millions of Soules in this Kingdome lie under the Altars of these Achans crying with teares from their eyes and bitternesse of grief in their hearts How long Lord how long will it be ere thou revenge the losse of our ordinances Sabbaths Sacraments how long shall it be ere the bloud of Soules shed by idle scandalous negligent ministers by their ignorance errors superstition be regarded by our Joshua how long will it be ere thâ—u put soule pitying spirits into their pious hearts to ease us of these execrable Achans oh let your spirits observe the complaints and petitions brought unto you from all parts of the Kingdome by the sheepe of Christ that have no Shepheard but onely Achans troubling Wolves to destroy and with the Lord Iesus Christ that great Ioshuah have compassion upon them and send labourers to them so shall you save their soules from death and be both Ioshuah and God and Saviour Ethicè in vertue and piety toward them and being so God will also make you like himselfe in honour and dignity I confesse the man that shall neglect to oppose these Achans among you much more he that shall goe about to patronize any execrable thing shall be rather an Abaddyon an Apollon a destroyer then a Ioshuah or a Saviour yea rather a Satan then God or if a God a God that rules in this World in and for the Children of Belial the Achans but for that Magistrate that shall now take up this resolution to the uttermost of his power with Ioshuah to extirpate all Idolaters impious blasphemers sacrilegious Achans and Babylonish Garments oh what honour would they purchase at the hands of this age oh what a blessing would he bring upon his posterity oh what peace and joy to his owne soule here oh what a crowne of glory to raigne with Christ for ever in Heaven Certainly I verily perswade my selfe all the faithfull people of God in the whole land out of unfained good-will to them would spend whole daies and nights in praises and prayers to God for them and if it were fitting fall downe at their very feet and worship them ring their Bells and clap their hands make burne-fires at the very report of their names joy to see them prosecute them and their posterity and their houses with praise and all manner of excellent acknowledgments that as Moses to Aaron so these unto their Countrey should be like God himselfe to them Motive 3 Thirdly besides these two incitements from the Lord and Ioshuah there is a third in the text from our selves Even because they trouble us thou hast troubled us saith Ioshuah If therfore neither prescription of God practice of Saints peace of the Church prosperity of the Common-wealth supplication of inferiours exaltation of your owne honours do not move you yet let that which moved the unrighteous judge that neither regarded God nor Men to revenge the poore Widow of her adversary move you namely because shee troubled him what troubles these Achans have brought upon our royall Soveraigne State Church and Common-wealth already you better know then I from the generall complaints and petitions presented unto you every day but what trouble they will bring upon us for time to come if they be not now cut off neither you nor I can conjecture onely the Lord knowes but all may see that an universall destruction extirpation of us our Religion Peace and Lawes was intended by them traiterously and unjustly and shall not Ioshua justly extirpate Achans for Achans unjust extirpation of Israel Eye for Eye Tooth for Tooth that justice may measure them the measure they would have measured to us is not onely equall but necessary nam quid adempta juvat spinis de pluribus una what profits us if of a hundred Achans and Babylonish Garments to take away one and leave ninety and nine behinde whereas if ninety nine were gone and but one remaining he would trouble us all especially now when God hath discovered them unto you and given direction from his word by his lot that except they be taken away he will be no more with us but against us Had Ioshua spared Achan after his discovery and conviction would not the Lord have told Ioshua Thy life shall goe for his what thou shouldst have done to him and didst not I will assuredly lay upon thy selfe for neglecting it The application I leave to your owne consciences and make hast to shew you the speed that Ioshua and Israel used in executing this sentence for Israels preservation in Achans totall extirpation This expedition is to be observed from the last two particulars in the text to wit the two times of trouble the first is the time of Achans troubling Israel and that time was past Achan had taken his owne time to steale the Wedge and thereby to trouble Israel and Ioshua he had taken Gods time for inquisition and examination and given Achan sufficient time to answer for himselfe before his sentence and then being convicted by evidence of witnesses and his owne confession comes Gods time to be considered which the Lord takes to trouble Achan in executing the sentence against him for troubling Israel and that was that very day the sentence was pronounced with all speed and expedition without one daies procrastination or unnecessary delaies The Lord shall trouble thee this day whose practice and precept to Joshua affords us and our Joshua's this further lesson and direction Do 4 Fourthly that those sentences of justice against the troublers of the State which were concluded after due tryall and examination are to be executed upon them without any unnecessary delaies or procrastinations That I be not mistaken in the proposition let it be remembred first that I understand it not of comminations or threatning of justice but peremptory sentences after due deliberation for I know the Lords owne practice in himselfe and will to his servants is repent of the evill and to put great distance betweene the commination of judgment and execution of it but never to vary or repent from the time of peremptory sentence of a judgment and its execution in commination and prediction he intends reformation and remission or at least tryall of the same as in the 120 yeares forbearance with the old world 40 daies prediction of judgment to Nineve of all which it is true as the Apostle affirmes 2. Peter 3. The Lord is not slâ—ck as men are by sluggish delaies and unnecessary demurres but is patient that men might repent and be saved but in peremptory sentences he intends personall satisfaction to justice therefore then after due tryall and examination executes it without any delay as Gen. 19 After God came downe and saw the wickednesse of Sodome he executed his wrath the same day after Adam was throughly examined that day he began to die the death both in being expelled from Paradise and in inflicting vengeance upon him Secondly I understand it of sentences concluded to satisfie Justice in making
THE TROVBLERS TROVBLED OR ACHAN CONDEMNED AND EXECVTED A SERMON Preached before sundry of the Honourable House of Commons at Westminster April 4. 1641. By Samuel Fairecloth Pastor of the Congregation of Ketton in Suffolke GAL. 5. 12. I would to God they were even cut off which trouble you LONDON Printed by R. Cotes for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his Shop at the entrance into Popes-head-Alley out of Lumbard street 1641. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND His much honoured PATRON Sr. Nathaniel Barnardiston one of the Knights of the Shire for the Countie of Suffolke SIR SO remarkeable and conspicuous in the view of all the neighbouring parts of our Country are the expressions of your noble patronage and support both of my selfe and ministry that each eye almost observes it and more tongues speake of it yet every pious heart that ever reaped any profit from my poore and unworthy labours next under the free grace of God acknowledge your selfe the chiefe and grand instrument of the same They are all also assured as well as my selfe that it was by your worships favour alone that a person so obscure and undeserving as I know my selfe to be had the honour to be called to this so honourable a service I meane to deliver any part of Gods truth to any part of your so honourable an assemblie but by whose meanes these rude notes I then delivered here come to the Presse neither they nor my selfe as yet doe truely understand onely by a Letter the last weeke from a friend that I am sure had no hand in it I was informed of it with intimation that if I pleased I might present it to what person I would and that though I refused yet that the Presse had proceeded so farre as it could not be reversed in all which proceedings nothing at all pleased me but this onely that what insufficiencies and failings soever were by the publishing of these notes discovered in my selfe yet I should have an opportunitie hereby offered to make publique confession how much both my selfe and all the Angle where you live are obliged to your selfe and Familie for planting and supporting the ministerie of the word and power of the Gospell amongst us and to stirre them up still to joyne with mee in making your worships life safety prosperitie and honour of your familie the subject of our prayers and prayses which opportunitie had I let slip your worship had not more voyces for you in your so honourable election by your Countrey to that service wherein you are intrusted then I should have had against me for neglecting upon this occasion of publishing Joshua his practice against Achan to declare to the world that by your countenancing and incouraging the vertuous and opposing the profane and vitious you have approved your selfe to the whole Corner in generall and my selfe above all in particular against all the Achans and troublers of our peace and libertie a true Joshua which shall ever be acknowledged by Your Worships most obliged SA FAIRECLOTH The Troublers Troubled Or ACHAN Condemned AND EXECVTED JOSHUA 7. 25. And Ioshua said Why hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee this day THe just judgment of God upon Achan by Joshua for bringing judgment upon Israell in offending in the cursed things is the summe of the Text Where in Joshua's practise as in a mirror is presented a concurrence of all graces a contexture of all vertues necessarie to be observed in the execution of penall Justice upon publicke offenders For whatsoever by way of direction concerning the Inquisition examination conviction sentencing or execution of publicke malefactors is elsewhere in the Scripture in Thesi or the rule is here in Hypothesi the subject and practice For all that can be desired of a Magistrate in this respect is comprehended under those two heads which Solomon in his Prayer 1. Kings 3. 2. Chron. 1. 10. begs of his God to wit understanding to discerne between good and bad and wisdome to goe out and in before the people in judging them accordingly The former notes a good head the latter a good heart a good head to know what is to be done a good heart to doe what is knowne all that Solomon prayes for there Joshua practices here the first in the forme of a legall inquisition and accusation Why hast thou troubled us The second in the forme of a judiciall sentence and peremptory verdict The Lord shall trouble thee this Day In which accusation and sentence wee will consider first the particulars secondly the relation of those particulars either to other The particulars are these First two troublers Secondly two troubles Thirdly two troubled and Fourthly two times of trouble The two troublers are first Achan secondly the Lord Why hast thou troubled us the Lord shall trouble thee The two troubles First is Achans and that is a trouble of pollution and infection The second is Gods troubling of Achan and that is a trouble of perdition and destruction The two troubled are first Israel the Church and Common-wealth Thou hast troubled us The second is Achan troubled by the Lord the Lord shall trouble thee Lastly the two times of trouble first Achans time of troubling of Israel past Thou hast troubled us secondly the Lords time to trouble Achan is to come but very speedilie without any procrastination the Lord shall trouble thee to day The relation of these particulars either to other is of the cause to the effect the foure particulars in the accusation being the cause of those foure in the conclusion and the foure in the conclusion the effect of these in the accusation because Achan is a troubler therefore God troubles and because Achan troubled Israel therefore God troubles Achan and because Achan troubled Israel by infection God troubles him by destruction and because he had done it in time past God will do it certainly for time to come and that very speedily the Lord shall trouble thee to day In the foure particulars in the accusation we are to learne the cause and meanes whereby a flourishing Kingdome is overthrowne and troubled In the foure particulars in the conclusion the meanes and remedy whereby a rent and distrubed Common-wealth is cured and repayred and now First of the particulars in the accusation and therein of the troubler and trouble together being most fitly and necessarily considered contained the cause and person whereby Israel is troubled The troubler is Achan so his very name proclames him who is here considered not according to his Birth so is he the Sonne of Labdie verse 1. of the tribe of Judab the tribe royall c. nor as a subject confessing his fault so is he the Sonne of Joshua verse 29. but as one that offended in the accursed thing verse 21. so is he the Son of Beliall an Achan a troubler of Israel and the cause of Gods troubling him from whence this position is deduced Doct. 1 Those in a Nation that offend
of Israel Thou hast troubled us The persons by this one Achan troubled are the whole congregation of the Children of Israel as is cleare from the 1 verse to the 7. of this chap. not only Achans owne Family Sons and Daughters but Ioshus and the people are troubled by it whence observe Doct. 2 That a whole nation in generall may be guilty of the sinne and punishment committed by one Achan in particular none stole but Achan none of all Israel had the Garment but Achan yet God saith verse 1. the Children of Israel committed a trespasse for Achan tooke the accursed thing and Ioshua here Why hast thou troubled us This point is so difficult to be received that Numb. 16. 22. it made Moses begin to expostulate with God upon his knees Shall one man finne and wilt thou be wrath with the whole congregation yet is it of most undoubted truth and veritie as appeares in the Scripture which shewes us that God imputed the sinne of one man in particular not onely to a whole nation present when the sinne was committed but to a future Generation living long after the offender was departed for the present witnes the whole congregation of God Ioshua 22. who collecting this very lesson that wee noted from these words adds two other instances for further confirmation of it Did not Achan the sonne of Zerah offend and that man perished not alone in his iniquity againe Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us from whence we are not cleansed unto this day though wrath came upon all the congregation and yee sinne to day and to morrow the Lord will be wroth with all the house of Israell Sutable to which is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 5. affirming that the execrable accursed thing of incest in one of the members had infected the whole iumpe of the Church and every member of it And for the future you may see 2 Sam. 27. when Saul was long dead the Famine came upon all the congregation of Israel in Davids time and when David enquired of God wherefore the Famine was God told him it was for Saul and his bloudy house because he slew the Gibeonites yea after Josiahs time the Lord punished the people for the sinne of Manasses 2 Kings 24. 3. yea for sinne committed since they came out of Egypt 2 Kings 27. 15. Reason The reason of this truth upon which it is grounded is the large and spreading nature of sinne unto others besides those that actually commit it the Scripture demonstrater this three waies by shewing how many may be guilty of the sinne that one committs First accessarily secondly occasionally thirdly politically For the first many may be guilty of the sinne acted by one accessarily when the actor is furthered in his sinne by the consent and privity of another and that either à parte antè or à parte post First antè three waies Either by commanding it so David killed Vriah the Hittite with the Sword of the Children of Ammon 2 Sam. 12. because he commanded Joab to set him in the fore-front Secondly by counselling so the high Priests are said with cruell hands to kill the Lord of glory because they counselled the people to cry crucifie him crucifie him Actes 4. Thirdly by provoking or inticing and so Eve was in the transgression and not Adam because she incited him thereto Gen. 3. Secondly à parte post though he had no notice of it before and that First by consenting after the fact is done so Ahab is said to kill Naboth because after Iesaball had done it without his knowledge he consented by taking possession of his Estate Secondly by defending it so the Benjamites Iudges 20. are guilty and punished for the rape of Gibeah though they knew not of it before because they defended them against the execution of justice after it was committed Thirdly by conniving and that either by not reproving if wee have place to doe it so the Minister is guilty of his peoples fins Ezek. 3. If thou reprove him not his bloud will I require at thy hands or not sorrowing for it if no place of reproofe so all the Corinthians were leavened because the Apostle tels them they ought to have sorrowed and did not all these waies may a whole Nation be guilty of the sinne of one man and yet none of these waies was Israel guilty of Achans sinne The second kind of guilt is occasionall guilt which is when the actor is furthered in his sinne without our purpose privity or consent as David was guilty of the Blasphemy of Gods Enemies occasioned by his fall Thou hast given occasion saith God to the enemies of God to Blaspheme 2 Sam. 12. This occasionall guilt is either culpable or inculpable inculpable when the sinne of another riseth from that which in it selfe is both materially and formally good so God deferring of sentence against wicked ones Eccles. 8. is said to be the cause of their going on in their sinne yet inculpable because materially and formally good Secondly Culpable occasionall guilt is when another is furthered in his sinne by that wich is materially or formally evill in us which culpable guilt is either by not restraining or furthering of it occasionally First wee are guilty occasionally for not restraining sinne so Eli of his Sons sinnes 1 Sam. 3. because they runne themselves into a slander and he restrained them not and that First when wee neglect to restraine it by Authority so when the people in Nebemiahs time bore burthens on the Sabbath Nehemiah saith to the rulers What thing is this that you doe in breaking the Sabbath in bearing burthens because they restrained not the porters therefrom Secondly by neglecting of vigilancy in watching to keepe each other from it and so I conceive all Israel was guilty of Achans finne for not watching over him and restraining him from the same I know other reasons are given but this seemes to be the best grounded from the text Both because God tells them before-hand chap. 6. verse 18. that though all but one abstained yet if any one did offend he would punish them all for it Secondly the precept is not only Cavete take heed but Custodite set a watch about others which had they done it had beene impossible but some one in such a company had discovered Achan in his theevery And as a whole nation may be guilty of the sinne of one man by not restraining it so likewise by doing that which shall occasionally further it and that first by example thus Peter is guilty of the Iewes and Gentiles conformity to the abolished Ceremonies by his example and is said to constraine them Gal. 2. Secondly by giving opportunity to sinne as negligence makes theeves Iudas is said to purchase the field Acts. 1. because he threw downe the money which gave occasion to the Jewes to purchase it Thirdly by Imitation of men in their sinnes thus the Scribes and Pharisees in the 23. Matth.
an atonement to God for disturbances and judgment brought upon a people by Achans for where the offence is immediate against God none injured by it but himselfe he takes liberty to delay yea sometimes to revoke it but in such offences where besides the offence against himselfe in Heaven the Church and Common-wealth also are troubled by accursed things as in Achans case then doth he not pardon or remit execution upon any repentance of confession whatsoever but proceed to seeke satisfaction of Justice in the execution of the delinquent notwithstanding their repentance is seene in that one example 2 Sam. 21. 3. Where nothing could make the atonement for the Land by Sauls offending in the execrable thing of perjury against the Gibeonites but the reall and speedy execution and extirpation of all his seed notwithstanding Davids teares and prayers and that sentences of this nature are to be executed with speed and without procrastination is that I aime now to prove to be the will of God which I might do without any further search then in desiring you to looke backe to those instances wherein you have heard the Lord to prescribe the cure of a disturbed State by a sentence of totall extirpation of the offenders and therin you shall read this truth annexed and twisted with the other yea as plainly exprest as the other that the execution of them be not onely certaine but speedy without delay For this of Achan there is nothing more cleere in all this passage of the Scripture then the expedition of the execution of his sentence first in the Lords speedy prescribing it as verse 13. Sanctifie your selves against to morrow delay not one day no not one part of the day deferre not till the afternoone 1 verse 14 early in the morning come according to all your Tribes And as in Gods prescription so in the whole peoples practice obedience who shewed First speed in inquisition they rose early in the morning and brought all the people by the Tribes before the Lord verse 16. Secondly speed in conviction Joshua sent messengers to search his Tent who it is said hasted and runne to the same Thirdly speed in execution after conviction and sentence as in the text The Lord shall trouble thee to day neither is this expedition peculiar to this instance of Achan but also most expresly declared to be the will of God in all the other Extirpation of the execrable thing of the Golden Calfe and idolatry Exod. 32. is expresly commanded to be executed without any delay verse 30. Consecrate your selves to day unto the Lord in the speedy execution of which sentence how many things might carnall reason have objected against it as both rash and cruell First must nothing serve but death for the first dâ—ncing about the Idoll may they not repent and live no they must die Secondly but if they must die what no hand but their Brothers or Fathers hands upon them must not the naturall ties of friendship be regarded no saith Moses slay every man his Brother and his Sonne Thirdly but if they must have their throats cut by their Kindreds hands must it be in the heate of their sinne before time given them to repent yea saith Moses speedily consecrate your selves this day without any delay But surely it was a cruell minded man that was greedy of bloud nay Moses the meekest man on the Earth and one that would rather have died himselfe then they if that would have satisfied God he had tendered his life before But good men have their faults so Moses and the Levites might be too hasty and make more hast then God would have given them thankes for nay saith Moses this pleased God so well that it was a consecrating themselves unto the Lord hereby and God bestowes a blessing on them therefore Consecrate your selves c. this sacrifice of these mens blouds so pleased the Lord that they shall be the persons that for ever after shall offer the sacrifice of his people to him Againe that by a threefold witnesse this truth might be established in the extirpation and sentence and the execution against the execrable thing of Baal Peor Num. 15. 4. it is expresly commanded that it be executed without the delay of one day so saith the text Hang up all the heads and Princes of the people Coram isto sole as Junius renders it before this Sunne goe downe procrastinate not at all which they also obeyed for in the 1 Cor. 10. 5. it is said There fell in one day three and twenty thousand and one thousand Nobles besides and I conceive the reason why the staying of the Plague was attributed especially to Phineas execution rather then the others because he was more zealous which appeared in his more speedy execution for verse 7. when Phineas saw he rose up from the midst of his more luke-warme stupid Companions instantly following and speedily executed judgment whereby the Plague was speedily stayed And upon the knowledge of this part of Gods will it is that David Psalme 101. 1. resolving so to execute mercie and justice that the faithfull in his daies be preferred concludes to extirpate the wicked out of his Kingdome I will cut off saith he all the wicked from the City of God But when shall this be done even without all procrastination betimes saith he will I destroy or as the originall beares it in the morning early shewing it should be his first mornings worke to execute the will of God in procuring the peace of the Kingdome by the speedy execution of justice against the troublers of it Object Against this position the necessity of expedition some of the house of Zâ—â—dy Achans Brethren possibly may object the practice of that illustrious preserver of the peace of his Country Fabius Maximus qui cunctando restituit rem that is by delay and using long pâ—wses in going against the troublers and enemies of his Countrey did use to weary them and weare them out by little and little rather then by speed and celeritie to vanquish them and for it is called cunctator pater patriae scutum populi the preserver of his Country the shield of the Common-wealth Answ 1 For answer to it I say first that Fabius delayes was not in executing justice against domesticke enemies Achans at home but in going against torraine and politicke enemies abroad both which may well stand together in the same man to wit delay in going against forraigne enemies in a militarie way and expedition in extirpating domesticke enemies in a judiciall way as is seene in the same Fabius who was so speedy in executing death against the legions of his owne that revolted to Hannibal that he tooke the very course that Ioshua here doth cast lots to set out the persons to be executed and then beheaded them with his owne sword not staying for the comming of the executioner to doe it Answ 2 Secondly I answer that his delaies was rather in deferring
the whole Kingdome in so short a time in so few moneths is so deeply layed Compare the complexion of our Kingdome Judicatures Oratories c. at this present with the countenance they have carried for many by-gone yeares and you will say more have beene done for our peace and against Achans within five moneths last past then in fifty yeares before if all see it not it is because they are blind or consider not that it is in great bodies and publique businesses of State as in the motions of the Heavens which are most speedy in their course yet not sensibly perceived but by their effects when wee discerne those Starres that were aloft overnight are under feet in the morning though wee saw not their motion yet wee conclude the speed of their course even so when wee see blazing Comets and boystering clouds scattered our darke Starre elevated when wee see Hushais counsell entertained and Achitophells rejected when wee see a Warre as furiously persecuted and bent to as great hazard to our Kingdome as Absolons was against Israel by our Joshuahs and Hushais delayed now turned to a glorious peace a Triennall Parliament concluded Achitophell hanged wee cannot choose but say as David to Abigail Blessed be the Lord that sent you and blessed be you your counsell that hath thus â—oonâ— made our Bâ—achim the place of our weeping become our Beracha and turned our teares into Songs yee have made this yeare the yeare of Jubilee unto us wherein so many exiled and banished from Gods house from their owne houses and places and Kingdomes as at the death of the high Priest have returned to their owne inheritance againe and with Ezra chap. 7. 27. Blessed be the Lord which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart give unto the Lord you mightie give unto Lord glory due unto his name for he hath loosed the collars of Princes and made the Judges vaines blesse yee the Lord yee house of Aaron for he is now your helpe and shield yea let all the Saints be joyfull with glory to our God and fing aloud upon their beds for God hath put into their hearts both power and readinesse to execute vengeance on Achans and correction among the people to binde their great ones in chaines and their Princes in fetters of Iron to execute speedily the judgment that is written this honour have all his Saints Praise yee the Lord Secondly as it affords matter of praise to God and you for the expedition already past so also further occasion of Prayer in respect of what is behinde if expedition in execution of Achans is the will of God then let us pray God to convey his will into your wills still and make you more willing to make speed to save us and hast to helpe us suffer us to pray God to remove all blockes and impediments out of your waies and from your owne hearts and spirits that what Achan soever shall by due examination be convinced to be a troubler and disturber of the lawes of God and the Kings as in Ezra 7. 26. Judgment may be executed upon him and that speedily whether it be unto death or banishment or confiscation of goods or imprisonment suffer me in the name of God and his poore Church to pray you that if God stir up the hearts of some to be forward there may none be found that may retard or delay the same serendo moras from selfe-love favour feare or carnall reason but that still Justice against these Achans may runne downe in the straightest way and the shortest course and not in the winding bankes of unnecessary delayes Consecrate your selves to day unto the Lord and if all Achans could be hanged up Coram isto sole let none remaine untill tomorrow how ever in exercising mercy and justice betimes in cutting off all the wicked from the City of God thinke not that our prayer of expedition ariseth from distrust or suspition of your wisdome and diligence for although he that beleeveth in God himselfe doth not make hast by way of diffidence yet doth he pray God make hast to helpe us oh Lord make speed to save us out of confidence and if the God of Heaven give us leave to incite him with our arguments and quicken him by our prayers I hope I shall without offence pray this honourable House that they would quicken themselves by the consideration of these incitements following tending to speedy execution Motive 1 First from the Lord whose will it is that you make speed he as soone as ever any Achan hath sinned in offending in the execrable thing sets out his judgments and wrath after him and the Kingdome also where he dwells if Joshua's execution overtake Achan before Gods then they spare and save themselves as in the cause of the Gibeonites is evident when Davids judgment overtakes him the Lord forbeares but if not he goeth on still Oh what danger is there then in one daies delay when if our speed in execution bee not sooner then Gods we come too laâ—e Thinke Right Honourable in your pursuing of these Achans that the Lord is pursuing you both with his threatned wrath if you execute not vengeance on them betimes and if you delay one day thinke God that comes on Eagles Wings and is a swift witnesse against Achans will come in the day you begin to be slacke and so surprize you before them oh therefore make no delay when hast onely saves I read in the 1 Samuel 25. when Abigail heard that David was offended and comming to destroy her Familie for Nabals fault that she hasted to take two hundred Cakes to prevent David verse 18. and commanded her servants verse 19. to make more hast then her selfe could But goe yee before mee and I will follow after and when shee saw David verse 21 she hasted and lighted off her Asse and anne to meete him and fell at his feete but what need all this hast even the hast that David made to revenge himselfe on Nabal and all his Familie he would not delay nor procrastinate till the dawning of the day God doe so to mee and more also if I leave ought of Nabal alive till the dawning of the day saith David Therefore not her Cakes not confession but hast saved her and her Familie as David tells her in terminis verse 30. As the Lord of hosts liveth except thou hadst hasted and met moeâ— I had not left any thing alive by the breaking of the day Ch 〈…〉 name the cause is ours our Achans Nabalâ— have provoked Davids God against us more then David against Nabal his poore servants come tell you evill will come upon us therefore you are ouâ—Abigails hast for as the Lord liveth except you hast wee may feare little will be left in a few daies and the rather because God is in view and therefore stay not while his wrath overtake us stay not while our Kingdome be destroyed Motive 2 Secondly if Gods
haste move not yet let Achans haste effect it for the more daies Achans are permitted to stay after discovery the more doe they infect us is the iniquity of Peor too little for us saith the people but wee must have more so say I is it not sufficient that their sins have troubled us but their continuance must infect us and destroy us Deut. 21. there is a law made that the dead body of an executed malefactor should not be suffered to hang on the tree till to morrow Junius out of Epiphanius gives the reason because the fight of them above the earth was execrable to the Lord till they were wholly abolished they would infect now if the bodies of our Achans infect spirituall as well as corporall why should they stay above the ground till to morrow which much like as is said of the Bafilisk spectando dum spectantur both by our seeing them and their seeing of us they slay us First so long as they are seene they slay us because they keepe the fountaine of life from us God will not come one moment to us till they be gone censures and judgment without execution no more brings comfort to the body of a State then promises of payment without satisfaction paies debts while the debt is not paid the suite goes on and while the life of the malefactor is in him by unjust and unnecessary procrastinations Gods justice for all our censures and purposes are still in force against us Secondly and much more spectando while they live do they actually hurt when they are questioned condemned the Law of Man against these Achans doth as the reviving of the Law of God in the consciences of wicked men make them desperately evill mâ—â—e then before 〈◊〉 pereâ—â—te â—â—at mundus saith Achan oâ— that seeing I must die or Israel that I might destroy Israel before I die Baalam when he cannot curse from his Altâ—tâ— undoeth Israel by his secret counsells to the King Balacke against Israel had not Absolon beene spared he had never driven his Father out of his Kingdome this David and all the faithfull of Israel have got by hearing the Woman of Tekoah for his reprievall I may say of all Achans as our Saviour of Judas it had beene good for them and the Kingdome where they live they had never beene borne but that they had perished before they had done either good or evill but having done so much evill and mischiefe to the lives and welfare of whole Kingdomes why should life be further granted to them whose very life brings death to all about them Motive 3 Thirdly in procrastinating their execution you hinder the joy the comfort the Jubilee of the Church for the returne of its praise as long as these sonnes of Belial live the Kingdomes peace and comfort cannot be established onely when these are cast downe will the Church lift up its head and say exaltation and shouting Oh what joy was in Israel when Moses Aaron and Miriam saw the Egyptians dead upon the shore then they sung and danced when Debora and Bâ—â—ck saw Sisera beheaded then all but Meros that did not helpe the Lord rejoyced when Mordecai and Hester saw Haman hanged then they kept the feast and daies of Vrinâ— and when England shall see these Achans executed then shall they rejoyce in the Lord and in the returne of his presence into his Temple ordinances and judicatures hi gandia nostra morantur while these Froggs and Jesuits of Rome be extirpated wee shall not sing the song of Moses and the Lambe Oh therefore hast their ruine and your owne triumph though Rome were not built in one day yet may it be nay it shall be destreâ—d in a day Revel. 18. 8. her pangs shall come in one day nay in one houre verse 10. in one houre is thy judgment finished our Church hath long time beene in travaile to be delivered of these Vipers and long travails are perilous especially if so and that the spirit and strength of pregnant begin to wast the Dragon and false Prophet labours with all their might to make the birth abortive or destroy the issue in the Wombe oh do you afford such helpe that shall be quick and lively and be delivered before such Midwives come at her then shall she forget all her sorrow and immediately shall follow the Church Hallalajah even the day that others have desired to see and could not but by your expedition in Achans destruction your eyes shall immediately behold truth and peace in your daies and joy in all the Israel of God Motive 4 Fourthly nor shall you by this expedition bring greatest joy to the Church then blessing to your selves Consecrate your selves to day saith Moses to the sons of Levi that God may bestow a blessing upon you teaching us the blessing that God will reward this service withall should quicken their indeavours therein Never any service that you shall doe unto God or your Kingdome shall be better rewarded then this shall Levi did all the services of the Temple yet for his speedy extirpation of the abominable things had he the blessing by this Levi got off the temporall guilt of the Sheâ—bonites bloud by this their scattering in Israel was turned to a blessing the temporall blessings of God assured the blessing of immunitie from the sinnes of the Land obtained the acceptation of the sacrifice of the people of Israel from their hands promised as their hereditary blessing so shall you by this worke of expedition of Achans judgment free your selves from the sinnes of all Achans of the times as Ioshua here turne away the wrath of God from your selves and others as Phineas elsewhere you shall be sure that God that awarded Jehâ—es extirpation of 〈◊〉 idolatry with reward of a Kingdome in the fourth Generation though done in hypocrisie will not be forgetfull of this your labour to recompence it foure-fold more then to Iehu if you doe it speedily and in sincerity and that God of blessing that blessed Phineas and all his posterity saying I impute his zeale his speedy cutting off two execrable persons for righteousnesse and give him therefore the covenant of peace and he shall have it and his Sonnes after him from Generation to Generation will certainly impute your speedy extirpation of many Achans for righteousnesse unto you and your Sons and heires thereby inâ—ouled in a Covenant of peace and they shall have it from Generation to Generation when you are dead and gone Motive 5 Fifthly to conclude all and put an end to the exhortation remember this one thing that execution of justice upon Achans is the end and perfection of all other your paines and labour spent in the inquisition examination conviction and sentencing of Achans All these are wholly directed to this as to their end and scope without which it is in vaine to rise up early and sit up late and spend whole Weekes and Moneths from your houses and families to discover and bring them to light to what end is this waste if being found out sentence is not executed execution being the end perfection of all censures uncorrupt judgments how can it appeare that the grounds intentions and rules of your sentences were pure and uncorrupt except after they be pronounced they haste more then ever to the in execution for this is the difference betweene naturall and violent motions violent the further they goe the fainter they grow but naturall make so much the more haste by how much they draw neerer to their end and center therefore that it may appeare to all the world that this Assemblies aimâ—â— was the peace of the Kingdome and remove all of unjustice and unrighteousnesse from it and was carried thereto by the rules of wisdome and naturall affection to truth and holinesse being now so neere the end make haste to the center to wit execution of Achans without unnecessary delaies and needlesse procrastrations Thus have you seene and heard the end and meanes of the ruine of the Church in Achans accusation and the notes and meanes of the recovery of a Church in Ioshua's sentence and execution What now remaines but as Musitians report that a Lute or other well tuned instrument hanging by on a Wall will resound the notes and choice straines and touches which another played on before it by a skilfull hand may seeme to dictate unto it and that whersoever it failes in answering its patterne yet it is most observant of the closes in the end and keeping time with them so Ioshua is the instrument by whom the Lord hath presented these notes and lessons of heavenly melody unto your eares concerning Church purging and state reforming policy in the valley of Achor as therefore to the honour of God and the joy of his Church you have hitherto observed all the former notes of this heavenly musicke by your harmony and sweet consent examining and sentencing these Achans So God grant you may most carefully keepe time also with them in the close not ending in a Large or a Long procrassination of executing Justice but in a Briefe quicke and speedy extirpation of them with Ioshua to trouble them all and that this day FINIS 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}