Three sermons preached at the Collegiate Church in Manchester by Richard Heyricke.

The first SERMON.

PSAL. 122. ver. 6.

Pray for the peace of Ierusalem.

NOne can speake more pun∣ctually in the commenda∣tion of peace, then they that have beene long har∣rowed with Warre, Da∣vid, a man of Warre, in his younger dayes, he slew a Lion, he kill'd a Beare, he overcame Goliah, that uncircumci∣sed Philistim, that defyed the Host of Israel, in his riper yeares he conquered the Canaanites, the Amorites, the rest of those heathenish Nations, he had seaven yeares warre with the house of Saul,

Warre with his rebellious subjects, with his treacherous, traitorous sonne, God witnesseth that he had shed bloud abundantly, that hee had made great wars, in his latter dayes he had a brea∣thing time of peace, in which respite and Interim, he prepares to build God an house, he rejoyceth in his preparati∣on, and prayes for the prosperity of it, and encourageth others to pray,

Pray for the peace of Ierusalem.

Ierusalem, either the City Ierusalem, the Metropolis, the chiefe Citie, the Royall City, the City of the great King, the London of the kingdome of Israel, wherein the Thrones of Iudge∣ment, the Courts of Iustice, Westmin∣ster Hall was, wherein the thrones of the house of David his Court, his Pal∣lace, his house, his Mansion, White-Hall was, Or Ierusalem, taken for the Temple in Ierusalem, the house of the Lord, the place whither the Tribes went up, the Tribes of the Lord, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.

And so by a figure for the Church of God, the Temple in Ierusalem was a type of it, Or Ierusalem, taken for the whole kingdome, it being the chiefe member of the kingdome, the Cham∣ber of the kingdome, the stomacke of that body politicke, which receives all the nourishment, the forraine Marchan∣dize, and disperseth them abroad to every member, take Ierusalem in the first sence, in the strict and literal accep∣tion of the word, for the Citie Ierusa∣lem, for the London of that kingdome, Then pray for the peace of Ierusalem, for the City London, that there may be no destroying plague, no evill disease, no infectious sicknesse, no dissentions, no divisions, no commotions, no rising of lawlesse Creatures, no rebellions, no Treasons, Pray that the forreiners and strangers that are in the Citie, the Male-content, and desperate heard, the Ca∣nanites that dwell among them, the French, the Papists may not disturbe their peace, and prosperity, pray that David and Ierusalem, the King and the City, may accord together, that the

Thrones of Iudgment, and the Thrones of the house of David, Westminster-Hall, and Whitehall, may be Thrones of Iustice, of honour and glory, take Ierusalem in the second acception, in a sence not so restrained, for the Temple in Ierusalem, for the house of the Lord, for the Church of God, and then pray for the peace of Ierusalem, for peace in the Church, pray that there may bee no heresie, no hereticall doctrine, no erronious Articles of Religion, no Trent determinations, no Socinian blasphe∣mies, no Arminian quiddities, no Anti∣nomian wickednesses, pray that there may bee no Schisme, no separation, no wall of partition, no heathenish cu∣stomes, no Samaritan rites, no Idola∣trous superstitions, no Popish ceremo∣nies, no Canons to Batter and terrifie the consciences of Gods people, pray that the whole Clergie may be of one spirit, not divided, not distracted not torne in peeces, that one part may not speake prosperity in the eares of the King, to send him to Ramoth-Gilead to dye there, and that the other part may

not humor and flatter the people to stubbornnesse and disobedience, pray that the Church may be as Ierusalem, a Citie compact together to which the people of the Lord may goe up with∣out offence, without trouble.

The Temple in Ierusalem was built by Salomon a King of peace, in a time of peace, there was no instrument of Iron, no toole of the work-man heard in the rearing of it, Christ the Prince of peace, his Disciples the children of peace, quiet fishermen, not hollowing hunters, and whooping Faulkoners: may the Church be as the Temple Ie∣rusalem, as the Schoole of Christ, a Ci∣tie, a house of peace: take Ierusalem in in the third sence, in the largest accep∣tion of the word, for the whole king∣dome of Israel, of which Ierusalem was the head Citie; and then pray for the peace of Ierusalem, for peace in the kingdome, pray that there may be no homebred conspiracies, none left of the house of Saul, to wage warre with the house of David, no discontented Sheba to blow the Trumpet of sedition and

rebellion, no flattering Absalom to steale away the hearts of the Kings people, no gallant Adonijah, to make a strong partie against Salomon, no Achitophel Politician to give perni∣cious counsell against David, pray that there may bee no revolting in the kingdome that neither Edom nor Lib∣nah, no kingdome nor Country, no Citie, nor Towne, nor person may fall from their allegiance to the King, Pray that there may bee no forraine enemy, no Syrian, no Assyrian, no Egyptian, no Roman, no Turke, no Saracen, no Italian, no Spaniard, no Dutch, no French, Pray for the peace of Ierusalem, for all the kingdomes that pertaine to the King of Ierusalem, for all the Countries, Cities and Townes in these kingdomes, for the Church in the kingdome, Pray for the peace of Ierusalem, the Citie, the Church, the kingdome, Peace is taken in as large a sence as prosperity, it com∣prehends all blessings, in the wombe of it, I shall principally take it, in the strictest sence, and Ierusalem in the lar∣gest, and then the duty is, Pray for the

peace of Ierusalem, that there may bee no warre in the kingdome, Warre is only sweete to them that are ignorant of it, Our kingdome hath enjoyed a longer time of peace, then some king∣domes have, of being, Our age hath not beene rowsed with the barking of uncouth-Wolves, the midnight drum hath not frighted our sleepes, the soun∣ding trumpet hath not deaft our eares, our beacons have not beene fired, our shippes arrested, our walls manned, our Townes have not beene ransacked, our houses ruined, our women ravished, our infants dashed against the stones, wee have not sowed and the stranger rea∣ped, we have not built, and the enemy possessed, we have not beene confoun∣ded with strange languages, but peace hath beene within our walls, and plente∣ousnesse within our dwellings, Peace, the daughter of the Gospell of peace, Plen∣tie, the daughter of Peace, Peace the glory of Heaven, the joy of the whole world.

Pray for the peace of Ierusalem.

IN the prosecution of which, I will shew you the misery of Warre, the great danger that wee are in of having warre, the hopes that remaine to es∣cape it, I begin with the first.

First, consider the misery of warre, The sword is one of Gods foure sore Iudgements, whereby he layeth waste and maketh desolate the greatest king∣domes, And I will appoint over them foure kinds (saith the Lord) the sword to slay, and the dogges to teare, and the fowles of the Heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devoure and destroy. For thus saith the Lord, how much more when I send my foure sore Iudgments upon Ierusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noysome Beast, and the Pestilence, to cut off from it man and Beast? Where you may be pleased to observe, the sword is not on∣ly one of the foure, but the first of the foure; the most devouring, the most de∣stroying, God usually sendeth none of these judgments, but when his patience is much wounded, when his Royall Indignation is kindled, when his Iustice

is forced, when his mercy hath no more to say. God hath a store house, a rich treasury, a Magazen of judgments, there are all Instruments of death, and bloud, sicknesse to death, and sicknesses not to death, Agues and Feavours and con∣sumptions, and these God usually sends before the destroying Pestilence, God hath his Staffe, and his Rod, his Bow and his Arrowes, with these he corrects the sons of men, before he drawes his sword, his sword furbished and glitte∣ring, to make a sore destruction, Iupiter throwes not at first his dreadfull Thun∣derbolts, The heavens usually grow darke and blacke, the clouds gather to∣gether, the raine falls, the lightning breaketh forth, the sword, the famine, the noysome beast, and the Pestilence, they are in the darkest, in the most in∣ward roome of the Castle and Tower, which God never opens till he be hard put to it, till his lesser judgments are de∣spised: see the method of Gods procee∣dings, he will proceed from few to ma∣ny, from lesse to greater, he will punish us seaven times more for our sinnes,

when the foure winds breake loose, when any of these foure judgements come, then God is angry indeed; of these foure judgments, the sword; the famine, the pestilence, and noysome beasts, the sword is the worst of the foure, that which God reserveth till the last, as the greatest witnesse of his displeasure, and the swiftest messenger for our destruction: any one of these foure, brings feare and trembling, hor∣ror and terror, palenesse and death: if the pestilence, which is but Gods Ar∣row, if that bee let off of the string, though in any part of the kingdome, the Arrow that flyes in the darke, that usually poysons most in the darke cor∣ners of the land, amongst the poorest sort of people, yet what a feare it strikes into the body of the whole kingdome; if but one Citie be infected, what flying out of the Citie, what watch and ward, what strict examination and doings of all that come from that Citie, every one being like Cain, afraid of every one that meete them least they should kill them, runnagates upon the face of the earth,

Remember the feare that surprised you, when GOD shot this Arrow but into one house of this Towne, when it fet∣ched the heart-bloud but from a few, what flying, what posting away, your selves, your households? my Brethren, if the plague bee so terrible, what will the sword bee, that comes after the plague, more fierce, more terrible, by how much the mercies of man, are lesse then the mercies of God, yea when the sword comes the rest of these foure Iudgements attend on it, The plague may come alone, and the famine may come alone, and noysome beasts may come alone, these oftentimes come be∣fore the sword, if possible, to prevent it, but when they cannot doe the work, the sword will then contemne the rod, set at naught what ever the former judgments have done, it will come fur∣bished and sharpened, and this blacke guard of pestilence, famine, noysome beasts, will be at the heeles of it, The sword layes men dead in the fields, it ruines Townes and houses, it leaves the fields unplowed, unharrowed, un∣sowed,

hence famine growes grievous, that kills whom the sword escapes, the noysome stinch of the dead begets plagues, that and the famine together poysonous beasts, travell over those parts of Germany where the sword hath raged, and tell me if the plague, the famine and the pestilence, if one of these plagues be so terrible, what will they all be, when they are confederate and joyn'd in one, when the sword comes there will be no escape, for hee that flyes the one shall bee overtaken with the other, The sword is one of Gods foure last judgments, the last of the foure, that which hath the rest at∣tending on it.

Secondly the misery that war brings is of that nature, that the spirit of inge∣nuous and free borne men (of which we are, if any nation under heaven be) can the least brook it, of any judgment, Goe (saith God to Gad, Davids seer) and say unto David, thus saith the Lord, I of∣fer thee three things, choose thee one of them, that I may doe it unto thee: It was a favour that God vouchsafed unto Da∣vid,

that he never did (as I read of) to any beside, that hee should choose the rod, David had offended, there was some ranke bloud in his veines, GOD must let him bloud, or he must dye, and better hee must loose his corruption, then GOD lose him; purge him God will, but whether with Pills, or with Potions, or with some Chymicall pre∣parations, David hath the choise, choose thee one of them: there was three evils proposed unto him, three of the greatest evils, three of those foure evils which God usually reserves to the last, to ex∣tremity, David must choose one, and by this he was sure, he should not be afflict∣ed with all, I am in a great straite, Hee was much troubled, terrified, affrighted, whereever he should make his choise, misery would follow his election; the least of the three judgments was plague enough, yet he resolves, Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord, (for his mercies are great) and let me not fall into the hand of man, It is uncertaine what Iudge∣ment DAVID made choise of, whe∣ther the plague or the famine, 'tis

certaine he would not have the sword, hee had rather have any Iudgement then to flye before his enemies, Indeed of all judgments it is the judgement of judgments, I may call it the plague of plagues, which an ingenuous peo∣ple can least stoope to. Iob the mirror, the miracle of patience, shewed as much impatience in this temptation as in any, I am in derision with them that are yonger then I, whose fathers I would have disdai∣ned to have set with the dogs of my flocke, yea whereto might the strength of their hands profit mee, &c. they were children of fooles, children of base men, they were viler then the earth, they made mee their song: peruse Habacuk the first, from the fifth verse to the eleaventh, Behold yee among the heathen, and regard and wonder marveilously, for I will worke a worke in your dayes, which you will not believe though it bee told you. For loe I raise up the Caldeans that bitter and ha∣stie. Nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possesse the dwelling places that are not theirs, they are terrible and dreadfull, their judgement and

their dignity shall proceed of themselves Their horses also are swifter then the Leo∣pards, and are more fierce then the evening Wolves, and their horse-men shall spread themselves, and their horse-men shall come from farre, and shall flee as the Eagle that hasteth to eate, They shall come all for vio∣lence, their faces shall sup up as the East wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand, And they shall scoffe at the Kings, and the Princes shall bee a scorne unto them, they shall deride every strong hold, for they shall heape dust and take it. Bring these home to your owne doores, suppose that Nation of the Spaniard, which the English have had cause to have had in the greatest detestation, and abomination, that insolent and proud Nation, that they were at this present marching into the Towne, with their Colours flying, their drummes beat∣ing, their Trumpets sounding, suppose their Souldiers, the rubbish, the scum, the filth of the Nation, were to ran∣sacke and rifle your houses, or at least to be but billetted among you, how could your spirits brook it, to see them

sit and command whilst you wait and attend, to see them embrace your wives, kill your servants, beate your children, breake open your Chists, take away what ever is pretious in your eyes; you that are now so high and loftie, so ten∣der, and impatient of the least injury, that cannot passe by any offence, of your neighbours, of your equalls, of your superiours, what if your servants, your prentices, your drudges, should rise against you, yea what if they, that your servants, your Prentices, your drudges would hate to have any service from, those that are prest out of your streetes, whom your charity formerly releeved, those whom your moneys clothed, who while they were amongst you, would have beene glad, with your dogges to have gathered the crums that fell from your Table, if they should re∣turne, and rule and command among you, if they should with Briers and Thornes whip you every morning, if they should take your cloathes from your backes, and teare your skin from your flesh, if they should lye with your

daughters before your faces, and com∣mit all villanie, and after all should fire your Towne, should lead you captive away, should make you horses for their carriages, ô the miseries of war! what nature could stoope unto it?

Thirdly, this judgment, of all judg∣ments, God is the most backwards, the most unwilling to bring upon his peo∣ple, this showes the greatnesse of it, Physitians will try all meanes, before they will cut off, they will let bloud, prescribe Pills and Potions, Sed si con∣valuerit malum, & ignis adhibetur & ferrum. The sword is the last thing that God will use, yea God seemes to be afraid to use it, and therefore he de∣ferres it from day to day, from yeare to yeare. They that are troubled with the Stone, they will hardly bee brought to bee cut for it, they will endure much first, they will try severall Physitians, severall experiments, they will send for the Surgeon, and they will reason with him, they will see his knife, they will enlarge their discourses, they will send them away againe and again,

and they will send for them againe, and for other Surgeons, they are scarce drawne to it, see the same of God. I said I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men, Were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, least their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and least they should say, our hand is high, and the Lord hath not done all this, God loves not to afflict any, he afflicts none willingly from the heart, affliction is a strange worke to him, If necessitie urgeth, hee doth it with the Roddes of men for their amendment, he will but correct them, not destroy them, he is not hastie to cut off a mem∣ber, 'tis the last, that which he is the loathest to use, yea God seldome or ne∣ver useth this plague, this judgement, but he presently repents him of it, and avengeth the bloud shed upon them that shed it, Reade at your leasure, 2 Chron. 28. ver. 9. Isay 10. verse 12. Rev. 6. ver. 6.

Lastly, see some aggravating circum∣stances of this judgment, men are ever

made the instruments of warre, and therefore this judgment is greater then that immediately comes from GOD, those instruments of cruelty, the lesse they have of reason, the more unreaso∣nable, the more fierce in their cruelties, hence the mercies of man are cruelty in respect of God, the cruelties of beasts farre worse than the rage of man, the warre of Inanimate creatures, more ra∣ging then that of the beast, The Lion, the Tyger know their bounds better then the fire, the water, yet the de∣pravation of the more eminent and ex∣cellent, is worse then the meere nega∣tion in the other: when patience is a∣bused in GOD it turnes into the hea∣viest fury, the least sparke of his hell, is greater than the greatest fire on earth: when men lose their reason, they are more mad then the beast that never had it; bloudy minded men are the Instruments of this punishment, and of them, the most strong and stout and lusty, the most irreligious, licentious, and violent persons, the most base, sor∣did and dung-hill people; Againe in

warre no man can bee master of his owne, where ever the Souldiers passe, their hands are bird-lyme, like the griping Griffin they seise upon all, The Danites rob Micah, and Micahs voyce must not be heard, least when he cryes for his goods, he looseth his life, war exhausts the Treasures of the Land, there will be many borrowers that ne∣ver will pay againe, Theeves and Rob∣bers, The Kings Exchequer shall want money, the Chamber of the King∣dome shall bee without supply, then the Subject shall bee made poore, no trading, much spending, Subsidies, Fifteenes, Taxes, Privie seales, Ship∣moneys, provision moneys, Conduct money, a thousand wayes to emptie private purses, In warre men dye ma∣ny deaths, here lyes one without an Arme, a Legge, Trampled under the Horses feete, none regards their cryes, their lamentations, The Drummes, the Trumpets drowne their voyces: In warre multitudes are led Captive, tor∣tured and tormented, made vassals and slaves; By warre strangers and enemies

invade our possessions, possesse our houses and lands, deprive us of our rights, liberties and inheritances, by warre unnaturall slaughters are com∣mitted, oftentimes the father fighteth against the sonne, and the sonne against the father, more bloud is shed in warre than any other way: when GOD in∣tends to destroy a stocke, a Country, a Kingdome, he sendeth warre: by war might often prevailes against right, the worser part, the stronger, the ruines and desolations of warre last long, af∣ter a few months, the next yeare, may supply the defacings of the plague, of famine; but many yeares, many ages to repaire the losse by warre. You see the misery of Warre; As you would escape the fury of it, pray for the con∣tinuance of our peace,

Pray for the peace of Ierusalem.

Secondly, consider the great danger we are in, of loosing our peace, of fal∣ling into the misery of warre; GOD deales fairely in the administration and

execution of his justice, Surely the Lord will doe nothing but he will reveale his se∣cret to his servants the Prophets, seldome or never doth God bring generall judg∣ments upon a people but hee gives faire warning, he strikes not unawares; You have heard of late sad presages, signes and forerunners of destructions, I will not tread that path againe; The sword is the plague we now feare, God hath given us some warning, the sword hangs over our heads, God hath been long whetting his sword, hee hath blowne his Trumpet to the Battle, he hath discharged his warning peeces, hee hath charged his murdering pee∣ces.

First, lay to heart that God hath al∣ready visited us with all other plagues and judgements, yea hee hath gone them over againe and againe: how of∣ten hath the Land groaned under the plague; what dearths and scarcities have we had: what secret and wast∣ing judgments have beene consuming of us? GOD hath runne through his Armory, his Treasury, Castles, Towers,

Magazens, he hath tryed all the rest of his judgments to see if they will bring us to Repentance, so that none remains but the sword: hath not GOD visited us with the plague, with plague after plague, with dearth and famine, hath he not made the heavens brasse, and the earth Iron? hath hee not let loose the foure winds of the earth, which have overthrowne Shippes and houses? hath there not beene fearefull earth∣quakes, thundering and lightning, strange divisions, dissentions, mutinies, fearefull sad things amongst us? What remaines for God yet to do? if all this will not doe the worke, but that hee sends the sword, the last, the worst of all, See Amos 4. verse 6. and so on.

I have given you cleannesse of teeth in all your Cities, yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord.

I have withholden the Raine from you, yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord.

I have smitten you with blasting and

mil-dew, yet have yee not returned unto me saith the Lord.

I have sent among you the Pestilence, yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord.

I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, yet have yee not returned unto mee saith the Lord.

He speakes after the manner of men in whom just indignation stoppes the passage of further speech, The great∣nesse of his wrath wants words to ex∣presse it selfe.

And because I will come, prepare to meete thy God, O Israel, God will come like a man of warre, prepare to meete the Lord; See if thou be able to stand against him with his sword drawne, furbished and sharpened, ready to make a sore destruction, God hath gone over other Iudgments againe and againe, therefore we may well feare the sword is now comming.

Secondly, God hath sent the sword amongst other nations, wee hitherto

(like Gideons fleece) have beene dry, when all the earth about us hath beene drencht with bloud; the sword hath beene in Bohemia, in the Palatinate, in Denmarke; in Germany, in France, in Holland. The Cloud hitherto hath bin violently carryed from us, and hath emptyed it selfe in other parts; The sword hath beene filled with bloud and hath beene made fat with fatnesse, drunke with bloud: when the Angell of the Lord with his drawne sword had visited other places of the kingdome, at last he came and stood over Ierusalem: when God hath gone through other Lands, and Countryes, through other kingdomes and Churches, he will then sheath his sword upon us. The Iudges they are now in their Circuit, they have their Commission from the King, to goe from one County to another, the Iudges before they have done they will come in their Circuit to us, wee must have our Assizes, God hath given his sword a Commission, it hath beene ma∣ny yeares in the Circuite, 'tis now come neere unto us: The sword cannot bee

quiet, See Ieremy 47.6, 7. O thou sword of the Lord, how long will it bee ere thou be quiet? put up thy selfe into thy scab∣berd, rest and bee still; How can it bee quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against ASKELON, and against the Sea-shore? there hath hee ap∣pointed it.

The sword hath beene long unshea∣thed, and hath gone in triumph over all the world, besides, how can it bee quiet, till it come among us? See what danger we are in, the sword hath beene in other parts.

Thirdly, consider warre hath beene at our very doores, we have not only heard of it with our eares, but our eyes have seene the smoake, the fire of it hath toucht our bodies, the enemy hath beene as neere us as David to Saul when he cut off the lap of his garment. The last yeare was not the enemy strong up∣on our coast, a Potent, a powerful, a ma∣licious enemy? I question not the end of their comming, God and they know it, but was not the warre at our gates, did not the States, and the Spaniards,

fight before our eyes when wee stood still and looked on? God might have joyned them together against England. But he made their sword drunke in the bloud one of another, as the Lacede∣monians made their servants, and slaves drunke, that we might see it, and feare. Againe was not the Trumpet the last yeare blowne, was not a Generall made choise of, Leivtenants, Coronels, Cap∣taines, and all officers, were there not many horse and foote, they that went voluntary, and they that were pressed? did not the King goe himselfe, in per∣son, set up his Royall standerds, lye in the eye, in the sight of the enemy, sure∣ly the sword was then drawne, the knife was at the throate, the men of warre were prepared for the fight, there was great expence of men, time and money, yet then the Lord delivered us, he returned the King backe again, and we had peace, David was in great dan∣ger when Saul and his men of warre en∣compassed him about, yet then GOD brought Saul backe againe, Ierusalem was straitly besieged by the Caldeans,

yet God hasted them away, warre was at the back-doore.

Lastly, consider the warre is now begun, the sword hath begun to eate and drinke our flesh and bloud, now is the time that Kings goe forth unto war, Our preparations are farre greater, our hope of preservation farre lesse, relapse is the most dangerous; The second wrath is seldome appeased, God is now ingaged in the warre, the meanes of deliverance became vaine and empty, there hath beene rysings and rebellions in the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome, the Ordinances of warre are in print a∣mongst us, the men of warre are gathe∣red together, wee waite daily to heare of some bloudy encounter, of some fearefull Stratagem, of some devillish damnable Massacre, some horrid and dreadfull Tragedy; The Pharisees were weather-wise, it will bee foule weather to day, the skie is red and low∣ring, they could discerne the face of the sky, but they could not discerne the signes of the times, cast up your eyes and you shall see a Cloud comming

from the Sea, black and dreadfull, co∣vering the face of the heaven; hearken a little, and you shall heare a sound of abundance of Raine, yea the drops be∣gin to fall upon your faces, stand still and be quiet, and you may behold the approach of the enemy, the horror, the terror they bring with it, certainely he that sees not that there is but one step betwixt him and death, that we are all but dead men, hee is either blind or starke madde; for the Sword is drawn, Warre is fully prepared, War is ready.

Thirdly, consider what possibility there is yet of escape, what probabili∣ty, what hope, what comfort remaines; Is there no balme in Gilead? Is there no Physitian there? Iacob was almost desperate, the famine was sore in the Land; Ioseph was not, Simeon was not, they were taking away Benjamin also. The Chiefe Governour of Egypt, hee spake roughly to them, he imprisoned them as spies, hee conjures them that they should not see his face without their brother Benjamin, Iacob was re∣solved hee should not goe, his sonnes

would not goe without him, the fa∣mine encreased upon them, something therefore Iacob must doe, If it must bee so now (saith hee) doe thus, take of the best fruits of the Land in your vessels, and bring the man a present, a little Ro∣sen, and a little hony, spices, and Myrrhe, Nutts and Almonds, and take double money in your hand, and the money that was brought againe in your sackes mouthes, carry it againe in your hands, lest it were some oversight, Take also your Brother and arise, and goe againe to the man; And God Almighty give you mercy in the sight of the man, that hee may deliver you your other Brother and Benjamin, &c. There is the same beame of light and comfort left to us as was to Iacob, there lyes a necessitie upon us, it must bee so, wee must downe into Egypt, there is yet a little Balme in Gilead, we must take double money, increase our prayers to God, wee must pray, God Almighty give us mercy, &c. David was exceedingly distressed when the Amalekites burnt Ziklag, and had carried their wives and al that they

had, captive, when all his people were disheartened and discouraged, when they lift up their voyces and wept, when they mutined against David, and spake of Stoning of him, yet then David encouraged himselfe in the Lord, there is yet this left, how ever wee are sore distressed, yet we may encourage our selves in the Lord, we may enquire of the Lord; Consider therefore (to encourage you to this duty) this leading mercy that God hath vouchsafed unto us, this libertie and opportunitie, that God hath given unto us, this price that God hath put into our hands, that the whole kingdome may yet appeare be∣fore God, and cry unto GOD: my Brethren, this is not a little mercy. In the Prophet Malachy's time, when the state of Gods Church and people was as desperate as now, both in respect of sinne, and in respect of judgment, they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; It was a priviledge, they might have such free accesse, such communion, such fellowship together, the times have beene, when the people

of God have fled into the wildernesse, into the deserts, into dens and caves, when they could not meete to fast and pray, without great danger of distracti∣on, of discovering, of presenting, of imprisoning. The last yeare I heard it often whispered in the eare, and secret∣ly muttered, that the kingdome should prepare to warre, and that God should not be called in to the warre, that there was no prayer, no fast injoyned, this made some to feare, least God would joyne against us; See (my brethren) the King, to whom alone it belongs to proclaime publike Fasts, hath in his pietie to GOD proclaimed a day of humbling our soules, and of reconci∣ling our selves to God, this promiseth some good unto us, it is an argument, that we are prisoners of hope, when the enemy doth parley with us: there is some signe of yeelding, when there is liberty of parley: God doth never reason with them for whom he hath no mercy; Hee reasoned with Adam and Eve, he did not with the Serpent. God cannot be angry with the prayers of his

people, hee is then angry indeed when he forbids his people to pray, when he takes away their hearts from prayer, when hee denyes them liberty to pray, when they are restrained from prayer, but when GOD calls them to pray, when hee commands them to pray, when he stirres up a whole kingdome to pray, when hee makes those men, that have prayers in abomination, and the people of God for their praying in abomination also, to countenance pray∣er, to joyne with the people of GOD in prayer, to be of one heart with them, O what a glimpse of mercy is this, cer∣tainly there is hope, whilst there is but one praying Christian, amongst us, whilst any one that hath a publike spi∣rit, whilst Moses prayes, the enemy cannot prevaile, whilst Luther lived, the Duke of Saxony could not be con∣quered, yea there is hope, if there were not one praying Christian in the midst of us, if there be any of ano∣ther kingdome, that pray for us. Abra∣ham, that was a very stranger to Sodom and Gomorrah, prevailed farre with God,

for them, his prayer saved his nephew Lot, his Wife and daughters: we have a multitude of prayerfull Christians, that pray daily for us, that are not amongst us: all the reformed Churches abroad, especially our friends and kindred, that are lately separated from us in Holland, in New England: Yea let me appeale unto your selves, have not most of you, as Daniel did, in your Chambers fasted and prayed? have you not in your families, have not the men fasted apart, and the women apart? hath there not been private notice given, as Esther to Mordecai, Mordecai to the Iewes in Shusan? Yea that which Crownes all, is there not now a Pro∣clamation gone forth, through all Countries, to command every one, Church and Chappell, to fast? my bre∣thren, a little encourage your selves in the Lord; The God of Israel is a mer∣cifull God, wee cannot come with hal∣ters about our necks, but he will have mercy on us. The Lion of the Tribe of Iudah will not trample upon the yiel∣ding pray. The Comforter will com∣fort

whom he hath convinced, of sin, of righteousnesse, and of judgment: Let me speake comfortably unto you then, in the words of Manoa's wife unto him, when hee was much afflicted; Surely we shall dye (saith he) because wee have seene God, No (saith she Iudges 13.23.) if the LORD were pleased to kill us, hee would not have received a burnt offe∣ring and a meate offering at our hands, neither would hee have shewed us all these things, nor would now have told us any such.

Againe consider what great things, fasting and praying have done, the prayers of one man, of one family, of one Citie, of one Kingdome, God is the same GOD as ever, the father of mercy, the God of compassion: we are not confirmed, because hee changeth not: fasting and prayer have prevailed, why not still? Call to minde the me∣morable things recorded in the booke of God, especially that of Mordecai, and the Citie of Shushan, of Ezra and his company, looke into the booke of God, and tell me if you can finde one

good or bad, that ever fasted and pray∣ed, and God had not respect unto it, Iehosaphat when the Moabites and Am∣monites a great host came against them, ready to swallow them up, yet he pre∣vailed; call to minde Ecclesiasticall History, in Marcus Aurelius time, and Theodosius time, that thundering Legi∣on, when the Christians prayer obtai∣ned an admirable victory; That of Lu∣ther and the Church, when the devill brought in the covenants, call to mind what you your selves have obtained by fasting and prayer, I could tell you of some singular things that have fallen within mine own knowledge, wonder∣full things hath the publike fasting-prayers of our Church obtained of God. Nay more to encourage you, look into your owne Towne, when God sent that infectious disease of the small Pox, when scarce there was one house (as in Egypt) wherein there was not one dead, when you fasted and prayed, how soon did the Lord remove that plague, an Army of men cannot stand against a man of prayer, much lesse against an

Army of prayers; Surely (my Bre∣thren) it is the prayers of the Church that hath kept off judgements to this day, we have had many Ionah's sent a∣mongst us, crying, yet forty dayes and England shall be destroyed: We have had dayes and months and yeares, past over our heads, yet no sword, when (saith the scoffing worldling) is the pro∣mise of his comming, the Prophets prophecie wind, yea Ionah was angry with himselfe, what's the matter, God hath threatned so much, and wee have felt so little; did Ionah preach a lye in the name of the Lord? No Niniveh repented, and GOD repented, Nineveh fasted and prayed, and God was entrea∣ted; They have beene the repentings, the fastings, the prayers of the people, that have kept off the sword to this day, God is the same God; his com∣passions never faile: If we pray, God will heare; See how Salomon consecra∣ted his Temple, he prayed, that when the people should goe out to battell a∣gainst their enemy, and should pray un∣to the Lord toward the way of the

Citie, and toward the house which hee had built; That then God would heare in Heaven their prayer and their sup∣plication, and judge their cause, the turning towards the Temple was a turn∣ing to God, Christ was the Temple; turne to Christ in prayer, and the ene∣mie shall not prevaile.

Secondly, consider (as a further en∣couragement to pray for peace) the ene∣mies whom wee expect will engage us with Warre, and they are either for∣reine enemies, of other kingdomes, of other language, of another Religion, or they that are under the same King with us, of the same faith and Religion; Be they Spaniard, or French, or any of the Romish Religion, they are not more our enemies then Gods, and the warre is not ours, but Gods, God hath said it, they shall fall before us, and he will avenge the bloud they have shed. The Saints under the Altar have a long time cryed, how long? the time can∣not bee farre of, but that the Kings of the earth shall gather themselves toge∣ther, they shall hate the whore, and shall

make her desolate and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and shall burne her with fire.

Babylon must fall, Babylon must fall, yet I cannot say, but for a time they may prevaile, they may stand, though wee in our persons fall, yet this I say confidently, though we should fall, our cause shall stand: And God will raise up them after us that will avenge all the bloud shed by them; Hannibal, when he was but nine yeares old, vowed him∣selfe a perpetuall enemy to the Empire of Rome; The warre of Rome Chri∣stian runnes Retrograde to the warre of Rome Ethnicke: though they had of∣ten the worst in the present battailes, yet they were ever conquerers at last; when as Rome Christian, though they sometimes pevaile for the present, yet they shall never conquer, our warres with them, are as the warres with the Children of Israel, when they travel∣led into the land of Canaan, sometimes they turned their backs before the ene∣my, but they were sure to conquer at last; Our Shippe may by stormes and

Tempests, be beaten and torne, be as the Shippe in which Christ and his Disci∣ples were tossed and in danger, but 'tis sure at last to arrive safe at the haven: my brethren, God may make the Pa∣pists whippes and scourges, hee may make them as thornes in our eyes, as prickes in our sides, Ioshua and Israel may turne their backes before the ene∣mies, the Papists may have their long-waited for day, which may for the pre∣sent bee to us as that day we read of in Ioel; A day of darkenesse and of gloomi∣nesse, as dayes of clouds and of thicke darknesse, a day fearefull, as our day of doome, as our day of judgement: yet it shall not be our day of doom, nor our day of judgement, the sunne shall not goe downe in a Cloud, when our day is over, their night shall begin, black∣nesse of darknesse shall cover them, the Sunne shall never rise againe, they shall have an eternall night, they are greater sinners then wee, and when God be∣gins he will make an end, my brethren, we need not over much feare what A∣theists and Papists can do; what hell

or Rome, what the Devill or Spaniard, there may come an houre of temptati∣on, an houre of darknesse; Sathan may cast some of us into prison, wee may have Tribulation tenne dayes, but hee that shall come, will come and will not tarry: Our deliverer, our Saviour will raise up a mighty salvation for us; Pha∣raoh may oppresse for a time, but wee shall after a while see the Egyptians drown'd in the red Sea; They are Gods enemies, and we shal see the salvation of the Lord.

Are they against whom wee must fight, under the same King, of the same religion, they cannot but be as de∣sirous of peace as we our selves, we can∣not fight against them as against ene∣mies, nor can they fight against us; The King solemnly protests and declares to the world, be wageth not warre against them, his Armes are open to embrace them: What ever bloud hee drawes from them, he counts it as bloud from his owne veines, the kingdome is not forward for warre, God is called to Vmpire the cause, Therefore,

Pray, Pray for the peace of Ierusalem.

You have seene the misery of warre, the probability of a present warre, the possibility of escaping of it, O then pray for peace, which brings me to a use of exhortation further to presse this duty upon you.

First, bee seriously affected with it, before you pray, lay the warre to your heart, thinke of it when you rise in the morning, and when you goe to bed at night; Let the Trumpet that sounds to this warre, bee as the Trumpet that sounded in the eare of Saint Ierome, that where ever he went, or what ever hee did, he heard the sound of it; It is re∣corded of Ignatius, that when hee was dead, the name of Iesus was found in∣graven in his heart in letters of Gold; Of Saint Francis, that the markes and prints of Christ crucified were upon his hands and feete. Queene Mary said when she was dead, they should finde Callis writ on her heart; And 'tis said

when Sardis was lost, that every dinner one cryed, Remember they have taken Sardis, have deepe thoughts (my Brethren) concerning this warre, be∣cause of the Divisions of Reuben, there are great thoughts of heart.

O lay it neere to your hearts, sleepe with it, wake with it, eate and drinke with it, set it ever before your eyes, Vn∣lesse you are truly affected with it, you can never pray effectually for it: Re∣member the affection of David, If I for∣get thee 0 Ierusalem, let my right hand for∣get her cunning; Take to heart what Hezekiah did, when warre was threat∣ned, hee rent his clothes, hee covered himselfe with Sackcloth; This day is a day of trouble, and of Rebuke and Blasphe∣mie, call to remembrance what Uriah did, a Souldier, he would not go to his house; nor lye with his wife, nor eate of the Kings provision, whilst the Arke, and Israel, and Iudah dwelt in Tents, Nebuchadnezzar, that heathenish King, when he set his heart to deliver Daniel and could not, he returned sad to his palace, he passed away the night fast∣ing

he would have no Instrument of musicke brought before him, his sleep went away from him, he arose early in the morning, and hasted to the denne of Lions, O ye Priests of the Lord, re∣member old Eli, when warre was at the gates, his heart trembled, for the Arke of GOD, hee watched at the doore, the Lampe did not goe out all night, the newes that the Arke was ta∣ken, strooke him to the heart, Phinea's wife felt the losse of the Arke, more then the travell of her child, certainly (my brethren) they are neither faith∣full to God their King nor Countrey, that are not affected with this war, that doe not pray for the peace of Ierusalem. This day God calls to weeping and mourn∣ing, to baldnesse, and to girding with sack∣cloath; They that will not this day fight the battailes of the Lord with their prayers, they shall bee cursed of the Lord; Curse yee Meroz, because they came not to helpe the Lord against the mighty; If the enemy should break in upon us, then you would weepe and mourne; cry and howle, a grievous

shrike should bee heard among you. Then, ô my sonne Isaac! and ô my Father Abraham! weep and mourne, that the enemy may not come, doe as Iehoshaphat did.

Secondly, bee not afflicted nor af∣fected for a day onely, though you begin your sorrow to day, doe not end it to day, a woman is not long conceiving, shee is long breeding, she is not long bringing forth, shee is long training up; Sow the seed of sorrowes to day, and watch over it, and water it every day, weep day after day for Ieru∣salem: Is it such a fast that I have chosen, that a manshould afflict his soule for a day, and to bow downe his head, as a Bull-Rush, and to lye downe in sacke-cloath ashes? Wilt thou call this a fasting, or an acceptable day to the LORD? O (my Brethren) Let this day bee but the beginning of your sorrowes; Let GOD and the whole World see that you are become sorrowfull mourners indeed: ESTHER fast∣ed three dayes, DANIEL three weekes, the people of ISRAEL in

their Captivity seventie yeares, abate while the Pestilence, the warre lasteth, somewhat of your pleasures, of your profits, you know what God said of Miriam, if her father had but spit in her face, should she not have been asha∣med seaven dayes; If God was never so little Angry with us, we should fast seaven dayes, much more now he hath plagued us with his greatest plagues; Mephibosheth neither dressed his feete, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his cloathes, from the day the King de∣parted, untill he came againe in peace; till God and the King returne in peace, doe as Mephibosheth did, set one houre a∣part every day for prayer, one day more in the weeke, eate lesse, drink, lesse, sleep lesse, put on your mourning apparell, lay by your feasting, your banquetting, let your laughter be turned into weep∣ing, your joy into mourning, water your Couch with teares.

Encite, and exhort, and encourage one another to pray. David doth not only pray himselfe, but hee commands others to pray.

Pray for the peace of Ierusalem.

The word is in the plurall number, Then they that feared the Lord spake of∣ten one to another. The more prayers, the more power: we have at this day a great gale of prayers at our back; Noah Daniel, and Iob: The prayers of Noah alone preserved himselfe and his fami∣ly, Daniel returned the captivity, Iob prevailed for his friends; if these seve∣rally could doe so much with God, what can they all do joyned together? If one favourite can prevaile with the King, how can hee be denyed, when all the Court, when the Counsell, when the Kings Children, when the Queene joynes with him? get what stocke of prayers you can, pray your selves, call in others to pray; Let the Husband pray with the wife, the wife with her maides; The Parent with the Chil∣dren, let one neighbour provoke ano∣ther. An Army of men cannot stand against an Army of prayers: One pray∣ing Towne can overcome a fighting

Kingdome, make your party strong by prayers.

Fourthly, in this your day of prayer vow reformation to God: if any thing will prevaile with God, prayer and re∣formation will doe; Indeed you should have reformed the evill of your wayes before this day of prayer; Reforma∣tion should goe before Humiliation: The King of Nineveh when hee sent forth the Proclamation for the fast, he sent it forth for reformation also: the times have beene when reformation would not serve the turne; There may so much guilt lye upon a kingdom that no reformation shal priviledge the king∣dome.

There can be no preservation with∣out Reformation, though reformation will not alwayes doe the worke, yet the worke can never bee done with∣out it; It is the condition that GOD ever requires, that which his servants covenant for with GOD, that which encourageth them to pray; This ever leaves a possibility, a hope, a may bee: Therefore now (saith the Prophet

Ioel, Turne yee to me with all your heart, who knowes if he will returne and repent? breake off your sinnes saith Daniel, by, righteousnesse it may bee a lengthning of thy tranquillity. Reformation must go along with prayer, Wash you, make you cleane, take away the evill of your doings, cease to doe evill; Reforme the abuses, the sinnes of the place, the drunken∣nesse, the idlenesse, the whoring, the swearing, reforme the sinnes of your houses, the want of Prayer, of Cate∣chising, your personall sins, your co∣vetousnesse, your pride, your oppres∣sion, breake off your sinnes, God may have mercy.

Lastly, pray and rest comforted in your prayer, quiet your spirits what you can, feare not their feare, shew that you can doe what the wicked cannot doe, you can Anchor your soules upon God. Admirable was the deportment and carriage of poore afflicted Hannah, when shee had powred forth her soule unto God, she went home and did eate, and looked no more sad; It was a good resolution of a wicked man, yet a good

Generall in the field. Be of good cou∣rage and let us behave our selves vali∣antly, for our people and the Cities of our God, and let the Lord do that w^ch is good in his sight, Iacob was resolved, after he had used the means; If it must be so, If I am bereaved, I am bereaved. Esther was at a point, goe I will, if I perish, I perish, I cannot foretell you of certainety what this day may bring forth; what answer wee shall have of our prayers, but I can say this confi∣dently, and promise you in the name of the Lord, they that pray for the peace of Ierusalem, they shall prosper, either in the publike prosperity of Ierusalem, or in their owne particular person, or in the prosperity of their posterity. The Children that are not yet borne may blesse you for this day. Pray then, O pray, Pray for the peace of Ierusalem, for the Citie, for the Church, for the King∣dome.

Notes

• •• Chro. 22.8.
• 2 Chro. 21.10.
• Ier. 15.3.
• Ezek. 14.21.
• Lev. 26.18, 28.
• Eze 21.10
• 2 Sam. 24.12.
• Verse 14.
• Iob 30 1, 8.
• Deut. 32.26, 27.
• Iudges 18.16.
• Amos 3.7.
• Verse 6.
• Verse 7.
• Verse 9.
• Verse 10.
• Verse 11.
• Verse 12.
• Ier. 37.5.
• Mat. 16.3.
• Gen. 43.11
• 1 Sam. 30.8.
• Mal. 3.16.
• Iudg 13.23
• 1 Kings 8.44, 45.
• Rev. 17.16
• Ioel 2.2.
• Isay 10.12.
• Psalm. 137.5.
• Isai. 37.1, 3.
• 2 Sam. 11.11.
• Dan. 6.18.
• Isay 22.12.
• Iudg. 5.23.
• Isay 58.5.
• Numb. 12.14.
• 2 Sam. 19.24.
• 2 Kings 23.26, 27.
• Ioel 2.14.
• Dan. 4.27.
• Isay 1.16.
• 1 Sam. 1.18.
• 1 Chro. 19.13.