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 sâ—rvants of God When the the condition of the Saints is low and their fearâ—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 littâ—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 â—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 suffâ—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 â—nemies to rise against them Was it not so with Israel whâ—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 Israelitâ—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 wâ—re twelve to one Israel had the best cause and their work was good they went forth to do justâ—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 mâ—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 qâ—asi obserâ—ator dictus quod semper obserâ—et et contempletur quibus malefacial
build in both his house and walls of the City The Ecclesia tunc semper fuâ—t optima quando agebat inte pessiâ—os Luth. Churches have alwayes lost most in times of peace and gained most in times of trouble Whilest the 10. Persecutions contiâ—ued the integrity of the Churchâ—s was best preserved The Psalmist saith Send out thy light and thy truth O Lord Psal 43. 4. and let them leade me unto thine Altar There is no going unto Gods Altar with worship without the leading hand of truth and there is no building Gods house for an Altar without light When God made the world he first made light on the first day as an example unto us in all our workes to work by light Now light and truth do break forth much in troublous times 1. Troublous times are praying times and praying times Reas 1 are knowing times Prov. 2. 3 4 5. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God 2. In troublous times mens hearts are most low and Reas 2 hâ—mbled and so more apt and ready to receive and to be led into any truth You read in Esa 11. that God promiseth that in the latter times the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and in the verses a little before it is said of the Lion and the young Lion that a child shall lead them these two go well together but the stout Lion-like spirit will never be led by the hand of a sucking child till it be brought down and low by troublous time 3. In troublous times God is pleased to communicate Reas 3 himself more freely to his people God is not unto his in affliction as at other times he is most sweet when the world is most bitter It is with a Nation Churchâ— people in their reformation as with a person in his first conversion because of those many temptations that a converting person is to conflict withall God doth more abundantly reveal and communicate himself unto him at his first conversion so with a reforming people because of those many oppositions that they shall meet withall in that work God doth then more then ordinarily communicate himself unto them Thus troublous times do bring forth light and truth God loveth to have a sacrifice from the hands of the children of Abraham out of the thickets and bryars Opposition commendeth reformation in troublous times there is much opposition and therefore in those times reformation is very beautifull The Doctrine is clear then the application easie Thus. Hence we may all see and know what is the work of the App 〈…〉 times even to measure the Temple Now for a long while we have had experience of the first Vision and we have felt the hornes the rising of the carpenters we have seen also And who may not say I have lift up mine eyes and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand Blessed be God that we have lived to see this day to see a man stand with a measuring line in his hand in England And who ever you are that heare me this day you are either such as have this measuring line in your hands or else such as are to be measured If you have the measuring line in your hands then remember this Doctrine the first Proposition Stones of Reformation are to be laid with most exactnesse Herein if you be exact you shall be like unto Jesus Christ who as Salmeron observeth when he came to purge the Temple did not onely admonish chide reprove the money-changers or whip them away but did overthrow their very Tables Ne impium opus facile repeterent Lest they should recover their trade Sacâ—â—dotâ—â— in Templ◠〈…〉 dentes suâ—â—â—â—gellorum dâ—g 〈…〉 Sâ—lâ—ner in Joan. 3. againe In other things you are very exact men are exact in their trades exact in their accounts exact in their reckonings exact in their diet exact in their sleep exact in their haire both of head and face In small things you are exact and will you not be exact in this greatest You know what other Reformed Churches have done the Reformation of all other Churches are round about you you have their writings before you their books their practices their examples and this for many yeeres can you think that God hath set us now for an hundred yeeres upon their shoulders to see no farther into Reformation then they have done If two men be to do the same work the one first and the other after he that doth it first though he doth it never so well yet will excuse himself and say I never saw he work done before me I was faine to invent my very tooles and instruments and you will excuse him though there be some fayling in him But when the second man commeth to the same work that hath a former example and all his tooles to help him you expect more exactnes from him You know my meaning I need not apply this Oh that our God would make England the praise of the whole earth Nothing will do it but our exactnes in reformation Certainly this reformation that is now on foot hath as I may speake with reverence cost our God very dear the liberties the estates the lives and bloods of many of his deare children of whom the world was not worthy Do you think God will lay out all this for an imperfect unexact poor and low reformation Let me present you with the prophesy of Bishop Hooper who when he was in prison called his Printer to him and said You shal out-live these Marian times and see the alteration of the present religion when the Gospel shall be freely preached wherefore remember me to my brethren as well in exile as others and bid them be circumspect in displacing of Popish Priests and put good Ministers in Churches or else their end will be worse then ours He said be circumspect I say be exact And though I do not wish that every morning there might be a boy crying at your doors as once at Philips Mortalises thou art mortall thou art mortall for that the Drum doth sufficiently every morning yet I could wish that this sentence might be sounding in your hearts every morning and night that it might lie down with you and rise with you stones of reformation are to be laid with most exactnes But how shall that be Quest Thus. 1. Be sure of this that you take the right line into Answ your hands Gods word it is our line able to reach unto all particular affaires of the Churches Mistake me not I pray A Church is considered two wayes As a meeting of people men and women Oâ— as a Church meeting a meeting of Saints apparent Beleevers coeâ—us sidelium I doe not say that the Word is to be the onely line and
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 vâ—ritas arcem in coelâ— 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 judgementâ— 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 daâ— 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 measâ—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 dâ—th work by line I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand Give me lâ—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
suffer his owne people to bee pushed gored scattered by cruell and bloody enemies that are most unreasonable Wherefore then let no man be stumbled or offended Application at Gods present proceedings in the world or in this Kingdome though very mysterious Our Saviour sayes These things I tell ye before that when they come to passe ye may not be offended and whatsoever is now come to passe among us Christ hath told us of it before yea this Scripture Yet good Lord how many are there that are offended Oh sayes one we looked for reformation and we meet with confusion for light and we meete with darkenes we looked that Jesus Christ should at this time have restored his Kingdom to the Churches for friends and we meete with enemies Can God love us and suffer such enemies to rise against us Were there ever any enemies that were like to ours so potent so cruell so many so blasphemous so hellish c. But who art thou oh man that speakest thus long without book under the command of unbeliefe and darknest knowledge Shouldst thou not rather write so and such over thy sins then over thine afflictions You say had ever any of Gods people such enemies as we so cruell so many so vile c You should rather say Come O my soul did ever any commit such sins as I do so frequently so knowingly so deliberately so incorrigibly so scandalously Why do you not rather write the So upon your sins then upon your sorrowes Thus did Eusebius Neiremburgius aggravating his own sins oh saith he never any sinned so as I have done the Devil sinned indeed but Christ never died for him as he hath done for me Iudas sinned indeed but he was never pardoned as I have beene Achan sinned indeed and troubled the kingdom but enemies you know there are by whom you are most molested The Flesh Devil World First the Flesh brings forth three great evils 1. Ignorance in the understanding In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called our Prophet 2. Rebellion in the will In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called our King 3. Guiltines that ariseth from ignorance and rebellion In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called our Priest The Devil our second enemy is armed with all weapons of hostility against us therefore there are severall names given to him He is said 1. to be the strong man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the strong man keepeth the house c. In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stronger then he 2. The Luke 11. 21. Devill is called the Accuser of the brethren In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called our Advocate 3. The Devil is called Apollyon destroyer In opposion to that Jesus Christ is called our Saviour 4. The Devil is called the old Serpent In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called the brazen Serpent 5. The Devil is called a roaring Lion in opposition Iste leo ob seritatem Christus ob fortitudinem Christus lâ—o ad vincendum diabolus ad nocondum Aug. to that Jesus Christ is called a Lion of the Tribe of Iudah 6. The Devil is called the god of this world the prince of the ayre In opposition to that Jesus Christ is called the Prince of Peace the mighty God Thus what ever termes or titles of strength and power there is in Satan there is somewhat in Jesus Christ that answereth yea that over-answereth all And for our third enemy the world you cannot have a more full description of its power then as it is presented to you Revel 13. 1. I saw a Beast arising out of the Sea having seven heads and ten hornes Our Text speakes but of foure hornes and here are ten yet if you look into the 5. Revel you shall find an answerable strength in Christ who is described to be a Lambe having seven hornes seven rather then ten being the number of perfection in Scripture But if you think that seven is not enough to equalize the ten you find also in Habak 3. ver 4. that the Lord our God is said to have hornes in his hand because all the works of his hand are done in strength and power So that what ever your enemies are there is strength enough in Jesus Christ to subdue their strength And why is Christ thus furnished but for his Church and people He is the Lord Keeper of all our comforts the Lord Christus com 〈…〉 thesa◠〈…〉 Luth. Treasurer of all our graces and the great Magazine of all our Ammunition He was anointed that he might anoint he was sanctifyed that he might sanctifie he received of the Father that he might give unto you unto you I say and unto all the Churches He is the Head of His Church and therefore as Luther observeth well though every member is sensible Senâ—â—s sub 〈…〉 o◠〈◊〉 est in capite quam in reliquiâ— membris corporâ—â— hoc experientia â—idemus nam laeso digituâ—o aut aliâ— minima corporis parte laesa statim caput in vultu prodit sâ—se hoc sentire nasus enim contrabituâ— oculi torvum vident siâ— Christus caput nostrum afflictiones nostâ—as suas facit ut in capite omnes sensus c. Luth. of wrong and hurt done to another member yet the head is much more sensible then all the members for the head is the seâ—te and habitation of all the senses the hand may touch but it cannot see the foot may feel but it cannot heare or tast the head sees and fâ—â—ls and heares and tasts and smels so sayes he it is with Christ our Head in whom all the senses dwell and therefore infinitely more sensible of the Churches misery then any other member in all the world and sensible he cannot be unlesse in due time he be helpfull unto them Upon this very ground you shall find that God promiseth to raise up seven shepheards and eight principall men for the help of his people Micah 5. 5. When the Assyrian shall come into our land and when he shall tread in our palaces then shall we raise against him seven shepheards and eight principall men As if he should say though you have been heretofore without Guides and Captaines and Commanders and Princes yet when the enemy is come into your land I will raise up instruments enow to suppresse them and look what these Assyrians have done unto you that shall my instruments and work-men do unto them do they come into your Countrey and tread down your palaces so shall mine instruments go into their Country and tread down their palaces ver 6. And would you know the ground of all this It is my love in Christ for Thou Bethlehem Ephratah though thou be little among the thousands of Iudah yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel whose goings forth have been from of old from everlasting And ver 4. He shall stand and feed in
in his returne to his company he heard in a roome as he passed by the noyse of children as it were pronouncing their Catechize whereupon he put aside the dore where they were and he saw the Ministers wives of the place praying and praysing God with their children upon this Melancthon returned to his company exceeding cheerfull and very joyfull Luther espying his gladsome countenance said thus to him Philip how commeth it to passe that you returne so joyfull that went out even now so sorrowfull He answered Let us be of good comfort for I have seen them that will fight for us and defend us Luther asked what those stout and brave Captaines were Oh sayes Melancthon they are the chast wives and vertuous children of holy men It seemes that holy man Melancthon thought such Carpenters were a great matter in his time Beloved you have many such Carpenters as these at work for you But besides these look into any part of the kingdom and you shal find that where ever any horne is raised up there is a Carpenter at work also some or other that God hath unexpectedly raised up to make resistance Wherefore then lift up your heads oh all ye people of the Lord and be not discouraged what Zechariah saw you shall find Gods promise is your security He will raise up four Carpenters to the foure Hornes Secondly This Doctrine speakes direction to the Carpenters Application 2. it tells them what they ought to do and what is their work The work of the foure Carpenters you see is not onely to fray these hornes away but to cast out the Gentiles Who ever therefore you are whom God hath raised up for this imployment behold your service up and be doing and do it fully Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and with holdeth his hand from shedding of blood they are knit together in one verse Ierem. 48. 10. But we are now upon the work of Reformation building Object the Temple and if a man be a man of blood he is not fit for that service Mistake me not it is not in mine intention to call for blood Answ Oh that in this day of our humiliation and addressâ—s to God we could so touch the hemme of Christs garment thtt Englands bloody issue might be stanched I Be as mild as you can so you be like unto Christ who was both a Lamb and a Lion a Lamb in his owne cause a Lion in Gods Meeknesse and Justice may well stand together Moses was the meekest man upon earth you know yet when Israel had defiled themselvâ—s with Idols in the matter of the golden calfe he stood in the gate of the camp Sam. cap. 2. ut 〈◊〉 eis neâ— sibi 〈◊〉 tamen d 〈…〉 nquentes siâ— peâ—secutas est qâ—os 〈◊〉 ut eos etiam Domino parcente prosternâ—â— et Grâ—gor and said Exod. 32. 27. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel put every man his sword by his side and goe in and out from gate to gate through the camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour He doth not say Slay every man his enemy or every man his countreyman but every man his brother and his companion and his neighbour And ver 28. it is said The children of Levi did according to the word of Moses and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men yet the Levites had their hand in Temple-work more then any other Tribe and Moses had the honour to build the Tabernacle You reade also in Zech. 13. of a great and glorious Reformation so high so great and so convincing that the very Priests who were wont to goe in rough garments to deceive the people should throw away their Priest-coats and say ver 5. I am no Prophet I am an husbandman for man taught me to keep cattel from my youth As if they should say severally Though I am able to reade a Chapter yet I am not fit to be a Minister I have no learning but in truth am more fit to goe to the plough Well but now mark I pray how this great change and Reformation is ushered in and brought about not without some kind of holy violence for it is said ver 2. It shall come to passe in that day saith the Lord of hosts that I will cut off the names of the Idols out of the land and they shall be no more remembred and also I will cause the Prophets and the uncleane spirits to passe out of the land And ver 3. It sâ—all come to passe that whâ—n any shall yet prophesie then his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesyeth And ver 6. when any should ask him What are those wounds in thy hands Then he shall answer Those wherewith I was wounded in the house of my friends Another notable Scripture you have for this purpose in Psal 24. when the question is made at the third verse Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place That is who is fit to be a member of a true Church Answer is made to this at the 4. 5. and 6. verses He that hath cleane hands and a pure heart c. Wherefore then saith the Psalmist Lift up your heads O ye gates that is Magistrates that sit in the gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doores that is of the Churches for the doores of the Churches are everlasting doores against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile and then the King of glory shall come in that is God will come in and dwell amongst you in his great glory and your very congregations shall be filled with glory But Who is the King of glory The Lord strong and mighty saith the Psalmist the Lord mighty in battell the Lord of Hosts he is the King of glory that is thus will hee bring his glory into the Churches by shewing himselfe to be the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battell Wherefore then lift up your heads O ye gates and execute you justice and judgement and be you lift up ye everlasting doors of the Churches and be you reformed and the King of glory shall come in with his glory into your congregations But if you ask me who this King of glory is I must tell you he is the Lord of hosts and so he will be known unto you when he bringeth his glory amongst you even the Lord strong and mighty in battell Wherefore I say lift up your heads O you carpenters and servants of the Lord drawn forth to that employment you see your work the Text hath cut it out I beseech you in the Lord CHRIST doe it and doe it throughly Onely let me lay in one Caution which is this When you have frayed away the hornes and cast out the Gentiles take heed that the spirit of the hornes doe not live in the
the Temple 2. They must deny their owne wils and affections though they be never so strong The Saints in Heaven are the least proprietaries to their owne wils and yet most happy Our Qâ—i voluntati propria non divinae obedit sibi parit ruinam Mendoza Saviour sayes I am not come to doe my owne will but the will of him that sent me and this must be the resolution and practise of all those that are sent by God upon any service 3. They must deny their owne labours though they be never so great So did Paul who though hee laboured more abundantly then all yet sayes I am the least of all the Apostles I have read or heard a story of one being in the boat where the Kings â—rowne was and the Crowne falling occasionally into the water he leaped after it and having recovered it to save himselfe and it he put the Crowne upon his owne head that so he might swimme the better unto the boat or land but though â—e was thanked for his venture yet he was sharply reproved for his boldnesse for putting the Crowne upon his owne head The case is ours is yours the Crowne of the Lord Jesus hath as it were fallen into the water and beene ready to sinke it is your duty and practise to venture for to save it but you must not thâ—n set the Crowne upon the head of your owne labours but upon Christ himselfe The foure and twenty Elders threw down their Crownes at the feet of Christ Revel 4. 4. They must deny their own enjoyments comforts and contentments though they be never so sweet So Nehemiah Nulluâ—â—aâ—â—ntem exciâ—abit nisi â—n â—â—â—â—one sâ—â— August denied his Court favours his Governours table and sometimes to shift his own cloathes he that will lift up one that is fallen must stoop himself 5. They must deny their own relations though they be never so neare Salmeron observeth that our Saviour Christ did still call his Mother Woman Woman what have I to do with thee not Mother but woman Why so saies he but to In caâ—sa 〈◊〉 ‑ 〈◊〉 â—â—â—san 〈◊〉 non esse 〈…〉 Salmeron shew that in matter of Religion we are to know no relations Thus must all reforming persons be self-denying persons And thus right worthy Zerubbabels if you do first take the right line into your hands then view your ground well giving unto every one those immunities that Christ hath left him and deny your selves in working your own reasons wisdomes and understandings your own affections your own labours your own outward contentments and all relations I make no question but our stones of reformation shall be laid with much exactnes and the Lords blessing And the Lord grant it may be so As for these that are to be measured let them be willing to be measured to be reformed exactly reformed willing to be fully measured Wonder not that I call upon you to be willing I shall tell you what I read concerning Beza who comming unto a disputation before the Court of France and being very mighty in his arguments against the adversary a Cardinall stood up and said unto some Peers I would to God that either Beza were dumbe or that we were all deafe so unwilling were they to receive the truth and to be reformed by it And if people did not in their hearts wish as much now why should they say in every place Would to God we had never medled with this work of reformation here is ado about reformation and exact reformation see what it is come to would to God that we had staied in our old condition Oh my beloved do you not remember Christs complaint I came unto my own and my own received me not Shall Jesus Christ take up the like complaint and say I came unto my own in England and they received me not I offered I tendered my own government unto them and they would none of it Oh England England how long have I stood knocking at thy door and as it were put my finger in at the hole of the door by my providentiall workes Wilt not thou yet open unto me How often would I have gathered thee under my wings as a hen gathereth her chickens and thou wouldest not Wherefore now thy house is left unto thee desolate Oh that people therefore would be willing Yea go to God and say Behold Lord we are all here before thee doe with us what is good in thine eyes onely measure us measure my family measure my children measure my servants measure my self onely let the line of reformation passe over me and mine I am willing Lord help my unwillingnes Then secondly if ever God shall please to bring you unto the haven of your desires reformation in exactnes Christ in his own governement into your congregations be sure that you lay fast hold of him that he may never leave you or go from you any more When the Spouse in the Canticles had lost Christ she goes bemoaning lamenting crying and enquiring after him when she had found him she brings him into the chamber of her Mother and sayes I charge you O ye daughters of Ierusalem I charge ye by the Roes and by the Hinds that ye awake not my beloved untill he please So do you if ever you light on Jesus Christ again a setled Gospel carry him oh carry him into the Chamber of your Mother as it were and say unto all your freinds neighbours and congregations I charge ye oh ye daughters of England yea by the Roes and Hinds of the fields I charge ye oh ye daughters of England that ye awake not my beloved untill he please This do hereafter and for the present ingage your selves thereunto 3. In the meane while that you may do and have all this now pray pray alone and pray in company pray in publique pray in private The man with a measuring line in his hand saies pray your Carpenters that are abroad in the field say pray the examples of all reformed Churches say pray your Parliament say pray your Assembly say pray your lives your liberties your Gospel your all sayes pray Oh you that have any credit in Heaven pray now you that never prayed before pray now It is but one houre and the work is done Can ye not watch with Jesus Christ one houre watch and pray And that I say unto one I say unto all and unto my own soul Let us all watch and pray lest we enter into temptation FINIS