shall gain the whole world and loose his own Soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul In this Reformation Hezekiah's speed equals his willingness and like a pair of Heisers accustomed to the yoak they draw both together for as it was his first work to have respect to the cleansing of his holy things so it was his care to do it in the first year of his Reign and not late in the year but in the first month of that first year for so saith the Text 2 Chron. 29. 3. He in the first year of his Reign in the first month opened the Doors c. And this is that which I am perswaded is well pleasing to God when men sleep not upon good Resolutions but puts them into present and effectuall practise for no man can call to morrow his Therefore the Counsel of the Spirit of God is good which he hath given by the Wise Man Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it wich thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Hezekiah began to Reign when he was five and twenty years old Cha. 29. 1. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his Father had doue v. 2. And as by Faith Moses when he came to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer Afflictions with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he had respect to the recompence of reward Heb. 11. 24. So Hezekiah being five and twenty years old when he began to Reign refused to walk in the wayes of sin as Ahaz his Father had done but begins with discretion to consider what was well-pleasing to God and therefore he learns to write by a perfect Copy he takes a Man after Gods own heart to be his Pattern though they that hated him without a cause were more than the hairs of his head though his enemies were mighty Psal. 69. 4. though he became a Proverb to many verse 11. and though they that sate in the gates spake against him and though he became a Song to the Drunkards ver. 12. yet these and such reproaches as these shall not frighten him but Hezekiah will do according to all that David his Father had done David we see was no Allower of Drunkenness for the Drnnkards made Songs of him as they do now in this our dayes upon those that desire to walk in the integrity of their hearts before the Lord as David did David opened not a Door to any manner of licenciousness neither doth Hezekiah when he comes to Reign go to the house of laughter but to the house of God he runs not to Hawkings nor Huntings Revellings nor Dancings Riotings nor Banquetings he sets not up nor tollerates Stage-Playes May-games nor Pastimes but comes to a serious consideration what the mind of God was that so he might pleasâ—… him to the Eternal well-being both of himself and those that were under his charge therefere with spéed he opens the Doors of the Lords House and begins to put away the iniquity of his holy things Now know O King that Hezekiah was a good man and went on in his Reformation in Gods way let me therefore beg of thee as thou tenderest thy Souls good to Eternity take him for thy Pattern begin thy Reign as he did his look into thy holy things see what there is amiss there consider the Common-prayer whence it came and whither it tendeth weigh it with its appurtenances in the Ballance of the Sanctuary try it by the Touch-stone of Gods Word see whether it bâ—… not too light of what God would have it to be see also whether the Inventions of Men have not made it too heavy thou canst not be too exact therein for he that doth in his service to God more than what God Commands doth too much and is no better than a Will-worshipper he that doth less than God Commandeth him doth too little Consider also which is the Door of Gods House and open that for Christ himself saith That many false Prophets will arise and shall deceive many and therefore he requireth his Disciples not to go out to them Mat. 24. 24 26. Therefore the opening of any Door will not serve the turn Hezekiah opened the Door of the Lords House Therefore for the Lords sake Consider what thou doest take that Counsel from the Spirit of the Lord which is Recorded in 1 Thes. 5. 21 22. Prove all things and hold fast that which is good and abstain from all appearance of evil Take notice of the Dispensation thou art under and do thy Generation work in Gods way the Church of Christ under the Gospel is not National but Congregational Hezekiah was of the Race of the Jews and a King of Judah it was Hezekiahs work to open the Doors of the Material Temple scituate in Jerusalem where God had under that dispensation promised his presence 1 Kings 9. 3. So that if Hezekiah had opened any other Door he had been a sinner as well as his Father Ahaz who opened another when he shut those Material Doors where the Jews had a Right to Worship as they were in a National Church-Communion upon the due administration of that fleshly Ordinance of Circumcision peremtorily upon the eight day Gen. 17. 12. Under which he that neglected to Circumcise his Male Infant upon the eighth day did it too late and after Gods time and that Infant was to be cut off from the People V. 14. and he that did it before the eighth day did it too soon and before Gods time and so became a transgressor We usually say in our common Proverb that it is dangerous jesting with â—…ged tools so may I safely say it is a dangerous thing to cross the design of God it is a desperate design to undertake to open that which God hath shut or to shut that which God hath opened God hath shut the Doors of a National Church then let men fear to open it and God hath opened the Door of a Congregational Church let Souls tremble at the thought of shutting it for so saith the Lord Christ John 4. 21 22 23. Believe me saith he the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet in Jerusalem Worship the Father ye Worship ye know not what We know what we Worship for Salvation is of the Jewes but the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth And saith Peter Now I perceive of a truth that God is no Respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10. 34 35. So that Church-fellowship and Son-ship with God is entailed upon persons under the Gospel not upon the account
A Fannaticks Mite Cast into the Kings Treasury BEING A SERMON Printed to the KING Because not Preach'd before the KING The Second EDITION Corrected and Amended By HENRY ADIS a Baptized Believer undergoing the Name of a Free-Willer and also most ignomineously by the tongue of Infamy called a Fannatick or a mad man Silver and Gold have I none but such as I have give I Thee Acts 3. 6. First Read then Judge and Judge nothing before the time because the Wise Man saith That to him that Iudgeth a matter before he heareth it it is folly and shame Prov. 18. 13. LONDON Printed by S. Dover for the Author 1660. DElivered into the KINGS own-Hands by the Author the 26th day of Chisleu in Scripture so called Zech. 7. 1. which is the 9th Month and therefore vulgarly called November 1660. TO CHARLES the II OF England Scotland France and Ireland KING May it please Thee O King I Am come now to present Thee with that MITE the Composing of which I have been very much pressed to in spirit ever since Thou wast brought again into this Land of Thy Nativity with that great Solemnity and Triumph the noise of which hath rejoyced the hearts of forregn Princes daunted the spirits of thy Domestick Enemies made thy Friends merry and the rude multitude mad even to the sadning the hearts of the truly vertuous and as I judge not because thou art restored again for the meerly Rational may plainly behold in it an high Act of Divine Providence But the Moon-sick madness of the multitude yet unrepented of together with the revived and dayly continued Acts of abomination in Stage-playes May-games and Pastimes with the many bitter and most horrid Oaths and Execrations uttered almost in every corner by Nine-Pinn Nine-Hole and PigeonHole-Players and to the poysoning the youth of our Age in that multitude of dammy and debauched Bawdy-houses even the foul and detestible shame of a Christian Kingdom is that they fear is gathering into a black thick Cloud over the Land and in special over rude revelling ranting London out of which it is to be feared unless Nineveâ—…s Repentance intervene will be poured out one or more of those three heavy Judgments of God Plague Sword or Famine Therefore O King I have brought Thee an Antidote both for Thee and Thine the which haply may prove bitter to the taste and will hardly go down yet let me assure thee upon the word of an honest man there is nothing hurtful in it there is not so much as an unwholsome Bud nor a stinking Weed but all precious Flowers and wholsom Herbs newly gathered out of the Garden of God by a faithful Hand and tempered together by a sincere heart and is a Potion of that rare Vertue that if it be willingly taken and well digested it will take down the Tinpany of Pride and utterly dry up the Dropsicall humours of all Abomnations it will perfectly recover out of the Consumption of Vertues and fortifie the heart against all vice whatsoever it will strengthen the stomack both to receive and retain wholsom and sound Doctrine and perfectly purge out the Iniquity of all your Holy Things it will purge the Brain from all fansical formal frenzy and cause it only to study the Great Things of Gods Law it will perfectly purge out Melancholy and generate Joy unspeakable and full of glory it will dry up the overflowing Issues of Sin and nourish up a Soul unto Eternal Life it will Operate upon the inward Man so as that there will be a sudden change in the outward it will make the proud person Humble the Lofty Lowly the Careless Careful the Rich in this World Rich in Good Works the Spotted and painted face truly panitent To be short it will operate upon the Luxurious Lascivious and Licentious and indeed upon all so as that it will take down the Inordinate beat of Lust and make such a sweet Composure as that it will set Love Joy Fear Zeal Pitty and Piety upon their right Objects it will perfectly purge out all Envy and Malice Blood-thirstiness Hatred with all uncharitableness and Create in the room thereof Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness with Meekness and Temperance it will operate upon all Complexions and Sexes and upon all Ranks and Subordinations of men of all ages and as I said before if willingly Received and well Digested it will make the PRINCE Pittiful Just and Pious and the SUBJECT Loving Faithful Loyal it will make Great persons Noble with that true Berean Nobility and joyn Goodness to their Greatness a Rarity indeed it will make the middle sort of men Moderate and cause them to use the World as if they used it not yea it will make the very Beggers of the Blood Royal of Heaven and Children of God yea Kings and Priests to God and to Christ it will make the Sluggish and Slothful watchfully Vigilant and the Vitious truly Vertuous it will make the Child Dutiful and the Parents Indulgent the Servant Painful and the Master Pittiful it will keep the Virgin Chaste and breed Loyalty in the Married it will make Youth Sage and Grave and gray Hairs truly Honourable it will make the Bond-man Free and the Free-man a Fellow Citizen with the Saints and of the Household of God it will make the Poor man truly Rich and the Rich by Poverty of Spirit blessedly Poor it will Corroborate the Cow-hearted and cause the Coward earnestly to contend for the Faith In fine it will so purge out the old Leaven as that it will make a man become a new Lump it will make a meer Natural man truly Gratious and cause him to put off that old man with all his deeds and put on that new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Hulyness And thus when old things are passed away ye may evidently behold all things to become new for though a spiritual man be produced yet he is not like a Spirit So as to be invisible but apparently you may behold his Dialect changed and his Aspect altered for that tongue that in the old man was an unruly member and full of deadly Poyson Oaths Execrations and debauched Abominations is in the new Man an Instrument to set forth the Praise of God and to tell what God hath done for his Soul to talk of the Majesty of Christs Kingdom and to declare his Power The Eye that was never better satisfied then when it was beholding vanity is now looking within the vail where the Forerunner is entred it is now beholding the goodness of the Lord and enquiring in his Temple and diligently seeking after that one thing necessary that once Mary chose The feet which before were swiftly running to shed blood are now in Zions Pathes readily running the way of Gods Commandements The hands which before were other wayes employed are now handling of the Word of Life which their Eyes have seen and their ears have heard the which their
note that a Gospel Minister is not to be like the General of an Army to frighten beat or fight men into faith but as an Ambassador to perswade and invite and gently to treat with and to entreat into the way of God the one being Diabolical but the other Evangelical and the way of Love being Gods Way this is one of the distinguishing Characters of a true Gospel-Minister whom the Love of Christ hath constrained which causeth men to look upon them to be Faâ—…naticks or mad men for so saith our Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 13. For whether we be besides our selves it is to God or whether we be sober it is for your Cause for the Love of Christ constraineth us And saith he in Chap. 12. 14. I will not be burthensom to you for I seek not yours but you and he gives this in as a Reason for saith he The Children ought not to lay up for the Parents but the Parents for the Children and I will very gladly spend and be spent for you though the more abundantly I love the less I am loved And such are made Over-seers of the Flock of God by the Holy Ghost Acts 20. 28. who feed it and take the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not of filthy lucre but of a ready mind 1 Pet. 5. 2. as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. Such are good Shepherds and not Hirelings who will lay down their life for the sheep John 10. 11. Whilst others being made Overseers by men instead of feeding the Flock feed upon the Flock as those careless Shepherds spoken of Ezek. 34. 2 3 4. against whom a Woe is pronounced Who feed themselves who eat the fat and cloath themselves with the Wool and kill them that are fed but feed not the Flock who strengthen not the diseased nor heal the sick nor bind up the broken nor bring again that which is driven away nor séek that which is lost but Rule them with cruelty as the Prophet saith Micah 3. 2 3. Who hate the good and love the evil who pluck off their skins from off them and their flesh from their bones who eat the flesh of my People and stay their skins from off them who break their bones and chop them in pieces as for the Pot and as flesh for the Chaldron v. 5. Who bite with their teeth and cry Peace and he that putteth not into their mouths they make War against him who are Hirelings and not true Shepherds who formerly if a fatter Benefice came in the way would not stay till the Wolf came but hearkned to that Call and left the Sheep to secure themselves from the Wolves if they would But such are false Apostles deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ And no marvel saith our Apostle 2 Cor. 11. 13 14. For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light ver. 15. Therefore it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed into the Ministers of Righteousness whose end shall be according to their works whilst the true Apostle is as frée to give as fréely he hath received who is ready to Preach the Word and to be instant in season and out of season and to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine according to that good Advice 2 Tim. 4. 2. And thus O King having in some measure given thee the Character of a Gospel-Church and Ministry I shall now beg thee in Gods fear that thou have a care thou open the right Door open not the broad Gate that leads to destruction instead of that narrow way that leads to life Mat. 7. 13 14. If â—…hou incendest to do Gods Work have a care thou doest it in Gods Way And that I may the better perswade thee there unto I shall briefly lay before thee two or three Examples of Gods severity against those that have been careless therein Moses and Aaron the Servants of the Lord Numb. 20. who but for smiting the Rock when they should have spoken to it died in the Wilderness and were not suffered to carry Israel into the Land of Canaan as we may fully understand by comparing the eight verse with 11 12 23. to 29. with Numb. 27. 12. to 15. with Deut. 34. If Saul will save alive those which God will have destroyed Saul must deeply suffer for it 1 Sam. 15. but more of this anon And if Akan will take of the accursed things Akan must deeply suffer for saith the Text Joshua 7. 24 25. And Joshua said Why hast thou troubled us The Lord shall trouble thee this day and all Israel stoned him his Sons and his Daughters his Oxen and his Asses and his Sheep and burned them with fire The Lord give thee O King an understanding heart to consider things aright But to proceed Hezekiah doth not onely stir up the Priests and Levites to the Work of Reformation but also all Judah and Jerusalem and wrote Letters Chap. 30. 1. and made a Decree and made Proclamation that they must come up to Jerusalem to keep the Passeover unto the Lord for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written ver. 5. Whence we may note That in Hezekiah's Reformation he Reformed not according to what had been their custom of a long time nor to what his Father before him did but according as it was written according to the Law of God And this is that which makes the Work to thrive in his hands when he doth Gods Work in Gods Way Therefore let me beg thee O King as thou tenderest thine own good now thou art upon thy Reformation to take Hezekiah for thy Pattern have the Word of the Lord for thy Warrant see thou do it according to the written Law of God for such a Reformation onely will stand and thou with it But if thou do it according to the former customs and what thy Father did before thee thou sawest that fell and him with it for what is of man will come to nothing but if it be of God it cannot be overthrown Acts 5. 38 39. And know O King that much Knowledge and true Light hath broken forth within these twelve years and what men might do in Ignorance haply may be excusable which now cannot for so saith our Apostle Acts 17. 3. In the times of this Ignoraâ—…ce God winked at but now he Commands all men every where to repent And let no man despise my Speech in saying much knowledge and true Light is within these few years broken out if they shall I must answer them after the manner of Peter answering those scosfing Jewes in that then so much admired-at giving out of the Spirit Acts 2. 14 15. We are not Fannaticks or mad men as ye suppose in so saying but this is that which was spoken of by the Prophets Dan. 12. 4. Many shall run to and fro and Knowledge shall encrease for saith the Prophet Haba 2.