Selected quad for the lemma: church_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A87668
|
King Solomons's infallible expedient for three kingdoms settlement: or, Better men make better times. Delivered in a sermon preached in the renowned and famous city of Gloucester, the Lord's day before their election of burgesses for Parliament. By Samuel Keme S.S.T.B. rector of Allbery, near Oxon.
|
Kem, Samuel, 1604-1670.
|
1660
(1660)
|
Wing K251; Thomason E1021_9; ESTC R208389
|
12,634
|
22
|
deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Blessings are on the head of Righteous Prov. 14.34 Righteousnesse exalteth a Nation Prov 16.6 By Righteous mens Actings Iniquities shall be forgiven Prov. 21.12 The Righteous teacheth the House of the Wicked Vse 1. Of Information in these particulars following 1. That Nationall felicities and happinesse consists in Righteousnesse and Holinesse not onely in greatnesse but goodnesse 2. The true cause of the sad aspect of the three Kingdomes for some years past is a want of Righteous men in Authority and unrighteous Actings I need not be your Remembrancer of them It would take up all my time and revive your trouble to rake in the puddle of noysome stinking mire and dirt 3. It informs us of a Nationall Remedy for the malady viz. to endeavour to have Righteous men in Authority 4. Whom we are to look upon as Friends of the Nation and Keepers of its Liberty Not a Committee of Safety not I know not who but Righteous Rulers and Righteous Men in Authority For they form joy of Heart and introduce every Mercy Use of Exhortation I am come from the Lord to beg this one thing from you in this your Opportunity To Elect and endeavour to fix Righteous men in Authority as your Representatives And observe the severe directions that God hath sent me withall to you this Day 1. Men that preferr Piety before Policy and not Men that preferr Private Interest before National Good that preferr God and his Churches Settlement before their own Advancement That will build his House before their own 1 King 5.5 The People returning from Captivity did so Ezra 4. And although it was obstructed by force some years yet in the next opportunity they fell to it with Swords in one hand and Trowels in the other manger all opposition Ver. 23. Oh! Chuse Men that keep Faith and a good Conscience 2. Men of known Integrity and Fidelity to God and Man and not of discovered Apostacy and Hypocrisy Men that will lose their Lives and Preferment rather then not keep their Covenant and seek a Settlement Armor of Proof formes security men that can endure Banishment Imprisonment c. A Weather-Cock in Church or State is fitter to hang in the Wind than to be in the House 3. Men that preferr Mercy before Cruelty Prov. 14.21 The Wicked despiseth his Neighbour but he that hath mercy on the Poor is Blessed Math. 9.13 1 Sam. 24.7 And he said unto them The Lord keep me from doing the thing to my Master the Lord 's Anointed to lay my hand upon Him for He is the Lord 's Anointed 4. Men of Courage and Activity that preferr Publick Good before Personal Safety such as Hester If I perish I perish Not such who in the Duke of Alva's time of Tyranny are pictured in Holland with their Fingers on their Lips but such as will venter Life and Liberty to Speak and Act to redeem the People out of Slavery that dare say Mori possum tacere non possum 5. Men of Gravity and Majesty yet preferring Humility to Self and Vain-Glory and the just Cause of Poverty before the unjust Cause of great Men in Authority Mordecai before Haman 6. Men that preferr Verity before Heresy Christ before Antichrist Gospel-Reformation before former Interest-sake or abominable Toleration 7. That preferr Unity and Order in all the Churches of Christ and his Members before Seperation or Division 8. Men of Grandure and experienced in Authority with whom is Wisdom Sobriety Moderation good Education and Ability the Head and not the Tayl of the People The list or fag-end may patch but never can make a beautiful Garment Lastly Chuse Men of sensible and tender hearts that Sympathize with the Nation and your Selves in and under all your Greivances and miserie that may be sensible to call home the Banished relieve the Oppressed Injured the unjustly imprisoned Sequestred And now I shall give you some means by which you may gain such righteous Men to be in Authority and some motives and a word to the Elected and so I have done 1. Meanes Be very frequent and fervent in prayer to the Lord who gives righteous hearts to men to give them so qualified to you and that He would providentially shew who are so indeed So the Disciples prayed Acts 1. and pray much for them Shew us whom thou hast chosen 2. Meanes Be very Circumspect as to secret guilt of gross and habituall sin God doth often punish the sins of a People by giving them unrighteous Superiors in his wrath Prov. 28.2 For the transgressions of a Land many are the Princes thereof but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged 3. Meanes Exactly to observe the Character and Rules I have set before you whom to Chuse 4. Mean To set a high value on righteousness to bring it in fashion to cry it up to exemplifie it teach it to youth c. by daily instruction Chatechising to diffuse it every one to each otherby examplary life Last Means To repent in this joynt of Time Nationally Personally I shall say as Mr. Bradford in flames of fire so I to you and the Kindgom in flames of affection Repent O England Repent Do not obstruct God in his work of Mercy by omitting this Duty you can expect no good or righteous Actings for time to come till you repent of all your unrighteousness past Repent of all pretended holiness of omitting to practise righteousness Repent of all sin yea the very appearances of evil but especially Nationall sins for which you have never bin grieved nor troubled in the powerful Actings of it For although you could not prevent it you ought not to connive nor comply with it but complain to God of it I shall tell you of some sins which if you would be righteous God expects you should Repent of 1. National dissatisfaction with our real Mercies that God afforded to us I mean not at the dressing of our quailes after the Romish mode but at quailes themselves our opposing Moses and Idolizing Calves of our own making and approving This sin you have pencilled out 1 Kings 12. 9 16. Let all such Enemies repent of their unrighteousness that offer'd violence to the Parliament that they might carry on more cleverly the King's death 2. Repent of your Solemn League and Covenant-Fraction as to God and Man in all the branches of it Numb 30.3 If a man Vow a Vow unto the Lord or swear an Oath to bind his soul with a bond saying This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded Deut. 29.24 25. Even all Nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the