spirits cry out against us Who were our Ancestors and what kinde of shape did they bear were they men or beasts If men were they Turks or Jews If beasts were they Wolves or Tygres that could find in their hearts to let our Liberties and happiness dye before them and expose us thus to be a by-word to all Nations and a proverb of reproach Will they not say Cursed be their memory and cursed be their covetousness and cursed be their negligence and cursed be their unnaturalness that might and would not save us that had power and would not use it to preserve us Is it not a shame that Christians should make such sad complaints against Christians O poor Church and distressed Spouse of Christ saith one Pax ab Extraneis pax à Paganis sed filii nequam c. Thou hast Peace with Turks Peace with Pagans but thine own ungracious children struggle in the womb of Reformation like Rebecca's twins and are bitterly enraged one against another Another bemoans our great unhappiness in this kinde Infelix populus Dei non potest in bono tantâ—m habere concordiam quantâ—m mali habent in malo The unlucky people of God as he calls them cannot so well agree in that which is good as the wicked can in that which is bad To act a mischief they can lay their heads together and reconcile different Nations to annoy the Church and people of God and yet we we must needs be divided rent and torn in pieces Here is the shame of England if you talk of shame The last Doctrinal Observation from the express words of the Text is this That these very enemies notwithstanding what hath been said shall be exactly punished in Gods good time according to this pattern of Midian Object But how can you ground this point from the words seeing they are rather like the Churches desire what they would have done then Gods purpose what he would do I answer That it is both a prayer and a prophetical Imprecation or Prophecy As it is a prayer you have the Churches minde as if she had said in plainer terms thus O Lord we have heard of thee in times of old how gratiously thou hast dealt with our fathers even in their greatest straits against their Enemies Even then Lord when they were in their greatest pride and presumption and namely how bare thou madest thine arm then upon the Midianites when they lay at the foot of Carmel by the river Kishon for number and multitude as the grashoppers How thou didst exercise thy mighty power in the overthrow of those innumerable multitudes by such weak means as three hundred simple men under thy servant Gideon and didst totally scatter them so that not a man was left Nay Lord how thou didst magnifie thy power wisdom and goodness together in delivering up the strength and multitude of the Canaanites unto the weakness of a woman even thy servant Deborah Nay that thou didst so provide for thy people that the valiant and renowned Sisera should fall at the feet of a weak woman even Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite Now O Lord true it is the Midianites are dead Sisera and Jabin are cut off but more are risen up in their stead Lo now the Tabernacles of the Edomites the Ismaelites the Moabites and the Hagarens These are as cunning and cruel and numerous and proud as ever those were and thy Name is as dear and thy people as precious to thee now as ever and therefore Do unto them as unto the Midianites But we look upon the words as a Prophecy for albeit they run in form of an imprecation yet it being considered what David was a Prophet we must needs think the ground of his speech was the certain knowledg he had touching the future estate of Gods Church and what would become of the enemies thereof For which cause he makes the desire of his Soul suitable to the purpose and determination of God For as David well knew and had said That burning coals would fall upon the wicked and that they should be cast into the fire and into the deep pit that they rise not again Psa. 140.10 11. so here he testifieth the fulness of his assent and desire that it should be so Do unto them as unto the Midianites So then because the Prophet here tells us that God will proceed against the Enemies of the Church according to the pattern of Midian It must be my work to shew you 1. Who be Gods Enemies And 2. What these Midianites were And 3. How they were punished This I say must necessarily be unfolded because the ruine of these is made a pattern for the destruction of Gods Enemies 1. Who be these Enemies In general terms they are Gods Enemies that hate his Friends as here Lo thine Enemies and they that hate thee How so They have said Let us cut them off from being a Nation They were Israels Enemies and therefore Gods Enemies by good consequence Thus Amalek was reputed one of the worst of Gods Enemies because his hatred was so desperate and bent against his darling Israel God is resolved to give him no quarter Exod. 17.8 9. He swore he would have war with him from generation to generation because he was such an enemy to Israel God hath Enemies of two sorts 1. Professed ones such as openly go about to extinguish the light of his Truth in the day time I mean that is so manifestly seen that all may discover their meaning to be so as if it were at noon day such of old were the Philistims the Amorites the Amalakites the Midianites These did oppose and hate Gods Israel then as the Turks and others do now to whom the very name of a Christian is odious 2. God hath closer Enemies too and these are such as do paint themselves with the profession and do shroud themselves under the name of the Church and of Religion but yet indeed are enemies to the Truth of Religion Now some of these profess a different kinde of Religion and do use another manner of worshipping God then the true Church useth such were the Samaritanes of old who after their rent from the Jews retained Circumcision boasted of their fathers and expected the Messiah yet were they not Gods people but were deadly Enemies to them and therefore the Jews had no dealing with them Joh. 4.9 Such are the Papists now who though they retain some broken fragments of Christian Religion yet they do hate Protestants and the powerful preaching of Gods Word amongst us I wish we had less familiarity with them we have payd well enough for it these eight years Other Enemies God hath in the midst of us of whom the old Complaint is verified O miseros nos qui Christiani dicimur Gentes agimus sub nomine Christi Wretches that we are we will be called Christians yet we play the Turk and worse under the name of Christ 2 Tim. 3.5 Such as
own differences and upon uniting their severall Regiments or Brigades they draw in Assur also to their assistance being the tenth in number that are upon their march against Israel The Church by her scouts or prospective discovers first the Enemies Generall Duke Edom and under him the Edomites the Posterity of Esau that sold their birth-right a most glorious liberty for a messe of Pottage to the eternall Ignomy of him and his degenerate Posterity here called the Tabernacles of Edom or the Edomites Tents The next upon the march is Lieutenant Generall Ismael and under him the Ismaelites a persecuting race that came by the By that descended from Abraham by Hagar the bond-woman the proper mother of all that are weary of their Liberties and desire to be in bondage still she was banished out of Abrahams Family for persecuting Sarah the Free-woman And so was her Son the Lieutenant Generall here who therefore in revenge and desperate Enmity against all the children of the Free-woman is in Commission of Array against them to bring them to Bondage and now upon the march The next in order is Major Generall Moab he it is that leads on the Brigade of the Moabites and these were the Incestuous brood of Lot begotten on his own daughter in their Father Moab Father of the Moabites But I will spend no more time in emblazoning their Armes nor yet to tell you what the other Colonels Commanders were nor yet of the affinity and neernesse of Israels relation to these Nations it is enough to know that they were Israels enemies and to enquire out their design And what was it They will cut off the Name and Nation of Israel and commit their memory to oblivion they 'l doe I know not what But what say they doe they fly back or doe they yeeld and give up all with Ahab No no it shall not goe there well may their words and Names and Nations affright children but it shall not daunt them the Enemy may set them up for scarre Crowes to fright away the birds but it shall never drive them out of the field And it works these two notable effects upon all those in whom there is any thing of God to direct them against such preparations and such a people First Greater dependance on him They entitle God in all they have and in their quarrell too Loe thine enemies and they that hate thee As if shee had said Lord we are ready every moment to be dashed in pieces and while thou sleepest we are in a storme and every moment in danger of the losse of ship and goods and our lives too But art not thou our Pilote and Master and Captaine And hast not thou a Great venture in the Churches Bottom If thou carest not that we perish yet have respect to thine own name honour and reputation these must suffer shipwrack as well as thy people unlesse thou awake and shew thy power and skill to stear this vessell this ark to some safe harbor and landing place and so work out our salvation and then leaves all to his guidance and ordering And secondly it doth much advance their magnitude of minde in a holy indignation against such a base degenerate Enemy This is observable 1 From the manner of their imprecation 2 From the matter of their imprecation 1. From the manner of it they call upon God with much importunity that hee would presently fall aboard the Enemy or sink them before they make his people sink calls upon him in a preposterous order to doe execution upon them before any induction of the crimes and causes but these she takes as granted and proceeds to a zealous imprecation Keep not silence hold not thy peace be not still 2. For the matter the Church objects 1 Their pride they lift up the head 2 Their hatred they hate thee 3 Their cruelty let us cut them off c. 4. Their cunning They have taken crafty counsell 5. Their multitude The Edomites Ismaelites c. And in testimony of the highth of her zeal against their treachery and basenesse she spreads these complaints before the Lords beseeching him to bring downe their pride to recoile their hatred to smother their cruelty to Countermine their cunning and to scatter their multitudes that they may be ventorum ludibrium at Sea and Ecclesia triumphus a shoar and the Churches merry song as the Cananites were to Deborah and Barack at her feet hee bowed hee fell and lay downe c. Vse 2. The second and best Use we can put this truth unto is That we be exhorted to the practice of the duty our selves Was it laudable for Gods people then and is it not as commendable for us in such an age as this to be of such magnitude of spirit were these valiant and shall wee bee cowards did they trust God with events and shall wee suspect him doubt him could they frame such a charge against their enemies and have we nothing to say of ours or are ours lesse hurtfull and dangerous then theirs were Come come take heart ye beloved of the Lord of this divided Nation never had a people more matter of complaint to frame a bill against a bloody combination then England hath at this joincture of time against theirs and yet never had a people more cause to trust God for the future then England hath at present You may draw up a charge against them according to the experience you have had of their pride insolency and bloodinesse Lord how oft hast thou broken in pieces and rent all to shivers the united Forces of the Malignant Enemy of this Nation and yet behold they unite againe how oft hast thou befoold their cunning yet they will still have a Iuncto how many of them hast thou satiated with their own rage and glutted with their own goare and yet still they thirst for more blood How shamefully hath their own despite hatred murther plunderings and yet it is but the scatterings of them recoiled upon their own estates names families confederates and yet still they prepare their arrow to shoot at those that are perfect in the land How like a fierce man of Warre hast thou broken in upon their pride presumption nobility and hast thrown them upon the very dunghill of shame and dishonour as things of no value and uselesse and yet their spirits be not broken Lord make our Edomites like their Edomites our Princes like their Princes Oreb and Zeb These forces that will warre against England like those Armies that did war against Israel and either fill their faces with shame that they may seek thy name or else Doe unto them as unto the Midianites And thus the extreame barbarism odium and filthy nastines of those Nations that doe or shall at any time appear against England will serve to prop and mainly to hold up the Churches confidence in the Lord of Hoasts unto whom all the recited abominations against his Israel are most hatefull Which
body first the body politicke and then the Members of Christs body also from one another the body mysticall How truly may distressed England take up that of the Psalmist psal. 129.1.2.3 Many a time have they aefflicted me from my youth up may England now say yea many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up but they have not prevailed against me the plowers plowed upon my back made long their furrows but the righteous Lord wil hew their snares asunder The old ones destroyed the fruit of the Earth and left no sustenance for Israel And what have these done lesse have they not destroyed where ever they have been Is there not a scarcity of provision every where but especially in the north and what is the famine and the sword yet devouring but the print and direfull footsteps of their Malignity So that though the Midianites be dead and Moab and Ammon be cut off yet their malice doth yet remain alive and it is but vetus fabula per novos histriones An old Tragedy of Malignant Midian newly acted over by our Malignant English and Irish 3. They drew them to sin in the wildernesse which brought upon them much misery and many judgements and what a great lump hath the Leaven of Popish doctrine leavened in these three Dominions what a deal of mischief hath this Toleration and Vnion with them by Marriage and Co-habitation wrought upon this nation how are many countreys pestred with these Locusts how are they overspread with them here is sinne right parallell to Midians sin Idolatry as grosse and superstitious as ever theirs was provocations as highly daring heaven and vengegeance as ever they were guilty of And is our punishment lesse or our miseries fewer or rather do not we exceed them in all in sin and misery And wo be to them through whom the offence cometh for it will be done unto them as unto the Midianites The punishment of these is described by 3 circumstances 1 the time 2 the meanes 3 the manner of their deâ—truction 1. For the time It was in their heigth jollity confidence they did not so much as dream of a downfall and it was the more sore and terrible because of their strong presumption of victory and of enjoying their lust upon Israel And was it not a stinging scourge upon the shoulders of Ahab Who after he had in his thoughts acquitted himself of all fear and danger of death yet then to be taken off and cut in peices For a morning to be dark is portending some storm but no wonder if the evening be surpris'd by the powers of darknesse The circumstance of time adds very much to the agravation of the punishment what turned into Hell when a man is at Heaven gates better for a man to goe from the Papists supposed Purgatory into Hell then with Lucifer to be cast from Heaven to Hell O Lucifer son of the morning the preciousnesse of the morning season wherein Lucifer fell doth aggravate his punishment more then if he had been the son of night or of darknesse This was old Midians great unhappinesse he made so sure of Israel that his mouth was ready opened to swallow him then comes a log or bullet and tears the whistle Midian falls and cannot swallow Israel this is young Midians case but I am sorry I cannot run the paralell 2. by meanes very weak absurd foolish Vnits overcome Tens Tens Hundreds and Hundreds Thousands So it was then so it is now By meanes I say absurd foolish Gideon and 300. men against so great a multitude and that the blowing of a Trumpet and breaking earthen Pitchers should affright and gall such a terrible Host of Martiall men What Sisera baffled by a company of Mechanicks How can you hold up your heads Shall our Taylors do more with their Needles then you with Speares And are our Masons Trowels more keen then your Swords And what rare Tinkers have we that can so artificially beat out and make up what you have so miserably mangled Well then this is one aggravation of their misery that they are still beaten by such as are no Gentlemen but Cowards 3. And for the manner of the punishment it was irrecoverable they were utterly routed taken prisoners and slaine Oreb and Zeb Princes Zeba and Zaluma Princes so that they lift up the head no more And have not our Young ones received a foile and we hope an irrecoverable one too and though we cannot say they lift up their heads no more or that they were so overcome that they could not come together and doe more mischief yet this we can say that as they have lifted up their heads so they have lost them hitherto and it may be said of Englands Conquest as it was of Israels Victory Iudg. 4.14 The hand of the children of Israel prospered and prevailed against Iabin King of Canaan untill they had destroyed Iabin King of Canaan So blessed be God No weapon formed against our Forces did ever prosper against us since the fatall blow at Naseby and our Armies are in a Prosperous condition ever since That 's the third aggravation the fatality of the blow they received Such and no other saith the Church will be the punishment that God will bring upon the succeeding Enemies of his succeeding Israel and it shall parallel to the life all these descriptions And indeed God hath abundantly manifested the truth hereof to his people of this Nation One blow he gives them at Naesby they rise againe he drives them to the West there payes them to some tune Then like the Fox in the Fables they seem to be dead they stir not till they think the dangers past Then up they rise againe in the East and the North Hitherto judgment rides post after them and chops off some of the chiefe heads and discharges their owne intended cruelty upon themselves and now judgement rests and mercy waits to see whether they will be yet quiet and faine would the Gracious God rather fill their faces with shame by beating them that he might beat them into obedience then to be forced by their guilt of more insurrections and bloodshed to do unto them as he did unto the Midianites He is very unwilling that this Nation should be named in the Black Book of his Churches Enemies because his truth engageth him to make good this Prophesied destruction against such I need not goe about to clear so known a truth more then the Text hath already done unto our hands yet I will give you one proofe for each one of the three circumstances in the punishment of Midian besides our own experience of it 1. God will do this gallant seat upon them when they are most secure I my self have seen that saith David Psal. 37.35 I have seen the wicked in great power and flourishing like a green Bay-tree yet hee passed by and loe he was gone I sought him but his place could nowhere bee found O strange and
the fire and with flashes it shall consume them to the Ayre and with pestilent vapours it shall choak them to the water and with deluges it shall overwhelme them to the earth and with yawning chops it shall devour them God will have his enemies destroyed but it shall be by meanes His people shall sweat for it The Philistines shall be destroyed but Sampson must work hip and thigh Goliah shall sink but little David must use his Sling Sisera must fall at Iaels feet but the woman must drive a nayle through the Temples of his head first It is determined that Midian shall receive an irrecoverable overthrow but yet Gideon must advance and encounter him though he Muster but three hundred men in this sence that is very true he that made thee without thee will not save thee without thee he that made England without England will not save England without England our utmost endeavours must seasonably accompany outward deliverances Awake awake sleepy though stirring England and be thou at last recovered of thy sleepy Lethargy for shame and thine own safety too unite hearts strike hands be friends and joyn together and let not other Nations have cause to clap their hands for joy while we do wring our hands for griefe All Nations are in armes for themselves but England France for France Spain for Spain Barbary for Barbary Ireland for Ireland Hell for Hell And now that you have none to keep you in action you have found out names and words and titles and circumstances to fall asunder into parties And now one is of Paul another of Apollo a third likes Cephas best but few follow Christ in the main thing of that charge of his left his Disciples To love one another See that it be not a trick of Rome and the devil it did do the feat upon Germany see that it work not the same effect upon your own selves your friends this great City as it did upon them Ah Countrymen there is a naughty liberty taken by many of this present age who make a vast difference between the words working in English and operation a Latine Elegancy and these hold a stiffe argument that the same thing may be hot in operation which yet is cold they say in working O but you will say they understand themselves better then so I willingly grant it and do much honour and reverence the excellency of Gods Grace that is in multitudes of the Contenders about these things but if they agree in words that these are the same why do they not agree in deeds and in the maine In the duty of Love A duty so set on by strength of argument and earnestnesse of entreaty in all the writings of holy men who spake as they were inspired And by the last Will and Testament of Christ for whose kingdom you so contend Why then do you diversify the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace into such a variety of hatefull factions and bitter disputings O but the least truth is precious I and so is the best of truths to be honoured and embraced the God of peace and love There is no Gall in his Doves and there ought to be no snarling among his Sheepe Let Lyons teare Dogs and Beares fight and Wolves destroy but let Gods people study to be quiet Beleeve it be sure of it your enemies will make no bones of your scruples no distinction of your varieties and if they could but get the power into their hands which you contend for amongst your selves They would Levell all your new names into one plaine and dig you all into one wast or Common and one compleate destruction upon Church and State would serve their turne for all your fiery disputes and mutuall contendings Now the vertue of this last Doctrinall truth is to exhort you all to be Zealous for God and for His Truth and to unite all the powers of your Minds for the subduing of the Common-Enemy And for the better Composing of this Nation for this noble enterprise we must first fall to Distribution and distribute the Exhortation 1. And first to the supream Authority thereof and under them all orders and sorts of men 2. And next to you those Martial and derivative powers that mannage matters in the field and to these in their rank and file 1. And first to you the Honourable and renowned Champions of this Nation let me be bold to beseech you to accept of a part of this distribution and so farre to condiscend to the unworthinesse of the Speaker as to ascend so high to the magnificence of the duty Beleeve it Worthy Senators it is the top of your dignity and the most Honourable Flower in the Armes of England it hath so pleased the Lord of Hosts that you are above your enemies and they that hate you are not your masters though they court you and abuse your Servants yet they are under you and there kept God expects at your hands now looks for it earnestly that you would disable his enemies too those that hate him and his friends Who hath his sword but you he hath made you Magistrates and Magistrates of the first-rate in Europe and can you beaâ—e the sword in vain I will not be so presumptuous as to go about to direct you what you ought to do and farre be it from me either to prescribe or anticipate you in your wiser Councels I hope you are minded to do things that be just and you will be taught of God what to do whose names and titles he hath lent you to that end I have said you are Gods Gods will not be unjust Gods will not be forgetfull Forsake me not saith David when I am old when I am gray-headed when my strength faileth me David well knew that God would not deal so with his servants as men usually do with theirs he knew he should not be put out of doors now that he was aged and weak and worne out in his service No no he will be kind to the kind and just to the just have they lost a limbe he will look out a Chirurgion for them and provide a good pension in the interim is their estate wasted it shall be made up an hundred fold have they lost friends he will give them an hundred for one if he make them not out in number he will supply them in their qualities and if he fit them not with great Ones he will furnish them with good Ones and that is all one nay it is much better God puts men upon hard Duties but gives them good Pay See their Commission and Debeuturs both Mat. 10. By their Commission they must fight with Wolves v. 16. Be tryed by Councels v. 17. Betrayed by friends v. 21. Be hated of all v. 22. Endure the utmost v. 28. And yet neither fly nor revolt but be faithfull v. 28. Ther 's their Commission Obj. But what shall be their Pay Ans. They shall be maintained