Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n
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A89614
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Hosannah: a Thanksgiving-sermon, June 28th. 1660. By J. M. Presb. Anglic.
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Martin, John, 1619-1693.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing M842; Thomason E184_4; ESTC R4777
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26,592
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39
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expressing this admiration with respect unto due circumstances not barely to wonder at it and no more to wonder and perish as they in the Acts to wonder and give God no glory for working this wonder but a set time appointed for making mans wondering to end in the glorifying of God publique prefixt nationall blessing of God and rejoycing in a publique place at a publique time a day for it and a congregation on that day this day and we This is the day the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it v. 24. 4. Lastly here is solennitatis celebratio the celebrating or keeping this solemnity as it ought to be kept with praise and prayer nay with a set form of praise and with a set form of prayer not in such a manner as every man pleaseth as though there were no King in Israel or such a King as had no care of the Church but celebrated it must be with Hosannah's the usuall manner of celebrating praise amongst the Jews Psal 20. Mat. 21. as are Te Deum's amongst Christians and a form of prayer for continuing and inlarging this mercy O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quick earnest prayer the pattern of the Antiphones in our Liturgie the choicest part of all and therefore the Devill shoots most of his arrows against it even bitter words O Lord show thy mercy upon us O Lord save the King c. perfectly resembling these of the Text Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperity v. 25. Be pleas'd to try the first quarter of this garment of praise and if that fits there 's no fear of the other three The stone which the builders râ—fused the same is become the headâ—stone of the corner The mirandum or thing to be wondered at 1. The manner of expression is clearly parabolicall and as I conceive proverbiall too 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in speaking plainly it signifies the unlook'd for and unhop'd for promotion of a person to a place of greatest trust and dignity Such was that of David unto the government of all Israel being not only taken from following the Ewes great with young Psal 78.71 and so a great change made when his Shepherds crooke was turn'd to a Regall Scepter but compassed about with enemies on every side hunted as a partridge upon the mountains where little or nothing of covert and shelter could be had to secure him the whole house of Saul and all the dependents thereon and adherents thereto to be layd aside e're the thing could be brought to pass Tantae molis erat so very great a difficulty that there was little or no probability that a stone by the builders with reason enough as they and a world of others thought refused should in despight of all opposition become the head stone of the corner Yet thus it was in the issue and the difficulty of effecting it made the thing when done the more remarkable Such likewise was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods exalting of Christ Phil. 2. who by taking upon him our humane nature and the infirmities thereof sin onely excepted and being found in the form of a servant and so nothing in him which in the eyes of the world rendered him desirable was by the Jewish builders the Cheif Priests the Scribes the Pharisees the Lawyers and the Elders of the people rejected and not barely so but set at nought too vilifyed reproach'd and blasphemed and in fine layd safe enough as they thought in his grave for ever pretending any more to the place and dignity of being the head stone in the corner yet was he by the mighty power of God raised from this lowest step of exinanition the prison of the grave and the honds of death being unable to secure the resolutions and practises of those builders but God raised him from the dead through the spirit of holynesse and set him at his own right hand in hâ—avenly places farre above all Principalitie and power and might and dominion with other such marks of universall Soveraignty as you may hear from that great Herald of the Lords Anointed St. Paul Eph. 1. at the end Thus farre you 'll say the garment of praise sorts well enough with the occasion of wearing it but how for us we 'll parallel the case and see First then here 's a stone a stone refused and that not by ignorant men standers by men of no judgement in such matters but by men of skil the builders themselves and then this stone after all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this reprobation of him and this setting of him at nought become the head stone in the corner We 'll pursue it for a while in the Parable Stones you know are a very considerable part of the materials of building without them no building is strong and durable Babel may be built with brick instead of stone and layd with slime instead of mortar but a Building of Church or State must be like Solomons Temple and Solomons house of the Kingdom of hewen stones such stones as are wrought by the square and tryed by the line and these set in well-tempâ—red mortar or else 't will not be right And a building there was amongst us of these Nations a building of the Church and a building of the State excellently wrought as men well-skill'd in such kind of buildings have often acknowledged both of our own Countrymen and Strangers But whether there were any neglect in those whose office it was to look unto and secure these buildings or whether time which gnaws out and vitiates things morall and politique as well as naturall had weakned these buildings by any dangerous faultrings and decayes or whether the fashion of the Structure was not such as pleased some capricious buildâ—rs who like Ahaz when he had been at Damascus 2 King 16.10 must needs have the form altered and quadrata mutata rotundis or what else was in the cause I shall not trouble my self to remember or imagine but sure it was that these active Builders like Solomon unto Lebanon sent out their Labourers by ten thousand at a time and quickly pull'd all to peices all was levell'd with the ground the materialls scattered not one stone to be seen upon another the very corner stone being digg'd up and cast away To set this together again was in the judgement of all men a work of much time and difficulty and by some conceived a thing utterly impossible there being so many of the materials and they the choicest spoyled with the fall many others lost and scattered which could neither be found or supplyed and the shape of such as remain'd unreducible to the new modell and platform Upon this the builders sate for some years together consulting and contriving what was fit to be done and frequently ejecting some or other of their fellows either for that their numerousnesse
he might by the faith of his own worshippers stagger and ensnare the servants of God But hath he not his dayes amongst us his dayes they were I think for I am sure God disowns them where men fasted to smite with the fist of wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philem. in Just Mart. dâ— Monarchia Dâ—i and instead of letting the captive loose to make his bands strong And what were the Thanksgiving daies amongst us but such as they observed in Rev. 11.10 who when they had slain the Witnesses of God two it seems of so great note that they were thought by the Holy Spirit fit to comprehend a great body or Army of Martyrs made merry sent gifts one to another God Almighty forgive the deep dissimulation hypecrisiâ— and blasphemy of those dayes This to be sure is no such this is the day the day the Lord hath made Made why so he hath yesterday and the day before But God hath provided us a speciall business for this day the cause of our Rejoycing upon this day is from Him this was his doing to thank him for it is that we doe and so this day is his by a double account It is His day because it is the Kings day and it is the Kings day because it is the Lords work I hope I need not spend any part of this day in proving that the King hath power to dispose of this day Allow him but as much as hath been given to his Subjects and they the worst of them and we need not dispute for it I ain me-thinks I would have all things done in the Church as St. Paul adviseth Phil. 2.14 without murmuring and disputings and that men would but be so modest and ingenuous as to learn an example of the Jews though it be not so much for the credit of a Christian to be set to School to a Jew that as whatsoever King David did pleas'd the people 2 Sam. 3.36 So what the King doth at least what our King doth command might please us That was spoken in respect of a day too that day for a Prince that sell this for a King that 's risen up Shall I give you some motives to encourage you to an hearty complacency with his Majesty Why then know First that it is your duty to your King who hath power to determine things indifferent and exact your obedience to what part him pleaseth And if you were not sensible of this yet ingenuous nature could not but be willing to comply with such a Prince as ours and congratulate him into his Throne of whom I may say as Synesius of Dio that he is A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a cornu-copia of virtues Nay do but consider whether you are able to get quit of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the other part of St. Pauls similitude 1 Cor. 12.26 where he tells you that if one member be exalted all the members rejoyce much more when a dislocated Head the chiefest member of all is put in its own place This is all the Presents his Majesty expects from you and remember I pray you that such as brought Saul no presents when he was made King over Isra l are stil'd Sons of Belial 1 Sam. 10.27 indeed the foulest names I meet with in Scripture as well as the horriblest punishments are ever fixt upon Rebels and Rebellion and despisers of Government 2. Again conceive your self oblig'd to answer the providâ—neâ—â— of Allmighty God as well those which concerne you in your publique as in your private capacity not such only which concern you as a father husband brother neighbour freind and the like but as you are a Subject and a Christian as you are a member of the Church and of the State Can your reason perswade you that God doth things worthy your rejoycing and of your thanks in your family and yet not so in Church and State or that you are not as much though indeed you are more concern'd in nationalâ— than in personall blessings and that God expects a tribute of praise from you for the one and not for the other no man can be so unreasonable as to think it But if it be so with any men let me tell them that for so doing they are neither wise nor righteous men Epithets that they will be loath to part with at every price yet you shall have the Holy Ghosts word for it in Psal 64. wherein David having made mention of the defeat of his Enemies whose character you have at the 5 and 6. verses worth your perusall and these suddenly destroyed with an arrow shot from God so suddenly shot that all men must needs know it came from his bow and so surely shot that men could not choose but think it was from one that was ready for them and shot so home that they must needs know it was his strength that drew the bow saith the Psalmist men shall fear and declare the work of God for they shall wisely consider of his doing and then v. 10. the righteous shall be glad in the Lord. Like enough the wicked will not be so perhaps they had lost a party by it perhaps more their ill-gotten goods to boot and fooles would not be so for as they consider not when themselves do evill so they take no notice when God doth good but for wise and righteous men they were glad and rejoyc'd in the Lord wisely and duly acknowledging that is was his work 3. I am loath to adde one reason more because it is taken ex materia humili yet it is ex fortiori from too low and dâ—spicable ground to be pleaded to Christians yet such is the age from one strong enough to perswade Well then 't is the Peace the Liberty and the Plenty you are likely to enjoy under this Prince whom you may be assured will be a King and not a Tyrant one that will govern his people by known Laws and not by his will as Tyrants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and you are sure you have no Vsurper set over you but a King one that is the right heir to his Fathers Kingdoms and Virtues too and so never likely to tyrannize over his people Onely this let me mention which is not of small importance that if it please God to take us away from our children e're they can discern betwixt good and evill and 't was no easie matter to discern when from the very Pulpits you should hear evill call'd good and good evill they have now some water-marks set up in Jordan again the revivall of their engagements in their Baptisme and the former assistances for guiding them into the profession and practise of the true refâ—rm'd Catholique Religion The bounds whereof were of late so defac'd or pluck'd up and Truth and Errour lay so intermix'd and promiscuous that of what truth almost soever any of us was in possession he might say as the African Philosophers in Hermias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hermias it