Sermons, Sermon 3 – Dedication 4
A SERMON PREACHED Before the Right Honourable the LORDS and COMMONS aſſembled in Parliament, upon the 18th day of July, 1644.
It being the day of Thankſgiving for the great mercy of God in the happy ſucceſſe of the Forces of both Kingdoms againſt the Enemies of King and Parliament neer York.
ISAIAH 63. 8.
For he ſaid, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: So he was their Saviour.
WHat the Hiſtorian ſayth of that day, whereinNon ſuit maior ſub imperio Romano dies, &c. Florus, lib. 2. cap. 6. de bello Punico ſecundo Scipio and Hannibal diſputed that long depending cauſe, between Rome and Carthage in open field, The Romane Empire (untill that time) had not ſeen a greater day. The ſame may I juſtly ſay of the occaſion of this our meeting: Nor we nor our fathers in this Kingdom: conſidering the numbers on both ſides, the Intereſts that lay at ſtake, the fulneſſe of the victory, the hopefull conſequence of it, have had more cauſe to ſing, They compaſſed me about like Bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the Name of the Lord will I deſtroy them; Thou haſt thruſt ſore at me that I might fall▪ but the Lord helped me: The Lord is my ſtrength and ſong, and is become my ſalvation. The voice of rejoycing and ſalvation is in the Tabernacles of the righteous: The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly, Pſal. 118. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, &c. for though God have cleerly atteſted his preſence with us, by many viſible tokens thereof ever ſince we came into this wilderneſſe, ſo that we may truly ſay, Take counſell together and it ſhall come to nought; ſpeak the word, and it ſhall not ſtand; for Immanuel, Iſa. 8. 10. yet hee never yet did ſet a broader ſeal to this Cauſe in teſtimony of his patrociny thereof than at this time and place. The firſt Summer of our war hee wrote himſelf our God in great letters at Edge Hill; The ſecond, in yet a greater character at Newbery; The third, that he might be legible to ſuch as hitherto would not ſee; hee hath wrote himſelf Immanuel in a Text letter, even in that place where that which hath ſince proclaimed it ſelfe a cruell war, did then, in its infancy, diſguize it ſelf under the name of Guard, a good Omen; Hannibal is routed neere the walls of his own Carthage: There can be to us no better ſigne than when God increaſes upon us, and ſtill makes us better meaſure of his mercies than aforetime. New mercies from him are the matter of a new ſong to us, and of a new name to himſelf, ſo let him ſwallow up the leſſer characters of his goodneſſe to us, in ſtill a greater letter; untill the Egyptians ſee and ſay, Let us flee from the face of Iſrael, for the Lord fights for them againſt the Egyptians, Exod. 14. 25.
I ſhall not ſtand to rip a ſunder the texture of the whole Chapter, the beginning of it is taken up in a dialogue between the Church and Chriſt: Who is this (ſaith ſhe) that commeth from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah? It is I (ſaith hee) that ſpeak in righteouſneſſe, mighty to ſave. Wherefore (ſaith ſhee) art thou red in thine apparell, and thy garments like him that treads in the wine fat? I have (ſaith he) trodden down my enemies, & ſo have ſtained my garments with their bloud, as theirs with the bloud of grapes that tread the winepreſſe: And becauſe a third queſtion might have beene asked, what partners hadſt thou in the work? he anticipates in the 5 Verſe. I looked and there was none to helpe, and I wondred that there was none to uphold; Therefore mine own arme brought ſalvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me, and I will tread down the people in my anger, &c. How little? how nothing? doth the Church contribute to her own deliverance or ſalvation? She hath nothing to do, but like Iſrael, to ſtand ſtill Exod. 14. 13. with cap. 15. Ver. …. &c. …and ſee the ſalvation of the Lord, and afterwards to ſing and follow the Lords hand with acclamations; therefore ſhe breaks forth, Verſe 7. into theſe words, I will mention the loving kindneſſe of the Lord; the praiſes of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath beſtowed on us, &c.
Now as a good Hiſtorian doth not relate meere and naked matters of fact, but the reaſons and conſiderations moving ſo or ſo, with the effects and reſultances; ſo the Church ſurvaying the loving kindneſſes of the Lord; even from the times of Egypt and of the wilderneſſe (which was the great letter wherein the Alphabet of his remarkable mercies to that Nation did begin) ſuggeſts in the words of my text, the conſiderations upon which God proceeded to be their Saviour: For he ſaid, ſurely they are my people, children that will not lye: ſo he was their Saviour.
The words have no great knot in them; that expreſſion, Children that will not lie, requires a little light,Mercer. in Gen. 21. 13. mentiri Hebraicè eſt & dicti & facti: The Hebrews call lying not only in words, but deeds; verball lying I ſhall not inſiſt upon, for though the Papiſt under-prop his Religion as the enemy doth his cauſe with legends of theſe pious fraudes, yet lying is a trade that will break both the firſt Merchant thereof, and the Broker, and the credulous buyer or receiver; they cannot keep open ſhop long, lying Bonefires will not blaze long, lying Bels will be preſently in the changes; though truth may loſe ground at the ſtart, yet it ever wins at laſt.
The text ſpeaks of lying in deed or fact, when a man doth fallere fidem datam, break his Covenant, deal perfidiouſly with God, for that is the proper notion of lying in fact; to break through and violate ingagements, to be unfaithfull, to deal falſly; ſo the word is uſed, Gen. 21. 23. Sweare to me that thou wilt not lie or deal falſly. Pſal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us, yet have wee not forgotten thee, neither have we lyed, or dealt falſly in thy covenant, Pſal. 89. 33. I will not ſuffer (ſaith God) my faithfulneſſe to lie or fail, my covenant will I not breake, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips: and ſo you ſhall find (though the word in the fountain be not foreign as it is in the text,) Pſal. 18. 47. that feigned ſubjection or obedience to God or men is called lying; The ſtrangers foreign Is the word uſed, Pſal. 18. 47, &c.ſhall lie unto me, or diſſemble their ſubmiſſion; in which notion the word is alſo uſed, Deut. 33. 29. Thine enemies ſhall be found liers unto thee, that is, they ſhall not dare but to be ſubject, though their hearts be rotten; and to conclude, Hab. 3. 17. The labour of the Olive ſhall lie, that is, fail or fruſtrate expectation; ſo that it cannot reſt in doubt what ſhould be meant by-children that will not lie, that is, they are my people that will not ſhrink (as one of our Engliſh tranſlations doth wellMr. Coverdales Tranſlation. turn the Latine, filii non negantes) they will keep touch with me, and will anſwer their covenant-ingagements.
The words hold forth unto you three things;
That God, in the experience, and by the confeſſion of his people was their Saviour: He was their Saviour.
The conſideration which hee had, and the account which he gave to himſelf of them; He ſaid they are my people, children that will not lie.
The connexion of theſe two together; ſo he ſaid of them, and ſo he was to them; So he was their Saviour.
For the right apprehenſion of the ſenſe of the words, you are to take them as a Proſopopeie, conceived in waySanctius inlocum. of imitation of men, that as a father in debate within himſelf what he ſhould do concerning a lewd and diſobedient ſon, ſaith, his courſes are looſe and vitious, his diſpoſition illiberall, his carriages towards me undutifull, but he now falls at my feet, laments his exorbitances, obliges himſelf to return ad bonam frugem, what ſhall I conclude? why notwithſtanding all this, hee is my child, parentes nil non ſper ant de filiis, hee will now keep promiſe, I will be a father to him; So God is conceived of in this text, as being in conſultation with himſelf about Iſrael; and the word ſurely or notwithstanding, implyes that he could lay much rebellion, many relapſes to their charge, and yet on the other ſide conſiders, They bewail their evill ways, they renew their covenants with me, they put upon themſelves new ingagements to be mine; Ile truſt them, ſurely they will not lie, nor ſhrinke; how doth the love of God to his people preponderate all their miſcarriages? how inclinable is he to conceive hopes of them? for though he can alleage enough againſt them to juſtifie his deſertion of them, yet he buries in forgetfulneſſe that which is paſt upon hopes of better for time to come: and this expectation which he hath of them, gives a non obstante to all their former provocations and iniquities, and caſts the skales with him to be their Saviour. They will not lie: So he was their Saviour.
The Obſervations that I ſhall take up at this time follow in their order:
Obſerva. 1 God could have drawn up ſuch a charge against his people to whom he was a Saviour, as might have juſtified him to all the world, if hee had refuſed them. I gather this from the firſt words he ſaid; He ſaid ſurely, or (as it elſwhere is tranſlated) notwithſtanding: when one begins a ſpeech with a notwithſtanding, hee leaves it to your conception to imagine all that was in his minde which never broke forth; and it carries it cleere enough, that God broke through all the conſiderations of their rebellion, apoſtaſie, unworthineſſe, when he ſaid, Surely they are my people: and the like forme of ſpeech carries the ſame implication, Matth. 21. 37. Laſt of all, he ſent unto them his ſon, ſaying, They will reverence my ſon, as if he had ſaid, They have hitherto killed my ſervants one after another, but they will reverence my ſon: Obſerve the connexion of the former Verſe with my text, I will mention the loving kindneſſes of the Lord, the praiſes of the Lord: for he ſaid, yet they are my people, that is, when hee might have ſaid ſo much againſt them as to have deſerted them, and given them up to deſtruction: then hee ſaid, yet they are my people. It's good for us to obſerve what God might lay in charge againſt us, even then when he crowns us with his favour, or wee proclaim his praiſes: for nothing gives a better foyle to mercy, nothing ſets ſuch an edge upon thankſgivings, nothing ſets the ſtrings in ſweeter tune for praiſes, than for us to conſider and compare our remoteneſſe from expectation of any Salvation, Make a man first humble, and you make him thankfull, He that firſt can juſtifie God will the more eaſily and freely glorifie him. We finde not in the Phariſee his God I thank thee, any ſelf-condemning or God-juſtifying expreſſions: Our Saviour obſerves that that Leper who (of ten healed) came onelyonly back to give glory to God, was a Samaritan. This ſtranger, ſayth hee, Luke 7. 16, 28. Let us ſet our Nationall ſins before our eyes this day; when we come with our peace-offerings for publike mercies, theſe ſowre herbs will quicken our palate to the reliſh of this Paſſeover, for it is a Paſſeover indeed, God having made the deſtroying Angell to paſſe over the houſes of his people, and led the ſtroke to finde out them that would keep us ſtill in Egypt, after God cals us out; And to let paſſe all thoſe provocations of God by this Nation for ſo many yeers of reſt. Let us looke upon the face of our wildernes-ſins (as I may call them) and what were Iſraels wildernes-ſins? murmuring againſt God, complayning of his dealing with them, diſlike of his Covenant, contempt of his Promiſes, returning in heart into Egypt. And are not our carcaſſes as worthy to fall in the Wilderneſſe as theirs did? For it was not for their Egypt-ſins, but for the wilderneſſe-ſins, when they werein paſſage to the promiſed Land, that God ſware in his wrath againſt them, that they ſhould not enterHeb, 3. 10, 11. into his reſt. Have wee not cauſe to tremble leſt God ſhould enter the caveat of ſuch an oath againſt us for the ſins wee are guilty of in this our paſſage. What bitter complaints of, and murmurings at, Gods dealing with us? What mutinies againſt our Leaders? what evill reports are brought up of the Reformation intended? what luſting after the former fleſh-pots? what calling for Captains to lead us back again into bondage? what dancing before the golden calves of new opinions and ways of our own erection? and yet God is our Saviour with a non obſtante to every of theſe miſcarriages: Let us rejoyce with trembling, and be broken into thankgivings. In our receiving of ſuch high grace and favour, we muſt look to two things:
1 The relliſh of the mercy beſtowed, which is quickned by ſenſe of our unworthineſſe.
2 The diſgeſtion of it into thankſgivings, prayſes, and obedience.
In reliſhing of a mercy a man eyther looks upon it as a benefit, and ſo hee gives thanks to God as the benefactour; or as it is a fruit of prayer, and as it is the workmanſhip of God in which he is ſeen in wiſdom, power, preſence, goodneſſe, and ſo he praiſes God as the workman: for that is the difference between thankſgiving and praiſe, the one looks at the benefit, the other at the workmanſhip of God in it. If one give you a Watch or curious piece, the benefactor hath the thanks, the workman hath the prayſe. There are more thankſgivers, than prayſers of God, becauſe though many taſte the benefit, yet few taſte or ſee God in it.
And for the digeſtion of a mercy beſtowed, it is much according to the relliſh of it. He that reliſlies onelyonly his own intereſt or good in it, turns it oftentimes into matter of ſelf-glory, ſecurity, &c. but he that ſees God in it, The joy of the Lord is his ſtrength, to make return of prayſe and ſervice to God again.
Obſerva. 2 Gods people will not lie or faile God of his expectation that ehe hath of them. The Text puts theſe two as foreign, one and the ſame, They are my people, Children that will not lie. God ſayth of himſelf that he cannot lie: of his people that they will not. The reaſon is, becauſe they follow and adhere to him and his Cauſe upon true principles, and not ſelf-intereſts and ends; a man may advance very farre and do valiantly upon private intereſt and ends. He may run ſwiftly and ſmoothly, but he always fals towards and reſts upon his byas. The mixt multitude that go out with Iſrael will fall to luſting. We have ſeen the end of ſuch blazing and falling ſtars, who after they have deceived us a while have been reſolved into their elements of earth and ſelfe reſpects; but a man that is carried by true Principles though the compaſs may through infirmity or temptation ſomtimes admit variation or wavering, yet it recollects it ſelfe and will point to the true pole, what waves or winds ſoever beat againſt the ſhip wherein he is.
Obſerva. 3 The Church gives unto God alone the title of a Saviour, He was their Saviour. But are there not Saviours beſides him? Saviours ſhall come up on Mount Sion to judge the Mount of Eſau, Obad. Verſ. ult. When they cryed unto thee, thou gavest them ſaviours, who ſaved them out of the hand of their enemies, Nehem. 9. 27. As the Scripture calls Magiſtrates Gods, ſo it calls the vindices or Judges which hee raiſed up to Iſrael, Saviours: but as thoſe are but dii minorum gentium, Gods by participation of ſome ſpark of his image and authority: ſo are theſe but ſubſaviours, inſtrumentall actours ſo far as they are acted by God; the glory of an inſtrument is none, but what redounds to the workman that made it, or uſeth it. Cicero taxes Verres, for that he found him at Syracuſe written foreign a Saviour. Hoc quantum eſt, ſayth he, this is ſo great a ſtyle as cannot be expreſt in one Latine word. The word Saviour hath no plurall number in an univocall ſenſe. Hoſ. 13. 4. Thou ſhalt have no God but me, for there is no Saviour beſides me.
I will not common-place this point. This day is text enough to prove the truth of it. Let us make particular uſe thereof. 1 To acknowledge God alone The Saviour. 2 To rejoyce in him. 3 To render to him as to a Saviour.
To acknowledge him, whoſe finger, doe I ſay, or arme rather was made bare in this buſineſſe. Remove the thick wood of men, the ſo many thouſands out of your eye, that you may ſee God; I know wee have (as he ſaid) prodigia & miracula humana, prodigies of men for valour; wee have ſeene the chiefe Commander in fight, to be (as was ſaid of Caeſar) medius inter imperatorem & militem, betweene a Commander and a common ſouldier. But who teaches their hands to war and fingers to fight? The more of God we ſee in them, the leſſe of them let us ſee in themſelves. And becauſe the word Saviour will carry it both to deliverance and victory.
1 Let us ſee God in the deliverance. What might we have loſt by this battle? Might not the Religion, Liberties, Happineſſe of two Kingdoms have been ſhaken? would not the enemy have been heightened (if yet there be any degrees of aſcent left) unto ſuch inſolency and cruelty, that as was ſaid of Tarquin, Vel ipſam ſavitiam fatigaſſet, he would have tyred out cruelty it ſelfe? Would it not have beene the greateſt crime to have been godly? ſhould not every Ariſtides have taſted of their oſtraciſme, at the leaſt, for no other reaſon than quia nimium justus, He is too good? and if any have more cauſe to conſider this, than others, they are thoſe that have more of Chriſt in them, than others; to whom England and Scotland both might have been another Ireland. I cannot expreſſe the conſequence. God denied the premiſes or antecedent, who is our Deus liberator, He hath delivered, Hee doth deliver, and wee truſt alſo that he will deliver; Hee hath delivered from plots, from ſtratagems of dilatory and deluſory peace. He doth deliver from the ſword of a furious enemy; and we pray that He will deliver the King unto his loyall Parliament and people.
2 Let us acknowledge God in the Victory. How long did we lie againſt a ſtrong City, untill God ſent a great army to ſurrender it up into our hands. It was relieved that it might be emptied; that York might be carried out into the field, and taken there. Who ſo is wiſe and will obſerve thoſe things, even they ſhall underſtand the loving kindnes of the Lord, Pſal. 107. 43. Did not the enemy fleſht with that ſucceſſe follows us, and ſeek us out? for ſo God will have it. At Edge Hill, Newbery and York, wee ſhall be defendants: was not there ſome inclination of the battle at the firſt againſt us, and ſome trepidation in divers of our men? Is this to be aſcribed to the dubiouſneſſe and uncertainty of war? for ſo Homer calls Mars, foreign an up and downe, Iliad. ….or rather did not God take off ſome of Gideons ſouldiers? They are too many (ſaith he) for me to give the Midianites into their hands, Judg. 7. 2. Wee have always hitherto found it in experience in all our battails that God removes men from ſtanding in his light, and obſcures us the more to ſhew himſelf: do we need this art of God to take off our pride and ſelf-confidence? or doth God in goodneſſe to us delight to ſweeten our victories, becauſe gotten by his own hand, and will not doe us ſo much hurt, as to let us be our own ſaviours? ſome uſe there is to be made of it, that God in no battle, as yet, would ſuffer men to hide him from us: and bleſſed be his Name: for the ſight of him in a Victory, doth us more good than the Victory it ſelf; And yet further to winde up the ſtrings of your prayſes, ſee the ſpirits of the enemy which God hath given into your hands; and God hath ſhowne you their ſpirits in their colours. There is a ſword reacht from a cloud with Fiat juſtitia; its well no higher hand reacht out that ſword unto them. The Oracle with which hee conſulted that deviſed that Motto, Fiat juſtitia, was too cunning for him; as it was for Craeſus when it ſaid, magnam pervertet opum vim) that he ſhould overthrow a world of wealth, for it was indeed his own he loſt, and ſo it pleaſed God the tables ſhould be turned and the Motto ſhould become ours, and that it ſhould be ſent up to you to whom it belongs, as a memorandum, Fiat juſtitia. The Crown and Mitre under it, ſhews alſo that they hold the old principle, No Biſhop, No King, that is the loweſt interpretation it can bear: It is to be feared that the Mitre might in time have crept higher, for it is an aſpiring thing, and the Motto ſeemes to joyn the Crowne and the Mitre in equipage, Nolite tangere Chriſtos meos; As for the Crown let Mercy and Truth be the ſupporters of it for ever, Prov. 20. 28. but for Mitres (if Hiſtories lye not) we may ſay of them, as it is ſaid of ſome trees that grow not kindly in vicinity to each other; the Crown hath never flouriſhed that hath grown too neer the Mitre: There is a ſword alſo in one hand threatens to unity a knot in an other; haply they meane the Covenant of the Kingdomes: but that which is more ſtrange is, that this knot did ungird that ſword: And finally that they may ſhew their vile eſteem of you; they call ſome of you, in a picture, Dogs barking at a Lion, and in the Motto they call you Catilines, for that is the Engliſh of quouſqué tandem abutêre patientia noſtra, which might have been a proper device, if in the Lions place at which we bark not, they had ſet the Fox or the Wolfe and had owned their own character; And is this the feſtivity of their wit or the rage of their ſpirits? whatſoever it be, God hath given them check; for though upon confidence of ſucceſſe they did antedate their bells and bonefires, yet in a few houres there was nothing of them left in the field, but bag and baggage, Ammunition, Ordnance, Priſoners, dead carcaſſes; which had been more, if a Noble Commander the honour of the field he treads upon, had not taken up that ſweet word which Caeſar ſomtimes uſed, parce civibus, ſpare the deluded countreymen.
To rejoyce in the Lord the God of our ſalvation; The Romans allowed no triumphs to Civill Wars, for they make the deepeſt wounds, alta ſedent civilis vulnera dextrae; And haply you will ſay, that Janus temple is not yet ſhut, the ſword is ſtill waken, and we know not for how long a time the Commiſſion that God hath given to it is yet in force; we want our David alſo to endite ſongs to the chief Muſicians, and it muſt be confeſſed, that there yet remayns that which lames our joy and breaks a wing of it that it can but flutter and not fly high: we know not how many heads of this Hydra will yet repullulate; when War is once let looſe, it is like the winds which Poets feigne that one had in a bag, the mouth whereof being opened, una euruſqué notuſqué ruunt, they ruſht all forth and could never begotten into the bag again: but God is the God of Hoſts, and the battell is not yours but Gods, and if hee give Moſes and Iſrael a ſong, let them ſing though they have yet a great and terrible wilderneſſe to paſſe through, where if we can hardly tread beſide Serpents that ſting mortally, &c. yet alſo we have a cloud that covers us, an Angell of Gods preſence that ſaves us, a rocke that gives us water, and which is above all, a Tabernacle of his worſhip: therefore let us rejoyce even in this our wilderneſſe.
If there be yet any that think we diſguiſe and lie our ſelves into ſinfull and blaſphemous thankſgivings, (for the Oxford bells ſtill ring in ſome mens ears) let them conſider what a remarkable poſtſcript God hath added for confirmation of this Victory in the ſurrendry of York; and if they be not ſo far out of taſte, as to account it a judgment and a miſery, let them alſo rejoyce with us; for how doth hee differ that is hardned under ten mercies, from him that was hardned under ten plagues.
Let us all think of rendring unto God: every man aske, Quid retribuam? the hundred and ſixteenth Pſalme ſets unto us a full Copy: Take heed of pride which uſually attends the receit of benefits; and ſuch pride brews a new cloud, 2 Chron. 32. 25. Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up, therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jeruſalem. The Roman Commander upon ſome appearance of the gods for his help in battle, built a Temple to them, & reddidit commilitonibus deis ſtipendium. God muſt have a ſhare out of this Victory; Every mercy puts us further into debt to him, and puts upon us new obligations: The beſt rule to be obſerved herein, is, to pay unto him no leſſe in our thankſgivings, then we bad him in our faſtings and humiliations: we are apt to be liberall in vows, and penurious in performance: & how then ſhal-we acquit our ſelves from being lying children? Hee is my God (ſaith Moſes and Iſrael) and I will prepare him an habitation, Exod. 15. 2. which ingagement they did afterwards make good in laying out their bracelets, ear-rings, rings, tablets, all jewels of gold, &c. for the making and ſervice of the tabernacle, Exod. 35. 21, 22, &c.
Obſerva. 4 The fourth and laſt point which brings up the Rere, is the very aliquid of the text, ariſing from the connexion of the parts of it by the binding beam ſo, ſo he was their Saviour.
God promiſes to himſelf that his people will not ſhrink from him or deal falſly with him. So he is their Saviour: for he ſpeaks more humano, ſurely they are children that will not lie, and ſo he is their Saviour.
The ſum of that which Gods expects in this ſaying, They will not lie, is.
They will not violate their covenant, or play faſt and looſe with me, they will not hereafter ſay I was forced to it, the ſtorm drove mee uuto it as an harbour: I enter'd it with a ſide-wind will and affection. There is no doubt but the proſperous ſucceſſe of our Armies will make many Samaritans to be Jews, and many will ſtand under the tree for ſhelter in a ſtorme, who would willingly afterward cut it downe; if your heart be not right with God you will never be ſtedfaſt in his Covenant, Pſal. 78. 37. The ſtone of witneſſe which we ſet up in this place wilbe our accuſer for ever: If we prevaricate with God by eluding the Covenant which we ſwore in the hearing thereof.
That they will not adulterate his worſhip, in which God is punctuall and exact; for if the Arke be but ſet upon a Cart, which ſhould be carried by the Prieſts, there is a breach; becauſe the due order is not kept: It's a very dangerous kind of lying to vitiate the worſhip of1 Chro. 15. 13. God, which for the eſſentials thereof conſiſts (as I may ſay) in indiviſibili: Thou ſhalt not adde (ſaith he) nor diminiſh. It is obſerved that even when the Morall LawExod. 32. was comming down to Iſrael they broke out into open impiety in the golden Calf; and ſo in the beginning of the Prieſts adminiſtration, they tranſgreſſed in offering ſtrange fire; corruptions may grow up in time, but letLevit. 10. 1. us not like Jeroboam, begin with a lie.
That they will not belie their profeſſion, but anſwer it with the power of godlineſſe: how unſuitable is it, to be a Reformed Church and remayn deformed Chriſtians? God expects a reformation of our private, and an entertainment of godlineſſe into our hearts, or elſe you may be like the Iſraelites, that had all things according to the pattern, themſelves being a hard-hearted rebellious people. This particular practicall godlineſſe, I doe humbly commend to you the Nobility and Gentry, for our Reformation ſhould begin à majoritis (as hee ſaid,) bring the knowledge of God and his wayes into your ſouls, families, retinues, places of command; be godly as poore men; It is terminus diminuens, an expreſſion ſavouring of diminution, when men ſay, hee is religious for a Noble-man, hee is godly after the rate of a great Gentleman▪ Not that I upbraid you, for I hope God hath as great a harveſt in that kind of corn in this land as in any other field, but I put you in minde of it this day.
Applic. This point cals upon you to reflect upon your ſelves, and conſider what an ingagement is put upon you: I ſay not ſo much by the victory God hath given you, as by that which God promiſeth himſelf of you, for might not his being your Saviour ariſe from this expectation, they are children that will not lie; ſay then;
If promiſes of great things ſhould ſingle out ſome of you that are our corner ſtones, promiſes that (as Mariana ſaith) would even fell down the Cedars of Lebanon, would you not fall but ſtand impregnable? The way that Lewis the Eleventh took, was to ſingle out the Proceres by gifs & indulgences, that he might (as Commines ſaith) the eaſilier doe what hee would with the leſſer ſhrubs, the commons, and by that means he ſued out his livery; and as himſelf expreſt it, he delivered the French Kings from their Wardſhip: you have read what God offer'd Moſes, Exod. 32. 10. Let me alone that I may conſume them, and ile make of thee a great Nation, which condition Moſes accepted not; he would not be hired for a private intereſt to deſert his place and duty.
If ſuch a revolution of things ſhould be, as that the enemy whom God hath ſlighted this day ſhould knit his parts together again, and reinforce himſelf and proſper, and come into the fauces of this Oity and take janiculum (as I may ſay) would you not lie, nor fail your ingagements? nor cry of Parliament and Covenant? nor bleſſe your neutrality and malignity, becauſe by them you are reconcileable?
If ſucceſſe ſhine upon you, and the Lord go yet before you, untill hee bring you out of this wilderneſſe, will you not endevour to goe leſſe than you bad him at firſt? and being landed on the ſhore, forget what you ſaid in the ſtorme; like them of whom it is ſaid, Pſal. 78 34. When he ſlue them, then they ſought him, and they returned and inquired early after God; and they remembred that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer: Nevertheleſſe they did flatter him with their mouth, they lied unto him with their tongues.
If the way of God ſhould upon diſcovery prove hard and incompliant with ſomepolitike conſiderations, intereſts, ends, would you then hew and pare the wood to the rule, or the rule to the wood, or make abatement on both ſides? I do but propound to you for ſelfe examination, for I have no doubt but that if the gate as now it is too little to take in the whole truth, you will rather break down a piece of the wall then leave out any part thereof; you know that Jeroboams interweaving too much policy into his conſtitution proved fatall to his Kingdom.
If when the Lions skin will not ſerve, the Foxes skin be taken, and there be ſet on foot ſome fair overtures of ſweet peace, to whoſe Temple we deſire to go through the Temple of Truth) which you might purchaſe upon rebate, will you be like the plain Countryman reaſoning with a Sophiſter, who cannot be taken in a fallacy by him, becauſe hee holds the concluſion, let the Schollers premiſes be what they will? Let your hearts be right with God, and hee will ever be your Saviour. Which that they may be, I beſeech you;
Keep conſtant watch againſt private ends; and you our Noble Senators, move all in a body, and let there be no Planetary motion of any in particular, turn upon an axletree which hath theſe two Poles, Religio vera & una, and ſalus populi ſuprema lex: Sincerity is the mother of conſtancy, meum & tuum are the worſt by as that can be in men of publike place; private ends muſt of neceſſity divide you among your ſelves, retard the common work that is under your hand, diſhonour you both before God and men: And ſo for you that are Officers and Commanders in this War, carry you no private aymes to ſerve upon the publike arms; It is no time to ſeek Vineyards and Olive-yards, blow not the coals to keep War alive for a trade to get by; was not he a famous Dictator of Rome that was fetcht from the Plough, routed the enemy, and returned to his Plough again? I fear many of ours are not of his temper.
Take heed leſt ſucceſſe breed diſeaſes in you, and that in great Commanders, whoſe hand was in the atchievement, is pride and ſelf-glory, which is a corruption wee hardly put off, untill we put on our winding ſheet; and in others that had no ſhare in the Action, it is aemulation and envie; yea though both did valiantly, yet if Saul be but his thouſands and David his ten thouſands, there growes a core upon it: It makes many an impotent ſpirit ſullen when hee looks upon another mans Trophie or Triumph. The Lord lay this evill ſpirit when it ariſeth; doe we conquer for our ſelves or for the publike? muſt no ſtarre ſhine beſides our ſelves? Let God have all the glory from you all, and then you will have nothing to aemulate in one another; & it is worthy our acknowledgment unto God, who lets not looſe this evill ſpirit betweene the two Nations, but that they are equally earneſt to heap all the glory upon God; which is the only way to kill aemulations and points of honour, which would ſooner untie the knot than the enemies ſword.
Finally, Let all men fortifie their hearts againſt the evils that follow good ſucceſſe, that wee be not made more looſe in our Covenant than before, for wee have reaſon to account this day to be the fruit of our entring and holding faſt unto that: I ſay this day which ſhews you the two Nations formerly two, now made one in a Covenant, in the field together, in a victory together, and in a Pulpit together, paying unto God his prayſes, and ſo let them be for ever, one Hoſea 11. 12.Judah yet ruling with God, and faithfull with the Saints.
FINIS.
Die Martis, 22. October, 1644.
IT is this day Ordered by the Commons Aſſembled in Parliament, That Mr Aſhurſt, and Mr Gourdon, do from this Houſe give thanks to Mr Vines, for the great pains he took in the Sermon he preached this day at the intreaty of the Commons at St Margarets, Weſtminſter; It being a Day eſpecially ſet apart for a Publike Humiliation, and to deſire him to Print his Sermon. And it is Ordered, that none ſhall preſume to Print his Sermon without being authorized under the hand writing of the ſaid Mr Vines.
H. Elſinge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Abel Roper to Print this Sermon. Richard Vines.
THE POSTURE OF DAVIDS SPIRIT, When he was in a Doubtful Condition. OPENED In a Sermon Preached before the Honourable HOUSE OF COMMONS, At Margarets Weſtminſter, upon October 22. 1644. Being a Day eſpecially ſet apart for a Publike Humiliation.
By Richard Vines, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Weddington in the County of Warwick, and one of the Aſſembly of DIVINES.
Job 9. 22. He deſtroyeth the Perfect and the Wicked.
LONDON, Printed by J. M. for Ab…l Roper, at the Signe of the Sun over againſt S. Dunſtans Church in Fleet-ſtreet, 1656.
To the Honourable Houſe of Commons Aſſembled in Parliament at WESTMINSTER.
IF you pleaſe to read this Sermon, then bear in your minde that Aſpect of Time under which it was born. The Seaſon will render the Theme more Savory. It was when your Ʋnited Armies were conceived to be neer Engagement into a Diſpute, the Event whereof might have brought forth a Decretory Sentence upon the great Matter in Queſtion. The Army wherewith you were to Encounter as in it ſelf, it was not contemptible, ſo doubtleſs it did bear it ſelf upon the Reputation of that Check lately given to You in the Weſt: God was to be ſought unto as the great and only Moderator, we could be in no better poſture of ſpirit, than to caſt up all events with humble reſignement of our All up unto God, ſo as to caſt, yea to caſt away our ſelves upon him: If it were out of date, as to the Publike (as it is not) yet it may well ſerve to the Meridian of any godly man in a doubtful or perplexed condition. The Lord continue to ſet marks of his Favour both upon you, and the Cauſe of his Churches: So Prays
Your Servant in the Lord Chriſt, RICHARD VINES.