THE HEALING OF Israel's BREACHES. Wherein is set forth Israel's Disease. Cure. Physician. Danger. All paralleled with, and applied to the Present Times. As they were delivered in six Sermons at the weekly Lecture in the Church of Great Yarmouth. By JOHN BRINSLY Minister of the Word, and Pastor of Somerleiton an adjacent village. Published by order of a Committee of the House of Commons. TEXT. PSAL. 60. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof, for it shaketh. LONDON, Printed for JOHN BARTLET, at the sign of the golden Cup, near S. Austin's gate, in S. Paul's churchyard. 1642. To all the Lovers of Truth, and Peace, specially those in the town of Great Yarmouth. TO some of you were these Meditations lately preached; For all of you they are now Published. My design in both is, (that which should be the Desire of every true Israelite) The Healing of the Breaches in this our Israel. And my Hopes are that there is not a line within the Circumference of this Tract, which is not drawn directly to this centre. If any shall think otherwise, let them mistrust their own eyes, which, being dazzled, will make the sunbeams (though most direct in themselves) seem distort, and crooked. Sure I am, what ever my lines may seem to be, my Intentions have been right. These I can approve to God who knows them, and the other (I trust) shall approve themselves to those who (being not prejudiced) are able to judge of them. If herein I fall short of my mark, let it be enough I have aimed, and shot at it. In magnis voluisse— Yours, devoted to the service of God's Truth, and the church's Peace, IOH. BRINSLY. Israel's DISEASE. The first Sermon. Anno 1641. Feb. 23. PSAL. 60.2. Heal the Breaches thereof, for it is shaken. IN these words which I have now singled out upon this solemn aoccasion; a Puplike fast. we have the sum and substance of an earnest request made by David in the behalf of that kingdom, whereof God had made him the head; the kingdom of Israel. This kingdom it had been, and Occasion as yet for the present was, in a distressed, distracted state and condition. So it had been, not only under the judges, during whose government it felt of ten or twelve several commotions or Persecutions, (as Jacobus de Valentia writing upon this psalm, computes them, paralleling, and comparing them with the ten Primitive Persecutions of the Church under the gospel) but also under King Saul, and sometime after his death; during which time it had been afflicted and distressed, partly by foreign Invasion, partly by intestine and homebred sedition. By foreign invasion, especially of the Philistines, who in that fatal Battle slew King Saul himself, with his three sons, routing his whole Army, cutting off the flower and stre●gth of Israel, taking possession of some of the chief holds and Cities in that kingdom, having expulsed the Inhabitants; the said story whereof you may read, 1 Sam. the last, 2 Sam. 1. By homebred seditions; those raised partly by Saul himself, during his life; partly by his son after his death. By Saul himself, who in an hostile manner causelessly prosecuted and persecuted David as a public enemy to the State, whom God had designed to be next heir to the crown, so making a great and a dangerous Commotion in that kingdom: withal, falling upon the Priests of God with great cruelty & rage, butchering no less than fourscore and five persons of them at once; all that were found, upon suspicion of their siding with David, or favouring his cause, of both which you may read, 1 Sam. 22. this did Saul in his life. After his death Ishbosheth his son, by Abner's instigation laying claim to the crown, maketh a strong party, taketh up arms, purteth the kingdom into blood, distracting and wasting it with a long and a dangerous civil-war, of which you may read, 2 Sam. 2, 3. Cap. Thus that kingdom had been afflicted. And hereunto Interpreters generally Coherence. Calvin. Mollerus Sohnius. Scultotus. conceive the verses before the sixt to have reference, wherein the Psalmist complains unto God, O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, ver. 1. This he had done in that fatal overthrow given to Saul and his army royal by the Philistines, at which time the Israelites forsaking their Habitations fled into the mountains, hiding themselves amongst the Rocks, leaving their Cities to be possessed by their enemies, themselves being made a dispersion, as you may see, 1 Sam. c. last, v. 7. this God had done to them, thereby manifesting his displeasure against them, seeing as it were to have cast them off. O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased, &c. Thou hast made the Earth to tremble, thou hast broken it: So the psalm goeth on, v. 2. with reference as Interpreters conceive it to those homebred divisions, those civil-wars betwixt the two Houses of Saul and David, after the death of Saul, then did the Earth, the Land, that Land of Israel (as the Chaldee explains it) quake and tremble, being broken, riven, (as the word in the original signifieth:) even as the Earth sometimes by earthquakes it is riven, and torn asunder with prodigious Chasmaes', openings, or gapings; so was that kingdom divided in those civil Commotions; the Nobles and commons' taking parts and siding, some with David, some with Ishbosheth. So miserably had that kingdom been distressed, distracted, so it had been I, and as yet for the present in part still was. However those storms were well over, and the Heav●● had begun to clear, the kingdom was somewhat quieted, yet still was it in an unsettled, tottering condition; and that as by reason of those late distemperatures which were not yet thoroughly healed, so also by reason of some present distractions wherewith it was still afflicted. Still there were Ruptures, Breaches in the kingdom, and those more than a few, and such as did both unsettle and endanger it, shaking the very foundations of it: And in regard hereof it is, that the Psalmist here prefers this his Petition unto God, the sum and substance whereof you have in this short clause which I have now singled out, wherein we may take notice of two particulars. Division. David's Request. Reason. His Request, that God would heal the Breaches of his kingdom: Heale the Breaches thereof. His Reason or Argument to back and second his Request, taken from the eminent danger wherein that his kingdom then was, in case God should not step in into it by mature and timous Prevension, it was shaken. Heale the Breaches thereof, for it shaketh, or it is shaken. You see the parts of the Text, to prosecute them in their Order, beginning with the former. David's Request, which he presents and puts up as you see in a metaphorical strain, the Metaphor taken from a physician or chirurgeon, who by ministering and applying sanative Modicines, and healing Salves, Cures and healeth the Diseases or Ruptures of his patient: And therein (following the sense of the Metaphor) we shall take notice of three particulars, 1. Israel's Disease. 2. Israel's Cure. 3. Israel's physician. Israel's Disease; Ruptures, Breaches; the Breaches thereof. Israel's Cure; the making up or healing of those Breaches: Heale the Breaches thereof. Israel's physician, from whom it is that David here seeks for this Cure, viz. God himself: To him it is that he maketh this his Request, as the first word in the psalm informs us; O God, heal thou the Breaches thereof. Insist we upon these three particulars severally, beginning first with Israel's Disease; the Israel's Disease, Breaches. The word and thing explained. Breaches thereof. What David hereby means I have in part explained already, viz. Those Distractions, Divisions, political Breaches, and Ruptures in the body of his kingdom. Shevariah saith the Hebrew, contrite iones, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rupturas, Fragmenta; the Ruptures, Breaches, Shivers; a word which answers the original both in sound and sense; possibly fetched from this Hebrew root Shibber, to break or sbiver a Breach: this Confringere {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Contritio {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} was Israel's Disease. A Disease in what body soever we meet with it: Be it first in the Nature all body; whether Inwardly, a Rupture, or Outwardly salutio continui, a cut or Wound; whereby the flesh is broken and divided. Every such a Breach or Fraction, in what part soever it be, it is a malady, a Disease, calling for the help of the physician or chirurgeon. These are corporal Breaches. Or be it, Secondly, In the Oeconemical Body, or Family, Breaches, whether in the Head, betwixt the governors, those unhappy jars betwixt man and wife, dividing those whom God hath made One: or betwixt the Members, Dissensions of Brethren, too frequent, or the disagreements of Servants; all hurtful and prejudicial to the family: domestical Breaches. Or be it. Thirdly, in the political body, the commonwealth; Breaches made upon it, by open hostility from foreign enemies, or else in it, by homebred divisions and dissensions, whether betwixt the Prince and subjects, or betwixt subjects themselves, all endangering the state of a kingdom. political Breaches, Or be it, Fourthly, In the ecclesiastical Body, the Church; Breaches in or about matters of Religion. Sects, schisms, Heresies, rending and rearing the seamless coat of Christ, the Church. ecclesiastical Breaches. Of all, and every of these I may truly say, that they are Diseases, and that dangerous ones; How dangerous, I shall forbear to show you for the present, reserving that for the latter part of the Text, to which properly it belongeth. This is the disease which David here speaketh of, and complaineth of; And this was Israel's disease; That is the mark which my eve is upon at the present. Heale the Breaches (thereof) viz. Of the Land, the Land of Israel. Even Israel is subject to Breaches, that is the conclusion which from hence I take up: Even Israel is Israel is subject to Breaches▪ subject to Breaches. So it was with the literal typical Israel, David's kingdom, so it may be with spiritual, mystical Israel, the kingdom of Christ, the church of God upon Earth: Hereof was Israel Israel a Type of the Church in three particulars. a type. David's kingdom a type of Christ's kingdom, the Church upon Earth; resembling it both in the King of it, and subjects of it, and State of it. 1. For the King and Head of it; David a type 1. The King & Head. of Christ, and a lively type, thence is it that Christ is sometimes called by the name of David. They shall seek the Lord their God (saith the Prophet 3 Hos. v. last. Hosea, speaking of the Israelites, the Jews) and David their King. i. e. Christ, who as he was of the seed of David, the son of David, so he was most clearly and lively represented, and resembled by David. To touch upon the particular Resemblances betwixt them, (as it is besides the Text so) it would swallow up more time then for the present I have to spare. Secondly, For the subjects of it; they were Israelites, a people that were in covenant with God, carrying 2. Subjects. the seal of that covenant, (the sign of circumcision) in their flesh; an holy people, professing sanctity and holiness. And such are the subjects of Christ's kingdom, the true members of the Church visible; they are Israelites; Behold an Israelite: such by profession; a people in covenant with God, partaking 1 Ioh. 47. of the feals of the covenant, a holy people, called to holiness, Saints by calling, professing sanctity and holiness. 3. State. Thirdly, for the state of it; David's kingdom was still in a militant condition for the most part▪ and so is the kingdom of Christ, his Church upon Earth, a militant Church; where Christ Psal. 110. ruleth and reigneth in the midst of his Enemies. Thus was Israel a Type of the Church, the one literal, the other mystical Israel. And both these shall we find subject unto Breaches. Typical Israel was; mystical Israel, the Church may be; the Text makes good the former, let me show you the latter, and for the demonstrating of it, clear unto you these two things. 1. What Breaches they are which Israel, the church, is so subject to. Secondly, Now it cometh to pass that it should be so subject to these Breaches. For the former, What Breaches they are that the qu. 1. What Breaches the church is subject to. church of God upon earth is so subject to? For answer hereunto, give me leave to reflect upon the type, and inquire what were Israel's Breaches which David here complaineth of. In making Ans. Cleared from the Type. this inquiry, I will not go out of this psalm whereof the Text is part, in the latter part whereof David doth tacitly insinuate unto us what were those Breaches whereof he complaineth in the former. They were of two sorts: Homebred. Israel's Breaches of two sorts. Foreign. Homebred, intestine and civil Breaches, made and caused by some of the Israelites themselves. foreign, made by those who were open, and professed enemies to their kingdom, and Religion. 1. For the former. There was as yet a strong party in Israel, which after the death of Ishbosheth Hombred made by Israelites. cleaved to the house of Saul, not acknowledging David for their King, but were ready upon all occasions to raise new tumults, and commotions, thereby seeking to shake off the yoke of David's government. The chief and principal places, where this seditious party had their residence, and abode, were those which the Psalmist mentioneth in the sixth and seventh verses of the psalm. viz. Shechem, Succoth, Gilead, Manasseh. Shechem, a city in the Iosh. 20. 7. Joshu. 13. 27. tribe of Ephraim. Succoth, a city in the tribe of Gad. Gilead and Manasseh, the utmost borders of the Land of Canaan, beyond Jorden. These were some of the chief places which sided with Ishbosheth whilst he lived, as you may see, 2. Sam. 2. a Sam. 2. 8 and (as it seemeth) they still cleaved to the house of Saul after he was dead, not acknowledging David for their King. So much David himself here insinuates, I shall divide Shechem &c. i. e. have a full possession of it and the rest, which as yet he had not. These were intestine and Homebred Breaches made by some of the Israelites themselves. Secondly, Besides these (in the second place) David and his Kingdom had many foreign enemies; open and professed enemies, not only to David & foreign made by Enemies. his House; but to the whole kingdom of Israel. Such were the Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, of whom you have mention, ver. 8. Moab shall be my wash-pot, &c. Moab, the land, or people of the Moahites, borderers upon the land of Israel, that incestuous progeny, begotten by Lot in his drunkenness Geni 19 3 3. &c. upon one of his own daughters, who having forsaken the true God, they were also enemies to his Num. 25. 1. 3. Judg. 3. 12 people Israel. Edom, or Idumea, the Edomites, the posteririe of Esau, who for that profane act of his in bartering away his birthright for a mess of red pottage Ge. 25. 30 was called Edom, i. e. read. These also were enemies, imbittered and inveterate enemies against Israel; so David setteth them forth Psal. 137. Psa. 137. 7 Gen. 1●. 6. 14. Philistia, or Palestina, the Philistines, Cham's cursed posterity, open and professed enemies to Israel (Shem's progeny) as appears in diverse places. All these Nations they were afterward subdued and conquered by David, and in assured confidence of this conquest, David here triumphs aforehand; Moab shall be my washpot, over Edom will I cast out my shcoe, But as yet they stood out, upon all occasions ready to make incursions and invasions upon Israel, which also frequently they did, to the great disturbing and endangering of that kingdom. Put these together, and you see the Breaches to which the typical Israel, David's kingdom, was subjected. And in these may you see what are the Breaches which The Church subject to like Breaches. the spiritual Israel, the Church of God upon earth is subject. Breaches from without, and breaches from within. I will invert the order. From without, by open 1. Foreign, by Persecution. persecution; from within, by intestine and homebred Divisions. Of both these the Church of God in all ages hath had sufficient experience: look we upon the primitive times, during the infancy of the Church, however the soundest and entivest Church that ever was, yet how was it broken? broken, as by foreign persecutions, so by homebred divisions. Both these ways was the Church during the Apostles times broken, distressed by Enemies from without, who persecuted it. So was the Church at Jerusalem broken, in that great persecution, wherein Paul was an actor, Stephen a Martyr, many of the Saints sufferers, who thereupon were dispersed and scattered, as you may see Acts 8. there might the Acts 8. 1. Church have taken up the words of the Psalmist, in the first verse of this psalm; O God thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us. Thus was the Church at Antioch broken in that persecution raised by the Jews, irritating and stirring up devout and honourable Act. 13. 50 women with the chief men of the city, against the Christians, wherein Paul himself was to suffer: to let pass divers other. The Churches being thus broken by persecution from enemies without; they were also broken by 2. divisions and distractions from within: their own Hombred by divisions. members being divided, and severed in their judgements, in their affections. This fire it began to smoke betimes, as you may see in that first Church, the Church at Jerusalem, kindled by a little spark, a small neglect, through the want of convenient Church-officers. There arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows Acts 6. 1. were neglected in the daily ministration. Afterwards it broke forth into more open flames, hot and eager contests, and that about divers points; as namely The Church rent during the Apostles time. about circumcision, whether necessary or no: no small dissension about it betwixt Paub and Barnabas, and certain believers of Judeah, who made a journey to Antioch (as it seemeth) to vent their tenants, and to undertake a dispute about it. After Acts 15. 1, 2. this (to let pass personal differences which fell in betwixt their Teachers themselves, as viz. that betwixt Paul and Barnabas are sharp contentions, Act. 15. 39 Gal. 2. 14. and Paul and Peter:) how were the people in some of the Churches divided? divided in particular about their Teachers. Instance in that Church of Corinth, where the members thereof were divided into Sects, some were Paulites, others Apolloites, a 1 Cor. 3. 3, 4. third Cephites, a fourth Christians; so divided and broken into sects, and that about their Teachers, after whose names they affected to be called. In the same Church we shall find other Breaches; the members thereof being divided again (as probably about their Gestures in the public worship and service of God, so) about the doctrine and manner of administering the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, as it may be collected from that 1 Cor. 11. where the Apostle both censures those differences amongst them, and for the rectifying of them reduceth them 1 Cor. 11. 22, 23. to the first institution. Such Breaches were there made in and upon the Church during the time of the Apostles themselves. After their departure these Breaches were more After their departure torn. and greater. In the three first Centuries how was the Church of Christ rent and torn, partly by lions, partly by Wolves? By lions, such as Nero, By lion's a Tim. 4. 17. Saint Paul's lion was; cruel and bloody persecutors, putting the Church into blood; pouring so much blood at the root of this Vine, as hath made it the more fruitful ever since. Of these breaches Histories usually mention ten as most remarkable. The ten primitive persecutions under those Romish Heathenish Emperors. Thus was it torn by lions. As by lions so by Wolves. So Saint Paul foretold that it should be; I know that after my departure By wolves Act. 20. 29 shall grievous Wolves enter in amongst you, not sparing the flock. He spoke it of false Prophets and heretical Teachers, which with their pernicious errors, schisms and heresies should even rend and tear the flock of Christ, the Church. And accordingly it came to pass, as the Histories of those times sufficiently testify. Never was the Church more rent and torn by Heresies and schisms, then in those next ages after the Apostles: within the compass of the first 400. years, there being little less than an hundred of them of note, as they are Danae. do Haeres. collected and computed out of those two ancient Doctors Epiphanius and Augustine. So fruitful was the Church then in breaches. Broken by heathenish persecutions, broken by various divisions and distractions: and such hath been the condition of it ever since; even in the purest and quietest times never free from breaches: in some parts persecuted, in others distracted. That it hath been so, is out of doubt, which maketh good the Assertion that it may be so. Israel is subject to breaches. Q. 2. How the Church cometh to be so subject to these Breaches. Answ. Q. But how cometh it so to be? to be subject, so subject as it is? A. I answer briefly. This is diversely considered: God's doing. Satan's doing. God's doing; who doth it with an eyeparts to 〈◊〉 is God's doing, who permits & orders them, with respect, himself. His Church. 1. With an eye to himself: his own glory; the glory of his power, wisdom, goodness; all which are gloriously manifested; as, First in the preserving and upholding his Church in the midst of all these Breaches: even as the care 1. To his own glory which is manifested, In Preserving. and skill of a Pilot is shown in steering a ship in a stress, keeping her above-water in the midst of those raging billows: or as the wisdom and valour of a good Commander is shown in defending the city, the walls whereof are full of breaches: so, Secondly, in healing and making up of these Breaches; which God sometimes doth in such a In Healing. way, as he not only leaves no fear behind, but maketh the Church a gainer by them. In both these is God glorified: and to these ends doth he permit these breaches, which if he would he could hinder: even as our Saviour suffered Lazarus to be sick, to Ioh. 11. 21 die (both which he could have hindered) that the son of man might be glorified in his Resurrection: This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God. Ve. 4. So may we say of these diseases in the Church; her Breaches are not mortal, not unto death (the Church being a Body like unto the Head of it, immertall) but for the glory of God, that the son of man, the Head of the Church may be glorified in preserving in Healing it. 2. God doth it in the second place, with an eye 2. To his Church, viz. for to his Church, giving way to these Breaches, & that For, 1. Exercising 2. Trying 3. Purging of it. 1. For the exercising of the Church. Therefore doth he expose it sometimes to open persecution, Exercise. suffering Enemies to break in upon it, and to break it; even as the Husbandman opens and breaks the clods of his ground, rending and tearing it with ploughs and harrows, as the Prophet Jsai alludeth. Is. 28 24. This he doth for the exercise of his Church, which if it lay fallow, would be ready to run wild and prove unfruitful. 2. For probation and trial of it. To make trial of the Faith and Obedience of his people. To this trial. end the Lord left the Canaanites and some other nations, to be as thorns and pricks in the eyes and sides of the Israelites, not driving them out before Joshuah Ios. 23. 13 as he had done the rest, that through them he might prove Israel, whether they would keep the way 2 Iudg. 22. 23. of the Lord, to walk therein, as you have it 2 Judg. And to this end (amongst other) he suffers his Church to be pierced, rent and torn, as by persecutions, so by schisms and heresies, viz. for the trying and manifesting of those which are approved: There must be heresies or sects, saith Paul to his Corinthians; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} oportet. There must be; Why? 1 Cor. 11. 19 That they which are approved, may be made manifest. Of such use were those civil dissensions in the kingdom of Israel betwixt David and Ishbosheth, thereby it was manifested who they were which cleared to the house of Saul, and who to the House of David. And such use God maketh of the Breaches and Divisions in his Church; hereby he discovers who they are which will cleave unto him & to his Truth, and who they are which for by and sinister respects will be drawn aside to follow after error. Hereby God maketh a discovery; discovering men to others; I, and sometimes discovering them to themselves, making them hereby to know the rottenness or sincerity of their own hearts, whether they have followed Christ for Loaves, or no. Thirdly, for the purging of the Church. Even as by Purging. those Commotions in the upper region of the air, thunderings and lightnings, rending and tearing the clouds; with those in the lower Region, storms and tempests, the air itself is purged, and cleansed from many noxious vapours, which otherwise would annoy the inhabitants: Even so by these commotions, and combustions in the Church, God purgeth a great deal of corruption out of it. This is one of the fans in the hand of Christ, whereby he Mat. 3. 12. dresseth his corn, and purgeth his floor, (his Church,) freeing his truth from a great deal of chaff, and dross which is oft-times mingled with it. Thus this is God's doing: and, In the second place it is Satan's doing, who hath 2. Satan's doing, who hath an hand in all these Breaches, thereby ever an hand in those Breaches which God permits and orders. So had he in the great Breach which was made upon Israel, through David's sin in numbering the people. This happened not without a divine permission, and ordination; whence it is said, that God moved David against Israel, yet Satan had 2 Sam. 24. 1. an hand in it, being the immediate instigator of David unto that sin, which made the Breach, whereat that judgement broke in; and thence we find it else where attributed to Satan; Satan stood up against 1 Chro. 21. 1. Israel &c. Which latter text explaynes the former. There is not a Breach that is made in, or upon the Church, whether it be by open Persecution, or homebred Dissension, but Satan hath an hand in it. So had he in all those Breaches which were made in, and upon the Primitive Churches. Those persecutions were from him. The great red Dragon in the Revelation, he persecuted the woman; Those Rev. 12. 13. persecutions wherewith the Church was broken under those heathenish Emperouts until the time of Constantine the great, that man-child there spoken of (as some expositors conceive it,) that masculine deliverer, they were of Satan's raising. And ver. 5. Bright man. we may say the same of those schisms, heresies, errors, superstitions, wherewith the Church in those Primitive and after ages was infested and troubled, they were all but the spawn and seed of the same Serpent. The Serpent cast out of his mouth a flood of water after the woman, so you have it verse Rev. 14. 15. fifteen. A flood of water, even that flood of errors and heresies, as that of Arianism and some other, which like a flood (a land flood) had overflowen almost the whole world: This flood came out of the mouth of that Serpent. And so hath that deluge of Antichristian errors in which the world for many ages together lay steeped, and drowned; And we may say the same of all those lesser streams of errors, heresies, schisms, which have or do infest any part of the Church, they are but as so many smaller brooks or rivulets flowing and streaming from the same head; divisions, discensions in the Church they are some of the tares sown by this Mat. 13. 25. envious man in God's field; which he doth to a clean contrary end then that which God intendeth them for; viz. for the ruin, and destruction of the Intending the ruin and destruction of the Church. Rev. 12. 15. Matth. 24. 24. Church. To this end the Dragon cast out that flood of warers after the woman, that the woman might be carried away of the food. To this end doth Satan set abroach all these pernicious errors in the Church, that (if possible) the very Elect might be deceived, and so the whole Church carried away, either by seduction, or destruction. To this end doth he sow these tares of differences and dissensions, that they may hinder the groweth of the good corn, the groweth of Religion, as for the most part they do: That hereby the kingdom of Christ may be weakened, his own strengthened, which as it was at the first founded in, and raised by divisions, his dividing betwixt God and man; so it is exceedingly promored, and built up by the same means, by dividing betwixt men and men. You see the truth of the point, that it is so; you see the grounds of it, why it is so. What use shall we now make hereof unto ourselves? Here, to let fall a stone which the text putteth into my hand to cast at our adversaries of Rome; use 1. Confutation. Bellarm. de notis Eccle. c. 3. Unity, Prosperity no true marks of the Church. who amongst their fifteen notes, or marks of the true visible Church, lay down these for two; unity, Prosperity: unity or union of the members under one visible head, and amongst themselves: Prosperity, outward and temporal felicity; which if so, what shall we say to the Church of Israel at this present, when David complained of so many Breaches in it? Where was then the union of the Church under one visible head, when that Kingdom (to which the Church was then confined) was so divided betwixt two; some cleaving to the house of David, others to the house of Saul, yet both making up one visible Church? Where was the outward felicity, and temporal Prosperity of the Church, when the foundations of that kingdom, and consequently of the Church, the whole Church, were so shaken, both by foreign invasions, and homebred seditions? But I pass by this, leaving them to talk of that, which is not, nor ever yet was to be found amongst themselves. What ever may be said for the latter (temporal prosperity) sure we are, as for the former (unity) it is a thing which they have no cause to boast of. The use I intend to make of it, shall be only to Use 2. Infosmation. Our Breaches no just cause of triumph, scandal, or discouragement to any, though made so. take off the triumph, scandal, or discouragement, which any may happily either make or take, at the present Breaches which are to be found amongst us in this, and the neighbour Kingdom. In the behalf of both these we are this day, and at this time assembled together, viz. to seek God for them, as David doth here for Israel, that He would heal the Breaches thereof. That there are Breaches in both, and those very considerable ones, but for number, and nature, many and great, shaking the very foundations of them, it cannot be denied. And in these Breaches some happily will be ready to triumph. So did both the To some matter of triumph. Edomites, and Philistines here spoken of, over Israel's Breaches. Israel's Breaches were their Triumph; so were they to the Philistines. O Philistia triumph thou because of me, or over me, saith the Psalmist here verse 8. speaking by way of irony, and mockage, bidding them go on in their rejoicing and triumphing over the Church of God, insulting over her Breaches and ruins as they did. The like did the Edomites. So we may hear the Prophet Obadiah Obad. 12. charging it upon them, ver. 12. of his prophecy. Edom looked upon the day of his brother Jacob, the day of Israel's affliction, the day wherein he became a stranger, was carried away captaive. This day the Edomites looked upon in a rejoicing way, insulting over the misery of the Church; so it followeth, Edom rejoiced over the children of Juda in the day of their destruction, and spoke proudly (insultingly) in the day of their distress, &c. with such an eye (no question) do the enemies of God and his Church at this day look upon the distressed, distracted state, and condition of this and the neighbour nation. Romish Edomites, those children of Edom which say of our Jerusalem, our reformed Religion, Race it, race it, even to the foundations thereof; Psal. 137. 7. uncircumcised Philistines, such as have gone about to set up the Ark of God by their Dagon, as 1. Sam. 5. the Philistines once did; to make Rome and England meet together; I doubt not but they are ready to triumph, and insult over these Breaches, which themselves have made; these divisions, distractions, seditions, rebellions, whereof themselves are the authors, and fomenters; hoping that at these Breaches themselves shall re-enter, setting up their standards again upon the church's battlements; raising themselves upon the church's ruins, which they hope these distractions do presage. Others there are to whom these Breaches may happily be a matter either of scandal, or discouragement. To some of scandal, unsettled and unstable To some, of scandal Christians, reeds shaken with the wind, carried about with every blast. Upon this ground happily they may be brought to scruple and question the truth of our Religion, and so to entertain thoughts of relinquishing it, flying from it, (as some have Vid. ep. Dr. Hall to Mr. W. L. Decad. 3. Ep. 5. To some, of discouragement. done) because of some divisions amongst the Professors of it. To others of discouragement; Weak and faint-hearted Christians, who because they cannot at the present see how these Breaches should be repaired, and made up, therefore they are ready to yield up the City, to give the Church, and cause of Christ in it, for lost; as if the condition thereof were forlorn, and desperate. Not so: No just gro●nd for any of these; whether for triumph, scandal, or discouragement. Breaches No just ground for any of these. there are amongst us, it cannot be denied; and those such Breaches as deserve to be lamented with tears of blood: but yet, are they any other then what the Church of God upon earth is subject to? Surely no. It is Saint Paul's consolation to his Corinthians touching their temptations. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. And the 1. Cor. 10. 13. like may I say of these temptations, distractions, divisions, wherewith the Church of God in these parts at this day is exercised, they are no other than what are common to the Church, may befall the Church, the true Church of God. To make this good, parallel and compare we the state of the Church in these Israel's Breaches and ours compared two Kingdoms with that of Israel in David's time, and see, what greater Breaches shall we find in the one then in the other? In the neighbour nation, the Trumpet of rebellion is sounded, the kingdom divided, put into blood, engaged in a civil war, by the means of a seditious party of Romish confederates, who, under a pretence of vindicating the liberty of their own, seek and endeavour the extirpating, and rooting out the true Religion of God, of late through the mercy of God begun to be planted amongst them, together with all the professors of it. But what is here more to be seen, or heard, than was in Israel at that time when she bade the son of Bichri, a man of Belial, blew a trumpet, and said, we have no part in 2 Sam. 20 1. 2. David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents O Israel; whereupon the whole 10. tribes made a present revolt, following after him, the tribe of Judah only cleaving to their King. Amongst ourselves however (blessed be God, and blessed be his Anointed, and blessed be the multitude of his wise & faithful counsellors) this fire hath not yet broken forth into such open flames, yet how hath it smoked? how doth it smoke? To let pass here that late Breach, so happily healed, and made up, betwixt the two Nations, (at least so some would have had it) which threatened us with the dreadful judgement of a civil war (of wars the worst.) To let that pass, (which yet we must not let pass without a thankful acknowledgement of the power, wisdom, goodness of God manifested in making up of that Breach; not only healing it without a scar, but bringing a more firm union out of it.) As also to forbear the mention of those late Breaches made both upon Church, and state among ourselves. Breaches made upon the estates of men, upon the liberties of subjects, the bodies, nay the souls and consciences of Christians, which through the goodness of God inclining the heart of his Anointed to harken to his great council of state are in part already repaired and made up. Besides these, other Breaches there are which yet lie upon us. Breaches in the Church & Breaches in the state; both in measure still rent and torn, distracted, and divided. I shall not need to name particulars, which are too obvious to every vulgar eye. But in all these what is here more than was to be found in Israel at that time when the whole land was shaken, that kingdom divided betwixt the two Houses of Saul and David; some siding with the one, others with the other; taking of parts to the great endangering of the state, of the Church therein? True it is, the enemies of our peace are many. Besides a dangerous party at home of such as do (in their hearts and affections at least) cleave to the House of Saul, the old House as they falsely call it) Papists, and others popishly affected, together with a Malignant party of malcontents, persons ill affected to Church and state; besides these, it cannot be thought but that we have enemies abroad; enemies to our Religion we are sure, many of them vassals to that Man of sin, that Antichrist of Rome, who (as they at the present insult over our breaches, so) if occasion were offered, we cannot think but that they would be ready to break in at them. But herein again, what is our condition other than Israel's was at this time when David penned this psalm, when besides that seditious party amongst themselves they had also many foreign enemies; enemies both to their kingdom and Religion, and that almost on every side: Moabites, Edomites, Philistines; Moabites and Edomites on the East; Philistines on the West. Thus paralleling our condition with Israel's, we find no great odds of breaches betwixt them; not more in the one than was in the other. And therefore (to draw towards a conclusion of this point and exercise.) In the first place, let not No cause of triumph to our adversaries. Mic. 7. 8. our adversary's triumph over our breaches; rejoice not against me O mine enemy. Or, if they will, let them triumph; Triumph thou O Philistia because of me or over me. Let our adversaries of Rome and their adherents, the seditious and ill affected party amongst ourselves, triumph and lift up their heads, insulting over our breaches: in the mean time we could tell them of their own breaches, and inquire Whose Breaches are not less than ours. of them where their unity was when their Church was divided betwixt two visible Heads at once, (two Popes I mean,) both set up, and both ruling at the same time, the one in Italy, the other in France; the one at Rome, the other at Avignion: a considerable number of Cardinals and Prelates siding and taking part with either of them. Then was the state of their Church like that of Israel, when after the death of Saul some sided with David, others with Ishbosheth. We could mind them of their own present divisions, which long have, and still do distract that Church of theirs; which howsoever they (having more of the Serpent, and being wiser in their generations then the children of Light,) carry Luk. 16. 8. more closely, with less noise, (wherein I wish we could imitate them,) yet are they both for nature, and number so considerable, as that it should make them ashamed either to boast of unity amongst themselves, or to insult over the Breaches of others. One of their own modestly tells us of 20. Gene brard. several schisms amongst them. Another, their great Cardinal Bellarmin by name (to the everlasting glory of their church's unity,) ingenuously acknowledgeth no less than 237. differences, or contrarieties in Doctrine amongst their own Divines. But these we pass by, contenting ourselves with this; this was Israel's condition, and it may be the condition of the true Church of God, to be divided, distracted, no matter of triumph to them. Nor yet, in the second and third place, of scandal or discouragement to others. Not of scandal: What though the natural body No cause of scandal. of Christ be pierced, rent, torn, with thorns, nails, the spear of the soldier? yet let none be offended at it. Blessed is he (saith our Saviour) whosoever Mat. 11. 6. shall not be offended in me: What though the mystical body of Christ, the Church be pierced, rent and torn, pierced with the spear of persecution; rent and torn, with the thorns and nails of homebred divisions and dissensions? let none be offended at it. Nor yet Discouraged by it. The natural Body of Christ, for all it was so pierced, rent, and torn; yet it rose again the third day. They are not all the rents, Or discouragement to weak ●hristian Hos. 6. 1 2. breaches, divisions, distractions in the mystical body of Christ, the Church, that shall hinder the resurrection of it. The Church in Hosea complains, that the Lord had torn her, and smitten her; Yet mark what followeth, After two days he will revive us, in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. God hath at the present done the like by this, and the neighbour Nation, smitten the one, torn the other: Smitten the one with the sword of a civil, but Barbarous and Savage enemy: torn the other, with unhappy differences and distractions; yet let not either of these discourage: He that hath torn us, he can heal us: He that hath smitten us, he can bind us up; and this (we trust) in mercy he will yet do. It is the speech (I remember) of the wife of Manoah to her hu●band; If the Lord had had a purpose to destroy Goo● hopes that God will heal our Breaches. Jude 13. 23. us, he would not have received a burnt-offering, and a meat-offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things. And let us in an holy confidence say the like, touching the Church of God in this, and the neighbour Kingdoms: Had God had a purpose to have cast us off from being a Church, from being a people, to have unchurched us, to have taken his Gospel from us, surely he would never have accepted our offerings, our prayers, and the prayers of his people amongst us, which we are assured he hath door, having given us most gracious & comfortable returns of them, assured evidences of their acceptation: Neither would he ever have showed us all these things. Discovered and confounded so many plots, so many treacheries and conspiracies of our adversaries, still turning their counsels upon their own heads; carrying the great council of the Kingdom through so many (to flesh and blood) insuperable difficulties: Nor yet would he have begun to repair and make up our Breaches, so as in part already he hath done, and (we hope) is doing. Do we see one bestowing cost upon an old garment, in darning up the holes, drawing up the rents, making up the Breaches in it; we thereupon conjecture, surely it is not his intent as yet to cast it off, and to lay it aside. Surely (beloved) such have been God's dealings with us, (specially of this Kingdom) of late, as that we may say that they are, at least seem to be, sweet intimations of a gracious purpose and intention towards us: only in this will the Lord be sought. And for this, let every of us seek him, that it may not repent him of the good which he hath seemed to intend towards us, but that he would return, and come unto us with healing in his wings; coming unto us as Mal. 4. 2. Cant. ● and last the Spouse desireth that her Beloved might come unto her, Like a Roe, or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether, the mountains of division, as the word signifieth. In his own time (which let not us prescribe) healing and making up all our breaches. This is David's Prayer for Israel in the text: And for this Let us pray. Israel's CURE. The second SERMON. March 2o. PSAL. 60. Vers. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof, for it is shaken. UPon this Text, I made an entrance the last day, being then led unto it by that* public Fast. Solemn occasion. We broke it into two parts, David's Request. Reason. In the former of these, we took notice of three particulars. Israel's Disease. Cure. physician. Upon the first of these we then insisted. Come we now to the second, viz. Israel's Cure.; which is the healing of her Breaches. Heale the Breaches Explic. what meant by Healing. thereof. To Heale, properly you know what it is, viz. do a Cure upon the Body in healing the sicknesses or sores thereof, whether in an ordinary way, by natural means, Medicines, or Salves, as the physician or chirurgeon doth, or in an extraordinary and miraculous way, without means, as our Saviour and his Apostles did, who cured all manner of diseases only by their a 107. Ps. 20. Math. 8. 8. word, b Math. 8. 3. 15. touch, c Math. 9 20. Luk. 8. 44. Act. 19 12 garments, d Acts 5. 15. 2 Chr. 7. 14. shadow. From the natural body, it is transferred to the political, or ecclesiastical body in a kingdom, the commonwealth, the Church. The remedying of the evils whereof, is sometime in phrase of Scripture called an Healing. If my people shall humble themselves, and pray, (saith the Lord) I will heal their Land, i. e. redress and remedy the evils which lie upon it: Heale the breaches thereof, saith the Text, i. e. repair them, make them up. This it is that David here prayeth for; and Doct. The Healing of the Churches breaches, should be the desire of every Christian. This should every true Israelite desire and seek after, The healing, repairing, making up of Israel's breaches. It was the first work that Nehemiah and the rest of the Jews did after their return from Captivity; they set upon the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem, which they began, as you may see in the 3. chap. of Nehem. and finished chap. 6. not giving over, till there was no breach found therein, Neh. c. 3. c. 6. as you have it vers. 1. of that 6. chap. What they did for the typical; this aught all true Israelites Verse 1. do for the Spiritual mystical Jerusalem, the Church of God upon earth, viz. seek and endeavour what they can, the building up the Walls, the repairing the breaches thereof. This is David's prayer elsewhere, Lord, build up the walls of Jerusalem: Psal. 51. 18. Jerusalem the Metropolis, both civil and ecclesiastical of that kingdom, the Head city of Israel, a Type of the Church visible; For this David prayeth, that God would build up the walls thereof, repair the breaches thereof; restoring to it, and establishing in it Peace, and prosperity. And what himself doth, he stirreth up others to do the like: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, i. e. Psal. 122. 6. for the public tranquillity and happiness of the Church; for the continuance of it, if enjoyed; for the restoring of it, if wanted; that it may not be troubled, whether without, by persecuting Tyrants putting it into blood; or within, by schisms, and Heresies, rending and tearing of it. These are the breaches of the Church (as I have showed you in the former Point) and both these every true Israelite should desire to have healed, repaired, made up; that so there may be Peace within her Walls, and Prosperity (or quietness) within her palaces, as it followeth vers. 7. of that 122. Psalm. And great reason for it, why Christians should Reas. 1. All members of the same body thus desire and endeavour the healing of Israel's breaches, they being all members of that mystical body: ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular, saith the Apostle to his Corinthians. The Church the body, 1 Cor. 12. 27. all true Christians Members of that body; and being so, they should have a sympathy with the whole. So is it in the natural body; If the body be wounded, or hurt in any part of it, there is never a part but is sensible of it: If the foot be wounded, the eye seeth it, the heart feeleth it, the tongue complains of it, the hand is ready to apply salves and plasters to it, for the healing of it. So should it be in the mystical body, and so it will be. If the Church be wounded, rent, torn, the eye of a true Israelite being a living member of that body, seeing it, his heart cannot but be affected with it, his tongue will be ready to complain of it unto God, his hand will be ready to apply such healing remedies as God shall put into it. Christian affection in the hearts of Christians, it both should, and will incline them to seek the Cure of Israel's breaches. Take a second Reason, and that fetched from the Reas. 2. Nature of these breaches, which are 1. unseemly. 2. Dangerous. 1. unseemly, not unlike a rent or breach in a Breaches in the Church unseemly. Garment; which, because uncomely, we will therefore get drawn, sown up: Or like a hare-lip in a good face; which, though it be not a sore, yet because it is an eyesore, a blemish, we will therefore (if possible) get healed. Upon this ground should Christians seek the healing of Israel's breaches. They are an eyesore, a blemish in this mystical body. It was the outward Beauty of the typical Jerusalem, that the buildings thereof were contiguous, and uniform. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together. Ju●cta sibi simul, Psal. 122. 3. as Montanus renders the original, the Houses not scattered, but joining together. Even as it was with the Curtains of the Tabernacle, which were of one measure (saith the Text) and coupled together. Surely it is a piece of the visible Churches visible Exod. 26. 2, 3. beauty, her unity, her breaches, her divisions make the least of them, make the best of them, they are a blemish, an eyesore; I, such an eyesore, as friends cannot behold without grief, enemies with triumph, Neuters with scandal. And being so, were there no other reason; Christians should seek the Healing of them. But besides this, 2. In the second place, these Breaches are dangerous. Dangerous, being Dangerous to the Church; and that two ways, being 1. disadvantageous to her. 2. advantageous to her enemies. 1. To her disadvantageous. In that, like domestical disadvantageous to the Church. Breaches in a Family, which are great hindrances to all the business in it; whether civil, or Religious; for the most part hindering the groweth both of Grace, and Estate. So prejudicial and detrimental are these Breaches to the State of the Church, hindering the groweth of it, the increase of it. This mystical body being joined, compacted and knit together, it increaseth with the increase of God, saith Saint Paul to his Colossians; It maketh 2 Col. 19 increase to the edifying of itself in love, saith the same Apostle to his Ephesians. On the other hand, Eph. 4. 16 being divided, rent, and torn, it withereth, wanzeth, it groweth not. Not but that God can, and sometimes doth bring good out of this evil, light our of this darkness; Note. making the truth (which is but one) a gainer by division, improving distractions to the church's benefit. But this is by accident, no thanks to these divisions, distractions, for this gain; which being enemies to unity, they are in their own nature no friends to the Truth, no friends to the Church, but enemies to it: Enemies hindering the growth of it; nay, threatening the ruin of it. Our Saviour hath said it of a kingdom, an House if divided against themselves, they cannotstand. These Mark 3. 24, 25. Breaches in the Church, are like wounds in the body, though not all mortal, yet in their own nature destructive, (as I shall show you (God willing) in the latter part of the Text) shaking the Church, as well as hindering it. And in this respect, Christians who bear good will to Israel, wish well to the Church, should seek the Cure, the Healing of them; they are disadvantageous to the Church. And Secondly, advantageous to her enemies. In advantageous to her Enemies. this, like Breaches made in the walls of a city, which are an inlet to the enemy, giving him the advantage of entering, and taking possession, if they be not either repaired, or looked to. Of such dangerous consequence are these Breaches in the Church, they are inlets to the Adversary. inlets (in the first place) to Satan, that common adversary; who by these breaches, breaks in upon the Church; as by domestical breaches, he breaks in upon a Family, hindering the affairs of it. inlets (in the second place) to the Instruments of Satan, False-Teachers, Seducers; who make great advantage of these Breaches, to let in their own pernicious errors by them: Even as by the Grecian Horse, that fatal Engine was let and drawn in, by that Breach which the Trojans themselves had made in their own Walls, to the overthrow of their city. So dangerous are these breaches; disadvantageous to the Church, advatagious to her Enemies: Great cause why Christians should desire, and endeavour our the Cure, the Healing of them. Dwell we no longer upon Confirmation, or Illustration: It is a truth (I suppose) which in Thesi, in the general, will easily be granted, and yielded at all hands. That which I principally aim at, is the practical part, the bringing it home, the setting it on by way of Application, which I shall direct these two ways; By way of Reprehension. Exhortation. By way Reprehension, is this; The duty and practice of every true Israelite, to seek the Healing use 1. Reprehension. of Israel's breaches; What then, In the first place, shall we say to them, who instead of Healing, make them? Breachmakers; 1. To breach makers. whether in the Church, or State. To let pass the latter of these: State-Incendiaries, such as have troubled and distracted the politic State of this In the state. kingdom, for their own private ends and advantages, that they might have the better fishing in these troubled waters. Them I refer, together with the Cure of those breaches by them made, to that wise and venerable college of State physicians, at the present assembled to that purpose. The Breaches which my eye is principally upon, are Israel's breaches; Breaches in the Church, specially those wherewith the Church in this kingdom is distracted, and torn. In the Church. And here give me leave briefly to tax, and censure those which have been, or are either the makers, or maintainers of them, whether principals, or Accessaries. Q: But who are they? A. For Answer, I shall have recourse to the Who they are, cleared from the Type. Type; who were they which made these breaches in Israel, which the Psalmist here complains of? I have shown you it already. They were either strangers, or Israelites. Strangers, Enemies to their Kingdom, and Religion, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, or else Israelites, that factious, seditious party, which cleaved to the House of Saul, and so were enemies to the House of David. parallel breachmakers amongst us (as in Israel) of two sorts. hereunto, behold we also in our Israel two forts of breachmakers: Strangers. Israelites. First, Begin with the former. Strangers; I mean strangers, and Enemies to our Religion: Such as 1. Stranger's enemies to our Religion, Papists, &c. though they be amongst us; yet they are not of us, Papists, and persons Popishly affected. Amongst whom, how ever I cannot think, but that there are some blindly zealous, poor misguided souls, who follow after their Ishhosheth, Or Adonijah, with simplicity of heart, and so are both more quiet and innocent; Yet others amongst them there are, and that many, very active and practical in this worst piece of arithmetic, which they study more than anvother Division. Dividing of Houses, Cities, Parliaments, Kingdoms, States, Churches; Setting Subjects against Subjects. In this Hellish Art, how many famous (I should say infamous) Practitioners have there been amongst them in all Ages? Witness the Histories of the late and frequent Irish Rebellions; Some of them Masters in that Science, professors in it. Those devoted and professed Incendiaries, the Jesuits, and their scholars, Hellish Engineers, who make it their work to be continually laying of Trains, and springing of Mines, for the blowing up the gates and walls of our Jerusalem, endeavouring to make Breaches therein, that themselves and their party may re-enter and take possession. It was the speech of the Syrians, and others their Confederates: Let us go up against Judah and Isa. 7. 6. vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us. What they determined against Judah, that do these Romish confederates practise against our Israel; continually vexing us by their wiles (as the Midianites did Israel) seeking to make a Breach amongst Num. 25. 18. us for themselves, their hopes being founded upon our divisions. Upon them in the first place do we charge these our Breaches, both in this, and the neighbour kingdoms; but charging them, we cannot discharge ourselves. 2. A second sort of these breachmakers are to 2. Israelites, Protestants professing the same Religion with us. Iud. 12. 6. be found amongst ourselves: Israelites, men professing the same Religion, Protestants by name; who to approve themselves such, can readily pronounce the Protestants Shibboleth, willingly submitting to the late Protestation; wherein amongst other things, they have vowed and promised to preserve and maintain the union and peace of the three Kingdoms; and yet they either are, or have been breachmakers, breaking the peace of the Church. Of these, we may take notice of two sorts; (Pardon my plain and home-dealing, in prosecuting of this charge.) The design which I aim at, is the Healing of Israel's Breaches: Now a wound (you know) that it may be Cured, it must first be searched. This I shall do with as tender and gentle and hand, as possible I can; that whilst I go about to make up Breaches, I may not make any. Two sorts of persons there are amongst our Amongst them, two sorts of breachmakers. selves, upon whom these Breaches of our may, and must be charged. Some, who have turned aside after error. Others, who have followed the Truth. Deal we first with the former, as having the greatest share in this business; such as have turned 1. Such as have turned aside after Error. aside after error. In this rank must we reckon all those schismatics, and Sectaries, who have departed from the truth of God, professed amongstus; or else have renounced all communion with us; Anabaptists, Familists, (of Christians the worst) Antinomians, Socinians, Arminians, Brownists. I cannot reckon all, neither will I go about it. Upon these must we charge a great part of our homebred Breaches, which are caused by their Divisions, dividing and cutting themselves off from the unity of the Faith, or the unity of the Church. These are obvious breachmakers, to whom we wish (with the Apostle) that God would give them Repentance, to the acknowledgement of the 2 Tim. 2. 25. Truth; turning their feet into the ways of peace. Luk. 1. 79. And to these must we join (not as accessaries, but as principals) those late Superstitious innovators; Superstitious innovators. who, not contented with the simplicity of the Gospel, would have put a new dress, and that a garnish one, upon the face of our Religion: together with those unhappy and unfaithful Engineers, whether Masters of the Ordinance, or their subordinate Officers, who being betrusted with the church's artillery, have turned the mouth of her own Canons against herself, battering her Bulworks, Hab. 2. 1. beating her watchmen from their Watchtowers, making Breaches in her Walls, driving out her Inhabitants, by laying taxes and impositions upon their consciences. This (if I mistake not) was the first ground of that first Breach, made in the first Church under the Gospel; for the healing whereof, that first Synod was called, and Congregated at Jerusalem, Acts 15. Some there were, Act. 15. 1. who being converted from Judaism to Christianity, they still hanging upon the old haunt themselves, they would needs have imposed some burdens upon the consciences of the converted Gentiles, Putting a yoke upon their necks (as Saint Verse 10. Peter layeth it down) which (saith he) neither our Fathers, nor we were able to bear. What yoke was this? A yoke of legal Jewish Ceremonies, then antiquated and abolished; a voake of carnal Ordinances (such as the author to the Hebrews speaks of) which were imposed on the Jews, until Heb 9 10. the time of Reformation. This yoke would they have put upon the Gentiles necks, pressing and obtruding upon them some things offensive, others not necessary. And this it was which made that Breach; I will not spend time in making the Application thereof to our own Church, and times. I know your thoughts therein, run before me; my desire only is, and my prayer shall be, that as our disease is not unlike theirs, so we may in God's time find a like Cure, by a like means, (a lawful Synod, other means I know none) after the like manner; (Imposing upon the Consciences of men, no burdens Act. 15. 28 but what are necessary.) Pass we from hence, to what may happily more nearly touch and conscern some of ourselves. A second sort of breachmakers amongst ourselves, are such as have followed the Truth (it may 2. Followers of Truth, but not be) but they have not done it. 1 In Love, 2 with wisdom. First, some who have done it in love; This they 1. In Love. Eph. 4. 15. should have done, speaking the Truth in Love, (faith the Apostle.) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}: Veritatem lectantes, following the Truth in love, so the old vulgar Translation readeth it; not without some warrant from the original. In Love, viz. To the Truth itself, Our Brethren. To the Truth followed; To our Brethren, followers of the Truth with us. Thus should the Truth be followed, but thus some have nor followed it, do not follow it; they follow the Truth (it may be.) To the Truth is self. But First, not out of love to the Truth itself, but rather out of self-love; drawn by some By and sinister respects, and inducements; led and carried (it may be) rather by the examples of others, whose persons they have in admiration (happily) because of advantage, (as Saint Jude speaks) then by Jude 16. the dictates of their own judgements: Thus following the truth, not in love to the truth, but to themselves, their own credits, reputations, advantages. Or, Secondly, Not in love to their Brethren, followers of the truth, as well as they: Hence are those To their Brethren. unchristian jealousies, and heartburnings, disdainful thoughts and speeches, mixed (it may be) with uncharitable Consures; which some are ready to pass upon those, who in any thing are otherwise minded then themselves: Insomuch as they cannot walk with any, unless they be in all things agreed; The least Difference breedeth a Distance, the least difference in Judgement, severs them in their Affections: Plain evidences against them, that they do not follow the truth in love; which if they did, it would certainly cover a multitude of weaknesses and infirmities, 1 Pet. 4. 8. in those whom they walk with, specially they being such, as they have no cause to think but that they are followers of the truth, according to light received, as well as themselves. Others there are In the second place, which do not follow the truth with wisdom. Thus should the truth be followed: 2. Not in wisdom. Wisdom being the Pilate which should steer, and direct the whole Course of a Christian; regulating all his actions, which if they be not ordered by wisdom, though materially, (and in themselves never so good, yet) they lose their grace and acceptation both with God and man. Now there are some amongst us, which in following after the truth, lose this stearage; whose aims, and Intentions, happily are good in what they do, or seek after; but their Actions are unadvised, rash, heady, unwarrantable. Such was that act of Vzzahs, in putting forth his hand to stay the Ark of God, 2 Sam. 6. ver. 6. when it was shaken: The intention good, but the action evil, because unwarrantable; he having no calling to do what he did: Whereby it came to pass, that whilst he went about to prevent a breach, he made one: God smiting him for his error, (or rashness, as the Margin readeth it:) So making a ver. 7. breach upon him, which gave the denomination to the place, thereupon called (Perez-Vzzah) i. e. ver. 8. The breach of Uzzah. And even thus fareth it with some amongst us, who beholding the Ark of God shaken, the religion of God (as they apprehentd it) endangered, they presently step forth, putting their hands (being private hands) to the work of public Reformation; not staying for them to whom that work properly belongeth, but they will step forth before them in an irregular, and unwarrantable way. By this means instead of healing or preventing a breach, making one. You know the story Gen. 38. of Tamars' twins: She being in her travel, the one putteth forth his hand first, about Gen 38 29. which the Midwife tied a scarlet thread, as a token or mark of the firstborn; the Purple or scarlet colour also, well agreeing to the birthright, Oreldership, (as Musculus noteth upon it. Notwithstaning this, the other breaks forth before him, not tarrying his time: Whereupon Tamar wondering at it, and enquiring after the cause or reason, of this strange, and extraordinary birth: She breaketh forth into a passionate expostulation with her son, saying unto him, How hast thou broken forth, This breach be upon thee; from thence giving him his name Pharez, i. e. a breach. And is it not the case (my brethren) of some amongst us, who waiting, (or rather not waiting,) thinking long for the church's delivery, they will not tarry their time (God's time,) but they will be breaking forth in a preposterous and inordinate way: I, notwithstanding that God hath brought deliverance to the birth, so as they see an hand put forth already, an hand with a scarlet thread about it, the Nobles and senators of the Kingdom (to whom that colour Lam. 4. 5. Dan. 5 7. most properly agreeth) reaching forth their hands, being at work for the reforming of what is amiss, and the suppying of what is wanting; yet they will anticipate them, out of a rash and preposterous zeal stepping forth before them. To such let me say (and if there be any here present; as happily there may be: I shall say it unto them) speaking in the language of Tamar to her son, how have you broken forth? This breach (also) be upon you: We cannot but charge you amongst others as accessaries to these breaches, if not to the making, yet to the increasing of them of them: And being thus charged, see you to it how you can discharge yourselves, either before God, or man. I have done with the first rank of those who come within the compass of this just reprehension; such as are so far from seeking, and endeavouring the healing of Israel's breaches, that they make them, 2. Breach-maintainers, whether or else (in the second place) keep them open, keep them from healing; being means, or occasions to hinder the making up of these breaches, which they do either purposely, or unadvisedly. Purposely foam. So do the enemies of God, and his truth, the Malignant party amongst us, who purposely. cannot endure that the Breaches amongst us, should be made up. In that like Sanballat and Tobiah, and Nehe. 4. 7. 8. their confederates, who when they heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, they were very wroth (saith the text) and so conspired altogether to come fight against {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Jerusalem, and to hinder it, (or to make an error in it) as the Margin in our new Translation readeth Errorem. it according to the original. Such back friends to the peace of our Jerusalem, there are many amongst us at this day, who cannot endure that the breaches amongst us should begin to be stopped: And therefore they do what they can, to hinder the work; still casting in new jealousies, and new obstacles; thinking thereby either to hinder the work, or to make an error in it: That so our breaches either may not be healed or else slightly healed: as the Lord complains against the false Prophets Jer. 6. They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people Ier. 6. 14. slightly: So healed, as that they may soon break forth again: which they do for their own advantage. In this like water-fowl in a frost, which by their continual paddling, keep open a weak in a river, not suffering it to freeze over, that so themselves may have room to swim and fish in: Or like some wretched Surgeons, who keep open a wound for their own gain. Others do the like, but unadvisedly, besides their intention. I spare them, and hasten to Or unadvisedly. A third sort, who come under Reprehension here. Such who, as they have no hand (as they think) in Such as will be no healer's. the making of these Breaches, so they will have none in the Healing of them. It is that which the Lord saith of the Jews, in that great confusion which should befall them; every man should refuse to be an Healer. When a man shall take hold of his Brother, &c. In that day he shall swear, I will Icr. 3. 6, 7. not be an Healer. And is it not so with some amongst us at this day? They are not, they cannot be ignorant of the breaches which are made amongst us in this, and the neighbour Nation; Breaches shaking and endangering both Church, and State, and yet they decline this Christian office, They will be no healer's; No, their resolution is for a wise, and wary Neutrality; they will be standers by, and lookers on, to see what will become of things. Like men standing upon the shore, and looking upon others in a stress at Sea, to see what will become of them, whether they shall sink or swim; In the mean time they will not put forth an hand, a finger to the making up, the healing of these breaches. Truth is, they are not at all affected with them, so themselves may but keep their own heads whole, and sleep in a whole skin (as we say) they care not what breaches there be in the Church, whether at home, or abroad. In this, not unlike some simple man at Sea; who, so his own Cabin be but tight, he cares not what leaks there be in the Ship he sails in. Surely, such there are, some amongst us, and I wish the evidence were not too strong, too clean against them. Whence is it, that some amongst us are so loath, so backward in parting with any thing, for the making up of any of these breaches? not willing to part with a little earth to fill them up. It is a case which Divine Providence at present putteth into my hand, let me not overlook, or neglect it. I suppose there are none of you here present, but take notice what a great and fearful breach is Benevolence, and Loane for Ireland pr●ssed. made upon the neighbour Nation, our Brethren in the kingdom of Ireland; where, through the open Rebellion of a Romish confederacy, rending and tearing of that kingdom, the State therein tottereth, and the Church lieth a-bleeding. For the repairing and making up of this breach: It hath pleased authority (that authority which may Command it, the King, and his Parliament) to request, and desire from you, either by way of gift, or Loane, a little of your earth, (your Gold is no other, no better, Red-earth, thick-clay, as the Prophet Hab. 2. 6. Habakkuk phraseth it.) This they desire for the filling, and making up of this Breach; by succouring your Brethren which are driven from thence, and relieving those which do stand in the breach. But (alas) how unwillingly, how cravingly, how sparingly doth it come from some aamongst us? Surely (my Brethren) thus it would not be, if the town wherein we now are, were besieged, and a Breach made in the walls of it. In this case (I suppose) there is none of us but would be ready both to carry baskets of earth, and to lend our woolpacks or Featherbeds (if we have them) for the stopping, the making up of that Breach. And shall we not do a little for the Church of God in that kingdom; the welfare whereof, is of so great and near concernment to ourselves? Insomuch as some wise Starists have thought these two Kingdoms to be like Hypocrates his Twins, the one whereof could not subsist, at least not well, without the other. Surely (my Brethren) such Parsimonius spirits, may be conceived to be far from the resolution of that noble Roman Marcus Curtius, whom the Histories of Liv. lib. 6 Oros. 3. c. 5. Plutarch. vit. Aristid. paral. Val. max. those, and after Ages have rendered famous to the World, for his unparalleled affection to his Country, and in special, to the city of Rome whereof he was a Member: Wherein, when by reason of an Earthquake their happened a prodigious Chasma, a great Gulpb, or opening of the earth in the midst of the marketplace; and the Oracle had signified to them, that there was no way to fill up that breach, but by casting the best thing in their city into it: He thereupon presently mounting his Horse in complete Arms (which was then the Acceptam a Patria vitam, eidem impendere non dubitavit. Liv. chief glory of that city and Nation) cast himself into the Breach for the making it up; so yielding up his life (saith my author) to, and for his country, from which he had received it. This did he with a Roman resolution. And the like should Christians be ready to do in a Christian way for the Church of God, in case that God shall be pleased to call them to it, even cast themselves into the breaches thereof, for the filling, making them up; not thinking their natural lives too dear for her, to whom (under God) they owe their spiritual. How far then do they fall beneath themselves, beneath Christians, who will not so much as part with a little of their superfluities in such a case? It is no more that is desired from you; not the widows two Mites, her whole livelihood, all that she Mark. 12. the last. had: but a little {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of your abundance, your superfluity. And hereof, he that will not spare a little to so good a work, must pardon me, if I leave him where I find him, within the verge and compass of this just Reprehension, charging him to be in the number of those, that will not be an healer of Israel's breaches. I have done with the first of these uses, which maketh way to the latter. An Use of Exhortation, wherein I should excite and exhort you, and all true Israelites, even all the Lord's people amongst us, that they would first desire, secondly endeavour the healing of Israel's breaches. But this I must defer till another occasion. Israel's CURE. The third SERMON. March 16. PSAL. 60. Vers. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof, for it shaketh. THe healing of Israel's breaches, is a thing which every true Israelite should desire and endeavour. This was the Conclusion which I insisted upon, the last time I spoke in this place; prosecuting it both by way of Doctrine, and Application. The former of these, I then dispatched; the latter I entered upon, but left imperfect. Then insisting upon an use of Reprehension, which I intended only as a needle, to make way for, and draw in a thread after it. If that needle seemed then sharp to any, pricking and smarting as it went, let not them blame either it, or me. A Chrugion in searching a wound, if he put his Patient to pain, it is besides his intention, who intends his Cure, and not his smart; but he cannot help it, it will be so, and being so, it maketh the Cure the more hopeful, because the part is sensible: In which regard the chirurgeon is not discouraged by it, nor yet sorry for it, though his Patient be. And in this regard, I must confess, and say as the blessed Apostle sometime to his Corinthians; Though I made you sorry, with a Letter (saith he) with a Sermon 2. Cor. 7. 8. (say I) I do not repent. This sorrow (I trust) shall prove unto you, as theirs to them, but temporary, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, for a season, and shall in the end produce the like effects; so as you shall have cause to acknowledge, what they found. That you have received damage by us in nothing. In the hopes hereof, ver. 9 I now come to that which I pincipally intended when I first took this Text in hand; A word of Exhortation; which I shall direct generally, indefinitely, to all true Israelites, even all the Use 2. Exhortation. Lord's people; exciting, and exhorting them, that they would 1. Desire, 2. Endeavour this Cure; the Healing of Israel's breaches; the repairing and making up of these breaches which are amongst us at the present in this, and the neighbour kingdom, whether political Breaches, or ecclesiastical Breaches; Breaches in the State, or Breaches in the Church, how ever made, or by whomsoever, whether by strangers, or Israelites; seek we the healing To desire the healing of breaches amongst us. of them. This desire we, this endeavour we. First, Desire it: This doth David here for that Kingdom, that State, that Church, whereof he was the Head; and this do we for this Kingdom, this State, this Church, whereof we are members. And that we may do it, Labour to be affected with it. That we may seriously desire the Cure, labour to To that end, be a●●●●●ed with them be throughly affected with the Disease. So was David with Israel's Breaches; very sensible of them, and deeply affected with the apprehension of them. And so have others of the Saints of God been in like cases. First, with Breaches made amongst themselves, in, or upon the Church, or State, where they lived. It is the word which Jeremy must say unto the Jews, Jer. 24. Thou shalt say this word unto them: Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease, for the virgin daughter of my people Ier. 24. 17. is broken with a very great Breach: What ever the false prophets said unto them, making light of that Breach, that judgement threatened; promising them that either it should not be, or if it were, yet it should be healed, and made up well enough, yet ver. 15. ● Jeremy, for his part, he layeth it to his own eyes and heart; mourning over it, being deeply affected with it, and willeth all the rest of the Jews to do the like. Secondly, with Breaches made upon others; their brethren in other parts. The divisions of Reuben were Iud. 5. 15, 16 great thoughts of heart to all the rest of the Tribes. The whole congregation of Israel, even all the other Tribes, they were sorry and repented for Benjamin, Iud, lafoy. 15. because of that great Breach made upon that tribe. And thus let us, all of us be affected, with the breaches at present made upon this, and the neighbour Kingdom. God hath broken in upon both, breaking the one, and rending the other. O let these breaches be to all of us, great thoughts of heart: Take we notice of them, and be we deeply affected with them; which it is to be feared the greatest part amongst us, as yet are nor. Histories tell us of Archimedes the great mathematition, that when the City Syracuse was sacked, and plundered by the Romans, the soldiers some of them breaking into the house, and study where he than was, they found him so intent in drawing of lines and figures in the dust, as that he took no notice either of the city's loss, or his own danger, until on of them disdaining that seeming disrespect, drew his sword, and sheathed it in his bowels, running him through. And is it not thus (my brethren) with some, with multitudes amongst us at this day? Whilst the neighbour Kingdom is on fire already, and our own in danger; the fire of God's wrath flaming in the one, smoking in the other, fearful breaches made in both, breaches in the state, and breaches in the Church, threatening every one of us in our particulars, insomuch as we may say of ourselves, as it is said of seamen, we know not whether to reckon ourselves amongst the living, or dead, so eminent is our hazard, so eminent our danger; yet for all this they are wholly taken up with drawing of lines in the dust, still wallowing, and cumbling in dust, minding nothing but earth, burying themselves in the dust of worldly thoughts and employment, seeking their own things, their own private lucre and gain, the increasing of their estates, the building and raising of their houses: In the mean time let heaven, and earth go together; let Church and state sink or swim, or clash one against the other to the breaking, and drowning of both, what care they? they regard it not, they are not affected with it: Too plain an evidence against them, that they are but as wooden legs or arms, tied on to this mystical body, no true gemime, living members of it: Which if they were, it could not be but that they should be sensible of the wounds, and ruptures in it, the breaches thereof; so sensible of them, as to be affected with them. And thus let every of us labour to be, that we may in the first place, find our Hearts working towards the healing, and repairing of these breaches. The heart must first work, before the hand will work. That we may put an hand to the healing of these breaches, lay them to heart: That we may both desire, and endeavour the Cure, let us be affected with the Disease. Which that we may be, let us consider and look Look upon this disease 3. ways. upon it these three ways, even as physicians are wont to do upon the diseases of their Patients. 1. In the Causes 2. In the symptoms 3. In the prognostics of it. In the Causes of it, breeding and feeding it. In the symptoms or effects attending upon it, going along with it. In the prognostics or events portended by it, and following upon it. All these three As David doth here upon Israel's breaches. ways doth David here look upon Israel's Disease, her Breaches here in the Text. First, In the Cause of them, which he found to be God's displeasure and anger conceived against them, and broke forth upon them for their sins. O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased, viz. for our sins, which is the only cause of God's displeasure: So you have it, Verse 1. Secondly, In the symptoms of it, which were fearful and terrible. The earth trembled, it was broken, Riven and torn as it were with an Earthquake; affected, and afflicted with frequent and dangerous Commotions and distractions, Verse 2. Thirdly, In the prognostics of it. It shaketh (saith the Text) i. e. presaging nothing but ruin, and downfall; unless it be speedily underpropped, and the Breaches thereof made up, and Healed. Thus did David look upon Israel's disease; and hereupon it was that he was so deeply affected with it, so earnestly desiring the Cure of it. That we may be alike affected with the Breaches of our Israel; look we also upon this Disease, these three ways. First, In the causes of it; what is the true Cause of all these Breaches, which do for the present lie In the causes of it: viz. upon this, and the neighbour kingdom? Surely it is no other, than that which David here pitcheth upon, even the wrath and displeasure of God, conceived against us for our sins. Other Causes may God's wrath for. be assigned as instrumental; but these are the chief and principal. In Israel's case, David was not ignorant that some foreign enemies, Moabites, Edomites, Philistines, together with some of his own Kingdom, Israelites, that seditious party which cleaved to the House of Saul, had an hand in making, and maintaining those Breaches: Yet see he rests not here, his thoughts rise higher, to the first and Primary cause which sets them a-work, and that he finds to be God's displeasure against that Kingdom for the sins thereof. In this and the neighbour Kingdom, there have been and are many Instuments, which have had hands in making, and maintaining there Breaches, even all those breachmakers which I named before; yet (alas) these are but Instruments, which move as they are moved; the chief and Principal cause is the just anger, and Displeasure of God conceived against us for sin. And so let us conceive of it. When the Plague was broke forth in the Camp of Israel, beginning to make a Breach upon them, Moses presently tells Aaron, There is wrath gone out from the Lord. Num. 16. 46 What ever plague or Judgement, in what kind soever it be, breaketh in upon a Nation, it is but a token and effect of wrath, even Divine wrath, the wrath of God. It is the breath of the Lord which Isa. 30 last kindleth these Tophets. And kindling them bloweth them up. It is wrath which both maketh, and maintaineth these Breaches. Wrath conceived for our sins; that is the fuel which this firetaketh hold and feedeth upon. God's Our sins. wrath taketh hold upon man's sins. Where no wood is there the fire goeth out: were there no sin, there would Pro. 26. 20 be no wrath. For this is it that the wrath of God cometh upon particular persons, who being sinners bynature, Eph. 2. 3. they are also by nature children of wrath; and Rom 9 22 being sinners by practy, they are made vessels of Rom. 2. 5. wrath; treasuring up unto themselves wrath, even that wrath which is, and shall be revealed from Heaven against all unrighteousness of man. This wrath Rom. 1. 18 is, and shall be poured out upon the heads of men for their sins. Because of these things (saith the Apostle Ephe. 5. 6. speaking of sinful lusts) cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. And as upon particular persons, so upon whole Kingdoms and Nations: Never did the wrath of God break forth upon Israel, but when he was provoked by their sins. The Breach first ever begun on their part in their breaking Covenant with God: Still they break with God, in breaking his laws, before he broke in upon them by his judgements, which were ever sent only to avenge the quarrel of his covenant, as the Lord himself telleth them. And surely (my Lev. 26 2. 5 Brethren) here is the first rise, and spring of all those Evils, which either already are Broken in upon us, or else do threaten us: They are no other but tokens, and effects of God's displeasure against us for sin. And so conceive we of all these Breaches, at which God himself, having been long provoked, seemeth now to be breaking in upon us to aveng the quarrel of his Covenant, which we have violated and and broken. Here are the Causes of this disease. In the second place, look we upon it in the symptoms 2. In the symptoms of it, which are dreadful. of it. Those we shall sinde very dreadful and terrible: Not unlike the the symptoms of an earthquake, where the earth trembles and shakes and breaks, being riven or split with prodigious ruptures and openings, yawning and gaping, even threatening to swallow up the inhabitants, as once it did Korah and his confederacy. Thus was it with Israel at this time when David made this complaint Num. 16. ●2. of the Breaches thereof. Thou hast made the earth to tremble, thou hast broken it; ver. 2. And is it not so in this, and the neighbour Kingdom at present? doth not the earth even seem to tremble under us? Hath not the Lord even made us a Cup of trembling (not unto others, as he saith he would make Jerusalem; Behold I will make Jerusalem a Zach. 12. 2. cup of trembling unto all the people round about. Time was when it was so with us, we were a cup of trembling to all the Nations round about; but) to ourselves: Having begun to drink of that cup, which Jerusalem was once made to drink of, I, to drink Isa. 51. 17 off, even the cup of the Lord's fury, the cup of trembling. Insomuch that we may say in the words of the Psalmist, that horror (Ay, and rigour or shaking too, two symptoms of a violent Ague) hath taken hold Psal. 119. 53. Frigus Horror, rigour, Fernel: upon us; the earth under us seeming to tremble, as the bed doth sometimes in the paroxysm of a cold fit under him that lieth upon it. And how should it be otherwise? when as the foundations thereof are moved or out of course, as the Psalmist hath it. Sure Psal. 82. 5. we are, (what ever it is athome) so it is in the neighbour Kingdom, where by reason of that civil combu●●ion all things are out of order, many of the chief rulers also, upon whom the commonwealth there should rest, as a house doth upon the foundations, bearing a part in that tragical commotion. And amongst ourselves, how is the earth riven, and broken both church and commonwealth, rent and torn by homebred divisions, and distractions? Sad symptimes, but sadder prognostics. Which if we look upon in the third place, what 3. In the prognostics, which are prodigious can we conjecture and look for, unless God be pleased speedily to step in un●o us, frustrating our fears, and our enemy's hopes, by healing and making up our breaches, but Confusion, desolation? It shaketh, saith the Psalmist here of Israel. It shaketh, it shaketh may we say both of Church and State, in this and the neighbour kingdom. These unhappy breaches being in themselves, and ofttimes proving ominous presages, prodigious forerunners of ruin and Destruction. But of this (it may be) I shall have occasion to speak more fully hereafter, in handling the second part of the Text. David's Reason, Israel's Danger. And are these the Causes, these the symptoms, these the prognostics of the disease? Oh what cause then have every of us to be affected, deeply affected with it? laying to heart the breaches both of Church and State in this, and the neighbour Kingdom; so laying them to heart, as that our hearts may work towards the healing of them, and not our hearts only, but our hands also. Desiring this Cure, let us (in the second place) 2. Endeavour this cure. endeavour it. Endeavour we the healing of Israel's breaches, the repairing and making up the Breaches which are amongst us, whether in Church, or State. And what arguments should I use, to whet your Motives. endeavours this way, to put you forwards upon this (I had almost said so meritorious a) work? Those considerations which I named before as Reasons, may also serve again for Motives, and that forcible ones. First, Ye are all members of this mystical, this political, this ecclesiastical body; and being so, seek the Healing of the breaches thereof. Which breaches 2. (In the second place) are unseemly in the Church. And 3. Dangerous both to Church, and State, being disadvantageous to both; great obstructions exceedingly hindering the affairs and proceedings of both, as by woeful experience we find it true. What is it that hinders the business both of Church and State at present, that it sticketh in the birth, and cometh off so slowly? Surely (next to our sins) our divisions. Not more disadvantageous to them, then advantageous to their enemies, being an inlet to enemies both foreign, and domestic, to break in upon both. To these three, let me briefly add three other; 3. Arguments moving David to seek the peace of Jerusalem. Psal. 122. 8. 9 and I will not straggle far to seek these sticks to make this fire withal. You shall find them all lying close together in a little compass, in the two last verses of that 122. Psal. where David exciting both himself and others to pray for the peace; seek the happiness of Jerusalem, that Peace might be within her walls, and prosperity within her Palaces. He setteth down a threefold Motive or inducement, putting him on to that duty. This he did for his own sake, this he did for his brethren's sake, this he did for religion's sake. The two former of these, you have v. 8. the one of them expressed, the other insinuated and implied. For my brethren and Companions sake, I will now say, Peace be within thee, i. e. not only for my own sake; so some happily would have been ready to construe it, that David in being so zealous for the good, and happiness of Jerusalem, had an eye only to himself, for the establishing of his kingdom, and settling the Crown upon his own head, and the head of his Posterity. To clear himself from this imputation, and take off this suspicion; David here by a Prolepsis, by way of anticipation or prevention, he sets down the cause which moved him to it. It was not only his own Cause (though he might herein have, and had an eye to himself also,) but the cause of his brethren and Companions, i. e. of all the people of God, descended from the same stock of Israel, professing the same Religion of God. The peace and happiness of them all, being as it were bound up in the peace and happiness of Jerusalem. If it went well with it, it should go the better with them; none of them but having a share in Jerusalem's peace and happiness. He did it for his own sake, he did it for their sake. And thirdly, for religion's sake, that you have verse last; Because of the House of the Lord our God, i. e. for the Religion of God, the true and pure worship and service of God, whereof God had then made Jerusalem, as it were the Staple, putting his Name there. In this threefold respect doth David seek the peace and welfare of Jerusalem, and willeth others to seek it; viz. that it might be continued and increased, if enjoyed; repaired and restored, if impaired & decayed. And upon this threefold ground, let every of us be excited to seek the V●efull to us in this case. public peace and welfare of this our Israel, the restoring and settling of Peace, by healing the breaches Seek this Cure for our own sakes. Ier. 29 7. thereof. This do we (in the first place) for our own sakes. It is the Reason which the Lord giveth, why he would have the Jews in their Captivity to seek the Peace of Babylon; Seek the Peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away Captive; Pray unto the Lord for it, why? for in the peace thereof, ye shall have peace. And for this reason should all of us be earnest in seeking the peace of Jerusalem, the peace of the Church, the peace of the State wherein we live. In the peace thereof, we shall have peace. On the other hand, if they miscarry, none of us but will feel of it. It is Mordecaies message to Hester, which he useth as an argument to put her on, and cause her to break through all discouragements and fears, in seeking and endeavouring the rescue and deliverance of God's people, her countrymen the Jews. Think not with thyself (saith he) that thou shalt escape in the King's house, more than ●●st. 4. 13 all the Jews. The Court, the King's house should be no Sanctuary to her. No more shall any of our Estates which we have, or the places where we live, or any other outward privilege be unto us; and therefore think not of taking Sanctuary in any of these, as our foolish carnal hearts are very apt and ready to do, thereby eluding and bearing off the blow of God's threatenings, so as they take no place with us, to cause us to seek the averting and turning of them away. No, if it go ill with the Church, with the State, it cannot go well with us. Think not to escape in our particulars. If a ship founder and sink at sea, all the passengers which are in it, for the most part, perish with it. And in that respect there is none but will be more solicirous and careful for the ship itself, then for their own Cabins; for the stopping of the leaks in the one, than the chinks in the other. And in this regard Christians should be more solicirous for the public weal, then for their own private wealth: bonum quo communius. The commonwealth should be preferred before a man's own private wealth, and much more the Church, the house of God 1 Tim. 3. 15 (as the Apostle calleth it) before our own houses: so was the Psalmist (who ever it was that penned that Psalm) affected towards Jerusalem; If I prefer not Psa. 137. 6 Jerusalem before my chief joy; the head or top of my joy, as the original hath it. Thus should we stand affected towards the Church of God, preferring the welfare thereof before our own welfare, making it as the top of our joy, so the top of our care, and desire and fear. If it go well with the Church wherein we live, it will go the better with us; our private happiness is bound up in the public peace and tranquillity thereof: In the peace thereof we shall have peace. Seek and endeavour this cure for our own sakes. Seek it (in the second place) for our brethren's 2. For our brethren's sake. sake; For my brethren and companions sake (saith the Psalmist.) If it went well with Jerusalem, not only David and his Family, but all the inhabitants in Jerusalem, nay, all the people of God in the whole Land of Israel, or where ever they were, they should fare the better for it. And for this cause seek we the peace and welfare of this our Israel, the Kingdom wherein we live, that the breaches thereof may be healed. Seek it for our brethren and Companions sake; our Brethren at home, our Brethren abroad; not only those of the same Nation in foreign parts, but all others of the same Religion with us, even all the true Churches of Christ throughout the World; all which have a venture in this bottom, being greatly interested in the woe or welfare of this Church. If we compare all the Protestant Churches, to a Fleet or navy of Ships (as fitly in many respects they may be.) In this Fleet, the Church of England must needs be acknowledged to be the admiral, having long carried the Flag in the maintop, and having been a security and Protection to many other Churches (I wish I could have said to all) which have come under her Lee. Now the admiral miscarrying, oftentimes endangers the whole Fleet. Certainly, all the foreign Churches, how ever they have not a dependence upon this Church for their being, (in that respect they being all independent, all Sisters, Daughters of the same Father (Churches of God) I, and of the same Mother too, daughters of that Jerusalem which is above, Gal. 4. 26. which is the Mother of us all: and in that like Zelephehads' Num. 27. daughters, joint-heirs in their father's Inheritance, none having power over other, nor priority before other;) yet in respect of their well being they seem to have. If it go ill with this Church, so as that miscarry, there is none of the Churches of Christ this day under Heaven, but are like to feel of it; and as things now stand, to smart for it. Oh for our brethren and Companions sake, let us seek the Peace of Jerusalem, the healing of the breaches of this our Israel. And this do we (in the third place) for religion's 3. For religion's sake. sake, Because of the house of the Lord our God, saith the Psalmist, i. e. the Tabernacle and Temple, the Religion, worship and service of God, whereof Jerusalem then was the seat. If Jerusalem went to wrack, what should become of the Religion of God, the public exercise of it? God having chosen that to be the place to put his name in. Let the same argument prevail with us to make us seek the peace of this our Israel, by endeavouring the healing of the breaches both of Church and State amongst us. This do we because of the house of the Lord our God. The public exercise and profession of the true Religion of God depends upon it, which cannot but suffer if the state suffer, if the Church suffer, as now for the present it doth, and is likely more to do (if it be not speedily remedied) by these unhappy divisions and distractions amongst us. In the midst of these, how shall we think that the Religion of God shall grow? The Temple was 1 Kin. 6. 7. built without the noise of Axe or hammer; when it was built, axes and hammers were fatal to it, at lest to the beauty of it; They break down the carved work thereof with axes and hammers (saith Asaph, Psa. 74. 6. by a prophetical eye and tongue, foreseeing and foretelling the destruction of the Temple.) And what doth the noise of axes and hammers amongst us at this day presage; I mean those sharp and eager contentions, divisions, distractions? Certainly, if these be not silenced and quieted they will endanger, at least, our carved work, the beauty of our Church and Religion. In the mean time we are sure they hinder the growth and progress of it: You know what it was that hindered the building of Babel; and the same means will hinder the building Gen. 11. 7. of Jerusalem, the Church of God, the Religion of God, confusion, division. Division of tongues and hearts. Oh, because of the house of the Lordour God, the Religion of God professed amongst us, therefore seek we the peace of Jerusalem, seek and endeavour the healing of the breaches of this our Israel. By this time (Methinks) I feel your pulses begin to beat, and your hearts to work, burning within you, so as you are ready to say; O but how shall the breaches of this our Israel be healed? how shall this Q: How shall the Churches breaches be healed. Cure be effected? the cure of this Nation, this State, this Church; that is the patient I confess I principally have in hand, and that is the Cure which I principally aim at, though the other is so twisted in with it, as that I cannot speak of the one, but I shall touch now and then upon the other. How shall the Church amongst us be cured? A. A useful Question. Take the resolution A. means of cure. of it from the church's physician, God himself, who promising to undertake Israel's cure, the healing of her breaches, those breaches which the Babylonians had made upon her, he sets down the ratio medendi, tells her how, and in what way that cure should be, viz. by revealing upon her abundance By abundance of peace and truth. of peace and truth. So you have it, Jer. 33. Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal upon them the abundance of peace and truth. Behold, the way and means whereby a Nation, a Church that is broken, may be perfectly healed and cured, viz. by Revealing upon it, and establishing in it abundance of Peace and Truth. In which sovereign Restorative, we may take notice of two things; The Ingredients, Quantities. The Ingredients, which are but two, but two principal ones, each of them of great price and value; Peace the one, Truth the other: The quantity of each, Abundance; abundance of Peace and Truth. These two together, taken in this quantity, will make a perfect Cure upon any Nation, any Church; I, upon this Church. Peace and Tru●h both together; the one without the other will not do it. Peace without Truth, will make but a slight Cure, only skinning over the wound for a time. Such a Cure it was that the false Prophets wrought upon Israel, in healing her breaches. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people Ier. 6. 14. slightly; saying Peace, peace. Nor unlike an unskilful chirurgeon, who by applying some healing plaster to an ulcerous sore, cilatrizeth the wound, skinneth it over, when it is not sound at the bone. On the other hand, truth without peace may make the Church sound at the bone, but it will not heal the wounds of it; both together make a sovereign salve: Like that usual, but useful one, of Minium or red-lead and oil mixed together, where the one draweth out corruption, and maketh the part sound, the other skins and heals; both together making a perfect Cure of any ordinary wound. Oh, then in the fear of God, following the prescript and direction of this great chirurgeon, this great physician; Let all of us seek and endeavour the furthering and effecting of the church's Cure in this way, by seeking after both these; seek Peace, seek Truth, seek Peace and Truth. Peace. Seek Seek after both these Peace and Truth. 1 Pe. 3. 11 Pro. 23 23 Peace and ensue it, saith St. Peter. Truth. seek it, and buy it. Buy the Truth, saith the wiseman. fundamental Truths, Truths simply necessary at any rate, what ever they cost. Other Truths be content to buy them, but not over-buy them, give See the next Sermon. not too much for them. It is but an ill bargain which some make, to buy some truths with the loss of Peace; seek the one, and seek the other, but seek both together; Peace and Truth, that they Both together. may be both revealed upon us, and established amongst us, and that in abundance. In this abundance there is no danger, I mean in the abundance of both these together. Of the one without the other, there may be. Abundance of Peace without Truth, will breed a lethargy; abundance of Truth without Peace, may breed a frenzy. The one will breed a senseless security, the harbinger of ruin and destruction. When they shall say Peace, peace, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. The other 1 Th. 5. 3. by accident may breed a swelling tympany of spiritual pride, and self-conceiteidness, than which (as hereafter happily I shall show you) there is nothing more opposite to this Cure, the healing of the Churches Breaches: You see then the way whereby this great and much desired Cure is to be effected. But what shall we do for the furthering of this Quest. Cure in this way? It is a great question, and it will ask some time to answer it, more than I have to spare at the present. In answer to it, my design and purpose is to Answ. Directions for furthering this Cure in this way. lay down some rules and directions which may be asefull to you this way, for the furthering of this Cure, the healing of the breaches in this our Israel; to which, the good Lord give a blessing, that they may conduce to the end for which they are intended. These Directions I intend to reduce to two Two sorts of them. 1. Restorative. 2. Preservative. heads, laying down two sorts of them. Some restorative, others preservative. The former directing to the curing and healing the Breaches already made: The latter, to the preventing of the like Breaches for the time to come. I should begin with the former, Restorative directions; which again The former concerning 1. Ourselves, 2. Others. are of two sorts some of them concerning ourselves; others of them concerning others, viz. those which have been, or are the breachmakers amongst us, showing how we are to order ourselves towards them, and what we are to do to them, or for them. Of the former sort I should have given you three or four; Take one of them for the present, (for I will not multiply particulars under any one head) A Prepative. which may serve as a fitting Preparative for all the test; and therefore I shall put it in the first place. Let us have faith to be healed. It is said of Paul; that Beholding the cripple at Lystra, and perceiving Dir. 1. that he had faith to be healed, he said unto him, stand Have Faith to be healed. Act. 14. 9 upright. This faith in him was a Passive miraculous saith. But what have we to do with this faith? Surely (Beloved) if we look at our Disease, the dangerousness (I had almost said the desperateness) of it, we shall see that we have need of a saith, not much inferior unto this. Miraculous Cures, call for mira●ulous faith. Wonderful and extraordinary Cures, call for a saith answerable. And such is the saith that this Cure (to flesh and blood, carnal reason so difficult) calls for at our hands, a more than ordinary faith, which may break through all those clouds of apparent difficulties and seeming impossibilities, laying hold upon the great physician, GOD himself, for the healing of these breaches. Why, but in what have we to support and bear Quest. up our faith, in apprehending, in beleeiving this? The hand of faith is like Moses his hands, which he Ex. 17. 12. held up in Israel's cause against A, ready to flag and fall down, if it be not supported. Now what supporters shall we have for this faith? Instead of many, make use of two; two supporters which may be to our faith in this case; as Aaron Answ. faith's supporters in this case, two. and Hur, were to Moses in that, to uphold both the hand and head of it, to make it steady. The one is the Power of God, the other his Promise. 1. The Power of God; this he can do. The disease indeed is dangerous, and Cure difficult, but not The power of God exceeding the skill of this great Phifician, who can put life into a dying, nay a dead body. He that said unto those dry bones, live; and to Lazarus after Eze. 37. 4. Ioh. 11. 43 his four days' burial, Come forth: He can much more put life again into this our languishing dying State, and Church. He can do it. True: this we doubt not of; I, but the question is touching his Will. 2. For that (in the second place) take a promise, His Promise. which if we shall yet but perform the condition, it may give us at least comfortable hopes, (should I say assurance, it would bear me out) that God will make it good to us. And methinks there are rays and beams of comfort shining in, and streaming from the face of that promise, in as much as God hath in part already wrought for us, and amongst us that work, which there he calls for from us: You have it 2 Chr. 7. 14. If my people which are called by my name (or upon whom my Name is called) shall 2 Chr. 7. 14. humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their Land. The former part hereof, (blessed be God) it hath been in measure already done; as by the Representative body of the kingdom, the heads of our Tribes; so by a considerable number of others of all sorts, even all the Lord's people amongst us, whose hearts the Lord hath touched, and stirred up to stand in these breaches: They have endeavoured to humble themselves, and pray, and seek the face of God; this they have done privately, and this they have done publicly, upon those solemn days of public humiliation, set apart by Authority to that purpose; for which I hope this Nation shall have cause to bless the God of Heaven for ever. Oh! that the second part were but now performed; that we were all of us, from the highest to the lowest, turned from our wicked ways; that we had but given a Bill of divorce to all those wrath-provoking sins, which cry for vengeance against us; then might we with confidence set faith a work, to apply and lay hold upon that promise, That God will hear in Heaven, and forgive cur sin, and heal our Land. In the hopes whereof, yet raise we up our drooping spirits, not suffering our hearts to die within us, as Nabals once did, when he heard what David's intention was 1 Sam. 25. 37. in coming against him. Let us rather stir up ourselves to act Ahigals part, to interpose ourselves, using all the ways and means which God shall direct vers. 18. us to, for the appeasing of his wrath, for the procuring of his favour; that through this his power and goodness, the breaches of our Israel may be so healed, and his face may so shine upon us, that we Psa. 80. 3. may be saved. For other Directions, I must defer them till another occasion. Israel's CURE. The fourth SERMON. March 23. PSAL. 60. Ver. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof. THe healing of Israel's breaches, is a Cure which every true Israelite should earnestly desire, and seriously endeavour. This is the main conclusion which my eye was upon, when I first took this Text in hand. Some time I have spent upon it already, prosecuting it both by way of Doctrine, and Application. The latter of these I directed two waves: By way of Reprehension, Exhortation. With the first of these we have done, and have made some way into the latter; Exciting and stirring up all sorts of Persons, to the desire, and endeavour of this blessed Cure; the healing of the breaches amongst us, in this, and the neighbour Kingdom, whether in Church or State. To set on this Exhortation, I made use of some Arguments and Motives, tending and serving to set an edge, both upon your desires, and endeavours; that both your hearts and hands might work this way. Having laid this foundation, I came to build upon it. For your direstion, showing you First, Wherein this Cure consisteth, and how it must be effected; specially the Cure of the Church, which is properly my Patient at present, viz. by Revealing unto it, and upon it abundance of peace and truth. Secondly, What you are to do for the furthering of this Cure in this way. This latter I entered upon the last day, and but entered; then only chaulking out the way wherein I intended to walk; which is to lay you down some Rules and directions, which may be useful unto you in this way. Those I ranged into two Ranks, dividing them into two sorts; some Restorative, others Preservative. The former directing to the making up of Breaches already made; the other, to the preventing of Breaches for the time to come. We have begun to bring up the former Rank. Restorative directions, which again are of two sorts; Some of them concerning ourselves; others of them, concerning others, viz. those which are, or have been breachmakers amongst us, teaching us how to demean, and order our selver towards them. Of the former of these, I have given you one, and but one, which I laid down as a fitting Preparative to make way for all the rest. Which is That we should have faith to be healed. It is said Dir. 1. Have faith to be healed. of our blessed Saviour, that when he came into his own country (Patriam nutrition is, the place where for a time he was educated and brought up, Nazareth;) He did not many mighty works there (saith St. Mat. 13. last. Matthew;) He could not do them (saith St. Mark.) Why? Because of their unbelief. unbelief doth Mar. 6. 5. after a sort, break the arm, and evacuate the power of the omnipotent God, putting a kind of impossibility upon things, otherwise possible: Whereas on the other hand, faith putteth a possibility upon things in appearance, to flesh and blood impossible. If thou canst believe (saith our Saviour Mar. 9 23 to the father of the demoniac) all things are possible to him that believeth. Let not us then through our unbelief, either weaken the power, or make void the promise of God. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established (saith the Lord to Isa. 79. Ahaz and his people in a like case.) And if we will not believe, surely we shall not be healed. And therefore stir we up our hearts to believing; Even against hope, believing in hope, as it is said of the Father Ro. 4. 18. of the faithful; Still resting upon the power and mercy of God, for the pardoning of our sins, and healing of our Land, which he is easily able to do; only believe. Said I not unto thee (saith our Saviour to Martha, objecting unto him the impossibility of her Brother Lazarus his Resurrection, after his four days' burial.) Said I not unto John 11. 40. thee (saith he) that if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God? Q. But will faith alone do it? A. Not so; we know what St. James tells us concerning a fruitless faith, Faith without works, Iam. 2. 20. 2●. is dead. So may I say in this case; It is not a mere passive faith that will do us any good, unless it be accompanied with active, and effectual endeavours, it will be of no avail. What then shall we do to further this Cure, the healing of these breaches? Why (in the second place) Pray them whole. The prayer of faith availeth much (saith St. James) I, 2. la. 5. 15, 16. even in the curing of sicknesses; The prayer of faith shall save the sick. A sick person (saith he,) a sick Pray the breaches whole. Vers. 16. State, a sick Church (say I.) No means more sovereign than this. It must needs be so; Prayer being an express sent from Heaven to the great physician. Not unlike those friends which the Centurion sent as Messengers to our Saviour, to desire Luk. 7. 6. 7. him to give the word for his servant's Cure; Say but the word, and my servant shall be healed: Make we use of this Messenger. Earth will not afford it, send to Heaven for a Cure; Dispatch we our prayers and tears to that great physician upon this errand; that He would but speak the word, and we shall be healed. In this way we may have hopes of speeding, having a promise for it. If my people 2 Chr. 7. 14. shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, &c. I will hear in Heaven, and will heal their Land. Be we incessant then, in sending out these join fast●ng to our Prayers. Messengers day after day; never resting until God hath been pleased to make a gracious return, by granting what we sue for. And that our Prayers m●y be the more prevalent; join fasting to them. Fasting is to Prayer, as feathers to the Arrow; which (though in themselves be light matter, yet (being glued or fastened to the shaft, they make it both fly far, and strike sure. Oh such use is fasting unto Prayer; In itself little worth. Bodily exercise profiteth little; 1 Tim. 4. 8. But being joined unto Prayer, it maketh it the more prevalent, and that because the more servant. And therefore add we this to the other, as being of special use in this case. It is the physician's rule, and it is a good one, did we but know how to make a ●ight use of it. Such diseases as will Morbi qui medianon curantur, medecina curentur. Fernel. not be cured by fasting, cure by physic. Make we experiment of this exercise, and try what it will do for the curing of the diseases both in Church and State. I remember what our Saviour tells his Disciples concerning the worst kind of Devils; They go not out (saith he) but by Prayer and fasting. Math. 17. ●1. Now surely, that which will cast out Devils, will lay them, bind them, restrain them. But what speak I of binding of Devils, when as by this means God yields himself to be bound? It was no less than a sacred violence, that made God say unto Moses, Let me alone. It is the Lord's speech unto Exod. 32. 10. Job (I remember) concerning the Leviathan. will he make supplications unto thee? will he speak soft Job 41. 3. words unto thee? That which the Creature disdaineth to do; Behold, the creator stoopeth to do! Such force and prevalency is there in human supplications, being prayers of faith, that they do even draw supplications from the Almighty; after a sort binding his hands, the hands of his revenging justice that he cannot break in upon a nation, a people, as otherwise he would do. This course than take we for the appeasing of God's wrath already broke forth upon us, and consequently for the repauring and Healing of these Breaches: Pray them whole. But of this direction, I shall have occasion to speak again in the next Point, viz. Israel's physician, to whom we are to repair for a Cure; and that (as by other ways, so) by prayer.) Pray them whole. But God heareth not finners; so the blind man upon whom our Saviour had wrought that great Ioh. 9 30. miracle, and Cure, told the Jews; But if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, (saith he) him he heareth. And therefore (In the third place) that our prayers may take place, and prove available, not only for ourselves, Dir. 3. Make up our own breaches, getting our own sins healed. but for others, for the State, the Church, let it be our care, and our first care every of us to get our own sins removed, and taken out of the way. These (as I have already shown you) they are the great Breachmakers, and the first Breachmakers, first making a Breach in heaven; making a Breach, and separation betwixt God and us: (Your iniquities Isa. 59 2. have separated betwixt you and your God.) Provoking God to break in upon us by his judgements, as upon our persons and families, so upon the places where we live; sometimes making public Breaches upon States, and Kingdoms for the sins of some particular persons, as upon the whole Houst of Israel for the sin of one Achan. That we may be Joshua 7. healer's then, all of us in our places, furthering this blessed Cure, the healing of breaches abroad; let it be our first care to make up the breaches at home, our own Breaches. Luke 4. 23. Our Saviour tells the Jews what they were ready to object unto him, physician heal thyself. In this case it must be so; Luke 4. 23. they which would have any hand, so as to lend any effectual endeavours to the healing of public breaches; they must first practise at home inprivate, practise upon themselves, upon their own hearts and lives, to get the breaches of both healed by Repentance and Reformation. Repentance for evils past, Reformation for the time to come. Without this our Prayers, will be to little to no purpose; mark the connexion of these two together, in the place forenamed. If my people shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from 2 Chr. 7. 14. their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and heal their Land. The one without the other, is but lost labour, all our bumilation, and supplication, without Reformation will be of no avail. And therefore set we upon this course, and this work, all of us beginning this so much desired, public Reformation at home, in private: every one sweeping before his own door, which is the readiest way to make the street clean. And as all aught to do it, so specially public persons, Specially public persons. Magistrates, Rulers, who are by their office physicians, healer's. Church and State (if sick) they are their Patients, the Breaches and ruins of both being under their hands. A man shall take hold of his Brother (saith the Prophet Esay;) saying, Isa. 3 6. 7. Be thou our Ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand, viz. for the healing, repairing of it. And in that day he shall swear (so he goeth on) saying, I will not be an healer, &c. Make me not a Ruler of the people. A Ruler and an healer then are both one; this Office and charge lying upon them after a special manner. Now that they may have success in this Cure, let them first be physicians to themselves. Heale themselves, make up their own Breaches, by getting their own sins taken away. The sins of public persons, they have often a dangerous influence upon the public State both of Whose sins have a dangerous influence upon the public State. Church and commonwealth. Not unlike a prodigious Comet, or Blazing-star, which hath for the most part a malign and dangerous aspect and influence upon the Kingdoms, and Countries over which it is. It is a good note of Scultetus his upon that passage in the 51. Psal. where David maketh this his suit, that God would build up the walls of Psa. 5. 18. Jerusalem. Build them (saith he,) why what breach was there in those walls, that David should put up such a request? Yes (faith he) David himself had made a Breach in them; and that by his sins, those sins which he there confesseth, his adultery, Murder; Two murdering pieces which had made a battery upon, and a breach in those walls, the walls of God's gracious Protection. And hereof David was sensible. Sensit se quasi denudasse Jerusalem. He apprehended that he had even laid flat the walls of Jerusalem, and laid the city naked, exposing it, as much as in him lay, to ruin and desolation. Of such dangerous consequence are the sins of public persons, of Rulers, specially of chief Rulers. Principes peccantes denudant muros Jerusalem, (so my Author goeth on.) Princes, (and we may say the same of the Priests too) if they transgress; by their sins they make a battery upon the walls of Jerusalem, lay the Church and State where they live, naked. This did Aaron to the Israelites, by consenting and giving way to that idolatry of theirs, he made them naked (saith the Text) in the midst of their enemies, i. e. he stripped them naked of the gracious Protection of God, Exod. 32. 25. which was their best covering, and so exposed them to the incursions of their enemies. Such a dangerous influence have the sins of public persons upon the States, Churches, kingdoms wherein they live, ofttimes making dreadful breaches in them; as David's sin in numbering the people, made that great breach upon Israel, at which the Destroying-Angel 2 Sa. 24. 15. broke in, smiting no less than seventy thousand men in less than three days' space. And as making, so maintaining them. And therefore let all such, that they may be in truth what they are by Office, healers, labour first to get their own breaches healed, their own sins taken away, and that (as I said) by Repentance and Reformation; Reforming themselves, their Families, and Charges as much as may be; that so the Breaches being made up at home, they may with more success undertake this great Cure, the healing of Israel's breaches. Take a fourth, and a last; for I shall not give Dir. 4. Every one cast in something into these breaches. you many particulars under any one head. That we may further the healing▪ and making up of these breaches, let every of us cast in something into them. This (you know) is the readiest way to make up a Breach in a wall, by casting earth and rubbish into it, every one his Basket. And like course take we to make up the Breaches in the walls of our Jerusalem; every of us cast something into them. So did they into the church's treasury, Luke 22. Every one Luke 22. 1. cast in something according to ability. Do we the like into the church's Breaches; Every one cast in something. But what shall we cast in? I might answer; Cast in our Prayers, cast in our sins in the ways already prescribed. To these I might add, Be ready to cast in our Estates, at least a proportionable part of them, if God shall call for it. But these I have touched upon already. Besides these, there is yet one thing more, which every of us have, (most of us too much of it.) And could we be but persuaded to cast it in, I should make no question, but it would undoubtedly fill up all these Breaches, at least in the Church; And what is that? Why, Every man cast in himself; So did that Every man himself, viz. His own will. noble Roman whom I mentioned before, Marcus Curtius for his country, for the making up of that Breach in the marketplace at Rome, he cast in himself. Oh, that every of us, and all others professing the same Religion with us, would but be contented to do the like for the Church of God, every one to cast himself into the breaches of it; I mean that which is most properly called himself, viz. His own will; A thing which multitudes are so wedded to, and make so much of, as if it were indeed their own self. Whence it is sometimes so called; If any man will come after me, let him deny Luke 9 23. himself, i. e. his own will. And this (self) let every of us, who desire the Healing, and filling up of these Breaches, cast into them, and that by learning and taking out this great lesson of self-denial. What is it that hath made these Breaches, and having made them maintains them? Why, surely (self) the greatest breach-maker, & therefore ought to be sacrificed. 2 Pe. 2. 10 even that which is the greatest breach-maker in the world (self.) This it is that maketh Breaches in Families, Breaches in Societies, in towns, Cities, States, Churches, kingdoms; in all, the great Breach-maker is self. That men are self-willed and self-conceited: Presumptuous are they, and self-willed, (saith Saint Peter, speaking of the false Teachers and their followers,) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} standing in their own conceits (as the Geneva renders it.) Certainly (my Brethren) there neither is, nor ever yet was Breach in the Church, but this (self) had an hand in it. And therefore for the church's peace let every of us be content to sacrifice this universal breach-maker. Even as the men of Abel, following the counsel of that wise woman dealt with that rebellious Arch-breach-maker, Sheba the son of Bichri, who sounding the trumpet of rebellion made a great breach, and rent thein kingdom of Israel, they cast his head over the walls, and so made up the breach. 2 Sa. 20. 21. Thus deal we with this breach-maker (self) our own wills, our own conceits; be not so much wedded to them, as that we will rather hazard the church's peace and being, than part with them: but labour for humble hearts and yielding spirits, that we may be contented as to do much, and suffer much, so to part with much for Peace. Peace is a pearl; the Latin word (Vnio) signifieth both. Let not any of us trample this pearl underfoot, so far undervaluing it, as to think every little too much to give for it, preferring every seeming truth before it. It is a mistake (I said it the last day, and I say it again) if any shall think that some truths may not be over-bought, viz. when they are bought with the loss of Peace. Of these ill bargains the Church of God in all ages hath had too great experience. And in other cases we will not spare to censure and condemn this folly. We will not buy gold too dear (we say.) And we would account him but a very simple man (saith a late reverend Divine of our own,) who would Doctor Staughtons' Sermon upon 1●2. Psal. verse 6. set his house on fire to roast his egg: Such, and no better is the wisdom of those, who shall contend so hotly and eagerly for some truths, being not of the foundation, nor near it; as that in the mean time they regard not the setting all on fire, rather than part with them. Certainly, they which will not (in a good sense) be content to part with some truths, (and those, it may be, useful ones) for peace; they are not worthy of it, nor yet must ever look to enjoy it upon earth. Let it not be mistaken; loathe I am that any, in the darkness either of ignorance or prejudice, should Ho● truth may, and ●ught to be parted with for Peace. stumble at this truth of parting with truth. Part with it; How? Not by abjuring; denying any Truth against conscience. This a man may not do upon any terms; Peace of conscience must be maintained what ever it cost: But, by not avowing, not openly contending and contesting for it, whether by Profession or Practice. And for this I think we shall need no other warrant then that rule and direction of the Apostle, Rom. 14. Hast thou faith? have it to Ro. 14. 22. thyself. Faith, i. e. acknowledge, and assurance either of the truth or lawfulness of something indifferent, which thou canst not either profess or practice, without the offence and scandal of thy weak Brother, to the breaking of Peace. In this case (saith the Apostle) have this saith to thyself; enjoy thine own knowledge and persuasion, but keep it to thyself, not letting it break forth to the scandal of others, much less to the endangering of the church's Peace, which ought to be of more price and value to us then many of these Truths. It is the speech of Elkanah to Hannah his wife, when she was so inordinately desirous of a Son that nothing else could give her content; Am not I better to thee then ten sons, 1 Sa. 1. 8. i. e. then many children. The like may the Church of God say unto us, Am not I better unto you then many children? then many fruits and conceptions of your own brains; I, though issues of truth. This I speak, not that I would have Truth, any truth (which I acknowledge to be a part of the image of God) slighted and undervalued. Goldsmith's will not cast away the dust and filings of their gold and silver; No more should Christians cast away such ends and shreads of truth as God either hath, or shall be pleased to reveal unto them. Only my aim is that I would have a higher price set upon Peace then (for the most part) it is bought and sold at. This, I am Peace purchased with the blood of Christ. sure (what ever may be said for some truths, truths of the new Covenant, for of them only it can be said) was a piece of that great purchase, purchased by the blood of Christ. He is our peace (saith the Apostle) Eph. 2. 14. i. e. the Author of it, our peacemaker, making peace, as it followeth vers. 15. And this he hath vers. 15. done by, and through the blood of Christ, (as the same Apostle hath it) there purchasing peace, and Col. 1. 20. not only peace with God, but peace with and amongst men. Of that peace the Apostle speaketh in that 2 to the Ephesians, Peace betixt Jews and Gentiles, making them one. To this end Christ came down from Heaven to earth, to make peace, (as in heaven, so) upon earth. Glory be to God on high, on earth Luk. 2. 14. peace, (so sings that choir of Angels at the birth of our Saviour.) This he purchased, and having purchased it, he left it, bequeathed it; Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, (saith he to his Disciples, when he was to take his last farewell Joh. 14. 27 of the world and them.) And let not us, any of us slight this legacy; we will not do so by th' legacy of a dying friend. If it be a Ring, an emblem of union and concord, we will wear it for his sake. And shall we not do the like by the legacy of a dying Saviour, make much of it, make use of it, and be content to part with something for it, for the keeping of it, if enjoyed, for the recovery of it, if lost? By this means shall we much further this blessed Cure, the filling and making up of the breaches in this our Israel, by casting every one something into them, every one himself. I have done with the directions which merely concern ourselves, which if they may but be taken, and kept, not naufeated and cast up again, as truly stomachs are wont to deal with their distasteful Potions; I doubt not, but that they will have a kindly working, conducing much towards the cure desired, and intended. Pass we in the second place to such directions as may concern others, viz. those which are or have 2. Directions concerning breachmakers, what to do them. been breachmakers amongst us; concern them not as agents, but as patients; teaching us how we are to order and demean ourselves towards them, what we are to do to them, for them, or against them, for the effecting of this Cure. These breachmakers (as I have alreay shown you) the instrumental causes of the present breaches in this our Israel, they are of two sorts. Either Strangers, or Israelites. Strangers, professed enemies to our Religion; or Israelites, such as professing the same Religion with us for substance, have been through weakness seduced, and drawn aside, either from the ways of Truth, or Peace. Now what shall be done to the one, and to the other? For answer hereunto, I shall have recourse again to the Type in the Text; observing what David's course with the breachmakers in his kingdom. course David here pitcheth upon, and intendeth to run with both these, which were the causes of those Breaches in tha this Kingdom. Strangers, Israelites, he would deal with both, but after a different manner; subduing the one, reducing the other. So you shall find it in the 6, 7, 8, verses of the Psalm. As for those which were enemies to his Kingdom, Moabites, Edomites, &c. He would subdue them, and bring them under by force. So much is intended in those two emphatical expressions, verse▪ 8. Moab is my wash pot, over Edom will I cast out my shoe. Each importing a servile and contumelious subjection, (as expositors note upon it.) Moab should Calvin. Mollerus. Somnius. be his wash pot, a vessel to wash his feet in, according to the custom of those Eastern Countries, then and now, i. e. the Moabites; they being conquered, should be employed about base services, and servile offices. Over Edom he would cast out his shoe, i. e. pass through it as a conqueror, trampling upon it, treading down the Inhabitants under foot, handling them in a disgraceful and contumelious way, as they had done the people of God before. Thus would he deal with the professed enemies of his Kingdom. As for his own people, that seditious party of Israelites which cleaved to the house of Saul, he would use means to reduce them, to bring them under his Government. I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth; so you have it verse 6. i. e. I will possess myself of them, and rule over them; not as a conqueror, and Slaves, but as a Lord over subjects, as a Father over Children, owing and acknowledging them as mine. Gilead is mine, and Manasseth is mine, ver. 7. i. e. they are my Inheritance, and shall be my people, my subjects. This was the course which David intended to take with these breachmakers, for the making up of the Breaches in his Kingdom. And from him learn we what course is to be taken with 1. Processed enemies, subdue them. the breachmakers amongst us, whether in this, or the neighbour Kingdom. 1. For Strangers. Moabites, Edomites, professed enemies to our Religion, the only way is to subdue them; and that by bringing under some, and keeping under others. Those which have been, or are the disturbers and troublers of our peace, whether in Church or State. The Malignant-party of Papists, and their Adherents amongst us, which have showed themselves active in these disturbances, the way is to bring them under, to cast the shoe over them, putting a yoke upon their necks. Not that I intend, what I have no warrant for, to excite and stir up any to the unchristian exercises of savage cruelty, or yet rigour, so to repay them in their own coin, as to return cruelty, for cruelty. Yet in the mean time, I must subscribe to the equity of that divine Law, the Law of Retaliation, Levit. 24. As a man hath done, so shall it be done unto him again, Breach for breach, &c. Lev. 24. 19, 20. Those which have made a Breach upon us, to make a breach upon them, were no injustice. It is God's own order to Moses; Vex the Midianites Nu. 25. 16 and smite them, for they vex you with their wiles. And it is Joshuah's speech to Achan; why hast thou troubled us, the Lord shall trouble thee this Iosh. 7. 25 day. Thus to deal with the Midianites, the achan's, who ever they have been, which have vexed and troubled our Israel, to vex them, to smite them, were but justice. But this I leave to the wisdom of superiors, to our Moses, and Joshuah's, of whom I may say as David did of and to his Son Solomon in a like case. They are wise, and know what they ought to do unto them. To them I refer 1 Kin. 2. 9 this act of justice; and that as for the suppressing and bringing under of some, so for the Repressing and keeping under of others; such as being of the same disposition, acted and moved by the same principles, want nothing but the opportunity, either for the cherishing and fomenting of these, or else the kindling and breeding of new distractions. Only for ourselves, let us, all of us remember that solemn Vow and Covenant which of late we have made and entered into, for the joint defence of our royal sovereign, His Parliament, and kingdoms; God's Religion, against all that shall rise up against them: And remembering it, let us by all lawful ways and means, according to the several ranks and stations wherein God hath set us, be ready to perform it. Pass we (in the second place) to the breachmakers amongst ourselves, Israelites, our Brethren, 2. Seduced Brethren. such as have been and are seduced, and drawn aside, either from the ways of Truth or Peace, and that through weakness: Such I have now to deal with, not presumptuous malicious opposites, to whom the Psalmist would have no mercy extended. Be not merciful unto them which offend of malicious wickedness, Psal. 59 5. (so the old Translation reads it;) but such as err and stray through infirmity. And for such, what shall we do to them, or for them? Quest. To this I answer in the general; Seek to Reduce them, to heal them. That which is lame, or Ans. turned out of the way, let it be healed, Heb. 12. And Reduce them. Heb. 12. this do we in as gentle and tender away as possibly may be; even as we would deal with a bone out of joint. It is the Apostles one Metaphor; If any 13. With gentleness. man be overtaken with a fault, restore such a one: Gal. 6. 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, Put him in joint again. And this do (as it there followeth) in the spirit of meekness. Q: But how shall this be effected? Ans. For What to be done to this end. the answer, let me descend into particulars, showing you distinctly what every one should do in this case 1. What public persons are to do? 2. What private? For the former; public person are Magistrates, Ministers. Begin with the former; Magistrates, Rulers, Directions for Magistars in this case. Isa. 41. last. who being by office (as healer's: so) shepherds, (Cyrus my shepherd; they ought to have a care for the reducing and bringing home of straying wandering sheep. And to this purpose, let me commend unto them a twofold Direction. In the first place, let them take stumbling blocks 1. Take stumbiing blocks out of the way. out of the way, such as are so in truth; what ever it is, which being a just ground, or obvious occasion of scandal, hath either caused any to stray, or else confirmeth them in their straying; so either making or maintaining these breaches; for the reducing of the one, and healing of the other, this must be removed. And this is properly the Magistrates work to do, or see done. Express is that of the Prophet Isaiah, Isa. 57 Where the Lord speaking to Darius and Cyrus, (as Mr. Calvin and others interpret it) giveth them this in charge; that they should remove and take away all the Remoraes and stumbling-blocks out of the way of his people, even what ever might hinder their passage out of Babylon, or return to Canaan. He (i. e. the Lord) shall say, cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the Isa. 57 14 stumbling-block out of the way of my people. What ever it is that may keep any of the Lord's people in Babylon, or upon the Confines and Borders of Babylon; keep them from coming out, or else make others to think of returning thither again, it ought to be removed and taken out of the way. Such are all relics, Monuments, shows, and appearances of idolatry and Superstition. And all these it is the Magistrates duty to see removed and taken away. This being done, than (in the second place) Let 2. Set up a Standard for the people. Isa. 62. them set up a Standard; so the same Prophet prosecuring the same charge elsewhere, he willeth, that for the reducing of the people of God, and gathering them into one body, they should erect, and list up a Standard for them. Prepare the way, vers. 10. &c. Gather off the stones (i. e. the stumbling stones) and lift up a standard for, (or over) the people (so I read it according to the original, not (of) but (for) or (over) the people.) A Metaphor taken from Princes, who gather their Subjects, or Commanders, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Super populos. who gather their soldiers into a Warlike posture and order, by setting up a Standard which they may repair unto, and follow whether it shall be carried before them. So you read of the Standard of the Camp of the Children of Judah, which was carried in the Front of the army. Such a Standard should the Commanders of the Lord's Num. 10. 14. viz. Christ in his ordinances. army, his Church, set up for his people. But what Standard? why, even that (saith Bullinger, writing upon that Text of the Prophet Esay) which Simeon speaks of in the 2. Luke; Behold this Child Luk. 23. 34. (saith he, speaking of Christ) is set up for a sign; {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, a sign, an ensign, a Standard. Behold, the Standard of the people, which all the Lord's Commanders should labour to set up for them, even the same which Moses typically erected in the wilderness, the Brazen Serpent lift up on high, Num. 21. 9 on a perch or pole, a lively representation of Christ lift up upon the cross, as our Saviour himself (for I conceive the words to be his) expounds it, 3. John. This is the Standard which Ioh. 3. 14 should be set up. And how should it be set up? Why by the Preaching of the Gospel; (so the same expositor prosecutes it.) God's Ministers they are the Lords Standard-bearers, whose office it is to carry this Standard before the people, as the Priests under the Law did the ark; and this they Deu. 10. 8. 31. 9 are to do by the preaching of the Gospel. Set up Christ, by the preaching of Christ. Hereby is this Standard set up, Christ being in the preaching of the word, as it were lift up upon the cross before the eyes of the people. So Paul telleth his Galathians, that Christ had been evidently set forth, and crucified Gal. 3. 1.] before their eyes, viz. in and by the preaching of the Gospel. By this means is this Standard set up; and this is the best means for the gathering the people into one body. Oh then let all in their places, specially the Commanders in the Lord's army amongst us (to whom after a special manner it belongeth) as they desire the reducing of straying wandering souls, and the uniting of all into one body, let them by all means endeavour to set up this Standard, providing as much as in them lieth for the liberty and free passage of the Gospel, that this standard may be set up where it hath not yet been seen, that it be continued and displayed more and more where it is erected. And here let not any think or fear that this will This is the only way of gathering the people. be a means to scatter the people (as some, no wellwillers to the Gospel) are ready enough to do, who stick not to charge all our divisions upon the Gospel, and the Preaching thereof; as if the clocking of the Hen, were the means to sever and scatter the the chickens. No, this is the only means of gathering them. Oh Jerusalem, how often would I have Mat. 23. 37. gathered thy children together, (saith our Saviour) viz. by the sending out of Prophets and apostles, and Ministers to them, to set up Christ in the ministry of the Word, as in other of his ordinances, to set him up, and that not only in his Priestly, and prophetical, but also in his Kingly office; not only as the Saviour and Teacher, but as the King and Ruler, and lawgiver of his Church. And here let me repair again to the Type. David here projecting and propounding to himself the way and means of reducing his own subjects, and bringing them to unity; amongst other, he pitcheth up this, that Judah should be his lawgiver. Judah is (or shall be) my lawgiver, i. e. all his subjects should be brought under one Head, one governor, who vers. 7. Let Judah be the lawgiver. should give them laws according to which they should be ordered and governed, which power and authority belonged to the Tribe of Judah, according to that prophecy of Jacob Gen. 49. to which Ge. 49. 10 the Psalmist here alludeth. No way, no means to bring the people unto unity, to bring them into one body, but by bringing them under one head, one lawgiver, by whose Laws they may be regulated and governed. Now in the Church, and in matters of Religion, this one Head is Christ, even that lion of the Tribe of Judah, as he is called Reve. 5. He Reve. 5. 5. is the lawgiver of his Church, and let him so be. This will be found one; I, and the only means to breed an holy and Religious unity, to reduce and bring home straying, wandering sheep, (for such, and only such they are that I now have to deal with or speak for; sheep, not wolves, such as seek to make a prey of the flock, whom I put in the former rank, reckoning them as enemies.) And so consequently for the repairing and healing of these Breaches. It was the first thing which David looked at, as giving to his Kingdom hopes of a Cure of these breaches; but God had given a Banner, an ensign to his people, setting David over them as their head, vers. 4. You see what Magistrates and Rulers the Lord's Commanders amongst us ought to do, or see done; and for this they shall have my prayers, as well as directions, that they may do it. But what shall we of the ministry do? This is the next head which I should have now fallen with, but time taketh me off for the present. This with what remains of this point, I see I must yet adjourn till another occasion. Israel's CURE. The fift SERMON. April 6. PSAL. 60. Ver. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof, &c. THe healing of Israel's breaches, is a Cure which every true Israelite should seriously desire, and endeavour. Once more this useful conclusion cometh to hand, which I have already prosecuted by way of Doctrine and Application. I yet stick in the latter of these, the latter part of it; wherein my design was to lay you down some Rules and directions for the furthering of this desired Cure in the Church of God amongst us. These directions we ranked into two sorts; some whereof were restorative, others preservative. Of the former sort we found some concerning ourselves, others of them concerning others, viz. those which have been and are breachmakers amongst us, teaching us how to order ourselves towards them. These breachmakers (as you have heard) are either strangers, or Israelites. Strangers, enemies to our Religion, or rather God's Religion professed amongst us; with these we have done. Israelites, some of our brethren who through infirmity and weakness have been seduced and drawn aside, either from the ways of truth or peace. Concerning them the question was; what shall be done to them, or for them? This we answered generally, let them be reduced, and brought home with all tenderness and gentleness. More particularly, for full satisfaction, I entered upon a way of giving to every one his portion. Showing first, what public persons are to do. Secondly, what private. Public persons are either Magistrates or Ministers. The former of these have had their directions, which the Lord teach them to make a good use of. It remains now that we come to the latter, and so proceed to that which remains. 2. What shall we of the ministry do? For 2. Directions for ministers. Iere. 6. 14 answer, as briefly as I may. God's Ministers, they are also by office healer's. They have healed the hurt of the Daughter of my people slightly, so the Lord complains of the false Prophets. To heal was their office, that they did it slightly was their error. And what shall they do that they may be healer's in truth, furthering this Cure, by reducing those which are gone astray, which is a part of their office (they being also the Lord's shepherds) to seek straving Eze. 34. v. 2, 7, 8. &c. Mat. 18. 12. wandering sheep, and finding them to bring them home again. To this purpose, let them make use of a threefold direction (the best that either my reading, or experience will furnish me with.) Let them first be blameless in their lives. Secondly, painful in their Callings. Thirdly, Meek and wise in their carriage. I will but touch upon each, having a respect to the Audience. 1. blameless in their lives {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. This 1. Let them be blameless in their lives 1 Tim. 3. Paul requires from his Bishop or pastor, for in that place they are both one. A Bishop must be blameless. Blameless, viz. in life and conversation, walking (as it is said of Zacharias the Priest, and his wife Elizabeth) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}: without just reproof. 2. This blamelessness of life and conversation, consisteth in three things. You have them all together in that known place, 2 Tit. viz. in living Tit. 2. 13. First, soberly. Secondly, righteously. Thirdly, godly. All which (as all Christians, so) the Ministers of the Gospel ought to have a special regard unto; to live Godly, that they may be Patterns of Piety, and holiness; to live righteously, that they may be patterns of Justice and integrity; to live soberly, that they may be patterns of sobriety 1 Pet. 5. 3. and Temperance. In all being Ensamples to the flock, (as Saint Peter hath it;) that so those which are weak, may not stumble at their lives; which being scandalous, are great scandals, bringing an evil report upon the ways and Ordinances of God. We know what is said of Eli's sons; how that they by their scandalous lives and courses, made men even to abhor the offering 1 Sa. 2. 17 of the Lord. And surely it cannot be denied, (I would not uncover it; if it could be hid) but that the same cause amongst us hath had the same effect; Many being turned aside, and many others confirmed in their strayings, and that by reason of the scandalous lives of some of the sons of Aaron. To help to make up these Breaches, let all the Lord's Priests, which serve at his Altar, have holiness to the Lord written (as in their Hearts▪ so) in Exod. 28. 36. 38. their foreheads; That their lives, and conversations may be sober, Righteous, Godly, every ways blameless, than which, there will be found no means more effectual for the reducing of those which are gone astray. 2. Being blameless in their Lives, let them (in 2 painful in their Callings. the 2d place) be painful in their Callings, a Luke 2. 8. watching over their flocks, b Acts 20. 28. Feeding them, c Ib. verse 31. Warning 2 Tim 4. 5. them, not turning over the oversight, and care of them unto others, which without question hath been, and is no small cause, or occasion of straying unto many, and so of making, or increasing these Breaches. When Uzzah and Ahi● and the rest of the Levites for their own ease, shifted off the Ark of God from their own shoulders, (which should have been the supporters of it) and laid it Num. 4. 11. upon the Carts, the Ark itself was shaken, endangered, and a Breach thereby made, as you may see, 2 Sam. 6. To remedy and prevent the like evils 2 Sam. 6. v. 6. 8. that might happen to the Religion and Church of God amongst us, let the Lord's Ministers take the Ark of God upon their own shoulders, putting not their hands only, (as Uzzah there did) but their shoulders also, (as Uzzah should have done) to the work, seriously intending the work of the Lord, Preaching the Word, being instant in season, 2 Tim. 4. 2. and out of season, (as St Paul. chargeth it upon his Timothy) Reproving, Rebuking, Exhorting, and that with all long-suffering. 3. Let them be Meek and Wise in their Carriage: 3. Meck and wise in their carriage. I put these two together, therein following our Saviour, who willeth his Apostles, whom he sendeth forth to preach the Gospel, that they should be Wise as Serpents, simple as Doves. Let Mat. 10. 16. the Ministers of Christ have an eye to both. To meekness; The servant of the Lord must not 2 Tim. 2. 24. Meek, bearing with infirmities of weak Brethren. strive, (saith the Apostle) but be gentle unto all men, Patient, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, Bearing, forbearing. A Grace, and virtue which the Ministers of Christ had never more need, or more exercise of, then at this day. In meekness instructing those which oppose themselves, (so the Apostle there goeth on) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, i. e. (saith Beza) {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, Men which are contrary minded, to whom the Truth is not yet fully, and clearly revealed; Such Instruct with meekness. This will be found the next way to reduce them; not to fly upon them with tart and bitter invectives, spitting gall, and vinegar in thoir faces; nor yet presently to fall upon ways of compulsion, making use of the Brachium seculare, calling in the secular power, (which yet in some cases may be done, though in the last place, as being the last remedy) but by Instructing them with meekness. Thus dealeth the good shepherd with his tender sheep; if it be strayed from the fold, finding it, he doth not presently set his Dog upon Luke 15. 5. it to worry it, but he layeth it upon his shoulders, and so bringeth it home; such bearing, forbearing, must the Ministers of Christ use in reducing, and bringing home straying, wandering sheep, instructing them with meekness, waiting if per adventure God will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of 2 Tim. 2. 25, 26 the Truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snares of the Devil, (as it there followeth.) Let them be Meek, But Wise, I add this to the other, as being very Wise, not feeding their weakness. I am. 3. 13. requisite; Who so is awise man (saith St James) &c. Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. Such a meekness becometh the Man of God, not the meekness of Pusillanimity, and weakness, but the meekness of wisdom. A wise meekness, that so whilst he beareth with the weakness of others, he may not feed it, nourish it; not so bearing and forbearing as that he should thereby, in stead of rectifying, and reducing, rather confirm, and strengthen others in their deviations, and wanderings. A Caution of great use, and I wish it may be accordingly regarded by all. It was so by the blessed Apostle, who though he condescended to the weakness of some Acts 16 3. near converted ewes in Circumcising Timothy, yielding to the use of that Rite, not as a necessary Sacrament, but as an Indifferent Ceremony, (so Mr Calvin conceives of it) using it adfovendam charitatem, non ad pietatis exercitium, (they are his words) not as a Religious Exercise, an Ordinance, but as a means to preserve unity and Charity; yet afterwards he would not do the like by Titus, nor Gal. 2. 34. yet yield that it should be done, and that because he would not, by betraying God's truth, and the church's liberty, confirm and strengthen others in that erroneous opinion, which they had of the necessity of that then Indifferent Ceremony, as you may see it in the 2d Gal. Thus Paul was willing to yield to the weak Brethren in what he might, but yet so, as that he would by no means feed their weakness, by confirming them in their Judaism. Therefore was it that he, who in other cases (Chameleon like) became (as himself saith) All things to all, To the Jews a Jew, to the Gentiles a Gentile, to the weak, weak, that so By all means he 1 Cor. 9 v. 19, 20, 21, 22. might gain some, yet when Peter was fallen into that unwarrantable Separation, withdrawing and separating himself from the Gentiles, breaking off open, Gal. 2. 12. and visible communion with them, and that because of the Jews, with whom he desired to comply more than was fitting, this Paul could not, would not bear with, or connive at, but thereupon breaks forth into an open Reprehension. When he saw that they did not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, that Peter and the rest, which were by his example drawn into the like Dissimulation, they Halted, and did not walk with an upright foot according to the Truth of the Gospel, he reproves him openly. This did he. And this (I take) will be warrant sufficient to bear me out (as in my practice in some other * The use of the Lord's Prayer A warrant for speaking against Brownists, & whom meant thereby. particulars, so) in what I have lately done, in speaking openly against the new separation of those whom I taxed by the name of Brownists. A term too well known to the Church of God: so well, that (for my part) I cannot but wonder that it should now seem to need any explanation. Yet for satisfaction to those who otherwise happily might either take offence at it, or advantage by it, (both which I desire equally to decline) I shall actum agere, do that again which I then did. When I named the word, I explained whom I meant by it, viz. Such as renounce all Communion with us; and with the Churches of God in this kingdom. I now add, such as do this upon this ground, because our Churches (as they conceive, and doom them) are Antichristian Churches, our Ministers Antichristian Ministers, our Worship Antichristian worship; neither true Churches, nor true Ministers, nor true worship, all Antichristian. A charge both harsh and heavy; In imposing whereof, little do they think what service they do to that Antichrist, whom they Master's Balls Answer to Master Cans Treatises, in the Answer to the Epistles. pretend to fly from. It is a charge laid upon them by a late reverend, Godly-learned Divine, and let them see how they can discharge it; for my part I cannot. That They, though they do not in words maintain Antichrist, yet really they do him more credit than his chief upholders. A charge as heavy Brownists do more credit to Antichrist then his chief upholders. as the former; But how shall it be made good against them? Why? even out of this Charge of theirs, wherein they charge our Churches, and Ministers, and worship to be Antichristian. For herein, what do they but confess and acknowledge (which they cannot, I think will not deny) That in Antichristian Churches (I will use the words of my Author) the entire Faith may be purely professed, the Doctrine of salvation plentifully preached, the seals of the Covenant for substance rightly administered; and by the blossing of God upon his own means, Christian souls ordinarily converted, and nourished up unto life eternal, which is much more than all the factors for Antichrist shall ever be able to make good; And if true, nothing could be said more to the praise of Antichristianism. Thus far he: This was the error I then glanced at, and (I think) not without either cause, or warrant; It being an error of very great dangerous consequence, tending most directly to the making of a Breach, and therefore not to be connived or winked at, lest by our continued silence we should seem to betray God's Truth, his church's Innocency, and confirm and strengthen those in their error, whose weakness we are willing, as much as may be, to bear with. And this all the Ministers of Christ ought to have a special regard unto, and I pray God they may have it, that so whilst out of Meekness they bear & forbear, which they ought to do, they may not through Imprudence feed and nourish the weakness of any, which they ought not to do. I have done with what belongs to public persons, both Magistrates, and Ministers. What shall Private person do in this Case? How shall they Directions for Private persons. order, and demean themselves towards those which are turned aside? To give them their portion in a few words. Let them only reflect upon that 3d and last Direction given to Ministers, and let them make use of it, of both parts of it, viz. Let them carry themselves towards all such, First, with meekness: Secondly, with wisdom. 1. With meekness. It is S. Paul's own direction, 1. Walk in meekness. which he not only propounds to, but presseth upon his Ephesians. I beseech you (saith he) that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, Ephes. 4. 1, 2. with all lowliness, and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love: endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace. It were to be wished, and it is to be endeavoured, that there might be a unity in judgement bet wixt all the Lord's people, that they might be all of one mind: But this is not to be looked for upon earth. In the mean time let them endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit, that they be all of one Heart. And to that end let them walk with lowliness and meekness, bearing, for bearing one another in Love, ready to perform all Christian offices to their weak brethren, so endeavouring to win and overcome them by love. 2. Thus walking in Love and meekness, let 2. In wisdom. them also walk in wisdom. It is Paul's direction to his Colossians. Walk in wisdom towards them which are without. He spoke it of Infidels and Heathens. Col. 4. 5. Amongst such we do not live; and yet we may walk amongst some which are without: Such as either are not, nor ever were of us, or else such as are gone out from us, in the way aforesaid; of whom I will not, I dare not say as S. John doth of those Antichristian Apostates, That They went out from us, because they were not of us; 1 Joh. 2. 19 No. I hope of many of them (if there be many) both have been of us, and are of us, true members of the same mystical Body, though severed in respect of outward, visible Communion with us. (Peter was a good and an holy man, though for a time he separated himself, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, 2 Gal. 12.) And towards such walk in wisdom, that we may neither do, nor receive hurt: Neither do hurt to them, nor receive hurt from them: do hurt to them by so complying with them, as that we should confirm and strengthen them in their errors, or else receive hurt, by drawing in any unwholesome breath from them, as Barnabas and many others did from Peter, who by the prevalency gall 1. 12, 13. of his example were carried away with the stream of that his unwarrantable separation. And thus I have as briefly as I could laid you down the first sort of Directions, Restorative directions, tending to the repairing and Healing of Breaches already made. The other sort are yet behind, preservative directions, tending to the preventing of the like Breaches for the time to come. In these I will be Preservative Directions. brief, hasting as fast as I can to the Conclusion of this point, which hath (I confess) fled before me farther than at the first I made account of. physicians having recovered their Patients, they do not send them away without some directions and Instructions for preventing of relapses. Thus dealt our Blessed Saviour with that Patient of his, that impotent person whom he had restored to the use of his limbs; meeting him in the Temple he bids him, go thy way and sin no more, Joh. 5. 14. lest a worse thing come unto thee. Following this course, having laid down a Method for the Curing and Healing of these Breaches, let me briefly show you (if ever God please to work a Cure upon us) what is to be done for the preventing of Relapses in this kind, and so for the preserving of peace and unity in the Church of God being once restored to it. And here, (as in the former) I shall deal particularly, giving to every one his portion, dealing first with public persons, and amongst them with Magistrates, to whom I shall For Magistrates. here again commend only a twofold direction, each being an off-set from the former directions which I propounded to them as Restoratives. 1. Having cleared the church's way by taking the stumbling-blocks out of it, Let them keep it clear, and that by vindicating, and asserting (as keep the way clear from stumbling-blocks, by asserting Christian liberty. much as may be) that which we call Christian liberty, the liberty of Conscience in the use of things indifferent; providing that that may not be pressed and burdened with unnecessary burdens. To this purpose I shall only propound to them a precedent, Not suffering Conscience to be pressed with unnecessary Burdens. Acta. 15. viz: that of the Apostles, 15 Acts. who having in that council or synod of theirs disputed and debated the differences betwixt the Jews and Gentiles, at length they agree upon it, what course to take for the settling, and keeping of peace in the Churches: The Result of all with their Consultations you have in the 28. and 29. Verses of that Vers. 28. 29. Chapter. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burdens than these necessary things, viz: That ye abstain from meats offered to Idols, &c. In which Determination of theirs there are three things very considerable, first, the Injunctions which they impose upon the Churches were viz: few, not many. Secondly, Necessary, though not in themselves, yet pro tempore, for that time. Thirdly, they were Negative, which entrench less upon Conscience than Affirmatives do. In all these I do not peremptorily prescribe what Magistrates (those which have authority) ought to see done: I only propound a precedent, which if followed, I conceive it will tend much to the continuance, and settlement of the church's peace. Sure I am; if burdens, and unnecessary burdens be imposed, whether directly upon the conscience, or having reference unto conscience, either we must introduce, and set up that Popish idol, a blind obedience, (which some of late have cried up for the best obedience) that so men may swallow down all without chewing; or else give inevitable occasion unto scandal, and consequenttly unto Breaches. 2. (In the second place) having set up a standard for the people, let them make it a Standard; 2. Having set up a Standard, let them make it a Standard. by their authority enjoining, and requiring all in the public exercise of Religion to observe the same rule and order, the same form of public worship, regulated (as near as may be) by the laws of Christ in his Word, and so made conformable to that pattern, that standard: Not permitting Deut. 12. 8. every one therein to use what weights, and measures they please, to do what is right in their own Judg. last cap. and Verse. eyes (as it was in Israel when there was no King, and as it is amongst us at this day in this unhappy Interregnum of the Church) which, if given way unto, will prove a passing-bell to the church's peace where ever it is admitted. It is noted 1 King. 7. 27. 30. 37. of the ten Bases in the Temple which were made to bear and carry the ten Lavers upon their wheels, They had all of them one casting, one measure, and one size. Of such use is outward order to public Ordinances, a vehiculum serving to bear and carry them super Rotis suis (as the original Prov. 25. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Super Rotis suit Montan. hath that of the Wiseman. 25. Prov. 11. A word spoken upon his wheels, so our margin readeth it according to the Hebrew) upon the wheels of meet and convenient circumstances, as Time, Place, manner, &c. that so they may be the more serviceable, and useful; And being so, it is most fit it should be uniform. But I must but touch upon things. This for Magistrates. As briefly for Ministers, to whom also I shall Directions for Ministers. commend but two directions. First, Let them seriously intend the main work of their ministry, therein looking right forwards; 1. Let them look, and go right forwards. 1 Sam. 6. 12. as it is said of the Philistines kine which drew the ark to Bethshemesh, They took the straight way, and went along the high way, and turned not aside, to the right hand, nor to the left. Thus should the Lord's Ministers do; In Carrying the ark of the Lord before his people, let them go right on, in the King's high way, (God's way) not turning aside to the right hand or to the left, not seeking their own things, their own ends, their own profit, credit, popular applause, or the like, but let Phil. 2. ●1. them both look, and go right forward, seeking the glory of God, and the salvation of his people's souls. No such way for them to preserve, and maintain peace in the Church as this. It is the song of the Angels at the birth of our Saviour, Glory be to God in the highest, on Earth Lu●e 2. 14. peace, Good will towards men. O that all the Angels of the Churches would but have a respect to the first, and last of these, seeking the Glory of God, and expressing their Good will towards his people by seeking their salvation, than no doubt but the second would fall in betwixt them, there would be Peace on Earth, peace in the Church. Secondly, Let them labour as much as may be for an holy unity and Agreement amongst themselves: Labour for unity amongst themselves. that they I may not be divided, not in judgement, if it might be, however not in Affection; that though they be not of one mind in all things, yet they may be of one heart, I mean with those which desire to be found faithful, following the Truth according to the measure of light vouchsafed; in this Case, though there be some differences in judgement (as some there will be) yet let not these hinder their walking together in Love. A lesson which we may learn even from those creatures which of all other are most quarrelsome. (Pardon the homeliness of the similitude, the aptness shall make amends for it.) A pack of Hounds in the field, in hunting they chop upon diverse trails, and scents, some of them traversing this way, others that, yet in as much as they all hunt▪ the same game, and follow the same chase, how well do they agree, and accord amongst themselves? From them (for there is no creature so mean, but man (who was once their master) may now go to school to it) let the Ministers of Christ learn a Christian harmony. As long as they are all followers of the Truth, the same Truth, though with some difference about the finding it out, yet let them follow the Truth in Love, by all means seeking after an holy concord, and agreement betwixt themselves, which will be of great use in preserving peace, and unity amongst the people. And to this end, Let them, First, Reverence, and esteem highly of one another, (I mean so many as they see painful and godly) Maintaining the credit ea●h of other. not despising, not contemning them in respect of some differences in judgement, or disparity in parts, Rom. 14. 3. and Gifts, but still upholding the esteem of them in their own hearts, and labouring by all means to uphold and maintain their credits and reputes in the estimation of others. Secondly, Let them by all means avoid open Contests. If there be private differences betwixt avoiding Pulpit-jars, & public contests. them, let them not break forth to a public view, nor yet come into a popular cognizance, by Pulpit-jars and Clashings; which, for my own part, as I have ever desired to decline, so I shall ever endeavour to do it, though (I might say) justly provoked to it. It was a good direction of a late godly, learned, and judicious Divine of our Church, one that was no friend (I am sure) either in judgement or practice to the supposed Corruptions in it. It is not (saith he) to be held want of M. Hilderch m. Lect. 65. upon Ioh. 4. cap. zeal, or alteration in judgement, but true wisdom in a Minister, to shun in his ministry, and doctrine (so far as in him lieth) those points which Brethren differ in, and to spend his time in such points wherein we all agree, and which are more profitable for the People to know. Paul kept back nothing that was profitable. Acts 20. 20. And let not any here conceive that myself have run counter to this Direction, in speaking against that dangerous error of those, which, upon the grounds aforesaid, Renounce all Communion with us: Wherein I have done no more than that Author himself (whom that industrious Comment. sup. 1 Sam. in Ep. Dedicat. Dr Willet, for his zeal and abilities showed in that quarrel, calleth Brownistarum malleum, the Hammer of Brownists) frequently and strenuously doth both in that Tract, and in other of his writings. But I have yet divers particulars to touch upon, which I see I must but name, willing to discharge myself of this point at the present, which hath hung in my hands longer than I made account of. For Private Persons what shall they do? Directions for Private persons. 1. In the first place, let them labour for Humble Hearts. A sovereign Preservative against these 1. Labour for Humble hearts. Breaches. What is it that maketh them? Pride. Only by Pride cometh Contention (saith the Wiseman.) He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife. Prov. 13. 10. c. 28. v. 25. This is The Breach-maker, and making these Breaches it maintains them. As long as there is proud flesh in a wound, it will not heal, or if it do, it will break forth again. For the Healing of these Breaches, so healing them that they may not break forth again, labour to get the proud flesh cut out of our Hearts, all of us seeking for humble spirits. A general direction; To which I may subjoin 3. other particulars being subordinate, and subservient to it. You shall find them all together laid down by the Apostle in that one verse, v. 16. of the 12. chap. to the Romans: where the Apostle Rom. 12. 16. exhorting his Romans to an holy unanimity and agreement, that they should be of the same mind one towards another, he showeth them by what means they should both attain it, and keep it. First, Mind not high things: Secondly, Condescend to men of low estate: Thirdly, Be not wise in your conceit: All of them very useful for the present times; And I wish Christians would make use of them. First, Mind not high things: things above your Not minding high things above their reach. reach. By this means women with child sometimes come to miscarry, by reaching too high. And surely this hath been, and is none of the least causes of some of those miscarriages amongst us: Private Christians, (whose reach and apprehension is but short and shallow, yet) they will {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, be reaching at High things, things above their reach and capacity, and beyond their line; (I spare particulars) whilst in the mean time they neglect those fundamentals of Faith and Repentance, both the study and practice of them. Beware of this Presumption, remembering that weak Brains being set on high are subject to a Vertigo, a giddiness. Secondly, Condescend to men of low estate. Despise condescending to weak Christians. not poor Christians, weak Christians; though neither their estates, nor parts, nor places, nor graces, be answerable unto yours, yet despise them not. But condescend to them, close with them; If they be such as do {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, endeavour to walk uprightly according to the measure of light and grace received, be not ashamed to own, and honour the graces of God in them; bearing with their weaknesses, and infirmities, considering that the strong God (whose power is made perfect in weakness) is able to make them stand; And that they may be as necessary and useful members 2 Cor. 12. 9 Rom. 14. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 22, &c. to the Body as thyself, though not so honourable. Thirdly, Be not wise in our own conceits: In our own Eyes, (so the Wiseman hath it) to whom the Not being wise in their own Conceits. Prov. 3. 7. Esay 5. 21. Prophet Esay denounceth a woe, woe unto them. ay, and woe ofttimes to the Church because of them. No such a Breach-maker as this (as I have shown you already.) Every of us beware of it, being ever jealous of ourselves, ready to suspect our own judgements in points controversial, where we have not clear evidence of the Word for deciding them. Were these directions observed, certainly they would conduce much to the preventing of Breaches, to the preserving of Peace. Take two or three more, each in a word. 2. In the second place, Follow after holiness. The direct, and next way to peace. Therefore 2. Follow holiness. Heb. 12. 14. the Apostle puts them together. Follow Peace with all men, and holiness. Certainly, did men study holiness more, the theory and practice of it, (as it would divert their thoughts from many fruitless Controversall speculations, so) it would be a means to cement and unite their hearts to all those which truly fear God, so as every trivial difference should not divide and sever them. Thirdly, Following holiness; study also quietness. So the Apostle exhorts his Thessalonians, study quietness. showing them withal, how they should find what they study for. study to be quiet (saith he) and 1 Th. 4. 11. do your own business, and work with your own hands. Certainly were this regarded; did men and women love their own houses, (and them best) meddling 1 Tim. ●. 13. with their own business, conscionably, and diligently attending upon their own callings, therein Abiding with God, (as the Apostle exhorts 1 Cor. 7. 20. 24. his Corinthians) it would be a great, and sovereign preservative, to prevent many Breaches, many differences, which by the contrary are occasioned. Fourthly, In the fourth place, Take heed of Minister-worship. Beware of Minister-worship. Flying other Idolatry, beware of this. This it was that caused those breaches in the Church of Corinth; they after a sort made Gods, and Christ's of their Ministers, making them their Heads. Some were of Paul, others of Apollo's, a third of Cephas, a fourth of Christ. As ever you 1 Cor. 1. 12. desire to maintain peace in the Church of God, take heed of this, of making Ministers, in this sense, your Heads. Know them to be as they are, the servants, and Ministers of Christ. Who is Paul, and who is Apollo's, but Ministers by whom ye believed? 1 Cor. 3. 5. Being so, give unto them that honour and respect which is due unto them; I, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, that Double 1 Tim. 5. 17. Honour to whom it belongeth, viz: to those which are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, those which labour in the Word and Doctrine; harkening to them, obeying them in Heb. 13. 17. and for Christ: But in the mean time take heed of making Gods, or Idols of any: which is done, Ministers made Idols 4. ways. First, when we shall so adhere and cleave to any, as that we shall take all their words for gospel, receiving them, and building upon them without farther discussion, or trial. Secondly, when we shall make their examples a Rule to walk by, a compass to steer by. Thirdly, when we will not receive the Word from any hand, from any mouth, but such as we affect; though having no just exception against others whereupon to decline their ministry; like some nice humorist that will drink in no cup but his own, though another may be as clean as that. Fourthly, when we shall so far extol, and admire some, as that we despise, and contemn others, See M. Hildersh●m 66. Lect. upon Joh. 4. because (it may be) inferior to them in some parts, and gifts; so Deifying some, whilst we Vilify and Nullify others; The disease of the times, of which take we heed. And let not any here misconceive my words, or misconstrue my intentions, as if I spoke this out of a base principle of envy to the deserved respects given to any in this place, or elsewhere, which I shall ever be ready, and desirous to uphold, and maintain: Nor yet out of any sense of any want of respect to myself, which I must with thankfulness to God and his people acknowledge, I have no cause to complain of, specially in this place: only I speak it out of a deep apprehension of the great evil which at this door is like to break in upon the Church of God, where ever it is set open. And herein what I have said, let it be taken as spoken as well against myself, as any other. Fiftly, Let me add one more, which I shall but Distinguish betwixt a Tender and Scrupulous Conscience. name, though as useful as any of the former: learn to distinguish betwixt a tender & a scrupulous conscience: The former precious, the latter noxious, betraying the soul to causeless, and groundless fears, and doubts; making stumbling blocks where there are none, scrupling and questioning the truth or lawfulness of every thing, either without any ground, or upon very slight grounds; without any warrant either from the Word, or else from sound and rectified reason. An infirmity very prejudicial (as to private, so) to public peace, (as to the peace of a man's own Conscience, so) to the peace of the Church. But I cannot dwell upon it. These Directions being laid down (some few of many) what remains but that I should commend them to your practice and God's blessing, upon which depends the success of all our endeavours? All that we can do in this case is but to minister to you, as Apothecaries do their patients; In the mean time the Cure is God's: So it followeth in the third particular in this former part of the Text, which directs us to the great Physician, who is the Healer of these Breaches, even God himself (O God Heale the Breaches thereof.) But of this (God willing) hereafter. Israel's physician, THE VI. SERMON. APRIL. 13. PSAL. 60. 2. Heale the Breaches thereof, for it shaketh. ARequest and a Reason (as you have heard) divide the text. In the former of these we took notice of three particulars: Israel's Disease, Cure, physician. The two first whereof I have insisted upon. It remains now that we come to the third and last, and so pass on to the second part of the Text, both which I shall pass over with as much brevity as conveniently I may, having already dispatched that which I principally intended when I first took the Text in hand. Israel's physician, To whom it is that David here repairs for this desired Cure, the Healing of the Breaches in this kingdom, and that is, God himself. So the first word in the psalm expresseth it: O God— Heale the breaches thereof. Behold, who it is that is the Healer of Israel's Breaches, D. God is the Healer of Israel's Breaches. even God himself, the great physician, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, he that healeth all diseases. So David describeth him, Ps. 103. bless the Lord o my soul, who healeth all thy Diseases, all personal diseases, & that Psal. 103. 6. whether of Body, or soul. Bodily diseases. go tell Hezekiah (saith the Lord to the Prophet) Behold, I 1 King. 20. 5. will heal thee. I am the Lord that healeth thee (saith Exod. 15. 26. the Lord to the Israelites, speaking of their Bodily diseases.) soul sicnesses; and that whether of sin, or sorrow. Of sin. Heale my soul, for I have Psal. 41. 4. sinned against thee (saith David.) Of sorrow. He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their Psal. 147. 3. wounds. he it is that healeth personal diseases. And as personal, so domestical, making up Familie-breaches, making man and wife to be of one heart, restoring and repairing that peace and unity betwixt them which at the first he created, and ordained. And as domestical, so political and ecclesiastical diseases. Those are the maladies, which the Text leadeth us to, national diseases, Breaches in the State, in the Church. To both these God is the Physician, curing and healing both. political breaches, restoring and settling peace in the Commonwealth. He maketh wars to cease: 46. Psal. he maketh Peace in thy borders. Psal. 147. As political and civil, so ecclesiastical breaches, Psal. 46. 9 147. 14. restoring the Church to former peace and happiness. In that day shall the Lord bind up the breach of his people, and heal the stroke of her wound, (saith the Prophet isaiah, speaking of the restauration Isa. 30 26. of the Church of the Jews.) A promise seconded by the Prophet jeremy speaking in the same language. I will restore health to thee, and heal thee Jer. 30. 17. of thy wounds. This Cure is God's, the Restoring of the Church, and so the cementing and uniting of the hearts of his people together, making them one. I will give them one heart, and one way, Jer. 32. 39 (saith the Lord.) Behold the church's physician, who it is that must heal the Breaches thereof, if ever they be healed. And who but he should do it? He it is that breaks, that wounds, and who but he should heal? R. he wounds, and Healeth. Deur. 32. 39 2 King. 5. 7. I wound and I heal them (saith the Lord.) una eademque manus. The same hand kills, and cures. he hath torn, & he will heal us, (saith the Hos. 6. 1. Church) he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. That which God maketh, man may sometimes mar; but that which God marreth, none but he can mend. He it is that healeth Israel's Breaches. For further Illustration I might show you, how God effecteth this Cure. This he doth ordinarily This Cure is his though effected by Instruments and means. by Instruments, and means. How ever he can do it immediately by his word, us in Cures of the Body, He sent his word and healed them, (it is Psal. 107. 20. said of men in distress.) Speak the word only and my servant shall be healed, (saith the Centurion to Mat. 8. 8. our Saviour) yet ordinarily God maketh use of Instruments and Means. Even as in the Cure of the Body he maketh use of physicians, and Medicines, so in the healing of a Church, a State, he maketh use of Church-Physitians, state-physicians, making use of the ministry of man. Yet still so, as that the main work is his, and the Cure his: Even as the Cure is the physicians, though the means be applied by his Apothecary. But I will not dwell upon the doctrinal part of this point, being desirous to finish it and the Text at the present. The use I shall make of it, shall be only twofold. Is God the Healer of Israel's Breaches? here is Comfort, and here is counsel. 1. Comfort. Is God our physician? why then let not us despair of a Cure, of the healing of the Breaches use 1. Despair not of a Cure for this and the neighbour kingdom. amongst us. These breaches, it must be acknowledged, are both many and great, the disease dangerous, yet not exceeding the skill of this great physician. If God undertake the Cure, we shall be cured. Heal me O Lord, and I shall be healed, Icr. 17. 14. (saith Jeremy.) It is not so with other physicians: They may, and ofttimes do meet with diseases which are past their cure, diseases which being violent or inveterate scorn the force and virtue of all their drugs, though never so sovereign. And it may be so with a State, a Church, they may be past human help, to man Incurable. Such was Babylon's disease, desperate, and incurable, her physicians could do nothing to her for her Care. We would have healed Babylon, (saith the Prophet) but she is not, (she could not be) Healed, (as the Ier. 51. 9 Geneva reads it.) And it may be so sometimes with Zion, with Jerusalem. The Church of God may be in a forlorn and desperate condition, her wound being (as Jeremy complaineth of his) Incurable, Ier. 15. 18. refusing to be healed. So was it with Jerusalem when Jeremy lamented over her Breach as being past man's Cure. Thy Breach is great like the Sea, who can heal thee? The church's Breaches Lam. 2. 13. may be sometimes like Sea-breaches, such as the whole country cannot repair and make good; so as her friends and lovers may stand, and mourn over her, as Jeremy there doth over Jerusalem, and as the Merchants of the earth are said to do over Rev. 18. 11. Babylon, but in the mean time cannot help her, cannot heal her: Not unlike Dorcas her friends Acts 9 39 and neighbours, which wept over her corpse, but could do nothing to the raising of her up again, till Peter came. Yet in this case despair not. Vbihumanun deficit, ibi incipit divinum auxilium. When the wine was spent, than it was Christ's time to work 2 Joh. 3. a miracle. When my Father and Mother for sake me (saith David) than the Lord will take me up. When Psal. 27. 10. physicians leave a man, and give him over, than it is God's time to take him in hand, which ofttimes he doth, restoring & raising him with great facility and celerity, beyond his own, and others expectation. Turning man to destruction, he than saith, Come again ye Children of men. And this he is able Psal. 90. 3. to do for this, and the neighbour Nation, the State, the Church in both. What ever the condition of them at the present be, be it as forlorn and desperate as our fears and jealousies are ready to present it; suppose to our apprehensions Incurable; yet let not this discourage. If God undertake the Cure, he can and will effect it. It is the comfort which the Lord giveth unto Jerusalem against the desperateness of her disease▪ Thus Ier. 30. 12, 13. saith the Lord, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous, there is none to plead thy cause that thou Mayst be bound up, thou hast no healing medicines, &c. Yet mark what follows. v. 17. I will restore health unto thee, I will heal thee of thy wounds, v. 17. (saith the Lord.) The desperateness of the disease maketh the Cure difficult to us, not to God▪ difficult for us to apprehend, not for God to effect. And therefore let not our fears, (how justly so ever bottomed and grounded) devour and eat up our Hopes; as those meager kine did the fat ones. Gen. 41. 20. Our fears are from the valleys, our hopes are from the Hills. Mine eyes are to the Hills. Our fears are Psal. 121. 1. from Earth, our hopes from Heaven. Our fears are from men, our hopes are in God. O Israel thou hast Hos. 13. 9 Ps. 124. v. last. destroyed thyself; but in me is thy help. Our help is in the name of the Lord; And so is our Health; depending upon this {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, this great and chief physician, who is able to heal all our Breaches. Here is Comfort. Only that he may be a physician, a Healen unto us, working this Cure for us, Let us seek it from use 2. him; Returning unto him, Resting upon him, and, if ever we be healed, Give the Glory to him. Here is Counsel, running as you see in 4. streams or channels. Pass over them severally, briefly. Seek ●e unto God for this Cure. So do parients' to their Physicians, apprehending the disease 1. Seek this Cure from God. dangerous, what sending and posting, messenger after messenger? never resting until the physician either come or send. Do we the like unto this great physician in all our diseases. For the healing of our bodies, if sick and weak, go to him. So doth David. I am weak Lord heal me. Not but that we may in this case have recourse to the physician Psal. 6. 2. also, as being the Minister of God for our health. But let not our addresses be only unto him. That was Asahs' sin. In his disease he sought not to the Lord, but unto the physicians. Nor yet in the first 2 Chro. 16. 12. place unto him. Let God have the honour to hear of us, and from us in the first place, who is able to bless our blast counsels and means. The like do we for our souls. Heale my soul (saith David.) Not but that we may in this case Psal. 41. 4. also repair to God's Ministers being Soule-Physitians, or others who are able to advise, laying open our sins, and sorrows unto them, seeking Cure from them; but go to God in the first place. And what we do in our own private, do we the same in the public case of the State, of the Church amongst us; for the healing of the Breaches in both, go we with David unto this great physician, putting up our suit unto God in their behalf; O God heal the Breaches thereof. Not but Not, but that we may seek it from men. that we may also have recourse unto men in this case, viz: to those whom God hath made healer's by office, Rulers, Magistrates in this our Israel, whether supreme, or subordinate, under whose hands these Breaches, these ruins, at the present are for the Cure of them, that Sage and honourable council of state-physicians congregated, and assembled for this purpose. To them we may, we ought to have recourse, seeking this Cure at their hands, wherein my Petition shall ever be ready to go and run with the first, the sum whereof shall be, O ye Gods heal the Breaches in this our Israel; and this do with what speed may be Sero medicina-Medicines come too late when diseases are grown inveterate. It is the speech of the Ruler to our Saviour, pressing him to haste his Journey, for the Cure of his son, Come down (saith he) before my son die. I forbear the Application, as not Ioh. 4 47. ignorant of the exemplary forwardness of those to whom I now speak, of whom I may say, as Paul once of the Christians of Achaiah, They were ready a year ago. The good Lord show 1 Cor. 9 2. them the way, and clear it for them, taking away the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, what ever it is that with-holdeth, or keepeth back their Religious Intentions from an happy execution. This seek we from them, but so as that we seek it from God, and from him in the first place. Pardon my jealousy, if causeless: My fears tell me there are some who have done the one, but never yet did the other; have signed Petitions, one, or more, to that Honourable Assembly, who never yet put up a serious Petition unto God in the church's cause. And what is this, but with Asah to seek to the physicians, and not unto the Lord? Know we, that if ever our Breaches be Cured, it is God must cure-them. Men are but his Instruments, I, such instruments as cannot move but as they are moved. In him we move: Acts 17. 28. Like cisterns and Cunduitpipes, which can contain, & convey no more water than what is put into them. And therefore have we recourse to the fountain, to their God and our God, and that in the first place, seeking this mercy at his hands, Pleading with him for his Church. It is the Lord's complaint over Israel, There is none to plead thy cause that thou Mayst be bound up. Blessed be God, it cannot Ier. 30. 13. be so said of this Church of ours, that she hath none to plead her cause; Advocates, and orators she hath many, continually lying at the throne of Grace, pleading her cause with God, that through his goodness and mercy she may be bound up, that she may be Healed. Let every of us strive to be in this number, all suitors, and suppliants unto this great physician, that he would make the Church amongst us his Patient, undertaking her Cure; to that end guiding and directing those whom we look at as the Instruments of our good, directing them to the choice and use of right means, and then commanding a blessing upon those means, making them effectual to ends desired. Thus seek we unto God for this Cure. And that we may find what we seek for, (in the second place) return we unto him; not 2. Go ourselves unto God, Returning unto him. thinking it enough in this case to send, but go; So did Naaman the leper unto the Prophet, for the Cure of his leprosy, he cometh in person. Do 2 Kings 5. 9 we the like in this case; think it not enough to send our Prayers, and Tears as messengers to heaven, but go ourselves, returning unto that God from whom we desire this Cure. It is said of Egypt. 19 Is. They shall return even unto the Lord, Is. 19 22. and he shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. God will never be entreated of a people to Heale them, unless they return unto him. And therefore let this be the general, universal design of all, even a national Conversion, that from the highest to the lowest we may all of us turn, return unto the Lord our God from whom we have gone astray. This is the next way to healing. Come (saith the Church) Let us return unto the Lord, he hath Hos. 6. 1. torn, and he will heal us, he hath smitten, & he will bind us up. This do we, and stir we up one another to do it, as the Prophet there brings in the Church, as speaking one to another, Come, &c. Without this no healing to be expected, at least not a perfect Cure. And therefore set we upon this way. That God may return, let us return. This is the counsel the Lord giveth his people in that known place, 2 Ioel. Thus saith the Lord, turn ye unto me, &c. Rent your hearts, Joel, 2. 12, 13, 14. and turn unto the Lord; who knoweth if he will return, and repent, and leave a Blessing behind him? Some grounds of Hope yet there are, that God hath a blessing in store for this Nation. O, that he may return unto us (who at the present seems to threaten a departure from us) and leave this blessing behind him, return we unto him, turning away from those evil ways whereby we have provoked him. It is one condition in that promise which God maketh unto his people, If they shall turn from their wicked ways, I will heal 2 Chro. 7. 14. their land; and Turning unto him by renewing and keeping our Covenant with him of a closer walking with and before him: endeavouring (as much as in us lieth) for the time to come to make amends, (as for other errors, so) for barrenness, and unfruitfulness under the means of grace: Surely amongst other this is none of the least provocations which hath drawn down this wrath upon us; Even our abuse of the gospel so long a time enjoyed, our abuse of the ordinances of God, his Word, his Sacraments, for which (as ever we desire to be Healed) let us endeavour to make amends for the future. It was the counsel which the Priests of Dagon gave to the Philistines, when they were smitten with divers plagues, and judgements, and that (as they rightly apprehended) for the wrong, and injury done unto the ark of God; that they should send back the ark, and that not empty, but send a trespass-offering, a Present with it, thereby, as it were, to make amends for 1 Sam. 6. 3. former indignities, and so doing (say they) ye shall be healed. Surely (beloved) shall we inquire after the cause of all the evils which either lie upon us, or threaten us at this day, we shall find this as one of the principal, the Indignities offered to the ark of God, the worship and Religion of God, the Ordinances of God; the Captivating, and as it were imprisoning of them, with the Abuses offered to them; that the Word hath not had such free passage in the mouths of God's Ministers, in the hearts of his people, as it should have had; that the Truth of God hath been detained, and withheld in unrighteousness, not finding fruits worthy of it, answerable unto it; That some have gone about to set up God's ark and their Dagon together; That others have polluted the Ordinances of God, handling them (as the Philistines did the Ark) with common, uncircumcised, hands. Certainly, had we no other sins, these were enough to kindle all that wrath which is either broke forth upon us, or else smoking against us. Now therefore, that we may be healed, Let us make a return of the ark of God, endeavouring to restore the worship and Religion of God, to Primitive liberty, purity, Power; And let us return it with a trespass-offering, a Present; And what shall this Present be? Why, even that which the Apostle calleth for from his Romans, That {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, that Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God; even Rom. 12. 1. 2. ourselves, our Bodies, our souls; Present, and give up both unto God, binding ourselves by solemn vow and Covenant, to a closer walking with and before him, so to walk as Becometh the gospel, bringing forth those fruits of holiness and Phil. 1. 27. righteousness, which may be by Jesus Christ to the Vers. 11. praise and Glory of God. Thus return we unto him who is the God of our health. And Returning to him (in the third place) let 3. Rest upon him for this Cure. Is. 30. 15. us also Rest upon him. In Returning, and Resting shall ye be saved, (saith the Lord to his people.) Returning to God, Rest we upon him, and him alone. In vain to Rest elsewhere. In vain is the help of man (saith the Psalmist. Vers. 11. of this Psal. 60. 11. psalm.) So David apprehended it in the case of his kingdom. So desperate were the Breaches therein, that they were past his Cure. David a wise, and a gracious Prince, one that wished as well to Israel, as ever did Cing to his kingdom; and no question he wanted not a wise and faithful counsel, which were both able, and willing to advise him for the best; yet so desperate was the condition of that kingdom, that it was past all their skill to know how to heal it; In vain was the help of man. And therefore he betakes himself unto God; looking up unto him, and resting upon him. It is not our King, or his Great council, (I speak it with a reverent boldness) though the one Gracious, and the other many & wise, that can heal the breaches in this our Israel. All that they can do is to wish well to the Case, and put forth their hands to work; In the mean time it is God that must work the Cure. As it is said of that strange Cure of the Kings-Evil; Tangit te Rex, Sanat te Deus, The King may touch, but it is God must Cure. And therefore though we seek and sue to them, and look at them as Instruments whose hands God maketh use of, yet let us not rest upon them, being but an arm of flesh. To rest Jer. 17. 5. Not upon Instruments, being but an arm of flesh subject to be broken. upon the arm of flesh is the next way to break it. I will not say that this hath been the means to break this arm of flesh heretofore: But this (I suppose) I may say, that our overmuch looking at, leaning, and resting upon Parliaments, hath been neither advantageous to us, nor them. David will Psal. 44. 6. Psal. 18. 34. Job 20. 24. make use of his Bow, but he will not trust in it. I will not trust in my bow. No, though a bow of steel, the strongest metal, and best for that purpose: Such is the bow, (We must acknowledge) which is at the present ready bent for our good; An excellent bow, promising much; yet trust we not in it, It being a bow subject to be broken. So was David's bow, though of steel, yet he could break it. A bow of steel is broken by mine arms. And such is this Psal. 18. 34. bow, a bow which, being in the hands of God▪ he can break at pleasure. he breaketh the bow. What Psal. 46. 9 herein he hath so frequently done before our eyes, shows sufficiently what he can do. It matters not what any may think of it now, that this bow is better strung then formerly; yet still is it subject to be broken. Who is there but seeth some flaws in it already? Those unhappy Misunderstandings betwixt the royal Head, and loyal Members of that Representative body, (which what eye seeth, and mourneth not over, what care hears of and tingleth not at?) make the best and least of them, they are flaws, and these flaws ill Presages, showing that this bow is subject to be broken. It is one of the threatenings which the Lord menaceth Israel with, Am. 6. Behold, the Lord commandeth, Amos 6. 11. (saith the Prophet) and he will smite he Great House with breaches, and the little (or lesser) House with Clefts. The Great House, and the lesser House, what means the Prophet hereby? M. Calvin, and some others▪ by the former of these understand their Nobles, by the latter their Commons, Proceres, & Gregarios, seu Plebeios. Calvin. Gualt. both which the Lord there threatens to divide, & break. This God can do by these two Houses in any kingdom, in this kingdom, though never so well anchored, and bound together by never so many ties, and bonds, natural, civil, politic, Religious, yet if he give the word, at his command they shall be smitten with breaches, with Clefts, divided, rent, broken. This they are subject to. And therefore learn we to look higher; looking at them, not to trust in them. Nor yet in any other secondary cause or means what ever. This was the sin of the Jews charged upon them by the Prophet isaiah; when they saw the breaches Is. 22. 9, 10, 11. of the city (of Jerusalem) that they were many, they used means to repair them, Pulling down their houses to fortify the wall (as you have it Vers. 10.) But mark what follows (Vers. 11.) ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago. They trusted more in their own fortifications, carnal means of safety, then in God himself. A vain thing so to do. It is not the arm of flesh in these cases that can help or heal. It is that which the Lord telleth Ephraim or Israel, 5. Hos. When Ephraim saw his wickedness, and Judah his wound, Then went Hos. 5. 13. Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to King Jareb, yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. And why? I will be unto Ephraim as a lion (saith Ver. 14. the Lord) and as a young Lion to the house of Juda, and I will tear and go away. If God, being provoked against a Nation, shall give it over unto confusion, being unto it as a Lion, and as a young Lion rending, and tearing, it will be in vain to send abroad for Cure. In this Case we may say of all helpers and healers, as Job doth of his friends, They Job 13. 4. are physicians of no value, not able to do us any good. And therefore let it be our care first to seek unto God, Returning unto him, thereby seeking to pacify, and appease his wrath. Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omina. Make peace in heaven, there will be peace upon earth: Then give this honour unto him, Rest upon him, and him alore for the effecting of this great Cure, and that in his own Way and Time. Take heed of prescribing unto God in either of these. he that believeth shall not make haste. be we content to tarry God's leisure, and then Esay 28. 16. In the Fourth and last place: If God shall Give God the Glory of the Cure, if ever effected. ever be pleased to work this great Cure for us, forget not to Give him the glory of it, and him alone: If we may not trust to our Bow, neither may we sacrifice to it. If the physician by his skill work a Cure upon his patient, the honour is his, not his Apothecaries who ministers what he prescribes. All the instruments of our good, they are but as Instruments which must be strung, and tuned, and touched before they will make any music. So take, and so acknowledge them, giving unto them what honour and thanks is their due, but in the mean time reserve unto God what is his peculiar, the praise and Glory. And thus I have at length done with the former part of the Text, (David's Request.) It remains now that I come to the latter (David's Reason.) Let me borrow of you a little time, and but a little, and I shall dismiss both you and the Text, of which I am desirous to discharge my own thoughts, and your attentions at the present. Israel's Danger. It shaketh. AN Argument or Reason (as I told you) taken up by the Psalmist to press his request, taken (as you have heard) from the eminency of the Danger wherein that his kingdom then was. It shaketh, or it is shaken. A metaphorical expression borrowed from an Earthquake, (as I have already explained it) where the Earth being big, and in travel, as it were, with some windy vapour, which it strives to bring forrh, and to be delivered of, it trembles, and shakes. So wavering and unsettled was Israel's condition at that time, by reason of those foreign Invasions, and homebred Divisions, and Distractions, that the very foundations of it seemed to shake, threatening ruin, and Destruction. Such may the state of the Church of God upon earth D. Israel subject to shakings. sometimes be, wavering, tottering, shaken. Even as we read of Mount Sina at the giving of the Law, though it stood fast in respect of the foundations of it, yet it was shak●n, it quaked. The Church of Exod. 19 18. God, in respect of the foundation, it standeth sure, being built upon a Rock, so as the Gates of Mat. 16. 18. Hell, all the Power, and policy of Satan, and his Instruments shall never be able to prevail against it; yet may it be shaken. So was the Ark of God at the threshing floor of Nachon or Chidon 2 Sam. 6. 8. 1 Chron. 13. 9 though it fell not, yet it was shaken. So may the Church of God, and Religion of God be; though they shall never be quite overthrown, yet they are subject to shakings. So is the Church. And that through these Breaches, which are both from Without, and from Within: (as I have already shown you in the case of Breaches.) From without, by persecution, and Opposition from Enemies abroad. From within, by and through homebred Divisions and Distractions, which like a windy vapour enclosed in the bowels of the earth cause shaking and trembling. This it was that made Israel shake, her intestine, and civil Combustions. Nothing more dangerous to a State, a Church, moe ominous, and pernicious than Breaches are shakings. these, Intestine Breaches. Such Breaches are shakings, dangerous presages, in their own nature Destructive, presaging downfall, and ruin, unless they be Healed. Both these ways is the Church subject to shakings. And that (as I have said heretofore) partly through Satan's malice, who hereby intends the ruin and downfall of the Church. Thence is it The Church subject to shakings through Satan's malice. Job 1. 19 that he raiseth, and bringeth storms, and tempests in, and upon it: Even as he did that Tempest which he brought from the wilderness, which smote the four corners of the house wherein Johs children were banqueting, so as it fell, burying them in the ruins of it. Partly through God's effectual Permission, and Ordination, who sometimes shakes his Church 2. Through God's Providence, hereby as he did Mount Sina: Thereby intending, First, Sometimes to manifest his Displeasure against a People, a Nation. Thus at the Death of our 1. Sometimes manifesting his displ●asure. Mat. 27. 51. Saviour the Earth shook and trembled, as a token of God's indignation against the Jews for that horrid Act of theirs in Crucifying the Lord of Life. Like construction David maketh of this Earthquake, these shakings here in the text, he took them as tokens and evidences of God's wrath and displeasure, O God, thou hast been displeased. Secondly, Sometimes God shakes his Church to Purge it, as the Husbandman shakes his Come 2. Purging his Church. to and fro in the fant to cleanse out the chaff and dross. Thirdly, Sometimes God doth it to Humble 3. Humbling his people, and so preparing them for some special mercy. his people, and so to fit and prepare them for some special mercy. Thus when God descended upon Mount Sina he shook the Earth, both the Place, and the People; putting both into a trembling fit, thereby fitting and preparing the people for the receiving of that holy Law of his. Thus when God intends to come down upon his Church in a way of special grace and favour, he ofttimes prepares it by these shakings: Even as the whirlwind, and 1 King. 19 11, 12. Earthquake at Mount Horeb, made way for the still voice, wherein God was. Seldom it is that God worketh any great Changes in his Church without these shakings going before. But I must not dwell upon it. The use I shall make of it shall be only a double exhortation. 1. That we would lay to heart the present state use. Be we affected with the shaking of our Israel. and condition both of this, and the neighbour kingdom, which by reason of the Breaches made in them and upon them are shaken. So was Israel, and so are they. Be we affected herewith. So we would be with an Earthquake. Did we feel the Earthquake and tremble under us, who but would tremble with it? This doth the State, the Church in these kingdoms at the present. Let every of us be deeply affected with these shakings; so laying them to Heart, that, In the second place, we may be excited and stirred Seek the healing of her Breaches. up every of us to do that office & duty to, & for the Church of God amongst us, that David doth here for Israel, viz. to seek the Healing of the Breaches thereof. These Breaches (how slight so ever any may make of them) they are shakings, presages of ruin and downfall, unless they be healed. And therefore let both our Hearts work, & Hands work towards the Healing of these Breaches. This it was that made Uzzah so forward in putting forth his hand to touch the Ark, he saw that it was shaken, and 2 Sam. 6. he knew not what the danger might be. Stupid is that Heart which apprehends the Ark of God shaken, and shall not be ready to put forth an hand to the staying of it. This let every of us do. Every one in his Place. Only taking heed of that error into which he through a sudden unadvisedness fell; observing the several places and stations wherein God hath set us, do we what appertaineth to them. public persons in their places, and Private persons in their places. Those which may not touch the Ark itself, let them lay hand upon the Cart, which if Uzzah had done, and no more, that act of his (I suppose) had been not only warrantable, but acceptable. This caution being observed, then let it be the holy ambition of every of us to be found of God, and man in the number of those, which shall be called (not the makers or Maintainers, but) Esay. 58. 12. the Repairers of Breaches, and the Restorers of Paths to dwell in; Even of those ancient, and truly Christian paths (which I wish were more beaten and trodden than they are) of Religious Peace and Love, which if they be wanting, the Church (how well so ever accommodated, and furnished with all other necessaries, and conveniences, yet) will scarcely be found habitable. For the furthering of you in this blessed work, I shall say no more unto you, than what the Apostle doth to his Philippians, Phil. 4. 9 with whose words I shall dismiss both you and the Text: Those things which ye have Phil. 49. both learned, and received, and heard from me, (I go no further) do, and the God of Peace shall be with you▪ Amen. FINIS. ERRATA. page line read 2 13 sad story 3 2 before the text 11 15 was a sufferer: 12 5 a sharp contention, 29 1 to do a Cure 32 4 Enemies without triumph, 5 Neuters without scandal. 38 6 garish 39 19 who have not done 40 29 Pilot 54 9 these Breaches, 68 19 Why, but what 72 29 Ourselves 74 3 they be light matter marg. inedia non 81 25 rent the kingdom 85 26 in that his 86 21 over slaves, 93 27 fallen upon, 123 13 or blast▪