<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>7-21-14</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Added TEMPHEAD, checked ID, and added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate. Proofed title page. Checked ^s. Reviewed structure; removed some DIV2s. Checked placement and completeness of PBs; moved some PBs. Checked for damage GAPs, #s, @s, --s, and UNCLEARs. Corrected [dollars]s. Checked spacing of foreign GAPs. Checked for EPIGRAPHs and ARGUMENTs. Checked for startqs, endqs, abq's, oes, qs, Ae's, and Qs. Checked proofsheets and made corrections. Checked I / J and U / V. Checked for CLOSERs, OPENERs, SIGNEDs, SALUTEs, TRAILERs, and BYLINEs. Checked decorated initials. Checked FIGUREs. Sample: 2 minutes. Proofing: 10 minutes. Tag review and corrections: 10 minutes. DONE.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A87667">
<STC T="W">K250</STC>
<STC T="T">E335_16</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99861443</BIBNO>
<VID>113579</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE KING of KINGS HIS Privie Marks FOR The Kingdoms choyce of new Members: <HI>OR</HI> A Project for the Kingdoms or Ci|ties &s;peedy pro&s;perity; and the benefit and ble&s;&s;ing attending A NEVV MODEL.</P>
<P>DELIVERED In a Sermon by <HI>Samuel Kem</HI> B.D. upon the choyce of the new Burge&s;&s;es of <HI>Bri&s;tol</HI> in in that City, <HI>Feb.</HI> 28. 1645.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed for <HI>John Field,</HI> May 4. 1646.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, Major General <HI>Philip Skippon,</HI> AND The re&s;t of the Honorable Committee of Parliament for the Safety of the County and City of BRISTOL.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Right Honourable,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT was Heavens fir&s;t bles&s;ing to man in the Creation, to be fruitfull; and this impo&s;ed by command: Barrenne&s;&s;e is a Cur&s;e as well as Idlene&s;&s;e is a &s;in: That I might quit my &s;elfe of both, and of a third, no le&s;&s;e mon&s;trous, Ingratitude: I have pre&s;umed to appeale to you, and appeare to the World, that although in winter quarters, yet I have not been &s;o chill, but to be active upon your lea&s;t Summons, in the &s;ervice of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, or promotion of that &s;ervice to perfection, which almo&s;t the&s;e foure yeares I have (as a poor unworthy In&s;trument been active in:) And now, not to contribute my labours (who in &s;o many eminent &s;ervi|ces,
<PB REF="3">have come off with my life) were to proclaime my &s;elfe ingratefull to God, and his precious ones; for who&s;e &s;er|vice I only de&s;ire a being below the third Heavens. It were mon&s;trou&s;ly ingratefull to &s;linke away, and dye and do nothing, and not to reflect a glory to the lively actings of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. How u&s;ele&s;&s;e is that Tree to Po&s;terity, that lives, &s;preads, and cumbers the ground, without yielding one &s;eed, not one good Coun&s;ell to generate another after him? The Souldier that takes his leave of the world, with an unrevealed piece of Policy, may prejudice his Country to a ruine, and contradicts the nature of Explicative Love: Truly, this hath moved me rather to plea&s;ure many with a &s;elfe injury, then intombe tho&s;e notions that might profit a City, if not a multitude, in the way of choyce. In|lightned Soules cannot but di&s;per&s;e their rays; this hath incouraged me to do this, not to merit by it, but to be thankfull, which is the impul&s;ive privacie of my Soule in the publi&s;hing of this Sermon; which you protecting, will be honoured and defended from the violences of the times, and have its free pa&s;&s;e in the Kingdome, to direct others, as well as tho&s;e to whom it was preached, to make choyce of &s;uch members as may compleat that Maje&s;tick Body, and make mo&s;t for GOD, and advantage the Publique: which is the endeavour, and dayly Prayer of him, that is devoted with all he hath, to &s;erve the Publique and you cordially till death.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your faithfull Servant.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>THE KING of KINGS Privy marks for the KINGDOMS Choyce of New <HI>MEMBERS.</HI></HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>PROV. 11.10, 11.</HI></BIBL>
<P>In the pro&s;perity of the Righteous, the City rejoyceth <HI>[or, when it goeth well:]</HI> and when the wicked peri&s;h, there is joy, or &s;houting.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THe afflictions of the Righteous, al|though they be la&s;ting, yet are they not everla&s;ting: for a moment he may cloud him&s;elf, but he will break forth with the glorious rayes of his everla&s;ting love, having a compen&s;a|tion for every affliction, and enough in Je&s;us Chri&s;t to make amends for all. He that runneth may read the expre&s;&s;ions of Gods love to this City in great
<PB N="2" REF="4">Characters: It is apparantly known to your experi|ence, That the Scaene is changed, and we &s;ee beauty for a&s;hes, flames of fire turned into rivers of joy: <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 51.14. The Captive exile ha&s;tning home; The City for&s;aken inhabited; &s;uch as were &s;trangers to their own hou&s;es returned; Armies with faces about, and you as you were:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A City rejoycing:</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. A City exalting if not exalted.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>In the Text you have a plain di&s;covery, 1. Of the Cities Pro&s;perity; in the&s;e words, <HI>The going well with the Righteous, and &s;uppre&s;sion of the wicked.</HI> 2. Of the Cities mi&s;ery; or <HI>overthrow by the mouth of the wicked.</HI> The Cities flouri&s;hing, is the wickeds peri&s;h|ing; the Cities Honour is procured (through Chri&s;t) by the righteous mens Prayer: as righteous men and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e increa&s;eth, &s;o a City rejoyceth.</P>
<P><HI>Explication.</HI></P>
<P>For Explication, ob&s;erve the Solution to the&s;e <HI>Quaeres:</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, What we under&s;tand by Pro&s;perity.</P>
<P>Secondly, What by righteous; and who they are that may be truly &s;o called; and what by rejoy|cing of the City.</P>
<P>Thirdly, What by wicked men peri&s;hing; and how this can be a cau&s;e of joy.</P>
<P>Fourthly, What by the ble&s;&s;ing of the righteous.</P>
<P>Fifthly, When a City may truly be &s;aid to be exalted.</P>
<P>Sixthly, What is meant by the mouth of the wicked.</P>
<PB N="3" REF="4">
<P> Seventhly, When a City may truly be &s;aid to be &s;ubverted.</P>
<P N="1">1. Fir&s;t, What is to be under&s;tood by pro&s;perity?</P>
<P>Sol. <HI>Tria bonorum genera requiruntur ad faelicitatem:</HI> when righteous men have freedom of goods, of minde, body and providence; truly, the e&s;&s;ence of pro&s;perity is the manife&s;tation of the love of God in Chri&s;t to a believers Spirit.</P>
<P>That which makes Pro&s;perity, properly, is Grace; yet the other two mu&s;t grace it, as &s;tones and timber make the hou&s;e; yet for grace &s;ake it is walled, and hung, and furni&s;hed before inhabited: and although a man can foot it well, yet he may make u&s;e of a coach for his ea&s;e: The goods of the minde to com|pleat this Pro&s;perity, are Wi&s;dom to judge, Will to chu&s;e what we have judged, Power to pro&s;ecute what we have cho&s;en, Ability to order.</P>
<P>Goods of the body, are health, &s;trength, grace of per&s;on.</P>
<P>Goods of Providence, wealth, worth of Birth, reputation and credit, friends: The <HI>Pythagoreans</HI> would have a man wealthy, but not in abundance. Goods of Po&s;terity, as money, goods, lands: now in all the&s;e we are to look for no more &s;hare in them then what may fit us for action to &s;erve Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and for Je&s;us Chri&s;t. The evils of exce&s;&s;e in Pro&s;pe|rity, are greater then they of adver&s;ity; &s;uperfluities in the body, are (as Phy&s;itians ob&s;erve) more dange|rous then defects: In their effects,</P>
<P>Reputation is a member of Pro&s;perity, eminency of place, good opinion of our fellow-Citizens.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="5">
<P> Secondly, What by righteous? or, What this righteous man is in this Text: I will give you his Character in the&s;e three particulars.</P>
<P><HI>Sol.</HI> Fir&s;t, A righteous man is &s;uch a one as God out of his free and rich love pre&s;ented before the world to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to aba&s;e him&s;elf for in the fulne&s;&s;e of time, and take on him our humane Nature, that he might act righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e for, here on earth, by doing and &s;uffering; and is by faith po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed of that gar|ment, and by Chri&s;t tendred to his Father, as fit in him to partake of all other branches of his love.</P>
<P>Secondly, A righteous man is &s;uch a one as doth in his whole life act in &s;ome proportionable manner to this fir&s;t patern, by faith <HI>(i. e.)</HI> That doth from the Fountain of his new principle of Love in the Divine Nature, deny his old &s;elf, and act holine&s;&s;e in doing and &s;uffering, as mo&s;t &s;utable to this love for Je&s;us Chri&s;t his &s;ake.</P>
<P>Thirdly, A righteous man is a ju&s;t man in all pub|like and private deportments, that lives hone&s;tly, wrongs none, yields every one his right; <HI>Suum cui&abque; tribuere:</HI> It comprehends a man indued with all ver|tues fitted for &s;ervices, either of State, or Per&s;ons, according to the Laws; and tho&s;e are either written or unwritten.</P>
<P>The written are either the Po&s;itive Law of Na|ture, or the Nations cu&s;toms of places, publike or private, Endicted by the whole State or Statutes.</P>
<P>Or private, as all Compacts, Covenants that men make &s;utable to Law; there is 1. Di&s;tributive; 2. Com|mutative righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. The fir&s;t, when men act
<PB N="5" REF="5">ju&s;tly in Office, rewarding good, puni&s;hing bad; the breach of this is in point of favour, acceptation of per&s;ons: Four things prevent a mans being a righte|ous man; Favour to any per&s;on: Fear to di&s;plea&s;e great ones: Rancour or malice: Love of mony.</P>
<P>Now you are to know, That there is the counter|feit to this Jewel or Precious Stone: Whited Tombs; Painted Sepulchres; Self righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; Painted Pictures without life, &s;nowy men, who&s;e righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e is as like the morning dew as may be, walking Spectrums in Religion, having forms with|out power; I mu&s;t therefore rank the&s;e righteous men in two forms.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, There is <HI>Ezekiels</HI> righteous man, that may for&s;ake his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Secondly, Righteous men, by education, or their own principling: I pray con&s;ult, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3.4. That the hid man of the heart be uncorrupt, renewed in the Spirit of your minde, decked inwardly; take heed of your almo&s;t Chri&s;tians.</P>
<P>Third <HI>Quaere.</HI></P>
<P>When may a City be truly &s;aid to rejoyce? 1. Ne|gatively; then Affirmatively.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Not in the injoying of outward mirth, mu|&s;ick, &s;inging, fea&s;ting, drinking, healthing, dancing, whoring, (I had almo&s;t &s;aid <HI>Hawling</HI>) No, no, &s;uch a City is in a mad condition, not a merry condition, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.6. See his experience in <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> the 2, that tryed all the&s;e; <HI>I &s;aid in my heart, go to, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore injoy plea&s;ure; but I found laughter to be madne&s;se; and mirth, What doth it?</HI> [its
<PB N="6" REF="6">nothing.] Ver&s;e 3. <HI>I &s;ought in my heart to give my &s;elf unto wine, and to lay hold on folly.</HI> Vid. Ver&s;e 8. <HI>I obtained men &s;ingers and women-&s;ingers, and all the delights of the &s;ons of men; mu&s;ical in&s;truments, and that of all &s;orts.</HI> See the 11 Ver&s;e, <HI>Behold all this was va|nity,</HI> [or a lye, deceitful, empty, fooli&s;h] &s;orrow is better then this laughter; this is but as laughing in a dream, and then u&s;ually the heart aketh; this is but as <HI>Davids</HI> harp to quiet <HI>Sauls</HI> ill Spirit for a time: Or as the noy&s;e of Bells upon the report of ill News; the News is the &s;ame though they hear it not: Or as Drums and Trumpets in War when bullets flye: <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7.3. Or <HI>as the crackling of thorns under a pot, &s;o is the laughter of</HI> wicked men.</P>
<P><HI>Affirmatively.</HI></P>
<P>When the fountain of true &s;olid peace is pre&s;ent with a City, <HI>i. e.</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t and his holy Spirit in Spiritual actings: for joy is not firm nor compleat, but in &s;ight of its object; its not heartily merry, but when goods are in pre&s;ence: Je&s;us Chri&s;t is the &s;ouls chiefe&s;t goods, riches. A Merchant rejoyceth at the return of his goods and &s;hips morage. A Souldier in his quarters after Victory dividing the &s;poil. If the Stars &amp; Moon &s;hine, its night for all that if the Sun be ab&s;ent. Tell not me of any thing, &s;aith <HI>Mary, Where is Je&s;us Christ, where have ye laid him?</HI> Sir, <HI>Stop not me,</HI> &s;aith the Spou&s;e in the <HI>Canticles, Tell me, Did you &s;ee him whom my &s;oul loveth? Wheres my Benjamin?</HI> &s;aith old <HI>Jacob, Tell not me of Sacks full,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Is Jo&s;eph alive?</HI> then he is heightned in joy, weeps for joy; &s;uch a City mu&s;t needs be a merry City in|deed:
<PB N="7" REF="6"><HI>Ioh.</HI> 3.29. <HI>He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom; and the friend that heareth him rejoyceth.</HI> When Chri&s;t was to depart, the Di&s;ciples were very &s;ad, <HI>Joh.</HI> 14.1. <HI>Let not your hearts be troubled, I go to prepare a place;</HI> and then we &s;hall never part, then mirth and rejoycing for ever, &s;aith Chri&s;t: if it had not been &s;o I would have told you. Ver&s;e 16. Nay, <HI>I will pray the Father, and he will give you another comforter, that may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, that dwelleth in you, and is in you:</HI> Nay, <HI>I will come to you:</HI> So that when we &s;ee Je&s;us Chri&s;t pre&s;ent, and acting in righteous men, and they advancing Je&s;us, and they advanced for his &s;ervice, here is cau&s;e of joy: And this joy hath a twofold operation; 1. Of inlarging the heart; hence properly call'd, <HI>Laetitia qua&s;i Latitia;</HI> and this forceth outward expre&s;&s;ions, and therefore call'd, <HI>Exultatio,</HI> this dilates the heart. Now I pray ob&s;erve, the more rejoycing, the more content; a rejoycing City on this ground, will be a contented City; a peaceable City, e&s;pecially in con&s;cience, for el&s;e there can be no e&s;tabli&s;hed peace without Je&s;us Chri&s;t; there may be &s;ecurity, but not peace. The true&s;t rejoycing of the minde without reluctation, is when God and Je&s;us Chri&s;t are the object of the place or per&s;ons in &s;ight. <HI>Eudoxus</HI> found &s;o much comfort in the Sun, that he wi&s;hed to be burned with <HI>Phaeton,</HI> &s;o he might &s;tand neerer the Sun to contem|plate the nature of it. O! &s;o &s;hould a &s;oul do in relati|on to Je&s;us Chri&s;t. Alas! all other plea&s;ures nece&s;&s;ary and becoming us, &s;hall be pre&s;ent; they cannot be long ab&s;ent, where Je&s;us Chri&s;t is; at his right hand
<PB N="8" REF="7">are plea&s;ures for evermore: and all plea&s;ures with|out him, are</P>
<P N="1">1. Incon&s;tant and fleeting, as the appearance of the Moon, they glide away like a &s;wift &s;tream, thou &s;ee&s;t not the &s;ame water twice; or as the clouds in a windy day.</P>
<P N="2">2. Con&s;ider their &s;aciety, they are cloying like ranck meat, or lu&s;hious &s;weet meats, plea&s;ant to ta&s;te, but clog the &s;tomack; we cannot live with them for daily dyet.</P>
<P N="3">3. To be undone again, thou mu&s;t unmerry all thy mirth, all &s;uch joy goes out in &s;adne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P N="4">4. They &s;atisfie not the &s;oul; they are like Salt|water, that wets the pallat, but inflameth the &s;to|mack.</P>
<P N="5">5. Con&s;ider, they are pre&s;ented by three grand Enemies, no tru&s;t to them, The World, Fle&s;h, Satan: they may affect the &s;ences, but &s;tarve the heart: I have &s;een many mo&s;t &s;ad upon the actings of mu&s;ick; the &s;oul cannot be &s;atisfied with &s;uch Kick&s;haws: the &s;tronge&s;t delight comes from the &s;ence of touch|ing, and the &s;ollid&s;t rejoycing from touching Je&s;us Chri&s;t by Faith.</P>
<P>Sum up all this <HI>Explication</HI> in a few words of this fir&s;t Branch, and it amounts to thus much, That when the beloved friends of God, whom Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath compleated in him&s;elf, bear up their heads, and are preferred to eminent places, and have the good opinion of their fellow-Citizens, and countenance and power; that City mu&s;t needs be in a real and true rejoycing condition, as a manife&s;t
<PB N="9" REF="7">&s;igne of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, Re&s;idence with them. From this Explication there are the&s;e two ob&s;ervations pre&s;ent them&s;elves unto us.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, that the cities prelation in point of Election, mu&s;t have re&s;pect to Gods relation in pre-election.</P>
<P N="2">2. That where the righteous live in pro&s;perity, the inhabitants of that City &s;hall enjoy the pre&s;ence of Chri&s;t, either to prevent, or to &s;weeten to them a &s;ea&s;on of adver&s;ity. Or thus;</P>
<P>The fir&s;t ob&s;ervation.</P>
<P>That the Cities choyce mu&s;t be Gods choyce; their love over&s;way'd by His, it mu&s;t be confined to the number of his friends: Righteous men, &s;uch mu&s;t be preferr'd by us; &s;uch exalted; whom he hath vo|ted in Chri&s;t, we mu&s;t vote up for Chri&s;t: Our ends and relations often mi&s;carry, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 8. when <HI>Samuel</HI> was old, he made his &s;ons Iudges over <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> but they walked not in his waies, but turned after Lucre, took Bribes &amp; perverted judgment: &s;o <HI>Gen.</HI> 48.12, 13 In the ca&s;e of <HI>Ephraim</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> ob&s;erve the managing the ble&s;&s;ing, 17, 18. ver&s;es. Their naturall affection &s;waid to a negative voyce, ver. 19. not &s;o &s;aith old <HI>Iacob;</HI> but refu&s;ed to ble&s;&s;e the elder, ha|ving an eye to Gods choyce: <HI>Exod.</HI> 18.21. <HI>Thou &s;halt provide out of all the people &s;uch as feare God; men of Truth</HI> &amp;c. See the ground of <HI>Io&s;hua's</HI> choyce, <HI>Deut.</HI> 34 <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> laying hands on him, he was full of the Spirit of wi&s;dom <HI>Sam.</HI> 16: 3.7.12, 13. <HI>Acts</HI> 1.23, 24, 26.</P>
<P>The &s;econd, Ob&s;ervation.</P>
<P>A righteous exalting and preferring City, &s;hal be a reall rejoycing, and Chri&s;ts pre&s;ence enjoying
<PB N="10" REF="8">City; and to &s;ay this, is more than to &s;ay you &s;hall be a world enjoying City, or a King enjoying City; or Honour, or health, or peace, or plenty, or mirth, or Heaven enjoying City if without him. There is more in Chri&s;t than in all the&s;e, <HI>Pro.</HI> 28.2. the&s;e are but darke &s;hadows to this beauty, the&s;e are un|thought of drops or &s;prinklings from his pen&s;ill; The fountaine of any of the reall good is in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Pro.</HI> 28.12.15.28. ver. when righteous men rejoyce there is great glory, when wicked men ri&s;e men hide them&s;elves; <HI>when the Righteous are in autho|rity the people rejoyce, but when the wicked are chiefe the people mourne. Pro.</HI> 21. ver. 21. the righteous man fin|deth life, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and honour for the City.</P>
<P>The arguments prove the fir&s;t.</P>
<P><HI>Doct.</HI> That our choyce mu&s;t relate eminently to Gods choyce, our approbation to his Election.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Arg.</HI> Becau&s;e &s;uch men are mo&s;t worthy our love and honour, whom God loves and honours; it was granted upon a low principle; <HI>E&s;ter</HI> 6.6. <HI>what &s;hall be done to the man the King will honour?</HI> ver. 8. <HI>Let the Royall apparell be brought which the King u&s;eth to weare, and the hor&s;e the King u&s;ed to ride upon, and the crowne royall on his head,</HI> ver 9, <HI>and bring him on hor&s;e|backe through the &s;treets,</HI> &amp;c. Shall &s;o much regard be had to whom a King honours, and not whom God honours? no honour is too much for a friend of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. So much regard to the favorites of Princes, friends of great men, and no re&s;pect in choyce to the friends of the King of Kings. If rela|tions may &s;way, here is the &s;tronge&s;t engagement in
<PB N="11" REF="8">the world; what tell you me of &s;uch or &s;uch noble|mens letters or friends &s;peaking, doth Ie&s;us Chri&s;t &s;peak for him; is he a friend to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, will he plead and vote for Ie&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Arg.</HI> Becau&s;e in his choyce he qualifieth his cho&s;en ones to be &s;erviceable to his glory, and for his peoples good, and to act for his own ends, in ma|naging all tho&s;e affaires that in providence he puts them upon in this life. God made choyce of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to deliver his people from the heavy burthens and taxes that lay upon captivated <HI>I&s;rael:</HI> Truely there were huge mountaines in the way, <HI>Exod.</HI> 3.7. And <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;eeth them, he had a cruell Tyrant to deale with: and an unde&s;erving people, they were &s;uch for the mo&s;t part as were contented with their garlick and onions, and taxes, through cu&s;tomarine&s;&s;e of ba&s;e u|&s;age, <HI>Exo.</HI> 3.10. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> (&s;aith God) <HI>come, I will &s;end thee to</HI> Pharaoh; <HI>that thou mai&s;t bring the children of</HI> I&s;rael <HI>out of Egypt,</HI> in the 11. ver. (&s;aith he) <HI>who am I that I &s;hould go to Pharaoh,</HI> &amp;c. why (&s;aith God) ver. 12. <HI>certainly I will be with thee.</HI> He is ever with his to do all the worke for them he &s;ets them about. God ne|ver undertakes any thing but he perfects it, <HI>Exod.</HI> 4.1. he qualifieth him again&s;t their unbeliefe, he workes miracles. He &s;ends him with <HI>I am that I am,</HI> &s;igning his Commi&s;&s;ion. I but <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> complaineth he wants Eloquence, ver. 10. <HI>why, who made mans mouth</HI> &s;aith the Lord) <HI>vid.</HI> ver. 12 <HI>Go</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou &s;halt &s;ay.</HI> God qualified <HI>David</HI> to governe from the &s;heep coats, and to fight: So <HI>Amos</HI> from his heard, the Di&s;ciples from their
<PB N="12" REF="9">boats, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The Lord powers on his, the &s;pirit of wi&s;|dome, coun&s;ell, and the feare of the Lord.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Arg.</HI> Becau&s;e in &s;o doing there can be no de|ceit in the men, nor &s;hall we ever repent our choyce, <HI>Acts</HI> 10. ver. 1. For God knoweth all the particulars of man and about man, their names, natures, their dwellings, calings, their actions in private, publike, their ends, their abilities, their &s;incerity, their in&s;ide, their out&s;ide: The Lord &s;earcheath the heart, trieth the reines, there is not the &s;ecrete&s;t contrivance of the heart, but it is open to Gods eye, he knows what men were, what they are, what they will be.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Arg.</HI> Becau&s;e to have an eye to his choyce, in relation to him, is to oblige and engage God to be a&s;&s;i&s;tant (to &s;uch men) to act all your de&s;ignes, and to compleat all your de&s;ires and de&s;ignes that you ex|pect by them as In&s;truments to be accompli&s;hed ei|ther for Soules or Bodies, Church or State. To choo&s;e men upon Gods recommendation, is al&s;o an incouragement for thee, and &s;trong argument to im|plead and improve for his aide, to act by them for thee in any thing thou de&s;igne&s;t for his glory.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Arg.</HI> Becau&s;e if otherwi&s;e thou art guilty of di&s;-beutifying the re&s;t of the body. To joyne mem|bers of your own choo&s;ing without re&s;pect to the qualification of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; will be di&s;honorable to &s;o glorious a body: It is to &s;end dead men to do living mens work, nay to &s;end weak men to help uphold a tottering roof, when all the foundations of the earth are out of cour&s;e, and ready to fall, to undo three kingdoms, thy &s;elf and po&s;terity to come.</P>
<P N="6"><PB N="13" REF="9"> 6. <HI>Arg.</HI> That we may make an end of the worke, its that all profe&s;&s;e to long after, and would contri|bute any thing to that end, truly this is the only way: we profe&s;&s;e we are weary of warre, taxes, changes, plagues: Heres the way to &s;etle all, choo&s;e in relation to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. A workman cannot work with every toole, dead men are not fit In&s;truments for God to worke by; living men have no delight in dull blunt In&s;truments who&s;e edge is taken off. If the building mu&s;t go forward, he mu&s;t change his In&s;truments: An excellent Scribe cannot write with every Pen, there will be blurs and blots unbecoming his hand: A curious Limner cannot draw to the life with every Pen&s;ill: nor will God now about the mo&s;t cutious peece that ever came off his frame &s;ince Chri&s;t; he will not act by every man, they are not fit for God to worke by, what communion hath light with darkene&s;&s;e: Chri&s;t to act by children of <HI>Belial.</HI> what delight can God take to &s;et up Je&s;us Chri&s;ts throne by polluted hands, filthy hearts: God will worke by his own In&s;truments; men qualified and principled by his Spirit, &s;eparate and &s;et apart for the ma&s;ters u&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>Quere.</HI> I pray Sir, if this be &s;o: I know which way I will vote; but how &s;hall I know how to relate to Gods choyce whom he hath cho&s;en to this work.</P>
<P>Would you know, you cannot do it on a &s;udden if you come as cu&s;tome hath carried it hand over head: Or re&s;olved to advance your own ends; or to do as your neighbours do; or Land-Lords, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> why what mu&s;t I do?</P>
<PB N="14" REF="10">
<P> <HI>Sol.</HI> 1. Seque&s;ter thy &s;elfe from all other bu&s;i|ne&s;&s;e, and either in private by thy &s;elfe, or with o|thers: or publikely, if call'd to it. &s;eeke God impor|tunately, to manife&s;t to thee the man, or men of his love, his friends, the&s;e righteous men in the Text: <HI>The lot is ca&s;t into the Lap, but the whole ordering is of God:</HI> The preparations of the heart are in man, but God ordereth the matter, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.24. <HI>And they prayed and &s;aid, O Lord, thou knowe&s;t the hearts of all men, &s;hew which of the&s;e two thou ha&s;t cho&s;en.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, Look with a &s;ingle and cleare eye up|on the markes and qualifications of tho&s;e that God hath formerly manife&s;ted to be his cho&s;en ones, In|&s;truments for his glory, and his peoples good, and hath delighted to worke by; to the perfecting of great and difficult atchievements.</P>
<P>I &s;hall acquaint you with Gods foure privy marks of his choyce In&s;truments.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t Marke is &s;elfe deniall and meekne&s;&s;e; this was <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> marke of choyce: Nay this was Ie&s;us Chri&s;ts marke, cho&s;en to the great work of our &s;piri|tuall deliverance: He did not his own will but his Fathers; God can make no progre&s;&s;e in his worke for a Kingdoms or Cities good, by &s;elfe owning or aiming men: Our ends ever ob&s;truct Gods ends, God ever re&s;i&s;teth the Proud: How much forwarder had the great worke been, if there had not been &s;o many &s;elfi&s;h men cho&s;en at fir&s;t, &s;quint eyed men, that when you think they look point blanke on Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and his Kingdome, yet then are fixed on their own ends. Two motions for Selfe or Friends,
<PB N="15" REF="10">to one for Chri&s;t. Truly we have ju&s;t occa&s;ion to complaine: <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.21. All &s;eek their own; can you think &s;uch men can mind your good, or Cities good, or Kingdoms good, that do not mind their &s;oules good or honour: Take heed of &s;uch as follow Ie&s;us Chri&s;t for loaves; and not for love, Take heed of &s;uch as care not to throw down Apo&s;tles, to advance them&s;elves, that care not who fall, &s;o they may ri&s;e, that bemire all others to beautifie them|&s;elves. I never knew a &s;elf-&s;eeker in Church or State but in the end gained great hatred. Selfe-&s;eeking is &s;elfe and Kingdome ruining; &s;ee <HI>Ab&s;olous</HI> example: <HI>Rehoboham's</HI> your councellours, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Self is to a man as <HI>Io&s;ephs</HI> mantle to his wanton Mi&s;tris, ca&s;t it off, if Sa|tan, or world, or fle&s;h entice thee in the great affaires. A man that loves &s;elfe cannot love God, nor Chri&s;t, nor Nation, nor Neighbours: It is a &s;elfe de|denying man is for Ie&s;us Chri&s;t and his people. <HI>Antonius Pius</HI> when he undertooke the title of Em|peror, &s;aid he did let go the property of a private per|&s;on; Chri&s;t in his undertaking let go his own glo|ry for us, and was acted wholly by the Father, choo&s;e &s;uch a man as is acted by Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Oh that we were but dark to our &s;elvs, that we might more clearly &s;ee and act Ie&s;us for Chri&s;t. It is remarkable in <HI>Io&s;hua</HI> as a marke in our choyce, He was the divider of the Land to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and left none to him&s;elfe, and the por|tion that was given him he was content with it, even in the barren mountains.</P>
<P>Second marke, Is zeale and courage, thus God marked out <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Elias: Mo&s;es</HI> brake the Tables,
<PB N="16" REF="11"><HI>Elias,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 18.30. he was zealous to repaire the Altar of the Lord that was broken downe, ver&s;e 40. he let not one of the fal&s;e Prophets e&s;cape. This was Chri&s;ts own marke, <HI>Iohn</HI> 2.17. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 69.9. though the prie&s;ts in authority, &amp; the multitude of their a&s;&s;otiats; yet finding out the abominations of tho&s;e times, his zeal feared not their power, nor &s;tarted at any oppo&s;i|tion, though meanly borne, meekly otherwi&s;e di&s;|po&s;ed. This zeale is the childe of love, and they that love Ie&s;us Chri&s;t cannot but be fruitful in this zeale. This zeale eates up all carnall feares, rea&s;onings, relations; Knows none in the oppo&s;itions to the ad|vancing of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, his Kingdom re&s;pects no per&s;ons dignities, tramples all under foot; makes men compleatly active and of heroick &s;pirits: This made one man <HI>(Mo&s;es)</HI> contend with a whole Nation, in the great worke of reformation, <HI>Phyneas</HI> with the Prince of the people, <HI>Num.</HI> 25. and all tho&s;e that joyned them&s;elvs to <HI>Baal Peor,</HI> took off their heads &amp; hanged them up before the Lord. <HI>Paul</HI> indued with this grace, will contend with <HI>Ananias</HI> to his face: Zealous men in the cau&s;e of God, and the good for this Kingdome, are to be cho&s;en that you may &s;ample the patern, who in zeale for you and yours, have hazarded lives, e&s;tates, been &s;trangers to their own hou&s;es, many of them longer then you. Take heed of dead men, cold men, lukewarme men, that you mu&s;t be fain to &s;end letters as coales every po&s;t to thaw them that have no more heat then a monthly fa&s;t Sermon &s;hall put in them.</P>
<P>Third marke. That God &s;ets on a man of his
<PB N="17" REF="11">choyce, is wi&s;dom. I do not &s;ay wit or Learning, although that is much becoming, but wi&s;dom, &s;o <HI>Solomon</HI> is marked out, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 3.9. he prayes for it, ver. 12. it is granted, and it is of ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity. Our Saviour commends it to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Be wi&s;e as Serpents,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2. Be wi&s;e ye Kings and Iudges of the Earth: Humane policy is not the marke to aime at. <HI>O Sapientia,</HI> &s;aid the old woman, laughing at <HI>Thales,</HI> whom &s;he &s;aw &s;o active with his Engine to take the height of a Star, that he fell into a ditch: A <HI>Iacobs</HI> &s;taffe of humane policy will never take the height of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, but it may lay us all in a ditch of &s;tinking water, plunge us into &s;ad and mi&s;erable affli|ctions. <HI>Aliud plectrum, aliud &s;ceptrum,</HI> it is one thing to handle well the fiddle&s;ticke of wit: Another thing to manage affaires for Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, and the King|doms peace: You had need look after wi&s;e men, I am &s;ure it much concerneth you, for &s;oules and bodies, and po&s;terity: They are to Iudge betwixt Chri&s;t and Chri&s;t, Truth and Truth, betwixt Cau&s;e and Cau&s;e, betwixt mother and mother: Their conver&s;ation is a life of dayly my&s;teries: wi&s;e al&s;o to &s;ee the &s;everall poy&s;oned hookes under glorious and &s;weet baits, every day laid to take them and ruine us.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Marke,</HI> Holy men as <HI>David,</HI> faithful as <HI>Abraham;</HI> men after Gods own heart, with whom God may delight to conver&s;e, and communicate his &s;ecrets unto concerning the kingdom and place he &s;erves for; <HI>&s;hall I keep from Abraham the thing I intend to do?</HI> this is of admirable concernment to a City, <HI>Gen.</HI> 18.17. It is good to be forewarned, <HI>Premonitus, premunitus:</HI>
<PB N="18" REF="12">It is the pathway to prevention, <HI>Amos</HI> 3.7. Surely the Lord doth nothing but he revealeth it to his &s;ervants the prophets: O chu&s;e <HI>Nathaniels,</HI> men without guile, whom God may te&s;tify that he hath &s;eene, and knew them under the figtree: That is, he hath &s;eene them often before this time in the &s;incerity of their hearts, &s;eeking <HI>God</HI> in privat, for the advancing of the government of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and the peace of the Kingdom. Fir&s;t <HI>V&s;e</HI> for Information.</P>
<P>How warrantable is this daies duty, of &s;eeking God to di&s;cover and manife&s;t to us his own choyce ones: Truly the wells of water were very neare <HI>Hagar,</HI> yet &s;he &s;aw them not: There were more for <HI>Elias</HI> then again&s;t him, yet he &s;aw them not, till his eyes were opened. The Lord open all our eyes to this great di&s;covery. Naturally and cu&s;tomarily we look at wealth, &s;elves, priviledges, outward peace, but to di&s;cover the men of Gods choyce, is far out of &s;ight: Truly it is with many of us as with <HI>Saul,</HI> at &s;uch a time as this we are looking after our A&s;&s;es, and men that may tell us a way to finde them: Give me leave &s;ince I have met with you, with the &s;eer, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 9.20. to tell you for your A&s;&s;es that were lo&s;t three daies ago, &s;et not your minde on them; but look after tho&s;e that &s;hall be In&s;truments to tell you of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and for other things, they will be all found in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. My deare friends, what will it profit you to finde your City full of riches, and hearts empty of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, full of peace with men, and without peace with God. Oh what ever you do, endeavour to have the bird in the bre&s;t kept &s;inging.</P>
<PB N="19" REF="12">
<P> Second branch, That God hath now put an op|portunity into your hands; to manife&s;t your love to him, even in your choyce, he will trie whether you will deny your &s;elves, and choo&s;e men of his marking out: you do not know when you &s;hall enjoy the like againe. God tried <HI>Abrahams</HI> love, before he call'd him his friend; God hath many of you profe&s;&s;e to be his friend, I pray know then you will love the bre|thren; look to God from all, and through all.</P>
<P>Third branch, Informeth us certainly God hath a de&s;igne to do good to that place, where he per&s;wa|deth a people to choo&s;e whom he hath cho&s;en: It is one thing to enjoy mercies, and another thing to en|joy them as from God. The difference of <HI>Jacobs</HI> ble&s;|&s;ings, from <HI>E&s;aus</HI> Injoyments, is ob&s;ervable: <HI>Gen.</HI> 27.28. There is <HI>God give thee the dew of Heaven, and the fatne&s;&s;e of tho earth; E&s;aus</HI> in the 29 ver. is given him, but the reference it hath to God is left out: It is not, God give thee; mo&s;t men look at things them&s;elves as men; husbands, wives, children, mini&s;ters, ma|gi&s;trates, Kings, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but never look from whence they come: It is a &s;weet thing when it can be &s;aid as of <HI>Hanna,</HI> &s;he obtained a childe of the Lord; &s;o of any of the re&s;t: Outward things are not the mark of Gods love, or honour, or choyce: God gives the &s;ame thing in &s;peciall favour to Ie&s;us Chri&s;t; and out of common bounty to another; when God joynes with you, it argues he hath excellent work to frame out for &s;uch a people; to injoy the contrary, is to a&s;&s;ure you it is in di&s;plea&s;ure.</P>
<P><HI>V&s;e</HI> of Exhortation: Is it &s;o, that our election mu&s;t
<PB N="20" REF="13">relate to Gods pre-election; I am now come to be your petitioner, that it may be &s;o; whoever the men be, let them be righteous men, &s;uch as you have ob|tained of God; and have his foure privy marks &s;tampt on them; agree I be&s;eech you with God in point of choyce, and you cannot mi&s;carry: I have &s;eriou&s;ly thought it, that God hath yet thoughts of love towards this City; and is on his way to reveale him&s;elfe, although you have with <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> brethren, formerly u&s;ed your elder brother har&s;hly; to &s;ay no more, you have had the cup in your &s;acks mouth to, and you thought your lives mu&s;t have paid for it; but I am confident it is all in love to many of you: God can hold no longer from manife&s;ting, and di&s;|covering him&s;elf in his &s;onne Ie&s;us Chri&s;t unto you, and I am the rather induced to think &s;o, becau&s;e you have &s;uch choyce of righteous men; and for ought I can heare, none but &s;uch are propo&s;ed to make choyce of. Now if God, when &s;o highly provoked, would have &s;pared <HI>Sodom</HI> for ten righteous mens &s;ake, from &s;o great mi&s;ery; what good will he deny to a City agreeing for righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;ake, to choo&s;e men that may act for his glory?</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Motive.</HI> It will &s;etle God with you, if you re|late to his choyce; God will returne with the <HI>Arke</HI> of his &s;trength to &s;uch a people, <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 132.14. God &s;ee|meth to &s;ay thus, well. I have proved this City, they are my friends, they love whom I love, honour whom I honour, choo&s;e whom I choo&s;e, this &s;hall be my re&s;ting place, I will winter and &s;ummer with them, I will &s;et up my hearth, I will be with them, in
<PB N="21" REF="13">pro&s;perity to ble&s;&s;e them, in adver&s;ity to &s;upport them: Here I will dwell, for I have a delight therein, I will ble&s;&s;e her victuals with encrea&s;e, and her poore with bread. I pray ob&s;erve when he &s;etles, Chri&s;t &s;etles, and Spirit &s;et les, and mercies &s;etle, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Motive.</HI> It will &s;etle your hearts in relation to feare of dangers: Truly it much quiets the unskilfull pa&s;&s;enger in a &s;torme, that there is a skilfull Pilot in the Ship, or a good man at helme: It much quieteth the unexperienced Souldier, if his Commander be active and vigilant; &s;o it will much quiet your Spi|rits in the great &s;torme we are in, that you have God your Pilot, and righteous men at the helme. You need not feare who are or can be again&s;t you, or your City, if God be with you: This is a Triumphant motive, <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.31. If you eye righteous men, God will eye you for defence: <HI>Maximillian</HI> the Emperour was &s;o taken upon this ground, that he cau&s;ed it to be written in gold, as a proci bus truth for his trune in trouble&s;om tirues;times, you &s;hal not need fear who heares or knows your City word; It &s;hall be <HI>Emanuel</HI> every night, <HI>God with us;</HI> you may lie down and re&s;t &s;ecure|ly, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 4. ver. 8 <HI>for he nover &s;lumbreth nor &s;leepeth;</HI> If an enemy approach, keep him with us, they &s;hall be driven back and fall. Our God is above all Gods, his power above all; now if this power be for us, what, or whom need we feare? where he is, he is as well defen&s;ive as offen&s;ive; I, and again&s;t the enemies of our &s;oules, as well as of our bodies, and e&s;tates, and Liberties. God will ble&s;&s;e them that ble&s;&s;e thee; cur&s;e then that cur&s;e thee: The Lord will be a wall
<PB N="22" REF="14">of fire round about <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and the glory in the mid&s;t of her; he will make you as a cup of poy&s;on to all your enemies. And if the waters yet ri&s;e higher, they &s;hall receive his order to mount you higher, e|ven to his pre&s;ence: If they abate, you &s;hall not re&s;t on mount <HI>Arrarat,</HI> but on mount <HI>Zion,</HI> as a firme foundation on Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, that can never be mo|ved. There is no &s;uch project to &s;ecure you as this, <HI>Tranquillus Deus, tranquillat omnia.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Motive.</HI> It will &s;etle your &s;elves, among&s;t your &s;elves, and to your &s;elves: It is my ob&s;ervation, that your water runs very muddy about the City; it is an un&s;etled water: I would I could not &s;ay I have ob|&s;erved, your &s;pirits are thick and muddy within, which &s;peaks to me the un&s;etledne&s;&s;e in your minds; many of you do not run clearly Ie&s;us Chri&s;t ward, nor can the Parliament &s;ee their face in your hearts; many of your tongues li&s;pe at it. Truly my good friends (I hope you will give me leave to deale cor|dially with you: I profe&s;&s;e my &s;elf in this Cau&s;e a Souldier, and complements are unbecoming) you have been a long time upon your Lees, and have been by the divine hand of providence, twi&s;e or thri&s;e rummaged and di&s;turbed, and upon the reli&s;h you appeare thick; you are not cleare for any but your &s;elves, the Lord &s;etle you, and enter you on Chri&s;t, you are not cleare to one another, many jealou&s;ies, much darkne&s;&s;e, cloudine&s;&s;e, men &s;peak not out for God and his cau&s;e: Well, I be&s;eech you agree, and be of one minde, to eye Gods choyce, give one another a cleare meeting in them, it will much &s;etle you to one
<PB N="23" REF="14">another; for if you choo&s;e &s;o, although &s;ome mu&s;t be di&s;appointed, yet if the man be righteous, and they right, they cannot long be di&s;plea&s;ed, you quiet even the mo&s;t malignant &s;pirits, &s;top their mouths, for they dare not contend with the Almighty, or que&s;tion his choyce.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Motive.</HI> You in joynture and intere&s;t your choyce, and your &s;elves in them, in all the &s;incere importu|nate &s;upplications of the righteous men in the three Kingdoms, nay the world in all their tears, &s;ighs, nay more, you intere&s;t the~ in the high priviledge of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t his mediation: all that he can do for them &s;hall be, all that he can furni&s;h them with for your good, they &s;hall not want. <HI>Father, I pray not for the world, but tho&s;e thou ha&s;t given me out of the world.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Motive.</HI> You intere&s;t your &s;elves and your po|&s;terity in point of propriety, in all tho&s;e admirable ri|ches of priviledge, that by Gods &s;upreame acting, and the unexpre&s;&s;able Labours of that repre&s;entative body of righteous Worthies, &s;hall be accompli&s;hed for the kingdom: It will not be the lea&s;t of thy com|forts, that thou can&s;t leave it to thy childe to be dif|fu&s;ed to thy &s;ucceeding &s;eed, that thou had&s;t a heart and a voyce, to bring in &s;o glorious a reformation: It will be a &s;weet mercy, when you enjoy not the kingdoms Priviledges, and &s;upream mercies by u&s;ur|pation, but of right; and thy po&s;terity may &s;ay, I ta&s;te the &s;weet fruit of my Fathers lo&s;t, or adventured life, blood, e&s;tate, &amp;c.</P>
<P>On the contrary, with what poore, flat and worth|le&s;&s;e &s;pirits, will they or their po&s;terity injoy &s;uch
<PB N="24" REF="15">mercies: who&s;e con&s;ciences informe them, that their fore-fathers, or them&s;elves, either were malignantly affected to this righteous Cau&s;e, or were po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with a ba&s;e &s;pirit of Neutrality, to &s;ave &s;omething obvious to &s;ence, and undervalue the good things for po&s;terity for ever, and mu&s;t be enforced to acknow|ledge, that though the mercies are &s;weet, yet that they have been oppo&s;ers, and ob&s;tructers of their pre&s;ent injoyments.</P>
<P>I am now come from the Cities choyce, to the Cities priviledge: From their Election, to their compen&s;ation, and a&s;&s;ured condition: Truly, God never yet let the lea&s;t expre&s;&s;ion of love to his, for his &s;ake go unrequited, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 17.9. the widdows cake was richly paid for, ver. 16. ver. 22. &s;he hath plenty in &s;carcity, or enough, which is as good as a &s;ea&s;t. The Prophets chamber on the wall, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 4.10. his Stool, Candle&s;tick, God remembred them all upon account: ver. 16, 17. ver. 34, 35, 36. the mite was all accepted, the cup of cold water had a ble&s;&s;ing promi&s;ed: If <HI>Obed-Edom</HI> entertain the Arke, all things &s;hall thrive with him: If <HI>Pharaoh</HI> honour <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> he is fully requited; And in &s;tarving daies, hath his Garners full. If <HI>Bri&s;toll</HI> preferre and make choyce of righteous men, they &s;hall have cau&s;e (I will not &s;ay to be mad, but truly merry;) it may be you may not &s;ee it in a damning, &s;wearing, drinking, Mu|&s;icking, dancing condition; but I am confident you &s;hall in a little time, in a &s;etled peaceable condition, your &s;treames will run cleere, your darke winters day will be over, and the influences of Chri&s;t his
<PB N="25" REF="15">pre&s;ence, denote his neerer approach; and where he is, there can be no &s;orrow.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Arg.</HI> I take from their new injoyments, and that for &s;ouls and bodies; truly, I may &s;ay your old things begin to vani&s;h, all things begin to be new, your winter is pa&s;t, the &s;pring appeareth and hopes of a Summers-day of pro&s;perity.</P>
<P>For fir&s;t, &s;uch a City &s;hall enjoy Je&s;us Chri&s;t; and give me leave to affirm this, it is impo&s;&s;ible a &s;oul can be &s;ad, or a City not be heartily merry, that keeps &s;ight of him, <HI>Zach.</HI> 2.10. I pray &s;ee, <HI>Cant.</HI> 1.2. What is it makes men merry and of a cheerful countenance, but <HI>wine</HI> and <HI>oyle, Let him ki&s;&s;e me with his lips, his love is better then wine: His &s;avour as oyl powred out:</HI> See the fourth ver&s;e, <HI>When in his Chamber we will be glad and rejoyce in thee;</HI> His face is the fountain of all true &s;ollace; it will make a City &s;mile upon callamity, it will carry you through the valley of tears, make you frollick it with the Martyrs in flames, with an O ye Idolatrous Pa|pi&s;ts, I am in a bed of Ro&s;es, at a banquent of de|licates.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t his pre&s;ence makes a pri&s;on a pallace; A &s;take a throne, <HI>P&s;alm</HI> 4. <HI>David</HI> is bold to affirm the light that comes off his countenance, is better then <HI>oyl</HI> or <HI>wine.</HI> And again, cau&s;e thy face to &s;hine on me, and I &s;hall be &s;afe; he brings all true peace: If Je&s;us Chri&s;t pacifie God for a City, all will be quiet indeed: For when he comes he takes off the mourning garment, and puts on us the Brides-robes.</P>
<P>Secondly, you &s;hall enjoy new Ordinances, Manna
<PB N="26" REF="16">for husks, &s;piritual truths for dead letters, &s;piritual &s;ervices in the room of &s;uper&s;titious offices, power in&s;tead of forms, gold tryed in the fire in&s;tead of &s;ilver mixt with dro&s;&s;e, pure Religion and undefi|led in&s;tead of no Religion, but by Innovations cor|rupted.</P>
<P>Thirdly, new Principles which will be differen|ced in a &s;hort &s;pace, as apparantly as <HI>Naamans</HI> mira|culous recovery of his lepro&s;ie, 2 <HI>Kings</HI> 5. Thy old Principles of cu&s;tome, education, fore-fathers, &amp;c. will vani&s;h, this leaprous skin will come off, and thy &s;pirit (as his fle&s;h) will be changed, and come unto thee as the &s;pirit of the children of God, and becoming a member of Ie&s;us Chri&s;t: Thy old Principles may carry thee with <HI>Paul</HI> towards Hea|ven, but the&s;e into the bo&s;ome of the Father by the way of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, they will lodge thee there: Thy old Principles will carry thee (to Churches you call it) but the&s;e will clo&s;e thee with Je&s;us Chri&s;t and his members: Thy old Principles will make thee almo&s;t, the&s;e altogether become a joy|ful Chri&s;tian.</P>
<P>Fourthly, you &s;hall enjoy new priviledges, and there will be as great and palpable a difference, as the prodigal his being abroad in a Pig&s;tie, and at a Fea&s;t of melody in his Fathers hou&s;e; you may make all your nece&s;&s;ities known, with boldne&s;&s;e and confidence of enjoying all your want, &s;o far as your Fathers hou&s;e can &s;upply: At the throne of Grace they may be bold with all Je&s;us Chri&s;t (Steward of his Fathers Hou&s;e) can communicate:
<PB N="27" REF="16">God &s;aith by the Prophet, <HI>Command me concerning the works of my hand, and I will do it, I&s;a.</HI> 45.11. This is a &s;weet heart-rejoycing Priviledge; they have a new Charter compleated, with nothing but immunities from all evil, and inlarged conveyances of all good.</P>
<P>Fifthly, They have new Society; and with their Society new Language, new walking, new Trading, new Ble&s;&s;ings, new Providences, new Experiences, even &s;uch Ble&s;&s;ings of God as make rich: The So|ciety of tame Bea&s;ts is better then wilde; of civil men, then mad men, &s;ober then drunken, of mad men, better then Devils; but if in &s;tead of any or all the&s;e, a man can enjoy fellow&s;hip with Princes, its a &s;weet change: The righteous are Saints of the high places, Children of the great God, King of Kings, and they have fellow&s;hip one with another.</P>
<P>Now &s;um up all the Branches of this Argument, and &s;ee what you can oppo&s;e to the rejoycing condi|tion of &s;uch a City that hath obtained the re&s;idence of &s;uch a friend as will defend it; &s;upply all its wants that hath got new &s;ub&s;tantial foods, new Ap|petite; a new Charter &s;o compleated with Priviled|ges, new Habitation, new company, all friends, what &s;hould hinder joy?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Arg.</HI> Such a City (when the righteous are in pro&s;perity) mu&s;t needs rejoyce, becau&s;e they live under new Incouragements. <HI>Prov.</HI> 29.7, 8. <HI>The righ|teous con&s;ider the cau&s;e of the poor; but the wicked re|gardeth not to know it. Scornful men bring a City into a &s;nare; but righteous men turn away wrath.</HI> Prov.
<PB N="28" REF="17">28.12, 20. Ver&s;e 20. <HI>A righteous man &s;hall abound with ble&s;sings. Vide</HI> Ver&s;e 10. <HI>The upright &s;hall have good things in po&s;&s;e&s;sion.</HI> Ver&s;e 12. <HI>When righteous men re|joyce, there is great glory. The righteous are bold as a Lyon.</HI> Prov. 29.2, 10. Ver&s;e 10. <HI>The blood thir&s;ty hate the righteous; but they &s;eek his life.</HI> Ver&s;e 2. <HI>When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoyce; when the wicked bear &s;way, then they mourn.</HI> Righteous men reform wickedne&s;&s;e, incourage goodne&s;&s;e: now where &s;in and &s;inners are oppo&s;ed, goodne&s;&s;e and good men incouraged; where &s;in is cryed down, and holine&s;&s;e up, there riches will abound. A gra|cious City will quickly be a glorious City: Re|form but your City, you will quickly rejoyce your City; Empty your hearts and hou&s;es of &s;in, and you &s;hall finde God will quickly fill and repleni&s;h your pur&s;es and &s;hops; do you but break with your ingagements to &s;in, and God will turn to you with &s;trange-incouragements, &s;uch as you never dreamt on.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Arg.</HI> The more righteous, the more ble&s;&s;ings; the more glory, peace; and the more glory and peace, the more joy: Now where Righteous men are in Authority, they in a &s;en&s;e may be &s;aid to be as Fathers to beget Righteous Seed: good is as diffu&s;ive as evil: They propagate Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; they are the Looking-Gla&s;&s;e of the place, every one looks on them in their actings, as <HI>Jacobs</HI> &s;heep on the pill'd wands, to a&s;&s;imulate them; the mo&s;t dre&s;&s;e them&s;elves by their Gla&s;&s;e. <HI>Quo grandius no|men eo grandius &s;candalum:</HI> The vices of Rulers are
<PB N="29" REF="17">Rules of vices: And the Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Righ|teous men is a rule of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e. If the head be giddy, the members reel: O when your Eminent men are good men, it is a joy indeed, they do very much good.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Arg.</HI> Becau&s;e, as they diffu&s;e Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;o they diffu&s;e Pro&s;perity; they cannot be &s;atisfied to be happy alone, they &s;tudy the pro&s;perity of the King|dom and place they live in; they are not like <HI>Laban,</HI> that envie <HI>Jacobs</HI> pro&s;perity; no, they have the &s;pirit of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that could wi&s;h to have his name to be blotted out of the Book of Life, &s;o the people might obtain favour: They are acted with <HI>Davids</HI> princi|ples, to plead it with God for your pro&s;perity, <HI>Lord, what have the&s;e poor &s;heep done?</HI> They are men of re&s;t|le&s;&s;e &s;pirits, till they have brought others to drink of the fulne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e waters they have ta&s;ted, to &s;ee the glory they have &s;een, and po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the riches they enjoy, the Prize they have taken to &s;hare in: For your &s;ake they will not re&s;t, till they have made you the prai&s;e of the whole Land.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Arg.</HI> Is taken from my Ob&s;ervation, and what you by experience may finde and ta&s;te as the fruit of this root, in other Cities, where Righteous men, the friends of God, have been in pro&s;perity and prefer|red. Truly, they have been miraculou&s;ly pre&s;erved, daily occa&s;ions of joy admini&s;tred: Light indeed is &s;own for the Righteous, and joy for the upright in heart; I might through a Pro&s;pective in&s;tance and &s;hew you this in <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> in one &s;ea&s;on, and in ma|ny other Cities and Armies at a di&s;tance, but have
<PB N="30" REF="18">one or two within &s;ight; and truly, what I &s;peak is not in relation to it, as the place of my Nativity, Education, Friends, or as an unworthy member, but I &s;peak the truth, as is to all apparant.</P>
<P>I be&s;eech you, con&s;ult with your &s;elves, where hath Holine&s;&s;e and Holy ones been more advanced, honored, protected; indeed of late times where dur&s;t they &s;hew them&s;elves but there? where act? well, look upon their condition, when almo&s;t all the Cities of <HI>England</HI> have been in a &s;torm ready to &s;ink, they have been at their morage in a calm Haven; when it hath rained blood in mo&s;t places of the Kingdom, they have had a clear day over their heads; when al|mo&s;t all the Fleeces of the Land have been wet with tears of the plundred, exiled, taxed, &s;coffed, wounded ones, their Fleece is dry; when your City and others hath been the Stage of Acting bloody Tragedies, and new Comedies of all filthine&s;&s;e and Abomina|tions, they have been rejoycing in the Lord, and in the glory of his pre&s;ence: Nay, when mo&s;t parts of the Kingdom have their lights put out, they &s;ee the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e every day &s;hining cleerer and cleerer, to the joy of the whole City.</P>
<P>And now, as from this ri&s;e, &s;ee the &s;ame ef|fects of joy, in an Army wherein holy men have been Honoured, and holine&s;&s;e countenanced and defend|ed again&s;t all disbeautifyings of it in the lea&s;t &s;peck. I confe&s;&s;e there was much fear and heavine&s;&s;e about its birth; many a &s;igh and groan, it co&s;t many a prayer and tear too; yea, wanted not &s;ome that would have been tampering with the Midwives to
<PB N="31" REF="18">have &s;trangled it in the birth, to prevent its multi|plying: And when it was born, what a Dragon and Lyon &s;tood before it to devour it; &s;o &s;oon as born, what floods of cur&s;es, &s;coffs, jeers followed us; &s;uch as the&s;e, <HI>What News of the new Nodellers? What have tho&s;e holy Officers done? There's not ten Gentlemen in the whole New Nodel, &amp;c.</HI> What drinking to mad|ne&s;&s;e to the Confu&s;ion of it.</P>
<P N="2">2. In re&s;pect of our own actings, there were &s;ad thoughts of heart, that &s;o &s;hallow a Stream mu&s;t be inforced to be cut into &s;o many Channels; that &s;o little Strength mu&s;t be put out to &s;everal great works. As,</P>
<P N="1">1. To attend the Kings Motion.</P>
<P N="2">2. To Relieve <HI>Taunton,</HI> and to attend the Recruit|ing and compleating the whole Body, at that time void of nece&s;&s;aries. Not to fill your heads with daily pa&s;&s;ages, but for my purpo&s;e, this poor con|temned Army, yet Righteous men Honouring and preferring Army: I have been an Eye-witne&s;&s;e of reaping a plentiful Crop of joy, and in this great fa|mine have fed many a &s;ad heart, and diffu&s;ed glad|ne&s;&s;e throughout this Kingdom. God hath been Glory in the mid&s;t of us, and &s;pred forth his beams of light as a curtain, from the fir&s;t &s;tarting of them at <HI>Daintry,</HI> the clear Routing them at <HI>Nazeby,</HI> the di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ing them at <HI>Leice&s;ter,</HI> un&s;anctuarying them at <HI>Hyworth</HI> Church, unquartering them at or before <HI>Taunton,</HI> di&s;quieting them at <HI>Ilche&s;ter</HI> and <HI>Load-bridge,</HI> quartering or &s;laying of their Hor&s;e and Riders in
<PB N="32" REF="19">the Moor, and Four hundred Pri&s;oners in the Church, Routing and pur&s;uing of them from <HI>White-Hill</HI> and <HI>Lamport</HI> to <HI>Bridgewater,</HI> the firing them out of <HI>Bridgewater,</HI> the Battering them out of <HI>Sherborn,</HI> the clen&s;ing of the <HI>Bath,</HI> to their Storming, and their quitting and the quieting of this City, for which many of you are filled with rejoycings, and I wi&s;h there were not &s;ome at all this; and for all the&s;e things, with many more, &s;ound murmuring and mourning, but however, let the Righteous rejoyce and be glad in heart.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="application">
<HEAD>U&s;e of Exhortation:</HEAD>
<P>Fir&s;t, To the ill affected, Both, to the Righteous in the City for righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e &s;ake, and to the Righ|teous Cau&s;e of the Kingdom, managed by the un|daunted, and indefatigable labours of tho&s;e (ever to be admired, and God prai&s;ed for) Councellors of Honour in both Hou&s;es of Parliament: To you thus ill-affected I call, <HI>Prov.</HI> 8.4, 5. <HI>O ye &s;imple, I be&s;eech you under&s;tand wi&s;dom: O ye fools, be of an under&s;tanding heart, the opening of my mouth &s;hall be of right things:</HI> Receive my Exhortation, now in your choice, to re|nounce in this place your old thoughts and pre&s;ent re&s;olutions, or Malignant engagements, not to be pre&s;ent at it: I be&s;eech you, let me beg your Votes, and I pray the Lord to per&s;wade your hearts to choo&s;e, two, friends of Je&s;us Chri&s;t; truly, as I have and will undervalue my life for Priviledges of a free Parliament, &s;o is my judgement clear for a free choice; nor &s;hall my naming two to you hinder it, I &s;hall onely give you their Chri&s;tian names (as you
<PB N="33" REF="19">term it) Give your Votes for a <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and a <HI>Natha|niel,</HI> for a &s;elf-denying man, and a man without guil, and you &s;hall do acceptable &s;ervice to Je&s;us Chri&s;t; to the City did I &s;ay? nay, to the King|dom, yea three Kingdoms; nay more, to thy own &s;oul.</P>
<P>Poor hearts, my bowels earn after you in pity, to &s;ee you <HI>incale&s;cere in re frigida,</HI> &s;o like pieces of Lime, never hot but in cold water, never zealous but in oppo&s;ition to a Righteous Cau&s;e, or preferring and exalting Righteous men: will you give me leave to put this <HI>quaere</HI> to you, Did you ever know a Righteous Cau&s;e oppo&s;ing man pro&s;per, or City? Truly, in all my reading either of Scriptures, of Hi|&s;tories, or ob&s;ervation that I have made, I could never finde out one: &s;hall I tell you of &s;ome a|mong&s;t many thou&s;ands that have been ruined? I pray peru&s;e the Story in the 19 of <HI>Gene&s;is,</HI> and con&s;i|der what got tho&s;e Cities of <HI>Sodom</HI> and <HI>Gomorah</HI> by their trampling on righteous <HI>Lot,</HI> v. 9, 10, 11, 25. What was the end of <HI>Pharoahs</HI> plots and actings again&s;t the people of God? What was the i&s;&s;ue of <HI>Nabals</HI> chur|li&s;h u&s;age of holy <HI>David?</HI> What got tho&s;e children, that City of <HI>Bethel,</HI> that mocked the righteous Pro|phet, 2 <HI>Kin.</HI> 2.23, 24? What got the <HI>Gadarens</HI> by de|&s;iring Je&s;us Chri&s;t to depart their coa&s;ts? or <HI>Ana|nias,</HI> by commanding <HI>Paul</HI> to be &s;mitten? Well, I be|&s;eech you be not &s;o &s;elf-will'd, as to ruine your &s;elves, when you may rejoyce your &s;ouls: Leave off pecking at the eyes of the righteous, that you might bring them on the &s;tage, to be your &s;port, and Table|talk:
<PB N="36" REF="20">Let me tell you, the Saints are as tender to God, as the Apple of his Eye; and he will as well as <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> be avenged at la&s;t for his eyes: He will have eyes for eye, teeth for tooth, blood in &s;treams, for drops of blood of his: Truly, if you &s;top not &s;peedily, it is the onely way to bring the very roof off, and all on your heads: The foundations are out of cour&s;e, the whole frame totters, in the trade|wind of Gods di&s;plea&s;ure, the main beam is wind|&s;haken, worm eaten (as I may &s;ay) is it not full time, every man to vote for &s;ound and Oak hear|ted &s;upporters, le&s;t we all &s;ink to utter ruine? What mean ye, O ye Citizens of <HI>Bri&s;tol,</HI> to be &s;o flat &s;pi|rited, &s;uch indifferent men? are broken reeds fit &s;up|porters to bear up your decayed hou&s;es in which you dwell? you would hardly re&s;t in your beds till you had provided better: And is not the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in hand of far greater con&s;equence, and all of you (what ever you think) equally ingaged to give your be&s;t a&s;&s;i&s;tance, to &s;upport a declining Kingdom, to &s;ave a &s;inking rich laden &s;hip, in which you are or &s;hould be all &s;harers: Away then with all private intere&s;ts, and till that &s;torm be over, that work fini&s;hed, de&s;igne your &s;elves for the publike and the righteous Cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="1">1 <HI>Motive,</HI> That you may cleer your &s;elves, in point of di&s;affection to this righteous Cau&s;e: There is no &s;uch way in the world to come off with credit as this, To give your heartie votes for two friends of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to go up and repre&s;ent you to the Parliament; you &s;peak your &s;elves cleerly to them,
<PB N="37" REF="20">by the Members you &s;end up to them: If you &s;end right men, it will change many of their thoughts concerning you; nay, they will, upon this Remon|&s;trance, take more care of you, as of &s;uch as they begin to believe are friends to righteous men; and the regaining your repute with them will be &s;ome comfort, if you are what you would &s;eem to be, friends to the Publique.</P>
<P N="2">2 <HI>Motive,</HI> That after your formal denials (as you would have the Saints beleeved) you may &s;hew forth by &s;uch a choyce, your reall actings for Ie&s;us Chri&s;t and his cordiall friends; for where there hath been &s;uch carriages, there had need be great manife&s;tati|ons of love upon every opportunity: A threefold profe&s;&s;ion, for a threefold negation. She that &s;inned much, loved much; This is Gods trying day, looke to it; he expects not thy vote, to cry him up only, but that it extend to the Saints that excell in vertue.</P>
<P>La&s;t <HI>V&s;e</HI> for Exhortation, To the well affected, I beg of you, that as the object of your thoughts are righteous men, &s;o that you would act righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e: take heed any of you, of de&s;igning any thing to ad|vance your &s;elves, or your own ends; I be&s;eech you eye Gods glory, and the bleeding publique: What will it profit any of you, to win your ends, and pre|judice, if not lo&s;e a Kingdom? I entreat you follow after peace, with holine&s;&s;e; and importune God for his Spirit of meekne&s;&s;e to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e your &s;oules, to car|ry on this great bu&s;ine&s;&s;e in love; abhor &s;idings, and underhand workings, all underminings, by blowing up, or bla&s;ting any mans reputation, that you may
<PB N="38" REF="21">enter your own men: No, no, act above-board; and let this daies choyce be free and faire, for righteous men; &s;o &s;hall God be glorified, The Honorable Hou&s;e refre&s;hed, and no further mole&s;ted, This City in Gods due time rejoyced, and your &s;elves Ble&s;&s;ed; which the Lord in his rich mercy grant you in Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>Amen.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<P><HI>I</HI> Have peru&s;ed this Sermon, intituled, <HI>The King of kings, &amp;c.</HI> And approving it to be pious, profitable and &s;ea&s;onable, I do Licen&s;e it to be printed and pub|li&s;hed:</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>April 27. 1646.</HI></DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Imprimatur <HI>JOHN DOVVNAMI.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
