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A77155 Zeale for Gods house quickned: or, A sermon preached before the assembly of Lords, Commons, and Divines, at their solemn fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster. Expressing the eminencie of zeale requisite in church reformers: / by Oliver Bowles, Pator of Sutton in Bedfordshire. Published by order of both Houses of Parliament. Bowles, Oliver, ca. 1577-1646? 1643 (1643) Wing B3884; Thomason E63_6; ESTC R9592 34,766 57

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have made bold to make a supply of that which at the time of the delivery I could not inlarge Further this being a fixed rule to me Inter concionandam emineat ver●un Dei. That Gods Word should in preaching have the preeminence wonder not that I alledge Authors in such cases wherein the al●egation of them does not prejudice Scripture As first when an Historicall truth is to be made good for though the Scriptures do only determine Quid verum quid falsum What is true and what false yet for the information of our selves Quid novum quid antiquum we must have recourse to the writings of men Secondly if God himselfe when hee would shame men for their evils sends them to learne from the creatures 2 Ierem. 10.6 Prov. 6. 1 Cor. 1● 14 why may not wee send men living in the dayes of light to learn of darker times Thirdly when being to reprove the evils of the time for removing of prejudice wee deliver our reproofes rather in the words of Antiquity than in our own Facilè patimur reprehensores qui remotiori feculo vixêre So the Papists did embrace many things in the writings of the fathers as Catholike which they condemned in Luther as Hereticall And now what remaines but that wee all humbly pray the God of all truth and peace who alone is able to facilitate all difficulties to direct and guide you Honourable Senatours to poure upon you that spirit of wisedome and courage that you may goe with a settled resolution never to give over till you have established truth and peace in our borders and the same God magnifie his power in our weaknesse and multiply the gifts of his Spirit upon us whom you have been pleased to call together to advise with in the great affaires of the Church that we may so discharge our duties that God may have glory and his people the good that they expect and pray for and your and all our enemies may have their faces covered with shame So prayes Your servant in the Lord Oliver Bowles A SERMON Preached before The Assembly of LORDS COMMONS AND DIVINES Vpon their Fast Iuly 7. 1643. JOHN 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up THe Prophet Malachi prophecying concerning the Lord Christ that he should in due time come to visit his Church sets him out as a Refiner as a Purifier of silver tells us that he should purifie in speciall the Sonnes of Levi purge them as gold and silver Malach. 3.3 that they might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse And as an accomplishment of this prophecy the same Lord Christ gives a Specimen in the story immediately preceding my Text by that heroicall fact of his in whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple an evill which the Priests for their gaine had somented I call it an heroicall fact for that it was done by a speciall spirit in its kinde not imitable by us The which act of the Lord Jesus being carried on with an eminent and remarkable zeale and magnanimity gave the Disciples an occasion of calling this to minde The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up Of which his zeale we have a remarkable discovery in these particulars 1. In the weaknesse of the meanes whereby he did both attempt and effect the work in that the persons but few in comparison and those despicable in the eyes of the world Christ and his Disciples not armed with any weapons that might carry dread and terrour with them at most but with a whip made of a few small cords which probably were scattered by the Drovers which came thither to sell their cattell and to some of them with his voice only Verse 16. he said to the money changers Take these things hence and it was done 2. In the strength that the opposite power did hold out which makes the encounter so much the more dangerous 〈◊〉 in ●oc●m As first a garrison of Souldiers in Arce Antonia ready at hand to appease as it is probable occasionall Tumults Secondly the temper of the mens spirits with whom the businesse was they were men set upon gaine the worlds god Thirdly the great confluence of the people it being the most solemne Mart of the Passeover Behold then the greatnesse of Christs zeale when neither the weaknesse of the meanes on the one side to effect it nor the greatnesse of the power on the other side to hinder it did at all dismay him or cause him to desist from this attempt of reforming that so apparent an abuse of the Temple the house of God Learne we hence that Observ It matters not how weak the meanes of Church-reformation is not how strong the opposite power is if we can but draw Christ into the businesse Heb. 5.2 Esay 30.21 Iohn 16.13 Ier. 15.20 Esa 26.12 if we can procure him to fit as President in the Assembly If he be there he will heale our ignorances hee will cleare up all our doubts he will guide us by the spirit of truth he will be as a wall of Brasse against all our adversaries he will work all our works for us I do ingenuously confesse that when we do consider and view the difficulty of the work of Church reformation and our weaknesse who are summoned to be advisers in the work it may amaze us but when we look upon the Lord Almighty the great Jehovah the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to whom nothing is too hard who hath broken through gates of Iron and Barres of Brasse which we could never have dreamed that they had been perviable this againe may raise up our spirits and give us hope that if we seek the Lord in his way he will certainly be found of us Zach. 4.6 It is all one to him whether by an Army and by power or by quickening the spirits of his raising them above themselves Verse 10. whether by a day of small things or by doing terrible things that wee looked not for Isai 64.3 hee bring about his Churches cause Zach. 4.7 It is nothing to him to make Mountaines plaine Who art thou O great Mountaine The Lord by the Prophet speaks in a holy scorne of all the enemies the Jewes had in rebuilding the Temple and City Wee accordingly by a grant from the Right Honourable the two Houses of Parliament with so many of them as have beene pleased to embody themselves with us are assembled this day to afflict our soules in Fasting and Prayer before the Lord that we may seek of him a right way in these great and important affaires to be treated on that he would give us such a frame of spirit such an assistance from on high such a cleare light as may raise us above our selves fit us for that work whereunto we have no sufficiency as from our selves ●●ya 8.21 Thus did Ezra and the Jewes out of a conscience of their owne
ZEALE FOR GODS HOUSE QVICKNED OR A SERMON Preached before the Assembly of Lords Commons and Divines at their solemn Fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster EXPRESSING The Eminencie of Zeale requisite in Church Reformers BY OLIVER BOWLES Pastor of Sutton in Bedfordshire It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing Gal. 4.18 Published by Order of both Houses of Parliament LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Samuel Gellibrand at the Brazen Serpent in Pauls Church-yard 1643. Die Iovis 27. Iulij 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament That Mr. Bowles hath hereby thanks given him for the great paines he took in the Sermon he made at the Fast for the Assembly of Divines in the Abbey Church Westminster on Friday the seventh of this instant Iuly And is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be forthwith Printed and published Io. Brown Cler. Parliamentor To the Right Honourable the House of LORDS AND The Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT AND To the Learned and Religious DIVINES called by them and now assembled to consult about matters of RELIGION Right honourable and most worthy OVt of your vigilant care for the common good you have found out a way amidst your many distractions to convene an Assembly of grave and learned Divines with whom you might advise concerning the settling of Doctrine Worship and Church Government You saw cause which might move you so to doe in respect first of those licentious spirits who took occasion as to vent their own fancies so to attempt any thing in matter of Doctrine and Worship secondly in that for want of an established Church-government we were and still are in danger to fall from a Tyranny to an Anarchy thirdly In that evill minded men seeing no effectuall meanes provided to suppresse such variety of Sects as did start up were ready to censure you as the fautors of such opinions What you have done hath been done with much prudence in that you have given way for the admittance of Divines of different Iudgements to be chosen to whom a liberty is not denied to plead every one for his own party And not only so but you have further embodied divers of your worthy Ones of both Houses as Members of our Assembly by which priviledge we have many and singular advantages When this Assembly for the greater part was by your summons gathered together you were pleased out of a due consideration of the weighty affaires to be transacted to appoint a solemne Fast to be kept chiefly by the Members of the Assembly And when you had so done your pleasure was to lay your command upon my selfe though the unworthiest of many to bee employed in the service of that day Surely it was not but that you had your choyce of many other most able and worthy Divines only it was your pleasure that dayes and multitudes of years should speak ●●b The Grace I chose as most meet to treat of was that of Zeale as conversant about Gods House first for that it doth directly oppose Lukewarmnesse the most dangerous and yet the Epidemicall disease of our time secondly for that no one grace doth more promote the work of Reformation as will appeare in the subsequent discourse thirdly for that among all other ornaments there is none that doth more beautifie a Reformer in the eyes of God and man Prov. There are many creatures said the wise man that are comely in there going but none so comely as a Zealous Reformer Accordingly then you Parliamentary Worthies goe on and prosper cease not to carry on your Work which is Gods work with Zeale and Courage It is Perseverance alone that will both crowne you and perfect your endeavours What encouragement have you had in that the Lord amidst your greatest dangers hath beene mightily seene in the protection of your persons No weapons of warre that have beene formed against you have prospered the tongues of men that have risen up in judgement against you hath he condemned Hath not the same God assisted you to doe many glorious works whereby his name hath beene honoured his people unspeakably benefitted How hath the Lord kept you together untill this day notwithstanding the endeavours of all the Devills in hell and wicked men on earth to scatter you to divide you What a foundation hath the Lord laid of your continuance together till your work be done Surely it is for that hee hath yet some great things for you to doe If you which God forbid shall faint and out of by respects withdraw your selves from the service bee sure God without you will accomplish his work but tremble to think what will become of you and yours How would it bee a thing much to be bewailed that you Noble and brave spirited Patriots who have hitherto borne the heat of the day the brunt of the businesse so farre denied your selves as to runne the hazard of all that you are have or might expect should now by failing in your last act loose your crown forfeit your reward from God and man And now for you my Reverend and much Honoured Brethren in the common work of the Ministry Who can but blesse the Lord for that degree of his spirit no doubt it is the effect as of your own prayers in the day of your solemn humiliation so of many of the prayers of his people which hee hath showred down upon you Not only do your learned debates your exact and judicious Scripture-discussions your Scholasticall disputes the discovery many of you have made of your exact knowledge in Antiquity shew that God is among you as he that hath fitted you for the work but further your sweet amicable converse your following of the truth in love your differences in judgement carried on without alienation of affection doe not they all say that God is with you God forbid that either the Devill or wicked men should break asunder that sweet bond of Amity wherewith God hath lincked you in one Bee incouraged then dearely beloved in the Lord from one whom God was pleased though the unworthiest among you yet to make his mouth to you to goe on as carried along with a Spirit of indefatigable zeale in the pursuance of the work you are called unto Behold it is soule-work and that of neerest concernment that God hath put into your hands to bee transacted Is not your work a Counter-work to that great and long plotted designe whereby Popery should have been re-advanced Gods saving truth been suppressed his worship substantially corrupted and utterly destroyed Is it not a work of the largest extent as that which concernes all other Reformed Churches whose happinesse or misery will bee involved in ours Yea ages to come will either blesse or curse you as you shall follow or neglect the opportunity And now for my self be pleased to take notice that my strength and voice failing me by reason of my weaknesse I