have be put out in acting I say therefore to you as David to Solomon 1 Chron. 22.16 Arise and be doing and the Lord will be with you 5. Get strong reasons for God against sinne Satan c. for the true Religion against Popery and Popish Innovations c. for unlesse the judgement be clearly convinced the heart will never come fully off and much lesse goe on evenly and constantly in the duty and therefore get strong reasons why God must be beleeved loved feared obeyed above all so why sinne must be left and abhorred why this Religion must be embraced professed practised justified defended and not Papistry or any other Religion and so for all other things protested 6. Renew your graces as faith repentance and love often 1. Faith for ever the soule finds it true by experience that as faith increaseth or declineth so doth obedience 2. Renew Repentance or sorrow for sinne and former failings often To sinne once is too often but to repent sorrow for it many times is little enough The oftner we renew our repentance and sorrow for our sailings and breaches of Covenant the greater will be our sorrow and the more our care to keep Covenant and feare to offend for the future 3. Renew also your love to God and Jesus Christ The more love to God and goodnesse the more strength and readinesse in the soule to obey God 7. Set up a spirituall watch in the soule over thine owne heart Jer. 17.9 42.3 4 6 7. with 43.2 3. especially against the lusts to which thou art most prone that the deceitfull heart and lusts draw it not aside out of the way of Gods Commandements Every man hath a deceitfull and dissembling heart that is ever ready to dissemble with God and deceive it selfe If any man hath a better thought of himselfe he is so much the worse for that thought and therefore have an eye to the Covenant and looke to thine owne heart also that it deceive thee not and cause thee to behave thy selfe falsly in thy Covenant 8. Keep under a powerfull Ministery and be frequent in the use of all Gods Ordinances and religious duties It is the means God hath appointed to keep men in the good way of obedience to Gods Commandements In 2 Chron. 15. we reade that every thing was out of order and there was no regard of the Law of God or man and the reason is ver 3. because Israel was without a teaching Priest dumbe S Johns it may be they had enough but there was no teaching ministery to instruct direct and exhort them to duty and as Gods instrument to convey grace by his Ordinances to inable them to obey God for the teaching Minister is an instrument by whose labours in the word God is pleased to worke grace in the hearts of his people whereby they are inabled to duty The Ministery of the Word reading the Scriptures prayer c. are the food of the soule Now he that will labour or be able to worke must eate so he that will have strength to doe duties acceptably and keep Covenant with God must be frequent in the use of Gods Ordinances The soule must feed on this bread of life and therefore brethren that you may be inabled to doe the Lords worke and keep touch with God live under a powerfull Ministery and be constant and conscionable in the use of it and all other meanes of grace Let me exhort you as the Angell did Elias Vp and eat so doe you feed with savour and delight upon the Word Sacraments c. 9. Minds your selves often of the Covenant thinke serionsly with your selves what you have done and how deeply you have engaged your selves to God and worke it on your hearts that it may take a deep impression on your spirits that it may never be forgotten for if it be forgotten though never so solemnely made it will be broken Therefore brethren minde your selves of your duty and often remember one another Heb 3.13 exhort one another This will be of good use also Men keep in minde their Rent-dayes dayes of payment and will sometimes put others in minde also least they misse and forfeit and so should we doe least we loose the benefit of our Covenant Lastly pray often and earnestly and get others to pray for you also and pray one for another So did David for himselfe Psal 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord I will walke in thy truth unite my heart to feare thy Name And Psalme 119.36 Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies So verse 80. and 143. Also for others 1 Chron. 29. when he saw a great willingnesse in the peoples spirits hee prayes verse 18. O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee So pray I also for you even for every one that hath some good resolutions and is in his heart purposed to keep Covenant with God The Lord keepe this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of your hearts and prepare your hearts to him This God hath promised Jer. 32.39 40. Ezek. 36.27 there is great ground for prayer Now we know that faithfull prayer will availe much if it be fervent James 5.16 the promise is made to it and it is the worke of Gods owne Spirit and God cannot but heare the request of his owne Spirit put up according to his will I end all with that of King David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 Arise and be doing and the Lord will be with you And that of the Apostle Be not weary of well-doing for in due time ye shall reape if ye faint not Amen FINIS
in Authority who are by Law inabled to remove the evils that we are bound to oppose and rectifie things amisse Beside God needs no tumultuous carriages and unwarrantable wayes and meanes to effect his worke of Reformation 2. But how firmely doth this binde us Answ It binds us to keep it to the uttermost of our Power Estate and Lives even to the death so as no law of man or power of any worldly Prince or Potentate whatsoever can absolve us from it And we promise and protest in the close that neither hope feare or any worldly respect neither favour nor frowne of men neither promises nor threats neither hope of gaine profit pleasures or preferment or feare of any worldly losse trouble or the like for all these as I humbly conceive are included shall make us relinguish this promise vow and Pratestation And this solemne engagement is made in expresse termes in the presence of Almighty God and so implicitely calling the Almighty God of Heaven and Earth who heares what we protest and doth see our intentions and purpose and will narrowly observe our future actions how we keep our solemne promise with his Majesty to reward or take vengeance on us if we doe not really and for the future carefully endeavour by all lawfull meanes and wayes to performe our promise vow and Protestation And which yet further addeth weight to this engagement it is made in the presence of the Congregation yea and I may say of the Angels also who are witnesses Ps 91.11 12. Heb. 1.14 and will testifie against us one day if we willingly and wittingly breake this our Covenant And this also our owne hands or marke which is equivalent is subscribed and stands on record as a witnesse to God and men against that man that shall wittingly and willingly breake his Protestation so solemnely made yea and this Church and these Wals and Pewes will one day rise up to condemne that man Heare what God himselfe saith of ordinary vowes and promises which are of a far inferiour nature to this Deut. 23.21 23. When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not slacke to pay it for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee and it would be sinne in thee That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and performe according as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God which thou hast promised with thy mouth As for instance if the Jew under the Law vowed unto God to offer a lambe or bullocke or sheep or goate c. So now if any should vow or promise to God That if such a businesse succeed well if such a ship in which he hath a venture returne home well and safe if such a field of corne prosper and come well in or the like he will give so much to the poore members of Christ or the like in way of thankfulnesse to God for his goodnesse towards him Or if God doe indeed deliver him out of such a trouble sicknesse misery or affliction or the like he will give so much to such a pious use c. Keep a private day of solemne thanksgiving to God or the like he may neither omit nor delay to do according to his promise saith Moses from God Thou shalt not slacke to pay or performe it The Lord thy God will require it of thee So againe Numb 30.1 2. This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded If a man vow a vow unto the Lord or sweare an Oath to binde his soule with a bond hee shall not breake his word he shall doe according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And if promises and vowes touching things voluntary and of a far lesse and inferiour nature made onely by a mans selfe alone doe so strongly binde that God may * Iust è exigitur ad solvendum qui non cogitur al vovendum Bern. in Ep. justly and will require it of him and punish him accordingly for breach of promise in case he performe not how much more doth such a solemne vow and Protestation as this is made to God in a thing of this nature which Religion and reason binds us to observe though there were no Protestation made nor ever thought of how much more I say doth this binde us and will God punish the wilfull contemners or breakers of it Wherefore brethren you who have taken this Protestation or Nationall Covenant and have therein implicitly called God to witnesse and be your Judge to take vengeance on you if you performe not your vow and Covenant to God be sure the hand of God will follow you if which I hope I shall never see and heare of you end eavour not to performe your Protestation and Covenant according to promise but wilfully breake it and much more if also any should wittingly and willingly endeavour to hinder others that endeavour to keep their Covenant and doe wilfully distuibe them in their duty of maintaining the true Reformed Protestant Religion or opposing and removing in a legall way any part of Popery or Popish Innovations protested against suppose Images and scandalous Popish Pictures Crucisixes and the like And let such a man be sure that if he performe not his part but wilfully breake it oppose and hinder others yet God will performe his part God will bring the curse upon him which he hath implicitly wished in his Protestation in the presence of Almighty God as he did bring on the Jewes the curse which they wished to themselves Mat. 27.25 And we know it hath layne heavily upon that Nation above sixteene hundred yeares When Zedekiah had broken his Covenant with the King of Babylon see what the Lord saith of him Ezek. 17.15 16. Shall he prosper or shall he escape that doth such things or shall be breake the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God surely mine Oath which he hath despised and my Covenant which he hath broken even it will recompence upon his owne head v. 19. We have solemnely covenanted and promised vowed and protested to God the King of Heaven to maintaine the true Religion oppose all Popery and Popish Innovations to the King on earth to maintaine his Royall Person Honour and Estate to the Parliament to maintaine and defend their power and Priviledges c. And we may be sure that man shall not escape that wilfully breaketh his Covenant but the hand of God will find him out either here to his conversion repentance and salvation or hereafter to his condemnation Wherefore brethren I beseech you all and I hope and perswade my selfe you will consider what you have promised in the presence of Almighty God and doe your best and heartiest endeavour to keep your Protestation Oh let not any person draw guilt on his owne soule by a wilfull breach or carelesse neglect of his Protestation I could therefore wish that evey good Subject would have and set up a Copy of the Protestation in his
that I will keep thy righteous indgements So the Church and people of God even in the midst of great troubles and afflictions Psal 44.17 18 19. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death 2. As godly so godlesse men have been carefull to keep Covenants and promises at least with men Pharaoh a Pagan King bids Joseph goe and performe his Oath which his father made him to sweare though it was a long and chargeable journey Gen. 50.6 And Herod incestuous Herod that made no conscience of incest and murder yet makes scruple of his Oath he would not breake his promise Mat. 14.9 The King was sorry never belesse for his Oathes sake You may observe it that many meere naturall men wholly destitute of the life of grace or any good conscience will notwithstanding be very punctuall in observing their Covenants and promises though to their owne dammage and hurt and should not this greatly shame men that have a name for Religion and would be thought to be some body among the faithfull to be found unfaithfull with God or men What I shall meere naturall worldly unbeleeving men in their kinde goe beyond the children and people of God be more mindfull of their promises and Covenants then the godly then Professors are of their promises to God Yea shall the very Pagans out-strip us Christians in their dealings with men Oh'l let us blush and be ashamed and repent and amend least the men of this world yea the Pagans rise up in judgement against us one day and condemne us Fourthly think of the great good that hereby will redound To God To Men. 1. To God It makes much for his glory It gives him the glory of his excellency that he is worthy of it of his power wisedome goodnesse and faithfulnesse that he can is able ready and will keep Covenant with us but Apostacy revolting breach of Covenant and falling off againe to former evill wayes and courses is most derogatory to Gods glory and dishonourable to his Majesty such a man doth in effect * Diabolum Demino prâ—ponit comparationem enim â—idetur egisse ut dicatur prenunciasse euÌ„ esse meliorem cujus rursus esse maluerit Fert c. 5. de â—aenit preferre the Devill before God for he seemes to have compared and weighed them together and trying both at length pronounceth him to be the better whom he chuseth againe to serve 2. To men and the good is either Nationall or Personall Nationall to keep Covenant with God tends much to the good of the whole Land and Nation There are great designes now on foot for the good of the Church and State The Adversaries are many mighty extreame malicious and exceeding busie have most desperate and damnable designes against both also the * Especially in Iuly August 1641. when this was preached hand of God the plague and * The small Poxe c to this day in many places sweeping away very many other devouring diseases are rife in the great City and in divers parts of this Kingdome Now the conscionable performance of our Covenant with God and particularly of our Nationall Covenant will be the most probable meanes under Heaven to maintaine the true Protestant Religion to suppresse and in time root out Popery disappoint the enemies of this Church and State further the great and long desired worke of Reformation and conduce much to the honour peace safety welfare and prosperity both of King and Kingdome of Church and State and the salvation of soules Againe we have prayed and doe pray for the publicke health safety peace and prosperity and who is now likely to prevaile with God but they that truly endevour to keep Covenant with him Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds They came before God in their troubles cryed mightily unto him fasted prayed yet all this God esteemed but as the howling of a dog What was the reason verse 13. They have fled from me they have transgressed against me A Father cares not for the howling of a dog so long as the childe cryes not he regards more the teares and cryes of one childe then the howling of 20. dogs wicked men in the Scripture phrase are dogs swine traytors Rebels to the Majesty of Heaven and Earth and therefore are not regarded by him but the prayers of them that are faithfull in his Covenant may doe much good Prov. 15.8 The sacrifice which is also accompanied with prayer and so both the sacrifice and prayers of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayer the single prayer of the upright is his delight their prayers may doe much good for a Nation both to remove and prevent evils and procure good What is a Parliament an Army a posture of defence without this though they be all of great use 'T is notable to this purpose which we have Job 42.7 8. faith God to Eliphaz My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends but goe to my servant Job and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept It is the prayers of faithfull Covenanters that doe prevaile with God for themselves and others 2. Personall the good that will redound to our selves is great and manifold 1. It will be for our credit All the Countrey cryes out against him that hath no care of his Covenant or promise Sancti quidem honesti pro positi ditatio magna ruina est retr Chris that makes no conscience of his word such a man was hatefull to the very Pagans but they commended him that was carefull to keep touch what a blot then and descredit is it not to keep Covenant with God to promise and promise againe and againe but performe nothing Deut. 4.5 6. saith Moses to Israel I have taught you Statutes and Judgements as the Lord my God hath commanded me Keep therefore and doe them for this is your wisedome and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall heare all those Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and an understanding people What were these Statutes but the Articles and conditions of the Covenant which we must observe So Isay 56.4 5. Thus saith the Lord to the Eunuches that keep my Sabboth and take hold of my Covenant Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my wals a place and a name better then of sonnes and of daughters I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off 2. It will make for our peace and comfort Conscience tels us we should keep Covenant with God that tyes and moves to duty Now if we endeavour to doe it truly sincerely
others at our pleasure for any worldly profits preferment or other respect whatsoever Deut. 5.32 33. Ye shall observe to do as the Lord your God hath commanded you You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that ye may live c. 3. Constantly Alwayes To this we are exhorted encouraged commanded Rev. 2.10 Be thou faithfull to the death and I will give thee a Crown of life Gal. 6.9 Be not weary of well-doing to begin well and afterward to fall off again is fearfull what is it else but to return with the dog to his vomit and with the Swine to the wallowing in the mire better for such a man that he had never known the way of righteousnesse then after he hath known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto him 2 Pet. 2.21 22. Better it is that thou shouldst not vow he there speaks of things Arbitrary and not such as are commanded and necessary then that thou shouldst vow and not pay it This for the Manner Now Fourthly come we to the Grounds and Reasons why we must having once entred into Covenant with God be carefull constantly to observe and keep it And they are these and the like 1. The Command of God which is very clear and full in the Text See also Yer 11.6 Hear ye the words of this Covenant and do them Deut. 4.23 Saith Moses to Israel from God Take heed to your selves lest ye forget the Covenant of the Lord your God which he hath made with you Psal 50.15 Pay thy vows unto the most high Eccles 5.4 When thou vowest a vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fools pay that which thou hast vowed In these two last places it is spoken chiefly if not onely of vows made of things voluntary and Arbitrary that was in the power of him that voweth before he vowed to vow or not vow them unto the Lord yet being once vowed the vow must be kept And if this binde in things Arbitrary how much more in things necessary and otherwise commanded Also full to this purpose is that Deut 4.6.40 and 5.1 2.32 33 and 6.1 and in very many other places Now we all ought to make conscience of the command of God and carefully to observe and do it in respect of our relation unto him and dependance upon him both essendo operando in our being actions and well being which is wholly on him He gave us a Being when we had none continueth that being and the comforts of it we do enjoy and redeemed us when we were worse then nothing undone and lost for ever 2. We should keep Covenant with God because of that solemn * Quia jam vovisti jam te ad strinxisti a iud tibi facere non licet Aug. in Ep. ad Armâ—n bond and tye that lieth upon our souls whereby we have engaged our selves to God to be his and onely his for ever to fear him and serve him for ever Numb 30.2 If a man vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to binde his soul with aboud every oath every vow bindes the soul layes a strong bond or engagement on it If it be but a mans Covenant no man may disannull it saith the Apostle Gal. 3.15 viz. By reason of the strong bond or tye it layeth on the soul How much greater think you is the tye and engagement which the Covenant of God layeth on the soul 3. We must keep Covenant with God that we may be like unto God as we are exhorted to be Ephes 5.1 as in all other things so in this we must strive to imitate and follow God to be like unto him Now concerning God we reade That he is faithfull in keeping Covenant with us Deut. 7.9 The Lord thy God is the faithfull God that keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments Psal 111.5 He is ever mindefull of his Covenant as he promises Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth thee unto me for ever c. Therefore since God is faithfull in keeping Covenant with us we must be faithfull in keeping Covenant with God that we may be as our duty is like unto our heavenly Father and thereby may approve our selves to be the children of God 4. For this end we enter into Covenant with God at Baptism renew it at the Lords Supper and some other times that we might keep his Statues Judgements and Commandments God requires this and we use it chiefly as a help to further us in our Obedience to God we are all naturally very backward and apt to take any occasion to neglect our duty of obedience to God and therfore do promise and bind our selves thereby to help and further us in our duty as we use to binde men to bring them into bond who are apt to break promise If we be to deal with an unfaithfull person that is like to play fast and loose to deny his promise and flie from his word we use to get him into bonds and then we think all is sure enough 5. Breach of Covenant God accounts a great sinne and will severely punish it therefore we should keep Covenant with God 1. He accounts breach of Covenant a great sin though it be of covenant only betwixt man and man and reckoneth it among the great sins of the Gentiles That they were Covenant-breakers Rom. 1.31 Psal 55.20 2 Tim. 3.3 what is it then to break Covenant with God 2. And as God accounts it a great sin so he will severely punish it So he threatned Gen. 17.14 The uncircumcised man childe whose flesh in his forehead is not circumcised that soul shall be cut off from his people mark the reason He hath broken my Covenant saith God Levit. 26.15 16 17. Saith God If ye shall despise my Statutes so that ye will not do all my Commandments but that ye break my Covenant I will even appoint over you terrour consumption and the burning Ague And I will set my face against you and ye shall he slain by your enemies Ezek. 17.15 16. saith God of Zedekiah Shall he prosper Shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord God Surely in the place where the King dwelleth that made him king whose Oath he despised and whose Covenant be beake even with him in the midst of Babylon shall he die A grievous curse is threatned against this sin Jer. 11.2 3. Hear ye the words of this Covenant Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this Covenant yea many curses Deut. 29.20 21-25 The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord
shall blot out his name from under heaven and the Lord shall separate him to evill out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law Mark the grand reason of all this fierce anger of the Lord against such vers 25. Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers For breaking of Covenant God caused Achan and all his to be stoned and burnt in the sire Iosh 7.11.15 and all Israel suffere I with him they could not stand before their enemies but were routed and smitten before th m. For this very thing Sauls breaking the Covenant made with the Gibionites though long before his time God punished all Israel with three yeers famine and in the end with the death of seven of Saith sons 2 Sam. 21. therefore also God rent the Kingdom from Solomon and gave ten Tribes to his servant Ieroboam 1 King 11 11. All these things give weight to this duty and the point in hand Thus we have seen it opened what a Covenant is what it is to keep it and how Also the point or duty cleerly proved That a Covenant once made may not be broken but must be carefully kept Thus of a Covenant in generall Now with the good leave of the great Assembly I will here take occasion to speak something concerning our Nationall Covenant Vow or Protestation in particular And here I will first set down the Protestation prudently commended to us by the Honorable House in these words I A. B. Do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may with my life power and estate the true reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and popish Innovations within this Realm contrary to the same Doctrine And according to the duty of my Allegiance His Majesties Royall Person Honour and Estate As also the Power and Priviledges of Parliaments the lawfull Rights and Liberties of the Subjects and every person that maketh this Protestation in whatsoever he shall do in the lawfull pursuance of the same And to my power and as far as lawfully I may I will oppose and by all good wayes and means endeavour to bring to condigne punishment all such as shall either by force practice counsels plots conspiracies or otherwise do any thing to the contrary of any thing in this present Protestation contained And further that I shal in all just and honorable ways endeavor to preserve the union and peace betwixt the three Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland And neither for hope fear nor other respect shall relinquish this Promise Vow and Protestation Touching this Nationall Covenant or Protestation we may here observe and consider 1. What we here promise and vow to maintaine and so what we here renounce 2. What it is to maintaine and defend the true Protestant Religion 3. Why for what ends we entred into this Protestation 4. How far this promise and Protestation doth bind us First What we here promise vow and protest viz. divers things which I conceive are in number 7. And the First is to maintaine and defend with our lives power and estate The true Reformed Protestant Religion expressed in the Doctrine of the Church of England against all Popery and Popish Innovations within this Realme contrary to the same Doctrine I will not set downe the principall Doctrines of the true reformed Protestant Religion and the Anti. See M Ley his book entituled A comparison betwixt the late Oath c. Protestant or Popish Doctrines and Innovations which we here protest against I will only set downe some Arguments and Reasons why we should with our lives power and estates maintaine and defend the true reformed Protestant Religion in the generall and consequently every particular branch and part of it against all Popery and Popish Innovations and every part and parcell of Popery and they are these 1. Because God hath commanded it and every one ought to make conscience of the commands of God and to his uttermost power observe and keep them JVDE v. 3. It was needfull for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith viz. the Doctrine of faith which was once delivered to the Saints Not only contend but contend earnestly with all vehemency and intention of spirit with all our might To this purpose also is that of the Apostle to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me and 1 Cor. 16.13 Stand fast in the faith that is both in the doctrine and grace of faith And no lesse is pressed on us Levit. 18.4 5. Deut. 4.40 and 5.32 33. and 6.3 17. and in very many other places Ye shall keep my statutes my iudgemonts my ordinances and commandements And if we cannot without drawing guilt on our soules breake the lawfull just and good commands of superiours how much lesss may we breake the righteous lawes of God 2. Our eternall salvation is built upon this There is no other Religion no other way or meanes in the world by which we can be saved Acts 4.12 1 Cor. 15. â— By which also ye are saved if ye keep in memory or hold fast what I preached unto you If we deny renounce or forsake this never looke to goe to Heaven never hope to see the face of God with joy 3. Gods glory is greatly promoted and advanced hereby as by the deny all of the true faith or Religion he is greatly dishonoured it confirmes others in their idolatrous false or superstitious wayes and opens the mouths of the adversaries and wicked men to speake evill of and blaspheme the truth and good wayes of God 4. The true reformed Protestant Religion is the badge of the true Christian and true servants of God their Livery and Cognisance whereby they are distinguished from all I dolaters Pagans Mahumetans Papists and Jewes that still cleave to the Mosaicall Rights long since abolished by Christ Yea by the sincere embracing and profession hereof the true Christians and servants of God are distinguished from all hypocrites 5. The Gospell upon which the true reformed Protestant Religion which we professe and is established as the publick doctrine of this Church of England is undoubtedly built was confirmed by many miracles from Heaven and truly divine Look throughout the whole Book of God and see how many divine Ratifications there have been of the Gospell and consequently of the true Religion which we doe now publickly through Gods great mercy professe It is the same with that of the Apostles and people of God in those first primitive times and which our blessed Saviour himselfe taught professed and sealed with his bloud and this should be a great inducement to us to embrace maintain and defend it to the death 6. This hath been recommended to us by the