THE SONG OF MOSES THE SERVANT OF GOD, AND THE SONG OF THE lamb: Opened In a Sermon preached to the honourable House of COMMONS, At their late solemn day of Thanksgiving, June 15. 1643. for the discovery of a dangerous, desperate, and bloody design, tending to the utter subversion of the Parliament, and of the famous City of London.  
By STEPHEN Martial, B. D. and Pastor of Finchingfield in Essex.  
Published by order of that House.  REVEL. 17. 4. 
Come hither, and I will show thee the judgement of the great whore.  
LONDON, Printed for SAM: MAN and SAM: GELLIBRAND in Paul's churchyard. 1643.   

TO THE honourable House of COMMONS, now assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
Honourable, and Beloved,  
THe holy King and Prophet David, required that the praises of God should be sung upon well tuned Instruments; and some psalms which himself composed to that purpose, he styled Michtam, golden Psalms; as being full of precious and choice treasure. Such could I have wished might the Instrument have been, and such the Song of Praise and Thanksgiving, to have celebrated the goodness of God, for this late wonderful preservation of your honourable Assembly, and the famous, and worthy City; both whose ruin was plotted and designed by wicked and unreasonable men. But you were pleased, not only to design to this service, a weak and untuned Instrument, (though not cracked, as Malice, and Slander hath bruited it abroad) but also to enjoin the publishing of this song of Thanksgiving, which is full of weak and imperfect Notes. And to this latter task, I was (I confess) far more unwilling than to the former; as being conscious unto myself, how few conceptions could be brought by me to any such maturity, as might render them meet to become the standing Monument of so great a Mercy, and so happy a Day, which is worthy to be engraven on Marble, rather than to be written on Paper, and with letters of gold, rather than with ink: But in the pursuance of your Commands I have done it, and added some few things, which time nor strength would permit 
Some few instances, clearing the main doctrine, and some in largement of the first Use.  me to deliver in public; Being resolved to deny myself, and to do nothing that may hinder me from being what I am, and shall always desire to remain,  
Yours wholly in the service of Christ 
 and his Church, 
 STEPHEN Martial.   

A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE the honourable House of COMMONS, on the 15. of June 1643. being the day of their public THANKS GIVING.  

Honourable and Beloved, were the strength of my body, and my furniture of wisdom, learning, and grace, in any degree answerable to the service of this Day, I could not but exceedingly rejoice, in being called to this work, in this place, at this time. For having been lately restored from the gates of death, what greater mercy could I wish, then to praise God in the great Congregation? and having been reported over the whole Kingdom, to have altered my former judgement, concerning this just cause of the Parliaments Defensive Arms: yea that the horror of my guilt, in adhering to this Cause, had distracted me, and made me mad, can I look upon it otherwise then as a great and public taking off this reproach, by being called to exercise my poor talon, in that Assembly which is the whole Kingdom by Representation, and at this time, to be a furtherer of your joy and thankfulness, for almighty God's watchful eye and powerful hand thus wonderfully manifested against the desperate and bloody designs of those that would destroy you? But I fear, lest this which is so many ways a favour to me, should prove your loss through my weakness, which would not permit me to study much in private, and I fear will disable me in the public delivering that little which God hath brought to my hand; yet this doth encourage me, I have abundant experience of your candour, and I know that both with God and man, where there is first a willing mind, (especially in a day & service of Thanksgiving) it is accepted according 
2 Cor 8. 12.  to what a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.  
Yea, I have one encouragement more, that God's providence hath directed me to such a Text, which is not only suitable to our meeting, and service, but so really intended by the Spirit of God, for your time and work, that the very reading of it, (though an hour together) might exceedingly affect you, if once you have the true meaning of it; which Text you shall find written in  REVEL. 15. 3, 4. read also ver. 2. Verse 2. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled 
The Text.  with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his Image, and over his Mark, and over the number of his Name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. 3. And they sung the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty: just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. 4. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy, for all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest.  

THis Text, though it be a part of the Apocalypse, the darkest, and most mystical Book in all the Scriptures, and therefore thought generally hard to be understood, yet time (one of the best Interpreters of Prophecies) hath produced the events answering the types so full and clear, that we have the whole Army of Protestant Interpreters agreeing in the general scope and meaning of it, which in a few words be pleased to take thus:  
A great part of this Book, is a setting out the conflicting state of the Church (under the great apostasy) with the Antichrist, the heaviest and forest enemy which ever the Church had; and this Antichristian power and dominion is set forth (as other Kingdoms elsewhere are) by a systeme of the world, wherein are earth, water, air, sun, moon, stars, a King, a metropolitical City, Provinces, People, &c. an Antichristian Empire, an Antichristian World; and this great Monarchy of Antichrist hath the time of its rising, its triumphant reigning, its declining, and ruin, and the state of the Church of Christ under all these, clearly foretold in this Book. And (to say nothing of his rising, and reign) his ruin is described in this fifteenth, and sixteenth Chapter, under the Type of seven Angels, pouring out seven vials full of the wrath of God: the seven vials being so many degrees of the Beasts, or Antichrists ruin: which story of the vials, the Holy Ghost sets down two ways, first generally, in the fifteenth Chapter, secondly more particularly, in the sixteenth Chapter.  
In the general description of them in this fifteenth Chapter, we have first the circumstance of the place, where this Vision was seen, whence these Angels came, that is, heaven: I saw another sign in heaven, verse 1. that is, the true Church, whereof Christ is King, opposed to the world, wherein Antichrist reigns, as beyond all doubt, may be cleared out of the fourth Chapter of this Book, which is the Stage of all the apocalyptical visions. Secondly, we have the things themselves, or the marvellous signs which were seen in this place, and they are three.  
First, The behaviour of the true Church of Christ, during 
1.  this time of the pouring out of the vials, ver. 2, 3, 4.  
Secondly, The description of the seven Angels, the 
2.  instruments who were to pour out these vials, their apparatus, qualifications, and furniture, they come out of the temple, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles; Habitu & cluctu sacerdotali ornati, like the Priests of God, Ezek. 44. 17, 18. pure worshippers.  
Thirdly, A description of the Church, in reference 
3.  to Christ's presence with it, his owning, and protecting it, though after a more dark manner, vers. 8. The Temple was filled with smoke, from the glory of God, and from his power, &c. alluding to God's taking possession of the Tabernacle; Exod. 40. 34. and of Solomon's Temple, 1 King. 8. 10, 11. The first of these I am to deal with at this time, viz. The behaviour of the Church during the time of the pouring out the vials. Wherein observe two things, first, their state, verse 2. secondly, their work, verse 3, 4. Their state; I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the Beast, &c. stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. This sea of glass, or crystal, is described Chap. 4. 6. placed before the Throne, alluding to the great Laver, or Sea in Solomon's Temple, wherein the Priests were to wash themselves from their uncleannesses, whenever they approached nigh to the Altar of God to offer sacrifice; only that was made of brass, this of a more pure and transparent metal: In this Laver the Reformed Churches had lately been washed from the foulness, and pollutions of Antichristianity, out of which they had newly escaped, having gotten the victory over the Beast, and over his Image, and over his Mark, and over the number of his Name; and being cleansed in this Laver, (though mingled with fire, whether of contention, or other affliction, I dispute not) they stand up on the brim of it, with the harps of God in their hands, with instruments of praise, as the Israelites did upon the banks of the Red-sea, (Thorough which they 
Exod. 15.  had lately passed, and in it been baptised unto God) singing a song of praise for their great deliverance from Pharaoh and his host, who perished in the pursuing of them; This was their condition, and their posture, a delivered, cleansed condition, a praiseful posture. Secondly, their work, during the time of the pouring out the vials, they sang an {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}, a triumphant song, Canticum gratulatorium & eucharisticum, a song of praise and thanksgiving: wherein observe two things; first, the Title of the Song, The Song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb: Secondly, the subject matter of the Song, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, &c.  
The title: First, the song of Moses the servant of God, i. e. such a Song, and upon such an occasion as Moses and Miriam and the rest of the Israelites sang unto God when they had passed through the Red sea: 2ly. and the song of the Lamb: we have many songs of the Lamb recorded in this book; cap. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory, and honour, and power, &c. is the constant song of the whole Church of Christ; cap. 5. 9 the same choir sings a new song to the Lamb when he had taken the book to unloose the seals thereof; cap. 11. 17. the same Church sings another song of praise upon the resurrection of the two witnesses, and the fall of the tenth part of the great City, We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty, &c. cap. 12. 10. upon Michael's victory over the dragon, there is another Song of praise, Now is come salvation, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, &c. cap. 14. 3. there's a New Song sung before the throne which no man could learn, but the hundred forty and four thousand which were redeemed from the earth: Now whether this Song of the Lamb be the Song which those harper's sang, or whether, and how far it is composed out of the rest of the songs recorded in this Book, is needless (as some Interpreters do) to inquire, because we have the matter of the Song laid down in so many words; it is sufficient that it's therefore called the Song of the Lamb, because it was indicted by the Spirit of the Lamb, and tends to advance the glory of the Lamb their Saviour and Deliverer.  
2. The matter of the Song: which divides in self into two parts. 1. The church's confession of the nature of those works which Christ doth in the pouring out the seven vials, ver. 3. viz. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways thou King of Saints, i. e. They are great and wonderful, fit only to be done by him who is the Lord God almighty, just and true, well becoming him who is the King of Saints. 2. The use which the Church makes of these works, which is threefold. 1. They record, celebrate, and publish them. 2. They engage and bind themselves faster and closer to him, in his worship and service, Who shall not fear thee O Lord, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy. 3. They prophetically foretell the use which shall be made of these works by such as yet were strangers, viz. As Christ proceeds to manifest these wonderful and righteous plagues and judgements upon the Antichristian world, the people of Italy, Germany, France, England, Scotland, Denmark, Sweden, Polonia, Hungaria, and the rest of the elect shall shake off the Yoke of Antichrist, and submit to the sceptre of Jesus Christ; for all Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest.  
Thus you have a plain view of the Text together with the interpretation, out of which many excellent and useful truths might be observed. As first, that all which is done in the pouring out of the seven vials, is the wrath of God upon the Antichristian faction; so that however in the pouring out of every vial there is something which is grievous to the reformed Churches, to humble, purge, and quicken them, yet there is no wrath upon anywhere ever it is poured, but only as there is something of Antichrist among them, which Christ will search for, find, and destroy, wherever he finds it: Consider the whole work of the vials, and you shall find noisome and grievous sores upon them only that have the mark of the Beast, the drinking of blood, the scorching with heat, the gnawing of their tongues for pain, the being destroyed with hailstones, &c. All these light only upon the followers of the Beast, the worshippers of the Beast, the kingdom of the Beast, & therefore let none fear any hurt fronthese judgements which Christ is now inflicting, but such as either secretly or openly harbour any of Antichrists accursed stuff which must be destroyed; & let it be I beseech you, your speedy care to cast out of this Nation and Church all those relics, which are the oil and fuel that feed the flame which burns amongst us: God calls you now to this work, and will be with you while you set your hearts and hands to do it; and do it speedily, it may be it is one Cause, why so many breaches are made upon you, because you have no more vigorously attempted it in the first place; and fear not that ye should thereby lose a party, or strengthen a party against you, believe it, that party that hath drunk of the whore's cup, and is in love with her abominations, will never be assistant, nor will Christ suffer them to overthrow the work committed to your hands; they may and shall destroy themselves, bringing the curses written in this book upon themselves, and their posterity, as Achan did by hiding the Babylonish 
Josh. 7.  garment and wedg of gold in his tent, but the Lord will be with you, therefore go on and prosper.  
2. Observe: That how ever in the pouring out of these vials, in the destroying of the Antichristian faction, Christ useth the ministry of Angels, of instruments coming out of the Temple and fitted for that work, yet the work is ascribed to Christ alone, Great and marvellous are thy works, just and true are thy ways, thy judgements are made manifest: Many worthy and excellent instruments hath Christ stirred up and employed in this Service, many famous and learned Divines, many excellent Nobles, many illustrious Kings, Queens, and Princes, many grave Senates, and Parliaments, (amongst whom I doubt not Yourselves will one day be recorded) have put their hands to this work, to make this harlot desolate, and naked, to eat her flesh and burn her with fire; for God hath put it in their hearts to fulfil his will: but they confer nothing of their own to the work, they are but his instruments, his bow and his battle-axe, mere dead tools, who receive all their efficacy and operation from his hand who useth them; their presence adds no strength to him, their absence makes the work no more difficult to him. And therefore let not our faith & comfort ebb and flow with the increase & wane of human helps. Let us not therefore think the work will sooner be done, because strong is our hand and arm of flesh, nor that we are therefore like to lose the cause, because our helps prove either weak or treacherous; the vial now pouring out is the Lord's work, and he will see it done, doubt ye not.  
3. observ. That all the time of Christ's pouring out the vials of his wrath upon Antichrist, should be a joyful time to the Church of Christ, all those days should be days of Purim, days of thanksgiving; though they stand upon a sea mingled with fire, they should have the harps of God in their hands, and Hallelujahs in their mouths, because Christ is judging the great whore, and avenging the blood of his servants at her hand. Although it be so disposed by Christ, that during the time of the vials, his Churches have much bitterness, and the hail of every storm in some degree lights upon them, yet must they overlook their own sufferings, and be filled with joy for the judgements executed upon Christ's, and their enemies; and not defer their praises till their deliverances be complete, but upon every new deliverance to them, and upon every new judgement upon the enemies, have their mouths filled with new and renewed songs of praise and thanksgivings to God, as we do this day.  
These & many such like general observations from the words are obvious to every eye, & very seasonable and suitable to the mercies celebrated this day, I desire that they may not lightly be passed over in your thoughts, though I shall say no more of them, purposing to confine my speech to one only observation, which indeed is the very {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of the Text, the burden of the song, and to apply it for the same ends and uses for which it is here recorded by the Holy Ghost: viz.  
The works of Christ in the pouring out the vials of his 
The main Doctrine of the Text  wrath, in taking vengeance of the Antichrist and his followers, are great and wonderful, fit to be wrought by him only who is the Lord God Almighty, just and true, well becoming the King of Saints.  
First, they are [great] works, whether of Mercy, 
Explained.  or judgement; or are great, when they are the effects either of great wisdom in their contrivance, or of great power in their production.  
Secondly, [marvellous, or wonderful;] and that in a threefold respect: First, such as are rare and unusual, which seldom happen; these draw men's eyes after them, and make men wonder at them. Secondly, such as are unexpected, which come praeter spem, things which nobody would think to come to pass. Thirdly and chiefly, things are wonderful, which are beyond our comprehension, whereof we cannot see the causes, whose height and depth cannot be measured, such as nothing but the power of an infinite and Almighty God can bring to pass.  
Thirdly, [just:] ways are just, when they are according to a right rule; and ways of judgement, (of which my Text) are then just, when they are according to the nature, kind, and degree of the sins against which they are executed. Thou art righteous, 
Revel. 16. 5▪ 6.  O Lord, because thou hast judged thus; for they have shed the blood of thy Saints, and Prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy: Even so Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgements.  
Fourthly, [True:] ways are then true, when according to Covenant, when done according to what was foretold; and these ways become a King of Saints: other Kings often deal unjustly, bearing the sword, to execute wrath upon them that do well, strengthening the hands of them that do evil, condemning the righteous, and acquitting the wicked, and often untruly breaking their Oaths, falsifying their Covenants; but this King of Saints doth so manifest his righteous judgements, that his people shall be able to say, According to their deeds, and according to his Word, hath he repaid fury to his adversaries, 
Isaiah 59 18.  recompense to his enemies; and his enemies (though with gnashing of teeth) shall acknowledge with Adonibezek, As we have done, so hath God done unto us. 
Judg. 1. 7.   
Now that Christ's judgements, hitherto manifested in the pouring out the vials of his wrath, in 
〈◊〉 Doctr. 〈…〉 instances.  thus far destroying this great Antichristian enemy, are thus great, and wonderful, thus just and true, may easily appear to every careful Observer of the Church-story in these parts of Christendom, this last Century of years, since this work hath been in hand: The particular instances are too many to be related in a Sermon, I shall mention only some few things, which as so many continued threads, have run through this whole piece of his workmanship; first, in the greatness, and wonderfulness; secondly, in the truth, and righteousness of them.  
First, these works have been great and wonderful for the kind: When the Antichristian Empire which at first was contrived with that wisdom, and underpropped with that strength, ruling even the souls and consciences of men, and had prevailed so far, that all the Kings and States of the World were so drunken with the whore's Cup, that they not only kissed her well-favoured face, but as so many brute beasts lay at her footstooll, prostituting all their power and strength unto the Beast, and under her command, making war even against the Lamb himself, and helping to drink the blood of his Saints, none daring to question the truth, or rather divinity of her Commands, so that she could glorify herself, and say in her heart, I sit as a Queen, and shall see no sorrow; now that suddenly, it should be put into the hearts of most of the European States, to hate this Whore, to endeavour to make her desolate and naked, to eat her flesh, and burn her with fire, how great and marvellous doth this speak the work for the kind of it? Who but the Lord God Almighty could do this? It is certainly the Lord's doing, and must be marvellous in our eyes.  
Secondly, if we consider the time, which our Lord Christ was pleased to make choice of, for the effecting these great works, they will appear yet more wonderful; even when his Church was at the lowest, when he saw that their power was gone, and there was 
Deut. 32. 36.  none shut up or left, when the enemy was come in like a flood, and no man to lift up a standard against him, when he saw that there was no helper, even than put he on righteousness 
Isa. 59 16, &c.  as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head, and the garments of vengeance for his clothing. Who can be ignorant of these things? who knows not the low condition of Germany, when Luther first appeared, though only against the notorious abuse of the Pope's Indulgences, and other luxuriant branches of his tyrannical usurpation? insomuch that a Bishop wishing him well, yet despairing 
Albertus Crancius.  of success, counselled him (as the Story reports) after this manner; Frater, frater, abi in Cellam & dic, Miserere mei Deus. To thy beads friar, thou wilt do no good in this work: For the people of Germany were at that time so bewitched with the sorceries of the Whore, and so enthralled to her power, that (as that proud Cardinal too confidently boasted) they were 
Cajetanus Cardinalis.  ready at the Pope's command, for the redemption of their souls, to have eaten grass and hay, more pecudum, after the manner of brute Beasts. And was not the Church in other Countries as low? namely, at the first appearing of Zuinglins, and Oecolampadius, in Helvetia; of Calvin, Viret, and Farell, in France; Cranmer, Latimer, Ridley, (especially) Bilney, and Tyndall, in England; Hamilton, Wischart, Knox, and others, in Scotland? at that time, when in a word, the whole Church might have taken up that complaint, Ezek. 37. 11. Our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are cut off for our parts, than did our Lord Christ open their graves, and cause them to come up out of their graves, and made them live, and stand up upon their feet, an exceeding great army; this also must needs be acknowledged, to be the work of the Lord God Almighty, who is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.  
And as the kind, and time, so thirdly, the consideration of the means, and instruments, renders them yet more wonderful; to effect great things by weak means, is an argument of great power and strength; That the walls of Jericho should fall at the blast of trumpets of rams horns; that a Cake of barley 
Judg. 7. 13, 14.  bread, tumbling into the host of Midian, should come unto a tent, and smite it, and overturn it, that the tent should lie along; that Gideon and three hundred men, with lamps and empty pitchers, should overthrow the whole host of Midian, who came as grasshoppers for multitude, they and their Camels being without number; that a woman should compass a man, a weak woman subdue a mighty man; these are New things, as the phrase there is: Behold, the Lord hath created a 
Jer. 31. 22.  new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man, &c. And yet this you shall see, was no new, but God's usual, and constant course, which he takes in this work, pouring out these vials of his wrath, upon this potent enemy, by the ministry of most weak, and contemptible instruments, pulling his Church out of the dungeon of Superstition, by old cast clouts, and rotten rags, as once Ebedmelech the Ethiopian did 
Jer. 38. 11.  the Prophet jeremy. Was not Luther a poor Monk, and other priests, and shavelins, newly crept out of their superstitious Cells, the first Engineers that battered the walls of this great Babylon? who were they but the poorer, & meaner sort of people, that at the first joined with the Ministers, to raise the building of Reformation? few of the Princes, and Nobles, putting their 
Neh 3. 5.  necks to the work of the Lord; or if any did, yet the Divine Providence so ordered it, that either they were suddenly taken off, as the Duke of Saxony, and Landgrave of Hessen, by imprisonment; or immaturely taken away, as Edward the sixth, by death; or more miraculously preserved, as Queen Elizabeth, a woman, in England, and King James, a child, in the beginning of Reformation in Scotland; and although in the progress of the work, many Kings and Princes have stood up as nursing Fathers, yet still we may observe, that the greatest things have been done by them, from whom least could be expected; as (not to trouble you with more instances) the almost incredible, and strange proceedings of the late victorious King of Sweden will abundantly testify, who as a contemptible Prince, crossing the baltic-sea, entered Germany, with not above five, or six thousand men, and a very small sum of money, and yet in as little time, had before his death, almost brought to nothing that mighty House of Austria, thought by many, to be the Sun giving light and influence to the Antichristian world, upon which the fourth vial was to be 
Revel. 16. 8.  poured out. I might, I say, give you many other instances, this may suffice: God will (you may be confident) in time make all the world know, that this great Image, this great Antichristian oppressor, shall be broken in pieces, by a Stone cut out of the Mountains without hands, without human help.  
Fourthly, and lastly, and above all, the manner of his working proves them most wonderful: For if we observe but the goings of this King of Saints, if we trace him in his footsteps, in this great work of execution upon his enemies, marching before his people, travelling in the greatness of his strength, we find him leading them in uncouth ways, which they knew not, and ways which to them seemed unpassable. His way hath been in the sea, and his paths in the great waters, and his footsteps were not known, yet still 
Psal. 77 9  leading his people like a flock; sometimes removing 
Isai. 64. 1.  mountains our of their way, making them flow down at his presence; sometimes skipping over them; sometimes 
Cant. 2 8.  his way hath been in the whirlwind, and in the 
Nahum 1. 3.  great storm, yet always working in such ways, and in such a manner, as that first, his own people have thought he could intend nothing but their ruin, as Jonah did, when cast into the Sea, and swallowed up by the Whale, (an unlikely way of deliverance;) and in such ways, secondly, as to the enemy have ever seemed most advantageous to their own purposes, and destructive to the Church; God suffering them to lay the Plot for their own ruin, to dig a pit for their own destruction, and making the ways by them intended for the church's ruin, to be the greatest means of their deliverance, as fully and clearly, as Haman's Plot proved the exaltation of the Jews, and Mordecai, and the ruin and destruction of himself and family; a Volume might be filled with instances of this kind: The device of Charles the fifth, to disinherit the Duke of Saxony, & to keep the Landgrave of Hessen in perpetual imprisonment, thereby intending utter ruin to the Protestant party in Germany, was the very occasion of the confederacy of Smalcald, which almost drove Charles out of Germany, and established the Protestant party in the liberty of their religion. The Massacre in France, in which 
Sleidan. Veramundus de suroribus Gallicis.  were destroyed within the space of thirty days, (as the Historian reports it) above seventy thousand Protestant souls, proved (ye know) a means, within a short space, to double and treble, if not quadruple their numbers in that Kingdom; and procured them public Edicts, and Cautionary Towns, for the liberty, and security of their Religion, which before they had not: The cruelty and tyranny of the Spaniards in the Netherlands, (one of whose Deputies, Duke D'Alva, boasted that he put to death, six and thirty thousand Huguenots, and Protestants) hath been the greatest means to prevent the swelling of his intended Monarchy, and increase the freedom and strength of the Protestant party, not only in the five United Provinces, but in all these parts of Europe. Who that hath read the Scottish Story, is ignorant that the Archbishop of St. Andrews cruel burning 
Knox Hist. of Scot. Thuanus.  of Mr. George Wischart, conferred much to the Reformation of that whole Kingdom? The time would fail me, to tell you of the desperate Conspiracies of the Priests, and Jesuits in England, all the time of Queen Elizabeth, of the Powder-treason, and their unwearied Machinations in other States and Churches, and how constantly the Lord hath turned them all to the advantage of his Church, and to bring ruin and destruction upon the contrivers of them. And if any of you have not had time, or means, to observe these things in Story, your eyes cannot but see them all fulfilled in Christ's late, and present dealings with ourselves, and our brethren of Scotland.  
For them, what great things hath the Lord lately done, and by what very weak means? hardly the fifth part of the Nobility, (as I have heard) appearing for them, the greater part openly opposing them, scarce one fourth part of the Kingdom owning the Cause, how often were they at their wit's end, when some unexpected door was opened to them? And were not all their works wrought for them, by the rage, cruelty, and cunning of their enemies? Were not the book of Service, and the book of Canons, sent, and obtruded upon them from England, the occasion of their late mercies? was not the tyranny of a few of their prelates, a means to unburden them of their whole Prelacy? and when they were as much shut up in straits, as the Israelites at the Red-sea, and knew not overnight, what would become of them the next morning, then constantly some absurd, desperate Plot or other, of their enemies, broke out, which gave them an out-gate to escape: And even so hath God dealt with England, his work amongst us is of the very same warp, and woof. The great mercies which we enjoy, the great deliverances we have lately received, from what a high hand have they come? to what a very dead low ebb were we brought? Our liberty almost swallowed up, and turned into slavery; our Religion into Popery, and Arminianism? and even then God remembered us in our low estate: and by what 
Psal. 136. 23.  instruments, becometh me not to speak much in your own presence; yourselves know how sinful, and all the Kingdom how mean and contemptible in the eyes of your adversaries; they looking upon you as Sanballat and his company did upon Nehemiah 
Nehem. 4. 3.  and his builders, and with like scorn uttering the same reproaches; What do these feeble Jews, will they fortify themselves, will they make an end in a day, will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish? even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. And well may you take up the builders' complaint; Hear O our God, for we are despised; and yet by such despised broken vessels hath the Lord hitherto delivered us: And which is still more wonderful, (to the glory of God be it spoken) our greatest deliverances have been more promoted by the cunning, treachery, and violence of the enemy, then by the foresight, vigilancy, and strength of our best friends: The Prelates late Canons and Oath, purposely contrived for the perpetuating of their Hierarchy, and their other treacherous and malicious endeavours against the State, joining with the Papists, and with them labouring to turn all into confusion, rather than suffering the least abatement of their former pride and tyranny, have helped thus far towards the taking them away both root and branch; The multitudes of calumnies, and reproaches, cast upon the Parliaments just proceedings, slighting their Authority, slandering their intentions, misinterpreting their actions, have they not (through the goodness of Him who preserveth them from the strife of tongi) been an occasion of making their Authority, privileges, intentions, actions, clear as the Sun at noon day? And to instance no further, this late bloody, and mischievous Design, in which this honourable Senate, this famous city, and with them our lives, religion, laws, and liberties, had undoubtedly been made a prey to their merciless rage, and fury, the Lord hath not only brought to light, without any foresight, or watchfulness of yours, but made those that were the contrivers, to be the discoverers, their own evidence, and confession being the thread which lets you into the depths, and labyrinths of those counsels, which they had digged deep to hide, if possible, even from the eyes of God himself, and thereby giving you a great opportunity (the Lord in mercy teach you to improve it) to advance the glory of his Name, (for the present, putting a new song of praise into your mouths) A prop for your faith to stay upon, for time to come, (the Lord hath delivered, and will deliver) A further advantage, to break the power of the malicious, and ungodlymen; and a warning to you, to beware of neuters, and secret false friends, who though they take sweet counsel together with you, and speak you fair, believe them 
Prov. 26. 25.  not, for there are seven abominations in their hearts. And by all this ye are (I suppose) fully satisfied that these works of our Lord God Almighty are as marvellous for their manner, as before you have heard they were for their time, kind, and instruments, working light out of darkness, causing even the experience of the Church, in these later ages, clearly to interpret Samson's riddle, Out of the eater came forth meat, and 
Judg. 14. 14.  out of the strong came forth sweetness; and making all the bloody and cruel entendments of the Antichristian enemy, in the effect no more hurtful and dangerous to the Church, than his was to Phereus' Jason, when he run at him with his sword, and in stead of killing him, opened an incurable impostume, and saved his life.  
Secondly, as they are great and wonderful, so as evident is it, that they are just, and true: the [justice] of them is celebrated, chap. 16. 5. Thou art righteous, O Lord, because thou hast judged thus: and chap. 18. 6. we find the Angel calling upon the Church, Reward her as she hath rewarded you, double unto her double, according unto her work; in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double: how much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment, and sorrow give her. O in what exact balances hath Christ proportioned, and weighed out, gall and wormwood, reproach and shame, blood and ruin to these enemies, making them to drink of the same cup which they had before reached to his servants! They had grievously afflicted the bodies of the Saints of Christ, and now behold upon them, noisome and grievous sores: 
Revel. 16. 2.  They had drunk the blood of the Saints and Prophets, and now behold rivers and fountains of blood given 
Ver. 5.  them to drink. They had their Edicts, to kill heretics and Lollards, (as they called them) and now in England, and among the Netherlands, it's made capital for the Jesuits and other Incendiaries, and Factors for the Whore, to be found amongst them. They had burnt the worshippers of Christ, and now behold, themselves scorched with fire and great heat. They had 
Ver. 9  before deprived the Saints of the light of the Scriptures, and now behold, the Beasts Kingdom overspread with darkness, so that they gnaw their tongues for pain. Thus you see the King of Saints, rendering 
Ver. 10.  according to that rule of justice; Eye for eye, breach 
Levit. 24. 10.  for breach, tooth for tooth; full measure, shaken together and running over. ecclesiastical history is full of 
Luke 6. 38.  instances, which speak home to our purpose in this particular of Emperors, Kings, Nobles, Popes, Bishops, Priests, men, women, of all ranks and degrees, upon whom these righteous judgements of God have been made manifest; you have a whole Catalogue of 
Vol 3. 954. Etc Vol. 2. 185. 187.  them digested to your hands, in Mr. Fox's book of Acts and Monuments. I shall let pass this particular, only with this one observation; That whereas this great enemy, this Abaddon, this Apollyon, is made up of all the hateful qualities of all those Kingdoms, which heretofore have oppressed the Church of God, and is therefore called, Egypt, Sodom, Babylon; so the wrath of these vials poured out upon 
Revel. 17. 5. Chap. 11 8, 9  him, is the mixture and quintessence of those plagues and judgements, whereby all those Kingdoms formerly were destroyed: for here you have noisome and grievous sores, waters turned into blood, palpable 
Chap. 16. 2. 3. 10. 21.  darkness, thunder and lightning, and great hailstones, the plagues of Egypt; here you have the drying up of the river Euphrates, the means of the destruction of Babylon; fire and brimstone, the judgement of Sodom. Even so Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are all thy judgements. 
Chap. 16. 12. Chap. 19 20.   
And they are as clearly celebrated for their truth: Even so Lord God Almighty, [True] are all thy judgements, 
Revel. 16. 7.  was the voice of the Angel out of the Altar, at the pouring out the vial upon the Rivers and Fountains of waters, turning them into blood: and after they were all poured out, John heard the voice of much people in heaven, saying, Hallelujah, salvation, 
Chap. 19 1, 2.  and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God, for [True] and righteous are his judgements, for he hath judged the great whore; which to understand, you must know, that these vials were put up long ago by Christ, and laid up in store with him, and sealed up among his treasures, and written in a book; and not only so, but the Counterpart of this book was sent, and signified by his Angel, unto his servant John, and 
Deut. 32. 34. Revel. 1. 1.  the epoch, or time of their beginning, and the whole series of their accomplishment, for time, and place, matter, manner, and measure, exactly represented to him, whereof many things are already come to our knowledge, being fulfilled just ad amussim apocalypseôs, according to the standard of the Revelation; and although some things concerning the interpretation of these plagues, and curses, remain yet dark unto us, being not fully accomplished, yet when all these vials shall once be poured out, the whole Church shall be able to say of them, as Joshuah did, in another case, of the blessings: You know that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you, all are come to pass, and not one thing hath failed; So not one drop of all these vials hath fallen to the ground in vain, not a plague failed, but all have accomplished the things for which they were sent; write them down, These are the true 
Revel. 19 9  sayings of God.  
If you would know some reason, why Christ delights to proceed after this manner, in the destruction of this enemy, I answer,  
First, because this enemy is the masterpiece of all 
Reason 1.  the devil's workmanship, the dragon's darling, to whom he hath delivered over his power and his State, 
Revel. 13. 2.  his throne and dignity; whatever Beelzebub, prince of the Devils, and the whole Conclave of hell could invent, all hath been infused into this grand Adversary; there was never yet State framed in the world by the wit and art of man, more wisely contrived, and plotted, more powerful, and forcible, to subdue the whole world unto itself, by claiming a Ius divinum, laying a foundation for firm obedience in men's consciences, and having in it sufficient to nourish all men's affections, and to fit every man's humour, that 
Sands West. relig. fect. 13.  each fancy may be satisfied, and each appetite find what to feed on; yea what ever may prevail with any man, is there to be found; wealth for the covetous, honour for the ambitious, learning for the studious, great employment for metald spirits, multitudes of ceremonies for the superstitious, gorgeousness of shows for the vulgar and simple, miracles for the credulous, prayers for the devout, works of piety for the charitable, voluptuousness for the dissolute, pardons for the faulty, dispensing with all rules for men of lawless conditions, with what ever else might allure the Nations to drink of the Whores intoxicating cup. Neither hath the devil's cunning, and power more appeared in the first contriving of it, than after, in the upholding of it, in all ages stirring up men of excellent and rare perfections, constantly and diligently to put in execution all his counsels, and devices, to hold in those who are already caught in their snares, to allure others, and to weaken and undermine all opposers, how great and potent soever; It is therefore well becoming the wisdom and power of this King of Saints, to grapple with this Beast, after this manner, that in the things whereof he is most proud, He might show himself to be above him.  
Secondly, this enemy hath been the sorest and 
Exod. 18. 11.  heaviest Adversary that ever the Church of Christ had in the world: Nabuchadnezzar of old, and the rest of the Assyrian Monarchs did break their bones like a lion, the Egyptian Pharaoh like a Dragon devoured them, Antiochus Epiphanes cast down the 
Dan.  Saints, and stamped upon them, and did wear them out; the Roman ethnic Emperors the three first hundred years wasted them in ten several Persecutions: but these and all these were as nothing in comparison of this Destroyer, all their loins lay not so heavy upon the Churches back as the little finger of Antichrist. Whether we respect the cruelty exercised upon the body, or tyranny over their souls and consciences, or the extent and length of time in both; I say, in respect of cruelty, first, upon the body, I believe that upon a due survey, there would be found upon his score more blood of Saints and Martyrs than was shed from the blood of righteous Abel to the beginning of his reign: A hundred thousand within the limits of one kingdom put to death in a few weeks, thirty or forty thousand boasted to have fallen by the hands of one of his emissaries in the space of a few years; and if so, what hath been done in the rest of the Nations, where all who once tasting of the whore's cup delight to drink and to be drunken with the blood of Saints? In her is found the blood of Prophets, and of Saints, 
Revel. 18. 24.  and of all that were slain upon the earth. Secondly, in respect of tyranny upon the soul, we read not that Pharaoh, or seldom any of the rest, (though they all oppressed the people of God in their outward liberties) did much endeavour to force their consciences, or if they did (as sometimes Nabuchadnezzar and Antiochus) 
Dan. 3. 16.  the case was so clear that they needed not take time to answer about it; but this tyrant causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark of their spiritual slavery, in their right hand 
Rev. 13. 16, 17. 2 Thess. 2. 9 10.  and in their foreheads, so that none must buy or sell save he that hath the mark or name of the beast, and that with such deceivableness of unrighteousness, with such power & 
Revel. 13. 14.  signs, and lying wonders, that he deceives those that dwell 
Revel. 18. 4.  on the earth by means of those miracles which he hath power to do: So that even many of the Lambs own followers have in part been deceived by him, and if it were possible they would finally deceive the very elect of God. Or if thirdly, we respect the continuance and length of his 
Matth. 24. 24.  bloody reign, in this also he exceeds the rest. In Egypt they were evil entreated about two hundred years; The Babylonish yoke oppressed them threescore and ten years; Antiochus sorely wasted them, but it was but for a very little season; The Heathen Empire of Rome proved more cruel and bloody than any of the rest, for the space of three or four hundred years▪ but this Antichrist makes incessant, desperate, and bloody war upon them, no less than twelve hundred and threescore years together. And if you put all this together, you 
Revel. 11. 2 3.  shall find just cause why the King of Saints should proceed thus severely and strangely, in ruining this great enemy of himself and people, making him as wonderful in his terrible fall, as he had been in his bloody reign.  
Thus you have the truth of the doctrine, fully and clearly demonstrated, it remains now that I make 
Application.  some application of it to You, wherein I shall confine myself to those three uses which we find the Church makes of these works in this place.  
First, they wonder at these wonderful works, they observe them, they have them digested into a 
1.  song, and sing this song of Moses and of the Lamb, having 
For admiration.  as well their hearts filled with admiration of them, as their mouths with praise. And this (Honourable and beloved) let me commend to your practice in the first place: Come and see the works of the Lord, even the great and marvellous works of the Lord God Almighty, how terrible he is in his doings towards the children of men: All his works are great, his works of Creation, even of the least atoms, the works of common providence governing even the ways of the pismire are great and worthy to be sought out of all them that take pleasure in them; but the works of the Lord towards his Church, the goings of our Lord and King in his Sanctuary, ruling his Saints in the midst of their enemies, and after this manner breaking in pieces the Powers which do oppose them, is now the wonder of Angels, and shall be the wonder of Saints to eternity; and fit therefore that now it should be ours. Man's disposition is naturally taken with thoughts and discourses of things great and wonderful, and is not satisfied but in something that raises the mind to a high pitch of admiration; here you may behold an object fit, (if any) to beget wonderment, and indeed our spirits never are right till we stand at gaze here, for this discovers a plain difference between the spirits of godly and carnal men, these latter are more taken with vain and empty things. A Poet or a well-penned Romancy how it takes some, wasting upon it days, weeks, and months, admiring the wit, invention, style or elegancy; others wonder at the raising of this or that poor man to a great estate of wealth, at another out of the dust advanced to the height of honour: these things fill their hearts with thoughts when alone, their mouths with discourse when in company, yet in the mean time the wonders of Christ are not taken notice of: Christ's person, offices, administrations are too base things for them to busy their thoughts about, they can see nothing but trivial matters, and not worth their notice in them all, yea they wonder at them who can spend their time in the Study of the Scriptures, and the meditation of these works of Christ. But these men (whatever they think of themselves) are sottish beasts, carnal and brutish persons, and I may say of the things they are so taken with, as Christ to the Disciples who were so affected with the stones & goodly building of the Temple, Are these the things ye wonder at? I tell you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another: 
Mat. 24 2.  So these riches, these buildings, this power and authority, this great man in his country, these things I say, by too much regarding whereof many lose their souls, what shall they all be ere long? Heaven and earth shall be on fire, and what shall these things be then? and I may further say of the men who admire these things, that they are greater vanities than the things they wonder at; Who having immortal souls, fit to be partakers of the divine nature, understandings capable of the knowledge of God, meditations worthy only of God, should yet thus basely prostitute and abase themselves, to advance a thing of nothing, whereas on the contrary a holy heart is so taken with Christ and his ways, that all other things appear to them to be but toys and folly, as men got up on high near the Heavens, behold the earth but as a little spot. Augustine observed this difference in himself, that so long as he was a stranger from the ways of holiness, he thought the study of the Scriptures to be a dull business, infinitely preferring Tully before the Bible; but after his conversion he took no pleasure in that Author where he found not the Name of Jesus. Oh therefore that you would pour out your hearts in the study of these things, that the wonderful way of Christ's governing in his Church might take up not the least part of your thoughts. How he hath kept this bush burning, and yet not consumed; how strange it was that a few Fishermen should by preaching and suffering, like some conquering Alexander, subdue the Nations; Think of his strange course, permitting an Antichrist to Lord it above a thousand years, in the world, so as to subdue the world wholly to his yoke, suffering the Kings to give up their Crowns & sceptres to him, prostituting their power at his feet; and when Satan thought himself so strong as to continue the Church in this condition for ever, that then a silly monk should set himself against the world, and in a short time rescue a great part of it from under his yoke. Another time, come nearer into England, & think what he did by King Edward, a Child, by Queen Elizabeth, a Woman; the great deliverances, from the Spanish Armado, from the hellish Powder-treason; come nearer yet, and behold the wonders of these two or three last years, in England and Scotland; ponder them seriously, they are the Lord's doings, and aught to be wonderful in your eyes: Think yet further, how wonderful he will be, when he comes to be admired in his Saints at the last day; feed your hearts and raise them sometimes with some of these thoughts, sometimes with others, until they burn within you. Oh but we cannot meditate! we love indeed to read these things, and delight to hear them, but we cannot meditate on them! Say not so lest you prove yourselves persons without grace; psalm 78. it is made the note of a wretch, and of one whose days God will consume in sorrow, to forget the works of God; and of a brutish person, Psal. 92. not to consider them: and if you cannot find a heart to wonder at Him, and his ways, as an occasion of praise, take heed he show not himself wonderful in your confusion. Wherefore have we our reason and tongues, but to observe, and speak of these things? think we to live with the Saints, and glorify Christ in Heaven, and not have dispositions framed to give him all the glory we can, while we live here on earth? which we cannot do, if we observe not these things. I know that there is a dulness and awkness in the spirits of the best, yet godly hearts will endeavour to overcome it: He that is wise, will ponder these things, will fet his heart 
Psal. 107. 43.  to task in these studies; and that not as to an unpleasing drudgery, but as to an employment, Divine and angelical, most pleasing and delightful: My meditation of Him shall be sweet. And for your better quickening to this duty, consider; 
Psal. 104. ult   
First, that this is the only way to make us Heavenly and spiritual, by feeding on such matters of wonderment; 
Motives.  The object about which we are conversant, 
1.  gives a tincture to our spirit, naturally such as our spirits are, such are our studies, pueri crepundia gestant, children play with rattles, and morally our spirits are moulded into the studies we are accustomed to.  
Secondly, this will make us ever fit for God's service: This our Lord will be served with reverence 
2.  and fear, and what begets that, but a knowledge of out distance; upon the consideration of His greatness, from his wonderful works? all base and low conceits will then vanish: all society and communion among men is maintained by a knowledge of inequality, when we see more eminency in men for their gifts, and graces and places, it strikes a reverence, and strengthens the bands of love and respect, much more strongly doth the serious and deep beholding of the unparalleled perfections and excellencies of God, shining in his wonderful works, captivate the soul and lay it low before him: but of this more in the second use.  
Thirdly, this is the way to make us profit and grow up in grace; when God sees us humble admirers of 
3.  his greatness, and diligent searchers into his goodness, he will reveal himself yet more and more to us, as Christ said to Nathaniel, Because I said this unto thee, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than 
John 1. 50.  these: or the Lord to the Prophet, I will show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not. 
Jer. 33. 3.   
Fourthly, as a further motive and help, be thoroughly acquainted with thine own condition, really 
4.  sensible of thine own vileness, wants, and baseness of all kinds; take the dimensions of thy corruptions, the height, length, and depth of them, consider that thou art in thyself a vassal of Satan, a vessel of wrath, dead in nature and disposition to good, dead in Sin, posting to eternal destruction, and then every thing of Christ thy Saviour will be wonderful unto thee.  
Fifthly, and lastly, consider thy relations to Christ, 
5.  He is thy head, thy King, thy Lord, thy Husband, thy brother, & withal thy interest in all his works, they are all done for thee, thou hast a part in every deliverance, (they are thy enemies that fall, upon the pouring out of every vial) a share in every mercy; and our interest in any thing, sets it off the better to our affections, & makes us with unwearied diligence to search out, whatsoever is scibile in it; much more should it here, where the more we shall study, the more we shall wonder, and the more we wonder, the more shall we honour God, and better ourselves; the more we chew these cordials, the more sweetness shall we draw from them.  
O therefore, that Christ would open our eyes, that we might see his wonders in their just dimensions, in the wisdom, power, faithfulness, greatness, justice, and truth, shining in them, that those things might be glorious, and excellent in our eyes, which are mean and common in the eyes of others, that we might be able to answer such as see no such thing in them, (with the Painter, who being much taken with a piece, though seeming plain, yet of excellent workmanship, to one ignorantly asking him, what worth he saw in that poor piece) O friend, couldst thou see with my eyes, thou wouldst be ravished with it. And that our mouths might be filled with praises all the day long, especially upon this day, purposely set apart by us, thankfully to record the great and wonderful works, the true and righteous judgements, of our King of Saints; In delivering us from the hurtful sword, in being on our side, when men rose up against us, in causing our soul to escape, as a bird out of the snare of the fowler, making their mischief to return upon their own head, causing them to sink down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, is their own foot taken. And so much for the first Use, the Use of Admiration.  
The second use the Church makes here of the works of Christ, is to provoke and quicken themselves 
2. use of Exhortation.  up to fear him, and glorify him; Who would not fear thee, and glorify thy Name? for thou only art holy: Lord, who can understand these works of thine, thus great and marvellous, thus just and true, and not acknowledge thee to be the only holy One? Let me press it, by way of exhortation, to provoke you to the same duty: Where first, I must open what is meant by fearing, and glorifying his Name, and that which is made the ground of this fear, and glory, because thou only art holy; and first, of his holiness. Holiness, whatever it is predicated of, is nothing but a separation of the thing from common uses; and to sanctify, is to respect it according to such separation, or as becomes its holiness: and holiness in God, is nothing but the incommunicable Eminency of the Divine Majesty, exalted above all other eminences whatsoever. So that to be holy alone, or to be the holy one, (in Scripture signification) and to be God, is all one; Hab. 1. 12. Art not thou from everlasting, my Lord, my God, my holy One? Isai. 17. 7. At that day, a man shall look to his Maker, and his eye shall have respect to the holy One of Israel, that is unto God. Psal. 89. 18. The holy One of Israel is our King, that is, Jehovah is our King. Amos 4. 2. The Lord hath sworn by his holiness, that is, the Lord hath sworn by himself. So then, for thou only art holy, is as much as to say, Thou only art God; these works of thine, thus great and marvellous, thus just and true, sufficiently speak, or prove thee, O King of Saints, to be the Lord God Almighty. Secondly, [fear:] who would not fear thee? To fear in this sense, and in this place, is to give that awful respect unto Christ, as becometh his Excellency; to serve him with a singular, separate, incommunicable service, and is so commonly in the Scripture taken for the whole duty, which we owe unto him; thus to fear God, and to take him for our God alone, is all one, Gen. 31. 53. Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac, that is, by the God of his father Isaac. Isai. 8. 12, 13. Neither fear ye their fear, that is, serve not their gods, sanctify the Lord of hosts, and let him be your fear, that is, let him be your God alone. [And glorify thy Name,] thy Name, that is, thyself, thy Divine Majesty; and to glorify this holy One, is not meant by making him glorious, or by adding lustre, or excellency to him, which before he had not, for who ever hath given unto him? But to glorify him is, to acknowledge his excellency, and glory, to do unto him, what may become his glory, to set up and exalt his glory. To fear him (then) and glorify his Name, as the holy One, is to acknowledge his Divinity, to own him as their only Lord and King, and (renouncing all other false Christ's, and mediators) to devote themselves to serve him alone, and worship him with a singular, separate, incommunicated worship, (his jealousy admitting no corrival, there is none holy as the Lord, neither shall any partake with him in his glory) absolutely, eminently, to do to him themselves, and to provoke others to do, as becometh his Excellency. This is the duty which the Church here engageth herself unto, and is in truth, the whole of Christianity, the sum of that everlasting Gospel, which the Angel flying thorough 
Revel. 14. 6.  the midst of heaven, was to preach to them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, and worship him that made heaven and earth, that is, Jesus Christ alone, by whom 
Col. 1. 16, 17.  all things were created, and by whom all things consist. And this is the duty (Honoured and Beloved) which I desire to press upon yourselves, even that you would be good Christians in your hearts, and in your lives, in your private places, and in your public standings, to engage yourselves with all your might, with all your authority, to advance the glory of Christ, as the redeemed of the Lord, as true Subjects to this King of Saints, to offer up as a living sacrifice what ever you have, or are, to his service, in advancing his Cause, his Worship, his Church, doing it yourselves, and promoting it in others: To this end, I shall, first, give you a few quickening Motives, to stir you up, to make you ready and willing to your duty; and secondly, tell you what the Lord expects at your hands.  
First, consider what great and wonderful things Our Lord hath already done for you, and how little you 
Motives. 1.  have feared, and glorified his Name to this day: Who of you can count the great and righteous dealings of the Lord towards you, not only as you are men, great, or rich, learned, or noble; nor only as you are Christians, redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, by this King of Saints, though all, and every of these mercies, call loud upon you for this duty; but I mean, as you are a Parliament, what great things he hath done for you, in reference to this service, wherein he hath lately employed you. Hath he not carried you in his bosom? hath he not kept you as the apple of his eye? as an Eagle fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings, so the Lord alone hath preserved you. How constantly 
〈…〉. 10, 11.  hath he discovered, and hitherto frustrated, all the attempts of your enemies, suffering no weapon of war to prosper, that hath been forged against you, condemning every tongue that hath risen up against you in judgement? I need not name the particulars, I am persuaded, yourselves believe, that no former Parliament can parallel God's dealing towards you, and all this while (let me speak freely) how little have you done for his honour, and glory? I know your distractions have unavoidably hindered much of what might (and I hope else would) have been done. But say (in this day of your thanksgiving) if you be not infinitely behind hand with this Lord God Almighty, with this King of Saints; if you have not ordinarily forgot his mercies, as fast as he hath wrought them: Hath he not often filled your hearts with joy, and your purses with money, and you like unthrifty children, have played away all at a cast? Have you not checked his providences, not improved his deliverances, and the advantages which God hath put into your hands? or if your hearts, at any time, have been raised a little, have they not presently been at a dead low ebb again? have you not gone about to kill his goodness with your unkindnesses, by provoking him at the sea, even at the red sea? even when, and 
Psal. ●●6. 71.  where he hath delivered you? Especially, have not many of you dishonoured his Name, and grieved his Spirit by your sinful lives, by breaking out into things extremely scandalous, doing the devil's work, while you profess yourselves to be the Lord's servants? Let me tell you, the Lord will not always strive in one way, in the way of mercy and deliverance: when he hath many a time delivered a people, and they go on to provoke him with their counsels, he 
Psal 106.  knows how to say I w 〈◊〉 ll deliver them no more, he knows how to bring them low for their iniquity, and to give them up into the hands of their enemy: he that for a long time hath seemed unweariable in watching over an unthankful people, will prove weary of repenting, and in stead of saying, I have seen their 
Esay 57 16. Ezek. 2 Kings  ways, and will heal them, will in the end swear, I will overturn them, overturn them, overturn them, as a man wipeth a platter turning it upside down.  
Secondly, consider your own place, and standing, the 
2.  calling, office, and work, wherewith God and his people have trusted you at this time, do with a wide and loud voice call upon you to fear the Lord, and glorify his Name: More than the salvation of your own souls depends upon you; the glory of Christ; the establishment of this Church and kingdom; yea the welfare of all Christendom, in great measure, are all embarked in that vessel, the steering whereof, is in great part committed unto you. You are in part, one of the Angels, who are to pour out the vial of the wrath of God, who should therefore come out of the temple clothed in pure and white linen, having 
Revel. 15 ●.  your breasts girded with golden girdles, adorned like the Priests of God, holy and pure. Be you clean, ye that bear the vessels of the Lord. Honourable and beloved, 
isaiah  how a bominable a thing were it, to see the Angels of God live like the instruments of Satan? how uncomfortable a thing would it be to the people of God, who have chosen you to this work, and bear you in their hearts, and present you every day at the throne of grace, who are willing to sink and swim with you, to live and die with you, that they should hear that such and such a Parliament man will be drunk? that such an one dare blaspheme, and swear, and abuse Religion? that Reformers of Religion, should hate religion? that such as are called to save the kingdom, should betray the kingdom? that in the grief of their spirits, they should be compelled to say, O Lord! can these men save us? tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon. How dishonourable would it be, not only to you, but to the King of Saints, who useth you, that they who hate the work you are about, should hate it the more, in regard of your wicked lives, who are entrusted with it? That they should have occasion to say of you, as Amurath the great Turk said of the Christians, who broke their league and Covenant with him, (and therefore sped accordingly) O Jesus! are these thy Christians? if thou be'st a God, as they profess thee to be, revenge this impiety upon them: So when Papists and Atheists, and such as hate religion and reformation, when they shall see the deformity of your lives, shall say, O Jesus! are these thy Reformers? are these the Angels that must pour out the vials of thy wrath? Oh beloved! do not with Eli's sons, occasion men to abhor the work of the Lord; far be it from you: But let the office you are called unto, the place you are set in, the work, and the dignity of the work, engage you to glorify the name of Christ, that both his work may prosper in your hands, and yourselves be established before the Lord for ever. But if you will not harken to me, let me sadly speak it to you, you are as a City set upon an hill, you and your ways are looked upon by all men; and if you hinder the work by your lives, which your office calls you to further, it were better you had never been born into the world. Them that honour Christ, 
1 Sam. 2. 30.  he will honour, and them that despise him, shall be lightly esteemed; yea he knows how to make use of you, and your gifts, to promote his cause, and to destroy you for the iniquity of your lives, as many of those who forwarded the building of the ark, yet perished in the waters.  
Thirdly, consider how loud this day's deliverance cries in your ears to engage yourselves to fear him, and glorify his name, who hath wrought this great salvation for you. It were a wasteful expense of time to insist upon the particulars of this late bloody design in this Assembly; (though in others useful) All the light we have about it, comes from you. The many great and high hands which were engaged in it, the subtlety of the contrivance, the nearness of the execution, the woeful consequences, and the bloody fruits which must needs have issued from it; The good hand of God in crushing this cockatrices egg, before it broke out to be a fiery flying serpent, are fit things to be published and to be spread abroad in other Congregations; But to you I shall only be a remembrancer of thus much: That you knew not your near approaching danger, and that had this treacherous and bloody contrivance took effect, many of you had been at your long home, ere this time, and the rest of this Honourable Assembly, hitherto the great preservers of our liberty, had been made as a Parliament of Paris, the greatest instruments of the kingdom's slavery and vassalage for time to come. But the Lord was awake when we slept, and hath took the enemies in the pit which they digged, and hath filled your hearts with joy, and given you another day to praise him. Can you upon this day of thanksgiving do less than inquire, What shall we render unto the Lord? I will tell you what he calls for, and expects from you, and I beseech you by these mercies of God that you render it unto him: That you present your bodies and your souls a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, that you fear him and glorify his name, for he only is holy.  
Fourthly, and principally, consider the late sacred Covenant and vow which you have all entered into; you have not only entered into it your own selves, but intend to draw the whole kingdom with you, into the Oath of God; let me mind you what you have done; you saw we were designed to destruction, and that God's mere mercy hath hitherto prevented it; You see there are still destructive and traitorous designs in hand, in several parts of the kingdom; you acknowledge your own sins with others, have deserved all these judgements which either lie upon us, or are threatened against us, and as a means to prevent our utter ruin, you think it necessary to enter into this Covenant with almighty God, and you have done it, wherein you acknowledge the desert of your own sins, and you confess your hearty sorrow for them, and your real intentions to amend your own lives, and what you will further do to save and preserve Religion; and all this you have done in Humility and reverence to the Divine Majesty, calling the God of Heaven, the searcher of all hearts to witness your integrity, as you will answer it at that Day, when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed. Think now how deeply you are engaged, and brought under the curse of God, if you perform not this solemn Covenant; Think how horrid a thing it will prove, for any of you to stand as perjured men before God, in marters of such Consequence; Shall he break his Oath (said God of a 
Ezck. 17. 15.  King) and be delivered? Shall he escape that doth these things? O Beloved, It is a fearful thing (in such cases especially) to fall into the hands of the living God, to whom you have appealed, and whose vengeance, if you wilfully fail, you have invocated upon your own heads.  
Lay therefore your hands upon your heart, and think what your purposes and Resolutions are in these few things, which I shall mention to you.  
First, for what is past; what real sorrow have ye 
1.  in your hearts, for those sins which you call God to witness you are thus sorry for? How grievous is the remembrance of them, how intolerable do you feel the burden of them? or do you take God's Name in vain, calling him to witness of the sorrow for those things which he knows you take pleasure in? Think what answer you will make to this.  
Secondly? What are your Resolutions for time to come. You know what blasphemies, what prophanenesses, 
2.  what uncleannesses, you have hitherto lived in; what irreligion and libertinism yourselves and families, have hitherto been guilty of, else you would never have acknowledged, your sins to have deserved these judgements; Now I demand, what you resolve to do for time to come: Do you purpose to go on in your old ways; He that was unjust, to be unjust still; he that was filthy, to be filthy still, and had no other purpose, but to lead the Kingdom a dance, to go before them in the formality of a service, without changing your leopard's spots, or your Blackmoors skins; or in truth, be you resolved, being changed by the renewing of your mind, to become new creatures, to serve Christ in newness of spirit, that Christ alone may reign as Lord and King hereafter, both in your hearts, and lives, and families, as Joshuah did, when he bid the Israelites choose whom they would serve; for himself, he was resolved, though he went all alone, He and his family would serve the Lord.  
Thirdly, as you are Parliament men, what are your purposes concerning your faithfulness to 
3.  Christ, and the Cause of Christ, and his Church committed to your hands? If you should altogether fail, deliverance will come another way, the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against the Church of Christ; But are ye really resolved, to save the Church and Kingdom, though yourselves should perish in the attempt? or do you intend under pretence of being factors for Christ, to drive a trade for Satan and Antichrist, to betray Religion and Liberty? or to trade in both the Indies, to have a stock going on both sides, that you may save your own stake, which side soever win or lose, to save your own skin, whatever become of the Kingdom? Like a certain Despot of Servia, (of whom I have read in the Turkish History) who lived among the Christians, and kept correspondence with the Turk; who was a public worshipper of Christ, but a secret circumcised Turk, that that Turkish mark might save him, if need were: Have any of you such cunning devices, to procure external safety with the certain ruin of your souls? Honoured, and Beloved, I hope better things of you all, though I thus speak, I hope you purpose according to your Covenant, and what God requires and expects at your hands, to stick close to Christ and his Cause, to sink and swim with the Church, and Cause of Christ, with singleness of heart, and unwearied resolutions, to carry on the work of God, to value yourselves only as his Instruments, and let him do by you, and with you, what is good in his own eyes.  
And for your Encouragement, let me speak a little of the third Use, which the Church here makes of 
3. use of Encouragement.  these great and marvellous, these just, and true ways, and judgements of this King of Saints, which is a prophetical Prognostication, and foretelling of what shall further happen upon the pouring out of every vial; and that is, more and more people, and nations shall come in, and submit to Jesus Christ; the Nations shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgements are made manifest: And this inables me for your comfort, to help you to an answer of the most difficult question, and most perplexing thought, that I am persuaded is in the heart of most men living at this day, viz. God hath cast our Lot in very perplexed times, all the banks are broken down, all God's judgements seem to invade us at once, and God's administration to the Kingdom is such, that the wisest man cannot guess, by God's dealing to day, what he intends to do with us to morrow; Sometimes the Lord enables a handful of ours, to chase thousands of the enemies; Sometimes multitudes of ours flee, as at the shaking of a leaf, when none pursues them; Sometimes we have rare Instruments unexpectedly raised up; by and by very useful men are taken off, and hopeful men prove treacherous; Sometimes the Lord seems to intimate (as in a cockpit) that one fight shall end the business, one way or other; otherwhiles, all things are set as if there would be a lengthening out of these unnatural wars, until the Cities and Countries are utterly spoiled, and the Land wasted without inhabitant: Now in these calamitous times, every man's thoughts run, as Nebuchadnezar's, with desire to know what should come to pass hereafter, and to demand with that Saint, 
Dan. 2. 29.  How long it shall be to the end of these troubles, and all 
Dan. 8. 13. Psal. 74. 9  complain, that there is no Prophet to tell us how long; neither can I blame them as curious, who are modestly solicitous to know what will be the event of these things, for even the Prophets and holy men of God heretofore, searched diligently to know what, and what manner of times the Holy Ghost intended, when he spoke 
1 Pet. 1. 10, 11.  of the sufferings of Christ, whether in his Person, or in his members. Now my Text gives (I say) a satisfactory answer, to this difficult Question, and I undertake (without fear of being censured, to be wise above what is written) to tell you what will be the issue and event of all these troubles.  
All Protestant Writers do agree, that we are under the pouring out of some one or more of these seven vials; Some think the fourth vial is now pouring out upon the Sun of the Antichristian world; Others the fifth, upon the throne of the Beast; there are, that think we are come as far as the sixt vial, and the river Euphrates is drying up; I will not determine which of them it is, it is sufficient, (which of them soever it be) my Text assures me the event shall be this, which is the event of every vial, Antichrists part shall be weakened, and the Church of Christ shall be strengthened; Something in every vial may afflict the Church, but incurably wounds the Beast. As the seven Trumpets were so many degrees of the destruction of the Heathen Empire, so the seven vials are so many degrees of the destruction and ruin of the Antichristian Empire; and it is worth your observing, that all the time, the whole twelve hundred and threescore years of Antichrists reign, Christ always had an army of Saints, to war against the Beast, a competent number of witnesses, who loved not their lives unto the death; But all the while of Antichrists rising, and triumphant reigning, the event of every conflict, or scuffle was, that the Beast grew higher, and the Church fell lower, the Papacy prevailed over all that rose up against it, so that the Church in the end was hardly to be found visible upon the face of the earth; But it is far otherwise in his declining time, the time when the vials are pouring out, every one of them plucks part of his fleece; one of them strips him of this Kingdom, another of that; one of them weakens his temporal, another his spiritual Jurisdiction; He is under the vials, as Haman before Mordecai, 
Ester 6. 13.  having once begun to fall, he can never more prevail against them, until in the end (the seventh vial being poured out upon the whole power of darkness) the whole Church triumphantly shouts with a loud voice, It is done, there is an utter end of this enemy. So that I dare speak it as confidently as I believe the Revelation to be divine Scripture, and the meaning of it thus far made known to the Churches, that what vial soever is now pouring out, the issue will be, That Antichrist shall lose, and Christ shall gain: And there is but one objection against it, which I confess to be a great one, and that which troubles many, viz. Whether the two witnesses be yet slain: their story ye shall read in the eleventh of the Revelation. These two witnesses, are the small, yet competent number of pure worshippers, who follow the Lamb, and conflict against the Beast all the time of his reign; now it is there said, that during this whole space of time, they prophesy in sackcloth and ashes, in a low and mournful condition, and the Beast makes war against them, and prevails against them; but quando finituri sunt testimonium, a little before the end of their mournful prophecy, which is a little before the Beasts final destruction; the Beast shall not only keep them low, in sackcloth and ashes, and prevail by degrees against them as heretofore, but shall kill them, and their dead bodies shall lie unburied in the streets of that great City, that is, in all the Territories of spiritual Babylon, and the Beast and his followers shall be more jolly, and glorious, then ever they have been: Now many learned Divines suspect this killing of the Witnesses is not yet past, and if it be not, the Church must go lower than ever it hath been, and how then is the Antichristian State weakened by every vial? To all this I answer, that although I am not able to say, This bitter Cup is yet past, (Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass away) yet I can say, this is true I have delivered, that every vial shall weaken the Beast, and strengthen the Church, and whether they be killed, or not killed, when ever their killing comes, it lasts but three prophetical days and a half, that is, but three years and a half, and then presently come in the glorious times, which Christ hath promised, and the Church long looked for; so that what that Father said of the Arian persecution, Nubecula est, cito transibit, it is but a short, though terrible storm, and will quickly have an end, and that end will be comfortable to the witnesses, who shall after three days and a half, arise from their death, and ascend up to heaven in a cloud, their enemies beholding it, and the great City immediately destroyed with a terrible earthquake: And is not this comfortable? You see, I go not about to determine what the event of these troubles will be to England, as England is a civil, or political State, or commonwealth; Christ breaks and moulds commonwealths at his pleasure; He hath not spoke much in his word, how long they shall last, or what he intends to do with them; only this, that all Kings and Kingdoms, that make war against the Church, shall be broken a pieces, and that in the end, all the 
Dan. 2. 24. Dan. 7. 22. Revel. 11. 15.  Kingdoms of the World shall be the Kingdoms of our Lord, and his Saints, and they shall reign over them: But it is the cause of the Church, the blessed event of these things to the Church of Christ, which I speak of, the welfare and good success of Religion, in which Cause you are properly engaged and interessed, and which I hope is dearer to you, then ten thousand England's.  
Therefore Beloved, Be ye steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; fear not your enemies, because they are blasphemous and wicked, because they are set on fire, with the rage, cruelty, and treachery of Hell, fear them the less for that; Let my enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me, be as the ungodly: Their wickedness is your advantage, it is their weakness, and makes you strong; Let not the huge stature of the Anakim's, and Zamzummims terrify you; Our state for the present is low, it may be we shall be lower, but lower we cannot be then Job was upon the dunghill, from whence God raised him up; not lower then Jonah, in the whale's belly, from whence the Lord delivered him; not lower then the Israelites at the Red-sea, thorough which the Lord made a way for them: Go on with your work, and fear nothing, this King of Saints hath depths answerable to all our depths; depths of mercy, answerable to our depths of misery; depths of power, answerable to our depths of weakness; He can give a comfortable Outgate out of all our straits, and my Text says, he will do it, and with my Text I conclude, Great and wonderful are the works of our God: And he delights to work wonders, both in ruining his adversaries, to uphold, comfort, and deliver his people engaged in his Cause, and to bring others in subjection to him, who yet are strangers from him. The Nations shall come and worship before thee, because thy judgements are made manifest.   
FINIS.