unanswerable to former mercies When God must work as much for his own name as by his own power when God remembers to work for those who have forgotten his works when God is faithfull to those who have distrusted him how do these considerations of our lownes heighten our mercies and render our deliverances as so many wonders Thus glory comes in to God by our abasement for as in confessing the circumstances of sinne some speciall sinfulnesse of our hearts breaks forth upon every one of them to humble us So in confessing these specialties of Gods works some beam of his Wisdome Justice Power Patience or Goodnesse breaks forth and irradiates all the mercies which we receive from him Therefore be very carefull in making these Rhetoricall declarations let not God have history and naked relations but be diligent in finding and eloquent in describing every even the least passage of his providence The Rabbins have a saying that there is a mountain of sense hanging upon every Apex of the word of God I assure you the least Apex in the works of God may have a mountain of goodnesse and mercy hanging at it did we but search them out There is yet a fifth Declaration of the works of God which I would rather presse and it is more necessary then all these fore-mentioned more necessary then either your Arithmeticall or your Logicall or your Historicall or your Rhetoricall declarations and that is a declaration purely theologicall or a practicall declaration of the works of God Right Honourable and beloved God will bear with us though we should be somewhat out in our Arithmetike and indeed the works of God exceed our Arithmetike they are innumerable God will beare with us though we are not such exact Logicians to methodise his works to give their descriptions definitions kindes differences and properties God will beare with us though we are but mean Historians but flat feeble and languide Orators if yet we come up in this last act and make him a full a hearty a pithy declaration of his works by ours The Lord is better pleased with the language of our hands then with the language of our tongues and we honour God more with the words which our works speak then with the words which our mouths speak I beseech you therefore make this declaration as full as may be Let your feet declare and your fingers speak to the whole Nation yea to all the world what God hath done for us It will be a very sad thing if declarations of the works of God should be made only in sermons or written in books and none found written in our hearts and lives If it should be so mercies will be our burdens as much as judgements have been and the heavier burdens too The Baptist exhorts Matth. 3. Bring forth fruit meet for repentance I exhort bring forth fruit meet for mercies for victories bring forth fruit meet for dayes of thanksgiving And give me leave a little to drive this point more home and to fasten in more distinctly upon your spirits First I would bespeak the whole Kingdom of England O England becarefull to make this practicall declaration of the works of God God appears as unbending his bowe and putting his arrowes up to his quiver as sheathing his sword and repenting of those evils of punishment which he determined against thee make hast to declare this work of the Lord by repenting of thy evils of sinne and by turning to God in duty from whom thou hast departed and whom thou hast provoked by thine iniquity God hath given the Armies of thy enemies into thine hand and he hath caused their strong holds to submit O England declare this work of the Lord by preparing a new war against those Armies of outragious lusts which encamp in all places and fight against the soul by planting batteries against the strong holds of foolish customs and vain practices received by tradition from our forefathers The Lord hath broken the yoke of thy oppressours and taken their burthens from off thy shoulders O England declare this work of the Lord by thy willingnes to put thy neck under whatsoever is the yoke of Jesus Christ and thy shoulders to his burthen God hath much purged and still preserves the Ordinances of his worship he still continues the Gospel to thee and many faithfull Ministers to dispence it O England declare this work of the Lord by prizing pure worship by improving the Gospel and honouring the dispensers of it by saying how beautifull are the feet of these who bring thee the glad tidings of everlasting peace God hath shewed that he worketh freely he hath wrought beyond all obligations O England declare this work of the Lord Be faithfull seeing thou art under so many obligations perform cheerfully and sincerely all the Vows and Covenants which are upon thee to the utmost of thy power and opportunities Lastly God hath shewed himself a friend to thy friends and an enemy to thy enemies O England declare this work of the Lord. Do not thou by unkindnes or hard usage sadd the hearts of any of Christs friends or by thy flatteries and unworthy complyances give his enemies occasion of rejoycing Let the Honourable Houses of Parliament be perswaded to make This declaration of the works of the Lord. He shines upon your counsels and hath exalted you in them Declare this work of the Lord by exalting and setting up his name in all your counsels make it appear to all the world that you are so far which possibly may have been the jealousie of some from not admitting Christ petitioning at your doors that you are daily petitioning him to command in your hearts and over all your waies God by works of wonder hath maintained your priviledges your honours and your houses declare these works of the Lord by maintaining the honour and priviledges of his house and by the advancement of his service God hath done justice and judgement in the land to admiration he hath wrought terrible things in righteousnes declare this work of the Lord by the exactnes of your justice by your streamings out of righteousnes towards all the people of this land and by cloathing your selves with judgement Let it be as hangings about your walls as a crown and a diadem upon your heads break the teeth of oppressours be eyes to the blinde ears to the deaf feet to the lame Fathers to the poor and the cause which ye know not search ye out And whatsoever ye doe in the cause of God or of his people doe it with all your might for the Lord hath wrought with all his might in your cause Let this renowned City be exhorted carefully to make this declaration God hath been as a wall as a wall of fire as a place of broad rivers as gates of brasse and barrs of iron to this City to keep out the enemy O declare this work of the Lord by letting your Heart-gates stand open continually to truth and
ENGLANDS Plus ultra BOTH Of Hoped Mercies and of Required Duties SHEWED IN A SERMON PREACHED to the Honourable Houses of PARLIAMENT the Lord Major Court of Aldermen and Common-councell of London together with the Assembly of Divines at Christ-Church April 2. 1646. Being the day of their publike Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the great successe of the Parliaments Army in the West especially in Cornwall under the Conduct of his Excellency Sr THOMAS FAIRFAX By JOSEPH CARYL Minister of the Gospel at Magnus neer the Bridge London and a Member of the Assembly of DIVINES LONDON Printed by G. M. for John Rothwell at the sign of the Sun and fountain in Pauls Church-yard and Giles Calvert at the sign of the black-spread-Eagle at the west end of Pauls 1646. Die Veneris April 3. 1646. ORdered by the Commons assembled in Parliament That Thanks be given to M. Caryl and M. Peters for the great pains they took in the Sermons they preached yesterday before the Lords and Commons and City of London at Christ-Church in London at the entreaty of both Houses being a day set apart for a publike Thanksgiving to God for the great successes it pleased him to give the Army under the Command of Sr Thomas Fairfax Knight Generall and that they be desired to print their Sermons And it is ordered that none shall presume to print their Sermons without license under their hands writing And that Sr Arthur Hesilrig and M. Prideaux do give them thanks and desire them to print their Sermons accordingly H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D. Com. I Appoint John Rothwel and Giles Calvert to print my Sermon Joseph Caryl TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORDS and COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT WHen that holy Prophet fore-told the sorrows and ill usage which the Sonne of God should finde among sinfull men in the days of his flesh he cries out Who shall declare his Generation Isa 53. 8. which many understand of his eternal some of his Generation in the fulnes of time the mystery whereof was beyond words Others of his holy seed his crosse being fruitfull and his death giving life to an innumerable Generation But besides all these we may with good probability interpret the word Generation * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est generatio seculum tempus vitae humanae per Synecdochen homines una aetate generatione viventes Buxt for the time or age in which Christ was born lived and died And then the meaning is whose tongue shall be able to speak or pen to write the History of His Age Where shall Rhetorique enough be found to draw out or delineate with lively colours the malice and enmity the plots and conspiracies the villanies and cruelties contrived and acted against that innocent Lamb Jesus Christ Together with his most glorious victories and triumphs over them all Who shall declare his Generation I believe there hath scarce been a Generation since that of Christs so journing upon the Earth more hard to declare then this We may well cry out Who shall declare this Generation What Age hath brought forth such monstrous births of man or such marvellous births of God When did man or God shew more of Himself Did men ever assay to destroy a Nation by pollicies and by power by threatning and by flattering by confederacies abroad and combinations at home as some have assaied to destroy this Nation Or hath God assaied to deliver a Nation by temptations by signs and by wonders and by warre and by a mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm and by great terrours according to all that the Lord our God hath done before our eyes Some have said of Zenophons Cyrus that surely it was written Non ad historiae fidem sed ad Principis effigiem not to shew what Cyrus personally was but what a Prince in exactest compleature may be fancied to be Such censures I am perswaded after Ages will give of the true Stories I hope some pens will write the truth of these times that surely they are poeticall raptures or feigned Romances to shew the height of imagination not the realitie of action For whether we consider the strange beginnings the difficult proceedings the variety of judgements the contrarietie of opinions the stands and motions the effects or issue of these warres and troubles together with the faithfulnesse or falsenesse of men the power and goodnesse of God discovered in them it will be found the most improbable relation that ever was put to paper The providence of God which acts in all Nations hath as it were striven to represent such scenes of action in England as are hardly parallel'd by any that are past His works among us have not only justice but beauty and wonder not only mercie but skill and art in them Though to do them be his propertie not his studie his nature not his labour Man cannot so much as be suspected to have done these things God hath done like God The Lord needs not subscribe his name to his work for that his Name is neer his wonderous works declare It must be said by way of assertion This God hath wrought as well as by way of admiration What hath God wrought God hath done so much for us that the most which remains for us to do is to Admire and be Thankfull If these Talents of mercy have not fair improvements we shall be cast for the most unprofitable servants and idle Stewards that were ever trusted by the great Master of heaven and earth Sad will their reckoning be who sleight these mercies but theirs saddest of all who put forth a hand to corrupt and spoil them The reason given by the holy Ghost why his blood must he shed who sheddeth mans blood is this because in the Image of God made he man God hath made our victories and deliverances in his own image There 's not one of them but looks like God What their doom shall be who by envie or self-ends who by sowing divisions or making sides who by somenting jealousies or nourishing discontents go about to murther them the perpetuall equity of that first statute-law puts into the mouth of every ludge Right honourable that these works of God may be aeclared by all manner of declarations perfected into all manner of perfections and that God who hath wrought them may be honoured with all manner of honours should now be Your special care and study the care also and study of all who tast the comforts and share in the blessings of them of which number I thankfully subscribe my self and Your Honours humbly devoted in the service of the Gospel Ioseph Caryl A THANKSGIVING SERMON Preached to the Honourable Houses of PARLIAMENT c. April 2. 1646. PSAL. 118. 17. I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. THis is a Psalm of mercies and of praises A Psalm composed of victories and of thanksgivings The holy Pen-man at the first verse makes a generall invitation to the
holines Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that the King of glory may come in God hath blessed you in your costs and charges in your counsels and correspondencies c. for and with the publique interests Declare this work of the Lord by continuing stedfast to that interest Be not unwilling to venture for the time to come if the like occasions should call for it either in your persons or purses God having made you so good a return both in City and Nationall blessings for your former adventures God hath wrought graciously in preserving your City from fire your estates from plundering your persons from slavery declare and shew forth these works of the Lord by improving your estates your power your lives and liberties to make this a City of Refuge for the oppressed A solace to the Saints A mart of righteousnes to the Nations round about God hath not suffered violence to enter your streets let not deceit and guile lodge in your streets God hath not punished you with famine or want of bread let not fulnes of bread be your sinne God hath preserved commerce and trade for your bodies Declare this by making more voyages like royall Merchants to the port of Heaven by trading more for your own souls by trading more for the souls of others within your line There is a good work in hand for the helping not only of poor bodies but of poor souls I mean of those who are destitute of dwellings and unimployed whether elder or younger men women or children This is a noble work a work well becomming not only the Magistrates of this City but the Parliament of England Disorderly poor who live not only without government but without God in the world being so great a scandall both to this City and to the whole Kingdom Lastly let all the faithfull Ministers in the land set about the study of this Theologicall declaration the greatest part of the work lies upon us our whole work lying in Theologie It is not our books or sermons but our lives and works in the whole discharge of our Ministry which reach this duty We by our painfulnes by our patience by our zeal by our humility by our watchfulnes by our earnest desires of maintaining union and unity in the Churches of Christ and among all estates in the land we by being an example of the beleevers in word in conversation in charity in spirit in faith in purity should declare what God hath wrought God seems to aim at the reconciling of hearts at the healing of breaches at the atoning of differences He seems to be bringing in peace among us Let not any of us make new divisions and rents or make the former wider and lesse curable then they are God hath freed us from many burdens from that sore bondage under which many of us groaned and complained bitterly both to God and man and gave both no rest till they gave us ease Let us declare this work of the Lord by our sensiblenes that others may yet be burdened and by our care that they be not Let us desire that no burden may be laid but of necessary things of such things as the wisedom of Christ hath made necessary we should know the heart of one oppressed in conscience seeing we our selves were but lately so oppressed and are now releeved God hath appeared to us as a workman that needs not be ashamed Let us all according to that counsell of the Apostle to Timothy behave our selves as workmen in the service of the Gospel that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth Thus I have epitomized and contracted the great volume of our practicall declaration of the works of the Lord into some few overtures essayes and offers about it I beseech you stay not in any of the former how exactly soever they may be framed I hope you will have them more exactly framed before you go hence But stay not in them give God his glory in this which is the last and highest declaration of his works give him glory in all but chiefly in this But may we not in dayes of thanksgiving make mention of any but of the works of the Lord Doth the Lord work alone Or have his hands only brought all these things to passe In the work of creation God did all alone and in many works of providence God only works He keeps state in some works no man acts with him But in most of his works and in those we are this day declaring he acts as I may so speak in consort with the creature it is seldom that God hath an immediate attingence with effects He useth and delights to use the service of men Atheists of old scorn'd at the work of creation and asked Quibus machinis with what tools or instruments with what engines ladders or scaffolds the Lord did set up this mighty frame of heaven and earth but in the works of providence we may soberly ask Quibus machinis with what tools and instruments by what hands or counsells hath he done these things His hands are visible his tools are plain before our eyes in most of these works yet because the whole effect or the effectualnes of all instruments is from his co-working and concurrence therefore little mention is to be made of instruments all must be ascrib'd to him God will have us use means as if he were to do nothing and he looks to be honoured as if means had done nothing Yet means and instruments may be remembred yea instruments must be remembred in their place The Lord is so jealous of his great name that he permits not any to come in competition with him yet he is so zealous of his servants good name that he is willing they should have honour in a subordination to himself Hence we finde that though David saith I will declare the works of the Lord yet the Lord takes care for and makes a declaration of the works of David and of his worthies In the second book of Samuel chap. 23. 8. we have a catalogue of Davids worthies and of their exploits set down in particulars Though the story of the Bible be the most exact and compendious that ever was vvritten yet God vouchsafeth faithfull and vvorthy instruments a place in that And therefore though the fatnes and the strength of our Eucharisticall sacrifice ought to be bestovved upon the Lord yet be not unmindfull of those whom the Lord hath used as his tools and instruments as his sword and buckler to do these great works for us and to fight our battels Let not any of those Honourable names who from the beginning of these warrs and troubles have valiantly interposed themselves and set their bodies and estates in the breach between us and danger be forgotten or slightly remembred Let it never be charged upon the Parliament or Kingdome of England that they have been unmindefull of or ungratefull to any
duty upon a generall ground O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever But because that which is every bodies work is usually no bodies work therefore in the next words he puts the duty into distinct hands Let Israel now say let the house of Aaron now say let them now that fear the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever The Church of the Jews fals here under a three-fold distribution First Israel the body of the Common-wealth Secondly The house of Aaron the Ministers of the Temple Thirdly All that fear the Lord Converts and Proselites out of all Nations under heaven Having thus awaken'd and summon'd all to this duty he begins a narrative of the speciall grounds and reasons of it which appear in two branches First The readinesse of God to hear and help him from the 5. vers to the 10. I called upon the Lord in distresse the Lord answered me and set me in a large place The Lord is on my side c. Secondly The malice of his enemies in opposing him who are described 1. Their multitude All Nations ver 10. That is the Nations round about such as are named Psal 83. 7. Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tire c. These have consulted together with one consent they are confederate against me 2. Their neernesse of prevailing They compassed me about David was never in such a straight or so near the borders of ruine as when Saul and his men compassed Him and his men round about to take them 1 Sam. 23. 26. when an enemy charges both in front and flank both van and reer they look like Masters of the field 3. Their frequency in renewing their assaults They compassed me about they compassed me about yea they compassed me about They compassed me about like Bees Four times they compassed him about and the fourth with an addition the last charge was hottest as setting their Rest upon it to shew how restlesse and uncessant they were in their opposition 4. He describes his enemies by the end which the Lord brought them unto They are quenched as the fire of thorns vers 12. Some read They are kindled as the fire of thorns both the Greek and the Chaldee translate so and it is usuall in the Hebrew for the same word to signifie contraries as to blesse and to curse so here to quench and to kindle The sense amounts to the same for that which is soon kindled is soon quenched Davids enemies were soon kindled as the fire of thorns a small matter set them on fire and they were quenched or consumed like thorns which in a moment are both flame and ashes 5. He describeth his enemies by the end which they intended him or by their design against him at the 13. verse Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall ruine was the project Malice knows not how to go lesse then destruction They thrust sore at him that he might fall The Psalmist having made this report of his dangers and deliverances of his enemies rising rage and fall gives glory to God vers 14. The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation And all his people celebrate these mercies as well as share in them vers 15 16. The voice of rejoycing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous He in whom they rejoyced and who was the subject of their song stands forth in the next words The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly The right hand of the Lord is exalted The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly Davids joy now grows up to confidence and from telling over the former mercies of God he goes on to fore-tell those which were future in the Text now read I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. The words are a holy rapture or exultation of spirit his faith was too big for his heart he must vent it at his lips I shall not die but live c. There are two parts in this verse 1. Davids confidence of future mercy I shall not die but live 2. Davids conscience both of a present and future duty And declare the works of the Lord. There is a double reading of the words Some thus I am not dead but alive which translation is contended for as the best by a learned Interpreter and then the sense hath a mixture of joy and thankfulnes that he who could number so many enemies and so many dangers should yet passe the pikes untoucht and out-live them all I am not dead but alive O wonderfull Blessed be God for this We read I shall not die but live And so the words carry the sense of an high acting faith or of a faith raised up to a full-grown assurance Having told the story of his passed sufferings and salvations he believes above and beyond all possible sufferings I shall not die but live But was David immortall What man is he that liveth and shall not see death and shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave Psal 89. 49. Is it not appointed unto all men once to die And after David had served his generation did not he fall asleep Read we not often of Davids sepulchre How then is it that he promiseth thus much to himself I shall not die but live There is a two-fold death 1. A Naturall death 2. A Violent death David doth not promise himself priviledge from the former he waves not a submission to the law of nature But David did believe God would protect him from the later I shall not die that is a violent death I shall not die by the hand of these men I shall not die the death which they have voted me to in their counsels long ago Again Death may be taken under another distinction There is either A naturall or A civil death We may understand David of the later I shall not die a civil death as not a violent corporall death they shall not take away the life of my body so I shall not die a civil death they shall not take away the prosperity of my estate The two witnesses are said to be dead Revel 11. 8. and their dead bodies to lie in the streets when they were divested of all power and priviledge in holding forth the truth of the Gospel The state of the Jews in their Babylonian captivity is represented to Ezekiel by a valley full of dry bones Chap. 37. 1 2. A man may have breath in his body and yet the man scarce alive The Apostle speaks this sense 1 Thess 3. 8. Now I live that is now I live comfortably now I feel my self alive if ye stand fast in the faith So here I shall not die that is I shall not be miserable I shall not be trodden under foot or live at the curtesie and allowance of my enemies And when he saith I we are not to restrain it to Davids person
he meaneth himself and they who had adhered to him in that cause I and my friends I and the Common-wealth of Judah I and they shall not die but live A good man never reckons his happinesse alone But how would David imploy that his present and promised felicity How would he bestow that life that prosperous life He doth not say I will now live merrily I will eat and drink and take my pleasure he doth not say I have got down mine enemies I will now as some perhaps slanderously reported him neglect my friends He doth not say I have got power over my opposers now I will use this power to oppresse whom I please David could easier have died or been miserable all his daies among his enemies then to have lived and prospered to these ends Once more He doth not say I shall not die but live to declare my own great works Now the world shall know how succesfull I have been in this warre the Nations round about shall hear what my Generals and Chieftains have done stories shall report to after ages what gallant men Joab and Abishai have been No here is no mention of Himself or of These his declaration runs all upon the works of God I am not dead but alive or I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. The summe of all is as if David had said I well perceive that the design of my enemies was to take away my life or at least the comforts of my life they thought a being in the world too much for me and they were resolved a wel being I should not have but blessed be God notwithstanding all their projects and oppositions I am not dead my life is whole in me still and my state is well mended my enemies have not had their wils on me either to tear my soul from my bodie or to violate the comforts of either I am not dead and more I am alive I and my friends I and they who have embark'd in the same cause and run the same adventures with me We all thrive and flourish we are alive and lives-like And me thinkes from the mountain of this my present felicity I look upon the mercies of many years to come my faith begins to prophesie and my spirituall prospective draws before me the blessings of many generations even blessings for the children yet unborn as I am not dead but alive so I shall not die but live God hath not given me into the hand of these men nor shined upon their counsels against me and now I am confident that he will not The sense and faith which I have of these things pleases me exceedingly but that which is most content full to me and the very project of my soul is that my life shall run out in the honouring of my God that these victories which he hath given me over mine enemies shall overcome me to his service that the greatest work of my reign shall be to make a declaration of what God hath wrought I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. I shall now draw out some particulars from the generall sense thus given And first take an Observation rising equally from either reading That the design of malicious enemies is the ruine of their opposers When David saith I am not dead but alive he intimates that the enemy sought his life or when he saith I shall not die but live he implies the enemy would still go on pursuing his life Jacob fore-saw no lesse danger from his malicious brother Gen. 32. 11. I fear him saith he lest he will come and smite me and the mother upon the children Queen Esther in the sixth of that book shews the malice of Haman acting thus high We are sold I and my people to be destroyed to be slain and to perish If we had been sold for bond-men and bond-women I had held my tongue though the enemy could not countervail the Kings damage but that 's not the thing which will satisfie Haman We are sold to be slain and to be destroyed It is a vexation to malice not to do it's uttermost Some of the Talmudists have observed that the devil was as much wounded with that restraint which God put upon him that he should not take away the life of Job as Job was with all the wounds which the devil inflicted upon his body See he is in thine hand but save his life The devil would have gone to life unlesse he had been stopt Malice hath no bounds and it keeps none but those which an insuperable hand prescribes or imposes The children of Edom are not contented with defacing the beauty with breaking down the battlements or uncovering the roof of Sion their cry is Rase it rase it even to the foundation thereof Psal 137. 7. As Antipathy is not against any one individuall but against the whole kinde so it is not against any one good of the individuall but against all kinde of good which he enjoyes Thus the Prophet describes the Babylonian cruelty against Jerusalem Jer. 51. 34. Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon hath devoured me he hath crushed me he hath made me an empty vessel he hath swallowed me up like a dragon he hath filled his belly with my delicates he hath cast me out By that time all the lusts of wicked men are served they sweep all away That as the Prophet speaks which the Palmer-worm leaves the locust eats and that which the locust leaves the canker-worm eats so we may say that which ambition leaves covetousnesse takes that which covetousnesse leaves cruelty takes that which cruelty leaves gluttony and drunkennesse take and that which gluttony and drunkennesse leave wantonnesse takes away till all 's gone Hence it is that the Lord is so severe against the enemies of his people Revel 16. 6. Thou hast given them bloud to drink for they are worthy they must drink bloud for nothing would satisfie them but bloud And Jer. 51. 35. the Church is prophesied imprecating like vengeance upon Babylon The violence done to me be upon Babylon shall the inhabitant of Zion say and my bloud upon the inhabitants of Caldea shall Jerusalem say And again O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be who rewardeth thee as thou hast served us Psal 137. 8. In this glasse we may see the face of many of their hearts out of whose hands we rejoyce that we are delivered this day It is nothing but the want of power which hath hindered the execution of utmost rage And therefore where God giveth power what should stand between justice and the execution of it I would not blow up revenges but thus much I say It is as dangerous not to execute justice as it is to take revenge So much in generall from the design of Davids enemies it was death and ruine Take two notes from that reading I am not dead but alive First thus It is a mercy in times
yet I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners God doth not usually heal the wounds of judgement till the wounds of sin are healed yet sometimes he doth And what know we but the Lord may once again make a parallel mercy to that promised his ancient people and restore comfort to those hearts Who goe on as this Objection charges frowardly in the way of their hearts Secondly Others may object what so much confidence of a succession of mercies Look to the Church and to the matter of the worship Superstition is gone but prophanenesse stands at the door Prelacy is gone but Anarchy is feared and can we yet be confident Sure to invite to a day of rejoycing when we are in such a condition is but like bidding the sons of Zion to sing one of their songs at the waters of Babylon I acknowledge there is little reason to rejoyce in the light of this world whilest the Gospel is under a cloud that there is very little reason to take warmth at the heat of any Sunne while Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse is eclipsed by the interposition of any sublunary interest whatsoever But must we despond and give all for lost because light hath not supposing that it hath not that free and kinde entertainment which we desire Must we resolve that Christ shall lose his right suppose it so because he hath it not or because he hath it not by the day set in our Kalendar Possibly the Kalendar of Heaven hath a post-date to ours A woe belongs to those who neglect to finish the work of the Lord like them in the Prophet upon this surmise The time is not come the time that the Lords house should be built Yet a woe lies not against those who conscientiously endeavouring to build cannot finish it Christ accounts those his enemies and cals them out to destruction who say We will not have this man to raign over us But they may be in the roll of Christs friends and he may be preparing salvations for them who being seriously upon that design yet fail in advancing his raign If that be not our case I grant there is no reason any mans faith should have life that we shall live But if it be as I believe it is our faith hath reason to hold up in life and strength too that we shall live For we know Christ works by degrees in the hearts of his people Light comes not in all at once In the prophecy of Ezekiel The waters of the Temple were first but to the ancles and then to the knees and then to the loins and then it was a river of waters to swimme in a river that could not be passed over We must give providence leave to go it 's own pace Things are still under consideration The plummet is still in the hand of Zerobbabel and who knows to what perfection the work may be brought in a short time It is not the doing of what comes short of the minde of Christ but a resolving not to do the minde of Christ which makes a people hopelesse When Christ was in the world he was not received presently Did he therefore fire the world presently about their ears and destroy those places which received him not When some perswaded him to doe so he tels them Ye know not of what spirit ye are There 's many a good man who if he knew his own spirit would be asham'd of it Christ is not so fierce as many Christians are It 's true his anger when it burns is infinitely fierce and who can abide it But we know he is patient and he is patient very long even unto those who knowingly abuse him much more toward those who are sincerely seeking after him He is patient to those who abuse him and patient so long that they take occasion cause they have none to scorn and mock him Where is the promise of his comming And Let the Lord hasten his work that we may see it Much more will he be patient towards those who are praying consulting and enquiring though as yet they should not come up to give him the honour due unto his name When the Jewish worship was cast out and the Ceremoniall Law abolished the Apostles themselves being alive and preaching it Christian worship was not received in a day or in a year the Apostles were long working it into the hearts of believers And we may read in the 14 tâ— Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans how much bearing there was exercised and how much forbearing towards those who were not yet come up to Gospel heights either of their dutie or of their priviledge Therefore I say though this Objection should stand a while in the letter of it yet we need not fall in our hopes though we are not where we should be either in worship or in Government yet Christ will bear while we are seeking and enquiring with sincerity that we may Christ will at last break those who wilfully break his bands and cast away his coards from them And all they who in uprightnesse pray and endeavour that his Government may be set up shall be heard and blessed though perhaps not in their own way A third Objection lies thus But there are many errours and strange opinions amongst us Tares grow up and are like to overgrow the wheat sores and sicknesses over-run many mindes Can a people thrive who have such diseases upon them Can the Physitians who behold these distempers offer us any hope that the patient shall live I think no fore-head can deny that there are errours amongst us and some very dangerous destructive and damnable perverting souls and wasting the vitals of religion Errours are not to be sported with Who can love Christ and errour too much lesse plead for and give it patronage Christ is truth And though persons erring may have our charity yet no errour ought to have our love though many who erre may have much of our patience yet there is no errour how small soever should any of our have countenance But to this sad Objection I answer First Possibly there are more errours named then are All is not errour which every one thinks to be errour We know who spake it After the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers Act. 24. 14. and they were no mean no unlearned men who called that way heresie And I shall never believe all Heresiographers for his sake who put Aerius into his Catalogue for opposing Prelacy There may be an errour in taxing somewith errours But secondly Whatsoever is an errour or an heresie whatsoever is contrary to wholesome Doctrine such opinions are knowable else all rules about dealing with them were vain Whatsoever I say is an errour or heresie let all the penalties which Christ hath charged upon it be executed to the utmost If we favour errour I know not how we can with confidence lift up our eyes to
Christ for favour If Christ would not have had errour to be opposed vvhy hath he left us means both for the opposition and suppression of errour As he hath given a compleat Armour to every Christian wherewith to fight against the vviles and temptations of the devil so he hath given a compleat Armour to his Church vvherewith to fight against all the errours and unsound doctrines of seducers Therefore search the Magazines of the Gospel bring out all the artillery ammunition and weapons stored up there look out all the chains and fetters the vvhips and rods vvhich either the letter of the Gospel or the everlasting equity of the Law hath provided to binde errour vvith or for the back of heresie let them all be imployed and spare not I hope we shall never use I am perswaded vve ought not Antichrists broom to sweep Christs house with or his weapons to fight against errours with Christ hath formed and sharpened weapons for this warre we need not goe to the Popes forge or file We saith the Apostle have weapons in a readinesse to revenge every disobedience They are ready made to our hands vve have them in a readinesse saith Paul let these be sheathed in the bowels of every errour and corrupt opinion and the event will shew a thought that it will not were an infinite disparagement to the wisdome of Christ who hath appointed them the event I say will shew that these weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God not a wooden dagger or spears of bulrushes no pot-guns or paper-shot as some at least in consequences blaspheme but mighty through God to the casting down of strong-holds and the bringing of every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ And when errours are more the erroneous tumultuous or blasphemous the generall rules of the word will shew us expedients fit to meet with such distempers If we thus prosecute and oppose the errours of these times which I conceive no man is hindered from doing in his sphear though all the sphears wherein this may be done are not in a desired motion If I say we thus prosecute errour and contend for truth we may keep our hopes alive that as vve are not dead but alive so we shall not die but live that yet Counsels at home and Armies abroad shall prosper that this shall not be the last Thanksgiving day which this great Assembly shall keep for received victories that God will yet go on to crown this Nation with so many mercies as shall fill both the present age and posterity with books and declarations of what God hath vvrought A service to which David engageth himself in the next vvords of the text I shall not die but live and declare the works of the Lord. And declare the works of the Lord. The generall issue of vvhich vvords as considered in conjunction with the former is That all received mercies should be designed to the glory of God This is the design of the Saints when they pray for mercies Joel 2. 14. Who knoweth if he will return and repent and leave a blessing behinde him For vvhom for you Nay Even a meat-offering and a drink-offering to the Lord your God The captive Jews vvere taxed because they fasted forthemselves and not unto God Zech. 7. It must be the project of prayer and fasting that we may receive mercies to honour God with and it should be our project in daies of praise and thanksgiving to honour God vvith the mercies vve have received So much of our lives is as lost and so many of our mercies are as buried with which the name of God is not lifted up and advanced To seek our own glory is not glory or to deal vvith God as the Story speaks of one who vvrote the founders name that had been at the cost and charge of a curious fabrick upon the plaister of the vvall but cut his own name in a marble stone underneath While vvorldly men bestow outward thanks on God Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling place to all generations and they call their lands after their own names Psal 49. 11. To give God a day of vocall praises and to reserve the chief the fattest of the honour to our selves is to mock God in stead of praising him and to commit sacriledge while we are offering holy things But I cannot stay upon that generall Take this in speciall That to declare the works of the Lord is the debt of honour and duty which we ought to pay him for all the work he is pleased to do for us The works of God are his counsels acted Psal 31. 19. O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee The goodnesse of God is laid up in what Storehouse doth God lay up this goodnesse Surely in his own brest there he laid up the creation of the world from all eternity and there he laid up the redemption of man and wrought it in the fulnesse of time There he laid up all the deliverances which at any time he hath wrought for his Church O how great is thy goodnesse which â—hou hast laid up then follows which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sonnes of men The works of God are the goodnesse of God made visible they are as so many beams or raies of the power wisdome faithfulnesse and justice of God God declares himself in his works The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made even his eternall power and God-head Rom. 1. 20. The vvork of Creation declares much of God but the works of Providence declare more And as God declares himself in his works so we must declare the works of God But how shall we make this declaration There is a five-fold declaration of the vvorkes of God The first is an Arithmeticall declaration the originall vvord in the text primarily signifies to make a catalogue or an enumeration of things and so of the works of God setting them down by number Thus God himself declares his works Judg. 10. 11 12. Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites did oppresse you and ye cried to me and I delivered you out of their hand Here is nothing but the bare names of deliverances set down seven in number So many you have received from me saith the Lord. As if we should write now The battell at Keinton one The battel at Newbery two The battel at Chereton-Down three At Marston-moor four At Nazeby five At Langport six At Torington seven the disbanding of the late Army in the West without battell which may go for many victories c. And this is a declaration which becometh us some pens have done this to my
of those Heroes whom God hath used as their Saviours and Protectours Let them all receive and enjoy rewards both of honour and of bounty And let those by whom God is now acting and vvhose most memorable successes in action give the occasion of this dayes joy and solemnity be acknowledged and acknowledged thank't and thank't I am perswaded t' is both honour and reward enough to many of them that they do God and their countrey service but God requires that they vvho serve us should have reward and honour Let not England discourage valour faithfulnes and unwearied industry in Any or in These vvho have given not promises only but proofs of these Three martiall accomplishments To despise the instruments of our civill as well as of our spirituall salvation is to despise the God of our salvation And to all the Members of the Honourable Houses of Parliament who have faithfully staid by tended and watcht with this troubled sick and languishing Nation these five or six years past the whole Kingdome of England is obliged to speak their thanks and to say concerning them as Christ Luk. 22. 28. once did to his Disciples Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptation As a reward of which pains and patience Christ in the next words tell them And I appoint unto you a Kingdom Though we have not a Kingdome to appoint you yet we ought to wish you the best and fairest portions in the Kingdome A Jacobs blessing even the Dew of Heaven and the fatnesse of the earth and plenty of corn and wine all as the gift of God And that the people of the Land in the capacity ye are now in may serve you and the Nation bow down to you Thus it becomes us to blesse our Helpers and to blesse God for our Helpers lest our unthankfulnesse and murmurings cause the Lord as he threatned Israel Isa 3. To take away from England the stay and the staffe not only the stay and the staffe of our Naturall lives Bread and water vers 1. but the stay and the staffe of our Civil and Spirituall lives verse 2 3. The mighty man and the man of warre the Judge and the Prophet and the prudent and the Anâ—ient The Captain of fifty and the honourable man And give children froward men to be our Princes and babes weak and impotent ones to rule over us And now let the Preservers joyne with the preserved They who have laboured with Those who eat the fruit of their labours in blessing and praising the Name of God by whom it is That we are not dead but alive by vvhom it is that vve and our friends are not only alive but as David once complain'd about his enemies Psal 38. 19. lively and strong or as another translation hath it live and are mighty Let us all joyne in praising God vvho hath given us hopes for the future That we shall not die but live and hath given us this present opportunity To declare the works which he hath done These wonderfull works in keeping us alive and lively in filling us with good hope that we shall live to declare more and greater of his works then these That as at this time it is so likewise it shall yet be said in our English Israel WHAT GOD HATH WROVGHT FINIS Die Jovis 26. February 1645. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament that this House give thanks to Mr IENKYN for his great pains taken in the Sermon he Preached yesterday in the Abbey Church Westminster before the Lords of Parliament it being the day of the publike Fast And he is hereby desired to Print and publish the same which is not to be Printed by any but by authority under his own hand J. Brown Cler. Parl. I Appoint Christopher Meredith to Print my Sermon William Jenkyn