A VIEW OF England's Present Distempers. Occasioned by the late Revolution of Government in this Nation. WHEREIN (Amongst others) these following particulars are asserted: (Viz.) That the present powers are to be obeyed. That Parliaments are the Powers of God. That the generality of God's Enemies are the Parliaments Enemies; Et contra. TOGETHER, With some Motives, Grounds, and Instructions to the soldiery; how, and wherefore, they ought to subdue by Arms the Enemies of the Parliament in England, &c.  
LONDON, Printed for William Raybould, at the unicorn, near the little North door in Paul's churchyard, 1650.   

To the Reader.  
Good READER,  
THat I seek no other Patron but thy ordinary favour, & give thee no greater title than Reader, it is because no Name or Title is comparable to thy ingenuity, if thou do but make up the Title with this epithet, and prove an ingenuous Reader. What ever thou art, deal not roughly with the lad, because he was conceived in affliction and brought forth in a time of sorrow, and hath no will to distaste thee, if thou be not either tygrous Irish, or degenerate English, a barbarous redshank, or cruel Barbarian. This I dare say, if thou be but a favourer of true Religion, and a friend of England's, thou canst not find a word to offend thee, if thou shouldst be of the number of those that fish for Carps.  
Reader, I look on thee as an honest hearted English man, and as one that wouldst loathe to see thy dear country England made a place for wild beasts, wild ●rish, or Pagan Redshanks; as upon one whose soul would bare either to be tributary or in vassalage to such rude and barbarous Masters, when thou hast the choice to be the subject of a Free State.  
Reader, the Author suspects Demetrius and Diotrephes and Hymeneus too of much unkindness and enmity to this Essay. You know, Sir, by this craft we get our gain; (saith Demetrius) how many get great advantages by fishing in these disturbed waters, and in kindness to us, carry away most of our goods to their own houses (instead of the common fields) from the common burnings!  
Nay I have known some people inhabiting near the shore of the Angry Irish Seas who in times of greatest storm and shipwreck, when they had stripped the dead bodies of Seamen, and passengers cast on shore, and had taken what the merciless Seas had left, They have called it God's great blessing to them, and from thence came that proverb, It is an ill wind that blows no man good.  
Diotrephes too, he is haughty and proud, and affects the pre-eminence, but loves not the Brethren, and Hymeneus flies off from his first principles and blasphemes, who is therefore excommunicated by Paul, that he may learn better things: and this man what he lately affirmed, that he now denies, and it will be hard to find him fixed or centred anywhere. This man, like an unsettled wind, either runs before or keeps company with the sun, and makes the Hay and stubble of his faction while the Sun shines so hot; and it is very dangerous lest such fiery spirits (who want humility and the fear of God to guide them) should blow up and burn to ashes a rich and plentiful Island, the Gallant ship (a ship of the first rate in Europe) the commonwealth of England cumbered now as well with tough and powder to preserve her from Water and pirates, as fraught with Riches for the Merchants and Islanders. And you that are Masters▪ quench these coals of juniper, and provide that all be safe under deck, or we may come short of the harbour of Salem.  
For these men, my wishes shall be other than his of Athens was for himself (it was Damedes) he prayed he might have good trading; and what was his trade think you? why he was a Coffin maker; for which the wise State there banished him the City, as knowing that his own and the commonweal of that people were not consistent.  
The very God of Love and Peace give us Peace always and by all good means. And let the fear of that eye that seeth in secret, keep us from all deeds of darkness, all secret under minings, all dark lanterns, and murder-plottings.  
Reader, This is my Ben-oni, the son of my sorrow, it will be some ease to me, if it prove thy joy, and inherit the blessing of Benjamin: I have charged him (not upon mine but God's blessing) to shun the wild children of rape & the stubborn sons of Cruelty. For if he should not, but join with the daughters of Heth, what good should my life do me. I shall say no more, lest I weary thee by saying too much;  
Thine in Love William Beech.   

Imprimatur,  
June 4. 1649. Joseph caryl.   

Errata.  
p. 2.21. read genuine.  
p. 34. l. 12. read Moab.  
p. 43. l. 1. read Tantam quantam.   

A postscript to the Reader.  
FRIEND,  
WHen thou canst not see the sun for clouds, thou lookest for the hand of the dial to tell thee what a clock it is; if thou be cumbered with occasions, and canst not tarry until it clear up; I have lent thee this ☞ or digit, being but a finger of the hand in this Orthologue, to tell thee justly how the day goes, especially the afternoon, for the Morn or Rising of my discourse, is doctrine all, the latter part is distributive, and will afford a Table or Index large enough for the greatest size of most men's patience in this sour age. Reader, there are some literal faults, and smaller escapes both in words and figures: And though the Printer did something mistake, yet do not thou; And my dear Benoni, if any throw dirt upon thee for thy father's sake, be not afraid, it will not stay, it cannot stain, It shall not hurt thee if thou have the wit to tell him thy father will meet him anywhere but in a dark Cell, or upon an Irish Bog.   

The ☞ or TABLE.  

THe Generality of God's enemies, be the Parliaments enemies too. page 25.26.  
The present Powers are to be obeyed. p. 100  
Parliaments are the Powers of God. p. 103.  
What a madness it is for us to divide upon quiddities, when a powerful combination of enraged enemies are united to destroy us. p 69.  
Enemies be close and deeply subtle. p. 87.  
Enemy's like Ivy wind about our soundest Trees. p. 82.  
Sometimes the enemies by subtlety make the Parliament enemies to their good Friends. p. 88  
The Parliament put their Friends upon hard duties. p. 73.  
The Parliament should not forget their services and sufferings. p. 75.  
The Parliament should not put their Friends off to Lawyers. p. 77.  
The Parliament should not shame their Friends. p. 78.  
The Parliaments Friends are very much ashamed, and not only hated by their enemies openly, but by their Friends too, according to some distinctions of hatred. p. 79.  
Soldiers, and such as have hazarded their lives for the Parliament may speak boldly to them. p. 95, 96.  
Grief and unkindness make men speak, and do what they would not. p. 99  
Motives, Grounds and Instructions to the soldier, why and how he should subdue by arms the enemies of England & Ireland. p. 104, 105.  
A singular good Motive unto the faithful soldiers bound for Ireland. p. 62.    

A Horrid Design in the Tabernacles of Edom, being the headquarters of an United Enemy of Ten Nations; Discovered to the Nation of England, and City of London; and seriously commended to them as an advertisement unto Love, and brotherly Agreement among themselves.  Psalm. 83.8.9. 
Assur also is joynned with them, they have holpen the children of Lot.  
Do unto them, as unto the Midianites.  
I would not tire you by large introduction or prologue; it is my desire to lead you by the hand into the parlour, rather than ●o stand complementing at the door.  
If I might therefore obtain but so much ●ove of the Reader, as to be read, and read over without prejudice, (in an age so impatient of both, and indeed so scandalous for writing and scribbling fancies) I would promise to bound myself within these ensuing limits, and I am persuaded I shall no ways discontent those that be godly, peaceable, and truly wise, because the Truth I have here brought them, is of that precious tendency to prevent the same.  
First I shall point out unto you some leading observations, which arising in the very East of the Psalm, may serve as well for the understanding of the text to assure us of the truth thereof, as the star in the East was of use to guide the wise men to find out Christ.  
Secondly, my endeavours shall be to deal faithfully with you, in clearing the text, and rendering such useful observations from thence, as you shall say is genuity and natural and free from the least violence offered to the true meaning of the place; and to be contrary, as I am able to oppose myself, to all the glozings, strainings, and corruptings of sacred truths in this unhallowed age.  
And herein also I shall humbly challenge and use this just freedom.  
1 Mine own method, which hath its use also to help the decays of memory.  
2 To be concise and short, and yet as abounding as I am able in fullness of matter, and largeness of affection in so small a bulk of words.  
3. To be perspicuous and plain, and plain dealing too, yet modest, and sober, and as much avoiding bitterness and strife, in an age so unhappily degenerate into strife.  
4 Not to Meddle with parties, lest I prove rather a Pharez then a Barnabas, rather a breach-maker, than a repairer of our breaches, and so grieve those that be godly by widening, not curing their lamented sores.  
From these I shall not crave any liberty to err, though I should pass through fire and water that might either affright or discourage me:  
The warrant which the text gives me being rather to unite God's Israel against such as are Enemies unto Israel's God.  
My first work then, according to promise, is, to show you some necessary considerations that are couched in the words of the text, but expressly set down in the foregoing verses, and these must be premised and seriously thought upon, before any comfortable progress can be made in this prophetical imprecation against the enemies of God's Church, for their treacherous Combinations, and bloody conspiracies against his people.  
For here we may see, as in a glass, much of the confused and besmeared face of our times; and in this map of Israel's troubles, you need go no further to view England's present fears and distempers, and again in Israel's hope we may gather England's comfortable assurance, That God will do unto their enemies also, as he did unto the Midianites.  
1 For first, are not here preparations? and these mighty ones.  
2 And are not here designs too? and these, be not they harsh and cruel?  
Here is Malignity steeped in blood and died in Grain, like that in Ireland.  
3 And is the punishment here easy, or avoidable, or is the Gibbet too near the ground for these tall and lofty offenders? No, no, It is a destruction fifty cubits high, parallel to that of Haman's for his bloody purposes against the (then beloved) Jews, and like that of the Midianites here, a complete and rare destruction, a well composed destruction, (as it were) in print, and licenced by one of judgement: The Church desires no more in point of revenge, on Gods and their implacable enemies, than this, that he would but eye this pattern in his proceedings against them, and do no worse unto them than he did unto the Midianites.  
You will receive but little warmth from this scripture until the sun be risen, and we look out for those observations spoken of, arising in the East of this psalm, which are here either expressly set down, or necessarily employed, and I may the more boldly take notice of them, as I pass on, because my text includes them also in the Relatives, them, and them, and 2. in the pattern, The Midianites, and 3. the petition or rather the repetition of his first suit do unto them, &c. (viz) punish them severely. And 4. in the Motive, Assur also is joined with them.  
The first observation is this,  
That God doth sometimes appear unto his people as one that is both deaf and dumb, and as one that is regardless of their persons and prayers, even than when they are most of all beset with fears, and have great need of help.  
2. Observation.  
2 That in this their besieged Condition, it is below the brave spirits of God's children to be affrighted out of their grounded hopes into a consternation, or an amazed dejection of mind, but rather their heroic resolutions are exceedingly heightened as in indignation and magnitude of mind against the proud enemy, so are they lifted up in faith and greater affiance in God.  
3. Observation.  
That it is one main prop, that supports the courage of God's people in shaking times, when they consider that their enemies be God's enemies too, when they can interest him in their quarrel at home or abroad, as here, Lo thine enemies O Lord, and they that hate thee.  
And then comes in this fourth doctrinal observation, very patly from the express words of the text.  
4. Obs. That these enemies be they never so numerous to devour us, so cunning to divide us, so cruel to murder us, so proud to vaunt over us, yet they shall be exactly punished, according to the pattern of Midian, as soon as God's period and theirs meet together, and are acccomplished, as theirs also was.  
And first of the first.  
God seems to leave his people to themselves, (though truly and really he doth not) in times of greatest danger and commotion, and to have but little care of them.  
This is evident from the first verse.  
The Church complains, and wonders how he could be still while the enemy was so busy; how he could be silent, while the Adversaries roar and make a tumult; how he could find in his heart to hold his peace and lie down, while these vaunt themselves so proudly, and lift up the head.  
Many such complaints are made by the Church in the book of the Psalms, and elsewhere abundantly, Quousque Domine? How long Lord? And, will the Lord absent himself for ever? up Lord, why sleepest thou?  
God's ends are excellent, and wise, and deep, and unfathomable.  
1 And some of them belong to his secret purpose,  
2 Others to his revealed will, and these are.  
1. That which is nearest to him, his own Glory.  
2. That which is dearest to him, his people's good.  
1. It was for the chief Rent of his own Glory, that he hath farmed out the world to man for Term of life; And when he strains upon all again for our unthankfulness, hath not he the great good of his own honour, out of the evil of our dishonour and shame, by shaming us out of our ingratitude?  
2. And what's their loss but gain? are they not winnowed, sifted, tried, turned upside down? inside out? and what a number prove chaff and rottenness upon trial, and will pay no Rent, because they think, the incomes of their prayers be so little? Of all Gideon's host, you shall find but 300. men that upon trial, would bend the knee to lap up the water of such cold discouragements: God's people bend most, when he seems most stiff and inexorable.  
2. For their advantage too in respect of the enemy; They lift up the head saith the Church here, but it is a fatal lifting of it up;  
Tolluntur in altum,  
Vt lapsu graviore ruant;  
Like Haman's advancement: and they grow confident, like Sisera's wise Ladies, Have they not gotten? have they not divided the spoil? presuming upon Sisera's great Host, and iron Chariots; and are there not many such wise Ladies in England? but it made way for their more doleful ruin, and the Churches triumphant song: see how heartily she rejoiceth at the conceit, and jeers them bitterly, that the valiant and renowned Sisera should be so cowed by a woman At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down, at her feet he bowed, he fell, where he bowed, there he fell down dead Iudg. 5.27.  
And for use hereof, an Antidote and a cordial is the best we can put it to. 1●. an Antidote to expel discontents, and mutinous thoughts arising in the best Constitution of Churches. And secondly a cordial to quicken their drooping spirits; it should screw up their thoughts, and resolutions to this note, Heb. 10.37. Adhuc tantillum, tantillum inquam, et qui venturus est, veniet neque tardabit. Yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry.  
Oh how many mutinies would a due and seasonable Consideration of this truth quiet in the minds of God's dearest Israel!  
Let me talk with thee (saith Jeremy) wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? and why are they blessed that deal treacherously? Thou hast planted them, they have taken root, they grow up and bring forth fruit. See how Habakuk frets and chafes! how long shall I cry unto thee, and thou hearest not? even cry out of violence, and thou savest not? why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me, and there are that raise up strife and contention; the wicked doth encompass the Righteous, &c.  
Another sticks not to pronounce them happy that can work most wickedness, and can tempt God most, because they are exalted, delivered &c. Others in the third of Malachi are ready to take up Arms against the general for this very thing; It is in vain say they, to serve God, and what profit is it that we have been under his command? Malignants thrive best, and they that have shed our blood are in highest favour, and they that have robbed us before by violence, do now spoil and murder us by craft; and what they could not do in the field by arms, they effect at home by subtlety.  
It is confessed these be strong and violent distempers, and wounding considerations, but yet a hearty draught of this preparative potion would abundantly settle their spirits, and quiet them of much pelting and vexation at this kind at carriage in God.  
The next leading Consideration is this.  
Consid. 2. That it is a thing unworthy the heroic spirits of God's people to startle at this manner of God's dealing with them, but rather it should kindle in them much animosity of spirit, putting all the powers of the mind into Battalia of Indignation against the bloodthirsty Enemy: and settle them in a better posture of faith and affiance in God.  
As here,  
The Enemies roar, as if they meant to eat them up at a morsel; and they are as loud as the Enemy. They threaten; these flinch not; They vow to root out the name and nation of Israel; these do as it were bid them do their worst, and remember their brother Midian; they scorn to give them an inch of the field, but like Gallant experienced soldiers, take the wind and upper ground of them. They go up to mount Zion by prayer, and from thence take faster hold on God, while these remain in the valley of base and lewd affections, and self confidence; and as their brother Midian did in the valley at the foot of Carmel by the river Kishon which swept them away in dead carcases, so do these presuming upon their numerous confederates, and foreign Alliances, until it be done unto them, As unto the Midianites.  
use. 1. Go out for shame then, ye Enemies of Religion: and hang down your heads ye haters of godliness. Is it Religion that makes men cowards? and is it the spirit of godliness that pulls down the spirit of Magnanimity? Is it possible that the spirit of God should be against itself? blush at this your blasphemy; that spirit which is the spirit of holiness, is the spirit of zeal and Christian courage also; No, no, God's holy soldiers learn better things of their general, the Lord of hosts; and their martial Law in the Army of Saints, as it hath singular rewards for those that are valiant for the truth, so it doth little less than hang them up in Gibbits that do betray the goodness of their cause by apostasy, or do bring but a stain thereupon by their cowardice.  
You shall read. 1 Kings 20.4. What a most indelible reproach it was to faint-hearted Ahab, and how careful the scripture is to record and file up such a notorious piece of cowardice, for the good of posterity to avoid the like, There you find that when Benhadad king of Aram, sent messengers to him at the siege of Samaria with this message, Thy silver and thy gold is mine, also thy women and thy fair children are mine: very poorly and basely he yields at the first summons, My Lord the King, according to thy saying, I am thine and all that I have.  
But here do but see the heroic minds of God's soldiers; he seems in the one side to neglect them, sends them in no supply, no provision at all; the Enemy in the mean time, muster up their Forces, suspend their own differences, and upon uniting their several Regiments or Brigades, they draw in Assur also to their assistance, being the tenth in number that are upon their march against Israel.  
The Church by her scouts, or prospective, discovers first the enemy's general, Duke Edom, and under him the Edomites; the Posterity of Esau, that sold their birthright, (a most glorious liberty) for a mess of Pottage, to the eternal Ignomy of him and his degenerate Posterity, here called the Tabernacles of Edom, or the Edomites Tents.  
The next upon the march, is Lieutenant general Ishmael, and under him the Ismaelites, a persecuting race that came by the By, that descended from Abraham by Hagar the bondwoman; (the proper mother of all that are weary of their Liberties, and desire to be in bondage still) she was banished out of Abraham's Family, for persecuting Sarah the freewoman: And so was her Son the Lieutenant general here, who therefore in revenge and desperate Enmity against all the children of the freewoman, is in Commission of Array against them, to bring them to Bondage; and now upon the march.  
The next in order is Major general Moab; he it is that leads on the Brigade of the Moabites, and these were the Incestuous brood of Lot, begotten on his own daughter, in their Father Moab, Father of the Moabites.  
But I will spend no more time in emblazoning their arms nor yet to tell you what the other Colonels & Commanders were, nor yet of the affinity and nearness of Israel's relation to these Nations; it is enough to know that they were Israel's enemies, and to inquire out their design.  
And what was it? They will cut off the Name and Nation of Israel, and commit their memory to oblivion, they'll do I know not what.  
But what say they? do they fly back; or do they yield and give up all with Ahab? No, no; it shall not go there; well may their words, and Names and Nations affright children, but it shall not daunt them; the Enemy may set them up for scar crows to fright away the birds, but it shall never drive them out of the field.  
And it works these two notable effects upon all those in whom there is any thing of God to direct them, against such preparations, and such a people;  
First, Greater dependence on him; They entitle God in all they have, and in their quarrel too; lo thine enemies, and they that hate thee! As if she had said, Lord, we are ready every moment to be dashed in pieces; and while thou sleepest, we are in a storm, and every moment in danger of the loss of ship and goods, and our lives too: But art not thou our pilot, and Master, and captain? And hast not thou a Great venture in the church's Bottom? If thou carest not that we perish, yet have respect to thine own name, honour, and reputation; these must suffer shipwreck as well as thy people; unless thou awake and show thy power and skill to steer this vessel, this ark, to some safe harbour and landing place, and so work out our salvation; and then leaves all to his guidance and ordering.  
And secondly, it doth much advance their magnitude of mind, in a holy indignation against such a base degenerate Enemy.  
This is observable: 

1 From the manner of their imprecation.  
2 From the matter of their imprecation.    
1. From the manner of it, they call upon God with much importunity, that he would presently fall aboard the Enemy, or sink them, before they make his people sink; calls upon him in a preposterous order to do execution upon them before any induction of the crimes and causes: but these she takes as granted, and proceeds to a zealous imprecation: Keep not silence, hold not thy peace, be not still.  
2. For the matter, the Church objects:  

1 Their pride, they lift up the head.  
2 Their hatred, they hate thee.  
3 Their cruelty, let us cut them off, &c.  
4. Their cunning, They have taken crafty counsel.  
5. Their multitude, The Edomites, Ismaelites, &c.   
And in testimony of the height of her zeal against their treachery and baseness, she spreads these complaints before the Lords, beseeching him to bring down their pride, to recoil their hatred, to smother their cruelty, to Countermine their cunning, and to scatter their multitudes, that they may be ventorum ludibrium, at Sea; and Ecclesia triumphus a shore: and the Churches merry song, as the Canaanites were to Deborah and Barack, at her feet, he bowed, he fell, and lay down, &c.  
use 2. The second and best Use we can put this truth unto, is, That we be exhorted to the practice of the duty ourselves. Was it laudable for God's people then? and is it not as commendable for us in such an age as this, to be of such magnitude of spirit? were these valiant? and shall we be cowards? did they trust God with events, and shall we suspect him, doubt him? could they frame such a charge against their enemies? and have we nothing to say of ours? or are ours less hurtful and dangerous than theirs were?  
Come, come, take heart, ye beloved of the Lord of this divided Nation; never had a people more matter of complaint, to frame a bill against a bloody combination, than England hath at this jointure of time against theirs, and yet never had a people more cause to trust God for the future, than England hath at present.  
You may draw up a charge against them according to the experience you have had of their pride, insolency and bloodiness.  
Lord, how oft hast thou broken in pieces, and rent all to shivers the united Forces of the Malignant Enemy of this Nation? and yet behold they unite again; how oft hast thou befoold their cunning? yet they will still have a Iuncto; how many of them hast thou satiated with their own rage, and glutted with their own gore? and yet still they thirst for more blood. How shamefully hath their own despite, hatred, murder, plunderings, (and yet it is but the scatterings of them) recoiled upon their own estates, names, families, confederates? and yet still they prepare their arrow to shoot at those that are perfect in the land: How like a fierce man of war, hast thou broken in upon their pride, presumption, nobility, and hast thrown them upon the very dunghill of shame and dishonour, as things of no value, and useless? and yet their spirits be not broken.  
Lord, make our Edomites like their Edomites, our Princes like their Princes, Oreb and Zeb: These forces that will war against England, like those Armies that did war against Israel; and either fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, or else do unto them as unto the Midianites.  
And thus the extreme barbarism, odium, and filthy nastines of those Nations, that do or shall at any time appear against England, will serve to prop, and mainly to hold up the church's confidence in the Lord of hosts, unto whom all the recited abominations against his Israel are most hateful:  
Which clearly leads me to the third Observation,  
3. Obs. That it is no small pin or prop in supporting the faith of God's people in shaking times, to consider that their enemies be God's enemies too.  
See in this Psalm, how the faith of God's people leans upon this very Consideration.  
Why Lord! Thou that madest the eye, dost not thou see? thou that madest the ears, dost not thou hear? thou that givest man understanding, dost not thou consider? Why, they be thy enemies, as well as ours; they hate thee as well as us: If they once root out our nation, they'll soon destroy thy name, so that thy worship, and thy people will be cut off and destroyed together; and if we lose much by their cruelty, thou art like to lose more in thy honour, and thy name amongst an ignorant and barbarous people. Alas Lord! their enimity will pay thee home, though we have but little to lose; and all we have is but poor stuff, in comparison of the rich precious pillage they will have of thee.  
See, I say, how they rest themselves upon this leaning stock.  
I will give you but one pregnant place for many, to prove the Churches practise of this duty, Psal. 2.2. The Kings of the Earth stand up▪ and the Rulers take counsel tegether against the Lord and against his Christ That which she leans upon, is this, that they rose up against the Lord first, and against his anointed next; And upon this consideration she sings this Requiem to herself,  
he that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn, the Lord shall have them in derision.  
So it is then, you see that the consideration of the despitefulness and enmity of wicked men against God himself is a main leaning stocks, or prop, to support the faith of God's people in shaking times.  
use 1. The life of Doctrine is in application; And the particular knowledge of this truth would be of excellent use to cure our faith of much perplexity and doubting, how it is possible we should extricate ourselves from dangers, when we are so closely and powerfully besieged and begirt about with whole Armies and inundations of fears, and treacheries, within and without us. Truly some thoughts of this consideration would hold us up, as it were by the hand, even in out very sinkings.  
Wherefore didst thou doubt O thou of little faith? said Christ, to his beloved Peter; he would not have had him to have doubted, no not then when he was sinking.  
But you will say perhaps as Peter might have pleaded for his doubting (and it appears he did by his sinking) why Lord, The waters be deep, and the waves roar, and rage horribly; how can a man be blamed then, being in the very jaws of such a danger? so haply we may (nay we do too often) object to the weakening of our faith, such despondencies.  
O! the Enemy is deep in council, and Legions for number, and burning for rage, and well appointed for cruelty, and a very Lucifer in pride and presumption upon all these.  
But let us think, what are their counsels to God's decrees? and their multitudes to his? and their rage to his Tophet?  
What is the daring haughtiness of a ridiculous pigmy to the loftiness of an infinite God, that rides upon the wings of the wind, and sits between the cherubins? and what is the child's potgun of man's hatred to the roaring Cannon of God's indignation? How whe●lesse and heavy are the Chariots of pharoh's bloody purposes, to the devouring Red-Sea of God's mighty power?  
Let this support thee; the Lord of Hosts is with thee, the God of Jacob is thy refuge; And all that strength of his by Sea and Land, and the stars too in their order, are engaged with thee in the quarrel, if thou be an Israel its indeed, and a member of God's Church?  
All the great noise of preparations, and foreign aids, if ever brought to pass, will end in the honourable overthrow of the pygmies, A generation of people, that (as the story tells us (would needs be warring with the wind until they were overwhelmed with the sand. Why then would they War with the wind?  
use 2. We have matter very useful to contemplate upon in such stirring and tumultuous times as these be, and from whence our Meditations may take their flight into England, Scotland, Ireland, or any other places where England hath any enemies; to bring us tidings whether the generality and rendezvous of God's enemies be with them or with us, here lies the great question, and here will be the dispute, whether or no do they join themselves to such of any of these Nations that have opposed themselves against us, or do they side with us against them?  
Believe it, this is a most material use, in such a time, and amongst such a people, so mixed for judgement and opinion about this matter, and therefore I could not omit it, though I be the shorter.  
England! thou art to be examined upon these queres.  
1 Quaere.  
What say the most lewd of all people in the Land?  
1 Answer.  
down with the Parliament.  
2 Quaere.  
How goes the Vote in all dark tippling houses?  
2 Answer.  
Out with the Parliament.  
3 Quaere.  
what say the lightest of all strumpets, who make a trade of prostituting their bodies to uncleanness?  
3 Answer.  
They trade for the devil, and hate the Parliament.  
4 Quaere.  
How stand thieves and Murderers in their affections to the proceedings of these times.  
4 Answer.  
O they fear the justice of the Parliament.  
5 Quaere.  
what say Atheists, Papists, and the generality of scandalous men of every degree and order?  
5 Answer.  
O they hate the name of a reforming Parliament.  
Ireland, thou art to be examined upon these Interrogatories.  
1 Inter.  
A Parliament, or no Parliament in England?  
An army, or no army sent over for Ireland?  
1 Dep.  
No Parliament but the Pope.  
No Army but the Spanish Inquisition.  
And no forces but those under Roe O Neal, or Ormond.  
2 Inter.  
who were the greatest Murderers of all ages, and the brazen Bull of all generations for torments?  
2 Dep.  
O Ireland! O wild Irish!  
3 Inter.  
who reseved them from justice?  
Dep.  
O Irish English! and, English Irish?  
4 Inter.  
Who took their parts, and stood as godfathers when they were named the Roman Catholic Subjects in Ireland?  
Dep.  
O treacherous Courtiers! O bloody Juncto! O Malignant English!  
5 Inter.  
Who then be the traitors, and murderers, and king killers, and Parliament dividers?  
5 Dep.  
I need not name them, their actions do denominate them, And it is apparent to the view of all Nations in huge and mighty capital Letters, written with the blood of three Nations.  
And be it known to all country's People, and Languages that the Courtiers in England poisoned their King, and the Malignants of Britain destroyed their sovereign.  
For there are more ways then by Mercury to poison Kings, as there be ways of iniquity that destroy their Government.  
The mischief fall upon their own heads.  
The iniquity descend upon their own pates.  
The sins of the Nation enraged him against the Common Wealth, and the cruelty of the cavalry held him up to the stroke.  
Let this be terror to our foes, more than the roaring of our Cannon, or the terrible bursting asunder of the Granado; They are lost, they are gone, they are spoilt, if treacherous, bloody, proud, blasphemous, ignorant, heathenish, nasty, unclean, idolatrous, people be not God's enemies, I pray, who are? and if these perish not without repentance, it will be concluded by unbelievers there is no Hell, no law, no justice, no judge. And this again brings me to the last Consideration.  
4. Consideration.  
That these, and all these, be they never so proud, and cruel, and cunning, and numerous, yet they shall be exactly punished according to the pattern of Midian, as soon as God's period and theirs meet together and are accomplished, as theirs also was.  
I could branch this Doctrine into three parts, but I will contract them into two.  
1. That the numerous combinations of their adversaries, although their mutual pride and hatred of one another divide them into parties and into a diversity of false worships amongst themselves, and do oft engage them in war one against another, yet their divisions are so cemented with hellish cunning that they have joined all their forces against the Church as one man for a time.  
2. Let their craft be what it will be, God will out match them in their craft, and outvie them in their cunning, and do unto them as he did unto the Midianites, if they proceed.  
1. Though they jar amongst themselves, yet they can join against Israel; you know of whom they learned that, viz. of the prince of darkness.  
And Christ complains that his people are not so wise in their Generation as these be.  
It is evident to all that have been any thing read in the Scriptures, and History of these Nations (mentioned in this psalm) how different they were from one another, in profession and practice, in affection and action; I will not say in a variety of Religions, (there being but one only rightly so called) but in a diversity of paganism and semi-paganism, and other most profane and idoratrous worship.  
This is noted in the Book of the judges, Iudg. 6.3. As soon as Israel had sown, the Midianites came up and the Amalakites, and the children of the East; strange, that Amaleck, and Midian, and these should now join together that had so much differed before, but so it was, they made a match to destroy the increase of the earth, and to make Israel poor, &c.  
This master piece of this craft is observed by the Apostles in their prayer, Act. 4.25, 26, 27.  
Why do the Heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? the Kings of the earth stand up, and the Rulers take council together against the Lord and against his Christ; for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and People of Israel were gathered together.  
It is a notable instance I shall give you out of the Acts, Acts. 17.18. There you read, when the Apostle disputed against the idolatry of the Athenians, certain Philosophers of the Epicurans and Stoics, joined together▪ and would have hissed him out of school: one would have thought that the rigid Stoics (who were ever strict in opinion, and conversation) would have been ashamed to join with these loose Epicures that were so contrary to them.  
But it is no wonder; our age will furnish us abundantly with instances of this kind; we have men that cannot endure one another, hate the very names and nations of each other; yet, like the wild Boars of the forest, they can herd together to root up God's Vineyard, and to destroy the Vine which his own right hand hath planted: And these like Samson's Foxes, Judges 25.4. though they look several ways with their heads, yet they can join tail to tail to burn up God's Harvest, and to destroy a fruitful Land.  
What may be the Ground of this their rage?  
1. Fear, lest the prosperous rising of these should be the fatal ruin of them; and Moses Observation proves this clearly to our hands; Exod. 1.9, 10. Behold the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that when there fall out any War, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them out of the Land; therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them.  
This was the exceeding great fear of Haman's wise men, and of Zerish his wife. Hester 6.13. If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. It was the fear of such a fatal event, that had caused Haman to have the Gibbet prepared for Mordecai, and this fear hurried him on to get out that bloody Edict against the Jews, as our Malignants hurried on the late King to take up Arms, and have made such a bloody issue as is running yet. So Mo●●▪ and Midian use this as one effectual Argument to persuade Balaam with the more eagerness to curse Israel; Num. 22.56. Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which cover the face of the earth, they are stronger than we.  
2. Hatred: The ancient Antipathy between the two seeds on their part put them upon it; Ponam immicitiam, saith God, I will put enmity between them. This inveterate opposition between them proceeds from the first Antipathy: Blood, and murder, and revenge, are propagated from loin to loin; and from Adam's sin it was surrendered to Cain, who did visibly demonstrate the truth of this Antipathy, by showing hatred in the murder of his brother Abel, for nothing else, but for being better than himself, and more holy, and more heavenly: And it will be worth your pains to take notice what havoc Sin, and Hatred, and Revenge (the top of Satan's kindred upon earth, and of the serpentine brood in hell) have made in the world: For did not one of the brood (but now named) destroy the fourth part of the world in the murder of Abel? And had not the Church of God a great loss by losing such a Pillar as Abel was? It was upon this account also that the whole world was drowned, but eight persons: Although it were the Justice of Heaven, and the sin of the world that brought in the deluge, and that fearful inundation of waters to wash such a filthy race from off the earth, yet Satan, and the spite of hell, had a great hand in bringing in those waters, by making men so foul and unclean in God's sight by sin, that he could do no less by his holiness, then rinse the earth of such a Generation. The hatred of this hellish brood being such as either to make way for the drowning of God's Church with the world of the wicked, or seeing God's Favour to his Church prevented him in that design, it was some satisfaction to his rage, that God's people were penned up in such a narrow capacity as an Ark, and that it must be long before it could spread again.  
This very design, and hellish cruelty of Satan upon England, Scotland, and Ireland, in point of destruction and cruelty, is next to Satan's hatred in the Flood: For how many hundred thousand men, women and children, did this cursed brood cut off in Ireland? How many in England and Scotland fell by the Sword, and Famine, and Imprisonment, upon the same account of this enmity of the serpentine race against the woman's seed? Hence it is that the Scriptures term such Instruments (as Satan makes use of to effect all his designs of cruelty) lions, Wolves, Dragons, Serpents, Asps, Bulls, Dogs: For as Faith in God, and love to the Brethren, do unite hearts together, that we may with one heart, and one mouth glorify God the Father; so on the other side, where men are begotten of this seed, and made of Satan's family, they must needs be haters of the professors of godliness, as being in actual Arms against them. use.  
If it be so then that wicked men can suspend their differences, and whole Nations make Leagues, yield unto Cessations to join against the Church; Alas, wretched Papists, how are you deluded? Nay, how do you delude men, to teach them, that your unity is one of the Marks of the Church? Was not there a unity amongst the builders of Babel? And yet was there any Church, but a Babel, a mere confusion amongst them? And did not the Scribes and the Pharisees, the Rulers and the People, hold together to persecute and put to death the Lord of Life? Is there not an Agreement between thieves, Murderers, Conspirators, Mutineers, Corah & his Complices? And can all or any of these make up a true Church? Nay, is Satan divided against Satan? Or is there not an Agreement in hell to enlarge the territories of hell, and to propagate the dominion of darkness? And will you call such a Unity as yours is, a Mark of the Church? I am sure it hath all the resemblances and emblems of hell. Is not darkness and ignorance there? Is not the Gospel locked up from the Laity in an unknown Tongue? And are these people nearer unto the knowledge thereof (but what the Priests tell them is Gospel,) than the damned in hell? Are not England's Divisions founded there? Ireland's cruelty blown up there? O yes, you agree well together in this: But this your Agreement is not to be called a Unity, but a Conspiracy rather, and that a cruel one.  
It was a wise saying of an ancient godly man, The name, saith he, of Peace is beautiful, and the opinion of Unity fair; but better diversity of judgement about Discipline, than Unity in falsehood concerning Doctrine.  
God will own this as a Divine and Military maxim:  
Better a just War, than a rotten, or an unjust Peace.  
3. And is it true, that wicked men thus differing amongst themselves, can thus agree together against God's Israel? And is there still an Israel of God for all that? Give me leave then to say to this little Island of God's delivered ones, as Joshua to Achan, (pardon the expression, I would to God we were less guilty of Achan's sin,) My Son, saith he, confess, and give glory unto God. Ah England, would it were the brand of the Enemy, and of those that hate thee to be unthankful, and not thy reproach: Is it not an accursed thing to withhold that from God, (his chief rent) for such eminent and strange deliverances from so many powerful Combinations, so many treacheries, such under-workings, such preparations as have been, and yet still are continued on foot against thee? Shall an Enemy so numerous and strong, so cunning and politic, be subdued by thee? by thee, a weak despised handful? And shall God have no share in the glory of thy safety? Hath thy weakness overmastered their strength? Thy folly baffled their sophistry? Thy Tradesmen brought down their Nobles? Thy fishermen puzzled their Gamaliels? and yet art thou silent? Hast thou not a mind to conceive? a heart to indite? a tongue to utter praise to whom praise, duty to whom duty, worship to whom worship belongeth? Desire God to give thee grace to correct thy Errors, to put down thy erratas and Escapes in Characters of bloody tears, that are passed over not in printing, but in living, and not in living so much as in loving, or rather in not loving that God that hath wrought so wonderfully for thee.  
And for the remainder of this Use, because I have more to do before I can conclude, take this excellent Copy from David's own hand, who is singularly exact in Uses of this nature.  
Psalm 3.1, 2, 8. Lord, how are they increased that trouble me? Many there be that rise up against me; Many a one there is that say of my soul, There is no help for him in his God.  
Then concludes sweetly;  
Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and his blessing is upon his people.  
Take one more.  
Psalm 124. If the Lord had not been on our side, may Israel (may England) now say, If it had not been for the Lord, who was on our side when men rose up against us, they had swallowed us up quick, the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over us, the proud waters had gone over our soul.  
Then concludes:  
Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth; Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler: The snare is broken, and we delivered: Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord.  
3Vse.  
And are England's Adversaries so wise as to join together? And is England so foolish to divide, and fall asunder into pieces and parties? Shall pagan's, and Turks, and Infidels, even in the Diversity of their false worships, combine together for our extirpation? And shall we, with all our great profession, of one God, one Faith, one Religion, one Livery, by our fearful Divisions, help on what they aim at? Did Ireland, or France, or Spain, or Barbary, ever deserve so well at our hands, that we should provide such a fruitful Island for them? such stately houses? such pleasant dwellings? such dear relations as wives to be deflowered by them, children to be enslaved by them? Consult the late Irish Barbarism, the French Massacre, the Spanish Armado, and then say, how well they deserve of Protestants.  Saevis inter se convenit Vrsis. 
What a thing is this? Shall Bears and Wolves agree together to preserve their kind? And is there an agreement in hell to propagate and enlarge the territories of Satan? And shall not we strive to keep up England from sinking? Shall every creature be glued by natural affection to their issue to preserve them from hurt? And shall we basely betray our posterity to perpetual slavery? What will they then (yet unborn) say of us? Will they not out of the very bitterness of their grieved spirits cry out against us? Who were our Ancestors? and what kind of shape did they bear? were they men or beasts? If men, were they Turks or Jews? If beasts, were they Wolves, or tigers, that could find in their hearts to let our Liberties and happiness die before them? and expose us thus to be a byword to all Nations, and a proverb of reproach? Will they not say, Cursed be their memory, and cursed be their covetousness, and cursed be their negligence, and cursed be their unnaturalness, that might and would not save us, that had power, and would not use it, to preserve us?  
Is it not a shame that Christians should make such sad complaints against Christians? O poor Church and distressed Spouse of Christ, saith one, Pax ab Extraneis, pax à Paganis, sed filii nequam, &c. Thou hast Peace with Turks, Peace with Pagans; but thine own ungracious children struggle in the womb of Reformation (like Rebecca's twins) and are bitterly enraged one against another.  
Another bemoans our great unhappiness in this kind:  
Infelix populus Dei, non potest in bono tant●m habere concordiam, quant●m mali habent in malo: The unlucky people of God (as he calls them) cannot so well agree in that which is good, as the wicked can in that which is bad: To act a mischief, they can lay their heads together, and reconcile different Nations to annoy the Church and people of God, and yet, we, we must needs be divided, rent, and torn in pieces.  
Here is the shame of England, if you talk of shame.  
The last Doctrinal Observation from the express words of the Text is this:  
That these very enemies, notwithstanding what hath been said, shall be exactly punished in God's good time, according to this pattern of Midian.  
Object. But how can you ground this point from the words, seeing they are rather like the Churches desire, what they would have done, than God's purpose what he would do.  
I answer, That it is both a prayer, and a prophetical Imprecation, or Prophecy. As it is a prayer, you have the church's mind, as if she had said in plainer terms thus: O Lord, we have heard of thee in times of old, how graciously thou hast dealt with our fathers, even in their greatest straits against their Enemies. Even then, Lord, when they were in their greatest pride and presumption; and namely how bare thou madest thine arm then upon the Midianites, when they lay at the foot of Carmel by the river Kishon for number and multitude as the grasshoppers: How thou didst exercise thy mighty power in the overthrow of those innumerable multitudes, by such weak means as three hundred simple men under thy servant Gideon, and didst totally scatter them, so that not a man was left: Nay Lord, how thou didst magnify thy power, wisdom, and goodness together, in delivering up the strength and multitude of the Canaanites unto the weakness of a woman, even thy servant Deborah: Nay, that thou didst so provide for thy people, that the valiant and renowned Sisera should fall at the feet of a weak woman, even Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite. Now, O Lord, true it is, the Midianites are dead, Sisera and Jabin are cut off, but more are risen up in their stead; Lo now the Tabernacles of the Edomites, the Ismaelites, the Moabites, and the Hagarens, These are as cunning, and cruel, and numerous▪ and proud, as ever those were, and thy Name is as dear, and thy people as precious to thee now as ever; and therefore Do unto them as unto the Midianites.  
But we look upon the words as a Prophecy; for albeit they run in form of an imprecation, yet it being considered what David was, a Prophet, we must needs think, the ground of his speech was the certain knowledge he had touching the future estate of God's Church, and what would become of the enemies thereof: For which cause he makes the desire of his Soul suitable to the purpose and determination of God: For as David well knew, and had said, That burning coals would fall upon the wicked, and that they should be cast into the fire, and into the deep pit, that they rise not again, Psa. 140.10, 11. so here he testifieth the fullness of his assent and desire that it should be so: Do unto them as unto the Midianites.  
So then because the Prophet here tells us that God will proceed against the Enemies of the Church, according to the pattern of Midian. It must be my work to show you, 1. Who be God's Enemies. And 2. What these Midianites were. And 3. How they were punished. This, I say, must necessarily be unfolded, because the ruin of these is made a pattern for the destruction of God's Enemies.  
1. Who be these Enemies?  
In general terms, they are God's Enemies that hate his Friends, as here, Lo thine Enemies, and they that hate thee: How so? They have said, Let us cut them off from being a Nation: They were Israel's Enemies, and therefore God's Enemies by good consequence.  
Thus Amalek was reputed one of the worst of God's Enemies, because his hatred was so desperate, and bent against his darling Israel, God is resolved to give him no quarter, Exod. 17.8, 9 He swore he would have war with him from generation to generation, because he was such an enemy to Israel.  
God hath Enemies of two sorts.  
1. Professed ones, such as openly go about to extinguish the light of his Truth in the day time; I mean, that is so manifestly seen, that all may discover their meaning to be so, as if it were at noon day; such of old were the Philistines, the Amorites, the Amalakites, the Midianites: These did oppose, and hate God's Israel then, as the Turks and others do now, to whom the very name of a Christian is odious.  
2. God hath closer Enemies too, and these are such as do paint themselves with the profession, and do shroud themselves under the name of the Church and of Religion, but yet indeed are enemies to the Truth of Religion: Now some of these profess a different kind of Religion, and do use another manner of worshipping God than the true Church useth; such were the Samaritans of old, who after their rent from the Jews retained Circumcision, boasted of their fathers, and expected the Messiah, yet were they not God's people, but were deadly Enemies to them, and therefore the Jews had no dealing with them, Joh. 4.9. Such are the Papists now, who though they retain some broken fragments of Christian Religion, yet they do hate Protestants, and the powerful preaching of God's Word amongst us. I wish we had less familiarity with them; we have paid well enough for it these eight years.  
Other Enemies God hath in the midst of us, of whom the old Complaint is verified:  
O miseros nos qui Christiani dicimur & Gentes agimus sub nomine Christi!  
Wretches that we are! we will be called Christians, yet we play the Turk (and worse) under the name of Christ.  
2 Tim. 3.5. Such as deny the power of godliness, be his Enemies. Luke 19.27. Such as will not submit unto Christ, and his gracious Government, these be Enemies too.  
But those mine enemies, that would not suffer me to reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.  
Such as hate and speak against the peaceful preaching of the Word, and seek, with Elimas, by railing against such exercises, to turn others (as he would have done the Deputy) from the Faith: What saith the holy Ghost of such? Thou wretch, thou son of perdition, thou child of the devil! (saith he to Elymas) and we may very well rank all the Romish Clergy amongst these who lock up the word of saith from the vulgar in an unknown tongue.  
Here also are to be listed all such as do revile & reproach the footsteps, of God's people. These footsteps are their holy lives; and the several duties and exercises of Religion performed by them, & they that revile them for these footsteps, and call them roundheads, Sectaries etc, are in the list of God's deadly Enemies. Psal. 9.4.5. Such as hate to be reformed, and cry out with Korah and the Malignants with him against the Reformers, yet take too much upon you: and utterly despise Government, they be no better than mutineers and Murmurers: and if the sin bear proportion with the punishment; see what it is Numb. 16.32.  
They that will not be reclaimed from the error of their ways, but go on still in any wicked course; if mercy will not melt them, nor judgements break them; If God's favour neither allure them, nor his frowns deter them from the vain and profane courses of their lives, but Malignants will be Malignants still, and swearers swearers still, and drunkards drunkards still, and Haters of Reformation wilful still: see what David saith, will become of them Psal. 68.21. God will surely wound his Enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his ungodliness. They are his Enemies, and God saith he will wound them for it: Now here falls in all the desperate and implacable Enemies of this nation; once or twice beating will not serve their turn; put them under deck, there's no trusting of them, they'll sink the vessel they are so desperate; give them liberty, they'll run to Kent; fright them from thence, they'll go to Colchester; favour, then there, they'll run to Scotland, or prove worse than Red-shanks at home. But woe to the hairy scalp of these Ruffians saith David, who go on still in their ungodliness.  
In brief, The covetous, the blasphemer, the Idolater, the bloodthirsty, and here comes in the bloody Irish and their English Confederates: All these and many more are on the file of God's book, and there recorded for his Enemies.  
These, these be they, and without repentance come within the List of this prophesied destruction. Indeed my Text includes one as well as another; but yet it is plain here from the pattern humbly offered unto God by his Church to proceed against the Enemy, that it is a close, near, secret, insinuating Enemy, that the Church aims at; some of these Nations now upon the march were of near relation and ally to them; these by the nearness of kin & contiguousnes of dwelling had those advantages against Israel that others could not have; It was that cursed advantage that Midian took to make them Idolaters before, which strangers could not have had; & their punishment did bear aequi page with the destruction they wrought upon Israel by that means, that the Church in this place desires God to cut out the future punishments for the backs of his Enemies according to this pattern.  
2. What were the Midianites?  
These were the posterity of Abraham by his Concubine Keturah 1 Chron. 1.32. who being turned Idolaters drew Israel to sin in the wilderness (as I said before) for which Moses revenged the Israelites of them by the slaughter of all their males and their five Kings and a wonderful great spoil but afterwards recovering and oppressing Israel in his own land, were by Gideon and 300 men vanquished when they lay in the valley like grasshoppers for number. Judg. 6.  
3. What was their offence?  
1. They did invade Israel, and sought to drive them out of the Land, the Inheritance which God gave them; that's all their language when they are once enraged: let us cut them off, let us root them out, they can bid no lower than ruin and murder and bloodshed: The Holy Ghost notes that in Saul, before he became Paul, that he breathed out threatenings against the Churches of God no less than this; either a stoning, or a strangling and oh the insatiableness of Malice, the depth of cruelty that is in the heart of Adam's posterity!  
What these did, or would have done to Israel, that the cruel Miscreants of Ireland have done to the English, they made away their wives, their lives, they invaded their possessions, their houses, which God gave them upon Ireland's Attainder of blood and cruelty upon the English long fince, who lived amongst them, and though many of them were not of the best or scarce civil themselves: yet the generality of the civil, and industrious carriage of the English nation there among them, had brought them in part, out of their Native rudeness and extreme barbarism.  
O how many Invaders hath England had! as well as those poor souls, now under the Altar crying, how long Lord? Have not the Irish invaded? and were not more sent for to invade? and are they not called Roman Catholic Subjects, to prepare them to be the better entertained by the disaffected Subjects here? have not Scotland invaded? and the Welsh invaded? the walloons invaded? and what think you English men, did they come for your good? or for your goods? for your cure? or for a curse? to save you? or to destroy you? Have they left no ruinous heaps? no bloody footsteps? no scars or characters yet visible? are we cured? or are we bleeding still? Believe it, believe it, they came to drive you out, not to settle you in your dwellings: not to add unto your strength, but to take away your strength and your glory, to cut your locks, not to curl them; and then with the Philistines to plow with your heifer, and make you a scorn and derision to all nations: Give credit to none that plead for them, let their pretences be as plausible and pleasant as the light; Their aim. is darkness and confusion, and woe to the Common wealth of England: if they follow them they are a spurious brood, not a freeborn people that tell you otherwise.  
Thus they are Invading Midianites, as well as the old Midianites were.  
2. They are vexing Midianites, the troublers of our Israel: the old ones vexed Israel twenty years; and how many years suppose ye have the young ones vexed and troubled England? How many years hath this intoxicating drink of civil wars been brewing? and now to what pass have they brought us? To divide the head from the body first? the body politic, and then the Members of Christ's body also from one another, the body mystical?  
How truly may distressed England take up that of the Psalmist psal. 129.1.2.3. Many a time have they aefflicted me from my youth up (may England now say) yea many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up; but they have not prevailed against me, the plowers ploughed upon my back, & made long their furrows, but the righteous Lord will hew their snares asunder.  
The old ones destroyed the fruit of the Earth, and left no sustenance for Israel: And what have these done less? have they not destroyed where ever they have been? Is there not a scarcity of provision everywhere? but especially in the north? and what is the famine and the sword (yet devouring) but the print, and direful footsteps of their Malignity?  
So that though the Midianites be dead, and Moab and Ammon be cut off, yet their malice doth yet remain alive, and it is but vetus fabula per novos histriones. An old Tragedy of Malignant Midian newly acted over by our Malignant English and Irish.  
3. They drew them to sin in the wilderness, which brought upon them much misery and many judgements: and what a great lump hath the Leaven of Popish doctrine leavened in these three Dominions? what a deal of mischief hath this Toleration and union with them, by Marriage and cohabitation wrought upon this nation? how are many countries pestered with these Locusts? how are they overspread with them? here is sin right parallel to Midians sin, Idolatry as gross and superstitious as ever theirs was, provocations as highly daring heaven and vengegeance, as ever they were guilty of; And is our punishment less? or our miseries fewer? or rather do not we exceed them in all in sin and misery?  
And woe be to them through whom the offence cometh, for it will be done unto them as unto the Midianites.  
The punishment of these is described by 3 circumstances, 1 the time 2 the means, 3 the manner of their de●truction.  
1. For the time, It was in their height, jollity, confidence, they did not so much as dream of a downfall, and it was the more sore and terrible because of their strong presumption of victory, and of enjoying their lust upon Israel.  
And was it not a stinging scourge upon the shoulders of Ahab, Who after he had in his thoughts acquitted himself of all fear and danger of death, yet then to be taken off, and cut in pieces? For a morning to be dark is portending some storm; but no wonder if the evening be surprised by the powers of darkness.  
The circumstance of time adds very much to the agravation of the punishment; what? turned into Hell when a man is at Heaven gates? better for a man to go from the Papists supposed Purgatory into Hell, then with Lucifer to be cast from Heaven to Hell. O Lucifer son of the morning! the preciousness of the morning season wherein Lucifer fell, doth aggravate his punishment more than if he had been the son of night, or of darkness.  
This was old Midians great unhappiness, he made so sure of Israel, that his mouth was ready opened to swallow him, than comes a log or bullet, and tears the whistle; Midian falls and cannot swallow Israel; this is young Midians case; but I am sorry I cannot run the parallel.  
2. by means very weak, absurd, foolish; Vnits overcome Tens, Tens Hundreds, and Hundreds Thousands. So it was then, so it is now:  
By means I say absurd, foolish; Gideon and 300. men against so great a multitude, and that the blowing of a Trumpet, and breaking earthen Pitchers should affright and gall such a terrible Host of martial men; What? Sisera baffled by a company of mechanics? How can you hold up your heads? Shall our tailors do more with their Needles, than you with spears? And are our mason's Trowels more keen than your Swords? And what rare Tinkers have we, that can so artificially beat out, and make up what you have so miserably mangled?  
Well then, this is one aggravation of their misery, that they are still beaten by such as are no Gentlemen, but Cowards.  
3. And for the manner of the punishment, it was irrecoverable; they were utterly routed, taken prisoners, and slain, Oreb and Zeb Princes, Zeba and Zaluma Princes, so that they lift up the head no more.  
And have not our Young ones received a foil, and, we hope, an irrecoverable one too, and though we cannot say they lift up their heads no more, or that they were so overcome that they could not come together and do more mischief, yet this we can say, that as they have lifted up their heads, so they have lost them hitherto; and it may be said of England's Conquest, as it was of Israel's Victory, Iudg. 4.14. The hand of the children of Israel prospered and prevailed against Jabin King of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin King of Canaan: So, blessed be God, No weapon formed against our Forces did ever prosper against us, since the fatal blow at Naseby, and our Armies are in a Prosperous condition ever since. That's the third aggravation, the fatality of the blow they received.  
Such, and no other, saith the Church, will be the punishment that God will bring upon the succeeding Enemies of his succeeding Israel; and it shall parallel to the life all these descriptions; And indeed God hath abundantly manifested the truth hereof to his people of this Nation; One blow he gives them at Naesby; they rise again, he drives them to the West, there pays them to some tune. Then like the Fox in the Fables, they seem to be dead, they stir not, till they think the dangers past; Then up they rise again in the East, and the North. Hitherto judgement rides post after them, and chops off some of the chief heads, and discharges their own intended cruelty upon themselves; and now judgement rests, and mercy waits to see whether they will be yet quiet, and fain would the Gracious God rather fill their faces with shame, by beating them, that he might beat them into obedience, then to be forced by their guilt of more insurrections and bloodshed to do unto them as he did unto the Midianites.  
He is very unwilling that this Nation should be named in the Black Book of his church's Enemies, because his truth engageth him to make good this Prophesied destruction against such.  
I need not go about to clear so known a truth, more than the Text hath already done unto our hands; yet I will give you one proof, for each one of the three circumstances, in the punishment of Midian, besides our own experience of it.  
1. God will do this gallant seat upon them when they are most secure. I myself have seen that, saith David, Psal. 37.35. I have seen the wicked in great power, and flourishing like a green Bay-tree; yet he passed by, and lo he was gone; I sought him, but his place could nowhere be found: O strange and unexpected alteration!  
2. By means too, very unlikely: 'Tis a common thing, saith Paul, 1 Cor. 1.27. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the World, to confound those that are mighty, and things which are not to bring to nought, things which are. O it was a soul scorn to the enemy, that the London boys should stun their Chosen men; their illiterate Tradesmen should chop logic with these wise men, both in counsels and in Field-disputes▪ And that those things which were not, Gentlemen I mean (for so they said they had all, and we had none) should bring to nought things that are, Gentlemen and Gallants, scholars and soldiers, and to outstrip them, Tam Marte quam Mercurio, both in counsel and Courage.  
3. And he will do it to the life too; It shall be complete and irrecoverable when he sets about the work of scattering and destroying Nations, Esay. 30.14. And he shall break it like the breaking of a potter's pot, &c. A potter's pot, you know, cannot be mended when it is broken; though they have made a sorry shift to cement the shattered pieces of their broken forces, by the guilt of all the innocent blood of three Nations, which were broken in shivers again, to the loss of the Neck blood of some of their Nobles, by a small touch of a little Army.  
And will you have one example? 2 Pet. 2.6. He turned the Cities of Sodom and Gomorah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, leaving them an example to them that afterwards should live ungodly.  
And let this be the comfort of our Gallant English Army, designed for the service of Ireland; their broken, mixed, miserable (I cannot call them Armies, but a) confused heap of tigers, hateful Turn-coats there, though painted over, with a seeming agreement, (like the Apples of Sodom) will soon moulter into ashes by a touch of an English hand free from the guilt of the blood of the slain there. And the broken Forces so unnaturally glued and forced together against the natural temper of many a poor soul there, will soon fall in pieces again with a touch, and all their bonds and ties will immediately be dissolved and cut asunder by the Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon.  
Will ye see some executions? You will find pillaging Achan, (the troubler of Israel) and his whole family executed, Ios. 7.24. And of all Ahab's posterity and persecuting house, there was not a man left to piss against the wall: And of all that Court-Faction that conspired against Jeremy, The Lord saith, Cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth; such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the Sword, to the Sword; and such as are for the famine, to famine; and those for captivity, to captivity: And though Moses and Samuel stood before me, saith God, my mind should not be towards them, Jer. 15.1, 2. See here, holy men may possibly become Mediators, to get off Malignants from their Fines, and Sequestrations, and punishments, and imprisonments, and leave their brethren and friends under all the ruins that these ill-affected persons have brought upon them, without any restitution at all; but it shall not take with God; but such as are for death, shall suffer death; and such as deserve the punishment, punishment shall be dealt out accordingly and restitution completely made to his justice: It is not so here in the world, nor can it be (to perfection) while men are men.  
use 1. How then have your deceitful hearts gulled you bloody Irish? You thought to destroy all and to make a full Massacre of the English; and see here the sentence past upon you; You must yield your guilty selves to the stroke of justice: And to what pass hath your Malignity brought you you degenerate English, that act Irish designs in England? How miserably are you cozened of your expectation? the advantages, preferments, and opportunities of revenge you dreamed of, are all fallen to the ground, the wheels of your Chariots are off, and your jaw bones broken; This prophecy spoils you all, this is worse than an Ordinance, or an Act of Parliament for the departure of Malignants out of town, for in such a case more stay then go; but here all go out, but none return that continue so; and how can your knees forbear smiting one another, when the writing is as clear upon the wall against you, as Belthazars was in written Characters against him, for the loss of his glory and kingdom?  
Tremble then and be dismayed, ye Tygrous Belialists; Ye Roman English, and Irish Rome; You that have so miserably disjointed the members of Church and State, and have you no moderation in your Cruelty and rage? Will nothing serve your turn but the utter desolation of our Eden? It appears your malice is far fetched, and as deep as Hell, and because you could not undo us by your Spanish Armadoe's, nor your Powder-plots, you have so enchanted a poor people, that they do your intended work upon themselves, and have directed their swords against their own breasts, to further your bloody designs, and to make way for your tyranny, and another mary-martyrdom; well, God's will be done on us. Yet know, as soon as God hath sufficiently scourged this Nation, by your Serpentine rod, (as he did of old his own Israel by the Assyrian, cruel Ashur here) he will burn the rod, and receive his people graciously, and when we have drunk the top of this Cup, the Lees and Dregs shall be for your share, and we shall be all made friends to your ruin, and the scattering all your Counsels in England and Ireland.  
How truly may England say of this your Conveyance and hidden treachery, as Jacob did sometime of the fact of Simeon and Levi? Gen. 29.7. Cursed be their wrath (saith the old man) for it was fierce, and their rage for is was cruel; so say I, Cursed be this device of all inventions, cursed be this cruelty of all butcheries. How much cause have England and Ireland and Scotland to say of this your Horrid treason, and to take up that speech uttered by the Jews in their Babylonish Captivity? Blessed shall he be, that taketh thy children, and dasheth them against the stones. No Nation hath more reason to perform such a cruel work upon the plotters and actors of these bloody Massacres in Ireland and here; and yet I would have it inferior to no Nation in acts of mercy, and to separate the innocent from the guilty. But hear your sentence read before I leave you; God will do unto you As he did unto the Midianites: Tremble then.  
use. Is it so that God hath determined such an exact destruction for his own and his people's enemies? Then let us all, for our parts, show our zeal and forwardness to help on the purpose and determination of God: But you will say, help on God's purpose? Hath not God power himself to do it? O yes; saith one, speak Lord, speak to the fire, and with flashes it shall consume them; to the air, and with pestilent vapours it shall choke them; to the water, and with deluges it shall overwhelm them; to the earth, and with yawning chops it shall devour them. God will have his enemies destroyed, but it shall be by means; His people shall sweat for it; The Philistines shall be destroyed, but Samson must work hip and thigh, Goliath shall sink, but little David must use his Sling, Sisera must fall at Jael's feet, but the woman must drive a nail through the Temples of his head first; It is determined that Midian shall receive an irrecoverable overthrow, but yet Gideon must advance and encounter him, though he Muster but three hundred men, in this sense that is very true, he that made thee without thee, will not save thee without thee, he that made England without England, will not save England without England; our utmost endeavours must seasonably accompany outward deliverances.  
Awake, awake, sleepy (though stirring) England, and be thou at last recovered of thy sleepy Lethargy; for shame, and thine own safety too, unite hearts, strike hands, be friends, and join together; and let not other Nations have cause to clap their hands for joy, while we do wring our hands for grief. All Nations are in arms for themselves, but England. France for France, Spain for Spain, Barbary for Barbary, Ireland for Ireland, Hell for Hell; And now that you have none to keep you in action, you have found out names and words, and titles, and circumstances to fall asunder into parties. And now one is of Paul, another of Apollo, a third likes Cephas best, but few follow Christ in the main thing of that charge of his left his Disciples, To love one another. See that it be not a trick of Rome and the devil; it did do the feat upon Germany, see that it work not the same effect upon your own selves, your friends, & this great City, as it did upon them.  
Ah Countrymen, there is a naughty liberty taken by many of this present age, who make a vast difference between the words, working, in English, and operation a Latin Elegancy, and these hold a stiff argument that the same thing may be hot in operation, which yet is cold, they say, in working; O but, you will say, they understand themselves better than so. I willingly grant it, and do much honour and reverence the excellency of God's Grace that is in multitudes of the Contenders about these things, but if they agree in words that these are the same, why do they not agree in deeds, and in the main? In the duty of Love? A duty so set on by strength of argument and earnestness of entreaty, in all the writings of holy men, who spoke as they were inspired? And by the last Will and Testament of Christ, for whose kingdom you so contend? Why then do you diversify the unity of the Spirit, and the bond of Peace, into such a variety of hateful factions, and bitter disputings? O but the least truth is precious; I, and so is the best of truths, to be honoured and embraced, the God of peace and love; There is no Gall in his Doves, and there ought to be no snarling among his sheep: Let lion's tear, Dogs and bears fight, and Wolves destroy, but let God's people study to be quiet.  
Believe it, be sure of it, your enemies will make no bones of your scruples, no distinction of your varieties: and if they could but get the power into their hands, which you contend for amongst yourselves, They would level all your new names into one plain, and dig you all into one wast or Common, and one complete destruction upon Church and State would serve their turn, for all your fiery disputes, and mutual contendings.  
Now the virtue of this last doctrinal truth, is to exhort you all to be Zealous for God, and for His Truth, and to unite all the powers of your Minds, for the subduing of the Common-Enemy; And for the better Composing of this Nation for this noble enterprise, we must first fall to Distribution, and distribute the Exhortation.  
1. And first to the supreme Authority thereof, and under them all orders and sorts of men.  
2. And next to you, those Martial and derivative powers, that manage matters in the field, and to these in their rank and file.  
1. And first to you, the Honourable and renowned Champions of this Nation, let me be bold to beseech you, to accept of a part of this distribution, and so far to condescend to the unworthiness of the Speaker, as to ascend so high to the magnificence of the duty. believe it, Worthy Senators, it is the top of your dignity, and the most Honourable Flower in the arms of England; it hath so pleased the Lord of Hosts, that you are above your enemies, and they that hate you are not your masters, though they court you and abuse your Servants, yet they are under you, and there kept. God expects at your hands now (& looks for it earnestly) that you would disable his enemies too, & those that hate him and his friends: Who hath his sword but you? he hath made you Magistrates, and Magistrates of the first-rate in Europe, and can you bea●e the sword in vain?  
I will not be so presumptuous as to go about to direct you what you ought to do, and far be it from me, either to prescribe or anticipate you in your wiser counsels, I hope you are minded to do things that be just, and you will be taught of God what to do, whose names and titles he hath lent you to that end.  
I have said you are God's. God's will not be unjust, God's will not be forgetful. Forsake me not, saith David, when I am old, when I am gray-headed, when my strength faileth me.  
David well knew that God would not deal so with his servants, as men usually do with theirs; he knew he should not be put out of doors, now that he was aged, and weak, and worn out in his service. No, no, he will be kind to the kind, and just to the just, have they lost a limb? he will look out a chirurgeon for them, and provide a good pension in the interim, is their estate wasted? it shall be made up an hundred fold, have they lost friends? he will give them an hundred for one; if he make them not out in number, he will supply them in their qualities; and if he fit them not with great Ones, he will furnish them with good Ones, and that is all one, nay it is much better.  
God puts men upon hard Duties, but gives them good Pay.  
See their Commission and Debeuturs both, Mat. 10.  
By their Commission, they must fight with Wolves, v. 16. Be tried by counsels, v. 17. Betrayed by friends, v. 21. Be hated of all, v. 22. Endure the utmost, v. 28. And yet neither fly, nor revolt, but be faithful, v. 28.  
there's their Commission.  
Obj. But what shall be their Pay?  
Ans. They shall be maintained, and saved harmless, by a more effectual and speedy Power than the Committee of indemnity; They shall save their lives by losing them, they shall win their goods by spoiling them, (it is not so here.) This they shall have at present; and in case they cannot be heard presently, they shall be supplied in the mean time with words to answer, and patience to endure whatever shall be laid upon them by the world, ver. 19  
But is this all? No, their great services shall be acknowledged before God, (not forgotten) and their arrears discharged without any defalcation, with better content than 3s. in the pound. O all you Noble Host, that will be Christian Martyrs, Can you desire better pay?  
Thus God will do, and thus ought you to do also that are called Gods; or else you dishonour God in being called by his name, and entitled The supreme Authority of the Nation. You are his highest Court on earth, You are his upper Bench of Christian Magistrates.  
You have given out as strict Commissions, and put men upon as hard and uncouth duties as ever any Powers put subjects upon. For, 1. Have you not sent them as sheep amongst Wolves too? and what would have become of the sheep, if the Lamb had not got the conquest? For did you not engage them against the cruel Irish? and are these less cruel than Wolves, than tigers? And are not your friends lives closely bound up with yours, in respect of the direful, revengeful, and degenerate Cavalry of this and the neighbour Nations? What would become of their lives, if you had sunk? Who laboured in the storm but they, while many of you and us (like Ionas) slept between decks? And now you are come into harbour, can it be that you should forget them that saved you, and became the virtual (next to God) and effectual interpreters of your dreams, that otherwise must have vanished away as dreams? And the freedom of England in those honourable thoughts of yours to rescue it from tyranny, had been strangled in the birth, and had never seen these few beams of our yet obstructed liberties.  
There is such a thing in nature as forgetfulness. And what a stigme and note of infamy doth the Spirit of God leave upon Pharaoh's chief Butler for it, Gen. 40.23. Yet did not the chief Butler remember Joseph, but forgot him. And oh that all they that have guilt upon them in this kind, that do drink wine in bowls, (the butler's privilege to do it on free-cost) and never call to mind the afflictions of Joseph, would do no less for their friends, than he did for his Joseph, Gen. 41.9. I do remember my fault this day. Great men, and men of place and public employments, are very obnoxious to these failings; and the reason thereof is obvious: and oh that these also would remember their faults this day!  
I beseech you, Honourable Sirs, send speedily, and draw your friends out of dungeons; raise them from their beds of sickness, and free them from their discontented Landlords. Pharaoh did so for Joseph a stranger to him; he freed him from the Ward and the Master of the Ward. Do you so too for your neighbours and your friends, and speak comfortably to them; and do as well as speak too, lest Pharaoh rise up in judgement against you.  
They have been put upon hard duties; it lies in their bones and breasts, in their heads and hearts, and upon their wives and children, and landlords and creditors to this day.  
2. But what talk I of hard Duty? To lie in the cold fields, and to fight with bears and wolves, is but a sport and delight, to those bold, and unnatural attempts and undertakings that your Commission hath put men upon: It hath familiarly cut the knot of all relations, and put the son to discharge the instrument of death toward his own father that gave him life; The tie of brotherhood was of no value, to the tie of their loyalty to you; The Marriage-bed hath been divided since their Espousals to you; and the loving husband could never return again to his beloved wife; Oh how many Widows, and Orphans, and Cripples have your Commissions created, that God never made so! He made men and women perfect; it was sin, and judgement, and the sword, that makes cripples, and orphans, and widows.  
Hath not the father disinherited the son? and doth not the brother betray his brother, and cause him to be put to death in your quarrel? or that is worse than death, disinherits and shames him that was for the Cause; and for no other fault, but for being so?  
Obj. Is not the Law open? and are there not Committees for redress of such grieveances?  
Ans. O Caesar, said a soldier to Augustus, when he would have put him off to another that should go in his name to the judges, whom he feared, but could not (he said) go in person. O Emperor, said he, when thy life was in hazard, I dealt not thus with thee, to put thee off to a Deputy; but received all these scars and wounds to save thy life with these limbs; and wilt thou put me off to Deputies? And will you put us off to Lawyers? Will ye put a lame man to walk to Lincoln's inn, that never loved Law when he had legs?  
Well then, you have put them upon harsh employments, it cannot be denied. What shall be their pay? Let it not be shame, I beseeeh you, whatsoever you provide for them: their hearts are full of reproach, and their purses are full of that coin already.  
You may think I have erred from my Scope, but I shall clear the passage; I am now upon exhorting you, that seeing it is God's purpose to bring down all the implacable enemies of England, and seeing you are the judges of his upper Bench on earth, that you would put forth your wisdom and justice, in subduing these enemies. And because the drift of my discourse, looks more upon your wisdom then your justice for the composing of our sad divisions; wisdom being the Queen-Regent in all counsels, and Justice but the daughter, yet so as that wisdom can as well be without her right hand, as be without her.  
I am now upon an humble and submissive agreement with your wisdoms, about mulcts and oblivions; that those Canine and greedy Appetites; (David was warranted to style it the greediness of Dogs,) seeing they have been so familiar already at the table, as to snatch away the Meat from your Trencher, which we supposed you had portioned, and cut out for your children, may be shamed from your table, by holding to them the whole joint; sure if they be not more impudent than that blushing creature is, at such a sight, they will be ashamed and go out of doors, at such strange and unwonted kindness▪ and yet receive kindnesses too.  
Left therefore your Lenity should strangle her sister justice, and stab her in the fifth rib, in stead of kissing her. I am warranted to lay these two restraints upon your indulgence. 

1. Do not shame your friends.  
2. Do not embolden your enemies.   To this end I have minded you of your Commissions, and those hardships (which are better groaned out then uttered) and the services you have put them upon, to save you. I have a commission also to come nearer to you; and I may use joab's words by way of persuasion as a Divine, which he boldly used by way of charge unto David as a soldier. I shall bring them to your doors by & by. 

1. Do not hate your friends, but love them.  
2. Do not love your enemies, yet love them.   I shall make it good sense; Destroy their enmity, but love your enemies.  
1. Do not hate your friends. That's the first restriction, I shall lay upon your Lenity towards your enemies. Be pleased to remember this saying, Qui non zelat non amat, Remisser love is hatred.  
There are divers distinctions of hatred amongst the learned; I will pick out but two for this purpose. Hatred is either absolute, or comparative: There is no fear that you will hate them absolutely; but it is comparative hatred they suffer under, that is, when you do not love them so much as you ought; or when you can find more time to bring off a Malignant, than you can find to preserve a friend from ruin and death. And so the beloved wife and the hated are distinguished in the Law. She is said to be hated, not that she was so absolutely, but because she was not so well beloved as the other. Thus your friends think they are deeply hated and wronged, according to this distinction; because they are not looked upon as they ought to be, nor could they ever have one dispatch for all their Loyalty, for an hundred that others have had for all their treachery. Indeed there was this disadvantage to your friends: Your enemies brought money, your friends had laid out all and more, and as much as they could borrow besides: Your enemies were Gentlemen, & had good clothes to put a glittering garnish of good oratory upon their hatred of you; your friends had no Counsel to plead for them, but beggary and their old clothes, and broken estates and cracked credits, and it may be a printed Petition or two;  
And a Hospital is a more unwelcome sight than Goldsmiths-hall.  
This is comparative hatred; when the spital is not so well beloved as the Mint; when both were children of your own begetting. Ah sirs, let us see that you be the fathers of our Country; if you will be fathers and indulgent ones, sure your Cripples and those that have been lamed under the cartwheel of your pressures, shall have a more tender specialty of your provision for them, than those rebellious children that have their limbs, but would nor work, or else fled out into open Rebellion against you with Absalon. I pray think on it.  
2. Hatred hath another distinction for our use. It is either 1 formal, or 2 interpretative. By the former is meant such hatred as a man entertains wittingly and upon actual consideration; by the latter, such as by which (though there be no intention so to do, yet) a man doth the same things in effect, as if he did purposely hate a thing. It was wisdoms speech, Prov. 8. He that sinneth against me, hateth his own soul. Now no man yet ever hated his own flesh, much less his soul.  
He that spareth the rod, hateth his son.  
The meaning is, that if he hated him indeed, he could not do him a worse turn.  
Ah Gentlemen, your friends complain bitterly of this kind of hatred, that you do that against them, that if you hated them indeed, you could not do them a worse turn; if you should as seriously and intensively study their irreparable overthrow, as they have stoutly fought for your safety and Preservation, you could not go a nearer way to overturn them irrecoverably; your good words invite them to wait on you; and God forbid you say, but they should be relieved, and but that their Grievances should be redressed; your Declarations, and public Acts concerning them, give them assurance you intend what you say too; all this is well: who could imagine that these Words and Acts could be effects of your hatred? he that would affirm such a truth were in danger to be questioned.  
They wait upon you a month; two, three; nay they tarry a year, two, three, four; there arise great contention in the mean time, between them and their Landlords, Landladies, the Cook, the Brewer must be paid, the Baker must have money: the Cook cannot buy meat: much complaining and reasoning, excusing and accusing there must needs be of course.  
The Conclusion is, your friends be turned out of doors, and bid mischief take them, and their masters that set them on work, and the devil pay them their Arrears; O the language! you will understand it better than I can express it with modesty.  
But I had forgot, there is another degree of hatred, as well as comparative and positive, and that is, there is a negative hatred; that is, when there is no love at all. Truly your friends say they can make Affidavit of this too: it is the property of love, wherever it is rooted, to command all the faculties within, to be employed for the good of them we love.  
Dies Noctesque, me aims, me sonnies, me desideres, de me cogites, &c. believe it, if you loved your friends, your eye would be upon them; if you loved them, your souls would be with them; you would inquire whether they be alive or no; they could not starve, while you feast; and you would not let them sigh, when you sing.  
Again, love is learned, and love is witty; If you had love, you could not be ignorant what their services have been, what their sufferings are, and all for you, these things you would know too; again, Love is witty, in devising means for the good of them we love; you would find an hundred ways to enjoy your Love; you would quickly resolve to which closet, to which chest you will go to take out a pair of gloves, to single out the other bugle-purse of gold, to convey into your love's hands. Your friends complain they cannot see any seal of your love; but now and then they receive a Letter of commendation, which they fear is complemental, and though the Court be down, they meet with Courtiers still But, Migremus hinc, There's no tarrying for me here.  
I pray Do not hate your Friends, but love them.  
2. Do not love your Enemies, yet love them.  
1. Do not love your Enemies, against themselves.  
2. Do not love your Enemies, against your Friends.  
Yet,  
3. Subdue them by love, and Conquer them by kindness, as much as you can.  
1. There are ways to love them against themselves. They have inherent boldness and impudence, and shamelessness to speak and act uncivil things to your faces. Witness Cheapside lately; there was boldness by wholesale; there was insolency at your Triumph, there were scoffs at your Thanksgiving: And will they be less impudent, when they deal out their Malignity by parcels, and make up their Markets by retail at your several Courts & Committees? They have all the advantage in the world, to add Art to Nature, and experiment to experience; They have Cosens, and uncles, and Allies, and council, Friends, and Language to make themselves upright and honest men. Remember old ●●li: How is it that I hear this of you, my sons? Do so no more my sons. And then you give them rope, till they destroy themselves; and let them proceed in their lewdness, until with Hophni and Phinehas they break the neck of themselves, and their Noble, or Ignoble families, and miserable relations of their own making.  
Do not love them thus, I pray you; you will love them against themselves: They will take up Arms again, and then where can they compound for their lives? What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  
2. Do not love them against your friends neither: They complain infinitely that your Enemies did strip them naked, made them beggars, murdered their friends, burnt their houses, laid their Country in heaps. After 3 or 4 years complaining, their Petition is read, (it may be so) the offender brought up at your friends charge. Against their coming there is carefully provided for them a Mulct an Act of Grace; or if they cannot extricate themselves by that shift, they have Money, and council, and Friends; and than a Report must be made, before relief can be given; and than your Friends trudge about with their broken Credits, and fee whether they can patch it up for the loan of a Crown or two shillings, and be at the cost to swear Witnesses again; At last, your Enemies Compound at goldsmiths-hall, when the worst come to the worst; and then where be your friends? Who shall pay the Messenger, and the Charges?  
Obj. There is better provision made then so, And do we favour our enemies against our friends?  
Ans. We acknowledge you would not do it, if you did but hear and see passages with your own eyes and ears; not will you do it jointly (as the Supreme Court) by your good will: I know you hate it. But Treachery is always wrought covertly and closely, and under the specious show of good affection and friendship to your proceedings. But I launch out into the deep, I forbear. I beseech you pardon my boldness; Your wisdom is hereby touched, (but it is my zeal for the honour of it) The LORD grant that it be deeper in Heavenly Prudence, than the Hellish Craft of your Enemies, which is deep too, as deep as Hell.  
But shall I be daunted? Wherefore? Have I not a Commission to speak? and shall I turn my back now I am charging an Enemy, and now that I have been among soldiers? It is not against you Noble Senators, but it is for you that I charge; I charge a subtle enemy, an enemy of near six thousand years standing.  
In the optics, though a man be quick-sighted, and hath an eagle's eye, yet he cannot see the perfection of a Picture at a nearness, nothing so well as one of dimmer sight may behold it at a greater distance. It is the excellency of your nearness, honourable Sirs, that you have power to make Acts, and to command immediate Execution of them; Yours is a nearness of Power: We have a nearness too, a nearness of Conscience, and knowledge of Right or Wrong, and the particular effects and successes of things, and some abuses done to the honour of your good intentions. We, we, many of us I mean, that have a great nearness in many wrongs, have as great remoteness & distance of Right, as we have of Power to right ourselves but by your Authority, unto which we submit.  
There is this Cunning discernible in your enemies, and eminently seen, (to the bleeding of the hearts of your friends) that when their Oratories and insolences are so notoriously debauched, that they dare not show their grinning faces against your loyal friends, in your presence; yet they have this masterpiece, to set on Tertullus the orator (powerfully) to plead for them in another guise, and to throw dirty aspersions: which (however the Oration be puffed with lies and malice against your friends for being your friends, as Hell is fraught with darkness) yet it will cast a stain upon your most innocent Mordecay's that discovered their treason; and it may be such, if your wisdom discern it not, that many Napkins (and alas, many of them want linen next their backs, and cannot be at the charge of many napkins) yet the many white Napkins of their innocency cannot wipe it off.  
Do ye believe Paul was an honest man? O yes! not Paul? Will ye hear than what a Charge Tertullus brought in against him to Felix? Truly, sirs, if you would but look discerningly in this glass, you might behold the blushing faces of your friends, and the brazen foreheads of your enemies.  
Speak, Tertullus; here's your Fee. Tertullus speaks, Act. 24. from the second verse &c. Seeing that by thee we have obtained great quietness, and that many worthy things are done to this Nation through thy providence, (Malignants love quietness? do they wish worthy things to a Nation? O impudence! Well, proceed) We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thanks. (O treachery! I can scarce forbear) But that I be not tedious to thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us (not hear me; Tertullus pleads for dangerous Malignants, as you shall see; hear us, saith he) of thy courtesy a few words. Why, what's the matter, Tertullus? Certainly we have found this man (Paul he means) a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition, a chief maintainer of sects, (it may be so, Tertullus, yet for all that, Paul may be an honest man; for after this manner which you call heresy, sects, seditions, so worship we the Living GOD. Well go on:) Who hath gone about to destroy the Temple, (it was but the pollutions of the Temple. But go on:) Whom we took, and would have judged according to our Law, (that's right still) but that Lysias the chief Captain with great violence took him out of our hands. That is the spite of your enemies, and the very heart-breaking of them, that your friends were taken violently out of their hands by Captain Lysias, by your Martial power. O the rebellious general Lysias, that would be so bold as to take him out of their hands! What a noise there is of this kind of violence, that your enemies in three kingdoms say you have done unto them, that they cannot judge us according to their Law. This is the great mischief that your Army hath done them, that they cannot judge your Friends.  
Surely (Right Honourable) if Tertullus had lived in these days, (I am sorry I commended him for his wit) he might have starved, for any employment he could have had of the most stupid of Malignants in England, There is not the most blockish Malignant in England, but can plead better for himself. Do but observe his learned oration (well painted over with smooth words) and you will say he was an ass, and went the ready way to betray his Clients, if Felix had not been Judge, and their better friend to keep Paul close prisoner still.  
Do but mark: Whom we took and would have judged (saith he, and we believe him) according to our law.  
Let me press you to note this passage. Tertullus plainly declares that he proceeded against Paul for no other cause, but upon the grounds of hatred and revenge. How so? He should have been judged according to their law. What was that? I pray read it in the foregoing Chap. ver. 12. Certain Jews made an assembly, and bound themselves with a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. The old murderer Satan had given them a Commission of Array to kill him; and the Law was only this, They had sworn and bound themselves under a Curse (ver. 12.) that they would soon dispatch him; and there were at the least forty Malignants that had listed themselves to murder him. I know not what other Law they had against him, but this was all the Commission of Oyr and Terminer that passed the consent of both Houses, the chief Priests and Elders, that they might kill him without any more dispute, being the ambassador of Christ; as your enemies did that ambassador in Holland, for being your Messenger. For they had said before, that Damn them they would do it; as they here had bound themselves by oath to do the like feat. This was the Law they meant to try him by; and the foolish Orator could not conceal it, but tells Felix in plain terms that they had an intent to destroy him, if Lysias had not rescued him. It is very likely he would have had Felix understand him in a better sense, but that Lysias Letter to the most excellent governor Felix (as he styles him) discovered their bloody purpose before; that he could not have him shot to death, nor sentenced to die, while Felix was Judge.  
O the treachery of your Enemies in this powder-plot! and O the deep subtlety of your seeming Friends, in this horrid treason against your true Friends! It is better expressed by Interjections, than it can possibly be engraven in stone, or cut out in wood; the narrow compass of words cannot enlighten you into these dark Cells. I would, but I cannot be more large; I can, but I will not be more tedious. I promised as much at the first, and I shall strive to pay my debts.  
I shall crave only so much patience, as to put up Joseph's request unto you; that seeing the Almighty providence hath restored unto you the Liberty that you desired, and hath made you the Keepers and Distributers of the Liberties of England, and that you have the many Clusters of Grapes in your hands; that you would be pleased to let some of the juice of those Grapes drop into the Cup of your afflicted Joseph's. Remember him, and show him mercy, I pray you, now that you are restored. And if ever you hear Tertullus charging your friends, (as Joseph's Mistress did Joseph, because he could not be tempted to commit folly with her) Remember (I pray) still, that it is Tertullus that pleads; not Tertullus the novice, the fool, but Tertullus the Barrister, it may be Tertullus the sergeant, the judge, the Committee-man, the Commissioner. It is possible, I say, that such a thing may be. I beseech you, Sirs, suspect ever, when you hear their reputation blemished, Is not the hand of Joab in all this? If they would have you believe that your friends be not your friends, but they were self-ended, vicious, your enemies in intention, though eminently faithful in action: Remember still that it is Tertullus, or one or more for him. And what if these Instruments come hot from your enemy's forge? what if they have a dark lantern too, and are underminers of your honour and safety? I beseech you sirs, suspect this evermore, and cast in your thoughts that such a thing may be. You suspect your meat sometimes, and the safety of your persons and houses; and why not as well the very being of your Honour and Safety?  
2. Do not love your enemies: but love them. I have heard many bleeding narrations, that the late Mulct so honourably intended by you to shame your Enemies into obedience, is become an unspeakable snare and shame to your friends, for being roundheads; and it lies upon them chiefly, and upon the least of your enemies. Their subtlety hath (almost unavoidable) ways to cleave and wind about your soundest trees, that like Ivy, will soon eat out the very heart of their integrity, if not carefully cut at the root, or at least prevented in their windings about, because there is such difficulty, if not impossibility to find out the root, as being so deep, and intricate and dangerous to be digged after; and costly, and ticklish, to discern it from other roots like it; O the depths of subtlety! I am sure this heart-eating, serpent-like vegitative, by winding, and turning, and creeping insinuations doth hinder the growth of the most sound trees, and the tallest Cedars, and the strongest oaks in England; your friends find this in most Courts they have to deal with, and by sad experience they can say there is very little growth of public affection towards them that have served the public in two, three, four years standing, for which time they have been sad Spectators here, and see no growth. 'tis a very dangerous thing for you thus to love your enemies.  
Remember I pray the simple credulity and foolish pity of the well-meaning countryman, who seeing an Adder in the field; Frigore prope enecatum, almost dead with cold; alas poor creature, quoth he, brings it home in his bosom, applies it to the fire, fosters it with the warmth thereof. The subtle creature no sooner recollects his spirits again, but with all his venomous activity annoys the whole house, affrights and stings the children and servants; and O what a hissing doth it make, you would be sorry ever to see this woeful effect of your love; your children and servants feel it already; they are mortally stung by these Serpents; they do hiss at your friends, and jeer them to their faces for being for the Cause, and they tell them the devil will serve all his servants so as you have served yours.  
I beseech you, Honourable Sirs, do not love them so, as that your enemies shall have cause to scoff at your friends, and deride their loyalty.  
Yet love them too, the saying is, a man may love his house, and yet not ride upon the ridge of it; his child, yet not always be muching of it; his wife, and yet not still be fondling her upon his knee: Love them as the wise man would have you love your children; There is folly bound up in the hearts of your enemies too, as well as in the hearts of children, and the rod of correction must bring it forth; if favour will not work upon them, this must.  
Love them, but still let your eye be upon them; love them, but take heed they climb not up again to break their necks or lose their heads upon some tower, fort, house, &c. Love them, but let them have no capacity to wrong your servants; Love them, but love your friends too; let the son of your mother be a stranger to you, in comparison of that friend that saved your lives.  
But do men in Authority love thus? nay, do they not rather prove unthankful and unkind to those that have preserved them, and saved their lives, and propped up their greatness? O Relatives! Relations! Uncle! x! Brother! why do you hinder Justice?  
Let Captain JOAB speak; I told you I would bring his words, and humbly lay them at your door, You shall find him a very plain-dealer.  
2 Sam. 19: 5. Then Joab came into the house of the King and said,— Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants that saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy Concubines; in that thou lovest thine enemies, and hatest thy friends: For thou hast declared this day, that thou regardest neither thy Princes nor servants. I perceive that if Absalon had lived, and we all had died this day, that then it would have pleased thee well.  
Now therefore come out and speak comfortably to thy servants; for I swear by the Lord, except thou come out, there will not tarry with thee one man this night.  
soldiers are soldiers, and they will sometimes strain a point of Modesty, when they speak to their general; And they are no more bold than welcome neither, because they be faithful and valiant, and so found.  
It shall be my care to take away so much of the acrimony of Joab's charge as I can; yet would I not go about to betray you by silence, or daubing: no, it is hateful to God and man, it cannot please you.  
There are this day in England and Ireland, such of your servants, Honourable sirs, as have showed no less zeal and courage for your safety and preservation, than this soldier did of loyalty to the blood-royal of the Tribe of Judah; and men do speak aloud, and it rings in every corner of the Nation, a● though you had shamed your friend's a● much as David did his; nay, and with little success, and less remedy than those people received upon complains thereof. David rose up, and spoke comfortably to them; and you could not show your friends more unkindness, if you had studied eight years to find out some exact punishment, than you bring now upon them by delaying them i● their Petitions in their 3 or 4 years tedious & miserable attendance here upon you.  
Believe it, Honourable Sirs, the faces of your friends that have saved your lives are very blushingly ashamed. If Malignants now ask them for whom they fought, they are utterly ashamed to tell them. Adam and Eve when they had sinned, were not more ashamed of their nakedness than they are of your service; They are put upon it (some of the weakest I mean) to say as your enemies say, and complain of you to them, that they thought you had intended them better things, but now they see, &c. O what meat and drink is this to those that hate you! and this may make your friends Malignants too by that time they come to receive their Arrears. Yet in the mean time, such as can stoop to such an unworthy compliance with your enemies, to get them maintenance; their Credit will go further upon that account, then upon any account of your service, or for being for the Cause. A large repetition of their Cornish voyage now, will be nothing near so pleasing to their minds, as Long-ditch is to their nostrils, if they were in it.  
The place is scarce known at Westminster, where they dare avouch you, or speak of you, unless it be of your unkindnesses. And what unpleasing things they shall be urged unto by the grievedness of their spirits to utter concerning you, they ought of course to receive pardon, seeing all their afflictions and pressures could not force them from their loyalty, nor yet drive them to revolt with the Revolters.  
Ah Gentlemen, you little think what unworthy ways and shifts and Courses your friends are forced to stoop unto, to keep them from the last and utmost of extremities. Is it not a shame to an honest face, to be called upon every day for money, and to be charged with breaking days, & words, & promises? indeed for men regardless of their credits; and shifters to deal thus, there is no impression of shame or regret; but for honest men to be called Knaves, and for them to be unjust, it is a wounding consideration to men of honest thoughts. I could show you some, that deserve singularly well at your hands, that take many a wheeling step in the Revolution of a year, to shun the provoked clamours, and importunities of those that have trusted them for meat, drink, etc, during the years (not months) that they have waited here for the Income of some of your many promises.  
But now they blush, and are ashamed, and cry out, O Forgetful Parliament! O unkind Masters!  
Happy Enemy! Happier Neuter! most happy Betrayer! For had I been an enemy (saith one, and I know him too) I had been worth 3000. li. this day; If a Neuter, 4000.l. If a Betrayer, what with my pay, & the reward of Treachery offered me, I could not have been worth less than 6000.l. Note this.  
But O wretched faithfulness! O fool-hardiness! which men call constancy and valour!  
For you it is that I am now 600. li: worse than a Bankrupt, if I were sold and my nine children; for your pleasure it was that I turned the words of Nero's Mother into real deeds.  
Occidar modò impe●et.  
Me, me, let me be wracked so they 'scape pain,  
Here, here, take all I have, so they may reign.  
These, these, be the Groans of your friends, Honourable Sirs; and these they sigh into tears, and their tears they drink; for wine they can have none, but only the Lees thereof turned into sharpest vinegar that frets them, and makes many of them show sour faces towards you.  
O do not shame your friends. Who will you have to subdue your enemies, if you shame them? enemies will not help you.  
Thus you have my distribution like Benjamins mess, five times bigger than any of your brother's portion.  
2. And for all other orders, and degrees of men, if such an unskilful hand as mine (I will confess what I know will be objected,) should presume to distribute this exhortation into several portions, were they so evenly cut out and shared, yet I cannot hope to give full satisfaction to the precious children of God's own family, much less to the rebellious children that are contentious, and whom nothing will satisfy, but their own humours, which are full of rage and envy; I shall here lay before them, Paul's distribution, Rom. 13. it is a text wherewith Royalists think they strike all Arguments dumb & dead, that make for us in our defensive war, and taking up of arms for the supreme Authority of this Nation, against an usurped and inferior power of the late King and his party. It was a Text that was laid before me when I was a prisoner at Wallingford; and because they did abuse it, I will take it not from theirs, but from S. Paul's own hand, and lay it before you. For we can never effectually go about the work of subduing the common Enemy, until our own proud hearts that love priority, be subdued and brought under.  
Paul saith, Let every soul be subject unto higher Powers. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Every soul.  
He questions not whether we be for episcopacy, or the presbytery, or for gathering Congregations, &c. But if we be reasonable creatures, and have souls, we must be subject to these powers. Si omnis anima; & vestra, &c. Active or Passive obedience is a duty we owe unto the Supreme Magistrate.  
Obj. O strange! Why then did we not give unto the late Caesar this due? Why did we take up Arms against the King; when all the licenced weapons in the Primitive times (that might be used in such cases) were preces & lachrymae, prayers and tears?  
Ans. These must be our weapons still, and we should never have made use of any other in England or Ireland, had not a greater Power been called to act according to the Supreme Law of Nations. Salus populi, The good and safety of a people, is that sovereign Law that all Nations would be subjects unto, if they knew what it were, and had any such way as England hath had to rescue that Law of Nature from the will of Princes, and the extreme corruption of Court & Courtiers. O the tyranny in France, Barbary! Believe it, Malignants themselves have told me, it was extreme there.  
Obj. But are our Powers the Supreme Powers? Paul, answer for thyself; Many, many question thy doctrine, or thy meaning.  
Ans. Paul. There is no power but of God, the Powers that be are ordained of God. It is God that sets up, and throws down Emperors, Kings, &c. and it is He again that enthrones Kings, and sets up Magistrates. There are no Potentates in the whole Universe that have any settled peculiarity in their Chiefdom, but all (whether with or against their wills, it matters not) give it up to GOD as his prerogative-hill, or He will take it; It is He that dethrones Saul, and sets up David (a shepherd) to be King; It is no other but He that did throw down the King and his Cavalry (Gallant Gentlemen) and set up the Parliament to govern and to keep his sheep. Who but he put the Star-Chamber out of Commission, and settled the council of State at Whitehall? It is of God, saith Paul.  
Obj. Be these the powers of God? that's strange! We thought they had been the powers of the Army.  
Ans. I tell you, saith Paul, the powers that are, be ordained of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.  
I could launch out again, but I am in haste, and therefore must wait another opportunity. I shall therefore in the mean time turn all such as cavil at the present Providence under which we are, unto Zophar in Job, who will satisfy any wise man; It is sufficient to me, that the wisdom of God hath so ordered it.  
Job 11.7. Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection? it is as high as Heaven (for holiness) what canst thou do? as deep as Hell (for wisdom) what canst thou know? Vain man would be wise, &c.  
2. This Exhortation hath a strong force upon all the Military-members of the Church Militant abroad at their several quarters; you, Gentlemen, you are the instruments, and but the instruments, whom God hath honoured in bringing down the pride of the Enemy of this Nation; you have done much this way, yet you have not fully accomplished the work that God hath designed you unto. Assur also is joined with them, and they have holpen the children of Lot; you must go over sea, and make inquisition amongst the cruel Assyrians of that Nation, for the blood of two hundred thousand Protestants, And your work is by God's blessing upon your endeavours, to subdue and scatter those herds of tigers, according to the pattern of Midian, or else they will not fear to send their Wolves to worry and tear in pieces more of the scattered flocks of England's simple sheep; And what quarter is the lamb like to have, when the wolf is Judge?  
And because you affect not prolixity and length of words in your march, I shall be bold to give you, 

1. Some Grounds.  
2. Some Motives.  
3. Some Instructions.   To inform, incite and direct you in the conscionable performance of a duty so much required in the Text, and so seasonable for the times.  
1. For Grounds, you have such as are indisputably just and warrantable; you need not care what Malignants speak; a lawful cause makes the action lawful and warrantable.  
1. Gr. It is lawful for us to defend true Religion, against the opposers and corrupters of the same; that this is matter of equity, may be gathered from the words of Abijah to Jeroboam and all Israel, 2 Chron. 13.8. And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hands of the sons of David, and ye be a great multitude, &c. What follows? Ye have made golden Calves, and have cast cut the Priests of the Lord; but as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him, he is our Captain (General) O ye children of Israel, fight not against him, for ye shall not prosper: Begin when you will, you'll have the worst of it; for ye kick against the prick, ye foolish enemy.  
Mark, I pray, though he might have an aim of recovering his own right again, yet this very business of corrupting God's worship, and making Calves to idolise, was the ground of this good King's quarrel more than any thing else. And is it not a thing as clear as the day, that the Judges of Israel did always raise war to defend the people of God out of the hands of cruel oppressors? This you may find plentifully in the history of the Judges. And hath England and her Judges done more against her oppressors, and invaders than Israel's Judges have done before? O the trumpery of Rome, that would soon invade us, the ragged Crew that would destroy us! The cunning Machiavels that would divide us! if the supreme Court of England's Judges should not manage our affairs against their cunning and tyranny, with justice and prudence.  
2. We may go to war for Common justice when 'tis denied us; Nay, if our brethren, or kindred or nearest allies come with Tyrants to act injustice and oppression upon a Nation, That People have very good ground to disarm them, or to know why not; yea and to bring them to justice too. You may ground this from the practice of the Israelites against their near friends and brethren the Benjamites, because they rescued and kept from justice the sons of Belial, that had ravished the Levites wife, Judg. 20.  
Here Religion was not so much the matter in question as Common Justice, which the Benjamites peremptorily deny the Israelites; hence the difference, Israel takes up arms and encamps against Gibeah of Benjamin, and albeit Israel was foiled at the first, very shamefully, to the loss of forty thousand men; yet as soon as they took the right course, Phinehas the son of Eleazar moves the question whether they might fight against Benjamen or no, ver. 28. Shall I go up to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? and the Lord said, go up, for to morrow I will deliver them up into thy hand; where we see the Lord doth both own and bless the enterprise, even against Benjamin their brother.  
But the quarrel we have in hand, is of a different nature; here Religion and Liberties and the very being of our English Nation lie at stake, and our posterity, yet unborn, lie a-bleeding; and if we shall not now quit ourselves like free-born-English men, for our kingdom and for our Religion, within less than a few ages, the name of an Englishman, will sound as bad here in England, as the name of a Jew in Christendom, or a Christian in Barbary, or as it is now in Ireland, or among the Red-shanks.  
3. The third cause that carrieth equity with it, is when men fight for the necessary defence of the commonwealth. And why is it called a commonwealth, but because every one of the Nation hath a share, in the ill or welfare of it? every one hath his venture more or less embarked in the Bulk of it, which should engage us altogether as one man to keep out invasions, and to defend our rights, and hale, and tug, & pull, and hoist up and pull down, let out, and weigh up, though there be different tempers, and opinions, and countries, and languages, yet seeing all have proprieties in the same ship, and the nearest of all properties their lives, This makes them bustle and bestir themselves, and use their best wits to preserve the same from the destruction threatened; why should it not unite English hearts together in these greater tempests? why? And if the old rule be still observed Commune incendium dissidentes conjungit. Why should not we, though jarring now and then, in trivial matters, unite inthe main to the suppressing of this great flame of England's burning?  
Ours is an unnatural fire, a wild fire: bring milk to appease it, though it be costly: not oil to enrage it; the enemy will be at cost whatever it cost. Is it not the commonwealth that is afire, and art not thou a Commoner? Ours is a fearful, a destructive fire; and hast not thou a house? a being? and a free being too? and if we burn to ashes, it is long of thy stubbornness, because thou wilt not have thine own, nor thy brothers, nor thy cousin's house pulled down to prevent a farther harm; it is thy wilfulness and covetousness and unnaturalness, that wouldst continue the flames, not the masters of the city that would prevent it; well than it is the public; it is the Magazine of the kingdom that is in danger; you may, you must, you ought to put yourselves in a posture to quench it; bring your tools then, your instruments, all men of all orders and callings; you that have prayers, bring prayers; and you that have water, bring water; and you that have ladders, bring ladders; and you that have hooks, fasten them to the strongest holds; and either quench the rage, or pull down that building, if the engine of your wisdom and moderation cannot allay the same: only observe this as a rule, if possibly you can quench it, use no other means of roughness and rigour; for the strongest hooks of these, could not do that which a little engine of sweetness, and winningnes, and clemency and patience, have done effectually; but I digress, my scope is to prove that which is generally received, that it is warrantable to quench a common flame; and yet such is the malignity and nonsense or the times, I am put to prove the lawfulness of it.  
Object. O but you will say, let us alone and we will do it; for are not we as skilful as you, and more in number? and are not our engines and tools as cunningly framed as yours be?  
Answ. Let you alone to quench the fire! let us alone? what you? you, that like mad men set us in a flame? and you because such engineers? let your Engines be broken; though they be cunningly contrived, yet they will not work, they are stopped; they are nought; your water is mudy, your cause bad; The clear Engines though plainest, are more fit for use, especially for such public use, and you because numerous and many? Why, a throng hath ever proved (a hundred to one) fatal to a burning; and a concourse of lazy lewd pilfering gazers on, always doth more hurt then good; for good they do none, unless shifting be good.  
But now I think on't, it is in vain to maintain Argument with such sophisters as go about to prove chalk to be cheese; in plain terms, we cannot trust you: What, would you have us trust those to quench our flames, who first kindled them? and have we any hopes that those envious men will now bring water to appease the rage, that have ministered so much oil, to make it, if possible, unmasterable? Well, Gentlemen, let Posterity judge (unto whom the story of this Age will be handed and conveyed) how fit you were to be employed in such a public piece of service, when the implacable rage of your Malignity could not be quenched, u●●ill a row of such costly buildings as men's lives, estates, the very honour and reputation of the English nation, had suffered eight years' consumption by fire and sword. It is well, the providence of God, and the wisdom of your Guardians (the trusties of this Nation) have provided so well for your posterity, that they have seized upon so much of your destructive fuel, and have sequestered some of your oil, and laid it aside in Goldsmiths-hall, there to be barrelled up or employed for better purposes, than so to offend your poor neighbours, and the Kingdom, and the Church, and the State, as you have done, and it is much suspected you would do it still, if you were to live an hundred years, if not restrained.  
I hope than you will grant it lawful; lawful to quench such unnatural flames. Then, soldiers, this is better ground for you to fight, than any they have; theirs are Irish bogs the best of them, yours is firm and sure ground; here you may safely set your scaling ladders, either to take forts or quench flames made by your enemy.  
Object. But I have heard some objection made; What warrant have we to go for Ireland? Did not the English there live in their houses, enjoy their lands? and why should not they beat off injuries as well as we? the law of nature being the same for them to do what they did, as for us to do what we do. I would not have invented an objection, if I had not met with it more than once.  
But (soldier) I acquaint thee, not that I dare think thou hast such a thought or doubt, seeing thou hast met with so many deadly enemies at a lesser distance.  
Ans. Jepthah's apology shall be my answer; and it was made to Ammon's charge against Israel, Judg. 11.13. The Ammonites allege that to be the cause of their quarrel against Israel (as the Irish made it theirs against the English) because, saith he, Israel took away my land when they came out of Egypt; now therefore restore those lands to me peaceably. Now here the Irish go beyond all monsters that ever were heard of since the creation; not, restore my land peaceably, but we will take the lands violently, said the Irish, and make you pay the arrears of more than two hundred thousand millions of money in their cruel stamp, being the blood of two hundred thousand Protestants, in less and greater pieces of the same coin, of every age and sex.  
Now I pray mark, Jepthahs' answer necessarily warranteth the taking up of Arms for the defence of such a propriety, and so clears the matter to them. ver. 14, 15. he shows them how that Israel did Ammon no wrong at all, but those lands fell unto Israel by Ammon's attainder. The case is the same between England and Ireland; and if England had met with nothing else to have taken her off, she might long ere this have framed a large Bill of Attainder and complaint of the most horrid murders, rapines, cruelty, blood. shed, as was ever named by tongue, or conceived by Tyrant: But her heart hath been too full of Irish cruelties within her.  
This last was not the first of Rebellions there. It is not beyond the memory of some of this age to call to mind another piece of such barbarism by that cursed Nation.  
You will grant then, that Ireland doth by Ireland's attainder, be long unto the Nation of England, and lies at their mercy, how far they will proceed against them in severity of justice, when once brought to trial, God direct them to deal with them better than they have used us.  
2. And as you are upon safe Ground, so you have very good Motives to quicken you in the duty, and to set you upon it.  
1. You have Commission. GOD commands Moses, Moses again the Israelites; Execute vengeance (saith he) upon the Midianites. There's your Commission. Why so? because they drew Israel to sin. This sin brought down God's judgements, and these judgements cut off thousands.  
Hence that command, Numb. 25.17. Vex the Midianites and smite them, for they vex you with their wiles, wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor.  
How many of the simpler sort of this Nation have been vexed in this kind, and have been drawn to Popery and ignorance, and to believe as the Church believes? what mischief hath this ungodly mixture wrought amongst us? What it is, no man can be ignorant of that will view the ruins of England.  
2. You have a precedent to follow, God himself is said to have war with a Nation, and he is therefore called a man of war, Exod. 15.3. God is a man of war the Lord of Hosts is his name, He is a Gallant soldier; and takes upon him that title, to encourage us, when we have a dispatch from him, when he sends us into the field and owns us, he will be the Lord President over us, and present with us, His name is Jehovah, He is a soldier, a Swestone an grammatized; He is Deus, a God, a mighty puissant Prince, a victorious Conqueror.  
3. We have Promise of Victory, when we fight his battles, and bear arms for him, under him, against his enemies. When Joshua was to go up against Jericho, which was shut up and enclosed because of the children of Israel; the Lord said, Behold I have given into thy hands Jericho and the King thereof, and the strong men of war. It is the very life of a soldier, the hope of victory; it is that which makes him commend his winter-quarters in the open fields, & delights to tell you the story how hearty a meal he hath made upon a Cat, or a piece of horseflesh.  
4. We have an answer of prayers to encourage us. Sun stand thou still, saith Joshuah, and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon, Ios. 10.12. And there was no day like that day before it or after it, that the Lord heard the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. Believe it, Prayers have been so prevalent for you, that though the Sun did not stand still, nor the Moon wait upon your Train of Artillery; yet they brought the Enemy to you before they would set, and cooped them up in your pen several times, and saved you the labour of a toilsome prosecution of them in following the slaughter.  
Well then, the prayers of the Church are gone before you.  
5. The spirit of God sets down the duty of such as manage matters in the field, as of Captain, and common-soldier; which he would never have done, if the course were not good, (as some of the ancient Anabaptists held it was not) when the common-soldiers came unto John for instructions what they should do, he tells them briefly what they ought to do. Master, and what shall we do? Do violence to no man, said John. And what e●se? Accuse none falsely, said he. What more? Do not mutiny, Be content with your wages.  
Do but hold to these Rules, and it will prove a great addition to your reputation in City and Country.  
1. Do violence to no man; Be not greedy of the pillage, nor of private revenge, because the sword is in thy hand: Forget that: It is below thee, now that thou art a Commander, to retain such things, and to be overcome by passion; Let that be the work of Cowards, not of soldiers. This will bring a very good repute upon your undertakings in City and Country, and make you honoured, as well as feared amongst your Enemies.  
2. Accuse none falsely, Do not make a man a Malignant for his horse or money; be not rash to arraign, and accuse, and condemn, and execute all that be not of your judgement in every point, till there be a fair hearing first. Carry a good tongue in your heads; or else, a thousand to one, it will be abused to false accusing.  
3. Be content with your Pay; and do not mutiny, but stay till it can be provided. Forbear to tell the countrypeople, that all they have is yours, and that you won it by the sword. You have indeed won much, and you have won their lands, and liberties, and lives from Tyrants; but it is for them, not for yourselves. Though they give you now and then an unkind word, remember they are your paymasters, and labour hard to pay you; and if some of them will not acknowledge how you have adventured your lives for them, it is not for want of ignorance and rudeness in many of them, and cannot you overcome rudeness with kindness, as well as you have turned powerful armies into rude heaps of Confusion? The greatest conquest is to conquer yourselves in point of passion and revenge; for what will it avail you to overcome a multitude of enemies, and to be subdued with one lust? Be content Gentlemen, and put discontent and impatience to the sword, and you win all upon the people by kindness; and provision will be made for your Pay, and security will be given for the rest (better than that from the Excise or at Goldsmiths-hall.) The recompense of reward, the greatest part of God's pay to his soldiers is reserved from thieves, and rust, and defalcations, and casualties, in the strong tower of Zion. Observe but good rules in the deportment of yourselves towards your Generals, your fellow-soldiers, the City, the Country, in the Field, and at your Quarters; And as your Cause is good, so you will bring a good report on yourselves and on those that do employ and command you.  
And lest my Exhortation (by pressing it so earnestly) should leave the least stain upon the many that deserve so well among you, in the strict observance of these Orders: Take this just Testimony: Never did such an Army disarm so many Malignant tongues of words against you, as you have done, to your reputation; I could wish that all would write after your copy. Oh, how many Malignants would lie in heaps before you, either by admiring at you, or bursting by you! They would turn Roundheads, and be forced to say not mockingly (as is their guise) but seriously, that you are— An Army of Saints.  
Thus you have all the Motives by way of Encouragement, as you can desire, to add life to your undertakings of this kind.  
And for direction. Though you, the renowned Commanders, have evidenced to the world so much prudence and valour, that you need none of my Testimony, yet you will give me leave to drop these directions in your Camp, as tending not to mutiny, but obedience; and the rather because some have made but little progress in observing good orders, as yet; and I know you that act honourably, would have all (under you) act and go on upon the same Principles, and in their Order also.  
I know the carriage of such as are irregular and exorbitant, doth much offend you, and your proceedings against them; have showed your dislike and severity against offenders of all kinds (punishable by you,) that come within your cognisance; and methinks the complaint that Jacob made of his two sons Simeon and Levi, may be sometimes taken up by you, against such as talk and do beyond their Commission, Gen. 34.30. You have troubled me to make me stink amongst the inhabitants of the Land, and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me.  
Such as these that act without Commission and against Articles, do much dishonour upon their Chieftains.  
I shall leave these directions and take post to a conclusion.  
1. Be valiant. It was Hezekiah's charge to his Captains and Soldiers, 2 Chron. 32.7. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of Ashur; Ashur is the enemy here in my text; and you have bloody Ashur again in Ireland; you must not fear them: God tells you so: and you have been valiant.  
There be three ingredients that makes up Christian-courage and Magnanimity, fit for your wearing. It is confessed,  
1. Knowledge of the Cause and quarrel in hand; the conscience must be informed of the equity of it, as namely that it is for God & the People of God, our wives, our sons, our daughters, our friends; this makes men as bold as lions, to trample death; it was this that set David upon Goliath, Luther upon Rome, and our honoured Cromwell upon Hamilton and Langdale in the North.  
2. A Relying upon God for a gracious issue, when we go forth to fight the enemy, with this assurance, that not a hair will fall from our heads, without the All-ordering providence; O this helps on very well.  
3. A serious acknowledgement that the issues of war are in God's hand; as the battle is his, so is the Honour his too, and it is all one with him to save with many or with few: O this is the very steelen-back of Christian courage; tell not me saith the Christian, what be their high words? what care I for Edom and Moab and Ishmael, and a hundred more? Let Scott, and French, and Irish, and Danes, and Pagans, come with thousands, I care not, The field is my Generals, and the issue of war is his, and it is all one with him to save with many as with few.  
4. Get and use honest craft; the enemy is subtle, and he serves a cunning-master; outvie him too in point of policy; Christ commands it, Be wise as Serpents, nay, and blames those of his own that are not so, The children of this Generation are wiser than the children of light.  
I will give you but one example. Abraham intending to recover his nephew Lot out of their hands that had taken him captive, did not fight them in the field, but wisely divided his company & smore them by night. But yet for all your wisdom, you must be faithful & use honest craft, & keep promise with the Enemy: and though they prove base that way to us, we must not do so to them; we must not promise to save them, and then destroy them; we must not agree to receive them to protection▪ and then work their confusion; that's treachery, not craft.  
5. Be religious; Do not rail against and revile Religious men. It were well if many of you had humility with your zeal, and would bridle your tongues when you speak of those many godly men that jump not with your opinions in every thing.  
The saying was, inter arma silent leges. Though others take the liberty to transgress all laws and rules of Christian carriage and common civility, in unsavoury words and rude actions; yet you are taught better things. Civility is a common grace, very comely to behave yourselves with towards an enemy, much more towards your friends.  
I am sorry I am taken off, that I cannot at present enlarge my mind to you. I must set a period, and yield unto the birth, though it come before the time. Good Reader, bestow the more of thy labour of love in cherishing it: God may give strength, and vouchsafe his assistance to the parent to do something to it, if thou preserve it in the mean time, till some present weaknesses and distempers be over.  
FINIS.