blesseth God for a miraculous deliverance of her self and the Ark of God setled in her possession If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say If it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us Then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Then the water had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul Then the proud waters had gone over our soul Blessed be the Lord who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are escaped Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Non nobis Domine non nobis therefore not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thy name be the praise Thou art worthy to receive glory and honour and praise but to us there belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face for we contributed only to the reproach and captivity of Gods Ark and solemn worship its happy restitution and settlement we ow to thy signal power and goodness great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name Rev. 15.3 4. 2. A second design of our spiritual burnt sacrifice must be to make an atonement for those miscarriages which forfeited our interest in the Ark and betrayed it into captivity It was good advice of the Priests and Diviners to the Philistims when they consulted them about returning the Ark of God 1 Sam. 6.3 Oh! send it not away empty said they but in any wise return God a trespass-offering with it that you may be healed The captivity of that Ark wrought a strange conviction in the Philistims as well as in the Jews The Philistims saw clearly they had no reason to triumph in this defeat they had given Isâ—ael for though they had won the field they had got no Victory they had taken the Ark indeed but they had made no conquest of it for it fell upon the Reer of them and smote them in their hinder parts it discovered so much of their nakedness and turn'd their inside so much outward and put them to so much shame and anguish that they were glad to send it back with a trespass-offering and beg to be reconciled to it the Israelites they were instructed likewise that it was not out of ill will to the Ark nor for want of strength in God that the Philistims prevailed to take it captive but only out of a just indignation to revenge the prophanation of that sacred Instrument which was the visible obsignation of his grace and favour to them And when God was about to suffer his holy Temple to be defiled upon a like account he sends his people to be schooled by that example Jer. 7.11 12. Is the house that is called by my name become a den of robbers behold I have seen it But go now to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel And because of your wicked works I will therefore do to that house that is called by my name as I did to Shiloh Is there any here amongst us that can plead not guilty hast not thou prophaned the Ark of Gods Worship that was amongst us hast not thou been unthankfull for it hast not thou been unfruitfull under the Ministry of it there is no person in this Congregation if he be of a competent age but his heart will tell him that he did contribute something to the captivity of this Ark. If we had as much ingenuity I am sure we have as much cause as Mr. Bradford in the Book of Martyrs had or as the Christians that were banished in Q. Maries days had to accuse our selves for our wilful betraying the honour of our Religion and the interest of the holy Gospel We may all say For my sins and for thy sins was the Ark the solemn worship and service of God tâ—ken captive and upon this account it becomes our duty to present a burnt sacrifice for our atonement now upon its restitution But wherewith shall I come before the Lord and how my self before the most high God Mic. 6.6 the Psalmist hath resolved us Psal 51.17 A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise This is our burnt sacrifice 2. But to this we must add a peace-offering and that must consist of a double ingredient 1. A dutiful submission to this settlement of the Ark. And 2. A joyful gratulation for it 1. A dutiful submission to it In the the 24. Psal we find the people invited to a solemn reception of the Ark Psal 24.7 Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in Fuit beneficium Dei non vulgare saith Mr. Calvin quod Deus visibili symbolo in medio ipsorum residebat In Psal 24.7 coelesteque suum domicilium volebat in terrâ conspici See 1 Kings 8.6 with 11. It was no ordinary favour of God that he would reside amongst them in a visible representation and suffer his sacred habitation be seen on earth it should be their ambition therefore and zeal to entertain it Therefore lift up your heads Oh ye gates and the King of glory shall come in but what are those gates that should be so solemnly opened for the admission of the King of glory Sub ratione typi fuerunt portae Templi Ames in Psal 24.24 1 Kings 8.6 11. saith Amesius Reipsâ vero sunt fidelium corda Isa 66.1 2. they were the gates of the Temple in type but the hearts of holy men in reality they are the Tabernacle that Gods Ark and worship should reside in We must therefore inwardly in our very hearts and souls submit to this outward settlement of it in the Tabernacle or Church of God and this upon a fourfold Consideration 1. In regard of the place where the Ark is setled not in Barnes or Stables not in a Forreign far distant place 't is within thy Neighbourhood and yet appropriated to this service Though God be not confin'd to any place though he hath not chosen any peculiarly to put his Ark in as among the Jews yet for our sakes he delights in such places as our devotions have made his propriety The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more then all the dwellings of Jacob and in compliance with him herein the devout soul cries out Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thy honour dwelleth and the Zeal of thy house hath even consumed me and make not my Fathers house a house of Merchandize it is observable though our Saviour in the first year of his Ministry foretels that
had Mary Magdalen a Luk. 7.38 to wash Christs feet with her tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head what command had she to pour that precious cintment upon Christs head Mark 14.3 which the Law did allow her to imploy to other uses and yet because these were real emanations of her great b Luk 7.47 love and proceeded from a true devotion Christ became her Advocate for this will-worship c Mark 14.5 6. and did not only comfort her with a personal Absolution thy sins are forgiven b Luk. 7.48 but dismiss'd her with a blessing thy faith hath saved thee go in peace e Luk. 7.52 and rewarded her too with a Name no less precious than her very cinement f Eccles 7.1 Joh. 1 2.3 for the sweet Savour thereof he hath caused so to be diffused by a solemn Ministry that it might perfume the whole Church What her piety had voluntarily devoted to his burial such was his graciâ—us acceptation he turn'd it into an everlasting Monument of her honour for verily I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her Mark 14 9. But I must tell you that such voluntary devotions must be guarded with a double caution 1. They must not consist of a thing unlawful nor have any ingredient of forbidden fruit in them Isa 66.3 for that were as great an abomination under the Gospel as the cutting off a dogs neck or the offering of swines blood under Moses Law instead of sacrifice 2. They must not be imposed however they be recommended I say they must not be imposed as Gods commands nor perform'd out of an opinion of their necessity upon that account for that is perfect Dogmatizing a Teaching for necesary Doctrines or Ordinances of Christs institutions the Traditions of men which is absolutely unlawful †Mat. 15.9 Mark 7.7 Col. 2.20 See Dâ— Ham. Tract of Will-worship with the Defence of it against Mr. Cawdrey Such a conceit as this would have marr'd Mary Magdalens box of onitment and have caused it to send forth a stinking savour * Eccles 10.1 but offering it out of a pure and free devotion without any such opinion Christ did both value and reward it Suppose we then that there be some things in the Solemnity of Gods Publick worship that he hath not required is it not enough as long as he hath no where forbidden them nor entred any caution to their prejudice is it not enough I say that I have the approbation of my own Conscience is it not enough that I am able to say I have used my best judgement and herein I have found mercy of the Lord to be faithful if this be not enough is it not enough that I have Gods acceptation is it not enough that I can hear God saying to me secretly as he said sometimes to David upon a like occasion by his Prophet it was well that it was in thy heart is it not enough that God is ready to reward this my freewill-offering my voluntary devotion But 3. Besides we have the quity of a Divine Law upon a parity of Reason for our warranty in this our practice and this ought to be of great force with us For 1. as far as I can perceive this is the firmest ground that the observation of the Lords day relies upon There are some insinuations for it indeed in the practice of the Apostles as their meeting together on that day to make Collections and the like but these will not amount to the authority of a Precept The Sabbath of the Jews without all pesadventure was Typical Heb. 4.4 c. therefore abolished hereupon the Apostle exhorteth the Colossians Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath-days which are a shadow of things to come Col. 2.16 17. But that God should be solemnly worshipped still upon several accounts and that some time should be set apart for that worship to be performed in there is a parity of Reason for it and so upon that account the equity of the fourth Commandment doth still bind us And 2. The strength of the Apostles Argument for the maintenance of the Gospel-Ministry as far as I can discern relies chiefly upon this bottom Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Altar 1 Cor. 9.13 14. are partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel We can find no such Ordinance as this is of Christs positive institution under the Gospel that which the Apostle speaks of therefore must be an Ordinance emergent out of the equity of the former Law of God upon a parity of Reason Under the Law God thought it equitable that such as waited at his Altar and devoted their time as well as their soul and strength to his service should have some setled maintenance allotted them and their attendance upon the several parts of their holy Office requiring nothing less but rather much more diligence and attention under the New than under the Old Testament the equity of that Divine Right stands in full force and should prevail for an honourable support of the Ministry at least as much now as it did then And 3. Whether the Right and Title that the Infants of Believers have unto Baptism doth not ultimately relie upon this foundation let the learned judge Gods Law intitled them to the Sacrament of Circumcision upon the account of that faith which had engaged their Parents unto God in the holy Covenant the equity of that Institution upon a parity of Reason extends to the benefit of such Infants as are now born of Christian Parents and that speech of St Peter Acts 2. imports no less Vers 38 39. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and to your children Now to apply these instances to our purpose I demand 1. Was there a solemn external worship of God required under the Law or no 2. Was it acceptable and pleasing to Almighty God yea or no if it were which cannot be denied then I demand Further 3. upon what account was that service required was it upon the account of Gods Supream Dominion and Sovereignty only or upon the account also of his Benefits his works of Creation Preservation and Redemption that it was upon this double account is evident Psal 29.1 2. Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto Lord the GLORY DUE UNTO HIS NAME worship the Lord in the BEAUTY OF HOLINESSE and Psa 150. Praise ye the
19 years ago that the King though Head of all and singulis Major yet he was universis Minor though above all single persons yet inferiour to the body of his people that they have a power and right to resist him And because this is contradicted expresly by the lively Oracles of the holy Scripture and the writings of all the primitive Fathers therefore that lying bloody Oracle said further in effect that God did hide this liberty from the primitive Christians lest the use of it should cause an abortion in the birth of Antichrist God caused a dead sleep saith he to fall upon these truths the hiding of them being necessary to help Antichrist up to his throne yea he saith that God by special dispensation suffer'd him the said Antichrist to make such truths his footstool till he had advanced himself to his highest pitch in the world But now that this Antichrist is to be destroyed and cast out and the Commonalty of Christians as he pretended being the men that must have the principal hand in executing Gods judgments upon the whore for bringing this to pass now saith he in these our times God hath given out this Revelation to us he hath manifested the Doctrine of Resistance and Christians may act contrary to the will of their Superiours And for this you have Mr. John Goodwins asseveration To a like effect you have another that blows the Trumpet of Sedition and to raise up the people in Arms against their lawful Sovereign He does shamefully pervert and blaspheme the sacred Text Judg. 5.23 Curseye Meroz said the Angel of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty And this was Mr. Marshal * See Mr. Ed. Symons Confutation of that Sermon A third tells some of the House of Commons in a Sermon at Westminster 1641 that now is the time that God is beating down the walls of proud Babylon Mr. William Bridge Babylons downfall pag. 10. Pag. 33. that are raised up in every Kingdom and saith he ye shall see these great works come to pass shortly And in his Epistle to the Reader he tells him I shall not prophesie if I say The sword is now drawn whose anger shall not be pacified till Babylon be down And this is Mr. William Bridge And another of These Prophets is as positive as if the work had then been already done the greatest blow that ever was given saith he to Antichristian Government is that which NOW IT HATH HAD Babylon is fallen is fallen so fallen as it shall NEVER rise again and this is Mr. Jeremy Burroughs * On Isa 66.10 in a Thanksgiving And others to inflame and ingage the people unto Rebellion have forced the holy Scripture seemingly to belie it self for so they did when they preached upon those Texts Cursed is he that withholdeth his hand from blood See Evangelium Armatum per totum and cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently when they were fighting against the King and his loyal Subjects And lest the peoples Consciences should be affrighted and their insolence daunted at the Apostles dreadful Commination against such Resisters Rom. 13. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation They found out an allay by a gentle interpretation of the Phrase See Dr. Ham. ib. p. 33. it does not signifie the damnation of hell they tell their confidents whom they had abused and seduced to follow their pernicious ways but some temporal mulct only if the King should prove able to inflict it But when so much Christian blood hath been shed and a most flourishing Kingdom with a Church of the best Constitution in the whole world destroyed under a pretence of pulling down Antichrist what new Model have they got what Plat form have they received from heaven to set up in the room of it why no other than what their blind imaginations should stumble upon by chance and God knows when And the holy Text is sacrificed too to gratifie this conceit Go with me saith Mr. Case In his Sermon before the Peers March 25. 1646. pag. 41. to Heb. 11.13 And ye shall find Abraham with his staff in his hand and his sandalt on his feet and his loyns girt please to let me ask him two or three Questions by the way see what he will answer Reverend Patriarch whether are you going Answer I know not When shall you return Answer I know not How will you subsist Answ I know not He is in haste as well as we and therefore I 'le ask him but one Question more Abraham why then do you go at such UNCERTAINTIES to this he will answer I go not upon uncertainties I have a call I have a command and that will secure my person and bear my charges By faith Abraham when he was called to go into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and went out Heb. 11.8 NOT KNOWING WHITHER HE WENT Christians saith he observe a Call is as good as a Promise and a little after we have not only a call but a promise not in general only but in special The whole Book of the Revelation is nothing else but one great Promise of the down-fall of Antichrist and Gospel-Reformation and that is the work Parliament and Kingdom have now in hand in these three Nations Thus Mr. Case But what they meant by that Gospel-reformation they could never agree to tell us witness Mr. Daniel Evance in his Sermon * Intituled The Noble Order pag. 41. before the Lords Jan. 28. 1645. on 1 Sam. 2.30 where he tells them thus I profess my Lords I am neither for Paul nor Apollos nor Cephas nor Christ till I know what Paul and Apollos and Cephas are for and what those that say they are for Christ can say for him But I could wish my Lords that we had the PATTERN that every man might Consult with the mount WHICH OF THE TWO IS CHRISTS GOVERNMENT The CHILD is CHRISTNED for ought I see before it is BORN and we have the NAMES before the THINGS It seems by their own Confession they were not so good Marks-men as St Paul was When will these be so ingenuous as those mentioned Zac. 13.4 5. I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the air they were like the Samaritanes to whom our Saviour saith Joh. 4.22 Ye worship ye know not what In this they were like those the Apostles speaks of who professing themselves to be wise they became fools Rom. 1.22 take head therefore that you do not slander or belie the Ark of God that is the fourth Caveat 5. You must not intrude or pry into the Ark of God We must look no further than as the holy Ghost hath set it open and the hand of the Prophets and Apostles drawn the Curtain for us God will
these alone were enough to make it so Origen weighing that verse of the Psalmist See Magal in Josh c. 6. § 1. Aunnot 3. Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound Psal 89.15 He quaeres what it is that renders a people blessed He saith not blessed are the people that do righteousness or blessed are the people that understand mysteries or are able to give an account of the heaven of the earth and of the stars but he saith blessed are the people that know the sound the jubilation In other places the fear of the Lord maketh blessed but it maketh but one man blessed for so it is said Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Else where we find also that more are blessed as blessed are the poor in spirit blessed are the meek blessed are the peace-makers blessed are the pure in heart But here in the Psalmist the blessedness is profuse and I know not what so great cause of blessedness is intimated that it should make the whole people blessed that hears the Jubilation Unde mihi jubilatio videtur indicare quendam concordiae unanimitatis affectum whereupon it seems to me that this Jubilation doth import an affection of concord and unanimity which if it clasps the hearts and hands of two or three Disciples together in Prayer it makes them so prevalent offering up their devotions in the name of Christ that the heavenly Father grants all they pray for And if it be so great a blessedness that a whole people are unanimous that they all speak the same thing being joyn'd together in the same mind and in the same judgment the united devotions of such a people may be as prevalent as theirs were in the Acts of the Apostles They were of one heart and of one soul Acts 2.1 Chap. 4.31 32. they were with one accord in one place and there was a great earth-quake where they prayed in unanimity and the place being shaken the holy Ghost descended The joynt devotions of an unanimous faithful people might be thus effectual terrae-motu facto destruentur cadent omnia quae terrena sunt ac mundus ipse subvertetur saith Origen such an Earth-quake might ensue as should remove those Mountains of earth that oppose in our way to heaven and level the world under our feet and bring down the Comforter to inlighten and assist us Let us therefore approach the Ark of God with unanimity and this will make us inclinable to the last part of our duty in our demeanor towards the Ark. 4. To approach it with uniformity for our unanimity is to terminate and center there in uniformity Hence the Apostle is so pathetical 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions or Schisms among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment And why so why that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 15.6 That promise of God I will give them one heart and one way Jer. 32.39 Ezek. 11.19 that they may fear me for ever hath reference certainly to the Christian Church But this is such a promise as implies our co-operation for the accomplishment of it I demand then whether God â—ath perform'd his Engagement to the Christian Church whether he hath done his part in giving his people one way if not then we are to expect some new Revelations for the discovery of that way for how shall it be set open to us otherwise But this is not only contradicted by the Apostle but sentenced too with the dreadful commination of an Anathema for thus he saith though we or an Angel from heaven Gal. 1.8 9. preach any other Gospel unto you thâ—n that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed And for the greater verification of this truth he doubles his asseveration as we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you thâ—n that ye have received let him be accursed I am the way saith our Saviour and the truth too and that can be but one we have the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2.16 saith the Apostle and no man can no man dare deny that to be the one way that God hath promised and this is set open to the world Acts 16.17 by the Ministry of the Apostles and Evangelists These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation And if you ask me why some men refuse to walk in this way I must refer you to some of their stubborn fellow travellers for answer Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls but they said we will not walk therein Jer. 6.16 And why not why here lies the quarrel God hath appointed certain Guides to direct us and point out the way to us and we are offended at this we make our Guides our stumbling-blocks God hath also given a general Order to these Guides to set up some shades for our better accommodation and to hang up some lights for our more safe and regular walking in this way leaving it to their care and prudence what these shades shall be made of and where these lights shall be set up and here having an over-weening conceit of our own worth and wanting that due reverence for our Guides and Governours which we ought to have we fall out in and about the way too pride and prejudice Envy and Animosity strike in and make us NON-CONFORMISTS The Apostle foresaw this or rather had a present intuition of it in some Churches of his own planting and therefore when he injoyns this accord and uniformity for securing this duty he prescribes also these Caveats Let nothing be done through strif Phil. 2.2 3. or vain-glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better thâ—n themselves And the same charge he gives to the Ephesians Ephes 4.1 2 3. I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in love and by keeping this temper especially towards our Guides endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Uniformity is this bond of the Churches peace and 't is that that makes her terrible as an Army with Banners which attribute no society of men can boast of Cant. 6.10 but where they all keep the same posture and observe the same motions and obey the same word of command under their respective Officers In obedience therefore to the Apostles command as well as for the honour and advantage of Gods Church Let us as many as be