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
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
that clenseth us from all sins but his blood clenseth none but only such as do believe for Rom. 3. 24. 25. We are justified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath made a propitiation through faith in his bloud Which Peter 1. Pet. 1. 1. calles the sprinkling of Chrsts blood vvhereby vvee are sanctified by allusion to the ceremonies avouching the same act as plainly that all mens hearts are clensed no othervvise then by faith Therfore against that cursed cursing counsell of Trent Wee novv see hovv Moses David Haggai Iohn Paul and Peeter do avouch that vvhatsoever men do before justification by faith in Christs bloud they bee clensed all is unclean and so are the persons that do the same all are sinne and deserve Gods hate and let this be the first use of this Doctrine for strengthning us in the purity of our faith A second may serve to put us in minde of our duties for the bettering of our life for if all our vvorks vvithout faithfull and obedient hearts bee so detestable that God accounts them defiled and unclean in his sight you see hovv carefull vvee should be to avoid such vvorks of sinne since hovvsoever othervvise vve may seeme to do some things pleafing unto God yet they do but defile us and make us to be shut out of the campe even excluded out of Heaven And to stir us up herunto we have two forcible inducements in that Text 1 Pet. 14. from the tipe or shaddow where sin is compared to a dead body for if we should consider with our selves how lothsome the touching of a dead body is and which is more that we are growing thereby our selves unto death we shall be the more moved in this behalfe and the Pastors will I doubt not but be stirred up by that which our Saviour speakes to the Angell of the Church of Sardys Rev. 3. 1. 2. I know thy Workes for thou hast a name that thou livest but thou art dead be awaked and strengthen the things that remaine that are ready to die for I have not found thy Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not full not perfect so he concludes that he was in part dead and in the reast redy to die if he did not speedily strengthen that that remained by repentance for that which was decayed so that except the pastors works be full howsoever he have a name that he liveth yet he is but dead now know you the duties of the Minisiers or Divines if they will ever fulfill their Ministery to be patternes in word in conversation in faith in spirit in love in purity c. to attend to reading and to exhortation to be instant in season c. And the Apostle Collo 4. 17. commandeth the Christians to say unto Archipus take heed to thy Ministery that thou hast received of the Lord that thou fulfill it the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being compared with that other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth shew that the Pastor ought to fulfill every part of his Ministery else his works are not full and then that may be said to him that was to the Angel of Sardys strengthen the things that are ready to die for thou hast a Name that thou livest but thou art dead Nay and doth not this duty belong also to every Christian hath not every one some talent that he must imploy in the Lords service and not leave it to rot or rust lapped up in a napkin doth not Paul both say of himselfe that the grace of God that was in him was not in vaine and bids the Corinthians beware 2 Cor. 6. that they receive not the grace of God in vaine but that 2 Cor. 7. they clense themselves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit And grow up into full holinsse in the fear of God and doth he not Philip. 1. and Collos. Pray for them and exhort that they may be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse these may serve to let us know that if wee serve God by halves and do not labour to have our works to be full we are at least half dead and so without speedy repentance growing unto death Now accorning as the heathen speaks of vertue si oculis cerneretur quales excitaret amores so per contrarium if we could consider and set before our eyes how lothsome a thing it were to touch dead bodies and by them to grow to death our selves it would much affectus to fly from such dead workes When our Saviour comming to rayse Lazarus was about to have the stone rowled away from the dore of the Sepulcher his own sister lothing and fearing the infection Lord saith she he stinketh now for he hath beene already foure dayes dead yet here the dead body was farther of from Martha what if the dead worke be nearer unto us When King Edward the second was by treacherous conspiracy imprisoned in the Castle of Barkly and intended to be made away the tormenters to hasten his end put him in an upper Chamber and under him in a lower roome placed dead bodies the stinke whereof did so stifle and torment him that as he told one out of the window hee had never in all his life indured the like torment as Thomas de la more one that served him records in the story of his life yet these dead bodies were farther off from King Edward Then many dead works are from many of us Clemens Alexandrinus in his exhortatory oration ad gentes relates that the Barbarians did use to tie unto those live bodies of men that they tooke captive other dead bodies that so both might rot together a cruelty which Virgil mentions to have bin practised by the cruell tyrant Mezentius Anaeid 8. Tormenti genus Virgill might well call it but the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doth expresse it in Clemens how the one did cause the other to rot together The Apostle writing to Ephesus 4. 29. forbids that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should proceeds out of their mouth wee commonly translaâ—e it any corrupt communication but the Word properly signifieth that which is rotten which compared with the verbe which Clemens useth may open more of the Apostles meaning then else happely would come into our minde which the Apostle seemeth somewhat to expound where Colo. 4. 6. exhorting to the contrary he wisheth that their words may be gratious and seasoned with salt salt you know being the preservative against rottennesse And so hence we may imagine of all dead works what there the Apostle speaketh of one viz. foolish filthy talking that they are rotten therefore as Clemens speaks of those dead carcakes joyned to living bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they make them in whom they are to rot and putrifie so that they ought to be no lesse lothsome unto us then those dead bodies were to King Edward or those by the Barbarians tied unto their captives and much more danger of
seemeth therefore that this was sent unto these Governours chiefly for their sakes that the power of the Prince and Priest might the rather move them to goe forward in that which they had begun Wherin as the Lord dealt graciously with them so hath he and doth he with us His word hath come by the preachers thereof to our governours of all sorts and states to the end that this whole Nation would agree to set forward the building and worke of his House the edifying of his Church the glory of the Word which that it may be the better furthered by every one in this assembly as God giveth grace I am heartily to request such amongst us that are set in place of governement as namely our Heads that by the example of Zerubbabel and Iehoshua they would vouchsafe to countenance the message of Aggeus by their presence here and in such places For indeed the message is not ours although it be brought out by our hand but hee is in heaven from whence hee filleth all things with his power and Majestie whose word it is Wee are sent by the like authority that Aggeus was though not furnished with the same measure of grace The treasure that hee brought and wee bring is the same though the vessell wherein it is carried bee lesse precious Neither are you Fathers equall to those Governours to whom this message was sent for Zerubbabel sonne of Shealtiel was Heire apparent to the Crowne of Judah Iehoshua high Priest and chiefe Governour in matters touching God Zerubbabel Lord President of Jury under King Darius Jehoshua high Priest by his fathers stock descended of Phineas both figures of our Saviour Christ Zerubbabel of his Kingdome of whom also hee descended according to the flesh Iehoshua of his Priesthood whose name also hee bore both very aged and reverend persons having held this roome and place neere a hundred yeares Now if such as these men disdained not to heare of one so inferiour in dignity in yeares and experience also as may be thought none of you will I hope sure I am you should not disdaine to heare what God speaketh to you by us how inferiour soever either in dignity in yeares or experience though there were nothing else to bee considered in us than that wee are stewards of his House But chiefely since the gospel and ministery thereof excelleth the ministery of Aggeus so much as the cleare Sun-light the light of any of the starres So that we may without pride for our message-sake preferre our selves before him For Iohn Baptist our Saviour testifieth to have beene greater than any Prophet that was borne of woman yet he saith The least in the Kingdome of Heaven should bee greater than he I wot well that you are better able to teach than they who speake unto you neither speake I this for that I thinke you have such great need to learne As Daniel albeit furnished with merveilons wisedome and knowledge from God yet excercised himselfe and tooke profit by reading the prophesie of Ieremie So the best may gather some commodity by the labours of those that are inferior to them But I make this exhortation to them that they would vouchsafe us their presence for examples sake that they by so doing might seem to say as the Princes did of Ieremin This man speaketh in the name of the Lord. And that the commandment of Paul might bee the better observed Let no man despise thy youth For so I doubt not but their presence would cause that they who come would heare and marke more carefully and that some would come who now refraine The judgement of Rulers and Governours prevaile much with the multitude but their private and publick example more In which case the common proverbes are often true such Prince such people such Master such man such Mother such daughter But if this bee not sufficient to move them let them consider further that although Zerubbabel knew how to build the Temple yet was not his heart nor the heart of Jehashua so zealous their hands so ready their minds so prepared as they ought to have beene In consideration wherof they needed to be exhorted for when they heard this message their hearts were stirred up Let us not bee ashamed to acknowledge the want that is in us or slack the meanes that may remedie it The words of the wise saith Solomon are like to goads wherewith our lazinesse and sluggishnesse is pricked forward and wee stand in need of them for howsoever the spirit be willing the flesh is weake which is a thing that toucheth all christians So therefore desiring God that we may teach faithfully and you heare diligently I will proceed to the next point which is the message it selfe Thus hath the Lord of Hoast charged mee to say This people say that the time is not yet come the time wherein the House of the Lord c. When Adam after hee had broken the commandement of the Lord heard his voice in the garden he hid himselfe and feared The cause whereof hee sayes was for that hee was naked so hee said indeed but faâ—â—ly for the cause was not his nakednesse but his wickednesse in that he had eaten of the forbidden fruit Since which time it hath been a custome amongst the sonnes of Adam to cover iniquity with hypocrisie and cloake their offences with excuses As in this place the cause why the people did not build the house of the Lord was that every man was wholy set to the building of his owne house to the regard of his owne private profit and ease yet laid they the cause on the time The time is not yet come the time to build the house of the Lord. Wherefore as it pleased God to deale mercifully with Adam and to the end hee might bring him to the acknowledgement of his transgression demanded of him Hast thou eaten of the fruit So likewise here he dealeth with this people when he saith Is it time for you Sirs to sit downe in your seeled houses while this house lieth waste Where he sheweth the true causes indeed to bee not the time as they pretended but Worldlinesse and Idlenesse in that they tooke so great care to build and furnish their owne houses and that not onely for commodity but for pleasure also for they built their houses and seeled them also Idlenesse in that they sate them downe to take their rest and ease for that doth the hebrew word in this place properly signifie This fault therefore was shewed them to the end they might acknowledge it and amend it that indeed their pretence for want of time was but hypocriticall the true cause being their Worldlinesse and Idlenesse that they might confesse their offence repent and in time amend it Which fruit also that you may take hereby it hath beene heretofore shewed you in the generall argument of this prophesie in what points our estate
enquired who sent him I am saith he that I am For when our Saviour said of himselfe Before Abraham was I am he ment to shew the eternity and everlastingnesse of his God-head that was from the beginning or rather indeed without any beginning or end being the same yesterday and to day and for ever Neither thereby is the eternity onely of his Majestie noted but the truth also and certainety of his word and Promise which in the 6 of Exod. is signified so plainely that the words could not be interpreted unles the name Iehovah were there retained I apeared unto Abraham to Isaac and to Iacob by the name of Almighty but by my name Jehovah was I not knowne unto them whereby he signifieth that as afterwards himselfe expoundeth it that unto them he made the promise of giving them the land of Canaan but that he had not made his promise to bee as a man would say therefore afterwards he addeth to tell the children of Israel I am Jehovah I will bring you from under the burthen of Egypt I am Jehovah I will make that to be which I have promised to your Fathers who relyed on my promises as knowing me by my Name Almighty and beleiving that I would do it but not by my name Jehovah that I did it indeed But after the 430 yeares were accomplished which was the time prescribed to Abraham then performed he that which before he had promisâ—d And this the Apoâ—tle declareth when he speaking of the hope of eternall life saith That God which cannot lye hath promised â—efore the world began As if he would say that if it be his promise then must it needs be performed for he is not a man that he should lye nor as the sonne of man that he should promise and not performe So that by the name of Lord of Majesty which the Prophet useth in his language betokening him that was from everlasting that is and is to come the same for ever who is most true in his word most constant in his promises God which cannot lye The prophet would stirr them up to be carefull to receive the message delivered with faith to his promise adjoyned to the precept and obedience to the precept established by the promise and this is the holy preparation which wee also have need of that the message delivered from God may with faith and obedience be received of us as of them This though I need not to stand upon here because it hath been oftentimes handled in your hearing yet because the Prophet againe and againe repeateth it I cannot passe it over cheifly seeing that the Prophet though sent immediately and instructed of God useth to warrant his message by these words the case being not alike in us who although we be sent of God yet are we sent by men also neither have we our commission from his owne mouth immediately but by writing in the Scripture but you that have learned that the whole Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable to teach convince correct and instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute even throughly absolute and made perfect unto all good workes I say you have also learned that the message therein delivered us is the same message sent before by the Prophets and Apostles to whom the Lord himselfe spake immediately neither did he onely ordaine in his Church Apostles and Prophets but gave also Pastors and Teachers for gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministery and for the edification of the body of Christ Therefore we also have Commission from God to deliver his will unto you and do his message so long as we can soundly professe that the corrections exhortations c. which we use are deduced from the writing of the Apostles and prophets which he hath delivered to his Church and appointed us his servants to cut his word aright and thereby to feed your soules It must be therefore our care that the words we speake be as the words of God and you brethren should be likewise skilful in the scriptures to discerne the spirits of them that preach unto you but the doctrine we preach being rightly delivered you are no otherwise to receive than if the Lord himself by his Prophets Apostles did speake unto you And this being the substance of that which I thought to nete briefely in this first point namely that both we which teach are to learne that what we teach wee must deliver unto you as the word of God and you that heare are to â—eceive and heare it as it is indeed not the word of man but of God I come to the doctrine comprehended in the 2 point with the matter of the exhortation delivered first to the Jewes by the Prophet 2ly by consequence to us all Go up saith the Prophet to the mountaine bring timber and build this house where first for the better understanding of these words that is to be observed that this house of God in Jerusalem was built on a mountaine even on the mountaine or hill of Moriah as it is apparent out of 2 Chron. 3. 1. which place being chose by the Lord himselfe for the seat of his sanctuary the Jewes returning out of captivity came by direction of Zorobbabel and Jehoshua to set the Temple on her former seat that is to say upon her old foundation as t' is declared in the Booke of Ezra chap. 2. and as they came to set it on the old foundation so they began in the 3 Chap. though hindred by divers devises of the adversaries all the dayes of Cyrus and unto the second yeare of Darius the Prophet therefore now in the second yeare of Darius stirreth them up to go forward with the worke begun and to build up the whole worke upon the foundation exhorting them to goe up to the mountaine and bring timber and build the house but because the work was paineful and laborious and the people of the Jewes as all of us are by nature had rather to play for nothing than worke for nothing therefore the Lord by the Prophet stirreth them 〈◊〉 hereunto by adjoyning his promises 1 Of his grace and favour 2. with his gracious blessings 1 I wil take delight in it 2 I will be glorified Touching the former it may seeme strange that God promiseth to take delight in the Temple for if he taketh no pleasure in the strength of a horse neither delight in any mans leggs how much lesse likely is it that he should take delight in an heape of stones and timber But we must consider the temple not nakedly in it selfe but in such sort as respecteth the use and signification of it First the signification in that it betokened Christ Jesus of whom it was a figure and shadow Secondly the use and end whereunto it was directed namely to serve God For the signification you know that the Apostle
other things but I speak to men of understanding Sermon the Seventh Haggai Chap. 1. verse 12 13. Vers 12. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the sonne of Josedech the high priest with all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet as the Lord their God had sent him and the people did feare before the Lord. Vers 13. Then spake Haggai the Lords messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying I am with you saith the Lord. WHen the Prophet Haggai had delivered his message from the Lord of Hosts unto Zerubbabel Joshua and the remnant of the people the fruit of this message from the Lord is here set downe what effect it wrought in the hearts of the hearers not only of Zerubbabel and Joshua but even of the people also The principall effects that followed upon the Prophets Sermon are here noted to be two one of Obedience They all obeyed the voice of the Lord Another of reverence And the people did feare before the Lord. The word of the Lord by the messenger of the Lord had brought some feare and reverence upon them to cause them to stoope unto the will of God and this feare had wrought some desire in their hearts to yeeld themselves in obedience to do the worke of the Lord in the building of the Temple also It is said of Christ Isai 11 Chapter That the feare of the Lord should rest upon him and so it may be likewise of all true Christians that the feare of the Lord is before them not that fear which John speaks of which is a feare that hath painfulnesse wherewith the wicked are vexed dreading punishment that being a slavish and a servile feare but such a feare as Abraham had when he would have offered his deare sonne for a sacrifice to the Lord feare arising from faith and love and drawing us on to obedience That fear of the Lord which Joh. saith continueth with love for ever herein is love perfect that we should have boldnes in the day of judgement This feare is a token of grace in the children of God that they tremble and feare at the word of the Lord so saith the Lord by the Prophet Isai Is 66. c. v. 2. To this man I looked even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word and againe v. 5 hear the word of the Lord ye that tremble at his word Such aâ—â—are did the Lord himselfe approve and commend in the heart of goo◠〈◊〉 fiah 2 Kings 22. chap. 19. ver Because thine heart was tender and thou hast humbled thy selfe before the Lord when thou heardest what I spake against this place and against the inhabitants thereof that they should become a desolation and a curse and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me I also have heard thee saith the Lord. And such a feare joyned with obedience the Lord requireth in all his servants Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkenesse and hate no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Thus did Zerubbabel Joshua with the remnant of the people they obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the Prophet as the Lord their God had sent him and the people did before feare the Lord. A lesson of no small importance both to us that preach the word and to you that heare it also For us that preach that we do the worke and preach the word of the Lord not onely faithfully but plainely also that the people that heare us may be effectually moved to reverence and obedience there withall To you that heare that you receive the message not as from men but as from God as did the Thessalonians to whom the Apostle gives testimony with thanksgiving and that without ceasing for that when they receaved the word which they heard of him and others of Gods Ministers they receaved it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh in them that beleeve And let us here consider what the Apostle saith follow after charity and desire spirituall gifts but rather that yee may prophecy All preachers of the word after a sort are Prophets not because they foretell things to come but because they open and reveale the word of the Lord and apply it also unto Gods people For he that prophecieth speaketh from God unto men to edefication exhortation and comfort and so is he said to edefie the Church of God according to that of the Apostle he that speaketh a strange language edefieth himselfe but he that prophesieth edefieth the Church The Church is said to be edefied by a Metaphor when they that are believers are layd as living stones one upâ—â— another being edefied that is built as a spirituall 〈◊〉 is by Gods Ministers who are therefore called Gods buildâ—â—s as the people are Gods building 1 Cor. 3. 9. and so it it is said Acts 9. 31. That the Church had rest throughout all Judea and Galile and Samaria and were edefied and walking in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed To preach or prophecy therefore is not to speake strange language if we will ever have the people edefied but we must Prophecy as the Prophets and Apostles did in plaine evidence of spirit and speech rather to profit than to please either our selves or those whom we speake unto which if either we would follow the Apostles judgement or did minde so much the peoples profit as he did we would be much more willing to do so our selves also For though he could speake as many and more languages than any of them all yet had he rather said he speake five words plainly and profitably to instruct others than ten thousand in a strange tongue And it is well worth the observing that which the Apostle hath noted already that when God spake in a strange language he did it because of the peoples infidelity 1 Cor 14. 22. and it was no mercy but a judgment that the Lord would speake with other tongues to that people Isai 28 11. For all that will they not heare me saith the Lo The Fathers of the Greek Church never preached in the learned Hebrew but in their vulgar tongue neither any Church till Papistry came in The Apostles themselves being filled with the Holy Ghost began to speake with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance and although the multitude which heard them were of divers languages yet did they heare what the Apostles spake every man in their owne tongue wherein they were borne They spake not in Greeke to the Arabians nor in Latine to the Egyptians nor in the Parthian tongue to the Phrygians nor in the
Hebrew tongue to the Grecians but the people heard them speakeing in their owne tongues the wonderfull things of God What the true language and learning is which Preachers should labour for and so present unto Gods people we may understand and finde by the Prophet Isai speaking in the person of Christ the cheife Preacher of the Gospel The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speake a word in season to him that is weary which also we may take from his owne blessed mouth in his owne person to the same purpose Matth. 11. 28. when that of the Prophet was accomplished Come unto me saith he all yee that are weary and laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learne of me for I am meeke and lowly in heart and you shall finde rest unto your soules and yet more effectually when that Scripture Esai 61. 1 2 by his owne testimony was fulfilled in him and by him Luk. 4. 18. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke he hath sent me to binde up the broken hearted to proclame liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. And began to say unto them this day is the scripture fullfilled in your eares and in the pening and applying of which words he did so wonderfully affect the minds and harts of his hearers that as the Evangelist saith they all bearim witnesse and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Here then may we see indeed what true learning is and who hath the tongue of the learned who he is that is best able to preach the Gospel with most power and best fruit even he that hath the spirit of God upon him in some measure as Christ had above measure and so delivering the word of grace causeth those that heare it to wonder at the gratious words that proceeded out of his mouth That preaching then is most warrantable which is most profitable and that most profitable which is most powerfull and that most powerfull which best informeth the minde enlightneth the judgement affecteth the soule aright and warmeth the heart with the comforts and contentments of it As it fell out with the two disciples going to Emaus Did not our hearts say they burne within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures which no doubt he did not in any strange language to procure the credit of a learned tongue but in plaine evidence of speech and spirit for the helpe of their understandings and affections in their Vulgar language well knowne unto them Saint Paul exhorteth to prophecy in words of understanding and not to use a strange language Learning doubtlesse is fallen to a low ebb if men cannot understand us nor will acknowledge any learning in us except we construe greek or hebrew and stuffe our sermons with allegations of divers languages which may indeed please our selves and humor others but tendeth nothing to the profit and edification of them that heare us and albeit the scripture seemeth sometimes to use some words of a strange language yet must we wisely consider upon what just occasion such words were so uttered and then so recorded by the penmen of the Holy-Ghost it was not for any vaine ostentation nor purposely for our imitation but either for the explication of some mystery or exposition of some prophecy When Christ raised up the daughter of Jairus Ruler of the Synagogue from the death to life he said using these words of the Syrian language Tabitha-cumi to put them in minde of the Scripture that was now performed which Isai prophecyed Isai 16. 1. Send ye the Lambe to the Ruler of the land from the Rocke of the desert to the mount of the daughter of Sion when the eares of the deafe were opened Mat. 7. 34. he said Ephatha a word of the Syrian tongue which the Evangelist presently expounded be opened that so that might be knowne to be performed which was spoken by the Prophet Isay 35. 5. Then shall the eyes of the blinde be enlightned and the eares of the deafe be opened when he was crucified in his greivous agony upon the Crosse he cryed out with a loud voice in these words Eli Eli Lamma-sabaâ—thani the former of which words being Hebrew and the latter beings words of the Syrian language which Christ uttered and the Evangelist interpreted My God my God why hast thouforsaken me and this was done to shew both the accomplishing of the prophecy of David Psal 22 concerning his person and bitter passion whence these words were taken and also the bitter mocking of the Jewes who hearing him call Eli Eli said in a scoffing manner he calleth upon Elias and let him alone let us see whether Elias will come to take him downe and so we finde that both Christ and his Apostles did divers times in the New Testament use the Syrian word Abba Father when they called upon God or spake of the voice of the spirit of Adoption in our hearts whereby we cry unto God as unto our Father a probable argument as some do conceive that usually they did both preach and pray in a knowne language even in the vulgar tongue all which being duely weighed and considered we may easily perceive that it is much safer and better both for preachers and hearers that the word be delivered not in words and sentences of a strange language but to the best capacity of the hearers in a knowne tongue for as we must not so preach that we may seeme to be learned so neither may the hearers desire to hear otherwise our other things then such as whereby they may goe away better instructed and edefied in the Faith and feare of God And then if thus we speake and thus we heare and if thus we deliver and thus we receive the Lords message from the Lords messengers as the people of God did in this place we shall receive the patterne of wholsome words and be better acquainted with the forme of true godlinesse we shall speake as the words of God and receive the word that is brought us not as the word of man but as indeed it is the word and Oracles of the living God Such was the effect and fruit of Peters Sermon Act. 2. when he spake not onely so plainely to their eares and understanding but also powerfully and peirceingly to their very heartes and affections concerning Christ the son of God whom with their wicked hands they had crucified for they upon the hearing thereof they were pricked in their hearts perplexed in their spirits they repented of their sins beleeved the Apostles werâ— baptized and received the Holy Ghost and the same day there were added unto them about three hundred soules And albeit the word of God though powerfully and plainely preached
in them to obey so good a Father for when he might have justly punished them for their daily sinnes yet as a loving father he raised them out of the same which must needs incourage them and make them thankefull for it and the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel The spirit of God teaceth us that what soever is written a fore time is written for our instruction so that in this place we may learne divers lessons for our learning First where the Lord is said to have stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel with this connexion and the Lord c. The connexion sheweth that it dependeth on the words which went before whence we may observe that the orninary meanes which the Lord useth to stirre us up and to convert us unto himselfe is the ministry of the word so that it pleaseth him to send his messengers not only to the meaner sort of men but to Kings and Princes also for the same purpose A thing the more to be marked because there are some as tradsmen schollers and Divines which may happily thinke themselves not to be charged with these things or els not to have need thereof whereby they may seeme to be exempted from them but let such men consider that this is the meanes whereby they must be stirred up Lydia a seller of purple had her heart opened thereby even at the preaching of Saint Paul And as for others although they have never so much learning yet I hope they neither may nor will preferre themselves before David a man after Gods own heart and indued with a principall and singular spirit who did not arise out of the dead sleepe of sinne untill the prophet Nathan came unto him to stirre him up and them he cryed as it is Psalm 51 Have mercy upon me O God cast me not away from thy presence nor take thy holy spirit from me and this the same spirit of God doth manifest unto us that which our Saviour Christ said to Nicodemus that we must be borne anew except a man be borne againe be cannot see the Kingdome of God and borne againe we cannot be unlesse we be first begotten by the word and though it be true that God begetts us by the inward operation of his holy spirit yet he useth the outward meanes of the ministry to the perfecting an laccomplishing of the same and therefore Paul is said to beget the Corinthians and Onesimus by the word so unlesse we receive the messengers which bring this word unto us and apply the same unto our hearts we can have no regeneration of the spirit God the creator of all things might have begotten us without Fathers or Mothers or any other meanes as he did in Adam and Eve and he might of stones have raised up Children unto Abraham but he ordained and used the meanes of naturall generation and so must we in our new birth that so we may be-gotten not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God which liveth and endureth for ever Rachel said give me children or else I die unto whom Jacob answered am I in Gods steed who hath withholden from thee the fruit of thy wombe so that as in naturall generation the fruit of the body cometh by the blessing of God so is it in our spirituall regeneration also if Rachel had not asked of God God had not remembred her and if she had not used the meanes she had not beene the mother of Joseph and Benjamin which teacheth us that we must use the meanes of the ministery that we may be begotten and borne again as many as will be the children of God they must receive the word which is brought unto them by the Lords messengers that they may be begotten anew by the same and being thus begotten and borne anew we must not stay here but be nursed up further and brought up with the pure milke of the word that as new borne Babes we may grow thereby and when we be growne to be of riper age in Christ then this word will afford us strong meat also for this is not onely the sincere milke of the soule which as new borne babes we must desire that we may grow thereby as 1 Pet. 2. 2. but as it is also strong meat for strong men and belongeth also to them of riper age which through long custome have their witts exercised to discerne both good and evill As Heb. 5. 14. Let us not therefore neglect the means of our so great salvation for if he which despiseth Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses how much more sore punishment shall he be worthy of that neglecteth the worke of reconciliation whereby we grow up in Christ Jesus Remember the word of the Lord spoken by the Prophet Amos 8. Behold the dayes come saith the Lord that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water but for hearing of the word of the Lord and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the North even unto the East shall they runne and seeke the word of the Lord and shall not finde it And this plague shall not onely be upon the ancient and Elders of Israel but he addeth further that even the faire virgins and young men shall perish for thirst a most evident proofe that as our bodyes would quickly perish unlesse they should be strengthened with materiall food and nourishment even so our soules unlesse they be fedd and nourished with the heavenly food of the word brought unto us by the ministers and preachers thereof would quickly dye and perish whereby we are to acknowledge the singular goodnesse of God and his great mercy shewed unto us above the Jewes in sending us so great plenty of this food and therefore the more wretched and ungratefull are we if we contemne so great a grace and mercy when it is offered unto us It is said Jer. 29. that the Lord had sent them Prophets rising up early and instructing them yet they were not obedient to receive doctrine The word of rising early should put the ministers in minde of their industry and diligence in their vocation and delivering the message of the Lord and if this early rising do seem to be to early to some Let them remember the saying of the wise man in the Proverbs which may helpe to awake them How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep yet a little sleep a little slumber a little foulding of the hands to sleep therefore thy poverty cometh as one that travaileth by the way and thy necessity as an armed man wherefore let every one awaken and strengthen the things that remaine least if we do not watch he come upon us as a theife in the night at unawares If we say with the Church of the Laodiceans that we are rich and increase with goods and have
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
building of the Temple but if being able to do little or nothing themselves they will not favour nor cherish others then it is to be feared they be but deceitfull workemen pretending to build the house of the Lord when indeed they do but build a Temple for Idolls The two reasons follow drawne from the two circumstances one of person whose house they were to build viz. the house of the Lord of Hostes their God And the other of the time without delay in the foure and twentieth day of the sixt moneth so soone as the Lord had stirred up their spirits they began to build the house of the Lord the former circumstance of the person containeth a double reason to move them to all speedy and due regard of building of the Temple one saw the power and all sufficiency of him whose worke it is viz. the Lord of Hosts â—o called because he is the chiefe commander and possessor of heaven and earth and useth all creatures as his armies and souldiers to execute his will both for his freinds and against his enemies The due consideration whereof might greatly incourage them against all the power of the Persian Kings and all other their adversaries that should attempt to hinder their worke and the other from his goodnesse and mercy in that he was by covenant the Lord their God and therefore considering that the building of the Temple was the worke of God their Father th◠〈◊〉 â—â—ght and ought to encourage themselves in going forward 〈◊〉 being well assured that he would both blesse them in their labour and take it in good part at their hands In regard wherereof it were no lesse than their bounden duty to bestowe not onely their labour but their lives also in the building of their Fathers house the Temple of the Lord their God The summe and substance of both which reasons drawne from Gods power that he was able and from his mercy that he was willing to blesse and prosper them in their worke I do further commend unto you in the example of the three children mentioned Daniel 3 who being in danger of the fiery furnace resolved to cast and repose themselves upon Gods power and mercy and so to be constant in their profession both in doing and suffering his good pleasure whatsoever should befall them Our God is able to deliver us Dan. 3 if it be so say they our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hands O King but if not be it knowne to thee that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship thy golden image which thou hast set up As also in that example of S. Paul what do you weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not only to be bound but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus If this were so ingraven in our hearts that the Lord of hosts is our God able and willing to defend us it would teach us to have a good conscience and to shew forth a good profession knowing that in all this the Lord of hosts both can and will be our guide unto death He that regardeth the wind as the Wiseman saith shall never sow therefore let us casting from us all things which might presse down go forth in the strength of the Lord onely and so build in his Temple assuring our selves with the Prophet David that the Lord is our strength and stony rock and defence and Saviour and our God and our might in wham we will trust our Buckler the horne of our salvation and our refuge The last reason to move us hereunto is the shortnesse of time wherein we are to build we must apply our selves to that which is in hand we must remember that this is our day and it may be but a day let us therefore as children of the day walke in the light and worke in the day the night of death may come we know not how soone whereof we may be put in minde every night when we lye downe to rest our sleepe being and image of death our beds a resemblace of our graves our sheets of our winding sheets the putting off our cloathes the putting of our mortality wherwith we are clothed the putting them on our rising up a figure of our resurrection from our graves and the putting on of mortality let us therefore remember that the Lord may say unto us as he said to the rich man in the Gospell This night shall they take thy soule from thee The consideration whereof might cause us to go on forward in the building of our temple And other reason is effectuall might move us hereunto the unreasonablenesse of the weather whereby the judgement of the Lord do light upon us therefore if now we will begin to build this house then he will be mercifull unto us and we shall see great plenty and if he will not deliver us from these plagues yet let us assure our selves with the thee children that he is able if he will to take these plagues from us but if he will not let us resolve to worship none but him and confesse with Saint Paul that we are not onely ready to suffer these punishments but even to dye at Jerusalem being alwayes prepared to build his temple seeing he is the Lord of Hosts and therefore able mightily to defend us and our God therefore kind and loving unto us his children that call upon him Therefore to this our God together with the Son and Holy-Ghost be rendred all praise power might and dominion both now and for evermore Amen Sermon the Ninth Haggai 2. 1 2 3 4. In the seventh moneth and in the one and twentieth day of the moneth came the word of the Lord by the Prophet Haggai saying speake now to Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel governour of Judah and to Joshua the sonne of Josedech the high Priest c. to the end of the fourth verse WHen as the Jewes had eftsoones beene exhorted by the word and after stirred up by the quickning power of the spirit to build the Temple of the Lord whose foundation long before was laid the Lord here least they should be hindred in their worke stirs them up with a new message enjoyning them to goe forward Ezra 3. we read that when the foundation of this house was laid in the dayes of Cyrus many of the antient men which had seen the former temple built by Salomon wept with a loud voice conjecturing by these beginnings as well they might that this latter temple would be nothing so beautifull and magnificent as the former was The cause wherof some interpretors thinke was the decree of Cyrus Ezra 6. who commanded that the height should be sixty cubits and the breadth 60 cubits and that it should be made ex lapidibus impolitis as the vulgar latin hath it of rough and vnhewed
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
for looking to the profits and fruits which may arise from them how much better were it for them to have that cogitation that David had 1 Chro. 11. who when he had desired to drinke of the water of the well of Bethlem and three of his valiant men had broken through the Host of the Philistimes and had drawne of the water and brought it to him would not drinke if it but poured it out for an oblation unto the Lord and said let not my God suffer me to doe this should I drinke the bloud of these mens lives and is not this the blood of these mens lives which we drinke when we are cloathed and fedd with that which they allow us and yet leave them in that case that they pine away for want of feeding and as the Prophet saith they dye in this blindnesse and ignorance for want of teaching Therefore I beseech you in Jesus Christ though perhaps you have had a longing desire to drinke of this water yet thinke better on it and take Davids affection and resolution and say let not my God suffer me to do this and rather bate of that you spend of your raiment and faire then take such dead pay and keep backe other faithfull watchmen which else they might have The Lord for his mercy so sanctifie our harts that by the often hearing of his holy word we may consider and acknowledg our wants and imperfections and hereby be stirred up to redresse what we find amisse in our selves to the building of his Church to the comfort of our owne soules to the glory of his blessed Name through the grace of his holy Spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour to whom with the Father and the same holy Spirit be all praise for evermore Amen Amen Sermon the Tenth 1599. Haggai 2. 5 6. For I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came forth of Egypt so my spirit shall remaine among you feare not HOw the Lord by the ministry of the Prophet Haggai did often and earnestly exhort and stirre forward the Jewes after their returne from the captivity of Babylon to the building up of the Temple hath beene hitherto declared unto you now of the promises or causes of encouragement whereby it pleased God to harten them least the conceit which they had that this house should not be so famous and so execellent as the former should discourage them and hinder them from that businesse this is the first which I have read unto you which containeth in it a most gracious promise of his aid and assistance by his spirit because that flesh and blood is ready to suggest into the minde of a man that which is in the Proverbs It is better to be idle than to be occupied in vaine and to make folke measure things by the event so that unlesse they see present meanes to effect that which they undertake they cast off all hope of accomplishing their purpose and so cease from medling any further whereon it was that Moses Exod. 4. 10. when he should be sent to Pharaoh excused himself that he was not eloquent that he had a stammering tongue but the Lord raised him up from that thought telling him that he should trust in the grace of the Almighty saying who hath given the mouth to man or who maketh the dumbe to speake c. do not I the Lord now therefore go and I will teach thee what to say to the like effect is the message sent to Haggai because that Zerubbabel and Jehoshua and the rest which should have been the chief in the worke having laid the foundation of the Temple despaired of finishing it and so despaired before he began it The Lord therefore stirred them up to go forward by these words which I have now read unto you a reason very forcible and motive very pregnant to move them forward I am with you saith the Lord of Hostes which words the Prophet often useth there by putting them in minde both of his power that sets them forward whose will all creatures as souldiers are ready to performe and meaning thereby also that by his favourable assistance he will blesse them and that by his spirit he will give them grace to accomplish that which they had undertaken In the second place the doubtfull understanding of the word word hath caused interpretors diversly to expound it for by word in scripture is sometimes signified the second person in the Trinity the Saviour of the world the Essentiall and eternall word of God of which John speaketh John 1. In the beginning was the word by whom all things were made and through whom all things are now preserved and so here should be three things which the Lord should novv promise 1 His owne presence 2 The presence of his Son 3 The presence of the holy Ghost which sense the Hebrewe would beare as may be translated and then it should be translated thus I am with you by my word that I covenanted with you c. whereto also the Argument agreeth because he was the Angell mentioned Exo. 23. 20. that spake unto Moses in Mount Sinai that gave the law unto the Israelites and promised them his favour if they kept his covenant as Stephen sheweth Act. 7. 38 sometimes it signifieth a promise made unto any insomuch that David Psal 105. ver 8 mentioning the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham saith thus he hath alwayes remembred his covenant and presently addeth this word of promise made to a thousand generations and thus othersome do thinke it to be taken in this place and this indeed the text will best beare and so much the more sith the Lord on the like occasion saith Deut. 31. ver 8. that he himselfe would goe before them and therefore encourageth them not to feare or be discouraged for himselfe would be with them and would not faile them nor forsake them and this the ordinary construction of the Hebrewes doth include as they know that are skilled that way especially I say if these words be compared with the 8 9. verses of the 105 Psal before mentioned besides there is a more pregnant motive to induce me hereunto even the authority of the Apostle himselfe who Heb. 12. 27. declareth that those words which are in the next place set downe by Hag. were spoken by Christ himselfe yet once more I will shake the heavens so by the word in this place cannot be meant Christ seeing Christ is said to have spoken this It followeth therefore that his word was not the Essentiall word of God but some externall word not the eternall word of God but some word that had a beginning namely when this promise and covenant was made when the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt and delivered them by his Angel God the Father by his son promised his favour assistance if we follow this interpretation the
sense will well agree with the former namely this word this promise was made by Christ considering that in him all promises are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20 and considering that Christ saith Joh. 14 15 16. that if we love him and keep his commandements he will pray the Father and he will give us another comforter that he may abide with us for ever whence the latter place in the Text of the Holy Ghost receiveth also light our Saviour there calling him the comforter and promising his abiding with us not for a season but for ever And this for the meaning of the words whereby the Lord encouraged Zerubbabel and the rest to go about the building of the Temple assuring them that he will be with them and that he will be mercifull unto them and prosper them in their endeavours that he will send them his spirit to guide and direct them and to releive them in all wants and doth not the Lord here likewise stirre up and exhort us to go forward with the building of the spirituall house not only such as have the place of Zerubbabel or the office of Jehosua but all the faithfull also that every one in his vocation should doe what in him liâ—th to the building up of the body of Christ no doubt as we have the like command so to us likewise is given the like encouragement according to the rule of the Apostles Ro. 15. ver 4. Whatsoever is written is written for our learning For why have not we Temples to build as well as they are not our bodyes called temples of the Holy Ghost Ephe. 1. 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor 6. 19. and therefore not onely the Church that is the Church universall assemâ—ly of the faithfull is to do this but also every man and woman in particular and albeit the Ministers of the Word and Sacraments Pastors and Teachers are to be principal labourers herein because they were cheifely given to this end Eph. 4. 12. yet all the faithfull are appointed as under-workemen for as much as the Lord exhorteth them that they exhort and edifie one another 1 Thes 5. 11. and Iude commandeth them to have care to edifie one another in their most holy faith verse 10. the commandement therefore that was given to them is given to us which is so much the more to be regarded of us how much more neere to God and more precious the spirituall house that is built on Christ and is to last for ever is above the materiall temple built on earth which was not to continue but to be laid waste insomuch that one stone should not be left one upon another so that thus you see that in respect of the like commandment we also are to build up our spiritual tabernacle and temple to the Lord which also we must do in respect of the like promises that they had which the Lord most graciously hath made unto us as he did unto them to the end that we should cast away all feare and distrustfulnes nay rather we have greater promises made unto us than ever they had to them at lest in measure greater howsoever in substance they be the same for what saith Christ Mat. 28. 16. the last ver Behold I am with you to the end of the world what promise can be more gracious what more comfortable which cannot be understood of the Disciples and Apostles only because of that circumstance till the end of the world and though they did belong chiefly to the ministers who were to observe and teach all that the Lord had commanded them yet in command they also respect all other as many as beleeve in the Lord by their ministery as Christ well sheweth in his praise Iob. 17. 20. where he addeth the enâ— also that they might be all one they in him and he in them as the Father is in him yea the promise is more graciously given to us then to them insomuch that Heb. 8. 8. the words of Jeremy that the Lord spake unto the Jewes are cited I will be their God and they shall be my people saith c. are appointed unto us promising us that he will prosper us he will not leave nor forsake us that he will blesse us not onely with heavenly blessings but also with temporall and with earthly treasures according to the meaning of the very same promise made to Abraham Gen. 15. 1. I will be thy God and renewed to us Jer. 31. and yet with more kinde words 2 Cor. 6. 18. I will be a father unto you and you shall be my sons and daughters 2ly In respect of like or greater promises we must build up our spirituall Temple 3. We must do it respect of the like continuance of the spirit which we have amongst us as they had for Christ promiseth us Iohn 14. 16. That he will pray the Father and he will give us a comfortor and he shall abide with us for ever which least any should thinke to be spoken in respect of the disciples onely the Apostle 1 Cor. 16. telleth us that the spirit of God dwelleth in us also thereby the Metaphor of abiding in us as it may be explained by that which Cato in Tully saith of the soule namely that nature hath given it an abiding place in the body not a dwelling place therefore it must go out of the body as out of an Inne and not out of a dwelling house yea this is so to be understood of all Christians that the Apostle saith Rom. 8. after he had used the same phrase of the soule dwelling in us that he that hath not the spirit of God dwelling in him is none of Gods avouching that there is no Christian to whom this promise is not made good or verified it is true indeed that the spirit being God filleth full all places taking in it that generality but when we shall talke of this dwelling amoung the faithfull we take it after a more particular manner that he dwelleth in them by his gifts and graces as the Apostle signifyeth Ephes 3. 17 when he saith that he would pray that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith for so Christ dwelleth in us by communicating his spirit The Spirit I say shedding in our hearts faith and love and then Christ cometh and dwelleth in them which Augustine implyeth when he applyed those words to the widdow that wept for her husband why saith he dost thou weepe for thy husband thou hast by faith a better husband in thy heart for thou hast Christ himselfe for thy husband A sentence beloved most comfortable to the faithfull and which may serve well to assure them of their salvation by Christ and therefore the Papists desiring to impair it where Cyril useth the same words they willed them to be put out least any of their Schollers reading them in Cyrill not so corrected should conceive that Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith but blessed be God that our students may
great purposes which they should do well to remember that separate themselves from us because there is not that perfection in us which they dreame there should be In the Church of Sardis there were but a few names left among them was the minister then to leave them because it was even then decaying and declining no he was to stirre them up againe to awake and strengthen the things that remaine which is not spoken to the Ministers alone but to all the rest that remaine as appeareth ver 1. 4. the like charge Paul gave to Archippus Col 4. 14 namely that he should take heed to the ministery that he should fulfill it which certainely ought to stirre up all such as have charges that they imploy themselves about their calling teaching them privately publickly as it is Acts 20. not thinking it enough to read unto their charge once a moneth for so they shall never fulfill their ministery well may they indeed quite starve their flocke which Columella waiting of sheepherds well sheweth and when he saith a few sheepe well fed will bring more profit to the owner then a grat many ill fed for besides that they bring small profit they also perish and in fect others for leannesse breeds scabbs and scabbs death and therefore are Ministers to labour and feed the Lords flocke according to their gifts that the Lord may receive the advantage according to the quantitie of the tallent And therefore let me beseech them to give themselves to reading and exhortation if their maintenance be not sufficient that they should leave their Colledge let them remember how the Lord fed the Israelites with Manna and how the widdowes oyle was increased and how Elias was fed with Ravens and not to go to miracles how the Shunamites provided for the Prophet how Paul laboured with his owne hands nay remember that golden Mediocritie which Paul speaketh of in Tim. If we have food and raiment we ought therewith to be content and for such as have charges and yet preach not but pretend they be not eloquent c. Let them remember what the Lord said to Moses pretending the like will they doe better then they can you know what Julius Florus said to Julius secundus a little boy should make a declamation which he had done saving he wanted a fit Proem which he laboured three dayes for and could not hitt of any to his liking and thereby grew very heavy Julius Florus his Vncle would needs know the cause he tolâ— him whereupon he smiling said numquid tu melius vis dicere quam potes so may we say to them will they doe better then they can God regardeth that they can doe not that which they cannot when as Socrates had bid many to dinner his wife told him that there was but a little meat why saith he if they be honest men it is enough if not too much so may they thinke if their hearers be godly be it a little that they bring it shall suffice be they wicked it will be too much and therefore feare not to be bold the Lord will be with you in the preparation and in the delivery and see others which are hearers such as take not that profit by the word as they hold whose flesh is alwayes rebelling against the spirit let them endeavour and the Lord will adde a blessing endeavour they must to reforme themselves and to informe others For the more they heare the more they understand the more will be looked for at their hands let them not use those idle excuses of a Lion in the street let neither the frost in the winter nor the heate in the summer hinder you from going forward Be faithfull unto the death and you shall have the Crown of life which the Lord grant for his Sonnes sake Jesus Christ Amen Sermon the Eeleventh Haggai 2. 7 8. Yet once againe that is but a little and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and I will move all nations and the desire of all nations shall come and I will fill this House with glory saith the Lord of Hostes OF the three most gratious promises whereby the Lord encouraged Zerubbabel and the residue of the Jewes to go forward in the building of the Temple the second in these words ensuing doth declare that our Saviour Christ by his presence and powerfull preaching to the salvation of them that should believe would replenish this house with glory A blessing which how excellent it is we are by St. Paul Eph. 1. 18. and Col. 1. 17. sufficiently taught and this is both compared to and amplified by the benifit which the people had in their deliverance out of Egypt mentioned in the former verse when he saith here yet once that is small for so it is in the originiall which is diversly supplied by the learned interpreters somethinking here a short time to be meant put it thus after or yet a little while as if it had bin spoken to comfort the godly in the shortnesse of the time as Isay 10. Hab. 2. Heb. 10. others deeming the thing bâ—fore spoken of to be meant which sence I take to be more agreeable to the place read it by aparenthesis yet once I that is a small thing viz. to bring them out of Egypt I le doe a greater matter which kind of phrase we have also Isay 49. 6. But howsoever it be taken the rest of the words wherein these leanes doe extoll the benifit of the Gospell by Christ brought to all nations comparing it with the law delivered to the Jewes as the Apostle inferres it Heb. 12. 26 27. Where having stirred them up to receive the Gospell he adds that as a reason that if they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth much lesse should they that refuse him speaking from heaven whose voyce then shooke the earth and hath now also declared saving yet once more will I shake not the earth onely but also the heaven to which in this place is added the seas and lands as parts of the earth for greater amplification whereby is imployed that as when the Lord gave the law on Mount Sinai he made the earth to shake Exod. 19. so now would he shake not onely the earth but the heaven also to authorize the Gospell which corporally was done as both Matth. and Luke record when as reconciling the Gentiles by his passion the earth quaked and when the glad tidings of this reconciliation was sent to the Apostles there came a voyce from heaven as a mighty winde and the earth eftsoones shaked although taken figuratively spirituall things may be thought to be intimated as some expound it that the earth and the heaven may rejoyce for that whereby a new heaven and a new earth was to be made as did the Angels in heaven as well as the men on earth then verse 8. There followes the efficacy of the Gospell toward them to whom it is sent wherein are noted two
1500. Pope Alexander the 6. in great kindnesse to the Englishmen sends them over a Spaniard to shew them the way how to come to heaven by this Jubilee yea and further also how they might have the benefit of it and stay at home But saith Polidore Virgit Ejus liberal tas non fuit gratuita and lest saith he the King should hinder it he was content to part stakes with him but as for us this yet once sheweth that our Jubilee is yet perpetuall every day yea every houre is a yeare of Jubilee and deliveance unto us if wee seeke it The time once changed continues for ever for therefore saith the Apostle was it said yet once more that those things which were made with hands being abolished these might continue for ever 2. Another thing hence the Prophet here commends unto us in that it is the Lord that speakes unto us himselfe from heaven as here hee saith I will shake him that therefore with all dutifulnesse wee are to accept the doctrine of the Gospell for so the Apostle concludes all that hee had said of keeping faith retaining hope maintaining love receiving the Kingdome unshaken that not despising him that speaketh we may have grace to serve him with shamefastnesse and feare and lest the earthlinesse else should abase the credit thereof therefore he saith the heavens which yet he purposed to doe onely by the Ministery of his servants for that which they doe hee accounteth it as that which he himselfe doth having said Luke 10. He that heareth you beareth mee And therefore St. Paul saith that Christ speaketh in him in 2 Cor. 13. 1. Thes 2. 13. He thankes God for them that they received the word of him And Silvanus and Timotheus not as the word of men but as it was indeed the word of God And doth not our Saviour cite that out of John I say they shall bee all taught of God Now God teacheth inwardly by his spirit and outwardly by his Ministers as from Christ and Christ from heaven by them for so the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. 5. Wee must therefore come with these and such like minds to such assemblies that as Eli bad Samuel say when the Lord called him speake Lord for thy servant heareth So when the servants of the Lord speakes the Lords message unto us we should hearken as to the Lord esteeme of them as to the Minister of Christ lest God say of us as of the Israelites to Samuel They have not cast away thee but they have cast away me which also may bee a lesson for the Minister to deliver the Lords message not his owne John and Iames are called Marke 3. Boanerges the sonnes of thunder but howsoever certainely they were so called because by them hee used to shake the Heavens as in thunder Now how Iames thundered may appeare in that he was chosen as the chiefe Preacher first to bee put to death Acts 3. And Iohn though he lived longer yet how did hee thunder in his Gospell against the hereticks that denied Christs Deity and in his Epistle against the great breaker of the bond of love It were to bee wished that our Preachers would thunder but as the sonnes of thunder to shake the heavens so as to move all people to those things which remaine and continue Psalme 45. by the sharpe arrowes the people shall be subdued unto thee It 's not by bolâ— but by sharpe arrowes therefore the Ministers of God had need to sharpen their arrowes by taking heed As the Apostle wisheth 1 Timothy 14 15. to learning to wrap himselfe as it were therein for so the word signifies that so he may save himselfe and those that heare him For though Gods providence doe cast somewhat further that all that heare are not saved hereby humility and modesty is commended to the Ministers as to know that they are only instruments and therefore to pray as Paul requested the Ephesians for himselfe that a doore of utterance might bee given him and yet when they have that all is nothing but that God it is by whom that is performed which followeth that the desire shall come c. yet all must be moved for that it is an effect in all Many are called but few are chosen many moved few drawne and none can come to Christ except they be called Matth. 21. When Christ came to Jerusalem many even the whole Citie were moved and what a tumult was there and yet not many drawne And Acts 2. many were pricked hearing Peter when at the first they jested And Acts 17. When Paul preached at Athens some mocked and some as Damaris clave unto the Lord these were of the desired of the nations and so was Lydia of whom it was said that it was God that opened her heart to attend unto that which Paul preached The whole glory therefore is to be ascribed unto the Lord who of his speciall mercy drawes some and leaves others to their owne corruptions For it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Hee it is that accepteth and approveth and maketh desired where by the way is a lesson for us how we account of them whom God makes his desire and liking especially Psal 15. The prophet requires as a thing necessary in him that will dwell in Gods Tabernacle and rest in his holy mountaine that in his eyes a vile person bee contemned but that he make much of them that feare the Lord. And Psal 16. All my delight is on the Saints that dwell on the earth And Isay 45. where God describeth the state of his Church he saith he will lay her stones with Carbuncles and her foundation with Saphires and make her windowes of Emerods and her gates of shining stones and all her borders of pleasant stones or stones of delight those that hee builds up his Church withall that so wee may say with the Prophet David all my delight is in them But alas too too many wayes are our delights carried but not that way as they should valerius maximus reports that a Gentleman of Capua coming to Cornelius house shewed her his Jewels and desired to see hers but she having none as was likely put him off with some other talke till her sonnes the two Grachi came in from the schoole which then shee shewed saying here are my Jewells and indeed these are Jewells well brought up If she tooke such joy in her children how may we thinke God doth and therefore we may delight and rejoyce in his godly children especially seeing he reckons of them as his chiefe treasure and choise Jewes Psal 135. 4. Malach. 3. 17. I will fill this house with glory which commends unto us a duoble point first of wisedome secondly of comfort first to teach us and then to strengthen us To teach us first that the glory here spoken of doth singnifie that true glory wherewith he will fill this house for other places are filled with
the word of God is an infallable rule and ought to be the square of all our actions The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule And the testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisedome to the simple And Psalme 19. Neither doth only David Psalm 119. say that it teacheth a young man â—o redresse his way but even of his owne he saith that the word is a laâ—thoâ—ne unto his feet And our Saviour Christ when he was asked oâ— the Scribe how he might have eternall life sendeth him to the law saying how is it written how readest thou Mat. â—9 And so being to prove to the Saduces the resurrection he sendeth them to the Scripture saying Have ye noâ— read and Mat. 22. so the Apostle Paul perswaded Timothy and in them all the Ministers to continue in the things they had heard which are able to make them wise unto salvation and desired Titus to continue in the doctrine taught him and thereby to convince them that gain-say not by mens Doctrine which are all but vaine rudiments Colos 2. and which they teach but all invaine to worship God Mat. 15. a doctrine necessary to be noted touching the sufficiency of the word of God against the doctrine of mens traditions which the Lord by Esay complaineth of in the Jewes that gave themselves to the Talmud tying themselves to the doctrine of Rabbins and also digging broken Cisterns that would hold no water and forsaking the fountaine of living waters alledging those Canons for directing of mens actions as now the Papists in their giving directions for the training up of their Novices A Jesuite Ribera on these words aske the Priests saith that it is as much as we say now aske the Priest in cases of conscience and the observation is very true but then seeing cases of conscience are decided in Gods word they that be thus asked must be golded by Gods spirit and be able to answer as the Papists here did out of the law of the Lord what God saith not out of mens doctrine what Tho. Aquinas saith But remember that they be â—ases of conscience which only God doth determine and resolve and herein let theâ— take their owne Doctor Thomas Aquinas who par◠〈◊〉 questâ— 1 〈◊〉 ar 8. upon the words of Titus saith that although by way of reason mens authorities may be alledged as of Aratus by the Apostle yet these are but probable not demonstrative and that onely the doctrine of the Canonicall Scriptures is certaine and infallible such as whereon our faith may must alone be grounded as on the Revelation given immediately by God unto the Prophets whereon also Saint Augustine saith that he had learned to give only to the holy Scriptures that reverence that they could not erre when all other men might and in their writings often did But as for us my brethren we are not to rely upon Thom. Aquin. or any other man our heavenly school-master hath taught us better Es 8. Should not a people inquire at their God To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this it is because they have no light in them They have no light in them that have not learned this and this we learne in that the Prophet did aske the Papists concerning the law The next thing to be observed here is that the Prophet being bidden to aske the Papists the Papists make answer out of the law where we may observe the duty of the Papists viz. that they ought to be men who ought to know the law and thence to be able to resolve the truth in any question being asked out of the law for so saith God Mat. 2. that he made his covenant with him of life and death hereupon inferres that the Priests lipps should preserve knowledge and the people should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the Angel of the Lord of Hosts we my brethren that are called to the Ministery of the Gospel succeed the Priests in this office though the name indeed be not given to us in the new Testament but together with other Christians as may appeare by Esay 66. 21. there the Prophet alluding to the old name to set downe our office saith In the Lords name I will take of them 1 from all nations Priests and Levites unto me summe and therefore we also must know the law of God and that as it was said then so it is now said of us also that our lipps also should preserve knowledge that we may teach the people and this Saint Paul requireth of Tymothy to give attendance to reading although he had beene brought up in it from his youth and though old men may thinke that this was spoken to young men such as Timothy yet may they know that this also belonge to those who are old persons such as Paul and that from August Epist 63. Terti â—â— Volsianam to whom having written for resolution to Austin as if â—â— thought he knew all things Austin correcting the opinion saith that so profound and deepe were the Scriptures that he might profit still in them although from his child-hood unto his old age with most diligent study he was conversant in them Not as things necessary unto salvation were to be attained unto by so great difficulty an exception needfull to be inserted for the Pupists but that when they have attained to Christian faith yet such mysteries are there and so shaddowes that although the Ministers be ingenio accutissimo aniâ—â— fiagnantissimo yet they cannot in all their life as Eccl. 7. attaine to them of knowledge So that the lesson given to young Timothy is to extend to the old also Paul himselfe doing what he exhorteth Timothy to doe as the glosse thereon Cherion notes And Chrysostom that Paul did that himselfe which he exhorteth Timothy to doe by Pauls so often writing of the Oracles of God in the old Testament and by other circumstances now this knowledge is not to be kept under a bushell but we must teach and instruct the people and resolve of questions according as it is said aske the Priests which thing before they should have done since they could not chuse but read in Deut. that they should teach Jacob Gods judgements and Israel his lawes which the better to performe they are forbidden Levit. 10. to drinke wine or strong drinke when they enter into the Lords Tabernacle that they may discerne things aright teach what was to be observed among other Christian dutyes as to instruct correct reprove 2 Tim. 3. Paul also requireth of the Ministerâ— not in the strictnesse of that law to drink no wine at all yet not to be vinodeditus given to wine and for the same end according as Plato in Cratylo saith that temperance is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereto Aristotle assents Ethic p. 6. which Etimologi although some Gramariane dislike yet it
have not alwayes the same or the like gracious effect and fruit ye shall it alwayes more or lesse accomplish the worke and will of him that sends it It shall not only shake and move the weake and slender reed but cause also the stoutest and strongest Caedar to quake and tremble so did it prevaile with Faelix when he heard Paul preaching and disputing of righteousnesse and temperance and of the judgement to come for the text saith he trembled and answered go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee It hath been ever and is yet still the use and custome of froward and profane people when either their ministers or their friends did rebuke and reprove them not so much to be grieved that they had offended as to be angry and moved that their faults were tould them It was an affection of an naughty Tyrant to cast Iohn Baptist into prison for reproving his incest in retaining and maintaining his brother Phillips wife When Alippins a young man of great hope and of Austines acquaintance was too much transported with an inordinate desire and delight in and after the games and spectacles at Carthage especially those which they called the Circences ludi Austine much desired and endeavoured out of the love he bare unto him by the best meanes he could to reclame him but could not for the thife prevaile with him Not long after the same Alppins hearing Austin in his Rhethoricke lector at Carthage drawing a similitude from the same playes to make the matter he had in hand more plaine and pleasing with a kinde of biting derision of those who were captivated too much with the madnesse of those sports Alippins tooke the whole matter unto himselfe and was perswaded saith Austin that I had not spoken so much but even for his sake and that which another would have taken as an occasion to be angry with me the honest young man made an occasion to be angry with himself and to love me more fervently For thou hast said it O Lord and set downe in thy writings Rebuke the wise man and he will love thee Thus was Alipins both healed of his error and reclaimed from his vaine sports by the good providence and power of God in the hand of Austine never thinking of Alippins nor intending his curing or healing as he himselfe saith at that time For after those words the filthinesse of all those sports and delights did so recoyle and vanish from his mind and heart that he never after came amongst them any more Now let us well consider my brethren that if Alippins profited so well in hearing a rhethorick lecture both for the informing of his judgement and reformation of his life and all by the blessing of God as Austine himselfe doth acknowledge in that place why may not why ought not we to looke for the like good fruit and effect of our desires and labours in hearing of divine lectures and godly sermons such as may be more able having a better promise to convince the judgement convert a sinner save a soule and cover a multitude of finnes And this we shall yet the more effectually finde and feele if we reverently and obediently as it now followeth in this scripture hearken to the messenger of the Lord in the Lords message Then spake Haggai the Lords messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying I am with you saith the Lord. These words comprehend another sermon of the Prophet Haggai and do signify thus much in effect unto us that after the people were moved a little at the first sermon to reverence and obey the word of the Lord sent unto them yet notwitstanding they stayed a little and then the Prophet came againe unto them both to take some feare out of their hearts which was upon them and also to make them a promise of Gods gratious presence and assistance in this great businesse feare not I am with you saith the Lord of hosts By the words of the Prophet it doth evidently appeare that in this worke of the building of the Temple they much feared the Persian King lest he should molest or hinder them in the same therfore the Lord sendeth them this word that they should not feare for he would be with them to incourage and strenthen them and cause the worke to prosper in their hands and least they should think he spake this of himself and not from the Lord the Prophet addeth thus Then spake Haggai the Lords messenger in the Lords message unto the people saying I am with you saith the Lord shewing therby that he came unto them not only as the messenger of the Lord but that the thing which he brought was the Lords message also When David being troubled in his minde that he should dwel in a house of Caedar trees the Ark of God remain under curtaines he purposed in his thoughts to build a house unto the Lord Nathan the Prophet spake unto him saying Go do all that is in thy heart for the Lord is with thee Nathan that spake this was the messenger of the Lord because he was a holy Prophet of the Lord but that which he spake was his own and not any message from the Lord for the fame night the word of the Lord came unto Nathan to let David understand that not he but his son that should proceed out of his loynes should build a house unto the Lord. A good lesson for such as preach or prophecy unto Gods people to hold nothing backe from them which the Lord by them hath sent unto them but to open unto them the whole councell of God as Saint Paul did that they may say with more comfort even as he sayed that which we have received deliver we unto you as the Message of the Lord and the Lords messenger Which also justly condemneth such of our Prophets and Preachers as refusing to stand in the councell of the Lord and to deliver his word unto his people do utter the dreames and deceipt of their owne hearts and put upon them the fancies and visions of their owne heads of whom the Lord may justly say now as he said of some such Prophets in Jeremiahs time I have not sent these Prophets yet they ran I have not spoken unto them yet they prophesied and this may well serve also for a christian admonition unto all such as are hearers of the Lords Prophets to looke as carefully to the Message as to the messenger to the matter as to the man and to try the spirits and proving all things take hold of that which is good like the men of Berea who are said to be more noble than they of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readinesse of minde and searched the scriptures dayly whether those things which Paul had taught them were so We may heare also well and worthily observe how necessary often preaching is to Gods people if ever we will