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A43819
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The season for Englands selfe-reflection and advancing temple-vvork discovered in a sermon preached to the two Houses of Parliament at Margarets Westminster, Aug. 13, 1644, being an extraordinary day of humiliation / by Thomas Hill ...
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Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing H2027; ESTC R2603
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33,390
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45
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THE SEASON FOR Englands Selfe-Reflection AND Advancing Temple-work DISCOVERED IN A SERMON PREACHED To the two Houses of Parliament At Margarets Westminster Aug. 13. 1644. being an extraordinary day of Humiliation By THOMAS HILL B. D. Pastor at Tychmersh in Northamptonshire A Member of the Assembly of Divines The Harvest is past the Summer is ended and wee are not saved Jer. 8. 20. Now set your heart and your soule to seek the Lord your God arise therefore and build yee the Sanctuary of the Lord God c. 1 Chron. 22. 19. LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes for John Bellamy and Philemon Stephens 1644. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE House of LORDS and THE Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT at WESTMINSTER THE Lord Jesus Christ whose name is wonderfull hath reserved for this last age of the World wherein hee intends to do great things for his Church and against his enemies the accomplishment of many precious promises and the discovery of most glorious providences Amongst all other your State observations I hope you treasure up the experiences of his wonder-working hand for you since this happy Parliament began that so you may grow eminent as well in Christian as in state-wisdom Never had any Assembly of Counsellors in England greater reason then you to say with the Psalmist Psal. 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto mee O God how great is the summe of them It were well worthy your wise care to take some course what ever it cost by a discreet and faithfull pen to preserve the story of Gods providence about you since these troubles began that so his honour might live therein when you are dead It s true indeed the Lords dispensations have been very various towards you and the method of his counsels past finding out As the Israelites in the wildernesse were sometimes not far from Canaan and then cast back for a long time so you sometimes begin to think your selves got neere the shore and to discover the Land some hopes of a gracious issue then a new storme arises and drives you into the main Sea again witnesse your present straites your renued perplexities Amongst other reasons hereof this may bee one It may bee God will not finish your state-affaires till you are more vigorous in his Temple-work Who knows how soon poore England yea and all the three Kingdoms might become gloriously happy could you remove such obstructions as interrupt the building of Gods house Your selves are not a little concerned in the expediting this great businesse of setling the Church opinions of most dangerous consequence begin now to spring up amongst us The controversie is not now onely betwixt congregationall and classicall Divines who are called Independents and Presbyterians in point of Church government There seemes to bee some good hopes of a faire accommodation betwixt them But with such others also who vehemently cry down not only the power of Ecclesiasticall Synods but likewise the Authority of the Civill Magistrate in matters of Religion thereby at once opening a doore to all licentiousnes in opinion practice even for Iewes Turkes and any whomsoever The Good Lord stirre up your hearts who have so great a share in the managing and in the successe of the great work in hand to do what becomes you in such times as these are When so many of your own Ranke the Lord humble them for their unfaithfulnesse have deserted their Trust You have obtained this great mercy this high Honour to be employed in Temple-service I hope you often consider who hath made you to differ and what he at this time expects from you You will please to allow mee the boldnesse to put you in mind of Davids carriage who when the three mighty men brake through the Host of the Philistims and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem 2 Sam. 23. 16. He would not drinke thereof but poured it out unto the Lord and hee said Bee it farre from mee O Lord that I shall doe this Is not this the blood of men that went in jeopardy of their lives therefore hee would not drinke it ver. 17. The tranquillity and many sweet refreshings the liberty and opportunity of doing Service to Church and State in the Parliament which you enjoy Is it not the blood of very many men How often have your Noble and couragious Generall with other VVorthies of the first Magnitude jeoparded their lives in the High places of the field to secure you in your Houses in your employments How much trouble and hazzard have our deare Brethren of Scotland undergone to themselves and Kingdom to keepe You from the danger of popery and slavery yea how many thousands some of all rankes it may make us bleed with sorrow to number them have already shed their dearest blood that you may possesse your lives and estates God forbid bee it farre from any of you that what is purchased at so deare a rate should bee prostituted to your own selvishnesse or any ignoble service Let all you have rather be powred out to the Lord and consecrated to his service in building him an House who hath loved you so much and given so many men for your lives It was an high strain of couragious Rhetorique in one of the City Souldiers at Newbury sight as it is related from good hands who when hee lay bleeding under mortall wounds breathed out this admirable expression O that I had another life to loose for Jesus Christ O that I had another life to loose for Jesus Christ Let this speech live in you after his death Bee willing at least to sacrifice the improvement of your Lives which cost the precious blood of Christ and many of his deare members in lifting up his Name and advancing his Temple Nehemiah when hee would incourage them in building the wall of Ierusalem notwithstanding all the scoffes of the adversaries after hee had armed the Labourers Nehem. 4. 13. 14. Hee said unto the Nobles and to the Rulers and to the rest of the people Bee not afraid of them remember the Lord which is great and terrible and fight for your brethren your sonnes and your daughters your wives and your houses The Lord in mercy turn your fighting into building and rebuke your enemies that you may have more liberty to build his House Herein I can rise higher then Nehemiah you build not onely for your Sonnes and Daughters but for the Lord who is the Husband of his Church the Prince of Peace the King of Glory that hath prepared an house eternall in the heavens for all that sincerely build his house here on Earth Arise therefore and bee doing and the Lord bee with you Which is the hearty prayer of him who Though most unworthy desires to serve you faithfully in the advancing Temple-work THOMAS HILL ENGLANDS SEASON FOR Selfe-Reflection AND Advancing Temple-worke HAGGAI 1. 7 8. 7 Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts Consider your wayes 8 Goe up to the