By an heavenly Election They are the Congregation of the first born whose names are enrolled in heaven Heb. 12 23. And 2. They are taken and bought from the earth by a speciall work of Redemption out of every Country and Kindred and People and Nation Revel. 59. and cap. 14.3 4.3 They are singled out from others by a powerfull conversion upon which ground they are saluted Holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling Heb. 3.1 And 4. Their trading and traffique is not for the things of this world but their conversation is in heaven Phil. 3 20.5 Their inheritance and portion is not in the earth for here they are but strangers and pilgrims out of their own Country but they have an inheritance immortall undefiled reserved in the heavens for them 1 Pet. 1.4 In these and divers other respects the Saints which are members of the Church though they live in the earth yet they are accounted in Scripture the Citizens and Inhabitants of heaven 5. The Lawes and Ordinances which the Church is governed by are all extracts taken from an heavenly originall copies and draughts derived from the Pattern in the Mount as Moses Tabernacle and Solomons Temple were {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Church of God saith Nazianzen which is the inferiour Tabernacle and House of God here below it is in all its institutions rites and Ordâ—nances commensurable to its pattern and prototipe for the heavenly Tabernacle which is above 6. The Acts and administrations of the Church if they be such as they should be divine and Spirituall they sent not of the earth breathe not of the world but the whole savour and rellish of them is heavenly when the Word is Preached it is not the Wisdome and Spirit of man but the Lord from heaven that speakes Heb. 12.25 Mat. 10.20 And the Apostle tels us likewise that when men Prophecy there is such a demonstration of divine power that unbeleevers comming in are convinced by it saying God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.25 The like may be sayd of prayer it s the Spirit that must frame every request and indite every Petition if it be according to Gods Will Rom. 8 27. So the execution of Church censures and generally all Church administrations they are not such as they should be if they carry not with them a certaine perfume as it were or odor of heaven This may suffice for the first point I defer the Use of it till I have done with the next which is this Where the Lord raiseth up choyce Instruments to Preach the Gospell as he did here in the dayes of Iohn and of our Saviour there the Kingdom of heaven comes in amaire and multitudes take hold of it For the proof of this see the truth of it in cleer predictions and prophecies foretelling that it should be so Esay 2.1 2 3. It shall come to passe in the latter dayes that the Mountaine of the Lords house shall be lifted up not onely on the Mount Marlah at Jerusalem but on the top of the Mountaines and all nations not the Jews only shall flow unto it but how shall this be brought about the Law of the Lord shall go out of Sion and the Word of the Lord out of Jerusalem and then he shall rule among the Nations If the Gospell be preached the Kingdome of God will advance and get ground among all the Nations of the world The like Prophecy we have Psal. 110.2.3 When Christ sends out his Gospell which is that rod of his power out of Sion he will then be ruler in the midst of his enemies In the day when he sends out his Armies to wit of Apostles and Prophets His people shall be a willing people or as some Interpretors turn it they shall be all voluntiers in the beauty of his holinesse and the dew of his youth that is the multitudes of children that shall be born unto him shall be as numerous as drops of dew in a spring or summers morning 2. See the reall performances and accomplishment of these Prophecies In the first dawning of the Gospell when the state of the Jewish Church was exceeding corrupt even then by the preaching of Iohn great numbers of people came over unto Christ and by Solemn Baptisme took the oath of allegeance unto him Mat. 3.5 6. And the Ministery of Christ and his Apostles was yet more effectuall their diligence was such that they went through every City and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of the Kingdome of God Luk 8.1 And the people flocked after them in such multitudes that they trode one upon another Luke 12.1 And they were so eager and violent for the Kingdom of God that they came by break of day to seek Christ in the desert and they layd hold of him that he should not depart from them Luk. 4.42 And the successe of those endeavours was such that Satan fell from heaven like lightning Luke 10.18 All this came to passe whiles the Gospell and Kingdom of Christ was yet penâ—â—o as it were in a corner confined only to the Jews but after that Christ was once by his Ascention lifted up unto heaven then he drew all men after him John 12.32 then was fulfilled and not before as some learned conceive that prediction of our Saviour Mat. 16.28 Verily I say unto you there be some standing here that shall not taste of death till they have seen the Kingdome of God come with power The Kingdom of God came with power when the Holy Ghost came down like a mighty rushing wind and shooke the place where the Apostles were on the day of Pentecost gathered together Act. 2.2 This violent rushing wind was an Emblem of the great power of the Gospell which shooke the foundations of Sathans Kingdom and overthrew all his strong holds demolished Idols subdued all the learning policy and power of the world and captivated all Nations to the obedience of faith The Jewes had most of them a strong prejudice against Christ yet S. Peter with his Fishâ—rs net came over them and caught 3000. of them at one draught Act. 2.41 The Samaritans had for a long time been held under the power of Sathan by the Inchantments and Sorceries of Simon the Conjurer but the Gospell comming among them those Magick Spells lost their force and were un-witched by a more potâ—nt and effectuall charm Act. 8.12 It s recorded there That when they beleeved the things that were spoken by Philip concerning the kingdome of God and the Name of Jesus Christ they were Baptized both men and women When the Word is Preached it s as possible to keepe down the Sun from rising as to hinder Christ from getting up into his Kingdom But how comes the empty breath of a few weak and despised men to be so effectuall and prevalent The Reasons are 1. This is the Institution and Ordinance of God which therefore must needs be
Heaven Ravished OR A Glorious Prize atchieved by an Heroicall Enterprize As it was lately Presented In A SERMON TO THE Honourable House of Commons at their solemn Fast May 29. 1644. By HENRY HALL B. D. late Fellow of Trin. Coll. in Cambridge Printed by Order of the said House 1 COR. 9.24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all but one receiveth the prize So run that ye may obtaine Printed by J. Raworth for Samuel Gellibrand and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Brasen-Serpent in Pauls-Churchyard 1644. TO The Honourable House of Commons now assembled in PARLIAMENT I Have offered violence to my selfe to satisfie your desires in Preaching first and next in publishing these weake and course-spun meditations fitter indeede for a popular auditory then such an awfull and judicious assembly concerning which I may fitly say what Zeba and Zalmunna sometimes did of Gideons brethren each one resembled the children of a King Jud. 8.18 or as Cyneas the Embassador of Pyrrhus being asked after his return from Rome what he thought of the City and State made answere {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the same may I with better reason say of your Honourable Senate It seemed unto me to looke like a little Common-wealth of Kings When first I understood you had designed me the unfittest in many respects you could have thought upon unto this solemne service I resented it truely no otherwise than Jonah did his message to Nineveh with much trouble and emotion of spirit not to say discontent and as forward should I have beene as he had not a strong band of reason and conscience held me backe to flye to Tarsus or any whither else rather then undertake the Province you had called me to Not out of any disaffection to the worke or the Authority that summoned me to it which I shall alwayes honour and next to that of Gods esteeme sacred but being sensible of nothing more in all this world then mine owne defects and knowing well how hard a matter I finde it to satisfie my selfe I held it impossible for me to bring forth ought that might satisfie others especially such a grave Court of great Statesmen either in the Pulpit or the Presse However since you are pleased out of your ingenuity and candor not onely to owne this worthlesse piece but to over value it so far as to call it forth into the publique light having nothing else to sway with me besides the obedience I owe to your commands I do therefore in all humility present it unto your honourable acceptance such as it is it glorieth to be yours and were all the body of this simple discourse like Solomons Lineae aureae cum punctis argenteis Cant. 1.11 wrought with lines of gold and enameled with pearles I should not hold it too rich a present for such unparalleld Worthies which have honoured God so much and are so much honoured by him Your exemplary zeale and piety your Noble and heroicall atchieuments for the honour of our God and the advancement of his kingdome hath already stamped for you such an Impression of respect and reverence in the estimations and thoughts of all the godly that you seeme to be as the stones of a crown lifted up and as an Ensigne upon our Land Zech. 9.16 Go on and prosper most worthy Senators in the great worke which you have so happily begun till you shall have fully crowned our hopes and perfected your owne most glorious undertakings Never had any Parliament either so glorious a prize as you have to contend for or so many potent adversaries oppositions and difficulties to encounter with but this may serve as a more then sufficient encouragement to hearten you on that you have a good God a Noble Cause an Honourable Reward and what could you wish more See what you have done already and let your former many and precious experiences of divine favour and assistance animate you to waite upon God with an unwearied patience till he shall make all your enemies of the Synagogue of Sathan to come and worship before your feete and to know that he hath loved you Consider how many great and stupendious workes God hath already made you instruments to bring about How many mighty Nimrods have you cut down how many yoakes of oppression and tyranny have you broken how many dying Saints have you revived The Lord hath made darkenesse light before you and crooked things streight he hath levelled mountaines and raised vallies what enterprize have you taken in hand which hath not in the Issue prospered beyond your expectations You have sprung a myne under the walls of Babylon unsetled the Throu of the Beast Behold how the Antichristian faction languisheth the Pontificall chaire reeles the Miters wither the triple Crowne shakes that which the Lord threatned sometimes against one of the worst of the Kings of Judah the same he seemes to doe now against the great Monarch of Babylon Remove the Diadem take away the Crown I will overturn overturn overturn it untill he come whose right it is and I will give it him Ezek 22.26 27. Me thinkes I see the proud turrets and battlements of Rome falling and Sion rising up faire as the morning cleere as the moone terrible as an Army with Banners Howsoever this is certaine God hath promised and he will no doubt in due time make it good which we have in the Prophet Esay 24.23 The moone shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Sion and before all his ancients gloriously I hope the happy time is at hand which God hath appointed for the full working out of his Glory and our deliverance and that this dawning of our hopes may break forth into a perfect day of joy and triumph It is and shall be the earnest and constant prayer of Your most unworthy Servant in the worke of Christ HEN HALL MATTH. 11.12 And from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdom of the heavens suffereth violence and the violent take it by force THis Text is not entire of it self but linked in necessary connexion with that which went before for clearing whereof we may borrow light at the next doore If we please to go back a little and take the advantage of a run the coherence will shew that our Saviour having in the former chaptâ—r chosen the 12. Apostles and sent them out to Preach in the Cities of Jury here in the beginning of this he goes himself about the same errand to preach the Gospell in the Cities of Galilee for so the current of Interpretors carrieth the sence of those words vers. 1. He departed thence to Teach and to Preach in their Cities referring it to the Apostles who were all or most of them of Galilee The promulgation of the glad tydings of the Kingdom of heaven now ready to be revealed it was a matter of that
mighty and powerfull to bring about the end it was appointed for this was the sole Apostolicke Weapon whereby they subdued all the world to the Scepter of Christ 2 Cor. 10 4.5 It is not the bare sound of the Word but the concurrence of God with his own Ordinance that did give it such life and successe every where Mark 16. ult. As the woman of Tekoah was subtile because the hand of Ioab was with her so the Preaching of the Apostles was powerfull because the hand of the Lord was with them Act. 11.21 Zabarell gives this account why heate being but a meere accident is yet the cause of all nutrition It is not as it is a bare quality but as the Instrument of the Soule And if any aske How the Preaching of the Gospell workes such rare effects it being so weak and contemptible a thing the answer is Non ut sonus sed ut instrumentum dei not as it is a sound but as the Instrument of God there was never any man more excellently accomplished or more diligent in this great work then the Apostle S. Paul he carried the Word of the Kingdom and set up the Scepter of Christ well neere to the third part of the know world Yet I dare not speak saith he of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed through the mighty power of the Spirit of God Rom. 15.19 20. 2. In the Gospel there is a discovery of great and glorious things which objectively and morally work upon the apprehensions of men All objects make impressions upon the hearts of men according as the worth and excellency the use and necessity of them is more or lesse apprehended every man is drawn by that which appeares best for him in his own judgment As a sheepe may be led along with a green bow so may an Epicure with pleasures an ambitious man with a baite of honour and covetous men with a bribe a martiall man with feats of Armes and every man with that which carries the greatest stroke with him and which he hath the greatest apprehention of In like manner doth it fall out here the great things propounded in the Gospell when they are seene and understood according to their own worth they attract the heart and ravish the affections the Arminians say That the Word preached workes upon the understanding irresistibly in the Elect no doubt it doth so when the houre is come which God hath appointed and when there is an impression of light set on irresistably upon the minde the will and affections are alwayes in a due proportion equally moved and stirred as the hinder wheeles in a coach are with the former and when both the understanding is conquered and the will caught and the affections ravished what then can hinder men from comming into the Kingdome of Christ If the Pharisees by taking away the key of knowledge debarred men of entrance into the Kingdome of God Mat. 23.13 Luke 11.52 Surely then the preaching of the Gospell and the dispensation of the mysteries of it being the right use of the Keyes of knowledge must needs be a meanes to give people admission and entrance into that Kingdom 3. In the Preaching of the Gospell there is not onely a bare Proposition and discovery of glorious things to whet up and provoke the affections of men but there is an offer and tendry of them upon the easiest and freest termes as if the Lord were weary of his Kingdome and would gladly make it over unto men he offers it for nothing requires nothing but acceptance and thankes more than this he intreats and woo's and sollicites men yea he importunes and urges and in a manner offers violence unto them to make them plyant and tractable to their own happinesse As Lot urged the Angels and offered violence to them to come and lodge with him Gen. 19.3 and Jacob in like manner was urgent with his brother to accept his present Gen. 33.11 and the Levites father-in-law would needs with much importunity heape kindnesse upon him so the Lord he seemes with a loving violence to obtrude as it were his Kingdom upon men and to presse it upon them with such eagernesse of affection as if he knew not how to be happy without them When the guests that were invited to the marriage Supper of the Kings Son refused the offer Go saith he into the high wayes and hedges and Market places and bring in the blinde and the lame and the halt {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luke 14.23 compell them to enter in that is use all your uttermost endeavours to allure and draw them try all conclusions by perswasions promises threats to work upon them As Lot when he lingred in Sodom and was loth to depart the Angells layd hold on him and pluckt him out so the Lord would have his servants to enforce as it were and hale men into his Kingdom that they might be saved not that he doth in proper speech constrain or enforce the will for that agrees not with its nature it being a rational faculty which cannot be compelled but the Lord drawes it with a sweet and liberall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a loving and gentle violence a pleasing powerfull necessity which in effect is all one with those cords of a man and bands of love which the Prophet speakes of Hosea 11.4 and when men are thus drawn it s no marvell if they come and offer violence to the Kingdom of heaven when it hath first offered such violence to them 4. The Gospell and Kingdom of Christ is of an increasing and growing nature it spreads like a leaven Mat. 13.33 growes like a graine of mustard seed ver. 31. It got first into families then it crept next into Cities afterwards it advanced into whole Provinces Countries Common-wealths that little stone that was cut out of the mountaine without hands figured the Kingdome of Christ which will break in pieces all other Kingdomes and grow into a great mountaine filling the whole earth Deut. 2.34 35. 5. And that which is yet more observable this Kingdom of Christ it growes by its losses thrives by its decayes prospers by its oppositions it is in this like unto a bed of Cammomill the more it s trodden down the more it gets up and riseth the old rule here if ever holds true Punitis ingeniis gliscit it authoritas opposition makes the Gospell it self and those that bring it gather strength and win the more Authority when the Apostle was cast into prison the Word of the Lord was not bound howsoever the Adversaries thought to stop the proceedings of the Gospell by that course yet it tended rather to the enlarging and propagation thereof Phil. 1.11 12. Lo here how bonds and fetters helped forward the happy spreading and progresse of Christs Kingdome opposition at Jerusalem made it get footing in
hath the key of the house of David that opens and none shuts and shuts none opens he hath set before us an open door as he did for Philadelphia Rev. 3.7.8 and although there hath been and still is much opposition and great endeavours to have this door shut and fast bolted yet still it s kept open in despight of Rome and hell and is not this just matter of comfort that God hath by his Word opened us a passage into his Kingdom which no Art or power of the Enemies can block up Doth it not revive and cheer up our Spirits in our saddest droopings that although the Lord suffers our treasures to waste our estates to be drayned our provisions and supplies brought low though he feede us with the bread of adversity and water of affliction as it is in the Prophet Esay 30.20 21. Yet he suffers not our teachers to be scattered into corners notwithstanding all opposition he still continues a fresh Spring of the Gospell and with it the cloud of his presence among us Surely we are injurious to the bounty and goodnesse of our God in this kinde and value it not aright If it beare not such weight in our estimations and thoughts as to counter-vaile and more then countervaile to out-ballance all our afflictions And though there be some that would make us beleeve That we are still in the midst of Babylon and that it is not Christ but Antichrist that hath his Throne among us yet that is not a more malicious then an ignorant slander and tends not a little were it true to the honour of that man of sin For how almost can you honour him more as a reverend and grave Author sayes well then by holding him to be such an one under whose raigne a faithfull and effectuall ministery takes place the Word of the Kingdom being purely preached the Sacraments rightly administred for substance thousands of people converted and the way to Salvation and life eternall as open as in any other place in the world Surely we should be worse scared then hurt with those expressions of horrour and atrocity which the Scripture brands the kingdom of Antichrist with if this were the condition of his raign and government Sed non sic notus Vlysses I hope we are taught of God to know the manners of that man of sin otherwise then so But to passe over this let us descend into a more particular survey and discovery of our present condition and then I doubt me we shall finde but too much ground of just mourning and humiliation for although it is true that there is a Kingdom of heaven among us which prospers and flourishes in a considerable degree yet it hath not spread and got ground in such a large manner as might have beene expected and desired A man would think that we who have been tenants in the Lords land and have had a Patent and Charter of the Gospell leased out unto us for the terme of more than fourescore yeeres with many other great advantages above other parts of the world a man would think I say we should have been long since a people so refined in Religion so ripe in knowledge so eminent for the life and power of godlinesse so exemplary for purity of Ordinances Ministery Doctrine Worship and Government as might have rendred us a praise in all the Reformed Churches and a singular pattern and myrrour to the other parts of the world But alas how far short are we of such a condition and what great cause have we of mourning and humiliation in sundry respects 1. Its matter of mourning That although there be some yet we have not workmen enough rightly fitted and furnished with ability and fidelity for the Kingdom of God if we had as many labourers as Solomon had for the building of the Temple and he had many hundreds of thousands 1 Kings 5.15.16 yet all this would be no more then sufficient in respect or the great Work of God now in hand and upon the wheeles among us But alas we have scarce the tithe of that number the harvest is great and the labourers but few as our Saviour complained in a like case Luke 10.2 The Apostle having mentioned some 4. or 5. men of principall note who assisted him in the great work of Preaching the Gospell hee doth as it were fetch a sigh and breath out his soul in an expression of some griefe for that there were no more such Col. 4.11 These onely saith he are my fellow workers unto the Kingdom of God which have beene a comfort unto me you know how our Saviour mourned and how his bowels yearned with compassion over the multitudes when he observed them to be destitute in this kinde and scattered abroad like sheep without a sheepheard Mat. 9.36 2. It s yet more to be lamented that we are clogged and cumbred with others who in stead of promoting and carrying on do indeed retard and set back the proceedings of the Gospell and Kingdom of Christ {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as the saying of Byas was their very help is a disadvantage and an hinderance rather there be no small numbers imployed in the Service of the house of God whom a man would disdaine to set with the dogs of his flock as Job hath it Chap. 30.1 of this sort are 1. Those troopes of blinde guides ignorant sots priests of Jeroboams order the scum and froth of the people Indeed the silliest creatures in the world if they were but men were good enough as one fayes to make priests for Jeroboams gods which were but calves but what hath the Gospell and Kingdome of Christ deserved that it should be put into the hands of such hucksters 2. Little better upon the matter though some of them are more learned are those Loiterers rather than labourers in Gods Vineyard who feede themselves and famish their flocks Non-residents I meane who through covetousnesse make Merchandize of the Church of God and care not what becomes of the soules of the people bought with Christs blood so they may wallow in their pomp and jollity Master Greenham wished that this Inscription or Motto might be written on their doores and posts on their beds and tables on their study bookes plate and all their furniture precium sanguinis pretium sanguinis The price of blood The price of blood 3. Worse then both the former are those sonnes of Eli or sons of Belial rather who by their corrupt Doctrine or scandalous conversation poyson those who are committed to their charge pulling down the Church and Kingdom of God with both hands but building it up with neither if the people call for bread they give them a stone and when they aske a fish reach them a Serpent are not Christs flock trow ye well provided for when they are set over to the feeding of such Wolves 4. That small sprinkling of faithfull Ministers and people that are in
and grace sure then the contrary must needs be interpreted as symptomes of wrath and infallible arguments of much displeasure God is angry with a people to purpose when he inflicteth upon them such a Judgement Hos. 9.7 Israel might well know and so may England now by the same token that the dayes of visitation and recompence were come when the Prophet it a foole the spirituall man mad an heavie condition God wot but hark what followes For the multitude of their Iniquity and the great hatred we are for the most part slight and shallow in searching out the true roote and ground of such a Judgement when the Prophets are fooles and spirituall men mad we shift off the blame from our selves and derive it upon others oh we may thank the Prelates for this or we may thank corrupt and Simoniacall Patrons these commonly be our thoughts but truely we may thank our selves most of all who by our manifold great sinnes have provoked our God to scourge us with such a dreadfull visitation Let us therefore sit in the dust and accept of our punishment acknowledging and owning our demerit If there be multitudes of Prophets fooles and multitudes of Spirituall men that are no better then mad or distracted take the Prophets word for it and write it down as an Oracle That it is for The multitude of our Iniquity and for Gods great but just Hatred conceived against us It was Hirams complement to Solomon Because the Lord loved his people therefore he made thee to be King over them 2 Chron. 2.11 And let me say in the same manner because the Lord was angry with his people therefore in Church and State he made such and such Lyons Wolves and Leopards to rule over them when a Religious man in an expostulatory straine complained to God of Phocas that Paracide who paved his way to the Throne by the murther of Mauritius his predecessour saying Lord wherefore hast thou made this man Emperour The story records that the Lord returned this unto him in answer enimvero quomodum non inveni pejorem Verily because I have not found a worse It seemes the sinnes of the Romane State were then grown to such an height that if God could have culled out a worse Instrument then Phocas was they should have had him to sit at the Helm and Steere their Common-wealth with a vengeance And if any should expostulate now and complaine in like manner unto God and aske Why he hath set over the Church such multitudes of blinde Seers mongrâ—ll temporizers superstitious Chemarims desperate malignants Incendiaries and furies May he not returne the same answer Because he hath not found any worse Verily the sins and provocations of our Land are risen to such an height and swoln to such a Number that if the Lord could have raked together a worse generation of pernicious and destructive instruments from any corner of the world on this side of hell It s not to be doubted but that sundry of our Parishes and Congregations should have been thought worthy to be plagued with them I know this will seeme a sad and perhaps too grievous a charge but will ye please to consider how the Lord lightens and thunders and with how tragicall an accent he ushers in such a Judgement Esay 29.9 10 11 c. Stay your selves and wonder and cry yâ—e out Wherefore is all this noise What meanes such unusuall fulgurations Sure the matter must needs be great more then ordinary when the expressions are so full of horror Indeed so it is for the Lord was now preparing a Judgement for his people little short of the damnation of Hell at the 10. vers. He powres out upon them a Spirit of slumber rockes them fast asleepe in a profound security and that they might never be awaked Their eyes were closed as dying men use to be their Prophets Rulers and Seers were covered a black and palpable mist of Egyptian darknesse enclosed and over-clouded them all learned and unlearned The visions of heaven were unto them a Sealed booke vers. 11.12 Utterly inexplicable and unintelligible and if we would know what meanes the heate of this fierce wrath see the ground and meritorius cause of it vers. 13 14 It is for the Iniquity of an hypocriticall and superstitious people which draw neere unto God with their mouth and with their lips do honour him but their hearts recede far from him and their worship of him is taught by the precepts of men Therefore doth the Lord proceede to do this marvellous work and wonder in their dayes when he would seale up a people unto destruction he strikes them with a spirit of giddinesse and makes their wisemen that should be as blinde as beetles so as they can see nothing Let me with you patience adde one place more of many others to close up this Mich. 2.6 11. They straightned the Spirit of the Lord and silenced his Prophets they liked not their Prophecies which never boded unto them any good but still as they thought put them to shame therefore to fit their humour that there might be like Priest like people If any man saith the Lord vers. 11. walking in the spirit and falshood do lye saying I will Prophecy unto you of wine and strong drink he shall even be the Prophet of this people The visions and inspirations of faithfull Prophets which like golden showers came dropping from heaven these were loathed therefore the Lord lets them have such as they best relished drunken sots setting all their doctrines abroach from their wine cellar Doe but turn the key of the speech and alter the Scene and it will suite our condition to an haire If any man walking in the Spirit and falshood will Preach against Preaching and cry up the divine right of Episcopacy with Altar and Image worship and the only lawfull devotion of May games and Morrice dances for the Sanctification of the Lords day he shall even be the Prophet of this people 4. This may reach out a word of exhortation First to all in generall and next in a more speciall addresse to ministers and lastly to our honourable Senators 1. It generally concerns us all of what degree or condition soever we be to helpe forward as much as lyeth in us the powerfull preaching and receiving of the Gospell which is the onely meanes by which the Kingdome of heaven comes in and gets possession Indeede we cannot all be Christs Scepter bearers that is an Office peculiar to some few that are design'd to it by speciall appointment we cannot all promote the affaires of the Kingdom of heaven by Preaching but there is somewhat which we may all doe 1. We may prepare and make way for the erecting and setting up of Christs Throne in our owne hearts and in our families and dependants we may do much if we put our strength to it to do our utmost If Christ raigne in our own
consciences by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit and the Kingdome of God be within us as the expression is Luke 17.21 We shall then straine our indeavours with all violence to make our houses Bethels little Temples and Sanctuaries and courts for Christ to keepe residence in there shall be roome for no swearers drunkards scorners of Religion or any other children of Belial that turn the broad side against Christ and will not have him reigne over them 2. We may hold fast what we have got already not suffering any enemy to take our crown and Kingdom from us there is a holy art of violence if we could hit on it by which the King may be detained and held in our galleries by the chaines of an acceptable and well pleasing captivity Cant. 7.5 If he see us earnest and zealous with all our most serious desires and affections winding about him and passionately enamored and sick of love for him and stedfastly resolved to retaine him with us in despight of all oppositions it will not then be in the power of any enemies to drive him out or pluck him away from us It may be we cannot prevaile to advance the Kingdom of heaven to a further extent and progresse and to the achieving of new acquisitions but we may if we be zealous and resolute make good the ground which it hath already won maintaine and defend all the Forts and strong Holds which it hath already taken in and conquered We cannot be all Souldiers to fight the Lords battels in the field but there is an holy war which we all may and must wage against Christs and our enemies which would if they knew how plunder him out of his Imperiall Soveraignety and us out of our Salvation S. Jude would have all Christians {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} earnestly to contend and wrastle for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints Here it behooves us all to be stout and invincible Champions to take up the Armes of our Christian warfare against Sathan and Antichrist and all their Ensigne-bearers whosoever go about to encroach upon our consciences and to raigne over us in matters of faith and Religion besides Christ we must hold our owne against them to the last gaspe 3. If we can do nothing else yet we may help forward the propagation of the Gospell by our prayers S. Paul often moves the people to pray that a doore might be opened unto him and that the Word of the Lord might run and be glorified Habebat ille verbi tonitruum sed dari ei viam querebat saith Gregory He had the thunder of the Word and yet he desired the peoples prayers that it might get the easier entrance and make the swifter progresse through all the difficulties and rubbs which he knew it would meete with There are great mountaines of opposition that lye in the way of Christs Kingdome but prayer if it be earnest and faithfull will remove them Mat. 7.20 This was the Engine which the Prophet plyed when he would with his breath blow downe the great Monarchy of Babylon which so long hindred the Churches restitution Esay 64 12. Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down that the mountaines might flow down at thy presence when the spirit of prayer growes hot and violent it melts mighty mountaines and makes them flow downe as snow before the sun or wax before the fire There be many faithfull Ministers which now lye in chaines and suffer Imprisonment as Peter did when Herod set a strong guard of Souldiers to keepe him the enlargement of them were a great advantage to the Kingdome of God a strong Gale of prayer would turne the lock of the Prison doores shake off all their fetters and fetch them out with safety there be many blinde corners in the Land where the people sit in darknesse and the shadow of death having scarce any more knowledge of Christ and the Kingdom of heaven then those that live in the wild deserts of America how miserable is the condition of such poore soules which are besieged with hell fire and yet know not their owne danger The key of knowledge not being with them the kingdom of heaven is fast locked and shut up upon them with Iron gates and barres If we can do nothing else yet we may at least pitty such poore soules and weep over them and pray for them that the Lord would thrust some faithfull labourers into his harvest among them Mat. 9.38 4. We may and must with our prayers joyne our endeavours imploy our Interests friends purses withall the contributions talents and advantages that we have to help forward the propagation of Christs Gospell and Kingdom that it may prevaile and prosper every where especially in our own Land We all pray that his Kingdom may come we are not in good earnest but do in effect mock God when we use not all possible meanes to accomplish what we pray for If we be desirous to have a Kingdom of heaven upon earth we must spare for no cost but like the wise Merchant man venture all we have for this pearl Wherefore were our estates given us but to honour God advantage our selves and helpe our neighbours which we can no way procure more effectually then by laying them out to purchase a sound Ministery we can never put out our wealth to a nobler use riches are then Goods when they are thus imployed if there be any other this is the best way to make our selves friends of the unrighteous Mammon Luke 16.9 We may at once ingage God and man to be our friends by this course For what can be more to the honour of God or benefit of man What more acceptable to both then to do with our Estates as 〈◊〉 did after its conversion write upon them Holinesse to the Lord Lâ—in 23.18 Happy are those stones saith the Philosopher of which Temples are made and happy is that Sacred Revenue say I which is imployed {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to make a bridge for men to go to heaven by Oh that some common stock might be raised for this purpose There was an honourable design on foot some few yeeres since for the buying out of Impropriations and the redeeming of the Churches patrimony it was a worke of as eminent piety and charity as ever any this Age hath produced and the stopping of it by some execrable instruments was an act of as pure Sathanicall malice against the glory of Christ and the Soules of men as ever issued out of Hell and were there no other exception against some great Incendiaries but this it were enough to render their persons hatefull and their memory infamous to all generations But howsoever all are interessed in this yet the Ministers of the Gospell it belongs to them in a more speciall manner to endeavour the prosperity honour and enlargement of Christs Kingdome their very office and calling