THE SEASON FOR Englands Selfe-Reflection AND Advancing Temple-work DISCOVERED IN A SERMON PREACHED To the two Houses of Parliament At Margarets Westminster Aug. 13. 1644. being an extraordinary day of Humiliation By THOMAS HILL B. D. Pastor at Tychmersh in Northamptonshire A Member of the Assembly of Divines The Harvest is past the Summer is ended and wee are not saved Jer. 8. 20. Now set your heart and your soule to seek the Lord your God arise therefore and build yee the Sanctuary of the Lord God c. 1 Chron. 22. 19. LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes for John Bellamy and Philemon Stephens 1644. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE House of LORDS and THE Honourable House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT at WESTMINSTER THE Lord Jesus Christ whose name is wonderfull hath reserved for this last age of the World wherein hee intends to do great things for his Church and against his enemies the accomplishment of many precious promises and the discovery of most glorious providences Amongst all other your State observations I hope you treasure up the experiences of his wonder-working hand for you since this happy Parliament began that so you may grow eminent as well in Christian as in state-wisdom Never had any Assembly of Counsellors in England greater reason then you to say with the Psalmist Psal. 139. 17. How precious are thy thoughts unto mee O God how great is the summe of them It were well worthy your wise care to take some course what ever it cost by a discreet and faithfull pen to preserve the story of Gods providence about you since these troubles began that so his honour might live therein when you are dead It s true indeed the Lords dispensations have been very various towards you and the method of his counsels past finding out As the Israelites in the wildernesse were sometimes not far from Canaan and then cast back for a long time so you sometimes begin to think your selves got neere the shore and to discover the Land some hopes of a gracious issue then a new storme arises and drives you into the main Sea again witnesse your present straites your renued perplexities Amongst other reasons hereof this may bee one It may bee God will not finish your state-affaires till you are more vigorous in his Temple-work Who knows how soon poore England yea and all the three Kingdoms might become gloriously happy could you remove such obstructions as interrupt the building of Gods house Your selves are not a little concerned in the expediting this great businesse of setling the Church opinions of most dangerous consequence begin now to spring up amongst us The controversie is not now onely betwixt congregationall and classicall Divines who are called Independents and Presbyterians in point of Church government There seemes to bee some good hopes of a faire accommodation betwixt them But with such others also who vehemently cry down not only the power of Ecclesiasticall Synods but likewise the Authority of the Civill Magistrate in matters of Religion thereby at once opening a doore to all licentiousnes in opinion practice even for Iewes Turkes and any whomsoever The Good Lord stirre up your hearts who have so great a share in the managing and in the successe of the great work in hand to do what becomes you in such times as these are When so many of your own Ranke the Lord humble them for their unfaithfulnesse have deserted their Trust You have obtained this great mercy this high Honour to be employed in Temple-service I hope you often consider who hath made you to differ and what he at this time expects from you You will please to allow mee the boldnesse to put you in mind of Davids carriage who when the three mighty men brake through the Host of the Philistims and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem 2 Sam. 23. 16. He would not drinke thereof but poured it out unto the Lord and hee said Bee it farre from mee O Lord that I shall doe this Is not this the blood of men that went in jeopardy of their lives therefore hee would not drinke it ver. 17. The tranquillity and many sweet refreshings the liberty and opportunity of doing Service to Church and State in the Parliament which you enjoy Is it not the blood of very many men How often have your Noble and couragious Generall with other VVorthies of the first Magnitude jeoparded their lives in the High places of the field to secure you in your Houses in your employments How much trouble and hazzard have our deare Brethren of Scotland undergone to themselves and Kingdom to keepe You from the danger of popery and slavery yea how many thousands some of all rankes it may make us bleed with sorrow to number them have already shed their dearest blood that you may possesse your lives and estates God forbid bee it farre from any of you that what is purchased at so deare a rate should bee prostituted to your own selvishnesse or any ignoble service Let all you have rather be powred out to the Lord and consecrated to his service in building him an House who hath loved you so much and given so many men for your lives It was an high strain of couragious Rhetorique in one of the City Souldiers at Newbury sight as it is related from good hands who when hee lay bleeding under mortall wounds breathed out this admirable expression O that I had another life to loose for Jesus Christ O that I had another life to loose for Jesus Christ Let this speech live in you after his death Bee willing at least to sacrifice the improvement of your Lives which cost the precious blood of Christ and many of his deare members in lifting up his Name and advancing his Temple Nehemiah when hee would incourage them in building the wall of Ierusalem notwithstanding all the scoffes of the adversaries after hee had armed the Labourers Nehem. 4. 13. 14. Hee said unto the Nobles and to the Rulers and to the rest of the people Bee not afraid of them remember the Lord which is great and terrible and fight for your brethren your sonnes and your daughters your wives and your houses The Lord in mercy turn your fighting into building and rebuke your enemies that you may have more liberty to build his House Herein I can rise higher then Nehemiah you build not onely for your Sonnes and Daughters but for the Lord who is the Husband of his Church the Prince of Peace the King of Glory that hath prepared an house eternall in the heavens for all that sincerely build his house here on Earth Arise therefore and bee doing and the Lord bee with you Which is the hearty prayer of him who Though most unworthy desires to serve you faithfully in the advancing Temple-work THOMAS HILL ENGLANDS SEASON FOR Selfe-Reflection AND Advancing Temple-worke HAGGAI 1. 7 8. 7 Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts Consider your wayes 8 Goe up to the
appeare in his glory Is building Gods house the ready way to obtaine Gods blessings Then as you desire to approve your selves friends to Englands tranquillity take heed you bee not found either Retarders or Vnderminers of the building in these times of Reformation The first Item shall be against Retarders of Temple-work who are of two sorts First prophane Atheists who cannot endure to thinke of any such Reformation as will confine and straiten them in making provision for their lusts There are too many of all rankes who combine in this confederacy They are not onely poore Peasants the prafanum vulgus who quarrell against the strictnesse of Reformation I wish none of our great ones were to bee found in this Catalogue I feare many of our Ministers will help to fill it up When Christ was to come into his Temple there needed a John Baptist to prepare the way to make the mountaines lâ—w and the rough places plaine and all little enough Mal. 3. 2. But who may abide the day of his â—omming and who shall stand when bee appeareth For hee is like a Refiners fire and the Fullers sope In such a posture Christ appeares in England in these Reforming times which makes profane ones who are not willing to be refined retard what they can Secondly Carnall Selfe-Seekers are deeply guilty of retarding Temple-worke you shall find in 2 Tim. 3. 2. 4. there is a wicked Regiment a wretched conspiracy of such men as make the last times perilous In the very front comes selfe-love ver. 2. Men shall bee lovers of their own selves and withall ver. 4. Such as are lovers of pleasures more then of God They who value their carnall-selfe at so high a rate that they will preferre their owne ends their ease their pleasures any thing of themselves before God and his Honour will bee ready upon every occasion to hinder Reformation and will rather imploy their wit and influence to keep down Gods House then that the building of Gods House should occasion the pulling down of their beloved carnall-self The second Item is for underminers of Templework of whom there are likewise two sorts swayed by two different undermining principles First Such who would have nothing jure divino nothing stand by divine right in Church affaires but resolve all wholly into State power and civill policy Gods House will never bee built but by the Line of his own word Moses had the pattern of the Tabernacle Solomon of the Temple and the Apostles of the Christian Church as the Lord directed Doubtlesse there may bee an extreame on both hands some would winde up jure divino too high and seek an expresse institution for those things which are dictated by the very light of reason common to all or wrapped up in the generall Rules of Scripture Others are so much afraid of jure divino that they would turne it out of the Church and bring all to jure humano and so farre subordinate the Church to the State that Jesus Christ the Lord of the house shall not bee allowed either to build or rule his own house according to his 〈◊〉 I confesse it is good to bee wise herein not to put the stampe of Jus divinum upon any thing without cleare warrant from the word of God And withall as you are to bee carefull that you doe not 〈◊〉 prudentials into the Throne of Divine institution so you should beware that you seek not to bring down divine Institutions into meere State prudentials lest you bee found underminers of the Lords Temple Bee not shie of Jus divinum where you have verbum divinum for it The Kingdome of Christ is not inconsistent with any Civill policy which tends to the publick good it never hurts any States but such as do oppose it them indeed it will break all to peeces witnesse the foure Monarchies one after another Secondly Such who would have a toleration of all wayes of Religion in this Church These would lamentably undermine the building of Gods house amongst us as being so contrary to the indevouring of a Scripure reformation unto which wee have so solemnly ingaged our selves Doubtlesse the word of God holds forth one true way of Religion in the Christian Church Let there bee a most exact inquiry what Latitude the Scripture doth allow for different opinions and practises in that one true way But to set the doore so wide open as to tolerate all Religions to make London an Amsterdam which yet some contend for and would now bee content to tolerate Popery it selfe so they might enjoy their own way though not many yeeres since their spirits would have risen at the mention of such a thing in England is such an undermining of the Temple that this would soon pull down Gods house here but never build it up God forbid that any of you should bee sound either retarders or underminers of such a worke If the advancing of Temple-work bee the most compendious way to obtain the blessing of the Lord of Hosts Then Right Honourable and Worthy Senators as you desire to contribute towards England welware quicken your selves and one another to diligence in building the Lords Temple The more you desire to see your own decayed houses and estates repaired and setled bee the more zealous and faithfull in re-building Gods house It may bee the wise God will not suffer you to injoy your Palaces till you have finished the work of Reformation that hee may injoy his Temple I desire you may remember all Gods diverting providences working for your good that your active prudence may bee ingaged for his service Had not the Lord of Hosts diverted the Kings Army from comming up towards London when they had gotten Bristoll and the Earle of New-Castles Forces from comming up to the then Associating Counties when hee set down before Hull yea had not the Lords mighty hand kept Prince Ruperts formidable Army from comming Southward when hee had got so great an advantage by raising the Siege at Yorke how much more sad might Englands condition have been before this time And I hope you will upon this day of humiliation so wisely observe his humbling providences in our present straites and troubles that you may bee awakened to a more serious consideration of your own wayes and in an holy revenge of your former negligence set your selves upon the building of the Lord Christs house O that there were amongst our Nobles and Gentry many more of Davids spirit who made great preparations for the building of the Temple 1 Chron. 22. 5. Yea in his trouble hee prepared for the house of the Lord ver. 14. They have had a large share in these devouring troubles Much of the blood of our Nobles and Gentry hath been spilt and many of their houses and estates ruined in this unnaturall Warre as if the Lord had a speciall quarrell against them intending to staine the pride of
They will bee so presumptuous as to devolve their negligence in re-edifying the Temple upon Gods providence as if by those lets which had been an hinderance unto them God had showne that hee would have the worke deferred till some other time and rather then they will bee put out of their pace they will likewise cast reproach upon the zeale and forwardnesse of those who began to lay the foundation of the Temple so soone after they returned from the Captivity Their sloath and subtilty prompts them to cry out in this disparaging and discouraging language The time is not yet come the time is not yet come This is the very same spirit which now adayes breathes in our Anti-Reformers all carnall men as carnall in all ages are acted by the same principles they cry impetuously What need wee bee so forward in Reformation cannot wee stay and do things by degrees Oh how long doe you thinke should Haggai Zerubbabel and Joshuah have stayed for the building of the Temple if they had waited till Rehum the Chancellour Shimshai the Scribe the Samaritan and the slothfull party had been willing heartily to joyn with them even as long as our Brethren of Scotland and Gods servants in England should have expected before the Popish and Prelaticall party will concurre with them to advance a Scripture Reformation They all will still bee pretending something for their delayes But the Prophet well knew that the true reason of their intermittings was the contempt of Gods service and their carnall affection to their own ease and pompe This hee further reproves and confuteâ— ver. 3 4 5 6. by two arguments First one drawn from the shamefull preferring themselves before God ver. 4. Is it a time for you O yee to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lye waste most unlike to David who sware unto the Lord Surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my house untill I finde out a place for the Lord an â—abitation for the mighty God of Jacob Psal. 132. 2 3. 5. And as unanswerable was this carriage of theirs to all that distinguishing respect and indulgence which God had vouchsafed them in preserving and bringing them out of the Babylonish prison Secondly another drawn from those smarting evidences of Gods displeasure against their negligence ver. 6 7. Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hoasts Consider your wayes yee have sown much and bring in little c. And then like a good Physitian after the discovery of a dangerous disease hee applies a sutable Remedy hee proceeds to exhortation ver. 7. 8. where you have First The Person speaking the great God Thus saith the Lord of Hoasts Secondly The Counsell hee gives consisting of two branches The first looking hackward ver. 7. Consider your wayes they must bee finding out what hath been amisse heretofore Read over former neglects and successes The second looks forward what they were now to bee doing ver. 8. Goup to the Mountain and bring woâ—d and build the house which hee backs with undenyable reasons and I will take pleasure in it and I will bee glorifyed saith the Lord I will beginne with the Person speaking It is not onely Thus saith the Lord which had been enough to have put them upon the most serious consideration of their wayes but divers times in this Chapter and in such other places of Scripture where the people of God met with Armies of adversaries to hinder them from building the Temple hee speakes to them as the Lord of Hoasts Whence you may observe When the People of God conflict with much opposition in doing his great worke then especially is hee pleased to make known himselfe as the Lord of Hoasts At the first there was but an Hoast Tsebaam in the singular number but one Army Gen. 2. 1. Thus the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the Hoast of the Creatures Indeed when Adam had fallen then it is 〈◊〉 Tsebaoth ever since God said Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity betwixt the Serpent and the woman and between their seed there have been two Armies on foot in the field the Dragon and his Angels contending against Michael and his Angels yet the Generall is still but one who is Lord of Hoasts Quest Why is God so often called the Lord of Hoasts Answ. There are divers good reasons why his creatures may be called his Hoast as Exod. 12. 41. Psal. 148. 2. First for their multitude they are very numerous Secondly for their Order they are most wisely ranked in reserence to the service of their Commander Thirdly in regard of their ready obedience to their great Generall All creatures stand ready in battaile array prest to doe the will of God as an Army set in Martiall Order Fourthly some adde a fourth God hath a speciall providence in governing the affaries of warre Hee brings the Sword Levit. 26. 25. And hee makes Peaâ—e Psal. 46. 9. and therefore may well bee called the Lord of Hoasts Quest Why doth the Lord then especially delight to make known himselfe as the Lord of Hoasts when his people meet with opposition in doing his great worke Answ. It is the great wisdome and goodnesse of God to represent himselfe by such Names Titles Relations and Resemblances as may most sutably discover his owne Glorious excellencies and best draw forth the exercise of his childrens graces towards him In the New Testament according to the riches sweetnesse and clearnesse of the new administration of the Covenant God is known to his People as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1. 3. as the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5. 10 as the God of Peace 1 Thess. 5. 23. but seldome as the Lord of Hoasâ—â— I can remember it but twice there in Rom. 9. 29. and in Jam. 5. 4. though in some copies in Jamâ—â— it is mis-printed the Lord of Sabbath in stead of Lord of 〈◊〉 In the Old Testament as some reckon you shall finde the Lord of Hoasts at least two hundred times and most frequently in Haggai and Zachary when the people of God were imployed about Temple-worke and contested with many adversaries therein In the second chapter of Haggai you have it five times in foure verses as in the 6 7 8 9. verses and in the eighth Chapter of Zachary which consists but of three and twenty verses you have no lesse than eighteen times The Lord of Hoasts God who is All-sufficient accounts this his glory to make known himselfe answerably to all the exigents of his Churches When the Devill musters up forces against them hee will approve himselfe the God of Hoasts such a God who is able to doe more for them than the Dragon and all his Angels can doe against them Then let us this day lye before God with an humble satisfaction of spirit in the midst of all these commotions and confusions that are now in England or any of the three Kingdomes
Our God being the Lord of Hoasts could have prevented them and can allay them stilling the proudest waves as hee pleases Hee knows how to preserve his Friends and to reserve his Adversaries 2 Pet. 2. 9. Hee who can command light to shine out of darkenesse 2 Cor 4. 6. can as easily bring order out of confusion and unlesse hee could bring good out of evill hee who is the Supreame Governour of the whole world would never suffer any evill to befall his People It doth not argue any defect either in his power or love that his people in England have so long smarted and still goe under such heavy pressures but it is the manifold various wisedome of the great Lord Generall so to marshall all his Hoasts as they may doe execution according to the Counsell of his will and all in reference to his grand designe The advancing his own great Name in the salvation of his People you have no reason to mutter because sometimes it is male cum bonis bene cum malis because sometimes the godly suffer and the wicked prosper mis-interpreting such providences humours and feeds Atheisme why should not you allow God the honour of his Soveraignty Hee is the Lord of Hoasts and as hee makes use of his prerogative in saving the soules and in using the parts and abilities of men so likewise in the sparing and afflicting of them The same God who Isa 4. 56. hath said Hee will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon all the Assemblies a cloud and a smâ—sk by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night c. by way of protection hath likewise said for affliction Isa. 45. 7. I forme the light and create darknesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord doe 〈◊〉 these things It is good therefore when God is come out of the habitation of his holinesse for all flesh to bee silent before him Zach. 2. 13. and in stormy times to saile by the Psalmists Compasse Psal. 37. 7. beâ— silent to the Lord and waite patiently for him If God bring thy estate low get thy spirit as low If God break and shatter the kingdome get thy heart broken and humbled under his mighty hand Let thy soule lye levell with Gods providence Remember the God of Hoasts is his name Amos 4. 15. If God delight in conficting times to represent himselfe to his Church as the Lord of Hoasts Then beware of cowardly feare suffer not your selves to bee discouraged by the most potent adversaries when you are ingaged in his worke who is the God of Hoasts Solomon tells us Prov. 29. 25. The feare of man bringeth a snare but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall bee safe Carnall feare betrayes reason as well as faith when it is predominant Thousands in England have found this true by wofull experience who out of distrustfull feares chusing rather to sin than to suffer have miserably insnared themselves whereas if by faith they had taken Sanctuary in him who is the Lord of Hoasts hee would have been their safety their high place What though puissant Armies should combine and raise great mountains of opposition in the way yet the great Lord Generall who commands heaven and earth will carry on his own worke Hence hee gives a challenge to those mountainous Adversaries who did hinder Zerubbabel in Temple-work Zach. 4. 7. Who art theâ—â— O great Mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine and bee shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings But how should this bee carryed on not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts What though enemies doe most proudly insult then remember what the Lord saith Zeph. 2. 8 9 10. I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon whereby they have reproached my people and magnifyed themselves against their borders Therefore as I live saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel surely Moab shall bee as Sodom and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah even the breeding of netles and saltpits and a perpetuall desolation This they shall have for their pride because they have magnifyed themselves against the people of the Lord of Hosts In defiance to the pride of railing Rabshakehs the Lord of Hosts will still appeare like himselfe in the behalfe of his own people even when their power is gone The Lord shall judge his people their enemies shall slide in due time Deut. 32. 35 36. not alwayes in our time but in due time Often his childrens extremity proves his opportunity to helpe as 2 King 14. 25 26. Suppose your Army should bee in straits the cause is still the same and your God is still Lord of Hosts possibly this may bee his Method to our Redemption first to humble us before hee will exalt us I hope you keepe a fresh remembrance of the late glorious successe in the Northerne parts so far beyond your thoughts and hopes Underprop your spirits when they beginne to sinke with a branch of that Psalme which Luther delighted so much to sing when the Church was in troubles Psal. 46. 7. The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge If second causes should faile the first cause the Lord of Hosts can supply or govern their deficiency to his peoples advantage Hee is great in counsell and mighty in worke a God that will do wonders rather than suffer his own cause or people to miscarry no reason therefore in the worst times to bee discouraged Hence learne this Lesson very seasonable for these Military times Be improving daily this Stile whereby God makes known himselfe to his People as the Lord of Hosts As you indevour to fortifie your selves and the Kingdome against numerous adversaries so with all bee sure to cry mightily by Prayer to him who is the God of Hosts It is a peace of singular Christian skill when you addresse your selves to seeke God then by an eye and hand of Faith to single out those divine perfections in him which are most sutable to your exigents In these times of sad and bloody distractions in all the three Kingdomes when so many are up in Armes concurring with the Irish Rebells who would plunder us of our Religion and lives as well as of our Liberties and estates it is a most proper season for us all to muster up our teares and sighes to besiege Heaven with our importunities that wee may ingage the Lord of Hosts to appeare on our side let us say as in Psal. 74. 22 23. Arise O God plead thine own cause remember how the forlish man reproacheth thee daily forget not the voyce of thine enemies the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually I might produce a cloud of witnesses to incourage your Prayers You may read Exod. 17. 11. When Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed and when hee let
humour would have taken up Armes to fight for the Prelacy and the Service-Book have been so hammered and hewed by the continuance of Gods Judgements upon us that now they are come to this Let the Parliament and Assembly doe what they will with Prelacy and Liturgie so the sword may bee sheathed now Truth shall bee welcome so they may have Peace O then why should not you hold up your courage and confidence in the midst of all obstructions and difficulties God walkes towards you in his ordinary pace You have already reaped such good fruits as will helpe to beare the charges of our long delayes The Lord hath hereby facilitated the rebuilding of his own house There are wise men who think our Reformation would have been very low had not God raised the spirits of our Reformers by the length of these multiplyed Troubles It hath been more then once observed by such as looke on that when our Parliament Spirits have begunne to faile and sinke then some Plot or other of the undermining adversaries hath been discovered whereby they have been quickned to the Lords work and when they have begunne to clash and divide amongst themselves then hath appeared some common danger wherein they were all involved and so have been happily reunited for the publick welfare of Church and State God knows how to make all events subservient to his own purposes You read in Isa. 1. 25. 27. Before Zion shall be redeemed with Judgement hee will purely purge away her drosse and take away all her Tinne Here was much drosse in England both of persons and things Wonder not if they bee not suddainly or easily removed Many drossie persons and things have been taken away by the length of these troubles which otherwise in all probability would still have clogged us As in matters of State the civill Sword being so indulgent would not take off Delinquents therefore the Lord still renues the Commission of the Militarie Sword to doe Justice till his Counsell bee fulfilled So in the Affaires of the Church many poore deluded people in England were fond of their needlesse Ceremonies and ready to dote on some Babylonish trinkets who probably would not have been weaned from them had not God whipped them off by the continuance of these troubles You have the greater reason to bee satisfyed under his hand who hereby makes us more willing heartily to return from Babylon to Hierusalem that wee may goe up to the Mountaine and build the Lords House And so I hasten to the last observation out of the eighth verse Goe up to the Mountain and bring wood and build the house It is doubtful to some Expositors what Mountain is here meant whether mount Moriah where the former Temple was built that it might there bee raised againe Or whether it bee Libâ—nus and that they should goe up thither to cut trees and so carry them to Hierusalem to build the Temple In reference to the main purpose both will come to the same the Lord cals upon them with expedition to build his House Go up to the Mountain You must saith Hierom Ascend from the Vallies to the Hill call off your mind from earthly things if you would build the Temple of God Ambrose glosses upon it Ascendite in montem Scripturarum caelestium c. Goe into the Mountain of the Heavenly Scriptures cut there the Tree of wisedome and life c. Let us leave these Allegories and with Junius imbrace that which the whole series of the words most cleerly holds forth The Lord here puts them upon a course how to recover themselves from under those evils which lye upon them hee bids them shake off their sluggishnesse breake through opposition goe up to Sion and build the Temple Hence observe To set seriously and readily about building the Temple is a most compendious way to obtain favour from the Lord of Hosts when his hand is lifted up against a people The Lords great designe here on earth is to prepare a Temple to raise a glorious Throme for his Sonne in his Church This is the tenour of his promises I will make thee an eternall excellency a joy of many Generations Isa. 60. 15. His providentiall dispensations runne this way Isa. 62. 6 7. I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Hierusalem which shall never hold their peace till hee make Hierusalem a praise in the earth In the materiall and spirituall Temple this was his great worke what was typified in the one shall bee gloriously accomplished in the other Hag. 2. 7. 9. there hee doth ingage his favourable presence In this place will I give peace saith the Lord of Hosts Hence by his Prophets the Lord did so much incite the Jews to expedite this worke Hereby he trayned them up to the expectation of Christ and to faith and hope in him who was represented by this Temple hereby they might be led Heaven-ward in the exercise of the duties of piety whilest they are imployed in Temple worke yea indeed the neglect of the building of this House would argue much prophanenesse of spirit it being the place which God himselfe appointed for his solemn publick worship But I need not look further then the Text it selfe which hath native strength in it to confirme the observation Behold here a double Reason to quicken you all as you desire favour and rest in these troublous times to bee diligent in building Gods House The first reason speakes to their selfe-love And I will take pleasure in it Ero propitius in ea as Calvin reads it with others There you shall meet my blessing there you shall have the priviledge to seeke mee and the happinesse to find mee There the Lord had by his promise engaged his owne gracious presence with his people and his acceptance of their prayers and services Compare 1 Kings 8. 29. with Deut. 12. 11. My name shall bee there and there should bee his eye his eare and his hand according to their exigents The second reason suits as much with his owne glory And I will bee glorified saith the Lord Gods people have three glorious and gracious aspects of their heavenly Father in Christ in the Church and in Heaven Hee first looked upon them in Christ from eternity and they may behold him in Christ then they meet him in his Church in his house here upon earth and afterwards shall come to enjoy him everlastingly in Heâ—ven And indeed for the present wee never see so much of Gods glorious goodnesse in Christ wee never see so much of the glorious hopes of Heaven as when wee converse with God in his owne house There hee doth shew to his people most of his glory manifestative hee is glorified and then also his people do active objective glorifie him both in the building of his house and worshipping him therein according to his will Psalm 102. 16. When the Lord shall build up Sion hee shall