the Diabolicall sinne of Hypocrisie must at the last breake forth be detected And therefore let them not be deceived for God cannot be mocked as they sow so shall they reape their seed-time wherein they sow nothing but the seedes of wickednesse is in this life and their harvest shall be in the end of this life in the land of everlasting darknesse for the Hypocrites portion shall be in utter darknesse where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 24. ult 3. Those that are Schismaticks who separate themselves from the Church of Christ Against all such persons of that dangerous Brood S. Paul gave in one verse a Three-fold Caveat to his Philippians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.2 The first the Apostle termeth Dogs The Second Evill-Workers And the Third the Concision 1. By Dogs is meant those who barke against the truth of Christ for lucre sake And hence it is that there is such a Deluge of Errours at this day flowing in the Church viz. the splendor glittering shew of Balaks gold which hath not onely dimmed but also blinded the avaricious eyes of the bastard brood of corrupt-hearted Balaams and against the light of their knowledge turned their Consciences into covetousnesse answerable to that true saying of Virgil the Heathen Poet O sacra auri fames quid non mortalia pectora cogis O cursed desire of gold what mischiefe is it but for the love of thee thou forcest man to attempt it Whereby they are not onely fitted to worke their owne sinfull ends by sinister meanes but also eagerly exercised as every opportunity is offered in speaking both privately and publiquely those things though never so pernicious to the soules of their Auditors that shall conduce to their worldly Advantage and helpe to their expected and greedy-wished-for wages for the satisfying of their unlimited and avaricious desires Who serve not the Lord Jesus but their owne bellies whose glory will turne to their shame minding as they doe nothing but earthly things Phil. 3.19 The approach of which Medusa's head being Demas-like avariciously affected in this declining Age of the World 2 Tim. 4.10 wherein the people are as desirous of Novelty as subject to Discontent the world hath suffered a fearfull and fatall Metamorphosis and justly may wonder to finde her selfe so great and grosse a Changeling but politique Hypocrisie accounting Gaine to be Godlinesse is a building which hath but a lubricall sandie and slippery foundation and therefore with terrour to her co-operating Agents and comfort to her over-oppressed Patients she cannot promise to her selfe and her viperous Brood any certainty of long continuance although her deceitfull and pestilent Agents are never so Active The which pernicious practice of those pragmaticall and pestilent Impostors may not unfitly allude to those late upstart factious pedanticall Novelists who pretend to the world they are sufficiently gifted to be Teachers of others and that they also are the onely able Orthodox and powerfull Preachers of these latter Times and yet they are not able to read the Texts of the Old and New Testaments in those Languages wherein God by his Prophets and Apostles Originally spake to his Church wherein is contained the infallible Demonstration of the holy Scriptures Such ignorant Pedants not knowing what they speak or whereof they affirme must of necessity build their Christian Faith if they have any upon the judgements and opinions of other men as not being able themselves for to discerne betweene Truth and Error 1 Cor. 2.14 And yet notwithstanding they often speake swelling words being vainely puft up with their fleshly minds Who partly out of their Pride or Malice or Covetousnesse or Ignorance or some other as great or greater sins moving them teach desperately erroneous Doctrines to corrupt the minds of their itching-ear'd-hearers and divulge the brain-sick devices of male-contented factious persons which onely tickle their all-hearing Auditors itching eares but worke no saving grace in their hearts mixing with the limpid and pure waters of Life the putrified dregs and polluted schismaticall and foule corruptions of their owne filthy and deceitfull factions turning the heavenly sweetnesse of Truths infallible and plaine direction into the hellish bitternesse of hereticall expressions and erroneous Confusion Thereby causing their seduced Proselites to wander from the direct and true paths of Gods Commandements leading to Heaven and Salvation into the devious and by-paths of cursed sinne and infectious wickednesse walking blindly in the broad way leading to the wide gate going downe to the darke and uncomfortable lodgings of Death Isa 30. ult and terrible Tophet of Perdition 2. By Evill-workers those that make their whole life a trade of sinning whose sole practice is to doe nothing but evill and are also ever plotting mischiefe against the Church of Christ As was the practice of Cain against Abel Gen. 4. Esau against Jacob. Gen. 27. Pharaoh against the Israelites Exod. 14. Saul against David 1 Sam. 23. Benhâ—dad against Jehoshaphat 1 King 22. Senacherib against Hezekiah 2 King 19. Haman against the Jewes Esther 3. The Jewes against our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus Mat. 26. Also Nero Domitian Trajan Adrian Anthony Dioclesian divers other malignant Emperours against the zealous and religious Christians in the tender Ages of the Christian Church Loe thus there hath been even from the beginning inveterate hatred in the Church Malignant against the Church Militant the which Malignity even as a Gangrene or Leprosie hath pernitiously spread it selfe so far abroad into the world as that we of this English Nation may experimentally at this day with sadnesse of spirit and great griefe of heart justly complaine of the bitter fruits thereof the which hath unhappily produced by the violence of the enraged Sword the late great destruction that hath been in our Land and the present afflicting Distractions that still remaine amongst us Such persons are as opposite to the true Members of Christs Church as Light is to Darknesse Heaven to Hell and God to Satan Yea that cursed Brood of venomous Vipers having their hearts set on fire of Hell are both maliciously minded and bloodily affected whose wisdome is earthly sensuall and devilish Lam. 3.15 exercising their power to the uttermost against the true Members of the Church of Christ nothing regarding to contemne the approved Truth and Peace of the Church 3. By Concision those that make Rents and Divisions in the Church of Christ those Separatists that pluck up the pales and teare up the hedges thereof giving liberty thereby to the subtile Foxes to pluck off her grapes whereby to strip and speedily starve her and the wilde Boare of the Forrest to root her up and utterly destroy her Such as were those over-selfe-conceited arrogant and contemptuous Jewes of whom the Prophet maketh expression Isa 65.5 who said Stand apart come not neere to me for I am holier then thou But Agur the sonne of Jakeh describeth the condition of such insolent spirits Pro. 30.12
Peace as we desire yet to rejoyce in it and to be heartily thankfull to God for it The Motives hereunto are many but I shall onely and briefly declare Six Motives Motive 1 BEcause of the Effects which Thankfulnesse produceth viz. it doth not onely retaine Gods favour for the present but also moveth him to bestow his Blessings upon us for the time to come So that Thankfulnesse for present Peace may not onely continue it to us as it is for the present but also for our greater comfort increase it for the future You know beloved that Thankfulnesse even Inter homines amongst men is not onely a meanes still to retaine their former Favours but also to purchase the fruites of their future Affections Now if Policy amongst men produceth this gratefull Effect ought not then Religion towards God to work it in us much more Certainly yea Oh then let us not be like those nine unthankfull healed Lepers in the Gospell who returned no thanks unto Jesus for healing their infirmity But let us be like the Tenth of that company that good Samaritane who thankfully for his cure turned back and fell on his face at Jesus feet and with a loud voice praised God Luke 17.15.16 Motive 2 Because it is Gods owne Injunction to his people Deut. 8.10 When thou hast eaten and filled thy self thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee And Psal 50.15 Call upon me saith God in the time of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt praise me Then contrarywise not to be thankfull is to disobey God and consequently to contemne his Command What Doth God Command and shall not man Obey Oh what is Impotent Man the Creature that he should oppose the Omnipotent God his Creator The Larkes and other little sensitive Birds that fly in the Aire doe after a sort in their language sing praises to their Maker And shall rationall Men whom God hath indued with understanding be more remisse in performing their Duty then they Let all Ingratefull men then blush for shame that those little sensitive Creatures should transcend them And learne to be more thankfull for blessings received and to make God the Object of their praises for the time to come Motive 3 Compare our present condition in this Land with other Countries beyond the Seas which have been visited with greater desolations and destructions then we our selves as yet have been So that their Wives like those of this Land are not onely Widdowes and their Children Fatherlesse but also their Cities Townes and Villages sacked and burned their Women ravished their Virgins defloured their Infants rosted their Goods plundred their Cattell destroyed and Country wasted So that by reports a man may travell many miles before he shall meet with any person for his travells farther direction or visibly discerne for his hungry and thirsty bodies repose and present refection a place of repast and supplying Habitation So that those places that formerly have been habitations for Christians are now become Nests for wild Birds Dens for favage Beasts and Receptacles for Toads Adders Snakes Serpents and such like Vermine Oh then what great cause have we to magnifie God that we are not as yet in their condition Motive 4 Consider what we are in our personall walking towards God even dissolute in our deportments and desperate Rebels against his Lawes Alas Beloved what are we but the spurious off-spring of our unhappy Progenitors from whose loynes we are polluted with originall cursed corruption which hath contaminated all the powers and faculties of our soules and defiled all the parts and members of our bodies and we have and still doe daily bring forth the fruits thereof in our conversations So that we justly deserve even present destruction And there is nothing but the free bountifull goodnesse and the admirable unparalleld longanimity of our gracious God that restraines his destroying Angel from seizing upon us to our utter confusion And have we not great cause then to praise him for our peaceable Preservation Motive 5 Let us reflect into our selves recollect our thoughts and seriously consider what we have deserved at Gods hands if he should enter into Judgement with us and deale in Justice against us Loe then we could looke for nothing but all manner of temporall punishments in this World and everlasting burnings in the World to come In which never-dying flames Cursings should be our Himnes and Howlings our Tunes Blasphemies our Ditties and Lacrymies our Notes Lamentations our Songs and Shreekings our Straines These should be our morning and evening yea mourning Songs there Moab should cry out against Moab Father against Sonne and Sonne against Father that ever he begat him And those infernall Torments should be unto us both Endlesse Easelesse and Remedilesse not onely for a Thousand yeares but also unto all Eternity Oh let us all then consider the mercifull dealing of our gracious God towards us in this Condition who still suffers us to live in this time of Grace and also in the bosome of the Church from whence the light of Truth shines most splendidly unto us and doth out of his goodnesse toward us suspend his Judgements from us and gives us time to repent of our Wickednesse and to cry unto him for the pardon of our Sinnes that so we may escape those intollerable Punishments which by our sinnes we have deserved Whereas it had beene just with God that our Bodies should long agoe have beene laid in their Graves and the Wormes gnawing upon them and our Soules cast into Hel-fire and the Devils tormenting of them What great cause then have we to magnifie God for giving us so gracious an Opportunity untill this Moment whereby we may endeavour our selves by Humiliation to pacifie Gods displeasure and have him become a reconciled Father to us in Jesus Christ Motive 6 Thankfulnesse to God hath ever beene the Practice of the Saints of God for all the Benefits he hath bestowed upon them whereof our selves can speake experimentally the blessng of Peace is not the least Noah after his deliverance from the Flood Gen. 8.20 built an Altar to the Lord in thankfulnesse and offered burnt offerings upon the Altar Abrahams servant when he found experimentally that the Lord had prospered his journey Gen 24.48 blessed the Lord for guiding him in his way Isaack Gen. 26.25 built an Altar to the Lord in Beersheba for his Blessings and there he called upon the name of the Lord. Moses and the people of Israel sang praises to God for their deliverance from Pharaohs fury And the Forme of their Thanksgiving was this Exod. 15.1 2 3. I will sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he overthrowne in the Sea The Lord is my strength and praise and he is become my salvation He is my God and I will prepare him a Tabernacle He is my Fathers God and I will exalt him
such as are descended of the Blood of Christ in which regard they are the dearest of men and nearest unto God Yea they are a people distinct from all others by Gods Grace of Election and stand before him in their new Birth and Second Creation in which the Lord lookes joyfully upon them and delights to behold them because they sprang from Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named Eph. 3.15 And this Church Metaphorically and by way of similitude is called Mater Fidelium the Mother of the Faithfull because she brings forth Sonnes unto God unites them to Christ and nourisheth them by the Preaching of the Word and by the Examples of good Workes And hence is that expression Non posse quemquam habere Deum Patrem qui non habet Ecclesiam Matrem No man can have God for his Father who hath not the Church for his Mother alluding to that of S. Paul Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell So that if we would have God for our Father we must account the Church for our Mother and procure her Peace with our best endeavours and there is no more prevalent way for us to helpe her then by praying heartily to God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Jerusalem was the Metropolis of Judea And she was also a Tipe of the Church of Christ and that in diverse respects viz. 1. Jerusalem was a Citty compact in it selfe by reason of the bond of love and Order that was amongst the Citizens themselves as in this Psalme verse the 3. Jerusalem is builded as a City that is at unity in it selfe So in like manner the Members of Christs Church are linked together by the bond of one Spirit Ephes 4.3 And they joyntly endeavour to keepe the unity of that Spirit in the bond of Peace 2. In Jerusalem was the Sanctuary a place of Gods Presence and Worship So in like manner the Church of Christ is the roome of the Sanctuary in which we must seeke the presence of God and the word of Life 1 Tim. 3.15 Therefore the Church is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Pillar and ground of Truth 3. The Lord mercifully promised the people of Jerusalem that if they would call upon his Name they should have Deliverance Joell the 2. ult the which hath resemblance to the Church of Christ amongst the Gentiles alluding to that of S. Paul There is no difference betweene the Jew and the Grecian Rom. 10.12 13. for he that is Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved 4. In Jerusalem the Citizens yeelded obedience to their Kings So in like manner the Members of Christs Church being true Believers Eph. 2.19 are fellow Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God And they yeeld obedience unto Christ their King Esa 2.5 5. In Jerusalem was the Throne of David as in this Psalme verse the 5. So in like manner in the Church of Christ is the Throne or Scepter of Christ Rev. 3.7 figured by the Kingdome of David 6. Zach. 2.8 The Lord chose Jerusalem above all other places in the world and tendered the people therein even as the apple of his owne eye So in like manner the true Members of Christs Church are a Chosen Generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a Peculiar people that ye should shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvelous light Lastly in Jerusalem the names of the Citizens were inrolled in a Book So in like manner all the true Members of the Church of Christ Rev. 20.12 have their names written in the booke of Life S. John had a Revelation of the last Judgement And he saith I saw the dead both great and small stand before God and the bookes were opened and another booke was opened which is the booke of life and the dead were judged of those things which were written in the bookes according to their workes Whereupon we may orthodoxally resolve and infallibly infer that whosoever have not their names written in that Book of Life must have their portion with the Devil and his Angels for evermore as plainely appeareth in the last verse of the same Chapter And whosoever was not found written in the Booke of Life was cast into the lake of fire Loe thus Beloved you have heard the neere Resemblance and Typicall Representation betweene the City of Jerusalem and the Church of Christ Now let us come to the Reasons of the Observation Reas 1 Because the Church is in a continuall warfare in this world and therefore she is called the Church Militant because she is daily fighting against the Flesh the World and the Devill yea she hath many enemies that come from Satans Campe very fiercely against her Who like Tyrants by violence and force of strength like Sophisters by subtilty and corruption of doctrine like Hypocrites by dissembling and superstition and like Epicures by leudnesse of life and filthinesse of conversation doe daily assault and sight against the Church of Christ Loe these like cunning Fowlers strive daily and hourely for to intrap her the Flesh would infect her the World would deceive her and the Devill would destroy her And therefore it behoveth us with our best endeavours even heartily to pray unto God for her O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Reas 2 Because whosoever desires to have his Habitation in Gods Tabernacle must love make much of the members of Gods Church Psal 15.4 And how can we better manifest our love untothem then by praying for them when they are in distresse And this duty of Love to the Members of Gods Church is both Commanded Commended Approved and Rewarded in the holy Scriptures It is 1. Commanded 1 John 3.23 This is his Commandement that we should believe in the name of his sonne Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandement 2. Commended 1 Cor. 13. ult Now abideth Faith Hope and Love even these three but the chiefest of these is Love 3. Approved Apoc. 2.19 The Blessed Spirit of God spake to S. John to say to the Angell of the Church of Thyatira I know thy Workes and thy Love meaning towards the Members of Gods Church 4. Rewarded Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour of love which ye shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred unto the Saints and yet minister Yea beloved and were it so that the love to the Members of Gods Church were neither Commanded Commended Approved nor Rewarded Yet notwithstanding if thou hast received an Influence of Grace from Heaven the sparkes of Grace will so kindle in thy soule that thy praying for
tedious and burthensome yet notwithstanding to the faithfull Members of Christs Church they making a right use thereof it will be helpfull and profitable As for example Holy David was so greatly oppressed with troubles as that he complained in the anxiety of his soule The snares of death compassed me round about Psal 116.3 and the paines of Hell gate hold upon me What Adversaries are more horrible and Enemies can be more terrible then Death and Hell And yet notwithstanding he making a snactified use thereof they wrought in him most blessed and happy Effects the which he found experimentally in himselfe and therefore freely confesseth Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I keep thy word Psal 119.67 And Verse the 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I may learne thy Statutes And the Lord saith of the Israelites by his Prophet Hosea Hos 5.15 In their affliction they will seeke me diligently And the Prophet Isaiah speaking of the Faithfull in affliction saith Lord in trouble have they visited thee Esa 26.16 they powred out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them So that Afflictions being Gods Rods are his Childrens Remembrancers yea Troubles make many Returners and Seekers to God who formerly have been Revolters and Straglers from him as were the Israelites Manasseh the Prodigall Sonne and diverse others Yea beloved and to be continually without Crosses Troubles and Afflictions men may justly suspect themselves to be rather Members of the Devils Church Malignant than of Christs Church Militant St. Ambrose that godly devout and religious Bishop travelling with some others towards Rome went to a Rich-mans house resolving to lodge and remaine there till the next morning And after some short discourse he demanded of the man of the house how it went with him and in what case he stood concerning his present condition for the things of this Life Unto which the Rich-man replyed Sir my condition hath ever beene happy and fortunate I never tasted any kinde of Adversity I never had any sicknesse or losse of goods all things have hitherto beene with me even according to my hearts desire When Saint Ambrose heard this he said unto them that were with him Eamus hinc nam Deus non est hic Let us goe from hence for God is not in this place And immediately after they were departed from the Rich-mans house the Earth suddenly opened her mouth and swallowed up the Man together with his house and all that he had Intimating thereby to the World that God is not there in mercy present where the Crosse is continually absent Hence then Let all the Faithfull Members of Christs Church account it as an indubitable Aphorisme of infallible Truth believe it as an Orthodoxall Article of their Christian Faith and hold it as an undeniable Maxime in Divinity that as the Children of Israel went through many Troubles before they could come to the Earthly Canaan which was a Type of the Faithfuls Passage from Earth to Heaven So in like manner the Children of God must passe through many Afflictions before they can come to the Heavenly Jerusalem St. Paul desired to know nothing amongst his Corinthians but Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 and him Crucified And he also rejoyced in nothing so much as in the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ whereby the World was crucified to himselfe and himselfe unto the World Gal. 6.14 He also expresseth to the World that no man is Crowned except he fight lawfully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 2.5 And also confesseth of himselfe I bear in my body the markes of the Lord Jesus Gal. 6.17 The lawfull and valiant fighting of earthly Souldiers for their King Country and Religion greatly reflecteth upon them with Credit and exceedingly redounded to their Honour they also account those Wounds that are given to their Bodies in Skirmish as Markes of their Magnanimity Cognizances of their Courage and Characters of their Valour intimating thereby to the World for whom they have fought how they have suffered and who they are Now for Application of this to our selves Heaven is appointed for none but onely Spirituall Conquerours viz. the valiant fighting Members of the Church of Christ against their Soules Adversaries surprizing subduing and conquering all their spirituall Enemies For they wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against Principalities Eph. 6.12 against Powers against the rulers of the darknesse of this World against spirituall wickednesse in high Places So that of necessitie they must be Fighters for without a Fight there can be no Conquest and without a Conquest there will be no Crowne And therefore they must not onely be Fighting Souldiers but also Conquerours upon Earth before they can be Inheritors of Heaven For a Man to be a Christian and not a spirituall Souldier is to falsify his promise at the Font of Baptisme For a Man to be a Christian and a spirituall Souldier and not to fight under Christs Banner both manfully and faithfully for Christ is the Cognizance of a pusilanimous spirited Souldier and Badge of an Hypocrite For a Man to be a Christian and a spirituall Souldier and to fight for Christ and not to Conquer is to lose the Reward promised to Conquerours But to be a Christian a spirituall Souldier a Fighter for Christ and a Conquerour of all his owne spirituall Enemies Loe that Man and onely he shall be a Partaker of the rich Reward promised even the full fruition of the heavenly Inheritance And therefore whosoever thou art that desirest to be a true Member of Christs Militant Church thou must resolve with thy selfe to live the life of a Christian to a be a spirituall Souldier a Fighter for Christ and also a Conquerour Hence then we may infallibly collect that none shall be crowned hereafter in Heaven but onely those that in some measure first endure a spirituall Fight here upon Earth that so they may become crucified Christians and thereby made conformable to Christ their Head Phil. 3 10. The which Conformity is the greatest Honour that this World can afford to the Sonnes of Mortals And to such spirituall Conquerours Christ Jesus himselfe hath made a large promise even of no lesse Reward then Eternall Life He that overcommeth shall be clothed in white raiment and I will not blot out his name out of the booke of life Apoc. 3.5 And ver 21. To him that overcommeth will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne And Be thou faithfull unto death and I will give thee a crowne of life Apoc. 2.10 and Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him And what Fight is it that we should not willingly undergoe for to inherit Eternall Life And herein let Christ Jesus himselfe be
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution Loe this truth Paul and Barnabas preached at Lystra Iconium and Antiochia and S. Luke reports it with an Oportet signifying the necessity of suffering Act. 14.22 We must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of God Shall we hope to live with Christ in the Church Triumphant and not be content to die with him in the Church Militant Would we gladly reigne with Christ there and not willingly first suffer with him here Let us not deceive our selves None shall have teares wiped from their eyes in Heaven but those that have first shed them upon the Earth So that no perplexity no felicity no misery no glory no Crosse no Crowne For our happinesse is Conditionall Si sustinemus conregnabimus If we suffer with Christ meaning in Affliction we shall also reigne with him that is in glory 2 Tim. 2. Therefore let all the true Members of Christs Church arme themselves for Troubles so long as they live upon the face of the Earth Amos 6.6 and never forget the afflictions of Joseph but mutually pray one for another O pray for the Peace of Ierusalem Reprehension Vse 3 TO reprove all those Persons that are Disturbers of the Churches Peace And for brevitie sake I will but onely Hint at them and they are of two sorts 1. Those that help her not 2. Those that hurt her So that the Church hath both Omissive and Commissive Enemies Omissive neglecting to help her and Commissive endeavouring to hurt her 1. Those that help her not Whosoever is not for her is against her and whosoever gathereth not with her Mat. 12.30 scattereth abroad And they are of two sorts 1. Ministers 2. Lay-persons 1. Ministers who have Pastorall Charges in the Church of Christ and doe not feede those flocks that are committed to their Charge And they are of two sorts 1. Those that are Ignorant and cannot feede them 2. Those that are Idle and will not feede them The Ignorant that cannot are called reproachfully dumbe dogs Isay 56.10 and the Idle that will not must be accountable for the blood of that part of their flock that perish through their defect Ezech. 33.6 2. Lay-persons and they are of three sorts 1. Those that pray not at all either for themselves or for the Church Such stupified persons being both senslesse and carelesse of their owne and others conditions though they dwell amongst Christians yet to their shame be it spoken they live like Heathens Their foolish hearts are full of darknesse Rom. 1.21 They live as strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts Ephes 4.18 and are as without God in the world Ephes 2.12 2. Those that if they pray at all pray but onely for themselves utterly neglecting the Church never laying to heart the afflictions of Joseph Amos 6.6 3. Those that if they pray for the Churches Peace they performe that great and weighty duty but lightly and perfunctorily as not being earnest and zealous in the performance thereof Yea give me leave I humbly pray you to demand of you all here present assembled before me who is there amongst you that in the sincerity of his heart can stand forth and say when once he did humble himselfe upon the bended knees of his soule unto God and sigh and groane and pray and shed teares flowing from a penitent heart on the Churches behalfe Oh how few there are that can truly say when once they did heartily humble themselves unto God for the good of the Church I will not censure so uncharitably of that number as if there be any to say of that party he is a Phenix But I feare I may too truly say of them they are black Swans even rare Birds amongst us Beloved if they be true Members of her it cannot be but they must Sympathizingly suffer with her and consequently pray unto God for her And therefore they come justly under the lash of Reprehension that are defective herein 2. Those that hurt her And they are also of three sorts 1. Open prophane persons who revile her by casting obloquies and reproaches against her as Potiphars wife to Joseph Shimei to David and Rabshakeh to Hezekiah Let all such know that whosoever revileth or reproacheth the true Members of Christs Church Christ taketh it as done unto himselfe He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Luk. 10.16 and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me 2. Those that live in the bosome of the Church and make a profession of Religion and yet are vicious in their Conversations Those are cruell Enemies to the Church of Christ they make the Enemies of God to blaspheme cause the way of Truth to be evill spoken of scandalize the Gospell of Christ and are unto the Church as the Canaanites were to the Israelites even thornes in their eyes and pricks in their sides I shall referre all such Hypocrites to that learned Father who reprehensively saith Oh Hypocrite if it be a good thing to be good indeed why wilt thou not be that which thou seemest to be And if it be an evill thing to be evill indeed why wilt thou be that which thou wouldest not seeme for to be My counsell in this case to all such persons shall be I pray them in the bowells of Jesus Christ to consider that God is Omnipresent and that all things are naked before him and they cannot blinde the All-seeing Eye of the Omniscient God whose eyes are Ten thousand times brighter then the sunne beholding all the wayes of men and considering the most secret parts Ecclus. 23.19 The Lord beholdeth the ends of the world and seeth all that is under heaven Job 28.24 He seeth all the imaginations of the thoughts of mens hearts Gen. 6.5 He beholdeth our wayes and telleth all our steps Job 31.4 And pondereth all our paths Prov. 5.21 And there is no thought hid from him Job 42.2 The Hebrewes say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of thoughts And he is called of the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Searcher of the heart Loe this truth is acknowledged by holy David where he saith O Lord thou hast searched me out and knowne me thou knowest my downe-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts long before Psal 139.1 Yea he knew right well Jezabels Fast 1 King 21.9 Absaloms Vow 2 Sam. 15.7 and Judas kisse Mat. 26.49 although their bloody intents and mischievous purposes were never so secret for He beholdeth and tryeth the very hearts and reines 1 Sam. 16.7 Psal 7.10 So that he perfectly knowes both the true-hearted Nathaniel John 1.47 and the false-minded Simon Magus Act. 8.20 Yea the Everlasting Searcher of the hearts hath written the sinne of Hypocrisie being double iniquity with a pen of iron and the point of a Diamond Jer. 17.1 So that
Angels that weake and mortall Men should be so sinfully wicked as to fight against the Omnipotent and Immortall God which all those Persons certainly doe who after such a manner as is here declared doe oppose take up Armes and fight against their lawfull King Loe such gracelesse and godlesse Persons have just cause to feare that the righteous Lord will open the revengefull Quiver of his displeasure and from the strong bent Bow of his unappeaseable Anger swiftly and fiercely send forth the sharpe Arrowes of his furious Indignation against them whereby they shall be deadly wounded to their utter Confusion According to the Lords righteous dealing towards those revolted Rebels adhering to wicked and usurping Jeroboam who tooke up Armes and fought against their good and lawfull King Rehoboam unto whose malecontented and rebellious people Jeroboam gave way to their Worshippe in Religion after that manner which best pleased them displaced and drave away the Lords faithfull Priests and Levites from their lawfull Habitations and also utterly suppressed them from the necessary Execution of their sacred Offices who were conformable to the Law and dutifull Subjects to their King lest they should keep up the peoples hearts in Obedience to their lawfull Soveraigne these things he did thereby to further his wicked Designes against their just and rightfull King Rehoboam whose Wronges shortly after his Death were mortally vindicated by his sonne Abijah for God stirred up the Spirit of good Rehoboams Sonne Abijah and he raised an Armie of Foure hundred thousand men and with them feared not to goe against wicked Jeroboam who had an Armie of Eight hundred thousand able fighting men and fought against him surprized him destroyed his great and mighty Armie and was through Gods Blessing unto him established in his Fathers Throne where he lived and reigned with great Honour and Kingly Glory all the rest of his daies in which he begot two and twenty Sonnes and sixteene Daughters and then slept with his Fathers and his sonne Asa reigned in his stead Of the which great and admirable Victory which God gave to Abijah the Scripture expresseth in these words Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter so that there fell downe slaine of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five hundred thousand chosen men 2 Chron. 13.17 The which words being the Language of the Holy Ghost both may and also ought usefully to serve as a memorable Caveat unto all Rebels that either now are or hereafter shall live upon the face of the Earth to take heed that they neither take up Armes nor fight against their lawfull King for here you plainly see that it was neither their gratnesse in Number nor expertnesse in Warlike Service that could preserve these Men from Ruine but they must be mortally wounded fall downe and be destroyed because they had rebelled taken up Armes and fought against their lawfull Soveraigne And God is the same God in these daies that he was in those as he hath done in times that are past so can he doe for times that are to come for he is JEHOVAH he changeth not Mal. 3.6 So that although Rebellion lyeth never so long lurking abstrucely in the corrupt hearts of disobedient Persons yet notwithstrnding when once she appeareth practically in the view of the World actuating her cursed Designes against that lawfull Authority unto which she ought to subject her selfe with all dutifull Obedience then she must not looke for any long Continuance For looke into the Generations of old even from the Creation of the World untill this very day and then tell me if ever any rebellious Persons taking up Armes and fighting against their lawfull Soveraigne have enjoyed one Age of an uninterrupted continued Prosperity but that the black Cloudes of just Revenge have appeared unto them and fiercely showred downe the terrible Stormes of Gods righteous Vengeance upon them to their deserved Confusion Object But here peradventure some may object Why should any tell us of Rebellion or of taking up Armes and fighting against our lawfull Soveraigne or of Confusion that is like to befall us for our so doing What Are not we in the Favour of God Hath not God assisted us in all our Endeavours Have not we had the Blessing of God upon all our Military Practices Hath not God made us Victorious Have not all our Attempts been successfull and Designes prosperous Wherefore then should not we comfort our selves and both boldly and fearlesly goe on in the same waies which others call Rebellion wherein now we walke Answ Unto which I answer with the wordes of Salomon There is a way which seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the waies of death Prov. 14.12 And Prov. 11.19 He that pursueth evill pursueth it to his owne death Yea and it is one of the greatest Judgements that usually befalleth the men of this wicked World when God suffers them to prosper in their sinfull Courses Prosperity is no infallible Argument of Gods Favour neither is Adversity any evident Testimony of his Displeasure for sapient Salomon tells us that no man knoweth either love or hatred of all that is before him Eccles 9.1 And that There is a just man that perisheth in his righteousnesse and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickednesse Eccles 7.15 And therefore let no such blinde infatuated Persons being mis-guided by their erroneous Conceptions falsly flatter themselves with any such fallacious Conceits of being in Gods favour because their actions for the present are prosperous for they can never comfortably assure themselves of Gods gracious Love and speciall Favour towards them though never so prosperous in their Designes unlesse they have his feare before their eyes which teacheth them to abstaine from the working of all Iniquity and to depart from the practice of all Impiety which none of those either doe or can doe so long as they continue in the sinfull perpetration of horrid Rebellion Now for a spirituall Salve wherewith to cure this carnall Infirmity I doe referre all such deluded and selfe-deceiving Persons for their farther and fuller Convincement herein wandering in the foggie Mists of blinde Ignorance and dangerous Errours to that cleere and infallible light of Truth which the holy Scripture by way of Collection expresseth viz. That every successfull and prosperous military Action which the Providence of God permits is not justifiable in the sight of God from the Actors thereof although God himselfe commands it to be done Loe this Truth evidently appeareth unto us in the military Practises of Jehu that Valiant Couragious and Kingly Captaine who exceedingly prospered in his War-like Actions and did great Execution upon divers Malefactors and that also by Gods owne appointment and yet notwithstanding even Jehu himselfe must be accounted as a Murtherer in the sight of God for his heart was not sincere in the service of God he was a Selfe-seeker and Selfe-server aiming at his owne Ends and not at the Glory
we need not feare either the raging Malice of Malignant men or the hellish fury of Devouring Devils For the Love of God towards us will be as Armour of proofe for us to defend us against all their bloody malice fierce fury and raging cruelty whereby God shall be glorified our selves preserved and our Enemies confounded So that these Motives seriously considered should stirre us up to labour to become true Members of the Church of Christ I Will close this passage with the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.20 We are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God And therefore let all those that are as yet in their naturall condition hasten to become true Members of the Church of Christ and speedily Pray for her Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem The Third and Last Use is to exhort us all in Gods feare to use the Meanes to attaine the End for procuring the Churches Peace and that must be by Praying for Her And therefore let us all zealously labour by our hearty prayers to awake Christ and earnestly intreat him to rebuke the boisterous windes and the raging waves of the turbulent Seas wherein the now distressed Church of Christ amongst us betweene Scilla and Carybdis doth dangerously saile and cause unto her with glory to himselfe and rejoycing to us all a comfortable Calme Mat. 8.26 Whereby also Glory may once againe dwell in our Land And let us not cease to importune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The strongmost mighty God Esay 9.6 to arise in his owne strength and make bare his owne arme on the behalfe of his Church Psal 68.1 and to scatter abroad all her enemies And to infatuate the Counsels blast the Designes and confound the Enterprises of all those malevolent spirited Persons that are Enemies to the Peace of our Church and Kingdome And by the joynt forces of our Prayers together to set upon God with an holy violence that he would be pleased to set on worke his Power his Wisdome and his Goodnesse for the speedy exaltation of his distressed Church and the utter confusion of her implacable Adversaries Yea let us all on her behalfe cry unto God for her Peace prayingly and pray for her Peace cryingly and through the importunity of our uncessant prayers unto God on her behalfe give him no rest untill he be intreated of us and till he repaire and set up our Jerusalem Esa 62.7 the praise of the world And herein let us take the Prophet Jeremy for our Patterne Jer. 9.1 Oh that my head were full of water and mine eyes a fountaine of teares that I might weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of my people And let not our hearts be possessed with blockish Senslesnesse and Stoik Stupidity called by the Phylosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that is averse to our fellow feeling of others calamity and also repugnant to our Christian Charity But if as fellow-feeling Members of the Churches miseries we faithfully and fervently pray for her Peace when she is in Calamity doubtlesse the Lord will be intreated of us and when it shall make most for his glory and her good Rev. 7. ult the Lord will wipe away all teares from her eyes and will give her rest Whereby also to many other of Gods former blessings bestowed upon us this of Peace may be added as one more having thereby as it were our lives given us for a Prey in this time of Warre it might be unto us as a farther ingagement of our humble and dutifull Obedience to carry our selves ever hereafter towards Him as a people preserved by their God And that so we of this English Nation may in sincerity of heart amongst our selves joyfully sing in this our Land that Angelicall Antheme once sang at the birth of our blessed Saviour Glory to God in the highest Luk. 2.14 and on Earth Peace Good will towards Men. The which Glory to thee our heavenly Father we heartily intreat the assistance of thy powerfull Spirit working in us to performe unto thee and blessing of Peace and Good Will amongst our selves we humbly pray thee to bestow upon us that so there may be a blessed and speedy Period to all the present distractions in this our Kingdome and thy blessing of Peace upon thy poor distressed Militant Church in this our Land That we may all with one minde and one mouth rejoycingly say with the blessed Virgin Mary Luk. 1.94 He that is mighty hath done great things for us and holy is his name And also justly say in Confidence and Thankfulnesse with the Prophet David We shall not die Psal 118.17 but live and declare the workes of the Lord. And that both in our Church and Common-wealth Mercy and Truth may lovingly meet and hold together Psa 85.10 and Righteousnesse and Peace sweetly imbrace and kisse each other That the Sonne of righteousnesse may arise Mal. 4.2 and speedily come amongst us with healing in his wings That so the Rents of this divided Kingdome may be closed and the Breaches thereof made up the destroying Angell put up the Sword of thy Justice into the Sheath of thy Mercy that the Sword of vengeance may eate no more flesh nor drinke no more blood in our Land but that the current of Christian English blood may speedily be stopped amongst us Psal 144.14 that there may be no more leading into Captivity no crying nor complaining in our Streetes but that we may all continually keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace Ephes 4.3 and joyfully serve thee our gracious God with that willing obedience comfortable alacrity of heart as thou commandest And so we that are thy people and sheepe of thy pasture Ps 79. ult shall give thee thanks for it for ever and will alway be shewing forth thy praise for the same even from generation to generation Heare us and helpe us and heale us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name who art the God of Peace and for thy deare Sonne his sake who is the Prince of Peace to whom with thine owne Majesty and God the the holy blessed and sanctifying Spirit three Persons and one Eternall Immortall Invisible and onely wise God we ascribe as is most meete of us and of all thy Creatures all honour and glory power praise and majesty might dominion and hearty thanksgiving from this time forth for evermore AMEN Deo Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto omnis Laus Gloria in Seculo FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉