our feares and confusions And we expect a King But if ye still do wickedly ye shall be destroyed both you and your King Mark That which the hearts of the people were set upon was a King nothing would please them but a King yea you shall have a King But yet do not go away from God and follow after vain things for if you do you shall be consumed and destroyed both you and your King together Beloved there 's nothing that so surely brings ruine and destruction upon a King and Kingdome
eternally But that King Jesus will assuredly save them if he rule over them I hope you will not say this is a crime if you do the Lord make you wiser And this I think is all you have to charge me with in this matter and how wisely justly charitably Christianly let all wise men judge Confident I am what I delivered might have been spoken even in the Kings presence and he would not have been offended What would these captious hearers have said had I used such plain language as was spoken unto him at his Coronation in the Coronation Sermon Coronation Sermō preacht at Scoon Ian. 1651. by Mr. Rob. Douglas Printed at Aberdeen 1660. That his Father set himself in a hostile way to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties and in page 27. of the same Sermon they charge his Grandfather King James with foul defection and that he peresecuted faithful Ministers and that he laid the foundation whereupon his Son our late King says he did build much mischief to Religion all the days of his life And he tells him that the guiltiness of the transgression lies upon the Throne and Family and that is one of the sins for which he had professed humiliation very lately and advises him to take warning And in his Exhortation to the King page 32. he tells him There is too much iniquity upon the Throne by his Predecessors who framed mischief by a Law such Laws as have been destructive to Religion grievous to Gods people and page 36. he may say it freely That chief cause of the judgement upon the Kings House hath been his Grandfathers breach of Covenant with God and his Fathers following his steps in opposing the work of God and his Kirk within these Kingdoms He says They have broken the Covenant with God and men have broken Covenant with them Most cruelly and perfidiously says he they have invaded the Royal Family and trodden upon all Princely Dignity And therefore charges him in Christs name not to break Covenant if he do he assures him The Controversie is not ended between God and his Family but it will be carried on to further weakning if not to the utter overthrow of it Here 's plain dealing now what would our men have said to this matter Surely never a villain in England would have preached such a Sermon and yet such foolish sots have we in England to say so of a Sermon that hath none of all this nor any thing like in it But now Sirs to convince you of your perverseness and to let you see how like you are to those noxious creatures the Flies that flie-blow wholsome meat so are you It is usuall with them if there be any bruised place they are sure to light upon that first and there to sucke and feed themselves But if there be none they flie-blow so long till they have made it fit for their purpose So do you flie-blow discourses For whereas you charge me to be against the King and his coming in did I not say It was a judgement that we were removed from our ancient foundations And what could I mean or did I mean But the changing our government And did I not quote that place Isay 3. to the end of vers 8. as a dreadfull judgement most sadly fallen upon us And did I not afterwards say That as we had been under that curse and judgement so we might see that blessed morning promised to Gods people in the same Prophet Chap. 1. ver 25 26 27. Do but read the places and let any man say what could be thence intended And did I not pray for the hastning of that happy morning And when I quoted that place in 1 Sam. 12.19 to the end did I not in express words say That that place in all things did not run parallel with our condition But that in something it was pertinent to my purpose which was in the later part onely in that the peoples wickedness would destroy themselves the King and Kingdome And did I not in plain words say That that portion of Scripture held not parallell in that very particular in that it was said they sin'd in desiring a King with more to that purpose as you may see in the Sermon And did I not say That if it were the late Kings own sins which I did not nor dare I determine that brought that judgment upon him it was not just in them who did it And when I advised you to be more careful to bring King Jesus into your hearts then King Charles into the Throne did I not expresly and in these significant words say That the one was not opposite contradictory or destructive to the other But onely that King Jesus was to be prefer'd before him And that if he King Charles be minded to rule for him and under him did I not say If God and the great Council see it fit let him come and welcome Well the Lord forgive you and make you wiser and more discreet and bonest And I cannot passe by but must reprove you for one most abominable lie of some of you That I should pray in my Prayer That as the Lord had delivered us from one Devill so he would deliver us from another and that hereby I did mean the King Good Lord what a lying malicious Devill hath possest these people No these and such like prophane and ungodly wretches in an humane shape are the Devils I prayed against I prayd That as the Lord had graciously in a good measure delivered us from the devil of Hersie and blasphemie so that he would also keep us and deliver us from the Devil of prophanenesse And the God to whom I prayed knows that these ungodly wretches are all the Devils I prayed against and no other not having any thought apprehension or imagination of the King in this particular And so much to my first charge 2 Now for my second in which I shall be brief My Sermon say some drove all at this The bringing in of the King would bring in all prophanesse But did I any where say so Truly I needed not Prophanesse is in already in the Nation nor did I thinke the King would bring it in and I hope he never will But this I think all the ungodly and prophane people in the Nation have a very great and strong desire of the Kings coming in as hoping to have as much liberty to be prophane and to exercise it as they had before Oh! how hath the Parliament Acts and Ordinances hampered and chained and fettered these beasts They cannot swear or be drunk but they must pay for 't Taverns Innes and Ale-house must be shut on the Lords day all day long that they cannot tipple be drunk They must not walke in the streets nor in the fields on that day under a penalty and many of them have been sued and indicted for it and the like And oh How like wilde Buls in a net have they fretted and vext
to beat down error and blasphemy where-ever it met him He could not bear with them that preacht down Paedobaptisme the Christian Sabboth Universities Schools of Learning Ordination and other ordinances and institutions of Jesus Christ 2 Tim. 4.3 as it was prophesied that some would not endure sound Doctrine so he would not endure unsound Doctrine He sayes he could not bear with seducers nor they with him so that by this means he became a man of contention And yet he commends him for a man of a tender spirit mortified to the world free and liberall much in fasting and prayer And yet he sayes he had his share in the persecution of the Times wherein he lived from his very first entrance upon his Ministery according to the prophesie of our Saviour Mat. 5.11,12 And truly says he It had been a wonder if he should have escap't it For as our Lord subjoyns the reason to his prediction of the Apostles sufferings ver 13. his Ministry was salt He was salt in his life and salt in his doctrine Not onely savoury but quicke and corroding smart and searching which corrupt times and ulcer'd consciences could not bear 2 Tim. 4.3 And this says he inrag'd inflam'd the spirits of unsound men and raised much trouble and persecution against him wheresoever he came which occasioned him often to flit from one place to another to avoid the fury of unreasonable men And he sayes other of Gods saithful Ministers have had their share with him in this kind of persecution Matth. 10.23 The world cannot bear the plain-dealing of Gospel-Ministers None so hated as the reprover in the gate Amos 5.10 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly And now as to the thing it self which some call anger and passion but indeed is zeal and faithfulness I cannot leave till I give you in what this Reverend man hath to that purpose and it 's hugely considerable and advantagious He asserts That the affection of anger rightely qualified and managed is of singular use and advantage in the life and worke of a Christian especially of a Minister of the Gospel which ought in no wise to be branded with the usual scandal of choler and passion They are his words all I make no question sayes he the false prophets and their seduced proselytes stuck not to blast the holy Prophet he means Elias in my Text with the same reproach a furious man a man of an intemperate and unbridled spirit that valued not mens lives but in his anger would not stick to call downe fire from heaven to destroy an hundred men at a time c. But saith he let me mind you of this in the general The passion of anger with other affections in nature at what time the person in whom they are is regenerate they do change their nature become regenerate too And being baptized with the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ they receive divine impressions and so passe into the catalogue of gracious affections and dispositions and become instruments of exceeding honour and service in the hand of Jesus Christ who is pleased to make use of them in his own work And then instances in divers and among the rest Passion saith he born again of water and the spirit becometh the grace of zeale and holy jealousie for God and for the interest of Jesus Christ Anger sanctified is that to the affections which edge is to the instrument which varnish is to colours which winde is to the sails of a Ship Judgement is the ballast but zeal is the full gale It is as mettle to the horse It is the activity of every grace every affection red hot for Jesus Christ which much water cannot quench neither can the floods drown it Cant. 8.7 In a word Passion refined and spiritualiz'd is every faculty of the soul acting to its height for the glory of God Psal 69.9 The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up To be short Sanctified anger in the Saints of God is not that which the world takes it to be a short madness but a grace of the spirit of God Yea it is a compound and temperament of all graces acting in summo gradu in the height of intention for the promoting of the concernments of Christs Kingdome I told you before that Elias was a useful man though he was subject to passion I shall tell you more now He was therefore so usefull BECAUSE he was subject to passion His anger and passion being sanctified made him so abundantly active for God and the reformation of the publique worship doctrine and Ordinances in his generation Had he wanted his passion he had wanted some of his zeal for God And so was it says he with our worthy brother deceased That which an idle wanton loose luke-warm generation of Professors as well as prophane persons for the palliating of their own hypocrisie and Gallio-like indifferency in matters of Religion called passion and choler in him was indeed and in truth nothing but his zeal and courage and activity for Jesus Christ which truly did even consume him Alas In this apostate generation all things have lost their proper names The Devil appears in Samuels mantle Satan in the form of an Angel of light And sin puts on the habit of vertue that it may deceive the more safely Thus lukewarmness and cursed neutrality in Religion passeth abroad for meekness and sweetness of spirit Carnal policy for Christian prudence Cursed compliance with the lusts of men for moderation and command of a mans spirit c. While zeal and fidelity to the Truth ordinances and government of Jesus Christ hear ill in the world and suffer all the odium and scandal that a reviling world and the venemous wit of malice can heap upon it Truly the earth is not able to bear their words Thus this reverend and worthy man for whose pains herein I thank him and thank God for him and for his providence that brought this piece to my hand at a time so seasonable as I do also for the work of that worthy and ingenuous Dr. to whom I owe so much for my Preface In matters of this nature which are of proper concernment it is better to deal by others words then our own For by this it will appear we are not alone in our judgement and manner of procedure in discharge of our duty nor in suffering for it There is one exception more which some make against my discourse which is It was unseasonable And to this I briefly answer It 's plain these persons who urge this are not acquainted with the Topicks and proper seats of arguments deliberative or perswasive I did and do conceive that if I might be so free as to make use of the respects of the people to the King at any time and from thence to dehort them from sin and to perswade them to turn to the Lord that so both King and people may be by
impenitence did not hinder and with-hold so great a mercy And the people in generall and my selfe in particular being in an apprehension and expectation of the Kings being brought unto the throne I thence took occasion in my discourse to suggest such things as I conceiv'd might be profitable and conducent to what I intended which was to in vite them to repentance But as he said of Bookes Pro captu lectoris habent sua fata libelli According to the understanding of the Reader so do books find entertainment So may we say of Sermons According to the understanding of our Auditors so are our Sermons accepted or rejected Nay not onely according to their understanding but many times and with most according to their ignorance humours fancies interests It was always so even with Christ and his Apostles Some believed their preaching and some mock'd and derided Some reproacht belied and slandered both them and their Doctrine Thus it hath fared with me not onely at other times but also at this time And it is some comfort to me that I am not alone But that my betters find no better entertainment from their Auditors it makes me think it is not our fault but theirs And because it doth so much quadrare so suite with my condition I will make so bold as to lay the complaint of a most eminent able and godly learned Preacher in his own words before you not being able to do it in better language It is the Reverend Dr. Gauden in his Sermon preached in St. Pauls Church London before the Lord Mayor Lord Generall c. Feb. 28. 1659. Being a day of Solemn Thanksgiving c. Wherein intending to deale faithfully and plainly Having proposed his Text after a few words he makes this entrance in page 2 3 4. of that Sermon to this purpose He seems very apprehensive of the danger and difficulty of free preaching in these times wherein as he observes people are not onely impatient to be touched freely and searched throughly but are also prone to plead as the Devills in the Gospel who had possessed the poor man now a long time against all health and recovery Many men being like Cantors and Lazors Canting beggars in love with their wounds and ulcers As getting their living more easily by keeping them open raw and running then if they should quite heal them up And he takes notice of the tenderness of many mens minds who are onely for lenitives and oyles for soft smooth supple applications even to their most desperate hurts But he professes to chuse not to preach at all then to preach timerously and precariously as if he should ask men leave to be honest or were afraid to speak the word of God to them And he further sayes When he is called to speak in Gods name he must be Parrhesiastes as well as Ecclesiastes I am sayes he to do it as a work-man that needs not to be ashamed either for his ignorance or cowardise or indiscretion And whether men will hear or forbear the whole counsel of God must be delivered in its season so as becomes the words of soberness and truth For the Church and Pulpit must not be a sanctuary for insolency nor a Burrow or retreat for rudeness No however men become our enemies for speaking the truth yet it 's better so then to have God our enemie for smothering it when it is just and seasonable And such it is when necessary and soveraign to heale the hurt of a Church or State Thus that reverent person And then complains It hath been his fate frequently to offend some men when he hath been most intent to serve them by Texts and Sermons which he thought most apt useful and innocent And then gives in three Texts which he preacht upon on 3. several great and special occasions One before the King another before the long Parliament the third elsewhere And of all three says he though wholsome and innocent Texts and I hope accordingly handled yet I heard some unpleasing eccho's and reflexions The sore and itching eares of some men in all ages are such that they will not endure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 healing or sound and wholsome doctrine though the pain ariseth from the sores and inflammation in themselves and not from the plaister and hand which honestly applyes it Yet they are prone as in fell boyls and acute tumours when but touched though but gently to fly upon those that are next them and cry aloud O you hurt me when the hurt is within and from their selves and their sound parts will endure free and rough handling such as are unfound do most want it And therefore if we will be faithfull to God to our own souls and our hearers we must not flatter their sores to their ruine but rather choose to heal them though at present we be thought to hurt them Nor sayes he farther shall our labour of love be in vain either in the Lord or before good men who at length will find by experience that the wounds of a friend which let out the putrified matter of painful tumors are better then the kisses of an enemy which do infidis cicatricibus cuticulam obducere Skin over with unfaithful scars the ill-searched ill-purged Ulcers of mens hearts and lives I hope this worthy person will pardon me that I have made so bold with him as to borrow so much from him I shall pay it him in those respects and honour I owe unto him for his noble disposition and temper And I rather chuse thus to do as hoping his worth will add more weight then if it had been delivered in my own words And see what is here delivered in the Sermon was but as a prophesie what befell this good man and good Preacher afterwards For in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Lord Mayor Aldermen and Court of Common-Councel who gave him thanks for his Sermon and intreated him to print it he tells them he heard some more offended at the plain-dealing he used which possibly sayes he was from their over-rawness and soreness more then from my roughness As I aym to do things faithfully personally so decently and discreetly Nor do I thinke I am to learn of those Censorious Cato's how to preach any more then they will learn of me to buy and sell or how to fight and war And he says No man may wonder if he dare to reprove those sins which some dare to do or to approve but dare not hear of or repent And that his parrhesia and freedome of speech as a man a Christian and a Preacher was such as became his feeling of the publique miseries the desire of the Publique tranquility and the sense of that fidelity he did owe to God his Countrey them to whom he preacht and his owne soul And the Lord knows my owne soul can and doth attest the same in my poor weak labours and indeavours also Though infinitely short in worth of this most
reverent person To end with him he tells us These are not times to palliate and speak smooth and soft things Never age had fouler humours or tumours more felt and more painfull more hard and less mollified And sayes No as he would not injure any man or fester the times so he abhorr'd to flatter them which is the greatest injury a Preacher can do to Church and State And now I must confess the subject of my discourse was not of so high a nature nor had I to do with so high an Auditory Nor am I fit for such an undertaking nor have I quoted all this to any such purpose But to let our petty world here at home know that plain free home and as this worthy Doctor phrases it personal preaching is not such a sin as our Ignaro's would make it And that though people be angry with us for such preaching we must not cease to secure our conscience in the faithfull though unpleasing discharge of our duty And good Reader know That as a necessity is laid upon those who are sent to preach So a necessity is likewise laid upon them to deale punctually and particularly with the personall sinnes I don't say naming the persons of those they preach to which if they do they shall be sure to heare on 't If not with persecution of the hand yet with persecution of the tongue And whereas some may say this or that in such or such a Sermon might have been forborn Perhaps we may say so too But if we whom the Lord hath sent to do his work And in our Studies applying our selves unto it having besought the Lord to teach us what to speak and how to speak as may be most for his glory and the peoples good And it be suggested to us that such or such expressions would be most taking or best remembred Our discourse thus and thus clothed in language would be most effectual and conducent to the end intended If we are thus perswaded in our Consciences How shall we refuse it Obj. It may be 't will offend displease some They 'l cavill at it Ans It may be so We hope not We know no reason for it Wee 'l pray they may not But is it a necessary truth Is it usefull and seasonable Is good like to be done by it which is our errand and businesse Must we forbear that which God in our Consciences according to his Word tells us will do some people good because it will offend others Truly friends we Preachers many times offend yea hurt others when we know it not nor ever meant or intended it But is it our fault or theirs We meane the whole Congregation good If any do not understand or mis-understand or mis-interpret or pervert our words or meaning Is it our fault I tell you Sirs this great truth and minde it Much hurt yea more hurt then good is many times nay most times done by our Sermons And we Preachers in that not to be blamed but are accepted of God therein and shall be rewarded It 's a sad word too true to many that we further their damnation by our preaching That one place 2 Cor. 2.14,15,16 ver fully proves all this And whence all this But because people do not heed as they ought what we say Or they don't understand it Or they won't practice it Or which is worst of all they withstand gainsay pervert or wrest it And what must we therefore forbear preaching Must we forbear the truth because they abuse it And perhaps us for it I trow not And let me put another Case It may be God by his Spirit for we hope we are not without his imbreathings and suggestions according to his word convinces and perswades me that such or such a truth as before is very seasonable and usefull And in steps selfe and tells me This truth is teo tart and it may create me trouble I may heare ill and beare ill for speaking it What shall I do in this case Why truly Selfe is sometimes to be hearkned to For we are not to create to our selves trouble unnecessarily But as before it is a truth necessary and seasonable May I for fear forbear it Will you read what one no phanatick or of a factious or turbulent spirit sayes A man of great parts learning and judgement Dr. Jackson Dr. Jackson heretofore President of Corp Christi Colledg in Oxford In his Treatise of Justifying Faith sect 2. cap. 15. pag. 279 Ministers of the Gospel sayes he may deny Christ or manifest their ashamedness of his Gospel as directly by not laying his Law as closely to the great Herods of the world as John Baptist did supposing the case to be as notorious and as well known unto them he meanes the Ministers as Herods was to John Baptist In this case they may as directly deny Christ or be asham'd of his Gospel in not dealing plainly and reproving as if they had been afraid to confesse him for feare of being put out of the Synagogue c. And he says were John Baptists kind of preaching used in many Kingdoms though by such as professe the same Religion with the Potentates whom they should offend with their boldness I think sayes he it would prove matter of Martyrdome in the end And he farther sayes In that any age since Christian Religion was first propagated hath wanted store of Martyrs 't is more to be a tributed unto the negligence ignorance and hypocrisie or want of courage in Christs Ambassadors or appointed Pastors then unto the sincerity mildnesse or fidelity of the Flock especially of the Bel-weathers or chief Ring-leaders And now friend sare we Ministers thus in danger what shall we do Truly we have more need of your pitty and your prayers then your censures and reproaches But jacta est alea It 's better obey God and fear God then men and please God then men Or our selves either for in so doing we shall have peace with him and in our own consciences which is better then all the peace and comforts the world can afford us And therefore we will bear it patiently comfortably But yet because Sathan makes no small advantage of those reproaches that are cast upon the Ministers of the Gospel of which farther in the vindication I shall once more appear in Print though much aginst my purpose to stop the mouth either of prejudice or wilfull calumny or sottish and sleepy ignorance or byast interest which will pervert any thing be it never so innocent and harmlesse And this not without the advice and counsell of some worthy friends and well-wishers who have been very sensible of those unworthy rumours that have bin raised spread by occasion of this ensuing Sermon which I shall now good Reader lay before thee according to mine owne notes and the best I could get of those who noted after me Possibly this trouble might be brought upon me that some may reap benefit by this Sermon or appendant
discourses printed as I have some cause to hope some did when it was preached To which end I commend thee and it unto God beseeching him to bestow upon thee and me the spirit of power of love and of a sound minde 2 Tim. 1.7 For which thy prayers are desired at the Throne of Grace if thou hast any interest there by him who is Thy faithful friend and wel-wisher RA FARMER POSTSCRIPT Reader IF thou be one of the simple ones let me advise thee Shoot not thy bolt too suddenly but receive information from those who are wiser If thou be a person of judgement and discretion make use of it and do not read by snatches and then censure but read all And where thou possibly mayst stumble or doubt having read the former Epistle favour me so far as to read also my Vindication after And I suppose we shall part friends notwithstanding all evill surmisings Farewel HOSEA 6.1 Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will binde us up WEe have here a repenting people and they the people of Israel Gods people Now repenting supposes sinning for repentance is not but for sin If there were no sinning there were no need of repenting Now All sin for there is no man living that sinneth not as 1 Kings 8.46 Particular persons sin and people and Nations in general sin All sin even Gods people his peculiar people sin And if his people sinne as well as others they shall suffer as well as others Nay Because they are his people therefore if they sin they above all others shall suffer Thus the Lord by the Prophet Amos Chap. 3. vers 2. You onely have I known of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities Well Gods people sin and Gods people suffer for their sin so these here We may read of their sin both before and after the Text. In the Chapter before the Text there you may read of multiplyed complicated sins impudently wilfully committed Both Princes the house of the King and Priests and all the people they had been nets and snares to betray one another into sinne Vers 1. of the foregoing Chapter And in the 2d Vers Those revolters were profound to make slaughter slaughter of men and slaughter of sacrifices They would kill and commit murder and yet pretend unto Religion And in this they were profound notable hypocrites deep dissemblers For though they won't frame their courses to Gods minde vers 4. Yet they will go with their herds and their flocks to seeke the Lord vers 6. Oh! they 'l be hugely religious they 'l not spare for cost they brought their herds and their flocks to make sacrifices But yet for all that they shall not finde the Lord ver 6. God won't accept of such impostors such pretenders he hath withdrawn himself from them He will not countenance protect or secure them in the same verse Nay if they go on in their sin and go further from God God will go yet farther from them I will go and return to my place ver the last God will not appear amongst them as he was wont by his wonted mercies and gracious providences Let the Assyrian and King Jareb help them if they can Those Physicians of no value to whom they fled for refuge and for healing when they were smitten and wounded If they serve false gods let them when they have need go to them whom they have served This was the state and condition of the Princes of Israel at that time But how was it with Ephraim how was it with the people for so doth Ephraim sometimes signifie Why like Princes like people Being broken in judgement a sottish base cowardly company they willingly walked after the Commandement An Idolatrons command went forth from cursed Jeroboam And the people being oppressed and over-born by power they willingly walked after the commandement vers 11. Oppression makes men base and cowardly and like Issachars Asse to couch and lie down under every burthen And thus by their joynt and generall sinning they draw down a generall judgement And that is verified Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi And now God being gone all their shifting cannot help them In vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains Jer. 3.23 Great men men in high places men in authority that are as mountains and hills these cannot save Truly in the Lord God onely is the salvation of Israel In the same vers True Salvation is in the Lord but he is with-drawn and gone he is returned to his place and hides himselfe he will not save we cannot finde him Oh! foolish people and unwife thus to forsake God and to cause him to forsake you and to leave you naked to your oppressors when there is none to helpe none to deliver But is he clean gone will the Lord cast off for ever will he be favourable no more hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Psal 77.7 No though Gods people forget him yet he will not forget them Isa 49.15 But if he will not forget them why doth he with-draw why doth he hide himselfe why doth he not come in for his peoples rescue their aid their help and succour And how long will he hide himselfe in this our affliction distresse and misery Why he is with-drawn and returned to his place he hides himselfe as it were in heaven till we acknowledge our offences and by true repentance and unfained faith seek his face and favour God doth with-draw to this purpose that by his with-drawing he might draw us after him He hides himselfe till we acknowledge our offences and by a lively act of faith fervently seek his face For surely saith the Lord if they be not altogether senceless in their affliction they will seeke me early diligently seriously Chap. last vers last Come therefore and let us return unto the Lord c. Come let us Vs that are here this day Come let Vs And oh that all the Nation might hear this Call and answer it Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will binde us up After two dayes he will revive us In the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight We have in the words First an invitation to repentance Secondly an incouragement thereunto The invitation Come let us return unto the Lord. The incouragement He hath torn and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will binde us up The Text may be taken as the Word of God by the Prophet put into the peoples mouths Or as a direction and prescription from God to his people shewing them what to do in a sad afflicted state and condition And beloved this is no strange notion And it is a comforting and encouraging consideration God
he is so willing of his peoples returnings that they might enjoy his favourable countenance as that even when his afflicting hand is upon them he not onely nvites them to it but he even teaches them what to say and in what words to address themselves unto him that they might prevail with him so gracious and tender a Father is he This you have most sweetly and fully in this very Prophet Hosea 14.1 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast faln by thine iniquity take with you words what are they why those that follow say unto him Take away our iniquities and receive us graciously and so will we render the calves of our lips And then it follows Ashur shall not save us c. And when his people take this advice and returne unto the Lord then will the Lord heale their back-sliding and love them freely then will his anger be turned away from them c. Oh beloved what precious mercies and unexpressible kindnesses doth God offer to a repenting a returning people So tender a Father is he that he doth not only invite to repent but teaches them how to demean themselves and puts words into their mouths to come unto him withal As a tender Mother that desires to have her Child to go stretches forth her hand to it bids it come gives words of encouragement to it that so it may come Even so God the Lord calls invites incourages his people to come unto him by unfeined repentance Nay not only so but as I said he teaches them with what words to come unto him So here Come let us return unto the Lord c. Beloved it is a great incouragement to poor distressed afflicted souls that the Lord is so desirous of our repentance as that he not onely invites us to repent but also teaches us how to repent and return to him Come therefore let us return unto the Lord. Vs of this Land and Nation Vs of the three Nations Vs of this City Vs of this Congregation Let us return unto the Lord. Return unto the Lord Why have we departed from him or can we depart from him how can we depart from him Is not God present every where Pray sirs read what David tells you in Ps 139.7 Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I flye from thy presence If I ascend up into heaven thou art there If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the utmost parts of the sea even there shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand sustain me How then can we go from God and consequently return to him To this I answer It is one thing to depart from and consequently to return to Gods essentiall and all-powerful presence And it is another thing to depart from and return to his gracious and most merciful presence There is an essential presence a presence of Gods power might And there is a gracious presence a presence of his mercy and protection Now Gods essential presence is never with-drawn from his Creatures For in him they live and move and have their being But then all who partake of his powerful presence do not partake of his gracious presence God is said to be near or far off a people and they are said to be near or far from God as they are in his grace and favour When in mercy he extends his grace and favour to a people then is he said to be neare unto them Now beloved There is one thing makes a distance and separation between God and a soule or between God and a people and that is sin Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither his eare heavy that he cannot hear but your iniquities have separated between you and your God Your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear By sin we go away from God and then God goes away from us not by his power that he cannot do for he is present so every where But he goes away in with-drawing his grace his love and favour his most mercifull providences protections and speciall preservations from a people That 's Gods going away And we by further sin go away further from God and make the distance greater And as by sin we go away so by repentance we return again to God and so God returns again to us and receives us into grace and favour And now sirs Let me aske you Have we not sinned and gone away from God Do not our iniquities testifie against us plainly to our faces And hath not God departed from us and left us to run unto the Assyrian and King Jareb Interpreters do give various Interpretations of that word what is meant by King Jareb but yet all agree in this that it signifies vaine helps Friends all helps and refuges are vaine when God forsakes a people And by the vanity and insufficiency of all our helps and helpers that have all failed us is it not very manifest that God hath hitherto left us And why is it but because by sin we have left him and departed from him Will you give me leave to be plain and why should not I at such a time as this is Have not our Kings and Princes heretofore and our princely Priests and Bishops been as snares upon Mizpah and nets upon Tabor their high places and great offices have they not tyrannized too much Have they not revolted and been profound to make slaughter notwithstanding they have been reproved and admonished I beseech you sirs let not the apprehension of our present greater sufferings cause us altogether to forget our former iniquities People are apt generally to complain of the present burthen and murmur and forget what is past And indeed the greatnesse of our burthens may make us willing to be rid of them But yet let us not be such sottish asses as not to remember our former gal'd backs In this day of our Humiliation when we are seeking for establishment let us not forget the cause and ground of our unsettlement It was a sore Judgement that we were removed from our old foundations but we must remember who it was that removed us Friends let us consider who it was that broke us was it not the Lord Come let us return unto the Lord for he hath smitten us c. Whatsoever be the hand that gives the stroke or whosoever be the instruments yet it is God that guides it Amos 3.6 Shall there be evill in the City and the Lord hath not done it Shall there be evill in a City in a Nation in the three Nations and the Lord hath not done it By evil I understand the evil of punishment Now I say is the evill of punishment in the Nation in the three Nations or upon any particular person without the evill of sin will you say that the righteous Judge of heaven and earth hath not done right When he hath brought the evill of punishment
as wilfull and reiterated sins and wickednesses If you still do wickedly you shall be destroyed both you and your King You did wickedly before and what became of your King was it your wickednesse or his Many of you will not say it was his And if you still do wickedly the next King for ought I know may fare as he did therefore take heed of sin Beloved I propose this one thing to you it was either the sin of the King the Father that brought the evill upon him or the sin of the People or both together If his own sinne then the judgement was just upon him as to God though not in them who did it But if it was the sin of the people let me ask you will not that which ruin'd the Father ruine the Son If you still do wickedly you shall be destroyed both you and your King Surely Kings Princes and chief Magistrates are least beholding to drunkards to murderers to prophane persons to unclean lascivious persons to those that wallow in the stinking puddle and nasty dunghill of sin Kings and Princes are least of all beholding unto them for they draw down judgement upon the whole Nation These persons though they look for a morning of joy and gladness upon the Nation yet will surely bring a dismal night of sorrow notwithstanding their expectations And therefore Come let us return unto the Lord that as he hath torn us for our sins so he may binde us up and as he hath broken us for our transgressions so he may heale us upon our returning Here 's incouragement which is the second part of the Text. Of which a little Friends none but he that smites us can beale us none but he that tear's can binde us up All other Physitians all other Chyrurgions they are but meer Quacks and Empericks We may say of them as Job of his friends Job 13.4 Ye are forgers of lies ye are physitians of no value And beloved have we not found it so in our State Mountebancks who have set up their Stages that they might pick our Pockets and made us bow down that they might ride over us Have we not found that of David verified Men of high degree are a lie and men of low degree are altogether vanity Are they to be trusted in Is there any more weight in them then in the dust of the ballance O let us return therefore unto the Lord for he hath broken us and he will heale us he hath smitten us and he onely can binde us up He hath here promised it if we return as before unto him And beloved consider this as God wounds and smites by his instruments so he also heals and binds up by instruments The enemies of Gods people God makes use of as the rod in his hand to chastise and correct his Children for their sins and he also raises up instruments to deliver them from their sufferings In Esay 58. there you have a promise made that the just and righteous shall build the old waste places shall raise up the foundations of many generations and shall be called the repairer of the breach the restorer of the paths to dwell in Do you look for happy dayes in England Would you have the Old waste places built and the breaches repaired Why then see what the Lord requires of you Read that place fore-quoted Isa 58.6 Is not this the Fast that I have chosen c. This is a day wherein you fast and humble your selves to seek establishment Well will you see what Fast the Lord requires Loose the bands of wickednesse undo every heavy burthen let the oppressed go free and that ye break every heavy yoke It is to deale thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house When thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine owne flesh Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily c. And vers 12. They that be of thee shall build the old waste places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations c. Though our government hath layn in the dust these many yeares and though we have had a dark and black night upon us yet God can cause our light to break forth as the morning he can raise us up some to build our waste places to be repairers of our breaches and restorers of paths to dwell in But I say the promise is to good and righteous men These are the men if any that must lay the foundations not prophane loose wretches enemies to all righteousnesse the Lord in mercy keep such out of that great Assembly of Parliament And if any get in the Lord in his wisdome find out a way to cast them out again Beloved nothing but justice and truth and righteousnesse and mercy can heale a broken Nation let us then this day and every day else beg of God that he would graciously be pleased to be present with and to sit President in and over that great Councel of the Land that they may break off every yoke and take off every heavy burthen and keep off all unjust yokes and heavy burthens that any whatsoever would impose upon us That so that great Assembly may be a repairer of our breaches and a restorer of our paths to dwell in Let us pray that both they and all we may be more carefull to bring King Jesus into our hearts then K. Charles into his Throne Not as if I looked on these two as contradictory opposite or destructive the one unto the other But thus I tell you King Jesus is to be preferred before any mortall creature whatsoever And if he that shall rule be carefull to rule according to Truth and under King Jesus If God and the great Council of the Nation shall think fit Let him come and welcom But sirs let me tell you King Charles cannot save your soules but if King Jesus rule in your hearts he can and will save you What would it advantage you if all of you had your hearts desire here If things go even as you would wish and yet when Death comes you should be drag'd to Hell to endlesse torments what would it advantage you Be not then so mad as to pursue worldly concernments or worldly comforts with such eagernesse But above all seek and pursue after things of everlasting concernment And I tell you no mortall King can save your souls and therefore let us most look that King Jesus his reign and government may be established over us See his sweet and gracious government Isa 32. begin Behold a King shall reign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in judgement and a man shall be as a hiding place from the winds and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry land as the shadow of a great rocke in a weary land c. Ther 's a description given of
A Plain-dealing and Plain-meaning SERMON Preach't in the Parish Church of St. Nicholas Bristol April 6. 1660. Being the day appointed by the Parliament for publique Fasting and Humiliation for the sins of the NATION c. Together with a prefatory Epistle and subsequent Vindication both of the Sermon and Author Wherein besides an Apology for home and plain-preaching you have something offered to allay the heat of their stomacks and to temper the tongues of those who being ignorant in Scripture reproach and revile Presbytery and PRESBYTERS With some hints at SATANS subtlety and the mischief of those people who brand Zeal for God and Truth in free home and faithfull preaching with the reproachful names of Anger passion and Railing Ezek 33.30 Also thou son of Man the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of their houses c. Psal 35 11. False witnesses did rise up They laid to my charge things that I knew not Matth. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall sâ—y all manner of evill against you falsely for my names sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you LONDON Printed by S. Griffin and are to be sold by Thomas Wall by the Tolezey in Cornstreet in Bristol 1660. To the strenuous Assertor of his Countreys Rights Will Pryn Esquire a chosen Member of the High Court of Parliament Sir I Am now upon an Appeal to the World but not to all the world for all are not competent Judges But in my judgment I take you for the fittest man in the world to determine whether I have spoken against the King or his coming in in this ensuing Sermon You whom the late King honoured with the title of the Cato the impartial Cato of this age You whom neither fear nor flattery nor persecution can by as from the truth You who have militated more and conquer'd more in the Kings behalf by your pen then many Regiments of souldiers by their pikes musquets To you I appeal in this matter were it matter of Doctrine I durst make you my Vmpire for I know your ability that way Witness that excellent Book of yours of the Perpetuity of a regenerate mans estate But my appeal to you now is upon matter of fact discretion whether my discourse were scandalous or unseasonable Sir you are acquainted with the Topicks and proper seats of argument in all kinds deliberative demonstrative perswasive You can discern whether I have sinn'd against the law of the Preacher Had you been in the Country this Sermon had waited upon you for your Deleatur or Imprimatur before it had gone unto the Press But mine and the Book-sellers apprehensions that your greater manifold occasions now that you are in London would not offer us such a time of leisure w th you as to peruse it before-hand hath with held me from that attempt Yet I could not with-draw from my resolutions to crave your just decision If you find me guilty strike out your name and disown the dedication which would be a sorer blow to me then all the opposings of my Calumniators But if you find me innocent then let my Sermon with its Appendices goe forth with your auspicious tutelage I have one thing to beg of you and that is That the good old Cause may not be forgotten And I shall beg of God whose cause it is a blessing upon you and upon the great Councel whereof you are a chosen Member that the Lord would make you repairers of our breaches and restorers of our paths to dwell in These are the desires and prayers of him who is Sir Yours most ready to serve you in all Christian Offices R. A FARMER From my house in Bristol April 30. 1660. A Prefatory Epistle to the Reader IT S not the least part of our work who are Ministers of the Word to suit our Texts and Subjects And in both in a good sense to observe that direction in Rom. 12.11 as the Vulgar Latine reads it to serve the time That is to suit our discourses to the season to the occasions times and persons wherein we live and to whom we are to preach Solomon the wisest Preacher that ever was Jesus Christ the wisdome of God himselfe excepted tells us that words spoken in season i. e. according to the time occasion and condition of the persons spoken to are like apples of gold in pictures of silver very good very pleasant Prov. 25.11 And he also tells us that Preachers who are wise and would teach their people true and saving knowledge they must be heedful and carefull not to utter as many pretended Enthusiasts do quicquid in buccam venerit but to seek out compose and to set in order what they are to treat on Eccles 12.9,10 And to find out acceptable delightful taking winning words and matter In the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verba voluntatis i. e. such words and matter as might captivate and take the wills and affections of their Auditors And as the Apostle phrases it 2 Cor. 10.5 bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ And this I conceive in great part was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that craft subtlety and cunning that the Apostle in preaching used to catch the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12.16 Being crafty I caught you with guile He carried himselfe so both in matter and manner that he drew them on and brought them over to that he desired In sum he did what he told them elsewhere He became all to all men that he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 In the Greek the word men is not In the Originall it runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am made or become all to all I apply my selfe to all times and all persons I use all means to save some in and by the exercise of my Ministery And truly this hath alwayes been in my eye and this way I have ever approv'd of And to my poor ability followed in the course of my Ministery having finished a Text and Subject it hath sometimes put me to as carefull thoughts what to preach next as how to preach Especially upon speciall and extraordinary occasions I have been sollicitous to take all advantages that might bring and win over those I preach to to the truth to be proposed And being invited to the observation of the last solemn Fast I accordingly made choise of the Text which was the subject of the Sermon following How apt and pertinent let wise men judge I lookt with a sad eye upon our manifold breaches and our more sins the cause of those breaches And yet considering the Lords gracious dispensations in the wonderfull and unexpected turns of providence I was under some hopefull expectations that the Lord would also heale our breaches if our wilfull obstinacy and