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Page 17
This title of Angels why may it not also be extended to Magistrates, as
well as that higher stile, of Gods; Sure I am, that the scarlet robe of
zeale would exceeding well become them. _Jethro_ maketh it their prime
and essentiall character; God and _Moses_, their onely and sole, in the
charge and commission to _Jehoshuah_ so oft repeated; _Onely be of good
courage_. And if _David_ were now to re-pen his Psalme; I thinke hee
might alter the forme of his counsell, and say, _Bee zealous yee Rulers
and Judges of the world_, and not wise and politique: or rather under
the tearmes of wisdome, hee comprehends indeede the zeale wee call for,
the most now adayes being _Gallio's_, wise onely for the matters of the
Commonwealth; not having a sparke of that spirit which was in _Phineas,
Daniel_, and _Nehemias_, &c. for the Lord of hosts, or to his Lawes and
Commandements; as if God had made Magistrates keepers onely of the
second Table, governours of men, and not of Christians; guardians onely
of civill societies, and not of his Church, and shepheards also of his
flocke. Are Idolatries, blasphemies, prophaning of Saboths, no sinns?
Why then either have not the lawes force and strength enough in them (as
sometime wee are answered when wee complaine) or why are they not
executed for the suppressing of these raging sins? are not all they
punished with death in the Scriptures, as well as breaches of the second
table? Blood I leave to the malignant Church, and admire clemency in
Rulers, as much as any; but yet I know the prophane dissolutenesse of
the times, requires a three stringed whipp of severity to purge our
_Augean_ stable of the soule abuses, whipt often with penns and
tongues, but spared by them that beare the sword (a man may say of many
Governours) altogether in vaine for matters of religion. Are not kings
of the earth charg'd to render double to the bloody strumpet of Rome?
Why then doth the hurtfull pitty of our times imbolden and increase
their numbers? _Laodicea_ it selfe, I doubt not, for matters of mine and
thine, had (as their name imports) good civill justice and justicers;
but what was God the neerer for it? doth hee not threaten for all that
to spue them out of his mouth? shall hee not curse those that doe his
worke negligently, fearfully & partially? Our times complaine of two
speciall canker wormes of justice, which eat up zeale in Magistrates.
The first is _Covetousnesse_, which makes men of place to transgresse
for a morsell of bread; the zeale of their owne houses consumes the
zeale of Gods house: The building of great houses, keeping of great
houses, and matching with great houses, raising and leaving of great
houses behinde them, makes them so ravenous, that they devoure so much,
as choakes all their zeale; which would teach them to shake their laps
of bribes, and scorne to accept gifts, though men would augment them for
the perverting of judgement. The other is _Cowardice_ and _Fearfulnes_:
which how unfit, and base a quality did _Nehemiah_ thinke it for a man
of his place? no better then shynesse in a fore-horse, whose eyes men
fence on both sides, that they may lead the way, and goe without
starting; unto which, zeale is answerable in Magistrates, causing them
onely to see him that is invisible, without casting a squint eye at men;
to sing to God onely of judgement and mercy, without tuning their songs
to mans eare; to walke in the perfect way, without turning, either to
the right or left hand for feare of favour. Oh that there were such an
heart in our leaders; how easily would our people follow! what a spring
tide of zeale should wee have, if the Sunne and Moone would cast out a
benigne aspect upon them! Doth it not flourish in all those shires and
townes, where the Word and Sword doe joyntly cherish it? In others which
are the greatest number, how doth it languish and wane away, and hang
downe the head? where is it in diverse places of the land to bee seene?
I had almost sayd in my haste and heat, there is none that hath zeale,
no not one, there is no courage for the truth; but that I remember that
_Eliah_ was checked for over-shooting himselfe in his too short and
quicke computation. I hope the Lord hath his fifties amongst us, though
but thinn sowne in comparison of the swarmes of professed Recusants, and
Church-Papists, of prophane Atheists, key-cold worldlings, and lukewarme
professors. The bodies of our many severall Congregations, yea even of
the better sort, whereunto have they beene likened by our separated
adversaries; but unto the Prophet _Hosea_ his cake, halfe baked upon the
hearth, having one side, that is, the one side to the world-ward, in
publique service, scorched a little and browned over; but the inside to
God-ward, in private, and family-duties, no better then dough; many of
them making indeede some shew, as the out-landish fruits that are
plashed upon our walls, but wanting heat never come to maturity. If wee
should make good their resemblances, how then should wee please the
stomacke of God? who hath indeede brooked and borne us a long time, I
doubt but wamblingly. How neare were wee going in 88. and in the powder
treason? Doe we thinke he will ever digest us, in the temper wee are in?
which (to confesse the truth of the fashionable Christian) what is it
but a state of neutrality, indifferency, or such a mediocrity, as will
just serve the time, satisfie Law, or stand with reputation of
neighbours? beyond which, if any step a little forward, do not the rest
hunt upon the stop? If there hap to breake out a sparkle of zeale in any
one house in a parish; is not the whole towne in an uprore, as when the
bells ring awke every man brings his bucket, to the quenching of this
fire? If hell bee in an Ale-house, who cryes out of it? & as for our
Sundayes Church-service, which is all that God gets at our hands; how
perfunctorily, and fashionably is it slubbered over; how are his Saboths
made the voyder and dung-hill for all refuse businesse, divided betweene
the Church and the Ale-house, the May-pole commonly beguiling the
Pulpit? What man would not spue to see God thus worshipped? This want of
devotion makes the foule mouthed Papists to spet at us: this want of
reformation, makes the queasie-stomacked Brownists cast themselves out
of the Church; and shall God alwayes suffer the land to beare us? But
behold, he stands at the door & knocks, by treasons, by plagues, by the
hammer of dearths, discontents, fires, inundations, especially by the
word; his locks are wet with waiting. Oh before hee shake off the dust
of his feet against us, and turne to some other nation more worthy, let
us open the doore, that hee may come in and sup with us; if hee love us,
hee will purge us, and scoure us, by one chastizement or other: if hee
have no pleasure in us, hee cannot but unburthen his stomacke of us; If
all the land besides should turne the deafe eare, yet let mee entreat
and charge you of my flock to heare his voyce, & be zealous. Since my
comming amongst you, I have handled some bookes of the olde Testament,
the Epistles to the Romanes, to the Hebrewes, of Saint _James_, _Peter_
and _John_, out of them taught the doctrine of the Law, of Faith, Love
and good Workes: now in the choyce of this Epistle of Christ to
_Laodicea_, my desire was to boyle up the former to their just temper:
in which worke I can willingly bee content to spend my strength, and
dayes, if God see it fit. I cannot be a better sacrifice then to God,
and for you, if I waste my selfe, so you may have light & heat; what
else is the end of my life? God hath given you a name, your zeale is
gone abroad, & I hope you have many names among you; the Lord encrease
their number and zeale. If but one of us this day, shall open this
doore of his heart with _Jehoshuah_, let others chuse, I and my house
will serve the Lord more zealously then heeretofore; neither I nor hee
shall have lost our labours. A lively picture casts the eye upon every
one that comes neere it: such is the word with whom, and with which we
have to do; Let him that is now colde, grow colder & colder; but let him
that hath an eare, heare what hath beene sayd to the Churches; and be
zealous and amend.
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