A SERMON PREACHED TO THE TWO houses OF PARLIAMENT, At their solemn Meeting to Praise God for his infinite Mercy in the restoring of the said Houses of PARLIAMENT to their honour and freedom with so little effusion of Blood: At the Abbey-Church in Westminster, Aug. 12. 1647. By STEPHEN Martial, B.D. Minister of Finchingfield in Essex. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me. And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, 1 Sam. 25, 32, 33. Scatter thou the people that delight in war, Psal. 68 30. London, Printed by R. Cotes for Stephen Bowtell, at the Bible in Popeshead-Alley, 1647. Die Veneris, 13 Augusti, 1647. ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, That thanks be given to Mr. Martial, for the great pains he took in the Sermon he preached yesterday before the Lords and Commons the day of public Thanksgiving: And that he be desired to print his Sermon with the usual privilege. Sir William Massam is appointed to give him the Thanks of this House; and to desire him to print his Sermon accordingly. H. Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Stephen Bowtell to Print my Sermon: Stephen Martial. TO THE RIGHT honourable THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT. My Lords and Gentlemen, I Am not ignorant of the truth and weight of that speech of Pliny, Aliud est scribere uni, aliud omnibus: the same holds of Preaching, it's one thing to Preach a Sermon to a Congregation, another thing to Preach it to all the world in Print; especially upon such an occasion as this, and such a season as this, when the spirit of jealousy and misunderstanding is let loose, and men's hearts as tinder ready to catch and kindle at every spark; yet since you are pleased to conceive that this plain Sermon may be useful to others, and thereupon to order my publication of it, I humbly obey your Order, desiring the Lord's blessing to accompany it so far as to make men wisely consider the wonderful works of God, and return to him the glory due unto his name; The same Lord watch over you, sanctify you and guide all your consultations, that you may be his blessed instrustruments to make this Land a quiet habitation for his people, and a place which himself may delight in: This is the daily prayer Of your humble servant in the Lord's work S. M. A THANKSGIVING-SERMON PREACHED To the Two Houses of Parliament, August 12. 1647. JOSHVA 22. part of the 33 Verse. And the Children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle, to destroy the Land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelled. We are this day assembled to bless Introduction. and praise the name of God for his showing the suitableness of the Text to the occasion▪ infinite Mercy, in restoring the two Houses of PARLIAMENT to their honour and freedom, with so little effusion of Blood; and for keeping the great CITY and ARMY from dashing one against another. And I (being called to this Service) did endeavour to find out a Text suitable to this Mercy, because a word spoken in season, is like Apples of gold in pictures of silver; A Sermon suited to the occasion of Time, and Place, and Persons, is not only more acceptable, but profitable: But I confess, that in all the Book of God I could not find one instance where his own People were so near imbruing their hands in each others blood, and God so wonderfully appearing to prevent it, as in this our case; this that I have read comes the nearest to it of any other; for here were Brethren of the same country, and of the same Religion, who had for a long time been engaged in one common war against Enemies which God had subdued before them; and there remained nothing, but for them quietly to settle themselves in the fruition of all the good that God had wrought for them; and now in the very close of all, they were ready to destroy themselves, and devour one another upon mistakes and jealousies, when no other Enemy could do it; and we have here also a most blessed end of it by a Treaty, wherein God did so remove all stumbling-blocks, that The sum of this Chapter from verse ●0▪ to the end. their hearts were firmly united, and they joined together to bless God, and resolved not to go to war. Which, that it may be the more profitable to you, I pray take a very brief view of the Story: When the A discord between the two Tribes and half and the other Tribes. wars were ended in the Land of Canaan, the two Tribes and half, the Tribes (I mean) of Reuben and Gad, and half the Tribe of Manasseh, whose habitation and possession lay on the other side of Jordan, were now to return home, and their brethren had dismissed them with a blessing; but before they got out of the country there fell out an occasion of a quarrel and discord between Wherein two things. them and their brethren, which begins about the tenth verse of this Chapter, and all the rest of the 1 Chapter is a discourse about that discord and jar that The original of this quarrel. grew between the nine Tribes and half, and the two Tribes and half; wherein there are these two things, First, the original of the quarrel, or the causa procreans, what the difference was betwixt them; Secondly, causa corrumpens, the composure of it, the making an end of it: The original of the quarrel, briefly was this, the two Tribes and half when they came upon the banks of the River Jordan, did there build an Altar every way like to the Altar of God, which by God's appointment was to stand before the ark, and the Tabernacle, upon which only the Israelites were to offer their Sacrifices; This news was presently carried to the rest of the Tribes, and they looked upon it, as if their brethren had built an Altar to offer Sacrifice to God, which had been Crimen apostasiae, an apostasy from then true Religion, and they resolved presently in this quarrel to 2 engage their lives, and appoint a general Rendezvouz The making up of this breach or quarrel. at Shiloh where the ark of the Covenant was, here they all met as one man togoe up to war against them; here was their quarrel; the rest of the Chapter is the taking up of this quarrel, and that was done by a treaty, the sum whereof in a few words, is this, the Tribes did send ten men, one for every Tribe, and with them they sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the Priest, they go as Commissioners to their Brethren, and when they come to them they first expostulate the greatness of the sin, which they thought they were committing, they show them the mischief that would come of it, not only destruction upon themselves, but upon all the whole Congregation, unless they in the name of God should revenge it: this they prove by the example of the iniquity of Peor, from which they were not yet cleansed, and by the instance of Achan's sacrilege, which brought wrath upon all the Congregation of Israel, but withal they request them, that if they thought their land was unclean, because they had not among them those pledges of God's presence, the ark and Testimony, which their brethren had, that they would leave that country where they should be exposed to such temptations, and with all their hearts, they would part with a portion of their own inheritance, that they might live together as brethren. To this the Tribes and half make answer; First, they do solemnly call God to witness, that they were far from being guilty of that which was laid to their charge, it never came into their thoughts to build an Altar to offer Sacrifice, they pleaded not guilty. Secondly, they tell them the true reason of that fact of theirs, namely they were afraid lest the Generations to come, might occasion their posterity to fall off from the true worship of God, when the rest of the Tribes should tell them that Jordan was the bounds of God's people's inheritance, and so they be cast off as people that were not within the Communion of Saints: hereupon they resolved to build this Altar, that it might be a pledge, and that the generations to come might plead it, that this was set up at the time, when the wars ended, to remain as an evidence that they and their brethren were all one, both in Nation and Religion. Which as soon as the Commissioners heard, they rejoiced, they concluded God was amongst them, and they return home and acquaint their brethren with it, who when they heard it were all well pleased; The thing pleased the Some general observations our of this story. children of Israel, and they blessed God, and resolved they would have no war with their brethren. Here is the sum of the Story, and in this story there are very many excellent things for our instruction: This Altar built on the banks of Jordan, is much debated of in the dispute of human significant ceremonies in the worship of God or for religious use. Whether such ceremonies may be justified by this example, is very disputable, but without any dispute, here are many notable examples of Piety; it was a great example of Piety in the two Tribes and half, that they were so desirous to provide that their posterity might not be deprived of the Communion of God's people in his Ordinances. And a great example of Piety there is in this, that they were so ready by (not only Protestations, but) oaths to clear themselves from any thought of corrupting the worship of God. We have also a great example of Piety in the other Tribes, that in such a cause, as the case of apostasy from God's truth, they would not have spared the lives of their own brethren. And a great example of Piety was in them, that they were so desirous by all Arguments, to take them off from any such sinful way, yea to have parted with their own inheritance to them, rather than they should be exposed to temptations to apostasy. Here are notable examples likewise of justice amongst them; justice in the Tribes, that before they would believe any informations, or apprehensions of their brethren, they would send Commissioners to know the bottom of it, to see whether the things were so; and justice in the Commissioners, that they did so faithfully relate back to the Tribes the true state of the case, and so to hinder as much as in them lay the effusion of blood. Here are likewise some examples of human frailty, that are not to be excused; it's not to be excused in the two Tribes and half, that they would go upon such a dangerous business, which is disputable to this very day, whether such a thing was lawful to be done, to set up such a way of instruction or remembrance, that they would go about such a thing which might prove a stumbling block, and not first acquaint their brethren with their intentions. And as great or greater weakness was that in the nine Tribes and half, that they would almost resolve upon a war, and make preparations for it, upon a rash and wrong interpretation, before they did so much as know, whether there were cause or no. But the greatest document of all the rest in the whole story, is that which they made the ground of their war, which you'll find about the 23. Verse, That if their brethren had played the Apostates from God in matters of his worship, the wrath of God would presently fall upon the whole Nation, unless they had joined together to vindicate the glory of God. All these & several other Lessons are worth the handling, but I resolve to make a short Sermon, and therefore wave them all, and confine myself to that, which is the result, and event of the treaty, which was a solemn Thanksgiving to God; They blessed God, and they resolved, not to go to war against their brethren; the words are clear, and I think need no interpretation; they blessed God, that their brethren had not committed the sin that they were afraid they had done; and that therefore the wrath of God was not like to be kindled against them; and as the close of both these, that God had mercifully prevented that which they feared, that they should have been compelled to imbrue their hands in one another's blood, they blessed God that there was no cause of fighting. And from this I shall (by the Lord's assistance) handle this, and this only lesson. That it is a Mercy worthy of abundance of praises to God, Doct. It's a great mercy when God seasonably appears to prevent his people's engaging in war one against another. when God doth seasonably appear to prevent his people's engaging in one another's blood, when they are near to do it. This lesson lieth clear in the words, 1 In the 31. Vers. as soon as Phinehas had heard their Apology he tells them, This day we perceive the Lord is among us, now you have delivered the Children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. And all this Congregation here in my Text bless God and intend not to fight, they rejoiced because the ground of a war was prevented; and for further proof of it, look into a few plain Texts of Scripture, you shall find one in the 1. of Samuel 26. 1 Sam. 26. 32. about the 32. Verse. It is an example of David, who upon an unworthy usage of a Gentleman in the country, a great man, one Nabal, that had extremely provoked him, and abused him, had sworn that he would cut off his Family, and not leave a man of them; and in his heat was going to avenge himself, but as he was in the midst of his march, Abigail Nabals wife meets him, tells him the story, insinuates into him by her excellent counsel, endeavours to stop his hand from his enterprise; now mark how David rejoiceth in it, though the war would have been but against one Family, where he was to meet with no resistance; Blessed be thou of the Lord, and blessed be God that sent thee to me, and blessed be thy counsel that hath withheld my hand from shedding blood; he looked upon it as a wonderful mercy, that when he was ready to engage, God had offered such a fair means to take him off from it. There is another in the second of Samuel, of a great soldier 2 Sam. 20. and general, Joab by name, when he was in the pursuit of one Sheba, that had played the rebel and traitor against his King, Joab had pursued him far, and now had chased him into a city called Abel, there besieged him and the city for his sake, with a purpose to batter the Walls down, and to destroy all that were in the city, as guilty of protecting this villain; very seasonably a wise woman over the wall calls to Joab, and would know of him, why he would come to destroy a city of Israel, and so to swallow up a part of the inheritance of the Lord; now mark Joab's answer, The Lord forbid, saith he) God forbid, it is far from me, that ever I should take any pleasure to devour, or swallow up; there is no such matter; there is one Sheba a traitor against his King, I pursue him only, deliver him up, I am gone, not a man dies amongst you. You see a soldier, a man enured to blood, abominates the thoughts of it, further than necessity compels, to have his hand in the blood of any of God's people. This will yet be clearer, if you consider, that the Lord himself looks upon it, as the saddest judgement, that ever he gives his people up to, when he suffers them to imbrue their hands in one another's blood. Take but one or two instances, that in the 9 of Isaiah at the 19 verse; Through the wrath of the Lord (saith the Text) Esay 9 19, 20. 21. the Land is darkened, the wrath of God was like a furnace, and the smoke of it filled all the Land, and the people shall be as fuel to this fire; This was a terrible judgement which is expressed in such dreadful terms, darkness and devouring fire are horrid things, nothing more intolerable than these two; But what was this judgement, or by what means should this fierce wrath of God be executed? mark the next words, no man shall spare his brother, they shall snatch on their right hand and be hangry, and snatch on their left hand and not be satisfied, they shall every man eat the flesh of his own arm, Ephraim against Manasseh, and Manasseh against Ephraim, and both of them together help to devour Judah; No man ever hated his own flesh, faith the Apostle, but this people should be so blinded, and so given up to a reprobate sense, that they should devour and destroy their nearest friends, and eat as it were the flesh of their own arms. If ever God give up a people to this, that brethren thus come to engage in one another's blood, it is a token that the wrath of God burns the hottest that it can burn against a Land. Take one expression more, it is in Jer. 13. 14. I will dash Ier. 13. 14. them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord, I will not pity nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them; a strange expression from a God of mercy, whose delight is in mercy, I will not pity, show no mercy! kill, kill, kill; but how shall this be executed? why, I will dash them one against another, without any enemy from abroad, there shall be no need to send for strangers, the father shall destroy the children and children their fathers, and a man's murderers shall be his neighbours or the men of his own household; You may by these plainly discern that God accounts it the terriblest of all judgements to give his people up to destroy each other, and therefore it must be acknowledged a great mercy to have it prevented. To this I might add, that in God's book, those men that are the occasions of people's ruining one another are accounted the most ahominable; and they that endeavour to prevent it, are counted the blessedest men that live; this is one of the things that God's soul hates, Even that man that sow's dissension amongst Prov. 6. 19 brethren, boutifews and kindle-fires are an abomination to him, and he will scatter the people who delight in war, he will destroy the bloodthirsty man: the peacemakers that labour to compose and comprise differences, to keep people from it, are blessed; Blessed are these peacemakers, they shall truly he called the Matth. 5. 9 This Doctrine further cleared by showing three things. children of God. But to open this truth more fully, give me leave to clear these three things. First, That bloodshed war is a terrible judgement, wherever it is, fall it out among whom it will. 1 Secondly, That it is yet a greater judgement, when 2 Brethren come to devour and destroy one another, brethren of one Nation; civil wars is a greater judgement than war with Strangers. Thirdly, and above all. 3 The greatest of all judgements is, when God's people who are brethren in the profession of his true Religion, come to imbrue their hands one in another's blood: these things opened it will certainly be concluded, that God's mercy in preventing this, is most worthy to be acknowledged. For the first, That to have a people given up to war, and blood, and 1 war is a sore judgement. spoil, is a great plague. You all know in the Scripture it is counted one of God's sorest judgements, Ezek. 14. 21. When I send my four sore judgements upon Jerusalem, the Sword, and the Famine, and the noy some Beast, and the Pestilence to cut off man and beast, the Sword is the first and chief of God's sore judgements: It is granted that sometimes war is lawful, and necessary; and indeed never lawful but when necessary; when as the saying is, Pax populi, patriaeque salus & gloria regni, when public safety, liberty and Religion have no other way to preserve them under heaven but the Sword, the Sword is then lawful and then necessary: but however war may sometimes be lawful, it is always a great judgement, at least to the one part, if not to both; It is the Idea of all miseries that can befall a country; nothing thrives where this wolf sets his foot; and he that would have a landscape of it, that would have a representation of war, let him but conceive the burning of houses, confused noise, garments rolled in blood, ravishing of women and virgins, and dashing of Infants against the stones, destroy of trade, spoil of wealth, blood, and wrath, and fury marching everywhere, a country like the land of Eden before the face of man, and nothing but a desolate wilderness when once it have walked over it; a Land sown with the seed of man and beast, fruitful and flourishing, suddenly made an Aceldama, a Golgatha, a Field of blood, or a place of skulls, this is war: in a word, if a man would in one short sentence describe a Country to be most miserable, he need say no more, but hic fuit hostilitas, war hath raged and reigned in this place; ourselves, alas, for these years past, have had so much experience of it, that our women and children are able now to be Rhetoricians in setting forth the miseries of war; and is it not a mercy when God will prevent this? But secondly, look upon civil wars, and you will judge them a 2 civil war a greater judgement. greater judgement, when brethren's Swords come to be drawn against their brethren; when a man's deadly enemies must prove those that were his old companions, when Cities are divided among themselves, and Countries among themselves, and all the miseries of war come to be inflicted by them that have been acquaintance and dear to us, when safety and shelter may as soon be expected among enemies as old friends; let all men that have understanding say whether this doth not double, or treble the miseries of war; had it been an enemy that had done me this displeasure, I could have borne it, but tu Brute, thou my friend and companion, that these things should come from thy hand! all men know how deep this sinks; this tears the heart of man in pieces; Solomon saith, that a brother offended is harder Prov. 18 9 to be won then a strong City, and they are like the bars of a strong Castle; it's hard breaking of them, but when once they are divided they are more hardly joined: as we say of a strong Cord made up of a great many threads, it is hard to be broken, but when it is broken, you'll hard ever sew it again to make it strong; by how many arguments any did persuade their hearts, that they should not receive plunder, or spoil, or mischief from such a man, or family, from so many arguments ariseth a difficulty, if not impossibility to be reconciled; and hence arise lasting grounds of animosity, enmity and hatred scarce ever to be worn out, when upon every meeting this thought is suggested, This is the man who as an enemy entered my habitation and spoiled my wealth, it may be murdered my children or parents, ravished my wife or daughter; add further, that frequently in these civil broils the victory ends not the occasion or ground of the quarrel, nor takes away but increaseth the former misery, the conqueror commonly proving insolent, inhuman, cruel, and more grievous to the commonwealth, than the thing or persons were against whom men have fought, that I may boldly set down for a certain the conclusion of a wise man, that civil wars are not only a Malady, but a fiery sickness, even a frenzy to a State; and how ever God sometimes brings good out of them, (as sometimes men have better health after a deadly sickness) yet for the most part, States are never made better, but very often ruined by them; and when once the seed of it hath took deep root in a Land, if God from heaven do not miraculously appear, that fire burns till all is consumed; And is it not then a mercy from God seasonably to prevent brethren, when they are falling into civil wars, thereby to devour and destroy one another? But thirdly, which is nearest to my Text, and indeed nearest to the occasion of our meeting; The greatest misery of all miseries in the world is, When Brethren of the same Religion, when God's people and 3 war of God's people one against another the greatest of all judgements. servants come to be so far prejudiced against one another, or mistaken, that they come to imbrue their hands in one another's blood; this I say is the heaviest judgement that ever God powers upon his Church and people. There is nothing so contrary to Christianity; the Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace, his holy Spirit Rom. 12. 18. Ephes. 4. 3. Esay 11. 9 is a Spirit of peace, his children are all called the children of peace, and by their Covenant and duty bound to live in peace, if it be possible they must live in peace with all men, but among one another they must keep the unity of this Spirit in the bond of peace, there must nothing hurt or destroy in the Lord's holy mountain which is his Church: now when these that are one body have one spirit, have one Father, one Lord, one hope, one baptism, one hope of their calling, one everlasting inheritance prepared for them, that these should so far deny their Christianity, as to imbrue their hands in one another's blood, and not be content to let one another live and breath on earth, with whom yet they hope to live eternally and triumphantly in heaven, O qu●a dementia! Quisialia fando, temperet à lacrymis! who is able to think of it without horror? what upon earth brings forth so cursed fruits, as war amongst the people of God? Infinite dishonour to God's name, when his redeemed, covenant servants walk so contrary to his rule: Religion becomes a stumbling block, a thing even therefore abominated by the enemies of it, when the professors of it shall be looked upon as factious, seditious, turbulent, bloody, hateful and hating one another, it overthrows all power of godliness in their own hearts, when once the grace of Love which nourishes all good in the hearts of God's people is overthrown, and the Spirit of God thus quenched in them, grace decays, and the woeful fruits of Satan and sin prevail over them, and now they grow corrupt in their minds and conversation, loose from their God, bitter against their brethren, companions with wicked men, with whom they join against their brethren, and so leave their Religion, profession and name, as a curse behind them. Now to have all these prevented, not only war and civil war prevented, but brethren in Religion, who are the Lord's people, hindered from destroying one another, when God seasonably apppeares to prevent all this, Is it not a mercy worthy the acknowledgement? To all this I might add the excellency of the blessing of peace, which is hereby preserved, that blessing which is the jewel of the world; yea the unity, peace and love of the Church and people of God preserved by such a seasonable prevention, which is such a mercy as no tongue or pen is able to express. Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity; This is Psal. 133. per torum. like Aaron's garment, this is like the dew upon the mountains of Zion, which makes every seed and every plant of God's planting to prosper; where this is, the Lord commands his blessing, even life for evermore. A large Volume would not contain what might be said of this precious jewel, which is hereby preserved: But all this further clears it, that it is a mercy worth abundance of praise, when God seasonably appears to prevent his people's engaging in war one against another. I come now to the Application of it; and there are but three Uses that I shall make of this Lesson. First, Application. This Lesson doth speak very sadly against several 1 For Reproof of three sorts. sorts of People: If it be so great a Mercy, when God will prevent his people's destroying one of another; then certain it is a great curse for any to be guilty of making God's people destroy one another, that is clear; Therefore all such are guilty, as are the Moral causes of the destruction 1. of God's people in blood and war; I mean, who Of such as live in such sins as bring down judgements. live in such sins, as for which God in his righteous judgement, gives the Sword a commission to come and devour flesh, and to drink blood; such as are the fins of Idolatry and superstition, Judg. 5. 8. Contempt of the Word, and Ordinances, and ministry, Mat. 21. 35. neglecting the day of Grace, Luk. 19 42. unprofitableness under the means of grace and Salvation, Esa. 5. 4. living in sins of blood, Ezek. 35. 6. Carnal security, laying nothing to heart, Jer. 5. 12. abuse of Peace and Plenty, Deut. 28. 47. trusting in an Arm of flesh, 2 Chron. 16. 9 Sabbath breaking, 2 Chron. 36. 21. Pride in apparel, Esay 3. 16, 25. want of Compassion to them who live and lie under the misery of war, Amos 6. 67. For these sins, and such as these are, God hath threatened to send a Sword, to avenge himself upon the doers of these things, and upon the Nations where these live unpunished: and therefore let all such who dare walk in any of these ways, know, that however they may go for good Patriots amongst men, when they happen to take the right side in these public quarrels, yet before God they will one day be found guilty of the rapine, and blood, and spoil, and plunder, and all the miseries that War hath brought upon us, and if they repent not of it, let them be assured, it will one day lie at their door, and they must answer for it. Secondly, It speaks more terribly against those that are the physical causes of it, that directly and properly do endeavour 2. Of such as are physical causes, who endeavour to engage God's people in War one against another. to widen differences, to divide between King and Parliament, between Parliament and City, between City and Army, that they may by all means keep our wounds open; and all this for their own private ends and interests. These indeed are cursed men; whereas good men would be willing to die for their country, a generation of men are found amongst us, that are willing their country should perish for them, or perish with them; who are willing to have the lives and blood of poor Innocents sacrificed to their lusts; as if the people for whom Jesus Christ thought not his own blood too precious for their redemption, were no more worth, then to perish like brut Beasts for their cursed and carnal ends; who, like the Priests of Mars, scatter curses and firebrands betwixt Army and Army, to provoke and raise their fury; who to their utmost labour that animofities and divisions, blood and contests be kept on foot: These Politicians use to take in the differences of Religion which are found among God's people, and weave them into their own designs, and pretend to stand for Religion, and join with this and that party for Religion-sake, and thereby engage the consciences of such as fear God, when in the mean time Religion is no part of their care, but only seek to make use of godly men for their own ends and interests. God will find them out, and reckon with them in his own time. I'll say no more to them now, but as old Jacob said of his two sons, Cursed be their rage; the instruments Gen. 49. 56. of cruelty are in their hands: my glory be not thou associated with them; into their lot let my soul never come: And let us all prey, that when God comes to call all men to an account, none of us be ever found among the people that delight in War. And as these are cursed, so truly there is a third sort are not to be excused this day: I mean, Whoever they are, who in stead of rejoicing and enlarging their hearts to bless God for this his late mercy 3▪ Nor are they to be excused who praise not God for the mercy of this day. showed in preventing the misery and ruin that was coming upon us, have their hearts even grieved, and cannot look upon the work of this day as that which deserveth praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God: I would not willingly pass a rash sentence upon any, I know jealousies and misapprehensions have been many on both sides, and God's administrations have been so dark, that the Consciences of many godly men have not been clearly satisfied in the carriage of things; but however, methinks any man that could look upon the Lord's dealing with a single eye, must needs say, it was an infinite mercy, That God should thus unexpectedly turn away that torrent of Blood that was coming in upon us: For I beseech you, for what end should it have been? what good could ever have come of it? to say nothing of the misery of them that would have had the worst of it, I am certain who ever had been the Conquerors, must have taken up the lamentation of the ten Tribes, when they had almost destroyed the Tribe of Benjamin, in the 21. of Judges: And in Iudg. 21. 3. stead of keeping a day of Thanksgiving must have kept a day of mourning, and said Alas, alas! O Lord God of Israel, why is it come to pass this day that there should be one Tribe lacking in Israel? Alas Lord! why is it come to pass that either the Parliament is destroyed, or alas Lord! why is it come to pass that the goodly city is destroyed, or alas Lord! why is it come to pass, that the Army that hath done so worthily is destroyed? certainly who ever had had the best, lamentation and woe would have been written upon every honest heart; and therefore why all our souls should not be enlarged to praise God for it, join with those who have their hearts enlarged, I know not: Nulla salus bello, our fighting could have produced nothing but ruin. The second and main use I intended, is, use 2. To provoke to bless God for the mercy of this day. To help you this day to give that glory and praise to God, which the mercy of this day calls for at all our hands, God hath in all our public troubles watched over us, and appeared in the mount of all our difficulties, and hath hitherto always found out ways, when we could find none, and always come in with seasonable deliverances, blessed be his name for it, but to my poor thoughts, never did the Lord give a more seasonable deliverance, and appear more mercifully to keep us from utter ruin, then in that mercy, which we meet this day to celebrate, and I think you will judge so, if with me you consider these four things that meet in it: First, 1. The sad occasion of our danger. Secondly, 2. The persons (some of them through misinformation) The greatness of this deliverance appears by considering four things. who were engaged in the preparation to this new war. Thirdly, The propinquity, the near approach of utterruine by 3 it: And fourthly. 4 The consequents of it. First, 1 The occasion of it: the original was, that most horrid The sad occasion of it. and abominable rape and violence offered unto the two Houses of Parliament, wherein the most loath some filth and dirt was thrown in the faces of our Nobles, and our Senators, that I think was ever found in any Nation; confident I am, the like was never done in England; so great a blot and stain cast upon the Parliament, as I may truly say, is tantum non irreparable, when a rude multitude shall by violence compel the honourable Houses of Parliament to pass what they pleased, shall reproach them, revile them, shall thereaten their lives, shall enter the House, and order what the Speaker must propound to the question, what the Glerke must write, and after eight hours keeping them prisoners and using them at their pleasure; when night was coming on the Members hardly to escape with their lives; such an indignity it was, that I am persuaded, if rightly understood, many hundred thousands in this kingdom of England would not count their dearest blood too great a price to vindicate or expiate; and as if this were not enough, against the next Friday, Printed Bills set up, to call all the company together again, and hereby the Speakers, and many of the Noble Lords and Gentlemen compelled to fly, so that they could not with safety of their lives attend the public serieve; this you know was the original. Secondly, Consider the persons that were engaged in preparation 2 for a new war. The persons engaged in the preparation of a new war. First, the honourable Houses took both conscience and honour engaged to have this vindicated, and their safety provided for. The general and Officers of the Army hearing of the 2 violence that was offered to the Parliament, resolved to enable the Parliament to call it to an account, or they would perish in it; and thereupon the Army that was scattered almost 200. Miles, within the space of one week, was brought together to a rendezvous, which was within a few hours march of the city of London. The city of London (not to patronize or protect the 3 insolency offered against the Parliament for multitudes of them profess and protest an abhorrency of it; but) apprehending that the Army would come, and either plunder them, or give laws to them, are presently upon their preparation for defence; the Army on the other side looking upon the city's preparation, judge that the city was resolved to protect this Insolency, and villainy that was committed, thus both make all possible preparations. Thirdly, take in the propinquity of it, how near this was to execution, so near that I am persuaded most 3 men that looked upon it, did (as to the judgement of The nearness of our danger. man) conclude it unavoidable; we must now dash one upon another; so near, that the very night before the day, wherein we might have been embrewitg our hands in one another's blood, there appeared no probability of right understanding between the two differing parties: so near, that I think there was never any destructive work so near the execution, unless it were the gunpowder plot. And lo, now in this nick of time, the Lord appears in the Mount, the cloud breaks, the city will trust the Army, they will open their works, & their gates to them, the Army will trust the city, they will march in peace quite through it, from end to end, no word, or act of hostility between them both; The Speakers and the honourable Lords and Gentlemen who were driven away return back, the Parliament fits in peace and safety, and all this preparation for war and destruction ends in a calm; all this hath God done, but this will yet appear more wonderful, if you take in the fourth consideration, and that is, The Consequents of it. First, What would have been, and must have been if 4. God had not appeared. And Secondly, The consequents of it. The Consequents that are, and I hope shall be upon 1. this his merciful appearing for us. 2. The Consequents that would have been, my tongue 1. cannot express, my heart cannot conceive how sad our condition would have been if the Lord had suffered this near engagement to have been brought to execution, if he had permitted this child of blood to have been borne, certainly either the Parliament, that hath so diligently and constantly consulted the good of the kingdom, city, and Army, must have been destroyed, or the Army that hath fought so faithfully, resolutely and successfully, for Parliament, for kingdom and city, must have been destroyed, or the city which in the worst of our times hath so cordially with their state and blood adhered to Parliament and Army, must have been destroyed, and in the destruction of any one of these, I am able to apprehend nothing, but the ruin and destruction of them all, we should have seen a sad catastrophe, an end of all the expected hopes, even the giving up the ghost of what we have fought and contended for hitherto; we had seen the Embryo of Reformation strangled, and made an end of, we had seen all delivered up into the hands of that party, that was full with the expectation of such a day, and now doubted not but all must be in their hands, who hoped soon to give laws both to Parliament and Army, city, and Ministers, to all godly people, by what names or titles soever they be called, each should be carved out, what they would have allotted unto them. In a word, actum esset, there had been an end of England for any good days that we should have hoped for; but the Lord appearing hath prevented this, and given us hopes of better things, for already we have that which Phinehas took as a blessed fruit of his Embassage here in my Text, We perceive this day that God is with us; This day have we a further pledge that God is not weary of the Parliament of England, not weary of the city of London, not weary of the Army, but his interposing thus seasonably to take weapons out of their hands, shows us new evidence of his watchful eye, of his careful heart, to do good to us all, gives us a further proof that he hath ways of deliverance when we have none; and is not that a blessed consequence? and this likewise we see already, that the Parliament not only sits in peace and safety, but hath an opportunity put into their hands to send some timely succours to Ireland, that our Brethren there may have cause to bless God with us, and for us, and to settle and make a comfortable close of the long calamities of England, and the King and Parliament, City and Army come to a better understanding each of other: there may be such consequences and fruit of it, if God please to bless and guide the Parliament, to improve it, that the generations to come shall have great cause to praise God for appearing upon that day, when he kept his people from imbruing in one another's blood. Now, Honourable and Beloved, is not this a mercy worthy of acknowledgements have we not cause to say this day, lo, This is our God, and we have waited for him, and he will save us; this is our God, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation: hath not the Lord done very mercifully, when as beyond our expectation he hath put this song of Praise into our mouths? whereas this day we might have all been flying into caves or deserts, or seeing our dearest friends blood pouring out, and ourselves given up for a spoil: O if you understand these things aright, give glory to God who hath vouchsafed this Mercy to us. Since the Lord hath appeared thus mercifully, given use 3. 3 Exhort. to improve this deliverance to right ends. us such a pledge as he hath done, let us all endeavour to improve this mercy: What shall I render to the Lord, is the constant question of a thankful heart; so is this also, How shall I use this mercy aright. We must study therefore how to improve this great deliverance: For our help herein, I humbly commend two Directions, one in general, which concerns all of us; the other more particular, which properly concerns you the Honourable Lords and Gentlemen of the two Houses of Parliament. For all of us: Besides all those Uses which should be made of every deliverance, which are, to teach us, 1 To all who fear God, to study peace and reconciliation, since our Father is so unwilling we should fight to turn to God, to believe in him, to trust him for time to come, to tell abroad his wonderful works which he hath done: Besides all these, methinks this mercy doth hint to all God's people, that God is very willing they should study to be reconciled one to another; for truly (Brethren) if we had gone to War now, whatever might have been the pretended cause, the real truth had been, God's people had gone to destroy one another; They that have fought together against their common Enemies, who have prayed together, mourned together, loved one another, lived as brethren, contributed, borne burdens, done all with one heart and one spirit, now under the pretence of I know not what, must have sheathed their swords in one another's bowels: And when they were so near it, and their Father would not permit them, Is it not a voice from heaven; Children you must be reconciled? Doth it not speak to them, as Moses to the two Israelites, Sirs, you are brethren, do not fall out one with another: Do not wrong one another? Had God for our sins left us under this judgement, to help to destroy each other, and then the remainder of us given up into the hands of other adversaries, they would have taught us to be at peace one with another; we should have agreed in prisons, or in banishment, or in the shadow of death. O that the Lord would fix it upon the hearts of all that fear him, to make this collection from this great Mercy, that the people of God must study to be reconciled and united together, and to bear one with another, every one to endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace: More especially (my Lords and Gentlemen) this dealing of God toward you, seems to call for some notable 1 More especially it concerns the Parliament to impr●ve it. 1 To search why God thus abased them. Esay 35. duties at your hands: Let me freely speak a few things unto you. 1 That God hath oftentimes cast reproach upon you, and humbled you heretofore; but in this last abasement, the Lord hath set such a stigma, such a mark of scorn, suffering you to be spit in the face, after that manner, suffering the young to bear themselves insolently against the Ancient, and the base against the honourable; that I cannot but say, there was some high displeasure of God, either to your persons, or to the kingdom whom you represent, or both: I do therefore most humbly pray you, that you would search your own hearts, and inquire whether there be not some cause why our gracious God did thus abase you; certainly a Father uses not to spit in the face of his child, if there be not some special cause for it: And I cannot think that the Lord would ever have let such an ignominious act, that carries so much abomination in the face of it, to be offered to a Parliament, if he would not thereby put them to search for somewhat, for which they ought to lay themselves low in secret before him: When Shimei did curse and revile David, David presently reflected upon himself, So-let him curse, since God bids him curse David; he presently remembered how he had dishonoured God in the matter of Uriah, and therefore looked at this reproach as righteously inflicted by the hand of God, how culpable-soever Shimei was in it. I commend it to your serious thoughts, whether as men, or Parliament-men, or whether as Houses of Parliament, the honour and glory of God have not been slighted by you; and therefore the Lord hath suffered this slight and scorn to be cast upon you; inquire whether there be not as much cause, why the God of heaven let this reproach be cast upon you, as you have to appoint a Committee to inquire who they were that have done it; I blame not your care in that, but I humbly pray that you would be careful of this. As I would fain have you learn somewhat from the disgrace which God cast upon you: So, Principally I desire you to improve the deliverance 2 To attend their great work now he hath thus restored them. that now God hath afforded; he hath now vouchsafed in his mercy to bring you to sit in Parliament in safety, that you may consult the welfare of this kingdom, my most humble suit unto your Lordships, and you Noble Gentlemen, is, consider more seriously than ever heretofore, what a task lies upon you, you have a very sick Patient of the kingdom of England to cure, it is almost ready to give up the ghost at your door, and in your hand; now for the Lord's sake, if ever any of you have beforetime thought of any private interest of your own, lay it a side, and now attend wholly to the public, now God hath given you one opportunity more, try whether possibly you can save the kingdom, or no, and in your endeavours I commend only these two Heads to your serious consideration. First, Know for certain, you can never save this Land In making Religion their greatest care. without God; If the Lord will not work with you, you can work nothing; Except the Lord build the House, they labour but in vain who build it. But if you will work for God's interest, the Lord will work with you, and carry on your own interests, so far as yours is good: Now the Lord's interest in the kingdom is Religion, his Worship, his Truth, his Saints, his People; let them have the deepest part of your care; you will but set up a wall without mortar, Arena sine calse, Sand without lime, if you do not take God along with you; preserve God's Truth in the first place; buy not Peace with the selling of the Truth of God. 2 Look to God's Worship, let that be set up and preserved in purity, and take all rubbish and filth from it. 3 Let the Ministers be encouraged with countenance, maintenance, provide that every Flock may have a shepherd; and that they may be helped forward, look to Universities, those Schools of the Prophets, out of which may be sent labourers into the Lord's vineyard; you have begun many good things in this kind, but you have been hindered by many intervening accidents, and the work still hangs, the Reformation still sticks in the birth: now make it your great work, be faithful in building God's house, & God will build your house▪ but if you shall be slight in it, know for certain, you shall never be able to settle the Kingdom in civil peace and liberty: when Jehu cut God short in matter of Reformation, 2 King. 10. 30. God cut the civil State short, in matter of authority, liberty and wealth, and gave them up to be like the summer's threshing. 4. As you should regard his truth, worship, Ministry, so you must love, countenance, and encourage his people, let your eyes be upon the godly in the land, consider their sad condition at this time, they are not only hated by wicked men, but extremely divided among themselves, be you pleased to reach forth a healing hand try whether God will honour you so far as to help to reconcile the divisions that are between God's people; that those things that rund and divide their hearts and affections one from another, may be taken away; make it your care, and God will administer not only occasions, but will help you to do it; Begin it first in your houses, set an example to others to follow you; Oh that God would persuade you to believe that God hath showed you the mercy of this day for this very end, that you are as Joshua the High Priest, Zach. 3. 2. Zach. 3. 2. so many brands shatcht out of the fire, that you might keep his charge and build his house, I am sure God's portion in the land hath been your safety hitherto, and if you be faithful in this work, it will be your security for time to come; Religion is God's glory, it will be your glory, and the Lands glory, yea, the Lands security: The Esay 4. 5. Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defence: let this than be your first and greatest care to look to God's interest in the kingdom. 2 For settling the Kingdom in matters of civil liberty and Peace, that you would remember, it is unity of hearts, and not power of Arms that must settle England; and had you an Army ten times as good and great as it is, unless you carry your affairs so, as to satisfy the hearts of honest men, of men that will be satisfied with Reason, though you may carry things on, while your force compels men, yet things so set up, will not long continue, the kingdom will be divided, and you divided with them, and we shall be in danger to be ruined all together; therefore I beseech you, let the interest of men who will be satisfied with honesty, truth, justice &c. be considered in their due place, carry things so, that no moderate men may wish they had power in their hands to dissolve or cut in pieces that peace and establishment which you shall make, yea, I could wish that even such as are liable to just exceptions might be gratified with favours, so far as there is hope that they may be won, Desperatio fasit audaces, ac fortes: he was a wise Statesman who said, Saevitia victoris sape facit magnas seditiones ex parvis, Severity of Conquerors oftentimes makes great seditions to arise out of small ones. But these things I only mention, you are wise, and know what is best in things of this nature: This I am sure of, stand you for God, and he will guide and honour you; study to settle Truth, Peace, and Unity in the Kingdom, and that God who hath now given you such a deliverance beyond your expectation, doth well know how to repair your honour, to take away your reproach out of the land in one day, to make you the most honourable and renowned Parliament that ever was; and can make all these things that have been your discouragements and abasements, to prove so many scales, or degrees to raise you higher in the thoughts of God and man. Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding in all things. FINIS.