these Breaches of our may and must be charged Some who have turned aside after error Others who have followed the Truth Deale we first with the former as having the greatest share in this businesse such as have turned aside after error In this ranke must we reckon all those Schismaticks and Sectaries who have departed from the truth of God professed amongstus or elfe have renounced all communion with us Anabaptists Familists of Christians the worst Antinomians Socinians Arminians Brownists I cannot reckon all neither will I go about it Upon these must we charge a great part of our home-bred Breaches which are caused by their Divisions dividing and cutting themselves off from the unitie of the Faith or the unitie of the Church These are obvious Breach-makers to whom we wish with the Apostle that God would give them Repentance to the acknowledgement of the Truth turning their feet into the wayes of peace And to these must we joyn not as accessaries but as principalls those late Superstitious Innovatours who not contented with the simplicity of the Gospel would have put a new dresse and that a garnish one upon the face of our Religion together with those unhappy and unfaithful Engineers whether Masters of the Ordinance or their subordinate Officers who being be-trusted with the Churches Artillerie have turned the mouth of her own Canons against her selfe battering her Bulworks beating her watchmen from their Watchtowers making Breaches in her Walls driving out her Inhabitants by laying taxes and impositions upon their consciences This if I mistake not was the first ground of that first Breach made in the first Church under the Gospel for the healing whereof that first Synod was called and Congregated at Jerusalem Acts 15. Some there were who being converted from Judaisme to Christianitie they still hanging upon the old haunt themselves they would needs have imposed some burdens upon the consciences of the converted Gentiles Putting a yoake upon their necks as Saint Peter layeth it down which saith he neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear What yoake was this A yoake of legall Jewish Ceremonies then antiquated and abolished a voake of Carnall Ordinances such as the Authour to the Hebrews speaks of which were imposed on the Jews untill the time of Reformation This yoake would they have put upon the Gentiles necks pressing and obtruding upon them some things offensive others not necessarie And this it was which made that Breach I will not spend time in making the Application thereof to our own Church and times I know your thoughts therein run before me my desire only is and my prayer shall be that as our disease is not unlike theirs so we may in Gods time finde a like Cure by a like means a lawfull Synod other means I know none after the like manner Imposing upon the Consciences of men no burdens but what are necessary Passe we from hence to what may happily more neerly touch and conscern some of our selves A second sort of Breach-makers amongst our selves are such as have followed the Truth it may be but they have not done it 1 In Love 2 with Wisdome First some who have done it in love This they should have done speaking the Truth in Love faith the Apostle {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Veritatem lectantes following the Truth in love so the old vulgar Translation readeth it not without some warrant from the Originall In Love viz. To the Truth it selfe Our Brethren To the Truth followed To our Brethren followers of the Truth with us Thus should the Truth be followed but thus some have nor followed it do not follow it they follow the Truth it may be But First not out of love to the Truth it selfe but rather out of self-love drawen by some By and sinister respects and inducements led and carried it may be rather by the examples of others whose persons they have in admiration happily because of advantage as Saint Jude speaks then by the dictates of their own judgements Thus following the truth not in love to the truth but to themselves their own credits reputations advantages Or Secondly Not in love to their Brethren followers of the truth as well as they Hence are those unchristian jealousies and heart-burnings disdainfull thoughts and speeches mixed it may be with uncharitable Consures which some are ready to passe upon those who in any thing are otherwise minded then themselves Insomuch as they cannot walk with any unlesse they be in all things agreed The least Difference breedeth a Distance the least difference in Judgement severs them in their Affections Plain evidences against them that they do not follow the truth in love which if they did it would certainly cover a multitude of weaknesses and infirmities in those whom they walk with specially they being such as they have no cause to think but that they are followers of the truth according to light received as well as themselves Others there are In the second place which do not follow the truth with wisdom Thus should the truth be followed Wisdom being the Pilate which should stear and direct the whole Course of a Christian regulating all his actions which if they be not ordered by wisdom though materially and in themselves never so good yet they loose their grace and acceptation both with God and man Now there are some amongst us which in following after the truth loose this stearage whose aimes and Intentions happily are good in what they do or seek after but their Actions are unadvised rash heady unwarrantable Such was that act of Vzzahs in putting forth his hand to stay the Ark of God when it was shaken The intention good but the action evill because unwarrantable he having no calling to do what he did Whereby it came to passe that whilst he went about to prevent a breach he made one God smiting him for his errour or Rashnesse as the Margin readeth it So making a breach upon him which gave the denomination to the place thereupon called Perez-Vzzah i. e. The breach of Vzzah And even thus fareth it with some amongst us who beholding the Ark of God shaken the religion of God as they apprehentd it endangered they presently step forth putting their hands being private hands to the work of Publicke Reformation not staying for them to whom that work properly belongeth but they will step forth before them in an irregular and unwarrantable way By this means instead of healing or preventing a breach making one You know the story Gen. 38. of Tamars twins She being in her travell the one putteth forth his hand first about which the Midwife tyed a scarlet thred as a token or mark of the first-borne the Purple or scarlet colour also well agreeing to the birth-right Oreldership as Musculus noteth upon it Notwithstaning this the other breaks forth before him not tarrying his time
hindering the groweth of it the increase of it This Mysticall bodie being joyned compacted and knit together it increaseth with the increase of God saith Saint Paul to his Colossians It maketh increase to the edifying of it selfe in love saith the same Apostle to his Ephesians On the other hand being divided rent and torne it withereth wanzeth it groweth not Not but that God can and sometimes doth bring good out of this evill light our of this darkenesse making the truth which is but one a gainer by division improving distractions to the Churches benefit But this is by accident no thanks to these divisions distractions for this gain which being enemies to Vnitie they are in their own nature no friends to the Truth no friends to the Church but enemies to it Enemies hindering the growth of it nay threatning the ruine of it Our Saviour hath sayd it of a Kingdome an House if divided against themselves they cannotstand These Breaches in the Church are like wounds in the bodie though not all mortall yet in their own nature destructive as I shall shew you God willing in the latter part of the Text shaking the Church as well as hindering it And in this respect Christians who bear good will to Israel wish well to the Church should seeke the Cure the Healing of them they are disadvantagious to the Church And Secondly Advantagious to her enemies In this like Breaches made in the walls of a Citie which are an In-let to the Enemie giving him the advantage of entring and taking possession if they be not either repaired or looked to Of such dangerous consequence are these Breaches in the Church they are In-lets to the Adversary In-lets in the first place to Sathan that comon Adversarie who by these breaches breaks in upon the Church as by domesticall breaches he breaks in upon a Family hindering the affaires of it In-lets in the second place to the Instruments of Sathan False-Teachers Seducers who make great advantage of these Breaches to let in their owne pernicious errors by them Even as by the Graecian Horse that fatall Engine was let and drawn in by that Breach which the Trojans themselves had made in their owne Walls to the overthrow of their Citie So dangerous are these breaches disadvantagious to the Church advatagious to her Enemies Great cause why Christians should desire and endeavour our the Cure the Healing of them Dwell we no longer upon Confirmation or Illustration It is a truth I suppose which in Thesi in the generall will easily be granted and yeelded at all hands That which I principally ayme at is the practicall part the bringing it home the setting it on by way of Application which I shall direct these two ways By way of Reprehension Exhortation By way Reprehension is this The duty and practise of every true Israelite to seeke the Healing of Israels breaches What then In the first place shall we say to them who instead of Healing make them Breach-makers whether in the Church or State To let passe the latter of these State-Incendiaries such as have troubled and distracted the Politicke State of this Kingdome for their own private ends and advantages that they might have the better fishing in these troubled waters Them I referre together with the Cure of those breaches by them made to that wise and venerable Colledge of State Phisitians at the present assembled to that purpose The Breaches which my eye is principally upon are Israels breaches Breaches in the Church specially those wherewith the Church in this Kingdome is distracted and torne And here give me leave briefly to tax and censure those which have been or are either the makers or maintainers of them whether Principalls or Accessaries Q But who are they A. For Answer I shall have recourse to the Type who were they which made these breaches in Israel which the Psalmist here complains of I have showen you it already They were either strangers or Israelites Strangers Enemies to their Kingdom and Religion Moabites Edomites Philistines or else Israelites that factious seditious party which cleaved to the House of Saul and so were enemies to the House of David Paralell hereunto behold we also in our Israel two forts of Breach-makers Strangers Israelites First Begin with the former Strangers I mean strangers and Enemies to our Religion Such as though they be amongst us yet they are not of us Papists and persons Popishly affected Amongst whom how ever I cannot think but that there are some blindly zealous poor misguided souls who follow after their Ishhosheth Or Adonijah with simplicity of heart and so are both more quiet and innocent Yet others amongst them there are and that many very active and practicall in this worst piece of Arithmatick which they study more than anvother Division Dividing of Houses Cities Parliaments Kingdoms States Churches Setting Subjects against Subjects In this Hellish Art how many famous I should say infamous Practitioners have there been amongst them in all Ages Witnesse the Histories of the late and frequent Irish Rebellions Some of them Masters in that Science Prosessours in it Those devoted and professed Incendiaries the Jesuites and their schollers Hellish Engineers who make it their work to be continually laying of Trains and springing of Mines for the blowing up the gates and wals of our Jerusalem endeavouring to make Breaches therin that themselves and their party may re-enter and take possession It was the speech of the Syrians and others their Confederates Let us go up against Judah and vex it and let us make a breach therein for us What they determined against Judah that do these Romish Consederates practise against our Israel continually vexing us by their wiles as the Midianites did Israel seeking to make a Breach amongst us for themselves their hopes being founded upon our divisions Upon them in the first place do we charge these our Breaches both in this and the neighbour Kingdomes but charging them we cannot discharge our selves 2. A second sort of these Breach-makers are to be found amongst our selves Israelites men professing the same Religion Protestants by name who to approve themselves such can readily pronounce the Protestants Shibboleth willingly submitting to the late Protestation wherin amongst other things they have vowed and promised to praeserve and maintaine the union and peace of the three Kingdoms and yet they either are or have been Breach-makers breaking the peace of the Church Of these we may take notice of two sorts Pardon my plain and home-dealing in prosecuting of this charge The designe which I aym at is the Healing of Israels Breaches Now a wound you know that it may be Cured it must first be searched This I shall do with as tender and gentle and hand as possible I can that whilest I go about to make up Breaches I may not make any Two sorts of persons there are amongst our selves upon whom
doth in such a way as he not onely leaves no fear behinde but maketh the Church a gainer by them In both these is God glorified and to these ends doth he permit these breaches which if he would he could hinder even as our Saviour suffered Lazarus to be sicke to dye both which he could have hindred that the Sonne of man might be glorified in his Resurrection This sicknes is not unto death but for the glory of God So may we say of these diseases in the Church her Breaches are not mortal not unto death the Church being a Body like unto the Head of it immertall but for the glory of God that the sonne of man the Head of the Church may be glorified in preserving in Healing it 2. God doth it in the second place with an eye to his Church giving way to these Breaches that For 1. Exercising 2. Trying 3. Purging of it 1. For the exercising of the Church Therefore doth he expose it sometimes to open persecution suffering Enemies to breake in upon it and to break it even as the Husbandman opens and breakes the clods of his ground rending and tearing it with ploughes and harrowes as the Prophet Jsai alludeth This he doth for the exercise of his Church which if it lay fallow would be ready to run wilde and prove unfruitfull 2. For probation and triall of it To make triall of the Faith and Obedience of his people To this end the Lord left the Cananites and some other nations to be as thornes and pricks in the eyes and sides of the Israelites not driving them out before Joshuah as he had done the rest that through them he might prove Israel whether they would keepe the way of the Lord to walke therein as you have it 2 Judg. And to this end amongst other he suffers his Church to be pierced rent and torne as by persecutions so by schismes and heresies viz. for the trying and manifesting of those which are approved There must be heresies or sects saith Paul to his Corinthians {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} oportet There must be Why That they which are approved may be made manifest Of such use were those civill dissentions in the Kingdome of Israel betwixt David and Ishbosheth thereby it was manifested who they were which cleared to the house of Saul and who to the House of David And such use God maketh of the Breaches and Divisions in his Church hereby he discovers who they are which will cleave unto him to his Truth and who they are which for by and sinister respects will be drawen aside to follow after errour Hereby God maketh a Discoverie discovering men to others I and sometimes discovering them to themselves making them hereby to know the rottennesse or sinceritie of their own hearts whether they have followed Christ for Loaves or no Thirdly for the purging of the Church Even as by those Commotions in the upper region of the Ayre thunderings and lightnings rending and tearing the clouds with those in the lower Region stormes and tempests the ayre it self is purged and cleansed from many noxious vapours which otherwise would anoy the inhabitants Even so by these commotions and combustions in the Church God purgeth a great deal of corruption out of it This is one of the fans in the hand of Christ whereby he dresseth his corne and purgeth his floore his Church freeing his truth from a great deal of chaffe and drosse which is oftimes mingled with it Thus this is Gods doing and In the second place it is Satans doing who hath ever an hand in those Breaches which God permits and orders So had he in the great Breach which was made upon Israel through Davids sin in numbring the people This happened not without a divine permission and ordination whence it is said that God moved David against Israel yet Satan had an hand in it being the immediate instigator of David unto that sin which made the Breach whereat that judgement brake in and thence we finde it else where attributed to Satan Satan stood up against Israel c. Which latter text explaynes the former There is not a Breach that is made in or upon the Church whether it be by open Persecution or home-bred Dissension but Satan hath an hand in it So had he in all those Breaches which were made in and upon the Primitive Churches Those persecutions were from him The great red Dragon in the Revelation he persecuted the woman Those persecutions wherewith the Church was broken under those heathenish Emperouts untill the time of Constantine the great that man-childe there spoken of as some expositours conceive it that masculine deliverer they were of Satans raysing And we may say the same of those schismes heresies errours superstitions wherewith the Church in those Primitive and after ages was infested and troubled they were all but the spawne and seed of the same Serpent The Serpent cast out of his mouth a flood of water after the woman so you have it verse fifteen A flood of water even that flood of errours and heresies as that of Arrianisme and some other which like a flood a land flood had overflowen almost the whole world This flood came out of the mouth of that Serpent And so hath that deluge of Antichristian errours in which the world for many ages together lay steeped and drowned And we may say the same of all those lesser streames of errours heresies schismes which have or do infest any part of the Church they are but as so many smaller brookes or rivolets flowing and streaming from the same head divisions discensions in the Church they are some of the tares sowen by this envious man in Gods field which he doth to a clean contrary end then that which God intendeth them for viz. for the ruine and destruction of the Church To this end the Dragon cast out that flood of warers after the woman that the woman might be carried away of the food To this end doth Satan set abroach all these pernicious errours in the Church that if possible the very Elect might be deceived and so the whole Church carried away either by seduction or destruction To this end doth he sowe these tares of differences and dissentions that they may hinder the groweth of the good corne the groweth of Religion as for the most part they do That hereby the Kingdome of Christ may be weakned his own strengthened which as it was at the first founded in and raysed by divisions his dividing betwixt God and man so it is exceedingly promored and built up by the same meanes by dividing betwixt men and men You see the truth of the point that it is so you see the grounds of it why it is so What use shall we now make hereof unto our selves Here to let fall a stone which the text putteth into my hand
seeke and endeavour the healing of the breaches of this our Israel By this time me thinkes I feele your pulses begin to beat and your hearts to worke burning within you so as you are ready to say O but how shall the breaches of this our Israel be healed how shall this Cure be effected the cure of this Nation this State this Church that is the patient I confesse I principally have in hand and that is the Cure which I principally aime at though the other is so twisted in with it as that I cannot speake of the one but I shall touch now and then upon the other How shall the Church amongst us be cured A. A usefull Question Take the resolution of it from the Churches Physitian God himselfe who promising to undertake Israels cure the healing of her breaches those breaches which the Babilonians had made upon her he sets downe the ratio medendi tels her how and in what way that cure should be viz. by revealing upon her abundance of peace and truth So you have it Jer. 33. Behold I will bring it health and cure and I will cure them and will reveale upon them the abundance of peace and truth Behold the way and means whereby a Nation a Church that is broken may be perfectly healed and cured viz. by Revealing upon it and establishing in it abundance of Peace and Truth In which soveraigne Restorative we may take notice of two things The Ingredients Quantities The Ingredients which are but two but two principall ones each of them of great price and value Peace the one Truth the other The Quantitie of each Abundance abundance of Peace and Truth These two together taken in this Quantitie will make a perfect Cure upon any Nation any Church I upon this Church Peace and Truâ—h both together the one without the other will not do it Peace without Truth will make but a slight Cure onely skinning over the wound for a time Such a Cure it was that the false Prophets wrought upon Israel in healing her breaches They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace Nor unlike an unskilfull Chyrurgion who by applying some healing plaister to an ulcerous sore cilatrizeth the wound skinneth it over when it is not sound at the bone On the other hand truth without peace may make the Church sound at the bone but it will not heale the wounds of it both together make a soveraign salve Like that usuall but usefull one of Minium or red-lead and oyle mixed together where the one draweth out corruption and maketh the part sound the other skins and heals both together making a perfect Cure of any ordinary wound Oh then in the fear of God following the prescript and direction of this great Chyrurgeon this great Phisician Let all of us seeke and endeavour the furthering and effecting of the Churches Cure in this way by seeking after both these Seeke Peace seeke Truth seeke Peace and Truth Peace Seeke Peace and ensue it saith St. Peter Truth Seeke it and buy it Buy the Truth saith the Wise-man Fundamentall Truths Truths simply necessarie at any rate what ever they cost Other Truths be content to buy them but not over-buy them give not too much for them It is but an ill bargaine which some make to buy some truths with the losse of Peace Seeke the one and seeke the other but seek both together Peace and Truth that they may be both revealed upon us and established amongst us and that in abundance In this abundance there is no danger I meane in the abundance of both these together Of the one without the other there may be Abundance of Peace without Truth will breed a Lethargie abundance of Truth without Peace may breed a Phrensie The one will breed a senslesse securitie the harbenger of Ruine and destruction When they shall say Peace peace then sudden destruction cometh upon them The other by accident may breed a swelling Timpany of Spirituall pride and selfe-conceitednesse then which as hereafter happily I shall shew you there is nothing more opposite to this Cure the healing of the Churches Breaches You see then the way whereby this great and much desired Cure is to be effected But what shall we do for the furthering of this Cure in this way It is a great question and it will aske some time to answer it more then I have to spare at the present In answer to it my design and purpose is to lay downe some rules and directions which may be asefull to you this way for the furthering of this Cure the healing of the breaches in this our Israel to which the good Lord give a blessing that they may conduce to the end for which they are intended These Directions I intend to reduce to two heads laying down two sorts of them Some restorative others preservative The former directing to the curing and healing the Breaches alreadie made The latter to the preventing of the like Breaches for the time to come I should begin with the former Restorative directions which again are of two sorts some of them concerning our selves others of them concerning others viz. those which have been or are the breach-makers amongst us shewing how we are to order our selves towards them and what we are to do to them or for them Of the former sort I should have given you three or foure Take one of them for the present for I will not multiply particulars under any one head which may serve as a fitting Preparative for all the test and therefore I shall put it in the first place Let us have faith to be healed It is said of Paul that Beholding the Criple at Lystra and perceiving that he had faith to be healed he said unto him stand upright This faith in him was a Passive miraculous saith But what have we to do with this faith Surely Beloved if we looke at our Disease the dangerousnesse I had almost said the desperatenesse of it we shall see that we have need of a saith not much inferiour unto this Miraculous Cures call for miraâ—ulous faith Wonderful and extraordinary Cures call for a saith answerable And such is the saith that this Cure to flesh and bloud carnall reason so difficult calls for at our hands a more then ordinary faith which may breake through all those clouds of apparent difficulties and seeming impossibilities laying hold upon the great Phisician GOD himselfe for the healing of these breaches Why but in what have we to support and beare up our faith in apprehending in beleeiving this The hand of faith is like Moses his hands which he held up in Israels cause against Amaleck ready to flag and fall down if it be not supported Now what supporters shall we have for this faith Instead of many make use of two two supporters which may be to our faith in this
case as Aaron and Hur were to Moses in that to uphold both the hand and head of it to make it steady The one is the Power of God the other his Promise 1. The Power of God this he can do The disease indeed is dangerous and Cure difficult but not exceeding the skill of this great Phifician who can put life into a dying nay a dead bodie He that said unto those dry bones live and to Lazarus after his foure dayes buriall Come forth He can much more put life again into this our languishing dying State and Church He can do it True this we doubt not of I but the question is touching his Will 2. For that in the second place take a promise which if we shall yet but performe the condition it may give us at least comfortable hopes should I say assurance it would bear me out that God will make it good to us And me thinks there are rayes and beames of comfort shining in and streaming from the face of that promise in as much as God hath in part already wrought for us and amongst us that worke which there he calls for from us You have it 2 Chr. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name or upon whom my Name is called shall humble themselves and pray and seeke my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sinne and heale their Land The former part hereof blessed be God it hath beene in measure already done as by the Representative bodie of the Kingdome the heads of our Tribes so by a considerable number of others of all sorts even all the Lords people amongst us whose hearts the Lord hath touched and stirred up to stand in these breaches They have endeavoured to humble themselves and pray and seeke the face of God this they have done privately and this they have done publickly upon those solemne dayes of Publick humiliation set apart by Authority to that purpose for which I hope this Nation shall have cause to blesse the God of Heaven for ever Oh! that the second part were but now performed that we were all of us from the highest to the lowest turned from our wicked wayes that we had but given a Bill of divorce to all those wrath-provoking sins which cry for vengeance against us then might we with confidence set faith a worke to apply and lay hold upon that promise That God will hear in Heaven and forgive cur sin and heal our Land In the hopes wherof yet raise we up our drooping spirits not suffering our hearts to dye within us as Nabals once did when he heard what Davids intention was in coming against him Let us rather stirre up our selves to act Ahigals part to interpose our selves using all the wayes and means which God shall direct us to for the appeasing of his wrath for the procuring of his favour that through this his power and goodnesse the breaches of our Israel may be so healed and his face may so shine upon us that we may be saved For other Directions I must deferre them till another occasion ISRAELS CURE The fourth SERMON March 23. PSAL. 60. Ver. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof THe healing of Israels breaches is a Cure which every true Israelite should earnestly desire and seriously endeavour This is the maine conclusion which my eye was upon when I first tooke this Text in hand Some time I have spent upon it already prosecuting it both by way of Doctrine and Application The latter of these I directed two waves By way of Reprehension Exhortation With the first of these we have done and have made some way into the latter Exciting and stirring up all sorts of Persons to the desire and endeavour of this blessed Cure the healing of the breaches amongst us in this and the neighbour Kingdom whether in Church or State To set on this Exhortation I made use of some Arguments and Motives tending and serving to set an edge both upon your desires and endeavours that both your hearts and hands might work this way Having layed this foundation I came to build upon it For your direstion shewing you First Wherein this Cure consisteth and how it must be effected specially the Cure of the Church which is properly my Patient at present viz. by Revealing unto it and upon it abundance of peace and truth Secondly What you are to do for the furthering of this Cure in this way This latter I entred upon the last day and but entred then only chaulking out the way wherein I intended to walk which is to lay you downe some Rules and directions which may be usefull unto you in this way Those I ranged into two Ranks dividing them into two sorts some Restorative others Preservative The former directing to the making up of Breaches already made the other to the preventing of Breaches for the time to come We have begun to bring up the former Rank Restorative directions which again are of two sorts Some of them concerning our selves others of them concerning others viz. those which are or have been breach-makers amongst us teaching us how to demean and order our selver towards them Of the former of these I have given you one and but one which I laid down as a fiting Preparative to make way for all the rest Which is That we should have faith to be healed It is said of our blessed Saviour that when he came into his own Countrey Patriam nutrition is the place where for a time he was educated and brought up Nazareth He did not many mighty works there saith St. Mathew He could not do them saith St. Marke Why Because of their unbeliefe Unbeliefe doth after a sort break the arme and evacuate the power of the omnipotent God putting a kinde of impossibilitie upon things otherwise possible Whereas on the other hand faith putteth a possibility upon things in appearance to flesh and bloud impossible If thou canst beleeve saith our Saviour to the father of the Demoniack all things are possible to him that beleeveth Let not us then through our unbeliefe either weaken the power or make voyd the promise of God If ye will not beleeve surely ye shall not be established saith the Lord to Ahaz and his people in a like case And if we will not beleeve surely we shall not be healed And therfore stirre we up our hearts to Beleeving Even against hope beleeving in hope as it is said of the Father of the faithfull Still resting upon the power and mercie of God for the pardoning of our sins and healing of our Land which he is easily able to do only beleeve Said I not unto thee saith our Saviour to Martha objecting unto him the impossibility of her Brother Lazarus his Resurrection after his four dayes buriall Said I not unto thee saith he that if thou wouldst beleeve thou shouldst see the
is the wisdome of those who shall contend so hotly and eagerly for some truths being not of the foundation nor neere it as that in the meane time they regard not the setting all on fire rather then part with them Certainly they which will not in a good sence be content to part with some truths and those it may be usefull ones for peace they are not worthy of it nor yet must ever looke to enjoy it upon earth Let it not be mistaken loath I am that any in the darknesse either of ignorance or prejudice should stumble at this truth of parting with truth Part with it How Not by abjuring denying any Truth against conscience This a man may not doe upon any tearmes Peace of conscience must be maintained what ever it cost But by not avowing not openly contending and contesting for it whether by Profession or Practice And for this I thinke we shal need no other warrant then that rule and direction of the Apostle Rom. 14. Hast thou faith have it to thy selfe Faith i. e. acknowledge and assurance either of the truth or lawfulnesse of something indifferent which thou canst not either professe or practice without the offence and scandall of thy weake Brother to the breaking of Peace In this case saith the Apostle have this saith to thy selfe enjoy thine owne knowledge and perswasion but keepe it to thy selfe not letting it breake forth to the scandall of others much lesse to the indangering of the Churches Peace which ought to be of more price and value to us then many of these Truths It is the speech of Elkanah to Hannah his wife when she was so inordinately desirous of a Son that nothing else could give her content Am not I better to thee then ten Sonnes i. e. then many children The like may the Church of God say unto us Am not I better unto you then many children then many fruits and conceptions of your own braines I though issues of truth This I speake not that I would have Truth any truth which I acknowledge to be a part of the image of God sleighted and undervalued Goldsmiths will not cast away the dust and filings of their gold and silver No more should Christians cast away such ends and shreads of truth as God either hath or shall be pleased to reveale unto them Onely my aime is that I would have a higher price set upon Peace then for the most part it is bought and sold at This I am sure what ever may be said for some truths truths of the new Covenant for of them onely it can be said was a peece of that great purchase purchased by the blood of Christ He is our peace saith the Apostle i. e. the Author of it our Peace-maker making peace as it followeth vers. 15. And this he hath done by and through the bloud of Christ as the same Apostle hath it there purchasing peace and not only peace with God but peace with and amongst men Of that peace the Apostle speaketh in that 2 to the Ephesians Peace betixt Jews and Gentiles making them one To this end Christ came downe from Heaven to earth to make peace as in heaven so upon earth Glory be to God on high on earth peace so sings that Quire of Angels at the birth of our Saviour This he purchased and having purchased it he left it bequeathed it Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you saith he to his Disciples when he was to take his last farewell of the world and them And let not us any of us slight this Legacie we will not do so by th Legacie of a dying friend If it be a Ring an embleme of union and concord we will weare it for his sake And shall we not do the like by the Legacie of a dying Saviour make much of it make use of it and be content to part with something for it for the keeping of it if enjoyed for the recovery of it if lost By this means shall we much further this blessed Cure the filling and making up of the breaches in this our Israel by casting every one something into them every one himselfe I have done with the directions which meerly concerne our selves which if they may but be taken and kept not naufeated and cast up again as tuely stomachs are wont to deal with their distastefull Potions I doubt not but that they will have a kindely working conducing much towards the cure desired and intended Passe we in the second place to such directions as may concern others viz. those which are or have been breach-makers amongst us concern them not as agents but as patients teaching us how we are to order and demean our selves towards them what we are to do to them for them or against them for the effecting of this Cure These Breach-makers as I have alreay shewn you the Instrumentall causes of the present breaches in this our Israel they are of two sorts Either Strangers or Israelites Strangers professed enemies to our Religion or Israelites such as professing the same Religion with us for substance have beene through weaknesse seduced and drawne aside either from the wayes of Truth or Peace Now what shall be done to the one and to the other For answer hereunto I shall have recourse againe to the Type in the Text observing what course David here pitcheth upon and intendeth to run with both these which were the causes of those Breaches in tha this Kingdom Strangers Israelites he would deale with both but after a different manner subduing the one reducing the other So you shall finde it in the 6 7 8 verses of the Psalm As for those which were enemies to his Kingdom Moabites Edomites c. He would subdue them and bring them under by force So much is intended in those two emphaticall expressions verse 8. Moab is my wash pot over Edom wil I cast out my shoe Each importing a servile and contumelious subjection as Expositers note upon it Moab should be his wash pot a vessell to wash his feet in according to the custome of those Eastern Countries then and now i. e. the Moabites they being conquered should be imployed about base services and servile offices Over Edom he would cast out his shoe i. e. passe through it as a Conquerour trampling upon it treading down the Inhabitants under foot handling them in a disgracefull and contumelious way as they had done the people of God before Thus would he deale with the professed enemies of his Kingdom As for his own people that seditious party of Israelites which cleaved to the house of Saul he would use means to reduce them to bring them under his Government I will divide Shechem and mete out the valley of Succoth so you have it verse 6. i. e. I will possesse my selfe of them and rule over them not as a Conquerour and Slaves but as a Lord over subjects
game and follow the same chase how well doe they agree and accord amongst themselves From them for there is no creature so meane but man who was once their master may now goe to schoole to it let the Ministers of Christ learne a Christian harmonie As long as they are all followers of the Truth the same Truth though with some difference about the finding it out yet let them follow the Truth in Love by all meanes seeking after an holy concord and agreement betwixt themselves which will bee of great use in preserving peace and unity amongst the people And to this end Let them First Reverence and esteeme highly of one another I meane so many as they see painfull and godly not despising not contemning them in respect of some differences in Iudgement or disparitie in parts and Gifts but still upholding the esteeme of them in their owne hearts and labouring by all means to uphold and maintaine their credits and reputes in the estimation of others Secondly Let them by all meanes avoid open Contests If there bee private differences betwixt them let them not breake forth to a publicke view nor yet come into a popular cognizance by Pulpit-jars and Clashings which for my own part as I have ever desired to decline so I shall ever indeavour to doe it though I might say justly provoked to it It was a good direction of a late godly learned and judicious Divine of our Church one that was no friend I am sure either in judgement or practise to the supposed Corruptions in it It is not saith he to bee held want of Zeale or alteration in Iudgement but true wisdome in a Minister to shun in his Ministery and doctrine so far as in him lyeth those points which Brethren differ in and to spend his time in such points wherein we all agree and which are more profitable for the People to know Paul kept back nothing that was profitable And let not any here conceive that my self have runne counter to this Direction in speaking against that dangerous error of those which upon the grounds aforesaid Renounce all Communion with us Wherein I have done no more then that Author himselfe whom that industrious Dr Willet for his zeale and abilities shewed in that quarrell calleth Brownistarum malleum the Hammer of Brownists frequently and strenuously doth both in that Tract and in other of his writings But I have yet divers particulars to touch upon which I see I must but name willing to discharge my selfe of this point at the present which hath hung in my hands longer then I made account of For Private Persons what shall they doe 1. In the first place let them labour for Humble Hearts A soveraigne Preservative against these Breaches What is it that maketh them Pride Onely by Pride commeth Contention saith the Wiseman He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife This is The Breach-maker and making these Breaches it maintains them As long as there is proud flesh in a wound it will not heale or if it doe it will breake forth againe For the Healing of these Breaches so healing them that they may not break forth againe labour to get the proud flesh cut out of our Hearts all of us seeking for humble spirits A generall direction To which I may subjoine 3. other particulars being subordinate and subservient to it You shall find them all together laid down by the Apostle in that one verse v. 16. of the 12. chap. to the Romanes where the Apostle exhorting his Romanes to an holy unanimitie and agreement that they should be of the same mind one towards another he sheweth them by what means they should both attaine it and keepe it First Mind not high things Secondly Condescend to men of low estate Thirdly Be not wise in your conceit All of them very usefull for the present times And I wish Christians would make use of them First Mind not high things things above your reach By this means women with child sometimes come to miscarry by reaching too high And surely this hath been and is none of the least causes of some of those miscarriages amongst us Private Christians whose reach and apprehension is but short and shallow yet they will {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} be reaching at High things things above their reach and capacity and beyond their line I spare particulars whilst in the mean time they neglect those fundamentals of Faith and Repentance both the study and practice of them Beware of this Presumption remembring that weake Brains being set on high are subject to a Vertigo a Giddinesse Secondly Condescend to men of low estate Despise not poore Christians weake Christians though neither their estates nor parts nor places nor graces bee answerable unto yours yet despise them not But condescend to them close with them If they be such as doe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} indeavour to walk uprightly according to the measure of light and grace received be not ashamed to owne and honour the graces of God in them bearing with their weaknesses and infirmities considering that the strong God whose power is made perfect in weaknesse is able to make them stand And that they may be as necessary and usefull members to the Body as thy selfe though not so honourable Thirdly Be not wise in our own conceits In our owne Eyes so the Wiseman hath it to whom the Prophet Esay denounceth a woe woe unto them I and woe oft-times to the Church because of them No such a Breach-maker as this as I have shewn you already Every of us beware of it being ever jealous of our selves ready to suspect our owne judgements in points controversall where we have not clear evidence of the Word for deciding them Were these directions observed certainly they would conduce much to the preventing of Breaches to the preserving of Peace Take two or three more each in a word 2. In the second place Follow after Holinesse The direct and next way to peace Therefore the Apostle puts them together Follow Peace with all men and Holinesse Certainly did men studie Holinesse more the Theorie and Practise of it as it would divert their thoughts from many fruitlesse Controversall speculations so it would bee a means to cement and unite their hearts to all those which truely feare God so as every triviall difference should not divide and sever them Thirdly Following Holinesse Studie also Quietnesse So the Apostle exhorts his Thessalonians shewing them withall how they should find what they studie for Studie to bee quiet saith hee and doe your own businesse and worke with your own hands Certainly were this regarded did men and women love their own houses and them best medling with their owne businesse conscionably and diligently attending upon their owne callings therein Abiding with God as the Apostle exhorts his Corinthians it
â—â—st 4. 13 1 Tim. 3. 15 Psa. 137. 6 2. For our Brethrens sake Gal. 4. 26. Num. 27. 3. For Religions sake 1 Kin. 6. 7. Psa. 74. 6. Gen. 11. 7. Q How shall the Churches breaches be healed A. Meanes of cure By abundance of peace and truth Ier. 6. 14. Seek after both these Peace and Truth 1 Pe. 3. 11 Pro. 23 23 See the next Sermon Both together 1 Th. 5. 3. Quest Answ. Directions for furthering this Cure in this way Two sorts of them 1. Restorative 2. Preservative The former concerning 1. Our selves 2. Others A Prepative Dir. 1. Have Faith to be healed Act. 14. 9. Quest Ex. 17. 12. Answ Faiths supporters in this case two The powor of God Eze. 37. 4. Ioh. 11. 43 His Promise 2 Chr. 7. 14. 1 Sam. 25. 37. vers. 18. Psa. 80. 3. Dir. 1. Have faith to be healed Mat. 13. last Mar. 6. 5. Mar. 9. 23 Isa. 79. Ro. 4. 18. Iohn 11. 40. Iam. 2. 20. 2â— 2. la 5. 15 16. Pray the breaches whole Vers 16. Luk. 7. 6. 7. 2 Chr. 7. 14. Ioyn fastâ—ng to our Prayers 1 Tim. 4. 8. Morbi qui medianon curantur medecina curentur Fernel Math. 17. â—1 Exod. 32. 10. Iob 41. 3. Ioh. 9. 30. Dir. 3. Make up our owne breaches getting our owne sins healed Isa. 59. 2. Ioshua 7. Luke 4. 23. 2 Chr. 7. 14. Specially publick persons Isa. 3 6. 7. Whose sins have a dangerous influence upon the Publicke State Psa. 5. 18. Exod. 32. 25. 2 Sa. 24. 15. Dir. 4. Every one cast in something into these breaches Luke 22. 1. Every man himseie viz. His owne will Luke 9. 23. Selfe the greatest breach-maker therefore ought to be sacrificed 2 Pe. 2. 10 2 Sa. 20. 21. Doctor Staughtons Sermon upon 1â—2 Psal. verse 6. Hoâ— truth may and â—ught to be parted with for Peace Ro. 14. 22. 1 Sa. 1. 8. Peace purchased with the bloud of Christ Eph. 2. 14. vers. 15. Col. 1. 20. Luk. 2. 14. Joh. 14. 27 2. Directions concerning breach-makers what to do them Davids course with the breach-makers in his Kingdome Calvin Mollerus Somnius 1. Prosessed enemies subdue them Lev. 24. 19 20. Nu. 25. 16 Iosh. 7. 25 1 Kin. 2. 9 2. Seduced Brethren Psal. 59. 5. Quest Ans. Reduce them Heb. 12. 13. With gentlenesse Gal. 6. 1. What to be done to this end Directions for Magistars in this case Isa. 41. last 1. Take stumbiing blocks out of the way Isa. 57. 14 2. Set up a Standard for the people Isa. 62. vers. 10. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Super populos Num. 10. 14. viz. Christ in his ordinances Luk. 23. 34. Num. 21. 9. Ioh. 3. 14 Deu. 10. 8. 31. 9. Gal. 3. 1. This is the only way of gathering the people Mat. 23. 37. vers. 7. Let Iudah be the Law-giver Ge. 49. 10 Reve. 5. 5. 2. Directions for ministers Iere. 6. 14 Eze. 34. v. 2 7 8. c. Mat. 18. 12. 1. Let them be blamelesse in their lives 1 Tim. 3. 2. Tit. 2. 13. 1 Pet. 5. 3. 1 Sa. 2. 17 Exod. 28. 36. 38. 2 Painfull in their Callings a Luke 2. 8. b Acts 20. 28. c Ib. verse 31. 2 Tim 4. 5. Num. 4. 11. 2 Sam. 6. v. 6. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 2. 3. Meck and wise in their carriage Mat. 10. 16. 2 Tim. 2. 24. Meek bearing with infirmities of weake Brethren Luke 15. 5. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26 Wise not feeding their weaknesse I am 3. 13. Acts 16 3. Gal. 2. 34. 1 Cor. 9. v. 19 20 21 22. Gal. 2. 12. * The use of the Lords Prayer A warrant for speaking against Brownists whom meant thereby Masters Balls Answer to Master Cans Treatises in the Answer to the Epistles Brownists doe more credit to Antichrist then his chiefe upholders Directions for Private persons 1. Walke in meeknesse Ephes. 4. 1 2. 2. In Wisedome Col. 4. 5. 1 Joh. 2. 19. Gal 1. 12 13. Preservative Directions Joh. 5. 14. For Magistrates Keepe the way cleare from stumbling-blocks by asserting Christian libertie Not suffering Conscience to bee pressed with unnecessary Burdens Acta 15. Vers 28. 29. 2. Having set up a Standard let them make it a Standard Deut. 12. 8. Judg. last cap. and Verse 1 King 7. 27. 30. 37. Prov. 25. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Super Rotis suit Montan. Directions for Ministers 1. Let them look and goe right forwards 1 Sam. 6. 12. Phil. 2. â—1 Luâ—e 2. 14. Labour for unitie amongst themselves Maintaining the credit eaâ—h of other Rom. 14. 3. Avoyding Pulpit-jars Publicke contests M. Hilderch m. Lect. 65. upon Ioh. 4. cap. Acts 20. 20. Comment. sup 1 Sam. in Ep. Dedicat. Directions for Private Persos 1. Labour for Humble hearts Prov. 13. 10. c. 28. v. 25. Rom. 12. 16. Not minding high things above their reach CondesceÌ„ding to weak Christians 2 Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 14. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 22 c. Not being wise in their own Conceits Prov. 3. 7. Esay 5. 21. 2. Follow Holinesse Heb. 12. 14. Studie quietnesse 1 Th. 4. 11. 1 Tim. â— 13. 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24. Beware of Minister-worship 1 Cor. 1. 12. 1 Cor. 3. 5. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 17. Ministers made Idols 4. wayes See M. Hildershâ—m 66. Lect. upon Joh. 4. Distinguish betwixt a Tender and Scrupulous Conscience D. God is the Healer of Israels Breaches Psal. 103. 6. 1 King 20. 5. Exod. 15. 26. Psal. 41. 4. Psal. 147. 3. Psal. 46. 9. 147. 14. Isa. 30 26. Jer. 30. 17. Jer. 32. 39. R. Hee wounds and Healeth Deur 32. 39. 2 King 5. 7. Hos. 6. 1. This Cure is his though effected by Instruments and means Psal. 107. 20. Mat. 8. 8. Vse 1. Despaire not of a Cure for this and the neighbour Kingdome Icr. 17. 14. Ier. 51. 9. Ier. 15. 18. Lam. 2. 13. Rev. 18. 11. Acts 9. 39. 2 Joh. 3. Psal. 27. 10. Psal. 90. 3. Ier. 30. 12 13. v. 17. Gen. 41. 20. Psal. 121. 1. Hos. 13. 9. Ps. 124. v. last Vse 2. 1. Seek this Cure from God Psal. 6. 2. 2 Chro. 16. 12. Psal. 41. 4. Not but that we may seek it from men Ioh. 4 47. 1 Cor. 9. 2. Acts 17. 28. Ier. 30. 13. 2. Goe our selves unto God Returning unto him 2 Kings 5. 9. Is 19. 22. Hos. 6. 1. Joel 2. 12 13 14. 2 Chro. 7. 14. 1 Sam. 6. 3. Rom. 12. 1. 2. Phil. 1. 27. Vers 11. 3. Rest upon him for this Cure Is 30. 15. Psal. 60. 11. Jer. 17. 5. Not upon Instruments being but an Arme of flesh subject to bee broken Psal. 44. 6. Psal. 18. 34. Job 20. 24. Psal. 18. 34. Psal. 46. 9. Amos 6. 11. Proceres Gregarios seu Plebeios Calvin Gualt. Is 22. 9 10 11. Hos. 5. 13. Ver. 14. Job 13. 4. Esay 28. 16. Give God the Glory of the Cure if ever effected D. Israel subject to shakings Exod. 19. 18. Mat. 16. 18. 2 Sam. 6. 8. 1 Chron. 13. 9. Breaches are shakings The Church subject to shakings through Satans malice Iob 1. 19. 2. Through Gods Providence hereby 1. Sometimes manifesting his displâ—asure Mat. 27. 51. 2. Purging his Church 3. Humbling his people and so preparing theÌ„ for some speciall mercy 1 King 19. 11 12. Vse Be we affected with the shaking of our Israel Seek the healing of her Breaches 2 Sam. 6. Every one in his Place Esay 58. 12. Phil. 49.