The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.

SECT. V.

The Obiection, That the Arme of the People was strong here, and the Arme of God not so glorious.

SEe the manner of Men before we heare them if we can see any cran∣ny or chinke, whereat light and comfort comes in unto us, to that we will looke, not minding the Sunne, whose beam it is. If our net be quite broken all to peeces, we will scarce cast it away; we will thinke it may catch and hold something, and so to our Net we will sacrifice, that is, to our owne strength and wisdome; That did it, God did nothing g, If the arme of flesh be strong, we looke not after, we regard not at all the Arme of the Lord, the Right-hand of the Al∣mighty. But was the arme of flesh strong now? nay, was it conside∣rable? surely, the Lord seemed now to cut Israel short h. Iacob was then very low, as a worme now, very small; Surely it might be questioned now as once it was, O Lord God forgive, I beseech thee, by whom shall Jacob rise? for hee is SMALL i. But see, I say, what hearts we have, still warping, nay, still departing from the Lord.

If there be any thing of the arme of flesh discernable, whereat to take hold, there we take our hold-fast, and thereon we rest, Just so wee did here; Here wee saw Head and Tayle, and multitudes, and their King also, all confounded. Thanke the Country-man for this, so they say, and so they abate of the wonder, and from the glory of the work. We will examine the truth of that.

It is said, the People in the Country were at this point wise enough and provident enough. That's true, wise enough in their Generation, wiser then the children of light; and provident enough too; for what? For their owne private-wealth, their particular interests; Take them otherwise and in the lumpe, and out of their owne tractes, and they have little wisdome or providence at all. True it is, they were pinched now, and that made them looke up from the ground, wheron they are still poring. They did howle, because of their Task∣masters, which made them looke out for helpe, and be a little more provident then ordinary. They that pressed Ship-money, should ne∣ver have their voyces; so they were resolved, so tender they were in their owne ease, and where it pinched; but for the cause of Christ and His Church, it is little in their thoughts. I know the manner of men well enough, by making enquiry into mine owne heart, and the manners and customes there. As our interests leade us, and our relati∣ons stand, there is the BIAS, that way we goe, and there we cast our voyce, considering no more, but that he is our most honoured Lord and Master. Thanke the Country-man, who will; the Church will not, till she heare of such an one, who, against his owne interest, pri∣vate-wealth, and speciall Relation, minded the Common-weale, and so cast his voyce, She will praise the Lord, as vvell as she can, and call upon all so to doe; and blesse His Name for His good Servants, vvhose voyces vvere sent up in corners. And so we may count it a mercy, that such a choyce was made; but for the marvellous worke, and the wonder we read it before, and this, that followes, makes it yet more wonderfull.

That vvhen the Worthies came altogether, and made a full Court, then and there, The Lord did so stirre-up their spirits, as that they vvere carried some of them above themselves, yea, and (I appeale to themselves) against themselves: I meane, against vvhat they thought and intended, vvhen they vvere entring the doores of the House. Doubtlesse so it vvas, else such things had not bin done, as are done, had it not beene even so. But it is wonderfull in our eyes, for it is the Lords doing, Who when His vvorke is in hand, vvill frame and mould the spirits of Men, according to His good pleasure. There is yet something more in it, and greatly to be observed, that the Lord sent forth a dry wind, which sifted and sifted this Court; now one was blown away, anon another: Now this man vvent his way, and the other did flee away. All this, that it might appeare to all the vvorld, that the Lord intended assuredly to doe His Church good by this Court,

with His whole heart, and with His whole soule . We must learne now from all these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 great things, vvrought these two Months, these vvonderfull administrations; and picke out great lessons there∣from.

Notes

• g

  Adrete re••••rr••••, hoc est, pu••a•••• Diū nihil esse. Hab. 1 16. vid Calv.
• h

  2 Kin. ••0 30.
• i

  Am 7. 2.
• Ier. 32. 41.