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. III.

That You have advanced Christ in the Ministery of the Gos∣pell, how efficacious that is. To promote the chiefe end, the Glory of God; and Your end, Mans Salvation.

¶ 6.

2. THe Church blesseth God that hath instructed You to discretion, so as You have shewen Your zeale, and given all Diligence, to promote the Gospell: The readiest and most compendious way to Your ayme and end, to bring all the designes about, which vve hope are all levell to the glory of Christ, and Your owne glory vvith Him at the end. And now great is the company of Preachers; their mouth opened now, who, of late, were used worse than the Oxe, which treadeth out the Corne. They speake boldly now, as the Mes∣sengers of the Churches, and the Glory of Christ. That, which let∣ted shall let no longer.

The Scepter of the Lord Christ is advanced, and the people flow in unto it. The Church thinkes her Sonnes and Daughters never had a more glorious yeare, since the day her Beloved, and Crowne of rejoy∣cing, ascended to His Glory. Never since that Day, when He was lifted up from the Earth, was He so openly showne to the world, as this last yeare. Though there had beene no other very worthy deeds done unto this Nation by Your providence; yet this she accepts al∣wayes and in all places wich all thankfulnesse, accounting it an ex∣ceeding great mercy, That by Your meanes she was respited and spa∣red one yeare longer to lay in her provision, and more fully to stocke her selfe against hard and de••re yeares. This the Church accepts, as afore-said, for this is the way to doe, and effect the greatest things. Therefore this the Church accounts an exceeding mercy. The blessing

of blessings; and she prayeth, that the blessing of Him, Who dwelt in the Bush, may goe along with You in this Designe, in making knowne the Arme of the Lord: In advancing this Glory, through the whole Land, that they, who walke in darkenesse may see a great Light: They that dwell in the Land of the shadow of Death, upon them this light may shine. This is the onely way to doe good to the whole Land; to make it a Land of visions, wherein the Lord may delight, and to make his people a willing people.

The Church will remember You here, vvhat Luther, her valiant Gideon spake to the businesse now in hand; I will not, said he, trou∣ble my selfe any more with the Cloysters, the Monkes and Schollars there, those Armies of Adversaries; they mind their belly, that is their god, and the belly hath no eares. Nor will I contest with the Pope any longer: (he had done it, and was too hard for him and all his Cardinals) let the Philistines alone with their Dagon: They will finde wayes enough to breake themselves and their god; he would not beat and buffet the darknesse (so he said also) as the foole did his shadow; he would set up a light, then the darknesse slinkes away. I know not where it is, for it is a privative thing: but it flies a∣way as the cloud before the Sunne, or as the beasts of prey will doe when the Sunne ariseth, there is a riddance, it is gone, and those beasts goe to their darke Dens.

You know his meaning, and know it for the good of the Land. He would advance Christ; He would set up that Standard (that was his meaning and his worke) To use his own word; he would promote the Arke; then Dagon fals, breaks himselfe to peeces, head and hands both cut off, the Head for councell, hands for action, ••ll gone. That's the way indeed: So You have done, and so You have suc∣ceeded already. You will to that worke againe, and joyne shoul∣der to shoulder for the advancing thereof; That the Lord Christ may be showen openly; His glorious excellencies made knowne, specially in those places, where CATHEDRALS are, as barren in the Churches observation, to the soules of men, as the Surface of that Earth, where the Mines of Gold and Silver are, there no meat grows for man, nor grasse for Cattell The Church intreats you to remember those barren places, and those darke places all over the Land, where the dead bury the dead, and the blind lead the blind every Day, Truly the Church is perswaded, that the people for the most part, are as ignorant as the Monks are of Christ; (to speak as Luther spake) or as they were of the Holy Ghost, they know not whither there be any Christ or no, unles a Christ of their own framing in a Table. They have heard of the name Iesus, and the Monkes have taught them to bend the knee unto it, and that is all their Devotion according to their knowledge. O, that the Name in∣deed, the glorious excellencies of that wonderfull name, were made knowne unto them, certainly their Hearts would bend also. Bles∣sed be Ye of the Lord, Ye have laboured herein, and Ye will labour

yet more to advance this STANDARD; to set-up this Ensigne (that the mountaines may melt before you, and the people may flow in unto it;)

To make knowne this Arme of the Lord, for this makes us a willing people. That I may speake all in our Lord and Masters words; * 1.1 In so doing, you shall doe as Christ did; you will give eyes to the blind; feet to the lame; you shall cleanse the Lepers; make the deafe heare; nay, you shall raise the dead. You will sticke most at this last, though the other, as this, are all the workes of the Almigh∣ties Arme; and all is effected, when the poore receive the Gospell. If then, you will order it so, that the poore people may have the Gospell preached unto them, you shall doe all the fore-mentioned workes, which are so wonderfull, for all these miracles are wrought by the Ministery of Man, the Hand of the Lord going along with that ministery; so we understand it; as the Lord dealt with His Ser∣vant Ezekiell, so He must deale with every man, upon whom these workes are wrought, eyes opened, eares boared, dead heart raised; The word of the Lord came expressely to Ezekiel, and the hand of the Lord was there upon him: when the hand of the Lord comes a∣long * 1.2 with the word (for the word comes but to the eare. The hand of the Lord carries it to the heart) then the eyes of them, that are borne blind are opened; feet, bound-up as with fetters of yron and brasse, are enlarged; the dead are raised, &c. The blessing of the poore and thirsty soules be upon you, and upon your house, and all that you have: for you have and will pitty these poore people; yee will thrust out the dumbe and the ignorant; the light Priest and treacherous Prophet; the lame and the blind that are hated of Da∣vids * 1.3 soule. And you will send forth Ministers unto those places, such as are indeed the Messengers of the Churches and the glory of Christ. * 1.4 Then behold these marvellous workes wrought, The blinde receive their sight; and the lame walke; and the Lepers are cleansed; and the deafe heare; the dead are raised up, and the poore have the Go∣spell preached to them. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ps. 110.
• * 1.2

  Chap. 1. 3.
• * 1.3

  2 Sam. 5. 8.
• * 1.4

  Mat. 11, 5.