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
need of nothing then it is to be feared least indeed we be wretched and miserable and poore blinde and naked or if we thinke it enough for us to be present onely where the word is preached though we take it not home to our owne hearts let us consider that the high Priests did frequent those places where the messengers of the Lord did deliver their message but it was not sufficient unlesse they did apply the message to themselves which was brought unto them unto that end Moreover where it is said that the Lord did stirre up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel we are taught that neither the chastisements of the Lord nor yet the preaching of the word can bring us out of the sleepe of sinne unlesse it please God to adde thereunto the inward operation of the spirit to awake us for though affliction do cause us to cry and call unto the Lord as Isai saith Lord in trouble they have visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastisements was upon them yet oftentimes afflictions doe worke no such effect in the hearts of men else would not the Lord have said why do I correct you in vaine Nay many times the very griefe of affliction doth estrange men from God cause them to blaspheme the name of the Lord and breed hardnesse of heart in many of the wicked as is manifest Revel 16 when the angell did plague the wicked they boyled in great heat and then they blasphemed the name of God which had power over plagues and they repented not to give him glory and if they breake not out to these extremities yet they will continue still in their wickednesse and not turne unto the Lord that he may have mercy upon them so that neither afflictions nor yet the preaching of the word can stirre us up unlesse God do adde the secret operation of his holy spirit thereunto A resemblance herereof the Romans do afford us by the fact of Camillus who when he had besieged the City of Phalisci with ten yeares warre and attempted by the sword and famine to cause them to yeeld unto him yet all was in vaine till at length by his clemency and lenity he prevailed with them for when the Schoolmaster of the City who had the charge of the noblemens sonnes did bring them and betray them to Camillus that thereby they might be enforced to yeeld up themselves and the City for the ransoming and redeeming of their children Camillus considering that the falshood and treachery of the School-Master could bring him neither comfort nor credit commanded his officers to stripp him naked and binde his hands behinde his backe and to cause the children his Schollers each of them having rod in his hand to whip him backe into the City againe At which Noble action the Citizens were so moved that they presently delivered up their City unto him acknowledging Camillus as their Saviour and God and father even so oftentimes the Lord doth plague us with Famine and sword but yet we will not turne unto him untill by his Holy Spirit he gently move our hearts to yeeld unto him and then we beginne to acknowledge him our Saviour our Father our God in Christ Jesus We indeed are oftentimes overcome with such a dead sleep of security that affliction doth not awake us nor worke our amendment that we might turn unto God nay rather the greife of a son as hath beene said doth many times more withdraw and estrange our hearts from the Lord. It is recorded that the men of Canas after they were overcome by the Carthaginians alledged that they prospered better so long as they burnt their children unto their idols but what should I speake of the heathen seeing the people of God the Jewes blush not to tell the prophet Jeremy that whilest they burnt incense to the Queene of heaven and poured out drinke offerings unto her they had plenty of victualls and saw no evill but since they left off say they to burne incense to the Queene of Heaven and to poure out drinke offerings unto her we have wanted all things and have been consumed by the sword and by famine The word of God I confesse is a very forceable meanes to stirre them up and to prevaile for obedience but yet of it selfe insufficient unlesse by the power of Gods spirit it be put upon our minds and written upon our hearts and therfore our Saviour Christ and his Apostles dealing with the unbeleving stifnecked Jews said unto them as was prophecied of them Hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and seing ye shall see and shall not perceive for the hart of this people is waxed fat and their eares are dull of hearing they have eyes and see not eares and heare not and all because as the Prophet speaketh they are a rebellious house wherefore we may say with Elihu Job 32. Surely there is a spirit in man but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding and this is not true only in the first operation of the spirit but in going on forward in the grace bâ—gunne and not therein only but in the perfecting of the same So that we may well acknowledge that of our Saviour That no man cometh unto the father except the father draw him and the Spouse in the Canticles saith wisely draw me and I will run after thee And the Apostle to the Philippians sheweth that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do And when the Apostle had preached the Gospell from Jerusalem and round about to Illericum he ascribeth nothing unto himselfe but all to the power of the spirit and grace of God which was with him But some may object that if God do onely worke in us all good motives and actions by the secret and inward operation of his holy spirit and that we can do nothing of our selves why then doth God punish us for not doing these things seeing that he himself is the cause why we do them not To this I answer that God doth justly punish us for that we have lost that knowledge that was given us in our first creation and then we had free will to do good our selves but now we are ignorant thereof and therefore are justly punished For as Laertius reporteth of Piltacus who made lawes whosoever were drunke should be double punished if he committed any offence according as Aristole also witnesseth Tertio Ethicorum cap. 5. First for his drunkennesse and secondly for his fault committed in his drinke so we are justly punished not onely for the fault or sinne it selfe but because of our originall corruption and ignorance which is incident into us by reason of that generall curse which fell upon all mankinde at the beginning but as for us that have better learned Christ and can cut of all objections with the word we know that it is not in him that willeth nor
stones whereas the former as we may rather gather from 1 Kings 5. 17. and 62. and 2 Chron. 3. 35. was in breadth 20 cubits in height an hundred and twenty cubits and in lenght sixty cubits after the cubit of the sanctuary which was as long againe as the common cubit and all made of broad and faire hewed stones others not perswaded that Cyrus herein differed so much from the former attributed this to thir poverty and meane estate that built it who coming farre short of Solomon in riches and magnificence we are not able to bestow so much on this as he did on the other And indeed it agreeth with that Caldee word used in that place that it was not rough stones as the vulgar Latin hath it but faire and great stones as the septuagint agree whereof this house was built wherefore though Ribera a papists upon this place in his commentaries give this decree of Cyrus as a reason thereof yet in his second booke de Templo etijs quae ad templum pertinent he denieth the same adding for the credit of their latine text that where it is written ex impolitie it should be ex politus lapidibus whatsoever was the cause the thing is cleare that the ancient men had marked that this temple was no way compararable to the magnificence of the former temple now seeing hope deferred maketh the heart faint as it is in the Proverb to faile in our desire in any thing hindreth our resolution to go forward with it The Jewes whose cheife honour was in the glory of their temple and therefore they would faine have seen it as fair as ever it was before could not but be thereat dismaid and discouraged And therefore the Lord here by his Prophet with this thought laid before them encourageth them to goe forward in the building of the temple adding to stirre them up hereunto three most gracious promises first of his assistance with his word and spirt in the building of the temple ver 4 5. Be strong and worke and I am with you secondly of honouring it with Christs presence in it verse 6 7. Thirdly of enriching it more then the former setling in it peace and all felicity ver 8 9. This message he commands his servants to carry ver 1. 2. In the seventh moneth in the one and twentieth day c. The thought and cogitation that hindred them he layes before them ver 3. who might be left c. And then he exhorts them with courage to goe forward verse 5. yet now be of good courage After which he adderh the promises verse 4 5 6 7 8 9. I will be with you my spirit shall be with you I will fill this house with glory c. Concerning the charge given to the Prophet we must call to minde that in the first day of the sixth moneth he was sent unto them from the Lord to exhort them to build and after in the foure and twentieth day of the same moneth he was sent with a new message to cause them to goe forward in building with one of these promises concerning the Lords assistance when they stirred up with things being considered and compared with that which followeth that notwithstanding both the former sermons of the Prophet and the working grace of the Spirit to meet wit this temptation hindring them they were to be stirred up yet with a new message to be encouraged with more promises as they instruct us on the one side that Gods grace must be both prevenient to go before and subsequent to follow after us in all things First to worke in us and then together with us first to stir us up after to help us forward so do they on the one side teach us that the good graces of God even in the best of us will be quickly extinguished and put out if so be they be not quickned and repaired in us by hearing the word of life whereupon it is that Christ Jesus when he ascended into heaven gave gifts unto men Besides those which were to remaine for a time even which should continue for ever for the repairing of the Saints for the work of the ministery for the edefying of the body 1 the Church whereon was built this temple a type of those pastours which he hath given Paul writing to Timothy commands that they preach the word and be instant in season and out of season which though they seeme yet it is not disagreeing with that of Christ Luke 12 where he commendeth the faithfull Seward which giveth to each servant his portion of meat in due season for men are so backward to come where this meat is to be received and so many excuses they make as trying of Oxen seeing a farme marrying a wife that the importunity which may seeme to them and perhaps also sometime to the Minister to be unseasonable is hereby the Apostle commanded to be practised so that the Ministers are to teach instantly and as some thinke unseasonably and common sense will teach us this if we will consider the parable of our Saviour Christ whereas he compareth the minister to the Steward the people to the servants the word to the food so that as food sustaines the body so doth this word mainetaine the soule spiritually for the word he useth in the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or signifieth a measure of corne so many pecks as was wont to be given unto servants for their monethly allowance which if they should not receive havingno more to live one common sense would teach us that they could not but be pined and what may we looke for if we regard not to receive this our allowance when it is distributed but to be pined with that famine threatned Amos 8. Not a famine to bread nor thirst for water but of hearing of the word of God when men shall wander even from sea to sea and from the north to the east and shall runne to an fro and shall seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it which I would to God they would consider better of and for small causes absent themselves from Ecclesiasticall exercises where the servants of the Lord destribute these portions light of nature should as I thinke so much teach them that herein they so much injury themselves as he did his servants of whom the Poet Juvinall speakes Servorem ventres modio castigat iniquo And this should make them herein more carefull Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 10. writes of an unlearned monke who living in the wildernesse of Egypt called Pambo who coming to one and requesting to be taught he reading that in the Psalme I said that I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue Pambo would heare no more but requested him to stay there till he had learned that and so departed from the man who meeting him six monethes after and asked him why he had not come unto him againe why
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