A Tossed Ship Making to Safe Harbor, To the reader – Approbation
READER,
ARt thou a friend, or an enemy? Art thou active or pasſive in the injuries of Sion? If active, know, thou wilt be found to ſtrive againſt God, aInjuria quae piis offertur, fit ipſi deo. 1 Nahum. 9.11.and he will be too hard for thee; what can the potſheard doe againſt the rock? whether thou bSive percutiat, ſive percutiatur, frangi neceſſe eſt.Smite or be Smitten, thou muſt needs be Broken in pieces; who ever thou art, yet Read, thou may finde ſomething here, if not to make thee, yet to mend thee, if not to convert thee, yet to convince thee, and at leaſt reſtraine thee in thy former way. cIdeo ſcribuntur omnes libri, ut emendetur unus.All Books are written to mend one, the Book of the heart, and who knowes but this may doe it. Art thou Pasſive? art thou a fellow ſufferer? Come then, let us ſit downe, and mourne together, dCum deflentibus defleo, cum jacentibus, jaceo, jaculis graſſantis inimici membra meae percuſſa ſunt, cum proſtratis fratribus, & me proſtravit affectus meus. Cypr. foreign Hom. Iliad.let us help to weep the teares, and ſigh the ſighes of a bleeding State! Haſt thou conſidered Ireland? haſt thou been there in thy ſad thoughts? haſt thou obſerved the murthers, cruelties, ruines, and devaſtations of that place? haſt thou heard the ſighings of the Priſoners, the ſcrichings of the Slaine, the groanings of the dying —? haſt thou taken notice of thoſe thouſands of the Saints, (e) whoſe dead bodies they have given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and whoſe fleſh they have given to the beaſts of the earth, and whoſe blood they have ſhed like water upon the ground, and there was none to bury them? Tell me, haſt thou been at Irelands Funeralls? Is it not yet dead? we feare it is; yet we hope it's capable of a reſurrection, though with Lazarus it lie ſome dayes in the Grave, before Chriſt come and raiſe it. Haſt thou ſeen all this, and canſt thou not weep? come, let us mourn together! God hath made the ſame Organ both for Seeing, and for weeping; he that ſees, muſt needs Weep. Haſt thou obſerved the miſeries of England? That lies a bleeding, though not a Dying: Ezra. 10.2. There is yet hope in Iſrael concerning this, Though we have too many Symptomes of a dying State, yet there may be a recovery, posſible, this Iſſue of Blood may be ſtopped. Indeed we have ſpent all upon Phyſitians, and they have done what they can, they have uſed the uttermoſt of their indeavours and skill, but our Cure is not wrought. England hath ſinn'd, now england ſuffers; our preſent ſufferings, are but the fruits of our former ſinnings. Rods of Correction come in, where words of inſtruction take no place, Men that will not learn by Faith, muſt be taught by ſence, fProv. 26.3.A Rod is for the back of the Fool.— Long it was before God would be drawn to Strike, what deferres? what delayes? what waytings? nay what conflicts within him? who hath not heard the ſoundings of his Bowels? gHoſea 11.8.how ſhall I give thee up oh England? how ſhall I make thee as Ireland? how ſhall I ſet thee as Germany? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together, — All this while Englands teares, might have kept back a deluge of wrath; But no man repented, hDeus noluit punire, ipſi extorquent, ut pereant. Salv. de provid l. 1.no man ſmote upon his thigh, ſaying, what have I done? And when there was *2 Chron. 36.16.no Remedy, but God muſt begin to ride his Circuit of judgement; yet, oh yet! what mercies hath he expreſſed in the mid'ſt of Judgement? what Compaſsions in the actings of Diſpleaſures, as if he himſelf, as it was ſaid of Auguſtus, did ſuffer in all our ſcourges, iPaenas dat, dum paenam Exigit. Sen. de Clem. cap. 10.and himſelf feel all our ſtripes. To paſſe over others. viz. Oppresſion, Injuſtice, Sabbath-breaking, — &c. There have been three ſpeciall ſins, which have had a great Influence into our preſent Troubles. 1. The Contempt of the Goſpel. 2. Corrupting of Worſhip. 3. Profanation of Sacraments. 1. The contempt of the Goſpel, we have had the precious Goſpel of Chriſt, the ſtreames whereof hath brought ſo many Ships laden with blesſings, to our ſhore; But how have we deſpiſed it? what tenders of Mercy have we refuſed? What bleeding offers of Chriſt have we rejected? what bowels of Compasſion have we ſpurn'd againſt? There is the ſin, will you ſee the puniſhment? Read them both together. * Matth. 22.4, 5, 6, 7. God ſent his ſervants to invite men to the marriage; Behold my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed, all is ready, — But they made light of it, — &c. therefore the King was wroth, And he ſent forth his Armies, and deſtroyed thoſe murtherers, and burnt up their Cities. 2. The corrupting of worſhip, how the Worſhip of God hath been corrupted and abuſed by wicked men, you all know?— And look but into the Scriptures, you ſhall finde, that moſt of the Calamities that did befall the Jewiſh Nation, they took their riſe from hence, the corrupting of the Worſhip of God. kJudg. 2.12, 13, 14. 2 Kings 17.6, 7. 2 Chron. 36.14, 15. Deut. 29.14.15, 16, 17.they choſe new gods, then was warre in the gate, they ſerved Baal and Aſhtaroth, they corrupted the Worship of God, therefore was the wrath of God againſt them. No doubt but if we had a Book of the Jewiſh Politye, we ſhould finde that the wiſe. Men of their State (as one doth well obſerve) were ready to lay it upon other Cauſes; if the Philiſtines and Canaanites, and other Borderers did ſpoile them, and over-run their Countrey: no doubt they were ready to ſay this in an old grudge which theſe Nations had againſt them, becauſe they had diſpoſſeſſed them of their Land, if the Kingdome were devided, as it was in Rehoboams time, Alas this was nothing, but the overſight of their Prince, or the weakneſſe of his Counſell; if Iſrael make war with Judah, that's but Policie to keep down one another, leſt either ſhould be too great; if there were Civill Warres; that's only through the Faction of Potent and ambitious Stateſmen, &c. — But what ever reaſon States may give, yet God ſets downe this for the Reaſon and ground of all, the Corruption of his Worſhip…
3. Profanation of Sacraments. And how have the Sacraments (in particular the ſupper of the Lord) been profaned? how hath the Body of Chriſt been torne in pieces, and his blood trampled under foot by profane and wicked men; Inſomuch that it hath been the whole worke of the Miniſtery (in ſtead of entertaining thoſe who were the friends of the Bridegroome, and were invited to this Supper) to keep faſt the doore, and hold out thoſe who would preſſe in, and yet were lAd Eccleſiam non pertinent qui ſunt intus, Sed qui ſunt in ea pie viventes. Aug. Sicut Arca de lignis quadratis, ita Eccleſia de Sanctis conſtruitur. Aug.unbidden Gheſts; which of us have not found this the greateſt burden upon the ſhoulders of our Miniſtery? who of us have not ſighed and groned under the weight of it? And can we think that God will make any account of our Blood, who have undervalued the Blood of his Son? Shall we trample the Blood of Chriſt under foot; and will God eſteem our blood precious? will he regard our bodies, that have had no regard to the Body of his Son? will he eſteem our lives, who have not regarded the death of his Son? Certainly no — Thus I have ſhewed thee the many Springs and Sources of Englands ſorrows; And now, in what readineſſe we are for the removing of them, I dare not thinke! posſibly, ſomething may be done; nay probably, much may be done, but the hearts of the people, not being yet prepared, doth give occaſion to ſuſpect (though the indeavors of Reformation be never ſo ſincere, ſo full) yet our plaiſter will not be large enough to our ſoar; Theſe are our ſad thoughts; But Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts; It is eaſie with him to Purge his Worſhip, to fence his Ordinances, to bring his Goſpel into eſteeme. And if this be Gods floore, he will purge away the Chaff, if this be his field, hee will weed out the tares, if this be his houſe, he will ſweep away the duſt, If the Lord have any delight in us, hee will bring us into the good land,—&c.
But while wee ſpeak this, our ſad thoughts return, — Prov. 18, 19. The diſſentions of Brethren, are as the barres of a Caſtle; This is the Blazing Comet that hangs over our times, and portends more evill then all our enemies can bring upon us, even the Diſſentions of our Brethren. Differences there will be, we know but in part, Illud uſitatum fuit in primis diebus Evangelii ecce ut ſee in vicem dilligunt.— But why Diſſentions? why doe wee not rather ſeek to compoſe thoſe Differences, then increaſe them? why not rather heale them, then heighten them? Shall we pride it in the making and inlarging rents and diviſions? will any ſeek to make themſelves Great, by making others of their Brethren Little? and to difference themſelves from them in eſteeme by differencing themſelves from them in judgement? Will any ſeek to raiſe themſelves upon the ruines of others? Milites dicuntur Pompeii Superbiam his verbis reprimere, Noſtra miſeria magnus es? Tacit.make themſelves rich, by indeavouring to make others poore? Theſe are like High-way Robbers, who have no more credit, nor eſteem, then what they have unjuſtly robbed, and ſpoiled others of. Theſe are the worſt of Spirits, God forbid there ſhould be ſuch a Root of bitterneſſe in the hearts of Chriſtians, — I dare not think it, And if not, methinks your diſtances are not ſo great, but either the teares of friends, or the terrour of enemies might bring you together. Though a faire day might divide and ſcatter you (like Sheep) all abroad the field, yet one would thinke a ſtorme ſhould bring you together again: The very Savage people, though they were continually jarring, and at diſſention among themſelves, yet when Alexander the Great came among them, the equality of the danger, wherein they all were, cauſed them to joyne their hearts and hands together againſt the common enemie. Doe you not ſee, that notwithſtanding all their Differences, your enemies are united to your deſtruction? Oh why are not you yet united for your Preſervation? But may be you will ſay, It is my Part rather to cover, then to repeat Differences; The repeating of Differences, is oftentimes a renewing of them, Hee that covereth a Tranſgreſſion, procureth love, but hee that repeateth a matter, ſeparateth very friends; Prov. 17.9. There is a deviding, and there is an uniting repetition, my deſire is not to divide, but to unite, in repetition of them; Not to fuell our flames, but to quench them, not to increaſe our Differences, but to remove them. And to be ſerviceable to theſe with other ends, theſe poore following thoughts were compoſed, and are now intreated out; the miſcries of the Kingdom brought them to the Pulpit, and the intreaties of Friends perſwaded them to the Preſſe; The Story whereon I treat, doth ſuggeſt matter ſuiting with the Times? Our troubles lead me by the hand, to theſe Texts, and theſe Texts did carry me back to our Times. mQui obſcure loquitur, crux auditorum, non doctor. Broug. in Daniel.The Diſcourſe is plaine; the ground-worke is too dark for light Painting; It is like the Times, unrigged, toſſed Ships upon tempeſtuous Seas, regard not their ornaments, if they can but keep the Mayne together, though they looſe much of their tacklings and deckings, they think it well, and are content. The Obſervations are many, and for the moſt part ſhort. It is not my uſuall way, but now ſo of choice: They are Faſt-Day Sermons, wherein the great Work of the Day is Prayer: Preaching is (but of the nature of a Bayting in the journey) to quicken us in the further progreſſe of the work of the day in Prayer.
And I have found by Experience, to be large upon a Point, upon ſuch dayes, hath rather tyred then quickned their Affections to the ſucceeding work: to conclude, if thou finds them to contribute any thing to thy inward man, if thou finde any thing for Counſell, for Comfort, for ſtay, for incouragement, in theſe ſad and ſinking Times; Bleſſe GOD; And when thou ſpeed'ſt beſt with him for thy ſelf, ſpeak a word for the Authour. Who is,
Thine in the Service of the Goſpel, S. Bolton.
The Approbation.
I doe allow theſe Sermons on Mat. 14.22, &c. to be printed, as pious, profitable, and ſeaſonable for theſe times.
John Downame.