THE PIOVS MANS PRACTICE IN PARLIAMENT TIME OR A SEASONABLE AND necessary Tractate concerning the presages and causes of a Common-wealths ruine and the wayes and meanes to preserve a Church and State in prosperity plenty purity and peace By R. WARD utriusque Regni in Artibus Magister and Preacher of Gods holy Word at Stansteed Mount-Fitchet in Essex Ierusalem is builded as a City that is compact together whether the Tribes of the Lord go up for there are set thrones of judgement Therefore pray for the peace and prosperity of Ierusalem and let us all say peace be within thee and let us all seeke her good Psal 122.3 c. LONDON Printed by T. Cotes for P. Cole at the signe of the Glove and Lyon in Corne-hill neere the Royall Exchange 1641. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL AND NOBLE BROTHERS AND HIS WORTHIE AND MUCH HONOVRED Patrons Sir Iohn Mainard Knight together with his Religious and vertuous Lady and Timothy Middleton Esquire HOnourable Patrons although there is often no proportion betweene the Giver and Receiver yet there should bee betweene the Giver and the Gift This I speake that you might please to accept of a small Gift from a meane and poore Giver although you have deserved not meanely but mightily of me If the world admire that I should have two Patrons and never had but one living they must know that I neither could nor would hold two although by you two I had two given And therefore in duty I am bound as well to acknowledge my engagement to you my Honourable Patron Sir Iohn although I refused your Living as I am and doe to you my Noble Patron whose offer I willingly embraced Not onely dutie custome and thākfulnes requires that I should dedicate this worke unto your Worships but also policie necessity for by how much the more unworthy the Treatise is by so much the more it craves worthy Patrös to protect it who more worthie then the Patrons of the Author The Lord hath abundantly enriched you both both with temporall blessings and eminent endowments of learning and naturall parts and also with the love and honourable respect of those among whom you live And therefore seeing the Republique is like to receive such benefit from you both this unpolished and rough-hewen Discourse doth beg your serious view because therein you may read Morbum Medicinam and Medicum both the Maladies and Remedies of a Republique and who are appointed and destined by God both for the preservation of Churches and States in puritie prosperitie and peace and also for the reforming and redressing of what is amisse As Architecture teacheth that there should be in buildings a symmetry and decent proportion betweene the Gate and Fabrique So Oratory telleth that there should be in Speeches some Analogie betweene the Exordium and Narration Wherefore that I may not put a large preoemium before a little Tractate I will draw to an end but first I must entreat your Worships to be pleased to take notice That future obligements doe not disanul make void former engagements and therefore although for your cleare handednesse in your free and favourable presentations you deserve mee wholly and whatsoever I can doe yet in regard that this worke was behight and dedicated unto another Worshipfull worthy friend the last Parliament when it should have come forth if the sudden dissolution thereof had not stopt it I have made bold with you and him to joyne him with you in the Dedication though in severall Epistles Thus with my heartie prayers to God for the corporall spirituall health and eternall happinesse of you and yours entreating you to accept of this small Tractate untill time produce some more worthie worke I humbly take my leave Remembring till death Your much obliged and devoted Chaplaine Richard Ward TO THE WORSHIPFVLL AND HIS REALLY Approved Cordiall Friends THOMAS AUSTEN Esquire and his religious Consort WOrshipfull and Worthy Friends this Brat being begot and bred receiveth breath life and growth in your House is according to Law returned unto you for reliefe and shelter being confidently assured that they who have beene such sure and firme friends to the Father in this Iron age when such friends are no lesse rare than blacke Swans will give house-roome and entertainment unto it for his sake This Hulke and poore Pinnace was builded and meanly rigged a while since and when it was ready to be put to Sea a storme came which made it lye by the Lee. But the weather now so clearing up that it promiseth a calme I have adventured and exposed it to wind weather and the censuring World hoping that those who will come abo rd of it and trucke with it will find some commoditie in it worth as much as the Marchant Venturer the Stationer will aske them for it The reasons why I now shroud this Parliamentary practicall preparation under your roofe are these First because it was hatched and flidged in your house And Secondly because it was at first devoted to your Patronage And Thirdly because your many extraordinary private and bountifull expressions of true love and constant friendship call for publike acknowledgement and thankfulnesse And Fourthly because I was not so much by much encouraged by any for my paines undertaken in my first Worke as by you whose large liberality and liberall bounty for that Booke deserves a better reward than this toye now tendered unto you But Vltra posse non est esse such as I have I give and I beseech the Lord who hath promised to reward whatsoever is done to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple to reward the kindnesse bounty and reall expressions of love which I have found from of and in you upon the estate bodies and soules of You both and Yours And this shall be the faithfull prayer of him who will alwayes acknowledge Your free and undeserved favours and ever remaine Your unfained and much bounden friend RICH. WARD THE PIOVS MANS PRACTICE IN PARLIAMENT TIME THere is a time a Eccles 3.1.2 The Prooemium saith Salomon for all things and a season for every purpose under the Heavens A time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to be merry and a time to mourne a time to feast and a time to fast a time to pray and a time to praise a time to begge blessings of the Lord and a time to blesse the Lord for blessings bestowed and a time to be silent and a time to speake and words spoken in due season are like b Prov. 25 11. Apples of gold in pictures of silver When Athens was straitly besieged and so stoutly assaulted that they within the wals were hardly bestead and in no small jeopardie Diogenes tumbled his Tubbe up and downe thinking it unfit for him to be idle when the greatest and best of the Citizens were in agitation and armes And therefore the honour beautie and crowne of our Kingdome being now assembled by Gods good
of weake persons as women and children Thirdly of strangers Fourthly of beasts and cattell so in the Church of God or in any true visible Church there are First such as are strong in faith Secondly the weake and fraile Thirdly hypocrites which in outward shew joyne themselves to the Church as those strangers did Fourthly carnall and worldly men prophane persons yea Devils incarnate which may be compared unto beasts And therefore let neither ther all of us in this land in generall nor any of us in particular trust unto this that we are members of the Church of England which is a true Church and professeth the truth and true Religion It may here now bee demanded Question 2. Doth no prerogative belong to a true outward visible Church or are wee never a whit the better for being within a true Church which purely professeth the truth There is an externall prerogative of a true externall Church Answer which is not to bee contemned or despised The Prophet David had rather bee a doore-keeper in the house of God Psal 8.4 Rom. 13 1.2 c. and 9.4 then to dwell in the tents of wicked men because the Christian every way as the Apostle saith hath great priviledges above Heathens who are without the Church For in the Church are the meanes of grace and salvation offered Psal 79.6 Ier. 10.25 and there or by those within the Church the Lord is more easily entreated and is more difficultly provoked unto anger against them Yea in a true Church wee see many burning and shining lights which animate attract and encourage us to the practice of pietie and therefore it is no small prerogative to be made a member of a true Church neither should our care be small in learning and labouring so to live that wee doe not provoke the Lord to deprive us of this great blessing and blessed priviledge by taking away the Candle or removing the Candlesticke out of his place or letting out his Vineyard to other Husband-men who will bee more thankfull profitable and obedient unto him then we have beene And thus much for the second answer to the first Question Thirdly Answer 1 sometimes wee trust to precedent mercies and deliverances some in this land dow often say The Lord hath not dealt so with any Nation as with ours in giving us pious prudent and religious Princes who zealously and couragiously maintaine and defend the true Faith and in continuing his Gospel among us and peace prosperity and plenty unto us so long a time and in preserving us from the Spanish Armado or Bravado in 88. and that unparallelled Powder-plot and all the plots counsels and consultations of the Jesuits and all the Whoores brood who inendtd mischiefe against our Estate And therefore we may be secure in this land because the Lord we know will bee unto us one and the same to day and to morrow and for ever I answer hereunto 1. That this is most true that the Lord hath long dealt most graciously with England in all the particulars instanced upon And 2. That the mercie of the Lord is above all his workes and greater then all our sinnes And 3. That if we would live sincerely as Ammi the Lords people hee would never then so long as we so continued pronounce against us Lo-ammi that we should be no longer his people If we were ready to embrace the Lords offers or carefull to walke worthie of his love he would never then denounce against us Lonuchama that hee would no more be mercifull unto us For the Lord is immutable in himselfe and these changes are in us and if wee doe not fall from truth unto error from sanctitie unto sinne from profession unto profanenesse from religion to rebellion from God unto Sathan the Lord will never faile nor forsake us but continue to be our God and continue us to be his people But 4. If wee abuse his mercie Rom. 11 2â— and long-suffering and prove like those evill Husband-men or that wicked servant we must then expect that mercie will give way to justice and judgement and wee through the Lords just anger shall become as miserable a Nation as ever we were happie by his free mercie and goodnesse And therefore let us adorne that profession which we have undertaken Let us make religion our Sparta 1. Pet. 2.12 and labour to beautifie it by righteousnesse holinesse sobrietie and temperance that those without the Church may bee wone unto her by our holie lives and godly conversations coupled with feare and then we may be confidently and comfortably assured that the Lord will be as a wall of brasse about us and hedge us about with a guard of angels and protect defend and preserve us from all our enemies and all who have evill wil at this our Sion whether forraign or domesticall establish Religion peace in our Borders and continue his Gospell in purity and sincerity amongst us even untill the second comming of Christ unto judgement Amen Fourthly Answer 4. some particular persons presume of their communicating of the Sacraments some will say they were baptized and have beene at the Lords table and therefore they conclude Tush 1 Pet. 2.21 no evill will come unto them But we must know that there is an outward washing in Baptisme as Saint Peter saith as well as an inward and many are washed by water who were never purged from all their fins by the blood of Christ And S. Paul tels us that all the Israelites were baptized in the Cloud in the Sea and were all made partakers of the same spirituall me ate 1 Corinth 10. 5.8 and drinke and yet many of them perished The Evangelists tell us that Iudas ate with his Master the Paschall Lambe and received a sop from him and yet died in damnable desperation and the Apostle saith that many communicate the outward elements in the Eucharist to their owne damnation And therefore let not us trust to the outword worke 1 Cor. 11.20 or to the partaking of the outward elements only for these alone profit nothing but let us labour for the baptisme of the spirit and true regeneration and endeavour to eate Christ by a faith unfained Luk. 10.20 and then wee shall have greater cause of joy and rejoycing than if wee had power to cast out devils to cure the sicke to raise the dead and to remove mountaines Secondly Quest 2. it may further bee demanded why wee in England may not presume of those many and great priviledges which wee have above many yea the most if not all other Nations First no outward thing will profit or advantage us at all Answer 1. as was shewed before rom 2.2.6 and therefore wee must not trust to any such thing And Secondly Answer 2. our Church and State hath long continued without any desolation or alteration and therefore we have the more cause not to be high minded but
pleased with that which himselfe prescribes especially if it be performed according to his will And 2. The Lord loves to be sued and sought unto by prayer and therefore it is cleere that it is pleasing unto him The more often we goe unto him by prayer the more welcome we are the oftner wee begge the more liberall he is the oftner and harder that a man shakes the fruit tree the more fruit fals and the more importunate instant and incessant wee are the more gratefull wee are unto him and may bee the more certaine to be heard if wee crave those things which are agreeable to hsi will And 3. By prayer unto God we show our dependance upon him and that wee neither trust in gold nor in the wedge of gold neither upon any Egyptian reede nor adhere unto any arme of flesh but place our whole trust hope confidence and dependance in the Lord our God Prayer is g Conversso cordis and Deum August the turning of the heart unto God or reflexion of the soule upon him for by prayer wee acknowledge that the Lrod takes care for us and that it is he who gives all good things unto us as followes by and by Now this is so pleasing to the Lord of Glory for a man in all difficulties distresses and straits to cleave close unto him and in the greatest extremities to cling unto him and trust in him Iob. 13.15 as Iob did that he hath promised to take care for all those who thus confidently cast their care upon him and never to forsake those who thus adhere unto him neither to faile those who seeke for helpe and succour from him alone c. IV. It is further evident thus that prayer is pleasingunto God because they who rightly call upon him do acknowledge him to be All-wise All-mighty All-good More particularly 1 They who rightly call upon the Lord do acknowledge him to be Omniscient one who knowes best of all all their wants and necessities c. 2 Omnipotent one who is able to supply all their wants to satisfie all their desires to relieve all their necessities and to remove all their evils c. 3 All good i. e. one who is most bountifull and liberall ready to give what we crave in as much as it is necessary for us and the alone Author the gratious giver and the liberall doner of every good gift Iameâ— 1.17 and every perfect beeing From these foure particular proofes Argument I will as before draw one true and cleare Syllogisme for the strengthening of the assertion which I undertooke to prove viz That Prayer is pleasing unto God That which God commands and loves that which argues our dependance upon him and proves and testifies him to be Omniscient Omnipotent All-good and the Giver of all good that must needes be pleasing and acceptable unto him But Prayer is such as was proved in the ofure fore-going particulars Therefore prayer is pleasing and acceptable unto God and consequently must not be omitted or neglected although we were neither sensible of any want or any woe Thirdly and lastly Prayer is good and profitable for us as prayer is good in it selfe and pleasing to our good God so is it also good and profitable unto our selves as appeares thus 1 Prayer is a meanes to encrease The Proofe exercise corroborate and confirme our faith therefore it is profitable for us When some necessitie or occasion prickes forward the child of God to pray he considers that his Father hath againe and againe e Psal 50.15 promised in his word to heare him Mat. 7.7 Ioh. 14.13 15.14 16.23 Jam. 1.5 when he calls upon him and by faith beleeving these promises he is encouraged to pray and by praying his faith is exercised faith and prayer mutually helping one another Yea as by prayer faith is exercised and set on worke so also thereby it is encreased as appeares by the Apostles pithy ejaculation f Luk. 17.5 O Lord encrease our fiath as also thus As the seede and habit of faith comes from God so doth also the augmentation and encrease thereof g Ex iisdem nutrimur exquibus generamur and the meanes to obtaine this g Vsus promptos facit or any other mercie from God is prayer as was shewed before Reason 2. Habits we know encrease and get strength by acts Use makes men perfect h Scribendo discis scribere loquendo loque By writing and speaking much wee learne at length to wtite and speake readily and well and therefore faith being exercised by prayer must needs also be encreased thereby Saint Paul exhorts the Colossians to labour that they may beconfirmed fixed rooted and grounded in the most holy faith i Col. 1.23 2.7 Now by what meanes may this be obtained Our Saviour answers hereunto by his owne example by prayer Peter saith hee I have prayed for thee that by faith should not faile k Luk. 22.32 As if he should say Thy faith will be so shaken by the bitter blast of thorow trying temptations that it will be in danger to faile and decay but I have prayed for thee that thou maist be firme in faith and faith confirmed and fixed in thee l Cristi actio est nostri instructio Christs action is our instruction and therefore if hee pray that Peters faith may be like the Cedars of Lebanon which the windes cannot roote up then by this means of prayer wee also should labour to confirme and strengthen our faith against all temptations and tribulations whatsoever To conclude this particular If prayer be a meanes to exercise augment and establish our faith then is it profitable for us But it is proved to be such therefore it is profitable for us Now. II. Prayer doth corroborate pious affections in us yea encreaseth and nourisheth in us the love of God For as he who loves b or in prayer to talke and discourse with God and desires to be private with him when occasions will give leave doth truly testifie that hee loves him even so those private heavenly soliloquies of the soule doth augment this love Or as mutuall society and discourse doth nourish affections so the loe of God is augmented by frequent and fervent supplications The more that friends know the cordiall affections one of another the more dearely and entirely they love one another and thus is it betwixt God and the righteous according to that of the Psalmist They that know thee Isal 9.10 will love and trust in thee The oftner wee converse with the Lord the better we shall know both what hee is in himselfe and what unto us and the more acquaintance wee have with him the more shall we be acquainted with his love unto us and the more we are acquainted with the power purity majestie felicity and glory of our God the more wee shall trust him and delight to acquaint our selves with him the
to feare For Ominum rerum est vicissitudo there is a revolution of times and a vicissitude of all things But yet our long enjoyment of Peace and the Gospell shall be neither cause nor meanes of the depriving us of them if wee be but obedient to the Gospell thankfull for the Gospell and profitable and fruitfull in every good worke under the Gospell But Thirdly Answer 3. Hinc illae lachrymae whereas the longer we enjoyed the meanes and light of the Word wee should have beene the better and more zealous holy and fruitfull wee have contrarily beene worse and more cold wicked and barren And although with the Church of Ephesus we have yet many good things in us yet like her Revel 2.2 ◠c. we have fallen from our first love and the Lord hath daily more more things against us And therefore let us not presume but as shee was admonished remember from whence we are fallen and repent and doe our first workes and shine and burne as formerly yea daily more and more even unto the perfect day lest the Lord come against us speedily as hee there threatens and remove our Candlesticke out of his place And Fourthly Answer 4. wee in this land must nor trust to any outward prerogatives or former covenants because all externall covenants which the Lord makes with any people or Nation Church or State are but conditionall as was proved before and therefore except wee performe the Articles of agreement and conditions on our part viz obedience repentance faith thankfulnesse and love wee cannot expect the performance of the Lords promise Thirdly Quest 3. it may yet further be demanded by what meanes this our Church State and Country of England may be still confirmed and established in prosperity peace preserved and saved from those direfull distresses and dolefull miseries and calamities which the Lord inflicts sometimes upon those parts of the world and place which have beene most deare unto him and pretious in his sight Do wee desire this Answer I know all true English hearts do desire it and therefore the way thereunto or meanes to obtaine it are these viz 1 Take heed that we doe not provoke the Lord unto anger by our sinnes and then we may trust him for our safety He hath had a care of us a long time and he will still be carefull of us if we be but carefull to please him and fearefull to offend him He hath carried us in his bosome and nourished us and extraordinarily encreased us who were but little in the times of Wickliffe Husse Luther and Tindall and he will still continue to educate and instruct us if wee will but willingly be instructed by and obedient unto his sacred behests Hitherto Sathan hath raged and the Iesuites and Iebusites conspired against us but our good God for which ever blessed and praised be his holy Name hath hitherto laughed them to scorne and infatuated the devices and confounded the plots intended against us And if we do not incense and exasperate him by our sinnes hee will quickly confound our foes and not subject us to their rage And 2. Let us in the state of our soules Toto divisorbe Britannos or spirituall condition resemble the situation of this Iland of little Brittaine All our Historians Chronologers and universall Maps tell us that England is as it were thrust out of the world or separated from it because it stands at the very outside thereof Let us Englishmen be thus that is let us not be of the world although we are in the world but separated from the world Let not unlearne the vices evill customes of other Countries let not us follow pride or profanenesse or drunkennesse or gluttony or superstition or covetousnesse or swearing or atheisme and the like as some other Nations doe and as we have long done and still do too too much but let us follow the Prophet Esaiah's counsell Esa 52.11 and be admonished by his caveat to depart and come out stom them to learne no uncleane thing of them nor in sinne to partake take with them lest wee also partake of their plagues but to labour that we may be cleane and pure and the Lords Peculiar people because hee hath done great things for us in this land And 3 Let us labour to be a fruitfull flocke and folke in every good worke For as every tree in Paradise was faire and fruitfull so England would certainly be another Paradise if every plant person therein were such And therefore if we desire to grow greene and to flourish like the plants of Paradise let us all labour to abound in the workes both of Religion and righteousnesse and endeavour that wee may be a chast Church and a pure pious and prudent people truly wise unto Salvation Let all who are members of the Church labour to be like Christ the head of the Church Let all who are of the Militant Church labour to be like those of the triumphant Church Let all the mēbers of our true visible particular Church of England strive to resemble in purity piety sincerity sanctitie equitie and zeale the true members of the internall invisible spirituall and Catho lique or Universall Church and then wee shall be the wisest best happiest Harding Major Boeth Fabian Bale Engl. votar sol 27. and most flourishing people under Heaven After the Saxons had conquered our Nation it was called Eugland of Engist which was their chiefe Captaine as witnesseth divers Authors But after wards Gregory the first seeing some English boyes to be sold in the open market at Rome asked of what religion they were beholding them to be faire skinned beautifully faced and flaxen haired And answer was made him that they were of an I le called England and they were called Angli well saith hee they may be called Angli English men quasi Angeli of Angels because they have Angelicall faces Oh my beloved Countrimen let us all labour that wee may be here like Angels in grace and purity and then we shall be like themin heaven in glory and felicity When Sertorius was sentenced to be expulsed out of Rome and banished he solicited Pompeius and Metellus to procure his revocation saying Hee had rather be an obscure Citizen of Rome than elsewhere an Emperour And I for my part shall thus say of my owne Nation that I had rather be a private person and inferiour Preacher here in England so long as we enjoy peace and the libertie of the Gospell than a Patriarch elsewhere Lipsius saith Vt hominibus singulis sic populis suae laudes suae labes as persons so places have something in them to be praised and commended and something to be dispraised and condemned And this may be truly said of our Land for as wee want not our faults and failings and those grosse ones so we have by the great goodnesse and undeserved love of God towards us beene like a
a Kingdomes ruine For according to diverse there are diverse sinnes which hasten the downe-fall of a Common-wealth instance but in one or two First 1. The oppression of Superiours Bons Postoris est pecus tondere non deglubere sometimes by the oppression of Superiours the Common-wealth is impoverished and therefore when Tiberius Caesar was solicited by the Governours of the Provinces to lay heavier tributes and levie larger Subsidies from his people made though a Painim this Noble and notable answer That a good Shepheard ought to sheare his Sheepe and not to flea them And thus also Queene Elizabeth said to the President of Ireland And Secondly 2 Gifts or Bribes Exod. 23.8 The Scripture saith plainely that gifts and bribes overthrow a Common-wealth Prov. 29. 4. Exod. 23.8 Deut. 16.19 Esa 1.23 5.23 Now according to some there are three sorts of rewards viz 1. In the Common-wealth namely when gifts are given for the procuring of some publike offices or places And 2. In the Church which is called Simony when spirituall dignities are bought And 3. In private matters for the corrapting of judgement and this is called Bribery Now there are none of these but they are in some regard hurtfull to a Church and State And therefore if we desire the good of ours wee should pray unto God to worke in us a generall repentance for our generall sinnes and to seale unto us a generall pardon of all our transgressions and to turne from us all those evils which wee have deserved for our many and great provocations and so to sanctifie and direct all our Superiours and Governours that they may truely wish well unto us and seeke our good and set such over us as may doe the like and place in place and office such as are good and able to doe good both in Church and Common-wealth that justice may bee distributed without partiality And Thirdly 3. Toomuch liberty too much licence and liberty and remisse lenity in Superiours and Governours is another enemie unto a State For it cannot chuse but breede a great mischiese in a Common-wealth when justice sleepeth and the shamelesse boldnesse of evill dooers is not curbed in with a birdle but runneth its owne swinge and therefore a Consul of Rome could say That is was an evill thing to have a Prince under whom liconce and liberty is given unto every man to doe what him listeth And therefore wee should pray that all good Lawes may be executed and that the Magistrate may not hold the sword of justice for nought Fourthly and lastly 4. The contempt of the word the contempt of the word of God is another maine cause of the desolation of a State I will for the cleere proofe of this beause it necrely concernes us alleadge and urge onely one place of Scripture namely Esay 5.24 where wee have these words As the fire devoureth the stubble and the flame consumeth the chaffe so their roote shall be rottennesse and their bleslome shall goe up as dust because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of Hosts and despised the word of the holy one of Israel Three things are here worthie of observation for our present purpose viz. 1. What is threatned 2. Who are threatned 3. Why they are threatned Observe 1. That the Lord doth not say that his anger towards them for the contempt of his word shall bee like fire in a house but like fire amongst stubble and straw That is 1. Their destruction shall be totall Prov. 30.16 Ier. 4.4 there shall be nothing left neither shall any bee able to free them from the Lords just wrath If a house be one fire it may be put out yea though it be not all is not burnt for all materials in a house are not combustible but there is no quenching of stubble being once on fire neither is any thing thereof left unburnt and such is the wrath of God against the centemners of his word And 2 Their destruction shall bee sudden and come upon them like a whirle-winde If a house be on fire it is a long time on burning but stubble and straw being once kindled are consumed in a moment and as it were in the twinkling of an eye And thus the wrath of God will come suddenly and violently and like an armed man upon all the contemners and despisers of his word without repentance And therefore let us kisse the Sonne Esa 29.5 Psal 2.11 and labour to be reconciled unto the Father for if his wrath bee kindled yea but a little blessed are all they that are at peace with him And thus wee see what is threatned viz. totall and sudden destruction Now II. Observe here who they are who are threatned viz. roote and blossome what is meant by this Metaphore is not generally agreed upon by Interpreters For. 1 Some by roote understand evill thoughts and by branch evill workes 2 Some by roote understand men Hebr. 12.15 Hier. s and by branch the glory of his beauty riches honour and the like Malac. 4.1 Hier. s 3 Some by roote and branch understand a totall and finall destruction Esa 14.29 30. 37.31 4 Some by roote understand themselves and by branch their children Wee may thus profitably and truly conjoyne all these together that if wee continue in our hearts to contemne the Word and in our lives to disobey it God will then in his fury destroy with a finall fearfull and totall destruction both our bodies estates and children And III. Observe wee why they are thus fearfully threatned viz. because they contemne and despise the Word and Law of God Now if wee would know who they are who contemne the Word they are 1 Those who contemne the threatnings of the Word being altogether fearelesse of them and say Tush let him come And 2 Those who despise the primises of the Word not beleeving them at all And 3 Those who sleight the admonitions of the Word not obeying them at all And 4 Those who lightly regard the authority of the Word saying I will do what the Word forbids in despight thereof And Those who do not much prize and value the Word are contemners of it And 6 Those who despise reprehension or are angry when they are reproed by the Word are also justly said to contemne it Now it will easily appeare by the particulars how nearly this belongs unto us in this Land For how many have wee amongst us that notwithstanding all the comminations and threatnings of the Word daily sounded in their eares runne on to sinne as a horse unto the battle with all wicked violence and impetuousnesse being altogether fearlesse of the wrath or judgements of God How many have wee amongst us that neither question the truth of the divine promises of the Word or at least wil not be allured by them unto obedience How many have wee that with the Cocke had rather have a barly corne than a pretious orient jewell and
prayer in the N. T. doth supply the place and roome of Sacrifiâ—e in the Old Therefore prayer is now as proper unto the Lord as Sacrifice was then The Minor is proved thus The Prophet Malachy saith 1.11 That incense must he offered up unto God and Same Paul 1 Timoth 2.8 saith That the lifting up of pure hands is meant thereby And therefore it is the clear Doctrine of the sacred Scriptures That prayer is to be offred up onely unto God Oh but may some say When must we pray unto God I answer 1. Before we begin any worke at least of weight the more weighty and important the worke is the more earnest must we be in our prayers before the undertaking thereof Because the particular occasions affaires and workes which this might be applied unto are in a manner infinite I will therefore omit the application thereof unto any particulars and by some ground and proofes onely confirme the truth of the assertion in generall viz. That before we doe undertake any worke at least of weight or moment we must begge a blessing thereupon of God by prayer Pray saith Socrates in thy heart unto God at the beginning of all thy workes that thou mayst bring them to a good conclusion The Lord gave Narseies victory more through zealous prayers that he used then his force and valour for he never went to sea nor began battaile nor determined of warre nor mounted on horse-back but first he went to the Temple and served God The lessons of Pythagoras Plato and their disciples Blondus began and ended with prayer So the Brachmans among the Indians the Magi among the Persians never began any thing without praying unto God And Ovid begins his Metamorphofis and Cleanthes his Iambicke verses with prayer Plinie in an Oration which he made in the praise of Trajane commended the custome of the Ancients in making invocations and prayers before the beginning of their works saying that there can be no assured or wise beginning of any enterprise without the speciall aide and assistance of God 1 Chro. 29.9 And thus when our Princely Prophet was about to provide oblations for the Temple he first prayes 1 King as doth also Solomon when he dedicated the Temple And thus all our wages workes affaires employments and businesses must be taken in hand and begun with prayer for those actions which we dare not pray unto God to blesse or present before him by prayer we must not doe Gen. 24.12 Abrahams servant before he goe into the City prayes unto God to blesse and prosper his voyage in sending him a good Wife for Isaac Ruth 2.4 2 Chro. 20.6 c. Psal 127.1 2. 1 Tim. 4.5 Thus Boaz for his Reapers Iehoshaphat for his people before they dare make war against their enemies Without Gods blessing all our labours are in vaine and by prayer unto him our labours are sanctified And therefore we must begin every weighty worke at least with prayer if we desire a blessing thereupon 2. We pray in our necessities or make our requests knowne unto God by prayer when we are sensible of either want or woe either defect or cistresse Indeed I doe not say that we must then onely pray unto God when poverty pricketh or necessity urgeth or some imminent danger enforceth us and spurreth us forward to pray for every one will doe thus viz. Cry and runne unto God in their affliction misery and danger as we may see by the Mariners in whose ship Ionah was Ionah 1. who when they feared drowning praid every man of them unto his owne God The like examples we have many in humane Histories I will name onely this one viz. In Zara or as some call it Iadera a Towne in Sclavonia there is a Church consecrated to Saint Iohn di Malvatia which was built by a company of Saylers who being in a tempest made a vow that if they escaped ship-wracke they would consecrate a Church unto that Saint and accordingly paid their vowes Saint Peter when he felt himselfe sinking did then cry speedily unto his Master to save him Psal 107. Yea the Psahnist tels us that even wicked men will move the Lord by their prayer to have pitty upon them when they are grievously afflicted and therefore we must not onely pray when we have need What doe I say Must we not onely pray when we have need I must unsay this againe and entreat my Reader to pray no oftner unto God then he hath need to pray neither to goe unto God any oftner Ephes 6.18 1 Thes 5.17 then he hath need of him But how often is this Alwayes and therefore we had need as we are commanded Alwayes to pray For 1. We are alwayes sinners and we daily renew our transgressions against God and therefore there is a necessity of praying daily unto God for the pardon and remssion of our daily sinnes according to that of Saint Augustine Aug. in Enchirid Do quotidianis peccatis sine quibus haeevita non ducitur quotidiana oratio fidelium satisfacit As we sinne daily so we must repent and begge remission daily for our daily sinnes So another Father Bern. Sicui aeger ad medicum sic debet esse peceator ad Creatorem suum qui ergo peceator est debet orare Deum sieut ager Medicum As the sicke man seekes unto the Physitizan for ease so should the sinner seeke unto God for peace and as the sicke man daily renewes his sute unto hi Doctor untill his sickenesse be removed so should sinners untill their sinnes be remitted And therefore seeing that we are alwayes sinners we had need be alwayes suters for the pardon of our sinnes And 2. We are alwayes weake and defective in grace according to that of the Apostle We doe but know in part and beleeve in part 1 Cor. 13.10 and obey in part and love in part and it is the Lord ouely who must supply and perfect us and therefore we had need to pray unto him for the supply of our wants prayer being the meanes which principally prevailes with him And thus we see shen we must pray We will now consider For whom we must pray For whom we must pray Namely 1. For our selves Semper tibi proximus esto Love begins at home 1 For our selves and therefore he is scarce soundly wise Qui sibi non sapit who is not wise for himselfe But he who forgets to pray for himselfe doth seldome I feare pray for others Wherefore let us make our owne wants first knowne unto God and labour for the pardon of our sinnes and our reconciliation with God and then we may hope that our prayers shall be acceptable unto him for others 2. We must pray for others 2 For others Although we must pray for our selves as we shewed even now yet we must not pray onely for ourselves as we have now to prove but also for others
truth maintaintd and defended And these things wee should all begge earnestly of God Having thus clearely handled Why wee must pray for the Church and Common-wealth What wee must pray for in the behalfe of our Church and Common-wealth it now remaines in order to shew Why wee must be thus carefull to pray and bus earnest in praying for our Church and State I answer hereunto First Answer 1. because wee cannot expect that either should prosper without prayer Heaven shall cease to be when it shall cease to runne and men shall cease to prosper when they cease to pray For how can wee expect a blessing from God either upon our selves or our Common-wealth when wee neglect to sue unto him by prayer for it And hence the lewes say Druf in Gen. Sine stationibus non subsisteret mundus the world could not endure without standing idest praying for they usually stood when they prayed and Gnammuda standing is one of the seven names which they give to prayer And therfore I may say to my brethren as Nestor said to his children Pray for ulesse God helpe us we shall all perish Homer The Lacedemonians custome was not to crave any thing of their Gods but what was of importance and great consequnce saying that all small matters were to be obtained by mans industry Now the prosperity purity and peace of our Church and State is a matter of much moment and therefore there is great reason that wee should all pray unto God for them And. Secondly Answer 2. wee should pray for our Countrey Church and State because no temporall thing should be dearer unto us then our Countrey I say no temporall thing because the Lord Religion and the truth must bee nearer and dearer unto us then either our Land liberty or lives Homer tels us that so deare was the love of his Countrey to Vlisses that he preferred his native soyle lthaca before immortality Wee must not so doe but onely preferre it above temporall things Some define a Countrey thus Definition of a Country It is the Region or Climate under which we are borne and the common mother of us all which wee ought to hold so deare that in the defence thereof we should not feare to hazard our dearest lives Plato saith There can be no kindred nearer unto us then our Countrey There is nothing more to be desired then the good of our Countrey nothing more to be affected then the love of our Countrey For although children parents and friends are neare to us yet our Countrey chalengeth a greater love And therefore as the heathen said Happy is that death which being due unto nature Pulchrum est pro patria mori is besto wed upon our Countrey And therefore seeing our Countrey should bee thus deare unto us there is great reason that wee should pray for it and our Church and State established therein And Thirdly Answer 3. because the good of the Common-wealth and Church is ours For if as Stobaeus saith The profit of the Countrey extendeth it selfe to every City of the same then the good of a Commonwealth and Church must in like manner be communicated and extended to every inhabitant therein Tully telsus Nemo sibinatus None are borne for themselves onely but also or their Countrey and therefore if wee should seeke the good of that before our owne gaine then much more should wee desire and labour to procure that which is good both for our selves and Countrey as peace prosperity plenty and purity are It argues selfe-love for a man to love his Countrey not for it selfe but for that good which he possesseth in it and therefore if wee love our selves let us pray for the peace and good of our Church and State For as the life of all the members proceedeth from the heart so from the Common-wealth proceedeth the common good of every one Geminianus lib. 6 de homine ca. 5.7 and upon the safety thereof dependeth the safety of all Wherefore every one of us should labour both by prayers and endeavours to promote the good of this Country The Senate of Rome saluted Augustus Sever. by the name of Pater Patriae The Father of the Countrie and the Romanes erected Images of all such as renowned or benefited their Countrey And therefore if wee desire happinesse and esteeme amongst men while wee live and a good name and report when wee are dead wee should by all meanes advance the good of the Church and Common-wealth And Fourthly Answer 4. wee should pray for our Countrey because necessity requires it it being now taking physicke and alwayes subject to enemies 1. Saint Iames saith If any be sicke let him send for the faithfull Ministers to pray with him and the prayers of the righteous shall save the sicke Here note that something is there expressed to wit that Prayers must be made for the sicke and some thing implyed viz. that besides the prayers of others the party must not neglect the meanes of Physicke for Physicke must bee used and then the blessing of God desired upon it by prayer whereby the creatures are sanctified unto us Thus should we now doe for our Church and Common-weath being sicke and Parliaments and Convocations being the proper Physicke ordained for the healing curing recovering redressing and restoring thereof and this Physicke being now a working we should all pray and that powerfully that the Lord would so blesse and assist them both that they may be instruments of much good both to our Church and State And 2. Certainly Liv. lib. 30. wee are never without some enemies or other either home-bred or abroad either open or secret Livy saith truely Nulla magna livitas quiescere diu potest si foris bostem non invenit quaerit domi No Nation can long bee quiet or at peace for if it have no enemies abroad it shall finde some at home Yea the devill being an enemy unto truth and all true profession Religion and worship doth ordinarily stirre up most enemies and employ most subtle and most crafty instruments against that Countrey or Kingdome where the truth is professed defended and maintained And therefore seeing wee are assured that wee are not destitute or altogether without enemies although wee could see none therefore there is great cause and need to pray for the protection preservation and prosperity both of our Church and State Fiftly and lastly Answer 5. wee should labour by prayer for the good of our Common-wealth and Countrey because otherwise wee are worse herein then infidels as will appeare by an example or two Aristotle beeing at Athens was very carefull for his Countrey the which when Alexander had over-runne and rased Valer. Max by letters he moved him to buid it up againe Plutarch Dion of Syracuse was so loving unto his Countrey that he never rested untill he had thorowly freed it from the tyranny of Dionisius Themistocles being banished his
that time refused warre protesting that hee might with more safety have lost all his battles within the Alpes then one at the gates of Carthage because in those battles hee adventured nothing but the superfluity of youthfull blood who sought their destiny in the Field of Honour under the Banner of Mars but now the Common-wealth lay at the stake and they plaid their Altars religions lives wives children and estates and all at one game and therefore to loose once now were to be quite undone for ever 3. Sometimes we pray for spirituall things and I will here subjoyne temporall for others as namely for our Countrey that is when we pray for the peace and purity of the Church and the long continuance thereof in peace and purity amongst us and the advancement of religion and prepogation of the Gospel and the powerfull and painfull preaching of the word Or when we pray for the peace preservation and prosperity of this our State and Common-wealth wherein we live Now I conceive that we should more zealously and fervently begge these things for our Church and State then any particular blessing or grace for our selves because by such a Common-wealth the Lord would be more glorified then he could be by any particular person And thus we have seene that we must pray zealously and how our zeale in our prayers must be regulated Now 3. Zealous prayers are very effectuall Observe that fervent prayers are very effectuall Zeale in prayer is the wing which carries it up unto God and like Elias his Chaniot transports us into heaven Zeal is like the Eagles wings whereby we mount up unto God and like Iacobs Ladder by which we ascend on high to the most high Zeale in prayer doth often ravish the petitioner into the third heavens as Saint Paul was thereby As trees that have taken deepe rooting cannot be pulled up so the fervent prayers of the faithfull cannot be driven backe untll they have ascended into the presence of the highest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord be mercifull unto me is but a short word but it containes an Ocean of mercy saith Chrysostome Chrysost hom 5. de incompr nat Dei Although that there bee no fire in the steele yet if wee smite it hard upon a flint fire issues out thereof and so if our iron hearts be heaten upon that rocke Christ by fervent prayer either the light or fire of zeale or consolation will issue thence And therefore that our prayers may be fierie and fervent let us remember that infinite Majesty before whom and to whom we pray and the want of those things which we pray for and let us feare lest the Lord should justly repulse us for our cold and carelesse calling upon him And 6. 6. With persoverance If we desire that the prayers which we powre forth may not returne as an abomination into our owne bosomes but be pleasing unto to God and profitable unto our selves then we must pray perseverently or continue in prayer untill our requests be granted The Oake fals not with one How or at the first stroke but continuall hewing brings both Oakes and Cedais to the ground We doe not alwayes open the doore at the first knocke but to him who continues knocking we open at the last One drop of water will not move a Marble but continuall dropping thereupon will hollow it at the last Iacob wrastling with the Angell obtained a blessing and so every good Christian who wrastles with God by perseverant prayers shall be blessed at last and made partaker of the thing he prayes for Hier. s Gan. 18.30 Abraham perseverantià suà magis magisque praevalet nec Deus prius codere desinit quam Abraham or are Abraham by his continuance and perseverance in prayer doth more more prevaile with God for first he desirs that Sodom may be spared if there be 50. righteous therein then hee abates five of that number twice and where he perceives that the Lord saith Amen or So be it to all his requests then he takes a greater leape from five to ten Lord what if there be but 30. or 20 or 10. Wilt thou then spare it The Lord answeres I will And it is worthy our observation and admiration That the Lord gives not over granting untill Abraham ceaseth suing So long as Abraham hath a tongue to pray the Lord hath an eare to heare and a tongue to grant his requests but as the text saith When Abraham gives over praying the Lord then goes away Iames the esse the sonne of Ioseph who is called the brother of Christ and who was so like him that in the betraying of him for feare they should mistake Iudas gave him a kisse through continuall praying had his knees as hard as a Camels hoofe When Tyre was besieged by Alexander one of the Citizens dreamed that their God or Idoll Apollo would ruune away from them whereupon they bound him so fast with cords that hee could not stirre Thus if our sinnes should suggest unto us that the Lord would leave us and lay us open unto our enemies the way to preserve and keepe him amongst us is perseverant prayers As hee who would strike fire out of a flint is not contented to strike once but often yea untill the sparkes kindle the tinder so hee who desites any favour or merey from God must not only once pray for it but continue and persevere in prayer untill his request be granted and hee have prevayled with God Let the Reader turne but to Luke 11. the first verse and so forward and Luke 18. 1. and so forward and observe what he reades there and then hee will not question the power and efficacy of perseverant prayers Thus wee have seene that our prayers must bee humble and reverent and that our whole man must pray and that wee must pray with hearts purged from sinne and call upon God in faith aed with fervour and perseverance it now remaines to shew the power and efficacy of such prayers The power and officacy of faithfull prayers If any would know what power such prayers as these have with God and how available and effectuall they are let him observe that such prayers are profitable both in regard of our selves and of others First humble hearty holy It is profitable for our selves faithfull zealous and perseverant prayers are profitable for our selves both in regard of our soules and bodies but I will conjoyne these together Observe here these particulars viz 1. Prayer alwayes procures a blessing from God unto us August Oratio justi clavis est coeli ascendit precatio descendit Dei misericordia Prayer is the key of him and therefore let but that ascend up unto God and then the blessings and mercies of God shall descend downe upon us But of this I treated in the first proposition 2. Faithfull prayer doth corroborate and strengthen us unto bolinesse Edov. Granat lib. de devot and the