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<DATE>2013-07-10</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<BIBNO T="umi">99865275</BIBNO>
<VID>117514</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>GODS Soveraign Power over Nations: Set forth in a SERMON Preached at <HI>Pauls,</HI> before the Right Honorable, <HI>John Warner</HI> E&s;q; Lord Major of the City of <HI>London,</HI> Febr. 20. 1647. WHEREIN Certain Endeavors for the &s;ettling of mens Spirits, in a quiet peaceable po&s;ture, in the&s;e tumultuous and unquiet TIMES. By <HI>John Cardell,</HI> Ma&s;ter of Arts, and Preacher to the Inhabi|tants of <HI>Alhallows-Lumbard&s;treet,</HI> London.</P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>I&s;a. 40.15.</HI></BIBL> Behold, the Nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the &s;mall du&s;t of the ballance.</Q>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Ver&s;. 17.</HI></BIBL> All Nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him le&s;s then nothing, and vanity.</Q>
<P><FLOATEXT LANG="eng" TYPE="license">
<OPENER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>March</HI> 3. 1647.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P><HI>Imprimatur</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Jo&s;eph Caryl.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</FLOATEXT></P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>John Field</HI> for <HI>Henry Overton,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop at the entrance into <HI>Popes-head</HI> Alley out of <HI>Lumbardstreet,</HI> 1648.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Right Honorable, The LORD MAYOR AND Court of Aldermen OF THE Renowned City of <HI>London.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honorable, and Right Wor&s;hipful,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>_THis</HI> Sermon <HI>was fir&s;t</HI> Preached, <HI>and is now</HI> Publi&s;hed <HI>by your &s;pecial Appoint|ment:</HI> In which re&s;pect, <HI>as al&s;o becau&s;e it comes forth in a very</HI> &s;tormy tem|pe&s;tuous time, <HI>it humbly craves leave, to</HI> &s;hroud it &s;elf <HI>under the wing of your</HI> Honorable Protection, <HI>until that</HI> mi&s;t <HI>of</HI> Pride <HI>and</HI> Malice, <HI>and</HI> Prejudice <HI>and</HI> Pa&s;&s;ion <HI>that is now upon the world (and that hinders</HI> Truth <HI>from being enter|tained for its own &s;ake) &s;hall come to be di&s;pelled by</HI> the glorious appearing of the Sun of Righteou&s;|ne&s;s.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 4.2.</NOTE> <HI>What there was in this</HI> poor mean piece of
<PB REF="3">mine, <HI>that &s;hould move you thus far to</HI> own <HI>it, is not yet &s;o</HI> clear <HI>to me, as hereafter it may be: That God who fir&s;t</HI> brought <HI>it to your</HI> Ears, <HI>and that hath now</HI> put <HI>it into</HI> your Hands, <HI>he may plea&s;e exceedingly to</HI> glorifie him&s;elf <HI>by it, among&s;t you, and thereby teach others,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech. 4.10.</NOTE> <HI>and my &s;elf al&s;o, to &s;ee and &s;ay,</HI> That there is no de&s;pi&s;ing the day of &s;mall things.</P>
<P>Among many other pre&s;&s;ing Evils <HI>that are now upon us,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Religio &agrave; Reli|gando taro Ho|minibus, quam Deo. Emollit mores nec &s;init e&s;&s;e feros.</HI> 2 Tim. 3.5. <HI>Diffudi&s;&s;i per omnem mundum Religio&s;, nomi|nis membra, Re|ligionis vint non Habentia,</HI> Salvian. ad Eccle&s;. Cathol. lib. 1.</NOTE> <HI>it is certainly very</HI> &s;ad <HI>to con&s;ider, That the</HI> Re|ligion <HI>of God, which was purpo&s;ely appointed to cau&s;e</HI> Contentions to cea&s;e, <HI>&s;hould among &s;o many, be</HI> the onely matter of Contention; <HI>That that which</HI> na|turally cools, <HI>and</HI> quiets, <HI>and</HI> meekens, <HI>and</HI> mode|rates <HI>the Spirits of people, &s;hould</HI> occa&s;ionally <HI>kindle &s;uch</HI> &s;trange fires, <HI>and &s;uch</HI> unnatural heats, <HI>as are now &s;tirring almo&s;t every where;</HI> a certain &s;ign, <HI>That there is too much of the</HI> Form, <HI>and too little of the</HI> Power of godline&s;s <HI>to be &s;een or found among&s;t us.</HI></P>
<P>It was a &s;age Speech <HI>that formerly dropped from the Pen of a great</HI> State&s;man <HI>among our &s;elves here, and it &s;till &s;tands upon Record under his</HI> Name, That in Coun&s;els concerning Religion, that Coun&s;el of the Apo&s;tle would be pre|fixed, <HI>Ira hominis non Implet Iu&s;titiam Dei; i.e.</HI> The wrath of man worketh not the righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of God.
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Francis</HI> L. <HI>Ve|rulam</HI> Vi&s;count St. <HI>Atban,</HI> bet|ter known by the name of &s;ir <HI>Francis Bacon</HI> E&s;&s;. <HI>p.</HI> 18, 19.</NOTE> <HI>The &s;ame Author tells us moreover,</HI> That it was a notable Ob&s;erva|tion of a wi&s;e Father, and no le&s;s ingenu|ou&s;ly
<PB REF="3">confe&s;&s;ed, That tho&s;e which held and per&s;waded pre&s;&s;ure of Con&s;ciences, were commonly intere&s;ted therein them&s;elves for their own ends.</P>
<P>My Lord, <HI>The large</HI> Experience <HI>that I have pro|videntially had within the&s;e few years of your Lord&s;hips</HI> Piety, <HI>and</HI> Integrity, <HI>and</HI> readine&s;s to every good work, <HI>hath mightily prevailed with me to conclude, That your Honor will excu&s;e it; if upon this occa&s;ion I take upon me the boldne&s;s, to</HI> repre&s;ent <HI>unto your</HI> Lord&s;hip (<HI>and the re&s;t of tho&s;e other worthy</HI> Senators <HI>that partake with you in the Government of this great City) &s;ome few things, in</HI> reference <HI>to pre&s;ent Actings.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> Fir&s;t then, this I humbly pray, <HI>That</HI> your Care <HI>may be mo&s;t, where</HI> Gods Care <HI>is mo&s;t;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 8.26.</NOTE> <HI>Let not tho&s;e that</HI> bear the Name of God, <HI>be any way cruel or un|kinde to tho&s;e that</HI> bear the Image of God;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 4.24.</NOTE> <HI>Be ever</HI> tender <HI>over tho&s;e that are</HI> tender, gentle <HI>to tho&s;e that are</HI> gentle, meek <HI>to tho&s;e that are</HI> meek, <HI>I mean, to tho&s;e whom God by a &s;upernatural work hath made</HI> ten|der, <HI>and</HI> gentle, <HI>and</HI> meek, <HI>and</HI> humble:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3.20. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, our trading or commerce is for heaven, we are citizens of, and for the new <HI>Jeru&s;alem. vid. Bez. in loc.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Let it be the joy of your hearts, according to the Apostles lan|guage, to &s;ee men driving an open and a free trade for heaven,</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 29.19.</NOTE> To &s;ee the meek increa&s;ing their joy in the Lord, and the poor among&s;t men rejoycing in the holy One of I&s;rael. <HI>Cruelty to the</HI> Saints <HI>hath co&s;t the</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">You may plea&s;e to &s;ee this excellently cleared by Mr. <HI>Tho: Goodwyn,</HI> in a Sermon of his, whereunto I refer pag. 31. of my en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>world exceeding dear already;</HI> England <HI>it &s;elf hath
<PB REF="4">&s;marted for it not a little, in the downfal of</HI> Bi&s;hops, <HI>and divers other ways:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2.22. I&s;a. 28.22. Levit. 26.</NOTE> <HI>Let us take heed of</HI> returning to the old vomit again, le&s;t our bands be made &s;tronger, <HI>and our</HI> puni&s;hments &s;evenfold greater <HI>then heretofore they have been.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Next unto this, <HI>I humbly leave it at the feet of your Honorable</HI> Con&s;iderations, <HI>whether there be not a very urgent</HI> nece&s;&s;ity <HI>lying upon you, to u&s;e your utmo&s;t en|deavors, That your</HI> City-Councel <HI>may from time to time</HI> cordially <HI>comply with the</HI> Kingdoms great Councel, <HI>The Parliament of</HI> England, in all their Ju&s;t and Honorable Proceedings: <HI>To this purpo&s;e be plea&s;ed to ca&s;t back your thoughts upon the years new|ly pa&s;t; what</HI> great things <HI>was God plea&s;ed to do</HI> for you, <HI>and</HI> by you, <HI>&s;o long as ye were united? How wonderfully did</HI> the Lord of ho&s;ts appear <HI>in the</HI> high places of the field, <HI>ble&s;sing and pro&s;pering tho&s;e</HI> For|ces <HI>that were</HI> &s;ent out <HI>by them, and</HI> incouraged <HI>by you?</HI> And withal, I de&s;ire that this al&s;o may &s;eriou&s;ly be con&s;idered, <HI>What</HI> Profit, <HI>or what</HI> Honor <HI>hath it been to your City, that ye have been thus far</HI> e&s;tranged <HI>one from another? I &s;ay no more but this, Certainly your</HI> &s;afe|ty <HI>lies in</HI> combining <HI>and</HI> uniting; <HI>and what el&s;e but</HI> Ruine <HI>can be expected, if there &s;hould &s;till be a</HI> conti|nued breach <HI>between you,</HI> Divide, &amp; Impera, Divide and Rule, <HI>is their</HI> Maxime <HI>that &s;eek your</HI> Ruine, <HI>and that have now great hopes of</HI> effecting <HI>that upon you, by your own</HI> inte&s;tine divi&s;ions, <HI>that hitherto</HI> (through the goodne&s;s of God) <HI>they have not been able to</HI> effect <HI>in any other way.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> In the next place, <HI>I do likewi&s;e</HI> humbly <HI>move, That
<PB REF="4">ye would</HI> plea&s;e <HI>in your great</HI> wi&s;doms <HI>to think upon &s;ome</HI> effectual cour&s;e, <HI>of putting &s;ome farther</HI> Re|&s;traint <HI>upon</HI> Swearing, Drunkenne&s;s, Prophanation of the Sabbath, <HI>private</HI> oppre&s;&s;ions, <HI>and acts of</HI> In|ju&s;tice <HI>between man and man, &s;o far forth as they come within the compa&s;s of your</HI> Cognizance, <HI>and other &s;uch like</HI> Enormities, <HI>that are</HI> diametrally oppo&s;ite, <HI>and</HI> clean contrary <HI>to the Laws of</HI> God and Nature. Penal Statutes <HI>there are</HI> inough; <HI>and &s;ince (knowing your</HI> zeal <HI>and</HI> forwardne&s;s) <HI>I</HI> dare not <HI>&s;o much as</HI> &s;u|&s;pect <HI>the</HI> fault <HI>to lie in your &s;elves; I do therefore</HI> earne&s;tly move, <HI>That you would think upon &s;ome</HI> Safe and Honorable way,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Oderunt peccare boni virtutis Amore oderunt peccare mali formidine paenae.</HI> Horat.</NOTE> <HI>whereby tho&s;e</HI> Ob&s;tructions <HI>may be</HI> removed, <HI>that lie in the way of</HI> Execution, <HI>That &s;o where</HI> love of Goodne&s;s <HI>will not</HI> melt, <HI>yet</HI> fear of Puni&s;hment <HI>may at lea&s;t</HI> re&s;train <HI>from tho&s;e outward</HI> daring Iniquities, <HI>that are indeed intolerable.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> But one thing more, <HI>and then I &s;hall trouble you no farther,</HI> Hearken to the cryes of the Poor; <HI>as</HI> Jotham <HI>&s;aid to the men of</HI> Shechem,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudges 9.7.</NOTE> Hearken to them, that God may hearken to you; He that &s;tops his ear at the cry of the poor, he him&s;elf &s;hall cry, and &s;hall not be heard, <HI>&s;ays</HI> Solomon:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Proverbs 31.13.</NOTE> <HI>And did they ever cry</HI> lowder <HI>then now? Stop not your</HI> ears <HI>at this cry therefore. There was of old (as &s;ome conceive from that place,</HI> Deut. 15.4.) <HI>to be no</HI> beggar in I&s;rael; <HI>why &s;hould there be</HI> any <HI>among us? Be plea&s;ed to con|&s;ider of &s;ome</HI> &s;peedy cour&s;e, <HI>that &s;uch as can</HI> work, <HI>may</HI> work, <HI>or el&s;e not eat, as the Apo&s;tle &s;ays;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;&s;. 3.20.</NOTE> <HI>and that &s;uch as cannot</HI> through age <HI>or</HI> other infirmities, <HI>that they may be otherwi&s;e</HI> provided <HI>for: I have heard that
<PB REF="5">&s;uch a</HI> De&s;ign <HI>as this hath been already</HI> thought up|on, <HI>and &s;et on foot; Now the Lord &s;tir up your hearts to</HI> Rea&s;&s;ume <HI>it, and to carry it on</HI> vigorou&s;ly, <HI>even unto the full compleating of it.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Let me herein propound</HI> Jobs Example <HI>to you,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 29, from ve&s;e 11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> <HI>a</HI> Copy <HI>&s;et by Gods</HI> own hand <HI>in his</HI> own Book, <HI>for you to write after,</HI> How did he make the ear that heard him to ble&s;s him? and the eye that &s;aw him, to give witne&s;s to him? The ble&s;&s;ing of him that was ready to peri&s;h, came upon him, and he made the widows heart to &s;ing for joy: He put on righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, and it clothed him, his judgement was a robe and a diadem: He was eyes to the blinde, and feet to the lame, and a father to the poor, and the cau&s;e that he knew not, he &s;earched it out, <HI>&amp;c. Now that ye may be &s;uch</HI> Magi&s;trates, <HI>and &s;uch</HI> mini|&s;ters of Ju&s;tice (<HI>Right Honorable, and Right Wor&s;hip|ful) even every way &s;uch as God him&s;elf would have you to be, doing &s;till</HI> more and more worthily, <HI>in re|gard of all the</HI> Concernments <HI>and</HI> Ingagements <HI>that are upon you, for the</HI> glory of God, <HI>and the</HI> good of his people, <HI>That God may not onely</HI> ble&s;s you, <HI>but al|&s;o make you</HI> eminent ble&s;&s;ings, <HI>in your Places, to this famous and renowned City, is the</HI> Prayer <HI>of</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your mo&s;t humble and obliged Servant, JOHN CARDELL.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<HEAD>ERRATA.</HEAD>
<P>PAge 10. line 19. <HI>for</HI> there <HI>r.</HI> theirs. p. 17. l. 13. <HI>before</HI> Attributes <HI>r.</HI> the&s;e. p. 20. l. 7. <HI>before</HI> us <HI>r.</HI> make. p. 25. l. 6. <HI>before</HI> &s;o <HI>r.</HI> to be.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<HEAD><HI>GOD'S</HI> Soveraign Power OVER <HI>NATIONS.</HI></HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>JOB 12.23.</HI></BIBL>
<P>He increa&s;eth the Nations, and de&s;troyeth them: he inlargeth the Nations, and &s;traitneth them again.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Introduction.</NOTE> _NOt to detain you long upon matter of Preface or Introdu|ction to the&s;e words, let thus much in &s;hort &s;uffice for that.</P>
<P>This Holy man JOB, who&s;e cour&s;e it was now to &s;peak, he is here in this Chapter upon a very high
<PB N="2" REF="6">di&s;cour&s;e concerning <HI>the most high God:</HI> He was upon an Argument of the highe&s;t nature, and his meditations are <HI>elevated</HI> or lifted up accordingly.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Chapter.</NOTE> If you plea&s;e to look back upon &s;ome former <HI>pa&s;&s;ages</HI> of the Chapter, you &s;hall &s;ee what <HI>mighty things</HI> are therein a&s;cribed <HI>to God:</HI> From the 16. <HI>ver.</HI> and &s;o on, <HI>With him is &s;trength and wi&s;dom,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>The deceived and the deceiver are his; He leadeth coun&s;ellers away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools; He removeth away the speech of the tru&s;ty, and taketh away the under&s;tanding of the aged; He poureth contempt upon Princes, and weakeneth the &s;trength of the mighty;</HI> which are all great things, ye know, mighty works, and &s;uch as none but a God can do.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Text.</NOTE>But here in the&s;e words that I have read, <HI>Iob</HI> declares the <HI>Soveraign Power</HI> and Command that God hath over <HI>Nations and Kingdoms,</HI> to change and alter them, to give them a Being or no Being, even at his plea&s;ure; <HI>He increa&s;eth the Nations, and de&s;troyeth them; he inlargeth the Nations,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="6">
<P>In which words you have three things chiefly con&s;iderable:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Divided into three parts.</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> ye &s;ee here are very great changes &s;poken of, <HI>Augmentation,</HI> and <HI>Destruction, Inlargement,</HI> and <HI>Re&s;traint.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> <HI>Secondly,</HI> Here are al&s;o the Subjects of the&s;e changes, or the Stages whereupon they are acted, and they are, the <HI>Nations of the world, or the Kingdoms of the earth;</HI> they are &s;ometimes <HI>increa&s;ed,</HI> &amp; &s;ometimes <HI>de&s;troyed;</HI> &s;ometimes <HI>inlarged,</HI> and &s;ometimes <HI>&s;traitned.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> <HI>Thirdly,</HI> Here is the Author of the&s;e great and mighty <HI>Changes,</HI> and that is God, &s;uch a God as we &s;hall afterwards de&s;cribe; He it is that <HI>increa&s;eth the Nations, and de&s;troyeth them;</HI> that <HI>inlargeth the Nations, and &s;traitneth them again.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;um of all is this, you may take the whole matter of the Text along with you in this one Conclu&s;ion or profitable Ob&s;ervation,</P>
<Q><NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Doctrine.</NOTE> That the Nations of the earth, they are either increa&s;ed or de&s;troyed, they are either inlarged or &s;traitned, according as God plea&s;es.</Q>
<PB N="4" REF="7">
<P>This is both a very <HI>comfortable,</HI> and a very <HI>&s;ea&s;onable</HI> Truth, to put us upon con&s;idering, That <HI>States and Kingdoms</HI> are not managed by men onely, or accord|ing as they plea&s;e, but they are managed, and ordered, and di&s;po&s;ed of, <HI>by the Lord our God,</HI> and according as he plea&s;es, &s;o do things &s;ucceed or come to pa&s;s in them.</P>
<P>And for the proof or confirmation of this Truth,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Proved by &s;e|veral Argu|ments drawn</NOTE> That God hath this <HI>Soveraign Power</HI> or Command over <HI>Nations,</HI> not onely over particular <HI>per&s;ons,</HI> but over whole <HI>Nations,</HI> to deal with them as he plea&s;es, I &s;hall confirm this, or make it good unto you, by the&s;e <HI>Arguments</HI> fol|lowing:</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. From the greatne&s;s of God.</NOTE> It may appear to be &s;o, if we &s;e|riou&s;ly view the <HI>greatne&s;s of God,</HI> his un|&s;earchable <HI>greatne&s;s,</HI> as the <HI>P&s;almist</HI> calls it, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 145.3. <HI>Great is the Lord, and greatly to be prai&s;ed; yea, his greatne&s;s is un&s;earchable:</HI> he had need to be a very great God, that &s;hould have this Soveraign Command and Au|thority over Nations, to <HI>increa&s;e them</HI> at
<PB N="5" REF="7">his plea&s;ure, and to <HI>de&s;troy them</HI> at his plea&s;ure; to <HI>inlarge them</HI> at his plea&s;ure, and to <HI>&s;traiten them</HI> at his plea&s;ure; to <HI>build them</HI> at his plea&s;ure, and to <HI>break them down</HI> at his plea&s;ure: And yet this ye will ea&s;ily apprehend to be fea&s;ible, if ye do but con&s;ider the extent, or view the latitude of the <HI>greatne&s;s</HI> of God. True it is, that the utmo&s;t bounds or limits of this <HI>greatne&s;s,</HI> cannot be di&s;cerned or com|prehended by us; But yet by that which we may &s;ee, and by that which the Scri|pture plainly and clearly holds forth un|to us about it, we may perceive, That our God, the God whom we pretend at lea&s;t to wor&s;hip, all of us, he is &s;o <HI>great,</HI> and &s;o <HI>glorious,</HI> and &s;o <HI>incomprehen&s;ible</HI> a Being, as to di&s;po&s;e of whole Kingdoms and Na|tions on this maner.</P>
<P><HI>To this purpo&s;e,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 40.15. opened.</NOTE> be plea&s;ed but onely to look upon that one place of <HI>Scripture,</HI> that I may trouble you with no more, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 40.15. <HI>Behold</HI> (&s;ays the Prophet there) <HI>the Nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are
<PB N="6" REF="8">counted as the &s;mall dust of the ballance:</HI> Pray ob&s;erve; for here are two Similitudes, that do very <HI>excellently</HI> adumbrate or &s;ha|dow out the greatne&s;s of God.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Similitude."> <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> he &s;ays, that <HI>the Nations are as the drop of a bucket:</HI> Now ye know, that the <HI>bucket</HI> it &s;elf, a whole <HI>bucket</HI> of water, is no great matter, in compari&s;on of the main Ocean, it is but as a thing of no|thing; but then the drop that falls from the <HI>bucket,</HI> as it comes out of the well, thats &s;o poor a thing, that no body makes any reckoning, or any account of it; and behold (&s;ays the Prophet) the Nations are no more, they are unto God but <HI>as the drop of a bucket.</HI></P>
<P>And if that will not &s;erve the turn to dimini&s;h the <HI>Creature,</HI> and to &s;et up God in his <HI>greatne&s;s,</HI> you have another Simi|litude u&s;ed; <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Similitude."> <HI>The Nations,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>are as the drop of a bucket, and they are counted as the &s;mall du&s;t of the ballance:</HI> Now ye know that the ballance it &s;elf that hangs in the Shop to weigh things by, is no great matter, no
<PB N="7" REF="8">very ponderous or weighty thing; but the du&s;t that lyes upon the <HI>ballance,</HI> thats &s;o poor, and mean, and incon&s;iderable a thing, that it does not ca&s;t the <HI>ballance</HI> either this way or that way; and, <HI>Behold,</HI> &s;ays the Prophet, the Nations are no more, <HI>they are unto God but as the drop of a bucket, and are counted as the &s;mall du&s;t of the ballance.</HI></P>
<P>And if neither of the&s;e will &s;atisfie, &s;ee a lower <HI>expre&s;sion</HI> yet, then either of both the&s;e, at the 17. <HI>ver.</HI> of the &s;ame Chapter; <NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Ver&s;e 17.</NOTE> &s;ays he there, <HI>All Nations before him are as no|thing, and they are counted unto him as le&s;s then nothing, and vanity:</HI> I &s;ay, do but view the <HI>greatne&s;s of God,</HI> according to the&s;e ex|pre&s;&s;ions, and according to the&s;e propor|tions, and then ye will not think it &s;trange that he &s;hould di&s;po&s;e of <HI>Nations</HI> at his plea&s;ure, &s;ince he is &s;o infinitely <HI>above them,</HI> and they &s;o infinitely <HI>below him.</HI></P>
<P>It is no more for the <HI>great God</HI> to have the command and di&s;po&s;ition of all <HI>Na|tions,</HI> then it is for the greate&s;t man upon earth to have the di&s;po&s;ition of a <HI>peny:</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="9">nay, it is not &s;o much; for a <HI>peny</HI> is &s;ome|thing in the great mans pur&s;e, but all <HI>Na|tions</HI> to God are as nothing, &s;ays the Pro|phet, and <HI>they are counted unto him as le&s;s then nothing, and vanity.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. From the Power of God</NOTE> Another proof or demon|&s;tration of the point, &s;hall be drawn from the <HI>Power</HI> of God, which is fully as <HI>unlimited</HI> and as <HI>incomprehen&s;ible</HI> as his <HI>greatne&s;s;</HI> &s;o great is his <HI>Power,</HI> that if he do but onely &s;peak the word, pre&s;ently the thing's done; as at the fir&s;t he &s;aid, <HI>Let there be light, and pre&s;ently there was light;</HI> and &s;o all other things were created but with a word &s;peaking, as it were; <HI>By the word of the Lord were the heavens made,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 33.6.</NOTE> &s;ays the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth; He spake and it was done, he commanded, and it &s;tood fa&s;t,</HI> ver. 9. of that P&s;alm: He can &s;peak a Nation into a <HI>pro|sperous condition,</HI> and he can again &s;peak it into a <HI>ruinous condition.</HI></P>
<P>So exceeding great is Gods <HI>Power,</HI> that he can <HI>increa&s;e</HI> the Nations with a word,
<PB N="9" REF="9">and <HI>de&s;troy them</HI> with a word, <HI>inlarge them</HI> with a word, and <HI>&s;traiten them</HI> with a word. If he do but &s;ay, Let things be ordered thus and thus in the world, let <HI>&s;uch Na|tions be planted,</HI> or let them <HI>be plucked up,</HI> let them be <HI>built,</HI> or let them be <HI>broken down,</HI> it &s;hall certainly &s;ucceed, and come to pa&s;s accordingly; for there is no re&s;i&s;ting of his will, in any of the&s;e ca&s;es, when his power concurs or goes along with it. <HI>Lord,</HI> &s;ays the Centurion,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 8.8, 10.</NOTE> <HI>I am not worthy that thou &s;houldest come under my roof, but speak the word onely, and my &s;ervant &s;hall be healed. I have not found &s;o great faith, no not in I&s;rael,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t. Great is the <HI>power</HI> of God, and great was the Centurions faith in the <HI>power of God.</HI> On the other &s;ide, tho&s;e rebel|lious <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> that are &s;poken of, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78. They <HI>turned back, and tempted God,</HI> and <HI>limited</HI> the holy One of <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> and they &s;aid, Can God do this? or can he do that? <HI>Can he furni&s;h a table in the wilderne&s;s? Behold,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 78.19, 20.</NOTE> <HI>he &s;mote the rock,</HI> indeed &s;ay they, <HI>that the wa|ters gu&s;hed out, and the &s;treams overflowed: But
<PB N="10" REF="10">can he give bread al&s;o? can he provide fle&s;h for his people?</HI> Can he do it? yes, what cannot he do, that is not onely <HI>potent,</HI> but <HI>omnipo|tent;</HI> not onely <HI>mighty,</HI> but <HI>Almighty?</HI> Is there any thing too hard for him?</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. From the Wi&s;|dom of God.</NOTE> Another proof, or demon&s;trati|on of the point, &s;hall be drawn from the <HI>wi&s;dom of God,</HI> which is al&s;o influential upon <HI>Nations,</HI> as well as upon particular <HI>per&s;ons.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vere apud Deum &s;apientem e&s;t &s;apientia, qui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in &s;apiente Deo e&s;t &s;apientia; &amp; vere apud Deum vioam e&s;t vita, quia in Deo vi|vo e&s;t Deus vita; &amp; vere apud Deum verum e&s;t Deus veritas, quia in Deo vero e&s;t Deus veritas; &amp; vere apud Deum fortem e&s;t Deus virtus, quia in Deo forti e&s;t Deus virtus.</HI> Fulgent. ad Mon. lib. 3. cap. 6.</NOTE> <HI>God orders all things here below, accord|ing to the exacte&s;t way of wi&s;dom.</HI> And &s;ome|times <HI>Nations</HI> in their Coun&s;els, and in their Proceedings, are &s;o wi&s;e and &s;o happy as to <HI>comply</HI> with the Wi&s;dom and Coun&s;el of God, and by that means they are <HI>increa&s;ed,</HI> and <HI>inlarged</HI> abundantly; by and by again, you &s;hall have them to da&s;h again&s;t the Coun&s;el of God, his Wi&s;dom, and there to &s;tand in competition, one with another, and then they are in danger at lea&s;t to be either <HI>destroyed</HI> or <HI>&s;traitned.</HI></P>
<P>Evermore ob&s;erve this, That when <HI>the power of Nations,</HI> or the <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> that they pretend to, when the&s;e things are carry|ed
<PB N="11" REF="10">on in a way of <HI>&s;ubordination</HI> to the <HI>power and wi&s;dom of God,</HI> then they do <HI>increa&s;e, in|large, and pro&s;per.</HI></P>
<P>But when men will be &s;o bold, as to &s;et <HI>their power</HI> not above the <HI>power of God,</HI> or <HI>their wi&s;dom</HI> above the <HI>wi&s;dom of God</HI> (for that, I &s;uppo&s;e, they dare not do knowing|ly) but when they &s;hall but &s;et the one of the&s;e in <HI>competition with the others;</HI> when they &s;hall but &s;et their <HI>po&s;ts</HI> by Gods <HI>po&s;ts,</HI> or their <HI>thre&s;holds</HI> by his <HI>thre&s;hold,</HI> in either of the&s;e <HI>ca&s;es,</HI> now the onely <HI>wi&s;e</HI> and <HI>powerful</HI> God, is ingaged, even in point of honor, to do him&s;elf right, and to turn all that <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> into fooli&s;hne&s;s, and all that <HI>&s;trength</HI> into weakne&s;s, that is either <HI>imploy|ed</HI> again&s;t him&s;elf, or not <HI>imployed</HI> according to him&s;elf.</P>
<P>It is a remarkable pa&s;&s;age, that of the Apo&s;tles, 1 <HI>Corinth.</HI> 1. ver&s;es 23, 24, 25. <HI>We preach Christ crucified, unto the Iews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks fooli&s;hne&s;s: But unto them which are called, both Iews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wi&s;dom
<PB N="12" REF="11">of God. Becau&s;e the fooli&s;hne&s;s of God, is wi&s;er then men; and the weakne&s;s of God is stronger then men.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1.25. opened.</NOTE> Pray mark that expre&s;sion, the Apo&s;tle doth not &s;ay, That the <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> of God is wi&s;er then the <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> of men, or that the <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> of God is &s;tronger then the <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> of men; for the truth is, Had he onely &s;aid &s;o, he had &s;aid but little:</P>
<P>But he &s;ays, <HI>That the fooli&s;hne&s;s of God is wi&s;er then men, and that the weakne&s;s of God is stronger then men;</HI> that is, Take the be&s;t of men, the <HI>quinte&s;cence of their wi&s;dom, the excellency of their strength,</HI> and that which they count <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> in God, and <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> in God, &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, It is <HI>wi&s;er</HI> then their <HI>wi&s;dom,</HI> and <HI>&s;tronger</HI> then their <HI>&s;trength. The fooli&s;hne&s;s of</HI> GOD <HI>is wi&s;er then wi&s;|dom of men, and the weakne&s;s of</HI> GOD <HI>is &s;tronger then the &s;trength of men.</HI> And he there gives in&s;tance in the <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s of Preaching,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 21.</NOTE> that is, in that way of Preach|ing, which the <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>&s;trength</HI> of this world have always looked upon, as a poor, mean, pedantick thing; and yet,
<PB N="13" REF="11">how many <HI>millions</HI> of &s;ouls have been <HI>con|verted,</HI> and brought home to God, by that very way of <HI>preaching,</HI> which vain men have always looked upon as <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s and weakne&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. From the Ho|line&s;s of God.</NOTE> Another proof or demon&s;tra|tion of the point may be drawn from the <HI>holine&s;s</HI> of God, as thus, <HI>Sometimes</HI> a whole <HI>Nation</HI> will pretend <HI>holine&s;s to the Lord,</HI> and &s;ay, that they are &s;et part for his &s;ervice, and &s;anctified to his u&s;e, and have his Name called upon them, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Or el&s;e, if not all, yet &s;ome of part of the <HI>Nation</HI> may pretend this relation unto God, and &s;ay, That he is their God, and that they are his <HI>people.</HI> But now when this neer <HI>relation</HI> is not duly <HI>ob&s;erved,</HI> but highly <HI>polluted</HI> and <HI>profaned. Then,</HI> as on the one &s;ide, it <HI>increa&s;es</HI> and <HI>inlarges a Nation,</HI> when the <HI>Name</HI> of God is <HI>hallowed</HI> and <HI>&s;anctified by a people,</HI> according to their ingagements; &s;o on the other &s;ide, when people make no con&s;cience of <HI>polluting</HI> and <HI>defiling</HI> the ho|line&s;s of the Lord, care not how much
<PB N="14" REF="12"><HI>filth and dirt</HI> is ca&s;t upon his holy <HI>Name,</HI> this is it, that either <HI>destroys a Nation,</HI> or that exceedingly <HI>&s;traitens</HI> it, very frequent|ly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.11, 12.</NOTE> as <HI>Mal.</HI> 2.11, 12. <HI>Iudah hath dealt treache|rou&s;ly, and an abomination is committed in I&s;rael, and Ieru&s;alem: for Iudah hath profaned the holi|ne&s;s of the Lord which he loved, and hath marryed the daughter of a &s;trange god. The Lord will cut off the</HI>
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Per<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">e e&s;t a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;i diceret pro|phe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, Deum fore vindicem buyus perfidia ab&s;que excepti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> ut ne|que pleb<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iis hominibus, ne|que pro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eribus ip&s;o p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters">t.</HI> Calvin in Lo|cum.</NOTE> <HI>man that doth this, the ma&s;ter and the &s;choller out of the Tabernacles of Iacob, and him that offereth an offering to the Lord of hosts.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fifthly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"> From the pro|vidence of God.</NOTE> Another demon&s;tration may be drawn from the <HI>providence of God. Na|tions</HI> are either <HI>increa&s;ed</HI> and <HI>inlarged,</HI> or el&s;e <HI>de&s;troyed</HI> and <HI>&s;traitned,</HI> that it may appear, to whom the <HI>providential</HI> admini&s;tration and di&s;po&s;ition of all things do <HI>appertain</HI> and <HI>belong.</HI> As thus, when&s;oever God hath a purpo&s;e to <HI>increa&s;e</HI> and <HI>inlarge a Nation,</HI> then he by his <HI>providence</HI> will order things <HI>accordingly,</HI> he will <HI>appoint</HI> whole&s;om <HI>Laws</HI> to be <HI>e&s;tabli&s;hed,</HI> and he will al&s;o <HI>appoint</HI> wi&s;e <HI>governors,</HI> to &s;ee unto the faithful and due execution of tho&s;e laws.</P>
<PB N="15" REF="12">
<P>And on the other &s;ide, when he hath a purpo&s;e either to <HI>&s;traiten</HI> or <HI>de&s;troy</HI> a people, then he will al&s;o order things <HI>accordingly,</HI> by leaving men to them&s;elves, <HI>to follow their own ways,</HI> and <HI>to walk in their own coun&s;els,</HI> and to be <HI>filled with their own devices,</HI> and <HI>fooli&s;h conceits,</HI> and <HI>fond imaginations</HI> &s;o long, until they have made them&s;elves ripe for <HI>ruine,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sole clarius elu|cet, quem vis hominem ita di|vinae providen|tiae gubernationi &s;ubjectum e&s;&s;e ut &s;inc c&acirc; nihil po&s;&s;it, &amp; illius vi omnia agat, omne&s;que illius &amp; interiores &amp; exteriores motus &amp; actio|nes, tam malas quam bonas, tam a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">imi quam cor|poris, divin&acirc; providenti&acirc; regi.</HI> Zanch. de Nat. Dei. lib. 5. cap. 1.</NOTE> and have both <HI>fitted</HI> and <HI>fatted</HI> them&s;elves for the day of <HI>&s;laughter</HI> and <HI>de&s;truction.</HI></P>
<P>For although we do not &s;ay, That God doth <HI>infu&s;e</HI> any po&s;itive, objective <HI>malice,</HI> or <HI>wickedne&s;s,</HI> into the hearts of men; yet we &s;ay, that he hath the <HI>ordering</HI> of all that <HI>wickedne&s;s,</HI> that either hath been, or &s;hall be <HI>committed</HI> in the world; and that he doth either <HI>re&s;train,</HI> or <HI>let it loo&s;e</HI> here and there, in one place and another, accord|ing as he hath a purpo&s;e, either to <HI>&s;ave</HI> or to <HI>de&s;troy.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Sixthly</HI> and la&s;tly, Another proof or demon&s;tration of the point,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. From the Iu|&s;tice and Mercy of God.</NOTE> may be drawn from the <HI>Iu&s;tice and Mercy of God.</HI> I'le put them both together, becau&s;e they have
<PB N="16" REF="13">both a mighty influence upon the&s;e par|ticulars that are mentioned <HI>in the Text</HI> here. Sometimes <HI>mercy</HI> out-cryes <HI>ju&s;tice,</HI> and then ye hear of nothing but <HI>augmentation</HI> and <HI>enlargement;</HI> At other times again, <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> out-cryes <HI>mercy,</HI> and then ye hear of nothing but <HI>&s;traitning,</HI> and <HI>de&s;troying,</HI> and <HI>&s;cattering</HI> &s;uch a people; not that there is any kinde of <HI>inequality</HI> or <HI>di&s;proportion</HI> be|tween the&s;e <HI>attributes,</HI> for they are both of the &s;ame <HI>extent</HI> or <HI>latitude.</HI> God he is not more <HI>ju&s;t</HI> then he is <HI>merciful,</HI> or more <HI>merci|ful</HI> then he is <HI>ju&s;t;</HI> but infinitely <HI>ju&s;t,</HI> and infinitely <HI>merciful,</HI> and every way as full of <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> as of <HI>mercy.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quoad Deum omnes hae per|fectiones &s;eu proprietates una res &s;unt eaque &s;implici&s;&s;ima, licet quoad nos videantur e&s;&s;e diver&s;ae.</HI> Zanch. de Nat. Dei. l. 1. cap. 8.</NOTE></P>
<P>And therefore it is an error in people to think, when a <HI>per&s;on</HI> or a <HI>people</HI> are &s;aved, either <HI>temporally</HI> or <HI>eternally,</HI> that now the <HI>mercy</HI> of God in &s;uch a ca&s;e, is greater then his <HI>ju&s;tice:</HI> No &s;uch matter; for all the <HI>at|tributes</HI> of God are equal, and <HI>mercy</HI> cannot any where take place, until <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> be fir&s;t &s;atisfied, and fully &s;atisfied too.</P>
<P>True it is, The <HI>Scripture</HI> &s;peaks of God,
<PB N="17" REF="13">as very <HI>propen&s;e,</HI> or inclinable unto <HI>Mercy,</HI> and &s;o he is doubtle&s;s: But then he al|ways carries his <HI>dispen&s;ations of mercy,</HI> with|out any the lea&s;t <HI>impeachment</HI> or violation of his <HI>Iu&s;tice:</HI> And although the Go&s;pel &s;peaks nothing but <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Peace;</HI> and <HI>Mercy</HI> and <HI>Salvation</HI> to you primarily and intentionally, yet this is in and through <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> by whom the <HI>Iu&s;tice</HI> of God is both fully and exactly &s;atisfied, before ever any dram of <HI>grace,</HI> or &s;ample of <HI>mercy</HI> can come to us.</P>
<P>Thus, I &s;ay, that <HI>Attributes</HI> of God well &s;tudied, The <HI>greatne&s;s</HI> of God, and, The <HI>power</HI> of God, and, The <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> of God, and, The <HI>holine&s;s</HI> of God, and, The <HI>providence</HI> of God, and, The <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>mercy</HI> of God; a due <HI>pondering</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Attributes,</HI> may be &s;uffi|cient to &s;atisfie us about this Truth, <HI>That the Nations of the earth are either increa&s;ed or de&s;troy|ed, inlarged or &s;traitned, according as God plea&s;es.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Examples il|lu&s;trating the Doctrine.</NOTE></P>
<P>I might farther evidence the truth of this by <HI>Examples,</HI> and &s;hew you by many remarkable <HI>Instances,</HI> how God hath <HI>in|crea&s;ed
<PB N="18" REF="14">the Nations, and de&s;troyed them, inlarged the Nations, and &s;traitned them again.</HI></P>
<P>That Image &s;poken of <HI>Dan.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dan.</HI> Image.</NOTE> 2. it is ge|nerally conceived to have re&s;pect, not unto particular <HI>per&s;ons,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Omnia imaginis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ius epitheta pertinent ad o&s;ten<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="5 letters"> amplitud<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">m, gloriam, &amp; maje&s;tatem ty|rannicam REGNO|RUM quae per membra il|lius adumbrata &s;unt.</HI> Iun. in loc.</NOTE> but unto whole <HI>Kingdoms:</HI> The <HI>golden</HI> Head, and the <HI>&s;il|ver</HI> Arms, and the <HI>brazen</HI> Thighs, and the <HI>iron</HI> Legs, and the <HI>clayey</HI> Feet, what became of all the&s;e? <HI>Thou &s;awe&s;t,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Daniel</HI> to <HI>Ne|buchadnezzar, till a &s;tone was cut out without hands, which &s;mote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces: Then was the iron, the clay, the bra&s;s, the &s;ilver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the &s;ummer thre&s;hing-floors, and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them; and the &s;tone that &s;mote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth,</HI> Dan. 2.34, 35.</P>
<P>In&s;tance might be given more par|ticularly in the <HI>Iewi&s;h Nation;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jewi&s;h</HI> Nation</NOTE> ye know how God was plea&s;ed to <HI>increa&s;e</HI> and <HI>inlarge that Nation,</HI> what <HI>mighty Priviledges</HI> he did con&s;er and be&s;tow upon that People;
<PB N="19" REF="14"><HI>For to them,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;ays,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 9.4, 5.</NOTE> <HI>pertained the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the &s;ervice of God, and the promi&s;es: Who&s;e were the Fathers, and of whom as concerning the fle&s;h, Chri&s;t came, who is over all, God ble&s;&s;ed for ever.</HI> And yet after all the&s;e mighty <HI>Priviledges,</HI> you &s;ee what a &s;ad di&s;per&s;ion hath been upon that <HI>Nation,</HI> for many hundreds of years already pa&s;t and gone. Other In&s;tances of the like nature might al&s;o be given, but I ha&s;ten to the <HI>Application</HI> of the Point.</P>
<P>And, <HI>First,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Application to us of this Nation,</NOTE> &s;ince the <HI>Nations</HI> of the earth are either <HI>increa&s;ed</HI> or <HI>destroyed,</HI> either <HI>in|larged</HI> or <HI>&s;traitned,</HI> according as God plea&s;es,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. by way of In|&s;truction.</NOTE> <HI>This may teach us of this Nation,</HI> to look &s;adly upon the bu&s;ine&s;s, and even to fear and tremble, le&s;t after all our <HI>liftings up,</HI> there &s;hould yet be <HI>a ca&s;ting down;</HI> le&s;t after all the&s;e &s;hakings of the Rod over us that are yet living, God &s;hould &s;till go on to de&s;troy us utterly, and even make us to be <HI>a perpetual de&s;olation.</HI></P>
<P>Who can tell,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 2.5.</NOTE> whether the <HI>Candle&s;tick</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="15">may not yet be removed;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 21.43.</NOTE> <HI>Whether the Kingdom of</HI> GOD <HI>may not yet be taken from us, and given to a Nation that will bring forth the fruits of it in a better maner then we have done;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 4.21.</NOTE> whether God may not yet write <HI>Ichabod</HI> upon all our pre&s;ent glory, and us &s;adly to &s;it down, and &s;ay, That <HI>it is quite departed from us.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Evil &s;ym|ptomes upon us of this Na|tion.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>Give me leave to tell you,</HI> That there are at pre&s;ent three or four evil <HI>Symptomes</HI> upon us, which may cau&s;e us not onely to look &s;adly for a time, or <HI>to hang down the head like a bulru&s;h for a day,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 58.5. Micah 6.8.</NOTE> <HI>but to walk Humbly and Mournfully with our</HI> GOD.
<NOTE N="1" PLACE="marg">Evil &s;ym|ptome, A Spi|rit of oppo&s;iti|on again&s;t goodne&s;s.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>The fir&s;t is,</HI> that old Spirit of oppo&s;ition again&s;t <HI>holine&s;s</HI> and <HI>goodne&s;s</HI> it &s;elf, that &s;till remains among&s;t us, <HI>untaken away;</HI> not|with&s;tanding all the late mighty <HI>pleadings</HI> of God with the <HI>Nation</HI> both by <HI>Word</HI> and <HI>Sword,</HI> it does not appear but that the hearts of the people are generally as much bent upon, and as violently carried after their old ways of <HI>Super&s;tition,</HI> &amp; <HI>Formality,</HI> and <HI>pro|fanene&s;s,</HI>
<PB N="21" REF="15">and <HI>dedolency</HI> in holy performances, as ever they were; and as they of old, that were weary of the wilderne&s;s, and wi&s;h|ed them&s;elves back again in <HI>Egypt,</HI> &s;o do many now in effect &s;peak the very &s;ame language, <HI>Let us make us a captain,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 14.4.</NOTE> <HI>and return into</HI> Egypt.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI>
<NOTE N="2" PLACE="marg">Evil &s;ym|ptome, Vn|thankfulne&s;s.</NOTE> Be&s;ides that old un&s;avory Spi|rit of <HI>Oppo&s;ition</HI> again&s;t <HI>goodne&s;s,</HI> that &s;till remains untaken away,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ingratum &s;i dixeris omnia dixeris.</HI> Sen.</NOTE> we are deeply guilty of the &s;in of <HI>Vnthankfulne&s;s</HI> (a &s;in odious among the very Heathen) And be|cau&s;e we have not pre&s;ently all we would have, like froward children, we are ready to throw away that which is in our hands already.</P>
<P>I &s;hall briefly point at a threefold <HI>Vn|thankfulne&s;s,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">A threefold unthankfulne at this time among&s;t us:</NOTE> which mightily reigns among&s;t us at this time, and for which, we may ju&s;tly fear &s;ad and heavy things to come upon us, if not timely prevented.</P>
<P><HI>The fir&s;t is,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Mental.</NOTE> <HI>An inward mental unthank|fulne&s;s,</HI> as I may call it, which con&s;i&s;ts in a &s;ecret grudging, or repining at the very
<PB N="22" REF="16"><HI>Providence</HI> of God him&s;elf, for ordering things as he plea&s;es among&s;t us: <HI>The fooli&s;h|ne&s;s of man perverteth his way,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 19.3.</NOTE> &s;ays <HI>Solomon, and his heart fretteth again&s;t the Lord:</HI> And this I am per&s;waded is a &s;in which many lie under, and yet feel not the weight of it; nay, they never &s;o much as dream that they are under the guilt or weight of it: But the truth is, when we murmure at any thing that we conceive to be ami&s;s, and are extremely di&s;contented at it, and vexed at In&s;truments, and are continually minding the <HI>Burthens</HI> that are upon us, and in the mean time never con&s;ider what variety of <HI>Mercies</HI> we do enjoy: I &s;ay, that in all the&s;e <HI>murmurings,</HI> we &s;hamefully o|verlook many thou&s;ands of <HI>Mercies,</HI> and we do &s;ecretly cur&s;e God in our hearts, or that hand of his Providence which wi&s;ely order things thus and thus unto us; and it may be for our good too, and for our greate&s;t benefit: For, <HI>God delights many times to bring things about for the good of his peo|ple, in unknown ways, and in &s;uch methods as
<PB N="23" REF="16">they have not yet been acquainted with:</HI> And do we well to murmure, or to be di&s;con|tented at that whereby good is intended to us, and it may be a greater good then we can imagine?</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> There is be&s;ides this, <HI>a verbal unthankfulne&s;s,</HI> whereby men do not onely grudge inwardly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Verbal.</NOTE> at Divine Di&s;pen&s;a|tions and Providences of the Almighty, but openly profe&s;s a <HI>di&s;like</HI> of them; and &s;ay, That it was better with them former|ly then now, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But &s;urely this is not right neither, this &s;hould not be the lan|guage of Chri&s;tians, when burthens are upon them; di&s;contented impatient <HI>lan|guage</HI> is then out of &s;ea&s;on:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 7.10. opened.</NOTE> <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes</HI> 7.10. <HI>Say not thou,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Solomon</HI> there, that is, &s;peak it not <HI>tumultuou&s;ly, unquietly, di&s;|contentedly,</HI> &s;ay not thus, <HI>What is the cau&s;e that the former days were better then the&s;e? for</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>thou do&s;t not enquire wi&s;ely concern|ing this.</HI></P>
<P>Why not wi&s;ely? Not wi&s;ely, for this Rea&s;on, Becau&s;e <HI>a wi&s;e man</HI> he will not only
<PB N="24" REF="17">look upon things in their <HI>effects,</HI> but he will al&s;o con&s;ider them in their <HI>cau&s;es;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Scire e&s;t per cau&s;as &s;cire.</NOTE> and from thence he is always able to &s;atisfie him&s;elf <HI>concerning the times.</HI></P>
<P>For,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>O melibaee Deus nobis Haec otia fecit.</HI> Virg. Iob 34.29.</NOTE> if the times be good, <HI>the man of Wi&s;dom</HI> he ble&s;&s;es God for making them &s;o. And when others complain of <HI>bad</HI> times, and <HI>hard</HI> times, and <HI>dead</HI> times, yet he that is <HI>truly wi&s;e,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">&mdash;<HI>Ut penes te &s;it quovis tempore felicem e&s;&s;e mo|d&ograve; Pietati in cumbas.</HI> Cartw. in loc. vid. pl. ib.</NOTE> he can &s;atisfie him&s;elf with this, That nothing can come ami&s;s to him, in regard of his own parti|cular, but all maner of Providential Ad|mini&s;trations, they &s;hal &s;ome way or other work for his good, being one of tho&s;e that love God, and that <HI>are effectually called, according to his purpo&s;e,</HI> Rom. 8.28. And when he hears others that are <HI>fooli&s;h,</HI> and that are <HI>unwi&s;e,</HI> to complain of the <HI>badne&s;s</HI> of the times, and of the <HI>hardne&s;s</HI> of the times, and of the <HI>deadne&s;s</HI> of the times, he wi&s;hes them &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider their own e&s;tates and ways, and not to complain of the <HI>badne&s;s</HI> of the times, but of the <HI>badne&s;s</HI> of their own harts, that have made the times to be &s;o <HI>bad;</HI>
<PB N="25" REF="17">not to complain of the <HI>hardne&s;s</HI> of the times, but of the <HI>hardne&s;s</HI> of their own hearts, that have made the times to be &s;o <HI>hard;</HI> not to complain of the <HI>deadne&s;s</HI> of the times, but of the <HI>deadne&s;s</HI> of their own hearts, that have made the times &s;o <HI>dead; bad</HI> hearts make <HI>bad</HI> times, <HI>dead</HI> hearts, <HI>dead</HI> times, <HI>hard</HI> hearts, <HI>hard</HI> times. If mens <HI>hearts</HI> were good, then their <HI>lives</HI> would be good, and then the <HI>times</HI> would be good: But &s;o long as mens <HI>hearts</HI> continue rotten and corrupt, and un&s;ound <HI>inwardly,</HI> how can it in rea&s;on be expected, that the <HI>times</HI> &s;hould be better <HI>outwardly?</HI></P>
<P>But <HI>Thirdly,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Real.</NOTE> there is yet a more <HI>desperate kinde of unthankfulne&s;s,</HI> then either of the&s;e, and that is <HI>real unthankfulne&s;s,</HI> when men are ready to put forth their hands unto wickedne&s;s, and to joyn with <HI>evil doers,</HI> to comply with <HI>workers of iniquity,</HI> thereby to help them&s;elves out of <HI>pretended &s;traits</HI> and <HI>troubles;</HI> which is a marvellous &s;trange <HI>kinde of di&s;temper,</HI> to be &s;o <HI>angry,</HI> and <HI>vexed,</HI> and <HI>di&s;contented</HI> at pre&s;ent <HI>providential Admini&s;tra|tions,</HI>
<PB N="26" REF="18">as to think, <HI>That Satan and his Agents, Antichri&s;t and his followers,</HI> would be more faithful among&s;t us, and more helpful to us, then <HI>God and his people are:</HI> And yet I wi&s;h we had not cau&s;e to &s;ay, That even this <HI>Abomination</HI> al&s;o is now to be found, and indeed too palpably to be &s;een a|mong&s;t us.</P>
<P>There is yet another thing,
<NOTE N="3" PLACE="marg">Evil &s;ym|ptome, Spirit of Divi&s;ion.</NOTE> that looks upon us very &s;adly; and that is, the <HI>di|vided</HI> heart and Spirit that is among&s;t us, and every body almo&s;t &s;triving as it were to <HI>widen the Breach,</HI> and either very few, or no body &s;tudying to <HI>heal the Breach: A di|vided Kingdom cannot &s;tand,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 12.25.</NOTE> &s;ays Chri&s;t; and this we know to be our own ca&s;e; and yet we lay it not to heart as we &s;hould do, nei|ther &s;ay we one to another in our private con&s;ultations and meetings, <HI>How &s;hall the &s;ad breaches of the City and Kingdom be healed, that yet there may be a lengthning out of our tran|quility:</HI> Every one talks of the <HI>Malady,</HI> and too many there be that fret, and fume, and &s;torm at it, but few there be that think of
<PB N="27" REF="18">any <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Malady</HI> of <HI>Di&s;traction,</HI> that it may not prove <HI>De&s;truction</HI> to us all.</P>
<P>But will ye &s;uffer a few words, by way of humble Advice and Coun&s;el,
<NOTE N="2" PLACE="marg">Inference by way of Ad|vice and Coun&s;el.</NOTE> con|cerning <HI>that which may do us good, through the ble&s;sing of heaven upon it.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<HEAD><HI>IRENICUM AD PACIS AMATORES:</HI> OR, Certain PROPOSALS tending to Peace, humbly pre&s;ented to the Lovers of <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Peace.</HI></HEAD>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>FIr&s;t</HI> then, let us con&s;ider, <HI>That we are &s;till in the hands of that God, who increa&s;eth the Nations, and de&s;troyeth them; who inlargeth the Nations, and &s;traitneth them again, even at his plea&s;ure:</HI> And O what an infinite mercy is it, That we are not <HI>quite destroyed by him!</HI> that he hath not &s;aid long ago, as it is <HI>Ezek.</HI> 21.27. <HI>I will overturn, overturn, over|turn:</HI> yea, what a mercy is it, That this is not already done, that the great and <HI>mighty</HI> GOD hath not already overturned <HI>England,</HI> and overturned <HI>Scotland,</HI> and over|turned
<PB N="28" REF="19"><HI>Ireland,</HI> and made the&s;e Nations <HI>like the chaff of the &s;ummer thre&s;hing-floors?</HI> What a mercy is it, That &s;o many of us are yet alive, injoying not onely our <HI>lives,</HI> and our <HI>&s;en&s;es,</HI> and our <HI>limbs,</HI> but our <HI>Liberties</HI> al&s;o, our <HI>E&s;tates,</HI> our <HI>Gospel,</HI> our <HI>Sabbaths,</HI> our <HI>Ordinances?</HI> and, which is more then all, Have we not a <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> frequently ten|dred to us? and, Hath not God promi&s;ed <HI>together with him, freely to be&s;tow all things up|on us?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.32.</NOTE> Mark, <HI>All things, and all things freely;</HI> And what would ye have more? or what can ye have more? Can ye have more then all? I be&s;eech you therefore, let not <HI>pretended wants</HI> make any of you to forget <HI>real Mercies:</HI> Let not that which is but <HI>&s;eemingly wanting,</HI> cau&s;e any of you to o|verlook tho&s;e <HI>glorious Mercies</HI> that are be|fore you, and that <HI>really</HI> ye do injoy.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Secondly,</HI> would ye that God &s;hould <HI>in|crea&s;e</HI> and <HI>inlarge</HI> the&s;e Nations, and not <HI>de|stroy</HI> and <HI>&s;traiten</HI> them? Do we all unani|mou&s;ly agree in our votes for this? <HI>Then let us de&s;ire God, that he would not come upon us for
<PB N="29" REF="19">our arrears;</HI> for truly we are mightily in arrear with God, every way; we are mightily in arrear with men, they &s;ay, but I am &s;ure, we are mightily in arrear with God, for <HI>old &s;ins,</HI> and <HI>new,</HI> for <HI>old mercies,</HI> and <HI>new;</HI> How <HI>unmindeful</HI> are we of the one? how <HI>unthankful</HI> for the other? O the great <HI>impenitency,</HI> and <HI>unthankfulne&s;s</HI> of this <HI>Nation!</HI> the &s;tains whereof are of &s;o deep a dye, that nothing but the <HI>Blood of Christ</HI> can po&s;|&s;ibly fetch them out.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Thirdly,</HI> Let us <HI>mourn over that spirit of Oppo&s;ition again&s;t goodne&s;s, and that spirit of Divi&s;ion that is gone out amongst us;</HI> for &s;peak, I pray you, that have but any &s;en&s;e or &s;avor of that which is truly <HI>good,</HI> Is it not a very &s;ad thing, that men &s;hould love their <HI>&s;ins</HI> better then they do their <HI>&s;ouls;</HI> and their <HI>lu&s;ts,</HI> better then they do their <HI>lives?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh. 3.19.</NOTE> <HI>That they &s;hould love darkne&s;s rather then light, becau&s;e of their evil deeds?</HI> Is not this very &s;ad? And that men who <HI>pretend</HI> to that <HI>Gospel,</HI> which is the <HI>Gospel of peace,</HI> and to that <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> who is the <HI>Prince of peace,</HI>
<PB N="30" REF="20">and to that <HI>Spirit,</HI> which is the <HI>Spirit of peace,</HI> Is it not very &s;ad that they &s;hould be at &s;uch a deadly fewd, and at &s;uch a woful di&s;tance in their <HI>Affections,</HI> as <HI>not to love one another?</HI> Let us <HI>bewail the&s;e evils,</HI> and e&s;pecially the <HI>ri&s;ene&s;s</HI> and <HI>frequency</HI> of them among&s;t us.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Fourthly, Study God more, and the creature le&s;s;</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deus meus &amp; omnia. Quoniam fecili nos ad te Domine ideo Irrequietum e&s;t cor no&s;trum do|ne requie&s;cat in te.</HI> Aug. Conf. lib. 1. cap. 1. <HI>Omnis mihi co|pia quae Deus meus non e&s;t, ege&s;tas e&s;t.</HI> Id. confe&s;&s;. lib. 13. cap 8.</NOTE> and that will &s;atisfie your &s;ouls, and quiet your hearts, and help to compo&s;e your &s;pirits: <HI>All good is, where that God is graciou&s;ly pre&s;ent; without whom, all plenty is but penury.</HI> Do but oppo&s;e the <HI>greatne&s;s</HI> of God, and the <HI>power</HI> of God, and the <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> of God, and the <HI>holine&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>ju&s;tice,</HI> and the <HI>mercy</HI> of God, again&s;t what&s;oever <HI>fail|ings</HI> you finde among the Creatures, and the&s;e things wi&s;ely improved, will ea&s;ily an&s;wer all objections what&s;oever: There is &s;omething in God that may abundantly &s;atisfie and &s;tay the heart, when the crea|ture is either at the greate&s;t di&s;tance from us, or in the &s;tronge&s;t way of oppo&s;ition again&s;t us.</P>
<P>When <HI>Davids</HI> wives were taken captive
<PB N="31" REF="20">at <HI>Ziklag,</HI> and the people in &s;uch a di&s;con|tent, that they began to talk of &s;toning him, yet even then did he incourage him|&s;elf in the Lord his God:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 30.6.</NOTE> <HI>And although the figtree &s;hould not blo&s;&s;om,</HI> &s;ays the Prophet, <HI>nor fruit be in the vine; though the labor of the olive &s;hould fail,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>yet even then,</HI> &s;ays he,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hab. 3.17, 18.</NOTE> <HI>will I rejoyce in the Lord, and joy in the God of my &s;alvation.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Fifthly,</HI> Next unto God, and Chri&s;t, and the Spirit of Grace and Holine&s;s, <HI>&s;ee that the Saints may have a quiet, and a comfortable abode amongst you;</HI> for certainly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">See the great intere&s;t of States and Kingdoms, by Mr. <HI>Tho. Good|wyn,</HI> in a Ser|mon before the Honorable Hou&s;e of <HI>Com|mons,</HI> on P&s;al. 105.14, 15.</NOTE> the great intere&s;t of <HI>Nations,</HI> and &s;afety of <HI>Kingdoms,</HI> lies very much in that, in laboring to che|ri&s;h, and to maintain a <HI>race of righteous ones,</HI> a <HI>generation of holy ones,</HI> that may &s;till be looked upon as a ble&s;&s;ing in the mid&s;t of the Land. <HI>In that day,</HI> &s;ays the Prophet, <HI>&s;hall I&s;rael be the third with Egypt, and A&s;&s;yria, even a ble&s;sing in the mid&s;t of the Land. And I will ble&s;s thee,</HI> &s;ays God to <HI>Abraham, and make thy name great, and thou &s;halt be a ble&s;sing.</HI> And again, <HI>Thus &s;aith the Lord,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 12.2.</NOTE> <HI>As the new wine is
<PB N="32" REF="21">found in the clu&s;ter,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 65, 8.</NOTE> <HI>and one &s;aith, De&s;troy it not, for a ble&s;sing is in it; &s;o will I do for my &s;ervants &s;akes,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jacob,</HI> Gen. 30.27.</NOTE> &s;ays God, <HI>that I may not de&s;troy them all.</HI></P>
<P>Ye know what a ble&s;sing <HI>Iacob</HI> was to the hou&s;e of <HI>Laban,</HI> and what a ble&s;sing <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> was to the hou&s;e of <HI>Potiphar,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> Gen. 39.5. <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> P&s;al. 106.23.</NOTE> and what a ble&s;sing <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> was to the whole hou&s;e of <HI>I&s;rael; He &s;aid, he would de&s;troy them, had not</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>his cho&s;en stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, le&s;t he &s;hould de&s;troy them:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Eli&s;ha.</NOTE> And when <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> the Prophet was ready to die, <HI>Ioa&s;h</HI> King of I&s;rael came and wept over his face, with this expre&s;sion,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kin. 13.14.</NOTE> <HI>O my father, my father, the chariots of I&s;rael, and the hor&s;emen there|of:</HI> as if he &s;hould have &s;aid, <HI>When thou dy|e&s;t, all our &s;trength dyes; thou art worth ten thou|&s;and of us.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Sixthly,</HI> in your carriage towards the <HI>Saints</HI> e&s;pecially, <HI>Learn to di&s;tingui&s;h between the per&s;on failing,</HI> and the <HI>failing of the per&s;on;</HI> between the <HI>weak infirm</HI> Chri&s;tian, and the <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> or <HI>infirmity</HI> of the Chri&s;tian; be|tween the <HI>erring</HI> per&s;on, and the <HI>error</HI> of the
<PB N="33" REF="21">per&s;on: And let not one that is otherwi&s;e very u&s;eful and <HI>precious,</HI> be utterly <HI>rejected, despi&s;ed,</HI> or <HI>laid a&s;ide,</HI> becau&s;e of &s;ome <HI>infirmi|ty,</HI> &s;ome <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> or other that he is per|adventure guilty of:
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pari&s;ien&s;is.</NOTE> As <HI>Pari&s;ien&s;is</HI> &s;aid of <HI>Excommunication,</HI> that <HI>it &s;hould not be for toys and trifles; for, that were ju&s;t as if one &s;hould &s;ee a flea on a mans forehead, and &s;hould pre&s;ently take a Beetle, and knock the man in the head to kill the flea.</HI> Have we not all <HI>failings?</HI> Are we not all &s;ubject to <HI>infirmities?</HI> Let us therefore <HI>bear with one another,</HI> and look what allowance <HI>we do ju&s;tly expect for our &s;elves from others, the &s;ame let us give to others:</HI> Let's not <HI>reject</HI> others for &s;uch a <HI>fault,</HI> for the like whereunto we our &s;elves would not be <HI>rejected: Let not us be cruel to others in that ca&s;e, le&s;t others be cruel to us;</HI> For, <HI>with what judgement ye judge, ye &s;hall be judged,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 7.2.</NOTE> &s;ays Chri&s;t, <HI>and look what mea&s;ure ye mete,</HI> in that ca&s;e, <HI>the very &s;ame &s;hall be mea&s;ured to you again.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Seventhly, Do not ra&s;hly charge any man with that for a failing, or for a gro&s;s mi&s;carriage in
<PB N="34" REF="22">him, which in it &s;elf is no &s;uch matter: Wo unto them,</HI> &s;ays the Prophet, <HI>that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkne&s;s for light, and light for darkne&s;s,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Proprie in eo di&s;tinguuntur [Haere&s;is &amp; Schi&s;ma] quod Haere&s;is oppona|tur fidei, Schi&s;|ma charitati.</HI> Ame&s;. de con&s;c. lib. 5. cap. 12.</NOTE> I&s;a. 5.20. Call no man <HI>Heretick,</HI> but he that is an <HI>Heretick;</HI> nor no man <HI>Schi&s;matick,</HI> but he that is a <HI>Schi&s;|matick; Names oftner u&s;ed then well un|der&s;tood:</HI> Take heed of <HI>charging</HI> that up|on any mans <HI>&s;core</HI> for an <HI>error,</HI> which in it &s;elf is no <HI>error;</HI> for it is certainly both a very dangerous,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">See Mr. <HI>Bur|roughs</HI> H. Divi&s;. ch. 25.</NOTE> and a very &s;candalous thing to do &s;o: Is it not <HI>to bear fal&s;e witne&s;s again&s;t a Neighbor,</HI> and &s;o an ab&s;olute breach of the Ninth Commandment? And al|though it be &s;adly to be lamented, that there is &s;o much ami&s;s, yea too much ami&s;s among&s;t us, both in point of <HI>Error,</HI> and like|wi&s;e in point of <HI>Here&s;ie,</HI> yet is it not of ab&s;olute nece&s;sity, that all &s;hould be <HI>Error</HI> that men call <HI>Error,</HI> or that all &s;hould be <HI>Here&s;ie</HI> that they are plea&s;ed to call <HI>Here&s;ie; After the way which they call here&s;ie,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 24.14.</NOTE> <HI>&s;o wor&s;hip I the God of my fathers, be|lieving all things that are written in the Law and the Prophets.</HI></P>
<PB N="35" REF="22">
<Q>Let no man uncharitably conclude from hence, That I do any way favor fundamental <HI>Errors,</HI> or any of tho&s;e <HI>damnable Here&s;ies</HI> &s;poken of 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.1. which have hitherto been, and (I tru&s;t) ever &s;hall be an <HI>abhorrency</HI> to my <HI>thoughts.</HI> This is all I contend for, Let not <HI>Truth</HI> be called <HI>Error</HI> or <HI>Here&s;ie,</HI> nor yet <HI>Error</HI> or <HI>Here&s;ie</HI> called <HI>Truth;</HI> for then we are in a ready way of <HI>justifying the wicked</HI> and <HI>condemning the just; which are both of them an abomination to the Lord,</HI> Proverbs 17.15.</Q>
<P><MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Eightly, Be not too credulous of Rumors;</HI> an innocent per&s;on may be &s;landered: Who more <HI>grave</HI> or <HI>au&s;tere</HI> in his carriage then <HI>Iohn</HI> the <HI>Baptist?</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Si Accu&s;a&s;&s;c &s;at e&s;t ecquis innocens? &s;i Nega&s;&s;e ecquis nocen?</NOTE> and who more <HI>cour|teous,</HI> or <HI>affable,</HI> or <HI>&s;weetly conde&s;cending,</HI> then our ble&s;&s;ed Savior? and yet ye know what the <HI>holy Ghost</HI> &s;ays concerning both,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11.18, 19.</NOTE> <HI>Iohn came neither eating nor drinking, and they &s;ay, He hath a Devil: The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they pointed at him, and &s;aid, Be|hold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend
<PB N="36" REF="23">of Publicans and &s;unners:</HI> Had it been fair, think ye, for any man to have fomented the&s;e ill reports concerning Chri&s;t and his forerunner, becau&s;e their Adver&s;aries <HI>tra|duced,</HI> &amp; <HI>abu&s;ed them on this maner?</HI> who would willingly be thus &s;erved, or dealt withal him&s;elf? Let us therefore <HI>do as we would be done by:</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 5.19.</NOTE> <HI>Again&s;t an elder receive not an accu|&s;ation under two or three witne&s;&s;es,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Ninthly, Again&s;t that which is truly errone|ous and heretical, make u&s;e of tho&s;e weapons that Gods wi&s;dom hath &s;anctified, and not that mans cruelty hath invented. The weapons of our war|fare are not carnal,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 10.4.</NOTE> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, <HI>but mighty through God, to the pulling down of &s;trong holds:</HI> Ye will hardly ever be able to &s;ubdue <HI>Spi|ritual</HI> enemies by <HI>Carnal</HI> weapons: God may per&s;wade <HI>Japhet</HI> to dwell in the tents of <HI>Shem,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nemo invitus bene facit, etiam &s;i bonum e&s;t, quod facit.</HI> Aug. confe&s;&s;. lib. 1. cap. 12.</NOTE> but who &s;hall force him to it whether he will or no? It is the Prero|gative Royal of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>To teach the Heart,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cathedrum ha|bet in calis, qui <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">orda docet.</HI> Id.</NOTE> <HI>To judge the Prince of Darkne&s;s, To con|quer the &s;trong man armed, To &s;et up his own
<PB N="37" REF="23">will alove the will of the Creature,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>Voluntus divi|na, e&s;t illud Auxilium, &s;ine quo tentatus quilibet &s;upera|tur, &amp; per quod tentatus quili|bet &s;uperans, efficaciter &s;uperat tentatorem. Tho: Bradwardin.</HI> de cau&s;&acirc; Dei. lib. 2. c. 6.</P>
<P>The greatne&s;s of Chri&s;ts Kingdom, is this, That Princes do voluntarily be|come his Subjects, not by Might compelling them, but by his Spirit per&s;wading them; not by Arms, but by Arguments; not by conque&s;t, but by conviction. Mr. <HI>Edw. Reynolds, Sh. of the Earth.</HI> page. 2.</P></NOTE> according to that of the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>Thy people &s;hall be willing in the day of thy power,</HI> John 16.11. Luke 11.21, 22. P&s;al. 110.3.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="10" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Tenthly, In all Debates and Conferences with others,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Amor meus pondus meum eo feror quocun&abque; feror.</HI> Aug. As <HI>Ens</HI> in Lo|gick commu|nicates his Be|ing to the ten Predicaments, &s;o is <HI>Love</HI> to the ten Com|mandments. Dr. <HI>Stoughton, L. S. Spou&s;e, pag.</HI> 48. Hence we read <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. <HI>Love,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, <HI>is the fulfilling, or fulne&s;s of the Law,</HI> Rom. 13.10. <HI>The end of the Commandment,</HI> 1 Tim. 1.5. <HI>The bond of perfection,</HI> Col. 3.14. or the perfection of bonds, perhaps (by an u&s;ual Hebrai&s;m) the mo&s;t per|fect bond that tyes all Gods graces to us; The Ring of Gold with this po&s;ie in it, <HI>The golden girdle about the paps of Chri&s;t,</HI> Rev. 1.13. Id. Auth. loc. cit.</NOTE> <HI>let love and a spirit of meekne&s;s be pre|dominant;</HI> otherwi&s;e, though the matter of the <HI>di&s;cour&s;e</HI> be <HI>lawful,</HI> and <HI>commendable,</HI> and <HI>good,</HI> yet the maner of conveyance may be &s;tark <HI>naught,</HI> and utterly &s;poil all: There be few &s;o <HI>bad,</HI> that will not wil|lingly lend an ear to him, of whom they are verily per&s;waded that he really intends them <HI>good:</HI> And what will &s;ooner beget &s;uch a <HI>per&s;wa&s;ion,</HI> then <HI>love</HI> and <HI>meekne&s;s?</HI> Chri&s;t him&s;elf was of &s;uch a &s;pirit, full of
<PB N="38" REF="24"><HI>love,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 11.29.</NOTE> full of <HI>meekne&s;s: Learn of me,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>for</HI> I <HI>am meek and lowly in heart, and then ye &s;hall finde re&s;t unto your &s;ouls.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6.1.</NOTE> And, <HI>Bre|thren,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, <HI>if any man be over|taken with a fault, ye which are spiritual, re&s;tore &s;uch a one in the &s;pirit of meekne&s;s, con&s;idering thy &s;elf,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.25, 26.</NOTE> <HI>lest thou al&s;o be tempted.</HI> And, <HI>The &s;ervant of the Lord must not &s;trive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meek|ne&s;s instructing tho&s;e that oppo&s;e them&s;elves, if God peradventure will give them repentance, to the ac|knowledging of the truth; and that they may re|cover them&s;elves out of the &s;nare of the Devil, who are taken by him at his will.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="11" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Eleventhly, Let not the &s;ervants of God, &s;uch as are called &s;o,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reade to this purpo&s;e, and ob&s;erve <HI>Rom.</HI> 14. where the Apo&s;tles &s;cope &s;eems to be this, That the people of God &s;hould princi|pally minde tho&s;e things that were <HI>Sub&s;tantial,</HI> &s;uch as <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Peace, and joy in the holy Gho&s;t;</HI> and in the mean time, not judge, or de&s;pi&s;e, or condemn one another about <HI>meats and drinks, and days, and &s;uch like things, that were but Cir|cum&s;tantial,</HI> and that might be either done, or left undone, without any manife&s;t of|fence to God, as the ca&s;e then &s;tood, and therefore why not without any manife&s;t offence to one another?</NOTE> <HI>and that would approve them|&s;elves to be &s;o, let not them envy, malign, or de|&s;pi&s;e one another for tho&s;e things that are under di&s;pute, and that are not yet fully and clearly de|termined either one way or another;</HI> let them ra|ther
<PB N="39" REF="24">fall upon the <HI>practi&s;ing</HI> of tho&s;e other things in <HI>common,</HI> wherein they do agree, &amp; not to be too <HI>boi&s;terous</HI> or <HI>violent</HI> about tho&s;e things that are <HI>doubtful,</HI> &amp; that are <HI>litigious: Brethren,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle (and its a golden Rule, even that of his) <HI>whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the &s;ame rule, let us minde the &s;ame thing; and then,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>if in any thing ye be otherwi&s;e minded, God &s;hall reveal even this unto you,</HI> Phil. 3.15, 16.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="12" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>Twelfthly,</HI> In things of this nature, and where the Scripture is &s;ilent,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quis Revelabit quod Deus texit? Prae&s;tat per De|um ne&s;cire, quia ip&s;e non Reve|laverit, quam per hominem &s;cire quia ip&s;e prae&s;ump&s;erit.</HI> Tertul. de Anim&acirc;.</NOTE> <HI>Let no man &s;tubbornly or pertinaciou&s;ly adhere to his own Opi|nion and Way, thinking that he mu&s;t needs be in the right, and that all others mu&s;t needs go wrong, that differ from him in the lea&s;t degree or mea|&s;ure;</HI> In doubtful matters it is not wi&s;dom to be over-confident, either one way or another.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Obj."> Yea, but then &s;ay you, To countenance my <HI>Way,</HI> and to credit my <HI>Opinion,</HI> I have &s;uch and &s;uch concurring or going along with me, that are known to be learned, and known to be godly al&s;o.</P>
<PB N="40" REF="25">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;."> I do confe&s;s that there is <HI>&s;omething,</HI> yea very <HI>much</HI> in this; and therefore that ra&s;h unadvi&s;ed &s;pirit that too many are <HI>acted</HI> by, is not to be <HI>approved</HI> of, which puts them upon <HI>despi&s;ing,</HI> and <HI>&s;corning</HI> what|&s;oever &s;hall be offered to their <HI>Con&s;idera|tions,</HI> by tho&s;e that are <HI>knowing</HI> and <HI>pious,</HI> what care I what &s;uch a one &s;ays; or what have I to do with that which &s;uch an A&s;|&s;embly <HI>determines?</HI> Pray take heed of &s;uch language, ye know not what &s;pirit ye are of in it; this does not favor of a &s;pirit po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of that <HI>humility and meekne&s;s</HI> which the <HI>Go&s;pel</HI> calls for; for the truth is, you ought to have a reverential <HI>respect</HI> unto the <HI>Opinions</HI> of godly men; and &s;o much the rather if they be <HI>learned,</HI> as well as <HI>godly,</HI> and not to <HI>despi&s;e</HI> any help that God affords and &s;anctifies for the finding out of <HI>Truth.</HI> But yet withal it mu&s;t be acknowledged, That in matters of <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>Practice,</HI> and e&s;pecially in matters of Wor&s;hip, we are not meerly to depend upon the <HI>Iudgements of men,</HI> of any men
<PB N="41" REF="25">living, be they never &s;o <HI>learned,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>Solus Deus do|ctrinam de &s;ide &amp; cultu reve|lavit, ac &s;upre|mi Legi&s;latoris pote&s;tate &s;anxit, ac prae&s;cripi|humano Generi ac per illa me|dia five organa quibus fibi vi|&s;um fuit pro|mulgavit.</HI> Da|venant de Iud. &amp; norm. fidei. cap. 4. <HI>Caeli mi&s;terium doceat me Deus ip&s;e qui condidit non Homo qui &s;e ip&s;um Igno|ravit.</HI> Ambr. <HI>Nos concedimus hanc e&s;&s;e viam valde commo|dam invenieudi verum &s;cri|pturae &s;en&s;um, ut pii nimirum &amp; docti ho|mines conveni|ant, &amp; dili|genter cau&s;am examinent, veritatem&abque; ex|quirant, ita tamen ut non ni&s;i ex &s;cripturis quicquant pronunciare Audeant.</HI> Whittak. Controver&s;. 1. que&s;t. 5. cap. 6.</P>
<P>Vid. Eju&s;il. Whittak. re&s;pon&s;. ad Rat. Edm. Camp. nec non. De&s;en&s;. cont. con|&s;ut. Ioh. Dur. tom. 1. oper. See al&s;o <HI>The Temple mea&s;ured,</HI> by Mr. <HI>J. Noyes,</HI> pag. 24.</P></NOTE> never &s;o <HI>holy: In tho&s;e ca&s;es</HI> we are not meerly to enquire what <HI>Luther</HI> &s;ays, or what <HI>Calvin</HI> &s;ays, what this man &s;ays, or what that man does, but look what God him&s;elf &s;ays by way of <HI>command</HI> and <HI>promi&s;e,</HI> that mu&s;t be the <HI>object</HI> of our <HI>Faith,</HI> and that mu&s;t be the <HI>rule</HI> of our <HI>Practice</HI> continually: And yet in this we are not again&s;t <HI>&s;econdary helps</HI> neither, <HI>The Practi&s;e of the Churches, The Sen|tence of the Fathers, The Definitions of Coun|cels;</HI> who &s;ays that any of the&s;e are to be <HI>despi&s;ed?</HI> I do not &s;ay &s;o, neither would I have them to be de&s;pi&s;ed, but all due re|&s;pect given to them.</P>
<P>But yet that <HI>Affirmation</HI> of Dr. <HI>Whittakers</HI> is certainly a very true one, <HI>That the Pra|cti&s;e of the Church, is the Cu&s;tom of men, The Sentence of the Fathers, the Opinion of men, and The Definition of Councels, the Iudgement of men;</HI>
<PB N="42" REF="26">&s;o that here is but <HI>Men,</HI> and <HI>Men,</HI> and <HI>Men,</HI> all along.</P>
<P>Now when I view the <HI>Cu&s;toms</HI> of men, and the <HI>Opinions</HI> of men, and the <HI>Iudgements</HI> of men, if I finde them exact|ly conformable to that <HI>rule of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which</HI> they and I ought to <HI>walk by,</HI> then I am willing to <HI>a&s;&s;ent,</HI> and go along with them: But if in any thing they do &s;werve from that <HI>perfect rule,</HI> they mu&s;t therein give me leave <HI>peaceably</HI> to <HI>di&s;&s;ent,</HI> I am not bound to follow any men living, any far|ther then they follow Chri&s;t: <HI>Be ye fol|lowers of me,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.1.</NOTE> <HI>as I am of Chri&s;t,</HI> &s;ays that great Apo&s;tle,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 11.28.</NOTE> <HI>that had on him the care of all the Churches; if I do not follow him,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>do not you follow me; if I tread not in his steps, do not you tread in my &s;teps:</HI> And therefore</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="13" UNIT="Prop."> <HI>La&s;tly,</HI> Let us all admire and adore the <HI>holine&s;s and wi&s;dom of God,</HI> in the compo&s;ure of the Scriptures;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Adoro Scri|pturae plenitu|dinem.</HI> Tertul.</NOTE> as the Father &s;aid, I <HI>adore the fulne&s;s of the Scriptures.</HI> LUTHER was a man that wrote much, and truly much to very good purpo&s;e; and
<PB N="43" REF="26">yet in one part of his Works he hath this pa&s;&s;age, &s;ays he,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>Ego odi meos libros, &amp; &s;ape opto cos interire quod metuo ne morentur lecto|res, &aacute; lectione ip&s;ius &s;cripturae quae &s;ola omnis &s;apientiae &s;ons e&s;t.</HI> Luther in Gen. 19. <HI>Deambulat in</HI> Paradi&s;o Deus, <HI>quando divinas Scripturas lego,</HI> Paradi&s;us <HI>Gene&s;is liber, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">quo virtutes Pullulant Patriarcharum;</HI> Paradi&s;us <HI>Deuteronomium, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> quo Germinant legis Praecepta.</HI> Paradi&s;us <HI>Evangelium in quo Arba vttae bonos fructus facit, &amp; eternae spei man data diffundit per univer&s;os Populos.</HI> Ambro&s;. Epi&s;t. lib 4. Ep. 31.</P>
<P><HI>Nolo-Argumento credas &s;ancte Imperator, &amp; no&s;trae disputationi: Scripturas Inter|rogemus, Interrogemus Apo&s;tolos, Interrogemus Prophetas, Interrogemus Chri&s;tum.</HI> Id. de fide ad Gratian. lib. 1. cap. 4.</P></NOTE> I <HI>have even hated mine own Books, and do often wi&s;h they might all peri&s;h, and be lo&s;t, becau&s;e I fear le&s;t men &s;hould be detained thereby from reading the Scripture, which is the onely fountain of all true wi&s;dom.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore as <HI>Eliphaz</HI> in <HI>Iob</HI> concluded his <HI>Di&s;cour&s;e,</HI> &s;o will I <HI>mine,</HI> it is a con&s;ider|able <HI>expre&s;sion</HI> that he there makes u&s;e of, <HI>Iob</HI> 5.27. <HI>Lo, thus it is,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>we have &s;earch|ed, and found it out to be &s;o, and therefore hear it, and know it for thy good:</HI> &s;o it is tran&s;lated;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"><HI>tibi &s;cito</HI> Mont. <HI>Audi iliud, &amp; tu &s;cito tibi, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. e&s;t Acquie&s;cito illi, &amp; commen|dato memoriae,</HI> Vat. in loc.</NOTE> but it is in the Hebrew, <HI>Hear it, and know it for thy &s;elf.</HI></P>
<P>Now I make account, that a man never <HI>knows</HI> any thing for <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> he never <HI>knows</HI> any <HI>thing</HI> &s;o as to have it <HI>exactly fitted</HI> for his own <HI>Iudgement</HI> and <HI>Practice,</HI> until he hath taken &s;ome pains to <HI>ponder</HI> it, and to <HI>exa|mine</HI>
<PB N="44" REF="27">it by the <HI>Scriptures;</HI> he can never till then be ma&s;ter of what he hath <HI>heard</HI> or <HI>read.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore ye &s;ee tho&s;e noble <HI>Bereans</HI> are commended for this,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Bereans.</NOTE> <HI>Acts</HI> 17.11. for <HI>&s;earching the Scriptures daily,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"><HI>dijudicantes, i.e. diligenter &amp; ad bibito &s;tudio &s;ingula perpendentes.</HI> Bez. in loc.</NOTE> <HI>to &s;ee whether the things that</HI> Paul <HI>delivered were &s;o, or not:</HI> they would not go upon <HI>trust,</HI> or <HI>credit</HI> the <HI>Do|ctrine</HI> that <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf delivered, until they had proved it by the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and by that means made it their own.</P>
<P>And tho&s;e good <HI>Samaritans,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Samaritans.</NOTE> that upon <HI>the womans report went out to hear Chri&s;t,</HI> they found a great deal of <HI>difference,</HI> between that which was reported to them by an|other, and that which they heard from his own mouth;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dulcius ex ip&s;o fonte, &amp;c.</NOTE> and therefore &s;ay they to the woman, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 4.42. <HI>Now we believe, not becau&s;e of thy &s;aying, for we have heard him our &s;elves, and know that this is indeed the Chri&s;t the Savior of the world.</HI></P>
<P>And &s;o when we have <HI>con&s;idered</HI> that which is <HI>commended</HI> to us, and <HI>compared</HI> it with the <HI>Scriptures,</HI> and finde it to be every
<PB N="45" REF="27">way <HI>con&s;onant and agreeable</HI> thereunto: Now we believe it, and yield <HI>a&s;&s;ent</HI> unto it, not becau&s;e &s;uch a man delivered it (though we ble&s;s God for his help too) but now we <HI>a&s;&s;ent</HI> and <HI>yield</HI> unto it, becau&s;e of the <HI>Divine Truth</HI> that is in it; and becau&s;e we &s;ee that <HI>Ie&s;us Chri&s;t him&s;elf</HI> hath commended it over unto us by &s;uch a <HI>&s;ervant</HI> of his; <HI>This is to know things for your &s;elves now:</HI> and the truth is, you cannot <HI>con&s;cientiou&s;ly</HI> give in a full and clear <HI>a&s;&s;ent</HI> unto any thing, until this be fir&s;t done.</P>
<P>And if any thing that ye have met with,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Private Con|ferences very u&s;eful among the people of God.</NOTE> or that hath been <HI>practi&s;ed</HI> heretofore, &s;eem <HI>dark,</HI> or <HI>doubtful</HI> to you, its good, yea nece&s;|&s;ary, to make out &s;uch things by <HI>private Rea&s;onings</HI> and <HI>Conferences</HI> one with another, which I am per&s;waded would end a great deal of <HI>&s;tir</HI> and <HI>&s;trife,</HI> if they were more in u&s;e among&s;t us, and wi&s;ely improved by us.</P>
<P>And thus have I given you <HI>a full and faithful account</HI> of what I conceive &s;ingular|ly to conduce unto the e&s;tabli&s;hment of
<PB N="46" REF="28">Peace, and unto the Settlement of mens Spirits, in the&s;e <HI>un&s;ettled times,</HI> That God may <HI>increa&s;e the Nations, and not de&s;troy them, inlarge the Nations, and not &s;traiten them;</HI> the&s;e things would certainly tend to the <HI>aug|mentation and inlargement of the Nations, and not to the de&s;truction or &s;traitning of them</HI> any way in the world.</P>
<P>But truly, if you will <HI>a&s;&s;ume</HI> &s;o much <HI>li|berty</HI> and <HI>boldne&s;s</HI> to your &s;elves, as to take your <HI>Brethren</HI> by the <HI>throat</HI> pre&s;ently, <NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Note.</NOTE>or &s;o as to draw the <HI>&s;word</HI> upon them, becau&s;e of every <HI>private difference</HI> in <HI>Opinion</HI> between them, and you, about <HI>matters</HI> of no great <HI>moment,</HI> Then ye may have <HI>War</HI> upon <HI>War,</HI> for what I know; and <HI>one wo may no &s;ooner be pa&s;t,</HI> but <HI>another may come in upon you</HI> like one <HI>wave</HI> or <HI>billow</HI> of the Sea upon the neck of another, <HI>and &s;o you may bite and devour one another,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5.15.</NOTE> <HI>until ye be quite con&s;umed one of another,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks.</P>
<P><HI>Let me but adde this Caution,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">Caution.</NOTE>and I have done, Take heed, I be&s;eech you, of <HI>quar|relling</HI> and <HI>contending</HI> &s;o long, until ye have
<PB N="47" REF="28">utterly tired out the <HI>patience of God,</HI> and quite di&s;ingaged him from being among&s;t you any longer: Tho&s;e <HI>precious</HI> and <HI>glorious Attributes</HI> of his that have been mentioned, <HI>The greatne&s;s of God,</HI> and <HI>The power of God,</HI> and <HI>The wi&s;dom of God,</HI> and <HI>The holine&s;s of God,</HI> and <HI>The Providence,</HI> and <HI>The ju&s;tice,</HI> and <HI>The mercy of God,</HI> be &s;ure to have the&s;e things not <HI>again&s;t you,</HI> but <HI>for you,</HI> that &s;o the &s;ame God who is mo&s;t <HI>glorious</HI> in all the&s;e <HI>Attri|butes</HI> of his, may <HI>increa&s;e the&s;e Nations, and not de&s;troy them, inlarge the&s;e Nations, and not &s;traiten them again.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
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