A Door of Hope, Treatise 1 · Part 5
2. Ʋſe.
Let this preſſe us cloſely, even all good Proteſtants and Subjects, to ſet our ſelves ſeriouſly upon this worke, namely the Accurate obſervation and remembrance of our now aſtoniſhing Deliverances. Thoſe words of Moſes to Iſrael, Deut 4 32.may be mine to England, touching our preſent mercies. Aske now of the dayes that are paſt, which were before thee, ſince the day that God created man upon Earth, and aske from the one ſide of Heaven unto the other (all former times, and all other places) whether there hath beene any ſuch thing as this great thing is, or hath beene heard like it? Did ever people heare the voyce of God ſpeaking out of the midſt of the fire (the late kindled fire of Civill warrs) as thou haſt heard and live? ver. 33.ver 34.Or hath God aſſaied to goe and take him a Nation from the midſt of another Nation (a Nation of Proteſtants out of a Nation of Papiſts) by temptations, by ſignes and by wonders, and by warre, and by a mighty hand, and by a ſtretched out arme, and by great terrours, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Aegypt before your eyes? As all thoſe ſeven particulars of mercy (viz. temptations, ſignes, wonders, warr, mighty-hand, ſtretched-out-arme, great terrours) were made up in Iſraels Aegyptian freedome, ſo could we paralell them amongſt us, but the taske would take up too much time. Only in ſhort to give a taſte.
1. Were they delivered and brought out of a litterall corporal Aegypt and bondage, after foure hundred and thirty yeers ſlavery? Ex. 12.40.we were delivered from a ſpirituall and myſticall Aegypt after above ſome five hundred years ſince the Conqueſt.
2. Were they carried through a Red-Sea and a Jordan, Pſa. 66.12.and led by a fiery pillar? we went through fire and through water (through a Gunpouder-treaſon and an Eighty-eight) but hee brought us firth into a wealthie place
3. In ſhort, were they brought into a fruitful Land, where they had the Oracles and Ordinances of God above all people? Let me ſpeake freely, I conceive that we have more in both theſe particulars then they, for
Firſt, our Land in my judgement (with ſubmiſſion) hath bin more fruitfull conſtantly then was theirs; for how many famines reade we to have bin in Cannaan ſucceſſively? Gen: 12.10. Gen. 26.1. Gen. 42.5. Ruth 1.1. &c.As in the times of Abraham, of Iſaac, of Jacob, of Ruth. I thinke you can hardly paralell that number in the like time and kinde in this Iſleland.
Secondly, for Oracles and Ordinances (true they had miracles, and we have wonders, but otherwiſe) they did ſee Chriſt a farre off, through a cloud of painefull and coſtly Ceremonies: but we behold him come, and, as it were, face to face in his Evangelicall Ordinances. And let me adde, no age or Nation, paſt or preſent, under Heaven, did or doth enjoy ſuch a cleere, quick, powerfull, practicall Miniſtry, as is now in this Iſleland, and hath bin amongſt us for ſome late yeers. But what doe I looke backe to times paſt? I need not to bring forth cold and ſtale diſhes, to furniſh out this feaſt of praiſes, there are enough, new, and warm ones to over-fill the Table, yea, ſuch as have bin cook d and dres'd in our owne times. Let us but looke upon the preſent wonders of the laſt five yeeres or therabout in this Iſland. I remember ſome rude Sea-men have ſtiled the Sommer Iſlands by the name of the Divels Jſlelands, becauſe, they ſay, of the many tempeſtuous, impetuous ſtormes, whirle-winds and earth-quakes, which are common in thoſe places. Surely, Bretheren, upon better grounds we may call our Britan the Iſleland of Jehovah (or Gods Iſland) becauſe of the manifold Protections, Preventions, Deliverances, Bleſſings spirituall, politi que and Eccleſiaſticall, ſo little leſſe then miraculouſly conferred on us. I may ſay ſeriouſly of them all, that they are more then I am able to expreſſe, ſome of them I have reſolved now to touch upon, ſuch as are neweſt for time, and doe come neereſt the Text for Nature; and in reckoning up of theſe, I ſhall have ſome eye to the Copy in my Text. Here we ſee an exact enumeration (or numbring) of all the ingredients of this admirable Deliverance of the Jewiſh nation. As 1. The Author, God, When the Lord. 2. Their Miſery, a Captivity. 3. The Manner of the Mercy, turning, or returning. 4. The Delivered, Zion. And 5. finally, The extent of this goodneſſe, it was aſtoniſhing, and made them like men in a dreame. How accutately could we match and Paralell every one of thoſe particulars with anſwerable branches in our preſent Engliſh Deliverance? but becauſe that whole compariſon would be too large; let us cull out one or two particulars and compare them.
1. The Authour of turning their Captivity was God, When the Lord turned, &c.
And indeed he alone it is that maketh warres to ceaſe unto the end of the earth, Pſal. 46. v. 9.he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in ſunder, he burneth the Chariot in the fire. This God alone it was that did turn back our late ſtreames of bloud, who but he (to ſpeake properly) had a hand in the beginning of that turning? For 1. Some amongſt us could not. 2. Others would not ſtop thoſe evils.
1. The godly and loyall-hearted inferiour ſubjects, they could only mourne in ſecret, and ſometimes openly, when leave was granted, but what elſe had they power to doe in the depth of theſe commotions? Pſal. 11. v, 3.If the foundations be deſtroyed, what can the righteous doe? Our generall publique foundations are two. Religion; Lawes, and both theſe (ſaith the Preamble to the Proteſtation) Papiſts and others, did endeavour to undermine and ſubvert. Nay further, it was with us too well, like as with Judah in the time of Iſaiah. Saith he, Iſa. 59. v 14.Judgement is turned away backward, and juſtice standeth afarre off, truth is fallen in the ſtreet, and equity cannot enter. ver. 15.Yea truth faileth, and he that departeth from evill maketh himſelfe a prey (or was accompted mad.) Therefore ſome could not ſtop the danger.
2. And others would not quench the fier (ſuppoſing that they could have done it) but were ſubtill Incendiaries (as that Preamble calls them) brands and billowes: 1 King 12. v. 10, 11.like Rehoboams young Counſellers, which were all for preſſures and ſeverity. Or elſe as thoſe falſe Prophets to King Ahab, 1 King. 22. v. 6.Goe up, goe up and proſper, was their cry. But bleſſed be that God which hath the hearts of Kings in his hand, and did guide the heart of our Soveraigne to hearken to that wiſer Counſell of his better Senators. Thus ſome could not, others would not ſtanch the bloud; 'tis the Lord alone hath done it originally. If any one preſent be not throughly convinced of this, that this was the Lords ſpeciall worke, let him call to mind thoſe Marks of Gods finger in a Deliverance, which I have formerly mentioned, and apply them. They were theſe in ſhort.
1. 1 Sam 23. v. 26When Deliverance commeth Suddenly in time of Extremity, this is a ſigne of a divine finger. So was it with David, ver. 27.when Saul and his men compaſſed David and his men round about in the hill of Hachilah. But there came a meſſenger unto Saul, ſaying, Haſte thee and come: for the Philiſtines have invaded the land. A ſtrange providence it was, that now when Saul had David (as it were) in a bagg, the Lord did ſend Philiſtines, who were alſo Davids enemies, to pluck back Saul by the ſterne as it were, and ſo to give freedome to the man after Gods own heart.
2. When things are brought about by Contrariety. Ʋnto the upright there ariſeth light in the darkneſſe, that is the wonder [in the darkneſſe] for dawning to ariſe out of darkneſſe, Pſal. 112. v. 4.and then light out of that dawning it is naturall. For Spring to ſucceed Winter, and Summer to come after Spring, it is alſo naturall: But when highnoone ſhall ſpring out of deepe midnight, and Mid-ſommer out of Mid-winter, this muſt needs be done by a divine power: for Natura nihil agit per ſaltum, Nature in all her workes doth proceed by degrees. In a word, when the wicked are taken in their owne pit, Pſal. 7.15, 16.(that is) in a pit of their owne digging, ſo that themſelves doe not or cannot avoid their owne workes; I tell you, this is the Lords doing.
3. When there is a Concurrence of many caſualties, and accidents together, Gods ſpeciall providence is cheefely ſeene in ſuch a caſe.
4. When there is a great working upon mans ſpirits, Ezra 1. v. 1.as it is ſaid of this Jewiſh Deliverance, that God ſtirred up the ſpirit of Cyrus
5. When there is a ſmooth harmony of helpfull Circumstances, as in Hamans fall and defeat, as 1. Eſth. 6 v 1.That the King Ahaſhuerus ſhould be ſleepeleſſe that night. 2. Next, that among many other meanes of paſſing the time, he ſhould make choyce of hearing the Chronicles read unto him. 3. That in reading, ver. 2. ver 3.they ſhould fall upon that ſtory of Merdecaies good ſervice. 4. That the Kings thoughts ſhould pitch upon ſuch a reward for him, to breake Hamans hopes and heart. 5. ver. 6, 7.That Haman ſhould then come in, when the King was contriving how to honour Mordecai. 6. Yea, ver. 4.that he ſhould be comming in with ſuch an errand, to beg the hanging of the ſame Mordecai. This conſort of Circumſtances doth declare cleerely a ſpeciall providence.
6. A proportion of Puniſhment upon the enemies of the truth. As that Haman which would have hanged Mordecai, ſhould be payd in his owne coyne, Eſth 7. v. 10. Act. 23.2, 3.and upon his owne gallowes. That Ananias the ſmiter, ſhould alſo be ſmitten. All theſe prints of a ſpeciall providence are very legible in our preſent Deliverance. Therefore let us all conclude concerning this firſt branch [the Authour] with the words of the Pſalmiſt. This is the Lords doing: Pſal. 118. v. 23.it is marvelous in our eyes. So much touching the Authour.
2. The Miſery. Captivity.
But what is that he hath done? Anſw. He hath turned our Captivity.
Why (you will ſay) we were never in bondage to any man? Queſt.
So ſaid the Jewes indeed, Anſw. though at the ſame time they were Tributaries, Joh. 8. v. 33.nay, vaſſals to Rome. But to the point. There is a two-fold liberty. Religious and Civill.
1. For the firſt, who is ignorant that the free preaching of pure Doctrines, the free exerciſe of powerfull practice, have beene by ſome (they were neither few nor meane ones) hated, perſecuted, ſuppreſſed, Lectures deſtroyed, Sabbaths trampled, Worſhip innovated; and what redreſſe was there to be had? and then, had we Religious liberty?
2. The other is Civill or Politique. The benefits of Lawes, freedome from illegall burdens upon perſons and goods, liberty to oppoſe ſuch impoſitions legally. And I appeale to your ſelves, what was become of this freedome too? He that will be ignorant let him be ignorant.
Thus have we paralleld the Author and the Miſery. It would be too large a taske (as I ſayd) to doe the like with the reſt of the particulars. I ſhall therefore now fall off into that method by which (I conceive) the choyſeſt branches of our preſent Nationall Deliverance may be moſt exactly diſcovered. If you aske me then
How may we obſerve and remember accurately the wonderfull things done of late, Queſt. and now doing for this ſtill Beloved Iſleland?
I anſwer, Anſw. we may gather a lyſt of the heads of them, by theſe two generall Rules or Helpes; viz.
Firſt, if we looke upon the Evills, which of late we felt and feared, and here we gather three ſorts, or branches of Mercy. I ſhall call them
1. Stoppage.
2. Removall.
3. Prevention.
1. By Stoppage,] I meane, the ſtanching or ſtopping of Miſchiefes begun in Church and State.
2. By Removall,] The taking away of that evill which actually lay upon us.
3. And by Prevention,] I doe underſtand, the keeping or holding off (or away) of ſuch evills as were approaching and imminent. Theſe particulars we gather by looking upon our evills, &c.
Secondly, if we looke (quite contrary) upon the good things that we have and hope for. Here we may fiſh out three other precious particulars; and theſe I ſhall call
1. Continuance.
2. Additions. And
3. Probabilities.
1. By Continuance] I meane, the Continuing (even to this time) of thoſe mercies, which we yeelded (not long ſince) for loſt and deſperate.
2. By Additions] I would ſignifie an increaſe, or a caſting in of much more then we had at beſt.
3. And by Probabilities] let us underſtand our poſſibilities, hopes, and likelihoods, of future things, yet greater then thoſe additions. Theſe heads will appeare more clearly, as we ſhall treat of them ſeverally.