and ye visited me not Verily I say unto you inasmuch as you did it not unto the least of of one of these ye did it not to me As if the Lord at that great day did take notice of nothing but what the carriage of all people hath been to or against his Church and children What greater evidence can there be in the world that men are blessed or cursed than this that they either do or do not help the Church of God This will yet be clearer if we consider the Church First as it stands in relation to God Secondly as we stand in relation to the Church First as the Church stands in relation to God when I speake of God in relation to the Church or the Church to God you must alwayes understand God in Christ Emanuel God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe And thus the Churches relation to God gives us two excellent grounds of this doctrine First the Church and the meanest member of it is united to him made one with him they are not only his servants his friends such as he loves but he and they make but one person I meane one mysticall person Insomuch that throughout the whole Scripture he that blesseth them blesseth him he that curseth them curseth him he that relieveth them relieveth him he that fights against them fights against him he that touches them touches the Apple of his eye all the relations which argue intimacy tendernesse and dearenesse meete in this conjunction betwixt God and his Church he is their Father they are his children he is their head they are his members he is their husband they are his wife yea they are called by his name and he vouchsafes to be called by their name Take but this for granted and you will make no doubt but all men are blessed or cursed as they do or do not help the Lord The Lord Jehovah is the fountaine of all blessednesse more than the Sunne is the fountaine of light from his favour and good will necessarily flows all happinesse and consequently all are blessed or cursed according as the aspect betweene God and them is malignant or benevolent This ground is fully laid downe in that forementioned placed Matthew 25. You did it to them therefore you did it to me you refused it to them therefore you refused it to me It is clearely there taught but I believe there is no man on earth that understands it or believes it fully And that very Text gives me a hint to thinke so Because the very righteous themselves though they do all to the Saints out of the good will they beare to Christ yet when Christ shall acknowledge this and say Come ye blessed you fed me you cloathed me you visited me They shall answer Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sicke or in prison and administred unto thee It shews that themselvs did not fully understand how neare they were to Christ for whom they did all these things I have somewhere read a story of a Sarazen Embassador who being with a Christian Prince and seeing Nobles and great men to wait upon him and the Prince himselfe to waite upon a Table full of poore ragged people desired to know what they were to whom he shewed so much respect he answered to this effect they were the servants of his Lord and that he served his Saviour in them Well said the Embassador if your Lord have no better servants than these I desire to be none of them I care not for your Religion And truly it is a hard thing to perswade not only Sarazens but even Christians themselves that whatsoever is done to poore abjects the off-scouring of the world should be done to Christ himselfe No earthly Prince would do so equally to accept and reward him that should give a nights lodging or any succour to one of his meanest and basest groomes as if it had beene done to the person of himselfe or of his son Yet this is the very case betwixt Christ and his Church Secondly another ground from the Churches relation to God is this that as their persons are neerely united to him so their cause is his cause As they account every cause of God to be their cause so God accounts every cause of theirs to be his cause 2 Chro. 20. Moab and Ammon and they of Mount Seir came with a huge army against Jehoshaphat hee and his people being suddenly surprised betake themselves to prayer and seeke helpe from God Now marke what Gods answer was Be not you afraid nor dismaied by reason of this great multitude the battell is not yours but Gods Was not the battell theirs all they were worth lay upon that battell their wives and children their lives and liberties their countrey and religion lay all at the stake and yet the battell none of theirs that is not so much theirs as Gods so in the 74. Psalm When Asaph had laid down all the Churches sufferings the pulling down of their Synagogues the wasting of their Countrey the reproach and scorn cast upon them by their enemies he interests God in all this Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee forget not the voyce of thine enemies Thus is their cause Gods cause their enemies Gods enemies and indeed if we look into it narrowly whatsoever is done to them and their cause good or evill is done for Gods sake This then is a strong argument to prove men blessed or cursed according as they joyn with or oppose the cause of God Because first if it be Gods cause it is a good cause Secondly it is a noble cause Thirdly it is a successefull cause First I say it is a good cause The just Lord that is in the midst of his Church will do no iniquity The righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse Now you know it is a blessed thing to have a good cause though it be a meane cause David often pleaded this before God that his cause was just his cause was upright Let them shout for joy that favour my righteous cause And on the other side it must needs be a cursed thing to manage a cursed cause when David's cause was good his adversaries must needs bee evill and then he could foretell that they should be ashamed and brought to confusion clothed with reproach and dishonour who opposed themselves against him Secondly being Gods cause it is a noble cause a man may possibly among men have a good cause and the thing but a trifle a thing of no great consequence but if it be Gods cause let it appeare never so contemptible it is subservient to the highest end that can possibly be thought of The salvation of soules the glory of God c. Honour uses to put men upon hard and desperate services men will runne wrestle fight for a crowne
toward you but you must performe your good work towards me Then shall ye call upon me and you shall goe and pray unto me Aske and you shall receive this is the confidence that we have that whatsoever we aske according to his will we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him What cannot Prayer doe It is able to overthrow all enemies When I pray mine enemies shall turn back An hundred eighty five thousand were overthrowne in one night after the Prayer of Hezekiah It is able to turne away all plagues pestilence famine sword wild-beasts whatsoever plague or sicknesse there be prayer and supplication will heal all It is able to bring downe all mercies it is the key of heaven Eliah a man subject to the same infirmities with us hee prayed and the heaven was shut he prayed again and the heaven was opened It is the most efficacious engine in the world it opened the prison doores and the iron gate to set Peter at liberty It is the summe of all wisdome strength and policy What should I say more It prevailes over God himselfe Iacob wrastled with God and prevailed What was his wrastling What was the strength whereby as a Prince he had power with God Even this hee wept and made supplication to him It will not only stop the Sun in his course as Ioshua did Sun stand thou still in Gibeon and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon but with reverence be it spoken it holds that hand which rules heaven and earth Let mee alone said God to Moses that I may destroy them Moses prayer hindred God from doing what hee seemed resolved to doe Hee said hee would have destroyed them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap to turn away his wrathfull indignation And thus some interpret that place of the Prophet Isaiah Ask mee of things to come concerning my Sonnes and as concerning the works of my hands command ye me as if God had made over his own omnipotency to Prayer But whence is it that Prayer becomes thus efficacious What is there in the submissions and supplications of poor worms to work such wonders I answer These four things meet in prayer which are the strength of it and may be your satisfaction First The persons who pray are Gods owne children dearer to him than heaven and earth tender as the apple of his own eye and we who are parents know how prevalent the cryes of our own children are we being evill can give good things to our children Secondly Gods owne Spirit dictates and endites their prayers for them Wee know not what to pray for as wee ought but the Spirit it selfe makes intercession for us Now as it is said of the Sonne I know thou hearest me alwayes so may it be said of the Spirit What regard soever he may bear to us poore sinners he will certainly regard the intercessions of his owne Spirit Thirdly The Prayers of Gods people they are offered up and presented to God by his owne Son our Lord Jesus Christ the high Priest of our profession the Angel of his presence who is at the right hand of God who daily makes intercession for us as the Spirit makes intercession in us and mingles his incense with the prayers of the Saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne Fourthly There is this in prayer that it gives the greatest glory unto God Of all gifts or graces which God hath given to any creature never any thing except faith only was found to give that glory to God which prayer doth especially in these two things First it brings God into the field to fight the battell for them makes him to work all their works for them as indeed he doth Whatsoever a man prayes for he doth by interpretation say Lord I never shall have this unlesse thou give it me I never shall do this unlesse thou doe it for me And that is the reason why in 2 Chron. 20. after Hezekiah and his people had prayed and professed they had no strength of their owne left the worke only and wholly upon Gods hand Then God tells them The battell is not yours but Gods Now you have put it into my hands you shall see what I will doe for you And secondly When the work is done it ascribes the praise and glory of all to him to whom alone it is due If we mark it God hath little glory in the world for those good things which men receive without Prayer their friends parts wit industry must share with God but what is won by Prayer is worn with thankfulnesse there being a naturall relation betwixt praying and praising as the rivers returne by the sea from whence they come O that I were able to teach you the right use of this engine And first let mee speake to you right Honourable and Beloved the Lords and Commons assembled in this Parliament Give mee leave to shew you the true spring of all that good which hath come through your hands since your happy entrance upon your great work God knows I would not eclipse your worth nor due praise We rejoyce in you and blesse God for you wee have received great mercies by your means but are you the cause of them Have they been done by your wisdome and forecast or for any worthinesse found in your selves Hath not God done them all almost by contraries Have not you been many times at a losse even at your wits end Hath not God marvellously discovered wicked enterprises against you and almost miraculously preserved you by his own naked arme ever since the beginning of your meeting Give therefore the glory where it is due you shall have the honour of excellent instruments but this honour is too high for you Know therefore Beloved and it will encrease your honour to acknowledge it that Prayer and God by Prayer hath done all this While you have been with Ioshuah fighting in the valley Moses Aaron and Hur have been at prayer upon the mountain God hath poured out upon many parts of the Kingdome but more especially in and about this great City a most fervent Spirit of Prayer In many thousand families you are every day mentioned at the throne of grace few dayes of your Sessions have passed over without extraordinary fasting and prayer either publike or private on your behalfe And when prayer doth thus ascend mercies must needs descend Let God therfore have the chiefe honour for pouring out the spirit of prayer and supplication the fruit whereof is the upholding your hearts and spirits daily in your work And this also intimates the best hope wee have of your good successe for the time to come even because God hath put it into the heart of the Kings Majesty and your selves to put the whole kingdome into a posture of prayer we hope your care in putting the Kingdome into a posture of
MEROZ Cursed OR A SERMON PREACHED To the Honourable House OF COMMONS At their late Solemn FAST Febr. 23. 1641 By STEPHEN MARSHALL B. D. Minister of Finchingfitld in Essex Published by order of that House PSALM 122. Vers. 6 9. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that love thee Because of the House of the Lord our God I will seek thy good LONDON Printed by R. BADGER for Samuel Gellibrand at the Brasen Serpent in St. Pauls Church yard 1641. TO THE Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS Now ASSEMBLED in PARLIAMENT IT is fit my obedience should last as long as your commands for so I have alwayes interpreted your Requests and desires to be As I never had the confidence to present you with any thing properly mine so neither will I bee guilty of that Injustice as to deny you any thing so truly your own as is this fruit of my poore yet willing endeavours It is yours truly but most principally the Churches whose both you and I and all that you can doe or I speak are If it may be serviceable to you and you by it made more serviceable to the Church and cause of God I have my option But I am resolved not to make that use of my experience of your patience in hearing the Sermon as to try it further with the length of a Dedication Only I thinke it my dutie to second my proposition with my prayers That God would vouchsafe a blessing to your endeavours for his Church and to you for your endeavours These shall be the constant and earnest desires of Your Servant Stephen Marshall A SERMON PREACHED At the late FAST BEFORE The COMMONS HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT IUDGES V. XXIII Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the helpe of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty RIght Honourable and beloved it hath been a custome almost amongst all Nations after any notable Victory to have their {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} their Triumphant Songs wherein the illustrious acts of their owne worthy Leaders and the shame and confusion of their enemies were celebrated preserved and so delivered over to posterity The Romans had their Salii Priests who after any victory went dancing through the City singing their Hymes and Paeans to Mars and the rest of the favourable Gods And the Grecians sometimes in Verses sometimes by Sculpture used to set forth their famous Battels and Victories yet alwayes attributing the highest glory of all to their Gods whoâ— they supposed to bee present with them Protectors over them and fighters for them This course I thinke the Devill learned from the Lord Jehovah's dealing with his owne people who alwayes directeth them thus to celebrate his noble acts and their great deliverances Thus Moses and Aaron sang unto the Lord when he triumphed gloriously over Pharaoh and all his Host making them sinke like a stone to the bottome of the Red Sea Thus the women in their song and dance celebrated their victory over the Philistims And this whole Chapter is nothing but a Triumphant song setting forth in an elegant and lofty verse the great Victory which Barak and Deborah and a small army with them had gotten the Lord marching before them against King Jabin and his Generall Sisera who for twenty yeares had mightily oppressed the children of Israel In which song First all prayse and glory is given to Jehovah the Lord of hoasts the Prince who lead them by whose strength alone the victory was obtained Prayse yee the Lord for the avenging of Israel I will sing unto the Lord Lord when thou wentest out of Seir c. Then the Song descends to the due praises of their generall Barak and his assistant Deborah yea the severall Regiments and Companies both of Horse and Foot doe receive the praise and reward of their courage and valour And not only so but the Song proceeds to Stigmatize and brand with reproach and marke out for punishment all such companies as had played either the Traitours or the Cowards or were otherwise wanting to their duty in this great expedition Reuben had other Sheepe to turne hee tarried amongst his Sheepfolds to heare the bleating of his flocke Gilead durst not crosse the Water Dan cowardly withdrew into his Ships Ashur durst not come from his owne coasts God takes notice and remembers them all and lets them know he had great thoughts of heart about it and in time would reckon with them for it But above all his wrath was most incensed against Meroz a people of whom wee finde no mention in the whole Booke of God nor I thinke in any other Story but onely in this place upon this unhappy occasion you can know no more of them than what this place tels you and these few reliques of them remaine as the lake of Sodome as a monument of their sin or as a Mast of a Ship swallowed up in the quicksand to warne passengers to take heed of that dangerous place or as Lots Wife turned into a Pillar of Salt to season others This their short Chronicle I may call their Grave-stone which seemes to hold out such an inscription as they say Sennacharibs Tomb had Looke upon me and learne to be godly So theirs Looke upon mee and learne your owne duty Looke upon me and take heed of disserting the cause and Church of God when they stand in neede of you A Text and Theme exceeding seasonable Seasonable to the times wherein we live when abundance of mighty enemies rise up against the Lord and against his Church Seasonable to the temper of most people who generally minde their owne things and not the things of Christ Seasonable to the occasion of this dayes meeting which is purposely for the helpe of the Lord and his cause and people now distressed in Ireland But to me it seemes most of all seasonable for this present honourable Assembly who all should be as the Lord their Horses as his Horses their Chariots as his Chariots they being all called to bee Leaders and Captaines of the Lords Host. The Lord make it but as profitable as I am sure it is seasonable and I doubt not but we shall be exceeding gainers by it In this Text which I may call the doome of Meroz there are these two things First the Author of the doome or sentence the Angell of the Lord Curse yee Meroz said the Angell of the Lord Secondly the Sentence given against them Curse ye Meroz c. Wherein likewise consider these two things First What their fault was Secondly What their punishment was Their Fault yee have in these words They came not out to the helpe of the Lord to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty Their Punishment was a curse and a bitter one Curse ye Meroz Curse yee bitterly or as the word signifies in cursing curse the
though but a corruptible crowne There is comfort in doing good to one but to advance the good of many especially of the Church of God how honourable how glorious is it Thirdly Gods cause is a successefull cause no weapon can prosper that is formed against it and every tongue that rises up in judgement against it shall be condemned The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it This Gamaliel saw when he advised the councell of the high Priests and Pharisees and Rulers to refrain from opposing the Apostles If this work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it it is in vaine to fight against God Since then the Churches cause is Gods cause and consequently a good cause a noble and succesful cause you may easily hence conclude the happinesse that accompanies the promoting of it And on the contrary as easily discern how cursed a thing it is not only to undergo the disgrace of mannaging a wicked and base enterprise but to fail of that which wicked men use to cherish themselves with the hopes of the comfort of reward and obtaining their desires Secondly consider our relation to the Church And that affords three other excellent arguments to prove men blessed or cursed according as they help or help not the Church of God First whatsoever abilities any man enjoyes wherewith he may any wayes be usefull they are all given him to this very end to make him serviceable to the Church All the manifestations of the spirit are given to profit withall All the gifts which Christ powred out when he ascended up on high are for the perfecting of the Saints and the building up of the body of Christ As every one hath received a gift so let him minister as good stewards of the manifold graces of God The Church is the common storehouse to which all our wealth must be carried Salus Ecclesiae suprema lex Which being so the happinesse of every thing being the attaining of the end for which it was appointed and the curse of it the perverting of it to a wrong end they must needs be blessed who serve the Church and he must needs be cursed that deprives the Church of its own due Salomon saith that he that withholds corne in a time of famine the people shall curse him though it were his owne corne but suppose a man had the keeping of the provision of the whole town corne which were none of his owne he only intrusted with the keyes of it and should let the people starve for want of that food which he should keepe purposely for them or that a man had the keeping of a Magazen for an Army to furnish them with what might make them victorious and their safety and victory hazzarded if not lost through his default were not this man a villaine and a traitor to his country Secondly Consider how neare the relation is betwixt the Church and us except we be of the malignant Church of the Dragons army and then no more need be said to prove men cursed The Church is our Mother and all the Saints are our Brethren a Relation which all Lawes of God and man do fasten duty upon The eye that mocketh at his father or despiseth to obey his mother the Ravens of the vally shall picke it out and the young Eagles shall eate it Paul thought he did no more than his duty when he had great heavines and continuall sorrow in his heart and could wish himselfe accursed from Christ for his Brethren his kinsmen who were Israelites Thirdly All our own blessednesse stands or falls with the blessednesse of the Church The Church is such a corporation or mysticall body as hath in it all the properties of a naturall body wherein no members can be happy in an abstracted sense but as parts conjoyned with the whole because every part hath besides the neare relation to the whole a subsistency in it which is the foundation of any other good it receives And so consequently the good or gaine of the whole is the gaine of every member and whatsoever tends to the dissolution of the whole cannot but be destructive to all the parts As when a company of Merchants have but one joyned stocke every penny gained or lost is gaine or losse to them all Or as it is with a company of passengers in the same Ship save the vessell and you save all sinke the Ship and every mans Cabbin is cast away Now this is a more prevailing argument than reason can make it is grounded in nature which must prevaile with all Nature makes heavy things to ascend rather than the whole should be endangered by a vacuum Nature teaches the tongue to cry out when the toe is trod upon the hand to work that the belly starve not the feet to runne that the back be not cold Every man finds this in the naturall body and Gods Spirit dwelling in all the Saints workes the same spirituall disposition in them that are partakers of the divine nature That there be no Schisme or division in the body of Christ but that all the members may have the same care one for another That whether one member suffer all the members should suffer with it or one member be honoured all the members should rejoyce with it By this time I hope it is cleare that if we look upon Gods promises or threatnings mens experience in all ages or the Churches interest in God his neare union with it his affection to it his owning the Churches cause or if we consider our own engagements to the Church our neare conjunction with it and under God the dependance of all our comforts and wellfare upon it we may and must conclude that all men are blessed or cursed according as they help or help not the church of God The rest of the time I shall spend in the Application of it that what is thus cleare to your judgement and conscience may by Gods blessing take due place in your hearts and conversations And there are but two collections which I shall make for use The first briefly for terrour and reproof the second more largely for exhortation and duty First for reproofe This speaks very sadly against two sorts of people whereof God knowes there are many hundreds of thousands who yet professe themselvs to be Christians As first Are all they cursed that doe not thus helpe the Lord against the mighty what then are they who instead of helping the Lord against the mighty do help the mighty against the Lord who instead of joyning all their strength and giving all their assistance to the Church in her distresse doe give all the assistance they can to the enemies of the Church that they may do mischief against the Church What shall we thinke of these men How many are there who have as it were entred their names into the
Dragons muster-book openly bidding defiance against the Church of Christ in every good cause who walke Antipodes against the cause of God like Antiochus making war against the Saints like the little horne in Daniel wearing out the Saints of the most high in all places where they can prevail how many others like the Kings and Princes in the 2. Psal. Set themselves and take counsell against the Lord and against his Annointed digging as deep as hell for counsell to do all the mischiefe they can to the servants of the Lord Iesus Christ How many others with Balaam doe what in them lies to curse them for reward who for very malice raile upon and revile the children of the most High How many others with Edom look upon the affliction of Israel rejoycing over them in the day of their destruction speaking proudly in the day of their distresse crying out against Ierusalem down with it downe with it even to the ground How many others with Amalâ—k smite the hindmost of Gods Church all who are weake and feeble when they are faint and wearie adding sorrowes and increasing the burthen of the afflicted How many with Sanballat and Tobiah are grieved when any are found to doe good in Israel endeavouring to hinder the building of Sion and to further the repairing of the walls of Babylon God knowes there are too many such I hope not many such present here this day before the Lord But concerning these if there should be any such here by what name or title shall I call them The Gyants who make war against heaven {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} fighters against God I know no appellation fitter for them But whatsoever they delight to be called I most earnestly beseech them in their most secret thoughts to answer these few questions By what injurie hath the Lord provoked thee thus against him what iniquitie hast thou found in him what hurt hath Christ done to thee what evils are his righteous servants guilty of against thee Or if thou canst give no reason of this but only non amo te nec possum dicere quare I know no reason but my heart stands against them What honour or reward dost thou expect for this desperate service What hope hast thou of speeding Canst thou make thy forces strong enough to carry the day O friend though thou beest proud and daring yet be not mad no weapon will prosper which is formed against them God hath sworne it against all the people who fight against Jerusalem that their flesh shall consume whilest they stand upon their feet their eyes shall rot in their holes their tongue shall consume away in their mouth O set not Briars and Thornes to fight against devouring fire Let the potsheards strive with the Potsheards of the Earth but let not a poor worm fight against his maker Thou art too weake to strive with God Kicke not against these prickes abstaine abstaine from those men of whom the Lord hath said he that touches them touches the apple of mine eye Secondly There are others not open enemies professing to take part against the Church who stand as neuters who stand a loofe off shewing themselves neither open enemies nor true friends like the Samaritans who feared the Lord and served their Idols of whom also Josephus saith that when the Jewes were in prosperity the Samaritans were their friends but were ever severed from them in their adversity But as the Lord said of them when they feared the Lord and served their Idols they feared not the Lord so he will one day say of these they love not the Lord They say such as stand neuters are ordinarily crushed which side soever wins but the Lord acknowledges no Neuters This text curses all them who come not out to helpe him as well as those who came to fight against him And our Saviour at the last day will as well denounce go ye cursed against them who gave them not bread when they were hungry as them who plucked their bread away from them And in this case it is a certaine rule for it is Christs rule he that is not with me is against me And of these Neuters there are two sorts First some stand Neuters out of policy because they will see which side shall prevaile that they may be sure to joyne with the winning side of these we have a notable example Judg. 8. when Gideon was pursuing Zeba and Zalmunnah the Kings of Midian he cals to the men of Succoth and the men of Penuel to help to victuall his Army Give I pray you loaves to them that follow me for they are faint But they would first see what would be the event of the war Are the heads of Zeba and Zalmunnah in thine hands that we should give bread unto thine Army As who should say if you gave gotten the day we are for you if not you must pardon us we will looke on a while longer and even so do many falsehearted friends deale with the Church of God turne Jewes when they have an honoured Mordecai and as ready to cut their throats when Haman prevailes against them They will be sure to be of the winning side that they may save their own stake but what Gideons answer was to the men of Succoth and Penuel when the Lord hath delivered Zeba and Zalmunnah into mine hand then then will I teare your flesh with briars and thornes of the wildernesse then will I beate down your Towers and slay the men of your City and accordingly did it such like doom and execution shall all politick Neuters receive from the hand of Christ 2 There is a second sort of Neuters who neither oppose the Church nor helpe it not out of policy but meere sluggishnesse and desire of ease or basenes of spirit loving only their worldly profits and sensuall pleasures nothing regarding what concernes religion or the Church like Gallio the Deputie of Achaia who when the Iewes one while beat Paul another while the Ruler of the Synagogue as the Text sayes cared for none of these things If it had beene a matter of right or equitie things belonging to the Roman lawes he was ready to appeare but if it be a matter of Religion it was out of his element he is indifferent whether the Beare bite the Dog or the Dog bite the Beare it is all one to him Abundance of these are to be found every where of whom we may say as Salomon in another case The heart knowes his owne bitternesse c. They neither know the Churches bitternesse nor are acquainted with the joy of it Such I thinke were the men of Iabesh Gilead who when all the Tribes of Israel had bound themselves by oath to prosecute that bloody murder of the Levites Concubine against the Benjamites and never to returne untill they had avenged it they let both sides alone they had businesse enough of
the Church at this present time requires from you many other things It may be some of you may be called as souldiers to spend your blood in the Churches cause If you knew the honour and the reward that belongs to such a service you would say as the Martyr once Had every haire on your head a life you would venture them all in the Churches cause It may be others of you may with Nehemiah be called from your own ease and honour to some wearisome task embrace it readily It is like your collections and contributions will be more frequent than ordinary and very shortly in an extraordinary occasion for the relief of our distressed brethren in Ireland many in the City of London have set excellent examples let me provoke you by their pattern as the Apostle Paul did the Corinthians to the like work by propounding to them the example of Macedonia Onely remember this that what you give in this case is interpreted by Christ as given to his owne person and whom would not this provoke It is reported of Master Fox that when a poore man asked something of him for Christ Jesus sake he questioned with the man whether hee knew Jesus Christ and finding signes that the man was a Beleever hee gave him his horse when hee had no money I commend not his discretion but his zeal and charity were admirable Do somewhat proportionable to the distresse of your brethren Behold your Saviour comming naked and hungry and banished in these his afflicted members And in whatsoever else the Lord and his Church may have any need of you remember that Gods blessing is upon them that come to helpe him and that Meroz and with Meroz all others are cursed who come not out to the help of the Lord against the mighty FINIS Die Veneris 25. Febr. 1641. IT is this day ordered by the House of Commons that no man shall Print the Sermons Preached on the last Fast day before the House of Commons by Master Calamy and Master Marshall besides themselves for the space of these two moneths without the particular Licence and Approbation of the said House of Commons H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. THese are to give notice that I appoint Samuel Gellibrand to print my Sermon Stephen Marshall Introduction shewing Exod. 15. 1 Sam. 8. The scope of the Chapter Iudg 4 3. Verse 16. Especially of this verse And the suitablenesse of it to the occasion Psalme 2. 2â— Division And interpretation 1 Sam. 14. 24. Numb. 5 27 Zech. 5. 3. 4. Rev. 17. 18. The maine Doctrine propounded Explained And proved v. 9. v. 15. v. 18. v. 24. Men are cursed or blessed Esay 16. v. 3. as they help or help not the Church of God Demonstrated First from the Churches relation to God Being made one with him in Christ All are cursed or blessed as they help or help not Gods Chur. Their cause is his cause Verse 15. â— 22 23. Zeph. 3. 4 Psal. 11. 7 Therefore a good cause Psal. 35. 27. Psal. 35. 26 A noble cause All are blessed or cursed 1 Cor. 9. 25 A successefull cause Isay 44. 17. Acts 5. 38. 2 Our relation to the Church All our talents are given us to serve the Church 1 Cor. 12 7. Eph. 4. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 10. Prov. 11. 26 Our conjunction with the Church Prov. 30. 17. Rom 9 2 3 Our standing and faling with the Church Rom. 12. 4. 1. Coo. 12 1â— 1 Cor. 12. 25 26. Application 1 For reproofe to them who help against the Church Psal. 137. Deut. 25. 17 Zech 14 12 Isa 27 â—4 Isa 45. 9 2 To them who stand Neuters 2 Kings 17 33 3â— 41 Mat 12 30 Of which two sorts Some out of policy Iudge 8â—4 5 Verse 6 Verse 6 7 16 17 2 Out of slothfull carelesnesse Acts 18. 14. Prov. 14. 10. Iud 21. 9 Vers. 10 2 For Exhortation To give our selves up to the service of the Chur. Motives thereunto 1 From Gods honour 3 From our relation to the Church and the churches gaine Cap 2 44 â— 4 31. Act. 9. 3. 3 From our owne good both In our in wardpeace 1 Ioh. 3. 14 Vers. 10. V. 16 Isa. 38. 3. Heb 13. 41 And our honour before God and men Heb. 1 14 1 Cor. 6. 15. 2 Cor 8 23. v. 7. Thirdly in the greatnesse of our reward Mat. 1â— 29 Meanes to make us usefull The persons must be First Godly Rev. 7. 14. 14. 4. â— Deniers of themselves Luke 14. 26. â— Tim. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 4. 23. Men are cursed or blessed Acts 20. 24 3 They must love the Church 1 Cor. 12. 27 28. What these friends of the Church must doe 1 By way of preparation theâ— must 1 Know the wanâ—s of the Church Neh. 1 2. Dan. 9. 2 Sympathize with them Neh. 1 4. Dan 8 27. 3 They must enquire what is in their hand to help 2 By way of action they must 1 Pray for it Psal. 122. 6. Isa. 62. 6 7. Ier. 51. 50. What great things Prayer is able to doe Ezek 36 37. Ier. 29. 10. 17. 1 Ioh. 14 15. Psal. 56 9. Isa. 37. 36. 1 Kin. 8. 37 39. Gen 32 26. Hos. 12. 4 〈◊〉 32. 10. â—ap 45 v. 10 Quest Answ. And the reasons of it Roâ— 8. 2â— Rev. 8. 3. 〈…〉 〈…〉 1. Whence all our present mercies â—nd deliverances come And our hopes of more 2 For reproofe Isa. 5. 4. 3 Exhortation to help the Church by Prayer Motives thereunto Psal. 66. And dâ—â—ction herein 2 Exhortation to pâ—ize such â—s have the spâ—rit of Prayer Eccles 9. 14. Rom. 15 30. 2 King 13 14. Isa. 19. 24. Zech. 8. 21. c. 2 To employ all our gifts and Taleâ—s as Stewards and servants for the Church 1 Cor. 12. 7. 1 Pet. 4. 1◠〈◊〉 are cuâ—sâ—d or blessed as they Eâ—oâ— 3◠〈…〉 1 For reproofe of most who are strangers to this duty Luk. 12 45. 2 For Exhorâ—ation 1 To the Hoâ—se of Parliament Iob 29. Obad. v. ult. Deut. 18 60. 2 To all others Matth. 25. 35.