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A30958
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A sermon preached vpon the fifth of November, 1679 in the Cathedrall Church of Gloucester / by Cl. Barksdale.
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Barksdale, Clement, 1609-1687.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing B808; ESTC R37064
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14,170
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26
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Religion establisht amongst us But it pleased God in a strange manner to disclose the plot and lay open the secret designe as he hath given a strange discovery of the late so much noised design no less dangerous to our present King than Church and State yet in being and long to be by Gods goodness the Powder-Plot I say was marvellously discovered God gave the King to understand a dark and obscure Letter and by that the black design came to light the conspirators some taken some slain in the pursuit some Judged according to Law condemned and Executed as was fit for Traytors The lamentable and horrid effects and consequences of which Treason had not the hand of God been against them and for us are beyond my ability to comprehend much more beyond my expression 'T is sufficient if you imagine and fancy so much of that confusion and desolation which would have followed as to make us have a more lively sense of the greatness of our deliverance and the blessing of a quiet and a peaceable life wherof I was speaking and withall make us to solemnize this Day of our deliverance with due Thankfulness and with a sober and Religious joy together with bountiful Alms to the poor I say againe and would have it marked with a sober and Religious joy least in a sinful and profane celebration as the manner of some is we provoke God to deliver us to some new Plotters and Conspirators And that there is a new plot of the papists in great part discovered and in some part punished already I need not tell you I do but touch this thereby to urge you not only to a Religious thankfulness this Day but to a sincere Amendment of life and uniforme Obedience every Day that the Sword of God hanging over our heads as it were by a slender thread may be prevented and escaped Which I pray God in mercy grant In one of the prayers for this day we desire of God to strengthen the hands of our gracious King and of all that are in Authority under Him with judgement and justice to cut of all such workers of iniquity as turn Religion into Rebellion and Faith into faction I remember we read it in the old Book for the Fifth of November about Forty years agon thus Cut of all such workers of iniquity whose Religion is Rebellion and their Faith is Faction I doubt not the alteration was made upon some reason then But more since our Intelligence of the New Plot does it not stil proceed we may restore the Antient reading and if ever it might be justly said it may now most deservedly be pronounced of the Jesuitical Papists Their Faith is Faction Their Religion is Rebellion If any man doth yet deâ—y or doubt of This he may satisfy himself abundantly in the late Book published by the most learned Bishop of Lincoln to omit many other Since this new-old plot of the Jesuits the King the State and the Church have been judged to lie under so eminent danger that doubts and fears have run through the whole Kingdom but dwelt principally in London the famous London the Epiâ—ome or Compendium of the Kingdom Before which time I think I may say in most of the space since the glorious Return Every man that lov'd quiet might sit quietly and safely under his own vine and his own fig-tree as the Hebrews speak that is every man enjoyed his own and eat the labour of his hands securely Religion was safe and the people without fear did or might pray and hear as their forefathers pray'd and heard in the peaceable reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James and in the beginning of King Charles the first namely hear the saving word read and preached by lawfully ordained priests and pray the good old prayers only with a new Revise since the happy Return for our better satisfaction and edification Many more benefits I might mention but our liberty and our daily bread and our true Religion would it might shine in the Uniformity of our lives and actions these may suffice to shew the great reason we have to pray for our Jerusalem for our Civil Government particularly that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life free from plots and conspiracies of our irreconcileable Enemies free from discords and dissentions of our own Brethren But peace and quietness is then most valuable when it is attended with that which follows Godliness and Honesty The end and benefit of Government is that we may lead a quiet and peacible life in all Godliness and honesty Godliness and honesty are well joined with peace and quietness For publick tranquillity and safety is â—ot given us that we should abuse it to rioting and drunkenness to chambering and wantonness to strife and envying but that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies and being without fear of them we might fear God and serve him in holiness and righteousness all our days that is behave our selves justly and mercifully toward our neighbours devoutly and reverently toward God and this with perseverance to the end Righteousness and Holiness must go hand in hand together Godliness and Honesty must not be parted The good Laws of the Land are made as well to promote religion as Justice and the commands of the King are to make his subjects Gods subjects his people Gods people We have laws wholsome laws as on the one hand to keep us from offending God by swearing and prophanation so on the other to restrain us from offending the neighbour by railing evil speaking and diffamation Which particular I mention because we live in an Age wherein evil speaking and evil writing too is brought into a fashion by busy-bodies or rather idle-bodies and made an exercise of Wit which was given them by the favour of God for better uses Grave and learned men are sometimes exposed in their Lampoons begotten as they say by Copulation of male and female Wits but these brats are not fit to be nursed up or sent abroad into the world by the hand of any sober or civil person Among the diseases of our time such Scribleâ— may be call'd the scab and itch of the Age and unless those irregular and intemperate Wits be curbed by Authority they may prove the very bane of humane society and all good fellowship In the mean time for your Lampoons Contempt is the best reveng and we may say with Tacitus Spreta exolescunt When good men are reviled either by unruly Tongues or sharper pens they will think upon the words of Christ Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and think upon the example of Christ their Master who when he was reviled reviled not again Good laws I said we have to keep us from dishonoring God by swearing and prophanation and to restrain us from offending the neighbour by slander and diffamation Good Laws if well executed Therefore must we pray also that the same God who hath given us laws establish't by Acts
A SERMON PREACHED Vpon the Fifth of November 1679. In the Cathedrall Church at Gloucester By CL. BARKSDALE Pray for the peace of Jerusalem OXFORD Printed for John Barksdale Book-seller in Cicester 1680. Psal CXXII VI. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem They shall prosper that Love thee TO observe the coherence and meaning of the Text you may be pleased to look back to the 3 verse Jerusalem is builded as a City that is Compact together i. e. Jerusalem is a Lovely place the very buildings being so uniform and orderly joyn'd together are very beautifull an Emblem of that unity of minds that should be in the Church of God Then at the 4 verse Thither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel or rather as our Critical Paraphrast has it according to the Commandment unto Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. It was the place to which all the Inhabitants of the Land were obliged to go up thrice every year to commemorate the mercies of God afforded to his people Then at the 5 verse For there are set Thrones of Judgment the Thrones of the House of David i. e. Besides the Service of God there also is the Sanhedrim or supreme Judicatory of the Nation that great Court where the highest matters are decided And there also is the Palace of David where the King resides and his Posterity shall sit upon his Throne All these Considerations infer the Duty of the Text Pray for tâ—e 〈…〉 the City of God weâ—l compacted and 〈…〉 in it selfe â—erusalem is the place where the House of God is and his solemn service â—erusalem is the seaâ—e of the King and the seat of â—â—stice Therfore Pâ—ay â— pray 〈◊〉 the peace of Jerusalem It is the duâ—y of â—ll Good men to pray for this place and to love it most affectionatly and to beseech God to bestow a quiet enjoyment of all these Advantages and all manner of prosperity upon it They shall prosper that love thee They that love and pray and contribute their utmost to Jerusalem shall not loose their reward they shall gain to themselves prosperitie The Text you see being thus explained falls into two parts A Duty and a Reason Thâ— Duty in tâ—e former words Pray for the peace of Jerusalem The Reason in the later They shall prosper that love thee a reason which is the great Reason and Common Motive to duty taken from their own intereâ—t and benefit They shall prosper that love thee ô Jerusalem So that we have these two Observations I. It is our duty to pray for the peace of the Church and State wherin we live II. They that well performe this duty procure prosperity and happiness for themselves I. It is our duty to love and pray for the peace of the Church and State wherin we live I joyn the Church and the State together for as I said at Jerusalem was the House of God the Temple and there also was the House of the King and the Court of Justice Religion and Justice are the great pillars of a Nation when these stand fâ—rm and inviolate then is a Nation happy That the Church may florish in true Religion and the State florish in the due Execution of Justice this must be the desire of our hearts this we must endevour every one in his place and this must every one pray for Pray for the peace of Jerusalem It is to this purpose that the Apostle Paul so earnestly exhorts that supplications and prayers be made for Kings and for all that are in Authority that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty The Kings and Emperors and Magistrates in those times were Heathens and persecutors of Christian Religion yet the Apostle requires that prayers and supplications be made for them How much more ought we to pray for Christian Kings and Princes that under the Gracious Government of these Nursing Fathers Godliness and Honesty Religion and Justice may be nourished and maintained Good Reason to pray for Magistrats in the State under whose protection we live and by whome we enjoy peace and quietness And we have good reason too to pray for Ministers in the Church This the same Apostle requires Pray for us I desire your prayers for me and my fellow labourors in the Gospel those he means that are described there that watch for your souls and must give account for them namely the Bishops and Ministers under the Bishops They that have such a great charge as the charge of Souls that labour amongst you in the word and doctrine that exhort and admonish you in the Lord they certainly may well exspect the benefit and help of your prayers Pray for us Ministers in the Church saith the Apostle as well as for Magistrats in the State that it may go well both with the Church and with the State What the Apostle enâ—oyns that prayers should be made for Magistrats and Ministers was duly remembred in composing and framing the Liturgy and publick prayers of the Church of England as you may easily acknowledge who are such obedient sons of the Church as dayly to attend which I do heartily wish all having no lawful hindrance would do daily attend the publick divine Service For example O Lord save the King And endue thy Ministers with righteousness Againe for the King O God Behold our gracious Soveraigne Lord the King and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit that he may alwayes encline to thy will and walke in thy wayes And for the Ministers Send downe upon our Bishops and Curats the healthful Spirit of thy grace and that they may truly please thee pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing Againe for the King By the way remember a Note of King Charls I of blessed memory That sure some of his Enemies were the more offended against the Common prayer book because it taught us to pray so much and so often for the King a reason which may make those who are loyal Subjects the more in love with it I say Againe for the King So rule the heart of thy Chosen Servant that he may above all things seek thy Honour and Glory So rule his heart that he may study to preserve thy People committed to his charge in wealth peace and godliness And yet againe Save and defend our King that under him we may be Godly and quietly governed Grant unto his whole Counsel and to all that are put in Authority under him that they may truly and indifferently minister Justice to the punishment of wickedness and vice and to the maintenance of true Religion and Vertue Where also you may remember it follows for the Church Give grace O Heavenly Father to all Bishops and Curates that they may both by their life and Doctrine set forth thy true and lively Word and rightly and duly administer thy Holy Sacraments Thus Beloved are we taught in our