Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A43065
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A sermon preach'd before the Honourable House of Commons, at St. Margaret's Westminster, January the 30th, 1695/6 by Gregory Hascard.
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Hascard, Gregory.
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1696
(1696)
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Wing H1117; ESTC R25418
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14,412
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31
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A SERMON Preach'd before the HONOURABLE House of Commons AT St. MARGARET's WESTMINSTER Jannary the 30th 1695 6. By GREGORY HASCARD D. D. Dean of Windsor Rector of St. Clements Danes and Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed for Daniel Brown at the Bible and Swan without Temple-Bar MDCXCVI A SERMON Preach'd before the House of Commons On January the 30th 1695 6. c. MICAH VII 2. The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men they all lie in wait for blood they bunt every man his neighbour with a net THese words are the cause of the Prophet's sorrow exprest ver 1. so deep a concern it was that the words Wo is me may signify not only mourning but howling which did not arise from a melancholy temper or discontent against the Government disappointments peevishness or contradiction but from a serious and sad consideration of the scarcity of men truly good So rare they were in the Land of Palestine as not to be found in Clusters in numerous Families and large Societies but in thin and hungry Gleanings after the Vintage was over v. 1. When the Prophet had taken an impartial view of the several Ranks and Orders in the Jewish Nation the Princes Priests and People good men were reckon'd up not like the musters in St. John of the Tribe of Judah twelve thousand or silver in the days of Solomon but as hard to be found as the mouths of Nile or Jewels among dirt and rubbish Notwithstanding the Law and Temple which they profest and admir'd the mighty wonders that were done of old and they believ'd the peculiar care and tenderness of Divine Providence over the Jewish Nation faith God I have carried them upon Eagles wings Signal Judgments upon men of Vice the Admonitions and Alarms of the Prophets and other kind methods inviting to Goodness and true Religion yet they were so degenerate and vicious that when the Prophet came to search for the fruits of Religion and find a number of good men he makes this sad return The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men they all lie in wait for blood c. Such as passion as this for the want of good men became the Prophet in all capacities as a Man as a Subject and as a Prophet As a Man whose essence is as much to be good and religious as'tis to be rational and therefore could not but be concern'd to see a Nation of men so strangely chang'd and degenerated by Vice and Luxury into Brutes that nothing was left of the Image of God and Manhood beside shape and laughter As a Subject well foreseeing and with grief considering what misery would suddenly betide the Nation for want of Goodness and Religion As a Prophet that notwithstanding the Messages he brought from God and the clear Predictions he made them what sad Events in a short time would happen to them for want of Goodness and Repentance yet they slighted his Errand and were sturdy and resolute in their Vices I am afraid we have too great reason from the consideration of this day for the Prophet's Sorrow and Exclamation When a truly good and most excellent Prince fell by the bloody hands of his Rebellious Subjects and with him our Laws and Liberties our Apostolical Church and Ancient Government and great was the fall thereof to the Grief of our Friends the Joy of our Enemies and the Scandal of Religion A Murder it was of the deepest Die committed upon a most tender Father by Sons making high Pretences to the Spirit of God Zeal for Christianity the Publick Good to Purity and Reformation array'd in the finest Dress and Colours yet deeply stain'd by this foul Action to the Triumph of Rome the Laughter of the Atheist the Sport of the Vicious and Lewd but to the Sorrow of all Loyal and Good Subjects all Honest and Sincere Christians To spend time in magnifying the Virtues and Sufferings of our Martyr'd Sovereign which were so bright and known so well outshining the Jewels of his Crown would be gross Impertinency to this great Auditory they speak aloud like Abel's blood though their great Master is dead not for Vengeance but Imitation I shall therefore only touch upon them as they fall in with the end and intention of these words The good man is perished out of the earth and my following Discourse upon them very suitable I hope to the Devotion of this day which I shall pursue by this method 1. Let us consider wherein the goodness of this good man the Prophet mentions did express it self 2. What prevail'd or grew up in the Prophet's time in the place of true Religion and Goodness 3. What particular Considerations may move us to bewail the want of true Goodness It could be wish'd that this dearth of Goodness had been only under the Jewish Religion and peculiar only to the Land of Palestine but the Christian Church as well as the Prophet may justly bewail het barren Christians and the scarcity of Men truly good notwithstanding her Laws so Excellent so Divine We all affirm indeed That our Religion by the hand of Jesus came from God but our Conversation saith 't is only a new device and fashion to wear a broad and throw off at home With great solemnity of Words and Looks we repeat our Creeds with confidence and a keen Passion we break the Commands We pray and communicate with Sighs and Appearances befitting the strictest Penitent and the greatest Saint yet our Lives say our Prayers are but formal Orations unto God and the Table of the Lord is common We flame with Zeal for Religion but our practice puts out the Fire and in the bottom of the Ashes lie Revenge and Interest Faction and a Party which with a little breath blowing off the disguize appear in their natural Colours We call our selves Saints and Elect but where 's the Patience the Temper and the Spirit of them We follow Jesus and wear his Livery but underneath is the Passion of a Judas and the fond and carnal Expectation of a Jew and is this the Coat of thy Son Joseph Some there were who murther'd their Sovereign yet talkt loud and disputed warmly and cast themselves into Sides and Divisions and all must be set at Stake for the Cause of God by which they drive on their barbarous Design but yet I am afraid and could wish the Fear was idle for the sake of Christianity What was the black Charge of Pagan Corinth may in the greatest part be laid against them who were adulterers effeminate thieves covetous revilers extortioners 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. And I wish I could say such were only some of them but they are washed but they are sanctified but the same Vices or others in so many still do live and thrive maintaining their old lewd Principles as tho they endeavour'd to fulfil the Prophecy telling us what should betide Christianity