A call and patern for true and speedy repentance being an abridgment of those many severe sermons by Thomas Reeve ... intituled God's plea for Nineveh.

Application. 318

1. This doth shew, That we should honour God in his Blessing of Cattle: for should we not spy where God doth spare, prize that which he preserves? Yes, If our tame Beasts forsook our Pastures, and ran into the Woods; and the wild Beasts forsook our Forests, and came running into our strets, as they did in Germany in the year 1086. Or, That men were forced to draw in Trace, to plow the Lands, or to be yoked in Carts to carry up and down our Commodities; as it happened in those dismal Civil Wars under Uladislaus the III. King of Hungary, we should then think Cattle a rich Possession. Alexander was so touch'd with the loss of a few Hor∣ses, which the Mardi took away from him in the Reer of his Army, as he march'd into India, that he threatned to burn down their Woods, destroy their Country, and kill them to a man, if they were nto restored. Ulys∣ses, when he had lost a few Mares, sought all Greece to regain them, and

when he had found them, buile a Temple to Diana for them. The ser∣viceable Beast was so pretious to antient times, that they knew not how to give honour enough to them: Solon commanded all the People to sacrifice to the Gods, for the use of the Ox, and made it as capital a Crime for any man to kill a Bullock, as to slay a Man: Oh, let us not visit our Stalls without a Meditation, nor walk in our Pastures without a Contemplation.

2. This shews, That man is a Stipendary: he is not perfect, he doth live much by supply, he is the best of the Creatures, but he is not a Compleat Creature. Man was born naked, that out of a sense of his Necessity he might have daily recourse unto his God: he carrys his Beggars-wallet at his Back: Man would be a Proprietary, he is but a Stipendary. Hath God need of any Cattle? No, thou art the Cattle-Eater, and Cattle-user, he spared them for thee. Yea, 'Twas not enough that he spared the per∣sons, unless he spared the Cattle. And also cattle.

3. This shews, That man hath a right in the Creature: why may not a man participate of that which God doth set apart for him? Every Crea∣ture of God is good, if be received with Thanksgiving, 1 Tim. 4.4. A Church Constitution may out of Ecclesiastical prudence, but not absolute Neces∣sity, forbid the use of such things, but otherwise the Creature is thy own. And also Cattle.

4. This shews the dignity of the Creature, for Cattle must have some Excellency in them when God would spare them, not only Persons, but Also Cattle.

5. This may serve to strengthen your Christian Dependance upon God Al∣mighty, for he careth for you; for he careth for Cattle: He that feedeth the Ravens, and clotheth the Grass, will he not feed and cloth you? What a turbulent and impatient People are we in Adversity? like Domitian, af∣ter eight months thunder at Rome, he was so distracted with it, that he ca∣red not though the Thunder-bolt were in his sides. Come out of this Swoon ye fainting Creatures? If Mordical be of the Seed of the Jews thou shalt not prevail: if it not of God, it shall not stand. God can send a ter∣ror amongst the Midianites, he can put an hook into the nostrils of Se∣nach••rib. God will pity his Saints, for he pitys Beasts, he will spare his Church, for he doth spare Cattle. And also Cattle.

6. This doth serve to exhort Man to maintain his Priority: for God doth first name the Person before he names the Cattle. Oh then, that that which is but put in the Additional, should exceed that which is pla∣ced

in the Principal! thus the Servant should be better than the Master; that the greatest Brightness should not be seen in him which is the Image of God: 'tis a shame and scandal to man when he must be sent to learn his Duty of the Creature, as, Go to the Pismire, o thou Sluggard, &c.

7. This doth serve, To elevate man, to aspire after his high Preferment: here thou art but spared, and the Beasts spared for thee: but is there no greater happiness to be attained to? Yes, thou art not only set forth to be an Heir of the Creatures, but to be a Co-heir with Jesus Christ.

8. This shews, That we should express Commiseration to Cattle; seeing God will spare, why should not we? Yes, Spare them, 1. By respective usage; The just man is merciful to his Beast, he is a Beast which is barba∣rous to his Beast: feed it neither under its necessary Allowance, nor work it beyond its strength? Where shall the dumb Creature be righted? God hath a Bar for this oppressed Creature, and the right Beast (even the savage Master) shall one day meet with a Pound and a Scourge. 2. Spare the Cattle by moderate use▪ tho man hath a right to the Crea∣ture, yet he hath no Empe••y over it: he may participate of it, but not riot upon it: enjoy it for necessity and delight, but not for his Excess and Surfeit. 3. Spare the Cattle by avoiding Merciless Destruction: It is the hight of Out-rage to make sport and pastime with the spoil of Cattle: yet how many of these horrid Practises do we meet withall in Histories. Phero, because a woman's urine could not cure his blind-eyes, he fired the Town Gleba rubra, and destroyed all the Cattle. Alexander, in revenge of a Wound he had received before Cyropolis, leveled the Ci∣ty to the Ground, and made a miserable Spoil of the Cattle. VVell these things may satisfy Fury, but will they be acceptable to the just God? Men should spare Cattle, because God would spare Cattle. And also Cattle.