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A94152
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A pious president to both kingdomes for a sacred covenant. Being an abstractive exposition by way of paraphrase upon the tenth chapter of Nehemiah, the 28, and 29 verses / by Daniell Svvift, Minister of the gospell of Iesus Christ.
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Swift, Daniel.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing S6255; Thomason E71_3; ESTC R7337
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45,715
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58
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you have brought them to receive a reward according to their deâ—â—â—ts Thus doing in the sincerity of your hearts I doubt not however dangers threaten you but in the end you shall become glorious Conquerours through the power of the Lord Christ I am perswaded in what I have done I shall displease some but as Malis difplicere laudari eft so my pur ose was not to give content to malevolent persons but to approve my selfe to God and his hidden ones for I should be loath to speake or write ought that Christ should disallow he truly is that Master to whom every man stands or falls and one good looke from him is in stead of all acclamations to my selfe The Lord direct you preserve you and knit you firmely unto himselfe So prayeth he who rests Yours in the Lord Christ D. S. The Contents or the particular Observations contained in this booke 1 MVtuall society makes a sweet harmony Page 1 2 The Clergy not exempted from civill Authority pag. 2 3 A good Clergy a Kingdomes felicity page 4 4 Every Christian must be a porter to his owne heart page 9 5 Wee must not hee fickle constancy must crowne our actions page 10 6 Austerity and Magnanimity become the professors of Christianity page 11 7 Sacred Covenants doe not 〈◊〉 be seeme the most cheerefull spirits page 12 8 Worldly affaires must not shoulder out Christian duties Ibid. 9 Washing should procede Covenanting page 13 10 Meannesse of place and calling debarres not any by vowing from binding themselves to Religion page 14 11 Godlinesse in others should be an attractive to our desires Ibid. 12 Other mens sinns must not make us turne our backs upon the pure Ordinances of God page 15 13 Matrimoniall Leagues with Idolaters an inlett to false worship and a strong barre to keepe out the power of godlinesse page 16 14 Covenanting Christians should be couragious Christians Ibid. 15 Women not priviledged from spirituall vowes pag. 18 16 Christians should be politicians page 19 17 None exempted from a sacred Vow page 20 18 Examples of Superiours strong cords to draw on others unto holines pag. 22 19 Pride becomes not noble Spirits page 35 20 Inferiour persons must accept of motions from their Nobles as motions from affectionate Brothers Ibidem 21 Though imprecations and execrations be not usuall yet sometimes t ey are very Lawfull page 36 22 Wee may vow against sin wee may sweare obedience unto God page 38 23 Gods Satutes the Christians way page 42 24 The Law an effect of gods Love Ibid. 25 Our obedience must be universall page 43 26 Sence of misery under sin and sorrow with hope of mercy puts the soule upon Covenants yea sure Covenants for nsicere and exact obedience to the God of Heaven page 45 A pious President to both Kingdomes For a sacred Covenant NEHEMIAH 10.28 29. And the rest of the peop e the Priests the Levites the porters the Singers the Nethinims and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the Land unto the Law of God their wives their Sons and their daughters every one having knowledge and having understanding They clave to their Brethren the Nobles and entred into a curse and into an oath to walke in Gods Law which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and doe all the Commandements of the Lord our God his statutes and his judgements IN these Verses you have the Commons of Israel joyning with their Nobles in a firme covenant to the Lord Jehovah wherein you may take notice First of the persons who are described First generally The rest of the people Secondly more particularly 1 The Priest that offered Sacrifice 2 The Levits that instructed the people 3 The porters that kept the doores of the Sanctuary 4 The Singers 5 The Nethinims that drew water for the house of the Lord. 6 All that had separated themselves from the people of the land unto the Law of God their wives their sonnes and their daughters every one having knowledge and understanding Secondly of their actions They clave to their brethren the Nobles They entered into a curse and into an Oath to walke in Gods Law c. And the rest of the people Mutuall society causeth a pleasing and melodious harmony Observation Israels mutual communion they doe not harpe upon the jarring strings of distempered affections their tongues utter their minds their expressions and intentions are not dissonant but consonant one with another they doe not onely like the Iron and the clay in the toes of Nebuchadnezzars Image cleave together but they are fast cemented yea incorporated one into another now as in a bed of spices there is a fragrancy in all their graces their vertues like sweet perfumes upon burning coales are become communicative all that are neare them may receive comfort and refreshing from them they are not every man for himselfe they are all in common they halt not betwixt two opinions they have not a heart and a heart like Ephraine they uphold Christian communion they will not forsake the assembly of the Saints they have all set their heart with their brethren the Nobles to seeke the Lord God of Israell Application Doth not Unity make happy and perpetuate a people this is that precious oyntment that ran downe from Aarons beard to the skirts of his garment this is like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountaines of Sion for where this is the Lord commandeth his blessing Why doe not we then of this Nation labour to become like Jerusalem as a City at unity within our selves It is civill discord that demolishes and destroyes the very being of a Common-wealth for as he that bleeds inwardly is in the greatest danger so a Kingdome divided against it selfe cannot stand The spirit of Aegypt never failed in the middest of her untill the Egyptians fought against the Egyptians Isi 10 2 3. neither did the Philistims melt like snow against the Sunne untill such time as they sheathed their swords in one anothers bowells O let it not be told in Gath nor published in Askelon that England by civill distention is the cause of her owne ruine But oh my belly my belly I am pained at the very heart I heare the sound of the Trumpet and the Alarme for the warre what shall I not now with mourning and lamenting Ieremy weepe day and night for the slaine of the daughter of Sion O that our rents and divisions were closed that the bloud of Christians religious and well-affected persons might no longer as water that is spilt upon the ground bee shed amongst us O let us yet though it be late for better late thrive then never set upon some course whereby the sluces of wrath may bee let downe the currents of justice may be stopt and the fire of Gods jealousie may be extinguisht amongst us why should wee carry more fewell to the fire and more oyle unto the flame of the Lords
they looke to love and prolong their dayes in Canaan they must walke in all the waies that God had commanded them Deut. 5.33 As this was the phrase of Zachery and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 So it was Davids practise who said he would have respect not to one but all Psal 119.6.115.128 the Prophet knew that there was the same equity in one that there was in anther and in all that there was in some I presse not legall but Evangelicall obedience thou canst not be free from sin in every kind and degree thereof onely without hypocrisie in the uprightnesse of thy heart endeavour to frame thy self to the whole Will of thy God Thus doing thy imperfect doing shal be accounted perfection And if thou wilt be like Israel in doing all then doe all speedily Psal 119.60 make fas t procrastinate not the time as delayes for cure so delayes for duty are dangerous 2. Doe all cheerefully Psal 27.8 Isa 2.23.55.5 A cheerefull servant best pleaseth his Master 3. Do all but dissemble not seeke Gods glory in all A faire glasse may be set uppon false wares God cannot abide a faire face and a false heart Lastly doe all but doe all constantly be not found guilty of Apostacy If thou hold not out to the end assure thy selfe thou visit lose the crowne Apoc. 2.10.11 And they entred into a curse and an oath to walke c. WEE have viewed the words in their particulars let us now cast our eye upon the general and therein upon the act that is performed by them It is a Covenant or a holy vow unto the Lord which is no other than a binding themselves to God to doe some lawfull thing which is in his power that he may the better attaine to his suits This was a solemne custome among the children of Israel wherein the care of those that were faithfull was first to vow nothing but what was requisite and requited Num. 21.2 Iohn 24.25 Secondly to see that the vowes that were made were exactly performed Psal 22.25 Thus to doe is apprehended as a pension of their duty as a badge nay as a Seale of a thankeful heart and therefore walking to heaven in their desires living with their head in their most ardent affections they give up themselves they vow their service promise adherence to Almighty God they find that by their former sins God is provoked they are willing to take any course whereby hee may bee appeased they perceive they are much prone to wickednesse they would set a Tutoror over their wills to keep them within the bounds of promised observance they may know experimentally what are the fruits of hatefull impiety thraldome hath bin the fruit of their sin they would gladly have their bands broken be wholy let loose from captivity and enjoy their freedome they now conceive that God may be reconciled they know no other but that he may be gracious so that being grieved for sin groaning under pressures and hoping for deliverance they now breake off their lusts renounce their Idolatries and give up their soules and bodies in spirituall sacrifice From whence observe Observat Sence of misery under sin and sorrow c. Proued That sence of misecy under sin and sorrow with hope of mercy puts the soule upon covenants yea sure covenants for sincere and exact obedience to the God of Heaven Sins wounds are full of anguish their smart their paine is very dolourous Nothing but Gileads balme can take out the fire allay the heat and mitigate the violence Israels experience of this anguish sent her unto God for cure when renouncing her sins shee cried out wee returne unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Ierem. 3.22 When shee saw that iniquity had brought a distraction and that such was her distraction that there was not peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations upon all the inhabitants of the Countryes that Nation was destroyed of Nation City of City and that God did vex them with all adversity then to gett rid of her troubles finding no other way left to procure her liberty she entred into a covenant to seek the Lord God of her Fathers with all her heart and with all her soule 2 Chro. 15.5.6.12 Sore lashing makes a stubborne boy promise amendment chaines and fetters brought Manasses to his knees and these were Davids Pedagogue to teach him to know Gods Statutes 3 When they were in bondage at Babilon did not hope of Redemption make them willing to take a tart medicine they doe not sing the dolefull ditty of accursed Cain hope as a Cordiall supported their fainting spirits and as an anchor kept up their soules from splitting against the rockes though they goe weeping with their faces towards Zion yet because they hope their thraldome shall come to an end and that their desired liberty shall be accomplished they will goe and try what they can doe by a solemne vow to asswage the wrath of their incensed God Iere. 50 4.5 Hope well and have well but for hope the heart would breake 1 These Iewes in the Text see their sins they doe not conceale them they are set downe in great Characters by them that he that runneth may read them they acknowledge their obstinacy having hardned their necks Peccati marione conscientium illorum vulneravit et experve secit Deur Regertuntur ad cor et pectorum memoria pulsaat animus and appointed a Captain to return to their bondage Nehe. 9.17 Their Idolatry having made them Idols saying unto them these are thy Gods Nehem. 9.18 Their cruelty having slaine the Prophets which testified against them to God Nehem 9.26 Their ingratitude hauing done evill after the receipt of favours Nehem. 9.28 And their pollution in all degrees their Kings their Princes their Priests having with them forsaken the Law and not hearkened to Gods Commands Nehem. 9 33.34.35 These sins in their sinfulnes are now presented to the eye of their soules they are patient to God impatient to themselves they smite upon their thighes they are full of wrath and resolve against their lusts Iob 34.31.32 2 They are not insensible of misery they have not yet quite forgot the smart of the eye the weales are not yet open the stripes have not quite left bleeding upon their backes Non ceciduotur ex somno peccati exitantur they are scarce got out of thraldome from barbarous and cruell enemies Neh. 9.36.37 they are loath to come againe into the same condition they determine therefore to leave their sins for its prevention 3 They are in hope of case they doe not say God hath forsaken and that the Lord had utterly forgotten them It s true they see that he is offended they study now which way he may be pleased they are stoning of their Achans that have made them turne their backs upon their enemies they apprehend God placable and that they may recover they are purposed in all things to