The Glorious Name of God the Lord of Hosts Opened in Two Sermons, Sermon (1 of 3)

The Glorious Name of God the Lord of Hosts Opened in Two Sermons · Sermon (1 of 3)

p. 1The glorious Name of God, The Lord of Hoſts.

ESAY 47. 4.

The Lord of Hoſts is his Name.

IN this Chapter wee have Gods merciemercy to his Church, threatning the deſtruction of Babylon. When Babylon is uſed as Gods rod, it is then caſt into the fire.

If Iſrael when God was about to deliver from Babyloniſh Captivity ſhould aske the Queſtion that Moſes thought would be asked upon his ſending to be their Deliverer from the Egyptian bondage, What is his Name? Exod. 13. 3. The Prophet anſwers here, The Lord of Hoſts is his Name. There, his Name was I am; Here it is, The Lord of Hoſts. And if they ſhould ſay, But how can this deliverance be here? Can Babylon bee deſtroyed? Babylon is ſtrong, who ſhall bring downe her power? Yes, there is one can doe it, The Lord our Redeemer, The Lord of Hoſts is his Name.

p. 2Here then we have this glorious title of the Lord, for the comfort of his people in their diſtreſſe, and the terrour of their enemies in their pride, The Lord of Hoſts, The Lord of Armies. The Engliſh word Hoſts is from the Latine Hoſtis, becauſe an Army is either for defence, or offence againſt enemies.

Doct.The Redeemer of Gods people is the Lord of Hoſts.

The work then I have to do in this Sermon, is to teach you how to ſanctifie the Name of the Lord in this his glorious title, The Lord of Hoſts. It is the duty of the Saints to obſerve what the way of God is in the times of their generation; To ſee what name of God is moſt conſpicuous in his adminiſtration, & accordingly to ſanctifie that Name of his.

We may ſay of this Name of God, The Lord of Hoſts, as God himſelfe ſayes of his Name Jehovah, Exod. 6. 3. By my Name Jehovah was I not known to them: So by this name, The Lord of Hoſts, God hath ſcarce been known to us here in England; but now he appears to us by this name in a glorious way: And we ſhall not know how to ſanctifie it, except wee ſearch into it, to ſee how much of Gods glory there is in it, which we ſhall find much more then at firſt view ſeems to be, then moſt of us have ever thought; All Gods titles are full of excellencie. The excellencie of this I ſhall open unto you, that this Name of God may not be taken in vain by you, but be ſanctified as it is worthy.

It is a title that God hath heretofore delighted much, yea gloryed much in; we find it not leſſe then two hundred times in the Old Teſtament, and moſt p. 3frequently in the Prophecie of Zechariah, Chap. 1. ver. 3. we have it three times in one verſe, and in one ſhort Chapter, Zech. 8. we have it there eighteene times.

But why is it uſed ſo frequently in that Prophecie more then others?Queſt.

Becauſe the ſcope of that Prophecie was to encourage Anſw.the people of God in building up Ieruſalem and the Temple, in which work they had many enemies, and therefore they had need of a ſpirit of magnanimity and fortitude in it. Hence it was the Lord revealed himſelfe to them ſo much by the name of The Lord of Hoſts.

Times of Reformation, Temple-work, uſually meets with much, with ſtrong oppoſition. We had need therefore to have this name of God in our eye, and ſanctifie it in our hearts, in ſuch times, while ſuch work is on foot.

It is true, God did this work without bloud-ſhed, it was done not by power or by might, but by the Spirit of the Lord, as we have it Zech. 4. 6. but becauſe the work was ſuch, as in regard of ſecond cauſes, needed an Army to effect it; although God did it himſelfe, yet his Name was to be ſanctified in it, as the Lord of Hoſts. In the New Teſtament we ſeldome find this title; it is but twice that I remember in all the New Teſtament, and in one of thoſe two places it is quoted out of the Old Teſtament, Rom. 9. 29. There the Hebrew word is retained, The Lord of Sabbaoth, not of foreign Quievit. foreign Exe… citus, Militia.Sabbath, as many take it. There is a great difference between theſe two, The Lord of Sabbath, and The Lord of Sabbaoth: The one is the Lord of reſt, the other is the Lord of Hoſts: thoſe words come from a different root p. 4in the Hebrew. The ſecond place is James 5. 4. and there you have not the Engliſh word Hoſts, but the Hebrew word Sabbaoth likewiſe. In the New Teſtament we have Gods Titles fuller of ſweetneſſe and grace, as The Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, The God of all conſolation, The Father of mercies, The God of peace, &c. The more cauſe have we to be humbled, who live in the times of the Goſpel, and yet are come to ſuch times wherein God hath changed as it were his name, and even in the times of the Goſpel appears to us in this dreadfull name of his, The Lord of Hoſts.

This Title is in it ſelfe a very fearfull one, and yet before we have done with it we ſhall find it like that name of Chriſt, Cant. 1. 3. Thy name is as an ointment poured forth, a ſweet refreſhing pleaſant ointment. In the 2. of Sam. Chap. 6. ver. 2. the Lord ſpeaks of this name of his ſet between the Cherubims, Whoſe name is called by the name of the Lord of Hoſts that dwelleth between the Cherubims. Now you know the Mercy-ſeat was between the Cherubims, and that which I ſhall endeavour this day is, To ſhew you this name of the Lord of Hoſts written upon the mercy-ſeat between the Cherubims. Although it be dreadfull in it ſelfe, yet all Gods Saints ſhall have it this day preſented to them from the merciemercy-ſeat: A name as full of goodneſſe and mercy, as our hearts can deſire. We have already ſeen in this Kingdom the Lord of Hoſts upon his Mercy-ſeat, making this his dreadfull title to be amiable and lovely to us, from thence diſpenſing grace and abundance of mercy in the manifeſtation of this his glorious title. It is comfortable to behold the Lord of Hoſts ſitting upon his Mercy-ſeat: and p. 5thus am I to preſent him this day unto you.

Now God is called The Lord of Hoſts in two reſpects Why God is called The Lord of Hoſts.:

Firſt, becauſe all creatures in heaven and in earth are his armies. He is the abſolute great Lord over 1them all; The Angels, Sunne, Moon, Stars, the Dragons, the Deeps, the Fire, Haile, Snow, Wind, the Mountains, Trees, Cedars, the Beaſts, and all creeping things, the flying Fowles, the Kings of the earth, and all people are the Hoſts of the Lord. Pſal. 148. ver. 2. &c.

Secondly, in regard of that ſpeciall providence of God in the great affaires of wars and battels in the 2world. It is true, the providence of God is over the leaſt things in the world, but God challengeth a more ſpeciall and peculiar ackowledgment of his work of Providence about War-like affaires, in regard whereof he takes this title to himſelfe, The Lord of Hoſts.

If I ſhould ſpeak of the firſt, the time would ſoon be gone, for there is much in it, it is more generall: therefore I will confine my ſelfe to the ſecond, the more ſpeciall, and now moſt ſeaſonable.

God is the God of Armies. That he might expreſſe himſelfe the more clearly, and fully intereſted in War-like affaires, Exod. 15. 3. he ſtyles himſelfe A man of War. God ſeemes to glory much in his workings about War-like affaires. Hence Pſal. 24. 8. Who is the King of glory? The Lord ſtrong, mighty, the Lord mighty in battell. The Providence of God is great in all wars, but eſpecially in thoſe wars that concerne his people, whether in a way of chaſtiſing them, or defenſive to ſave them, or offenſive in avenging p. 6himſelfe upon their enemies.

I doe not know any one thing wherein the Providence Gods Providence in the workings of Warre.of God is more fully ſet out in Scripture, then in the workings of it about Wars, as in theſe many particulars will be fully preſented to you:

Firſt, God works in the raiſing of Warres, when and how he pleaſeth. He is the great Generall, and 1all battels are appointed by him. He calls for them before they come; and when he calls, they certainly come upon a people. Jer. 25. 29. Behold I begin to bring evill upon the City which is called by my name, &c. for I will call for a ſword. God doth not onelyonly call for a ſword upon the heathen, but upon the Cities called by his name. Certainly there is as much of God in this City, as in any City this day in the World; yet God may call for a ſword upon you, be not you ſecure; Yea doe you not heare God now calling for it upon you? Eſay 5. 26. God will hiſſe for the Nations from the ends of the earth, and behold they ſhall come with ſpeede ſwiftly. And Eſay 7. 18. And it ſhall come to paſſe in that day, that the Lord ſhall hiſſe for the Fly that is in the uttermoſt part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the Bee that is in the Land of Aſſyria, and they ſhall come. Let God but give a hiſſe, the leaſt intimation of his mind, and they ſhall come. It was a proud ſpeech of Pompey, when Plutarch. vita ejus.one of his Officers told him they wanted men, Let me (ſayes he) but ſtampe with my foote upon the ground of Italy, and I ſhall have men enough, Footmen and Horſemen come from every corner. Although it was a proud ſpeech in him, and when it came to he was diſappointed, yet it is alwayes true of this Lord of Hoſts, let him but ſpeak the leaſt word, doe the leaſt thing to gather Armies, they preſently p. 7come together, to fight his battels: when he pleaſeth he can ſtir up the hearts of the Kings of the earth to hate the whore, to make war with her, Rev. 17. 16. The ten Kings ſhall hate the whore, and make her deſolate and naked; they ſhall eate her fleſh, and burne her with fire. It is a wonder that they ſtay all this while, that they riſe not with a ſpirit of indignation againſt her, conſidering what baſe bondage they are in under her. It is ſuch a bondage, wherein both ſoule, and body, and eſtate is in ſuch a ſervile ſubjection to her, as one would think the ſpirit of a man could not beare it, much leſſe the ſpirit of a King. But when Gods time is come, the ſpirits of the Kings of the earth ſhall be ſuddenly raiſed to war againſt her.

It is an obſervation of Abulenſis upon 1 Chro. 14. 8. that Gods providence was very obſervable towards David, that he ſhould have no wars raiſed againſt him by the Philiſtims thoſe ſeven yeers he was in Hebron, which time he was but weak, being King onelyonly over the houſe of Judah; but when all Iſrael came to him, and he was eſtabliſhed King over them all, then came the Philiſtims againſt him: So doe wee not ſee the mighty providence of God towards us, that he did not call for the ſword againſt us all this time till now, untill we had a Parliament, and that made indiſſoluble but by their owne conſent, untill our Militia in the Kingdome was well-nigh ſetled, until we had an Army to reſiſt? If God had called for the ſword before theſe things, what had become of us? Oh the mercifull providence of God towards England in this thing! God is much ſeen in the provocations to wars, conſultations about them, enclining mens hearts to them, taking them off from p. 8peace, &c. It was from the Lord that Pharaohs heart was ſo hardned againſt the people of Iſrael, to goe forth to battel againſt them, becauſe God had a purpoſe to deſtroy him. It was of God that Rehoboam was ſo ſet to hearken to the counſel of young Cavalliers, and to harden his heart againſt his wiſe Counſellors, that God might rend ten Tribes from him. It was of God that Ahab ſhould be ſo ſet to goe to war againſt Ramoth Gilead, that he might be deſtroyed.

Secondly, the Lord ſets up his Standard in Warre: Thus he expreſſeth himſelfe, Eſay 5. 26. He will lift 2up an Enſigne to the Nations. Whoſoever is the Standard-bearer, it is God himſelfe that ſets up the Standard.

Thirdly, it is God that muſters up the Army, Eſay 13. 4. The Lord of Hoſts muſtereth the Hoſt of the battel 3, The Lord of Hoſts is himſelfe the Muſter-maſter in Armies. He thus condeſcends in his expreſſions, that he might the more particularly, and ſo the more fully ſhew the workings of his Providence in Military affaires.

Fourthly, the Lord brings forth weapons out of his Armory, Jer. 50. 25. The Lord hath opened his Armory, 4and brought forth the weapons of his indignation, for this is the work of the Lord of Hoſts. God hath his Magazine, his Armory that he opens in times of Warre: From whenceſoever Armes come, from beyond Sea or elſe where, not one Peece can come but out of Gods Magazine. If God did not open his Armory, neither we nor our enemies could have Arms.

There was a time when God ſhut up his Armory from Iſrael, and then there was neither ſword nor ſpeare found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul p. 9and Jonathan, onelyonly with Saul and Jonathan there was found. 1 Sam. 13. 22.

Fiftly, It is the Lord that gives his people their 5Banners to diſplay, Pſal. 60. 4. Thou haſt given a Banner to them that fear thee, that it may be diſplayed becauſe of the truth. There are a generation of men that fight againſt the truth, they would take away the Goſpel from them, and becauſe of this thou haſt given them Banners that they may be diſpayed, becauſe of this truth; God would have us contend for the truth, Jude 1. 3. Yea earneſtly contend, fight for it, if that comes in queſtion, foreign.if we be in danger to loſe that, God gives us our Banners, not to be folden up, but to be diſplayed becauſe of the truth.

Sixtly, God himſelfe comes into the field with his people, he tels them often that he is with them there. 6Deut. 20. 4. The Lord your God is he that goeth with you to fight. When God ſayes, I am with you, you may write down what you will to make up this promiſe a compleat one for your ſafety and comfort; As thus, I am with you to aſſiſt you, I am with you to direct you, I am with you to encourage you, to bleſſe, to ſave you, to comfort you, to reward you, &c. I am with you, ſaies God. This is as it were a piece of a line that our faith muſt make up; If we once have this promiſe got into our hearts, whatſoever we want, we may adde to it, and then our peace and joy may be full.

We reade, Judges 4. 8. Barak would not goe into the field, except Deborah would goe with him. It is ill going into the field, except God goe with you; but if you have this promiſe in your hearts, you cannot but have ſtrength in your hands. Zac. 10. 5. They ſhall be as mighty men which tread downe their enemies p. 10as mire in the ſtreets, in the battell, and they ſhall fight, becauſe the Lord is with them, and the riders on horſes ſhall be confounded.

7. God is not onelyonly with his people in their 7fight, but he goes before them, as their Captain to lead them. That one place will ſuffice for all, Joſh. 5. 13. Joſhua ſaw a man with his ſword drawn in his hand, and Joſhua went to him, and ſaid, Art thou for us, or for our adverſaries? And he ſaid, Nay, but a Captaine of the hoſt of the Lord am I now come. It is apparent this was Chriſt, for Joſhua fell on his face, and worſhipped, and ſaid, What ſaith my Lord unto his ſervant? And the Captaine of the Lords Hoſt ſaid unto Joſhua, Looſe thy ſhoes from off thy feet, for the place where thou ſtandeſt is holy.

8. God condeſcends lower, even to be the 8Trumpeter in the wars of his people. It is accounted too mean a work for a Generall to blow the Trumpet to his Armie; but this great Generall, The Lord of Hoſts, that he might encourage his people the more in his battels, he blows the Trumpet himſelfe to them, Zach. 9. 14. And the Lord ſhall blow the trumpet, and ſhall goe with the whirle-winds of the South. Why of the South? Thoſe winds are hotteſt, and therefore ſwifteſt. If ye ſee the South-wind, ye ſay it will be hot, (ſayes Chriſt) and ſo it commeth to paſſe, Luk. 12. 54, 55. If we think our General follows too ſlowly, this great General, The Lord of Hoſts, follows ſwiftly enough. In the words before, The arrowes of the Lord are ſaid to goe forth like lightning. Swiftneſſe in an Army is of great conſequence, it hath been a ſpecial advantage to our adverſaries. We doe little, except in this we equall them.

p. 119. God is the Rereward of his people in times of Battail. Iſa. 52. 12. Ye ſhall not go out with haſte, nor by ſlight: 9for the Lord will goe before you: and the God of Iſrael will be your Rereward. Not the Reward, but Rereward, the guard & defence behind. When an Army is ſtrong in the Rereward as wel as in the Front, it is ſafe, God is both before and behind in the Armies of his people.

10. Gods providence in Wars works in the continuance of them. How long they ſhall abide in a 10Land, and when they ſhall ceaſe, is wholly from the appointment of the Lord of Hoſts. He workes in the upholding parties, bringing in ſupplyes, breaking aſunder treaties, &c. We are ready preſently to cry out, How long ſhall the ſword devour? but when God gives Commiſſion to the ſword, it muſt ſtay; it muſt goe on devouring till the Commiſſion be out. Jer. 47. 6, 7. Oh thou ſword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? put up thy ſelf into the ſcabbard, reſt and be ſtill. The anſwer is there, How can it be quiet, ſeeing the Lord hath given it a charge againſt Askelon, & againſt the ſea ſhore? there hath he appointed it. Hoſ. 11. 6. The ſword ſhall abide on his cities, and conſume his branches, and ſhall devour them, becauſe of their own counſels. We are troubled at the ſword comming neare our Cities; but how ſore would the miſery be, if it ſhould come into our Cities? but if abide in our Cities, what miſerable ſpoile and ruine would there be? If wee would be delivered from ſo great an evill, let us take heed of our own counſels: If God leaves Parliament or City to their own counſels, the ſword will abide amongſt us longer time then we for the preſent imagine, even until it hath devoured. God uſually is a long time before he draws his ſword; he is whetting, p. 12preparing, delaying it; but when it is once drawn, he many times will not put it up again, untill it bee bathed, filled, fatted, ſatiated, drunke with blood. All theſe expreſſions we finde in Scripture. Eſay 34. 5, 6. My ſword ſhall be bathed in heaven, it ſhall come downe upon Idumea, upon the people of my curſe. When Gods ſword hath to deale with the people of his curſe, then it ſhall be bathed indeede; And ſurely God hath a people of his curſe amongſt us this day; who they are, is eaſie to know: You may know them to bee curſed of God by the horrid blaſphemies, and hideous, unheard-of curſes that come out of their mouthes. The earth was never ſtained with ſuch dreadfull execrations and blaſphemies ſince man lived upon the face of it, as now it is by theſe men. Surely the brand of Gods curſe is upon them, feare them not. Ver. 6. it is ſaid, The ſword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatneſſe: and Jer. 46. 10. The ſword ſhall devoure, it ſhall be ſatiate and drunke with their blood.

And when God is pleaſed to give the word, hee God ſtilleth wars.makes wars to ceaſe. Pſal. 49. 9. He makes wars to ceaſe unto the end of the earth, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the ſpeare in ſunder, he burneth the chariot in fire.

Of Gods worke in ſtilling wars, we have a moſt admirable example, 1 Kings 12. 21. we have not the like in all the Booke of God, neither was there ever the like before or ſince in the world. King Rehoboam was incenſed againſt the ten Tribes falling off from him, he was in as great a heat and rage againſt them as we can imagine a man could be put into. This fire of his rage was blowne up to the height by thoſe young daring Cavaliers that were about him, he had p. 13got an Army together, ſtrong enough, an hundred and foureſcore thouſand men, a mighty force, and it was but to bring the Kingdome to the houſe of David: Well, their power was great, their rage was fierce, their cauſe they queſtioned not, they were going forth with a high hand, with cruel and bloody intentions. How was all ſtilled now? You ſhall find, that The word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the Prophet, ſaying, Speak to Rehoboam,—Thus ſaith the Lord, Ye ſhall not goe up to fight againſt your brethren, returne every man to his houſe. The Text ſayes, They hearkned to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord. What a mighty work of God was this? what power hath God over the ſpirits of men, yea of the greateſt, who think it an unſufferable diſhonor to be controlled in any thing they have ſet their hearts upon?

Rehoboam, a wicked man, in the heighth of his pride and wrath, thus ſtrong, apprehending himſelfe exceedingly wronged, ſo much of his Kingdome rent from him, and there comes onelyonly a poore Prophet and ſpeakes to him in the name of This Lord of Hoſts, that hee ſhould not fight againſt his brethren, and all is ſtayed, he returnes back again, and ſits down quiet.

Oh that now ſome Prophet of the Lord might have acceſſe to His Majeſty, and tell him that hee muſt not goe this way he doth, that he is drawn aſide by evill men about him, that there is a miſunderſtanding betweene him and his people, that nothing is done by us but according to the minde of God, that we doe not endeavour to deprive him of any lawfull power he hath given him by God or p. 14man, but onelyonly to preſerve our lawfull liberties as truly ours as he is born unto the Crown, and that we might with peace enjoy the Goſpell, and ſerve the Lord and His Majeſty in our own Land.

11. The providence of God in war is great, in 11removing it from one place to another: The Lord of Hoſts gives the ſword commiſſion to ride circuite from one Land to another Countrey, and from one part of a Kingdome unto another. Ezech. 14. 17. Or if I bring a ſword upon that Land, and ſay, Sword goe through the Land, ſo that I cut off man and beaſt in it: The ſword hath beene in many parts of our Land already, even in the utmoſt parts, Northumberland and Cornwall, the two extremities of the Land, as Dan and Berſheba in the Land of Canaan. Juſt were it with God to give it commiſſion to goe up and downe in the midſt of it, yea, in great part hee hath done it already, and how is it devouring, even almoſt round about us? the guilt of the miſery our brethren have ſuffered, the guilt of their blood is upon the whole Kingdome, in as much as the whole Kingdome hath not riſen even as one man to prevent it, but wee ſuffer our brethren in ſeverall places to bee devoured one after another: one countrey hopes it will not come there, and another countrey hopes it ſhall eſcape, and in the meane time wee ſuffer our brethren to bee ſpoyled.

Jer. 12. 12. The ſpoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderneſſe. (They are come from the Countrey to the City, the Countrey is to them but as a wilderneſſe in compariſon of the City) For the Sword ſhall devoure from the one end of the Land to the other, no fleſh ſhall have peace, Jer. 25. 15. The p. 15Lord bade the Prophet take the cup of the wine of his fury, and cauſe all the Nations to whom I ſend thee to drink it: God hath given other Nations this cup of his fury, France, Holland, Germany, have beene drinking theſe 24. yeeres, Spain, Italy have had it, a little of the top of it Scotland had; we were afraid of it then here, and they and we cryed to God, If it be poſsible let this cup of blood paſſe from us, and God in his great merciemercy cauſed it to paſſe from us, but it went to our brethren in Ireland, they have drunke deepe of it, and ſtill are drinking, and whether God intends that wee ſhall drinke the dregs of it we know not, wee had neede doe as Chriſt did in his Agonie, Luk. 22. 44. yet foreign.pray more earneſtly, the ſecond and third time, If it be poſſible, let this cup of bloud paſſe from us. If an Agony cauſe Chriſts ſpirit to riſe in Prayer, it ſhould then do ours; it is a ſad thing to have our ſpirits heavy, dull and ſtrait in ſuch a time as this.

12. The work of this Lord of Hoſts in Warre is to give wiſdome and counſell for the managing of 12the affaires of it, and hee takes away wiſdome and counſell when he pleaſeth. 2 Sam. 22. 35. Thou teacheſt my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. The ſame wee have, Pſal. 144. 1. Other Generals have their Councell of War to help them, that they may not miſcarry in it; but this Lord of Hoſts gives all the counſell and wiſdome from himſelfe to all under him: And in this there is much of Gods glory. Eſay 28. 24, 25, 26, 27. The Lord accounts it his glory that hee teacheth the Plowman to plow his ground, to ſow his ſeede, to threſh his corne, his God doth inſtruct him to diſcretion, the Text ſayes; much more then is the glory of God in giving wiſdome to order p. 16and to leade Armies. And when the Lord pleaſeth, he takes away counſail, he beſots men in their counſails, & mingles a perverſe ſpirit amongſt them, & befools them; he turns their counſails upſide downward, and inſnares them in the work of their own hands: This made David pray againſt the counſaile of Achitophel, 2 Sam. 15. 31. O Lord turne the counſail of Achitophel into fooliſhneſſe; what counſail that was you may finde 2 Sam. 17. 2. Fall upon him while he is weary and weake. This war was raiſed up againſt David for his ſin, and yet God heares Davids prayer againſt Achitophel: The ſame counſell was given againſt our Army of late by a great Achitophel, when the queſtion was, whether they ſhould come to the City or fall upon the Army, the counſail caſt it upon the Army, becauſe they were weary and weake, not being together, and how hath God turned that counſail into folly? it hath bin our ſafety and preſervation, but their ſhame. There God wrought for David in that Achitophels counſail was not followed, although it was a more politique counſail, it had more warlike wiſdome in it then Huſhaies had, but for us God wrought, in that Achitophels counſail was followed. Thus Iſai. 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles, the counſails of the wiſe counſellors of Pharaoh are become brutiſh, where are they? where are the wiſe men? and again, The Princes of Zoan are become fooles.

Why are the Princes of Zoan ſo much mentioned there?Queſt.

Becauſe Zoan was the Metropolis of Egypt, where Anſ.the great counſail of Egypt was, and verſe 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverſe ſpirit in the midſt thereof: and they have cauſed Egypt to erre in every worke thereof, p. 17as a drunkenman ſtaggereth in his vomit. Jerom upon the Hieron. in Iſa. 19. 14.Isa 19:14place adds this to expreſſe the meaning, Non ſolum ebrii, ſed & vomentes furorē draconū & furorē aſpidum inſanabilem: not onelyonly drunken, but vomiting the fury of Dragons, the incurable fury of Aſpes. And is not this the vomit of our adverſaries at this day, who are drunke with malice and rage againſt us, yea, againſt Chriſt himſelfe and his Saints?

13. The ſpirit of valour and courage is alſo from this Lord of Hoſts. When the Spirit of the Lord 13came upon Sampſon, Gideon, and others of the Worthies of the Lord, what great things did they? Heb. 11. 33, 34. Who through faith ſubdued Kingdomes, ſtopped the mouthes of Lyons, out of weakneſſe were made ſtrong, waxed valiant in ſight, turned to ſlight the Armies of the Aliens. It was through faith they were enabled to doe all this, faith fetcht valour and courage from this Lord of Hoſts. Hag. 1. 14. The Lord ſtirred up the ſpirit of Zerubbabel and the ſpirit of Joſhua, and the ſpirit of all the Remnant of the people, and they came and did worke in the houſe of the Lord of Hoſts their God. It was a warlike ſpirit to reſiſt their enemies, to encounter with dangers.

God hath ſtirred up a ſpirit in many of our Nobles, in our Worthies of Parliament, in ſome of our people; if a ſpirit were now ſtirred up in the remnant of our people, our worke would ſoone bee at an end. It were the unworthieſt, yea, the moſt horrible thing that ever was in this world, that now people ſhould forſake Nobility, thoſe they have choſen in Parliament, and Miniſters who have had a ſpirit to ſtand up for God and their liberties. Oh that a ſpirit of indignation would ariſe in the whole p. 18Kingdome, that they may not ſuffer themſelves to be baffled out of their Religion, their Liberties, their eſtates, by a generation of vile men that are riſen up amongſt us.

Zac. 10. 3, 5. The Lord of Hoſts hath viſited his flock the houſe of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horſe in the battel. They ſhall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the ſtreets in the battel. It ſeems they preſumed to come into their towns and Cities, therefore ſayes the Text, They ſhall tread them down us mire in the ſtreets. They are vile, and therefore to be trodden down as mire in the ſtreets. The ſpirits of thoſe that ſeem to be the greateſt terror amongſt us, are mean and baſe: What worthy thing have they ever done? have they ever ſtood before thoſe that oppoſed them? All their valour is in going up and down to Countrey houſes in a poore unworthy manner, pillaging and pilfring: A ſpirit in people raiſed by God, would ſcorne to be brought under by men of ſuch ſpirits as theſe. Further, as God gives a ſpirit of courage, ſo he takes it away when he pleaſes, Iſ. 19. 16. And in that day ſhall Egypt be like unto women, and fear becauſe of the ſhaking of the hand of the Lord of Hoſts, which he ſhaketh over it; and the land of Judah ſhalbe a terror unto Egypt, every one that maketh mention thereof ſhalbe afraid in himſelf, becauſe of the counſell of the Lord of Hoſts. It may be they will not confeſſe that they are afraid, but may make their boaſt as if they had got the better: but marke the words, every one ſhall be afraid in himſelf: If we could look into their boſoms, we ſhould ſee blacknes, tremblings, the terror of the Lord upon them. Pſ. 76. 5 The ſtout hearted are ſpoiled, they have ſlept their ſleep, & none of the men of p. 19might have found their hands, at thy rebuke, O Lord, the horſe & chariot are caſt into a dead ſleep: and v. 12. He ſhal Vindimiabit.cut off the ſpirit of Princes, he is terrible to the Kings of the earth, he ſhall wipe them off as a man will doe a flower between his fingers, or as eaſily as a bunch of grapes is cut off from the vine.

14. The Lord of Hoſts hath the abſolute power 14over all weapons in battel, to let them proſper or not proſper as he pleaſeth: This is beyond all the Generals in the world. Iſay 54. 17. No weapons formed againſt thee ſhall proſper. If any ſhal ſay, This is a ſpeciall promiſe to them at that time; mark what follows, This is the heritage of the ſervants of the Lord: This (that is, this promiſe of the Lord) is the inheritance of his ſervants. Now we of late have had the benefit of this our inheritance, the laſt Lords day fortnight we did inherit this promiſe, when there were 17. Canons diſcharged from the Adverſary, and not one man ſlain by them. How was this made good, that no weapon formed againſt thee ſhall proſper? The adverſary was enraged at this, they ſaid, they thought the devil was in the powder: No, it was God that was there, fulfilling this promiſe of his to his ſervants.

15. All the ſucceſſe in battels is from the Lord of 15Hoſts. It is not in men, nor ammunition, nor in advantages. Eccleſ. 9. 11. The battel is not to the ſtrong. A horſe is but a vaine thing for ſafety, Pſal. 33. 17. Behold, is it not of the Lord of Hoſts that the people ſhall labour in the very fire, and the people ſhall weary themſelves for very vanity? Hab. 2. 13.

Yea laſtly, the whole battel is the Lords, when it 16is a juſt cauſe. 1 Sam. 17. 47. The battel is the Lords.

p. 20Now you ſee what the Scripture ſaith about Gods providence in battel. You have the ſumme preſented here together, in which is a full and ſtrong encouragement to thoſe who fight the battels of the Lord.

Now if the Queſtion be asked, Why doth the Queſt.Lord thus work in Armies?

The Anſwer is, 1. Becauſe the lives of men are Anſw.precious to him. In them multitudes of creatures Why the Lord doth work in Armies.are caſt for their eternall eſtates. If not a ſparrow, not a haire from the head falls to the ground without providence, much leſſe the life of a creature 1appointed for eternity.

2. Becauſe of the great things of conſequence that depend upon War: the mighty turnes of Nations, 2and changes of Kingdoms depend upon them.

But how comes it to paſſe, ſeeing God is thus The Lord of Hoſts, that yet the adverſaries of Gods Ob.people doe often prevaile in battel?

1. It is for the chaſtiſement of his people. Aſhur Anſw.is made ſometimes the rod of Gods anger. Jer. 12. 7. Why the adverſary often prevailes.I have given the dearly beloved of my ſoule into the hands of her enemies. She is the dearly beloved of Gods ſoule, yet ſhe is given into the hands of her enemies. We muſt not judge by the preſent prevailing, that God loves thoſe who have the day, and hath rejected thoſe who ſeeme to have the worſt. God ſometimes for chaſtiſement, brings the worſt of men upon them. Ezek. 7. 24. I will bring the worſt of the heathen, and they ſhall poſſeſſe their houſes. The Lord hath raiſed up againſt us many that are the worſt, the vileſt upon the face of the earth, and they have poſſeſſed the houſes of many of his Saints, the dearly p. 21beloved of Gods ſoule. We uſe to take the vileſt, the worſt of men to be Hangmen; the worſt rags and clouts to ſcoure withall. It is an argument that we are very foule, that God hath choſen ſuch wiſps and clots to ſcoure us with.

Secondly, God ſuffers this, becauſe his people are not humbled throughly. The want of through 2humiliation before God, coſt the lives of forty thouſand men, Iudges 20. although in that battel they had a good cauſe. A good cauſe is not enough for ſafety in time of battel; there muſt be humiliation before this great God.

Thirdly, the adverſary may prevaile, becauſe the Saints doe not awaken the Lord of Hoſts by 3Prayer. Pſal. 59. 9. Thou therefore O Lord God of Hoſts the God of Iſrael, awake to viſit all the heathen, be not mercifull to wicked tranſgreſſors. Eſay 51. 9. Awake, awake, put on ſtrength, O arme of the Lord, awake as in the ancient dayes, as in the generations of old. Art not thou he that haſt cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon? We have here in one verſe three times crying to God to awake. God hath ſtrength enough to help his people. There is an Arme of the Lord, but yet this Arme of the Lord may be for a time as it were aſleep, therefore the Church cryes, Awake O Arme of the Lord: And that ſhee may be ſure the Lord ſhould heare, ſhe cries again and again, Awake, awake, O arme of the Lord, put on ſtrength. We are now to look back to former times, to ſee how God hath manifeſted himſelf The Lord of Hoſts, and to cry to him, that now in our dayes hee would ſhew forth the glory of this glorious title of his, as he hath done in the generations of old.

Laſtly, God hath many ſecret paſſages of his providence p. 22to be brought about, which in after times we come to ſee clearely, but for a time are hidden, and therefore the adverſary is ſuffered to prevaile. The 46. Pſalme ſpeakes much about the fury of the adverſary, and of this Title of the Lord; and the Title of that Pſalme is, A ſong upon Alamoth, which word ſignifies ſecrets, becauſe of the hidden counſailes of foreign AbſconditGod in wars.

Thus you have had the doctrinall part of one branch of this glorious title of the Lord preſented to you: The application neerely concernes us in theſe times.

Firſt, it beſeemes then thoſe who are in Armies, to be godly, becauſe their great Generall is The Lord of Hoſts; and this Lord of Hoſts is likewiſe The holy one of Iſrael. Even in this verſe, holineſſe is joyned to his warlike greatneſſe. And Exod. 15. he is magnified as a man of war overthrowing the enemy: and ver. 11. hee is ſaid to bee glorious in holineſſe: and Eſay 6. 3. where the Cherubims and Seraphims are magnifying his glory, they cry out, Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hoſts. It is very obſervable, that Gods holineſſe is joyned with this title of his The Lord of Hoſts; ſurely then holineſſe and valour in us are not onelyonly conſiſtent one with another, but ſubſervient one to another. It it is an abominable maxime of Machiavil, that Religion makes men cowards; the moſt valorous ſouldiers in the world have beene the moſt eminent in Religion. Souldiers uſe to endeavour to be like their Generall in any thing, yea, in their naevis: Alexanders Souldiers accounted it a gracefull poſture to hold their heads aſide, becauſe Alexander their p. 19Generall did ſo; ſurely then to be like the Lord of Hoſts in that which is his excellencie and glory, muſt needs put a luſtre upon thoſe who are his ſouldiers. Plutarch reports of a Theban Band of ſouldiers which they called the Holy band, in which there was more conſidence put then in any, becauſe they proſpered above others.

The Lord of Hoſts, who is holy, will delight to be amongſt them that are godly, to bleſſe them in their way. Deut. 23. 9. When the Hoſt goeth forth againſt the enemy, then keep thee from every wicked thing, yea they muſt keep from outward bodily uncleanneſſe, they muſt carry a paddle with them to cover it, ver. 14. the reaſon is there given, For the Lord thy God walketh in the middeſt of thy Campe, therefore ſhall thy Campe be holy, that he ſee no uncleane thing in thee, and turne away from thee. It is true, God lookes more at the cauſe then at the inſtrument; yet he rejoyceth moſt to uſe inſtruments that are fitted to give him the praiſe of his worke.

One day the Lord will convince the world, that the ſtrength of Nations and Kingdomes conſiſt in the intereſt that the godly have in this Lord of Hoſts. Zach. 12. 5. And the Governours of Judah ſhall ſay in their hearts, Our ſtrength is in the inhabitants of Jeruſalem, in the Lord of Hoſts their God: Oh that this propheſie were fulfilled! it begins to be more now then ever in our dayes or our forefathers; Even thoſe who have beene accounted hypocrites, factious heretofore, yet now even the Governours of Judah begin to ſee their ſtrength is in them. Who hath the burden of the great worke in this State layne upon but the Religious party? hath it not beene publiſhed in your p. 24City by chiefe men in the Army, that the great things in the Army were done by thoſe that are called Round-heads? We hope our Governours will every day be more and more convinced that their ſtrength is in theſe. Revel. 17. 14. Hee is the Lord of Hoſts, the King of Kings, and they that are with him are called, and choſen, and faithfull, and therefore it is ſaid the Lamb ſhall overcome: They are not ſuch as are called faithfull, but ſuch as are called and faithfull: There was one in our Army whoſe name was Faithfull that turned head againſt us, but theſe that are with the Lamb are called and faithfull. It is a bleſſed thing for a Kingdome when their Army may be ſaid to be as it was ſaid of that Army, Luke 2. 13. a heavenly Hoſt. This great Lord of Hoſts, who is the God of Heaven will certainly doe great things by ſuch an Hoſt.

Secondly, If God be the Lord of Hoſts, if this be 2one of Gods glorious titles, then the worke of a An honourable imployment to bee a Souldier.ſouldier is an honourable imployment. As the eſtate of marriage is much honoured in that Chriſt is pleaſed to expreſſe (the great myſtery of the Goſpel) the bleſſed union betweene him and his Church by it; which is a great engagement to thoſe in ſuch a condition, that they walke ſo as their lives may put in minde of the excellencie of Chriſts Communion with his Church: So the calling of a Souldier is much honoured in this, that God himſelfe will ſet forth his glory by this title, The Lord of Hoſts; or, The Lord of Armies. Pſalm 24. 10. The Lord of Hoſts is the King of glory; ſurely ſome beame of this glory muſt needes ſhine upon ſouldiers that ſerve under him. The Romans honoured a Souldier much: The Latine p. 25expreſſes a ſouldier and a Knight by the ſame word, Miles. The ſerving under this or that Captaine, they expreſſed by this phraſe, Mereri ſub hoc vel illo duce. Hence, miles emeritus, for an old ſouldier that was to take his eaſe. In any lawfull ſervice, you ſerve under The Lord of Hoſts; but the more the ſervice concerns his glory and the good of his Saints, the more will God own it. The very Chronicles or Records of the wars of the Church, the Lord is pleaſed to have ſtyled, The Booke of the wars of the Lord, Numbers 21. 14. The Name of the Lord is exceedingly much intereſſed in theſe wars. You young ones, who are willing to offer and venture your ſelves in this ſervice, you honour your ſelves betimes; yea, God and his people doe and will honour you; God will remember the kindneſſe of your youth. You tenderhearted mothers, bee not unwilling to give up your children, the fruit of your wombes to this ſervice, but bleſſe God that ever ye bare any in your wombes to be of that uſe, to ſtand up for God and his people, as your children have an opportunity now to doe: If (as you heard) when God hiſſed for the fly and for the bee they came, much more doe you come when God calls, and that aloud, to come and help him againſt the mighty.

And when you are in the ſervice, ſeeing it is ſo Cowardiſe branded with infamie.honourable, take heed you ſtain it not as others have done, of whom it may be ſaid as it was of the children of Ephraim, Pſal. 78. 9. The children of Ephraim being armed turned back in the day of battel, They kept not the covenant of God. The covenant of a ſouldier is the Covenant of God. Hence the oath that a ſouldier took when he came to his Captain, the Romans p. 26called Sacramentum. A brand of diſhonour was upon Ephraim, Judges 12. 4. Yee fugitives of Ephraim. Let not ſuch a Brand be upon any of you, ye Fugitives of ſuch a county, of ſuch a town; your General the Lord of Hoſts is worthy of all you can poſſibly do for him. Plutarch tells of Scipio Africanus, ſhewing a friend of his three hundred of his ſouldiers exerciſing their Armes neare the Sea where there was a high tower, There is never a one of all theſe, ſaid he, but if I bid him climbe up that ſteepe tower, and from the top of it caſt himſelf down into the ſea, but he will readily do it. What, will not you be ready to ſhew more reſpect to your General this Lord of Hoſts, then any heathen ſhall do to a Heathen General? be willing to venture your lives for him; this is your glory, for he accounts it his.

If in this cauſe you ſhould turn your backes upon your enemies, with what face could you ever after look upon your friends? Pſal. 69. 6. Let not them that waite for thee O Lord of Hoſts, be aſhamed for my ſake. Take this Text with you into the Army, and pray to God, O Lord grant that I may ſo behave my ſelfe in this great buſineſſe I have undertaken, that none of thoſe that waite on the Lord, that have prayed for, and now wayte for the ſalvation of God, may be aſhamed for my ſake.

I have read of one Abaga a Tartarian, that had this device to make cowards valiant, he cauſed them that ran away from the battell ever after to weare womens clothes; I do not ſay that there ſhould be this brand of diſhonour, but one brand or other it is fit ſhould be upon ſuch as baſely forſake ſuch an honourable worke, ſuch an honourable cauſe as this is.

Thirdly, If God be the Lord of Hoſts, hence there is no war to be undertaken but for God and according p. 27Uſe 3.to Gods will, it muſt bee by commiſſion from this great General. To goe into the field without him is dangerous, but to go againſt him is deſperate. Pſ. 20. 5. In the Name of the Lord will we ſet up our banners.

But if any ſhall ſay, We are afraid we goe not by Ob.the Commiſſion of The Lord of Hoſts, becauſe we goe againſt the King: Doth God give Commiſſion for Subjects to fight againſt the King?

For anſwer, The ſound of theſe words in the eares Anſw.of men, oh what an efficacie have they! But when they are examined and applyed to this buſineſſe, the truth is, there is nothing at all in them to any man that will be rationall.

For firſt, It is not againſt the King, it is defenſive onelyonly, to defend our lawfull liberties, our eſtates, which we inherit as truly as the King inherits any thing he hath. It is to defend our Religion, which is our chiefe inheritance. The law of Nature and Scripture teacheth us to defend our ſelves from violence and wrong.

God hath not put man, and whole Kingdoms into a worſe condition then brute creatures, and yet they by an inſtinct of nature defend themſelves againſt man that vvould hurt them: and yet they vvere made for man; but Kingdoms vvere not made for Kings, but Kings rather for Kingdoms.

And the Scripture warrants this, you know David 1 Sam. 23. 13.1 Sam 23:13gathered 600. ſouldiers together to defend himſelfe againſt any injury Saul intended and indeavoured againſt him. And when the children of Benjamin and Judah came to him to the hold, 1 Chron. 12. 16, 17, 18. The ſpirit came upon Amaſai, and he ſaid, Peace be to thee, and peace be unto thy helpers, for thy God helpeth p. 28thee. What David did in this kind was no other but what God helped him in.

2. It is not againſt the King, but for the King; it is for the preſervation of true Regall power in the King and his poſteritie; it is to reſcue him out of the hands of evil men, who are his greateſt enemies. The Scripture bids, that the wicked ſhould be taken from the throne of the King; Who ſhould take them away? if he had a mind to doe it himſelfe, he need not ſuffer them to come to his throne; but when he does ſuffer them to come there and abide there, yet they muſt be taken away; if a Repreſentative kingdome hath not power to take them away, who hath?

3. That which is done is not done againſt the power of the King; His power is that which the lawes of the land inveſts him withall. The Scripture bids us be ſubject to the higher powers, Rom. 13. 1. It doth not bid us to be ſubject to the wills of thoſe who are in higheſt place. If we be either actively or paſſively ſubject to the Lawes of that country wherein we live, we fulfill the very letter of that Scripture that commands us to be ſubject to the higheſt powers. Wherefore that which is now done, is not againſt the King; though it be againſt the perſonal command of the King, yet it is not againſt the Legall power of the King; when we ſpeak of a King, we mean ſuch a man inveſted with a Regal power by the lawes & conſtitutions of that country he is the King of. Now if nothing be done againſt this power that the laws and conſtitutions of our country inveſts him with, then nothing can be ſaid to be done againſt the King. People are much miſtaken who do not diſtinguiſh between a man in authority and the authority of that man. A p. 29man in authority may command what authority does not command.

But may we go againſt the command of the King?Ob.

It is not againſt his authorative command. Many, Anſ.if not moſt men miſtake in this, they think the authorative commands of the King chiefly conſiſt in his perſonall verbal commands, but the truth is, his authority is in his commands by his officers Seals, and Courts of Juſtice; we may appeale from his perſonal verball command, to his command in his Courts of Juſtice, & whatſoever is his command in one Court of Juſtice, may be appealed from to a ſuperior Court, and ſo to the higheſt, and there we muſt reſt.

But the King ſayes, That this which is done, is Ob.done againſt Law.

If when the moſt inferior Court of Juſtice determines Anſ.any thing to be Law, it is not the Kings perſonall diſſent, and ſaying it is not Law that diſanuls it, but the judgement of ſome ſuperior Court; then if the higheſt Court in the Land, which is the Parliament, ſhall judge a thing to be Law, ſurely the perſonall diſſent of the King, and ſaying it is not Law, cannot diſanul it.

But although the Parliament tels us that what Ob.they doe is Law, yet they doe not ſhew where that Law is; where ſhall we finde it extant?

We are to know that our Common-wealth is governed Anſw.not onelyonly by Statute Law, but by the Common Law; now this Common Law is nothing elſe but recta ratio, right reaſon, ſo adjudged by Judges appointed thereunto by Law, and this is various according as caſes doe occur; ſo that although ſome preſidents, ſome generall maximes of this p. 30Law be extant, yet if new caſes ariſe, then there muſt bee determination according to the nature of ſuch a new caſe, which determination by ſuch as are appointed Judges is now Law, although it were no where written before. And certainly we have now ſuch things faln out, as no former time can ſhew preſidents of: As, That a King ſhould goe from his Parliament, ſo as ours doth: That a King ſhould take up Arms, as now he doth; with many other things of conſequence, of a high nature, which our Houſes of Parl. in their Declarations publiſh, which our eares tingle to hear of, and our hearts tremble at the mention of. Theſe things were never heard of ſince England was a Kingdom, therefore we can expect no preſidents of what determinations there can be in theſe caſes; and ſome determinations of neceſſity we muſt have, or elſe wee ſhall run to confuſion.

The determination then of the higheſt Court of Juſtice in the Kingdome, wee muſt account Law in this caſe. This is the way of determining Caſes that fall out in the Common Law.

Firſt, the determination muſt not be againſt any Statute Law, and ſo is the determination of Parliament now, there is no Statute Law againſt it.

Secondly, it muſt be according to ſome generall Maximes of that Law. Now this is one great maxime of it, Salus populi ſuprema Lex, The ſafety of the people is the ſupreame Law: and according to this their determination is.

Thirdly, when any inferior Judge makes this determination againſt any party that thinks himſelfe wronged, he makes his Appeale to the Kings Bench: If at the Kings Bench that be judged Law againſt a p. 31man, which he thinks is not right, then he hath a Writ of Appeale ad proximum Parliamentum, to the next Parliament; ſo that it is apparent by the frame of Government in our Kingdom, that the Parliament is ſupreame Judge of what is Recta ratio, Right reaſon in caſes of difficulty and controverſie; and this not being againſt any former Statute Law, & agreeable to the received Maximes of Common Law, it is to be accounted Law, although we finde not that Caſe, or that Determination written in any Book before.

This is needefull for the ſatisfying mens conſciences, that things are carried according to the conſtitution of the Government of our Kingdom, & therefore in this we do not ſin againſt Authority. If mens conſciences be not ſatisfied in theſe things, what ſhal they do? Now therefore becauſe that which is urged upon mens conſciences is the authority of man, that we muſt obey, we can never ſatisfie our conſciences untill we know what this authority of man is; & that we cannot know but by the Law of the Kingdom. It is neceſſary therefore that men underſtand what kind of government they live under, that they may know when they offend againſt Authority, and when not; that they may not be deluded, and brought into ſnares, and things of dangerous conſequence, meerly by the name of Authority.

But yet it may further be ſaid, Grant the Parliament to be the Judge, how can it judge without the Ob.King? For the Parliament conſiſts of three Eſtates, the Houſe of Commons, the Houſe of Lords, and the King: How can that then be ſaid to be the determination of the Parliament, which is not the determination of the King?

p. 32It is true, for the making any Statute, the paſſing Anſ.any thing by way of Bill, all the three Eſtates of the Kingdome are required to joyne: but for the determination of what is Law, that may be done by both the Houſes, in the abſence of, or without the knowledge of the King, as uſually it is: In caſes that are brought before them in the puniſhment of Delinquents, they doe not ſend to the King for his aſſent to joyne with them in their determinations, but in thoſe proceed as a Court of Juſtice themſelves.

But what if authority be abuſed, may we reſiſt? Is Ob.not paſſive obedience required, if active cannot be given?

There is a great deale of difference between the Anſ.commands that are from abuſed authority, and the commands that are from the wils of men in authority, but not from the authority of thoſe men. That is abuſed authority, when thoſe to whom power of making Laws belongs, ſhall make evill Laws; in this caſe there is no help, but paſſive obedience, or flying, untill ſome way may be taken for rectifying that Authority that is abuſed. But when men that are in authority command any thing out of their owne wils, which is no Law, it is not Authority that doth command it; in this caſe there is no reſiſting of Authority at all, although the thing be denyed that is commanded; in ſuch a caſe if we neither yeeld active nor paſſive obedience, we cannot be ſaid therefore to reſiſt authority: For as Samſon ſaid in another caſe, If you doe thus and thus unto me, I ſhall be but as another man: ſo if theſe men who are in place of authority, do ſuch things as the Laws and Government of the Countrey will not bear them out in, they are but as other p. 33men; yet ſome reverence ought to be ſhewed to their perſons, both in words and actions, in regard of their place.

What ſay you to the Kings of Judah? Many of Ob.them did otherwiſe then they ought, and yet we doe not reade they were reſiſted, but obeyed.

1. In a defenſive way they were reſiſted, as appears by what was ſaid before in the caſe of David, gathering Anſ.up 600. men to defend himſelfe againſt Saul.

2. Yea when Saul would have killed Jonathan, the people reſiſted him, and would not ſuffer him.

3. We reade, 2 King. 6. 32. when the King of Iſrael ſent a meſſenger to kill the Prophet, the Prophet being amongſt the Elders of the people, calls the King the ſon of a murtherer, and bade that they ſhould ſhut the door againſt the meſſenger, and hold him faſt at the door. The former Tranſlation hath it, Handle him roughly, though ſent by the King: Yea the King himſelf was following, yet his meſſenger comming with his command muſt be handled roughly. The Hebrew word is foreign You ſhall oppreſſe him, ſo Arias Montanus tranſlates it, opprimet is, you ſhall uſe great rigour to him. It is a vaine conceit in people to think that the command of the King is enough to bear out an Officer in illegall and unjuſt acts, as if every one were bound to obey, if he comes by the command of the King: there is no ſuch thing: if any man doth any thing illegal, although the King bids him, he muſt anſwer for it as if it were his own act: therefore it is that the Acts of Authority that come from the King, they come by Officers, becauſe the Subject may have ſome to call to account in caſe of injury, not being fit to moleſt the Kings own Perſon for every dammage the Subject ſuffers.

p. 34Theſe three examples are out of queſtion juſtifiable: And if we would goe to bare example, we ſhall finde that ten Tribes brake off from Rehoboam, becauſe he would follow the counſel of his young Cavaliers, to make their yoaks heavie, to make his little finger heavier then his fathers loynes: yea and God ſayes it was of him vvhat was done.

But further, this is no certain rule, that juſt what power the Kings of Judah had, that and no more ſhould all Kings have; If in ſome things they may have more, then it cannot follow, becauſe they had this or that power, therefore all Kings muſt have the ſame. If their examples be the rule for all Kings power, then their examples muſt as well be to limit the power of Kings, as enlarge it: but Kings would think it much to be limited by their power, therefore they muſt not urge the enlargement from their power too hard.

I will inſtance in one thing, wherein the Kings of England vvould not vvillingly be limited by their example, namely, The confining of their ſucceſſion to the heire male. The daughters of the Kings of Judah did not inherit, onelyonly the males; but the daughters of our Kings do. If this Queſtion be asked, Why in ſome countreyes onelyonly the Male inherits, as in France; in others, the females likewiſe, as in England; why in ſome Countries the King is elective, as in Denmark and others; in others it is hereditary, as with us: The Anſwer will be given, This is from the diverſity of the Laws of Kingdoms. So then it follows not, becauſe ſome Kings in Scripture were thus and thus, therefore all Kings muſt needs be ſo; but according to the diverſity of the Laws of Kingdoms, p. 35ſo is the diverſity of the power of Kings. Every Countrey in the firſt conſtitution of the Government, hath power to divide the Government, ſo much to the King, ſo much to the Nobles, ſo much to the Commons, as they ſhall ſee beſt ſutable to the condition of their Countrey: ſo that we are not to goe by ſuch a rule, what power ſuch and ſuch Kings have had, but what power every King hath in the Countrey where he is King. Civil Government 1 Pet 2. 13 All civill Government, even that of Kings, is called a humane creation, for ſo the words are in the Originall, foreign.1 Pet 2:13is left to the wiſdome and juſtice of every Country, in the conſtitution of it: They may confer power upon ſeverall Magiſtrates by ſeverall portions, as ſhal be moſt for the good of that Countrey. That there ſhould be Civil Government, God hath appointed; but that it ſhould be thus or thus, all in one, or divided into many, that is left to humane prudence, going according to rules of Juſtice, for the publique good. If the kinds of Civil government were of Divine inſtitution, it muſt be all the ſame in every compleat Common-wealth, which no man that I know wil affirm. Eccleſiaſtical Government, becauſe it is ſpirituall, and hath a ſpirituall efficacie in it, muſt therefore of neceſſity be of Divine inſtitution, & ſo the ſame in all places in the world where Churches are cōpleat.Ob.

But what ſhal wee ſay to the example of the Chriſtians in the Primitive times, who ſuffered ſo much wrong under Tyrants, and would never reſiſt?

The Civil Government under which they lived was ſuch, as it gave power to thoſe Emperors to doe Anſw.ſuch things as they did; the laws of thoſe Countries being againſt them, they could not help themſelves, but it is not ſo with us: The Laws of our Countrey are for us, and we ſeek nothing but to maintain thoſe p. 36liberties we have by Law; We have legall wayes to help our ſelves, which they had not.

But above all Objections this ſticks moſt with us, Doth not the Scripture ſtraitly charge us not to Ob.touch Gods Anointed?

Firſt, This doth nothing concerne this raiſing of Armes, for it is for defence of our ſelves, not offence Anſ.againſt Gods Anointed.

But further, that I may ſatisfie fully, I wil ſay three things to this Objection: Firſt, we will examine the Scripture out of which this Objection is raiſed, and ſee whether there be any ſuch ſenſe in it as is ordinarily taken for granted: Secondly, I ſhall ſhew that Anointing is not proper to Kings, but belongs to others as well as Kings: Thirdly, I will ſhew the difference betweene that anointing that Kings had in time of the Law, from that they have now.

For the firſt, This Scripture is 1 Chron. 26. 22. and Pſal. 105. 15. it is the ſame in both places. 1. They both ſpeak of times before ever there had been any Kings of Iſrael. 2. The Anointing here is apparently meant of the people of God, of the Church, of the Saints; God gives here a charge, that none, no not Kings ſhould touch them to doe them any hurt. It is not here meant that people ſhould not touch Kings that are anointed, but that Kings ſhould not touch people that are Gods Anointed. The Church of God being ſeparated from the world to God, being conſecrated to God, Gods ſanctified ones are here called Gods anointed: and that it is meant of people, it is plain if you conſider this Scripture, from the 12. ver. to this 15. ver. When they were but few in number, and ſtrangers in the Land, when they went from one Nation to another, p. 37from one Kingdom to another people, he ſuffered no man to doe them wrong, yea, he reproved Kings for their ſakes, ſaying, Touch not mine Anointed: To whom did he ſay it? he ſaid it even to Kings: Whom ſhould they not touch? Not them that were few in number, that went from one countrey to another; them for whoſe ſakes Kings were reproved, he ſaid that theſe anointed ones muſt not be touched: though the Kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones, yet God accounts them his anointed ones, and will not have them touched; but if Kings ſhall meddle with them to doe them any hurt, he will reprove thē for their ſakes. You may ſee how God reproved that King Nebuchadnezar, for their ſakes, Jer. 50. 17. This Nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones; obſerve the expreſſion, This Nebuchadnezar: he makes but a [This] of Nebuchadnezar a great King, when he comes to reprove him for the ſake of his anointed ones: and mark further how the reproofe is, when their inheritance is but touched, Jer. 12. 17. Thus ſaith the Lord againſt all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance, &c. Behold I will pluck them out of the Land; If they do but touch my peoples inheritance, I will pluck them out of the Land. And Iſa. 10. 27. all this care of God over his people is laid upon their anointment, The burden ſhall be taken off their ſhoulder, and the yoake from their neck, and the yoake ſhall be deſtroyed becauſe of the anointing. I ſuppoſe now every one that lookes into this Scripture, Touch not mine anointed, will ſee that it hath been groſly abuſed, and made to ſpeak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the Holy Ghoſt.

But for futher ſatisfaction, conſider, it is not peculiar p. 38to Kings to be anointed; It is true, they were anointed in the time of the Law; but as they were anointed, ſo Prieſts were anointed, Prophets were anointed, yea other Magiſtrates and Captaines of Gods people are called the anointed ones.

Firſt, for Prieſts, Numb. 3. 3. Theſe are the names of the ſons of Aaron the Prieſt that were anointed. And you know the Prophet Elijah anointed Eliſha. And Zac. 4. 14. ſpeaking of Zerubbabel and Joſhua, the text ſaies, theſe are the anointed of the Lord: now then if this meaning could be put upon the words, that thoſe which are Gods anointed muſt not be touched, whatſoever they do, then Prieſts and Prophets whatſoever they do, muſt not be touched, for they are as truely Gods anointed, as Kings are: yea Captaines and inferior Magiſtrates muſt not be touched, becauſe they are Gods anointed alſo.

The third thing is the difference between Kings anointing then, as David, and Solomon, and others were, and Kings anointing now. Then God choſe ſuch himſelfe by revealing from Heaven that they ſhould be Kings; it was the immediate choice of God; and then they were upon this, ſubmitted to by the people: but now the people firſt agree that ſuch a one ſhall be King, the Kingly power ſhall be in ſuch a family ſucceſſively, and then God eſtabliſheth this choiſe or agreement. There is a great difference between theſe two; Firſt, Gods chuſing, and then the peoples eſtabliſhing; and this, the peoples chuſing, and then Gods eſtabliſhing. There the Kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant, but with us it was, and ſo is with others.

But what if the Kingdom be got by Conqueſt, & the Ob.right come in that way?

p. 39Thoſe who plead thus for Kings, know not what they do in making this plea: For if there were no Anſ.other right, neither precedent nor conſequent, but meerly becauſe ſuch a one was the ſtronger and got it, and ſo holds it now, then whoſoever is the ſtrongeſt at any time he hath right, if a ſtronger then he comes he ſhall have the right. This is no good Divinity nor Polity to plead thus; that which ſubjects my conſcience to ſuch a one, is the ſubmiſſion upon ſome compact, covenant or agreement.

This may be when Kings are elective, but what Ob.will you ſay concerning Kings that are hereditary?

Kings that inherit, inherit no more then their fathers Anſ.had, and their fathers no more then thoſe before them, ſo that you muſt come at length to the root, to the firſt who had this Kingly power inveſted upon him; and by whom was he inveſted with this, but by the people? and what ſubjected the conſciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family, more then another man, or another family, but only the agreement that paſſed between this people, and ſuch a man or family?

But there is yet one Objection more out of Scripture; Ob.We reade that Davids heart ſmote him, but for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment, becauſe Saul was Gods Anointed.

The conſequence that follows from hence is cleerly this, That no private man in his own cauſe, (for ſo was David then) by his own power may ſeize upon the perſon of a King in an offenſive way, eſpecially ſuch a King which had his call immediatly from heaven: what further conſequence that concerns our buſines in hand, let any ſhew from this place that can.

p. 40But is not this a Popiſh tenet, that in caſe of Religion Ob.Subjects may riſe up againſt their King?

Papiſts hold and practice againſt this, and for this, Anſ.and beyond this; as they ſee they may ſerve their own turns: in their practiſes eſpecially of late they have laboured to infuſe into people, yea, and into Princes an opinion of their abſolute power, as conceiving it for the preſent moſt conducing to their ends, who have preached up that all is the Kings, that his wil is our Law, that whatſoever he cōmands muſt be obeyed, either by doing or ſuffering. Prelates and prelatical men have infuſed this doctrine, ſo that to queſtion this was dangerous enough, yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan. And the reaſon why the Popiſh party labours ſo much to cry up abſolute and arbitrary Government in Kings, is, becauſe their being but few, they hope to gain ſome of them at leaſt to them, and then this abſolute power ſhall be made uſe of for the extirpation of the truth, and upholding Popery: In gaining one King they gaine almoſt the whole Kingdome, if this King may rule by his abſolute power; if once he be a Papiſt, then this abſolute power is the Popes abſolute power, it is the Prelates abſolute power, for if he uſeth it not as they pleaſe, they can excommunicate him, they can free their Subjects from their allegiance: yea, being by them excommunicated. Marke what follows, it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans, We take them not Can. Excom. cauſ. 23. qu. 6. cited by K. James, in his Anſwer to Perror.in any wiſe to be man ſlayers, who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother, ſhall happen to kill an excommunicated perſon. This they teach and practice, if they doe not gaine them to p. 41be full Papiſts, yet if they can by popiſh matches, or by any popiſh party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them, or remiſſe in the profeſſion of the truth, they get a great advantage by this abſolute power of the King; the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power by infuſing this principle of the abſolute power of Kings into their eares and the cares of the people; but if the Papiſt ſees he hath no hope to gaine the King, or advantage by him, then he turnes his tenets another way, and ſayes that for the promoting of the Catholique cauſe, yea, although Kings do governe by the Laws of their Kingdom, yet becauſe they are againſt the Catholique Religion, Subjects may riſe up againſt their King and kill him. This doctrine of theirs we abhor, wee ſay, that if power be given to Kings by Law, yea, or to other Magiſtrates, though it be againſt Religion, we have no help but ſuffering or flying until we can be helped by a legall way; but if when we have Laws for our Religion and liberty, the King out of his own will, or ſeduced by others, ſhall in an illegal way ſeeke to deprive us of them, now we may defend our ſelves, and in this we reſiſt not the Kingly authority, but the wil of ſuch a man.

And yet further, if it be poſſible that we may give ſatisfaction in this thing, the miſtake whereof is ſo exceeding dangerous: conſider, if the taking up Arms to defend Religion and liberties that we have by Law be treaſon or rebellion, then all the reformed Churches are traytors and Rebels: Have not the reformed Churches in Holland, in France, in Germany done this? Did not Queene Elizabeth take the Holanders taking up Armes to defend their Religion p. 42and liberty againſt their King into her protection, and aſſiſt them with money, men, Ammunition? King James in his anſwer to Perron defends the Proteſtants in France for what they did: He ſayes, Their civill wars was not taking up Arms againſt their King, it was but ſtanding upon their guard. And did not our King Charles ſend aid to the Proteſtants in France, defending their Religion and liberty againſt their King at the Iſle of Ree? and is not the Prince of Aurania, whom we uſually call the Prince of Orange, the General to the Army of the States, defending themſelves againſt the K. of Spain, whoſe Countries thoſe once were? Yea, and hath not our King acknowledged our brethren the Scots his loyal Subjects, and yet they did as much as we, yea, a great deale more? they were indeed at firſt called Traitors and Rebels, in the prayers the Prelates ſent about and commanded to bee read in Churches, but upon due conſideration they were found and ſo ſtyled loving and loyal Subjects, and ſo in time we hope we ſhall.

But if we ſhall thus plead and ſtand for our liberties, how can we expect the King ſhould ever look Ob.upon us with any reſpect, or confide in us? wil it not ſet the Kings heart againſt us?

God forbid we ſhould do any thing juſtly meriting the loſſe of His Majeſties favour, and his heart confiding Anſw.in us: The happines of a Kingdom is in Princes ruling as fathers, and Subjects obeying out of love rather then meer neceſſity. K. James ſo renowned for learning and deep underſtanding was fully of that minde, that his brother the K. of France had no better Subjects in his Kingdome then the Proteſtants, which yet ſtood up to defend their liberties by force p. 43of Armes. His words in anſwer to Perron are theſe: I dare promiſe to my ſelfe that my moſt honoured brother the King of France will beare in mind the great and faithfull ſervice of thoſe who in matter of Religion diſſent from His Majeſty, as of the onelyonly men that have preſerved and ſaved the Crown for the King his Father, of moſt glorious memory. I am perſwaded my brother of France will beleeve, that his liege people pretended by the Lord Cardinall to be hereticks, are nor half ſo bad as my Roman Catholike ſubjects, who by ſecret practices undermine my life, ſerve a forraigne Soveraigne, are bound (by the Maximes and rules publiſhed and maintained in favour of the Pope, before this full and famous aſſembly of the Eſtates of Paris) to hold me for no lawfull King, are by his Lordſhip there taught and inſtructed, that Pauls commandment concerning ſubjection to the higher powers, adverſe to their profeſſed Religion, is onelyonly a proviſionall precept, framed to the times, and watching for opportunity to ſhake off the yoke. Surely then it is impoſſible but that His Majeſties heart muſt needs confide in us, (although ſeeking to maintain our lawfull liberties) rather then in any Papiſts whatſoever. Yea yet further, heare what K. James his thoughts were of the Proteſtants in France, towards the latter end of his former Anſwer to Cardinall Perron he hath theſe words, During the minority of K. Francis the ſecond, the Proteſtants of France were only a refuge & ſuccour to the Princes of bloud, when they were kept from the Kings preſence; and by the over-powring power of their enemies, were no better then plain driven and chaſed from the Court. I meane the Grandfather of the King now raigning, and the Grandfather of the Prince of Conde, when they had no place of ſafe retreat beſides in the whole Kingdome. In regard of which worthy and honourable ſervice, it may ſeeme p. 44the French King hath reaſon to hold the Proteſtants in the princely Ark of his gracious remembrance. (Shall Proteſtants be kept in the Princely Ark of the gracious remembrance of a Popiſh King, and ſhall Proteſtants be caſt out of the heart of a Proteſtant King, and that onelyonly for defending their lawfull liberties in a juſt way? God forbid.) Yet further, heare the fidelity of Proteſtants to their Prince. In all the heat of revolts and rebellions raiſed in the greateſt part of the Kingdome by the Pope, and the more part of the Clergie, they ſtood to their King to beare up the Crown when tottering and ready to fall.

And at this day the King of France hath in pay betweene three and foreſcore thouſand Proteſtant Souldiers for the defence of himſelfe and his Dominions, he maintains ſo many yeerly, his chief Commanders being Proteſtants, as confiding eſpecially in Proteſtants for their fidelity; and certainly ſo may our King doe, he ſhould finde none more faithfull to him, and ready to venture their eſtates and lives in defence of him and his Legall power, then the Parliament, and thoſe who adhere to them, and this no queſtion even thoſe about His Majeſty doe beleeve in their hearts, whatſoever they ſay; they otherwiſe would never venture to put His Majeſty upon ſuch wayes as might exaſperate them ſo as they doe. Was it ever knowne when Parliaments have been Papiſts, and the Kingdome Papiſts, that ever any dared venture to put Kings upon ſuch things as might provoke ſuch a Parliament, and the people that then would adhere to them? Certainly other manner of effects would have followed the provocation of them at ſuch times. Why was it that the Laws againſt Papiſts have been ſo remiſſely followed, and not onelyonly Law, p. 45but Will againſt the Puritans have beene ſo hotly purſued, but this, they were afraid of papiſts that they would doe ſome miſchiefe, but for Puritans, they were confident they would not ſtir, they would doe no hurt but beare, and therefore they might doe what they liſt with them, they needed not feare exaſperating them, they were taught obedience to Governors out of conſcience, and ſo they had them ſure enough; but the principles of the others would not bear too hard uſage, therefore they muſt be more fairely dealt withall. I am confident, if wee could have ſeene into many of their boſomes, we ſhould have found theſe reaſonings in them, It is true, Puritans have beene taught obedience to Authority out of conſcience, and howſoever Princes may bee exaſperated againſt Puritanicall Preachers, as they call them, yet they are as much beholding to them as to any people in their Kingdomes for bringing people out of conſcience to obey Authority; whereas others obey only upon neceſſities, & ſo ſerve Princes as they may ſerve themſelves by them, but in their teaching obedience to Authority they never taught obedience out of conſcience to any mens bare wils. How far obedience is due I have ſhewne before.