makes the Alcoran his Ladder the Jew makes the Temple of the Lord his Ladder the carnal Protestant makes his charâ—ty his Ladder and the Papist hath his Ladder also there is a Red Ladder by the blood of Christ but they will have a White Ladder by Marys obedience this they accompt the easier way mee thinks these men mistake Jacobs Ladder yet something like it is for they are in a dream as Jacob was these are all rotten Ladders and the climbers have rotten hearts Thirdly A Providentiall sense and thus I shall handle this Vision The Ladder signifies the Divine Providence and in this Ladder wee have many things observable First The variety of Providence in the many steps The Providence of God hath indeed but one end yet it hath divers waies to that one end every living creature hath four faces and four wings to signify the several appearances and swift execution of Providence Eze. 1.6 It is a difficult thing to take the picture of Providence at this time in the world it maketh and hath so many faces let our eyes be never so exact in observing and our hands ready in describing its waies The locks of the Spouse in the Canticles are black and curled black for their obscurity and curled for their various intricacy There are not so many several countenances of men as there are dispensations of God and it s as rare a thing to find dispensations as men of the same complexion In heaven God will appear to the Saints in one glorious form but now as it was said of an Emperor that every day he put on a new suit so it is the Lords honour to apparell himself in changeable robes the imbroidery of Providence is made up of divers colours Sion is not allwaies in one condition nor the soul allwaies in one posture sometimes Christ frowns and sometimes he smiles sometimes hee casteth down sometimes hee lifteth up sometimes the Church of God is in the wildernesse sometimes in Canaan sometimes on the raging sea sometimes in her harbour The Lord keeps his people from infection by leading them into divers aires black and bloody Providences set off the wisdome and faithfullnesse of our God the better Standing waters corrupt and breed noysome creatures but running waters are pure and preservative Every new day brings with it a new tentation and wee shall never be experienced Souldiers till we are tryed at all sorts of weapons Credend a plura sunt de Deo quam scienda We must not look on the scattered lines of Providence but tarry till God hath made a conclusion never say Providence scribles til you have seen the whole copy Princes letters wee say ought to bee read thrice Let us consider the waies of God and wee shall never censure them Secondly In this Ladder we have the seeming uncertainty of Providence The Ladder is partly above the Clouds and partly visible in the Air as the Spirit Joh. 3. blows where it listeth so God in his works worketh how he listeth It is observable that usually of old when God appeared in the Tabernacle a Cloud ushered in his presence All the world is in the light to God but God is in the dark to all the world Sometimes the Lord walks so plainly in his works that he that runs may read that the dim-sighted'st Christian may say this is the Lords walk and this is the Lords work at other times he wraps himself in a cloud Si vides ubi fides and overcasteth Syon with darkness that the poor children of God cannot tell where to find their Father that they can but guesse at his footsteps knowing not which way to march for their Leader hath hid himself Pompey the Great said when the scales weighed down on Caesars side that there was a mist on the eies of Providence but indeed the Sun shone clearly and the mist was on his eye that he could not see it I confess in this age it is easier to know what particular things in Providence God will pull down than what he will set up We often imagine there is a disorder in Gods works when if we mind it the disorder is in our imagination We know not how to beleeve and we phancy the Lord to be at a stand as not knowing what to do But we must take heed of charging the Lord to be out of his way when onely he is out of our sight Thirdly In this Ladder we have the seeming contradictions of Providence The Angels ascend and descend the Ladder One Providence seems to go one way and another Providence seems to go another way Sometime the Cloud in the wilderness seemed to carry Israel immediately to Canaan now for Canaan might Moses and Aaron say and on a sudden the Lord wheels about and Israel turns faces toward the Red Sea as if he intended they should never see Canaan more How plainly hath the Lord led England for some years toward a Reformation The Saints have encouragingly said one to another Certainly we are within two or three years journey of the New Jerusalem Have at the scarlet Whore of Babylon Now for the building of ruinate Sion But the Lord hath seemed to cry face about and follow me yet longer in the wilderness and some of the Saints conclude we are never like to go forward we shall return to our Leeks and Onyons The conversion of souls visibly goes backward and not forward About twelve years ago hundreds came out of the Devils Kingdom into the Kingdom of the Gospel but now many fly from the colours of the Gospell visibly Miremur non rimemur Providentiae reconditam viâ— and run into the Devils quarters again The Lord seems to seal up the hardness of mens hearts and to say to the womb of Grace Give forth no more let no more sinners be changed from darkness to light in England Well might Solomon Prov. 30.19 compare the Church to a ship in the midst of the Sea which as the Prophet speaks Now even mounts up to the Heavens and anon descends as it were to Hell God sees our works in our wills but we cannot many times spell out the Lords Will by his Works who can trace the Lord in his travel or find out the work or walk of the Almighty in the world The Texts of Providence are as difficult as the Texts of the Scriptures there are as high contests about Providence as about Predestination and it is as hard to reconcile the Works of God as to reconcile his Word though there is a real concordance and harmony in both Be not over righteous says the Preacher Eccles 7.16 Can a man be too righteous rather we think he should have said be not too prophane but as one Diamond cuts another so one Scripture opens another ver 15. I have seen a just man as just as Abel perish in his righteousnes and to lose his life because he would keep his conscience and on the contrary I have seen a
wicked man as wicked as Cain to prolong his life and to have the world at command but yet carp not at providence let the Lord be down before you think to lift him up enter not into the Chair to offer knowledge to God about his Works There is no reason that the Lord should give man a reason of all his ways he often wils a change but never changeth his will God may retreat in his Providences as to us and undo all he hath been doing in England these fifteen years and make Sion put on her mourning apparel and yet not be either unconstant or unfaithful though I hope better things For it is observeable that Providence in the main is never Excentrical and in the main is never Retrograde The Lord oft looks backward but never goes backward He led Israel forty years about in the wilderness and yet never carried them back to Egypt Abraham is promised a Son and a numerous off-spring but as if Providence had forgot it self to us Abraham is commanded to offer up Isaack and whereas he might have objected Lord thou art wont to call for Oxen to be sacrificed and dost thou require me to sacrifice my son Thy word saith I must not kill Certum est quia impossibile est and thy mouth saith I must kill and Lord thou hast promised to multiply my seed and now thou callest for my Isaack How can the branches grow if the stock be cut down and yet Abraham obeyed winking and putting his hand into the Lords hand following him though Providence as it were crossed the Promise We now have as the Prophet speaks a wheel in a wheel So I trust ere God hath done with England we shall have as the Rabbi speaks a miracle in a miracle Fourthly In this Ladder we have The independency of Providence The Ladder we see is onely reared and supported by God it is not a crooked Ladder but stands upright toward Heaven It Leans not on the mountains of men nor Palaces of Kings Many quarrel and find fault with the Ladder of Providence but this Ladder shall never fall down before man or to man The Prophet undertakes the challenge Isa 40.15 Who hath been the Counseller of God or hath taught the Almighty The wise King of Aragon was so foolish as to think he could have made the Creation better if he had been of Gods Counsel and some men think there are Erratae's in the volume of Providence by their murmurings and would fain be a correcting the Lords Copy and amending the Lines of his Government in the world methinks false-hearted man is like flattering Absolom who would insinuate to the people neglects in his Fathers Government There is no man deputed of the King to do Justice and that he was able to guide Israel in a better order But John the 15. The Church is compared to a Vine and God will have it lean on himself and not to be supported by the poles and policy of men It is observed that the weakest women have often the strongest children and that the Lord hangs the heaviest weights on the smallest wyars The stone in Daniel is cut out of the mountains without hands The Gospel and Sion are neither framed nor forged by man both are the handy-works of God as there was no concurrence of mans power to the generation of Christ personal so there is no concurrence of the wisdom of man to the generation of Christ mystical Cicero fell in with Caesar when Pompey was defeated and it is no dishonor for man routed in his way to fall down to God Man must lean on God but God will never lean on man man must go to God God will never come to man If the mountain will not come to Mahumet Mahumet will go to the Mountain said that bold Impostor when he could not work a miracle which he promised to his followers Oecolampadius had a good cause as they said but he wanted Souldiers to bear it up but let Sion remember that her cause is not so good but the strength of her Protector is as great to maintain it Quod est causa causae est causa causati There is nothing that God doth by the creature but he can do without the creature rather than Sion shall fall the God of Sion will not stand on miracles Fifthly In this Ladder we have the extent of Providence The Ladder is set upon the earth and the top of it reached to Heaven Providence extends 1 To all senseless and irrational creatures both in their Preservation and Government First Virtus est maxima pertingere quam remotissimae In their Preservation The Epicures confine God to the Palace of Heaven as if it were below his Majesty to take notice of the lower world The Stoicks limit him to the middle Region But the Lord deals not like a Carpenter or Artizan who have done all their work when a house is built and a Clock put together There is as much need of a Divine wisdom to preserve as there was of a Divine power to make the world There is a necessity not onely of a privative influx from God that is not onely that he does not destroy his creatures but of a positive influence to maintain the creatures in being Job 6.9 If the Lord take away his hand Job would fall not onely to the ground but also to his first principles of nothing Mithridates a General knew all the names of all the Souldiers in his Army The Heavens are the Lords Hosts and they in all their rancks and orbes are known and kept by the Lord of Hosts Cincinnatus his honor was at the same time to hold the Plow and the Helm of State The Lord made as well the least worm on earth as the most glorious Angel in Heaven Deus nec laborat in maximis nec fastidit in minimis and it costeth the Lord as many words to make a worm as to make an Angel for all was done with a word It is no disgrace for the Lord to walk up and down by his Providence and over-look all his creatures the baseness of any creature no more defiles God than a dunghil vapor infects the Sun beams The lesser a clock is as if it can lie under the wings of a Fly the greater is the skill of the Clock-maker The Smith was commended for beating iron into chains and nets that they could hardly see them being thinner than the smallest thread or the web of a Spider God is great in the greatest creatures and he is great in the smallest creatures It is to be feared that those that at present question Providence Deus est in culice in pulice Saeculum est speculum upon the same accounts may ere long deny the Creation A King is confined to his proper Ubi and Palace and he orders things in his Dominions by Deputies and Viceroys but the Lord can no more be absent from his creatures than
than the Creation of the World and therefore the Lord speaks of New Heavens to intimate the possibility of their accomplishment from the consideration of the old Creation Cannot I says God create a new world as well as I did the old In the first of Isay vers 27. God will send Judges as at the first which promise is not performed in any external form of Government but in the administration of Righteousness and Justice and the work of this Generation ☞ is not to pull down Governments but to pull down Tyranny whether in Judges or in Kings For the Government of one man is in se no more inconsistent with the Government of Christ than the Government of a plurality of men the sweet flower of Justice may grow in a Crown as well as on a Scepter of State in a Kingdom as well as in a Commonwealth All civil Forms of Government are equally of God Rom. 13.1 And though Kings have been Enemies to Sion and setters up of Antichrist yet there are promises that Kings shall be nursing Fathers to Sion and Kings shall help to destroy Antichrist Rev. 17.16 which promises are yet in the greatest measure to be performed now at last Sol Justitiae qui quondam erat in signo Leonis nunc est in signo Virginis erit in signo Librae Whether Judges be as at the first let the world judge There shall be such Governors as Sampson was as Jephtha and Deborah were Zech. 12.5 Psal 16.17 For my part let all the Kings in Europe keep their Crowns so they kick not Christs Crown off his head Let Emperors yet hold their Scepters in their hands so they hold not up their hands against Christs Scepter Otherwise I pray and beleeve that the time may and will come when those that have not affection in their hearts to do Sion good shall not have power in their hands to do Sion hurt Rev. 19. Sixthly From this Ladder we may see a more full advancement of an Evangelical Ministery How many hitherto have been bred up at Gamaliels feet that never yet with Mary sat at Christs feet That sit in Moses his Chair that have little in them or nothing of Moses but his Chair Non Doctores sed Seductores non Pastores sed Impostores Arts and Sciences are the gifts of God and how honorable is it when Scholars lay their Crowns down before the feet of the Lamb and many speak against them because they have them not they cannot abide to be condemned for ignorant of the learned and therefore they are ambitious to be commended by the ignorant for learned Lord How few Preachers feel what they speak and then speak what they feel How few speak to the heart because so few speak from the heart but from the teeth outward how many seek a Lordly living and a lazy life Many are Swine for prophaneness but more are Serpentine Preachers that subtlely with their gilded poyson kill souls discouraging the godly and encouraging the wicked Like Sign-posts shewing others the way to Heaven and not stirring thither a foot themselves Doth God call for a reasonable Sacrifice and holy beast and will he accept of an unreasonable unholy Sacrificer Would the Lord have the vessels of the Sanctuary holy and the Garments holy and he on whose vesture should be written Holiness to the Lord unholy God will have those that shall have not onely a mission from the Church but a Commission from himself Loyterers must be sent out Christum habent in codice sed non in corde and Laborers must be sent into the Vineyard and the Spirit will also be sent into the Laborers God will never suffer those dead Amasaes to lie in the way of the souls of men to hinder them from coming to Christ God is not bound to maintain those Lamps with the oyl of maintenance whose preaching is not maintained by the oyl of the Spirit Men hitherto have heaped to themselves Teachers according to their hearts Multo minus nocet ignavus fur quam segnis minister and so itching ears have had tickling Preachers men that have been often at Placentia but never at Verona But the Lord will send Pastors according to his own heart that shall not preach to gratifie Opinions but to save Souls Jer. 3.15 Though Christ can ride on an Ass to Jerusalem yet the time is a coming that the Lord will have no need of them The Snuffers of the Temple must be pure gold Chrysostomi etiam Polycarpi Non Aposcopi sed Episcopi or else their Clergy cannot save them Exod. 37.23 If we cannot abide dead Idols in the windows God much less will abide dumb Idols in the Pulpit The Ministers of the last age shall stand in the Sun and preach the Everlasting Gospel they shall be Brightmans indeed They shall be Load-stones in their conversations but Adamants in their principles they shall thunder in the Pulpit and lighten in their lives They shall pitty them who are not able to pitty themselves shed tears over them for whom Christ shed his blood They shall be indued with an Eagles Eye a Ladies hand and a Lyons heart as Physicians of Souls Indeed some knowing men in their own eyes never think the Sun will shine clearly till the Stars Rev. 1. ult are pulled down I speak onely in the behalf of those that are Evangelical Preachers in their Doctrine and Angelical Preachers in their lives but first our Lord and Master hath secured the use of the Ministery till the perfection of all things Mat. 28. Eph. 4. And secondly I hope those that are true Stars will stoop themselves when our Lord Jesus the true Sun of Righteousness shall appear in the glory of his person or personal glory Seventhly From this Ladder we may foresee the ruin of Babylon Babylon hath three times a time of ascending a time of triumphing in and a time of descending the Throne Now the Tide of the Sea of Rome is falling and she is well nigh in the last descension Providence hath arraigned and condemned the Scarlet Whore she is at present naked and ere long she shall be burnt for an Whore She shall have fire for fire and blood for blood The Lord is gathering Faggots I mean his Instruments in all Nations and will certainly and suddenly set fire to the Papal glory and all her Lovers shall not be able to quench it Rev. 18. She shall be as visible in her shame as ever she was in her glory God will not take mans advantage for her ruin her overthrow shall be fair God will not as the General said pilfer the Victory The pangs of a travelling woman shall overtake her God will wipe pitty from his heart and will not be interceded for a Reprieve his work shall not prove abortive It shall be more truely the Lords veni vici than Queen Elizabeth coming against her and overcoming her She shall fall as a mil-stone that of it self
world Remember that God may shew his Honor by another but he will never give his Honor to another Shall the Ax lift up it self against him that heweth therewith there is a jest indeed As Nebuchadnezzar said Is this not great Babylon that I have built for the glory of my Majesty more truely may the Lord say Is not there the stony heart that I have softened is not this dead and decayed England that my Arm hath revived for the glory of my free Grace and Power Moses led Israel out of Egypt but Joshua led Israel into Canaan The Lord changes Instruments at his pleasure and for his Glory This man saith God shall begin a work and that man shall perfect it this is the man we cry up and all others must not be named the same day with him now Essex then Waller ☞ Quod fluctus insurgunt potest navicula turbari sed quod Christus stat non potest mergi now Massey then Fairfax then Cromwel Hence it is that God often suffers Instruments to break and fall when we lean too much on them God will make us know before he hath done with us that he will neither do the work of peevish man nor go in mans crooked way Never fear let the Lord chuse his own weapons to fight his own battels As long as hee hath a Cause in the world hee can never want shoulders to maintain it Mans day is not the Lords day and Mans man though godly is not Gods man Till the Saints meet with a Pharaoh that God can neither conquer nor overcome with a red Sea that he can neither dry up nor divide with a wall that he can neither throw down nor climb over never distrust Secondly Limit not God to our time It is true we must give God no rest untill he perform his Promises that is we must be importunate in the means but we must in the mean time rest on God and leave him to his own time The Vision is for an appointed season and therefore we must wait for it The Seers often may lie but the Vision shall speak though it seem dumb and not lie The glass of Providence runs in the dark and it is a comfort for the Saints to beleeve it doth not stand still but as no man can number the Sands so no man can jog the glass to make it run faster or tell when it shall run out That Babylon in the Letter shall fall it is certain It hath been accompted difficult to tell the age it is impossible as most judge yet to tell the year and unlawful to search out the day or hour of her ruin If the Son of man knew not the day of the last Judgement as in the Gospel much less may the Sons of men presume to know the day of a particular though special Judgement as that of Babylon And Christ was well versed in Daniels numbers from whence collections chiefly are fetched for the time of Babylons downfal It is a good observation that Providence is the best interpreter of Prophecy Yet no question herein but we may imploy our Reason as well as our Faith She shall be set q.d. on fire and usually smoak goes before the flame there shall be signs of her ruin in the world and they are to be viewed Here we may guess but can hardly determine her day hastens and by many symptoms of Providence she lies upon her Death-bed and probably Six hundred sixty six as we say Eighty eight for One thousand five hundred eighty eight so by a Synecdoche Six hundred sixty six for One thousand six hundred sixty six may ring her Passing bell Many good Archers have been shooting but none as I know yet have hit the mark some have faln short and some may flie over The Lords furthest way about is often the nighest way home There are two famous Proverbs to this purpose with the Jews God will be seen in the Mount and when the tale of bricks is doubled Cum duplicantur lateres venie◠Moses Moses will come Nullum tempus occurrit regi is here a good maxim All time is a like to an eternal God what work God will not do to day he can do to morrow He often defers our expectation but never misses his own opportunity Christ suffers Lazarus to lie long in the Grave Si amatur quomodo infirmatur si infirmatur quomodo amatur and did not raise him so soon as he was buried though Christ loved him dearly whence we may observe That oftentimes those whom God loves most he seems to make least haste to help The Cause of Christ sometimes seems to sleep but never dies When wicked men have plaid their Game which possibly many think long God will shuffle the Cards together and tumble them under the Table Oh now or never now if ever say we The Saints might be united prophaneness might be suppressed Non quarto die pati permittetur qui scitur ultra non posse quam triduo tolerare 1 Cor. 10.10 and all burthens might be taken off Like children as it is well observed we love green fruit yet that breeds worms Wee love to have the Apple out of the fire before it be half rosted mercies before we are ripe for them but it is better to have Judgements in Mercy than Mercies in Judgement God had almost forfeited his Bond to the Israelites but he faithfully came before the Sun was down and paid his debt at the end of the four hundred and thirty years even the self same day they went according to his promise out of Egypt Quaedam non negantur sed ut congruo tempore dentur differuntur Exo. 12.41 And if says God Psal 89.35 I perform not my promise let my word never be taken more Saints consider Your Fathers Goodness makes the Promise his Faithfulness will perform it and his Wisdom alone will find out the fittest time Thirdly You that are Jacobs take heed of repining at Providence Stand still said Moses and see the salvation of God Exod. 14.13 The greatest work of man oftentimes is to stand still and see God to work There is a time for Joshua to fight in the field and a time for Moses to pray in the Mount O vitam miseram iam diu timere quam est illud ipsum quod timetur Orat. Att. Epist l. 10. when there is not an opportunity to fight down Babylon there is a time to pray her down Christians in turns of Providence have need not onely of zeal but of wisdom We must go when God calls but a man had need to have good ground to go on when he saith God calleth him out of his Calling While a Court sits there is a confused noyse but when the Judge takes the Bench. the Officers cry Peace Peace my friends the passions and opinions in this age make a din in the world every man must have something to say for its Government what proing and
saying this way or that way God shall go in the Lord at length will both have his Will and the Wall of man The Seventh remarkable in this Ladder is Deus quiescens agit agens quiescit The Activity and negotiation of Providence The Angels stand not still on the Ladder but are alwaies in motion ascending or descending Many may say I have lost this day Man may lose his day of Grace but God can never lose his day of Glory Providence is as seldom without success as without action The Governors of Israel Psa 121.3 may sleep but the Governor of the Governors of Israel can never sleep Providence as the Apostle saith oft winkes at the sins of men but it never yet slumbered much less slept an hour since the Creation of the world If God should give over his watch over Israel but for a moment in that moment Israel would give up her hope Let the Saints remember Zech. 4. The eyes of the Lord run through the world The Egyptians in their Hieroglyphicks pourtrayed an Eye on a Scepter to signifie the vigilancy and regency of Providence A wise man saith the wisest of men Eccles 2.14 hath his eyes in his head but God is all eie and th t not only for vision but for motion God at this day hath an eye on France and an eye in England There are Zech. 3.9 Seven eyes in one stone And in the Revelation there are seven Spirits before the Throne By the Stone we are to understand Christ mystical The seven Eyes and seven Spirits are of one importance and signifie the several Influences the Wisdom Power Patience c. of Providence Providence hath the hands of Briareus and the eyes of Argus It is supposed by some that the seven Spirits bear allusion to the seven Chamberlains or royal Officers Ester 1. of the King of Persia God hath his Secretaries of State his chiâ—f Council as well as others Some Heathens phancied Providence as the Great King of Persia keeping himself in his Palace in Heaven from the view of his Subjects or as sitting aloft in a stately Tower onely beholding the passages of the world below But Providence is not idle but active 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath reference as Calvin observes not onely to the eye of God Multicum Epicuro verbis relinquunt Deos retollunt Cice. de nat Deorum l. 1. but also to the hand of God Providence doth not onely observe but order the world There are no Ciphers in Gods Arithmetick no rests in his Musick no pauses nor stops in Providence Away with the blasphemy of those that say Let God rule in Heaven and man rule on Earth David Psal 23. sweetly describes the active and pearly influence of this Ladder of Providence Thou Lord art my Shepheard thou preparest me a table thou annointest my head how humbly doth David Thou God! Thou Thou Thou Many men go out of Gods vineyard but Providence is never idle in the Lords vineyard God is always either a pruning or a ripening his Vine always either a cloathing or correcting his children Always a providing for them as a Sun or a protecting them as a Shield It is reputed a shame for a man to see by anothers eyes but it is our wisdom in this dark age to see by the Lords eyes Whose eyes run through the world Providence never stands still or goes backward it wearies man but is never it self weary The Sun posteth thousands of miles in a day and yet tires not Spiritual beings much more the being of Spirits are uncapable of tyring or delassation In the description of a circle in paper though the circle bee brought within one inch of finishing yet if the compass be removed a man can never make a perfect circle but must begin all again to find out the same center If the Lord should cease a moment from his works of Providence Sion would run to ruin and God would be put to the labor of working a new The Eighth remarkable in this Ladder is The gradation of Providence Here is a climax of Providences one step above another in the Ladder As first In a spiritual sense As in the natural birth there be many preparations but the birth is in a moment so in Grace there are many dispositions to Grace as sense of sin mourning and desires which yet I dare not call formally Grace though the former alwaies and the last mostly goe before Grace and by some to their ruin are taken or mistaken for Grace but Regeneration it self is in a moment Psal 84.7 The Saints go from strength to strength from one vertue to another There is an allusion to the Israelites journying yearly to the Temple they went from City to City before they came to Jerusalem or to Schools of learning where there is going from one form to another from one Science to another The martyr it seems numbred his steps one stile more and I am at my Fathers house that is at the top of Jacobs Ladder The Lord formerly in the wilderness carried and now carrys Sion from one Mile-post to another from one Stage to another Ebenezra Legimus de Angelorum ascensu descensu sed non de alis ascensusigitur hic nobis injungitur non volatus hitherto hath the Lord helped us So Ebenezra hitherto have we climbed by the Lords help Angels fetch long strides on the Ladder but Saints cannot fly but creep up to Heaven Rom. 5.3 So in a more publick sense Rome was not built in a day neither will Rome be pulled down in a day indeed in Rev. 18.17 it is said in one hour so great riches are come to nought but that is as the Husbandman chalks a line about a sere Tree which he intends to have for firing he fetches many a blow and yet the Tree stands still but at last one sound blow fell the Tree Providence hath fetcht many a blow at the Scarlet Whore but her climacterical day is at hand her critical day is at hand and then she shall fall fully finally fatally Providence hitherto hath mostly been but a lopping the branches but now the Axe is laid to the very root of Antichrist If any wonder why the ruin of Antichrist in the Letter goes on no faster I Answer The Devil and Pope must in some sense fall together for they have supported one anothers Cause now and then Providence fetcheth a blow at the Pope and seems as if he gave over the work because in the respite he is striking at the Devil So the downfal of the Spirit and Body of Antichrist keep pace together and therefore the work seems to be so long a doing There are various steps in one Ladder and we must neither appoint the Lord which way to walk nor what steps to fetch be not discouraged God works gradually and also he works certainly What course soever Providence steers he will not miss a point of his Divine Compass but at length
sheep Saint and Saint Formerly we had more fire than light but the Lord knows now we have more light than fire more Knowledge than Love Every man pretends to be of the houshold of Faith Si essemus inseparabiles essemus insuperabiles but few are of the Family of Love while we contend for an ounce of Truth we lose a pound of Love Not onely for the Prophaneness and Errors but for the Divisions of England there are great thoughts of heart How far are those from one another that yet I hope are nigh to God How many that once lay in one anothers Bosoms now can hardly indure to stand in one anothers sight those that are Members of the same Body do carry themselves as if they were of different worlds How sad is it to see that many that prayed formerly one with and one for another now should pray one against another How is it said Zanchy that those speaking of the Lutherans that profess to eat the very body of Christ that milde and meek Jesus should bee so bitter against the Members of the same body O that we should agree in so much and differ for so little as in some things we do Maxima pars studiorum est studium partium Oh that though we cannot conclude all our Controversies yet we could bury up all our Contentions how long shall the greatest part of our studies be the study of parts How shall I Beleeve and Our Father be reconciled How shall those that are of different Creeds be of one Pater Noster if the division of tongues hindred the building of Babel how shall not the division of hearts hinder the building of the New Jerusalem While we have been contending about the windows we have almost lost the foundation of the Church while we have controverted for the well-being In veste fit varietas non scissura we have even lost the being of Religion in England Many of our differences are petty as that between one that was for Martin and another that was for Luther as if two should quarrel who should first enter in at the gate of Venice when neither possibly may ever come thither But further now our differences are so great that unless the Lord prevent while we contend who shall go up against Babilon we are like to go back to Babel and while we think to pull down a litteral we shall set up unaware a spiritual Antichrist But the time is a coming when those that have but one Heaven shall have one heart when they that have but one work shall have but one shoulder Zech. 3.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys The falling out of lovers shall then indeed prove the renewing of love The Lyon shall ly down with the Lamb and a little childe shall lead them Isa 11.6 Not that ever there shall be a composition made between Christ and Belial for that quarrel is of Five thousand years standing and shall be maintained to the end of the world Even now amongst most of the Saints there is a shadow of this future concordance as when a King is coming to Town one crys he comes this way another crys he comes that way at this time at that time they all go out to meet him and though they differ about the particulars yet they all expect the coming of the King Quae conveniunt in aliquo tertio conveniunt inter se and resolve to entertain him As at Athens when a Governor was to be chosen in the several Votes of the City one cryed up this man another that man but the second man still was Themistocles for such a man and Themistocles So now one crys O I am for Presbytery another I am for Independency another I am for dipping and for Christ all amongst these that are faithful centre in Christ But how glorious will it be to see all Gods children of one mind Uniones oriuntur ex mari sed magis pendent è coelo which will be when the Father comes into the Family to hear it said at last as it was said at first see how the Christians love one another Fifthly From this Ladder we may forsee the increase of righteousness Many hitherto in the world that should have been the Peace are the Troublers of a Nation those that should be Shepheards are Wolves against Sion How do the publick Enemys of Sion make the tears of the poor their wine the groans of the needy their musick Vt rei innocentes pereant siaut nocentes judices that paint the walls of the House and pluck up the foundation that beautifie their Kingdoms with Peace but never think of building of them with Religion That turn Judgement into Wormwood by delay and Righteousness into Hemlock by severity When a man fails in his Estate we say he breaks there are many broken men some broken in their Credit others broken in their Consciences but there are others that do not onely break by carelesness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but are broken by cruelty It is a great sin to take away the cloaths from a poor man but a greater to flea off his skin but there are some that rend the flesh and chop the bones for the sweetness and marrow they think to find in them Si libet licet Mic 3.2 Job 19.20 Some rob under pretence of Law others rob in the open field and think that what is got by might is got by right according to the antient Problem Jus vis apices parvo discrimine distant Jus nunc mundus habet vim quia semper habet Great Thieves have formerly worn chains of gold while little Thieves have lain stockt in chains of iron Robbin Hood was called an honest Thief because he would never rob the poor but there are few such honest Thieves instead of taking off have laid on oppression and instead of breaking yoaks have broken backs Oppressors Gen. 10.8 are called Hunters the poor are their Game Oppressions their toyles and nets mighty Oppressors are mighty Hunters In Zephanies time Oppressors were called Wolves Justitia non datur nisi vendatur Zeph. 3.3 but then they were evening Wolves but now those that are Oppressors are day Wolves Oppressors under the light of the Gospel They eate my people saith God as bread Psal 14.4 These are Man-eaters nay worse for among the Man eaters the living eat the dead but among Oppressors the dead eat the living But Jacob from this Ladder may see the new Heavens and new Earth a building wherein righteousness shall dwel If new Heavens then certainly new Suns and new Stars in a political sense new Magistrates or if you will Justitia non venit nisi provenit Magistrates with new hearts Isa 5.17 If any deridingly ask with the Epicure When shall we see this Structure where are the Carpenters whence shall come the Timber Let such remember there is no work since the Creation of the World greater
Kingdom to the Father yet so as that God that is the Son also with the Spirit may be all in all Thirdly None dare say That as God now rules by the Mediator so then the Mediator shall rule by God for the Mediator as such is subordinate to God and to say the Mediator may rule as well as God is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a necessity as to us that God rule us by a Mediator in the Church Militant but it is no way inconsistent either with the wisdom or glory of God to communicate himself immediately to the Church Triumphant Lastly Christ gives up the Kingdom not onely not as God but not absolutely considered as Mediator Christus ut Deus nos cum illo subjectos habet sed ut Sacerdos nobiscum illi subjectus est Aug. for Christ even now as Mediator is subject to God really For though Christ reigns yet so still as that God reigns by Christ though there be an immediate exercise of the Mediators Kingdom in the world yet God keeps in the Essential Throne of his glory But then further he shall be subject relatively and respectively as to his Church or Body now Christ rules his Church as Mediator and not as God onely and the very Mediator is King in actu over Sion but then this administration shall cease and the Head with the Body or Christ as part of his Church or Christ mystical shall be subject to God and thus he is not at present but shall be hereafter the Mediator being yet in the Throne but there is a time a comming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he shall give up the Kingdom to wit that Kingdom which God gave over to him and cease to reign as Mediator and it is observable that for Christ to surrender up the Kingdom and be subject to God are of all one importance vers 28. By the surrender of the Kingdom therefore we cannot understand such or such an administration of the Kingdom and not the Kingdom it self for all that Kingdom he receives he surrenders And secondly Christ must so surrender as he must be subject the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must go together And I am much pleased with the Apostles sweet Criticism that as now Christ Col. 3. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all and in all So God hereafter shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all in all the Messiah hath two times especially the time of his sorrows and the time of glory In the sixth of John vers 15. they had royal blood in their veins and they would force Jesus to be a King surely that they might have preferment under him but Christ departed and flew from the Crown few men would have done as Christ did Satis pro imperio quisquis est says the Comick Men will wade up to the chin in blood for a Kingdom and stretch fair and far for a Crown it shines so amiably in their eyes Says the Devil if Jesus will but accept of the Title and Place of a King he will be so taken up with the Affairs and Offices of the world that he will not have such liberty to look after the conversion of souls the Revenues of the Devils Crown would have come in the more by such a worldly Negotiation but there is a day a coming when Jesus will not fly from a Crown nor refuse a Scepter his glory shall be as eminent as ever was his shame The Daughters of Sion shall go forth and Crown King Jesus in the day of his solemn Espousals and such a day shall be the gladness of his heart Jesus hath born all the wrath of the world and he is able in a spiritual visible sense to bear all the glory of the world on his shoulders Can. 3.11 The children of Judah and of Israel shall be gathered together at a place of their general Randezvouz and by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Election by lifting up their hands and voyces appoint themselves one head and they shall one and all as we say come up out of the Land for great and glorious shall be the day of Jezreel Jesus Christ is a righteous King and he hath a right to his Kingdom It is utterly impossible that ever he should prove either an Vsurper or a Tyrant He thinks it no robbery to be equal with God then certainly it is no robbery for him to be preheminent above men Phil. 2.6 It is no robbery for King Jesus to pull Saint Peter out of his Chair and there in Majesty to rule the Nations with a Rod of iron if he please No robbery for him to melt all the Crowns in Europe to make a Diadem of glory for his own Temples If any think they have gone deeper in a purchase for the Government of the world than our Lord Jesus let them stand up if they dare and lay their claim let them now speak or ever after hold their peace In the expectation therefore of these things let the Saints rejoyce Vniversal Redemption will then prove a Truth when all yoaks shall be taken off the necks and all burthens off the backs of the children of God It is observable that the substance of all the Revelation is contained in these two words Hosanna and Halelujah God bless us and we bless God hitherto we have been a singing Hosanna but Halelujah is a coming Praise and Honor and Glory to the Lamb that sits on the Throne If any object That any of the above-mentioned Promises concern the Jews I answer True but not the Jews onely and though Promises are not to be confounded and applied to one people if they should onely belong to another yet it will be found according to the Promises that the glory of the Jews will be the glory of the Gentiles and though now we are divided yet then we shall be one fold Rom. 11.12 What God hath joyned together let no man separate To conclude The Saints must pray for and endeavor to promote the more glorious part of this Kingdom of which we speak in which there shall be neither such covetousness nor complaint But all endeavors will fall short of setting of it up on Earth till our Lord Jesus the King shall come down from Heaven in the Clouds We shall never have such a Kingdom untill we have such a King The Feet of the Saints shall not all be out of their Fetters till the King of Saints comes into his Throne Dan. 7.13 27. Princes will never so rule in Judgement till this King shall reign in Righteousness Is 32.1 The New Jerusalem will be Gods Creature The Stone is cut out without hands there may be something of the heart of the Saints in this glorious Structure but it shall neither be the work of their Head nor Hands This model of Government is beyond the invention of Saints as it is beyond the beleef of man Many shall welcome it in the
conquered as Jacob for all his heart was willing to conquer Jacob prevails over God before he prevails over man Let Naturalists recal what they express Before you do the greater do the less * Jacob Less than the least of all is here that can Prevail with God before he conquers man Secondly Jacob prevailed When not before but after he was lame as the Apostle saith so might Jacob say when I am weak then am I strong It is a true experience in the wrestling School of Christ when a man is strongest he is weakest and when he is weakest he is strongest Jacob here made the Angel fall when he was scarce able to stand and stood it out though his Joynts were out of joynt yet still he wrestles and the more lame he was the more reason he had to hold Oh happy loss of Jacob he lost a joynt and wone a Blessing he was blessed because he would rather halt than leave ere he was blessed You see prayer can do more than all the Witches in the world they can onely bridle the Devil but this bridles or bindes God Secondly Jacob prevails politically as well as powerfully he treats with the Angel and proffers to give him fair quarter Articles and Propositions pass between them Let me go who crys so Jacob or the Angel the Angel which the Lord so speaketh not as though he could not have departed without Jacobs leave but sheweth therein how much he esteemed of his Servant ascribing so much to his Prayers as though they had bound him Prayer is the Servant of God and be it spoken with reverence God is sometimes at the service of prayer command ye me concerning the works of my hands as if the Lord should say Prayer I am your Servant the prayer of the righteous avails much with God if it be fervent it holds Christ in the Galleries and the Angel on the ground and will not let go without a blessing As he that is a beleever hath all because he hath God that is all so he that is a Jacob can do all things in a sense because he hath conquered him that can do all things I and him that is all things Ligatum habent sancti Dominum ut non puniat nisi permiserint ipsi Exo. 32.10 No Grace hath done so much as Prayer for all Graces have had their power from Prayer in Christ wherefore prayer hath done as many exploits as all the Graces besides And that which is more than all this if more can be Prayer overcomes God not onely when he is well pleased as he was with Jacob when any child may deal with him but also when he was displeased as he was with the Israelites when no man could come near him when his wrath burned as fire when he thundered from Heaven and clove the rocks asunder when the Sea and Land was put into a trembling and shaking yet when Moses entred into the gap all this Omnipotent Power came to nothing God though never so angry was not able to enter on the breach but prayer got the victory over him Let me alone saith God to Moses Exo. 32.10 that I may consume this Nation Flectitur iratus voce rogante Deus and I will make of thee a mighty people God seems to hire Moses to be silent as if he should have said Moses leave off thy praying as the Chaldee hath it though Israel perish yet thou shalt prosper thou shalt not be a loser by it I le make of thee a mighty people Let me alone who would look for such a word from God to man Let me alone As yet Moses had said nothing before he opens his mouth God prevents his importunity as foreseeing that holy violence that the request of Moses would have offered to him Moses stood trembling before the Majesty of his Maker and yet hears him say Let me alone The Mercy of God hath as it were obliged his Power to the Faith of man and by Praye the hands of the Almighty are bound to the Peace when he hath a quarrel with his people the Servants prayers hinder the Lords power Servi preces Domini potentiam impediebant as one sweetly And if Moses will the Almighty though he may be angry with yet he cannot strike or do execution on Israel Prayer's like a vapor fum'd from th' earth that flies To th'gates of Heaven and never rots i' th' Skies If Faith and it be joyn'd it will obtain And melt into a first and latter rain If Faith forsake her and they part asunder It falls in Thunder-bolts at least in thunder Saints consider the power of Prayer God forbad Moses to pray and yet he obtained what he prayed for and diverted him from those Judgements he threatned If Moses prevailed against a command how cannot we but prevail when we have a promise if Moses prevailed when God bade him not to pray we shall certainly prevail when God bids us to pray Ask and ye shall have it is but ask and have Let me go says God here to Jacob one would think that should rather be the speech of Jacob to God Let me go is the Angel in earnest surely the Angel was as willing to bless as he was to combate with Jacob though God did not directly bid him strive yet he secretly insinuated that if he would hold fast he should have the blessing Like as a Father being angry makes as if he would go from his Son and saith to one Quid est servo dicere dimitte me nisi deprecandi ansum prabere standing by let me go meaning the contrary that he should not let him go but mediate for his Son Let me alone the Lord speaks as one in bed and very sleepy as if she should say do not trouble me I am desirous to take my rest so the Lord seems to say now Sion let me alone pray not for the conversion of souls pray no more for the administration of righteousness trouble me no more with your prayers he that is unclean let him be unclean still and he that is unjust let him be unjust still But O Lord Shall we indeed give over praying shall we cease petitioning no as Elijah in an holy sense said cry aloud so pray aloud to God the more willing God seems to take his rest the more willing indeed he is to be troubled and the greater silence he keeps the more importunate he is with us that we should be importunate to awaken him Let me go that is let me not go Let me alone that is let me not alone Or as if God should say Sinners will you let me alone can you be content to let your God go before he bless you Deus non dat Jacobo nisi petenti ne det non accipienti Let me go for the day breaks not as though the Angel was to go to the rest of the blessed company of Angels to sing their morning Hymne to God as the Hebrews imagine for
that thou art Love Thy people see not so much Prophaneness in the world as the world sees passions amongst thy people We censure and condemn them for not agreeing with thy people while they see thy people agree not amongst themselves Ah Lord If charity were the onely badge of thy Disciples how few Disciples would our Lord and Master have in the world is this a time onely to pull down and not at all to build up to cast away stones and to divide and not to gather stones to raise thy Temple is the Providence of God resolved that no more Stories shall be built in his Sion till one stone be not left on another in Babylon are not our soars searched enough Deo nihil impossibile est nisi quod non vult that yet thou pluckest away the Plaisters thy poor people apply to their wounds Is thy Israel in the midst of the Red Sea and is Pharaoh at their heels ready to swallow them up and cannot Israel be perfectly delivered till the Sea be perfectly divided Hath Sion been travelling with Reformation these many years and even when thy people are ready to welcome it into the world and to name it Glorious must it enter into the womb again Is it our indiscreet importunity that hath hasted to bring it to the birth before the Lords time and day and therefore shall there be no strength given to bring forth Are the grounds of our fears not onely from thy secret or open Enemies but also from the vain conversations of the Professors of thy Name and indeed howl ready have we been to censure the persons and condemn the practises of others and to say there goes an Oppressor an Apostate an Hypocrite so as if there were none of those lusts in our hearts which are visibly reigning in others lives Will the Lord consume their Gold and Silver as well as the others Hay and Stubble pull down many of their works before he set up his own Or wil the Lord further suffer worms and no men to reason with him O Lord are we partly brought out of Egypt and shall we want the cloud of thy presence because that either we long to go backward or fear to go forward Must thy children begin to spell their A B C and go again to School to learn what Mortification and their first love mean before they take out further lessons of experience of Faith Wretched England How many sins do we make that our God did never call sins and how many Articles do our passions put into the Creed which thou didst never enjoyn to be beleeved for Salvation How have one form of thy people been trampling and triumphing over another whiles mostly they have been tithing Mint Annice and Cummin neglecting the Salvation of souls and the advancement of thy Sons Kingdom amongst us when will the Candle of the Almighty shine on the heads of thy people as of old when shall the name of thy Son be poured out as a precious oyntment that the Virgins again may love thee O Lord let us be thy Patients though thou woundest us Let us be under thy rod rather than we should be out of thy Covenant rather than we should sleep to death sound thy Trumpet beat thine Alarm if thou shouldest not administer physick to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cle. Alex. our Disease were desperate Thrice happy will that storm be that shall drive us to our Harbor We will not appoint thee the Rod to lay on our backs onely we intreat that when thou purposest to strike first break our hearts before thou breakest our backs rather than we should not have thy presence let us with the three children go into a furnace thy Son let us with thy Disciples have a storm Rather then we should not be thy children whip us thy Servants beat us thy Spouse chide us thy Friends frown on us Ah Lord Those that lost their blood together cannot now shed tears together those that fought together in the field can scarce now pray together in a family Blessed God! If it be thy will sound a retreat speedily to these disorders Let some publick Enemy of thy Sons Kingdom abroad come upon the Stage that thy Saints may one and all engage together both their prayers and their persons against him that Sion may be terrible as as Army with Banners that the Brats of Babylon may come and worship before her feet Hinc Syncreâ—ismus Synchristianismus and know that thou hast loved her If the building of Sion may not go forward in this age Lord let it not go backward if with Solomon we may not build thy spiritual Temple let us at least lay up stuff for the building of it with David in the next generation If the Lord had never smiled on us we could better have born his frowns if we had not known what the presence of his Spirit Wisdom Glory had meant in England we could better have born his absence Our darkness is now the greater because that our light formerly was so great How dolorous is it to consider that we that have been brought up in Scarlet should imbrace Dunghils And that England that was the terror of the Lord to the Nations round about us should so much be a scorn unto them and a terror one to another You that are Gods Jacobs up and be doing surely we have little love to if we have not a sigh a tear or two for Sion If ever you would rejoyce in Sions deliverance pray for it Faith and Prayer are Sions Granadoes and truely make her the Thundering Legion onely take heed of counterfeiting these heavenly Ordnance and Artillery with the wicked Emperor these weapons are not artificial but infused Methinks I hear Faith and Prayer say Saints in England be patient and persevere in the holy and sincere profession of the Gospel though your God be long before he come yet he will certainly and comfortably come Endure reproaches hold on and hold out notwithstanding your doubts and difficulties your trials and temptations Though your way to Paradise be dirty yet the Tree of Life in the midst thereof the Rivers of divine pleasure and Gates of pearl will richly make amends for all Be beleeving in prayer and in this age especially If once with Jacob you prevail with God you need not fear all the world If any thing in the world can perswade the Lord to preserve a Nation it is Prayer Prayer hath often met God as Abigal did David and moved him to put up his Sword Pharaoh being plagued with Frogs got the man of God to pray for him and Exod. 8.13 The Lord did according to the word of Moses And the Lord obeyed the voyce of a man It is plain that Moses did according to the word of the Lord but it is strange that the Lord should do according to the word of Moses yet it is so If Moses will do according to the word of the Lord