deal faithfully with you God speaks by visions once yea twice and man perceiveth it not then GOD is gracious sends an interpreter one chosen from among a thousand to shew man his way and to keep him from the pit Job 33.14 15.23.24 For a man in a great sin is as one in a deep sleep over a pit and though God speaks aloud to him he cannot hear for the sweet rest that he takes in his prosperity and sin will hardly suffer him to awake before he falleth into the pit and then it is too late It is a great grace for a man when he is told of his particular sin not to deny it but to confess it and forsake it Prov. 28.13 How sweet a thing it is to see Davids Confession when Nathan had taken him as in a net by making him pronounce Judgement against himself 2 Sam. 12.13 And how grievous a thing it is to see a man hardned like Pharaoh in his sin when his own Magicians tell him Exod. 8.9 This is the finger of God Oh my Lord God hath spoken once or twice to you let him speak no more to you after this manner lest you smart to the purpose for it I am sure he hath a part in you that he will not loose he will put you to the greatest afflictions that ever was in the world yea beyond Jobs rather then you shall go on in your sin Oh then return at this one voice as Saint Paul did who a little before was as resolute to the contrary as you can be I know my Lord you are wise and exceeding wise and that by your wisdome you think to stand glory not in it but know this that God takes the wise in their own craftiness Job 5.11 12 13 14 15. 1 Corin. 3.19 20. Therefore do not think or say within your self because I am wise I am rich I am strong Jer. 9.23 I will go on to keep out such a party be not deceived any longer for God is wiser stronger and richer then you he knoweth wherefore he hath designed you And though he suffered you to go on with prosperity thus far and you think it is pleasing to God yet you will finde it is not so I do verily believe that your Speech came from your heart and you thought God went along with you all this time for God did foresee that an eminent man should have a strong erring confidence as once Paul had being utterly deceived in his thoughts of God at the time when he came to judgement and therefore hear what he saith Psal 50.4 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. But unto the wicked God saith What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my words behinde thee When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with adulterers Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother and slanderest thine own mothers son These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this c. 1. Mark my Lord Psal 50.16 17. He tells of your presumption in declaring his Statutes as if you were called to do it and of your casting away behind you his instruction and his true Ministers who are lawfully called and enabled to declare to you the truth perfectly even the Ministers of the Church of England 2. Mark my Lord vers 18. He tells you how you consent with those theevish Kings who like Nimrod Gen. 10.9 think it is lawful for them to take what they can get by the sword and of your partaking with men in spiritual adultery or false worshipping of God 3. Mark my Lord vers 19. He tells you this Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit that is against God the King and the Church and yet you thinke it is not so 4. Mark my Lord v. 20. He tells you of your sitting in State and wronging the King who is the son of your true and onely mother the Church of England 5. Mark my Lord He tells you that God did let you go on all this time and say nothing to all that you did wherefore you never doubted but thought surely God in a more extraordinary manner was with you and your army then he was with any people on earth as your speech shews page 37. therefore he tells you that you are mistaken in your thoughts of God and that you are adverse before him in your works â—â—â—ch he sets in order before your eyes that he now will let you know his minde and reprove you indeed and tear you in pieces except you order your conversation aright verse 22 23. and make your peace as Zacheus did Luk. 19.8 My Lord thus righteous David or rather God smites you that you might turn to him Psal 141.5 Isa 9.13 Doubt not but that I give you the true meaning of Psal 50. and that you are the person there signified vers 21. For I have the spirit that David had because he and I was anointed together and I believe that you will say that you have seen some of the effects of my anointing by my prophesying which already have been fulfilled And to prove my anointing look in 1 Sam. 16. vers 3. saith God to Samuel thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee vers 11. Samuel saith to Jesse send and fetch him for we will not sit down till he come hither vers 12. the Lord names me and bids him anoint me as you see And the Lord said Arise anoint him for this is he Now observe according to the command and promise vers 3. Thou shalt anoint him whom I name vers 12. he doth not name David but arise and if you observe the holy word takes off all objections and lest some should say God bide Samuel who was sat down arise to anoint David therefore saith Samuel to take off that conceit vers 11. We will not sit down till he come hither so that it is clear that as David was anointed with oile as you see by the History so I was anointed by the spirit as you see by the mystery and by many other places I could prove it therefore I believe that I have as good authority to do what I do as any man hath and I hope my Lord you will not despise it though perhaps many whose case is miserable that have not tasted of the heavenly gift Heb. 6.4 nor known the quickning power and operation of the work of God upon their souls Heb. 4.12 13. 1 Cor. 15.45 will both despise it and reject it Now my Lord I see and you may see that you have been mistaken in God and in his Church all this while for it is Gods time to help his people
gallant Kings cuts them down with al their hoast and brings home Lot with all the goods and persons that they had taken from Sodom and though the King of Sodom who was sure a wicked man Gen. 13.13 desired of him but the persons onely yet Abraham did give him all his goods also to a shoo-latchet Gen. 14. Hear is a great conqueror yet he doth not go about to dis-inherite the children of those wicked Kings he had slain he gives all the goods that they had taken to the true owners again he is no way ambitious to follow the war to make himself great for surely he might soon have conquered the world after the rate that he went for that little time No he would live privately in the service of God onely he would shew them that are souldiers an example how they should behave themselves in their station but few follow his example specially in our days yet they would be counted blessed and Saints as well as he but God will let them stay for the blessing of Abraham untill they shew forth the works of Abraham And immediately after Abraham had shewed his faith to the glory of God by doing these righteous actions before all the world mark what followeth Gen. 15.1 Then the word of the Lord came unto him in a vision saying Fear not Abraham I am thy sheild and thy exceeding great reward and this reward Abraham valued above all the world Oh it is wonderful to see how well God is pleased with Abraham upon this God comes to be more acquainted with Abraham and tells him more of his counsel gives him more of his love then he had before And I pray observe a body would have thought that Abraham going out in so just a cause and upon his own charge That it had been lawful for him to get what he could from such wicked Kings and to serve them as they would have served him to take their possessions and dis-inherite their children No Abraham did not count it lawful to rob the children of a theif and a murtherer who had bought it at so dear a rate that he had given his soul and body to eternal torments for an inheritance to his children God forbid that any childe of God should out-bid them let them take it saith Abraham I will have none of their accursed things Here you see the works of Abraham though he fought for it he restored to every man his own again he doth not go about to dis-inherit any of what was theirs he never examined how they came by their riches but he looks to his own conscience lest that should be defiled and see how God blessed him above all the men on earth Oh my Lord and all you noble souldiers here is a fair example for you do as Abraham did If Abraham had been warring among us in your stead King Charles had been on his throne afore now and every man in his own inheritance by his birth-right he would have had no Caterpillars to devour the land such as your Committees Sequestrators and the like Oh then do the works of Abraham that ye may have the blessing of Abraham by restoring King Charles and his party whom so many Kings even the late Parliament pursued and took all from him and his party and God delivered the Parliament into your hands now put the King and his party into their possessions again though they be sinners by your account yet they are not worse then the Sodomites and their King to whom Abraham gave all again You know you cannot have the blessing of Abraham If you follow that cursed seed of Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord Gen. 9.22.25 Gen. 10.6.8 9 10. Abraham will answer such though they have been the greatest Commanders in the world of Nimrods side worse then he answered Dives Luke 16. from verse 20 to the end of the Chapter yet that was bad enough specially to one that was his son one that did no evil to no body he did not send Lazarus away to Bridwell for asking alms he might have gone where he would for him but he would give him nothing and because of that he must go to hell a hard case Some say the Cavaliers go the way to hell there is no such matter they see not right that say it for since the case is thus with Dives they are more liker to be the Presbyterians which go that way for the Cavaliers are they that relieve the Lazarus's of our times and the Presbyterians do not onely deny these relief but also afflict them sore in Bridwells and that is more then Dives did to Lazarus therefore my Lord judge you which of them twain go the way to hell I have observed that where the Scripture commonly is most in men by notion there it s least in practice of charity where it is least in notion for there is none but have some Scripture there it is most in fruit of Charity so that it is rare to finde a knowing man as we call it that is Charitable And it is so indeed for Saint Paul saith 1 Corin. 8.1 Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth and Mat. 15.8 This people draweth nigh to me with their mouths and honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me My Lord you shall finde the Kings party though they slip into small sins to be the best men in the kingdom and that their resolution in matters of the greatest concernment is true and constant to God and man as for your others they are but bubbles and that the substance of Christian Religion doth not stand in notions but in contrition charity and devotion which things most abound among Cavaliers therefore mistake not the people of God I have shewed you what you have to do and how under whose banner ye ought to war and for what cause now let me tell you that God hath sent his Angel to deliver us and to be assistant unto you if you go the right way as I have shewed you sufficiently already but if you will not the same angel will be your adversary Numb 22.22 And who then that God will accept can or dare pray for you I would not have you mistake me for though I be for Charles Steward in regard of righteousness if that line should fail so that we were to seek again I had rather have you to raign and the Cavaliers are all so minded then any man on earth besides Yet since like Balaams Ass I carried you on safely to this day Now God doth open my mouth to tell the danger I see in your way for you have had a mind being stirred up by the Balacks of our times to curse Israel that is to to afflict the Protestants and our Religion but take heed what you do unto them for the voice of a King is among them Numb 23.21 and the Angel of the Lord with his drawn sword stands in your way though yet you have
taken no notice of him but I beseech you again consider seriously what befel you on Saint Michael the Archangels day last past and know what an Angel Michael is said to be in Scripture 1. He is said to be the chief Prince of warlike angels Dan. 10.13 Rev. 12.7 and you know one angel is able to destroy in a moment of time the greatest and stoutest army that ever was witness Sennacheribs army whereof there was of them destroyed by an angel in one night a hundred fourscore and five thousand 2 Kings 19.35 2. Michael is said to hold with the man cloathed in linnen which gives you to understand that he is for the Surplice and for the true worship of God and not for confused vain janglings and bablings Dan. 10.5.13.21 3. He is also the Prince of the people of God and their angel to protect them against which people you have appeared much to destroy them hitherto Dan. 10.21 But take heed what ye do against the Protestant Church hereafter for since Michael is come whom they so much acknowledge as you may see by the Collect for that day that they desire God to succor them help them by his angels And that Michael hath appeared according to their prayer and the promise which is that in the time of need God should send him to stand up for his people Dan. 12.1 1 Thess 4.16 2 Thess 1.6 7 8 9. I say again take heed for though you be a terror to poor men you are nothing in the hand of Michael the mighty Angel who we believe will deliver us and hath for that end shewed his hand against you the last Michaels day to note to you by that day and what befell you on it that he is against you But now you wil ask me why do we take notice of his day I answer Do not you take notice on Gregory or Magnus day being Sept. 3. to be a good day for you yet that day this yeer proved to be the Lords day therefore I say since that you have such estimation of Sept. 3. that though you do not keep it as an holy day to worship God on it yet you make it the chief day for your enterprise why should not we then having all our hopes in heaven take notice on Sept. 29. it being the Archangel Michaels day set apart to worship God on seeing he is the angel which God hath promised to send from heaven to deliver us and truly being that your Higness hath seen and we finde such a prodigious omen to fall upon that day we ought the more to acknowledge it and to believe that the angels of God are come down to deliver us and it is high time all other hopes are gone now for our enemies are potent they have got all from us Therefore from whence should we look for help but from heaven And lest you should say that we are popishly affected in worshipping of angels I say we worship him onely whom the holy angels worship even God who created all things and his son Jesus Christ by whom he created all things and the holy Ghost which sanctifieth the whole creation yet God forbid but that we should have the holy Angels in great estimation for his sake that sends them and for their works sake and for their own sake because they are them which glorifie God in the highest degree for if we are to have men in very high esteem because they exhort us 1 Thess 5.12 13. by how much more ought we to esteem the Angels of God sent to do for us that which men cannot do for us and truely we may err in the worshiping of men for they are vain-glorious and apt to exact from us that reverence not due to them but the Holy Angels are of another nature so that we cannot err in that worship we do unto them for they will tutor us so that if we give unto them more then is meet they will reprove us therefore I say it is better since we do not know the degrees of Angels that we fall down flat before a Holy Angel then stand against him for all the Angels we read of did not refuse such a worship and who can tell which is the Angel of Gods presence And though that angel Rev. 22.8 9. did acknowledge Saint John insomuch that he called him his fellow-servant and therefore would have no worship from him he being as honorable as himself because he was the beloved Apostle and Evangelist of Jesus Christ yet it is a question that if the same Angel at that time had been sent to the Emperor of Rome And that he had faln down before the Angel whether the Angel would not have taken it as a due worship from the Emperor and yet destroy him with all his persecuting hoast as he did Senacheribs except by repentance and amendment they had prevented it And truely those people are in a sad condition when the Angel of the Lord is sent to persecute them Psal 35.5 6. And they like Balaam going on still with their wicked intention and cannot see the Angel with his drawn sword Numb 22.22 23. nor will not be admonished I have told the people of England and specially the chief of them what they should do and what would follow if they did it not And now the Angel is come my work is done for he that is able to bring it to pass hath taken it off my hands One ass did reprove the madness of Balaam 2 Pet. 2.15 16. so that he saw the Angel of the Lord and was saved from the present danger Numb 22.33 but the six horses which saw the Angel reproved the madness of this generation and they will not see the Angel and repent Oh miserable men do not you see the Scripture fulfilled in this act of God how justly at this time may the Church of England which you so persecute sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb Exod. 15. Rev. 15.2 3 4. And what comfort is it for them to see the Angel of the Lord engage for them and encounter with their enemy I am sure it makes many glad heart But what a joyful song should we sing to see you return againe to the Church and the King Oh it would be a joyful day to England and since the Angels are become your adversaries we can expect no less then to see either your suddain return or your suddain destruction And who can help it while ye go against God and his Church and deprive your true and lawful King of all his right Who dare petition to God for such a people that are resolved not to repent of such high inquity that all the world rings of it the sin of Sodome was nothing to it yet God came down purposely to destroy them poor ignorant souls and did it and do you that have the Law and Gospel to instruct you commit such evils and think to escape temporal and eternal punishment What argument