before the Parliament of England.
Shewing Hypocrites to be the prime
ohjects of God's wrath : and the Grounds of it :
with the Speciall Lessons that we are to
In a Sermon Preaclied before the
Parliament of ENGLAND; upon their last
thanksgiving Day, being the 8th of Octo. 1650. for
that late great Victory that the Lord of Hosts gave our
Army over the Scots Army in a battell at Dunbarr
By Thomas Brooks, a weak and unwortiiy Teacher of the Gospel at Thomas ApoMle-f, London.
The Sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath sur- prised the hypocrites : wlio among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Isa. 33. 14.
Simnlata sanctitas est duplex iniquitas. Aug. Multi sunt oves habitu, vulpcs actu, crudelitate
hipi. Bernard Hyiiocrita aut esto quod appares, aut appare
quod es. Llreijory. Hypocritis nihil est crudclius, impatientius
& vindieta cupidius, plane sunt serpcntes,
Printed by Fr: Neile for Hanna Allen at the
Crown in Popcs-Head-.Ulcy, 1650.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
To the Honourable Parliament of England, assembled at Westminster.
Honourable Senators, — The glorious appearances of God in these late times do with open mouth speak out God to be about to manifest himself in some more choice and remarkable way than heretofore. When little worms^ and dead men do thresh the mountains, and make them smoke and quake, then surely God is a-coming down to 'judge the earth with righteousness and the people with equity,' and to set his mountains high upon the top of all the mountains in the world, and ' to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth,' Isa. xxiii. 9. This design he is driving on for certain, and will, in spite of all opposition, accomplish it. The wheel of jjrovidence runs swiftly, and one glorious providence does but make way for another ; which should heighten our hopes, and strengthen our faith, and raise up our souls to lay out all that we have received from God for the helping forward the design of God. Eight Honour- able, never had any men on earth such glorious advantages and oppor- tunities to act high for God and his saints as you have. Ah, how many be there now triumphing in heaven, that, when they were on earth, would have thought it a heaven to have enjoyed the least of those advantages and opportunities that you enjoy, that so they might have put out themselves for God and his people to the uttermost ! Ah, sirs, ' what your hand findeth to do, do it with all your might ; for there is no working in the grave,' Eccles. ix. 10. Your time is short, your task is great, your Master is urgent, and your reward is sure. The devil makes all the haste he can to outwork the children of light, in a quick despatch of deeds of darkness, because he knows his time is short. He will not let slip any opportunity whereby he may do mis- chief. Oh do not you let slip any opportunity^ wherein you may honour a good God, and be serviceable to your generation. Suetonius reports of Julius Caesar, that seeing Alexander's statue, he fetched a deep sigh because he at that age had done so little. Ah that none of
^ Isa. xli. 14. Piy/")!!^ tolagnath, signifies a little worm.
' One day God will require of men, Non quid legerint, sed quid egerinf : nee quid dixerint, sed quomodo vixerint.
8G8 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
yon liad cnnse to sigh, that you have done no more for God, his truth, his ways, his peoi)le ! Yet let me say, Beati sunt qui prcecepta faciunt , etiam si non perjiciunt, They are blessed that do what they can, though they cannot but underdo, [Aug.] In libi'o tuo sci'ibuntur omnes qui quod possuntfaciuni, saith Bernard — They are surely written all in God's book that do what they can, though they cannot but underdo. Oh that you would arise in Christ's strength, and do what possibly you can for God, though you cannot do what you would and what you should !
Worthy Senators, give me leave to breathe forth a few desires before you :—
First, Oh that you would look to your communion with God ! ^ Keep up that, increase in that, and that will more and more fit you for all that high and hard service that you are and may be put upon. The communion with God, that is the life of your graces, the sweetener of all ordinances, providences, and mercies, the strengthener of your hearts and hands, the soul of your comforts, and the crown of your souls. Nothing like this to fence you against temptations, to sweeten all afflictions, and to make you own God, and stand for God, and cleave to God, in the ftice of all troubles and oppositions. A man high in communion with God, is a man too big for temptations to conquer, or troubles to bring under. Communion with God, it makes bitter things sweet, and massive things light. Souls that have no communion, or but little communion, with God, they are usually as soon conquered as tempted, as soon vanquished as assaulted.
Secondly, Oh that you would make more quick despatch of businesses that are before you ! Julius Caesar's quick despatch is noted in three words, Veni^ nidi, vici, I came, I saw, I overcame. The more quick you are in despatch of business, the more angelical you are ; and is it not your liighest honour to be like those glistering com'tiers that attend the King of kings ? Prov. iii. 12, ' Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.' The word that is here rendered ' deferred,' signifies to di-aw out at length. Men are short breathed and short spirited, and when their hopes are drawn out at length, this makes their heart sick. Oh that there were no such sick souls that lie languishing at hope's hospital ! It w\as the saying of Antoni[n]us the emperor, Clemency is a king- dom's best preserver, Regni dementia custos.
Thirdly, Oh that you would do good to them that have rendered you evil for good ! Such a spirit as this is, is most suitable to the commands of Christ, Rom. xii. 21 ; Mat. v. 44 ; and most suitable to the example of Christ, Mat. xxiii. 54. In revenge of injuries, he is the loser that gets the better, saith Basil. 2 Christ weeps over Jeru- salem, though it was his and his saints' slaughter-house; and he receives to mercy those three thousand bloody souls that had embrued their villainous hands in his innocent blood. Acts ii. Joseph weeps over those malicious and bloody brethren that would have slain him, and that did sell him for a slave. Moses stands up in the gap for
' Dens e.it mihi j^ro omnibus, says the soul that lias found the sweetness of communion with God. Such a soul cries out with jNIonica, Austin's motlier, Quid /lic/aciemus ? cur jion hinc mif/ramns ? cur jioh hinc ai'olamus z*
'■' \'irto is inferior r.tt, ijui viclor est, saith IJ.Tsil.
THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 3G9