draw them to walke in his feare the spirit may be willing but the flesh is weake as our Saviour saith and when we are at the best our best dutyes are full of many wants and mingled with much imperfection insomuch that we have need continually to be stirred up quickned and strengthened unto every good worke by the preaching of the word It is not enough for Paul to plant unlesse Apollos doth water also there must be precept upon precept line upon line here a little and there a little neither must the Philippians be weary of hearing the same things often seing it is not grievous unto Paul to write them and for them it is a safe thing when Moses and the Prophets spake of preaching they called it a dropping My doctrine shall droppe as the raine and my speech shall distill as the dew Sonne of man set thy face toward the South and drop thy word toward the South and prophecy against the forrest of the South-field for as the raine by often dropping and falling upon the earth doth soften it and make it fruitfull so doth the word by often preaching make the hearts of men like good ground to bring forth their good fruit in due season It was the councell and charge of Paul to Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season not only ordinarily in a constant course but extraordinary also if any just occasion should so require and if we well consider the good successe which Haggais often preaching found with this people it may be an incouragement unto us to take the like course to procure the like blessing his first Sermon was delivered in the first day of the sixt month and therein their finnes discovered and reproved Gods judgements opened and applyed for their neglect in building the Lords house and themselves exhorted to go up to the mountaine to bring timber to undertake the worke and to build the house had not this been thus spoken the worke had not beene so thought upon nor taken into due consideration His second sermon was preached unto them in the foure and twentieth day of the same month somewhat about three weekes afterwards and had not this been added unto the former the worke in all likelihood had been neglected still this made the Prophet to strike once and againe while the iron was hot least the sparks which were kindled by the first Sermon should have beene either quenched or cooled for want of another to second and abett the same unto this the Lord himselfe giveth testimony when he telleth us Ezra 6. 14 that the elders of the Jews having now taken the work in hand builded the house of the Lord and prospered through the prophecying of Haggai the Prophet and of Zachary the sonne of Iddo and thus doth the Lord make his owne word by faithfull and frequent preaching either as a hammer to bruse us or a fire to melt us that so he may accomplish his owne worke which he requireth at our hands The Eight Sermon Haggai Chap. 1 verse 14. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtie a Prince of Judah and the spirit of Joshua the sonne of Jehosideck the High-Priest IT hath been heretofore declared in the explication of the former part of this Chapter how the Jewes having begunne to lay the foundation of the Temple of the Lord did afterward surcease from proceeding in the Lords worke wherefore they were first sharpely reprehended and reproved by the Prophet of the Lord for their sinne and afterwards he did incovrage them to go on forward in the building of the Temple In these words he sheweth how the Lord unto the words of the Prophet did adde the inward operation of his spirit 1 The Lord did stirre up the spirit c. 2 The obedience of the Prince and people thereunto in the words following and they came and did the worke The first needeth no exposition saving that whereas it is said that the Lord did stirre them up we may conceive their drowsle sluggishnesse was like unto a sleepe and sleepe is nothing but a similitude of death wherefore the Apostle saith Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The same admonion the Jewes did receive by God at the time when by stirring them up he awoke them out of sleep The next point is the circumstance of time v. 15. In the 24 day of the sixt moneth in the second year of Darius the King which doth shew that the part doth not belong to the second Chapter but to the first for the scriptures were delivered into chapters a little before our age but the scripture it selfe sheweth this division is more probable seeing that the second verse of the next Charter should begin with another circumstance of time so Saint Jerome and others have divided the same a matter wherein I would not have spent so many words but that the councell of Trent and some of the antient Fathers have joyned the same to the second Chapter according to the translation of the old latins Sextus the 5 doth not joyn this to the former but to the latter circumstance in the second Chapter Paulius de Palatio one of the popish writers would have this part according to the Hebrewes to be joyned to the circumstance of time and Rebera also a man of the papists and of greater judgment affirmeth that this circumstance of time in the first verse of the second Chapter appertaineth to the first Charter So cleare and undoubted it is that the circumstance of time and the course of the scripture doth shew that as soone as the spirit of the Lord did stirre them up they made no delay but went and built the house of the Lord so that they did not then deferre so many dayes as before they had done yeares but went and did worke in the Lords house we may also further here observe that this house is called The House of the Lord of Hosts To shew his power over all creatures a thing which might stand much for their incouragement for whenas they had began to build the house of the Lord. Ezdras 1 2. by the permission of Cyras then their adversaries procured a commission from Artaxerxes to hinder and molest them in the building of the roofe and afterwards they obtained liberty to reedifie the same in the dayes of Darius as appeareth Ezdras 4. 24 so that they might have beene discouraged if they had not considered that the hearts of princes are in the hands of God as the rivers of waters 2 as his power so his fatherly goodnesse is shewed in this in that he is called their God as he made promise to Abraham to be a God unto him and to his seed for ever so now he sheweth himselfe to be their God being Abrahams seed The consideration whereof must needs breed a child-like affection
read it not only in Cyril but also in Gods own truth and the unlearned may heare it preaced by others thus 3ly in respect of the continuance of the spirit we are likewise to build up our selves as well as others Lastly we have the same promises that they had from the same Lord of Hosts Jesus Christ as he is described Rev. 19. 14. where it is said that the warriers or armies which were in heaven follow him and if they so excellent creatures then much more we who are farre inferiour nay he more kindly promiseth it to us promising that he will be with us by his spirit for ever to guide and comfort us in all our calamities and therefore it is our duty aswell as theirs to set aside all feare distrustfulnesse and with all courage go forward and with all encouragement to strengthen our weak knees and lift up our feeble hands that we may be able insome measure to accomplish the worke the Lord hath enjoyned every one for we have the like commandement that Zerubbabel had the like promises yea the same promises and the assistance of the same spirit and he that promiseth to be with us is the Lord of Hostes most mighty and able to do whatsoever he will which name least happily it should somewhat affright us let us remember that he is mighty and powerful against his enemies and towards his sonnes and servants mercifull and full of compassion yea he iâ— the Bishop and sheepherd of our soules 1 Pet. 2. and therefore it ought more to embolden us than discourage us as it did David Psa 23. My sheepherd saith he is the living Lord therefore will I feare no ill and indeed he himself shewed it to be true in his owne particular by his godly example in all his life and first when there was but a step betweene him and death as he had told his friend Ionathan 1 Sam. 20. he went forward with some circumspection indeed and care to prevent danger but yet never a whit discouraged because he knew that the Almighty was his sheepherd and that he was able to keep and defend him yea that he would defend him because that he had promised to de-defend all such as put their trust in him and why for the Kings hart is in the hand of the Lord and he turneth it whether soever he willl and that as easily as a husbandman can turne the streames of waters And so the Lord did the heart of Saul to David as appeareth by the sequell of that story and when the Lord did not deliver him by his power yet he preserved him by his goodnesse Elias might have feared Ahab and Ehizeus might have beene dismaied with the taunts that were cast on him by Ieroboam but they went boldly forward shewing indeed that they had no cause to feare or be discouraged for they knew well enough that the Lord was with them The memorable example of the three children sheweth the like courage to have been in them when they said our God is able to deliver us if he do it not yet know O King that we will not worship c. whereby they shewed that they were fully perswaded that the Lord is present with his servants either by his power or by his goodnesse by his power to deliver them or by his goodnesse to comfort and strentghen them if to endure torments were most for Gods glory yea the very example of these three sheweth how true that in the Proverbs is when a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him so that not only the fury of Kings shall be turned away but if need be they shall become ever friends and if the hearts of Princes be so subject to the Lords ordination and government which seeeme to have some freedome how much more are the hearts of inferiour creatures the slothfull man saith that a Lyon is in the street but the Lord hath Lyons at command so that they shall not hurt his saints Dan. 6. he that observeth the winds shall not sow and he that marketh the clouds shall not reape so that the Lyon feareth the slothfull man on the one side and the winde on the other side keepeth him backe that he cannot go forward but for the true children of God who know that both winde and weather sea and aire are at Gods command they feare neither the heat of summer nor the cold of winter nor the storme of persecution but goe boldly on in their calling following the precept of their God and committing all other things to his providence for they know that he is with them even in affliction as David witnesseth Psal 23. thy rod and thy staffe comfort me where we are to consider that the rod and the staffe are tearmes used in respect of the former word sheepherd the word rod signifieth a long thing to strike with but yet used as sheepherds use the like about their sheep to keep them in by threatning them and a little tipping them the word staffe is borrowed from a word that signifieth to leane on which sheepheards use to leane on and withall to keep their sheepe but in proper the Prophet declareth that the Lord would not chasten him or if he did his chastisement should be but such as should comfort him as he saith else where Psalme 119. It was good for me that I was punished and before I was smitten I went wrong Columella writing of the use of the latter word for staffe saith that in some countries the sheeherds use to leane on their staffes and never sit downe but stand upright to looke on their flocke least that any sheepe comming after might be entercepted of wilde beasts of which the country is full in which sence if we take the word staffe it sheweth that the Lord is watchfull over his so regardeth them that none of his perish and look what chastisement he giveth them it shall in the end turne to their salvation and hence it was that the Apostle Paul when the Lord bad him be of good courage none shall hurt him he boldly and joyfully went about his calling even then when the Lord was not with him in his power to deliver him but yet by his goodnesse to comfort him as I said yea when he knew that he should be delivered up he boldly without feare went on to build up that body which he was sent for teaching us by his example to remember that in the Epistle to the Romans cap. 8. 31. 37 38 39. If God be on our side who can be against us nothing can separate us from his love which we have in Christ Jesus wherefore that this might the better be kept and performed the Pastours are to stir up the people to this boldnesse remembring that even in weakenes the Lord will perfect his strength and bring his will to passe and that he often useth weake instruments to
See heer th ' effigies louely lively face Of reverend Rainolds full of fayth Grace Oxfords renowned Doctor of the Chaire Acute mellifluos Oratour most rare T. Cross sculp THE PROPHESIE OF HAGGAI Interpreted and applyed in sundry SERMONS By that Famous and Judicious Divine JOHN RAINOLDS D. D. Never before printed Beeing very usefull for these Times HAGGAI Chap. 1. verse 7 8 9. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes Goe up to the mountaine and bring wood and build the house and I will take pleasure in it and I will bee glorified saith the Lord. Ye looked for much and loe it came to little and when ye brought it home I did blow upon it Why saith the Lord of Hosts because of mine house that is wast and ye run every man unto his own house LONDON Printed by W. W. for William Lee and are to be sold at the Turkes-head neere the Miter Taverne in Fleetstreet 1649. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER Reader I Shall promise a few words concerning both the Authour and worke For the Authour of it it was Doctor JOHN RAINOLDS a man eminent both for learning and piety No man mee thinkes saith one is happy on Earth to him that hath grace for substance and Learning for ornament This verse is written about Dr. Rainolds Air picture Inâ—ertum est fuerit doctior an melior It is doubtfull whether He were more learned or pious When Bellarmine came out first both the Vniversities chose one in each Academy to confute him Oxford for I must ever give that the preheminence chose Doctor Rainolds for their Champion Cambridge Doctor Whitaker for theirs Whitaker was more nimble for hee went over a great part of Bellarmines Controversies and so solidly consuted him that it is credibly related by some English-men that travelled into Italy that Bellarmine himselfe procured his Picture out of England placed it in his study secretly admiring him for his great learning and when hee was asked by another Jesuite his friend and companion why hee would have the Picture of that Heretick hee was wont to answer that although hee was an Heretick and an adversary yet hee was a learned Adversary Whitaker that Honour of our Schooles and Angell of our Church Learned Whitaker then whom our age saw nothing more memorable what clearnesse of judgment what sweetnesse of stile what gravity of person what grace of carriage was in that man who ever saw him without reverence or heard him without wonder Doctor Rainolds whom a very reverend Divine compares to a pen too full of inke thought at the first that in two or three yeares he should have been able to have gone over all Bellarminâ— Controversies but he was 7 yeares about the very firâ—â— of 〈◊〉 de â—bris Apocryphis which yet he finished not neither insomuch that one Mr. Walter Travers jested with him and told him he was so long in reading the Apocrypha here that he would read the Canonâ—cals in Heaven Yet his conference with Hart that worke together doe amply discover his great abilities and he is justly stiled by one of our owne writers Pontificiorum malleus patriae suae dulcissimum decus the hammer of the Papists and most sweet ornament of his owne Country Doctor Rainolds alone was a well furnisht Library full of all faculties of all studies of all learning the memory the reading of this man were neare to a miracle For this worke of his it was reviewed and perfected by that Reverend Divine Master William Hinde sometimes Preacher of Gods word at Bunbury in Cheshire whose intention was to have printed it in his life time hee having set forth some other of the same Authors workes as that on Obadiah these Sermons immediately following thereupon to bee handled in the Doctors ordinary course of Preaching as appeares in the first page of these Sermons This Copy therefore being left with mee by Master Nathaniel Hinde a Minister in Staffordshire and Sonne to the forementioned Master William Hinde with a desire also of the publication of it I thought good to preface thus much in the behalfe both of the Author and worke It is I suppose the best Copy that is extant and though he wholly finished not the second Chapter of Haggai yet because the maine subject of that Booke is the building of the Temple it will not seeme unseasonable for these times wherein Reformation should bee the aime of all and in another respect also this worke may bee suitable to the present season because this learned and religious Author in this Book seemes to favour the Presbiterian way What ever it bee I commend it and thee to Gods blessing and rest Thy hearty well-wisher EDVVARD LEIGH AN EXPOSITION Upon HAGGAI Sermon the First CHAP. 1. vers 1. In the second yeare of Darius the King in the sixt moneth the first day of the moneth came the word of the Lord by the hand of the Prophet Haggai unto Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel a Prince of Judah and to Jehosuah the sonne of Jehozadak the high Priest saying Thus hath the Lord of hoasts charged me to say This people say the time is not yet come the time that the Lords house shall be builded Then came the word of the Lord by the hand of the Prophet Haggai saying Is it time for you Sirs to sit downe in your seiled houses whiles this house lyes waste YOU have heard in the conclusion of the Prophesie of Obadiah the promise of deliverance made by God unto the Jewes and in them to all his chosen that their enemies should be overthrown and they restored to their ancient inheritance which should be performed by Saviours which should come up to mount Sion to judge the mount of Esau and that the kingdome should bee the Lords which that you might see how it was in shaddow performed to the Jewes and in truth to all the chosen of God I thought good to entreat of this Prophesie of Haggai wherein the same is delivered unto us In which we are taught that the Temple having been begun to be built long before and the worke intermitted was with much adoe continued by Zerubbabel and Jehosua who were thereunto moved by the ministery of Haggai prospered by the assistance of the godly encouraged by Gods word and grace of his spirit which representeth un o us the frame of the spirituall house the Church which Christ built by his Apostles which were sent from Sion as was prophesied of them The doctrine shall come from Sion Next if we consider the circumstances of the times letts helps the persons people Princes Preists dealings it may be an example unto us and to such as are to deale any way in the building of the church how to behave themselves therein Moreover by the consequence that once more he would shake the heavens and the earth bring the desire of all nations and fill that house with glory he comprehendeth the fulfilling
of the Caedar which is the timber that this house was to be built with Let no rotten speech proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to edefie and build withall there are divers other things besides Caedars necessary to this building but by the name of this one of timber all other whatsoever likewise necessary are understood and so must we likewise understand in our building and here by occasion I am to commend one thing to you for seing they were to bring timber it was necessary that it should be first cut downe whereunto are necessary instruments as also workemen Now to us for instruments and tooles are indeed our lawes and statutes whereby our worke is to be framed and directed When the children of the Prophets came to Elizeus and craved leave of him that because the place where they dwelt was too little for them they might go to Jordan that every one might take thence a beame and make them more roome and he granting them leave and going himselfe with them as they were about their worke aâ— one was a felling a tree the axe head fell into the water whereupon he cryed out unto Elizeus and said alas Master it was but borrowed the man of God therfore considering not only that the instrument was borrowed but also how necessary it was for their purpose cutting downe a piece of wood and casting it into the water caused the Iron to swimme We have my brethren amongst us our lawes as it were instruments wherewith to fell our timber a great part of them is fallen into the water Indeed they be in the Proctors booke but there they be as if they were fallen into the water The Children of the Prophets have complained unto Elizeus alas Master they were but borroed and great need have they to know them for that they are bound in conscience by oath to keep them To which purpose some have taken paines to restore them notwithstanding it hath yet pleased God to move them that should see it accomplished howbeit we may hope to see it when it shall please God to place in that room a man that hath Elizeus spirit sure there is great use of them for the cutting and framing of the Caedars wherewith to build especially if those which be knowne already were kept which I must needs also adde because that of those which are knowne many have their edges rebated by dispensations A lamentable thing that we keepe yet so much that which was received from the sinke of Rome which I speake not as though our dispensations were so detestable as his who taketh upon him to dispense against the commandment of the Apostle however it please him to distinguish of the precepts of the Apostle which he commandeth not God but in a place and matter where lawes and orders are taken to the contrary it is no way tollerable Pluto and Aristotle the Princes of the Phylosophers have affirmed that it is most pernicious in a common-wealth to breake the lawes which are once appointed which we learne even out of them if we reade them to make our profit of them and not only to talke of them which neither yet do I speake as though I would have nothing dispensable but that when it is so ordered that there shall not in such cases be any dispensations absolulutely yet that we should continually come against this decree For what can be more absurd than that men of judgement and discretion should make no more account to breake Gods lawes than children would do to break sticks but if statutes were only broken by dispensations the matter were more tollerable for then should we also have our parts in it but statutes have been broken without dispensations wherof the experience is fresh in your memory the last week as you know or if you know it not I tell what I meane even the playes kept against the expresse statute by the tollerance and connivance of the Magistrate the statute hath been broken Some there are who be perswaded that thence may be gathered good timber for this building Happily indeed some bushes and brambles or muske-roses and that is the best and I would to God it were the worst For many there are who are brought through such corruptions to lewd perswasions but doubtles they make evil work for the Church of God they that heard them may say more but this one of their owne Prophets hath said of that place Ille locus casti damna pudoris habet which was spoken of such places as that where these were kept I need not adde as the Apostle doth this testimony is true therefore rebuke them sharpely yet will I say to them that be heads of houses parents of families tutors of Schollers one of their own prophets have sayed the testimony is true therfore rebuke them sharply God be blessed and pardon our sins for his sons sake Amen Sermon the 5. December 25. 1585. Ver. 8. Go up to the mountain and bring timber and build this house and I will take delight in it and I will be glorified in it saith the Lord. THis sentence of the Prophet Haggai exhorting the Jewes that were returned from Babylon that they should build the house of the Lord containeth as hath beene before declared when I last spake to you of it out of this place the reason why he exhorteth 1 He that exhorteth is the Lord 2 he exhorteth them to build the house of the Lord to go up to the mountains to bring timber 1. The reasons I will take delight in it I wil be glorified for the meaning of all which we understand then that 1 it was the Lord that by the Ministery of the Prophet made this exhortation 2 For the thing where unto they are exhorted that it was the building of the temple on the mountain Moriah whereon it stood before 1 What the reasons were 2 Why he ought to do this 1 Because he would take delight in it 2 Because he would beglorified of the former two points namely the Lord who exhorteth and the thing whereunto I spake then as grace was ministred time served there now remaineth the last circumstance at this time to be handled which containeth the reasons why they should goe up to the mountaine and builde And for the meaning of the reasons I opened that at that present touching the former that God will not delight it it for it selfe as in the timber and stones c. but because of the signification and use thereof in that it betokenâ—th Jesus our Saviour as is plainely declared in the Epistle to the Heb. Neither him onely as the head of the Church but his body also together with him both the Catholike church which is partly on earth and partly received into glory The Church militant the Church triumphant and visible Churches not onely as bodies considered wholy but also each member of the same in particular as by the places then alledged Ephes 2. 1