Covenant) is so far advanced, that the English
Service-Book, with the Holy-dayes, and many other Ceremonies contained in
it, together with the Prelacy, the fountain of all these, are abolished
and taken away by Ordinance of Parliament; and a Directory for the Worship
of God in all the three Kingdoms, agreed upon in the Assemblies and in the
Parliaments of both Kingdoms, without a contrary voice in either; the
Government of the Kirk by Congregational Elderships, Classical
Presbyteries, Provincial and National Assemblies, is agreed upon by the
Assembly of Divines at Westminster, which is also voted and concluded in
both Houses of the Parliament of England: And what is yet remaining of the
intended Uniformitie is in a good way; So that let our Lot fal in other
things, as it may, _the Will of the Lord be done_; In this we rejoyce, and
will rejoyce, that our Lord Jesus Christ is no loser, but a Conquerour,
that his Ordinances take place, that his Cause prevaileth, and the work of
purging and building his Temple goeth forward, and not backward. Neither
yet are we so to understand _the voice of the rod_ which lyeth heavy upon
us, as if the Lords meining were to pluck up what he hath planted, and to
pull down what he hath builded in this Kingdom, to have no more pleasure
in us, to _remove our Candlestick, and to take his Kingdom from us_: nay,
before that our God cast us off, and the _glory depart from Israel_, let
him rather consume us by the Sword, and the Famine, and the Pestilence, so
that he will but keep his own great Name from reproach and blasphemy, and
own us as his people in Covenant with him. But _now there is hope in
Israel concerning this thing_, we will beleeve _that we shall yet see the
goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living:_ We will not cast away
our confidence of a blessed peace, and of the removing of the scourge and
casting it in the Fire, when the Lord, hath by it performed _his whole
Work upon mount Sion and Jerusalem_, much more will wee be confident of
the continuance of the blessings of the Gospel, _that glory may dwell in
our Land. This is the day of Jacobs trouble, but he shall be saved out of
it:_ And the time is comming, when a new Song shall be put in our mouths,
and we shall say, _This is our God, we have waited for him, and he hath
saved us._ Though the Lord smite us, it is the hand of a Father, not of an
Enemy, he is not consuming us, but refining us, that we may come forth as
Gold out of