YOu have in these words

• 1. A Grievous distresse.
• 2. A Gracious addresse.

The Addresse indeed is first in the order of words; but the Distresse is first in the order of time and sence: And this it was briefly:

Moses and Aaron according to their Commission, had been now with Pha­raoh to deliver their Embassie and Command from God concer­ning Israel's dismission: Let my people go, &c.Vers. 1.

The Israelites wait to hear what news from Court, full of glad expectations of a speedie and present Deliverance from the Egyptian servitude, Chap. 12.40. under which they had groaned now these Four hundred and thirty yeers. But the tidings doth not answer their expectations:Vers. 2. Pharaoh will not let Israel go; he knows no God but himself, neither shall Israel stir. Yea their hopes of enlargement, are turn'd into the doubling of their bon­dage: in stead of keeping Holy-day in the wildernesse, they must to work again in the Brickils of Egypt: yea, make Bricks they must,Vers. 7, 8, 9. and finde themselves straw too: more work, and lesse wherewithal to do it. This was sad news indeed: Yet they had some hopes that this might be but the cruelty and encroach­ment of the Commissioners set over them; therefore they'll to the Court themselves with their Petitions; happily the King may give them a better answer; it is possible His Majestia gave no such command concerning Israel. But when they come they finde it was no mistake; Pharaoh speaks the same language the Task masters did: Ye are idle, ye are idle, get you to your work; Vers. 17, 18. there shall be no straw given you, yet shall ye deli­ver the tale of Bricks, &c. This kills their very hearts; now they see themselves worse then ever:Vers. 19. and thus coming out from the Presence-chamber full of anguish and impatience, they meet with Moses and Aaron, Vers. 20. fall foul upon them, charge them with being the cause of bringing them into this sad and hope­lesse condition; and in plain terms call for vengeance from God upon them:Vers. 21. The Lord look upon you, and judge.

And this now is the Distresse, the matter of Moses com­plaint, Vers. 23. Since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy Name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

Yet in this distresse he doth not behave himself like the Is­raelites.

They murmure, He mourns.

They run to Moses, He runs to God.

They proudly quarrel out the matter with him; He sweetly, humbly expostulates the matter with God.

They (in a manner) fall a cursing; He in a holy man­ner fails a praying:

Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil intreated this people? Why is it that thou hast sent me?

This was Moses gracious Addresse.

The words thus briefly divided and opened, will afford us Two most remarkable Observations or Doctrines. The first, from the Distresse; the second, from the Addresse.

From the Distresse thus:

A Deliverance of Gods own promising and setting on foot, may meet with such desperate opposition and set-backs, 1 Doct. as to the very eye of a Moses may render it a lost designe, no deliverance at all: Thou hast not delivered thy people at all.

From the Addresse, you may take a Second Doctrine, and that is this:

A gracious heart, in the deepest distresse, 2 Doct. in the most hopelesse condition, will yet go to God, and reason out the matter with God in Prayer: it will empty it self into the bosome of God by prayer and holy plaints.

Whether I shall be able to reach this second Doctrine or no, I know not. If time will not serve to handle it as a Do­ctrine, yet in its place it may come to do us good service as an Ʋse.

I begin therefore with the First Doctrine.

A Deliverance of Gods own promising and beginning, may meet with such desperate opposition and set-backs, that to the eye of a Moses it may appear a lost designe, no deliverance at all. For since I came to Pharaoh, to speak in thy Name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

You see there be Two branches in this Doctrine.

• 1. That a Deliverance of Gods own purposing and forming, may meet with sharp encounters and desperate set-backs.
• 2. That a Moses himself may at the first blush look upon it, at such a non-plus, as a lost designe, a no-deliverance at all.

These are of such a various nature, that they well deserve to be handled distinctly: But fulnesse of matter, and straits of time, will necessitate me to handle them both together; [Page 4]which yet may be easilier done in the instances then in the Rea­sons of the Doctrine; they being of a most differing account; and therefore when I come to the Reasons, I must take leave of the Second Branch, to pursue the account of the first onely.

Instances indeed there be that will reach both.

This in hand doth: For here, you see, is a Deliverance of Gods own promising: Four hundred yeers before, it was pro­mised to Abraham, as you may see, Gen. 15.13, 14. At the end whereof, God himself set it on foot, by singling out Moses and Aa­ron for this service,Chap. 3 & 4. and promising his presence with them, and his blessing so upon them, that they should undoubtedly do the work; which yet meets with such fierce opposition, and despe­rate discouragements, that not the Israelites onely, but Moses himself gives it up for a LOST DESIGNE; Thou hast not de­livered thy people at all.

But alas, it was early days when Moses made this com­plaint; this was but the beginning of the sorrows of their tra­vel; Israel must endure sharper pains and harder throws, be­fore she be delivered, that shall make her even despair of Life. Oh how doth the Deliverance after this hover up and down be­tween Hopes and Fears? Good news to day; the plague of the Frogs hath made Pharaoh another man;Exod. 8.8. he sends for Moses and Aaron, calls for prayers, promiseth to let Israel go: Moses thinks he is in good earnest; tells his Majestie he may command his prayers, Have this honour over me; bids him appoint his time, and it shall be done. Vers. 9. Surely now said they one to ano­ther, Our bondage is at an end; we hope, before a week go over our heads, to be well onward in our journey towards Canaan. I but before that week came about, What news from Court? Oh, as bad as ever; Pharaoh is of another minde; he speaks big, Exod. 10. 10, 11. threatens, curseth: it is well if we be not put to the sword! Well, but there is tidings since that, very good; what the Frogs could not do, the Locusts have: Pha­raoh melts. Vers. 17. confesseth his sin against God and Moses, begs pardon, which be desires but this once more, and then certainly Israel shall be gone. I but this fair weather lasts not; the clouds re­turn after rain: Pharaoh hardens again; Moses and Aaron are [Page 5] banisht the Court upon pain of death; and there seems to be no possibility now of their departure, since all means of negotiating thereof is obstructed.

In a word; look how many plagues past upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, so many desperate encounters and non plus's Is­raels enlargement meets withal; so many hard pulls it cost, be­fore they could get loose: And when they had got their shooes on their feet, and their staves in their hand, and their kneading-troughs upon their shoulders, and they well onward on their way, encouraging themselves now that the worst was past; behold, the hardest pull of all was behinde; they finde them­selves (or ever they were aware) environed with death and destruction: If they look before them, there is a Red-sea; if behinde them, lo, there is Pharach, with I know not how many thousands of Horse and Foas, like another Red-sea, roar­ing, and threatning to swallow them up; if on either hand, there is an unpassable wildernesse; and now, say the people to Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, host thou brought us out to die in the wildernesse? Exod. 14, 11, 12. This was nothing else but a very Plot of Moses and Aaron, an ambushment laid on purpose to deliver Israel up at once to the Egyptians, that they might utterly destroy us: we can neither fight nor flee; die we must every mothers childe.

See at how many dead lifts and desperate losses they were, and all this but in reference to the terminus a quo, of their de­liverance, their coming out of Egypt.

When you have leasure, you may follow Israel Fourty yeers journey in the wildernesse. How do they tread the Maze as it were! backward and forward, up and down; advance to day, and to morrow a turn again; march ten miles perhaps, and then fetch a compasse and retreat twenty it may be: and all the way encountred with such difficulties and desperate ha­zards, that they, would have been an hundred and an hundred times contented with all their hearts, to have exchanged their New liberty for their Old bondage; to have sold Canaan for Egypt again, and have though they had made a good bargain. Yea, once more, when now at length, through innumerable dangers and deaths, for Fourty yeers together, they had set foot [Page 6]on the Borders of Canaan, their terminus ad quem; and one would have thought there had been nothing more to have been done, but to have taken possession; behold, they meet with such a fresh unexpected discouragement; their valley of Jericho is turned into a valley of Achor; their fair fruitful meadows, into another wildernesse; where they were at such a plunge, as not to Israel onely, but unto their gallant General, Joshua him­self, seems the losse of their designe; Josh 7.5.6. makes him rend his clothes, his heart being first rent, Vers. 7. and wish that they had taken up their Quarters on the other side Jordan.

It fared not much better with them upon their second Re­turn out of Captivity; their return out of Babylon I mean: Indeed they met not with altogether so many difficult encoun­ters and desperate obstructions, in respect of the terminus a quo, their getting loose from Babylon; that came off better, though it wanted not its discouragements: but look upon the terminus ad quem, and there you shall finde them oftener at the losse, then when they came to take their first possession: the Building of the Temple, and the setting up of Religion and the Ordinances of God, stuck more then thrice so long then their travel in the wildernesse. It was about One hundred and eleven yeers after, before theIn the 6 yeer of Darius Notho, the Temple was finishe, which was anno 3531. Tem­ple was built; Twenty yeers after that, before theIn the 7 yeer of Artaxerxes Mnemon, Ezra came from Ba­bylon, and set upon the Re­formation of Church and State, anno 3550. Reforma­tion of their Ecclesiastical and Civil Policie was accomplisht by Ezra: and Fourty five yeers after that, before theIn the 20 yeer of his reign, Nehemiah began to build the wall of Jerusalem, which was anno 3564, and perfected them in 12 yeers. wall of Jerusalem was perfected by Nehemiah: So that from their coming out of Captivity, to the completing of the work, was not lesse then about One hundred seventy six yeers; almost the length of the wildernesse-travel four times told. All which time, they meet with so many open oppositions and secret trea­cheries and plots, that might well have made it seem a lost De­signe, no deliverance at all; as you may finde in the Stories of Ezra and Nehemiah. a They came out of Babylon 1 Cyri; which was about the yeer of Crea­tion 3420.

While this Captivity was yet threatned; the Church was in travel, in Hezekiah's time, and great hopes there was of a fair and speedie Deliverance: Isa. 37.3. The children were come to the birth; i. e. every thing seemed to concur that might promise a desirable issue; and yet you know whose complaint it was, There is no strength to bring forth; her strength failed;Isa. 37.3. her pangs left her, and Sion was now like a woman laid by of her Mid­wives for death. Hezekiah himself looks upon it as a LOST DESIGNE, NO DELIVERANCE at all: There is not strength to bring forth.

You know David, long before him, had the promise of the Kingdom; he was anointed by Samuel at the special designement of GOD; and yet how many Faith-shaking discouragements doth he meet withal? every step he took, he treads upon a thorn; oftentimes more like to lose his head then to wear a Crown upon it. Everywhere danger and death stares him in the face; in the bed, in the house, in the wildernesse, &c. in­somuch that at length he gives his hopes of a Kingdom and himself too for lost; I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul; 1 Sam. 27.1. and in his haste, in his passion, in his extasie, [...] Psal. 116.11. as the Septuagint translate it, gives the Lye to all the sons of men; I said in my haste, All men are Lyers; even Samuel himself, that made me believe I should be KING, He did but deceive and flatter me with a prophecie of his own head. Alas, he despaired of life, and what hopes then of a Crown?

It were easie to multiply instances: How oft do you finde the Church giving her self for lost, Isa. 49.14. Psal. 44.9. Jer. 14.19, 21 & 15.18. & 20.7, 8, &c. and ready almost to accuse God of Forgetfulnesse, and even breach of Covenant?

Take but one instance more for all: The Deliverance of De­liverances, the Redemption of the world by Jesus Christ; how fiercely and furiously was it encountred by men and devils? how long was it adjourn'd after it was in the promise? how lowe was it brought after it was set on foot in the fulnesse of time? Surely so lowe, Luke 24.21. that at length the Disciples themselves give it for lost; We trusted it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: we trusted it had been He; that implyes, now they had given over the Hopes of it, and look upon it as a lost designe, no Redemption at all.

And so it fares with Believers in their Spiritual estate, their soul condition: alas, how often, even after they have received the promise, yea, have been sealed up to the day of Redemption, are they at a losse before they come to heaven!

It fares with the Church in both these respects, as it doth with travellers who are going toward a City or House; per­adventure they may have it in their eye Twenty or Thirty miles off; yet by reason of Valleys and Woods thorow which they travel, lose the sight of it Twenty times before they come at it; yea, perhaps their way too; so that they even de­spair of coming safe to their journeys end. So, &c.

But I must hold you no longer in the Instances, lest I fall short of mine own designe; I hasten therefore to the Reasons or Grounds.

Wherein I must now (as I said) sever these Two branches, and follow onely the account of the first, viz.

What the Reasons may be, why a Deliverance of Gods own promising and setting on foot, may meet with such desperate set-backs and nonplusses, as may seem, some­times, to give all for lost.

And you may please to observe a Fourfold Spring-head, out of which several and various accounts do issue: viz.

• 1. The Enemies of Deliverance.
• 2. The Subjects of Deliverance.
• 3. The Instruments of Deliverance.
• 4. The Author of Deliverance, GOD HIMSELF.

I begin with the first Spring head of accounts:

Sort of Rea­sons. The enemies of the Chur­ches Delive­rance.The ENEMIES of the Churches Deliverance.

Here you see was a Pharaoh, and all his Malignant Courti­ers and Subjects, opposing and obstructing Israels deliverance: yea, when they had got loose, arming all the Milicia of Egypt, and putting them into Array, to reduce Israel again into their old Servitude and Bondage.

And I would He had been the last Pharaoh the Church had been troubled with. But no though that Pharaoh was drown'd in the Sea, there arise up after him new Pharaoh, in every age of the Church, that know not the Lord, and that will be [Page 9]opposing and fighting against the Deliverance and enlargement of the Church of God, though they venture another tum­bling cast in the waters for it. Whether they be open opposers, or secret underminers of the Churches Peace and Reformation; Tobijahs and Sanballats, Ezra 4.1, 2. who under a pretence of building with the Jews, do hinder the work.

Such as since the beginning of this Parliament, have been members of either House, who did his Majestie better service at Westminster, then they could have done at Oxford.

These by what principles they are led, Tyrannie, Ambition, Pride, Covetousnesse, Revenge, &c. (some by one, and some by others) I cannot stand to discover: Sure I am, they are all acted by that great principle of Enmity spawn'd into them by the old Serpent the Devil, whereby they are carried out into desperate hatred and opposition against the Government of Christ. Nolumus hunc regnare, Luke 19.14. We will not have this man to reign over us; there is the first and great Quarral.

And Secondly, against the Peace and Welfare of the Church: Come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation, that the name of Israel be no more in remembrance: Psal. 83.4. Minu. Foelix. like their father the devil that sets them awork, ad solamen calamitatis suae non desinunt perditi perdere, &c. lost themselves, they seek to destroy as ma­ny as they can.

Hence it is, that the Church is never in travel with a Man-childe, some eminent and famous deliverance and Refor­mation, but there is a great red Dragon standing before her, Revel. 12.4. ready to devour the childe assoon as ever it is born.

But I must leave these: it shall content me but thus to have given you a touch in general of the opposition which the Churches Deliverance meets with from the Enemies: And truely well I may; for I professe unto you, the Enemies, Satan and all his Imps, do not do the Tenth part of that mischief to the Church, in obstructing and retarding her Deliverances, as the Church doth her self, take it for the mixt multitude of those that make up a visible Church, in the profession of the true Religion and Worship of God; which brings me to The Second Spring-head of Reasons follow,Second sort of Reasons. The Delivered. taken from The Delivered, or Subjects of Deliverance.

Happie were it for the Church, if the oppositions and Set-backs of her Deliverance were managed onely by her Enemies.

Look upon the instance here before us, and you shall finde that God was now as much troubled with Israel (if I may so say) as before he was with Egypt: yea you shall finde that the work stuck not so long on Pharaoh's and the Egyptians hands, as it did after upon Israel's.

First indeed, Pharaoh hardned, and Pharaoh hardned, &c. but then you shall finde, And Israel hardned, and Israel hardned, &c. not perhaps in the letter, but in the reality. And God made quick work with Pharaoh; that conflict lasted not long; probably a matter of Fourty days ended that dispute and contro­versie about Israels departure; but of Israel you hear God say Fourty yeers was I grieved with this generation, Psal. 95.10. &c. That jour­ney unto Canaan which might have been dispatcht in Fourty days, they quarrell'd and sinn'd into a Fourty yeers mazing of it in the wildernesse: neither are they the last instances of a People that have laid in desperate obstructions and Set-backs in the way of their own Deliverance and Enlargement. It was so, 2 Chron. 20.33. Hos. 13.12, 13. But I must not stand upon In­stances.

How the De­livered hinder their own De­liverance.The Ways and Mediums how they have done it, is the thing which I would as briefly as may be represent unto you.

In general, all sin will do it; any sin will do it; witnesse what God said once to Israel: Isa. 59.1. Behold, the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save, neither his ear heavie that he cannot hear: 2.

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you. A passage quoted out of theNum. 11.23. history of the Wildernesse, and therefore the more proper.

But in special,

These sins.

1. By Pride.1. Ʋnhumblednesse of spirit, Pride of heart: It was not Pharaoh onely that knew not the Lord; surely Israel himself knew not their God: what a world of pride, and stomackfulnes, and selfwih'dnesse, and impatience they exprest not in Egypt onely,Num. 14.3. but in the wildernesse too? Sometime they will make [Page 11]them a Captain to return into Egypt; anon, they will advance forward,Vers. 40, 41. they will up into the mountain whether God will or no: and yet the Text tells us, verse 39, The people mourned greatly; but alas, they were unhumbled in their mournings; their hearts were not broken: on they will, against an expresse Command, Go not up, for the Lord is not among you: Vers 42. Vers. 44. But they they presumed to go, &c. and for this they smarted.

And so afterward, even while they were in the Babylonian Captivity, where they kept two solemn Fasts every yeer;Zech. 7.5. Sc. in the fifth and seventh moneth. Hos. 5.5. yet neither their Captivity nor their Fasting humbled their hearts: The pride of Israel testifieth to his face. And again, The pride of Israel testifieth to his face, and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek him for all this; and for this the yoke of their Captivity was strenthned upon them, and their deliverance re­tarded; They shall go with their flocks, and with their herds, Vers. 6. to seek the Lord; but they shall not finde him: he hath withdrawn himself from them.

2. By Ʋnbelief.2. A second Deliverance-obstructing sin is Ʋnbelief; deep­ly laid to heart by God, Numb. 14.11. How long will this peo­ple provoke me? how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signes which I havo shewed among them? To tell you the story of their unbelief, were endlesse: but this was the sum of it; They had not faith enough to carry them from one miracle to ano­ther: Let God do never so great wonders for them to day, in the next strait they were as far to seek as before: they could not dispute faith into the conclusion, from the strongest premises which Omnipotence it self could make: nay, they got a wretch­ed art of perverting Gods Logick; they dispute Gods argu­ments backward;Psal. 78.20. Behold he smote the rock that the waters gush­ed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh also for his people? CAN HE? nay, they should have said, Can he not? Here is unbelief with a witnesse, from premises of Gods power, to conclude weaknesse: from a can to reason a cannot. And this unwheel'd the chariot of their deliverance as it were, that with Pharaoh's, it drove heavily: The Lord heard this, and was wroth: Vers. 21. so a fire was kindled against Jacob, &c.Num. 13.32, 33. See what contradictions their unbelief speaks: The land thorow which we have gone to [Page 12]search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the men that we saw in it are men of great stature: and there we saw Giants. A strange tale; the land eats up the inhabitants, and yet they are men of great stature, and Giants; surely then they were no starvelings: shew me not the meat, shew me the man; if Giants, surely they wanted no victuals. UNBELIEF unreasons a man: Unreasonable men and faith­lesse. 2 Thess. 3.2. so the Apostle joyns them, when he prays to be delivered from unreasonable men; for all men have not faith. No wonder if unbelief be such an obstruction to a peoples deliverance: it ungods GOD, it UNMANS man. He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. Matth. 13.58. Mark 6.5. Matth. 9.29. He DID NOT, so Matthew; but he COULD NOT, so Mark. God is said to can do no more then faith believes he can do. UNBELIEF TIES UP THE HANDS OF THE ALMIGHTY: According to your faith, be it unto you.

3. By Murmure.Thirdly, from hence proceeds another obstructing sin, and that is Murmure: you may finde it treading upon the heels of their unbelief all the way; they murmure against God, and murmure against their Leaders, Moses and Aaron; and this arose from their Jealousie: sometime they suspect them of treachery; Moses and Aaron certainly had a plot first to be­tray them to Pharaoh (as you saw before) and then to destroy them in the wildernesse. Wherefore have ye brought us into the wildernesse to kill us?

Sometime of ambition, and affecting superiority and Lord­ship over their brethren: Ye take too much upon you; wherefore lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord? Yea, that which would trouble a man most to see, the very Princes of the people,Num. 16. Vers. 2. two hundred and fifty of them, are carried away with this foolish, groundlesse JEALOUSIE: Certainly these men affect arbitrary Government; if power and authority be in their hands, we shall be in as great subjecton and slavery as we were in Egypt, if not greater.

And this murmuring against them, GOD takes as against HIMSELF:Chap. 14.22. How long shall I bear with this evil congregration which murmure against me? I have heard the murmurings where­with the children of Israel murmure AGAINST ME: and for this, God threatens them with their own Jealousies and [Page 13]causlesse misgivings; they murmurs themselves to DEATH in the wildernesse, and their children into a FORTY YEERS TRAVEL: As I live, saith the Lord, as you have spoken in mine ears, so will I do unto you: Num. 14 28, 29, &c. Your carcases shall fall in the wildernesse, &c. all which have murmured against me.

And your children shall wander in this wildernesse fourty yeers, Vers. 33, &c. &c.

A Fourth sin is Adultery

• Corporal,
• Spiritual.
  4. By Adultery bodily and spi­ritual.

I put them both together, because they both go together for the most part; the one, whereby a people or person take in a false Lover; the other, whereby they take in a false God, or a false Worship of the true God. And into both these that witch Balaam bewitcht the people in the wildernesse,Numb. 25.1, 2, 3, 4, 9. to a great not abstruction onely, but destruction, as you may read in the story. And how often afterward these two bastned their Captivity, and hindred their enlargement out of it, I cannot stand to tell you: the whole Prophecle of Hosea inculcates it over and over.

You know upon what Commandment it is, that God calls himself a jealous God; namely,Second Com. upon that Commendment which forbids Idolatry; to shew that much unto us, that as a jealous husband cannot endure a wanton look in his wife upon a stranger; so God cannot endure a whorish glance in his people towards Idolatry and Superstition: Ezek. 20.24. Their eyes went after their fathers Idols; it was no more hut an adulterous look; and for this when they might have expected a REFORMATION, God blasted them with a DEFORMATION: Wherefore I gave them Statutes that were not good, Vers. 25. and Judgements whereby they should not live. Idolatry, and Superstition, and false Worship, which before was their sin, now became their curse and plagues; Ido­latry was established by a Law, by Jeroboam, and Manasseh, &c. for to the whole story and series of their wicked Kings, doth that judgement refer.

5. By DivisionsFifthly, a Church or People have infinitely troubled and set back their own Deliverance and Reformation by Divisions. Divisions are like great Breaches in the banks of the Ocean, which let in a Sea of wischief and confusion among a people [Page 14]to hinder their work. The Spiritual walls of the Church of Corinth, went up as slowly as once the material wall of Jeru­salem in Nehemiah's time, and all by reason of their divisions: I could not speak unto you (saith the Apostle) as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal; 1 Cor 3.1. Verse 2. a great obstruction to their Spiritual growth: they were not capable of the SPIRITUALITY OF THE GOSPEL. Hitherto ye were not able to bear it, nor yet are ye able. Verse 3. Why? There is among you strife, and envyings, and divisions; are ye not carnal? The divisions and mutiny of CORAH DATHAN, and ABIRAM, what a sad obstruction did it cast in the way of this expedition here before us? They incense the Princes and the people against Moses and Aaron, Num. 16.2. by raising Jealousies, and crying up the power and holinesse of the people above their just proportions: and what a fire did this kindle in their habitations, which had like to have burnt down to the very foundation?

Ths Troubles of Frankford might come in as a sad witnesse to this truth. But not to instance any further in such as have been pretenders onely to godlinesse, who have always made a major part by oddes in the Church: You may take notice that the very differences and dissentions of them who are godly indeed, have been most eminently fatal to Gospel-designes; witnesse the differences of LUTHER and CALVIN, which were greater obstructions to the propagation of the Re­formation in their days, then all the opposition and persecution raised by the man of sin, and all his Antichristian party in Ger­many.

It was the Church of Philadelphia, called so, for Love and unity between Brethren, before whom God promiseth to make her hypocritical enemies to bow and fall. Revel. 3.7, 9.

It is Babel men build, and not Jerusalem, where there is con­fusion of tongues: Mark 3 25. neither can the house divided stand long.

6. By Carnal confidence. Jer. 17.5.Sixthly, as much have they disadvantaged themselves by Carnal confidence; a sin not onely cross'd, but curs'd. Thus saith the Lord, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and ma­keth flesh his arm: Why? The reason follows, whose heart departeth from the Lord. Look how much men DEIFIE men, by so much they UNGOD Jehovah: by how much a people [Page 15]IDOLIZE Parliaments, or Armies, or the best of Creature-helps, by so much they withdraw their confidence and depen­dance from the Rock of Ages; and therefore for this doth God oftentimes infatuate Counsels, and blast all the beauty and strength of a people, wherein ther trusted. The wisdom of their wisemen shall perish, Isa. 29 14. and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid. Chap. 20.5. They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory. Alas, can a people pro­sper that have forsaken their strength for weaknesse? that have exchanged God for the Creature? Can a designe thrive that is under a Curse? Therefore cries the Prophet in the ears of all the world, Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils; Isa. 2.22. for wherein is he to be accounted of?

And therefore on the contrary, when Israel after her Captivity is put into a thriving posture, she is brought in repenting of and disclaiming all her Creature-confidences, with the Spouse in the Canticles, coming up from the wildernesse of Captivity, LEANING UPON HER BELOVED: Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, Hos. 14.2.3. neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, You are our gods (she had said so before, but she will say so no more) for with thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy. We break our stays, by leaning too hard upon them.

Seventhly, by undervaluing thoughts of a Deliverance or Reformation. An ignorant inadvertency of the worth of such a mercy, is very distastful unto God: Oh Jerusalem, Luke 19.42. hadst thou known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace! HADST THOU KNOWN the worth, HADST THOU KNOWN the necessity! God will have a people know what he doth for them; God will have a deliverance valued, before he perfect it: When Garlick and Onions are as good as milk and honey; when trading, and lands, and riches, and honours, &c. be as good as a Reformation; and men can take up with these, and let Reformation go its own pace, and come at leasure, if at all; Let them wander, saith God in the wildernesse, till they know what CANAAN IS WORTH:Hos. 5. ult. I will go and return to my place till they seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

This I suppose is that account given why the Reformation [Page 16]in good Jehoshaphat's time was not a thorow-Reformation: Though much was done,Chro. 20.33. Howbeit the high places were not taken away; for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

I come now to the Third Spring-head of Reasons or Cau­ses, arising from

The Deliverers.

obstructions in Deliverers [...]art.For certainly the work of Deliverance and Reformation may stick long upon the hands of them that are to be the De­liverers and Reformers of a people: Yea, you may observe it sometimes, God hath more trouble (to speak after the man­ner of men) to deliver a people from their Deliverers, then he hath to deliver them from the enemies of their deliverance; yea, though the work be intrusted in the hands of a Moses and an Aaron, God hath enough to do to keep them from spoiling of it: a great part of the Deliverance, is to deliver a people from their Deliverers, before he deliver them by them. So little is God beholding to second Causes. You shall see it in the Instances or Causes.

Take in the first place Luthers account.

There be three things, saith Luther, that are the bane of Chri­stian Religion; Melch. Ad. in vi­ta Luth. p. 151 [...] Oblivio bene­ [...]ctorum ab E­ [...]angelio acce­ [...]torum. [...]. Deinde secu­ [...]itas quae passim & ubi (que) regnat. and therefore much more of a REFORMA­TION.

First, Forgetfulnesse of former mercies.

Secondly (for I will put them together) Security.

They were both the sins of as famous a Reformer as ever the Church of God knew, Hezekiah's; for which the work of Reformation and the whole Kingdom, suffer'd deeply: I'll but read you the Text; But Hezekiah RENDRED NOT AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE BENEFIT DONE UNTO HIM;Chro. 37.25. for his heart was lifted up: therefore THERE WAS WRATH upon him, and upon Judah and Jeru­salem. Unthankfulnesse and Pride had like to have undone all that he had done. Oh when Reformers forget old Mercies, and old Deliverances (and them it may be that God hath used as Instruments of them) and new mercies and successes serve but to make them secure, and swell them with pride, to overlook their Brethren, and overvalue themselves; to think themselves [Page 17]no longer Stewards, but Lords; not onely petty kings, but lit­tle gods, to do what they PLEASE in the work and with the people of God: this shakes the very foundation of Church and State. God is highly displeased. You have a sad instance in Ʋzziah, of whom the holy Ghost records,2 Chro. 26.15, 16. He was mar­vellously helped till he was strong.

But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destructi­on: for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went in to the Temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the Altar of Incense. Alas, how was the man, and all the worthy things he had done for Church and State (of which you may read from the be­ginning of the Chapter forward) even lost in Pride, Ʋnthank­fulnesse, and Security!

Sapientia mundi qua vult omnia redigere in ordi­nem; & publi­cae utilitati impiis consiliis mederi. Exod. 32.22, 23, 24. 1 King. 12. from vers. 26 to the end of the Chap. Joh. 11.48.Thirdly, Carnal policie worldly wisedom, which applies fleshly medicines to Spiritual distempers; when men will cast the af­fairs of Christs Kingdom in the moulds and models of humane policie and principles.

Aaron he will make a GOLDEN CALF to still the people and secure his own life: and Jeroboam will make two; ordain Offices, Feasts, Worship, which never come into Gods heart, to secure the Kingdom to himself, though by this very means he lost it. The Builders in Christs time would not own Christ for their King and Deliverer, for fear of forfeiting their king­dom to the Romanes; and thereby ran upon that very mischief they would avoid: yea, they lost Two Kingdoms, while they would secure one. So dangerous a thing it is when men will be wiser then God, or at least, then God would have them. HUMANE POLICY before Scripture-precept, or Scripture-patern, is nothing else but DISLOYALTY; it gives God counsel, when God looks for obedience.

Fourth sin, Ʋnprayerfulnes.Fourthly, Ʋnprayerfulnesse in Reformers and Deliverers, is a great Obstruction and Set-back to their work; when relying upon the goodnesse of their Cause, they withdraw prayer, and leave all to God.

It is Master Calvins observation upon Psal. 17. vers. 1. Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, Psal. 71.1. give EAR UNTO MY prayer. Though David was sure he was in the Right, yet he [Page 18]goes to God by prayer to own both it and him. Hear, attend, give ear: Saepe contingit prophanos quo (que) homines jure gloriari de bona cousa, quia ta­men non agroscunt mundum divini­tus gubernari, subsidunt in con­scientiae suae the­atro, a [...] fraenum rodentes contu­maciter magis quam constanter ferunt injurias; quia ex fide & invocatione Dei nullam perunt consolationem. At fideles non tantum nitumur causae suae boni­tate, &c. Calv. in Psal. 17.1. Judg. 20. he prays, and multiplies prayer: He prays, and Jacob like wrestles with God in prayer; so the repetition of the words implies.

Calvin, I say, observes, that the children of God do not trust meerly to the goodnesse of their Cause, but make their con­tinual addresses to God by prayer, for his counsel and patronage in the managing of it. The neglect hereof, was the miscarriage of Two famous Battels wherein God himself sent the chil­dren of Israel to do execution upon their Brethren the children of Benjamin, who refused to give up their Delinquents to the hand of Justice: in the first whereof, they lost Two and twenty thousand; in the second, Eighteen thousand men, and all because they went out to the work full of carnal confi­dence, trusting to the goodnesse of their Cause, their Commission in their hand, with the broad Seal of heaven to it; but did not go forth with that fear and trembling, with that humiliation and seeking of God by prayer, as became a Service of that na­ture and importance. You may know what the cause of their miscarriage was, by their Recovery; for when in the 26 verse you finde them going up to the House of the Lord with FAST­ING, and WEEPING, and SUPPLICATIONS, &c. then they go forth and prosper. Oh, God takes it very ill when men think they can do their work alone without God; and leaves them to encounter with desperate difficulties and opposition, to convince them of their follie, while he may justly say unto them. Nay, if you have done praying, I have done helping.

A Fifth Cause of miscarriage or obstruction, 5. Self-ends. on the Deli­verers part, is, When they are acted by personal interests, self-ends; when they seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ, as the Apostle complains, Phil. 2.21.

Oh, when the enemies of the Churches Peace and Refor­mation can spie such tempers and dispositions among the Heads of the Tribes, they will be sure to be tampering with and ope­rating upon them; ply them with sutable and powerful tem­tations:Dan. 11.32. Just the Kings plot, KING ANTIOCHUS; Such as deal treacherously against the Covenant, he shall corrupt by flat­teries. Observe mens tempers, and boyl up your temptation [Page 19]to the height; spice it well with rich and sparkling ingredients; an hundred to one but it will take; promise Offices, Honours, Estates, Pleasures, you may easily make your party strong; they shall warp, cool, grow flat, be no more like the men they were, then if they were not the same. Others that will not serve the designe, let them be discountenanc'd, cross'd, obscur'd, unlesse they be men of high principles and ponderous spirits; in time they will be discouraged; and if they do not come up to act with you, they will have no great stomack to act against you; they will sit still, and let things work as they may. I do not know I Cease ye indeed from man, &c.

Aaron himself hath a spice of this disease: He and his sister the Prophetesse speak against Moses, Num. 12.Num. 12.1. Why what is the matter? the Ethiopian woman is laid in his dish; I but that was but the pretence; there lay somewhat else at the bot­tom; Self was at the bottom; Moses his GLORY obscured theirs; he had more respect then came to his share; they are no-body now: Hath the Lord indeed onely spoken by Moses, Vers. 2. and hath he not also spoken by us? This breeds ill blood; they care not for stirring any further in the work: if Moses must have all the honour, let him do all the work. What an Obstruction was this like to prove I Ah Lord, what influence self-ends and interests may have upon the very godly, to publike preju­dice, if they do not narrowly watch their own hearts I Oh it is extremely sad and ominous, when men come once to drive private Designes in stead of a Reformation.

6. Over-credu­lity.Sixthly, not lesse mischief may come to Publike designes by Over-credulity, in them that manage them, to the fair and specious Overtures of Accommodations and Peace made by the Enemies: It cost his Excellencie dear, Gedaliah the General of the Jews Forces; and I know not how many hundreds or thousands of Jews and men of War lost their lives by his too easie belief of PRINCE ISHMAEL'S FLATTERIES,Jer. 41.14, 15, 16. with Chap. 42.1, 2, 3 though he were sufficiently caution'd of his bloody inten­tions.

And so it had fared with them at their return from Baby­lon; the Adversaries of Judah pretend to build, but intend to slay; an Accommodation at the top, Ezra 4.1, 2, but a Massacre [Page 20]at the bottom, Nehem. 4.11. and it had taken as sure as can be, had not God given Zerubbabel and Jehoshuah a singular spirit of providence and discerning.

Oh the mischiefs that have redounded to the Church and her Reformation by unwary Treaties: all the Massacres and bloody treacheries which you read of in Ecclesiastical histories almost,Dan. 11.25. have been ushered in by Treaties; witnesse king Anti­ochus, KING CHARLES the ninth of France: that bloody Massacre of above Sixty thousand Protestants, was nothing but a covered dish served in under the pretence of Peace and Marriage, confirm'd by Oaths and Sacraments. The Church never got by Treaties: how should she? since not love of Peace, but want of Power brings the enemy to Articles, which he will keep no longer then he wants opportunity and advantage to break them.

7. Preposterous methods.Seventhly, Preposterous methods have been mighty Set-backs to Reformation: when Reformers begin at the wrong end. As long as they cried,Hagg. 1.2, 4. The time is not come, the time that the Lords House should be built is not yet come, and began with their own houses, the work stuck, they made no earnings of it; they put their wages into a broken bag: Vers. 6. you cry, saith the Prophet, It is not time, it is not time: the truth is, saith he, if you had not wanted hearts more then time, the work had been done before now: half so much time and cost on Gods house, as on your own; on the Church-affairs, as you have spent on State-busi­nesses, might have done the deed.Verse 8. Ʋp to the mountains, fall a building Gods house that lies waste, and do it in good earnest, if you mean to prosper. That is the sum of the Prophets speech. And therefore it was the singular wisedom and piety of Hezekiah (recorded to his everlasting honour) that in the first yeer of his reign, 2 Chron. 29.3, 4, 5. in the first moneth, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them, and brought in the Priests, &c. He made Church-Reformation his first work.

And so Josiah; In the eighth yeer of his reign, while he was yet young, 2 Chron. 34.3, 4, &c. he began to seek the Lord; and in the twelfth yeer he be­gan to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places.

It was a brave Speech of one that was once a Member of Parliament (Oh that there had been such a heart. S. E. D.)

In the Ninth place, you shall finde that want of due execu­tion upon Delinquents, hath obstructed, if not dasht hopeful be­ginnings in the Churches Deliverance and enlargement.

Saul spares Agag, it was a present stop in the work, and had like to have been the after-ruine of the whole seed of the Jews. Haman that plotted their Massacre in Babylon, Esth. 3.1. was an A­GAGITE, i. e. of the posterity of Agag: Out of the Serpents root came a Cookatrice, Isa. 14.29. and his fruit had like to have been a fiery flying Serpent, to have consumed the whole house of Judah.

And how Ahab sped for sparing Benhadad, the story will tell you, 1 King. 20.42.

Ninthly, Want of solid and substantial Principles in Refor­mers, hath been not onely sad, but fatal in the Churches af­fairs: when her Counsellers have been young, unexperienced, unprincipled men, led rather by fancie then by judgement, taken with every new thing that hath a fair and specious face upon it, and not able to dive into the bottom and difference of things.

A company of young, giddy-headed fellows, that never knew any more of true Policie or Religion then a few Complements in both, came to, lost Rehoboam, a King as wise in taking their counsel, as they in giving, his Kingdom: which makes me think that Wo to thee, O Land, when thy King is a childe, Eccles. 10.10 was the Legacie which his father SOLOMON left behinde him, by a kinde of Prophetical spirit, as well as a Caution to after-ages. And when God would plague a people to purpose, he says but this; I will give children to be their Princes, Isai. 3.4. and babes shall rule over them.

In the tenth and last place, Irreformednesse in Reformers doth exceedingly trouble and hinder their work; when they that should reform a people are Swearers, or Drunkards, or Ʋn­clean persons, or Haters of the power of Godlinesse, &c. this is an obstruction of a double influence.

1. An influence of sin: For will a wicked man, think ye, prepare a yoke for his own neck, or a rod for his own back? will he be forward and active to settle a Rule, to make a Law that he knows will curb and crosse his own lusts? No, their endeavour shall be some way or other to bring down the Rule to their hearts, when they love not to bring up their hearts to the Rule.

2. It hath an influence of Divine Justice: For will God use such, think ye, or honour such in his service? No saith God, Them that honour me, Sam. 3. I will honour: Shall he reform MY HOUSE, that will not reform HIS OWN? Shall he reform OTHERS, that will not reform HIMSELF? No, Every one of the House of Israel which setteth up his Idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling-block of his iniquity before his face, Ezek. 14.7. and cometh to enquire concerning me, I the Lord will answer him by my self:

I will answer him according to the multitude of his idols. Vers. 4.

God may use indeed a Cyrus, a Darius, about his Out-Works; but, Sanctificabor in appropinquantibus mihi; I will be sanctifi­ed in all them that draw nigh unto me.Levit. 10.3.

The Princes and Lords of Israel brought wrath not onely upon themselves, but upon the people, by their whoredomes, Numb. 25.1. so far from bringing them into the land of pro­mise, that they were a means to slay them in the wildernesse. They that accompany the Lamb, must be CALLED, and CHOSEN,Revel. 17.14. and FAITHFUL.

I come to the Fourth and Last Account: sc. The Reasons taken from the Author of De­liverance, God himself.

For truely in all these things, God hath an over-ruling hand: it pleaseth God,Reasons on Gods part. for reasons best known to himself, to suffer a Deliverance or Reformation of his own promising or setting on foot, to meet with many desperate oppositious and set-backs, [Page 23]which do render it many times, in the eye of rational conje­cture, a lost Designe, no Deliverance. We will glean up some of those accounts which he hath been pleased to let fall in Scri­pture, for our support and satisfaction herein.

1. For trial of mens spirits.First, God doth it for the discovery of mens Spirits; for the discovery of them to others, for the discovery of them to themselves.

Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these Fourty yeers in the wildernesse, to humble thee,Deut. 8.2. and TO PROVE THEE, TO KNOW WHAT WAS IN THY HEART, &c. Oh, suffering times are trying times. Set an empty pot over the fire, and it will break and flee in your face; so will men of empty, hollow spirits over a fiery trial: which is therefore called Gods fire, and Gods furnace, Isa. 31.9. and 48.10. because thorow this fiery furnace God will bring his choice ones, to be vessels of honour. Oh what a discovering time hath this time of Jacobs troubles been I how many hundreds and thousands of Hypocrites and rotten spirits of all ranks have been discover­ed, that had the work of Reformation go on as we vainly hoped (at first) it would have done, had lien hid to this day I and I am almost confident God hath not done his discovering-work yet: Goldsmiths use to run their metal more then once thorow the fire. Look to your hearts; the furnace is not yet extinguisht.

2. To humble his people.To Humble his people also God doth this; the last quotation told you so beforehand; TO HUMBLE THEE, and prove thee. Proud men are not fit for a Reformation; they'll scorn any thing but what suits with their own humours, and quickly be weary of that too.Psal. 149.4. The meek he will beautifie with salvation.

3. To exercise grace.Thirdly, it is the exercise of their Graces. Prayer WRES­TLES, Patience SUFFERS, Hope WAITS, Faith puts forth PURE ACTS, in hope, abovè hope; Love is ACTIVE, Self-denial watcheth over PUBLIKE CONCERNMENTS, and Poverty of Spirit saith, If he have no delight in me, HERE I AM, LET HIM DO WHAT IS GOOD IN HIS EYES,2 Sam. 15.26. Job 13.15. and holy resolution says, THOUGH HE KILL ME, YET I WILL TRUST IN HIM.

Oh what a glorious sight it is to see a people come with ex­ercised graces to take poss ssion of the Land of promise!

4. To warn the enemie.Fourthly, In the mean time while Deliverance is thus de­layed, God gives the enemies warning: He sets them a day as it were to come in: He sets Kings their day, when Parlia­ments do not:Psal. 2.12. KISSE THE SON, saith he to the Kings and Princes that are in conspiracie against his Holy Childe JESƲS: Will ye, Exod. 9.17. or will ye not? AS YET EXALTEST THOU THY SELF AGAINST ME? said he to the Egyptian Tyrant af­ter the sixth plague; AS YET? Wilt thou not come in for all th [...]se warnings? Come in by such a day, or thou art but a dead man. And thus he bespeaks the briars and thorns that come against him in battel; Let him take hold of my strength, that he may make peace with me, and he shall make peace with me; else I will go thorow them, Isa. 27 5. I will burn them together.

And surely this dealing of God brings in many. While God and Pharaoh were bussling, some of the Egyptians came in and compounded.

He that feared the Word of the Lord amongst the servants of Pharaoh, Exod. 9.20. made his servants and his cattel flee into the Houses: And what, would they, think you, secure their cattel, and not themselves? that had been a bruitish fear indeed: nay, the Text tells us,Chap. 12.38. A mixed multitude went up also with them. Oh the Patience and goodnesse of God! To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart. Psal. 95.7, 8.

5. To take them else in their own plots. Psal. 9.16.Fifthly, else, by this means God takes the enemies in their own snares: The enemies plots are nothing else but Gods ambush­ments to snap them in: every new opposition of Pharaoh, is but a preparation to a new Plague. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hand. HIGGAJON SELAH.

6. To destroy them by de­grees.Sixthly, by new oppositions, he wastes and destroys them by degrees; every plague devours some: The Frogs some, and the Lice some, the Locusts some, & sic in cat. So, Edge-hill some, Newbery some, York some, Salt-heath some, Alton-heath some, Naseby-field some. A man might reckon you a good many hun­dred somes; and so God somes them out by degrees, and thereby gratifies his peoples prayers, as well as promotes his work.

God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies (saith thePsal. 59.10. [Page 25]Church.) What is her desire? Slay them not at once, lest my peo­ple forget it. Vers. 11. If all the enemies of God had been destroyed at Edge-hill, it had been forgotten by this time. Scatter them by thy power, and bring them down, O Lord our Shield: so he hath pret­ty well, blessed be his Name. And by this means,Psal. 111 4. he hath made his wonderful works to be remembred: The deliverance out of Egypt shall never be forgotten: no nor Englana's out of our Episcopal Bondage, while the world stands.

7. By delay, God multi­plies Delive­rances.Indeed by this means, God makes many deliverances of one. It fares with a Deliverance sometimes, as it did with the loaves which CHRIST blest; while he brake them, they multiplied under his hand: so while God seems to BREAK a deliverance, he multiplies it into many: had Israel gon without opposition the next way to Canaan, it had been but one deliverance: opposi­tion, protraction, MULTIPLIED it into many Deliverances, before they came to their Rest: had England stept out of E­piscopal bondage into a Reformation, it had been but one Delive­rance; while God hath seemed to break it, I am confident he hath multiplied it into above a thousand already: to your Chro­nicles else, if ye believe me not: above Fourscore in eight months; what think you in the several Counties, in these three Kingdoms, in these five yeers, since the Parliament began: And how many Deliverances more God will make of it, before he hath done, who can divine?

Eighthly,8. He makes a full Deliver­ance at length. his meaning is sure by these methods to make a full Deliverance of it.

Full, in respect of the enemies destruction; the ten plagues bring in their particular somes, as you saw before. The Summa totalis is, Pharaoh and his Hosts hath he drowned in the bottom of the Sea. Exod. 14.4. It was a full Deliverance at length.

And as it was full in respect of the enemies destruction, so it was full in respect of Israel's liberty and enlargement. Pharaoh would compound: first, Go ye, Exod. 8.25. Chap. 10.8. sacrifice to your God IN THE LAND; then, Go ye: but who are they that shall go? GO YE THAT ARE MEN, &c. then, go ye serve the Lord, men,Verse 21. women and children; ONELY LET YOUR FLOCKS AND YOUR HERDS BE STAYED.Verse 24. Thus the enemies of God, if they cannot altogether hinder Reformation, would [Page 26]yet fain beat it as lowe as they can: if it must be a Reformati­on, let it be as ill-favour'd, as beggerly as may be, not worth the having: but no, saith Moses, we'll go all, men, women and children;Vers 25, 26. our cattel also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behinde: we will have a thorow-enlargement, or none: and so God forc't it at length whether Pharaoh would or no: they ALL went I, and glad to be so rid of them. The Psalmist remembers that,Psal. 103.38. Egypt was GLAD at their departure. My Brethren, I have not the gift of Prophecie, as some men have; but I yet have some hopes that though our unhappie differences have hitherto kept us, and our Reformation very lowe, and we look upon it now with weeping eyes and bleeding hearts (as there is just cause; for our sin and free grace may meet in the same action) I say, There is yet hope in Israel concerning this, that the fruit of all these Jarrings shall be the rendring of our Refor­mation taller by head and shoulders then otherwise it might have been.Zech. 8.6. My Brethren, because this is wonderful in our eyes, shall it therefore be wonderful in Gods eyes? Oh that I had faith enough to say, The zeal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this: and let all that love the Lord Jesus say, Amen.

Ninthly,9. He makes himself known. Isa. 63 12. Thus shall be known to be God: oppositions lift up God. Israel sees the Creature NOTHING, God ALL, in a deliverance so fetcht out of the fire. He led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious Arm, dividing the water before them, TO MAKE HIMSELF AN EVERLASTING NAME. And again.

At a beast goes down into the valley, Verse 14. the Spirit of the Lord cau­sed him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people. TO MAKE THY SELF A GLORIOUS NAME. Here is nothing to be seen in such deliverances, but God, God: God will out his people by this means of themselves; their own wisedom, their own counsels, their own strength, &c. and God will be All in All. The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day, Isa. 2.11.

10. By this means God endears deli­verance.Tenthly and Lastly, By this way, and these methods, God endears Deliverances unto his people. If they were easily got, they would be light set-by; but O how sweet is a land of Rest after fourty yeers travel! how sweet Peace after War! how beautiful a Creation when [Page 27]it comes out of a Chaos! as heaven is worth two heavens to a poor soul that comes out of hell; so Deliverance is Deliverance indeed, and Reformation is Reformation twice told, that is fetcht out of the jaws of Difficulty, out of the bowels of devouring apposition: it will be meat indeed, when it comes out of the eater; and sweetnesse indeed, when out of strong conflicts and long expectation: then may the Church tune her Psalms of Thanksgiving with the sweet singer of Israel, Psal. 40.1. I waited pati­ently for the Lord, and he enclined unto me, and heard my cry; and so forward.

O the depth of the riches both of the wisedom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgements, Rom. 11.33. and his ways past find­ing out!

And thus, Right Honourable and Beloved, I have dis­patcht the Fourfold account of this sad Truth, &c.

That a Deliverance of Gods own promising and setting afoot, may meet with such desperate non-plusses and setbacks as may make it seem a lost designe.

As for the other part of it, sc.

Why the people of God, even a Moses himself may so judge of it; how it comes to passe that they should so mistake the ways and meanings of God, were indeed an account worth the enqui­ring into, were there time and room for such a work; which since there is not, I must hasten to make some improvement of what hath been already spoken, for

Ʋse and Application.

Wherein notwithstanding it is possible we may meet with some opportunity and occasion to give you some little kint and touch of this also.

First therefore,1 Use, for Cau­tion, not to judge of Un­dertakings by Successe. Eccles. 2.9. it may serve to Caution us not to measure the lawfulnesse or unlawfulnesse, goodnesse or badnesse of a Cause or Ʋndertaking by the encouragements or discouragements, the present successe or opposition it meets with: No man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. Wicked hellish designes may go on smoothly and prosperously, hardly meet with a rub in the way; as it is said of the wicked them­selves, There is no bands in their death; Psal 73.4. or as the Hebrew signi­fies, no [...] knots in their death: they live like Lions and Wolves, [Page 28]tearing and devouring, and yet die many times like Lambs; not any knot to untie, no doubt of their salvation, no trouble of con­science; a Lamblike death (the great Idol of carnal ignorant peo­ple.) So it is with their designes; there is no bands or knots in their designes; they meet with no rub in their way; they go off as smoothly as heart can wish, many times, the devil driving them on, and God in a secret and a just judgement, permitting, for the hardning of wicked men to their own destruction.

Whereas Designes of Gods own forming and animating, may, you see, meet with such dismaying Crossings and Turn­backs, that many times might make one think there is no life in the businesse. And therefore call not in question the good­nesse and warrantablenesse of the work of Reformation in hand, or any other Gospel-designe, because of the obstructions and op­positions it hath, or may meet with: we are very prone to it: The Israelites after their first and second discomfiture before their Brethren of Benjamin, Judg. 20.23. are at their Shall I go up again to battel against the children of Benjamin my Brother? and so again, Shall I go up, Verse 23. or shall I cease? thereby secretly making a doubt of the warrantablenesse of their War; although God expresly bid them go. And so you may finde the Israelites, even Joshua himself,Josh. 7.7. repenting of their adventure, as it were; Would to God we had been contented, and dwelt on the other side Jordan: they distrust their Cause, though it had the Imprimatur of heaven upon it, a promise of above Four hundred yeers old.

And have not we done so upon the desperate exigences, and straits, and non-plusses into which this designe hath been driven up many times? Have we not been at our Ifs and our Would-to-Gods, &c.? Remember, I beseech you, what reasonings and discourses you have had in your own hearts. And get a better and a more infallible Rule to judge the goodnesse of Pub­like or personal designes by, not successes or opposition, but the Word; Psal. 73.34. if it be according to that Rule, Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, the issue shall be good, whatever the present po­sture of things be.

Secondly, if so, then take heed when you meet with such Turn-agains and non-ultra's in your work; take heed, I say, of charging God foolishly; 2. Not to charge God foolishly. take heed of entertaining any hard [Page 29]thoughts of God. This is our sin and our folly, That when any Church-deliverance is on foot, we think it must be carried on without any interruption, it must be done all at once; and so when the work meets with unexpected hardship and contradi­ction of sinners, we are ready to call Providence, as well as the Cause into question. I said in my haste. I am cut off from before thine eyes: You know whose complaint it was.Psal. 31.22. And Sion said, The Lord hath forgotten me, Isa. 49.14. and my Lord hath for­gotten me. HARD THOUGHTS! And so we are ready to think the work is at an end; we have seen the best on't. Moses you see is at this passe here: I would be loth to do the good man any wrong; but methinks he dasheth a little upon God in his complaint (though there be a great deal of grace in it too) Wherefore hast THOU evil intreated this people? Why hast THOU sent me? THOU hast not delivered, &c. Ah good man, he think this was hard dealing of God; and fears he is at his furthest, it will all end in a cloud.

And the reason of all this is (to give you the hint intimated before) Because the people of God take their eye off God and the promise, and fix it upon Second causes: Why the peo­ple of God reason thus unbelievingly in their straits. Isa. 33.10. Isa. 15.17. because they do not wisely consider Gods times, how that the Churches despair­ing times, are Gods helping times: Now will I rise, &c. They do not wisely ponder Gods methods: Moses might have re­membred how that God when he made Abraham a promise of bringing his seed out of Egypt; he shewed him also, as in a glasse, the Methods he would use in doing of it, in that Em­bleme of the smoking furnace, Gen. 15.7. and the burning Lamp, the smo­king furnace passeth before Abraham first an Embleme of black opposition, of sad and affrighting discouragement and trouble; and then comes the burning Lamp, an Embleme of JOYFUL AND GLORIOUS DELIVERANCE.Psal. 97.11. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Alas, Moses might have thought with himself, and have said to God, ‘Lord, this opposition of Pharaoh, this doubling of thy peoples bondage, is nothing else but the vision thou shewedst to thy ser­vant ABRAHAM; whereby we know assuredly the WORK IS BEGUN, it is the arrow of the Lords deliverance: we are now, Lord, in the SMOKING FURNACE; the BURN­ING [Page 30]LAMP WILL APPEAR SHORTLY; O hasten it, Lord, and help thine Israel well thorow this Smoking furnace, that they may not be weary nor faint in their mindes, nor sin a­gainst thee by IMPATIENCE and UNBELIEF till thou pleasest to cause the BURNING LAMP TO ARISE upon us, &c.’ And with these words he might have quieted and still'd the people also. But the people of God have their fail­ings and faintings, their short spiritednesse and short sightednesse; they look not to the time and methods of God; they eye not the ends and aims which God hath in these kinde of dispensations of his providence: and hence it is that they give way to Ʋnbe­lief and misgiving thoughts.

And therefore since by this short hint you see what the bot­tom of the disease is, labour to make a Cure of this Discovery. Take heed of hard thoughts of God.

Second Use, Examination.

And yet in the Second place, though in such Exigencies and Emergencies as these be, we should labour to keep up good thoughts of the Cause, 1 King. 8.47. and good thoughts of God; yet there is great reason that we should at such times turn in upon our selves, and bring back to heart our own ways, and our own do­ings, to see what the CAUSE may be on our parts, why Gospel-designes, Church-deliverances stick so long in the birth, meet with such desperate retardings and retrograde motions: for this is certain, Deliverance seldom sticks in the birth, but there is some sin and folly at the bottom.

Ephraim is an unwise son: Hos. 13 13. for he should not stay long in the place of bringing forth children. A metaphorical expression, importing thus much, that he should not have stayed so long for his deliverance out of Babylon, had there not been some great folly bound up in his heart; Prov. 22.15. which was to be fetcht out with this rod of Correction.

Truely, Honourable and Beloved Christians, we had need then to lay our hand upon our heart, and bring our selves to the Bar this day: This is certain, God is angry; wrath is gone forth against us, we have great cause to fear.

Object. You will surely say, What cause? the War goes on prosperously; never had Joshua better, swifter successe in the conquering of Canaan, then our Armies in all places of the Kingdom almost, have had in reducing this almost-lost nation; Eighty admirable successes in eight months. We have had as much successe as we could desire, more by oddes then we could expect: The War is as good as finisht.

Answ. It is true, Brethren; if you will look upon these progresses as Mercies, we have great cause to be thankful: but if we would look upon them as evidences, I see not any strong argument of rejoycing in them. I see not any bottom in them upon which a man, if he will look with both his eyes, can build any clear conjecture what God will yet do with us: My Rea­son is this:

The War goes on; I, but does the Work go on? Oh there is as sad a face of things in the Kingdom, as ever was either since the War or since the Parliament began; and sadder, in as much as now the obstructions do arise from our selves, whereas for­merly they have risen from our enemies. And O happie Isra­el it was, when the obstruction of their deliverance lay on Pharaoh's hand onely; it stuck but a few days there; God quickly conquered those briars and thorns; he went thorow them, and burnt them together. But when the obstruction lay upon Israel's part. in those days God began to cut Israel short; the Deliverance stuck there many yeers.

Quest. But how may we know whether the work rest on our part, or on Gods, and the enemies?

Answ. Truely very easily: Take this Rule. When there be but difficulties in the way, though huge and many; Enemies may be in it, and God, over-ruling those enemies and their de­signes to his own ends. For this cause I have raised thee up, Exod. 9.16. to shew my power, &c. But when we see sin in the way, then know the work sticks upon a peoples hands: and this may make us tremble.

Truely, as I say, when we consider how God carries on his work, it looks as if it would be a Deliverance; God works as if he were in good earnest; and we have cause to turn our days of mourning into days of rejoycing. But when we con­sider [Page 32]how we work, truely it looks as if we were in jest, or as if we we afraid of Deliverance, afraid of Reformation; and we have cause to turn days of Thanksgiving into days of Humi­liation and mourning.

For thus it is; while God is working wildernesse-wonders, we are working wildernesse-sins, wildernesse-prevocations.

I appeal else to the List and Catalogue of those sins which on the Delivereds part you have seen to be the great obstructions and set-backs to their Deliverance.Sins of Eng­land

First,Pride. doth not the Pride of England testifie to our very faces? Alas, neither Judgements nor days of humiliation have taken down the pride of our hearts. Oh the pride of Apparel, the pride of Houses, the pride of our Tables; but above all, the pride of Judgement, and the pride of Heart that is found in the midst of us to this day! England is very proud.

Again,Ʋnbelief. Heb. 3.12. Is there not yet an unbelieving heart in the midst of us, causing us to depart from the living God? to depart from his Truths, and to depart from his Commands, and to depart from his Promises? Surely we have not faith enough left to carry us from one miracle to another. Though God hath caused us to walk upon the waters, yet if there do but arise one wave higher then other, with Peter we are ready to sink. Though we live in an Age of Miracles, yet in every new danger our Faith is to seek. May not Christ reprove us still with. O ye of little faith! wherefore did ye doubt?

And for Murmure; I am confident the wildernesse never rung more with that hideous sound then England doth;Murmure. and the noise of it is gone up to heaven, and calls for vengeance. I am confident, had there been but half so much praying as there hath been murmuring, we had not been now to have been deli­vered.

And for Adultery, Adultery. that peccatum non nominandum, that sin not to be named; Spiritual and Corporal; O that it had been Israel's sin onely! O that it had died in the wildernesse! The hearts of men go after strange flesh, and our eyes after our fa­thers Idols. O how fain would some return into Egypt! At best, Brethren, we have but changed our Idolatry, not forsaken it: we set up new Idols every day, there is a world of new Idolatry among us.

And On our vain and Carnal confidences! Carnal confi­dence. We make gods of any thing; gods of our Parliament, and gods of our Armies; a god of any thing but Him that is our God.

Ʋndervalu­ing of Refor­mation.Is Reformation prized? I would it were: men love it well, but they love their ease better, and their trading better, and riches better, and preferment better, &c. I am much afraid God might stop our mouthes with these things, though we never saw a Reformation. How little is it that men will do, or suf­fer, or part with, or deny themselves in for a Reformation!

Lastly, Are there not Divisions among us? Divisions. Surely for the Divisions of England, for the Divisions of London, for the Divisions of Brethren, there be great thoughts of heart: And how many there be that cast Oil in stead of Water upon these flames of Contention I how few study to be of an healing spi­rit! All cry for Peace; but most men by peace mean nothing else but their own wills. How few be there that do deny their own wills to seek for Peace? The Lord help us; we are in a thousand times more danger from our own Divisions, then we are from all the power and policie of all our enemies abroad and at home. And in this case now though your enemies flee and fall apace before your Armies, yet I remember what God by the Prophet told the people, Jer. 37.9.10. Thus saith the Lord, Deceive not your selves, saying, The Caldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart:

For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Caldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this City with fire. There is no believing of Successes when SIN lies at the door.

And now, my Lords, for that Catalogue of Obstructions which the Deliverers of a People cast in their own way by

• Forgetfulnesse of Mercies.
• Pride and Security.
• Carnal Policie.
• Ʋnprayerfulnesse.
• Personal interests, base self-ends.
• Over-credulity of the enemies good meanings.
• Preprosterous Methods.
• [Page 34]Defaults of execution of Justice upon Delinquents.
• Want of solid and substantial Principles.
• Irreformednesse in their own persons and families.

I say in all these I have given you onely the History; I have made no Application, neither do I intend it: I leave the ap­plication of each particular to your selves. You know more by your selves then any stander by in the world doth; or at least, you may do, if you studie your selves, and studie your own hearts; I pray God you may: And you may deal more plainly and thorowly with your selves, then it is meet for any Minister to do. You are our Fathers, and we would gladly go backward and cover your nakednesse; mourn in secret for you, and lift up a prayer to God in your behalf. What therefore another can do but by Hints and loof-intimations at any time, you may do in down-right accusations, between God and your souls: you may say, if there be occasion, ‘Lord, I am the man; I have forgotten mercies; Honour and successe have made me proud and secure, and lifted up my heart with Hezekiah: I have consulted with Carnal policie rather then the Oracles God: I am an Ʋnprayerful wretch; my Chaplain prays, but I pray not; my Closet is a stranger to such duties: Ah God be merciful to me, I have pursued base ends and self-interests: I have been too easie to believe fair and specious pretences, but have not searckt into the bottom and truth of things: Proposterous methods have been my sin, and I was never troubled for it. There be Delin­quents of an high nature; Trinity-blasphemers, Scripture-Traitors, &c. and I have not done my best to bring them to judgement: I want solid Principles: I am a childe, said Solo­mon; Lord, I may much more say so: and that which is worse, I that should reform others, am unreformed my self; I and my bosome-sin are not yet parted: Oh will God make use of such a wretch as I am, in so glorious a work as this is whereto I am call­ed? God be merciful to me a sinner.’ I say, This language would not become a Minister; but this language would ex­ceedingly become you, as you shall finde occasion. Oh deal faith­fully between God and your own souls: Yea, all that stand before God this day; deal impartially in this businesse of Self-examination this day: Reformation sticks in the birth; the [Page 35]children are come to the birth, but there is not strength to bring forth. God is certainly angry;Josh, 7.11. he hath seen some accursed thing in the midst of us: And O that every one would begin to ask with the Disciples, Nunquid ego Domine mi? LORD IS IT I? Say, DELIVERED, Lord, is it I? Say, DE­LIVERERS, Lord, is it I? Every one say, Lord, I and my fathers house are the troublers of England, the Hinderers of Reformation: It may be Israel had been in Canaan, had I been stoned to death; the storm had ceased, happily, had I been cast into the sea with Jonas; the Reformation perfected, had I been removed.

Christians, it is a day of sould-affliction, of self-judging, of self-condemnation before the Lord: let us make it a little judge­ment-day: how neer the great day is, who knows? oh prevent i: Set up Thrones, and set Christ upon those Thrones, and cast our selves down before him, and smite upon our thighs, and bear our shame, and cry, Guilty, guilty: this were the way to atone God, to save the kingdom, to hasten Reformation: God would certainly take it well at our hands.1 Cor. 11.31. If we would judge our selves, we should not be judged of the Lord.

I might enlarge here; but it is more proper for the work of Confession and Prayer; which the day calls for. I hasten to Conclude with a word of Exhortation; the third Ʋse.

And first, Noble Peers. Do you desire to serve Jesus Christ faithfully in this work of Reformation? do you desire to ma­nage it so, as no obstruction may be on your part? I know you do! Give then a poor Minister of Jesus Christ that desires as much to serve you, leave, to present you with a few Cautions, or Directions, or Rules (call them which you will) to help you in your work.

Rules for De­verers.Directions, or Cautions, or Rules for Deliverers.

1. Eye duty more then danger.1. Eye duty more then danger. It was a brave answer that Luther returned to Melancton, when surpris'd with fear, he wrote to Luther to be more moderate; Oh, says he, If the Cause be not Gods, let us lay aside; but if it be, let us go on, and trust God. Providence of means is ours; Providence of successe and safety is God's. Do you your work, and God will do his. [Page 36] Sibi nim fore cetera curae. Ovid. IN THE MOUNT THE LORD WILL BE SEEN.

2. Take heed of Short spirited­nesse.2. Take heed of short Spiritednesse: Moses had a dash of it; Hear, ye Rebels, must we fetch water out of this Rock? It cost him dear; he must onely see, he must not enter the Land of pro­mise It was a brave Resolution of Nehemiah: Should such a man as I flee? Short spirited men will give away their souls, Florus says of the French, They are primo [...]petu ignis, exi­tu vero sumus. James 1 4.3. Observ. Gods goings forth. 2 Sam 5.24. much more a kingdom for nothing. There is Saul, be­cause God will not answer him, the Devil shall. Let patience have her perfect work.

3. Observe Gods goings forth, and then bestir your selves. Saith God to David, When thou hearest the sound of a going in the top of the Mulberry-trees, then bestir thy self; for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines. My Lords, God hath smitten the Host of the Philistines; is not this his walking on the top of the Mulberry-trees? Are not these the signals of Gods presence? O bestir your selves now to do something worthy of God, and worthy of these wonders, in the work of Reformation. When God doth great things for a people. He looks for great things from a people; and if they an­swer not his expectation,Matth. 5.47. they are und one. What singular thing do you do?

4. Take heed of Tolerati­ons.4. Take heed of Tolerations: do you know what they are? Truely in the latitude as they are cried up; and contended for, they are nothing else but a Gunpowder-Treason to blowe up Religi­on; a Balaam's plot to bring God in an enemy upon us: and I am confident the hand of the Romish Balaam is in it: as sure as you are there,That Witch of Rome that be­witcheth the Nations. Cant. 2.19. my Lords, Priests and Jesuites are working these fire-works under-ground, and put them into the hands of active Engineers to throw them abroad. Oh that you could take us those foxes that spoil the Vines, now that the tender grapes are sprouting forth: Methinks it were not a matter of impossi­bility to earth them; to follow them by the print of their feet, to their burrows, where they skulk up and down in every place both in Citie and Countrey. What engines did Julian the A­postate and Valens the Emperour use,Aug. Ep. 166. Theod. Eccles. hist. l. 4. c. 22. when they would under­mine and ruine Christian Religion, but a Toleration of all Re­ligions, Liberty of Conscience, as we call it; but Libertatem [Page 37]perditionis, as Austin more rightly phraseth it; a Libeyty of perdition? For what is it in English but If men will go to the devil, you must not hinder them?

Ob. Why but shall the godly be persecuted or banisht the King­dom, after they have done so much for it?

Answ. No, God forbid. I hope through Gods mercy and the Parliaments piety and wisedom, there will be a medium found out between Banishment and a Toleration; or else for my part, I had rather be banisht even life it self, then live to see the mi­sery and confusion that will come upon this Church and State. Surely you know how you may do it; sc. by making a pure Rule, setling a thorow Reformation indeed.

For Gods sake, my Lords, let us not have a Reformation that shall need a Toleration, much lesse that shall enforce it; to have found such a one, would have been grievous; but to make such a one, would be intolerable; what could Episcopacie it self have done more? It is as if you put a scandalous Minister up­on a people, and give them leave to go from him; make a smokie house, and give the children leave to run out of doors! The Lord keep you, that such a thought may not come into your hearts; I hope he will. My Fathers, my Fathers, the charets of England and the Horsemen thereof, Toleranda sunt quae emendari non possunt. PURITY IS THE BEST WAY TO UNITY; and as many as walk according to this Rule, peace shall be upon them; peace shall be among them, mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Therefore,

Fifthly, take heed, I beseech you also, of that which is the next door to a Toleration, and that is Connivence: 5. Take heed of Connivence. It is but a Toleration in figures, though not in words at length. The plot of the Bishops for the advance of Popery (whereby indeed it was thriven to a formidable height among us.) A Toleration will sound too broad, we shall hear ill among the people: but, said they to the Papists and Jesuites, do what you will, we will secure you; if ye be fined, we will take it off; if ye be impri­son'd, we will quickly fetch you out: O LET NOT YOUR SOULS COME INTO THEIR SECRETS; AND TO THEIR COUNSELS LET NOT YOUR HONOURS BE UNITED.

6. Provide for Religion be­fore Dispensa­tions.And therefore in the Sixth place, let it be your wisedom and piety to provide well and thorowly for Religion, before you provide for the Religious: Settle a Rule according to the Word (and, if I may say so) according to the example of the best Re­formed Churches, before you debate a Dispensation from the Role. Let us know who be Saints, before the Saints know their Thirty: For let me say this freely, If either Saints may make Opinions, or Opinions may make Saints, we shall quickly have more Opinions then Saints in the Land.

7. Minde Co­venant.Well, Seventhly, Be pleased, for Christs sake, to minde your Covenant, all over.

Let me speak one word, not onely to you the Nobles and Princes of this Land, but to both Kingdoms; I would I could speak so that all might hear: God hath brought us into the Boad of the Covenant, to Himself, to One another: THAT NATION THAT BREAKS FIRST, WILL BE A SCORN, and (that which is worse) A CURSE TO ALL THE WORLD: It is not all the Militia nor Provisions in the world, that can secure their Peace and Safety. Shall he pro­sper? Ezek. 17.15. shall he escape that doth such things? or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered? You know who said so, and upon what occasion.

8. Be humbled for old Super­stitions.Eighthly, Be humbled, I beseech you, for former Supersti­tions: It concerns you that are the Nobles of the Land, and all that are call'd to be our Reformers, as well as the Ministers of the Gospel, to be deeply sensible of your former Complian­ces with Episcopal Superstitions and Idolatrous mixtures in the Worship of God. It is the very Law, upon which God hath engaged himself to take off the vail from before Reformers eyes:Ezek. 43.11. If they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, the goings out there­of, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the Ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the Laws thereof, and write it in their sight, &c. Who knows whe­ther our Unhumblednesse for these things, be not the cause that the Curtain is not yet drawn?

9. Be tender of Christs pre­rogative.Ninthly, Be tender of Christs Prerogative. You are very jealous of your own Priviledges; whoso toucheth them, [Page 39] toucheth the apple of your eye: Do you think Jesus Christ will not be as jealous of his own Prerogative? And oh if you should do any thing which the Parliament in heaven, that upper House (for I know you look upon your selves but as the nether House of Parliament) should vote a breach of Priviledge, a trespasse upon the Prerogative Royal of the King of Saints; how would ye be able to answer it in the day of Accounts? Oh therefore see I beseech you to these things.

• 1. That Christs person be adored; that men honour the Son,
  Joh. 5.23.
  even as they bonour the Father.
• 2. That his Ordinances be preserved in their purity.
• 3. That his Officers be preserved in their power.
• 4. That his Offices be preserved in their latitude.
• 5. That all his Administrations and Censures be put into faithful and proper hands. If we come into your Houses, we see no confusion there: The Groom doth not usurp the Steward's Office; The Cook doth not croud into the Bed-chamber; The Secretary doth not do the Chaplain's work: Even so Christ hath ordained that in his House all things be done in decen­cy and in order;
  1 Cor. 14.40. Vers. 32.
  and that the spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets.

10. Look to Self-Refor­mation.In the Tenth and last place, Especially look to Self-reformati­on. Reform your Persons, reform your Families: say as Jo­shua, I and my house will serve the Lord. Do as Jacob did, who when he went to build an Altar to the Lord, Josh. 24.15. said to his fami­ly, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments. If they will not put away their strange gods, their lying, their swearing, their whoredoms, their Sabbath-breaking, &c. Do you put them away. Say with David, He that walketh in a perfect way, shall serve me. Psal. 101.6. He that worketh deceit, shall not dwell in my house: he that telleth lyes, shall not tarry in my sight, &c. And for your selves,7. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart;Verse 2.I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes, &c. It was David's resolution,3. when he came to the Kingdom, and set upon the work of Reforma­tion, he resolved he would begin at home. Oh shew your selves the sons of Jacob, the line of David. An Ʋnreformed Refor­mer is a drie Sea, a dark Sun, a cold Fire, an ungood God; Con­tractio [Page 40]in adjecto; a Monster among men; a devil among Saints; a what not? Oh that we could see Religion in your families, the power of godlinesse in your persons, Noble-mens houses, paterns of Pietie; then should we hope God meant to do Eng­land good indeed: Finde me a man, and I will pardon it.

In a word,Jer. 5. Noble Peers and Patriots, you have in your hands the fairest opportunity and the richest advantages to make Christ glorious, the Church beautiful, the State honourable, your Names precious, your selves so many Moses's and Joshua's, the Saviours of the People, that ever Nobility or Parliament had. Oh take heed of sinning away such an opportunity.

One word to all that stand before God this day,To All. and the whole people of this Land, and I have done.

Despair not.1. Despair not, though you may see the work at many a losse and many a dead-lift, as you have seen it already. When was it otherwise? Call for the Chronicles, read over the Stories of all Church-deliverances: when was it otherwise? If ye will not believe, Isai. 7.9. surely you shall not be established. Know this, a De­liverance of Gods promising and setting on foot, shall go on in spite of all Set-backs and opposition: there is Comfort.

Ob. I, but we have no promise for our Deliverance, as Isra­el had for theirs.

Answ. 1. If we had, an unbelieving heart will be an un­believing heart in spite of promises: It is not a promise will make us believe, if we want faith. As long as we have Israel's heart, we should doubt, though we had Israel's promise.

2. Note this in the Second place, that Special, yea personal Promises made to the Saints in Scripture, are ours, so far as

• Their straits are ours.
• Their work ours.
• Their faith ours.
• Their concernments ours.

I had never look'd for my share in Joshua's promise, had not the Holy Ghost taught me to apply it: Be content with such things as you have; for he hath said, Heb. 13.5. ex Josh. 1.5. I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE NOR FORSAKE THEE.

3. There be standing Promises in Scripture, which are the Magazine of the Church thorowout all her descents and Gene­rations.

4. Know this also, that Scripture-Command supplies the want of Scripture-Promise. Go with me to Heb. 11.13, and ye shall finde Abraham with his staff in his hand, and his sandals on his feet, and his loyns girt: Please to let me ask him Two or three questions by the way; see what he will answer. Reverend Patriarch, Whither are you going? Answ. I know not. When shall you return? Answ. I know not. How will you subsist? Answ. I know not. He is in haste as well as we, and there­fore I'll ask him but one question more. Abraham, Why then do you go at such UNCERTAINTIES? To this he will answer, I go not upon uncertainties; I have a call; I have a Command, and that will secure my person, and bear my charges. By faith Abraham, when he was CALLED to go into a place which be should after receive for an inheritance, O­BEYED, and went out, NOT KNOWING WHITHER HE WENT.Heb. 11.8.

3. Christians, observe, a Call is as good as a Promise at any time. With a Call, a man may travel from one end of the world to another, though he hath not a peny in his purse. And whether or no you have a Call, a Warrant, a Scripture-Command for what you do, I hope it is not now to dispute.

5. But lastly, we have not onely a Call, but a Promise; not in general onely, but in special: The whole Book of the Revela­tion, is nothing else but one great Promise of the downfall of An­tichrist, and Gospel-Reformation; and that is the work Parlia­ment and Kingdom have now in hand in these three Nations. Be of good courage; both it, and you, that are faithful, and called, and chosen, are in the hands of a God that knows how to carry on his Work, not onely against, but by the opposition of men and devils.

2. Obstruct not, hinder not the work.2. Onely therefore, in the next and last place, Take heed that none of you be obstructions in the way your selves; labour to remove the hinderances that lie at your door (what they are, you saw before.) Studie to promote this great Designe by your counsel, purses, persons, prayers, REFORMATION, with all you have, and all you are, and the work is done; at least your work is done.

Here is our exceeding mistake and mischief; We stand, like [Page 42] Jacob's sons, looking one upon another, and can very hardly be brought to think,Ecces. 9.18. that one mans Sin can do much harm, or one mans Reformation can do much good. But be not deceived, Bre­thren, God is not mocked: Achan was but one, and yet he troubled Israel; Jonah was but one, and yet he had gone nigh to have sunk the Ship; Adam but one, and yet he sunk all the world: In a word, the holy Ghost will tell you, One sinner destroys much good: And if thou should be that one, or one a­mongst many; how wilt thou look when thou shalt see the Kingdom afire about thine ears with the flames which thou hast kindled? And when thou art buried in her ashes, this shall be thy Inscription that shall stand till Dooms day;

Here lies a State-murderer, a Church-killer, a Destroyer of himself and of Reformation.

On the other side, remember for your encouragement; Jo­shua was but one, and yet he brought Israel to Canaan; Caleb was but one, and yet he still'd the people; Phineas was but one, and yet he turned away Gods wrath; Paul was but one, and yet he saved the ship; Rom. 5.16, 17, 18, 19. Isa. 63.3. Jer. 5.1. Job 22.30. and Christ Jesus the second Adam was but one, and yet he redeemed the world: I trod the wine-presse alone, &c. In a word, you hear God promising, Finde me one man, and I will pardon; and the holy Ghost telling us, He shall deliver the Island of the innocent, and it is saved by the purenesse of thy hands. And if thou shouldst be that one, or one of those few, what an honour would it be to be called, The Repairer of the breaches, the Restorer of the desolate paths to dwell in; the Sa­viour of Church and State.Isa. 58.12. Obad. v. ult.

However, Happie, yea, thrice happie shall he be called, that can be able to say, when he comes to give up his Account, Lord, I have done my best to promote Reformation, and to save the Kingdom.