A Door of Hope, Treatise 1 · Part 8
The fourth Head of this mercifull Deliverance is CONTINUANCE.
I meane, an intire Continuance of all that good which we did enjoy, but were upon the very nick of looſing it. We ſay in our common Proverbe, That a penny well ſaved is ſo much gotten, and is it not ſo in mercies? A mercy continued is as much as if it were new given us. We ſay of Gods providence, that Suſtentutio eſt quaſi continua creatio, The Lords preſervation of his creatures is as it were a new creation of them daily.
Now Brethren, how many mercies have we yet ſtill continued unto us which we did give over for a few months ſince for loſt and deſperate? as to give an inſtance or two.
1. Firſt, concerning our painfull and conſcientious Miniſters. How much mony (think we) might have bin collected in England, throughout all Congregations about a yeare and quarter ſince, to have bought the certain Continuance of all godly Paſtours amongſt their people but till now? doubtleſſe there would much more have bin given then hath bin paid for Subſidies and Pole-mony, ſince the beginning of this Parliament, and yet how whinching were many in thoſe payments? And how few do conſider this to be ſo great a favour? O remember, and go home muſing upon this gracious Continuance. Think with your ſelves, and ſay to your friends and children. O what invaluable goodneſſe is this, that the voyce of the Turtle (inſtead of the ſhreeking of Zim Ohim) is yet heard in our Land? the Bels of Aaron (and not the Hawksbels) doe ſtill ring in our cares? Bleſſing and praiſe be to the Lord who alone doth wondrous things. Pſ. 136. v. 4.Brethren, I would have you that are hearers to look upon all your conſcientious Miniſters (thoſe which you think, nor could, nor would have taken that oath) as upon men raiſed up from the dead and come out of their graves again; and therfore me thinks you ſhould hearken to them with freſh and double attention. You know what Dives ſaid to Abraham in the Parable, Luk. 16.30.Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto my Brethren from the dead, they will repent. Let us not be worſe then Dives his Brethren: but let us look upon and hearken to all ſuch Miniſters as Meſſengers twiſe given us, ſent from the dead, and as preaching rather out of Coffins then Pulpits.
But here is a main cauſe of our generall inſenſiblenes of this mercy, becauſe our Shepheards were not utterly, actually and locally removed and gon from us, therfore we can ſcarce believe and conceive that they were certainly going?
But to remove that deceit of heart, conſider theſe particulars.
1. Firſt, that ſome were utterly and actually already gone and driven out; and this both Eaſt and Weſt can too truly teſtifie. Looke Eaſtward into Holland, and how many of our choyce and extraordinary Teachers were driven thither, and durſt not ſhew their heads here (untill this Parliament) for fear of Priſons and Purſevants? and all for ſcrupling at a few Ceremonies, confeſſed by the Innovators themſelves to be indifferent? Look but upon the books of thoſe Miniſters, which they have ſent over ſince their baniſhment: Looke upon their Sermons and ſervices done for us, beſides the damnage to cloathing occaſioned by their departure, and then you cannot but acknowledge that many of our choiſe Miniſters, were driven away actually into the Eaſt to our great damnage. But the Weſt can tell us of a farre greater number, now wandring in the Deſerts of America. One man of God is a precious Jewell in a Kingdome, and may doe much for the publick ſafety and Reformation of a whole Land in time of need, as we ſee in Elijah and Eliſha; 2 Kin. 2.12.what a loſſe is it then to one poore Iſland to have ſcores of ſuch Chariots and Horſe-men, driven away at a clap?
2. Others, if not quite gone, yet were going apace. How many honeſt Kenites were packing up their Fardels? 1 Sam. 15. v. 6.how many powerfull Paſtours in England were juſt now upon the hiding point? Some for Ceremonies, others for faithfullneſſe in their Miniſtry, were fain to fly from chamber to chamber to hide themſelves. Theſe beginnings of Miniſters baniſhment, may enſure and convince us ſufficiently, that the Continuance of thoſe that remain is a mercy, yea a favour Superlative.
Secondly, and as of Miniſters, ſo for the continuance of all other Spirituall, and Nationall good things which (I ſay again) ſtood a tiptoe, and were (as it were) upon the wing, they are all new given unto us. We may ſay of them all, as the father of his returning Prodigall, Lu. 15. v. 24.They were dying and are alive againe, they were loſing and are found. Haſt thou an eſtate of Lands or houſes, goe home and new date thy leaſes, let them all run from the yeare 1640. I ſay againe, One thouſand Six hundred and fourty, for then was thy tearme renewed; I mean, that very yeare might thy lands have been Aceldama, the ſtage of warres, and thine houſes fewell for wilde-fire. In a word, haſt thou but a wife, children, yea a life of thine owne to loſe: I tell thee (man) all theſe are new given thee too, in the ſame yeare 1640. And therefore as the Lord by Moſes ſaid to Iſrael concerning the MonethMonth Abib: Exod. 12. v. ….This monethmonth ſhall be unto you the beginning of moneths, it ſhall be the firſt monethmonth of the yeare to you. So may I ſay of this very yeare unto us all, and eſpecially to Miniſters of the monethmonth November, in this particular, that this deſerves to be accounted the beginning of our yeares and moneths. In a word, in them we received our ſecond firſt being. Conſider therefore (to cloſe this point) how all our old good things are now become new.