Examples for LONDON

SEverall ſayings of Gods choſen ſervants in whom the Holy Ghoaſt it ſelfe ſpeaketh, are worthy perpetual remembrance, and if they be not re­garded, the godly are taken away to their reſt and joy, and then fol­loweth a plague unto y^e people, the miſeries and calamities that before was threatned by the mouthes of thoſe his meſſengers, ſo after the death of St. •mbrôſe, followed the vaſtiga­tion of Italy, after the death of St. Auguſtine, the Vandals entered Affricke, and then ſprung up the Ari­an-Heriſie after the death of Iohannes Huz, the fierce Battels of Bohemia, after the death of Martin Luther what terrible troubles and cruell callamities hapened who in his life time amongſt all other of his Workes left in memoriall This notable popheſie, that theſe 3. things would be the deſtruction of Chriſtian religion.

The firſt is forgetfullneſſe of benefits that we reſeved at Gods hands by the Goſpell, and unthankfullneſſe for the ſame. The ſecond is Careleſſneſſe. The third, that we l•ke better of the worlds wiſdome, then of Godly wiſdome, within the compaſſe of our fooliſh braines we would Comprehend the Reaſon, Rule, Order, and end, of every thing, ungodly counſell is aprop and ſtay unto our determinations, we depend not upon the Lordes providence we aſke not counſell at the mouth of the Lord, if the Lord guide not the world after our owne will we like no longer to be governed by him, we forſake the Lord, we fly ſtraight to fleſh and blood, the proſperity of the world is our delight, and therefore we ſay ſimply as did the prophet Ieremiah we remember what we have done and lived merrely by it, when we ſa­craficed to the queene of heven, now we live in lack and fele much woe, even ſo ſay we, if we ſhould live ac­cording to the Goſpell we ſhould leave of our crafty cuning in getting, and perchance become beggers, wee ſhould leave our fa•ſe ſwearing, and not ſell our wares.

We ſhould leave our acceſſe in vanity, which is our cheife delight.

We ſhould labour erneſtly and leave our ſlloathful reſt.

We ſhould give to thoſe that want and have no cer­tainety our ſerves.

But ſtill waight untill the Lord ſhall give us more

Fleſh and blood is our delighr the glory of the world is our joye, and this is contrary thereunto.

Thus we forſake the Lord, and caſt of the yoake of of Chriſtan profeſſion, nay of Chriſtian Religion, I may ſay, for we profeſſe ſomewhat, but expreſſe nothing in our lives and converſations, but Envie, Hatred and Mallice, and all uncharitableneſſe, we profeſſe purity, but our hearts are fraught wirh Hipocriſy.

Tis horible to be feared, becauſe of the ungodly, who for all they have ſo many labonrers from the Lord with his directions to teach the way to Heaven, who I am ſure with earneſt groanings, pray that his bleſt ſpirit would teach them what to ſpake, but they, by their neglect and ſlight regard, the nerears I do meane, for­ces them often to prenounce this woe, to have the Kingdome of Heaven taken from us, to have the gra­cious Goſſpell the emmortali ſeed and ſpirituall foode of our ſoules taken quite a way from us, ſo long as I thinke on it, I feare and tremble to thinke how ſoone that terible hunger may come, for now us ſet on foot, then we ſhall go, rune, and ſeeke earneſtly, and yet not finde the foode of our ſoules wherewith to be comforted: If we will fully forget Gods glory will he care for us. wherefore for Londons example, there was ne­ver a godlier City on the earrn, then was Jeruſalem, and yet when they refuſed to be Obedient unto the Lord, and begane to wax forgerfull of his great bene­fits, when they left of to aske counſell of the Lord, and truſted to mans vaine ſtrength, even then they were deſtroyed.

Even then they were begirt with death and Deſolation.

Even then did all their Channells flowe with Blood.

Her STREETS were filled with Scar­let.

Her precious palaces was filled with groanes and howlings.

Her Temple Doores were blockt up with Prieſts, deckt in their Golden Coapes.

Fired were their Barnes and Garners ſtuffed with Corne.

Their young Babes toſſed upon their Enemies Speares, Balls of wildfire hurld upon their lofty ſpires prided with goulden weines, this City ſeated by the hand of Heaven, and fixt upon the Navell of the Earth, by her owne diſcention was thus deſtroyed, her Nobles for­ced dayly to labour like the poreſt ſlaves, no more ac­count there was then made of them, but thirty there was ſould for one pore penny, the reſt were forced to live in woe and want, pinched with pennury, oppreſſed with labor in moſt cruell boncage and perpetu•••ſlave­ry. Oh London, take example, firſt by this glorious Ci­ty Jeruſalem, whoſe unnumbred Towers were built ſo nigh, that they ſeemed to touch, nay kiſle the cloudes, and now all lies flat, and not one ſtone left ſtanding upon another? Wilt thou not pitie Her.

But to come neerer unto our ſelves, how gallant and glorious a City was Antwerpe of late dayes, how flou­riſhed ſome part of Germany and Flanders, but when the voice of the Goſpell is not obeyed, when the King­dome of heaven is not ſought firſt, and before all things when Gods mercy is deſpiſed, and his Goſpell no more im•tated, when the Spirit of the Creator is reſiſted and refuſed, then indeed we muſt needs loo•e for t•at which Martin Luther, that choſen Teſtament of the Lord, foretold us, That the Goſpell ſhould be•ra•ſlated from u•, to ſome other Nation, or rat•er returned backe from us Gentills, unto the Iewes, from the new choſen refuſers to the old choſen proffeſſors.

It hath a hid and a moſt a darke miſtery, that many that proffeſſe themſelves to be Chriſtians, yet deny the Sacrament of Baptiſme, and ſome•at•all Iſralits-and carnall Jewes, have ereneſtly deſired••e Benefit of the ſame doubtleſſe it is true that Chriſt ſaid, you ſhall not finiſh all the Cities of Iudab, untill the comming againe of the Son of man. Somwhat willbe to doe among them. God hath a worke that he will doe, he hath a remnant5 that he will call home, whereof P•ull ſpeaketh ſaying blindneſſe is partly hapned unto Jſraell untill the fulneſſe of the Gentiles be accompliſhed, and ſo Jſraell ſhall be ſaved, hereof ſpeaketh Hillarius all is not yet doneth Jſraell, after the fulneſſe of the Gentiles is come〈◊〉, there is a remnant yet left in Jſrael that ſhall be gather­ed unto the Lord.

Our looſeneſſe of life is to any Chriſtians conſcience a terrible feare or rather ach part of any long continu­ance of the goſpell amongeſt us that we are ſo different in ſhew that it is hard to find many of one colour, of one Conſent, or of one•ike Dſpoſſtion ſome are white, ſome are blacke, ſome are dunne, ſome ate blew, ſome are Yellowe, ſome are Red, but aboundance browne, ſome are ſpoted, but ſome unſpotted.

On the other ſide one wolfe is like another, ſeeking to deface Gods glory blot out his name, and let up whome you will, let God and Moſes be forgotten in the Mount; a•l〈…〉will pluck of their ſpecial Iewis and ornament to ma e a molton Image, in this caſe helpe all you that are true proteſtants, lament all you good hriſtians, for reverent vſe of his name, ſpare no labour, ſpeake, ſue, intreate, incourage, your Knights of the S•ire, the Burgeſſecs of the parliament, the Clarkes of the Convocation ſhew your z•alo••what you may to move, to procure ſonne Godly law whereby the cuſtomary evill uſe, vain a•u•e of our ſacred God, his moſt mighty name may be reformed.

The force of Papiſtry, with all their wiſdome and power they labour to beate downe our lacke of good Life is ſtill the gre•teſt loſſe, the ſtrongeſt••op, the unhappieſt hinderance that now remaineth againſt the fu•neſſe and plentiousneſſe of Gods Kingdome, whoſe Kingdome if we build not to the end, whoſe ſpirit if we reſiſt and refuſe as heretofore (a fruit of infidellity) we are quite given over, the devill ſhall every where6 the terrour of Conſcience appeare and ſhew himſelfe unto us (which God avert) and London be thou war­ned, oh thinke upon fernſalem, that was ſo faire, ſo beautious, and ſo pop•ulus, her ſeverall Sects brought her to that confuſion, which God defend but that thou ſhouldeſt live and flouriſh, and maintaine the Churches glory, and be ſo he•d upon England, that the other Congregations in other Lands may confeſſe the to be no whit inferiour to any in the world, but rather a light and lanthorne unto the reſt, and tread cowne them that ſeekes to raze out the.

And laſt of all, to prompt the towards the imbrace­ing of an unity (the onely meanes to obtaine a religi­ous peace) thinke of the late flouriſhing eſtate of the Kingdome of Ireland, there thou mayſt ſee as in a glaſſe the miſery of Warre, the coſideration of which, I hope will prove a motive to repentance, and cauſe an union in Religion, and then we have no cauſe to feare but that God in his good time will give a period to all our feares, and rurne our mourning into a religious joy.