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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>A SHADOVV OF THE VICTORY OF CHRIST, Repre&s;ented to the Honourable Hou&s;e of COMMONS, IN A SERMON Preached at <HI>Margarets</HI> We&s;tmin|&s;ter on the Day of the publick <HI>Fa&s;t, Octob.</HI> 28. 1646.</P>
<P>By JOHN MAYNARD, Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pel at <HI>Mayfield</HI> in SUSSEX.</P>
<BIBL>Rev. 17. 12.</BIBL>
<Q>And the ten horns which thou &s;awe&s;t are ten Kings, which have received no kingdom as yet: but receive power as Kings one houre with the Bea&s;t.</Q>
<Q><HI>13</HI>The&s;e have one minde, and &s;hall give their power and &s;trength unto the Bea&s;t.</Q>
<Q><HI>14</HI>The&s;e &s;hall make war with the Lambe, and the Lambe &s;hall overcome them: For He is Lord of lords, and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and cho&s;en, and
faithfull.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>F: Neile</HI> for <HI>Samuel Gellibrand,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop at the Bra&s;en Serpent in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard. 1646.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
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<OPENER><SALUTE>TO THE HONORABLE Hou&s;e of COMMONS A&s;&s;embled In PARLIAMENT.</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>_WHen</HI> Jo&s;hua <HI>was by Jericho, there &s;tood a man over<NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 5. 13, 14&punc;</NOTE> again&s;t him with his &s;word drawn in his hand;</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> &s;eemeth in a military way to examine him, <HI>Art thou for us, or for our adver&s;aries? Nay</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>but as Captain of the ho&s;t of the Lord am I now come.</HI> This an&s;wer maketh him fall on his face to the earth and wor&s;hip; acknowledging Him for Commander in chief, and humbly &s;ubjecting him|&s;elf to Him as His Lieftenant Generall, ready to receive His Commands: <HI>What &s;aith my Lord unto his &s;ervant?</HI> It is one of the greate&s;t&punc; ho|nours the &s;ons of men are capable of here on earth, to follow the En&s;ignes of this victorious Captain of the Lords ho&s;t&punc; and to wait upon his trium|phant chariot. If herein the Lord hath honoured You above many thou|&s;ands of your brethren, it concerneth You much to imitate <HI>Jo&s;hua&punc;</HI> Fir&s;t, as he que&s;tioned the Son of God whom he knew not in that apparition at the fir&s;t &s;ight; &s;o ye knowing Chri&s;t to be that Captain of the Lords ho&s;t, who will &s;ubdue all things to Him&s;elf, ought in an holy jealou&s;ie to &s;earch your own hearts, and to examine all your coun&s;els and proceedings: Are we in the&s;e things for Chri&s;t, or for His adver&s;aries, for Him or again&s;t Him? Secondly, I be&s;eech You be willing to lye lowe before him and to &s;ay, What &s;aith our Lord unto His &s;ervants? Ye expect not His immediate voice, and therefore in all humility hear Him by His Amba&s;&s;adours, when they &s;peak according to their Commi&s;&s;ion, as if His mandates were delivered unto You by His own mouth. Admirable is that of <HI>Valentinian</HI> recorded<NOTE PLACE="marg">Theod. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 4. cap. 6.</NOTE> by <HI>Theodoret,</HI> when <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> had freely reproved &s;ome things ami&s;&s;e
<PB REF="3">
in his government, &s;aid the Emperour, I knew well thy zeal and courage, and therefore was &s;o far from oppo&s;ing, that I was forward to promote thine election to this pa&s;torall charge: Go on therefore to cure the di&s;ea&s;es of our Souls according to the pre&s;cript of Gods Word&punc; And it is reported of <HI>Albert</HI> Duke of Mickleburgh&punc; that when a flattering Courtier &s;ought to incen&s;e him again&s;t a Preacher for dealing roundly with him; He told him, he loved the man &s;o much the better, and willed him in his name to give him thanks for his pious Sermon&punc; If Ye follow Chri&s;t as your Cap|tain, not turning to the right hand or to the left, who knoweth whether after &s;ix yeers compa&s;&s;ing the w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ls of Jericho, they may not on the &s;eventh fall to the ground before You. The Lord Je&s;us direct You by His Spirit, and gird You with His &s;trength, to endure unto the end, that no man take Your Crown.</P>
<CLOSER>So prayeth
<SIGNED>Your unworthy Servant in the Lord, JOHN MAYNARD.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<HEAD>Die Mercurii: 28 Octob. 1646.</HEAD>
<P>ORdered by the <HI>Commons</HI> A&s;&s;embled in Parliament, That Collonel <HI>Stapeley</HI> do from this Hou&s;e give thanks to Mr. <HI>Maynard</HI> for the great pains he took in the Sermon he Preached this day, at the intreaty of this Hou&s;e, at St. <HI>Margarets</HI> We&s;t|min&s;ter (it being the Day of publick Humiliation) and de&s;ire him to Print his Sermon. And he is to have the like Priviledge in Printing of it, as others in the like kinde u&s;ually have had.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>H: El&s;yng Cler. Parl: Dom: Com.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<P>I Appoint <HI>Samuel Gellibrand</HI> to Print my Sermon.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>John Maynard.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>A SERMON Preached before the Honourable Hou&s;e of COMMONS.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>Phil. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 21.</BIBL>
<Q>&mdash;<HI>According to the working whereby he is able even to &s;ubdue all things unto him&s;elf.</HI></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THe Apo&s;tle giveth a large te&s;timony to the Saints of <HI>Philippi</HI> concerning the &s;incerity and emi|nency of their graces; yet not being &s;atisfied with the mea&s;ure to which they had attained, he pre&s;&s;eth them to a farther growth and pro|gre&s;&s;e: And for this end having laid before them his own example, he exhorteth them, <HI>Brethren, be followers of us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 17.</NOTE> <HI>and mark them which walk &s;o, as ye have us for an example.</HI> Which ex|hortation he enforceth by two main arguments:</P>
<P N="1">1 From the ba&s;ene&s;&s;e of their way, who took a contrary cour&s;e, and the wofull i&s;&s;ue of that way: they were enemies to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 18, 19.</NOTE> the cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, their God was their belly, their glory was in their &s;hame, they minded earthly things: the i&s;&s;ue is an&s;wer|able, their end is de&s;truction.</P>
<P N="2">2 From the excellency of the way wherein he walked, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 20. 21.</NOTE> the ble&s;&s;ed and glorious i&s;&s;ue of that way. His way is de&s;cribed in the&s;e words, <HI>Our conver&s;ation is in heaven:</HI> the i&s;&s;ue in the words following: where he &s;heweth, that as the conver&s;ation of the Saints is in heaven, &s;o their expectation is from heaven. Where may be ob&s;erved, 1. The Per&s;on who&s;e appearing they expect, <HI>The Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> their Saviour, in whom all their hopes are trea&s;ured up. 2. The fruit of His appearing, and that is a glo|rious change to be wrought in their whole man, though that of the body onely, be here expre&s;&s;ed.</P>
<P>In this change may be noted foure things.</P>
<P N="1">1. The <HI>terminus &agrave; quo,</HI> the condition wherein their bodies &s;hall be found before they are transformed, a &s;tate of vilene&s;&s;e.</P>
<P><PB N="2" REF="4">Secondly, The <HI>terminus ad quem,</HI> the condition into which they &s;hall be changed, a &s;tate of glory.</P>
<P>Thirdly, The pattern according to which they &s;hall be chan|ged, the glorious body of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The power by which this glorious change &s;hall be wrought, and that is the efficacy or working of Chri&s;t, whereby he is able even to &s;ubdue all things unto him&s;elf: which is the thing I intend to in&s;i&s;t upon.</P>
<P>This change is wonderfull, that &s;uch vile bodies &s;hould be transformed into a condition &s;o exceedingly glorious, yet no way incredible, if we con&s;ider that it &s;hall be done by the work|ing of him, of whom it was prophecied of old, <HI>His Name &s;hall be called Wonderfull,</HI> The mighty God, who wrought &s;uch wonders<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 9. 6.</NOTE> in the dayes of his humiliation, and di&s;covered &s;o much of God in the form of a &s;ervant, and (which was the height of wonders) when he was dead, by his own power, by the Almighty working of his eternall Spirit, and Divine nature, rai&s;ed him&s;elf from death to life. So that here we &s;ee the Apo&s;tle a&s;cendeth ve|ry high in a&s;&s;erting this truth, which &s;eemeth &s;o far above rea|&s;on: he hath recour&s;e to Chri&s;t his omnipotency, who hath all power in heaven and earth, and is able to &s;ubdue all things to him&s;elf, and not only the power, but the efficacy, the working,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE> acting, exerting of his Almighty arm. As if he had &s;aid, let the materials be never &s;o untoward and &s;eemingly uncapable of that form which is to be put upon them, if they fall into the ha<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ds of Chri&s;t, he is able to work them into any &s;hape: he can of &s;tones rai&s;e up children unto <HI>Abraham,</HI> and of carka&s;&s;es mouldred into du&s;t, rai&s;e up bodies like to his own glorious body. And in a&s;much as the Apo&s;tle doth not confine his &s;peech to this particular of changing the bodies of the Saints, but en|largeth him&s;elf in an univer&s;al expre&s;&s;ion of the efficacy or working of Chri&s;ts Almighty power, whereby he is able to &s;ub|due all things to him&s;elf; I purpo&s;e to follow him herein, pre|&s;enting you with this ob&s;ervation from the text, that,</P>
<P><HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t can and will effectually &s;ubdue all things to him&s;elf.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Doct.</NOTE></P>
<P>The Spirit of God hath expre&s;&s;ed the Maje&s;ty and Almighty power of Chri&s;t in a lofty &s;tyle, <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t who is the faithfull witnes and the fir&s;t begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the Kings of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 1. 5. 7. 8.</NOTE> <HI>the earth. Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye &s;hall &s;ee him, and</HI>

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<HI>they al&s;o which pierced him: and all the Kinreds of the Earth &s;hall w<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">y'e becau&s;e of him: even &s;o Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the Ending, &s;aith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">. The Almighty; The <HI>Alpha</HI> and beginning who gave being and beginning to all things, the <HI>Omega,</HI> and the ending, who giveth ending unto all, or putteth them into their la&s;t condition, bringeth all things to their uttermo&s;t period and finall i&s;&s;ue. <HI>He &s;hall put down all rule</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 24, 25&punc;</NOTE> <HI>and all authority and power. For he mu&s;t reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. By him were all things created that are in heaven, and that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 1. 16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>are in earth, &amp;c. all things were created by him and for him:</HI> The mo&s;t mighty and excellent among all the creatures were created by him, and therefore mu&s;t be &s;ubordinate to him, they were created for him, and therefore mu&s;t be &s;ub&s;ervient to him, either by a voluntary &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, or a compul&s;ive &s;ubjection, <GAP DESC="foreign">, and by him all things con&s;i&s;t. Their be|ings have no con&s;i&s;tency, but would di&s;&s;olve, the frame of their nature would be disjoynted and fall a&s;under, did not he hold them together, and therefore how ea&s;ie is it for him to &s;ubdue them to him&s;elf. He that by the word of his power upholdeth all things from &s;inking into nothing, can without the lea&s;t diffi|culty<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 1. 3.</NOTE> &s;ubdue all things to him&s;elf. A man that holdeth a lump of du&s;t in his hand (which hath no con&s;i&s;tency but onely by the hand that holdeth it together, but would fall a&s;under, and &s;cat|ter a&s;&s;oone as he leteth it go) can ea&s;ily ca&s;t it at his feet, and trample on it at his plea&s;ure. Much more may Chri&s;t, who gave being to all the creatures, and now &s;upporteth their beings, bring them under as he plea&s;eth.</P>
<P>For the farther cleering and &s;trengthening of this truth, let us con&s;ider the various workings and different wayes of exer|ci&s;ing this power of his, for the &s;ubduing of all things to him&s;elf. Fir&s;t, In regard of different objects. Secondly, In re&s;pect of diffe|rent ends and u&s;es. Thirdly, In regard of difference of times. Fourthly, when there &s;eemeth no difference in re&s;pect of objects, ends or times, he may according to the coun&s;ell of his own will work diver&s;ly, for the more glorious manife&s;tatio~ of his wi&s;dom and power: as a curious artizan may vary his workman&s;hip up|on the &s;ame kind of materials, intended for the &s;ame u&s;e, to give farther proof of his skill and abilities. But becau&s;e the&s;e are &s;o

<PB N="4" REF="5">
complicated and interwoven, that the three la&s;t will fall in with the fir&s;t, and it would require much time to pur&s;ue every one of them di&s;tinctly; I purpo&s;e to in&s;i&s;t onely upon the fir&s;t, taking the re&s;t in collaterally.</P>
<P>The&s;e objects which Chri&s;t hath to work upon, are either ra|tionall creatures, or &s;uch as are void of the principles of rea&s;on. The former are Angels or men.</P>
<P>The Angels which are holy He pre&s;erveth in that &s;tate of &s;ub|jection<NOTE PLACE="marg">1</NOTE> to Him&s;elf wherein they continued when the re&s;t left their habitation, upholding them not onely in their beings, but in the integrity and perfection of their beings, who&s;e perfection is their voluntary &s;ubordination to the Son of God, Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who is the Head of all principality and power:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 2. 10&punc;</NOTE> and &s;o they are mini&s;tring Spirits unto Him, imployed as a Con|voy to his people in the wilderne&s;&s;e of the world, untill they ar|rive at that eternall re&s;t which he hath purcha&s;ed for them.</P>
<P>As for the apo&s;tate angels, by an act of ju&s;tice and power,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2</NOTE> He ca&s;t them down into everla&s;ting chains under darkne&s;&s;e, where he holdeth them pri&s;oners untill the great A&s;&s;ize, the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> Pet 2. 4. Iude 6.</NOTE> judgement of the la&s;t day. And though for the pre&s;ent He is not plea&s;ed to keep them clo&s;e pri&s;oners, but &s;eemeth to give them the liberty of the pri&s;on, and &s;ometime to lengthen their chains, &s;uffering them to range abroad for the executing of his judge|ments in divers kinds upon the wicked, and for the exerci&s;e and trial of the godly (out of all which He getteth glory to His great Name) yet &s;till He keepeth them chained; that is, under the re&s;traint of His Almighty Arm, not permitting them to &s;tir an inch beyond the bounds which He hath &s;et them: as them&s;elves intimated when they begged leave of Him to enter into the herd of &s;wine, and when Satan petitioned the Lord for a Commi&s;&s;ion to plunder holy <HI>Job,</HI> and then to have it enlarged for afflicting of his per&s;on; when the Lord gave him greate&s;t liberty, it was with limitation: <HI>But &s;ave his life.</HI> So that the devils now are<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 2. 6&punc;</NOTE> Chri&s;t His pri&s;oners, and &s;hould not be &s;uffered to walk up and down the world, had He not u&s;e of them for &s;uch ends as tho&s;e, formerly hinted. However they &s;tir not one foot without their keeper, <HI>viz.</HI> the over-ruling power of Chri&s;t. But at the la&s;t day they &s;hall be fully and for ever &s;ubdued by the almighty power of Chri&s;t, never to &s;tir more again&s;t any of His. Yea the&s;e apo|&s;tate angels &s;hall be &s;o ab&s;olutely brought under by Chri&s;t, that

<PB N="5" REF="5">
His very &s;ervants &s;hall &s;it in judgement upon them. I am per&s;wa|ded<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 5&punc;</NOTE> it will be a wonderfull torment to the&s;e proud &s;pirits (who have affected a principality, yea a godhead in the world) to be convented before men as their judges, who were their inferiours by Creation, and are of the &s;eed of that woman, who was long &s;ince vanqui&s;hed by the devill.</P>
<P>But as the&s;e Angels good and evill are invi&s;ible &s;pirits, &s;o the workings of Chri&s;t in &s;ubduing them &s;eem more invi&s;ible and &s;ecret, than tho&s;e which He exerci&s;eth upon tho&s;e rationall crea|tures which are vi&s;ible, <HI>viz.</HI> men and women, which are to be con&s;idered in the next place.</P>
<P>The&s;e we may look upon either, 1. as &s;ingle per&s;ons; or, 2. as<NOTE PLACE="marg">3</NOTE> a&s;&s;ociated and combined in Societies, Kingdoms, Common|wealths, &amp;c. As &s;ingle per&s;ons they are either ve&s;&s;els of mercy and honour, or ve&s;&s;els of wrath and di&s;honour. The former He &s;ubdueth by the Scepter of His Go&s;pel, and power of His grace, &s;ecretly, but effectually and infallibly, bowing and &s;ubjecting their &s;ouls and whole man to the government of His Spirit, con|&s;training them by His love &s;hed abroad in their hearts, and bringing them under a regiment of love, &s;weetning His com|mands with di&s;coveries of His love, and (as it were) oyling His yoke with love, &s;o making it ea&s;ie to them, and teaching them to obey in love, and to walk in love as He hath loved them, and given Him&s;elf for them: giving His own Spirit po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of their hearts, and making them one with Him&s;elf, and &s;o &s;ubjecting them to Him&s;elf as members to their Head. And this He doth by degrees, leaving &s;omething in them un&s;ubdued, while they are ab&s;ent from Him in the body (which as it is di&s;plea&s;ing to Him, &s;o it is grievous to them) but in the end He will not leave any thing in them either of &s;oul or body un&s;uitable to Him&s;elf, but will bring them into a full &s;ubjection and conformity, tran&s;|forming their bodies into the likene&s;&s;e of His own glorious bo|dy, and their &s;ouls into the likene&s;&s;e of His own perfect holine&s;&s;e, fulne&s;&s;e of joy, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e. But although He u&s;eth this &s;weet way of working with them for this ble&s;&s;ed end, as that which is mo&s;t direct and proper, yet &s;ometimes He prepareth them by terrours, putting on the countenance of an enemy, and handling them roughly, as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> did his Brethren, dealing with<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">9&punc; 11. 12.</NOTE> them in his approaches toward them as with the Prophet <HI>El<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">j<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">h,</HI>

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&s;ending before him a great and &s;trong wind, renting the moun|tains, and breaking in peeces the rocks; and after the winde an earthquake, and after the earthquake, a fire; dreadfull repre|&s;entations of His wrath, and convictions of their guilt: but after cometh the &s;till, &s;oft voice, the Word of promi&s;e and reconcilia|tion, a word of peace and pardon. Yea when they are in &s;ome degree &s;ubdued to Him, He doth &s;ometime &s;uffer them to be ex|erci&s;ed with renewed terrours on their &s;pirits, and outward af|flictions, to be troubled on every &s;ide, with fightings without, and fears within, to prepare them for farther &s;ubjection and<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 7. 5.</NOTE> conformity to Him&s;elf. The workings of Chri&s;t in this kinde have been more glorious and con&s;picuous in &s;ome ages than in others: as in the times of the Apo&s;tles and the ages next after, when thou&s;ands were &s;ubdued at once, Cities and Nations were brought in &s;ubjection to Chri&s;t: the devill raged, and &s;tirred up his in&s;truments to oppo&s;e the growth of Chri&s;t His kingdom with fire and &s;word: <HI>Nec e&ograve; min&ugrave;s ad Apo&s;tolorum vocem gentes commoventur: principum aulae legione&s;&abque; adeo ip&s;ae in Chri&s;ti partes pro|pendent &amp; nutant,</HI> as one &s;aith, the world is &s;tirred notwith&s;tand|ing at the &s;ummons of Chri&s;t His Amba&s;&s;adours, and the Courts of Princes, and the legions of military men are ready to yeeld and bow their en&s;ignes to the Maje&s;ty of the Lord Je&s;us. What a cordiall was that which the Apo&s;tle &s;ent to the&s;e beleevers at <HI>Philippi, All the Saints &s;alute you, chiefly tho&s;e of Ce&s;ars hou&s;hold.</HI> A<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4. 22.</NOTE> glorious &s;pectacle to &s;ee the banner of Chri&s;t advanced upon the turrets of <HI>Nero</HI> his palace. So when <HI>Luther</HI> was rai&s;ed up to re|&s;tore the light, there was another age wherein Chri&s;t was plea|&s;ed in a more than ordinary manner to &s;hew him&s;elf victorious. The States of the Empire meeting at <HI>Noremberg,</HI> thought to mo|derate things according to principles of policie: But what &s;aith <HI>Luther</HI> to this? <HI>Long&egrave; aliter conclu&s;um e&s;t in coelo quam Norembergae:</HI> The conclu&s;ion made in Heaven differed much from that at <HI>Noremberg:</HI> as the event demon&s;trated. <HI>Certatim enim Principes &amp; Civitates Imperii doctrinam repurgatam introduxerunt:</HI> For the Prin|ces and Imperiall Cities did (as it were) out-vye each other in a &s;peedie entertainment of the reformed Religion. Chri&s;t would not wait the lei&s;ure of the State.</P>
<P>But as for the ve&s;&s;els of wrath, although he dealeth diver&s;ly<NOTE PLACE="marg">4</NOTE> with them in regard of his intermediate di&s;pen&s;ations, rai&s;ing

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&s;ome of them to great dignity, arming them with power, that &s;o He may make his power known upon them: leaving others in a lowe condition, and thereby di&s;arming their malice: giving &s;ome of them <HI>E&s;an</HI> his portion, the dew of heaven, and the fat|ne&s;&s;e of the earth, &s;uffering them to fat them&s;elves to the day of &s;laughter, and to aggravate their condemnation by unthank|fulne&s;&s;e: denying others this worldly abundance, and laying upon them many temporall judgements as the beginnings of &s;orrows, whereby their &s;tubborne&s;&s;e becometh more unexcu|&s;able: &s;uffering &s;ome of them to break forth into more outra|gious wickedne&s;&s;e; circum&s;cribing others within the circle of morality, and civility: enduring &s;ome of them with much long|&s;uffering and patience; &s;urprizing others in their &s;ins, not &s;uf|fering them to live out half their dayes: bringing &s;ome of them under powerfull means of &s;alvation, giving them precious opportunities, which they de&s;pi&s;e or neglect, &s;hutting others out of the confines of his Church, &amp;c. yet in the i&s;&s;ue he &s;ubdu|eth them all by &s;trong hand, breaking them by his power, be|cau&s;e they &s;toup not to his authority: and as he doth execute ex|emplary vengeance upon many of them in this life, &s;o at the la&s;t day He will bring them all under his feet, and ca&s;t them into utter darkne&s;&s;e, where they &s;hall never be able to lift up their heads or hands again&s;t Him or his.</P>
<P>But there is yet another con&s;ideration of men and women, as<NOTE PLACE="marg">5</NOTE> they are united or combined in Societies, Common-wealths, &amp;c. Some of the&s;e He &s;o far &s;ubdueth, as to cau&s;e them to promote His Cau&s;e, propagate His Go&s;pel, protect His Church, as the Kingdom of I&s;rael in the dayes of <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Solomon,</HI> the King|dom of Judah in the reign of <HI>Jeho&s;haphat, Hezekiah,</HI> &amp;c. the Ro|mane Empire under <HI>Con&s;tantine, Valentinian, Theodo&s;ius,</HI> &amp;c. Others He &s;o ordereth, as to make them &s;uffer his Church to &s;ojourn among them, as Aegypt in the dayes of that <HI>Pharaoh</HI> who knew <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> the Empire of Rome in the times of <HI>Ve&s;pa&s;ian, Titus, Nerva, Antoninus Pius, Pro<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">us.</HI> Some of them He hath reduced to more moderation, after they began to &s;tretch out their hands to vex certain of the Church, as it is &s;aid of <HI>Trajane, Adrian, Antoninus Verus;</HI> and others. But as for tho&s;e who&s;e rage was implacable, hath not the Lord Chri&s;t &s;et His face again&s;t them for evill, re|buking Kings and Rulers for His peoples &s;ake, &s;aying, <HI>Touch not</HI>

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<HI>mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm,</HI> de&s;troying Noble and Royall Families, &s;ubverting Common-wealths and Empires, that he might avenge the bloud of his Saints, cutting off <HI>Nero, Domitian,</HI> and others, degrading <HI>Diocle&s;ian</HI> and his Colleague. In &s;uch ca&s;es &s;omtimes he de&s;troieth &s;ome of his enemies by others, expelling one poy&s;on by an other, &s;ometime puting a two-edged &s;word into the hands of his Saints, &amp; giving them this honour to become victorious in&s;truments of his wrath upon His and their enemies. But at the length, <HI>He will break in peices the iron and the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 2. 35.</NOTE> <HI>clay, the bra&s;&s;e, the &s;ilver and the gold, and make them like the chaffe of the &s;ummer thre&s;hing fl<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ores, and the wind &s;hall carry them away, and no place &s;hall be found for them. He will put down all rule, and all autho|rity and power.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, As for creatures voyd of rea&s;on, I will not now di&s;pute<NOTE PLACE="marg">6.</NOTE> that que&s;tion, whether after the worlds di&s;&s;olution the &s;pecies or &s;everall kind of creatures &s;hall be re&s;tored; But thus, Chri&s;t hath already in part &s;ubdued, and &s;hall in the end bring under all tho&s;e creatures not endowed with the principles of rea&s;on, and among&s;t the&s;e the very towns, cities, buildings wherein he hath been di&s;honoured. Some experience of this the world hath already had, in the Ea&s;tern Babylon, in the City of Jeru&s;alem, after that Him&s;elf was crucified there, his Go&s;pel rejected, his people per&s;ecuted, to what a fearfull de&s;olation did he bring it by the hands of the <HI>Romanes!</HI> and the Temple it &s;elf when it was kept up as a Monument of defiance again&s;t him, for the continu|ance o tho&s;e &s;acrifices which were aboli&s;hed by his death, by a people bla&s;pheming his Name, he de&s;troyed it: and when that wretched people attempted to rebuild it, through the incou|ragement of <HI>Julian</HI> the Apo&s;tate, he fully (as is conceived) ac|compli&s;hed his prophecy upon it, not leaving one &s;tone upon a|nother. And at this day how are the expectations of the Saints rai&s;ed to &s;ee the power of Chri&s;t put forth in &s;ubduing, and con|&s;uming with fire the We&s;tern <HI>Babylon,</HI> the City of <HI>Rome,</HI> in which was found the bloud of Prophets, and of Saints, and of all that<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 18. 24.</NOTE> were &s;lain upon the earth. In a word, as the creatures have been abu&s;ed or de&s;ired by the &s;ins of men to the di&s;honour of Chri&s;t, being made either in&s;truments of rebellion again&s;t him, or cor|rivals with him, the hearts of men being &s;tolen away from him, and going a whoring after the creatures, &s;o &s;hall all be &s;ubdued

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by his mighty working. The old world was &s;ubdued by a floud of waters. <HI>But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the &s;ame</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> Pet. 3. 6, 7.</NOTE> <HI>word are kept in &s;tore, re&s;erved unto fire again&s;t the day of Judgement, and perdition of ungodly men.</HI> If any ask why the world &s;tandeth &s;o long, being planted and peopled with rebels, and &s;illed with re|belion again&s;t Chri&s;t? The Apo&s;tle telleth us, <HI>it is kept in &s;tore by his word:</HI> the world would di&s;&s;olve like water when it is powred on the ground, were it not kept in &s;tore as in a ve&s;&s;el, by the word and will of Chri&s;t until the appointed time, and then <HI>the heavens</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 10, 11.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall pa&s;&s;e away with a great noi&s;e, and the elements &s;hall melt with fervent heat, the earth al&s;o and the works that are therein &s;hall be burnt up:</HI> both the works of God (which &s;ome call the works of nature) and the works of man, the works of art, and all the&s;e things &s;hall be di&s;|&s;olved.<NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Neverthele&s;&s;e</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>we, according to his promi&s;e looke for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteou&s;nes.</HI> If the frame of heaven and earth &s;halbe renewed, and &s;o kept pure from all &s;pot of &s;inne to eternity, this may be a farther evidence to the truth in hand, <HI>that Chri&s;t by His mighty working &s;hall &s;ubdue all things to him&s;elf.</HI></P>
<P>But what is the la&s;t enemy that &s;hall be brought under? The<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 26. 54.</NOTE> Apo&s;tle telleth us, <HI>The la&s;t enemy that &s;halbe de&s;troyed, is Death.</HI> Then &s;halbe brought to pa&s;&s;e the &s;aying that is written, <HI>Death is &s;wal|lowed up in victory.</HI> And the Apo&s;tle &s;eemeth, as one ravi&s;hed, with a&s;&s;urance of this victory over death, to &s;ing an <GAP DESC="foreign">, a &s;ong of triumph, in&s;ulting over this old and la&s;t enemy: <HI>O death where is thy &s;ting? O grave where is thy victory? The &s;ting of death is &s;inne, and the &s;trength of &s;inne is the Law. But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>This is therefore for the comfort of the Church of Chri&s;t a|gain&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 1.</NOTE> all her enemies. Their workings, plots, contrivings, at|tempts, have been many and de&s;perate from age to age and particularly in this age, in this land and el&s;ewhere: and I be|leeve the people of God do generally expect they &s;hould go on<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">. 4.</NOTE> whil'&s;t they have power, even untill Antichri&s;t be de&s;troyed. The Church is &s;aid to be <HI>terrible as an Army with banners.</HI> A learned expo&s;itour taking this &s;ong for a prophecy of the &s;tate of the Church from <HI>Solomons</HI> time unto the <HI>Jews</HI> conver&s;ion, and carry|ing on his interpretation according to the &s;ucce&s;&s;ion of time, took this place to note the condition of the Church from about

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the beginning of Queen <HI>Eliza<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">eths</HI> reign, and &s;o downward un|til the de&s;truction of the <HI>Pope,</HI> and <HI>Turk;</HI> that in the&s;e daies the Church which had bin troden under foot in former ages, &s;hould become formidable to her enemies as an army with banners, and thence inferreth that the&s;e times &s;hould be <HI>plenabellicis tumultibus</HI> full of the troubles and tumults of war between the Church and her enemies: wee have had much experience of this, and are likely to have more, where&s;oever the &s;eat of the war &s;hall be:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 16. 16.</NOTE> The great battel of <HI>Armageddon</HI> (I am per&s;waded) is yet to come. And therefore I expect that the adver&s;aries &s;hould exerci&s;e the height of their policy, and put forth the uttermo&s;t of their power, finding them&s;elves &s;toutly a&s;&s;aulted by this Army with banners. But here is the comfort of the Church, the mighty vertue and working of Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;ubdue them all. It is &s;aid, that the Lord Chri&s;t &s;hall con&s;ume that man of &s;in with the &s;pi|rit<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 2. 8.</NOTE> or breath of His mouth, and de&s;troy him with the brightnes of His coming. Certainly Chri&s;t His approaches have been very glorious of late, and the Antichri&s;tian faction hath been much weakened by Him: very much of the power of Chri&s;t hath been put forth again&s;t tho&s;e who have &s;ided with the Bea&s;t. But I am per&s;waded the time is at hand, when Chri&s;t &s;hall come in a more glorious manner, and give forth more admirable demon&s;trati|ons of His power in &s;ubduing tho&s;e enemies, who have for &s;o long a time oppo&s;ed and exalted them&s;elves again&s;t Him. For I conceive we are under the &s;eventh trumpet, to which all the &s;even vials full of the wrath of God, to be emptied upon the enemies of the Church, do belong; and under the fourth viall powred on the Sun. Now mark what is &s;aid upon the &s;ounding of the &s;eventh trumpet. <HI>And the &s;eventh Angel &s;ounded, and there</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 11. 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>were great voices in heaven, &s;aying, The kingdoms of this world are be|come the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Chri&s;t, and He &s;hall reign for ever and ever.</HI> Now is the time when Chri&s;t &s;hall conquer king|doms, and &s;ubdue Nations to Him&s;elf, to reign over them for ever. <HI>And the foure and twenty Elders which &s;ate before God on their &s;eats, fell upon their faces, and wor&s;hipped God, &s;aying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wa&s;t, and art to come; be|cau&s;e thou ha&s;t taken to thee thy great power, and ha&s;t reigned.</HI> Where they &s;eem to &s;peak of Chri&s;t as of &s;ome mighty Prince, who &s;ee|ing his kingdom to be invaded by forraign enemies, &s;uffereth

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them to go on in acts of ho&s;tility for a time, as if he had laid by his great power: but when he &s;eeth his time, taketh up his power again, rai&s;eth his Armies to &s;uppre&s;&s;e them. So Chri&s;t may &s;eem for divers ages to have laid by His great power, &s;uffering the Dragon and his Angels, and then the Bea&s;t and his ten horns to reign and domineer: But at the &s;ounding of the &s;eventh trum|pet, He &s;hould take to Him&s;elf His great power and reign. And therefore now let the people of God expect wonders to be wrought by the great power of Chri&s;t daily. It followeth, <HI>And the Nations were angry:</HI> the devill being ca&s;t out of the throne by Chri&s;t, &s;tirreth up his va&s;&s;als to anger: and we have had great experience of their fury. Some of them have &s;eemed even mad with anger, &s;o as to run on de&s;perately upon their own ruine, when the hand of God hath been apparently again&s;t them, when the Lord hath bla&s;ted their coun&s;els, cro&s;&s;ed and con|founded their plots, broken their &s;trength, leaving them no &s;uch grounds of hope as might encourage rationall men, yet on they would, and why? they <HI>were angry,</HI> and their anger and rage car|ried them headlong. But I beleeve Chri&s;t will anger them yet more, while&s;t He goeth on conquering, and to conquer.</P>
<P>Again the Elders proceed in their doxology, <HI>And thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they &s;hould be judged;</HI> the time when Chri&s;t &s;hould judge, and avenge the cau&s;e of His &s;ervants that have been &s;lain, by executing vengeance on their bloodie enemies: <HI>And that thou &s;hould&s;t give reward to thy &s;ervants the Pro|phets, and to thy Saints, and to them that fear thy Name, &s;mall and great, and &s;hould&s;t de&s;troy them that de&s;troy the earth:</HI> Chri&s;t &s;hall rai&s;e the &s;pirits, and encourage the hearts of his de&s;pi&s;ed Mini&s;ters and people, and de&s;troy their de&s;troyers. This hath been done in part, and &s;hall be more fully accompli&s;hed. <HI>And the Temple of God was opened in heaven:</HI> the glory of Chri&s;ts Church &s;hall be|come more vi&s;ible, and it &s;hall have a free and open pa&s;&s;age, many which were without, entring into it: <HI>And there was &s;een <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 word"> his Temple the Ark of his Te&s;tament:</HI> the &s;ecrets of his kingdom &s;hall be manife&s;ted, the Ark it &s;elf that was hidden from the multitude within the veil, &s;hall be di&s;covered. <HI>And there were lightnings, and voices, and thundrings, and great hail:</HI> dreadfull judge|ments upon tho&s;e who will not &s;ee and &s;ubmit to the mighty power of Chri&s;t: <HI>And an earthquake,</HI> dreadfull concu&s;&s;ions, great

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changes and alterations in the kingdoms of the world. The hearts of God his people &s;hould now be filled with expectation of the glorious acts of Chri&s;t, in a&s;much as the time is come that He hath taken to Him&s;elf His great power.</P>
<P>Secondly, If Chri&s;t mo&s;t certainly <HI>will &s;ubdue all things to Him|&s;elf;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 2.</NOTE> it is our wi&s;dome willingly to &s;toop unto Him. Let us a&s;|&s;ure our &s;elves, Chri&s;t will not part with his royalties in the lea&s;t degree. He will maintain to the uttermo&s;t his &s;upremacy, and &s;overaign authority. We mu&s;t bow or break: one way or other we &s;hall undoubtedly be brought under, either we mu&s;t will|ingly yeeld to the golden Scepter of his love, or we &s;halbe cru&s;h|ed with the iron rod of his wrath. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> (I conceive) was a type of Chri&s;t both in his aba&s;ement and exaltation: when he was made ruler over the land of <HI>Egypt,</HI> it is &s;aid, <HI>they cryed or proclaimed before him; Bow the knee: let all people throughout the Knigdom &s;ub|mit</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">G<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">n. 41. 43.</NOTE> <HI>to his authority.</HI> So when Chri&s;t for his Fathers glory and mans &s;alvation, had greatly humbled Him&s;elf, even to the death of the Cro&s;&s;e, <HI>God highly exalted Him, and gave him a Name above e|very Name, that at the Name of Je&s;us every knee &s;hould bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things vnder the earth.</HI> He proclaimed before Him throughout heaven, earth and hell, <HI>Bow the knee:</HI> All, men, angels, devils and other creatures &s;hall be &s;ubjected to Him. A nece&s;&s;ity lyeth upon us, and woe unto us if we do not willing|ly &s;ubmit. For this end take the&s;e three con&s;iderations.</P>
<P>1. The glorious and magnificent titles attributed to Chri&s;t in<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. 1 Tim. 6. 15.</NOTE> Scripture. <HI>The Ble&s;&s;ed and Onely Potentate,</HI> earthly Potentates have but a &s;haddow of power in compari&s;on of Him, though all due honour and &s;ubjection mu&s;t be given them by tho&s;e under their Government. But in re&s;pect of Chri&s;t their power and authori|ty is no more than the light of the Starrs in the pre&s;ence of the Sun. <HI>He is Lord of Lords:</HI> other Lords are but his va&s;&s;els, <HI>King of Kings,</HI> other Kings are but his Subjects: &s;o they are <HI>de jure,</HI> &s;o they ought to be: and they &s;hall <HI>de facto,</HI> actually at one time or other, one way or other, be brought under. Yea He hath this Name written upon his thigh, and upon his ve&s;ture, <HI>King of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 19. 16.</NOTE> <HI>Kings, and Lord of Lords.</HI> The Name which He weareth on His lower parts, upon the skirt of his robe, proclaimeth Him <HI>King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.</HI> If we poore worms are &s;o apt to tremble at the name of an earthly King or Ruler, Oh let all the

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powers of our &s;ouls pro&s;trate them&s;elves, and lie lowe before the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.</P>
<P>Secondly, con&s;ider what a ble&s;&s;ed condition they are in, who<NOTE PLACE="marg">2</NOTE> in &s;incerity have &s;ubjected them&s;elves unto him. 1. In regard<NOTE PLACE="marg">1</NOTE> of His &s;ingular love toward them. He is infinitely above all o|thers the mo&s;t gracious Ma&s;ter toward tho&s;e who&s;e &s;pirits are &s;ubdued to His government. Saith the Spou&s;e, <HI>His banner over</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 2. 4.</NOTE> <HI>me was love.</HI> What an encouragement is it to Souldiers to have the love of their Generall! Thrice happy &s;ouls that have Chri&s;t for their Commander, and are led, governed and conducted by Him as their King and Captain of their &s;alvation: His very banner over them is love: all His Commands are commands of love: all the &s;ervice He requireth of them, is impo&s;ed in love: He never enjoyneth them any thing but what is for their good: they are never lo&s;ers by obeying his plea&s;ure: all their lo&s;&s;es come by their di&s;obedience. He never putteth them upon any &s;uffering, but it is done in love. He cha&s;teneth us for our good,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb 12. 10.</NOTE> that we might be partakers of His holine&s;&s;e. If He leadeth them into the field, and letteth them meet with any &s;harp encounters,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.</NOTE> He maketh them more than conquerours. The Apo&s;tle having (as it were) &s;earched Satans mu&s;ter-rolls, and taken a view of his &s;everall brigades, tribulation, di&s;tre&s;&s;e, per&s;ecution, famine, nakedne&s;&s;e, perill, &s;word (enemies of a terrible a&s;pect to the eye of fle&s;h, as the grim vi&s;ages of <HI>Ariovi&s;tus</HI> his Germans were to <HI>Ce&s;ars</HI> Souldiers) he &s;lighteth them all, in all the&s;e <GAP DESC="foreign">, we do more than conquer, through him that loved us: it may &s;eem more proper to have &s;aid, through the Almighty power of Chri&s;t our Captain: But he chu&s;eth the &s;weet attribute of love, &s;hewing that it is a &s;peciall act of his love that he leadeth on his followers to &s;uch conflicts, intending to make them happy gain|ers, more than conquerours. I beleeve &s;o many would turn Soul|diers that we &s;hould want hands for other imployments, if they could be a&s;&s;ured of two things. Fir&s;t, to be entirely beloved of their Commander, as his own right arm. Secondly, that they &s;hould return with &s;afety and victory. This is the happine&s;&s;e of all the &s;ervants and &s;ouldiers of Chri&s;t: He loveth them tender|ly as the members of his own body, as the apple of his own eye. He will bring them off more than conquerours.</P>
<P>Secondly, He delivereth all his faithfull &s;ervants from all

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tho&s;e cruell task-ma&s;ters to which they were en&s;laved. <HI>Sin &s;hall not have dominion over you:</HI> for ye are under grace. Oh what an<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom 6. 14.</NOTE> happine&s;&s;e is it to be freed from &s;o many tyrannicall mon&s;ters, to have the &s;trength of pride, covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e, lu&s;t, &s;en&s;uality bro|ken! This &s;hould wonderfully provoke us fully to yeeld up our &s;pirits in &s;ubjection to Chri&s;t. Ble&s;&s;ed is the Soul that maketh &s;uch a change, that is freed from the &s;lavery of &s;in and Satan, carrying it on to de&s;truction, and is now governed and led by Chri&s;t in the way of &s;alvation.</P>
<P N="3">3. He pitieth them in regard of the infirmities accompanying<NOTE PLACE="marg">3.</NOTE> them in his &s;ervices, for which them&s;elves mourn, again&s;t which they &s;trive: and graciou&s;ly &s;pareth them as a Father &s;pareth his &s;on that &s;erveth him.</P>
<P N="4">4. Yea, He helpeth their infirmities, cometh in upon them by<NOTE PLACE="marg">4.</NOTE> his Spirit; when the work is too heavy for them, is a co-worker with them, ea&s;eth their yoke, and delighteth to manife&s;t his power in their weakne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="5">5. The happine&s;&s;e of his &s;ubjects and &s;ervants appeareth in<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. P&s;al. 58. 11. Prov. 11. 18.</NOTE> their reward, that is, 1. Sure. 2. Incomparable. 1. Sure. <HI>Verily there is a reward for the righteous. The wicked worketh a deceitfull work:</HI> that is, a &s;elf-deceiving work, as the oppo&s;ite member &s;heweth: he that hath to do with &s;in, dealeth with a cheater, which pro|mi&s;eth gain, plea&s;ure, &s;atisfaction; but meerly deceiveth him, payeth him with &s;hame, &s;orrow, mi&s;erie: but to him that loveth righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;hall be a &s;ure reward: righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and true holine&s;&s;e is &s;uch a kinde of &s;eed as never mi&s;carrieth; he that &s;oweth it is &s;ure of a good harve&s;t: it is a &s;eed taken out of the granary of heaven: it will grow and pro&s;per in any ground. Chri&s;t &s;aith, <HI>Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me:</HI> His reward is ready. Tho&s;e that &s;erve Princes or States mo&s;t faith|fully, mu&s;t wait long for their reward many times, though they whom they &s;erve be very de&s;irous to &s;atisfie them, becau&s;e their reward is not alwayes with them, not alwayes ready. <HI>I have</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 4.</NOTE> <HI>fought a good fight</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. his Crown was ready for him before he was ready to wear it; it was laid up and kept in &s;tore for him.</P>
<P>Secondly, the reward is incomparable, 1. In the &s;ervice. 2. Af|ter it.</P>
<P N="1">1. In the &s;ervice: <HI>In &s;celere &s;celeris &s;upplicium: &s;celeri paena coaetanea.</HI>

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Sin carrieth vengeance in it own bowels: &s;in and puni&s;hment are contemporary: fin it &s;elf is a mi&s;ery; holine&s;&s;e it &s;elf is a reward. <HI>Now being made free from &s;in, and become the &s;ervants of God, ye have</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. 22.</NOTE> <HI>your fruit unto holine&s;&s;e, and the end everla&s;ting life.</HI> This is a certain truth (and the people of God find it by experience) that the pre|&s;ent reward that goeth along with the work of Chri&s;t, the &s;weet refre&s;hings which Chri&s;tians meet with in the way of holine&s;&s;e, are far above all the plea&s;ures of &s;in, and the be&s;t things which the world can be&s;tow upon it lovers. That &s;weet peace of con|&s;cience, tho&s;e ta&s;tes of heaven, tho&s;e glimp&s;es of glory, tho&s;e be|ginnings of eternall life are far above all earthly comforts.</P>
<P>But &s;econdly, the reward that is prepared for them after their work is done, is more than they are able to de&s;ire or conceive.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 33. 19, 20.</NOTE> Saith <HI>Mo&s;es, I be&s;eech thee, &s;hew me thy glory.</HI> The Lord telleth him, <HI>Thou can&s;t not &s;ee my face: for there &s;hall no man &s;ee me and live:</HI> As if he had &s;aid, <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> thou aske&s;t thou knowe&s;t not what: the weight of glory which would re&s;ult from my face is more than thou art able to &s;tand under in this mortall condition. That ex|ceeding weight of glory which Chri&s;t hath provided for his people is &s;o great, &s;o incomparable, that they are not capable of it, untill they be transformed into the likene&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t: it is more happine&s;&s;e than their hearts can hold in that e&s;tate where|in now they are. Oh that the Lord would give us hearts to be|leeve the&s;e things really, as they are mo&s;t &s;ure and reall truths! Doth not many a man think, if I could get into &s;uch a mans &s;er|vice, I were a man made. This is onely true of the &s;ervice of Chri&s;t: thou art more happy if thou ha&s;t him for thy Ma&s;ter, than if thou had&s;t all the men on earth for thy &s;ervants. His &s;er|vice is a greater preferment than the riche&s;t Crown under hea|ven. If our hearts were not wretchedly muddy, earthly, unbe|leeving, how could we &s;leep quietly untill we were entertained by Chri&s;t in his &s;ervice!</P>
<P>Thirdly, con&s;ider the mi&s;ery of tho&s;e that do not yeeld &s;ub|jection<NOTE PLACE="marg">3.</NOTE> to Him. No enemie &s;o dreadfull as Chri&s;t to them that &s;tand out again&s;t Him. <HI>Who knoweth the power of thine anger?</HI> Little<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 90. 11. Luk. 19. 27.</NOTE> do poore &s;ouls know the weight of his Almighty arm. <HI>Tho&s;e mine enemies, which would not that I &s;hould reign over them, bring hither, and &s;lay them before me,</HI> let me &s;ee them executed. Kings, Rulers, peo|ple con&s;pire in rebellion again&s;t the Lord, and again&s;t His Chri&s;t:

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<HI>Let us break their hands a&s;under, and ca&s;t away their cords from us.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 2. 3, 4, &amp;c.</NOTE> Alas poore worms: <HI>He that &s;itteth in the heavens &s;hall laugh, the Lord &s;hall have them in deri&s;ion. Then &s;hall he &s;peak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his &s;ore di&s;plea&s;ure.</HI> That wrath which &s;pringeth out of the earth, which men of the world can &s;hew, &s;eemeth ter|rible: but who is able to endure that wrath which is powred<NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 9. 10.</NOTE> down from Him that &s;itteth in heaven? Thou &s;halt <HI>break them with a rod of iron,</HI> thou &s;halt <HI>da&s;h them in peices like a potters ve&s;&s;ell.</HI> Then followeth the U&s;e that now we are upon: <HI>Be wi&s;e now there|fore O ye Kings, be in&s;tructed ye Judges of the earth.</HI> It is the wi&s;dom of Kings and Rulers, yea, and of all degrees of people, to &s;toop to Him who can, and mo&s;t certainly will, &s;ubdue all to Him&s;elf. <HI>Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce with trembling. Ki&s;&s;e the Son re&s;t he be angry, and ye peri&s;h in the way, when his wrath is kind<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">ed but a little.</HI> A little of His wrath is more dreadfull than all the rage of man. Let us beg this wi&s;dom from above, that we may be taught of God, in all humility to yeeld and &s;ubmit to Chri&s;t. If a people ri&s;ing up in rebellion again&s;t the Authority of the State could be fully a&s;&s;ured of two things: fir&s;t, that if upon &s;um|mons they lay down their Arms and &s;ubmit, they &s;hall not one|ly be pardoned, but much advantaged in their e&s;tates: and &s;e|condly, that if they remain ob&s;tinate, it will be the ruine of them&s;elves, their families, and po&s;terities, were it not meer mad|ne&s;&s;e to &s;hew them&s;elves wilfull? We are all from our birth ene|mies and rebels again&s;t Chri&s;t. The &s;ilver trumpet of the Go&s;pel proclaimeth pardon, mercy, adoption, &s;alvation, the promi&s;es of this life and that which is to come, to tho&s;e that have been deepe&s;t in this rebellion, if they come in. On the contrary it is mo&s;t certain, all that &s;tand out again&s;t Chri&s;t in their naturall e&s;tate and impenitency, &s;hall be &s;ubdued to their everla&s;ting ruine and de&s;truction: <HI>For He mu&s;t reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, how carefull &s;hould we be throughly to examine<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 3.</NOTE> our &s;elves whether we be truly &s;ubjected to Chri&s;t, or not? whe|ther His grace have bowed us that &s;o we may be &s;ure his power &s;hall not break us; whether we are over-powred by his love, that &s;o we may not be overwhelmed with his wrath? Beloved, this is one of the principall enquiries which we are to make throughout our whole lives. We are fallen upon times which

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are full of que&s;tions and controver&s;ies. I beleeve there have not been many ages &s;ince Chri&s;ts a&s;cen&s;ion, wherein more <HI>queries</HI> have been &s;tirring, more doubts and di&s;putes agitated, than in the&s;e dayes. Now I &s;uppo&s;e a man of ordinary ob&s;ervation, may take notice of two &s;orts of people among us: <HI>Galli<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">es,</HI> meer &s;pecta|tors, that look on and care for none of the&s;e things, who mind the things of the world: the main que&s;tion that &s;eemeth to &s;tick with them, is how they may compa&s;&s;e their worldly ends, or how they may &s;atisfie their lu&s;ts, and make provi&s;ion for the fle&s;h: the&s;e as they trouble not them&s;elves to finde out the truth of things in controver&s;ie, &s;o they are &s;ecurely negligent about this great enquiry, whether they are &s;ubjected unto Chri&s;t or not? Others are very bu&s;ie in various di&s;puts about things pertaining to religion, &s;ome of whom (I feare) take little or no care to be re|&s;olved in this great bu&s;ines, whether their &s;pirits are effectually &s;ubdued to the Government of Chri&s;t. I be&s;eech you let us, in the fear of God, &s;et our &s;elves to &s;tudy this point. If once we can by good evidence of Scripture rightly infer this conclu&s;ion, that our &s;ouls are brought into a willing &s;ubjection to the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, that we are loyall Subjects to the King of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> we may a&s;&s;ure our &s;elves that The Spirit of Chri&s;t will lead us by the light of His word into all nece&s;&s;ary truth. And though we be not able to an&s;wer every cavill, and frivolous objection made a|gain&s;t &s;ome particular truth, yet if we can confute tho&s;e argu|ments bent again&s;t the &s;aving work of Chri&s;t upon our &s;ouls, in reducing us under the Scepter of His Go&s;pel, we &s;hall find more &s;olid comfort and &s;weet &s;atisfaction, then tho&s;e that to&s;&s;e the word of God in re&s;tle&s;&s;e and doubtfull di&s;putes; and &s;hall be &s;ure to have &s;o much knowledge as may &s;erve to light us the way to heaven. 1 Then are our minds, under&s;tandings and judgments,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1.</NOTE> &s;ubdued to the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t, revealed in His word? In refe|rence to this head, let us put our &s;elves to the&s;e three interroga|tories. 1. Do we verily account all that wi&s;dom to be meer foo|li&s;hnes, which lifteth up it &s;elf again&s;t any truth of Chri&s;t? Do we &s;incerely de&s;ire and endeavour, to have every thought within us captivated under the power of His truth? Doe we abhorre it as no le&s;&s;e than a degree of rebellion again&s;t Chri&s;t, when we find any imaginations, any carnall rea&s;onings in our minds cro&s;&s;ing the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t in any part? For in&s;tance: it is one

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of the great truths of Chri&s;t which the Apo&s;tle hath taught us by the Spirit of Chri&s;t: <HI>Godlines is profitable unto all things, having</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 4. 8, 9.</NOTE> <HI>promi&s;e of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.</HI> And fir&s;t he confirmeth it as a mo&s;t certaine truth, <HI>This is a faithfull &s;aying.</HI> Secondly, he valueth it as a mo&s;t precious truth, <HI>and worthy of all acceptation.</HI> Thirdly, he ju&s;tifieth it as an approved, experimented truth. <HI>For therefore we both labour and &s;uffer reproach, becau&s;e we tru&s;t in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, e&s;pecially of tho&s;e that beleeve.</HI> Beloved, if every one here pre&s;ent were examined upon this interrogatory, and con&s;cience were to make the an&s;wer, how few would be able to approve them&s;elves in the &s;ight of God, as true and loyall &s;ubjects unto Chri&s;t? Do not many of you entertain &s;uch thoughts as the&s;e in your hearts? If I &s;hould ob&s;erve the Lord His day according to the &s;trict rule of godlines, if in the cour&s;e of my life I &s;hall make godline&s;&s;e my rule in per|forming duties in &s;ecret, in my family, in publick, in buying, &s;elling, in all the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of my calling, in conver&s;ing with others, if I &s;hould regulate all my votes in Parliament according to the principles of godline&s;&s;e, I might lo&s;e my friends, my re|pute, many advantages for my e&s;tate, much prejudice if not ruin my &s;elf and my po&s;terity? What an&s;wer the tongue would give I know not; but I am per&s;waded many an ones con&s;cience with|in would plead guilty. This argueth non-&s;ubjection to the Scepter of Chri&s;t, and rebellion again&s;t His Soveraignty. Saith Chri&s;t, <HI>Who&s;oever drinketh of the water that I &s;hall give him, &s;hall never</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 4. 14.</NOTE> <HI>thir&s;t; but the water that I &s;hall give him, &s;hall be in him a well of living water, &s;pringing up into everla&s;ting life.</HI> Here is a point of divine wi&s;|dom uttered by the mouth of Chri&s;t Him&s;elf: Are not many that read and hear this &s;o far from &s;ubjecting their rea&s;on to it, that they are ready to &s;corn or &s;light it? Let them have wine and &s;trong drink, their plea&s;ures, let their ci&s;terns be filled with worldly abundance, and they do not much trouble them&s;elves about this living water: they can live without it. Their minds are not &s;ubdued to the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t. But he that looketh upon Chri&s;t as a fountain of living water, beleeving verily that if once he hath him dwelling in him, he &s;hall never be exhau&s;ted and drawn dry, but that this &s;pring of grace and &s;pirituall con|&s;olation &s;hall &s;tream forth into the ocean and full &s;ea of ever|la&s;ting glory. He who&s;e thir&s;ty &s;oul cannot be &s;atisfied without

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the &s;aving graces and comforts of Chri&s;ts Spirit, fully &s;ubmit|ting him&s;elf to this wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t, and renouncing &s;ence and rea&s;on which &s;eemeth to contradict it: he may &s;ay, I am a &s;ub|ject of Chri&s;ts Scepter, the Lord Je&s;us is my Chri&s;t and King. Again &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Enter ye in at the &s;trait gate, for wide is the gate,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth 7. 13, 14</NOTE> <HI>and bread is the way that leadeth to de&s;truction, and many there be which go in thereat. Becau&s;e &s;trait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Strive to enter in at the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 13, 24.</NOTE> <HI>&s;trait gate: for many I &s;ay unto you will &s;eek to enter in, and &s;hall not be able.</HI> Are your minds &s;ubjected to the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t di&s;cover|ed in the&s;e truths? Are ye verily per&s;waded that the gate is &s;trait, and the way narrow, that it requireth much &s;triving and contending to enter, that a cold, &s;luggi&s;h, common, formall way of &s;eeking will never give you entrance? If not, if you plea&s;e your &s;elves in your own conceits and vain imaginations, con|trary to the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t, that it is an ea&s;ie thing to go to heaven, ye hope to be &s;aved as well as the be&s;t, though ye hold on in an ea&s;ie broad way, &s;liding down the hill, carried with the &s;treame of the world, the tide of your lu&s;ts, the wind of Satans &s;ugge&s;tions, and applau&s;e of the multitude, a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves ye are rebels again&s;t Chri&s;t: ye oppo&s;e your carnall conceits, and exalt your blind rea&s;on again&s;t His heavenly wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Secondly, if your under&s;tandings be &s;ubdued to the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t, then ye will yeeld to particular truths of Chri&s;t, not|with&s;tanding former engagements to the contrary. A man can|not approve his loyalty to that Prince or State to whom he ow|eth Allegeance, unle&s;&s;e he renounce contrary engagements to a forreign Prince, If by education, mi&s;take, weakne&s;&s;e of judge|ment, &s;educements of others, thou ha&s;t been engaged in defence of any errour, and becau&s;e of &s;uch prejudice will &s;tiffely main|tain it again&s;t the contrary truth of Chri&s;t, what is this but re|bellion again&s;t the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t. But that is a &s;weet, gra|cious, loyall &s;pirit, that is freely ready to quit all engagements for receiving of any truth of Chri&s;t, and is content that all his own notions &s;hould fall to the ground, that the wi&s;dom and truth of Chri&s;t might be exalted and maintained in it ju&s;t and full authority.</P>
<P>Thirdly, when thy mind and judgement &s;toopeth to the truth of Chri&s;t held forth by &s;uch In&s;truments as the proud world de|&s;pi&s;eth,

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&s;o &s;oon as ever thou &s;ee&s;t the Kings &s;tamp upon it, that is &s;o &s;oon as thou find&s;t Chri&s;t His authority for it: not regard|ing by whom it is pre&s;ented to thee, but looking up to Him who &s;itteth at the right hand of God, humbly &s;ubjecte&s;t thy &s;elf to his wi&s;dom.</P>
<P>Secondly, if a man be brought into &s;ubjection unto Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2.</NOTE> then is his will &s;ubdued to and by the Spirit of Chri&s;t. <HI>Barnabas</HI> being &s;ent from the Church of Jeru&s;alem to confirm the new converts of Antioch, <HI>When he came and had &s;een the grace of God, was</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act 11&punc; 22, <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">3</NOTE> <HI>glad, and exhorted them all that with purpo&s;e of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.</HI> As if he had &s;aid, Brethren, I rejoyce to &s;ee the&s;e happy beginnings, to &s;ee the kingdom of Chri&s;t thus enlarged, and withall let me exhort you, that ye yeeld up your wils ful|ly and &s;teadfa&s;tly unto Him; cleaving to Him with purpo&s;e of heart. This &s;hall be a &s;weet evidence to your &s;ouls, that ye are indeed &s;ubjected to Him. That is a reall &s;ubjection of a loyall|hearted people to Chri&s;t, when they are re&s;olvedly His; not when they have &s;ome &s;light inclinations toward him, but when the purpo&s;e of their heart is fixed upon Him, and they are &s;teadfa&s;t|ly re&s;olved that Chri&s;t &s;hall give law to them. It is grievous to a loyall &s;ubject of Chri&s;t to have any thing remaining in his will that &s;avoureth of rebellion again&s;t Chri&s;t, any renitency, any unwillingne&s;&s;e and indi&s;po&s;edne&s;&s;e to the work of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly, when a man is &s;ubjected unto Chri&s;t, his affections<NOTE PLACE="marg">3.</NOTE> are &s;ubdued to Him. He obeyeth Chri&s;t, and he obeyeth Him in love; he &s;hunneth &s;in, and he loveth to avoid it. He doth the will of Chri&s;t with a de&s;ire exceeding his performance and ability. A carnall per&s;on not &s;ubjected to Chri&s;t, his performances ex|ceed his affections, he doth many outward &s;ervices to which he hath no heart. Again, the loyall &s;ubject delighteth in his &s;ub|jection. He would not for a world be free from this yoke. Wher|as tho&s;e rebels &s;aid, <HI>Let us break their bonds a&s;under, and ca&s;t away</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 2.</NOTE> <HI>their cords from us:</HI> he &s;aith from the bottome of his heart, Ble&s;&s;ed be God that ever He brought me under the government of his Son, that in&s;tead of a &s;lave of Satan, He hath made me a &s;ubject to the King of glory. As it is &s;aid of one of our Engli&s;h Martyrs, that he ki&s;&s;ed the &s;take, &s;aying, <HI>Welcome the cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, wel|come everla&s;ting life.</HI> So &s;aith he who&s;e heart is &s;ubjected to the Lord Je&s;us, welcome the &s;weet yoke of Chri&s;t, the very entrance

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into everla&s;ting life. <HI>I rejoyce in the Law of God,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul,</HI> I de|light<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7.</NOTE> to do thy will O my God: yea <HI>thy law is within my heart,</HI> or<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 40. 8.</NOTE> in the mid&s;t of my bowels, &s;aith <HI>David.</HI> He profe&s;&s;eth it was his delight to do the will of God, and giveth two rea&s;ons: the for|mer imployed in tho&s;e words [<HI>O my God</HI>] thou ha&s;t given me thy &s;elf for my gracious God and portion, and therefore it is my delight to give up my &s;elf to thee in obedience. The &s;econd ex|pre&s;&s;ed in the&s;e, <HI>Thy Law is within my heart.</HI> When the Law of God is once lodged within a man, written in his heart, fixed in his bowels, then is he a loyall &s;ubject of Chri&s;t, and goeth on in the way of holine&s;&s;e with rejoycing. he delighteth in godly &s;orrow for his di&s;loyalties: and wheras others &s;trive to forget and &s;hake off the fear of God, he rejoyceth to find his heart over-awed by Chri&s;t: It is delightfull to him to curb his lu&s;ts, to controll his own will: It is the joy of his heart to &s;ee the&s;e enemies of Chri&s;t within his own &s;oul, lye &s;lain before Him.</P>
<P>Fourthly, He that is a true &s;ubject of Chri&s;t, rejoyceth to &s;ee<NOTE PLACE="marg">4.</NOTE> the kingdom of Chri&s;t enlarged, his cau&s;e pro&s;per, his implaca|ble enemies brought under; but e&s;pecially to &s;ee rebels &s;o &s;ub|dued, as to become loyall and obedient &s;ubjects. What &s;pectacle &s;o glorious in his eye as to &s;ee Chri&s;t victorious, to behold the Captain of his &s;alvation on a day of triumph? Tho&s;e that are otherwi&s;e affected, &s;hew of what &s;pirit they are, whatever they pretend: <HI>I heard a voice from heaven, come out of her my people, that ye</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 18. 4, 5.</NOTE> <HI>be not partakers of her &s;ins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her &s;ins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembred her iniquities. Reward her even as &s;he hath rewarded you&punc; and double unto her double according to her works.</HI> If this be a voice from heaven, what &s;hall we think of the clamour of tho&s;e that contradict it? is not that a voice from hell? It followeth in that place, how the enemies of Chri&s;t mourned at the funerall of the whore of Babylon, as ma|ny of late &s;eemed to be vexed at the fall and weakning of them that fought for the whore. But what &s;aith the holy Gho&s;t? <HI>Re|joyce</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&punc; 20.</NOTE> <HI>over her, thou heaven,</HI> [thou Church of Chri&s;t] <HI>and ye holy Apo|&s;tles and Prophets: for God hath avenged you on her. And after the&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cap. 19. 1. &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>things, I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, &s;aying, Alleluia: &s;alvation, and glory, and honour, and power unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous are his judgements, for he hath judged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the</HI>

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<HI>blood of His &s;ervants at her hand.</HI> They that belong to the kingdom of Chri&s;t rejoyce and give thanks in this ca&s;e: who are they that lament but tho&s;e that belong to the prince of darkne&s;&s;e?</P>
<P>Fourthly, This &s;hould &s;tir up all who are loyall-hearted &s;ub|jects<NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;&s;e 4.</NOTE> of Chri&s;t, to labour more fully to &s;ubject them&s;elves unto him. And fir&s;t endeavour to take deeper rooting in Chri&s;t by<NOTE PLACE="marg">1</NOTE> faith, that ye may partake more of the power and Spirit of Chri&s;t&punc; for He according to his working is able to &s;ubdue all things to Him&s;elf. The more ye have of Chri&s;t, the more &s;hall your &s;pirits be &s;ubjected unto Chri&s;t. Dilate your hearts by faith in &s;weet and free meditations on the promi&s;es, that ye may let in more of Chri&s;t into your &s;ouls. His entrance into the &s;oul is the ruine of Satans &s;trong holds: when He is exalted in the heart, lu&s;t will &s;ink, corruption will be weakned. Meditations on the Law, and on the wrath of God may be of great u&s;e to prepare the way of Chri&s;t: but it is the pre&s;ence and power of Chri&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing the heart, which doth the work. <HI>For this purpo&s;e the Son</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter"> Ioh. 3&punc; 8.</NOTE> <HI>of God was manife&s;ted, that He might de&s;troy the works of the devil:</HI> that is &s;poken of his manife&s;tation to the world in generall. It hold|eth true in this ca&s;e, the more Chri&s;t is manife&s;ted to any belee|ver in particular, the more are the works of the devil de&s;troyed in him, and the more is that &s;oul &s;ubjected unto Chri&s;t. The cau&s;e why Satans bulwarks are not more fully demoli&s;hed, and our &s;pirits &s;o little &s;ubdued unto Chri&s;t, is, becau&s;e we have but ob&s;cure di&s;coveries of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly, Labour to be more and more humble, and &s;encible<NOTE PLACE="marg">2</NOTE> of your own vilene&s;&s;e. Self-aba&s;ing is the lifting up of Chri&s;t. The &s;pirit that &s;toopeth lowe&s;t is be&s;t prepared to become a throne for Chri&s;t. <HI>For thus &s;aith the High and lofty one that inhabit|eth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 57. 15&punc;</NOTE> <HI>eternity, who&s;e Name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him al&s;o that is of a contrite and humble &s;pirit.</HI> This may &s;eem &s;trange that the highe&s;t place in heaven, and the lowe&s;t hearts on earth &s;hould be the fitte&s;t thrones for Chri&s;t. And why? the heart that is lowe&s;t in humility, is highe&s;t in excellency in his e&s;teeme: the &s;pirit that is lifted up to the greate&s;t height of pride, is lowe&s;t for vilene&s;&s;e and ba&s;enes in his account&punc; God re&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">teth the proud, becau&s;e they lift up them&s;elves again&s;t His royall Maje&s;ty, and giveth grace to the humble, becau&s;e they yeeld him &s;ubjection. Humility maketh way for more grace, and &s;o for more full &s;ub|jection

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unto Chri&s;t. They that delight to lie at the foot&s;tool of Chri&s;t in humility, &s;hall &s;ee Chri&s;t &s;itting in the throne of their hearts, &amp; &s;hall be exalted to &s;it with Chri&s;t in his throne of glory.</P>
<P>Thirdly, Keep a continuall watch. A Commander who know|eth<NOTE PLACE="marg">3</NOTE> many of his Souldiers to be ill affected to the cau&s;e wherein he is engaged, and ready to rai&s;e a mutiny, or that hath many &s;turdy pri&s;oners in his Camp that wait an opportunity to act mi&s;chief, had need &s;et a &s;trong guard upon them, and keep a watchfull eye over them. So a Chri&s;tian finding many treache|rous lu&s;ts in his heart, ready upon occa&s;ion to break into actuall rebellion again&s;t Chri&s;t, had need be very watchfull: if he be &s;lumbering, they will &s;oon be acting mi&s;chief. Watch therfore, and if they begin to &s;tir, execute martiall Law upon them pre|&s;ently. Let them dye without mercy, that thy &s;oul may live, and Chri&s;t may reign.</P>
<P>Fourthly, Keep peace with God: and let the peace of God rule<NOTE PLACE="marg">4</NOTE> in thine heart, that &s;o thy &s;oul may re&s;t in a &s;weet &s;ubjection un|der the government of Chri&s;t the Prince of peace; while&s;t the hearts of others are hurried up and down with divers and con|trary lu&s;ts, being like the raging &s;ea, ca&s;ting up mire and dirt.</P>
<P>As the point is of univer&s;al concernment to all degrees of per|&s;ons, &s;o I have carried it on in the Application. I yet de&s;ire liberty for one word to this Honourable Audience, whom it e&s;pecially concerneth.</P>
<P>Much honoured in the Lord, I be&s;eech You take home to your &s;elves what hath been &s;poken to you and others in the Name of Chri&s;t, &amp; labour to make it your own. This is that which would make your memories precious to po&s;terity, and cau&s;e future ge|nerations to call you ble&s;&s;ed; yea this will enable you to give up your la&s;t account with joy, if fir&s;t your own &s;pirits &s;hall be truly &s;ubdued to the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and then if your Parliamenta|ry coun&s;els and proceedings &s;hal be &s;uch as &s;avour of the loyalty of your hearts toward this King of Saints. The Apo&s;tle &s;eemeth<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 9. 12, 13.</NOTE> to have been wonderfully affected with a work of mercy per|formed by private Chri&s;tians, in relieving the nece&s;&s;ities of their poore Brethren. <HI>For</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>the admini&s;tration of this &s;ervice not onely &s;upplyeth the want of the Saints, but is abundant al&s;o by many thanksgivings unto God: while&s;t by the experiment of this mini&s;tration, they glorifie God for your profe&s;&s;ed &s;ubjection to the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t.</HI> How much more &s;hall the right admini&s;tration of this publick Service

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wherein ye are engaged, and the faithful di&s;charge of this great tru&s;t committed to You, not only &s;upply the wants, and make up the breaches of Church and State; but al&s;o be abundant by ma|ny thank&s;givings unto God, enlarging the hearts, and opening the mouthes of thou&s;ands of the godly, while&s;t by the experi|ment of this publick mini&s;tration they glorifie God for your pro|fe&s;&s;ed &s;ubjection to the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t. And if the Apo&s;tle in that ca&s;e did break out &s;o affectionately, how much more &s;hall the faithfull have cau&s;e to lift up the prai&s;es of their God, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 15.</NOTE> to &s;ay: <HI>Thanks be unto God for his un&s;peakable gift:</HI> Ble&s;&s;ed be God for a Parliament that &s;ubjected them&s;elves, and all their power and authority to Him whom God hath &s;et at His own right hand, far above principalities and powers, and every name that is na|med not onely in this world, but al&s;o in the world to come; for a Parliament, who in all their legi&s;lative Acts hold re&s;pect to their &s;ubordination to that &s;upream Law-giver, who is able to &s;ave and to de&s;troy, who were tender of the glory of the Lord Je&s;us, of the purity of his truth and wor&s;hip, and would not for a world infringe any of His royal prerogatives. Ye have mighty engage|ments hereunto: And therefore for conclu&s;ion let me &s;et before<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 18. 47, 48</NOTE> you <HI>Davids</HI> ca&s;e, and his example. <HI>It is God that avengeth me, and &s;ubdueth the people under me.</HI> Hath not God avenged you, and won|derfully &s;ubdued the people under you, far beyond the hopes of tho&s;e that were mo&s;t confident among you? <HI>He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea thou ha&s;t lifted me up above tho&s;e that ri&s;e up again&s;t me; thou ha&s;t delivered me from the violent man.</HI> Cannot ye &s;ay after him <HI>verbatim,</HI> and apply all to your &s;elves, word for word? What cau&s;e have you to conclude with him, <HI>Therefore will</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 49.</NOTE> <HI>I give thanks unto the Lord among the heathen; and will &s;ing prai&s;es un|to thy Name.</HI> Labour in thankfulne&s;&s;e to make the Name of the Lord glorious among the heathen; heatheni&s;h Chri&s;tians that are &s;trangers to him in divers parts of the Land, by propagating the Go&s;pel, and giving nece&s;&s;ary encouragement to tho&s;e that publi&s;h it. And remember that Chri&s;ts highe&s;t end in al his works (and therefore certainly in &s;uch admirable works) is Him&s;elf: not the greatn<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e of the creature who enjoyeth the comfort of them, but the honour of His own great Name. Oh learn there|fore to &s;eek not your own things, but the things of Je&s;us Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 12. 24.</NOTE> <HI>For con&s;ider how great things He hath done for you.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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