The Great Interest of States and Kingdoms, Sermon

The Great Interest of States and Kingdoms · Sermon

p. 1THE INTEREST OF ENGLAND.

A Sermon preached at the late Faſt, before the Commons Houſe of PARLIAMENT.

PSAL. 105. 14, 14.

He ſuffered no man to doe them wrong: yea, he reproved Kings for their ſakes: Saying, Touch not mine anointed.—

THe words I have read, and thoſe from the 10. verſe, as they hold forth the firſt rearing of the Church of the Jews in Abraham and the Patriarchs; ſo, they are intended as the firſt Primitive Inſtance and Originall patterne of Gods care and protection over his people in all Ages; and likewiſe of his proceedings with all States and Kingdomes, according unto their dealings with his people, where ever caſt among them, to the end of the world: exemplified in what was done for their ſakes, and towards them and their Families.

The Storie it ſelfe of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, which theſe words refer to, and how God reproved p. 2Abimelech King of Gerar, and Pharaoh King of Egypt, and others for their ſakes, you may reade in the 12, 20, and 26. Chapters of Geneſis; and of commands given forth concerning them to doe them no wrong, yea not to touch them;Gen. 20. 7.Gen 20:7 declaring alſo of Abraham, that he was a Prophet, and ſo not to be injured: OnelyOnly what in the Story is uttered ſcatteredly and in ſeverall places, is by the Prophet David ſummarily put together, Touch not mine anointed, and doe my Prophets no harme.

There is a Controverſie upon theſe words, Touch not mine anointed, that they ſhould be intended principally of Kings, and of theſe Patriarchs, as under the notion of Kings. I ſhall but clear it in a word.

Whether theſe Patriarchs were Kings or no, I will not now diſpute; Abraham is called a mighty Prince by the children of Heth, Gen. 23. 6. yet however here the holy Ghoſt ſpeaks of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, as repreſenting the people of Iſrael; and his ſcope is to ſhew Gods care and protection of his people by their example, which is cleare, 1. by all the current and ſtreame of the whole Pſalme; all that goes before, and which followes after, is wholly to ſhew his care of the people of Iſrael from firſt to laſt. But as for Kings, or Gods care over them as ſuch, we may ſay as Paul in another caſe,Heb. 7. 14.Heb 7:14 Of that Tribe the holy Ghoſt ſpeaks nothing, that is, in this Pſa nothing as touching Monarchie, (as he there ſayes nothing as concerning the Prieſthood.)

And 2. then the words in the 12. verſe, which ſpeak of the perſons of theſe Patriarchs, when they were but a few men in number, yea, very few, refer not to Kings, nor unto theſe Patriarchs as ſuch, for he ſpeaks of their whole families, their wives, children and ſervants: Yea, theſe three Patriarchs, Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, p. 3they were all alive at once; Iſaac was above 70. years old, afore Abraham dyed, and Jacob 15. and but one of theſe could have been King at once, and yet you ſee he ſpeaks of them all complexedly, and as making a company together, when they were few, and very few, he ſaid, Touch not mine anointed,

Yea 3. It is ſo farre from being meant of them as Kings, that it is expreſly ſaid in the words of the Text, He reproved Kings for their ſakes, therein ſpeaking of them as of a ſort of people diſtinct from Kings, and yet of a higher and dearer value with God, then thoſe Kings reproved for them.

But it will be ſaid, that if it ſhould not be meant of them under the relation of Kings, yet however as of perſons extraordinary, and therefore this charge and inſtance cannot be drawne into a pattern of Gods care and protection over all Saints, and the people of God, which is the ſcope which I have put upon the words.

I anſwer, that though indeed their perſons were extraordinary, yet here they are withall ſet forth as repreſenting the people of God, whom they were the fathers of. It is cleare by the eighth verſo; He hath remembred his Covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thouſand generations: The performance of which Covenant, to confirme the truth of it, he exemplifies by the ſtory of Gods providence over theſe. What therefore he ſaith of theſe anointed ones here, it extendeth to a thouſand generations to come: and as Abraham in other things was a Common perſon, in faith juſtifying he is made ſuch, Rom. 3. In faith as ſanctifying, Jam. 2. In being heire of the world, Rom. 4. 13. ſo is he here alſo: and Iſaac and p. 4Jacob with him in their anointing.

But you will yet ſay, It is true, they may be underſtood as Common perſons, repreſenting indeed the Nation of the Jews; but yet will what is here ſaid, be warrantably extended to the Beleevers of Jewes and Gentiles under the New Teſtament to the end of the world?

I anſwer, Yes; For the Covenant that God made with Abraham, was to be heire of the world, as well as heire of Canaan; ſo Rom. 14. 13. And accordingly in other things the Analogie holds for them with theſe here: For as theſe, ſo the Saints, they are called Strangers and Pilgrims, ſcattered and diſperſed in all Nations; So Peter ſpeaks of them; even as here he calls theſe ſtrangers, ver. 12. when they were but few in number, and ſtrangers in the land, as the Saints in the world. To give parallel places of Scripture, to ſtrengthen this. In the Old Teſtament. In the forty fift Pſalme, you have a Propheſie of the Church of the New Teſtament, under the type of Solomon, taking Pharoahs daughter, who was a Gentile, into his bed, as Chriſt, of whom he was the Type, one day ſhould doe the Gentiles: which Church is made that great mother that ſhall have ſuch multitudes of children, Gal. 4. Now of thoſe children, of the Church of the New Teſtament as the Mother, and of Chriſt as the Father, the 16. verſe of that Pſalme thus ſpeaks, Inſtead of THY FATHERS ſhall be THY CHILDREN, whom thou mayſt make Princes in all the earth. The meaning whereof is this, that in the ſtead of theſe great Patriarchs, and other the Fathers of the Jews, (ſpoken of in the Text) ſhall ſucceed others, the children p. 5of the New Teſtament, even all the Saints, as Succeſſors of them; and as they were as Princes in all Lands they came into, here, ſo ſhall thy children be, ſayes the Pſalmiſt there. And the 7. verſe of that Pſalme calls them anointed, and ſo ſpeaks alſo in the language of the Text, when under that notion he commands not to touch them; That verſe ſpeaking of Chriſt, ſaith, He is ANOINTED with the oyle of gladneſſe above his FELLOWES: namely, theſe his fellowes and children, ſpoken of ver. 16. you have at once, as the great anointed one, Chriſt, ſo all his children called anointed ones alſo: and as they are his fellowes, ſo anointed too. Thus you have all meet: Abraham and the Fathers, the anointed ones of the Old Teſtament, Chriſt and his Saints the anointed ones in the New, in their ſtead; and both Princes and Strangers in all Lands; and ſo of the one as well as the other this charge is here intended, Touch not mine anointed, &c. And to this accords the language of the New Teſtament, the whole myſticall body is called Chriſt, 1 Cor. 12. 12. and Beleevers his fellows are ſaid to have received an anointing, 2 Cor. 1. 21. 1 John 2. 27. yea and elſewhere the reaſon of this their preſervation, and Gods protection over them, is put upon this very anointing,Eſay 10. 27.Isa 10:27 The burthen ſhall be taken off thy ſhoulder, (ſpeaking of the oppreſſion of Gods people) and the yoke ſhall be deſtroyed BECAUSE OF THE ANOINTING.

Having thus explained the words, I come to thoſe Obſervations which I ſhall make out of them, and inſiſt on at this time. I reſolve the words into theſe three parts.

1. Here is the neereneſſe and the dearneſſe of the Saints p. 6unto God; They are dearer to him then Kings and States, ſimply conſidered; that is, otherwiſe then as they in their perſons are alſo Saints; for you ſee that for their ſakes he reproved Kings, and ſo ſheweth that he preferreth them to Kings.

2. Here is the great danger to Kings and States, to deale with his Saints otherwiſe then well. Which appeareth many wayes: For he doth not onelyonly in words give a charge not to touch them, but he carryes it in a high way, (for ſo God may doe when he pleads their cauſe) Touch them not: as if he had ſaid, Let me ſee if you dare ſo much as touch them: and it is with an intimation of the higheſt threatning if they ſhould; upon your perill, if you doe; for that is the ſcope of ſuch a ſpeech: and accordingly in deeds he made this good, for the Text ſaith, He ſuffered no man to doe them wrong; Not that he did altogether prevent all wrong and injuries, for they received many as they went through thoſe lands; but at no time did he put it up at their hands, or let it goe unpuniſht: in that ſenſe he ſuffered them not. You know how he plagued Pharaoh King of Egypt with great plagues, and all his houſhold, for Abrahams wives ſake, Gen. 12. And ſo Abimelech King of Gerar, the Lord commeth upon him with a greatnes, and his firſt word is in Gen. 20. 3. Behold, than art but a dead man, afore he had firſt told him why or wherefore; though then he addes the reaſon; he brings him upon his knees, ver. 4. bids him look to it, that he give ſatisfaction to Abraham, and reſtore his wife to him againe, ver. 7. and well he ſcap'd ſo; and tels him alſo that he muſt be beholden to Abrahams prayers for his life; He is a Prophet, ſaith he, and he ſhall pray for thee, and thou ſhalt live.

p. 7The third is the care and protection which God had over them, ſet out and amplified 1. by the number and condition of the perſons whom he defended: though few, men of number, that is ſoone reckoned, for their power and ſtrength, a few, or very ſmall, foreign, ſo the Septuagint in the parallel place, 2 Chro. 16. 19. As alſo 2. by what he did for them, He ſuffered no man how great ſoever to doe them any wrong, how ſmall ſoever; not without recompence and ſatisfaction not to doe it, though they had a mind to it, though the people had an ill eye at them, Gen. 26. 11. God cauſeth Abimelech to make a Law on purpoſe, Abimelech charged all his people in Iſaacs behalf, and of his family, (which I mention, becauſe it gives light to the Text) and ſpeaks in the very words of the Text, He that TOUCHETH this man or his wife, ſhall be put to death: although they envied him, ver. 14. ſtrived with him, ver. 20. hated him, ver. 27.

I ſhal paſſe over the ſett handling the firſt of theſe, namely, The neerneſſe and dearneſſe of the Saints to God, it will after come in well enough, under the ſecond, as the reaſon thereof.

That maine thing which I have ſingled forth to inſiſt upon, is, the danger that is unto States, to deale otherwiſe then well with the Saints, Gods anointed. And the Obſervation is plainly this,

That the dealing well or ill with the Saints of God,Obſer. it is the greateſt and higheſt INTEREST of Kings and Kingdomes, on which their welfare or their ruine depends.

I have the ſtory of the whole world afore me, to p. 8gleane Demonſtrations and inſtances out of, to make good this truth. But I ſhall endeavour to preſent it to you under that proſpect that runs through the ſtory of the whole Bible. My Obſervation out of the Story of which, and the ſumme and iſſue of all, is this, That God from the beginning hath in his Providence ſo ordered it, that the greateſt and moſt flouriſhing Kingdomes and States ſhould ſtill have to doe with his Saints and People in all Ages, and either they have beene broken by their ill uſing of them, or they have proſpered by their well dealing with them. You ſhall find this I ſay throughout the whole Scripture. My Text leads the round to all the reſt, and I therefore indeed choſe it rather then any other, though otherwiſe as a bottome to this point, I might have pitcht upon others perhaps more full.

We will begin with the very firſt Kings and Kingdomes that you read of after the Flood. How he reproved the King of Egypt, and the King of the Philiſtines, for the ſake of Abraham and Iſaac, that I mentioned afore. Beſides thoſe there is mention of foure Kings, Gen. 14. Amraphel King of Shinar or Babylon, which was the firſt Kingdome in the world after the flood, Gen. 10. 10. and was one of, yea the firſt great Monarchie. There is likewiſe Chedorlaomer King of Elam, or Perſia, which afterward likewiſe proved a Monarchie. For as Aſſyria and Babylon made the firſt, ſo you know Perſia was the next. You have two other Kings more there confederate with theſe. Theſe foure Kings they brake in upon,Gyants. and ſmote all the Countries about; they ſmote the REPHAIMS in Aſhteroth Karnaim, Terrible ones.and the ZUZIMS in Ham, and the EMIMS,Deut. 2. 10, 11.Deut 2:10Deut 2:11 and the Horites in Mount Seir, And they returned p. 9and came to Enmiſhpat, The Obſervation exemplified in all States and Kingdoms through the Scriptures.which is Cadeſh, and ſmote all the Countrey of the AMALEKITES, and alſo the AMORITES, that dwelt in Hazezon tamar, as you may reade, verſes 6, 7, 8. And all the while they over-ran theſe vaſt Countries,1. Foure Kings overthrowne by Abraham. where there was not one Saint to be found, they found no reſiſtance, having but to doe with Nations, not Saints in them; but unhappily to them, when they came to fight againſt the Kings of Sodome and Gomorrah, they light upon one Saint, and but one, and that is Lot, ſo the 12. verſe, They tooke Lot, Abrahams brothers ſonne, (who dwelt in Sodome) and his goods, and departed. Alas to them; little thought they what a Priſoner they had: they took him in the crowd amongſt the wickedeſt people under heaven, a people ſo wicked, that one would have thought God ſhould ſo little have conſidered this one Saint, to ſave him from periſhing, as that his vengeance ſhould have taken the opportunity to ruine theſe, though this one poore Lot had been involved in their deſtruction. But you ſhall ſee how tender God is of his Saints.Jerem. 3.Jer 3 They had unawares devoured an hallowed thing, one righteous Lot, and had taken him but Priſoner; they had drunk poyſon, and all the riches, and all the goods they had taken, they vomit up againe, together with their owne blood. The Lord in this giving demonſtration of that his care and skill which Peter makes obſervation of upon the ſtory of Lot & the Sodomites, The Lord knowes how to PRESERVE the righteous, and RESERVE the unjuſt, 2 Pet. 2. 9. And whom ſhould God uſe to be the inſtrument to doe this too? God had not many more Saints then in the world, but onelyonly Melchiſedechs we reade of, and Abraham and his family, and God uſeth that one Abraham; and he p. 10had an Army but of a few, and a very few, (even as the Text hath it) but three hundred and eighteene men, borne in his houſe, ver. 14. he purſues them, and ſmites them, ver. 17. with a great ſlaughter, and brought back all the goods, and his brother Lot and his goods, &c.Gen. 20. 16.Gen 20:16 ver. 18. And thus they were reproved. You ſee the Text made good from the very firſt beginning of Kingdomes, He reproved Kings for their ſakes indeed.

Thus he began the world at firſt; and this very victorie is made a leading caſe, a ſtanding encouragement to the ſons of Abraham, the Saints, for ever after. So you have it applyed in Eſay 41. 2. Who raiſed up (ſayes God, to raiſe up his peoples hearts) the RIGHTEOUS MAN from the Eaſt? namely, this one Abraham? and called him to his foot, Follow me, Ile be thy Generall, ſaid God to him, Gave the Nations before him, and made him rule over Kings; he means theſe very Kings you have heard the ſtory of: He gave them as the duſt to his ſword, and as driven ſtubble to his bow; he purſued them, and paſſed ſafely, &c. Did God doe thus then for one or two of his Saints, and will he not goe on? What ſaith the 4. verſe? Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning, and ſo having ordained all the generations of Abraham to do the like exploits in their ſeverall ages. I the Lord am the firſt, and with the laſt, I am he. I began to doe this with Abraham, and I will goe on to doe ſo, even to the laſt, for the ſons of Abraham. And that this is plainly his meaning, appeares by ver. 8. where he makes a generall application of it to his ſeed, But thou Iſrael, art my ſervant, Jacob whom I have choſen, the SEED OF ABRAHAM my friend. Therefore p. 11ſaith he, ver. 10. Feare thou not, (thou worme Jacob, ver. 14.) for I am with thee: be not diſmayed, for I am thy God: I will ſtrengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I wil uphold thee with the right hand of my righteouſneſſe. Behold, all they that were incenſed againſt thee, ſhall be aſhamed and confounded: they ſhall be as nothing, and they that ſtrive with thee ſhall periſh. All the whole Chapter is nothing elſe but incouragement to all the ſeed of Abraham, from this very inſtance I have now given you. And the Text here confirmes it, premiſing unto all thoſe inſtances, He hath remembred his Covenant, the word he commanded to a thouſand generations.

The next Kingdome in the world that flouriſhed in thoſe firſt times,2. AEgypt. that grew to any greatneſſe that we reade of, was that of Egypt; and though Cham the founder of Egypt was curſed, yet as uſually thoſe God layes the greateſt curſe upon, he firſt begins to bleſſe with outward bleſſings in the world; ſo he did the ſeed of Cham, in that infancy of that new world. How renowned a Kingdome that then was, both for continued ſucceſſion of Kings in a race, (which Eſay inſinuates) and for other greatneſſe,Chap. 19. 11. the ſtory of Moſes, and Herodotus, and other prophane ſtories do celebrate: it was as would ſeem in thoſe firſt times more flouriſhing then Aſſyria, (the Territories of Aſſyria could not then be great, when ſuch other three Kings forementioned bordered about it, and when Chedorlaomer of Perſia was the chief of all the foure) Now ſee how ſtill the Lord doth follow on this his great deſigne,Gen. 14. 4, 5.Gen 14:4Gen 14:5 he will have his Saints to be caſt upon this Kingdome, and to live therein; and not onelyonly Abraham, and Iſaac, and Jacob, but in the end all their poſterity. p. 12Tis the next ſtory the Pſalmiſt gives inſtance of to the purpoſe in hand, and let us take it, but as he relates it: ſaith he, ver. 17. He ſent a man before them, even Joſeph, who was ſold for a ſervant, whoſe feet they hurt with fetters; (Potiphar onelyonly did it, yet God layes it upon the Nation) But as the Pſalmiſt obſerves, the Lord was even with them for it; ver. 21. & 22. He made this man not onelyonly Lord of Pharaohs houſe, but he addes, to BINDE HIS PRINCES at his pleaſure, as they before had done him. As Abraham afore, ſo Joſeph now is another leading inſtance, To BIND their KINGS with CHAINES, their Nobles with fetters of iron, Thou haſt ſaved our lives, Gen. 47. 25.Gen 47:25ſuch honour have ALL HIS SAINTS, Pſal. 149. He made this man a Saviour to them, (as themſelves acknowledge) and whilſt they dealt well with him and his Brethren, as he bleſſed Potiphars houſe for his ſake, ſo he bleſſed the Prince and all Egypt alſo for his ſake. And whilſt Egypt was the Nurſery, or rather the Granary (as it was called anciently Horreum Romani Imperii) to theſe anointed ones, the people of God, ſo long it greatly flouriſhed. But verſ. 25. God turned their heart to hate his people, and to deale ſubtilly with his ſervants, (for malice and cunning alwayes goe together in oppreſſing the Saints) and how they oppreſſed them, you all know. But as he had reproved Kings for their ſakes afore, and Pharaohs Progenitors among the reſt, ſaying, Touch not mine anointed, as here, ſo he begins with a meſſage by Moſes his Ambaſſadour ſent to that King of Egypt, and therein uſeth the ſame kind of language, Ex. 4. 22, 23. Thou ſhalt ſay unto Pharaoh, Thus ſaith the Lord, Iſrael is my ſon, even my firſt-born. There is only this difference in p. 13the expreſſion; the Pſalmiſt here cals them his anointed; there, his firſt-borne. And it is as if he had ſaid, Tell Pharaoh I Jehovah am a greater King then thou art, and therefore my firſt-borne is greater then thy firſt-borne; And Let my ſonne, my firſt borne goe, that he may ſerve me; he carryes all high: And if thou refuſe to let him goe, I will ſlay thy ſonne, even thy firſt-borne, and ſo indeed he did in the end. They left not oppreſſing the people of God (and the great quarrell was to let them goe to worſhip) till ſuch time as God did overthrow that Nation, with ſo great an overthrow, as no Kingdome could have a greater not totally to be deſtroyed; and indeed ſo great, as you heare no more of them till Solomons time. There is not a word of Egypt in all the time of Joſhua, and of the Judges, till you reade of Solomons marrying Pharoahs daughter. Here you ſee Egypt, both bleſſed while they dealt well with the people of God, and broken when they dealt ill with them.

To let paſſe thoſe petty Kings of Canaan,Aſſyria and Babylon. overcome by Moſes and Joſhua, let us come next to Aſſyria, which together with Babylon is reckoned the firſt great Monarchie. The beginning of the Aſſyrian Monarchie being from Babylon, Gen. 10. 10. and the Kingdome returning againe to Babel, both are juſtly reckoned but one, though in their ſeverall revolutions they were diſtinct. This Monarchie in the Infancie of it, Abraham had to doe with, and as you heard, overcame the King thereof: Egypts King was alſo reproved for their ſakes, and Perſia, and two Kings more: God ordering it, that the Father and repreſenter of the faithfull ſhould reprove and chaſtiſe thoſe Kings, whom his ſeed ſhould after ruine. p. 14How the people of God were oppreſſed, firſt by the Aſſyrian kings, and then by the Babylonians, the ſtory of the Kings and Chronicles doe ſhew: The Aſſyrian often oppreſſing them, and at laſt carrying the tenne Tribes captive, as Babylon did the other two. Now to make ſhort worke of both, you ſhall finde one Scripture, Jer. 50. where you ſhall ſee them both put together in their ruine, and the ruine of both put upon this, their oppreſſion of the people of God. I mention that Scripture onelyonly, becauſe it ſummarily containes the whole: ver. 17. ſayes God, Iſrael is a ſcattered ſheep, the Lions have driven him away: they were a ſcattered people: or as Junius and Piſcator hath it, they were parva pecus, a little flock, few, and very ſmall, in compariſon of the Nations, as the Pſalmiſt hath it here: and the Lions drave them away. Who were theſe Lions? Firſt, ſaith hee, the King of Aſſyria hath devoured him, hee ſeized as it were on the fleſh,2 King. 15. 16, 20, 29. & 16 7. & 17. 3.2 Kgs 15:162 Kgs 15:202 Kgs 15:292 Kgs 16:72 Kgs 17:3 (Pul, Tiglath Pileſer, and Salmanazar, oppreſſing and captivating them, 2 Kings 15.) and laſt This Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babylon, (he ſpeaks of him with ſcorne and indignation, This Nebuchadnezzar) hath broken the bones: And becauſe that he came laſt, and took away all, as a ſweeping raine, therefore his anger riſeth moſt againſt him, Ver. 18. Thus ſaith the Lord of Hoſts, Behold, I will puniſh the King of Babylon and his Land, as I puniſhed the King of Aſſyria. Sulianus Anna… Tom. 4. An. Mund. 3333. & An. 3452.Merodach of Babylon ſubdued the Aſſyrian, Nebuchadnezzer utterly ruines Nineve the head City thereof, and then Babels time comes to be waſted alſo, and the whole Land therewith. Here is that Monarchy gone you ſee, both Aſſyrian and Babylonian, and whoſoever were the inſtrument, p. 15this was the cauſe from Gods owne mouth. Adde unto which, that in the next Chapter. Jer. 51. 11. Becauſe (ſayes that Text) it was the vengeance of the Lord, and of his Temple. And take in alſo verſ. 35. The violence done to me, and to my fleſh, be upon Babilon, ſhall the inhabitants of Zion ſay, and my blood upon the inhabitants of Caldea, ſhall Jeruſalem ſay, then when they are deſtroyed.

Now there are a great many other kingdomes and Nations,4. All the neighbouring Kingdomes about Judea. that bordered about the Jewes, whom God (as I remember) calleth his evill neighbors, for their ill will to Zion: theſe all fell either by or with Babylon. Of theſe you ſhall reade in the 25, 26, 27, and 28, Chapters of Ezekiel, and ſo on: God there ſends the cup round to all the Nations: All thoſe Nations certainly had infinite provocations of Nationall ſins of all ſorts, againſt God, amongſt them; but you ſhall ſee ſtill God there layes his ſuit and quarrell againſt them onelyonly for their ill dealing with his people, to whom they were neighbours round about.

He begins with the Ammonites,1 Ammon. Chap. 25. 2. and what was her ſinne that ruined her? Ammon was but glad at the fall of the Jewes. Behold (ſaith the 3. verſ.) thou ſaidſt AHA, againſt my Sanctuary, when it was profaned, and againſt the Land of Iſrael, when it was deſolate, and againſt the Houſe of Judah, when they went into captivity, they did not help it forward, only cryed Aha. Therefore, ſaith God, v. 4. I wil deliver thee to the men of the Eaſt for a poſſeſſion; and ver. 6. Becauſe (as in ſpeech (as afore) ſo in geſture they expreſſed the like joy at it) thou haſt clapped thy hands, and ſtamped with the feet, and rejoyced in heart, with all thy deſpight againſt the Land of Iſrael; Behold, therefore, I will ſtretch out mine hand upon thee, and p. 16will deliver thee for a ſpoyle to the Heathen, I will deſtroy thee, &c.

The next that hee mentioneth is Moab. 2. Moab.Shee did but caſt out a word; ſo verſ. 8. She did but onelyonly ſay this, Behold, the Houſe of Judah is like unto all the Heathen, now laid waſt as they, and there is no difference in the protection of their God over them, more than over the Heathen themſelves; it was but this word caſt out: yet therefore ſaith the Lord, ver. 9. Behold I will open the ſide of Moab: He would break through and open his ſtrong Frontier Cities, (as the next words explain it) break his ribs, & ſo enter into his bowels; and ver. 10. the Ammonites ſhall be no more remembred among the Nations. No other ſin in mentioned, but this word, about his people.

He comes next to Edom, 3. Edom.ver. 12. who was the poſterity of Eſau, and their brother, (as you ſhall hear anon) and of them he ſaith, Becauſe that Edom hath dealt againſt the houſe of Judah by taking vengeance, and greatly offended, and revenged himſelfe upon him; THEREFORE ſaith he, ver. 13. I will cut off man and beaſt from it, and make it deſolate. He riſeth ſtill in his puniſhments proportionable to their ſins, and to their dealings with his people. And I will doe it, ſayes he, by the hand of my own people, ver. 14. that were oppreſſed by them.

From Edom he carryes the cup to Philiſtia, 4. Philiſtia.who becauſe they had an old grudge againſt the Iſraelites, a deſpightfull heart to deſtroy them for the old hatred, ver. 15. THEREFORE I will execute great vengeance on them, ver. 16, 17.

In the next place,5. Tyre. he comes to Tyre, poore Tyre, I call her ſo, becauſe as of all the Nations they were the moſt ingenious in themſelves: (In ſo much as p. 17Chriſt ſayes, They would have repented, &c.) and moſt ingenuous of all Nations elſe unto the Jewes, that helped them to build the Temple, and were confederates with David and Solomon. And what was her fault? A meere temptation of love to her ſelfe, ſuch as might befall any in the like caſe. Read Chap. 26. 2. Son of man, becauſe Tyrus hath ſaid againſt Jeruſalem, Aha, ſhe is broken that was the gates of the people, I SHALL BE REPLENISHED now ſhe is laid waſte. The meaning is this, I ſhall now have all the trade. You know Tyre lay nigh to Jeruſalem, and it was a place of the greateſt trade and merchandiſe then in the world, ſhe was the Mart of Nations, (ſo ſhe is called in Eſay 23. and in Ezek. 27. 3.) and though ſhe had the greater trade of the two already, yet ſhe rejoyced in this, that Jeruſalem ſhould be laid waſte, who had been the gates of the people, whither much people came for traffique, as well as to me. Now thinks ſhe (and it was but a ſelfe-loving thought) all the trade will wholly come to me, and I ſhall be repleniſhed and encreaſed. No more. Yet, becauſe it fell out to be uttered againſt the Church, for this, and for no other ſinne (there mentioned) muſt Tyre be deſtroyed, as ſhe was by Nebuchadnezzar, though to fulfill the Propheſie, he ſerved twelve yeares in the ſiege thereof. And ſee how God proportioned her puniſhment to her ſinne; Wouldſt thou have more cuſtomers? Thou ſhalt have enow; Behold, I will cauſe many Nations to come up; What, for traffique? No, to come up againſt thee, as the ſea cauſeth his waves to come up: the Babylonian Souldiers ſhall be thy Merchants that ſhall take off thy goods off thy hands. And becauſe that Tyre, was a moſt glorious people, he therefore ſpends p. 18two or three Chapters upon the deſcription of her ruine.

In the 26.6. AEgypt. Chapter he comes to Egypt. Egypt had been broken once afore (as you heard) by the people of Iſrael, and reproved for Abrahams ſake. They were a falſe-hearted Nation, that even Rabſhekah could afore-hand propheſie ſo of them, in Eſay 36. 6. Lo, ſaith he, thou truſteſt on the ſtaffe of this broken reede, whereon if a man will leane, it will goe into his hand and pierce it; ſo is Pharaoh King of Egypt to all that truſt in him. Twas the Genius of that Nation to all that dealt with them. And as Rabſhekah had foretold of them, ſo it fell out: and therefore the Prophet Ezech. utters their ſin againſt the Church in Rabſhekahs language, Chap. 29. 7. Becauſe they have been a ſtaffe of reed to the houſe of Iſrael. It is a moſt elegant compariſon; the ſimilitude it looks many wayes: 1. A Reed was a Hieroglyphick of that Country. Sanctius upon thoſe words, Pſalm. 68. 30. Rebuke the company of the Spearmen, (ſo we tranſlate it) but look in the margent of your Bibles, and likewiſe the Originall will beare it, it is, Rebuke the beaſt of the Reeds, and he interpreteth this to be meant of Egypt, the Chaldee Paraphraſe alſo interpreting it of that Nation, it being a Country of Reeds. On the bank of Nylus, and ſo throughout the whole Countrey, (through the overflowing of that River) there were, and are ſuch Reeds & Canes growing,Lib. 16. …. 36. as no where in the world againe beſides, (ſo Pliny ſaith) ſerving for Pens, Speares, Arrowes **Hence Arundo for Sagitta with the Latines, and the ſame word for a Reed and a Spear (as here) in the Scripture.(as Pliny there) ſo for Staves, Arkes, Exodus 2. 3. And Egypt is called a BEAST of reeds, alluding further (as I take it) to the Crocodile, the proper beaſt of that Countrey, which is an Amphibion, living both in land and water; and p. 19ſo uſually lies amongſt the reeds by the river ſide,As the Elephant alſo is ſaid to doe, Job 40. 21.Job 40:21 and there ſhrowds her ſelf againſt the heat. And ſuitably we finde that Auguſtus having conquered Anthony and Cleopatra the Queene of Egypt, cauſed by way of triumph to be ſtamped on his Coyne a Crocodile and a Reed, And in Adrians coynes of gold alſo.as that which was put for the Hieroglyphick of that Country, as the manner of the Romans was. And the holy Ghoſt here in Ezechiel long before ſeemes to have given the ſame Coat of Armes for that Country and Kingdome, (perhaps according to the common uſe) uſing both theſe apart of Egypt alſo. For firſt, in the third verſe of this Chap. 29. he calleth Pharaoh King of Egypt, The Dragon of the Rivers, (which I beleeve hath reference to the Crocodile, in thoſe Rivers, which is a kind of Serpent, and beaſt alſo) and in the 7. verſe after, which we are now upon, to a ſtaffe of reed. Whereas in that 68. Pſal. you ſee both are put together, The beaſt of reeds: Here in this 29. of Ezechiel, the Prophet having in his eye the common Hieroglyphick of the Countrey, turnes the ſimilitude to their being a ſtaffe of reed; that ſuiting his preſent ſcope, which was to expreſſe their failing that confidence the people of God repoſed in them, and ſo becomming the fatall occaſion of their miſerie. BECAUSE (ſaith he, verſe 6.) thou haſt beene a ſtaffe of reed to the houſe of Iſrael, when they took hold of thee thou didſt breake: They (as Cornelius à Lapide upon the place) had provoked the Jews to rebel againſt Nebuchadnezzar, promiſing to aſſiſt them; But though thou wert Baculus in promiſsione, a ſtaffe in promiſes, yet but Arundinens in executione, a ſtaffe of reed, vaine and helpleſſe in the performance, (as he ſpeaks.) The Prophet goes on. Yea thou didſt not onelyonly p. 20break, but run up, and rend all the ſhoulder, and madeſt their loynes to be at a ſtand; didſt not onelyonly hinder, but hurt and weaken them. The Lord comes upon them with his former THEREFORE, ver. 8. ſaith the Lord, I will bring a ſword upon thee, and will cut off man and beaſt. And ſo he goes on in three or foure Chapters to ſet forth their puniſhment, and that relating as the former had done, to this their unfaithfull dealing with Gods people, as that ſinne that was the cauſe thereof, which is the point in hand.

When the Prophet had thus diſpatched Egypt, 7. A ſpeciall threatning againſt mount Seir and Edom.and threatned the like to Aſſyria and Babylon, (of which enough was touched before) he fals afreſh upon mount Seir and Edom, and contents not himſelfe to have put them into the common catalogue (which we have gone over) with the reſt of the Nations in the 25.Eſau, of whom both came, was called Edom for his Redneſſe, Gen. 25. 30. & Seir from his hayrie hands. Eſau dwelt in Seir, Gen. 33. 14, 16. and was given as a poſſeſſion to his ſeed by God, Deut. 2. 5. and Eſau was the father of Edom, Gen. 36. ult.Gen 25:30Gen 33:14Gen 33:16Deut 2:5Gen 36 Chap. but he returns again to a peculiar, ſpecial reckoning with them in the 35. Chapter, (the reaſon of it we ſhall ſee by and by, becauſe they were their brethren) Becauſe (ſaith he there, ver. 5.) thou haſt had a perpetuall hatred, and haſt ſhed the blood of the children of Iſrael by the force of the ſword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity HAD AN END, that is, when they had already ſuffered ſo much for their ſins, that it might have been thought God had puniſhed them enough, yet then doe they begin their miſery afreſh: Therefore as I live, ſaith the Lord, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood ſhall purſue thee, &c. And ver. 10. he addes another reaſon, Becauſe thou haſt ſaid, Theſe two nations, and theſe two countries ſhall be mine, (namely, their owne, and that of Iſrael adjoyning) and we will poſſeſſe it: when Nebuchadnezzar had laid it waſte, they promiſed to themſelves the poſſeſſion of it, whereas p. 21THE LORD WAS THERE, (as the Prophet addes) They thought they might as eaſily conquer, and enter upon the poſſeſſion of it, as any of the other Nations, whereas the Lords preſence was there, to keep poſſeſſion for himſelfe and his people that belonged unto it: This was their ſinne, then follows their puniſhment. Therefore as I live, ſaith the Lord, I will even doe according to thine anger, and according to thine envie, which thou haſt uſed out of thy hatred againſt them, I will proportion my puniſhment accordingly. And he doth not content himſelfe onelyonly with this bringing of them in again here, but beſides he ſpends a whole Propheſie upon them, the Propheſie of Obadiah, whoſe meſſage is taken up with nothing but threatnings againſt Edom, and reſolving all into the ſame quarrel, For thy violence againſt thy BROTHER Jacob **Deut. 2. 4, 5. God ſaid to the Jewes, You are to paſſe through the coaſt of your BRETHREN the children of Eſau. Meddle not with them, &c.Deut 2:4Deut 2:5Edom and Seir (as was ſaid) comming of Eſau were brethren to the Iſraelites, and God takes it infinitely more unkindly at their hands, then at the hands of the other Nations, THEREFORE ſhame ſhall cover thee, and thou ſhalt be cut off for ever. In the day that thou ſtoodſt on the other ſide, that is, behavedſt thy ſelfe as a neuter that ſtood aloofe: in the day that ſtrangers carryed away captive his forces, and forreigners entred into his gates, and caſt lots upon Jeruſalem, thou waſt as ONE OF THEM, didſt as much miſchief as the Babylonians.The Pſalmiſt alſo hath it, Pſal. 137. 7.Ps 137:7 Thou ſhouldſt not have entred into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity, yea thou ſhouldſt not have looked on their affliction, (that is, as idle Spectators, much leſſe rejoycers in it) nor have laid hands on their ſubſtance, not have ſpoiled them of their goods, in the day of their calamity &c. Therefore is their puniſhment to a perpetuall ruine, more heavy p. 22then any of the reſt. Thus now you have alſo ſeene an end of all theſe Kingdomes that were neighbours about Ieruſalem, and how they were all reproved, yea deſtroyed, upon this quarrell of touching, and medling with his anointed, as the Text hath it.

Now let us goe on to the other Monarchies,V. The Perſian Monarchy an inſtance of Gods bleſſing for his peoples ſakes. the Perſian and the Grecian: you ſhall ſee ſtill that the ſtory of them alſo makes good this great point in hand. The Perſian and the Grecian both had to doe with the Church: But the firſt of theſe, the Perſian, ſeems rather an inſtance on the other hand, viz. of the welfare, and of the raiſing up of a Nation and of a State for the people of God: (For God hath given ſome inſtances of bleſſing as well as he hath given of ruine.) The very raiſing up of Cyrus, and of that Monarchie in him, it was for his peoples ſake. The Scripture is expreſſe for this, reade Eſay 44. 28. Thus ſaith God of Cyrus, He is my ſhepherd, and ſhall performe all my pleaſure, even ſaying to Ieruſalem, Thou ſhalt be built, and to the Temple, Thy foundation ſhall be laid. And goe on to Chap. 45. ver. 1. Thus ſaith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whoſe right hand I have holden, to ſubdue Nations before him, &c. He calls Cyrus His ANOYNTED: He calls Tyre An anointed covering Cherub alſo, Ezek. 28. and no other Heathen Princes elſe in all the Booke of God: Firſt, Tyre an anointed Cherub, becauſe he was propitious to the Jewes, even as the Cherub covering the Arke: Occolampad. in loc.Then Cyrus was Anointed, becauſe as Sanctius well ſaith, Non minus ſtudioſe res curabat Iudaicas quam ſi Iudaeorum eſſet, & non Perſarū Imperator. He took as much care for the people of God, and the building of the Temple, as if he had been King of Iury himſelfe. And God calleth him likewiſe his p. 23SHEPHERD, even as he had done David, that was to look to his ſheep. In the place I quoted before, concerning the Aſſyrian and Babylonian Kings, Ier. 50. you heard how he called them LIONS, becauſe they ſcattered his ſheep, ſo the expreſſion is there, but here he calls Cyrus HIS SHEPHERD, that ſhall performe all his pleaſure: and for that end raiſed him to all this greatneſſe: for, for whoſe ſake was it, he had the Nations given him? Reade the fourth verſe, For JACOB my SERVANTS SAKE, and Iſrael mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name, I have ſurnamed thee, though thou haſt not knowne me: not for thy ſake, but for my peoples only. And although for a while ſome of them Kings made Edicts to interrupt the building of the Temple, yet the generality of thoſe Kings went on in that courſe of favour which Cyrus had begun, and were more favourable to the Jewes then all of the other Monarchies. Darius Hiſtaſpis mentioned Ezra 4. ver. 24. permitted the Jewes to goe on in building it, as their poverty would ſuffer them; and after another interruption, Darius Nothus, **Thus Calviſius and Maſter Mede in his account of Daniels Weeks, pag. 5, 6, 7. which doth fall in the beſt to accord all the yeares of Daniels Weeks. But if (as moſt other Chronologers) it had beene Darius Hiſtaſpis that made that Decree in Ezra 6. for the finiſhing the Temple, then it affords a greater Obſervation to my purpoſe in hand, namely, That God did take away Cambyſes, Cyrus his ſonne, (whom they would have to be that Artaxerxes, Ezra 4. that hindred by force of Arms the building the Temple both in his Fathers dayes (whilſt he was Prince of Perſia, as Dan. 10. 13. he is called, or Prorex in his fathers abſence) and in his owne) and that without iſſue, and ſo Cyrus iſſue male ended, being puniſht for recalling the favour granted. But Darius Hiſtaſpis being choſen by the Princes, God eſtabliſhed the Kingdom in him and his ſeed, for his reviving Cyrus his Edict. And however, almoſt all agree in this, that this Darius he hindred it not, but gave liberty for his time, and is that Darius mentioned Ezra 4 24. See Mede, Daniels Weeks. pag. 7. in his marginall note, whom therefore God bleſſed accordingly, and yet regarded Cyrus alſo in this, that by his daughter Atoſſa wife to this Darius, his race continued.Ezra 6Ezra 4Dan 10:13Ezra 4:24Ezra 6. did put Cyrus his Decree in force againe, and allowes the expence of the finiſhing it out of his owne revenues, and inſerts this in his revived Decree, that the Jewes p. 24might pray for the life of the King and of his children, ver. 10. They alſo had of the ſeed of the Jews great men at Court with them, as Daniel, Mordecat, Ezra, and Nehemiah, the two latter of whom were ſent by Artaxerxes to build the City of Jeruſalem; yea, & another of their Kings admitted one of that Nation (through the providence of God) to the royall bed: Ahaſueroſh marryed Heſter, of the ſeed of the Jews, under whom, and under other of theſe Kings they had the greateſt proſperity. Now as this favour to the Jews was the cauſe of the erecting that Monarchie at firſt, ſo ſurely of the continuance of it ſo long: Hiſtorians wonder that it ſhould ſtand ſo long, it being ſo looſe and diſſolute a Court and State**Therefore Daniel compares him to a ſlow unweildy Ram, as it were heavy with, wool and fleſh, Chap. 8 7. and having ſo many great ſhocks. I can attribute it to nothing but this, the eminent favour they ſhewed to the Jewes, the people of God. And I ſhall but caſt in this Obſervation more about it. When was it that it came to be ruined and deſtroyed? but in the time of the latter Darius, then when Cyrus (who had been Gods Shepherd) his ſeed was wholly extinct?**Diodo. imitio. lib. 7. For though his ſeed by the Male iſſue continued not to a Grandchild, yet in the ſeed of Atoſſa, Cyrus daughter, wife to Darius Hiſtaſpis, the Kingdom was continued in his race. And to make the providence the more remarkable, wheras Darius had ſons before by another wife, yet the intreſt of Atoſſa **foreign, ſayes Herodotus of Atoſſa, giving it as the reaſon of this ſucceſſion.for Cyrus ſake, carryed the ſucceſſion to Xerxes her ſon, Cyrus Grandchild. But that laſt Darius, in & with whom that Empire was deſtroyed by Alexander, was of another race**Alexander the Great in his Letters to Darius, and his ſpeech to his ſoldiers againſt Darius, affirms it. Arrianus Cu…tius, lib. 6. us alſo Juſtin.. Such regard had God to Cyrus his Shepherd, and his ſeed, that favoured the Jewes. But then it was, and not afore, that God threw down that Monarchy, whether for any thing done againſt the people p. 25of God or no, the Scripture is ſilent.

Let us come to the Grecian Monarchy,VI. The Grecian Monarchy. for that was the third; ſome of the ſtory of which, you have mentioned in Zech. 9. which is an apparent Propheſie of the expedition of Alexander: D. Jackſon 8. Book of Commentaries on the Creed, ſect. 3 6. 17.and as a late learned Writer rightly ſaith, you may better know the meaning of the firſt part of that Chapter out of Quintus Curtius and Joſephus, then out of moſt Commentators. You reade there of a Propheſie of Tyre that it muſt be taken againe, ſo verſ. 3. Now Zechariah writ after the Babyloniſh Captivity, therefore it is not that former taking of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, but that latter by Alexander. And what he ſayes in the 5. ver. of Gaza, and thoſe other Cities in Philiſtia, Askelon ſhall not be inhabited, and the cutting off the Governour of Gaza, Quintus Curtius exactly relates the performance of it, and his cruelty therein; and it is uſually noted as the firſt and greateſt act of Alexanders degenerating to barbarous inhumanity: Now all that his rage againſt all thoſe Cities that were neighbours to the Jewes, was ordered by God, and foretold by the Prophet, but onelyonly to ſet forth the wonderfull care and protection of God towards his people, recorded ver. 8. that although Alexander was as much incenſed againſt the Jews, (for their anſwer ſent him of their reſolution to cleave to Darius, to whom they had ſworne) yet as that 8. verſe foretold, I WILL ENCAMP ABOUT MY HOUSE, ſayes God, becauſe of THE ARMY, becauſe of him that paſſeth by, and becauſe of him that returneth. When Alexander went by, and when afterwards many other Armies went to and fro, God ſtill encamped about his houſe. And though Alexander plundered or deſtroyed p. 26all the Cities round about, yet ſtill Jeruſalem and the Temple were preſerved. Yea Alexanders heart was ſo changed, (as Eſaus) that he went in peaceably. And the High Prieſt ſhewing him the Prophecie of Daniel, how the King of Grecia, that is, himſelfe, ſhould overcome the King of Perſia: he was thereby encouraged to the conqueſt of the King of Perſia, and not onelyonly ſpared them, but gave many immunities to the Jewes: and in that his expedition againſt Darius, proſpered accordingly.

Now that Monarchie thus raiſed by him, was divided into foure parts, Dan. 8. 22. all which are accounted to make up that Grecian Monarchie: And in the latter end of their Kingdome, ſayes the 23. verſe, when the tranſgreſsions are come to the full, Joſeph. Antiq. Jud li. 11.that is, when God meant to begin to break it, and to put a period to it, and to reckon with them for their other ſins. This his wonted deſigne ſets his providence awork, that they ſhould fall foule upon his people, and ſo be broken, as the former had been; and eminently among and above the reſt, you have a little horne ariſing, Antiochus, the ſucceſſour of one of them; (the ſtory is cleare in Dan. 8. who magnified himſelfe againſt the people of God, the daily ſacrifice, againſt the truth, &c. ver. 11, 12. and in this God laid the foundation not onelyonly of his ruine, but of the reſt of the Grecian Monarchie. This I might ſhew out of Daniel, ver. 25. He ſhall be broken without hand, &c. but I will rather do it out of the 9. of Zachary, (having already begun with that, and ſhewed out of it the riſe and proceedings of that Monarchie in the firſt horne thereof, Alexander) let us ſee what it ſayes of the ruine of it, in that which p. 27followes, ver. 13. When I have bent Judah for me, and filled the bow with Ephraim, (it is an elegant ſimilitude) and raiſed up thy ſonnes, O ZION, againſt thy ſonnes O GREECE, and made thee as the ſword of a mighty man: And the Lord ſhall be ſeene over them, and his arrow ſhall goe forth as the lightning, &c. Here the Grecian Monarchie in the laſt remainders of it (the Kings of Egypt and Syria, the Longidae and Seleucidae who both oppreſſed the Jewes, being therefore called GREECE,They are called Greece, as the King of Perſia is called King of Aſhur, Ezr. 6. 22. and as Cyrus, Ez. 5. 13. and Artaxerxes Neh. 10. 6. are called Kings of Babel, becauſe ſucceſſours to theſe Kings.Ezra 6:22Neh 10:6 becauſe they were the Succeſſors of it) is ruined: and by whom? even by the people of the Jewes, or for their ſakes. God raiſed up the ſonnes of Sion againſt theſe ſonnes of Greece, God made Judah his bow, and Ephraim his arrowes: (and when God himſelfe will be the Archer, weake arrowes and inſtruments will doe wonders) And beſides, that for their ſakes God uſed miraculous and wonderfull wayes to ruine theſe enemies, The Lord ſhall be ſeene over them, &c. ver. 14. God uſed the Jewes themſelves, the Maccabees, to vindicate themſelves againſt theſe reliques of the Grecian Empire, as the ſtory in the book of the Maccabees ſhewes plainly, (as Interpreters upon the Text have obſerved) and particularly how Antiochus came to his end: And afterwards the ruine of the whole by the Romans, it was for the Jews ſake, and their quarrell, and at their prayer; it was by Ephraim being his arrow, and Judah his bow, and God himſelfe appearing from heaven againſt them. So then here the GRECIAN MONARCHY is likewiſe broken upon the Jewes. And thus we have done with the Old Teſtamet.

p. 28Now let us come to the New Teſtament. NEW TESTAMENT. The Obſervation exemplified in the Jews ſtate and Romane Empire.Our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt who was the eminent anointed one, he comes obſcurely, and as it were ſtealing into the world, who was to be King of all the world, in the dayes of him, who laid the firſt ſure foundation, and ſettlement of the Romane Empire, namely, Auguſtus; and he comes to his owne, to the people of the Jewes, over whom the Romanes having the power, and a Preſident amongſt them, our Saviour came to have to doe at once with both theſe States.

And firſt for the Jewes.1. The Jewiſh. Becauſe that which befell that State for their dealing with Chriſt and his Diſciples, is the leading caſe of the New Teſtament, as what was done to theſe Kings and Nations here in the Text, and in the ſtory of Geneſis, for their carriage towards Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, was the leading caſe of the Old: I will therefore begin therewith, and ſpend a little time in the opening of it, ſo farre as it concernes the point in hand.

And now you ſhall ſee that Nation & State, of which hitherto you have heard, that it had beene for the riſing or falling of all the Monarchies, and alſo leſſer Kingdomes round about it; it ſelfe to be the firſt of all other that was broken and ruined under the New Teſtament, as an example to all the reſt that follow: and broken not upon another whole Nation like it ſelf, but upon a few, & a very few anointed ones in that Nation, namely, Our Lord and his Diſciples. God altering now the way of his diſpenſation under the New Teſtament, uſing but a few Saints in Nations, (which is the more glorious) to effect the ſame deſigne p. 29he did before by that whole Nation of the Jewes under the Old.Revel. 5. 9.Rev 5:9 He hath redeemed us (ſay they) out of all Nations, (who are to him a royall Nation, 1 Pet. 2. 9 compared with Chap. 1. 1.1 Pet 2:9typified out by that whole Nation of the Jewes) whom now he maketh to be to all Kingdoms (where they are found) either a ſtone of ſtumbling, whereby they ſhall be broken, or a ſure Baſis and foundation of their wel-fare, according to their uſage of them.

How the Jews uſed Chriſt and his Diſciples, we all know. The intereſt of that Nation, wherein ſtood it? Not ſo much to have entertained Chriſt for their Temporall King, he avoided that; but to have received him for their Meſsiah, and anointed Saviour: and that this was the intereſt of the Nation and its wellfare, is cleere by that ſpeech of Chriſt, Luke 19. 42. Oh that thou hadſt knowne in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace! He therein intending as well the Temporall peace of that Nation, as the eternall peace of their ſoules. As Tyre had ſtood to that day if they had repented, (as Chriſt ſpeaks) ſo had Jeruſalem alſo if they had knowne and kept to this their INTEREST. But they were ſo farre from doing this, that they clean diverted from it, and took up other worldly and politique intereſts of their owne, to ſave themſelves by, which were their ruine. Yea (which I beſeech you mark and obſerve) the Lord did order it ſo in his providence, that even REASON OF STATE, and a word lye croſſe INTEREST, to this ſhould be the chiefe motive to them of crucifying Chriſt, and ſo of the finall deſolation on of that Nation. For which, conſult firſt the 11. of John, ver, 49, 50. ſay they (generally) If we let him thus alone, all men will beleeve on him, and the ROMANS p. 30will come and take away both our place and Nation. And what ſaith the great High-Prieſt further upon it? Ye know nothing at all, nor conſider that it is expedient for US, that one man ſhould dye for the people, and that the whole Nation periſh not. And although this is there ſaid, to be ſpoken as a Propheſie, (God guiding his mouth therein) yet withall, if you look into the 18. of John, ver. 14. it is charged upon him to have been a wicked councell given, (take it as it was intended by him) for there he is branded, This is THAT CAIAPHAS that gave COUNSELL to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man ſhould die for the people. How it might be both theſe, as directed by God, and intended by him, would be too long to ſhew. But take it as it thus came from him, and he takes on him as High-Prieſt to ſpeake as a deepe Oracle of State, and to utter a State-Maxime, with ſleighting of his fellowes, You know nothing, and his Maxime followes, Better that one man, who is not conſiderable, be taken away, then a Nation periſh. And yet he therein had an eye to the Prieſts intereſt, that is, of himſelfe and his fellows, to keep up their honour; as well as to the preſervation of the Nation, though he colours it over with that of the whole Nation. For in John 11. 50. the words are, It is expedient FOR Us, (namely, Prieſts) that one man ſhould dye for the people. They were jealous of Chriſt getting the people from them. You ſhal likewiſe find, that when the matter was brought to Pilate, it was State intereſt alſo cauſed Pilate to come off to cōdemne him, The Jewes cryed out, If thou let this man goe, thou art not Caeſars friend: Whoſoever maketh himſelf a King, ſpeaketh againſt Caeſar: And the Text addes, When Pilate THEREFORE heard that ſaying, He ſate downe and p. 31condemned him, John 19. 12, 13. When I read and conſidered this ſtory, it made me underſtand that in 1 Cor. 2. 6. We ſpeak not the WISDOME OF THIS WORLD, nor of the Princes of this world, that comes to nought; but we ſpeak the wiſdome of God in a myſterie, which NONE OF THE PRINCES OF THIS WORLD KNEW, for had they knowne it, they would NOT HAVE CRUCIFYED THE LORD OF GLORY. He ſpeakes of theſe very Princes the Rulers of the Jews, and of Pilate; and the holy Ghost you ſee maketh the very ſame Obſervation upon it, that I have now done to you. They thought themſelves wiſe, and they went upon axioms of State in doing of it, but had they knowne their intereſt, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. And the Apoſtle, you ſee, gives this as the greateſt and moſt eminent inſtance of the folly, of State-policie which often Princes take up, againſt Chriſt, and the Wiſdome of the Goſpel, the true Wiſdome. And it is farther obſervable to this purpoſe, what likewiſe the Apoſtle ſaith in the following Chap. 3. 17. applying the ſame in ſubſtance which hee here had obſerved upon their crucifying Chriſt, unto the defiling or deſtroying the Church of God, the Saints, which is the point in hsnd) whom Chriſt hath left behinde him, out of the like Carnall wiſdome and worldly policie, IF ANY MAN DEFILE OR DESTROY THE TEMPLE OF GOD, HIM SHALL GOD DESTROY: for the Temple of God is holy, WHICH TEMPLE ARE YE. Let no man deceive himſelfe; If any man among you SEEMETH TO BE WISE IN THIS WORLD, let him become a foole that he may be wiſe; for the wiſdome of this world is fooliſhneſſe with God; for it is written, p. 32HE TAKETH THE WISE IN THEIR OWNE CRAFTYNES. As God caught thoſe Jewiſh Princes and Prieſts in their owne craftineſſe againſt Chriſt, ſo will he for ever doe thoſe,It is the Interpretation of Doctor Jackſon, which becauſe it openeth a Scripture, I will give in his owne words: Out of this undoubted prenotion, that this was the very time wherein the Lord had promiſed to deliver this people from the hands of their enemies, they became ſo prone (as the event proves they were) to take Arms and rebell againſt the Romans, partly about the time of our Saviours birth, but eſpecially after his Reſurrection. There was no man of great might or potency among them, which did not take upon him, to promiſe this peoples deliverance from the Romane yoke; and the multitude were as prone to beleeve every one that would take upon him the name and title of a Saviour, or Deliverer. The fore-fight of this proneneſſe in great ones to promiſe ſalvation to this people, and the peoples proneneſſe to beleeve them, did occaſion our Saviour to give thoſe admonitions to his Diſciples, Beware of falſe Chriſts, Matth. 24. ver. 4. Mark 13. ver. 6. Luke 21. ver. 6. which would ariſe in Jury before the deſtruction of Jeruſalem, with ſuch faire enticing promiſes and pretences of deliverance, that if it had been poſſible, the very Elect ſhould have been deceived by them. In a Sermon upon Luke 21. 25.Matt 24:4Mark 13:6Luke 21:6Luke 21:25 that offer violence to his Saints, eſpecially when out of ſtate and worldly intereſts. That theſe Jews were taken in their own craftineſſe, if it needed, might largely be ſhewne; the thing they feared and avoided was brought upon them; the Romans came and took away their place and Nation to this day: yea and it was greatly occaſioned by the ſame motive which in policy they embraced, whereby to avoid it. For as the riſing of many falſe Chriſts was the curſe of that Nation for refuſing the True, and is made the ſigne of their deſtruction by our Saviour, Mat. 24. ſo it was the Jews proneneſſe to beleeve that their Meſsiah ſhould come about that time, and deliver them from the Romane yoke, that the more encouraged them in their Rebellion and revolt from the Romans, which occaſioned their utter deſtruction by them. And ſo Tacitus, yea and Joſephus alſo did thereupon, interpret that Jewiſh Propheſie of the King of the world to come out of Jury, of veſpaſian himſelfe, that was the deſtroyer of them, (he comming a Victor out of Jury, who was Lord of the world) God thus retorting out of the mouthes of theſe two witneſſes, a Heathen and a Jew, their former ſinne in rejecting p. 33their naturall Lord, the true King (indeed) of all the world, his ſonne: Thus returning it (I ſay) with the higheſt Reproofe upon theſe Jewes, by this, that that Emperour of Rome **Veſpaſian.(their enemy and deſtroyer, together with his ſonne**Titus.) ſhould obtaine and carry away the repute of that Propheſie (they relyed upon, too late) and this becauſe they came out of Judea, from the executing that vengeance the Jews had by this brought upon their owne heads.His blood be upon us and our children, ſaid they, who had formerly ſaid of the greateſt Kingdomes in their ruines, My blood upon Caldea ſhall Jeruſalem ſay, Jer. 51. 35.Jer 51:35 This having beene manifeſtly the deſtruction of that Nation, and being likewiſe the pattern of the New Teſtament. Give me leave to give you this further obſervation by the way about it: That God diſpoſed it in his providence ſo, that all States and ſorts of men among them ſhould have their hands in it, becauſe Gods purpoſe is not to deſtroy any Nation, for his peoples ſake, till all ſorts therein concur in their ill uſing of them. The ſecond Pſalme Prophecying of the crucifying of Chriſt, ſayes, that the Heathen, the people, the Kings of the earth, the Rulers, tooke counſell againſt the Lords Anointed, which the Apoſtles in their Prayer (of which by and by) Acts 4. 27. interpret, That Herod, Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Iſrael, were gathered together againſt his child Jeſus: both the Eccleſiaſticall and the Civill ſtate among the Jewes, concurred in it. The Sanedrim firſt, and Elders of the people; and they with much adoe perſwade the people; The chiefe Prieſts and Elders perſwaded the multitude, Mat. 27. 20.Matt 27:20and when that was with difficulty done, it was long ere Pilate did conſent; he kept off, and waſht his hands, though the people, Prieſts and all ſought to him; but in the end yeelded. And what was the reaſon that Pilate came in at length alſo? Becauſe God would have the Romane Empire, p. 34(which he meant to break upon Chriſt and his Saints as the former) to be wound in, even in the guilt of Chriſts blood, and to embrue their hands in it, as Pilate the Romane Governour did by his ſentence, and the Roman Souldiers by execution. And therefore we find, Rev. 11. 8. Rome to be called the City where our Lord was crucified; becauſe by the power and juriſdiction of that State: that ſo the blood of all, yea even of Chriſt himſelfe, might be found in her at her deſtruction, Revel. 18. ult.

But to proceed in this Jewiſh ſtory. When our Lord was aſcended, we reade Acts 4. that when Peter and John were preaching to the people, the Prieſts and the Captaine of the Temple, and the Sadduces came upon them, ver. 1. and they laid hands on them, and put them in hold, ver. 3. And then ver. 23. they being let goe (onelyonly with threatning to ſpeak no more in his name) they went to their owne company, and there they went to Prayer: and what doe they urge to God but the ſecond Pſal. and ſpread that before him meerly upon this occaſion, that they were falne upon, and interrupted in his worſhip, and threatned to preach no more in that name, which they (being the relicts of Chriſt left behinde him here) were to hold forth. They prayed over with one accord the ſecond Pſalme, Lord thou art God which haſt made heaven and earth, who by the mouth of thy ſervant David haſt ſaid, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vaine things? The Kings of the earth ſtood up, and the Rulers were gathered together againſt the Lord and againſt his Chriſt. For of a truth, againſt thy holy Child Jeſus, WHOM THOU HAST ANOINTED, (and now anointed with the oyle of gladneſſe above his fellowes) both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the p. 35Gentiles, and the people of Iſrael, were gathered together, &c. Theſe his Diſciples being his fellowes in his anointing, did accordingly (as you here ſee) intereſt their cauſe in his, by putting God in mind what they did unto their Lord, in crucifying him, to provoke him thereby to conſider what was now done to themſelves, by the Rulers, Scribes, and Elders, Prieſts, and Band of the Temple, ver. 1. 5.

Well, ſtill the Jewes goe on, and follow the ſame trade, as our Saviour Chriſt in Luke 21. 10, 11. foretold his Diſciples that they ſhould; and withall, he foretold them that there ſhould be wars upon this, and commotions, Nation riſing againſt Nation, &c. BEFORE ALL THESE (ſayes Chriſt) they ſhall lay their hands on you, and perſecute you, delivering you up to the Synagogues, and into priſon, being brought before Kings and Rulers for my Names ſake. Our Saviour therein ſhewing that this perſecution of the Saints, ſhould be the cauſe of all theſe wars; and ſo, of that Nations ruine, as well as his owne death, (ſo involving his cauſe and theirs together.) But they, as afore the warres, ſo after the warres, and during the time of them, (Chriſt ſayes) ſhould goe on and take no warning, this you find in Mat. 24. 7, 8, 9. verſes compared, And this, ſayes Chriſt there, ſhall be a teſtimony unto you.

Now that ſecond Pſalme (whither the Apoſtles have brought us, and which the Apoſtles in the beginning of the Goſpel prayed thus over, againſt the Jewes) was by the holy Ghoſt intended againſt all Nations and Kingdomes that ſhould in like manner deal injuriouſly with the Saints, (as the Jews had done with Chriſt) to the end of the world, ſo making this inſtance the pattern and example to the reſt. In p. 36the next words (if you read on) you find a ſolemne inauguration of Chriſt, as King, now, when aſcended into heaven, I have ſet my King on my holy hill, with a Proclamation & Declaration of Gods Decree, and great Deſigne under the New Teſtament, to be effected and accompliſhed by this his new King ſet up, I WILL DECLARE the DECRE. &c. ver. 7. which (as a Preface) refers to all that followes, and is in effect no other then the ſame you have all this while heard out of the Old. He gives Chriſt as a boone, upon his Inauguration, all the Kingdoms of the world, I will give thee (ſaith he) the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the utmoſt parts of the earth for thy poſſeſsion. What to doe? Either to break them, or convert them. Thou ſhalt bruiſe them with a rod of iron, and daſh them in pieces like a potters veſſell: and this drift the Apoſtles well knew, and therefore pertinently urged it in their Prayer to God againſt the Jewes, which Prayer of theirs had a concurrent influence into their ruine. Now as the deſtruction of Jeruſalem is made by Chriſt the fore-running type of the end of the world, ſo the deſtruction of that Nation for theſe their doings to Chriſt and his Apoſtles and their followers, is an example to all Kingdomes that ſhall doe the like afterwards unto the Saints: for which Chriſt hath and will break them alſo. Therefore how ends the Pſalme? BE WISE O YE KINGS, AND INSTRVCTED YE JUDGES OF THE EARTH, &c. That is in effect, All ye States and Princes of the world, learn to know this your INTEREST. Although this might be enough in the generall, for the whole New Teſtament:

Yet come we to the Roman Empire. 2. The Romane Empire.The Book of the p. 37Revel. is a Propheſie of the deſtruction of that Empire, either as Heatheniſh in the whole, or elſe when Chriſtian (yet perſecuting then) in both the parts of it, Eaſt and Weſt. That Book is a Tragy-Comedy, which begins with a Kingdome given to be won by conqueſt**Revel. 6. 8. When the ſeals begin to be opened, Chriſt goes forth conquering and to conquer.Rev 6:8, and ends with the Coronation of a King, and the marriage of his Bride: and all between, is but the removing of all ſuch lets and impediments, namely, of the Romane Monarchie, and all other Kingdoms which that was broken into; ſo far as they ſtand in his way, and poſſeſſe the roome of that Kingdome which he is to ſet up. That this is one main argument of that Book, I refer you to what that great and learned Interpreter, Maſter Mede, hath largely opened.

And herein Chriſt, when he firſt began (the whole world then worſhipping Idols) had work enough to doe. He ſets firſt upon conquering the whole Romane Empire, as it was Heatheniſh, and the worſhip of Satan and Idols in it, and in three hundred yeeres he diſpatcheth that, and throwes downe all both Idollworſhip, and Princes, Chap. 6.that did uphold it. This the firſt ſix ſeales doe ſhew. And then when the whole Empire was turned Chriſtian, yet (as one well ſaid) the devill did not turne Chriſtian: But under the name and profeſſion of Chriſt, he ſtirreth up the Arrian Chriſtian world to perſecute the Orthodox Chriſtians as much as Heatheniſh Rome had done. But Chriſt takes farther vengeance for this perſecution under both theſe; Heatheniſh and Arrian Rome **It was the cry of the blood of the Saints ſlain underboth, that brought on them the vengeance that followed See Cha. 6. 10, 11.. The Empire having been divided afore into two parts; the Eaſtern (all which now the Turk poſſeſſeth) and the Weſtern; this in Europe: He falls firſt upon the Weſterne European part, breaking that by the incurſion of thoſe barbarous p. 38Nations the Goths and Vandalls; and this the foure firſt trumpets doe ſound forth:Chap. 8. Then for the Eaſtern part of the Empire, (although his revenge was ſlower, yet) he reſerved them to the ſoreſt vengeance that could befall the Chriſtian world,Chap: 9. the conqueſt and tyrannie of the Saracens firſt, and afterwards the Turks, and theſe the fift and ſixt Trumpets ſucceſſively held forth. Thus here is an end of the Roman Monarchie under the Emperours in the whole, and in the parts of it.Chap. 12. The Weſterne part in Europe, was by occaſion of the Goths invaſion, broken into ten Kingdomes, which though helping the woman againſt the flood of Arrian perſecution, yet (through Satans ſeducing of them) they ſet up the Beaſt, or Antichriſtian Rome, and theſe all together did joyn together to make as great a warre againſt the Saints in the 13.Chap. 13. Chapter, as the Heathens and Arrians had done: And ſo Chriſt was in a manner as farre off his Kingdome as at the firſt. What then is the next great counter-plot of Jeſus Chriſt? It is to overcome theſe ten Kingdomes; ſo you find, Revel. 17. 14. They ſhall (ſaith he) make war with the Lambe, and the Lambe SHALL OVERCOME THEM, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him are called, and choſen, and faithfull. The world, though turned Chriſtian, yet in all the variations of it, goes on ſtill to perſecute the Saints; For why? the world wil be the world ſtill, and the Devill who is the Prince of the world, is the ſame ſtill, and ſo he ſtill followes that trade he had formerly practiced, the ſame which you read of, Chap. 12. ver. 17. even to make war with the remnant of the womans ſeed, which keep the commandements of God, and have the teſtimony of Jeſus. This is his deſigne, and let p. 39the world turn never ſo much, and refine as much as it will, Satan endeavours ſtill to forme a party up amongſt them, whom he turns againſt the Saints, (or ſome of the Saints) for that is the great intereſt of his Kingdome, (as that place ſhews) it is more to perſecute the Saints, then to carry men on to ſinne. And he will be content to fall but upon a few ſometimes, rather then be put out of this his trade. And therefore now beſides plain Popery which is prophecyed of in 1 Tim. 4. to ariſe in the latter dayes: You have in 2 Tim. 3. 1. another Propheſie of a ſort of men that ſhall ariſe in the LAST DAYES, (Popery is Prophecyed of to be in the latter dayes) who, ſhall have a forme of godlineſſe, and be deſpiſers of them that are good: Thus the Devil hath carryed on his deſign Age after Age, and Jeſus Chriſt purſues more cloſely his great deſigne alſo, and will never leave till he hath overcome: And HE SHALL OVERCOME, for He is the King of Kings, and thoſe that are with him are called choſen and faithfull. And all this (if it were not the ſcope of that Booke of the Revelation) yet ſtory would make good. Why ſhould I inſtance in more? you know the little ſtone, Chriſt and his Saints, ſhall daſh all in pieces, Dan. 2. But enough.

You have heard the truth of this point exemplified by all theſe inſtances. As for Reaſons of it, the Scripture affords a farre greater plenty then of Inſtances: and in many of the inſtances given, you may finde Reaſons adjoyned by God himſelfe: as here in the Text, they are Gods anointed; in that example of Egypts overthrow, Gods firſt-borne; in that of Babels, 'twas the vengeance of Gods Temple, and ſo on. The p. 40time will give me leave to ſingle out but a very few of many. The Doctrine was this, That the greateſt intereſt of all States and Princes, lyes in their uſage of the Saints; to deale ill or well with them, is that whereon their miſery or welfare doth depend.

One reaſon of it is,1. Reaſon. (that which ſhould indeed have been my firſt Obſervation out of the Text, viz.) The neereneſſe and dearneſſe of the Saints to God. You ſee how tender he is of them, TOUCH them not. If you would underſtand the tenderneſſe of Gods heart expreſſed in that word, parallel it with that, He that TOUCHETH them, toucheth the APPLE OF MINE EYE: and you have the expreſſion twice. Pſ. 17. 8. and Zech. 2. 8. there is nothing more deare then the eye: you would have pulled out your eyes, ſayes Paul: and of the eye, the pupa, the black of the eye moſt. When the Ammonites required of the men of Jabeſh Gilead, that they ſhould thruſt out all their right eyes, 1 Sam. 11. 2. the Text ſaith, ver. 6. that when Saul heard of it, the Spirit of God came upon him, and his anger was greatly kindled, and he went and cut them off, and ſcattered them, ſo that not two of them were left together. If Saul their King, a tyrannicall King, was thus moved for this offer of an injury to the eyes of his Subjects, much more God for thoſe, who are to him as his own eye, yea as the apple of it. Or if you will have this Reaſon in an expreſſion more neerely akin to the doctrine it ſelfe, they are dearer to God then Nations ſimply conſidered: the reaſon is ſtrong, That therefore, the Intereſt of all Nations muſt needs lye in theſe Saints. Eſay 43. 3, 4. I gave Egypt for thy ranſome, Ethiopia and Seba for thee, ſince thou waſt precious in my ſight, thou haſt been honourable, and I have loved thee, therefore p. 41will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Thus he valued them under the Old Teſtament. But did he give Nations for them then? They have coſt him more ſince, they have coſt him the blood of his Sonne: He that ſpared not his owne Sonne, but delivered him up for us: how ſhall he not with him freely give us ALL THINGS? Rom. 8. 32. All things are theirs, the world, &c. becauſe they are Chriſts. Look what reaſons the Old Teſtament gives of this point in hand, from their neereneſſe to God, the New Teſtament uſeth the ſame. They are my firſt borne, ſaid God to the Kingdome of Egypt, and therefore I will take away thy firſt-borne: The New Teſtament ſpeaks the ſame; they are the Church of the firſt-borne, written in heaven, Heb. 12. 23. Was it the vengeance of the Temple was Babels overthrow? the New Teſtament utters the ſame, and to the ſame purpoſe, If any man deſtroyes the Temple of God, him ſhall God deſtroy: FOR THE TEMPLE OF GOD IS HOLY, which Temple are YE, 1 Cor. 3. 17. Againe, Iſrael is Holineſſe to the Lord, the firſt fruits of his encreaſe, and therefore all that devoure him ſhall offend, (offend greatly) and evill ſhall come upon them, ſaith the Lord, Jer. 2. 3. Thus ſpeaks the Old Teſtament. The ſame reaſon and expreſſions are given you ſee in the New, The Temple of God IS HOLY, and they are the FIRST FRUITS of all his creatures, Jam. 1. 18. Theſe are the redeemed from among men, and the FIRST FRUITS to God and the Lambe, and therefore prevaile, Revel. 14. 4.

And as becauſe they are thus deare to God, therefore if they be dealt ill withall, it is the cauſe of the ruine of a Nation: ſo on the contrary likewiſe, if a Nation deale well with them, it is a cauſe of his bleſſing p. 42upon them; Yea he doth give Nations and States their being for their ſakes. They are a bleſsing in the midſt of the land, Eſay 19. 24. In ſo much as God ſpareth the tree for a ſmall bunch of grapes, (ſo he compareth his people in reſpect of the reſt of a Nation) Deſtroy it not, for there is a bleſsing in it, Eſay 65. 8. or rather as the ſame Eſay, they are to the whole tree, (the Nation they live in) what the pith, the heart, the ſubſtance is. As an oke whoſe ſubſtance is in them when they caſt their leaves, ſo the HOLY SEED (the Saints) ſhall be the SUBSTANCE OF IT. Eſay 6. ult. That preſerves life in a Nation, when the branches of it are hewne, or it caſt its leaves. Theſe things are ſpoken in relation to their being the cauſe of the preſervation of a nation in both theſe places. Saints that are as ſtrangers to a Nation, and onelyonly make it their refuge, yet their preſence is in ſuch a caſe a preſervation to them. Moab, (ſayes God) Let mine out-caſts dwell with thee, and be thou a covert to them, Eſay 16. 4. And ver. 5. And in mercy ſhall the throne be eſtabliſhed. But much more NATIVE Saints procure this bleſſing, their relation being nearer and dearer; Of Sion it ſhall be ſaid, This and that man was BORN in her; And what followes? The higheſt himſelfe ſhall eſtabliſh her, Pſal. 87. 3.

Secondly,2. Reaſon. another reaſon is taken from the great intereſt the Saints have in God the Governour, and the priviledge which themſelves have vouchſafed them by God, in ruling and governing this world, and the providences of God therein. They are Privy Counſellors to the great King of Kings, who governs all the States and Kingdomes in the world; and God doth give theſe his Saints a Commiſsion to ſet up and p. 43pull down by their prayers and interceſſions. The Old Teſtament ſpeakes in a high language, in Eſay 45. 11. (I might have quoted it before, for it comes in as the reaſon of Gods ſetting up Cyrus for his peoples ſake) Aske me of things to come concerning my ſonnes, and concerning the WORK OF MY HANDS COMMAND YE ME. Who ſpeaks this? The words afore, are, Thus SAITH the Lord, the holy One of Iſrael, and his Maker. It would have been blaſphemie for us to have ſaid it, but that the Lord himſelfe firſt hath ſaid it, and given them this priviledge, Concerning the work of my hands command ye me. And which makes it the more obſervable, before he doth in this place mentioned confer this honour and priviledge upon them, he firſt (as on purpoſe) minds them of that infinite diſtance and diſproportion betwixt himſelf and them, (ſo to put the more wonder upon it) he tells them, ver. 9, 10. that they were but the clay, he the Potter, that could not (therefore of right) ſay ſo much unto him about his matters, as Why madeſt thou me thus? Yet behold, I that am thus your Maker, give you leave to diſpoſe by your prayers the great works of my hands, which concerne my children, my ſonnes, the affaires of Kingdoms, even ſo far as they relate to their good. And he ſpeaks it upon this occaſion, that for their ſakes he had raiſed up Cyrus, and pulled downe the Babylonian Monarchy, becauſe they by their prayers had ſought this. They are ſaid elſewhere to decree a thing, Job 22. 28.Job 22:28ſo Job, and to bring it to paſſe, and God is ſaid to fulfill their counſels. Pſal. 20.Ps 20And this intereſt they have either for good or evill to the nations they live in. Firſt, for evill. Thus Revel. 11. 6. the two Witneſſes have power to ſmite the earth with plagues as oft as they will: And p. 44if any man WILL hurt them, in THIS MANNER he ſhall be killed, that is, with the higheſt and ſoreſt vengeance, and God avengeth them ſpeedily, Luke 18. 8. And ſo for bleſsing, The innocent delivers the Iſland through the pureneſſe of his hands, Job 22. 30. Thus one righteous Lot was (for the preſent) the cauſe of the reſcue of the Sodomites, the wickedeſt people in the world, and afterwards ordained to the greateſt judgement.

A third reaſon,3. Reaſon. is, the INTEREST of Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe. And to ſhew that he is King, even King of Kings, and hath a Kingdom ordained to him and his Saints, ſupreame to all theirs, in the meane while, his deſign and practice is, and hath been, to break all Kingdoms that do oppoſe him, or oppreſſe his Saints. This reaſon I might enlarge out of Daniel, The God of heaven ſhall ſet up a Kingdome which ſhall break in pieces and conſume all theſe Kingdomes, but it ſhall ſtand for ever, Cha. 2. 44. and Chap. 7. but I ſhall inſiſt (in this Head of Reaſons) onelyonly upon that eminent title of Chriſts, (which holds forth this his INTEREST) that he is entitled KING OF SAINTS, Rev. 15. 3. which title is there given him, as in relation to the ſetting up his Worſhip, ſo to the overthrowing and overcomming the Nations that doe oppoſe his Saints, and this by the ſeven Vialls which their prayers have filled. And at that time (it is likewiſe there ſaid) he doth marvellous works, being King of Saints. In the Old Teſtament he is called the King of Nations, (though he was King of Saints alſo then) ſo Jer. 10. 7. and he gave demonſtration of it to purpoſe, by ſetting up that one Nation of the Jews, which he had choſen of all nations, that that one nation ſhould ruine all the nations round p. 45about them: for he was peculiarly their King, and the King of all thoſe other nations alſo. But now he hath ſcattered his Saints in and through all nations, (Thou haſt redeemed us out of all Nations, that is the language of the New Teſtament) he is therefore therein called King of Saints: he carrying on the ſame deſigne by thoſe Saints, which he did before, and is as able to make it good, he being no leſſe King of Nations ſtill, or Lord Almighty, (as you have it in that fore-cited place.) And he being thus peculiarly their King, his intereſt is to maintaine, defend, and take part with them againſt all thoſe that doe maligne them, as he did the nation of the Jews. It is his title, and his moſt royall title, and the greateſt title, that he is King of Saints; he preferreth it to his title of being King of Nations; that vaniſheth, and is not mentioned in compariſon. This therefore anſwerably muſt be his greateſt intereſt, which of all other he now purſueth. And therefore if all thoſe Nations in which his Saints are, doe not bow to it, and comply with it, he will ſhew himſelfe that he is King of Saints, and of Nations alſo, by ruining of them. As the greateſt intereſt of the Devils Kingdome is to perſecute thoſe that keep the commandements of Jeſus, ſo it is the greateſt intereſt of the Kingdome of Jeſus Chriſt to preſerve his Saints, and to confound thoſe that injure them, for he is the King of Saints. And further, in the Old Teſtament, when this his Kingdome was farther off, and longer to come, and yet you have ſeene how ſtrongly he drove on this deſigne then; but in the New Teſtament he is aſcended, and perſonally as Man inveſted into it: We ſee Jeſus crowned with glory and honour, (ſaith the Apoſtle, Heb. 2. whoſe faith was as reall in p. 46this as our ſight can be) and he SITS there EXPECTING, as thinking the time long, till alll his enemies are ſubdued, Heb. 10. 13. which the ſame Apoſtle elſewhere interpreteth, (and therein ſpeaks home to the point in hand) the putting downe all rule and dominion that are oppoſite to his Saints, 1 Cor. 15. 24, 25. verſes compared. And accordingly in all thoſe Pſalmes, where ever his aſcenſion and inveſtiture into his Kingdome at Gods right hand is prophecyed of, there the ruine or converſion of Kings and Kingdomes are alſo ſpoken and prophecyed of. Reade Pſalm. 2. Pſalm. 68. Pſal. 110. And let me adde this to all, That as the ſhorter time Satan hath, the more is his rage; ſo the ſhorter time Chriſt hath, and the nearer he is to the poſſeſſion of his Kingdome, the more is his zeale for his Saints, and indignation againſt his enemies. His heart is ſet upon it, and the more eager doth his deſire become every day to attaine his long expected Kingdome, and to throw donwe all that oppoſe it: and therefore it is that we ſee in this latter age, he hath made ſuch changes in the world. We have ſeen him doe that in a few yeeres, that he hath not done in an hundred yeeres before; for he being King of Nations, and King of Saints, he purſues his intereſt; and being more neere his Kingdome, he takes it with violence. We are now within the whirle of it, therefore his motions are rapt. Hence therefore all States and Kingdoms had need now (of all times elſe) to be inſtructed; and accordingly comply with this intereſt of Chriſt, it is more eſpecially now then ever their greateſt intereſt. It is well for us, that Jeſus Chriſt he is our King, who is the King of Kings, and King of Saints: and p. 47withall that he is ſo neere the enjoyment of his Kingdome.

APPLICATION.

I Shall come now to a word of Application, Application.which I ſhall diſpatch exceeding briefly. In thoſe fore-rehearſed inſtances I have carryed you over, and given you a proſpect of all Kingdomes throughout the ſtory of the Bible, and at laſt I brought you, and ſet you downe, and left you in the times of theſe Tenne Kingdomes of Europe, of which the holy Ghoſt hath prophecyed, Revelat. 17. 14. Theſe (ſaith he) ſhall make war with the Lambe, and the Lambe ſhall overcome them, for he is Lord of Hoſts, and King of Kings, and they that are with him, are called, and choſen, and faithfull. And it is certaine, we are in the laſt times of theſe kingdoms, and we all here live in one of them. But a word of Encouragement and Direction to thoſe of this kingdome.

You have heard in thoſe words I laſt read,1. Encouragement. the greateſt ſecurity that any kingdoms can have in theſe times: for firſt, in the generall, this Text holds forth plainly, that Jeſus Chriſt by vertue of his being King of Kings, and being King of Saints, (as you heard even now) he will overcome, and ſubdue theſe kingdomes to himſelfe, and yet (for our encouragement) not ſo as to deſtroy them; why? Becauſe theſe kingdoms, as ſuch, ſhall deſtroy the whore: and therefore ſhall not be overcome by way of deſolation, but by way of a more happy conqueſt of Reformation and Converſion: Thus the Text ſeems cleerly to ſpeak; for the ten horns, p. 48(which are theſe ten kingdomes) ſhall hate the whore, and make her deſolate, and burne her with fire, ver. 16. As I have therefore thought this Text to be a barre to the projected Spaniſh Monarchy, over them, even then when it was in the greateſt height, and in moſt probability to have carryed it; ſo the greateſt ſecurity for continuance and preſervation of theſe Kingdomes, becauſe they muſt remaine tenne Kings, or ſupreame States and kingdomes, untill the whore is burnt, for they muſt deſtroy her. And firſt, for their number, Ten: tis true, they have indeed been more, yet never fewer, ſince the breaking of the Romane Empire. And when it is ſaid ten KINGS, it is not neceſſarily to be underſtood there ſhould be ſo many Monarchs alwayes, (in a ſtrict ſenſe as we uſe the phraſe) for in the language of this Book, Kings is put for Supreame States. Thus Rome is ſaid to have had ſeven Kings, and yet five of thoſe Governments were not Monarchicall. Theſe kingdomes may fall one upon another, there may be civill broyles, and diviſions, and diſtractions, and thereby they may be ſorely puniſht as wee have beene, for dealing ill with the Saints. Likewiſe two may be joyned into one, and one may be broken into two, ſo they have varied in ſeverall times and ages, yet ſtill they have ſtood, and at the leaſt the number of Ten hath beene kept up: and though they have made warre againſt the Lambe, and have been puniſht for ſo doing, yet the Lambe ſhall overcome them another way then by deſtroying them, even by winning ground upon them: ſo as where you ſee Jeſus Chriſt hath took footing in any one of theſe kingdomes by ſuch a way of conqueſt, p. 49(as in ours he hath done a ſecond time for double ſecurity) ſtand that Kingdome ſhall till you ſee Rome downe.

Now the next thing I deſire you to take notice of in the words, is the Reaſon why that Chriſt will thus overcome them, and preſerve them. FOR (ſayes ſayes the holy Ghoſt) thoſe that are with him, (namely, in theſe ten kingdomes, and ſo members thereof) are called, and faithfull, and choſen. Therefore it is that the Lambe ſhall work theſe kingdomes about, and win ground upon them, and ſhall cauſe them at length to hate the whore, and therefore they ſhall ſtand till the whore be ruined, and how long after, he onelyonly knowes that hath ſet them up.

It hath been one great outward evidence to my faith, of the truth of the New Teſtament, that what was in this particular foretold in this Book ſo diſtinctly ſhould ſo come to paſſe as we ſee it hath done. When John wrote this Propheſie, there were none of all theſe kingdomes ſet up, the Empire was not broken. You ſee the Empire hath been broken into theſe kingdomes, and they have given their power to the beaſt: and we know how rooted the power of the beaſt once was in all theſe Kingdomes, ſo as, who could make war with the beaſt? yet we have likewiſe ſeene the Lamb hath overcome many of them, eſpecially theſe Northern Kingdomes, where he hath ſet up his Temple. He hath overcome them, and he wins ground upon us every day, and works us up age after age to a farther Reformation, to more light and holineſſe, and ſo he will doe till he hath perfectly overcome every Popiſh principle out of them. Wee ſee all this done, we ſee likewiſe all theſe Kingdomes p. 50ſtand, and not ſubdued to any one Civill Monarchie over them all: We ſee Rome propheſied of in this Book**Revel. 17. 18.Rev 17:18, yet ſtanding and poſſeſſing ſome of theſe kingdomes. We ſee likewiſe multitudes of faithfull called and choſen, whom God hath raiſed up in theſe kingdomes to oppoſe the Whore. All theſe things we have ſeen fulfilled, therefore I beleve this ſhall be fulfilled too, that theſe kingdoms ſhall ſtill continue, where God hath faithfull, called, and choſen, and that they ſhall be the ruine of the whore in the end. Having ſeen and beleeved ſo far, we may very well truſt him for the reſt. This for the generall.

More particularly, to you of this Kingdome wee live in: If you would yet know and be confirmed in what is your greateſt intereſt, this Text ſpeaks more punctually to the point, and it holds forth by way of Propheſie thus much to you, that your intereſt lyes (as you are one of theſe ten Kindomes) in what I have hitherto told you, even in YOUR faithfull, called, and choſen. And let me ſpeak this for your peculiar encouragement farther: That look as where God doth give a command with a reaſon, upon whom the reaſon falls moſt ſtrongly, there is the greateſt obligation; ſo where God gives a promiſe, and gives it with a reaſon, where moſt of the reaſon is found true, there certainly the promiſe will take place moſt in the fulfilling of it. Now upon what hath hee put the ſtanding of theſe kingdomes, and their being thus overcome by the Lambe, and that they ſhall hate the whore, ſo as to deſtroy her in the end? It lyeth you ſee in this, that they that are with the Lambe, are faithfull, called, and choſen. Hee puts p. 51the very reaſon of it upon this, The Lambe ſhall overcome them, FOR (ſaith he) they that are with him, are called, and choſen, and faithfull. Now look upon this Iſle in which we live, and it is the richeſt Ship, that hath the moſt of the precious jewels of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt in it, and the greateſt treaſure, of any kingdome in the world, I had well-nigh ſaid, as all the world beſides. Now where there are moſt of called, choſen, and faithfull, certainly there (towards the time of Romes ruine) the Promiſe will take the moſt effect. Here then lyes your INTEREST. You have it not onelyonly confirmed from the generall truth of that great point I have all this while been giving demonſtrations of, but further you have it confirmed by a more ſpeciall charter of promiſe and propheſie (which you may well beleeve, having ſeen ſo much of it fulfilled) granted forth to theſe kingdoms long before their erection. And as for this Kingdome, give mee leave upon this ſo juſt and ſolemne an occaſion, to take the boldneſſe to utter this in the ſame expreſſion which now well-nigh twenty yeeres agoe I uſed in publique, That if we had ſtood at Gods elbow when he bounded out the Nations, and appointed the times and ſeaſons that men ſhould live in, (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) we ſhould not have known (unleſſe when Chriſt himſelfe was alive, and the Apoſtles, in thoſe Primitive times, unleſſe in Judea it ſelfe, where all the Apoſtles were together) in what age, or in what place, in what nation or kingdome we would have choſen to have lived in, in reſpect of the enjoyment of the Goſpel, and the communion of Saints, more then in this kingdome wherein we live. Other Churches they have had the glory p. 52of Reformation, and have had the honour in the firſt age of Reformation; but we though in that reſpect have been like to bleare-ey'd Leah, yet have ſince beene abundantly the more fruitfull of Saints, faithfull, called, and choſen. This is therefore our great ſecurity, and it is the more ſpeciall intereſt of this Kingdome in which we live, the Magna Charta of it.

And therefore that which I ſhall make further bold with your leave and patience is but onelyonly this,2. Direction. to adde a word of Exhortation and Direction to MAINTAINE THIS INTEREST, and to preſerve it. To this end, conſider, it is not ſimply having Saints, and multitudes of Saints, called, faithfull, and choſen, but it is the uſing them kindly, and dealing well with them, that is the intereſt of a Nation. Judea it ſelfe had the beſt of Saints, it had Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and multitudes of others alſo in that Countrey, (which were afterwards diſperſt into all Nations) yet though they had theſe multitudes, becauſe they dealt unkindly with them, it was their ruine, and God provided a ſafety for thoſe his Saints, by diſperſing them into all Nations, through their perſecution of them.

That worthy Duke of Rohan, that writ that Book of the CIVILL INTEREST OF THE STATES OF EUROPE, in his Preface to it, ſayes, That according as the proper INTEREST of each hath been well or ill followed, it hath cauſed the ruine of ſome, the greatneſſe of others. That which that worthy Duke thus ſpeaketh of the Civill Intereſt, give me leave, from all the grounds forementioned, to preſſe upon you concerning that which is your greateſt intereſt; an intereſt p. 53moſt divine, moſt generall, and fundamentall. The Saints of England are the Intereſt of England; look to, and keep to this your intereſt, namely, maintaine and preſerve the Saints among you, and make proviſion for them, as you would preſerve the Kingdome. When afterwards the ſame Author particularly comes to ſpeak of the proper intereſt of England, he hath a ſaying, (and he ſeems to ſpeak it as if it had been an Aphroiſme of the late Queens) that England is a mighty Animal, which can never die except it kill it ſelfe. To follow his Maxime in that alſo, wee may apply it to this intereſt in hand. There is a mighty body, and company of Saints in this Kingdome. Now if they could all be united in one, and their diviſions and animoſities allayed, and all reconciled and made one, I am confident we need not feare if all the Nations of the world were gathered together round about us. But if ye bite and devoure one another, take heed ye be not conſumed one of another. It is a State Maxime as well as a Church rule, there is nothing elſe can deſtroy us.

If any man think I am a pleading for a liberty of all opinions, of what nature and how groſſe ſoever, I humbly deſire them to remember that I onelyonly plead for Saints, and I anſwer plainly, The Saints they need it not. The Apoſtle tels us that there are damnable hereſies, ſo 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2. and they will ſoone unſaint men; there are errors that are capitall, not holding the head, ſo Col. 2. Do but diſtinguiſh theſe from others, & let this be one foundation laid for this union. And when I ſay Saints, I mean no one party of men: Doe we not know that the new creature is found in circumciſion and in uncircumciſion, and as eminent in the one as in the p. 54other? and it were the higheſt ſacriledge in the world to ingroſſe that title of Saints and the godly party to any one. Characters of Saints I need not give you, it hath been the main ſubject of the preaching in this Kingdome for theſe forty yeeres and upwards, to deſcribe them to you, and diſtinguiſh men from men.

As there are multitudes of faithfull, called, and choſen ones in this Kingdome, ſo you, Honourable and worthy Senatours, are the called, and choſen, out of all theſe, to this great work, and have obtained mercy from our God, to be in a great meaſure faithfull. Conſider the truſt God hath committed to you. You have the richeſt treaſury that I know God hath above ground elſewhere on earth. THE SAINTS OF ENGLAND ARE THE INTEREST OF ENGLAND. Write this upon your walls, to have it in your eye in all your conſultations, never to ſwerve from it for any other intereſt whatſoever.

And have reſpect to the Saints, and to the whole lump of them; if you will maintaine your intereſt whole and intire: have regard to the Saints SMALL and GREAT. You ſhall often finde that expreſſion, as in Revel. 11. 18. When the Kingdomes of the world became the Kingdomes of Chriſt, and Revel. 19. when the whore is judged, ver. 2. it is ſaid, that all the Saints SMALL and GREAT rejoyced. ver. 5. 7. What vow doth David make when he ſhould obtaine the Kingdome?Pſal. 101 6.Ps 101:6 Mine eyes ſhall be upon THE FAITHFULL OF THE LAND, that they may dwell with me. Let yours be ſo.

You are the ſhields of the earth, under God, and for his Saints: as in Pſal. 47. The ſhield ſhould defend the whole body, and all the parts and members of it. You are covering Cherubims unto the Arke of God, p. 55(ſo the Prince of Tyre is called, Ezech. 28. 16.) ſtretch your wings from one end of the holy of holies to the other, ſo as to cover all. You are the nailes of the Temple, and for the veſſels thereof, as Eliakim, Iſa. 22. 24. is called a naile, on which ALL the veſſels ſhould be hung, and by whom alike ſupported, the veſſels of SMALL quantity, as well as great, from the veſſels of cups even to all the veſſels of flagons, ſo the Prophet there ſpeaks, comparing the people of God to the veſſels of the Sanctuary, and ſmall weak Saints to the veſſels of ſmaller quantity, and the ſtronger to the greater: and Eliakim to a nayle, and a like ſupport to all. Shebna his Predeceſſour had been an oppreſſor of the Saints, and therefore God ſayes of him, that he ſhould be driven from his ſtation, and cut or ſawn off from the wall, ſo as the wall ſhould ſtand: and he would put Eliakim in his roome, and hang all the Saints upon him. You are Mordecai's, and it is ſaid of him in Heſt. 10. 3. that He was accepted of the multitude of his brethren, ſeeking the wealth of his people, and ſpeaking peace to ALL his ſeed. You are likewiſe called Shepherds; now the Shepherds are to take care of all the ſheep. Oh ſee that all the ſheep be folded, and have paſtures to lie down in: not only a ſtaffe and a rod, but folds & paſtures for them: take care not of the ſtrong only, but of the ſick and the diſeaſed, ſo the expreſſion is, Ezek. 34. 21. thoſe that are ſick and diſeaſed, that men did puſh with their hornes till they were ſcattered abroad, not onelyonly reduce them from their ſcatterings in a darke and a cloudy day, as Ezek. 34. 13, 14. but feed them in a good fold, and judge betwixt them, and thoſe that would puſh them. You are Fathers, and you ſhould ſee proviſion made for all the children; and though they through p. 56way wardneſſe will not eate together, yet let them not ſtarve.

And to conclude, let me uſe your own word to you, UNITE, or (if you will, the Apoſtles) Reconcile all the Saints in this Kingdome together. Providence hath diſpoſed it ſo, that they doe and will differ in judgement. The Apoſtles, who were Oracles infallible, could not in their times wholly prevent it. And differing thus in judgement, they will hardly ever of themſelves agree. But it is your work, and will be your honour, to make them and to cauſe them ſo to doe, and to finde out wayes whereby this may be done, notwithſtanding theſe their differences. Thus Conſtantine dealt as a Reconciler amongſt his Divines, and he did it with ſucceſſe. It is of all works the happyeſt and moſt glorious,Lege Euſebium in vita Conſtantini, lib. 3. c. 13. Ipſe conſilio interfuit, reconciliavit eos qui diſſidebant, & ad concordiam perſuaſit: Eos qui paulo inſolentiores & ferociores fuerunt, mitigavit; nec antea deſi it, quàm omnes ad concordiam revecaverit, & tum hanc quaſi SECUNDAM VICTORIAM nactu…, foreign, Feſtum Triumphale celebravit. Whitak. contr. 3. quaeſt. 4. for it was Jeſus Chriſt his eminent work. Eph. 2. 14. He is our PEACE, who hath made both one, and hath broken downe the partition wall between us, having aboliſh in his fleſh the enmity: and a greater enmity was betwixt Jews and Gentiles, then among us. He did it by his blood; doe you mingle his blood with faith, and mingle therewith but the Rules given by the Apoſtles, by which they effected this, as in Rom. 14. when one beleeved that he might eate all things, another that was weake durſt not, but eate hearbs, ver. 2. Let not him that eateth, ſayes he in this caſe, deſpiſe him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not, judge him that eateth. And ver. 14. Let us not judge one another any more. Certainly this rule, with ſuch others, reduced to practice, as are found in p. 57their writings, would heale all. I ſhall not ſtand to diſpute that place now. I ſhall onelyonly upon occaſion thereof, acquaint you with an Obſervation, which to me was ſtrange (having conſidered former proceedings) when I firſt found it. In the late Book of Canons that were made juſt afore this Parliament, and ſtirs began, when the Biſhops would have brought in bowing towards the Communion Table, (the Altar, as it was called) after many ſpecious colours prefaced thereto, they cloſe all with this, In the practice or omiſsion of this Rite, we deſire that the RULE OF CHARITY preſcribed by THE APOSTLE may be obſerved, which is, That they which uſe this Rite, DESPISE NOT them who uſe it not; & that they who uſe it not, CONDEMNE NOT thoſe that uſe it. Could they not have ſaid ſo ſooner? The obſerving this very rule about thoſe other things urged by them, had ended all the quarrels, prevented all the oppreſſions of tender conſciences, that were during all their dayes; it had ſaved and prevented the ſilencing of how many faithfull Miniſters by them! But God, (who who afore he puniſheth, uſually takes evidence, or at leaſt layes a ground of their conviction whom he puniſheth) when he had once drawne this out from them, (though they did it for an end to facilitate the introduction of that which was a novelty) yet then ex ore tuo, out of their owne mouthes he condemnes them, and ſtayes not a moment from the execution. But from that time and word uttered by them and publiſhed to the world, began their ruine, it haſtned, and haſtned inſtantly.

I am confident of it, that Chriſt that King of Saints that is in heaven, he will not reſt till ſuch time as hee p. 58hath made us one, if not in judgement, yet in fobearance; and that if we will not take warning, and will not agree it, that either Antichriſt, or Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe will come in upon us, and we ſhall be made to doe it one way or other.

But if this great deſigne of reconciling all the Saints could be brought to a full iſſue and perfection: and if this your Intereſt, (a regard had to all the Saints in this Kingdome, which to me upon all the grounds fore-mentioned is the greateſt Intereſt of this Kingdome) be followed and maintained, I would not feare, though (as the Prophet Zachary ſaith of Jeruſalem, Chap. 3. ver. 3.) all the people of the earth were gathered together againſt us. We feare forraigne Forces; certainly let us keep to our owne proper Intereſt, and then if all the Nations of the world were gathered together againſt us, I beleeve they would have the hardeſt pull of this Nation that ever was of any: THE LORD IS HERE, (as the Prophet ſpeaks, Ezek. 35. 10.) or (let me expreſſe it in thoſe ſimilitudes Zachary there uſeth) if they ſhould come, and think to devoure us, they will find this Kingdome to be a cup of poyſon to them, ver. 2. (ſo tis in your margents, but we reade it, a cup of trembling) which they muſt not onelyonly vomit up againe, but will be their death and deſtruction: they will finde it to be a burthenſome ſtone, as ver. 3. which while they goe about to overturne, or ſtirre, or meddle withall, it ſhall fall back upon them, and cut them to pieces. I will make Jeruſalem a burthenſome ſtone for all people; all that burthen themſelves with it ſhall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together againſt it. And you that are the GOVERNORS OF JUDAH, (as at the 6. ver.) p. 59ſhal be as an harth of fire among the wood, and a torch of fire in a ſheafe; and all that oppoſe you and riſe up againſt you ſhall be but as ſo many ſtrawes. Take a ſtack of ſtraw, great for bulk and number, and lay it upon a few coales of fire upon an hearth, and what will become of them all? though they cover the fire a while, yet they will ſoone be conſume I and burnt up. Read the 6. ver. I will make (ſaith God) THE GOVERNORS of Judah like a harth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a ſheafe, and they ſhall devoure all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left.

I ſhall onelyonly end with what is further ſpoken there of theſe Governours of Judah in the 5. verſe, (which is the ſumme of what I have ſaid) THE GOVERNORS OF Judah SHALL SAY IN THEIR HEARTS, (as comforting themſelves thereby) The inhabitants of Jeruſalem ſhall be my STRENGTH, in the Lord of Hoſts THEIR GOD. And ſo ſay you, the Saints of this our Jeruſalem are our greateſt INTEREST and ſecurity through the Lord of Hoſts, his being our God: And let this ſaying be ever in your hearts, to encourage and to guide you.

FINIS.

Die Mercurii 25. Feb. 1645.

ORdered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, That Sir Robert Harley and Maſter Purefoy doe from this Houſe give Thanks to Maſter Thomas Goodwin for the great paines he took in the Sermon he preached this day at the intreaty of this Houſe at S. Margarets Weſtminſter, (it being the day of Publique Humiliation) And to deſire him to print his Sermon. And it is Ordered, that none ſhall print his Sermon without licenſe under his hand writing.

H. Elſynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.

I doe appoint Robert Dawlman to print this Sermon.

Tho: Goodwin.

Die Mercurii, Febr. 25. 1645.

ORdered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, that S. Robert Harlow, and Col. Purfrey do give thanks to M. Burgeſſe, and M. Goodwin, for the great pains they took in the Sermons they preached this day, at the intreaty of the Houſe of Commons, at S. Margarets Weſtminſter (it being the day of publick Humiliation) and to deſire them to print their Sermons. It is alſo ordered, That none ſhall preſume to print their Sermons without licence under their hand-writing.

Hen. Elſ. Cler. Parl. D. Com.

I appoint Thomas Underhill to print my Sermon, and no man elſe.

ANTHONY BURGESSE.

End of the text · Thomas Goodwin, The Great Interest of States and Kingdoms (1646)