יהוה GOD IN THE FLAMING-BVSH.

EXOD. 3. 2.

Moses looked, and behold, the Bush burned with fire, and the Bush was not consumed.

EXOD. 3. 3.

And he said, I will now turne aside, and see this great sight, why the Bush is not burnt.

[figure]
DEUT. 33. 16.

Blessed of the Lord be His Land, for the precious things of Heaven: And for the precious things of the Earth; and for the good-will of Him, That dwelt in the Bush.

ESA. 63. 9.

In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angell of His Presence saved them.

Published for a memoriall of the first wonderfull yeare, The day of the LORDS vengeance, and yeare of Re­compences for the controversie of Zion.

THE CHVRCHES THANK-OFFERING To GOD Her KING, and The PARLIAMENT, FOR Rich and ancient Mercies; Her Yeares of Captivity; Her first Yeare of IVBILE;

THAT IS, For the Marvelous Deliverances Wrought with God the first Wonderfull Yeare (since the Yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same Moneth following: In all which time, The Lord appeared for His Church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the BƲSH, so the Church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed.

In the PREFACE, The THANK-OFFERING is vindicated, and set free, from all the Cavills and Charges against it; Where also it is cleared To be, as every Mans Duty, so every Mans purpose, To Offer Willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of Pagan, Papist or Atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most SUPREME Law, The HIGHEST Reason, and The unquestionable WILL of GOD.

1 Chro. 17. 19. O Lord, for Thy Servants sake, and according to Thine own heart, hast Thou done all this greatnesse, in making known all these great things.
Psal. 1 [...]6. 17 I will offer to Thee the Sacrifice of thanksgiving: and will call upon the Name of the Lord.
Nehem. 5. 19. Thinke upon mee, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

London, Printed for T. Ʋ. at the signe of the Bible in Wood street, 164 [...].

TO THE LORD, the most high GOD, Possessour of Heaven and Earth. TO IESUS CHRIST, His only Son our LORD, Prince of Peace, King of Saints. To the blessed SPIRIT, the Truth, and leading thereinto.

BLessed be Thy glorious Name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou alone workest wonders, and in so doing hast magnified Thy Selfe and honoured man: Thou shewedst signes and wonders upon Thy Adversaries, for Thou knewest they dealt proudly against Thee: So didst Thou get Thy selfe a Name, as it is this Day; and herein didst Thou use man as an instrument, Dust and Ashes he is, give him grace to magnifie Thee. Blessed Saviour, Rock of our Salvation, Desire of the Nations, Hope of Israel in time of trouble, Thou wast content to be made of no e­steeme, that Thy people might be greatly beloved; to be made a curse, that Thy people might become a blessing; content to be made low, that Thou mightest exalt man. So Thou hast done, Thou hast exalted him, even to sit in Thrones next to Thy selfe; Give him an heart to exalt Thee, to honour Thee, to love Thee much, for Thou art worthy. Blessed Spirit, Thou hast done great things and marvellous, not by Nihil aliundè mutuatur Deus ad Ecclesiae suae conservationē, ergò vult sibi Ʋni acceptam referri Ecclesiae saturē. Cal. (humane) might, nor by power, but by Thy selfe Zach. [...]. 6. Nec tamen omnia im­mediatè & per se agit Deus, sed tantum ostende­re v [...]l [...] Ecclesi­am erigi et con­servari non hu­mano & vul­gari modo, sed mirabiliter & praeter omnes spes & sensus nostres, Cal. in locum., ô blessed Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts, take to Thy selfe the Glory, even all.

Almighty Father, Sonne and Holy Ghost, Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity; unspeakably Three in One, and One in Three, One in Authority, Will and Worship of all Three; King of Kings, Lord of Lords; Spare Thy Servant according to the greatnesse of Thy mercy. Thy hand-maid is recording Thy ancient thoughts of Grace and Peace towards Thy Servants, her Sons and her Daugh­ters: Ancient mercies towards them, when they lay in their blood, for that was a time of love Ezech. 16. 8.. Mercies toward them, exceeding Mercies, when they were in the for­nace of affliction, for then Thou didst DWELL with them and they had ENOƲGH. Mercies towards her Land and People this former yeare, strange Rescues, wonderfull Deliverances, admirable Discoveries; what then can Thy Servant say now? Even as Thou shalt be pleased to open her Mouth, and give her inlargement. She would take with her words Hos. 14. 2., but from Thy owne mouth, and of Thy owne chusing; Thou must give first; for all things come of Thee, and of Thine owne have we given Thee 1 Chro. 29. 14.. Thy servant must now speake Thy high Praises; then Thou, Lord, must tune my spirit, and raise it up, else it will flag; or like a Bird without wings, now up and presently down. How insufficient Thy Servant is, for so high and excellent an imployment, Thou knowest, for Thou even Thou onely knowest the hearts of all the children of men 1 Kin. 8. 39.. At this present indeed, now that I have some high thoughts of Thy glori­ous excellencies, Thy Servant can speake, as one brought downe to the ground, whose speech whispereth out of the dust; yet, as one presently stolne away from her selfe, she can, with that Sorcerer, thinke her selfe some GREAT ONE Act. 8. 9.. Lord, rebuke this proud spirit, and cast a spew­ing upon Selfe-glory Hab. 2. 16.: for truth Lord, something it would be, and something it would doe, though a thousand expe­riences have told us, that nothing it is, nothing it can Ier. 3. 5., but sinne against Thee. Thy grace in us doth all, no more po­wer in selfe, no more canning except the contrary way, then can the instrument of late held in the worke-mans hand, but now cast-out, or lying by him. Lord, leave [Page] me not, no not a little, worke all in me and for me, then worke by me, for what we give to Thee is from Thy own hand to us first. And though flesh and bloud would share here, yet suffer it not; but say (where Thy voyce is, there is power) it shall not be so, and so take to Thy self Thy proper right, all the glory. Let not so excellent a thing as the Spirit is, so vast and capacious, be lost in selfe, which is nothing; but, let it runne forth to Thee, and though it will be lost there also, amidst such an Ocean, yet there it finds a proportionable good, even all in Thy self, for Thou art All.

Behold now, I have taken upon me to speake unto my Lord, that am but aust and ashes, Thou wilt suffer this once, and leade me into Thy Treasure-house, to behold Thy mercies there, which I am no more able to understand, then I can the treasures of the snow and of the haile Iob 38. 22.; nor compre­hend, no more then I can measure the wind in my fist, or Heavens with my Span: for I must looke backe to the dayes of eternity, and Thy ancient thoughts towards Thy Sons and Daughters before the foundation of the world. And behold Thy wayes there, as undiscernable as the way of an Eagle in the Aire; or of a Serpent upon the Rocke Pro. 30. 19.: as is the path which no foule knoweth, and which the vul­tures eye hath not seen Iob 28. 7.. But blessed be Thy Name, though there in that darke path, the soule can find no rest, nor feels any bottome, yet, in Thy Christ De praedesti­natione d [...]spu­taturu [...] incipe [...] Christi vulne­ribus, Mel. Ad. in vitâ Sta [...]p. Vera est ea poe­nitentia quae ab amore justitiae & Dei incipit., we have a foundation, even according to the good pleasure of Thy will, towards us in Him, to the praise of the glory of Thy Grace Eph. 1. 5.. For Him we blesse Thee, we praise Thee, we adore Thee, for Thy glorious manifestations, secret inspirations, immedi­ate workings; for all the meanes of conveyance, whereby Heaven is pleased to condescend and to have communion with earthly creatures, and earthly creatures have fellowship with the FATHER and the SONNE. For Thy Sons sake all this, therefore we blesse Thee for that unspeakable gift, with Whom Thou givest all things, a subduing of ini­quity, victory over sin; (sinne is not left to bring forth its owne cursed fruit, an exceeding mercy) pardon of sinne; [Page] communion with Thy selfe; joy in the Holy Ghost; then the strongest, when we are weakest, and our sufferings the greatest: Then the highest elevation of spirit, then the floud of consolation runnes highest, when the floud of wickednesse runnes over the head, and seemes ready to swallow up. This is that the world stumbles at; nay, we shrinke at too, at sufferings, at persecution, though yet a thousand experiences tels us, Persecution is the signe of a Thes 1. 7. the true Church, and to them, who are persecuted, Rest with us (and our Rest is in Thee and with Thee) at last; and then, even in that houre of temptation, then dost Thou administer abundant consolations, even according as the sufferings are; through fire, yet not consumed; through water yet not drowned Esa. 43. 2.; Surely this is because Thou dost guide Thy Servants by Thy Councell; we are not carefull whether we goe, when Thou hast us by the hand, being assured, the end of the way is GLORY.

And now, that the people may flow in hether, cause them to turne aside and behold this sight, why the BƲSH burnes and is not consumed. All that looke on must resolve it thus, because Thy GOOD WILL DWELLS IN THE Esa. 63. 9. BƲSH. In all their affliction Thou wast afflicted, and the Angell of Thy presence saved them. O blessed be the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, for Thy GOOD-WILL That dwels in the Bush.

O let not my Lord be angry, and I will speake yet but this once; we Thy people have said in our haste, Our hope is cut-off, we shall be termed FORSAKEN, and our Land DESOLATE. But we behold and wonder, Thou hast shewen grace unto us, to give us a nayle in Thy Esa. 62. 4. Holy place, and hast revived our hope, That we shall be called HEPHZ [...]BAH and our Land Beulah. Truly Lord Thou hast comforted all my waste places, Thou hast made my WIL­DERNES like EDEN, and my DESERT like the Garden of the Lord, ioy and gladnesse is found therin, Thanksgiving Ezr. 9. 8. and the voyce of Melody Esa. 51. 3.. But, Lord, why is it so? Why such severity towards our sister-Churches, and such goodnesse towards us and our Land? Even so, because it pleaseth Thee; It is Thy good will so. Be it so, but we are over-charged with [Page] the consideration thereof, and are silent. Truly, Lord, we stand wondering at Thy works, beholding terrible things Esa. 64. 3., which our Fathers saw not, and we look'd not for; The tur­ning councels upside downe, &c. (for had Thy Servant the tongue of an Angell she could not expresse it) but at our selves we wonder most of all, at the drossinesse, the dreg­ginesse of our spirits, not yet resolved into a spirit of Thankefullnesse; no, not yet, though we have seene such and such things, above all, such forbearance; such a patient suffering our manners Act. 13. 18., at such a time as this. Why Lord God, Thou didst send unto us Saviours, we should have looked through them, as through a thin covering, to Thy arme made bare for our Salvation; we did not so, it was a thicke covering before our eyes, it hid Thy Almighty Arme quite from us. We did leane upon that Reed (such is the helpe of flesh) yet did it not pierce nor breake. O won­derfull! it is not Thy manner so, the prop of flesh did not breake, though we laid so great a weight of expectation thereupon: notwithstanding it hath held, &c. for Thy Ser­vant is overcome; more she would speake to that point and is not able. But she hath wherewith to answer Thy Ad­versaries (as followeth.) The Enemy reproacheth Thy Name daily, and asketh, where is now your God? Our God is in Heaven, and thence Thou hast declared Thy selfe a­gainst Thy Enemies, confounding them: and for Thy peo­ple, reviving their hope. Thou hast exalted THY CHRIST before our Eyes: and received Thy people into COVE­NANT; these two things Thou hast done this last yeare. And if Thou dost no more in our dayes, yet thy Servants have ENOƲGH: And by Thy good hand up­on them, they have out-plotted all their enemies. Thy Ser­vants have no more to say, but, Remember, Lord, Thy Co­venant, and keepe the hearts of Thy Servants close with thee therein: Thou art Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and onely art able to make Thy Servants to performe the words of Thy Covenant, and to STAND TO IT 2 Chro. 34. 31, 32.; and then, though the Enemy rage, he shall not hurt; though he conceives mischiefe, he shall bring forth a lye.

God in Covenant defeates all their hellish counsels, weakneth all their power, answers all Arguments a­gainst Thy people, or their Cause, nothing shall doe them hurt, every thing shall doe them good. It is Thy Promise, Lord, I will not turne away from them to doe them good Ier. 32. [...]0., All shall worke together for their good; losses in the World, for their good; troubles in the flesh, for their good; come what can come, all is sanctified, by all Thou wilt doe Thy children good; Reproaches, wants, necessities, Persecutions, Captivities Ier. 24. 5., All to doe them good, even so Amen.

And yet, Lord, we remember Thou hast spoken good words and gracious concerning the Church for the time to come. We humbly conceive now is the time, when Thou art making good this good word to Thy people; not onely because they doe set their faces unto Thee to seeke by Prayer and Fasting Dan. 9. 3. (a great and good signe that Deliverance is comming-on, that Thou art appearing in Thy glory Ps. 102. 16, 17., because the Fatherlesse, the Destitute pray unto Thee for this thing, and are resol­ved to give Thee no rest.)

But there are other Reasons, why we should set our hope in Thee, and that it is Thy meaning we should so doe, which we shall speake of before Thee now, and (if it could be) in the eares of all the Christian world, for they are legible in all the peoples sight, and most com­manding, we thinke, to draw in others that are not willingly ignorant, and to make them fall downe, kisse Thy Sonne, and trust in Him.

1. We humbly conceive that Thine Adversary and E­nemy shall proceed no farther. Surely, we say, that is Thy meaning and purpose of Thy Heart, because His folly is manifest unto all men 2 Tim. 3. 9..

2. We conceive, that Thy Adversary (a Legion) hath beene at the highest, his verticall point, and we see he is fallen thence. Truth, Lord, he fals slowly now; when his fall is like a milstone Rev. 18. 21., with violence, then it shall be mighty, quicke and irrecoverable; there is [Page] that in his fall now, which, in our haste, we call slack­nesse, and we say, in the same haste, we may fall before him: If so, yet so, as we shall rise with more strength and in more glory; but he never to rise againe to that same point. We conclude so (for so Thy manner hath beene) when the Adversary begins to fall, he shall fall yet lower Est. 6. 13.; when he ascends againe (if he falls not low in humiliations) it is up the Gallows. 7. 9.

3. The Adversary hath been proud, as Moab, ƲERT PROVD Esa. 16. 6., exceeding proud I [...]r. 48. 29., as proud waters, which went over the heads of the righteous. We humbly con­ceive now, they must be brought LOW, VERIE LOW; now they must be made Base, EXCEEDING BASE, even now.

4. Prayer hath commanded (wee looke above all meanes to Thy glorious Right-hand) as strange a stan­ding still of the starres in one place of the HEAVEN, as was the standing still of the Sunne upon Gibeon, and the Moone in the valley of Aialon Iosh. 10. 12.. We humbly con­ceive, Thy meaning thereby is, and Thou wilt have it published to the whole Christian world; That the great Court of Nobles and Worthies shall not arise from their place, till Thou dost arise in all Thy peoples sight, to avenge Thy selfe upon Thy Adversaries, for all the dis­honours they have done to Thy House, Thy Day, Thy Servants, Thy Service, &c. Come Lord Jesu, Thy Ser­vants wait Thy comming; Praise waiteth for Thee in Sion. The souls under the Altar say COME; multitudes, we cannot number, thousand thousand souls on the Earth, wea­ried out, because of these Murderers Jer. 4. 31., all these say come. The sighing of the needy and the oppression of the poore, saith come. Thy Day so prophaned, saith come; The spirit so grieved, saith come; Thy Spouse (so often forced before Thy face) saith come; and because of the present feeling, she doubles it, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly; ease Thy selfe and Thy poore flocke of those Adversaries, who have fed themselves and fleeced Thy Sheepe; have made void Thy Law, have taken peace from the Earth; have valued [Page] precious soules no more then they doe old shooes Am. 26.. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, and worke so, that a man shall say: verily there is a reward for the Righteous, verily He is a God That iudgeth in the Earth. Ps. 58. 11.

Thy Servant hath spoken, doe Thou according to the greatnesse of Thy power and mercy, for Thy words sake, Thine owne sake, Thy Names sake, Thy Christ His sake, Thy Churches sake, His deare one (the price of His blood) His neare one (as the Apple of His eye) His only one, His beloved one, the Crowne of His sufferings, the Glory of His shame; and then will the Church ascribe power, ri­ches, wisdome, strength, honour, glory, blessing to Him. Who is worthy to receive all this; for of Him, and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom be glory for ever, Amen.

TO THE HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT, The LORDS and COM­MONS there assembled,

NOw the Church hath tendred Homage to her Lord, you will give me leave to be her mouth to you; and to neglect Titles, when your workes render you truly Noble, and Right Honourable, so praising you in the Gates. I know not how to give flattering Titles, said Job Iob 32. 27., for in so doing, my Maker would soone take me away. Since Thou wast precious in mine eyes, Thou wast honourable Esa. 43. 4., saith the Lord, and you will beleeve Him. I cannot crave your Honourable Patience neither, to heare me out: let that be as your leasure serves, I must doe my duty; and, being the mouth of the Church, whose heart is full, and thoughts not so composed, I cannot so con­tract as I would: others may reade, who need information, and receive benefit there-from, while you worke.

Follow on your worke, in Gods Name, you worke for a good Master, whose wages are sure, and like Himselfe; He gave an Heathen King for serving a great service, no lesse then a great Kingdome, the wages for his worke Ezek. 29. [...]8.: You [Page] have done a greater service, you may expect greater wages, A Kingdome that cannot be shaken, for so God will ho­nour you. We say surely, you have honoured Him, so blas­phemed in the world, so sleighted and dis-regarded there. You have got your selves a Name: Ʋerily, we conclude, you have wrought singly and purely to advance the Glory, and to get Christ a Name in the world, which as it is the end, so should it be the worke of the whole life.

Worke-on, You shall prosper yet more, though you have prospered already to a miracle; and know for encourage­ment (if you needed any) That, while You are so working, not Man only, but God also is Recording, whose Records are never laid aside, being ever in His eye. While you are giving out for the publike Good, all good people are giving in to you, PRAYERS and THANKS; great matters both; The one turnes and wheeles about things to Admira­tion, being the strongest engine in the world, and the grea­test stocke you have upon Earth, alwayes gaining, because always trading Heaven-ward.

Certainely the PRAYERS of the Church, of all her Sons and Daughters, all the world over, are for you (a mighty consideration, these onely make Prayers, the other par­ty speake onely or curse rather, they doe not pray) And all their BLESSINGS (as mighty and prevailing now, as were the BLESSINGS of the Tribes, that stood upon Mount Gerizzim) are upon your heads and endeavours, a Deut. 27. 12. shower of blessings. Much may be gathered touching the strength and noblenesse of those blessings; to blesse did be­long to the children of the free-women (the Church and her free-borne can blesse, and they onely) but yet, though these were appointed by Moses to blesse, yet there is not one bles­sing expressed, and that is very notable by the way. ‘For by such silence, Moses would have Gods people expect great Mr Ans. blessings, such as cannot be expressed by the tongues of Men or Angels: but yet this good people must looke for those blessings by another, that is Christ. For the Cur­ses, these are mentioned, not the people, who must curse; as if Moses were loath to name them for such a misery.’ [Page] But the curse not causlesse must come Pro. 26. 2.. The point and com­fort is (which required clearing notwithstanding the haste, for I would be very short, though in such a businesse I can­not well frame to it) the viols of the Saints, so full of pray­ers and blessings are all powred out upon your heads, and the Lord smels a savour of rest and peace from these odours, for such they are, being presented by the hands and through the Mediation of His Beloved Sonne CHRIST JESUS.

The Nations will rush now, as the noyse of many wa­ters; There will be a shaking in the Earth; much strife and contention there. Who shall have the Day, and over­come? who shall returne ashamed from the battle, with their hands upon their heads, as Mourners? A foolish question this; I might as well aske, what will prevaile most with God, PRAYERS or CVRSES? Who shall treade downe most, the feet of the proud and lofty ones, whom God re­sisteth, and hath now cast out of their places: or the feet of the poore and steps of the needy, whom the Lord guides with His eye? yet I determine not. It sufficeth me, and you too, I beleeve, that all the prayers in the world are for you; all the blessings of all that can blesse there are upon you, as assured yours, as if they were pronounced by the very mouth of Christ: and all the curses in the booke of God are upon your enemies, and shall over-take them in due time, if hearty Repentance pre­vent not.

So much touching the first great thing, so prevailing in the world, PRAYER: You will be remembred of it again anon; For, as with Esther Est. 4. 16., you have commanded it, so with her, you will pray likewise. THANKS follow, and that is the sub­ject of this Treatise; a gaining commodity also, freely laid out, and the more freely so, the more they receive-in, the fuller are the returns and In-comes every houre.

These you have here from a most considerable person (for I take a single word) The CHURCH, who can prise mercies, speake them forth with rejoycing; can skill in giving thanks, for the time, matter and manner, and order in the same, excel­lently well.

Thankes! You may say; That is a poore Returne. No, A rich Returne, considering who offers them; The Church, and from her They never goe alone; her hand goes with them, she workes for you (never was there a greater, a better, a more hopefull cause to set all on worke) and her heart also, she pray­eth for you too she cryeth in the cares of her God, night and day, though you heare her not, for so you reade of Moses, he cryed Exod. 14. 15., and yet there was not a syllable of a word heard.

Some doubts are to be cleared here, the Method also which is easily done. Another worke there is, not so easie, the answering some grave questions about the THANK-OFFERING: Church-men (so in name) question it very much; set them­selves against it; pleade rather, not for a return of curses, we hope, but mightily set against a returne of thankes: here they have indignation also, saying, to what purpose is this waste? And some are so pinched gnawing their tongues, that they know not what to say, only they mutter, that the LAW is against a Thank-offering too. The Lord knowes how willingly I would have stepped over these blocks; but He knows, so I could not doe, and not offend the Church, and the Reader both, so great is the offence in the way, which by His strength, I shall remove from before his eyes, who is not resolved to shut them, that he may stumble with lesse excuse, and more impudence in a Sun-shine. But I have so much wit and manners both, to reserve this for him, that hath leasure, disposition, and reason to hearken to it a­non. It will be sufficient for you, if you take leasure for two things; &, whatsoever the imployment is, they must take place, Considera­tion and Prayer: the one will take up some length in your thoughts not more then may be thought necessary in this Paper; the o­ther may be lengthned also in your closet, it shall be very short here.

Consider, for it is also HIGGAION-SELAH Psa 9. 16. Rem meditand [...] summè. Jun., A thing much to be considered on; That there hath beene no undertaking, no Designe of yours, all this time, which God hath not prospered: and no designe of the Adversary, which God hath not cursed. You doe consider this, and is it not wonderfull, That you should goe over such Mountaines, all along through a Sea, so full of straits and and rockes on every hand, and yet not dash the foot? No, for you consider this with it, That you [Page] have managed the cause of Christ all this while; you have carried all things, your Counsels and Consultations and Actions, le­vell to that Marke, the advancing that STANDARD (call it what you will) that GLORY: Your Adver­saries have done the cleane contrary. Not any one ACT hath passed through your hands all this long Session; not any one Vote from your mouth, that hath sadded those hearts, which should not bee sadded Eze. 13. 22.. The Church hath high thoughts of this, thus shee thinkes, Nay, shee knowes; That never was there such a PRICE put into mens hands; nor more wisely managed then by you, for yee have set your hearts to it Pro. 17. 16.. You natu­rally Phil. 2. 20. [...]. cared for the CHURCHES state; as Sons, yee served with her in the GOSPELL. The Church wonders not at all this; for, (1.) You naturally cared for her, therefore you worke and are not weary. Love feeles no more burrhen; then the Woman did, taking the Childe into her Armes, being the true Mother Exo. 2. 9.; Shee did it heartily. (2.) Heere wee can discerne GODS hand with you: Wee must say, as the Heathen did, GOD IS Gen 21. 22. WITH YOU IN ALL THAT YOU DOE; GODS hand hath beene with your KING, therefore hath His Hand beene so gracious to you, and his heart is still in the same Hand, not as Iron and Brasse (and yet all is one to an Almighty Hand) but as wa­ters there Prov. 21. 1., easily bent and called forth TO HIS FOOT Isa. 4. 1. 2. Ʋt aqua in a­reolâ quocun (que) dux ris sequitur Hier ep. 16.. You that have God for your Pilot, if Hee steere your course (certaine enough He does) what ever straits or rockes there be, you shall not dash against them. Yea, but there is the Leviathan, he takes his pass-time in this Sea, A mighty and grievous Adversary, we meane LEGION, for he is Many; They heare and see, that the walls of Je­rusalem are made up, and the breaches begin to be stopped Neh. 4. 7., They will be, as then they were, very wrath: As then the Adversary reported, faining out of his owne heart, That Nehemiah was King in Judah, and the Jewes thinke to rebell: very likely he will say as much now, for ma­lice boyles as hot in his heart now as then; Therefore [Page] such scumme must run over at his mouth. You have tormented him, casting him forth, and so have cheared the hearts of the Righteous, and gauled the wicked, yea, cut them to the heart: you doe expect now, they will gnash on you with their teeth Act 7. 54., and bite, yea, swallow you up if they can, for they will speake devouring Ps. 5 [...]. 4. words; their mouth being an open sepul­chre Ps. 5. 9., and the poison of Aspes under their tongues. But let malice draw her bow with full strength, and shoote forth her arrowes, yet she shall not be able to wound you; or if she doe, these considerations will yeeld you soveraigne balme, whereby to cure the venome thereof, or to turne it into balsome, and that is better.

1. It hath been the manner alwayes, To take away the Righ­teousnesse of the Righteous from him Isa 5. 23.. A notorious wrong that; A little consideration will serve here, for there is but one way to turn now, ye will TURN to the LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESSE Jer. 23. 6.; That is a garment, which all the unclean spirits in the world cannot defile. There is one Con­sideration.

2. Here below, things are miscalled now, as in former time; The greatest Idolatresse and Murderesse, that ever was in the world; (She had killed all the seed Royall, excepting one, and he was wonderfully rescued and preserved in the ISLE of PROVIDENCE) calls out TREASON TREA­SON: what was the matter? This and no more; she heard a noise saying, GOD SAVE THE KING, singing and praysing, for all the people of the Land rejoyced, and the City was quiet. This was Treason doubled from her 2 King. 11. mouth, TREASON TREASON.

So also, True Piety, a sense of Duty, is called Rebellion; This opprobry hath been cast, like dyrt, into the face of all the true Ministers of Christ, with this addition, that 7. times washing in Jordan shall not wash it off. No? what had the Ministers done? They would not proclaime a liberty for sports Siccine expri­mitur pu [...]licum ga [...]iam per p [...]l [...]cu [...] de [...]ec [...] &c [...]e [...]tul. cap. 37. on the Lords day, &c. Well, you have been judge in this case; you have outed that blasphemer, his places shall know him no more; You have cast him out, where the unsavoury salt is, for he is not like unto it but the very same. So let all thy Adver­saries [Page] be cast out, O Lord, who blaspheme Thy Name daily, calling good evill, and evill good; Thy servants by their OWNE Exulem me de suo nomine vo­cat Cicer. Parad. Name, and that is as bad as can be. But now, this is the point we have in hand, how persons and things are miscalled here below; Loyalty is called Treason; and so back­ward, Oppression is called Justice; that which is truly Law is called Violence; and Violence is called Law. The vile person is called liberall, and the churle bountifull Isa. 32. 5.; The Messengers of the Churches, and the glory of Christ, are mis­called, blasphemed, as we heare and reade. Thus we call things and persons now. It shall be otherwise here on earth towards the end of the world, as it was in the beginning, when every thing shall be called by it's proper name, and according to it's nature. The vile person shall be called as he is, and the churle as he is: And as it shall be done here below on earth, so it is now done above in Heaven. That consideration yeelded much comfort to the servants of God in ancient time, and so it will do now Quae hic mala putantur: haec sunt in coelo bona. Lact. 5. 15..

3. We reade of Petilians tongue, as fiery a flying serpent, as any is now in the world. It stung Augustine exceedingly, it scorched the Church, as it could. Augustine seems either not to feele it, or not to care for it two strawes; for, using another Metaphor, he sayes thus; Petilian blowes hard, but all his wind blowes away nothing but the chaffe. Thanks be to God, PETILIANS TONGUE IS NOT CODS Lingua Peti­liani non est ventilabrum Dei. FAN. He will not loose one graine of wheate by all this blustering wind. That was his consideration then, and very comfortable it was then; it is yours now, and it is as com­fortable now.

4. Consider Dayes of old, since man was created upon the earth, and you will find the proverb true, An unjust man is an abomination to the Just Pro. 24. 21.: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the Isa. 32 5. wicked. And so, though you cannot ward off a blow from the tongue, for it wounds sud­denly and undiscerned, and more deeply then any sword Quovis gladio acutior calam­nia, &c. Lips. Orat. de Ca­lum., being as an arrow shot out Jer. 9. 8.; yet you know a Dogs tongue is healing, if he be not mad; and grant he be so, and so goes about the City grinning, yet these considerations yeeld you balme enough to cure the poison thereof.

You have but Angers first weapons Prima semper irarum tela ma­le [...]cta sunt: & quicquid non possumus imbe­cilli, optamus irati. Salv de Gub. l. 3. pag. 81. yet, Devouring words; you must expect violent hands, hard and ungodly deeds, whole Armies against you, while you are for Christ; Troopes after Troopes from all quarters; such a Muster, or Combination rather as you reade of Psal. 83.: for the Lord Almighty hath taken to Himselfe great power, and hath reigned. What then? It followes, And the Nations were angry Rev. 11. 17, 18.. So they are now, and for the same reason, very angry and full of wrath. Consider now, the Lord Christ is King; be the earth never so unquiet, Yet he raigneth then most gloriously amidst His enemies Ps 110., When they make a tumult, and speake in their pride, Zion shall be defiled, and our eyes shall looke upon her Mich. 4. 11.. Consider now what that zealous Reformer said, who set his face like a flint; Be not afraid, remember the LORD who is GREAT Neh. 4. 16.; great in power, great in wisdome, &c. This answers all. Great tumults, great rage, great wrath, The Enemy comes in like a flood, with open mouth to devoure all; REMEMBER the Lord Who is GREAT, His Spirit will set up a Standard against them Esa. 59. 19.. When the sonnes of Belial do, as their Name imports, breake bands, and cast away coards, then the Lord will laugh Psal. 2.: And then, said Luther well, he would not cry like a child; he would be merry as a Man, and sing for joy of heart, the 46. Psalm: For he remembred the Lord WHO IS GREAT; It fol­lows, and TERRIBLE, To his Adversaries, fury to them Isa 59. 18.; and He has them under His feete already (like unto fine brasse Rev. 2. 15.) and He can stampe them to pouder (but He is patient, He will endure a little while their wrigling) sooner then you can a worme under yours. Nay you have had assurance ever since the dayes of Joshua Josh. 10. 25., That you shall set your feete upon them too. It seemes the Lord is fulfilling this good word to you now; nay, doubtlesse, He hath fulfilled it even now; He hath done as He promised to His worme Jacob, He hath taken you, a company of wormes (yee are no better) worme-like men; He hath given you armes of steele, and feete like brasse, and you have threshed the Mountaines like straw, and have come upon the Princes as upon Morter, and as the Potter treadeth clay Isa. 41. 15, 25..

Thus the Lord hath done, Who is GREAT and TER­RIBLE even now in all the peoples sight. Remember Him, you cannot be afraid. And remember where you are. And yet, as one saith Nihil interest ubi sitis in sae­culo qui extra saeculum estis. Tert. ad Mar­tyres. chap. [...]., no matter where you are in the world, who have your thoughts above the world, and managing the great things of Christ there. But yet to tell you what you know, and what your security is, you are in Gods hand Deut 33 3..

Now put all together and consider on it; God, He is GREAT and TERRIBLE; He is your God; you are His by covenant; you are in His hand; your enemies under His feete; nay under your foote. The Result from hence is; A Glorious Dependance upon this Lord, Who is Great; yea, a TRUST FOR EVER in Him, Who is EVER­LASTING STRENGTH Isa. 26. 4., and that is a sure ground for EVERLASTING CONFIDENCE; That, though the earth should shatter to peeces, and the moun­taines be taken off from their everlasting foundations, yet God is good to Israel; you shall not be greatly moved; your head may ake, but you may repose it in the Lap of your EVER­LASTING FATHER; certainly He will sustaine you; you may lay your selves downe in peace, He will make you dwell in safety. The enemy shall not be able to come neare you to doe you hurt, no nor to sad your spirits, who in all this time, have not spoken one word, whereby to sad the heart of the Righteous. ‘Yee must (the promise is so Isa. 65. 13, 14.) reioyce, when the Adversary shall be ashamed: yee must sing for ioy of heart, when your enemies must howle for vexation of spirit; your Name must be a blessing, theirs a curse.’ This is glorious matter for faith to worke upon; it will make you pray in the Holy Ghost. You need not be entreated to take leisure for that, it is the very breath of faith, and it hin­ders nothing at all, but sets forward businesses exceedingly, it makes them glide-on. I give my selfe to prayer, said David Ps. 109. 4., when he was in the very case you are in ver. 2, 3.; He made prayer his worke, what ever he was doing; and so his worke slided-on; he had an easie passe through all; hee could leape over this wall, and that mountaine was a plaine before him; and his enemies were given into his hands, for he gave himselfe to prayer. [Page] What ever we omit, we must not omit prayer. It commands your Marke, that, betwixt the Kings Question to Nehemiah, and his Answer, there is a prayer; his Answer was as ready as the Question was, but he would pray first Neh. 2. 4.. A hint only is enough to wise men. Your prayer shall be short, you may leng­then it in your closset; pray as Nehemiah did; he beleeved as you doe, and you have done as he did, and you have as many enemies as he had, and so envious against you; They would make you afraid too; they would weaken your hand from the work that it be not done, pray; now THERE­FORE O GOD STRENG THEN OUR Ne. 6. 9. HAND; AND REMEMBER US O OUR GOD, FOR GOOD. Now there is a voice gon up (that never returnes in vaine) and cryes aloud in the eares of the Lord, like the sound of many waters, saying, AMEN; Mercy and Truth be with you, AMEN: And the God 2 Sam. 15. 20. of both these give you favour in the eyes of the Man, Amen: wipe not out the good deeds that you have done for the Ne. 13. 14, 22. house of your God, and for the Offices thereof; AND SPARE YOU ACCORDING TO THE GREATNESSE OF HIS MERCY, AMEN, AMEN.

The PREFACE clearing the way through this Treatise, and the READERs un­derstanding, touching the proceedings in Parlia­ment, the clearnesse of the Lawes and Iustice therein; his Knowledge also of the times, and cleare WILL of GOD, and what Israel ought to do, notwithstanding the con­tradictions of sinners, and crosse wils of Malignant Men.

Reader,

I Ʋnderstand well the use and Law of a Preface, it should containe no more, but what could not be put into the booke; that is observed here. And yet it will be very large, and that I could not helpe. I have an hundred sheets tending much the same way this Treatise goes; If a Providence should call forth, all or any part of it; I might trouble thee with an Epistle, but never more with a Preface. How willingly I would have forborne it here. I know, and God knows; but then I strongly conceived: I had left thee in the darke; but now I shall shew thee the way in much clearenesse, if thou wilt not blind-fold thy selfe, and render thee in the close, a Thankefull man, This is the tendency and purpose of all this: And so, that thou mayest reade with profit, understanding what thou readest, and then shew thy selfe an understanding man; I shall endeavour to cleare the way before thee, and give thee cleare resolution to the mat­ters in debate, some more easie and quickly resolved; other some more hard and admitting more contention;

1. Touching the Person, who offers Thankes, that is easily clea­red.

2. Then the Thank-offering, there will be the knots, for Collegiate men, the Eyes of the Land, these are set against it, and, some say, the Law also; we must examine their reasons, and cleare the proceedings [Page] against these men, and that will take up some time.

3. In the last place, the Method, the clearing of that is very neces­sary, but it will bee quickly done. I shall now d [...]ssolve a continued Discourse into a Dialogue. The first Doubt to be res [...]lved, is,

1. Ob. ‘I personate the Church here, an excellent and glorious woman, whose cloathing is as we reade Rev. 12. 1.. And is it not presumption in me, the lowest and vilest of ten thousand, to take upon me to be the mouth of the Church?’ Ans. No for first it could not be otherwise; None but the upright Ps. 33. 1. 119. 7. in heart, the Church, can render a THANK-OFFERING ac­ceptable to the Lord. The Divell and his servants neither can nor vvill; They can curse and blaspheme, that they can and vvill doe; Thanke and Praise God, that they will not, they cannot doe. The Churches heart is prepared, she can arise and give thankes; they and they onely, can call upon all that is within them to blesse His holy Name Ps. 103. 1.. And if they, like good Stewards, are not carefull at this point, to maintaine their Lords Royalty and Right, his Tribate and Impost, their Lord will loose all, Thankes and Praise both. And that is all He lookes for, for all His rich mercies and glorious workes done to the children of men. Therefore His children vvill looke narrowly at this point, That they faile not therein.

2. Ob. ‘I am here the mouth of the Church; hee must have her spirit that knows her mind; How doth silly man know vvhat the Church will say?’

Ans. Yes, very vvell; though in some cases, the well is deepe, and I have no bucket to draw; and in this case I cannot dive into the bottome, nor attaine to the height of her expressions, being so filled with the Holy Ghost: Yet I know her mind so farre, that I can more then guesse at what she will say He that hath but a common light (I doe not say, I have more) very ordinary abilities, cannot but conceive the subject-mat­ter of such a worke, and the manner of prosecuting the same very well. He must conceive also, unlesse he hath put out all his eyes, inward and out­wa [...]d every one, that the Church considers and ponders these marvellous workes in her heart, wrought for her, and conveyed to her by the hands of her Lord and King (for, what ever the conveyance is, the Church lookes up to her Lords hand,) Surely he cannot but thinke and know, that the Church accounts these workes wonderfull, and her recording, thanking, praising, all these must hold an answerablenesse too; the man whose eyes were a little opened; what o [...] him? See how he was taken with the won [...]er [...]ull administrations of God towards His people (seeing none of his inchantments nor Divinations could take) and heare his words, How Numb. 23. 23. goodly are thy Tents, O Iaco [...], and thy Taberna [...]es, O Israel! As the valleyes, &c. for it containes much. He hath the strength of an U­nicorne, &c. Blessed is he that blesseth Thee, and cursed is he that curseth Thee [...]. 24 5, 6. 8, 9..

Looke ye! Balaam could [...]ay this, and yet his eyes were but a little ope­ned and presently shut again; Covetousnes had closed them, he loved the wa­ges [Page] of iniquity, and yet the workes of God towards His Church dazeled his eies, they were so glorious in his sight, and made him breake out to ad­miration. Certainly such have beene Gods workes, so strange, so won­derfull, so glorious towards His Church this Yeare; so as the blind and the lame, and the foole must say now, WHAT HATH GOD DONE? Surely even These men must know, that Thou, Whose Name alone is JEHOVAH art the most High over all the Earth Ps. 83. 18., These are forced now to ascribe strength unto God, saying, His ex­cellency is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds. O God Thou art terrible, out of Thy holy places, the God of Israel is Hee That giveth strength and power unto His people. Blessed be God Ps 49. 34, 35.. It is no presumption then to doe as all should doe, and as fools are forced to doe, no nor boldnesse neither; for secondly,

The Lord knowes with what care and diligence I have done this (if it may be said, it is done; for he that comes after, and does much more, with more skill and more strength of parts, will not haply say of such a worke as this, it is done, and yet I may say) with care and labour e­nough, and with feare too much, least something should slip out unbe­seeming a Thank-offering, or the person presenting the same. And not to belie the worke, the Lord knowes with what SEEKING also, out of myselfe unto HIM: and when there was no answer in supply of strength, then I wrought with the strength of a man, and did drive hea­vily. He will find it thus, that reades over the worke, and then finding something that is good, he will saie, THE FINGER OF GOD IS HERE, and he will make much of it; where he finds weaknesse, (for I will not call it bad or [...]ll) there he findes a man and no more; no matter how he deales with him, so he remem­bers himselfe, and considers, That in many things we offend all: and he that offends not in his tongue, (especially when he speaks much) (the Pen is but the tongue in print) is a perfect man. And this may suffice to cleare the answer to the first Doubt, That any man, who hath common principles may know the mind of the Church at this point, what her Sonnes and Daughters will doe now at this time, now that their Lord hath dealt so like Himselfe, so graciousl [...] with His peo­ple. We have heard what Balaam said, a vile person, blinded with co­vetousnesse, an Aliant from the Common wealth of Israel, and a stran­ger to their joy. Who knowes not then, what the Church will say, for whom her Lord hath wrought such Deliverances as these?

And now, Reader, supposing thee no Malignant one but alooker on the affliction in the day of calamity Obad. 13., not knowing what side to turn to, nor which way to take because of the Dilemma of the Time; so thou saist for which way soever thou shalt turne, a horne may meet with thee, and push thee, yea gore thy sides, so thou sayest in effect. Let me tell thee now in much love, though in plaine English, That thou dost not seeme to have so much Logick as a Dogge hath; for when he comes to the place, where [Page] two or more wayes meet, his little Logick serves his turne, and reselves him, which way the Beast went. I know thou hast more Logick, but certainely thou hast made no use of it hitherto; Try thy skill now, and put Reason to it, that is naturall Logick, Aske thy selfe now, which way goes the BEAST, I meane the Pope and all his sworne s [...]rvants? Thou needest not smell here, though the savour of the Beast is very strong; thy eye [...] ill tell thee which way go all the Atheists and Papists all over the Christian world; All the Prelates, all that love to have the prehemi­nence Ioh. 3. 9., all that seeke honour from Men, thy eye will tell thee which way those goe Why then, as sure as thy soule liveth, thou must goe a crosse way to all these now, if thou seekest the right way, the way of the just, and lookest thy soule shall live hereafter for ever with the Lord. But I will wind up thy understanding by degrees, I see thou art but carried on, as others are, by the example of thy betters, who thinke themselves the two cleared eyes of the Land; I will shew you the vanity and danger of fol­lowing such persons, and then answer what those persons (that take themselves to be such cleare sighted men) have to say: And all this, that thou maist joyne with the Church in her THANKE-OFFERING, take hold of her skirt, saying, I will goe with you, for we have heard (and seene) That God is with you Zach. 8. 23..

Ob. You object, You cannot joyne in Rendring a THANKE-OF­FERING, for you see others doe not, who account themselves the cleared EYES of the Land. Schollers you meane, Collegiate Men.

Ans. So you follow the Darke side of the Cloud, you observe what is done, not what ought to be done: The charge is otherwise, we are commanded not to put confidence in a guide Mic [...]. 7. 5. Esa. 55. 4., It is o [...] everlasting use to remember, That we have but one LEADER given us, and He is our COM­MANDER; other leaders we may follow, but as they lead us to Christ; and other Commanders we must obey, but as they command from His mouth The poore ignorant people of old, looked what their Rulers did; and hearkned to what the Scribes and Pharisees, Rabbies and Great Clarks spoke, and so were miserably seduced, and rejected the councell of God against their own soules Ioh. 7. 30.. A good warning this for you and for me at this time.

Secondly Consider, Are these cleare sighted men? They say so, They say, They SEE; Therefore you may say, and say truly, their sinne remai­neth Ioh. 9. 41.. And that you may know what you say, observe them in their practise. Certainely that old Sorcerer, did not blunder more blindfolded then they have done, for they looke to be promoted to honour; they mind the wages of iniquity, they love to receive honour of another; and seeke not the honour that commeth from God Ioh 5. 44. only. ‘ Lactantius sayes well Lib. 7. chap. 1. Qui ambitione in­flati, &c., your ambitious man, BISHOP WOULD BEE, he that is all for his wages, he will blunder on, and though you should tell him, he is out of the way, and the sword will meete him there, and shew him as cleare reason, that so it will be, as if you should carry the Sunne in your hand, yet he will reject your counsell: he mindeth his [Page] wages, and honour from men: Luther said as much long agoe; I will never regard what the Monkes say; and lesse what they doe, they plead for their bellies, their ease, &c. light prophets, put them upon the bal­lance, and a penny weight upon the other scale (that is their bar­gaine, so they indent with the Lord,) and that will way them downe.’ We had our lesson a little before, But on LEADER, and on COM­MANDER.

But we must give these cleare sighted men faire quarter, and heare their Objections first in the grosse and full lumpe.

Ob. They have beene heard speaking as they sate at Table, when their bel­lies were full (and was it not a good grace after meate) That this Par­liament had done so much against them, that it might be called (as the Councell of Trent) the ILIAD of this age; Therefore they had small reason to render them a THANK-OFFERING.

An. Be it so, and suppose too, some of them had beene clapt fast by the heeles (they might have pleaded Iustice for it, and merit both) yet should they have joyned in a THANKE-OFFERING, they should have praised God, and Thanked man even for that: IN EVERY THING GIVE THANKES; then for imprisonment too: 1 Thes. 5. 18, To God they will say (for they are not past grace.) Nay to man, if we follow the light side of the Cloud. I remember M r. Bradford (but he had another spirit, an excellent spirit) was of that mind, and so he could doe; If the Queene will send me to prison said he, I will thanke her there; if from t [...]ence to the stake, I will thanke her there also. There was a thankefull Man.

But if we cannot draw men on to be Thankefull for blessings; surely we must expect they will murmure and curse too under crosses: And yet it will be as cleare anon; when I come to cleare the Method, as the Sunne­beame, That we must be Thankefull for all, for imprisonment, for stripes, &c. Thus in the generall: We must now heare the particulars of their charge, and those are two. 1. What the Parliament have done tou­ching Church-livings. 2. Then touching Church-Men. I must re­member I am in a Preface now, and would not exceed it's bounds. When my pen did take full scope touching this double charge, I am perswaded, that I have cleared the proceedings in Parliament against both these, double Benefices, and perverse Men, to be the most advantagious for the Church, truly so called, the most just and equitable of any proceedings, that ever were heard of since a Parliament was heard of in the world: for to say so much as may satisfie the Reader, touching the first Charge; how reasonable a thing is it first; That he, who hath an Office, should at­tend upon his Office? Againe, how just and equitable a thing is it, that Watch-men should be stirred up, and not suffered to sleepe in the day, loving to slumber, nay to snore in their Cabines? And it was strange, Isa. 56. 10. (but yet so it was) They could sleepe so soundly there, who had blood for their boulsters. They slept soundly, while soules, purchased by the blood of Christ, are murthered at their elbow. Surely this was because [Page] their beds were too soft, and because of the sweat and rankenesse of their prosperitie Vitium longe pacis & oputentae sec [...]itatis. Sal.. But He, who maketh inquisition for blood, will require this of them, who slept, where the envious man made havocke and de­stroyed: or if they were awake, then they drowned their Cates in wine. Ob. And was is not time the [...] shou [...]d be jogged, and their full cups taken out of their hands. At, but what encou [...]agement now to [...] Sch [...]l [...]ars, when the maintenance is taken away from the Church, and her proper inheritan [...]e [...]rom her Church-men.

An. It is not taken awaie, all the revenues there, shall runne in the veines of the Church, and be according to the first intendment (not to maintaine Drones, but the labouring Dee) for the advancement and enlargement of true Prety and Learning. Though we should note this, there is encou­ragement enough in doing our Dutie, in working the thing that good is, for we worke for a good Master [...], &c. He shall have the greatest reward, who workes not for a reward Isid. p [...]ll. l 2. p. 184.. But I speak to them, that will bar­gaine with their Lord, and well know their wages, else will dee no work. I demand of these, why should this Discourage them in their studies, or cut them short in their hopes, that some men with their Et cetera [...]s, shall not be [...]uffered any longer, to ingrosse or inclose the rich and fat pa­stures of the Earth; to eat the fat and creame of the Land, as those their B [...]ethren before them, Abby-lubbers, evill-beasts, flow-bellies have done, while the good Schollars feed upon a poore pittance the while; nay, are almost starved? I pray [...]u might not good Schollars picke out many a good bit from such a place as [...]au [...]s, were it rid of these, &c. and their singing men? And a very good riddance; how well might they bee spared? no fitter (some of the [...]) for a Church, then a Swine for a Par­lour. And yet we doe not thinke, that there ought to be an equall divi­dent, an equall d [...]stribution of honours and preforments in the Church; but according to Desert and proportion in gifts: yet we thinke the Proverbe hath some use here; They are merry in the Ha [...]l, when beards wagg all: And not when the one table have their full messes, even to a surfitting and vomit; the other none at all, or in no proportion. And so much to the complaint touching Church livings; now touching Church-men.

Ob. Titularis nō Tu­ [...]elaris Rex; desuit non praesuit rei­publicae. [...]. Naz. complained that in his time, they were made Bishops, who made themselves the basest ser­vants, servants to their lusts. ep. 10.. They cannot give thanks to the high Court, for they have cast forth of the Church their Church-men?

Ans. Church-men! As the Iudges, the chiefesto them, were Common-wealths men; they so sought their owne private-wealth, that they left the poore subject, nothing he could call hi [...] own, but his misery: So these Church-men, they called out the Church, the Church when they stab [...]ed her to the ve [...]y heart. Put we these together for they be M [...]ches, Church-men and Common-wealths men; then you may saie worse of them then was said of Chilperick [...]d a bad King of Fran [...]e, my English will not be so good as the Latine, but too good for them, He was a nur­sing Father, not in deed, but in [...]rame so: He was set over the Com­mon-wealth, as a golden head there; but he did not the office of an head, of a foot rather, and so stamped the Common-wealth to pow­der. [Page] These good men are cast-out, and good reason, for they were as unsavourie salt, neither fit for the Land, nor yet for the Dung-hill, but men cast it out Luk. 14. 34.; as the unprofitable wood of the fruitlesse vine, were they meet for any vvorke Ezech. 15. 4.? But who cast them out, and how? It is worth our labour the inquiring out. Surely, the Lord God did it, the God of recompences, for the controversie of His Zion Esa. 34. 8.. He did it even by His owne right-hand. But so (and there we set a marke) as their owne mischiefe did returne upon their owne head, And Ps. 7. 16. his violent dealing came dovvne upon his ovvne pate. The conclu­sion is, The Lord cast them out, by the helpe and violence of their owne hands. It is true, and but equitable, That we should give all dues to man here, for he was a noble and glorious instrument in Gods hand for the effecting this worke, and disburthening the Church of these oppressours; but we must resolve all into Gods Hand, and un­to the violence, that was found in their owne hand. It was the Lord, That BENT Judah Zach 9. 13. for Himselfe, and FILLED the BOWE vvith Ephraim (we may fitly allude to that place) He hath raised up thy sonnes, from the North and from the South, O Zion, against thy false sonnes, and made them as the SWORD of a mighty man, against those mighty Adversaries: His arrovv vvent forth as the lightning against them. He went out with VVHIRLE­WINDS of the South and North, a CONTINUING Ier. [...]0. 23. Whirlevvind, and it fell vvith paine on the head of the vvicked. We may reade on, The fierce anger of the Lord shall not returne, untill He hath done it, and untill He performe the intents of His Heart: For see what the intents of these Church-men were against the Lord, even to make His Land desolate, and His Church forsaken: To set Ephraim against Manasses, and Manasses against Ephraim, snatching on the right hand and on the left, so eating every man the flesh of his ovvn arme; And yet their wrath is not turned away, no not yet; The same Ier. [...]0 23. ver 24. Esa. 9. 20. malice boyles still and runnes over; This is their worke at this Dait, and these the intents of their hearts;

That the sword may be bathed in our HEAVEN; That the Land may be filled with blood from corner to corner. Observe againe, what they have done, and how they have prepared their own way, for the bringing in the Deluge of wrath. They have let the vineyard of the Lord lie waste; and have broken downe the Hedge (now a Serpent has bit them according to the threat Eccl. 10. 8.) removed the ancient Land marke, made the Heritage of the Lord, as a speckled bird Ier. 12. 9. [...] Vol. bom. 31., exposed it to the spoyle of Foxes and to grievou [...] Wolves. Here Chrysostomes words would a­stonish them were they well pondred on; I will but point at them in the margent [...], &c. in Ep ad 1 Cor. 3 Hom. 3.. The same Father doth make it cleare to the whole world, even now i: That they have taught, yea commanded Atheisme all over their Diocesses, so Preachers doe, saith the Father (indeed they preach not at all) when they spend an houre in a daie (in Chrysostomes daies, they preached every Daie) in laying the Foundation of Repentance, [Page] from dead workes, and of Faith towards God Heb. 6. 1.: And the rest of the Day, and whole weeke after, turne their backes upon what they said, in a lewd and wicked carriage. This makes their hearers Atheists, it commands Suade [...] lingua iubet vita. Gen. 18 19. An example hath the vertue of a Command; nay it is a Compulsion. Cogi cos dicit, qui exemplo Petri iu­dai [...]aba [...]t, Gal 2 14. Beza. Atheisme; and so we have a little of that much, whereby the Father reproves the blasphemie of Minister [...] in his Daies, whose ex­amples destroyed, what their preaching built up, and so they taught flat Atheisme. Our Church-men have done so too, as is cleare to all the world; and their judgement will be as manifest. Now the Lord is be­ginning with them, no [...] is the yeare of Gods vengeance against those trea­cherous Priests and light Prophets; now He will recompence upon them all their abominati [...]ns, which they have committed in His house before His face. Now He will raise up Carpenters, which shall strike off those hornes, that have pushed and goard, and scattered the servants of the Lord Zach. 1. 20.

And surely all the undertakings of that High Court, have gone ou [...] all along with God in His way: And have the very stampe and seale of His Hand upon theirs, to make H [...]s worship truly spirituall, according to His will; and not clogged and mixed with humane Inventions, Ec­clesiasticall and Civill charges. And he that shall looke upon them (the actions, I meane, of the High Court) with an impartiall eye: that shall be but willing to understand them, the meaning and tendencie thereof, hee will be forced to beleeve, (as was [...]aid in a higher case Qui studuerit intelligere cogetur ei credere. [...]ertul. de Deo cap. 17.) That all this hath beene suggested to them by God, and managed by His right-hand. They have beene but as noble instruments, bent unto His purpo [...]e, and as the bow and sword in His Hand. But remember this with it, which was intimated before, He hath brought upon them their owne iniquity Ps. 94. 13., and so hath cut them off; Their owne wickednesse hath helped forward this great worke; the casting out of these Church-men; nursing Fathers in Name and no more, for they starved their children; They helped for­ward Zach. 1. 15. the wrath, for the slaying a whole Nation: Now His own wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one Iob 5. 2.. So as we may say, in allusion thereunto, and conclude as of old, These Church-mens iniquity, makes full proof of the Justice and innocency of that High Court Probatio est no­stra innocentiae im­pietas vestra. Tert. cap. 48..

If you will aske me now in the close, what I can say against the office?

My answer is ready: but yet I will say no more here, but as S t. Paul saith, touching the LAW, vve know the Law is good if a man use it LAWFULLY 1 Tim. 1. 8.. The next Objection scorcheth, for it is from a tongue set on fire of hell.

Ob. That now they have cast forth Church men, they will cast forth their King too out of the inheritance of the Lord: They will rise up in batt [...]ll against their King, and can they expect that we should tender them a Thank-offering for that?

An. No sure, the Axe rather, or a rope; let one or both be tendred to such Philistines, who deale vilely with their King, as if he were not a­noynted [Page] vvith oyle 2 Sam. 1. 21.; and then shall these servants of the Lord be free, for they can call God to record upon their soules, that they rise up for their King against spoylers; for their Religion against Papists; for their lives and liberties against murtherers; for their Church and Na­tion against them that would make fenced Cities, ruined heapes, and bring utter desolation to the King and Kingdome, Church and Common-wealth and all.

The contrary is suggested to his sacred Majesty, and so forced, that he dares protest (see how wicked Counsell may prevaile!) in the face of Heaven and Earth, that they who seeme to be on his side, and with him, shall main­taine the Lawes, just Liberties and Rights of the Church and Common-wealth.

Marke, Reader, Sons of Belial (so much malice hath suggested, and, so far prevailed) shall maintain the Lawes; and Papists the true Reformed Religion; men of bloods, like Irish Villaines, nay the very same, shall safeguard your lives. Reade on, Those, that are gone out to battell a­gainst these enemies, vvhither soever the LORD shall send them. VVhat are these men? 1 Kin. 8. 44.

Ob. Malice hath suggested (but shee vvas foully out) That most of them are ANABAPTISTS.

Ans. Nay, not one, I say againe, not one. Malice may suggest, That some one or two there, is a Samaritan and hath a Divell, for that has bin suggested against the Captaine of the Host Ioh. [...]. 48.; but that there are ANABAPTISTS there, that is false sure; because they are gone forth to vvarre, and vvill maintaine it to the Death; No ANABAPTIST then: No nor Rebels, nor Traitors neither, though suggested so. Like the dirt of Oysters, it will not staine; the righteous have bin slandered so of old, but never has beene heard or seene such contradictions of sinners, such contrarieties of Tongues and Wills as now a daies.

They can reade much written in commendation of folly and to some pur­pose; They can reade also some sheets blotted in the commendation of the Ague, the Feaver and the Gout: Yea and one whole sheet in the praise of a Louse, and three sheets in the praise of the vilest person, (but he was an Emperour) that ever went upon two Leggs: All this they may finde and reade in Bookes; but they never heard or read, till of late, nor their Fathers before them, ‘That an Army most of Papists, and the other looking stedfastly towards Rome, in the same Kingdom, haue bin commended for loyall Subjects, to a Protestant King: And an Army of Protestants charged with Treason and Rebellion against the same King.’ But the Righteous are not carefull, they can turne, as afore-said to the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSE, and seeing there is no vvrong in their Hands: They can say, as David so persecu­ted before them, The God of their Fathers looke theron and rebuke it 2 Chr. 12. 17.. This has beene the good mans comfort evermore, when he hath been smit­ten at with the tongue; ‘ My Adversaries can say much against me [Page] (for he thinkes his tongue his owne) but he cannot say, I HAVE FORSAKEN THE LAW OF MY GOD:’ So now, malice may suggest, that there be Traitors in Gods Hoste, and most of them Brownists and Atheists; she is not so shamelesse to suggest, that most or any of them are Papists (no Anabaptists:) If so be malice could have suggested that, and have made the charge good, where had our Hope beene? Certainly had this Hoste consisted most of Papists, it had gone out under the guilt of all the righteous blood, shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abell unto the blood of Zachari­as; and so downe ward unto this Day Mat. 23. 35.; but not one PAPIST, no not one in the Hoast of God, the enemies themselves being Iudges; the Papists are all on their side, all the world over: And that it is so, is [...]n cleare as the Sunne, when he shines in his strength; All the Papists are on the other side, and not one with the Host of God.

Surely, here is matter for high praise to our God, Blessed be the Father, Sonne and Holy-Ghost, that Satan the accuser of the Brethren, hath condemned his owne cause and justified theirs: for behold all this is granted, that all the Papists in the Land, nay all the world over are on that side: why then we conclude first, nay the experience of all a­ges concludes for us;

1. That there on their side are all the Rebels against their King, his Crowne and Dignity: There are all the Traitors against the Church and Common-wealth: For Papists have been the Fomenters, the Actors of all Rebellions, treasons, murders, massacres, in all ages since that Church had an appearance on the Earth; and so are they now, and so will be till their great Prophet be cast into the great wine-presse of the wrath of God.

2. That our Hoast is gone sorth, whither God shall send them 1 King. 8. 44. against [...] Revel. 14. 19. His enemies, which are the people of His curse, and against whom we are charged to maintain warre for ever.

3. This Host is gone forth in the strength (I will say nothing of the Prayers of Gods Host abroad and at home, but) of the BLESSING of the ALMIGHTY. Some may aske, how doe I know that? Ve­ry well, and I would have the poore Country-man know it too, for that is my ayme; The Host is gone forth under the curse of his Ho­linesse, the Pope, I meane. Now it hath been concluded as followes ever since there has beene a Pope in Ro [...]e and a Papist in England. Looke which way goes the Popes curse, that way goes GODS BLESSING, for they goe contrary, as Christ and Anti-christ. And this is enough to set the Country-man in his way, if his guts be not in his head, and his braines in his belly Cuim cerebr [...] est i [...] ventro ingenium i [...] pa [...]i [...]is. Agr ep. 2 [...]., and if so, yet he can discern which way the Papists go, and that it is a cursed way.

4 This Host shall be victorious, that it shall, for it is the Host of GOD and His CHRIST, against Antichrist, it must go on and do valiantly, for the BLESSING of God goes with it, and the curse of the Adversary.

Ob. At, but the Hoast of God hath miscarried?

An. No never; but so as to make them looke better to their carriage, and to manage things more orderly in a way to a blessing. They have mis­carried so as to make them more victorious over themselves at present, and over the enemie at the last. True it is, The Sword devoureth one as well as another 2 Sam. 11. [...]. It may devoure Gods dearly Beloved Ier. 12. 17. and as deare to us, as the blood in our veines; and yet it is His Host for all that; who created the Smith that formed the vveapon ver. 26.. I solemne­ly protest in the eares of the God of Hosts, and could be content I could be heard over all the Christian world, that, if this Host were all wounded-men, yet could I not doubt of the victory. I may doubt, e Iud, 20. 23. nay I doe doubt, That we have not wept enough, nor prayed enough; or if so (I doubt it) that may be wanting now, which answers to burnt-offerings and peace-offerings f once: I may doubt of all this, but I cannot doubt of the victorie, in the best Time, Gods Time: For it is Gods Host, a slandered Host, cursed by the Pope, and his vassals, therefore Gods blessing is there; it must prevaile and be victorious.

And this is all the answer they shall get to this, and it may suffice. How can I give a direct and single answer to a double tongue and a double heart, for their language is different. No man can imagine, That the Adversaries speake as they thinke; for who can conceive that Noahs flood was sent upon the Earth to allay the dust there: or, that the Divell stirred up the Arabians, Sabeans, and Chaldeans to be a wall unto Job, to safeguard him, his children, his house and goods? And so I have done with these Collegiate men; Removed the offence, taken from their example; answered their double charge, and their notorious slanders. And yet there is one Objection more, which truly I had cleane forgot to answer in it's due place, therefore it must be done now.

Ob. The title of honour is taken away from Church-men.

Ans. That cannot be said to be taken from us, which belongs not to us. Will no title serve the turne, but please your Grace, or your Lordship, therby quenching Grace, & Lording it over the consciences of men? Another Title will serve better: as a Rod also for Discipline, and yet not made of Iron. Let them Lord-it over themselves, and their owne lusts (which they have served) and then they shall be Lords and Princes too, nay most Prince-like men [...] Isid. pel. l. 2 Ep. 147.. Why may not those Titles serve them, which the Holy Ghost hath given: I dare say, though you reade much in the Fathers touching Titles of honour given to Church men; and a Church-man of late, but none now, tels us the Bishops seat is a Throne Pocklington Alt. Christ. p. 33 & 95. Thron [...] propri [...] principi [...]ribui so­let non s [...]rvo. Be [...]. Heb. 18., yet none of all these have reached to that height of honour, as those Titles doe, which the Holy Ghost hath given them, Stewards, Embassadors, &c. To say all in two words, Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ 2 Cor 8. 23. [...], 2 Tim 4. 5.. Let a Minister answer these Titles, make full proof, they belong un­to him; let him fill them up, as the word implies, and then I will not say, what he shall be, for he shall shine like the Sunne, but what he is for the pre­sent, the most honoured person that is in the world.

We must note now in the close two things, one for our information, the other to learne us our Dutie.

1. Schoole-learning is not of virtue sufficient to unscale the eyes or unvaile the heart, an annoynting from above does that. Humane learning if not sanctified, closeth the eye the [...]aster; it is a great snare, and like an ignis fatuus (a mocke fire, a sancied light, kindled by our owne sparkes Esa. 50. 11., and a busie leader in these Daies) misleades strarge­ly.

2. We must learne our Duty now. Though they revile, we must blesse; though they defame, we must intreat; though they persecute, we must pray; that the Lord would not deale with them, as they have done; there was none to guide the Church among all the Sonnes she hath brought forth; neither vvere there any that tooke her by the hand; We pray, deale not so with them (good Lord) guide Esa. 51. 18. them, take them by the Hand, that they may walke in strait pathes. Though they did rise up against Thee; yet doe not Thou rise up a­gainst them; but pardon them according to the exceeding largesse of Thy abundant mercie, which can multiply pardons, as we have mul­tiplied sinnes. Lord, cleanse those fountaines, heale those bitter wa­ters, that such may runne thence, which may refresh (not poison) the Ci­ty of God. Amen.

Now recall what was said at the beginning of this contention, wee have but one LEADER and COMMANDER.

And so I have done with the Divines, whom I honour very much and heartily, so be they are Divine, magnifying their office, exal­ting the Scepter of the Lord Iesus Christ [...] these not so, but the con­trary; the Lord lay it not to their charge: He will not, if, in truth of heart, they can charge and shame themselves with it. I should now come to the Lawyers, the chiefest of them, for they have made the THANK-OFFERING to be questioned very much in point of Law; but they are run away, turning their backs upon the Law, yes, the supreame Law, and the highest reason.

Thankes be to God, we have the Law on our side, and in more strength energie and virtue, now these Lawyers be gone: And by helpe of God and the fore-mentioned, I shall cleare the THANK-OFFERING, and the Readers understanding touching the Cavils about it, and ren­der him also, in the close, a very thankfull man, that is, he shall give us his heart, and his purse too, if need require, his life also, if Law or Reason can perswade with him, or the WILL of GOD; all this shall be cleared in order.

All appeale to the Law, I shall appeale thither too; and yet not to the Law of Nature, which teacheth a poore worme to Earth-it-selfe against the foot of pride; nor to the Law of Nations; no nor to the Lawes and Constitutions of this Kingdome, whereby we have a priviledge beyond the Christians in Primitive times, living under those Emperours, whose Constitutions (I had rather call them so then Lawes) were flat against [Page] the Christians, and their Religion, and that is very considerable now. But all this I leave to the good Lawyer, I meane, the honest man; and truly he hath cleared the case soundly and well; so much I knew and I doe professe my selfe; No Lawyer you will say. Yes but I am, for I understand the Lavv, as the Proverbe is; Every man is a foole or a Physition; he understands something touching the state of his bodie, what is good or hurtfull for him: so he is a simple man, that knowes not so much Law (and I presume no more then) as may fit him for a civill life in his Societie or Neighbourhood. But that I may keepe within my owne bounds, and be sure to goe right, I will aske and returne such an answer, as shall be to the mind and heart of e­very honest man.

Q. What is the Lavv? we have heard much of the common Law, we have seene and felt something from the Civill-lavv; but what is the SƲPREAME LAW?

A. The answer is this, and you shall heare no other, if you shall ask till Doom [...] Daie, THAT THE SƲPREAM AND SOVERAIGN LAW IS THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE Suprema lex sa­lus populi..

We argue, Then the Nobles all (we need no other word, they all are so, so their Votes for Christ, and actions to promote His glory have innobled them) have proceeded according to LAVV, the SU­PREAME Law: For I aske, and let malice answer, Did ever any before them sweat as they have done? ‘Did ever any worke so effectually, for the safety of their Nations?’ We thought (such fools we were) That safety it selfe Salus ipsa., as the simple Proverbe is, could not have saved the Nation. We said, Our hope is perished; the house of Esau shall be a fire, and the house of Iacob as stubble: Behold by their noble indeavours and contrivements, they have so vvrought vvith God this Day, That it is otherwise, they have snatched us as brands out of the burning: and now we may say, as we reade, The house of Iacob shall be a fire, and the house of Ioseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble Obad. 18.. And have they not Lavv for this? No Lavv for keeping downe the fire, that vvild-fire, from kindling upon our Bodies, our Houses, our Townes, our Cities, our Nation, our three Kingdomes? No Law for saving all these from utter ru­ine and Destruction? Doubtlesse they have Lavv on their side, which will justifie them, and their actions, The Supreame lavv; It cannot be clearer, but it is as cleare as the Sunne, that glorious Creature shining in it's strength. Nay, I must goe higher, and quite stop the mouth of malice it selfe. Did ever any contend so heartily, worke so effectually with one lip, and one shoulder, as these Nobles have wrought for the SƲPREAME safety of the people? I meane, the SAL­VATION of our SOƲLES, that is Supreme, a Salvation in­deed. If we will be fullen, and will not answer here (as men hating to be Reformed) I can tell who will answer with indignation and wrath enough; the Prelates will, those, that labour not in the Word and [Page] Doctrine, those I meane, All that Antichristian Tribe, the Divell and all his servants. The Votes and actions of the Nobles this way, have tormented the Divell and his Angels; A sure evidence, That the No­bles have done right; They have wrought for the safety o [...] our bodies and soules hoth, that's a Salvation indeed. It were [...]ol [...]y to aske now, and blasphemy to doubt, whether they had not a Law, a Su­preame Law for all this? And so I would leave the Law (but it will not be left) and come to Reason, so to argue the case.

What is the best Reason? The Answer is, and we have no other, That is the chiefe, the prime, the principall, the highest REA­SON WHICH MAKES FOR RELIGION Summa Ratio quae pro Religione fa [...]., that it is: come then, let us argue the case like reasonable men, keeping close to our Reason, yet honouring the Law (of the Land) just and good; and the good Lawyer, for he is a good man: and be knowes himselfe to be so, or the contrary, no man in the world more clearely then he, because, though he could tread the Law under his foot (as the bad Lawyer hath done) yet he cannot put-out the light, which he hath set up in his understanding.

All call out law, law, as if all their helpe were in God and the law. It is indeed, but if wee forsake right Reason, and yet ex­pect helpe from God and the Law, we shall faile of our expectation, neither God nor the law will yeeld us any helpe, for God is holy and the law is just.

Consider then, what partie (for there be two parties in the world, de­viding all betwixt them, and carrying all before them, so they have done ever since the world was, and so they will doe while the world stands.)

Which of the two doe act according to right Reason, that we cal'd the highest Reason? Who of them doe make it their worke, to doe Iustice and Iudgement? But I will come to the highest step, which of them doe labour to advance Religion; to [...]et up the Standard of Iesus Christ? He is blind and will not see, who sees not his answer hereunto. Why then, they have God on their side and the law on their side (I might say, Gospell too for there comes in the highest Reason) and therefore by helpe of God and the law, and right rea­son also, they will doe exploits. Observe we how the Worthies in the managing of their great affaires, have walked (by the same help, and steering their course by the same hand, levell to the same mark) how exactly, how blamelesly, how harmelesly, as the Sonnes of God, (according to the line of men) so as Momus himselfe, an envious and prying person once, and now, and yet cannot rebuke them Phil. 2. 15. [...].. How comes it to be so, That these Worthies have carried themselves so exactly well? There can be no other reason given but this, by helpe of God, the law, and the highest Reason. For as was said, God is their Pilot, He steers their course, and the law was their land-marke, their boundary, their hedge (had they broken that a Serpent had bi Eccl. 10. 8. [Page] them Eccl. 10 8.) therefore, &c. for every man knowes it; they with such helpe, must steere their course as exactly as the King does, who does according to his charge, seeke helpe from God, and direction from his Law-book Deut. 17. 18, 19.. But now on the contrary; when a man shall slip his hand from out of Gods hand; will have none of Him, none of His help, will desert the Law, the supreame Law, that old Land-marke, remove that out of it's place, and forsake Reason, the highest reason; what will hee doe? blunder on as the old Sorcerer did (Prophet is too good a name) Balaam, I meane, so he will blunder on, though a flaming Sword stand in their way, turning every way to stop them in their course: Like the Duke of Arabia, Leader to the S [...]beans, so they will doe; And he was a wild Duke, some say, mad, for, carelesse of his owne de­sert Country, he commanded in chiefe over those, who, carrying their right upon the Swords point, robbed, spoyled, pillaged all places and persons they came to; though their best friends, they served all alike, as they did Job. How so? By helpe of the Divell (he stirred them up) and by helpe of his Lawes, which are written in blood. They forsooke the supreame law, and were forsaken of right Reason. So they went on in a cursed way, the path of the Destroyer, wasting and destruction was there; and this is the way of the wicked now, the old pathes that the Papists have trod in through all Generations; the way of peace they have not knowne, and cursed are they that walke ther­in; nay he shall not escape punishment that stands still, walkes not, but alloweth of that way. Marke this good Reader, (for I would gaster thee at the very thought of this way) he shall not escape punishment that alloweth (or consenteth to) this way. I will cause them to be remo­ved into all Kingdomes of the Earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Iudah, for that which he did in Ierusalem Ier 15. 4. You will find part of this answer in the large English Bible, more fully in Iunius, but most fully, clearly and usefully explained in Calvin upon this place.. Might we question the Righteous judgement of the Lord, we would aske here; Why must the people be removed for that which their King did? And why must the after-generation (for this was long after) be sorely vi­sited for the sins of their fore-Fathers?

There is a double answer unto this double Question, and it will cleare the just proceedings of the Lord, The Judge of all the Earth, and shall not he do right Gen. 18. 25.? Because the people then when Manasseh was living, allowed of what their King did in the alteration of Religion, purged and setled by his good Father; and persecution of Gods servants: He was the Authour of bloody Decrees, but the People were the Ministers and Executioners therof, and woe to both Tum auctoribus maleficiorum, [...]um administris. Isa. [...]. 10. Iun.. 2. ‘And the generations follow­ing, allowed of all this, for they went on securely not humbled for what their Fathers had done.’ This is the answer, and the note, and if it be noted well, it will be as a flaming sword to keepe our foot from the path of the destroyer; nay more, from allowing of that way, for as sure as our soules doe live, they shall fall, they and their companies, that walke in this way, that allow and consent to such a way, where wasting and destru­ction is, forsaking the helpe of God and the Law, and forsaken of right [Page] Reason: For the blessing of the Pope goes along with them and the curse of the Al [...]ighty: That was the point, and it cleares forth the way unto us, what way we must avoid, if we would escape the curse of God; what way w [...] must take (for there is no standing still, a N [...]ter, that is to allow of a ba [...] way) if we do [...] expect a blessing from Him. And this I hope is cleared out unto thee, [...]o is thy judgement therein, Thou seest clearly what way thou art to take by the helpe of God, the Law, and the highest Reason. I shall [...]leare the WILL of GOD unto thee next, for I doe suppose th [...]re is a th [...]cke c [...]oud betwixt thine eye and it thou art not cleare at that point. By the helpe of God, I shall make it as cleare unto thee as is the Sunne beame. But I doe beleeve already thy mind is so cleared now, That thou dost thinke it but a point of meere duty, that the Church should render a Thank offering to Her God (that cannot be questioned now) and to man also (that is questioned) by whose hands the Lord hath wrought so wonderfully this last yeare: Nay, I am perswa­ded better then so, Thou wilt doe, as the Church doth, thou wilt offer too; ‘Yes thou wilt say, thou wilt give thankes, for that is as easily done, as thy Cap is moved, an easie motion that.’ No, but it is not; it is the Churches THANK-OFFERING, and she offers willingly; therefore if thou wilt doe like her, we must have thy tongue and thy hand, and thy heart: A Thank-offering is not a Lip-labour, no, there is in it the very labour of love, the worke of faith; and, (because we looke to see our thankes againe) the patience of hope. Come now, what wilt thou doe? (For words and no more, are like Nuts, they nourish not) Marke what followes; If I knew the will of my GODS, I vvould doe vvhat they vvould have me doe; and they should have vvhat they vvould have from me. A notable speech, and yet a Heathen spake it, Seneca, whom because of this and something else he said and did, Erasmus cals a Divine-man, and is so charitable, as to register him in the Catalogue of Saints. Indeed this saying containes much, and we must make much use of it; we will heare it again; If he knew the will of his gods; What then? Then they should have the strength of his parts, and the chief­est of his Riches, they should have vvhat they vvould have. ‘So he said. What were these gods? Stocks and Stones, some of them Divels; few did him a little good, at somtime in conceit; the most a great deal of hurt, but he offered so liberally to all, because he would please all, that some might do him good, others might doe him no hurt Aust. de civit l. 8 13. Plac [...]ndi sunt Dij mali ne laed [...]nt, bo­ [...]i invocandi ut profi [...].’

Enquire now and so thou shalt understand His Will the better. VVhat is thy God? As we reade, The God That made the Heaven and the Earth, The Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, the God before whom thou dost walk Gen 49. 25., the God Who hath fed thee all thy life long unto this Day; The God Al­mighty, Who hath blessed us with the blessings of Heaven above, bles­sings * Gen. 4. 15. of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the brest and of the womb. But when I have said God, I have said all, Mercy goodnesse, wisdome, po­wer, riches, all; only this was not said, That He so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Sonne, &c. What wilt thou do now for this [Page] God and His Christ? Thou wilt understand what His will is first: Thou dost well, So thou shalt; His will shall be cleared unto you, as the Sunne beame. ‘This is His will, even thy Sanctification 1 Thes. 4. 3., His will, the ve­ry Law of His will (but His will is His Law, an holy Law; and His will revealed is our Law) that wee should sanctifie His Name a [...]d His Day, heare His word, a [...]d doe it, that is His will; walke as people in Covenant with Him, as children of the light, honestly Rom. 13. 13., as in the Day, soberly, righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 12.: not in rioting and drunkennesse, not in strife and envying, not as Arabians (Sabeans) and Chaldeans, Papists and Atheists, men without God in the world, robbing, spoy­ling, pillaging; not as the fishes in the Sea, where the greater devoure the lesser Hab. 1. 14.; not as Devils 1 Tim. 2. 12., slandring each other; not as his eldest sonnes children of Beliall, breaking yoakes and casting away bands, and gir­dles, under a pretence of being freed from fetters: not so, for this is after the lust of the Divell, most contrary to the will of God, which is as was said, Holy, just and good.’ It is impossible we should be igno­rant of it Why then Thou knowest what the will of thy God is, and Thou seest Who steere their course thereafter, by the help [...] of God and the Law. You see who doe contend for the Faith, for Religion, for th [...] Gospell, call it what you will; It is that whereto the Prophets and A­postles have sealed, and so transmitted it to the generations following, and from them it came streaming downe unto us in the blood of the Martyrs, under the shadow whereof this Church hath enjoyed her Sab­baths, rest and peace these foure-score yeares and upward: So long have we set in peace under this cove [...]ing. For this the Nobles have conten­ded, and are resolved to resist the opposers of it unto blood. And is it not Gods will they should so doe? Yes, more cleared unto them, then if it could have bin written with the Sunne beame. And is it not their bounden duty so to doe? No question to be made of that, when it is clear­ly the will of God. But I would rather their children sh [...]uld answer here: Certainly ha [...] these Nobles failed at this point, had they not given out their Male, their strength in the managing thi [...] great businesse; had they not contended here, then had their Descendents put up a complaint against them doubled, the same, as we reade, ‘ Bloody Fathers have ye bin to Exod. 4. 25. us, bloody Fathers ye are. Yee contended not for Religion, ye neglect­ed that, ye were carelesse thereof, and so of the good estate of future times, unnto which ye knew, ye must transmit and commend-over, us; your dearest pledges; bloody Fathers ye are, so they had complai­ned.’

Blessed be God, they knew the will of their Lord, and their bounden dutie, and have done thereafter; they have contended for this Faith, and they will contend: what is their life to them? o [...] what regard to a new b [...]rne son? If ICHABOD, where is the glory? that is gone. They will contend for the Glory, they will keepe it, they are resolved so, so to contend even as for life.

Ob. What contend against their King! Is that the will of God?

An. A sillie Objection, I had almost said wicked; They contend for the King, for the maintaining his Crowne, Peace and Dignitie. They contend for the maintenance of Religion, and that is like the maintai­ning a Ship in a Tempest; a sillie will [...]ull man, and let him perish (if he be not a sleepe) that will not put forth his hand to maintaine the Ship now in distresse of weather▪ if that lives he lives; if that drowns be drownes. Truly, I have said all I can saie; They that contend to maintaine Religion, doe as those, who contend to save their ship, save that and that will save them. The Nobles doe contend to maintaine Religion (that ship) and in so doing they contend for their King; his life and peace, for his everlasting Crown, for the peace and honour of his people; for the safetie of his Kingdomes, that they may be the head and not the tail [...], the most honourable of Kingdomes. All this they doe con­tend for, for they contend for Religion, that ship which carries three Kingdomes in it at once, peace, safetie, lives, liberties and all. And is it not the will of God they should so contend? It were folly to answer, for it is blasphemie to doubt. Then what wilt thou doe to helpe them and their cause, against the Mightie. It is the greatest, the most hopefull cause, the best, the plainest and clearest (as cleare as the Sunne beame) the most legible cause that ever was heard or read of in the world What wilt thou doe now to rescue thy King from out of the hands of Murthe­rers? The Land from out of the hands of spoylers? The Laws of God and man from sons of Belial, who would make all void? What wilt th [...]u doe, to helpe the Lord against these Nimrods, mightie hu [...]ters? What wilt thou doe, I say, to helpe God and the cause of Christ? Neither of them both do need thee, He, Whose cause it is, can manage it without thee; But so He is pleased to honour His Servants, by calling them forth to helpe Him against the mighty. And what wilt thou doe for H [...]m and His cause, Who was made a curse for thee, gave His blood for thee, what wilt thou doe for Him? It is His will and command both, that thou shouldest give in thy helpe, the Male of thy flocke, thy strength and chiefe of thy substance to Him, and thou hast heard what an Heathen will doe in such a case; then thou wilt bid freely, Thy Religion, thy Faith, never put thee to cost, till new, what wilt thou doe now? A Papist shall not out-bid thee, for the maintaining, his Idol-service, a cursed service▪ yet see how forward he is, he will give all to his skin; nay skin and all, for [...]e will venture his precious soule, he loves not his life unto death in his blind zeale, so he may maintaine the Man of sinne, a despicable man; and his cause, a desperate cause. The Atheist bids roundly too (the man without God in the world, who bel [...]eves not that there is any Spirit good or bad) he carries his soule in his hand too, he fights him­selfe into slavery, that he may maintaine his Idol, his [...]ride and Ambi­tion, for Honour in that waie there is none, no nor ease, nor peace neither, yet see what he doth, how impatient Omne peccatum impatientiae ascri­bendum: Nemo im­pudicus non impati­ens pudicitiae, n [...]c iniustus non impa­tiens iustitiae. Tert. de pat. cap. 5. he is in traversing his waie, that cursed waie! The Papist shall not exceed thee now, no nor the A­theist [Page] neither. Why then thou must be very active and liberall too, thy hand and thy heart and all must go, els they will go beyond thee. I aske a­gai [...]e, what wilt thou doe? Before thou canst answer me, I must resolve thee in one doubt more.

Ob. I could act with a more free spirit, with more enlarged affectio [...]s, If he be a Clerg [...] ­man, that scrup [...]es here, either [...]t the will of Man, or at the offering, beleeve him not: he is a counterfeit, he hath satisfied his consci­ence and rock'd it a sleepe, resolved in a more scrupulous case; that he may receive h [...] offe­rings next Easter; his Tithes all the yeare after, and more a great dealt from two places, though he ministers at neither: there he is pinched now, but no scruple there. because with more clearenesse of judgement, if so be Gods wi [...]l were concurring with the will of my [...]ur [...]ing Fathers and spirituall Lords.

An. These were no [...] spirituall once, nor Lords now. But this is a strange speech if we marke it, that Gods will must concurre with mans wi [...]l, else we will not doe there after. This is preposterous indeed. What must yeeld here? Without all contradiction, as the lesse is blessed of the better Heb. 77.: So the lesse must yeeld to the greatest, and the worst to the Best. Gods will is an holy, a good, a just will, as you heard; mans wil [...] is crosse, stubberne and perverse, as you shall heare, it is affianced to carnall wisdome and humane reason, and so it is, as it hath bin; and it doth, as it hath done, all the mischiefe in the world. Mans will, by the helpe of carnall reason, and the Law of sin in the members, hath re­belled against God ever since there was a man upon the Earth. ‘This will, saith one Bernard: Ochr: Serm. 3., was the Serpent in the Garden; it made Cain kill his brother; perswaded the old world to do as we reade, and provoked Pharaoh to rush into the Sea: It made Gods people murmure, it made Solomon lose his wits amongst his strange wives; and stirred his Father to kill Uriah; this very will with her confederates, perse­cuted the Patriarkes, Prophets, Apostles in former ages, the Messen­gers of the Churches and the glory of Christ ever since, downe ward to this day Nothing so much as this will favoureth the Kingdome of Anti-christ, introdu [...]ing all the superstitions, Hypocrisies, murthers, massacres, &c. This will perswades a man rather then stoope to fall, though he is but to stoope to Law and right Reason; This will makes the most worldly wise, the most foole, most wicked, most persecuting. And so the Authour goes on.’ Testimonies from latter times can tell us as much; Mans will by it's helpers, afore said, will bring a city into a snare, So in English Pro. 29. 8. Sufflant sufflando inflammant,: Will set Cities on fi [...]e, and whole Kingdomes in a flame, so Iunius reades it, and so we, for so this will would have done. As then, it is wilfullnesse to say: This shall be for I Will have it so, the VVill is the Reason: So also, it is wickednesse, to looke un­to mans vvill (further then it is subordinate to Gods vvill) for it is as the carnall mind, enmity against God, not subject to His Lavv, nei­ther indeed can be Rom. 87.. ‘It is then sufficient, abundantly sufficient, That we know Gods vvill, and this is our wisdome, to resolve all thereinto; That it is His VVILL we should contend for the Faith; (for the safeguarding that Ship) strive, even unto death, for the rescuing our King, Parliament, Nation, Lavves, Liberties, Religion, Lives, out of the hands of Spoylers.’

Ob. Spoylers! why so? Those of our owne Nation, and those called in [Page] unto us, endeavour with all their might to establish our Religion, Iawes, Liberties: God forbid I should denie it, for they affirme and vow it too.

Ans. I thought this had been answered before, but some men will not be answered. In earnest, tell me, Art thou so credulous as afore­said? Yes, Then dost thou beleeve, as afore-said, that Noahs flood came-in to allay the dust: And that the Duke of Arabia with his companies of Sabeans, were stirred up to safeguard Job and his house. It is not Gods WILL we should beleeve lies; not what the tongue saith, but what the hand doth. Mans WILL is cleared here to be perverse and wicked, GODS WILL so cleared also, that we cannot pleade ignorance therof. I will hold my Candle no longer before that Sun.

This is GODS WILL as afore said, and we kn [...]w it so to be, and They that doe know it, and are engaged to doe there­after, have such a sense of Dutie, that they would rather loose their Heads, then that their King (so we touching King and PAR­LIAMENT) should loose one hai [...]e of his (or their) Ho­nour.

And so I have cleared (as I could, and as briefly) the maine doubts, touching the Thanke-offering, the person that offers it, our Dutie thereupon, and grave questions thereabouts, for the setling of the judgement therein, that we also may offer Amemus Christū & facilè videbitur omne difficile, par­vum &c. Hier. ad Eust. ep. 17. p. 207. Sequitur hunc af­fectum membra omnia & omnes partes &c. Cal. in Dan. [...]. 4., THANKES to GOD, His King and His faithfull Servants (i e.) our Tongues and our hands, and our hearts to serve them in LOVE, and Love is a great Commander, it commands all; it does all, it beleeves all, it gives all, d &c.

The method is questioned next, not where I am to begin, for sure­ly that is out of all question, with prime and ancient Mercies, and with the bottome or top Mercy (expresse it you, for I cannot) the [...] Chry. in cap. 29. Gen. root-Mercy. The Church fixeth thereon, therefore I must remember that; for I could not raise a Pillar, and make it stand in the [...]y­er without a bottome. Hee that builds without hands, upholds with­out pillars: So God doth, man cannot doe so. I am right thus farre.

Indeed the maine Question is, touching the Method; and the good stumble at it, Why there is a Thank-offering, for dayes of Cap­tivitie?

I conceive there is great reason for that, and had I failed at that Point, I had no way answered the mind of the Church: There­fore it was my chiefe care and I knew it was the Churches pleasure so, To remember her Nights of Affliction, for she never profited so much as in that Schoole, though she sate in the darke; her daies of e Zach. 1 [...]. 10. Captivity, for she never felt such enlargements as then; The time when she sate as a widdow, for then she remembers the Lord was a Husband unto her, when she sate an Orphane, fatherlesse and motherlesse, nay [Page] childlesse, for then she was in bitternes e. A Father and Mother both are carried forth to the place of silence, laid in their darke beds, and little is said, and lesse is done, but for ostentation and show for the most part, but the child is carried [...]orth to that place, and behold there is Lamentation and bitter mourning, as Rachels was Ier. 31. 1 [...].: This sad time must be remem­bred too, for the Church can say now, That then the Lord was to her bet­ter then ten Sons. The immediate comforts are the strongest comforts, & are then powred in, when the vessell is emptied, Creature comforts are de­nied, or drained forth, and self confidence is gone-out, for then prayers are powred-out too Isa. 26. 16. (at other times there was but a dropping, a pow­ring forth now) when she is in bitternesse, or a sufferer, in bonds or imprisonment, for the cause of her Christ, &c. Enquire of him or them that have been pillored for the cause of Christ (it must still be remem­bred, The cause makes the Martyr) then separated to the winds; these will tell us the same, which my eares have heard, that then came-in the greatest Spring-tide of comfort, when they were at the lowest eb [...]e of distresse; then their soules were ravished, then they felt a joy unspeak­able, when the Adversary had made them a GAZING STOCK by Reproaches and afflictions Heb 10. 13., A SPECTACLE, to the world, Angels and men 1 Cor. 4. 9.. It was so with our brethren, as with the Apostles in anci­ent times, when the Adversary stopt up every crevice, that no light might come-in, then behold a light shineth Act. [...]. 7.; when the Adversary lay­eth load upon the loynes, and makes fast the barres, then behold strange enlargements, for God workes then; all difficulties remove, and the iron­gate opens ver. 10. Hab. 3. 18.. When there is no supply from the Field, nor from the Fold, nor from the Stall, Then God comes-in. What then? Then it followes, I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my Salvation.

I could fill the Margin and line both, and to some purpose, but the cas [...] is plaine, and the du [...]y is evident, The Church hath thrived best, when 2 Chro. 28. 22. her pasture vvas shortest: Adversity hath slaine a thousand (and yet I cannot tell that, for I reade but of one that was not bettered by it, and that was King Ahaz; his name is doubled, for he rebelled under Gods rod in a time of distresse) But prosperity hath slaine it's ten thou­sand; perhaps more, for I never read of any more then one, that had his eyes opened by eating hony 1 Sam. 14. 7.: Few or none have bin battered by the sweets of prosperity; many have bin undone. But I forbeare, only noting this; He that feasteth upon the sweets the Creature yeelds, taketh full liberty there, is not acquainted with the righteous mans joy, who then, and never but then, sceles rivers of living waters flowing-in; flouds of bony and butter, when he hath stop'd and dommed up (in affection and judgement) all his fresh springs from below. And so much to cleare the Method at that point, as the Church is preparing still for the houre of Temptation, so they are joyfull in it, and thankefull for it. This is of great concernment to us, who are at the heights in our joyes and at the depths in our sorrowes.

For the Remainder, let it answer for it selfe, Surely, I stood bound to God and man both, undertaking that worke (fitter for [Page] another, but another did it not, till I was so farre, as past hearing a call­backe) to begin with that yeare and mouth, when God did worke most wonderfully, for then [...]ee wrought alone, His arme was bare, there was no covering of flesh. Thence I proceed to those vvorkes, that man VVROUGHT vvith God, and I bring them in as the bearers did the fruits of a good Land, thrust and throngd together, like Grapes in a cluster: Yet so as all may see how pleasant the Land is our Nobles would bring us also to.

The meaning is, you shall have but an Abstract here, an abridgement of many particulars largely debated on in their place, and there making up a full Volume, which the Authour keepes entire, knowing very well, if there be cause of it, He that suggested it, and br [...]ught it to his hand, will bring it forth in due time: In the meane time he could not forbeare, but he must send forth this Abstract in the Churches name: For though Epitomies are deemed, by a nob [...]e Schollar, the Moates and Cankers of History, yet considering the season, that the time is quick and may be short, they are the fullest in sense and quickest for use. It is indeed in two or three h [...]ads too large for an Abstract, but it is considerable, whether there was not just and necessary reason I should give it enlargement there, more then ordinary But whether it plea­seth or not, I am not carefull: I was carefull with all my care to doe my duty, and I have done it according to my measure, with all my strength, and above it; and, if my heart deceives me not, in tru [...]h and uprightnesse.

I would not deny to man one graine weight of his dues: Nor can I give him one graine more, then what my soule can goe-out with in tendring unto him; no not for a returne of a pound weight of his Favour. I esteeme mans favour, as the favour of a man, can thank him for it, and heartily: And mans frowne, as the frowne of a man, can make use of it, and yet neglect it.

If I might make a short Apologie for my long Preface, it would be this; The vile Priest and his brutish people did presse me with very hard words against them, That have done us all the right that could be: And Pamphlets from their side were stuffed with such contradictions, such an inconsistency in matters, such incongruities as these; That all they, who contend for the cause of Christ, are Rebels, and yet not one Irish amongst them, hardned and brawned in villanies: All Traitors, who contend and will contend for the Truth, and yet not one Rev. 11. 7. Iesuited HEL-HOWND (it is a Kings word contending with a Car­dinall) not one Catholicke (murderer) in our Hoste (so hee hath bin accounted in all times and places, making no more conscience to out his Kings throat, then to cut a peece of bread) These Irish Ro­mish Catholiques, universally bloody and monstrous Savages all the world over, so brawned in cruelties, are accounted now the only loy­all Subjects, ever since the Lord Christ hath taken to Himselfe great Power, reigning more visibly upon the Earth, demanding His Rights [Page] there. And His faithfull Servants are resolved to give these Rights unto Him, Whose they are, not with-holding a hoofe, nor dishonoura­bly compounding His matters, so forfeiting Truth for Peace; but re­solving to maintaine both with honour, or an honourable warre: e­ver since this contestation for Christ, and His Truth; Rebellion, which is as the sinne of Witchcraft, against God and His Christ, hath been accounted obedience, and loyall subjection: And a true sense of Dutie to God and man, and to doe thereafter, even what God commands, and will have done, is accounted Rebellion and Treason both. The comfort is, Wisdome is justified of her children, yes, (and in this point) of all, that are not unreasonable and wicked men. The Truth is, I could not beare this, at such a time as this, being to render a THANK-OFFERING in the Chur­ches Name, but I must Preface to it against such contradictions of Sin­ners; and render the THANK-OFFERING free, and the Churches Servants as cleared of these blackes, as was the Snow in Salmon. And what is wanting here shall be supplied else where; for I will goe on from this Preface to another Treatise, where, by the helpe of God, And His Law, I shall cleare this very way, wher­in the Nobles have walked, so spoken against now, and blasphemed, as a way of Rebellion and Treason, to be the very way, wherein all the Nobles, that ever were in the world, have walked, who wal­ked uprightly with God, dealt faithfully with His people, not trea­cherously and as Traitors to King and Kingdome, and their owne souls; for,

I have a most comprehensive mercy to treat on, and enlarge upon, which I may call the Abridgement of this last yeares wonders, con­taining, as in a most fruitfull wombe, all nationall blessings, which the Nobles and Worthies have hitherto, or their children after them, shall travell with, and bring forth to the Nation. And this they are compleating, and in so excellent a way; as that, though we shall ne­ver say of it in this world, the worke is done, and compleated (of that comprehension it is) yet, I say, they have so orderly proceeded in it, by that line and plummet, afore-said, of all the truly Noble, that ever were on the Earth, as that it is fully to the Mind of the Lord, and the heart of the Nation. And now let the Devill rage and his Servants roare (for in that they glory) though by a wofull prolepsis, here, in sport, for hereafter in earnest, when they, and their King of the bottomlesse pit shall roare there to all eternity: Let the Arabian Dukes with their companies of Sabeans; let the noble Monsters of these dayes (so they were called anciently who are Gentile and noble in the root, but monstrously degenerate in the fruit of their conversation Nequitiae sordibus imbuta Nobilia portenta, Valer▪ Max. l. 3. c. 5.) let these doe their worst, rob, spoyle, pillage, shed bloud, to their power, yet by the helpe of God and the Law, the worke shall be carried on, and the work-men shall prosper, and overcome by the bloud of the Lambe Rev. 12. 11..

But what is our worke now? Worke and Pray; or pray and worke, no matter which is first, so both goe together. Worke with hand and mouth and heart and all. We have a noble paterne before us of Work men, who (blessings be upon them both from above and beneath) have offered them­selves willingly to this worke, and will very gladly spend, and be spent for us (in this worke) though (they may reade on) the more abundant­ly they love us, the lesse they are beloved 2 Cor. 12. 15.. But we have our patterne, and we see our dutie; worke we as men, who can very gladly spend and be spent for this cause; for it is His cause, Who did say indeed, and did as He said, (for H [...] zeale eat Him up He was a whole burnt-offering) I VVILL VERY GLADLY SPEND AND BE SPENT for you (so it was indeed) the cause of the Lord Iesus Christ, Who was made for us a curse once, That He might make us, as He is, blessed for ever; having such an example before us, and such a cause in our eye, we will worke now or never. VVorke we now as we are able, and let the Lord worke as He pleaseth, He will worke like Himself. Truly He wor­keth wonderfully in all His peoples sight: But if He wrought in the dark, as sometimes He doth; if His foot-steps are in the waters (as M Brad­ford expresseth it) a man can see no prints where His Hand is, or which way His feet goe, whither towards us or against us; yet, said that good man, My hand and my spirit should worke after Him; for I am sure I am in the way, though I see it not; my God goes right, though I discerne not the path. Worke we, I say, as we can, and let the Lord worke as He will; He doth worke gloriously and in sight; worke wee and pray too, else our worke is vaine, and to no purpose; worke we, but say, BLESSED BE GOD, first;

‘Blessed be Thy Name for the Governours among the people, and for them, that offered themselves willingly. It was, because Thou commandest and so it is, the North gives, and the South keepes not backe: Sea and Land comes in for Thy Churches helpe (peace, peace be to her helpers) to deliver us from the Heathen, that we may give thankes to Thy holy Name, and glory in Thy praise, Amen.’ Now

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall (still) prosper that love her; Pray in Prayer, pray earnestly, our children shall reape the fruit thereof, if we doe not now, for now we have reaped what our fore-fa­thers have sowne, the fruit of the prayers of many Generations; Pray we, That the Lord would owne His owne cause (certainly He will, and so He doth, but He must be sought unto for this, and enquired after) That His eyes would be for good upon His Children and servants all over the world; for their eyes and hearts are set stedfast towards Him and His Jerusalem here below, and there they fix, waiting what God will doe, at such a time as this, and hearkning what God will speake now; It is their confidence, He will speake peace, and doe according to His owne word, give His Servants the opening of the mouth, that the enemies may know, HE IS THE LORDs. The Churches all over the [...] Ezek. [...]. 21. [Page] world are resolved now to give their Lord no rest, till He shall give them rest. The Lord hath given His people th [...] greatest mercies, which they prayed not for, ELECTION before time; His SON in the full­nesse of time: How can He with Him denie His people any thing? They forsake not their confidence, there ore they are importunate with their friends, as they have beene in former yeares, the day of Jacobs troubles, and treading downe, saying, Pray, pray, pray;

Pray for the King, That the Lord would deliver his soule from the snare of the Hunter: And pray for the Parliament, who have sought the peace of the King and his Kingdomes, as their [...]wne peace, nay more then so, they have preferred it before their owne: And seeing 'tis cleare to every man, that will see, that thus they have done, They have sought and wrought effectually for the peace (that containes all) of their King; or the Salvation (a comprehensive blessing) of King and his Kingdomes: for maintaining this Ship (RELIGION) wherein our lives, our liberties, our estates, our peace, and the Churches all over the world, and our Generations after us are bottomed and main­tained; seeing, I say, their Care, Piety, Zeale, is manifest to all men in the maintaining this Ship: And all this by the line of the Law; the Plummet of right Reason, the Rule of their Lords will: Seeing we know it to be so, and doe know also in all our hearts and soules, That not one thing hath failed of all the good things, which the Lord hath spoken concerning His people: Nor any of Iosh. 24. 14. 1 [...]. the evill things, which He threatned against His enemies, but all came to passe: We will close with the word of the Lord, which He hath spoken to the heart of all His faithfull Servants in all Gene­rations, I VVILL BLESSE THEM THAT BLESSE Gen. [...]2. 3. THEE: and CURSE HIM THAT CURSETH THEE, even so, Lord, let the curse they have called for fall upon the wicked; but Thou hast promised this goodnesse unto Thy Servants: Now ther­fore, Let it please Thee to blesse the house of Thy Servants, that they and their house may be before Thee for ever: For Thou bles­see, 1 Ch [...]. 17. 26, 2 [...]. O Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever. Amen and Amen.

THE CHVRCHES THANK-OFFERING To GOD, Her KING and the PARLIAMENT.

CHAP. I.

Recording, thanking, praising, an high imployment; who fit for it; how great the engagement to it; who the fountaine of mercies; whence received, thi­ther returned.

SECT. I.

Thankes-giving and praise a sacred imployment.

THe old manner was, that a certaine number were ap­pointed, to record, to thanke, and to praise the Lord God of Israel 1 Chron. 16. [...].; These must b [...] Levites, such as did minister before the Arke of the Lord. It was a sacred imployment, a worke (as some Psalmes are) of Degrees. To Record was the lowest, and required little clevation of spirit: To Thanke was an high­er Degree, and commanded more life of affection. To Prai [...]e, that it, to sing the high praises of our God, there comes in Selah, a win­ding-up [Page 2] of the spirit to the highest. It may be said, What need all this? Such a livelinesse of affection? Such an activity of spirit to thank and to praise God? It is as ordinary a thing, and as easie a worke, as is done in the world; Kings of the Earth and all people, Princes and all Iudges of the Earth, both young-men and Maidens: Old men and children Ps. 148. 11, 12.. All these doe as they are commanded, they thanke the Lord and praise Him too; if we could heare the afore-mentioned speaking one after another, we should heare nothing but Thankes and Praise. I am in health saith one, I thanke God: I am increased and prosper in the world, saith another, I praise God: I have had many crosses and troubles in the world, I blesse my God. They have well spoken in all that they have said, but ô that there were such an heart Deut. 5. 29.! All creatures praise God, for so they are commanded, Dragons and all deepes, &c. Beasts and all Cattell, creeping things and flying soule; all praise Him in their kind. But man is a more excellent Creature, he stands charged to doe it in a more excellent manner, els as good not done; he hath a tongue for that end, and called his glory; and yet the fewest of all doe praise God, as they should, and all, because they thinke it so easie and ordinary a worke to praise Him, whereas tongue and heart both must be well tuned for this work, for it is the most hea­ven-like of all the services perform'd by Man here below. As to Praise is comely, so is it a clean, pure, heavenly, lasting action: None but the Righteous, whose hearts are cleansed from sinne, and emptied of Selfe, they onely doe it, the upright in heart Ps. 33. 1. Ps. 119. 7; and what they doe now on Earth, they shall doe hereafter in Heaven; it is their worke to all Eternity.

SECT, II.

Who the Person is that is fit for this worke.

VVE must then find-out a fit person for this worke, so high an im­ployment; a person that can doe it to purpose decently and in order, that ministers before the Lord continually, they that walke with Him, cleave to Him, trust in Him: the people of God, such as feare Him onely, serve Him onely, so walking in his wayes. These many are but one, one House, one Body, so single they in conversati­on, so usefull they in their communion each with other, as members one of another. And so I shall take them all under a single Notion, as one person, whom I shall properly call the Church. The Church in­deed [...]., having more then a name, for that and no more is nothing. She hath a Name that she lives and she doth live: and this life is the more spiritfull and active, because as light was brought out of the [Page 3] wombe of darknesse; so her life from death: She was dead, but she is now alive and lives for ever, her life being hid with Christ in God Col. 3. 3.. A very fit person for such a worke, an heavenly worke, an heavenly person; who, might she deliver her own words with her own mouth, would doe it exactly well: but howsoever she will doe it decently and in order, after she hath told us her ingagement to the worke, how she doth record it, and to whom she payeth the tribute of praise and thankes.

SECT. III.

The Churches engagement to record, to thanke, to praise.

HItherto all fits very well, the Person and the Worke. Now see the engagement thereunto, that's very strong and binding: For behold, how great the loving kindnesses are? how rich the mercies? how marvellous the workes, which the Lord hath done for this Na­tion (whereof in due place) and conveyed to it, through the hands of man? It is God Who makes two of one mind in one house; and the same God, Who hath made two Houses one, to goe together, as one man, hand in hand, heart with heart, in the same way perfectly joy­ned together in the same mind, and in the same judgement 1 Cor. 1. 10.. I shall then take these many under one single Notion also, as one person and so goe on to tell the Churches engagement, but to her God first. As the King said, if the Lord doe not helpe, whence could he helpe? out of the Barne-floore or out of the wine-presse 2 Kin. 6. 26.? The same may be said touching all created power; if the Lord had not helped, neither this nor that could have helped. The proud helpers doe stoope under Him. Iob 9. 13.. But when the yeere of Recompences for His Zion is come Esa. 34. 8., when He will be avenged of His Adversaries, who have made voyd His Law; when He workes salvations 1 Sam. 11. 13. in Israel (as He hath done this Day;) when He doth arise to judgement, to save all the meeke of the Earth Ps. 76. 9.: What then? Then He breaks the Arrowes of the Bow, the Shield ver. 3. and the Sword, and the battle (aye God doth it, and so doth it, that all may say, The hand of the Lord is here, He hath done it of a truth.) Then he spoyles the stout hearted; then he cuts off the spirit of Prin­ces; so as when they would oppose the way and worke of the Lord, those men of might shall not find their hands; but it shall be with them as once it was, when the Charet and Horse were cast into a dead sleepe, ver. [...]. 6. and then the weake sh [...]ll say, They be strong Ioel 3. [...]0., their Armour, though as contemptible in mans eyes, as David and his Armour was, is of proofe, and shall doe exploits upon His Churches enemies. He goes [Page 4] not unweaponed, that carries the revenge of God along with him, though he carries but a sling, a scrip and a pibble Sam 17. 40. Such despicable instruments are chosen of God, whereby He will performe exploits, so as He may have all the glory, putting into them Heroicall Motions for atchieument.

Surely all this hath the Lord done for His people this last yeare; all these Scriptures have bin fulfilled in our eyes. How hath H [...]e disappointed the Hopes and Helpes of the Adversary? how did Hee rise u [...] against the helpe of evill doers Esa. 31. 2.? how did Hee starve the gods of the Earth? how did Hee make the faces of the wicked as flames Esa. 13. 8.? And that this last may not be forgotten: how did He set the face of the Righteous like a fl [...]nt, against the faces of them, who turned th [...]ir backs upon God, and went contrary to Him in all His commands? Truly it is wonderfull in our eyes; but behold we therin the Churches engagement to their God.

Surely, if we shall well consider what deliverances the Lord hath wrought this yeare, we must say of this day, as was said in ancient dayes, The Lord hath wrought Salvation in Israel. But we shall r 1 Sam. 11. 13. find our Deliverance exceeding that Salvation, and paralell with that Deliverance in the following Chapters, where we reade thus; That the Philistines had so beslaved Israel, that they had neither weapon nor Smith left amongst them [...] Sam. 13. 19.. And yet in this miserable low con­dition, This naked, peeled people marched on (two leading the way, and over-comming the difficulties therein; for the terrour of the Lord went before, and then no matter whether few or none follow­ed after) against a mighty Legion, a nume [...]ous and well furnished Ad­versary, thirty thousand Charriots and six thousand Horse-men, and people in multitude, as the [...]a [...]d on the Sea sh [...]re [...] Sam 13. 5., and returned from those ad [...]ersaries laden with arm [...]s and vict [...]y [...]oth. The [...]hurches victory over her Adversar [...]es, this last yeare, equals that in some things, and exceeds it in other some. There the Lord [...]rmed a naked people with the rev [...]nge of a God, and behold they did exploits. Here He did as much, for He raised up the fallen spirits of a beslaved Kingdome also. He wro [...]ght ex [...]loits by a few chosen instruments, and put in­to their he [...]res heroicall motions for atchievement, so as a few went out against mighty Legion, a numerous and proud adversary against light and treacherous Prophets, against heards and droves of Priests, and of Malignants, as th [...] sands of the Sea-sh [...]re are for multitude: But being [...]rmed with the revenge of a God, they did expl [...]its, as ap­peares this day. So farre the Salvation wrought then and now runne paralell. Here now our Salvation exceeds: for, behold the Lord wrought the greatest Salvation by contrary meanes, such as threatned a sore desolation: and so onely a God can doe, Who at the first brought light out of the wombe of darknesse. By a most idolatrous Service-booke, composed of purpose to establish that abomination, hath he confounded that Idolatrous Service and cast it out. By the [Page 5] works of an imperious whorish woman Ezra 26. 30. (such were the works of the Bishops) hath he confounded them and their works. By the strength of the Adversary, He hath trod downe his strength. By giving Scope to the foot of pride, He hath spoyled the proud and stout-hearted. By lawlesse men, their violent deeds and devouring words, He hath wrought forth the redemption of our Lawes, and establishment of the same By a Popish Party, a most malignant generation, He hath con­founded them and their abominations. By sonnes of Belial, who know no yoake, nor will beare any, He hath wrought for the vindication of our Religion, Lives, Lawes, Liberties. Thus Iehovah can doe, The great and dreadfull God; He can by most contrary meanes and Wils, bring to passe the good pleasure of His owne Will He can by such cursed Instruments, which threaten d [...]solation to a Land, worke forth Salvations for the same. Thus God can doe, and no god besides Him: For man to say, that so he will doe (by out-lawed men main­taine the Lawes) were blasphemy in his mouth. Thus far to shew the Churches engagement to their God.

The Church will tell her engagement to you, but first she blesseth God, Who hath instructed you to discretion; That you doe so well understand your engagement to Him, which is, To walke before Him, and to be perfect. God hath wrought gloriously by you, ye will walke honourably before Him. The Church is confident you have en­gaged your hearts upon this thing Ier. 30. 21.. Ye are workers together with God, ye will labour to be Holy as He is Holy. What yee condemne in others, ye will hate in your selves; knowing well; He that will cast a stone at an offendor must be free himselfe, otherwise he con­demnes and executes himselfe in anothers person. Ye are, as good Sa­muel was, he did first cleare his owne Innocence, ere he duist charge the people with their sinne 1 Sam. 12.. Innocency and uprightnesse becomes every man, especially those that must take a liberty of controuling of­fenders. Ye have well considered all th [...]s; Ye have begun to reforme in your owne hearts and families: This is the true method of procee­ding [...]cc [...]rding to the Order and a Statute in Israel; Ye are the Lords Host, His Warriours, His Worthies, They that fight his battels must keep themselves from every wicked thing Deut. 23. [...].. That is the Order; The judgement upon breach of that Order, ye may reade [...]ud, [...]o. And he that reades and considers will conclude his Duty thence, That a true and orderly Reform [...]r, reformes at he me first, and in his owne heart, then his Family, That the one may be kept as the Temple of the li­ving God; The other ordered as the Church of Christ. And he that considers it not, as amongst many, more then one there may be; This Scripture will have a keene edge against him, which we may reade with some alteration in the words, but none in the sence; Th [...]u there­fore who correct est another, correct est thou not thy self Rom. 2. 21.? Thou who see­mest to reforme abroad, reformest thou not at home? Certainly, there the Reformer begins, when he begins decently and in order, [Page 6] Great and mighty reason there is that he should doe so; and pressed upon you all by the Captaine of your Hoast: The very same that was for the Hoast of the Lord going forth against the Lords enemies; The Lord your God walketh in the midst of your Camp to deliver up your ene­mies before you; therefore shall your Hoast, your House, your Court, your Deut. 23. Camp, your Fleet be holy, that He see no uncleane thing in you, and turne Ver. 14. away from you. The Church hath told you your engagement, now she will tell her engagement to you.

Great reason the Church should record your labour of Love, worke of Faith, patience of Hope; for in all these you have been abundant. The greatest reason in the world, she should be exceeding thankfull; for you have been exceeding carefull. How? you have oft refreshed her; You were not ashamed of her Chaine; when she was in Rome, you sought her out very diligently and sound her 2 Tim. 1. 16. Mat. 4. 1.: The Churches pray­er is, The Lord grant that you and yours may find mercy of the Lord in that day. What Day? A Day that shall burne like an Oven; nay, more terrible then so; A Day when the wicked sh [...]ll be at their wits end for expectation, and call to the Hils to fall upon them. O it is a mighty matter to find mercy of the Lord in that Day, that terrible Day; that all searching, all quickning, all opening, all manifesting Day: I cannot expresse what a mercy it is to find mercy in that Day. But so the Church prayes, That you may finde mercy in that Day, That you may lift up your heads with joy in that Day; Behold Him in that Day, Whom your soule loveth, Whom you serve, Whom you feare, and Whose Rights you have maintained with all your might. So the Church prayes; And good reason the Church should pray so, That you may find mercy in that Day; for in this Day, in how many things you have ministred to her, her Lord knowes, she knowes not; but in very many, that she knowes, and she doth Record them with rejoycing: And she wisheth you prosperity in the Name of the Lord, that you may ride on with your honour and doe valiantly; The greatest Reason that can be, She should wish even so, your prosperity; for therein are involved Peace and Truth, the safety and prosperity of the whole Kingdome.

I must observe, as they call it, decorum Personae, The Church is never lav [...]sh or large in praises to Man; She likes not to strike much upon that string, least it should affect too much, and make too sweet Musicke in the eare: Yet She cannot but adde this, and then She will put in for Caution, That many Parliaments have done worthily; Many very worthy deeds have been done for the Nation thereby, but you have exceeded them all. Indeed you have done so much, so many wor­thy deeds, that, as was said wittily, the Church may say truly, You have made the Church the greatest Ʋsurer in the World; for you have tur­ned all her estate into Obligations. Truly She hath nothing She dares call her owne; all her Estate lyeth in Bonds indeed, whereby She is tyed fast to her King and You. She thanks you heartily, so well con­tent [Page 7] is She with her Bonds; her Estate is good enough, and sure enough, and rich enough; her Bonds are her Freedome and her Riches both.

SECT. IV.

Abundant Thanks and Praise tickle the eare; therefore the Church puts in Caution for that.

FOr Caution now, and there is need of it: For we low men can exalt man very high, and give him high praises, more then is come­ly. We can say, That Gods are come downe to us in the likenesse of men, and we can offer sacrifice unto them, such as is only due to God: And so mighty men have fallen even by the applause of man, as well as by the tickling of their owne hearts. This is a dainty point, man had need to looke on strait, lest he trespasse upon Gods peculiar Right, which he may doe before he is aware.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most High, so the great King of Babel thought and spake in the pride of his heart I [...]. 1 [...] ▪. And yet we doe not conceive, that he thought himselfe able to clamber up above the clouds, and there set himselfe in the Throne of God; He was not so brutishly confident as to thinke so. We find him guilty but of stout words against the Lord, and high thoughts; and so we also may, though we thinke not so, ascend above the height of the clouds too: For (I borrow M. Perkins words which will ex­plaine Perk. on Gen. [...]. 21. c. 5. sect. 1. these) we may doe all this two wayes.

First When we thinke we have power of our selves, whereby we can match or countervaile the power of God. This thought riseth in the heart very often, when we trust in our Mountaine, and it is a strong City and an high Wall in our conceit Prov. 18. 1 [...].; and in our counsell and strength, that it shall prevaile against God.

Secondly, When we take to our selves the honour of God and think [...] it our owne proper due. Such thoughts as these rise very often in good hearts, but upon wiser thoughts they put it from them as a cursed thing, and give not place by subjection thereto, no not for a minute. They can consider with all their hearts how stout those words are, we have read, and how high and abominable such thoughts. But yet we may note, That the wisest have not alwayes these wise and considering thoughts before they be beaten into them first, by some sore affli­ction, whereby they are put into feare, and know to purpose; That they are but men Psal. 9. Vehementissimè agnoscant. Iun.; and therefore what they did was not by their owne strength. It is a passage surely to be noted, how brag Sampson was of what he had done. What had he done? With the jaw-bone of an [Page 8] Asse heaps upon heaps Iudg. 15. 16, 17.; With the jaw of an Asse have I slaine a thou­sa [...] me [...]: [...] doubles it, that the b [...]enesse of the instrument might adde to his praise, and then he cast away the Instrument as a contemp­tibl [...] th [...]n [...], th [...]t the victory might be given wholly to his owne hand. Next newes we heare, Sampson is sore athirst. Then he speaks more sa [...]ly and wi [...]ely; Thou hast given [...]his deliverance into the hand of thy servant And then he lo [...]ked toward the bone that he had cast away with scorne, and behold water thereout, whereby his spirit revived; That he might know (and be humbled) the same hand which gave him drinke now, gave him the victory bef [...]re. But such a proud spirit Man hath, it will not downe till it be beaten downe; he is seldome made wise but by stroakes.

The Church speaks as unto wise men, who can ju [...]ge what She saith, and account it but a point of her zeale and wisedome to put in Caution here, and to shew her care and feare, least praise and applause should doe you hurt; least having done so much and so worthily, and being so famous in Israel, you should not be able to looke through all; a [...]l you have, and all you are, and all you have done, through all to Christ, and through Christ to God; for indeed the Church finds it by expe­rience to be an hard thing; nay, without a great measure of Grace, im­possibl [...] to doe as aforesaid, That is, To say as one did, I have laboured more abundantly then they all; and then to conclude heartily I have done nothing at all: yet not I but the grace of God which was with me 1 Cor. 15. 10.: To say in w [...]y of glorying as a man hath done, and as you may doe; In nothing, am I behinde the very chiefest, that have formerly or now have sate in Consultation; and the [...] in the close of the worke, thinke truly as he saith, though [...]he nothing [...] Cor. 12. 11., A hard matter this to all that are made of one bloud Acts 17 26., to that part we properly call flesh, a great incroacher still upon Divine Right. If God be pleased to honour flesh a little, and to cast Hi [...] quickning Beames upon it, then commonly fl [...]sh will honour it selfe a great deale, it will come in, carve liberally to it selfe, All the Glory Indeed if we doe not looke well unto it, and with a strong hand command and charge it: so flesh will doe, it will (Bishop like) take a large shar [...]; at le [...]st, it will incroach far upon Gods peculiar Right. And then it doth just as if the Wall should, now the Sun-beames are upon it, boast, That the Beames were produced by some excellent ver­tue and power in the Mud wall [...]nd not by the Sun Perinde ac si pa­rtes radium se par­ [...]rire dicat Calv. Instit. 3. Cap. 12..

This is enough to shew the Churches engagement, and to keep Man from incroaching upon Gods Right, or from boasting in himselfe In God we may boast all the day long, and spare not, there is no danger there, for in Him shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa. 45. [...]3..

And this could not be well omitted here; for in very deed, the Church will Record very great things, admirable works, rich mercies, mighty Deliverances, strange Discoveries, &c. and She will enlarge her selfe very much in thanksgiving and praise for all this; therefore the Caution was necessary.

SECT. V.

How the Church records Mercies; Who the Fountaine; to whom She payes Tribute.

THe Church records these things in her heart; There she weigheth and ponders them. She can be content there might be a Pillar rai­sed, and a perpetuall Remembrance written thereon of the wor [...]s of her God, and in great Charecters, so as he that runs might reade them: But neverthelesse She records them, as was said; and She writes upon them all, Askt of God, and the gift of God through Christ: She Re­cords them as the purchase of Blood, and so streaming downe to her; Which quickens her up very much, and raiseth her Spirits high in the receiving and Recording of them; And then She is fitted and well pre­pared for the high worke of Thanksgivi [...]g and of Prai [...]e. O S [...]e is abundant in Thanksgiving and in pr [...]ise for Christ as the bottome-Mercy, Which beareth up all; The Foundation, Whereon She is esta­blished mightily, even with the strength of God; and in that strength, She holds up all her Mercies, and Records them from the least to the greatest; from the first to the last; He is the Root, That beareth all her sweets; All her Fruits are in Him, and some She gathers up, and picks from the earth; but the full Vintage (all below is but as the first fruits and gleanings) is where the Root is, in Heaven: He is the Sun to her little World. If He hide His face, She is in the Dark, though all the other Starres shine upon her, though there be an influence of all earthly Comforts towards her habitation: Still His Presence makes the Day; His Absence, the Night. The Church doth sometimes re­flect upon her old Condition; She would not be in it againe f [...]r a world, for therein She can behold now the very utmost of misery; What is that? and without God in the World Ephes. 2. 12.. It was s [...]id before, as the Sun to the great World, so the Creatour thereof to our little World: If that be eclipsed but for an houre, see how the Creatures droop and hang downe the head: so it is with the Church; Let her be without health, if her God please; without liberty; without any thing in the world, so She be not with [...]ut God in the World, all is well; for it is Day with her, notwithstanding all her Nights of sorrow: For He i [...] the fountaine of Light, and of Life too; All her fresh Springs, the very being of life, the joy and comforts of her life are in Him. And if some of her Rivelets, some one or more streames be cut off or tu [...]ned another way; yet the Spring-head runs cleare, The fountaine is the same, and She is sure, That is her [...]; She hath an interest therein; There­fore She can make her boast of God all the Day, and all the Night of her sorrow also; For in Him She is justified and will glory: And for Him her heart would be enlarged as wide as are the two Poles one from the [Page 10] other; such an enlargement She would find in Thanksgiving, but She is a poore straitned hand-maid; yet so She would be enlarged to her God: For She hath all from Him, Blood to justifie, Water to sanctifie; She can desire no more, and all this She Records here; for all this She will Thanke and praise her God to all eternity. To conclude, She re­ceives all from Him; She returnes all to Him; She Records all for Him, that He may have all the Glory. So we have the bottome and foundation whereon to raise the Pile of Mercies, and our Sacrafice of Thanks and Praise.

CHAP. II.

The Church, in Recording, looks backe to the Ancient of Dayes, and those ancient Mercies hid with Christ in God; exalteth free Grace; Thence receives all concerning this Life, and the Life to come; Then Recordeth her for­getfulnesse of Mercies and is humbled.

SECT. I.

The Righteous Nation advanceth free Grace. God is to be prai­sed for the least of His Mercies. He is to be admired in the glorious wayes of Redemption.

THe Church cannot fixe the time where She begins to thanke and to praise, no more then She can the just pe­riod or end thereof; for her Thanks and her Praises are as her Mercies are, from everlasting to everlasting. But yet She may speake to our capacity and purpose here, to shew us the method which She useth in Thanksgiving, and where She begins; Not, as the usuall manner is, at the present time only, for Mercies in sight, and for all the sweets and comforts to sence. She is not all for present Mer­cies, though She can be inlarged for them; These move upon an ever­lasting foundation; And in the vertue and by the strength of old Mer­cies, She, receives and carries on the new. We must observe the order. [Page 11] The Church then begins to Record, to Thanke, to Praise her God, loo­king backe as far as her understanding can carry her, and beyond it, even to the dayes of Eternity, before the foundation of the World: There, according to her measure, beholds free Grace, Mercy, and Love; Love to His, because He loved them Deut. 7.; Grace, because He will be gra­cious; Mercy so free too, even because it pleased Him Eph. 1. 5.. It was according to the good pleasure of His will. What is [...]reer then Grace? and behold what Grace! Is there any vaine boaster in the World? Yes, thousands: She can confound him and them, that they shall never open their mouth a [...]y more because of their shame Ezek. 16. 63.; If they will remember with her the Time, when She, as they, lay in her bloud to the loathing of her Person; and that her good Lord, said even then, this is a Time of Love Ezek. 16. [...].. An admirable and free Love. She was even as others, by nature the chil­dren of wrath Eph. 2. 3., in the same lump and transgression, no difference there Rom. 3. 22.. Free Grace came, made her to differ from another 1 Cor. 4. 7.. She was dead, and then her eye was closed, and her eare stopped to all that man could doe or say; Say what you will, the dead heare not: But the dead can heare a creating and quickning voice, and so her Lord was pleased to speake unto her, with a strong hand Isa. 8. 11., as the expression is, which speaks and drawes too, and then She was obedient: And as her Lord spake with a strong hand to her at the first; so, with the same hand hath He commanded in her ever since, therefore She is not rebellious: her Lord rules in her heart as he doth in the world, in the midst of his enemies Psal 110. 2.; and through the greatnesse of that power shall those enemies submit themselves unto Him, Psal. [...]6 3. and be subdued in her. But here is free Mercy still, free Grace; She is called by a very proper Name, The Church; Persons called and culled out, not for any worth that was in them: [...]. The Lord cast aside a thousand on the right hand, and ten thou­sand on the left, as honourable, as wise, as good as they, within and without the Pale, pitched his Love upon her. And now She is a select, choice and peculiar people; nay a more choice and peculiar people yet (as one saith) Clem Alexandr. Strom. 6 p 485. [...]. which ingageth mightily to walke more peculiarly. The Church hath another Name, which me thinks is very significant, and must keep her very humble all her dayes; Thou shalt he called, Sought-out Isa. 62. 12.; Sought out indeed from amidst a refuse multitude, when as She was no better then they, as Children of the Aethyopians unto me, saith the Lord Amos 9. 7.. Sought out, as you seeke your Wheate amidst tares, or covered over with [...]n heap of Chaffe; or as you seeke Fish in a Drag-net, amidst rubbish and heaps of dirt. Phil. 3. 9. Thou shalt be called, Sought out, and it is her Glory, That She is found in Christ: She Records that, and is humbled, and so well fitted to Thanke and Praise, wherein She is too much straitned: But in this She is comforted, That what She doth, She doth heartily; and what is wanting to that worke now, shall be made up hereafter; for it is the worke the Saints shall be im­ployed in to all Eternity.

SECT. II.

Common expressions suffice not to shew forth Rich and precious Mercies.

NOw the Church should Record her strong Consolations, when [...]r Beloved brought her to the Banquetting house, when His left-hand was under her H [...]ad, and His right-hand did embrace Her. Then I should come to Revelations, cleare Manifestations of Cant. [...]. 4. 6. her Beloved unto her, still with sweet distillations, droppings of the Spirit upon her heart; Then His hiding of Himselfe, for that made her aske more earnestly after Him whom her soule loveth: She Records all these, and cals in all her sweet experiences, gra­cious and rich Promises, for these are the Pillars that beare her up, her hands and her heart: All these she doth Record, for these she doth Thanke and Praise: I leave her before her God, and to her owne expressions, for truly they are unspeakable, they can­not be uttered by any other but her selfe. Besides, I should speake Parables, and dazle my eye with an amaze. We will conclude here, That her vessell is filled, and her house with the glory of the Lord, as full as an habitation on earth can be; so as the Glory of the World is darknesse to her, and the fulnesse of the Creature there but empti­nesse, her mouth then is filled with praise, and her heart shall be kept as a chaste Matron for her Beloved, even as the Holy of Holies. She will praise the Lord while She hath any being here, and hereafter the high Praises of her God for ever.

SECT. III.

The Church overcome with the loving kindnesse of her Lord, giving her all things richly to enioy, chargeth her selfe with unthankefulnesse.

ANd now that this fountaine is opened, this Well-head of Mercies [...]nd loving kindnesses; The streams flowing towards her there­from, doe carry her downe as into an Ocean of Love; for now behold what a rich portion She hath! All things are hers, God is hers, and She hath enough, for He is all things; All things in Heaven and in Earth worke for her good: She looks abroad in the World, and behold [...]ercies before and behinde, and on each hand. Truly the Church can­not [Page 13] tell what to record next; but much is to be recorded before She comes to that which is expected. Indeed her good Lord, blessed for ever, hath dealt to her such a largesse of good things, according to His rich bounty, even in earthly matters, under Moone comforts; That She can resolve upon no other way but this, being amidst a throng of Mercies, which now presse in upon her, even to Record, Thanke, and Praise the Lord for H [...]s free grace towards her, so abu [...]dantly shewed in this; That He hath not charged upon her the dayes of her forget­fulnesse; When She did not record and render backe, according as She had received. Her Lord hath forgiven much this way unto her; and therefore She loveth much; for how few of many Mercies are recorded, and fewer yet had their full weight of Thanks and praise from her. Mercies! When She speaks of them, She is confounded, and as one in a maze: Mercies cloathe her; Mercies feed her; Mercies uphold her every moment; She lyeth downe with them, riseth up with them: Mer­cies privative; Mercies positive; Preventing Mercies; Following Mercies; Crowning Mercies; Mercies to the outward man; Mercies to the inward man. How many? Aske rather how many Sands there be, and the number of the Starres: But there is One for all, A compre­hensive Mercy indeed, and the fountaine of all; From Him (that is, from Christ) All flow downe unto her, and are a purchase of bloud. And truly She saith heartily, She is not thankfull for Christ, not for that unspeakable gift, not according as She hath received; and that is her shame and trouble both. It is her wonder, and shame, and sorrow, all three, That Mercies should be continually in her sence; She sees them, and tastes them, and feeles them, and yet so little in her mind. O blessed be God, Who hath not charged upon her the dayes of for­getfulnesse.

Recording, Thanking, Praising, is the only Tribute, Taxation or Im­post which the Lord hath set upon all things, He gives us richly to en­joy. The Earth shall give in unto thee her fruitfulnesse; not the least herbe there but is for thy meat or thy medicine: So the Waters, so the Ayre, the variety of Inhabitants therein: So the Heavens, the Starres and influences there-from. All shall give forth their strength, besides their homage and Tribute to man their Lord; But now he must re­member this Tribute to God And yet how is that forgotten? Heare what the Lord saith; My flaxe and my Wooll (all are His, even the Beasts upon a thousand Mountaines) are to cloathe thee; My Oyle and my Wine to refresh Thee; My Wheate and my Barley to be a stay and staffe unto Thee: Only record these Mercies, acknowledge the Gi­ver, and pay Him His Tribute, Thanks and Praise. Good Lord, how short are we herein in rendring back! Nay, the Church doth say so, and yet her Lord hath passed it over, and in this way of loving kind­nesse hath forgiven much; She hath no more to say, but this: There­fore She loveth much. And yet I must adde this; for it is according to the mind of the Righteous, They remember notonly, Their forget­fulnesse [Page 14] of mercies, but their unfruitfulnesse under them; Their abuse of them; Their security; Yea and their rebellion also; The more the Mercies were, the more secure they were; The fuller the Pasture was, the more they kicked with the heele, fighting sometimes against God with His own weapons. But sith their God hath passed over all this; There­fore they love much.

CHAP. III.

Dayes of Affliction, Dayes of blessing; for so the Lord hath altered them, and sweetned these to the Church.

SECT. I.

Afflictions must be reckoned among the Blessings.

ANd thus for Mercies, which properly and in their owne Nature are so, and sence can relish so. Now the Church must record her afflictions and sor­rowes, for these She can call Mercies now; Not so in their owne Nature, but through the Mercy of her God, so ordering her and them; And this must be recorded; for this She stands most bounden to Thanke and Praise She could surfeit on her sweets as we may with ho­ney; Her sorrowes allay'd the lushiousnesse thereof. She expected an Heaven upon Earth; her unquiet motions there told her it was not the place of her rest. She had comforts upon the Earth, and She would build Tabernacles upon them; A Cloud overshadowed them, and She feared. She blesseth God for all this, but more of this a­non.

The Church then looks back and beholds Mercies, and cals them so, which the world cals evils: Her God made them good to her, and a blessing; therefore must She blesse God for them in the first place, ac­counting them fit matter to stir her up to Record and Thank. Gall and Wormewood yeelded sweets to the Church; She found Honey in the carkase of the Lyon; Therefore She remembers the time, when She [Page 15] said, This is my death Ps. 77. 10.. No indeed it was her mistake, and she sees [...], [...]r it was but her infirmity, and wrought very effectual­ly to th [...] st [...]engthning of her, so that she can now glory in that she, in her h [...]ste, called her Death, knowing that it wrought Patience, and Pa­tience Experience, and Experience Hope Rom. 5. 1, 4.. She recordeth the daies of her Wid [...]w-hood. She cannot leape over that time, when she sate Desolate, alone, and as forsaken. There she said well, as forsaken; for indeed there is but a sicut, an as, in all which she suffers, and in all she enjoyes here below, she weepes as though she wept not; she rejoy­ceth as though she rejoyced not; she possesseth as though she possessed not 1 Cor. 7. 3.. So also she knowes now, by experience, that there was but an as in her greatest sufferings, as unkowne 2 Cor. 6. 9, 10., as dying, as chastened, as sorrowfull, as poore, as having nothing: and so, as forsaken, but then God was with her, working most powerfully for her establish­ment, and most effectually for her comfort; therefore she remem­bers that time, even when she spake in griefe of heart, as Iacob did; All these things are against me Gen. 42. 36.. Ioseph is not, and Simeon is not, and yee will take my Benjamin also; All these things are against me. No indeed Iacob was deceived, so hath the Church beene these ten times, and now she sees her mistake and must record it, that all these things were for her; This deare child was snach'd away; and this so sutable a comfort, this staffe and this stay all gone; and yet for all this, as her long Captivity was, all for her good Ier. 24. 5., that the streame of her affections might runne the clearer to the Fountain; That He, Who alone is Worthy might have all, all her Love, and all her delight, and all her joy, as neare as can be in this world; That her Lord and Christ may be, if not All in All, yet above all Beloveds, the chiefest of ten thousand: Why then all those things She thought against her were for her, promoting her good very much. Therefore Shee doth record that time, and speaks of it with rejoycing, finding by many good experi­ences, That there is no Condition, how uncomfortable soever, but what is ordered according to Righteousnesse and faithfulnesse. This ce [...]tains much, we will then proceed in it.

SECT. II.

As the Righteous now doe, so have all done before them: They have recorded Dayes of Trouble, for that was a meanes to settle them the faster on their Rocke; and have been thanke­full for their Hell here, for that made them looke for Hea­ven where it is.

THe Church must remember the former yeares, when they called her Marah, because the Almighty had dealt very bitterly with her Ruth 1. 20. She cannot passe-over that Time, as if a Time let forth like water, to waste. Plowing and harrowing time is as seasonable for the Church, as it is for the fallow-ground, and she doth record that time thankfully and with an heart full of Praises: for the deeper the furrowes are, and the longer, the fuller the Sheaves will bee at the Har­vest.

Chrysostomes words are remarkably notable. ‘Evermore in your [...] Chrys Hom. 10. Col. 3. See [...]hil. 4. 6. prayers give thankes for knowne and unknowne mercies; for mer­cies which appeare to you so to be, and such which appeare not: for mercies you received with a willing mind, and for those, which God did for you against your will, be exceeding thankfull for them. For your good things, your comforts, your refreshments, your strange Deliverances, your rich mercies, yea and for your lucida inter­valla, for your well nights and your good daies. Yes, who would not be thankfull for all this? All are not, nay the fewest of many. But the Father hath not rais'd up his children to the height of thankfulnesse yet.’ You must be thankfull for your turbida in­tervalla, sicke dayes and wearisome Nights; for your aches and your paines, for your troubles in and to the flesh; the knotty rac­king Gout, the tormenting Stone, the bloudy torturing Strangury, the burning Fever: In a word, you must be thankfull for your Hell here. For Hell! who can be thankfull for that? they that are of ano­ther [...]. Humb. 14. 24. spirit. Their Hell here made them not to looke for Heaven here, vvhich else they had done, though they have their Lords ex­presse word for it. In the world yee shall have tribulation, in Mee peace Ioh. 16. 33.. Their Hell here made them to lift up their heads and stretch forth their necks [...]. Rom. 8. 19., and to stand, as it were, on tip-toes, so earnestly looking after things, which are not seene. And this earnest expecta­tion of glory hereafter, even to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living, this assurance of hope caused their very Hell here to seeme a very light affliction, and its continuance very short, but for a night, an houre, nay, but for a moment, a little small moment. [...] Cor. 4. 17.

To conclude; Their Hell here made them flee from the vvrath to come, and that is hell indeed, and the sense thereof raised up their thoughts and endeared Christ unto them, the chiefest now of ten thousand. O how precious are their thoughts concerning Chr [...]st? A drop of vvrath burnt their flesh, and vvas sore upon them, though but for a night: how are their he [...]rts enlarged after Christ, vvho redeemed their soule out of all adversity, and from the vvrath to come.

‘I have added a short paraphrase on Chrysostomes vvords, he goes o [...] [...] Ch [...]y [...]. T [...]m. 6. [...]e [...]. judic. and gives us an example I knew a man said h [...], a very pious Man he vvas, vvho prayed thus (as vve have heard) and the first vvord vvas Thankes: and that he first thanked his good God for, vvas for his afflictions, his Hell here’ So vve have that vve come for so fit­ted to this place, vvhich is, They put afflictions into the Catalogue or Register of Gods mercies, and in the first p [...]ce. Indeed it is no ha [...]d matter to open the mouth in vvay of Thankefullnesse, for the goo [...] things of this life, as vve call them; but to be thankefull for the [...] ­vils, that is an hard taske, but yet the daily vvorke of a true Chri­stian.

SECT. III.

The Church recordeth her evill Dayes, when Shee saw Affliction.

HEnce we also may learne our Duty and see our patterne; for accor­ding thereunto the Church Records and Thankes her Lord for her afflictions, her pressures, her tribulations, her anguish, her sorrows. She gives thanks for her nights of mourning, as wel as for her morning joy; for her Aegypt in this life, as well as for her Goshen here. She thankes her God for her treading downe by the foot of Pride, for that made her rise more victoriously: for the blood vvas drawne from her, because that vvatered her, and made her more fruitfull. She thankes her God for the Courts of Inquisition, though bloudy Courts, and all the Purgatory she lookes for: because the oppression she felt there­in, and the violent perverting of Iudgement and Iustice, pointed her eyes and set them stedfast towards Him, Who is higher then the highest; and made her to stay, fixe and settle her selfe at that high Throne, before vvhich the Judges must be judged, and from which there is no appeale. She gives thankes for her mockings, Eccl. 5. 8. scornings, revilings, buffetings; for all the hard vvords and deeds she heard and felt there. O hovv thankefull is shee for all that, thereby shee vvas made conformable to Her Lord and Head; [Page 18] so Hee was dealt withall. O, how did She rejoyce at all this! (though perhaps not at that present) all this makes their Crowne the more massy [...]d weighty. It added muc [...] to their consolations, which [...] 2 Cor. 15, 7. are ever [...]fter the me [...]sure and is their sufferings are. The Righteous doe conclude thus, That after the rate of their sorrowes and sufferings shall their comforts and consolations be And by the measure of their shame and reproach for Christ here, shall their Robe o [...] Glory be cut out hereafter, wherewith they shall be vested in H [...]aven; There­fore, The Church thanks her God for her weakenesses and many infirmities; They made her leane more st [...]adily upo [...] her Be­loved, That strong Arme: For her sl [...]ps and fals too, they made her stand [...] Thes. 1. 10. more strong in her God, and in the power of His Might: For her feares, they pointed her to her rocke, that is higher then her, above all: For her troubles without, and her terrours within; For now She can admire her Saviour, the mighty God of her strength: For her an­guish of spirit, and paines in soule, when She travelled with her Christ first, and now with her after-birth: For all this made their birth more vigorous, strong and Man-like.

SECT. IV.

The Church returneth Praise and Thanks for all the good She received from That, The World cals evill.

IT is not possible to reckon up the heads and particulars of the Chur­ches accounts; nor how She hath gained by her losses; nor what [...]ea­lings She hath had from her stripes; nor how enriched by her poverties; nor how enlarged by her straights. But abundantly thankfull She is for former yeares, and for all that which happened to her then, and was, as She thought, against her, being evill dayes, and the yeares of her captivity: for all that which happened to her then, helped marvellously to cleare her vessell; and She is as thankfull for that, as for filling the same with Glory. All that fitted, made her meet a for after Glory. [...] Col. 1. 12. All that their Adversary did against them then, his madnesse and rage, his breathing out threatenings, all tended much to their advantage. These smitings of the hand and tongue, hewed them, polished them, as the stone [...] of the Temple in the out-Court, so making them as lively stones built up a spirituall house: These preparations; These fit­tings; This making meet for glory, are more to the Church, though these are blowes, prisons, inquisitions, fire, faggot, sword and the like; These, I say, are more, and of more account with the Church then. Glory it selfe. Their way thither, to Glory, I meane, sometimes hedged about with thornes, and blocked up against them, as with hewn [Page 19] stone: This way is as pleasant to thinke on (when it is passed over) as is the Crowne at the end. The Summe is; The Church gives thanks unto the Father, Who hath strengthened Her with all might, accor­ding to His Glorious Power unto all patience, and long-suffering with joyfulnesse, and so hath made her meet, hath fitted, hath prepared her to be partaker of the inheritance of her Brethren and Sisters, the Pa­tri [...]kes, Prophets, Apostles, Disciples, Martyrs, of all the Saints by Calling, while here below in this darke world, now Saints in light.

And so the Church hath after her measure, offered to her God the sacrifice of Praise and Thanks for His good and gracious dealing with her in former times, the dayes of her captivity. O what her enlarge­ments then! Their straights helpt to set their feet in a large place; Their bonds made them free indeed; Their wounds healed them; Their distractions united them; Their unquiet motions setled them; Their [...]eaths quickned them; Their sorrowes comforted them; The sh [...]me for Christ is their Glory; Their reproach for Him their Crowne. Who would not serve this God? Who would not feare Him? He turneth sicknesse into health; weaknesse into strength; mourning in­to Songs of rejoyc [...]ng; The shadow of Death into the Morning Amos 5. [...]. Who would not seeke this Lord? Who would not feare Him? This by the way, we goe on.

This is written for our instruction, whose minds are taken up with present things, which fill us with so much hope as that we cast away feare; o [...] with so much feare, that we cast away hope. We are in an extreame about them still, either over-grieving or overjoying; full of stirres we are, a tumultuous people the Lord knowes. A Gracious heart not so, he can indite Psalmes not onely when out of [...]fflictions, but in the night of his sorrow, even the deepest afflictions; When flying before the enemy; When persecuted and distressed; When in darknesse of spirit, yet then he can indite a Psalme: Heman did so, for he was the wisest man upon earth, next unto King Salomon 1 King. 5. 4, 31.; but so sorely [...]fflicted, and suffering such terrours, that (in his sence) he was distracted Psal. 88. 15. A Good heart can make the greatest sorrowes that he hath felt, or doth feele, matter of blessing and praise, alwayes an hint for prayer. How-ever it is to sense, yet God is good to Israel still, and doth good; Therefore all the worke he hath to doe with his owne spirit is this, To serve His God heartily, and to submit to Hi [...] will patiently, yea comfortably; for many experiences have told him, That the end will be good. The Righteous know well, That no Con­dition here below is like the Hill Olympu [...] (some say) wholly cleare [...], without clouds. No, They expect windes and stormes both, which when blowne over, The aire is the clearer and wholsomer for it; They have made application, and counted their Cost, and those happy who endure, and so can wait patiently, having seene the end of the Lord Iam. 5. 1 [...]..

CHAP. IV.

Before the Church can Record the late wonderfull Works wrought for her by the ministery of Man, She will put some things to our Consideration, which observed, may make us wise, and fit us for the Times, how hard, fierce and perillous soever.

SECT. I.

What the Church is most taken with; Whom She looks unto in all administrations; What settles and calmes her spirit in the greatest Commotions.

THus we have cleared, That the former Dayes, Dayes of trouble, are to be recorded, for Gods Deliverance out of them is wonderfull; and they have yeelded the Church in all ages, a peaceable fruit of righteousnesse.

Now before She can Record these fresh and late works of wonder, wrought with God this Day, The Church will give us some Considerations from her owne practise, to take along with us, first; so shall we understand the works, and our selves and the Church the better.

¶ 1.

One Work only wonderfull, and to be admired.

THe Church can muse on the workes of God, and ponders them in her heart; She can call them wonderfull works and marvellous: But She can admire nothing but the riches of Grace, those hidden, mi­sterious and unsearchable wayes of her Redemption. There is matter of admiration, and there only; for other Works, She laboureth to search them out; and her Thoughts thereon are very precious: But in this light path, which so dazleth her eyes, and amazeth her, She stands admiring, and it is her Lords pleasure She should doe so 2 Thes. 1. 10..

¶ 2.

A Gracious spirit is not much taken with under-moone matters.

IF at any time we finde the Churches mouth wide open to Praise and Thanks, Then we must know her heart is much more enlarged. About what? yes, that is a necessary Question, so is the Answer; Ever­more about spirituall matters, such as concerne the soule, the welfare and prosperity thereof. At that point She is enlarged; She is not over-much taken (as we of the common sort are) with under-moone mat­ters; She is not taken with the fl [...]wing in of Oyle and Wine; nor with the recovery of Flaxe and Wooll, of Soape and Salt, and Leather, and the like; She observes the crooked wayes of men, and carriage of things very well; rejoyceth and mourneth in her mea­sure; but I say She is not taken with them as we are: For we finde quicke flesh, lively and stirring affections onely there: If we have our outward Liberties and Priviledges as free Subjects, and Citizens here, of the Ierusalem below, then we are well and marvel­lously appayed: Indeed we say Gen. 33 9. [...] as Esau said, We have enough, that is, much or a great deale. The Church not so; give her the liberties of sonnes and daughters of Ierusalem above, or else, but that Christ liveth in her, She will dye: So unsatisfiable are All things here below to her everlasting soule; But if She have her God, though with Him captivity, fire, sword, what other evils you can name, if with these She hath her God, She is well enough, and with Iacob She hath enough, for She hath All Gen. 33. 11. [...].

¶ 3

The Church referres all to the first Cause, and thereon fixeth.

VVE must note, That the Church beholdeth all the Workes wrought by Man, not as Mans works, but the works of Him, Who only doth wonders. She looks through them, and through Man also unto God, There She terminateth her sight. Whence it is, That whatsoever thing comes unto her, through the hands, and by the admi­nistration of Man, She accepts with all thankfulnesse, but She writeth upon it, upon every thing (what ever were the meanes of conveyance) the Gift of God.

¶ 4.

The Righteous are calme and setled what ever the newes is, or troubles are in the World; and thankfull for all.

VVE should observe her quiet and calme deportment and carriage in all administrations of God; for She looks upon them as [Page 22] His Administrations; and She accounts all good, nothing evill, ex­cept sinne; and by the good hand of God towards her, even sinne shall worke for her Good; God be thanked that ye were the servants of sinne. All is well, She saith, and will end well. Well, What ever Rom. 6. 17. Newes She heares; What ever Troubles and Tumults, unquiet Mo­tions there are, yet the Church is not full of stirres, not a tumultuous City Isa. 22. 2. for all that; She is quiet notwithstanding all that can be said or done: Her Sonnes and Daughters are as well contented with the Newes they heare, as the honest Shepheard with the Weather; his judgement was asked, What weather it would be? He answered, It will be what weather it shall please me. The Answer seemed darke, and to containe a Riddle; therefore he was courteously requested to explaine it, which he did thus: It shall be (said he) what weather pleaseth God, and what weather pleaseth God pleaseth me. Truly just so are the Righteous pleased with their Newes; It shall be what pleaseth God, and what pleaseth God pleaseth them. If Newes this day be, as we call it, good, They are cheered at it, but not over-joyed, they say, It is well. If the next Day (such turnings there are and tydes of things) the Newes be contrary, they are the same, they were the Day before; for they know their God is the same, He is not changed; Therefore they conclude, notwithstanding that crosse Newes, It shall be well in the Morning, perhaps before night. They are not troubled about the fixed time, it is not for them to know that; they know it will be well. Straitnings serve very much to wi­den the way for enlargements: and stops towards the Spring-head make the waters rise the higher, and anon will cause them to streame the faster. Blockes in the way make them walke more wa­rily, and lift up their feet the higher. It is so with the spirits of Men. But yet the Church lookes not to Man, for He is full of Changes; but her eyes are to her God who changeth not; and, accor­ding to the Counsell Exod 14 13. Ne commoveami­ [...], ac fluctuetis animo; [...]ed spe firm [...] ope [...] D [...]mi­ni expecta [...]e. Iun., stands still, waiting the salvation of her God, and is not greatly moved Psal. 62 2.; nor doth She faint in her mind; She doth not float, nor roule this way and that way, but roules her selfe upon her God. In firme hope her mind is anchored and fixt upon Everlasting strength, and lapt up in a promise within Ever­lasting Armes, expecting His Salvation, which She is confident to see in the fittest time.

SECT. II.

We that have not fixed spirits feele unquiet Motions.

NOw let us observe our owne spirits; ours of the Common-sort; it is a thing worth our observ [...]tion. If we observe right, we are in Deaths often; not as Paul, in reall Dangers, but imaginary onely and in conceit; for as often as crosse Newes comes we die In extreames still, either all hope and no feare; or all feare and no Hope. We cannot cast away our confidence Heb. 10. 3 [...]., for wee have none, unlesse it be in the Creature; and i [...] that [...]ailes us, wee sinke, and our spirits faile too. A miser [...]ble condition this, and a trem­bling posture to stand in; Indeed we doe not stand, wee totter like drunkards, because we are so filled with the sweets of the Earth, and so empty of the comforts of Heaven. Wee are as weake as water, carried and t [...]ssed as C [...]rke vvith the tide there; Just so hurried are our spirits with winde and tide. As the water ri­seth or falleth at the Parliament-staires, just so doe our spirits at the hearing the Newes thence. As the winde and gale of breath sits there, so our mindes turne, just like a weather-cocke. If the newes thence be pleasing to sense, then we rise high, that's well, say we; and then we are all Hope. If the contrary, That trou­bles are like to abide us, then vve are downe the wind, and make conclusions as men doe, that have no Hope. This is to have spirits as weake as water, and a minde not standing-still, but turning like a weather cocke.

SECT. III.

The Reason of the Churches settlement, and of our unquiet Motions, very necessary and considerable at this time.

VVE must note what causeth the Churches stability and our floa­ting. What is the reason, that the Church standeth still, quiet and calme in her spirit, when trouble is on every side: while we are at our wits end for expectation, troubled and mooved, As the Trees of the Wood are mooved with the win [...] Esa. 7. [...].. Wee must I say, enquire into this thing, and find out what is the reason hereof. The [Page 24] Resolution must be this; ‘Because the Church stayeth her selfe on the Arme of God;’ Therfore she standeth still, is firme and stedfast. Whatever changes are below, vvhatever turnings and windings of things here vvith us, yet there is no change in that Arme, no diminu­tion tall of that power; It is the same yesterday, to day, and the same for ever Esa. 59. 1, 2. -40. 27.—51. 9.. Sinne causeth some change in us, but there is no change in God. The Churches eye is upon her God, there shee fix­eth, she will not trust in charets nor in horses Ps. 20., because shee hath asked from one end of Heaven to the other; she hath enq [...]ired of all [...]ges, vvhat became of them that so trusted, that made flesh their Arme? The answer is, They that so trusted are brought downe and fallen. But the Church remembring the name of the Lord, and in that Name se [...]ti [...]g-up Banners, she riseth and stands upright; shee must needs have a firme standing; for sh [...]e hath a sure foundation, she is well under-laid, underneath the everlasting Armes. There­fore Deut. 33. 27. though her outward House be battered downe over her head and about her eares, yet according to the promise, she is a quiet habita­tion Esa. 33. 20.. How boysterous soever the vvindes are, and troublesome the vveather is, she is quiet notwithstanding.

Indeed vve may observe some times have beene so hard with her, fierce [...]. Mat 8. [...]8. and perilous 2 Tim. 3. 1., that she hath complained, My soule is bow­ed downe to the dust Ps. 44. 25.; I am covered with the shadow of Death, yet vve must observe from the same place, how the Church beares-up her selfe by Experiences and Promises, those great pillars staying up her Hands in Faith: and then she resolves to beast in her God all the day long. SELAH. It is an high note, and her voyce is greatly exalted in Praise and Thankesgiving.

Object. Why then the Church is borne up by Experiences from Dayes of old, vvhat God hath done: And by Promises, what God will doe in after times?

An. True, but these Experiences have a bottome, the Almighties arme; they were wrought by Him, Whose power is still the same, an everlasting God. And these Promises touching that, the Lord vvill doe in after times, have the same foundation too, made unto her in and through Christ her Lord and everlasting Father. There is her strength, her staffe and her stay. And now though the Pillars of the Earth are out of course and continue so, yet the Church is where she was, upon the same foundation. She knoweth whom she hath trusted: shee rowles her selfe upon God, vvaiteth his salvati­on, knowes Hee vvill come-in for her helpe in due time (shee vvould not have it sooner) and praise vvaiteth for Him in Sion.

Thus in Quietnesse and confidence is her strength Ps. [...]46. 10.. She can now, according to her Lords command, Be still and know that I am God Ps. 46.. She can stand still, calme in her mind, for she knowes that her God raigneth, with Him is power and faithfullnesse Ps. 146. 6.. He can, He vvill, [Page 25] nay, with reverence be it spoken, He must helpe His Church, and seasonably too, for He is bound so to doe; He hath engaged His faithfullnesse upon it; there's the Churches confidence; she bears her selfe up upon it, and walks on by Faith.

And so we see the difference in our walking and place of confidence; such and so great is the difference in our comforts and peace; the Churches peace full and lasting, ours but empty and momenta­ny, like the laughter of fooles: for, vve vvalke by sight; wee must see or else vve cannot believe. We cannot rest upon the Al­mighties Arme, unlesse vve see it cloathed vvith flesh. One God is not enough for us, vve must see Many on our side, and whole Countries come in for our helpe, or else vve can see no hope of Victory, though the Lord hath said, The People are too, many Iud. 7. 4.. We verily beleeve, That the race must be to the swift, the battell to the strong Eccl. 9. 11., though a thousand experiences have told us the con­trary, when the battell hath beene against the Church. Fooles as we are, vvhen vvill vve be instructed? We trust in meanes, likeli­hoods and probabilities, thereon vve bottome our selves, therfore it is, that we are in Deaths often: our spirits are up and downe, full of changes; for such changes and tides of things there are in that, vve place our confidences. Our hearts are not fixed, not up-wards vvhere they should be, therefore wee must needs reele like a drunken man, or a Ship in a tempest. We doe not trust in the Lord, therefore we cannot be established 2 Chro. [...]0. [...]0.: wee doe not beleeve H [...]s Prophets, wee shall not prosper, nor see when good commeth Ier. 17. 6.. Had vve the arme of flesh with us, then vve could beleeve; nay, that is not Faith, for Faith is of things not seene. My meaning is, for I must speake like a foole to make otherswise; Had we thir­ty thousand Chariots, and six thousand horse-men, and people as the sand on the Sea-shore in multitude; all these comming in for our helpe: And vvere vve to march-on against a feeble folke, a peeled, beslaved, unarmed people, that had neither Sword, nor Speare, nor shield; O how confident would we be of the victory! We would rush on as terrible as an Army with Banners: and as fierce and fearelesse as the warre-horse. O how we would boast▪ The Glory of our nostrils would be terrible; we would rush on up­on such a people as thunder; we vvould rejoyce in our strength, mocke at feare, and swallow them up with fiercenesse and rage. A bruitish people vve, for vve have not considered this in all this time; that the Battell is neither yours nor ours, but Gods 2 Chron. 10. 15.: And He hath taken all this strength before mentioned, and given it into His peoples hand, vvhen they vvere a feeble, beslaved, unarmed peo­ple; these have houghed the Horses and burnt the Chariots in fire, Iosh. 11. that is, The weake have taken all this prey Esa. 33. 2 [...].; And all this hath the Lord done; Why? that Ionathan and his Armour-bearer (the Lords Worthies) may not be discouraged at the mountain [...] [Page 26] of straights; Where there is a s [...]p Rocke on the one side, and the same on the other; The our s [...]itua [...] North-ward: the other South-ward 1 Sam. 14 4, 5.. God doth drive His People to exigency, That they may shew themselves what they are. ‘Then a man [...]ves by faith in God, when meanes dye, and he is q [...]ite forsaken of them, Certaine it is, God will bring His Church to the Mountaine of Straits; but they shall see glorious things there; What? God appearing in H [...]s Glory; His Arme made bare of flesh.’ God is never seen so glorious as upon That Mount; Then He lifts up Himselfe on high; Then He appeares in all the peoples sight. This is a mighty Consideration even now, it fol­lowes.

SECT. IV.

How necessary the consideration hereof is at this time, that our eyes may not faile with looking upward; nor faint when we are corrected; nor make haste when troubles are upon the heele.

ANd this was necessary to be noted here, That we might behold the Churches stability and firme standing, see our errour all this while, and vaine confidence; Correct our selves, take off our hold, and hasten to the Churches Rock, that we may be as She is, a quiet habi­tation also. What troubles soever, & how strong soever the tyde of things is against her, yet not greatly moved; Though standing at the foot of the Mountaine of Straits, and before a Sea of dangers and difficulties; yet standing still notwithstanding, calme and quiet in her spirit. I say, it is necessary we should note this; for,

Though by the good hand of God upon our Worthies, We have the great worke of Reformation as it were within ken, and in sight; yet this Mount of God is before us as a great Hill in the Travellers eye; The Hill may be afarre off, and he must take many a weary step be­fore he comes at it: so, before the Church be thus exalt [...]d and set up, as it were, upon a Hill, She may passe as through vallies, low and dan­gerous bottomes, so as She may be much obscured, and almost hid there. Before She be refined and purified in her worship and Ordinan­ces. She may passe through the fire. But how perilous soever her pas­sage be to her promised Land, though through fire and water both; over the Lyons den; hole of the Aspe, and Mountaines of Leopards; how perilous soever her way is; how strait, foule, thorney soever, Though many changes in her, and in her way, yet no change in God; His power, wisedome, love, the same, from everlasting to everlasting, no change there. Her Lord will bring her into a wealthy place, that is [Page 27] certaine, no doubt of that. For the meanes and manner how, and the time when, The Church is not carefull about that; She commits all this into the hands of [...]er good God and faithfull Redeeme [...]. She doth beleeve that her wealthy L [...]d lyeth beyond as howling Wildernesse, and the Red Sea; And yet She is not carefull, nor doth She say, there is a Lyon in the way, and he will devoure: no, her Lord hath commanded her, saying, be still. Be still? what can still her spirit then, when a bloudy enemy is behinde her, a devouring Sea before her, Mountaines on each hand, what can still her spirit now? This, and know that I am God Ps. 46. 10.. A God That can stop the Lyons mouth; He that made the Leviathan can make His sword approach unto Him, even through his scales, though they are his pride; and to his heart, though as firme as a stone, yea as hard as a peece of the nether Milstone Iob 41.. And for the strong tyde of opposition against her passage, She is not carefull about that neither. She knowes God can divide the waters; for the Adver­sary he thinks, so wise were his thoughts once; The Red Sea ope­ned a way for him: Yes, that he may march on feircely and hope­fully a little way, and then in the midst of his way sinke into the bot­tome like a stone. The Sea is divided for the ransomed to passe-over, and so He made a path in the Seas: so can He also through the fire, the Church knovves it full well, for she knowes whom she trusteth. An­cient and present experiences hath assured her, that wherein the ene­mie deales proudly, therein the Lord ever hath been, is, and will be above them Exo. 18. 11.. And there the Church resteth, her heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. A cold Winter makes the Spring more delightfull, the yeare more fruitfull, and the man more healthfull. The Church is [...], Dion. de Reg. Orat. 3. not displeased with the daies, because evill daies; These make her the better now, and, when good come, they will be the more pleasant and comfortable. In this quietnesse and confidence is her strength; she be­holdeth what God hath done, and gets assurance for after times: and she is staied up with promises too, as with strong consolation, for these she sees even now fulfilling.

And so the Church addresseth her selfe to make her acknowledgment unto man for present deliverances, which she takes as pledges to as­sure and ascertaine her the future, what her Lord will doe in after time. For though she boasteth of God all the day long, and will praise His Name for ever; yet she forgetteth not to return all that is due to man in full weight and measure, through whose hands her God hath con­veyed loving-kindnesse and mercy unto her.

CHAP. IV.

The Church wisely considereth her two Sister-Churches; The people amongst whom she dwels (for the most part enemies to peace;) The straits that now are. The Church lookes through all unto God.

SECT. I.

The Church remembers how it is with her Sister-Churches; and Gods gracious dealing towards her, which rai­seth her spirit to prayse and Thankesgiving.

THe Church being now to give in a Catalogue of won­ders, cannot but remember her two Sister-Churches, the Palatinat, which hath been under wrath now these 24. yeares: so long the anger of the Lord hath burnt against that people; so long he hath stretched forth His hand against them and smitten them. The Hills did tremble and their carcases were throwne in the midst of the Streets Esa. 5. 25. See Psal 77.. For all this his anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched-out still. This Church seemes to stand with her Records in her hand, written within and without, Lamentation and Mourning and Wo [...]. But the summe and abridgement of her sorrowes is contained in these two words, her Sabbaths and her God, both gone. Time was when she hid her eyes from her God, and from H [...]s Sabbaths, turning her backe upon both. Now God turnes to them the backe and not the face; and His Sabbaths are now hid from their eyes.

Her other sister, the Church of Ireland, speaks forth bitter complaints and supplications; that her land is dunged with her carcases, and watered with her bloud: That whatsoever was pleasant in her eyes, the enemy hath put into his hand, and taken it away.

All this time, the day of Iacobs trouble, the Church of England stands still beholding and accounting the salvations of her God com­ming [Page 29] in unto her like the Rivers, mercies over-taking mercies, and loving kindenesses over-taking loving kindenesses; De­liverance upon Deliverance, and discoveries upon discove­ries. The Church is straitned in her selfe heere, shee wants expressions, but what engagements are there in all these! How doth she stand bound to Record and Thanke and Praise her good God, Who hath done all these things for her! What a mer­cy is this? How unspeakable? That at such a time as this, when the Lord hath beene to these sister-Churches, as a Beare lying in wait, as a Lyon in secret places, He hath pulled them in peeces, hath made them desolate; hath bent his Bew upon them, hath set them as a marke for the Arrow; hath filled them with bitternesse, and made them drunken with worme-wood: so as now they are recording, their afflictions and their misery, the worm-wood and the Gall, their soule hath them still in Remembrance, and is hum­bled in them. I was speaking; that at such a time as this, a time of treading downe and perplexity, the day of Iacobs troubles, yet now this Church should stand up with Records in her hand, writ­ten within and without, mentioning the mircies and loving kind­nesses of her God. O! what an exceeding mercy is this, at such a time as this, vvhen she thought verily she should be termed also forsaken, and her Land Desolate; Her Lord said, no; But thou shalt be called Hephzi-bath, and thy land Beulah Esa 62. 4. Deliciae meae oblect­atio mea., for the Lord de­lighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married. What loving kind­nesses are these! how wonderfull! how unutterable!

Againe, The Church lookes over the land and Nation, where we live, and behold corruptions in Doctrines, and manners have leavened the land from corner to corner, and have eat and con­sumed the heart thereof as doth a canker; whence it is that wee see strange vanities, horrible impieties; abominable Idolatries; vile Priests, and almost as uncleane a people: All setting them­selves and taking councell together against the Lord and against His annoynted, saying, let us breake their hands asunder, and cast a­way their cords from us. And yet see the exceeding goodnesse of the Lord, they prevaile not with their number, nor with their strength; they assemble themselves, and are broken; they take coun­cell, and God turnes it into foolishnesse, and their recompences upon their own head Ioel [...]. 7..

Thus the weake overcome the strong, and the fewest in number prevaile: We know not how, but so it is, the Lord hath set His King upon His holy Hill; and if the Lord the Captaine of His Hoast, march out before, it matters not, whether few or many of Gideons soul­dier march after, but the fewer they are, the more is the strong arme of the Lord exalted.

And vvhat cause hath this Church to speake good of the Name of the Lord, and to exalt His Arme, Who hath made her to stand upright [Page 30] and above her Adversaries with a Catalogue in her hand, wri [...]e [...] vvithin and vvithout, as afore-said: and vvhich hightens the mercies, at such a time as this, vvhen her other sisters are recording their dayes of trouble, she is recording the loving kindnesses of her God. The Church here must stand still a little to behold the severity and good­nesse of God Rom. 11. 22., towards her sister▪ Churches, severity; towards her people, Goodnesse: And that the may the more magnifie free Grace, exalt the Riches therof, the go [...]dnesse and exceeding patience of God, All His excellencies, the Church reasoneth out the case, and asketh, vvhy is it so? vvhy such severity towards her sister-Churches? And yet towards her people such goodnesse?

Did Thy vvrath burn-out against them, because Thy Sabbaths vvere profaned there? Here they vvere profaned too, and more, by a Law and Statute in Israel; notvvithstanding, a fire did not kindle in our gates, nor devoure our palaces Icr. 17. [...]7..

Was it because the people there turned Grace into vvantonnesse, they slighted the offer and means of Grace, they would have none of Thee; they turned their backs upon Thee, and the Gospell? vvas it for this? Heere vve sit downe astonished, for here vve have done so too.

Was it because of their unfruitfulnesse under the meanes of Grace? H [...]re vve stand astonished, considering hovv hig [...] vve have bin lif­ted-up in respect of the meanes, no Nation under the Sunne like to us; and then thinking of our casting downe, how lovv that vvill bee.

Was it because of their unthankfulnesse for, and abuse of mercies? Here also our Tables are full of vomit and filthinesse, so that there is no place cleane Esa. 28 8.: And vve reele and fall dovvne in the Streets at Noon-day.

Was it because the Messengers of the Churches, and Glory of Christ 2 Cor. 8. 23., Thy faithfull Ministers there vvere villanously used? We heare of no such matter; they vvere contemned in deed and of no ac­count vvith them: but vvith us they have beene used vvorse then Davids Messengers; Their Beards and Garments were cut by halves 2 Sam. 10 4.: But here they vvere smit on the cheeks, and, as Svvine, lug'd by the eares.

Were they bruitish Pastors Esa. 56 9. Ier. [...]0. 2 [...]. & 12. [...]., vvho broke dovvne the Hedge, and laid open gaps, vvhereat men after the manner of Beasts, skillfull to destroy, might enter in? The same Pastors are with us, vain men, treacherous Prophets, light Priests.

Was it, because violence was done to the Law Zeph. 3. 4.? Because they did as they could to their power to shed bloud Eze. 2 [...] 6.? Because their Judges vvere as Evening Nic 3. 11, 12. Walves, ravening the prey? so it vvas here, such judg'd here. Why then is not our Zion plowed like a Field Esa 9. 5? Why are not our garments rolled in bloud l? Why are vve not long be­fore this time dashed to peeces one against the other, Brother a­gainst [Page 31] his Brother, and Neighbour against his Neighbour, in all our Cities and Countries, in all places and corners of the Land? Why is it not so? She knowes the answer must be, because is plea­seth the Lord, it shall not be so Amos 7. 2., [...]aith the Lord, It is His good pleasure so, He loves the Land, because He loves it: He vvill rejoyce in shewing mercy: and, it may be, will overcome us, and lead us captive with loving kindnesses; and give gifts to the Rebellious. Be it so good Lord, because it pleaseth Thee: Amen. Thi [...] is all the Church can say to all this.

SECT. II.

Some light Obiections blown away, and a grave Obiection cleared.

BUt now there is something said against the Church, that she need not be so b [...]ag of her mercies, her tranquillity and peace, for she may now looke to the end thereof; her peace is taking from her; she is sinking now, downe, downe, downe she goes, so her adversary boasteth, so he puffeth at the Righteous Ps. 10. 5.. The Church answers hereto in order, and blows away this, as you will a dust from your sleeve. The Adversary saith, first

Ob. The Church may see now to the end of her mercies?

An. No, but she cannot, her mercies are the mercies of a God, and they have no end.

2. He saith, Her peace is taken from her?

No, that it is not [...] her peace cannot be taken away: it shall flow in like the Rivers, and come-in unto her as the waves of the Sea Esa 4818.. Though the Assyrian should come in to her Land, and tread in her Pallaces Mic. 5 5., yet he cannot take away her peace. When the enemie shall come in like a [...], the Spirit of the Lord shall lift-up a stan­dard against him Esa. 59. 19..

3. The Adversary saith, That the Church is falling?

No, The Adversaries flesh shall consume away first, and his eyes consume away in their holes, and his tongue consume away in his mouth Zach 14 1 [...].; but the Church shall not sinke nor fall away; she is well un­der laid, as well this present yeare as the last, yesterday, and to day and for ever, The eternall God is her Refuge, and underneath her are the everlasting Armes Deut. 33. 17.. She is well underlaid then; her enemies them­selves being judges.

Ob. But it is said, here is more need of Prayers then of praise [...]. Things that seemed to be in so forward a way, are now set back, God now seems to stand still; or if he goes forward, it is in carrying His Church to the Mountaine of straits.

An. I might answer, things are never in so good and setled an e­state, but there is matter for prayer: nor never in so bad and low an e­state, but there is matter for praise, as in the case of Iehosaphat d. But this would not be to the mind and sense of the Obiection, which is this, ‘That the Church should be so much taken up now with her streights, that s [...]e might very well forget prosperity; all the good that God hath shewn her these former yeares. Now God forbid.’

‘There be some indeed, upon whom you loose all your formet courtesies, unlesse you still follow them with new and fresh fa­vours every day Nonnulli ita com­parati sunt ut an­tiqutora benefici [...] subvertas nisi nova posterioribus cumu­les, & quamlibe [...] sape obligati, si quid unum tamen neges, hoc unum memine­runt quod negatū est. Plin. epist. 2 King. 20. 19..’ Some there be who have an hundred blessings, and with them but one Crosse; but that one Crosse sowres all their sweets, clouds and hides all their blessings from their eyes. The Church not so, Good is the word of the Lord, said the good King, which thou hast spoken. What did he speake? Heavy tydings; yet saith the good King, Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken; Is it not good if peace and truth be in my dayes? The good King was not carelesse, what would befall the Church and His House, when he must be taken thence and gathered to his Fathers. O no, doubtlesse those tydings went to his very heart, touching those things which should befall to the House of God, his house and his sonnes after him. O, it was bitternesse, bitternesse; but yet the Word of the Lord is good. It was matter of Admiration and everla­sting praise; That God had shewen him so much good, had wrought such Deliverances for him; That his eye had seene such salvations; That, when his Father Abaz had wrought such abominations in Iu­dah, yet his sonne should see such salvations in Israel; and, which is the vision indeed, peace and truth all his dayes. This was mat­ter of wonder, yea of praise and thanke both. It is so with the Church; they consider well of their straits now, and that these may be yet greater (and yet a signe for good.) They can consider that the Church is not cast so farre-backe yet, but she may be cast yet farther even to the place of Dragons, she hath not seene nor heard the worst yet, so it may be; nor is she carelesse of what she sees or heares. No, she feeles them, and ponders things in her heart; but so as she holds fast her confidence; and she must shew her selfe exceeding thankfull for all the Good her Lord hath done for her the last year, That when her people were ripe for judgement, as the corne for the sickle, yet there was not a cutting downe. Truly when she doth but thinke of it, she is as one in a dreame, her spirits faile her. But this she would say; if Desolations should follow such salvations as these (which she cannot believe) if the Lord should send unto her sad tydings, [Page 33] such as would make the hearers eares tingle, Why yet, The word of the Lord is good, and He is good to Israel Blessed be His Name for His salvations notwithstanding; for what He hath done, for ever blessed be His name; And because we have Peace and Truth [...]n these dayes. these fierce [...] Mat. 8. 28. dayes, these perillous 2 Tim. 3. 1. dayes, yet Peace an [...] Truth in these dayes. But yesterday almost, not a yeare agoe, we thought that Truth was perished, and Peace was taken from the earth; We should never heare of that any more; no more peace; no more Truth in our dayes. 1 Sam. 4. 21. I-CABOD was in every mans mouth. The Glory is departed; yet not so, Behold Peace and Truth even in these dayes!

You will say no, Warres [...]nd rumours of warres in these dayes. True, and yet Peace and Truth in these dayes. The Church contends for Truth, she maintaines it, and will hold it fast till she dyes, and not let it goe. Why then, Though the mountaines be removed, and hu [...]led into the Sea, yet her peace cannot be shaken. Though the Kingdoms be moved, she stands still Reader, you and I may learne from thence; Maintaine we Truth; contend we for that, and Truth will maintaine us; Hold fast Truth, and we keep Peace God hath joyned these together, Man shall not be able, no nor the Gates of Hell, nor power, nor policy, to separate these; they are still together, they kisse each other. And that is the Reason, That when we are full of stirres, a tumultuous people, The Righteous at such a time stand still, and are a quiet habitation. But I recall my selfe, Thus the Church concludes; Though the Lord should make Desolations now in the earth; Though He should stretch over us, The line of Germany, and the plummet of Ireland; yet the Righ­teous stand bound to Record the Salvations He hath wrought. The Righteous are not a sullen froward people, as we are; All the mercies we have are nothing in our eyes, because there is something wanting, as still there will be in the most accomplished, the most completed condition here below. But I say, because it is so, some want there is still; therefore all our mercies, so great, so many, lye buried in us under that clod of discontent. As I said before, so now, The Church not so; Though she should walke in the shadow of death; Though she were stricken into the place of Dragons, yet would they Record the yeare of the Right hand of the Lord, when He wrought so won­derfully, such salvations in Israel. And this is the taske she is addres­sing her selfe unto, but she cannot hastily recollect her spirits as she would doe, for she would call upon all within and without to praise his Holy Name.

SECT. III.

The Church opens the Records, begins to reade, but must pause a little, being taken off with Admiration.

THe Church is taken w [...]th the works of her God, as the Queene of Sheba was with the wisedome of Salomon, and the magnificence of his Court; When she had seen all that, There was no more spirit in her 2 Chron 9. 4.. Fame, which creates somthing of nothing, hath made whose Kin [...]doms, and peopled them with her owne inventions, reported not the halfe of Salomons wisedome. It exceeded the Fame that was heard 1 King 10. 7.. Fame fals as short in these Transcendents which we are upon; Therfore there is the same reason, and greater, That the Church should be so affected now, as that Queen was at that time: For behold, a greater then Salomon is here; and a greater Glory is put forth in His works now, then could be seen in Salomons Court. She must be in an amaze when she beholds the admirable, strange and unsearchable wayes of Providence towards her this last yeare: He made a path for her in a wildernesse; turned the drought of her Summer into fresh Springs. A poore blind Isa. 42. 16. Hand­maiden, She; her Lord leads her in paths, she could never have dis­cerned, never have spyed out with all her search, by a way she knew not, never thought of: No, as hid from her eyes as were the unsear­chable wayes of her first Redemption. Her Adversary led her more then once, as they did her Lord, to the brow of the Hill Luk 4. 29., thinking verily to cast her downe headlong. But her Lord wrought gloriously for her escape: For as her Lord then, so She now passed through the midst of them, and went away; She wondred how she escap't, and was at that time as one in a dreame; but being well awakened, and comming to her selfe, she remembred her Lord, whose she is, and whom she serves, He upheld her with His hand.

But what thanks and praise are due to her God? Who let out the wrath of man, and gave it the more Scope, so as the more it was let out, the more it might praise Him! Who so ordered the worke of an imperious whorish woman Ezek. 16. 30. (such was the Church in name so) and her works such; for she w [...]s impudently bold, and past all shame (whom they commonly called the Church) to worke thereout good to his people; To cause the summoning of a Parliament; To make it hold; and that a caution was put in for after-times. What a confluence of mer­cies is, in all this! What abundant matter of praise! And that, when the Priests, for the most part, were brutish, and the people but a little more reasonable, as froward as that Israelite, who co [...]nted reforming a kil­ling Exod. 2. 4.; Y [...]t such a Parliament notwithstanding, Who have layd a foundation of mercy for themselves, and their posterity, even for all the generations to come.

But I must not huddle up things so, nor throng them together, re­membring, That the greatest wonder, which most engageth the hearts of the Righteous, was wrought before the Parliament sate; Therefore I shall take leave to begin according to my proposed Method, and to set downe two Moneths, which are not in our late Kalenders; and then the Churches collections there-out, in the same order.

Surely, September (there I shall begin) it shall be to us the first begin­ning of Months, the first Moneth of our Iubile to us: For in that Moneth the Lord began to bring His Church out of Egypt, with a mighty hand, and to set His face against His Adversaries, and toward His people. And because He proceeded on toward the accomplishment of what He had begun, and to make Himselfe knowne, and to get a Name and everlasting praise all the Moneths after; in allusion to the Spirits words touching Moses, I will say of this yeare ‘There hath not been a yeare since the Redemption like unto this yeare, in all the signes and the wonders which the Lord hath done in the Land of Egypt, To the Pope and to all his servants, and to all his Land.’ And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terrour, which the Lord shewed in the sight of all Israel Deu [...]. ult [...]..

CHAP. VI.

September, 1641. The Product thereof. The Overtures, and strange turnings of things therein.

SECT. I.

September. The Product thereof.

AFter a strong commotion the waters will be some­times swell'd and unquiet▪ so likewise in our Sea. This Moneth came in boysterously partaking very much in the malignancy of the Constellation then raigning; The Souldiers (for we must speak plaine English in the Countrey-mans eare) busled after their manner, but against all expectation. The Priests (high and low) did more hurt (good I should say, yet no thanke [Page 36] to them for the good, God ordered [...]t so, and produced it, as He did the light, out of darknesse) for th [...]y were more cordiall then the souldi­ers, they prayed against the Scots heartily, and would set their peo­ple a praying too. They would force the people to impossibilities: To blesse God, and curse Man; perhaps because the Priests could skill in it▪ Blesse with their mouth, and curse inwardly Psal 62. 4.. But so the Bishops orde­red it, and so there was praying on both sides; one side prayed in paper, the other in prayer Iam. 5. 17.. And that the contrary side might pray in more faith, the Scots were written Rebels upon every Post and Pillar by the Secretary himselfe; It was time to rage and pray too, for he had but a short time: But when the cry against the Scots was great, and the clamour against them very grievous, it pleased the Lord to come downe and see, whether they had done according to the cry, and behold they had not: But the oppression, violence, and wrong done against them, was according to the cry. So He stirred up the hearts of the Nobles and Commons, both to fall upon their knees, and petition God and their King, That matters might be heard, and a way thought on to stop the great wrath, that was pressing in like a floud. Then the Nobles went towards the North (there the Clouds of bloud gathered, and there the Heavens were darkest) with a select company of the Commons; And by the good hand of God upon the King and his good people, a Parliament was resolved upon, and newes thereof spread apace, and came posted to London the 23 d. of this Moneth. About this time there were many meetings of Ministers every where, and grave consultations about a new Oath; and damn'd it was by every mouth to the very pit, whence the Bishops with their, &c. digged it; for there was a digging to Hell to hide their counsell, &c.

At this time also the Bishop visited by his Chancellour; and the new Oath was so corrupt, that it made the old one very unsavoury. So the businesse was carried in a great deale of heate and hurrey, just as it is when two sturdy Rogues fall a swearing, that which comes next to hand is their weapon, and then no wise man Will come neare them; Then the Chancellor with &c. turned their backs and shifted. Here began the troubles which shrowdly shaked the Hierarchy with &c.

Thus we have the product of this Moneth, as it were in the grosse summe, and how the end tended to a calme with them, who heartily prayed for faire weather.

SECT. II.

The Churches Collections hence yeelding matter of praise, and wonder, in the strange Overtures and turning of things upside downe.

VVE were now full of stirres, a tumultuous Nation indeed, but the Church a quiet habitation still: Notwithstanding the contra­riety of wils and motions in the World, She could stand still, wai­ting the salvation of her God; though indeed she s [...]w plainly, That she was in a wildernesse, where she saw no path. Then the Church remembred the Lord, and was comforted; He is wonderfull in all His Administrations, but especially in these, which He worketh in a wildernesse. Now the Church could leane on her Beloved; O how willingly did she reach forth her hand to Him, who is given a Leader and Commander to the people Isa. 55. 4.. Marke that, He is a sure Leader to His Church: Who? The Lord Christ; for He commands her: The Church heares no other voice, obeyes no other, but as commanding from His mouth, and leading unto Him. This in passage: But I say, how wil­lingly and confidently did the Church reach forth her hand to this Leader and Commander; she did assure her heart 1 Iohn 3. 13., He would leade her because He doth command her; He could and is able to leade her, because He maketh a way in the Sea, and a path in the mighty waters? He bringeth forth the Charet and the Horse, the Army and the Power, Isa. 43. 15, 16.. &c. The Lord did the same thing now; He made a way in the Wil­dernesse and Rivers in the Desart: So He lead His people, even those Ver. 19. that are commanded by Him. The manner how commands our Marke; He brought the blinde by a way; He lead them in paths that they have not knowne; He made darknesse light before them, and crooked things straight; These things He hath done unto them, and not forsaken them Isa 42. 16..

Truly, This Scripture is this day fulfilled in our eyes. The Church commands us to observe it in these particulars, wherein it will ap­peare, That the Lords Thoughts (Thoughts of Mercy and of Peace) were as high above mine or yours, nay above the Chur­ches Thoughts, as the Heavens are above the Earth. It appeareth d Isa. 55. 8. [...]. thus.

SECT. III.

What our Thoughts were: how high the Lords thoughts were above the Churches thoughts.

¶ 1.

OUr eyes were in the Heavens (as in such times it is our manner Sol nisi cum de sicit spe [...]tatorem non ha [...]. [...], &c. Sen.) [...]nd behold they were very darke and covered with thick clouds. Our thoughts were, and strait-way thus we said; there will be a great storme. So it was; a Starme indeed, haile-stones and coles of fire, beating sore ( [...]gainst all expectation) upon the hairy scalpe of the wicked Man; but a sweet shower to the City of God, sweetely and seasonably refreshing them, as the after-raine the parched ground.

We looked up againe to Heaven (whether else should we looke, for peace seem'd to be taken from the Earth) but behold it was very red (I purposely speake in the Almanack-M [...]kers Dialect) strait way we said, for such our Thoughts were, it will be wind; and so it was against all expectation, and that which was threatned Ier. 4. 11.; a wind indeed, but not a dry wind, for it did fan and cleanse; even a f [...]ll wind [...]gainst high places, scattering the wicked as with the breath of Gods mouth; and so they did flee as the chaffe before the vvind, or as they fled from before the Earth-quake Zach. 14. 5.: So they did flee; but hear­ken what the Lord such, He that fleeth of them shall not flee away: and he that escapeth o [...] them shall not be delivered Am. 9. 1, 2, 3.. Thus the Lord h [...]th said for after-time, and thus He hath done now, ever blessed be His Name.

¶ 2.

VVE heard of warres and nothing but rumors of warres, prepara­tion thereto on every side: strait way we said, for our thoughts were, The Sword will be bathed in Heaven Esa. 34. 5., it will be made drunke vvith the bloud of the slaine. And so it was in part, but it was in the bloud of the Men of blouds that were to call forth to battle, and to be leaders thereunto. A wonder this also, and wrought by Him, Who spake of old, and made it good now: Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me; whosoever shall gather together against Thee shall fall for thy sake [...]sa 44. 15, 16, 17., &c.

¶ 3.

VVE beheld here a Troope, and there a Troope: straight-way we [...]aid, Lord, these are called forth to destroy Thy Iudah, and to curse Thy Israel And it was so in the intention of the Adversary; and a [...]kely choyce he had made, for they were of that number, and choyce ones for that purpose, to vvhom their spirituall Fathers (so they will be called, because they savour so much of the Spirit) gave an Advousion of liberty, and choyce of sports (cryed downe by the Heathen Aug. de civ. Dei. cap. 31, 32, 33.) vvhich they might take on the Lords-day.

Certainly, said Dion [...]. Dion. Orat. 79., speaking of Liberty, Hee made bad Lawes indeed, he gave a wicked Liberty, and writ grievousnesse, who pre­scribed such Decrees, and gave such a Liberty, which could please none but the bad. Such a Liberty was this on the Lords-day, which the Bishops gave to the people. And see the luck of it, the Bishops grant was too large, it gave the people more scope then in manners they would take on the Lords-day; and so thus they requited their great Dons; vvhen it vvas expected that these people, vvho had such an Advousion of Liberty as this from the hands of their good Lords, should now gratifie the said Lords in fulfilling the whole pleasure of their will, they did cleane contrary: for, vvheras they were called out to curse, even these (in their manner) blessed altogether Num. 23. 11., and threw-out vvhat the Bishops had brought-in, the Rails and Mock-gods there. What this people did more, needeth not my Relation; [...]t is vvell known every vvhere, all the Land over; and vvell observed it vvas, even as a vvonder in the eyes and ears of all.

¶ 4.

VVE saw some of these Troopes hasting towards the North, gathe­red into a mighty body there: Instruments of cruelty prepared and sent downe. All meanes used, vvhich Achi [...]ophel could suggest (vve remember vvhat his councell vv [...]s, even to make an irreconcile­able difference betweene Father and Sonne) all to set Ephraim against Manasses, and Man [...]sses against Ephraim, both against THY IV­DAH. And so it vvas in the intention of the Adversary. But to say so now, as one hath done (vvhen he praid too) vvere a bold, ar­rogant and impious speech, if not blasphemous: for behold to the admiration of the vvorld, Angels and Men, the Breach made up, a peace concluded, and so concluded, That it is a Statute now and an Ordinance in Israel, That Iudah must rejoyce, and Israel must be right glad. So they vvill, and they vvill tell it to their children, and so down-ward, and not barely so and no more, but they vvill speake thereof vvith rejoycing, vvhat the Adversary intended, how the Lord disappointed him, and that there is now a Statute in Israel, that all [Page 40] Iudah should meet together sing and rejoyce, vvhen they tell forth the loving kindnesses of the Lord, That according to this time, it may be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath GOD WROVGHT? What hath He wrou [...]ht? Speake it out if yee can. Truely Reader, I cannot; I can fill a sheet or two vvith the Records thereof, but, me thinkes, it is an empty vvorke, no vvay sufficient to set forth the vvonderfull worke of God therein. So I leave it, and leave thee, Rea­der, to muse upon it, being resolved; that this Treatise shall not cloy thee nor fill thy hand. It is intended but to vvhe [...] thy Appetite if thou haply meetest vvith these Heads largely treated on in time to come; and to raise thy heart for the raising of a PILLAR to the ever­lasting Praise of the KNOWN GOD. There is one or two Observa­tions more, vvhich the Church chargeth us to gather-up, from the scat­terings of this Month.

¶ 5.

THe Bishops had a Court; They called it the High-Commissi­on-Court; Others, the bloudy Inquisition. Certainely (The smartest Purgatory, the sorest tyranny, that ever the Church felt-upon Earth; but her comfort is, it's all her Purgatory here, and it ceaseth vvith the Earth: This bloody Inquisition (for so they perverted Judgement and Justice there, turning such sweete blessings into Gall and Hemlocke Amos 6. 12.) received it's fatall blow this very Month, lan­guished the Month following, and dyed shortly after.

We must enquire now, vvho gave this Court this deadly blow? The Answer is, The Iudges there. Yes, that's the Answer, the e­nemies themselves being Judges. With their owne hands they vvounded themselves, and gave their Court that deadly blow. I must correct my vvords a little; I did but mistake the hand for the tongue; there is a smiting with the tongue too; I should have said, vvith their owne tongues they smote themselves and de­stroyed their Court. See Reader, how they brought the blow a­bout; but observe vvithall observation, the Retaliation of the Lord; What is that? (For it is not English) how the Lord, the Lord God of Recompences Ier. 51. 5 [...]., retal ated those Men, that is, re­turned their Recompence upon their owne head Ioel 3. 7. But yet for the glory of this vvonderfull vvorke of Retaliation, they themselves vvith their owne Tongues, must retaliate, as it vvere, Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth Exod. 21. 24.; they must, vvith their owne tongues, Returne Recompence upon their owne Heads, for thus it vvas.

¶ 6.

THe Bishops had an Oath vvhich they forced upon the righteous in homage and meere duty to their Court, and it was a gin and [Page 41] a trap and a snare to His people; as a Serpent by the [...]ay, an Ad­der in the path, that bite [...]h the Rider so that [...]e fals back ward Gen 4 [...]. 17.. The Lord, Who commands us to sweare in Truth, in Iudgement and in Righteousnesse Ier. 4. [...]., look'd upon this opp [...]ssion, and requi­red it; how? They must Retaliate themselves now, Oath for Oath. Their chaine must be let out now; the rope must be lengthned (give some men rope enough, they vvill goe neare to strangle themselves, as in this case) they must have full scope given them, and vvhat must they doe? Hammer out another Oath, and that must be as the other vvas to the righteous, a gin, a trap and a snare, to take their own foot in; as a Serpent, to make those Ri­ders, that marched so furiously to fall back-ward. I hat Oath must retaliate them, it must recompence all their evill upon their owne heads. That Oath, like a Mushrome (that miracle in Nature, for it growes and hath no root In miraculis vel max [...]mum est, ali­quid [...] aut ve­ve [...]e sine ul [...]ā [...]adi­ce Tub [...]r [...] haec vo­cantur, &c. Pl [...]. Hi [...] l. 19 cap. [...].) So this Oath, that had no root; neither in Nature nor in Grace; neither i [...] Law nor in Gospell; neither in Reason, then nor in Religion sure; This Mushrome-Oath, this rootlesse thing, must come in, and helpe to carry out head and taile▪ the Bishops vvith, &c. it must be a means to root out them and their Courts. Take we all in two words, and in Scripture lan­guage, and then see the Retaliation of the Lord; They had kil­led the Righteous there in that Court as they could; they scor­ched him vvith the breath of their lips See now! The Lord or­dered it so, That their owne breath as fire did devoure them Esa. 33. 1 [...].. They spake devouring words; indeed they swallowed up the Righteous there. See now the Retaliation of the L [...]rd! and muse on the worke of His hands P [...]. 143. 5., for so it was according to the saying. ‘The words of a Wise-mans mouth are gracious: but their lips did swallow up themselves Eccl. 10. 1 [...]..’ They fell upon the righteous like a Mil-stone, they vvould have ground him to powder: See now! They shall make their owne torgue to fall upon themselves Ps. [...]4. [...] ▪. So I have pointed at the Remarkables in this Moneth, as befits an Epitomy or Abridgement. The Et cetera▪s here are very notorious, which I have reserved to a place vvhere they may take more Roome, then they can doe in this Treatise, vvhich I intend as afore-said. So vve goe on.

CHAP. VII.

October, The Product thereof; Many Mercies, and yet but one marvellous worke wrought for the Church at that time.

SECT. I.

October, The imployment thereof.

NOw the Lord Keeper was busily imployed in issuing forth Writs to summon a Parliament, which ser­vice he did more out of duty than affection to that high Court.

This Moneth was much of it spent in enqui­ring after, or reading newes out of the North; and in chusing Knights and Bargesses for the seve­rall Counties, Cities and Towns; Where there were a poore people also, who had no voices but in corners, and there they might be bold to send up strong cryes to Heaven, which furthered the businesse not a little.

Now the people having chosen a Man to stand for ten thousand, they transmitted unto him the great Trust, their Estates, their Li­berties, their Lives, their all, that was theirs, Religion and all: And they, who understood what they did, prayed, That the service he had to doe for his King and Countrey, might be throughly thought on and accepted: And that he might goe up and returne in the fulnesse of the blessing of God.

SECT. II.

Many Mercies in one Parliament. A comprehensive Bles­sing. Why called a Parliament. The Honour and An­tiquity of that High Court. Long vacation there makes sinners impudent.

THis Moneth the Church heard the newes, That a Parliament must be summoned againe. Very comfortable newes That, and ano­ther manner of sight then to see the whole world represented in a M [...]p: That's but a dead representation: In a Parliament we see the Body of a Kingdome, not, as sometimes you see in a Table, head and shoulders onely and no more, but the entire Body represen­ted and compacted together as one man. And my selfe I see there, though but as the foot in the Body, yet there I am, my interest there, my estate there, my liberty, my Religion (so farre as man can com­mand it) all is there, that I have below, as in a joynt stocke: there it is managed and carried about by that great Body.

We cannot wonder now, that we heare such shootings in every corner, besides those we heare from the Pulpit, Grace Grace Zach. 4. 7. unto it; The Good-will of Him that dwelt in the Bush Deut. [...]3. 16. be upon it, Lord blesse the King and the Parliament.

It is the highest Court on Earth, it can call all other Courts to ac­count, how they have proceeded, whether according to or against Law. It is the great Assembly gathered from all the quarters and corners of the Kingdome, whether all the people from Dan to Beer­sheba come up to present their sores (there they looke for balme) their grievances and pressures, there they expect helpe and ease.

It is the great Councell of the Land, there they consider, take ad­vice; and speake their minds. Every man there doe's as the purpose of the word is, PARLER-LA-MENT, speake judiciously his mind, neither to flatter prerogative, nor [...]o extend priviledge Nec praerogativis blandientes, nec pri­vilegia dilatantes. L. Cooke [...]p. 8. be-his Reports., being wisely valiant and zealously wise. ‘Therfore (if I might use the Sages word) christned a Parliament; the highest House on Earth, (we cannot properly call it two Houses,) if we doe respect the An­tiquity of it, it is most venerable and ancient Si vetustatem est antiquissim si dig­nitatem est honora­tissima si iurisdicti­onem est capacissi­ma, Ep 9.: if the honour and dignity of it, it is most honourable:’ if Jurisdiction and Pow­er, we remember the old saying, The KING and the PARLIA­MENT, what cannot they doe? Even what they please: and wee stand still and hearken what that will be; The Church is resolved al­ready, That shall be done which plea [...]eth them; for sh [...]e is of the Shepheards mind, That shall be done which pleaseth God, and what pleaseth God, pleaseth her: But the Church counted it a mercy [Page 44] to heare newes of another Parliament. If we should out-live Parlia­ments; if a Parliament should be denied us; or, being granted, should be destroyed, then I-C ABOD, where is the glory? Then call the Church desolate, and her Land forsake [...]: The wicked would walke on every side, for the vilest men should be exalted Ps. 12. 8..

The long vacation given to the high Court, hath given all the ad­vantage to the Adversary, whereby to worke their owne ends in the ruine of the publike. Then was their time to sow tares, and to give them rooting, when they could cast the Lawes into a dead sleepe; when they could cause jealousies, betweene Prince and people; when they could raise an evill spirit (their owne familiar) a fire of Contention, which should come forth on the left-hand, and de­voure upon the right, and then from the right, and devoure upon the left.

O what an exceeding Mercy to have a Parliament in England! like the great day of Judgement to the wicked; when by the good hand of God upon it, there is a full discovery of things; the waies, yea the hearts of men are laid open; Things represented as they are: the up­right person, as he is, The vile, as he is: When Mephibosheth com­meth in, but of late, represented as an enemy unto his Prince, but now sound at the heart, (though lame in his feet) and forgetting him­selfe wholy for joy that the King is in safety, and his Kingdome like to prosper; when there is a right understanding of things betweene the King and his Subjects. The King beholding his good peoples he [...]rts, truly loy [...]ll and faithfull; and they the face of their King, as an Angell of God O! A Parliament, 'tis a fundamentall Mercy: So th [...] Church allowes us to call it, and to put it to that head, and then reckon on, A great Mercy to have another PARLIAMENT, a Mercy, but no wonder. For,

SECT. III.

Things were so farre out of frame, that they could not be set as rights, but by a Parliament: The having one or two in one yeare, is not a won­der, but a Mercie.

COnsider we how it stood with the Church (as it is commonly and [...] be cal' [...]) [...]nd no [...] with the Common-wealth; we consider there two, the Church (as then it was called) and the Common-wealth [Page 45] (as then it stood) a part and divided, for so they are; The Church standing against the Common-wealth, as the one Pole against the o­ther. The Church (so they were called) the Governours, Seers, Over-seers, chiefe Over seers, commonly called Priests, Bishops, Arch-bishops and their ETCETERA'S, made their loyns so strong and fortified their power so mightily, as they thought they might rule with a rod of iron, and still prevaile, breaking in peeces the Lords Jewels, as they pleased; and making-up in the place thereof, the ba­sest peeces of the Earth. The Holy Ghost hath fitted us with a most fit and full expression, none like it, Their workes were the workes of an imperious whoorish woman Ezek. 16. 30., They were growne so impudently bold, so past all shame, so farre beyond all bounds of civility and modesty; that they could not be longer endured. They laid such loades upon the people. That the stomacke of the Land was so over-charged, that it must spew them out, without putting finger into the throat, or else die of a Sur [...]et. No Remedy, but by a PARLIAMENT. I shall be corrected, a CONVOCATION, you should say, let the Priest correct the Priest. A Convocation! that were to send the Iesuite to be tryed in a Conclave of Cardinals, they would never find him guil­ty sure. The whole Body of the Land was so ov [...]r-charged with the last Convocation, that th [...]y cannot thinke thereof without loathing. It's so uns [...]voury at this day. There must be a Parliament, if it were for no other end, but to advise about this whoorish woman, so impe­rious she was. And a Covocation, in all likely-hood, would make her more imperiously proud They would have reformed the Church (they were about it) as the Reformers did in the Councell of Trent, who made the greatest Deformation that ever was heard or read of in the world. But it is pleaded. Let Church-men determine Church mat­ters; Let spirituall men have to doe in spirituall things▪ And let them [...]o; [...]ut let them know, that there is a Councell above them, that can call them to an account, how spirituall they have beene. And how like Church-men, they have kept to the rule in their Determina­tions about Church matters This is not above the Power and Wis­dome of a Parliament, called together to advise, DE ARDVIS REGNI & ECCLESIAE Then surely the Lord Christ, Hi [...] Religion, Worship and Service; the matter and manner of it is one of the greatest and most vveighty things, and of the highest con­cernment.

N [...]w every considerate man was very jealous of the Clergy of Eng­land, as corrupt then every whit, as once it was in the Iewish Church, vvhen head and heart, all vvas sicke and faint, from the sole of the foot [...]ven u [...]to the head, there vvas no soundnesse in [...]t, but vvounds and b [...]u [...]ses and putrified sores So it was in the Church Esa. 1. 5..

No better in the Common wealth, for where Gods Law is insulted over, Mans law will be trodden under; such a confusion there vvas in the Kingdome: The Pillars were so wrested out of place; Prero­gative [Page 46] so strayned; Priviledges so broken, and underfoot; such vexati­ons there vvere, on every hand, such breaches in the great house, such clefts in the little house Am. 6. 11.; such a howling for v [...]xation and oppression; That it had beene a wonder if a Parliament had not beene sum­moned.

Ai, but to see two Parliaments in one yeare, and to see one hold so long, and to give Cauti [...]n against so long a vacation, to that High-Court, is a wonder sure.

No, none of all this; time was, when a Parliament was called twice a yeare and oftner, as the aff [...]ires of the Kingdome might require: So I remember a great Sage of the Law r [...]p [...]rts. Therefore I have no warrant from the Church to call this a wonder, the having two Par­liaments in one yeare, or the having [...]ne every third yeare; it is rare with us; but every thing that is rare is not a Wonder: Naturall causes can produce, and so did, all this. The breaking of the one, Naturally and Rationally work'd for the producing of another, and to make it hold, and to put in Caution for after-time. We never exclude the first cause, That we suppose goes along with us still, as the Needle before the Threed, and then no wonder is all this, but a very great Mercy, as we heard, and shall heare. And all this we have heard, is but to pre­pare the eare to let in the Wonder, and that it may not stay there, but linke downe into the heart.

SECT. IIII.

Gods marvellous workes for the Church, and with the PARLIAMENT, That it wrought for her Liberties and enlargement every way.

YEs, that is the marvellous worke indeed; not that she hath a Par­liament, and that continued, &c. But that the Church hath re­ceived so much good from a Parliament; the finger of God is there, most remarkably there. The Church hath as much cause to complaine of Parliaments, as to speake good of them, though she can blesse God for all. She was never trod downe, never set under-foot, till a Parli­ment had set their foot upon her. You may beleeve her; the Church did tremble, and had fainted, but that the Lord was her staffe and stay, when she heard newes of a Parliament. Therefore she bestirred her self, and used her weapons to purpose, Prayers and Teares, and so be­came Israel, a prevailer with God. The Church doth acknowledge, That she never received such enlargements from any meanes here be­low of humane institution, as from the hands of a Parliament: nor [Page 47] ever cast into such straits and bondage, as by the same hand. That Court ever made her happy, or miserable; it laid the foundation ever, either for the greatest blessing, or the sorest curse: either it lifts up a Nation, making it honourable; or sinkes a Nation, making it the ba­sest of Kingdomes. That this Parliament did not doe the later, make her Desolate, and leave her as forsaken, That will be the Wonder, the marvellous working of a God towards His People, if wee con­sider,

I might say first, the Trust and Confidence we put in that High-Court. We rested-upon it, more then upon God; we waited for it as for the raine, and opened the mouth wide, as the parched ground for the latter raine. So we did well; but our eyes, which should be single to God only, were single Iob 29. 23. towards it, as the only means that could doe us good and recover our sicke and languishing State, And this our vaine Confidence might have spoyled all; for, as God doth curse bold and daring Attempts: so he doth shrinke-up and wi­ther the Arme of flesh, when man will make it his arme, depend and rest upon it; for then his heart departeth from the Lord Ier. 17 5.. There is but one thing, wherein is assurance and strength, strong confidence Pro. 14. 26., and the Lord doth commonly reject all other confidences, so as man shall not prosper in them Iet. [...]. 37.. But I passe this; for the Lord hath passed it over, not charging upon His servants their vaine Confi­dences.

¶ 1.

THis we must chiefly consider; That it was the great Designe of the Adversary; This they plotted and contrived; for this they spent their pretious spirits, that such might be chosen, who might draw to their side, and establish their wicked and mischievous Devi­ces by a Law; wherein the HEAD and TAYLE, both work'd together; the HEAD contrived; the TAYLE, put forth it is sting, and therewith did much hurt: All conte [...]ed and contended, and altogether, not only to make the hope of the righteous Null (as they call it) invalid and of no force; but to take them away from the Earth, Root and Branch, that they might be no more a people; or, if so, then the most despicable and peeled people on the face of the Earth: Thus HEAD and TAYLE contrived and contended. Who are they? I thanke the Reader, that he will not conster my words▪ before I have explained them. By the Head I doe not meane the Ruler of the People; but him, that presumes to rule the Nations, and that with a Rod of Iron (which he cals seeding Rom. 2. 27. [...]..) Not him, that beareth the Sword, but him, that challengeth two Swords, and hath right to neither I meane him, that is the Head of Heads and Lord of Lords, the POPE, I meane. I confesse I never heard him speake; but I have heard some of his flatterers say; [Page 48] ‘ That a Priest is so much above a King, as a Man i [...] above a Beast; Tantum Sacerdes praestat Regi, quan­tum homo praestat Bestiae, quantum Deus praestas Sa­cerd [...]ti, tantum Sa­cerdo [...] praest as R [...]gi; Qui Regem ante­poni [...] Sacerdo [...], is anteponis Creatu. ram [...]reato [...] Sta­nu laus Ovichovi­us. I find it in M Iu­ [...]ls Apol. 4 par. as much as God is better then the Priest; so mu [...]h is the Priest better then the King: He that setteth the King be ore a Priest, set­teth the Creature before the Creator:’ Then how farre thinke you, doth a Pope exceed Kings and Emperours? How much then is that Head above other Heads? It is answered, w [...]th liberty enough (for they take leave to pen [...]heir owne Ch [...]rter) He is as much higher above Kings, as the Sunne is above the Moone He sits i [...] the very ZENITH of the Church, in the highest place there; as hi [...]h above your Head, as you can looke with your eyes. There's a tall Man indeed. True, but he was a woman once, and that they may not be couz [...]ned the second time, he must set upon a stoole, (so 'tis related) and before he must know himselfe to be Pope, the st [...]ders by must know him to be Iohn, not Ione. And tru [...]y, bu [...] th [...]t he goes to the stoole every day, he would quite forget that he were a man, for he is above the Sacred Scripture too.

This is the HEAD, a monstrous Head, he is MANY, a Le­gion and more, for I joyne the whole Body with this Head, and all those Heads too, be they Kings, or be they Emperours, or what heads you can thinke off, who have given up their Head ship to this Head, I meane their power unto the Pope; have made themselves Servants to that SLAVE. Slave! What a word is that to give to such a tall Head? The Pope in a voluntary humility gives himselfe that Title, SERVƲS SERVORƲM. What's that? In plaine English, the basest Servant, S [...]ave; for a [...] a Song of Songs, is an excellent Song; The God of gods, is the true God; the Lord of Lords, is the excel­ling Lord; th [...] Master of Masters, is our Master in Heaven: So a Servant of Servants, is the lowest Servant, the vilest, bas [...]st Servant, a true Slave. But there is the Head with all the appurtenances and ad­herents. And see how he contrived and plotted to enlarge his Domi­nions, to dethrone the Lord Christ, to take from Him, His possession, not onely the ends of the Earth, but the head of Kingdomes. See I say, how he wrought to establish mischiefe by a Law! How hee sought to curse the people of God! For that purpose his Balaams were posted to every place, and Altars built up there; and all to curse those, whom God had blessed, and they must be blessed; but considering the height, the power, the policie of this Head, and yet hee could nor prevaile, he could not curse, that is the wonder, and yet we heare not the halfe.

¶ 2.

VVE must descend to the TAYLE, that Nadar, that despicable part, as that Earth is, whereon the foot stands (if it stands upon a muck-hill) that stinging part; the Text saith, and we feele, the sting is in the Tayle; What is that? the sacred Scripture interprets it, The Prophet that teacheth lies, he is the TAYLE Esa. 9. 15.. Reader, [Page 49] looke about thee, and observe in passage, where he or they are, who teach Lyes: They that doe so, though they be dignified with Titles and Honours, and Preferments; though they have their Schooles and Colledges for their encouragement, and to engage them the more to their God; yet if they teach Lyes, they shall not be cal­led by Him, Who giveth to every man his dues and right name, not Seers, not the Eyes of the Land, but the TAYLE. The Pro­phet that teacheth Lyes, hee is the TAYLE. And he is many too; and how did he wriggle, I cannot expresse my selfe, how did he struggle, and strive, and contend, to wriggle-in that Head the Pope, to sting the Church and to curse those, that stood on her side? Truly, this was told in Gath; what? What Prophets we have: it was published in the streets of Askelon, and the daughters of the Philistines did rejoyce, and the uncircumcised did triumph: True, but their rejoycing was but short, for the TAYLE could not sting His People. Of the sting in the Taile and poyson in the mouth, the Lord made a preservative, a soveraigne medicine, and Hee turned the curse into a blessing; Blessed be His Name.

Now the Church prayes, the Lord unscale the eyes and unvaile the hearts of those Prophets, that they may see and consider what they have done and doe, and pardon them according to the multitude of His compassions. Amen.

¶ 3.

THat the marvellous workes of the Lord may be raised in our thoughts yet higher, that we may have an high and honourable esteeme of them, we must consider, as followeth.

Here was a Head which thought to establish wickednesse by a Law; here was Tayle-Prophets, who taught lies, and these prevailed so far, that they brought the people on their side, as the sand on the Sea­shore for multitude: These made the People glad with their lyes, and he was a Prophet unto them, that could prophesie of wine and strong drinke Mic. 2. 11.. See here, Councell and Strength is for the warre, the Adversary had both, and multitudes so many as we heard, and yet see the over-ruling hand of the Lord Almighty; these prevai­led not, neither by their strength nor by their councell, nor by their multitudes, as appeareth this Day. There is the marvellous worke of God and a wonder.

To make the wonder yet more compleat, we must take-in a third person the most chiefe and principall, BEE LZEBƲB their Prince and King, the Angell of the bottomlesse pit; hee keepes his nature still, so he keepes his name still; in the Hebrew ABADDON b; in the Greeke APOLLYON Rev. 9. 11.; two names different in language and in sound, but in signification one and the same, A man slayer, a Soule-devourer. He hath his name so in the Hebrew, because he is a mighty let to the comming-in of the Iewes (no such offence to them [Page 50] in the world as your Images and Image-makers. And hee hath his name so in the Greeke, because the head of this faction mightily op­poseth the compleating or filling up the number of the Gentiles: For he opposeth with all his might, the spreading of the Gospell, the re­vealing that mighty arme of the Lord.

We have the principall now, the King and Prince, we will put all together, the Head, the Taile, the bulky-Body, with the King over them. What is the marvellous worke now, what is the wonder? This, That the gates of Hell prevailed not. Wisedome, mighty for plotting and contriving, was turned into foolishnesse. Strength, mighty for action, was turned into weaknesse. Multitudes did fall as drunkards; had not so much power as women, or as wounded men. We have not all yet, this must be considered also, for this is our designe, to advance the name of God in confounding such a Troope, by such weake meanes.

The Righteous, who seemed a very few, a thin scattered people, these spake often (not only, as in an evill time) one to another •, but openly, and to the Adversaries face. These I say, though Prudent men, Mal. 3. 16. did not keepe silence, no, not in that time, such an evill time Am. 5. 13.. I should goe on, but here an Objection will thrust in upon me, to take off from this wonder, and to shorten, if it could be, the Arme of God, even the right hand of the Almighty.

SECT. V.

The Obiection, That the Arme of the People was strong here, and the Arme of God not so glorious.

SEe the manner of Men before we heare them if we can see any cran­ny or chinke, whereat light and comfort comes in unto us, to that we will looke, not minding the Sunne, whose beam it is. If our net be quite broken all to peeces, we will scarce cast it away; we will thinke it may catch and hold something, and so to our Net we will sacrifice, that is, to our owne strength and wisdome; That did it, God did nothing Adrete re [...]rr [...], hoc est, pu [...]a [...] Diū nihil esse. Hab. 1 16. vid Calv., If the arme of flesh be strong, we looke not after, we regard not at all the Arme of the Lord, the Right-hand of the Al­mighty. But was the arme of flesh strong now? nay, was it conside­rable? surely, the Lord seemed now to cut Israel short 2 Kin. [...]0 30.. Iacob was then very low, as a worme now, very small; Surely it might be questioned now as once it was, O Lord God forgive, I beseech thee, by whom shall Jacob rise? for hee is SMALL Am 7. 2.. But see, I say, what hearts we have, still warping, nay, still departing from the Lord. [Page 51] If there be any thing of the arme of flesh discernable, whereat to take hold, there we take our hold-fast, and thereon we rest, Just so wee did here; Here wee saw Head and Tayle, and multitudes, and their King also, all confounded. Thanke the Country-man for this, so they say, and so they abate of the wonder, and from the glory of the work. We will examine the truth of that.

It is said, the People in the Country were at this point wise enough and provident enough. That's true, wise enough in their Generation, wiser then the children of light; and provident enough too; for what? For their owne private-wealth, their particular interests; Take them otherwise and in the lumpe, and out of their owne tractes, and they have little wisdome or providence at all. True it is, they were pinched now, and that made them looke up from the ground, wheron they are still poring. They did howle, because of their Task­masters, which made them looke out for helpe, and be a little more provident then ordinary. They that pressed Ship-money, should ne­ver have their voyces; so they were resolved, so tender they were in their owne ease, and where it pinched; but for the cause of Christ and His Church, it is little in their thoughts. I know the manner of men well enough, by making enquiry into mine owne heart, and the manners and customes there. As our interests leade us, and our relati­ons stand, there is the BIAS, that way we goe, and there we cast our voyce, considering no more, but that he is our most honoured Lord and Master. Thanke the Country-man, who will; the Church will not, till she heare of such an one, who, against his owne interest, pri­vate-wealth, and speciall Relation, minded the Common-weale, and so cast his voyce, She will praise the Lord, as vvell as she can, and call upon all so to doe; and blesse His Name for His good Servants, vvhose voyces vvere sent up in corners. And so we may count it a mercy, that such a choyce was made; but for the marvellous worke, and the wonder we read it before, and this, that followes, makes it yet more wonderfull.

That vvhen the Worthies came altogether, and made a full Court, then and there, The Lord did so stirre-up their spirits, as that they vvere carried some of them above themselves, yea, and (I appeale to themselves) against themselves: I meane, against vvhat they thought and intended, vvhen they vvere entring the doores of the House. Doubtlesse so it vvas, else such things had not bin done, as are done, had it not beene even so. But it is wonderfull in our eyes, for it is the Lords doing, Who when His vvorke is in hand, vvill frame and mould the spirits of Men, according to His good pleasure. There is yet something more in it, and greatly to be observed, that the Lord sent forth a dry wind, which sifted and sifted this Court; now one was blown away, anon another: Now this man vvent his way, and the other did flee away. All this, that it might appeare to all the vvorld, that the Lord intended assuredly to doe His Church good by this Court, [Page 52] with His whole heart, and with His whole soule Ier. 32. 41.. We must learne now from all these [...] great things, vvrought these two Months, these vvonderfull administrations; and picke out great lessons there­from.

CHAP. VIII.

Certaine Uses or Conclusions from the premises, clearing forth unto us, The Church, by the DEFENCE that is still upon the GLORY; their stability and innocen­cy; then our duty from all.

SECT. I.

Wee know the Malignant Church by their envy at the Peo­ple: the true Church, because, they are the But against whom Malice bends her Bow, and yet is not able to over-throw them. They are delivered still after that sort, &c.

¶ 1.

THis will helpe us to decide a gre [...]t controversie. There are two parties, both say, They are the Church, not in name, but in de [...]d whom may we believe? Enquir [...], and vve shall have full satisfaction. What party have a Malignancy in them? both you will say; that's true enough; but I meane, a professed enmity against God and goodnesse. If vve can resolve our selves in this point, Who these are? We may take full satisfaction to that question. It is said, There are no Malignant persons in our Church, none that have a professed Malignancy in them. No! Is there no Malignancy in that monstrous Head? nor in it's app [...]rtenancies and adherents? None in that Tayle, those lying Prophets? Is there no Malignancy in their ungodly deeds, and hard speeches? None in those words, which corrupt and eat, as doth a Canker 2 Tim. 2. 17.. None in all this? Perhaps it [Page 53] will not be granted, that there is a Malignancy in the Divell, who is their King, and hath the keyes of the bottomlesse pit. But in courtesie I demand, and let them answer me as Men; actions we say, make the fullest discovery what spirit we are of: was not that a fruit of utter enmi­ty, of desperate Malignancy & madnes, to hurry th [...] Church, to drag her to the very brow of the Hill, there shocking her againe and again, that she might (3 Kingdoms at one shock) fall down head-long from that preci­pice, or pinnacle? Certainly this must be granted to be a fruite of Can­kered Malice: Surely then by the fruits you shall know them to be no Church, but in name so, and that name is, a Malignant Church. Wic­kednesse [...] 1 Sam. 24. 13. proceedeth from the Wicked, as saith the Proverb, and that's the first Conclusion, clearely evidencing Who is That Church, and Who is the Church indeed And now I proceed to make further Dis­covery at this point, Who is the True Church?

¶ 2.

We must enquire, Against whom doth Malice bend her bow with full strength, and shootes her Arrowes? Against whom doe these Malignants bend their hand (Ʋ [...]godly Deeds) and their Tongues (hard words) and their hearts (destructive intentions?) Who is the Butt, The white, the Marke? Who are they, against whom (in the pu [...]suance of their most Destructive Designes) these Malignants do carry all their ungodly Words, and hard Deeds levell unto? Looke which way is the Malignants aime, and that will point your eye di­rectly to the Righteous Man. Whom do they hurry and drag unto the Brow of the Hill? The righteous evermore, and because they do the thing that is right: therfore doth that Head, that monstrous Head and Tayle, that Serpentine generation, and those multitudes, with the King over them, bend all their councells, policies and strength against theese people, because they see the thing that good is. So it hath beene from the beginning, so it will be to the end of the world. And so vve conclude from the sacred Writ, and from the present times, where are cleare and manifest proofes, That the Church must be tryed, as Silver and Gold is tryed: That Legions of Adversaries doe seeke and vvait her destruction; that whole Ar­mies of troubles, afflictions and sorrowes doe abide her; but Her God vvill deliver her, from and out of all, that's her comfort, The Gates of Hell are against her, but shall not prevaile, that is her con­clusion We proceed on to give hints of things, that vve may mag­nifie the arme of the Lord, and raise our spirits in the high praises of the Churches God.

¶ 3.

When vve have made full enqu [...]ry into these present and last Times, let us search the Records of all times, and enquite there, Who it is over vvhom the fire hath no power? Who it is that God doth rescue out of the Mouth of the Lyon? Whom doth He suffer to be carried to the brow of the Hill, and then makes way for escape? Whom doth [Page 54] He bring to the mountaine of streights, and there is gloriously seene in their Salvations? For vvhom doth He divide the Sea, and makes paths in the great vvaters? For His enemies you wil [...] say. Yes, that they may pursue, then fall and sinke like a stone, and rise no more. But for whom doth He open a way, that they may goe o­ver? It must be answered, He doth this, for His Church, His Is­rael, His ransomed ones. The redeemed of the Lord vvill say so; He delivers them so, such Salvations He vvorketh for them and them onely: He delivers them after THIS SORT Dan. 3. 29.. What sort? None delivered as are these, after such a strange, vvonderfull and miraculous way, after THIS SORT. The fire had no power over them. But for their enemies, the flame of the fire slew them, and for those enemies, that are suffered to goe on in their furious March, He takes off their Charet-wheeles, makes them drive heavi­ly then: When? When they are upon the very heele of the righ­teous; then the vvaters over-whelme them, and they are made as still as a stone Exod. 15. 16.. The Conclusion is, the Lord never made His Arme bare of flesh, He never appeared in the Mount of straits; but for His Church, and against His Adversaries; but so He hath appea­red this day.

¶ 4.

Who are they vvhom we see guarded, fenced, hedged about •; what more? There needs no more, and yet to assure their security, and that there is not a chinke open, whereat danger shall enter to doe them hurt, there is more added, and on every side Iob 1. 10.. See their secu­rity! Whose security? the Churches, the Righteous mans security e­ver-more. They are hedged about, and on every side, not a cranny hole left open, whereat danger can come-in to doe them hurt. No? no.

Object. This carries not the face of Truth, you will say. See we not these sort of men hurried, and spoyled, and peeled, exposed to all danger from the tongues and hands of violent and bloody men? Are they then hedged about, and on every side, when dangers come in upon them at every turne? and they are made now Magor­missabib Ier. 20. 3., beleaguered-about, and terrour on every side.

Answ Yes, and yet notwithstanding all this, they are so hed­ged, as was said, and nothing shall come unto them for their hurt.

They may be hurried, and peeled, and spoyled, and killed too, and yet all for their good. Reader, this will not seeme strange unto thee, if thou readest and considerest with all thy heart, that seventy yeares Captivity was for their good Ier. 24. 5.. Therefore we must set a marke upon these words; No cranny is left open, whereat danger can enter to doe this people hurt. They are a protected peo­ple still; hedged about still, and on every side. God keepes their [Page 55] persons from troubles; or He delivers them by troubles; or sup­ports them in troubles (as He did Iob, a miracle of patience; ne­ver any man so tryed as he, never any man so supported, as he) or o­pens a dore and passage through dangers, so bringing His Servants to the place where they vvould be. The Divell spake good Divini­ty, the Servants of the Lord will say so; Thou hast made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side This then is the conclusion; Surely there is no inchantment against J [...]cob, neither is there any divination against Israel: accor­ding to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what hath God wrought Numb. 13. 2 [...]. ▪

SECT. II.

From what God hath done, The Church gets assured confidence for time to come.

SEe againe, for we have observed the premises; here was an Head against the Church, that monstrous Head; the Tayle against Her, That serpentine Tayle; that bulky-body, as the sand for multitude, all these against Her, with their King over them, yet could doe Her no hurt. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on Serpents and Scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any meanes hurt you Luk. 10. 19.. These are good words and comfortable, and now are they fulfilled in our eyes. All these enemies did what they could to sting and poyson the Church, but they were not able: All these blowed hard to quench the light of Israel, yet could not doe it; the Lord kept His Church alive as a sparke (which is said of Noah [...]. Chrys. Tom. 5. Ser. 6.) in the midst of the roaring Ocean. Who would not feare this God? Who would not serve Him? None, but a God can de­liver after this sort: That was the conclusion, and none are so de­livered, but His Church; He reprooveth Kings, nay Hee breaketh the Head of the Leviathan in peeces for His Churches sake. And this is the Churches confidence for ever, from all these things, which her God hath done, they can assure their hearts for the time to come, That when they shall be brought againe to the Brow of the Hill, to her mountaine of straits, their God will appeare there. He that brake the Heads of the Leviathan to peeces, Pharaoh and his great Hoast Ps [...]9 14. Annona fuit hu [...] reposita, qua vesce­retur populus, Cal. in loc., gave that deliverance for meat to His peo­ple inhabiting a wildernesse (i. e;) that when they should be in straights, then they might remember that deliverance, and be encouraged. He that gave them such a Deliverance as was that, would [Page 56] not suffer them to sinke now; That which God hath done, was a cordi [...]ll unto them in their fainting fits: Verily, verily, That God Who had so delivered would never never leave them nor forsake them Heb. 1 [...]. [...]. [...]. Five Negatives., Thus the Church concludes now from the premises, which she cals ex­periences; God, Who did deliver from so great a death, and doth deliver, in Him they doe trust, that He will yet deliver 2 Cor. 1., even so, Amen.

¶ 1.

This we must adde to the former Conclusion; as we must learne to trust in Him, to set our hope upon Him Ps 78. 7., Who is Mighty: So al­so to set our heart upon Him; He is Mighty, and hath done for us mighty things, therefore vve must serve Him vvith all our M [...]ght. He hath done His Church good assuredly, with His whole Heart, and with His whole Soule Ier 32. 41.; that we might serve Him so with our whole heart, and with our whole soule. He hath not like a warfaring Ier. 14. 8. man, stayed with His Church for a night, and then away: No, He hath made His abode with her (He dwels in the flaming-bush) He sets. up His rest there, because there His soule delighteth: All this, that wee might be stedfast with Him, and turne backe no more in the Day (of Tryall) of battell. It is much to be thought of, that God dwels in His Church, when they are as a flaming Bush, in the fornace of af­fliction, then Hee dwels with them; vvhich mightily en­gageth His people to Dwell, to delight themselves in the Lord, Who so regarded them in their low estate. He followed His Church vvith mercies after mercies, and deliverance after deliverance, and discoveries against discoveries, these followed hard, and over-tooke one the other Why so? That vve might follow after righteousresse Esa. 51. 1., that v [...]e might foll [...]w on to know the Lord Hos 6. 3.; That our souls might follow hard after the Lord Ps 63. 8., and not cease till we have taken hold of Him, & resolved to cleave unto Him, to close with Him in all His Commands and Pro­mises: And so to say of the Lord, as He hath said, Who hath chosen Zion, The Lord is our Rest for ever, here will we dwell, for we have desired it Ps. 132. 14.. The poore man that was possessed with a Legion of Di­vels, but now delivered and in his right mind, prayed the Lord Christ, that he might be with him Mar. 5. 18.. he remembred his old bondage, how the case was with him, when under the power of that cruell Lord, and feared the like againe, if he should depart from Christ, or Christ from him. I will repeat the former conclusion and joyne this with it, for we find them together, Because thou hast beene my helpe, there­fore in the shadow of Thy Wings will I rejoyce. My soule followeth ha [...]d after Thee, Thy Right hand upholdeth me Ps. 63. 7. 8..

SECT. III.

This will serve to cleare the Churches Innocency as the Noone-Day.

THe Church hath beene so and so delivered, after such a sort: They have beene in Deaths often; yet, behold she lives, is con­fident and strong in her God and power of His Might Nay, the Church hath bin as the Bush, (that's her Type) all in a flame, and yet, as then, so now, vvhich appeareth this day, not consumed. Let us turne aside, and see this great sight; Certainly, then we must be­hold GOD IN THE BƲSH. When I say, GOD, then I have said all, the Love, the Wisdome, the Power of God, all ex­ceeding towards His Church, the sonnes of Iacob, in whom He be­holds no iniquity, neither hath He seene perversnesse in Israel Num. 23. 21.. If we shall well consider this, and ponder it in our hearts, we shall be well able to cleare the Churches innocency. I meane, if this, vvhich hath been said, shall sinke downe into our hearts, it will be more cleansing then Fullers-sope to wash-off a foule imputation, a notorious slander cast upon the very face of the Church, and to render her, as white and cleare thereof, as the Snow in Salmon, or as rai­ments, white as the Light, so as no Fuller can white them.

It is said, her people are enemies to their King; they seek not his peace; they have driven him from them. Nay, the slander riseth higher; as high as that of Saul against David. That imputation then, and this now, runne together like paralell lines, We will see then how David cleares his innocency; and how God cleares him; and then vve shall see the very same thing done now. Thus David vvas slandered, That he conspired against his Master; That he lay in wait to catch him in a 1 Sam 22. 8. Snare, &c. See how David cleares himselfe. Now the Lord forbid that I should doe this thing unto my Master, the Lords annoynted, seeing he is the annoynted of the Lord 1 Sam. 24 6.. Moreover, my Father, see, see here a good token, yea, see the skirt of this robe in my hand; had an uncircumised (a Jesuited) person come so neare thee, he would have taken away thy head, and have rejoyced when he had done: for wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked, as saith the Proverbe. But my heart throbs within me, because I have cut­off the lap of thy garment: Know thou now and see, that there is ver. 13. neither evill, nor transgression in my hand; So David cleares him­selfe. Yes, if a mans owne words vvill cleare him, vvho vvill not ver. 11. appeare innocent? True, but here are more then vvords, yet they are cleare and simple; here is more then a single proofe, for here are [Page 58] deeds too, as we may reade, if we will pe [...]use the Story. But the maine thing and to our purpose here, is this. How doth God cleare him? Thus; And David behaved himselfe wisely in all his wayes, and God was with him. 1 Sam. 18. 14.

Was that the clearing of Davids innocency? Yes, none like that: David behaved himselfe wisely, and God was with him; he could strengthen his hand in God; he could encourage himselfe in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 23 16. 30. 6.: A wicked person cannot doe so; if he doe; it is presump­tion, and an unwarranted confidence. God vvill not take part with the wicked; He vvill not shine upon their councels. Yes, He doth, and so He i [...] said to doe Iob. 10. 3.. True, and we will answer that by the way.

God may shine upon the Councels of the wicked, and crosse the proceedings of the just commanded and warranted from His owne Mouth. He may doe the first, as to make them confident, so to ripen the designe, and to hasten it's ruine; and to make Himselfe more glo­rious in confounding them and their designes. He hath done the lat­ter more then once, to quicken up His servants to more caution about themselves, and their worke, and the manner of performing their Ma­sters charge.

But here is the point we drive unto; vvhen Deliverances come-in unto His people with the seale and impression of the wisdome and po­wer of God upon them, this is ever, because they are His people; He delights in them; there is innocency in their hearts, and their hands are pure from that great evill suggested against them. Such Salvati­ons the Lord wrought for David, They had the impresse of the Al­mighties hand upon them. Saul hunted him like a Partridge: God would not deliver him into his hands; Hee rescued him here and there and every where. It had not beene so, if innocen­cy had not beene found in his hands, and integrity in his heart towards Saul, his peace and dignity, for he was the Lords an­noynted. The Text is plaine, it needs not my Comment, but I'le apply it comparing the Salvations then and now together; for their accusation is the same; crimes objected the same; their defence or a­pology the same; and God the same in rescuing them, and clearing their innocency as the Noon day.

The servants of the Lord are thus accused at this day; ‘they are enemies to their King, they seeke his hurt; they have driven him a­way, &c.’ These servants of the Lord answer, God forbid, for who can doe so against the Lords annoynted and be guiltlesse? They seeke the hurt of their King, their consciences beares them Record, and God also, they seeke God for the King, and are not weary; Grace, Grace unto him, Peace, Peace unto him (and that is all) Peace bee both to him; peace to his house, and peace be to all that he hath 1 Sam. 25. 8.: peace, peace unto him, and peace be to his helpers, for their God hel­peth them 1 Chro. 12. 18,.

They enemies to their King the Lords annoynted! So they are to their own souls, for so they pray for him.

They have driven him away from them! As a man drives away the candle, vvhen he is in the darke, and must walke, but would not stumble. They quench the light of Israel! As they would the light and influence of the Sunne, vvithout vvhich they could not move the least finger: As they would quench the light and motions of Gods Spirit in them, without which, they sit in miserable darknesse, and move not, or move to their owne destruction. They secke his life! They doe indeed; heare them in the Church, or in the Closet, O King live for ever. The eternall God be thy Refuge and underneath the E­VERLASTING ARMES, Deut 33. 27.

They deliver their King up into his enemies hands! they set him in the Front of the battell! As they would set themselves at the mouth of a Cannon, or thrust themselves into the mouth of a Lyon or Beare, bereaved of her whelpes, which will teare the Cawle of their hearts. So they cleare themselves and their innocency at this point. Ai, but a man is not justified by the words of his own mouth.

Well, be it so, that their owne vvords cleare them not. See how the Lord cleares them. How? They behave themselves wisely, and God is with them; They proceed on and doe exploits, as Men made wise by the wisedome of God, and mighty in the strength of His power: They can strengthen their hand in God; They can encou­rage themselves in Him. He hath made an hedge about them; and a­bout their house, and about: all that they have on every side: He hath blessed the worke of their hands; and prospered the very thoughts of their hearts, These were to promote Christ, the Glory, for He is worthy. He hath constantly shin'd upon their counsels. He or they that can observe, and can speak by the Spirit, must say concerning this people, as Amasai did concerning David, Thine are we (thou blessed of the Lord) and on thy side thou daughter of Zion; Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers, for Thy God helpeth thee 1 Chro. 12. 18. Indeed He doth, and in all the peoples sight; They can see the Salvations of a God comming in unto them with the seale, im­presse and inscription of the Wisdome, Power, Majesty of a God up­on them. These servants of the Lord can say as David did, My soule was among Lyons, but the Lord shut the mouth, that Devourer could not swallow-up Ps. 57. 4.: They did lye among them, who were set on fire; yet their garments did not smell of the smoake. But for the wicked it shall not be so with them, not so with them, that seeke the hurt of their King. They may triumph for a short time, and joy for a mo­ment; but how oft is their candle put out, how oft commeth their de­struction upon them Iob 21. 17.? God distributeth sorrowes in His Anger. The wicked shall be as stubble before the wind, and as chaffe that the storme carrieth away: The Lord rewardeth the wicked, and they shall know it. Thus and thus shall it be to the wicked, but thou Lord Ps. 5. 12. [Page 60] wilt b [...]esse the righteous: with favour wilt thou compasse him, as with a shield. That's the Conclusion, That the salvations of God, great salvations, are evermore the portio [...] of the Church, the Israel of God, who seeke the p [...]ace and life of their King; and so they can commit their righteous cause unto a righteous God, Whose eyes are upon the Truth, and will blesse those that are children of blessing, even according to the innocency of their hands, and integrity of their hearts in this matter, even so. Amen.

¶ 1.

I shall passe-over now a chiefe thing, vvhich must be concluded al­so from the premises and containes much: I shall name it only and no more, and so put a Marke upon it for observation.

† 1. That the Lord hath a time to bring downe H [...]s Adversaries. When? Then when they are a float, when the flood of their pride riseth to the highest; When they say in their hearts, They will climbe up above the heights of the clouds, and be like the most high Esa 14. 14.; They had an arme like God (such were their proud thoughts) Who changeth the times and the seasons, ramoveth and setteth up Dan. 2 21.; they could sl [...]y whom they would, and whom they would they could keep alive. They could set up whom they would, and whom they would they could put down Dan. 5. 17. When their heart was thus lifted up, then they came downe mightily; then the Lord was a­bove them, in all wherein they dealt proudly Exo. 18. 11.; and made them know that they are but Men Ps 9. 10. Vehementissimèag. n [...]scant. Iun.. But this knowledge is too high for them; they will not know in good earnest, that they are but Men. For truely wee are a stubborne Generation, as our fore-Fathers; vvho vvhen they saw their fellowes killed vvith plagues, yet they Repented not of the workes of their hands, neither of their murders, nor of their Sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts Rev. 9. 20, 2 [...].. When men have ascended to that pinnacle and height of wickednesse, seldome do we reade, that they have repented. But then we reade, as vve now see, they have beene tumbled downe thence even then, and great must their fall be, when the time comes, that God must ease Himself of His Adversaries.

† 2. God hath a time to raise up His People. When? Then, when Iacob is very l [...]w, very small, little in all mens eyes and lesse in his owne. Then, when the Worme Jacob, lying at the mercy of the foot of pride, trampled upon, insulted over. Then, vvhen the Gyants and proud men of the Earth said to Iacobs soule, Bow downe that we may goe over, and he laid his body as the ground, and as the street to them that went over Isa. 51. 23.. Then God raised Iacob up; then He makes them Israel, for then His people vvill ascribe Salvations to their God; to His right-hand all the glory. The Earth mourneth and languisheth, Sharon is like a Wil­dernesse, now will I rise, saith the Lord, now will▪ I be exalted, [Page 61] now will I l [...]ft up My Selfe Isa 33. 9, 10.. For the oppression of the poore, for the sighing of the needy, now will I rise, I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him Ps. 12. 5.. I should be larger here, wheras I have set but a marke for observation upon it.

¶ 2.

Now the poore Captives, who beleeve, will not hasten, that they may be loosed Isa. 5 [...]. 14.. They can wait now Gods time, for He waits the fittest time to give Deliverance, when His children are fittest to re­ceive it, and to let it sinke downe into their hearts, vvhich they ne­ver doe, till they are emptied of self confidence. If Deliverance came not vvhen they would have it, yet they did not die in the pit, nor did their bread faile. Rescues and Deliverances did come at such a time, when they vvere most sweet and seasonable Blessed is the man that maketh the LORD his trust: And respecteth not the proud (not how many, nor how fierce they be) he respecteth the Promise, and waites Gods time in confident assurance, that God will Ps. 40. 4. come, bring Deliverance with Him in His owne time, that is seaso­nably, ever the fittest time. And so I p [...]sse on unto other Uses and certain Conclusions here from.

SECT. IV.

We cannot partake of the Churches Priviledges, but we must be free of her Corporation.

NOw we will be on the Churches side too, for we expect such sal­vations: We will lay hold on her, and will be called by her Name, and expect the s [...]me Almighty hand to be put out for us, and against our enemies. Surely, this is a good resolution, to come un­der this shadow, for here is safety, notwithstanding all the noyse, hurry and tr [...]ubles that are abroad. This is the sure side, her Redee­mer is strong, He will give rest to her Land, and He will disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon Ier. 50. 34.. The Church shall stand still, and be­hold the salvation of the Lord, that is certaine, notwithstanding all the shockes, they shall stand; notwithstanding all the contri­vings and policies to bring them to the Brow of the Hill, they shall escape, and the nearer she is brought, the more glorious vvill her De­liverance be. It is our wisdome to joyne our selves to the Churches side, for it is the sure side. Peace, Peace unto her, and Peace be to her helpers, for their God helpeth them.

But stay a little, Let us not runne away with the comfort, as our manner is, and neglect the duty: the Lord hath wrought and doth vvorke great Salvations, as becommeth a great God; and seasonably in the day of trouble. For vvhom? for His Church, yea and for me and thee for His Churches sake. But our comfort will be small, and of small continu [...]nce, if we doe not our Duty as the Church doth, She hath beene delivered, I say, marvellously delivered, that is true enough; but see, she prayed for this thing, she vvas importunate, she gave her Lord no rest. Indeed He told her, He would be enquired for that thing Ezech. 36. 37., so they wrestled and wept too, and prevailed, as we see this day. H [...] doth guide her by His Councell. Whether? For that she is not carefull, whethet through thicke or thin (as we say;) vvhether through rough places or plaine, she is not carefull for that, her Lord hath her by the hand, that's enough, Hee guides her, and will bring her to glory, she is sure of that; Glory is the end of her way, what troubles so ever are in the middle of the way, and in that her heart is assured. Take all with it; He guides Her; He leades her; yes, and He commands her, a LEADER and COMMAN­DER to His people; that is the point, and our lesson of everlast­ing use. Would we be a protected people; would we be guided by His hand? (He is a sure Guide) would we be carried as upon Eagles wings? We must then heare His voyce; we must obey Him, He must command us, and no other, but as they command from Him and lead to Him He is a LEADER and COMMANDER to His People. Take we this comfort and feed upon it, but remember the duty too, a LEADER and COMMANDER to His people. We would be as the Church is, for we would be in as safe a condition and harbour, as the Church is. Ai, but surely a VELIETY, a would so, will not serve the turn. There is not a Balaam in the world, not such a sluggard, but he hath a veliety, a would so; he would have plenty and peace both; he would have protection and safety; he vvould have it now, but at his end, vvhen he must be taken from the Earth, then he would in good earnest. No matter for plenty then, but for peace. O, but let him lay this to heart, and muse upon it, vvhen he turnes upon his bed, like the doore upon it's hinges, expecting that salvati­on will come unto him, and drop into his mouth. If he would have peace (for that containes all) he must up and be doing, he must stirre up himselfe with all his might, he must come out of himselfe, and thrust out his Idoll, whether one or many, his ease, his profit and his pleasure.

His excuse will not serve the turne, that there is a Lyon in the way, a difficulty he cannot overcome; therefore he will not indeavour it. If he saith so, and is resolved to be lazy, and sit still, I pronounce a­gainst him this Day, from the mouth of the Lord, That Peace shall not b [...] his portion, but the contrary. When he expecteth peace, be­hold trouble; he shall have wrath with his sicknesse; Tribulation Eccl. 5 17. [Page 63] and anguish shall come upon him like an armed man; and when hee vvould solace his soule with peace, vvhen he would see the Rivers, the Floo [...]s the Brookes of Hony and Butter Iob 20, 17.; he shall see the contrary, that which shall amaze and astonish him, if his heart be not as a stone vvithin him: Heaven above him, shut against him; the grave open to receive him: His soule lanching forth into the Ocean of Ae­ternity, vvhere he must vvallow in the streames of brimstone, and flames of fire; how long? The answer thereto sinkes the spirit, for it is the very Hell of Hell, FOR EVER and EVER. We have not a thought that can [...]each halfe way to the bottome of that O­cean. But this thought of perishing FOR EVER, of everlasting burnings shall drinke up the spirits of a Man, and be within his bo­wels as the gall of Aspes. ‘But the serious thoughts thereof, now, now, this present time, the acceptable time, and day of Salvation, m [...]y be very effectuall to awaken him, that lyeth downe NOW, as in the midst of the Sea, or as he that sleepeth upon the top of a Mast Pro. 23. [...]4.: To stirre him up to arise, and call upon his God, if so be that God will thinke upon him, that he perish not Iona. 1. 6., FOR EVER, punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the LORD, and from the glory of His power 2 Thes. 1. 9..’

The Conclusion is; if a Man vvould fly from the wrath to come; if he would assure his heart, that everlasting consolation shall be gi­ven unto him; if he vvould have peace now, vvhich all the Ma­lignants in the vvorld cannot take from him; if he vvould have a defence, a shield over his head now, vvhich the most fiery darts cannot pierce through; if he vvould have assured confidence of all this, if he be in earnest and will have it indeed; He will get assurance, that he shall stand now and hereafter, as the everlasting Hils, and perpe­tuall Mountains; if this be his will indeed; if this be the very purpose and resolution of his heart, then he will give all diligence, to the full assurance of Hope Heb. 6. 11, 12. (that proves his will whether true or not) to do as the Church doth, to obey heartily, to trust perfectly, to be guided by Him, to walke before Him, and to be perfect. So the Church doth doe, and if we doe as she doth, vve shall be as she is, though the Raine de­sce [...]d and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon her house, yet a QVIET HABITATION notwithstanding.

SECT. V.

We cannot expect to be delivered AFTER THIS SORT, unlesse we walke in THIS WAY, the way of Gods Commandements.

LAstly, learne we from hence, to keepe our selves in Gods way, there is safety in those pathes; the Angels carry us, we cannot dash the foot therein. We are sure of protection so farre, as wee keepe our selves in that path, though it seemes over-clouded with the shadow of death. In that darke path the Church can walke on bold­ly and considently, though through fire and water, for she walkes under the shadow of the Almighty, and in the feare of God all the Day long Pro. 23. 17.: Therefore she finds comfort, even where she sees no light. But if she doth find comfort and light both, yet then she feares the Lord and His goodnesse Hos. 3. 5.. She feares at all times, she presumes at no time; she walkes boldly, but humbly; shee doth not lead her selfe into temptation; no, she is lead to the Brow of the Hill, or forced rather; but then she is sure the Adversary cannot force her downe.

We may note this by the way; it is one thing when a man is dri­ven upon straits; and another thing when he drives himselfe upon straits. It is one thing to be brought to the brow of an hill; and a­nother thing for a man to bring himselfe to such a precepice. I may be c [...]st into the armes of God, and be assured to be held up by them; but if I presumptuously rush-in upon them, I shall not find those arms underneath; I shall not be held up by them. To presume, that God will keepe me, when I walk not in His way, is as if a man should hang himselfe in hope, that one would come and cut the halter.

To close up all; We find safety no where but in Gods way, for therin with Iacob, we find a Command and a Promise both (these are still together) The Lord which said unto me, Returne unto thy country, and Gen 32. 9. to thy kindred, and I will deale well with thee. The Conclusion then is; if in this way, Esau, a bloudy persecutor, will come out against the Church, he shall not be able to do them hurt, though his wrath should not abate: but [...]t may be the Lord w [...]ll so over-power his spirit, that he shall not dash against the Church, but meet them, as becommeth a Brother, with embracings.

SECT. VI.

An Apology for this digression, if it seemes so; And a short view or recollection of what was last said.

I May seeme here to have digressed not a little in discontinuing the Calender by these Uses or Conclusions, so largely insisted upon: If so it seemeth to the Reader. I would desire him to consider this; and then if he thinks it a digression, he will think it necessary also, first;

† 1. Tha [...] (which was intimated before) God wrought then like Himselfe, [...] wonderfully, before man was called forth to helpe Him against the Mighty. He alone doth wonders: but they are not wonders in our eyes, unlesse He workes alone. Though we have not many to worke with Him, though but a few, yet these few take off much from the wonderfulnesse of His workes Miram [...]r si no­bis coelestis manus aliqu [...] non prastet, cui quicquid prasti [...] terit derog [...]. Sal. de gub. l. 7. p. [...]47.; such a regard we have to the arme of flesh, though a weake arme, and often broken in all the peoples sight. But, I say, before the Parliament was sum­moned, He wrought alone; and then vvas the Adversary confounded, his snares broken; then vvas the Church pluck'd (three Kingdomes at once) as a brand out of the fire Zach. 3. [...].; then, at that time, the Church pas­sed from the brow of the Hill, through the middest of her Adversaries, and went her way. The Lord knowes how she escaped, for she knows Luk. 4. 30. not. but she passed through the middest of them, and went her way: A flaming Bush then, as once she was. But see this great sight! The Bush burned with fire and was not consumed. Then came helpe from Heaven, vvhen there vvas none from the Earth: Then rowled-in streames of consolation, floods of hony and butter, when the enemy and adversary had stopt and dam'd up all her fresh springs below. Then came in the spring-tide of Deliverance, when she vvas brought to the lowest ebbe of Distresse. See the vvorkings of a God [...], Chrys. Tom. 4. ep. 1..

I could not passe-over this, and not set markes upon it, for it clears forth unto us as the Morning light, (no such demonstration as this) vvho are the Church indeed; who but in name so, and that the MA­LIGNANT Church. It cleares the Churches innocency also, as the Sunne beame: and cleares our duty, to walke exactly, as a peculi­ar people, if we looke to be delivered; how? So miraculously, after THAT SORT, that all must say, The Right-hand of the Lord did This.

† 2. The Reader may consider, that in the following Month, I met with that ROOT (the PARLIAMENT, I mean) which beares all our sweets (here below) our Religion, our Lawes, our Li­berties, our Lives; by the good hand of God upon that High Court, [Page 66] the KING and PARLIAMENT (accursed be they that di­vide them, and accursed be they also that strike at that Root) we ga­ther all the fore-mentioned, for our selves and our children after us, even all that blessed fruit; for there it is as in a common root. Ther­fore I staid the longer upon that fundamentall blessing. Now I can goe on apace, for I am but to bring in these after fruits, as they did the Grapes, all in a cluster: but we must view over the lessons vvee tooke forth last, and make a short collection thereof. ‘1 The Lord hath triumphed gloriously; H [...]s right Hand hath dashed to peeces the enemy: In the greatnesse of His excellency, He hath over-thrown them, that rose up against Him.’ 2. We have seene the Salvations of God, great Salvations, therefore the Israel of God is here amongst Exod. 15. 7. us, a people greatly beloved, Saved by the Lord, for whose helpe Heri­deth upon the Heaven, and in His excellency on the Sky. Deut. 33. 26.

Lastly, Would vve be so saved, then vve must be guided as the Church is, according to her Lords WILL, and so commanded by Him; if we would be carried as upon the wings of Eagles, then we must bee found walking in His way. Thus we have seene the strange Overtures and turnings of things in these two Moneths; and vvee have observed the certaine Uses and Conclusions there-from, Now vve goe on, to set downe the Heads of the after proceedings.

A Transition to the next Chapter.

Hitherto vve have observed vvhat God hath vvrought vvorking a­lone, and by His own Arme, bringing Salvations. Now vve must ob­serve vvith the same observation, vvhat Salvations Man hath wrought with God, the following Months, as strange as vvas that Salvation, vvhich Ionathan vvrought for Israel 1 Sam. 14. 45.. I have treated thereon several­ly, not according to the excellency thereof, but after my measure, as I vvas inabled, and am resolved not to mutilate or maim that continued Story by taking any part thence: But which is more sutable to this place and my scope, to set downe the Heads therof in as narrow a compasse, as may be, and, as the matter can be contracted, to give an abstract on­ly, leaving the specification of the set time (vvhen the Salvations were vvrought) the Month and the day, to those Diurnals, vvhich are vvrit­ten before me (vvhere also I blotted a few sheets of paper) but specially to the vvorthy pains of good M Vicars, vvorthy all acceptation. So I proceed.

CHAP. IX.

The Heads of proceeding the following Months to the end of the first Jubile, holding forth the wrath of God, fury to His Adversaries; His marvellous workes of Grace to His people, breaking bands and taking off yoakes, and bringing them into the band of a Covenant: engaging His Church for ever to Record, to Thanke, to Praise.

SECT. I.

The Church blesseth God for you, That you did not ioyne your selves with the Men of the Earth; nor after the manner of Men, forsake her in her low estate: That you did not establish iniquity by a Law; that yee read her petitions and heard her complaints; that you opened her prisons and mouthes of the Ministers; And had Dominion over the Mighty.

NOVEMBER, a Month specially to be observed. The third Day the High Court assembled, things vvere done after the Manner, &c. At this point others begin, and here I shall not breake off; but dissolve a well continued Story into some chiefe Heads, vvhich vvill containe the chiefe workes of wonder, and so yeeld us matter enough of praise to God, and thanks to Man. The Lord tune our spirits to the setting forth the high praises of the Lord. The first Head will lead-in all the test (for it containes much Ezek. 23. 32.) therefore, that we may begin right, the Church would have us consider, That her enemy and adversary, the Head and the Tayle, (who these are is now fully manifested and [Page 68] declared before) had wrought effectually in the children of disobedi­ence; They had carried all before them levell to their owne mark; They had levened the Land (they thought) from corner to corner with most impure Doctrines, and as uncleane practises. Indeed, as was said, they had vvrought very effectually, as appeareth this day. They had prepared their owne way, made it so strait. plaine and levell, so as they thought verily, they could find no rubb, no opposition, none at all; they might goe on smooth away, the An­gell of the Lord could not meet with them; at least, could not stop, controll, nor crosse them in the way, no not with the Sword in the hand. They had now set the BƲSH on fire round a­bout (I meane the Church) a flaming Bush was her Embleme once, and it must be her Embleme (there you see the Church) to the Worlds end. They had set the Church all on a flame, and thought verily, if Gods dwelling were there (which they thought not of) they could, if not thrust Him out of His House, yet they could fire Him out, for they looked wistly when His House would sinke downe and fall into ashes. Indeed this is notable by the way, and engageth the Church mightily; That God dwelleth vvith her, when she is all on a flame, in the fornace of afflictions; then He DWELS in the BƲSH, therefore it consumes not. But the Adversary and enemy thought not of this; they looked when the House should fall as aforesaid, and hastened, vvhat they could, the Ruine thereof. They would put to more wood, and make the burning yet greater. This then is the first Head, for this the Church blesseth God and thanks you.

¶ 1.

That you did not joyne with the stronger side, I meane in ap­pearance: That you did not joyne strength to strength, and adde more fuell also, to make the flame the more fierce and raging: for this is the manner of men, To oppresse the oppressed; to add to the affliction, and, like Mice, as to runne out, vvhen the House is on fire: So to judge of Gods workes before they bee ripe, I meane before the FIFT ACT, and that is against the Rule De operi [...]us Dei [...] quintum actū [...]. If a storme lye upon the Ship of the Church, and she be tossed with tempests, men will not waite till the fourth watch; com­monly so long the Lord deferrs His comming, but then He comes. That you did now, as wise-men, strike in to helpe, to quench the burning; to helpe the Lord against the mighty; that you did regard the Church now, as the Lord regarded you once, in a very low e­state. for this she blesseth God and thanketh you. To speake in plainer English, for this she blesseth God and you;

That, having but one Priest, one Altar, one Sacrifice, you did not defile all this at this time, making many Priests; setting-up [Page 69] many Altars; commanding many Sacrifices; all this, as the sta­tutes of Omri, by a Law; That when many Altars (the same of other provocations) were made to Sinne; Altars were not made by you, unto the whole Nation to Sinne Hos. 8. 15.. That when the ROD of the wicked, lay heavy upon the backe of the Righteous, you did not turne it into a Scorpion: and when bloud was upon the Earth, upon the Church falsly so called, you did not FEOFFE it up­on HEAVEN, the true Church. So you might have done, and have left the Church, as a Widow forsaken in the Earth, and com­fortlesse there. That all this was not done, but the contrary, she accepts in all thankfulnesse alwayes, and blesseth God, Who kept you from the pathes of the destroyer Ps. 17. 4..

If this be not plaine enough, this, vvhich followes, will make it as plaine as can be. Ireland did contribute mony toward the WARRE. What warre? A Warre that vvould have ruined Scotland; a Warre, that would have sheathed a Brothers Sword in the heart of a Brother. Ireland contributed mony toward such a WARRE. Behold now! The Sword is hathed in that HEA­VEN; it is drunke with the bloud of those slaine, who contri­buted money to maintaine that WARRE: Their Land is now full of the fury of the LORD, the Rebuke of Thy GOD.

You would not contribute therto, no not 20 •, for it had bin too hea­vy upon the loynes of the Church by a pound weight. Behold now, this Kingdom hath weathered-out the storme, lies at Anker, cast upward, and is the very miracle of Gods patience to all the world. I have heard that some say, for some vvill be vvillingly ignorannt, What great matter have you done? I thinke verily no man is so foolish, so forsaken of all his wits, but he may receive satisfaction herein anon. I will answer but this now; What ye have not done. Ye have not engaged the Kingdome in that Warre, vvhich vvould have dashed the people one against another, even the Father and the sonnes together Ier. 13. 14.. Blessed be your Councell and your Wisedome; and blessed be you of the Lord, for what ye have not done; for it hath cast a sweet savour over all the Churches in the world. But vvith your good leave, I vvould rather ascribe all to your good God, glorious in holinesse, fearefull in praises, doing wonders Exod. 15. 11▪: He councelled you; His right Hand vvas upon you, therefore your feet were kept from the path of the DESTROYER. The Church vvould make her acknowledgement very full at this point: That, though there are strange vanities, &c. as was said, yet not coun­tenanced by law. Though the Tayle-Prophets as they are, and the Priests as they will be called, both high and low, are most vile, and have made themselves and the people so, having leavened the whole Land from corner to corner with poysonous and cursed corruptions in their Doctrines and practises: though so, yet there [Page 70] are no Statutes for all this, but Orders against it. Praise be to her good God for all this, and all due thanks to you. So also,

¶ 2.

That you received the Petitions from all Quarters of the Land, heard the groanes of the oppressed, made to serve under cruell Taske-Masters; that you rebuked their Lordships; tooke off their yoake from off the jawes of the Ministers and People; that you opened the prison doores, and mouths of the Ministers. This the Church could record with more words, but not vvith more thankfulnesse: yet you shall heare more of it anon.

¶ 3.

That by your Wisdome and Providence, the Church had such free­dome the last yeare, and such communion and fellowship with Iesus and His Disciples; more the last yeare then 20 years before. Time was, and but as yesterday, when they that feared the Lord spake of­ten one to another, but so as their voyce might not be heard, for it was an evill time. The Messenger of Satan was abroad, buffering the Servants of the Lord in every place; his eare was under their window, Mal. 3. 16. and his foot at the doore, and the sound of his Masters feet behind him: So as it vvas the hardest thing to serve God without feare: for it was a crime to be godly Si fuerit sublimis, fi [...]despicabilis: si fuerit splendidissi­mus, fit vilissimus: si fuerit totus hono­ris, fit totus iniuria. Sal. de gub. lib. 4. p. 113. Vnder whom it was alwayes un­safe to dee well. T [...]it. sup.. This the Church acknowledgeth with all thankfulnesse, and behold the benefit; you have commanded Prayer; Prayer shall command for you, for now this followes, which the Church recordeth with all thankfulnesse, and some wonder.

¶ 4.

That the mountaines have flowne downe before you, and the Hils did melt and tremble. My intent was but to name things, yet the Church commands us to stay a little here, and behold the great, high, lofty ones, (they are Mountaines and Hils fast upon their bottome) behold the Lord hath shaken them, given power to His Servants to over-top them, to have Dominion over the mighty, and to tread downe strength Iudg. 5. 13, 21., I say, the Church commands us to observe all the peeces of the Lords providence here, looke upon them apart, then put them to­gether. She saith, and is confident; That, this being done, you shall see the most admirable worke, that ever was wrought since the Creati­on, and that AMAZING worke of REDEMPTION. Next place to these two works, this worke will take; and in every good order; for it is most fruitfull and big with mercies, and brings forth every Day. Had You not over-topt the Mountaines and the Hils, and over-shadowed them, (You began well, You shall goe on and [Page 71] prosper) You could never have refreshed the vveary, and parched val­lies: for those high places kept off Raine, and Dew and Sunne-shine altogether. But now that these are taken downe, behold a shower of blessings upon the Land, by your care, conscience and vigilancy, all this, followes, first.

SECT. II.

The Lords Day, a comprehensive blessing to a Nation; Indig­nation and wrath from the Lord against the prophaners of it; And yet the Priests most notorious this way; Your Zeale for it; how necessary it should be fervent.

¶. 5.

1. THe Church records and thankes, That ye rouled away the re­proach of Egypt, and restored to her sons and daughters their Lords Day. That she sees That Day againe in it's beauty, and in ho­nourable account, from which the wicked hid their eyes, and she her face for griefe of heart, because she saw it's visage marred, spit upon, vilified, trampled on more then any Day. Oh it joyed her heart, That you, who, next to God, maintaine her spirits and life, you accounted her Lords day honourable; that was, because you honoured the Lord of the Day. And indeed how could you not? For He is worthy, and you looke to be honoured.

The Church will looke upon this mercy againe and againe, and reckon the restoring to her the Sabbath among the chiefest and choisest of your good deeds, which, by Gods good hand upon you, you have done. Had the Adversary taken away the Sabbath, as he had almost done, tantum non; he h [...]d taken away all, The Word, the Sacra­ments, God, and all. All goeth, when the Sabbaths are gone, as you may see in our sister Churches. What is left them now? Lamentation, and Mourning and Woe. What heare they in their Temples now? Howlings instead of Songs. ‘What are their Townes and Cities now? Ruined heapes; a Golgotha, a place of dead Mens sculls; or, to speake as Salvian doth in the like Desolation Omnis Civita [...] [...]ustum, &c. Sal. l. 7 210., Their Townes are like our new Church-yards, scarce large enough to bury in.’ The Lord hath stretched out upon the Land, the like of confusion and stones of emptinesse; They shall call the Nobles thereof to the Kingdome, but none shall be there: And all her Princes shall be nothing Isa. 34. 11, 12.. Wherefore hath the Wrath of the Lord burnt out against that people so fiercely? [Page 72] Surely because the Land had greatly provoked the Lord of the same. Where great Desolations are, there are great provocations: so we may conclude, though Gods Judgements are as the great deepe. And this we may say more, That our English Commanders noted this still, and it was to be noted with all observation, ‘That still, on the Lords Day, the Enemy got much ground; And that, which opened the floud-gate to all their misery, fell out thrice upon the Sabbath Day;’ The Lord pointing, as with the finger, to that sinne, The propha­nation of the Lords Day, as to the Source, whence all their Evills have issued.

I will take leave now, for I must not passe over this lightly, to note two things, 1. The Priests Villany; 2. Your Piety; That they may remember, and be confounded, because of their shame: And that you may goe on, and doe exploits.

† 1. The Priests Villany, Is not that too heavy a word? No; It is the word of the Lord. The Priests heart hath wrought iniquity, to practise Hypocrysie, and to utter errour against the Lord; to make empty the soule of the hungry, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to faile Esa. 3 [...]. 6.. This is villany, and they have spoken it before the Lord in His house, where He hath said, He will be sanctified; and they have compelled others to speake it too, even to utter errour against the Lord, there in His House, where they stand charged to deale faithfully, To utter Truth; To speake as the oracles of God. They have committed vil­lany in Israel, a greater villany than they committed, whom the King of Babel roasted in the fire Ier. 29. 2 [...].; They have not only committed Adultery vvith stocks and stones k: but they have spoken lying words in Gods Name. I KNOW, AND AM A WITNESSE, saith the Lord l Ier. 29. 23:

Many villanies have been committed in Israel, but none like this, which the Priests have committed, The giving liberty to prophane the Lords Day, BY A LAW; Nay, a forcing thereunto. ‘Every Word of God, shall meet with some, who will turne head against it: looke how many kinds of Precepts there are, so many adversa­ries there are Omnis sermo di­vinus habit am [...] ­los suos, quo [...] gene­ra praeceptorum sunt, [...]t adversari­or [...]. Salv. ad Ecc. Cath. l. 4. p 486.’ But let the superstitious Papists turne head against the second WORD: Let the Licentiously Prophane oppose the fourth WORD: Let the Athyst, the Pagan who knowes not God, blot out the first and the third WORD, Take away all, but let not the Priests doe it; let not them oppose so holy, so just, so reasonable a com­mand. They know the Lord, They minister before him. But they did it, even the Priests. And for a Priest to turne this good Word out of Gods house, and the Ministers after it, if they would not speake errour against the Lord; for him to blot out the Hard writing there; this was villany sure, never the like committed in Israel; it exceeded the boldnesse of that Pagan King Dan. 5..

The Time must be enquired into; When did the Priests commit this wickednesse? Then; At that time, when the Lord called to [Page 73] mourning, they called to Dancing Nigra est incen­dio civitas, & in vult [...] fest [...]vit [...] usurpa [...]. Lugent cu [...]cta, tu latus et. Sal. de gub. l. 5. p. p. 22 [...].. To allude to that place; Then the Priests proclaymed a liberty for sports on the Lords Day, when the Lord proclaimed a Liberty in the Neighbours Church, to the Sword, to the Pestilence, to the Famine Ier. [...]4. 17. Salvian would expresse this a great deale better; Then they consulted all this against the LORDS DAY, when they saw Cities wasted, and two Kings slaine; if not in battell, yet they were slaine. The Priest did just like Ahaz; they saw (as hee) a miserable destruction before their eyes, yet they brought a patterne of that abomination, which caused that deso­lation, and (as Ʋriah did) set it up here by a Law 2 King. 16.. The time must be noted, and (that our spirits may be raised high in praise) the ex­ceeding 2 Chro. 28. patience of a God must be noted also, we did patterne after them; vve vvere like them; nay, we exceeded in that prophanati­on, yet the Lord did not patterne us, He did not make us like them in desolations. O exceeding patience that, The patience of a God.

Truly, when the Church heard this, she was perswaded in her heart, That the Lord would strip her people naked; set them as in the day they were borne; make them as a Wildernesse, like a dry Land, and slay them with thirst Hos. 2, 3.. Nay, her sad thoughts rose higher; she ve­rily thought, that the Lord would put a Cup of deadly wine into her peoples hand; a Cup of pure wrath; That is, she thought her Lord would not have mercy upon her children. And that is a Cup of dead­ly Wine [...]ndeed, of pure vvrath wherein there is no mixture of Mer­cy. A people may be stript naked, &c. and yet there may be mer­cy in all that. Truly, the Church thought thus now, the Lord will not have mercy: He will turne His backe upon her people now, for He beheld abominations in His House, which His soule hateth; and His Day was prophaned by a Law. But see now, That we may set our hope, and our hearts upon the Lord, and set-up a pillar, an ever­lasting Monument to His Name; there is mercy to her people; they are yet the Lords people, and the judgement is upon the Priests and they shall KNOW IT: Surely some strange judgement, the first borne of Death Iob 18. 19., shall devoure their strength. Now the Lord make them know it for their good, That whatsoever strange punish­ment they feele here, they may not feele the wrath to come. So the Church prayes, and every man will say. Amen.

2. The Church remembers your Piety now. Blessed be You of the Lord, you have rescued this day from out of the hands of Spoylers; Yee have recovered Your Lords Right; Yee have vindicated His Name: So Ye have provided for Your owne peace, and prepared a way for a blessing upon all You shall doe, and for Mercy upon the Nation. Peace be both to You, and Peace be to Your house, and Peace be unto all that You have. The Church wisheth unto You a blessing, which containes all blessings, because You have restored un­to her, her Lords Day, which next to her Lord Christ, is the fullest and most comprehensive mercy.

Goe on and doe yet more, and be more zealous: Give all diligence, and let Your z [...]ale boyle yet higher (it cannot boyle over, Th [...]s shall Yee doe in the feare of the Lord faithfully, and with a perfect heart 2 Chro. 19. 9.) for it is for the Lord, His Day, His House, His Worship, Seeke Yee that first, burne in Your zeale that way, and other things will come on as they doe, as east in upon You by an Almighty hand, for the Lord will be with the Good, and He will remember You for good, for You remembred His Day and His worship on His Day; He will re­member You for good, Amen.

SECT. III.

That You have advanced Christ in the Ministery of the Gos­pell, how efficacious that is. To promote the chiefe end, the Glory of God; and Your end, Mans Salvation.

¶ 6.

2. THe Church blesseth God that hath instructed You to discretion, so as You have shewen Your zeale, and given all Diligence, to promote the Gospell: The readiest and most compendious way to Your ayme and end, to bring all the designes about, which vve hope are all levell to the glory of Christ, and Your owne glory vvith Him at the end. And now great is the company of Preachers; their mouth opened now, who, of late, were used worse than the Oxe, which treadeth out the Corne. They speake boldly now, as the Mes­sengers of the Churches, and the Glory of Christ. That, which let­ted shall let no longer.

The Scepter of the Lord Christ is advanced, and the people flow in unto it. The Church thinkes her Sonnes and Daughters never had a more glorious yeare, since the day her Beloved, and Crowne of rejoy­cing, ascended to His Glory. Never since that Day, when He was lifted up from the Earth, was He so openly showne to the world, as this last yeare. Though there had beene no other very worthy deeds done unto this Nation by Your providence; yet this she accepts al­wayes and in all places wich all thankfulnesse, accounting it an ex­ceeding great mercy, That by Your meanes she was respited and spa­red one yeare longer to lay in her provision, and more fully to stocke her selfe against hard and de [...]re yeares. This the Church accepts, as afore-said, for this is the way to doe, and effect the greatest things. Therefore this the Church accounts an exceeding mercy. The blessing [Page 75] of blessings; and she prayeth, that the blessing of Him, Who dwelt in the Bush, may goe along with You in this Designe, in making knowne the Arme of the Lord: In advancing this Glory, through the whole Land, that they, who walke in darkenesse may see a great Light: They that dwell in the Land of the shadow of Death, upon them this light may shine. This is the onely way to doe good to the whole Land; to make it a Land of visions, wherein the Lord may delight, and to make his people a willing people.

The Church will remember You here, vvhat Luther, her valiant Gideon spake to the businesse now in hand; I will not, said he, trou­ble my selfe any more with the Cloysters, the Monkes and Schollars there, those Armies of Adversaries; they mind their belly, that is their god, and the belly hath no eares. Nor will I contest with the Pope any longer: (he had done it, and was too hard for him and all his Cardinals) let the Philistines alone with their Dagon: They will finde wayes enough to breake themselves and their god; he would not beat and buffet the darknesse (so he said also) as the foole did his shadow; he would set up a light, then the darknesse slinkes away. I know not where it is, for it is a privative thing: but it flies a­way as the cloud before the Sunne, or as the beasts of prey will doe when the Sunne ariseth, there is a riddance, it is gone, and those beasts goe to their darke Dens.

You know his meaning, and know it for the good of the Land. He would advance Christ; He would set up that Standard (that was his meaning and his worke) To use his own word; he would promote the Arke; then Dagon fals, breaks himselfe to peeces, head and hands both cut off, the Head for councell, hands for action, [...]ll gone. That's the way indeed: So You have done, and so You have suc­ceeded already. You will to that worke againe, and joyne shoul­der to shoulder for the advancing thereof; That the Lord Christ may be showen openly; His glorious excellencies made knowne, specially in those places, where CATHEDRALS are, as barren in the Churches observation, to the soules of men, as the Surface of that Earth, where the Mines of Gold and Silver are, there no meat grows for man, nor grasse for Cattell The Church intreats you to remember those barren places, and those darke places all over the Land, where the dead bury the dead, and the blind lead the blind every Day, Truly the Church is perswaded, that the people for the most part, are as ignorant as the Monks are of Christ; (to speak as Luther spake) or as they were of the Holy Ghost, they know not whither there be any Christ or no, unles a Christ of their own framing in a Table. They have heard of the name Iesus, and the Monkes have taught them to bend the knee unto it, and that is all their Devotion according to their knowledge. O, that the Name in­deed, the glorious excellencies of that wonderfull name, were made knowne unto them, certainly their Hearts would bend also. Bles­sed be Ye of the Lord, Ye have laboured herein, and Ye will labour [Page 76] yet more to advance this STANDARD; to set-up this Ensigne (that the mountaines may melt before you, and the people may flow in unto it;)

To make knowne this Arme of the Lord, for this makes us a willing people. That I may speake all in our Lord and Masters words; Ps. 110. In so doing, you shall doe as Christ did; you will give eyes to the blind; feet to the lame; you shall cleanse the Lepers; make the deafe heare; nay, you shall raise the dead. You will sticke most at this last, though the other, as this, are all the workes of the Almigh­ties Arme; and all is effected, when the poore receive the Gospell. If then, you will order it so, that the poore people may have the Gospell preached unto them, you shall doe all the fore-mentioned workes, which are so wonderfull, for all these miracles are wrought by the Ministery of Man, the Hand of the Lord going along with that ministery; so we understand it; as the Lord dealt with His Ser­vant Ezekiell, so He must deale with every man, upon whom these workes are wrought, eyes opened, eares boared, dead heart raised; The word of the Lord came expressely to Ezekiel, and the hand of the Lord was there upon him: when the hand of the Lord comes a­long Chap. 1. 3. with the word (for the word comes but to the eare. The hand of the Lord carries it to the heart) then the eyes of them, that are borne blind are opened; feet, bound-up as with fetters of yron and brasse, are enlarged; the dead are raised, &c. The blessing of the poore and thirsty soules be upon you, and upon your house, and all that you have: for you have and will pitty these poore people; yee will thrust out the dumbe and the ignorant; the light Priest and treacherous Prophet; the lame and the blind that are hated of Da­vids 2 Sam. 5. 8. soule. And you will send forth Ministers unto those places, such as are indeed the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ. Mat. 11, 5. Then behold these marvellous workes wrought, The blinde receive their sight; and the lame walke; and the Lepers are cleansed; and the deafe heare; the dead are raised up, and the poore have the Go­spell preached to them. Amen.

SECT. IV.

The PROTESTATION, how wonderfully the Lord brought it about. Though Yee shall doe ex­ploits, yet nothing to be wondered at now; The reason. But one head or charge is handled here, and that is RELIGION, a great Binder. The Method in gi­ving-out this abstract.

¶ 7.

THe Church blesseth Gods wonderfull worke in you, and by you and for you; That you have protested to take the Lord for your God; So you have provided for the Churches security, what ever times may come: for you have brought her into COVENANT with her God. I know that is a thing the Church doth mind every Month, I may say, every Day, and can doe it without you; but not in such a way, as you have done it, in a Nationall way, which you, and none but you, can doe. You could make a Covenant betweene GOD and betweene all the People, that they should bee the LORDS PEO­PLE 2 Chro. 23. [...].

The Church will put a Question to you now, not to pose you, for you are wise, and she knowes the Answer before hand, and would have you know it, yet better. She would know, How you brought this worke about. ‘Your answer is, Not by your strength, nor by your wisdome, but by the good hand of God upon you, so you brought it about; and so you shewed mercy to your soules, and to the whole Nation.’ And thereby the Lord would make you know, That He intended, by you, to doe the Nation good assuredly, with His whole heart, and with His whole soule. The Church hath heard and understands well all the exploits you have done ever since; such as seeme marvellous workes and wonders in the eyes and eares of the multitude; yet to her, they seem (great mercies indeed) but no strange matters, no wonders at all No? no;

1. The Church knowes you had a liberty granted to continue your Session, as long as you will, that is, till you have done Gods will, for Hee procured that grant unto you; this Grant, though shee counts it an exceeding mercy: Yet she doth not count it a won­der.

2. The Church knowes that you marched valiantly, and trod down [Page 78] strength: You rent a Lyon without hands, as easie as a man, with both his hands, can rent a kid; and yet this the Church accounts no strange thing neither.

3. The Adversary and enemy had made a breach great like the Sea Lam 2. 23.; We asked, Who can make it up? Who can heale it? You could, and you did it, and y [...]u shall be called the Repayrers of the breaches: You stood in that Gappe, and you made it up; the grea­test worke that ever was done by M [...]n, since that Breach was made up betwixt God and Man; since that PACIFICATION made by the MAN CHRIST IESVS; And yet this worke doth not seem strange to the Church Nay, should any one of you tell the Church, That since the Day you entred into the Protestation, the Adversary made great breaches upon your soule, and the Lord made them all up: Temptations came-in upon you like a flood; The Spirit of the Lord set-up a Standard against them Esa. 54 19, they could doe you no hurt, but good a great deale: should you tell the Church so, she would not thinke it strange Should your thoughts stray a little from out this yeare, vvhere vve suppose we are, unto the next, when some say (but they are much mistaken, or see and will not see) that God did no­thing for you, but against you, and then should you tell the Church, what she knowes well;

That your Soule was amongst Lyons, and yet not devoured; That you did lye amongst those that were set on fire, and yet not consu­med; none of all this could the Church call wonderfull, or thinke strange. Nay, to expresse it as fully as I am able; Were all the wild­fire in England (the Church heares the Land is well st [...]red with it now, and [...]he expects it shall be hurled in her face, and throwne into her bosome, she is the But and White, against which the Malignants levell all this, this she knowes, but she is fearelesse) were all this, I say, gathered up and rowled together into one Ball, and then with 500. hands, nay with the whole Arme of flesh, hurled into your Court, and the Church should be told, that the fire tooke not, not one sparke kindled there; not one haire of any head there vvas touched; the Church could not count this vvonderfull neither, no such strange mat­ter. Why? Because you have protested to take God for your God. You are a pe [...]ple in Covenant vvith Him; you are sworne Servants to Him; He must protect His sworne Servants; when you are brought to the brinke of destruction, to a precipice (so we must understand it, some ex [...]gence, some knotty businesse, that all the fingers in the world cannot undoe) such a strait as this: when at one shocke, three king­domes must be cast downe, if God helpes not Nodus vindice dignus. When the Gib­bet is up & Mor­decai designed to it the next day, then it's Gods t [...]me to work [...]: it is [...]or His Glory t [...] deferre [...]o long; and for the [...]lory of His faithful­nesse to de [...]er no longer [...]. Chrys Tom. 4. Epist. 1.: I say, in such an ex­igence, God must helpe. He stands bound to it; You have protested to take Him for your God: He hath protested to take you for his peo­ple. You have sworne, and by the good hand of God upon you, you vvill stand to the Oath; and He hath sworne: by what? By Himself (by all that is in Himselfe, and He is all;) You vvill stand to your [Page 79] Oath, that's supposed; He vvill stand to His Oath, that must not be doubted. You rejoyced at the Oath; He vvill rejoyce over you to do you good: It must be so, ye have strucke hands together. Ye may say, The Lord must remember me. How? with the favour He heareth unto His people Ps. 106. 4.. He must visit me now with His Salvations, that is with a great Salvation. When I am at the pits brinke, one shocke throwes me downe, then, vvith reverence be it spoken, He must de­liver me. He must come-in at the fourth-watch: when there is no helpe from Earth, then the Arme of the Lord must be revealed from Heaven. I am His and He my God, a God in Covenant. The OATH of GOD is betwixt us; by His good hand upon me, I will stand to it, and then He must stand by me. I am thine [...] save Ps 7. 1. me. It vv [...]s Davids argument, and prevailed still, SAVE me, for I TRƲST in THEE. The Church saith, it had beene a vvonder if God had not done for you even so, for you are His sworne Ser­vants.

The Church commands me now to proceed on in declaring this won­derfull worke, vvhich the Lord so strangely, and as graciously (by your meanes) brought about, To bring your selves and the Nation into Covenant with Himselfe. I shall not meddle vvith the severall heads or charges in the same, vvhich vvould take up more roomth, then her [...] can be allowed. Religion is the chiefe head (there are the spirits) and a great binder it is, it bindes a people to their God; and God to the people. I proceed herein in this order, first;

  • 1. What this PROTESTATION is to you, and all that stand to it.
  • 2. What a discovering note it is to your Adversaries.
  • 3. The Church will put-up a short prayer to her God.
  • 4. Then a Supplication to you.

In all this, you shall have but an Abstract, out of a large Vo­lume or Theame, rather nothing taken thence, but an addition there­unto.

¶ 1.

A Rocke of DEFENCE to the Righteous.

THis PROTESTATION is to you, and all that have taken it, and will stand to it 2 Chron. 34. 32., a SELA-HAMMAHLEKOTH 1 Sam. 23. 28., a Rocke of Separation betwixt you and your Adversaries; nothing shall be able to reach you, to doe you hurt. Should the Lord fill all the Inhabitants of the Land, even the Kings and the Priests and the Prophets with drunkennesse (so He hath done for the sinnes of a Nation, as He threatneth Ier. 13. 13.) Should He dash them one against a­nother, even the Fathers and the sonnes together ver. 14., for so He threa­tens also in the same place; Why yet, you should be safe, none of all these shall come neare you to hurt you. Why so? Because you are a [Page 80] people in covenant with your God, and He with you. Looke you to it, how ye stand to it, for this followes; TROVBLED ye may be on every side 2 Cor, 4 8., (no doubt of that) and so you may say; you shall say withall, yet not DISTRESSED: PERPLEXED ye may be (not knowing what way to take, or what to doe) but not in DESPAIRE: PERSECƲTED yee shall bee, but not FORSAKEN: CAST-DOWN ye may be, but not DE­STROYED: ye may be set as on fire round about, ye shall not be consumed▪ Why so? The same answer, and it answers all Arguments, even the Jesuites their fire and sword, the hardest words and most vi­olent deeds, ye are in covenant with your God, nothing shall come unto you to doe you HƲRT. No Plague shall come to your dwel­ling, as a plague. Though great Letters are written upon your door, yet the Plague is not there for all that. God is with you, even YOƲR GOD, He will save you even from that Destroyer; it shall but reach your body at the furthest.

The time will come, when you will say, your head akes, and your heart too; nay, it fainteth; and yet heare what the Lord saith, The Inha­bitant shall not say, I am SICKE Esa 33 24:. Why so? The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity I beare any thing now my sins are pardoned. M [...] ad in vita Lu­theri, p. 168. [...]. [...] Ps 73. 2 [...].: Looke ye there, My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever •. That stils and quiets all, God at peace with me and all is peace: God in Covenant with me; in Christ reconciled to me; if so, I am not SICKE, my sinnes are forgiven, all is well with me, for God is with me, and HE is ALL, health, strength, ri­ches, All. See how efficacious this Covenant is (if we STAND to it) nothing shall stand against us, nothing shall come unto us to do us HƲRT; that is first.

¶ 2.

As Sibboleth to the Wicked; It discoveres the Priests and their Peo­ple; It hampers the Malignant, though, like possessed Men; No Cords will hold the Papists; Their obstinacy in Gods house: how to judge of the Legality of an Oath.

THis PROTESTATION or sacred covenant is a Destingui­shing character; Thereby you shall know, who is a true English-man; Who, a Treacherous Priest Papist, or Malignant person. Give it to a right English-man, a True Israelite in whom is no guile, He goes cleare and smooth away with it; He takes it with all his heart, and stands to it, rejoyceth at the Oath 2 Chro. 15. 15., that is, he pronounceth it right. Give it to the Priests, they will refuse it, or fumble at it, they cannot frame to pronounce it right •: Present it to the Papist, you shall see vvhat he will doe anon. This is to the Priests (the two Armies of them) to the Papists also, as SIBBOLETH to the Ephraimites Iud. 12. [...].: Now you shall know whose eyes are evill against you, [Page 81] because your eye is good, and you are resolved to doe the thing that good is. Now yee shall see, who they are, that puffe at you, deride you (blow their nose at you Luk 16. 14. [...].) Because you vvould have them protest to take God for their God; (and not their bellies;) to bind them­selves in covenant with Him, as the very word (Religion) imports. But see how their mind and affection stands! They protest to take God for their God! no not they, Their belly, ease, profits, pleasures are their gods; these and other Lords have ruled over them, and they shall rule by their meanes. So now you know them; their madnesse is manifest; this very Protestation hath discovered them; it is a SIBBOLETH unto them; bid them take it; They vvill refuse; or, if they doe take it, they fumble at it, they cannot frame to pronounce it right;

Nor the Papists neither; Yes but they can you will say, for they can frame their mouthes to pronounce any thing, to sweare and lye both: What care they vvhat covenant they enter into, what Oath they take, when they are resolved to breake it, and are resolved upon the Question, that they may break it, for it is their Doctrine Dogmatiza [...] mendaciae.. They are as the man possessed with the Divell, no coards, no bands can hold them, they breake all, Words, Oathes and all, as you can flaxe, that is burnt with fire Iud. 15. 14.. An Oath is a great binder, (it cannot bind them) the strongest cord, the greatest security, the only chaine on earth (as one saith Dan. Hen. 3. [...]. 167.) besides love, to tye the conscience of a man and humane Society together, yet the Papists can turne it over as a Gipsies knot, fast or loose at their pleasure. We heare and see that they take the Oath of Supremacy now, &c. What then? Then they are good Subjects. No, the most treacherous and mischievous men in the world, and the truest enemies to the Lords annoynted, none like them. Now beware of these men, for now they will act villany, they will kill, stabbe, poyson, murther, massacre, they will act any thing, which the Divell can suggest. Why so? Because they doe not awe, they doe not reverence the Oath of God: they count it a Gipsies knot fast, or loose as the Malignant Church will. No Oath will serve them but the Bishops Oath, with their &c. which fits the mouth very well, though it be an open Sepulcher. But for all their sleight in turning over Oathes, vve may see them hampered anon, after vvee have laid open their cunning a little more, first,

Oaths will not hold them, the Church shall for an houre: Thi­ther some of them goe, never more frequently then now. There is some hope then, you will say, They will prove honest men and good Subjects. Yes, or the contrary, and the latter most likely. The Church (as it is commonly called) is as the poole of Bethesda; if I goe rejoycing thither, and have the same desire the poore man had to be made whole, it is the likeliest place in the world to find cure there. But if I goe thither to cloake my wickednesse, &c. then I doe aggravate my sinne, I make it as the sinne of witch-craft: [Page 82] The Papists goe to Church, that hath been the manner, but observe still, they commonly goe thither, where a Dogge, that cannot barke, keepes the House That adds something to their sinne; but this makes it above measure sinfull: There they sit, and there they meet with their Adversary every houre, that is certaine: A [...]d this is as certaine, they [...]re fully resolved bef [...]r [...] hand not to AGREE with him. The WORD saith This is my Lords will: They [...]ay, they wi [...]l d [...]e their owne vvill The word is flat against them, and they as contrary to it, Thou shalt not make, saith the WORD: They will make Images and bow before them; so they say and doe. They goe to Church [...]nd have concluded, are setled and resolved upon it, not to conclude their soules under the power of Gods Word: Here they prevaricate fe [...]refully, and, as with Oaths, so they play fast and loose in Gods House too: Let them alone traversing their way in their Moneth Ier. 2 [...], they sh [...]ll be found crying out like a travelling woman, for that is the time vvhen they must cast forth their sorrowes. In the m [...]an time, ye must look to th [...]se men now more narrowly, and with a more vvakefull eye, now that they stand before the Lord in His house out-facing H [...]m there Now surely they vvill be more abominable then ever, They will murder and commit Adultery, and sweare false­ly and burne incense unto Baal, and walke after other gods. All this they will doe the more boldly now, now that the House of the Lord is a DEN of ROBBERS in their eyes. But see how the Ier. 7. LORD takes all this, and how His Servants should lay it unto heart; BEHOLD I HAVE SEENE IT, saith the Lord. And vve must behold also how ye have hampered them as a Bull in a Net. Blessed be ye of the Lord, Who hath instructed you to discretion, and hath made you to be quicke o [...] understanding. Never vvas there any engine invented like this Protestation, to batter their strong holds, and to confound them in their cursed craft

Ai, but you vvill say, the Papists will not come vvithin a mile of it; no matter, that vvill come to them, and plucke off their vizard, vve shall know them, now their madnesse vvill bee made manifest. But it is ILLEG [...]LL you say; say so still, and say the Bi­shops Oath i [...] LEGALL but let my soule goe out vvith that, vvhich the Divell and his Kingdom are most against Gaudeo sic Sata­nā indignari & blasphemare quo­ [...]es [...] m [...] tangitur. Luther [...] Epist. ad Am. That vvhich pinch [...]th and galleth there, my soule upon it, that is Truth Q [...]od signum maioris [...]riae est omnes haeretici de­ [...]estantur. Hier., that vvhich ought to be, and vve stand bound unto. Marke it ever-more, That which cuts the vvicked to the heart, vvhich makes them gnash on you with their Teeth▪ that's GOOD, very GOOD, good Law and good Reason, and good Conscience for it too, there is no doubt of it; every wise m [...] will give as much credit to that signe, as to the word of the greatest Gamaliel [...]n the world.

Lastly, It may be said, Have not the Papists a sleight to turne this ov [...]r the Thumbs too, as the other two O [...]thes?

Truly I thinke not, This vvill hamper them sure; for it seemes [Page 83] to me, this PROTESTATION hath bound up Satan. No you will say, he rageth, never more. A good signe that he is in chains, ne­ver closer pent up then now, and his servants with him; and that they have but a short time, because they have so much wrath. They are met vvith now, and held-in short, and pinched very sore, for though they dare doe much, even to the putting out of the Light of Nature, and the casting the conscience into a deepe sleepe, yet I must suppose that this little remaining light is so prevailing vvith them, as that, though they could dispence vvith the taking of it, yet that light vvould so flash in their face, that their tongues vvould but fumble at it, they could not frame to pronounce it right. Now the Church puts up a prayer to her God.

¶ 3.

The Churches Prayer; An Object [...]on against her Prayer, answe­red. Her weapons [...]yer and Teares; In what cases the Sword is her Weapon.

THe Lord shake out every man from His House, and from His la­bour, that hath not a will and a heart to performe according to the PROTESTATION, even the Lord shake him out and emp­tie him Neh. 5. 1 [...] ▪. ‘The Lord grant thes [...] Malignants, th [...]se sonnes or B [...]liall, these troublers of Israel, vvho will be bound by no other cord, but by the cords of their owne sinnes, may be cut off, even all cut-off that trouble the Church, those that love peace and pursue it.’ These sonnes of Beliall cannot frame to pronounce an holy, just and good Commandment; ô that they vvere dealt vvith now, as those persons vvere vve reade of in the Text; Then they tooke him and sl [...]w him at the passages of Jordan Iud. 12. 6. The Church knowes, that there vvould be a greater slaughter then was that vve reade of, and there fell at that time of the Ephramites fourty and two thousand. Heere comes in a doubt, and it will bee easily resolved. The Obj [...]cti­on [...]s.

Ob. The Church is a peaceable Mother in Israel; her Father is the God of peace, her Lord, the Prince of peace; her servants, the chil­dren of peace; then sure the Church doth not know vvhat spirit shee is of, that prayes for Fire and Sword to come downe from Heaven.

Answ. Yes, the Church knows she hath the Spirit of God dwelling in her, and by that Spirit she can and doth pray as afore-said ( [...]nd will fight anon) and be a peaceable vvoman for all this, and a true Mother in Israel, and follow the Lambe here also; for in some cases (and none riseth higher then this) He, even the Lambe hath wrath, and that must be executed by her Sword. Nay more, as she prayeth for this thing, so she can rejoyce to see this vengeance, and to wash her [Page 84] feet Ps. [...]8. 10. in the bloud of the wicked, and the whole City with her, yea and to shout for joy Prov. 11. 10.. These are wicked persons, professed ene­mies to God and His Christ; Without naturall affection, truce brea­kers, false accusers, inconti [...]c [...]t, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God, not having so much as a forme of Godlinesse 2 Tim. 3. 3, 4, 5.. Pit­ty these vvicked Malignant persons, and you destroy the Good; shew mercy here, you are cruell to the Church; spare such, and they will make havocke of Gods Servants, as you see they doe, and have done in all ages. Wicked persons they, and desperately bold and daring; They would turne the Songs of the Temple into howlings Amos 8. 3.. She can rejoyce to see the vengeance, yea and to wash her feet in the blood of these slaine. And till this be done, she never looks to have peace on the Earth, for these are they who have taken peace from her. Therefore she is resolved upon it now, she vvill not onely pray, but use her WEAPONS too. Yes, you will say. PRAYERS and TEARES. True, for these are the Chur­ches weapons, and very prevailing, nay, commanding they are. (Prayers command God, He is pleased to say so much, and to yeeld Esa. 45. 11. so farre:) but the Church said, she will fight too in a case, wherein her Prince, His State, Crowne and Dignity is concerned, for in all this the Church is concerned, her Lawes, Liberties, Re­ligion, Life. In such cases, He vvill fight. Let it goe; it is good construction to apply a Masculine vvord to so Heroicke a spirit: as I reade Queen Elizabeth did not well digest that Grammaticall nicety, to be prayed for by the Title of DEFENDRESSE of the Faith, DEFENDER vvas better concord in her Eares: And indeed never any man Answered the Title better. I was saying the Church hath another weapon, which vvee call the Sword, and she will make it drunke in the bloud of these Adversaries, and yet doe no more then what she hath done in all Ages, from the Primitive time downe-ward. For though Prayers and Teares and these onely are her Sonnes and Daughters vveapons, as they are private persons: Yet, as they are publike persons (That alters the case) and exalted in the Earth, the Sword belongs unto them as their proper right; and they stand bound to use it, though then also They STƲDIE TO BE QƲIET 1 Thes. 4. 11., and know themselves CALLED ƲNTO PEACE, so they may have TRƲTH too 1 Cor. 7. 15.. The Church hath her Ioshaah's; and, they must not lye upon the face Iosh. 7. 10., wishing those even cut-off that trou­ble us. Gal. 5. 12.. He must rise and cut-off those TROƲBLERS; it is his office so to doe. The Church hath her Nehemiah's, they may build with one hand and hold the Sword in another. Shee hath her Davids, the truest Subjects in the world (as then hee was) and yet their H [...]ast may be as his was, as the HOAST OF GOD l, and all for their owne safety, and to maintaine (as [...] Chr [...]. 12. [...]2. [Page 85] David did) their Masters peace The Church hath her Princes and her Nobles, and her Worthies (blessed be God for them all) to whom the Sword belongs, and they are charged to use it, for the cutting off those, that trouble her; and are enemies to her Lords Crowne and Dignity: They are charged to be of good courage, and to play the men for their King and His people, and the Cities of their God, and the Lord doe that which seemeth Him good 2 Sam. 10. 12.: Then in the last place;

¶ 4.

Private Persons must make Supplications.

THe Church makes her Supplication to you; That you would rise up and be doing; that you would avenge her of these Adversaries, who have done what they can to take peace from the Earth. All is contained in your Covenant, every whit. Remember that and you remember all; and the Lord remember His Covenant with you, for the darke places of the Earth are full of cruelty Ps. 74.. Doubt­lesse the Lord, Who keepeth Covenant and mercy for ever, will not breake with you now. Remember Deut. 7. 18. WELL, what the Lord your God hath done for you; That will give you assured confidence for the time to come. Onely deale couragiously 2 Chron. 19. 11.; stand to what you have said, and what in you lyeth, cause the Covenant to passe through the Land, and doe as the good King did; vvhat you can to make the people stand to it 2 Chron. 34. 32., and the Lord shall be with the good 2 Chron. 19. 11.. (Amen) for they will make their prayer to Him, which cannot be in vain Esa. 45. 19., being one of the most prevailing things in Heaven or Earth: but it is reserved for the time, when ye as Esther Est. 4 16. commanded Prayer, then it will appeare how prayer commanded for you.

SECT. IV.

The engaging the heart to God, engageth God to our Businesse; then they slide-on; the loftinesse of Man shall be bowed downe, and the [...]aughtinesse of Men shall be made low; Idols and Idol-men, and Idoll-garments, and bloody Courts shall be destroyed; Counsels hid in the dark, discovered; and a Breach made-up, great as the Sea; so as the Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day.

THe people that doe know (that is) doe feare and rely upon their God, shall be strong and doe exploits: So it was in dayes of old, Dan. 11. 32. [Page 86] So it will be to the end of the World. Please you we will remember a sacred Story, and consider it with our whole he [...]rt and with our whole soule Time vvas vvhen our Grand-fathers dwelt in seiled hou­ses, while they let the house of God lye waste. Every man ranne af­ter (that is) was very earnest in his owne affaires, but the affaires of the Church, no man regarded▪ much vvorke was done, but no Tem­ple-worke. The Lord by His Prophet Haggai admonisheth and re­proveth for this, correcteth and punisheth too: bids them consider the order and method they tooke, whether things vvere done decent­ly and in order; all for themselves, their private wealth; nothing for God, and the Common g [...]od; and how they prospered in their contrary way: vvhither God vvalk'd not contrary to them also? Shame devoured their labors Ier 3. 24., there was a SWORD and a DROVGHT [...]er [...] 38. upon all they had and upon all they did; They vvere in a deepe con­sumption; They eat and they dranke, and yet pined away Hag. 1. 1 [...]. [...]er. 6.; They laboured, but in the fire; Wages they earned, but they put it into a bagg with holes; much they did, but nothing prospered. After ma­ny [...]ore and sharpe stroakes (for man vvill not be made vvise, but by blowes) they began to looke up and consider their vvay, vvhich vvas not right, yet they thought to prosper in it, but it was not possible. At last they considered and thought thus, if God does all, and gives all richly to enjoy; if He be the best and highest Master, and payes the best vvages; The greatest reason in the vvorld, His vvorke should be done first; and so like wise and considering Men▪ they fell to Gods worke, ranne as fast to His House, as before to their owne. This the Lord tooke very kindly, as His manner is, and ordered it so (that is His manner too, for His vvrath is quickly appeased, when He sees Men but look STEDFASTLY to Him and His House) that their own house should not fare the vvorse; they should sensibly see now a strange alteration in things, as a SWORD and a DROƲGHT before upon every thing: so now a BLESSING; a shewer of BLESSINGS. Yes, but they must wait for it; No, no wai­ting now Behold presently a shewer of blessings, that Gods people may for after times, lift up their feet in Gods way, observe good or­der and method there, still to begin vvith God and Temple-work, call it vvhat you vvill, Religion if you please; From this Day that the Foundation of the Lords Temple was layed CONSIDER IT Hag. 2, 18.. What must they consider? It followes, FROM THIS DAY WILL I BLESSE YOƲ; from that moment of time when they minded Gods worke to doe it, I WILL BLESSE YOU saith the LORD.

If ever GOD made good this Scripture to His people in after a­ges, then now He hath fulfil'd it even in our days: Every man can make application, for from this Day the Lord hath blessed you; you must prosper now and doe exploits, for you goe on now in the strength of a COVENANT, and in the strength of the prayers of all those [Page 87] that are in Covenant with you, and that [...]s an ALMIGHTIE strength.

Y [...]u have given forth your MALE, the first Borne of your strerg [...]h to manage the great things of HEAVEN: assuredly from this Day the Lord hath blessed you

You have found vvherein the strength and spirits of the businesse ly­eth now; these are contained in Religion, very [...]ffic [...]ci [...]us in vvorking; and a mighty binder, as vvas said; ye have bound y [...]ur selves to G [...]d, and God to you; now ye shall g [...]e on as valiant men in the strength of God, and with His increase and [...]l [...]ssing. ‘Though you should heare, in after time, the multitude of many people Esa. 17. 12, 13., vvhich make a noyse like the Seas, and a reshing like the rushing of mighty wa­ters. Then shall ye see also, that God vvill rebuke them, and they shall flee faire off, and shall be chased as the chaffe of the Moun [...]ins before the vvinde, and like a rowling thing before the whirle-winde, &c.’ For it followes, but I forbeare for I must keepe my selfe within the bounds of this WONDERFULL YEARE. This is but to shew, that you have chosen a way to walk-in, and a rule to walke by called the WAY of HOLINESSE (the Lord keepe you in it, and to it;) it is a cleare, an holy, a s [...]e, an une [...]ring way, The way faring men, though FOOLES, shall not erre ther­in. Esa 35. Ye may fall into the straits there (as was said) ye may be trou­bled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed ye may be, but not in despaire 2 Cor 4 8., as you reade; ye may meet vvith a Lyon in that way; persecuted ye may be, but ye shall not be forsaken: The Lord whose ye are, and whom ye serve, and have engaged your hearts so to doe, (the greatest security that Earth or Heaven can give, is yours now) will carry you through all (His NAME, His GLORY is engaged too) and make ye more than Conquerours at the last But for the present, we are to Record yet farther, what GOD hath wrought by you, or vvhat you have wrought with GOD this Day, vvhere you will see and take good notice what an easie passe or slide you had unto businesse, as they have, whom God will lead and prosper (from this very Day the Lord did blesse you) Take a short view of the works in the same order they were done, so the Church will render you an account, and an acknowledgement together, very short in these parti­culars.

¶ 8.

Then, from that Day, ye marched valiantly, ye trod down strength, ye had Dominion over the Mighty Iud. 5.; ye troubled the Troublers, and the Destroyer was destroyed. Then no power of the adversary could with-stand you from that Day.

¶ 9.

Then, from that Day, ye found out the treacherous Priests and their [Page 88] Babylonish garments; then you were to the poore Ministers, as your good God before you; you took off the yoake on their jaws, and to the people, you laid meat unto them Hos. 11. 4.. Then you pursued your Adversa­ries to their strong-holds, and you beat them there with their owne weapons: Indeed their owne weapons, weapons of unrighteousnesse, were as Goliahs Sword to the Giants of the Earth, as M. Dearing cal­led them long agoe, who searched the Scripture whether things were so, and would take poyson from no mans hand. Ye found these men overcome to your hand, bound fast with the cords of their owne sinne, as a wild Bull in a Net (the Lord give them to feele it for their good) full of the fury of the LORD, the Rebuke of Thy GOD Esa 51. 10..

Then, from that Day, ye proceeded against them and their Courts, so that the Church may reade her Deliverance, now in that vvhich the Lord wrought for her people in dayes of old, ‘So the terrible one is brought to naught Esa. 29., and the Scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity, and they that made a man an offender for a word, and laid a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate, and turned a­side the just for a thing of nought, all these are cut-off; for where is the fury of the oppressours? and the jurisdiction of their Courts, Where is it? She remembers this with all thankfulnesse and she re­members you in all earnestnesse before the high Throne, as was said before, for she can reade on;’ Now Esa. 29. 19. the meeke shall encrease their joy in the Lord, and the poore among men shall rejoyce in the Holy One of Israël: for how you eased the Churches shoulders, and chea­red her heart, when you tooke off those yoakes, the two insnaring Oaths and bloudy Courts, she and you know very well: and she accepts vvith all thankfulnesse, but she gives glory to her God.

¶ 10.

Then, from that Day, you could trace the footings in the dark; the turnings and windings of the crooked Serpent in his crooked pathes; Then the Lord made darknesse light before you, and crooked things strait. Then you had discoveries upon discoveries, for what a dis­covering God have you! How easily did He defeate His enemies! Their turning of things upside downe, He esteemes as the Potters clay, for He turned them and their vvorke upside downe, as easily as the Maid doth the Dish, which she vvipes, or the Potter the clay vessell he frames Esa [...]9. 16. Vid. Cal. in loc..

¶ 11.

Then you quenched the SONNES of the COALE; and though they sparkled in your face, yet they could not kindle: notwith­standing the wrestling of the Adversary, you held and maintained the staffe of BEAƲTY and of BANDS Zach. 11., and so made firme the [Page 89] Brotherhood betweene Iacob and Israel. And it was like the making of twaine one, so making peace Ephes. 2. 15.; as the causing the envy of EPHRA­IM to cease, and the cutting-off the Adversaries of IƲDAH Esa. 11.: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim, but they shall be as one sticke in the hand Ezek. 37. 19., that so with united force, they may fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines. I will say no more of it here (for it fills a volume) But according to this time it shall he said of Jacob and of Israel, WHAT HATH GOD WROƲGHT? Num. 23. [...]3.

In all this last mentioned, the Church turnes to her God, renders praise and glory to Him, for he only workes wonders. She will a­scribe all to her God, so the Church may doe, and yet make all due acknowledgement to man, whom the Lord is pleased to honour as an instrument. Man stood in the GAP, and he shall be called, The REPAIRER OF THE BREACH, but God made it up, e­ven Esa. [...]8. 12. by His owne Right-hand, for it was great as the Sea. Hee did it who hath taken the wicked in their owne Snare; consumed them with their owne breath; swallowed them up with their owne lips; fallen upon them with their owne tongues; bound them fast with their owne cords, HIGGAION SE­LAH Ps. 9. 16. Rem meditandam summè., a matter HIGHLY to be considered on. Therefore with your good leave, the Church ascribes all to her good God, Blessing, Honour, Power, Wisdome, Thanks, all the glory unto Him, that sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lambe for ever and ever. And the Church makes account that so yee will doe also; yee doe call this yeare and your Court BAAL-PERAZIM, for at this time, the Lord smote His enemies there, and hath broken forth upon them before you as the BREACH of WATERS; Therefore ye call this yeare and that place BAAL-PERAZIM 2 Sam. 5. 20., giving glory to the Lord, for HE IS WORTHY.

A Transition to the next Section.

THus I have made as short a collection, and given-in as briefe a Catalogue, as I could, of Gods dealings, His wonderfull Ad­ministrations; His strange dispensations of Wisdome and Providence towards His Church this yeare so full of Grace and Power; all these contracted here into as narrow a roome as possibly might be, con­sidering how comprehensive some of the Heads were; else where I have given them more enlargement; but I looke and heartily ex­pect, that my paines will be prevented by some others pen, that hath more leisure, and a larger portion of gifts and abilities for the compleating such a History, which so much advanceth the Name of God, and the hope of Israel in the time of His distractions: The Remembrance of what God hath wrought this former yeare, [Page 90] vvill be to the Church in after times, and in all her fainting fits, as vve reade Deut. 7. 18., for the consolation is the same, and the gr [...]und thereof the same; Thou shalt not be affraid of them. T [...]ou shalt WELL rem [...]mber what the LORD thy GOD did unto PHA­RAOH, the Pope and unto all his helpers. The, &c

Another great Worke you have vvrought in the close of the yeare, concerning Gods immediate worship and service, which must be re­corded in order, with reverence to the time, when these workes were done (I say, work [...], for it is plurall, a comprehensive worke, and containes m [...]ch:) Thou [...]h it may suffice very well, that the Lord hath registred them, and will reward them. A Cup of cold water Mat. 10, 4 [...]. given to His Church, He will thinke upon and reward, for that is His manner; He will not be in arere with any man, much lesse with His faithfull Servants; if He seemes to delay the time, or to forget, it is for your advantage, and that he may remember you in the fittest time, as in the case of Mordecai. A Cup of Water shall be remembred; how much more your labour of love, patience of hope, your workes of Faith, such vvorkes vvhich you have done, and are written in the records of Heaven and Earth both, for they concerne His pleasant Sacrifices, vvhich He hath commanded, such as were in the dayes of old, and as in former years Mal. 3. 4..

But before the Church can record all this, she must record with all thankfullness [...], what you have done for her Land, her people there, breaking our bands and taking-off our yoaks also, and rescuing us from cruell Taske-masters.

This the Church accepts alwayes in all thankfullnesse. But we ac­count this rescuing us and the Law from out of the hand of cruell Lords, the chiefest among your many worthy deeds: being most taken with outward priviledges, and so vve may prosper in the vvorld, we care not how our soules prosper: such our teaching is, and so blind our guides are (for the most part) vvhich vvill be considered as vve passe-on. For after vve have rendred our heartiest thankes to you, for res­cuing us from under those hands; The Church will reason out the case with the Iudges, will point to the root of our evils, then she will show [...]s a more excellent way.

SECT. V.

No oppression to the oppression of a Ruler or Judge offering vio­lence to the Law; we howled under that oppression; The Lord remembred us in our bondage, and sent us Sa­viours, who disburthened our Shoulder of our grievous pressures and oppressours.

THen (from that Day) you rescued a poore peeled people, from those that are as EVENING WOLVES Zeph. 3. 3., Who are they? The Prophet meanes by an ordinary figure, IƲDGES, and we meane not the like but the same: for they ravened the prey, they gnaw­ed the very bones; they devoured and consumed the COMMON­WEALTH; but to heighten their vvickednes [...]e, they first KIS­SED her LIPS, pretending the PƲBLIQƲE GOOD. These men of the Earth denyed to free Subjects their Catholico [...], that [...]. 1 Pet. 1. 19. vvhich is every free-mans birth-right; [...], that which the child receives from his Father, though be [...] [...]he youngest, and his Father the poorest The Judges denied us this our proper inheritance; they imprisoned the freest thing, that is in all the vvorld, and that which is most innocent. As the Bishops Lorded it over the King of the Church, offering violence to His Lawes: So these Lorded it over the Catholicke Rule of the Common wealth; I had almost said, the most Catholicke King in the world; but we [...]ubmit here, for we are not learned; we thinke that the sacred Scripture saith as much, That the Law is the highest power on earth And we remember well that Rom. 13. a mighty Emperour tels us, that the LAW was his MASTER; The LAW IS EVERY MANS MASTER Mar Aurel An. l 10. Medi [...]. 25. Pag. 71., said he, then he could not exempt himselfe from out of that universality; it was his MASTER too. This Catholique Master was trod under foot by it's Servants Servientes ad le­gem fortiscue., so we thinke Judges are called. And then all fals to the ground and is trod under foot, when the Master is under Nihil sequens stat cum principale non steverit. Salv., when the Servant is on Horse-backe and rideth his Master, then he op­presseth very sore, as we reade, He oppresseth the poore like a swee­pi [...]g raine that leaveth no food Pro 28. 3. 1 Sam. 14 1 [...].. Then we lay like the Hebrewes op­pressed by the Philistines, in our holes, brought very low, downe to the ground, and our speech scarce whispered out of the dust. Complaints were vaine and to no purpose, or made our burthen heavier; for the Servant was the Master, and what pleased him was the Law: So they turned judgement into gall, and the fruit of Righteousnesse into Hem­lock Amo. 6. 1 [...]., Then we were afflicted indeed, fleeced and peeled; the flesh was torne from the bone; and then we howled. Nay, the oppression [Page 92] was so heavy, that some of us vvere madd (oppression makes wise men so Eccles. 7. 7.;) and we spake as madd men, so unadvisedly with our lips, accounting the proud happy, for they that vvorke wickednesse were set-up, and they that tempted Go [...] were even delivered Mal. 3. 15., and we were made as the little fishes, as the creeping things that have no RƲLER over them Hab. 1. 14.. But notwithstanding vve provoked Him so, the Lord looked downe from Heaven, saw our burthens, and that they were very sore, sent Saviours unto us, blessed be His Name, and blessed be ye in the Name of the Lord. We might complain now and be heard, and complaine we did as an oppressed people before us. Neh. 5. 5. Our flesh is as the flesh of our Judges and Ru­lers just the same; theirs no better, ours no worse: Our children as their children, not so gay, but as good, and as free borne as theirs: And we are brought into bondage, our sonnes and our daughters, to be servants to them, who professe themselves to be Servants to the Law. But these Servants over-ruled their MASTER, and so en­thralled us: And when you heard this cry and these words, you were very angry (for the whole body was pinched where there vvas quicke flesh) Then you consulted vvith your selves, and rebuked the Jud­ges and the Rulers who dealt so treacherously, so like evening Wolves ravening the prey; And you disburdened the Common-wealth of her pressures (too many to reckon, and) grievous oppressours (as the Squire of the Body, still attending such Judges) a company of sharks, proging fellowes, pests, vipers, grievous vermine, vvorse then the Aegyptian froggs, which devoured every greene thing. You eased the Land of those Adversaries; abominable filth is cast into their faces; their names [...]ot and their arme is withered. And this is all which ye have done, terrible things vvhich vve looked not for. We doe not diminish one grain, vve thinke it very much vvhich you have done, though vve out-runne you in our expectation. But vve must give great bodies leave to move slowly, (they meet vvith many rubbs in the vvay) to deliberate long upon the case, where it reacheth to the precious life of a man; vvhen that thred is cut, life runnes out from a bottome that hath no end. Wee are pretty vvell satisfied in this, that vve are rescued and taken as a prey out of their teeth. We vvould have the Iaw-bone broken too; vvee vvish sometimes, and not in our haste, that they vvho so troubled us, offered such violence to the Lawes of God and man, vvere cut­off. Indeed vve cannot thinke our selves secure, vvhile they are, and are not made examples, though one is fled, and another is fast by the heeles, and all are put to shame, being pointed at vvith the finger, These are they, more unrighteous then was the unjust Iudge. For though he feared not God, nor regarded man, yet he was gained with importunity, to doe right. These not so, The HOWLING of the wid­dow and TEARES of her Orphanes, These they regard not, no not these: the Lord grant they may knovv all this for their good, [Page 93] and be confounded and turne unto the Lord before the first borne of Death Iob 18. 1 [...]., some strange judgement consumes their strength, and the curse that is written fall upon them d.

¶ 1.

The Church argueth the case with the Iudges, bids them marke the old way which wicked men have trodden; adviseth them to an hum­ble confession of their fault, and to leave proud Apo­logies, for there the Law leaves them, and is cleare against them.

ZOphar spake well, though he applyed it ill, Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon Earth, that THE TRIƲM­PHING OF THE WICKED IS SHORT Iob 20. 4, 5.. So Elephas a little after 22. 15, 16., Hast thou marked the old way, which wicked men have trodden? WHOSE FOƲNDATION WAS OVER­FLOWNE WITH A FLOOD.

The Church applies all this right, even to the Judges, and would have them apply it so too, for they are able. Surely they can looke backe and enquire of the dayes of old, which will tell them, that their Fathers in whose steps they trod, consulted shame to their house: Because of Mens bloud and for the violence of the Land Exod. 22, 22, 23, 24., shame de­voured the labours of their Fathers Hab. 2.. The stone cryed out of the Wall and the Beame out of the Timber answered it; woe to him that buildeth a House with bloud and establisheth it with iniquitie; And so it was and is, for these houses are consumed away by the heate of Gods displeasure, as if they had been made, as we reade Ier. 2. some houses are in Gothland, of SNOW O lau [...] d [...] rit: Gent. Septen. lib. 1, Ch [...]. 23..

The Lord grant they may consider this, and trust to their Repen­tance, and free acknowledgement of their crimes; to that BLOOD above all which yet speaketh, rather then to their Apologies, which some thinke, and all say, are smooth and plausible. A SAGE of their owne is cleare against them. Thus the Lord Cooke speaks, where he speakes as we may understand him, Latine and English both, and full to this purpose, for I may not hit of his words, being long since I read them. ‘The Law is cleare for free Sub­jects in point of Priviledge and property, if the Client through ignorance, and the Lawyer through wilfullnesse, doe not dar­ken it. The Law showes a way very discernable to a cleared sight, betwixt Mine and Thine. If the Lawyer be at a fault here, surely there is dust cast into his eyes, and he deales treacherously, because he will doe so, not because he wants wit or knowledge, but because he is subtle and wicked: for he goes by the clearest Lights (not single but plurall) that any Science in the world hath, the light of Nature and of Reason and of conscience, all three; [Page 94] Therefore the Sage concludes, A knowing Lawyer (whom wee commonly call good) must necessarily be a good man, or &c. the Contrary, as the Country man calls him who calls a Spade, a Spade. And the best excuse he can make, why he dealt contrary must be his feare; that made him clash against the Law, feare of present drowning, if he did not swim with the stream; and not igno­rance of the Law.’ But here also our Chronicles gives us a famous example of a good Judge, and a good man, ‘Sir Iohn Markham by name, (late times yeeld us one or two more) King Edward the 4. outed him his place.’ But the valiant Knight, valiant for the Truth, no Iudge thereof now) gloried in this (as well he might) that Though the King could make him NO IƲDGE, he could not make him a DISHONEST MAN, He could doe nothing a­gainst the Truth, but for the Truth 2 Cor. 13 8., notwithstanding all provocati­ons and forcei [...]g to the contrary. Our Iudges (the worst part of them) cleane contrary, nothing for the Truth, but against the Truth, nor were they so much forced, as they used forcing. Then Iudge­ment was turned away backward, and Iustice stood afarre off: for Esa. 59. 14. Truth sell in the street, and equity could not enter, &c. For it fol­lowed just so. Therefore Gods Arme brought Salvations, He put on the garment of vengeance for cloathing, and was clad with zeale as ver. 16, 17. 18. a cloake. According to their deeds, He did repay fury to His Adver­saries, recompen [...]e to His enemies.

Thus the Lord did for a peeled people, that we might set OƲR HOPE in Him, and not forget His workes But behold we are turned backe, we are not stedfast. This is the Truth which appeareth thus.

¶ 2

We mind our Covenant no further then as it may be a Covenant of Salt, to assure us our outward Priviledges for ever. That's our great errour: the Church confutes it, and instructs us to Discretion.

VVE are not stedfast in the Covenant farther then it concernes our private wealth: so far we will hold-fast to it, as it doth main­tain our outward Rights.

We are resolved upon the Question, and let us now be begged for fooles or madd men, if we doe not by all lawfull meanes, main­taine the peace of our King, His Crowne and Dignity; and the Priviledges of Parliament: for herein (we must have a princi­ple of profit to carry us) the Rights and Liberties of the Subject are maintained. Vowes are upon Him and Them; the Oath of God is betwixt us; the strongest engagement that can be to maintaine th [...] LAW, and then the Law will maintaine us, and all the fore-men­tioned. And that is all we looke after. We consider not how spiri­tuals strengthen Politickes; that both King and Kingdome are estab­lished [Page 95] by Righteousnesse. Therefore the Church mindeth us of a great principle of State government which is this; ‘That true Re­ligion and Godlinesse is the root of all true virtue, and the stay of all well ordered Common-weales: And to keepe the true Re­ligion pure and unstained, ought to be the highest of all cares ap­pertaining to publicke Regiments, and the peace therof.’ Did not thy Father Iosiah doe judgement and justice, and it was well with him Ier. 22 [...].. While he was yet young, he begun to seeke after the God of his father, and to pur [...]e Iudah and Ierusalem 2 Chro. 34. 3.. And there was never any King before him or since, that live [...] so desired, or dyed so lamented, No not one. But his son Iehoiakim not so; His Eyes and his Heart were for oppression, and for violence to doe it Ier. 22.; therefore he was buried with the buriall of an Asse; they lamented not for him, saying, AH LORD, or AH IS GLORY: But what is this to the people? much every way, as what concerned the HEAD then, concernes the BODY now, because of that sympathy, and nea­rest Relation betwixt them: and what concernes the BEE con­cernes the BEEHIVE, and vvhat doth good or hurt to the one, doth the very same to both. Therefore this is added; They then and They onely doe seele the weight of Duty towards their Prince and Coun­try; they know the just bounds of observation towards both, who can, in a gracious freedome of Spirit, arising from Their innocency and in­dependancy (except on the living God) stand out, notwithstanding all shockes, against all corruptions in Doctrine and manners, having a tender sense of both, that there be no corruption in either: And so doe wish from an entire and ingenious heart, O KING LIVE FOR EVER. It is not the strength of all united hands, that can set the Crowne fast upon a Kings head: not the pollicy of as many heads can make it flourish there: nor can all the Arme of flesh put out to it's utmost strength confirme to us our Liberties, and establish the Right of Subjects: No, but it is RELIGION kept in it's purity; Iu­stice, maintained in it's integrity; obedience (more beautifying then a Crowne) performed to Gods command in sincerity; This will doe it, even all the fore-mentioned. And we are convinced hereof by a common light, and naturall principles; and can conclude there­from, when we are our selves, that vve should give out our strength and be most active for the first and last thing in the PROTESTA­TION; To maintaine RELIGION in it's purity, and the BROTHER-HOOD in Sincerity; for therein are contained the very strength and spirits of the Covenant, as hath been said, and can­not be to often thought upon.

But now vvhat blunts the edge of our indeavours and affections this way, comes now seriously to be considered on.

¶ 3.

Our Priests, who pretend to lead us, mislead us destroying all▪ that the Church doth for our building up, to the subverting of our soules, and the putting out of a common light, by their common and unclean conversation. The Church points us to a more excellent way.

VVE are naturally blind, and cannot see farre off 2 Pet. [...]. 9.. We are not instructed to discretion; not so discerning, as to approove the things that are excellent, much lesse to contend for them. And a great cause hereof is, (we are naturally stupid and blind, a spirit of infirmity naturally boweth dovvne; but I say a chief cause is) without us, in our guides and leaders, for the most part blind, and yet they leade us. Many of them preach once in a Yeare, perhaps some of them once a Moneth, and not a sound word of Doctrine then, comes from them, but their TEXT. Their practise is as bad, it corrupts like a canker: We observe that, and nothing else, we see they oversee nothing amongst us with any care or diligence, but their Easter-booke, and their Tythes all the yeare after. That hath been the complaint against Bishops from Dayes of old to this present Day See Hist. of the Councel of Trent. 2. p. 252. & p. 216. Non magis de pās­cen [...]o grege cogi tant quam sutor de arando. Pastors now a dayes, the werst part of the, think no more of feeding the flock, then a Cobler do's of the plough. Cal Ins. 4. cap. 5. Sect. 1 [...], 13.. And if our SEERS doe so, we think and are perswaded we may do so too, mind Earth and do well enough for Heaven, for they do so, and yet they know better and see farther then wee can see, for they are called Seers, The Lord unscale their eyes, and unvaile their hearts, and deliver His people from these murderers, because of whom the Churches soul is wearied Ier 4. 31.. The Lord stirre up your hearts to pitty the Countryes round about yet more. For vve are in a sad con­dition if we saw it. Our Teachers are as you heare, and the People content to have it so. Truly had not the Oppressor touched us in that we make our god, outward profits and Priviledges, vve should never have complained: what violence the Priests had done to the Law of God, to the House of God, to His vvorship there, we regarded not: but what violence the Judges did to the Laws of Man, that we regarded, and then vve could howle.

Truly we mind not what bands you have broke; nor what yoakes c Facile est quic­quid in praesenti seculo nocet: illud grave, illud perni­ciosum quod in ae­ternitate iugula­bit. Salv d [...] Eccl. Cath. l 2. 410. you have taken off the necks of Ministers; Nor that you have advanced the Scepter of the Lord Christ; and that worship which is according to the Rule and mind of God; these things we mind not; No nor that you have troubled the troublers, the Achans, That you have searched their Tents, and found out the Babilonish garments; We re­gard these things no more then Gallio did the beating of Sosthenes: for so we are instructed; Our Prophets, for the most part, prophesie to us of wine and strong drinke, which pleaseth the sense well, and our walking is thereafter, we regard only our Oyle and Wine.

And yet upon sadder thoughts, vvhen we think as men, we are halfe [Page 97] convinced; That this our walking is not right; That rivers of Oyle and wine (i. e) the marrovv, and fatnesse, and fullnesse of the world is but emptinesse, and will [...]ot satisfie: All this reacheth but to the body, no farther; and vvill leave us, or vve them on this side the grave. We can consider sometimes that vve have a Spirit within us (vvhich is called the soule) a vast, large and capacious thing: It can measure and graspe all the fore-mentioned, all the things in the world; and, when all is done, find but an emptinesse in all. We are able to consider, That the vvorld cannot satisfie this soule, no more then can the East-wind the stomach. It is Heaven and the great things there, which can satisfie this great capacity, vvhich can vviden and stretch forth it selfe like the Heavens. The soule may goe from creature to creature, as the Bee from flower to flower, and be as restlesse still, and as unquiet in its motion, as is the needle, (not pointed right) and so must be till it be pointed stedfast to Heaven

All this vve can consider, and, upon due consideration, approove the things that are excellent. But then we behold our Priests, and are quite off againe, seeing them vvalke like men, nay many of them more like be [...]sts I would rather my tongue were silent in darknes, then it should cast a note of contempt upon outward civility. These have not so much, but, as beasts, could they phancy happines, would place it in fat pastures, and sweet waters so do these droves and heards of men This is a mighty snare unto us, lead not so much by rule as by example Persuade [...] lingua iubet vitae, Athan. ad Monachos. The Tongue per­swades, the life commands.: We consider not what ought to be done, but what is done by our betters, and thereafter we practise as our leaders do, as if what they did vvere well done; and, as if outvvard things could inwardly satisfie. This digression is necessary, declaring how our minds stand: Now I must shew, That the Church is of another mind, and so make vvay to the scope.

¶. 4.

The Church desires to prosper as her soul may prosper; Contends for the ad­vancing of Christs Kingdom; prefers inward enlargements be­fore outward priviledges.

ESaues ENOƲGH Gen. 33. 9. Gen. 6. will not content the Church, though that be much or a great deale. Iacobs ENOƲGH Gen. 33. 9, 1 [...] ▪ only contents her, which inwardly satisfies and fills up the vast capacity of the soule, This God alone doth, Who is Iacobs ENOVGH, for HE is ALL.

The Churches Sons and D [...]ughters looke after those things, which may further them in their way Heaven-ward: such things as will make their soules to prosper are to their mind and heart. They looke after spiritu [...]ll enlargements, they would have their Lord Christ to be high­ly [...]d [...]anced in the world; It would rejoyce them at the heart to see His Sanctuaries kept cleane; all filthinesse remooved thence, and those that attend His services there to be purified and Holy ones, That their Lord might see no uncleane thing there which might cause Him to turne away from them, and turne His back upon His Sanctuaries, [Page 98] The summe of their desires is; That they may offer to the Lord an of­fering in Righteous [...]esse. Then shall their offerings be pleasant unto the Mal. 3. 3. v. 4. Lord, as in the Dayes of old, and as in former Yeares. The Church Re­members vvh [...]t you have done to promote these services so pleasant to the Lord, and she must referre it to a speciall head of Praise and Thanks-giving.

CHAP. X.

It is ordered that neither the Table of the Lord, nor His Name be Idolized; nor His Day prophaned; nor Pray­ers restrained; All this the Church Records with all Thankfullnesse; The Time also when this was done: and She sets her hope in God for after Time, therefore She gives her selfe to Prayer.

SECT. I.

The Name restored; Idols and Idoll Priests Cast-out; The bold Chancellor rebuked; the Lords Day rescued from those that offered violence thereunto.

BLessed be ye of the Lord; you will have things called by their Name; Cringing and bowing, flat Idolatry; The Table of the LORD, a Table: And His Name ye will not suffer to be made an Idoll neither; nor His Day prophaned; nor would you restraine prayer; for, next to her Lord Christ, it is the life of her soule, and more pretious then the breath in her Nostrills. She will speake of these in order, and to your everlasting praise.

¶ 1.

The Church accounts of but one feast during her wea [...]y Pilgrimage here, and it is, That her Lord Christ is pleased to invite her unto, and make her partaker of at His own Table; where She beholds admirable things, an unspekeable gift, which She cannot expresse, but there She [Page 99] sees her Iesus, Him, Whom her soule loveth, in Him and through Him exceeding riches of grace, abundant mercy, great love.

The Church is abundantly thankfull to you now; That you have restored to her the Name, and the use of That, whereat She doth com­municate, and feast with her Lord: She may call it a Table, for so it is, and not an Altar, for that is a lye, an abomination, not to be once named in the Church of God, who hath but one Altar, as She hath but one Priest.

¶ 2.

The Church hath more thanks to give you before She can leave the Table; That you have rebuked the bold Chancellor, his turning of things upside downe, which you esteemed as the Potters clay: Let him order things at his own Table, he had no more to doe in Church-vvork, then Vzziah had to meddle with the Priests office: Therefore the Lord going along vvith you, hath set a note of disgrace upon him (so notoriously transgressing the bounds of his office, the pattent whereof he hath quite lost, or willingly laid aside) as mani­fest, as was the Leprosy rising in the forehead. Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have so rebuked him, and the vile Priest also, who would make an Idoll of his Lords Name; That WONDERFVLL NAME, making one letter in that Name, more excellent and ho­nourable then another, whereas every letter there is WONDERFVLL, and infinitely glorious: but so he did Idolize that Name there, and every where, bovving the knee at the hearing of it, and, in the meane Time, mocking Him to His face. The Church thanks you for this, and that you remembred also that which was an offence, and grief of heart.

¶ 3.

The INCLOSVRE, the Railes there, for vvhy should the Priests, novv the vaile of the Temple is rent, make the Chancell, as the HOLY of HOLYES, so making a difference in places, vvhere God makes none; or why should he stand alone there, so like a sa­crificing Priest, as if the guift he were to distribute there, were not common to all believers? Now the Lord Christ is as a fountaine opened to the house of Judah, the Church. She is indeed a garden inclosed, a spring shut up, a fountaine sealed Cant. 4. 12., ‘Because the Church is sepera­ted Optimâ fide casta [...] conservas [...] & tuos fructus into­gros. Iun. for her Lords use: and all her fruit, as from Him, so all reserved for Him: What her Lord Christ is, what He hath, all is for His beloved; Therefore she is peculiarly His, all she is, and all she doth.’ But her beloved is a common good to the whole Church, to every part and member of the same: The poorest, weakest person, hath the same right and interest in Him, the same accesse to Him, as the strongest Christian hath; even as a beggar pleades the same in­terest to the Sun-shine, and a common fountaine, as a King doth; for [Page 100] God hath made these things common. Blessed be yee that you have broken down the Railes there, and thrown-down those Mock-gods, which did serve the Heathen, in those darke times, to keep their gar­dens, and drive away the Crovves; and may yet serve some to make sport with, who in the Sun-shine (their tender yeares w [...]ll excuse them) doe ride upon a long reed and play vvith R [...]ttles. These dung-hill goods ascending out of the earth, you have ordered to be cast out to their place; And some of the Priests you have whipped-out too, more polluting the Temple then ever did the buyers and sellers there. The Church accepts all this with all thankfullnesse, and waites the time when you must doe more, even avenge her of such Adversaries as these; who have not only done as above-said, but forced the prophanation of her Lords Day after an unheard of and heathenish manner, Surely this bold and daring sin hath filled up their measures brimme full, so as wrath is running over now, and bea­ring them down as a mighty streame. And this the Church remem­bers often, the more to enlarge and heighten her spirit in thanksgiving and praise.

¶ 4.

That seeing she hath but one Day in seven, her Lords Day therefore most honourable; her soules Day, therein she hath svveete communion vvith her Lord, and finds rest to her soule; Her market-Day, then she layes in her provision, expecting to live comfortably upon her gathe­rings all the weeke following: Seeing, I say, she hath but one day, she is dainty and curious thereof: zealous according to knowledge, and religiously covetous, she would not have a minute of that sacred time wasted. And now that you have rebuked the vile Priests and their brutish people, for their horrible prophanation of this Day, she accepts this with all thankfullnesse. Surely the Day when you did this, and the place where you did it, shall be called GILG ALL, for then and there you rouled away the reproach of Egypt. This she accepts alwaies with all thankfullnesse, but more abundantly, if more I [...]s [...]. 5. [...]. can be, would she be enlarged for that which followes.

SECT. II.

The Churches Prayers, pretious and prevailing; Shee entreates shee may speake for her selfe, or chuse her spoakes-man.

THat you have regarded the breath of her nostrills, and the life of her soule, She doth professe unto you in the presence of her God, that she hath but one meanes, in her absence from Him, whereby to seeke His face; To know His mind concerning her, and her conver­sation here below: But one means to carry up all her wants, and to bring down all her blessings: for she accounts nothing a blessing which is not gained by Prayer; and shee writes upon every thing she receives, ASKT OF GOD: But one meanes to hide her selfe in the clifts of the rock, till the indignation be over: For, when the Lord sh [...]ll shut the Heaven, and open His Armory against the earth Ier. 50 25., bringing forth all the weapons of His indignation: Then hath she but one meanes, one shift (but as one said, its [...] a greate one, and a sure one) HE ARE THOƲ IN HEAVEN THY DWEL­LING PLACE, AND FORGIVE AND DOE. This is all her refuge, SƲPPLICATIONS TO HER GOD.

The Church hath much to say at this point; But she humbly thankes you; that you did not thinke it fit to bind her strictly, in her Publike Assemblies, to formes of others making: Alas they cannot reach her wants, nor the boosome of her God. The heart knowes its own bitternesse, and can best indite her own sorrowes, and make them known unto her God. But yet the Church will not prescribe heere, only she hopes you vvill consider, how shee hath been dealt with very lately, when a stout Prelate was so daring as to prescribe her a prayer, and then cheate the world with her Name, The Churches Prayer, when indeed it was Lincolns Prayer, so the prayers have been all this Time, some private mens devotions, and then called the Prayers of the Church. But had this beene all, she had held her peace. Behold how her Adversary like an imperious WHO RISH WOMAN hath dealt with her these l [...]st yeares, which surely her Lord will take as a FORCING His QƲEENE before His Face; It is notoriously known, that the Adversary hath, by his prescribed formes, comp [...]led her to blaspheme the Name of her God, and her own Name; to curse her best friends, and to bl [...]sse her worst enemies. In consideration of the premises, she conceives great hope, that, if you allow not her children to choose their speakers, yet to [Page 102] allow of your choise; such an one, who is sincerely honest, under­stands their case, the weight of his office, and is sufficient to be their mouth to their LORD, and to make knowne His meaning to them.

The Church is confident, that if you shall well consider her Nego­tiations, you will find them weigh more upon the ballance, then those concerning the greatest Prince in the world; and yet she will take the grant of this her request, as a speciall favour and grace from you, though not only a Prince, but inferiour persons will challenge so much as their proper Right.

But she referres her suites to the Closet, she is now giving in the tribute of thankes and praise: and she blesseth God and thankes you with all her heart, for all the labour of Love, worke of Faith, Pati­ence of Hope towards her Sonnes and Daughters, that you have brought them so farre, even HITHERTO; she sets a marke up­on it, for it requires speciall observation.

SECT. III.

The ninth of September, a notable Day, to be written and to be named both; written, because; on that Day, an un­righteous Decree, To establish a Service odious to God (one of their own being Judge) was made Null and of none effect: Named, as in Dayes of old forthe same Reason.

HEre I have concluded the yeare almost in the middest of a Month; I could not else have given up the full tale of wonders. It was ne­cessary I should goe to the ninth of that Moneth, so farre, that it might the more fully appeare, how farre the Lord hath brought His Church working wonderfully for His people. That Day the Worthies adjour­ned their Court for five weekes, that so they might look over their private interests, and then returne againe well refreshed for the Com­mon-weale, and Gods worke, vvhich that Day, late at evening, had a notable close.

The Church seemes to heare a voyce now, as one of her sonnes once did, comming to her eares with a double charge, Sonne of man write the name of the Day, even of THIS SAME DAY Ezek. 24. [...].. And the spirit suggests unto her the same Reason in effect, which He did to the Prophet for so doing. She remembreth well, some there were, who that same Day, vvould have established the Liturgi [...] (as now it [Page 103] is) with all it's faults, which all indifferent men doe find there not a few: and acknowledge it to b [...] a Service, which God never com­manded, neither ever ca [...]e it into His Heart. He that pleads so hard for the Liturgy (as now it is, for that must be remembred still) the continuance and est [...]blishment of it in the Church; even the same man t [...]ls us, it is a S [...]RVICE ODIOƲS TO HEAVEN. Doth he so? Truly, I th [...]nke so, but j [...]dge you. No that you w [...]ll not, you will say, for you are not a judge; let the learned give judgement in these matters, and let my spirit be subj [...]ct thereunto. I confesse this is a point of w [...]sdome and of modesty both But I take judgement here in a vulgar construction, and so we may judge; for the eare can try words, as the Mouth can taste Meat Iob 12. 11.. I will then give you out his wor [...]s by tale, for we find a pretty parcell of them together. Thus he saith first,

GOD WILL HAVE NO WORSHIP OF OUR D. Hals Com. l. 2 p. 138. DEVISING, Then God will not allow of all our Liturgy, for sure, there is something of mans devising therein, as no man vvill deny that is not all fore-head, and dares deny that Snow is white or fire will burne.

2. WE MAY ONLY DOE, WHAT HE BIDS US, Then we must worship the Father in SPIRIT and in TRƲTH, for the FATHER SEEKETH such to worship HIM.

3. NOT BID WHAT HE COMMANDS NOT. Ioh 4. 23. Then the Curate must not bid Saints dayes to be kept holy; for God commands them not. He commands His Day to be kept holy (which the bold Priest hath count [...]rmanded) and such dayes, vvhich are to the Church now, as dayes of PƲRIM vvere to the Church of old, Dayes turned unto them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into a good Day Est. 9. [...].. So also dayes of Atonement, Fasting Dayes, called al­so Sabbath Dayes.

2. The Bishop must not bid his Curate reade all the Liturgy, for then he will reade Arch-Angels, which he ought not to doe, for God commands him not to reade a lye, we never heard or read of that word plurall, but in the Liturgie,

4 NEVER DID ANY TRUE PIETY ARISE OUT OF THE CORRUPT PUDDLE OF MANS BRAINE. We believe it; and withall, that all is not true Piety, that is contained in the Liturgy; for the worst part of it (I heare the most part of it, nay, some say, all that is properly called the Liturgie) ariseth out of the corruptest sinke that is in the world, the Popes Masse-book, and that had it's o­riginall spring out of mans brain.

5. THAT SERVICE, WHICH FLOWES NOT FROM HEAVEN IS ODIOUS TO HEAVEN. Be it so, then ODIOƲS this Service must be for the Reason a­fore-said; for the worst part of it flowes from the Priests mouth now, [Page 104] and he derives it, as was said from the most corrupt person and booke, the [...]ope and his Masse-book.

The Church now makes no conclusions from the premisses against some set formes of CONFESSION, THANKES, RE­QƲ [...]ST &c. It being the judgement of the gravest and most learned Divines, that such set-formes may be and must be. Indeed the Doctours words seeme at the first view, and more then seeme, if they be narrow­ly looked into, cleane against them, set Formes I meane. But the Church concludes nothing; No, she leaves all determinations and conclusions at the foot of her Lord, and of His Word; and under that authority, she concludes her soule: and she expects, That all her Sonnes vvill in their consultations, touching this great businesse, stand like the stalke of a Ballance, leaning to no side, neither to the right nor left, but just as the Churches Standard, the MIND and WILL OF GOD expressed in the sacred Scripture, shall sway them just so.

But for this Liturgie so distracted, so mangled, so like torne flesh, so complying vvith the Masse-booke all along, and so filling up the houre, so as vvhen the Minister hath ended his Liturgie, he thinkes he hath done service enough to the Church, that part of the Day: For this Liturgie the Church thinkes there can no sufficient reason be given for the continuance of it; and therefore her Sonnes and Daughters will write this Day, vvhen the weake overcame the strong, and the fewest in number prevailed over the spirituall Lords; even that Day, the NINTH OF SEPTEMBER And that we may set a fuller marke yet upon that Day, the Church would have us note two ACTS of the spirituall Lords, very notable both, and the conse­quence there-from: The one bearing date from the 16. of Ianuary, 1640 and issued forth by bill the ninth of September following, for the feoffi [...]g this Liturgie by their last will and testament upon the Church, her sonnes and daughters for ever; wherein their spirits vvere so servent that they were consumed in their owne fire. The o­ther Act, bearing date the [...]9. of December, 1641. whereby they would have made void [...]ll that the Lords [...]nd Commons, (more spi­rituall then they) had done for the Church and Common-wealth. Presently after their former Act, so full of that, we sometimes call Spirit; This word SPIRITƲALL was cast out of the bill; we might reade it there this once, and then no more for ever. By the [...]r l [...]st Act [...]f Subscription, full of the same spirit also, their LORDSHIPS were c [...]st out of the house and with their owne hands. H [...]ein the Re [...]aliation of the Lord was wonderfull, how He meeted forth unto them the portion of their measures, because they forgot Him and trusted in false hood I [...]. 13. 25.. But this belongs to the yeare following; we are to write this day, even this same Day the ninth of SEPTEMBER for then the Church put-in a Caveat, That the spirituall Lords last Will and Testament might prove null and [Page 105] of none effect. The Church must name that Day also; so she can and give it a very proper name, as once it was, when the Lord wrought wonderfully for His people. Thus we reade, That the Lords of the Philistines came up against Israel, presently after Israel had pow­red out themselves before the Lord: Then Israel cryed unto the Lord and to their Seer, that hee would cry for them in the eares of the Lord: So he did, for he knew his duty, and he cry­ed so long till he got a great Thunder out of Heaven upon the Philistines and discomfited them; So they were smitten before Is­rael. 1 Sam 7. Where we note in passage, that Samuell is the man of warre, and his Lord the God of Hosts, all creatures serve Him, great and small, high and low, Fire and Haile, Snow and Vapours, stormy wind, which execute His Word Ps. 148. 8,. It was so here; The Seer hee prayes, offers Sacrifice, and then the Lord thundred.

And now that the Lord had made a Breach upon the enemy, Israel pursues them, and smote them untill they came unto Bethcar: Now the Prophet hath his mouth as wide opened in praise, as be­fore in prayer; and not onely so, but he sets up a Monument to keepe in mind this admirable Deliverance; he tooke a stone setting it up, and called the name thereof, EBEN-EZAR, saying, HI­THERTO the Lord hath helped us; His glory hath been a RERE­WARD Isa. 58. 8. hitherto.

This must be the Name of the Day, a good Day, and a good name HITHERTO. The Church commands her Sonnes and Daughters to set-up quickly this Monument to His praise, while the Mercy is fresh; for, as the Eele out of the hand, so Mercies slip out the mind; Wee have still need of Remembrancers and none like this: To remember this Day, and that HITHERTO the Lord hath helped us. But because this HITHERTO is coun­ted by some a small Mercy, the Church will reason out the case with a bruitish people at this Standard, turning her selfe unto her Lord.

¶ 1.

A wonderfull mercy and must have everlasting praise; That the Lord hath brought his Church HITHERTO.

IS this the manner of Man, Lord God? I must answer, no; Kings of the Earth will not do so: If they be crossed, yea but a little, they will rage 2 Sam. 7. 19. very much, shew much wrath, they will be avenged, if they can, seven­fold, yea seventy-and seven-fold: Nay, vve poore men, low creatures, vvormes of the Earth, cannot beare injury and wrong, our patience is tired-out presently, and we will be avenged; vve will not stick to say in our haste, vengeance is ours, we will repay. Can two [Men] walke together, except they be agreed Amos 3. 3 [...]? No, for they will flie one in [Page 106] the others face presently. There vvas a greate disagreement betwixt God and His people, even now at this time, yet, behold! He and they walke together HITHERTO. We vv [...]lked most contrary; He not so; but most comfortably with us HITHERTO. Wee maintained w [...]rre against God; yet HITHERTO, God hath hel­ped us. Wee thought He would have st [...]rred up all His vvrath, and have consumed us utterly; Hee stirred up all His bowells, and so brought us HITHERTO; for, as we reade, He is God and not Man Hos. 11 9.. But to put this mercy home, and to make it sinke down into our hearts, The Church tels us more:

That, as this is not the Manner of Man, so, nor of God nei­ther. The Lord hath wrought a new thing upon Earth, amongst us in our Land. It is not His Manner to use such patience to­wards such sinners as we are. He hath sworne in His vvrath a­gainst those, that have not provoked Him as we have done, and they are an astonishing example of Gods smoaking vvrath at this Day, and written for our example, vvho come the nearest to that Mother-Church in our receits and returnes, I meane in mercies and sinnes But this example, though an astonishing one, is farre off, and we are, if not blinde, yet very dimme-sighted; We cannot clear­ly see into a judgement so farre-off, though it is at this Day, as that was Numb. [...]6 10. Exemplum omniū oculis expositum, ut est erectum sig­num. Trem., for a signe conspicuous to every eye, as a banner dis­played, or as ensignes lifted up Esa 57. 17, 18..

Consider we Gods dealing, His Manner tovvards His people nearer hand; but first, His dealing towards us. We went on ve­ry frowardly, traversing our way. What did the Lord doe? Did He deale frowardly too? No, to the Admiration of An­gels and men, He did as he said even then, He HEALED us; He sent us Saviours, He did terrible things against the Adversary, which we looked not for; He brought us HITHERTO: How farre? I cannot tell that: Let it suffice to test, farre beyond our Prayers and above our Hopes: so farre He brought us, as we can conclude it, but possible to an Allmighty hand, to bring us so farre, HITHERTO. Is this His manner to deale so gracious­ly with such presumptuous sinners as we are? No, He did not deale so with Ireland, that Land lyeth under the displeasure of an angry God, full of the furie of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. 'Tis not His manner neither to deale so with our Sister-Churches. O no! The Lord hath brought them to an HITHERTO of judgements. I pray you, nay I charge you before the Lord ob­serve their HITHERTO, and our HITHERTO, compare them together, and then consider on it. I was saying, the Lord hath given the dearely Beloved of His soule (see how angry the Lord may be with His Beloved) into the hand of her enemies Ier. 12 7.. He hath brought His people in Germany to a HITHERTO of judgements, and how farre beyond this, vve cannot tell. He be­gan [Page 107] with them twenty foure yeares agoe (thereabouts) He hath not ended with them HITHERTO, no not to this Day. The Sword is yet bathed in blood. HITHERTO the Enemy hath prevailed, and keepes the Sanctuary of the Lord in his possession. O set we up a Monument here for establishing the Memory of this Mercy, that God hath brought us HITHERTO. We pro­fesse ô Lord God, we feele our selves over-charged with this mercy, that Thou hast brought us HITHERTO. Truth Lord, if Thou wilt bring us no further, no not one steppe, we doe in­deed feare the reproach of Men, that Thy great Name may suf­fer; Their Manner is to open against Thee and to say as of old, THOƲ ART NOT ABLE. But we recover our selves again, and upon second thoughts we are pretty vvell perswaded; That thou canst worke out Thine owne glory in Thine owne vvayes by us unsearchable and past finding out; And therefore ô Lord God, we doe profe [...]e before the World, Angels and Men, That if Thou shouldest set up Thy Pillar here, and write upon it, Beyond this HITHERTO, this PILLAR, there remaineth no Mercy, not a jot which you or your children shall live to see, for you are a bru­tish sullen people, a crooked Generation, yee will not know, That I have sent you SAVIOURS; You fly from them as from Spoylers; You account REFORMATION a killing Ex. 2.; and so you speake of it in my eares. Therefore he that is filthy, let him be filthy still Rev. 22. 11.. And for these Saviours I will take them away, or put a cloud over them, or an evill spirit into them; so as they shall carry you backe againe to the Aegypt you mind so much and like so well (yet the utmost of all evill, Deut. 28. 68. Iratum habemus Christum quòd [...] iustâ Reformatio­ne absumus; sin red [...]er [...]mu [...] [...] vo­ [...]tum, quo furore, in nos exardesces, Bright. i [...] stev. c [...]. 11. v. 15. Quid reliquum est prater ultimum supplicium, ubi conclamata est om­nis emendatio, Bright. in Rev. 16. 10.) even to your pollutions, your MIRE and VOMIT where They sound you.

If Thou shouldest say to us even so, and doe as Thou hast said, yet thy Servants can find in their hearts to give Thee everla­sting praise for bringing us SO FARRE, and helping us HI­THERTO: for to the Confusion of our face, and to the praise of Thy abundant Mercy be it spoken, that Thou hast much the same inditement against us, as of old against Thy Israel; We have dealt so and so, YET THOƲ DESTROY­EDST THE AMORITE B [...]FORE ƲS. Thou broughtest ƲS also up from the Land of Aegypt, BƲT, &c. The same YET and the same BƲT, thou hast against us, so as Thou art pressed under us as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheafes Amos 2. [...], 12.. Therfore what though Thou wilt not doe this in our dayes, no nor in our childrens dayes; our eyes must not see such Salvations: What though, we a foolish and gain saying people, must by Thy appointment, goe to the place of silence, and our childrens faces also must be wrapt up within their mould, ye [...] notwithstanding we can blesse Thee, we can praise. Thee with o­pen [Page 108] Mouth and enlarged Hearts, for that Thou hast done before our eyes this last yeare; and for those glorious promises, Thou hast made to Thy Church for a great while to come: Which we see (as in a Glasse clearly by that thou hast done this yeare) are now fullfilling. We can blesse Thee for all this, for helping us thus farre, for bringing us HITHERTO: How many of our Brethren, better then we, vvould have rejoyced to have seene such a day as this, and EBEN-EZAR that Name put upon it; That they might have seen the good of Thy chosen, have rejoyced in the gladnesse of Thy Nation, and glory vvith Thine Inheritance. But Thy pleasure was not so. Thou hast provided better things for them, where their sight is more cleared, their joy more refi­ned, their glory more abundant, blessed be Thy Name. VVee blesse Thy great Name also, and we can almost say, We have e­nough, that Thou hast spared us to this Day, and brought us HITHERTO, so vvonderfully vvorking for us; and while wee have any BEING it is the full purpose of our Hearts to praise Thy Name, and the Lord keepe it in the purpose of our hearts for ever Amen: For what are we, what are our persons or our Fathers House, That Thou hast brought us HITHERTO. [...] Sam. 7. 18.

¶ 2

The Church hath strong Consolations, because the LORD hath spoken good words and comfortable tou­ching her house for a great while to come. She gives her self to Prayer.

BUt yet, ô Lord God, as thou hast commanded us to Record, to Praise, to Thanke Thee for Thy Mercies HITHERTO: So dost Thou take pleasure in those that hope in THY MER­CIE Ps. 1 [...]7. 11. for after times. Good Lord, what a good word is that! Thou takest pleasure in those that HOPE in Thy Mercies: This word is to Thy people sweeter then the Hony-combe; They keepe it as a sweet Morsell under the tongue. Sith it plea­seth Thee so well, They will hope in thy Mercie, that they vvill. It is the manner of the Church, I will looke unto the Lord, I will wait for the God of my Salvation, my God will heare me Mic. 7. 7.. It is the Churches confidence, Thou wilt heare; But if thou seemest to slumber, she will waken Thee with Importunity; she will give Thee no rest, her Sonnes and Daughters vvill be Thy Remem­brancers, for they remember all that Thou hast done HITHER­TO is That they might set their hope in Thee for after times Ps. 78. 7.. They doe, Lord, they doe, and they will give Thee no rest tou­ching this thing, even that Thou wouldst goe with thy Church yet farther, even till the enemy be subdued, and come no more into [Page 109] the coast of Israel to destroy there. And they will trouble with their importunity, those thou hast sent to heale us when we thought 2 Chro. 10. there was no remedy, they shall have no rest neither (Thou lovest an humble violence) till they bring this people yet farther; if but to that place, where, though there will be weeds many, yet they shall not keepe downe the good Corne; though Bryars there be, yet they shall not choake it; nay, though Scorpions be there, yet they shall not sting in Thy holy Mountaine. Why, Lord God, as if this, which Thou hast done, were but a small thing, Thou hast promised to goe with Thy people yet a great way farther, for thou hast spoken good and comfortable words touching Thy Ser­vants for a great while to come. Thou art beginning, we hope, and Thou wilt not goe backe with us till thou hast finished; we dare not make haste, for some faith we have concerning this, That Thou wilt hold the sanne in Thy Servants hand, till the floore be throughly purged, as becommeth a floore on Earth; that Thou wilt root out them, whom Thy right Hand never planted; set Thy face against them, who turned Their backes upon Thee, walking so contrary; That Thou wilt thrust out that, which thou never commandedst, nor ever came it into Thy heart; ô Thy Servants thinke they have very strong arguments; when they can plead the case before thee with Thy owne. Thou hast said, E­very plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted Mat. 15. 13. up; we know they have taken root, but not by Thee; and h [...]ld possession, but not in right from Heaven: Wilt not Thou judge them O Lord God, and remove them from being Over-seers unto Thee? Thou hast broken downe what Thou didst build; and pluckt up vvhat thou didst plant k; how much more those, who Ier. 45. have built themselves up with their owne hands; and planted themselves upon their owne bottome? Thou hast said, Thou wilt be served in spirit, for that service onely reacheth unto Thy bosome, and that hath been the manner of all Thy Servants, true worshippers; Whom I serve in spirit, saith Thy Servant Rom. 1. 9.. What hast thou to doe with a feare taught by the precepts of men? Thou hast rejected them, who did reject the commands of God, that they might keepe their owne traditions Mark 7. 9.. Thou art the same jealous God st [...]ll; Thou dost looke into Thy Temple still with the same eye, and beholdest the abominations there, both persons and ser­vices, and we hope Thou wilt arise now and avenge Thy-selfe of Thy Adversaries, who have made voyd Thy Law, and the of­fering vile, who have given Thy children stones for bread, and fo [...] a fish, a Serpe [...]t. Surely Thou wilt be avenged of such mur­derers. Thou hast given Thy Servants a sure and gracious word of Promise, Aske what you will and i [...] shall be done l: Thy s [...] ­vants [...] aske nothing, but according to Thy m will, and it is th [...] confidence, that Thou hearest them: It is Thy will that we [...] [Page 110] pray for the peace of Ierusalem; Thy will, that they should pros­per that love it; Thy will, that the zeale of Thy House should consume Thy Servants; and that the abominations there should vex their righteous soules, for such are as smoake in Thy nose, and a fire which burneth all the Day: It is Thy w [...]ll, Lord, Thy Servants should pray, Ease Thy selfe of Thine A [...]versaries. Thy Servants are assured they doe not aske amisse: they aske ac­cording to Thy owne will: Thy own command; for Thine own glory, that Thou mayest have a pure and cleane Sacrifice offered unto Thee; that Thou mayest be the King in Thy Church, and rule by Thine owne Lawes there; they aske nothing in, or for behalfe of their lusts, but against them altogether; that Thou wouldest be King in their hearts, as well as in their Churches: That Thou wouldest take all Thine and our enemies, which would not have Thee for their King, and sl [...]y them before their eyes. We doe not aske (wickedly) therefore we will never leave asking, we will trouble Thee day and night with importunity and give Thee no rest, [...]. Iam. 4. 3. till Thou shalt hearken, and heare us, and grant our request; till Thou shalt perfect what Thou hast begun; performe the word to Thy Servants wherein Thou hast caused them to trust; till Thou shalt bring Thy Church THITHERTO, to a safe place, where Iacobs face shall waxe pale no more; shall be troubled, and tossed, and vexed no more; shall heare Thy Name blasphemed no more; see Thy worship defiled no more; Thy Day prophaned no more; Anti christian Rights, base beggarly Rudiments, prevailing no more; Thy Ministers villa­nously used no more; Thy Servants thrust into corners no more: and because of Aegyptian burdens and illegall pressures, Thy people how­ling no more; nor any breach betwixt Iudah and Israel any more; where Ierusalem shall be a QƲIET HABITATION, where she shall looke from the top of AMANA, from th [...] top of SHI­NAR Isa. 29. 2 [...]. [...]o 33. 20. and HERMON, from the LYONS DEN, from the MOƲNTAINS of the LEOPARDS; then we shall [...]ng the high prai­ses Cant 4. 8. of our God: Then Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be right glad, say­ing HALLELƲ-IAH, Salvation, and Glory and Honour, and Power unto the Lord our God Amen, HALLELƲ-IAH.

FINIS.

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