Zion God will adde as much more he is resolved no Creature shall equall him in love to his Church Take heed of being low spirited for God of haltings and halvings in Reformation Wee have seene the mischiefes of such a way already yea many times we lose all because we would be contented with some The Prophet was angry with Joash that when he was to smite the Syrians he smote but thrice 2 King 13.18 19. God honours and prospers them that doe all his will Jehu did much was very zealous but the Text sayes He tooke not heed to walke in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart For he departed not from the sinne of Jeroboam 2 King 10.31 And the evill effect it had is noted in the next vers 32. In those dayes the Lord began to cut Israel short The same measure that you mete to him he will mete to you as you sow in spirituals you shall reape in carnals if you cut Reformation short he will cut your priviledges and the Kingdomes peace short It is safe and successefull to aime at great matters for God We may thankefully imbrace what we can get but seeke no lesse than perfection Magna audent quoniam magni sunt qua audent obtinent Bern. They that are truely noble and magnanimous they will attempt great things for God and what they doe attempt they shall obtaine Thinke of no lesse then making Jerusalem a praise in the earth despaire not to see her in all her beauty and brightnesse In outward things use your discretion be as moderate as you see cause but in the cause of God Moses his resolution is worth imitation he would not leave a hoofe behinde him In this case Jehoshophat gives good Counsell to his Judges the Lord write it in your hearts 2 Chron. 19.6 Take heed what you doe for you judge not for man but for the Lord. Thirdly Wherein should this labour be imployed I shall be your remembranceâ— onely for two things Doe them and God will doe the rest To make Jerusalem a praise in the Earth First You must set up light This is as you have heard a chiefe pait of the Churches beauty advance the light of powerfull Preaching and that will advance the Truth Religion Peace Christ and all The Hieroglyphicke of life amongst the Egyptians was light a burning lampe and though ignorance be the Mother of Romish devotion such lampes are the life of Religion powerfull Preaching It was the worke of some to doe all they could to put out the light the most horrid hellish and unnaturall wickednesse that can be to deny men the joy and comfort of our soules the more malicious they were in suppressing of it the more paines must be taken in freeing of it You have done much this way and intend more our prayers shall joyne with your indevours That the Word may runne and be glorified 2 Thess 3.1 That it may be said of England as it was of Antioch Act. 13.49 The Word of the Lord was published throughout all the Region Nothing so excellent but 〈◊〉 are displeased with it The light is offensure to sore eyes Some complained of Prometheus for reaching the use of fire as the Poets say and many amongst us Preach against Preaching But they that quarrell with the light Act. 13.48 quarrell with Christ himselfe who is the Light of the Gentiles Men complaine against the Seers as Isay 30.10 11. See not prophesie not right things But their anger is against him that sent them let them speake out and they say Cause the holy One of Israel to cease from before us The light it selfe stands in the light of their wicked wayes as the Angell in Balâ—â—ms way to his sinne and that 's the reason They hate the light because their workes are evill Men father divisions upon the light when as the present distractions and mistakes are because it is but halfe day the mist is not quite dispelled Darkenesse causes divisions and those most dangerous as quarrels in the night The more â—â—stours and Teachers and the Worke of the Ministery the nearer we come to the unity of the Faith Let light scatter and it will pull downe the Kingdome of darknesse You and the Truth and Christ have no such enemy as ignorance Secondly Advance holinesse This is another winning and prevailing blessing Oh that Righteousnesse might be as waves of the Sea And then our Peace will be as a River Isay 48.18 Labor for holy Laws holy worship holy Sabbaths holy families For a holy Court and then holinesse will be in fashion For holy Universities and then they will be filled not with sonnes of Beliall but with sons of the Prophets But above all for a holy Ministry From the Prophets of Jerusalem is prophanenesse gone forth into all the Land Jer. 23.15 and from them must the people learne holinesse And a holy Magistracy if God would restore our Judges as at first Let us injoy faithfull Moseses Joshua's c. Then should we be called the City of righteousnesse the faithfull City Isay 1.26 Nothing but sinne can hurt us and sinne will not onely make all your good purposes of Reformation abortive but Gods too Jer. 18.9 10. At what instant I say concerning a Nation and Kingdome to build and plant it if it doe evill in my sight that it obey not my voyce then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit it Seeke first the Kingdome of God in light and helinesse and then all other things shall be administred unto you What ever difficulties hinder the execution let these be first in your intentions These directions God hath given you by me a weake creature I hope you need not much to quicken you Iudg. 5.9 We desire with Deborah to blesse the Lord that made the governours of Israel to offer themselves willingly Remember the place God hath called you to the Kingdome is in a broken and shatterd condition you are our watchmen we say to you as Moses to Hobab Num. 10.31 in the Wildernesse thou art to us instead of eyes you are our eyes to see our dangers and our hands to defend us from them We cannot better expresse that trust that lies upon you then God himselfe hath done concerning Moses Exod. 4.16 thou shalt be to him instead of a God Governours are stiled Gods in Scripture but those best deserve it that are delivering rulers such was Moses such to us instead of a God are you and then thinke you what Wisdome justice firmnesse and stability is required in you The trust is heavy our expectations great and the account will be dreadfull If you were alone in this worke you would sinke under it but God hath promised his presence and God is in you of a truth It is the sword of the Lord and the sword of Gideon Gods people see it with comfort his enemies shall feele it with shame What the people observed of Ionathan we may observe in you 1 Sam. 14.45 he hath wrought with God this day so you have and so you will we hope and then Gamaliels words will hold Act. 5.39 if it be of God you cannot overthrow it You labor with God and for God because you labour for Zion you travaile for her that travailed with you For the Church that must stand and prosper Christ hath promised the gates of hell shall not prevayle against her not the gateâ— in which was their strength in the gates the elders sat and so their polity as well as their strength was in the gates yet both shall not prevayle against the Church God is gone before you travailing in the greatnesse of his strength challenging countries Isa 63.1 and people he saith I will divide Shechem mete out the valley of Succoth Gilead is mine over Edom will I cast out my shooe c. Psal 60.6.7.8 And the prayers of Gods people are gone like the Arke before the campe of Israel three dayes journey to seeke out a resting place Num. 10.33 they are before you preparing your way hewing downe difficulties It is safe following such a conduct And God hath made the people willing in the day of his power Psal 1â—0 3 That of the Psalmist is considerable Psalm 47.9 The Princes of the people are gathered together the marginall lection is the voluntary of the people the generous of the people God hath the hearts of all men in his hand And the shields of the earth belong unto the Lord The Militia of the world is his And all these shall second them that seeke his glory and Zions Peace Therefore proceed chearefully to make use of this sweete opportunity to honour God and heale our breaches Heaven we hope is bigge with blessings The Tabernacle of God is comming downe to dwell with men what ever darke clouds appeare let us continue praying waiting labouring beleeving God will at last establish and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth FINIS Die Mercurii 29. Junii 1642. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons now Assembled in Parliament that Sir Thomas Barrington doe returne thankes to Mr. Sedgwicke for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he Preacht this day at St. Margarets Church in Westminster at the intreaty of the Commons House of Parliament this being the day of the publicke Fast And that he be desired to Print his Sermon And that no man presume to Print it but such as he shall appoint till the House shall take further Order H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint John Bellamy and Ralph Smith to Print my Sermon WILLIAM SEDGVVICKE
ZIONS DELIVERANCE AND HER FRIENDS DVTY OR The Grounds of Expecting and Meanes of Procuring Jerusalems Restauration IN A SERMON PREACHED AT A PVBLICKE FAST Before the Honourable House of COMMONS By WILLIAM SEDGVVICKE Minister of FARNHAM in ESSEX LONDON Printed for John Bellamy Ralph Smith at the three Golden Lyons in Corne-hill 1642. To the Honourable the House of COMMONS now Assembled in PARLIAMENT THE day of Jacobs trouble yet continues Yea growes more gloomy and darke clouds of dangers increase therefore your faith needs all the props that prayer or Preaching Pulpit or Presse can afford If God by this Sermon dâ—d any whit kindle your Zeale I wish you had leasure to read it it may adde a mite more to our treasury Your faithfulnesse and constancy In this Wildernesse your Soules should be fed every day with a portion of spirituall Manna That you may be strengthened with all might according to his glorious power Colos 1.11 And God may be your arme every morning What is good Isa 33.2 let it dwell with you and by it you in God No place so fit for you in these great affaires and hard difficulties as the secret of the most High You have beene happy in conceiving just and good proposals be strong and faithfull in maintaining and producing of them and be not overborne Christ dyed under the sentence of a Judge that would have went right if the times had not beene bad that knew how to propose but not to prosecute justice and so left but this to posterity He would have beene just but was not That deserves not the name of a single vertue that will not indure multiplicity of trials I know your dangers are great Psal 119.109.110 and your condition as Davids My Soule is continually in my hand they have laid a snare for me Yet erred not I from thy precepts Your lives are in your hands and they are pretious A Diadem in the hand of God But they are indeed the least of those jewels that you are intrusted with There is in your hands Gods honour the Kingdome of Christ Churches Nations which you must defend and maintaine if you would have God defend You. You are yet possessed of a richer Jewell then life innocency and integrity Let nothing purchase it of You let no power wrest it from You Nec Caesar Iob 27.5 nec Populus Resolve with Job I will not leave mine innocency till I dye You are the onely hopefull meanes of our deliverance under heaven an instrument in the hand of God in the eye of faith in the wombe of Prayer and in the affections of Gods People my onely advise that I shall be bold to present unto you is That You be Faithfull to the death and God will Crowne your labours with a happy successe here and You with a Crowne of life eternally Thus advises prayes and beleeves he that if he could be lesse himselfe would be more Gods the Churches and Your Servant WILLIAM SEDGVVICKE A Sermon Preached at a Fast before the Honourable House of COMMONS ISAIAH 62.7 And give him no rest till he establish and till he make Ierusalem a praise in the earth THE Prophet in the two former Chapters foretels the happinesse and prosperity of the Church (a) chap. 60.1.2 Glorious light (b) ver 4 5 6. Seas floods droves of Converts and those not small but great ones (c) ver 3.5 The force of the Gentiles Kings shall come to her light Holinesse (d) ver 21. universall and glorious (e) chap. 61.10 robes of righteousnesse together with peace victory over enemies joy riches as you may see at large in those two Chapters So cleare was his faith and so strong his desires after these mercies for Zion that he resolves upon the meanes of obtaining them in the first verse of this Chapter For Zions sake I will not hold my peace c. Never cease Preaching Praying never rest Untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse and the salvation therof as a lampe that burneth The more he did force Zion the more God let him see what he intended to doe for her In the 2 3 4. verses his expressions are higher A Crowne of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royall Diadem in the hand of thy God Hephzibah Beulah c. In the 6. verse the Prophet produces the meanes to effect this great worke by way of a promise And to render it the more certaine he utters it in the person of God I and in the preterperfect tense I have Set Watchmen Princes and Governours as well as Prophets and Teachers it is interpreted of both Upon thy walls O Jerusalem in authority and publique place Which shall never hold their peace consult labour pray use all meanes Night nor Day constantly in good and bad times And when this should be the Prophet cals in the helpe of All that make mention of the Lord all that have any interest in God or that make any profession of his wayes that they should not keepe silence should joyne hearts and hands doe what they could in their places and Give him no rest till he establish and make Jerusalem a praise in the earth I shall open the words first Give him no rest seeke him constantly importunately indeavour it earnestly You may read silence or rest First Isa 64.12 Hab. 1.13 Silence Gods not answering our prayers is in Scripture called silence as his answering and delivering is termed pleading or speaking Ier. 50.34 Ps 74.23 and it notes to us First the easinesse of delivering the Church by Gods mighty hand he can as easily helpe as we can speake Secondly the Justice of God in delivering his people it is as pleading shewing the right discovering the truth Thirdly the naturall and constant effect of Prayer we speake to God by Prayer he answers by saving us our language to him is Prayer his language to us is Salvation 2. But our translation reades it rest Give him no rest There is no passion in God properly neither rest nor motion but the Scripture holds forth God to us in these tropicall expressions for our understanding When God doth not presently save his people he is said to forget vers 6. Ps 44.23 and then his people are termed his remembrancers sometimes he is said to sleepe and then his people awaken him Sometimes to be slow or delay and then wee must quicken him make no tarrying Ps 40.17 Sometimes God seemes to lose his mercy and then his people must finde it for him Isa 63.15 Where is thy zeale and thy strength and the sounding of thy bowels And here he seemes to rest till he be disquieted by our prayers as if he were passive to our prayers as if he could not but helpe when we seeke The reason of this expression is to shew First the necessity of prayer God will give But for all these things I will be sought unto God
it be buryed under Nations and Empires customes antiquities he will drive the Nations usunder scatter the everlasting hils Hab. 3.6 nothing shall stand in his way where ere he findes his glory he will seise upon it and if they yeeld not speedily it will cost them deare For he hath said Mine honour will I not give unto another Seeke the good of Zion this is the next to his glory yea his glory is in Zion there hath he put his name This is a sure way to move him all that you can say or doe for his Church is acceptable to him What good designes come into your heads are they for Irelands helpe for the reliefe of his people there or here goe and present it to God first See what his thoughts are Jer. 31.20 Is Ephraim my deare sonne is he a pleasant childe since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Is it for my deare people in Ireland you pray and labour for my pleasant children in England I was angry but I remember them still you did well to put me in mind come I will doe any thing for them Oh! carry the Churches miscries and distractions continually in your bosomes That made the Prophet so earnest and claborate v. 1. For Zions sake I will not hold my peace We have an excellent patterne of a publicke spirit in Psalm 137.5 6. If I forget thee O Jerusalem let my right hand forget her cunning if I doe not remember thee let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth if I preferre not Jerusalem before my chiefe joy If my right hand doe not act its utmost for the Church let it never act more if my tongue doe not speake what is for the good of the Church may it cleave to the roofe of my mouth may my estate waste and consume my parts be blasted my wisdome be turned to folly my time be nothing but distraction if I doe not imploy all for the Churches good Looke above your selves to Gods glory and his Churches good and then God and you drive one designe you shall be co-workers with God when it is too hard for you you may expect his helpe doe you but what you can it is his owne businesse he will doe the rest Fourthly If you would give God no rest you must be bold a bold begger will prevaile Let us breake in upon Gods retirings thrust our petitions into his eares challenge mercy from him urge his promises God himselfe hath warranted and allowed boldnesse in prayer Ephe. 3.12 Heb. 4.16 And none fare better then such beggers God admits his people to a strange height of boldnesse to an impudency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 11.8 some read it and the word signifies so propter improbitatem as if we might be unmannerly with God in a holy affection to his glory and his Churches good Let me goe saith God to Jacob Jacob saith no Thou shalt not As we must be bold in prayer with God so bold and couragious in our actions towards men It is said of Joseph that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An honourable Counseller hewent in boldly to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus And he did like an honourable Counseller that durst say and doe what he thought to be right and just he hazarded all in a good cause when it was at worst he would owne Christ crucifyed What favour he shewed to him being a condemned person the law would interpret a justifying of his crimes and an opposition to authority and Justice and yet he boldly did it and if he had not beene bold in it he might have lost it Courage hath an excellent power in it it alone will doe great things Act. 4.13 A company of Rulers were astonished by the zeale of the Apostles The Text saies When they saw the boldnesse of Peter and John and that they were unlearned men they marvelled and tooke knowledge of them that they had beene with Jesus As if boldnesse had something of the image of Christ in it and certainely it hath a Majesty in it the Rulers were at their wits end ver 16. What shall we doe to these men zeale vanquishes where it comes it is like the Sword of Jonathan and Saul 2 Sam. 1.22 that returnes not empty And without this other gifts and vertues are uselesse Feare disables us for what we might doe robs us of the meanes we have and is a traitor to all great designes Therefore God commands courage in Joshua Josh 1.6 Be strong and of a good courage charged upon him againe in ver 9. and by the people ver 18. as if the weight of all Israel lay upon this one grace Courage I will leave the Counsell with you that Joab gave his brother Abishai They had a just cause and so true courage and valour will be imployed Pet. Mar. Non ut inferantur sed ut propul sentur injuriae not to inflict but remove oppression Be of good courage let us play the men for our people and the Cities of our God 2 Sam. 10.12 The argument is strong it is for your people and for the Cities of our God for your people as the Common-wealth and Gods Cities as the Church be valiant for both Fifthly If you would give God no rest you must pray against denials worke against discouragements persevere in both What ever difficulties you meete with Give him no rest Be constant in the duty what ever God saith put by his denyals take no refusals the more denyals he gives the more strength you must get Mat. 7.7 Aske and ye shall have if that be too weake and doe not obtaine then Seeke with more earnestnesse and you shall find if that faile then Knocke with more boldnesse and it shall be opened to you This was the practise of that poore woman Mat. 15.22 c. Have mercy on me thou sonne of David my Daughter is grievously vexed with a devill He answered not aword She cries after him at last he said I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel she leaves out the Sonne of David and now Lord onely Lord helpe me What a Lord and can helpe none but Israel a Lord and thy power confined He seemes angry and answers It is not meete to give the childrens bread to dogs She rises higher and lockes her selfe within his denyall Truth Lord yet the dogges eate of the crumbes which fall from their Masters table She pleads his truth and justice if mercy will not serve let thy words be true I am a dogge yet there is something for dogges let me but have a dogges portion crumbes I crave no more So should we in praying and working difficulties should raise our spirits Gen. 32. Jacob wrastled in the night that was one discouragement he was alone that was another God was leaving of him Let me goe God
staid to his losse He smote his thigh yet he wrastled upon one legge So must you continue wrastling with difficulties If in the night of some calamity if alone in that night if God should seeme to depart yea though he should strike and leave you maimed halting yet continue in the service Your valour and judgements have beene tryed now your constancy and patience is aymed at Christ saith we must pray alwayes Luk. 18.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non defatigari faint not non evadere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beginne well and end ill begin in the spirit and end in the flesh To urge you to constancy I might urge your sufferings it was Pauls argument to the Galatians Gal. 3.4 Have you suffered so many things in vaine if it be yet in vaine If you should now be weary and faint before you be established you would lose all your sufferings and the fruite of your long and great paines As your owne sufferings so let Gods mercy ingage you to constancy It is the same Apostles argument 2 Cor. 4.1 Having received mercy faint not God hath preserved you covered you under his wings doe not therefore let your hearts sinke under your great burthens Or may that argument move with you 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. The good that you have done is not small although not answerable to your desires Preserving a Kingdome from ruine We may say with the Prophet Isa 1.9 Except the Lord had left us such a remnant we had beene as Sodome and we should have beene like unto Gomorrah swallowed up of sinne and misery Besides the spreading of the light larger dispensing of the Word freedome from innovations All of these pretious mercies and many more have beene the fruite of your watchfull care and paines If we had no gaine here yet God would reward you hereafter Therefore be stedfast and unmoveable your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. Constancy will conquer God and man The Israelites overcame God Judg. 10.10 11. c. they cryed to him when they were oppressed he upbraided them with former mercies said flatly I will deliver you no more Nay which was worse bids them Goe to their Gods whom they had served let them deliver them God that uses to give liberally and upbraid none here he gives nothing but upbraidings They are not beaten off by this but reforme he more exactly renew their supplication Doe what thou wilt with us what seemes good unto thee Onely deliver us this day q d. What no more mercy must we suffer then doe what thou wilt Let us suffer under thy hands but deliver us from these Ammonites we never was under such cruell enemies as these deliver us this day In ver 16. his Soule was grieved he was wearyed broken by their importunity Goe on to seeke God he cannot hold out long prayers and importunities will breake his heart extort and force mercy from him we have wearyed him by sinne let us weary him by prayer We have beene impudent in transgression be impudent in seeking deliverance We have beene bent to perpetuall backe-sliding let us be as constant in suing for deliverance and so we shall be as Jacob As a Prince hast thou power with God and with men and hast prevailed Gen. 32.28 If it prevailes with God with men much more By this constancy of importunity Dalilah overcame Sampson Judg. 16. She desired to know where his strength lay he deceived her and mocked her divers times at last shee urged him close ver 15. How canst thou say I love thee when thy heart is not with me And she pressed him daily with her words and his Soule was vexed unto death ver 16. Luke 11.8 Though he will not rise and give because he is his friend yet because of his importunity he will rise Amicus ille quod petebatur fecit quia alter in petendo non defecit Aug. and give as many as he needeth Where neither love nor reason nor desert will gaine importunity will make restlesse Hold out Worthies Jacob had his wages denyed ten times God paid him at last largely so will he you if you continue waite patiently be stedfast The Kingdome is in a tottering condition stedfastnesse must beginne in your breasts Let me conclude this with Pauls words to the Thessalonians 1 Thess 3.8 England may use them to You We live if you stand fast in the Lord. Sixthly If you would give God no rest you must take none The best way to make God restlesse is to be restlesse in seeking our activity workes upon God Abraham had a hot service of it to quench the wrath of God kindled against Sodome and he was early at it Gen. 19.27 David when he had praying worke in hand Early will I seeke thee Psal 63.1 When he had workes of justice in hand he would dispatch it I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord Psalm 101.8 When he had Church-worke in hand I will not give sleepe to mine eyes nor slumber to mine eye-lids untill I finde a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob Psalm 132.4 5. You must be restlesse till Jerusalem rest and be established We are sorry we must require such paines of you but glad to see your chearefull and indefatigable travaile God that cals you to it makes you willing and able for it Remember you are watchmen and they must not hold their peace night nor day Your waking is our sleepe your toyle our ease your trouble our peace You are like Gideons three hundred Judg. 7.5 that lapped water with their tongues as a dogge lappeth Tanquam canis è Nilo carptim cursim so doe you injoy your repasts as Jonathan pursuing his enemies a little honey with the end of a rod 1 Sam. 14.43 Goe on Worthies be yet more active more heavenly lesse earthy If you want comforts looke up to God and behold him saying Well done good and faithfull servants Let action be your rest let it be your meate and drinke to doe the will of God God cannot rest till you give over working he will worke with you so long as you worke for him Seventhly If you would give him no rest you must aske and desire largely of him for his Church God hath large thoughts toward Jerusalem Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Jer. 33.3 God will doe for his people abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke of Ephes 3.20 Beyond your prayers and thoughts much more beyond your indevours God hath given in more in some things then was aymed at and is resolved to out-goe any that are imployed for his Church Carve as largely as you will to