value that God sets upon his People Dare you eat them up as bread whom he makes up as Jewels Mal. 3.17 which thing if you know not read Isa 43.3 4. For I am the Lord thy God saith the Lord to his People the Holy one of Israel thy Sauiour I gave Egypt for thy Ransom Ethiopia and Sebah for thee since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give men for thee and People for thy life 2 Have you no knowledge of the neer Relation that God stands in to his People They are his Flock Luk. 12.32 his Houshold Ephes 2.19 his Children Isa 63.8 yea his Spouse Cant. 5.1 For their Maker is their Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name Isa 54.5 And will you offer force to his Queen before his face Know you not moreover that his Interest in his People makes him a sufferer with his People so that in all their afflictions hee is afflicted when you persecute them you persecute him when you drive them through a Red Sea he goes with them and when into a fiery furnace thither hee comes to them and will blesse those that blesse them and curse those that curse them then read Isa 63.9 Act. 9.4 Exod. 14. Isa 43.2 Dan. 3.25 Gen. 12.3 Who puts it therefore into the hearts of his Children at a distance from his sufferers yet to suffer with them and to remember their bonds as bound with them and their afflictions as being themselves also in the same body Heb. 13.2 And therefore hee that is the head of the body and the father of these dispositions in his people will much more Sympathize with his people 3 Have you no knowledge of the Care that the Lord hath of them though he care little for you yet hee cares for them though he care not for Egypt hee cares for Canaan and the eyes of the Lord are alwayes upon it from the beginning to the end of the year Deut. 11.12 Think you that their pittifull faithfull father will not mind them who bids them to bee carefull for nothing but in all things to make known their Requests unto him with supplications Phil. 4.6 yea that bids them cast all their care upon him assuring them that hee cares for them 1 Pet. 5.7 Hee that ever cared for them and bare them all the dayes of old Isai 63.9 cares not hee for them still Hee that numbreth their Hairs Matth. 10.30 cares not hee for their heads Hee that cares for their food cares not he for their body and that cares for their Raiment cares not hee for their Life Mat. 6 2â—.26 Psa 56.8 Heb. 2.16 Hee that bottles their tears cares not hee for their blood He that took their nature that hee might suffer in their nature cares not hee for their sufferings hee that was bound for them cares not hee for their Bonds and that laid down his l fe to save theirs cares not he for their Death Joh. 15.13 with Psa 116.15 Surely they have no knowledge that are ignorant of all this That think while God winketh and keepeth silence that hee taketh no care but is altogether such a one as themselves who care not 't is true what becomes of the Saints Yet will hee reprove them when they say Let God deliver if hee will have them they shall soon find that the Lord taketh part with his People and shall never have cause any more to say Psa 118.7 their Lord careth not that they perish Lastly Have all of you no knowledge what the end of these things shall bee Know you not that God will break the teeth of the ungodly that they shall bee no more able to eat up this bread and smite his enemies on their Cheek bone Psal 3.7 and persecute these Persecutors from under heaven Lam. 3.16 Know you not moreover that the slain Witnesses must arise and stand upon their feet Rev. 1â— 11 and judge their Judges and torment their Tormentors Then shall the high praises of God bee in their mouths and a two edged sword in their hands to execute upon their executioners the judgement written this honour have all Gods Saints Psa 149.6 9. But and if the workers of iniquity bee willingly ignorant of this day and of these things of which even Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied saying 2 Pet. 3.5 Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints to execute judgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Jude 14.15 Yet let mee tell these tydings to the People of God concerning the Giants the Sonnes of Anak in whose sight wee appear as Grashopers and they make nothing to eat us like bread Rebel not O Saints against the Lord neither fear yee this People for THEY ARE BREAD FOR US Numb 14.19 Thus when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his People they shall bee as men that dream Psa 126.1 As Satan and his Instruments have done shall it bee done unto Them The broken heads of Leviathan shall bee meat Psal 74.14 and his members shall bee bread for the People of God Then shall God say to his Saints concerning Babylon Reward her even as she rewarded you and double to her double according to her works Rev. 18.6 Therefore let your Faith in these promises adde wings to your Prayers and second your Complaints with solicitous Supplications How long O Lord holy and true wilt thou not bee avenged Rev. 6.10 Return O Lord for thy servants sake the Tribes of thine inheritance Isa 63.17 IS it then the Lot of the People of God to bee thus eaten up like bread of the workers of Iniquity 1 Then let not the Papists say to the REFORMED where is now your God Satans Usurpation cannot stand in Gods right The workers of Iniquity should they cut off Gods People from being a People Yet can they not from being his People They may cut off their lives from the Land of the Living but never separate their souls from the Living God nor from his love Rom. 8.35 38 39. still God is theirs and they are his People and so hee accounts them and so hee calls them when eaten up like Bread 2 Nor let Prophane Protestants say that the reformed suffer for their factions or that these poor Waldenses were sinners more than others I tell you nay but except you Repent yee shall much more perish Luk. 13.3 These were a pure and a pious People that never that I read of bowed the knee to the Romish Baal no not in the times when our Fathers and other Nations were wondring after the Beast These were of that humble and poor and painfull People who going into a Wildernesse to worship are recorded to have taught the Rocks and Wilderness to yeeld food for them and their Children when wee
opposition to Satans Dividing Design Study O Saints Uniting Principles Yea let the necessity of Unity bee one of the prime Principles you study Indeed the Pleasantnesse and beauty of this Concord is most worthy your study which the Psalmist calls Others whilest himself breaks out into the admiration of it to behold Psa 133.1 Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for Brethren to dwell together in Unity The Hebrew hath an Emphasis ××’ even together But to the Psalmists Quam bonum Quam jucundum Let mee adde Quam necessarium Christians Contemplate the necessity of Unity that may force you thereunto if its beauty do not Ravish you It s Necessity in respect of your Calling which is unto Peace 1 Cor. 7.15 And of Gods Command Be at Peace amongst your selves 1 Thes 5.13 In respect of your expectation of the accomplishment of many most sweet promises such as that Isai 11.13 and 66.12 And its naturall Connexion to the promises even of love and Peace from God himself 2 Cor. 11.13 Bee of one mind live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall bee with you It s necessity as a Token to others that you are Citizens of SALEM and his Disciples Joh. 13.35 who hath said all thy children shall bee TAUGHT of God and great shall bee the PEACE of thy Children Isay 54.15 It s Necessity as a Conviction unto others that the Gospell is a Gospell not of Discord but of PEACE Eph. 6.15 and that God is the Author not of Confusion but of PEACE in all the Churches of the Saints 1 Cor. 14.33 and finally Its necessity as an Evidence to your selves that the PEACE of God rules in your hearts and that notwithstanding your Imperfections you can yet find that you have put on Charity which is the bond of perfection Col. 3.14 15. and seeing that you love one another not in word but in truth and in deed may hereby know that you are of the truth and assure your hearts before God 1 Jo. 3.18.19 But If a man say I love God and hateth his brother hee is a Lyar for hee that loveth not his Brother whom hee hath seen how can hee love God whom hee hath not seen 1 Joh. 4.20 It is not of absolute necessity however eager you may bee for one or other It is not I say indispensably necessary to your going to Heaven that you bee Presbyterians Congregational c. But your living in love is necessary If any shall conclude that another that is none of his party is therefore none of Christs Body If that man himself make a shift to get to Heaven and there meet the other I dare say it will not there go against his conscience to call him Brother Whosoever then is right or wrong in point of Judgement sure I am that every one is wrong that is not right in point of Love for Love that worketh no ill to its Neighbour is the fullfilling of the Law Rom. 13.11 You must therefore bee of one heart where you cannot bee of one mind which that you may bee know That it is not possible for Saints to differ in so great things as wherein they agree yea wherein they must needs agree or cannot bee Saints In Fundamentalls they agree in Circumstantialls they differ It may bee they differ in Paul or Cephas but they agree in Christ Their Body is One their Spirit One their Hope One their Lord One their Faith One their Baptisme at least that of the Spirit and with fire One their God and Father One who is above them and through them all and in them all Ephes 4 4 5 6. And now in finall opposition to Satans Dividing Design bee sure you adde to the studie of uniting Principles your utmost Endeavours after union O! Let not your practises in this contradict your prayers I perswade my self there is no man that knows what prayer means but prayes to this effect that God would send forth an healing Spirit but where is the Magistrate the Minister the Christian that is an Healer indeed Seek Peace and ensue it saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.11 joyning both these together which wee it seems are too prone to put asunder Do wee then seek Peace by our Prayers let us ensue it by indeavour Do wee beg the coming of the Kingdome of Christ let us approve our selves to bee not faint well-wishers thereunto but industrious in the promotion thereof as much as in us lyes of the increase of the Peace of which Isa 9.7 there shall be no end Christians you see that you agree together in the most and the greatest and best things And therefore get together and pray together and communicate together in what you may if you cannot in all things And bee sure you do not differ wherein you agree or fall out for Words where in things you accord or for Will whereas you agree in Judgement But if any man that is honest bee indeed otherwise minded then thou art wherein thou art right God shall reveal even this unto him Phil. 3.15 Neverthelesse whereto we have already attained let us walk by the some Rule let us mind the same thing verse 16. Oh! What a Nurse to Vnion is Christian Communion Satan is more aware of this than wee hence it is that hee so earnestly endeavours that wee should forsake the Assembling of our selves together and that the manner of some is as hee would have it Heb. 10.25 It may bee by that time differing Saints have gone a mile together they may go two And though two cannot well walk together except they bee reconciled yet except they come together how should they be reconciled And Oh! how sweetly have I seen and felt Saints of differing apprehensions as to some things in Discipline when One in Duty inter-mingle their very souls whilest they have inter-mingled their Prayers And what wonder since there is but one prayer-making spirit in them all Variance is an hindrance as Peter observes unto joint Prayer 1 Pet. 3.7 And why may not joint-joint-prayer bee as well an healer of variance I verily think it is scarse possible for two that are truly gracious though in opinion various to set themselves to pray together but they must needs love together which love will last when the prayer is ended If Saints that complain most of one another and strave most when they are asunder would but complain together to the Lord of themselves and strive together in Prayer Rom. 15.30 these latter and better Complainings and strivings would be of farre more force to put out the other then the Sunne is of to put out the fire But alas Instead of taking this course have wee not rather been watching for one anothers haltings while God hath been waiting for all our healings God hath spared us but we have not spared one another God hath had patience with us but wee have not been patient towards each other and hath taken us at the best when we have been taking one another at the worst But is it not enough and too much that the World envies us and the Wicked vex us Oh! when shall it once bee that the envy of Ephraim shall depart and the adversaries of Judah bee cut off Isa 11.13 that Ephraim shall no more envy Judah nor Judah any more vex Ephraim That this Day may come Come Lord Jesus yea come quickly FINIS Reader The Principal errat's that occur are these ERRATA PAge 2. Line 7. for put r. up p. 77. fo paroxisme r. paroxysm Some few mis-pointings there are that may favourably bee passed over as not much hindring the sense There is extant by the same Author A Scripture-Map of the Wildernesse of Sin and way to Canaan or the Sinners way to the Saints Rest largely discovering the lost estate of sinners And the necessity of Leaning upon Christ alone as a Saviour Being the breif summe of 64 Lecture-Sermons preached at Sudbury in Suffolk upon Cant. 8.5
give strength to his poor Jam. 1.26 27. Psa 29.11 weak people abroad and blesse his people at home with Peace So Prayes Your Highnesse most humble Servant Faithful Teate TO THE SONS OF VIOLENCE Yee Men of Belial THe God of Peace hath sent mee this day to proclaim war against you for waging war with his People who will shortly bruise you with Satan your Leader under his feet except you speedily humble your selves under his Mighty hand Furie is not in him who would set up Briers and Thorns in battell against him Isa 27.4 5. Hee would go through them and burn them together or let them take hold of his strength that hee might make Peace with him for them and hee shall make Peace The Lord is a man of War The Lamb is a Lyon who ever hardned himself against God and prospered Your Fathers where are they and the Persecutors do they live for ever Verily nay The Lord hath sworn that hee will have war with Amalek continually Exod. 17.16 Psal 55.23 and that bloodie and deceitfull men shall not live out half their dayes Agree therefore with your Adversarie quickly whilst you are in the way Kisse the Son lest he bee angry and yee perish for hee cometh Psal 9â— 13 for he cometh to judge the Earth Slight not the Alarm though it be but a Child that blows the Trumpet THE CHARACTER OF CRUELTY In the workers of Iniquity PSALM 14.4 Have all the workers of Iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat Bread THis day of Humiliation is as the day of Hezekiah 2 Kin. 1.3 a day of trouble and of Rebuke and Blasphemy His practise therefore may bee our president who 1. Draws up a bill of Complaint against the Adversaries of Gods People or rather takes it as drawn put to his hand and spreads it before the Lord. vers 14. 2. Prefers a Bill of Petition in behalf of the People of God vers 19. Now therefore O Lord our God! save c. Thus with a Bill in each hand up hee marcheth unto the house of the Lord knowing that the way to prevail against the Esaus of the world is to prevail as did Israel vers 14 15. c. with God first Go you therefore this day and do likewise Spread before the Lord the sad Tydings that are come from the persecuted Vallies The Lilies whereof are among Cruel Thornes And say with Hezekiah Now therefore O Lord our God save c. This Psalm or Maschil Psal 53.1 i. e. Psa â— Psalm of Instruction for its singular use penned twice over by David may bee your directory in this your Duty Consisting 1 Of Complaint against the fool the abominable workers vers 1. The men void of understanding vers 2. The filthy transgressors and evill Doers verse 3. Unto which our Text is added to shew how sinners fill up the measure of their sins all way adding iniquity to iniquity even drunkennesse with the blood of Saints unto their thirst after other sins for as the Anthropophagi the Man-eaters are the most abominable with men so are these Hagiophagi these savage Saint-Eaters in the Eyes of the Lord. Wherefore 2. The Psalmist turns his bill of Complaint into a Bill of Supplication in the last verse being none other than the very Petition which I am perswaded you are on purpose Assembled to preferre before the Lord this day viz. Oh! that the salvation of Israel were come out of Sion Our Text is part of the former part of the Psalm viz. the Inditement which according to form is preferred in the Kings Name The crimes are alledged to bee against the Honour and Dignity of God himself in the first vers For proof of the Accusation Application is made to the judge of the Bench as an Eye-witnesse of the matter of fact vers 2 3. The Lord looked down from the heaven to see c. Now in this fourth verse which is our Text seeing the Judge is himself invoked and cannot but attest the crimes hee riseth up as Ahashuerus upon Esters complaint that shee and her people were sold to destruction Esth 7.4 saith the King who is hee and where is hee that durst presume in his heart to do so As if hee should say is there any man so imprudent any so impudent as to presume in his heart to do so so saith God here Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as they eat bread Do they understand themselves no better Have they no more wit then so Have they banished all prudence from them Doth nothing but furious rage dwell with them Hath cruel passion thus put out the eye of their reason and that they might bee the more tyrannous towards others have they thus begun their Tyranny upon their own souls surely they would never behave themselves so strangely Deut. 32.27 were there any understanding or Counsell in them Have they no knowledge of MEE or of MINE that they dare presume in their hearts to do as they do Have they nothing to eat as bread but the Apple of mine eye No people to make a prey of but my people mine by Choice by Calling by Covenant by Purchase by Self-Resignation on their part and gracious obsignation on my part my called faithfull chosen ransomed sanctified sealed Servants Have they none other to make bold withall but these they must bee biting and not onely biting but eating and not onely eating but eating up and have they no knowledge how dearly they must pay for these stolen morsells of this sweet breed Ah! if they knew the people of God and who it is that saith unto them Touch not mine annointed Psa 105.15 for who so toucheth them toucheth the apple of mine eye Zech. 2 8. they would sooner choose to feed on their own flesh then on this bread but now hereby I know they have no knowledge This wisdome none of the Princes of the world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2.8 or cut off Messiah the Prince as t is expressed Dan. 9.26 nor have eaten up his people as it is in the Text. Where then is the wise where is the scribe 1 Cor. 1.20 where is the learned of this world sith all the workers of iniquity have no knowledge where is the Ahitophel and where are the crafty Counsellors Psa 83.3 where are the persecutors that say of the Saints come let us deal wisely with them as Exo. 1.10 Surely if wee plough with the Lords heifer wee shall soon find out this Riddle The wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God 1 Cor. 3.19 and however wise they may bee to do evil yet have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up Gods People like bread The instruction is That Folly and Fury and the extremity of both is notoriously manifest in that spirit of