Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A29070
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Sermon preach't before the societies for reformation in Dublin, Jan. 6, 1697/8 by J. Boyse.
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Boyse, J. (Joseph), 1660-1728.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing B4076; ESTC R35337
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23,149
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33
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Commission obtain'd from Artaxerxes he encourag'd to Rebuild the Walls of Jerusalem Grotius supposes he was one of the chief Members of the great Councel of their Nation And you may by the way Observe how desirable a thing it is to behold Secular Honour and Power in so happy a Conjunction with exemplary Piety and Vertue Partly Because the Circumstances of this great attempt of his for Reformation bear no inconsiderable resemblance to your own And chiefly Because in his Management of this attempt and in the Success it was Crown'd with you may Observe much both to Guide and to Animate your Holy Zeal You may both discern the true Characters of the excellent Spirit and Temper of a Pious Reformer and the happy issues in reference to the Publick and to himself that were the Result of his Religious Undertaking So that my Text without offering the least violence to it will of it self suggest to you the most suitable and instructive thoughts for this present Occasion I shall not now stay to take notice of those many other generous and pious Designs which this Great and Good man not only undertook but happily executed in the face of the most formidable difficulties and violent Opposition I shall only Observe That having joyn'd with the rest of the Princes the Levites and Priests in solemnly Renewing and Sealing their Covenant with God he particularly applied himself to the concerns of his House restoring the Offices of the Priests and Levites in the Temple and appointing Treasurers to distribute what the Law of Moses requir'd the other Tribes to contribute towards their liberal Support * See 9 10 11 and 12. Ch. But because the bare setting up God's publick Worship will signify little to promote the great design of practical Religion if the stated Seasons he has appointed for it be alienated from that Sacred to a common Use Therefore this excellent Reformer seeing the Sabbath of God that Day of Sacred Rest set apart for the Contemplation of his Works and Word and for the solemn Exercises of his Publick Worship * 2 Gen. 2 3 4 Luke 16.13 Acts 5.14 thus openly profan'd by the generality of the People he begins and prosecutes this pious attempt of Rescuing it from so notorious Pollution and of Restoring the Religious Observance of it I shall not now stay to Paraphrase the Text both because it needs little Explication and because what may be any way requisite will occur in prosecuting those Observations I shall make on this remarkable Passage for your present Instruction and Vse And I shall among many that might be made select the following ones I. We may from the matters of Fact mentioned in this Historical Passage Observe That Profaneness and Licentiousness do usually soon come to a great height even among a People professing the True Religion when they are countenanc't and strengthen'd by the Example of those that are of the highest Rank and Figure You know nothing was more directly contrary to the Law of Moses than the doing any servile Work on their Sabbath The fourth Precept of the Decalogue was most express to this purpose Six Days shalt thou Labour and do all thy Work but the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any Work Thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter thy Man-Servant nor thy Maid-Servant nor thy Cattle nor the Stranger that is within thy Gates c. Even the Strangers were forbid to do any servile Work on the Sabbath least their Example shou'd ensnare the Jews in the guilt of Profaning it And indeed in this point the Law of God enjoyn'd no more on the Jews than what the Light of Nature it self did dictate to the Heathens Viz. That that part of Time which was Devoted to the publick Worship of the Deity shou'd not be employed in any thing that is inconsistent with it or a real hindrance to it Insomuch as * Macrob. Saturn lib. 1. c. 16. Serv. Honor. in Virg. Georg. 1. Fest v. Religios Macrobius Servius Festus and others tell us The Heathens themselves thought any servile Works that were not of pure necessity a Pollution of those Days that were Consecrated to their Gods So that the Practices here mention'd in the Text of treading Wine Presses bringing in Sheaves c. selling Fish and all manner of Ware were most gross and palpable Violations of the Fourth Commandment and even against the Morality of it For sad experience sufficiently tells us how soon all the impressions of Religion upon the minds of a People are generally lost and defac't where either they seldom attend the Publick Worship of God at all or where they are at Liberty to rush immediately from their Publick Devotions to their Secular Affairs or sensual Pastimes 'T is indeed no Wonder the Men of Tyre who disown'd the God of Israel shou'd make no scruple of Profaning his Sabbath But that these restored Captives so newly come out of those Calamities that this among other sins had brought upon 'em 〈◊〉 18. shou'd be so generally involv'd in this hainous Guilt seems more strange and unaccountable But the wonder will cease when we consider That our depraved Nature has a strong Aversion to the serious Exercises of true Piety and for want of a spiritualized Appetite to relish a true delight in 'em is prone to resent any long continuance of 'em as an unsufferable Weariness * 1 Mal. 13. That these irreligious Inclinations in this People were the more deeply rivetted from the Conjunction of their worldly Interest and Gain * 8 Amos 5. v. They were too zealous Votaries of Mammon to spare so much time for God and were far more intent upon their Traffick than their Devotions But that which seems chiefly to have harden'd 'em in this instance of Profaneness was the Example of their Nobles themselves * v. 17. And no wonder the Body of this People shou'd by their Avarice as well as Irreligion be drawn so deep into this Guilt when those that shou'd have restrain'd this Impiety in others by their Authority did rather Encourage and as it were warrant it by their own Practice Now all the Reflection I shall make on this Observation is only to suggest to you That we need the less wonder to meet with so great Difficulties in our attempts to Reform the Vices of the Age when we not only consider the agreeableness of 'em to the propensities of our vitiated Nature but the general countenance they have had even from too many of highest Rank and Authority Alas 't is too evident a Truth to be now contested That during the two late Reigns a Torrent of Profaneness and Irreligion Immorality and Lewdness came in upon these Lands with an irresistible Violence These Vices having once gain'd the Ascendant in a dissolute Court soon came into Fashion and Repute Swearing and Lewdness past for modish Accomplishments and to spend at least one part of the