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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81239	Deliverance-obstruction: or, The set-backs of reformation. Discovered in a sermon before the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in Parliament now assembled. Upon the monthly fast, March 25. 1646. / By Tho. Case, preacher in Milkstreet London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Lords.	1646 (1646)	Wing C827; Thomason E329_9; ESTC R200694	36,291	48

reduce Israel again into their old Servitude and Bondage And I would He had been the last Pharaoh the Church had been troubled with But no though that Pharaoh was drown'd in the Sea there arise up after him new Pharaoh in every age of the Church that know not the Lord and that will be opposing and fighting against the Deliverance and enlargement of the Church of God though they venture another tumbling cast in the waters for it Whether they be open opposers or secret underminers of the Churches Peace and Reformation Tobijahs and Sanballats Ezra 4.1 2. who under a pretence of building with the Jews do hinder the work Such as since the beginning of this Parliament have been members of either House who did his Majestie better service at Westminster then they could have done at Oxford These by what principles they are led Tyrannie Ambition Pride Covetousnesse Revenge c. some by one and some by others I cannot stand to discover Sure I am they are all acted by that great principle of Enmity spawn'd into them by the old Serpent the Devil whereby they are carried out into desperate hatred and opposition against the Government of Christ Nolumus hunc regnare Luke 19.14 We will not have this man to reign over us there is the first and great Quarral And Secondly against the Peace and Welfare of the Church Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel be no more in remembrance Psal 83.4 Minu. Foelix like their father the devil that sets them awork ad solamen calamitatis suae non desinunt perditi perdere c. lost themselves they seek to destroy as many as they can Hence it is that the Church is never in travel with a Man-childe some eminent and famous deliverance and Reformation but there is a great red Dragon standing before her Revel 12.4 ready to devour the childe assoon as ever it is born But I must leave these it shall content me but thus to have given you a touch in general of the opposition which the Churches Deliverance meets with from the Enemies And truely well I may for I professe unto you the Enemies Satan and all his Imps do not do the Tenth part of that mischief to the Church in obstructing and retarding her Deliverances as the Church doth her self take it for the mixt multitude of those that make up a visible Church in the profession of the true Religion and Worship of God which brings me to The Second Spring-head of Reasons follow Second sort of Reasons The Delivered taken from The Delivered or Subjects of Deliverance Happie were it for the Church if the oppositions and Set-backs of her Deliverance were managed onely by her Enemies Look upon the instance here before us and you shall finde that God was now as much troubled with Israel if I may so say as before he was with Egypt yea you shall finde that the work stuck not so long on Pharaoh's and the Egyptians hands as it did after upon Israel's First indeed Pharaoh hardned and Pharaoh hardned c. but then you shall finde And Israel hardned and Israel hardned c. not perhaps in the letter but in the reality And God made quick work with Pharaoh that conflict lasted not long probably a matter of Fourty days ended that dispute and controversie about Israels departure but of Israel you hear God say Fourty yeers was I grieved with this generation Psal 95.10 c. That journey unto Canaan which might have been dispatcht in Fourty days they quarrell'd and sinn'd into a Fourty yeers mazing of it in the wildernesse neither are they the last instances of a People that have laid in desperate obstructions and Set-backs in the way of their own Deliverance and Enlargement It was so 2 Chron. 20.33 Hos 13.12 13. But I must not stand upon Instances How the Delivered hinder their own Deliverance The Ways and Mediums how they have done it is the thing which I would as briefly as may be represent unto you In general all sin will do it any sin will do it witnesse what God said once to Israel Isa 59.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither his ear heavie that he cannot hear 2. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you A passage quoted out of the * Num. 11.23 history of the Wildernesse and therefore the more proper But in special These sins 1. By Pride 1. Vnhumblednesse of spirit Pride of heart It was not Pharaoh onely that knew not the Lord surely Israel himself knew not their God what a world of pride and stomackfulnes and selfwih'dnesse and impatience they exprest not in Egypt onely Num. 14.3 but in the wildernesse too Sometime they will make them a Captain to return into Egypt anon they will advance forward Vers 40 41. they will up into the mountain whether God will or no and yet the Text tells us verse 39 The people mourned greatly but alas they were unhumbled in their mournings their hearts were not broken on they will against an expresse Command Go not up for the Lord is not among you Vers 42. Vers 44. But they they presumed to go c. and for this they smarted And so afterward even while they were in the Babylonian Captivity where they kept two solemn Fasts every yeer Zech. 7.5 Sc. in the fifth and seventh moneth Hos 5.5 yet neither their Captivity nor their Fasting humbled their hearts The pride of Israel testifieth to his face And again The pride of Israel testifieth to his face and they do not return to the Lord their God nor seek him for all this and for this the yoke of their Captivity was strenthned upon them and their deliverance retarded They shall go with their flocks and with their herds Vers 6. to seek the Lord but they shall not finde him he hath withdrawn himself from them 2. By Vnbelief 2. A second Deliverance-obstructing sin is Vnbelief deeply laid to heart by God Numb 14.11 How long will this people provoke me how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signes which I havo shewed among them To tell you the story of their unbelief were endlesse but this was the sum of it They had not faith enough to carry them from one miracle to another Let God do never so great wonders for them to day in the next strait they were as far to seek as before they could not dispute faith into the conclusion from the strongest premises which Omnipotence it self could make nay they got a wretched art of perverting Gods Logick they dispute Gods arguments backward Psal 78.20 Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh also for his people CAN HE nay they

Deliverance-Obstruction OR The Set-backs of Reformation Discovered in a SERMON Before the Right Honourable The House of Peers IN PARLIAMENT Now assembled Upon the Monthly Fast March 25. 1646. By THO. CASE Preacher in Milk street London and one of the Assembly of Divines Isa 49.1 Behold the Lords hand is not shortned that he cannot save c. Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Vers 13. He is an unwise son for he should not stay long in the place of bringing forth children London Printed by Ruth Raworth for Luke Fawne at the signe of the Parrot in Paul's Church-yard 1646. Die Veneris 27 Marcii 1646. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled That this House gives Thanks to Master Case one of the Assembly of Divines for his great pains taken in the Sermon he preached on the last Fast-day before their Lordships in the Abbey-Church Westminster And he is hereby desired to print and publish the same which is to be printed by Authority under his own hand onely Jo. Browne Cler. Parliamentorum I appoint Luke Fawne to print my Sermon THO. CASE To the Right Honourable the House of PEERS In Parliament now assembled MY LORDS WHat Complaint that blessed Reformer HEZEKIAH sent once to the Prophet ISAIAH that the ISAIAHS of our time do now make in your ears who are our REFORMERS The children are come to the birth 2 King 19.3 and there is not strength to bring forth To make some discovery where the OBSTRUCTION lieth is the humble and faithful endeavour of this Sermon which as it waits the second time upon your Commands so if your Lordships please at your sparer times to let your eye second the travel of your ear it may through his power Rom. 4.17 who quickens the dead and calls things that ARE NOT as though they WERE become some way serviceable to the Work you have in hand the end of its first and second attendance upon your Honours There was a time when Temple-work * Ezra 6.14 PROSPERED in the hands of the LORDS AND COMMONS OF JUDAH by the prophesyings of HAGGAI AND ZECHARIAH O that such might be the blessed fruit of that abundance of GOSPEL-PROPHESIE which hath been preacht in the ears of Englands Parliament since the time you were first engaged in this great Work not onely of STATE but of CHURCH-Reformation Truely my Lords we desire to look upon your Call of us the poor Ministers of Christ to this Service not a STATE-COMPLEMENT but as your truely * Acts. 17.11 NOBLE desires of consulting with the Oracles of God And for a real evidence thereof give me leave I beseech you to become an humble Petitioner to your Honors for two things First that now you are in the work of Temple-Reformation you would provide an Antidote against Gospel-contempt in some remarkable punishment to be inflicted upon Sermon scorners especially when they shall dare such a wickednesse in the face of Heaven and earth of God and the Church since it cannot but be taken notice of by your Lordships that there be some who to this day hear Sermons in the very same posture they were wont to see Stage-plays to the infinite scandal of Religion and provocation of Almighty God Secondly that in your own persons you will give a president to all the Kingdom of your willing and ready submission to the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST With what eyes you are pleased to look upon the Ministers thereof I know not sure I am whatever faithful advice in their humble Addresses to you hath the Imprimature of SCRIPTURE upon it comes arm'd with the AUTHORITY OF HEAVEN He that heareth YOU heareth ME and he that despiseth YOU despiseth ME Luke 10.16 and he that despiseth ME despiseth HIM that SENT ME. Vpon such an account it was an heavie word which the Prophet spake once to a King I know God hath determined to destroy thee BECAUSE thou hast not hearkned to MY COUNSEL The contemptible Prophet had no contemptible GOD to back him The application of it be to the enemies of CHRIST and of the WORK you have in hand However it is a thing not to be thought of without trembling at All power in heaven and earth is in HIS HANDS Matth. 8.18 2 Cor. 10.6 to avenge all Gospel-Disobedience to WHOM great and small must give an account and who knows how soon what they have done with all the Sermons that ever they heard Which that it may be seriously and savingly laid to heart by Parliament and Kingdom shall be the instant Supplication of Your Honours to serve you while you serve Christ Tho. Case A SERMON Preached before the Right Honorable House of PEERS EXOD. 5.22 23. And Moses returned unto the Lord and said Lord wherefore hast thou so evil intreated this people why is it that thou hast sent me For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy Name he hath done evil to this people neither hast thou delivered thy people at all YOu have in these words 1. A Grievous distresse 2. A Gracious addresse The Addresse indeed is first in the order of words but the Distresse is first in the order of time and sence And this it was briefly Moses and Aaron according to their Commission had been now with Pharaoh to deliver their Embassie and Command from God concerning Israel's dismission Let my people go c. Vers. 1. The Israelites wait to hear what news from Court full of glad expectations of a speedie and present Deliverance from the Egyptian servitude Chap. 12.40 under which they had groaned now these Four hundred and thirty yeers But the tidings doth not answer their expectations Vers 2. Pharaoh will not let Israel go he knows no God but himself neither shall Israel stir Yea their hopes of enlargement are turn'd into the doubling of their bondage in stead of keeping Holy-day in the wildernesse they must to work again in the Brickils of Egypt yea make Bricks they must Vers 7 8 9. and finde themselves straw too more work and lesse wherewithal to do it This was sad news indeed Yet they had some hopes that this might be but the cruelty and encroachment of the Commissioners set over them therefore they 'll to the Court themselves with their Petitions happily the King may give them a better answer it is possible His Majestia gave no such command concerning Israel But when they come they finde it was no mistake Pharaoh speaks the same language the Task masters did Ye are idle ye are idle get you to your work Vers 17 18. there shall be no straw given you yet shall ye deliver the tale of Bricks c. This kills their very hearts now they see themselves worse then ever Vers 19. and thus coming out from the Presence-chamber full of anguish and impatience they meet with Moses and Aaron Vers 20. fall foul upon them charge them with being the cause of bringing