and let us imagine some device against Jeremiah for the Law shall not perish from the Priest nor Councell from the Wise nor the Word from the Prophet Come and let us smite him with the tongue and let us not give heed to any of his words If thus you shall requite me then may you justly feare that the righteous Lord will be wrathfully displeased with you and that may redound to your owne ruine But let me crave your candid censure for I call Heaven and Earth to record that I speak not this out of the spirit of betternesse against the Saints of God whose sanctified Conversation is answerable to their holy profession zealously serving and faithfully worshipping the living God in spirit and truth as he commandeth Yea Ioh. 4.24 my hearty Prayers I sincerely confesse are constantly unto God for them that he would continue them in the wayes of holinesse and daily increase the number of them in our Land and that they may splendidly shine as Lights in obscurity in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation amongst whom they live that so they might not onely glorifie God themselves but also be holy Patterns and godly Examples for imitation unto others whereby to draw them the more speedily to the service of God But I speak onely and that reprehensively of those who are mere tongue-tipped-table-Gospelers having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof 2 Tim. 3.5 who onely make a shew of sanctity having their hearts full of all manner of guile and hypocrisie who are facilie perceptible by their Fruites and evidently conspicuous to the world by their Actions walking in the wayes of dissimulation which lead to the infernall Pit of eternall perdition Mat. 24.5 And therefore if such persons will become true Members of Christs Church let them stand no longer at a distance from the Church but let them labour with expedition to purge out their owne Corruptions abandoning their former leud Conversations humble themselves for their sinnes come in and close with Christ and speedily pray for the Churches Peace O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem Consolation Vse 4 TO comfort the Church in her saddest condition by calling to minde Psa 126.6 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy And heavinesse may endure for a night Psal 30.5 but joy commeth in the morning Considering also that Christ calleth none unto him with a promise to comfort them but those that are grieved persons Come unto me all ye that labour Mat. 11.28 and are heavy laden and I will give you rest And remembring the Cordiall that Christ gave unto his Disciples when he was to depart from them and in them to his whole Church John 16.20 Ye shall sorrow but your sorrow shall be turned into joy That is ye shall rejoyce that ever you were sorrowfull As if Christ in other words should have said unto them Comfort your hearts my beloved Disciples for although I shall leave you for a while as Pilgrimes in the wildernesse of this wicked world yet notwithstanding ye shall hereafter come to the land of the heavenly Canaan even to the new Jerusalem whither I am now going and there you shall receive the end of your faith even the salvation of your soules 1 Pet. 1.9 Psa 16. ult where there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore The Lord without doubt will preserve his Church from the scratching Pawes of savage Beares the tearing Mouthes of ravenous Wolves and the covetous Clutches of greedy Cormorants who lie daily and hourely in waite to supplant subvert and devoure Her and all under the spetious pretence of Piety the counterfeit shew of Holinesse and candid colour of Religion Will not Christ Mat. 23.37 who wept over Jerusalem and would often have gathered the Children of the Jewes together as a Hen gathereth her Chickings under her wings preserve his Church from perishing Certainely yea And will not God who clotheth the Lillies Mat. 6.26 28. and feedeth the foules of the aire preserve his Church under the winges of his Providence Zach. 2.8 whom he tendereth as the apple of his owne eye Undoubtedly yea Conjugall-love is strong Paternall-love is powerfull Loyall-love is very effectuall But Divine-love viz. the love of God to his Church farre transcends them all Can a mother forget her childe Isa 49.15 and not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe though they should forget yet will I not forget thee saith the Lord to his Church Yea and let the Church also listen to that sweet Expression of the Lord by his Prophet unto his people Isay 51.7 8. Hearken unto me ye that know righteousnesse the people in whose heart is my Law feare ye not the reproach of men neither be ye afraid of their revilings For the moath shall eate them up like a garment and the worme shall eat them like wooll but my righteousnesse shall be for ever and my Salvation from generation to generation So that the Church of Christ needeth not to feare though at any time she should be plunged into the depth of calamity for rather then her Persecutors shall goe unpunished the Lord will make the very moathes and wormes and other contemptible creatures of the earth to be the Instruments of her enemies confusion and his hand shall bring unto her everlasting salvation And therefore what although the Church for the present sits pensively and mournes like a desolate widdow tristively weeping and lamenting for the personall absence of Christ her Husband Mat. 28. ult yet notwithstanding his comfortable Spirit is present with her and also will be unto the end of the World And at the appointed time there will be a cessation from all her sorrowes for he will joyfully returne unto her lovingly embrace her Rev. 7. ult and wipe away all teares from her eyes and then she shall receive a full deliverance from all afflictions both of body and soule Then that confident expected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be turned into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Slavabit into Salvavit he will save into he hath saved And then all the violent brumall winter stormes of bloody persecution shall be fully passed over and the glorious sun-shine beames of Gods loving and comfortable countenance most splendidly shine upon her And then all the Chaines of her afflictions shall be broken asunder Psa 124.6 and she delivered as a bird out of the snare of the Fowler And the Lord will give unto her beauty for ashes the oile of joy for mourning Esay 61.3 and the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse And when all these consolatory Blessings are come upon her then hearken unto her rejoycing Isay 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord and my soul shall be joyfull in my God for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation and covered me with the robe of righteousnesse he hath decked me like a bridegroome
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
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
of all Truth yea by the voice of him who is the Way the Truth and the Life John 14.6 even Truth it selfe for Quicquid in Deo Deus est The judgement of Man may erre Humanum est errare He may pray and not obtaine Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Jam. 4.3 A man may pray long and often and yet his Prayer may be erroneous or defective he may pray for those things that may rather hurt than helpe him and yet his prayer may proceed from the utmost of his understanding and he may also aske many good things at the hands of God and yet omit divers things which he ought earnestly to crave of God both for himselfe and many others but that holy and heavenly Prayer of our Jesus is both true and perfect even the Truth and Word of God it selfe and therefore well might Christ deliver it to his Disciples as a Patterne saying to them when ye pray say Our Father Which art in heaven c. for it is the very Summe Complement and Epitome of all Prayers whatsoever containing in it all things necessary both for our Bodies and Soules even for this life and that which is to come It is a PRAYER farre more than worthy to be written with Letters of purest Gold in Tables of the most pretious and permanent Marble as a continuall religious Commemoration to all succeeding Ages and the constant forme of Prayer-practice for all Posterity yea the very Marrow Pith Substance and Quintessence of all necessary Prayers to be offered up to the God of Heaven by the sonnes of Mortals is contractedly contained in that Prayer And therefore whensoever thou prayest lest thy Prayers though long and many should be erroneous or defective be sure thou concludest with that holy and heavenly prayer of Iesus that thou mayst aske and receive both for thy selfe and others all those necessary things contained therein and so benefit others by thy Prayers as well as thy selfe Mot. 2 2. We shall have the helpfull assistance of the blessed Angels This truth the Apostle declared to the Hebrews Heb. 1. ult where speaking of Angels he saith Are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heires of salvation Yea beloved if we be true Members of Christs Church then there will be a neere Relation a sweet Society and a heavenly Communion betweene the blessed Angels and our selves The which confisteth in these five ensuing Particulars 1. They and we shall be Fellow-servants worshipping and serving one and the same God as the Angell himselfe confesseth 2. They and we shall be Brethren in the Testimony of Jesus as the same Angell affirmeth in the words following 3. They and we shall be Fellow-Citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem Heb. 12.22 4. They are Souldiers under the Standards of God and are also our Guardians Psal 34.7 we are under their protection and are also their Charge 5. They are our Patternes and we their Resemblances both for Obedience whilst we live here upon Earth Mat. 6.10 and also for Glory hereafter in Heaven Luke 20.36 Mot. 3 3. We shall have Peace of Conscience the which transcends all earthly and mundane Comforts It was reported of Socrates that he so greatly delighted in Vertue as that no kinde of sorrow did ever alter his countenance But beloved the inward Jubile of the minde in the Kingdome of Grace doth farre excell his condition which standeth not in meate or drinke or any other outward things but in righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 The which Peace of Conscience amongst the Ancient Fathers hath many honourable Titles given unto it They call it Agrum beatitudinis Hortum deliciarum Gaudium Angelorum Domum Spiritus sancti Paradisum animae They call it a Field of Blessednesse a Garden of Delight the Joy of Angels the House of the holy Ghost and the Paradise of the Soule So that I may truly say The Spirit of a true Member of the Church of Christ being sound in sincerity and seconded with a good Conscience is able to beare out all his infirmities together with all the miseries incident to his humane Nature And through the power of Gods Grace is able also to encounter with the terrours of Death and the fearfullnesse of the Grave yea to endure with a gracious humility even the glorious presence of God and his holy Angels at the last Judgement Day Whereas there is no Peace to those that are without the Church Esa 57. ult continuing in their sinnes So that if any one of them had strength in his Limbes transcending Sampsons and power in his Bones excelling all the sonnes of Anack united together yet notwithstanding unlesse his Conscience be seared he shall often heare to his terrour an Authenticke Divine condemning Eccho summoning him to appeare before Christs Tribunall-Barre to give an accompt of all his evill thoughts words and workes the which will so greatly terrifie his bitter afflicted and wounded Conscience as that he shall be restlesse even in the midst of all his earthly delights and worldly pleasures For unlesse the Consciences of such wicked persons are Cauterized they have often times gripings and gnawings and horrible convulsions within them which are as it were certaine flashings of the flames of Hell-fire unto them before they come into that place of torment But the Peace of Conscience which the true Members of the Church of Christ have is so comfortable a Cordiall unto them as that it made the Apostles to rejoyce in their afflictions Act. 5.41 that they were counted worthy to suffer for their Masters sake This was it that made Paul and Silas to sing in prison at mid-night Act. 16.25 And as Augustine saith made holy Job more happy in Stercore on the top of a Dunghill then Adam was in Nemore in the midst of Paradise because as he saith of himselfe Job 27.6 I will keepe my righteousnesse and will not forsake it mine heart shall not reprove me all my dayes So that Nihil jucundius nihil tutius nihil diutius bona Conscientia fremat Orbis orcus illa erit secura There is nothing more sweet nothing more safe nothing more durable then a good Conscience rage World roare Hell that Person who hath this Peace of Conscience within him is ever at quiet Mot. 4 4. We shall ever have the Love and Favour of God Beloved if we are in the Love and Favour of God then God hath a will for to doe us good and we know he wants no power for he is Omnipotent Impotent men when those whom they love are in distresse would sometimes helpe them but cannot but no impediment can let nor obstacle hinder the Omnipotent God If an earthly King favour any man and beare a speciall Love towards him what needeth that man to care though the Subjects hate him So in like manner if we are in the Love and Favour of God
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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
There is saith he a generation that are pure in their owne conceit and yet are not washed from their filthinesse The which truth will plainly appeare unto us if we looke into their conversations For we shall finde many of them possest with boyling Malice swelling Pride cruell Oppression cursed Covetousnesse swinish Drunkennesse beastly Whoredome abominable and crying sinnes leud and lascivious lives filthy Lusts and fleshly Pleasures Who may not unfitly be compared to the Athenians whom Pantolidas the Ambassadour hearing dispute of Vertue and being demanded how their speeches pleased him He answered Your talke indeed is good but this is greatly to be lamented that talking so well ye live so ill And so in like manner may I say of many such Separatists their words are commendable but their workes condemnable their speeches are glorious but their lives vicious Amply expressing in their vicious lives that Heathen mans complaining Accusation against precise and deceitfull Epicures Qui Curios simulant Bacchanalia vivunt I could willingly wish they might not too truly be termed Pedants condemning and rejecting all opinions which they either understand not or like not Supposing with themselves they have a speciall point of the Spirit and know more then the common sort of people being filled with an enraged folly resolving to reject all opinions and sayings but their owne which they keepe pertinatiously with themselves as Oracles And thus like positive and affirmative Dogmatists they are so wedded to their owne opinions as that they would have all the world to be ruled by their opinionated Lawes and subject themselves to the Scepter of their sayings although they be never so unconformable and inorthodoxall God in mercy to us of this English Nation prevent our Christian Kingdome from being involved by such turbulent Spirits into a new Chaos of spirituall Darknesse Combustion and Confusion For when once such pestilent over-selfe-conceited Church-renting Hypocrites have palliated themselves with the Cloake of fained puritie by the externall profession of Religion and masked their impudent faces with the Vizor of seeming Sanctitie and anointed their fraudulent tongues with the oyle of smoothing Flatterie whereby they can deceitfully expresse themselves in Saint-like Discourses speaking lyes in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4.2 whereby to delude ignorant persons Loe then they can cunningly like the Scribes and Pharisees under the colour of long prayers devoure widdows houses Mat. 23.14 And are in a Capacitie to Creepe into houses and lead Captive sillie women laden with sinnes led away with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3.6 Yea if it were possible to deceive the very Elect Mat. 24.24 but that their names are written in heaven Luk. 10.20 and the foundation of God which is the Election of his Children remaineth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Loe thus they seeme externally to the World like harmlesse Sheep but they are internally to the Church Mat. 7.15 ravenous Wolves They appeare extrinsecally like innocent Lambes but they are intrinsecally devouring Lyons Foris Catones Intus Nerones Grave Cato's without but Cruell Nero's within They have Jacobs voice but Esaus heart and hands They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of double mindes having a heart and a heart to comply both with persons and times for their own advantage as all occasions are offered swimming like Fishes with the streame and steering all their courses and passages temporizingly suitable to the present times Shifting their Sailes with the turning of every wind and sowing satisfactory pleasing Pillowes under godlesse gracelesse and wicked mens Elbowes Resembling those four hundred flattering falfe temporizing Prophets 1 King 18.19 who were not onely invited but also advanced to Jezables table Such Ambidexters playing with both hands They are like Janus with his two faces who looketh both before and behind They are like those Israelites who speak both Ashdod and Hebrew Nehe. 13.24 They are like the Barnacles who are both flesh and fish They are like Balaam Num. 23.25 who doth both blesse and curse They are like Tullie amongst the Romances who could not for the present fully perswade himself whether he should take part with Cesar or Pompey They are like Tytides amongst the Grecians who could not resolve whether he should adhere to Achilles or Hector They are like the Tribe of Ephraim amongst the Jewes which was as a cake upon the harth not turned Hos 7.8 baked on the one side but raw on the other They are like the Church of Laodicea amongst the Gentilos which was neither hot nor cold Rev. 3.15 And therefore as lukewarme-water offensive to the stomack and incident to be spewed out of the mouth of Christ They are like the Ostriches which have wings to flie but never doe flie pretending that to be in their deceitfull heads and hearts which they have neither purpose nor ability to performe They are like the Beasts of Ethiopia called Nabes or Camelopardales whose heads resemble the Camell their necks the Horse their legs and feet the Oxe and their spots the Tiger Fronti nulla fides They are like the Herbe Moli whose flower as the Herbalist reporteth is as white as milke but the root thereof as black as inke They are not in practice much unlike the Cameleon or fish Polypus who change themselves into variety of Colours or like to Protheus Metamorphosing themselves into diverse formes of whom it was said Formas se vertit in omnes he turned himself into all fashions Yea they imitate those out-side persons who have musked mouthes but stinking breathes whose words and wayes are like the Hermites breath wherewith he both warmeth his fingers and cooleth his broth And thus have I as briefly as I could both truly and plainly deciphered unto you the both dissembling and cursed condition of such Church-lacerating Hypocrites who when they are so deceitfully furnished and wickedly qualified loe then they have fitted themselves meete to be listed under Satan their infernall Generall the Prince of darknesse 2 Cor. 11.14 who can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light For then they can worke craftily and politiquely as well as fight stoutly and boldly under his Banner of Dissimulation for the enlargement of the hellish Territories of his Kingdome of Darknesse Loe thus the Devills hypocriticall Souldiers serve him as well internally by craft and subtilty as externally by strength corporall ability working mischief every way that lyeth in their power against the holy harmlesse Members of the Church of Christ But let all such Soul-destroying Hypocrites know for their present convincement that true Piety was never pinned upon the sleeve of wordly Policy and that no service can be acceptacle to God but that which is performed with the hearts sincerity But I beseech you mistake me not let me not be accounted an Enemie because I tell you the truth Gal. 4.16 Neither make me that Requitall which the obstinate Jewes did to the Lords Prophet Jeremiah when he justly reproved them for their sinnes Jer. 18.18 Then said they come
both continually remember carefully observe and constantly put in practice S. Paul's patheticall Exhortation to his Romanes If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drinke Rom. 12.20 And also that pious Precept of our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus in that holy Sermon of his in the Mount unto the people Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefull use you and persecute you Mat. 5.44 What are we expresly commanded to be thus helpfull to our Enemies and shall we sit still contentedly and suffer our royall Friend our nursing Father yea our Gracious Soveraigne to remaine in Prison and not strive to rescue Him to lie in Misery and not labour to relieve Him Shall not His Extremity be our Opportunity and such a One also as He is of whom we may all truely and deservedly expresse this Encomium and Commendation without the least touch of pleasing Flattery that He is one of the Jewels of the Protestant Princes of Christendome for those rare incomparable and celestiall Endowments and Qualities that so illustriously at this day shine in His royall Person being as a perfect Patterne of Patience and pretious Pearle of Piety unto His People and amongst them to be remembred for the same even from Generation to Generation Loe here we Loyalists of this English Nation may all justly crie out against our selves and that with watery Eyes heavy Hearts convincing Consciences and sorrowfull Souls Oh superlative Remisnesse disgracefull Disloyalty and ineffable Ingratitude For We even We our selves in this Particular are at this day deeply guilty of too much Slacknesse and Negligence herein And how shall all those that are sworne to subjective Fealty be able to answer for this their perjur'd perfidious Remisnesse before Christ the just Judge both of quick and dead when he shall come in the Clouds at the latter day for to judge the World But although His Majesty in this present pitifull Predicament and extreame wofull Exigent is at this day by His seeming-loyall Subjects so remisly regarded and unnaturally neglected as to suffer His Majesties Continuation in Durance and His Adversaries still insultingly to triumph over Him yet let me tell them and also in them the whole World that a truely loyall-hearted Subject will constantly carefully and diligently out of his dutifull Obedience study with his best Endeavours to the uttermost of his Power though it be to his owne Prejudice for to helpe his Prince And here I will relate unto you one remarkable instance of a loyal-hearted Subject unto which you may all hearken with Admiration There was a right Noble and Valiant Knight whose name was Zopyrus who seeing Darius the King his Master could hardly surprize Babylon bethought himselfe of a wonderfull strange practice Domi se verberibus lacerari tote corpore jubet nasum Iabia aures sibi praecidi saith the Historiographer Justin lib. 1. in fine He went home to his owne house and caused his servants to rent his whole body all over with whipping him and also to cut off his nose his lippes and his eares And then speedily running to Babylon in such a fearefull and mortified manner he made the Assyrians believe that Darius the King had exercised this Cruelty upon him because he had spoken on their behalfe counselling him for to breake up his Siege and to remove his Army from assaulting their Citie The Assyrians hearing this report and the rather thinking it to be true because they saw him so shamefully dis-figured in his body were presently perswaded for to make him their Chiefe Captaine By which meanes he betrayed them all and surrendred both them and their Citie into his Masters hands O most faithfull loving and loyall Subject yea most worthy resolute and Couragious Heart who spared not the parts of his owne Body but voluntarily dismembred himselfe for to helpe his Prince I doe earnestly wish with the hearty desires of my soule unto God on our Dread Soveraigne His behalfe that His Sacred Majesty may find many such Subjects yea may see us all as true unto God faithfull to Himselfe and constant to our Country as Zopyrus was to his Prince Ob. But here peradventure some may object against me You are indeed very sharpe in your Reprehensions but we suppose milder passages might be more prevalent Ans Unto which I answer Every Minister of God is strictly obliged by the infallible Rule of Gods Word at all times to reprove Sinnes but more especially those sinnes that are most raging and predominant both when and where he preacheth otherwise he will prove but a false Prophet daubing deceitfully the walls of his spirituall building with untempered Morter to the great dishonour of God and utter destruction both of himselfe and many others And for mine owne particular herein as I hope to have communion with God in Christ I onely aime in the whole Current of this my Booke at the Glory of God and both temporall and spirituall welfare of this our English Nation that we may all unanimously worship God in the beauty of Holinesse and once againe enjoy Gods healing and comfortable Blessing of Peace in our Land And therefore dispence I pray you with my boldnesse and sharpnesse in reproving for wild Horses must have rough Riders and when milde Perswasions will not prevaile then sharpe Corrections must be used or else the wounded putrified and sinfull soules cannot be cured And thus as briefly as I could I have here hinted at some Markes of the true Members of the Church of Christ Motives Mot. 1 WE shall have the Prayers of all the true Members of the Church of Christ For when they pray they pray not Particularly for themselves alone but they pray generally even for all the sheepe of Christs Fold as well as for themselves So that although that most excellent necessary and holy prayer of Jesus called the Lords-Prayer containing in it both heavenly fulnesse of matter also exactnesse of order be at this day by some so much neglected I will not say censuring charitably despised Yet notwithstanding the true Members of Christs Church will never desert it but will ever highly account of it strictly observe it and frequently use it earnestly endeavouring and heartily desiring the welfare of others as well as their owne That God-man Preacher Christ Jesus our blessed Lord and onely Saviour who spake as never man spake Joh. 7.46 yea he was also without sinne 2 Cor. 4.21 and therefore he could not erre And shall that Prayer which he hath made for us be by us excepted against God forbid Yea farre be it from the Protestant English-Nation who zealously professe the Name of Christ to be guilty hereof Let not oh let not us I beseech you repute that holy and heavenly Prayer of our Blessed Saviour Christ Jesus to be ridiculous and as unnecessary triviall and frivolous being made by the wisdome of God published from the mouth of the Authour