Selected quad for the lemma: love_n
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A94183
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A sermon lately preached at Westminster, before sundry of the honourable House of Commons. By Joseph Symonds sometimes minster in Ironmonger-lane, London, now pastor of a church in Roterdam.
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Symonds, Joseph.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing S6358; Thomason E165_10; ESTC R23172
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16,972
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38
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A SERMON LATELY PREACHED AT WESTMINSTER BEFORE SUNDRY OF THE Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS By Joseph Symonds sometimes Minister in Ironmonger-lane London Now Pastor of a Church in Roterdam Rejoycing and beholding your order Col. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Nullibi gravius peccatur quam in politicis Dan. pol. prâ—aem LONDON Printed for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe of the Parrot in Pauls Church-yard 1641. To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament now Assembled IT was a quick answer of him to a Painter who shewing his Picture said he made it in a few houres That he wondred he made not many such in that time But it s not a vain covert of my weaknesse or idle hunting after credit but a just expression of truth if I say the time of my preparation of this Sermon for you was a time of no small distraction to me Indeed as I judged my selfe unworthy to speak in such an audience so I wonder that any in it should so approve what was spoken as to think it worthy of a longer life then it had in the Pulpit But since it must live longer then I intended having nothing in this matter to satisfie me but my respects to those to whom I owe so much I humbly present it to your honourable acceptance And shall still pray him who is wisedome and Counsell to lead you into all truth that as great and stupendious works wherein by the Vote of God and man a large share of of honour is allotted to you have been done by you his Instruments so you may happily proceed till your wisedome and zeal have crowned our hopes and perfected your glory that we and the generations yet unborne may rejoyce in you and blesse God for you whom he hath raised to be the terror of his adversaries and Saviour of his people Go on and prosper unparalleld Worthies you have a a noble cause and a confluence of incouragements from God and man See what you have done already and mingle your streams of joy with the flouds of all your Saints ere while drowned in tears and sorrows but now floating in joy and triumph Behold the Faces of the Saints whose tears you have wiped away and see in the light and cheerfulnesse of their vissages the blessed fruits of your goodnesse wisedome justice and courage Let their reviving adde still to your living Spirits What can be more solatious to a Christian Spirit then to see the dying Saints reviving and insolent oppressors dyiâ—g What better then at once to see our Kingdom enhappied and Christ advanced Let your hearts feed themselves to fulnesse in these things to you belongs a double portion It s better to do good then to receive we are but the Cesterns you have the honor to be our living Springs yet we most honor the Sea of goodnesse who issues through you upon us I am ready for the things which I have already seen to say as Jacob when he received his sonne as from the dead I have enough And doubtlesse if our eyes shall be so blessed as to see the Churches of Christ in their right order and shining in their proper beauâ—y and power we shall be as those that dream Oh that our want of love to Christ and to each other may not deprive us of this Crown of our rejoycing And oh that in much love and singlenesse of Spirit all that are the reall friends of Christ would with mutuall embraces and conjunct hearts heads and hands help to give birth to this glorious work He were better be in his grave who in such a season as this is either an impediment or a shaddow Different opinions are no just excuse of dissenting affections opinions should not be quench-coales of love which are not destructive to life And its ill service to augment differences beyond necessity or to aggravate them beyond equity The Wisedome which is from above is peaceable and surely love and meeknesse would do much to one-nes He that will exclude all that meet not punctually in his judgement must discard himself Let us rather devise how farre we do or may concenter then studiously to stand at a distance We shall never be wholly one with all in all Yea we are very diverse from our selves And true peace ariseth not so much from inforced uniformity as from a Candid unanimity He that disturbeth order and corrupteth trueth is unfit for a Christian fellowship But all that embrace godlinesse and truth and serve the peace of the Churches may happily be copartners in each others priviledges If this be the time of our deliverance which I pray and hope he that is Truth and Love will teach and meeken us and he that is Almighty will prosper you that this morning of hope may rise to a clear day of joy which is the prayer of him who is your Honours to serve you Joseph Symonds A Sermon Preached before sundry of the Commons House of Parliament 1 CHRON. 28.10 Take heed now for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the Sanctuarie Be strong and doe it THis Chapter and the next following are a Copie of the last speech of the best King that ever was 1 Chro. 23 27. the speech was Davids to Solomon his sonne and to the state of the Kingdome I shall only treat of that part of it which respected Solomon The subject of it is an house to be built for God The occasion of it was this When David by the good hand of God with him had peace on every side a calme after many stormes hee did fall asleepe in the lap of peace but as mercies and receipts from God are wont to work in the Saints thankfull returnes so he now deviseth what to doe for God that had done so much for him ver 2. 2 Sam. 7 c. The time of this speech hath a double mark upon it 1 It was in t me of Parliament in a solemne assembly of the Princes of Israel and the Princes of the Tribes c. v r. 1. Davids end was to draw them to put their hands to this great work which appeares by those words ver 21. which are an expression of his desire with confidence of their readinesse and in their hearing Also the Princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment Zeale will cry for help of all hands 2 It was in the end of his dayes When hee was old and full of dayes 1 Chron. 23.1 Good men doe good to the last yea are best at last as naturall bodies are quickest and strongest in their motion when they come neerest to their center The summe is David would have built an house but though God accepted his good intention yet by Nathan told him that he should not do it 2 Sam. 7.5 but his sonne should ver 12.13 Therefore David summons this great assembly and before them bequeaths to Solomon the
abide such an habitation where his servants children ordinances are cast out Me thinks the voyce of our great ones hath been like that of the heathen Exeant Christiani exeant Christiani let the Christians goe out As it 's said of Jeroboam so it 's true of them Hee drove Israel from following the Lord and made them sinne a great sinne 2 Kings 17.21 Avolare fecit Hee made them fly away from the Lord. Oh what sinne hath beene by their counsell example hires feares lawes Others that would not fly from the Lord have fled from their Country to seeke that in a strange land which they could not but ought to have had at home Hagar the bondwoman and her children were in possession but the free woman and her children either in persecution at home or in exile abroad And was that trash which they have brought in a fit price for the peace of our consciences the sweetnesse of our estates friends and Country Will you then in zeale for God and pitty to your brethren and to your selves take up a resolution to vindicate our injuries and their insolencies Be strong and doe it 2 As your resolutions must be firme so they must be spirituall From higher principles then humane prudence Our evills are sore grievances indeed yet more afflictive to our consciences then to our sences Look on them not only as pressures on us but as sinnes against God ease us by righting him lest you be found to worke for your selves and not for him Then men serve Christ indeed when they make him not onely the exemplary cause but the finall Doe what you doe not because you must onely both in prudence and in conscience but doe it for his glory as David Solomon in building the house intended the name of the great God 1 Kings 8.17 2 Chron. 2.1 4. Spirituall ends are most noble and most strong 3 They must be willing it 's true there can be no resolutions simply unwilling But acts of the will are either mixt or mere Mixt are such wherein upon different respects the will hangs both wayes so a man may upon some reason resolve on that which he fully abhorreth as in a gangraene to endure the excision of a limb But to resolve thus for God is rather to be patients then agents for him it s rather to be sick of God then true to him Labour for Davids spirit who set his affection to the building of the house 1 Chron. 29.3 Be not onely subject to God but zealous for him It was Davids temper who was the type The zeale of thine house hath eaten me up Psal 69.9 And Christs temper who is the substance Ioh. 2.17 worke as friends If it be onely in your heads it will vanish but the impressions of love are deepe Say with Moses The Lord is my strength and song and he is become my salvation hee is my God and I will prepare him an habitation Exod. 15.2 Zeale will make you men of might and your counsells and endeavours as an arrow shot from a strong arme which returneth not empty 4 Speedy For 1 It 's the greatest worke you have to doe Therefore give it priority quick dispatch I know you are wise I prescribe not an absolute order Important things are often respectively such A lesse thing in it self may be at some time of greatest importance of right should be first admitted Do what you can Christ will be content to stay till you can doe his businesse But still minde this and ayme at this and do all in order to this I may say to you as David to Ahimelech The Kings businesse requireth haste 1 Sam. 21.8 Doe things in Christs order Seek first the Kingdome of heaven You may mind your owne houses but not too much say with David See now I dwell in an house of Cedar but the Ark of God dwelleth within curtaines 2 Sam. 7.2 God stands much upon time and expects to be first served Therefore he chides the Jewes and sorely punisheth them for breach of this order Is it time for you oh yee to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie wast Hag. 1.4 It 's an angry speech Other causes may and must wayt say to them as Nehemiah when hee was building an house for God I am doing a great work so that I cannot come downe why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you chap. 6.3 I confesse that things that are first in intention are last in execution but then they are still moving till they come to perfection 2 Delayes are dangerous For 1 affections may coole the best may and the rest will Some men are hot as fire others as iron rather heated then hot take the season and strike while the iron is hot God sometimes for some oportunity of service gives a fervour of spirit but if the lock of oportunity be cut off you will as Sampson lose your strength and become like other men Judg. 15.5.17 2 Rubs rise by delayes A subtill enemie if hee have but the onely advantage of time will gaine much even in a desperate cause And they say the bitings of dying beasts are most deadly 3 Wee are speedy with God Lord heale her now saith Moses Numb 12.13 And David crieth for haste Oh my strength haste thee to help mee Psal 22.19 And God doth make haste to our good Es 16.5 For love is quick 4 God hath stayed long 5 Unanimous Let there be none adverse slothfull unfaithfull fearefull You have the honour and we the happinesse of a blessed conspiration of your hearts and hands hitherto Be still one and more one That you may meet as many streames in one channell and prove a conquering torrent Sands are small things yet being united they can break the proudest ships Christ is among you and knoweth whose hearts are with him he seeth and heareth all your counsels motions debates and votes Hee will say to the faithfull Well done good faithfull servant but to others had it not been for thee such a cause of mine had prospered such servants of mine relieved my house had been built but thy hand was against it By how much the greater you are by so much the more you owe let it not be said of you others were willing but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord. Nehem. 3.5 I draw to an end To quicken you to the work Consider You may doe this thing Christ may have his house built You have power of 1 Ability 2 Authority You cannot think our present discipline is by divine law then you may remove except you think it most convenient But how is that convenient which Ministers good men bad men almost all men have complained of You may by your power make it necessary but it will never be convenient and how ill will the oxen draw when their yoakes gall them You have seene the experience of this discipline these rites and orders for many