THE Kingdom of Jesus Christ is fre­quently in the Scripture compared to growing things; Ecclesia sicut lun [...] defectu [...] habet, & ortus frequentes; sed defectibus suis crevit, &c. haec est ver [...] lun [...], quae de fratris fui luce perpe­tua, lur [...]en sibi immortalitatis & gratiae mu­tuatur Amb. Hex. lib 4. cap 8. small in the be­ginning and first appearance, but in­creasing by degrees unto glory and perfection. The shapelesse stone cut out without hands, having neither form, nor desirable beauty given unto it, becomes a great mountain, filling the whole earth, Dan. 2. 35. The small vine brought out of Aegypt, quickly covers the hills with her shadow, her boughs reach unto the sea, and her branches unto the rivers, Psal. 80 8. The ten­der plant becomes as the Cedars of God; and the grain of mustard-seed to be a tree for the fowls of the air, Psal. [...]8. 13. to make their nests in the branches thereof: Isa 54. 11. Mountains are made plains before it, Zach. 4 7. every valley is filled, and the crooked paths made straight, Isa. 53. 3, 4, 5. that it may have a passage to its appointed [Page 2] period; 1 Joh. 3 13. and all this, not only, not supported by outward advantages, Rev. 2. 10. but in direct opposition to the combined power of this whole creation, 2 Cor. 4. 4. as fallen, and in subjection to the god of this world, Isa. 53. 2. the head thereof. As Christ was a tender plant, seemingly easie to be broken, Heb. 7. 25. and a root out of a dry ground, not easily flourishing, yet liveth for ever: so his people and Kingdom, Cant. 2. 2. though as a lily among thorns, as sheep among wolves, Mat. 10. 16. as a turtle dove among a multitude of devourers, yet stands unshaken, Psal 74. 19. at least unshivered.

The main ground and foundation of all this, is laid out, ver. 6, 7, 8, 9, of this Chapter, containing a rich discovery, how all things here below, especially such as concern the Gospel and Church of Christ, are carried along, thorow in­numerable varieties, and a world of contingencies, ac­cording to the regular motions and goings forth of a free, eternall, unchangeable decree: as all inferiour orbs, not­withstanding the excentricks and irregularities of their own inhabitants, are orderly carried about by the first mover.

In the 6. Eo ipso tem­pore quo ad om­nes gentes prae­dicatio evange­lij mittebatur, quaedam loca Apostolis adire prohibebatur ab eo, qui vult om­nes homines sal­vos fieri. Prosp. Ep ad Rufin [...] Hom. verse. the planters of the Gospel are forbid to preach the word in Asia, (that part of it peculiarly so cal­led,) and ver. 7. assaying to go with the same message into Bithynia, they are crossed by the spirit, in their attempts: but in my text, are called to a place, on which their thoughts were not at all fixed: which calling, and which forbid­ding, were both subservient to his free determination, who worketh all things according to the counsell of his own will, Ephes. 1. 11.

And no doubt but in the dispensation of the Gospel, tho­rowout the world, unto this day, there is the like confor­mity to be found, to the patern of Gods eternall decrees: though to the messengers not made known aforehand by revelation, but discovered in the effects, by the mighty work­ing of providence.

Amongst other Nations, this is the day of Englands vi­sitation, the day-spring from on high, having visited this people, Mal. 4. 2. and the Sunne of righteousnesse arising upon us, with healing in his wings, a man of England hath pre­vailed [Page 3] for assistance, and the free grace of God, hath wrought us helpe by the Gospel.

Now in this day three things are to be done, to keep up our spirits unto this duty, of bringing down our souls by humiliation.

1. To take us off the pride of our own performances, en­deavours, or any adherent worth of our own, not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord; be it known unto you, be ye a­shamed and confounded for your own wayes, O house of Israel, ( O house of England,) Ezek. 36. 32.

2. To root out that atheisticall corruption, which depresses the thoughts of men, not permitting them in the highest pro­ducts of providence, to look above contingencies, and secun­dary causes, though God hath wrought all our works for us, Isa. 26. 12. and known unto him are all his works from the be­ginning of the world, Acts 15. 18.

3. To shew that the bulke of this people are as yet in the wildernesse, far from their resting place, like sheep upon the mountains, as once Israel, Jer. 50. 6. as yet wanting helpe by the Gospel.

The two first of these will be cleared, by discovering, how that all revolutions here below, especially every thing that concerns the dispensation of the Gospel and Kingdom of the Lord Jesus, are carried along, according to the eternally-fixed purpose of God, free in it self, taking neither rise, growth, cause nor occasion, from any thing amongst the sons of men.

The third, by laying open the helpelesse condition of Go­spel-wanting souls, with some particular application, to all which my text directly leads me.

The words in generall, 1. A quo. are the relation of a message from Heaven, 2. Ad quem. unto Paul, to direct him in the publishing of the Gospel, as to the place, and persons wherein, and to whom he was to preach: and in them you have these four things:

• 1.
  Mod [...].
  The manner of it, it was by vision, a vision appeared.
• 2.
  Temp [...].
  The time of it, in the night.
• 3.
  Instrumentum.
  The bringer of it, a man of Macedonia.
• 4.
  Materia.
  The matter of it, helpe for the Macedonians, inter­preted, [Page 4] ver. 10. to be by preaching of the Gospel.

A little clearing of the words will make way for obser­vations.

1. For the manner of the delivery of this message, it was by vision: of all the wayes that God used of old, to reveal himself unto any in extraordinary manner, which were sun­dry and various, Heb. 1. 1. there was no one so frequent, as this of vision: wherein this did properly consist, and where­by distinguished from other wayes, of the discovery of the se­crets of the Lord, I shall not now discusse: in generall, vi­sions are revelations of the minde of the Lord, concerning some hidden things present or future, and not otherwise to be known: and they were of two sorts;

1. Isa. 1. 1. Revelations meerly by word, or some other more inter­nall species, Amos 1. 1. without any outward sensible appearance, which, [...]. 1. 1. for the most part, was the Lords way of proceeding with the Prophets; Obad. 1. which transient light or discovery of things before unknown, they called a vision.

2. Revelations, accompanied with some sensible appari­tions, and that either:

1. Jer. 1. 11. Of things, as usually among the Prophets, rods and pots, wheels and trees, Jer 1. 13. lamps, axes, vessels, rams, goats and the like, Ezek. 1. 5, 6, 7. were presented unto them.

2. Zech. 1. 8. & 3. 9, 10, &c. Of persons, and those according to the variety of them, of three sorts;

First, Dan. 7. 8, 9. Of the second person of the Trinity; and this either

1. In respect of some glorious beams of his deity, as to Isaiah, chap. 6. 1. with Joh. 12. 41. to Daniel, chap. 10. ver. 5, 6. as afterwards to Iohn, Rev. 1. 13, 14, 15. to which you may adde the apparitions of the glory of God, not imme­diately designing the second person, as Ezek. 1.

2. With reference to his humanity to be assumed, as to Abraham, Gen. 18. 1, 2. to Ioshua, chap. 5. 13, 14, 15, &c.

Second, Of Angels, as unto Peter, Acts 12. 7. to the wo­man, Mat. Zech. 2. 1. 28. 2. to Iohn, Rev. 22. 8, &c.

Third, Of Men, as in my text.

Now the severall advancements of all these wayes in dig­nity and preeminence, according as they clearly make out, [Page 5] intellectuall verity, or according to the honour and exalta­tion of that whereof apparition is made, Vid. Aquin. 2. 2 q. 174. Art. 3, 4 Scot. in dist. tert. is too fruitlesse a spe­culation for this daies exercise.

Our vision is of the later sort, accompanied with a sensible appearance, and is called [...]; there be two words in the new Testament signifying vision, [...] and [...], coming from different verbes, but both signifying to see: some di­stinguish them, and say, that [...] is a vision, [...], an appearance to a man awake; [...], an appearance to a man asleep: called sometimes a dream, Iob 33. 15. like that which was made to Ioseph, Mat. 2. 19. but this distin­ction will not hold: our Saviour calling that vision, which his Disciples had at his transfiguration, when doubtlesse they were waking, [...], Mat. 17. 9. so that I conceive Paul had this vision waking; & the night, is specified, as the time there­of, not to intimate his being asleep, but rather his watchfull­nes, seeking counsell of God in the night which way he should apply himself, in the preaching, of the Gospel: and such I conceive was that of later daies, whereby God revealed to Zuinglius a strong confirmation of the doctrine of the Lords Supper, from Exod. 12. 11. against the factours for that mon­strous figment of Transubstantiation.

2. A Lapide, San­ctius in locum, &c. For the second or time of this vision, I need say no more, then what before I intimated.

3. The bringer of the message, [...], he was a man of Macedonia in a vision: the Lord made an ap­pearance unto him, Me [...]. Apost. of later times. [...]lut [...]rch. in vit. Bru [...]i. as of a man of Macedonia; discover­ing even to his bodily eyes a man, and to his minde, that he was to be conceived as a man of Macedonia: this was, say some, Calvin. in lo­cum, Dicebat se discernere, (ne­scio quo s [...]pore, quem verbis ex­plicare non po­terat) quid in­teresset inter Deum revelan­tem, &c. Aug. confes. an Angel, the Tutelar Angel of the place, say the Popish expositors, or the genius of the place, according to the phrase of the Heathens, of whom they learned their daemonologie, perhaps him, or his Antagonist, that not long before appeared to Brutus all Philippi: but these are pleasing dreams: us it may suffice, that it was the ap­pearance of a man, the minde of Paul being enlightened to apprehend him as a man of Macedonia: and that with infallible assurance, such as usually accompanieth [Page 6] divine revelations, in them to whom they are made, as Jer. 23. 28. for upon it, Luke affirmeth, ver. 10. they assuredly concluded, that the Lord called them into Macedonia.

4. The message it self is a discovery of the want of the Macedonians, and the assistance they required, which the Lord was willing should be imparted unto them: their want is not expressed, but included in the assistance desired, and the person unto whom for it they were directed. Had it been to help them in their estates, they should scarcely have been sent to Paul, Acts 3. 6. who I believe, might for the most-part say with Peter, Silver and Gold have I none. Or had it been with a complaint, that they, who from a province of Greece, in a corner of Europe, had on a sudden been ex­alted into the Empire of the Eastern World, were now en­slaved to the Roman power and oppression, they might bet­ter have gon to the Parthians, then the only state in the world, formidable to the Romans: Paul, though a military man, yet fought not with Neroe's Legions, the then visi­ble Devil of the upper world, [...] lutarch, de defect. or [...]u. [...]. Respons. Apoll. apud Euseb. Niceph. but with Legions of Hell, of whom the earth was now to be cleared; It must be a soul­want, if he be entrusted with the supplying of it. And such this was, help from death, hell, Satan, from the jaws of that devouring Lion: of this the Lord makes them here to speak, what every one in that condition ought to speak, help for the Lords sake, it was a call to preach the Go­spel.

The words being opened, we must remember what was said before of their connexion with the verses foregoing; wherein the Preachers of the Gospel, are expressely hindred from above, from going to other places, and called hither. Whereof no reason is assigned, but only the will of him that did imploy them: and that no other can be rendred, I am further convinced, —a nullo duro corde resistitur, quid cor ipsum emollit. Aug. Ezek 36 26. Deut. 30. 6. by considering the empty conjectures of attempters.

God fore-saw that they would oppose the Gospel, saies our Beda: so say I might he of all nations in the world, had not he determined to send his effectuall grace for the re­movall [Page 7] of that opposition: besides, he grants the means of grace to despisers, Matth. 11. 21.

They were not prepared for the Gospel, Lapide. Sanctius. in loc. Rom Script. Synd ar. 1. [...]. Ignat. Epist. ad Ep. Irae lib. 3. cap. 3. Qui causam quae sit volun­tatis divinae, a­liquid majus [...]o quaerit, Aug. Voluntas Dei nullo modo cau­sam habet. A­quin. p. q. [...]. a 5. says Oecumenius: as well say I as the Corinthians, whose preparations you may see, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11. or any other nation, as we shall afterwards declare; yet to this foolish conjecture adhere the Papists and Arminians. God would have those places left for to be converted by John, saies Sedulius, yet the Church at Ephesus the cheif City of those parts was planted by Paul, says Ignatius, and Irenaeus.

He foresaw a famine to come upon those places, says Origen; from which he would deliver his own, and there­fore it seems, left them to the power of the Devil.

More such fancies might we recount, of men, unwilling to submit to the will of God; but upon that as the sole dis­criminating cause of these things we rest, and draw these three observations.

1. The rule whereby all things are dispensed here below, especially in the making out of the means of grace, is the de­terminate will and counsell of God: stay not in Asia, go not into Bithynia, but come to Macedonia, even so, O Fa­ther, for so, &c.

2. The sending of the Gospel to any nation, place or per­sons rather then others, as the means of life and salvation, is of the meer free grace and good pleasure of God. Stay not in Asia, &c.

3. No men in the world want help, like them that want the Gospel. Come and help us.

Begin we with the first of these, [...]. Theo­phrast. apud Picum, de prov. Providentia est ratio ordinis rerum ad fi­nem. Th. p. q. 22. a 1. c. the rule whereby, &c. or all events and effects, especially concerning the propa­gation of the Gospel, and the Church of Christ, are in their greatest variety, regulated by the eternall purpose and coun­sell of God: all things below in their events, are but the wax, whereon the eternall seal of his purpose, hath left its own impression, and they every way answer unto it. It is not my minde to extend this to the generality of things in the world, nor to shew how the creature, can by no means deviate from that eternall rule of providence whereby it is [Page 8] guided, no more then an arrow can avoid the mark, after it hath received the impression of an unerring hand, or well-ordered wheels not turne, according to the motion given them by the master spring, Ezek. 1. or the wheels in Ezekiels vision move irregularly to the spirit of life that was in them.

Nor yet secondly, how that, on the other side, doth no way prejudice the liberty of second causes, in their actions agreeable to the natures they are indued withall. He who made and preserves the fire, yet hinders not, but that it should burne, or act necessarily agreeable to its nature; by his making, preserving and guiding of men, hindreth not, yea effectually causeth, Non tantum res, sed rerum modos. that they work freely, agreeable to their nature.

Nor yet thirdly, V [...]etur ergo quod non s [...]t a­liqua d [...]orde­natio, deformi­tas aut pecca­tum simpliciter in toto u [...]ver­so, sed tantum­modo respectu interiorum cau­sarum, ordina­tionem superio­ris causa volen­tium, licet non vale [...]ium per­t [...]rbare. [...]rad. de caus. Dei l [...]b. 1. cap. 34. [...]. to clear up what a straight line runs thorow all the darknes, confusion and disorder in the world, how absolutely, in respect of the first fountain, and last tendance of things, there is neither deformity, fault, nor deviation, every thing that is amisse, consisting in the trans­gression of a morall rule, which is the sin of the creature, the first cause being free: as he that causeth a lame man to goe, is the cause of his going, but not of his going lame: or the sun exhaling a smell from the kennell, is the cause of the smell, but not of its noisomnesse, for from a garden his beams raise a sweet savour: nothing is amisse but what go­eth off from its own rule, which he cannot do, who will do all his pleasure, and knows no other rule. But omit­ting these things, I shall tie my discourse to that which I cheifly aimed at in my proposition, viz. to discover how the great variety which we see in the dispensation of the means of grace, A [...]eo summa justitiae regula est Dei volun [...]as, ut quicquid vult, co [...]so quo [...] vult ju­stum [...]abendum sit, Aug. de gen. con ma [...]. l [...]b 1. Isa. 46. 10. proceedeth from, and is regulated by some eternall purpose of God, unfolded in his Word. To make out this, we must lay down three things.

1. The wonderfull variety in dispensing of the outward means of salvation, in respect of them, unto whom they were granted, used by the Lord since the fall: I say, since the fall, for the grace of preserving from sin, and conti [...] ­ing with God, had been generall, universally extended to every creature, but for the grace of rising from sin, and [Page 9] coming again unto God, that is made exceeding various, by some distinguishing purpose.

2. That this outward dispensation being presupposed, yet in effectuall working upon particular persons, there is no lesse variety, for he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy.

3. Discover the rules of this whole administration.

1. Gen. 3 15. For the first, The promise was at first made unto Adam, Chap 4. 26. and by him doubtlesse conveied to his issue; and preached to the severall generations, Gen. 6. 5. which his eyes beheld, proceeding from his own loyns: but yet by the wickednes of the old world, all flesh corrupting their waies, we may easily collect, that the knowledge of it quickly departed from the most: sin banishing the love of God from their hearts, Gen. 5. [...]5. & 6. 18. hindred the knowledge of God from continuing in their mindes. Gen. 12. 1. & 18. 1, 2. 2. After many revivings, by visions, re­velations, and covenants, it was at length called in from the wide world, Psal. 76 1, 2. and wholly restrained to the house, fami­ly and seed of Abraham: Joh. 4. 22. with whom alone, all the means of grace continued, Gal 4 4. for thrice fourteen generations; they alone were in Goshen, Joh. 12. 31. and all the world besides in thick darknes: Acts 17. 30. the dew of Heaven was on them as the fleece, when else all the earth was dry. Mark. 16 15. God shewed his word unto Jacob, Mal. 3. 4. his statutes and judgements unto Israel, he hath not dealt so with any Nation, Prov 8. 31. Psal. 141. 19, 20. The prero­gative of the Jews was cheifly in this, See Tertullian, lib. ad Iudae. reckoning al­most all the known Na­tions of the world, and af­firming that they all, that is, some in them, in his daies, submit­ted to the sce­pter of Christ: he lived in the end of the se­cond Century. that to them were committed the oracles of God, Rom. 3. to them pertained the adoption, and the glory, the Covenants and the giving of the Law, the service of God and the promises, Rom. 9. 4. 3. But when the fulnes of time came, the Son of God be­ing sent in the likenes of sinfull flesh, he drew all men unto him: and God, who had before winked at the time of their ignorance, then called them every where to repent: com­manding the Gospel to be preached, to the universality of reasonable creatures, and the way of salvation to be pro­claimed unto all; upon which, in few years the sound of the Gospel went out into all Nations, and the sun of Righte­ousnes displayed his beams upon the habitable parts of the [Page 10] earth. 4. But yet once more this light, by Satan and his agents, persecutours and seducers, is almost extinguished, as was foretold, 2 Thes. 2. remaining but in few places, and burning dim where it was, the Kingdom of the beast be­ing full of darknes, Revel. 16. 10. yet God again raiseth up reformers, and by them kindles a light, we hope, never to be put out. But alas, what a spot of ground doth this shine on, in comparison of the former vast extents and bounds of the Christian world. Now is all this variety, think you, to be ascribed unto chance, as the Philosopher thought the world was made by a casuall concurrence of atomes? or hath the Idol free-will, with the new goddesse contingency, ruled in these dispensations? truly neither the one nor the other, no more then the fly raised the dust, by sit­ting on the chariot wheel; but all these things have come to passe, according to a certain unerring rule, given them by Gods determinate purpose and counsell. Secondly, presup­posing this variety in the outward means, how is it that thereupon, one is taken, another left? the promise is made known to Cain and Abel; one the first murtherer, the other the first Martyr; Jacob and Esau, had the same outward advantages, but the one becomes Israel, the other Edom, the one inherits the promises, the other sels his right for a messe of pottage: at the preaching of our Saviour, some be­lieved, some blasphemed; Ioh. 7. 12. some said he was a good man, others said, nay, but he deceiveth the people: have we not the word in its power this day, and do we not see the like vari­ous effects, some continuing in impenitency, others in sin­cerity closing with Jesus Christ? Now what shall we say to these things? What guides these wheels? Who thus stears his word for the good of souls? Why this also, as I said be­fore, is from some peculiarly distinguishing purpose of the will of God.

To open the third thing proposed, I shall shew, first, that all this variety is according to Gods determinate purpose, and answereth thereunto; Secondly, the particular purposes from whence this variety proceedeth.

1. Ephes. 1. 11. He worketh all things according to the [Page 11] Counsell of his own will: Piscat. in loc. [...] Damas­cin satis imp [...]e. as man may be said to erect a fa­brick, according to the counsell of his will, when he fra­meth it before in his minde, and maketh all things in event, answer his preconceived platform; all things, (especially [...], all those things, of which the Apostle there treat­eth, Gospel-things) have their futurition, and manner of being, from his eternall purpose: whence also is the idea in the minde of God, Mat. 10. 29. of all things with their circumstances, that shall be: Iob 14. 5▪ that is the first mover, continuing it self im­moveable: giving to every thing a regular motion, Prov. 16. 33. ac­cording to the impression which from that it doth receive: Prov. 11. 1. [...]0. & 19 21. for known unto him are all his works from the beginning of the World, Nihil fit, nisi omnipotens fi­eri velit, vel ipse faciendo, vel si [...]endo ut fiat. Aug. Act. 15. 18.

If any attendants of actions, might free and exempt them, from the regular dependance we insist upon, they must be either contingency or sin; but yet for both these, we have, Gen. chap 4, 5. 4, 5, 6, 7. besides generall rules, clear particular instances: what seems more contingent and casuall, then the unadvi­sed slaying of a man, 1 King. 22. 19, 20, 21. with the fall of the head of an axe from the helve, as a man was cutting wood by the way side? Deut. 2 Kin. 5. 18, 19. 19. 5. yet God assumes this as his own work, Exod. 23. Psal. 76. 10. 13. the same may be said of free agents, and their acti­ons: and for the other, Eccles. 7. 26. see Act. 4. 27, 28. in the crucifying of the Sonne of Gods love, Isa. 6. 9, 10, 11, &c. all things came to passe accord­ing as his counsell had before determined that it should be done. Deus no [...] o­peratur in ma­lis, quod ei dis­plicet, sed opera­tur per eos quod ei placet; recipi­entur vero, non pro eo quod Deus bene usus est ipsorum o­peribus malis, sed pro eo, quod ipsi ma­l [...] abusi sunt Dei operibus bonis: Fulgent. ad Monim. Now how in the one of these liberty is not abrid­ged, the nature of things not changed in the other, sinne is not countenanced, belongs not to this discourse: the coun­sell of the Lord then standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart are unto all generations, Psal. 33. 12. his counsell standeth, and he will do all his pleasure, Isa. 46. 10. for he is the Lord, and he changeth not, Mal. 3. 6. with him is neither variablenes nor shadow of turning, James 1. 17. all things that are, come to passe in that unchangeable method, which he hath laid them down from all eternity.

2. Let us look peculiarly upon the purposes according to which the dispensations of the Gospel, both in sending, and withholding it do proceed.

[Page 12] 1. For the not sending of the means of grace unto any people, whereby they hear not the joyfull sound of the Go­spel, but have in all ages followed dumb Idols, as many doe unto this day. In this chapter of which we treat, the Gospel is forbidden to be preached in Asia and Bithynia, which restraint the Lord by his providence, as yet continues to many parts of the world: now the purpose from whence this proceedeth, and whereby it is regulated, you have Rom. 9. 22. What if God willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long suffering the vessels of his wrath fitted to destruction, compared with Matth. 11. 25, 26. thou hast hid these things from the prudent and wise, even so, O Father, for so it seemed good be­fore thee: and with Acts 14. 16. he suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways: 2 Thes 2. now Gods not sending the truth, hath the same designe and aim with his sending, Acts 4. the efficacy of errour, Liberatur pars hominum, parte pereunte; sed [...]ur horum mi­sertus sit Deus, i [...]orum non mi­sertus, quae sci­entia compre­hendere potest? later discretio­nis ratio, sed non late [...] ipsa discretio. Prosp. de Vocat. Gen. viz. that they all may be damned, who have it not: there being no other name under Heaven, whereby they may be saved, but only that which is not revealed unto them: God in the mean time, being no more the cause of their sins, for which they incurre damnation, then the sun is the cause of cold and darknes, which follow the absence thereof: or he is the cause of a mans imprisonment for debt, who will not pay his debt for him, though he be no-way obliged so to doe: so then the not sending of the Gospel to any people, is an act regulated by that eternall purpose of God, where­by he determineth to advance the glory of his justice, by permitting some men to sin, to continue in their sin, and for sin to send them to their own place; as a Kings not send­ing a pardon to condemned malefactors, is an issue of his purpose, that they shall die for their faults. When you see the Gospel strangely, and thorow wonderfull varieties, and unexpected providences, carried away from a people, know, that the spirit which moves in those wheels, is that purpose of God which we have recounted.

2. To some people, to some Nations, the Gospel is sent, God calls them to repentance and acknowledgement of the truth, as in my text, Macedonia: and England the day [Page 13] wherein we breath. Now there is in this a two-fold aim: 1. Peculiar towards some in their conversion; 2. Generall towards all for conviction, and therefore it is acted accord­ing to a two-fold purpose, which carries it along, and is ful­filled thereby.

First, Rom. 8. 28, 29. His purpose of saving some in and by Iesus Christ, effectually to bring them unto himself, Ephes. 1. 4. for the praise of his glorious grace: 2 Tim. 2. 1 [...]. upon whomsoever the seal of the Lord is stamped, that God knows them and ownes them as his, to them he will cause his Gospel to be revealed. Ephes. 2. 2, 12. Acts 18. 10. Paul is commanded to abide at Corinth, and to preach there, Non ob aliud dicit, non vos me elegistis, sed ego vos e­legi, nisi quia non elegerunt eum, ut eligeret eos; sed ut eli­gerent eum, ele­git eos. Non quia praescivit eos credituros, fed quia factu­rus ipse fuerit credentes. Ele­cti sunt ita (que) ante mundi constitutionem, ea praedestina­tione, qua De­us ipse sua fu­tura facta prae­vidit: electi sunt autem de mundo e [...] voca­tione, qua Deus id quod praede­stinavit imple­vit. August. de bon. persev. because God had much people in that City: though the de­vil had them in present possession, yet they were Gods in his eternall counsel. And such as these they were, for whose sake the man of Macedonia is sent on his message. Have you ne­ver seen the Gospel hover about a Nation, now and then a­bout to settle, and anon scared and upon wing again, yet working thorow difficulties, making plains of mountains, and filling valleys, overthrowing armies, putting aliens to flight, and at length taking firm root like the Cedars of God? truly if you have not, you are strangers to the place wherein you live. Now what is all this, but the working of the pur­pose of God to attain its proposed end, of gathering his Saints to himself. In effectuall working of grace also, for conversion and salvation, whence do you thinke it takes its rule and determination, in respect of particular objects, that it should be directed to Iohn, not Iudas; Simon Peter, not Simon Magus? Why only from this discriminating coun­sel of God from eternity, to bring the one, and not the other to himself by Christ, Acts 2. 47. the Lord added to the Church such as should be saved. The purpose of saving, is the rule of adding to the Church of beleevers. And Acts 13. 48. as many beleeved as were ordained to eternall life. Their fore-ordaining to life eternall, gives them right to faith and belief. The purpose of Gods election is the rule of dispensing saving grace.

Secondly, cap. 16, 17. His purpose of leaving some inexcusable in their sins, Mat. 11 21. for the further manifestation of his glorious justice, Acts 13. 46. is [Page 14] the rule of dispensing the word unto them: Luk. 2. 34. Did you never see the Gospel sent or continued to an unthankefull people, 1 Pet. [...]. 7. bringing forth no fruits meet for it? Ezek. 2. 5. wherefore it is so sent, see Isa. Matth. 2 [...]. 15. 6. 9, 10. which prophecie you have fulfilled, Ioh. 12. 41, Rom. [...]. 23. 42. in men described, Iude 4. and 1 Pet. 2. 8. But here we must strike sail, the waves swell, and it is no easie task to sail in this gulfe, the righteousnesse of God is a great mountain, ( easie to be seen) but his judgements like the great deep, ( who can search into the bottom thereof?) Psal. 36. 6. And so I hope▪ I have discovered, how all things here below, con­cerning the promulgation of the Gospel, are, in their greatest variety, straightly regulated by the eternall purposes and counsel of God. The Ʋses of it follow.

To discover whence it is, Ʋse 1. that the worke of reforming the worship of God, and setling the almost departing Gospel, hath so powerfully been carried along in this Nation: that a beautifull fabrick is seen to arise in the middest of all oppo­sitions, with the confusion of axes and hammers sounding about it: N [...]h. 4. 17. though the builders have been forced ofttimes, not only with one hand, but with both to hold the weapons of warre: that although the wheels of our chariots have been knocked off, and they driven heavily, yet the regular motions of the superiour wheels of providence, have carried on the designe, towards the resting place aimed at; that the ship hath been directed to the port, though the storm had quite pusled the pilots and mariners; even from hence, that all this great variety, was but to worke out one certain fore-appoint­ed end, proceeding in the tracts and paths, which were tra­ced out for it from eternity; which though they have seem­ed to us a maze or labyrinth, such a world of contingencies and various chances hath the worke passed thorow; yet in­deed all the passages thereof have been regular and straight, answering the platform laid down for the whole in the coun­sell of God. Daniel, chap. 9. makes his supplication for the restauration of Ierusalem, ver. 23. an Angel is sent to tell him, that at the beginning of his supplication the command­ment came forth, viz. that it should be accomplished; it was before determined, and is now set on worke: but yet [Page 15] what mountains of opposition, Zech. 4. 7. what hinderances lay in the way? S [...]l. de E­mend. Temp. Cyrus must come to the crown, by the death or slaughter of Darius; his heart be moved to send some to the worke; in a short time Cyrus is cut off; now difficulties arise from the following Kings: what their flattering counsel­lours, what the malignant Nations about them conspired, the books of Nehemiah and Ezra sufficiently declare. Whence, ver. 25. the Angel tells Daniel, that from the command­ment, to restore and build Ierusalem, unto Messia the Prince, shall be 7 weeks, and 62 weeks, the street shall be built again, and the wall in troublesome times: that is, it shall be 7 weeks to the finishing of Ierusalem, and thence to Messia the Prince, 62 weeks; 7 weeks, that is, 49 years, for so much it was I follow in this the vulgar or common ac­count, other­wise there is no part of Scripture chro­nologie so contended a­bout, as these weeks of Da­niel: most concluding, that they are terminated in the death of Christ, happening about the middest of the last week: but about their originall or rise there is no small debate, of the four decrees made by the Persian Kings about the building of Ierusalem, viz. 1. By Cyrus, 2 Chron. 3. 6. 2. By Darius Ezek. 6. 3. 3. By Arta [...]erxes, Ezek. 7. of the same to Ne­hemiah, chap. 2. following the account of their reign set down in profane stories, the last only holds exactly. Tertullian ad Iudae. begins it from Darius, when this vision appear­ed to Daniel, whom it seems he conceived to be Darius Hyslaspes, that followed the Magi, and not Medus, that was before Cyrus: and so with a singular kinde of Chrono­logie makes up his account. Vid: Euseb. demon. Evan lib. 8. cap. 2. Fun [...]c. Com. in Chron. Beroald. chron. lib. 3. cap. 7, 8 Mon [...]acu. Apparat., from the decree of Cyrus, to the finish­ing of the wall by Nehemiah: of which time the Temple, as the Jews affirmed, was all but 3 yeers in building, Ioh. 2. 20. during which space, how often did the hearts of the people of God faint in their troubles, as though they should never have seen an end, and therefore ever and anon were rea­dy to give over, as Hag. 1. 2. but yet ye see the decree was fixed, and all those varieties, did but orderly worke in an exact method, for the glorious accomplishment of it. Englands troubles, have not yet endured above half the odd yeers of those reformers task, yet, good God, how short breathed are men! what fainting is there? what repining, what grudging against the waies of the Lord? But, let me tell you, that as the water in the stream will not go higher then the head of the fountain, no more will the work [...] in [Page 16] hand, be carried one step higher, or beyond the aim of its fountain, the counsel of God, from whence it hath its rise: and yet as a river will break thorow all oppositions, and swell to the height of mountains, to go to the sea, from whence it came; so will the stream of the Gospel, when it comes out from God, break down all mountains of opposi­tion, and not be hindred from resting in its appointed place. It were an easie thing to recall their mindes, to some trembling periods of time, when there was trembling in our Armies, and trembling in our Counsels, trembling to be ashamed, to be repented of, trembling in the City and in the Countrey, and men were almost at their wits end for the sorrows and fears of those dayes: and yet we see how the unchangeable purpose of God, hath wrought strongly thorow all these straits, from one end to another, that nothing might fall to the ground, of what he had de­termined. If a man in those daies had gone about to perswade us, that all our pressures were good omens, that they all wrought together for our good, we could have been ready to cry with the woman, who when she had recount [...]d her griefs [...]o the Physicians and he still replied, they were good signes, [...], good signes have undone me, these good signes will be our ruin; yet behold (we hope) the contrary. Our day hath been like that mentioned, Zech. 14. 6, 7. a day whose light is neither clear nor dark, a day known only to the Lord, seeming to us to be neither day nor night: but God knew all this while that it was a day, he saw how it all wrought for the appointed end: and in the evening, in the close, it will be light, so light as to be to us discernable. In the mean time, we are like unskilfull men, going to the house of some curious Artist, so long as he is about his worke, despise it as confused; but when it is finished, admire it as excellent: Whilest the passages of providence are on us, all is confusion, but when the fabrick is reared, glorious.

Learn to look upon the wisedom of God, Ʋse 2. in carrying all things, thorow this wonderfull variety, exact [...]y to answer his own eternall purpose: [...]uffering so many mountains to lie in the way of reforming his Churches, and setling the [Page 17] Gospel, that his spirit may have the glory, and his people the comfort in their removall. It is an high and Noble con­templation, to consider the purposes of God, so far as by the event revealed, and to see what impressions his wisedom and power do leave upon things accomplished here below, to read in them a temporary history of his eternall counsels. Some men may deem it strange, that his determinate will, which gives rule to these things, and could in a word have reached its own appointment, should carry his people so ma­ny journies in the wildernesse, and keep u [...] thus long in so low estate▪ I say, not to speak of his own glory, which hath spark­led forth of this flinty opposition, there be divers things, things of light, for our good, which he hath brought forth out of all that darkenesse, wherewith we have been overclouded: take a few instances.

1. If there had been no difficulties, there had been no de­liverances: and did we never finde our hearts so inlarged to­wards God upon such advantages, as to say, Well, this daies temper of spirit, was cheaply purchased by yesterdaies an­guish and fear? that was but a being sick at sea.

2. Had there been no tempests and storms, we had not made out for shelter: did ye never run to a tree for shelter in a storm, Prov. 18. [...]0. and finde fruit which ye expected not? did ye ne­ver go to God for safegard in these times, driven by out­ward stormes, Heb. 12. 11. and there finde unexpected fruit, the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse, that made you say, Happy tempest, which cast me into such an harbour? Pet▪ Mart. de Relig. Jud▪ de­cad. 1 l [...]b. 1. It was a storm that oc­casioned the discovery of the golden mines of India: hath not a storm driven some to the discovery of the richer mines of the love of God in Christ?

3. Had not Esau come against him, with 400 men, Jacob had not been called Israel; he had not been put to it, to try his strength with God, and so to prevail. Who would not purchase with the greatest distresse that heavenly comfort, which is in the return of prayers? the strength of Gods Ja­cobs in this Kingdom, had not been known, if the Esaus had not come against them. Some say, this war hath made a dis­covery of Englands strength, what it is able to do. I thinke [Page 18] so also, not what Armies it can raise against men, but with what Armies of prayers and tears it is able to deal with God. Had not the brethren strove in the wombe, Rebekah had not asked, Why am I thus? nor received that answer, The elder shall serve the younger: had not two sorts of people strug­led in the wombe of this Kingdom, we had not sought, nor received such gracious answers. Thus do all the various mo­tions of the lower wheels, serve for our good, and exactly answer the impression they receive from the master spring, the eternall purpose of God. Of this hitherto.

The sending of the Gospel to any one Nation, Observ. 2. rather then another, Q [...]i liber [...]t [...]r, gra [...]iam dili­gat▪ qui non li­beratur, debi­tu [...]a a [...]roscar. Aug. de bon▪ persev. cap. 8. as the means of life and salvation, is of the meer free grace and good pleasure of God.

Now before I come to make out the absolute independen­cy and freedom of this distinguishing mercy, I shall premise three things.

First, 1. Ex nequissimis in ipso vitae ex­itu gratia in­venit quos a­aoplet▪ cum multi, qui mi­nus [...]ocertes videantur, doni hujus alieni sunt. That the not sending of the Gospel to any person or people, is of Gods meer good pleasure, and not of any peculiar distinguishing demerit in that person or people. No man or Nation doth majorem ponere obicem, lay more or greater obsta [...]les against the Gospel then another. There is nothing imaginable to lay a block in the passage thereof, but only sin: Now these sins, are, or may be, of two sorts; either first, a­gainst the Gospel it self, which may possibly hinder the re­ceiving of the Gospel, but not the sending of it, which it pre­supposeth. Secondly, against the Covenant they are under, and the light they are guided by, Pros. de voc. Gen. lib. 1. cap. 17. before the beams of the Gospel shine upon them: now in these, generally all are e­quall, all having sinned and come short of the glory of God: 1 Cor, 1. 25, 26. And in particular sins against the Law and light of nature, no Nation have gone farther then they which were soonest enlightned with the word, as afterwards will appear: so that the sole cause of this, is the good pleasure of God, as our Saviour affirmeth, Mat. 11. 25, 26.

Secondly, 2. That sins against the Covenant of works, which men are und [...]r, Act. 14. 16, [...]7. [...]h. [...]7. [...]0, 3 [...]. before the Gospel comes unto them, cannot have any generall demerit, that the means of life and salva­tion by free grace should not be imparted to them. It is true, [Page 19] all Nations have deserved to be turned into hell, and a people that have had the truth, and detained it in ungodlinesse, de­serve to be deprived of it. The first, by vertue of the sanction of the first broken Covenant: the other, by sinning against that, which they had of the second; but that men in a fallen condition, and not able to rise, should hereby deserve not to be helped up, needeth some distinction to clear it.

There is then a two-foold demerit and indignity: one meerly negative, or a not deserving to have good done unto us: The other positive, deserving that good should not be done unto us. The first of these, is found in all the world, in respect of the dispensation of the Gospel: If the Lord should bestow it only on those who do not, not deserve it, he must for ever keep [...] it closed up in the eternall treasure of his his own bosom. The second is found directly in none, in re­spect of that peculiar way which is discovered in the Go­spel, because they had not sinned against it: which rightly con­sidered, gives no small lustre to the freedom of grace.

Thirdly, 3. That there is a right in the Gospel, and a fitnesse in that gracious dispensation, to be made known to all people in the world; that no singular portion of the earth should be any longer an holy land, or any mountain of the world lift up its head above its fellows. And this right hath a double foundation.

First, The infinite value and worth of the bloud of Christ, giving fulnesse and fitnesse to the promises founded thereon, Rom. [...]. 22. to be propounded to all man-kinde, Joel 2. 28. for through his bloud, re­mission of sins is preached to whosoever beleeves on him, Joh. 17. 32. Acts 10. Rom. 1 5 43. to every creature, Mat. 16. 15. God would have a price of that infinite value for sin, Rom▪ 10. 26. laid down, as might justly give advantage, to proclaim a pardon indifinitely to all that will come in, and accept of it, there being in it no de­fect at all, (though intentionally only a ransom for some) but that by it, the world might know that he had done what­soever the father commanded him, Jo. 14. 31.

Secondly, 2. In that [...]conomy and dispensation of the grace of the new Covenant, breaking forth in these later daies, whereby all externall distinction, Rom. [...]. 13. of places and [...]ersons, people [Page 20] and Nations being removed, Ephs▪ 14, 15. Jesus Christ taketh all Nations to be his inheritance, Mat. [...]8 19. dispensing to all men the grace of the Gospel, bringing salvation, as seemeth best to him: Tit. 2. 11, 12. for being lifted up, he drew all unto him, having re­deemed us with his bloud, out of every kinred and tongue, people and Nation, Apoc. 5. 9. And on these two grounds it is, that the Gospel hath in it self a right and fitnesse, to be preached to all, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

These things being premised, I come to the proof of the assertion.

Deut. 7. 7, 8. Moses is very carefull in sundry places to get this to take an impression upon their spirits, that it was meer free grace that exalted them into that condition and dignity wherein they stood, by their approach unto God, in the en­joyment of his Ordinances: in this most cleerly rendring the cause of Gods love in chusing them, mentioned, ver. 7. to be only his love, ver. 8. his love towards them is the cause of his love, his free love eternally determining, of his free love actually conferring those distinguishing mercies upon them: it was not for their righteousnesse, for they were a stiffneck­ed people, D [...]ut. 6 6.

Mat. 11. 25▪ 26. Our Saviour laying both these things to­gether, the hiding of the mysteries of salvation from some, and revealing them to others, renders the same reason and supreme cause of both, of which no account can be rendred, only the good pleasure of God. I thanke thee, father: and if a­ny will proceed higher, and say, Where is the justice of this, that men equally obnoxious, should be thus unequally ac­cepted? we say with Paul, that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardneth, and who art thou, O man, that disputest against God? si tu es homo, & ego homo, August. audtamus dicentem, O homo, Tu quis: to send a pardon to some that are condemned, Si hoc volunta­tum meritis vo­luerimus ascri­bere, ut malos negl [...]xisse gra­tia bon [...]s ete­gisse [...]ideatu [...]. suffering the rest to suffer, hath no injustice. If this will not satisfie, let us say with the same Apostle, [...], Rom. 11. 33. O the depth of the, &c.

Yea so far is it from truth, that God should dispense, and grant his word and means of grace, by any other rule, or upon [Page 21] any other motive then his own will and good pleasure, resistet vobis in­numerabilium causa populo­rum, quibus per tot secula, coe­lest is doctrinae a [...]nu [...]tiatio non corruscavit, nec meltores ju [...]sse [...]oru [...] posteros possumus [...]i­cere, quibus scriptum est, Gentium popu­lus qui sedebat in [...]encoris lu­cem vidit mag­nam, Prosp de voc. gen. lib. [...]. cap. 15. that we finde in the Scripture the direct contrary to what we would suppose, even, mercy shewed to the more unworthy, and the more worthy passed by, reckoning worthinesse and unworthinesse by lesse or greater sin, with lesse or more en­deavours. Christ preaches to Chorazin and Bethsaida which would not repent, and at the same time denies the word to Tyre and Zidon, which would have gotten on sackcloth and ashes, when the other continued delicate despisers, Mat. 11. 21. Ezekiel is sent to them that would not hear him, passing by them that would have hearkened, chap. 3. 5. which is most clear, Rom. 9. 30, 31. the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse, have attained to righteousnesse, even the righteousnesse, of faith; but Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse, have not attained to it. If in the di­spensation of the Gospel, the Lord had had any respect to the desert of people, Corinth that famous place of sinning, had not so soon enjoyed it, the people whereof, for worship, were led away with dumbe Idols, 2 Cor. 12. 2. and for their lives, ye have them drawn to the life, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11. Fornica­tours, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with man-kinde, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, ex­tortioners, [...], which is to be repeated, [...], some of you were fornicatours, some Idolaters, but ye are sanctified: seem not these to the eye of flesh goodly quali­fications— for the Gospel of Jesus Christ? had these men been dealt withall, according as they had disposed themselves, not fitter fuell for hell could the justice of God require: but yet ye see, to these the Gospel comes, which the first, a light shines to them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death.

If God send or grant the Gospel, Reason [...]. which is the means of grace, Si de d [...]bito quaeratur respe­ctu creaturae, in Deum cadere non pote [...]t, nisi ex a [...]i [...]ua sup­positione ipsi. upon any other ground, but his meer good pleasure; then it must be an act of remunerative justice: Now there is no such justice in God towards the creature, but what is founded upon some preceding Covenant, or with promise of God to the creature, which is the only foundation of all relation between God and man, but only those that attend [Page 22] creation and sovereignty. Deo volunt [...] ­ria, quae non po­test esse nisi promissio aut pactio a [...]iqua, ex quibus fide­li [...]at [...]s aut ju­stitiae debitum [...]risolet, Zua­t [...]z. de libert. divi. vol. disp. 1. Sect. 2. num. 5. Now what promise do you finde made to, or Covenant with a people, as yet without the Go­spel: I mean conditionall promises, inferring any good to be bestowed on any required performance on their part? free, absolute promises there are, innumerable, that light should shine to them that were in darkenesse, and those to be called Gods people which were not his people; but such as depend on any condition on their part to be fulfilled, we finde none. God bargains not with the creature about the Gospel know­ing how unable he is to be merchant for such pearls. If a man had all that goodnesse which may be found in man, with­out Jesus Christ, Deus nulla ob ligatione tene­tur▪ antequam i [...]se fi [...]em suam astringat, ergo ante promissio­nem nulla justi­tia distributi­va in Deo repe­ritur. they would not in the least measure pro­cure a discovery of him.

I deny not but God may, and perhaps sometimes doth re­veal himself to some in a peculiar and extraordinary manner. Whereunto tends that story in Aquinas, of a Corps ta­ken up in the daies of Constantine and Irene, with a plate of gold, and this inscription in it, Christus nascetur ex virgine, ego credo in illum, O sol sub Irenae & Constantini tempo­ribus iterum me videbis. V [...]sq. in q. 21. [...]1. d [...]sp. [...]6. Aqui [...] 2, 2. q [...] art. 7. [...] Justin. Apo [...], 2 But that this should be regular un­to men living, [...], in Justin Martyrs phrase, or using their naturals aright, (which is impossible they should, the right use of naturals depending on supernaturals) is wide from the word.

If there be any outward motive of granting the Gospel unto any, it is some acceptable performances of theirs, hold­ing up to the rule and will of God: 2. now this will and rule having no saving revelation but by the Gospel, which should thus be procured by acts agreeable unto it, makes up a flat contradiction, supposing the revelation of the Gospel, before it be revealed; doubtlesse according to all rules of justice to us made known, it is an easier thing, to d [...]serve Hea­ven by obedience, now under the Covenant of works, then being under that Covenant, to do any thing that might cause a new way of salvation, such as the Gospel is, to be revealed. With some observations I descend to application.

First, Obs. 1. there is the same reason of continuing the Gospel unto a people, as of sending it; especially if oppositions rise [Page 23] high, Hos. 11. 8, 9. apt and able in them [...]elves for its removall: never Na­tion as yet enjoyed the word, that deserved the continuance of the word. God hath alwaies something agaist a people, to make the continuing of his grace, to be of grace, the not re­moving of his love, to be meerly of love, and the preaching of the Gospel, to be a mercy of the Gospel, free and unde­served. Though there be worke, and labour, and patience for Christs sake at Ephesus, yet there is somewhat against Ephe­sus, Rev. 2. 4, 5. for which he might justly remove his candle­stick; and if he doth it not, it is of the same mercy that first set it there. As God layes out goodnesse and grace in the en­trance, so patience, long-suffering and firebearance in the con­tinuance; He bears with our manners, whilst we grieve his Spirit. Look upon the face of this Kingdom, and view the body of the people, thinke of the profanenes, vill [...]ny, trample­ing upon the bloud of Jesus, ignorance, contempt of God and his waies, despising his Ordinances, reviling his servants, branding and defaming the power of godlines, persecuting and tearing one another, and yet hear the joifull sound of the word in every corner; and you will quickly conclude, that you see a great fight of Gods love against our sins, and not of our goodnes for his love.

Secondly, There is the same reason of the Reformation and the doctrine of the Gospel corrupted with errour, and of the worship of God, collapsed with superstition, as of the first implantation of the Gospel: God in his just judgement of late ages, had sent upon the western world the effi [...]acy of errour, that they should beleeve lies, because they received not the love of the truth, as he fore-told, 2 Thes. 2. now whence is it, that we see some of the Nations thereof as yet suffered to walke in their own waies, others called to repent­ance, some wildernesses turned into green pastures for the flock of God, and some places made barren wildernesses for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein? how comes it, that this Iland glories in a Reformation, and Spain sits still in darknes? is it because we were better then they? or lesse engaged in Antichristian delusions? doubtlesse no: no Na­tion in the world drank deeper of that cup of abomination; [Page 24] it was a proverbiall speech amongst all, England was our good Asse (a beast of burthen) for (Antichrist whom they called) the Pope: Nothing but the good pleasure of God and Christ freely comming to refine us, Mal. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. caused this distinction.

Though men can do nothing towards the procuring of the Gospel, Obser. 3. yet men may do much for the expulsion of the Go­spel: if the husbandmen prove idle or self-seekers, the vine­yard will be let to others; and if the people love darknesse more then light, the candlestick will be removed; let Eng­land beware. Now this men may do, either upon the first en­trance of the Gospel, or after some continuance of it: the Go­spel spreading it self over the earth, findes entertainment, like that of mens seeking plantations amongst barbarous Na­tions, sometimes kept out with hideous outcries, at the shore, sometimes suffered to enter with admiration, and a little af­ter violently assaulted.

In the first way, how do we finde the Jews, putting far from them the word of life, and rejecting the counsel of God at its first entrance, calling for night at the rising of the Sun? hence, Acts 13. 41. Paul concludes his Sermon to them, with, Hear, ye despisers, wonder and perish: and ver. 46. it was necessary the word should be preached to them, but see­ing they judged themselves unworthy, they were forsaken: and ver. 51. they shake off the dust of their feet against them, a common symbol in those daies, of the highest indig­nation and deepest curse: The like stubbornes we finde in them, Acts 28. whereupon the Apostle wholly turned him­self to the Gentiles, ver. 28. How many Nations of Europe, at the beginning of the reformation, rejected the Gospel of God, and procured Christ, with the Gadarens, to depart as soon as he was extred, will be found at the last day, written with the bloud of the Martyrs of Jesus, that suffered a­mongst them?

Secondly, 2. After some continuance; so the Church of Lao­dicea, having for a while enjoyed the word, fell into such a tepid condition, so little moved with that fire that Christ came to send upon the earth, Rev. 3. 15, 16. that the Lord [Page 25] was even sick and weary with bearing them. [...]. [...]yrillus Herol, [...]. The Church of Rome, famous at the first, yet quickly, by the advantage of outward supportments and glorious phansies, became head of that fatall rebellion against Jesus Christ, which spread it self over most of the Churches in the world; God hereupon. sending upon them the efficacy of errour to beleeve a lie, that they all might be damned that beleeved not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse, 2 Thes. 2. suffering them to det [...]in the empty names of Church and Gospel, which because they usurpe, only for their advant [...]ge here, to appear glorious, the Lord will use for the advancing of his justice hereafter, to shew them inexcusable. O Lord, how was England of late by thy mercy delivered from this snare? a Captain being chosen for the return of this people into Egypt: on how hath thy grace fought against our back­sliding? And let none seek to extenuate this mercy, by Ca­talogues of errours still amongst us, there is more danger of an apostasy against Christ, and rebellion against the truth, in one Babylonish Errour, owned by men, pretending to power and jurisdiction over others, then in five hundred, scattered amongst inconsiderable disunited Individuals: I would to God, we could all speake, and think the s [...]me things, that we were all of one minde, even in the most mi­nutulous differences that are now amongst us; But yet the truth is, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ never shakes amongst a people, untill men pretending to act, with a combined mixed power, of Heaven and Earth, unto which all sheaves must bow or be threshed, Revel. 13. 17. doe by vertue of this trust, set up and impose things or opinions deviating from the rule, as it was in the papacy, errours owned by mixed associations.

Civill and Ecclesiasticall are for the most part incurable, be they never so absurd and foolish: of which the Lutheran ubiquities and consubstantiation are a tremendous ex­ample: these things being presupposed.

Let no flesh glory in themselves, Ʋse 1. but let every mouth be stopped, for we have all sinned, and come short of the glo­ry of God. Who hath made the possessors of the Gospel to diff [...]r from others? Or what have they that they have not [Page 26] received? 1 Cor. 4. 7. why are these things hidden from the great and wise of the world, and revealed to babes and children, but because, O Father, so it pleased thee? Mat. 11. 26. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth, Rom. 9. Ah Lord, if the glory and pomp of the world might prevail with thee to send thy Gospel, it would supply the room of the cursed Alchoran, and spread it self in the Palaces of that strong Lion of the East, who sets his Throne upon the necks of Kings; But alas, Jesus Christ is not there. If wisedom, learning, pretended gra­vity, counterfeit holinesse, reall pollicy were of any value in thine eies, to procure the word of life, it would be as free and glorious at Rome as ever; But alas, Antichrist hath his Throne there, Jesus Christ is not there. If will-worship and humilities, neglect of the body, macerations, superstitions, beads, and vainly repeated praiers, had any efficacy before the Lord, the Gospel perhaps might be in the cells of some Recluses and Monks; But alas, Jesus Christ is not there. If morall vertues, to an amazement, exact civill honesty and justice, that soul of humane society, could have prevailed ought, the heathen worthies in the daies of old, had had the promises; But alas, Iesus Christ was farre away. Now if all these be passed by, Britanoram inaccessa Ro­manis locd, Christo vero subdita. to whom is the report of the Lord made known? to whom is his arm revealed? Why! to an hand­full of poor sinners amongst the Nations formerly counted feirce and barbarous. And what shall we say to these things? O [...], Tertul. O the depth, &c.

Let England consider with fear and trembling the di­spensation that it is now under, Ʋse 2. I say, with fear and trem­bling: for this Day is the Lords day, wherein he will purge us or burne us, according as we shall be found silver or drosse: it is our Day, wherein we must mend or end: let us look to the rock from whence we were hewed, and the hole of the pit from whence we were digged; Britannian in Christianam consentire reli­gionem, O [...] ­gen. Hom. 4. in Ezek. was not our Father an Amorite, and our Mother an Hittite? are we not the posterity of Idolatrous Progenitors? of those who wor­shipped them who by nature were no god [...]? How often also hath this Land forfeited the Gospel? God having taken [Page 27] it twice away, Niceph. lib. 2. cap. 40. who is not forward to seize upon the forfeit­ure. In the very morning of the Gospel, the Sun of righte­ousnes shone upon this Land, Epist. Eleuth. ad Lucium, an, 16 [...]. apud Bar. Anno 469. the Saxons entred. and they say the first Poten­tate on the Earth, that owned it, was in Britain: but as it was here soon professed, so it was here soon abused. That part of this Isle which is called England, being the first place, I read of, which was totally bereaved of the Gospel; the sword of the then Pagan Saxons fattening the land with the blood of the Christian inhabitants; and in the close wholly subverting the worship of God. Long it was not ere this cloud was blown over, and those men who had been instru­ments to root out others, submitted their own necks to the yoke of the Lord, and under exceeding variety in civill af­fairs, enjoyed the word of grace: untill by insensible de­grees, like summer unto winter, or light unto darknes, it gave place to Antichristian superstition, and left the land in little lesse then a Paganish darknes, drinking deep of the cup of abominations, mingled for it by the Roman harlot; And is there mercy yet in God to recover a Twice-lost o­ver backsliding people? might not the Lord have said unto us, What shall I do unto thee, oh Island? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? but his heart is turned within him, his repentings are kindled toge­ther: the dry bones shall live, and the fleece shall be wet, though all the earth be dry. God will again water his gar­den, once more purge his vineyard, once more of his own accord he will take England upon liking, though he had twice deservedly turned it out of his service; So that com­ing as a refiners fire, and as fullers soap to purify the sons of Levi, to purge them as Gold and Silver, to offer to the Lord an offering in righteousnes, to reform his Churches, England, as soon as any, hath the benefit and comfort there­of: Nay, the Reformation of England shall be more glori­ous then of any Nation in the world, being carried on, nei­ther by might nor power, but onely by the spirit of the Lord of Hosts. But is this the utmost period of Englands sin­ning, and Gods shewing mercy, in continuing and restoring of the Gospel? No truly: we again in our daies have made [Page 28] forfeiture of the purity of his worship, by an almost univer­sall treacherous apostasy: from which the free grace, and good pleasure of God hath made a great progresse again to­wards a recovery.

There are two sorts of men, that I finde exceedingly ready to extenuate and lessen the superstition and popish tyranny of the former daies, into which we were falling.

First, Such as were industriously instrumentall in it, whose suffrages had been loud, for the choice of a Captain to returne into Egypt: Men tainted with the errours, and loaded with the preferments of the times: with all those who blindly adhere to that faction of men, who as yet co­vertly drive on that designe. To such as these, all was no­thing, and to them it is no mercy to be delivered. And the truth is, It is a favour to the lambe and not the wolfe, to have him taken out of his mouth: but these men have inter­est by those things which have no ears, against which there is no contending.

Secondly, Such as are disturbed in their opticks, or have gotten false glasses, representing all things unto them in dubious colours: Nunc igitur si [...] ▪ ominis edium [...]st▪ quis romi­rum reatus? quae a [...]cu [...]atio vocabulo [...]m? nisi av [...] barba­rum sonat ali­qu [...] vox nomi­nis, aut male­dicum aut im­pudi [...]um. which way soever they look. they can see nothing but errours, errours of all sizes, sorts, [...]ects, and sexes.

Errours and Heresies, from the beginning to the end, which hath deceived some men not of the worst, and made them think. that all before was nothing, in comparison of the present confusion. A great signe they felt it not, or were not troubled at it; as if men should come into a field, and see­ing some red weeds and cockle among the corne, should in­stantly affirm, there is no corne there, but all weeds, and that it were much better the hedges were down, Tertul. Apol. [...]d Gen. cap. 3. and the whole field laid open to the boar of the forest; but the Harvest will one day shew the truth of these things. But that these apprehensions may not too much prevail, to the vilifying and extenuating of Gods mercy, in restoring to us the purity and liberty of the Gospel: give me leave in a few words, to set out the danger of that Apostasy, from which the good pleasure of God hath given us a deliveranc [...]. I shall [...]stance onely in a few things: observe then that.

[Page 29] First, The Darling errours of late years, were all of them stones of the old Babel, closing and coupling with that tre­mendous [...]: which the man of sin had erected to de­throne Jesus Christ: came out of the belly of that Trojan horse, that fatall engine, which was framed to betray the City of God. They were popish errours, such as whereof that Apostasy did consist, which onely is to be looked upon, as the great adverse state to the Kingdom of the Lord Christ. For a man to be disorderly in a Civill state, yea often times through turbulency to break the peace, is nothing to an underhand combination with some formidable enemy, for the utter subversion of it. Heedles and headles errours may breed disturbance enough, in scattered individualls, unto the people of God: but such as tend to a peace and association, cum Ecclesia malignantium, tending to a totall subversion of the sacred state, are far more dangerous. Now such were the Innovations of the late Hierarchists; See Canterbu­rian self-con­viction, See Ld dee. Cell. &c. In worship, their paintings, crossings, crucifixes, bowings, cringings, Altars, Tapers, Wafers, Organs, Anthems, Letany, Rails, Images, Copes, vestments; what were they, but Roman vernish, an Italian dresse for our devotion, to draw on conformity with that enemy of the Lord Jesus; In doctrin, the Divinity of Episcopacy, auricular confession, free-will, predestination on faith, yea works fore-seen, limbus patrum, justification by works falling from grace, authority of a Church, which none knew what it was, Canonicall obedience, holinesse of Churches, and the like innumerable, what were they but helpes to sancta Clara, to make all our articles of Religion speak good Roman-Catholike? how did their old father of Rome refresh his spirit, to see such Chariots as those provi­ded, to bring England again unto him? this closing with Popery, was the sting in the errours of those daies, which caused pining if not death in the Episcopall pot.

Secondly, 2. They were such as raked up the ashes of the an­cient worthies, whose spirits God stirred up to reform his Church, and rendred them contemptible before all, especially those of England, Coal from the Altar. the most whereof died in giving their wit­nesse against the blinde figment of the reall presence, and [Page 30] that abominable blasphemy of the cursed masse; Altare Chri­stianum. in especiall, how did England, heretofore termed Asse, turn Ape to the Pope, Antedotum Linco [...]n. Case of Greg. and furnished it with all things necessary for an unbloody sacrifice, ready to set up the abo­mination of desolation, and close with the god Maozim, who hath all their peculiar devotion at Rome?

Thirdly, 3. They were in the management of men which had divers dangerous and pernicious qualifications; as

First, A false repute of learning, I say, a false repute for the greater part, especially of the greatest: and yet taking advan­tages of vulgar esteem, they bare out as though they had engrossed a monopoly of it: though I presume the world was never deceived by more empty pretenders; especially in re­spect of any solid knowledge in Divinity or antiquity: but yet their great preferments, had got them a great repute of great deservings, enough to blinde the eyes of poor mortals adoring them at a distance, and to perswade them, that all was not only Law, but Gospel too, which they broached: and this rendred the infection dangerous.

Secondly, 2. A great hatred of godlinesse in the power there­of, or any thing beyond a form, Sapieatior sis Socr [...]te; do­ctior Augusti­no, &c. in whomsoever it was found; yea how many odious appellations were invented for bare pro­fession, to render it contemptible?

Especially in the exercise of their jurisdiction, Clavinianus si modo dicare clam vel pro­palam, mox Tartaris, mos­cis, Afrus, Tur­cis (que) saevienti­bus & jacc [...]is excaecratior, &c. thundring their censures against all appearance of zeal, and closing with all profane, impieties; for were a man a drunkard, a swearer, a Sabbath-breaker, an unclean person, so he were no Puritan, and had money, patet atri janua Ditis, the Episcopall heaven was open for them all. Now this was a dangerous and de­structive qualification, which I beleeve is not professedly found in any party amongst us.

Thirdly, Which was worst of all, they had centred in their bosoms an unfathomable depth of power Civil and Eccle­siasticall, 3. to stampe their apostaticall errours with authority, giving them not only the countenance of greatnesse, but the strength of power, violently urging obedience; and to me, the sword of errour, never cuts dangerously, but when it is managed with such an hand. This I am sure, that errours in [Page 31] such, Romes Master­piece. are not recoverable without the utmost danger of the Civil state. Royall favour­ite.

Let now, I beseech you, these and the like things be con­sidered, especially the strong combination that was thorow­out the Papall world for the seducing of this poor Nation: that I say nothing, how this viall was poured out upon the very throne, and then, let us all be ashamed and confounded in our selves, that we should so undervalue and sleight the free mercy of God, in breaking such a snare, and setting the Gospel at liberty in England. My intent was, having before asserted this restauration of Jerusalem, to the good pleasure of God, to have stirred you up to thankefullnesse unto him, and self-humiliation in consideration of our great undeserving of such mercy; but alas; as far as I can see, it will scarce passe for a mercy: and unlesse every mans perswasion may be a Josephs sheaf, the goodnesse of God shall scarce be acknow­ledged; but yet let all the world know, and let the house of England know this day, that we lie unthankefully under as full a dispensation of mercy and grace, as ever Nation in the world enjoyed, and that without a lively acknowledgement thereof, with our own unworthinesse of it, we shall one day know what it is (being taught with briars and thorns) to undervalue the glorious Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Good Lord! what would helplesse Macedonians give for one en­joiment? O that Wales, O that Ireland, O that France, Where shall I stop? I would offend none, but give me leave to say, O that every, I had almost said, O that any part of the world, had such helpes and means of grace, as these parts of England have, which will scarce acknowledge any mercy in it: the Lord break the pride of our spirits, before it break the staff of our bread, and the helpe of our salvation. O that the bread of Heaven, and the bloud of Christ might be account­ed good nourishment, though every one hath not the sauce he desireth. I am perswaded, that if every Absolom in the Land, that would be a judge for the ending of our differences, were enthroned (he spoke the peoples good, though he in­tended his own power) the case would not be much better then it is. Well, the Lord make England, make this honou­rable [Page 32] audience, make us all to know these three things.

1 First, That we have received such a blessing, in set­ting at liberty the truths of the Gospel, as is the crown of all others mercies, yea, without which they were not valu­able, yea were to be despised: for successe without the Go­spel, is nothing but a prosperous conspiracy against Jesus Christ.

2 Secondly, That this mercy is of mercy, this love of free love, and the grace that appeareth, of the eternall hidden free grace of God. He hath shewed his love unto us because he loved us, and for no other reason in the world, this people be­ing guilty of bloud and murder, of soul and body, adultery, and idolatry, and oppression, with a long catalogue of sins and iniquities.

3 Thirdly, That the height of rebellion against God, is the de­spifing of spirituall Gospel-mercies; should Mordecai have troden the robes under his feet, that were brought him from the King, would it not have been severely revenged? Doth the King of Heaven lay open the treasures of his wisedom, know­ledge and goodnesse for us, and we despise them? What shall I say, I had almost said, hell punishes no greater sin: the Lord say it not our charge: O that we might be solemnly hum­bled for it this day, before it be too late.

To discover unto us the freedom of that effectuall grace, Ʋse. 2 which is dispensed towards the elect, under the with the preaching of the word: for if the sending of the outward means be of free underserved love, surely the working of the spirit under that dispensatior, for the saving of souls, is no lesse free: for, who hath made us differ from others, and what have we that we have not received? Non libertate gratiam, sed gratia liberta­tem consequi­mur. Aug. de Correp. & O that God should say unto us in our bloud, live; that he should say unto us in our blood, live; that he should breath upon us when we were as dry bones, dead in trespasses and sins; let us remember, I beseech you, the frame of our hearts, and the temper of our spirits, G [...]l. cap. 8. in the da [...]es wherein we know not God, and his good­nesse, but went on in a swift course of rebellion; Ezek 36. 26. Can none of you look back upon any particular daies or nights, Acts 16. 14. and say, P [...]il. 1. 39. & 2, 13. Ah Lord, that thou shouldest be so patient and so full of [Page 33] forbearance, as not to sent me to hell at such an instant; but oh Lord, that thou shouldest go further, and blot out mine iniquities for thine own sake, when I made thee serve with my sins; Lord, what shall I say it is? It is the free grace of my God: what expression transcendeth that, I know not.

Of Caution: Ʋse [...] England received the Gospel of meer mer­cy, let it take heed, lest it lose it by justice; the placer of the candlestick, can remove it; the truth is, it will not be remo­ved unlesse it be abused, and wo to them, from whom mer­cies are taken for being abused; from whom the Gospel is removed for being despised; it had been better for the hus­bandman never to have had the vineyard, then to be slain for their ill using of it; there is nothing left to do them good, who are forsaken for for saking the Gospel.

The glory of God was of late by many degrees departing from the Temple in our Land. That was gon to the thre­shold, yea to the mount: if now at the returne, thereof, it finde again cause to depart, Gildas de Ex­cid. Britanniae, Omnia quae Deo placebant & displicebāt aequali lance, pendebantur, non igitur ad­mirandum est degeneres tales patria [...]illam a­m [...]ttere, quam praedicto modo maculabant. Hist. M. S. apud Foxum. it will not go by steps, but all at once; This Island, or at least the greatest part thereof, as I formerly intimated, hath twice lost the Gospel; Once, when the Saxons wrested it from the Britains, when, if we may believe their own dolefull moaning Historian, they were given over to all wickednes, oppression, and villany of life: which doubtles was accompanied with contempt of the word, though for faith and perswasion we do not finde that they were corrupted, and do finde that they were tenacious enough of antique discipline, as appeared in their following oppositions to the Roman Tyranny, as in Beda.

Secondly, It was lost in regard of the purity and power thereof, by blinde superstition and Antichristian impiety, accompanied also with abominable lewdnes, oppression, and all manner of sin, in the face of the sun, so that first pro­phanenes, working a despising of the Gospel, then supersti­on ushering in prophanenes, have in this Land shewed their power for the extirpation of the Gospel; Oh, that we could remember the daies of old, that we could consider the good­nes and severity of God, on them which fell severity, but towards us goodnes, if we continue in that goodnes, for o­therwise [Page 34] even we also shall be cut off: yet here we may ob­serve, that though both these times there was a forsaking in the midst of the Land, yet there was in it a tenth for to re­turne as a Teyle-tree, and as an Oak whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves, so was the holy seed and the substance thereof, Isa 6. 13. at in the dereliction of the Jews, so of this Nation, there was a remnant that quickly took root, and brought forth fruit, both in the one devastation, and the other, though the watcher and the holy one from hea­ven, had called to cut down the tree of this Nation, and to scatter its branches from flourishing before him, yet the stump and root was to be left in the earth with a band of iron, that it might spring again; Thus twice did the Lord come seeking fruit of this vine, doing little more then pru­ning and dressing it, although it brought forth wilde grapes: but if he come the third time and finde no fruit, the sentence will be, Cut it down, why cumbreth it the gronnd? Now to prevent this I shall not follow all those Gospel-supplant­ing sins we finde in holy writ, onely I desire to cautionate you and us all in three things.

1 First, Take heed of pretending or holding out the Go­spel for a covert or shadow for other things. God will not have this Gospel made a stalking horse for carnall designes: put not in that glorious name, where the thing it self is not clearly intended; if in any thing it be, let it have no compeer; if not, let it not be named; if that you aim at be just, it needs no varnish; if it be not, it is the worse for it. Gilded pills lose not their bitternes, and painted faces are thought to have no native beauty; all things in the world should serve the Gospel; and if that be made to serve other things, God will quickly vindicate it into liberty.

From the beginning of these troubles, right honourable, you have held forth Religion and the Gospel, as whose preser­vation and restauration was principally in the aims, and I presume malice it self is not able to discover any insincerity in this, the fruits we behold proclaim to all the conformity of your words and hearts. Now the God of Heaven grant that the same minde be in you still, in every particular mem­ber [Page 35] of this Honourable Assembly, in the whole Nation, espe­cially in the Magistracy and Ministery of it, that we be not like the boatmen, look one way, and rowe another; cry Gospel, and mean the other thing; Lord Lord, and advance our own ends, that the Lord may not stir up the staffe of his anger, and the rod of his indignation against us as an hypo­criticall people.

Secondly, Take heed of resting upon, and trusting to the 2 priviledge, how ever excellent and glorious, of the outward enjoyment of the Gospel. When the Jews cryed, The Tem­ple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, the time was at hand that they should be destroyed. Look onely upon the grace that did bestow, and the mercy that doth continue it; God will have none of his blessings rob him of his glory, and if we will rest at the Cisterne, he will stop at the fountain.

Thirdly, Let us all take heed of Barrennes under it, for 3 the earth that drinks in the rain that cometh upon it, and beareth Thornes and Briers, is rejected, and nigh unto cur­sing, whose end is to be burned, Heb. 6. 7, 8. Now what fruits doth it require? even those reckoned, Gal. 5. 22, 23. the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentlenesse, goodnesse, faith, meeknes, temperance; Oh that we had not cause to grieve for a scarcity of these fruits, and the a­bundant plenty of these works of the flesh recounted, ver. 19, 20, 21. Oh that that wisedom which is an eminent fruit of the Gospel might flourish amongst us, Jam. 3. 17. it is first pure, then peaceable, gētle, easy to be entreated, that we might have lesse writing and more praying, lesse envy and more cha­rity; that all evil surmisings, which are works of the flesh, might have no toleration in our hearts, but be banished for nonconformity to the golden rule of love and peace, but [...]: Come we now to the last proposition:

No men in the world want help, Obs. 3. like them that want the Gospel. Or, Of all distresses want of the Gospel cries loudest for relief.

Rachel wanted children, Ge [...] 30 1. and she cries, Give me children, or I die; Gen. 35. 18. But that was but her impatience, she might have [Page 36] lived, and have had no children, yea, see the justice of God, she dies so soon as ever she hath children: Gen. 21. 16. Hagar wants water for Ishmael, and she will go farre from him, that she may not see him die; an heavy distresse, and yet if he had died, it had been but an early paying of that debt, which in a few years was to be satisfied. But they that want the Go­spel may truly cry, Give us the Gospel or we die, and that not temporally with Ishmael, for want of water, but eter­nally in flames of fire.

A man may want liberty, and yet be happy, as Joseph was: a man may want peace, and yet be happy, as David was: a man may want children, and yet be blessed, as Job was: a man may want plenty, and yet be full of comfort, as Micaiah was: but he that wants the Gospel, wants every thing that should do him good. A Throne without the Go­spel, is but the Devils dungeon. Wealth without the Gospel, is fuell for hell. Advancement without the Gospel, is but a going high, to have the greater fall.

Abraham wanting a childe, Gen. 15. 2. complains, What will the Lord do for me, seeing I go childelesse, and this Eliezer of Damascus must be my heire? much more may a man with­out the means of grace complain, What shall be done unto me, seeing I go Gospellesse? and all that I have, is but a short inheritance for this lump of clay my body.

When Elisha was minded to do something for the Shu­nammite who had so kindely entertained him, 2 King. 4. 13, 14. he asks her, whether he should speak for her to the King, or the Captain of the host? she replies, she dwelt in the middest of her own people, she needeth not those things: but when he findes her to want a childe, and tells her of that, she is almost tran­sported. Ah how many poor souls are there, who need not our word to the King or the Captain of the host; but yet being Gospellesse, if you could tell them of that, would be e­ven ravished with joy?

Think of Adam after his fall, Gen. 3. 8. before the promise, hiding himself from God: and you have a perfect pourtraicture of a poor creature without the Gospel: now this appear­eth,

[Page 37] 1. From the description we have of the people that are in this state and condition without the Gospel; Matth. 6. 23. Luk. 1. 79. Act. 26. 18. Rom. 2. 19. Ephes. 5. 8. Col 1. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 9. they are a people that sit in darknes, yea in the region and shaddow of death, Matth. 4 16, 17. they are even darknes it self, Joh. 1. 7. within the dominion and dreadfull darknes of death; darknes was one of Egypts plagues, but yet that was a dark­nes of the body, a darknes wherein men lived: but this is a darknes of the soul, a darknes of death, for these men though they live, yet are they dead; they are fully described, Ephes. 2. 12. without Christ, aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, strangers from the Covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. Christles men, and godles men, and hopeles men, and what greater distresse in the world? yea, they are called doggs, and unclean beasts, the wrath of God is upon them, they are the people of his curse and indignation. In the extream North, one day and one night divide the year; but with a people without the Gospel, it is all night, the sun of righteousnes shines not up­on them, it is night whilest they are here, and they go to e­ternall night hereafter. What the men of China concern­ing themselves and others, that they have two eies, the men of Europe one, and all the world besides is blinde, may be inverted too, the Jews had one eye, sufficient to guide them, they who enjoy the Gospel have two eies, but the men of China, with the rest of the Nations that want it, are stark blinde, and reserved for the chains of everlasting darknes.

2. By laying forth what the men that want the Gospel, do want with it.

1. Nomē Iesu non erat ibi. They want Jesus Christ: for he is revealed onely by the Gospel. Austine refused to delight in Cicero's Horten­sius, because there was not in it the Name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is all and in all, and where he is wanting, there can be no good. Joh. 6. 50. Revel. 2. 17. Joh. 4. 14. Cant. 4. 1 [...]. Hunger cannot truly be satisfied without manna, the bread of life, which is Jesus Christ: and what shall a hungry man do that hath no bread? Thirst cannot be quenched, without that water or living spring, which is Je­sus Christ: and what shall a thirsty soul do without water? [Page 38] A captive as we are all, Joh. 7. 37, 38. 1 Cor. 1. 30. cannot be delivered without re­demption, which is Jesus Christ: and what shall the prisoner do without his ransom? Fools as we are, all cannot be in­structed without wisdom, which is Jesus Christ, without him we perish in our folly. All building without him, is on the sand, which will surely fall: All working without him, is in the fire, where it will be consumed: All riches without him, have wings, and will away: mallem ruere cum Chri­sto, quam regnare cum Caesare, Paura igitur de Christo. Ter­tul. said Luther, a dungeon with Christ is a Throne, and a Throne without Christ a hell. Nothing so ill, but Christ will compensate: the greatest evil in the world is sin, and the greatest sin was the first; and yet Gregory feared not to cry, O felix culpa quae talem me­ruit redemptorem, oh happy fault which found such a Re­deemer; All mercies without Christ are bitter, and every cup is sweet that is seasoned but with a drop of his blood, he truly is amor & delitiae humani generis, the love and de­light of the sonnes of men, without whom they must perish eternally: for there is no other name given unto them, whereby they may be saved, Act. 4. He is the way, men without him, Joh. 14. 5. are Cains, wanderers, vagabonds: He is the truth, men without him are liars, devils, who was so of old: Joh. 1 3, 4, 5. Ephes. 4. 18. He is the life, without him men are dead, dead in trespasses and sins: He is the light, without him men are in darknes, and go they know not whither: He is the vine, those that are not graffed in him, Mat. 7. 26, 27. Matth. 16 18. are withered branches, prepared for the fire: He is the rock, men not built on him, are carried away with a flood: He is [...] and [...], the first and the last, the Author and the ender, the founder and the finisher of our salvation; he that hath not him, hath neither begin­ning of good, nor shall have end of misery. O blessed Je­sus, how much better were it, not to be, then to be without thee? Never to be borne, then not to die in thee? A thou­sand hels come short of this, eternally to want Jesus Christ, as men do, that want the Gospel.

2. They want all holy Communion with God, wherein the onely happines of the soul doth consist; He is the life, light, joy, and blessednes of the soul: without him, the soul [Page 39] in the body is but a dead soul, Psal. 4. 6. in a living Sepulchre. It is true, there be many that say, who will shew us any good? but unles the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, we perish for evermore. Thou hast made us for thy self, ô Lord, and our heart is unquiet, untill it come to thee. You who have tasted how gracious the Lord is, who have had any converse and communion with him, in the issues and goings forth of his grace, those delights of his soul with the children of men, would you live? would not life it self, with a confluence of all earthly endearements, be a very hell without him? Is it not the daily language of your hearts, Whom have we in heaven but thee? and in earth there is nothing in comparison of thee? The soul of man is of a vast boundles comprehension, so that if all created good were centred into one enjoyment, and that bestowed upon one soul, because it must needs be finite and limited, as cre­ated, it would give no solid contentment to his affections, nor satisfaction to his desires. In the presence and fruition of God alone there is joy for evermore: at his right hand are rivers of pleasure, the welsprings of life and blessednes. Now if to be without communion with God in this life, where­in the soul hath so many avocations from the contemplation of its own misery, (for earthly things are nothing else) is so unsupportable a calamity, ah what shall that poor soul do, that must want him for eternity? as all they must do, who want the Gospel.

3. Psal. 42. 1, 2. Psal. 84. 1, 2, 3, 4, &c. They want all the Ordinances of God, the joy of our hearts, and comfort of our souls. Oh the sweetnes of a Sabbath! The heavenly raptures of prayer! Oh the glori­ous communion of Saints, which such men are deprived of! if they knew the value of the hidden pearl, and these things were to be purchased, what would such poor souls not part with for them?

4. They will at last want Heaven and salvation; they shall never come to the presence of God in glory: never in­habite a glorious mansion: they shall never behold Jesus Christ, Revel. 6. 16. but when they shall call for rocks and mountains to fall upon them, to hide them from his presence: they shall [Page 40] want light, in utter darknes, want life, under the second death, want refreshment, in the middest of flames, want healing, Matth. 22. 13. Luk. 16. 24. Mark. 9. 43, 44. Isa. 66. 24. under gnawing of conscience, want grace, con­tinuing to blaspheme, want glory, in full misery: and which is the sum of all this, they shall want an end of all this, for their worme dieth not, neither is their fire quenched.

Thirdly, Because being in all this want, they know not that they want any thing, and so never make out for any supply. Revel. 3. 17. Laodicea knew much, but yet because she knew not her wants, she had almost as good have known nothing: Gospellesse men know not that they are blinde, and seek not for eye-salve: they know not that they are dead, and seek not for life; What ever they call for, not knowing their wants, is but like a mans crying for more weight to presse him to death: and therefore when the Lord comes to any with the Gospel, he is found of them that sought him not, and made manifest to them that asked not after him, Rom. 10. 20. This is a seal upon their misery, without Gods free-mercy, like the stone laid upon the mouth of the cave by Joshua, to keep in the five Kings, Josh. 10. 18. untill they might be brought out to be hanged. All that men do in the world, is but seeking to supply their wants; either their naturall wants, that nature may be supplied, or their sinfull wants, that their lusts may be satisfied, or their spirituall wants, that their souls may be saved. For the two first, men without the Gospel, lay out all their strength; Ego propero ad inferot, nec est ut aliquid pro me agas: ad­vocatus quidam moriens apud Bel. de arte mor lib. 2. cap. 10. [...] but of the last, there is amongst them a deep silence. Now this is all one, as for men to cry out that their finger bleeds, whilest a sword is run thorow their hearts, and they perceive it not: to desire a wart to be cu­red, whilest they have a plague-sore upon them; And hence perhaps it is, that they are said to go to hell like sheep, Psal. 49. 14. very quietly, without dread, as a bird hasting to the snare, and not knowing that it is for his life, Prov. 7. 23. and there ly down in utter disappointment and sor­row for evermore.

4. Because all mercies are bitter judgements to men that want the Gospel; all fuell for hell; Aggravations of con­demnation; all cold drink to a man in a feaver: pleasant at [Page 41] the entrance, but increasing his torments in the close: like the book in the Revelation, sweet in the mouth, but bitter in the belly. When God shall come to require his bread and wine, his flax and oil, peace and prosperity, liberty and victories, of Gospellesse men, they will curse the day that ever they enjoyed them; so unspirituall are many mens mindes, and so unsavoury their judgements, that they reck­on mens happines, by their possessions, and suppose the cata­logue of their titles, to be a roll of their felicities: calling the proud happy, and advancing in our conceits them that work wickednes, Mal. 3. 15. but God will one day come in with another reckoning, and make them know, that all things without Christ, are but as cyphers without a figure, of no value. In all their banquets where Christ is not a guest, their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the field of Go­morrah, their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter, Deut. 32. 32, 33. their palaces, where Christ is not, are but habitations of Zim and Ochim, Dragons and un­clean beasts. Their prosperity is but putting them into full pasture, that they may be fatted for the day of slaughter, the day of consumption decreed for all the Bulls of Bashan: the Gospel bringing Christ, is the salt that makes all other things savoury.

To shew us the great priviledge and preeminence, Ʋse 1. which, by the free grace of God, many parts of this Island do en­joy. To us that sat in darknes and in the shadow of death, a great light is risen, to guide us into the waies of peace. Let others recount, the glories, benefits, profits, outward blessings of this Nation, let us look only upon that which alone is valuable in it self, and makes other things so to be, the Gospel of Christ. It is reported of the Heralds of our neighbour Monarchs, that when one of them had repeated the numerous titles of his Master of Spain, the other often repeated France, France, France; intimating that the do­minion which came under that one denomination, would counterpoise the long catalogue of Kingdomes and Duke­doms, wherewith the other flourisht. Were we to contend with the grand signieur of the East, about our enjoyments, [Page 42] we might easily bear down his windy pompous train of ti­tles, with this one, which millies repetitum placebit, the Gospel, the Gospel: upon all other things you may put the inscription in Daniel, mene, mene, Tekel, they are weigh­ed in the balance, and found wanting, but proclaim before those that enjoy the Gospel, as Haman before Mordecai, Lo, thus shall it be done to them whom the Lord will honour. The fox in the fable had a thousand wiles to save himself from the hunters: but the cat knew unum magnum, one great thing that would surely do it. Earthly supports and contentments, are but a thousand failing wiles, which will all vanish in the time of need: the Gospel and Christ in the Gospel, is that unnm magnum, that unum necessarium, which alone will stand us in any stead. In this, this Island is as the mountain of the Lord, exalted above the Moun­tains of the earth, it is true, many other Nations partake with us in the same blessing: not to advance our own en­joyments, in some particulars wherein perhaps we might justly do it: but take all these Nations with us, and what a molehill are we to the whole earth, overspread with Paganisme, Mahumetanisme, Antichristianisme, which innumerable foolish Haeresies? And what is England, that it should be amongst the choice branches of the vineyard, the top boughs of the Cedars of God?

Shews that such great mercies, Ʋse 2. if not esteemed, if not improved, if abused, will end in great judgements; Wo be to that Nation, that City, that person, that shall be called to an account for despising the Gospel, Amos 2. 2. you only have I known of all the families of the earth, what then? Surely some great blessing is coming to that people, whom God thus knowes, and so ownes, as to make himself known unto them. No: but, therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities. How ever others may have some ease or mitigation in their punishments, do you expect the utmost of my wrath. Luther said, he thought hell was paved with the bald sculls of Friers; I know nothing of that; yet of this sure I am, that none shall have their portion so low in the [...]thermost hell, none shall drink so deep of the cup of Gods [Page 43] indignation, as they, who have refused Christ in the Go­spel. Men will curse the day to all eternity, wherein the blessed name of Iesus Christ was made known unto them, if they continue to despise it. He that abuseth the choisest of mercies, shall have judgement without mercy; What can help them, who reject the counsell of God for their good? If now England have received more culture from God then other Nations, there is more fruit expected of England, then other nations. A barren tree in the Lords Vineyard, must be cut down for cumbring the ground, the sheep of God must every one beare twins, and none be barren amongst them, Cant. 4. 2. If after all Gods care and husbandry, his vine­yard brings forth wilde-grapes, he will take away the hedge, break down the wall, and lay it waste. For the present the Vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of England, and if it be as earth, which when the rain falls upon it, brings forth nothing but thornes and briers, it is nigh unto cur­sings, and the end thereof is to be burned, Heb. 6. Men ut­terly and for ever neglect that ground, which they have tri­ed their skill about, and laid out much cost upon it, if it bring not forth answerable fruits. Now here give me leave to say, (and the Lord avert the evil deserved by it) That England, (I mean these Cities, and those other places, which since the beginning of our troubles, have enjoied the Gospel, in a more free and plentifull manner then hereto­fore) hath shewed it self not much to value it.

1. In the time of Straits, though the sound of the Gospel passed thorow all our streets, our villages enjoying them who preached peace, and brought glad tidings of good things, so that neither we, nor our fathers, nor our fathers fathers, ever saw the like before us; Though manna fell round about our tents every day: yet as though all were lost and we had nothing, Manna was loathed as light bread, the presence of Christ made not recompence for the losse of our swine: men had rather be again in Aegypt, then hazard a pilgrimage in the wildernes. If there be any here, that ever entertained thoughts, to give up the worship of God to su­perstition, his Churches to tyranny, and the doctrine of the [Page 44] Gospel to Episcopall corruptions, in the pressing of any troubles, let them now give God the glory, and be asha­med of their own hearts, lest it be bitternesse in the end.

2. In the time of prosperity, by our fierce contentions about mint and cummin, whilest the weightier things of the Gospel have been undervalued, languishing about unprofi­table questions, &c. but I shall not touch this wound lest it bleed.

For exhortation, Ʋse 3. that every one of us, in whose hand there is any thing, would set in, for the help of those parts of this Island, that as yet sit in darknesse, yea in the shadow of death, and have none to hold out the bread of life to their fainting souls. Doth not Wales cry, and the North cry, yea and the West cry, Come and help us? We are yet in a worse bondage, then any by your means we have been deli­vered from: if you leave us thus, all your protection will but yeeld us a more free and joviall passage to the chambers of death. Ah, little do the inhabitants of Goshen know, whil'st they are contending about the bounds of their pasture, what darknesse there is in other places of the Land; How their poor starved souls would be glad of the crums that fall from our tables: ô that God would stir up the hearts,

1. Of Ministers to cast off all by-respects, and to flee to those places, where in all probability, the harvest would be great, and the labourers are few or none at all. I have read of an Heretick that swom over a great river in a frost, to scatter his errours: the old Iewish, and now Popish Pha­risees, compasse Sea and Land, to make proselytes; The Merchants trade not into more Countreys, then the Fa­ctours of Rome do, to gain souls to his holinesse: East and West, farre and wide, do these Locusts spread themselves, not without hazard of their lives, as well as losse of their souls, to scatter their superstitions: only the Preachers of the everlasting Gospel seem to have lost their zeal. O that there were the same minde in us that was in Iesus Christ, who counted it his meat and drinke, to doe his fathers will, in gaining souls.

2. Of the Magistrates, I mean of this Honourable [Page 45] Assembly, to turn themselves every lawfull way, for the help of poor Macedonians: the truth is, in this, I could speak more then I intend, for perhaps my zeal, and some mens judgements, would scarse make good harmony. This only I shall say, that if Iesus Christ might be preached, though with some defects in some circumstances, I should rejoice therein. O that you would labour, to let all the parts of the Kingdom, taste of the sweetnes of your successes, in carrying to them the Gospel of the Lord Jesus: that the doctrine of Gospel might make way for the Discipline of the Gospel, without which, it will be a very skeleton. When Manna fell in the wildernesse from the hand of the Lord, every one had an equall share: I would there were not now too great an inequality in the scattering of Manna, when secondarily in the hand of men; whereby some have all, and others none, some sheep daily picking the choise flowers of every pasture, others wandring upon the barren mountains, without guide or food: I make no doubt, but the best waies for the furtherance of this, are known full well unto you, and therefore have as little need to be petitioned in this, as other things. What then remains? but that for this, and all other necessary blessings, we all set our hearts and hands to peti­tion the Throne of grace.

Soli Deogloria.