And my brethren, thus hath the Lord dealt graciously with us in our inconsiderate, foolish, sinful courses, 1how often we in this Land have been brought low by our inconsiderate, foolish ways, we have been sore wounded, we have been in danger to bleed to death by the falls that we have got, we have often given all for gone as it were, mens ways have been so perverse and cross as there hath been little hope of any good, that sometimes when we have met together we have even said, all is gone, we are but betrayed, and therefore there is little hope of any good; Have not we oftentimes said thus? but the Lord hath come in and healed us, and that Scripture in Isa. 57. hath been made good unto us, the Lord hath beheld the frowardness of our ways, and yet hath healed us, and yet hath led us. You have gone one in such and ⟨p. 39⟩such ways saith God, and you have even undone your selves in them, and you were made but fools, and others squandered away your estates and nothing came of it; well, you knew not what to do, I'll lead you in ways that you do not think of, in such ways as you have the least hopes of good by, I will lead you on in those ways and restore comfort to you. My Brethren, the ways that the Lord hath this last Summer restored comfort to England by, were they ways that any of you did think of this time twelve month? Certainly it was never in the imaginations and thoughts of men to be brought in such ways as the Lord hath lead us in, and restored comforts 2to us by, the Lord did see that the way of the old Soldiery was not the way to restore comforts to England, but the Lord hath led us in other ways: well, let Gods healing of our bruises that we get in walking in our own ways make us thankful and careful that we run not wilfully into any such ways any more, that we be not still more venturous, and more careless; if we be, God may suffer us to break our bones; for though God be patient and loving, and merciful, yet he hath times to leave men in the perverseness of their ways, it may cost us dear before we are healed if God doth leave us, though God may not take away his love, to cast us wholly off, I but we may be forced to cry again and again with David, in Psal, 51. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice; David would go out of 3his way, and he got such a fall as he broke his bones; Oh!
And my brethren, thus hath the Lord dealt graciously with us in our inconsiderate, foolish, sinful courses, 1how often we in this Land have been brought low by our inconsiderate, foolish waies, we have been sore wounded, we have been in danger to bleed to death by the falls that we have got, we have often given all for gone as it were, mens waies have been so perverse and cross as there hath been little hope of any good, that sometimes when we have met together we have even said, al is gone, we are but betraied, and therefore there is little hope of any good; Have not we oftentimes said thus? but the Lord hath come in and healed us, and that Scripture in Isa. 57. hath been made good unto us, the Lord hath beheld the frowardness of our waies, and yet hath healed us, and yet hath led us. You have gone one in such and ⟨p. 39⟩such waies saith God, and you have even undone your selves in them, and you were made but fools, and others squandered away your estates and nothing came of it; well, you knew not what to do, I'le leade you in waies that you do not think of, in such waies as you have the least hopes of good by, I wil lead you on in those waies and restore comfort to you. My Brethren, the waies that the Lord hath this last Summer restored comfort to England by, were they waies that any of you did think of this time twelve month? Certainly it was never in the imaginations and thoughts of men to be brought in such waies as the Lord hath lead us in, and restored comforts 2to us by, the Lord did see that the way of the old Soldery was not the way to restore comforts to England, but the Lord hath led us in other waies: well, let Gods healing of our bruises that we get in walking in our own waies make us thankful and careful that we run not wilfully into any such waies any more, that we be not still more ventrous, and more careless; if we be, God may suffer us to break our bones; for though God be patient and loving, and merciful, yet he hath times to leave men in the perversness of their waies, it may cost us dear before we are healed if God doth leave us, though God may not take away his love, to cast us wholly off, I but we may be forced to cry again and again with David, in Psal, 51. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce; David would go out of 3his way, and he got such a fal as he broke his bones; Oh!
- 1Applicat. to England.
- 2The New-Model of the Army, 1645.
- 3Psal. 5[…]Psal. 5〈…〉
