Gods Rising His Enemies Scattering, Title page – Dedication
Gods Riſing, HIS Enemies Scattering; Delivered in a SERMON Before the Honourable Houſe of Commons, At their Solemne Faſt, 26. Octob. 1642. But, through many occaſions and hinderances, not Printed till this 25. of May 1644. By Thomas Caſe, Preacher, at Milk-ſtreet, London, And one of the Aſſembly of Divines.
ISAIAH. 33.10.
Now will I riſe, ſaith the Lord: Now will I be exalted, Now will I lift up my ſelf.
LONDON: Printed by J. R. for Luke Fawne, and are to be ſold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard, at the ſigne of the Parrot. 1644.
Die Mercurii. 26. Octobris.
IT is this day Ordered, by the Houſe of Commons, That Sir William Brereton, do returne thanks from this Houſe, to Mr. Thomas Caſe, for the great pains hee took in the Sermon he preached at the intreaty of the ſaid Houſe; at St. Margarets in the City of Weſtminſter, this preſent day of publike Humiliation; And that hee bee deſired to Print his Sermon. And it is Ordered, that no man ſhall preſume to Print it, but hee who ſhall be authorized under the ſaid Mr. Tho: Caſe, his hand-writing.
H. Elſyng, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
I Authorize Luke Fawne, to Print my Sermon.
Tho: Caſe.
TO THE HONORABLE and truly Noble, his worthy Friend, Sir William Brereton, Barronet Commander in Chief, of the Parliaments Forces in Cheſhire.
SIR,
IT was by your hand I received the commands of that Honourable Houſe, whereof your ſelfe are a Member, to Preach and Print theſe poor labours, long ſince; and therfore I hope I am ſo much the more capable of your pardon, if by the ſame hand, I crave the advātage to preſent thē to their favourable acceptatio: together with my humble Apologie, that I come ſo extreamely late with the tender of this ſervice: occaſio'nd partly by the conſcienciouſnes of mine own weaknes; and partly by the crowdes of intervening diſtractions; through which at length I have forced my way, that I might no longer lie under the ſuſpition of neglect to their Commands. To this, divine providence hath added a new encouragement and and advantage, and that in reference to your ſelfe; while in the interim of this neceſſitated ſuſpenſion, ſome of theſe notions (lying by me) ſerved to celebrate *In a day of thankſ-giving kept at Laurence Church London, for that purpoſe. Feb. 5. 1643.that great Victory and Deliverance (amongſt many others) which God gave into the hands of your fidelity and Zeal, againſt that formidable Armie of Rebels, at Namptwitch in Cheſhire: ſo that now at length they come forth not as the Work only, but as the bleſſed returne and fruit of a day of prayer; then the travell, now the birth (or celebration) of a great, yea of many great, Deliverances, and Victories. So that concerning this Text and Sbject you may ſing with the Church, Pſal. 48. As we have heard, ſo have we ſeen: What you heard from this Text, and Sermon while you were here, that you have ſeen ſince your undertaking of this eminent Service for God and the Kingdome; Namely, that Gods Riſing time is his Enemies Scattering time, his haters ſtying time; while in 22. Conflicts with the Enemie, you have bin Honored with 18. Victories: all which, notwithſtanding, that you got not by your own Sword, neither did your own arm ſave you, Pſal. 44.2.3.but Gods right hand, and Gods arme, and the light of his countenance, becauſe he had a favour to you, and to thoſe poor bleeding Counties; this may a bundantly evidence, that in all theſe bleſſed ſucceſſes, you have had no other Artilery, but what you have wreſted by main ſtrength of that Arme, out of the hands of thoſe proud daring Rebels; and ſo David-like have you cut off Goliah's head with his own Sword: and the ſurviving Enemie may complain Heu patior telis vulnera factameis. Certainly Sir, among all thoſe Worthies who have been engaged in theſe Battels of the Lord of Hoaſts now in theſe latter dayes, there is none that hauehave ſeen more of God, then your ſelf have done; and without flatterie I ſpeake it, I verily beleeve none have obſerved God more in the paſſages of his providence then your ſelfe. This, as it hath been your wiſdome, and a Perſpective glaſſe to diſcover the love of God to you, for whoſo is wiſe, Pſal. 107. laſt.and will obſerve theſe things even they ſhall underſtand the loving kindeneſſe of the Lord, So Sir, let it bee both an encouragement, and engagement, to carry you on in this Service, with invincible courage, and reſolution.
It may be, after all the hazzards you have run, and the exhauſting of ſo fair a livelyhood, as Providence had bequeathed you, in your Countrey and Kingdomes ſervice; and a long attendance here, you ſhall not return ſo accompliſht, as might anſwer your merits, or the juſt expectation of thoſe gallant ſpirits which have accompanied, and ſerved you in this Deſigne.
But let it not diſhearten you, you return not without the ampleſt expreſſion of the Parliaments affection, and Cities eſteem, that theſe draining times, can poſſibly reach to: And let me tell you this; your ſecond Expedition, cannot be ſo unballa'ſt of ſecond cauſes, as your firſt was; which yet you may Chriſten, 1 Sam. 17.12.as Samuel did his Victory over the Philiſtines; EBEN-EZER, hitherto hath God helped.
I muſt confeſſe Sir, your adventure ſeems ſomewhat like that, of that *Regulus.gallant Roman, who taken priſoner by the Athenians, and truſted upon his honour to go to Rome, and procure a peace, between the Romanes and them, or elſe to return to his impriſonment; upon the failing of that deſigne, ſcorn'd life and liberty, in reſpect of his honour, reſolving to return to death and torture at Athens, rather then to out-live his honour at Rome.
But Sir, the more your hazzard is, the greater is your honour. When poverty, and obſcurity, expoſeth it ſelf to a doubtfull danger, for publike ſafety, it is no great matter; miſcariage it ſelf, to a deſperate condition is the cure of it's miſery; what is it for lepers, hunger-ſtarved lepers, to adventure on the enemies? If they kill us, 2 King. 7.4.wee ſhall but die, if we ſit here, we ſhall die, if we enter into the City, we ſhall die by famine; This is not reſolution but neceſſity: but for one without the verge of danger, to intereſt and hazzard himſelf, in a publike reſeue of Religion, and Countrey, is a character of true Fortitude.
Me thinks, I hear thoſe bleeding Counties, crie unto you, Joſh. 10.6.as once the Gibeonites to Joſhua; Slack not thy hand, come down quickly and ſave us: and I know there is a Joſhuahlike ſpirit, both of compaſſion, and valour beating in your veines.
It was a life-breathing Motto, which the Iſraelites gave to God in their Warrs.
foreign
"Who among the gods is like unto thee, Pſal. 86.8.Jehovah! While their Souldiery, before their joyning battell with the enemie, encouraged one another thus, Truſt in him, who is the Saviour of Iſrael in affliction: And this day thou fighteſt, Judg. 6.14.pro confeſſione unitatis divinae; Therefore thou mayeſt carry thy life in thy hand ſecurely: Words worthy to be engraven upon the palms of the hands, of all thoſe, whither Commanders, or Souldiers, that fight the Lords battells.
But what ſhall I need to multiply words? Sir, you have expreſt too much faith and reſolution, to bee out-dared by any difficulty in the cauſe of God, and your Countrey.
Go, therefore, in this thy might, thou mighty man; have not I ſent thee, ſaith God? And let the ſword of the Lord, and of Brereton, be as dreadfull, as once the ſword of the Lord, and of Gideon, that you may ſmite your enemies as one man.
Sir, while you are fighting abroad, this ſhall be the prayer of him, (among thouſands) at home, who humbly craves leave to let the World know he is,
Your humble ſervant, in all Goſpel-Offices: Tho: Caſe.