The Churchs Thank-Offering to God Her King, Dedication 2
TO THE HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT, The LORDS and COMMONS there aſſembled,
NOw the Church hath tendred Homage to her Lord, you will give me leave to be her mouth to you; and to neglect Titles, when your workes render you truly Noble, and Right Honourable, ſo praiſing you in the Gates. I know not how to give flattering Titles, ſaid Job aIob 32. 27., for in ſo doing, my Maker would ſoone take me away. Since Thou waſt precious in mine eyes, Thou waſt honourable bEſa. 43. 4., ſaith the Lord, and you will beleeve Him. I cannot crave your Honourable Patience neither, to heare me out: let that be as your leaſure ſerves, I muſt doe my duty; and, being the mouth of the Church, whoſe heart is full, and thoughts not ſo compoſed, I cannot ſo contract as I would: others may reade, who need information, and receive benefit there-from, while you worke.
Follow on your worke, in Gods Name, you worke for a good Maſter, whoſe wages are ſure, and like Himſelfe; He gave an Heathen King for ſerving a great ſervice, no leſſe then a great Kingdome, the wages for his worke cEzek. 29. …8.: You have done a greater ſervice, you may expect greater wages, A Kingdome that cannot be ſhaken, for ſo God will honour you. We ſay ſurely, you have honoured Him, ſo blaſphemed in the world, ſo ſleighted and diſ-regarded there. You have got your ſelves a Name: Ʋerily, we conclude, you have wrought ſingly and purely to advance the Glory, and to get Chriſt a Name in the world, which as it is the end, ſo ſhould it be the worke of the whole life.
Worke-on, You ſhall prosper yet more, though you have prospered already to a miracle; and know for encouragement (if you needed any) That, while You are ſo working, not Man only, but God alſo is Recording, whoſe Records are never laid aſide, being ever in His eye. While you are giving out for the publike Good, all good people are giving in to you, PRAYERS and THANKS; great matters both; The one turnes and wheeles about things to Admiration, being the ſtrongeſt engine in the world, and the greateſt ſtocke you have upon Earth, alwayes gaining, becauſe always trading Heaven-ward.
Certainely the PRAYERS of the Church, of all her Sons and Daughters, all the world over, are for you (a mighty conſideration, theſe onelyonly make Prayers, the other party speake onelyonly or curſe rather, they doe not pray) And all their BLESSINGS (as mighty and prevailing now, as were the BLESSINGS of the Tribes, that ſtood upon Mount Gerizzim) are upon your heads and endeavours, a Deut. 27. 12.ſhower of bleſſings. Much may be gathered touching the ſtrength and nobleneſſe of thoſe bleſſings; to bleſſe did belong to the children of the free-women (the Church and her free-borne can bleſſe, and they onelyonly) but yet, though theſe were appointed by Moſes to bleſſe, yet there is not one bleſſing expreſſed, and that is very notable by the way. For by ſuch ſilence, Moſes would have Gods people expect great Mr Anſ.bleſſings, ſuch as cannot be expreſſed by the tongues of Men or Angels: but yet this good people muſt looke for thoſe bleſſings by another, that is Chriſt. For the Curſes, theſe are mentioned, not the people, who muſt curſe; as if Moſes were loath to name them for ſuch a miſery. But the curſe not cauſleſſe muſt come ePro. 26. 2.. The point and comfort is (which required clearing notwithſtanding the haſte, for I would be very ſhort, though in ſuch a buſineſſe I cannot well frame to it) the viols of the Saints, ſo full of prayers and bleſſings are all powred out upon your heads, and the Lord ſmels a ſavour of reſt and peace from theſe odours, for ſuch they are, being preſented by the hands and through the Mediation of His Beloved Sonne CHRIST JESUS.
The Nations will ruſh now, as the noyſe of many waters; There will be a ſhaking in the Earth; much strife and contention there. Who ſhall have the Day, and overcome? who ſhall returne aſhamed from the battle, with their hands upon their heads, as Mourners? A fooliſh queſtion this; I might as well aske, what will prevaile most with God, PRAYERS or CVRSES? Who ſhall treade downe moſt, the feet of the proud and lofty ones, whom God reſiſteth, and hath now caſt out of their places: or the feet of the poore and ſteps of the needy, whom the Lord guides with His eye? yet I determine not. It ſufficeth me, and you too, I beleeve, that all the prayers in the world are for you; all the bleſſings of all that can bleſſe there are upon you, as aſſured yours, as if they were pronounced by the very mouth of Chriſt: and all the curſes in the booke of God are upon your enemies, and ſhall over-take them in due time, if hearty Repentance prevent not.
So much touching the firſt great thing, ſo prevailing in the world, PRAYER: You will be remembred of it again anon; For, as with Eſther fEſt. 4. 16., you have commanded it, ſo with her, you will pray likewiſe. THANKS follow, and that is the ſubject of this Treatiſe; a gaining commodity alſo, freely laid out, and the more freely ſo, the more they receive-in, the fuller are the returns and In-comes every houre.
Theſe you have here from a most conſiderable perſon (for I take a ſingle word) The CHURCH, who can priſe mercies, speake them forth with rejoycing; can skill in giving thanks, for the time, matter and manner, and order in the ſame, excellently well.
Thankes! You may ſay; That is a poore Returne. No, A rich Returne, conſidering who offers them; The Church, and from her They never goe alone; her hand goes with them, ſhe workes for you (never was there a greater, a better, a more hopefull cauſe to ſet all on worke) and her heart alſo, ſhe prayeth for you too ſhe cryeth in the cares of her God, night and day, though you heare her not, for ſo you reade of Moſes, he cryed *Exod. 14. 15., and yet there was not a ſyllable of a word heard.
Some doubts are to be cleared here, the Method alſo which is eaſily done. Another worke there is, not ſo eaſie, the anſwering ſome grave questions about the THANK-OFFERING: Church-men (ſo in name) queſtion it very much; ſet themſelves againſt it; pleade rather, not for a return of curſes, we hope, but mightily ſet againſt a returne of thankes: here they have indignation alſo, ſaying, to what purpoſe is this waſte? And ſome are ſo pinched gnawing their tongues, that they know not what to ſay, only they mutter, that the LAW is againſt a Thank-offering too. The Lord knowes how willingly I would have ſtepped over theſe blocks; but He knows, ſo I could not doe, and not offend the Church, and the Reader both, ſo great is the offence in the way, which by His ſtrength, I ſhall remove from before his eyes, who is not reſolved to ſhut them, that he may ſtumble with leſſe excuſe, and more impudence in a Sun-ſhine. But I have ſo much wit and manners both, to reſerve this for him, that hath leaſure, dispoſition, and reaſon to hearken to it anon. It will be ſufficient for you, if you take leaſure for two things; &, whatſoever the imployment is, they muſt take place, Conſideration and Prayer: the one will take up ſome length in your thoughts not more then may be thought neceſſary in this Paper; the other may be lengthned alſo in your cloſet, it ſhall be very ſhort here.
Conſider, for it is alſo HIGGAION-SELAH gPſa 9. 16. Rem meditand… ſummè. Jun., A thing much to be conſidered on; That there hath beene no undertaking, no Deſigne of yours, all this time, which God hath not prospered: and no deſigne of the Adverſary, which God hath not curſed. You doe conſider this, and is it not wonderfull, That you ſhould goe over ſuch Mountaines, all along through a Sea, ſo full of ſtraits and and rockes on every hand, and yet not daſh the foot? No, for you conſider this with it, That you have managed the cauſe of Chriſt all this while; you have carried all things, your Counſels and Conſultations and Actions, levell to that Marke, the advancing that STANDARD (call it what you will) that GLORY: Your Adverſaries have done the cleane contrary. Not any one ACT hath paſſed through your hands all this long Seſſion; not any one Vote from your mouth, that hath ſadded thoſe hearts, which ſhould not bee ſadded cEze. 13. 22.. The Church hath high thoughts of this, thus ſhee thinkes, Nay, ſhee knowes; That never was there ſuch a PRICE put into mens hands; nor more wiſely managed then by you, for yee have ſet your hearts to it dPro. 17. 16.. You naturally aPhil. 2. 20. foreign.cared for the CHURCHES ſtate; as Sons, yee ſerved with her in the GOSPELL. The Church wonders not at all this; for, (1.) You naturally cared for her, therefore you worke and are not weary. Love feeles no more burrhen; then the Woman did, taking the Childe into her Armes, being the true Mother bExo. 2. 9.; Shee did it heartily. (2.) Heere wee can diſcerne GODS hand with you: Wee muſt ſay, as the Heathen did, GOD IS cGen 21. 22.WITH YOU IN ALL THAT YOU DOE; GODS hand hath beene with your KING, therefore hath His Hand beene ſo gracious to you, and his heart is ſtill in the ſame Hand, not as Iron and Braſſe (and yet all is one to an Almighty Hand) but as waters there dProv. 21. 1., eaſily bent and called forth TO HIS FOOT eIſa. 4. 1. 2. Ʋt aqua in areolâ quocun que dux ris ſequitur Hier ep. 16.. You that have God for your Pilot, if Hee ſteere your courſe (certaine enough He does) what ever ſtraits or rockes there be, you ſhall not daſh againſt them. Yea, but there is the Leviathan, he takes his paſſ-time in this Sea, A mighty and grievous Adverſary, we meane LEGION, for he is Many; They heare and ſee, that the walls of Jeruſalem are made up, and the breaches begin to be ſtopped fNeh. 4. 7., They will be, as then they were, very wrath: As then the Adverſary reported, faining out of his owne heart, That Nehemiah was King in Judah, and the Jewes thinke to rebell: very likely he will ſay as much now, for malice boyles as hot in his heart now as then; Therefore ſuch ſcumme muſt run over at his mouth. You have tormented him, caſting him forth, and ſo have cheared the hearts of the Righteous, and gauled the wicked, yea, cut them to the heart: you doe expect now, they will gnaſh on you with their teeth kAct 7. 54., and bite, yea, ſwallow you up if they can, for they will ſpeake devouring lPſ. 5…. 4.words; their mouth being an open ſepulchre mPſ. 5. 9., and the poiſon of Aspes under their tongues. But let malice draw her bow with full ſtrength, and ſhoote forth her arrowes, yet ſhe ſhall not be able to wound you; or if ſhe doe, theſe conſiderations will yeeld you ſoveraigne balme, whereby to cure the venome thereof, or to turne it into balſome, and that is better.
1. It hath been the manner alwayes, To take away the Righteouſneſſe of the Righteous from him mIſa 5. 23.. A notorious wrong that; A little conſideration will ſerve here, for there is but one way to turn now, ye will TURN to the LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESSE nJer. 23. 6.; That is a garment, which all the unclean ſpirits in the world cannot defile. There is one Conſideration.
2. Here below, things are miſcalled now, as in former time; The greateſt Idolatreſſe and Murdereſſe, that ever was in the world; (She had killed all the ſeed Royall, excepting one, and he was wonderfully reſcued and preſerved in the ISLE of PROVIDENCE) calls out TREASON TREASON: what was the matter? This and no more; ſhe heard a noiſe ſaying, GOD SAVE THE KING, ſinging and prayſing, for all the people of the Land rejoyced, and the City was quiet. This was Treaſon doubled from her 2 King. 11.mouth, TREASON TREASON.
So alſo, True Piety, a ſenſe of Duty, is called Rebellion; This opprobry hath been caſt, like dyrt, into the face of all the true Miniſters of Chriſt, with this addition, that 7. times waſhing in Jordan ſhall not waſh it off. No? what had the Miniſters done? They would not proclaime a liberty for ſports *Siccine exprimitur pu…licum ga…iam per p…l…cu… de…ec… &c …e…tul. cap. 37.on the Lords day, &c. Well, you have been judge in this caſe; you have outed that blaſphemer, his places ſhall know him no more; You have caſt him out, where the unſavoury ſalt is, for he is not like unto it but the very ſame. So let all thy Adverſaries be cast out, O Lord, who blaspheme Thy Name daily, calling good evill, and evill good; Thy ſervants by their OWNE dExulem me de ſuo nomine vocat Cicer. Parad.Name, and that is as bad as can be. But now, this is the point we have in hand, how perſons and things are miſcalled here below; Loyalty is called Treaſon; and ſo backward, Oppreſſion is called Juſtice; that which is truly Law is called Violence; and Violence is called Law. The vile perſon is called liberall, and the churle bountifull eIſa. 32. 5.; The Meſſengers of the Churches, and the glory of Chriſt, are miſcalled, blaſphemed, as we heare and reade. Thus we call things and perſons now. It ſhall be otherwiſe here on earth towards the end of the world, as it was in the beginning, when every thing ſhall be called by it's proper name, and according to it's nature. The vile perſon ſhall be called as he is, and the churle as he is: And as it ſhall be done here below on earth, ſo it is now done above in Heaven. That conſideration yeelded much comfort to the ſervants of God in ancient time, and ſo it will do now fQuae hic mala putantur: haec ſunt in coelo bona. Lact. 5. 15..
3. We reade of Petilians tongue, as fiery a flying ſerpent, as any is now in the world. It ſtung Auguſtine exceedingly, it ſcorched the Church, as it could. Auguſtine ſeems either not to feele it, or not to care for it two ſtrawes; for, uſing another Metaphor, he ſayes thus; Petilian blowes hard, but all his wind blowes away nothing but the chaffe. Thanks be to God, PETILIANS TONGUE IS NOT CODS Lingua Petiliani non eſt ventilabrum Dei.FAN. He will not looſe one graine of wheate by all this bluſtering wind. That was his conſideration then, and very comfortable it was then; it is yours now, and it is as comfortable now.
4. Conſider Dayes of old, ſince man was created upon the earth, and you will find the proverb true, An unjuſt man is an abomination to the Juſt gPro. 24. 21.: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the hIſa. 32 5.wicked. And ſo, though you cannot ward off a blow from the tongue, for it wounds ſuddenly and undiſcerned, and more deeply then any ſword iQuovis gladio acutior calamnia, &c. Lipſ. Orat. de Calum., being as an arrow ſhot out kJer. 9. 8.; yet you know a Dogs tongue is healing, if he be not mad; and grant he be ſo, and ſo goes about the City grinning, yet theſe conſiderations yeeld you balme enough to cure the poiſon thereof.
You have but Angers firſt weapons lPrima ſemper irarum tela male…cta ſunt: & quicquid non poſſumus imbecilli, optamus irati. Salv de Gub. l. 3. pag. 81.yet, Devouring words; you muſt expect violent hands, hard and ungodly deeds, whole Armies againſt you, while you are for Christ; Troopes after Troopes from all quarters; ſuch a Muſter, or Combination rather as you reade of mPſal. 83.: for the Lord Almighty hath taken to Himſelfe great power, and hath reigned. What then? It followes, And the Nations were angry nRev. 11. 17, 18.. So they are now, and for the ſame reaſon, very angry and full of wrath. Conſider now, the Lord Chriſt is King; be the earth never ſo unquiet, Yet he raigneth then most gloriouſly amidſt His enemies oPſ 110., When they make a tumult, and speake in their pride, Zion ſhall be defiled, and our eyes ſhall looke upon her pMich. 4. 11.. Conſider now what that zealous Reformer ſaid, who ſet his face like a flint; Be not afraid, remember the LORD who is GREAT qNeh. 4. 16.; great in power, great in wiſdome, &c. This anſwers all. Great tumults, great rage, great wrath, The Enemy comes in like a flood, with open mouth to devoure all; REMEMBER the Lord Who is GREAT, His Spirit will ſet up a Standard againſt them rEſa. 59. 19.. When the ſonnes of Belial do, as their Name imports, breake bands, and caſt away coards, then the Lord will laugh ſPſal. 2.: And then, ſaid Luther well, he would not cry like a child; he would be merry as a Man, and ſing for joy of heart, the 46. Pſalm: For he remembred the Lord WHO IS GREAT; It follows, and TERRIBLE, To his Adverſaries, fury to them tIſa 59. 18.; and He has them under His feete already (like unto fine braſſe uRev. 2. 15.) and He can ſtampe them to pouder (but He is patient, He will endure a little while their wrigling) ſooner then you can a worme under yours. Nay you have had aſſurance ever ſince the dayes of Joſhua xJoſh. 10. 25., That you ſhall ſet your feete upon them too. It ſeemes the Lord is fulfilling this good word to you now; nay, doubtleſſe, He hath fulfilled it even now; He hath done as He promiſed to His worme Jacob, He hath taken you, a company of wormes (yee are no better) worme-like men; He hath given you armes of ſteele, and feete like braſſe, and you have threſhed the Mountaines like ſtraw, and have come upon the Princes as upon Morter, and as the Potter treadeth clay yIſa. 41. 15, 25..
Thus the Lord hath done, Who is GREAT and TERRIBLE even now in all the peoples ſight. Remember Him, you cannot be afraid. And remember where you are. And yet, as one ſaith aNihil intereſt ubi ſitis in ſaeculo qui extra ſaeculum eſtis. Tert. ad Martyres. chap. …., no matter where you are in the world, who have your thoughts above the world, and managing the great things of Christ there. But yet to tell you what you know, and what your ſecurity is, you are in Gods hand bDeut 33 3..
Now put all together and conſider on it; God, He is GREAT and TERRIBLE; He is your God; you are His by covenant; you are in His hand; your enemies under His feete; nay under your foote. The Reſult from hence is; A Glorious Dependance upon this Lord, Who is Great; yea, a TRUST FOR EVER in Him, Who is EVERLASTING STRENGTH cIſa. 26. 4., and that is a ſure ground for EVERLASTING CONFIDENCE; That, though the earth ſhould ſhatter to peeces, and the mountaines be taken off from their everlaſting foundations, yet God is good to Iſrael; you ſhall not be greatly moved; your head may ake, but you may repoſe it in the Lap of your EVERLASTING FATHER; certainly He will ſuſtaine you; you may lay your ſelves downe in peace, He will make you dwell in ſafety. The enemy ſhall not be able to come neare you to doe you hurt, no nor to ſad your ſpirits, who in all this time, have not ſpoken one word, whereby to ſad the heart of the Righteous. Yee muſt (the promiſe is ſo dIſa. 65. 13, 14.) reioyce, when the Adverſary ſhall be aſhamed: yee muſt ſing for ioy of heart, when your enemies muſt howle for vexation of ſpirit; your Name muſt be a bleſſing, theirs a curſe. This is glorious matter for faith to worke upon; it will make you pray in the Holy Ghoſt. You need not be entreated to take leiſure for that, it is the very breath of faith, and it hinders nothing at all, but ſets forward buſineſſes exceedingly, it makes them glide-on. I give my ſelfe to prayer, ſaid David ePſ. 109. 4., when he was in the very caſe you are in fver. 2, 3.; He made prayer his worke, what ever he was doing; and ſo his worke ſlided-on; he had an eaſie paſſe through all; hee could leape over this wall, and that mountaine was a plaine before him; and his enemies were given into his hands, for he gave himſelfe to prayer. What ever we omit, we muſt not omit prayer. It commands your Marke, that, betwixt the Kings Queſtion to Nehemiah, and his Anſwer, there is a prayer; his Anſwer was as ready as the Queſtion was, but he would pray firſt qNeh. 2. 4.. A hint only is enough to wiſe men. Your prayer ſhall be ſhort, you may lengthen it in your cloſſet; pray as Nehemiah did; he beleeved as you doe, and you have done as he did, and you have as many enemies as he had, and ſo envious against you; They would make you afraid too; they would weaken your hand from the work that it be not done, pray; now THEREFORE O GOD STRENG THEN OUR Ne. 6. 9.HAND; AND REMEMBER US O OUR GOD, FOR GOOD. Now there is a voice gon up (that never returnes in vaine) and cryes aloud in the eares of the Lord, like the ſound of many waters, ſaying, AMEN; Mercy and Truth be with you, AMEN: And the God 2 Sam. 15. 20.of both theſe give you favour in the eyes of the Man, Amen: wipe not out the good deeds that you have done for the Ne. 13. 14, 22.houſe of your God, and for the Offices thereof; AND SPARE YOU ACCORDING TO THE GREATNESSE OF HIS MERCY, AMEN, AMEN.