THE CURE OF THE KINGDOM, An old fashioned Sermon Treating of Peace, Truth, & Loyalty. A Discovery of the Diseases of the State, with a Direction to the true, certain, and only means for the recovery of health to this distressed Nation. BY R. P. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Coll: St. Jo. Cant. 2 KING. 20. 19 Is it not good that Peace and Truth be in my days. Printed October 1. 1648. The Cure of the KINGDOM. 2 KINGS. 20. 19 Is it not good that Peace and Truth be in my days? THese are the last words, which the Penmen. of holy Scripture have left in writing, as memorable in the History of Hezechiah, King of Judah, Successor to David and Solomon in the Kingdom, and heir unto them both, of what was excellent in them both. The most commendable thing in David was his Integrity of heart, 1 King. 15. 3. It is said of Abiah, His heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David his Father was. The most memorable thing in Solomon, was his excellent wisdom, 1 King. 3. 12. Lo I have given unto thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee: neither after thee shall arise any like to thee: Hezechiah was a follower of them both in these most excellent gifts 1. Of David in uprightness, 2 King. 18. 3. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his Father did. 2. Of Solomon in wisdom; four whole Chapters of the Proverbs, 25, 6, 7, 8. were copied out by the men of Hezechiah: probably at his appointment. What things may we not expect to come from such an one, who proposed to himself such worthy pattern? It is yet to be remembered, that they were the last words which are upon record, of this wise and upright King; verba novissima, verba notatissima: The last words are commonly most memorable, most carefully observed, and most commonly reported; Et dixit moriens; nothing maketh a deeper print in the memory of a man, than the last words of a dying friend. Lastly, they were cygnae a cantio, his Swans song, after the terror of a mighty Thunderclap, of an imminent judgement in the two former verses. Vers. 17. Behold the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy Fathers have laid up in store, unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the Lord. Vers. 18. And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away and make Eunuches, in the Palace of the King of Babylon. In these distresses, the stay of his state, and the sum of his comfort, was, that notwithstanding these Judgements were to come upon his Kingdom, yet Peace and Truth should be in his days. In this memorable speech, there are chiefly two things to be observed 1. The Manner. 2. The Matter. 1. The manner of speech is delivered by way of Interrogation. Is it not good? 2. The Matter is a Rejoicing for the continuation of these two blessings, Peace and Truth. I spare to run into any subdivisions, or to take notice of unnecessary circumstances, or by-observations, the words hastening to so useful application, that as Saint Bernard speaketh of another text, Antequam panis frangitur, ecce fragmenta: Me thinks every one should be ready to gather up the fragments before the bread be broken; and to make some application of the text unto himself, before I have made mine Analysis, or resolution of the words into their several parts. First of the manner of speech by way of Interrogation; Is it not good? The Rhetoricians make many kinds of Interrogations, as being used many ways. We take notice only of three. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, By way of Inquisition to get understanding, as Mat. 11. 3. The Disciples of john said unto Christ, Art thou he that shouldst come, or do we look for another? 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, By way of Temptation to get an advantage, Gen. 3. 1. Yea hath God indeed said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the Garden? 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, By way of Exaggeration, to get an unavoidable concession unto that which is demanded, Luke 17. 17. Are there not ten cleansed, where are the nine? This Interrogation may well suit to the last sense, viz. by way of exaggeration, or vehement affirmation; when we ask of those things, whose truth is known, and granted. In this case, an Interrogation is not a doubtful question, but an earnest affirmation, or full resolution. Tremelius renders the Text thus; Quod futura sit pax & stabilitas in diebus meis, bonum est; that there shall be peace and stability in my days, it is good. The Prophet Esay in his repetition of this speech, maketh it a resolute Proposition, Esay 39 6. Moreover Hezechiah said, It is good if Peace and Truth shall be in my days. So then, it is resolved upon the question, that It is good that Peace, and Truth be in our days. And this resolution doth resolve itself into four assertions, or asseverations. First, That Peace is good. Secondly, That Truth is good. Thirdly, That it is good that Peace and Truth should go together, as they are here coupled together by this Band, or copulative conjunction And, Peace and Truth. Fourthly, that it is good that this blessing of united Peace and Truth should continue all our days. Is it not good? That which the Psalmist makes the common quere of all worldlings, Psal. 44. Who will show us any good? The same is common to all men in the world; all inquire after good; every Art, Science, and endeavour of man (saith the Philosopher) hath this aim, to attain to some presupposed good, Arist. Eth. 1. The name of Good is so attractive, as that it draweth all men's hearts after it, with incredible desires; this is the Loadstone of our affections, the Polestar which doth direct the whole compass of all our actions; this is summa summarum, the sum of all sums, in which are summed up all the particulars of pleasure, profit, honour, health, wealth, life; and liberty; all are cast up in this gross sum of Good. None are wise, but they that seek it. None are happy, but they that find it. The Philosophers, who had their names from the wisdom they sought, had many opinions touching Good: some placing their chief Good in pleasure, some in riches, some in honour, against whom Seneca argues most divinely thus; Aut ista bona non quae vocantur, aut homo foelicior deo est; either those are not good things which are so called, or man is more happy than God: He hoardeth up no riches, neither is he taken with the delights of carnal pleasure, nor blown up with the vain titles of ambition. The true wisdom teacheth, that there is but one Good, Deus optimus maximus, the good great God, he is sons boni, the Fountain of good. Neither is there any good that is not from him, ja. 1. 17. As he is the true wisdom, and that one good, so is he Pax mundi, the peace of the world, Lux mundi, the Light of the world, and vita mundi, the life of the world: He that is the Wisdom, Peace, Light, and life of the world; he that is styled by Gregory, bonitas nata, he hath showed his servants what is good, and what is to be desired in this world. Is it not good that Peace, and Truth, etc. First of Peace, which by Cassian is thus defined: Pax est concordantium in bono animorum ordinata tranquilitas; peace is an ordinate quietness of minds, that agree in the same good. Hence I infer, that there is no peace to the wicked, Esay 41. 1. And that for these reasons. 1. They intent no good. 2. They consent not to good. 3. They order not themselves in the way to good. Some make three kinds of peace Internal. Externall. Eternal. 1. The Internal is grounded on faith, Rom. 5. 1. Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God. 2. The Externall is set upon Righteousness, Psal. 72. 7. In his time Righteousness shall flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the Moon endureth. The Prophet Esay calleth it the work of Righteousness. Es. 32. 17. S. james calleth it the fruit of Righteousness: Iam: 3. The Psalmist saith Righteousness and Peace have kissed each other. S. Augustins' observation upon the place is very good, Vultis pacem, amate justitiam; will you have Peace, love Justice; Justice and Peace are two inseparable companions, they love one another, they kiss one another: Therefore if you do not love Righteousness, Peace will not love you, nor come at you; when Jehoram asked Jehu, Jehu is it peace? Jehu answered, how can there be peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezabel, and her witchcrafts are so many in number. To conclude the point, with that of Augustine, Fiat justitia, & habebis pacem, let justice be done, and you shall have peace. The third kind of peace is Eternal. My text goes not so fare, mounts not so high, yet it is the high way unto it, and brings us within the sight of it, as Moses from Mount Nebo viewed the Land of Canaan. S. Paul Ro: 14. 17. doth thus chalk out the way, to this eternal Peace, Righteousness, Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost. righteousness leads to Peace, Peace to Joy in the Holy Ghost, this Joy is crowned with Glory. But to confine myself within the limits of my text, and to go no further than Pax temporis, the Peace of our days, and the praise thereof. Peace (saith Augustine) est serenitas mentis, tranquilitas animi, simplicitas cordis, vinculum amoris, & consortium charitatis: Peace is the clearness of the mind, the simplicity of the heart, the quietness of the soul, the band of love, and the consort of charity. De verb. Dom. cap. 15. 8. Peace is so nearly affianced to Heaven, as that it challengeth her part and property in God, who is Deus pacis, the God of Peace, Heb. 13. 12. All the children of Peace, are filij dei, the children of God, Mat. 5. 9 Blessed are the Peace makers for they shall be called the children of God. None are in God, but such as are in Peace, 1 John 4. 8. None shall see God but such as follow Peace, Heb. 12. 14. But Carendo quam fruendo, etc. good things are most highly prized in the want. The sick man is most fit to extol the benefit of health: The blind man (though he cannot judge of colours) is fittest to praise the blessing of sight. Contraries being placed by contraries, do appear in their proper colours. Let us then take a view of the ill of wars, and then we shall see more clearly the good of peace; see the condition of war, and as ye like of it, so judge of Peace. War is the scourge of nations, the rod of God's wrath, and the staff of his Indignation; a devouring fire, that devoureth to destruction; war in the Greek is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hath these two Etymologies; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A bloody issue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a common plague. The Pestilence is but a private plague in respect of war; that taketh away a part of a Family, or of a City; This disperseth over a country, and destroyeth a Kingdom. This war that is amongst us, is unhappy above all other, and that in three attributes, being Uncivil, Unnatural, Unreasonable. First, uncivil, war is called Bellum, which in the proper sense signifieth good: But it hath its name ex antiphrasi by the contrary, quia minime bonum, because it is not good, nay the chief of evils; So civil war hath its name ex antiphrasi, because it is of all most uncivil. Civil and intestine war, is most dangerous. A Kingdom divided cannot stand. The Lord make up the breaches of this Kingdom, and join the people together into one, that they may serve the Lord their God, and David their King, whom he hath raised over them, jer. 3. 9 Secondly, this war hath been unnatural: This hath broken the bands, even the straightest coujunctions of nature, Friendship, and Religion. First of nature. A Father against a son, vitam qui dedit adimit, unheard of cruelty; the son against the father, which might make him justly to take up David's complaint, 2 Sam. 16. 11. Behold my son, which came out of mine own bowels, seeketh my life. O Generation of vipers, how shall ye escape the damnation of hell. Brothers like Cadmus' brood, sheathing their swords in each others sides. Secondly, the band of friendship is broken. Two friends in whom there was according to Ariristotles' definition of true friendship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one soul in two bodies, or as it is said of jonathan and David, 2 Sam. 20. 17. They loved one another as their own souls. These not only broke the League of love, but fell into bitter feud. The Husband and the Wife, which are but one flesh, cannot agree to be of one mind, but fall into that distance of opinion, that one Church cannot hold them both. Thirdly, the band of Religion is broken. Two, that before did unanimously consent in all points of Religion, by diversity of opinion about these wars, are grown into a division of society, that as Paul and Barnabas upon their hot contention, they cannot endure to walk together. The third unhappy adjunct is unreasonable. The chief things that made these differences (so fare as they are presented to the public view) were, the maintenance of the true Protestant Religion, the Privilege of Parliament, the Liberty of the Subject, the Property of goods: All these, as they were earnestly requested of the one party, so they were freely protested on the other party: And yet for these we must fight, and waste ourselves, and so weaken and destroy a most flourishing Nation. You that have had a true sense of all those evils that are come upon us, by reason of these uncivil, unnatural, and unreasonable wars, I hope will be easily drawn to subscribe to the truth of this first Assertion, that Peace is good. The second Assertion or Asseveration, is that Truth is good. Man's excellency consists chiefly in two things, Ratione, & Oratione, in Reason and Speech; one word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth comprehend them both. And one virtue in practice (Truth) doth crown them both. The want of it in both doth make a total eclipse of man's glory. For the first, take Truth away from the understanding, and Reason doth wander in darkness: and so a man becomes like a bruit beast, that hath no understanding. And for the other, take Truth away from Speech, and then it were better for us to be as beasts, dumb, and could not speak at all: for so we should not sin so oft in word. The want of truth in the one, makes us like the beasts. The want of truth in the other, maketh us like the Devil. Truth is lux mundi, the Light of the world; and as he affirmeth of friendship; e mundo tollere videntur, qui amicitiam e vita tollunt, They take the Sun out of the world, that take friendship from the life of man, may more truly be affirmed of truth; They take the Sun out of the world, that take truth from the society of men. Without it we grope in darkness, Esay 59 10. We see nothing, we know nothing, we can do nothing without it, we can do nothing against it, 2 Cor. 13. 8. We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. Which words are to be understood, according to that Christian axiom; Quod quisque debet, id potest; Every man must have a regard, to what may be done, de jure, and not what is done de facto; Precedents of fact, aught to be no leading cases in matter of right; vivendum legibus, non exemplis; We must live after the Laws of God, not after the examples of men; The Law is spiritual, men are carnal, sold under sin. If we would have our ways well ordered, we must look unto what God hath commanded, and not what men have acted. Here what the Lord saith, Zach. 8. 16. These are the things that ye shall do: Speak ye every man the truth unto his neighbour, execute the judgement of truth and peace in your Gates. And let none of you imagine evil against his neighbour, and love no false oath, for these are the things that I hate saith the Lord. A question is commonly moved, whether a man is always bound to speak the truth, St. Paul ordereth the case aright, Eph. 4. 15. Speak ye the truth in Love. Truth without Charity is malicious, Charity without Truth is blind. O how happy should we be, if we had these two to go along with us in all our ways, to order our conversation aright in the fear of God But alas, both these are gone from us, Truth mourneth, for that what she feared is fallen upon her, and that is to be hidden; And Charity is gone up to heaven, there to complain, that she can find no entertainment here upon earth. And now that Truth and Charity are departed, there are eome into their room, lying and falsehood, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness. We may fitly condole the condition of our times, in the words of Jeremyes' complaint. Jer. 9 1. O that my head were full of water, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep, day and night, for the slain of the daughter of my people. verse 3. They bend their tongues like bows for lies, but they are not valiant for the truth upon earth. verse 4. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust not in any brother, for every brother will supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. verse 5. They will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth, they have taught their tongues to speak lies, and have taken great pains to do wickedly. And here we have a passage made unto the praise of truth, by the consideration of the odious, and common practice of lies, and untruth. As the world did sometimes groan under the burden of Arianism; So this Land may now groan under the burden of lying. This Country is come now almost into the condition of Crete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Liars. Tit. 1. 12. In times past, we took notice only of three kinds of lies. They were Jocosa Jests, Officiosa excuses, or Malitiosa Slanders. But now the sin hath taken such root, and the practice so fare spread, that it doth dilate itself into many branches. First Printed lies; I have known it hath been said, this is true, I saw it in Print but now, This is Printed, ergo suspected. Secondly, There are Pulpit lies; when leaving the fathers, and ancient expositors of Scripture, they stuff their Sermons with relations out of news books, fraught with untruths, from the father of lies. Thirdly, Prophetic lies; which are now in great price. Those that were in times past, but three half penny liars, and after two penny liars, are now come to be six penny liars. Surely their lies are more, or lies are of more price, then in times of yoare. Fourthly, Paliat or covered lies; and that is either when truth is thrust into some dark corner by Equivocation, or led aside by a sly distinction. Equivocation incites a man to make a lie to himself. A subtle distinction doth animate him to maintain a lie to another. For Equivocation. There are some that have hid the truth, in the dark corners of the Covenant, when unusquisque abundat suo sensu. But this is strange to be observed in it. They that first made it a Solemn League and Covenant, have since declared it to be but an Order transient, and like an Almanac, to last for a year, and is now out of date. Again, those that were most pressed, to Plunder those that refuse to take it, were such, as did refuse to take it themselves. They bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers, Mat. 23. 4. Christ the truth, calleth such Pharises, I cannot see then but they may be called liars that call them Saints. Again, as truth is hid by Equivocation, so it is led aside, by a subtle distinction. Notwithstanding so bad, but some will think to make it good: Nothing so false, but some will seek to make it true by distinction. The Law saith, Thou shalt not kill. When we lament the slaughter of thousands of our brethren, It is no butcherly slaughtering but in their dialect brave execution. Again, the Law saith, Thou shalt not steal. When we complain, that our horses, and goods are taken away by force and violence; It is answered, This is no theft, but Plundering, and both these are maintained good, by a distinction framed at the Jesuits forge. They say, they may do these evils, in ordine ad spirituale bonum, In order to the spiritual good, ours say, they may do these evils, in ordine ad commune bonum, In order to the common good. And so St. Paul's mouth is stopped with a distinction, where he saith, We must not do evil, that good may come thereof, Rom. 3. 8. Again, the Apostle saith, 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God, and honour the King. And the wise man saith, Eccles. 8. 4. Where the word of a King is, there is power. But some say where is the King? The King is to be considered according to a double capacity, Natural and Politic. By the one he is in one place, by the other he is in another. Juglars seem to have pretty tricks, at the first sight, but when they are discovered, they be very bald, and we wonder that we could not find out they slight; So this distinction at the first took many, but being well considered, was discovered to be very poor and idle. Can a man be a King without a politic capacity? No more than a King can be a man without a natural capacity. I believe where the Sun goeth, he carrieth all his rays about with him, though he may be eclipsed, or obscured for a time. So the King hath all his rays of Majesty with him, though there be a curtain drawn between him and us that we cannot now see the splendour of his glory. The union of these two capacities, are as necessary ad esse Regis, to the essence of a King, as the union of soul and body, ad esse hominis, to the essence of a man. So that upon the separation of either both are lost. Take away the soul from the body, it is no more a body, but a carcase, take away the body from the soul, it is no more a soul, but a spirit. So, take away the Politic capacity, he is no more a King, as take away the Natural capacity, he is no more a man. Besides these Paliat, and covered lies, There are Public, and open lies. Some come scouting in with a weekly Intelligence. A Lyurnall, great news, lie and all; But the Master piece of all, is the new Century of lies. Had it come to have been made a Chiliad, by adding as was intended the other nine Centuries to it, Lucian the great Liar, with his verarum narrationum; and Jacobus de voragine, with his legenda aurea, had been both outvyed, we had got the whetstone from them both: Theirs were Monstrous, and Miraculous Lies, our Mischievous and Malicious. Eusebius reporteth of Polycarpus, the Angel of the Church of Smirna, that when he heard any thing, where was much offence, He usually burst forth into these words; Deus bone, in quae temporareservasti me, ut haec audiam, Good God, unto what times hast thou reserved me, that I should hear such things. We have just occasion to use the words of this complaint, Good God, unto what times hast thou reserved us, that we must hear so many lies, and can hear so little truth. I hope the consideration of our miserable condition, by reason of lying, will persuade with us to subscribe to this second assertion, that truth is good. I come to the third assertion. It is good that Peace and truth be joined together. That axiom in Philosophy, virtutes inter se concatenantur, virtues are chained together, Is also true in divinity, There is a concatenation of virtues, and graces in Religion. As the Disciples came to Christ by couples, Andrew and Peter, James and John, Philip and Nathaniel: So the graces of his spirit, are commended unto us coupled together. Juncta juvant, as First Wisdom and Innocency, Math. 10. 16. Secondly, Faith and Love, 2 Tim. 1. 13. Thirdly, Patience and Hope, Rom. 12. 12. 4. Repentance and Obedience, Revelations. 3. 19 So we have here Peace and Truth, Peace without Truth, is a fair building without a sure foundation. Truth without Peace, is a good foundation, but cannot be raised to any Glory, and comfortable perfection. All agree, that it is good to have both, but they differ about the order of acquiring, whether link they should first lay hold on, that the other may follow. Some say let us have Truth, and Peace will follow. I answer, Peace may be the way to Truth, as well as Truth the way to Peace. In a settled state, we first look upon truth, than peace: But in a distracted State, we must first have Peace, or else we shall never hear of truth: Inter arma silent leges, what truth can we hear, so long as the beating of drums, the cluttering of Arms, and the roaring of Guns do fill our ears. The wisdom of the Town-clerke, Act. 19 35. is worthy of our observation, and imitation, when the City of Ephesus was in an uproar, he first appeased the people. than he persuaded them, if any were wronged how to have redress. We have commonly the Crier of the Court to cry Peace, before we can hear truth fully argued, cases rightly stated, and right truly determined. So in this case first Peace, than Truth. They that hate Peace cry out for Truth. And yet I think pilate's question to Christ, and what is Truth, would have neither a sudden, nor sound resolution of them. Veritas altercando amittitur, Truth is lost by jarring; it is a lamentable state, when Truth must be commanded, not argued, and right measured, not by statute, but by the sword. Lysander being chosen arbiter betwixt two neighbouring Nations, who fell into dissension about the territories of their Dominions, drew his sword, and flourishing it about his head, used these words, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that can use this best is fittest to determine of right. God keep us from Lysander's Law, that is Lesbian regula, a crooked rule, that will never square with Peace and Truth. They are deceived, that think that wars will produce Truth; we see the contrary. Ireneus who lived about the year 175. wrote against thirty heresies, and Epiphanius who lived about the year 383. wrote against 80. heresies; But in the time of these wars, the Author of the Grangren observeth 200. heresies, or there abouts, to have appeared in the space of little more than four years. As the overflowing of Nilus, by stirring up of the mud, doth cause many strange Serpents to be bred out of the slime: So the overflowing of these wars, have bred, and fostered, almost innumerable and unheardof heresies, and strange opinions amongst us. Hezechiah putteth Peace before Truth: so must it be with us, or else I doubt it will never come at us. Psal. 85. 10. The Psalmist addeth two links more to this chain, viz. Righteousness and Mercy. Peace cannot stand without Righteousness, as ye have heard, and Truth would not be willingly without Mercy, Truth is bitter without Mercy, Mercy blind without Truth. Luke 10. 34. Truth and Mercy are like the Samaritans wine, and oil; all wine is too much fretting and smarting; all oil too suddenly, and slightly healing. All Truth will require summum jus, right with rigour; all Mercy will regard nullum jus, no right at all. If we could pull this whole chain to us, it would be of more value than a chain of Diamonds. If we could lay hold on Righteousness, that would draw Peace after it, Peace would draw Truth unto it, and Truth would draw down the Mercy of God upon us, and open the bowels of Mercy one to another. And this for the third Assertion, viz. It is good that Peace and Truth be coupled together. So I come to the fourth Assertion, the continuance of the blessing. In my days. The Ancients reckoned the time of their lives, by days, to show the shortness of the time, and frailty of life, job 42. 1. Job died an old man, full of days, Gen. 47. 9 jacobs' life a pilgrimage of a few evil days, Psal. 90. 12. Moses prayer, Teach us to number our days. A day is a perfect model of man's life: A day hath a morn, a noon, and an evening; so hath life, if it be drawn out to the furthest period. My days, that is the time present, of my now being; the days past are not my days, they are gone, they are not; the days to come are not my days, they are not yet. There 'tis but a small interim betwixt those two days, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Rom. 8. 18. The Passions or Passages of a point of time. This time of My days is of so small extension. It is an axiom of Devotion, spiritual graces are to be asked without exception, because God hath made an absolute promise to give them: but temporal blessings with a condition, and limitation, if it be his will, and for our times. So we ask bread for the day, and Peace for our days. We need bread every day, and Peace in our days. And who knoweth, but these wars, and troubles of these times, are come upon us, for spurning at that holy suffrage of our Church? Give Peace in our time O Lord. To conclude the point, let all those that are peaceable in the Land, and have a true sense of the miseries of these days, and desire that better days may come unto us; subscribe to the truth of this Assertion, and take it into their prayers, in their best devotion, That Peace and Truth may be in our days. And so I come to Application, which is the life of Preaching, and chiefest thing that I propounded to myself, when I first purposed to treat upon this text of Scripture. This text may be fitly compared to Eliahs' cloud, which was at the first sight, but as the breadth of a man's hand, but looking a while upon it, it grew to that greatness, and extension, as that it covered the whole Heavens. So this text is a small sentence, if you look into the number of the words: But if you shall take it into a serious consideration, you shall see it grow into such a cloud of matter, as that it shall over shadow the whole hemisphere of our conversation, and shower a blessing upon you, to comfort you in these evil times sad condition. We look upon it, as appliable to all circumstances, Time, Place, Persons, Matter and Manner. None of all these can have his due praise, or true comfort without it. For the three first circumstances, Time, Place, and Persons. In all places there is a complaint of these times by all persons, excepting those that desire to fish in troubled waters, and that make a gain of others sufferings. These sacrifice to their nets, and burn incense to their drags, because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous, Hab. 1. 16. These like the Idolatrous silversmiths, Act. 19 24. Cry up Diana's magnificence, because it brought great advantage to their craft, and employment. But how many cry against them? 1. The cry of an impoverished City, where trading failing, Poverty cometh like an armed man upon them. 2. The cry of the Country, which is eaten up. With what a dejected countenance, and repining indignation shall the Husbandman look upon his crop, when he shall think thus with himself, Barbanus has segites? shall the stranger consume all my labours? After taxes, and excises, and such like payments, then cometh quartering like the Locusts after the hail, and eateth up all the residue of my increase. Have I not ploughed all day, and broke the clods of the ground, and made it even, that I might cast in my principal wheat, and Rye, and Barley? Longi perit labor irritus anni. Behold I have laboured in vain, and spent my strength in vain, and for nothing. Let us come to our Churches, we looked that a Reformation would have swept all clean, but we see it fare fouler than before. They sought to sweep away Ceremonies, and superstition, and have fouled it with sacrilege, and confusion. They pretend to pull down Popery, and have set up heresy, and so while they thought to put the Pope out at the Fore-door, they have let in the Devil at the Backdoor. We thought that text of Scripture would have freed our Churches from annoyance, Luke 19 24. Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my Sanctuary. But see how fare they are profaned: In our entrance into it we may see the Font, sons regenerationis, where the spirit of God moveth upon the water for our sanctification, hath been made a trough to water horses, and broken down in many places, as if they desired to renounce their Baptism. And to go a little further, and see for the other Sacrament; we see no Shewbread upon the Holy Table. The Communion which was in the Primitive Church administered commonly every Lord's day, In many reformed Churches received once every month, and upon Injunction of the highest powers, to be administered thrice in the year at the least is now in some places scarce named once in seven years. In some places they have it, it may be once or twice in two or three year, and that in the country about Harvest, and that too upon the grumbling threats of the Parishioners; why should he have his due, and we cannot have ours: And so they justly cause the people to renew the Prophet's lamentable complaint, Lament. 4. 4. Pueri quaerunt panem, & non est qui frangat eye; the children cry for bread, and there is none to break it to them. To go a little further, and see how the Sanctuary is rob of all her ornaments, the two golden Candlesticks, the two Testaments are indeed there, but the Candles are seldom lighted: We have had two Chapters read out of both Testaments, but now it is well if there be one. But commonly (especially in great Assemblies) a Psalm is sung of the new translation, and then the new light is set up, whereby (as some have professed to their hearers) they can tell them as much of the mind of God Almighty as the Prophets, or the Apostles, or Christ himself could. And for the Ark of the Covenant, with the memorable Monuments, the Tables, Aaron's Rod, and the Pot of Manna, their Parallels, the Commandments, the Creed, and the Lords Prayer, they are lost. So that our Church, now travelling of this new birth of her now Reformation, may with Phineas his wife cry out in her pains, and call her issue Johabod, that is, where is the glory, for the glory is departed. Let us go from the defaced Church, and look into the distressed world, and see how the cry goeth there. In every trade and calling there is a continual crying. Is it not now with us, as Job observeth in a great snow, signasti manus, thou hast sealed up the hand of every man? job 37. 7. As the hand is to the body, so is money to every trade and calling, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the instrument of instruments; what use or exercise can we make of our trades, when the wars command a great part of our moneys, and the Dearth a constant Waiter upon war, doth claim a second part? I doubt the third part will be little to trade withal. Lastly, for the two last circumstances, Matter and Manner, All men are to desire Peace and Truth by all means, and in all matters, how soever they be handled, whether they be matters of Difference, or of Reference, or of Conference. First of Difference, and reference. When a Difference is ended by reference, or Judgement without Peace and Truth, there may finis causae, non querela, an end of the cause, but not of the quarrel: So for Conference, if that be without Peace and Truth, we are in some respect, in worse condition than the Devils, they though they lie to us, yet they lie not one to another: though they divide us by wars, sects and schisms, yet Satan is not divided against Satan. Should we not abhor to have our conversation worse than an hell upon earth? the best means to repress these evils, and to procure Peace and Truth in our days, after true humiliation for sin, and earnest prayer unto God for mercy, to avert his judgements from us, is to call the King home to his wont houses of abode, that he may sit on his Throne of Majesty, and rule his people under Christ, with the Sceptre of Righteousness, and move in his proper sphere of Princely power. The King is Pater patriae, the Father of the country. When the Master of the Family is long absent, and that his stay exceedeth the expected time of his return, it causeth a damp in his good servants, a disorder in the bad; what fall out will there be in the Family, what wish amongst the servants? O that our Master were once come home. Indeed the Master's absence is a great cause of difference amongst the servants. We are loath to bear hard commands from our fellow servants, but when the Master cometh, he commands all, and all are quiet. Indeed were the Master a Tyrant, unjust, unquiet, harsh, and cruel, than the servants might wish his absence. But for this our Master, he is wise, just, meek, sober, honest; And I think I may safely say of him, as it is said of Edward the third; He was such a King, as that none of the Kings before him had more virtues, and fewer vices. This Kingdom for want of this King amongst us, is fallen into many dangerous disorders, and distempers, as there was sometimes when there was no King in Israel, judg. 6. 6. This Kingdom is sick, and hath the symptoms of many diseases upon it, as 1. A bloody issue in war. 2. The falling sickness in the fits of the monthly taxes. 3. The Palsy in the Excise, which cometh of the weakness of the sinews. All the Land shaketh. 4. The Ague, which either turneth to a burning Fever, which causeth a Frenzy, or madness; or into an Hectic Fever, which consumeth to destruction. There is a greater evil in this Land then all these, and that is the King's evil. Let that be cured, and we shall easily find Physicians for all the rest. All the rest are rooted, and grounded in this evil. Now none can cure this, but the King only. Only his prayers, his presence, his strokings, nothing else can do it. Why should we languish, when we may have health? let us desire his coming to us, let us long for it, let us pray for it, let us endeavour it; which being effected, the Son of Righteousness will come along with him, with healing in his wings, to cure the distempers of this distressed Nation. This he grant, who is our health, and our salvation, for his son's sake, who hath borne our infirmities, and cured our sicknesses, even by the precious Ointment of his Holy Spirit; to whom, even God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be all Power, Praise, Might, Dominion, and thanksgiving, both now and for ever, Amen. FINIS.