in the eyes of many great and small as ever was Moses in the eye of Corah and his company for discharging his conscience This spirit became very spreading then and so strong that God was faine to make Israels misery long till he had cut off all that were unworthy of that which Moses and Aaron laboured to bring them to so may this spirit make our sufferings long so long till God hath cut off al these proud jostling spirits which are altogether unworthy of those great mercies which our honest-hearted Parliament painefully labours to bring us to A third thing that makes our troubles have a long visage in my eye is this That the one thing necessary to publique welfare is not preferred and prosecuted as such a thing that is according to its dignity and our duty The maine thing I conceive to our publique wel-fare is to perfect our reformation of Religion to raise up and finish that building the foundation whereof our Fathers bravely laid in their owne bloud Israel suffer'd much and suffer'd long a consumption followed them till it had brought them almost to nothing because they grew slack about the maine and preferr'd their owne houses the seiling and finishing of them before Gods House At first when they came togegether to Jerusalem they were hot upon Gods House but being diverted by troubles they grew cold and involved their spirits in their owne affaires which cost them deare and brought them into a deepe consumption I am affraid this is our case Our Parliament at first comming together seem'd very hot about Church affaires though not so hot then as I could have wish't God had his Committee amongst many other of our owne I meane a Committee about scandalous Ministers and matters wherein God is most immediately concerned this Committee was of life and heat a time and the dread and Majesty of that great Court hereby great many troubles came in and this Committee laid downe and other things relateing to this stay'd off by meanes of which the Majesty of that honourable House is much weakened because God much neglected I am affraide this will bring us into a deepe consumption and make Englands sufferings long because wee make God suffer so long all the Kingdome over by blinde worship and blind Ministers who are now the activest Engines against us A fourth thing which makes our troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this God hath suffered our troubles to grow beyond our Tiller as the Archers terme is our bow is made too strong for us to bend this makes long worke to bee ready If an unruly child creep up under the lenity of Parents to become an unruly boy one in bodily strength suiteable to his spirit before taken downe this speakes long suffering to such parents this is Englands case Our wicked children are growne up under the wing and lenity of the Parliament to virility to mans estate to externall strength suiteable to their internall temper this I am affraid speakes long suffering to thee O poore England Justice doth not looke as if shee would lay down her rod presently when shee is gathering more and more twigs A few malignants are become many many without Armes many in Armes our locusts goe forth by troopes Justice doth not use to make a rod of so many and so great twigs for a little worke strong twigs and rods are gather'd to last for long work A fift thing that makes Englands troubles looke with a long visage in my eye is this A heavy spirit seemes to be fallen upon us Make their eares heavy saith God their Eares that is their hearts I am affraid that plague is heavily fallen upon us Heavy jades are shap'd to much beating a little will not make them goe Men come up to their light like a beare to the stake how heavy hath our motion beene to blast the Common Prayer Booke by publique vote how heavily brought on to judge it an agreement how heavily brought on to clip the power of Bishops how heavily brought on to vote them quite downe although such as had voted and almost acted downe God and all good in the Land how much farther hath many Parliament men gone in matters of Gods worship then droven I keepe honour in my breast towards them who have done throughout truely honorably For the execution of thorough Justice are they not now by the sword droven and will they goe now My heart bleeds to consider this what a heavy spirit is upon us in the prosecution of that worke which God hath thrust us upon Our eyes are halfe open as heavy-headed mens eyes are to see our advantages and our handes in our bosom like heavy sluggards when wee should take and prosecute advantages which God wonderfully gives us A heavy spirit speakes heavy misery suffering much and suffering long a heavy spirit makes heavy misery necessary such a temper otherwise will never go so far in good as it should The last thing which makes our sufferings looke with a long visage in my eye is this suffering doth not soften our fire doth not melt but harden and make brawny the heart of the most The weekly newes of our bleeding is become as the weekly bill of the plague read over and throwne a side Many bodies kill'd how many soules more alive then were What heart goes in secret and bleeds in his brethrens wounds Many kill'd many more worse then kil'd maim'd spoil'd turn'd out of all and likely to starue to death goe weeping wailing and wringing their hands up and down the Country yea up and downe here and doe fully looke some of you in the face and yet I see no signe of all this in your faces Their tone is dolefull doe wee eccho to them The spoiled mourne to the saved doe we weepe with them that weep doe we beare their burden as our own Let every mans conscience speake and acquit him if it can Doth not this saddly speak more suffering because no man will suffer till Justice bring suffering to his own doore No man will be afflicted till it come to his owne turne no man will afflict himselfe all is put upon God he must doe it man by man many will not be afflicted in few this will be long worke I can sadly tell you of hearts more brawny then these hearts that would not have spoiling cease because it inricheth them no not killing cease because 't is their gainfull trade that see bloud and desolation dayly and yet have no bowells but feare this wil end too soon that cut out their worke to last this is not the spirit of a Souldier but the spirit of a Butcher that lives by killing as his Trades and pockets up the prize of bloud and misery with joy This a Souldier a Judas a Wolfe that growes fat upon the carkasses of the slaine Men that strive after places to kill bodies for gaine Ah Lord who hath kill'd such soules This is the spirit of a Souldier
is not the soules act the holy Ghost makes this distinction a weake soule must not call it too nice to comfort him It is one thing to be taken by an enemy and another thing to yield and lay downe weapons to an enemy this was the Apostles case which though sad yet he made it to yield its own reliefe so must we in like cases I am saith he a forc't man a prisoner a captive I doe what I did never intend what I can never allow this may make me a wretched man but it cannot make me a damnable man it may put me into a straite but my poore soule may finde a way out through Christ I thanke God through Iesus Christ c. Againe remember this to wit how the point in hand is proposed and so take it God exerciseth a relieving power in a Christian I doe not say a power presently conquering by degrees it rises to this Reliefe is renewed and more and more time after time brought in still till the soule be made victorious over all enemies That place is very observable to this purpose Mat. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not breake and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he bring forth judgement into victory That Christ Keeps alive thy will and affection towards him in the midst of so much corruption and so many foiles is it not mighty power and love yet this hee doth and this he will doe till he hath made thee in action what thou art in affection indeed what thou art in will he will not leave what he hath begun till he hath made thee victorious Finally remember this that strengthening power according to sense and observation comes in by Prayer fervent Prayer The Apostle Paul found it so Upon seeking of God again and again God made knowne what he was and what he would be to him and he answered me my grace c. That is to his prayer God thus answered So the Spouse shee fervently prayes for reliefe and then in the next Verse breakes forth as one feeling it Stay me with flaggons comfort me with Aples for I am sick of love Then in the next Verse you have her sensibly expressing her enjoyment Cant. 2.5.6 His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me God in manifestation of the first power is found unsought but in manifestation of the second power he is found as sought he speakes to our heart as we speake to his he reveales his compassion as we reveale our state You may want strengthening power if you seeke it not You may live without the lively sense of it long if you pray not fervently You must not disclaime a good state wholly because 't is badly manag'd Christians ill managing a good state makes them often conclude 't is starke naught this is ill and lies heavy upon the heart and yet does no good but much hurt it discourages to prayer and other duties in and by which comes in the experience of Gods strengtheing power which they want I have now but one or two things more to speake to the wicked from this point and so I shall conclude it You will never beate the godly out of heart they have a relieving and strengthening power comes in still fresh force from Heaven they will never be conquered They are upon a Rock winds may blow and stormes beate they will never fall the Rock is foundation and side-props too Christians are still kept in that hand that made them Christians and none can pluck them out of that Hand The wicked have a great deale of worke more then they will consider they must quench two everlasting burnings ere they will be conquerours will they doe either There is an everlasting fire burning in the hearts of Saints can all the Waters you power upon it quench it There is an everlasting fire burning in Hell both these fires kindled and maintained by the breath of God can you stop the breath of the Almighty then may you be conquerors not before I would wicked men would be wise and acknowledge the principles and priviledges of Saints and strike saile to them What they are they will be what they are they shall be to execute the righteous judgement of the Lord upon you this honour hath all the Saints What honour why to be borne along resolutely and victoriously by everlasting armes to bind Kings with chaines and Nobles with fetters of Iron Psal 149.8.9 to execute the judgement written To be resolute to death is naturall and necessary to them because of that relieving and strengthening power which workes in them to be resolute to their own temporall death to accomplish your eternall death to be resolute to all hardship to helpe you to your place The spirit of a Lion is in Christians I would Dogs did know this 't is still 't will be still maintained so will wicked spirits ever believe this Ah wicked wretches the Saints will be Divells to you here they will rend you and teare you and never let goe their hold God strengthens them to it you might avoid this Hell if you were wise though you cannot that to come Who would contend with everlasting burning with such fiery spirits as can never be quencht with such men as are more then men who have the strength of God the spirit of the Almighy working within them The unhappinesse of wicked men is double treble I know not how manifold They are liable to the wrath of God and of his people and have no strengthening power to succour them When tortured without they are more tortured within 't is a fattening hardning condemning torturing power that workes in wicked soules every drop * From providence scalds not one cooles their soules The powers which worke mightily in them are powers of darkenesse and lead to utter darkenesse there I leave these and goe on with my Text. The end of the first Sermon USEFULL INSTRVCTIONS FOR THESE Evill Times COLOSS. 1.11 With All might c. Or in all power THis is the next word to speake of All might is him that is Almighty given into man as full as man can hold 't is so much divine strength extended as to beare up to all duty Almighty is all that man can need all that man can use bestowed on him 't is ten Talents 't is strength to hold forth all Gods Will in all conditions against all disadvantages 't is humane capacity made vast and filled with as much of God as any designe on earth can require for the well managing of it Almightinesse here is not spoken in way of comparison with God but in way of full obedience to God 't is an expression spoken in referrence to Gods Will not in reference to Gods Person and notes an ability to all that God commands and not any equallity to any thing that God is it notes such a power in some similitude to be to what is enjoyned as God is to any
him but 't is not so with GOD he would have no man call him what he is not or any thing he does what it is not but as he is and as hee does Tell Pharaoh I am that I am as he sees me doe and worke so let him call me and no otherwise as men see me and feele me my power my glory and the like so let them call it and me Srengthened with al-might according to his glorious power c. Vse Love leades to this justice binds to this and yet I feare I shall not finde so much favour for Christ from every one as to obey this doctrine A glorious power wrought in and by Christ and yet the Scribes and Pharises would not acknowledge it but blaspemed all They would not call Christ Christ GOD GOD though convinced he was so but called GOD a divell and the power which wrought in him by him and for him a Diabolicall power and thus continued blaspheming glorious power the most glorious power that ever wrought So did Jannes and Jambres the power which wrought by Moses This generation is alive againe alive and lusty in this Land at this day Divine power workes gloriously in the hearts and hands of Christians yet will not manie wretches acknowledge it but deride it blaspheme it make head against it as a power of the devill Never did divine power worke more gloriously in the hearts and hands of English Christians then at this day and yet never lesse acknowledged nor more opposed what speaking what plotting now by cursed spirits against glorious power wisdome and love that stirs in the people of GOD Men care not what they say of our GOD nor what they doe against those in and by whom hee workes Men will not see Christ in Christians nor Christ for Christians but Christ wil make them see and feele both When the heart is naught t is full of shifts such men will attribute all that is done to any thing rather then to that they should then to divine power and call that glorious The Syrians attribute that to Hills which they should have attributed to GOD for which Divine power wrought bloudily againe more bloudily then before that they might acknowledge God and call his power as it was glorious Thus saith the Lord because the Syrians have said The Lord is God of the Hilles but not of the Vallies therefore will J deliver all this great multitude into thine hand and yee shall know that I am the Lord. 1 Kings 20.28 wretched men will call Hilles strong houses strong any thing strong and mighty but God The working of Divine power in the hearts and hands of Christians so lately and so gloriously at Kenton I much doubt whether the wicked will acknowledge to be the power of GOD against them and call it as it wrought a glorious power Divine power therefore shall worke againe and againe more bloudily then at Kenton til they be made to call it a glorious power which workes in the hearts and hands of GODS people Their blindnesse and madnesse is our affliction and their damnation let 's put one against t'other to easen our burdens as we may O when will English Papists and Athests call the power of GOD which works in the hearts and hands of English Christians a glorious power his glorious power When will they confesse that they are strengthened with all might according to is glorious power men of almighty hearts and hands by the power of an almighty GOD When will Balaam alight and turne his horse and confesse a glittering glorious Power of GOD against him When will he ingeniously say I cannot curse but blesse altogether English Christians such a glorious power of GOD workes in their hearts and bands Naughty hearts have their shifts and they have their sinnes pride cannot call that power glorious which is against it A proud person cannot acknowledge that povver glorious which shames him A proud heart is a deadly plague such a man will rather die then lay downe his Weapons to GOD than acknowledge himselfe too vveake for glorious povver O what a nothing is man What a worse then nothing is a wicked man And yet what a something What a all What a some thing above all doth he think himselfe No Land surely hath more guilty wretches of disobedience to this doctrin I have in hand then England What land hath such desperate unacknowledgers of divine power of such glorious divine power as we have Had the glorious and mighty power which workes in the hearts and hands of Christians in England wrought so in the sight of Turkes and Americans how would they have adored it and glorifyed it what hardened Wretches are sinners against the glorious povver vvhich vvorkes in the light of the Gospell above all others Let all men know this and feare that as power is abused so 't will right it selfe within and without Glorious power abused will right it selfe gloriously That glorious povver vvhich vvorkes in the hearts and hands of Christians in England abused blasphemed as many doe vvill harden and cut off vvith a vvitnesse ' t vvill turne men into Divells and Divells into Hell apace Divine povver stumbled against vvill throvv men but Christ and his povver scofft at and blasphemed vvill fall upon men and grind them to dust and yet this is the practice of our Enemies Let us be patient they fight against themselves vvith their tongues more then vve can doe vvith our hands by blaspheming that vvhich they shall bee for'ct to stoop unto That vvhich the vvicked vvill not doe lies the more upon us a necessary vvork vvill else fall quite to the ground You have seene how divine power hath wrought in the hearts and hands of our brethren abroad in Gods Cause call it as 't is a glorious power The almighty hath strengthened them within and without according to his glorious power call it so He raised and strengthened the spirit of Scotland to resist to bloud against bloudy wretches that would have destroyed both them us his power is a glorious power He hath raised and strengthened the spirit of England to resist to bloud against their bloudy enemeis and ours too against all the base bloudy body of many Kingdomes combin'd his power is a glorious power He hath strengthened the hearts and hands of Christians at Hull at Portsmouth at Coventry at Warwick in the City in the Field and made them victorious His power is a glorious power Bloud much good bloud is fallen and yet much risen up againe men have hearts to set their feete in the place of the dead to die againe that Christ may never die His power a is glorious power He hath made the spirits of Nobles Noble the spirits of Gentlemen noble the spirits of Trades-men yea the spirit of Plow-men noble City and Country noble all England for so I account the Parliament resolved to live and die with truth his power which worketh in them and us is
spirit for Heaven Perversenesse is in your pathes and yet you plead for your will Sinners observe that speech of Christ If any man will be my Disciple let him denie himselfe and follow me Christ makes deed to demonstrate will if a man be willing to be Christs companion and scholler he will follow Christ yea hee will take up his Crosse i goe through any difficulty to enjoy his fellowship What will is indeed to the end it is to the meanes 'T is idle talke fancy and dreames not will to a thing that will use no meanes Yee tell me yee are willing to be made partakers of the inheritance above what doe you doe to be made partakers Doe you walke in the way which leads to Heaven Are you not in life according to your lusts In your course according to your company Unto divine duty according to your humour Does not will rule truth and not truth your will Let persons convinced be instructed Ye cannot be partakers of the Cup of the Lord and of Devills saith the Apostle so say I ye cannot be made partakers of Heaven and keepe on in the way to hell you must first be made partakers of the Heavenly calling as the Apostle calls it ere yee can be made partakers of Heaven it selfe Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the Heavenly calling c. Heb. 3.1 That is a calling to Heavenlinesse Heaven must begin here Christ must rule all and be made all here as he is above A Heavenly calling speakes three things A heavenly rule a heavenly subject and then a heavenly end I am the way That 's a heavenly rule Not I live But Christ lives in me That 's a Heavenly Subject I have fought a good fight henceforth is laid up for mee a Crowne of Righteousnesse that 's a heavenly end The two former are subordinate to this latter Christ must be without a man and within a man or that man will never come to Heaven He must be all without and all within he onely must be the way I am the way And he only must live in the heart to guide this way yet not I but Christ lives in me The Word of God and the Spirit of God must meete in the life of man or that life will end in death in hell not in Heaven A heavenly rule and a heavenly heart lead to Heaven Few Christians lives are cleerely Christian Christ is our sanctification as he is our justification he is our life here aswell as our life hereafter hee must be made so by every soule and then all will goe well at last Heaven is a Crowne of Righteousnesse not of our Righteousnesse but of Christs His spirit must rule all his merit must be leaned upon for all this soule will certainly be made partaker of all Christians should be comforted from this point All the wealth of Christ is communicable Heaven communicable communicable to you to Saints The complaints of Gods people are many this point answers all My losses are great sayes one so sayes an other Will not Heaven make them up Thou hast neither money nor goods Thieves and Plunderers have stole all Hast thou not treasure laid up in Heaven where no spoile can be made In cases of persecution Christ teaches us to comfort our selves with Heaven how all is doubly made up there When men persecute and revile you rejoyce and be exceeding glad c. Upon what ground Why Upon this great is your reward in Heaven Losse hath its quantity 'T is great that makes it so heavy reward hath its quantity too Great is your reward in Heaven If a man had lost a Kingdome on earth Is not the Kingdome of Heaven responsible If a man had lost all this World Is not the World to come as good as this Is not Heaven as big as Earth As good as Earth Asmuch good As lastingly good Will not your Heaven above be as sweet as your hell here is bitter â—uppose there be nothing above but Christ to make up al thy losse here below is not he enough Canst thou not comfort thy selfe in Christ alone What a soule hast thou 'T was high time thou diddest lose thy treasure here 't was thy God Thou wouldest otherwise have lost thy soule Obj. And 't were but for my selfe I could be contented whatsoever I underwent But I have wife and children and no Bread to put in their hâ—nds nor no clothes to put on their backs this makes my heart sinkes within and I doe not know how to keep it up Sol. Are thy children fit to be partakers of Heaven If so let that comfort thee that they are in a capable condition though temporally miserable to be eternally happy Say to thy sinking soule there is a house above big enough to hold me and all mine and the owner is kind to strangers There is bread enough clothing enough for me and all mine Thou art but stript before quite dead death would have stript thee of all if Cavaliers had not Naked thou camest into this World and naked thou shalt returne Thou maist goe to Heaven stark naked without money without clothes All things are naked and bare before Christ that 's the manner of all going hence thou art put in a posture to goe to Heaven they goe stript of all here below to that felicity above Thou hast nothing now thou art fit for all nothing of earth now Heaven would be welcome Thou hast no home here now thy long-home above O! How sweete would it be Why It may be it will not be long ere thou be there Be still 't is God things wil end wel if Heaven wil make it so Ob. Yea but mine are not such yet as concerning whom I can thus relieve my selfe that they will be partakers of eternall felicity when this miserable life ends Sol. Doe thy duty to bring them to be such thou hast now time and leisure now all is gone What else shouldest thou doe now but give all diligence to make up a felicity for thee and thine where it may be seeing all is gone here Time was thou diddest pretend multitude of businesses and great imployment in thy calling that thou couldest not discharge this and that duty in thy family for the eternall good of servants and children as thou wouldest why Now thou hast nothing to doe God hath removed that let let 's see now how heavenly thou wilt be in the discharge of the divine duty 'T will lie heavy upon thee indeed to see thy children lie in bodily misery and yet still goe on to doe nothing to deliver them out of soule-misery If God stir up thy heart by this to doe thy duty throughly for the soule-good of thine thy misery may prove blessed misery to thee and thine This will be thy comfort at giving up that thou hast discharged thy duty to make a miserable condition blessed But if successe suite thy industry thy miserable children are made indeed This may cheer thee under sad