Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n
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A52388
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Delay of reformation provoking Gods further indignation represented in a sermon preached at Westminster to the honourable House of Commons assembled in Parliament at their late solemn monethly fast, April 29, 1646 / by James Nalton.
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Nalton, James, 1600-1662.
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1646
(1646)
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Wing N122; ESTC R30736
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35,648
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50
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DELAY OF REFORMATION PROVOKING Gods further Indignation Represented in A SERMON Preached at WESTMINSTER to the Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT at their late solemn Monethly Fast April 29. 1646. By JAMES NALTON Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of Leonards Fosterlane London LEVIT 26.23 24. And if ye will not be reformed by these things but will walke contrary unto mee Then will I also walke contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sinnes LONDON Printed for Samuel Gellibrand at the signe of the Brasen-Serpent in Pauls-Churchyard 1646. TO THE HONORABLE HOVSE of COMMONS now Assembled in PARLIAMENT Noble SENATOURS I See You are pleased to have not onely Bezaleel's and Aholiab's a Ex. 31.2 6 choyce and skilfull workemen in that reverend Assembly of Divines imployed in purging and beautifying the house of God but you will have some other poore Labourers also set on worke to bring stones and mortar to the building And truly had not I looked above my selfe at that great God who when we are faint and feeble doth gird us about with strength b 1 Sam. 2.4 The waight of the worke together with the sense of my owne extreame unfitnesse to carry the Name of God before such an Auditory might have overwhelmed me with sinking discouragments But if Gods power may get glory by my weaknesse I will rejoyce in my Infirmities c 2 Cor. 12.9 I hope there is none shall have so low a conceit of my poore parts or paines but I my selfe shall have a lower The marke I levelled at in this plain homely piece now presented to your view was the pressing and promoting the Worke of Reformation which how it ha's been retarded since we entred into that Solemne sacred League I need not tell you Sure I am if either Atheists or Papists Neuters or Hereticks Sectaries or Seducers Hypocrites or carnall Gospellers can doe the Devils worke viz. either persecute the Woman or stifle her Childe in the birth or devoure it as soone as it shall be born d Rev. 12.4 this Male-childe of a long expected much desired Reformation shall never be brought forth to light But looke about you for God looks on you nay God looks within you Hee exactly views as my Text will tell you every one of you how you Act your parts on the Stage where he imployes you The Lord ha's holpen you to carry on your Worke the preservation of a poore distressed distracted Kingdom Therfore he now expects that you should help him to carry on His Work even That for which you have lifted up your hands to the most high God Let it never be said of any of you sitting in that honourable Assembly what was said of the Nobles of Tekoah e Neh. 3.5 They put not their necks to the work of their Lord. God forbid that occasion should be given to fasten that complaint on any of you which the Apostle utter's with some regret f Phil. 2.21 All seeke their own not the things which are Jesus Christs Certaine it is the more we seeke our selves the more we lose our selves the more we deny our selves and our own ends and our owne honour the more will God honour us both in our persons and in our places O that the zeal of Gods house might even eat you up g Joh. 2.17 O that your hearts were so fired with a burning Love to Jesus Christ and his Government that you might say with David h Psal 132.4 5. I will not give sleepe to mine eyes or slumber to mine eye-lids untill I finde out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. Never was Parliament so lifted up to heaven in extraordinary discoveries of Gods providence and protection which have beene as a Pillar of a cloud by day and a Pillar of fire by night to conduct you through the Wildernesse of a Bloody Warre bringing you from Shittim to Gilgal i Mic. 6.5 even to the skirts of Canaan Therfore that which Joshua spake to the Israelites when upon the fresh memoriall of God's miraculous mercies towards them he renewed a Covenant between them and their God k Josh 24.25 27. This Stone shal be a witnes to us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us The like may I say to you All the Mercies Victories and Deliverances vouchsafed to you all the Promises Protestations Covenants and Engagements lying on you wil witnes either for you or against you at the great day of your Account The Lord Jesus Christ still stand by you Let his everlasting arms be alwayes under you and so establish your hearts in his truth and feare that he may delight in you as polished shafts in his own quiver and happy instruments of further advancing Temple-work the compleating whereof will be to you a Name of Renowne and to us the joy of our hearts and the crown of our hopes It is and shall be the constant prayer of The weakest and unworthiest of them that serve you in the Gospell James Nalton A SERMON PREACHED TO the Honourable House of COMMONS on the Monethly Fast-day April 29. 1646. JEREM. 13.27 I have seen thine Adulteries and thy Neighings the lewdnesse of thy Whordome and thine abominations on the Hils in the Fields Woe unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made cleane When shall it once be THIS Text may well be called an awakening Trumpet sounding a loud alarme in the eares of an impenitent unreformed people Many warnings had God given to Judah and Jerusalem before they felt that fatall blow in the Babylonish Bondage One among the rest is proclaimed in this Chapter ver 14. I will dash them one against another even the Fathers and the Sons together yea I will dash them in pieces like bottles of Wine ver 12. Alas alas poor England in this bloody intestine Warre ha's made a sad Comentary on this mournfull Text Upon this warning God cals them to a deep Humiliation ver 18. Observ Say unto the King and to the Queen humble your selves and sit down Great ones and Nobles Senatours and Statesmen in a day of Humiliation must forget their greatnesse fit downe in the dust and lye low before the Lord as well as the meanest of the people They notwithstanding this Summons are so farre from Humiliation that they are entertaining thoughts of self-justification ver 22. Wherefore come these things upon me Hereupon the Lord deales more sharply with them evidently convinceth them of their sinfulnesse and severely threatens them for their stubbornnesse I have seen thine adulteries and thy neighings c. The Text will spread it selfe into three Branches I. An undeniable conviction I have seen thine adulteries c. II. A dreadfull commination Woe unto thee O Jerusalem III. A patheticall expostulation Wilt thou not be made cleane when shall it once be Observ In the first God silenceth their complaining that they might