YOu heard in the morning (Right Honou­rableCoherence showing. and the rest dearely beloved in the Lord Jesus) God by Ieremy counselling to amend your wayes and your doings; HeareM^r R [...]th [...]a [...]d, on Ier. 7. 3. now God promising by Daniel that many shall be amended, and this promise illustrated by the contrary, but the wicked shall doe wickedly: be as attentive I beseech you to God promising, as unto God perswading.

These words stand in the nature of a Parenthesis, the verses before and after, cohere well enough without them; the former, as Daniels question, v. 8. what shall be the end of these things? the latter, as the Angels answer thereunto. v. 11. From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a [Page 2] thousand two hundred, and ninety dayes. My text comes in betweene, as a propheticall prognostick of that time Da­niel would so faine know, ver. 8. and the Angel somewhat obscurely calculates, ver. 11. Some copies insert the word [Interim,] and reade, Complures interim; meane time ma­ny, &c. which show the verse to be dependent: and in­deed we must consider a little, the time, and scope, ere we can bring home the prophecie, and I shall give you both very briefely.

The Time fore-told, is, the call of the Iewes, [thy peo­ple] 1. sayes ver. 1. for Daniel was a Iew, not second son toThe Time. David by Abigail, of whom you reade long before, but1 Chron 3. 1. [...] 1. 6. [...], &c. Ioseph [...]n­tiq▪ l. 10. c. 11. 2 Sam. 12. 24, 25. a Prophet of the Princely tribe of Iudah, and (if we may credit * Iosephus) of the blood Royall also. He is else­where spoken of as a very excellent man, but we must here looke upon him as withall, pen-man of the Holy Ghost, and that of a very choice peece, the Iewish story. Solomon be­loved of God, (called therefore Iedidia [...]) son of David King of Israel, writes the Churches Epithalamia, and Love­songs: S. Iohn, the blessed Evangelist, beloved Disciple, and amongst the 12. Apostles, paralell to Ioseph amongst the 12. Patriarchs; as Evangelist writes his Gospell, as Apostle, his Epistles, and as Prophet, his Revelation to the Churches. And this our Daniel, eminent with men, whoseEz [...]k. 8. 3. Ez [...]k. 14. 14, 16, 18, 20, D [...]n. 10. 11. wisedome grew into a proverbe:—Thou art wiser then Da­niel:) powerfull for men, and greatly beloved of God, writes the history of the Iewish Church (then the only peo­ple of God, and as yet beloved for their fathers sa [...]e) in theRom. 11. 28. six first Chapters, and their prophesie in the six latterM Brigh [...]man on Dan. Willet. on Dan and o­thers. Chapters, as some have made the distribution of this Booke: or (as others,) their troubles under the foure great Monarchies, to this twelfth Chapter; and their deliverance [Page 3] under the fifth perpetuall Monarchy which the stone cut out without hands shall set up (as Christ is called in this booke) in this twelfth Chapter. King Solomon admires, the rise of the Gentile Church inCant. 3. 6. his song▪ and admires after that, the rise of another Church, which he calls a Shulamite, alluding to Sha­lom, Cant. 6. 10. &c. the ancient name of Ierusalem, the mother City of the Iewes, looking forth as the morning, because that Church shall rise out of the Easterne Countries;Rev. 16. 12. that her nut should be crackt, the shell which was over her kernell, the veile which was over her heart should be taken away, and that she should be as a flourishing Vine and budding Pomgranate, brin­ging forth wholesome fruit to refresh God and man, is matter of admiration, and no lesse indeed than a re­surrection from the dead, to which it is resembled in this Chapter, and elsewhere. S. Paul would not haveRom. 11. 15. Rom. 11. 25. us ignorant of this mistery: That we might not be so, we have a two-fold assurance of it in this booke; One, by dreame of Nebuchadnezzar, as we see at large in the second Chapter: The other by vision of Daniel him­selfe, in the seventh Chapter: of both which I may say as Ioseph of Pharaohs two dreames, It is doubled Gen. 41. 32. twi [...]e, because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to passe▪ How soone, let him that hath understanding count from the verse following, where there are two [...]s, 1. From the taking away of the daily sacrifices; that was when Ierusalem was destroy­ed, the place of sacrificing; 2. From the setting up of the abomination of desolation; which is supposed by good Authours, to be in the dayes of Iulian the Apostate, [...]360. yeares after Christ, or thereabouts▪ [Page 4] Cyrill of Ierusalem observing how they had taken upSocrat Scho­last Ecclesiast. Hist. l. 3. c. 17. every stone of the old foundation, and were disper­sed ere they layed a new one as they had thought, said, the words of our Saviour, (There shall not be left a stone upon a stone,) was then fulfilled: and if so, then the time comes out in the yeare 1650. as ap­peares to any that shall adde 1290. to 360. Then shall the Turkish power be broken also, as appeares from another account, ver. 7. and then shall Hallelujahs ring for the marriage of the bride, the Lambs wife; and before these things come to passe, Rome shall be destroyed, whose last scene is now acting, and her ruine at hand, and the things that shall come upon her make hast. This is the Time, and it is a desireable Time.

The scope now of Daniel in this Chapter, is to2. comfort the hearts of Gods people, against the trou­bles,The Scope. and trials of that time, by giving them two prognosticks of this great deliverance. (viz.)

• The Troubles, ver. 1. of that Time.
• The Trials, ver. 10. of that Time.

The Troubles of that time shall be such, as never was since there was a Nation even to that same time, &c.

The Trials of that time shall be such, as makes god­ly men better, wicked men worse: For so saith my text▪ Many shall be purified, made white, tried, but the wicked shall doe wickedly, &c.

And now (Right Honourable) if a word fitly spo­ken, Prov. 2 [...]. 11. be as apples of gold, with pictures of silver, then3. these words begg your acceptance, as being, not on­lyThe Accomo­dation. profitable (for so they are at all times, being the [Page 5] words of the Holy Ghost) but also seasonable, for so they are at this time, they are our very Crisis.

• 1. The Times alike; purifying, whitening, trying times.
• 2. The Persons alike; some wicked, some wise.
• 3. The Properties alike; they act accordingly, none of the wicked understand, but the wise doe understand;

So that I may say of my text, as our Saviour Christ did of his, taken out of another Prophet, This day is Luk. 4. 21. this Scripture fulfilled in your eares. We reade, that the same day that the Lord thundred and rained, the people 1 Sam. 12. 18. greatly feared the Lord.

This day God thunders many wayes, and in my text he also lightens, God grant the effect may be an­swerable;

So much for the

• Time.
• Scope.

I come now to the text: Many shall be purified, &c.Text show­ing. It is propheticall; and in such, we consider

• The Credit of the Prophet.
  The parts. viz.
• Prophesie it selfe.

The Credit of the Prophet, is not only this, that he1. was an excellent man (as we have shewed) but that heThe Prophet was also the Holy Ghosts pen-man. Wicked Porphyry, ene­my to Christian Religion, makes him little better than an impostor, and affirmes this booke was an Hi­story, writ by some prophetick-wise, that lived in or after the dayes of Antiochus Epiphanes; but the Sep­trogint have translated this booke into Greeke, 100. yeares before that Antiochus▪ and Iosephus tells, howIoseph Antiq. lib. 11. cap. [...]. Iaddus an high-Priest, shewed. Alexander the Great, that Prophesie in this booke, which fore-told of a King of Graecia that should destroy the Persian Monar­chy, in confidence whereof Alexander proceeded to [Page 6] that warre; and this was at least 60. yeares before Antiochus, as Chronologers compute: Some Rob­bins Vide Theodor. presat in Dan▪ Item Polan. in prolegom. dreame, that the booke was writ by the wise­men of the great Synagogue, who were in the time of Ezra: but how came it then that Daniel is so oft na­med in the booke, and that the Title of the booke in Hebrew, is, The booke of Daniel? But both the one, [...] and the other are confuted by our Saviour Christ, which determines it both to Daniel, and that he wasMatth. 24. 15. a Prophet, and bids us (by the way) when we reade, consider, the words of Daniel the Prophet, in the verse next following my text. And therefore this booke is not to be placed amongst those Scriptures which they call Holy writings, but amongst those they call Prophets.

The Prophesie it selfe of these words, is (you see)2. of great siding, and each side acting accordingly,The Prophe­sie. something before the time of the Iewes conversion;

In which consider two different

• Subjects,
  • Wicked.
  • Wise.
• Predicates.

Different in

• Effects, Many shall be purified, made white, tried, but the wicked shall doe wickedly.
• Degree, None of the wicked shall under­stand; but the wise shall understand.

Now if the least filing of gold is pretious, then of Truth; yet shall I but name some severals, and insist only (according to my time and your patience) upon one Proposition. I might observe then,3.

1. Godly men are wise, and wicked men are soules. The Points. Raised but not prosecuted.

This appeares from the op­position of subjects.

• Wicked.
• Wise.

[Page 7]It should be either

• Wicked.
• Godly.

or

• Foolish.
• Wise.

By rendring therefore as opposite to wicked, wise; it shewes that wicked are not wise; and by tearming those that are not wicked, wise; it imports, that the wise are not the wicked, but the godly▪ indeed the word used for wise, is applied to godly Teachers, ver, 2. but when it is opposed (as here) to wicked, it [...] signifieth, not teachers only, but others too. Receive it therefore for a divine maxime (I pray you) That piety is the best pollicie, and godly men are in the Holy Ghosts judgement the wisest men.

2. There are many godly wise.

If many shall be purifide, made white, and tryed, then (God be thanked, and the Lord encrease the number of them) there are many such: and not only many, [...] but many great men too; the word in the Originall signifies both many, and great; many in number, and great in condition; as when it is said; Many are the troubles of the righteous: that is to say, many in num­ber, great in nature: It is indeed rare to have great men good, a little goodnesse stands for a great summe amongst great men: but yet it is no singular thing, there are many such: be not ashamed therefore, you that are great, to be, and to be thought to be, godly.

3. Best may mend, and shall be mended.

They shall be purifide, made white, and tried, that their drosse may be purged: The Lord hath his [...]laile to thresh out their chaffe, his water and sope to make them white, and his fire to melt and try them; and ther­fore they are proud, not perfect, that think they havePhil. 3. 1 [...] ▪ sound an Hercules pillar to write a ne plus ultra upon.

[Page 8]4. Wicked men doe, and shall doe wickedly.

5. The reason why they doe so, is, because none of the wicked shall understand.

6. The godly wise shall understand when none of the wicked shall.

Now none of these severals I can insist upon, what of them my time and your patience will permit me to speake of, I shall graspe in this one Proposition, that containes the summe of the verse.

That the same times, and troubles in them, which make Doctrine. The maine Doctrine ha [...]dled. Shewing. godly wise men better, make wicked men worse.

And I will not speake so much of Times, which comes in more properly in the verse following; as of troubles in those times, these are hinted in the words, purified, made white, and tried.

My method for the doctrinall part, shall be to shew,

• 1. What tribulations they are by which God doth purifie, make white, and try his people.
• 2. How they are by these purified, made white, and tried.
• 3. What is the reason that they have such different effects upon the godly, and the wicked.

For the first: They are not all of one sort, nor size.1. Here there are three sorts, lighter sprincklings, in al­lusionWhat [...]ula­tions. to Iewish purifyings; heavier rubbings, in allu­sion to Iewish cleansings; and sharpest trials, in allusion to Iewish trials. The Apostle else-where reduceth them to two: Inward fightings, outward feares: but it2 Cor. 7. 5. matters not so much what they are, as whereto they serve, for they are but a meanes to an end, their bet­tering;Tantum su­mendum quan­tum ad finem prodest. and therefore as we say of meanes, so much as will serve; so doth the Lord proportion the tribu­lation [Page 9] to the good of his people, so much and no more, as will serve to purifie, m [...]ke white, [...] try them.

For the second; I will shew you, how the Lord by these, doth2.

• 1. Purifie.
  How they pu­ [...]fie, make white and try.
• 2. Make White.
• 3. Try them.

The Iews had their purification, so have Christians.

There is Christs Blood, Heb. 9. 14. Word, Ioh. 15. 3. Spirit, Mat. 3.

But I am no [...] speaking of these, which doe directly, and properly tend thereto; but of afflictions, which by accident serve to that end: as you may see, Isa. 4. 4. By these now Gods people are purified 2. wayes.

First, From sin committed, both originall sin, and1. They purifie [...]ro [...] sin com­mitted. Pro. 22. [...]5. actuall; For originall▪ Solomon tells us, Folly is bound up in the heart, and the rod of correction drives it away: And for actuall, Isaiah sheweth, that by correction, the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged, and this is all the fruite, Isa▪ 27. 9. to take away his sin:

Secondly, From sinne to be committed. I meane2. From sin to be comitted. to prevent your sinning for time to come: Tribula­tions are not only medicines, but also antidotes: God in this doth as wise States-men, when they see a man busying himselfe much with matters of state at home, prying into things concerne him not, they send such into the warres abroad: so doth God, send tribula­tions to exercise his people, and keepe them pure, least they fall soule: thus did he with S. Paul, he had his thorne, least he should be exalted, &c. and thus they are2 Cor. 12. [...]. purified both in heart and lift, to cu [...]e sin past, and pre­vent sin to come.

[Page 10]Againe, by these they are made white; so Dan. 11.2. They make white. 35. And some of them of understanding shall fall to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end.

It is not enough to be pure, which renders a man holy to God, but to be bright and white before men: Inward purity makes no great shew before men un­lesse whitenesse and unspottednesse doe accompany it; now there are two wayes that God will have his people white, as well as pure at this time.

First, From their own—other mens sins. You [...]. From their owne other mens sins. (Right Honourable) have confessed justly, that the guilt of Idolatry and blood lay upon our fore-fathers; I may say of these, as of the iniquity of P [...]or, we are not Josh [...]2 17. [...] King. 23. 26. cleansed from it to this day. Manassehs sins lay heavy upon the Land in good Iosiahs dayes; God will have our Land made white from these.

Secondly, From their own-suspected sinnes. Two2. From their own suspe­cted sins. sinnes the enemies of our peace suspect in you and falsely charge upon you, (give me leave to speake plainly) Disloyalty to our Soveraigne, from which your Declarations, and proceedings may acquit you;K. Declar [...]t. Aug▪ 12. 1642. and Sacriledge against our God, from which the world expects how you will acquit your selves; cer­tainely when God hath purified you, he will make you white, as he did David against S [...]ul, even by his1 Sam. [...]4. 17. Gen. 4 [...]. 38. own confession; and Ioseph against his Mistris: nay as he hath done you already in many things, and what remaines you have in promise, for the cause is before the Lord, who will give a perfect lot: Hee hath said, Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Ps [...]l. 37. 6. him, and he shall bring it to passe. And he shall bring [Page 11] forth thy righteousnesse as the light, and thy judgement as the noone day. Thus the Lord will by tribulation, both purifie them in heart and life, and whiten them from the spot of other mens sinnes, and their own sus­pected sins.

Thirdly, By these, both times and troubles, they 3. They try their are tried: The Iewes had not only their sprincklings and washings, but also their water of jealousie, and other meanes by which they were tried; so hath God his troubles, not only to rid his people of sinne, and to render them spotlesse before men, but also to try them; Gods trials are of two sorts, some for hu­miliation, then he leaves them to know all that is in their heart, as he did Hezekiah: others for confirma­tion,2 Chro. [...]2. 31. Gen. 22. 1. then he assists them, as he did Abraham. By these tribulations God trieth his peoples

• Sincerity.
• Graces.

First, He trieth their sincerity, if they will stick to a1. Sincerity. good cause without defection, and goe on in a good course without deflection. Certainely, these times and troubles make the same discovery of men as for­mer did; then there were some confessors, some Mar­tyrs, others Traditors, that in time of tribulation wentEuseb Eccles. Hist. 1 Cor. 11. 19. away. Errors must be, that they that are approved may be knowne: and doctrines and practises of liberty must be, that well rooted and grounded Christians may be distinguished from children, tossed to and fro, Ephes. 4. 14. and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men, and cunning craftinesse, whereby they lie in waite to deceive. Tribulations are like great winds, which fasten trees well rooted, but throw downe the rest; There have been and daily are many both in [Page 12] Church and State thus tryed▪ some Darius-like, la­bour Dan. 6. 14. earnestly to the going downe of the Sun, and then they goe back. It was great triall a while agoe, what men would set themselves against the Prelates and their proceedings, how men would fortifie their spirits a­gainst their summons, Courts, Censures, imprison­ments and sore oppressions: God hath delivered us thence, and after these, brings more publike and uni­versall trials, how men will stand in and for the pub­like, who be the Calebs and Ioshuahs that will goe onNumb 14. to the accomplishment of reformation, against the Anakims, and who will lust after the flesh pots of E­gypt; who will waite upon God, and goe when he bids, and stay when he stayes; and who will goe their own way, as they then did; we are just thereabouts now▪ and if any fall off, we are told before hand, it is the issue of their insincerity. They went out from us, but [...]. Joh. 2. 19. they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Secondly, He trieth their graces: He that hath any2. Graces. grace may now know what he hath; I will instance in three;

First, He trieth their Love, how fast they are gl [...]w­ed1. Love. to God and his cause, that no affliction can part them, whether they are as willing to be turned into a prison for his sake, as into their own habitation; Love is of this nature: Many waters cannot quench Love, nei­ther Cant. 8. 7. can the floods drowne it.

Secondly, He trieth their Faith: Our Saviour2. Faith. Christ is still upon this with his Disciples; O ye of lit­tle [Page 13] Faith! Had men Stephens eyes to see a Iosus in the Act. 7. [...]5. Heavens, when stones were [...]ying about their eares▪ or a Moses eyes, to see the recompence of reward; did they by faith see Gods attributes put forth for their helpe, they would not stagger what side to take to, nor what to doe, but would readily answer as those Heroes: O King we are not carefull to answer thee in this Dan. 3. 16, 17, 18. matter: If it be so; our God whom we serve, is able to de­liver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will de­liver us out of thy hand O King, but if not, be it knowne to thee O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship thy graven images which thou hast set up: All the gra­ces which grow among thornes and thistles, attending upon faith, meeknesse, patience, &c. will now be tried and discovered.

Thirdly, He trieth their Love to one another, what3. Sympathie. sympathy they have to those that suffer with them, or for them: You have Ministers, the Country wants them; hither come the godly and faithfull of the land, that have suffered the losse of all: God tries now, what hast you will make (Right Honourable) to settle the businesse of Ordination, and releeve those Churches that for the present are as sheep without a sheapheard: and how you will imploy those that are faithfull in the land about you, as David did. Thus you havePs [...]. 101. 6. seene how they are by these purified, made white, and tried.

Now remaines the third and last thing proposed, (viz.) what is the reason, and whence it is, that these3. times and troubles have such different effects and ope­rationsWhat is the Re [...]son of so d [...]fferent ope­ration. upon the godly wise, and upon the wicked, and those three that are in my text shall serve. I will adde no more.

First, This comes to passe from the diversity of sub­jectsReason 1. From diver­sity of sub­jects. on whom they light, (viz.) godly, and wicked. Afflictions as Physick make better or worse; they are resembled to a fanne, the godly are the Lords wheate, purified by it, but the wicked are as the chaffe, blowneJer 15. 7. and 51. [...]. away, nor is there any thing to be seen amongst them, but Apostasies, abusing Gods truth, and what not? Jesus Christ compares tribulation to the Sun; theMat. 13. 6. same Sun which warmes and perfecteth good-seed, scorcheth that which hath not depth of earth, depth of root, and enough of moisture, as that which was sowne upon high way, stony, and thorny ground had not. It is in the Prophet compared to water and fire; Isa. 43. 2. now as things are which are cast into water and fire, so is the operation: cast gold into the water, it keeps its yellow shine, cast it into the fire, it becomes brigh­ter; cast earth into water, it turns it into mudd, cast it into the fire, it crumbleth to dust; cast hay into the fire, it gives a blaze, and turns to smoake and ashes; cast it into water, it rots it presently; The Apostle tells us; the day shall declare every mans work of what 1 Cor. 3. 13. sort it is. Tribulation is such a day; it presseth everyRom▪ 5. 3, 4. [...]. godly man, and out comes their grace; it presseth the wicked, and out comes their wickednesse; as dung­hils, the more they are raked, the more they stinke; whereas the godly, are as the spices, which bruised cast forth a sweeter savour: the Eagle tries her young ones by the Sun, God tries and differences godly from the wicked by afflictions; wicked men are as the wood of the vine, good for nothing but the fire; godlyEzek. 15. per totum. are such as are still on the mending hand.

Secondly, This comes to passe from the differentReason 2. [Page 15] adjunct or priviledge, godly wise men, have everyFrom different adjunct or pri­viledge. thing (and so afflictions) sanctified to them, wicked men have every thing accursed to them. The Pro­phesie here, you see, is by way of promise to the one, they shall be purified, &c. by way of judgement to the other, the wicked shall doe wickedly. The charter of the Christian is large, All things, even death it selfe, is 1 Cor. 3. 21, 2 [...]. yours, and you are Christs: godly men have as cursed hearts as any wicked men; but being in Christ they are sanctified, and have grace to be improved and bet­tered; therefore all runs passive; purified, made white, tried: and the Prophet Malachy tells you how; He Mal. 3. [...]. (that is to say, the Angel of the Covenant, Christ) shall sit a refiner and purifier, &c. to compose the fire (for though sinne merit trouble, man or Devill be in­struments of the trouble, yet God is the chiefe agent) and to order it for the good of the mettall he casts in­to the fire, to encrease the flame one while, whenLev. 26▪ 14, to 40. they are not purified▪ and to quench it another while, when they are: but afflictions are not so to wicked men; Christ is a swift witnesse against them; they are gi­venMal. 3. 5. up, and being so, must needs doe wickedly.

Thirdly, This comes to passe from the differentReason 3. From different cause. Pr [...]v. 1. [...]. cause; None of the wicked understand, but the wise un­derstand. There is a three-fold wisedome and under­standing of heavenly things, and they are distingui­shed [...] by three words: The wisedome of the art, the best of all Philosophy, the feare of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisedome: The wisedome of the teacher, the Lord, none teacheth like him: And the wisedome of the scholler, who is made wise to salva­tion. Now wicked men have none of these, at least [Page 16] they have not them all, but the godly wise have: wic­ked men either have no light, they consule not with Gods word, and then how should they understand▪ They have rejected the wisedome of the Lord, and what Jer. 8. 9. wisedome is in them? or they have no understanding, no eyes opened, no grace infused, and so they judge amisse of things that differ; or their eyes are not well disposed, they have misguided judgements, something or other makes them mistake. Aske them concerning the warres in Germany, Scotland, England; they call evill good, and good evill. Thus you see the Reasons.

Now remaines only the practicall part, having doneThe doctri­nall part fini­shed. with the Doctrinall; the point you see is proved, there rests the Application. And though this might be ma­nifold, I will not trouble you with any more then three;

• It serveth therefore for Instruction.
• It serveth therefore for Exhortation.
  The use three­fold.
• It serveth therefore for Consolation.

This may in the first place give satisfaction to threeVse 1. Instruction in three points. 1. Why [...]odly are afflicted, wicked spared. great scruples which trouble many.

First, It shewes the reason why godly persons are afflicted, and wicked prosper. Though it pleases God sometimes to blesse his people with peace, and to give them rest against their enemies round about them▪ yet for the most part in the ordinary way of his dispensa­tions, many are the troubles of the righteous▪ and for the wicked, they are active and strong, and no [...]ands in their Psal. 73 4. death: When Iacob is [...]o [...]sed to and fro, Esau is at rest in mount S [...]ir, encreased in riches and power: when S [...]l is on the throne, David is hunted as a partridge: when Mordecai is at the gate, Haman is in favour in the Court; and when the Co [...]tiers are at the banquent [Page 17] of wine, the Citie [...] is perplexed upon this crosse dispensation ariseth a dangerous temptation, which drives many backe, some sometimes to deny a Provi­dence; not onely are Gods Children lyable to these temptations in consideration of the trouble of the Righteous, and prosperitie of the wicked, but when God is in a way of mercy, if there be any stay in theThat the one may be purifi­ed, and the other doe wic­kedly. course of Justice, any delay of deliverance, they are ready to be troubled. Is God just? Is God mercifull? why stand things at a stay? Now [...] text resolves this scruple; Tis that the godly may be purified, made white, tryed; and it is againe, that wicked men may doe Psal. 73. 17. Jer. 12. 3. Hab. 1. 13. 14. wickedly, and may fill up the measure of their sinne: thus doe even those that stumble at this, at last resolve themselves [...] and certainly when God hath accom­plished his worke, it shall be otherwise.

Secondly, it shewes the reason why it is so trouble­some2. Why this time more troublesome than former? a time now more than at other times. We were quiet, why are we now so distempered? It is because this is a time of Reformation: as the Lord told Rebe­cah, It is a Time of Reformation. when she went to enquire of him concerning the struggling in her wombe▪ Why am I this? He saith,Gen. 25. 22, 23. Two [...]i [...]ns are in thy [...]be [...] and two manner of people Such times have been al­wayes trou­blesome. shall be separated from thy bowels, &c. God is now about to purge his [...]oore, and never was there a time of Re­formation which differ [...]ced good and bad, but it was a time of troubles▪ when the Jewes came out of Egypt into Cannan the sive Bookes of Moses tell you their troubles: when out of captivity, ere they got up their City and Temple, [...] and N [...]h tell you what trouble: and when they shall come out of Judaisme, ver. 1. of this Chapt. tels you it shall be a time of trou­ble [Page 18] such as never was since it was a nation to that time: When the Gentile Church came out of the Heathen persecutions, Revel. 12. tels you what troubles; and when they shall come out of the Antichristian persecu­tion, the same book tels you of their severall sorts of troubles: whilst we made brick for Prelates, and suf­fered the Egyptian taske-masters to lay on us all their burdens, we did not resist unto bloud, as now we doe since we have cast them off: and whilst Satan keepes possession all things are at peace, but when the stronger Luk. 11. 21, 22. then he comes to bind him, he rents and teares. What wor­king against Christs comming in the flesh, from Abel to the birth of Christ? what attempts against the Prophets, Apostles, and Ministers of Christ that offe­redMat. 2 [...]. 34, 35. and preached the Redemption wrought by Christ? and what resisting of the Holy Ghost com­ming [...] Cor. 10▪ 5, 6. to apply the grace so offered? therfore stand not amazed at our troubles now, Christ is about a great work of Reformation, and therefore there will be op­position, Ierusalem is to be built, both wals, and streets,Dan. 9. 25. in troublous times.

Thirdly, it showes the reason why the Lord stands3. Why the Lord forbeares so long to deli­ver? so farre off in trouble: this was alwayes a great af­fliction to the godly in times of trouble, not so much that they were troubled, as that the Lord stood farre Psal. 10. 1. and 22. 1. off from their cry, and from the voyce of their rearing. We fast and pray, and yet we are not delivered; why is it thus? why? it is, because the godly need yet more purifying, and the wicked must yet doe more wicked­ly, for that they neither doe nor can understand. View each of these distinctly.

[Page 19]First, it is, because none of the wicked will understand; 1. Because none of the wicked will yet be brought to un­derstand. they might else take notice of Gods avenging hand; every stroake proclaimes him a sin-revenging God, and of Gods protecting hand, the bush burneth, and is not consumed. Religion, Lawes, and Liberty, have as Candles under water, strangely been preserved. Their project was by oppression to keepe them downe, the oppressours now are oppressed; they would keepe off Parliaments, or breake them if they could not serve themselves of them; there is now a standing Parlia­ment to plague them, they would bring in first Re­bels to helpe them, and imploy bloudy Papists, now three Kingdomes are in one Covenant, and their ships2 Chron. 20. 36, 37. are broken at Ezi [...]-G [...]ber; the Lord hath every where said to them; Associate your selves, and ye shall be broken Isai. 8. 9▪ 10. in pieces: and give eare, O ye of farre Countries: gird your selves, and ye shall be broken in pieces: gird your selves, and ye shall be broken in pieces, Take counsell together, and it shall come to nought: speake the word, and it shall not stand. ver. 1 [...], 13. And he hath said to us, Feare not their feare, nor be afraid; Sanctifie the Lord of hosts himselfe, and let him be your feare, and let him be your dread▪ and he shall be for a sanctuary, &c. but the wicked will not understand anyThat appeares in 3. things. thing at all: three wayes is this expressed here, if we marke it strictly.

First, they will doe wickedly; that is to say, they will1. They will doe wickedly. Isai. 2 [...]. 10. goe on in [...]inne securely; so elsewhere. Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learne righteousnesse: in the land of uprightnesse, will he deale unjustly, &c. Salomon Prov. 22. 3. Luk. 17▪ 26. Isai. 47. 8. saith, The prudent man seeth the evill, and hydeth himselfe; but the simple passeth on, and is punished; so did the old world, so did old and new Babylon; so shall it be also in Rev. 18▪ 7. [Page 20] the dayes of the Son of man. Wicked men are as ig­norant and blind as those Philistines▪ If he goe up the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done u [...] 1 Sam. 6. 9. this evill, but if not, then we shall know it was but some chance that happened to us. They neither see the hand of God that smites them, nor their owne desert thatIsai. 26. 11. provokes the Lord thus to smite them. Strangers de­voure his strength, but he seeth it not, yea, gray haires are Hos. 7. 9. here and there upon him, but he knoweth it not, as saith the Prophet.

Secondly, they will be more wicked for the trou­ble,2. They will doe yet more vvickedly. this is not ordinary with all wicked men (some like Ahab will be humbled for the time) but with the wicked of our times, we are here foretold it will be so; and Saint Iohn in the Revelation speaking of Anti­christian enemies, all along their going downe, tels usRev. 16. 9, 10, 11, 21. the same, that they will breake forth to further wic­kednesse, even to blasphemie against the Name of God, and looke at Reformation as rebellion. It was a brand upon Ahaz, that when he was in distresse on 2 Chro. 28. 22. every hand, yet in his distresse he did trespasse yet more against the Lord. And a concomitant of their destru­ction in Esay, They shall fret themselves, and curse their Isai. 8. 21. King, and their God. And it is foretold concerning these last times, that, Wicked men and seducers shall wa [...] [...] Tim. [...]. 13. worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived: and we see all this made good upon the men of this generati­on; the more God plagues them, the more they sinne.

Thirdly, They will not understand; i. to repent, and give [...]. They will not repent. Rev. 16. 9, 11. glory to God, to give him the glory of his Soveraignty, in whose hands all troubles are, to inflict, order and re­move [Page 21] them; the glory of his truth and justice, to ac­knowledge the justice and truth of God by reason of their doings which have procured all these plagues to themselves, as the godly doe. Thou art just in all that is Nehem. 9▪ 33. brought upon us, for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly, they contrarily keepe wickednesse sweet within Job 20. 12, 1 [...]. Lam. [...]. 22. their mouth; and the glory of his mercy, that they are not consumed. Surely the sins before reformation, in reformation, since reformation, and now most of all that men hate to be further reformed, might makeIsa. 26. 11. Rev. 16. 9, &c▪ men tremble: but this is one of their plagues, that they cannot see, they cannot repent. This is now one reason why the Lord stands so far off; wicked men will doe wickedly, and not understand, and therefore more plagues must come, that they that will not see, may be made to see.

There is another reason, and that is, because godly2. Because the godly are not yet sufficiently purified, &c. wise men are not so purified, made white and tried, as they shall be; and indeed there is more cause to feare this than the other; God can soone take order with the wic­ked, were but his people as they should be; I will there­fore abruptly breake off here the use of Instruction, and fall into the second use of Exhortation.

This serves in the second place therefore for Exhor­tation,Vse 2. Exhortation, Preface there­to. that you would be purified, made white, tried; let not our deliverance, and the deliverance of Gods Church, stay, and be deferred for want of this. And here (Right Honourable) suffer the words of exhortation Heb. 13. 22▪ patiently. I shall borrow the benefit of the M. Rat [...]and Jer. 7. 3. his preface before his applica­tion. mornings preface to speake unto you plainely. We rejoyce in the authority we have from you, besides the encourage­ment to seeke the Lord by fasting and prayer, but you [Page 22] had need call the land to one fast more, to Ezras, to Ezra 8. 21. seeke of God a right way, to know why we are not deli­vered. God we are sure is a God that heares prayer, espe­ciallyPsal. 65. 2. extraordinary prayer; but are we purified, made white, tryed? Ioshuah fasted, but the Lord told him that was not the thing, Israel had sinned, that must beJosh. 7. 11, 1 [...]. Exhortation it selfe to three duties. done away ere God would helpe them.

It is not for me to charge any fault upon you the great assembly of the Gods; but give me leave to set the great God before you as your patterne, and thereby charge your selves; in his Name: only let me exhort you to these three things.

First, Be purified. Me thinks the Lord calls upon [...] Be purified. you that are the repairers of our breaches, and resto­rers of pathes to dwell in, as sometimes to Ierusalem, Jer. 13. 27. Will you not be made cleane? when shall it once be? I am not able to charge impurity upon you, but God can, and your own consciences may helpe you to find it out: This only let me say unto you, that an ordinaryMore than or­dinary purity expected from Parliament­men. purity will not serve your turnes (though it is wont to be said, a little holinesse goes for a great deale a­mongst our Nobles and Gentry) You are great men and wise; the Worthies of the Land, think I pray you what a disgrace a But puts upon you, such a But I meane as was on Naaman, Now Naaman Captaine of a King. 5. [...]. the hoste of the King of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: He was also a mighty man in va­lour, but he was a leper. As you stand for your selves and for us, so give us leave to beseech you to a double purity, one for your own sakes, another for ours; and because in this second consideration you move in a [Page 23] high spheare, I beseech you patterne your purity by his whom you represent: no lesse holinesse must you aime at, than to be holy as he is holy; me thinks if every second cause works so much more strongly as it is uni­ted to its first cause, then you that represent one King­dome at the least, and are (as I said) the great assem­bly of Gods, should be so much more pure and holy as you are neerer to God than others both in name and office: You are engaged in an Honourable cause, and you have as Honourable a call thereunto, now as in both you would prosper, purifie your hearts, your hands, your houses, remember the Lord will be sancti­fied Lev. 10. 3. in all those that draw neare him.

Secondly, Be made white as well as pure. I cannot2. Be made white. (againe) but the world doth, bespo [...] your innocen­cy: now doe you as the Lord: he cleares his righ­teous dealing before the Sun; doe not you let any spot lie upon your proceedings. I will instance only in three of your graces.

Be made white in your Truth, by executing your ordi­nances,In 1. Truth. that you may not only say but doe.

Be made white againe in your Iustice, upon delin­quents,2. Justice. that what you seeke, when it is put into your hands we may see you execute; The very Heathens call'd Iustice the daughter of Iupiter married to him, and sitting close by his side, &c. ‘ [...],’ Hesiod. [...] and the Lord sayes, what a doe is here with fasting, execute true judgement, &c. else you fast not to him;Zech. z. looke into the prisons if this fasting day be not a fea­sting day, and if they mock not God with something else than religious fasting on their Friday.

[Page 24]Be made white once more in your Zeale, and sincerity3. Zeale, quit the land of Sacriledge. to reforme the house of God by denying your selves and giving up thereto that which may make it glo­rious. It was a good observation of an Honourable Member of your society, upon the Teares of Germany, Sir R. H. that their deliverance was not like to be yet, because in the catalogue of all their sinnes then made in a Ser­mon, the chiefe sinne was not named, Sabbath-brea­king, whereof that Country was notorlously guilty. Truly, I am sorry that in so excellent an Ordin [...] Provide for the Ministery. for Repentance, Sacriledge is not mentioned, whereof this Land hath been too much guilty, unlesse by you it be purged from it, which we all expect.

You well heard in the morning, there is great ne­cessity of speeding the businesse of Ordination, now before you; but let me adde thereto, that the mini­stery you shall ordaine, will be rendered very con­temptible and vile before all the people, unlesse you take care they be not disabled for want of Maintenance, [...]. Main­tenance. 2. Authority, not civill, but sacred, not Prelaticall but Ministeriall. nor discouraged for want of Authority; the former they are in danger to be by Impropriations, the latter, by Patrons. I plead not for authority civill, but sa­cred, not Prelaticall, but pious and Ministeriall; that they may not be afraid to tell the people their transgres­sions, and the house of Iacob their sins.

Lastly, Be tryed; and be faithfull when you are3. Be tried. tried; some you have had, more you may have; shrinke not, stand to it and you shall have the Crowne of life. The time prevents me, therefore I will con­clude with a word of the thirduse, which is of Conso­lation.Vse 3. Consolation, upon three grounds.

Be you thus faithfull, and three things may sustaine [Page 25] your spirits against all discouragements.

First, You shall be sure to prevaile; for looke upon1. Sure to pre­vaile. ver. 1. It is not a Timpany, but a Delivery these times fore-tell, and what an Honour will it be to you, to be midwives to the birth of such a child of refor­mation, as Heaven and earth shall cry grace, grace Zach. 4. 7. unto it? sore troubles you have had, and may have; but a woman in travell hath sorrow because her houre is Joh. 16. 21. come, but as soone as she is delivered of the child, shee remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is borne into the world. To encourage you hereto, considerFor the ene­mies blas­pheme. the wickednesse of the enemy (if you be purified) doth assure you, they shall not prevaile; they make lies their refuge, and under falshood hide themselves, youIsa. 28. 14, to 20. And none ever hardned him­selfe against God and pro­spered. Job 9. 4. know what God saith he will doe with such a people: They blaspheme God which hath power over the plagues, and repent not to give him glory; therefore they lie under the vials of his wrath; you may write up­on it, they shall never prosper.

Secondly, You may live to see this delivery, as he2. You may live to see the day; for not long to it. saith, who shall live when God doth this? that shall you I am confident, if the calculation be true, which hath been given of the time in the verse next following my text; its not twice so long as you have sitten al­ready in Parliament, ere Rome be destroyed; and therefore could I be heard over all our Militia, I should wish them not feare employment if these wars be ended, which many are too loath to finish soone enough, least as Demetrius said in another case, their craft should faile: For this ended, a more noble warre, and more unanimous would be occasioned, to helpe the Lord against the mighty in other Countries. God [Page 26] seemes to have confirm'd this Parliament for some such purpose, as if he would have you immortall till the worke be done.

Lastly, (and so I conclude) if any of you die be­fore3. If you die, your names shall be ho­noured, and your posterity blessed. you see this great salvation of the Lord, your posterity shall inherit the blessing; and for you, it is Honour enough that you expire in so great a cause; Heathens thought no greater Honour than to die for their Countrey; for you to lay downe your lives in being the Angels of God, as blessed Luther, famous Queene Elizabeth, renowned King of Sweden was in powring out the vials of Gods wrath on the throne and seate of the beast; you have Honour enough; they shall not need to come to Westminster to reade your Epitaphs, all the Churches of the world shall reade at distance the Epitaphs so truly and worthilyM. Obad. Sedg­wick, before Parliament, May 15. 1642. on Ier. 4. 3. preached to you by a renowned watchman, whose praise is in the Gospell. These are Scotlands umpire, Irelands guard and revenge, Englands preservation, the Churches safety, and Religions glory.