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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A01234 Ezras pulpit. Or, A sermon lately preached in Southwarke, before a worshipfull assembly Very necessary for these times. By William Freake, minister. Freake, William. 1639 (1639) STC 11346.7; ESTC S120858 9,804 29

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of my Text where care is taken that certaine selected Levites whose names are exprest in the seventh verse should cause the people to understand the Law To which end an order was established that the Levites should reade in the Law of the Lord distinctly without hudling up things together as many doe now adayes and not to content themselves with bare reading but they should also give the Sence thereof and cause the people to understand the reading as you have it in the last words of my Text. And now I pray you what patterne can bee more plaine what warrant more strong can the Scripture afford us for our order in our congregations for decent carriage in publicke assemblies for our reading Pewes our Pulpits our Sermons our expositions of Scripture after reading thereof then this of this people in the words of our Text wherein Ezra the Scribe standeth upon a Pulpit of wood prepared for the preaching with the Nobility and Clergy on his right hand and on his left opening the Booke in the sight of the people and reading the law unto them at whose opening of the Booke the people stand up say Amen bowing their heads and worshipping The Levites by exposition cause the people to understand the Law reading it distinctly and giving the sence which when I thinke upon I cannot but breake into that patheticall wish of a reverend Divine of our owne upon an occasion not much unlike O si Deus hoc faceret nobis tam commodum quam Ecclesia proposuit accommodum O that the Lord were pleased but so to perswade the hearts of men and women to an unity of affections in their publicke devotions as the holy Ghost hath beene carefull to set us a patterne in Scripture and the reformed Churches pious in propounding us an uniformity And so I have done with the explication of the words of our Text I now onely crave your patience for a word or two of application and I will draw suddenly to a conclusion 1 Our Text you see hath acquainted us with a people that by a right use of affliction are growne penitent and pious A lesson for the Patients of this house and foundation to cha●ke them out a way to the happy use of Gods corrections That they may know that there is none other way so ready to remission of sinnes as humiliation and contrition of heart for the same wisely inured to piety in devotion 2 It hath acquainted us with their practise of joyning the Church and State together in an unanimous consent for the honour of God in his publicke service To lesson us in the necessity of a mutuall accord this way if we desire the prosperity of our Jerusalem 3 It hath acquainted us with their study and practise of conformity in Gods services that wee might know that our God is a God of order and that the Church of God is truely represented by an Army well ordered as being never so victorious over its enemies as when it is terrible unto them as an Army with banners Canticles the 6. ch the 4 verse 4 It hath acquainted us with their holy practise in accommodating all things in their publicke assembly as to Gods glory so to the peoples edification Not onely to instruct us that such should bee the care of all good men but to shew us what wee owe to God for the happy indeavours of such religious spirits as are raised up by God to performe such godly and christian workes with a study for the publicke good The names of those noble Patriots who were sticklers in this reformation here in my Text both Clergy and Nobility are recorded to their everlasting honour by the penne of the holy Ghost Wee may therefore by good warrant write up even in letters of gold the names of such pious Patrons as God blesseth us withall in this depraved and degenerate age of ours And with this holy confidence upon just grouuds that theis names are written in the booke of eternall life of whom GOD maketh choise to be moved by his holy Spirit to workes of this nature in this mutuall life Mistake mee not I beseech you this is no place for flattery we stand in the presence of the Searcher of all our hearts I doe undoubtedly assure my selfe that even they whose hands have beene deepest in the erection of this place will be content to say as David when hee had prepared all materials for the building of Gods Temple 1 Chron. 29. 14. Lord who am I and what is my people that wee should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee and of thine owne have wee given thee God hath given the meanes God hath filled the hand God hath inlarged the heart to doe this pious act in this place and to God onely be all the glory for it And now what remaineth but an earnest exhortation to a continnance in well-doing and that a course may be taken for an happy progresse in Gods favour to the royall foundation of our Hospitall And to this end as I propound this people in our Text your patterne and thereupon shall be bold to make a request unto you so I will conclude with an exhortation and a prayer upon it The request I ground upon the practise of this people in whom wee finde unanimity for preservation of the publicke welfare and the same in peace And this request I deliver in the words of Saint Paul Phil. 2. 1 2 3 4 5 verses If there be any if consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit any bowels of mercy verse 1. fulfill my joy and not mine alone but the joy of God and of his holy Angels by being like-minded having the same love being of one accord and of one minde verse 2. And let nothing be done through strife or vaine-glory but in humblenesse of minde let each esteeme other better then himselfe verse 3. And let us not looke every man to his owne things onely but every man also to the things of another verse 4. Let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Jesus verse 5. This is the summe of my request And now my prayer shall bee for every member of this royall foundation as wel Officers as Governours none excepted that we may be not onely like minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus as Saint Paul prayeth for his Romans Rom. 15. 5. but that wee may live and dye in unity peace and concord and herein we beseech thee to heare us good Lord. That so performing our duties to God and to the poore committed to our charge in all sincerity and uprightnesse of hearts when our generall account shall be called for wee may be received with an Eugee bone fidelis serve well done good and faithfull servant Math. 25. 21. Thou hast beene faithfull over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter into the joy of thy Lord. Vnto which joy may hee be pleased to bring us who hath most dearly bought us even Iesus Christ the righteous to whom c. FINIS Feb. 16. 1638. Imprimatur Guil. Bray