A Good Soldier Maintaining His Militia, Chapter 7

A Good Soldier Maintaining His Militia · Chapter 7

p. 112CHAP. VII. Miſtakes about a Parliament,

That one is not a miſtake, but a blaſ…hemy; what our miſtakes or off n…es are, and how corrected; what a Pa…liaments Deſence is, what their worke, and what the miſtakes touching that worke.

THe Parliament cannot riſe higher, nor doe more for themſelves and the Kingdomes than they have done, for they are come-up to GOD, they have made themſelves the LORDS Parliament; and the people the LORDS people by covenant. They have no more to doe but conſider well, what they have done; and to ſtand to it. We have read before how the holy Covenant is gainſaied, oppoſed, blaſphemed; now I come to the Covenanters; The chiefe and Leaders-on to this ſacred worke are the Parliament, and ſee what a miſtake there is about them, they are counted no Parliament p. 113or but a pretended one, and that is as good as none. The Adverſaries and enemies are willingly and wilfully miſtaken ſure, (1).they take themſelves, an Aſſembly of Robbers in Oxford, for a Parliament: And the convention of Princes, Nobles and Worthies in Westminster, for a pretended Parliament: ſo they ſeeme to take it. A miſtake ſhall I call this? well, let it goe; But if it be a miſtake, it is as wilfull a miſtake as ever was heard of in the world, and as full of malice. For my part whatever I call it, a miſtake, or the like, I muſt thinke it to be, and it ſhall be proved to be, a blaſphemy, and that in an high degree, a blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghost, for this is the caſe, and thus it is opened and cleared. The Parliament have put-to all their ſhoulders to exalt the Lord Chriſt upon His Throne in heaven (the Church:) and to ſet their King upon his His Throne on earth: never any Parliament have done like them, for they have endevoured their utmoſt to take away the wicked from before the King, aaProv. 25. 5.Prov 25:5to hold and to keep him in the Throne of God, that he might be a King for God, rule for Him, doe Juſtice and Judgement to all His people; and ſo to ſettle a Right Scepter in His hand, and Pſal. 45. 6.Ps 45:6a Crowne upon his head, that it might ſtand faſt there, till the appointed time, and then but exchange it neither, a crowne of earth for a crowne of glory; And in ſo doing they have ſaid to their King Indeed and in Truth, O King live for ever; the eternall GOD bee thy Refuge, and underneath the everlasting Armes; Thruſt out the enemies from before thee, and deſtroy them: Thus have the Parliament wrought, and endeavoured for their King; God, Angels and men are witneſſes of this, the Parliament call all theſe to record with them touching this matter.

They in Oxford (an Anti-parliament indeed) have done all contrary, croſſe and againſt their KING in heaven, and their king on earth; Dethrone their LORD CHRIST they cannot; but they have dethroned their King on earth, they have caſt-him out of the Throne of God; They have driven him out from abiding in the in-heritance of the Lord; They have ſet him up a Throne at Oxford, put a reed into his hand, I ſay, a reed, (a Scepter of unrighteouſneſſe, which will pierce his hand and his heart:) and in truth, a crowne of thornes upon his head, which ſo vex and trouble him night and day, that he can have no quiet. It muſt be ſo, Every thing has reſt in its proper place, out of that place, and no reſt; The King p. 114is out of his place, and now the Adverſarie drives him-on in the path of the deſtroyer up to the horſes bridle in bloud, ſo furiouſly, that the Adverſaries ſuffer him not to ſtand ſtill and conſider, that the Angels ſword is before him, for if they would ſuffer him to conſider, he would ſay as Balaam did, If it displeaſe Thee, LORD, I will get me back again. aaNumb. 22. 34.Num 22:34Diſpleaſe the Lord! The Lord is infinitely diſpleaſed with him, He is angry with him every day. And ſee now the Kings condition, how miſerable it is! He, that had GOD, and His Law for him, while he ſate in Gods Throne, has now all againſt him, GOD and all; his Anti-parliament has expoſed their king naked, and ſhelterleſſe to all the ſpouts of Gods indignation, and vials of His wrath: His perſon is indeed fallen into the hands of Theeves, and Robbers, they have taken him, from his God, and his God from him; They have taken from him his peoples hearts too, The Lord give him to ſee what his adverſaries have done againſt him, and diſcover this their iniquity to his ſoule.

2. The Parliament have done thoſe workes for God, for His Church, for the promoting of Gods Kingdome, which were not poſſible to be done by meer men, or men alone, not working with God all this time and God with them. The Anti-Parliament have done all they could doe, to promote Popery, to bring the land under an Anti-Chriſtian yoke and an Egyptian Tyranny, according to the effectuall working of Satan in them, and with them all this while. From theſe premiſes it is concluded frō the ſacred Scripture, that to Matt. 12. 24. Joh. 15. 24. foreign. ſil. Regul. hrevs. 273. Works live cleare Teſtimonie Joh. 10. 25, 37. Iſai. 30. 12. Pſal. 62. 3.Matt 12:24John 15:24John 10:25John 10:37Isa 30:12Ps 62:3call this no Parliament, or that in Oxford a Parl. is a blaſphemie againſt the holy Ghoſt. The Reaſon is, Becauſe it is To deny the fruits of the Spirit in men, the operations of Gods Hand with and toward His ſervants: and to attribute theſe to the Devill and His Angels. The ſervants of the Lord will leave this—to the Lord, let Him alone to puniſh this, They have committed themſelves, and their Righteous Cauſe unto the Righteous Lord; the Judge of all the world will doe right: The Adverſary ſhall proceed but a little farther, for their folly is maniſ…ſt unto all men. Doubt it not, Reader, thou ſhalt ſee with thy eyes this Anti-Parliament confounded in their own wayes, for they trvſt in oppr…ſſion and perverſneſſe, and ſtay thereon; Its ſtands now as a bowing wall and tottering ſence; its breach ſhall come ſuddenly at an inſtance, for the Lord ſhall break it as the breaking of the Potters veſſell, ſo he will breake it to p. 115Iſai. 30. 13.Isa 30:13pieces, and will not ſpare: The Lord is gratious; He has paſſedover mistakes, ſuch as we ſhall read of preſently, and corrected them; But this blaſphemy, &c. For now the Lords beſt ſervants and moſt loyall ſubjects are called Rebels, and Traitours: And they that are ſo indeed, Robbers and Murtherers, Mighty hunters before the Lord, theſe are called Marqueſſes, Earles, Lords, Knights, and Doctours of Divinity; The more vile and treacherous they are, the more honourable and dignified they are: The Lord has heard this blaſphemy, Hee looks upon it, He will require it. I will cloſe this with two conſectaries. The firſt is,

1. That the Covenant is of God, for Hell is moved at it, all the Iriſh Rebels, and Engliſh Monſters are grieved and have indignation against it: Therefore Holy, and of God, elſe their hearts could not abominate it.

2. For the Covenanters, they ſhall lift up their faces without ſpot, they ſhall be ſtedfaſt and ſhall not feare: The LORD ſhall cleare their innocency: their upright dealing ſhall ſhine forth as the morning. But the eyes of the wicked ſhall faile, and they ſhall not Job 11. 10.Job 11:10eſcape; and their hope ſhall be as the giving-up of the Ghoſt. Amen.

Sober men have been miſtaken and offended here alſo, almoſt as much about the Parliament, as the Barbarians were about Paul, (II.)now he was a murtherer, preſently after he was a god: It is an Acts 28.Acts 28hard matter to keep a meane betwixt too much and too little; good men fall ſometimes upon the extreme; But it is upon ſome ſudden ſuggeſtion, they are quickly from-off-it again: we will ſee now what the miſtakes have been; what has cauſed them, and how corrected.

1. It has been ſome offence of heart unto ſome (for a little time) to ſee a rebellious, ſtiffe-necked people fighting themſelves into ſlavery, ſervants that will not be made free; then alſo (for I muſt huddle) to ſee a viperous generation of men ſticking faſt upon the hand of the Parliament: An offence indeed, to ſee the Worthies of the Lord waste out themſelves, their time, and their ſpirits (if I might call it a waste) to make us free-man, free in the Lord: and, us again ſo requiting the Lord and them: and to hang upon their hands ſome of us, as vipers upon Pauls hand. Setled and ſerious thoughts have corrected and removed this offence, conſidering

…. That this was the meaſure, which was meated forth unto the p. 116Lord Chriſt Himſelfe; He came amongſt His owne, they received Him not; He wrought wonders amongſt them, they regarded them not; He would have made them free-men, they would not, they were free already, nor did they ſo much as thank Him; how high their wrath reached we all know: And that they quitted Barrabas and condemned Jeſus; there is nothing now that is new, I can give but an hint only, and more needs not. 2. Conſidering that it is the beſt ſigne of a good cauſe to ſee evill men, Papiſts and Atheiſts, all the Chriſtian world over, contending againſt it: And of a good Parliament to ſee a viperous generation, an Anti-Parliament, ſticking upon their hands, ſtinging of them, fighting with them, ſetting themſelves in a Diametricall oppoſition unto them. More conſiderations there are, but theſe may take off that miſtake.

2. It was an offence of heart at firſt, to ſee ſo many on the Kings ſide; to follow-on in a direct path to ruine; This offence was taken away by conſidering: 1. That when Leaders and Captaines drive-on furiouſly in the path of the Deſtroyer, others will drive after 2 Sam. 31. 5.as furiouſly as they; We know who fell upon his own ſword, which his Armour-bearer ſeeing, he fell likewiſe upon his ſword 2 Chron. 12. 1.2 Chr 12:1and died with him; And that Rehoboam forſaking the Lord, all Iſrael forſooke the Lord with him. 2. It was remembred alſo, That not many nobles, not many wiſe ſtand on Gods-ſide, and up for Him; No, the feweſt and the pooreſt in the world: ſo it has been, and if it be ſo now, it ſhould be no offence; Saul, who perſecuted David with open face, and in a cleare light, had almoſt as many 3 Sam. 24. 2.thouſands with him, as David had hundreds, and thoſe choſen men out of all Iſrael (that is) valiant, ſtout, well-appointed, and fit for war: David, that ſtood up for his own defence againſt an enraged King, had but an handfull of men, and thoſe moſt of them in diſtreſſe, 4 Sam. 22. 2.and in debt, and diſcontented. This conſideration reſolves its ſelfe into this concluſion, That a murtherer may have thouſands on his ſide, all choiſe men (I meane, right and fit for war:) and a faithfull ſervant of the Lord may have few on his ſide, nay none that looke after him; This was Davids caſe, yea, the Churches caſe, juſt; her adverſary called her an Out-cast, ſaying, This is Zion whom no man ſeeketh after; No man: ſo it may be with the Church and Jer. 30. 17.Jer 30:17people of God, and yet the Church ſtill, and a very cleare evidence that ſhe is the Church, whom God lookes after and ſeeketh after; p. 117Therefore is ſhe called Sought out bbIſa…. 62. 12.: It is not the Churches caſe now, the Lords Name be praiſed; many Noble, many wiſe, many learned are on the Churches ſide now; even all the truly noble, truly wiſe, and learned throughout the three Kingdomes doe now appeare on the Churches ſide, as they did for David after God had cleared His upright dealing as the noone day, and humbled him. But this is not the diſtinguiſhing marke; as not whereby to know Saul from David; ſo nor whereby to know which is the Parliament indeed; not by the number of nobles and worthies, [unleſſe (as now) toward the latter end, after God has cleared His Churches cauſe, emptyed His ſervants hearts, made them know (the difference betwixt) the ſervice of a Parliament, and the ſervice of an 2 Chro. 12. 8.2 Chr 12:8Anti-parliament, as the Lord ſayes, in the like caſe:] but this is the infallible marke, obſerve to which Aſſembly or Parliament the Edomites, Adverſaries of Judah, all the Papiſts in the world joyn themſelves: This obſervation never failes. True it is, men in diſtreſſe, and in debt, may joyne themſelves to the Parliament (though not one for a hundred ſuch, who are joyned to the other ſide.) But theſe Edomites, Iriſh and Engliſh murtherers, never come-up to the Parliaments ſide, not one of them, unleſſe as Doeg came to the houſe of Abimelech, to get advantage againſt David, and to haſten deſtruction upon Iſrael: Obſerve then to which ſide theſe Edomites are joyned, Engliſh and Iriſh Monſters, and this will cleare that miſtake, none like it.

3. It was a great offence to heare both parties proteſt the ſame thing, To be for GOD, for the true Religion; for the Rights and liberties of the ſubject: And it is an offence of heart, and ſtaggers ſome at this day, To heare the King, ſeduced by his Anti-Parliament, proteſting and declaring all this, and commanding it to be read in all his Churches on the LORDS Day. What? That they ſeeke peace, and purſue it: and are ſtout and reſolute for the defence of the true Religion, Laws and Liberties of the Kingdome: and they ſay, hearken all ye people, for they will have their loyall and lawfull intendments, made knowne and declared to the people in that very place, where the Oracles of God ſhould be declared: Indeed this has beene an offence to ſome, and may ſtagger ſimple ones at this day. But the wiſe in heart were never offended at it, for they conſidered, firſt,

p. 1181. That truth was never oppoſed, Religion never perſecuted, but under the vizor of truth, and ſemblance of Religion: nor ever were the Lawes and liberties of the Kingdome, and of the Church of Chriſt oppreſſed, foreign, as we ſay, with a bare head, but under a Cap of Maintainance, (that is) under a pretext, To maintaine all Lawes, liberties, Religion, and all: In nomine Domini incipit omne malum, an old Proverb, and an old device of the Devill; his Pope began juſt ſo long agoe, By the grace of Almighty God, and His Authority intruſted to me, I will; what will he doe? or what did wiſe men expect would follow thoſe premiſes? Omne malum, all the miſchiefe that he could doe, an utter ſubverſion, as power was in his hand, of all the Lawes, Rights, liberties of Chriſts Kingdome. I could tell the reader, and aſſure him, that the moſt abominable hereſies, horrid iniquities, all theſe came-in under a Cap of Maintainance, to defend and maintaine their contraries. It muſt needs be ſo, elſe it were not poſſible that the adverſary could prevaile; he muſt not tell the people, that he will take away their Rights and liberties (Religion is the leaſt of the peoples thoughts,) and make them ſlaves: If the Devill ſhould ſay ſo, he would have no ſubjects; No, he muſt transforme himſelfe, and his miniſters into Angels of light; he muſt tell the people by the mouthes of his Miniſters in the Churches, as Abſal…m did, juſt ſo, ye ſhall have juſtice now aa2 Sam. 1…. 4, 7, 8.2 Sam 1:42 Sam 1:72 Sam 1:8; and that they may be aſſured of it, he muſt tell them, he has vowed a vow unto the LORD, and he muſt pay it; and then Abſolom ſtruck at Davids Crowne. This is a prime conſideration, and of large uſe, the ſumme thereof is this; They, who will make worke for Fryers in England, ſet-up Popery here, muſt doe as the Fryar does, ſhave his head, but he puts on his cap, that all the world may not know him to be a bald—So he, who would make worke for Maſſe Prieſts, now muſt puton a Cap of Maintainance; he muſt ſeeme to maintaine all that he has a mind and full purpoſe to deſtroy; Rights, Lawes and liberties of the Kingdome, Religion and all: Let the wiſe in heart conſider;

2. That this profer of defence and ſemblance of maintainance, as aforeſaid, is old and rotten, it is become very unſavoury now; They remember very well, that the adverſaries of Judah and Benjamin offered faire this way, their ſervice to the builders, and p. 119reformers, the Worthies in Parliament at Jeruſalem; Wee will build with you, ſaid they, for we ſeeke your God as ye doe; and we Compare Ezra 4. 2. with a King. 17. 29, 33.Ezra 4:2doe ſacrifice unto Him ever ſince the time; what time? If we compare Scripture with Scripture, we ſhall know what worſhippers they were, by their own confeſſion; ever ſince they could make gods of their own, feare the LORD and ſerve thoſe gods, ever ſince. There are the ſame offers tendred now to the Parliament, the ſame proteſtations made now; they are rejected with the ſame diſdaine now as then, you have nothing to doe with us to build, we our ſelves together will doe our worke, and ſerve the LORD. So theſe adverſaries were anſwered then, and ſo now; and then it followes as it now does, what the adverſaties of Judah ver. 3, 4. Pſal. 9. 16. Rem meditan dam ſumm….Ps 9:16did to weaken the hands of the people, and to trouble them in building. Higgaion Selah this, a matter that has been very much meditated upon, and now cleared.

True: The wiſe in heart may be reſolved here, and cleared, but how ſhall the common-people be reſolved at this point; When they heare theſe offers and undertakings for the defence of their Laws and liberties declared unto them in their Churches, they muſt needs think all this to be as true as the Goſpell: for nothing, they think, but truths are declared there, ſo they think, doe they not?

No; they cannot think ſo now; they have been uſed to ſuch Declarations; The King (ſo we were perſwaded) would have his Declaration touching the ſanctification of the LORDS Day, with Minſtrells and May-games, this he would have read in his Churches, and his legit ut Clericus, his Miniſters did reade it Clarke-like: But that all the Chriſtian world might know how abominable that Declaration was, which yet was declared to the people from the mouth of his Miniſters, in his Churches, the ſervants of the Lord adjudged it to the fire, to be put thereinto by the June, 1643.hands of the common Hangman, which was done.

There was another Declaration, and the King commanded it to be read in his Churches, by his Miniſters, to his people; And ſo it was, That the LORDS beſt ſervants and moſt loyall ſubjects were Traitours and Rebels all. But ſee the turnings and tides of things, that yeare, and the yeare after, [Indeed as wonderfull, as was the turning of Jordan back, for according to that tyme it muſt be ſaid, What has the LORD done?] The Tables were p. 120turned, then, and the Images broken to pieces there; and the next yeare after, there, at the ſame Deske, and by the ſame Miniſter, theſe Traitours and Rebels before, muſt be declared to be, as indeed they are, the Kings moſt loyall and beſt ſubjects: The people cannot be deceived now, with the Kings Declarations, quaere peregrinos vicinia rauca reclamat; If the Kings Miniſters will have his Proteſtations and Declarations to be received and credited, they muſt ſend them over to the remotest Ilands, where the inhabitants are wholly ignorant, what ſervants, miniſters, inſtruments, the King has and works-by: where the people never heard, nor ſaw, nor felt what their—actions are. Indeed the people of England are ſottiſh and brutiſh enough, for the moſt-part our Paſtours are ſuch: But the Kings party muſt not think, that we have neither eyes, nor eares, nor any other faculty, whereby we underſtand the incoherence, inconſiſtency and diſagreement of things; we can heare what is ſpoken, and we doe ſee what is done: and we ſee, how contrary words and actions are one to the other. Nay though foreign, &c. Baſil. Ep. … 2.the Devill has poſſeſſed ſome of us, made us blind and dumb, we can neither ſee, nor ſpeake, nor heare, yet we have one ſenſe which will never leave us till we dye; we can feele. And now, though we have no more ſenſe of Religion than our brutiſh Paſtours and vile Prieſts have, yet from this ſenſe we conclude, firſt, 1. That Papiſts openly ſo or in heart, will not maintaine the Proteſtant Cauſe, for they have burnt the Proteſtants in the fire: nor will they, at this time, edifie and build-up the houſe of GOD, whatever they will have declared to the walls there; for they have ſet our houſes on fire over our heads, and threaten us yet more. 2. That the adverſaries of Judah will not become friends now, unleſſe for advantage; that they, under colour and ſemblance, and ſhew of friendſhip, may worke-out the ſubverſion of Judah. 3. That robbers, ſpoilers, murtherers, will not defend our Laws, juſt rights and liberties, for we feel what they have done againſt us, like evening wolves, they have deſtroyed all where their foot could come, they have made our Eden, and garden of the LORD, as a wilderneſſe: Our ſenſe has told us, theſe men, rather beaſts-likemen, have done like themſelves, as ſaith the Proverbe of the antients, wickedneſſe proceedeth from the wicked man: And whatever 1 Sam. 24. 13.1 Sam 24:13their Declarations are to the Churches and people there, yet p. 121they will doe as alwayes they have done, who are men full of all ſubtilty, and all miſchiefe; children of the Devill; enemies of all righteouſneſſe, that will not ceaſe to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. Laſtly, As we are quick to feele where we are pinched, ſo we have a little underſtanding (ſo much as our children have, for that ſufficeth) to know, which party, the Kings or the Parliaments, does wrong us, does make us ſmart; we can judge of workes and of workes, what the Kings party does, and what the Parliaments party; what are the undertakings of the one, and what of the other: One ſcruple there is, and that troubles ſome of us, not a little.

A. The King, by his evill Councellours, hath forced an Oath upon us, and now we have taken it, we think we are bound to ſtand unto it, as you to your Covenant.

B. No, for ſo you are able to reſolve your ſelves. You have ſo much underſtanding, you ſay, as to judge betwixt works and works, what are agreeable and correſpond with Law and right reaſon, what are contrary to both. The judgement is as eaſie betwixt Oath and Oath, Covenant and Covenant: The Parliament have ſworn and muſt not repent to maintain the Rights of their LORD Chriſt, and of the Lord their King; The priviledges alſo and juſt liberties of their ſubjects all. The other ſide, a contrary party, have ſworn clean Salv. de gub: li. 4. 135, 136. Per Chriſtum, quia tollo illu…s per Chriſtum, quia o…oido illum. Rem ac ſubſtantiam.contrary to all the forementioned, and muſt repent or periſh for ever. Now judge you of your Oath, whether you muſt ſtand to it or not, after I have told you what Salvian tels me, which is this, There are ſome men ſuch ſinners, ſo abominable, That they will ſwear by the Lord Chriſt, that they will ſpoil & rob His ſubjects, yea, & kill them too. Ile tell you how I was anſwered th'other day, by a Lord-like oppreſſor, who had ground the face of a poor man, my neighbour, turned him (as the good Miniſters now adayes are turned) out of all, took from him all his livelihood. The poor man intreats me to entreat for him, I did; S^r, ſaid I, deal not ſo unjuſtly in taking away this poore mans livelihood, you have taken away, his life aaDeut. 24. 5. Quicquid hominis vitam ex neceſſitate tolerat. Vibrant in os meum truces oculos juravi inquit. &c. Quid ampli… ſacerem? Diſceſſi.Deut 24:5This Lord bent his brow upon me, and looked fierce like a lion, then told me, He must do as he had done, and muſt not doe otherwiſe. Why muſt you not? I replyed; And he to me, By the Lord Chriſt Ile do it, for by Him I have ſworne. Ah Lord! The man is beſide himſelf, ſtarke mad. Ile ſpeake no more to him, ſo I p. 122departed. Here is a cleare caſe, I have done: ſo much to remove the miſtakes about the Parliament, the taking off the offence, if any be, againſt their Perſons.

There is ſome miſtake about their defence, that that does conſiſt (III.)in numbers of men, and ſtrength of ammunition, wals, gates, and bars. Indeed this is a defence very conſiderable, and when the Lords time is come (it is at hand) and His ſervants cauſe fully tried (as Davids was) then the North ſhall give-in to His Churches help, and the South ſhall not keep-back; Eaſt and West will ſtandup; every man will ſtand upon his own guard, without taking gaine of money aaJudg. 5. 19.Judg 5:19. But this we reckon not upon as a defence to be leaned upon; Theſe are but the ſmall feathers of Gods protection; the great out-ſpreadig wing, as the out-ſpread firmament of His Power, is the LORD GOD Himſelfe with His Twenty thouſand bbPſal. 68. 17. 2 Kin. 6. 17.Ps 68:172 Kgs 6:17Charets, even thouſands of Angels, the Lord among His people, as in the holy place: He is the Defence of His people, even all thoſe that are, and ſeeke His Glory; the Lord is their Defence, or He creates a Defence upon His Aſſemblies, all the Glory ccIſai. 4. 5.Isa 4:5; His defence is a created defence; it defended His ſervants when their Soul lay among lions, amongſt thoſe, that ddPſal. 57. 4.Ps 57:4were ſet on fire with rage, yet defended; how they were defended they cannot tell, but they were defended, A created preſervation is above mans apprehenſion. But ſo the ſervants of the Lord may know themſelves to be the Glory, the Aſſemblies of the Lord; and therefore nothing can diſmay them; when it is ſaid, this ſtrong-hold is loſt, and that towne gone, yet the Parliaments ſtrength failes not, it is not gone, for GOD is not gone, that ſtrong-hold continues, even God in His holy place, an EVERLASTING eeIſai. 26. 4.Isa 26:4STRENGTH, and that is a ſure ground of EVERLASTING CONFIDENCE. God is all, and alwayes workes moſt gloriouſly then, when He workes alone, when the Creature is gone, and the proud helpers doe ſtoop under Him ff1 Job 9. 13.Job 9:13, then He works like a God. Never ſo for his adverſaries; (that is) He never wrought for them with an Arme made bare of fleſh: His Arme has wrought for His Adverſaries, but ſtill He hath clothed it with fleſh, and they have called fleſh their Arme; and given it all the glory. The concluſion is, the Adverſaries defence is of their own making, or but imagined. The Parliaments defence is created, ſo wonderfull, that it is above apprehenſion. God is called p. 123their Defence, their ſtrong Tower, a Refuge for His Servants, therfore GOD with His people will anſwer all objections againſt them, Remember the Lord, who is great, there is the defence, none ſuch, Neh. 4. 14.Neh 4:14the Rock, not like the adverſaries rock, the enemies themſelves being Judges; under this defence, the ſhadow of this great Rock, march you on-ward, Ye Worthies of the Lord, be not afraid of your adverſaries, Remember the Lord, who is great and terrible: and fighe for your brethren, your ſonnes, and your daughters; your wives, and your houſes. Spare them not, for they will not ſpare you, and feare that the Lord will not ſpare you neither, if you ſpare them; God has commanded, Be zealous for Him, as Phineas was, Numb. 24. 8.Num 24:8ſmite thoſe adverſaries as Phineas did, and then expect the plague will ceaſe: And ſo I come to the laſt thing in propoſition, the work of a Parliament, and to cleare the miſtakes about that work; what the work is firſt, though I thinke, the Malignants are not ſo brutiſh as to queſtion it.

1. Their work is, the ſetting-up every thing in its place; the IIII.LORD CHRIST upon His Throne above in His Church; His Deputy the King upon His Throne below; Religion in its place, and the Law in its place, (which muſt doe us Right when the King will not,) thats the worke, to give **Inventae ſun… leges cum ab uno viro, &c. Cic. oſſic.the Kings of Heaven what belongs to Him, and His King on earth what belongs to him; his Prerogative its length, and the ſubjects Priviledge its Right, that the King and his good people may rejoyce together, and not, as it has been, when the King and his Favourites, ſate drinking, that is, rejoycing; the Citie of God, his people there were in perplexitie, (i. e.) ſate mourning: No, the Parliament muſt endeavour, as they can, that all may rejoyce together, or all mourn together; there is harmony, a good conſent and agreement, befitting ſtill a Chriſtian King, and a Chriſtian people. This is the work of a Parliament; they would have it underſtood of all, it is to reforme things out of order in Church and State, and ſet them to rights, that there be a good underſtanding betwixt the King and people. In a word, it is called a work of Reformation.

Sober men are miſtaken here alſo, and in an extreme ſtill; ſometimes they ſee obſtructions like mountaines in the way of Reformation, and then they thinke, It is a work will never be done, the child of Reformation will ſticke at the birth ſtill: Then again, they p. 124ſee the mountaines made a plain, then they thinke the work will be done preſently: th…ſe are hasty thoughts, which men making haſte, are full-of. Sober men ſee the vanitie of theſe thoughts quickly, and as quickly correct themſelves and their roving thoughts with perfect and ſetled thoughts, as theſe, and ſo they come-off from the firſt extreme conſidering,

1. That we expect now a man-child to be borne (i. e.) a compleat Reformation: The ſober man muſt think now and ſettle upon the thought, that the production and bringing forth of a naturall birth into the world (whereto nature is ſo helpfull) is the wonderfull work of God, and aſcribed to His Hand. Nature indeed travels hard, and many throes ſhe makes, as if ſhe would throw-out all her ſpirits, and ſtrength, and breath at one caſt: And yet, when nature has done all ſhe can, to her utmoſt, ſhe cannot out-act her ſelfe, there the child ſticks at the birth, and there it muſt ſtick, till an Almighty Hand fetcheth it forth, not the mid-wives; No, Thou art He that tookest me out of my mothers wombe, ſayes David. That Deliverance he aſcribes to God; and it aſſures him for the time to come, that he ſhall be delivered in his greateſt ſtraits, for ſo he comforteth himſelfe (Ile note it by the way) againſt his jeering adverſaries, David truſted on the Lord, ſaid they, that Hee would deliver Pſal. 22. ….Ps 22him let the Lord deliver his ſervant now, ſeeing He delights in him. So the Lord will, ſayes David, and he thinks his adverſaries are mad to think the contrary; But how is David aſſured, that the Lord will help him out of thoſe ſtraits? Yes, the Lord will deliver me, ſayes he, and he is aſſured, for the LORD delivered me in greater ſtraits than theſe, when I was in my mothers wombe, ſtraits indeed, He took me out thence, ſayes David; the ſober man conſiders this with all his heart, and

2. If ſuch an Agony, ſo much trouble, and ſo many throwes before a man-child be borne, he conſiders what an Agony there muſt be, what throwes, what contentions, what ſtrivings, before a NATION be borne, before Zion brings forth her children! Ah Lord! but I muſt ſuppreſſe my meditations, an hint muſt ſatisfie: Only the ſober man wiſely conſiders this with it,

3. That it is now as once it was, the adverſarie has ſtood before Rev. 12. ….Rev 12the Church all this while ſhe has been in travell, and ready to be delivered, to devoure her children ſo ſoon as they be born; and now p. 125that they are borne, and ſecured by the LORD Himſelfe, and carried as upon Eagles wings, ſtrongly, ſ…iftly out of his reach, yet the adverſary ſtands watching his advantage, and if his hands cannot reach theſe children, yet his mouth ſhall; for now alſo, as in former times, he has caſt-out of his mouth water as a ſtood after the ver. …5.Church, that he might cauſe her to be carried away with the flood: thus the man conſiders, and

4. That the ſervants of the Lord have taken the readieſt way that could be taken (a way that never failed, it cannot faile now, whereof before) to mid-wife-forth this Birth; And how wonderfully they have wrought with God, and God with them, is now the wonder of all the Chriſtian world: We have had wonderfull Births, I have not a fitter word, for the Almighties Hand has brought them-forth, and the longer they ſtuck at the wombe, the more compleat they were. But it is ſaid, the MAN-CHILD is not borne yet, (i. e.) the worke is not compleated, though man has wrought with God all this while, and GOD with man, which made ſober men think that the worke would be ſpeedy, and ſudden. Theſe were as haſty thoughts as the other were diſtruſtfull, and in another extreme. Thus they are corrected by conſidering firſt.

1. The inſtruments or meanes God workes by; By men moſt times, I need not adde, weak, for man implies it; though he may ſtand for a thouſand in our choiſe, yet he muſt not ſtand ſo in our account; Man is but a Cypher indeed, and ſtanding alone he is nothing So one of the beſt and ableſt men of the world, has accounted himſelfe aa2 Cor. 12. 1….2 Cor 12:1nothing; not to be accounted of: And ſo are we to account of him alſo, Ceaſe from man, whoſe breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to b… bbIſai. 2. 22.Isa 2:22accounted of? It would be well with us i… we of low degree could looke upon men of high degree, and they upon themſelves as Nothings, for then they and we would labour to bring-downe GOD unto men, and to carry-up our ſpirits unto God, to ſix upon Him ſtedfaſtly, and ſo our ſpirits would be more conſtant and ſetled, we ſhould be able to ſtand ſtill (which now we cannot doe,) and waite the ſalvation of God: As for men whether low or high, they are all the ſonnes of men (i. e) Nothings, vanity, No truſt to be put in them; God only is all, and does all, and as He lets forth Himſelfe to His creature, or with-holds His hand, ſo His creature is and acteth; If we thinke that men can p. 126doe any thing of themſelves, then we thinke of them above what is meet: But if God will joyne himſelfe to men, (thoſe Cyphers,) as he has done, and is pleaſed to doe, then one man is an hundred quickly, and ten a thouſand.

You will ſay now, why are not things done ſuddenly as we expected? why is not Reformation compleated? There is mighty reaſon for that; though God joynes His hand to mans hand, yet He goes His creatures pace, ſlowly but ſurely: He works as a God, and His works are diſcerneable; But men work as men; though they goe GODS way, yet they walke their own pace. And ſee in paſſage the goodneſſe of their God, He does account of men as workers together with him; He will goe with them their pace, doe their work for them, and yet deale with them, as they with their little children, let them take the honour of the worke, which He has wrought: But wo… unto them now, if they ſo requite their LORD, not aſcribing to Him all the glory. Let us looke-over the regiſter of Gods works, which He has wrought by men, or which men have wrought, theſe three laſt yeares, working with God. I ſee my worke growes-bigge under my hand: ſeeing I have not …e skill to leſſen it, and yet have ſhortened my meditations, let me greaten and heighten the worke with the great and high works of the Lord; who ever was the inſtrument, God wrought them; Ile be as quick, in recording them, almoſt, as is a thought; and yet the readers underſtanding ſhall goe along with me, if he has laid-up theſe works and pondered them in his heart.

The firſt work in ſight (after they had made their prayer and ſupplication to their God, to bring Him down to them and their work) was the opening the priſon doores to the righteous, and ſhutting them upon the ungodly ones. Then the wicked did …ee as before an earthquake, for the wrath of the Lord purſued them. Then yoakes were taken off the necks, and burthens from off the ſhoulders. The Biſhops were choaked with their own Oath, the fire comming from themſelves conſumed them, and their own lips ſwallowed them up, as the lips of fooles: Then they were Eccleſ …0. 1….heaved-at, as the ſtomack heaves at ſome indigeſted bitts, to caſtthem-forth, but nature was not yet ſtrong enough; Then there was an heaving againe and againe, and yet it would not doe: but they were heaved-off from their ſtrong foundation. Then a p. 127trieniall Parliament; and a long Aſſize. Then a Proteſtation was entred into, for God wrought with men. Then a great Champion, that had ſet his foot upon Church and Common-wealth, was cutſhort by the head: Then the bloody Inquiſition, High-commiſſion and Star-chamber Courts were taken away, thoſe ſnares were broken. Then a breach was made-up, which the adverſary would have made wide as the ſea, and a Pacification, &c. Oh Lord! how wonderfull! Remember ſtill, God works like a God, though He goes mans pace. Then the Tragedy began in Ireland, to end in England; and oh how active the Biſhops were, to bring over the ſtage hither; to ſet it-up here: And while they were a working, they wrought themſelves out of the Lords Houſe; and ſhut themſelves faſt-up in priſon, with their own hands. Then the earth was moved, for it was ſmitten terribly, and ſwords now drawn, but could draw no blood, O wonderfull! Then every man to his ſtrong hold, but they were ſafe among Lyons, who made God their refuge. And now there was a kind of checker-worke all along, many ſtroakes of red, and ſome white; the Lord mingled judgements and mercies, but all was mercy and a fruit of love to His Church and people; things were ſo diſpenſed, that His people might know, that they had grieved their God: apparent tokens of Divine wrath towards the Land, and cleare manifeſtations of loving kindneſſes towards His people, for then the adverſary girded and girded himſelfe, and God brake him as often to pieces. Sometimes the Lord walkt contrary, and backward, we fooles thought ſo, but then He went forward, ſtrait-on to the white and butt, He tended to from all eternity: and all His way though croſſe to us, were very direct, we fooles can diſcerne it now: Sometimes His ſervants roſe high, then f…ll as low, but their falls were their advantage, and tended wonderfully to give them aſſurance of an expected end: Then the wiles and depths of Satan were diſcovered, a plot as deepe as hell, and as full of malice as the Devill: But from that ſowre this ſweet, for then a ſecond Covenant was entred into; And all this time (which muſt be remembred) the malignants palaces were then, as now they are, their priſons: So the beauty of the Biſhops excellency is ſtain'd, and the prophecy fulfilled, Wild beaſts of the deſart ſhall lye there, and their houſes Iſa. 13. ….Isa 13ſhall be full of dole full creatures. This turning the Biſhops palaces p. 128into priſons muſt be remembred ſtill, and how their Curates ſpued themſelves out of their houſes, or their houſes ſpued them forth. Then Hell-gates were ſet wider open, if wider could be, and there iſſued forth an horrid Proclamation; Then a Kentiſh untimely birth, an helliſh Rebellion, which ran its ſelfe preſently-out of breath, and expired. But God wrought gloriouſly ſtill, for now He brought-up three Kingdomes into Covenant, and one Nation forth for our helpe. O wonderfull! I muſt now paſſe over the victories God gave His ſervants, and the diſcomfitures alſo; there was wonderfull mercy in all: But on this our thoughts muſt dwell, though I paſſe it lightly over. GODS Houſe, appointed by Him to be an houſe of prayer, but made a den of theeves, is now turned to the ſame uſe it was intended, made an houſe of prayer: and theſe merchants, with their ſervants, are caſt-out; when this is done all over the Land, then the work is compleated; but bleſſed be God for what is done, for ever praiſed be His Name, Amen.

And ſo we have ſeene what man can doe, when he ſtands alone by himſelfe, juſt nothing: for he is a cipher; But if God will worke by him, then he, that was nothing before, or but as a cake of barley bread, ſhall ſmite the hoſt of Midian, overturne their tents, Judg. 7. 13.Judg 7:13and lay them along, as our worthies have done. Indeed the more contemptible the inſtrument is, the more glorious Gods hand is, as when He works with an Oxes goad, or jaw bone of an Aſſe; then heapes upon heapes, and the work is wonderfull. And if ſo when He works by His inſtruments, what manner of work, and how glorious, which He wrought alone, going His own pace; Then His work was as quick as His word, which ſayes the Pſalmiſt, went forth ſwiftly, witneſſe the Heavens and the Lights there, which we ſee but cannot apprehend: and the earth with the creatures there: All theſe He wrought alone, He ſpake the word and they were created. And what manner of ſalvation will that be, which, the LORD ſayes His own arme, He alone will bring? A created defence is above our apprehenſion, ſo will that ſalvation be.

Thus we have conſidered the workmen, they work as men; God works with them, and works as God; but goes His creatures pace. Sober men conſider.

2. The nature of this work; it is a dethroning all illegall power; p. 129a caſting-out all illegall things, whereunto nature (corrupt) contributes nothing, but all ſhe can againſt it: So does the Devill and all his angels; for nature will not depoſe its ſelfe, nor the idols ſhe has ſet-up; nor will Satan and his angels dethrone themſelves, whatever they prate to the contrary: This work is, as was ſaid, a rectifying of things amiſſe in Church and State, the recovering of truth and peace, which our ſins have taken from the earth; the establiſhing religion, the worſhip and ſervice of God, according to the rule, and word of God. This is the nature of the work, which has been ſaid the third time, that the ſimple might underſtand, and conſider wiſely of it, and then he will not ſay, it is a work of quick diſpatch. It was not quickly concluded, where to begin, there was ſuch a confuſion in things. Indeed there were as many breaches in the Church and State, as there be holes in a Seive, which the wiſe Cam. in vi…a Mela…ch. p. 29.man thought, he would make hold water, but could not tell where to begin his work; Melancthon makes great uſe of this compariſon, to ſet forth the ſtate of the Germane Church an hundred yeares agoe, and was a prognostick of the troubles and deſolations there now: ſuch a confuſion there was in Church and ſtate at this time, ſuch as that was in the Germane Church, ſo as a wiſe man indeed, with a naturall eye, could diſcerne nothing but foreign and foreign all things in a confuſion, like the empty place, without forme, and nothing in place: ſo many breaches in Church and ſtate, that it was impoſſible with man to know where to begin; Nor is it poſſible now to know when they ſhall make an end. God that makes a path in a wilderneſſe, has tooke his ſervants, in their maze, by the hand, and led them throughout hitherto. To cleare the difficulty of this worke, and what makes it ſo difficult, I will compare it with the adverſaries worke. Their worke was to advance POPERY. And truly their work went-on as their word, very ſwif…ly; Let there be altars built, crucifixes and images made, it was done. Let Prayer be ſtinted, let Miniſters mouthes be ſtopped, it was done. Let the LORDS Day be prophaned, let there be no Sermon in the afternoone, not one; and let Reading goe for preaching in the forenoon, it was done. A way with the bands of God, His lawes, away with Covenants, thoſe ſhackels to the fleſh, away with them (and let our covenant with hell ſtand,) all this no ſooner commanded, but it was done, quick work. We cannot miſtake the reaſon; here was a p. 130compliance with fleſh and bloud; nature was pleaſed here, the world pleaſed, and the devill pleaſed; this leaven (our natures being ſowred with it from the beginning) ſowred the lumpe, the whole land quickly? for what ſhould hinder? Nature, fleſh, the world, and the Devill gave in their helpe preſently, ſo things were done ſuddenly. The Parliaments worke was and is as we heard, a counter-work, To exalt the LORD Chriſt; to advance and ſpread His Goſpel, to remove and take away that, foreign him (a 2 Theſ. 2. 7.2 Thess 2:7legion) that letteth now, will let, Perſons and Things: I will not ſtand to cleare the difficulty of this worke, which ſenſe and reaſon have made ſo cleare and ſo demonſtrative. Ile only ſay, the Difficulties (as great as are imaginable) honours the worke, and the work-men, if they be enlivened thereby, and provoked to put out their ſtrength, all their activitie in this work, ſo viſibly now and apparently the work of God. Indeed 1. Theſe difficulties ſhould be ſo farre from diſcouraging, that they ſhould hearten, and put more ſpirit into every man, that he put to more ſtrength aaEccleſ. 10. 10.Eccl 10:10; theſe difficulti…s ſpeake unto him, Ariſe, ſleeper, ſuch a work in hand, and ſuch Ionah 2. 6.Jonah 2:6oppoſition, and ſuch a tempeſt raiſed to hinder the ſame, and aſleep now! up ſluggard, and pray to thy God. 2. Indeed that is to be conſidered alſo, the ſtraits and difficulties make the ſervants of the Lord more prayerfull; now they powre out their prayers; Now they are earnest, and importunate; Now they will not let God alone; Now they will give Him no reſt; their Lord has brought them within ſight of the promiſed end, now as Daniel did, they ſet their face unto the LORD GOD. 3. And the greater the ſtraits are, Dan. 9. 3.Dan 9:3the fuller their hope is, they are carried with a ſtronger gale of Faith through them to the promiſed and Expected End. We have conſidered the nature of the worke, it is hard and difficult, carried through the ſtraits; this honours the work, and the work-men, it makes them more active, more ſpiritfull, more prayerfull, more hopefull, I might adde, and more joyfull; for through thoſe ſtraits, and ſlouds of great waters, they are carried with full ſaile, full … Col. 2. 2. foreign. 1 Theſ. 1. 5. …ieh. 6. 11.Col 2:21 Thess 1:5aſſurance to their promiſed wealthy place, where their joy ſhall be full. In the laſt place, that the man may not make haſte, he conſiders;

3. That the promiſe touching this work, the compleating of it, is, de futuro, God will reſtore, He will build-up Zion, His Tabernacle, p. 131after it is fallen; I know not how low, but not too low for His hand to raiſe-up again. But Ile paſſe over this; Bleſſed be God that his Promiſe is ſo near accompliſhed, that He has brought His ſervants ſo near unto an expected end.

Here is a Paralogiſme ^a now to be conſidered on, (for thereby Col. 2. 4.Col 2:4unſtable ſoules are infinitely beguiled) touching this worke, the eaſineſſe and facilitie of the ſame. Thus they reaſon; the meanes whereby this Poſturing, this Reforming work is effected, are very eaſie, Praying, Preaching, &c. theſe were no ſooner commanded but done; then why is not the work done? the meanes are eaſie, and quickly performed, therefore the work is an eaſie worke, and of quick diſpatch, whether you reſpect a Nation, or a Man onelyonly; there is the deceit.

The Man ſhall make anſwer to this in the next Section, where he will tell you that fasting, and praying, and hearing, &c. are but out-works, bodily exerciſes, the out-ſide of Duty, which are of little uſe. The man will ſhew us the in-ſide, and truth of theſe duties, which doe the work indeed. Ile cloſe this Chapter with a pretti… ſtorie, which may not be impertinent to ſhew us the inſide of a dutie, and what it is that does the worke. It is thus related, That a poore mans field proved very fruitfull, it was likely to yeeld him a very rich encreaſe; his neighbours envied and reproached him, ſaying, he was a witch, and wrought with the Devill, and conjured Plin. lib. 18. cap. 6. ceu pelliceret veneſiciis.their corne into his ground; Nor did they onelyonly ſay ſo, but they ſummoned the poor man to make his appearance before the Judge, there to anſwer his inditement for witchcraft. The man makes his appearance, brings with him a luſty and ſtrong Wench, his daughter well fed and clad, together with his oxen well fed too, and ſtrong to labour, with all his implements of husbandry, all theſe he preſented before the honourable Court: At which ſight the Court ſtood at amaze. At laſt the Judge queſtions the man, Fellow, ſaid the Judge, what meanes all this, what makes thy daughter, and thy oxen here, here is nothing will be ſaid againſt them. Like your Maſter-ſhip ſaid the poore man, a plain fellow, You muſt indite Veneſicia mea haec ſunt: nec poſſu… vo…is oſtendere luc… brationes, vigilias, ſudores.theſe, for theſe are my witches, all the ſpirits in ſight, that have conjured my ground; This is my witchcraft. I have brought my daughter here, that I may tell your goodneſſe, I doe not truſt ſervants, nor her neither, no farther than I can ſee her. I doe my buſineſſe p. 132neſſe my ſelfe, or ſee it done; But yet this is the leaſt part of my witchcraft, I cannot ſhew your learning what my watchings have been about my ground, when my neighbours were faſt in their beds or looſe in the Ale-houſe: nor what my carefull diligence was, early and late, to keep and maintain my fences about my ground; nor how ſweat has furrowed my brow, and how my ſpirits have waſted; but theſe are the ſpirits which make my ground fruitfull. The application is eaſie whether we reſpect the Nation, or a man This poſturing vvorke is more advanced in the Cloſſet than in the Court.only. Theſe out-works, bodily exerciſe, outward performance, ſomething they doe towards the ſtrengthening a Kingdome, whereof Ahab and the inhabitants of Niniveh are great examples: And ſomething they doe to make the field of the Church fruitfull. But it is the inward-works, the workings of the Spirit, the ſtrivings, the wraſtlings there, theſe doe the work. It will appeare now in the next Section, for now I am comming to the Good Souldier, to remove the miſtakes about his perſon, and worke, and I will goe along with him in his warfare to his worlds end.

§ VII. How the Good Souldier beares-up himſelfe above his oppreſsions.

This Good Souldier is miſtaken, his adverſaries oppreſſe him, and blaſpheme him daily; how be beares-up himſelfe; and what his conſolations are under their oppreſſions; and how he anſwers their blaſphemie. We miſtake him, and he miſtakes himſelfe: Some miſtake about his Armour: We and he are miſtaken in his poſturing work; he thought it an impoſſible work, we think it very poſſible, and eaſie; He rectifies our miſtakes touching the chiefeſt duties of a Chriſtian.

THis man is a Good Souldier of Jeſus Chriſt; That is enough to tell you, What he is? he is Body, and goods, and life, and all he is for the Parliament; he has lifted-up his hand to the moſt High God, that ſo he will be, and he will ſtand to it; he will ſtand-up for God, ſure, he will ſpend himſelfe and be ſpent for his Lord Chriſt, who gave Himſelfe for him, waſhed him in the Laver or Bath of his Cauſe, his Truths, his Rights, the Priviledges of his Lords Kingdome: for that is the way, the onelyonly way, to maintaine the Kings crowne, and the Kingdomes of this world from ſhattering p. 133to pieces. And ſeeing his Lord Chriſt, and the Lord his King, and all the three Kingdomes are concerned here, the man thanks God heartily, that he has a body, and goods, and a life, all ſpared and lengthened out unto him untill this time, when he may offer all, powre out all, as his prayers, for ſuch a Cauſe as this, and for the Governours of Iſrael, the maintainers of this Cauſe; Oh, his heart is towards all them, and every one that offered themſelves willingly. **This man is of the Martyrs mind, Shall I dye but once for Him, that dyed a curſed death for me, to make me bleſſed for ever? What no more ſtripes, no more ſhame for His ſake, who was put to open ſhame for me? What no more goods to loſe for Him who was made poore, that he might make me rich?Now you need not ſuppoſe that this man has enemies enough; the broken Ʋniverſitie of Oxford, and all the whole Anti-Parliament there, all theſe are his enemies, and will doe him all the miſchiefe they can; their Court-Rab ſhakeh blaſphemes him every week, whom he regards no more than the Moon does the barking of a Dog; he is not afraid of the Beaſts of the earth, not he. The Ʋniverſitie proteſteth againſt this man, that if he be a Divine, he ſhall never be a Doctour; aaThis man regardeth their honours no more than Peter did the money, Their honours periſh with them. Act. 8. 20.Acts 8:20they have no dignities for honeſt men; the higher his deſerts are, the lower his eſteeme ſhall be: And if he be a Gentleman, he ſhall never be a Knight, &c. for they can command the Kings Sword. Simple fellowes, Schollars and no more? Tell this man of honours, and of their beſtowing, whom God has honoured. A right Mordecai he, bbHe came againe to the Kings gate, Eſth, 6. 12.the ſame man at the gate, on horſe-back, and on foot. A rock indeed, be the ſeas raging or be they calme; is there a pleaſant Sun-ſhine, or does that wind roare called Huroclydon, ccActs 24, 14. foreign, &c. in cp. ad Col. ca. 4. Hom. 10. foreign, &c Ibid. Job 38. 31.Acts 24:14Job 38:31this man is, as the rock is, ſtill the ſame. But the adverſaries have plundered his houſe, done him all the miſchiefe they can, he is on Gods ſide, and they threaten to burn his houſe too, and if they could they would dig-up the good mans grounds, put all his earth into baskets, and cart it to Oxford. This is the great offence now adayes; I pray you let me tell you from anothers mouth, how this man neglects all this: and then, how he comforts himſelfe under his preſſures. His adverſaries, ſayes Chryſostome, would lay load upon his loynes (for he is a Righteous man;) he runnes the faſter now, and beares-up the ſtronger. They would, by their hard dealing, hinder his courſe; they cannot doe it, it is impoſſible; why? his courſe is ſpirituall in heaven, there his converſation is; you cannot bind ſuch a Runner, no more than you can bind the ſweet inſluences of Pleiades: or looſe the bands of Orion. Indeed it is in vaine to ſtorme this man, or to threaten ſo to doe; for, as is ſaid of Joſeph, if the ſtorme increaſeth, and riſeth high, he p. 134as a Pilot riſeth higher, and rideth ſecurely above all the floods of great waters: there is his ſecurity and his comfort. He has been at Chryſoft in Gen.a loſſe, becauſe he would be loyall and obedient; It is not a loſſe; if the world call it ſo, they are miſtaken, it brings in an infinite gaine. It is not poſſible to take a ſhorter way to be rich, than to be at a loſſe for Chriſt: none feele more ſweet experiences of the Lords compendious providences, than they, who are reſolute in their Compendia proviaentia.obedience: They may ſafely expect God in His admirable wayes of providence, when they will reſolvedly walke in his wayes of obedience, when the ſervants of the Lord have given glory to God in relying upon His wiſedome, power and truth, they ſhall find Him employing theſe for their direction, aſſiſtance, and bringingabout all things to their deſired iſſue: yea above whatever was looked for, or thought of. None of theſe things this man is now robbed of could yeeld him any comfort but from an influence, through them, from Heaven; This influence, the adverſaries cannot ſtop no more than they can bind the ſweet influences of the Pleiades or Sun beames; what comforts he had before from houſes, lands, friends, &c. the ſame the Lord now inſtills immediately from himſelfe: and the immediate comforts are the ſtrongeſt comforts.

That which (to a man unacquainted with Gods dealings) is a ground of utter deſpaire, the ſame, to a man acquainted with the wayes of God, is a riſe of exceeding comfort: for infinite power and goodneſſe can never be at a loſſe; neither can Faith, which looks to that, ever be at a ſtand: whence it is, that both GOD and Faith work beſt alone. There is enough in Religion (if practiſed in power) to beare-up the ſoule againſt all imputation layed upon it; It hath this ſingular grace and preheminence in it, that either it guardeth us as an heavenly ſhield from all calamities; or elſe conducteth us ſafe through them, and permitteth them not to be miſeries: It either giveth honours, promotions and wealth; or elſe more benefit by wanting them, than if we had them at will; It either filleth our houſes with plenty of all good things, or maketh a ſallet of greene herbes, more ſweet than all the ſacrifices of the ungodly. The man abides now with meckneſſe, and waites with patience the time when with his eyes he ſhall behold his redeemer, Who liveth and is Mighty, p. 135Who will, in His appointed time, repaire and make-up all His Churches breaches; will reſtore unto them all thoſe yeares, the locuſts have conſumed, the canker-wormes and theſe caterpillars; will wipe all teares from their eyes; will cleare Jacobs face, ſo that he ſhall wax pale no more; will cheare up his heart, that it ſhall never droope againe. And this appointed time is at hand; when Jacob ſhall rejoyce, and Iſraell ſhall be right glad. And ſo much to the preſſures from the adverſaries hand: and how the ſervant of the Lord beares himſelfe-up under theſe preſſures: I thought it very uſefull for theſe hard and perilous times. I come now to their blaſphemy. What is this fellow? We need not queſtion it, he is on Gods-ſide, on the Parliaments ſide, then he is a Traitour and a Rebell; ſo his adverſaries belch-out their words, calling him by their own name: **Me de ſuo nomine vocat. Cic. parad.The man thankes them very heartily for that; he takes it for a greater honour than if they ſhould make him a Knight (of the poſt,) Lord, Earle, Marqueſſe or the like. A great honour to be vilified, miſcalled for Gods Cauſe, to be reproached for His ſake. So their fathers reproached all the Worthies of the Lord in all ages: If they were true builders in Gods account, then were they Rebels and Traitours in the enemies account: Their fathers ſaid as much againſt Chriſt Himſelfe, that the Devill was in Him, He was a Samaritan and had Joh. 8. 48.John 8:48a Devill. Indeed this man glorieth very much in this, that he is as his Maſter was, ſo reproached, ſo perſecuted, ſo blaſpemed. What ſayes he now in way of anſwer to theſe blaſphemies? Nothing, he ſpreads this blaſphemy, as the King the letter, before the LORD; His Lord ſhall anſwer it, and ſo He will; He will anſwer it by Himſelfe: for God is blaſphemed, and not the man; His grace, His image upon the man, His actings in the man to and for his God; that, that is it, the butt and white, at which malice bends her bow, and ſhootes her arrowes, even devouring words: God muſt anſwer this by Himſelfe, for He is blaſphemed, the man will ſay nothing. The reproach is againſt his LORD and Maſter, He will require it; if there were nothing of GOD in the man, no more than is in his adverſaries, they could agree very well, for then Rebels and Traitours all, and no offence at all; but God and godlineſſe in the man, there is the butt and white, God will anſwer it. And now the man will ſit down and mourne for theſe his adverſaries in his ſpirit, p. 136who, he is verily perſwaded, [conſidering the ſeaſon, and cleareneſſe of light, and malice ſo apparent in their reproaches, not againſt him, but God Himſelfe and His Image upon him, His actings in him) have blaſphemed the HOLY GHOST. He mournes for them, and ſo he comes off from that ſad and mournfull ſubject, the blaſphemer and his blaſphemy, And now I come to the miſtakes about this good man.

We are miſtaken, and he both, and in extreames all. Sometimes we may think, that this man ſo magnified here, and ſo magnifying his office, is ſome goodly man to looke upon. No, it may be not, looke upon his outward viſage, and may be there is nothing to be deſired; he is made ſo conformable to his LORD once, that he may be but a contemptible out-ſide now. And ſo we are quickly corrected, for thinking of him above what is meet. And now we fall into the other extreame; though we have not ſo baſe and vile thoughts of him as his adverſaries have, ſuch as Goliah had of David, yet our thoughts are too meane concerning him. But let us remember, that his adverſaries conceits, and ours too, will be corrected one day: It is a point of wiſedome to correct them now, while there is time, and hope; for our conceits hold meerely by the tenure of ignorance, (The adverſaries conceit not ſo) There is councell enough in the ſift of Wiſedome **Wiſd. 5.Wis 5to correct us all, if we take it ſeaſonably, ponder and conſider well of it: The conſideration of thoſe words, will correct our miſtakes touching the man, or nothing will doe it, till our mouth come, and endleſſe paines reſt and abide upon us for ever. But whatever our conceits are of Laudanti…us facile credu…us etiam mentientibis, ſeu falſus honor …uvat, &c. Ilier.him, though they doe heighten and leſſen fooles, who hearken what others ſay of them, rather than what their own conſciences ſay, theſe our conceits of him, whether high or low, cannot make him conceited of himſelfe: As he doth, touching peace, ſo much talkedof, and hearkened after now adayes, he hearkens and liſſens what GOD ſayes, for He ſpeakes peace: So touching that we call praiſe, esteeme and account in the world; If he have it from GOD and good men, he has enough. It is a very ſmall thing with him to be 1 Cor. 4. 3.1 Cor 4:3judged of mans judgement; He, that judgeth is the Lord: and all his labour or ambation is (for he labours as an ambitious man does after honours in the world) to be accepted of GOD: By the 2 Cor. 5. 9. foreign.2 Cor 5:9grace of God he is what he is; in himſelfe nothing, but all in God; p. 137wiſe in His wiſedome, ſtrong in his ſtrength: And he has nothing he can call properly his own, but ſin: what comelineſſe he has (his chiefeſt is as the Churches is, within ccPſal. 44. 13.Ps 44:13, Glorious there) God put it upon him ddEzech. 16. 14. Pro. 25. 11. Like apples of gold with pictures of ſilver; his zeal ſhines without, it burnes within. Rev. 4. 10. He receives all from God through Chriſt; his graces have their ſtrength and ſtability in Chriſt, and ſo his condition is more ſtable than Adams was. 2 Cor. 12. 7.Ezek 16:14Prov 25:11Rev 4:102 Cor 12:7Whatever grace he has he boaſteth not, but in GOD, for he has received it: and all his receits, he does caſt downe (as the Elders their Crownes) before Him that ſitteth upon the throne.

Yet we muſt note before we leave his perſon, That this man may be miſtaken about himſelfe; very poſſible, that his conceit of himſelfe may be too high, and ſometimes too low; too high and exalted above meaſure through the aboundance God has given him: but then God puts a thorne into his fleſh, ſome ſtrong maſterlike temptation, and downe he is brought upon his knees, as Paul was; then he ſees how weake he is, and how little cauſe of boaſting or exaltation in himſelfe; and now if he glory, he will glory in his infirmities, that the power of Chriſt may rest upon him: But he finds it hard to keep-up to his peg, for now he is too low, he ſpeakes too meanely of grace its ſelfe, and that he ſhould not doe of a cruſt of bread, for it comes from God, opening His hand: But he has aboundance out of Gods treaſury, and yet he ſpeakes murmuringly, as if he had received nothing, and then he cannot be thankfull; He has no grace, not he, no faith, no love, he has received nothing: nothing! he has the grace of humility, poverty of ſpirit, he is emptied of himſelfe, he ſees himſelfe to be nothing, and is this nothing? He feares God above many; loves God above all; and though he ſayes he has no faith (ſo low he is) yes, he has, for he clings to his Lord Chriſt, and cleaves unto Him; and, though he ſayes he has no intereſt in his Lord, yet, if you queſtion him at that point, he will tell you, he will not give away his interest he has in his Lord Christ (for He is his Heaven) for a thouſand worlds. An happy miſtake this, yea glorious **A glorious grace humility, which layeth a foundation whereon to build a glorious Temple.: Yet let the man take heed he does not deale unkindly with his God, and render himſelfe unthankfull for ſuch grace. We know he is thankfull for a bit of bread, leſſer than ſuch a poore mercy; how much more for that grace, the grace of humility, if he has no more? (but where ever there is an emptying grace, there will be a filling grace,) for this makes the man honourable in Gods eſteeme, pretious and of high account: Heare what the Lord ſayes to him; Thou, preſſed with tribulation p. 138and poverty, doſt ſay, Thou art poore; but I ſay, thou art rich, for thou poſſeſſest all things. Thou doſt want nothing, becauſe Rev. 2. 9. 2 Cor. 6. 10.Rev 2:92 Cor 6:10thou knoweſt what thou wanteſt, and laboureſt after a ſupply, as after the moſt lovelieſt thing, more after grace, than glory, ſo God ſayes. Reade againe, This man has overcome the world; and is all for another world, where his Lord Chriſt is; Now he reades what followes, he ſhall inherit all things; and I will be his God and he ſhall be my ſonne: Here is enough to correct the miſtakes this man Rev. 117.has of himſelfe.

What his Armour is and the ſeverall pieces of the ſame, all the III.world knowes, that are not willingly ignorant. That Armour without is not deſpiſed by him, nor neglected: But that, which is not Epheſ. 6.Eph 6in ſight, which David, comming againſt Goliah had put on, that makes the man like flint, and braſſe, and renders the ſhocks, and blaſts of the terrible ones againſt him, as fruitleſſe and harmleſſe, as a puff of wind againſt a mountaine of braſſe. It was ſpoken before, upon all the glory (and he is a great part of it,) there is a defence; even upon all thoſe, that are, and ſeeke Gods glory; And ſee now how confidently he walks, as bold as a Lyon; he laugh… Job. 5. 22.Job 5:22at the ſword, and famine, neither the red horſe, nor the pale horſe, can affright him; His heart is fixed truſting in the Lord; And he walks accuratly, preciſely, exactly, according to the line of men, as becommeth a man ſo protected, ſo defended, that has a guard of Angels ſtill about him.

A. But makes his adverſary no offers upon him?

B. Yes, and more than offers, he buffets him oftentimes, and ſometimes, once or twice, the adverſary clubbed him downe: but he was quickly up againe, and ſtood more ſtrongly and kept his watch, and his Armour about him, more carefully for ever after.

A. But does the man never ſtraggle out of his way, and ſo from under the eye of his guard, the Angels of God?

B. No never; I doe not meane, that the man keeps ſtill in the ſame walk; that he makes no fault, nor turnings at no time; The man has wandrings, and like a ſheepe ſtraggles ſometimes; but his ſheapheard overlookes all this, and lookes him-out; his Lord God beholds him in the way, wherein he walks moſt conſtantly, and would walk ſtedfaſtly for ever; He pittieth His ſervant in his by paths, and his ſervant loathes himſelfe becauſe of his wandrings, p. 139and ſcatterings that way: It is the high way, that this mans ſoule deſireth to keep unto, and the high way of the upright, is to depart from evill; that is his way, and he keepeth his way, and preſerveth Prov. 16. 17.Prov 16:17his ſoul, and ſo he is preſerved. A well poſtured man indeed: how he came to be ſo well armed, ſo meet for defence, and offence; what a labour and work this is comes now to be conſidered.

The man was miſtaken about this worke himſelfe, he was in an IIII.extreame; he thought it could never be done. We are in another extreame, we think it is a work quickly done. I intended to be large here, as the matter and work does require, preſuming I might make this the moſt uſefull of any thing in the book: But becauſe it has ſo much exceeded its proportion, and the common rates, ile ſuppreſſe a good part of my meditations, and lay thoſe, I ſhall expreſſe, as cloſe together as poſſibly I can, In the order I propoſed. 1. This good ſouldier thought, that this his poſturing worke would never be done; he may think ſo ſtill, you may ſay: for, as was ſaid, it is a work ſtill doing, and never done, not compleated till he dies, as we ſhall heare afterwards. But his meaning is, and his thoughts were, that he ſhould never ſee the work brought on-ward to that perfection, as now he ſees it, conſidering what a work it is: The exalting the Lord Chriſt in his heart, as Lord there (where He is He will be a Lord) Thruſting-out or caſting-down all the luſts-like-lords there) he had many lords there till he had one LORD there a: The ſetting-up the law of God in his mind, and bringingup his mind thereunto: In two words, the work and labour is, Multos domiuos habet qui unem non habet. Animae ſexum non haben….to deny himſelfe, and to take-up his croſſe, and follow the LAMB wherever he goes. I ſhall never be able to doe this thought he (this ſonne or daughter, for neither ſoules nor Heaven has ſexes,) And truly, though this was an haſty thought, yet very excuſable. The man could not tell where to begin his work, and he can but tell when he ſhall make an end, whereof anon. At length he underſtood by reading; that he muſt begin with God, ſeeke Him by faſting and praying, ſo to bring Him down to him, and his worke. This was another worke: oh! how high the worke, and how low his ſpirit! yet that was the way, he muſt not leave off following-on to ſeeke the Lord; he muſt uſe the meanes heartily, and ſo he did, yet the work was not done. Done! The great worke was behind, the engaging work; the engaging his hand, and heart, and ſpirit to p. 140the Lord, and againſt His adverſaries, though beloved luſts, as his right eye and arme, yet he muſt ſay to them all, and every one (his own iniquity, and that within his houſe or tabernacle aaJob 11. 14.Job 11:14) get ye hence bbIſa. 30. 22.Isa 30:22: I have engaged my heart, eſpouſed my ſoul and ſpirit to my LORD CHRIST, He muſt have it, get you hence, what have I any more to doe with Idols ccHoſea 14. 8.Hos 14:8? (The Lord heard him ſpeaking this, and obſerved him) oh how hardly was he brought-up to this engaging work? The way of the righteous is on-high indeed, a bringing back the heart from the earth, whereunto it is fallen flat, (and made all earth till Heaven came into it) and up to God: But up it was brought, and, like a ſtone indeed, downe againe it falls with its own weight. The man can tell you better than I what ſtops and pauſes he made in this work, what backſlidings (not in heart,) what ſtartings aſide (not in ſpirit,) what warpings, what declinings! A great while before he could attaine to aconſtancy, a fixedneſſe of ſpirit; And this he attained-to, not before he diſcerned plainly, that his canning his ability was nothing; his ſtrength was to ſit ſtill (that is) ſeeke GOD and His ſtrength, and depend thereon in Gods way, and never forſake that confidence, for God watcheth over ſuch a worke, ſo pleaſing in His ſight; and He hearkeneth to the deſire of them that feare Him: So that all the ſtopps, pauſes, obſtructions, walls, mountaines in his way to this work, did but ſerve to make this man alſo more carefull, watchfull, prayerfull, spiritfull, hopefull, joyfull: For though his warfare be not yet compleated, nor never will be in this world, though all is in expectation, de futuro, and ſo runs the promiſe (my ſervant ſhall eate, and drinke, and rejoyce) yet Gods grace Iſa. 6…. 13, …4.Isa 6:13Isa 6:4is ſufficient all this while; He is the Ʋndertaker to compleat the man and his work. And now the man has a good portion in hand, as an earneſt-penny, or as a bunch of grapes, to aſſure him, the full vintage and harveſt in Heaven, where is a length of eternity, which his thoughts, at the largeſt extent, cannot meaſure: And all that length of—eternity, the man ſhall have a full fruition; of what? that cannot be expreſſed. But ſo he has cleared his own miſtakes touching the impoſſibility of this work. Now if we will …earken to him, he will cleare our miſtakes on the left hand, touching the eaſineſſe of this work: for our conceit is, that the meanes, (prayer, hearing, reading, &c.) this man has uſed to p. 141poſture himſelfe, are eaſie. But he will tell us, it is but a conceit; we are infinitly miſtaken: He will ſhew us our miſtakes in order, and correct them, firſt our miſtake touching Prayer.

1. Prayer is no eaſie work, unleſſe you meane the Biſhops work, their Common-prayer, which they called Divine ſervice. This man cannot acknowledge any common-prayers; nor can he conceive, there is any divinity in theſe prayers, that are ſo called; for firſt, we muſt not come before God with common hands, then not preſent unto Him common-prayers; We dare not preſent ſuch prayers to our governours aaMal. 1. 8.Mal 1:8. 2. We expect no common-mercies, but ſuch as GOD, Who beſtowes as a God, uſeth to give to His peculiar people: we muſt not then petition after a common manner. 3. Common-prayer at the beſt, can have but a common acceptance: but we muſt pray, and labour bbforeign.in prayer, that we may be accepted of Him. 4. As the Cenſer without fire was never inſtrumentall to remove a plague: ſo, nor was this common-prayer efficacious for that purpoſe: for it has no divinity in it; they that looke for divinity in thoſe prayers (theſe words, in no ſober mans conſtruction, can reflect upon them, that made the prayers; there was, we doubt not, much of God in them:) but to looke for Divinity in this Divine ſervice, argues as much ignorance as was in thoſe people, who looked for the Moone in the Aſſes-belly; Thus it is related, Cum noſtra memoria ſit populus qui lunam ab aſino epotam crediderit, Ludov. Vives comment. in Aug cap. 16. lib. 10. de Civit.The reflex and ſhadow of the Moon was in the water while the Aſſe was drinking; preſently a cloud over-ſhadowed the Moon, then the people thought, the Aſſe had ſwallowed-up the Moon; And after they had indited the Aſſe, (as the Papiſts did the Rats and Mice, for eating their breaden gods) they rippedup the Aſſes belly expecting to find the Moon there: He that tels the ſtory aſſureth us, that he could remember, that ſuch a brutiſh people there were in his dayes, an hundred yeares agoe: And ſo it might be, for we have Paſtours and people more brutiſh in our dayes, who think, that the Spirit and power of God, is in their Common-prayer, which they call Divine ſervice, and make it an Idoll; as ridiculous every whit as to think, that the Moone was in the Aſſes belly. Having cleared that rubb in the way, he proceeds to tell us; That indeed, reading of prayer is an eaſie work, for there is no fervency, no power from Heaven; but praying in prayer, that is labour and work both, a fervent, an hot worke, like p. 142the working in mettals, and there is power in it, a power from Heaven, even the spirit of power. I doe not ſay now, that no prayer is a prayer, that has not all this heate and power in it; I know there are degrees of heat: And as there were degrees of Pſalmes, or Pſalmes of degrees: So there are degrees of Prayers, and prayers of degrees, ſome higher, than ſome; ſome more fervent than ſome, ſome fuller of ſpirit than ſome: But every true prayer has an height in it, an heat and fervency in it, a power in it, which comes down from Heaven, and raiſeth the prayer to Heaven, to the boſome of God, elſe it is not properly a praying, but a ſaying (for I date not call it a prating or babling) nor will I ſay, that ſuch … liveleſſe ſaying of prayers has no acceptance with Him, who heareth the Ravens, but I will ſay, that ſuch a ſaying of prayer, is not a praying in prayer. But ſo the man prayed, he prayed in prayer, before he could remove the accurſed things: But firſt of all, which ſhould be noted firſt, when firſt he prepared his heart, and ſtretchedout his hands, he put iniquity farre away; he cleanſed his heart …ob 11. 13, 15.from loving and liking of ſinne: and, what he could, he cleanſed his houſe, he ſuffered not wickedneſſe to dwell there; then he liftedup his face without ſpot, he is ſtedfaſt and does not feare. So little to rectifie our miſtakes touching prayer, no eaſie work. Praiſing is the higheſt, the moſt refined work of a Chriſtian: I cannot ſpeake a little of it, therefore ile ſay nothing.

2. Nor is Faſting an eaſie work, I meane to ſanctifie a faſt. To afflict, not the body only, but the ſoule with faſting. What is that? To charge upon the ſoule all the nationall and his perſonall grievances, his ſins the cauſe of all this, with the circumſtances and aggravations of theſe ſins; to charge them upon himſelfe, the (Cauſam ſociam) the helping cauſe of this bloodſhed, &c. I and of the ſhedding of the Lord Chriſt His blood too; his ſin pierced his Saviours ſides; This is to ſanctifie a faſt; and not to hangdown the head like a bulruſh for a day, that is no faſt. 3. Nor to reſt and ceaſe from labour: ſo the Oxe can doe, and the Aſſe; but this is not to ſanctifie the LORDS Day: This is it, To keepe a day to the Lord ſo, as to be in the spirit all that day, having his fellowſhip with the Father and the Son: not by our will to doe our own wills, nor ſpeake our own words, nor think our own thoughts; to keepe as on the mount, in meditation upon the p. 143glorious work of Creation by the Father; and thoſe admirable wayes of Redemption by GOD the SON; this is to ſanctifie a Rest; and ſo our miſtake is rectified touching that matter; That that is no eaſie work.

4. To heare at home and at Church is an eaſie work, for it is but the forme and ſhell of duty, now to heare, and preſently as ſoon as the word has been ſounding in our eares, to talke of our Oxen, and making of furrowes, or to aske what newes? this is not hearing, this is provoking the Lord; It is to turne His Grace into wantonneſſe, not improving the light, not hearkning to the voice of nature; this is an eaſie work. But to heare with an hearing eare, nay an hearing heart **1 King. …. 0., to heare ſo as to chew upon it, conſider on it, and to make it ſinke downe, this is hearing, and an hard work: ſo to Read with care and endeavour to underſtand (elſe reading is nothing, or as the Parrats prating, but ridiculous.) To Heare and Read and to profit, there is the Power. Theſe are diſtinct things, no eaſie work. To carry a Library in your braine is no great matter. But to have, as one had bbLectione aſſiduâ & meditatione diuturnâ pectus ſuum bibliothecam fecerat Chriſt. Hieron. li. 2… Ep. 22., a Library in your heart, full of Chriſt, His Word dwelling there richly, that is the praiſe; The head may be full, and the heart emptie. You may read and heare good bookes, good Sermons, and you may be never the better, the worſe rather: To heare will render you as uncleane as thoſe beaſts, which did not chow the Cud; much reading and much hearing without chooing upon it, and whetting of it upon your heart, is but like much eating and drinking, no digeſting; it clogs the ſtomack and cauſeth ſore ſickneſſes; I might have been more briefe in ſo cleare a matter, but yet it is a great matter wherein we are infinitely miſtaken; Therefore I will adde this alſo to be conſidered-on, that every thing muſt be done to edification; that muſt be the end of our Reading, hearing, ſinging, ſpeaking, praying; But ſo to heare, read and ſing, that I may be built-up by it in my moſt holy Faith, is no eaſie worke: To read, to heare, ſo as bring-up my heart to cloſe with it, to yeeld-up its ſtrong holds, to ſubmit to the law and obedience of it in every thing the word commands or forbids, even to the cutting off the right arme, or plucking-out the right eye, the parting with the deareſt and ſweeteſt luſts: So to heare as to obey (for that is hearing indeed) ſo to heare as to let the Word ſinke down into the heart to abide and ingraft its ſelfe there; ſo to heare as to conclude my p. 144ſoul under it, this is Reading, this Hearing: this is to profit by both.

A. Why but God teacheth to profit, and ſo he ſayes, and you ſay the man muſt doe this and that, he muſt cloſe with the Word, and ſubmit to the Word, and let it ſinke down; and I know not what; theſe are but words, he can doe none of all this, God muſt work in him the will and the deed.

B. That is true, but it does not follow; Therefore man muſt do nothing; man muſt be doing to, he muſt ſtir-up himſelfe to meet the Lord: he muſt keep himſelfe in the way and walk of the Spirit, he muſt raiſe up his ſpirit, put forth all the activitie of his ſoule; when he comes to read and to heare Gods Word, he muſt turne every Word he heares or reads into a Prayer, that God may bleſſe it to him, and turn every word into Grace; that ſtrength and light of nature, and reaſon and conſcience, that God has given him, he muſt uſe and improve to the utmoſt as a faithfull ſteward of that little. I know that man is nothing, and without Chriſt he can do nothing; And yet I thinke I may ſay, that man ſhall not be comdemned for what he cannot doe, but for what he could and did not doe, not doe, not improving the talent he had. Man is not meerly paſſive in receiving of the word; a fond conceit, which makes a man lie-ſtill and ſit-ſtill at home and at Church, and turn over the leaves there as a naturall foole does, or as a doore turnes upon its hinges; Man, I ſay, is not meerly paſſive, the Word worketh upon him, not as Phyſick in a Baſon, or Glaſſe, but as Phyſick drunk down, and in his body. The Word is as raine drunk into the earth, or as meat taken into the body; let the man look what kind of ground he is, and how his meat does digeſt; for if not a drop of rain fals in vain, nor a bit of bread given us in vain, then nor the Word of God ſure; it does the work wherefore it was ſent, and therefore the Good Souldier puts forth all the Activitie of his ſoule, all his power; he reads and he heares to profit; he reads and heares that he may be an infinite gainer; he has taken in all the Word of God, and it is a dweller with him, that was his end, therefore he reads and heares, that the Word of God may dwell with him and richly in all wiſedome. And Col. 3. 18.Col 3:18as his riches are great that way, ſo he layes them out as liberally teaching and admoniſhing others as he has occaſion; He is one of the plain…ſt Commentaries upon the Scriptures that is in the world; …he plaineſt, I ſay, for others comment upon it by writing, he by p. 145living; he expounds it by his feet, and teacheth it by his fingers ends, the beſt Expoſition, the beſt teaching in the world, for he teacheth by Example. A lively Text man, for the Word of God is legible in Text letters all his life over **I pray you read M^r Caryls Expoſition upon Job, pag. 3.; A bleſſed thing when our Miniſters can ſee our Hearings, and behold our Readings in our walkings and converſations amongſt them! But this they ſhall never ſee till they have perſwaded with us, their hearers, to goe home and meditate on what we have heard, and ſo to whet it upon our ſelves, and ours: for if ſo be we doe after our manner, ſo ſoone as we goe forth the Church doores, we talk of Oxen, and making of furrowes, or asking after newes, we thinke not of what we heard, then there is a morall impoſſibilitie **Our Miniſters knowing what our manner is, what a Liberty our Biſhops gave us; and the terrour of the Lord, will preſſe this upon us, and endeavour mightily to prevail with us touching this matter.that ever we ſhould profit by what we have heard or read.

A. You have well adviſed us touching Hearing and Reading; but indeed we know not whom to heare, nor what to read: for beſides our own obſervation, A loyall Convert (turned over lately out of Litchfields preſſe in Oxford) has told us that moſt of our Teachers and people to, are Anabaptists, Brownists, Separatists, Atheists, Antinomians, Turks.

B. Doe not you know that the Schollars of Oxford are paſt all ſhame? Let the world judge, if there be Atheists in the world, Antinomians (men that ſet themſelves againſt the law) or Turks in England, whether theſe are not in Oxford on that ſide: and whether that poore-Schollar be not one of them, hoping to get preferment that way, let all the world judge. Yet we doe grant that we have Atheists amongſt us, for we have ſome here that ſtand for the Anti-Parliament there. And Antinomians alſo: for, if againſt the Parliament, they are againſt all laws too. Indeed ſome there are that are called by that name amongſt us, who, I am verity perſwaded, underſtand the Law and Goſpell better then he or I doe; a…d then they cannot but approve the one, and embrace the other heartily: ſome alſo there are, that are honoured with that name, and yet are very ignorant of both Law and Goſpel; But we hope, not willingly, much leſſe wilfully, ignorant: and therefore there is hope, they will ſee their errour, and amend it ſhortly, now that ſo cleare lights ſhine forth before them.

And now we have but three Sectaries remaining with us; But grant him his ſaying, that there be ſix, nay, ſixteene, yet this is no p. 146wonder. Epiphanius, ſayes M^r Jewell, rehearſeth-up foureſcore ſundry hereſies; and Auguſtine many more, which ſprang-up even together with the Goſpel: what then ſayes he, was the Goſpel Apol. 3. p. Cap. 2. d. 1.therefore not the Goſpel, becauſe hereſies ſprang up withall? or was Chriſt therefore not Chriſt? or was Chriſt and His Goſpel the cauſe of theſe hereſies? No ſober man will ſay ſo, this rather, that this is a great argument of our Part, that this ſame doctrine, which we teach, is the very Truth of the Goſpel of Chriſt: for neither is cockle wont to grow without the wheat; nor yet the chaffe without the corne: Ile read on in M^r Jewels words, for ſo he anſwered his adverſaries then, ſo we now, the objection is the ſame, the anſwer muſt be the ſame, That the world ſeeth now right well, thanks be given to our God, that we have neither bred, nor taught, nor kept-up theſe monſters: And you muſt beleeve us in all this, if you will read our bookes (thoſe that goe with licence to the Preſſe) or heare our Sermons. I ſhould ſay more, but this may ſuffice and ſatisfie every ſober man; yet the admonition is good, Take heed what you heare aaMark 4. 24.Mark 4:24; Take heed how you heare bbLuke 8. 18.Luke 8:18. And let all your gaines and In-comes by your Hearing and Reading be expended and laid forth in your life and converſation. Amen. I proceed.

5. It is an eaſie matter to doe after our manner, throng-in to the Table of the Lord, there to partake of thoſe Tremenda myſteria, the ſignes of the Body and Blood of the Lord: But ſo to come as the Good Souldier comes, To receive vertue thence, To take and eat by Faith, this commands a great worke of examination before hand, what brokenneſſe of heart I bring thither? what ſtrength of love? what life of Faith?

6. In the laſt place, to covenant with the Lord, to lift up the hand, to ſubſcribe our name, it is but the out-ſide, the carcaſe, the bodily exerciſe of the duty and profiteth little, and is eaſily done; But to lay the ſoul under ſacred bands, to engage the heart to God, that the man will be wholly the Lords, wholly for His work, His ſervice, All his actings ſhall be to His Lord, and for Him, doe any thing, ſuffer any thing, be any thing or nothing, ſo his LORD may have the glory; Liberty nothing to this man; Riches nothing; life not accounted of, for the man is nothing, he is not his own; he is wholly for and laid-out for his God: An hard work to bring-up the heart to this. To what? why to live in another, to ſpeake and to p. 147act in another, and for another; to be all for another and nothing for himſelf, to referre all to God, to receive all from God, and to be in a mans ſelfe nothing at all: It is a coſtly worke, but he has ſworn to it, he has lifted-up the hand; and ſubſcribed the name: As the beaſt to the hornes of the Altar, he has bound himſelf to God with full purpoſe of heart, that he will be his LORDS ſervant, all for his LORD. Amen. And this may ſuffice to ſhew the nature of theſe works.