Selected quad for the lemma: state_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A43817
|
The militant chvrch trivmphant over the dragon and his angels presented in a sermon preached to both Houses of Parliament assembled on Friday the 21. of July, 1643 : being an extraordinary day of publikhumiliation appointed by them throughout London and Westminster : that every one might bitterly bewaile his own sins and cry mightily unto God for Christ his sake to remove his wrath and heale the land / By Tho. Hill...
|
Hill, Thomas, d. 1653.
|
1643
(1643)
|
Wing H2024; ESTC R16004
|
23,718
|
38
|
our mourning be turned into Hallelujahs Your Honours to serve You faithfully for the honour of the Lambe THOMAS HILL Errata PAge 18. line 11. for puls read puts pag. 23. l. 5. and all maintaine r. and all to maintaine pag. 23. l. 19. for Papists read pupils THE MILITANT CHVRCH TRIUMPHANT OVER THE DRAGON AND HIS ANGELS REV. 12.11 And they over-came him by the blood of the Lambe and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death THEY who study the Providence of God about his people will finde all his dispensations towards them full of Wisdome and Love If being provoked by their sinnes he let loose Oppressours amongst them withall he provides Saviours for them even when they feele a smarting rod they may see it in the hand of an indulgent Father so sweetely is he pleased to intermingle refreshings with troubles and to put some Sugar into their bitterest potions Thus kindly dealt he with his Ancient People stirring up Ezekiel and Daniel whom he sent captives with them to be their comforters in that darke captivity and thus tenderly dealt he with the Christian Churches when John and they were under persecution revealing such rich secrets unto them by him as might strongly support them and all suffering Saints under the most bloody troubles that should succeed This is the very tenour of this Propheticall History and Historicall Prophesie the Revelation of Christ to John intending doubtlesse by him to send unto the conflicting Churches such a standing and Soveraigne cordiall as might cheere them when they were at the lowest with hope of triumphing over their most potent adversaries And is it not pity any Christians should have this cordiall with-held from them for whom it was by God himselfe provided If Christ say Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that heare the words of this Prophesie why should any under pretence of difficulty fondly imitate and exceed the superstition of the Jewes who permitted none to reade the beginning of Genesis Canticles the beginning and end of Ezekiel before thirty yeares of age but ours the Booke of the Revelation publickely scarse at all Admit it be true that in this Booke Quot verba tot sacramenta as many mysteries as words this may awaken study and quicken prayer but not take off our inquiry into these secrets intended for us But though Prophesies may be aenigmata riddles to others before they be fulfilled wee have the advantage of many events and accomplishments to be our Interpreters Yea we have reason to hope most of the bitter passages concerning the Churches of Christ are already fulfilled that there is much Sugar at the bottome reserved for these last ages which may animate us to seeke with all humble sobriety a revelation of the Revelation And that which may embolden us to looke for more glorious victories hereafter we finde in this 12 Chapter of the Revelation even the infant Primitive Church becomming triumphant when opposed by the fiercest of those heathenish Emperours In the six first Verses Gods dealings with the old Israelites and with the Primitive Christians seeme to run parallel They for a time were in the Egyptian bondage under Pharaoh who sought to devoure them At last Gods mighty hand brought them out into the wildernesse where though unsetled for a while yet he preserved and fed them graciously and at the last brought them into Canaan Thus did the Lord dispense himselfe towards his Church who is represented v. 1. as a Woman clothed with the Sunne Chrâ—sts spouse is made glorious by his beames who is the Sunne of Righteousnesse This Woman is travailing with Christ mysticall under sharpe throwes and pangs of persecutions for three hundred yeares together v. 2. and all this while the red Dragon like a bloody Pharaoh stood â—efore the Woman which was ready to be delivered â—or to devoure her childe as scone as it was boâ—ne v. 3. 4. Yet she brought forth a Man Childe v. 5. a Masculine birth vigorous Christians who in Constantines time were caught up to God and to his Throne were advanced to beare much sway Yet when the Church was set at liberty from the oppression of the Heathen she fled into the Wildernesse v. 6. where she had a place prepared of God that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Propheticall dayes i. e. so many yeares It pleaseth God to keepe us in the darke for the punctuall beginning of these dayes as he did his people about the beginning of the Babylonish captivity It was easily knowne it should continue but 70. yeares yet there being three steps of it one in the dayes of Jehoiakim a second in the dayes of Jechonias a third under Zedekiah it was very hard without speciall direction where to fasten that beginning which should terminate the 70. yeares We may be confident the Christian Church shall be in the Wildernesse but one thousand two hundred and threescore yeares and had we so much divine Wisdome as to know exactly where to beginne to reckon them wee might speake more than conjecturally of the time of the Churches deliverance In the five following verses you have a more full amplification of this story from severall passages and circumstances First The Wars betwixt Michael and the Dragon Christ and the Devill and their Angels on both sides v. 7. Secondly The issue The Dragon and his Angels prevailed not but was cast out and his Angels with him v. 8 9. The Devill was cast downe from that open rule he had under Heathen Emperours Thirdly The Churches acknowledgement of her successe v. 10. Fourthly The meanes by which the Devill and his party were conquered v. 11. 1. Principall by the blood of the Lambe 2. Organicall which is twofold First By the word of their Testimony Herein they were sincerely active Secondly They loved not their lives unto death Herein 〈◊〉 were resolutely passive Here you have first not onely Christ himselfe overcomming but also his Angels as he engages his people in the conflict so he allowes them to share in the honour of the victory They overcame Yet secondly so as Christ is chiefely acknowledged The Crown is first set upon the Captaines head their overcomming was by the blood of the Lambe Thirdly Something his Souldiers contribute though the Devils Angels may carry on their designes by lyes equivocations reservations for a time yet in conclusion are conquered by the word of their Testimony and that especially when it is held forth by a zealous selfe-deniall And they loved not their lives unto death These foure Generals as they lie in the words will afford us foure naturall Observations flowing from them In the Warre betwixt Michael and the Dragon and their object 1 Angels though the true Church be Militant for a time yet it proves victorious and triumphant In the field of the Church behold two potent Armies under two Generals Michael and the
Die Jovis 27. Julii 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Lords in Parliament that Master Hill hath hereby thanks given him from their Lordships for the great paines taken by him in his Sermon he made in Saint Margarets Church Westminster before the Lords and Commons on Friday the 21. of this instant July at the publike Humiliation And he is hereby desired to cause his said Sermon to be forthwith Printed and Published John Browne Cleric Parliamen Die Veneris 21. Julii 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the House of Commons that Mr. Salloway doe give thanks to Mr. Hill who at the desire of the House this day Preached before the Commons at St. Margarets Westminster it being an extraordinary day of Publique humiliation and that he be desired to Print his Sermon And it is Ordered that no man shall Print his Sermon but whom the said Mr. Hill shall Authorize under his hand-writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint John Bellamie and Ralph Smith to Print my Sermon THO. HILL THE MILITANT CHVRCH TRIVMPHANT OVER THE DRAGON AND HIS ANGELS Presented in a SERMON Preached to both Houses of Parliament assembled on Friday the 21. of July 1643. BEING An extraordinary day of publik Humiliation appointed by them throughout London and Westminster that every one might bitterly bewaile his own sins and cry mightily unto God for Christ his sake to remove his wrath and heale the Land By THO. HILL B. D. sometimes Fellow of Emman Coll. in Cambridge and now Pastor at Tychmersh in the County of Northampton Published by Order of both Houses of Parliament In their affliction they will seeke me early Hos. 5.15 I said not unto the seede of Jacob Seeke yee me in vaine Isa. 45.19 I said I would scatter them into corners I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy Deut. 32.26 27. LONDON Printed for John Bellamie and Ralph Smith and are to be sold at their shop at the three golden Lions in Cornhill neare the royall Exchange 1643. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE HOVSE OF LORDS AND THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT I Never delighted in Pulpit Apologies else I might have prefaced with an excuse from the extreame shortnesse of the warning to performe this solemne service Your Christian attention in hearing and candide acceptance of my meane endeavours hath now likewise prevented my Apologizing Epistle Let rather my pen second my tongue in provoking you and my selfe to blesse the Lord who invites poore sinners to seeke to him in the day of trouble Now will blasphemers say they are glad to runne to their prayers we are indeed desiring humbly to rejoyce that we have such precious promises sealed with the bloud of such a Mediator in whose Name we may boldly seeke our heavenly Fathers face even when he hath a rod a sword in his hand We would shame our selves for our many sinnes and justifie God who is glorious in holinesse in all the judgements that lie upon us If this be to be vile we will with David when Gods hand cals for it be more vile then thus Let stupid Atheists take that portion Isa. 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed for their envie toward thy people If God stile himselfe a God hearing prayers good reason we should runne unto him as a people making prayers Let us now therefore approve our selves Christians indeed not multiply groundlesse jealousies which are almost as troublesome in the State as unsound opinions in the Church not quarrell discontentedly with the defects of second causes but meekly improve the hand whereby the first cause disposes all events Nothing comes to passe in time but what was decreed from Eternity If a few Sparrowes cannot fall to the ground then surely Armies Cities Countries cannot be lost without his providence If he condescend to number his childrens haires then certainely much more their heads He who hath a bottle for their teares a booke of remembrance for their words and thoughts upon his Name will not forget his owne promises unto them but when discriminating times come then shall ye returne and discerne between the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serveth God and him that serveth him not There are now many veines opened in England it is in the body Politick as in the Naturall much bad bloud cannot be let out but we shall lose some good The Lord of Hoasts hath purposed to staine the pride of all our glory Much honourable bloud hath beene shed amongst us since these sad troubles began When the judgement comes by Famine or Pestilence ordinarily most great persons escape the vulgar sort of people fall by such Arrowes God hath now sent a sword which hath done execution upon divers of our Nobles and many of our Gentry The good Lord helpe you and all whom it most concernes to heare what this rod this sword saith and who hath appointed it We all acknowledge it was drawne for the sinnes of this Nation and will it be sheathed againe without repentance It was a strange prophesie of Robert Grosthead that great Bishop of Lincolne in H. 3. time who prying much into the abominations and spirit of Popery said a little before his death The Church shall not be delivered from the servitude of Egypt but by violence and force and with the bloudy sword We have found this too true as well as other Churches Is there not a generation amongst us who rather then they will have Christ raigne over them rather then Doctrine Worship Government and Discipline should be reduced to the simplicity that is in Christ will hazzard King and Kingdomes involving one after another in bloudy troubles Me thinkes we may heare groaning England speaking the language of the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14.4 Helpe O King and upon her ground her two sonnes strove together in the field and there was none to part them but the one smote the other and slew him v. 6. It will be your High Honour O Noble Worthies to be so faithfull to your Saviour and to your Soveraigne as to put hereunto your helping Heads and Hearts Counsels and Prayers When God suffered his Church to be brought very low to be a flocke of slaughter yet then he took unto him two staves the one he called Beauty and the other he called Bands and he fed the flock Be pleased to improve your utmost now as good followers of the Lambe Call for the helpe of the Reverend Assembly who will study to advise you according to the Testimony of Jesus Church-Reformation may prove a compendious way to compose State-commotions Hereby poore distracted England may yet finde two supporting Staves Beauty and Bands a Beautifull union established in Church and State The Lord delight to imploy you to these happy purposes so shall