writer And the Princes of Issachar were with Deborah even Issachar and also Barak he was sent on foot into the valley But then there were many Newters of other Tribes For the divisions of Ruben were great searchings of heart Great searchings of heart for what to finde excuses and pretences for their Newtrality and Cowardlynesse So it followes verse 16. Why abodest thou Ruben amongst the sheepfolds to heare the bleatings of the flocks for the divisions of Ruben there were great searchings of heart Gilead abode beyond Iordan and why did Dan abide in ships Asher continued on the sea shore and abode in his breaches The meaning as I conceive may be this when these tribes should have gone freely to the warres after Deborah and Barac they tarried all at home and had great searchings of heart how to answer it if objected against them Some they had flocks of sheep to look to some could not get over Jordan some were in their ships of merchandise some repairing their breaches c. thus they framed their excuses some had one impediment some another Just the case of these times in the publicke cause of Religion c. some have land to plow some have harvest to get home some have a wife to please some have houses and flocks to guard or secure which will be plundeâ—ed if they appeare in the quarrell some are poore and have wife and children to maintaine For the divisions of England there are great searchings of heart These all discover their private spirits and little Good hearts But mark what followes Zebulon and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field verse 18. and so shewed themselves both Good men and Good patriots And this may serve for the first Use of Discovery 2. The second is for direction in our choice of fit Instruments for publicke places and imployments 2. Use For direction in choice of publick Instruments Chuse a man of a Publicke spirit that is to say chuse a Good man and one that is truly Religious for such onely are men of publicke spirits for the publicke Good For example First in choice of a Minister a publicke person a businesse of great and common concernment in these times If you would chuse one that shal be faithfull constant to you chuse not a man of a narrow or private spirit one that is either covetous or ambitious or voluptuous that seekes himselfe and his own ends and not the things of Jesus Christ such an one will seeke yours not you and when he hath found what he seeks will but a little care for the flock Amongst other qualifications of a Minister the Apostle requires that he be not Covetous given to filthy lucre not given to wine not voluptuous A Good man onely will make a Good Minister as it is said of Barnabas He was a Good man and full of the holy Ghost and of faith and much people was added to the Lord Act. 11.24 A Good Minister is a good light a lampe a candle that spends himselfe in giving light to others whereas a snuffe burnes and lights only within its owne socket but is darke and stinking to others round about him In a word a Good Minister is like that Good Shepheard that layes downe his life for his sheep Secondly it may give us direction also in choice of publicke Officers Magistrates Commanders Knights of the Shire and Burgesses of Parliament if ever we live to another election to seeke out and chuse men of publicke spirits who are they you will say why say the world what they please they are Good men truly Godly men they will be constant and faithfull in their entrustments they will live and dye for you and with you All other men will warpe and start aside like a deceitfull bow will be corrupted or wrought like wax to take any impression of his owne or others designes Experience hath taught us something in this particular In these great divisions of this state what discoveries have been made of false faithlesse hearts In our great Senate in our Armies in all publick services what strange discoveries have beene made of those perhaps whom wee little suspected They say in politicks A man may be an ill man yet a Good Citizen I am sure it is false in Divinity He that is an ill man can no more be a Good patriot a Good Commonwealths man then evill can be Good He may perhaps be seemingly Good in times of peace when no divisions no temptations but no man will be constantly faithfull but he that is a man of a publicke spirit and no man but a Good man hath a publicke spirit Let it be a warning to us for the present and for the future in choice of any publick Instruments if we be againe deceived we may thanke our selves All or a great part of these present distractions of our state arise from hence that men in publicke places have private spirits private ends and aimes with neglect of the publicke 3. Uset double honour due to men of publick spirits 3. This may informe us what Honour and estimation is due to Good men men of publicke spirits that neglect themselves for the publicke Good their owne profit pleasure Honour Truly what the Apostle speakes of laborious and painfull Ministers That the Elders that rule well are worthy or to be accounted worthy of double Honour especially they that labour in the word and doctrine is fairly by proportion to be applyed to all publicke Instruments of publicke spirits Men of private places with publick spirits are worthy of double honour especially those who being imployed in publick services doe labour and even spend themselves and what they have for the Good and welfare of the Community And what is that double honour Countenance and maintenance say some A lampe or candle that consumes it self to give others light as every faithfull Minister doth deserves to be set not under a bed or a bushell but upon a Table as our Saviour speakes there 's his Honour of Countenance and to be plentifully supplyed with oyle to preserve it selfe for the common Good there 's the Honour of Maintenance The like is due to the Magistrate that is imployed in the publicke services of the State and to the Souldier that jeopards his life in the high places of the field to preserve the lives of thousands It is an odious and ignominious shame that we should chuse men to imploy in our publicke and common Concernments spirituall or temporall who must leave their fatnesse and their sweetnes and their wine as the trees speak in the parable which they might privately with ease enjoy as well as we and then when we have so done desert them both in regard of Countenance and Maintenance or assistance This hath been the case of many Ministers in times past and at the present the condition of our Honourable Patriots in Parliament How shamefully have
they been deserted I wish that were all yea maligned scoffed at by Scornfull men hated opposed even by them that chose and imployed them If men go on thus to forsake them and let them fall for want of Assistance it is just with God they should never chuse more or never live to partake of that common Good which they desire and endeavour to do for them As therefore the Apostle spake in a case of a faithfull Minister so I of all of a publicke spirit Receive them therefore in the Lord with all gladnesse and hold such in reputation because for the worke of Christ they were neare unto death not regarding their owne life to supply your lacke of service Phil. 2.29.30 And as Deborah gave her Voluntiers their due and double Honour so let us doe also Heare what she sayes My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people Blesse ye the Lord Judg. 5.9 and so she goes on to name the tribes and persons casting a secret reproach upon the Newters and at last come to it againe Zebulon and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field verse 18. So say I my heart is towards the Governours of England our Parliament Patriots that offered themselves willingly among the people Blesse ye the Lord. Blesse ye the Lord that raised up their persons and their spirits to stand for the publick Good of Religion Lawes and Liberties and to spend their time their strength their estates their credits and honour and lives for the same And blessed be they of the Lord and their posterities after them for ever My heart is also towards those Noble Commanders and common Souldiers that have offered themselves willingly among the people and have jeoparded their lives in the high places of the field blesse ye the Lord that raised up their spirits to such a pitch of Magnanimity and Resolution and blessed be they of the Lord let their lives and names be precious with the Lord and with the generations to come Lastly my heart is towards the Honourable City and Citizens that offered themselves and their estates willingly among and above all the Cities of the Kingdome to the almost exhausting of their wealth and treasure to the publick Good of the whole Land Blesse ye the Lord that stirred them up and blessed be they of the Lord for ever the Lord recompence it upon them and theirs sevenfold This is the least we can doe for them that have bn Instruments of the publick Good Render to every one their due Honour to whom Honour belongeth c. 4. It may be a ground of Exhortation to all especially to those who are publicke persons 4 Use Exhâ—rtâ—tion to get puâ—licke spâ—rits to study and endeavour the publicke Good above their owne with neglect of their owne sometimes and to this end to labour for publicke spirits every man to contribute his abilities of what kinde soever to be serviceable to the Community As above in the heavens every Starre even the least contributes its light and influence to the world especially those of greater magnitude So let it be on earth in a Church in a State every one cast in something to the publicke Treasury Some their wisdome and parts Some their estates Some their strength Some their persons and lives all their prayers 1. Perswaded For the perswading of this consider these things 1. We cannot as hath been said otherwise approve our selves to God to men or to our owne consciences 1. This an evidence of Goodnesse that we are Good men have any true Goodnesse true Grace true Religion A Good man is a publicke Good both Passively and Actively is Good and doth Good A private spirit is an evidence of a naturall heart It was not a good speech of the trees in the parable Shall I leave my fatnesse or my sweetnesse c. to be promoted over the trees to goe up and downe for other trees we must if we be trees of Gods Paradise of Gods planting He shall be like a tree planted by the waters side that brings forth his fruit in his season Psal 1. All times a reseasonable for a Christians fruit and so are all places He hath his fruit in private but most in publick 2. This is the end of all our Abilities 2. It is the end of all abilities Non nobis solum nati c. is a Proverbiall speech amongst the very Heathens we were not borne for our selves nor live for our selves our parents challenge a part our kindred and friends a part our Country our Religion all We are but Stewards entrusted with our Masters Treasure to be distributed and layd out for the Good of the familie We are but Servants or Apprentices that have nothing properly our owne we come into the world to serve our generation It is the Scripture phrase spoken of a King King David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13.36 When he had served his generation he fell asleepe In the great world all creatures contribute their share to the maintenance of the Communitie No creature is made for it selfe none acts for it selfe none lives to it selfe but an idle person and a Newter The sheepe and bees and the rest pay their tribute to Man Sic vos non vobis c. and the bees in the hives do not fill their cells with hony for their owne private use but every owne brings in and layes up as in a common treasurie and drones are either killed or banished from that little Commonwealth In the body naturall every member is a publick servant to the whole Corporation And shall Christians in the body mysticall or Citizens in the body politicall vary from all the rest and live only to themselves 3. This is very reasonable 3. It is very Reasonable There 's none but lives upon the common stocke none but desires to partake and share in the Publick Good of peace plenty liberty lawes religion what reason or equitie they should expect it if they contribute nothing to it Shall all other men all other creaturs be made serviceable to them and they to no body How can men desire of God with the Psalmist That they may see the Good of his chosen that they may rejoice in the gladnesse of his nation that they may glory with his inheritance Psal 106.5 if they have not some way or other lent their assistance to the procuring of it If they will not suffer with Gods people is it reason they should raigne or rejoice with them Such men may justly feare that they shall bee blasted by death or otherwise that they shall never see the Good of Gods chosen or not have any comfort in it though they see it As the Prophet sayd to that unbeleeving Prince that doubted the plenty prophesied as a thing impossible though God should open the windowes of heaven Behold sayes he thou shalt see it
not for Goodnesse sake yet for your own Goods sake you are beholding to them for all the Good you have and doe enjoy next under God The Prophet advises the people going into Captivity that they would seeke the peace of that wicked City Babylon and pray unto the Lord for it for saies he in the peace thereof shall ye have peace Jer. 29.7 And you make much of a bad servant because he is profitable and beneficiall to you how much more of those that never did you hurt that constantly doe you Good preventing judgements and procuring mercies your very life and livelihood and all your welfare depends upon it I leave it to your consideration and come 2. To Good men Secondly to speake a word of exhortation to Good men that they would be Good still and improve all their interest in God in these troublesome and calamitous times for the publicke Good First to be Good still 1 To bâ—e Good and better still and more Good as there is more need and use for the publicke Good He that is holy let him be holy still and he that is righteous let him be righteous still The better man the greater Good As we see it is the policie of children when they have any sute or request to promote they are commonly double diligent to insinuate themselves into our affections and favour It was Esthers wisdom to ingratiate herself with King Abashuerosh when she had a very great request to make unto him she first invites him to a banquet to sweeten his affections to her insomuch that he askes her that intended to aske him What wilt thou Queen Esther what is thy request and it shall be granted thee to the halfe of the Kingdome Esth 5.3 But she hath not yet enough hold of his affections therefore she desires only that the King would come to the banquet which she had prepared for him at which time the King makes the same demand What is thy petition c. but yet she forbeares as intending to ingratiate herselfe more with him thereupon she renewes her former request that he would come next day to another banquet and then supposing herselfe endeered to him out comes her great request Chap. 7.3 If I have found favour in thy sight O King and if it please thee King let my life be given me at my petition and my people at my request It is worth our imitation in such times of distresse when our lives and lands lye at stake to make our way with God by more exact observance of him to indeere our selves unto him that so for our sakes not only our owne lives but our Island may be granted at our requests Secondly to improve all the interests they have in God 2. To improve their interest in God and all their grace and favour with him which we have heard is much for the publicke Good The King of Heaven can deny you nothing To what purpose is this Grace and Priviledge with God if we make not use of it as Abraham did The whole Kingdome and Church of God cries to you as to our Saviour If thou canst do any thing come help us Ply God with prayers and tears and be importunate yea in a holy manner impudent till he make this our Land the praise and glory of all the earth In a word imploy your parts and abilities for the publicke Good which is done by getting publick Spirits But that leads me to the second branch of my generall Observation to that I now come And that is this Good men are publicke Goods actively That is they are men of publicke Spirits 2. Branch Good men are publick Goods actively This is preferring the Publicke before their own private Good That this is rightly collected I referre to the explication of the words and proceed to the confirmation 1. Commanded 1. This is Commanded in the Scriptures as the duty of every Christian Let us do good to all especially to the houshold of faith Gal. 6.10 By love serve one another Gal. 5.13 Let no man seeke his owne things but every man anothers wealth or welfare 1. Cor. 10.24 2. This is Commended 2. Commended by instances by the Spirit of God in Scripture to have been the practise of all Good men we observe some memorable instances And we beginne with Moses 1. Of Moses who spent himself in the publick affaires of the people in judgeing all causes brought before him till Jethro his Father in lawe gave him wise counsell Exod. 18.17.18 The things which thou doest is not well thou wilt surely weare away thou wilt faint and fall and all this people with thee for the thing is too heavy for thee thou art not able to doe it thy selfe alone And when God offered him one of the greatest offers that ever was made to a mortall man to bribe him that I may so say and to take him off from seeking and entreating for the Good of his people he utterly refused it Exod. 32.9 10 11 c. The Lord said unto Moses I have seen this people and behold it is a stiffenecked people Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them and consume them and I will make of thee a mighty people But Moses prayed unto the Lord his God c. And another time when the Lord seemed resolved to destroy that people he ventures not only his life but his soule between them and the wrath of God If thou wilt pardon this people well if not blot me out of thy Book c. The like we may observe in David 2. Of David He fed the people with a true heart and ruled them prudently with all his power Psal 7 72. And as if the spirit of Moses had been upon him he exposes himselfe to the sword of the destroying Angel to stay it from the people 2 Sam. 24.17 Behold I have sinned yea I have done wickedly takes all the fault upon himselfe and all the punishment too but these sheep what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against me and my fathers house This is the commendation of that Good man Jehojada 3. Of Jehojada 2 Chron. 24.16 the high Priest and the Epitaph upon his grave made by the Spirit of God They buried him in the City of David amongst the Kings because he had done good in Israell both towards God and towards his house Mordecai also was a man of the like spirit whose life and story is concluded with this Elegie He was next unto the King and great among the Jewes and accepted of the multitude of his brethren There is his Greatnesse his Goodnesse followes Seeking the wealth of the people and speaking peace to all his people Esth 10.3 But most memorable is the instance of that Good and Great man Nehemiah 4 Of Nehemiah who living in the favour of a King and in all pleasures of a Court yet enjoyed not himselfe whilest he
by the purenesse of thine hands Iob 22.30 The like or a yet lower condiscension we finde Jer. 5.1 Runne ye too and fro through the streets of Ierusalem and see and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man one man if there be any that executeth iudgement and seeketh the truth and I will pardon it Adde but one more and that is Ezek 22.30 I sought for a man but one man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it but I found none therefore have I powred out mine indignation upon them c. 2. 2. This is performed We finde the performances of this promise in many instances This was made good to Abraham in the preservation of his Nephew Lot and his family Gen. 19.29 God remembred Abraham that is his prayer and pleading with God that he would not destroy the righteous with the wicked Chap. 18. and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow Nay Lot himselfe had experience of this grace and favour that as he preserved Zoar so the City of Sodome and the rest could not be destroyed so long as he was in it See but the power he had with God For the first Lot did not directly petition for the sparing of that little City Zoar but for his owne safety yet God is pleased to spare it for his sake Thus he sayes See I have accepted thee concerning this that I will not overthrow this City for which thou hast spoken For the second Gen. 19.21.22 thus more strangely Haste thee escape thither for I cannot doe any thing till thou come thither Not only while Lot was in Sodome was it spared for his sake but all the while he was going to Zoar it was not destroyed The Israelites had manifold experiences in this kind in the wildernesse wherein they provoked God forty yeares Therefore he said that he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turne away his wrath the words of our Text lest he should destroy them Psal 106.23 And so verse 29.30 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions and the plague brake in upon them Then stood up Phineas and executed judgement and so the plague was stayed These were examples of favour for prevention or removall of judgements Take some for procuring of Good God blessed the Egyptians house for Josephs sake Gen. 39.5 And the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house and in the field And what a blessing he was to the whole land of Egypt for a blessing of plenty for seven yeares together is to be seen Gen. 41.47 Saint Paul also was thus highly honoured that he saved the lives of all that sailed with him in the ship two hundred threescore and fifteen soules beside himselfe Acts 27.24 Lo sayes the Angell God hath given thee all them that saile with thee Insomuch that he confidently tells them There shall be no lâ—sse of any mans life among you but of the Shippe verse 22. 3. This was ever a knowne and confessed truth 3. This is confessed by all both good and bad men have taken it for granted That they shall fare the better for Good peoples sake Hence it was that Baraâ— a good but a weake man desired Deborah an holy Prophetesse to goe with him to the warre yea professed he would not goe without her Judg. 4.8 as placing both his safety and victory in her presence And wicked Ahab solicites Jehoshaphat to goe to warre with him as hoping to prosper the better for his sake In a word for this reason wicked men have so often desired the prayers of righteous men as distrusting themselves and trusting more to finde mercy for their sakes then their owne 4. The same is further confirmed by grounds of reason 4. This is grounded on Reasons First Good men or Righteous men are Gods Favourites 1. Good men are Gods Favourites so they are called in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Saints we render it the word signifies his Favourites from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Mercy and Favour so his Saints are such as actually are mercifull The Good man is mercifull and lendeth but especially passively as received to the mercy or favour of God as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in Greeke spoken of the blessed Virgin Lu. 1.28 that is graced with God or highly favoured of God They are Gods Favourites I say and therefore for their sakes much Good is done to others that have any relation to them Consider but what Eliphaz saies to Iob perswading him to humble himselfe and be acquainted with God Iob 22.21 c. and to turne unto him he uses amongst others this argument vers 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him he shal hear thee and thou shalt pay thy vows Thou shalt also decree a thing and it shall be established unto thee ver 28. And last of all as before The Island shall be delivered by the purenesse of thy hands vers 30. Such grace and favour shalt thou finde with God It is very observable that the Psalmist hath delivered Psal 146.7.8 The Lord executeth judgement for the oppressed he giveth food to the hungry the Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blinde the Lord raiseth them that are bowed downe These are all common mercies to wicked men but what will he doe for righteous men Sure much more for them yet marke what he addes instead of all The Lord loveth the righteous as if his love were better then all those before named or rather because his love is the ground of all other favours and because he loves them he can deny them nothing for themselves or others So Psal 5.12 The Lord blesseth the righteous the Lord heareth the prayers of the righteous c. Insomuch that when God is resolved to punish a People or Nation he is faine to bid his Favourites not to pray for them Ier. 14. and 15. Chap. Pray not for this people Nay to intreat them not to intreat him but to let him alone that hee may destroy them as he did to Moses It is a very extraordinary case when such Favourites as Noah Iob and Daniel cannot deliver a Nation but only their owne soules Eze. 14.14 any ordinary favour they may procure for others as well as for themselves Secondly all Good things as they are promised to 2. All good things are intended for them so they are primarily if not only intended for the Good nothing for wicked men but as by reason of their vicinity and neare neighbourhood they fall upon them because they cannot well be separated All is yours saies the Apostle to his Corinthian Saints the world it selfe is yours 1 Cor. 3. last Our Saviour hath made a distribution of the whole world Matth. 5. Heaven
is given to the poore in spirit Earth is bequeathed to the meeke what then remaines for the proud and scornfull wicked men but Hell their proper inheritance as it is said of Judas that sonne or heire of perdition that he was gone to his owne place Act. 1.25 Now then if wicked men have any thing they have it for the godly mens sakes because they are mixt together As the Sunne shines upon the stony rocks as well as upon the low valleyes and the raine falls upon the barren mountaines as well as upon the fruitfull medowes but were intended only for the latter The tares in the field receive and pertake of the dewes and shoures of heaven but not for their owne but for the corns sake The Heathen man saw this truth by the twilight of nature God saith he provided all Good things for the Good but they befall the evill men because they cannot be separated And it is better to profit or doe good to evill men for the Goods sake then to bee wanting to the Good for evill mens sake The world it selfe stands for the Elects sake if their number were once made up as the old world perished by water so soone as Noah and his family were housed in the Arke so this present world should be destroyed with fire 2 Pet. 3. 3. All judgements are provided for wicked men Thirdly as all Good things are intended for the Good so all judgements and punishments are provided and prepared for the wicked none for Good men further then they communicate more or lesse in the wickednesse of the places and times where they live The whip is for the Asse and the rod for the fooles backe Prov. 26.3 Great plagues remaine for the ungodly Psal 32.10 Vpon the ungodly he shall raine snares storme and tempest fire and brimstone Psal 11. Now then because it is against justice to punish the Righteous with the wicked or for wicked mens sake Abraham pleads it so with God Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked farre be that from thee Shall not the Judge of all the earth doe right Gen. 18 25. And God admits the plea as just and reasonable as you may see If I finde fifty righteous I will spare all the place for their sakes Either therefore God must separate the righteous from the wicked as sometimes indeed hee does or else he must destroy the righteous with the wicked or for the wickeds sake which is unjust or else hee must spare the wicked for the righteous sake And we have a kinde of a Proverbe common amongst us It is better to save two Nocents then to destroy one Innocent The very tares as was said are spared for the wheats sake Fourthly Good men are studious and active for the publicke Good 4. They are active for the publick Good as we shall heare anon as well as for their owne yea above and with neglect of their owne Good They imploy all their parts wisdome strength riches interests for the Publicke Good all their prayers and power with God to the Good of others Now it is a wonderfull wel-pleasing thing to God to see men of his owne disposition to neglect themselves for Gods glory and his peoples Good that he will even for their sakes stay or remove a judgement and drop downe blessings upon others and they perhaps wicked As when Moses desired to be blotted out of Gods Booke rather then Gods glory should suffer or his people be destroyed God takes it so well that he spares a rebellious people for his sake These reasons may serve for the confirmation 5. The Applition then We now come to the application of it before we proceed to the next 1. Then on the contrary wicked evill men 1. Wicked men are publick evills are publicke evills they are not hurtfull onely to themselves that is the least part of their Illnesse but to the Places Families Townes Cities Countries the whole Island or Kingdome where they live One sinner destroyeth much good Eccles 9. last and hinders much good and brings much evill brings an house or City into a Snare or sets them all on fire One spark hath been the cause of the burning of a whole town One Achan troubled and had like to have ruined a whole Armie One and every wicked man is a curse a pest a viper to the place where he lives A fruitfull land he maketh barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psal 107.34 These these are the men that violate the peace and happinesse of a Nation that with-hold Good things from it The Prophet Zach. 5. saw in a vision a flying rowle written full of curses without and within And it shall enter sayes the Lord into the house of the theefe and of him that sweareth falsely c. It is a wonder to me that many families and townes are not ruin'd and destroyed for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein so full of curses and oathes and blasphemies No wonder there is so much trouble and perplexity in our Cities and Countries and whole Kingdome seeing wickednesse so much abounds n every place But especially considering that our land is so full of scornefull men Especially scornefull men both secret and open Secret scorners that in their hearts deride and despise not onely Goodmen but Goodnesse it selfe and the power and practise of Godlinesse Many perhaps that make a faire shew of Religion frequent the Assemblies observe Fasts and daies of Humiliation and yet in their hearts despise and deride all such Devotions as either needlesse or uselesse Many open scorners that are professed mockers and flouters of Religion and them that desire to professe it in the strictest and exactest way Hypocriticall Mockers at Feasts as Dauid calls them the drunkards that made songs of him and all that professe Godlinesse Amongst these you may reckon your Stage-players who had skoffed Religion out of countenance with many You have done well to put them downe and shall do better if you keepe them downe Adde to these your profane souldiers who undertaking to fight for Religion do as much scorne it and the professors of it with names of reproach as any of the Cavaliers Can we wonder to see our Cities and Countries so ensnared and enfired when all places are full of such skorners as our text mentions When one blesses and another curses which will God heare sayd a Wiseman This mixture of so many scorners with some few wise men in our Cities in our Armies makes things thus to hang in aequilibrio Now we have a victory then by and by a losse and defeat God himselfe seemes to be doubtfull whether he should save us for some Good mens sake or destroy us for these many scorners sake Salvian complained of his times and it is our case at this time Si quis ex Nobilibus c. If any of the Nobility or Gentry begin to be Religious he presently looses the Honour of his