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A90269
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God's work in founding Zion, and his peoples duty thereupon. A sermon preached in the Abby Church at Westminster, at the opening of the Parliament Septemb. 17th 1656. / By John Owen: a servant of Jesus Christ in the work of the Gospell.
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Owen, John, 1616-1683.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing O758; Thomason E891_2; ESTC R203086
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27,585
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57
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God's Work in Founding Zion AND His Peoples Duty thereupon A SERMON PREACHED IN THE Abby Church at Westminster at the opening of the PARLIAMENT Septemb. 17th 1656. By JOHN OWEN a Servant of Jesus Christ in the Work of the Gospell Walk about Sion and goe round about her tell the Towers thereof Mark ye well her Bulwarks consider her places that ye may tell it to the Generation following For this God is our God for ever and ever He will be our guide even unto death Psal. 48. 12 13 14. OXFORD Printed by LEON LICHFIELD Printer to the University for THO: ROBINSON 1656. Wednesday the 17 of September 1656. ORdered by the Parliament That Mr Maidston and the Lieutenant of the Tower doe give the hearty Thankes of the House to Doctor Owen Deane of Christ-Church and Vice-Chancellor of the Vniversity of Oxford for his great pains taken in his Sermon Preach'd this day in the Abby Church at Westminster before His Highnesse the Lord Protector and the Members Elected to Sitt this present Parliament And that he be desired to print his Sermon And that no man presume to print it without his Leave Hen Scobell Clerk of the Parliament TO HIS HIGHNESSE THE LORD PROTECTOR And To The PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of England Scotland Ireland c. ALthough I need plead no other Reason for the publishing of the ensuing discourse but your Order and Command for my so doing yet because I know that your peculiar Interest as Governors of this Common-wealth in the severall stations wherein you are placed of God is truely stated therein in the pursuit whereof your Peace and the Peace of these Nations will be found to lye I crave leave to adde that consideration also Being fully acquainted in and with what weaknesse it was composed and delivered I cannot but conclude that it was meerly for the truths sake therein contained which is of God and its suetablenesse through his wise providence to the present state of things in these Nations that it found acceptance and entertainment with you which also makes me willing to be therein your Remembrancer a second time From the day wherein I received a command and call unto the service of Preaching unto you unto this issue of it wherein it is cloathed anew with obedience to your Order I found mercy with God to have that caution of the great Apostle abiding in my heart and thoughts if I yet please man I am not a servant of God Hence I can with boldnesse professe that influenced in some measure with the power of that direction I studiously avoided what ever might be suggested with the least unsuitablenesse thereunto with respect either to my selfe or others It was for Sions sake that I was willing to undertake this duty and service rejoycing that I had once more an opportunity to give publike Testimony to the great concernment of the great God and our deare Lord Jesus Christ in all the concussions of the Nations in the World and peculiarly in his wonderfull providentiall dispensations in these wherein we live And here as the summe of all touse plainesse and liberty of speech I say If there be any thing in any person whatever in these Nations that cannot stand with that can stand without the generall interest of the people of God pleaded for let it fall and rise no more And the Lord I know will send his blessing out of Sion on what ever in singlenesse of heart is done in a tendency to the establishment thereof Farther I shall not need to suggest any thing of the designe of the ensuing discourse they who take themselves to be concern'd therein will acquaint themselves with it by its perusall I shall only adde if the generall principles asserted therein be in your hearts if in pursuit thereof you endeavour that in no corner of this Nation it may be said this is Sion that no man careth for but that those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and are by faith and obedience separated from the perishing world following the Lamb according to the light which he is graciously pleased to impart unto them and ingaged by the providence of God in that work which he hath undertaken to accomplish amongst us be not overborne by a spirit of prophanenesse and contempt of the power of Godlinesse raging in the Earth that they may be preserv'd secured from the returne of a hand of violence and encouraged in the Testimony they have to bear to the Kingdom of Christ in opposition to the World and all the ways which the men thereof have received by Tradition from their Fathers that are not according to his mind you will undoubtedly in your severall conditions receive blessing from God which also that you may in all your concernments is the daily prayer of Your humblest Servant in the work of our dear Lord Jesus JOHN OWEN ISAIAH 14. 32. What shall one then answer the Messengers of the Nation That the Lord hath founded Zion and the poore of his people shall trust in it THe Head of the Prophetie whereof these words are the close lies in v. 28. in the year that King Ahaz died was this burden which gives us the season and just time of its Revelation and delivery The Kingdome of Judah was at that season low and broken Forraigne invasions and intestine divisions had made it so An account hereof is given us 2 Chron. cap. 28. throughout as it is especially summ'd up v. 19. of that Chap. For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz King of Israell for he made Judah naked and transgressed sore against the Lord Amongst their oppressing Neighbours that took advantage at their low and divided condition their old enemies the Philistines the posterity of Cham in Canaan had no small share as v. 18. of that Chapter The Philistines also had invaded the Cities of the low Countrey and of the south of Iudah and had taken Beth-shemesh and Aialon and Gederoth and Shoco with the Villages thereof and Timnah with the Villages thereof Gimzo also and the Villages thereof and they dwelt there In this state of things God takes notice of the joy and triumphing of the whole land of Palestina that is the Country of the Philistines In that the rod of him that smote them was broken that is the power of the Kings and Kingdome of Judah which for many generations had prevailed against them especially in the days of David 2 Sam. 5. and of Vzziah 2 Chron. 26. 6. and kept them under was made weak and insufficient for that purpose v. 29. Rejoyce not thou whole land of Palestina because the rod of him that smote thee is broken It is no wonder if Palestina that was to be smitten and broken by the rod of God among his people rejoyce at their perplexities and distresses when we have seen men so to doe who pretend to dwell in Iudah To take them off from their pride and boasting their triumph and
earth only but also heaven And this word yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that those things which cannot be shaken may remain All the shakings of the Nations are that the unshaken interest of the Saints may be established Isai. 51. 15 16. But I am the Lord thy God that divided the sea whose waves roared the Lord of hosts is his name And I have put my words in thy mouth and have covered thee in the shaddow of mine hand that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth and say unto Zion thou art my people Heaven and earth and all things therin are disposed of that Sion may be built and established All Gods works in this world lye in a subserviency to this end and purpose Doth God at any time prosper an evill or a wicked Nation an Anti-christian Nation is it for their owne sakes doth God take care for Oxen hath he delight in the prosperity of his Enemies No it is only that they may be a Rod in his hand for a litle moment and a staff for his indignation against the miscariages of his people Isai. 10. 5 12. O Assyrian the rod of mine anger the staff in their hand is mine indignation This in such a season is their proper interest to glorify God in distresse Doth he breake ruine and destroy them as sooner or latter he will leave them neither roote nor branch all that he doth to them is a Recompence for the controversy of Sion Isai. 34. 9. for it is the day of the Lords vengeance and the yeare of recompences for the controversy of Sion We see not perhaps at this day wherein the concernments of the remnant of Gods people doth lye in the great concussions of the Nations in the World we know not what designe in reference to them may lye therein Alas we are poore short sighted creatures we know nothing that is before us much lesse can we make a judgment of the work of God in the midst of the darknesse and confusion that is in the world untill he hath brought it to perfection All lyes open and naked to his Eye and the beauty of all his works will one day appeare The true and proper interest of his people so as they may best glorify him in the world is that which he is pursueing in all these dispensations The Grounds Reasons and foundations of this Truth in the Counsell from the Love and Attributes of God the Redemption in the blood of Jesus I must not now pursue this one thing I shall only offer The state of Sion of the people of God being much to depend upon the disposalls of them whom God by his providence raiseth up to rule and Government among the Nations though sometimes he sets up men whose hearts and minds are upright with himselfe yet he will not trust his owne to their mercy and the variablenesse of their Wills in generall But will so dispose alter weaken and strengthen them so set them up and pull down that it shall be their interest to which they will alwaies abide faithfull so to deale with his people as he will have them dealt with that they may best glorify him in their generations If it be in the infinite wise counsell of God to give his Saints in this nation peace and tranquility they shall not have it precariously upon the wills of men For he will not leave moulding and disposing of the affaires of the nation untill it find that it is its proper interest to give and measure out unto them what is to the mind of God All that hath been done amongst us all that we are in expectation of turnes on this hinge alone But lastly Ob. 4. It is the duty of Gods preserved remnant laying aside all other aimes and contrivances to betake themselves to the work of God founding Sion and preserving the common interest of his people God hath founded Sion and the poore of the people shall trust therein or betake themselves unto it We are apt to wander on hills and mountains every one walking in the imagination of his own heart forgetting our resting place When God was bringing the power of the Babylonian upon his people the Prophet Jeremiah could neither perswade the whole nation to submit to his Goverment nor many individualls among them to fall to him in particular And when the time of their deliverance from that Captivity was accomplished how hardly were they perswaded to imbrace the Liberty tendered notwithstanding all incouragements and advantages the greatest part of them abide in that place of their bondage to this day So hardly are we brought to close with Gods peculiar work and our own proper interest although his glory and our own safety lye therein The Reasons of this frame I have in part touched before I shall adde but two more 1. Discontentment with our peculiar lot and portion in the work of the Lord and common interest of his people It is with us in our civile affaires as the Apostle saith it is not in the naturall body nor ought to be in the spirituall or Church body The foot doth not say because I am not the head I am not of the body no it doth not but is content with its own place and usefulnesse It is so with the rest of the members that are more noble and yet are not the head neither It is otherwise with us I enterpose not my thoughts as to your present constitution and the order of things amongst us I speak no more then I have sundry years since sundry times complained of to a Parliament of this Common-wealth Every one if not personally yet in Association with them of some peculiar perswasion with himselfe would be the head and because they are not they conclude they are not of the body nor will care for the body but rather endeavour its ruine Because their peculiar interest doth not raigne the common interest shall be despised and this hath been the temper or rather distemper of the people of God in this Nation now for sundry years and what it may yet produce I know not Only for the present the work of God in founding Sion in purseuing his peoples common interest is despised thought light of and all the pleasant things thereof trodden under foot Unlesse God end this frame my expectations I confesse of an happy issue of the great work of God amongst us will wither day by day 2. The suffering of our Wills and Judgements as to the products of providence to run before the Will of God This the Experience of these daies hath taught us Those who have a forwardnesse in prescribing to God what he should doe as to the modus or manner of the work which at any time he hath to accomplish Are stubbornly backward in closing with what he doth actually produce These and the like things which might be in large Catalogues