signed into the hands of wicked men and enemies! I am sure, Goď would not have it so. It's come, therefore, to you by the way of necessity by the way of the wise Providence of God,—through weak hands. And therefore I think, coming through our hands, though such as we are, it may not be ill taken if we do offer somewhat (as I said before) as to the discharge of the Trust which is now incumbent upon you [Certainly not!]. And although I seem to speak of that which may have the face and interpretation of a Charge, it's a very humble one and if he that means to be a Servant to you, who hath now called you to the exercise of the Supreme Authority, discharge what he conceives to be a duty to you, we hope you will take it in good part. in And truly I shall not hold you long in it; because I hope it's written your hearts to approve yourselves to God. Only this Scripture I shall remember to you, which hath been much upon my spirit: Hosea, xi. 12, "Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the Saints." It's said before, that "Ephraim compassed God about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit." How God hath been compassed about by fastings and thanksgivings,* and other exercises and transactions, I think we have all cause to lament. Truly you are called by God, 'as Judah was,' to " rule with Him," and for Him. And you are called to be faithful with the Saints who have been instrumental to your call. Again,' Second Samuel, xxi. 3, "He that ruleth over men," the Scripture saith, "must be just, ruling in the fear of God" [Groans from Dryasdust. Patience, my friend! Really, does not all this seem an incredibility;-a palpable hypocrisy, since it is not the mouth of an imbecile that speaks it? My estimable, timber-headed, leaden-hearted friend, can there be any doubt of it!] And truly it's better to pray for you than to counsel you in that matter, That you may exercise the judgment of mercy and truth! It's better, I say, to pray for you than counsel you; to ask wisdom from Heaven for you; which I am confident many thousands of Saints do this day, 'and' have done, and will do, through the permission of God There was a Monthly Fast, the Last Wednesday of every Month, held duly for about Seven Years; till, after the King's Death, we abolished it Immense preaching and howling, all over the country, there has been on these stated Wednesdays; sincere and insincere. Not to speak of due Thanksgivings for victories and felicities innumerable; all ending in this infelicitous condition! His Excellency thinks we ought to restrain such habits; not to imitate Ephraim, or the Long Parliament in such. The rest of this Discourse is properly a Sermon of his; and one conceived in a different style. and His assistance. I say it's better to pray than advise: yet truly 1 think of another Scripture, which is very useful, though it seems to be for a common application to every man as a Christian,--wherein he is counselled to ask wisdom;* and he is told what that is. That's "from Above," we are told; it's "pure, peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits;" it's "without partiality and without hypocrisy." Truly my thoughts run much upon this place, That to the execution of judgment (the judgment of truth, for that's the judgment) you must have wisdom "from Above;" and that's "pure.' That will teach you to exercise the judgment of truth; it's "without partiality." Purity, impartiality, sincerity: these are the effects of "wisdom," and these will help you to execute the judgment of truth. And then if God give you hearts to be "easy to be entreated," to be "peaceably spirited," to be "full of good fruits," bearing good fruits to the Nation, to men as men, to the People of God to all in their several stations, this will teach you to execute the judgment of mercy and truth [Yes, if thou understand it: still yes,—and nothing else will!]. And I have little more to say to this. I shall rather bend my prayers for you in that behalf, as I said; and many others will. Truly the "judgment of truth," it will teach you to be as just towards an Unbeliever as towards a Believer; and it's our duty to do so. I confess I have said sometimes, foolishly it may be: I had rather miscarry to a Believer than an Unbeliever. This may seem a paradox :-but let's take heed of doing that which is evil to either! Oh, i. God fill your hearts with such a spirit as Moses had, and as Paul had -which was not a spirit for Believers only, but for the whole People! Moses, he could die for them: wish himself "blotted out of God's Book :" Paul could wish himself "accursed for his countrymen after the flesh" [Let us never forget that, in Moses and Paul.-Are not these amazing sentiments, on their part, my estimable, timberheaded, leadenhearted friend?]: so full of affection were their spirits unto all. And truly this would help you to execute the judgment of truth, and of mercy also. A second thing is, To desire you would be faithful with the Saints; to be touched with them. And I hope, whatever others may think, it may be a matter to us all of rejoicing to have our hearts touched (with reverence be it spoken) as Christ, "being full of the spirit," was *But the Wisdom that is from Above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace' (James, iii., 17, 18). Do wrong to a good than to a bad man; a remarkable sentiment. "touched with our infirmities," that He might be merciful. So should we be; we should be pitiful. Truly, this calls us to be very much touched with the infirmities of the Saints; that we may have a respect unto all, and be pitiful and tender towards all, though of different judgments. And if I did seem to speak something that reflected on those of the Presbyterial judgment,―truly I think if we have not an interest of love for them too, we shall* hardly answer this of being faithful to the Saints. In my pilgrimage, and some exercises I have had abroad, I did read that Scripture often, Forty-first of Isaiah; where God gave me, and some of my fellows, encouragement 'as to' what He would do there and elsewhere; which He hath performed for us. He said, "He would plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah-tree, and the myrtle and the oiltree; and He would set in the desert the fir-tree, and the pine-tree, and the box-tree together." For what end will the Lord do all this? "That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, That the hand of the Lord hath done this ;"-that it is He who hath wrought all the salvations and deliverances we have received. For what end! To see, and know, and understand together, that He hath done and wrought all this for the good of the Whole Flock [Even so. For 'Saints' read' Good Men; and it is true to the end of the world]. Therefore, I beseech you, but I think I need not,-have a care of the Whole Flock! Love the sheep, love the lambs; love all, tender all, cherish and countenance all, in all things that are good. And if the poorest Christian, the most mistaken Christian, shall desire to live peaceably and quietly under you,-I say, if any shall desire but to lead a life of godliness and honesty, let him be protected. I think I need not advise, much less press you, to endeavor the Promoting of the Gospel; to encourage the Ministry ;† such a Ministry and such Ministers as be faithful in the Land; upon whom the true character is. Men that received the Spirit, which Christians will be able to discover, and do 'the will of;' men that "have received Gifts from Him who is ascended up on high, who hath led captivity captive, to give gifts to men," even for this same work of the Ministry! And truly the Apostle, speaking in another place, in the Twelfth of the Romans, when he has summed up all the mercies of God, and the goodness of God; and discoursed, in the former Chapters, of the foundations of the Gospel, and of those things that are the subject of those first Eleven Chapters,—— he beseecheth them to "present their bodies a living sacrifice" [Note that!]. He beseecheth them that they would not esteem highly of † Preaching Clergy. Ephesians, iv., 8. • 'will' in orig. themselves, but be humble and sober-minded, and not stretch themselves beyond their line; and also that they would have a care for those that "had received gifts" to the uses there mentioned. I speak not,-Į thank God it is far from my heart,-for a Ministry deriving itself from the Papacy, and pretending to that which is so much insisted on, "Succession" ["Hear, hear!" from the Puseyites]. The true Succession is through the Spirit—[I should say so!],—given in its measure. The Spirit is given for that use, 'To make proper Speakers-forth of God's eternai Truth ;' and that's right Succession. But I need not discourse of these things to you; who, I am persuaded, are taught of God, much more and in a greater measure than myself, concerning these things. Indeed I have but one word more to say to you; though in that perhaps I shall show my weakness: it's by way of encouragement to go on in this Work. And give me leave to begin thus. I confess I never looked to see such a Day as this,—it may be nor you neither,—when Jesus Christ should be so owned as He is, this day, in this Work. Jesus Christ is owned this day by the Call of You; and you own Him, by your willingness to appear for Him. And you manifest this, as far as poor creatures may do, to be a Day of the Power of Christ. I know you well remember that Scripture, "He makes His People willing in the day of His power."* God manifests this to be the Day of the Power of Christ; having, through so much blood, and so much trial as hath been upon these Nations, made this to be one of the great issues thereof: To have His People called to the Supreme Authority [A thing, I confess, worth striving for; and the one thing, worth striving for!]. He makes this to be the greatest mercy, next to His own Son. God hath owned His Son; and He hath owned you, and made you own Him. I confess I never looked to have seen such a day; I did not.-Perhaps you are not known by face to one another; 'indeed' I am confident you are strangers, coming from all parts of the Nation as you do: but we shall tell you that indeed we have not allowed ourselves the choice of one person in whom we had not this good hope, That there was in him faith in Jesus Christ and love to all His People and Saints [What a Parliament; unexampled before and since in this world!]. Thus God hath owned you in the eyes of the world; and thus, by coining hither, you own Him: and, as it is in Isaiah, xliii., 21,-it's an high expresssion; and look to your own hearts whether, now or hereafter, God shall apply it to you: "This People," saith God, "I have formed for Myself, that they may show forth my praise." I say, it's a memora * Psalm cx., 3, a favorite Psalm of Oliver s-as we know already, and solid Ludlow knows. VOL. II. 4 ble passage; and, I hope, not unfitly applied: the Lord apply it to each of your hearts! I shall not descant upon the words; they are plain : indeed you are as like the "forming of God" as ever people were. If a man should tender a Book to you 'to swear you upon,' I dare appeal to all your consciences, Neither directly nor indirectly did you seek for your coming hither. You have been passive in coming hither; being called, and indeed that's an active work,- though not on our part!' "This People have I formed:" consider the circumstances by which you are "called " hither; through what strivings [At Marston Moor, at Naseby, Dunbar and elsewhere], through what blood you are come hither,— where neither you nor I, nor no man living, three months ago, had any thought to have seen such a company taking upon them, or rather being called to take, the Supreme Authority of this Nation! Therefore, own your call! Indeed, I think it may be truly said that there never was` a Supreme Authority consisting of such a Body, above One-hundred-andforty, I believe; 'never such a Body' that came into the Supreme Authority before,' under such a notion 'as this,' in such a way of owning God, and being owned by Him. And therefore I may also say, never such a "People" so formed," for such a purpose, were' thus called before [These are lucent considerations; lucent, nay radiant !]. 66 If it were a time to compare your standing with 'that of' those that have been "called" by the Suffrages of the People-[He does not say what the result would be]-Which who can tell how soon God may fit the People for such a thing? None can desire it more than I! Would all were the Lord's people; as it was said, "Would all the Lord's people were Prophets" [Fit to sit in Parliament and make Laws; alas, hitherto but few of them can "prophesy !"]. I would all were fit to be called. It ought to be the longing of our hearts to see men brought to own the Interest of Jesus Christ. And give me leave to say: If I know anything in the world, what is there likelier to win the People to the interest of Jesus Christ, to the love of Godliness (and therefore what stronger duty lies on you, being thus called), than an humble and godly conversation? So that they may see 'that' you love them; 'that' you lay yourselves out, time and spirits, for them! Is not this the likeliest way to bring them to their liberties? [To make them free by being servants of God; free, and fit to elect for Parliament !] And do not you, by this, put it upon God to find out times and seasons for you; 'fit seasons' by putting forth His Spirit? At least you convince them that, as men fearing God have fought them out of their bondage under the Regal Power, so men fearing God do now rule them in the fear of God, and take care to adminis • 'place' in orig. |
