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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43321	A sermon preached before the Right Honorable the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament at Margarets Church in Westminster, upon Thursday the 18 day of Iuly, 1644 : it being the day of public thanksgiving for the great mercie of God in the happie successe of the forces of both kingdomes neer York, against the enemies of King and Parliament / by Alexander Henderson ...	Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1644 (1644)	Wing H1441; ESTC R3818	28,273	37

his Church and that it must be ruled by his Scepter That the Government is upon his shoulder without which all our adoration and Hallelujah is but like the mocking of him by his enemies when they cloathed him sometimes in purple and sometimes in white and did put a Crowne of thornes on his head and in his hand a reed for a Scepter No duty better beseemeth the Honourable Houses of Parliament then thankfulnesse for in thankfulnesse there be three very eminent vertues sutable to their place and eminencie 1. Truth when wee acknowledge and professe who it is from whom we have received the benefit 2. Justice in rendring mutuall duties As receiving is joyned with giving so is rendering with receiving which naturall men have considered when they spoke of the three Graces 3. Wisdome because gratitude procureth the continuance of favour as ingratitude not seeing and discerning favours neere unto us moveth the Lord to remove them that we may behold them afarre off So that gratitude hath Truth Justice and Prudence in it but ingratitude is an Untruth Injustice and Foolishnesse Of all men in the world ungrate men unto God are the most false most unjust and most foolish men Farre must this be farre I hope this shall be from the Honourable Houses and from both Kingdomes The second dutie which I recommend is obedience to the Commands of Christ against all difficulties and temptations in the way When the Lord commanded the Disciples to enter into the ship they obeyed although hee went not with them and the darknes of the night was approaching and when they met with a stormy and contrary winde it never so much as entred into their hearts to turne backe againe When our Lord commanded Peter to come unto him upon the water he gave absolute obedience Obedience is a principall part of selfe denyall by other vertues and graces wee deny things of the world and the naturall delights of the flesh which concerne the body but this maketh us to deny our owne will and our naturall reason and to do the will of God As a wilde stocke when a sprigg of good fruit is graffed in it bringeth forth fruit according to the nature of the tree from which the graffe was taken and not such as the stock would have borne if it had not been graffed So doth the wild stock of our old Adam when the will and commandement of God by the hand of the Spirit is graffed on it bring forth fruit after the will of God and not after our owne naturall will The occasionall and particular commands of Christ for such a time and upon such occasions must be obeyed no lesse then universall and perpetuall commands and the transgression of such commands is no lesse dangerous in the sad effects which it produceth The examples of Abraham Gen. 22. of Moses Num. 20. 8. of Saul 1 Sam. 15. of Ahab 1 Kings 20. of the two men whereof the one did wound the other refused to wound the Prophet 1 King 20. of Iehu 2 Kings 10. of Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. and of many others are evidences of this truth My humble desire therefore and earnest exhortation is that in your great wisdom ye may consider what the Lord requireth of you at this time and in your Zeale set your selves to the performance thereof without discouragement or delay against all difficulties although you should be tossed with waves and contrary windes at the command of Christ yet in the fourth watch he shall come to you and comfort you and in the end shall bring you safe to the shore Doe not that which seameth good in your owne eyes but obey his voyce Adde not to the Law nor detract from it but doe all that is written turning neither to the right hand nor to the left And because nothing doth the Lord at this time more require then the Reformation of Religion which is long and earnestly expected at your hands by all the godly go about it speedily and put it not off upon carnall reason or worldly respects We do distinguish betwixt open hostilitie and secret treachery but we are also to distiuguish betwixt profane policie and pious prudence As the worke of God is opposed by open hostilitie and which is more dangerous by secret treacherie so is it hindered by carnall reason and worldly policie Men may apprehend that if they should settle religion presently many would fall off and your affaires should not succeed so prosperously But I beleeve the contrary to be true that the policie which Ieroboam and the Jewes used in the time of Christ Ioh. 11. a case not unlike unto ours brought this same very evill upon them which they feared and did endeavour to avoid by their policy Luther used to say that three things would prove mightie hinderances to Christian religion 1. Forgetfulnes of the worke of God 2. Security which he found prevailing already in his time and 3. Policie and worldly wisedome which would bring all things in order and c●●e the publike stirs with the counsell of man to determine the present controversies by humane reason was in his judgement to go mad with reason Hezekiah was not guided by policy in his reformation but removed the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the groves and broke in pieces the brasen Serpent that Moses had made For unto those dayes the children of Israel did burne incense to it and he called it Nehushtan 2. Kings 18. 4. This hee did in the first year of his Raigne in the first moneth and suddenly 2. Chron. 29. 3. and 36. Hee cared neither for the Philistines nor the king of Assyria both of them rising against him nor for the Idolaters in the land but which was all his policy he trusted in the Lord God of Israel 2. Kings 18. 5. Some conceive that because I am a stranger I may speake more freely then others but for this very cause that I am a stranger I am the more sparing in my expressions Yet this much I may say that there be three things which seeme very strange to mee 1. That any should be found to speake against all the Reformed Churches and to draw Disciples after them unlesse they had great evidence of Scripture or convincing reasons for the novations which they would introduce 2. Although some such arise yet it is a wonder that so intelligent a people should be carried away with every winde and scattered into so many Sects and divisions which is a great scandall to Religion a great sin and shame to such a people a spirituall judgement in it selfe and the cause of many other judgements spirituall and temporall and an argument that this miserable warre is not yet drawing to an end 3. That reformation is suspended because the people are distracted Reformation being the onely meane to reduce them to Unitie The third duty which I recommend is confidence in Christ against doubting This was the Apostle Peter his

heads there is one kind of it like unto that in Ioshua Numb. 11. 27 28. and in the Disciples of Christ Mark 9. 38 and in the Disciples of Iohn Ioh. 3. 26. We are not free of this kind of envy There is another kind of it like that of the Philistims Gen. 26. 14 15. which is most diabolicall But besides these there be other two sorts of it set on worke by Satan at this time and which all good men would beware of One is of those that cannot admit an equall that would engrosse all alone Mat. 20. 11. Acts 13. 44. Another of those that cannot permit any to be preferred unto them as in Cain Gen. 4. 3. 4. In the brethren of Ioseph Acts 7. 9. In Miriam Num. 12. 2. In Saul 1 Sam. 18. It was foolishnesse in the women and people yet it was truth in the Nobles of the Medes and Persians Daniel 6. 4. 5. The Scribes Pharises Sadduces and people of the Jews Matth. 23. 13. Acts 5. 17. Acts 13. 44. 45. We have an example of both sorts in the Courtiers of Saul against David and in Pompey the great and Iulius Caesar f As it is one of the most common so it is one of the greatest evils in the world it being not only most opposite unto Charitie but the cause of Contention Mutinies Lies Slanders Sedition and bringeth a world of miseries from the justice of God No sort of persons have more need to be upon their guard against this Enemy then brethren amongst whom if once Emulations Hatred and Envy find place to worke division they become irreconciliable Like unto fragments of Crystall glasse which after breaking cannot be demented againe Because the smallest injurie where kindnes is deserved and expected and much more envie is judged to be ingratitude which is acknowledged by all who know the nature of it to be a manifest injurie and as intollerable as any other And of all sores of Brethren none have reason to take greater heed unto this evill then such as naturally are strangers one to another and of divers nations but are sworne Brethren if the fire of envie and hatred once begin to burne in their breasts they want the affection of naturall brethren to extinguish it The best remedy for such is the right embracing of one true Religion and religiously to remember their Covenant by which they are joyned to Jesus Christ and amongst themselves which will make them forget that they be of divers Countreys and Kingdoms and timely to resist all divisive motions the mother whereof is Emulation and envie which I heartily wish may be as farre from us all as it was from the Disciples of Christ at this time Setting aside therefore with the Disciples all Emulation and Envie all Admiration and Adoration of men Let us follow the example of the Apostles in that twofold dutie performed by them the one is the Adoration of Christ the other the Confession of Christ They have not spoken amisse who conceave that there be foure parts of the Morall worship of God according to the parts of the first and great Commandment Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and with all thy minde and with all thy strength Mark 12. Luk. 10. The first of them is the attentive consideration of the works of God by the outward and inward senses The second is the right judging of the works of God by the minde and understanding The third is the congruous and sutable affection of the soule by the heart which is the seat of the affections The fourth is the testification of this affection in our whole life by the actions of the will Amongst which for they be many these two in the Text are to be numbred Adoration and Confession which were the thanksgiving of the Disciples at this time and now upon our Deliverance are required of us And who is it that beholding the power of Christ in the greatnes of the Deliverance the wisedome of Christ in the seasonablenesse of the Deliverance the jealousie of Christ who will not give his glory to another in the sensiblenesse of his hand in working it the truth of Christ in hearing prayer according to his promise and the mercy of Christ in passing by so many sins and so much doubting would not adore this mightie wise jealous true and mercifull Lord When the children of Israel had heard that the Lord had visited them and that hee had looked upon their affliction Then they bowed their heads and worshipped Exod. 4. 31. After that the Lord had spoken to Moses of the Religion of the Passeover and the smiting of the first borne of Egypt The people bowed the head and worshipped Exod. 12. 27. When Iehoshaphat upon his Fast and Prayer heard from the Spirit of the Lord which came upon Ichaziel that the Lord was to fight for Iudah and that they were onely to stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord he bowed his head with his face to the ground and all Iudah and the Inhabitants of Ierusalem fell before the Lord worshipping the Lord 2. Chron. 20. 18. At the restoring of Religion and cleansing of the house of God the King and all that were present with him bowed themselves and worshipped 2. Chron. 29. 29. And shall not wee when the Lord hath visited us and looked upon our affliction when he hath foughten for us and slaine the strength and first-born of our enemies when he is about the restoring of Religion and the cleansing and building of his Temple shall not we in all feare and reverence fall downe and adore before him acknowledging his Soveraignitie and our owne basenes and unworthines Let the whole Church Militant and Triumphant the twenty foure Elders and the foure living creatures men and angels fall downe and worship him that liveth for ever and ever saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lambe for ever and ever The other part of their thanksgiving is their Confession of Christ They give him this testimony of a truth thou art the Sonne of God This they all confesse and were ready to confesse before all the world which they also did afterward Of this testimony Iohn saith Whosoever shall confesse that Iesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God 1 Joh. 4. 15. which is not so to be understood as if no other truth were to be confest of him but because that maine and fundamentall truth was then controverted and denyed by Seducers and Antichrists The Lord requireth of each one of us according to our place and calling that wee confesse and give our testimonie unto such truths as are most called in question At this time it is required of the Honourable Houses of Parliament that they give unto Jesus this testimonie which is a necessary consequent of the testimonie of the Apostles That Iesus Christ is the King of