THREE KINGDOMS MADE ONE, By entering COVENANT with one GOD; wherein we have these Remarkables, worthy all observation. I. What it is to Covenant with God. II. How hardly his People are drawn into it. III. How The Lord has suffered His Adversaries from time to time To Buffet His People thereinto. iv The height of this Covenant above former Covenants, and Reasons why? Clear Demonstrations also to show. I. The necessity of this League and Covenant; whereunto there are grave Objections made, and Answered. II. The Legality and Equity of this Covenant for the Casting out of Archbishops and Bishops, with their Curates Service, and all together; And Answer made to all that can be reasonably objected against their Casting forth. III. The Exemplarynesse of this Covenanting way; It is according to the foot steps of all the Godly, as all the truly Noble in the World have gone in before us. iv The Seasonableness of it, and therein the Power, Wisdom, and Goodness of God, All wonderfully admirable. V The Sweetness of the Promise touching this matter, The purging out of the Rebels; and how saluted a fare off: If Rebels continue longer in the Land; if more Rebels come plundering into the Land, Then there is excellent Reason, why it must be so, and abundance of Comfort for the Church of God, and no cause of fear. VI The force, efficacy, and virtue of Covenanting with God; It never failed the Church; It never shall fail the Church unto the World's end. VII. One Objection there is, but it is cleared; and God's Interest in the business is so cleared too, That He must help His People, That He must. VIII. We have Reasons and Arguments enough, why He must help; His glory is engaged, even He Himself; and so we have concluded. By Ez: W. Deut. 27. 17, 18, 19 Thou hast avouched The Lord this Day to be thy God; And The Lord hath avouched thee this Day to be His peculiar People; And to make thee high above all Nations, which He hath made in Praise, and in Name, and in Honour; And that thou mayest be an holy People unto The Lord thy God as He hath spoken. London, Printed for Christopher Meredith, and are to be sold at the sign of the Crane, in Paul's Churchyard. 1643. READER. I Have of late fastened my thoughts upon a great business; The Militia of Kingdoms, how To fortify them▪ To set them in a safe Posture for War. By God's good hand with me my Thoughts have issued the Means, how to compass, and bring about this greatest Work, none like it. These are the means; First, Purge out the accursed, Persons and Things; That must needs be first. But this is not done by humane strength; Men have done it, yet working as Instruments in God's hand; and He has been brought down to them and their Work. How? By Fasting, Praying, Preaching, etc. Mighty means all these to bring God down to a People (but all these cannot keep God close to a People.) And because we are lost in generals, I have singled forth one Person, To exemplify all this; To show what exploits he has done; How he has maintained his Militia by all these Means; and more to be shown in due time; but more specially by This, the chiefest of all Means, which now follows, Covenanting with God; That is, An Engaging Work; It Engageth us to God, and God to us; This is Covenanting, and most prevailing it is every way: Indeed, Nothing does the Work throughly, but This Covenanting with The Lord. An high and mighty Work, of large, yea infinite capacity; Therefore it must take up more room than we would have it, Considering how loath men are to fill their hands with Papers now a days; or to be at Cost, unless for news, some of it, not worth a Sparrows price; though a Penny more, might gain us very much, and undeceive the whole World, even of unbelievers; as one * The Vndeceiver, I shall name the Author anon for honour sake, in a Low Case; If I would make a request in so low a matter, I would entreat you read it. has done very happily that way; but there is a generation of Men that will not give twopences for knowledge; They care not what the Learned say, but they can read and believe lies. In reference to the present time, and this nov●ll Reader, all for News; This comes out a part, and alone, like a piece or a cantle, broken off in the midst, and therefore gins so abruptly. Three Kingdoms, etc. I Am come now to a full point, the conclusion of the business, The entering into Covenant with God; That is the period, the main point indeed. I will tell thee in the intrance what it is; I. I. The great and highest work; That which will maintain the Militia of a Kingdom fully; It will set it in a Posture for War, or against it, the strength of Battle, even so safe as it shall laugh to scorn all the fury of the oppressor, and ask, Where is it? it will make a Kingdom like a wall of brass; and render the blast of the terrible ones, of no more force or account against it, then is a puff of wind against the perpetual hills, and everlasting mountains; For this work is an engaging the heart of a Kingdom altogether, as one Man unto one God; The I refresting, Intitling Him to the Kingdom, the giving up the government of it into God's hands, the willing resigning this government up, and leaving of it where it is, and must be when all is done, upon the Lords shoulders, so as it shall be now called, The Lord's Kingdom, and the people there, the Lords People, the gates and bar; there, (I mean all the fenced places, all the Ammunition, all the Battlements there) the Lords gates, the Lords Battlements; Not the King's Forts now, [though there shall be no diminution to Hi-Rights and Royalties, His Kingly Power and Authority, which God had given into his hands, No diminution at all, not one jot or tittle is taken thence, Caesar must have his due given him, enough by God's allowance, but then no more for God is God of gods and Lord of Lords, the High and Supreme Lord still, and his Law the supreme power still; and this is the glory of a King on earth, to be subordinate to the King of Heaven, and a a willing Subject to His Law] I was saying, not the King's Kingdom now, nor the people, properly, the King's people now, nor their own; nor the Forts and Battlements there, all these Fortifications there, not the Kings now, but the Lords Kingdom now; the Lords people now; the Lords Battlements now. It is just so; for if the King will do as we shall see anon, the Kingdom has done, give himself unto the Lord (which is the prayer of all His good and faithful people) than the King will not be his own neither, but the Lords, a willing Subject to Him, who is King of Kings; he sits King in the Lord's Throne, stands charged by the oath of God, to rule His people (God's people) with equity; and His poor (Gods poor) with judgement, 2 Chron. 8 9 Psal. 72 8 doing all still in subordination to the Supreme Law, and in reference to the Law Book. I was saying (but I was interrupted, willing to tell the Reader, as shortly as I could, what this Covenanting is) that now we are come to the great work and business of the time, with much ado and great trouble, through the heat of the day, we are come up to this business now at the last, The entering Covenant with God, an endeavour, at least, to bring three Kingdoms up unto it to engage them to be the Lords Kingdom; the sum and upshot of the business, the fruit and result of all our Fasting, Praying, Preaching; the end and issue of all this is, but to make a People, a People of willingnesses, a willing People to this Work of Covenanting with the Lord, that they will be Psal 110. the Lords People. II. TWO, A wonderful thing, that sigh this is all, to enter Covenant with the Lord, that we will be no more our own, but His People, we should be so hardly drawn to the Work, so backward to it! I say again, a wonderful thing! O ye heavens! be astonished at this, the Lord has brought up Rebellious children indeed. Take the sons of Belial this once for an example; these sons all the world over, how willing are they to make a League, and Covenant, with their Adversary the Devil; Sin, Death, and Hell. And Israel, His people draw back, will not hear the joyful sound, will not enter Covenant with the Lord. O ye heavens! are ye not astonished at this? See again, how these children of disobedience, and sons of Perdition, how these Associate, and knit themselves together, fully resolved to their power, to break the bands of the Lord, and cast away his cords, and then to root out His people, that their name may be no more upon the earth Thus these Children do; Earth, earth, earth, hear the Word of the Lord, shall not his people do as much for their God and His Cause, as the wicked do for the Devil their Master, and to maintain his worship, and their Idols? yet how hardly are the sons and daughters of God drawn to do, contrary to these sons of Belial, To lay their souls under Sacred bands, To bind themselves with the cords of God, His Law, His Statutes, His Judgements. III. III. It is very remarkable, and sure we will set a mark upon it by the way, how the Lord has forced His People, has used a kind of violence to bring up His people to this Covenanting Work. The Lord suffered the Adversary to buffet His People into Covenant with Him. The Lord suffered the foot of Pride to prevail very much, even to a setting-under, and trampling upon the heads of the Righteous, as Myre in the Street: Thus The Lord suffered it to be, That His People might stir-up themselves; Protest to serve God better, and avouch Him for their God. And so His People did. But here was much of self in this Work; self ends, and self respects. They groaned under grievous Taskmasters: The Proud man had set his right foot upon the Church, and his left foot upon the Common wealth, and swore he would take away their Birthright from both, Their Laws, Rights, Liberties; 1 Pet. 1. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Inheritance of their Fathers: But these outward Liberties, the setting the foot upon these. This pinched indeed, this crushed to the heart; and this was the main Enforcement with the greatest part, To enter into a Protestation, I say, that swayed most with the most. Well, God heard their groans notwithstanding, pitied His People, and took off that head, which consulted against His hidden ones; and withered that hand, and foot, which set so hard upon the Necks of the Righteous. But as is said of the King, he never dies; So of the Church's Adversary, he is still lively and strong, and a Legion he is; for many there are, who hate the Church here; And then he was more mad with rage; then the Nations were indeed angry; So the Adversary and Enemy plotted, and plotted: Here he laid a snare, and there a snare; The Lord broke the snares still; For He had a respect to their Protestation, That His People seemed willing to avouch Him for their God; And from that very day a See Thank ●ss●…. p. 85. The Lord blessed His People, made them strong to do exploits, from that day; But from that day the Adversary was more lively, and active, as was said, to do mischief: So they traversed this way, and that way, Till at last they brought about a most bloody Design. What was that? To cut and slay not a few; To destroy a Mother City in Israel, even her, Who maintains a great Family; is the great Housekeeper under God, The great Hostess in our Land, that forgets not to entertain strangers, To welcome the outcasts and abjects, those that are thrown-out of Cities, and Towns all over the Land, as Persons, or things of no worth there b 2 Cor. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Heb 13 1. : But the world is not worthy of them. These this Hostess does entertain, she is not forgetful: This Mother City was in design to have been destroyed, even this City▪ and with her, all the faithful there, and every where, that had an hand with David: Indeed, and indeed, had the Adversary had his will, they had destroyed this City, and all with David, all throughout the Land, from corner to corner. What then? Then we entered into Covenant. It was high time; And doubtless the hearts of the upright, were upright, touching that matter? But we, we common People, did not Covenant To search every man his own heart, for the finding and casting out the accursed thing therein; And those, who, as always they have done, made void the Laws of God and man. We came not up fully unto that Work; Nay, let me take the boldness for to say, sigh I speak in the presence of God, and by His grace will weigh and consider what I say, and I will propose it by way of doubt or Proposition, only thus; Was not that Covenanting too Selvish? I mean, did not the Subject's Rights and Privileges, take up too much Roomth there? I will not say it did, for, was there not a Cause? That the Worthies, should do as they did? Yet this I may say. III. FOUR There was not that Spiritually in the business, as God requires; The Worthies, all of them, did not (till now) rise to that height of Soul, touching The Lords matters in His worship: The main and chief business did not seem to be, the Cause of God, Religion, The Faith, The great Trust of the Kingdom▪ The maintaining the Rights and Liberties of the Gospel, and then of the Church, against those Usurpers, That had taken these Liberties quite away, (pleading their Right from Heaven, the while they set the Church under foot) Against such Opposers, mighty Adversaries, who have let hitherto, and will let till they be removed, and taken quite away: The Covenant did not descend to this Bottom, to this Root (even that descent To the Root, argues an height of zeal too) the eradicating, or rooting-out of that cursed train, the Pope, and his Bishops. Nor did that Covenant express a Love, or a Care so diffusive, so spreading toward their Sister Churches of Scotland and Ireland, (as it should have done) when yet they knew (but the present distractions and care to save themselves clouded them a little) sailed in the same Ship with them, were involved in the same dangers from those floods of great Waters, quite covering the Ship of the Church in the same Tempest, even Scotland too. Much more might be said, I will say but this, The Lords thoughts are good and gracious toward His People; He will bring His People up to Him, fully and indeed. And what way takes The Lord? He suffers the Adversary to blunder on his own way▪ gives him, as the Adversary calls it▪ Success in his way, and, as he will have it called, a Victory; The Lord delivers up His Cities, some of them, into the Enemy's hand; then suffers the Adversary; gives their Tongue power to move, and to blaspheme His Holy Name: The Adversary in his pride, and height of blasphemy, asked a poor People; Where is now your God? What is become of your Praying, and Fasting, and Preaching. What of all that? O wretches! Devils, I had almost said, What is become of all this! Look you here, and if you can consider, consider, for it is Higgaion Selah, a matter seriously to be thought upon; That the Pe●le of God have prayed and praised (Prayer and praise still go together) and fasted Psal 9 16. and preached, Three Kingdoms into one: as sanctified means, these have brought them into Covenant with their God, as it is at this day: At that very time when the Adversary so blasphemed, at that point of time, Scotland had great thoughts of heart for England, and England for Scotland; both for Ireland. So they entered into a League, knit themselves together, all as one, To etc. For there is enough said, touching the matter and manner c The subject of a short Treatise of that solemnity, though I had said nothing. I shall inquire now into these things, and demonstratively show, first. I. I. The necessity of taking this way of Covenanting with God; It is the Sacra Anchora the only remedy, to save the Ship of the Church. How is that done? (For save the Ship and save all) By maintaining the Rights and Privileges of the Gospel; or to speak in the vulgar and common speech, To maintain the Protestant Religion: No way to do this, but To Covenant with The Lord so to do; there is a necessity then. A. No, no Necessity at all, nor cause why this should be the Kingdom's care, for it is the King's care. B A poor speech, I will not say simple. Is any one man sufficient for that care? Or dare any man say, he is compitent for such a care? The care of all the Churches lay upon Paul; God fitted him for it, and Paul was not alone, he had, and would have, many helpers. The care of three Kingdoms is more and more weighty. A. True, nor is the King alone; as he tells us, The maintenance of the true Religion, is his care, and he vows to discharge that care. B. Very well! But I wish from my heart, That His Majesty, had not vowed so much for the Church: And more from my soul, if more can be, That he had not done so much against her. A. His zeal is pardonable, and his care pious and conscientious; he is careful to discharge his care, as was said; and he knows how to do it well enough: His Majesty has Noble Instruments about Him, helpers to him in the full discharge of that great Trust and care. B. By your leave Sir, I'll take it; yet, by the help of God, and His Law, I will keep myself within the Bounds of Christian Prudence, and say, The vile Councillors have set the King in a worse way, than ever Jeroboam (who made Israel sin) prosecuted: For Jeroboam took a good way to a cursed end: and that is strange, yet not so strange as true: I say, good, by allowance of the Spirit, who calls Achitophel's Counsel good d 2 Sam. 17. 14. , though tending to a cursed end. A good way Jeroboam went, plain and direct, neither he, nor the People could be deceived in it: The full purpose of his heart was to set up a Calvish worship, which yet he might call true (for I think no man embraceth falsehood under that ●otion) though clean cross and contrary to that worship instituted, and commanded by God Himself at Jerusalem: I say, he set up a Calvish Religion, and he says so too; That was well, say so, and do so; And the good way he took, plain, and direct; For all that he did, had a direct tendency thereunto, to his main scope in the sight of all the People. Therefore what did he? He appointed Calvish (brutish) Priests; such a service, such Priests; These agreed as the Ma●e●…lips and Lettuce: A good way this still, no turn of the old Serpent in it, but direct and strait. But had Jeroboam then professed in words, To maintain the worship of God commanded at Jerusalem, while yet he did, as he did, set his eye against the Priests of the Lord; spied them out and spurned them out throughout all his Towns and Cities; which he did with that violence and eagerness, That those Priests, if you mark the story, came by companies to Jerusalem, persecuted by Jeroboam out of their places, where he had Command, or spoilt there, had I say, Jeroboam professed with his mouth all this time, while he persecuted with his hand; To maintain the true worship of God, than every child would have laughed at him: and the soberman, who knows what it is to mock God (but God is not mocked) would have wept hearty. Ah Lord would the true Israelite have said, what? profess the true worship as at Jerusalem, and set up Calves at Dan and Bethel! Ah Lord? Indeed the true Israelite would have so wept, so mourned! and let him do so still, as he sees cause; for whatever we judge of the King (the Lord He is Judge between him and us) we do know his helpers, what maintainers they are of Religion; what Lawless men will do for our laws: children of Belial with our sacred Coards, and Bands; and what Papists will do touching the Rights and Privileges of the Church and Gospel. For at this time we will not mention the Rights and Privileges of Parliament, though of good account with us, yet of no account to the Pearl in the Gospel, that is the Gospel, and at the stake now, have at it, and all at once, and then lose that and lose all. A. The King cares for the Gospel as well as you; and because of this blood shed, his heart is grieved; he would stop that floodgate, and hastens as fast as he can; he will have Peace with all men, and pursues it, witness that Royal Act he has done in Ireland, therefore what needs there preparations, or Covenanting betwixt three Kingdoms? B. A Royal Act! and what need of Covenanting! I protest I can scarce hold; but I will keep within my bounds with Gods help still, and say and prove. The necessity holds still and holds the stronger, & has all laws of heaven and earth for so holding, but I will say this first, A wicked Counsellor has put his Majesty upon an hard work, and he has been upon it all this while, how he may undeceive the people, now the work is done, and not till now, not so perfectly done as now; why now? Because he has made a peace with Ireland, and now England is undeceived I hope. A. Good Reason and Charity to boot so to do: for Ireland is quite wasted with the hurtful sword: and to give peace there argues a soul-bleeding over the desolations the sword has made there, does it not? B. No sure, for he has made peace with those— Monsters, I want a word to express their villainies, who have laid that land waste; have murdered 100000. thousand souls with a rage reaching to heaven; exercising such Cruelties upon the bodies of men, women, children and sucklings, such cruelties as were never heard of or done, by the Ethenick or Heathenish. Rome, not the like to those executions we now read of in the Tragedy of Ireland: His Majesty has made a peace with them, a league with them. Shall it stand? God has sworn by his Holiness, it shall not stand. He will have war with them, who have dealt so and so with His people: There is a Curse pronounced against these murderers too, which shall cleave unto them, and to their children after them, faster than does the Ivy to the wall, because they compassed about the righteous with words of hatred: and fought against him without a cause; Because they remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man; Psal. 107. 3. 16, 17. This, Curse of the Lord upon the enemies of the Lord, it shall certainly pursue and overtake them. They loved Cursing, it shall come to them: They delighted not in blessing, it shall be fare from them: And peace shall be as far from them too, as far out of their reach, as it is from their hearts, or as is the highest star from their lowest finger. We judge not the intentions of the King here, we leave him to the Searcher of hearts, who judgeth Righteously. We are sure, very sure we know the intentions of these murderers, their purpose is to band themselves against the Church; The Church expected so much, and is provided for their coming; how well fortified she is we shall here anon. Truly she is not careful touching that matter. But she sees the necessity of doing what she has done, Of asscciating her sons and daughters; kniting themselves together all as one man to stand the firmer against the Common Adversary. A. You may thank yourselves, if the Irish do come against you? You call in the Scots, why should not the King call in the Irish? B. I would as good reason could be given for every thing that is done, as will be given for this, and then we should do and walk as men. Should not the people of God seek to their God; and for help from the people of God to comein to help God's Cause? And should help be sought from the Devil and his Instruments, the enemies of God, to help the King against God and against his good people? more to this anon. It is well now, whatever strength comes against us, let it come: and if this Covenanting with God, has occasioned more stirs (as doubtless it has after the old manner) blessed be His Name. Whatever falls out in the world, it is not Chance, the Lord does it, suffers it to be so, and He is The Lord; He does all things well, It is the Lord, let Him do what is good in His sight. Here His people are; They must go God's way, The way of His people; our defence and protection is from the Lord; it is not our care, it is His, with reverence be it spoken, let God look to that. His people are gathered together to do Him service; The time was when at such a time, when His people were so gathered together for that great purpose, than did not the Lord suffer a Dog to move his tongue against His people: none must do them hurt at that time, though all lay open to invasion. He did reprove Exo. 34. 24 Kings for His Church's sake. (Oh! the security of a people engaged upon God's work!) Reader let us do our work; leave God to His; I will assure you we shall put it hard upon him anon. What is that? We shall, having done our duty, require of Him to maintain and protect His servants. But yet before I take of my hand hence, I will say this and no more. That the King is liable to God's reproof; Thou hast loved them that hate the Lord: and hated them that love the Lord: And now it is in my mind, I will shut up this with a Story out of Tacitus, how a brave Empress takes up her Lord Tiberius the Emperor, and lays the grossest, most palpable, pellucide, transparent hypocrisy to his charge, thus it was; Agrippiva comes to Tiberius to intercede with him in behalf of some of Augustus his kindred, against who he had put out a very rough hand: and she finds him, to speak in English, doing before Augustus his Tomb, as we have seen our Bishops do before the Altars, bending and cringing there, and performing some other devotions, I know not what, to the sacred memory and external honour of Augustus, that diminutive god. The woman could not forbear; out she breaks, like a woman full of indignation, Shame upon thee, Tiberius, shame upon thee; what a notorious hypocrite art thou? what! seem to honour Augustus Non est ejusdem macti●… victimus Augusti & posterius ●…s inje●…. as a god, and abominate his friends and children as if they were Devils? O abominable! how mistaken art thou? Thinkest thou to veil the eyes of the people so? then thou must put out their eyes, for bending with thy knee before thy god, will not bear out, not countenance the injustice of thy hand against Augustus' children, No in good faith, Tiberius, it will not; And let me undeceive thee there, for thou canst not by all this deceive the people Thou art but one person, Tiberius; Thou canst not truly and really act two so different parts: It is not possible, notwithstanding thy seeming devotions, truly to honour Augustus; and yet to persecute his kindred. The vile Counselors will not apply here, I will; yet I will make but two Suppositions, and two Positions, and then the use of all; The first Supposition [for qui supponit non ponit, Though I do think what I think, and know what I know, yet I say only] suppose That the King does persecute the Children of God. This supposition granted, this will be the Position, That all his devotions to God: all his protestations to man are null, and of none effect, as his Proclamations and Commissions have been, for he cannot worship before God and persecute His Children. 2. Suppose That the King has made a peace the Irish, the most kankerd Adversaries, That the Church has, or ever had, in the world; do but suppose it so, grant that Supposition; Then this is the Position; I tremble to put it down, but it is Truth; Then the King, what ever shows are to the contrary, hateth God, and good men; That he does, God, Angels, and Men are witness hereunto; That being supposed, this must be granted in despite of the Devils in Hell, and his servants on Earth; That the King doing so, and so hearty for the Irish, he hates all true English and Scottish, all the faithful in the world; He hates them all; as hearty as he loves the Irish; I must add, he hates God too. Take both the Suppositions together now, and then the necessity followeth, which hath all Law with it; and that I will call the use, or inference from the premises; If the King persecute the ●…nred of God, than he cannot honour God: If his heart be towards the Irish, those murderers for good (as they call it:) than his eye is upon David and his helpers, all the faithful in the world, for Evil, to do them all the mischief they can. Then I hope all the faithful in the world will make this use of it, and a virtue of necessity, To Associate themselves; To enter Covenant, To knit themselves together all as one man, against the haters of the Lord, for they see the necessity of so doing, and they have the use; but all must be done orderly, according to Law and equity: for our necessity is not like the necessity of the Irish and English Monsters which has neither Law nor Reason; ours has both, and equity too, this fellows, from clear demonstration. II. II. A reasonable and most equitable thing it is, That we should swear to maintain Religion; for the Adversary swears to destroy Religion, and if he destroys that, he destroys all; All that the excellent of the world, account excellent. We swear to maintain Religion, than we swear to maintain all, for Religion is the Gospel, Christ and all; It is the very Pillar of this great Fabric; It is like a Ship in a storm indeed, but save that and save all. A. No man will gainsay you in this; Maintain Religion in God's Name; And defend the Church with all your Power in the same Name; It is but just and equitable so to do; But I pray you where is your Law? This Law bids you maintain, Archbishops, and Bishops; their Curates too, and their Service-Book also, our Churchmen all, and our Church Officers all, and our Church Services all, Organs and the like. What! Cast-out these? O! I tremble when I think of our holy Service, and holy Servants, and of your oath which runs thus, we swear to root all these Arch-Bishops and Bishops and all, etc. for there is, as was in their oath an etc. and so your Oath runs through all. B, Yes indeed does it, and we will run after as fast as we can, we will do as we have sworn. But first, know you what you said? It is a wonder indeed that you are so mistaken: Churchmen, said you! They are no Church men nor Commonwealths men neither; not the later, for they so sought their own private wealth, that they left the poor subject nothing he could call his own, but his misery: And such Churchmen they are too, such Archbishops and Bishops as * Titularis non Tutilaris Rex; defuit non praefuit Reipublicae. Chilperick was a king (of France:) They were as a golden Head set over the Church, but they did not the Office of an Head, of a Foot rather, for they did, to their Power, stamp the Church and Common wealth both to Powder: We have sworn, as they did, To Root themselves in, so we, To eradicate, and Root them out; and mark now whose Oath shall stand: I'll say nothing here touching their Messes of Service, first Mess, and after Mess, the Mass indeed: I have much to say of it, and if it come forth, I'll curtle it that the Reader may have it for his price three farthings, yet that he may rise one farthing higher if need be, I will assure him this, If I do not prove by Argument, That the Liturgy or Form of Worship, (the people's Idol now, and the Bishop's god) is as useless (to say no more) as is unsavoury salt; then I will give the Reader my Tongue, and leave to throw it-out after the Liturgy and Salt to the Dunghill. This in passage. A. Ay but you ought to swear in judgement, and to do justice, than you must not swear to Cast-out Arch-Bishops and Bishops, nor their Curates; for the Law of man has settled the one in their Throne, in the house of Lords too, and over their Diocese: and their Curates in their several places, settled men too; you cannot swear them out neither, by Law. B. No? why then we'll let them alone a little; as their fellows have done, they will throw themselves out anon. But I thought verily the man would have said, That God's Law set and established Bishops there; truly I thought the man would have pleaded for their standing jure Divino, by a Right from Heaven, as the Bishop did, penning his own Charter; but the man is wiser now, and the Bishops too: The only refuge now is, To the Laws of man; well, To the Law of man let them go, but that will deceive them too; I will leave the Reader to Mr. channel, I name him for honour sake, because indeed he may Glory in his work, and Boast in the Lord, for he has undeceived all the Christian world touching that Point; the world thought, and such a fool was I, (amongst the rest) I almost thought so too, hearing such brags and boastings, as if the Bishops had all from Heaven, Their White Sleeves too, the garment of the Saints; so the world thought, That Bishops were by Divine Right; yes, and their Curates and their S●…vice-Book, commonly called the Liturgy; all this was established by Law too, and to question that Right, was as dangerous in those times, as to take a Lion by the Beard. But now we are clear in this point, thank our learned men, Lawyers and Divines, They say, These have no Law for their standing nor Reason neither, not a word, not a syllable of either, have Bishops for their standing, say our learned men, and Mr. channel last of all: And truly I believe them as verily as I do the Gospel, so clear I am at that point, which Mr Channel hath cleared to all the world, that This and That, Persons and things, were brought in by the mere pleasure of man against the Law, [whereon I could delate very largely too, for he is deceived indeed, and willingly so, That will not be undeceived now] ergo say I, These may be cast-out by Law. But I will not trust my Law, I will grant, though my indulgency that way will do the Bishops no good, That the Law has appointed Bishops Lords over Diocese, has settled them in the Church, placed them amidst the House of Peers, made them Spiritual too; (I cannot tell what the Law of the Lord may do, but sure I am, The Law of the Land never did that) But grant all this, give them their challenge, (all the Rope they do deserve) all the Law they do desire, grant them their say, That the Law of the Land has made them Arch Bishops and Bishops, Lords and Spiritual, all this (truly I can scarce suffer such a thing to drop from my Pen, the Rope was more in my thought, and that is Law too) But be it so for this time; yet notwithstanding this large grant; If Arch-Bishops and Bishops are all for mounting-up of Altars, Edification of Images, for maintaining Superstitions, Heresies, Blasphemies, horrible Profanations, even of the Lords Day; Then may we find out a Law, or make a Law, and swear unto it when we have done, To thrust-out such abominable Parsons, or give them the Rope within, so Trussing them up by the Necks. A. Stay a little, dare you avouch all this? B. Yes, and swear it too; and more, I will make a challenge, If I do not give better Reason and Law both, why the Arch-Bishops, and Bishops I mean a Bishop rick in the Bishop's latitude. should have a Rope from Earth, than they can give why they should have a Bishopric from Heaven; I mean, If I cannot make better proof, That they should have a Rope, Lege Humana, than they can make Proof of Tenure or holding their Bishoprics jurc Divino, Then I will hang for them at Tyburn, or burn for them in Smithfield. A. Durst you (or wiser and better than you) say as much as this five years ago? B. No indeed, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem, deep silence then, for it was the Power of Darkness and the Bishops were in their Zenith, the verticle point, and height of their Reign. I will speak a little for my betters, It was an Evil time, the Prudent man held his peace, and so he shown his (own) wisdom by his silence and doing nothing; for, Beholding The Lord's Day Profaned, The Lord of the Day Blasphemed, The Honours and Service of the Day defiled, all this while he (wisely) held his Peace; He observed more, even grievous Wolves hasting to Christ's fold, thence removing the Shepherds, and there scattering the sheep: All this while, if they would let him alone, he would let them alone; such was his wisdom: But it was his own, he never learned it of his God. He bids this man, who ever he is, (But this man was not alone, a thousand with him, were as silent as he was, but if alone, yet God bids him) In my Cause, and against my Enemies be as bold as a Lion; Then certainly, He that so commands, would as He did, command the Lion's mouth, he shall not devour this man, who is as bold as a Lion for God's sake: Truly we must not flatter our Wisers and our betters, It was their fault, and they are exceedingly humbled for it, they were too fearful, too loath to speak, too forward to flatter: So the Shepherds and their flocks were scattered as we heard; indeed the servants of the Lord, considering the terrors of the Lord, the place appointed for the fearful, are very much humbled for their silence, and Compliance, and if they be carried down with the stream of mighty waters they can accept of their punishment, whereof Augustine discourses very well and usefully in his first Book of the City of God, Cap. 9 Now we return to our Law Book, which tells us, That our Bishops were not made Archbishops nor Lords neither by our Law-Book. Though an Archbishop said once in the face of a great Assembly, That the Holy Ghost made him Bishop. Well said for a Bishop, but when he had said, he had done, and no man was so foolhardy as to reply, for it was in the High Commission Court, and he was next to the highest there, and by the Laws and Constitutions there, he was made, constituted, and established a Bishop, and maintained his standing there by the same Statute Law, we know no other. But grant them all the Law in the world for their being Bishops (Archbishops we will not mention) yet they are not more Bishops, nor by a better Law, Than Maacha was Queen, yet when she had hoysed-up a filthy thing, I know not what to call it, but an Idol it was, and lifted her eyes and heart unto it, than was she, by the Covenant and Oath the King and Peoyle had taken, Put down from being Queen. So it follows here, and by as good Law, and so I leave it, and will hear now what the Man has to say, why their Curates may not be extirpated or Rooted out also. Truly me thinks they stand together very I mean all the Idol Shepherds in the Land. handsomely in their Service-book (Bishops and Curates) and let them be thrown-out in God's Name with their Service-Book too, So it will be: why should they not be together still, Bishops and Curates, for such Bishops and such Curates, and such a Service-Book: And out they shall be cast for certainly so contrary, the Church has Prayed this long time, and now the Church shall reap the fruits of her Prayers and long expectations; by help of God and His Law Book the Church will cast out Arch-Bishops, Bishops and Curates. A. Not Curates sure, they are good men, standing up for the King, and for Religion. B. So say the Bishops too; explain the terms, and you have your Answer. For the King; What's that? Against God, the High God, Lord of Lords; against His Christ, Prince of the Kings of the Earth; against Truth, and Peace; against every thing, That has a tendency that way, to the good and happiness of the King and Kingdom. For Religion now, what is the meaning of that? The Curate shall tell you; For Religion (i. e.) for forms of Religion, a Liturgy, a Service Book; for all their Religion is there. We have lifted up our hands to the High God, That we will throw out all these; who are so contrary, even as is light and darkness, to That, which we have joined hands and heart to maintain with our Estates and Lives, that is Religion: and cursed be all those, who obstinately stand Neuters in this great Cause, so nearly concerning God, His King, and Kingdoms. A. Why are those that stand Neuters cursed men? They are innocent; They will anger no Party; They are for the King, for the Church, for Churchmen, and Church Service, as we will call it, and not against the Parliament. B. Yes, against it, for they are not with it: In this very case also, our Lords words are true, and reach these Neuters. A. But what Law have you for Neuters? B. None at all; Law is for an Hare, they say, and a Polt for a Polt. Cat. The very truth is, we have no Law for them at all, But all the Law in Heaven and Earth, is against such: And if we do not throw them out, The Lord will spew them out; As sure as Herod was a Fox; so sure this Neuter is such another man, a cunning knave, and a very fool too; he stands holding fast a brasse-penny in his hand, beholding the while, the Pearl trampled-under by Swine: He holds fast his own Rights, and will keep his own Privileges: But for the Gospel and Gospel's Rights, whether kept or lost, he is William Indifferent a I knew a man in Oxford called so, who when his house (very old and rotten) was on fire, and he was told of it, said he was indifferent. I know not where to find this Neuter (as our English Seneca to his little friend, in his younger days b To Mr. W L. deead 3. epist. 5. he is every where, and no where, etc. But I will rather have it observed, how the Poet describes him, Natat modo, like one that swimes; he is now on this side, now on that; openly for virtue, secretly for vice; as unequal as Priscus, as like himself, as Vertumnus; as various as Protcus c Hor 2. ser. Sal. 7. A man, that has his body here, and his heart with the King's Army: That gives a pound of silver to The Lord Christ (thereby to keep his thousand:) and one hundred to maintain the War of Antichrist. A man that standeth at an indifferency, so equally poised, That a Moment turns him, he is as is the time; runs as does the stream; stands as does a Wether Cock; I could tell him now two or three stories, which would make him tremble at the judgements of God, upon Neuters, but I forbear. He will not appear for Christ, his end will be destruction; he must appear, but Christ will not appear for him, not acknowledge him then, at that day. As miserable a man as is in the world, and as Malignant, and hurtful; They that are so, and appear not, do the most mischief. It is but Law and Reason both, That these should be cast out. And now to close up the Bishop's Case, and the Legality of the proceeding against them, we will note this as follows, That the proceed against the Bishops have been all along these 3 years, according to the clearest prints of Law and Justice, that ever were observed in the world: For first, The Worthies un-Bishoped them, thrust them down from their Thrones; (an honour their flatterers gave unto them without Reason; the Worthies took it from them by all Reason, and Law to help.) They took from them their Dignities, Lordships, temporal and spiritual, rendered them as contemptible, as they made themselves, and endeavoured to make the Lords day: And, which was most observable, The Church cast them out of their Prayers: Indeed their praying for them still (as Bishops over the Church) had been an intimation of their right to reign (tyrannize rather) over them still: and the Church's subjection to that Antichristian power. But they thrust them out of their chairs and now they vow to root them out from the Land of the living. If we behold this well it will appear to be a very beautiful work, and the order taken therein, makes it so beautiful; It puts me in mind how the Romans dealt once with their Ruler, that ruled them, as the Bishops ruled, with a Rod of Iron; so proudly, so contrary to Law, and all good Reason, That he was called Turquin the proud: he dealt with his People almost as proudly, as the proudest have dealt in Ireland. The People honoured him while he was their King, but when he rendered himself a Tyrant, by his insolences and cruelties, than they would not endure; they un-kinged him, that was first, and then lifted up their hands, and vowed to root him out, him and all of his name; I note it to show the Legality of the proceeding with the Bishops; It reacheth higher to the Archbishops; But I have done. You see the Legality and equity of this Covenant, touching the casting forth these Archbishops, Bishops, Curates, and all this, as clear as is the Sun, next and there I shall be short: We must observe the exemplarynesse of this Covenanting way: There are a Cloud of Witnesses, who will give their Seal and Warrant hereunto. III. Asa is a man of renown, touching that matter; who ever observes his steps, will go on after him; Never any man was more successful than he; so victorious as he; he made his Kingdom a Mountain of brass: The Ethiopian came against Judah with a thousand thousand, and more, thought verily to storm Judah. No; Judah had taken a sure way, To confound his Adversary, They had entered Covenant with God. But I prevent myself here; more of this anon. I might be large here, but I forbear in so cleared a case: The three Kingdoms entering into Covenant now, have done according to the best examples, as all the true Israel have done in all Ages; It is a clear case, as clear as the Sun, I come to the next. The Seasonableness of this Covenanting. iv Oh the Wisdom of God, The Power of God. Oh the goodness, the mercy of God, whose Name is wonderful! God, indeed, hissed for His people in the North; called upon them to enter Covenant with His people in the South. They readily obeyed: Was that any wonder? No truly; For, besides their own endearments and concernments, (paries cum proximus ardet) their own vows were upon them, and have lain upon their shoulders, almost these fourscore years. But let us see the power of God here, we will observe His Wisdom afterwards; His Power first, Who makes the Wolf to lie down with the Lamb, The Calf and the young Lion, and the fatling together, and Isai. 11. 6. a little child shall lead them. Wat you what? Reader, I pray you let us hear. That as we understand how matters stood betwixt England and Scotland three years ago, when the Bishops in both Kingdoms, would have thrust each others sword into each others Bowels: So also, we may understand how matters stood betwixt England and Scotland three hundred years ago: Ah Lord! But we may remember it rather with praise now, and rejoicing: For we are Brothers now, and live as Brothers, and accursed be he with all the curses in God's Book, that goes about hearty, and indeed, to break the Brotherhood, between Judah and Israel; To sow seeds of discord betwixt these two: God has joined us together, and we are Brothers now. We, (and here God is wonderful) who, sometimes Centuries ago, were Wolves each to other, such devourers, that it was a wonder, (say our Chronicles almost all) that the Nations were so Hos. 9 12. Cruente Caedibus Trens. fruitful to bring forth so much flesh, as the sword did devour; for England brought forth her children, as Ephraim did, to murderers in Scotland: and Scotland her children to murderers in England, so they flew one the other, and fell in one day, I know not how many, but as the Poet expresseth it very well, as the Wheat-Stubble before the Reapers. North and South, (indeed it commands our observation) The people there, as opposite Homer. once, as are the two Poles now, are made one now, brought up together now to enter into Covenant; whereunto, (and this we must take notice of in passage) Scotland had engaged themselves 70 years agone. I pray you let me tell you how that came about, for our purpose is to exalt the Name of God, Scotland was over poured by their Queen there, and her power from France; Then did That Queen, whom every mouth doth bless: but that which speaks blasphemies still: whom every Church has in their eye, what they can see, and keep of her, indeed she loved the Church and the Nation, Then did Queen Elizabeth send succours into Scotland, which kindness Scotland accepted, and remembered with all thankfulness, and then engaged themselves to do the like for England, as their matters should require. We have seen the Arm of the Lord, now I hope we can discern the wisdom of the Lord, and so take altogether according to our scantling. Let us observe the power of God again, They that were twain, as scourges, nay, as Scorpions each to other; are now made one, as one stick in God's Hand, wherewith He will beat the hazael's of the world, till he has consumed them. O the power of God And His wisdom too! at such a time, such a seasonable time as this is, when all the Dogs in the world, all the Irish, English, French (all in the King's Army, having their hearts, and hands there) when all these have their mouths wide open, to devour the Church for such a Time as this, God made these twain one, That they might be as one Stick in His Hand, To beat these Dogs: for such a time as this! As it was with the Scots, when they were oppressed Ezek 37. 19 by their Governess the Queen Regent, and she helped from France, then did help come from England, seasonably, as a sweet shower falls upon the mown grass: so, in such a season as above said, did the Lord remember the Scots of their Engagements, which they will answer now with all readiness. O the wisdom of God I pray you let us leave Him to His own Time; let us never make haste, nor distrust Him for after time, he will comein seasonably to His Churches help; He will do all for His Church, as He did for His servant Mordecai, (In truth the parallel is wonderful) and exalts God's Power and Wisdom, and Glory to the world's end. The Lord remembering Mordecai in the fittest time, may learn us the understanding of our own hearts, and of the times, and patiently to wait God's time. I shall not count it then a digression from the main purpose, to stay a little upon it, I will lay open my thoughts here, That good men may (for the wicked will not) judge of their own hearts thereby, & find a means to make them better. I thought the time long; how long Lord, Holy and True, how long shall the treacherous man, deal treacherously? Shall the Sword destroy for ever? (In our distractions, we call a week a month, and a month an year, and an year, ever, an everlasting Time, so we forget prosperity, and in adversity we cannot consider) Thou hast said, Lord, Thou will purge out the Rebels. Shall it not yet be? So also I asked after an Association and a Covenant, to assure it when shall that be, if that were done, all were done; When wilt thou bring up the hearts of thy people, To this work? When shall it be, that we be no longer vexed with all adversity? I do not blame these desires I persuade myself these are good. Yet I must examine my desires, which way they tend. The purging out of Rebels & Rebellion is the Thing desired, a warranted desire, according to Gods will. I hate them more than I do a Toad or a Viper, for a more venomous and hateful generation there is not in the world, and, which is all, such, whom God hates: I may hate their Rebellion, and, as they are enemies to God, them too. Then the desire to be rid of them, is a good desire. But now, if that Rebel, self, and the Rebellion in my own heart, has not vexed me more, or as much, as all that I see in the land: and, if I am notas eager to have it cast out, then that is my blame, and this the good man's lesson. Look to it how that Rebellion has troubled and vexed Thee; whether more than has that, which thou seest in the world? That Rebellion in thyself grieveth thy Father, and the good Spirit of thy God most of all: Observe thyself well now, whether this Rebellion grieveth thee most also? whether thy desires are most intent, and hearty, To have this Rebellion, subdued or cast out. So for the other desire, O! an Association, that we were at a sweet agreement, with ourselves knit together, and with our God in Covenant. Indeed I did desire it as before, hearty, and it was a good desire, But if I do not desire as much, To agree with my Adversary in the way: and to be at peace with my God; if not, there was self in it, self ease, and other self respects, and I must blame myself for it; which may teach the best man in the world, as before, and so, in the second place, for that is most pertinent here. My desires are good, but I hearty blame my hastiness therein. I was too hasty, for I limited God, as if I were wiser then God. Truly I never thought so, but I did, as those do that are half of that mind, who have such high thoughts of themselves. I was too hasty touching the time, and season of it; Was I as hasty to be rid of that Rebel my own will, and self, and of the Rebellion, which selfwill caused, was I as hasty at that point for a Riddance there? Certainly I was not, Then must I correct myself there first. Secondly, Let us all consider this for it is pertinent indeed; The Day is Gods, so is the Night, He created the Light, He form darkness; Time and the season in His, Then let Him alone with His own; let Him dispose of it, and of matters to be done in it, when and how it pleaseth Him. Whatever He does we must not meddle with that, for it is His prerogative Royal To be Lord, and, master there; We must not limit Him, Who is infinite, to our time: Time and season is ours to make use of, but the propriety is in God's * Acts 1. Hands, we may quickly be too hasty there; While we have time let us be doing good; we cannot be to hasty at that point, for that is our duty; but to set God a doing at our time, there is hastiness. We may, nay, we must lift up a prayer for that Remnant, David and all his helpers, throughout all the Christian world, with, and in the Parliament; with, and in the Assembly, for the Heads of the Tribes there, for all the precious, the Cream, and Crown of the Kingdom; We must strive in prayer for them, and endeavour with our Estates and lives, etc. we know what follows, and must do it, else we do not as we stand bound to do, our work and duty, to lift-up the Hand against Amalek●, both on the Mount, and in the Valley. But having done so, we have done our duty, we may rejoice in the Lord, and express it, as Luther did, singing the 46 Psalm. Surely this being granted, That we have done our Duty, we can stand still calm and quiet in Spirit, embracing the promise a fare off, and magnifying God's Salvation to be made manifest in His Time, and no hastiness now, being assured, that all God's works as they have been, so shall they be gloriously beautiful: Why? because, as they have been done, so they shall be done, in season; His time, not ours, therefore in season: We cannot but know how seasonably He worketh for His people▪ how beautiful His Footsteps and Comings in for their help have been ever, are, and shall be evermore: The Lord will comein, as he always has done, so seasonably, That His people shall say, O the Power of God, how admirable! O the Understanding of God, how unsearchable! O the Goodness, Mercy, Love, and Kindness of God to His people, how rich! how abundant all these! I cannot express it. The Point is this whereat we Anchor our spirits, God does all things well, because in His own time, the fittest season. We have a parallel for it, whereby to exemplify this; Thence I digressed, thither I return now to take a fuller view of this seasonableness, * M●…d c●s kindness was remembered in the fittest time; so the kindness of England's Queen. 〈◊〉 9 4. In the Night of our distractions, The Day of jacob's troubles, none like it, when all were designed to destruction, when the foot of pride set so hard on the neck of the Righteous; Then the kindness of England must be remembered: When England's King deals (I will say but) hardly with his good people, than the kindness of England's Queen must be remembered, even then. Surely The Lord does all things in the fittest time, the best season: and, O the sweet sympathy of the Scottish Nation! Brethren indeed, they are made for adversity; Truly they have the mind of Christ; Persecute My people, thou persecutest Me, that was the mind of Christ; Persecute England, The Gospelers there, you persecute us, there is the mind of the Scots. Truly they are more sensible of our pain than we, who smart from the Scorpion; and they will assemble themselves, knit themselves together with us into one Body, to destroy this Legion of— that they may no longer sting in Gods Holy Mountain: We have Vowed to standup against this Generation of Vipers, till they are so subdued, that they shall no longer Sting, or be as grieving Thorns, or vexing Briars to the Church, and people of God. Amen. V V A. But now you have associated yourselves, and are knit together (as you say, the wicked are solden together, as thorns, so ye) as one man, now you are so knit together, are you able for this work? B. Yes, that we are, able through Him, there is no doubt of it, in Whom we can do all things; we have done our duty, that we have done touching this matter; The rest we leave to God, and will tell him of his Promise anon. A. Why, but they (you call Rebels) are as many every day, nay, more than before, and as lively they are, as strong, as formerly they were, and more firmly united. B. Well, what then? Therefore the Rebels shall not be purged forth; that does not follow, though it is not the work of a day, nor an year neither; That work is doing, but we must not make haste; we have a promise for it, and we can live upon that, and give God thanks. God can do greater things; The Church never Questions His Power, He can take away the iniquity of the Land in one day; with the same speed He can take away the Rebels, as He did the Northern Army, send forth His wind, Zech. 3. 9 blow them away in one night: He can do so, but it is not his manner so to do; He will hold his people in expectation, and it is good for them they should be so held: If there were not sore trials, and long waitings, where were Faiths mastery? there must be a distance between the Promise and performance, that the Saints may learn to salute, to kiss the Promise afar off, and be glad too, with exceeding joy, as at the sweetest embracement. Heb 11 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. A. Salute and embrace afar off! how can that be? B. Very well, and it must be so; The Antipasses Gods faithful Witnesses, the Martyrs, could embrace and kiss a Faggot so near at hand, that presently it set them all on a flame, so near it was. O wonderful! Yes, for it is granted, They did embrace and kiss the Faggot: But so they had not done, if they had not seen the Promise afar off, and embraced it; I will be with thee in the fire, it shall not burn thee: and in the water, it shall Esay. 43 2. not drown thee, for thy Head is above. I pray you observe it; God's people see and embrace the promise afar off, and can wait with patience till it come. They are a waiting people, God has waited upon them, they must wait upon Him; so exercising their patience, yea every Grace. O blessed be His Name! If He does not deliver His people now, He will sustain them now: If He suffers Rebels amongst them, this is also sanctified unto His servants, for the overcoming the Rebellions, and casting out that Rebel Self in their own hearts: All administrations of Mercies, all distributions of sorrows all for the Churches good, all shall tend to the advantage of the Soul, That shall prosper by all; and if the Soul (that excellent thing) far above the excellency of the Sun when he shines in his full strength, if the Soul prospers, all prospers, for the Soul is all: And all The Lord does or suffers to be done, has a direct tendency to this great end, That His Church or People may prosper as their Souls prosper. God's way is always strait, and Man's crooked motions shall tend directly to His end, the purging and whitening of His Church, and making them meet for Dan. 11. 35 Glory: When that end is attained, Then you shall hear that the Rebels are purged, and sent to their own place. So all is in reference to His People, for the Churches good; all this trouble shall greatly advance the Church's peace and quiet; This Sour shall yield Sweet to them: Hereby the iniquity of Jacob is purged, etc. for this will fall in again in the seventh Section. Here I Isa 27. 9 shall tell what the Lord has done towards this Promise; I will purge out from you the Rebels. Truly He has done so much, That, if we see no more done, Ezek. 20. 38. yet for ever blessed be His Name, for that the Lord has done; Our eyes may be closed shortly and covered with dust; What if it be so? yet we can salute, we can Kiss this Promise afar off, and say, Praised be His Name for what our eyes have seen fulfilled in all the people's sight, touching this Promise, I will purge out the Rebels. We have seen Archbishops and Bishops laid flat on their backs, as men in their graves. Al but they will rise again, they say; Yes, at the last day, we say; howsoever we have seen them laid flat, The height of our desires was three years ago, The taking away of three Innocent Ceremonies (for such a Pope there was) Good Lord! He would give us a full mercy; we have seen three and four, that is, seven abominations taken away; The Lord be praised for what we have seen. * That which we have seen is enough to defray all our expense of Spirits, Time, and Purse. Luther thought if he could be instrumental for throwing out of Indulgences and Pardons, those cursed things, O how well apaid would he be! how would he boast in his God Would ●e so? His God would use him for greater things than those, The Lord broke down before his servant, this Wall, and that wall, shown him these and those abominations, and what Luther did, all the world knows: The Lord loves to bestow mercies with a full hand; and blessed be His Name, as it is Holy, * Esay 6. 3. Blessed, Blessed, Blessed, for what He has done towards this promise, and for what our eyes have seen; even so, Amen There are stops and pawses, nay, Lions and Shee-Bears, Walls, * What hinders and retards the business. and Mountains in the way, we shall get over them all at the last. Indeed we of the Common sort move very slowly, not like men who would leap over walls and skip over Mountains; and the Richer sort are nothing nimble neither, very sluggish in their motions, specially if they move toward their Purse, the drawing or emptying of that. I can easily believe the Covenant was penned in Scotland, who well understood, and mean to perform what they wrote, to their eternal praise, which is in the Gospel. There is one expression in the Covenant (nay two) which we poor men cannot perform to our wills, and Rich men will not understand to their Power; and that retards, holds-back, and slugs the motion very much; We Covenant to endeavour with our Estates, and Lives, (i. e.) we will let Estates go, and Lives go, and all go, That the Gospel may not go; we will layout all, all we have, and all we are, That we may maintain the Rights and Liberties of the Gospel; for, maintain the liberties of Christ's Kingdom, and God will maintain the Liberties of our Kingdom; and for the maintenance hereof, Thus we Vow to do, to expend our Estates and our Lives. The Scottish Nation, a poor people, for we must remember how they were oppressed plundered, persecuted four years ago; yet so they have done: And verily, wheresoever the Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, surely there shall also this, that they have done for the maintenance of the Gospel, be told also for a memorial of them; such great matters they have done for the Gospel, as men, that know a Pearl, and can estimate it. Truly we poor men cannot perform here as we would, but a poor man's Mite has been accepted, where there is no more. And happily some of us have done what we can, and then it was a resolved case a thousand years ago, That a poor man may be liberal, when a rich man giving an hundred times more, yet not unto a proportion to what God has given him, shall be called a Niggard, a Covetous man; and now you have said the worst of him. I will say but this more, certainly the rich men do not understand what they have sworn, and this is my reason; There was an hundred thousand pounds to be collected this last month, a great sum you will say; Yes, but I assure the Reader, upon the knowledge I have had of this City these twenty years, and of the vast expenses now drawn from the rich men there this last year, (which the Lord returns seven fold into their Bosoms) That yet there are ten men who could and would make up this large sum, and send it away; I say, would, if they valued the Pearl in the Gospel, (It is Religion, it is the Gospel, call it what you will, it is the Pearl) as they do the Pearl in the world, that is, their money. Reader! do these men understand what they swear? We will with our Estates, I will not add, and with our Lives: If they will not part with their money now, at such a needful time: not give out that, I mean in a proportionable sum to what God has given them, and with a reference also to the Pearl now in danger to be trod under foot by Swine; If they give not now like themselves in a proportion to that, which God and his Cause, and all good men, call from their hands; if not help now (with their Estates, asmall proportion thereof to what God has given them) to save a Kingdom, than not with their lives sure, though the Pearl is worthy the purchase at the highest rate; for we remember, That a Merchant sold all that he had, and bought the Pearl, Mat 13. A hard matter to persuade with Merchants in these days so to do, from whom (some of them) we may more easily draw blood, than their money. The Scottish people have done their duty, To vindicat and keep the Pearl trod-under by Swinish men, they have sold all; The English swear to do as much, Some in Scotland, Some in England will be faithful, they have counted their cost, understood what they did, and so have Covenanted; and by help of God, they will stand to it. There is no more required to make a Kingdom as a Mountain of Brass: In the next placethens we will well consider, what is the virtue, force, and efficacy of this Covenanting with God. VI VI It is very prevailing every way. It is a sure way, it never failed the Church; They associated themselves, entered into Covenant, and then all was sure. King Asah, King Ezekias with other, are great examples here: It is a safe way, and it is an only way. Ask from one end of Heaven to the other, what is the readiest way to complete the Militia of a Kingdom? It is Answered, this is the way, Come up to God's terms, enter into Covenant with Him. So Asa did, and until he had done that, he had done nothing. It is true, he took away the Sodomites; he threw down the Altars; thrust aside their Service; And what of all that? Sodomites had thrust in again, Altars had been hoist up again, If he had not Covenanted against all these. It is so still, We must every man, for his own part, Covenant against the accursed thing in his own heart. So also, against the accursed Persons and things in the Kingdom, to throw them out, else Fasting does no good, nor Praying, nor Preaching neither; Covenanting must go together with all these, else nor the Kingdom, nor the Christian Soldier there; can be in any safe Posture. What is done to day, in this Posturing work, will be undone to morrow, If we do not Covenant against Idol-men, and Idol things and with the Lord, So engaging our heart, to cast them all out. But do as aforesaid, and the Kingdom is sure; so is the Person too. There is no hope but in this way; mark it. We have trespassed against our God, says Sheshaniah. What had they done? They had taken the daughter of a strange God, I know not how many strange Wives; and then they had taken the readiest way in the world, To stock up their Kingdom by the roots, yet, says he, There is hope in Israel concerning this thing; Though such a grievous Trespass be committed, and the Chief in the Kingdom are Chief in that trespass; Yet there is hope. What hope? Even now therefore let us Ezra 10 2. make a Covenant with our God; There is the hope; If any thing under the Cope of Heaven will do it, That will do it. What? Away with the daughters of a strange God, Set them packing, who would thrust us from God, and God from us; Let us thrust them away and Covenant so to do, and then we shall keep our God, and close to His worship; And if we keep God and close to Him at that point, All is kept, for God is all; and he will keep us all, if we keep to Him and stand to the Covenant; There is the hope of Israel concerning this matter, says good Shechaniah, It is a sure way, it is an only way to save a Perishing, a down sinking Kingdom, brought to the Pit of destruction, upon which are all the Symptom's of death, and for which the grave is made, because it is so vile, Come, let us make a Covenant; It is the only hopeful way to save such a Kingdom. An hopeful way say I! I will say a great word, and I will boast of the way, but in the Lord, There is more than hope, There is a certainty of Success in this Covenanting; It never failed the Righteous, it never shall fail unto the world's end; I know what the good man will say now, hear him. VII. VII. A, This way has failed the most Righteous King, that ever had his Kingdom in this world, Josiah by name, it failed him, even him. B. No, it did not, he Covenanted with his God, and so kept close to his God, and God to him all his days, and at death they were not divided; he that breathed after GOD all his life long, breathed his soul into God's hand at his death, and so departed, and is now for ever with the Lord: This Covenanting with God did not deceive Josiah. A. It failed his people all, his whole Kingdom (and that is my meaning) They were carried away at last, though first their King made a Covenant with his God, yea, and made His People stand to it. B. He did indeed, and it shall ever be spoken to his Praise, when that Scripture is Read, Josiah made a Covenant with God; and caused to stand to it. But if we observe it well, we shall tremble, for here is a But, will spoil all; But Judah did not stand to it. Stand to it; alas no, The Covenant did not fail, they failed the Covenant: The people dealt wickedly there; The King laid an enforcement 2 Chr. 34, 35. upon them, high very example was of force, to pull and drag the People to enter Covenant, to lay them under those sacred bands, to make them stand to it; but there was not an heart in them; much they did in seeing such a glorious example before them, but they did nothing in truth. They were not a whit humbled for all the Blood, that Manasseth had shed, not for the Idols he had setup, they were as Idolatrous as their King: Not a whit humbled were they, for all their abominations, theirs and their Princes; not a jer. 15 4. Pag. 121. whit; therefore wrath came upon them. Indeed I should be large in this point, but I find it somewhat enlarged in the King's Chronicle, whereto I will refer the Reader. I will say but this here, never was there such a Back-sliding people, no not in our days, never was there such a Departing from God, as at that time in Judah: I tell you what makes me think verily it was so; read the last of the Chronicles, what a declining, what a fallingback was there from their God, from His worship, of all degrees, of all estates, high and low, Rich and Poor! To what an height of Provocations did they rise! But for aught I can observe in that Chapter the Prince and People did not more wickedly in those days, than we have done in our days: our abominations have risen to the same height. But yet I observe what I Read in Jeremy, and that is thus: I find more goodness jer. 38. in one Ethiopian, then was in all the Princes of Judah. I would Entreat the Reader to mark that Chapter; As our Lord says of the Centurion a stranger to the Common wealth of Israel; I have not found so great faith; no not in Israel: So, not so much goodness in all the Princes of Judah, as Mat. 8. 10. in that one Ethiopian. Not so much goodness! said I, there was no goodness in the Princes at all, all nought, all Rebellious and fallen off from God. They did not pray to God, they prayed to the King, That Jeremy might be put to death. Certainly, Reader, Certainly, though we (I say we, for Scotland and England are one,) though we are a very wicked, a very wretched People, fallen very low, parted very far from our God, yet not fallen so low, as Judah was at that time; not so fare departed, but a Covenant with our God, will fetch us back again; for there are many Nobles in Scotland, many Princes there (I find Priests called Princes there) 2 Chron. 17. 7. a Psal. 110 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A people of Devotions. 2 Cor. 8, 23. to say nothing of the Common people, a very willing people, a people of willingnesses, (a) willingly, offering Devoting their estates, and lives now To help in the battle of the Lord; and day of jacob's trouble; who have sworn, and will stand to it To maintain the Cause of the Lord, as it shall require, and as we read before. And there are a people in England too Nobles and Princes there (I mean by Princes the Messengers of the Churches, and the Glory of Christ) who have given up themselves to the Lord, and to maintain His Cause; some Nobles I say, not many, but some there are, who, their eternal praise, have entered Covenant and will stand to it; when others, to their eternal dishonour, enter into a Covenant to day, and break out from it on the morrow, stand not to it, no not an hour: As if they might take the Covenant of God, as a Papist takes the Oath of God, swear to day, and forswear next day; Adjure to day, calling God to witness: and perjure anon, so blaspheming that Holy, Holy, Holy, Name, making the Oath of God, like a Gipsies knot, fast now in show, lose presently in fight. We have some Nobles, that do abominate this Blasphemy, they enter Covenant with God to day, and are more and more resolved and engaged for God and His Cause every day, from hence forth, and for ever. I could say as much of a people too, very many in Cities and Towns both, a very willing people, If they cannot give to the Cause, they can die for it, as a Martyr said; if their estates be none or gone, (they cannot be prodigal there, as the Cause commands) than their lives shall go, they will be prodigal of their blood, and thank God He has honoured them so, Who gave His blood for them. And so we are where we were, in a way which never failed. And shall it fail the Righteous now? God forbidden, nay God forgive us such a thought. But let us look to our standing now, I mean to the standing to our Covenant, for that bears up the weight of the business; This standing to it, let us look to that: we are now come up to God, to His Terms, to His Command, not more knit together amongst ourselves, as knit to God. What now? Now the Nations are angry. Angry! They are stark mad; look ye on this side, and but a little beyond Lincoln, and behold how they rage there! See also in the South, and in Ireland, What are the the thoughts of those Monsters there? They think to join with our Monsters here [Monsters! Yes. They are Nobles many of them. True, but the more monstrous, if Nobles by birth. Certainly, if those Nobles (not to mention the black Regiment, those Bulls of Bashan, nor the Calves of the people, Some call them Cavel: Gentlemen; I have called them Rogues twenty times with an Accent, for I will call a Spade, a Spade, Thiefs, Robbers, Murderers, all these by their names, so let them go, the way of Cain, who slew his Brother. I am a speaking of the Nobles, who beat their own Mother, even her, that bore them, that suckled them, that dandled them upon her knees, warmed them in her bosom; These Nobles, who have set their Mother's House on fire over her head; (and are not these Monsters, for they have done yet more villainy) if these Nobles should see their own visage represented unto them now, as it will be shortly, in the very next History, they would be gastred at the sight of such Monsters, as the King was at the writing on the brickwall. Truly me thinks I see them now, and they troubled my Spirit, and Interrupted me, I was saying, Dan. 5. 6. The Monsters in Ireland will join now with these in England; will be folden together like thorns, will come out now against those all, who are joined in Covenant with their God, and will do; What will they do? All the mischief they can; They will storm the City of God, as they can, to their Power. That is true, They will do what they can do, all the Mischief they can. But what can they do? for we do not question their will. These have shed blood to their Power, with a Rage that reacheth-up to Heaven; They have cursed David and his Helpers by their gods; They have blasphemed The God of Heaven; They have thrust the Ministers of the Lord out of their Houses, or slaughtered His Servants there, even All the faithful in the Land, unto whom their hand could reach; They have gods, as Jeroboam had, which he called honestly, truly, and very well (as we call Priests now and their gods) Calves, for such are their Priests, Idol-Brutish-Priests; Their Services such, Idol-Bruitish-Services. I will ask again, what can these cursed People do against a Kingdom united in its self, and in Covenant with their God? What can they do? I'll tell you what, for the Spirit tells it me, They will Associate and gird themselves, and gird themselves all for the Battle, and to Storm the Church of God, that they Esay 8. 9 will do. Well, yes, very well; now hear what the Lord will do, and what He will do, He can do, That is a Comfort; What will He do? He will ungird His Adversaries as often; He will break them, and break them, and break them ('tis no idle repetition) so often till He has broken them all to Fritters, like a Potter's Vessel, so He will break them; in breaking He will break them, Breach upon Breach. Briars and Thorns! will they Array themselves for Battle against the Lord? He is a Consuming fire (unto them) they shall be devoured every one, in the Furnace, which their rage and fiery indignation against His people, has made seven times hotter than ordinary. Rebels! that have lifted up the horn, have spoke proudly, have dared to thrust at the Righteous, nay, The Lord of Glory out of His Throne; The Lord will thrust-sore at them, He will make them like an Oven and their Faces like Flames, He will purge them out. But when? Even now, at this time▪ we have His word for it, for we are in Covenant with our God: I will speak an high word and comfortable to the fearful in heart, but humbly before our God, and if proud men will hearken, let them hearken; This is the word and our Confidence, Now that we have entered into Covenant with our God, To stand close to Him, To His Cause, To His worship; Now that we have engaged our hearts to all this; what now? Now we have engaged God to us, God must help us; We will by His Grace stand to our Covenant, and appear for Him; It is an high word now to amaze proud men, God must appear for us, and stand by us, and He cannot be idle. Must is not for the King, you will say; yes, for the KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords; This King must help us. The unjust judge did right the the Widow, must not the Judge of all the world do right▪ He must, He must; There are Mighty Reasons why, and Arguments as strong to assure the hearts of the Faithful; That God will and must help His people now at this time, you shall hear them anon. I suppose now even a good People, somewhat slow of Belief touching this matter, being fearful now, hearing of the breaking-in of more grievous Wolves into the Lord's Vineyard; I mean, hearing that the Irish— [I should call them Brethren now, but I cannot call these Children of the Devil, These Enemies of Christ, I cannot call these by so friendly a name; I must call them and their Legion by their right Names, as their Father is called, Abaddon, Apollyon, Destroyer's, Murderers all, hearing that these] are coming-in to join with the English— [I cannot call them Brethren neither, Rev. 9 11 but] Monsters here; supposing I say, that a good people are slow of Belief, and too much shaken with fear now; I will speak to their hearts first from the Mouth of The Lord, as follows; If all the good men in the House of Parliament were sick Men all, and all the Bad there (some there may be) as bad as those that have run from them: if all our Men of War, good Men there, were wounded men all; and all the bad, as bad as are the Irish and English Monsters; and so bade they are, if any there, who, in show stand up for God, but in word and heart are against him: If some in our Counsels for war, in our Committees for all concernments of the Church, and State, were as false and treacherous (God knows what they are) as bad and rotten as some have been suspected to be: If so be the Scottish Army never join with ours, [our hearts join, and our prayers join, that is as good, nay, better, though we think it best of all, that our Armies may join, that we might be all as one Stick in God's Hand, to beat the dogs away, which so infest, pester and trouble his people, Amen, but] If not so, yet, as it will follow anon, well, for God is good to Israel still: If the Irish— The English— Legion of Devils, I had almost said; if these were Devils indeed, not Flesh, but all Spirit, as their father is; and if This Legion were multiplied by such a number as they have hairs on their head; what then? Then we shall all be destroyed, every Mother's Child. No, as sure as God lives and loves His people, as sure as His Son is King and rules in the the world amidst His enemies there; so sure This Cause, and all the Helpers in it, shall prosper: and all that the Adversary does, shall help but to advance the prosperity thereof, so sure God will issue-forth great good out of this great evil and sore affliction; These bloody men shall be so far from hurting the Church, that they shall do the Church infinite good. The Adversaries thoughts, are, as his were, and as always they have been, Esay. 10 7. bloody, devouring, and destructive; But God's thoughts are all mercy and Truth all towards His people, to edify and build them up by these desolations, To establish them by these shake; To heal them by these wound. What men do wickedly, God order holily; They think evil against the Church, but God means it unto Good: He is contriving a way now to make His Name, and His Church Glorious. Can this be so, do the fearful say, they doubt it very much, whether this Pacification in Ireland, those bloody execrable— there; Those Outrages, Insolences, those— here, shall turn to the Churches good; Can this be! Can God bring good out of this evil? Can He bring Comfort out of this sorrow? Glory out of this Cross? Life out of this Death Can He do it? Yes indeed, He can: But truly we should never question His Power, no nor His neither, towards His people: Can, said I! He will, He will, nay, He must, He must, else he does not like a God, after His manner from the beginning of the world; for evermore it was thus; when the Envy, the Malice, the Rage, the— wrathful executions of the Church's Adversaries risen like a mighty Flood to the Highest-top, against the Church, Then presently the Lord God so ordered it, That His People have had Rivers, Floods, Brooks of Honey and Butter, streaming down towards them: from whence? From the love of God, issuing good towards them still out of every evil, even from these Floods of ungodliness before mentioned: From the Rage, Envy, Hatred, Malice of the Church's Adversaries, have streamed down to the Church Floods of Honey and Butter; The highest Comforts, the strongest Consolations from out of the lowest bottom, the place of Dragons, whereinto the wicked have smitten the Righteous, even from thence. He give the Reader but one Instance here, amongst many, whereby to exemplify this. I conceive verily, That the most envious hateful Act that ever was offered to the Lord Christ, until this day, was acted upon His Body, when he hanged upon the Cross; He had shed His precious Blood four times a little before; 1. In the Garden. 2. When He was Crowned with Thorns. 3. When He was whipped at the Post. 4. And when His Arms and Legs were nailed to the Cross, (which Commands our Estates and Lives for Him now, He say no more) Notwithstanding all this (for the Lord Christ's Adversaries then, as now, may be glutted with Blood, they cannot be satisfied) A Soldier than would have more Blood yet, and and so with his Spear opens the Lord Christ's Side and Heart together, both at one thrust. Ah Lord! never was there such an horrid Act heard of from the beginning of time to that day, until now, as it is at this day! But what followed then? And forthwith came there out Blood and water: Look you there, what the Soldier's Rage and Envy has done! He has opened Joh 19 34 the Heart of Christ to all the world of Believers, and let-out from thence streaming towards them, floods of Honey, and Butter, from that very time to the world's end. What shall I say! O the thoughts of God towards His people! O the love of Christ, How inexpressable! there is blood to justify, water to sanctify, there is all! There are the two Sacraments, Seals of the Righteousness of Faith, Rivers, Floods, Brooks of Honey and Butter. So the Soldier's Rage wrought then, so wonderful for the Churches Comfort then, when he pierced the side of Christ, hanging on the Cross: Shall we doubt what will be the effect of his rage now, now the Soldiers are piercing the living Body of Christ, as dear to Him as the Apple of His Eye, now in Glory? Doubtless, and he has an hard heart that does not firmly believe it, That these Soldiers now, thrusting their Spears now into the sides of Christ still, with the same hatred and envy, as once that Soldier did, do make but a passage wider open whereout to flow unto the Church floods of Honey and Butter. All their Malignity shall serve but to whiten the Church first, and then let in streaming into them the strongest Consolations. As sure as the Lord lives, this must be so. These Soldiers are now with one hand filling up their measures of Iniquity: and with the other completing the Church, and the Consolations of God towards His People, That their joy may be brim full. The higher the enemy's rage against the Church, Riseth, the higher shall the Consolations of God rise toward The Church. It is so, and it must be so; But who is sufficient to express those things! God's administrations towards His people, how wonderful! His mercy is over all His works, He saveth man and beast; But specially His people, The hairs of their head are said to be numbered, To tell us how safe and secure these people are; nothing shall do them hurt, every thing shall do them good, even the rage and bitter wrath of their Adversary; That great evil the adversary and enemy intendeth against the Church, shall tend (see how the enemy is mistaken!) to the greatest advantage of the Church: So as the Church shall say; We could not have wanted these roaring Lions, Leaders in this war against us; we could not have wanted those grievous Wolves, bloody Soldiers; It's good for us, that these have done so much hurt (in their intentions) unto us; These have been a sanctified means to open our mouths the wider to our God in praying to Him, and praising of Him; These have, by purging out, and scouring of our filthiness, made us more meet for Glory; we could no more have wanted them, than a great house can want its Sinks and Conveyances whereby to carry-out the filth; or Scullions, who serve there to cleanse and whiten Dan. 11. 35 the vessels appointed for honour, even for the Master's use. And now do those servants of the Lord, intent their spirits, calling upon all within them, and without them, To praise their God, Who works so and so for them; does them good by all that falls out; makes the wounds from their Adversaries, healing to His people; and of their poison and venom towards His people, a most sovereign Balm; Blessed, Blessed, Blessed be God for this unspeakable mercy, Amen. His people will endeavour hearty To live to His praise, Amen. To layout themselves all they have, and are, to advance the Name of their God, Amen. We have seen now by one example how God has wrought for His people; He is the same still, He changeth not; He must do the like, now, for He stands still in the same relations to His people; The same engagements are upon Him still; His people have the same Reasons and Arguments also, whereby to prevail with their God, as all the faithful had before them, who Commanded God Esay 25 11 by His own command, mastered, overpowered the Almighty in HIs own strength, overcame Him with HIs own weapons, Reasons and Arguments, I mean, taken out of His own Armoury, The Word of God, more firm, mighty, and stable to assure His people's standing now against their Adversaries, than the Earth and Heavens have for their continuance. VIII. VIII. The Reasons are thesefour, and the last contains the chiefest of the Arguments. 1. His people's importunity; They give God no rest, God must help them: for though He bear long, He will not be disquieted always. God hears the Ravens when they cry; He must hear His people when they pray. He will have His people Command Him; They do Command Him, He must do what He will have His people Command Him to do. 2. His people Rowel themselves upon Him, they Trust Him. A man must not deceive his Trust, God must not; A poor people are persecuted, Esay 62 7. hurried, ferrited from place to place, They betake themselves to the Rock, The Munitions of Rocks: must not our Rock (not like their Rock, the enemies themselves being Judges) be to them, a feeble folk, as the Rocks are to the (d) Esay 55 16. (e) Deut. 32. 31. (f) Prov. 30 16. Coneys? 3. His people are in a low estate, God must remember them now, a poor people, as contemptible, g Psal. 102. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nude nude nuditissi is Esai 51 18 k. Psal. 20. 7. as naked as the barest shrubs; their Arms taken from them, a destitute, a fatherless people, who found no man upon earth, that would take them by the hand, (they that should have taken His people by the hand, took them by the throat) His people observing that, laid fast-hold on the Almighty's hand. What! but one hand to rest upon, none besides on earth, none besides in heaven, and will the Lord pluck away that hand, the only prop? His people Trust in Him, rely upon Him, not in men, not in horses not in Chariots; not in Armies, not in Navies, not in Treasures, They remember the Name of the Lord their God; and shall not those rise now and stand upright? God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the Cattles. What a good word is that? every living thing, and all the Cattle. God must remember David and all His helpers; Them and all their Gen. 8. 1. troubles. He will help His people, nay, He must; have we misgiving thoughts touching this matter? now God forbidden, nay, God forgive, let us pray that these misgiving thoughts may be forgiven us. 4. And the last of the Reasons, which I would have well observed, because I shall draw the chief Arguments from it, wherewith to cömand, I say cömand God, (for He says, Command ye me) To comein for His people's help. His people do say, now of themselves, then of their Kingdom, of all the Esai. 45. 11 Rights, and Privileges, of all you can think of more, they say of all, as Jehoshaphat says concerning the battle; The Battle is not yours (says He) 2 Chron. 21 16. but Gods; We must note the words; As if He should have said thus to His people. You have done your duty, ye have prayed to God, you have praised Him, you have done all faithfully; be no more sad, nor careful touching the enemies approaching, They are not more your enemies, than God's enemies; let Him alone with them, and with the Battle, It is not yours now but Gods: The Swords and the spear these in the enemy's hands are His: He made the Smith that blows the Coals, And our Walls and Towers, Gates and Bars, not ours now, but Gods; You have given up this Kingdom to the Lord, you have entitled Him to, and entrusted Him with the Kingdoms and all its Concernments: If He now will give away His Esai 54. 41. own, so; if He will lift up the Right hand of His Adversaries, so; It is the Lord, let Him do as seemeth Him good: He is the Lord still, But hold ye still to this, You are 1 Sam 3. 18. 2 Sam. 16. 26. not your own now, the Kingdom is not yours now, the Fortifications there, not yours, nothing yours now, all is The Lords; hold to that, and be no longer sad, nor careful touching the War: The Battle is not yours but the Lords. Truly we have said as much; if we can understand what we have said; Lord, the Kingdom, the Battle, the Cause, we are engaged upon, is not ours, It is Thine Lord, Thine, and we Thine, and all Thine: Thy Cause, we stand up for, Thy Christ, our Lord, Thy Cause, Thy Kingdom, and Thy Glory: All is Thine, nothing ours, nothing we, Thou art all in this business, All the Concernments in this great business. Thy Concernments every one: The Battle is not ours, but the Lords: so His people say, who have done their work, and having so done, they do assure themselves, that now God must do His work: I had almost said, His duty, for it is according to His Word, wherein he has caused His Servants to put their trust. I come to the Arguments now. The Lord has strong Arguments why he cannot show mercy: but His people have stronger Arguments, wherefore he must show mercy: The Lord will help His servant now, and suggest to him what Arguments He will use, and what Arguments I must use, for His good pleasure is so, He hath instructed me in all this. The Lord says why he should not show mercy. Does your expectation rise so high now, touching the making bore My Arm towards your Kingdom? Think you to command Me now? Remember every Mother's Child of you, and be confounded because of your shame a Ezek. 16. A seed of evil doers, as your forefathers! therefore must I call your name also, as I commanded them to be called, Lo-ammi b Hosca 19 for you are not My people. No, in nothing like My people: If my friend Abraham were now amongst you, or Israel my old servant to take notice of your manners and fashions, they could know you no more to be My people, than they could acknowledge c Esay 164. 16 So Trem. expounds the place. those, that were of their own posterity, their own sons and daughters; so degenerate ye are, as they anciently were, so fallen off: Ye have despised all My Corrections, set at naught all My Reproofs, ye lightly esteemed My Words. I have written to you, as to my people before you, the great things of My Law, but they were counted as a strange d Hos. 8. 12. thing; Ye have polluted My c Ezek. 20. 21. Vbi conqueritur Deus se contempto Judaeos ad extremam impietatem porlapsos esse tantum dicit violata fuisse Sabbata, ac si in eorum observatione praecipue consisteret Religio. Calv. Sabbaths, ye have profaned My Day by a Law; and they, that served in My House suffered it to be so, they opposed it not, though they could read, what Respect I had to that Chief f 1 Chr 6 10. There were fourscore more with Azariah, but he being the Chief in opposing the King, God gives Him all the honour. 2. Chr. 26. 17. Priest, who stood-up against the Profanation of My House, and My Sacrifice there. You have profaned My Day; Then I was presently 2 g Hosca 5 12 Moth to your Land, than ye consumed and pined away, and became as Rottenness, and yet you consideredit not: Now I am as a Lion unto you (for the Moth was but the Lion's Harbinger) so in tearing I tear you to pieces, and yet you do not acknowledge your offence, to seek My Face; no, not yet, after all this evil is befallen you. Ye are a Peevish, a sullen, a froward, a murmuring, a stubborn, a rebellious people. Say on, Lord, for we confess all, a wicked, unkind, unthankful people, (we have polluted Thy Sabbaths, all thy Holy Things) we are all this, and more, a people whose sins are heightened, are aggravated by receipts of Mercies, by the Means of Grace vouchsafed to us, by Time and Place (when and where we lived) and other Circumstances, heightened above all the sinners in the world; An unsavoury people we, as the Salt, or as the unprofitable wood of the Vine, which hath lost its fruitfulness; such we are. But, Lord, wilt not Thou respect a people, till they be a reformed People, till they be Gentle, and Meek, and Good, and Gracious, and Holy, and like Thyself? Ah Lord! Then Thou wilt never respect us, we shall never be as aforesaid; What Thou wilt have us to be, Thou must make us to be, Holy as Thou art Holy; and what Thou commandest us to do, Thou must give us Grace to do, and then it is done. Thy love is Free, Thy promise is without Condition, not any if there, not, if ye will be my people, but, Ye shall be my h Jer. 32. 38, 39 people: and I will be your God; And I will give you one heart, and one way, etc. We remember, Lord, very well, how Thou hast commended Thy love towards us; While we were yet sinners Christ died for i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 58, 10. us: when we were Enemies than were we reconciled; The thoughts of this freest Mercy, freest love, wounds and pierceth our hearts, it melteth us into godly sorrow, and forceth us to love Thee again. While we were yet sinners; when we were Enemies; Then Thou didst set Thy Heart upon Thy People. What so free as Grace! What so Reasonless as Thy Love! Thou lovest Thy people because Thou lovest k Deut. 7. 7, 8. them; The reason is in Thyself; If it be in us, it is Thy pitis towards us, when we lay as that, Cast-out, in our Blood, when we walked after our manner, frowardly in our way, for than Thou saidst, It is a time of l Ezek. 16. 8. love; then Thou saidst, I will heal m Esay 57 17. you. This was love in Thee, Thy servants cannot say what n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Ephes 3 19 love; and misery in us they cannot express how great! such exceed in all this, that all passeth knowledge. But that is the argument, we are miserable indeed, and Thou art merciful indeed; And Thou didst say, when Thy people lay in their Blood, It is a time of love; and when they went on frowardly, Thou saidst; I'll heal you. And, Lord, didst Thou set Thine heart upon Rebels once, how much more now will Thy heart be towards them, now they have laid down their weapons; now their uncircumcised hearts are humbled for all their heart-andland-abomitions! They have loathed themselves now for their Commissions, and Omissions, Ignorances' and Negligences; Thy Ministers chief, greatly humble themselves now, because they have turned their back against Thee at any time, and did not set their Faces as Flints against those Bishops and Curates, who set their foreheads, as Brass, against Thee; would They cannot wonder that the land is stung with a generation of Vipers, whom it warmed & hatched in its Bosom. Ezra 9 not suffer Thee to Rule in Thine own House, not by Thine own Law, and Rule there. Thy servants lie prostrate before thee for this, accepting their punishment, what ever it be; Thou must not spurn them, now prostrate at Thy feet; surely Thy servants are exceeding humbled now, That they suffered Thy Sabbaths, Lord, Thy Day to be blaspemed by a Law; when they remember That, they are ashamed, and sit down as Thy servant did, astonished; Thy loving kindness has melted their hearts, and Thy Goodness makes Them fear before thee; and now their pursuit is more earnest after Grace than after Glory; They would be sanctified throughout in Bodies, souls and spirits; Surely, Lord, Thy servants have the affections of Children towards Thee, Thou must be so to them: Thou didst love Thy people being Enemies, how much more being made Friends, one with Thee now in Covenant? Truly, Lord, Thou must love them now; Thy people can argue the Case with Thee, they have an if now; If Thou show'dst such love, such abundant favour to a people when Sinners, when Enemies; how much rather wilt Thou be the same to them, now, that they are made Friends? so Thou hast taught Thy people to argue with * Deut. 32. 19 Thee, because it is Thy Good pleasure to be Overcome. Thou sayest we are sinners, no such sinners in all the world as are we; we say so too, and acknowledge it hearty; But all this does but Commend thy love unto us: It is but to advance Thy free Mercy towards us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ; our sins are heightened indeed, no sins so highly provoking as our sins, the sins of Sons and Daughters, etc. But though we could heighten them to the utmost, yet not above our High and Mighty Redeemer, who saveth to the utmost, those that come unto Him: We have multiplied Transgressions: Thou has said, I will abundantly (multiply to) * Esa 557. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We can appeal to and glory in free grace for full pardon. pardon. Thy people will not let their hold go from off this Argument, but they will move Thee with another. Our little ones, Lord, our Children and Sucklings, a Seed of evil doers Thou sayest, and we say so too; But yet Thy heart was towards those in Nineveh, Thou didst pity them; We Fathers do so, and Mothers do so; As a Father pitieth his Children! O, it is an exceeding pity! There is more pity in God, infinitely more: And we have more to say, why Thou shouldest pity our little ones; They never trampled-under the Pearl; They never hide their eyes from the Sabbath: They never complied with Thine Enemies; They never dealt treacherously with Thy Friends: Truly, Lord, Thou must pity them. And the whole land; It is Thy Land now, and much people there, who are Children in knowledge, never had any means to make them Babes in Christ; let them know, they had a Prophet amongst them. Give us Bishops indeed, Curates indeed, who can naturally care for thy people, as a Father for his Children. Truly, Lord, we do confess a wicked heart has deceived us. But this is Truth also, our Guides have misguided us; they were appointed as fathers, spiritual fathers unto us, We poor ones thought verily, we might follow our Guides; we might trust our fathers; Ah Lord! bloody Fathers have they been to us; bloody fathers! These were appointed Leaders to go before us, They went before us, and we followed, and down we were tumbled all into the Ditch, and there, like swine, we lay in the mire. Good Lord! pity a poor, dark, ignorant people; Give us good Lord, Bishops indeed, Curate, spiritual fathers indeed; Trust Thy people with such a mercy. Thou knowest the hearts of the Children of men; we think, had we such Leaders, we should walk orderly; had we such a mercy let down unto us, we should be drawn up unto Thee. Alas, Lord, what desire Can we have after that, which we know not! we never saw our Bishops do any thing but what we see plainly now, deceived us; we saw him Cringing, and ducking before a Table, which he called an Altar; and then we, observing all that, thought we might call it a god; he bade us indeed carry ourselves circumspectly, and reverently in the Church, especially towards the Chancel, for there was a providential eye over us, Dr. Valentine seducer of the people in Detford. which he had * with our cost, painted-up in our window, This was all we have seen our Bishops and Curates do before us in the place, they call the Church. And for that we have heard we profess in thy presence, That we never heard a word of thy sacred Scripture opened unto us by them; not a word touching the Things of the Lord Christ, made they known to us; not a word. Dead preaching without the Book, or clean cross to thy Book. Good Lord thrust out these, and give us Pastors after thine own heart. We know, Lord, what thou wilt say now: Ye have had Bishops and Curates after your own hearts; like People, like Priests; Sottish people, brutish Priests, They defiled My house, and polluted my Sabbaths, and you loved to have it so. Truth, Lord, and herein we are at a stand, for we cannot plead ignorance; we cannot say, the times of this ignorance c Acts 17 30. . We have rebelled against the light, and groped at midday as at midnight. To confess all at once; We have polluted Thy Sabbaths, and then all was polluted, even Thy whole land Throughout; and most just it were, That Thou shouldest require this of us, and dung our land throughout with our Carcases, and water it with out blood from corner to corner: Just it were that thy plagues should abide, should rest on us, for we have polluted thy Rest; just it were that our land should keep it Sabbaths now, lie Fallow without an Inhabitant there, to blow it up; This were Justice. But remember, Lord, That this horrible profanation, was not so much our sin, as the sin of our Bishops and Curates; Their sin, Lord, who told us we might Fiddle and Dance, and Riot on Thy Day: and that such (man like) exercises, would make us fit for War. Nay, they did not only tell us so, but they did force Thy servants to do, all the world knows what, To prescribe grievousness, To countermand Thy Command, and this in thine own house. Truly, Lord, we could plead with Thee here; We poor simple ones thought verily, we might trust our Bishops and Curates, do as they did, and commanded us to do; their words came as Oracles to us. We suspected Bishops, as Lords ever, but never as fathers; we did not suspect, That fathers, they would give us for bread a stone, for a fish a serpent. Spiritual Fathers, so they were called too; we could not imagine that Spiritual Fathers would command their children to walk as men, and live as beasts. Good Lord, though we were content to have it so, yet spare Thy people, but spare not those Bishops and Curates, who have made, yea forced Thy Israel to sin: and pity the land and its Inhabitans, who sit in darkness, and see no light, who seek for bread now in desolate places, where they are more like to meet with grievous Wolves then with bread. Good Lord pity the land, a barren land. Barrenness! Barrenness! as the places whereon never fell dew nor rain: Truly Lord Thou must pity Thy land. Thou art making these Barren places, eden's now; Those dark places, Goshens now; Thou art about it Lord, Thou must not leave the work half done. We poor men can sit down, and count our cost; Thou hast counted it already. Thou sawest all the mountains in thy way, all the opposition, man would make against this work; Thou sawest what the Potsherds of the earth would do, all our perverse, our froward deal; Thou hast accounted all this cost, and hitherto Thou hast proceeded to build usup; In Thy strength hitherto Thy servants have marched valiantly, and done exploits. What Thou hast begun, Thou must finish. We have more to say yet; If we cannot move Thee for ourselves; if Thou wilt not be moved for our little ones, those dear pledges of our hopes; Nor for our Land, because defiled with blood, and Idols; and we have polluted Thy Sabbaths there, yet we have something more to say, which must move Thee. I. I. The Woman Lord, so forced once, so persecuted still, against whom the mouth of the devourer is so wide open (c), casting-forth so great a flood; This woman, so gloriously clothed, nothing of earth upon her, is Thy Sons Spouse. Truly, Lord, Thou must own her Thou must give forth Thy hand unto her now in this low estate; Thou must remember her, Revel. 12. and save her, Thou must render her, for her shame double, for she must rejoice in her portion, therefore must she possess the double, everlasting joy shall be unto them (a): so Thou hast promised, and so Thou must perform with thy people: so also, Isai 61. 7. everlasting confusion must be recompensed to Thine and her Adversaries, a double destruction to them; so Thy people have b Jer. 17. 18. prayed, and so Thou hast commanded, fill to her * Rev. 18 6 double. Truly, Lord, all the Christian world stand now at a gaze, what thou wilt do now touching this poor woman and her Concernments. What will the Righteous Lord do? Truly we should not make it a question; Thou must work graciously for Thy servants; Thou must gloriously issue-forth all Thy Church's Concernments. The Church has Thy c Isa 54 11, 12, 13, 14, etc. word for it, and Thou hast commanded her to Trust unto it; she does trust, and she does expect glorious matters. Truly, Lord, Thou must not deceive Thy people's Trust, not the expectation of all the Faithful in the world. Why, Lord, Thine Enemies make a Tumult now, never so mad with rage as now; They that hate Thee lift-up their Head, and speak with a proud Lip. and yet pretend to be friends with thee, and to this woman, and do nothing against her, but for her altogether; To maintain the Laws, Rights, and Privileges of Thy Kingdom. The Prince of Robbers says so; They that are as the mountains of Prey to Thy People, these Prince rupert's Warrant annexed to the end Psal 83 1. say so, they Rob, and Spoil, and Murder the poor, and helpless men, and do yet worse to women: They Vow and Swear to do yet more violences and wrong, to the Power in their hands; and yet To maintain the Laws and Liberties of Thy people still: Keep not Thou, silence, O Lord; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God: The poor and needy commit themselves unto Thee, a Refuge from the Storm; Thou must deliver the needy when they cry unto Thee, the poor and them that have no helper. Psal. 72. 12 Thou must not sit still now; Thou must rise and take To Thyself Power; Thou must right the Cause of the Fatherless; Thou must stop the Mouth That speaketh Blasphemies; Thou must dispossess the Land of these unclean Spirits, The Eyes of all thy people in the world are fastened upon thee now, and are steadfast towards Thee; Thou must not deceive the expectation of all the Faithful in the world touching this woman and her concernments. Truly, Lord, Thy servants make no question here▪ as their Conversation is without Covetousness, so without fear also, (which causeth too much carefulness) They can boldly say; The Lord is our Helper, He has helped hitherto; He does help, he does save, he does deliver even now, every day; Thou dost purge out the Rebellious every day; if not every day Cutting-them-off from the Land of the Living, then by purging them out of thy servants hearts, and that is the greatest deliverance. Thy servants know, Lord, what thy Great end is; if the Rehellious in Thy people's hearts were subdued there, then there were no work for the Rebels to do now in Thy Land; They must be purged-out presently, even this very hour, if the Rebellious in Thy servants hearts were purged-out. There is the stop, the mountain in the way, there is That which lets the Church's Victories; Thy Israel's Tents are not thoroughly searched (then) not purged: Therefore the Rebels are so strong, therefore they must prevail yet longer. Were thy Israel's hearts truly humbled for the pollution of Thy Sabbaths, O that every servant of the Lord fight the Battles of the Lord, did well consider this. See Alarm second Section, Cham 5, 6. and sect. 3. ch 8 & 9 Psa. 81, 14, 15 The servants of the Lord do not more desire the remove of the sword, than they do the remove of the sins, which caused the sword. Isa 10 12. Jer 51. 31. 35. 36 37. Rev. 18. 18. the profaning of Thy Day; for their little or no Zeal, when time was, against the Profanation of Thy Day, Thy House, Thy worship and service there; were their Hearts truly humbled for all this, To an accepting of this sore punishment, though it should abide, yea, Rest yet loan her upon their Backs, because they have suffered the Day of Thy Rest to b●, profaned by a Law: Were it so, That Thy People were so humbled Than they know what Thou wouldst do, even as Thou hast spoken long since, I should soon have subdued their Enemies, and turned mine Hand against their Adversaries: The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves. Thy Servants know full well, That these Adversaries and Enemies, all the Rebels in the Land, are but as Instruments in Thy Hand, as a Batte-Axe to Cut down the Rebellious there, that will not consider their ways, and be ashamed; as a Rod in Thy Hand To correct and chastise Thy Children; as a Bosom in Thy Hand, To sweep clean the Floor of Thy Church; as Scullions To cleanse, whiten and purify the Vessels appointed to honour: And when this work is done, this whole Work is performed, upon Mount Zion and Jerusalem, Then, Then these Battleaxes, shall be thrown away; Then these Rods and these Besoms shall be thrown-out, and cast into the fire; Then these Scnllions all, even their Princes and all, shall be sent to their own place: And then shall the violences done to Zion, and to her Flesh, be upon Babilou; for then The Lord will stretch forth His Hand upon Babylon, and her helpers all, and Roll her down from the Rocks, and make her as a Mountain: Thus it must be, Lord, for Thou hast said it, and strong is The Lord God, who judgeth Her. In the mean time; Thy People, Lord, are not afraid, not a whit afraid; They encourage themselves in Thee, and they boast in Thy Name all the Day long. I will speak a word more in the Ears of the fearful; Thy people, Lord, are no more afraid of these Rebels in the Land (Instruments in Thy Hand) than Children are afraid, seeing some Instruments of Death, Carbine, Pistol, or Cannon in their Father's Hand; fully assured they are, Their Father intends not to shoot at them, not at his Children; No, the Father is making ready, and bending these Instruments against the Faces of His and His children's Enemies; against them He intends all this: And let the fearful attend to this and a little more. Why, Lord, thy Church does not lie at the mercy of Instruments, whose mercies are cruel (rather) none at * Prov 12. 10. Plane nulla Jur. all. Thy Church lieth at the mercy of a God, who is all mercy, and has the Instruments all, English, Irish, French, all these Malignants in His Hands, the Hands of a Father. Truly, Lord, Thy people are assured, That these Instruments in their Father's Hands, shall not kill his Children: Kill! They shall not hurt His Children. Not hurt! These Instruments, in a Father's hand, must do His Children good; and the more Malignant, the more good. It must be so, Lord; Instruments in a Father's Hand must work for the good of His Children; they know it, and are as confident and fully assured of it, as that their Father ever liveth and ever loveth His people. Amen; for so says the Faithful and true witness, Amen. 2. The Heathen rage now, they take counsel together all against Thy Son, Thine Anointed, our Lord and Christ. We know thou hast taken to Thyself Power now, Thou wilt see to Thine own House, Thou Son of David. Psal. 2. Thou dost laugh now; but woe to the world, the men of the earth there Revel. when Thou dost Laugh, for now they shall howl bitterly, When Thou shalt speak unto them in Thy wrath, and vex them in Thy sore Displeasure. 3. Thy Name, Lord, Thy Glory is engaged upon it; for Thy Namesake, for Thy Glory-sake Thou must do it, maintain Thine own Cause: The Cause Thy servants standup for, is not theirs, but the Lords, Thy Cause; and though Thy servants have offended Thee, yet, the comfort is, The Cause never offended Thee; Thou art as well pleased with it, as with Thy Son; yea, in Him, Thou lovest Thy People as Thou lovest Thy Son: But Thy Cause, Lord, Thy Son's Cause, His Church's Cause, Thou must help it, Thou must deliver it, Thou must bring it forth to victory. Thy Cause, Lord, Thy Glory, That is engaged. Were the Cause ours, and no more but ourselves interested in it, let it sink, or let it swim, Thy people could not be careful about it; they would be as careless of it, as those have been, who have turned Tail upon Thy servants in the House of Parliament, and dealt treacherously with Thee. But, but, The Kingdom is Thine, The Battle Thine, The people Thine, The Cause Thine, The Glory Thine, (ours by free gift, and so returned back with all thankfulness) All is Thine; Thou must look to Thine own, Thou must do it; We are not our own, Thy Purchase Lord, engaged to Thee, Thou must help us; We have done our duty, blessed be Thy Name for That Grace, we have Fasted; we have prayed, we have Covenanted, taken Thee for our God; we said, in uprightness of heart, Thou art our Rock, our high Tower. Truly, Lord, Thou must be our Refuge (heaven is our place of Esa 45. 11. Josh. 1 5. Heb. 13. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Five Ne gatives to ascertain the affirmative, and to give the Church strong Consolations for ever. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rendezvous still) in life and in death, whereto we must continually resort. Thou must do it, it is Thy Cause, and Thy Glory; Thy people will not let Thee alone, they will give Thee no rest; Thouhast bid them, saying, Command ye me; They take Thee at Thy Word, they command Thee to prosper This Cause in all the people's sight: It must be so, Lord, for so Thou hast Commanded, and, not we, but Thou hast said it, I will never, never, never, never, never, leave Thee not forsake Thee. Thou didst not give so full an assurance to thy servant Joshua, but Thou hast said it so often, and given so full an assurance to thy servants now a days: Thou didst assure indeed Thy servant Joshua, That Thou wouldst hold him fast, Thou wouldst not let go Thy hold of him (a), Thou wouldst bear him up in Thine hand; A full assurance this: Yet Thou hast given a fuller assurance to Thy servants now a days, so as they can say boldly, and believe perfectly, that Thou wilt never forsake Thy Kingdom; never forsake Thy Church; never forsake Thy Battle; never forsake Thy Cause, never forsake that matter, wherein Thy Name, Thy Glory is engaged. In confident assurance hereof, All Thy faithful servants, all the world over do stand still (calm and quiet in their minds, not sad nor careful, having done their duty) expecting the Salvations of the Lord, and ascribing salvation to their God, Praise, Glory, Honour, and thanksgiving To Him, That sitteth upon the Throne for evermore: So be it: Amen. Postscript. THat these things, I have said, may not seem Parables, I have singled out a single man, a good Soldier of Jesus Christ, by him to exemplify all this. As the Nobles have done before him in ancient days touching the well posturing Kingdoms: so he has done in the maintaining his own Militia and posturing himself; for he has done as aforesaid, and at last entered into Covenant with his God; and, by help of God, stands to it, and so made himself as a Wall or Mountain of Brass, able to stand it out against all Storms and Batteries: he mocketh at Famine now, and laugheth at the Sword; If his Adversaries threaten to Storm him, he will laugh at them; And if it be told him, that the Rebels in Ireland will join with them in England for that purpose; He will reply, That he fears God, and is not afraid of the beasts of the earth. He now that will take a full sight and view of this Soldier Job 5. 22. throughout all his Ranks and Postures, must haply be at three pence cost, which thinking he may stick at, I will only make honourable mention of this Soldier here, and of one of his exploits, which makes him more renowned than were they, whose conquest made them famous all over the world. He has overcome himself. That is a conquest indeed; he has ever-powred Self-will, nearest of Kin to the great troubler of the world, Master of Misrule, and Prince of Rebels, which, next to the Devil, has and does cause all the stirs, tumults, and mischief there; He has overcome this Adversary, and thrown-out other accursed things, I know not how many. Some foils he received, and sometimes falls, but he risen again and stood up the more stoutly. It was sometimes dark, and night in his spirit, but it was always day with him, and light in the Lord: and his falls made him rise the higher in faith, humility, patience. Indeed this is the man, who is a great part of the Kingdom's Militia, the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof: he has chased a thousand, and put a legion to flight. This he did, you will say, when he was lively and strong. That is true, but this man did the greatest exploit then, when his enemy thought him under the Power of his hand; Then was this Soldier strongest, when that Adversary, the King of terrors, thought him to be weakest, Sick, and sick unto death; Then he did not say, I am sick, but strong in the Lord, and so his Militia is completed now; his warfare accomplished now; he has marched valiantly, triumphed Esay 32. 24. judges 5. Revel. 4. 10. 11. gloriously, trod down strength, in His strength, Who made him have dominion over the Mighty. And now He is taking the Palm into his hand, but his Crown he has, with the Elders, east down before Him, That sitteth on the Throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power, for thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created. An end. The full purpose; total intendment; true use of Prince ROBER his Warrant to the Constables of Northamptonshire; for the speedy Posturing their Country; Signed with the Great Seal, and dated the first of November, 1643. This relates to the 34. Page of this Book. OUT of Our Princely Care, and [so often protested] zeal, for The Defence of the True Protestant Religion, The two Houses of Parliament; [he has abused a known figure here, the Subject for th' Adjunct, For the Defence of the two Houses; but for The Totall destruction of the Nobility and Gentry therein, and] Their Rights and Privileges; The Liberties and Properties of the Subject; we have issued forth Our Princely Warrant to command you, and every one of you, That instantly upon sight hereof, you cause all the Inhabitants (sit for War) in your several Towns and Villages, to make their appearance before Us; With Us, To carry on Our Royal Design, For The Defence, as aforesaid [by impoverishing Cities, laying waste Towns, Plundering, Pillaging, Firing Houses, Murdering the men there; Ravishing Mothers there; Deflowering Daughters there, For the Defence, as aforesaid:] And in case, ye shall refuse to do according to Our Royal Charge [In so Legal a way, according to the known Laws of the Kingdoms;] Expect ye to suffer, ye, your Wives, and your Maidens [as aforesaid;] Besides the total Plundering, and Burning your Houses; with what other mischiefs, licenced and hungry Soldier's [with their Prince, that ruleth mightily with the Children of disobedience] can inflict upon you. Rupert Rober in Dutchland. England. THis Warrant was issued forth in the Forenoon, and before High-Noon of the same day, This valiant Prince ran His own way, the way of Cain, against the blood of his Brother: And of Balaam, against the Angel's sword: But no man was so mad to blunder after Him, but they that were as blind as Himself: except the Avengers of blood, who feeling the weight of their Office, True sense of Duty, and of Love to their Country, (having power in their hand,) pursued after this Murderer, as sometimes the English did after grievous Woolves, which no more spared their flocks once, than these Woolves spare their Shepherds now. The True Use is at last, To gore the sides of our Issachaars, all the strong Asses in our Gen. 49. 14. Land, who bend their necks to the yoke, and crouch under the Burdens laid upon them by a strange lord; To undeceive all the Christian World; To summon-up every person there, To standup in their place; or, as their calling may be, to comein speedily, and enrol themselves for this Holy War, against the Beast. This is the Use of this Warrant, and it shall be the End. FINIS.