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<DATE>2010-12-04</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B101111.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A90702">
<STC T="W">p2222</STC>
<STC T="T">e83_48</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99871732</BIBNO>
<VID>124148</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE SHARPNESSE OF THE SVVORD: OR, <HI>ABNERS</HI> PLEA FOR <HI>ACCOMMODATION.</HI></P>
<P>A SERMON <HI>Lately Preached</HI> BY <HI>JOHN PIGOT,</HI> Curate of S^t <HI>Sepulchres,</HI> LONDON.</P>
<Q LANG="grc"><GAP DESC="foreign"></Q>
<Q><BIBL>ESAY 9.5.</BIBL>
<P>Every battell of the Warriour is with confu&s;ed noi&s;e, and garments rolled in bloud.</P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>2 SAM. 24.14.</BIBL>
<P>Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord (for his mercies art great) and let me not fall into the hand of man.</P></Q>
<P><ADD>Jan: 2^d</ADD> <HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for JOHN CLARK, and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop under S. <HI>Peters</HI> Church in <HI>Corn-hill.</HI> 1643.</P>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>TO THE Chri&s;tian Reader, And all tho&s;e that pray for the peace of JERUSALEM, <HI>Grace and Peace be multiplyed.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Chri&s;tian Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Am not ignorant what uncharita|ble cen&s;ures are ca&s;t upon the&s;e innocent Medi|tations and the Penner of them, by &s;ome turbulent &s;pirits: I am forced to complain, as
<PB REF="3">the P&s;almi&s;t did in his time, <HI>Woe is me, my &s;oule hath long dwelt among tho&s;e that are enemies unto peace; I la|bour for peace, but when I &s;peak unto them thereof, they make them ready to battel.</HI></P>
<P>Some have &s;coffed at the whole Sermon, as a di&s;cour&s;e un&s;ea&s;onable, <HI>borne out of due time,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 15.8.</NOTE> as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks; as if a Sermon of Peace in the&s;e times of wilfull di&s;traction, were <HI>like &s;now in &s;ummer,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 26.1.</NOTE> <HI>or raine in harve&s;t.</HI></P>
<P>Others have wre&s;ted and &s;et their own glo&s;&s;es and interpretations up|on &s;ome pa&s;&s;ages of the Sermon, as if they tended to the di&s;couragement of tho&s;e that have &s;hewed them|&s;elves willing to the work, to the en|feebling their hearts &amp; hands.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 56.5.</NOTE> <HI>They
<PB REF="3">daily mi&s;take my words, all that they imagine is to doe me evill.</HI></P>
<P>But <HI>ble&s;&s;ed be God who comforteth us in all our tribulations:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 1.4.</NOTE> I have deli|vered my me&s;&s;age, and &s;o di&s;charged my con&s;cience. And though I have not every where met with <HI>the &s;on of peace,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 10.5, 6.</NOTE> yet <HI>my peace is returned to me againe,</HI> I have it in my bo&s;ome.</P>
<P>As for their unju&s;t cen&s;ures, I weigh them no more then I de&s;erve them: <HI>Mal&egrave; de me luquutus es,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Seneca.</NOTE> <HI>quia ben&egrave; loqui ne&s;cis,</HI> Some men &s;peake evill of their neighbours, becau&s;e they know not how to &s;peak well of any man. <HI>Hoc facis, non quod merear, &s;ed quod &s;oleas,</HI> This they doe, not becau&s;e their neighbour de&s;erves it at their hands, but becau&s;e it is their cu&s;tome &s;o to doe; <HI>The poy&s;on of a&s;ps
<PB REF="4">is under their lips,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 3.13.</NOTE> and <HI>their mouth full of cur&s;ing and bitterne&s;&s;e.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Virg.</NOTE> <HI>Et &s;i non aliqua nocui&s;&s;es, mortuus e&s;&s;es,</HI> And if they &s;hould not &s;pit out &s;ome of this venome,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 52.5.</NOTE> and <HI>&s;peak &s;ome words that may doe hurt,</HI> they were not able to live.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 3.8.</NOTE> <HI>Jannes</HI> and <HI>Jambres</HI> are &s;o full of the &s;pirit of contradiction, that they cannot containe them&s;elves. Ambitious <HI>Diotrephes (that looks for the preheminence)</HI> wil be <HI>prating,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Ep. John ver. 9, 10.</NOTE> and darting out <HI>malicious words</HI> a|gain&s;t tho&s;e Di&s;ciples that preach love and peace. That nick-name which the Philo&s;ophers gave Saint <HI>Paul</HI> at <HI>Athens,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 17.18.</NOTE> mu&s;t be his livery that preacheth any thing di&s;&s;onant from the&s;e mens fancies, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>What will this babler &s;ay?</HI></P>
<P>VVell,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 12.3</NOTE> let them goe on, <HI>their
<PB REF="4">tongues are their owne:</HI> Let <HI>Shimei</HI> cur&s;e (&s;aith <HI>David</HI>) <HI>who can tell if the Lord will look upon my affliction,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 16.12.</NOTE> <HI>and do me good for his cur&s;ing this day?</HI> However we in the&s;e dayes are not the fir&s;t that have ta&s;ted of this cup, we may take the <HI>Prophets and Apo|&s;tles</HI> for patterns of patience,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ja. 5.10.</NOTE> exam|ples of &s;uffering in the &s;ame kind, &amp; the Lord of the Prophets too, for <HI>in the dayes of his fle&s;h,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luc. 16.14.</NOTE> when hee was upon earth, &s;ome derided and carp|ed at his Preaching, as many doe at his Prayer now adays.</P>
<P>Beloved Chri&s;tian, into who&s;e hands the&s;e thoughts of Peace &s;hall come, reade them over without pre|judice,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 21.24.</NOTE> &amp; <HI>thou &s;halt &s;ee that the things whereof thou ha&s;t been informed con|cerning them and me, are nothing.</HI> My
<PB REF="5">de&s;ire in publi&s;hing the&s;e Meditati|ons, is to give thee &s;atisfaction, and withall direction al&s;o to lead thy life in peace,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 34.13.</NOTE> <HI>that thou may&s;t &s;ee good dayes,</HI> and at the end of thy dayes, when thy pilgrimage &s;hal be expired, thou may&s;t with old <HI>Simeon depart in peace:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 2.29.</NOTE> And &s;o the God of peace,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 4.7.</NOTE> <HI>and the peace of God which pa&s;&s;eth all un|der&s;tanding, keep our hearts and minds through Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI></P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Thine in the Prince of Peace, <HI>Jo: Pigot.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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