of men If it be managed according to his Laws it doth not tend to depress but to exalt mens greatness neither can it otherwayes curb their Excesses then by holding forth his Law which setteth bounds to all the Actions of Men with respect to the moral good or evil that may be in them Now this glorious King must have a people for here it must not be questioned That the people are for the King and not he for them Isa 43. 1. 7 21 There must be a Seed to serve him Psal 22. 30. Psal 2. 8. That the Doctrine that he hath taught be owned and believed That he be Worshiped in the right Management of his Ordinances That his Laws be declared submitted to and obeyed That the government and order of his House be observed as he hath held it forth and injoyned it And all this for the promoting of Holiness restraining of Sin and the Salvation of Men. This I say is that Mountain that great Concernment that the Lord doth and Men should prefer before all things else There are indeed other Mountains things that are great and Momentous in the Eyes of Men which may and ought in their own place to have a due regard But must no wayes vie with the Mountain of the Lords House with the great things that concern the Church and Religion The greatness and Prerogatives of Kings the Establishment of Earthly Throns and the Liberties and Priviledges of People the security and safety of the present Government and Constitution of a Nation the advancement of Trade and enriching of a Nation These are great things and by all good means must be secured so far as Men can do it Yet none of these separately nor all of them in Conjunction are of so much value as that they should be preferred to this Mountain that the text speaketh of But it must be set above them all It is true there is such a Connection betwixt this Mountain and some of these Mountains that the one cannot be safe if the other be Ruined And therefore even for its safety they are to be Regarded of which more after But when this Spirit that is here promised is poured out on Men these will be minded but in the second place 2ly I am to shew how the Lord doth and will preferre the Mountaine of his House the interest of Religion to all other Mountains or interests that are great in the Esteem of Men. This will appeare if we consider First what is positively declared in the Scripture of his special respest to his Church and her Religious concernments above all the other interests not only of the rest of the world but even of his own People A notable place to this purpose is Psal 87. Where Gods esteem of his Church is purposely insisted on It is His Foundation It is indeed the ground of all his Dispensations to men with respect to it is all the conduct of providence And then He loveth it better then all the dwellings of Jacob neither the Kings palace nor the Stately buildings of the Nobles none of the Civil Publick or Private concernments of his â—eople did beare so much bulk in his Eye yea such Glorious things are spoken by the Lord in his Word of the Church as of no other thing on Earth And the Lord reckoneth the honour of men not by their noble Blood but by their relation to his Church and concern in Religion verse 4th Egypt under the name of Rahab and Babylon were then the most flourishing Kingdoms in the World But it was a greater honour to be of poor Israel then of any of these A well reformed Church is a greater Glory with God then a flourishing Kingdom Yea the warlike Philistines the Rich trading Tyre the ancient Aethiopia were nothing to him in comparison of poor Judea Because Gods ordinances were there ye shall please God better and do him better service if ye make poor Scotland a well reformed Church than if ye could make her richer more potent and splendid than any of her Neighbour Nations It is Religion that maketh People truely Honourable for it is that which maketh them precious in Gods sight Isaiah 43 4. Nothing doth so truely and in the esteem of God and good Men so exalt a People as the Truth the Purity and the Power of Religion flourishing among them 2ly The Lords special respect to mens Religious above their other Interests will appeare if we consider what he hath done for his Cuhrch The greatest Manifestations of God and of his Attributes that ever the World was witness to The most Glorious things of his word and the most eminent of his Works have all had a special respect to the Church and the true Religion His chusing and purchasing a Church to himselfe was a Glorious passage And that both his setting up the Jewish Church Deut. 4. 34. Or hath God assayed to go and take him a Nation from the midst of another Nation by Temptations by Signs and by Wonders and by War and by a mighty Hand and by a stretched out Arm and by great Terrours according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your Eyes And yet more in erecting the Gospel Church The eternal Son of God became a man and laid down his Life for this end Tit. 2 14. His preserving and mantaining his Church is a Tract of Wonders interlaced with Miracles For the Churches Emblem is a Bush burning and yet not consumed Exod. 3. 2. We may with good warrand say that the whole conduct of Providence is managed with an Eye to the Church and Religion which cannot be said of any other interest in the World Hence Christ is not only head of his Church to rule her but head over all things for her behove Eph. 1 22 He made the World that he might have a People to serve him on Earth and to praise him for ever in Heaven Isaiah 45. 18 19. He made all the interests of the Nations of the World in his settling of them subordinate to his designs for his Church Deut. 32. 8 9. When the most high divided to the Nations their inheritance when he separated the sons of Adam he set the bounds of the People according to the number of the Children of Israel For the Lords Portion is his People Jacob is the lot of his inheritance So the best Interpreters apply that text The greatest revolutions that the World hath seen have had respect to this interest in the design of God An instance is in destroying the Chaldean and setting up the Persian Monarchy Isaiah 43 14 Thus saith the Lord your Redeemer the Holy One of Israel for your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their Nobles and the Chaldeans whose cry is in the ships The one persecuted the people of God It is pulled down and the other is set up to relieve them So Cyrus got the Crown on their Account Isaiah 45. the 1
2 3 4. Thus saith the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus whose right hand I have holden â—o subdue Nations before him And I will loose the loiâ—s of Kings to open before him the two leaved gates and the gates shall not be shut I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight I will breake in pieces the gates of Brass and câ—t in sunder the Bars of Iron And I will give thee the Treasures of Darkness and hidden Riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which call thee by thy Name am the God of Israel For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine Elect I have even called thee by thy Name I have surnamed thee though thou hast not known me Though the World did not so construct these events 3ly The same is clear by what he hath promised to do for his People as in the Text And Isaiah 54. 1 c. Dan 2 44. Math. 16. 18. The like promises no State Kingdom Family nor interest in the World can lay claime to I proceed to the third thing above mentioned to shew how men even all men in their several Capacities should imitate God in this and contribute their endeavours to advance Religion above all things that are great or precious in the Eyes of the World And lest any should mistake the tendency of this discourse I shall shew what is not to be expected of them who have true zeal for Religion which possibly some may look on as an advancement of its interest As First it is not advancing of Church-Men unto Worldly dignities or power We plead not for a Papacy to be Cardinals or Prelats Neither do we think it any advancement to the Church that her Ministers have a share in the Civil Government As Christs Kingdom is never of this World so its dignity and advancement lyeth in nothing that is Worldly Nothing but a Worldly Spirit and a false Idea of Reliligion could make Men think this an advancement to the Church For it is truely a depression of Her and putteth that as a diadem upon Her head which the Scripture places under Her feet Rev. 12 1. Her Glory is the Sun Christ and the twelve Stars the Light of Apostolick Doctrine Not the Moon this inferior and changeable World Neither lyeth the Churches advancement in Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Domination to be Lords over Gods Heritage or Masters of Peoples Faith 2. Cor. 1. 24 Not for that we have dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy for by Faith ye stand 1. Pet. 5 3. Neither as being Lords over Gods heritage But being examples to the stock 2. Cor. 4. 5 For we Preach not our Selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our Selves your Servants for Jesus sake We pretend not to make Church Laws But to declare these which Christ hath made and to impose them not what we think sit by his Authority and to Censure such as will not obey his Laws not as we will but as he hath appointed We set up no Imperium in Imperio but a Ministerium It is true Christs servants are Cloathed with his Authority and men should advance the Church by allowing them the free exercise of it to declare the Laws of Christ and to require obedience to them And all men from the highest to the lowest ought to bring their Necks under this his yoke Yet this is far from Clashing with or diminishing the Magistratâ—… Authority or restaining the Exercise of it Because they differ in their Objects in their Ends and in their manner of Exercise But time doth not permit to enlarge on this Neither doe we plead to be advanced to an exemption from the Laws and Authority of the Magistrate as some others do 3dly We plead not to be advanced to worldly Pomp and Riches Let not the Church be so depressed as that her Ministers be under anxious Penury that hindereth minding their Work or contemptible Meanness that the world be not tempted to vilify them and their work too And we have enough 4thly Neither is the Church preferred nor Religion promoted by setting up a Pompous Gawdy Theatrical kind of Worship by pretending to adorn it by modes and Religious Rites that Christ hath not instituted Her greatest Beauty and visible Lustre is Gospel simplicity So far as we go from Apostolick Purity so far we depress Religion and deform the Beautiful face of Christs comely Spouse Let us then consider positively how men should set the Mountain of the Lords House upon the top of the Mountains What way they must prefer Religion to other Concernments First They must Labour to secure that Interest Not to leave it at uncertainty If they be Careful as wise men will to make sure Work about their worldly Affairs whether publick or private much more should that Care be used in this Case And for this end they should be careful to build upon a good Foundation Apostolick Doctrine as it holdeth forth Christ in all his Offices and particularly his Kingly Office is the only Foundation for Church work Eph 2 20 21 22. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom you also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Mens Devices and mens Politicks lay no sure ground for the Church-Care is also to be taken that nothing may be laid on this Foundation but what is suteable to it Let all things be done for the House of the God of Heaven according to his will Even a Heathen knew this to be Duty Ezra 7. 23 See 1 Cor. 3 9 10 11. Likewise men should be sure That they build upon this Foundation and not act by Guess in this matter And they should build strongly that neither open Enemies may batter nor false Friends undermine this Building Let Laws about Christs matters be well digested and wisely considered and fixed with all Care 2dly Let Christs Church enjoy all the Priviledges that he has granted her If men with hold any one of them they do not advance the Mountain of the house of the Lord as they should Sound Doctrine Pure Ordinances a Godly Ministry a Government drawn from Christs Institution and Apostolick practice and that tendeh to advance Holiness That it be managed by its Friends and not by them that would Supplant it that they may Assemble as oft as is needful for this end That Church Officers be lookt out and chosen by the People of God and not Imposed on them by Mens will Acts 6. 3 That the Fountains out of which a godly Seed for the Church may Issue be kept pure That Discipline may be duely Exercised And whatever lets to Religion and snares to the Serious Godly men have framed into Laws may be removed This would conduce much to the Advancement of the Church And if any of these be
neglected She is not set on the top of the Mountains but somewhat else preferred to Her Half Reformations are often condemned when the high places were not removed though many things were commendably Reformed there is alwayes a mark set on that Reformation as Sinfully defective 3dly The promoting of Holiness is one chief way of advancing Religion and making the Church Glorious Holiness is Her Beauty and Cognisance Psal 93. 5 Ezek. 43. 12. Let Laws be made and executed for restraining the horrid Immoralities that have defaced the Church and for encouraging true Piety 4ly Let no Interest be preferred to or come in competition with the concernment of Religion As it can never Clash with any of the true Interests of Men So where it is so apprehended that men think that either it or they must suffer inconveniency let it alwayes have the preference as being of most value and on account that due regard to it is the way to engage the Lord to take care of mens other Interests even when they seem to be in hazard See for this Exod. 34 24. For I will cast out the Nations before Thee and enlarge thy Borders neither shall any man desire thy Land when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year This should be minded mainly with the greatest zeal with the greatest tenderness lest any wrong step be made about it An error about other matters should be look'd on as of less moment and less dangerous consequence If any thing must run a venture let it not be Christs Interest 5thly It belongeth to this preference that Religion should have that it be postponed to no other concernment As we are to seek the Kingdom of God first with respect to our own Souls Matth 6. 33. So must we use the same Conduct with respect to the publick and more general advancement of that Kingdom This is to be understood when the time of considering this Affair may import either its esteem its safety or any other advantage to it Then all things should yeild to it even in that circumstance Let it not be thought when we thus plead that they who do most concern themselves in the Church are either Impatient under necessary delayes or would prescribe to them whom the Lord hath entrusted as the Nursing Fathers of the Church They can with confidence Trust this to the Wisdom of such Worthy Patriors But we are confident that zeal for the Church the consideration of her present Confusions and regard to the Souls of Men will suggest this to them If David was allowed to plead with God as Psal 70. 1 5. That the Lord would make hast to deliver and help him and that he would make no tarrying I hope we shall not be blamed if we so plead with men 6thly They that are truly zealous for advancing the Interest of the Church and Religion will also be careful that the State be well settled There is a connection betwixt these two as between the Soul and Body The illness of the one affecteth the other If the Government be not supported if that Establishment of it that is Friendly to Religion be not secured if it be in the hands of either open Enemies or false Friends to Truth and to the right wayes of God the Church cannot be safe It is true the Lord can support her and hath done it amidst her most Bloody Foes But a Godly Magistracy is the ordinary means for that end They are Nursing Fathers Christ hath committed the care of his Spouse as to externals to them And this Trust they cannot well perform if they let the House go to ruine over Her head Wherefore if men will establish the Mountain of the House of God above other Mountains They will also be duely careful of the Interest of the Nation and that for the Churches fake for the sake of the Protestant Religion here and elsewhere as well as for theit own sakes The fourth thing proposed to be Discoursed is to give the Reasons why the Interest of Religion should be so minded and that with preference to all other Interests I may confidently affirm that few Reasons will be needful to perswade them of this and to incline them to it who in leed understand what Religion is and who are truely concerned in it But that I may give you a few hints to this purpose Consider First The advancement of Religion is that whereby God is more honoured then by any other way The Riches Power Splendor of his People or of a Nation or of great Ones doth not so much honour him as this doth Neither doth their meaness and contempt and low condition in the World so dishonour him as abounding Sin Idolatry Superstition Church Confusion or other sinful courses do see Psal 48 1 2 3. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the City of our God in the Mountain of his Holiness Beautiful for Situation the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion on the sides of the North the City of the great King God is known in her palaces for a refuge Christ is King of Kings and therefore his interest is to be preferred to that of all the great men on Earth 2ly The Salvation of men is nearly concerned in this the advancement of other interests may be conducive to their riches power and Worldly greatness But this is the mean to save their Souls The soundness of Doctrine the purity and liveliness of Ordinances yea the order of the Church of God is of great use for this end Even that tendeth to preserve the truth and ordinances of God To curb vice and to engage men in the wayes of God And therefore they who desire to be holy or to see holiness promoted among men cannot but think it of high concernment that the Church be well setled If then ye have any regard to your own immortal Souls If ye value the Souls of People more then your Worldly concernments make it your care to advance Religion rather then any other interest 3ly True Religion and the flourishing of it among a people is the greatest Glory of a Nation The poorest most contemptible People may by this means have their reputation advanced in the sight of God and in the esteem of all good men Yea often in the Eyes of them that are but moral and intelligent though Enemies Deut 4 6. 7 8 v. 6 Keep therefore and do them for this is your Wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these statuts and say surely this Nation is a wise and understanding People v. 7. For what Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for v 8. And what Nation is there so great that hath statutes and Judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this Day And not only so but 〈◊〉 is