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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	work_n	zeal_n	370	3	7.7583	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77366	A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their publique fast, Novemb. 29. 1643. By VVilliam Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods Word at Yarmouth.	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.	1643 (1643)	Wing B4465; Thomason E79_11; ESTC R13662	28,626	38

course and turne been vexatious to the people of God It is no new thing for the Saints and Churches to be pushed gored scattered by cruell and beastly enemies Yea the Churches may be so afflicted with enemies that a man shall not know whither to fly for safety for in every part of the world there shall be some opposers I saw foure hornes misery and calamity and persecution arising out of every part VERSE 19. And I said to the Angel that talked with me c. This Angel by Interpreters is said to be Christ himself the Angel of the Covenant who is the best Interpreter of Heavenly visions and of hard Scriptures When we understand them not we should search make enquiry and go to Christ saying as Zechariah here What are these Lord And he answered me these are the hornes which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem The enemies of the Churches are not said here to have wounded or killed Iudah Israel or Ierusalem but ventilarunt they have tossed them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were into the aire they have scattered saith the English It is the proper work of the enemies of the Churches to scatter Gods people The Disciples of Christ are commanded to be without hornes Be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves the word in the Greek is without hornes as Doves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here the enemies are said to sccatter Iudah Israel and Ierusalem that is their work and property VER 20. And the Lord shewed me foure Carpenters The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such Agents and Instruments as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fabricavit work with art counsell and deliberation Though the enemies of the Churches be unreasonable and cruell as horned beasts yet the instruments that God rayseth up to suppresse them are full of humanity wisdome and counsell and they are foure too a proportionable strength VER 21. Then said I What come these to do And he spake saying These are come to fray them away and to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles Look how they dealt by Gods people so God will deale by them they scattered Israel and the God of Israel will raise up instruments that shall scatter them they cast out Gods people and they shall be cast out Scattering enemies shal be scattered themselves at last CHAP. 2. VER 1. I lift up mine eyes again Here is another vision brought to the same purpose in generall to uphold and comfort the distressed s●rvants of God When the the condition of the Saints is low and their fear●s great there is need of repeating comforts Then visions promises and consolations must be oft repeated I lift up mine eyes again And I looked and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand That is for to build exactly The second verse tells us it was for to measure Jerusalem which cannot barely be understood litt●rally for ver 16. of Chap. 1. It is said I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies saith the Lord my house shall be built in it and a line shall be stretched forth upon Ierusalem c. which promise in its latitude was never yet fulfilled litterally but it is to be understood of the New Jerusalem especially mentioned in Revel 21. Where we find a man also at this measuring work So that we may yet say though the afflictions of the Churches be very great and their desolations many yet if a man will lift up his eyes and stirre up himself he may and shall behold a man with a measuring line in his hand And thus you see that there is ●ardly a word of these three visions but affordeth some speciall instruction But because I have not time for all I shall especially close with those three Doctrines that are especially held forth in these three visions Thus. 1. In that here are four hornes that appeare first you may Doct. 1 observe this That when God intendeth good and salvation to his Churches he doth first suff●r many potent malicious enemies to rise against them 2. In that these foure Carpenters do appeare immediatly after these foure hornes as it were in the same vision you may observe That though God do suffer the enemies of his Churches and people to be exceeding strong many and most mischievous yet he will raise up an answerable strength against them Foure Carpenters against foure hornes which shall fray them away and deale by them as they have done by others 3. In that the man with a measuring line doth immediatly follow upon these you may observe that when God shall please to raise up speciall instruments to suppresse the Churches enemies then and then especially Reformation is to be much endeavoured which is to be done with exactnes even by Line I begin with the former vision of the foure hornes and the Doct. 1 first Doctrine namely that when God intendeth any great good and salvation to his people he doth first suffer malignant potent and many ●nemies to rise against them Was it not so with Israel wh●n God intended to bring them out of Egypt Then their Taskemasters arose and doubled their work and were more inimicitious to them then formerly Was it not thus with the Jewes when God brought them out of Babylon to build the Temple opposition they met withall in their remove in their journey and all along in their Temple-work Was it not thus with the Israelit●s when they went to execute justice upon that malignant Tribe of Benjamin for the great sin of Gibeah If you look into the 20. of Iudges you shall find that before Benjamin was punished they got two great victories upon Israel Israel if you count the numbers of their souldiers w●re twelve to one Israel had the best cause and their work was good they went forth to do just●ce on that delinquent Tribe yet if you consult the story the Tribe of Benjamin first slew of them down to the ground forty thousand m●n This is Gods way still He seldome or never destroyeth his enemies but out of Zeale The Zeale of the Lord of Hosts hath done this saith the Prophet Now Zeale is nothing else but angered love and three things there are in the world that God doth love especially His people His truth and His worship When the enemies prevaile they spoile his people they defile his worship they scorne his truth so his love is angred his Zeale is stirred and then his enemies are confounded But what reason is there why God should suffer his precious Quest servants and people to be thus handled oppressed gored scattered by cruell enemies Good reason for it Totidem inimici totidem paedagogi Answ so many enemies so many school-masters Make plain my way before me saith the Psalmist because of mine enemies but in the Hebrew it is because of mine observers our enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inimicus q●asi obser●ator dictus quod semper obser●et et contempletur quibus malefacial

all our Worthies 3. Your service is and will be most successefull t is truth you stand for And though the truth may labour as Hierom Veritas laborare potest vinci non potest Hier. Quid enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lo inexpugnabilius v●ritas arcem in coel● collocavit Ps 119. Mend. speakes it cannot be overcome For what saith Mendoza is more impregnable then the Heavens and Truth hath built it selfe a towre there Thy word O Lord is setled in the Heavens Psal 119. Wherefore worthy Sirs as heretofore so now much more be alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord in due time you shall reape if you faint not If you want money to carry on your yet not your but Gods publique Designe remember what was promised unto Cyrus who in regard of re-building the Temple was to doe your worke in the type I will Esay 45. 2 3. goe before thee saith God and make the crooked places streight I will breake in pieces the Gates of brasse and cut in sunder the barres of iron and will give thee the treasures of darknesse and hidden riches of secret places And doth not your owne experience tell you thus even thus hath our God dealt by us for the treasures of darkenesse and hidden riches of secret places have beene brought forth unto us Gold and silver that hath not seene the light for many yeares before God is the same God still and his promise which is your Mint the same If you want outward strength and power then remember how often when the Iews were to build the Temple and therein to meet with enemies the Lord inculcates that his Attribute upon them The Lord of Hosts Thus saith the Lord of Hosts thrice in one verse Zach. 15. 3. and five times in foure short verses Hag. 2. Silver is mine and gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts I will fill this house with my glory saith the Lord of Hosts c. And if you finde not the hearts of the people comming up alwayes to your forwardnesse then your wisdome knoweth how to improve the heates of their hearts while they last all things you know are easie and beautifull in their season And because men know not time and judgement● therefore their misery is great upon them But above all things let your eye be upon that most which Gods eye is most upon Truth Reformation and pure Religion State-hypocrites desire truth for peace sake godly States-men desire peace for truths sake warre is for peace but peace for truth Wherefore that I may serve you herein I take the boldnesse to lay these few lines before you The Sermon calleth for exactnesse of Reformation if I have not beene exact whilst I have called for exactnesse your goodnesse knoweth as well how to connive at what is mine as to embrace what is God Goe on right worthy Patriots still to defend your Countrey to contend for truth to be willing to lose and be lost for Christ whilst I live I shall live praying for you and when I dye I hope I shal dye praising God for you Your humble servant in the Gospell of Iesus Christ WILLIAM BRIDGE Die Mercurii 29. November 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament that Sir Robert Harley doe give thanks unto M. Bridge for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he preached this da● at the intreaty of the Commons at S. Margarets Westm it being the day of publique Humiliation and to desire him to print his Sermon H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D Com. A SERMON Preached at the Late Fast before the Honourable House of COMMONS ZECHARIAH CHAP. 2. VER 18 19 20 21. And CHAP. 2. VER 1. 18. Then lift I up mine eyes and saw and behold foure borns 19. And I said unto the Angel that talked with me What be these And he answered me These are the horns which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem 20. And the Lord shewed me foure carpenters 21. Then said I What come these to doe and he spake saying These are the horns which have scattered Iudah so that no man did lift up his head but these are come to fray them to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles which lift up their horne over the land of Iudah to scatter it 1. I lift up mine eyes againe and looked and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand ALthough according to our English Translation these words are parts of severall Chapters yet in many Hebrew Copies the second Chapter begins where my Text doth and they have such connexion that I may not part them Three things there are which this Age of ours hath brought forth Malignant enemies Speciall instruments of their ruine And great endeavours for Reformation Accordingly here are three Visions A Vision of foure hornes ver 18 19. A Vision of foure carpenters ver 20 21. A Vision of a man with a measuring line in his hand Chap. 2. ver 1. Every Vision hath its Narration and Explication The Narration of the first Vision at the 18. verse I saw and behold foure hornes The Explication in the 19. These are the hornes which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem So that 1. You have the description of the Churches enemies under the vision of foure hornes who are here described 1. From their number or multitude they are foure hornes according to the foure parts of the world Quatuor cornua sunt quatuor mundi partes 2. From their power strength the horn is a word that in Scripture phrase doth note strength He hath raised up a horne of salvation for us Luke 1. 69. that is strong and powerfull salvation 3. From their mischievous and malignant practice They scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem 2. In the second Vision you have the description of those speciall instruments that are raised up for their destruction under the similitude of foure carpenters or four smiths who are here described 1. From their number foure And 2. From their work which is to scatter the hornes and to cast out the Gentiles 3. Then commeth in the third Vision the endeavours for Reformation under the similitude of a man with a meas●ring line in his hand which is described two wayes 1. From the instrument thereof a man or as in the Hebrew an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man explained to be Zerubbabel their Governour Chap. 4. 10. 2. From the exactnesse thereof he d●th work by line I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand Give me l●ave to open the words and draw out some short Observations upon them before I come to the maine truths VERSE 18. Then lift I up mine eyes and saw That is I stirred and rowsed up my self with all intensenes to receive this vision Heavenly relations are not to be obtained in a drowsy and sleepy way And behold foure hornes that is enemies from all parts of the world and especially those foure Monarchies who have all in their

Buxtor● are our observers and their observation is our preservation As a mans best friend sometimes doth him more hurt then his worst enemy so his worst enemie doth him more good then his best friend Now suppose saith Salmeron that a man were in great want and need of money and his friend should throw him a bag of gold though in his catching of it he might hurt his hands or head yet when he hath Magna Dei mise●●cordia in flag ello temporall ut si quis c●umenam g●avem au●o onustam ex ●dito loco in caput cu●usdam p●o d●●ito aliq ●o in carce●om detenti proj●●eret dolorem aliquem ei infe●●et ●um●rem capi●●s exc●taret un●m vel alteram g●ttulam sang● 〈◊〉 cl 〈…〉 ct ille quidem ●ei ignarus moleste serret in principio vicem suam magn●p 〈…〉 dole●et quod afflicto afflictio adde●etur verum si paulo post animo ●am tranquill● a l 〈…〉 xu●●●culos suos convertet c●umenam multo auro refectam deprehendat quo possit debita sua persolvere q●od supe est ad vitam ●t anquilie placideque traducendam suffi 〈…〉 e p●osecto de ill ato tantillo vul●ere n●lla esset amplius querimonia vel memo ●a imo se●ta congratulat●o Ad eundem mod●m de Christi flagellis considerandam Salmer de miracul in J●an 3. * Honor est testimonium de alicujus excellentia Aqu. taken out the gold he loves his friend never the lesse There is no persecution but brings a bag of gold to Gods people though it may somewhat hurt them in falling upon them yet when they have picked out the gold thereof they will love God the more L●t me instance 1. Hereby they are occasioned to honour God which is the end of their life and the comfort of their soule for what is honour but as * H●nor est testimonium de alicujus excellentia Aqu. Aquinas speaks a testimony of anothers excellency the more I testifie of any excellency in any truth or way of Gods the more I honour him and in times of persecution the Saints of God doe thus testifie of him 2. Hereby the children of God are weaned from the world and made to hie them home to their fathers house 3. Hereby they are made more usefull in their places and beneficiall unto their enemies for therefore our enemies doe us so much hurt because we doe them no more good 4. Hereby they carry the truths of God and Christ into other parts the enemy intendeth to scatter their persons but God intendeth to scatter his truths 5. Hereby the children of God receive a fuller and clearer testimony of their own graces When the world frowns most God smiles most upon them When the enemie gives the loudest testimonie of their hypocrisie God from heaven doth give the highest testimony of their sincerity to their bosomes 6. Hereby the enemies themselves are more convinced Some men snore so loud in their sleep that they awake themselves with their owne snortings and some mens sinnes are so loud and unreasonable that they convince themselves and others by their owne unreasonable dealing with the people of God Master Fox tels of one in Queene Maries time that had so basely and maliciously used that s●rvant of God Iames Abbes that when that good man Iames Abbes was dead the remembrance of this Martyrs patience and his owne unreasonablenesse made the Persecutor cry out and say Iames Abbes is saved and I am damned and so he went wringing his hands to his grave crying Iames Abbes is saved and I am damned Iames Abbes is saved and I am damned It is recorded also of one Calocerius that when he saw the malignancy of the enemies and patience of the Martyrs he cryed out and said Of a truth great is the God of the Christians And what Vere magnus Deus Christian●rum can a Christian desire more Is not Gods truth better then my house 7. Hereby also the Saints are kept from and cured of divisions among themselves Cyprian meditating of the severall causes that brought those sad and heavy persecutions in the primitive times reckoneth up this for one their owne divisions wherefore God was fame to let out the dog upon the sheepe that the sheepe might run together Our punishments oftentimes weare the names of our sins in their foreheads And if ever then now God doth punish our divisions with divisions But it is to cure our divisions He points to our sin by our punishment that in our punishment wee may becured of sin 8. Hereby also the servants of God may see and know by experience that it is better to serve God then men When we worship God after and for the precepts of men we doe rather worship men then God and serve them then him And when his servants do so th●n God suffers men to rise up against them that they may learne in a smarting way as wel as they have done in a sinning way what it is to serve men This cause you have expressed 2 Chron. 12. 7 8. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying They have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out by the hand of Shishak Neverthelesse they shall be his servants that they may know my service and the service of the Kingdomes of the Countries 9. Hereby againe the servants of God learne the right use of the rod both in Church and State Sometime it so falleth out that Justice is not executed in a Kingdome and Discipline not exercised in a Church Well then saith God seeing that you will not take the rod into your hand I will take it into mine owne but it shall be in such a manner as shall make all your hearts to ake In the second and third Chapters of the Revelation you know there are seven Epistles written to the seven Churches and there is none of all the Churches but are threatned with one affliction calamity or another save onely that of Philadelphia and if you marke it you shall finde that onely that Church had the keyes rightly used and handled And you shall finde this also in all Gods dealings both with States and Churches Let a State or Kingdome be never so wicked yet if Justice be executed there is hope thereof Let a Church be never so defiled yet if Discipline be exercised there is hope of that But if a Kingdome where there is no Justice or a Church where there is no Discipline nor in tendentia to it then the Lord himselfe ariseth and saith W●ll because you will not take this rod into your hand I will and I will raise up enemies against you that shall doe the same to you that you should have done to them Good reason therefore yea infinitely good reason that God should sometimes