Balm for Bleeding England and Ireland, Title page – To the reader
BAULME FOR BLEEDING ENGLAND AND IRELAND.
OR, SEASONABLE Inſtructions, for perſecuted Chriſtians: Delivered in ſeverall Sermons, By NICHOLAS LOCKYER Maſter of Arts.
ISA. 8.17.
J will waite upon the Lord, which hideth his face from the houſe of Jacob, and I will looke for him.
LONDON, Printed by E.G. For John Rothwell, and are to be ſold at his Shop at the ſigne of the Sun in Paule Church-Yard, 1643.
IT is ordered this fifteenth day of April, Anno Dom. 1643. By the Committee of the houſe of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing, that this Booke intituled (Ʋſefull inſtructions for theſe evill times) be printed by Iohn Rothwell.
John White.
The true Effigies of the truly Religious Learned and Iuditious Divine de Nichola Lockyer Mr of Arts
Note well the Substance of this shade so bright
Lo tis a Burning and a shining Light
Neat Elegant Sententious High and Rare
Lo all his Sermons and Expressions are
R D
To the Perſecuted Chriſtians In England and Ireland.
BLeeding hearts, you are honour'd to be Baptized, with Chriſts Baptiſme, to pledge your deare Saviour, in his owne Cup. Count not, call not honour miſery. The Wine in your Cup, is red indeed, but without dregs to you; Chriſts drinking firſt hath ſweetned it well to Saints. Wrath makes ſufferings, miſery: let the World Houle in their wounds but doe not you complaine: let them curſe as bearing Caines marke, but doe you bleſſe God and glory, as bearing the markes of the Lord Jeſus. Love in the bottom of a bloudy Cup, and the deeper a man drinkes, the ſweeter. Chriſt powers out love upon the Soule, when the body powers out bloud upon the truth. A Spirit of glory, is a bleeding Chriſtians glory. There is inward advancement, when outward debaſement. The ſoule is in Heaven, when the body is in Hell for Chriſt. Was that a Dungeon or a Heaven, in which they ſang ſo ſweetly at midnight? Gods dealings are righteous, when Mans dealings are wicked: a man might beare ſuffering upon this ground, that hee hath ſinned; but how ſweetly may they be borne, when ſugar'd with love, and all ſinne forgiven? Yee priſoners of hope: what is your hope? What ſay you of Englands night? Will it ever have day? Would my Soule could enter into your ſecrets: Would I could participate with you, in ſome of your Priſon-enlargements. If you finde a Heaven in Hell, what will your Heaven be? Now in the Ile of Patmos, *A patrimoniis jam ejecti.What ſay's GOD to your ſoules concerning theſe bleeding Jlands? Many Chriſtians for whom you have bled, are now a flying from you, to ſave their Bloud; write after them yee bleeding hearts; preach your Priſon-experiments, the faith and hope of your Bonds, and conclude like Paul, Remember our Bonds, and Wounds for Chriſt and you; Surely if there be any Bowels, this will bring them backe to die with truth and you. I believe the Reſurrection of thy dead, O bleeding England. Your Graves ſhall open, yee Priſoners of hope, and your buried glory and honor ſhall return to you. Truth ſhall out-live tyranny. Righteouſneſſe ſhall waſh her Feete, in the Bloud of the wicked. Pride ſhall be dethroned; and ſhame ſhal be her pavilion. Your integrity, yee Parliament-worthies, Chriſt will vindicate; your great paines and labour of love, Chriſt will returne to you and yours. Steele good reſolution, and Chriſt will carry you through all oppoſition. You are great ſufferers, I would this little Booke might give ſome refreſhment to you, together with the reſt of Gods ſuffering ones. Bleeding Ireland, God alſo is with thee, and will be. Thy Land is full of murderers, but not too many for God to overcome. God is as juſt, as Man is cruell: cruelty will cut its owne Throat, when thou canſt doe nothing to evade it. Venomous Creatures die in thy land, by a providence from Heaven, which reaſon cannot reach. God and the whole Creation,foreign. fight againſt barbarous bloud-ſhed. Thy naked Women and Children, which mourned, ſtarv'd and died in winters paſt, will fight againſt the monſters which ſtript them, in …ummers to come, when thou want'st men, money, and meanes to doe it. The Vipers which have gnawed out thy guts are got into our Bowels too, that we might afford thee no reliefe;Moriendo Chriſtia…o, vivit Chriſtus. but God will relieve, both thee and us. 'Twas a curſed crue which brought Gall and Vinegar, when Chriſt cryed Eloi, Eloi. England had helpt thee Ireland, had …t not beene for this curſed Generation; but the bloud of both Kingdomes will be upon them. Chriſt was not overcome, when killed. Many may die but Chriſts cauſe in theſe poore envi…d ilands, will live. Mannage your bloudy buſineſſe bravely, yee Souldiers of Chriſt in England and Ireland, the Lord of Hoſts …s with you. Your ſufferings are many, your pay will bee great. Two Heavens are before you one for you and poſterity here, another peculiarly adorned for ſufferers unto bloud,C…ant an p…nn ſlagellum. above. flinch from Chriſt and his cauſe, and loſe both. Vale.
Yours in continuall Prayers, Nicho. Lockyer.
To the Reader.
REader, there are ſome Errata's here and there, throughout this Booke, notwithſtanding all our diligence to prevent them; but yet ſuch, as with thine own obſervation, of what preceds,foreign. and followes, & with a ſpirit of love, may eaſily be ſet right to thy underſtāding. Be not a mouth murderer, & kill two at once, my Name and thy Soule. What is candidly preſented to thee, candidly receive, and bleſſe Chriſt and the next Authour, who is at Prayer for a bleſſing, upon this Worke and thee.
Nicho. Lockyer.