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A94183
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A sermon lately preached at Westminster, before sundry of the honourable House of Commons. By Joseph Symonds sometimes minster in Ironmonger-lane, London, now pastor of a church in Roterdam.
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Symonds, Joseph.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing S6358; Thomason E165_10; ESTC R23172
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16,972
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38
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honour of the Kingdome and of this service In the text 1 Preface to the speech 2 matter of the speech The preface in this word Take heed It s an item both strong or spiritous and pregnant or comprehensive Now take heed i.e. if ever thou didst attend heare now and if ever thou didst seriously minde and intend any thing take what I am saying into thy most ponderous thoughts and most vigorous resolution as a businesse of greatest concernment and importance which ever did or can come under thy hand The matter of the speech is 1 A commission 2 A charge The commission The Lord hath chosen thee to build c. This is the enforcement of Solomon to this work warrant of Solomon to this work encouragement of Solomon to this work He may hee must doe it because commanded and hath This to encourage 1 Hee is chosen to it it s a choyce favour 2 By God Here is the highest coÌ„missioÌ„ best security 3 To build him an house it was the most honourable service that could be My purpose is to speake chiefely of the charge In which two things are required of Solomon 1 resolution Be strong 2 execution Doe it The first is Resolution The word expressing it importeth a vigorous and magnanimous will a will intensely and couragiously bent to the businesse so set to it that no disswasions slowth feare policie covetousnesse ficklenesse nor any other thing might cause either diversion or cessation or interruption So wee have Davids owne comment upon his owne words Be strong and of good courage dread not nor be dismayed 1 Chron. 22.13 and verse 20. of this 28. Chapter Be strong and of good courage and do it feare not nor be dismayed for the Lord God will be with thee hee will not faile thee nor forsake thee untill thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord. David in his zeale and wisedome endeavours to beget a fixed resolution in his sonnes heart For 1 Resolution is the life of action 2 We are apt above all works to be slack in Gods 3 The nature of the work required resolution 1 Gods work This requires our best strength 2 Great work 1 Chr. 29.1 carefull painefull chargeable 3 A new work And new works are often entertained either with ficklenesse fearfulnesse The second part of the charge is execution Doe it Which hath in it a tye to 3 things Do it 1 presently 2 fully the word is perfice 3 regularly The house must not be built after his fancie but Gods modell David gave to Solomon his sonne the patterne of c. ver 11. the patterne which he had by the spirit ver 12. Matters of worship are never left to mans liberty God onely appoints the matter manner and meanes of his worship And these are like a connex proposition wherof the denial of one part is the denial of the whole Though wee offer true worship for the matter if yet according to mans will or reason God doth not owne it Es 1.12 13 14. Esay 58. If a man order his Taylor to make him a sute though he bring the garment for kind according to order but for fashion and size otherwise it s not allowed That which I commend out of these words is that they that are chosen of God to do great things for him should resolve and doe them First of the resolution This must be when any thing is committed of God to us to be done for him Reasons Iosh 1.6.7.9.18 Deut. 31.6 1 Sam. 4.9 1 Chro 22. â—9 2 Chro 15.7 Hag 2.4 1 Where no resolution is raised upon a matter proposed there is either reluctance which clearely ought to be farre from us when God commandeth or pendulousnesse of heart This also hath no just place in this case For the heart is never rationally pendulous and wavering but in things dubious Now all doubts which give a stop or barre to the will are either from Conscience or Prudence If the question be in the conscience it must be concerning either the lawfulnesse of the thing in respect of the substance or circumstances in which case its impossible but that the heart by how much the better it is should be in a wavering and trembling state being dubious qâ—ad duas vias as a man at two wayes not knowing which to choose But in things committed of God to us here can be no such quaeres because he is supreame the Lord Judge and rule of all Or else the question is whether the thing be necessarie And indeed often things come with warrant without command In which case men have a latitude and may and doe act or not act sometimes out of meere liberty sometimes upon intercurrent reason But when God appoints here is no roome left for such agitations but the case is cleare all things commanded are necessary Gods command is the rule and spring of necessity Sometimes the question may be in prudence humane prudence is an intruding medler in Gods matters and it is of use when it followeth the rule and so leades the action But there be two evills which usuall fee carnall wisedom to be of their counsell 1 Earthly affections and respects 2 Unbeliefe 1 So far as any thing in this world is a mans end he is apt in every businesse to ask what wil it profit what advantage doth it bring to me great men say if the Churches be so or so ordered what compliance will it have with our honour power wealth Unprofitablenesse is a strong plea with men Haman knew the force of this Engine when hee to oppose the Jewes said There is a certaine people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kingdome and their lawes are divers from all people neither keep they the Kings laws therfore it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them if it please the King let it be written that they may be destroyed Hest 3.8.9 The like arrow did they sharpen and discharge against his people Ezr. 4. from 11. to 16. The people also have the like spirit weighing all by this rule of gaine and earthly advantage Job 21.15 What profit should wee have if we pray unto him and the Prophet accuseth them of his time Yee have said it is in vain to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his ordinances Mal. 3.14 And certainly the argument is good when well applied for nothing is good but what is profitable and every way or order of Churches which is indeed unprofitable is worthy to be refused God useth arguments of like importance against their devised worship What profiteth the graven image Hab. 2.18 But now none can plead unprofitablenes in the things of God For what ever is of him is profitable to all and doth not include any hurtfull quality or power of it self to any sorts or ranks of men in the world godlines is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4.8 The
walk towards God with truth aequablenesse and certainty Reason 4. What we purpose is either due to God or not now there is no question of the debt when God demands and if it be due it is injustice not to performe and its dangerous to run into debt when we have to pay Therefore wee should say as David I have sworne and I will performe it c. Psal 119.106 Thus having runne over the point by demonstrating the necessity both of resolution and execution when we have a commission and charge to doe for God I come to application I will take up this charge which David gave his sonne upon you It s a like season A time of Parliament and solemne assembly as then here is a like work lying in your hands that an house be built for the Lord and you also have commission for the Lord hath chosen you to build him an house be strong therefore and doe it Suffer me here to speak a little of the work Solomon was to build an house for God but that house was but a type of that which is now to be built Your work is to help that the Churches of Christ may be rightly framed and formed each Church is called an house of God 1 Tim. 3.15 God hath three houses 1 Coelestiall built for the Saints by himselfe Heb. 11.10 2 Mysticall invisible built by himselfe for himselfe Eph. 2. c. 3 Instituted visible built for himselfe and the Saints that in it they might enjoy each other This is compared to an house in respect of constitution end 1 For constitution as in an house there is 1 qualification of matter 2 Combining and knitting it together So in a Church there must bee 1 matter qualified and prepared for such ends to which a Church is appointed it must be of that nature as may be apt to knit with the building and to contribute something to it It s preposterous and unreasonable to heap on promiscuously stones and straw stubble and timber without judgement of the fitnes of the matter to conduce to the common frame When at the temple the materialls were prepared before it was brought thither so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any toole of iron heard in the house while it was in building 1 Kings 6.7 so in this spirituall Temple the building should consist of persons fitted for it they should be living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 All societies are composed with choyce the members of them are such as agree in the same common nature and in the same fundamentall lawes of that society So ecclesiasticall bodies are to consist of congruous matter it 's the rule of all other bodies whether naturall or civill Not that Churches have a power of infallible judgement not infallibility but wisedome with love is required in their judgment of persons to be admitted they must be such of whom we may be able to say of them as the Apostle of the Philippians of whom he said It is meet for me to think this of you all Phil. 1.7 2 A Church is a combined company for many without conjunction are a multitude not a corporation As many stones and timbers are a heape but not an house except they be fitted and joyned together as a naturall body is a multitude in which the members by conjunction become one so is the Church from the head all the body is by joynts and bands knit together Col. 2.19 And in Christ the Church is said to be built together to be an habitation for God Eph. 2.22 These bands are either such as tye to Christ the head and the foundation faith and the spirit This makes members of the Church Catholick which is called the generall assembly Heb. 12.23 consisting of all Saints in heaven and in earth Eph 1.10 which is called the whole family in heaven and earth Eph. 3.15 Or they are such as tye the Saints among themselves as in a building the materialls are not onely knit to the foundation but to themselves These tyes are 1 such as constitute a Church i. e. consent to live together in communion There is no other way imaginable by which divers persons can be either one family or one City or one kingdom which never were one but by consent and how should divers persons who before were free come to have any justly exercising any power among them but by consent This therefore must be the bond to knit divers Saints into one body And a Church must be knit together else it will be but a casuall loose company without order and rule When it is orderly gathered and composed it becomes an house to Christ for his instituted worship though not only as the mysticall Church is for naturall worship 2 Such as doe conserve i.e. mutuall love which is the bond of perfectnesse Col. 3.14 This preserves the unity peace and order of a Church Secondly as the Church is called the house of God in respect of constitution so also in respect of the end 1 For his dwelling In Christ yee are knit together for an habitation of God through the spirit Eph. 2.21 Though he fill all places yet his presence is with the Churches with more complacence The Lord hath chosen Sion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Psal 131.13 14. He dwelt in Hierusalem the shadow of these Churches out of choyce with a doubled desire I have desired it I have desired it And as he dwels here with complacence so with beneficence I will abundantly blesse her provision I will satisfie her poore with bread I will also cloath her Priests with salvation and her Saints shall shout aloud for joy ver 15.16 Plenty and safety is promised to Churches so much as to cause the greatest joy In these societies it is where God commandeth the blessing and life for evermore Psal 131.3 2 For his honour poore mens houses are for necessity but great men and Princes have houses for honour also Kings have 1. houses of judgement where they exercise justice and judgement So is the Church the place of the power and judgement of Christ it 's called his throne Jerem. 3.17 which is the seat of honour and majestie 2 Kings have their treasuries Esay 39.2 In which they keep their treasure which is the glory of Kings And the Church is called the house of Gods glory Esay 60.7 The place where hee layeth his pretious treasures 3 They have their armories the Church also is Gods military house here are those spirituall weapons which are mighty through God 2 Cor. 10.4 His Saints have here those armes by which they defend themselves in their spirituall warfare and obtaine great conquests against the world against their lusts and Satans power Much should bee said concerning the order and government of this house but time faileth This then oh yee worthies is the house which must be built you are chosen of God and