A fanatics Mite Cast into the King's Treasury: BEING A SERMON Printed to the KING, Because not preached before the KING.  
The Second EDITION, Corrected and Amended.  
By HENRY ADIS, a baptised Believer, undergoing the Name of a Free-Willer; and also most ignomineously by the tongue of Infamy, called a fanatic, or a mad man.  
Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I Thee, Acts 3. 6.  
First Read, than Judge; and Judge nothing before the time, because the Wise Man saith, That to him that judgeth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame, Prov. 18. 13.  
LONDON, Printed by S. Dover, for the Author, 1660.   

DElivered into the King's own-Hands by the Author, the 26th. day of Chisleu, in Scripture so called, Zech. 7. 1. which is the 9th. Month, and therefore vulgarly called November, 1660.   

TO CHARLES the II, OF England, Scotland, France and Ireland, KING.  
May it please Thee, O King,  
I Am come now to present Thee with that MITE, the Composing of which I have been very much pressed to in spirit, ever since Thou wast brought again into this Land of Thy Nativity, with that great Solemnity and Triumph; the noise of which hath rejoiced the hearts of forregn Princes, daunted the spirits of thy domestic Enemies, made thy Friends merry, and the rude multitude mad, even to the saddening the hearts of the truly virtuous (and as I judge) not because thou art restored again, for the merely Rational may plainly behold in it an high Act of Divine Providence: But the Moon-sick madness of the multitude, yet unrepented of, together with the revived and daily continued Acts of abomination in stageplays, May-games, and Pastimes, with the many bitter and most horrid Oaths and Execrations, uttered almost in every corner, by Nine-Pinn, Nine-Hole, and PigeonHole-Players, and to the poisoning the youth of our Age, in that multitude of dammy and debauched Bawdy-houses, even the foul and detestable shame of a Christian Kingdom; is that they fear is gathering into a black thick Cloud over the Land, and in special over rude, revelling, ranting London; out of which it is to be feared (unless Nineve●…s Repentance intervene) will be poured out one or more of those three heavy judgements of God, Plague, Sword, or Famine.  
Therefore, O King, I have brought Thee an Antidote, both for Thee and Thine, the which haply may prove bitter to the taste, and will hardly go down; yet let me assure thee upon the word of an honest man, there is nothing hurtful in it, there is not so much as an unwholesome Bud, nor a stinking Weed, but all precious Flowers and wholesome Herbs, newly gathered out of the Garden of God by a faithful Hand, and tempered together by a sincere heart; and is a Potion of that rare virtue, that if it be willingly taken and well digested, it will take down the Tinpany of Pride, and utterly dry up the Dropsicall humours of all Abomnations; it will perfectly recover out of the Consumption of virtues, and fortify the heart against all vice whatsoever; it will strengthen the stomach, both to receive and retain wholesome and sound Doctrine, and perfectly purge out the Iniquity of all your Holy Things; it will purge the Brain from all fansical, formal frenzy, and cause it only to study the Great Things of God's Law; it will perfectly purge out Melancholy, and generate Joy unspeakable, and full of glory; it will dry up the overflowing Issues of Sin, and nourish up a Soul unto Eternal Life; it will Operate upon the inward Man so, as that there will be a sudden change in the outward; it will make the proud person, Humble; the Lofty, Lowly; the Careless Careful; the Rich in this World, Rich in Good Works; the Spotted and painted face, truly panitent: To be short, it will operate upon the Luxurious, Lascivious and Licentious; and indeed upon all, so as that it will take down the Inordinate beat of Lust, and make such a sweet Composure, as that it will set Love, Joy, Fear, Zeal, pity, and Piety upon their right Objects; it will perfectly purge out all Envy and Malice, Blood-thirstiness, Hatred, with all uncharitableness, and Create in the room thereof, Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, with Meekness and Temperance; it will operate upon all Complexions and Sexes, and upon all Ranks and Subordinations of men of all ages; and as I said before, if willingly Received and well Digested, it will make the PRINCE pitiful, Just and Pious, and the SUBJECT Loving, Faithful & Loyal; it will make Great persons Noble, with that true Berean Nobility, and join Goodness to their Greatness, (a Rarity indeed) it will make the middle sort of men Moderate, and cause them to use the World as if they used it not; yea, it will make the very beggars of the Blood Royal of Heaven, and Children of God, yea Kings and Priests to God, and to Christ; it will make the Sluggish and Slothful, watchfully Vigilant, and the vicious, truly virtuous; it will make the Child Dutiful, and the Parents Indulgent, the Servant Painful, and the Master pitiful; it will keep the Virgin Chaste, and breed Loyalty in the Married; it will make Youth Sage and Grave, and grey Hairs truly Honourable; it will make the bondman Free, and the freeman a Fellow Citizen with the Saints, and of the Household of God; it will make the Poor man, truly Rich, and the Rich by Poverty of Spirit blessedly Poor; it will Corroborate the Cow-hearted, and cause the Coward earnestly to contend for the Faith: In fine, it will so purge out the old Leaven, as that it will make a man become a new Lump; it will make a mere Natural man, truly gracious, and cause him to put off that old man with all his deeds, and put on that new Man, which after God is created in Righteousness, and true Hulyness: And thus when old things are passed away, ye may evidently behold all things to become new; for though a spiritual man be produced, yet he is not like a Spirit, So as to be invisible, but apparently you may behold his Dialect changed, and his Aspect altered; for that tongue that in the old man was an unruly member, and full of deadly poison, Oaths, Execrations, and debauched Abominations; is in the new Man, an Instrument to set forth the Praise of God, and to tell what God hath done for his Soul, to talk of the Majesty of Christ's Kingdom, and to declare his Power.  
The Eye that was never better satisfied than when it was beholding vanity, is now looking within the veil, where the Forerunner. is entered, it is now beholding the goodness of the Lord, and enquiring in his Temple, and diligently seeking after that one thing necessary, that once Mary chose.  
The feet which before were swiftly running to shed blood, are now in Zion's paths, readily running the way of God's commandments.  
The hands which before were other ways employed, are now handling of the Word of Life, which their Eyes have seen, and their ears have heard, the which their Tongues also are now ready to declare; that so others may partake of that Fellowship, which they have with the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ.  
To conclude, It is an Antidote of such a transcendent virtue, that being rightly applied, according to the ensueing Direction, it will translate a Creature out of the kingdom of darkeness, into the kingdom of God's dear Son; and also cause him there with Enoch and Noah, to walk with God.  
O King, Silver and Gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee; I give it thee freely, dispose of it at thy pleasure, for freely through mercy I received it, it cost me nothing that was worth the keeping, I parted not with so much as one Mite for it, but that which for some time was my daily insupportable burden, which at length grew so ponderous, that it weighed me down, even to the very brink of Hell, the horror whereof, Darius-like, caused me to forsake my meat, and also my sleep to pass from me, it being a Mountainous confused Lump of Iniquities, Transgressions and Sins, the fruits of my labours from my Cradle some forty years in the devil's slavery, in which I was led captive by him at his will; the parting with which was my great gain, not only by lightning my burden, but by an enlightening the eyes of my understanding, to the beholding and laying hold on him who is invisible. And thus O King, through Grace I became a fanatic, or a mad man, as some call me.  
And now let me beg thee, O King; First, Neither to slight the Gift for the meanness of the Giver, nor the Potion, because not compounded by the direction of a college of physicians, that have read many Authors; but the rather esteem it, because it is an experienced Receipt, and because as the physicians use to say, Probatum est, is engraven upon it.  
And secondly, let me beg thee, O King, to make use of it thyself; for, sure I am, thou hast need of such an Antidote; the which if thou dost, I am confident I need not then beg a third Boon of thee, to recommend it to thy great Family, viz. to those that are under thy charge; for that is one part of the excellent virtue that Souls are made partakers of, that well digest it, viz. that when they are Converted, they will be provoked then, to strengthen their Brethren.  
And now, O King, I shall at present cease to ask more at thy Throne, but shall apply myself to the Throne of Grace, and there beg the Lord, to give thee as much true joy in Reading, as he in mercy gave me in writing it, and that as he hath begun this good Work, to put this Antidote into thy hand, so he would perfect the same, that he would sweeten it to thy taste, and help thy digestion; and seeing he hath declared himself to be such an one that waiteth upon Souls, that he might be gracious unto them, that he would wait upon thee with the sweet incomings of his own Spirit; and in special, whilst thou art taking this Potion, that he would visit thee with his loving kindness, So, as that it may effectually operate upon thee, to the bringing forth the fruits thereof in thy Life and Conversation, to the Honour and Glory of him, who hath already done such great Things for thee; into whose Care, Direction and Protection, he shall now commend thee, who is, and by his Assistance shall ever be,  
Thy Loyal Subject to Pray, but neither to Swear, nor Fight for thee, yet Faithfully to Obey thee in all things, that God requires in his Scriptures of Truth; who never did fight against any of thy Predecessors, nor never shall resolve to fight against Thee, nor any of Thy Successors, HENRY ADIS.   

An After-Writing TO THE KING.  
MArvel not, O King, at my single-hearted Conclusion, in that I said, I shall neither Swear nor Fight for Thee, neither conclude me peremptorily Peevish, nor factiously Rebellious, because I am so plain: But by the way know, That in Conclusion, Thou wilt find him to be Thy truest Friend, that dealeth plainliest with Thee, for one Dram of down right honesty, is of more true worth, than a whole Pound of fawning flattery; for mine own part, although I am by Trade an Upholdster, yet know, O King, I come not to sow Pillows under thy Elbows, I fear thou hast Artificial workmen at that work already, and too many too, for thy future good; but what I have received of the Lord, in the singleness of my heart, and in plainness of speech, I declare unto Thee, Take it as Thou wilt, and do with me for it as Thou pleasest, the meaning of it I yet understand vot, but sure I am, I have more than a common impulse to the Work, however it will fare with me I matter not, I both Hope and Pray it may prove of good use to Thee: Therefore I shall beg Thee in God's fear, to consider seriously what Thou dost, when Thou shalt force men to Swear; for he that will Fight for Thee, and he that will Swear for Thee, being thereto constrained, will be as ready, if it stand with his own interest, both to Swear and Fight against Thee; for men generally make little Conscience of keeping constrained vows.  
O King, Thou hast been Tutored by Experience, the best Master; and I need not tell Thee, that Coustraint and Restraint are two Exstreams, and therefore dangerous to deal withal.  
Voluntarily some there are, but others being thereto forced, have already to their hearts trouble Sworn against Thee: And now, if thou shalt again compel them to Swear for thee, what is it less than to ravish their Consciences, and to force them most abominably to forswear themselves? A ready way to pull down God's Judgements upon the Nation; for so saith the Prophet, Jer. 23. 10. For because of Swearing the Land mourneth: So also saith another Prophet, Hos. 10. 4. They have spoken Words, Swearing falsely, in making a Covenant: Thus Judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the furrows of the Field.  
And lest I be found guilty of such a heinous sin, I shall resolve to trust a man upon his bare word, rather than force him to Swear; for he that for his own Benefit will not regard the keeping his word passed before God to Man, will for his own advantage be as careless both of God and Man, in slighting his unwilling Vow.  
Therefore in this, O King, be persuaded to leave men to their Liberties; and know, that England's Subjects will be sooner won by their King's Kindness, than brought under by his cruelty: It is the Love of Christ that constrains his; So let thy Lenity allure thine.  
And be entreated to shake off all slavish carnal fear, and cast thy care and burden upon him, who hath hitherto taken such care for thee, Render thou but to him according to his Benefits bestowed upon thee, and confident I am, that the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbreth nor sleepeth, will watch thy Subjects hearts, So, as that they shall be kept close to thee; for when a man's ways please the Lord, he will make his Enemies to at Peace with him. Prov. 16. 7.  
And think not to make thy self strong, by forcing thy Subjects to forswear themselves, in sweariug for thee, l●…st he that Swore by himself, when he could 〈◊〉 by no Greater, stretch out his Sin-revenging hand against thee; but rather say to thy Subjects, as the Lord Christ saith to his, Mat. 5. 34. Swear not at all: And I being one of his Subjects, this is one Reason, O King, why I told thee in plainness of speech, that I cannot Swear for thee; and because he farther requireth me, that I should love my Enemies, and do good to them that hate me, and pray for them that daspitefully use me, Mat. 5. 44. This is another Reason, O King, why I cannot Fight for thee: And I being a Branch in that Vine, of which the Root and offspring of David is the Root, and from whom only I daily through mercy receive sap, vigour and fresh supplies of Grace, for the strengthening and supporting of my inward man, dare not have so much as a thought to Swear thee to be supreme of that Body of which Christ is the Head; and because the Lord by his Prophet, Jer. 18. 9 saith thus, At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to Build and to Plant it; if it do evil in my sight, so that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would Benefit it: This is also another Reason, O King, why I cannot Swear nor Fight for thee; for if thy Actings shall nor answer God's End (if his Word be true) thou must then expect a removal, and a pulling down; and if I shall Swear, or Fight, to support thee, when by thy Actings thou shalt cause God to pull thee down; What is it less than for me to he found fighti●…g against God? And besides, A Servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle to all, 2 Tim. 2. 24.  
And by the way know, That these Resolves were not intended to thyself only, but also to those that were in Power after thy Father, and before thee, were these things manifested; as by my Declaration in the End of this Book, is evident.  
Therefore, O King, if thou shalt seem to countermand my Loyalty to him, who bought me at so dear a price, as the shedding of his own precious Blood, Acts 20. 28. I shall desire thee to Judge between me and my God, and shall ask thee in the words of Peter and John, Acts 4. 19 Whether it be right in the sight of God, to harken unto thee, more than unto my God? I shall desire thyself to be Judge.  
And thus, O King, having (I hope) given thee a Rational account, of my downright and single-hearted Conclusion of my Epistle to thee Dedicated; I shall now tell thee in the faithfulness of my Soul, that by the Law of the same lawgiver, I am bound not only to pray for thee, 1 Tim. 2. 2. but also to obey thee in all Civil things, that are agreeable to the Mind of God, revealed in his Scriptures of Truth; and also to render Tribute, custom, Fear and Honour, both to thee, as God hath set thee over us, and to all others sent by thee, Rom. 13. 7. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Whose Obedience upon the word of a Christian, without 〈◊〉 or Fighting, either for or against thee (God assisting) he shall faithfully continue; who resolveth (unless for his i●…nocent Judgement, thou either Deprive him of Life, or Banish him this Land of his Nativity) to remain till Death,  
Thy Loyal Subject, HENRY ADIS.   

A WORD to the READER.  
READER,  
THE Common Proverb goes, That every Little makes a Mickle; and the King's TREASURIES being empty, whilst the Parliament and City are throwing in their Rich Gifts, I (with the Poor Widow in the Gospel, have cast in my MITE, let the King take it how he pleaseth, sure I am, he will take it amiss, if he take it not well; for God is my Witness, I intended it for good, and so it will Prove, if rightly improved; and is of that worth, that it may be said of it, as our Saviour said of the widow's Mite, It will Prove worth all; not for the Quantity, but for the Quality of it; not for the Beauty, but for the Blessedness; not for the Eloquence, but for the Excellency of it; theirs being Material, but this Supernatural; theirs Perishing, but this Permanent; theirs only to Feed, cloth and Pamper the Body, but this to Nourish, Strengthen, and to Support the Soul.  
Reader, I was neither bred a Scholar nor a Courtier; therefore thou must expect in it neither compliment nor Curiosity; neither was I ever out of this Land of my Nativity; therefore look not for any foreign Rarities, but such only as are to be found in the Garden of God.  
It is a homespun Piece, wherein there is little Eloquence, and less Flattery, but store of down right honesty, with abundance of Fidelity; a Ponderous weight, of the truest Love, wrapped up in an homely Garment of the best Loyalty.  
To be short, it is that which I know, must undergo many Censures (if not myself severely Sentenced for it) both by the Critical churchman, and the Carnal Church-member, the Flattering Courtier, and the Flouting Citizen, the Learned Lawyer, and the Illiterate rustic; but let them say what they will, and do with It and Me what they please, I much matter it not; for in my Composing of it, I had a good Conscience; which, sure I am, in the midst of the worst of Miseries, will be to me a Continual-Feast; for I look upon it, to be a part of my Generation work, to speak a word in season, to the Cherishing of virtue, and the bearing my Testimony against Vice, as far as the Lord hath enabled me to the beating it down; and so, to be guilty of the blood of none, but to have a Conscience always void of offence, both towards God, and towards Man, and to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but to Reprove them.  
Reader, In fine, it is a part of my talon, the which I dare not hide in a Napkin; and seeing it cannot be permitted to be employed where it ought, at mine own peril I dare not but Minister it where I may: Therefore take and read it, after which, if thou find Benefit by it, bless God for it, and crave his assistance, that thou mayest make a right use of it; for it is his, and mine no otherwise, than from him, through Mercy I have received it.  
Neither do I so highly praise it, for any thing that I have infused into it; but for what through mercy I have been made partaker of by it; by Divine assistance, I have Composed it, and the Shearcher of all hearts knows, it is neither Pay, nor Praise I aim at, for my reward is with him: But if the Glory of God, the Well-being of his People, the Good of the King, or the Benefit but of one Soul be thereby produced, he hath his End; who desireth according to the Ability received, to remain,  
Thy Faithful Friend in the Truths of Jesus, HENRY ADIS.   

An After-Word to the READER.  
READER,  
I Knowing the temper of the spirits of the generality of the Sons and Daughters of men of this Nation, in this juncture of time, cannot but expect that thou shouldst be something unsatisfied with my plainness of speech; and my Terms of Thy, Thee, Thou, and O King, in my Discourse to the King; and also, in that I afford him not those Titles that some men are pleased to put upon him, and therein I am persuaded thou wilt be ready to judge me, as one that am either peremptorily slighting, or peevishly undervaluing the King, because I do not say and do, to and for him, as thou haply canst and dost.  
Or at the best, for the plainness of my speech, thou wilt conclude me to be one of those New-lighted men of our age; commonly distinguished by the name of Quakers, because that in their Speakings and Writings, they generally use the same Terms; and to say Truth, if they did not speak the Language, and wear the clothing of the Sheep of Christ, they could not (Wolf-like) so easily deceive as generally they do.  
Therefore Reader, I do hereby assure thee, that I am not of that Synagogue; for through mercy I can groundedly, and upon a good account let thee know, that I walk by the direction of a more surer word of prophecy, to which I shall endeavour by the assistance of the Eternal Spirit, to take good heed to; and from which I shall warrant the soundness and manner of my Speech (though it be in such plainness and without flattery) to be of God.  
And because these Notionists have some of Canaan's Language in their mouths; I shall therefore no more forbear the using of it, than the Apostle Peter did the Confessing of Christ to be the Son of the living God, Mat. 16. 16. Because the Devil in so many words acknowledged the same, Mat. 8. 29. Mark 5. 7. Luke 8. 28.  
Neither shall I resolve to alter my Habit, because these men being deceived, run up and down in the sheep's clothing, deceiving; but shall patiently wait upon God for a Manifestation of them and all others, to be of the Synagogue of Satan, who say, they are Iewe●…, and are not, but do lie.  
In the mean while Reader, in Christian love I shall further endeavour thy satisfaction, and in the singleness of my Soul, I shall let thee know, that I both do and shall Honour the King, with that honour and respect that the Lord requireth I should; as in this Discourse, compared with my Declaration in the end of this Book folded, is evident; although as thou haply mayest Judge in my so speaking, I rudely behave myself.  
Therefore for thy farther satisfaction, know, That as I am a Servant to the Most High God, and a Member of a Church of Christ; So I look upon it to be my Duty, to Regulate my Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ, and to walk in the footsteps of the Flock of God gone before; who, though according to the Requirement of God, they were obedient to Kings, Rulers and governors, yet they gave them no other Language than in this my Discourse I give to King CHARLES; witness that Discourse the Prophet Daniel had wi●…h that Head of Gold, that King of Kings, 〈◊〉 King of Babylon, Daniel 2. 29. who said, As for thee, O King, thy thoughts came into thy head; and thou, O King, sawest, &c. And in ver. 31. And thou, O King, art King of Kings. Ver. 37. And thou art this Head of Gold. very 38. And in Dan. 4. 22. It is thou, O King, that art grown and become strong, and thy greatness is grown and reacheth unto Heaven, and thy Dominion unto the ends of the Earth; yet they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the Beasts of the Field; and they shall make thee to eat grass as Oxen; and they shall wet thee with the dew of Heaven; and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High Ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will, V. 25. Wherefore; O King, let my Counsel be acceptable to thee, a●…d break off thy sins by Righteousness, and thine iniquity by showing Mercy to the Poor, is it may be a lengthening out if thy tranquillity.  
But lest any man should say, that Nabuchadnezzar was a Heathen; and therefore the Prophet gave him neither the Titles, nor that due Respect that otherwise he would have done.  
In Answer whereunto, I shall lay before thee the Prophet David, a King in Israel, and a man after God's own heart; who, if it had been his due by God's Appointment, could as well have become the Ti●…le of Sacred, and Most Sacred Majesty, as any He that I ever read or heard o●…, either before or after him, to this very day; yet we read, that when the Prophe●… came to him in the case of Uriah the Hittite, he said no●…, May it please your Sa●…red Majesty; but Nathan said unto David, 2 Sam. 12. 7. Thou art the Man. And V. 9 Thou hast killed Uriah th●… Hittite with the Sword, and taken his Wife to be thy Wife; now the●…fore the Sword shall not depart from thy House.  
Neither did ●…he Woman of T●…koah, in Absoloms' case, come with a, May it please your ●…st Sacred Majesty, for we may plainly understand what her Dialect was to King David, 2 Sam. 14. 5. Even, Help, O King. Then said she, V. 11. I pray thee, let the King Remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the Revenger of blood to destroy. Many more Examples of this kind might be sufficiently multiplied, if need●…ul.  
But to come nearer, even to the dispensation we are now under; Peter said unto the Lord Christ, to Emanuel, even to God with us, Mat. 16. 16. Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And the Apostle Paul being a Prisoner, and coming to make his defence, Acts 26. 2, 3. he said, I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall Answer for myself before thee, this day; for I know thee to be expert in all customs and Questions among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee (not your most Sacred Majesty) but I beseech thee to hear me patiently. And in V. 13. & 14. At midday, O King, I saw a light from Heaven,— And a voice speaking unto me; Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly voice, V. 19 And in V. 27. King Agrippa, Believest thou the Prophets? I know thou believest. And Paul said, V. 29. I would to God that not only thou, but all that hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such an one as I am, except these Bonds.  
Even so shall I say to thee, O Reader, I would to God that as to my Judgement, thou wert even such an one as myself, that so thou mightest give to Caesar, only the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.  
And, Reader, consider with thyself, that if the Lord Christ reproved him that said to him, good Master; saying, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but One, even God, Luke 18. 19 Even so do I say to myself; Why should I dare to call the greatest of Men, most Sacred? When it is an Attrib●…te that properly and peculiarly belongs to God himself, and was never given to Man by God; and to me, it seems to be one of those names of Blasphemy upon the seven Heads of the Beast, Rev. 13. 2. and no better than a flattering Title.  
The which with another of the King's Titles, had I but the privilege of his Ear but one little pittance of time, I question not, but by Divine assistance, I should so discover the unlawfulness thereof, as that he would himself refuse to own them.  
And for me to flatter him, or any man else, I dare not for these Reasons:  

First, Lest thereby I bring myself and mine, under the Sin-revenging-hand of God. And,  
Secondly, Lest I thereby ensnare others.   

First, lest I endanger myself and mine; Because, if Jobs words be true, who saith, That he knoweth not to give flattering Titles; if I so do, my Maker (saith he) would soon take me away, Job 32. 21, 22. And should I be found so doing, God would no more excuse me, tha●… him; for saith the Prophet David, Psa. 12. 3. The Lord will cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things; and also saith that upright man Job, He that speaketh flattery to his Friend, even the eyes of his Children shall fail, Job 19 5. So that as I tender the good of myself and mine, I dare not do it.  
And secondly, I dare not do it, lest I endanger others; for a man that flattereth his Neighbour, spreadeth a Net for his feet, saith the wisest of men, Prov▪ 29. 5. for saith he, A flattering mouth worketh ruin, Prov. 26. 28.   
And this is that which was the destruction of King Herod, Act. 12. 21. for saith the Text, On a set day, Herod arrayed in Royal apparel, sat upon his Throne and made an Oration unto his Subjects; who upon the hearing thereof, began to flatter him; for saith the Text, The People gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a God, and not of a Man; and immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the Glory; and he was eaten of Worms, and gave up the Ghost: had not his subjects given him that flattering Applause, he had not robbed God of his Glory, and so the Angel had not smitten him.  
So that in this I question not, but I shall evidence my love to the King more, than they that so flatter him.  
Therefore this shall be my Resolution (the Lord assisting me) to continue treading in the footsteps of the Flock of God gone before, and shall conclude with myself, and say with that Queen, Hester 4. 16. And if therein I perish, I perish; for I had rather suffer by man in obedience to my God, than by the Sin-revenging hand of God, to be cut off in his displeasure.  
And thus, Reader, having given thee an account of my manner of Speech to the King, which is none other than what he Popple of God in former Ages used, both under the Law, and under this Gospel Dispensation: I shall take my leave, and desiring the Lord to set it home upon thy heart, and that it may be satisfactory to thee, that so thou mayest not have a prejudice in thy spirit against him, who desireth to do nothing, either in word or Action, but what may tend to the Glory of God, the good of his own Soul, and the enlightening of those with whom he doth Converse; who shall be ready in Christian love, to give thee a Verbal satisfaction, to any thing that in this Discourse may be thy dissatisfaction,  
And to remain thy Friend therein, to serve thee, HENRY ADIS.   

A fanatics Mite Cast into the King's TREASURY.  2 Chron. 32. 25. But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefits bestowed upon him; but his heart was lifted up: Therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. 
THESE Words themselves have a dependency upon the Story going before, and are no other but a Declaration, or Manifestation of the Kings unthankfuluess to God, for his Mercies bestowed, and of the sad Consequences thereof.  
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefits bestowed upon him; but his heart was lifted up: Therefore there was wrath upon him▪ and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
Had this Discourse been spoken as it is now written to thee, O King, many distinctions might have been made, and several and remarkable Observations hinted at, which might have been very useful (if diligently minded, and as effectually put into practice) some of which for brevity sake I shall here omit, and shall first run over the Story that occasioned the Spirit of God to lay down these words, and therein briefly hint at some things I shall judge useful; and then in the strength of the same Spirit, come to the handling of the wo●…ds themselves.  
Good Hezekiah after the death of his Father King Ahaz, began his Reign, as we may read, 2 Chron. 28. 27. who had set his Son so 〈◊〉 a Copy, that in truth he could not write after it without blotting▪ And therefore he leaves the steps of his Father, and walks in the paths of David, and some others of his forefathers.  
For Ahaz (his Father) Reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, but he did not that which was Right in the sight of the Lord, like David his Father, Chap. 28. 1. for he walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel (which were the ways of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin) And also, or over and above their abominations, he made molten Images to Balaam, v. 2. And burned Incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burned his Children in the fire, after the manner of the Heathen, v. 3. He Sacrificed also ●… and burned Incense in the high Places, and under every green Tree, v. 4. For which misactings 〈◊〉, God delivered him into the hands of the Kings of Syriah●…and into the hands of the Kings of Israel, who smote him with great slaughter, v. 5. Whence we may note, That when Kings, Rulers or governors, Act contrary to the mind of God, God raiseth up Adversaries against them, as once he did against Solomon, 1 Kings 11. 14. And as Ahaz continues his misactings, so God increaseth his Adversaries; for the Edomites also came and smote Judah, and carried away Captives, v. 17. Yet for all this, Ahaz returned not to bim that smote him; Therefore the Philistines also had invaded the Cities of the Low-countries, and had taken several Towns and Villages, and came and dwelled in his Land, vers. 18. Whereupon Ahaz sends out for help to suppress his Enemies, but all in vain, so long as he continues an Enemy to God by wicked works. For at that time Ahaz sent to the Kings of Assyria to help him, v. 16. To whom Ahaz gave gifts out of the Lord's House, and out of the Prince's Houses; but they helped him not, v. 21. but distressed him, v. 20. Whence we may further note, That whilst men continue wicked, their Blessings become Curses, and their hoped for helps, hindrances.  
And thus whilst Ahaz is under the sin-revenging hand of God, the saying of the Prophet Isaiah is in him made good, Isaiah 1. 5. Why should ye be smitten any more? ye will revolt yet more and more. For with our first Parents in the Garden, Gen. 3. 8. Ahaz runs surther from his God, and returneth not to him that smote him. And with the fierce dog earnestly snaps at the stone that is thrown at him, little considering the hand that threw it. And thus whilst men are quarrelling at second causes, they lose both the Benefit and the Blessing of God's chastising hand; And therefore cannot with David (that man after God's own heart) say, as once he did, Psal. 119. 67, 71. It was good for him that he was afflicted, for before he was afflicted he went astray; but now (saith he) I have kept thy word. Thus whilst David is making a Right improvement of God's chastising hand upon him, he is made sensible of God's faithfulness towards him; which causeth him thankfully to acknowledge the same; and to say, v. 57 I know, O Lord, that thy Judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me: He now sees the dealings of God herein towards him to be such, as that he makes that Sanctified use of it, as once Moses the servant of the Lord required of Israel, Deut. 8. 5. Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that as a Father chasteneth his Son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. And so saith our Apostle, Heb. 12. 5, &c.— My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord— For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth.  
Men lie under the Chastising hand of God, as Wax and Clay in the heat of the Sun, whose heat so Mollifieth the Wax, as that it becomes pliable and fit for the Impression of the Seal; Whilst the Clay (though before soft) yet is thereby hardened, made stiff, and so brittle, that it will rather break, than in the least conform to the Seal.  
And thus, it fares with King Ahaz, he grows worse and worse; for in the time of this distress, did he Trespass yet more and more, saith the Text, 2 Cor. 28. vers. 22. For he Sacrificed to the Gods of Damaskus, which smote him; and he said, Because the Gods of the Kings of Syriah helped them, Therefore will I Sacrifice to them, that they may help me, vers. 23. Thus whilst men forsake the true God, they trust on them which by nature are no Gods: And so become as senseless, and as sottish as they. For they that make them, are like unto them; And so are all they that put their trust in them, Psal. 115. 8.  
And as if these misactings of his were not enough to make him, and his People sufficiently Miserable; he Crowns, as it were all his former eulls, with this triple Crown of Abominations; First, he cut in pieces the vessels of the Lord's House. Secondly, he shut up the Doors of the Lord's House. And Thirdly, he sets up a false worship in every Corner of Jerusalem, to burn incense unto other Gods, v. 24, 25.  
Thus whilst men relinquish their knowledge of the true God, they are given up to blindness of Eyes, and hardness of Heart; To commit all Abominations with greediness; for so saith our Apostle, Rom. 1. 28, 29. And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which were not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, &c. And thus whilst Ahaz is committing sin with greedilness, Ahaz is made partaker of its wages; for the wages of sin is death, Rom. 6. 23. And seeing Ahaz will thus forget God in his life time, God at length will deprive him of a possibility of remembering him at all; for in death there is no remembering of thee; And who shall give thee Thanks in the Pit? Psal. 6. 5.  
Ahaz being thus deprived of life, Hezekiah now cometh to succeed his Father in the Crown and Government: And seeing the several misactings of his Father, and the sad Consequences that attended both him and his People thereupon, is not willing to heir his father's punishments; And therefore will not act in his father's sins, but makes an evident Manifestation of his experimental knowledge of them; and also of his utter Detestation to them; together with a public Declaration of the intentions of his heart, for a thorough Reformation throughout his whole Realm; for he gathered the Priests and the Levites together into the Eaststreet, Chap. 29. v. 4. and said, v. 6. Our Fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the Habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs, v. 7. Also they have shut up the Doors of the Portch, and put out the Lamps, and have not burnt Incense, nor offered burnt-offerings in the Holy Place, unto the God of Israel: Wherefore saith he, v. 8. The Wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes; for saith he, v. 9 Our Fathers have fallen by the Sword, and our Sons and our Daughters, and our Wives are in Captivity (for this) And now it is in mine heart to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us, vers. 10. Therefore he calls upon the Levites and the Priests, to be active in the Work, and not to be negligent in the places God had set them in, verse 11.  
A glorious Reformation is likely to succeed, when a Prince, not out of custom, but out of Conscience, shall begin the Work; and the more likely it is to prosper, when his zeal thereunto shall thus cause him to provoke them, who indeed should have first stirred him up to the Work.  
And in this Reformarion, the first work that he enters upon, is the opening and Repairing the Door of the Lord's House, and to cause the Levites to sanctify themselves, and to sanctify the House of God, and to carry forth the filthiness out of the holy Place, v. 3, 4, 5. the direct way to a happy Reformation, and as ready a way to have with God a Reconciliation; for if the iniquity of our holy things be not done away, what will it avail us, though we thrive never so well in our secular affairs? for saith our Saviour, Mat. 16. 26. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own Soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul?  
In this Reformation, Hezekiah's speed equals his willingness; and like a pair of Heisers accustomed to the yoke, they draw both together; for as it was his first work, to have respect to the cleansing of his holy things; so it was his care to do it in the first year of his Reign; and not late in the year, but in the first month of that first year; for so saith the Text, 2 Chron. 29. 3. He in the first year of his Reign, in the first month, opened the Doors, &c.  
And this is that which I am persuaded is well pleasing to God, when men sleep not upon good Resolutions, but puts them into present and effectual practice; for no man can call to morrow his: Therefore the Counsel of the Spirit of God is good, which he hath given by the Wise Man, Eccles. 9 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it which thy might, for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest.  
Hezekiah began to Reign when he was five and twenty years old, Cha. 29. 1. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his Father had dove, v. 2. And as by Faith Moses, when he came to years, refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter, choosing rather to suffer Afflictions with the People of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt (because) he had respect to the recompense of reward, Heb. 11. 24. So Hezekiah being five and twenty years old when he began to Reign, refused to walk in the ways of sin, as Ahaz his Father had done, but begins with discretion to consider what was well-pleasing to God; and therefore he learns to write by a perfect Copy, he takes a Man after God's own heart to be his Pattern, though they that hated him without a cause, were more than the hairs of his head, though his enemies were mighty, Psal. 69. 4. though he became a Proverb to many, verse 11. and though they that sat in the gates spoke against him; and though he became a Song to the Drunkards, ver. 12. yet these and such reproaches as these, shall not frighten him, but Hezekiah will do according to all that David his Father had done; David we see was no Allower of Drunkenness; for the Drnnkards' made Songs of him, as they do now in this our days upon those that desire to walk in the integrity of their hearts before the Lord, as David did; David opened not a Door to any manner of licentiousness; neither doth Hezekiah, when he comes to Reign, go to the house of laughter, but to the house of God; he runs not to Hawkings, nor Huntings, revelings, nor Dancings, Riotings nor Banquetings, he sets not up, nor tolerates stageplays, May-games, nor Pastimes; but comes to a serious consideration what the mind of God was, that so he might pleas●… him, to the Eternal well-being, both of himself and those that were under his charge; therefore with speed he opens the Doors of the Lord's House, and begins to put away the iniquity of his holy things.  
Now know, O King, that Hezekiah was a good man, and went on in his Reformation in God's way; let me therefore beg of thee, as thou tenderest thy Souls good to Eternity, take him for thy Pattern, begin thy Reign as he did his, look into thy holy things, see what there is amiss there, consider the commonprayer, whence it came and whither it tendeth, weigh it with its appurtenances in the balance of the Sanctuary, try it by the touchstone of God's Word, see whether it b●… not too light, of what God would have it to be; see also whether the Inventions of Men have not made it too heavy, thou canst not be too exact therein; for he that doth in his service to God, more than what God Commands, doth too much, and is no better than a Will-worshipper; he that doth less than God Commandeth him, doth too little.  
Consider also, which is the Door of God's House, and open that, for Christ himself saith, That many false Prophets will arise, and shall deceive many; and therefore he requireth his Disciples, not to go out to them, Mat. 24. 24, 26. Therefore the opening of any Door will not serve the turn; Hezekiah opened the Door of the Lord's House: Therefore for the Lord's sake Consider what thou dost, take that Counsel from the Spirit of the Lord, which is Recorded in 1 Thes. 5. 21, 22. Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good, and abstain from all appearance of evil.  
Take notice of the Dispensation thou art under, and do thy Generation work in God's way; the Church of Christ under the Gospel, is not National, but Congregational; Hezekiah was of the Race of the Jews, and a King of Judah; it was Hezekiah's work to open the Doors of the Material Temple, situate in Jerusalem, where God had under that dispensation promised his presence, 1 Kings 9 3. So that if Hezekiah had opened any other Door, he had been a sinner as well as his Father Ahaz, who opened another, when he shut those Material Doors, where the Jews had a Right to Worship, as they were in a National Church-Communion, upon the due administration of that fleshly Ordinance of Circumcision, peremtorily upon the eight day, Gen. 17. 12. Under which he that neglected to Circumcise his Male Infant upon the eighth day, did it too late, and after God's time, and that Infant was to be cut off from the People, V. 14. and he that did it before the eighth day, did it too soon, and before God's time, and so became a transgressor. We usually say in our common Proverb, that it is dangerous jesting with ●…ged tools; so may I safely say, it is a dangerous thing to cross the design of God; it is a desperate design to undertake to open that which God hath shut, or to shut that which God hath opened.  
God hath shut the Doors of a National Church, then let men fear to open it; and God hath opened the Door of a Congregational Church, let Souls tremble at the thought of shutting it; for so saith the Lord Christ, John 4. 21, 22, 23. Believe me (saith he) the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem Worship the Father; ye Worship ye know not what: We know what we Worship, for Salvation is of the Jews; but the hour cometh, and now is, when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth: And saith Peter, Now I perceive of a truth, that God is no Respecter of persons, but in every Nation he that feareth him, and worketh Righteousness, is accepted of him, Acts 10. 34, 35. So that Church-fellowship and sonship with God, is entailed upon persons under the Gospel, not upon the account of the bare Subjection to the Ordinances, as it was under the Law, but upon the account of their Faith; for saith the Apostle, Ye (Members of the Church of Galatia) are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jefus (which Faith working by love, hath evidenced itself to be true, by working you to obedience to God's Ordinances) for so many of you as have been baptised into Christ, have put on Christ.  
And as no uncircumcised person was to ●…at of the Passeover under the Law, Exod. 12. 48. So of Christ our Passeover, who is Sacrificed for us under this Gospel-dispensation, 1 Corinth. 5. 7. is no unbeliever to have Communion, 2 Corinthians 6. 14. to 17. And as under the Law it was charged upon the Jews as a sin to bring the Uncircumcised into the material▪ Temple, Ezek. 44. 7, 9 because Circumcision was the inducting Ordinance of Cod under that dispensation: So also under a Gospel-dispensation, we dare not administer that Inducting Ordinance of Baptism, without Faith in God be firct begotten.  
So that if persons shall require from us the Administration of that Ordinance, we shall no more dare to do it than Philip, who first would have an account of the Eunuch's faith, before he baptised him; for so saith the Text, Acts 8. 37. If thou Believest with all thy heart, thou mayest; who immediately made a Confession of his Faith; and this is according to the Commission of Christ, Mark 16. vers. 15. which saith not, that he that is baptised, but he that Believeth and is baptised shall be saved; So that it is a dangerous thing to make the strait Gate that leads to life, wider than God hath made it.  
Therefore know O▪ King, that thou art under that dispensation, in which the axe is laid to the root of the Tree, and wherein every tree that brings not forth good fruit, is to be hewn down and cast into the fire, Mat. 3. 10. Under which perons are forbidden to plead their Birth-Priviledges, V. 9 as that they are Children of Believing Parents, or Sons and Daughters to Abraham; but under that dispensation by which they are all the Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus (as aforesaid) who have actually manifested their faith by their obedience, in their putting on of Christ by Baptism, as that Church did, Gal. 3. 26, 27. Such as are chosen out of the world, John 15. 19 John 17. 6, 14. Separating themselves according to the requirements of God, from false and Babylonish worship, Revel. 18. 4. 2 Cor. 6. 14, 17. Being begotten to the faith, Philemon 10. 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. Titus 1. 4. By the Preaching of the Word, James 1. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 15. And quickened by the Spirit, John 6. 63. Rom. 8. 11. Eph. 2. 1, 5. Col. 2. 13. Being born again, 1 John 4. 7. 1 John 5. 1. 1 John 3. 9 Not of corruptible seed, but of incorrup●…ible, 1 Pet. 1. 23. Not of flesh nor blood, nor after the will of man, but of God, John 1. 13. Being born of water and the Spirit; without which, if we may believe our blessed Saviour himself, John 3. 5. no man can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; the necessity whereof is fully laid down by the Apostle, 1 Pet. 3. 20. who speaking of the preservation that Noah had by the Ark from that deluge of water, Gen. 7. 17. The like figure whereunto even Baptism (saith he) doth now (under this Gospel-dispensation) save us; not by washing away of the filth of the flesh, but the answering a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; as if the Apostle should have said, it is not the washing the body in Water, that is of this saving nature, but it is the going into the Water in a Conscionable obedience to the Command of God, to have our sins mystically washed away by Faith in the blood of Christ; and so also saith the Apostle, Acts 22. 16. And now why tarriest thou, arise and be baptised, & wash away thy sins, calling on the Name of the Lord▪ and the same Apostle writing to Titus, makes a clear discovery by what means God on their parts saved them, Titus. 3. 5. Who hath 〈◊〉 us (saith he) not by deeds of Righteousness that we have done, but by the washing of Regeneration, or (as the old Translation renders it) by the fountain of the new birth, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; by Water-work, and Spirit-work; the Spirit operating upon, and working up a Soul conscionably to obey God in that holy (though amongst men that much despised) Ordinance of Water-baptism.  
And thus the Apostle tells us by what means Christ hath clenfed his Church; viz. with the washing of water, by (or according) to the Word, Eph. 5. 26. And thus some in the Church of the Corinthians, who formerly were unrighteous, even Fornicators, Idolaters, Adulterers, Effeminate, Abusers of themselves with mankind, Thieves and Robbers; were by this Spirit and Water-work washed and cleansed: For so saith our Apostle, 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are Sanctified in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God: So that a Church of Christ, or House of God under a Gospel-dispensation, is to be built up of lively stones, a spiritual House, an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual Sacrifices (that will be) acceptable to God by Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 2. 5. Of which the building of the Material Temple was a Type; for, as the House which Solomon built, 1 Kings 6. 7. was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither; so that there was neither Hammer nor axe, nor any tool of Iron heard in the House, when it was in building: So in the gathering or building a Gospel-Church, persons are to be fitted, hewn and squared, before they are laid into this Building; they are to repent from dead works, and to have Faith in God, before they be baptised; that as that was a Material, so this a spiritual House; as those stoves were dead, these lively; as those stones so soon as they were laid into the building, and the work finished, they became a House fit to sacrifice in; so these lively stones being brought together, are fit presently, actually to offer up spiritual Sacrifices, such as God will accept; they being in Jesus Christ, first mystically by Faith; and secondly, actually by their Obedience; and Faith and Obedience being God's Twins, we dare not in the least entertain so much as a thought to separate them.  
So that, O King, if thou with Hezekiah wilt open the Door of the Lord's House, it is not a National, but a Congregational Door thou art to open, which is not to be compulsive, but persuasive; for so saith a true Gospel-Minister, Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, 2 Cor. 5. 11. Now than we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; We pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God, v. 20. Whence we may note, that a Gospel Minister is not to be like the General of an Army, to frighten, beat or fight men into faith; but as an Ambassador to persuade and invite, and gently to treat with, and to entreat into the way of God; the one being Diabolical, but the other Evangelical, and the way of Love being God's Way; this is one of the distinguishing Characters of a true Gospel-Minister, whom the Love of Christ hath constrained, which causeth men to look upon them, to be Fa●…naticks, or mad men; for so saith our Apostle, 2 Cor. 5. 13. For whether we be besides ourselves, it is to God, or whether we be sober, it is for your Cause; for the Love of Christ constraineth us: And saith he, in Chap. 12. 14. I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours, but you; (and he gives this in as a Reason, for saith he) The Children ought not to lay up for the Parents, but the Parents for the Children; and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love, the less I am loved; And such are made overseers of the Flock of God by the Holy Ghost, Acts 20. 28. who feed it, and take the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not of filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, 1 Pet. 5. 2. as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God, 1 Pet. 4. 10. Such are good Shepherds, and not Hirelings, who will lay down their life for the sheep, John 10. 11. Whilst others being made Overseers by men, instead of feeding the Flock, feed upon the Flock; as those careless Shepherds, spoken of▪ Ezek. 34. 2, 3, 4. against whom a Woe is pronounced, Who feed themselves, who eat the fat, and clothe themselves with the Wool, and kill them that are fed, but feed not the Flock; who strengthen not the diseased, nor heal the sick, nor bind up the broken, nor bring again that which is driven away, nor seek that which is lost, but Rule them with cruelty; as the Prophet saith, Micah 3. 2, 3. Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skins from off them, and their flesh from their bones; who eat the flesh of my People, and stay their skins from off them; who break their bones, and chop them in pieces as for the Pot, and as flesh for the cauldron, v. 5. Who bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they make War against him; who are Hirelings, and not true Shepherds; who formerly, if a fatter Benefice came in the way, would not stay till the Wolf came, but harkened to that Call, and left the Sheep, to secure themselves from the Wolves, if they would: But such are false Apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ: And no marvel, saith our Apostle, 2 Cor. 11. 13, 14. For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light, ver. 15. Therefore it is no great thing, if his Ministers also be transformed into the Ministers of Righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works; whilst the true Apostle is as free to give, as freely he hath received, who is ready to Preach the Word, and to be instant in season and out of season, and to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all long-suffering and Doctrine, according to that good Advice, 2 Tim. 4. 2.  
And thus, O King, having in some measure given thee the Character of a Gospel-Church, and Ministry; I shall now beg thee in God's fear, that thou have a care thou open the right Door: open not the broad Gate that leads to destruction, instead of that narrow way that leads to life, Mat. 7. 13, 14. If ●…hou incendest to do God's Work, have a care thou dost it in God's Way. And that I may the better persuade thee there unto, I shall briefly lay before thee two or three Examples, of God's severity against those that have been careless therein: Moses and Aaron the Servants of the Lord, Numb. 20. who but for smiting the Rock, when they should have spoken to it, died in the Wilderness, and were not suffered to carry Israel into the Land of Canaan, as we may fully understand by comparing the eight verse with 11, 12, 23. to 29. with Numb. 27. 12. to 15. with Deut. 34. If Saul will save alive those which God will have destroyed, Saul must deeply suffer for it, 1 Sam. 15. but more of this anon: And if Akan will take of the accursed things, Akan must deeply suffer; for saith the Text, Joshua 7. 24, 25. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? The Lord shall trouble thee this day; and all Israel stoned him, his Sons and his Daughters, his Oxen and his Asses, and his Sheep, and burned them with fire: The Lord give thee, O King, an understanding heart, to consider things aright.  
But to proceed, Hezekiah doth not only stir up the Priests and Levites to the Work of Reformation, but also all Judah and Jerusalem, and wrote Letters, Chap. 30. 1. and made a Decree, and made Proclamation, that they must come up to Jerusalem, to keep the Passeover unto the Lord; for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written, ver. 5.  
Whence we may note, That in Hezekiah's Reformation, he Reformed not according to what had been their custom of a long time, nor to what his Father before him did; but according as it was written, according to the Law of God: And this is that which makes the Work to thrive in his hands; when he doth God's Work in God's Way. Therefore let me beg thee, O King, as thou tenderest thine own good, now thou art upon thy Reformation, to take Hezekiah for thy Pattern, have the Word of the Lord for thy Warrant, see thou do it according to the written Law of God; for such a Reformation only will stand, and thou with it: But if thou do it according to the former customs, and what thy Father did before thee, thou sawest that fell, and him with it: for what is of man, will come to nothing, but if it be of God, it cannot be overthrown, Acts 5. 38, 39  
And know, O King, that much Knowledge and true Light hath broken forth within these twelve years, and what men might do in Ignorance, haply may be excusable, which now cannot; for so saith our Apostle, Acts 17. 3. In the times of this Ignora●…ce God winked at, but now he Commands all men everywhere to repent: And let no man despise my Speech, in saying, much knowledge and true Light is within these few years▪ broken out; if they shall, I must answer them after the manner of Peter, answering those scosfing Jews, in that then so much admired-at giving out of the Spirit, Acts 2. 14, 15. We are not fanatics or mad men, as ye suppose in so saying; but this is that which was spoken of by the Prophets, Dan. 12. 4. Many shall run to and fro, and Knowledge shall increase; for saith the Prophet, Haba. 2. 14. The Earth shall be filled with the Knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea: Therefore be sure, O King, thou have, Thus saith the Word of the Lord, for thy Warrant; for God is a jealous God, and will not be served with any thing, but what is of his own.  
And this did Hezekiah throughout all Jndah, and wrought that which was good, and right, and truth before the Lord his God; and in every work that he began in the service of the House of God, and in the Law, and in the Commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart; and saith the Text, He prospered, Chap. 31. 20, 21.  
Whence we may note, That whilst Hezekiah's heart was upright to God, God prospered him; and thus we find in Holy Writ, That whilst men with a perfect heart, have a careful eye in all their undertakings to please God, God hath a tender eye over them to prosper them: And thus whilst Joseph is answering his lustful Mistress, with a How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Gen. 39 9 Though Joseph by her revengeful malice be cast into Prison, yet God is with him, v. 21. And God gives him favour in the eyes of the Prison-Keeper, insomuch that the Prison-keeper looked not after any thing that was under his hands; and the Reason is added, vers. 28. Because the Lord was with him; and that which he did, the Text saith, The Lord made it it prosper.  
And thus whilst Daniel in the Babylonish captivity, is resolved in his heart not to defile himself with a portion of the King's Idolatrous Meat, nor of his wine, God bringeth Daniel iuto Favour and tender Love with the Prince of the eunuchs, Dan. 1. 3, 9 Insomuch that the Eunuch will venture his head to the King his Master, rather than Daniel shall want that food he desires, V. 10, 14.  
A good encouragemant for the People of God in the very worst of times, even to take up a Resolution, to eye God in what he would have them to do in all things, and not at all to fear the faces of men, though never so great; for if Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, will not bow to Nebuchadnezar's Image, but keep themselves close to their God, God will keep as close to them; and one like the Son of Man shall walk with them in that seven times hot fiery Furnace, to preserve them, Dan. 3. 16, 25. Will Daniel Petition no other but the true God, though against the Decree of the King? that God will send his Angel, to shut the mouths of the lions, that they shall not hurt him, Daniel 6. 10. 22.  
Therefore suffer me to bespeak thee and thy People, O King, in the Language of Azariah the Son of Obed, which he once uttered to King Asa, 2 Chron. 15. 1. Hear thou me CHARLES, and all England, Scotland, Ireland, and in particular thou proud, voluptuous and vainglorious City of London; the Lord is with you whilst you are with him; if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.  
And let not the King be angry, if one that is counted a fanatic speak once more to him, not in his own Language, but in the words of the Spirit of the Lord, in the Prophet David to his Son, 1 Chro. 28. 9 And thou Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Fathers, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of thy thoughts; if thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Thou knowest, O King, thou hast had a casting off, and that that casting off may not be for ever; be persuaded to turn to thy God with all thy heart.  
We usually say, That he that would move another to weep, must first cry himself, he must first begin the passion; thus God hath done, God hath begun a Work, God hath first trodden a Path for thee, O King, to walk in, God hath made a Return to thee most miraculously, and far (I presume) beyond thine own Expectation, or the Imagination of many others; therefore, O King, Prepare to meet thy God, have a care thou walk not in any By-Path, but only and alone in that Path of Returning, which God hath trodden for thee; and as God hath been Miraculous in his Returning to thee, O be thou as Eminent in thy returniug to him; this is that which I am confident the Lord looketh for at thy hands; for so saith the Lip of Truth itself, Luke 12. 48. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and the same voice hath the Spirit of the Lord in my Text, But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefits bestowed upon him; therefore wrath fell upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
And that I may come to the handling the words themselves, I shall briefly show what God did for Hezekiah, that caused him to look for so suitable a return from Hezekiah.  
After these things, and the establishment thereof, Chap. 32. 1. That is, After the Reformation that Hezekiah had made, as I have in part laid down, and as in the three foregoing Chapters is more particularly discovered; After these things, and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib, King of Assyria, came and entered into Judah, and Encamped against the fenced Cities, and thought to win them to himself.  
Whence we may note, That though men walk never so close with God, yet they cannot be exempted from the malicious endeavours of wicked men: David we know, is Recorded in holy Writ, to be a man after God's own heart, who in the Confidence of his Soul, sometimes can say, The Lord is on his right hand, he shall not be moved, Psal. 16. 8. And anon in Psal. 17. 8. he begs of the Lord, to hide him under the shadow of his Wings, from the wicked that oppress him, and from his deadly Enemies: Now he will not fear what man can do unto him; And anon, he cryeth out, That one day he shall fall by the hand of Saul.  
Good men are at an uncertainty of quietness, or tranquillity, on this side the grave: If the Sons and Daughters of God had too much Happiness and Peace in this life, they would then begin to settle upon the Lees, and satisfy themselves with that which cannot profit: God knows what is fitter for his, than they do themselves; and therefore it is that he suffers his dearest Children to undergo great trials, and that for several Reasons.  
First, for the trial of their Faith, according to that of Judg. 2. 21. I will not, saith the Lord, drive out any of the Nations which Joshua left when he died; and the Reason is added: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the Way of the Lord, to walk therein, as their Fathers did keep it: therefore saith the Text, The Lord left those Nations, without driving them out hastily, neither delivered he them into the hands of Joshua, V. 23. according to that of the Apostle, 1 Pet. 1. 7. That the trial of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, may be found unto Praise, and Glory, and Honour, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.  
A second Reason may be, for the increase of their Graces, according to that saying of the Apostle, James 1. 2, 3. Knowing that the trial of our Faith worketh Patience; and therefore the Apostle Paul did glory in Tribulations, knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience, and Patience Experience, and Experience Hope; and Hope, saith he; maketh not ashamed, Rom. 5. 3, 4.  
A third Reason may be, because Troubles and Afflictions being rightly improved, worketh good to a Soul to Eternity; and so saith our Apostle, 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light Affliction, which are but for a Moment, worketh for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory; whilst we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen, are Temporal; but the things which are not seen, they are Eternal.  
And further, God by these Actings keeps a Soul close to himself, and thereby gives it opportunities continually, either to Pray, or to Praise him, for Deliverances.  
For this Invasion, together with the abominable Blasphemies of Sennacherib, drives Hezekiah to his God; and so saith the Text, For this cause, Hezekiah the King, and the Prophet Isaiah, Prayed and cried to Heaven, vers. 20. Men that walk close with God in time of Prosperity, can with boldness go to God in time of Adversity, with an assured confidence of a gracious Answer: Hezekiah and Isaiah no sooner Pray, but Speed; and another opportunity is now put into their hands, to return again with Praises in their mouths, to the Throne of Grace; for the Lord sent an Angel to cut off all the Mighty men of Ualour, and the Leaders and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria: So he returned with shame of face to his own Land; and when he was come into the House of his god, they that came out of his own bowels, slew him there with the Sword, V. 21.  
Whence we may note, That when God's People cry to him, there is no staying the raising an Army or Money, or the Making or Providing Ammunion; but when they are in a Suffering condition, they dispatch a Messenger to Heaven in a moment's time, to the Captain of their Salvation, who himself was made perfect through Sufferings, Heb. 2. 10. And such a Messenger who can neither be stayed by the way, nor his Message intercepted, even the Spirit of Truth, who will tell the truth of their Cause, and help their Infirmities, and express their Condition with groans that cannot be uttered; and he that searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, Rom. 8. 26, 27. God is a free Agent, and cannot be limited to any means, but acteth how, when, and which way he pleaseth.  
For Hezekiah and Isaiah no sooner Pray, but an Angel is as soon dispatched into the Camp of Sennacherib; (for are they not all ministering Spirits sent forth to Minister for those who shall be Heirs of Salvation, Heb. 1. 14.) And this Angel destroys his Mighty men, Captains and men of Valour: Hezekiah we see spoke truth, when he encouraged the People, saying, Be not dismayed at the King of Assyria; for there is more with us than with him; with him there is an Arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles, ver. 7. and 8.  
Happy it is then with the People of God, when they can trust God for their Deliverance; and observe that Word of Command from the Captain of their Salvation, Mat. 24. 6. Then when they shall hear of Wars, and rumours of Wars, Nation against Nation, and Kingdom, against Kingdom, that then they be not troubled; but can take that good Advice that once Moses gave to Israel of old, Exod. 14. 13. Even to stand still and see the Salvation of God, which he will work for them.  
The Angel finisheth his work with speed, which causeth Sennacherib with shame & Confusion of face, with speed to return into his own Land.  
Whence we may note, That whilst men depend upon an Arm of flesh, upon every Defeat, their spirits are more or less dejected: whilst he that trusteth in the Lord, is not afraid of evil Tidings; for his heart is fixed, Psal. 112. 7. When Sennacheribs' confidence in which he trusted; viz. His Great men, his Captains, and his men of Valour were brought down, than Shame, as a veil, begins to cover his face; whilst the Righteous are bold as a lion, and shall not be ashamed in the evil time, Psal. 37. 19 An Arm of flesh will fail; For all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field; the Grass withereth, and the Flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: Surely, the People is grass, saith the Prophet, Isaiah 40. 6. and 7. Therefore the People of God trust in their God, because that in the Lord Jehovah is Everlasting strength, Isaiah 26. vers. 4.  
The Text saith, That S●…nnacherib, when he returned, he went into the House of his god: Now, his god was one of the gods of the Heathens, which had neither eyes to see, not ears to hear, hands to handle, nor feet to walk; and so uncapable of doing him good, as that he could not give good Advice, nor afford good Assistance, neither to him, nor to his People; yet such is his Zeal, notwithstanding his wickedness, as that he must into the House of this his god.  
Whence we may note, That the worst of men generally are under some Form of Worship, either to a false god, or to the true God after a false manner, in which usually they are very zealous, although in other things desperately wicked.  
Whence we may further note, That it is not Zeal under any Form, that makes that Form the true Form of Godliness; but it is the special Appointment of God in his Word of Truth, that is the only and alone Way God will be worshipped in; in which he requireth men to be zealous: The Apostle Paul whilst he was in his unregenerate condition, his Zeal led the way, and marched in the Van, whilst his Knowledge lay behind in the Rear, which caused him so to make havoc of the Church, as he himself confesseth, Phil. 3. 6. Gal. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 9 And saith he, Acts 26. 9 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things, contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazare●…h; which thing I did in Jerusalem, and many of the Saints did I shut up in Prison, having received Authority from the Chief Priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them, V. 10. And I punished them oft in every Synagogue, and compelled them to Blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange Cities, v. 11. But this I did, saith he, Ignorantly in Unbelief, 1 Tim. 1. 13. And thus it fares often times with many in things about Religion, according to that Principle of the Church of Rome, that their Ignorance is the Mother of their Devotion. And is it not so in this our Day with thousands in this Land of our Nativity, that are of lewd, wicked, and debauched Conversations, yet are very zealous for their commonprayer? And though they will be Drunk many of them, and live in known abominations all the week long, yet such is their blind Zeal, that they must needs to their commonprayer on the Sunday, they think themselves undone else: This I know by Experience, it was so with myself for a long time together; but now through Mercy, I can say with the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 15. 10. I thank God I am what I am; though some call me a fanatic, or a mad man. I would not be mistaken, I do not here go to beat down Zeal; For it is good to be zealously affected always in a good matter, Gal. 4. 18. But I would have Zeal ●…oyned with Knowledge, and so set upon its proper and right Object; for the Jews, we know, had a Zeal to God, but not according to Knowledge, Rom. 10. 2. By which Zeal of theirs, they went about to establish a Righteousness of their own, and Contrary, or, in Opposition to Christ, who is made of God unto His, both Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1. 30.  
Thou, O King, as thou art now upon thy Work of Reformation, see thy Zeal run not before thy Knowledge, lest thou with the Apostle Paul, make havoc of the Church of God, and waste it; (sure I am, thou wilt not want persuaders thereunto:) But let me beg thee in God's fear, first to Inform thy Judgement aright, Regulate that according to the Rule of God's Word; and than join Zeal to thy Knowledge, that so they may draw in one yoke together; and suffer me to bind this Pers●…vasion close to thy Conscience, for thy Eternal good, with that saying of the Apostle, James 4. 17. To him that knoweth to do well, and doth it not, to him it is sin.  
The next thing considerable in this one and twentie●…h verse, is, That those that came out of his own Bowels, slew him with the Sword.  
Whence we may observe, That whilst men are acting against God's People, out of a blind Zeal, to bring them at an under, and to root them out; God then appears for his People, and brings their enemies low, and many times maketh their nearest Relations to become their greatest Enemies: for it is in vain for men to fight against Christ; it is hard for them to kick against the pricks; yet thus inconsiderately do all those that fight against his People, and he looketh upon it as done to himself; for so saith the Lord from Heaven, Acts 9 4. Saul, Saul, Why persecutest thou me? And he that receiveth you, receiveth me, Mat. 1. 40. And in as much as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not unto me, Mat. 25. 45.  
Thus in a most miraculous manner, & without effusion of blood, God, on Hezekiah's part, delivered Hezekiah & the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and guided him on every side: And thus God hath done for thee, O King.  
And this was one great Cause why God expected an answerable Return from Hezekiah; and to me it seems as a Reason, Why thou, O King, shouldst render to the Lord according to his Benefits bestowed on thee; seeing God thus, or in such a miraculous manner, hath wrought such a Deliverance for thee and thy Friends, without bloodshed.  
The next thing that God did for Hezekiah, was, He recovered him from a mortal distemper; for so saith the Text, ver. 24. In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and he prayed unto the Lord, and he spoke unto him, and he gave him a Sign. This Text is but an abstract of what we have fully laid down to us, in 2 King. 20. 1, 2, 3. and Isa. 38. 1. The which Texts we must have some recourse to, if we intend to have a full discovery of what God did for Hezekiah, in 1 Kings 20. 1. The Text saith, In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death, and the Prophet Isaiah the son of Amos came to him and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thy House in order, for thou shalt die, and not live; and Hezekiah turned his face towards the Wall, and prayed unto the Lord, and said, Remember now O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight; and Hezekiah wept sore. And it came to pass after Isaiah was gone out into the middle Court, that the Word of the Lord came unto him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the Captain of my People; thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy Father, I have heard thy Prayers, I have seen thy Tears; Behold, I will heal thee, on the third day thou shalt go up to the House of the Lord.  
Many things there are in this Passage worthy Consideration; and the first thing that I shall take notice of, is, That Hezekiah was sick unto Death, and he must set his House in order, for he must die, and not live; yet Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, and he healed him.  
Whence we may note, That many of the Resolves of God, concerning the Sons and Daughters of men, are not absolutely peremptory, but many times conditional; for yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be destroyed; yet when Nineveh repents, God repents of the evil he intended against them, Jonah 2. 4, 5, 10. And thus saith the Lord by his Prophet, Jer. 18. 7. At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that Nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil; I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation, and concerning a Kingdom, to Build and to Plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then will I repent of the Good wherewith I said I would Benefit them. So also saith the Lord to Ely (upon the misdemeanour of his Sons) by that man of God, 1 Sam. 2. 30. I said indeed, that thy House, and the House of thy Father should walk before me, for ever; but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me, I will honour; and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.  
Now know, O King, that God is about to rebuild and to Plant Thee and thy People again, and if thou and they shall answer God in acts of Obedience, and do that which is well-pleasing in his sight, he then will go on to perfect what he hath begun: but if Thou and thy People, and in especial this proud, Prodigal, vainglorious, and most voluptuous City, that hath all this while sat as a Queen, and known no sorrow, shall not answer God in his Expectations; then be it known to thee and them, that God will repent him of the good he intended both to thee and them; and as he overturned thy Father, and those that overturned him, and hath been for some considerable time, overturning, overturning, overturning in this Land of thy Nativity; so know, O King, that he is as able to overturn thee as them, without thou and they make to him suitable Returns; for of a truth, God is no respecter of Persons, but in every Nation, he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness, is accepted of him, Acts 10. 34, 35. Therefore in God's fear consider thy Actings.  
But to proceed, King Hezekiah prays, and God heals: And thus whilst the Sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, the Prayer of the upright is his delight, Prov. 15. 8. And Hezekiah turned his face to the Wall, and said, Remember I beseech thee, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, &c. He only is likely to thrive at the Throne of Grace, who in his appeals to God can plead the uprightness of his heart, and the sincerity of his Soul; and whilst some are questioning, how God doth know, and whether there be Knowledge in the Most High? Psal. 73. 11. Hezekiah is earnestly begging the Searcher of all hearts, before whose eyes all things are naked and open, to remember the Actings of his former days. Happy it is with thy Soul, that in his sickness, can plead with God the good Actions of his health.  
Thus whilst Hezekiah is praying to the Lord, the Lord shows himself to be what in the Scriptures of Truth he is Recorded to be; even a God hearing Prayers, Psal. 65. 2. And Hezekiah must experience him to be such a one; For saith the Lord, Go, tell Hezekiah the Captain of my People, I have heard his Prayers, I have seen his Tears. God is a tender-hearted God, and when his People are moved to passion, upon a right account, he than shows himself a compassionate God to them, and this he did to Israel of old, when they were in Egypt under their hard taskmasters; for the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my People which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows, and I am come down to deliver them, Exod. 3. 7, 8.  
God is not only said to hear the Prayers, and see the Tears of Hezekiah, but he is as ready to help; for so is his Promise, Psal. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. A good refuge for all God's People to fly to in time of distress.  
And here note, God doth not only raise Hezekiah from his Bed of sickness, but he also promiseth to add fifteen years to his days. Thus he giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength; even the youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall utterly fail; but they that wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of an Eagle; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not be faint. Isai. 40. 31.  
And seeing it is so then, O King, be persuaded to wait upon God, that so it may be a lengthening out of thy tranquillity; question with thine own Soul, whether God hath not added to thy days; remember with thankfulness the Hollow Oak, with all God's Transactions towards thee in that juncture of time, when an Arm of flesh failed thee at Worcester; not forgetting thy safe Passage in that little Vessel that Rides in thy constant view; and when thou lookest on that, suffer me to be thy Remembrancer, to persuade thee, that with thankfulness of heart, thou remember whence thy Deliverance came; and that thou give to God a suitable return, for that I am confident God expects from thee; and withal seriously to consider the sad Consequences of Ingratitude: For Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefits bestowed upon him, but his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
God doth not only promise to heal Hezekiah, and to add fifteen years to his days; but further he giveth him (according to his own request) a Sign, and such an one, the like of which neither before nor since was known; for most miraculously he altars the course of the Heavens, for the Sun who like a Bridegroom coming out of the Chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a Race, Psal. 19 5. is by the great Power of God called back again fifteen Degrees.  
Whence we may take notice of the great condescension of the great God, for the satisfying his faithful ones. And this was his dealing with Gideon, Judges 6. who requires a Sign, that the Angel talked with him, v. 20. And the Angel put forth the end of his Staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh, and the unleavened cakes that Gideon had provided, and there arose fire out of the Rock, and consumed them.  
And again, when Gideon by God's Appointment was to relieve Israel from the hands of the Midianites, Amalekites, and the Children of the East, that were gathered together in the Valley of Jezrecl, Judges 6. 33. Gideon requires a Sign, if God would deliver Israel by his hands, ver. 36. And Gideon also propounds his own satisfaction; Behold, saith he, v. 37. I will put a Fleece of Wool in the Floor, and if the Dew be on the Fleece only, and it be dry upon all the Earth besides, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by my hand, as thou hast said; and saith the Text, It was so, v. 38. For he rose up early in the morning, and thrust the Fleece together, and wringed out of the Fleece a Bowl full of water: Yet this will not fully satisfy Gideon, but he must come to the Lord, as once Abraham did, when he petitioned for Sodom, Gen. 18. with an once more; for Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, I will speak but this once; let me prove I pray thee but this once with the Fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be Dew; And God did so that night; for it was wet upon all the ground. It is good then for S●…ls to be single-hearted to God, that God may be satisfactory to them.  
Thus having particularly discovered the manner of God's merciful dealings towards Hezekiah; I shall now come to the words of my Text; wherein is briefly discovered Hezekiah's unthankful behaviour to God.  
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefits bestowed upon him, but his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
And because the main drift of the Spirit in the Text is, to discover Hezekiah's neglect, in not rendering to God, and the sad Consequences thereof; I shall therefore first consider what rendering is, before I come to draw any teachable Conclusions from the Text.  
rendering, then simply so considered, is none other, but a giving to God or Man that which is their due; for so saith the Spirit, 1 Chron. 16. 29. Give unto the Lord the Glory due unto his Name; and Rom. 13. 7. Render therefore to all men their dues, Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom, Fear to whom Fear, Honour to whom Honour; as if he should say, Give freely to God and Man that which belongeth to them, according to the saying of the Lord Christ himself, Mat. 22. 21. Give to Cesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.  
There is also a rendering spoken of in Scripture, by way of Requital, for some Benefit bestowed, or Injury done; and this is sometimes called rendering, and sometimes recompensing and Requiting, as in that of Luke 14. 12, 14. When thou makest a Dinner, or a Supper, call not thy Friends, nor thy Brethren, nor thy Kinsmen, nor thy rich Neighbours, lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee;— But call the Poor, the Maimed, the Blind, and the Halt, and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense or Requite thee; and in 1 Tim. 5. 4. where Children and Nephews are required to requite their Parents; and 1 Thes. 5. 15. where it is the Advice of the Spirit, that no man should render evil for evil to any man.  
So that there is a rendering belongs to man from man, simply so considered, as they stand in such or such Relations; as Children to Parents, Servants to Masters, Wives to Husbands, or Subjects to Princes: And there is also a more Respective rendering due to men, as they are Benefactors, or better than ordinary in those Relations; as from a Child to an indulgent Father, from a Servant to a very bountiful Master, from a Subject to his Priuce, as he is Wise and Prudentially careful, laying about him every way, for the better well-being of his Subjects; one that refuseth the way of Rehoboam the Son of Solomon, who threatened to make the burdens of his Subjects heavier and heavier, and to be worse to them than was his Father; 1 Kings 12. 11. But to such an one that will undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, according to that of Isa. 51. 6●… I say, to such a Father, Master and Prince, there is a more Tender, Respective, Affectionate rendering due, and that by way of Requital, to answer the Love, Bounty and Care of such a Father, Macter or Prince.  
And this is that rendering in my Text that God expecteth from Hezekiah, that as he had been a bountiful and a full-handed God to him; so he expected that Hezekiah, though a King, should have had his mouth filled with his Praises.  
For when the King of Babylon sent Ambassadors to him, to inquire of the Wonder that was done in his Land, 2 Chron. 32. 31. God expected that then he should have showed the ambassadors, how miraculous God had been in delivering him from his Enemies, and recovering him; and in satisfying his Request, in causing the Sun to run retrograde, in token of the certainty of his recovery, and of the fifteen years' addition to his days; by which means God would have been glorified in the eyes of the Heathen; which is that that God requireth, That his People should sing forth the Honour of his Name, and make his Praise glorious, Psal. 66. 2. And also saith the Lord by the Prophet, Isai. 42. 12. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his Praise in the Islands.  
A good Lesson for thee to learn, O King, that when ambassadors are sent from foreign Princes, to Congratulate thy condition, that then thou remember before them, to glorify that God, and set forth his Praise, who hath been so miraculously bountiful unto thee.  
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to his Benefits bestowed upon him, but his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath fell upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
Quest. But here it may be demanded, when a person may be said, to render duly to God.  
Answ. To this I Answer, A person may then be said to make suitable Returns, or duly to render to God, when in the Relation he standeth in, he shall as much as in him lieth, Act faithfully both to God and man, according to the mind of God, whether they be Men or Women, as they stand in the Relations of Servants or Masters, Children or Parents, Wives or Husbands, Subjects or Princes: And because the subject matter of my Text is concerning Prince and People, I shall not stand to particularize the duty of the other Relations, but shall as briefly as I may, come to a discovery of what I know from the Scriptures, to be the Mind of God in those Relations that concern my Text.  
And first of the duty of a Subject to his Prince; a Subject may properly be said duly to render unto God, when according to the saying of the Lord Christ, Mat. 22. 20. He doth give to Cesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's; when he doth that in the Worship of God that is agreeable to the Mind of God, revealed in that plain Directory, the Holy Scriptures of Truth: And when according to that Rule also he doth render to his Prince Tribute, Custom, Fear and Honour, according to the direction of the Spirit, Rom. 13. 7. A more full discovery hereof is laid down in my Declaration.  
And secondly, A Prince may properly be said to render duly to God, when he doth also follow the direction of the same Spirit in the Directory; who saith, 2 Sam. 23. 3. He that Ruleth over men, must be just, Ruling in the fear of God. This fear of God, is that which made good Nehemiah, when he was appointed governor over the Land of Judah, neither he nor his Brethren not to eat the Bread of the governor, Nehamiah 5. 14. For saith he, v. 15. The former governors that were before me, were chargeable to the People, and had taken of them Bread and Wine, besides forty shekels of Silver; yea, even their Servants bare rule over the People; But saith he, So did not I: And he addeth this as a Reason, Because of the fear of God: And this is that which the Wise man telleth us, is the sum or substance of all that is required from Man, in the twelfth Chapter of his Ecclesiastes, and the thirteenth verse. Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter, Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this (saith he) is the whole duty of Man: and so saith the Prophet, Micah 6. 8. He that showed thee, O man, what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  
Pritnces, Rulers, Governors and Magistrates then, are required to do tha work for which they are set up, for they are God's vicegerents, set up by him for the due Administration of Justice, and not to be a terror to good works, but to the evil; and are continually to attend upon that very thing, Rom. 13. 1, 3, 4, 6.  
In that ancient History of the Succession o●… the Saxon Monarchs, page 370. It is Recorded to the yet lasting fame of Edgar, sometimes a King of this Island, That he was so endowed with that Heaven-bred, and most heroic Principle of the due Administration of Justice; as in his Circuits he took so strict an account of the due Execution of his Laws, and of the Demeanour of his great Men, and especially of his Judges, as that he severely punished them, as often as he found the Execution of their Places balanced either with bribery, or partiality: So that (saith the Story) there was never less Robbery, Deceit nor Oppression, than in the Reign of this worthy King.  
Therefore let me beg thee, O King, as thou tenderest thy own good, both here and hereafter, Rule with Diligence, and with King Edgar let After-ages know to thy lasting Praise, that thou hadst a delight to do thy Subjects good, in seeking Judgement, in Relieving the Oppressed, in Judging the Fatherless, and in Pleading for the Widow, in being a terror to Evil Works, and in showing thyself a 〈◊〉 of them that do well. Measure thy Subjects Actions by a direct Rule: And as thou art a King over three Kingdoms, such as make much ad●… about their Christianity, see that their Actions be Christ-like; for the assuming either the Title or Form of Christianity cannot do it; for from such as have not the Power of Godliness, there ought to he by the People of God a turning away, 2 Tim. 3. 5. For, every one that nameth the Name of Christ, is to depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. 2. 19 And it ought to be their only care, to have their Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ,— striving together for the Faith of the Gospel, Phil. 1. 27 Not for the Promotion of stageplays, Dancings, May-games, and Pastimes; for Christians are to abstain from all appearance of evil, 1 Thes. 5. 22. And as Pilgrims and Strangers they are to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the Soul, 1 Pet. 2. 11. And the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the World, and must perish with the World, 1 Joh. 2. 16.  
Be careful therefore, I beseech thee, O King, of the Actions of thy Subjects, it stands thee in hand so to do; for a fruitful Land God turneth into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein, Psal. 107. 34. Yea, and thou Mayst fare the worse for it too; For the Transgression of a Land, many are the Princes thereof; But by a man of understanding and Knowledge, the state thereof shall be prolonged, saith the Wisest of the Sons of men, Prov. 28, 2. O then, in the fear of him that accepteth not the person of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor, Job 34. 19 In the fear of him that leadeth Princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the strength of the Mighty; that poureth contempt upon Princes, and weakeneth the Mighty; that taketh away the heart of the Chief of the People of the Earth, and causeth them to wander in a Wilderness, where there is no way, Job 12. 19, 21, 24. In the fear of him that bringeth Princes to nothing, and maketh the Judges of the Earth, as vanity, Isai. 40. 23. In the fear of that God, that hath done such great things for thee, be persuaded for thine own good, to render to him according to his Mercy bestowed, in seeing the due Administration of Justice without respect of persons; that so thou mayest Relieve the poor oppressed of thy People, that of a long time have groaned under the Administration of Male-Justice.  
And know, O King, that as thou art to do justly; so thou art required to love Mercy, it is that which God accepteth before Sacrifice; for so saith the Prophet, Hos. 6. 6. For I desired Mercy, and not Sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than Burnt-offerings; for by Mercy and Truth Iniquity is purged, and by the fear of God men depart from evil, Prov. 16. 6. For Mercy and Truth preseve the King, and his Throne is upholden by Mercy; For he that followeth after Righteousness and Mercy; findeth Life, Righteousness and Honour, Prov. 21. 21. A good man is Merciful and lendeth, and his Seed shall be blessed, Psal. 37. 26. Yea, Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy, Mat. 5. 7. But he shall have judgement without Mercy, that hath showed no Mercy; And Mercy rejoiceth against Judgement, James 2. 13. The neglect of showing Mercy, is that which caused the wrath of God to burn hot against Israel of old, Zech. 7. 9 For thus spoke the Lord of Hosts, saying, Execute true Judgement, and show Mercy and Compassion every man to his Brother, and oppress not the Widow, nor the Fatherless, the stranger, nor the Poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his Brother in his heart: But they refused to harken, and plucked away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear, &c. Therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts, V. 12.  
Then be persuaded, O King, to show Acts of Mercy, thou hast Objects enough to exercise it upon; and know, That pure Religion and undesiled before God and the Father, is this, To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction, James 1. 27. Not to make Fatherless and Widows, to bring them to Affliction. And in thy showing Mercy, take the Advice of the Spirit of God, in Rom. 12. 8. To do it readily, and with Cheerfulness.  
Thou hast begun already to tread in this Way, in thy Act of Oblivion, let not the malicious endeavours of any, though never so great, pervert thy steps; for it is one of Zion's Paths.  
A third thing that is required of thee, O King, is, That as thou art to do Justly, and to love mercy; so also, to walk humbly with thy God.  
But here it may be demanded, when a person may be said to walk humbly with God?  
To this I Answer; A man may then be properly said, to walk humbly with his God, when he goeth not before God, or without God in his Actions; but that in all his undertakings, he doth that which is required of him by God, in order to his humble obedience to God, whether it be in the Worship and Service of God, or in his Actings towards men: Thus Enoch walked with God three hundred years, Gen. 5. 22. And Enoch walking with God, God was so well pleased therewith, as that he exempted him from the Pangs of Death; for so saith the Text, V. 24. And Enoch walked with God, and was not; for God took him: Enoch walked with God faithfully; for without Faith it is Impossible to please God, Heb. II. 6. And we find him so Recorded in that Catalogue of faithful ones, Heb. II. 5. By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him; and before he was translated, he had this Testimony, That he pleased God.  
Thus Noah also walked with God, Gen. 6. 9 And when a World of wicked Men and Women, for their ungodliness must be drowned; the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou, and all thy House into the Ark; for thee have I seen Righteous before me in this Generation, Gen. 6. 1.  
Thus also Zacharias and Elizabeth, the Father and Mother of John the Baptist, who walked with God, Luke 1. 5, 6. who were both righteous before God, walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, blameless.  
So that I say, To walk humbly with God, is to follow God fully in all his Laws, Statutes, Ordinances, and Appointments.  
And thus the Church and People of God, are required to be Followers of God, as dear Children, Eph. 5. 1. That as Children are to follow the Directions and Appointments of their Earthly Parents; so God's People should follow the Directions and Appointments of their Heavenly Father; and should walk in the footsteps of the Flock of God, gone before; who run neither before nor without God; but with the Prophet David, Psal. 119. 32. in the Laws, Statutes, Ordinances and Appointments of God: Thus they walked humbly with their God. So that this is that which I would willingly lay before thee, O King; and also beg and entreat thee for thine own good, seriously to consider of, That to walk humbly with God, is not to walk in any way, but in that which is well-pleasing to God; in that way which is by himself directed, for his to walk in; for persons cannot be said to be no more foreigners and strangers, unless they become fellow Citizens with the Saints, and of the household of God; being built upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner stone, Eph. 2. 19, 20. By which means only, they grow up an Holy Temple in the Lord, in whom they also are builded together for an Habitation of God, through the Spirit, ver. 21, 22.  
Then consider thy standing, O King, and with Hezekiah purge out the filthiness of thy Holy Things, in order to thy walking humbly with thy God; in order to thy rendering duly to God, for thy great Mercies received, considering the danger of not rendering.  
For Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
Thus having showed in some measure the Occasion of the words of my Text; I shall now come to the handling of the words themselves.  
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
The words in themselves contain these four Particulars.  

1. God's Benefits bestowed upon Hezekiah.  
2. Hezekiah's Unthankfulness to God.  
3. The Reason of Hezekiah's Unthankfulness.  
4. The sad Consequences of his Unthankfulness.   

1. God's Benefits bestowed upon Hezekiah, in these words, Accordcording to the Benefit done unto him.  
2. Hezekiah's Unthankfulness to God, in these words, But Hezekiah rendered not again.  
3. The Reason of Hezekiah's not rendering, in these words, For his heart was lifted up.  
4. The sad Conseqnences of Hezekiah's not rendering. And they are two fold, and employed in these words:  


1. Therefore there was wrath upon him; And,  
2. Upon Judah and Jerusalem.     
But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
Thus having laid down the Occasion of the words of the Text, and the Particulars contained in the Text; I shall now proceed to lay down, what teachable Conclusions may be drawn from the Text; which are these three:  

1. That God requires suitable Returns for Benefits bestowed, though from the greatest of Men or Nations; upon the neglect whereof, God punisheth without respect of persons.  
2. That many times God punisheth a People, for the miscarriages of their governors, whether in Church or State, or in a particular Family.  
3. That outward enjoyments many times do so affect the heart of man, as that they lift it up, even to the forgetting of God, and to their own ruin.   
To the first of these, That God requires suitable Returns for Benefits bestowed, though from the great est of Men or Nations; upon the neglect whereof, God punisheth without respect of persons.  
King David, I presume, was well acquainted with the Truth of this Assertion, which made him so earnestly inquire, what he should render to God, in Psal. 116. after a full Declaration of what God had particularly done for his Soul; he oryeth out, ver. 12. What shall I render to the Lord, for all his Benefits bestowed upon me? And in v●…13. and 14. he gives in his Resolution, I will, saith he, take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord; I will pay my vows unto the Lord now, in the presence of all his People; and in Psal. 58. 12. These vows are upon me, O God, I will render Praises unto thee.  
But for the proof of this point; consider, Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon, who dreamed a Dream, which to him was very terrible; insomuch, that his spirit was troubled, and his sleep broke from him, Dan. 2. 1. Then the King commanded to call the Magicians, and the Astrologers, and the Sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to show the King his Dream; to whom he promised great Rewards, if they could show him the Dream, and the Interpretation, (for it was gone from the King) But if they could not, than he threatened death to them, and ruin to their Houses, vers. 6, 7, 8, 9 The which they could not do; and thereupon a Command went out from the King, to slay them: The Executioners of whose Will sought Daniel and his Fellows also to slay them. Then Daniel inquired of Arioch the Captain of the King's Guard, the Reason of the hastiness of the Decree from the King, who telling him the matter; Daniel went in to the King, and desired time that he might show the King both the Dream, and the Interpretation; the which being granted, he suddenly after came and told it the King, V. 31. Thou, O King, sawest, and behold a great Image; this great Image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee, and his form was terrible.  
This Images Head was of fine Gold, his Breast and his arms of Silver, his Belly and his Thighs of Brass, his legs of Iron, his Feet part of Iron, and part of Clay; Thou sawest till that a Stone was cut out without hands, which smote the Image upon his feet, that were part of Iron and part of Clay, and broke them to pieces.  
Then was the Iron, the Clay, the Brass, the Silver, and the Gold broken to pieces together, and became then as the Chaff of the Summer Threshing-floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the Stone that smote the Image, became a great Mountain, and filled the whole Earth. This is the Dream (said Daniel) and I will tell the Interpretation thereof before the King.  
THOU O King, art a King of Kings, for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom, Power, and Strength, and Glory; and wheresoever the Children of men dwell, the Beasts of the Field, and the Fowls of the Heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee Ruler over them all; Thou art this Head of Gold.  
By all which we see, that God had done very much for Nebuchad●…, and made him King of Kings, and higher than all the Kings of the Earth: Yet when Nabuchadnezzar rendereth not to God according to the Benefits bestowed, God takes him down from all his Pomp; when Nabuchadnezzar forgot God that made him so great, and begins to Sacrifice to his own Net, as he did, Dan. 4. 30. For said the King, Is not this Great Babylon, that I have builded for the House of my Kingdom, by the Might of my Power, and for the Honour of my Majesty? Thus whilst he was glorying himself, instead of glorifying God, God takes him down; for so saith the Text, V. 31. Whilst the word was in the King's mouth, there fell a voice from Heaven, saying, O King Nabuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, the Kingdom is departed from thee, and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the Beasts of the Field; they shall make thee to eat grass as Oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High Ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and giveth it to whom he will; and saith the Text, V. 33. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nabuchadnezzar. So that in him we see the Assertion made good, That God requires suitable returns for mercies bestowed, though from the greatest of Men or Nations. This man was so great, as that there was none greater; for he was over All; not a King over some few Countries, or an Emperor over seven Nations, but a Monarch, one that had an unlimited and an universal Power, V. 36. Yet when he comes to walk contrary to God, God walks contrary to him; when he refuseth to glorify God, God will be glorified upon him.  
The like we may see in King Saul, 1 Sam. 15. The Prophet Samuel came to him, and appointed him his work from God; and in his so doing, he first lays before him what God had done for him; and giveth it in as a Reason, why Saul should perform the Will of God; for saith he, V. 1. The Lord sent me to Anoint thee to be King over his People, over Israel; Therefore harken thou unto the voice of the Word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, as he came up out of the Land of Egypt; now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy All that they have, and spare them not, but utterly destroy both Man and Woman, Infant and Suckling, Ox and sheep, Camel and ass, Amalek lay in wait, to have destroyed Israel; now God takes Israel's Cause in hand, and Amalek must be utterly cut off. It is good for the People of God, to let God alone with his own Work; for vengeance is mine●… and I will repay it, saith the Lord, Rom. 12. 19 And God's time is the best time to revenge in; for so saith the Lord by his Prophet, Zephaniah 3. 8. Wait ye upon me, until the day that, I rise up to the prey; for my determination is, to gather the Nations, that I may assemble the Kingdoms, to pour upon them mine Indignation, even all my fierce Anger; for, All the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy: for, saith the Prophet, It is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompenses, for the controversy of Zion, Isai. 34. 8. And saith the Lord, I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion, with a great jealousy, Zach. 1. 14. For precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his Saints, Psal. 116. 15. and Psal. 9 12. When he maketh Iniquision for blood, he remembreth them, and forgetteth not the Cry of the humble. Had Israel been the Revenge of his own quarrel, it had not made so much for Israel's comfort, neither would Amalek have had his deserved due; Israel might have under-done the Work; for Israel knew not the bent of Amaleks spirit, so well as he that took the Work in hand; for God sees not as Man sees, Man only knows the outward act, but God also the intention and thought of the heart; God without all Question knew that Amalek intended the utter ruin of Israel; and therefore Amalek must be utterly destroyed: For God is a Righteous God, and commonly deals with men by the Law of Retaliation; for Adoni-bezek said, Threescore and ten Kings having their Thumbs and their great Toes cut off, gathered their Meat under my Table; as I have done so God hath done to me, Judges 1. 7. And Nathan said unto David, 2 Sam. 12. 9 Thou hast done evil in the sight of the Lord, thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the Sword, and hast taken his Wife to be thy Wife; now therefore the Sword shall never depart from thine House, &c. And I will take thy Wives before thine eyes, and give them to thy Neighbour, and he shall lie with them in the sight of the Sun; for thou didst this secretly, but I will do this before all Israel, and before the Sun. And the Prophet Samuel also said unto King Agag, 1 Sam. 15. 33. As thy Sword hath made Women Childless, so shall thy Mother be Childless among Women; and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord.  
It is good for men then in all their undertakings, to do to others, as they would have others to do unto them: And this is that golden Rule, that the Lord Christ himself lays down, Mat. 7. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the Law and the Prophets: And that he might the better bespeak his People to a strict Observation of this Lesson, he requires them in the first and second verses, Not to judge, lest they be judged, for saith he, with what judgement ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye met, it shall be measured to you again: The perfect Law of Retaliation.  
I am the willinger to say the more to this, though I am upon a digression, because, if possible, I might keep others from transgression; for there are many in this our day, I know, that are ready and willing to run headlong to the ruin of the People of God here, though it be to the ruin of their own Souls hereafter, and that to Eternity; for so saith the Lord Christ himself, Mat. 25. 41. Then shall the King say to them on his left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into Everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his Angels; for when I was an Hungry, ye gave me no meat; I was Thirsty, and ye gave me no Drink; I was a Stranger, and ye took me not in; Naked, and ye clothed me not; Sick, and in Prison, and ye visited me not; for, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of these little ones, v. 45. or the least of-these my brethren, ye did it not unto me, v. 40.  
Whence I would have all persecuting spirits to take notice, That if Christ at that great day will be so strict upon men, for omitting the doing of that good, that they might have done to the People of God; that he will be far more stricter with them, for doing Acts of violence against them; for God is very tender of his People, however men esteem of them; and so saith the Prophet, Zach. 2. 8. He that toucheth you, toucheth the Apple of his eye. God hath been Eminent in his Judgements of late days: And therefore let all persecuting spirits, hear, and fear, and tremble, for the Lord will appear mightily for his People.  
But to return to our matter: King Saul being fully Commissionated for this work of Amaleks destruction; and being persuaded to the faithful performance thereof by Samuel, upon the account of what Benefits God had done for him; yet Saul rendered not according to the Benefits bestowed upon him; and therefore he was looked upon as a Rebel against God, 1 Sam. 15. 23. in that he saved the best of the Sheep and Oxen, and King Agag alive; and this caused God to rend the Kingdom from him, v. 28. And this is that, together with his going to the Witch of Endor, that also cost him his life; for so saith the Text, 1 Chron. 10. 13. So Saul died for his transgression, which he committed against the Lord, even against the Word of the Lord, which he kept not; and also for asking Counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it: So that in Saul also we see the Assertion made good, That God requires suitable returns for Benefits bestowed, though from the greatest of Men or Nations; upon the neglect whereof, God punisheth without respect of Persons.  
It is neither the Name, Dignity nor Power of the greatest of Kings, that can exempt them from the sin-revenging hand of God; for Tophet is ordained of old, saith the Prophet, Isaiah 30. 33. yea, for the King it is prepared, he hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kindle it.  
Neither is it the greatness of a Nation or a People, that can excuse them, if they be found sinning against God; witness Israel of old, a Nation like the Sands of the Sea shore, or as the Stars in the Firmament for number; yea, the Lord's Portion; for so saith the Text, Deut. 32. 9 The Lord's People are his Portion, Jacob is the Lot of his Inheritance; the Vineyard that his own right hand hath planted, Psal. 80. 15. Such as in their day had the highest privileges of any Nations under the Heavens; for so saith the Prophet David, Psal. 147. 19, 20. He showed his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his judgements unto Israel, he hath not dealt so with any Nation: And as for his judgements, they have not known them; yet for all this, by reason of God's sin-revenging hand upon them, the Apostle Paul takes up a great Lamentation, Rom. 9 the beginning, and tells us, That he could wish himself, that he were accursed from Christ, for his brethren's sake, concerning the flesh; who, saith he, are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Service of God, and the Promises; whose are the Fathers, and of whom concerning the flesh, Christ came.  
Yet notwithstanding all these high privileges, the Prophet is sent to them with a Message from the Lord, Isaiah 6. 9, 10. Go, saith the Lord, and tell this People, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not; make the heart of this People fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and convert, and be healed.  
And what's the Cause of all this, may some say?  
Answ. The Prophet that was sent on this Message, with other of the Prophets, will give a perfect answer, and tell you, That Israel did not render unto the Lord according to his Benefits bestowed; and therefore wrath was upon them from the Lord▪ for God had planted them a noble Vine, wholly a Righteous Seed; but they were turned into the degenerate Plant of a strange Vine unto him, saith the Prophet, Jeremiah 2. 21. And the Prophet Isaiah sings the same Song, Isaiah 5. 1, &c. Now will I sing, saith he, to my well Beloved, a Song of my well Beloved touching his Uineyard. My well beloved hath a Uineyard in a very fruitful Hill, and he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest Uine; and he Built a Tower, and set a Winepress therein, and he looked that it should bring forth Grapes, and it brought forth Wild Grapes. V. 7. The Vineyard of the Lord of Hosts, is the House of Israel, and the Men of Judah, his pleasant Plant; and he looked for Judgement, but behold, Oppression; for Righteousness, but behold, a Cry.  
And therefore God calls themselves to Judge the Cause, v. 3. And now, O Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, Judge, I pray you, between me and my Vineyard, What could have been done more to my Vineyard, that I have not done in it? And now, saith he, Go to, I will tell you what I will do to my Vineyard, I will take away the Hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the Wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; and I will lay it waste, it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and Thorns. And for these misactings of theirs, the Lord by his Prophet, Isai. 1. 2. takes up a great complaint, saying, Hear O Heavens, and give ear O Earth; for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me; the Ox knoweth his Owner, and the ass his Master's Crib; but Israel doth not know, my People do not consider: Ah! sinful Nation, a People laden with Iniquity, a Seed of Evil-doers, Children that are Corrupters; they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger, they are gone away backward: By Reason whereof, we see the Lord looks upon their Holy Duties as nothing, even as vanity; and their burning of Incense, an abomination unto him.  
Whence we may note, That though men be in the Perfect and Real Way of God, as to his Worship; yet, if they do not render to God, if their Conversation answer not their Profession, the best of their Worship is but vain and abominable in God's sight; and such as God is weary to bear, Isai. 1. 14. And such persons are looked upon as Enemies to the cross of Christ, Phil. 3. 18. And God looked upon them to be so to him: and such as he will not long be burdened withal; for so saith the Prophet, Isaiah 1. 24. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the Mighty One if Israel, Ah! I will ease me of mine Anversaries, I will avenge me on mine E●…emies: And we find this threatening was made good upon them, Zach. 7. 13, 14. Therefore, saith the Prophet, it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear; but I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the Nations whom they knew not, &c. and so they continue a scattered people to this very day. So that we see the Assertion made good in them also, That God requires suitable▪ Returns for Mercies bestowed, though from the greatest of Men or Nations; upon the neglect whereof, God punisheth without respect of persons.  
So that we see the point fully proved upon Nabuchadnezzar and Saul, two Great and Potent Kings; and also ugon Israel, the greatest of Nations; and that not only upon the account of multitude, but also the greatest privileged Nation under the Heavens.  
I shall not spend time to lay down the Reasons of the Point; but in a word shall say what the Lord Christ saith, Luke 12. 48. To whom much is given, of him shall be much required.  
And so I shall come to some Uses, that may be made of the Point.  
For, as Practice is the very life of Profession, So the Uses of a Sermon, being well applied, become words spoken in season; which the Wise Man saith, Are like Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver, Prov. 25. 11.  
And seeing it is so, that God requires suitable Returns for Benefits bestowed; upon the neglect whereof, God punisheth, &c.  
This then may serve for a Use to great ones; and first, to thyself, O King, to Exhort thee in the Name and Fear of Cod, seriously to consider particularly what God hath done for thee, how God hath preserved thee both abroad and in this Land of thy Nativity; and let me humbly beg thee once again; seriously to consider the Hollow Oak, and that little Vessel which rides in thy constant view, and those that were acting in and by them, for thy personal preservation (the which, if report be true, thou hast in a great measure already done, which is very commendable) But this is that, O King, that I am chiefly pleading for, that thou wouldst endeavour to look through and beyond them, even to the Finger and Power of that God that wrought in and by them; not only for thy Temporal, but also (if thou be'st not wanting to thyself) for thy Eternal preservation, if thou dost make suitable Returns to him; that so wrath may not follow.  
To this purpose, consider every one of thy Thoughts and Intentions, and examine them before thou put them into action, see whether they tend to a suitable Returning to God, for such great Benefits received from God, or not.  
And if this, O King, be the bent of thy Spirit, and thy continued practice, I can assure thee from the Word of the Lord, that it will be a lengthening out of thy Tranquillity; for so saith the wisest of men, by the assictance of the Eternal Spirit, Prov. 16. 7. When a man's ways please the Lord, he will make even his Enemies to be at peace with him; and not only so, but thou shalt also have a Benefit hereafter, and that to Eternity; for so saith the Lord by the mouth of a King, Psal. 50. 23. Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me, and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright, will I show the Salvation of God.  
And secondly, O King, seeing many Great Ones in this Nation have had a great share in the Benefits God hath bestowed upon thee; this may serve for a Use of Exhortation also to them, to persuade them to consider seriously what God hath done for them in doing for thee; and further to examine what suitable Returns they have already made, and what registerings they intend to make to God for such great Benefits bestowed.  
I desire to urge this the rather, because I see many of their Coaches standing daily, where I fear they cannot duly Render to God according to such Mercies bestowed; and therefore I shall desire to discharge my Conscience to them, in letting them know, That without Holiness no man shall see the Lord, Heb. 12. 14. and without Faith it is impossible to please God, Heb 11. 6. Which Faith comes by Hearing, and Hearing by the Word of God, Heb. 10. 17. and not by Hearing scurrility in stageplays, May-games and Pastimes: Consider O ye Great Ones, that are guilty of such actings; and know, that God requires other things from you; and make suitable Returns to God, lest God Return his Judgements with Indignation, and so the last be worse than the first: for we usually say, that Relapses are dangerous, and many times prove worse than the first Distemper.  
Thirdly, Seeing God requires suitable Returns for Benefits bestowed, though from the greatest of Men or Nations; upon the neglect whereof, God punisheth without respect of Persons.  
This then may also serve for a Use of Exhortation and Examination to this Nation, considered as a Nation: And as some have said, They (to wit) the Nation was a Body without a Head; meaning, they were without a King; for the King is the Head, or supreme, 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14. according to that of Samuel also to Saul, 1 Sam. 14. 17. And Samuel said to Saul, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed thee King over Israel, &c. So that now, O England, thou canst not so Complain, for by a miraculous hand thy Head is restored to thee again; examine thyself now what Benefit thou hast received; and also, how thou art bettered thereby: Dost thou render to God according to his Benefits bestowed? Art thou grown more Holy than thou wast? Or rather, art thou not grow openly profane, out of a sense of God's Great Love to thee? Dost thou rejoice before the Lord with trembling? Or rather, is not thy rejoicing such, as that it would and doth, even make a truly Regenerate Soul tremble to behold it? Art thou rendering to God, for bringing this great Design about without shedding of blood? Or rather, is not thy Behaviour such, as suddenly may cause God to open another vein to the Effusion of thy blood, even to the Confusion of thy face? Art thou rejoicing, that the Sword in all visible probability is now sheathing again? And is not that rejoicing such, that may justly cause God to Command it to run thorough thy Borders a second time?  
Art thou humble before thy God, O England, out of a Consideration of thine own unworthiness, and of God's great love to thee in these things? Or rather, art thou not grown more haughty? And may not the Lord take up a Complaint against thee and thy Daughters, O England, as once he did against his People of old? Isa. 3. 16. and say to England, and in special to London, Because thy Daughters are haughty, and walk with stretched out Necks, and wanton Eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet; therefore the Lord will smite with a Scab the Crown of the Head of the Daughters of England; And the Lord will discover her secret parts in that day: Or when the Lord shall say so to England, Then will he take away the bravery of their tinkling Ornaments about their feet, and their Cauls, and their round Tiers like the Moon, and the bracelets, and the Mufflers, the Bonnets, and the Ornaments of the legs, the changeable suits of fantastical Attire; and instead of their sweet Powders, a stink; instead of a Girdle, a Rent; instead of their crisped and well-set Hair, Baldness; and instead of a Stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; and Burning instead of Beauty; and cause a second time their Men to fall by the Sword, and their Mighty in War; for England is full of Distempers; so that God may justly say of her, as once he said of Israel, Isa. 1. 6. From the sole of the foot, even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but mounds, and bruises; and putrified sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, nor mollified with Ointments; for the Judgements nor the Mercies of God, have neither allured nor restrained them from their Iniquities, but to this very day she hath her Tinpenny of Pride, being also full of the Dropsical Humours of all Abominations; and yet in a deep Consumption of all true Piety, pity, Penitency, Patience and Purity; by which means she is become very Perverse, Peevish, profane and pitiless.  
Therefore, O England, Consider what God after all his Judgements and Mercies requireth of thee; and for the time to come, meet thy God with suitable Returns, lest God meet thee again, in some or all his three fierce Judgements, Sword, Pestilence or Famine; either to thy speedy rooting out, or thy Consuming lingering ruin. Consider what I say, and the Lord make thee wise.  
And Secondly, Seeing it is so, That God requires suitable Returns for Benefits bestowed, though from the greatest of Men or Nations, &c.  
This then may serve for a Use of Reproof to all, from the Highest to the Lowest, from him that sitteth upon the Throne, to him that grindeth at the Mill, even to the Hewer of Wood and Drawer of Water; to all that have received, and have not duly rendered, to such who like the Swine under the Acorn Tree, have greedily swallowed down all the Benefits that comes from, God, never so much as once looking to God, nor to him that sends them; And to say truth, it fares generally with men as with those Leapers, Luk 17. 17. where ten were cured, & but one found to return Praise: And indeed it is ten to one, whether men generally know it really to be their duty, or not; therefore I shall commend this Use to all that have not rendered, and shall let them know in the words of Solomon the wise, That he is in the way of Life that keepeth knowledge; whilst he that refuseth reproof, erreth, Prov. 10. 17. For he that hateth reproof is brutish, Prov. 12. 1. And shame shall be to him that refuseth Instruction; whilst he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured, Prov. 13. 18. And therefore I shall desire all, seriously to consider the danger of not rendering.  
For Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefits bestowed upon him, but his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath fell upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
And so I shall pass to the next Teachable Observation.  
2. That many times God punisheth a People for the misactings of their governors, whether in Church, State, or particular Families.  
For the Proof of which Point, let us consider King David, who as to the integrity of his inward-man, was upright before God; therefore we have this Testimony of him, That he was a man after God's own heart, 1 Sam. 13. 14. Yet this integrity of his was accompanied with some imperfections, which caused God's wrath to burn hot against his People, as we may read, 2 Sam. 24. 1. For King David by the instigation of that Enemy of mankind, was moved to number his People, by which means the wrath of God was kindled against Israel; for so saith the Text, 2 Sam. 24. 1. And again the Anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel; and He moved David against them to say, Go number Israel and Judah.  
Quest. But here it may be asked, How I prove this to be done by the persuasion of that Evil One, seeing the Text doth not in so many words say so?  
Answ. To which I Answer; The Text in 2 Sam. 41. 1. nor in any other part of the Chapter, doth not in so many words prove it; but if according to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, 1 Cor. 2. 13. We compare Spiritual things with Spiritual; the Holy Ghost will make a clear Discovery; for compare this▪ 2 Sam. 24. 1. with, 1 Chron. 21. 1. we shall find this, He that moved David in this, 2 Sam. 24. 1. is that Enemy of mankind, that Evil One, or Satan; for so saith the text, 1 Chron, 21. 1. And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.  
Quest. But here it may be farther demanded, What was Israel's sin? seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, what had Israel done?  
Answ. I Answer; Israel was not at this time (as we read of) acting in any gross or known sin; yet Isràel must be punished: Which proves our Assertion to be true, That God many times punisheth a People for the misactings of their governors, &c.  
Quest. What then was David's sin, may some say?  
Answ. I Answer; David's sin lay in numbering the People; for so saith the text, 1 Chron. 21. 7. And God was displeased at this thing; therefore he smote Israel.  
Quest. Was the numbering of the People than the only Cause, that moved God to slay with the Plague threescore and ten thousand? as we read, vers. 14.  
Answ. Yea, so saith the text, v. 17. For David said unto God, Is it not I that Commanded the People to be numbered? Even I it is that have sinned and done evil▪ But as for these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be on me and on my father's House, but not on thy People, that they should be punished.  
Quest. Is it so dangerous a thing then to tell over, or number the People, may some say?  
Answ. I Answer; That to tell over or number the People, simply so considered, is not sin; for than it were a sin for Joshua to number the People, Josh. 8. 10. Or to number the Eleven, Acts 1. 26. who were numbered; For they gave forth the Lots, and the Lot fell upon Mathias, and he was numbered with the Eleven.  
But to number the People, so as to put Confidence in an Arm of Flesh; to number the People so as to depart from the Lord, this is an accursed thing; for so saith the Prophet, Jer. 17. 5. Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his Arm; and whose heart departeth from the Lord: And this I humbly conceive might be David's sin; for if we cast our eye but into 1 Chron. 20. we shall find Joab, the Captain of David's Host, destroying the Country of the Children of Ammon, and Rabbah, and slaying three Giants in three several Overthrows of the Philistines; and the Devil knoweth right well how to make his Advantages.  
He knew, that God was jealous of his Honour; and if he could but work up Danid to put confidence in an Arm of flesh, or to give glory to the multitude of his Armed men; this was an advantage good enough against Israel; this was that which would cause God to weaken his strength, by taking them away, and have a controversy with them: And thus God doth in Mercy to his People, when they begin to put ●…fidence, or set their hearts upon Creature-comforts, God is then rea●… 〈◊〉 take them away; and thus God is said, to hedge up their way with Thorns, Hos. 2. 6, 7. And to make a Wall that they shall not find their w●…y; and they shall follow after their Lovers, but shall not overtake them, they shall seek after them, but not find them; for saith the Prophet, Isai. 57 13. The wind shall carry them away, vanity shall take them.  
We may see this Assertion farther proved in the Egyptians, in those ten Plagues that came upon them, for the hardness of the heart of Pharaoh their King; What misery did they endure in that weeks' time of the waters of the Rivers being turned into Blood? Exod. 7. 20, 27. What did they endure by reason of the Plagues of frogs, Lice and Flies? Exod. 8. 3, 17, 24. in those Plagues of murrain and Hail? Exod. 9 2, 10, 23. in those Plagues of Locusts, and Darkness? Exod. 10. 4, 22. and in the Death of all their first-born, both of Man and Beast? Exod. 12. 29.  
The like we may see threatened against Israel of old, by reason of the misactings of their Princes, Judges, Priests, and Prophets, Micah 3. 9 Hear, I pray you (saith the Prophet) ye Heads of the House of Jacob, and Princes of the House of Israel, that abhor Judgement, and pervert all Equity, v. 10. That build up Zion with Blood, and Jerusalem with Iniquity, v. 11. The Heads thereof judge for Reward, and the Priests thereof teach for Hire, and the Prophets thereof Divine for Money; like the Priests and Prophets of England at this day; and they likewise, as those of old, will lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us, no evil can come upon us? But though they say thus; What saith the Prophet? Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a Field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the Mountain of the Lord's House, as the high places of the forest.  
So that we may see, That for the misactings of churchmen, that teach for Hire, and Divine for Money▪ Zion, or the Church, shall be punished, yea ploughed as a Field, and laid waste, and the Mountain of the Lord's House become as the high places of the forest; As well as for the perverting of Judgement and Equity by the Princes and Judges, Jerusalem, or the Kingdom, shall become heaps; for there will be a scattering of the Sheep, for the negligence of the Shepherd; yea, so saith the Prophet, Isa. 10. 21. For the Pastors are become brutish, & have not sought the Lord; therefore they shall not Prosper, and all their Flock shall be scattered. And so saith the Lord Christ by John the Revelator, speaking to the Angel, or the Pastor of the Church of Ephesus, Revelation 2. 5. Remember (saith he) from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do thy first work, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick o●…t of his place, except thou Repent.  
As if he should say, Thou art the Light of the Church, and the Feeder of the Flock; the Church or People, are the Candlestick that upholds thee, and the Flock that employs thee, and unless thou repent of thy deadness, thy dulness, thy drowsiness, thy coldness, thy carelessness, and thy carnality; I will suddenly remove thy Candlestick, I will soon disperse the flock; And then, what will become of thee? who wilt thou feed? who wilt thou light? Thy talon will then be under a Bushel, and not on a Candlestick, to give light to those that are in the House.  
This Assertion we may also see made good in or upon private Families.  
That God many times punisheth a People for the misactings of their governors, whether in Church, State, or particular Families.  
When Abraham was journeying into Egypt with his Wife Sarah, being driven thither by a Famine, Gen. 12. he said unto Sarah his Wife, v. 11, &c. Behold now, I know that thou art a fair Woman to look upon; therefore it shall come to pass when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his Wife, and they shall kill me, but they will save thee alive; say I pray thee, thou art my Sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, that my Soul may live because of thee.  
Whence by the way we may note; First, That Famine and outward distresses possibly may attend the dearest of God's Children; for we see Abraham that friend of God, was driven into Egypt by reason that the Famine was grievous in the Land, v. 10.  
And secondly, That the fear of the loss of life, may stand with the nature of true Faith; for Abraham the Father of the Faithful, said, When the Egyptians shall see thee, they will say, this is his Wife, and they will kill me; therefore say, thou art my Sister.: And Paul the Apostle, a faithful Soul, whose life being laid wait for, was let down by the Wall in a Basket, Acts 9 25. Yea, the Lord Christ himself refused to walk in Jury, but walked in Galilee, because the Jews sought to kill him, John 7. 1.  
But to our Matter, upon Abraham's saying, that Sarah was his Sister, vers. 19 and upon the Commendations of Sarah to Pharaoh by his Princes, Sarah was taken into Pharaoh's House, and Abraham was well entreated by Pharaoh for Sarah's sake, v. 15, 16.  
Yet the Lord Plagued Pharaoh and his house with great Plagues, because of Sarah, Abraham's Wife, v. 17. Pharaoh sins, and that ignorantly too, in taking Abraham's Wife into his House; for so saith the Text, v. 18. For Pharaoh called Abraham, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me she was thy Wife? Why saidst thou she is my Sister? So I might have taken her to me to Wife.  
Though Pharaoh sins, I say, and that ignorantly too, as it is clear he did; yet his House must be plagued with great Plagues.  
Whence by the way, I would have all to take notice, That it is not ignorance that will excuse or shroud, neither the meanest nor the greatest of men, from the sin-revenging hand of God.  
And secondly, That God takes special care for his faithful ones, so as that he will not respect persons when they evilly entreat them; for so saith the Prophet, Psal. 115. 14, 15. He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved Kings. for their sake; saying, Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm.  
And thus as Abraham was travelling towards the South country, whilst he so journed in Gerar, the Lord reproved Abimelech also, King of Gerar, for his sake, Gen. 20. For Abraham (again) said of Sarah his Wife, she is my Sister; and Abimelech King of Gerar sent and took Sarah, v. 2. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said unto him, Thou art but a dead man, (a sharp Reproof indeed) And he gives him a Reason for his so saying, For the Woman (saith he) which thou hast taken is a man's Wife, v. 3. Yet saith the Text, Abimelech had not come near her, v. 4. And Abimelech said, Lord, wilt thou stay also a Righteous Nation? Said he not, she is my Sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my Brother; in the integrity of my heart, and innocency of my hands have I done this, v. 5. And God said unto him in a Dream, yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, for I also withheld thee from sinning against me; therefore suffered I thee not to touch her, v. 6.  
Whence I would note also by the way; First, That he who is the Searcher of the heart, and Tryer of the reins, takes a perfect account of the bent of the spirits of the Sons and Daughters of Men.  
And secondly; That accordingly he either restrains Souls from sinning against him, or else gives persons up to commit sin with greediness; for so saith the Text, And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge; therefore God gave them up to a reprobate mind, Rom. 1. 28. But this is that in the seventh verse, that makes the Assertion good; Now therefore (saith the Lord) restore the Man his Wife, for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know thou, that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that thou hast.  
The like we may see made good in Achan's Family, Josh. 7. That when Achan had taken of the accursed things, that goodly Babylonish Garment, the Silver, and the Wedge of Gold; the Judgement extended not only to the punishment of himself, but also to his whole Family, and all that was his; for so saith the Text, Josh. 7. 24. And Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the Son of Zerah, and the Silver, and the Garment, and the Wedge of Gold, and his Sons, and his Daughters, and his Oxen, and his Asses, and his Sheep, and his Tent, and all that he had: And v. 25. They burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.  
Now the Lord Christ saith, Mat. 18. 16. That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every Truth shall be established; and I having proved each Particular in the Assertion by two witnesses at the least; That God many times punisheth a People for the misactings of their governors, whether in Church, State, or particular Families.  
And now, lest I make my lines too numerous, I shall forbear to lay down any Reasons of the Point; but shall proceed to some Uses that may be for our present benefit.  
And seeing it is so, That God many times punisheth a People for the misactings of their governors, whether in Church, State, or particular Families:  
This than may serve for a Use of Exhortation to thee, O King, to thee, and to all Kings, Princes, and governors of Nations, Pastors, and Elders of Congregations, and Masters of Families, as they tender their own good, and the good of those that are under them, that they walk before the Lord, and go in and out before their People in singleness of heart, and in the sincerity of their Souls, as in the sight of God, having a single-eye to the Glory of God, and the good of the Souls that are under their charge, carefully watching over all their thoughts, words and actions, so as that they bring not the Judgements of God upon their people by their misactings; and to be often with the Lord in Prayer, that so they may have his Direction and Protection in all their Enterprises and Undertakings, to the comfort of their own Souls, and the Peace, Benefit and Well-being of those that are under them.  
And secondly, This may also serve for a U●… of Exhortation to all Subjects, though they be Pastors, or Elders of Congregations, and Masters of Families, as well as Members of Churches, or Children, or Servants in particular Families, that they be often at the Throne of Grace in the behalf of their Kings, Princes and governors; and in special, that England's Subjects be often with the Lord in the behalf of their KING, who from his long Exile and Restraint, is brought again into this Land of his Nativity, which is so full of licentiousness, Luxury and Lasciviousness, Revilings, Rendings and Tearings, Roarings, Rantings and Swearings, with those Abominations of stageplays, May-games and Pastimes, Pride and Prodigality, that God in Mercy would be pleased to direct his Heart so, as that he be not won either to own, or allow of them; but to disown, dissuade and discountenance them: And that God would farther strengthen both his Heart and Hand, to prosecute that lovely, laudable, prudent, pious, Conscientious and Christian, that truly Noble and most heroic Princely PROCLAMATION, by Him issued forth at his first coming amongst us again, and fince by him seconded by another; that so England, though now even a sink of Abominations, may by the good hand of God upon us, by his industry, become as it shall be once said of Jerusalem, to be a Praise of the whole Earth.  
And that God would direct him so to consider of his Holy Things, as that he present nothing to God, but what is Commanded by God, that so God may not only Crown him with a Crown of Gold here, but also with that Crown of Glory, which shall never fade away.  
And that he be thus found rendering to the Lord, considering the danger of the neglect thereof.  
For Hezekiah rendered not again according to the Benefits bestowed upon him, but his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.  
And Thirdly, This may serve for a Use of Exhortation, to Members of Congregations, and Children, and Servants of particular Families; that they be also constant in this Duty of Prayer, in the behalf of their respective Pastors, Elders, Fathers or Masters, that they may be so directed by divine Assistance, that as under their Prince, so likewise under them, they may lead a peaceable, a quiet, and a godly life, in all godliness and honesty.  
And so I shall pass to my Third and last Teachable Conclusion, viz.  
Thirdly, That outward Enjoyments do many times so affect the Heart of man, as that they lift them up, even to the forgetting of God, to their own ruin.  
The great Jehovah knowing right well the nature of things, as he was the Maker of them; and the temper of man's Heart, as he was the Former of it; when he caused Moses to let Israel know the particular privileges they should enjoy in the Land of Canaan, Deut. 8. he giveth them this Caution, v. 12, 13, 14. That when they had eaten and were full, and had built goodly Houses, and dwelled therein, when their herds and Flocks, their Silver and their Gold was increased, that then their heart should not be listed up.  
But the truth of this Assertion we may see verified in Belshazzar King of Babylon; for when Daniel was sent for to Read and Interpret the Haud-writing on the Wall, to Belshazzar, Dan. 5. 18. he said, O King, the Most High God gave unto thy Father a Kingdom, and Majesty, and Glory, and Power; and for the Majesty he gave him, all People, Nations and Languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; whom he would he set up, and whom he would he put down; as thou dost now, O King: But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in Pride, he was deposed from his Kingly Throne, and they took his glory from him, and he was driven from the Sons of Men, and his heart was made like the Beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild Asses, they fed him with grass like Oxen, and his body was wet with the Dew of Heaven, till he knew that the Most High Ruleth in the Kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.  
Whence we may note, That as his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in Pride, so it was upon the account of his high enjoyments, to the forgetting of God, who dispensed them to him; which we see was the Cause of his casting down.  
The like we may see in Uzziah, 2 Chron. 26. 1. who after the death of Amaziah his Father, was made King of Judah, And he Reigned in Jerusalem fifty and two years, and he did that which was right in the fight of the Lord: And V. 5. He fought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the Visions of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper; And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the Wall of Gath, and the Wall of Jabneh, and the Wall of Ashdod; and God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians; and the Ammonites gave gifts to him, and his Name spread abroad, even to the entering in of Egypt; for he strengthened himself exceedingly, and he built Towers, both in Jerusalem and in the Desert; and digged many Wells, for he had much cattle, both in the law country, and in the Plains; Husbandmen also, and Vine-dressers: Moreover, he had an Host of fighting men, that went out to War in Bands; his chief men or Captains of War, were two thousand and six hundred: And vers. 15. He made in Jerusalem engines of War, made by cunning workmen, to be on the Towers, and on the Bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great Stones withal; and his Name spread far abroad, for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong: But when he was strong, V. 16. his heart was lifted up to his destruction; for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the Temple of the Lord; and burned Incense upon the Altar of Incense. And he was struck with leprosy, and died without cure.  
Thus whilst Uzzia sought the Lord, V. 5. God made him to prosper: But when his heart was lifted up, and he forgot God, God left him, and punished his sin with a Disease, that to him proved mortal.  
Whence we note, That when Uzziah separates himself from his God, by forgetting him; God by that leprosy separated him from the privileges of his House, and the Society of men, and from all things that were the Cause of his hearts lifting up; for so saith the Text, ver. 21. And Uzzia the King was a Leper until the day of his death, and dwelled in a several house, being a Leper; for he was cut off from the House of the Lord: And Jotham his Son was over the King's House, Judging the People of the Land.  
And thus we see the Lord had a controversy with the Prince of Tyrus, against whom he gave out a Commission to the Prophet, Ezek. 28. 2. saying, Son of Man, say unto the Prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord, Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a god, I sit in the Seat of God, in the midst of the Seas; yet thou art a Man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God. And the reason of the lifting up of his heart is rendered in the fourth and fifth verses, which proves our Assertion fully; for saith vers. 4. With thy Wisdom and with thy Understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten Gold and Silver into thy Treasuries. And v. 5. By thy great Wisdom, and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thy heart is lifted up, because of thy riches. V. 7. Behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the Nations; and they shall draw their Sword against the beauty of thy Wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. And v. 8. They shall bring thee down to the Pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the Seas. And vers. 10. Thou shalt die the death of the Uncircumcised, by the hand of Strangers; for I have spoken it saith the Lord.  
Thus whilst men's hearts are lifted up, and they forget God in the Enjoyment of outward things; and with the rich Man in the Gospel, Luke 12. 19 begin to live to themselves, and to sing a Requium to their Souls; the Lord we see brings them down with a, Thou Fool, this night shall they require thy Soul from thee.  
So that we see the Point also fully proved. viz. That outward Enjoyments, many times do so affect the heart of man, as that they lift it up even to the forgetting of God, to their own ruin.  
Several Uses might be made hereof, the which for brevity sake I shall here omit. And shall only this say,  
That we see by common Experience, That they that are hunger-bit, when they come to their full of Diet, they run upon it with greediness, like Israel of old, 1 Sam. 14. 32. Who flew upon the Spoil, and took Sheep and Oxen, and Calves, and slew them on the ground, and the People did eat them with the Blood: Which was contrary to the Law of God, and which became their sin. Even so hunger-bit Souls many times eat with that eagerness, that they do not only sin in their Excess, but also Surfeit themselves to the loss of their lives.  
This then may serve for a Use of Caution to thee, O King, that of a long time hast been a Stranger to this Land of thy Nativity, and hast been forced to wander from one Kingdom to another Nation, from one Language to another People, in penury and want; and now being come to three Kingdoms of thine own, flowing with Milk and Honey, and yet abounding in all manner of Excess of Riot; let me Caution thee in the fear of the Lord, that thou surfeit not thyself upon the profits nor pleasures thereof; nor, let thy Men of Valour, neither domestic nor foreign, that are lately come over to thy assistance, cause thee to put thy confidence in an Arm of flesh; lest thy heart be lifted up, and so thou forget thy God to thine own ruin: Neither surfeit thyself with too much bloodshed, lest thou make thyself Blood-guilty, and so God begin a new Inquisition; but rather show pity and Compassion, Love and Lenity, and rather Lament than lance; and rather Triumph over the killing thy Corruptions than thy Subjects; and resolve to refer thy will to the Lord, who saith, vengeance is mine, and I will repay it, Rom. 12. 19 I would here be understood in a good sense; for I do not desire the Obstruction of the due Administration of Justice, but that it may be so administered, that Mercy may be intermixed therewith; and also that Relenting and Sobriety, and not Exaltation and Inhumanity, be in the Execution.  
For I know, That it is an Ordinance of God; For Magistrates are set up for the punishment of Evil doers, Rom. 13. 3, 4. For the Law is not made for the Righteous man, but for the Lawless and Disobedient, for the Ungodly and for Sinners, for Unholy and profane, for murderers of Fathers, and murderers of Mothers, for Man-slayers, for Whoremongers, and for them that defile themselves with mankind, for Man-stealers, for liars and perj●…red persons, or any thing else that is contrary to sound Doctrine, 1 Tim. 1. 9, 10.  
And seeing the Apostle saith, That in many things we offend all, James 3. 2. For if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, 1 Joh. 1. 8.  
O then, be persuaded to bring thyself to the Bar of God's Justice, and there Arraign, Judge, and condemn thyself; for, saith our Apostle, 1 Cor. 13. 31. If we would Judge ourselves, we should not be Judged; but when we are Judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the World.  
And this, O King, is the readiest way I know of, to render duly to God, and to keep thy heart from being lifted up, that so wrath fall not upon thee and thy Kingdoms.  
I beseech thee then in the fear of the Great Jehovah, consider what I say; and the Lord in Mercy make thee Wise; that as thou art an Heir to a Crown of gold here, so thou mayest he made partaker of that Crown of Righteousness which never fadeth away; which, saith the Apostle, The Lord the Righteous Judge shall give to 〈◊〉 at that day, and not to 〈◊〉 only, but unto all them also that love his appearan●…e, 2 Tim. 3. 8. And so, O King, let thy Soul in the singleness, thereof echo with mine, and say, Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly.   

A DECLARATION Of a small Society of baptised BELIEVERS, undergoing the Name of FREE-WILLERS, about the CITY of LONDON.  
WE well knowing, that we are and have been misrepresented to the People of this and other Nations, as well by particular Letters from friend to friend, as by public Intelligence in Pamphlets and News-Books, by which means we have been rendered odious in the eyes almost of all, and, as it were, made a byword, and a hissing to all; were notwithstanding willing, according to the requirement of our Saviour, Luke 21. 19 In our patience to possess our Souls, and silently to wait upon our God, for a clearing of our innocency, and the cleanness of our hands in his eyesight: But lately having had a view of a Declaration, dated the 12th, of December last, made by some Persons of the particular judgement, in which some others of another persuasion have joined, to the which in several particulars we cannot in the least assent; We therefore thought it our bounden Duty for the vindication of that Truth, which we are in present profession and practice of, as also fearing lest they having declared to public view, we by our silence should be looked upon, either to be of the same judgement with them in what they have declared, or else guilty of all or some of those five Particulars they in that Declaration say the Baptists in general are charged withal; have therefore set pen to paper, and shall first give a particular of the said five Charges, and then, as in the presence of God, lay down our real judgements, and persuasions, grounded upon Scripture record, to those Charges; by which it will be apparent that we are not guilty of them at all, and that we differ from the said Declarers in point of judgement; and if we shall in any thing therein derogate from the mind of God, we shall desire in the Spirit of love to be rectified by better judgements, from the word of truth, and shall think ourselves happy gainers in such a Christian reproof. Say they, we being misrepresented to the Nation;  

1. As such as are opposite to Magistracy.  
2. That we would destroy the public Ministry of the Nation, who differ from us in some things about Religion,  
3. That we do countenance the People called Quakers, in their irregular practice.  
4. That we do endeavour a toleration of all miscarriages, in things Ecclesiastical and Civil, under pretence of Liberty of Conscience.  
5. That we desire to murder and destroy those that differ from us in matters of Religion.   
To the first, we positively say, that we are so far from opposing Magistracy, as that it would be to us matter of great rejoicing to know who were our Magistrates: But far greater to see such set up who are men fearing God, and hating covetousness, that so 〈◊〉 might be duly executed without respect of persons, and judgement 〈◊〉 down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream; that so there might be no more leading into captivity, & that complaining in our streets might have an end: But for our parts to take a carnal weapon in our hands or use the least violence either to support or pull down the worst▪ or to set up or maintain the best of men, we look not upon it to be our duty in the least; much less to have a thought of endeavouring to set up ourselves, either directly or indirectly; for were we abilitated and furnished with such endowments as might render us capable of being Rulers, yet could we not allow ourselves to act as Magistrates, because we are a People chosen out of the world, John 15. 19 and look upon ou●… selves as Pilgrims and Strangers in the earth, Heb. 11. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 11. But this we know to be the mind of God, from Rom. 13. the beginning, 1 Pet. 2. 13. Tit. 3. 2. that we are to be subject to, and not to resist the Powers, because they be ordained of God; and as God sets them up, so he requires his Sons and Daughters to render to them Tribute, Custom, Fear and Honour, Romans 13. 7. And we further declare, That it is our bounden duty i●…obedience to our God, to pray for Kings, and all that are in Authority, ●…Tim. 2. 22. So that we are so far from opposing them, as that we say it is our duty to obey them, in all civil things that are agreeable to the mind of God; and if they shall require any thing from us that is contrary to his mind and will, revealed in his Holy Scriptures of truth, we say we are not to resist them; but if in conscience we cannot obey them, than we are patiently to suffer under them, whatever they shall inflict upon us for our nonobedience to their requirements: And to this we yet further declare, that it is our real judgement, as to things Spiritual, not to own them as our lawgivers in the least, for there is one lawgiver which is able to save, and to destroy, Jam. 4. 12. which is the Lord, Isa. 33. 22. And therefore, if they shall at any time impose upon us Laws in point of worship, that is, either to worship a False God, or the true God after a false manner, we by God's assistance shall tell them with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Dan. 3. 16. That we are not careful to answer them in that matter, yet shall not violently resist, but with them patiently suffer under them, as aforesaid.  
To the second, That we would destroy the public Ministry of the Nation, that differ from us in some things about Religion; We do declare, that if there be a destruction intended between us, we must leave it at their doors, and desire them to Judge between the all-seeing God, the searcher of all hearts, and their own consciences, what they have intended by their so often pressing Parliament men, from time to time, for a suppression of all that are not of their judgement in matters of Religion: and upon search made, if they find themselves guilty of a desire of any such destruction to us, we shall beg them in God's fear, to break off that evil by timely Repentance, and make their Peace with God; as for our parts, we are so far from desiring any revenge against them, or any other that shall desire or endeavour our ruin, as that in the presence of God, we shall rather pity than envy them, and according to the requirement of our lawgiver, Mat. 5. 44. pray for them, and their conversion, not at all in the least desiring or, endeavouring their confusion. That there are many things wherein the public Ministry of the Nation and we differ, in matters of Religion, both in Doctrine and Discipline, is very clear; and that we design or so much as desire the destruction of them, or any other persons whatsoever, for such differences, or any other matters concerning ourselves, we hope in our further answer to this, and to the fourth and fifth Particulars, we shall manifest to be as clear; and also therein discover ourselves to be the peaceable Lambs of Christ▪ John 21. 15. the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, 1 Pet. 2. 25. 1 Pet. 5 4. Heb. 10. 20. Who doth require us to learn of him, for he is lowly and meek, Matth. 11. 29. Yet notwithstanding, we do declare, when or wherever some of us shall conveniently meet with any of them, either in private or in public, we shall resolve (God assisting▪ us) to contend earnestly with them, for the Faith once delivered to the Saints, according to that Exhortation of the Spirit of God by his Apostle, Jude 3. and 〈◊〉 them, and all oppositions, and 〈◊〉 whatsoever, as good 〈◊〉 of Jes●… Chri●…, 2 Ti●…. 2, 3. fight the good fight of Faith, 1 Tim. 6. 12. In which combat we are confident, we neither shall hazard life, nor draw blood; for through mercy we can say, with our Apostle, 2 Cor. 10. 3, 4. That though we live in the flesh, yet w●… war not after the flesh, for the weapons of our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not carnal.  
To the third, That we 〈◊〉 the Peopl●… called Quakers in their irregular practice. To this we answer, and God is o●… witness, we lie not, that we are so far from countenancing the Quakers, or ourselves in any irregular practice, as that if we ourselves be found i●… any such actings, we shall not violen●…ly oppose, but patiently subject to such penalties as the breach of such laws calls for: it would have been well, if the Afsertors had declared wherein this Irregular practice doth consist, that so we might have given a more particular answer; yet we hope by what hath and shall be declared, it will be easily judged, that w●… for our parts are no such people as the Baptists generally are reported, and some ●…hew themselves to be.  
To the fourth, That we endeavo●…r a toleration of all misc●…riages in things Ecclesiastical and Civil, under 〈◊〉 of Liber●…y of Conscience▪ If by endeavouring a toleration of all miscarriages in things Ecclesiastical, the Assertors intend amongst ourselves in our own Assembles: we shall answer them, as in the presence of God, the searcher of all hearts; That we are so far from any such Toleration, as that we at this very day go under a reproach by that people we formerly walked withal, because in the reality of our souls, and the integrity of our hearts, we cannot allow of some things, that we judge to be of that nature amongst them; we well knowing, that the Lord Christ requires a perfect observation of, and a universal obedience to all things whatsoever he commanded, Mat. 28. 20. And that as well to what hath been laid down by his Apostles, given in by the incomes of that Spirit that was to lead them into all truth, and to show them things to come, John 16. 13. which are also the commands of Christ, 1 Cor. 14. 37. as to those that were laid down by himself, John 18. 12, 15. So that we positively say, that if we shall allow of any miscarriages either in Doctrine or Discipline amongst ourselves, to thwart the mind of Christ revealed in his Scriptures of truth, we can expect no better answer from him, than a Proclamation of our Worship to be a vain Worship, as once he declared against the Jews, Matth. 15. 9 And therefore if miscarriages rise amongst us, we are to bring such miscarriages to the the touchstone of God's word, and so weigh them in the balance of the Sanctuary, and finding them either too heavy or too light, that is, either adding or diminishing from or to the mind of Christ, we are the●… to repair to those wholesome laws left us in Scripture record, for the regulating of such miscarriages, according to the 〈◊〉 of them, as they are private or public, or more or less in their several agravations; and as they are committed by persons standing in such o●… such relations: We say the more of this, because most persons think, and many do not stick to say, that we live and act in things Ecclesiastical, as Libertines, and without Church-Government, because we withdraw ourselves from the public Assemblies; But did such persons rightly consider, what the Discipline of the Ministry of the Nation is, in their Parochial Assemblies, who profess themselves to be the true Spouse and Church of Christ, and compare it with the mind of Christ revealed in the Scriptures of Truth, who gives Law●… to his Church, which is that body of which he himself is the head, Ephes. 4. 15. 21. 22. Col. 1. 18. 2. 19 They would then find themselves to be the Libertines, and not we; and therefore we shall earnestly desire all that are unacquainted with the true Discipline of the Church of Christ, well to weigh, and seriously to consider these Statute Laws of Christ, in that case provided, 2 Tim. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2. Ephes. 5. 11. Matth. 18. 15. 1 Tim. 5. 12, 19, 20. 1 Tim. 6. 5. 1 Tim. 1. 20. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Thes. 2. 15. 2 Thes. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 4, 9, 11. The which, as we will answer the contrary at the great Day of account, we dare not in the least wilfully violate or neglect. But if by miscarriage●… in things Ecclesiastical, they mean that we endeavour a toleration of all miscarriages amongst them in their Assemblies, we shall in the presence of God clear ourselves and say, we have nothing at all to do with them, in such matters; for we say, they are without as to us, 1 Cor. 5. 12, 13. And so we look upon ourselves to be as to them: And if any one shall seem to be troubled at this term Without, and object and say, that we are all the Creation of God, and what need these expressions of, Stand at a distance, I am more holy than you; To such ●…e shall answer in the Spirit of Love and meekness, and God is our witness without OSTENTATION, that it is true, all the Sons and Daughters of Adam are the Sons and Daughters of God by Creation, but few by Regeneration and Adoption, for Many are called, but few are chosen, Matth, 20. 16. for not the hearers of the Law, but the doors shall be justified, Rom. 2. 13. And not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doth the will of the Father, Matth. 7. 21. We well know, that many will say, these are hard sayings, and cannot well bear them; But to such we shall give a direction in our Post-s●…ript, where from one of us they may expect, and we hope also find good satisfaction as to the term Without.  
That we own Liberty of Conscience we confess; but under that or any other pretence; to endeavour a Toleration of any Miscarriages, either in things Ecclesiastical, or Civil, we have given (we hope) full satisfaction; for seeing it is the will of our Master, to have the Tares and the Wheat grow together till the Harvest, Matth. 13. 30. And that our Heavenly Father doth exercise his long-suffering to the whole bulk of mankind, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9 We look upon it to be our Duty to follow God, as Dear Children, and thus to walk in love, Ephes. 5. 1, 2. and therefore are like-minded, having the same love, Phil. 2. 2. And therefore do further declare, that we are as free, that all others should enjoy their Liberties, as we ourselves, of what judgement soever they be; we well knowing, that some are called at the eleve●…th hour, as well as at the first and third, Matth. 20. 1, 6. And had the Apostle Paul▪ been plucked up whilst he was a Tare, a Persecutor, a Blasphemer, 1 Tim. 1. 13. and the chief of sinners, v. 15 he had never been such choice Wheat, to satisfy, Refresh, Enable, Enliven, enlighten, Encourage, build up, and Instruct, Correct, and Reprove the Building of God; 1 Cor. 3. 9 the House of God, Heb▪ 3. 6. the household of God, Ephes. 2. 19 the Sons and Daughters of God, 2 Cor. 6. 18. Nor that body of which Christ is the head, Col. 1. 18. and therefore we cannot but say again, that we are as free that all others should enjoy their Liberties in the things of God, as we ourselves; We well knowing, that every one must give an account of himself to God, Rom. 14. 12. for every one shall receive the things done in the body, according to what they have done, whether it be good or bad, 2 Cor. 5. 10. Matth. 25. 34, 41. But either to procure or maintain our own or others' Liberties by force of arms, or the least violence, we can find no warrant from the Scriptures of truth in the least, which is that only and alone Rule that we walk by, for all the remedy that we find there recorded is, that if they persecute us in one City, we may flee into another; and this we see acted by our Saviour himself, John 7. 1. and by his Parents, Matth. 2. 14. and the Apostle Peter, Acts 12. 17. and Saint Paul, Acts 9 25, 26. 1 Cor. 11. 33. And to follow our Master, and to tread in the footsteps of the Flock of God gone before us, we judge it very safe; but to resist by force of arms, or use the least violence, we judge unwarrantable.  
To the fift and last particular, That we would murder and destroy those that differ from us in Matters of Religion.  
To this we cannot but answer, that so to do we judge were not so much as common Humanity, much less Religion or Christianity; but our Religion is, pure and undefiled before God and our Father, which is, to visit the Fatherless and widows, not to make fatherless & widows; and to visit them in their afflictions, not to murder and destroy their Relations, to bring them under Afflictions: But to this we further answer, that this and the 4th Particular we judge seem to contradict one another, for murdering and destroying for difference in matters of Religion, and Liberty of Conscience cannot stand together, nor in the eye of Reason can they be charged against one and the same persons; for murdering and destroying for difference in matters of Religion, destroys Liberty of Conscience; and Liberty of Conscience swallows up and drowns murdering, and destroying for difference in matters of Religion; so that it argues, that the Assertors of these things are yet in Babylon, and Confusion, with those our Apostle writ of, in 1 Tim. 1. 7. not knowing well what they say, nor whereof they do affirm; yet notwithstanding seeing we are therewith charged, in order to the discharging ourselves of this confused burden, we shall in the singleness of our souls yet farther discover our real judgements, as to the main intent of the Charge, which is murdering and destroying; and add this further, that we read of a threefold Sword in Scripture.  

1. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, Ephes. 6. 17.  
2. The Sword of Justice, which is the Magistrates Sword, Rom. 13. 4  
3. The Sword of Steel, usually so called, which is the Sword of slaughter, Isa. 1. 20. Ezek. 9 1, 2.   
The first of these we are required to take to us, and put on, Ephes. 6. 11, 13, 17. and thus to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, whose might was evidenced once, again and again, by using this Sword skilfully, Matth. 4. 4, 7, 9 For it is mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing, that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity, &c. and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5, 6. and is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works, 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. for we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, the Rulers of the d●…kness of this world, Ephess. 6. 12. not for nor against the Magistrates, Parliaments, nor Armies of the world, the best of whose strength is flesh and not spirit, who shall be destroyed together, Isa. 31. 1, 2, 3. Mat. 26. 52.  
As for the Sword of Justice, or the Magistrates Sword, we are to be subject to it, as we have fully declared, and not to resist it, which Sword takes revenge on no man before he be apprehended, charged, heard, and by good evidence convicted, and sentence according to the fact proved, given, and then an immediate Commission given to an Executioner, according to the Fact and Sentence, for the putting this Sword in execution.  
But the Sword of slaughter, without examination or due consideration, is many times put in execution to the slaying and destroying of friends as well as enemies; witness those slaughters, and woundings in this City, in the late Insurrection.  
And for our acting in this Sword, we can find no warrant from Scriptures in the least, for that sword being once procured by Peter, and another of the Disciples, and that by an immediate Commission from Christ, the work being finished for which it was intended, we find an immediate and peremptory command for the sheathing it again; and this reason rendered from the lip of truth itself, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword, Matth. 26. 52. for whosoever will save his life shall lose it, Matth. 16. 25. and we find no toleration in Holy Writ to the people of God for the drawing it again in the least, neither by Precept or Example.  
But lest this countermand should not be looked upon to be a sufficient warrant for its continuance in its place, by the People of God for the time to come, the Lord Christ, amongst several other weighty things, sent to the seven Churches in As●…a, and in them to us, by John the Revelator, is not backward to remind them, and us in them of it again, as a matter of no small concernment; and (as we judge) lest it should not be taken so much notice of by us in this our day, as he would have it, he bringeth it in, in the midst of a Discourse, not long before the rise of the Man of Sin, when one of the heads of the Beast is wounded, as it were to death, and that deadly wound was healed, Rev. 13. 3. intimating thus much, as we apprehend, That as Kingly power hath had a wound in these Nations, even as it were unto death, so we know, that the design of God shall be brought about, and the Scriptures must be fulfilled, for that deadly wound shall be healed, Rev. 13. 3. and we finding the spirits of the generality of the People of the three Nations very high in this juncture of time, in the behalf of Kingly Government, like Israel of old, 1 Sam: 8, so that by the face of things, as they appear to us in this last change, we do discern, as through a glass darkly, that the deadly wound is now going to be healed, although we do really judge, that several that are in present eminent power, intend no such thing, no more than the Jews in the crucifying of Christ, intended the bringing the great design, and fore-appointment of God about, Acts 2. 23. By all which we judge, that Caution was intended chiefly to us upon whom the ends of the world is come; and lest we should not be so mindful of our Duties as he would have us, he makes as it were a Proclamation, to bespeak our better attention to what he intendeth, & saith, Rev. 13. 9, 10. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear; he that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity; he that killeth with the sword, shall be killed with the sword. Here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints, that whilst others are leading into Captivity, and killing with the Sword, to pull down, or set up this or that Power, Man, or Government; to give a deadly Wound to Kingly Power, or to heal that deadly Wound again, that then the People of God should in their Patience possess their souls, and in the midst of these Revolutions, exercise their Faith, as once that Prophet did, Hab. 3. 17. and faithfully to depend upon God for his Preservation and Protection, keeping themselves pure and undefiled from leading into Captivity, or killing with the Sword, lest they themselves be led into captivity, & killed by the sword; thereby evidencing themselves to be the peaceable Flock of Christ, chosen out of the world, Joh. 15. 19 and following their Master the Lord and Prince of Peace, Isa. 9 6. 2 Thes. 3. 16. being regulated by his requirements in the Gospel of Peace, Romans 10. 15. Ephesians 6. 5. having received from the God of Peace, Rom. 15. 33. Rom. 16. 20. 2 Cor. 13. 11. that Spirit, whose fruits is Love, Joy, Peace, long-Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meckness and Temperance, against which there is no Law; that as they are Christ's, so they should evidence that they have crucified the flesh with the affections and jousts, Gal. 5. 22, 23, 24. But lust being not crucified, it breaks forth into wars and fightings; for when men lust and have not, than they kill and desire to have, James 4. 1, 2. and when the People of God shall act thus, the Spirit of God brands them with those Ignominious Names of Adulterers, and Adulteresses, informing them, that what they are fighting for, is enmity against God; and that if they obtain it, they are enemies to God, James 4. 4. and we well knowing, that whilst we are Friends to the world, we are Enemies to God; dare not in the least have to do in the world, so as to set up ourselves, or to side with any, either in setting up, or pulling down; And how can a man's love to the world be evidenced more, than in venturing his life for it? according to that saying of our Saviour, John 15. 13.  
And we further Declare, That as we are to be a peaceable People upon the account of Action, so we look upon it to be our Duty, to keep ourselves from Oaths, Engagements, and Covenants, either For or Against this or that Person, Government, or Persons whatsoever: For because of SWEAPING the Land mourneth, Jerem. 23. 10. For the Lord hath a controversy with the Inhabitants of the Land, because there is no Truth, nor Mercy, nor Knowledge of God in the Land; for by SWEARING, and Lying, and Killing, and Stealling, and committing Adultery, they break forth, and blood toucheth blood, saith the Prophet, Hos. 4. 1, 2, 3. And saith the same Prophet, Hos. 10. 3, 4. They have spoken words, SWEARING falsely, in making a Covenant; THUS Judgement springeth up as Hemlock in the furrows of the field; and we not knowing what the Cabinet Counsel of God is in this our day, upon the account of Government, dare not in the least have so much as a thought to Engage in any such thing, lest we be found Fighters against God; according to the saying of Gamaliel, though in another case, Acts. 5. 39  
And therefore do Declare our Resolution herein, That we shall not (God assisting us) enter into any Engagement whatsoever, upon any such account; Yet shall this say again, That we shall not violently resist the Imposers of any such Engagements, but shall patiently suffer the penalty of our nonobedience, as aforesaid.  
And we further Declare, as in the presence of God, who is the searcher of all hearts, That as it hath been some of our great trouble for a long time, to see some of those that are in the same Faith and Order with us, so acting; so it is now become even an overwhelming burden upon our Souls, to see them generally running such a precipitant course; by which actings of theirs, the mouths almost of all men are opened against them, and that Truth they profess, most ignominiously branded and reproached.  
And therefore we further Declare, That in the sight of God, Angels, and Men, that we bear our Testimony against them in their present actings, and cannot stand by them, nor have Communion with them therein, nor with those that strengthen their hands in standing by them; and must tell them in the words of our saviour, Luke 9 55. That they know not what Spirit they are of; for, the Son of Man (their Master) came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. The Premises considered, we shall Appeal to the Judgement of all Rational men, whether we are guilty of what we are Charged withal, or not; Yet if they shall still go on notwithstanding to use us Reproachfully, for the Name of Christ, we shall be so far from Endeavouring or Desiring a Revenge, as that in the words of Christ, we shall in our Requests at the Throne of Grace, cry out and say, Father, Forgive them, they know not what they do.  

Postscript.  
FOrasmuch, as the said Declarers, in their Answer to the First Particular in their Declaration, do call the independents and Presbyterians their Christian Friends; the which, however it is they so compliment with them, yet in reality (we judge) they cannot own them as such upon a Scripture account; as also, because one Mr. William Alleyn, in a Book lately by him Published, entitled, A Retractation to Separation: In which Book, in the whole currant of it, all the Scriptures that he brings which were written by the immediate directions and Incomes of the Holy Spirit of God, to the Churches, as they were in the Faith and Order of the Gospel, he applieth to, and also for, and in the behalf of Episcopals, independents, and Presbyterians, who are opposite both to the Doctrine and Discipline of those Churches, he intending thereby to persuade us, if possible, to a Belief, That they are the true and visible Members of that Body, of which Christ is the Head; the which Book, by God's assistance, is intended suddenly to be Answered by one of our Society, who Resolveth to entitle it, The retractators' Work, Scaned; Or, the Conceptions and Supposals of Mr. W. Alleyn, regulated by Scripture Record: in which, with other things, a Gospel-Believer, or a true Church of Christ, upon a Gospel account, is intended to be stated; the which is hoped will be so plain, that it may prove Instrumental to the Undeceiving of some that are under a deceit, by means of that, and such deceitful Discourses as that is; In which Answer it is farther hoped, That those that are unsatisfied with our term Without, in our Answer in our Declaration to the Fourth Particular, may receive also good satisfaction; and in the mean time we desire all to take notice; That though we thus speak, yet we have good thoughts of those Friends that go under those Denominations, and do own them, and all others, of all other Opinions whatsoever, in Union, so far as they own God, Christ, and their Truths; but to own the best of men to be Members of that Body, of which Christ is the Head, and so to have Communion with them, either to make them our mouth in Prayer to God for us, or God's mouth in speaking forth his Truths to us, or in Breaking of Bread at the Table of the Lord, we cannot own them in the least; Our Reasons, we hope, will be fully laid down in the Answer to the said Book.  
Henry Adis. Richard Pilgrim. Abel Hutchins. William Cox. In behalf of themselves, and those that walk with them.    

LONDON:  
Reprinted by S. Dover, in Christopher's Alley, in martin's near Aldersgate, 1660. And formerly Printed the 12th Day of the 11th Month, Heathenishly called in Honour to their god Janus, January, 1659.