our King that sword which being pampered with Peace we wantonly drew God would not sheath till he had beat us with It and sheathed it in our Bowels How destructive Warre is to a Nation I need not tell you we have too too long tasted of the bitter fruits of it ever since that constrained departure of his Majesty from his Palace the devouring sword hath been among us till the happy restitution of our now Raigning Soveraigne How did our own mercilesse fellow subjects like the Tyrants of Athens or like so many Wolves or Tygers worry us That usurped Dominion which they unlawfully got by the sword they as unlawfully maintained by the sword O what summes did they extort from us that they might consume it upon their lusts O what armies did their appaled guilty consciences levy O how did they scarre us into a constrained obedience Though our bodies were subject to them yet our hearts and souls onely to our lawful Prince 2. As we wanted Peace so also truth instead of ancient Apostolique truths we had onely divided novelties figments Chimeras the dreams and fancies of deluded mens brains who would own nothing for truth but what made for their own interests Instead of Preaching loyalty they Preached rebellion instead of Preaching unity they Preached Schisme and Heresy The Church mourn'd the Woman was fled into the Wildernesse Religion put on black our pious learned teachers were driven into corners the blind led the blind our Starres of the first magnitude were overclouded there were no stately Cedars left in the Lebanon of the Church few or no Trees that bare pleasant fruit were standing in the Paradise of God Those Divines that were most eminent for piety and learning were silenced their adversaries works were the works of darknesse therefore they hated the light and the dispencers of it The seers themselves were blind the people perished because there was no vision England was turned Amsterdam any one that had lost his Religion might have found it here every family had a certain Religion peculiar to it self The Universities were discountenanced the Church revenues converted to private mens uses They that had no reverence for the Crown had lesse for the Mitre 'T was no wonder that they that would have no King would have no Bishop England that was the Goshen of the World a Land of light was now turned into an Egypt a Land of darknesse It was such darknesse as we afterwards felt in those swarmes of Heresies and blasphemous opinions that were among us 3. The want of Lawes and the due administration of Justice As it is one of the great happinesses of a Nation to have good Lawes and to have them executed so it is the great misery of a Nation either to be without Lawes or without the execution of them this was our misery the Fountains of Justice were Sealed the Streams were dam'd up those Servants that ruled over us they turned judgement into gall and the fruits of righteousnesse into hemlock they trampled upon all the Fundamental Lawes of the Land they raced the very Foundations of Government they knew no Lawes but their lusts and what ambition prompted them to The voice of Justice could not be heard for the beating of Drums sounding of Trumpets the prerogative of the King the priviledges of Parliament the just rights and liberties of the people were violated and trodden upon it was death as much as to name any of these a man could call nothing his own neither was there any certainty of any thing We were nothing else but a sacrifice to their ambition and cruelty For the iniquities of our Nation many were our Princes we that would not submit to the Government of one pious mercifull King before were afterwards compelled to submit to the Tyranny of thirty or fourty mercilesse ones these these were the miseries these were the heavy burdens we sighed and groaned under when we had no King in this our Israel Now we have seen the black let us now see the white we have heard the harsher and more grating let us now hear the sweeter and more ear-pleasing notes Let us view those blessings that we enjoy now God hath bin pleased to give us a King in this our Israel As the setting of our first Sun King Charles the I. the mirrour of Kings and glory of Martyrs was one of the greatest causes of our miseries darknesses ever since so the rising of King Charles the II. is under God the greatest cause of our light warmth and comfort This Sun like the Sun of Righteousnesse did arise with healing under his wings Parallell and answerable to all our fore mentioned wounds In King Charles the II. we have a salve 1. We have peace our wound was war now oursalve is peace What can be more acceptable to a Nation so long worried with wars than peace Peace it is the glue that cements and sodders a divided distracted Nation It is a choice mercy a token of Gods love and favour Surely if warre be a great judgement then by the rule of contraries peace cannot but be a great mercy Peace is the Mother of plenty the nourisher of arts and ingenuity it is hard to tell whether a Nation be more miserable by war or happy by Peace whether the one doth it more harme or the other good Now our insulting Tyrannizing lawlesse armies are disbanded that were wont to destroy not defend us and blessed by God we can sit in Peace and quietnesse under our own Vines and Fig-tree and there is none to make us affraid 2. As we have Peace so we have also truth Peace and truth doe well together it is our happinesse that we have both now our eyes behold our teachers such as have the tongue of the learned and know how to speak a word in due season such as can divide the word of truth aright pastours that can feed us with knowledge Now the Starres of the Church are fixed the Trees of Paradise take root Universities are in couraged the Churches revenues are restored Religion learning and what soever is praise worthy flourish The word is Preached the Sacraments are administred in a reverent decent manner all things are done decently and in order The face of all things both in Church and State is more amiable and lovely 3. As there is respect had to Divine so also to humane Lawes we are now governed by the ancient fundamental Lawes of our Realme these are the compasses that we steer by these are the standing rules of the Nation Justice now runs down like a mighty stream and waters all our Land the cryes of the Fatherlesse and Widow are heard courts are open grievances are redressed the Kings prerogative the Priviledges of Parliament the liberties of the subject are all preserved inviolate These are the happinesses we enjoy under the wings of a gracious Prince and surely happy is the people that is in such a case If we reflect upon our former and
and piety O that all men in all places of all callings would make it their businesse to doe good and distribute some way or other Titus Vespasian counted that day lost in which he had done good to no one O Amici Amici diem perdidi my friends my friends I have lost a day O let not us Christians be ashamed to learn some what of Heathens 't is our excellency to come neer God to be the Children of our Father which is in Heaven We cannot come neer to God in any thing more than in doing good For the inciting of you I shall present you with these Motives 1. Consider that charity is the very life the soul and as it were the essence of Religion True Religion doth not consist so much in contemplation and speculation as in practise and action it is not so much the work of the head and the tongue as of the heart and the hand Me thinks now a dayes Religion is dwindled into frothy airy love quenching disputations We are all head no heart we are like Children sicke of the rickets our heads are swollen bigger than our whole bodies we are so far from works of charity that we cannot afford one another Charitable words but I would have such Bountefeaus such fire brands of the Church to know that no mans private humour is valueable with the Churches peace though he did shine in it as a Starre of the first magnitude Whoever gets by such disputes I am sure the Church looseth Me thinks the Divines of England are like so many unnatural Sons like so many Neroes ripping up the bowells of their own Mother the Church It had bin better that many of them had never been than that they had been so seditious 'tWere well if they would bestow some of those precious hours that they spend in scribling one against another in binding up the broken comforting the comfortlesse visiting the sicke according to that in Jam. I. 17. This is pure Religion and undefiled before God to visit the Fatherlesse and the Widowes in their affliction 2. Consider that good works are the best evidences of a good faith of a true saving justifying faith When I see the fruits of good works I cannot but conclude that the Tree of faith is alive When our Saviour had cured the man with the withered hand he bids him to testify that it was whole stretch it forth stretch forth thy hand O my beloved if ye would shew me that the sinewes of your faith are not shrunk that the hands of your charity are not withered stretch thē forth Excellent is that of the Apostle shew me thy faith by thy works Not by thy words but by thy works a workelesse faith is a worthlesse faith Though it be faith alone that justifieth yet it is not an alone solitary unaccompanied faith though it be the fore finger alone that points in the hand yet it is not alone when it pointes Faith in the soul is like a Queen attended with a Royal traine of other graces as maidens of honour Me thinks I hear faith Rachel like crying out give me Children or else I dye O how lovely a sight it is to see the Vine of faith laden with the clusters of good works 3. Consider that whatsoever ye doe to any of Christs poor members he looks upon it as done to himself And me thinks this motive should be of great force with you me thinks 〈◊〉 should strive who should first doe Christ a good turn When a man gives an 〈◊〉 he should not so much look at the member of Christ as at Christ in the member and though he doth not give him any thin◠for his own yet he should give him somewhat for Christs sake Suppose Christian thou sawest Christ himself that spilt his precious blood for thee comming to thy doors and asking a bit of bread couldst thou have the heart or the face to deny him Surely thou wouldst not be so rocky hearted 't is all one and if thou doubtest of this beleeve Christ himself that saith so Matth. 25. 40. In as much as ye have done it to the lest of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Christ gave us all and me thinks we should by way of gratitude give him somewhat again 4. Consider that that which is given to the poor is a meās to sanctify that which we have He that gives God any thing he is wont to repay him in greater abundance The Sydonian Womans Oyl that was poured into empty vessels never ceased running If we would have our Oyl alwayes to run we must pour it into empty vessels The Widows Oyl consumed not as long as she fed the Prophet Eccles. 11. 1. Cast thy bread upon the Waters and thou fhalt find it after many dayes That bread is not cast away that is cast upon the Waters Psol 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the poor blessed in his estate blessed in his Children blessed here blessed hereafter 5. Consider that whatever ye give the poor on earth God will give it you in Heaven nay ten thousand times more according to that give and it shall be given unto you Though I doe not say here with the Papists that good works are meritorious of Heaven yet this I say that God is pleased to bestow Heaven upon those that doe good works those that testify their faith by their works That a piece of Leather is currant it is not from the value that is in the thing it self but from the value that the Prince puts upon it as St. Augustine Deus non coronat merita tua sed dona sua God crowns not any merit in thee but his own gifts We doe not goe to Heaven because we doe good works but because God hath promised to give us Heaven if we doe good works according to those places lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven a good foundation for the time to come And happy is the man that layes out treusures on earth that he may receive treasures in Heaven Happy is the man that treads upon his riches and makes them a ladder to climbe up thither happy is the man that exchangeth his gold for that street of the new Jerusalem that is of pure gold Happy is the man that by giving to the poor can turn his Pactolus his River of gold into those Rivers of pleasures which are at Gods right hand for evermore O lend God somewhat in this World and he will surely pay you in the World to come O give the poor your bread here and God will give you the bread of life hereafter and you shall hear that sweet sentence come ye blessed of my Father inherite the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the World for I was an hungry and ye gave me bread thirsty and ye gave me drink naked and ye cloathed me To which Kingdome God of his infinite goodnesse bring us all and lead us through the Kingdome of grace into the Kingdome of glory for his Son Jesus Christs sake FINIS ERRATA P. 15. l. 10 your 2d Sermon p. 5. l. 3. the meaning l. 6. divine philosophicall l. 7. philosophical Such l. 29. bee brow-beaten p. 7. l. 25. their fathers had p. 8. l. 25. courts p. 9. l. 9. similitude p. 10. l. 1. of the Prince of the aire l. 4. your father p 13. l. 1. denied our Saviours l. 4. the truth So much l. 5. the use I shall make of it is p. 16. l. 24. received p. 17. l. 4. Minister p. 24. l. 18 these p. 29. l. 22. Concionis p. 31. l. 21. here the souls p. 33. l. 12. give us 3d Sermon p. 3. l. 2. Lord loved p. 10. l 4. King so that p. 11. l. ult struck p 12. l. 6. formost 4th Sermon p 2. l. 28. beneficentiae communionis p. 19. l. 4. in the obeying
those fair copies which they have drawn us I proceed in the seaventh place to make use 1. This may be for the just reproof of all unjust Stewards all straight handed Divese's those that doe not discharge their trusts that doe not disburse their goods to those good ends uses for which they were bestowed upon them whether publick or private Oh! how many unprofitable Vacias are there in the world that are good for nothing but seeme to be buried whilst they are alive how many are there of whom it may be said as they said of degenerated Alexander that how was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the burthen of the earth how many are there that are like Cypresse-trees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stately and high but fruitlesse But such Trees they are not for Paradise they are fit onely to be hewen down cast into the fire How many are there in the World that Cleopatra like spend whole Kingdomes upon their lusts Whose God is their belly whose end is destruction They spend so much on their own bellies that they can spare nothing for the bellies of the poore it will be a sad thing when God shall say to such men you were my stewards why did ye not cloath the naked give meat to the hungry drink to the thirsty Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink naked and ye did not cloath me sicke and ye did not visit me Nay how many sacrilegious Persons are there in the World that are so far from building Churches and colledges that they would pull them down They are like the King of Scicily that to enlarge his Palace pulled down a Temple Oh how many are there that to enlarge their owne houses can be content to pull down the house of God We have had too sad experience of this in our own Nation those two wide-mouthed Cormorants pretended piety liberty had allmost swallowed up Church and State It was of the Lords mercies that we were not consumed and because his compassions fail not I think this Nation hath been one of the most Sacrilegious Nations under the cope of Heaven I am verily perswaded that that deep dyed Crimson Heaven deriding sin of Sacriledge was one of the greatest causes of this Nations miseries But now that Justice which seemed to sleep all this while hath at length over taken the Authours and Achans of our miseries by this time some of them know what it is to kill Kings rob Churches and may all men that propose to themselves no better ends have no better ends for those that are unexecuted though I cā wish no great good to their bodies yet in charity I wish much good to their souls I wish that God may be more merciful to their souls than they have been to other mens bodies and that those that thirsted so much after blood would at length thirst after the bloud of Jesus 2. Are we to do good to lay out those blessings that God hath beē pleased to bestow upō us for publicke private uses O then let me here in the more especial presence of God and his Holy Angels beseech and intreat you to doe good to lay out your gifts graces goods for Gods glory the benefit of your Brethren look upon your selves as born not so much for your selves as for Gods glory and the good of others look upon your selves as lent onely to your selves and wholly given to others O you that are rich in this World and have so many golden opportunities of doing good endeavour to be rich in good works as God hath made you great so endeavour to be good and to doe good though greatnesse and goodnesse seldome meet together yet they are not incompatible inconsistent it is not impossible for the same man to be great good and just O cloath the naked give meat to the hungry drink to the thirsty entertain the stranger redeem the Captive visit the sicke consider that ye are not Lords to doe what ye please with what ye have nor treasurers to hoard up but ye are stewards ye are the hands of God to disburse and wo be unto you if ye not doe so Consider that when ye come trembing and shivering before Christs dreadful Tribunal it will not be asked you how great ye were but how good ye were It will not be for your comfort that ye had an abundance but that ye were abundant in well disposing of that ye had O ye that are Magistrates doe good and distribute Justice vindicate the right of the Fatherlesse and the Widow see that Gods purer Worship be maintained that Justice be executed that the peace be kept O let noti the sword of Justice lye rusty in the scabbard but draw it against all Sabbath-breakers contemners of Church discipline blasphemers swearers drunkards scandalous irregular livers know that God stands in the assembly of the Gods And you O my Fathers and Brethren of the Ministery if the slenderness of your fortunes will not permit you to doe good to your Brethrens bodies yet doe good to their souls There is a charity to the soul as well as to the body and it is as much nay more charity to relieve a fainting languishing soul than to relieve a fainting languishing body O bind up the broken strengthen the weak comfort the comfortlesse visit the sicke doe good by your Preaching doe good by your writing doe good by your living doe not onely talke of God but walke with God doe not onely Preach in the Pulpit but out of the Pulpit doe not onely Preach Sermons but live Sermons the whole life of a good Divine should be nothing else but a Sermon he should be an Angell in comparison of other men taller than others by the head and shoulders in piety O consider that you are Suns and if ye be in an Eclipse the whole World will take notice of you people are apter to take notice of one vice in a Minister more than of a hundred vertues A copy should be fair a line straight and he that is to teach others to walke should be no cripple himself How unbeseeming a thing is it for a Minister that Preacheth humility to be proud For a man that discourseth whole years of Heaven to be earthy O my Brethren do not cloyster your excellencies hide your Tallents in a Napkin doe not like dark Lanthornes shine onely to your selves but let your light so shine that men secing your good works may glorify your Father which is in Heaven O ye that are Tutours do good to your pupils be not unfaithful to God and men and for your encouragement consider that when ye doe good to a pupil ye doe good to a whole Nation nay peradventure to the whole world Who knowes but such a one may prove an Ursine an Usher an Andrewes a Cedar in learning