ENGLAND'S Third Alarm TO WAR: Stirring up the whole Land as one Man, to help the LORD, and His servant David (all the Faithful in the World) against most bloody Adversaries, mighty Hunters before the LORD. In which War, No Resistance is maintained, but what has now (as in David's time) a sweet agreement with Duty, and affinity with the best Obedience: No Resistance then or now of Regal Authority, or Higher Power, but of those, who are the greatest Enemies thereunto: Such were saul's willing Helpers in his War against David; such are the King's Helpers in his War now, against his best Subjects, the Faithful of the Land. Jer. 48.10. Cursed be he, that keepeth bacl his Sword from blood. 1 Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a Price, be not ye the servants of men. Joel 2.11. Fear not, O Land, be glad and rejoice; for the LORD will do great things. Gen. 8.1. God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the Cattles that was with him: He will remember David, and all his afflictions. Psal. 132.1. Chrysos. Serm. 68 Oremus ut Christus suo semper regnet in Milite: ut Miles semper suo triumphet in Rege. Let us pray, That Christ would evermore be King in his Soldier: That His Soldier may evermore triumph in his King. London, Printed for Thomas Vnderhill, in the second year of the Beasts wounding, warring against the Lamb, and those that are with Him, Called, Chosen, and Faithful. 1643. TO THE READER. This Epistle shows the purpose of the Book what could not be showed in the Ti●tle; clears the Duty of all good people, to stand-up now all as one man; giveth Arguments full to that purpose; answers all material Arguments against is. He that speaks to All, speaks to none: Words, as Physic, cannot be applied to MAN under that general notion: but to this or that man in particular: Therefore I intent all this unto thee, who hast taken it into thy hand, that thou mayst lay it unto thy heart. The noise of the Drum, and sound of War still in thine ears, has awakened thee sure; no Sleeper now, when such a Tempest lies upon us, unless thou art as one of those, who can be secure in the midst of the Sea, or lie asleep upon the top of a Mast. I suppose thee awakened, and hearing thyself summoned to War. Thy Call is from Heaven, A supposition o●ly that the Reul enites and Gadites had built an Al●ar. contrary to God● command, did stir-up the whole congregation of Israel to war against them, josb. 22.12. So did the forcing a Concubine; All Israel arose, and were knit together as one man, four hundred thousand men, to war with Benjamin, refusing to give up 〈◊〉 Delinquents to death. judg. 20.1.8.11.13. See Ep. p. 4. all the Laws of Heaven and Earth have sealed thee thy Warrant: for the cause is Gods, & His People's. To maintain all that is dear to Him & them in Earth & Heaven: Thy enemies are the Lords Enemies, the most insulting that ever the Church was infested with; for they are, most of them, homebred, that are helpers with the Beast, of the same Country with thee, and have the same Mother: Besides, they have the horns of a Lamb, they will fight under formal colours, semblances, shows, and pretences of Law and Justice, which they carry upon their Sword's point. It will be the hottest War that ever was yet. If these Adversaries have the day, expect no more mercy from them, then from the mouth of the Devourer, be it Cannon, Dragon, Wolf, Lion, or she Bear, or from the Devil himself; for indeed he plays Rex now, he has armed the Edomite (Papist I mean) with a Sword, and with a Sword (Spirit though he be) he must be resisted. But in warring now, Ob. I may resist the King. No thou shalt resist no other, Ans. but that Evil Spirit, which has put a Sword into an Edomites hand now, and has engaged the heart of the King to her, who has pawned the Jewels of the Kingdom, to purchase Instruments of death, thereby to lay waste the Kingdom of Israel, and to dethrone the King thereof: The soul of the King cleaves in love to her, even her, who bends all her power against the LORD CHRIST and His Kingdom; And, To purchase this cursed end (which will cost the best Flower in their Crown, and they shall miss of it too, when all is done) To carry on this horrid design, they have joined hearts and hands, with Irish Rebels, and English Monsters, men skilful to destroy, whose hearts and hands are steeped in blood, and brawned in villainies. There can be no question now of the lawfulness of resistance, for thou shalt offer no more violence to the King and Kingdom, than what thou shouldst offer to the Kingdom of Heaven; a sweet violence in contending for the Faith, and the trust of the Kingdom. But some there are most contrary minded, Ob. Lawyers and DIVINES both; these are against the Covenant now, which engageth to defensive Arms: and they say their Reason and Conscience is against it too *, and this their example may very well stumble thee. Example may win much with unstable minds; Ans. But surely the example of such men, whose walking is as contrary to a common Light and principles, as darkness is to light; as contrary to Christ, His ways and servants, as the Devil is, or as Hell is to Heaven: surely the example of such men cannot persuade with thee. These men have so long shut their eyes against a natural light, and so long laboured to stifle and choke a natural Conscience, that now they have not so much Logic (Reason I mean) then has a Dog: nor any more (good) Conscience, then has a Beast. I would rather my tongue should cleave to the roof of my Mouth, then that it should send forth the scum of a foul stomach, or corrupt heart, rotten speeches: The Lord knows I speak what I know, and what all may know, that will observe the conversation of these men, (Anti-Covenanters now, like as the inti-petitioners before:) I will say it again. They have no more (true) Reason, nor (good) Conscience than a B●ast has: No, their pleasure and profit are their gods, their glory their shame, unreasonable men they are: And this is the clearest evidence thereof that ever was given, a ●●ll. 3.19. They mind earthly things. No matter what such Cretians say, always Liars, evil Beasts, slow Bellies. Show thyself a man, bring forth the spear, and stop the way against these Murderers; for even these men are as one of them; Obad. 11.12. They stand on the other side: They have looked on the day of their Brother, They have rejoiced in the day of his destruction, and have spoken proudly in the day of distress; these are as one of them. Thou wilt wish that these may be cut off that so trouble us: and bring forth the spear against those Murderers, whose notorious violences are more legible all over the Land. Ob. No thou wilt say, for thou art not resolved of any other resistance that is lawful, but by prayer, and fasting and so a Spirit must be resisted too. Ans. Thou mayst read and be fully satisfied touching this matter, towards the close of this work, therefore I will say nothing to it here. See chap. 7. Ob. But thy Relations are such, that thou canst not go forth to battle. * It is as cleafe as the Sun, that the resistance, the Covenant ●ow engageth unto, is against the Evil Spirit, wh●ch now works effectually in the children of disobedience. Therefore it had been a wonde, it the Devil and his children did not now contend against it, mad with rage because the entering into this. Covenant, and standing to it, will destroy Satants Kingdom. This commands a set discourse, though words are lost 'pon such men Be not willingly ignorant at this Point: Ans. Is there any relation nearer than that to thy God, to His Church, to His People, to thy Country? But I will not examine thee strictly at this point, touching thy Relations, he is not good, who is not answerable there. I would gain thy heart to the work; and for thy Relations otherwise, I leave to GOD, and thy Conscience; only this I say, If ever there was a time, when all the People of the Land were called forth▪ to stand-up as one man now is the time, * Now Altars are built contrary to the command, And the Spouse of Christ is FORCED before her LORDS face. Never was there such a Cause as th●s to make all Israel arise, and to knit them together all as one man. See Ep p. 1. Do thy duty now, gird up thy loins and put on thy harness, and go forth thyself to battle, and not another for thee; Pity thy Country, and thy dwelling place; keep the Wolves from thine own door. Remember the poor sheep there, wives, children▪ sucklings, all these were a prey to the Edomite once, so they will be now; If thou wilt not quit thyself like a man. Girdup thy loins, and put on thy harness▪ and boast in The Lord all the day long. Though the Enemy be strong, so is God too. Neh. 4.16. Jer. 20.11. Who is great and a terrible one, mighty to deliver. The enemy is wise, so is God too; The Counsellor. The enemy is many: one God is enough to answer all discouragements: He works most gloriously with a few, Joshua 1. Heb. 13.5. , five Negatives to ascertain the Affirmative, and to give the Church strong consolation for ever. and those, a few and weak people. Boast in The Lora all the day long, be strong and of a good courage, for He has said five times in one breath, He will Never, never, never, never, never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Object. But He seems to forsake His people, for they are fallen down. Answ. As good a sign as any the sacred word gives us; That now is the Time when God will build His People up, so as they shall stand fast like Mount Zion He builds-up but not before all is fallen to ruins in the Soul and in His Church; and so runs the promise; Act. 15.16. After this I will return and will b●●ld again the Tabernacle, which is FALLEN DOWN: and I will build again the RVINES thereof, and I will set it up. But thou hast not a heart to reach forth thy hand to help them, Ob. that are fallen so low into the Deeps, and their Adversary is so high. Choose thee; these people shall rise without thy hand: Ans. and thou shalt be trodden down by the foot of pride. But consider what a poor discouragement this is! The Righteous are fallen low! No disparagenent, as long as GOD is highest. It is His glory to work for His People, when they are lowest, and their power as gone, then G●d comes-in. Deut. 32.6. If thou wilt read, thou shalt find excellent Reason, why The Lord suffers His people to lie low as in the Deeps, & their adversaries to be above: It is for DISCOVERY-sake; Chap. 5. that the hearts of His own people may be discovered to themselves; That the Adversary may be discovered too, his rage and malice (before in the heart secret there,) may be made manifest to all Israel: And that God's right hand may be discovered also, made glorious before all the people's sight, friends and adversaries both. If then God suffers His people to be l●w, it is that their (proud) spirit may fa●l, and their Faith may rise. Now say again▪ and make thy boast of it before thy Adversaries, who say, These people, whom they call GOD'S people, are low. Ans. Their GOD is above, above all their rage, Exod. 18.11. above all their water-floods; abo●e all, wherein the Enemy deals proudly; He is above all; And He will set His people above, and through these adversaries down like a Millstone into the great waters. We have GOD'S Word for it a Rev. 18.21 , and that is as much as the Heavens and Earth have for their continuance. And Israel have had an example for it before their eyes; ●hey sank as Led in the mighty waters b Ex. 15.10. . This gives the Church assured confidence for ever, That by the greatness of Thine arm, these enemies also shall be as STILL AS A STONE c Verse 16. . Remember, God stopped the mouths of these Lions then, when out souls lay amidst those devourers; God is the same still, He will do so still; He has put an hook in their nose. Note there are bridles in the lips of these Beasts at this time. Gird up thy loins, and stand fast in the faith, and for the maintaining of it till thou die. While thou canst stand, stand fighting; when thou must fall, fall praying; And if thou dost not rise again victoriously here, thou shalt rise gloriously anon; else The Lord has not spoken by the mouth of His Servants, Patriarches, Prophets▪ Apostles, in those days▪ nor by the Messengers of the Churches and glory of Christ in these days. But thou art resolved at that point; Thou LORD wilt bless the righteous: Psal. 5.12. Isa. 26.3. with favour wilt Thou compass him, as with a Shield. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. Perfect peace; So we read, and it is a full reading, but it is peace, peace. A double Peace; In famine, enough then; peace in war, peace then: peace in life▪ and peace in death; then peace indeed a perfect peace. Now, no peace in the North, nor in the West nor in any quarter in the Christian world, nor no peace can be, till the grea● Whore be at peace with the Saints; and the devil at peace with the Church, (and that will never be, what ever offers and semblances there be that way,) but to him whose heart is stayed upon his GOD, peace, peace; The Peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your heart and mind through Jesus Christ. Amen. Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid, for The LORD JEHOVAH is my strength. Isa. 12.2. Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. Isa. 45.22. ENGLAND'S Third Alarm to WAR, Against the Beast. SECT. III. 0200 Davids' story, & saul's persecution is continued: his hand is restrained, but his heart is bloody; and men are, as their hearts are. David delivers the Keilites, yet they will deliver David, into a murderer's hand. A lesson from thence. Saul holds-on his foot, in the path of the destroyer. Why does not Israel stand-up, for Israel, and for their (temporal) Saviour; against an over-bearing Lord, and an insulting Edomite? The Answer will resolve the Case of Conscience; and Israel's duty touching that matter. Saul drives-on furiously after David, seems to prosper, gains men, The Chosen out of all Israel, to carry-on his bloody design; and drives David from all his strong holds every one. David's GOD looks upon all this, and suffers it to be done, for excellent Reasons, relating To David, To his Adversaries, and To GOD Himself; and all relating to these times: David was delivered then, and he shall be delivered now; but not before all his strong holds are cast down. The Tribes come▪ in at last, when the way was cleared before them, and all good means used first. All true Israelites will come in shortly, To help The LORD against THE MIGHTY, when That, which letteth, is taken away; There is the Conclusion; GOD'S Time is the best Time, best to Advance His Glory, and His People's Peace. CHAP. 1. David's story and saul's persecution is continued; his heart as bloody as before; though after his march from Nob, he could draw no more blood, for a Man is as his Will is. David delivers the Keilites out of the hand of spoilers, and the Keilites would deliver David into saul's hands. David will do his Duty notwithstanding, and leave the rest to God. PRoud and haughty Scorner is his name, Prov. 21.24. who dealeth in proud wrath. The Edomite is he▪ who had a Bloody Commission scaled unto him, and has executed it accordingly; Turn thee and fall upon the Friests, because their hand is with David; and the Edomite turned, and did as aforesaid. And so we have read a bloody Tragedy, Nec adhuc finitus Orestes, scriptus at à tergo, and yet we are not at an end. Turn over the leaf, on the backside we have as much more: As much more, I say▪ in proposition, and design only, not in conclusion, which God makes that was, and, will be glorious still: But much more endeavoured nothing done: Much Action, yet nothing effected to saul's heart and purpose; And yet was it a deadly Persecution. True it was, The LORD suffered the Evil Spirit to open, by the hands of Saul, and the Edomite, a sluice or floodgate of wrath, and there-out issued a mighty stream of blood; But He, That opens at pleasure, and shuts also at pleasure. He quickly shut 02 this Sluice, and stopped this full stream; So as▪ Though Saul, and his Edomite persecuted David, I know not how many years after with deadly hatred, yet they shed not one drop of blood all that time: A wondrous thing; Psal. 31.15. we cannot stand upon it. My TIMES are in Thy hands, says David; They are indeed, and it is David's comfort that they are so, that David's life, and all his concernments are in GOD'S hand. He will dispose of all, and all shall come through His hands and shall be transacted there; all for David's good in the end. If not a Sparrow falls to the ground without your FATHER▪ Matth. 10.29. then not one drop of (david's) blood sure. Though Saul and his Edomite pursued-hard after David, yet they shall draw no more blood Though five hundred drawn swords (after our account,) nay five thousand drawn swords are about D vi● round about, as we shall see anon, yet not one drop of blood is drawn by Saul or his men. Why then, Qu. how is the story Tragical? you will say, for we shall read no more of men or garments rolled in Blood. True, we shall not, and yet we shall see the Story is Tragical, Ans. and Saul the King, with the Edomite his General, are as grievous persecutors as before. The Devil was a murderer from the beginning; So he will be to the end, a murderer stil● not because he actually sheds blood every where at pleasure; but b●●●use intentionally he always has a will to do it. Had the devil power in his hand (but God has him in His Chain,) if he could do what he would do, he would make the whole earth one stage to act a Tragedy, which would destroy the stage whereon it is acted, he would make the world a field of blood, HORMAH, as was said, utter destruction; such a good wil the devil has, he has not power; that must be let forth or restrained as GOD pleaseth, and as it was here. But this is the point. The will makes the murderer; for, A MAN IS AS HIS WILL IS; And such an one was Saul, and his Edomite both; their wills were murderous and destructive, wasting was in their paths, therefore they were murderers, men of bloods. That it was so we shall well understand if we read the Text. Saul and his Edomite pursue David; What to do? To take away from him his Sword; No, the Text is clear; To take away his life. 1 Sam. 19.1. They sought David every day To kill him, says the Text. What care bloody enemies for the Sword? Their care is to sheathe the Sword in David's bowels, that will satisfy, and nothing else; So the enemies, Saul with his Edomite drive-on furiously towards ●his City, and the other strong nolds. Why do they drive-on so furiously? The answer is upon everlasting Record, TO DESTROY THE CITY FOR DAVID'S SAKE. But I will not huddle up things so, I will proceed in order, 1 Sam. 22.10. and keep pace with saul's and his Edomites march after David; taking in the Remarkables by the way. We shall see the Persecution was very sore, and that Conscience could not hold bacl the neighbouring Israelites from coming in to hold saul's Sword, and his Edomites hand from shedding blood, and acting such notorious violences. This will be put to the question anon, and resolved, I hope▪ to every reasonable man's satisfaction. I will follow Saul and the Edomite a little in this march, and David in his slight. It was well for David, that Doeg espied him at Nob, for he knows what will follow; therefore he hastens thence, and leaves the City, as 〈◊〉 lef● ●odom; or as a man leaves his house, no sooner he is gone out thence▪ but he sees it fall into ashes. David flies be knows not well whither, but for fear of Saul he went to Achish ●ing of Gath; Th●● the King's servants hurt him by recording his commendations (in a Panagericks;) and make him so sore afraid, 1 Sam. 21.11. That he seems not to be himself, and so plays mad pranks. Reader, you cannot justify David in all he did, though one of the best men in those days; nor may you condemn him; Nor may you say, if you had been in his case, you would not have done as David did; You know not what you might have done, had you been in his case, close pursued at the heels by a cruel Lord, & a bloody Edomite. Thou little knowest now, what thou mightest have done then, being in David's case. It is thy neighbour's case now, pity them, condemn them not, but look to thy own standing, and in whose strength thou dost stand; Meditate Terror, and strengthen thy hand and thy heart in GOD against the day of trouble and treading down. Now proceed; The Lord order all, even David's mad pranks for David's good; He is not more afraid of Achish, then Achish is afraid of David, A mad fellow! I have no need of him, David shall not come into my house, says Achish. David cared not whether he came thither or no. Nay he counts it a mercy, That he is escaped thence. And now he is gone to the Cave Adullam; 1 Sam. 22. There his friends comfort him, and he has an Army of five hundred men. He goes on somewhat an indirect course (we shall hear more of that anon,) for he was afraid. The Prophet meets with him, bids him go bacl again into the land of Judah. There Saul hears tidings of him, and from Doegs mouth, he hears of all that was done at Nob. Then follows a miserable destruction, as we heard, all the Priests slain, except one, who escaped to bring David the heavy tidings of All, that befell the City of Priests; which yet David expected, knowing it would be so, because he saw the Edomite was there. But David has escaped, and being delivered, he will do some service in testimony of his thankful remembrance for that deliverance. David hears, that the Keilites were distressed, the Philistines were fight against them, and notorious, Pillagers they were almost as these in our days, 1 Sam. 23.1. They rob the threshing floors, took from the poor People their provision they had layed-up against winter: David cannot endure this wrong, his Soul hates oppression where ever he sees it, and to the LORD he goes, for He is David's Oracle: The LORD delays not David, gives him present Answer, Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah: Verse 2. No but do not, said his men: See! they cross Gods command, Verse 3. but they give good Reason for it, so as they put David to a stand; We are afraid (say they) of one man Saul, who is behind us, and wilt thou thrust thyself into the mouth of the Troopers before thee, a legion of them? A poor hand-full of men against the Armies of the Philistines? a front. Wilt thou so? It must not be so. The men spoke like men, very good reason, [but they who can speak no more, are not for action, they will hinder David's victories:] Now David is at a stand, and faints, hastens to GOD again, [thither he can retire himself still, and refresh his fainting spirits] inquires of The LORD, and is established. A gracious God He does not reprove David for harkening to his men, after he had heard what God said, but gives him the same answer as before: And now David is upon his legs again, and as bold as a Lion, he will venture himself among Scorpions now; what cares he who they are, they are Gods enemies; or how many they are, they are but men all, and miserable men, David carries the revenge of God with him, and he must prevail, and do worthily. God bids him go against them, and he will go; David waits but for GOD'S commission, and that shall be a sufficient warrant for David indeed; Let God alone with the rest. In point of work and good service we must divide with God: We have to do with no more but the Duty, the doing Gods command: as here David's command was, Go, and smite the Philistines: David must go, for GOD'S command carries a good man, as Abraham, blindfold, he knows not whither. But the distracting troublesome part, that which is above strength, the difficulty, the darksome part of the work, which so disheartened David's men, and so shakes the soul with fear, that is not ours, but God's part: It must be rolled upon Him Who is mighty, and set Faith to work there: A little Man, and a great Faith; an handful of Men, and an heartful of Faith, will do great matters, Put to flight Armies of Aliens: So David did here, he smote those Pillagers, and saved the Inhabitants of Keilah. And now there David is even at KEILAH, amongst the inhabitants there; he is amongst those, whom he has endeared and engaged to him, he thinks, by unrecountable favours. This was told to Saul, That David was come to Keilah; and Saul was glad of that, and so he said, God hath delivered him into my hands, 1 Sam. 23.7. for he is shut in by entering into a Town that hath gates and bars. And that he may take the opportunity, which GOD put into his hand (he thought, which yet was but to discover saul's spirit, the treachery of the Keilites, and his own glorious Arm stretched out still against Saul, and for his Servant David) Saul calls all the People together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men there: David understands all this and more; for this was David's advantage, and comfort both, GOD was with David, and went along with him where ever David went; a Refuge to Whom he could continually resort for counsel, and direction from His Mouth: So David understands all the purposes of saul's heart, and that the Keilites will prove Treacherous also. Set a Mark upon these Keilites as we pass, that we may know them where ever we meet them. Wicked, ungrateful— people; David has taken off their yokes, delivered them out of the hands of Spoilers, made them Freemen, who were Slaves before; David put his life in his hand, would jeopard it for them, stand up for them against an Army of Philistines: In a word, David did for these KEILITES as the Parliament have done for us; and when all this is done, ungrateful wretches as they are, they are so far from standing up for David, that they will betray him into saul's hand: O monstrous! etc.— Deliver up, deal treacherously with him, who was the best friend they had in the world! Give him up into the hand of Saul, and his Spoilers (the Edomites) to be spoilt, who had delivered them from out of the hands of Spoilers! O monstrous! But yet David must not repent of what he has done; it was his duty, he had a command for it: Though Saul is a bloody man, and the Keilites treacherous, GOD is faithful; He will but learn His Servants this great Lesson, Not to trust in men, but in the Living, and Faithful, and True God. Men will deal like men, deceitfully; GOD is Truth, and David's Mercies are sure; There is david's Holdfast; He has nothing to do, 'tis not his part, to trouble himself about this, What Saul is, or what the Keilites are; he may inquire of the LORD about it, and he shall be told, That saul's intentions are bloody, and the Keili es treacherous; but he must not trouble himself about it, not about what Saul will do, or the Keilites will do; David must do his duty, that is his part to do; let God alone with Saul and his Keilites, they shall do David no hurt, but good a great deal, so be David does h●s duty. We have learned our part also, and what is our duty to do now, and now we proceed. David was resolved to have defended himself, and the Keilites: he would not have suffered their City to be destroyed for his sake; but advising with his Oracle, and understanding how the Keilites were minded, he quits the place, and with his men marcheth away towards the Wilderness. Here a grave Question may be asked. Why does the Lord suffer David to be put to his shifts? Quest. why is his condition so restless from place to place, and no certain place? before he can fix his foot, stand still and breathe himself, he must run for his life. For excellent Reasons the Lord did this, Ans. That David might know this wo●●d is a Wilderness indeed, not the place of his rest; and that he mig t not trust in strong-holds neither, nor in men, therefore was his condition so fleeting and full of changes: He must be raised to a Crown it must be from a low bottom, after men's hearts towards him are ●●lly discovered, and all his strong-holds are thrown down; for GOD must be exalted in that day. But of this towards the conclution, Isa. 10.11. when we shall see GOD performing His wh●●● work, and what end He makes; for than we shall, ●ee the LORD is very pitiful, and of tender m●●ey. Jam. 5.11. But we must wait f●r this, as the Husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it. Therefore I will refer that to the last, and give resolution here to another Question. CHAP. II. Why did not the Neighbouring Israelites Comein to help their Brethren and Sisters, grievously oppressed by a cruel Lord and a bloody Edomite? Or why did they not relieve David now driven into the Wilderness? What Saul did, and would have done is examined, and who this Edomite was? So it is made very clear, That Conscience could not hold-backe the neighbouring Israelites from standing-up, every man in his place, to defend himself, and to withstand the notorious violences from saul's and his Edomites hands. HEre's a strange sight! Saul with his Edomites have smitten and burnt Nob, a City of Priests and have destroyed Man and Beast there; They make the like offer against Keilah to destroy that City for David's sake. They pursue David still with fire and sword, and now they have driven him out into the wilderness, as he says himself, from abtaing in the inheritance of the LORD. Why does Israel suffer all this? Why do they not bring forth the spear, to stop their Master Saul and his Edomite, driving on furiously in the Path of the destroyer? Why did not Israel withstand their Master Saul, 2 Chro. 26.17, 18. as AZariah, with fourscore Priests more withstood VZZiah their King, entering upon their office? And why did they not deal with the Edomite, as the Prophet caused that messenger to be dealt withal▪ who had a Commission from King Ahab to fetch away his head? 2 Kin. 6.32. Why did they not deal so, or more roughly with the Edomite? It is answered here boldly enough, That Israel were a conscientious People, they knew their duty, they saw no Warrant to make resistance, let their King Murder Priest, and People, then Pillage, rob and spoil them by his Servants, like the high-lander thiefs there, mere Conscience keeps these neighbouring Israelites hands close in their Pockets the while; It is their King; they will not resist him mere conscience forbids them. I would speak something here in the general first, Conscience is a tender thing, and must be tenderly dealt with, and not judged rashly. But certain it is, we of the common fort have been and now are, very little troubled in point of Conscience about such matters as these are; we are not so conscientious of our duty, as to commune with Conscience about it: we mind other matters here, Hab. 26. to lad ourselves with thick clay, which we call private wealth, neglecting the common; How long? It is a Prophet's question, and by an Interrogation he makes his Answer very strong and terrible; until they shall rise-up suddenly that shall by't thee, and awake that shall vex thee, Ve●s 7. and thou shalt be booties unto them: To whom? To Spoilers and Robbers: That thick clay, wherein we have laboured, shall be booties unto those Robbers; there is the cross indeed, and if it were not for fear, we would fight ourselves out of slavery sure, were it but to secure our private wealth; but because we would rather be accounted Conscientious men, than Cowards, we will not holdup our hands, for fear it should be taken to be, a lifting-up the hand against our King. This were well now, if we did make conscience in other things, of Lying, Swearing, Blaspheming, Cursing, Robbing, Spoiling, etc. and of all unjust gain; or if we did make conscience not to keep our Purses shut, when the necessity of the Poor commanded us to open: or if being able men, and could go a warfare at our own proper cost, we did make conscience of taking gain of money, when we stand-up for ourselves, our own lives and liberties. If we make conscience of these things, we might be accounted conscientious men in other matters, in point of resistance, for fear we make war against the King; wherein every true Israelite must make conscience, or else quit that name; for he is unworthy the name of Israel, that does not make conscience at that sacred point. To proceed a little in the general, GOD forbidden that any Israelite in the world should Resist their King and make conscience so to do: Nay more (for I keep to the story) GOD forbidden that an Israelite should have resisted Saul; he is the Anointed of the LORD ●s was said, the great Fiduciary of the Kingdom; An Israelite will make conscience of resisting Saul; I say Saul, for hearken what Ahimelech says, Be it far from me, Let not the King impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my Fathers. 1 Sam. 22.15. What should not Saul impute unto Ahimelech? That he resisted his Lord, King Saul▪ and intended ill unto him; it was far from him so to do. And certainly it was, and is far from all true Israelites in the world, To resist Saul▪ to oppress him, and do him hurt, The LORDS Anointed, they remember that still. To come more particularly to the point, that we may resolve Conscience anon, we will see first what Saul did, and by whose Instigation he did it: Then, who this Edomite was. What Saul did, is legible before, written in bloody Characters, which will remain unto the world's end. By who●e instigation he did it? This is as legible also: By the instigation of the Devil, vexing and tormenting Saul, effectually working in him, together with his own spirit, thereby agitated, stirred-up, and boiled to the height of extreme wrath, against David, and all those that wished well unto, or had their hand with David. This being premised, I conclude first, That Conscience could not hold-backe Israel from helping their Brethren in the day of distress, and treading down, for who did so oppress Israel at this time? It must be answered, Saul their King: for he had hands and feet, and other Instruments besides, to execute the wrath; but all he did was by the devil's motion, that Evil spirit upon him, which hurried him from place to place, so as he did not go, but was driven; and all his way long he breathed out threaten against David: By the motion of this Evil spirit, and his own (which every man, Saul also, are bound to resist) did Saul do all this; Therefore whatsoever Israel makes conscience of, they cannot make conscience of resisting the devil, or the private will, which by the help of the devil, has done all the violences that ever were done in the world. I presume this is a cleared case, therefore I leave it; for if Saul, acted by an Evil spirit, will fly at Israel's throat, they can make no conscience in the world to resist him, I mean the bloody actings, and notorious violences of the devil. Secondly, Israel must look upon Saul now, the great Fiduciary of the Kingdom, betraying that trust into an Edomites hand; then smiting Israel's City, Man and Beast there. Conscience well informed now, calls-in Israel to help their distressed Brethren, so far as was in the power of their hands to help: grant so much power in their hands, that they could and were able to relieve their Brethren, and yet would not, than Conscience will be so far from pleading their excuse, that it will condemn them as accessary to that murder and bloodshed. Israel stands charged not to suffer blood to be shed, so fare as they can hinder the shedding of it; Deut. 21.7. Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it: That is, Conscience to quit their Eyes in this case, as well as their hands; had their Eyes seen innocent bloodshedding (as in this case) and not comein to rescue the Innocent, they had not been innocent. Conscience then did not hold Israel bacl from comming-in all as one man to rescue Nob, the Priests and People there, now greatly distressed, and to deliver David: Rather Conscience rightly informed engageth Israel upon all this, being in the power of their hands; for it is to show mercy to their Brethren, in this time of their great distress, and treading down by the foot of pride. Thirdly, they had shown mercy indeed to Saul their Master, even to his soul, could they have conjured that Evil spirit, and overcome him, solacing and delighting himself (as his manner is) in proud wrath, and wherewith their Master Saul was sore vexed, that (like the Lunatic man) he falls oft times into the fire and oft times into the water (i.e.) into most imminent apparent, and destructive dangers. Doubtless it had been a point of pure love, duty and conscience, to have resisted him, to have withheld him, driving-on furiously to shed blood: Had Israel done so, they had shown themselves conscientious men, who understood their duty, and entirely loved their King, and therefore would not suffer him to do that, which would undo him for ever. O! it had been an act of mercy, and of a well instructed conscience, if Israel had, every man to his power, as one man stept-in, and withstood Saul in his bloody way: and all the true Israel in the world would have acquitted them so doing, and said, in mere pity and compassion to Saul, and that which should be dearest unto him have they done this, withheld their Master from shedding blood. Nay, Saul himself, had he ever come to himself (but the Evil spirit haunted him to the day of his death) would have thanked Israel for so doing. But here, though nothing can be said for Saul in justification of what he did, yet much is said against them that had any hand with David. That they were Rebels and Traitors all against the King, and so Saul himself chargeth all his servants, and all the Priests too; All of you have conspired against me, 2 Sam. 22. Vers. 8. Vers. 13. and why have ye done so? An heavy charge, but yet no honest man made any account of it, as a charge of dishonour: They counted it a cheap word, a great honour rather, being the Cognizance of the choicest men of all Israel, and they could glory in it, defamed for righteousness sake; for the very best and choicest men in those days were called Conspirators, Rebels to their King: David was called so, I know not how often, and the Edomite the Rightest man, and best Subject; yet let us hear what may be charged upon these so defamed men, though nothing can be proved; That, Ob. had Israel risen up to defend themselves, and their Brethren, they had withstood their King. No, Ans. they had stood for him, and had done him an infinite service, could they have delivered their King from the power of the Evil spirit, and his own Will, and from the hands of the Edomite, who withstood the King indeed, and fought against his Crown, Peace, and Dignity. But if Israel, Ob. standing up in their own defence, had not withstood Saul, yet they had resisted the ordinance of God, and they must make conscience there. Yes, Ans. great Reason they should; let Israel make conscience evermore of resisting Saul their King, or their King's power, for that power is the ordinance of GOD, and he that resisteth the ordinance of GOD, doth resist GOD. That is true, but these orders (disorders rather) of the evil spirit, and of man's perverse will, are not the ordinance of GOD: Therefore to resist these is to obey GOD, and to resist the devil. Make conscience evermore of resisting Saul the King, the power, which GOD hath entrusted him with, but never make conscience of resisting the evil spirit, ruling and commanding in Saul the King; he did nothing in prosecution of David, but by suggestion from that evil spirit, mighty in Saul and in other of Israel's Kings, and Queens; And this spirit was pro tempore Dominus fac totum, therefore it could not be conscience that kept Israel quiet, and still the while. A sinful, and base fearfulness i● might be (yet I will not be so bold as to determine that) a stupidity, a benumbedness, a drossiness of spirit, contracted by long rest, and so Israel might be like a Dove without an heart an Ass, and a strong Ass couching down betwixt burdens, laid upon them by Saul, and his bloody Courtiers, for Saul commands, and the Edomite smote Nob, and overthrows all, who stood-up for, or had an hand with David. And all Israel stood shrinking up their arms into their sleeves, as we read, in Xenophon, The Persians were wont to do before their King in homage and subjection to all his commands. But as I said, I will not conclude so; That a deadness of spirit was upon Israel at this time: I believe there was a more commanding cause then that, which withheld Israel at that time. We shall hear that anon, when I have taken off the imputation of treason, and rebellion, charged upon David, by his master Saul, for David a private man doth defend himself as well as he can, and would have fortified Keilah, had they not proved treacherous to him; and the lawfulness of this may be questionable by all Israel, as well as by Saul himself. Whether David in defending Keisah, Quest. had not maintained it against Saul? It was not against Saul; Ans. It was against the notorious violences of his evil spirit, those David would have withstood. But Keilah was Israel's City; Saul the King of Israel, Qu. why would David fortify that City? [As it is more than probable he would have done, had not the Keilites proved themselves ungrateful and treacherous.] Because David knew, That Saul secretly practised mischief against him, Ans. and would destroy Keilah for his sake. All this is written. 1 Sam. 22. Therefore he thrust himself into Keilah, would have fortified that place. But Saul might thrust out David thence, for it was saul's City, Qu. was it not? No; it was Israel's City, saul's for Israel's good, to defend Israel, Ans. not to destroy Israel: We are sure of that. But David had strong-holds here and there, Qu. and did Breast-worke himself against Saul his master. No, Ans. not against Saul his master, but against those notorious violences, the actings of the evil spirit upon Saul his master. Against these extreme outrages and riots David did fortify and Breast-worke himself. And where ever we read of these strong-holds and Breast-works, there we shall read of saul's bloody persecution against David, Israel's best friend, and temporal Saviour. Therefore will those strong holds be an eternal dishonour to King Saul, till the Records of Time be lost. 1 Sam. 26.19. 1 Sam. 23.14 David did get up to his strong-hold, where be abode, and there he did Breast-worke himself. Why? It is answered, for Saul sought every day to kill him. It is upon everlasting Record, an eternal dishonour to King Saul, so to persecute his best servant, for who so faithful as David in all his Kingdom; And if David, a private man, did so fortify himself to safeguard his own throat, much more might all Israel for their own and David's sake, stand-up against the insolences of a private will, and an evil spirit acting thereby. Whatever held in Israel from comming-out armed at this time, conscience it was not, To let the King do what a Tyrant does, make will his law, and do what he pleaseth, and yet Israel stand still the while, behold all this with open face, hold their hands in their pockets, or shrink them up into their sleeves in homage, forsooth, to the Evil spirit commanding in Saul, and in obedience to the Edomite executing that command. Surely the like was never done since the beginning of the world until this Day: For here is the King of Israel smiting Israel; the great Fiduetary of the Kingdom, to whom Cities and Towns, Priests and People are all entrusted, betraying this Trust into an Edomites hands; And so he, that should, next to GOD, uphold and preserve Israel, destroys Israel, and will lay their City's waste. And all this that he may be avenged of David, one of the best men, and best subjects he had in his Kingdom; We are well resolved now in point of Israel's subjection to that power, which GOD had entrusted Saul with thereby to be a Terror to the evil, not to good works. Rom. 13.3. And that if Israel had stood-up in their own and David's defence, they had not stood-up against Saul, but for him; and against the notorious violences, the actings of the evil spirit by saul's and his Edomites hands. And so I come to inquire concerning this Edomite, who he was; When we know him, we shall see plainly, that Israel could make no scruple of conscience to stand up in resistance of him, who stood up against the Crown and peace of Israel's King and Kingdom. [Who this Edomite was; How bloody his mind against Israel.] Who was this Edomite? A Child of Edom, who in the day of Jerusalem said, Raze it, raze it: even to the foundation thereof. And The LORD remembers this, and chargeth the Edomite with it, Am●s 1 11. he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and kept his wrath for ever. The LORD threatens the Edomite in the same place also: For three transgressions of Edom, and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof; A finite number for an infinite; for three transgressions, and for four. But his bloodshed, his cruelty towards his brother, that shall set deep upon his score. Though the LORD should pass over six transgressions of Edom, yet the seventh GOD will not pass over, I will not turn away the punishment thereof. Edom has broken all the bands of Nature. [O take heed of breaking those bands of Nature, and brother like kindnesses; the Edomite did so;] he did pursue his brother with the sword; and when he had his brother under his hands, he cast-off all pity, his anger did tear, as we read before; An old adversary to Israel; Num. 20.14. The Edomite knew of all the travel that befell his brother; Yet he will not show his brother the least favour; he will not suffer him to pass by the King's high way, though Israel will not be chargeable to the Edomite for a drop of water, or a mouthful of grass, if my Cattles drink of thy water, than we will pay for it. A reasonable request as ever was asked, yet the Edomite would not grant it; He would give his brother a stone for bread; and for a fish a Serpent; so he answered his brother's request, and then came-out against, his brother with much people, and a strong hand. When? In the day of jacobs' trouble. And now see what he has done: He had no sooner the word of command from saul's mouth, but he answers it with his hand; Turn thou and fall upon the Priests; And Doeg the Edomite turned, and pursued his Brother with the sword, and shown no pity. Ah Lord! Can an Israelites heart endure to see this, An Edomite flourishing with his sword in Israel's Land, and hold their hands! Can they endure to see 85. Priests slain in one day; their City smote with the edge of the Sword, both Men and Women, Children and Sucklings, and Oxen, and Asses, and Sheep, with the edge of the Sword, and by the command of the Evil spirit! Can they endure to see all this, and stand still the while, seeing an Edomite not only buffeting Israel, but utterly destroying a City in Israel! Conscience could not hold bacl Israel, that is certain. But perusing the Text, I persuade myself thus it was. The sentence was hasty from the King, he did indeed suffer Ahimelech to plead for himself, but Saul was resolved upon the question, though there was a parley, or treaty betwixt them, as if they would come to a good understanding, and so end the matter; yet Saul was resolved what to do, (as some Judges have been resolved in the Case before they came to their Court to hear the matter,) To take away Ahimeleches life; And he was quick in doing of it. No sooner Ahimelech had given-in his Answer, (as good Reason and Law both, as ever was given,) but Saul passed his sentence, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, etc. And so it was, it was presently done, as Saul commanded, (the evil spirit on him,) for an Edomite had the doing of it, and it was done suddenly; on that day he slew 85. Priests, and smote their City, Man and Beast there; On that day; A sudden execution, for the evil spirit is strong, and as cunning too, we are not ignorant of his devices, but know not half the depths of Satan: he surprised the City before the inhabitants were ware, much less could the neighbouring Israelites be provided to comein, and rescue their Brethren; so suddenly surprised, for the Devil watcheth, whom, and when he may destroy: Besides, it was not an ordinary strength, that could give check to, and mate That evil spirit working so effectually in Saul and the Edomite, the Manager of the Devils and saul's wrath. See we now how all this relates to the present Time; And if we shall find, That the Devil has as active instruments now, and Managers of his wrath against Israel, as once he had, Then. I hope, we shall make no more scruple of Conscience to resist the Devil now, than the Israelites did make then. With God's help we will examine the matter, and resolve the case of Conscience at that point. CHAP. 3. This persecution comes-up to our Times, as bloody now as ever any was in any time. The Papists now of the same generation with the Edomites then, and as bloody now as then. Our engagements to withstand them: In so doing we stand for the King. What should be our prayer for him; and a case of Conscience touching our obedience to him, resolved; and the chief Objections touching that matter. THis persecution of David, managed by King Saul and the Edomite, comes fully up to our times, though in the degrees of cruelty, and execution thereof, it falls much short of what is done now. Saul and the Edomite in those days destroyed a City of Priests, for David's sake, and would have destroyed Keilah also: The King, by his wicked Counsel, have the same execution more than upon design, they have executed the same wrath upon two kingdoms. But two Cities, then, one destroyed, the other in design for destruction; Two kingdoms here: For David's sake then; The same Reason now, because the hands of the godly are with David now. I will not spend time now to prove this. That the Atheists, and Papists, are the same in these days with the Edomites in saul's days; Their words and actions make too sufficient proof thereof: For they have done, Psal. 137.7. as their Fathers said before them in the day of jerusalem, RAZE IT, RAZE IT, EVEN TO THE FOUNDATION THEREOF. Children of Edom sure enough: So they said in ancient time, so they say now: So they pursued their Brother with the Sword then, so they pursue him now: They shown no pity then, they show no pity now: They did smi●e and burn Cities then, they do the same now. Reader, I could stuff my Pages from out of the Records of time, with the most horrid horrible, devilish, etc. But I purposely forbear, for thou art satisfied touching this matter, from what thou hast heard seen, and felt: Therefore thou wilt make no question here, for Conscience sake; Thou wilt resist the Edomite according to the power in thy hand, for Conscience sake; Conscience of thy vow in Baptism; thou hast vowed there to renounce the devil, than this Edomite sure, he must be renounced too, (he is singular, but a Legion) who is the great MANAGER of all the devil's affairs, against the ●ity of GOD, all the Christian world over. Who but the Edomite, he does all, he transacts all, all the devil's affairs come through his hands, whether they concern his War or his Peace, (there is not a Pin to choose if his Peace were not the worst of the two) in conscience of thy Vow in Baptism thou must renounce the Edomite, the Son as well as the Father, the devil's Right-hand, the Manager of all his affairs upon earth: I say it again, that it may be remembered always. Secondly, in Conscience to thy oath of Allegiance: Thou hast taken an oath to subject thyself to the Power GOD has set over thee, and that is a Power, which cannot be perverted to base ends, against GOD, and the power of Godliness; it cannot be Committed to an Edomites hand, nor can he be the MANAGER thereof: We shall hear more of this anon. 3. In Conscience of thy Covenant entred-into; You are not your own now▪ you are bought with a price, you are GOD'S, a sworn Servant to Him: You have sworn, and will not repent, to serve the Living GOD, and not the Lusts of Men; You have entered into Covenant, by the help of GOD, you are resolved to stand to it, and then to stand-up against all those, who stand up against GOD, and His Truths revealed in His Word. We are fully and clearly resolved at this point, To stand-up for GOD against the Edomites of these times, for Conscience sake; nay, for the Commonwealth's sake, as our Countrymen stood up against the Wolves; our Land would not bear them, Sect. 2 chap. 6. say some; nay, the Land would not endure them, say I, for so says my Author too: Every man stood-up with his weapon in his hand, and out they thrust the Wolves, they could not endure them. The time will come, when we shall do so with these Edomites too, else we cannot maintain our Laws, our Liberties, our Lives; and, which is the Life of our Lives, and should be the Crown of our rejoicing, The Gospel; we cannot maintain that, if we do not thrust out the Edomites, for they will Thrust us from the Gospel, and the Gospel from us. We are resolved in this case of conscience touching the Edomite, Resistance of him. But here is a greater case; If we resist the Edomite in our sense, and in Scripture language, That Legion of the Papists, now Raging and Rioting in our Land, we shall resist the King too; for this Edomite is the chief MANAGER (next to the Devil) of all the King's affairs in this Kingdom his very best Subjects, and truest Friends. O horrible, what words are these! Papists his best Subjects! It must pass, for it has the King's allowance, he has declared it so, he has proclaimed it so, once and again, and a third time: The Edomites in Ireland, in England, they are the King's best Subjects, those he may confidein, his heart may cleave to them in love, when David, The faithful of the LORD, are called Traitors every day, and his good People Rebels all. O David cannot be silent now any longer; GOD knows, and all the Christian world knows, David's heart is upright, and his hands clear, and his prayer pure touching this matter; Their hands have not shed innocent blood, nor have their eyes seen it, but with indignation and Zeal against these Murderers. And we say, That many Kings have been seduced by evil counsels, Many, whose hearts have been stolen away from their good people; and given-up into their enemy's hands cleaving to them in love; and some have shed blood to their power, as Saul here, and others after him. But, oh, how loath I am to speak! The Evil Counselors have carried-on the King in the Path of the destroyer, beyond all These, for he has given a Commission to destroy his good people, and makes shows, That his soul bleeds over them: He pitieth his People's nakedness, and takes from them their ; he calls them Rebels in Ireland, and entertains the same Rebels here; He professeth to do all by help of GOD and the Law; and all he does, has a manifest contrariety to GOD, and contradiction to the Law. He professeth with his tongue to be for Religion indeed; when his heart and hand is utterly against the professors of the same. To take them from the Earth. He professeth to maintain his People's liberties and does all. that is in the power of his hands to enthral, and oppress his people; To make their necks bend to the Edomites yoke; he would make believe his hand goes along with GOD, when he puts it forth against The Almighty, in all his people's sight, as if he had an arm like GOD. But the bloodshed in both his Kingdoms, this The Lord sees, and hears the voice of it too; And, which maketh the voice yet louder, The LORD hears how he chargeth it upon the innocent, and blesseth the Murderers, those that have shed it indeed. The LORD lay it close to the heart of his Majesty, that his soul may bleed over the blood he hath shed; That he may forbear to say so, till he does so; That his soul may shed tears for the blood he hath shed, indeed and indeed. Let others pray, The LORD bring his Majesty home to his Parliament upon the wings of the Church's Prayers; They that pray so, pray well; but they pray better, who pray, The Lord open the King's eyes and heart, that he may discern the Path he has trod, the way he is in, and feel the working of that blood shed upon his soul, working in him a sorrow after a godly sort; The LORD show him the falsehood, the hypocrisy of his heart, make it as manifest to him, as it is to all his good People, That his uncircumcised heart may be humbled, that he may abhor evil, and loathe himself for what he has done. Amen, say I, and all who wish that his soul may prosper. He may come home to his Parliament, and do more hurt then good there, unless his heart be humbled for all he has done first, I remember very well, the Eleventh King of Scotland (the worst King that ever was, I think, yet) was brought home to his Parliament. I mean, he came-up to his good People▪ even to all the desire of their hearts; for thus he did. Those pernicious Counfellors' [he had many, and they stole away his heart▪ or he stole away theirs: surely the King was worst▪ because chiefest in the trespass] he suffered to be imprisoned, and over some the wheel was turned: And all this he did in deep dissimulation, that he might the more freely, with no resistance, worke-out his own will, and do according to his own pleasure afterwards. And so he did; the year after, by that time he saw all clear before him, the hearts of his Nobles gained; for he gave the offenders into their hands, and all was well: and now they must be feasted. They were glad of that, and to supper they came, which was served-up in a Lordly dish; and after the meat, Wine: they are, and drank, and their hearts were merry▪ but the worst Wine was kept last; towards the close of the Feast, the Nobles were made drunk with their own blood, as with sweet Wine: A few escaped, and those few (by the help of the People) rose-up against their King, and slew him. I shall not meddle with that, though in the close of the work, I shall point to that King again, and another half as bad. I conclude from hence, That till the King be truly informed for what he has done, That he has walked in the counsel of the ungodly; his foot has stood in the way of sinners; and he sitteth in the seat of the scornful; Till his heart be humbled for this, T●ll his soul cleaves to the ground for this, and what else God and his conscience best knows. Till this be, the King cannot come-back to his Parliament, he ca●not be to the heart and desires of his good People there. Therefore pray we; LORD turn the heart of the King, give him a sight of what he has done, and humble his soul in the sight of it; th' the hath blasphemed the Name of his GOD; deal deceitfully with his Maker; treacherovoy with His People; abominably with His Day, profaning it by a Law. He must be restless in his spirit till he hath vindicated That dishonour done to That Rest; forcing and persecuting His best Servants, touching that matter, and shedding their blood to his power ever since. LORD give the King a sight of all this, and of all that The Searcher of hearts, and his own heart knows by himself, and kindly humble him for all. Then all the rest follows, the King will be right for his Parliament, his heart will be with them; than it will be said, and not till then, What the King does pleaseth all his people; and what his good people do, pleaseth the King. Amen: But if the King do not his duty, his people must do theirs; if he look not to his charge how he rules, not his, but God's People, [THY PEOPLE] sitting in GOD'S Throne; Yet must the people look to their obedience; they must be subject to the higher Power notwithstanding. I come then to resolve what this higher Power is, and the cases of conscience thereabouts. Not touching the giving of the Sword, Strong-holds and Forts, Ammunition▪ and the like, into confiding hands; To this there is enough said, though I had said nothing; I will say but this; So long as these Strong-holds and Breast-workes do stand, they will be a memorial of the King's illegal and most injurious dealing with a righteous people. So long as these shall be spoken of, will the injustice, the bloody proceed of the King, (in the hands of bloody Counselors) be remembered also, to all generations. We shall tell it to our children and they to their children, That the King of England would have oppressed his own people; he would have enthralled their Laws, Liberties, Religion; And for the maintenance of all these, their lives and all that was dear unto them, did his people so fortify and Breast-worke themselves, against the fury and rage of their King, in the hands of bloody persecuters. The Case of Conscience now. The People must not stand up for their lives and liberties, Ob. against murderers, for if they stand up against them, they stand up against their King. We deny that, and conclude the Contrary, Ans. That a standing up against Murderers is a standing up for their King, To deliver him out of the hands of Murderers; It has an affiance with duty, a full aspect and agreement thereunto. Why? but if you resist these Murderers, Obj: You resist the King; and if you resist the King, You resist the Higher power, and that is the Ordinance of GOD whereto we must be subject for Conscience sake. Yes, but we are clear mistaken in point of Power: Ans. Therefore I will ask a question, and resolve it. What is this higher Power. Qu. I will tell you first what it is not. It is not that Power, Ans. which the King may have a will to give, and may commit to an Edomites hand; It is not a destructive power (that is from the Devil) whereby Saul and his Edomite were enabled to lay waste one City, and made faire-offer to destroy another; Not such a Power, whereby the King and his wicked Council now endeavour the same destruction to two Kingdoms. It is not such a Power. What Power then? Qu. A Power, whereunto? in case the King or his Edomite wrongs me, Ans. though the lowest in his Kingdom, yet I may appeal from him or them for Righteous Judgement; And this Power is the Law, and in the high Court, Who can determine what Law is; and do stand bound to right me oppressed by a Contrary Power, though the meanest of many Thousands, and not worhty the dust I tread upon; yet This Court stands bound to right me. And if so be they stand so bound to a private Person (we must note this by the way) how much stronger is their obligation to two or three Kingdoms, To stand up for Defence of Lawful power against this Destructive Power? And now we have learned our duty and office too; we would have the Pa liament stand up for us, we made choice of them for that end; The greatest shame in the world, If we should not stand up for the Parliament with our Swords in our hands, or with what cometh next to hand in defence of Lawful power, and all that is dear or near unto us, involved in the same. What! see a King, seduced by evil Counsel, giving up his power (I say his power not the higher power) into an Edomites hand, and this Edomite flourishing with his Sword, and displaying his Banners in Israel's Land, and Israel stand still the while! What a shame to all Israel! But blessed be God, they do not stand still, they move, and they do great things as their GOD inables them. Who gives Courage, Spirit and invention when and where He pleaseth: And where the Inhabitants of the Land are not overpowered by the King and his bloody party, there they do fortify the Cities and Towns, and Breast-worke themselves there. And these Forts and Breastworkes, are like to remain to after Generations an Eternal dishonour to the King, now in the hands of desperate and pernicious Men; For when the Child shall ask; Wherefore were these Forts, and Breastworkes raised? The Father will Answer; The King of England, seduced by evil Counsel, would have destroyed the Parliament of England, Laws, Liberties, Religion, Life and all; Therefore did the Parliament and all good people, in defence of the Parliament and themselves, raise up themselves and these Forts, Strong-holds, and Breastworkes: so we shall declare to our Children, what the King, by his pernicious Counsellors, has done against his good people; and what the Lord has done for them, shall be had in perpetual remembrance. But will not this be called a resisting of the higher power? Qu. Yes, by those who understand not what higher power or Law meaneth: Ans. or judge it to be that which ruleth in their Members: Or do understand by power The King's private will, or that Commission he can give under the Great. Seal (such a KEEPER it hath) into the hands of Edomites, David's utter and implacable enemies now, not like, but of the same generation with the Edomites in ancient days. But is it not a Resistance of the Power, Quest. which is indeed the Ordinance of God? No, Ans. but a contending for that Power, the settling and establishing thereof in the Land by all lawful means, which GOD has not only allowed, but commanded; That his people may live as His people, in holiness and righteousness, giving obedience to their Master in Heaven, (and in Relation to Him) to that power He has set over His people on earth. This is more then enough to these questions, which we find so fully and excellently cleared to every eye, but theirs who will not see, though we should (as the Proverb is) Show them the Sun in our hand. Si ipsum gestemus in manibus, Last. 7.1. I conclude then, That they, and they only show themselves conscientious men, and to understand the weight of duty, who stand-up now for their Laws and Liberties, and life of their lives, their Religion, so to deliver a captive King, a distressed Church and State, now in the hands of bloody and most pernicious Counselors; And if all the people in the Land do not stand-up now in this breach, it is not because they want will but because they want power, they are overpowered: The Devil is as strong now, and works as mightily now, so does the Edomite also, the Devil's right hand in our Land, as they did anciently in the Kingdom of judab. But some make scruple here, and conscience too for they say, They have taken an Oath to serve the King, Ob. and they cannot dispense with their Oath. God forbidden they should; Let them serve the King, and serve him hearty and faithfully; but then they must not serve his private Will, which they see enlived, made strong and mighty by an Evil spirit, now ruling against the Commonwealth and public Faith of the Kingdom. I know this taking an Oath is much pleaded, and Conscience of breaking there; But let these conscientious men look inward, deal truly, and turn their conscience outward, that we may see it, than we shall read their minds plainly, That it is not conscience of an oath that troubles them, for they cannot be bound by an Oath to serve the lusts of men: But this pincheth them, They are conscientious of unlawful gain, and they will hold it fast still, and their honours they will not part-with, nor their reputation amongst men; They will hold to the King, that he may hold fast with them; They will serve his lusts, that he may serve theirs; and this is all the conscience these men have, which they have choked as well as they can, that they may the more quietly holdfast iniquity, and keep close their unjust gain, and quite neglect their duty, while they suffer the Devil to command in chief, and the Edomite not only to buffet, but to destroy their brethren, they looking upon all this the while with open face, and hold their hands in their pockets, or shrink them up into their sleeves, in homage to the Evil spirit, and the Edomite; and then plead Conscience to beare-out their baseness of spirit, when they make no conscience of unjust gain, nor of their vow in Baptism, nor their Protestation, nor Covenant, for there they take an Oath, and draw upon them a Curse, if they perform not: It will not serve their turn. But I forbear. We are concluded what is the Power GOD hath set over us, That we must make conscience of obeying that, and to resist the contrary power with all our might; we must be as active that way, as zealous for the truth, as our enemies are against it; as valiant to maintain our Laws and Liberties, as the adversaries are to destroy all: Why should it be said, Infelix populus Dei non habet tantum fervorem in bono, quantum mali 〈◊〉 malo. Hi●ron. O unhappy people of God They have not so much zeal in good, as the wickea have in evil; not so much zeal to build-up, as the wicked have to pull down; not so much zeal to advance Christ and H●s Government, as the wicked have to dethrone Him: The People of GOD (unhappy in that point) have not the courage, and constancy in the love of the SPIRIT, that the wicked world hath in the lusts of the flesh. That courage! nay nothing like it, Ad ertibescen●iam nostram dico N●●ron: to our shame it must be spoken. Yea, but we must hear more what is spoken to take off that little courage and zeal the people of GOD show at this time, in their war against the Beast Let us hear first Master Fuller's Argument, (I mean not his against the high Commission Oath, which could never be answered till it was taken away) but the Court-flatterers argument, Pag. 260. Master Fuller's in his Holy-Warre; he says▪ Subjects are Adjectives, nothing in themselves, b●●●ll they are in reference to their King, in f●ll agreement with their Princes will, and dependence upon him. That every Reader may understand this Argument, I will unfold it clearly to Master Fuller's meaning, in the Grammatical construction of the same; The Subjects must be Adjectives and the King the Substantive; that is first, If the King will number himself with the wicked those that will ruin themselves and their King the Subject is an Adjective, he must number himself with those also, else he makes bad construction says he. Secondly, If the King bring himself into a miserable Case, the Subject must throw himself into the same c●se too, though it be upon the sword's point. Thirdly, if the King degenerate, and prove Feminine, uxorious, and womanish, as a man may be; the Subject is an Adjective, he must degenerate too, for he must be of the same gender with his Substanstive: or if the King will be Neuter, neither Masculine nor Feminine, of neither side, neither hot nor cold, a middling person, and he is worst of all; be he what he will be, the Subject is an Adjective, he must be so too: this is that the Grammarian calls Concord, such an agreement or dependence the Subject has upon his King, as the Adjective has with his Substantive, with whom it must agree in Number, Case: and Gender. All this is good Grammar, but the worst Logic that ever I read, for there is no Reason in it at all: No Reason at all, that the Subject, whom God has made a man, endowed him with a reasonable Soul; That this man should be Adjective, wholly at the dispose and will of his Prince, so dependant upon him; of the same mind and judgement, though the Prince's mind be most contrary to the mind of Christ. But it is excellent Divinity, not as Master Fuller understands it, but as we must understand it. The Subject is adjective; and GOD, his King, has only a B●ing in Himself; The Subject is adj ctive, nothing in himself but all in reference to and dependance-on his GOD; no being in himself, but all in GOD; he understands, he wills, he does, he loves, he hates all in reference to GOD'S command; he is an adjective, all his dependence is upon GOD, his walking is before GOD; his love to GOD he expends and layes-out himself for Him, and renders all back to Him, To Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. But we must recall what was said before, A. the manner of the Persian Subjects Subjects indeed; Their manner was to shrink-up their hands into their sleeves in homage to their King. What have we to do with Heathenish customs? B. This shrinking-up their hands into their sleeves, employed an absolute obedience, which we absolutely deny. But yet we will hearken to it this once, and read it again as we find it in Xenophon; It was the manner of the Persians in presence of their King, and homage to his Sacred Majesty, To shrink-up their hands into their sleeves. But they never did so while their King was smiting their Cities, and laying waste their Towns. Indeed there was never such a thing read of as now we see with our eyes. A King laying waste his own kingdom▪ as at this day. And therefore if we do not shrink-up our hands into our sleeves we must be pardoned. But consider we Beza's note up●n Rom. 13.5. Although the Magistrate have not pour over the Conscience, yet he is the Minister of GOD▪ Ob. Etiamsi magist atus 05 in conscientiam jus non habet, tamen qu ni De. sit Minister, bona conscientia ei resisti non potest▪ and cannot with good Conscience be resisted. His Note is somewhat fuller and more binding, Act. 23. verse 5. We must hea●til, honour Magistrates yea though they be Tyrants. And it is out of all question, that so they were, when Saint Paul taught submission unto them, whether to the supreme powers, or, the powers under him. But it is as clear, That their obedience consisted in suffering▪ rather then in obeying, rather in bearing from the hand, what the Power inflicted, Magistratibus ex animo deferendus honour, etiam Tyrannis. Ans. then in doing what the Power commanded. This is true, for there is an obedience in suffering, and so no resisting of the power, for he that suffers from the hand of the Ruler, for what his conscience will not suffer him to do▪ he doth not resist, but obeys the Ruler. And yet we must note, That there is a wide difference betwixt giving obedience to that, the Heathen Emperors commanded by their Laws; and obedience to that, which Kings now command against Law. Christians then did takeup the burden of their Ruler with a bended knee, (as the Lord Verub expresseth it and as I may interpret it) i. e. They made their body bow unto it, not their conscience; They suffered for that they could not obey; as the three Worthies in Daniel, who yeelded-up their bodies ●o the dispose of their King, and so The LORD, Whom they served, kept their bodies untouched by the fire, who would keep their consciences free from pollution. It is otherwise with Christians now, They are called to liberty, To obey their King ruling by Law, The ●igher Power, which GOD has set over them; and which the King cannot commit to an Edomites hand. If he d●es, it ought to be resisted, for it is a terror to the good, not to evil works; Clean contrary to t●at a Minister of GOD should be. And whereas it is said, We must give honour to Magistrates, though Tyrants; we grant as much, for it hath been, and is the manner of all the children of GOD so to do. David did so, witness his words, and humble deportment before Saul; But David did not give his throat to Saul; though Saul was King, and David a private man, yet he read no Law, nor could see Reason for that, but all Law and Reason against it. There is one argument more from the example of the Jews, if not shrinking-up their hands into their sleeves after the Persian manner, yet bowing their hands behind them in homage to their Emperor's person, and commands; Philo relates the story in his Embassy to Cajus, as follows. Caligula would setup his Image in the Temple of Jerusalem that Abomination in that Sacred Place. So he would do; And for that end, Petronius was sent unto them to assure them, That Caligula, their Emperor, would have it so, and for that purpose an Army of foot and horse was in a readiness to shoulder-in the Image, if by fair means he prevailed not. The Jews, with their wives and children met the Emperor's Ambassador, stand before him as children before their parents, with their Arms bend behind them: assuring the Ambassador by that reverential posture of their bodies, That as they were not so mad as to withstand their Lord; so they were not so mindless of their duty to GOD, as to suffer that abomination to be brought into their Temple, unless over the heads of themselves, their wives and children trampled upon all the way thither, as the mire in the streets; And so they quitted themselves, say they of themselves, like men, in these two great points, In preserving entire the service of their GOD: And the b●nd of allegiance to their Prince. This is the very posture of good Subjects, Ob. to carry their hands bend behind them, while they suffer the Rebels to ride over their heads, And that is the objection from hence. I confess this Story speaks as fully to Doctor Fearnes purpose, Ans. as any we have read; yet will it not satisfy his tender conscience, nor any understanding man; For he must hear Reason. A wise man will not show his teeth, that cannot by't; his offer that way, may cause all his teeth to be struck out. I will shrink my hands up into my sleeves, or turn them behind me, if I am not able to use my hands. Again, If the Jews at that time would expose themselves, wives, and children, to the lust of one domineering Lord, That is no rule for Christians so to do. Nay it was no rule for the Christians after them. So we will answer practice with practice; For they, being oppressed by the hand of an Heathen Emperor Lucinius, sought help from a Christian Emperor, who gave them aid, and thereby they oppressed him that oppressed them. Though yet it makes a wide difference, to live under them, whose will is their law, and will do what they list; And under him▪ who is under a power, which must rule him, and his commands; Whereof b●fore. The case is cleared; without controversy the King is not the higher Power: Yet before we conclude, let us hear how the Heathen have resolved this matter. Whose is the power? The Kings: Who has the power over the King? The Law: Then the Law is the higher power, says Plutarch in his Morals. But me thinks Aristotle's words are yet more notable, he says, He that will have the Law to be the higher power, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polit. lib. 3. sub finem: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (obliquos agit) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Ibid. sets GOD uppermost, and the Law next to Him; But he that will have man to be the higher power, says a Beast may be it. A Beast! Yes: so says Aristotle, and his Reason must be this, though I find it not in the place; for it is sufficient that he says, a Beast; Man may be carried by his sensual part, than he walks like a Beast, and acts like a Beast, his Reason and Judgement may be steeped (as was said) in his affections, Lust may sway him, Anger too, and turn him from the rule of Law and Reason both; yes that it may, the best men living, and all the while the man is so carried, he acts like a Beast. Therefore we must not place the higher power in him. What is the higher power then? The Law: What is the Law? It is (as the mind of the Lawgiver Senate, or Council should be) void of all sensual Desire and Appetite. I express it as well as I can, I would it were expressed better, and better thought upon, for truly it is very excellent. I conclude then, that is the higher power, that can do me no Wrong, but all the Right that can be, because it is void of all manner of Malignity, from self, self-seeking, or self-pleasing. Then it is a Truth as clear as the Sunbeam, That the King is not the higher power, he is a Man, and may do, and does much wrong, for there is a Malignity in man, even in the best of men, and will be there so long as self is in him. I am now to make further discovery of this malignant spirit in Saul persecuting of David, so we proceed in the Story, where we shall read that which may be a great disheartening to Israel now, while they look downward upon number and strength of men: But if they look upward, setting their faces steadfastly heaven-ward, than they are in heart again, and as bold as Lions. We read as follows. CHAP. 4. Saul has shed blood to his power, is resolved to shed more; summons Israel to comein for that purpose; They come at his call. What to think of his Troopers. It relates to the later and present time, not to dishearten, but to encourage all Israel David must be driven from out of all his strong Holds, and forsaken of all his friends; excellent Reason is given why it is so, in the next Chapter. Soul has done according as his will carrieth him, and the Edomite according to his Commission. And now their foot is entered into blood, they drive-on furiously in the Path of the destroyer, and to Keil●h they march. A man would think now, that such a cruel Lord, and such a bloody General as is the Edomite, should not have one man to go out with him into the field, no not one. But see! it is otherwise; 1 Sam. 23.8. for we read, Saul called all the People together to war. And they came in at his call▪ I examine not now what moved them) thick and threefold (as we say) by Companies and Troops to the number of three thousand men: What to do? To safeguard saul's person, that was saul's pretence, against the insolences of David, who (ye know, or else ye know nothing) ran away faster than Saul could march after, though Saul made as much speed as possibly he could, who was exceedingly MAD against the righteous, and persecuted David even to strange Cities; yet Saul was afraid of David, and made his guard so strong. Let it go, for I will not inquire into that matter, being made so legible already; I would rather inquire, Who, or what manner of persons these Soldiers were? It is answered, Chosen men out of all Israel, that is, noble, rich, valiant, stout men, learned men also, the vile Priests, and the treacherous Prophets: Doubtless these were now, as always ever since, engaged in the war against David, and Chosen men out of Israel to that purpose. And truly this must needs be a great disheartening to David, and so to all Israel; for saul's foot is in the Path of the destroyer, the Edomite is with him, they are marching to Keilah, to do to that City as they did to Nob; and yet GOD seems to shine upon Saul and his Council; Saul calls, and they comein unto him no fewer them Three thousand ch●sen men out of all Israel. To relate unto the present time as we go along; This has been and is our present case. The King in his war against David now, (the faithful in his Land) has the same advantages now, as Saul and his Edomite had in the days of old; though the King, seduced by evil counsels, is gone-up to the knees in blood, yet Nobles are comein unto him, rich men, valiant men, an Army of Scholars too, Lawyers and Divines both, to help-on the persecution, with their Swords and with their Pens: Such Instruments the King has, Choice, and Right-men for his service; and they serve their Master hearty, without gain of money (for they feed upon free cost, all is theirs they can lay hold on;) Right-men indeed as heart could wish; such as the Orator tells me Philip of Macedon found; He sought with diligent search for wicked men, who w uld, in a treacherous way, bring his designs to pass, against their own Countrymen, and such be found; Demost. de falsa legatione pag. 204. in folio, . but yet (saith the Orator) Philip found them more wicked than he himself could have wishe●. They had plotted and hammered out such projects, and contrivances against their own Country, and for Philip● ends, as that Philip himself durst not frame-out unto them the like plot, or desire the same either by Letter or Embassy; so abominable those Instruments were. Such instruments the King has▪ worse indeed, but more Right and strait to the Designs his Council has laid-out unto him, than he expected or perhaps could have desired. And what David's case is (the faithful of the LORD) he knows nothing that knows not this: He has Armies by S●a and Armies by Land, North and South, East and West stand-up for his help and the E●e of the LORD is upon them for good that is certain though many are sick amongst them, and many fallen asleep; even the Righteous are taken away: Nay, many are runaway, and more have dealt treacherously, as we have heard, and shall hear; few there are that be hearty to the cause, and fewer yet that do not serve for gain of money: and no money no march. Thus they deal with D●vid. Ah Lord! how does the enemy laugh at this! Let his laugh. GOD laughs too, and His servants laugh also, rejoicing always in The LORD; they will do their work, let GOD alone to perfect His work. They will give in their hand to David, he shall have their hearts too. And no marvel all this▪ not can it seem any strange matter, That many noble, rich, valiant, learned men, are now on the contrary side and enemies to David. None of all these can endure afflictions with David, not a wilderness with David; They cannot go from soft beds, to bard boards. They must have their ease for the present, for after time they leave it to the DECREE; give them their portion here, they are satisfied. Nor can they conceive, but, That Saul with his three thousand will overcome David with his five hundred, and then they shall receive what a King can give, for he will be abundantly good to them, now they have assisted him to complete his victory (which will never be) over David and his men. Yes, you will say, Saul will overcome David, for he has ten for one. This Saul understood no more than the Egyptians did, when God set Himself betwixt them and Israel. Ex, 14.19. True, if Saul were to fight with men. David only and his men: But Saul must fight with David and his GOD; he must overcome GOD, before he overcome David. You have not man's warrant now, you have GOD'S warrant; That Saul shall never overcome. Let him call-in the chosen men out of Israel, give them his Commission, bid them cut, and kill, and slay, there is their warrant, yet they shall never overcome David, for GOD is with David. But yet Saul must have all the advantage that heart can wish: and all the disadvantage must be on D●vids side. Saul must rise in his hopes oftentimes, and David must fall very low, and yet not at the lowest. Saul must have the advantage, counsel on his side, and strength both, and numbers also, Thousands for David's hundreds; yet David is not troubled at all this, for it is as good a sign as can be looked upon; he looks to the Cause, and to his GOD, rolls himself, and his concernments upon GOD, and there he resteth his head, and has peace in himself, and in his way. But here is a Trial now, The LORD does more than seem, He does indeed lift-up the right hand of David's Adversaries, does David and Israel say. Yes, and so He may do, that He may exalt His own Right-hand toward David anon. Where we shall see, That David's cause is not carried on by number, or multitude, or by strength, but by an overruling Hand; And That GOD on David's side answers all advantages on the Adversaries side, both of number and strength; and all disadvantages on David's side in want of both; Though for Thousands with Saul, he can write, but hundreds, yet he will not fear, for GOD is with David, and is departed from Saul, and that answers all advantages on saul's side, and all disadvantages on David's side as was said: For now GOD delights to show Himself and His Arm, [else we will not see it, unless it be made most bare of flesh] we would have many on our side; so it will be, but not yet; but let us remember, they may be too many for GOD to give us victory; judges. Eccles. 9.11. for we think The race must be to the swift, and the battle to the strong; When in David's war it is quite contrary. So much to saul's Alarm to war, his success therein, his numbers of men and how it relates to this war against David as it is at this day; and answers saul's seeming advantages▪ and takes off the wonder there. Now I come to examine what persons these were, who comein to Saul, side to carry-on his persecution against David. Saul called all the people together to war, and they came-in by Troops, an Host of three thousand chosen men What manner of persons were they? Murderers all; I fa● all, nay GOD says all, and every one of them were murderers, that were privy to saul's intents, and willingly followed the Commandment. Mark that, and mark we what we read; Saul spoke to all his servants. What to do? That they should kill David. And they, 1 Sam. 19.1.2 who did as Saul spoke, To their power, were murderers to their power. And it was very possible to finde-out some Thousands chosen men in Israel, who would kill David, the faithful of the LORD at this time: for there were many Noble men in Israel, and not many of these would give their hand to David, conflict with him; against him rather, giving their hand to Saul. Very probable it was so. There were many rich men in Israel. And wha● says the Apostle of them? They despise, they oppress the po●re, they draw them, (we need not make it a question, Ia●. 〈◊〉. 2.6. our eyes have seen it) before the judgement seat; they blaspheme the worthy Name, by which we are called. Doubtless many of these were with Saul. and bore their own charges. And I am more than half persuaded. That David's five hundred Troopers were but poor men, a ragged Regiment, very poor, and almost naked; for whence should they have supplies of necessaries! GOD knows, surely man cannot tell. I find them in a wilderness, for the most part amongst wild Goats. [No strange place to David and his Army.] They sen● to a very Rich Man and he sent them a very churlish Answer, but not one bi● of bread. And yet contented men they were▪ whether paid or not paid; and pillage they would not, rather die then do wrong. It it had: or been so they might have made brave pillage of Nabals' sheep, whereas they would not, no not they; david's Soldiers! 1 Sam. 25.16 they were a wall unto Nabals' shepherds, and their flocks, both by night, and by day. And yet such a Nabal he was, such a Churl and such a Fool, when he made a feast like a King▪ surfeited on his meat, and was very drunk; Nay before he was so distempered he would not give David no not a morsel. This stirred D●vids spirit not a little. I pass it over here; only this in passage; David's spirit must be discovered to himself, and that will be one main Reason anon, why his deliverance was delayed. The Note is this; The Rich Churl● minds not David in the wilderness, nor shall he, or his men taste of his morsels. David shall taste of the Rich Man's spirit he will give David bad language and censure him withal: Who is David? A despicable person I warrant you▪ he and his men are broken away from their Masters. There's his censure, for as his name is so is he, Nabal is his name and folly is with him; Verse 25. he censures David at pleasure: But it was well for the Rich man, that D●vid and his men were so near his Shepherds and his Flocks; had saul's Troopers been so near, they would have taken them all for Boo●ies; and had they smelt-out Nabals' feast▪ they would not have sent Messengers unto him with a Blessing in their mouth, Peace be both to thee, Verse 6. and peace be to thy house, and peace be unto all that thou hast: Nor would they have spoken supplications, Verse 8. Let the young men find favour in t●●ne eyes, for they come in a good day, give I pray thee, etc. No, they would not have prayed, they would have commanded, and done as the vile Priests did, 1 Sam. 2.16. Thou shalt give it me now, and if not I will take it by force: Such a commanding Host was with Saul, and (past question) such Priests were with him too, to helpe-on the persecution, for it was against David; And never was there any persecution against David, wherein the Priests were not most Active Ministers, not knuckle deep, as we say, but elbow deep (in blood.) as at this day. We will take a view now of the King's Army. As before, many Nobles there, not many with David; Rich men there, such as the Apostle has described, great hunters before The LORD, mighty to oppress, and to blaspheme The Name of their GOD. There are the vile Minister's too, Isa 56.10. they kennel near the Court, even all your Dumb-D●gs, which cannot b●rke, sleeping l●ing down, loving to slumber: All these all over the Land are with the King now, that his hand is against David, and to strengthen his persecution. They cave murdered Souls already, now they will murder Bodies; If they cannot with their hands, they will set their heart to the work, and open their purses wide towards it. Shall these and these men prosper? Shall they carry-on their design against David? Shall they, that hate The LORD lift-up the head? Yes for a Time, till GOD has perfected His work; And His Adversaries have done theirs, filling-up their measures; and for other excellent Reasons which we shall hear anon. We have seen now what Persons they ever have been, and are, who have their hand against David, murderers all, mighty hunter's before The LORD. And yet as I am not so foolishly ignorant, to think. That the vile Priests were not a part of saul's Army, either in Action, or Affection, contributing their Prayers, and Purses towards the holy war, wherein, they always have been a willing people, of very large hearts: So I am not so uncharitable, as to think, That all these three thousand were all murderers; They that were acquainred with saul's mind, and willingly followed the Commandment, Those all were murderers in the highest degree, there is no doubt of all that. But some there were, a very few, who followed Saul, and crossed his commandment, what they could; So did Jonathan; and how many more I cannot tell: And others there were, who followed Saul as sheep are driven by the Shepherd, when he means to plunge them into the waters; They did not properly follow Saul, but were driven by the hand of violence, (as some of late have been, and as Saul himself was) by the Devil. To exemplify this by the Edomites practice at this time: The Edomite now in the North (we have no other name for him) has exercised such cruelties upon the inhabitants there, to force them to his side, tying their heads and heels together, till from some of them breath departed; And by these Turkish enforcements he has gained many bodies to his side, but David has their hearts. And so we may conceive, and so judge it was with men in saul's Host▪ because the Sacred Scripture gives us that allowance. For we read of no execution done upon Israel, upon their Cities, but by Saul and the Edomite; Saul spoke indeed to all his Servants. That they would kill David; and we make no doubt many were active Instruments that way, for the Edomite could not do all his executions alone: But that all this Host was engaged upon this service, and would have answered saul's bloody will, had they come to a set Battle is more than I can tell, or any man in the world, for we have not a word for it: Only to clear this, and to say as much as needs in reference to the present ti●e also▪ for all is plain all along this I will say, That whosoever amongst those three thousand did follow Saul, and his Command, though grieving (for Conscience not asleep, or seared, will regret and recoil, give check sometimes) and yet approving, An. lib. 14 cap. 〈◊〉 In some Books the fourth, Moerens ac laudans. as Tacitus speaks of Burrhus, in a case not unlike: I say, All such as followed Saul so (though grieving, yet) approving, and commending what Saul did these were, as one of them, Edomites, murderers in true judgement, and Scripture account. And if the Sacred Scripture accounts these men murderers, than GOD accounts them so and then what will their Commission and Warran● profit them? Or can it b●are them out in these outrages they have committed, when they are indeed the fiercest enemies that ever the Church had! But I will draw-up to a conclusion of this matter, with some few observations from all we have read▪ First; 1. Here an Edomite has done all the mischief a Right-hand to Saul in his bloody execution. What was he? A mean man sure an Herdsman, than he was lifted up higher, and made Steward of saul's house, set over his Servants there. Conferring of honours upon him, engaged him to Saul and his service; so Saul made him General in the Field. O! This preferment these honour's, are a sweet bait! it takes a man strangely; it will take a man quite from D●vid that hath not his heart engaged to his GOD: Saul knew what he did, when he railed the Edomite to honour, he shall do what Saul will have him do: He is more than a man, who can shut his eyes against the glory of the world, and contemn it, for Davi●s s●ke; A man without ●ruth of Grace, is like a ship without ballast, it cannot endure a stone. That can be content to pass over with a careless eye the pleasures and profits of the Court. and endure afflictions with David the friends of GOD. An HOTHAM, who had the boldness (when time was and GOD'S pleasure to maintain David and his cause) to out face a Prince, could not outface the glory of the world▪ he is taken with the bait of honour, gain, or I know not what, and so hath undone what he did, and made himself infamous to all generations. The King has that at his dispose, which will work upon all complexions; but honour for the proud works strangely, brings many to his side, and makes them RIGHT for his service. David is in a Wilderness, has little for himself, and less for his friends; but they that serve David serve Him hearty; nothing can win them to David's side but mere conscience of duty to GOD and His cause. LORD establish the heart with Grace▪ (a sleeting thing, we are never sure of it, and must never be secure about it) show it the excellencies in the LORD JESUS▪ then we shall not be taken with the ●omp of the world, . Acts 24. (a Fantasy) nor be offended at the troubles of David. Secondly, there were many Noble many Rich, many Stout, many valiant men, and many wife men on saul's side; but yet they must not be a dishonour to Israel all these must comein under one Head, and the Edomite their General must bear the envy and dishonour of that Natural war, (for it is as Natural for the Edomite to war with David, as for the fire to burn:) It is not said, Israel smote Nob; No, The Edomite smote Nob; and all his helpers, (some Israelites no doubt) yet they go under that name. So here are two Kingdoms smitten with the sword: Who smote them? It shall not be said, This Prince or That Prince; This Nobleman, or That Nobleman; No, The Edomite did it: It shall not lie as a reproach upon England; it shall cause her sorrow, that her own children, whom she has dandled upon her lap, have to their power eat out her bowels: It is a grievous thing. And that those Brethren in evil, who ought themselves unto this Church, should prove such vipers, and do her such mischief; This is grievous. But the dishonour of it shall not lie upon this Mother-Church, but upon Rome it shall lie, upon the children of that Edom, and the Church shall remember them to all generations, Who in the day of jerusalem said, Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof. Thirdly, though we do not question jonathans' sincerity, being well resolved at that point, that he was a good man, and a true friend to David and did him great service at the Court; yet I think we may question, whether his bands of nature, or Court-bands (all very strong no doubt) were strong enough to bind his bodily presence to continue with his father, all the time his father persecuted David. I determine nothing here, because the Scripture is silent, but thus the Scripture speaks out, and we may set a mark upon it, that if jonathan was not slain first (which yet the Text seems to say) yet thus it was, 1 Sam. 31.6. Saul died, and his three Sons and his Armour-bearer, and all his men that same day together: TOGETHER, they went along with Saul in a bloody Path, he did drive-on furiously, but they went along with him, and they were slain the same day TOGETHER. Certainly, it is not safe to go one step forward with a man, when we see plainly what way he goes, and that he drives furiously on towards a cursed end. If we see two men walk together, we must needs think they are agreed, for so says the Spirit, they cannot walk together else: yet we will not judge that all in the King's Court are Enemies to David. We think rather, That some there be, whose body is with their King, and their heart with David. We acknowledge, That Relations are binder's; and Court-bands are shackles; But yet there is no such binder in the world, as our engagement to David. Which jonathan answered, as a right precious: and faithful friend, therefore no blame can lie upon him. And, in case we find him persecuted. GOD will bear us out in it, if we cast off all orher bands and shackles, and come to help David, for than we help The LORD against Whom the Adversary kicks, when he kicks David. And let the Adversary remember, and all his men with him, That Saul died, and all his men, That same day TOGETHER. 4. Saul called together his men, bade them follow him, do as he did, pursue David, and shed blood to their power: 2 Sam. 13.28. Be courageous and be valiant, have not I commanded you? So he said to his followers, as Absalon to his Servants, Smite David, then, kill him, fear not, my COMMISSION shall be your WARRANT, for you and every one of you, to bear you out in all violences you shall do against David. Well, GOD takes the matter into his own hand, and in the day of Recompenses for Zion, Saul is slain, and all his men together And then what good does it to his servants, That they had their master's Command for what they did, and his Commission for their Warrant. The Servant has done his Master's work, as his charge was, and the power in his hands, and now the hangman must pay him his wages. They are the most unhappy servants in the world, that are servants to men, who will put their servants upon desperate designs, and then tell them, that they shall have a Warrant for what they do under the Great Seal, which yet is of no more strength, then are the Pope's Paper-pardons, from whom the LORD deliver us▪ and from them and their commands, who are not Masters of themselves. It is good and safe to be at the command of that LORD, who gives His Command, and His Warrant, and His Wages too: He will beare-out His Servants in all they shall do by Command from His Mouth; That shall be their Warrant indeed, To them, and every one of them, for what they do, and for so doing there is a sure reward. And if the adversary shall thrust these men, for doing their duty, into a fiery furnace, or Lion's den, yet GOD HAS COMMANDED, That is their Warrant still, and shall carry them boldly into the mouth of the devourers, so as they shall quench the violence of the fire, and stop the mouth of Lions. O how good a thing it is to be at the command of such a Master, whose command is your Warrant, your defence, and reward too. We have viewed the Armies on both sides; Saul has most men, and the most successful he is, and strong for the war: But GOD is with David, job 9.19. and if we speak of strength, Lo, He is strong; or of counsel, Lo, He is WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, the MIGHTY GOD; or of Reward, Lo, there is no service to the service of That KING; nor Wages like to that He gives. Woe must proceed in the Chapter; Saul has David in chase, he will pursue him to the utmost extent of his chain, as fare as his hand can reach; so fare we will follow him, and so end the Chapter. David and his men are hunted from Keilah, whence they went whathersoever they could go; 1 Sam. 23.13. And the best way they could thinke-on in their distraction, was to go into a mountainous and wild country, where David abode in strong holds, Vers. 14. even in the wilderness of Ziph: And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into saul's hand. jonathan, saul's son, Vers. 16. a true friend, visits David in the wood, strengthened his hand in GOD; they two made a Covenant together, then jonathan returned to his house, lest David in the wood, in a strong hold there, with the Ziphites. Vers. 17.18.19 20 Now they play their pranks, give notice to Saul where saul's abode is. Saul takes this wondrous kindly, counts it (the Ziphites treacherous dealing) a compassion, blesseth them (those Murderers▪) then bids them prepare his way, Verse 21. Num dicebat mihi esse, etc. Trem. observe David's haunt, a subtle fellow [he told me so himself, says Saul, when we were familiar together] bring me word, says Saul, touching the certainty of David's abode, Vers. 23. and his lurking places, and I will go up with you, and search him out throughout all the thousands of judah. Vers. 22.23.25 [See! Saul works all by treachery; if any help and success in his way, the devil helps him to it, for he makes lies and liars his refuge.] And Saul does as he said, he and his men went to seek David; And they told David, [Who told him? Some in saul's camp sure, faithful to David. See! David has friends, perhaps besides jonathan, Vers. 19 in saul's Court!] So he leaves Hachilah, came down to Maon, and before he could breathe himself, Saul hears where his abode is, and pursues David even thither. There David is in a maze, knows not in the world what way to take, for Saul and his men have compassed him round. But behold in passage the wonderful works of GOD towards David! Saul pursues after David in all haste, as after an enemy, has him in a Coop, makes no more conscience of destroying him, than he does to eat bread; Saul shall lose his advantage, for now he must be told, that an enemy indeed has invaded his land; so Saul must hasten as fast against the Philistines, as he hasted before in the pursuit of David, etc. for it is noted before. Thus David escaped at this time, and at all times, Vers. 29. and he now dwells in strong holds in En-gedi. Saul has cleared his land of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 24. now he drives after David as furiously as before; for David is discovered again, and Saul is told where David's abode is, even among the wild goats, Vers. 2. and upon the rocks there; Saul, a mighty hunter before the LORD, hunts David with two thousand dogs, and more, not three thousand, I think, for the reason before said, though so many were with him. Notwithstanding saul's Companies, David shall have the better; Saul had an advantage upon David before, but could not take it; David has an advantage now of Saul, but will not take it, farther than to declare his uprightness towards his Master: As for wickedness, it does ever proceed from the wicked man. This we have read before, and the words are clear, and so David's innocency is cleared as the noon day, and Saul abundantly satisfied, and his Evil spirit silenced for that time. But yet David would not trust Saul: No reason he should trust him, in whom is no truth, and from whom God is departed; So David and his men got them up into the hold in the hill of Hachilah, Vers. 22. 1 Sam. 26.1. among the Ziphites again; and these are as treacherous as before: 'Tis expected so, Knave once, and Knave still! Treacherous persons will deal treacherously; they saw Saul did deal so, it was his common practice, they would follow such a great Master, he harkened to lies, and all his servants were wicked, Pro. 29.12. But methinks GOD does not deal so graciously with His gracious Servant; the poor man knows not whither to run: he went forward even now, and now backward again, and still almost in the mouth of danger, and hands of treacherous men: Is this GOD'S kindness to His Friend, may some say? Yes indeed is it, and we shall see it to be so anon, Admirable Kindness, wonderful Providence strange Discoveries, but we will remember all Davids adventures first: In the mean time, this will serve to bear-up our Spirits, that it matters not whither David runs, whether forward or backward, so he keeps with GOD, and GOD with him; nay, though he do stray from GOD a little, yet GOD will not leave David. We proceed. Saul reading the Ziphites Intelligence, drives furiously with the three thousand men to Ziph again, where he knows he has Right-men for his service: what follows now in the Chapter we have read before, but it is very well worth the pains to read the Chapter again; for besides the beholding GOD'S wonderful hand there▪ in working for David, and casting his enemy into a deep sleep, we shall observe there also. That the devil was nonplussed, quite silenced, he had not a word to say; and yet David, who could have trusted Saul very well, durst not trust his Evil spirit, but concludes, It is better for him to make speed into the land of the P●ilistines, and thither he goes, and dwells in Gath, driven out from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD: The King shows David favour there, assigneth him a Town called Ziglag, [which must be smitten anon, and burnt with fire] Now we may suppose David's case to be full of distraction; David looks on the right hand, calls out, Who is on my side, who? The Keilites, thought he: No but they are not their hand is with Saul: Then he looked on the left hand to the Ziphites, to see if they would help him; No, they are with Saul as Right as the other: No help from men they are deceitful, and treacherous; Then D●vid looks before him, and hastened to that strong hold and the other, and Saul drives him out thence also; then into the Wilderness he goes, Saul hunts him there; then to Gath, and there he is out of saul's reach, whose power was stinted there, when his will to do David mischief was boundless. Now to the Relation it has with our time, as it is at this day, and then I will conclude the Chapter; Indeed it relates itself, Saul has thrust out a rough hand against David; david's LORD an Almighty Hand to deliver him from out of saul's hand. The hotter the persecution, the more glorious the rescue. But how did Saul gain advantage upon David? By corruption in the Officers, and base treachery, which we call fine designs. But the LORD wrought-forth glorious salvations for David hereby. All shall yield precious matter for his soul and spirit to work upon, filling his mouth with MICHTAMS, golden Songs of deliverance; Michtam of David, a golden jewel, o● notable Song, and so notes the excellency of these Psalms, 16.56, 57, 58, 59, 60. So it was with David in those times: So it will be with David, The People and Friends of GOD, unto the world's end. But these Michtams had been lost, this precious Treasure of the Church; had there not been such fine devices, such subtle contrivances against him; had there not been so much of Hell in all saul's designs, against David, there had not been so much of Heaven in David's Psalms. Nay, had not David been in these and these straits; had not his friends deceived him, and all his Strong-holds too, the Church had lost david's MASCHILS also, his Psalms to give Instruction, how to make advantage of an Adversary, and of all the mischiefs he shall do, or intent to do against David. He could not have wanted any one thing was done against him by the violence of man, either from their hand, or from their tongue. David could not have been so high above his Adversaries at the last, had they not had him under at the first; had not his Enemies dealing towards him been so base vile and treacherous, David had not been so glorious. The truth is, saul's violent dealing with David, did David much good; he could not have wanted it: So likewise the treacherous dealing of the Keilites, and Ziphites, all this did him much good also. And for his strong-holds, he lost them with more advantage at the last, than he gained them at the first. These stood him in stead, but for the present time, to keep Saul from his throat; the loss of them turned unto infinite advantage. To sum-up all that has been spoken last: David is come to Nob, gets the sword into his hand, the best Sword that ever was in the world, for he sees The print of an Almighty hand upon it, and carries the revenge of The LORD along with him in it; And now he thinks he shall be delivered; No not yet. Then he came to Keiliah; he has wrought a strange deliverance for them; Now he makes no doubt, but they will work for his deliverance with all their might; No, they are treacherous. Then to Ziph he came, to see what the Ziphites will do; As little as the Keilites, all they can against David. Friends prove themselves all false; Strong-holds are all too weak; yet all to make David strong in his GOD at the last, to fill David's mouth with MICHTAMS, and with MASCHIL's, precious songs for deliverance, and To give instruction. Therefore though we see great reason why all should be even so with David, yet we will soberly inquire more fully into all these matters, for GOD will give us excellent resolution thereunto. CHAP. 5. God suffered the Adversary to prevail a while. To worke-out his designs against David; That thereby David's spirit might be discovered to himself; That his Adversary's spirits might be made manifest also, and convinced: And GOD'S Right-hand made glorious towards David. This, in all particulars, relates to David The Faithful of The LORD evermore. Why does The LORD deal thus hardly, for so it seems, Qu. with His gracious Servant D●vid? For excellent Reasons has The LORD done all this; First, Ans. I. 1. The Lord will discover David to himself. Saul shall prosper yet longer; he shall have fine devices, and neat contrivances against David; he shall corrupt by flattery, and work mightily by treacheries: And David shall continue in his straits yet, longer; Why? That saul's spirit might be fully manifest, and all his fine pranks fully opened to the world. That is true as we shall hear presently. But there is a main and prime cause first to be considered on; That David may be discovered to himself. Alas! David knows not himself yet; he shall before he be delivered; and his adversary shall help him exceedingly at this high point; To discover David's spirit to himself; wherewith, in probability, David had not been acquainted, had not Saul persecuted him from place to place. As first, 1. Suppose Saul and David had come to a good understanding, and then to an agreement before David came to Nob; Then David had not been acquainted with his lying spirit. I will but point at things, for excellent reason, that GOD may have the glory, for I like not to stay upon the Saints infirmities. The truth was, David had a lying spirit, and he hath told all the world so much, who will hear him; It was customary to him to tell a lie; he came to the Priest at Nob, and slaps him in the mouth with four lies before he came to a full stop. And he traversed the way of lying, till he came to Achish in Gath, and then he was in the way of lying too. David shall not be delivered yet fully. This lying spirit must be discovered to David first: And blessed be GOD, Who sanctified saul's rough hand towards David, and the treacheries of men, for this high end: The making David's lying spirit manifest to himself, so as he can abhor himself for it, and desires of his GOD nothing more, then That He would remove out of sight (now upon his deep humiliation) these wicked shifts; Psal. 119.29 Remove from me (says he) the way of lying. 2. David's spirit could close with the creature; it could rest itself upon the Arm of flesh: he had done a notable service for the Keilites; now thought he, they, whom I have so and so delivered, from such and such dangers; They will be fast friends unto me, I may rest upon them. No, if that be his thought, he shall be hunted yet further, till he see clearly, That men are vanity, deceitful and light upon the balance; There is no trust to be put in men: Saul may take them off with a proffer of honour, gain, or the like; But David may trust in GOD, He is faithful. David's spirit shall be restless, till it winde-up itself (by GOD'S power) above man, all humane props, and hath bottomed itself upon GOD, an Almighty foundation. So for Strong-holds too, he must be driven from them all, because his spirit could secure itself so well in such hiding-places. David must not be delivered yet, till he be acquainted with his own spirit at this point also, That David may say, Surely Thou only art my strong-hold, and my Hiding place. But more of this, when we come to Ziglag. 3. David had a very shifting fleeting spirit bessides his mad pranks, which we will not recall; he fluttered from place to place; I cannot tell how warrantable his way was, either when he went to the King of Moab; or afterwards, to Gath; True it was, David was hardly driven, Saul still at his heels, and Saul was driven by the devil: It would make the wisest man run and fly also, to get out of the devil's reach. But yet surely, the Prophet advised David well, Get thee into the land of judah. David must be advised whither he runs, and suffer reproof too. What, makest thou with the King of Moab? 1 Sam. 21.5. Get thee into the land of judah; It seems spoken by way of reproof. David would thrust himself into this place, and into that, here he might have refuge, and there; No, David must be taught now, and Saul shall be his good master, That these are but shifts, vain thoughts; These places (being trusted unto, as we shall see anon) are but like children's castles, which they have framed with their own hands, not likely to be of any continuance, GOD must be David's refuge whereto he may continually resort. 4. David was very impatient of delays; he could not wait till GOD had perfected His work: A man of an hasty spirit; If he was not delivered at this time, then GOD was slack, as he counted slackness; And if not delivered at the other time, just when he would have it, Then all men were liars, Samuel and all; Non Deispiritu propheticè sed etc. Psa. 116.11. All his promises touching a Kingdom were but words, and they vanish into wind, he shall never be King, but by saul's hand he shall fall; he said so (in his HASTE) haste indeed, all men are liars. It is well then; Accellerando cum praeceps raperetur in perturbatione carnis. Ibid. David shall not be delivered, till he has got more power over his spirit, more constancy there; Till he can be long-suffering endure, and wait GOD'S time, which is evermore best for David. Now I may be the briefer in relating to these times. God seems to deal hardly with His Friends; They are not delivered; They expected, That at such a time deliverance would be, and at such a time, but yet deliverence is delayed, and a rough hand is put-out against them to the uttermost, as it is at this day. It is well it is so; for GOD does all things well. Alas! what a little ease of Iron yokes would have pleased His People! How little of purity in GOD'S Ordinances, Quicquid Deu● instituerit & faciendum praeceperit certum est non esse rem nihili, sed pretiosam & utilem, etiamsi externâ facie st●pulâ fabali aut casiâ nuce esset inanio● & levior Luth. Cat. de Bap. Tempore s●o. Is. ●. 60.12. would have pleased them well; might they have had their Will, and their Time! A little, though nothing is little there, and the least swerving from the Rule makes a great Rent, and greatly to be stood upon; But I say, and I do but point at it, how little would have served the turn, would GOD have left His People to their own time and way! GOD is better to them, than they are to themselves; Blessed be His Name, He has provided better for them, above their prayers, and beyond their hopes; They shall have a deliverance▪ if they will wait a little, A full Reformation. But ●hey must leave GOD to His Own Time, and Way. But how are the spirits of the best men discovered by these (seeming delays) unto themselves! Even David, the best servants of the LORD, made lies their Refuge; That they did, and it is plainly discovered unto them now, that so they did: so also the warpings of their spirits, and their vain confidences, and how their hearts departed from their GOD; for so much as the heart draws, and inclines to the creature, so much, and by the very same steps and degrees it withdraws from GOD; so much of the world as comes-in, so much of heaven goes-out. This were excellent matter to dilate upon, but every good man's spirit is fitted for such a work, selfe-searching and trial what spirit he is of, and how it has been discovered to himself all this time. O the murmur of his spirit, how many have they been! what haste has he made! If he be not delivered now, he shall be tired, and can follow GOD in His way no longer. It is not necessary, nay nor possible, to set down the murmur, warpings, hastinesses, of the best man's spirit; but he will confess he has, in his HASTE, limited the Holy One of Israel, and tied GOD (like a creature) to his own time and way; A man would do it at such a time, and by such means, Therefore GOD must do so too; GOD must work like a man. This argueth a great distemper of spirit, and must be corrected. Alas! shall David be delivered at this present time? It cannot be, the Servant of the Lord must be instructed first to a constancy of spirit, so as he can come to this Period, and stop there: David shall be delivered the fittest time, and after such a manner, as shall most gloriously exalt GOD'S Name, and David's comfort, (and that, I hope, will best content) and so he will conclude, Therefore he will do his work, and let GOD alone to perfect His: and he will let GOD alone to His own Time, and to His own Way, in confident assurance, That if David's deliverance be delayed, there is mighty Reason why it is so; and the prime Reason is, that David may be discovered, his own spirit made fully manifest to himself. Secondly. That David's adversaries every one may be discovered too, all the Right-men, his true Enemies, and false friends; all their fine designs, all their horrid hellish machinations, that all may be discovered, and laid open before all Israel, and before the Sun. David thought GOD was slack touching His Promise; He was indeed, as we count slicknesse, when things are not done, and deliverance wrought by the very same means, and at the very nick of time, which we, in our haste, have concluded upon; GOD was not slack, nor is he slack towards David, He is working wonders for David, and we shall see it anon; David's deliverance stays a little: Why? That all David's enemies may be discovered, how wicked, how pernicious they are, how mightily they fight against GOD, and His servant David. The enemy must be clearly convinced too: we will take this, and David's adversaries in order, and proceed upon discovery. First, saul's most malignant spirit shall be made as manifest, and naked to Israel's eye, as his body was in the day he was born: He made shows of love to David, all his shows shall shrinke-up to nothing, or prove real hatred. Saul would have it told David, That the King delighted in him: Does ●e so? Hear what Saul says, and tell yourself; Saul blesseth the Ziphites, those Murderers, 1 Sam. 23.19. Blessed be ye of the LORD: Why blessed? Because they undertook David's destruction in design, in the manner as they did at Bristol, London, Lincoln, To deliver David into saul's hands, that he might do to him according to all the desire of his soul: What desire was that? To sheathe his sword in David's bowels: Will the Ziphites give such a price into saul's hand, that he may do to David according to all the desire of his soul; will they so? Blessed are ye of the Lord: O strange! Nay it was not strange, it was ordinary with Saul to bless his Right-men, Murderers, and no others; Blessed are ye of the Lord. O monstrous! what abominable words are these! Saul blesseth the Ziphites: I ask again, Why does he so? Because the Ziphites have a fine design upon David, (as our Right-men upon Bristol, etc. as was said) to deliver him into saul's hand, that Saul may do to David, as we understood before. The Ziphites have that in design, and Saul blesseth them for it, and so his wickedness is shown before the whole congregation: Prov. 26. For that is GOD'S design too, Saul shall not cozen the world any longer; but GOD will turn saul's blessings into curses; Saul blesseth Murderers, GOD curseth them; a treacherous, and a murderous Generation; though they curse, yet bless thou; So GOD will, and curse them whom Saul blesseth. Saul applauds their designs, GOD abhors them, and their designs too, and the Hangman is appointed to give them their wages for their work. Observe further, the Evil spirit of the man must be made more manifest, for he saith, ye have compassion on me: What ye? or who were they? The same men, who would lay a City waste, so they might gratify Saul, in the destruction of David; and this Saul calls compassion: O blindness! O desperate wickedness! he counts that a COMPASSION to his soul (the working his will upon David) which will destroy saul's life here, and his soul for ever: Who is there that understands this, and does not pray, Lord leave me not in the lap of my own will; to run mine own way, and to accomplish my own desire. Does not many a man nowadays count the granting of that a Compassion to his soul, which, being granted, and effected to his hearts desire, will destroy body and soul both, eternally. But I forbear. Here was a full discovery of saul's spirit: But let me speak a word for Saul (for truly he had good things in him, which must be remembered, though the Evil spirits, the Devil, and his own Spirit, perverted all the contrary way.) saul's good spirit was discovered too; we f●●de him weeping in one place, and blessing David in another. True; But the Text says, David would not trust him for all that; Saul gave David good words, and Blessings too, and there was an Oath betwixt them, and doubtless All was done hearty. Saul did not treat with David, and in the mean time carry on a fine design, to take away David's life; No, doubtless Saul spoke as he thought, and meant to perform: 1 Sam 24.22. But (says the Text) David would not trust Saul; he and his Men got them up into the hold: And the Reason was David knew an Evil Spirit haunted Saul; an Edomite besides, still at his Elbow, and Saul had his foot entered into blood up to the ankles, David would not trust him. Had Saul shed but a bottle of Blood, he might have bethought himself upon cold blood, as we say, and repent; and he might show favour to an Edomite, being his Herdsman. But Saul has filled Nob with blood, from Corner to Corner. And now that the Edomite is declared to be the Chief Malignant to Israel, that ever was in Israel's Land, Saul approves of him the more: The more blood he hath shed, the better Subject he is, and friend both, and more right for saul's designs, the more he declares himself an enemy to David. Why, now David cannot trust Saul; All his sweet words are lost; if he be melting a little, the Evil spirit and the Edomite will harden him again; So David will to his Strong-hold; and is resolved upon the question, To go to GATH, out of saul's reach, else he could not avoid saul's bloody hand, (he thought) which pursued him so far, even till he had driven David from out of the Inheritance of the Lord; And so saul's Evil spirit is fully discovered now, and manifest. He must be convinced also, non-plussed, and put to silence. The Evil spirit shall be convinced, that he shall not be able to say a word, but in way of acknowledgement, and honest confession from a sound conviction, That he is a liar, a murderer, and has erred exceedingly. See how convincing Truth is, from David's mouth! and how ingenuous Saul is in his confession, 1 Sam. 26.21. I have played the fool, and erred exceedingly. He had indeed. Saul, David's grand enemy, is fully discovered, convinced also: yet David is not delivered; no. though all saul's Right men, the Edomites implacable adversaries; his false friends, Keilites and Ziphites are made manifest too; yet David is not delivered, no not yet; we shall see more reason for it anon; first, we must bring-this-up-to our time. GOD delays his Church's deliverances now for the same reason sure, That the adversaries thereof might be fully manifest to all Israel. The actings of the evil spirit (Precedent over the King's Council,) were not manifest enough six years ago, when they thrust a cursed Book upon the Scots, and after that the sword; Nor when they called a Parliament in England, not to ease the yokes, but to engage the Kingdom in that war, which would have ●ashed the people one against the other, even the father and the son together. jerem. 13.14. This evil spirit was not manifest enough yet; for wickedness may be established by a Law in Scotland, and yet pretence very fair, To establish True Religion, Laws, and Liberties, here in England: And goodly and sweet words were spoken that way; and much done touching Bishops and their Courts; And all this while the evil spirit was as an Angel of light; And his Actings more indiscernible than before. But then the Design touching the Army in the North, changed the Devil's colour quite, and made him look as black as soot, as he is, an Angel of darkness. But let the evil spirit alone, he can clear up himself again; he will not be made manifest yet; No not when he prevailed by the evil Counsel To remove the Lieutenant of the Tower, in whom all Israel could confide; and placed a Murderer there in that Strong-hold; notwithstanding the evil spirit was not manifest enough. No, nor when he counselled the King to desert the Parliament. No, nor when he persuaded the King to call all Israel to war against David, and all that had their hand with David, under pretence of taking a guard to his person. Nor when he made the Edomite General in the field, MANAGER of all the King's affairs here in Israel's Land; notwithstanding the evil spirit was not manifest enough yet. But now we know what spirit they are of, and who rules them; For the Land is filled with blood from corner to corner. Zeph. 3.3. The Princes within her are roaring Lions; (reade-on, her judges are evening Wolves,) never such violences acted by Tartars, Cannibals, as by these Princes. Surely I cannot tell what shall be done unto them, these murderers; GOD knows; And that they have broken all the laws of Heaven and Earth; Divine and Humane, such Children of Belial they are: job 31.3. I cannot tell what strange punishment shall befall these workers of iniquity. Doth not the LORD see their ways, and count all their steps? We will leave them in His Hands, Who has put a bridle in their lips. But this I can tell, What an execution The LORD would have done upon those, who had wrought villainy in Israel, joining themselves unto BAAL-PEOR, Num. 25.3. as these unto as abominable an Idol as was that. [But they had not shed blood in the defence of that Idol; These Princes, in name, have filled the Land with blood from corner to corner.] Yet harken what The LORD says unto those, who joined themselves unto Baal-Peor, as these to the Idol of Rome; Take all the heads of the people, Vers. 4, and hang them up before the LORD against the Sun, that the fierce anger of The LORD may be turned away from Israel. We will wait God's time, for than they shall be made manifest indeed before Israel and before the Sun. In the mean time the evil spirit is discovered and discerned plain enough, for by his mere motion he has prevailed with the King to seal a Commission to his Edomites, To kill and to slay his good people, to lay a City waste, even a Mother in Israel. And if they will do so, to their power, They shall approve themselves in so doing his best subjects, and truest friends: so he blesseth murderers whom GOD will lay (if they repent not) in the lowest hell. They have compassion on their King; why they? Because they will, to their power, destroy a mother City in Israel; They would have a whole Kingdom wasted: Blessed be ye of the LORD, ye have compassion on me, does the King say; Blessed be The LORD, The discovering GOD, Who has had compassion on His poor people, trusting in His Name; and on His dwelling place; Blessed be GOD! The Spirit, that rules the King and his Council, is discovered, the Edomites also, those bitter enemies, the Keilites and the Ziphites too, those false and treacherous friends. Take them in order; The Edomites first, Those called SPIRITVALL Lords, They must be discovered, how full of spirit they were. Their spirit was not sufficiently discovered eight years ago, when they forced a cursed Paper to be read in all the Churches, there to publish a Declaration for Sports and Pass-times on The LORDS DAY: Their spirit was not discovered by all this; for this the people liked reasonably well; They had an Advouson for liberty, To riot on the LORDS DAY, and they were glad of that. The people had a grant from the Bishops, The Bishops from the Archbishop, he from the King; and that should be sufficient warrant for them, and every one of them, to riot on the LORDS DAY; And for every Minister from the Pulpit, GOD'S mouth there, To command the people so to do O abominable! Yes, they have justified the Heathen at this point. And yet these Bishops are not discovered yet; They are in their white Robes yet, we shall see them in Scarlet by and by. And yet not manifest to all the Christian world, say they, how spiritual they were, when, with the Scarlet Whore, they would have road in the blood of Scotland up even unto their horses bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. And yet their spirit not discovered yet! Nor when they would have established themselves by an Oath, A peculiar instalment to the High Priest, the GOD of our salvation; as I shall show in another Treatise purposely for them, To clear their Spirit to the world, how spiritual they were. But they would not be discovered then! Nor by all the good offices they did the Church in Scotland and Ireland, and their mother Church here in England, who says of them, Bloody fathers have ye been unto me; bloody fathers have ye been! And yet they are not manifest yet, not yet! When they would have made void and null, as the phrase is, All the Votes and Acts of Parliament for the Churches good. And was not their spirit discovered now? I cannot say No, now, for all Israel said Yes; and they themselves said Yes too● when they cast themselves out of the Court with their own hands. But yet they will be made more manifest. What bloody ways have they prosecuted, what devilish projects to wrest themselves into their places again? If any there are so divelishly minded, so forsaken of common Reason, and light of nature, that they will give these spiritual men their right hand, to lift-them-up to their chair again, though they make way thither through a field of BLOOD, yet these Bishops will say, Blessed are ye of the Lord, ye have compassion on us. These men are discovered sure, how spiritual they are. So are the Temporal Lords too, all discovered, and fully manifest to all Israel, by their deceit, guile, cozenage, their lying, not unto man, but to the LORD; by their justifying the wicked, whom the Lord abhors; by their Treacheries, Treasons, more than bloody conspiracies: now they are manifest enough; Lord Digby, manifest enough; What KEEPERS the Great Seal has, manifest enough; and what a Recorder the City has, manifest enough: The LORD turn the Wheel over them all, who would turn the Laws into wormwood, and justice into gall, and would turn three Kingdoms upside-down▪ and make Cities ruinous heaps: But they are discovered, the Keilites too, the Ziphites also, friends in show, bloody adversaries in deed. These must be convinced also, for the Church's innocency must be made manifest, and they must put to silence the ignorance of wicked men; and this is next to be considered on. The LORD brings Saul into David's Cave; 1 Sam. 24.3. there David and his men encompass him round, as Saul and his men encompassed David in the Chapter before: Now they come to Parley; David clears his innocency, stops the devil's mouth, opens saul's mouth for David, and against himself, convinceth Saul, makes him weep; That's GOD'S end. They must come to a Parley the second time, for the devil is not non-plussed yet, he shall be anon. 1 Sam. 26.6, 7 GOD puts it into David's heart to go down to saul's camp; He causeth a deep sleep to fall upon Saul and his company; then David does as we read; returning back, and standing at a distance, he calls-out to Saul, and so they come again to a Parley; and now the devil has not a word to say, the spirit seems to departed a little, for then Saul hears David speak, and so speaks himself, as if he would make David weep, and believe that there shall be a sweet agreement betwixt them for ever, for Saul blesseth his son David, and assureth him he shall do great things, 1 Sam. 26.25. and also shall still prevail, O that I could bring up this to this time! But I cannot: The devil is more mighty now, and more shameless now, than he was then, if more can be, as surely it can be: for as length of time, and experiences therein, may make him more cunning, so more wicked, more shameless, as at this day. I can say, GOD has brought the King, and His Parliament to a Parley, once and again, but still the malice of this evil Council appeared, wickedness still proceeded from the wicked man, but how wonderfully was the innocency of David (the faithful servants of the Lord) cleared! The LORD had this design now, He will make manifest the Adversaries treachery, and His Servants innocency; and he brings it about thus: His Servants shall, because they will, treat upon a way to accommodate a Peace: The LORD left men to go their own way, not so warrantable by His Word, to treat with implacable adversaries, that He might bring to pass His own will, and bring good to His people. It was conceived by all rational men, that on the King's party nothing was intended really and indeed, but mischief and bloody treachery, as is now manifest to the world; But GOD suffered it to go on, brought sweet out of that sour, good out of that evil: The Evil spirit is silenced now, the Malignants have not what to say; O blessed be GOD! He can do what He pleaseth, and what He does is for the good of His Israel. This last Treaty betwixt King and Parliament, has non-plussed the Devil, his MANAGERS all are put to silence now, they have not what to say, and yet they are not ashamed: True, the wicked cannot be ashamed: Were they (says the Spirit) ashamed when they had committed abomination, oppressed GOD'S Poor to their power, shed blood to their power; profaned the LORDS DAY by a Law, when they endeavoured to establish their cursed Hitrarchy by an Oath, were they ashamed? Or when they decreed unrighteous decrees, and prescribed grievousness, were they ashamed? When they had committed these and these abominations, jer. 6.15. were they ashamed? Nay, They were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. The wicked are discovered now; nay. they have discovered themselves, and they are convinced, some of them carry a mighty conviction within their Bosom: And the Devil is put to silence too, so I said, I did not say the wicked are ashamed; I know well, they who have entered the path of the Destroyer, and will pursue it, they are hardened and brawned in evil, They cannot blush. But now, what great matter have we gained by all this? the wicked are manifest now, 〈…〉 they are convinced too, and yet, nor David, nor the Church, are delivered: Delivered! nay, they are in as bad a case as before, and deliverance further off, for aught we see! True, for David must be lower yet; and the Church's deliverance further out of sight then now it is, for aught we know. But I pray you make answer to this, and consider well on it; Has David been a loser by any thing that has fallen out unto him all this long time (so he thought it) of saul's persecution? No, you will say, for indeed you must say so; David has been a great gainer by all this, that hath happened unto him in the day wherein the LORD was pleased to exercise him with sore afflictions; he has gained experience of his own spirit, how lying, warping, murmuring, hasty, proud, and stout it was; all this he has gained, and I know not how much more. He has gained a full sight of all his adversaries, their malice, treacheries, and falsehoods, are all made manifest; his adversaries are convinced too, and the Evil spirit silenced also. Why then the Church will trust in their GOD for ever; and well they may, the LORD deals so and so with David, His faithful servant: He delayed David's deliverance; it stayed, as a Child coming to the birth, when there is no power to bring forth; but yet all this slackness (as we call it in our haste) was but to open David's mouth the wider, that he might be more filled with MICHTAMS, and with MASCHILS'. Blessed be GOD then, that the Church's deliverance does seem to linger, to be long a coming; Blessed be His Name, it is GOD'S doing, and he does all things well; and this He does now (deferring His Church's deliverance) is best of all: Is it not best of all, that the Church sees now more clearly into the way of their own spirits, and more through into the Path of the destroyer, and into the very intents and purposes of her Adversaries? Certainly, if her deliverance be longer delayed (as we call delay) it is best for the Church still, for all her straits shall be a means to open her mouth the wider, to let in, and give forth her MICHTAMS, and her MASCHILS'; If deliverance stays, it is because there must be more discovery yet, even of God's Right-hand with David; and this comes now to be considered on, for it contains much. Thirdly, We will read David's case first, how wonderfully God made bare His arm towards him, though he did not complete His deliverance yet; This will be quickly done. Then I will bring it up to these times, even as it is at this day: where we shall see, the Church had seen very little of God, had she been delivered after the manner, and at the time they would have made choice of: But GOD delaying the time from day to day, the Church sees much in God every day. See it in David first: Had not Saul sought David every day to kill him, David had not seen GOD'S hand so wonderfully reached-forth towards him in his salvation. How wonderfully was David delivered from the Lion's mouth at Nob! A wonderful hand is reached out to David, when he is delivered from treacherous persons, that dealt treacherously; Then in the wilderness of Maon, where the LORD wrought as wonderfully for David, as He did for the children of Israel, when He setup a pillar betwixt the Egyptians and Israel, assuring their adversary, (but he will not understand who must perish) that he must overcome GOD first, who looks to overcome Israel. So here is a Rock of Separation (as was said before) so wonderful was GOD in David's deliverance, as in Hachilah, and in the wilderness of Ziph, where jonathan helped David to strengthen his band in GOD, and then did david's GOD strengthen His hand towards David; ever more strong towards His servants then, when they are in a wood: So also in the Philistines Country, and when David's City was burnt. But I must refer this burning of Ziglag to the last; for it was his last refuge, and when David sat in ashes there, he was nearest to his Crown. To apply this to our times; 1 Sam. 23.26. 1 Sam. 26. Had the Church been delivered with a deliverance as we had accounted a deliverance, not a half deliverance; but had we been delivered so as would have served our desires, (capacious and large, as the Sea towards the world and things there, but straitened to better and higher matters.) When the Lords and Commons went down into the North, three years ago, Then where had been our Parliament? Yet was God's Hand wonderful towards His people there. Had it been granted to us from that high Court quickly after their sitting there, according to the desires of our souls (feeling no burden, but what presseth, and pincheth the outward man) That the hurtful sword should not hurt us at that time; that should be sheathed, our yokes should be taken off the shoulders, ship-money, and the like most illegal taxations; then had we (an ignorant and brutish people) rested ourselves wondrously contented; we had had enough: And the Clergy also, a sound part of them, had been well enough too, had the high Court freed them from that horrible Oath, but for the ET-CAETERA'S there, there let them be, the Clergy thought not of those mischiefs, minding the Oath only, that abominable invention. I might goe-on, but I must stand still and admire too little: O the goodness of our GOD! He would not grant our desires; He would give us a deliverance indeed; He will have things done in order; the Prison-doores shall be opened to His servants, and fast shut upon His adversaries: He will make His enemies, who said they were Bishops, and were not; Spiritual, and were not; Rev. 2.9: Lords, and were not, whose Blasphemy the LORD knows, He will make those uncase themselves, and plucke-off their own vizards, and throw out themselves too (at the last) with their own hands: He will turn His wheel over the head that consulted against Him; and throw down those Powers, that exalted themselves against His hidden one, GOD would have glorious things done, whether we would or no; so as we can say now, we were too hasty. God has done all things well, admirably well hitherto. He has cast on the ●●s●●ps, thrown down their bloody Courts, taken away those cursed Oaths; they shall be no more for a sn●re, and a tra●. How wonderful was GOD'S right-hand here! His people will trust Him for after times. If He delays deliverance it is to make bare His arm more, which is best for His people, if in patience, and with an holy resignation of themselves into His hands, they can wait for Him. Wait! does the hasty and impatient man say; the LORD is consuming his house in the fire of His wrath and heat of His sore displeasure! No, no, let GOD alone with His house and household; all that the LORD does do is but to exalt His own Right-hand in all His people's sight, in His Church's deliverance; and to open the Church's mouth wide in praise and thanksgiving: So we will put the exalting of God's hand, and the exalting of His praise both together. 4. Had not the pit of destruction been made wide, and deep for Davi●, his mouth had not been so wide open: nor his hea●t so enlarged to the Praises of His GOD: If he had not been in the depths, he had not sung the high Praises of His GOD. Now so many deliverances, so Many MICHTAM●; and how many enemies were discovered so many Mas●●ils: these precious songs we find here and ●here, And some Psalms TO BRING TO REMEM●R●N●E. Psal. 38.70. It was necessary the Church should pass through these and those straits: here and there a Gulf, else she would not have made use of her treasure, which Davi● has prepared for t●em. I might Reflect back now an hundred years, then Come-up taking in o our Serious thoughts. That wonderful year of ●8. Then the 5th of November, 1605. And then 1639. when th● second Spanish Fleet was upon our English shore, from which our Deliverance w●s more miraculous, then was that in 88 because from this l●st we were delivered before we thought of the danger; and the snare broken before we would see it, and so up all along to this day. But I shall Recall but these three last years TO BRING TO REMEMBRANCE, how wonderful The LORD was towards His People in Scotland and here three years ago. Indeed we have need of all those straits we were in To bring to Remembrance The wonderful works of the LORD The operation of His hand. in making TWA●●ONE so making Peace, Solemnly Recorded on the Seventh of September, 1641. And Many days of Thanksgiving, and opening wide the Church's Mouth Since and before, To bring to Remembrance, The Church's Deliverance from bloo●y Courts; Cursed Oaths, Sore oppressions, grievous yokes, vexing Briars, grieving Thorns, Devilish Machinations, horrid inventions, upwards to this day to this very day, the 15 of June, 1643. To bring to Remembrance. What? Truly I cannot express it, I see so much of Hell in it, such depths of Satan. That I cannot express it; But to bring to Remembrance The Admirable kindnesses, Wonderful Providences, glorious Discoveries. And now I can condemn my own hasty Spirit, and I hope can more quietly Rest upon GOD for after Time: The Truth was. I thought verily, and so did Thousands besides Myself think. That if the high Court did Propositi n it once more. Treat Spend Time, that may with implacable Adversaries; If so, They will break us all in pieces, Thought I and wiser men than myself, specially the best affected in the City. And yet truly, not to belie myself, I did verily believe. That GOD is in heaven, and did LAUGH all the while; and His Faithful Servants might laugh too; but yet so brutish My thoughts were; Treat once more and break us all; So I thought and so though many more not so well considering what GOD had done before, and what He might do then with another Treaty. But now, having so many experiences, we can quietly resign the matter into GOD'S hand; Let men alone to their work, and GOD alone to His work, and let us do our duty. That is our work; GOD will not break H●s people, not He, though men should proposition it again, as some will go near to do, yet He will not break H s people, but He will break His Adversaries, as it is at this day. Had there not been those offers to Peace from the contrary side, feigned and treacherous, There had not been a discovery of those Right Men in Oxford, and London; Their fine devices, the depths of Satan; our Adversaries had not so broken themselves, and we had not had our good day, Thursday the 15. of June, To call to remembrance all the forementioned, and our old Protestation, To humble, and shame us for it, and so to enter into a New, a New Covenant, Vow and Oath. If that bloody design had not been and been discovered which was to ruin King Kingdom, Laws, Liberties, Religion, and all; [So horrid a design it was, and is acknowledged to be by those, who should have been Actors in it, upon sound conviction, we hope, true and deep humiliation for it;] If such a design had not been, and been disclosed. Then had not Shecaniah. I mean the Nobles and Worthics of the Land thought upon the way. ●zra 10 2. The only way to recover, and save a distressed State and Church sinking into the pit of destruction; We have done so and so yet there is hope in Israel concerning these things: N●w therefore let us make a Cov●nant with our GOD, To put away all persons and things, which have thrust GOD from us. Let us make a Covenant to do so, and stand to it. So spoke Shecaniah then; So said in effect, our Nobles, and Worthies now. And so they entered into the way, the only way, to recover a sick and languishing State, to raise it up from the dead, before the Pit close its mouth upon us. We know not what will become of it; Not how we enter into it, nor how we shall stand to it. We know some will be grieved, and have indignation against the Holy Covenant; And have intelligence with them that forsake The holy Covenant. We must leave this to whom it does belong and do our duty. Bless we GOD, who put such a prize into our hands. To strengthen our hands in GOD, by renewing our Covenant again. We entered into Covenant formerly, and some of the chiefest amongst us have done wickedly against the Covenant, Dan. 11. corrupted by flatteries, and corrupting, and so are left to miserable delusions. And we, the best of us all, have done weakly against the Covenant; None of us have dealt truly; None have kept close to it, and to our GOD. And yet is there hope in Israel concerning this; To make a Covenant with our GOD firmer, and surer, laying our heart (a fleeting slippery thing) under Sacred bands, and fetters stronger than Brass; That we will keep closely with our GOD; We! Yes we, Mr. Cal. Sermon. and our house [As it has been excellently charged upon us.] will serve our GOD, Who has done all these things for us. We are firmly resolved to serve Him, not as we have served Him, but in Sincerity and Truth; And being so resolved, we will put away all persons and things which stop-up the currant and stream of blessings, hindering good from comming-in. And we will advance those persons, and do those things, which may procure good to our souls, and peace to King and Kingdom. We will enter into Covenant upon this being firmly resolved so to do, even as Israel, under grievous Adversaries, Num. 21.12. oppressing some Israelites, and imprisoning other some, and vexing all Israel; Then they vowed a vow unto The LORD, That, if He would be pleased INDEED to deliver them from that oppressing Adversary, They would make sure work with the Adversary, he should annoy and vex them no more, Then I will utterly destroy their Cities. Nor will we make gain of the spoils, but devote all to Thee, The giver of Victories. Now mark how well pleased The LORD was with this Vow; And The LORD harkened to the voice of Israel, and they did as they had vowed, for they called the place. HORMAH, a curse, or utter destruction. Vers. 3. Now The LORD be praised, and evermore blessed be His holy Name. Who has put it into the heart of His Servants to do this thing, the ONE THING NECESSARY at this time, an ONLY WAY to save a Nation as appeareth fully by the words of Shecaniah, [YET THERE IS THIS HOPE;] and as clearly in the story of Asa, [Where we read how the case was with Israel, when Israel were lose with their GOD; how successful when the people made a covenant with their GOD; And how miserable when they broke covenant with Him.] He that has put this purpose of heart into them, 〈…〉 in the purpose of their heart for ever, and make the heart of the people firm, stable, and upright with their GOD in this great ma●●●r. Amen. Hitherto we have seen GOD working wonderfully for His people in their straits, and grievous afflictions, discovering ●heir hearts an● 〈◊〉 ●o themselves; and if their afflictions continue yet longer● it is that there may be more discovery made of the way and p●●de of their spirit's. That when GOD calls them to mourning, they may not make then so gay but be as those whom GOD will humble. 2. Discovering the adversaries to His people, their wiles, projects, and b●●●d● 〈◊〉 signs against His Church; and if deliverance staves and is ●●●cke in coming it is that more discovery may be made this way also; and that the adversary may be yet more convinced. 3. That GOD'S Right hand may be more manifest with His people. And 4. His people's mouths may be more open to sing the high praises of their GOD. And because deliverance lingers, and is slack in coming, as we count slackness, it is because there might be more discovery made of all the particulars before mentioned. I will draw up to a conclusion of the Chapter. Psal 94.12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and tea● est them out of thy Law. We must not stop there, but read on in the Psalm, thereby to strengthen our spirits, that we may stand still, and wait for GOD in the way of His judgements: there are sad matters yet behind; we have scene D●vid brought very low, but not yet at the lowest; we shall see him, and hear him out of the depths, but he is delivered out of them all. David now, many the faithful Servants of the LORD are in David's case, which we shall read by and by: their Ziglags are smitten, and burnt with fire; we are sure in a sad case, if we known it, and (which speaks sadly to our hearts) our case is like to be sadder yet; we are low, and are like to be lower, for un-answerable Reasons, which we shall hear fully anon: This in short because we do not humble ourselves under GOD'S Almighty hand; He has laid us low, we are high, our spirits are proud, and stout. How does that appear? As plainly as the nose in your face; by the provision we make for our backs and bellies: I say no more here, but this, we should not be more stout, but more humble, because our Ziglags (we call properly ours) are not burnt yet. These are burnt round about us, the fire has taken the State and Church-house, and we should (as men do in such a case) pluck down every thing that exalts itself. I remember a note of Master ainsworth's touching Israel, In Deut. When the sword of GOD is abroad, war, famine, pestilence, though amongst the heathen people, ●et it is GOD'S sword, and a calamity; we must pray, and fa●t, we must (say they) humble ourselves the only way to keep it from e●●●ing our doored. The sword is b●t●ed in heaven now, our own land is watered with our blood, and dunged with our carcases; and we would have the sword to rest and be still: No, it cannot we must fall low in our spirits, and rise high in our saith, before this vill be. It is a true saying also, Calamity knocks at that man's door, and will ente●, Calami●as illiu● f●●● pul●●● qui alio 〈◊〉 no●●movetu●. w●●● minalesse of the calamity upon his neighbour and brother. We conclude now, we are like to see heavier times because we have not well observed the way of our own spirits nor the operation of GOD'S hand, not the meaning of ●is Rod tow●●●● us all this while we are not humbled. Well blessed be 〈◊〉 w●at ever it be, and blessed be His Name, who useth Princes and Nobles of the earth, as Scullions indeed, to clear and wash His Vessels app●●●● to honour. But that we may not faint in out ●●de● b●t ex●ect with patience the salvation of GOD; We w l● pro●●●● 〈…〉, w●●●● we broke off, and give no rest to our spirits ●●ll we have ●●xed them upon an everlasting ●●unda●●on, whereupon we may stand still, and abide the rain and the winds, t●e storms and ha●●e, even the st●●●s of great Waters, in David's assurance and confidence. Psal. 94.22. Verse 23. That the LO●D is my defence, and my GOD is the rock of my refuge: And He shall bring upon my adversaries their own iniquity, and shall ●ut them off in then own wickedness: Yea, the LORD our GOD shall cut them off. Amen. CHAP. 6. David's troubles have a happy close; but his case is very sad first. The Church's case now, is read in David's case then; therefore we record former deliverances very wonderful, to strengthen our assurance in a deliverance to come, which will be more glorious the longer it stays. Quere's touching david's case, now at the lowest, with resolution from God's mouth thereunto; which speaks comfortable words to David, but sad things to us. Our strong hold●, as well as david's, must be cast down before we are delivered. I See the Land, said one, after he had been long upon the Sea, and escaped many dangers there; We can say as much touching David's adventures (as a private man) and what end God makes; That is, glorious still, but David must endure first. We read before. that David came to Gath; the King there respects him very well, assigneth him a City called Ziglag, which David might lay claim to, I●sh. 14 31. being assigned long before by I●shuah to the Tribe of judah, and now fell to David by lot. David was there, but he could not sit still there, he was for action, the service of his GOD, and his Country, and abroad he goes; though his body be among the Philistines, yet his heart is in judah, and to do Saul his Master all the good service he can, and his adversaries all the hurt he is able. Hereon depends a very notable story, because of some very notable circumstances thereabouts▪ specially touching the sword: An hurtful instrument, but yet could do David no hurt, being wholly at God's dispose; and that is very comfortable, specially at that time: which I would have insisted upon a little, but that I find myself prevented in a little Paper, called, A staff of comfort, whereunto I refer the Reader, if please him. That which concerns us here, is, David has put himself upon a very hot service, and overcomes wherever he goes for he carries the Revenge of GOD with him. After execution done, he retires to Ziglag; 1 Sam. 30.3. coming thither, he finds it smitten, and burnt with fire: the Amalekites had been there, had done as we read, and had taken thence all Davids earthly comforts, every one. Truly a very hard and sad case; Saul has hunted him from all his strong holds, those in Israel, those in the Wilderness; and now by the favour of Achish, he has one City of Refuge more assigned to him, David is stepped aside, the Amalekites invade the City the while, Smite it, and burn it with fire, and take away all his comforts, the desire of his eyes, and the delight of his heart, all his comfort thence. He hears devouring words besides, to add to his grief: Ah Lord! what a sad case is this! I shall propose some Quere's about it anon, because the resolution thereunto will instruct us very much: It will state, and resolve our questions too; and if not satisfy us, yet will make us silent. But first, observing my method all along hitherto, we must see how this relates to the present time also: And blessed be GOD we see it very clearly; it relates fully to our times, for our Ziglags are smitten and burnt with fire: Yes, and our case is more like david's still; David hears devouring words from those he put as much confidence in, as could be put upon men too much; These talk of stopping him. It is our case too; we made lies our refuge, we put confidence in men, because they are many, in that Arm, because it is strong. And wha do we hear? Surely that which troubles us as much as it did David, when his men spoke of stoning him; That men will prove themselves men, deceitful and treacherous; That there is as much or more danger from them, then from professed Adversaries. Well, yes indeed it is well, blessed be GOD; let Him take what way He pleaseth, so He will cast down all our strong-holds, our vain confidences: I know the Adversary laughs now; Well; GOD laughs also, and His People may laugh too at their own folly, and be ashamed also the more, the more they looked to multitudes; Should not a people lo●ke to their GOD? Stay themselves upon an Almighty Arm? Oh blessed be GOD, who by every day's experience of His faithfulness, and man's unfaithfulness, instructs His people to discretion, To do now as David did then, encourage themselves in The LORD their GOD. And they that can do so, are in a good case, as David was here▪ and never nearer and closer to his GOD, then when the creature was remotest from his eye; never more encouragement from GOD, then when he had most discouragement from man: Therefore now, though there be a casting down, yet these faithful servan●s of The LORD are near to a raising-up, if not to a kingdom in this world, yet in a better world▪ which shall not be shaken, and that is best of all. So now David's case, though it relates not fully to our case, yet it tells us what The LORD will do for His people in after time, we hope, shortly, raise them out of the Ashes, so soon, (not sooner) as their strong-holds (All their vain confidences) shall be destroyed. As these fall, so His people rise; wherein we shall have a clear understanding anon. I would call-to remembrance first, how wonderfully GOD has wrought for his Church and People, that so we might not faint in our minds, but, (as doubtless God's people do) encourage our hearts in GOD, to strengthen us at the present, and in after time. He has wrought for His Church as strange a deliverance, within these four years, as was that from out of Egypt; That through the Red Sea; And the bringing-back from B●b●l●n, so strange a deliverance has GOD wrought. I conceive, the Church has passed through her greatest strait already; Before the sitting of the last Parliament, and a month after, she went through the greatest gulf, wherein she almost wonders at this day (but GOD in Christ is only wonderful) how she passed it ●ver, and was not swallowed-up therein. Certain it is That then, at that time the Church was brought to the brow of the hill, she, as her LORD before her p●ssed through the midst of ●er adversaries, she knows not how; nor have we▪ poor people well and rightly considered on it how wonderful that deliverance was. Had we not had common thoughts about it it had not been as t t●is day. I was a cheap deliverance indeed, Isa. 9.5. not b● the battle of the Warrior, with whom is a confused 〈◊〉 an● garments rolled in blood. The LORD brought it about by His o●ne out stretched Arme. He hath b●oke the yoke of ●i● burden▪ and the s●as●e●●is ho●●er▪ th● rod of his oppressor, as in the day ●f vidian. And He put His people to little Cost all this while. But b●cause the cheapness of th●t deliverance has taken awa● very much from the worth and w●●●ht of the sa●e, therefore sure it is, that The LORD will not deliver H●s Church now. But by t●● battle of the Wa●●●o●●, with confused nois● and garments ●●lle● in bl●●d. I purposely insist upon this wonderful deliverance the Church has had▪ the more to strengthen our ha●d in GOD against the time to come. I do not well understand who G●g ●n● Magog are, who are her secret, who are the Churches open enemies. Nor can I ●ell whether the Tu●ke may no● molest her, before she be taken from the earth or made a quiet habitation there. But this I conceive, an● ye● I will not call it a conceit That as David's deliverance was most a●●●rable, which yet, at present he took least notice of because the d●nger was over before he knew it, covered, and kept close under shows and pretences of extraordinary favours, and acts of grace: So were the Church's deliverances also, all these three years, before the war against her was open and manifest: but more particularly admirable about three years ago. And I verily persuade myself, the Papists sha●l never have the like advantages against her as they have had; She has escaped ●heir great snare that is broken; And though she was ●n her Adversaries' teeth, as a prey there, (they were sure of her, and made no more conscience to devour her, then to eat bread,) yet she is delivered. O wonderful! Truly as wonderful I think every whit as her deliverance will be then, when her open Adversaries shall think verily to swallow her up quick, for then, when her enemy has prepared his Instruments of death, is big with expectation, Then the LORD will smite his bow out of his left hand, Ezek. 39.3. and cause his arrows to fall out of his Right hand. Will it be surely so? Yes, it is as sure as if it were done; Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord. Surely the Church's deliverance three years ago is as admirable, as this will be; And mark how the LORD has followed His victory over His Church's adversaries ever since; Then He sent in the Heads of the Tribes, and He has covered their heads with His own wing ever since; Their abode was among Scorpions, yet were they not stung; their soul was among Lions, yet not devoured; they were amongst those that were set on fire, yet they were delivered: O wonderful! Yes, when GOD gins to deliver, in delivering He will deliver; He will deliver indeed. And see how graciously He has dealt with His Servants, that serve Him with a willing mind! He has given them success ever since, even to admiration, and sent-them-in supplies, and prospered those supplies after a wonderful manner: They have been in straits so often, but these have served to make their way more passable, and their enlargement more glorious. I have recalled all this, recording the years bypast, and remembering the Right-hand of the Most High to strengthen and fortify our spirit, that we may not faint in the day of trouble, when our Ziglags are smitten, and burnt over our heads: GOD is He, who hath delivered, 2 Cor. 1.10. (saith the Apostle) And so he concludes comfortably for the present, and for after time. But give me leave to reason a little, as flesh & blood will, whether we will or not: Though GOD has delivered, it does not therefore follow, that He will deliver; He had delivered His People from these and these enemies, yet when His People had provoked Him by their images, and strange vanities, the LORD tells them plainly, He will deliver them no more: And why may not we expect to hear the same words; Ye have rebelled more and more, therefore I will deliver you no more: We might indeed expect to hear the same words, if the LORD in showing mercy to a land did consult with the People of the Land, with their deservings, and the merit of their works: which he does not do, but with His free Mercy, Goodness, and loving Kindnesses; consulting with Himself, He hath delivered us from SO GREAT A DEATH (mark that, SO GREAT A DEATH, for we had it not before) when the righteous were pressed out of measure, above strength; when they were brought to the brow and brink of the hill, purposely to throw them down headlong thence; when they despaired even of life: when the sentence of death was received in themselves; when GOD doth deliver after such a manner as this, such an unexpected glorious manner, which heaven and earth stand wondering at (from so great a death) when He turneth the cap ivity of a People as Jordan, back; when He worketh so strangely, so wonderfully, this is an evident token, that, though the deliverance be not perfected yet it is perfecting: The LORD doth watch over it and is working and contriving what way to make it more glorious, for His Name is engaged upon it: It may goe-backe till it be out of sight; it may have many stops in comming-on again; it may fall into the depths, where we can find no bottom, nor any humane help whereby it may rise again. Notwithstanding GOD is working gloriously all this while; so as we may say even now, Now, when they that hate the Lord lift-up the head, why yet deliverance goes-on; the LORD watcheth it. and promoteth it, and, as it is in the Text. He dot● deliver, while He is fitting His servants, and making them MEET for deliverance: And the more we shall see the Pit opened before us, and hell there; the more the way to deliverance shall be opened, and the more of heaven we shall see there; to doubt thereof, were to provoke the LORD, as they did at the SEA, even at the RED SEA. And now I suppose we are better fitted by all this, to read over David's case, and therein our own anon, when I have given (or rather, not I, but the Lord) a resolution to certain Quere's touching david's case, why the LORD dealt so bitterly with him. Indeed David was greatly distressed; a great desolation before his eyes, but his eyes are to The LORD, and that will help all. David is as low brought as can be, yet not too low for GOD to raise again; if He puts under His hand, it is done; and it is His glory to put forth His right hand at a dead lift. David has said, Try me (O LORD) and prove me; the LORD will do it, he shall be tried as silver is tried, but God, his God, will stand by him, while he melts: David shall be at no loss, only the dross shall go forth and his scum: David had said, Thou art my portion, O LORD; he had not said so, had he not found what poor portions of comfort the creature yields us here below, in the day of trouble. David had prayed, The LORD bring me to the rock that is higher than I; The LORD will do it, by unbottoming him of all creature confidences. Alas how are we deceived! we fools build our house here, as if so be we expected always fair weather; No, we must build so, as those who know the Rain will fall, Winds will blow, stormy hail will beat upon our house: Heb. 11.10. . We may read, Abraham looked for a City that hath foundations, but not before all his strong-holds were down, and he was driven from all his foundations, his creature-comforts here below. We see already excellent Reasons, why David was laid so low, but I will speak of them very briefly, in this order. First, David is in a strange land, he looks for peace there! No, he had no peace in his own land, and expects he to have it amongst the Philistines! GOD will not give David rest from all adversity in the Philistines land; David must not sit down at rest, till he be returned to his own People: And there is not the place of his rest neither; our expectations from worldly things will deceive us; it is good to learn how uncertain these things are, betimes, that we may put no trust in them. 2. David's Ziglag is smitten, and burnt with fire; That David might now well understand, what kind of thing his Ziglag is, casual and hazardous. He smote Amalecks' town a few days ago; Now Amaleck smites David's town; These are the changes here below, up and down; The Adversary was smitten yesterday, David to day; a great difference in the stroke, because GOD ordered it; we can conclude neither love nor hatred from these things. Do we hear that the Adversaries Right hand is liftedup, has smitten and burnt David's City; and he goes on valiantly, as if he would carry all before him? Be not dismayed at this, it is no new thing; David's case he is low now, but he will be up again, and confound the Adversary anon, and be more than conqueror. It was said of the Romans. They were put to the worse in many skirmishes, and light battles, but never in a War. They were worsted in the world many times▪ never conquered there, but they conquered the world. This truly relates to David and his Warriors; They are worsted in the world, but yet (in Christ) they have overcome the world; and shall be more than conquerors there anon, after they have endured, like good soldiers, a little hardness. 3. David's Ziglag is smitten, all his delectable things taken captive thence, but not one slain. The Sword is in the enraged Amalekites hand, yet does drink no blood, nor eat flesh. I told you before, GOD would stand by David, when he was in the refining pot, melting there; His presence would be with him, as with the three Worthies; He will moderate the fire, (if He does not quench it) the extreme heat of the enemy's rage against David; he shall do David no hurt, blessed be His Name. But yet behold the City is burnt with fire, wives, sons and daughters taken captives, David's wives too. Learn then, 4. How corruptible our Ziglags are, how uncertain our comforts there; (like jonas Gourd) they cast a shadow in the morning, and we sit contentedly under them; at night they are withered. David and his men a very few days ago, had every man an house, wives and children round about them, and David had a City, a place of refuge to go unto; Now their houses lie in ashes, and all their delectable things taken thence: Let us consider well on it, and read the Case once more. David and his men are gone from home, they return in ashes, their houses smitten and burnt, all their comforts taken thence It was David's case and theirs whose hand was with David. Then why ma● it not be ours? LORD teach us, by this example, not to set our eyes upon our Ziglags, not our hearts upon our comforts there. A great lesson for this time; and because of our dote that way, a main reason why The LORD, infinitely wise, and exceeding loving to Davi●, suffers his Ziglag to lie in ashes before his eyes; haply David and his men had set their eyes upon that place, and their comforts there; they had delighted in them too much. Whosoever does so, David must not, therefore his Ziglag shall be smitten, and burnt with Fire. But we do not see the worst of David's case yet. His City is burnt, it is possible for David, a valiant man, to get another. His wives are taken captives, he may recover them again; but he cannot do all this without his men; and (see h●s case!) they will turn from him, or turn against him, for they spoke of stoning him. It is the saddest case that ever I read, I mean an outward case, and so every man will say that observes it. David is in a strange Country, he has a shelter there, It is burnt with fire, all his comforts taken thence. O for a friend now to comfort him! he has not one; They that should comfort him are miserable comforters; Their soul is grieved, every man for his sons and daughters; then they spoke of stoning David. Israel's old do; Their fathers dealt little better with Moses; If they wanted bread or water, or were in danger, then presently they blamed Moses: So here, these men are smitten: whose ever was the hand, it was GOD'S rod, and they speak of smiting David. Surely David is in a sad and a darksome condition; he walks now in the shadow of death, but GOD will be a light unto him, and David looks for Him, even for a light to rise in this obscurity. I remember, there was a Kingdom which wanted an heir, Competitors there were enough. It was agreed upon amongst the Nobles, That he should be King, who could first spy the Suns rising. You will imagine now, that many eyes were turned eastward, intent that way, for they looked for a Kingdom; and yet not all; one amongst many, and but one, looked as steadfastly westward, and got a Kingdom by it for without controversy he spied the beams of the rising Sun first, striking upon the high places of the earth westward. Here is the patience of the Saints. They can wait upon GOD, stay His leisure, leave Him to His own way and Time, Who created the light, and form the darkness; His servants expect now, the clearest manifestation of the light of GOD'S countenance towards them. there, Isa. 58.10. where the Sun of all their outward comforts set. Thy light shall rise in obscurity, and Thy darkness shall be as the noon day. Every man expects light in the morning, and to see the Sun rise in the East; But to expect light to rise in the West, where the Sun of all our comforts here below, sets, here is the wisdom and patience of the Saints also. And it is a wonderful Promise, In the morning it shall be light. Are those the words? No; for that runs along with our sense too; but when we think the time will be darkest, as now in David's case, when the Sun of all his comforts is set, now to expect light, there is the wisdom, and patience of the Saints; and they have a wonderful promise for it, (praised be His glorious Name:) But it shall come to pass, Zech. 147. That at EVENING, IT SHALL BE LIGHT. It shall be the lightest Time (with David) when he expects it will be darkest; i.e. When he is in the shadow of death, AT EVENING IT SHALL BE LIGHT, which david's GOD will create for David, and that is a glorious light. We can now resolve ourselves, why The LORD will have it night with David; why He will have the Sun of all his (outward comforts) go down and set all at once. Why? To endear light unto him. While the Sun shines, and it is day with us, light is but an ordinary thing; and but an ordinary rate set upon it, (an excellent creature though it be.) But when neither Sun, nor Moon, nor Stars appear, in the night of our affliction; then to have light comein unto us (as to Paul and Silas in the prison) this indeares light, now it is light indeed; To have a light arise in obscurity, that is comfortable indeed, in this evening, (of our distractions) in the night of our affliction, it shall be light; That is a glorious promise, and it is a new Creation. The LORD suffers the adversary to overpower David, to take from him all was his; all below, that David could take delight in: Now (would we say) David is an undone man: No, we are deceived, the enemy cannot undo a man, he may distress him for a minute, or an hour, but he cannot undo him; the enemy cannot take GOD from a man, and till that be done, till GOD be gone from a man, he is never undone. Nay, the more fierce and violent the enemy is upon David, the nearer GOD is to him: as we are nearest our children when trouble and pains are upon them, than we are nearest them; so is GOD too; and He is the Fountain of Light; be it Eventide, or Midnight with us, He maketh it day wherever He is. And now His Servant David will set his face more steadfastly to look after this light, now, that his shadow is so dark: If his comforts be not removed from his eye, the stream of his affections will not run clear, towards the Springhead. The Living Fountain of light and comfort. David must find a nothingness in the creature, before he can find all in GOD. He cannot be taught that great lesson, but by losses, after losses. David must be a King, just and merciful; therefore he must feel oppression; and groan under it; He must see affliction, and be acquainted with it; David is rising a pace to his Crown; It must be from the lowest bottom; and when he was there in dust and ashes, (though he thought not so) the Crown was hastening to his head; For he did not faint in his mind: But David encouraged himself in The LORD. Mighty words, and they make David strong and mighty in his GOD. All was gone; All the discouragements that the world could lay upon David, lies now upon him; yet he can encourage himself in GOD, and so makes-up all his losses in one GOD. Indeed GOD is all-sufficient; And now GOD turns the heart of his men unto David again; And they march forth against the enemy in the strength of The LORD, and fetch all back again. If David can encourage himself in GOD, he shall see the stream turned presently, as the rivers in the South. If we can believe, trust perfectly. That, which we think cannot be, is possible, and shall be; That which we think is gone, shall all turn back again. If we can be patiented, we shall receive all again with advantage. This in passage, I would rather set a mark upon the time, when David was delivered. David was delivered, but not before he was driven from all his strong-holds; not before his-last place of refuge was smitten, and burnt with fire; not before all his comforts were taken from him, and his men spoke of stoning him; Then he was delivered when, to the eye of Reason, deliverance was farthest off, clean out of sight. I conclude from hence, that David now, all the faithful of the LORD, shall be delivered, but not yet; deliverance is comming-on, and perfecting every day, even by those means and ways, whereby we think it is set further bacl; but it will not be perfected, not completed (as it shall be in time, and as we call complete) before all strong-holds and brestworkes, are cast down and destroyed. I cannot be mistaken here, I do not mean, that all the strong holds, forts, and brestworkes before our eyes, must be destroyed, before the Church shall be delivered; no, the Church is always allowed the wisdom of the serpent, to stand upon her guard, and in her watchtower, to fortify and brestworke themselves against an insulting adversary, who (if he should prevail) will tread upon the head of the righteous, more heavily than ever yet they were trod upon so as their necks shall bow down to the foot of pride▪ shall be trod upon as the mire in the streets. Blessed be GOD, His servants have so fortified themselves; and His blessings be upon the heads of those, who have given forth their heart and hand to the raising these works; for I verily believe, these will be very serviceable to the Church till the very time when her LORD will make her a quiet habitation; all the time before is like to be Troublous. The meaning than is not, That these forts and brestworkes, before our eyes, must be destroyed, before the Church is delivered, [though it is very notable, that so it was with David; all was down before he was raised; quite forsaken before GOD took him up;] But all the Churches strong-holds within must be destroyed, their vain confidences, their brest-works within, raised there by these without, making the Church confident and secure, trusting in them, these must be destroyed, before the Church can be delivered. Nay, if these brestworkes and strong holds within, be not destroyed, they will destroy us, they will put deliverance further bacl, and destroy these without: I mean, our trusting in them, expecting salvation from them, will destroy us and them; it will bring a curse upon all; the sword shall impoverish thy fenced Cities, saith the LORD: jer. 5.17. Why will the Lord suffer the Adversary to do so? Because His People set their hearts that way, and departed from the LORD; they expected salvation from their fenced Cities: it is as idolatrous every whit, as to expect salvation from stocks and stones; therefore the LORD would impoverish their fenced Cities, wherem thou TRVSTEDST with the sword; their trust in these things, destroyed the things and persons too. But more of this in the eighth and last Chapter. Our deliverance is delayed, we shall see reason why it is so; we are very high now and exalted, but GOD must be exalted in that day. We do (indeed) many of us lie among the Pots, like as Scullions betwixt the Ranges, (i.e.) sore troubles are upon us, Psal 63.13. In summis angustiis, sordibus, & squalore vixeritii, Metaphora a calonibus castrensibus. junius. and our eyes have seen adversity; and yet, because our outsides show forth no such thing, our outward garb is so unsuitable to Mourners, to those that are sultied among Pots; because our faces do not change colour yet, nor our , we do not take shame unto ourselves: Therefore GOD will not take off our reproach, we shall see more adversity, before GOD will put glory upon us, before we shall be as the wings of a Dove, covered with silver, and yellow gold. But more of th●s anon. Now David is delivered, for all his strong holds are down and he can encourage himself in the Lord, when all the discouragements that could be were upon him; when he was weakest, then was he strongest; when he was driven from all his strong holds, when all his comforts were removed, when his men turned themselves against him, than GOD comes in; when no help from earth, there is much from heaven; GOD loves to show himself for David, when they can see nothing but His right hand put forth in their salvation: Blessed be GOD, a refuge that never failed David, He comes-in, when all goes out, a present help in trouble; Refuge failed me, (said David in his Maschil when he was in the Cave) no man careth for me, Psal. 142.4. my own servants speak of stoning me, did he say at that time; but than he encouraged himself in the LORD his GOD, and said, Thou art my refuge; O! blessed be GOD! Be the Nations never so angry, and the earth unquiet, jer. 3.23. the Sea of this world never so tempestuous, yet His servants eyes are ever to the LORD, they can put-in into that harbour, and they are secure. I conclude; Truly in vain is salvation hoped for, from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; Trul● in the LORD our GOD is the salvation of Israel. Isa. 29.19. The meek shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy one of Israel. In the way of thy judgements. O Lord, Isa. 26.8. have we waited for thee: the desire of our soul is to thy Name, and to the remembrance of thee. Amen. CHAP. 7. A grave Question resolved, Touching the manner how a Spirit is to be resisted; If he acts like a Spirit, then by the spirit of Prayer, wherein Israel neither was nor is wanting: If he acts by the hand of an Edomite, than he must be resisted by the sword of an Israelite, wherein Israel now must not be wanting neither, but do as Israel did, and as their Brethren in Scotland have done of late, and in ancient Times. DAvid, greatly distressed, has encouraged himself in The LORD his GOD; then, enquiring of The LORD is commanded to pursue after his enemies, and assured without fail to recover all. His army is but in an ill case for service, six hundred in all, two hundred so faint, that they could not go. Notwithstanding GOD, who hangs the greatest weights upon the weakest wires: does the greatest matters by the weakest instruments, has done His work by these weak men. But yet, that all Israel may attest David's innocency, and secure him from saul's and his Edomites insolences, GOD sends them all-in now, to help David; And in they come with a blessing in their mouths, Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be unto thine belpers, for thy GOD helpeth thee. 1 Chro. 12.18. Here is a grave question now touching the manner of resistance. If the Tribes comein not to resist Saul, Obj: but (as affirmed before) his private will or spirit, like a strong man keeping possession in saul's heart, and holding his tenure therein more firmly by the activity and effectual working of the evil spirit, which came upon Saul, and never left him to the day of his death: If so, Then me thinks this kind should have been cast forth by Prayer and Fasting. The meaning is, Israel should not have taken Bow and Arrows, Shield and Buckler into their hands, but have fallen down upon their knees, and have prayed for their Master, and so by mighty-wrastlings have dispossessed Saul of his own spirit, so by mighty in him: This had been according to the Rule and word of The LORD Christ; Matth. 17.21. This kind is not cast forth but by Prayer and Fasting. To this I reply first, and do grant, 1. That this kind, while it does act as a spirit, is to be resisted by the spirit of Prayer, and so always has been cast forth. But when his actings are more open and visible upon any person, as upon that Lunatic there; Then, if there had been force enough to resist him, the father of the child, would not have called it a Resistance of his child, which was but the restraining of the child from falling into the fire, and into the water. So we see in this case, There might have been a resisting of the devil, which had had an affiance and good agreement with duty. Much more then, had this Lunatic Person played the Edomite, flourished with his sword, slain all he met, man, woman, and child, sucklings too, beasts also; made Cities ruinous heaps. Should Israel go to prayer now? Pray the devil to be quiet; So they might have been killed upon their knees. Israel knew the devil well enough, and the Edomite too. That the more they prayed them, the fiercer they would be, as Rabshakeh cried the louder in the Jewish language, the more he was prayed to speak in the Syriac tongue; 2 Kin. 18.28: When the devil has put a sword into an Edomites hand, we must not use supplications, but put force to force, and conjure-out the devil with the Sword. If the devil make you bleed, try a conclusion, whether you cannot make the devil bleed; which is very poffible, says Zanchie, and he has a large discourse upon it, and touching the methods of Satan. The devil acts now by the hand of an Edomite; he must be resisted by the hand of an Israelite. This first, I affirm, 2. That Israel, Priests and People there, went by their Rule; doubtless they had used all fair means before they took the sword in hand. They had prayed for Saul, and to make their prayer the more fervent, they fasted for him also. But here was a sad case (you read it before.) Saul has murdered those Priests, who were the likeliest men in all Judah to pray and fast for him; he murdered them. Indeed it was as sad a case, as (I think) is imaginable; for, whereas he might have had groans and Prayers put up to the throne of grace in his behalf, from the Priest's mouth, he makes the good Priests groan because of his oppression: The good Priests would have cried for him, spoke good for him before his and their LORD night and day: Saul regards not that, he has shed their blood, and now their blood cries against him night and day, How long LORD, how long ●er thou dost avenge our blood that is shed. Truly this is an heavy case; certainly Israel went by rule, they prayed for their King they were not wanting in that point. Indeed there is one thing touching this matter, which seemed strange to me; All this time which Soul has cast away, and worse then lost, in persecution of David, I hear not one word of counsel or Prayer from samuel's mouth that good old Prophet. It is true, before this persecution begun▪ we read, Samuel came no more to see Saul, 1 Sam. 15 35. till the day of his death. Yet me thinks it is very clear and express (though not in words) that Samuel prayed for Sau●; Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul (says the Text;) Then he prayed for him sure. 1 Io●n 5.16. There is a sin unto death, says Saint I●hn I do not say that be shall pray for it: But, says another, If thou mayst not pray for him, yet mayst thou grieve, Si non oars, gema tamen; sortassis gemitus tuas penet●et quo oratio non p●aesumat tendere. and ●●●urne for him; perhaps thy sighs, groans, and in urnings of thy spirit, may ascend thither, where thy prayer presumes not to come. Samuel MOURNED for Saul; That was a servant prayer: And certainly the LORD answered samuel's Prayer touching Saul, though not as Samuel desired yet as best pleased the Lord. He answered him, and in a very effectual way and manner of answering; for thus we read; So David fled, and escaped the hands of Saul and came to Ramih, 1 Sam. 19 18. and told him all that Saul had done to him; all saul's ungodly deeds and hard words, committed against David, he told Samuel all, and they dwelled together at Naioth. Saul hears of this thing, and where David's abode is and he sent messengers to take David; GOD prevented them, Verse 20. and made a change of them quickly; no sooner came they thither, but they do (for the time) as others did, they prophesy. Saul hears all this, he will have his Will, sends more Messengers, and thither they came; and it was with them, as it was with the former, Ver. 21. they prophesy also. Then Saul went himself to Ramah, for he will have David whether GOD will or no; But when he comes thither, he is changed for that season, and does as all his messengers before him, and then it became a Proverb. How was this sudden change made in saul's messengers▪ and in himself? It is answered, The Spirit of GOD came upon them: That is true; but sure there is something in this, Ver. 20. and Samuel standing as appointed over them: Doubtless this change upon Saul the restraint of his bloody hand, the thrusting-backe of his sword three times successively, was the fruit of samuel's words, and answer of his prayers, for an in behalf of David, and to withhold Saul from shedding innocent blood. I make mention of it here, To show, that all fair and warrantable ways were used, prayers and supplycations were put-up for Saul, while there was time for it, and persons fit for that service, which did properly belong to Samuel and the Priests, not to the Heads of the Tribes. It was their time now to appear in the Field, there to hold up their hands, with their Swords; for Saul in pursuance of his own way, and to satisfy his will, hath commanded the Edomite, and Nob is destroyed, and Saul is hasting to Keilah, and hath called together five thousand men. David and his men must look to have the roughest hand put out against them, that ever was put forth▪ for it is saul's hand and his Edomites, as it is at this Day: Therefore, I will clear Israel's duty, now, touching their prayers for their King now, (as I have cleared their practice in taking-up Defensive Arms) That they have performed their duty at that point just as belongeth to the Israel of GOD. Armies appear in the field in a seeming opposition to the King, yet not so indeed, but in opposition to his wicked Council, carried on, and acted by that evil spirit, who now works so effectually all over all the Christian world; Now the Objection is, That Christians should make no Resistance, no not of the Devil, but by prayer and fasting. I have denied that and made it clear; That, when the Devil acts by the hand of an Edomite, than he must be resisted by the sword of an Israclite; We must make him bleed (a spirit though he be) if he maketh us bleed. Yet I say; as Israel then, so have Israel now, taken the old way of disposessing the Devil by prayer and fasting; They have made petitions to their King, prayers and supplications have been put-up to him; So many and so servant, That Israel may be said, in this behalf, to be, a praying people, wrestlers with GOD for their King; and their King may be said to be a King of prayers. But yet there is no Answer of prayer. Yes; there is: as shall appear by and by, though yet not such an Answer, as Israel could desire with all their hear●s; And for this it is a sad thing to consider, Whether the sighing of the poor under his oppression hath not thrust-back the sigh and groans of the poor, for, and in his behalf: whether the blood he hath shed (for he hath given a commission to the Edomite, the Papist, an old Adversary to Israel) whether this blood he hath spit like water, cries not louder in the ears of the LORD for Revenge, Then the prayers of his faithful servants can do for mercy? we cannot resolve it but it yields a sad consideration. Yet certain it is, The true Israel of GOD, Ministers and people, may see a Return of prayer, for and in behalf of their King, which appears thus; The King by the motion of his evil Council, pursued a way not good; he sent a cursed Book into Sc●tland, worse than a Sword against David; This destroys the body, That the soul; This Book was rejected by the best Law and Reason that ever was read; Facile est quic. quid in presenti faculonocet illud grave, etc. Salu. de Eccl. lib. 2. yet the King was pleased to force it upon them; and they forced it away: The King, pressed by an evil Council, pressed-on, and sent Messengers again and again, and then the Sword pressed on; Then he went himself to the borders, as often as Saul sent Messengers to fetch David-in: The third time he went himself; And what he did there, for, and in behalf of David, (I mean the true servants of GOD) he knows, and GOD knows, and more than two or three in the world; for his own hand has made it legible pursuing David with the Sword, and those that have an hand with David ever since. His heart could not be with David, the faithful in the LORD in one Kingdom; and his hand against them in another. But how comes it to pass, that the King (we must speak out now or never) has driven on-ward furiously, more than 4. years together, pressing-on against the drawn sword, and yet the sword has not taken him off from the earth? We must say, GOD is exceedingly patiented, and long-suffering; but sure the prayers of them, whom he persecutes, has hitherto been as a shield over his head to keep off that deadly shower we read of, from falling on his hairy scalp; Psal. 116. Prayers have turned back from him the sword of the destroyer, wherewith he assayed twice to have destroyed his native people, or to make their necks stoop to an iron yoke; Prayers have withheld from his lips, That horrible draught, (the portion of their Cup, who walk in such ways) fire, and brimstone and an horrible tempest. His good people have put up prayers for their King, they are not wanting therein: If they are wanting to their King, it is in reproofs, in telling him in plain and downright words (as the Prophets before him) That he is in a perishing way: Certainly, if they are wanting to their King, it is in this, they have not sent him a writing, such as Iehoran● received, wherein was written; Lamentations, Mourning, and Woe. 2 Chro. 21.12. They have sought GOD for their▪ King, and they have not sought Him in vain; therefore it is that he yet drives-on furiously to destroy David, and those that have an hand with David, and against the Angel's sword in his way, and yet the sword has not cut him off from the earth. And his good people are not a weary, they will continue seeking GOD for him still; though he revile them, they will bless him; See Thank-off p. 83.83. though defamed, they entreat; being persecuted, they will suffer it: For this is his good People's duty, theirs, whose duty it is to lie on their face; but not theirs, to whom GOD says now, as unto joshua, GET THEE UP, there is an accursed thing, which has thrust you from the Lord, and it must be thrust away; they must be cut off from the earth, who have taken peace thence, and have put forth their power to dethrone the LORD Christ. joshus then, and the Worthies of the LORD now▪ must not lie upon their faces, but (according to the power that GOD has put into their hands) they must oppose these actings of the evil spirit, working effectually with the Princes of the earth. I Remember now what the Scots did, not 3. Years ago, but almost as many hundred; Their King, james the third, lived an idle life from the beginning of his Reign, which was the Seventh Year of his Age: He was no sooner Married, but he Doted, and had a special gift in flattering himself. Exclu●a Nobilitate. And those about him (few or none) of the Nobility the worst he could pick from cut of the Cities or Country) quickly learned the Court-Art, and could flatter as well as their King: but none more accurately than the Priests could do; They told their King, he might do what he listed; he was King, and his will was the Law, Thereafter he might punish, and might pardon, and bestow his honours, as he would, and not as the Common Law wills; but, says the Author, all as he wills, so it must be; will was Law and King both, and Commands all. What a miserable Confusion was here? The face of the Kingdom quite changed; Nobleses could not be heard, nor the Law neither, and good Men were Silent. Some base Men, or quite degenerate, had the ear of their King and his heart, and commanded his hand; and they did all till they had almost undone all, for they Monopolised the Common good of all the Subjects, their King; They Ingrossed his heart, that dear Commodity; So as That, which should be as Rivers of water to Refresh the whole Kingdom, they made as a sealed fountain, quite shut-up to all honest Men, and open to, etc. In the Nick of Time, there came an Ambassador out of England (if I well remember) to treat of Peace, and to seal it with a Marriage, when the Prince and Princess should come to age. So great a business required consultation; The King calls a Parliament; He (with his wicked Counsel) has his end; satisfaction of a Private will; and to enlarge Private wealth; The Nobles and Commons have their end, the Commonwealth, the public Faith, and Trust of the Kingdom. They are all assembled; the Lord Douglasse (a faithful Minister of State) is their Speaker; his Speech is long, that which relates to the present is short; He tells them wherefore they were called together, what their King's end, what theirs; the King's business requires no haste, the matters of the Kingdom does: he opens unto them the sink of the Court, shows the Nobles and Commons their Vassalage under these, the vilest persons, who stanke all the Kingdom over. We are Nobles, says he, ye and we are a free people, yet if we look not to it quickly, we must be made servants to the basest Masters, the lusts of our King and his favourites, who have stolen away our King; his heart is gone, quite alienated from his friends, and betrayed to his enemies. No sooner this was spoken, and his speech ended, but out he and the rest went, Nobles and Commons, and to the Court gate. What is the mats, says the King? We will pluck the evil Counselors from your side, said they. The Question was quick; the Answer was as quick: They will have their demands, and they have them; those evil Counselors, the Plague and Pests of the King and Kingdom (all but one, and he was a youth, too ingenuous to learn the art so quickly, is spared at the request of the King but all the rest) are given over unto them; and they as quickly hang them up. How did they do for Ropes? That might be a question indeed, being so near the Court gates. c●m funes in re sub●ta decsse●●. They made an honest shift, for they hanged these evil men up with their horses bridles▪ Perfidious Scots, said some, three years ago: Honest Scots, say I and shall say so, till I read and find the contrary: They will bestir themselves, when they see a Kingdom near to ruin. There is not the like story but a very notable one of Dursthus their eleventh King, mentioned before: he was slain in battle by his ow●e subjects; They ●re blamed for it to this day, that they broke their Oath with their King: No▪ they did not, he broke with them, and was the most perfidious King that you shall read of in any Chronicle. The case is plain and the manner of resistance, cleared to be as becometh Israel then and now: But all Israel comes not in now as they did then, to help the LORD against the Mighty: There will be excellent Reason given for this in the next Chapter. CHAP. 8. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. David had a glorious deliverance when he was made meet for it: So shall the Church have, when their adversaries have filled up their measures; When God's People are purified in their furnace, than their God will send them glorious Saviour's, and a glorious Salvation: In the mean time they hold fast their confidence. Davids' helpers came-in, he was raised to a glorious condition here on earth, the Crown was set upon his head presently; and there is mighty Reason why it was so: His head was made meet for a Crown, he was fitted for deliverance: All his strong holds were down; all his Altars (the lying vanities whereto he trusted) were as Chalk stones, that are beaten asunder. Isa. 27.8. He was greatly distressed, forsaken of all humane helps, refuge failed, all is gone, and all the discouragements in the world were upon him; yet at such a time he fainted not, but encouraged himself in the LORD his GOD; Then he could exalt GOD in that day, Psal. 18.12. he could say of Him Thou art my strength, my Rock, my Fortress, etc. he called upon the LORD in that day, SO he was saved from his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2 Sam. 22. Our case is otherwise, our helpers come-not-in, as to David, all as one man; we are yet greatly distressed. True, you will say, in some quarters of the Land, but it is not every man's case; and God forbidden it should be so all the Land over: So say I too. Amen. And yet it must be every man's case, I mean not, to suffer all alike, the spoiling of our goods, but to be affected and afflicted for what others our Brethren and Sisters do suffer that way; this must be every man's case, to have a sympathy, a fellow-feeling of what others do suffer; we must suffer all in compassion, before we are delivered; every man must bear his part; Heb. 10.33. partly (says the Apostle) whilst we were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and assli●●ions; and partly while ye became companions of them that were so used. If we examine our case by this Scripture, it will tell us how fit and meet we are for deliverance, which we wonder does linger so long. The sword has greatly distressed our land, how has it wrought upon the oppressed therein, or what compassion in those, who have not yet been oppressod by it? Surely it may be answered, Perdidistis utilitatem calamitatii, & mise●rimi f●cti estis, & pessimi permansistis. Aug. de Civis. l. 1. c. 33. that the most of us have lost the fruit of all this sore wrath, which has lion upon our neighbours these many years, and upon our own land these few months, which yet we have reckoned years: We are very miserable, (that is every man's complaint) and yet we continue very wicked, and that the fewest lay to heart: We are far from seeing this fruit of our punishment, The purging of our sin: But this we must see before we are delivered; By this shall the iniquity of jacob be purged, Isa. 27.9 and this is all the fruit, to take away their sin. These words contain much, we will give our minds to understand them; Then we shall observe, That there is but one means, even by the blood of Christ, whereby the iniquity of jacob is purged; He only takes away sin, immediately by Himself; our repentance does not merit salvation, nor can our many Plagues satisfy for one sin: GOD forbidden we should think so; Nay, GOD forgive, if any such thought should take hold of us. The intent of the Prophet's words is this, That the People of GOD ought not to murmur and repine under the plagues and strokes of GOD'S hand.; These are intended for remedies, and means to pluck down, and humble the stout heart under God's Almighty hand, to make His People fall low before Him, in the sense and humble confession of all their provocations against Him; and that He is righteous in all He has inflicted upon His People, wanton evermore in their prosperity, and more hardened in their way. They must bless GOD therefore for His plagues, and sore judgements, and pray unto Hime, that as He lays the stroke upon them, so He would sanctify the same unto them, to the beating down of all their strong holds, (which in the day of their prosperity they have raised) for the consuming of all their Idols, set up in the heart, or before the eyes, that they may moulder away like Chalk-stones, that are beaten in sunder, that they cannot stand up. This is sound repentance, a sorrow after a godly sort; and hereby, as by a sanctified means, the iniquity of jacob is purged. Repentance, that which is sound, is a secret thing, the very inward affection of the heart, deeply humbled for sin; yet is the truth thereof discovered by outward signs and tokens, which the spirit calls fruits meet for repentance; Matth. 38. and in this place, A taking away of sin. It is vain to talk of repentance, till we see these fruits; or to think of removing the plagues, till by (such a) repentance we have removed our sins: When is that? or how can we know we have repent? When our Idols are mouldered away like Chalk-stones, that are beaten in sunder; and our lying vanities stand up no more. Thus we have the purpose of these words, and of Gods dealing with His people at this time: They are greatly distressed; Let them thank God they are so, and say, The LORD is righteous, GOD intends them good by all this, and He stayeth His rough wind in the day of His East wind; (i.e.) He moderates His Judgements, He correcteth in measure, that His people may debute about it, That thereby the iniquity of jacob may be purged, and this may be all the fruit, to take away their sin. Three Consectories shall be cleared from hence; Then I conclude, First, That our evil of punishment (as of sin) is from ourselves: GOD'S own people make their adversaries strong. Secondly, That the LORD lifting-up the right hand of his adversaries, giving them success in the world, does this the more to confound them, so perfecting His own Praise, and His Churches good. Thirdly, when His People are meet for deliverance, than it hastens as upon eagle's wings. I will read these over again very briefly. First, If the enemies of GOD, and His Church lift up their head, and His people turn their back upon them, they may thank themselves; their sins have made the enemies strong, and themselves weak; they themselves have put a sword into their enemy's hand: We say, that Malignancy in persons, and things, do give check to great proceed, and do hinder the comming-in of unspeakable mercies. We are deceived: the LORD, the Churches GOD, never graced His adversaries, (whether Spiritual Lords or Temporal) so much as to hinder the comming-in of deliverance to His People, or to retard it for an hour's time. Their opposition does now, as it ever has done, rather hasten deliverance; their extreme rage against it, rather puts it forward. The Ancient of days doth not like the days, lengthen and shorten, yesterday and to day He is still the same, His Power the same, His Love the same. But Iniquities, these make the wall of separation; Sins, these hid His face from us. And these are the sins and iniquities of His own people, theirs, who with desire do desire That deliverance might go on, and that The LORD would appear in His glory; their sins are the let and stop in the way; The provoking of sons and daughters, these are the mountains in the way. Deut. 32.19. Isa. 48.18. O that thou wouldst have harkened to my Commandments, saith the Lord! What if he had harkened? Then mercies had followed mercies; deliverance after deliverance▪ love kindness upon loving kindness, Then had thy peace been as a River, and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea. Hear again what The LORD saith; Psal. 81.13. O that my People had harkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my way. Had they done so, than it had followed; I should soon have subdued their enemies, Verse 14. and turned my hand against their adversaries; The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves. It is a conclusion of experience drawne-up from the Time, See Dan. Harald. 2. p. 25. the Danes came in, after them the Normans, and now the Turks (I mean Beasts in the shape of men) That never any enemy came-in to our Island, before he was called-in by Divisions: And, being comein, They thrived by our Factions, and were strengthened by our Sins. I will add this to it; That never any adversary from that time to this day, (for I will go no farther back) strengthened himself against the Church, but by the sins of the Church. Hierom resolves a question greatly for our profit, What is the Reason, That the Heathen people rage, as now they do; See 2. Sect. p. 24. ser. 2.5. 2 Chro. 19.7. That a Barbarous Nation is so strong and prevailing as now they are? Our sins (saith he) against a good GOD, in whom we found no iniquity; Who hath done us good all our days; These our sins have stirred-up our adversaries, given them heart, made them strong against us. The sins of the Church strengthens the Adversary mightily against the Church. It is of eternal use to consider, what and where that thing was, which gave check to joshuahs' Battalion or Militia. It was not any favour The LORD bore to them, for they were the people of His Curse; It was not any power of the Adversaries, they were not a considerable company, a few, saith the Text, Iosh. 7.3. and why should all the people labour thither? Yet we read how those few prevailed, for the evil was from themselves, the accursed thing is in Israel's Camp. There is a deep matter in it, said job; A root of wickedness, it must be discovered, and rooted out, before The LORD will take off His hand. Who gave jacob for aspoile, and Israel to the robbers? Did not The LORD, Isa. 42.24. He against Whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, neither be obedient to His law: Verse 25. Therefore He hath poured upon him the fury of His anger, and the strength of battle. The anger of the LORD is kindled against His people: and He hath stretched forth His hand against them: and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. Then the LORD was pacified towards His people, was He not? No: for all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. The Syrians before, and the Philistines behind, and they shall devoute Israel with open mouth. Now The LORD is pacified: No, not yet; For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. And the very same reason now as then. For the people turns not unto Him, That smiteth them, neither do they seek The LORD of boasts. Therefore His hand is stretched out still; It is repeated again and again, to assure us, if we proceed in our sinning before The LORD, He will proceed in punishing before all Israel and before the Sun; till we repent of our sins, He will not repent of His sore plagues; He will proceed to smite till our uncircumcised hearts be humbled; till we can accept of our punishment, and say from an ingenuous and humble spirit, The LORD is righteous in all that He has done against us: Till this be, we shall find it will be thus; His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. I will punish you seven times more for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power: Levit. 26.18. i. e. If you will walk contrary to Me, I will walk contrary to you: And now consider we with all our hearts how contrary we have walked. We think the wrath that lies upon the land is sore and heavy, and indeed it is so. But consider we; was it a light provocation, to profane The LORDS day? to mar the beauty of it, more than any other day! The Bishops gave command for that, you will say. That is true; Therefore the land has spewed them forth; You shall hear more of their rough hand and bloody designs; But never any more of their unrighteous decrees, and grievousness: Be the Nations never so angry, they shall never prevail to bring in Bishops again. But the people were content to have it so, to have The LORDS Day so profaned; to have such a scorn put upon it; And therefore, if we be trod-upon all the land over as mire in the streets; And if the land should now lye-fallow, and keep her Sabbaths, we must acquit The LORD and say, He is righteous. But I will not reckon up particular sins, for they are infinite. We are conluded; Great and marvellous are Thy works LORD GOD ALMIGHTY just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of Saints, for Thy judgements are made manifest. Rev. 15.3. 2. The LORD makes His Adversaries successful, gives them power over His people, to put forth all their wrath against them as at this day; I say all their wrath; never was there such a wrath, boiled to such a height of rage as now it is at this day; for it is ag●i●●● David, and his men, put forth by David's King, and his men, which will be a scorching wrath, and it shall be put forth to the utmost extent, because under specious shows, and formal pretences, to maintain our Laws by lawless men; our Liberties, by companies of Robbers; our Religion, by Papists, the bloodiest men that are, or ever were in the world, haters of GOD, and the power of godliness: This will be a bloody persecution, the roughest hand will be put forth now, that ever was put forth against the Church, for it is put forth against David and his men (as was said) by David's King and his men, for Reasons so specious and formal (in some men's eyes) as aforesaid. Never any Pope's were greater oppressors than those, that had the most specious names: Pope Godly (Pius) Pope Harmless (Innocent) Pope Civil (urban) these were wicked Popes, yet not more wicked than they, who have a form, and specious pretences: They will make a people free by oppressing their Laws, and them under the foot of pride, etc. and their King glorious (so they say) by making him a Lord over a conquered Nation: Vnum alique● voluptate ac deliciis fl●ere gementibus undique ac lament antibus alii●, hoc non est Regni sed carceris esse custodem, Th. A●●. V●●p. and that (says Sir Thomas Moor) is not to be a King over men, but a Tailor over Captives; To be a Keeper of a prison, and not chief Guardian in a Kingdom. Yet the LORD may suffer these men, or rather beasts in the shape of men, to goe-on (to the length of their chain) and to prosper; so as it may be said, The Tabernacles of Robbers prosper, and they that provoke GOD are secure, into whose hand the LORD bringeth abundantly. GOD is righteous, so we are resolved; But why is it so? For excellent Reason; That their Adversaries may fill up their measure apace, and heighten their destruction, which will be in all His people's sight, as liftedup even to the Skies: Their rage reacheth to heaven, so shall their judgement also. Secondly, GOD useth the wicked as Scullions, to try His people, and to purge, and to make them white▪ so perfecting His praise, and His Church's salvation; to make His people MEET for deliverance, as we shall hear by and by. GOD does not suffer this viperous generation to run at large, (laxis habenis, as a best with reins on n●ck) that they might satisfy their lusts upon His people, (though so they do, and GOD suffers it to be done) but that is not God's end, this God intends, The purifying, the purging▪ the humbling of His servants▪ that their lusts may be subdued, the lusts of the Eye, of the world, and Pride of life. This is God's end, the very purpose of His heart, to make a people meet for deliverance; when this is done, the Rod shall be cast into the fire, the tabernacles of the Robbers shall be destroyed, and they sent to their own place. We wait, and God waits; We have waited three years, God has waited eighty yeare●. we wait for deliverance, GOD waits for glory, in waiting to show mercy; we shall have our waitings in good time, when His people shall be truly humbled for then they shall see their desire upon their enemies, and give GOD the glory of all His work, even of His strange work● for. Thirdly, When His people are meet for deliverance, they shall be delivered suddenly; then the Lord will send them meet Saviour's. It is true, GOD can work by what instruments he pleaseth; but He will not use base and inglorious instruments, to work forth a glorious salvation, such as He has now in design: not such as pretend to have an hand with David, and work all the mischief they can against David, and those that have an hand with him; and drink the health of those, who have sworn the destruction of David, and in pursuance of that▪ shed blood to their power. These men, who have drunk a way their wits, and their valour, and their healths, and cursed away their souls, the Lord has rejected; they shall not, if they would, do● Him service in this war; He will purge His Armies, as He has done the Courts: He will have Noble Instruments (I mean faithful, such as fear GOD above many) to carry on these designs, and to bring about a work of this nature; Certainly they must be Mosesses and Ioshuas, and david's, by which He will work forth this glorious deliverance; when GOD does glorious things, we shall see they are done by glorious instruments; so it was in ancient times so it will be now. We smote Og, and all his people, till there was none left to him remaining; And a huge fellow this was, King of Bashan, who remained of the remnant of the Giants; and we took all his Cities at that time, Deut. 3.3.4, 5. there was not a City which we took n●t from them, threescore Cities, and these were fenced with high walls, gates, and bars, besides unwalled Towns a great many. Who was he that was so victorious? Moses the faithful Servant of the Lord. It is as notable, how successful joshua, Moses Successor was (when the accursed thing was removed) we never read the like until this day: He came upon his enemies like a tempest, destroys all as he goes; he passed-on to that strong-hold, looked upon it, and took it upon that day, says the Text: That is the account he gives us, He came, looked upon Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron, and Hazor, the heads of the Kingdoms, took them on that day, destroyed them, neither left they any to breath. Some adversaries melted before him, others submitted, others stood-it-out, and quickly fell to his foot, which Joshua set upon their necks, and gives Israel assured confidence for ever, Thus shall the LORD do against all the enemies against whom you fight. But when are a people meet for such Saviour's? Quest. When the people can love such Saviour's, Ans. and not dote upon them; When they can pray for them, but not trust in them; when they can use them as glorious Instruments in God's hands, but not lean upon them, for that is to departed from an Almighty Hand, (the Church LEANS upon her BELOVED;) When they can give them their due thanks, honour, and praise, and God all the glory: O how faulty have we been at this point! therefore how has The LORD plucked some of those instruments from us▪ those that were most faithful: If we give gideon's sword the pre-eminence, we undo him, and overthrow all. and weakened the strength of others, because we looked so steadfastly towards them. How hath he discovered the treachery of others? And all this that we may take our hope wholly off from the creature, and six it fully upon Him, who is faithful. If The LORD show us no more, blessed be His Name, that He hath shown us so much▪ and, that He hath strengthened the hand of any of His Servants, to bring salvation to His Israel, notwithstanding Israel is so prone to idolise Men. I must give resolution to one question more. When are a people fit and meet for such a salvation GOD has now upon design? Qu. When their uncircumcised hearts are humbled; Ans. when they can indeed and in truth acknowledge their contrary walking, It is a sad relation I read from 2. great persons, who had traveled all Germany over; that they found the Protestants there sarte more wicked under their pressures and calamity, then when they were in their ease and prosperity. jer. 6.29. and accept of the punishment for walking so contrary to the rule and will of GOD; when their dross and scum is sod forth in the furnace of their affliction; this must be before we are delivered; GOD does not deliver out of the furnace, before His people are purified therein. We think we have lain long in the furnace; But what have we profited by lying there so long. Is not he that was proud, proud still? he that was filthy, filthy still? Is not the great scum sod in, and are not the Bellows burnt? As The Lord complaineth. We are Brass and Iron indeed; an ordinary fire, (ordinary affliction) will not melt us. And though some are more tender, and, with josiah, will quickly melt, at the very hearing of wrath denounced, yet these things must be soberly enquired into by all, before we be delivered. 2. A people are meet for deliverance, when the accursed, whether persons or things, are destroyed from amongst them; then joshuah was mighty and prevailed, and not before. Iosh. 7.11. Till the accursed were destroyed from amongst Israel, Israel were accursed; and lying on the face could not help them. That is a resolved Case. 3. A people is meet for deliverance, when all their Strong-holds are down. I do not mean those before our eyes, though this may he: All our Forts and ●reast-workes must be destroyed before our eyes also, as david's was; I say, it may be so, and likely so, because it is so hard a matter to have them, and not to Trust in them. And if we do trust in them, than they must be impoverished, saith The LORD. All our strong-holds must down. All wherein thou trustedst, that is out of question; Every thing that exalts itself against GOD must down, for GOD will be exalted in that day. It will be a glorious deliverance; His people shall be greatly exalted; Their enemies all shall be strangely confounded; None of the glory of this wonderful salvation shall be given to the Arm of flesh. GOD will have all, He is dainty at that point, He will not give His glory to another. To conclude, we think GOD is long in coming, and salvation sleepeth. No, GOD will come in the fittest season; His salvation shall come, and not stay; It shall come, and in such a season, and in such a glorious manner, as His people shall say, Salvation could not have come in a fit time. It is certain, that the Servants of The LORD shall acknowledge, they could not have wanted any one thing, Their LORD has done in show and semblance for their Adversaries, and against them, His own people; their falling before their enemies, has made them fall low before their GOD, and rise high in their faith; and to hold their confidence the faster. They could not have wanted those blows in the North, no nor those blows in the West, which were like those stones thrown against Saint Steven, They did knock them closer to their GOD. They could not have wanted that unfaithfulness in some, nor the treacheries in others, or the weaknesses of others, they could not have wanted any of all this; for all this has greatly advanced the Wisdom, Power, Goodness, and Faithfulness of GOD. All has made His people wise in the wisdom of GOD, and strong in the power of His might. If they had not been so weak once, they had not been so strong now. If they had not seen what fools they were, they had not been so wise now. If they had not been filled with sorrow once, their joy had not been so brim-ful now. Their salvation could not have come sooner, if it had, it had not been so well; their hearts had not been so prepared for mercy, for such ordinances, so agreeable to His holy will. If they had not been hewed and hacked, they had not been polished stones so fitted for a spiritual building. In a word, their sickness has been better to them then their health; their war better to them then peace; their prison better than liberty; their fall before their enemy, has made them more victorious; and in deaths often, has made their lives more glorious in the face of heaven and earth. Now blessed be GOD. Who dost all things well, and in the best time, as shall be best to advance Thy glory, and Thy people's salvation! Blessed be GOD! Why then do with Thy people what Thou wilt; take Thine own Time, and Way, to do with them what Thou pleasest. Wilt Thou suffer the Ploughmen to make yet longer surrowes upon the backs of the righteous. Blessed be Thy Name, Thou wilt make the field of Thy Church more fruitful thereby. Shall there be a treading down by the foot of pride yet longer? It is that Thy people may rise in their faith more gloriously. Shall Thy people lie yet longer in the deeps? it is, that one deep may call upon another, the depth of misery to the depth of mercy. Shall Thy people lie longer amongst the Pots? It is that they may be more glorious, as are the wings of a Dove, Psal. 68.13: covered with silver: and her feathers with yellow gold. Wilt Thou keep Thy people longer in the furnace? It is that Thy people may come forth as silver seven times purified in the fire. Thou wilt do Thy people good by all this; blessed be Thy Name. Yet remember LORD, Thy Servants are flesh too; their strength is not the strength of stones, nor are their bones of brass. Let not the rod of the wicked lie always upon the backs of the righteous, lest they also put out their hand to wickedness; lift up the foot to the perpetual desolation. The spirit will fail before Thee; LORD hasten Thy work; LORD strengthen the hands and the hearts of Thy Servants, for they are called by Thy Name, and their trust is in Thee. Thou wilt save, Thou wilt deliver, for it is Thy promise. Thy Servants will not be beaten from Thee, but by their blows closer to Thee. They are well content, since Thou art pleased so, to see the Tabernacle of David fallen down. Now they look, Thou wilt bind it up firm and stable, as a quiet habitation, Act. 15.16. a Tabernacle that shall not be taken down, not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed. Isa. 33.20. what Thy Servant jacob said once, the seed of jacob will say ever, Gen. 49. I have waited for Thy Salvation, O LORD! It shall come at the fittest time, and by the fittest means: Even so Amen. Hab. 3 17.18.19. Although the Figtree shall not flourish, &c, yet I will rejoice in The LORD, etc. Isa. 12.1. And in that Day thou shalt say, O LORD I will praise Thee: Though Thou wast angry with me, Thine Anger is turned away, and Thou comfortest me. Finis tertiae Sectionis.