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A28659
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A doore of hope, also holy and loyall activity two treatises delivered in severall sermons, in Excester / by Iohn Bond ...; Doore of hope
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Bond, John, 1612-1676.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing B3569; ESTC R23253
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104,423
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165
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with Amalek in Rephidim though Moses Aaron and Hur were not with Joshuab in the battell yet their lives liberties and Religion lay at the same stake as much as his or any mans else in the Campe. And upon this ground it was 1 Sam. 30. that David returning with victory over those Amalekites which had spoyled Ziklag alotted as great a share to those which tarryed by the stuffe ver 24. as to them who went to battell As his part is that goeth downe to the battell so shall his part be that tarryeth by the stuffe they shall part alike Brethren this is a true rule concerning all publike hazards and contestations of or for the true Church whether by Armes or by Counsells every member doth share both in the good and evill successes This is the argument with which Mordecai doth presse Esther so closely to adventure her selfe for the deliverance of the Iewes Esth 4. v. 13. Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more then all the Iewes i.e. True thou art the Kings wife but yet being a Iew the Iewish case concerneth thee also so as if the Iewes are cut off the destruction will find out thee even in the Royall Palace Thus the great Counfell of this Kingdome now assembled doth neerely concerne every member of the Church and State There is not the poorest Mechanick nay childe or servant that hath an estate a body or a soule but behold they all doe lye now at stake therefore it behoves every member to bestirre himselfe to the uttermost 2. They must sirre at such times Reason 2 because it seemes that then is Gods time when he is neere them for their good There is a time and a season saith the Preacher for every action and to misse that time is dangerous A time to kill Eccles 3. v. 1. to 8. and a time to heale a time to breake downe and a time to build up a time to get and a time to lose a time to keepe and a time to cast away Man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evill net Eccles 9. v. 12. and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly upon them Thus not only private persons but even whole Nations and States have their good times in which helpe deliverance and reliefe are offered unto them from the Lord in which there is great likelihood of obtaining pardon and purging both in Religion and Lawes Beloved such a season is it for England every time that God and the King doth give us an happy and peaceable meeting in Parliament Pro 11. v. 14. Pro. 24. v. 6. as 't is said Where no counsell is the people fall but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety And by wise counsell thou shalt make thy warre and in the multitude of counsellors there is safety Joh 5. v. 4. Therefore that is one speciall season We reade of the poole of Bethesda that an Angell went downe at a certaine season into the poole and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had If a sicke man had stepped into that poole before the Angell stirred the waters he should have found none efficacy in them or if he had delayed long after then it would have bin too late the only proper season was first after the troubling of the water Such seasons are there for whole States to step in and be healed 3. Reason 3 Every true member must then bestirre it selfe because afterwards it may be too late to stirre When Esaus birth-right was sold Heb. 12. v. 16 17 Gen. 27. v. 3â— 37. his teares came too late When the blessing was gone then his prayers teares and venison came too late Thus a Nation also may overstand the day of their peace both in respect of spirituall and politke happinesses So Ierusalem Luk. 19. v. 42. If thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day c. Whilst Prophets could and did prophesy in Ierusalem whilst men of Counsell and Armes remained in her and had liberty and encouragement so long she was in a faire way and then prayers humiliations informations c. might happily have done her some good but at last the case was altered for those able pillars were taken away Behold Isa 3. v. 1. ver 2. the Lord the Lord of hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staffe The mighty man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophet and the prudent and the ancient the Captaine of fifty ver 3. and the honourable man and the Counseller and the cunning Artificer and the eloquent Oratour Whilest these great helpes remained with them perhaps as I said use of meanes might have done some good But now that the yron is cold 't is too late to strike Therefore pray not thou for this people Jer. 7. v. 16. neither lift up a cry nor prayer for them c. These three Reasons proove it sufficiently That in times of solemne Contestation c. 1. REPROOFE Application Vse 1 This doth command me to rebuke sharply divers sorts of Offenders against this rule but especially these two those that are Carelesse or Opposites in such a time 1. The Carelesse which scarcely take notice of such golden opportunities and seasons As the bruit-beasts know no difference betwixt working-working-dayes and the Sabbath but only by their ease and rest So there is a generation of bruitish people who take little notice or regard of Warrs or Parliaments but only so farre as may touch their present sensuall particulars Acornes they can taste like Swine but as for Oakes from whence they dropp those Trees are too high for their crooked and stooping thoughts to contemplate The state of Religion and the weale-publicke are things which the greater number of people thinke least upon but doe say that they must leave the former to Church-men and the latter to Counsellours of State just like those sottish Russians the common-people of Muscovy of whom it is said that if you aske them but an ordinary question touching their Religion or laws the answer is God and our great Duke doe know all things they can tell Brethren as I would not have meane men to go above their latchet as they say that is to seeke to know above that which is meet for them both in affairs of Church and Common-wealth so I beleeve that even private persons may sin greatly by too much ignorance of publike affaires especially in these times when as we hope the Carpenters are cutting off those hornes which have scattered Judah Those two Disciples going to Emmaus Zech 1.20 21. seemed to reprove our Saviour not knowing him to be our Saviour because he made himselfe ignorant of the great new affairs