the heart of the Reuerend Iudge that the one being more tractable to confesse the truth and giuing sou 〈…〉 hope of his repentance both for his owne and the Countries good who expect yet a further discouery of foure principall offenders not yet knowne or conuicted Hee was therefore onely brought vpon the Ladder and so prepared to execution that so he might conuince the other of the crime being still obstinate therein and satisfie the world concerning his owne guiltinesse of the Fact Wherein as he did not obscurely bewray himselfe at least an accessary though not so cleerely and particularly as was expected for his comfort yet he spared not to challenge his fellow standing obstinate on the dentall and by many circumstances conuicted him to 〈…〉 es the chiefe Murtherer Whereby as it may seeme hee was not an Actor in the Murther himselfe but onely priuie thereto by relation or consequence so was hee therefore repriued for the further cleering of the truth and freeing of his owne conscience from any secret burthen yet lay therevpon As for the other who the more hee was conuicted remained still more obstinate whether in policy that hee might be also repriued in hope of mollifying his heart and bringing him to repentance or vpon desperatenesse and so seeing no way but one must now prepare himselfe to the vengeance of God and confound the worlds expectation or harden the world in such like sinnes therefore was he iustly cut off that he might doe no more mischiefe though to his owne greater confusion thus dying in his sinne And yet behold the power of Gods iustice preuayling on his conscience though he would not confesse his sinne in particular yet he acknowledged to his shame what the world tooke too much notice of and himselfe did formerly much glory in that he was much delighted in Drunkennnsse himselfe yea which was the hight of his sin he was strong to be are his drinke and so gloried to draw others into the same excesse that so hee might pride himselfe in his great power that could out drinke others and thereby also more easily make prey of them Which as it was the meanes whereby hee caught Iohn Leeson in his snare so if consequents may be gathered by their Antecedēts it must needs follow hereupon that he made prey of him especially seeing he could not deny but he accompanied him that day at the Mill-hill when he was made away and his pretences that Iohn was gone for Ireland as were disprooued and confounded by contradictions in his owne and wiues speeches But howsoeuer such apparent conuictions both at the Barre and Gallowes euen from his owne mouth though he stil denied the fact as 〈◊〉 hath bin giuen heretofore the t 〈…〉 so wee hope time will more 〈…〉 eetely discouer his madnesse herein And so we leaue him to the fruite of his si 〈…〉 But before we end this Sc 〈…〉 one scruple is to be cleered that wheras Justice so 〈…〉 ends the 〈…〉 ying thereof in the punishment of the body as that it specially aymes at the good of the soule it might seeme therefore to haue beene fitter that Worlich being more penitent would haue dyed presently and Land being so obstinate should haue beene respited for his better preparing to his end For satisfaction where of we must know that as the iudgement against sinne is directed by a speciall in 〈…〉 ct scour God and so therin doth vsually 〈…〉 ble his 〈…〉 teous 〈◊〉 which is th 〈…〉 to h 〈…〉 that hath shal be giuen but to him th 〈…〉 nothing shall be taken away 〈◊〉 that which he s 〈…〉 th 〈…〉 haue therefore to Worlich that hath some spacke of grace and 〈…〉 rse opportunity was further yeelded to encrease and perfect the worke And from Land that hath nothing in truth if wee may c 〈…〉 e by the effect therefore that was taken away which it seemed belonged vnto him euen longer time and space of Repentance A notable Image of Gods righteous decras in the hardening of y e one softning of the other and a wise item to obstinate sinners that what they haue beene in their liues they likely prooue in their deathes And withall a sweete word of comfort to al broken and bleeding hearts that the Lord wil waite vpon them that he may haue mercy vpon them And this we wish hartily may be portion of that poore soule that now is respited in the hope thereof And thus endeth the history of this bloudy Tragedy Iustifying the Righteous Do 〈…〉 e of the Lord That he that sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed againe CHAP. 8. Containing the conclusion of the whole With promise of further light THus hast thou Christian Reader a briefe of the most lamentable History which euer I heard or read of concerning the cruell murther of this widowes children Together with the admirable discouery thereof by the Finger of God as also the procéedings against so many of the Malefactors as are yet discouered What now remaineth but that thou glorifie God with me for the execution of his righteous iudgements Assuring thee that as I was an eye witnesse of these particulars so I haue deliuered thee therein the truth according to the euidences confirmed by the consent of the best warrants to establish the same onely I haue forborne to specifie the particular information of many witnesses because as many of them were spared at the Barre séeing the rest were sufficient so of those that were giuen in I haue also spared some as specifying the same in effect with those that are wouen into the history because I did not so much respect the order of their allegations at the Barre as the fitnesse of their application to the vse and life of the Story If herein I haue giuen any light or spirit by this manner of handling remember I wrote it not for a nine dayes wonder to vanish like a dreame but that it might leaue such impression in thy heart as might prouoke thée to know the Lord by his executing of Justice and so hereby learne to make vse of his Prouidence in all his workes promising thee that if thou shalt profitably vse this discouery to this end thou shalt be fitted not onely with further light herein as occasion shall be offered but as thou maiest make profitable vse of many other labours published by me formerly for the common good so thou shalt shortly be furnished with my long expected Paines concerning the Delusions of the Time and cure of a wounded Spirit which I am reuising and polishing at my best leysure s for thy good herein And so desiring thy harty prayers vnto God for his furtherance hereunto I commend thee to the grace of our Glorious Lord. In whom I rest thine and the Churches seruant THO. COOPER FINIS Heb. 2. 13. Ierem. 44. 16. Rom. 7. 8. 9. Psalm 50. Eccle. 8. Iob 22. Rom. 6. 1. 1. Thes. 2 12. Hos. 14. 13. 14. Ioh. 8. 44. The heynnusnesse and greatnesse of this sinne By the Obiect Psal. 10. Causes of murther 1 Enuy. 2 Pride 3 Adultery 4 Iealousie 5 Lust. 6 Ambition 7 Couetousnesse 7 Rage 9 Bitter speaking Two Cautions Antidotes to preuent murther To mainetain peace with God Reuel 13. 11. Pro. 7. Psal. 55. Math. 6. Psal. 37. Vse Pro. 23. Vse Thomas Leeson 1. Thes. 5. 5. Psal. 9. 13. 14. Reuel 6. 9 Rom. 8. 19 20. Psa. 58. 12. Psal. 75. 2. Plato in Timeo Case of the Guise iustified and Marquesse D'ancre As in the case of Nadab and Abiu Cosbi and Zimri Sir Henry Mountague Lord chiefe Iustiée
iollity and security And by this time euen the memory of these murthered soules was buried with them What now remained Surely where man vsually ends there God beginneth and while the wicked slept securely the vengeance of God was bestirring it selfe Behold saith the Prophet when the Lord makes inquisition for blood hee remembers it and forgets not the complaint of the poore The blood of these murthered soules cried loud in the eares of the Lord. from the bottome of the Pond for vengeance euen while the bloud-suckers sang a requiem to their soules And the Lord awakened at length out of the sleepe of his patience discouering the murthered by his owne Immediate Arme and by their discouery discouered also the murtherers and so brought them in due season to their iust triall and confusion as shall appeare most wonderfully in the next Chapter Which before we enter into for conclusion of this present and preparation to the discouery A speciall Case of Conscience comes heere to bee discussed and resolued Namely that seeing murther is so crying a sinne that it calls for speedy and continuall vengeance in the eares of the Lord how notwithstanding it comes to passe that the Lord differs the discouery and recompenâ—e thereof many yeeres yea ages after That the Lord doth thus deferre this discouery and execution is not onely apparant by the cry of those soules vnder the Alter slaine for the Word of God How long Lord holy and true doest thou not iudge and auenge our blood on them that dwell vpon the earth But also by the reuenge vpon Sauls Posterity for his slaughter of the Gibeonites which was not executed many yeeres after and the histories of our age doe witnesse no lesse that many murthers haue laine hid some 20. some ten yeeres some more some shorter time If wée desire to bée satisfied in the true reasons of this Diuine prouidence 1 some may be giuen in respect of the murtherers 2 others in regard of the murthered 3 some concerne the Information of the World and 4 some immediately concerne God himselfe Concerning the murtherers the prouidence of God is wonderfull in deferring the discouery of their sinne euen to a long time after for these Reasons Some tending to their good Others tending to their further condemnation Those that tend to their good are First that by the patience of God in deferring their discouery and vengeance they might be prepared meane while to repentance and so be better fitted to what end the Lord hath appoynted Rom. 4. 2. Secondly By the patience of the Lord towards them if they will not make vse of it for themselues yet hereby they may bée further seruiceable for the common good in those places and callings wherein God hath set them as for education of their Posterity for the maintaining of peace and order abroad yea happily for the sauing of others howsoeuer themselues are reprooued So was Iudas a long time concealed from others though long before knowne to his Master for the execution of his calling and seruing his Lord therein Reasons tending to the condemnation of these blood-suckers are 1 That the Lord forbeares the discouery of them not onely to make them Instruments of his further Iustice in peruerting and hardening others but also 2 This forbearance is a meanes to harden them in their sinne and drowne them in seâ—urity that so their surprizall being more suddaine may prooue more deadly and fatall to them 3 Hereby they are also nourished in their Atheisme and contempt of Gods prouidence and so prouoke the Lord in due time to auenge himselfe in their confusion As for the Murthered there may bee some Reasons of Gods silence and Patience euen in regard of them 1 That the crying of bloud from the earth so long deferred to vengeance may be a Simbole vnto them of an answer from God at length because no crie shall be in vaine which he hath warranted in this word 2 That the cry of Bloud though a long time deferred yet at length answered may Type vnto them their resurrection from the dead The case herein being much alike That as the bloud though consumed yet hath a loude cry for vengeance and shall in due time be recompenced so the bodies though rotten in the graue yet because they rest in hope doe therefore in their Manner cry for their raising vp againe and so in due time shall obtaine their desire Euen as the creature made subiect vnto vanity not willingly but by reason of him that hath subiected the same in hope doth therefore earnestly waite for the Reuelation of the sonnes of God that it also may be deliuered from her bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the Children of God Touching the World This Patience of God respecteth it also And that to try it affection to Gods Iustice and such as are taken away whither they find any want of them whither they thinke the World is not well rid of them and that they may be heard of no more and such like But the maine ground of this Prouidence is in regard of God himselfe and that in these respects As first to Iustifie his great Patience to such horrible sinners whom he is so farre from taking in their sinnes that he respites them many times to commit greater euils that so he may make them more inexcuseable in the day of vengeance 2 His wisedome is herein magnified that by respiting the wicked in such horrible sinnes the guilt of the conscience is hereby so encreased and at length enraged that though all other meanes fayle yet their owne tongues shall be forced to bewray them to ease the inward pangs and so to Iustifie the Lord euen out of their owne mouthes 3 Lastly hereby the Lord reserues vnto himselfe alone the glory of his Iustice that when all sides are husht y e murtherers secure the murthered forgotten the world carelesse all hope past Then doth the righteous Lord make himselfe knowne by executing of vengeance to the stopping of the mouth of Atheisme that saith There is no God because the wicked scape scot-frée and to the opening of the mouthes of his children in that gratious acknowledgment Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth 4 And doth not the Lord discouer herein his absolute power that seeing the times and seasons are onely in his hands and therefore when he seeth a conuenient time he will execute vengeance that it may appeare his thoughts are not our thoughts therefore howsoeuer we may thinke euery moment too much wherein vengeance is deferred Yet the Lord will deferre the time that it may appeare to be at his dispose and yet will do it in the most conuenient time which may make most for his glory and affecting of a secure and faithlesse generation And this may serue for the resoluing of this case of Conscience And thus farre of this third Scaene of this bloudy Tragedy
of mercy must die the death that so blood might be recompensed with blood and the land may be clensed from the guilt thereof And so according thereunto Justice administred without respect of persons yet with great wisedome according to the different degrees and circumstances in the committing of the Crime Heere is no admittance of Sanctuarie nor any such like protection to frustrate the course of Justice and nuzling of the wicked in their sinne so happy are we that God hath taken from our necks that cruell and bloody yoake of Antichrist who not onely maintained his owne tyranny by blood but also protected others therein And yet much more in this respect miserable if we shall not bee more thankefull for the light of the Gospell and improoue the time of our visitation with more profit and aduantage But blessed bee the Lord for the fruit of his Word that Justice hath his due course Iniquity braues it not vncontrould and righteousnesse may haue countenance enough if it bee accompanied with sobriety and meekenesse of wisedome If Sincerity be made a cloake for contentions and priuate lucre is it not wisedome to pluck off this vizard that so the Hypocrite may be ashamed and the sober Christian iustified But whither am I going I must retire my selfe to my present station We are now expecting the Judgement giuen vpon these Malefactors And blessed be God our expectation was more then satisfied Oh how true is it that Judges are in the place of God that he honoureth them as his Deputies and furnisheth them extraordinarily with diuine gifts What Maiesty doth shine in their honourable persons what wisedome and Equity flowes from their lippes what Righteousnesse mixed with Clemency appeares in their sentences Harken I pray you vnto that which followeth witnesse with me the truth of all these The Bench being set the prisoners are called to the Barre doubtfull matters are referred to a further cleering smaller offences are censured accordingly The greater and Capitall crimes of Blood and such like come now to be sentenced And that the sentence may be better layd to heart and take déeper impression to worke repentance and so thereby prepare the offenders to their deaths Harken I pray you vnto the diuine and graue speech the reuerend Judge makes vnto them in such words as these The speech at the giuing of Iudgement YOu Prisoners at the barre whose liues now stand wayting vpon death as you looke vp to vs with feare so wee looke downe vpon you with sorrow Your feare is to receiue punishment for your mis-doing and our sorrow is that wee must pronounce it Yet not without hope to bring you to Repentance which may gaine you pardon for your sin But as wee haue the commaundement of God to warrant and comfort vs herein that the malefactor must die so wee hartily desire of God that your condemnation may not bee of death vnto death but rather a meanes to a better life Now in these cases three things best befit a Iudge which are Discretion Correction and Comfort 1 Discretion to make an offender know his fault 2 Correction to Pronounce and inflict the punishment 3. Comfort that notwithstanding the denouncing and inflicting of the punishment yet so to prepare the delinquent vnto death that he may find life in death and so see heauen vpon earth before the world leaues him and he the world Concerning the knowledge of your fault that will best appeare by your acknowledgment thereof For without this acknowledgment there can be no sound Repentance Thus did God himselfe deale with his seruant Dauid in those his vncleane and bloody facts first to bring him to the sight of those sinnes he put the case by another and so brought Dauid to pronounce sentence vpon himselfe so my desire is that each of you would make Dauids case your owne And as in the like facts you would bee ready in another mans case to pronounce sentence as he did against the man that had dealt so cruelly so now to make his example your paterne to make it your owne case That as hee being conuinced by the Prophet to bee the man whom he had condemned in the like case of another was thereby brought to an acknowledgement of his owne sin and so receiue a gratious acquittance so you also being now conuicted of your heauy and bloody facts by such apparant euidence may by Dauids example bee brought to an acknowledgement thereof and so with Dauid obtaine an answere of the pardon of your sin howsoeuer for the satisfying of the world and humbling of the flesh you are like with Dauid to answere bloud for bloud The second thing I noted was Correction But the better to prepare you for it tell mee you poore soules that haue had a great portion of sorrow by your imprisonment if these three things do not now trouble you more then euer before that is Sorrow Shame and Feare 1 Sorrow for your life past so wickedly missed 2 Shame for your present facts 3 Feare not so much of your present punishment which ends in the punishment as of the iudgement to come bringing with it eternall torments and yet beginning but where the other ends To begin with this last because if it had beene well remembred by you it might haue preuented the former and yet being well applyed may release you from the latter that you may take a deeper impression of that great and generall Assizes Be you aduised not so much to looke vpon Vs who haue only power to kill the body as to looke vp vnto the Lord who hath power to destroy both body and soule and remember his last and dreadfull comming in the clouds where each of you must appeare personally without Deputy delay or Aduocate to receiue according to your workes which you haue done in your bodies be they good or euill And that you may preuent the extremity of that Iugdement my aduice vnto you is that you would erectin a iudgement seate your owne soules iudging your selues by the euidence of your owne consciences that so you may not be iudged of the Lord. So did Dauid obtaine the pardon of his sinne he had no sooner iudged himselfe for his sinnes and confessed them vnto the Lord but the Lord forgaue him the iniquity of them all and no sooner shal you acknowledge your selues worthy to die but the Lord will answere you you shall not die but liue For if you be now dead in sin by hardening your harts in the deniall thereof though you be liuing to the world yet you are dead vnto God and so shall neuer die out of the punishment of sin how soeuer you be euer dying in the horror thereof But if you shall now dievnto sin by vnfayned Repentance though you may die for your sin by the hand of man yet you shall liue for euer without sin by the power of God And therefore howsoeuer you must die temporally to satisfie the Law yet remember this is
comming of the Sauiour of the world all the Heathen Oracles and diuellish Delusions ceased and vanished so all vncleane spirits should bee banished and Satan fall downe like lightning by the power thereof and his works be dissolued and thorowly abolished may not the ouer-flowing of high handed sins so raigning in these euill dayes either seeme so challenge the Truth of the Gospell as if it yet appeared not in it liuely Beauty or else at least question the Efficacy thereof as not preuayling to the subduing of Iniquitie surely if we consider on the one side what hath opened the mouth of Papists to challenge the Truth of our Religion and still doat vpon their owne dreames Is it any other then what hath beene occasioned from such desperate sinnes as haue broken out and continued there with Do they not hereby impeach the truth and power thereof because Iniquity notwithstanding aboundeth in the midst of so glorious light Doth not this harden their hearts in their grosse and palpable darkenesse euen that I say which hardned the Iewes in their Idolatry and obstinacy against the truth that because when they worshipped the Queene of Heauen and all the host thereof then all things went better with them more charity then abounded lesse sinne and misery brake out but since the discouery of the Light sinne hath appeared more out of measure sinfull the wrath of God hath beene more discouered against the same therefore their Conclusion is that we are in the wrong and they maintaine the right And hath not his on the other side hardned the Atheist not onely in his blasphemy that there is no God that Religion is but Policy but also in his obstinate impiety and obdurate impenitency euen this I say is the maine Stumbling blocke hereunto that the Gospell being not powerfull to weed out such grosse wickednes but that it swarms and rangeth securely vnder the scepter thereof Either it is because there is no Truth therein or else wanting power it is no more to be regarded then a scarre-crow or bugbeare to fright fooles and children Either he thinkes that God is like vnto him because hee prospers in his sinne or that hee likes well thereof because sentence doth not speedily passe to his discouery and confusion Doth not the close conuayance of sinne and long concealing thereof prouoke him to challenge the Omnipresence of God as if he were hid in the clouds and could not see it Doth not his long forbearance of sinne and great pacience in suffering the vessels of wrath giue further occasion to the Atheist to chalenge the diuine prouidence as if the Lord would neither do good nor euill Nahum 1. 12. And is not the mouth of the Prophane Christian hereby opened against heauen Doth not his talke goe thorow the earth that Sinne is but a trick of youth that the more senselesse we are thereof the lesse care we take for the same the more our consciences are secure therein the more secure we are of the mercy of God the more wee may sinne that grace may abound because hereby the conscience becomes more obdurate and so secure of Gods fauour Behold heere the righteous Iustice of God in causing his Word to bee a sauour of death vnto death obserue I pray you and admire Gods wonderfull wisedome in taking the wise in their craftinesse that seeing they will not obey the glorious Gospell of our Lord Iesus in receiuing the Loue of the truth therefore the Lord hath giuen them vp iustly to strong Delusions euen to peruert this glorious light to the hardning of their hearts because they will not bee perswaded and subdued thereunto imputing those things as the effects of the Gospell which are indeeds the Fruits of their obstinate despising and peruerting of the same For to speake the truth in Iesus Christ and to iustifie the truth of God to the conuincing of these liars and peruerters of his glorious Grace Consider I pray you in the feare of God these Three things First the Intent of God in sending his Gospell vnto a Nation Secondly The Manner of Gods wisedome in the Dispensation thereof Thirdly The grounds and causes of Stumbling at and peruerting the same Concerning the Purpose of God in bestowing his Gospell vpon a Nation that wee may the better discerne the same we must looke vp into the Reuealed counsell of God concerning the saluation of the Elect and reiection of the Reprobate For the Execution of which his Eternall decree As the Lord in his eternall wisedome hath ordained his Mighty Word so seeing the number of his Chosen is a little Flocke in comparison of the Cast-awayes therefore doth hee also in his singular wisedome send and dispose thereof that howsoeuer it shall accomplish what he sends it for namely to conuince all sorts of either side both Elect and Reprobate yet it shall be effectuall onely in those few to their sound conuersion as for the rest they shall onely be hardned and bee made inexcusable thereby And to these contrary ends hath the wise and glorious God fitted and composed his blessed Word both in respect of the Nature thereof as also in the diuers manner of the conuayance of the same As touching y e Nature of the Word Is it not a great Mystery supposing some-what in shew to y e stubling of y e flesh euen while it seemes most easily to conceiue the same and including that in substance which while it is onely conceiueable by the Spirit doth thereby also abase the Flesh that so it may renounce it selfe in the apprehension thereof and seeke vnto the Spirit for the opening of this Mistery By which it comes to passe that the naturall man being onely able to conceiue though but peruersly the letter and outside of the Word doth thereby also stumble at it owne conceit either measuring the power of the Word by the letter of it and so abasing it in it owne conceit as beeing so obuious to it carnall reach and thereby seeming becomes offended at the outward simplicity and foolishnesse thereof or else resting in it owne outward apprehension as suiting with and seruing it carnall and present ends doth therefore stumble at the power thereof as thinking it needelesse or dangerous either because it is beyond his compasse or crosseth his carnall ends and so instead of submitting himselfe thereunto doth in the height of it wisedome despise and reiect the same Behold here how the Lord taketh the wise in their craftinesse The Foolish Worldling beeing the wiser in his owne eyes by how much the lesse hee diserneth his folly doth therefore thinke himselfe able ynough to diserne the Mystery of his happinesse in the glasse of his owne false and counterfeit wisedome and so being neither willing nor able to goe out of himselfe howsoeuer hee may pore at the outside of this Mystery so farre as hee may conceiue his present fading happinesse that so hee may flatter himselfe therein and thereby
attaine some such motion of the Deity as may puffe him vp therewith yet is hereby made more inexcusable and farther off from the inward search of the Power thereof And yet the wayes of the Lord herein most equall and righteous As both tendering the meanes indifferently vnto all so that the wicked cannot say but he hath had his choyce thereof and liberty therein with the best yea the pacience of the Lord in leading him to Repentance accompanyed with such an answering to his desires concerning present ends as it must much more iustifie the Lord. What could he haue done vnto him which he hath not done so it shall also make him much more inexcusable And if so now the Lord deny vnto him his grace for the effectuating of the meanes As he not bound thereunto because he will haue mercy vpon whom he will haue mercy and whom he will he heardneth so seeing the wicked doe neither dreame of any such assistance of his grace as beeing blinded by selfe-loue they cannot see the want thereof nay being puffed vp with carnall wisedome they doe vtterly despise and reiect the same Is it any meruaile if they want the supply of that grace which they so abase and contemne Is it not iust with God that the scorner shall seeke wisedome and yet not finde it Because he despiseth the substance white hee hunts after the shaddow And if now it please the righteous Lord to giue him his desire and send leanenesse into his soule that not onely that which he seemed to haue shall be taken away from him the light hee hath shall be quenched and by degrees extinguished yea the spirit of God instead of restrayning him formerly from some outward euils and so happily affrighting his conscience with sense of inward rottennesse shall now giue him vp to his owne lusts euen to commit sinne with greedinesse Is not this the happinesse that hee specially dreames of to be past feeling of sinne that so hee may make vp his measure without controulement Are not the wayes of God most equall herein Shall not the mouth of iniquity be vtterly stopped Haue not the wicked herein more at the hands of God then they can desire Doth not he giue them herein much more then he oweth them of all outward blessings Doth he not affoord them more plenty of spirituall meanes then they doe desire Doth hee not respite them in his great patience many a time beyond their owne fond and counterfeit vowes in the day of their distresse sparing them further then themselues doe wish and repealing that sentence which in their suddaine flashes they haue pronounced against themselues if they should hereafter turne to their vomit againe yea still drawing them to him with the cords of Loue when they haue cast off his cords and fall desperately from him Is not the Iustice of God most righteous euen his enemies being Iudges And surely as is the Lord so is his Word heerein most holy and righteous If it crosse the wicked in their desires to discouer that inward corruption whereof they are ignorant and wherein they fauour themselues Is it any lesse then stands with the Power of the Word euen as fire to search the hidden parts yea as the light to lay open the darkest corners And if now the wicked vpon their first entertainement of the word desirous happily to gaine credit and applause thereby be iustly confounded by the power thereof enraging their consciences by it inward search is not the wisedome of God admirable thus taking them in their craftinesse Is not his goodnesse iustifiable thus preparing them hereby to repentance If now the loue of sinne will giue no way to sound repentance Is not yet the wisedome of God herein more admirable that whereas the wicked desire some sleight euidence to conceit a false conception their slauish humiliation shall further hereunto and hereby flatter them in a new birth And if thus conceiting a false conuersion for a true because they cannot endure the trauell of a true birth they shall now encroach vpon the priueledges of the new man mis-applying and challenging those ioyes and comforts vnto their festered and ranckling soares which belong onely to those that are healed and so instéed of being further searched and launched by the law of God shall vnseasonably apply vnto themselues the sweete promises of the Gospell and will endure nothing but leuitures and cordials Is the word of God vnequall because they vnfitly apply it nay is it not most equall in offering that indifferently vnto them which if they could wisely apply would proue soueraigne vnto them Yea though they apply it amisse yet herein is iustifiable in that themselues are their owne caruers in the misapplying thereof If now vpon the misapplying of the Plaister before the soare be soundly healed it doth hereby more fester and putrifie inwardly and so breake out to a cancerous vlcer As the word was not first to be blamed in discouering the soare that so it might bée prepared to it cure because if there had beene no pray the Lyon would not haue roared So now much lesse may it be iustly challenged to be the cause of it further ranckling seeing the misapplying thereof hath effected the same And therefore as it were extreame folly to charge the heat of the Sunne to be the cause of stench and putrifieation in these inferior bodies which being well disposed are purified thereby and are onely subiect to tainture by their owne indisposition and aptnesse thereunto so let it be the shame of Popish glory to hate the light because their vvorkes are euill Yea let this be the confusion of their carnall wisedome to challenge the glorious light of the preaching of the Word as the cause of sinnes aboundance that hereby they might colour their despising and persecuting thereof not onely in that by opposing the light they make vp the measure of their owne sinnes by denying to themselues and others the meanes of life and happinesse But hereby also prouoking the righteous Lord to auenge vpon them the contempt of his word in giuing them vp to such outrage and monstrous wickednesse of combustions and murthers which the true wisedome of flesh for it owne safety can no way indure that so her owne louers euen out of loue to themselues must néedes hate the whore and make her desolate and so the Iustice of the Lord may shine more gloriously in rewarding her as she hath done to others and sheathing her owne sword in her owne bowels And is not the Word glorious in iudging the Whore euen by her owne mouth and taking her in the snare that she hath layd for others and so ouertaking her in hee moneth and ripenesse of iniquity Who so is wise he shall vnderstand these things and to whom the arme of the Lord shall reueale them for the wayes of the Lord are right and the iust shall walke therein but the transgressor shall fall in them Let it therefore be the shame
of Popery thus to traduce the light and let it be the glory of the Gospell thus to discouer their shame for if it were not powerfull why doe they spurne against it if they being galled thereby doe spurne against the same let them thanke their owne rottennesse and iustifie the powerfull Word But if being couered thus with shame they will not seeke the face of God in Iesus Christ the Lord will further glorifie his Word in hastening their confusion and gathering in the first borne to his glorious appearance And shall the blasphemous Atheist escape any better Surely as it is extreme folly in him to barke against the Moone because it giues him light to his desperate wickednesse for what wisedome is there to condemne that which is so fauourable vnto vs so doth this folly threaten his confusion as both discouering his accursed spirit imputing that obstinacy in sinne to the Word which ariseth from his ignorance of the power thereof and Rebellion against the same and thereby hardening his neck against all hope of reclaiming as reiecting the Word which is onely auayleable hereunto For what though as the heate of the Sunne doth harden the clay so the power of the word indirectly occasions the encrease of sinne in the froward heart Is the word in vaine while it doeth that vnto which it is appoynted Is not the wisedome of God herein more glorious who as he would neuer haue permitted euill but that he can bring good out of it so he turneth the rage of man to his glorious praise Not onely making way hereby to the iust confusion of the wicked for the aduancement of the glory of his righteous iustice but also discouering herein the riches of his Free Grace in softning the hearts of his Elect by the same meanes whereby the wicked are hardened and so by these contrary effects aduancing the Power of his mighty Word which with the same breath is thus able to kill and to quicken And therefore as the Atheist hath no iust cause to stumble at the power of the Word because Iniquity is discouered and enraged thereby so much lesse may hee iustly challeng the prouidence of God in accompanying his word with such great patience and common fauours seeing as the Lord hereby giues him his desire to inioy the pleasures of sinne that so he may haue nothing iustly to except against his goodnesse so by this his long suffering hee doth also inuite him to repentance and so makes him more inexcusable if he abuse the same But howsoeuer the filthy will be filthy still yet let the seruants of God magnifie his wonderfull mercy and free kindnesse towards them in softning them by the same meanes whereby hee hardens the wicked yea turning about the hardening of the reprobate to bee the meanes of their more close walking with their God and dependance on his free grace in the sense of their fayling when they doe their best yea let them euermore blesse the name of the Lord that seeing the righteous shall hardly be saued they may yet haue some hope of Life in so great conscience of their corruptions that they can yet follow after righteousnesse notwithstanding the streame runnes contrary and their labour is so thanklesse and dangerous in regard of present successe seeing iniquity doth so swarme and preuaile yea let this bee their euidence that Christ raignes ouer them euen in the midst of their enemies that euen where Satan hath his throne there God shall haue his glory Antipas his faithfull seruant shall seale it vp with his bloud or if this bee not yet the triall yet Ieremie shall be smitten with the tongue and holy Iob shall esteeme the booke that his Aduersaries writ against him to bee the most glorious Crowne that may adorne his head Yea the more that the word of God is blasphemed by the wicked the more watchfull shall his children be that they giue no iust offence that so either they which speake of them as euill doers shall glorifie God on their behalfe and so by their holy conuersation be won to the obedience of the Gospell or bee made more inexcusable when their mouthes shall bee iustly stopped if yet they shall not cease to speake euill of the righteous wayes of God And this may also stop the prophane mouth of the filthy Libertine that though hee turne the grace of God into wantonnesse imagining his security and senselesnesse in sinne to bee the assurance of his happinesse yet the Word is holy yeelding no apperance much lesse allowance hereunto yea righteous herein is the mighty Word in giuing him vp to such a reprobate sense through his peruerting of the chiefe errand thereof the mercy of God in Christ Jesus to repentant sinners which if he could rightly apply might make him capable thereof yea meruailous is the wisedome of God herein that by the contrary apprehension of the promise and preparation thereunto by his seruants hee confounds the peruersenesse and prophanenesse of the Libertine If yet the filthy will be filthy still let him know this for his further confusion that as the Lord will not faile eft-soones to awaken his senselesse conscience with some inward quawmes or outward crosses to confound him in his security that so hee may bee forced to acknowledge and seeke to the power of the Word which hee hath so abased so if for all this he will not be reclaimed but by mistaking and mis-applying the mercy of God shall thereby bee cast into a deeper sleepe the Lord shall glorifie his Word in giuing him vp to a spirit of giddinesse euen to heape vp teachers vnto himselfe according vnto his lusts that may answer him according to the stumbling blocke of iniquity which he hath set vp in his heart that so he which could not commit sinne so securely but that his heart did sometimes smite him for the same might new continue in it more freely and desperately as being warranted hereunto by such accursed deceiuers Behold here the wisedome of the wicked in sin and obserue withall the wisedome of God in taking them in their craftines that they may securely reuell in wickednes their first policy is to make their conscience senselesse and that they may bring it to this passe their desperate wisedome is to multiply sin with greedines that so by this custome and outrage they may grow to an habite and so by often putting the iron in the fire may in the end harden and stupifie their harts that as it falls out with those which often drinke strong payson that in the end they can digest the same without any sense or danger so the wicked by often drinking in of iniquitie with gréedines become senselesse at length both of the euill and of the danger thereof wherby as they take occasion to commit any notorious outrage whatsoeuer so they become hereby obuious to the scandall and danger of the world which cannot but take notice of what themselues are senselesse of by it clamorus
and iust scandall either awaken them to repentance or conuince them to punishment Behold how the Lord takes the wise in their craftines They desire to be senselesse of sin that they may commit it more greedily and the more greedily they commit the same the more they prouoke the world through their scandall and it one danger to awaken them thereout what remedie is now left in carnall wisedome to make vp the breach and lull them a sléepe againe Behold againe the hight of this wisedome in sin and obserue how the Lord takes the wicked in their craftines If Elia will Prophesy no good but euill vnto vs while wee sleepe in sin yet welfare Zidkiah that will warrant good successe therein flattering vs that wee may go vp and prosper because hitherto it hath gone well with vs and though he lie falsely yet he will walke in the spirit that hee may deceiue more effectually yea hee wants not his rough garment of tything mint and comin yea he will not spare herein to humble flesh by voluntary deuotions of Pilgrimage penances and such like trash to the satisfying of the flesh euen in a great shew of wisedome to abase the same And what now shall be spared for the sinne of the soule though it be to the parting with our substance yea our first borne and all yea which is the hight of this delusion shall not a greater sinne be made a price for the lesse shall not the murther of Princes become an expiation for all our personall sinnes Behold here the depth of the Mistery of iniquity and admire with me the Justice of God in taking the whore and her accursed brood in their owne craftines that while they estéeme their owne blood vile that they may murther the Lords annoynted they haue iustly brought the Kings of the earth vpon their heads to secure themselues in subuerting Antichrist whom otherwise they could haue bene contented still to haue made their band for the satisfying of their lusts Oh! the vnsearchable riches of the wisedome and mercy of our God who turnes about the carnall wisedome of man tending only to it present bodily good to be meanes of remouing that great stumbling blocke whereby their soules were ensnared that so they might ascribe vnto him alone the glorie of their true happines so farre aboue and contrary to their corrupt intent Well thus we see how the Lord takes the wise in their craftines That the world may securely reuel in sin the false Prophet must bee a snare vpon Mispah to cry ayme thereto that so the blind leading the blind both may fall into the ditch And is not this prouidence of God very remarkeable in these daungerous dayes of the contempt and peruerting of the word of God that though the Lord feedeth the hungry with good and wholesome food yet the daintie and full stomake is either choaked with chaffe or puffed vp with wind that so seeming that which he is not he may not see what truely he is and thereby be both preuented of sound curing and withall hardened to destruction Behold here then some further light to iustifie the Prouidence of God in the ouer-flowing of sinne amidst so glorious light of the Gospell Not that the word is any true cause thereof but onely a meanes to discouer and conuince the same whereby as through our naturall rebellion the more sinne is conuinced the more it is enraged and so encreased thereby so through carnall wisedome the light being peruerted becomes a broker vnto sinne and thereby proues a further meanes to encrease and ripen the same And yet all this in great Iustice and exceeding Equity The Lord herein giuing the wicked their desires for the accomplishment of his righteous decree in their condemnation in that themselues are their owne caruers in the meanes there vnto And all this executed by his mighty word becomming thus vnto the wicked a sauour of death vnto death whereby as he taketh the wise Papist and Atheist in their Craftines so doth he also iustly confound the Prophane Libertine who while he fathers that vpon the Word which proceeds from his owne corrupt sense and application thereof doth therefore Iustifie the word in his hardening thereby and so is Iudged by the Word while he peruerteth the same to such ends as are contrary thereunto And thus hitherto for the Iustifying of Gods prouidence in disposing of such greuious sinnes as do accompany and preuaile euen in the most glorious light of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. CHAP. 2. Wherein first an entrance is made by way of Application vnto the Particular sinne of Murther being the proper subiect of this Treatise where 2. The Progeny and heynousnesse of this sinne is discouered and enlarged 3. The causes and occasions thereof in generall are explained 4. The Dangerous Effects and consequences thereof are detected And so 5. Such seuerall vses are propounded as both tend to the preuenting of this sinne as also for the wise suppressing and weeding out thereof FRom that which hitherto hath bene discoursed concerning the Prouidence of God in disposing of such multiplicity and encrease of sinne in this glorious light of the Gospell we may gather these Conclusions First that the Gospell is not properly the cause of these euils but onely 1 the ignorance thereof 2 peruerting the light to the iustifying of sinne or else our want of loue and so obedience thereunto 2 That as Ignorance breeding Error and so Disobedience to the truth is the Mother of all that grosse wickednesse that is discouered thereby So in that Popery is the chiefe and onely Patron of ignorance so it becomes also the very Chaos of all errors and delusions and so proues the maine Broker to all grosse and desperate wickednesse 3 That whereas the weapons of Popish warfare are only carnall and diuellish vsing these as her last refuge when her Paper bolts and enchantments will not preuaile to roote out and destroy all her opposits as being that Scarlet-coloured Whore whom nothing will secure and satisfie but the bloud of Saints and all such as shall oppose her Tyranny Therefore howsoeuer all other sinnes are harbored in her bosome as beeing ashamed to haue them knowne to the world Yet this sinne of Murther is her cheife darling and glorious sinne whereof she is so farre from being ashamed as that she raignes only thereby and triumphs therewith not onely vpon her pretended power of the secular sword whereby she arrogates supreme authority ouer life death But especially vpon pretence of the Power of her Keyes whereby presuming ouer the soules as well as the bodies of men she thereby confirmes and iustifies this her vnsatiable thirst of bloud as either seruing for the good of their soules whose bodies she butchered or else by cutting off such supposed Leapers thereby securing the estates of others Thus doth her Progeny declare the same who is of her Father the Diuell that was a murtherer from the beginning So her condition doth
so we may take a further view of the odiousnesse of the same Surely if we looke vp to the first Murtherer that euer was may we not obserue that Enuy prouoked him therevnto because his brothers was accepted and his sacrifice was teiected therefore did Cain saith the Apostle stay his brother Abell that was more righteous then he And was not the pride of his heart the occasion of this enuy because Caine was not respected according to the conceit of his owne worth therefore he enuied his owne brother that was better respected of God then himselfe and so through enuy shed his innocent bloud Was not Ioseph sold through enuy by his brethren Consider we the next Murtherer recorded in the booke of God Was not Lamech an Adulterer and thereupon a murtherer either inflamed thereto by iealousie which is the rage of a man and therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance or enraged thereto by lust which will admit no partner therein Did not Dauids adultery end in murther 2. Sam. 11. Is not lust the firebrand to contentions and murthers Iam. 4. 1. 2. was not lust the cause of that treacherous murther of the Shechemites Did not lust bring a whole Tribe in Israel to this end And what caused Absolon to seeke his fathers life was it not ambition and desire of soueraignty What mooued Ahab to take away Naboths life was it not a couetous desire to enioy his Vineyard was not Iudas blinded by couetousnesse to betray his Master to the death And may we not see all these causes concurring together in those cruell Iewes that murthered the Lord of Life To conclude Is not rage and furie vsually the spurre hereunto Haue not bitter words sometimes ended in bloudy broyles and barbarous murthers And is not drunkennesse an ordinary harnenger to this sinne not onely murthering hereby it master suddenly but also prouoking in his cuppes to spill the blood of others so iust is the Lord to meete with sinners in their kinde that they which make no conscience to abuse and spill the good creatures of God seruing for the encrease of bloud and maintenance of life but haue béene bretheren in such horrible sinnes shall bee giuen vp to shed the bloud of each other and so depriue themselues of that blessing which they haue abused These are some causes and occasions of this grieuous sinne vnto which if we shall adde what may bee collected from the consideration of the subiect formerly deciphered we may conclude that as the want of Gods feare is a speciall cause of falling into this sinne so obstinacy and hardnesse of heart proceeding there-from doth much enflame and harden therein yea an enraged and guilty soule doth oft-times prouoke hereunto out of hellish despaire As touching the Effects of this grieuous sinne let that suffice which hath beene spoken concerning the haynousnesse thereof onely giue mee leaue to adde some cautions herein That though it be a grieuous sinne to shed bloud yet this neither doth debarre the Magistrate and his Instruments from executing of Iustice against Malefactors because they are Deputies vnto the Lord herein and haue authority hereunto from his Word neither doth it priuiledge any Priuate man vpon any instinct whatsoeuer to presume hereunto though some inferiour calling in the Family hath beene wickedly thought by some to warrant the same because the power of life death is in the hands of the Supreame Magistrate and such as are immediately deputed from him thereunto Though aboue all other murthers that of our selues is most vnnaturall and monstrous therefore as wee may not iustifie any such particular sinnes by any example of Sampson or particular instinct So wee must bee meruailous chary and tender in condemning absolutely their estates that through violence of Tentation or such like distempers haue made away themselues because either they were not themselues in that distemper and so it shall not be imputed vnto them or it was done not without some reluctation and so the Lord may haue mercy vpon them onely let vs be carefull not to imitate them herein and so leaue them to the Lord to whom they fall or stand Thus of the Effects and Iudgement of this sinne Proceed we now in the last place to consider such Antidotes as may preuent the same The principall whereof is to maintaine peace with our God because if our wayes do please him he will not only make our enemies to be at peace with vs that we may not feare to be prouoked either by bridling their corruptions as he did sometimes Labans Esaus or turning their hearts towards vs as he hath done the hearts of many persecutors But will also incline our hearts to be at peace with our enemies either by giuing vs wisedome to ouercome their euill with good or affording vs Patience to beare with our enemies or sustaining vs with meeknesse neither to prouoke nor be prouoked by them Now we shall wisely Maintaine peace with God How 1 If we walke closely with him according to his will with all power and diligence not leaning to our owne Wisedome but relying on his reuealed word and not presuming of ought either beyond or short thereof 2 If though we faile and slip daily as who can cleare himselfe therein yet we shall daily iudge our selues and by repentance renue our couenant with the Lord warring daily with our corruptions and maintaining the spirituall combat hereby we may preserue our Peace with God 3 If séeing our best workes are mixed with such corruption that if the Lord should be seuere to marke what is done amisse euen when we doe our best we shall neuer be able to abide it we shall therefore daily deny our best righteousnesse and labour to be found in Christ renuing our right in him hereby we shall renue and Maintaine our Peace with God 4 And yet seeing the grace of God shal be sufficient for vs in what soeuer wants or extreamities may befall if now we can in patience possesse our soules not repining at the dispensation of our God but being contented therewith in all occasions we shall so hunger after what wee want as that we can be thankfull for that which we haue and so husband the same with all vprightnes and diligence to the glory of our God and the generall good this is an excellent meanes to maintaine Peace with God Lastly that we may maintaine Peace with God let vs still nourish enmity against the world because the Amity of the World is Enmity against God so vsing the good therein that we hate the euill thereof and so vsing the good that we trust not therein so enioying the things thereof as that we are still ready to part with them at the Pleasure of the giuer accounting all things as doing that we may win Christ and yet by our wise husbandrie laying vp a good foundation by them against the day of Christ. Thus may we