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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="Parliamentary order">
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<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE>Die Mercurij 26. <HI>April.</HI> 1643.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>IT is this day Ordered by the Commons a&s;&s;embled in Parliament, that Sir <HI>Pe|ter VVentworth</HI> doe from this Hou&s;e give thanks unto M^r. <HI>Greenhill</HI> for the great paines hee tooke in the Sermon hee preached this day, at the intreaty of this Hou&s;e, before the Commons at S^t. <HI>Mar|garets,</HI> in the Citie of <HI>VVe&s;tmin&s;ter,</HI> (being a day of publique humiliation) and that he de&s;ire him to Print his Ser|mon. And it is Ordered that no man pre&s;ume to print his Sermon, but whom the &s;aid Ma&s;ter <HI>Greenhill</HI> &s;hall au|thorize under his hand writing.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>H. El&s;yng. Cler. Parl. D. Com.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="author's order">
<P>I appoint <HI>Benjamin Allen</HI> to print my Sermon.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>W. GREENHILL.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>&Agr;&xgr;&igr;&ngr;&egr; &pgr;&rgr;&ogr;&sgr; &tgr;&egr;&ngr; &Rgr;&igr;&zgr;&agr;&ngr;.</P>
<P>The Axe at the Root, A SERMON Preached before the Honourable Hou&s;e of COMMONS, at their publike Fa&s;t, <HI>April</HI> 26. 1643.</P>
<P><HI>By</HI> William Greenhill.</P>
<Q><BIBL>MATTH. 3. 10.</BIBL>
<P>Now al&s;o the Axe is laid unto the root of the trees, th ere|fore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewen down, and ca&s;t into the fire.</P></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>R. O. &amp; G. D.</HI> for <HI>Benjamin Allen,</HI> and are to be &s;old in Popes-head Alley, 1643.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE Honourable Hou&s;e of COMMONS A&s;&s;embled in PARLIAMENT.</HEAD>
<P>_WHen the World was &s;haken by <HI>Adams</HI> &s;inne, God &s;ecur'd it by the Promi&s;eof his Son&punc; <HI>Gen. 5.</HI> When <HI>Canaan</HI> was di&s;tre&s;&s;ed by the Midianites, he &s;ent <HI>Gi|deon</HI> to &s;ave <HI>I&s;rael, Iudg. 6.</HI> Now <HI>England</HI> is di&s;tracted, and her foundations out of cour&s;e, He hath rays'd up <HI>you,</HI> the <HI>Wor|thies</HI> of our <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> to repaire her breaches, and &s;ettle her foundations; we acknowledge the infinite mercy of God to rai&s;e you up at &s;uch a time, and for &s;uch de&s;ignes. It's great hard work to &s;ave Kingdomes: but Honourable, whoever would not &s;ave a Kingdome, is no more worthy to live in it, then the Man &s;eekes the de&s;tructi|on thereof. Wicked men will venture all to get or ruine Kingdomes, and &s;hall not good men ven|ture as farre to &s;ave Kingdomes? Had men pub|lique
<PB REF="3">
&s;pirits they would doe it. Heathens have &s;o minded the publique, as that they have forgot them&s;elves. <HI>Publius Decius</HI> the Romane Army <NOTE PLACE="marg">Valex<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">maxim, l. 5. c. <HI>553.</HI></NOTE>being brought low, ru&s;ht into the mid&s;t of the ene|mies, demanded <HI>&s;afety</HI> for his <HI>Country, Death</HI> for <HI>him&s;elfe;</HI> and &s;o occa&s;ioned an unexpected &V;icto|ry. <HI>Luc. Alvanius</HI> his Wife and Children, being <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Dein, lib.</HI> 1. <HI>c.</HI> 11.</NOTE>in the VVagon, e&s;caping for their lives in a com|mon Calamity; commands them downe, and takes up the Ve&s;tall &V;irgins, who had the care of their holy things: he was <HI>proprior publicae Religioni quam privatae charitati,</HI> the Publiquene&s;&s;e of his &s;pirit caryed him above private intere&s;ts. VVhere &s;pirits are right &s;et; &s;elfe is much for|gotten. Ji's dome&s;ticknes of &s;pirit, &s;elvi&s;hne&s;&s;e, which is the great let to Armies, Religions, and Kingdomes good. <HI>E&s;ther</HI> was right when &s;hee &s;aid, <HI>if I peri&s;h I peri&s;h,</HI> &s;he would venture for the publique, and for her God. The <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quicunque occupati &s;unt negotijs rei|publicae debent hoc ip&s;um fa|cere propter Deum Rabbi Gamel. in Paul. Fagio Capit. patrum.</NOTE><HI>Rabbins</HI> give a good le&s;&s;on for Men in publiqne employment, They mu&s;t doe their worke <HI>propter Deum</HI> Then neither difficultie of worke, di&s;appoinment in e|vent, nor ingratitude in People, will di&s;turbe the &s;pirits of men. Then nothing will be done again&s;t the Kingdome of Chri&s;t, evidence of truth, or li|berty of Con&s;cience; If men be publique and act
<PB REF="3">
for God they are <HI>E&s;hbaals, Ruling lights;</HI> if pri|vate and &s;elvi&s;h, they will be <HI>I&s;hbo&s;heths</HI> men of &s;hame. The <HI>Axe</HI> is at the root of our Tree, wee hope your &s;pirits are all un&s;elvi&s;hed, that none are now unpublique; Publiquene&s;&s;e of dangers calls for publiquene&s;&s;e of &s;pirits; Eminency of dan|ger for &s;peedine&s;&s;e of helpe. VVhen <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> was brought low, <HI>A&s;aph</HI> cryed to God for &s;peedy prevention, <HI>P&s;alm. 79. 8. England, Ireland</HI> are brought low, the <HI>A&s;aphs</HI> cry to God, and cry to you al&s;o for &s;peedy prevention. There be ill &s;pirits a|broad which teare us, which ca&s;t us into the Fire and water to de&s;troy us, as the Mans Sonne in the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 9. 22.</NOTE>Go&s;pell, and we &s;ay, Ma&s;ters if you can doe any thing have compa&s;sion on the Kingdome, and help it, help us; keep backe nothing may &s;ave a King|dome, helpe by wayes ordinary, and by wayes ex|traordinary. You are <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">E&s;. <HI>36.</HI> &s;i|qua e&s;t mi&s;e|recordia &amp; humanitas extremae no|&s;trae mi&s;eriae &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ccurrere ne graveris Cal|vin.</NOTE><HI>Rulers</HI> and our ruine is under your hand; Vote our Re&s;urrection <HI>nomine contradicente,</HI> effect it <HI>quamvis mille repugnent,</HI> and this &s;hall be your <HI>Impre&s;&s;e, Hoc Regnum e&s;t vere ve&s;trum.</HI> Yea other Kingdomes &s;hall contri|bute to your prai&s;e, and the Kingdome of King|doms be your reward. Bestirre you they are active, who would undoe us. Thinke on the * <HI>Rabbies</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rabbi Shime|on in Paulo Fgio Capit. patrum.</NOTE>words a little altered <HI>Dies brevis, opus multum
<PB REF="4">
merces magna, Pater familias urget operarij ne &s;int pigri.</HI> This Epi&s;tle and Sermon had both lay on in the dark, if your authority which commands Per|&s;ons, Pulpits, Pre&s;&s;es, had not brought them forth; accept the fruits of your owne power, and ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord for what you have done &s;ince you heard what is now pre&s;ented unto you. The Lord inable you to <HI>perfect all</HI> your <HI>intentions</HI> and <HI>un|dertakings,</HI> which are for the publique good.</P>
<P>The Lord unite you, Watch ever you, fill you with his Spirit, Pro&s;per you, <HI>All</HI> yours, and ac|compli&s;h <HI>yet</HI> greater things by You, So Prayes&punc;</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your mo&s;t Vnworthy Servant, and meane&s;t in the worke of <HI>Chri&s;t.</HI>
<HI>WILLIAM GREENHILL.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<HEAD>A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable Hou&s;e of COMMONS. at their publique FAST. <HI>April</HI> 26. 1643.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL>MATTH. 3. 10.</BIBL>
<P>Now al&s;o the Axe is laid unto the root of the trees, there|fore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewen down, and ca&s;t into the fire.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THe&s;e words are part of a penitentiall Sermon, <HI>Iohn Bapti&s;t,</HI> the greate&s;t Pro|phet borne of a woman, yet the hum|ble&s;t that had to do with Chri&s;t, <HI>Mat.</HI> 3. 11. Preaching repentance to the people <HI>v.</HI> 2. multitudes flocked to heare him upon that &s;ubject, among&s;t others the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> and <HI>Sadduces,</HI> which were none of the be&s;t, came to heare; and the&s;e he exhorts al&s;o to bring forth fruit meet for repentance: many arguments he u|&s;ed to pre&s;&s;e on that duty, and this Text is <HI>Argumentum <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">gens,</HI> a &s;trong argument unto it: Be&s;ide the Arguments, of the Kingdome of God being at hand, <HI>v.</HI> 2. and that
<PB N="2" REF="5">
there is wrath to come, <HI>v.</HI> 7. he &s;aith, <HI>Now al&s;o is the Axe laid to the root of the Tree&punc;</HI> if the Kingdome will not draw you, nor the fear of wrath after this life drive you <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> the pre&s;ent Axe that is laid to the root of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> draw and drive you to repentance.</P>
<P>In the words you have a de&s;cription of divine &s;eve|ritie&punc; And fir&s;t in the preparation to it, <HI>The axe is laid to the root of the tree.</HI> Secondly, in the execution of it, <HI>E|very tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewen down, and ca&s;t into the fire.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, I &s;hall open to you the words, and then draw forth &s;uch truths, and Ob&s;ervations, as the words do na|turally prompt unto you, without any &s;training, or fet|ching of blood.</P>
<P>By Axe we under&s;tand not Chri&s;t&punc; as <HI>Gregory,</HI> nor the Go&s;pell, as &s;ome would have it; but any Judgement that God u&s;eth to cut down a &s;inful people by. The <HI>Ro|man</HI> forces, under <HI>Ve&s;patian</HI> and <HI>Titus,</HI> were Gods Axe, to cut down the Nation of the <HI>Iewes,</HI> by the warre they made upon them by the famine attended that warre, and the di&s;pertion followed it, they were utterly cut downe I will a little &s;hew you the re&s;emblances between them and an Axe: Becau&s;e Gods judgements are called Axes.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Re&s;emb.</HI> 1.</NOTE> Fir&s;t, an Axe is a &s;harpe and terrible thing, &s;o are Gods Judgements, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 45. 5&punc; Thine arrowes are &s;harpe in the heart of the Kings enemies. Gods Arrowes are not onely his truths, but al&s;o his judgements&punc; and they are &s;harpe at di&s;tance, but e&s;pecially upon the entrance when they come into the hearts of Chri&s;ts&punc; enemies they wound, and that dreadfully, <HI>Ier.</HI> 5<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 20&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> called Gods battell Axe, and that you know <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> a terrible In&s;trument; God by <HI>Babylon</HI> did break, and terrifie King|domes, he dealt &s;harply, and roundly with them, and his Judgements executed by <HI>Babylon</HI> were very dreadfull, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 120. <HI>My fle&s;h trembleth for feare of thee; and I am affraid of thy Judgements. David</HI> that was not affraid of the Beare, of the Lyon, nor of <HI>G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">liah,</HI> yet was affraid of
<PB N="3" REF="5">
Gods Judgements If the giving of the Law made <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> and the people quake, <HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 20, 21. &s;urely Gods Judgements which are <HI>lexanimata,</HI> the execution of the Law, will make Kingdomes to tremble. At the entrance of the law Mount <HI>S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">na</HI> did &s;moak, and when God &s;hall a|venge the breach of the Law, Mount <HI>Sion</HI> will burne, <HI>Lament.</HI> 4. 11.</P>
<P>When <HI>Ananias</HI> and <HI>Saphira</HI> were &s;mitten, great feare fell upon all the Church, and all others that heard of it, in&s;omuch that none of them dur&s;t joine them&s;elves with them. <HI>Acts</HI> 5. 11. 13. So you &s;ee Gods Judgements are &s;harpe and dreadfull.</P>
<P>Secondly, an Axe as its terrible &s;o its &s;trong and weighty, and Gods Judgments have &s;trength and weight in them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 90. 11. Who knowes the power of thine anger? there is power and &s;trength in the wrath of God, let him u&s;e the lea&s;t creature to execute his judgements, and there is &s;trength enough in that creature to ruine a|ny: the raine is a weake thing, but if God will u&s;e raine as a Judgment, it is &s;trong enough to drown a world&punc; <HI>Job.</HI> 37. 6. It is called the great raine of his &s;trength. God can put that &s;trength into a cloud, into a few drops of raine, that they &s;hall conquer any oppo&s;ite power; the worms eate up <HI>Herod, Act.</HI> 12. A humor in the feet tum|bles <NOTE PLACE="marg">ope Adrian the fourth choaked with a fly at Anag|nia Simp&s;. Hi&s;torie of the church. Cent. <HI>12&punc;</HI> Iovianus the Emperour &s;tifled with &s;moak or ea|ting of a mu&s;hrum Grim&s;ton, lives of Em|perours.</NOTE>down <HI>A&s;a,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 16. a di&s;ea&s;e in the bowells con|&s;umes <HI>Ieh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ram,</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 21. And Stories tell us &s;mall things have overthrowne men of great renowne, a grape &s;tone&punc; a flye, &s;ome petty thing: God can arme the wea|ke&s;t creature with that &s;trength, that no man is able to &s;tand again&s;t it, not the Princes of the earth, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 76. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. Hee cuts off the &s;pirit of Princes, Hee deales with Princes as men deale with a Vine, an Axe is too &s;trong for a clu&s;ter of Grapes, or a &s;prig of a Vine, it ea&s;ily cuts them off: &s;o God by a Judgement ea&s;ily cuts off the &s;pirit of Princes, they are not able to &s;tand again&s;t the lea&s;t Judgement of God, when he puts &s;trength in|to raine, wormes, or any other creature, they fall.</P>
<P><PB N="4" REF="6">
<MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, an Axe is an in&s;trument to hew with, wood and &s;tones they hewed with Axes, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 10. 15. <HI>Shall the axe boa&s;t it &s;elfe again&s;t him that heweth therewith?</HI> God by His Judgements hewes Nations and Kingdomes. He hewed <HI>I&s;rael</HI> by forraigne Nations, when <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was un|der the Judges, the Phili&s;times, and others were Gods Axe to hew them. After they had cho&s;en them a King the Lord al&s;o hewed them, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 10. 32. He <HI>cut I&s;rael &s;hort</HI> in all their coa&s;ts; the Hebrew word is to <HI>curtaile&punc;</HI> to cut off the ends: <HI>Hazael</HI> was &s;ent, and &s;mote them in all their coa&s;ts; he took their coa&s;t Townes, cut off the &s;upplies and &s;uccors, came from thence and much mo|le&s;ted them, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75. 10. <HI>The hornes of the wicked will I cut off;</HI> the Lord will deale with them as men doe with Trees fir&s;t loppe off one bow, then another, then a third, and leave only the trunke: &s;o for wicked men God will loppe off their pride, their &s;trength, their glory, and leave them de&s;titute.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> Fourthly, againe the Axe is de&s;tructive, Trees are cut down by Axes and great woods. The Lord by His Judgements cuts down Kingdomes and Princes, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 110. 5. <HI>In the day of thy wrath thou &s;halt &s;mite through Kings;</HI> God &s;hall not only &s;mite, but he &s;hall &s;mite through Kings: an Axe cuts, and cuts through; and Gods judge|ments cut through the greate&s;t and throws them down, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 14. 21. Gods Judgements are &s;ore ones, the Sword, Famine, Plague, noy&s;ome Bea&s;t, they are His &s;ore Judge|ments to hew down People and Kingdomes; hence it is that God is called a <HI>con&s;uming fire,</HI> not that He is &s;o in his owne nature, for he is nothing but <HI>love</HI> and <HI>delight:</HI> but when He &s;ends out his &s;ore Judgements, then GOD is <HI>fire,</HI> and will be everla&s;ting burning to the wicked.</P>
<P>The next thing to open in the words is, what is meant by the <HI>Tree,</HI> and the <HI>Root</HI> of it. By <HI>Tree,</HI> we are to un|der&s;tand the Jewi&s;h &s;tate principally, they were called Gods <HI>plea&s;ant plant, I&s;a.</HI> 5. 7. God had digged, dung'd,
<PB N="5" REF="6">
watered, and &s;hined upon, and done much for them; they were a great and goodly Tree: but now the Lord layes the Axe to the Root of this Tree; and if God cut downe this Tree, his plea&s;ant Tree, then no State, no Family, might ever after look to find Mercy, that was in the condition of this Tree, <HI>Every tree that bringeth not forth fruit is hewen down, and ca&s;t into the fire.</HI></P>
<P>For the <HI>Root</HI> of the <HI>Tree,</HI> &s;ome make Man the Tree, the life of Man the Root of it; the <HI>Axe</HI> to be the &s;entence of Death, and Death it &s;elfe the cutting down of the Tree. Others make the Root of the Tree to be whatever they built mo&s;t upon, and confided in: they built upon their Temple, Greatne&s;&s;e, Strength, Chariots Hor&s;es and &s;uch things. But I &s;hall commend to you the&s;e 4. things, wherin the Root of the Tree did mainly con&s;i&s;t.</P>
<P>The Fir&s;t was that Covenant which they had with <MILESTONE N="1"> God they were the Lords People, and he was their God; and this was one Root which afforded much &s;ap to this Tree; God being theirs in Covenant&punc; He protected them, provided for them, and did wonderfull things among them. Now the laying the Axe to the Root, was the breaking His Covenant with them&punc; <HI>Zach.</HI> 11. 10. &amp; 14 v. there is the &s;taffe of beauty, and bands; &s;aith God, <HI>I tooke my &s;taffe, Beauty, and cut it a&s;under, that I might breake my Covenant with all the people;</HI> and when God had broken that, it was not long before He brake that other &s;taffe of Bands, <HI>viz.</HI> the brotherhood between <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Iudah,</HI> the ten Tribes were di&s;per&s;ed before: but they had &s;ome communion with <HI>Iudah</HI> at <HI>Ieru&s;alem:</HI> but God would break the &s;taffe of Bands, he would di&s;per&s;e them at <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> and &s;o there &s;hould be no communion be|tween <HI>Iudah</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael</HI> for the future. The Covenant being di&s;&s;olv'd they were wounded at the Root, and were no longer Gods people.</P>
<P>Secondly, by Root is meant the true Religion, and <MILESTONE N="2"> wor&s;hip that the Jewes had, the&s;e are the root of a King|dome.
<PB N="6" REF="7">
A Kingdome then lives and pro&s;pers when Re|ligion and the Pure wor&s;hip of God are maintained; this the <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><P>Ethnicus Marcius apud <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">vium l. <HI>44.</HI> dixit favere pieta&punc;i fidei&abque; Deos, p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r quae populus Ro|manus ad tan|tum fa&s;tigium pervenit. <HI>a</HI> Omnia pro&s;|pera eventunt colentibus De|um, ad ver&s;a &s;pernentibus. <HI>Lucius. l. 5.</HI></P>
<P>Numa Pom|pilius &s;ecun|dus Roman<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> rex, ferum p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|pulum religio|nis in&s;titutione &amp; utilibus le|gibus domuit, &s;uumque reg|num ita for|mavit, ut pen|dente ejus regno nemo illi bellum moverit. <HI>Plin</HI> de viris illu&s;t. <HI>c. 2.</HI></P>
<P>Religio &amp; timor Dei &s;o|lus e&s;t, qui cu|&s;todit homi|num inter &s;e &s;oci<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tatem. <HI>Lactant. lib&punc; de Ira c. 12.</HI></P></NOTE> Heathens them&s;elves did know, that Religion and wor&s;hip of their Gods was the onely way to make a Kingdome flouri&s;h. <HI>Tullie</HI> in his Booke <HI>(de natura de|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">rum)</HI> attributes the felicitie, Empire and Tryumph of the Romans <HI>(Religioni.)</HI> They &s;aw all things to be rul'd by the Gods, and as we, &s;aith he, excelled all Na|tions <HI>p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">etate &amp; Religione,</HI> &s;o we excelled them all in plenty; and when the <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Macrob. in Saturn.</HI> l. 3. c. 9.</NOTE>Romans went out to Warre, they fir&s;t took care to call the Gods out of that City and Tow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> which they went again&s;t, and promi&s;ed them better entertainment at <HI>Rome,</HI> then at any other place, intimating to us, that while they kept their Gods they could not be overcome: and they conceited <HI>Rome</HI> in|vincible, while they had their Palladium: but to leave them, and to look to Gods word. <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg"><HI>Sanchius</HI> in Locum.</NOTE><HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 13. 1. <HI>When Ephraim &s;pake, trembling, he exalted him&s;elfe in I&s;rael.</HI> When <HI>Ieroboam</HI> &s;et up Calves, at <HI>Dan</HI> and <HI>Bethel,</HI> and will'd the people to wor&s;hip there, pretending it was too farre to goe to <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> the&s;e were &s;horter journeyes, and the wor&s;hip as warrantable, they &s;pake trembling. What &s;hall we leave our God, &s;hall we give way to Idolatry and wor&s;hip we know not what? When they &s;pake trem|bling they exalted them&s;elves; but when he offended in <HI>Baal</HI> then he died; when <HI>Ieroboam</HI> prevailed by his po&s;|licie and power and brought them to it then they dyed&punc; as the wor&s;hip of God pre&s;erved or corrupted, &s;o King|domes flouri&s;h or wither, 1 <HI>Chron,</HI> 22. 13. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 11. 11. 2 <HI>Chron</HI> 17. 3.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the root of a Kingdome con&s;i&s;ts in Civill Power, when that is upheld in a Kingdome, it flouri|&s;heth, but when that is wounded or de&s;troy'd, the King|dome is bla&s;ted and withers at the root. <HI>Gen.</HI> 49. 10. the Promi&s;e was that the Scepter &s;hould not depart from
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<HI>Iudah</HI> till <HI>Shiloh</HI> come; till Chri&s;ts comming the Civil Power &s;hould not be remov'd. There is a Que&s;tionl among great ones, how this can be made good? But I will not di&s;pute that, only take it thus: unto the day of <HI>Augu&s;tus Cae&s;ar</HI> the power remained, in the State of the Jewes; he then with the Senate took the power from them, placed it in <HI>Herod A&s;calonita,</HI> and &s;et him up, and then the Scepter departed from <HI>Iudah.</HI> <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Willet. Mercerus A Lapide.</NOTE>The Sanedrim were mo&s;t, if not all of the Tribe of <HI>Iudah,</HI> and had the &s;upreme Authority, they called <HI>Herod</HI> to Que&s;tion for his contumacie, and had almo&s;t taken away his life, which <HI>Herod</HI> taking to heart, rooted out the Sanedrim, reigned ab&s;olutely over the Jewes, and did what he li&s;ted again&s;t them, and onely fear'd to di&s;plea&s;e the Romans; here was the Axe at the root, their Civill Power was taken away.</P>
<P>Fourthly, the Root was the Godly partie among the <MILESTONE N="4"> Jewes; They, whether Magi&s;trates, Mini&s;ters, or Peo|ple, are the &s;trength of a Kingdome. <HI>Eli&s;hah</HI> and <HI>Eli&s;ah</HI> were the Chariots and Hor&s;men of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> they were the <HI>Militia</HI> of that Kingdome; <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 75. 3. &s;aith <HI>David, I beare up the Pillars of the earth:</HI> he maintain'd Religion, their Lawes, and the faithfull, the&s;e were the Pillars of the Earth, and his eye was upon the faithfull, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101. 6. they &s;hould dwell with him, he knew they were &s;trong props of the Kingdome. That place is ob&s;ervable, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 6. 13. <HI>As an Oake who&s;e &s;ub&s;tance is in it, when it ca&s;ts the leaves, &s;o the holy Seed &s;halbe the &s;ub&s;tance therof.</HI> When the wind, raine and thunder blow off the leavs, break off the branches, yet the life and &s;ub&s;tance remaines; &s;o here the holy &s;eed &s;halbe the &s;ub&s;tance of it. Let <HI>Nebuchad|nezzar</HI> come, blow and break off the leaves and bran|ches of this Vine, throw them into the furnace of Babylon, and make <HI>I&s;rael</HI> as a dead &s;aple&s;&s;e thing&punc; yet the holy &s;eed &s;halbe the &s;ub&s;tance therof; and when they returne againe, it &s;hall &s;pread in the Kingdome, and be a great Tree, and the toppe reach to heaven, and over all
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the borders of the Land, the holy &s;eed being the &s;ub|&s;tance and root would grow and multiply; when godly Mini&s;ters&punc; Magi&s;trates and People be &s;truck in a King|dome, then the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree. Now they were per&s;ecuted and thru&s;t from their place; <HI>Herod</HI> put by the <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><HI>Nulli A&s;a|mon&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">orum po&s;teritati &s;a|cerdo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ium committere voluit</HI> Hero|des. Jo&s;eph. Antiq. Ju|daic. l. 20. c. 8.</NOTE>A&s;amonaeans, and &s;uffered none of them to enjoy the Prie&s;thood. <HI>Annas</HI> was &s;et up, and <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE><HI>Caiphas</HI> who according to his name, vomited out ma|lice again&s;t Chri&s;t; and before their full cutting down, the voice was heard, <HI>Ite pellam,</HI> goe to <HI>Pella,</HI> the godly were removed, and then they were de&s;troyed.</P>
<P><HI>Que&s;tion.</HI> Was not the Axe laid to the root of the Tree before this time? was it not at the Root, when the ten Tribes were cut off? Why then is it &s;aid, <HI>Now is the Axe laid to the root of the Tree?</HI></P>
<P>The An&s;wer is, it's true the Lord did lay the Axe to the root of it before this time, and that heavily, in the di&s;per&s;ing of the ten Tribes; therfore its &s;aid <HI>Now al&s;o:</HI> but he did not &s;o lay the Axe unto the root of the tree, as that it was wholly de&s;troyed; often times they were hewed with the Judgements of God, yet alwayes there was <HI>&s;emen,</HI> a &s;eed left: and when they came out of <HI>Baby|lon</HI> there was a glorious Church, and God delighted in them: but now the Axe was &s;o layd to the Root, that they <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Po&s;t pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ca|tum in Chri|&s;tum commi&s;|&s;um radi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">it<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s e&s;t, percu&s;&s;us &s;tatus ille per univer&s;alem captivitat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m. <HI>Gorran in Mat.</HI></NOTE>were utterly cut down, and made no People. Now the Lord did unconvenant them, unchurch them, unpower them un&s;aint them; now the Lord ca&s;t them off; they had no Root left, no god for their God, but were made a reproach and cur&s;e among all Nations.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Now the Axe is laid,</HI> becau&s;e the Lord hath another People to graft in; before he took no care of the Gentiles, but left them to peri&s;h in their way; now he would take this wild Olive, and graft it into the Root: therfore &s;aith Chri&s;t <HI>Iohn</HI> 9. 39. <HI>I am come for Judgement,</HI> to cut off the Jewes by the Root, and to graft in the Gentiles, that I may try them, and &s;ee whether they will beare better fruit then the Jewes have done, <HI>Acts</HI>
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opening of the words. Now I come to give you tho&s;e Ob&s;ervations which doe naturally flow from the word.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;er.</HI> 1.</NOTE> And fir&s;t ob&s;erve, that <HI>God beares long with a &s;infull peo|ple: Now is the axe layd to the root of the tree,</HI> I have borne a long time, been patient, but now I come with the axe, and doe lay it to the root of the tree. God is a patient God toward his people, and toward the world, a God that beares with &s;in and &s;inners beyond our expectation: three yeares God bore with the Fig-tree, <HI>Luk</HI> 13. 7. <HI>I came the&s;e three yeares and have found no fruit:</HI> Fourty yeares God bare with them in the Wilderne&s;&s;e, <HI>Heb</HI> 3. 9. a hundred yeares God bare with a &s;inner, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 65. 20. an hundred and twenty yeares with the old world, <HI>Gen.</HI> 6. 3. and after <HI>Noah</HI> was &s;hut into the Arke, God bare &s;even dayes, to &s;ee if they would repent and turne, as &s;ome collect from <HI>Gen.</HI> 7. 4. God goes further then this, he bare three hundred and ninety years with the idola|trous pa&s;&s;ages of <HI>I&s;rael, Ezek.</HI> 4. 5. three hundred and ninety dayes taken for yeares, that God had borne with them. Foure hundred yeares did God beare with the <HI>Amorites, Gen.</HI> 15 16. God hath borne with Antichri&s;t above this 1200. yeares: God bare with the Gentiles be|fore Chri&s;t came, more then 2000. yeares, <HI>Acts</HI> 17 30. God is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a God of patience, Rom.</HI> 15. 5. <HI>long-&s;uf|fering, Exod.</HI> 34. 6. he doth beare, and forbeare with &s;in|ners, and Kingdomes, and a world full of wickedne&s;&s;e and vanity, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 42. 14. &s;aith God there, <HI>I held my peace,</HI> yea I held my peace <HI>a long time, and was &s;ilent and refrained:</HI> God held his peace, &s;aid nothing to Kingdomes, nothing to Families, nothing to particular per&s;ons; he held his hand al&s;o, did not &s;trike a long time: God is patient, and with-holds &s;o long, as <HI>(patientia Dei turbat pios)</HI> the Saints are troubled at Gods patience, it makes them to cry, <HI>How long, how long how long</HI> &s;hall the wicked triumph, utter and &s;peak hard things! it's thrice repeated, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 94. 3. 4. the Saints are troubled that God doth not come
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and de&s;troy the wicked: and not onely the Saints on earth, but the Saints in heaven, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6. 10. they cry, <HI>How long, how long wilt not thou avenge our bloud!</HI> We have been &s;laine by <HI>Cains,</HI> by <HI>Pharaohs,</HI> by <HI>Nimrods,</HI> by <HI>Herod, How long, how long Lord wilt thou not avenge our bloud.</HI> Not one|ly the Saints, but the &s;innes of wicked men, they cry for vengeance; the &s;innes of <HI>Sodom</HI> cryed for vengeance a|gain&s;t <HI>Sodom:</HI> Not onely &s;in, but the whole Creation, heaven and earth groanes, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. The Land mournes for oaths, and other iniquities, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23. 10. Satan, the accu&s;er of the brethren, cryes; Gods Ju&s;tice cryes all his Attributes cry, to de&s;troy &s;inners, to de&s;troy the whole world; yet God &s;eemes deafe, and will not heare; yet <NOTE PLACE="marg">V&s;e.</NOTE>he is patient, and holds his hands: What &s;hould the pa|tience of God produce? The Apo&s;tle tells us <HI>Rom.</HI> 2 4. <HI>Knowe&s;t thou not that the long-&s;uffering and goodne&s;&s;e of God &s;hould lead</HI> (the word is <HI>drive) thee to repentance?</HI> the patience of God &s;hould con&s;traine us to repentance. What&punc; &s;hall God hold the Candle of our lives in his hand, and we &s;in again&s;t him? there is much in Gods patience to con&s;traine us to repent, its patience beares with all our &s;innes; if Gods patience were at an end &s;in would be heavie; it's patience that lengthens out our lives, <HI>Lam.</HI> 3. 22. it's divine patience that keepes us out of hell; it's that keepes open the doore of common and choice mercies; the doore of grace and &s;alvation had been &s;hut long &s;ince, if Gods patience had cea&s;ed, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 9, 15. God is willing we &s;hould all come to repentance, let us reach to it this day, and make his long-&s;uffering &s;alvation to us. Oft we have grieved his Spirit by &s;in|ning and abu&s;e of his patience, once let us rejoice it by repentance, the improvement of patience.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ob&s;er.</HI> 2.</NOTE> Againe, ob&s;erve that <HI>great &s;everity goes along with the greate&s;t mercy.</HI> The Go&s;pel is the greate&s;t mercy that ever came into the world, and there is the greate&s;t &s;eve|rity with the Go&s;pel, that ever came with any mercy into the world; <HI>now is the axe laid,</HI> when the Go&s;pel is
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comming. <HI>Func<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ius</HI> ob&s;erves that <HI>John</HI> began his Mini|&s;tery in the fifteenth yeare of <HI>Tiberius, Augu&s;tus</HI> died the twentieth of <HI>Augu&s;t, Tiberius</HI> &s;ucceeded him, who&s;e reigne is reckoned from that of <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> and not from <HI>Ja|nuary;</HI> on the fir&s;t of <HI>September,</HI> which was the fea&s;t of Trumpets, and on which day was the promulgation of the yeare of Jubile, then was the voice of the Cryer fir&s;t heard: At this time, which was very fe&s;tivall, <HI>Iohn</HI> preach'd and &s;aid, <HI>Now the axe is laid to the root of the tree,</HI> at the yeare of Jubile, and comming of the Go&s;pel it's done. Here was the acceptable yeare, and the day of <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>E&s;a.</HI> 61. 2.</NOTE>vengeance together; the acceptable yeare of Chri&s;ts comming&punc; and the day of vengeance, <HI>the axe is layd to the root of the tree.</HI> To give more light and &s;trength to this point, be plea&s;ed to take into your thoughts the&s;e pa&s;&s;ages in the Go&s;pel, <HI>Mark</HI> 16. 16. <HI>Goe</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>preach the Go&s;pel, he that beleeves &s;hall be &s;aved, he that be|leeves not &s;hall be damned:</HI> upon non-believing pre&s;ently is damnation entailed. <HI>Iohn</HI> 3. 18. <HI>he that beleeveth not is condemned already. Matth.</HI> 10. 14. <HI>Shake off the du&s;t of your feet again&s;t that City and Towne that doth not receive you: Shake off the du&s;t of your feet again&s;t them, that &s;hall bee a te&s;timony again&s;t them: It &s;hall be more ea&s;ie for Sodom and Gomorrah in that day, then for that Town, that City, that, Peo|ple, that Chri&s;tian, that refu&s;eth the meanes of grace, and the Gospel of Chri&s;t.</HI> Is not here the greate&s;t &s;everity with the greate&s;t mercy in the world? And the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e the Go&s;pel is the heigth of Gods mercy; the Angels they had <HI>&s;implicem mi&s;ericordiam,</HI> bare and naked mercy; but men have <HI>divitias mi&s;erioordiae,</HI> the riches of mercy: in the Go&s;pel, as there is <HI>plenitudo gratiae,</HI> &s;o <HI>plenitudo irae,</HI> plenty of mercy, and plenty of wrath too: If there were a &s;word on <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> thigh, there is an axe in Chri&s;ts hand; if there be fire in the Law, there is fire and brim|&s;tone in the Go&s;pel. In the Law God kept A&s;&s;izes once a yeare; in the Go&s;pel he keeps Se&s;&s;ions every moneth: If he died without mercy that de&s;pi&s;ed <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Law,
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he mu&s;t die with all &s;everity that de&s;pi&s;es Chri&s;t; <HI>Luk.</HI> 19. 27. <HI>Bring tho&s;e mine enemies, that will not that I &s;hould reigne over them, and &s;tay them before me: Rev.</HI> 8. 13. dread|fuller woes are pronounced under the Go&s;pel then un|der the Law, <HI>Woe, Woe, Woe, to the inhabitants of the earth:</HI> &s;o <HI>Mat.</HI> 18. 7. <HI>Woe to the wo ld:</HI> there was never a generall <HI>Woe</HI> pronounced upon the world before this time; but now, <HI>Woe unto the world:</HI> and the plagues &s;ince the com|ming of Chri&s;t have been greater upon the world then before as the Trumpets and Vials in the Revelation do manife&s;t. Till Chri&s;t was come, and the ble&s;&s;ings of the Go&s;pel were tendred to the Jewes, they never had a perfect bill; but after hee was come, and the grace of the Go&s;pel refu&s;ed, then the bill of Divorce was perfe|cted, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 16. they ca&s;t out of Gods family, and his wrath came upon them to the utmo&s;t, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>to the utmo&s;t,</HI> even to perfection: God would beare no more, but cut them off pre&s;ently, and with as much &s;everity as ever we read of any.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">V&s;e.</NOTE> We &s;hould learne hence, <HI>to take heed how we &s;light and refu&s;e the Gospel of Chri&s;t:</HI> in it there is the choice love of God, the precious bloud of the Sonne of God; in it is the Spirit of grace and glory, the exceeding great and precious promi&s;es, all &s;pirituall excellencies and eter|nall life: if you refu&s;e the&s;e, you provoke God to <HI>lay the axe unto the root of the tree;</HI> you provoke Chri&s;t to &s;ay, <HI>Bring him and them hither, and &s;lay them before me, that would not have me to reigne over them.</HI> The <HI>Gadarenes</HI> preferred their Swine, the <HI>Capernaites</HI> their Loaves, the Jewes <HI>Barabbas,</HI> before Chri&s;t; but it co&s;t them all deare when the axe came. Let not a <HI>Gadareni&s;h,</HI> a <HI>Capernaiticall,</HI> a <HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> &s;pi|rit be found among&s;t us; let us &s;ay, <HI>Pereant porci, pereant panes, pereat Barabbas, &amp; regnet Chri&s;tus,</HI> let all goe, &s;o Chri&s;t may reigne. The Jewes &s;tucke &s;o to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Mo&s;aicall</HI> things, &s;o to the Temple and the Rites of it, &s;o to &s;uper&s;titions and the traditions of their Fathers, that they would not receive Chri&s;t and the truths of
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the time pre&s;ent, and therefore God dealt &s;o &s;everely with them, as to cut them downe by the Romi&s;h axe. There be truths of Chri&s;t re&s;erved for &s;ome times and when tho&s;e truths are di&s;covered, wee &s;hould examine them, and labour to bee e&s;tabli&s;hed in pre&s;ent truths, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1. 12. as the Apo&s;tle &s;peakes Are there not truths now on foot, concerning Chri&s;ts Kingly Office, and his government in the Church? hath hee not powred out his Spirit upon men eminently, and brought light out of darkne&s;&s;e? Shall wee reject truth and light, it's feared we &s;tick too much to Mo&s;aicalls, Prelaticalls, and Tr|ditionalls: Let us prove all things, and hold fa&s;t that is good; let us receive the truth <HI>with the love of it&punc; le&s;t we be given up to &s;trong delu&s;ions,</HI> 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2 10. 11. and <HI>&s;trange judgements, Acts</HI> 2. 13. 17. 28. when the Spirit was given, choice truths pre&s;ented and they not received, there is mention of turning the Sunne into darkne&s;&s;e, and the Moone into bloud; which notes &s;ome dreadfull judge|ments&punc; that &s;hould darken and imbitter their be&s;t com|forts: The like may we feare, if we refu&s;e any truths of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>Thirdly, ob&s;erve that God doth premoni&s;h before he <MILESTONE N="3"> doth puni&s;h. <HI>Now the Axe is laid to the root of the Tree, Iohn</HI> tells them, there was an Axe laid, the newes of the Axes comming was heard before the noi&s;e of its cutting. The Lord tells Delinquents before he &s;trikes them, <HI>Yet forty dayes, and</HI> Nineveh <HI>&s;hall be de&s;troyed.</HI> Men are clo&s;e, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cometae vel pe&s;tem pro|vin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i alium vel Regni mu|ta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">nem por|tendere pro vero a&s;&s;eve|rabo Gul. Malmsbur. de Ge&s;tis reg. dngl. l. <HI>2</HI> c. <HI>9.</HI> de Edwardo&punc; Martyre.</NOTE>their de&s;ignes are underneath, they oft &s;torme, &s;urprize, and plunder Towns without giving the lea&s;t notice but when God intends judgements, he &s;ends his Heralds to warne Kingdomes and Nations. Hath not God given warning to all Nations? hath he not within the&s;e hun|dred yeares, given us 100. warnings? have not the Hea|vens &s;eemed on fire? have not there bin foure or five bla|zing Stars? <HI>Herlicius Stargarden&s;is</HI> held that the influence of the Comet 1618. upon the chri&s;tian world would la&s;t to between 20 &amp; 30&punc; yeares, which is already verified
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at la&s;t is blaz'd over <HI>England</HI> and expired, intimating that <HI>England</HI> &s;hould take warning by it. Be&s;ides the&s;e, have we not had Earth-quakes? great fro&s;ts, deep &s;nowes, un|&s;ea&s;onable weather, and is it not fre&s;h in your memorie how God had a quarel with your Steeples&punc; and Churches for the corruptions and Innovations in them, when di|vers of the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> were &s;mitten, broken and burnt by thun|der and lightning: not onely by prodigies, hath God warned us, but by his Prophets al&s;o <HI>Ezek.</HI> 33. 3. they have bin telling you of a &s;troak that would come, <HI>Eli&s;hahs</HI> &s;word hath bin drawne, and brandi&s;hed before us, and becau&s;e we would not take warning by that, <HI>Iehnes</HI> and <HI>Hazaels</HI> &s;words are in the mid&s;t of us; Its undeniable the cocks have crowed and told us of this &s;torme of bloud above this thirty yeares, all exceptions are taken away, none can quarrell with God, he hath warned us, he is ju&s;t and will overcome in Judgement, he hewed <HI>Ieru&s;a|lem</HI> by his Prophets, before he cut it downe by his <HI>Axes, Ier.</HI> 1. 10 The Prophet did root up by his Prophecy &amp; af|ter that <HI>Nebuchad&punc;</HI> cuts down by the &s;word. Further God hath warned us by his judgements on others. <HI>Germany</HI> the&s;e 20. years hath bin a Beacon to us, <HI>Scotland</HI> was late|ly a Land of darkene&s;&s;e, and <HI>Ireland</HI> is &s;till a Land of wrath, and mu&s;t <HI>England</HI> be &s;ecure. Awake, awake, O <HI>England,</HI> there be Armies within thy bowells, Parlia|ment Citie, Kingdome, are all in danger. God hath long threatned and is now upon execution. U&s;e of the point, <HI>Amos</HI> 4. 12. <HI>Thus will I doe unto thee, and becau&s;e I will doe this, prepare to meet thy God:</HI> Its dreadfull to heare God is in a way of Judgement, e&s;pecially when we are not in a way of repentance: <HI>If I whet my glittering Sword, and my hand takes hold of Iudgment, I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will make mine Arrowes drunke with bloud, and my Sword &s;hall devoure fle&s;h, &amp;c. Deut.</HI> 32. 41, 42. When God whets his Sword, and &s;hoots his arrowes, he will make them eate fle&s;h, and drinke blood, yea be fild with blood, and grow fat with fatnes, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 34. 6. Now
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God hath given a Commi&s;sion to the Sword to eate Engli&s;h fle&s;h, and drinke Engli&s;h blood; and I feare the Sword having bin &s;tarved a long time, will now eate to purpo&s;e, it comes hungry, and is like to eate much fle&s;h, it comes dry, and is like to drinke much blood&punc; before it be put up again: Let us therefore meet God in this way with &s;ighs and teares, let us take warning in time, <HI>praemo|niti pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">muni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i,</HI> men that are forewarned &s;hould be fore|armed. In the&s;e times men are arm'd to goe to battle with men, but are you arm'd to meet God? have you on the girdle of veritie? the Brea&s;tplate of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e? are you &s;hod with the preparation of the Go&s;pell of peace? is the helmet of &s;alvation on your heads? is the &s;hield of Faith on your hearts, and the &s;word of the &s;pi|rit in your mouthes? If you be thus arm'd you may meet God marching in flames of fire, and that without pre|judice. The Lord of Ho&s;ts is come, if we bee not prepared wee cannot &s;tand in the evill day, read <HI>Ezek.</HI> 22. 14 but the &s;oul that takes warning &s;hall deliver it &s;elfe, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 33. 5. Let us all then, lay it to heart, that the &s;word is drawn, hath dranke the blood of our friends, and may drinke ours, <HI>The Axe is laid to the root of the tree,</HI> and threatens the downfall of Church and State, if we do take warning and meet God the right way, we may de|liver our owne &s;ouls, the &s;ouls of tho&s;e that belong un|to us, and probably the whole Land.</P>
<P>Fourthly, God begins with le&s;&s;er judgements, and af|terward <MILESTONE N="4"> with greater&punc; <HI>Now the Axe is laid to the root of the Tree.</HI> Fir&s;t there was <HI>Culter pota<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">orius,</HI> the pruning hooke, and when that would do no good, then comes the Axe, Gods Judgements are graduall not &s;uperlative at the fir&s;t upon Kingdomes and families <HI>Sodom</HI> was fir&s;t plundered by the foure Kings, after that re&s;cued by <HI>A|braham,</HI> and &s;et in <HI>Statu quo, Gen.</HI> 14, 15, 16. This Judge|ment doing little good, they were &s;mitten with blindnes <HI>Gen.</HI> 19. and when that did no good then came fire, and Brim&s;tone, and con&s;umed them from before the face of
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the Lord. The <HI>Romans</HI> had their <HI>Fa&s;ces,</HI> and their <HI>Secu|ris,</HI> fir&s;t their <HI>Fa&s;ces</HI> came, and then their <HI>Securis:</HI> God hath his <HI>Fi&s;ces,</HI> his <HI>Rods</HI> before his <HI>Securis,</HI> his <HI>Axe,</HI> if le&s;&s;er judgements will prevail, the <HI>Axe</HI> &s;hall never come, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 5. 12. 14. there is mention of a moath, rottenne&s;&s;e, and a Lyon, fir&s;t the Moath a le&s;&s;er fretting judgement, then comes rottene&s;&s;e&punc; a &s;oarer judgement, the word for rottene&s;&s;e &s;ignifies a Worme al&s;o that eates into Trees, and cau&s;eth rottene&s;&s;e. God would &s;end &s;uch judgments as &s;hould eat into the heart of the Jewi&s;h State, and af|ter that he would be as a Lion, tear in pieces and devoure <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rac<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ab <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> pu|tred<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &amp; te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e|d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE>them.</P>
<P>This &s;hewes that God is not willing to ca&s;t off, and de&s;troy a people that have bin his, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 11. 6, 7, 8. How &s;hall I give thee up <HI>Ephraim?</HI> how &s;hall I deliver thee <HI>I&s;|rael?</HI> how &s;hall I make thee as <HI>Admah?</HI> how &s;hall I &s;et thee as <HI>Zeboim?</HI> &amp;c. The Sword was to abide upon their Cities. their goodly branches were to be lopped off, they followed their owne Councells, went backward from God, they were call'd to by Prophets and Judgements, to exalt God, but would not, yet &s;aith God, how &s;hall I give thee up, &amp;c. There was a contention between mercie and ju&s;tice, the one pleaded as much for them as the other again&s;t them. Judgment is <HI>opus alienum,</HI> Gods &s;trange worke, mercy comes out &s;weetly, but judgement con&s;trainedly (as a &s;ting from a Bee:) the Woman con|&s;trained the unju&s;t Judge to doe her Ju&s;tice, &s;o wicked men con&s;traine God to de&s;troy them. If the <HI>Sodomites</HI> would have amended upon the fir&s;t or &s;econd Judge|ment, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Salvian.</NOTE>God would have &s;tayed the Plague; but <HI>ip&s;i ex|tor&s;erunt ut perirent,</HI> they con&s;trained God to de&s;troy them. Shall God be unwilling to de&s;troy us, and &s;hall we de&s;troy our &s;elves? Let not &s;uch a perver&s;e &s;pirit be in us. God is loath to ca&s;t men into hell, and yet they de|&s;ire God to damne them&punc; and &s;weare them&s;elves many miles into hell. O horrible wickedne&s;&s;e! many a man is ready to make away him&s;elfe, when God &s;teps in, and
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prevents the mi&s;chiefe. <HI>God</HI> is willinger to keepe many out of Hell then they are them&s;elves.</P>
<P>Fiftly, <HI>God</HI> hath Soveraigne Authority over all King|domes, <MILESTONE N="5"> <HI>Now is the Axe laid unto the Root of the Tree,</HI> this axe was the Roman State, this Tree was the Jewi&s;h State. <HI>God</HI> hath the Authority of all in his hand, hee &s;ets one Kingdome again&s;t another. Babylon mu&s;t ruine Sion: <HI>Titus</HI> and <HI>Vespatian,</HI> are &s;tir'd up by <HI>God</HI> to cut down and de&s;troy the Jewi&s;h Nation: <HI>God</HI> hath Sover|aignty over all Kingdomes, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 103. 19. and can imply them to execute his judgements. <HI>Senacherib</HI> was his axe, <HI>E&s;a</HI> 10. 15. to cut downe Nations. <HI>God</HI> makes one Kingdome an Axe to hew downe another, hee makes one part of a State to hew downe another part of the &s;ame. The Jewi&s;h Common-wealth was now under the Roman Empire; it's &s;o in <HI>England</HI> at this day, hath not <HI>God</HI> mingled a perver&s;e Spirit among&s;t us, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 9. 21. <HI>Ephraim again&s;t Mana&s;&s;eth, Mana&s;&s;eth again&s;t Ephraim, and both again&s;t Iudah;</HI> They &s;ought each others de&s;truction as we do at this day; a perver&s;e Spirit was mingled a|mong them&punc; and among us. Kingdomes depend upon God, <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. 32. 2 <HI>Chap.</HI> 21. and where there is the great|e&s;t dependancy, there is the greate&s;t Soveraignty. Now Kingdomes depend upon God, <HI>quoad omnia,</HI> for their beings, upholdings and ble&s;sings, and therefore he hath, <HI>jus utendi,</HI> he may do with his own what he li&s;t, hee can and may da&s;h one Family, one Towne, one Country, and one <HI>Kingdom</HI> again&s;t another, and that without con|troule. Who &s;hall &s;ay to him, what doe&s;t thou?</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">V&s;e.</NOTE> What &s;hould this beget in us, but to feare this <HI>God</HI> that hath Soveraign authori y over all fle&s;h, over all <HI>Kingdoms;</HI> let us feare this God, <HI>Ier.</HI> 10. 7. <HI>Who would not feare thee O King of Nations? for to thee doth it appertain:</HI> Shall <HI>God</HI> be the King of Nations, the King of all Kings and not be feared? to the doth it appertaine, not to men to be feared but to thee doth it appertain: The great <HI>God</HI> mu&s;t be feared. Ye that are petty Kings on the Earth, you that are Gods on the Earth, you mu&s;t know that this God hath Sover|aigne
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Authority over Nations, Per&s;ons, lives&punc; con&s;cien|ces, hee is the everla&s;ting King or King of eternity, <HI>Ier.</HI> 10. 10. Hee can, will, and mu&s;t, di&s;po&s;e of you ere long eternally in heaven or hell, <HI>Iob</HI> 36. 8, 9, 10. When Families and Kingdomes are in fetters under the afflict|ing hand of God, then Hee &s;hewes them the exce&s;sive|ne&s;&s;e of their &s;ins, and commands them to returne from iniquity. Did not God command them before? yes, but then they &s;lighted God, being at ea&s;e and in pro&s;pe|rity, His commands were not regarded, but when God ca&s;t into &s;treights, fetters and afflicts Families or King|domes, their eares are opened, they harken to Di&s;cipline? What they formerly contemned, is now pretious, and they &s;ee Authority and Maje&s;ty in the command of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Vexat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o dat intelle&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">um.</NOTE>God, <HI>Mic.</HI> 6. 9. The King of Nations is wroth with this Kingdome, Hee hath it in fetters, let us hearken to His commands, and tremble at his Soveraignty. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 99. 1. <HI>The Lord Raigneth let the Earth tremble; let all the Potentates and Inhabitants of it tremble and quake before him:</HI> It's for our advantage to do it. <HI>Hab.</HI> 3. 16. when the <HI>Cal|deans</HI> were to come up and be&s;iege Jeru&s;alem, the Pro|phet apprehending it before-hand, quivered and quaked, and why was it? that hee might re&s;t in the day of trou|ble: that &s;oule which trembleth when judgement is in the Cloud&punc; when the Axe is at the root of the tree, &s;hall have re&s;t in the day of trouble: <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 66 2. <HI>To him will I looke that is of a contrite Spirit, and trembleth at my word:</HI> God will looke to him, that the flood &s;hall not drowne him, nor the Axe cut him downe. <HI>Lot</HI> is &s;av'd when the fire con&s;um'd <HI>Soddom;</HI> God was to him a Sanctuary, he feared God and God was his defence, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 8&punc; 13, 14. When we have frames of Spirit &s;uitable to the Authori|ty and Maje&s;ty of the great God, that is Lord of King|domes, that rai&s;es and ruines them at his plea&s;ure, then we &s;anctifie God in our hearts, and he will be a Sanctua|ary unto us, and &s;uch a Sanctuary is needfull for the&s;e times.</P>
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Sixtly ob&s;erve, That after warning, and waiting, God <MILESTONE N="6"> will deale &s;everely with Kingdomes and Per&s;ons. Now the Axe is laid to the Root of the Tree, I have warned you long, and waited long, and I &s;ee no good fruit, now therefore I intend to cut down the Tree by the Root. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 42. 14, 15. <HI>I have been &s;ilent a long time, and held my peace, and refrained, and &s;aid nothing, but now I will cry like a Woman in Travell, I will de&s;troy, and devoure at once &s;aith GOD, I will &s;tay no longer, I will lay wa&s;t Mountaines, and hills, I will dry no Rivers and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ooles:</HI> Great and &s;mall &s;hould now feele the &s;troake of <HI>Gods</HI> hand; where Gods long &s;uf|fering ends, there his fury begins, and hee will deale &s;e|verely with Kingdomes, and with particular Per&s;ons.</P>
<P>This &s;everity appeares in three particulars: Fir&s;t, in that it is an Axe, is u&s;ed. Secondly, it is the Root it's laid too. Thirdly, in the impartialne&s;&s;e, the root of every Tree. Fir&s;t, it is an Axe not <HI>Culter putatorius,</HI> a pru|ning <MILESTONE N="1"> knife, that will cut down &s;ome little Branches, and no more; it is not <HI>Falx</HI> a Bill or Hooke, to chop off &s;ome Armes or Bowes, but <HI>&s;ecuris,</HI> an Axe, &s;ome &s;harp, &s;trong, hewing, de&s;troying Judgement. Secondly, It's <MILESTONE N="2"> layd to the Root, not to the branches bowes, not to the great Armes; not to the toppe, not to the Trunck&punc; but to the Root of the Tree is the Axe laid. God will deale roundly with them. Now the Lord would un-covenant them, un-church them, unpower them, and un-&s;aint them. Here it's inquirable.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Que&s;t.</NOTE> What makes God to lay the Axe to the Root of a Tree or Kingdome?</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;w.</NOTE> There are 4 things make the Gardener, and &s;o God, to lay the Axe to the Root of a Tree. Fir&s;t, Deadne&s;&s;e. Secondly, Rottenne&s;&s;e. Thirdly&punc; Barrenne&s;&s;e, Fourth|ly, Evill fruitfulne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Deadne&s;&s;e: When the Tree is dying or dead, <MILESTONE N="1"> the Gardener layes his Axe to the Root of it, and God when a State is dying or dead, layes his Judgements to the root of it. 13 <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 1. When <HI>Ephraim</HI> &s;inned in <HI>Baal</HI>
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then he died. <HI>Ephraims</HI> death being pronounc'd, Gods Axe was pre&s;ently prepared, v. 3. <HI>Therefore they &s;hall be as the morning Cloud, &amp;c. God</HI> would &s;catter them as Clouds, Chaffe, Smoake, and dry them up as dewe. <HI>Sardis</HI> one of the 7 Churches in <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> had a name to live but was dead, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 1. What &s;aith the Lord to <HI>Sardis? Re|member what thou ha&s;t received and heard hold fa&s;t, repent, watch, el&s;e I will come on thee as a thiefe in the night, v.</HI> 3. that is, &s;uddenly and cut thee downe: and you know that <HI>God</HI> did lay wa&s;t that and the other Churches not long after; when Churches or Kingdomes are dying or dead, the Axe is not far from the Root of them.</P>
<P>Hath not our Kingdom bin langui&s;hing and dying ma|ny <NOTE PLACE="marg">Hi &s;unt ulti|mi &s;ingultus moribundae libertatis.</NOTE>yeares together; you know what was &s;aid at a Com|mencement &s;ome yeares &s;ince, our Church and State li|berties lay a dying: &s;ome reviving through the meanes, ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord we have had, but our fainting and feares are not over, <HI>England</HI> is in a con&s;uming dying con|dition, <MILESTONE N="2"> and the Axe is at our root. Secondly, Rotten|ne&s;&s;e or corruption, that makes the Axe to be laid to the Root of the Tree; the Gardner cannot endure to &s;ee a Tree rotten at the heart, though the bowes be greene, and it beare &s;ome &s;mall fruit&punc; yet if rotten&punc; he will down with it, 6. <HI>Gen.</HI> 12 <HI>All fle&s;h hath corrupted their way, and the end of all is come before me&punc; I have looked upon all fle&s;h, and finde that great and &s;mall have corrupted their way, and there|fore the end of all is come before me, I am re&s;olved to &s;end a Flood to drowne the World and its corruptions together.</HI> It was not &s;ome particular corruption among them, but an univer&s;all one. There was corruption in faith and life, in their Religion, Wor&s;hip, and manners, and when a State is generally corrupt in tho&s;e, the Heavens grow black, and either a flood or fire comes, a flood to the old world, a fire to <HI>Sodom.</HI> Trees naturall or politicall be|ing rotten, call for the Axe, and God ha&s;tens it to the <MILESTONE N="3"> Root. Thirdly, Barrenne&s;&s;e makes the Axe to be laid to the Root of a Kingdome. 13 <HI>Luk</HI> 7. <HI>I came and found
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no fruit, cut it down why cumbreth it the ground:</HI> a barren Tree cumbers the ground. Some ob&s;erve, that if the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Alapide.</NOTE>Fig-tree beare not fruit in three yeares, it will never beare fruit, and therefore it's &s;aid, this 3. yeeres I come &s;eeking fruit and finde none, cut it downe. A Barren Tree mu&s;t be cut down. <HI>God</HI> waited long on them when under the Judges, under the Kings, when under the High Prie&s;ts after their captivity, in <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> dayes, in the Prophets, in Chri&s;ts, and &s;till they were barren, therefore downe they mu&s;t. Fourthly, Fruitfulne&s;&s;e&punc; but its an ill fruitfulne&s;&s;e, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 10. 1. <HI>I&s;raelis an empty vine,</HI> <MILESTONE N="4"> <HI>he brings forth fruit to him&s;elfe;</HI> Emptie and yet fruitfull, it &s;eemes to be a contradiction&punc; but God accounts that no fruit, is fruit to our &s;elves. Barrenne&s;&s;e and ba&s;ene&s;&s;e is all one with God, when our fruit is not for God and the publique, it's &s;elvi&s;h, and tends to ruine. Such fruit <HI>I&s;raels</HI> Tree was full of, and if a barren tree cumber the ground, what doth a tree loaden with cur&s;ed fruit.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Que&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>Its demanded,</HI> What fruit was it, which brought the Axe to the Root of the tree?</P>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">An&s;w.</NOTE> 1. It was prophanation of the Sabbath, <HI>Ierem.</HI> 17. 24, 25. 27. If they made con&s;cience of Gods Sabbath, hee would take care of their City: If they would hollow that day with pious duties, he would honour them with choice Princes; but if they would defile his day, hee would fire their Citie&punc; and that with unquenchable fire. This made <HI>Nehemiah</HI> &s;o zealous for the Sabbath, after the returne from Babylon, <HI>Neh.</HI> 13. 17, 10. hee conten|ded with the Nobles, and &s;aid, <HI>What evillthing is this that ye doe, and prophane the Sabbath day? did not your Fathers thus, and did not our God bring all his evills upon us, and upon this City? yet yee bring more wrath upon I&s;raell, by prophaning the Sabbath day.</HI> He knew that &s;in had formerly laid them wa&s;t, and would therefore &s;tand for the Sabbath, that the Lord of Sabbaths might &s;tand for and by them. <HI>England</HI> is not innocent in this thing. The Booke of Sports (a Mon&s;ter that Heathen and Idolatrous King|domes
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never produced) that opened a wide doore to pro|phane the Lords day, hath kindled a fire in our Land, which is not like to be extinct till that Booke be burnt by publique Authority.</P>
<P N="2">2. Idolatry, that is a Kingdome de&s;troying &s;inne. <HI>Jeroboams</HI> two Calves eat up the 10. Tribes, and <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> Idols devoured Juda, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 13 1. When <HI>Ephraim</HI> &s;inned in <HI>Baall</HI> then he died. Idolatry is the death of a Land, it divides betweene God and Kingdomes, it breakes the Covenant, and cau&s;es God to give a Bill of Divorce, and that is not all, it calls forth Gods furie upon a Land, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 36. 18. 19. and that is a de&s;tructive thing.</P>
<P N="3">3 Neglect of ju&s;tice, when &s;inne abounds, execution of ju&s;tice &s;aves Kingdomes, and want of it ha&s;tens their ru|ine. <HI>Ierem.</HI> 5. 1. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">un<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e yee too and froe &s;aith God, through the &s;treets of Ieru&s;alem, and &s;ee now and know, and &s;eeke in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, that &s;eeketh the truth, and I will pardon it.</HI> Doubtle&s;&s;e there was &s;ome godly man in Jeru&s;alem, but there was none of a publique Spirit, that did execute Judgement in the broad places, neither King, Councel|lors, Prie&s;ts or Prophets did execute Judgement&punc; and therefore hee could not pardon; when none appeare to cut down &s;in, God will appeare to cut down &s;inners. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5. 7. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> looked for judgement: ludah</HI> was his plea&s;ant plant, he had hedg'd, dig'd, dung'd, watered, &s;hined up|on them, and looked for Judgement, but there was none, therefore God would breake downe the hedge, and lay them wa&s;t. If God could have found 10 righteous per|&s;ons in <HI>Soddom,</HI> he would have &s;pared it. You may take the word righteous not onely for godly men, but for men executing Judgement&punc; there were none &s;uch: <HI>Lot</HI> could have no Ju&s;tice from them, and that inforc'd God to execute Ju&s;tice on them.</P>
<P N="4">4. Blood, oppre&s;sion, uncleanne&s;&s;e, hatred of truth and &s;uch like, which I put together becau&s;e I cannot in|large upon all particulars, <HI>Ho&s;ea.</HI> 4. 2. 3. By &s;wearing,
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lying, killing&punc; &s;tealing, and committing adultery, they breake out, and blood toucheth blood; Therefore &s;hall the Land mourne, God will de&s;troy becau&s;e of the&s;e &s;innes, <HI>Ezek.</HI> 36. 18. When the <HI>Brittains</HI> called in the <HI>Saxons</HI> to helpe them again&s;t the <HI>Scots</HI> and <HI>Picts,</HI> God who hath power over Kingdomes and people made them his Axe, to how and de&s;troy the <HI>Brittains,</HI> for they &s;oone joyned with their adver&s;aries and picked quarrels again&s;t the <HI>Britains,</HI> and God &s;o &s;tirred up their Spirit again&s;t the <HI>Brittains,</HI> that they &s;poyled them in many places, drove them into corners of the Land, made them flee into for|raine parts&punc; and de&s;troyed the Country with fire and Sword. The <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e <HI>Speed</HI> l. <HI>7.</HI> c. <HI>1.</HI> of the downfall of Britaine.</NOTE>&s;innes then ob&s;ervable, were &s;uch as were not among the Gentiles, hatred of the truth; and the patrons of it drunkenne&s;&s;e, contention, crueltie, un|cleanne&s;&s;e countenancing of lies, and the forgers of them, re&s;pect to lewdne&s;&s;e more then goodne&s;&s;e, the better things wrought mo&s;t di&s;content; all vice was in the Clergie and people: Princes were Tyrannicall Murthe|rers, Adulterers, Soddomiticall: and the la&s;t of the <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg"><HI>Cadwala|der</HI> &s;aid, Vae nob<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ccato|rib<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s ob im|mania &s;celera no&s;tra. Eitz|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">erb.</NOTE><HI>Britti&s;h</HI> Kings flying into <HI>France</HI> &s;aid <HI>woe to us for our great iniquities, we had time to repent but did it not, therefore ju&s;tly now the wrath of Godrootes us out.</HI> When the <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Vide <HI>Speed Foxe</HI> in the lives of <HI>Ed|gar</HI> and <HI>Etheldred.</HI></NOTE><HI>Danes</HI> conquered <HI>England</HI> the Land was guilty of blood and un|cleane&s;&s;e, it was in <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ejus vitae cur&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s &s;aevus in principio, mi&s;er in me|dio, turpis in exitu a&s;&s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i|tur. <HI>Guliel. Malm&s;.</HI> l. <HI>2.</HI> de ge&s;t&punc; Reg Anglor. c. <HI>10. And he relates in that Chapter vvhat</HI> Dun&s;tan <HI>told him&punc;</HI> Quia in|quit p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r mortem fratris tui a&s;pira&s;ti, ad regnum, non delebitur peccatum ignominio&s;ae ma|tris tuae, &amp; peccatum virorum qui interfuerunt con&s;ilto illius nequim, ni&s;i multo &s;a nguine mi&s;erorum provinctal<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">um, &amp; venient &s;uper gentem Anglorum mala qualia non pa&s;&s;a e&s;t ex quo Anglia fuit u&s;que ad tempu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> illud.</NOTE><HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">theldreds</HI> time, who&s;e wayes were cruell, mi&s;erable and &s;hamefull; his eares were open to to accu&s;ers to calumniations, and no mans life was in &s;ecurity.</P>
<P>When <HI>Roderick</HI> King of <HI>Spaine</HI> deflowred the Daugh|ter of <HI>Count Iulian,</HI> who in revenge &s;tir'd up the <HI>Moores,</HI> &s;hewed them the way to get <HI>Spaine,</HI> which they conque|red and po&s;&s;e&s;t above 600. yeares At the Conque&s;t by
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the <HI>Normans</HI> the &s;innes were prophane&s;&s;e ignorance, un|cleanne&s;&s;e, neglect of Ju&s;tice and Religion, the people were a prey to the Nobles, which made <HI>Edw:</HI> the <HI>Confe&s;|&s;or</HI> &s;ay before his death, that <HI>England</HI> &s;hould be given in|to the hands of Divills and wicked Spirits. You &s;ee what &s;ins made the great changes in this Kingdome, &s;ins not unlike the <HI>Amorites,</HI> which from <HI>Levit.</HI> 18. <HI>Deut.</HI> 2 &amp; 12. are conceived to be Idolatry, oppre&s;sion and filthine&s;&s;e, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Peccata exiti|alia humanae &s;ocietati max|ime &s;olet pu|nire Deus <HI>Alopid. in Gen.</HI></NOTE>which are de&s;tructive of Religion, Ju&s;tice and holyne&s;&s;e of life, the onely bands of humane Societies; and when the&s;e &s;innes of theirs were full&punc; God cuts them off, for when &s;innes become de&s;tructive to Societies, they whet Gods Axe and ha&s;ten it to the root, and now you have heard what are the &s;innes bring the Axe thither. It fol|lowes that I &s;hew you the third thing &s;ets out the &s;everi|tie of God and that is, Thirdly, the impartialne&s;&s;e of God in the worke, <HI>Every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and ca&s;t into the fire;</HI> let it be an Olive Tree, or a Bramble, a Fig tree or a Vine no exception excu&s;e, e|va&s;ion, pretence, or priviledge or plea is admitted, but the axe is laid to the root of every one, it referres to that in <HI>Deut.</HI> 20. 20. <HI>The trees thou knowe&s;t be not for meat thou &s;halt de&s;troy,</HI> &s;uch trees mu&s;t not be &s;pared though great and goodly: In particulars you may &s;ee this truth more cleerly: Looke at Kings, they are tall Cedars, <HI>Dan.</HI> 4. 14. <HI>Hew downe the Tree: Nebuchadnezzar</HI> him&s;elfe mu&s;t downe, <HI>Herod, Pharaoh, Bel&s;hazzer</HI> were cut off by the root. Gods axe neither feares nor &s;pares the proude&s;t, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 76. 12. Not Prophets, <HI>Balaam</HI> is &s;laine by the Sword, <HI>Num.</HI> 31. 8. Not Prie&s;ts, 1 <HI>Kin.</HI> 18. Not Nobles, <HI>Zimri</HI> and <HI>Cozbi</HI> are runne through, <HI>Num.</HI> 25. Not Apo&s;tles, <HI>Iu|das</HI> falls headlong&punc; and bur&s;ts in pieces, <HI>Act.</HI> 1. 18. Not Stati&s;ts and great Coun&s;ellors, <HI>Ahitophel</HI> is &s;mitten, a <HI>Sam.</HI> 17. Not Tribes, <HI>Iudg.</HI> 21. 3. A Tribe was lack|ing in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> afterwards ten were wanting. Not Cities, <HI>Sodom, Ieru&s;alem, Babylon,</HI> are layd wa&s;t. Not a World, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. 20. That is drown'd; no priviledge will advan|tage.
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<HI>Abrahams</HI> &s;eed, Children of the Kingdome, are ca&s;t out, <HI>Mark.</HI> 8. 12. No place &s;ecures; <HI>Ioab</HI> is taken at the hornes of the Altar, Angels in heaven are thrown down, 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 4. the Figtree in the Garden is not &s;pared, <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 6 That of <HI>Coniah</HI> is mo&s;t ob&s;ervable, <HI>Ierem.</HI> 22. 24. <HI>Though Coniah be as the &s;ignet on my right hand, yet would I pluck him thence: though he be much e&s;teemed and very deare,</HI> as Signets on Princes hands are, yet it &s;hall not privi|ledge him; you may thinke his nearne&s;&s;e and my af|fection to him may pre&s;erve him in his place, <HI>but be not deceived, as I live &s;aith the Lord I will pluck him thence.</HI> Thus you &s;ee the &s;everity of God in his impartiallne&s;&s;e to|wards every tree. Now I come to make application of the point.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V&s;e</HI> 1.</NOTE> I might here fir&s;t &s;hew you that all Kingdomes have their Periods, and learned writers tell us, that there are no Kingdomes &s;o great, &s;o glorious, &s;o powerfull, that extend their duration above 500. or 600. yeares at mo&s;t, but are either ruinated and fall to a&s;hes, or el&s;e &s;uffer &s;ome great change. The Jewi&s;h State from <HI>Egypt</HI> to the Temple, was 480. yeares, from <HI>Saul</HI> their fir&s;t King, to <HI>Zedektah</HI> the la&s;t of <HI>Judah,</HI> were 480. yeares, and then they were led into Captivitie, and after their returne within 500. yeares, they were cut off by <HI>Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> and <HI>Titus,</HI> the Axe in my Text, and are not a Tree to this day. And the ten Tribes after their divi&s;ion 260 yeares were carried away: the <HI>A&s;&s;yrian, Per&s;ian, Grecian&punc;</HI> and <HI>Roman</HI> Monarchies had their Periods, and were cut downe by one Judgement or another; the <HI>Britaines</HI> after 500 years <NOTE PLACE="marg">Helui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">us. Sl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">idan Speed.</NOTE>were quit of the <HI>Romans</HI> tyranny in <HI>England,</HI> and <HI>Athens</HI> from the time of its Monarchy, to the time of its De|mocracy had 490. yeares. The <HI>Lacedemonians</HI> flouri&s;hed 491. yeares. The <HI>Saxons</HI> had to do here 469. years The <HI>Danes</HI> 242. And then there was an end of them, and it is known to all of you, how long we have been &s;ince the conque&s;t, but I doe not de&s;ire to prophe&s;ie, and foretell things to come, all &s;ea&s;ons are in the hand of God, but
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its thought we are upon the Tropicks, if we be not rui|ned altogether, certainely there will be &s;ome great al|teration in the Kingdome.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, Doth God lay the Axe to Kingdomes? are they lyable to de&s;truction? then take coun&s;ell this day, let every one provide for a Kingdom that cannot be &s;ha|ken make &s;ure of that Kingdom which no Axe can cut, make &s;ure of eternity for your &s;oules. It is not long be|fore we mu&s;t be cut downe all by death, you know that night and day, are Axes con&s;tantly hewing at the root of your Trees, be&s;ides other ca&s;ualties which may take away your lives, if you have no other Kingdome but this Kingdome to helpe you, you will droppe into <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 11. 7.</NOTE>a Kingdome of darkene&s;&s;e. where will be <HI>waiting and gna&s;hing of teeth for ever.</HI> When <HI>Noah</HI> heard of a flood to drowne the world, he prepared an Arke pre&s;ently to pre&s;erve him&s;elfe and his family: when you heare the Axe is laid to the root of Kingdoms and they be terribly &s;haken, &s;ee you provide an eternall Kingdome, for the &s;afety of your &s;oules, and tho&s;e are yours. Chri&s;t hath a Kingdome to be&s;tow that is not to be hewen or &s;haken by the power of men or divels get Chri&s;t and that King|dome is yours. They have intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, are of the Blood royall, and Co-heires with him. Chri&s;t is the roote of <HI>Ie&s;&s;e, Rom.</HI> 15. 12. de&s;ire the Father to draw you and to ingraft you into that root that being rooted in him as it is, <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 7. you may be out of all dan|ger, for <HI>Romans</HI> 8. 1. There is no Condemnation to them that are in Chri&s;t: <GAP DESC="foreign">, not one condemnation, neither the Divill nor the World, nor their owne hearts, nor God him&s;elf&punc; &s;hall, or can ju&s;ty condemne you with one condemnation. And if there bee no condemnation, there is no Axe, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Iohn</HI> 8. 51.</NOTE><HI>Hee that believes in mee, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> keepes my &s;ayings,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>&s;hall never &s;ee death,</HI> if then you be not in Chri&s;t, if you be Chri&s;tians in name, and not in truth, Chri&s;tians in
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the forehead and not in the heart, if you have the &s;prink|ling of water in the face, and not that of blood in the con&s;cience, you are dead men, 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 5. 12. <HI>He that hath the Sonne hath life, and he that hath not the Sonne, hath no life in him:</HI> If it be &s;o, you are dead Trees and mu&s;t be cut downe, and ca&s;t into the fire, and there will be no re|medy, looke narrowly therefore to your intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, and right to the Kingdom of Heaven &s;eeing the Kingdoms of the earth are &s;opping and cutting down by the Axe of God. And to help you a little in this maine point: which way do the branches of your trees tend? is it upwards or downwards? the branches are <HI>de&s;ideria &amp; af|fectus:</HI> are your de&s;ires and affections to promotion plea|&s;ure, profit, content in the creature and upon things be|low? then will you fall downward into the lake of fire, when the Axe doth his office, for the tree ever fals that way, the boughes and branches mo&s;t incline: but if your de&s;ires and affections are after and upon the things above, Chri&s;t and his Kingdom, the riches plea&s;ures, honours and excellencies thereof you &s;hall not be cut down only be tran&s;planted, the Lord will take you out of his kit|ching Garden, and plant you in Paradi&s;e, by the Ri|vers of plea&s;ure at his right hand for evermore.</P>
<P>Thirdly, as this day requireth, let us all humble our <MILESTONE N="3"> &s;elves under the hand of God, is the Axe laid at the root of the Tree, and &s;hall we be in&s;en&s;ible of it? It was the Ordinance of this Honourable Hou&s;e, exhorting to re|pentance, and deepe Humiliation, that &s;trongly inclined me to fall upon this Text: You &s;aw the Kingdome in eminent danger, without repentance, and like to peri&s;h, what you have cal'd for, and my Text points at let us reach after and practice this day. It's a day for mour|ning and afflicting of our &s;pirits, <HI>Levit</HI> 16. 29. 3<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">. and Chapt. 23. 29. if they be not afflicted, wee and the King|dome may be cut off together. The &s;oule mo&s;t affected with the time, and mo&s;t afflicted for the &s;innes of them, will doe the Kingdome mo&s;t &s;ervice. There is
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&s;inne and mi&s;erie enough in the Land to breake and humble us. Be&s;ides our deadne&s;&s;e, rottenne&s;&s;e, barren|ne&s;&s;e, are we not &s;infully fruitfull? Have we no&punc; &s;uch &s;innes and &s;inners among us as bring de&s;truction unto Kingdomes? Hath not the Lords day beene con&s;tantly prophaned? Hath not Idolatry and Super&s;tition bin entertaind, countenanc'd and practi&s;'d? Hath not Ju&s;tice bin neglected? hath not blood, oppre&s;sion, drunken|ne&s;&s;e, &s;wearing, Bla&s;phemy, uncleanne&s;&s;e, contention <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> 2 5. <GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE>and &s;coffing at holyne&s;&s;e over&s;pread the Land? <HI>England</HI> is become like <HI>I&s;rael</HI> a Rebellious Hou&s;e, the <HI>Hebr.</HI> is, a Hou&s;e of bitterne&s;&s;e, or an imbittering Hou&s;e; &s;inne is &s;uch gall, &s;uch worme-wood, that it imbitters Gods <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE>Spirit again&s;t a Kingdome, <HI>Ho&s;ea</HI> 12. 14. <HI>Ephraim provo|ked him to anger mo&s;t bitterly,</HI> the word is, with bitterne&s;&s;e: they thru&s;t Religion, Ju&s;tice and God Him&s;elfe out of place, they &s;et up Idols, for&s;ooke God, and oppre&s;&s;ed the people, which things were very bitter. It was a bitter provocation when they gave Chri&s;t hanging on the Cro&s;&s;e gall and vinegar to drinke. A land doth wor&s;e when it &s;innes again&s;t God in &s;uch &s;innes as have bin mentioned; they give him pure gall to drinke, <HI>Lamentation,</HI> 1. 18. The Originall runnes thus, <HI>the LORD is righteous, for I have imbittered his mouth.</HI> The &s;innes of a Kingdome and Families, imbitter the mouth of God; and the Lord pronounces wrath, cur&s;es, and judgement again&s;t that Kingdome, that imbittereth his heart, his mouth, and hand; he will come, deale &s;e|verely with that Kingdome, and cut it downe by the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Quonia <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">d <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">dmem <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">it<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">vit de|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE>roots: <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 13. 16. <HI>Samaria &s;hall become de&s;olate, for &s;he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> hath rebelled again&s;t her God, &s;hee hath dealt bitterly with her God;</HI> and what then? they &s;hall fall by the &s;word, their Infants &s;hall be da&s;h't in pieces, and their Women with Childe &s;hall be rip't up: This was bitter to have their Children da&s;h't in pieces, their Young-men to fall by the Sword, their Women to bee &s;laughter'd and rip't up like Bea&s;ts, their Country and Land to be laid de&s;olate;
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but it was not &s;o bitter as mans dealing is with God, it is a greater evill for u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> to &s;inne, it cro&s;&s;es the will of the ble&s;&s;ed God it darkens his glory &s;trikes at his life and be|ing&punc; it murdered his Sonne, vexes his Spirit, defaces his worke, and pre&s;&s;es him as a Cart i pre&s;&s;ed with &s;heaves, and this is wor&s;e then any or all the Judge|ments of God upon us They are to purge us, to heale us, and to prevent the greate&s;t puni&s;hments in Hell, and this is not &s;o bitter, but when we deale &s;o with God, as to darken his glory, to &s;light his love, to crucifie his Son, to grieve his Spirit, to undervalue the glorious excel|lencies in the Go&s;pell, this imbittereth the heart of God, and &s;hould imbitter and afflict ours.</P>
<P>There is a bitternesin &s;in as well as for &s;ins: men may be humbled but not be humble; at the &s;en&s;e of Judgments mo&s;t are humbled, there is the bitterne&s;&s;e for &s;in: but at the &s;ight of the great wrong to God, men are humble, there is the bitterne&s;&s;e in &s;in. Let us then con&s;ider &s;eri|ou&s;ly of our &s;innes, and throughly view the enmitie that is in them to God, to Chri&s;t, and to his Holy Spirit; let us goe downe to the root of all, even originall corrupti|on, and charge the enmitie which is in that &s;in to God, and in all tho&s;e have &s;prung thence deeply upon our hearts, that feeling the wrong they have done to God, and the reall bitterne&s;&s;e is in them, we may be truely and throughly humble. If the bitterne&s;&s;e in &s;inne will not do it, let thoughts of Judgement and bitterne&s;&s;e for &s;inne helpe on and perfect the worke. Con&s;ider, is there not an Axe in the Land and an Axe at worke? is not God hewing and lopping of us? are not hundreds and thou|&s;ands cut off? Are not Townes, Counties and the King|domewounded? doth not <HI>Ireland</HI> lie bleeding to death? Is it not drawing its la&s;t breath? Shall a Tribe be lo&s;t in our <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and we not be &s;en&s;ible of it? Shall the Chri|&s;tian world be &s;haking, and cutting downe as it is at this time? and &s;hall we not lay it to heart? Are we Chri&s;ti|ans? where is the Spirit of Chri&s;t? He wept over <HI>Ie|ru&s;alem</HI>
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before the Axe came, we weep not over <HI>Ireland</HI> or <HI>England</HI> now the Axe is come. If we will be &s;light and formall in our humiliations, we provoke God to be reall and &s;evere in our de&s;tructions, <HI>Iob</HI> 36. 18. Becau&s;e there is wrath, beware le&s;t hee take thee away with his &s;troke, his hand is lifted up and where his &s;troakes fall they are deadly; let us therefore humble our &s;elves un|der his mighty hand that we may not be cut down.</P>
<P>When <HI>the Axe is at the root,</HI> the danger is great, and Repentance nece&s;&s;ary, if teares flow not the chips mu&s;t flie, the tree mu&s;t downe. <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Chry&s;o&s;t: in locum.</NOTE><HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> &s;aith, the Text is compul&s;orie, <HI>John</HI> con&s;traines them to repentance, can you endure to &s;ee your wives and chil|dren cut down? your habitations laid wa&s;t? your Tem|ple and wor&s;hip de&s;troyed? your City to be burnt? mo&s;t of your &s;elves to be &s;laine or en&s;lav'd? the Axe is at the root, if you repent not the&s;e things you mu&s;t &s;ee and feele. Repentance now may prevent all. Smite upon your brea&s;ts and &s;ay woe is me its my &s;in hath provoked God to anger, and brought the axe to the root of the tree that hath endangered all, and now through the helpe of God I will doe what lyeth in mee to &s;ave all. If we were hum|ble, and broken with the bitterne&s;&s;e of &s;in, and weight of judgements, wee &s;hould find mercie, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 12. 56, 7. There was a great Army came up again&s;t <HI>Ieru&s;alem, She|miah</HI> tells them, they had for&s;aken God, and therefore he had left them to the &s;poile of their enemies: upon this the King Princes and people humble them&s;elves and ac|knowledge the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God in his Judgements upon them and what followed, pre&s;ently upon their hu|miliation comes deliverance&punc; God &s;aw and &s;ent, he &s;aw them humble, and &s;ent them mercy and in <HI>Iudah</HI> things went well, <HI>v.</HI> 12. If we would have things goe well in the Parliament, well in the Armie, well in the King|dome then mu&s;t we humble our &s;elves and &s;uitably to our &s;ins 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 7. 14. If there be through humiliation God will heare, helpe, and heale our Land, if we be tru|ly
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humble Gods Axe &s;hall not cut us downe, but his hand &s;hall lift us up in due time, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 6.</P>
<P>Fourthly, as there mu&s;t be humiliation, &s;o there mu&s;t be Reformation: let us lay the Axe to the root of our &s;innes this day, if God lay it to the root of Kingdoms, its time for us to lay it to the root of our &s;ins, <HI>Prov.</HI> 28. 13. it's &s;aid&punc; <HI>he that confe&s;&s;eth his &s;inne, and for&s;aketh it &s;hall have mercy.</HI> It's without que&s;tion we have often times in publique confe&s;&s;ed our &s;innes, but if heaven &s;hould now demand of us whether we have for&s;aken them? I feare there would be a generall &s;ilence. Its a vaine thing to expect mercy and live in &s;inne: if we do not for&s;ake them they will &s;top the &s;luces of mercy, and ha&s;ten in de&s;truction upon you, us, all. Humiliation without Reformation is a mocking of God, and provokes much. Hath &s;inne brought us low, let the Axe of Reformation bring &s;inne low this day, lay it to the root of &s;inne and cut that down. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 110. 5. It's &s;aid of Chri&s;t, <HI>In the day of thy wrath thou &s;halt &s;mite through Kings.</HI> Is not this the day of your wrath with your &s;inne? are you not angry with them? do you not hate them? if it be &s;o, &s;hew your &s;elves Chri&s;tians, that you have the Spirit of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> in you. Smite through Kings, I meane your kingly lu&s;ts; There be kingly reigning &s;innes in men, lu&s;ts that do command and imbondage their Spirits to ba&s;e things, coveteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, pride, uncleanne&s;&s;e, &s;elvi&s;hne&s;&s;e, incon|&s;tancie, unfaithfulne&s;&s;e, unbeliefe, carnall rea&s;onings, creature feares, and &s;uch like, which are predominant in the bre&s;ts of men, and indanger their eternall con|dition, the&s;e we mu&s;t mortifie el&s;e we dy for it, and that eternally <HI>Rom</HI> 8. 13. Let this therefore be one of our great works to mortifie our &s;innes, and to de&s;troy them utterly. Many deale too kindly with their &s;innes, they do by them as you do by Malignants in pri&s;on, they have their friends come to them, they have their wine, their fea&s;ts and what they will, onely they are a little re|&s;trained of their liberty, &s;o &s;ome re&s;traine them of their
<PB N="32" REF="21">
lu&s;ts and that is all the Martyrdome and Mortification they have, their fanta&s;ies give them frequent vi&s;its, and fea&s;t them with delightfull meditations, and &s;o in &s;pa|ring of their lu&s;ts they ruine them&s;elves. When <HI>Ioab</HI> went out again&s;t <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> what &s;aid <HI>David, Deale gently with the young man for my &s;ake, and beware that none touch him,</HI> 2 Sam. 18. 5. 12. He would have <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> &s;pared though it tended to the ruine of the Kingdome. And thus is it when we come out again&s;t mens Ab&s;oloms, their lu&s;t, they would have us deale gently with them, not touch them; e&s;pecially not wound them, their lu&s;t they would have &s;pared, though a Kingdom by them &s;hould be rui|ned. But you know how <HI>Ioab</HI> dealt with <HI>Ab&s;olom, v.</HI> 14. he thru&s;t him thrice through the heart while hee was alive in the mid&s;t of the Oake, hee made &s;ure work and prevented future commotions in the Kingdome. You are caught in an Ordinance this day of Prayer and Fa&s;ting, it's our aime and de&s;ire to &s;trike through the heart of your lu&s;ts by the darts of divine truth, that for the future there may be no commotions in your &s;oules. O &s;uffer us to doe it and helpe on the worke, for it lyeth mo&s;t in your hands. You know what lu&s;ts are &s;trong and living in you, &s;et upon them&punc; &s;pare them not. It was an Argument of wickedne&s;&s;e in <HI>Saul</HI> that he &s;pared <HI>Agag,</HI> of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e in <HI>Samuel</HI> in that he hewed him to pieces; if you &s;pare your lu&s;ts, your great and fat ones, it will be an Argument of your wickedne&s;&s;e, but if you hew them in pieces and make a generall &s;laughter of them, it will be an Argument of your righteou&s;nes, and may produce the good and &s;afety of the whole Kingdome. I be&s;eech you therefore in the name of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;pare not one <HI>Achan,</HI> one lu&s;t, that one may be the ruine of all, one &s;inner de|&s;troyes much good, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 9. 18. and any &s;inne may hinder much mercy, <HI>Ier</HI> 18. 10. <HI>Now the Axe is laid to the root of every Tree,</HI> we mu&s;t therefore lay it to the root of every &s;inne &s;innes of con&s;titution, &s;innes of cu&s;t ome, &s;innes again&s;t heaven and earth, God and man, the lea&s;t,
<PB N="33" REF="21">
the greate&s;t, let them all feele the &s;harpne&s;&s;e and &s;trength of the Axe. He that &s;pares any &s;inne, doth what lyeth in him to ruine Parliament, Army, Citie, Kingdome, King and all, <HI>Ion.</HI> 3. 8. 10. When every one turned from his evill way, &s;o that there was no way of wickedne&s;&s;e left unturn'd from, then God turn'd away his fierce anger and &s;pared their Citie; if we turne every man from his evill wayes, and all tho&s;e wayes, we may cer|tainly and &s;uddenly expect Gods turning from his fierce wrath, and his walking in wayes of peace and mercy with us. Peace is a de&s;irable thing, yet not that peace will whet the Axe &s;harper, and make it cut deeper; &s;uch peace we de&s;ire as will keep the God of peace with us; we take the wrong cour&s;e for peace if we go on in our &s;innes, <HI>E&s;.</HI> 57. 21. <HI>P&s;.</HI> 68. 21. He that cries for peace with his lips, and de&s;troyes it with his life, he maintaines the Warrs, divides betweenethe King and Parliament, and widens the breaches of the Kingdome. If we will fa&s;t and goe on in &s;infull wayes, we may have a dubious and dangerous peace with men, but it's impo&s;sible we &s;hould have any with God. I &s;hall &s;hut up this point with that of <HI>Samuel</HI> to the people, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12. 24, 25. <HI>Onely feare the Lord and &s;erve him in truth with all your heart, for he hath don great things for you, but if you &s;hall &s;till do wickedly, yee &s;hall be con&s;umed, both yee and your King: progre&s;&s;e in wickedne&s;&s;e pro|duceth not peace.</HI> The true product of it is de&s;truction to people, Parliament, King and Kingdome. If we would therefore have all &s;afe, peace be in our Borders, and the God of peace be propitious to us, let us depart from all iniquitie.</P>
<P>Hitherto I have &s;poken to all, give me leave now Honourable and worthy Senators, to commend &s;ome things to your con&s;iderations. My fir&s;t and humble reque&s;t is, that the Axe of your power may not ly &s;till, but that Ju&s;tice may be done. God is a God of Ju&s;tice, he makes it knowne to all the world he layes his Axe to the root of the Tree, &s;hew your &s;elves a Parliament of
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Ju&s;tice, let the world know it, lay the Axe to the root of Delinquencie. Neglect of Ju&s;tice, as you heard before, indangers a Kingdome, <HI>Iudah</HI> was layd wa&s;t becau&s;e there was no Judgement executed&punc; <HI>E&s;.</HI> 5. 67. Suffer not a Kingdome to peri&s;h upon that ground. It brings your Authority into contempt, and renders you de&s;picable in the eyes of many: whereas if ju&s;tice were done, Au|thority would be more dreadfull and your per&s;ons more Honourable, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 3. 28. when Judgement was given between the two Harlots, its &s;aid, all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> heard and feared; that act &s;truck feare into a whole Kingdom. We do not read what became of the Harlot which took away the Child from the true mother, but it is concei|ved, and very probably, that &s;he died for it, according to the <HI>Plagiarian</HI> Law, of which you may read, <HI>Exod.</HI> 21. 16. <HI>Deut.</HI> 24. 7. It a man did &s;teale an I&s;raelite, or the Son of an I&s;raelite, any &s;oule, and the party were found in his hand, he was &s;urely to be put to death; whence we may conclude, the Harlot &s;uffered&punc; the whole Kingdom feared, and <HI>Solomon</HI> was honoured for that act of Ju&s;tice; it's execution of ju&s;tice makes Authority to be regarded, and a Kingdome to feare: when your ju&s;tice fell upon that great Cedar above a yeare and halfe agoe did not <HI>England</HI> tremble? did not it make many feare and flie? Ju&s;tice &s;ecures a Kingdome, but neglect of it makes Courts contemptible and Kingdomes hazardable.</P>
<P>Againe, the neglect of Ju&s;tice enboldens men to goe on in wicked practi&s;es, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 8 11. becau&s;e &s;entence again&s;t an evill worke is not executed &s;peedily, there|fore the hearts of the Sonnes of men is fully &s;et in them to doe evill, they are void of all feare &s;aith one <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Ab&s;que ri|m re <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">llo <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> homin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m vulg.</NOTE>Tran&s;la|tion, <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Cor homi|n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">da<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">num T<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">|rin.</NOTE>fild with boldnes &s;aith another; and the <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ont le coeur rempli pour mal-&s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">e.</NOTE>French is fild to doe evil. Impunity fills the &s;ailes of wicked men, and drives them again&s;t Parliaments, Kingdomes, and Heaven it &s;elfe. When great Delinquents go unpuni&s;hed, <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ex impuni|tate &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">le<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ato|r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m derogatur fides divine providentie Plut. de Sera numinis vin|di<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">a.</NOTE>divine providence is brought to the Bar and que&s;tion|ed, men upon it become Athei&s;ticall, heady, outragious,
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di&s;&s;olute. Who knowes it not &s;aith <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Quis igno|rat muximam illecebram e&s;se peccandi im|punitatis &s;pe<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">. Cic. orat pro milone effrae|natus furor alitur impuni|tate diutur|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">a id<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter"> pro Sextio.</NOTE><HI>Tullie,</HI> that impuni|ty is the greate&s;t incouragement to impiety. The <HI>Hea|then</HI> with his dark Lanthorne could &s;ee the truth of this, and &s;hall wee Chri&s;tians that have the light of life, <HI>Iohn</HI> 8. 12. not &s;ee it? <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg">Remota ju|&s;titia quid &s;unt regnani|&s;i magna la|trocinia. Lib. <HI>4</HI> de civit. aet. cap. <HI>4.</HI></NOTE><HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> long &s;ince &s;aw it, and &s;aid, take away Ju&s;tice, and what are Kingdomes but Dens of theeves and places for plunder? wee find and feele the re|alty of this truth at this day, and are like to lye under guilt till Ju&s;tice be done.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, want of ju&s;tice, increa&s;es the number of De|linquents, <HI>Iudg.</HI> 17. 6. there was no Ju&s;tice, and now they were all delinquents, every man did what he li&s;t. The words are, there was no King in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and yet they were all Kings in <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> They had not then had any King in a <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">Dru&s;. ad lo|ca difficiliora Iudicum.</NOTE>&s;tricke &s;ence. Judges were their Governours, and becau&s;e they did rule and execute Ju&s;tice, they are &s;tiled Kings, and now they had no Judge no King, and yet they were all Judges, all Kings their lu&s;ts were their Lawes, and <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">Vbi pl<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">res regnant ibi nemo imperat.</NOTE>every man did what was right in his owne eyes. Nature is corrupt, nothing &s;weeter to it then li|berty, and where Ju&s;tice is &s;u&s;pended, there is a <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Deterio res omnes &s;umus licentia Terent</NOTE><HI>Com|mi&s;sion</HI> to be wicked, but where is mo&s;t Ju&s;tice, there are fewe&s;t Malefactors and lea&s;t mi&s;chiefe: The <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">lunt in his voyage to the Levant.</NOTE><HI>Turkes</HI> are &s;evere and &s;peedy in their Ju&s;tice which prevents in|crea&s;e of Delinquents and danger. Tho&s;e Nations are remi&s;&s;e in Ju&s;tice: be&s;ides the &s;adding of tho&s;e are inno|cent, they abound in Delinquents and dangers, its our ca&s;e at this pre&s;ent; <HI>Englands</HI> dangers are many, becau&s;e <HI>Englands</HI> Delinquens are not a few, and its not like to be better with us till the ju&s;tice of a Parliament be &s;o fea|red, that no Delinquent may expect &s;afety in any part of our Kingdome. Let Ju&s;tice therefore, O you heads of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> run down as waters, and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e as a migh|ty &s;treame: we have mighty &s;innes and mighty &s;inners which make mightie dangers, and if there be not, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"> Sicut torrens fortis.</NOTE><HI>tor|<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="blotted" EXTENT="1 letter">ens iu&s;titia,</HI> a &s;treame of Ju&s;tice, yea a mighty &s;treame, that may <NOTE N="e" PLACE="marg">Iuditium contra vos <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">b|et, ut vos ob|r<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="faint" EXTENT="1 letter">at Calv.</NOTE>runne downe and runne over the Sonnes of
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<HI>B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">al,</HI> will not be taken away, our guilt and &s;pot will not be purged, nor our Land &s;ecured. You are the Supreme Court of Ju&s;tice, let the Sunne be darke and the Sea dry before your &s;treams doe cea&s;e flowing. In <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> dayes men wondred at the dryne&s;&s;e of the Red Sea. In <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> dayes they wondred at the darkning of the Sunne, but let none wonder for want of Ju&s;tice. Open your Sluces, and let the floods of Ju&s;tice carry down the floods of I|niquity. <NOTE N="f" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">alls of france <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> by Al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ide in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">meres.</NOTE><HI>Lewes</HI> one of the Kings of <HI>France</HI> having &s;pa|red upon intreaty a man de&s;erved death, and reading that in the 106. <HI>P&s;a me</HI> 3. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are they that keep Iudge|ment, and he that doth righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e at all times,</HI> this doing righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e at all times, &s;o wrought upon him, that pre&s;ently he rever&s;ed what he had granted, and &s;aid, <HI>He that hath power to puni&s;h &s;in and doth it not, becommeth a Pa|tron of it, and is as guilty before God&punc; as if him&s;elfe had com|mitted it;</HI> and that its Piety not Cruelty to execute Ju|&s;tice. If the &s;pirit of this Prince were in all the Prin|ces and Magi&s;trates of the Chri&s;tian world, what a &s;ud|den change &s;hould we &s;ee. The Lenitie many propound and plead for, proves cruelty to particulars, to whole E|&s;tates: It made <NOTE N="g" PLACE="marg">Eos Magi|&s;tratus qui male<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s pa|nis non co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r|cen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, non tan|tum, non fe|ren <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">s <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">bru<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ndos, e&s;&s;e, ne ex paenae neg|lect<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;alus re|ipublicae la<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">|firet Plut&punc; in vita Caton.</NOTE><HI>Cato</HI> &s;ay that tho&s;e powers did not pu|ni&s;h Delinquents&punc; were not onely to be rejected, but to be &s;ton'd, lea&s;t their indulgence might damnifie the State. He &s;aw neglect of Ju&s;tice did prejudice King|domes, and wee &s;ee, the want of it hinders much, if not all our good I &s;peak not this from mine own head, but I will give you the warrant of a Prophet for it <HI>Ierem.</HI> 6. 29. <HI>The founder melts in vaine, for the wicked are not pluckt a|way:</HI> Mini&s;ters are Founders&punc; they are to melt, make men fit for a &s;pirituall e&s;tate; you are Founders are melting and making men fit for a Politique condition, but both you and we melt in vaine, and the rea&s;on is gi|ven, <HI>the wicked are not pluckt away,</HI> while they &s;tand, the labour is in vaine: and what can an Army do, if Ju&s;tice march not with them? <HI>Achan</HI> will &s;ooner overthrow <HI>I&s;|rael</HI> then take <HI>At:</HI> but when Ju&s;tice was executed and he
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&s;ton'd, <HI>At</HI> was ea&s;ie to take, God was then with <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and fild them with &s;pirit to do exploits. Its thought by men of wi&s;dome that if your power had acted more and penle&s;&s;e, we had bin in a &s;afer condition, and God more propitious. Ju&s;tice pacifies wrath, when neglect there|of provokes it. Some fear execution of Ju&s;tice will kin|dle a fire, and make &s;tirres in Kingdomes: but <HI>Fiat ju|&s;tu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a, &amp; ruat mun<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">as,</HI> Gods way will never de&s;troy Gods worke; let Ju&s;tice be done, and God will looke to the world, and Kingdomes of it. Further &s;ee how cro&s;&s;e mens thoughts are to divine, <HI>Ph<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">chas</HI> executes ju&s;tice upon great ones, and what followed? a Commotion? no, Gods wrath was turned away, and a Covenant of peace made, <HI>Numb.</HI> 25. 8. 11, 12. Seeing hee hath executed ju|&s;tice and honour'd me, &s;aith God, behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace, and will honour him. In publique calamities the <NOTE N="h" PLACE="marg">Non pin|guior ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tari vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">ima Deo p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">te&s;t quam <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">omo &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">lera|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">us&punc; <HI>Sen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI></NOTE>Sacrifice of a wicked man is a Peace Offering, and may prevent great wrath.</P>
<P>If Powers will winke at wickedne&s;&s;e, they may remedy, the time may quickly come, they &s;hall &s;mart for judge|ments they cannot prevent. It's inju&s;tice and want of ju&s;tice that di&s;turbs Kingdomes and Cities: doth not that treacherous plot of <HI>Bri&s;toll</HI> ju&s;tifie what is &s;aid? Doth it not cry alowd for ju&s;tice? and &s;hall it be forgot|ten? Let the waters of ju&s;tice flow and they will refre&s;h. It was the River in <HI>Eden</HI> that made Paradi&s;e &s;o &s;weet and flouri&s;hing, and &s;treames of Ju&s;tice may make us a Paradi&s;e once againe&punc; being almo&s;t a Wilderne&s;&s;e. When <HI>Ioab, Sh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">mei</HI> and <HI>Adon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">jah</HI> were cut down by <HI>Solomons</HI> axe, then was the Kingdom e&s;tabli&s;hed&punc; 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 2. 46. If Ju&s;tice be at a &s;tand, and cannot take hold of living De|linquents, to keepe the Axe from ru&s;t, let Ju&s;tice be ex|euted upon livele&s;&s;e Delinquents. Are there no Altars? no high places? no Crucifixes? no Cro&s;&s;es in the open &s;treets that are bow'd unto and Idoliz'd? lay your Axe to their rootes and hew them downe. In <HI>Ezek.</HI> God threatens the de&s;truction of their Cities, becau&s;e they
<PB N="38" REF="24">
&s;pared their Altars, Idols, Images, and owne works, <HI>chap.</HI> 6. 6. Let us &s;ecure our Cities and &s;ave God that labour, down with all is &s;u&s;pitious, &s;candalous, and &s;u|per&s;titious. Thus have I done my fir&s;t motion.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>2.</HI></NOTE> The &s;econd is, that the Axe of God being layd to the roote of our Kingdome, you would have a &s;peciall care of the root, while that is &s;afe there is hope. <HI>Job.</HI> 14 7.</P>
<P N="1">1. Do your utmo&s;t to keepe God with us, yet he, is in the mid&s;t of us, <HI>Ier.</HI> 14. we are his people, hee is <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ier.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">4. 9.</NOTE>our God, yet we have no Bill of Divorce, and <HI>L<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">mm<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> is not written over our Gates&punc; do what lies in you to keepe off &s;uch a mi&s;chiefe. If God &s;hould depart and di&s;anull his Covenant with us, mo&s;t dreadfull things would be|tide us, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 9. 12. <HI>Woe to them when I depart from them,</HI> all evills pre&s;ently &s;tep, croud in upon a people left of God, then publique enterpri&s;es pro&s;per not, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Chron.</HI> 24. 20. 24. then Coun&s;ell failes, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 28. 15. Then protection ends. <HI>E&s;a</HI> 50. 5. Then peace&punc; loving kindne&s;&s;e and mer|cy goe, <HI>Ierem.</HI> 16. 5. And &s;uch Judgements are as taking the Sunne out of the firmament, and the Soule out of the Body. Popery is the thing produceth &s;uch effects, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ezek.</HI> 8.</NOTE>it's like <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span"> Chambers full of abhominations, and hath that malignity in it as to drive God from his peo|ple. You have bin pre&s;t to the <NOTE N="i" PLACE="marg">Mr. New|comb. <HI>Serm. on the</HI> 5. <HI>of</HI> Novemb. 1642.</NOTE>extirpation of it&punc; had thoughts to effect it: Let them not die in you but come to perfection, and ingage us yet in a more firme Cove|nant to the Lord, that we may for ever be the Lords, and the Lord ours, according to what you heard out of <NOTE N="k" PLACE="marg">Dr. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word">.</NOTE><HI>Ier.</HI> 50. 5.</P>
<P N="2">2. Looke to the Civill power, let not that be re&s;ted out of your hands, your <HI>Magna Charta,</HI> the <HI>Position of Right,</HI> your <HI>Parliament <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">riviledge<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> what have bin taken from you recover, what have layen dormant and tend to publique good revive&punc; what obtru&s;ions and bonds have bin put upon you <HI>ad<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters">be<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;ecurim &amp; imputate&punc;</HI> You are a free Parliament, pre&s;erve your freedome, our Laws and Liberties are in your hands, let them not &s;uffer: The
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being and lively-hood of the Kingdome depends much thereon. <HI>Loges terra &amp; Statuta <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">egn<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> are the Sinewes and Bon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s of the body politick, wound them and the King|dome bleeds, loo&s;e them and the life of it's gone. Arbi|trary Government is a dangerous thing; a Comet that threatens de&s;truction to the Country, it's over: you tell us <NOTE N="l" PLACE="marg"><HI>Declaration</HI> Aug. 3. 1642.</NOTE><HI>That acts of will and Tyranny are the ingredients into it, that neither Parliament nor Kingdome can <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;afe with it:</HI> Let your convictions cau&s;e prevention, improve your pow|er; let not <HI>Eng:</HI> become a hou&s;e of bondage a 2^d. <HI>Aegypt.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. Let Religion and truth be pretious in your eyes, they are of <NOTE N="m" PLACE="marg">Tanti mo|menti Religio &amp; &s;ides &amp; jus &s;acrerum in omnt humana republica ut ab illa una po|t &s;&s;im<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">m p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">n|deat pax &amp; tranquillitas cuju&s;que regni Spalaten&s;: de republ. Eccle&s;. <HI>l. 6.</HI> c. <HI>5.</HI></NOTE>&s;uch con&s;equence, as that without them is little peace or &s;afety to Kingdomes That &s;tate pre&s;erves truth, will the God of truth pre&s;erve. When <HI>Ieroboam</HI> gave way to plau&s;ible inventions, he layd the foundati|on for his own and the Kingdomes ruine, 1 <HI>King</HI> 14. The Church of <HI>Philadelphia</HI> had a &s;peciall care of Gods word, <HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 10. and found the fruit of it, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t kept the word of my patience, not onely in their hearts, in their practi&s;e, but al&s;o becau&s;e <NOTE N="n" PLACE="marg"><HI>Beza</HI> An|notat. in <HI>1 Job. 518.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">&punc; is to keepe from dangers.</NOTE>they had kept it from being taken away, from corruption there|fore God would keepe them from the houre of tempta|tion&punc; Gods word is in danger oft by Haere&s;ies, Schi&s;mes, Per&s;ecutions, if we will ingage our &s;elves for it, GOD will ingage him&s;elfe for us, but if we de|&s;ert the truth, both God and truth will be again&s;t us. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Chytraeus Chron. Sax n.</NOTE>The <HI>Dani&s;h</HI> Prelats &s;tood not for pure Religion, but chiefly for that was their own, and therefore were ca&s;t out by Prince and people in the yeare, 1537 God pri&s;eth his truth at a high rate, he will de&s;troy Nations for the &s;afety of his people. <HI>E&s;.</HI> 43. 3. and he will de&s;troy heaven and earth for the &s;afety of his truth, <HI>Mat.</HI> 5. 18. that he Magnfies above all his name, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 148. 2. This whole Creation, this vi&s;ible name of GOD is little to his eternall Truths. Let truth therefore be gracious with you, and contend with all your might for the faith <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Iud.</HI> 3.</NOTE>that it be not pul'd from us. The onely wi&s;e God bids
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you by the wi&s;e&s;t of men, to buy the Truth and not to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ell it, <HI>Proverbs</HI> 23. 23. it's worth all mens labours, liber|ties and lives, it cannot be over bought; loo&s;e Religi|on and Truth, and we have lo&s;t all that is con&s;iderable; where the&s;e go, the Ble&s;sing goes, <HI>Ier.</HI> 31. 23. <HI>The Lord ble&s;&s;e thee O habitation of Iu&s;tice, and Mountaine of Holyne&s;&s;e.</HI> Where the Laws are executed, and pure Religion is maintained&punc; there is a habitation of Ju&s;tice, a Mountain of Holyne&s;&s;e, and the ble&s;sing of God upon them both. If you love ble&s;sings and would avoyd cur&s;es, keep Re|ligion in it's own lu&s;tre, and rather let Men and King|domes, then Truth fall to the Earth; yet the way to make earthly Kingdoms happie, is to uphold the King|dom of heaven.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The godly in the Kingdome, Magi&s;trates, Mini&s;ters, and people, let them be pre&s;erved, they are the root of a Kingdome: it was <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> pre&s;erved <HI>Egypt,</HI> and the Kingdome of the <HI>Egyptians:</HI> when the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> were driven out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> the <HI>Egyptians</HI> were quickly de|&s;troyed, and their Kingdome ruined: for <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;ake all the &s;oules in the Ship were kept alive, <HI>Act.</HI> 27. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> kept Gods hand in Heaven that he did not de&s;troy his people on earth, <HI>Exod.</HI> 32. 10. A godly man is of great worth, <HI>Elijah</HI> did more good by his fa&s;ting, and Prayer, by oppo&s;ing <HI>Ahab,</HI> and de&s;troying <HI>Baals</HI> Prie&s;ts, then the Chariots and Hor&s;emen of <HI>I&s;rael.</HI> The godly are the Forts and Magazines of a Kingdome: It was <HI>Lot</HI> upheld <HI>Sodome,</HI> when he was gone, the brim&s;tone came and the City was turned into a&s;hes, the place is very remarkable <HI>Gen.</HI> 19. 22. Ha&s;t thee, e&s;caped to <HI>Zoar,</HI> I cannot doe a|ny thing till thou come&s;t thither; what the righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e of one <HI>Lot</HI> to preponderate the Iniquities of all <HI>Sodom,</HI> where were thou&s;ands? O wonder! O the weight of one Saint! away <HI>Lot,</HI> e&s;cape to <HI>Soar,</HI> I cannot doe any thing till thou come&s;t thither: but were not their &s;ins great and many? be it &s;o yet I cannot doe any thing till thou come&s;t thither: but were not their &s;ins full? Yes,
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they were, yet I cannot doe any thing till thou come to <HI>Zoar.</HI> I but Lord art thou not come downe to execute Judgement without mercy: Its truth yet I cannot do it till hou come to <HI>Zoar;</HI> my hands are tyed, fire and brim|&s;tone will not come downe from Heaven while <HI>Lot's</HI> in <HI>Sodome.</HI> Thou art the man that hinders all, Bee gone, ha&s;t to <HI>Zoar,</HI> but <HI>Lot</HI> lingers and will not make ha&s;t, then I mu&s;t linger al&s;o &s;aith God, if he &s;tick my Judge|ments mu&s;t &s;ticke, till he be gone I cannot doe any thing. Here's the worth and excellencie of a righteous man, he keepes off Judgements, even brim&s;tone Judgements from a City and a Kingdome.</P>
<P>Great things will God doe for a good mans &s;ake, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">. 6. I will defend this City for mine owne &s;ake, and for my &s;ervant <HI>Davids</HI> &s;ake, God joynes <HI>David</HI> with him&s;elfe, and puts great honour upon him, its&punc; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;well for his &s;ake as for Gods, that <HI>Ieru&s;alem</HI> is defended. The Saints are deare to God, he doth much for them, and for their &s;akes and &s;hall they not be deare to you: there is a choice Prophecy in 1 <HI>Zach.</HI> 12. 5. the Governours of <HI>Iudah</HI> &s;hall &s;ay in their hearts, the Inhabitants of <HI>Ieru&s;a|lem</HI> my &s;trength in the Lord of Ho&s;ts their God, they were newly come out of <HI>Babylon,</HI> their enemies that op|po&s;ed them in the worke of the Temple, and Reforma|tion were many, the number of the godly was few, yet their eyes were upon them. The Governours of <HI>Iuaah</HI> &s;aid in their heart, the Inhabitants of Jeru&s;alem, my &s;trength in the Lord of Ho&s;ts their God, every Gover|nour looked at all the godly in <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> and ac|count of them as his &s;trength in particular, and they look't not at the godly in them&s;elves as poore few, weake and de&s;picable but they looked at them in the Lord of Ho&s;ts, their God. They &s;aw that tho&s;e per&s;ons had in|tere&s;t in the Lord of Ho&s;ts, that he was their &s;trength and defence: Whereupon they own'd them, clo&s;'d with them, and countenanc'd them, knowing that the&s;e men and their God would bee a&s;&s;ured &s;trength and &s;ufficient
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defence unto them. You that are the Governours of our <HI>Iudah,</HI> ca&s;t your eyes upon the godly, and &s;ay in your hearts, the&s;e are our &s;trength in the Lord of Ho&s;ts their God, the&s;e have bin faithfull unto us, and wee will be &s;hields unto them, for &s;o the word Ruler &s;ignifies, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 18. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE><HI>Victor Vicen&s;is</HI> tells of one that had a vi&s;ion, of a Tree that reached up to Heaven, and &s;pread its bran|ches farre, &s;o that all delighted in the greatnes and beau|ty of it, but &s;uddenly there came a wild bea&s;t and rub'd at the root of it, and overthrew the &s;ame. This Tree was the Church which &s;pread through all <HI>Affrica, Hun|nerick;</HI> an <HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ria<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> Prince was the wild Bea&s;t, who ba|ni&s;hed and martyred the Orthodox among&s;t them, and laid all wa&s;te; where the Godly are driven out there Judgements are drawn in, if mens Axes cut downe the trees are green: Gods Axes mu&s;t and will cut down the Trees are dry.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> Thirdly, The next thing I humbly de&s;ired of you is that &s;eeing God layes his Axe to the root of the Tree, that there may be a through Reformation of all evills in the Kingdome, but e&s;pecially in the wor&s;hip of God, partiall reformation makes way for a future de&s;olation. Our Reformation was conceived heretofore in &s;inne, and now hath brought forth Iniquity, if it had bin for|med according to the mind of God, we &s;hould not have had &s;uch &s;tirs and troubles in the&s;e daies; if any therefore have built up Hay, Straw, and Stubble, let your fire burne up &s;uch combu&s;tible matter; if bryars and thornes do grow in the Sanctuarie, let your Axe cut them downe, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 14. 3. 5. When <HI>A&s;a</HI> tooke away Altars, high places, brake the Images, cut downe the Groves then had the Kingdome quiet before him, its &s;uch tra&s;h as Altars, Images, Ceremonies and inventions of men, which do di&s;quiet Kingdomes, Churches, Con|&s;ciences. Mens thoughts are, that removall of them will breed di&s;turbance, its their &s;tanding not their ta|king away doth it. When we go in Gods way, breaking
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and bani&s;hing out of Gods wor&s;hip the needle&s;&s;e, &s;can|dalous, and accur&s;ed things, God overules &s;pirits which are oppo&s;ite, and a Kingdome is at re&s;t.. <HI>A&s;a</HI> tooke the Images and high places out of all the Cities of <HI>Judah,</HI> and yet the Kingdome was quiet; the more exact in the things of God, the better &s;ucce&s;&s;e. God would not have the names of Idols and &s;uper&s;titious things left among&s;t us, <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 2. 16, 17, 18. <HI>Thou &s;halt call mee no more</HI> Baali, Baalim <HI>mu&s;t be no more in their minds or memories,</HI> It was a good <NOTE N="p" PLACE="marg">Baali my Lord.</NOTE>name, but becau&s;e abu&s;'d to Idolatry, God would not endure it. A great name is no great matter in mans judgement, it was much in Gods, and hee would have a perfect Reformation, not tollerate the lea&s;t evill&punc; and thereupon he makes a Covenant with all creatures for them, and promi&s;es to breake the bow, &s;word, battle out of the earth, and to make them lye down &s;afely. You &s;ee a through reformation is the readie&s;t way to greate&s;t &s;e|curity. The <NOTE N="q" PLACE="marg">Vide Ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">tw. An&s;w. to Rhem. Te&s;t|am. on <HI>1</HI> Tim. <HI>6. 20.</HI></NOTE><HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> hope by names and termes of theirs to worke in their faith among&s;t us&punc; they call our words <HI>novita<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">es vocum,</HI> and keep the old termes, Penance, Prie&s;t, Ma&s;&s;e, Altar, Sacrifice, &amp;c. The&s;e words&punc; &s;ay they will bring us to the faith of our fir&s;t Apo&s;tles, I be&s;eech you therefore to da&s;h their hopes, take away the&s;e names and dayes, they &s;o confide in Nea&s;t-eggs, yea cockatrice eggs, they are and may <NOTE N="r" PLACE="marg">Rudera veteris &s;uper|&s;titioni erunt rude|menta novae.</NOTE>breed Serpents, tread them un|der your feet, &s;hew your &s;elves children of that Father who hates &s;uper&s;titious names, times, things, and loves a perfect worke, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 1. 25. I will turne my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dro&s;&s;e, and take way all thy &s;inne. God will not endure dro&s;&s;e and &s;inne in the Shekells of the Sanctuarie, tho&s;e things dim the glorie and imba&s;e the &s;ub&s;tance, they mu&s;t out; and becau&s;e there be many adver&s;ities and great oppo&s;ition to works of Reformation therefore &s;aith God in the <HI>ver&s;.</HI> before, I will ea&s;e mee of mine adver&s;aries, doe they hinder &s;o needfull &s;o good, &s;o great and &s;o glorious a worke&punc; ah I will ea&s;e my &s;elfe of &s;uch adver&s;aries; and if men will
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not do the worke my hand &s;hall do it and do it, through|ly. It's mans wi&s;dome to do that aforehand which God will doe by his judgements. In this 3 of <HI>Math</HI> 12. Chri&s;t is pre&s;ented with his Fanne in his hand, and re&s;olution to purge it to purpo&s;e. The Jewes would not part with their Mo&s;aicall Wor&s;hip, they &s;tuck to the Ceremonies and Rites of the Temple, but becau&s;e they would not purge out the corruptions crept in, nor part with the &s;haddow for the &s;ub&s;tance now come&punc; therefore Chri&s;t fann'd them by a terrible judgment de&s;troy'd, them, their Temple, and all the Formalities of it, &s;etting up pure and Spirituall Wor&s;hip, which had they admitted, their de|&s;truction might have bin prevented. <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 33. 34.</P>
<P>What corruptions are got into the wor&s;hip of God, is not unknowne to you, the Worthies of our <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> turne your hand upon us and purely purge out all the dro&s;&s;e is there. If things be not evident to you, make an exact &s;crutinie, and whatever you finde without Chri&s;ts &s;u|per&s;cription, is adulterate, he will not owne nor ble&s;&s;e it. <HI>Ius divinum,</HI> is his &s;tampe, and what hath that Chri&s;t will owne. O &s;uffer nothing to be in his Hou&s;e, which hath not a divine impre&s;sion upon it, which is not after Chri&s;t, <HI>Col.</HI> 2 8. and for the future let nothing be brought in which is after men and not after Chri&s;t; let no world|ly rudiments approach his pre&s;ence, when <HI>Nadab</HI> and <HI>Abihu,</HI> brought &s;trange fire into the wor&s;hip of God, fire went out from the Lord and made them a Sacrifice; there was nothing again&s;t their fire, but this was it, they had no Warrant for it, God commanded it not, <HI>Levit.</HI> 10. 1, 2. Let &s;ome fiery law go forth from you that may &s;corch all &s;uch as &s;hall hereafter dare to joine their po&s;ts with Gods, and mingle their chaffe with his Wheate, and let not any lawes be of force, that may countenance &s;uch evills, uphold &s;u&s;pected things, or prejudice the liberty of tender con&s;ciences, yea wayes of wor&s;hip which may prove &s;nares to you, or your <HI>Po&s;terity;</HI> put the Axe of your power unto them, and hew them down.</P>
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There is another thing yet, and very de&s;irable, you have been faithfull to the Kingdome hitherto, go on &s;till to be faithfull: you are Amba&s;&s;adours of the great|e&s;t King, the great things of heaven and earth are com|mitted to your care; the glory of <HI>Iehovah,</HI> the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, the welfare of Churches, the good of King|domes; and in &s;ome re&s;pect of the whole Chri&s;tian world is in your hands. Olives and Figgetrees will not let go their fatne&s;&s;e and &s;weetne&s;&s;e, do not you let goe your faithfullne&s;&s;e: put forth your &s;elves, and do what you can for the glory of God, the Go&s;pel, the Churches, the Kingdome, the world.</P>
<P>All the&s;e waite and expect much at your hands, <HI>Prov.</HI> 13. 17. <HI>A wicked me&s;&s;enger falleth into mi&s;chief, but a faithfull Amba&s;&s;adour is health.</HI> Me&s;&s;engers of a State have power to doe great things, if men will be bya&s;&s;ed with feare, promi&s;es and &s;elvi&s;h re&s;pects, importunities of friends, and the like, they &s;hall fall into mi&s;chief: God hath &s;aid it, and well it &s;hall not be with them, but a faithfull <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">The word Me&s;&s;enger is <HI>Malach,</HI> which the <HI>Septuagins</HI> read <HI>Melech,</HI> a King, and &s;o turne it, <HI>Rex audax incidet ma|lum,</HI> but a faithfull Em|ba&s;&s;: &s;hall free him.</NOTE>Amba&s;&s;adour he is health, health to his own con&s;eience, he is health to a Kingdome, health to the Churches, health to all. God calls to you to help Him <HI>again&s;t the mighty;</HI> the Churches call to you to help them again&s;t corruptions, Innovations, impo&s;itions; this Kingdome, <HI>Ireland</HI> cryes to you for help again&s;t di&s;tractions, oppre&s;|&s;ions, bloud, ruine: now &s;hew your &s;elves Helpers and Healers. In <HI>Prov.</HI> 25. 12. it's &s;aid <HI>A faithfull me&s;&s;enger re|fre&s;heth the &s;oule of them that &s;end him:</HI> It's not the head, but the &s;oule, the heart is refre&s;hed by &s;uch a man; the Hebrew is, <HI>He cau&s;eth the &s;oule of his Lord to returne:</HI> and we may truly &s;ay to your comfort and honour, that the &s;oule Religion and the Kingdome hath, you have cau&s;ed it under God to returne. We were dying, Religion and Kingdome were dying, and you have given us a little reviving the Lord reward you fully for it: go on and &s;hew your faithfullne&s;&s;e, bring it to perfection, <HI>E&s;a.</HI> 11&punc; 5. faithfullne&s;&s;e is the golden girdle of Chri&s;t.</P>
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Some Expo&s;itors under&s;tand by righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and faithfullne&s;&s;e, righteous and faithfull men, which are as neare and deare to Chri&s;t as his girdle; a great and glorious ornament unto him. There is much difference between tho&s;e are for Chri&s;t, and tho&s;e are newters or again&s;t him: in the 17. <HI>Rev.</HI> when the Kings of the earth &s;hall give their power to the Bea&s;t, and make warre with the Lamb, the victory is the Lambs, and they that are with him are <HI>call'd, cho&s;en</HI> and <HI>faithfull.</HI> Let not a neu|tralizing or oppre&s;&s;ing &s;pirit be found among&s;t you: &s;hew your &s;elves All now to be with and for the Lamb, His cau&s;e, His Churches, His People and you &s;hall have that honour as to be &s;til'd <HI>call'd cho&s;en faithfull.</HI> It's good being with the Lamb when the Axe is at the root, and having honour from Chri&s;t when contempt is powring down upon the heads of others. Faithfull men have the bles&s;ings, when others have blowes and cur&s;es, <HI>Prov.</HI> 28. 20. <HI>A faithfull man abounds with ble&s;&s;ings,</HI> his bles&s;ings are without number; he &s;hall have the bles&s;ings of the pre|&s;ent people; the bles&s;ings of Generations to come, the ble&s;sings of heaven, the great God will powre forth his ble&s;sings upon &s;uch, and &s;ay to them as to faithfull <HI>Abra|ham, Gen.</HI> 12. 2. <HI>I will ble&s;&s;e you and make your names great, and you &s;hall be a ble&s;&s;ing, and tho&s;e that ble&s;&s;e you &s;hall be ble&s;|&s;ed:</HI> the great God will powre forth great ble&s;sings up|on you, and mens cur&s;es &s;hall never come neere you; If emergents of time &s;hould prove &s;uch as that you &s;hould not accompli&s;h what you intend, yet you &s;hall not goe without a ble&s;sing, <HI>P&s;al</HI> 84. 5. <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed is the man in who&s;e heart are the wayes of God.</HI></P>
<P>There is another ob&s;ervation for all, in which I will be briefe, it's this, <HI>That the way to &s;ave a dying Kingdome from ruine, is by bringing forth good fruit:</HI> Now the Axe is layd to the root of the Tree, every Tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and ca&s;t into the fire. There is fruit unto Death, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 5. this the King|dome abounds withall, and hath brought us under a
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&s;entence of death. There is fruit unto Holyne&s;&s;e, <HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 22. and fruit unto God, <HI>Rom.</HI> 7. 2. the&s;e la&s;t are the fruits we mu&s;t beare; If our fruit be unto holyne&s;&s;e, it's fruit unto God, and will reprive us from death. But to beare &s;uch fruit more then nature is requi&s;ite, <HI>Semen naturae non con&s;urg<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="2 letters"> in fructum Gratiae,</HI> It is not naturall a|billities be they never &s;o great and excellent, it is not Morall principles and vertues which will &s;uffice: If a <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign"></NOTE>man have not <HI>aliquid ampl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">,</HI> all is nothing, his fruit is &s;owre, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 7. the wi&s;dome of the fle&s;h is enmity again&s;t God. If you would bring forth fruit to &s;ave your &s;oules and a Kingdome al&s;o, you mu&s;t get into Chri&s;t, <HI>Iohn</HI> 15. 4. Labour to be rooted in him. <HI>Col.</HI> 2. 7. who is the root of <HI>Ie&s;&s;e, Rom.</HI> 15. 12. you mu&s;t have divine faculties, 1 <HI>Iohn</HI> 5. 20. divine habits, <HI>Eph.</HI> 2. 8. divine moti|ons and operations, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2. 13. and after all this you mu&s;t act by a divine rule, and for a divine end and then your fruit is good, even &s;uch as will keep the Tree from cut|ting down. There is great difference in trees and fruits, there is a Vine of <HI>Sod<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">me</HI> as well as of <HI>Sibmah, De<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">t.</HI> 32. 32. <HI>E&s;a</HI> 16 8. both are Vines, have their leaves and clu&s;t|ers: but in the one is a ble&s;&s;ing, on the other is a cur&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Cain</HI> and <HI>Abel</HI> goe forth to Sacrifice, the one is accep|ted, the other de&s;pi&s;ed, the <HI>Phari&s;ee</HI> goes to Prayer with the <HI>Publican,</HI> the one is ju&s;tified, the other condemned: The <HI>Egyptians</HI> went the &s;ame way with the <HI>I&s;raelites,</HI> but they were drown'd where the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> were &s;aved, looke narrowly to your &s;elves therefore what trees you are, what fruit you beare. There will be <HI>di&s;tructum judicium,</HI> and the waies &s;eem right in a mans own eyes may prove death. <HI>Prov.</HI> 14. 12. Let not flatteries and vaine preten|ces undoe you: what if you have been bapti&s;ed? So was <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 11. <HI>E&s;.</HI> 60. 17. 54 11, 12 <HI>Rom.</HI> 8. 21.</NOTE><HI>Simon Magus.</HI> What if you keepe fa&s;ts? So did the&punc; <HI>Iewes,</HI> and yet not fa&s;t unto God. If you heare the Word gladly&punc; and reforme in many things &s;o did <HI>Herod:</HI> if you pray, <HI>Matth.</HI> 7. 21. Its not every one that &s;aith Lord, Lord, &s;hall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven; there
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is more then all the&s;e to be looked after, you mu&s;t be in Chri&s;t, not have a name to be in him, but &s;ee to it in truth, that you be in him: The great worke is to make out that you are in Chri&s;t, mo&s;t pre&s;ume and are un|done <NOTE PLACE="marg">Aliter judici|um D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i ali<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> judicium ho|minis.</NOTE>by it. Gods judgement and mans differ much, and you will finde it when you come to die, his thoughts are not ours. Many that thinke them&s;elves figtrees will be found brambles, and the fruit of many trees will bee found naught, which hath now an excellencie upon it&punc; if you walke after the fle&s;h and not after the &s;pirit, you are not in Chri&s;t, and that man is not in Chri&s;t, is <HI>Arbor <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">amnab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">lis</HI> a Tree for the fire.</P>
<P>I &s;hould now exhort all to be fruitfull, time permits it not. I will onely turne my &s;peech a little unto you, O Noble Senators, &s;eeing bearing of good fruit is a &s;pe|ciall meanes to &s;ave a Kingdome, labour to abound in e|very good word and worke, to beare much fruit, and fruit an&s;werable to your opportunities. God hath plan|ted you in this Parliament to beare &s;ome choice fruit. If any &s;hould aske what doe you here? Let your an&s;wer be, We are zealous for the Lord of Ho&s;ts. When <HI>E&s;ther</HI> was advanced &s;he would not loo&s;e her opportunities. She will in to the King, although contrary to a Law, &s;he will have the liberty of her people and <HI>Hamans</HI> head off, and venture Her life to accompli&s;h it. If I peri&s;h, I peri&s;h, <HI>chap.</HI> 4. 16. <HI>Io&s;ia, Hezek<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ah,</HI> tooke their opportu|nities and make a thorough reformation in <HI>Iudah:</HI> you know what great things <HI>Elijah</HI> did <HI>i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">spiciente &amp; reluctante rege,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 18. <HI>Nehemiah</HI> and <HI>Ezra,</HI> for all the enemies &s;coffing cunning complyances to build with them, tak|ing up Armes to &s;ubdue them, they tooke their times, improv'd their opportunities and brought forth fruit an&s;werable to the expectation of heaven and earth, they built up the Temple and walls of <HI>Ieru&s;alem.</HI> It was <HI>Ahabs</HI> &s;inne, he lo&s;t his opportunity, in letting <HI>Ben|hadaa</HI> go a man that God had appointed unto death and it co&s;t him his life for it, 1 <HI>Kin</HI> 22. 31. Men are &s;nared
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in an evill time becau&s;e they know not their time, <HI>Eccl.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">.</NOTE>9. 13. You may be time&s;ervers and ob&s;ervers without &s;in. The riche&s;t opportunities that ever men had are in your hands, ob&s;erve them and &s;erv the Lord in them. It's good fruit for a Parliament to &s;et up a faithfull con&s;cientious Mini&s;try all the Kingdome over, to have a care of all Schooles of learning, that no corrupt opinions or practi|&s;es be there: it's good fruit to abrogate ill Laws&punc; to &s;ee to execution of tho&s;e are good, to call for an exacter Tran&s;lation of Holy Scripture, to helpe Ireland, to in|quire after and countenance the Gouernment of Chri&s;t and al tho&s;e particulars you have bin pre&s;t unto by tho&s;e you have cal'd to preach before you on the&s;e dayes. <NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;. 60. 17. 54. 11, 12.</NOTE>Have you not found the materialls of our Jeru&s;alem rubbi&s;h, iron, and bra&s;&s;e, now give us gold for bra&s;&s;e, &s;ilver for iron, and pretious &s;tones for rubbi&s;h. Now lay the Foundations thereof with Saphires&punc; make the win|dowes of Agates, the Gates of Carbuncles, and all the Borders of plea&s;ant &s;tones; then &s;hall you &s;et the pri&s;o|ners of hope at liberty. The&s;e things are foretold, in their time are to be fulfil'd, and we de&s;ire your hands may helpe on &s;o great and glorious a worke. The whole <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 12. 11.</NOTE>Creation groanes to be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and we groan to be delivered from &s;uch bon|dage: If you &s;hall deliver us and &s;et us in &s;uch a conditi|on, you &s;hall be as <HI>Gods</HI> unto us you &s;hall be our <HI>Io&s;huahs,</HI> though not our <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;u&s;&s;es, Saviours</HI> of our liberties, lives. Kingdom, Religion, All onely not of our Soules.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, let not the frut of Prayer be wanting in any: it's choyce fruit, and of great efficacie. The Ninivites <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jon. 3.</NOTE>cryed mightily and obtained mercy. The foundation of the Jewes deliverance was layd in <HI>Morde<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">aies, E&s;thers,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;t 4. 16.</NOTE>and the peoples Prayers. <HI>A&s;aes</HI> prayers overthrew the greate&s;t Army we read of&punc; 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 14. 9. 11. The preva|lencie of Prayer is yet unknowne&punc; When the Ma&s;ter bid the Gardner cut down the Tree&punc; <HI>Luke</HI> 13. 7. The Gard|ner being tender of it, interceeds, and interceeding gets
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the Axe removed. We are dre&s;&s;ers of the Garden, and &s;hall cry to God to &s;pare it, and give him no re&s;t: You likewi&s;e are principall dre&s;&s;ers, and we hope will not faile to inter<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eed for this Land and People; the want of your prayers may retard it not ruine the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, <HI>Exod.</HI> 32 10. Others prayers may doe &s;omthing&punc; they may doe much: but when <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> prayers come they doe all, <HI>Let me alone</HI> (&s;aith God) <HI>that my wrath may wax hot again&s;t them and I will make of thee a great Nation.</HI> Behold a won|der, the great God petitioning &s;infull man! and that which is yet more, man denying Gods petition. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> would not let <HI>God</HI> alone he would not be hired or byafled by <HI>God</HI> him&s;elfe to loo&s;e the people&punc; he would not com|pound or comply with <HI>God</HI> him&s;elfe. If <HI>God</HI> would not blot out the peoples &s;innes, he reque&s;ts <HI>God</HI> to blot him <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 32.</NOTE>out of his Booke. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> knew he had brought them out of <HI>Aegypt,</HI> ingaged them in a Warre with <HI>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="3 letters">k,</HI> ex|po&s;'d them to many difficulties and dangers, and there|fore he is tender of the people and could not leave them, or any part of them, (when he had a great opportunity to do it) unto the wrath of a provoked King and <HI>God.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">ver&s;. 12, 13.</NOTE>He puts <HI>God</HI> in minde of his Name and Oath, What will the <HI>Aegyptians</HI> &s;ay, and did&s;t not thou &s;weare to <HI>Abra|ham I&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">k</HI> and <HI>I&s;rael</HI> when thou tooke&s;t them and their Seed to be thy people and promi&s;ed&s;t them to be their God and Soveraigne, that thou woulde&s;t multiplie them and wilt thou now de&s;troy them; Lord do it not, provide for thy Name, thine Oath, thy people; and what was the i&s;&s;ue? The Lord repented of the evill in|tended and &s;pared the people. You that are the <HI>Mo&s;e&s;|&s;es</HI> that &s;it at the Sterne, and know all pa&s;&s;ages, ha&s;ten to the Lord, poure out your hearts before him your &s;ighs teares, prayers may remove the Axe and &s;ecure the Kingdome, pre&s;&s;e him with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Arguments and you may have his An&s;wer, and make us all happy by your prayers and endeavours.</P>
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