A plea for the Godly

7 Br. If the righteous are more ¹excellent than others, then how ⟨p. 71⟩severe will God be against those that wrong them; the wicked are thorns in the sides of the godly; Saint Paul was scourged by cruel hands, 1 Cor. 11. 35. Thrice was I beaten with rods; a• if you should see a Scullion whip the Kings Son; but shall not God avenge his Elect? ²Surely he will; Isa. 34. 6, 8. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, for it is the day of the Lords vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion. As if the Prophet had said, The time appointed is now come for Gods avenging Zion's wrongs. Jer. 50. 10, 11. Chaldea shall be a spoil. saith the Lord, because •e were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage. Jer. 30. 16. All that prey upon thee, will I give for a prey. The Saints are persons of Honour, they are God's first-born; Oh how enraged will the ⟨p. 72⟩Lord be against such as offer injury to them; they trample God's pearls in the dust, they strike at the apple of his eye. The righteous are Gods royal diadem, Isa. 62. 3. Will a King endure to have his Robes spit upon, and his Crown thrown in the dirt? What is done to the righteous, is done to God himself. When the Kings favourite is struck at, the King himself is struck at, 2 King, 19. 22. I know thy rage against me: The rage of Sennacherib was against the person of Hezekiah, but (there being a league between God and his people) the Lord took it as done to himself, I know thy rage against me: Certainly it shall not go unpunished, Psal. 105. 14. He reproved Kings for their sakes. What became of Julian, Nero, Diocletian? One of them had his death's wound from Heaven, others of