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A85880
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The trumpet in Sion, sounding a general alarm in the nation. By J.G.G.
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Gailhard, J. (Jean).
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1700
(1700)
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Wing G42A; ESTC R232835
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76,533
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150
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very zealous for the Glory of God and when he was Twenty he abolished Idolatry and restored true Religion in Jerusalem and in Judah and so continued to do in the (d) v. 6. Cities of Manasseh Ephraim Simeon and Naphtali which belonged not to his Kingdom and because he would not trust others to do 't without him this great Work he would see it done with his own Eyes For 't is said (e) v. 4. They brake down the Altars of Baalim in his presence and the Images that were on high above them he cut down and the Groves and the carved Images and molten Images he broke in pieces and made dust of of them and strowed it upon the Graves of those that had sacrificed unto them The Altar in Bethel which Jeroboam had built and the high places he brake down he defiled Tophet put down the Chemarims or Idolatrous Priests whom the Kings of Judah had ordained to burn Incense in the high Places He brake down the Houses of the Sodomites and so we may think he did of Baudy Houses if there were any for he aimed at a general Reformation whereof we (a) 2 King Chap. 22. and 23. read the particulars How much grieved was he when he heard the Words of the Law seeing he thereupon rent his Clothes This his tenderness of heart as of having humbled himself the Lord took notice off by the mouth of (b) 2 Chr. 34.27 Huldah the Prophetess Now judge of the happiness of having pious Kings by the good effects and consequences thereof for not only they do good but by their example influence others to do so Often the good King makes his Subjects good Regis ad exemplum many times the People follows the King's Example hence it is that in Scripture we read that when the Kings were good or bad the Subjects were commonly such as they so like Prince like People Because (c) Chap. 35.7 8 9. Josiah gave to the People of the Flock Lambs and Kids all for the Passover-offerings to the number of Thirty thousand and Three thousand Bullocks and 't is expressed these were out of the King's Substance So in the next verse we read how that good example was followed and his Princes gave willingly unto the People to the Priests and to the Levites And to their immortal Praise not only their gifts are specified but also the givers Names are upon Record Josiah's Princes were acted by the same Zeal and they not only worshipped God but helped others to do so These examples are insisted upon in hopes that at this present Time and in this Conjuncture when Sins overflow and there is a necessity of a speedy Remedy it will not be in vain Neither can any just exceptions be taken against what I say for 't is not I that speak but God all is out of his holy Word The Trumpet of Sion must Speak or Sound in the Language of Sion Happy those who can understand the Language of Canaan 't is a gracious promise as a Blessing to the Gentiles (a) Isai 19.18 In that day shall Five Cities in the Land of Egypt speak the Language of Canaan and Swear to the Lord of Hosts I write as a Christian for Christians about the things of Christ therefore I lay aside human Reason Wisdom Considerations and Stile to express my self in Christs that is Scriptural Phrase to please God and not Men (b) Gal. 1.10 for if I yet pleased Men I should not be the Servant of Christ But my design is if possible after (c) Rom. 10.19 God's Example without distinction of Persons to move Men to Emulation and Godly jealousie to out-do one another and upon this as upon every other occasion to practise the Apostles exhortation (d) 2 Cor. 14.31 Whatsoever ye do do all to the Glory of God Chiefly Rulers who are publick Springs whence the People draw whose carriage the Subjects Eyes are fixed upon and when the Princes heart is affected with zeal for God's Honour and Service it commonly passeth upon and influenceth the People whose Head he is Therefore he should be careful of the way he leads them by either into Salvation or Destruction In the Christian Church also after many Persecutions Heresies and wicked practises God raised Instruments to do his Work suppress Errors defend his People and purge his Church of notorious Vices Such were the Constantines the Theodosius's and other Christian Emperors whom God made Nursing Fathers to the Church So in the last Age at the beginning of and since the Reformation from the abominations of the Romish Church some pious Princes in Germany and other Northern Countreys and in some Southerly parts of Europe whose Names are to their high Commendation Recorded in History And here Pious young King Edward VI. never to be mention'd without Elogy who for Zeal in his tender years might have been compared to Josiah if God had been pleased to have allowed him a longer Life he upon all occasions expressed his Piety and Abhorrency of Popish Idolatry besides that Providence made this Conformity between those Two good Kings both died young One by the Sword the other as strongly suspected by Poison Josiah not long before the Destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian Captivity And Edward just before the Judgment and violent Persecution under Bloody Queen Mary Commonly such matters as these admit of necessary Cautions thus when I was upon the point of Slander to which what I intend now to say hath some affinity I spake of some who under specious pretences as that they hate not the Person but the Hypocrisie or such other thing which they invent do put abuses upon others and thus to satisfie their Hatred Malice Revengefulness or some other disordinate Passion would bring in their false accusations under the Name of the cause of God and by these means impose upon imprudent and credulous Men or easily perswaded those that are as ill disposed as themselves whom Solomon sets this brand upon A wicked doer gives heed to false lips (a) Prov. 17.4 and a lyar gives ear to a naughty tongue for similis simili gaudet Now in this place I must enter a Caveat which is this That about the great Work of Reformation of Life Manners and other Abuses the Magistrates in the Execution of the Laws must be very Cautious how they receive Accusations and Informations from private Men against their Neighbour specially when the accused are for one quality or other Eminent above the Vulgar sort thus the Apostle charges his disciple against an Elder receive not an Accusation (b) 1 Tim. 5.19 but before two or three Witnesses They ought not to believe every thing they hear but must first endeavour to know who the accuser is and whether he is biassed for in such Cases sometimes (c) Gal. 2.4 to speak in the Apostles Words false Brethren creep in privily to spie out occasions of doing mischief and avenging their grudges
and quarrels selfish Men who would make God's Holy Name and Cause subservient to their own ends And if through their base way of Calumniating they gain their Point they are pleased with and applaud themselves in 't and as the Prophet saith they rejoice and are glad (d) Habak 1.15.16 therefore they Sacrifice unto their Net and burn Incense unto their Drag And like the Assyrian boast of the Mischief which through the Credulousness of others they have done and say by the strength of my hand I have done it and by my wisdom for I am prudent Therefore when you are about suppressing one evil have a great care not to make way for another Hot headed and fiery Men are not proper Instruments for the work of Reformation they are fitter to Destroy than to Build up and commonly they will use means not conducing to the true End But the manner of doing things is that which Men should be very Cautions in 't is not enough to do a good thing but it must be well done in a due manner the saying is true Prosunt verba parum prosunt adverbia multum Non bona tam pensat quam bene facta Deus Will you get rid of Slanderers then frown upon them for an angry Countenance driveth away a backbiting tongue or else who can be safe Si accusare sat est quis erit innocens A zeal for God's Glory is with some nothing but a pretence when it breaks the rules of Charity without which no true Piety 'T is highly Commendable when sincere and real but withal it must not be inconsiderate rather according to knowledge and managed with meekness and Christian prudence for (a) Prov. 25.23 the Servant of the Lord must be gentle to all Men. What such Men call Zeal is only an Effect of the violence and imperuosity of their Temper and not a real desire of God's Honour 't is more to please their passion than to serve God (c) 1 King 19.11.12 13. When God appeared to Elijah he was not in the (b) 2 Tim. 2.24 great and strong Wind nor in the Earthquake nor in the Fire but in the still small Voice God doth so when he comes in the way of Mercy if otherwise 't is in Judgment and as God is Merciful Just Men are commanded to be so one to another Peragit tranquilla potestas Quod violenta nequit Saith a Latin Poet which is true therefore gentle and fair means must be try'd before you come to hard and rough ones for they effectually work upon some Tempers when the contrary do not For this Reason I would have private Men that are willing to promote the work of Reformation the more to gain upon the Spirits of Men to make use only of perswasion and leave the way of compulsion for the Magistrates whose Office is to see the Laws executed against hardned and refractory Offenders but ever to avoid base and false ways But when all is said Reformation is properly God's work who turns the hearts disposes things and Persons and blesses means in order to 't But now to our Times for we are more nearly concerned The Nation is wholly overgrown with Sin in Soul and Body we are quite overspread with that Spiritual leprosie so that with the Leper we may well cry out (a) Levit. 13.45 unclean unclean And out of God's holy Word the experience of all Ages and of our own with a witness we may know the sad effects and consequences of Sin not only on the low Shrubs but also upon the talest Cedars I can remember so may many more how within this half Century God's Thunderbolt hath thô in some different degrees lighted upon the Heads of several Countrys I can name Six nay Seven whereof (a) Charles I. one lost his life and (b) James II. his Son his Kingdom (c) Frederic III. K. of Denmark another for a while lost his Kingdom and was a long time besieged in his Capital City (d) Christina Q. of Sweden died in Rome Two others left their Crowns and Country not so willingly as they would have had (e) John Casimir K. of Poland died Abbot of St. Germain in Paris seemed to be and went to Travel and died in Foreign parts (f) Alfonso K. of Portugal a Sixth one was Transported out of his Kingdom confin'd in a Prison and his Brother raised upon his Throne All these were Christians thô of different Perswasions the Seventh (g) Mahomet IV. the present Sultan's Father Emperor of the Turks Dethroned and his Brother made his Successor God forbid I should pretend to dive into God's Secrets and assign the particular Causes of these Judgments but I may boldly say Sin was the general One for except they had been Sinners they should have been no Sufferers but let this make us all adore and tremble at those Effects of God's wise and just Providence The great (a) Psal 76.12 God is terrible to the Kings of the Earth as well as to other Men When it seems good unto him he can drive (b) Dan. 4. Nebuchadnezzar from his Throne and make his dwelling among the Beasts of the Field till he had humbled himself before him for the most High Ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will herein the Psalmist concurs with the Prophet when he saith (c) Psal 75.7 God is the Judge he pulleth down one and setteth up another He hath Angels whereof (d) 2 King 19.35 one can in one Night destroy an Hundred fourscore and five thousand Men of Sennacharib's Army and send him home to be killed by his Sons The same God who then did doth now Govern the World and his Hand is not shortned but that he can still reach his Churches Enemies yea such ones as in Cruelty and Falsness have outdone all the Nebuchadnezzars and Sennacheribs in the World and some wait to see what in God's due time will be the end of such Pharaohs and Oppressors as now are alive When God chastiseth Men and his Arrows are fast in them they may and must own themselves to be the Cause of it and and with King David say (e) Psal 38.18 I will declare mine iniquity and will be sorry for my Sin It were well to say and do so before the Judgment hath overtaken us to prevent it therefore bring forth Fruits worthy of Repentance We know the Doom of the fig Tree that bare no fruit (f) Luke 13.7 cut it down why cumbreth it the Ground For Three years he had been looking for fruit but found none God hath been waiting for fruit from some of us not only Three but Thirty years and more yet we are barren still at the desire of the dresser of the Vineyard there is a reprieve granted for a year longer lord let it alone this year also till I shall dig about it and dung it and if it bear not fruit then after that