Ofthe CoNs PI RA c IE Sermon( tion ofreligion, uiiderthem; forward and backward,backward and forwa~ and tell me, whether theKing and the Church,havenot reference,as I !aid. a:5at~c: ther the Chttrch have any greater enemies than fuch as alien themindes ofKi we. make them heavie friends to her welfare and well-doing. Offuch rhen fafe~gs,and we fay, Ee they colf{ounded ;-Ik,they, as thegrajfeupon the houfetop, whi~h wir1 my before hey-rime (that is) let'themco~e to untimely ends; !errhem be as Abfj;et ~ or (as another Pfalme wt!h~h fuch kmde ofpe~ple) ltke t,bem thatperi}hedat EnZ/ and became lzke dung r1pont~eeArth. s.o then bemg G o D s 1 enemies; •mankind,,' and the l churches; agatn~ the enemtes ofany one ofthefe, theprayerwerewa ' table :.how much more aga1nll: them,that are enemies to all three Onenayle tand Sifera, in his head: fo would noe fpeare Abfalom, in hi~ heart; but he had thme;ve without a meaning.~ morall allufion they make of it: three were the faulrshe~a~~~ three theparties he htghly offended, ' Go n, • theState, l the Church, Enemitt~ all three: for every one, adart. Each, deadly alone ;but he had them all, tolhew he deferved them all :and fo they doc,that fin Ab(aloms fin. The prayer (!ure)is ao 'd Cufoi prayed well: all are bound to fay AtNen to it. " 0 1 But befides that it is a prayer, Ltt them be: it is a prophecie too, They~all bu; or the Text, The tenor of the prayer we have heard : Let us fee the fucceffe ofthe Pro•huie what a.s.Jprophtcie. b f' h h C ,n.. p h S ' r , It. ecame o tt; w et er "rnvere a rrue rop et, or no. o true as fromMofesro <.MalAChi, never any ofthe Prophets more true, in his foretelling, ;ha~ he in this. A a the enemies, all that rofe againjt him, erant{hut, were even fo indeed. Pity it is,but that ago1dpra1erjbouldbe heard, and (as we [aid) tutneinro the na~ tui'c ofa prophecie. They were thr~egood prayers, we heard; !here isnoneofall the three, but hath aProphtcie(that fo it !hould be) :mfwering to theprayer, that fo it might be. Againft Go n's entmies: Theprayer,Soperijh,&c. Theprephecie,ForL• lung.!. l i. thine enemies o Lord, Lothine enemies fbaUperifo; as it hefaw it with hiseyes, called Pfal. 9 •.g. others to fee it with him; pointed at it with his finger, Lo; twice, once, andagaine; (one Lo, not ferve ;) fo fure he is, that fo it !hall be. • Againft the .e~emies of man. Gm; J.l·h' s. kinde: Thewijb, Cr11fed be thouabove every beaft ofthe earth, the prophuie followeth in the necke of 1r, Ipfe conterct Capttt, One there ts,.!hall bruife his he.zd all to peeces. P<>l.uH· 3 Againfl: the maligners ofSien : Let them be confounded, &c. That is the P"J": The Kingdome or Nation, thatfba/1matigne Sionfoal/perifo, and utterly hdeflrl)td; there is theprephecie. Now, that that is propheticall, in each ofthofe, is no ldfeve~ rified in the Kings enemies, in whom they all meet. · Doe but, after this prophecie, enquirewhat becameofthem: aske but theque; ftion. The King cloth (here); in the forepart ofthe verfe: Is Ab[alom fafe,howdotlt Cb1p.•c.u. he ~ He dotb, as he defervetb to doe. Aske, how the}ell:,that after rofe againfr him.: JKiugSI,l• within a ciJaptera(ter,Shebilrifeth ;how didhe~ Beforetheendofthe Chapter, ht> headcameover the wall. Afterhim,Adoniawas up and fpake even broadly, Regn<b~, What becameofhim~His end in bloud. And (that which is ftrange) with him rofe •·•I· ioab: he that took offshebashead; he thatthrew thefedarts; and he tharwasrherrue man here, How fped he~ He was even drawne from the a/tu(that, isnoS411Pa~ry t• Kings •·lf' for traitors) and executed by Benaia. Could not take heed by Ab[al~msexample, but came tov1bfaloms end. They all that fou~ht, that rofe topluck h1m downe,whom Pral.6•.J· Go D hadexAlted, they were flaine, allthejortofthem; were all, as aMteringwAU,or as abroken hedge, which every man runnes over. But this judgement of Go n, was in nonemore confpicuous,than Abfalom. A ftrcight charge was given by the King himfelfe, to have him faved: It woul? no 1 t fetve. hewasflaine for all that. AndJlaine by Ioab : one, before, that hadhtgb Y favo~red~im,and.beene a_fpeciall !lleanesto reftore him to grace; even, by hfi~i was he fla1ne notwlthftandmg the Kmgs charge; :md then flame, when he made h. Ch•p.• 8 ·9· account ofthe victory. For, elfe he would have beene better horfed. He was don ts Mule, nowheneverdoubtedtbeevent, andyetwas!laine. Sure Go p'shan was init, to rid theworlddfatr.<jtor, Neither
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