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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85443	Zerubbabels encouragement to finish the temple. A sermon preached before the honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, Apr. 27. 1642. By Tho. Goodwin, B.D. Published by order from that House.	Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1642 (1642)	Wing G1268; Thomason E147_13; ESTC R1423	34,286	63

Queene of Sheba had seene the house that he had built the meate of his Table the attendance of his Ministers and their apparel and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord it was said there was no more spirit in her And in the 17. 19. verses He made a Throne for the glory of his Majesty the like whereof was not made in any Kingdome Now Christs Court on earth are his Churches which are called Gods House Heb. 10. 21. and 25. compared And there his throne is set up as in the Temple of old In all the Visions of God as sitting on a throne made unto the Prophets that throne is presented as in the Temple So Esay 6. 1. I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his traine filled the Temple The Temple was therefore called the place where Gods honour dwels Psal. 26. 8. that is his Court as some of our Kings houses are called Honours And thus in the New Testament in the representation of the Church on earth as worshipping him Rev. 4. 8 9 and 10. verses This Church hath a Throne in the midst of it and God sits thereon ver. 5 6 7. So that indeed there is nothing doth more exalt and glorifie God then his publique worship and the government of his Church purely and rightly administred 1 Chron. 16. 29. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse These two are joyned together The like you have Psal. 29. 2. And it is part of that song which David made when he brought back the Arke and so set up Gods worship And further in Esay 60. 7. it is called the house of his glory and that Chapter is a Prophecie of the Gospel ver. 5. Now if the worship of God and the government of his house and every ordinance thereof tend so much to his glory and set him up as King then how much is he engaged to perfect it He will fully shew himselfe to be King of Saints in his worship as well as King of Nations in his works And therefore as his work is said to be perfect Deut. 32. 4. so he will in the end make his worship perfect I speak for the outward administration of it even the perfection of beauty as the Psalmist calls it Psal. 50. 2. which it cannot be styled whilst any part is wanting or misplaced or to conclude this reason in the language of the Metaphor in the Text God is not like the foolish builder that will begin to lay the foundation of his Church and not fully perfect and finish it The first Use shall be an extract of the first Branch of this Doctrine Let Gods people therefore know their strength Though their enemies be as mountaines yet in a cause of God and his Church let them not be affrighted at them Deut. 7. 21. yea let them despise them all as the phrase is Esay 37. 22. When Rabshekah brought a threatning Ambassage from the King of Assyria with this Preface unto it Thus saith the great King the King of Assyria Esay 36. 4. where are they among all the gods of the countries that have delivered their land out of my hand c. In answer to this what doth good Hezekiah through the Prophets encouragement returne againe but this The Virgin the daughter of Sion hath despised thee Esay 37. 22. Although she be but a virgin yet she hath a Champion who is in love with her that will take her part and fight her quarrell The people of God are weak in themselves but they have a strong Captaine so Christ declares himselfe to be unto them Josh. 5. 14. As the Captaine of the Lords Hoast am I come And if a Lyon be the Captaine though the Armie consists but of Harts and Sheep yet they will be too hard for the wolves that come against them It is the comparison the Scripture useth Esa. 31. 4. Like as the Lion and the young Lion roaring on his prey when a multitude of shepheards are called forth against him so shall the Lord of Hoasts come downe to fight for mount Sion and for the hill thereof And then how still and quiet is the enemie and avenger Jesus Christ was borne as to be a King so a Conquerour and we may style him King Jesus the Conquerour so Rev. 6. 2. He went forth conquering and to conquer If God will throw downe all mountains of opposition that hinder the perfecting of his Church Then get up your Faith and resolution for this great worke of reforming the Church and forecast not what opposition you are like to encounter with get but your hearts filled with Faith and you will be able to say as Zerubbabel here Who art thou O great Mountaine It was long ere Zerubbabel could be brought to believe or to resolve to doe it the discouragements were so great the greater mountaine of the two was the unbeliefe in his owne heart but when he once did resolve to set upon the worke he found all those mountains to vanish before him To speake still in the language of the metaphor here Have but as much faith as a grain of mustard-seed and you may say to this mountain Be removed into the sea and it shall be removed Hezekiah was a great Reformer he removed the high places and brake the Images and cut downe the Groves and brake in pieces the Brazen Serpent 2 Kings 18. 4. and then withall it is added in the following words He trusted in the Lord God of Israel ver. 5. They that will reforme a Church or State must trust more in God in doing it then in any work else Is a word of Caution For if the worship of God and every part of it doth so much concerne Gods glory as hath been shewed in the Reason of this Doctrine then take heed how you meddle with it Be sure you set the service of the house of the Lord in its right order as the phrase is of Hezekiahs Reformation 2 Chron. 29. 35. and that according to cleare light from the word of truth Know and consider that you meddle with edged tooles when you take this work in hand Which I speak not to discourage you from it but to make you wary in and attentive to it more then all the works you ever did set your hands and hearts unto It was a good and a religious purpose in David to bring back the Arke and for the substance of the duty he was right in it he mistook but in the order he set it upon a cart when as the Priests shoulders should have carryed it Himselfe thus speaks of it We sought not God after the due order that is Gods Institution 1 Chro. 15. 30. And when it was like to fall God confuting thereby their errour Uzzah did but touch it to keep it up and that too was done out of a good zeale God smote him for it though

ZERVBBABELS ENCOVRAGEMENT TO Finish the Temple A SERMON Preached before the Honourable House of COMMONS at their late Solemne Fast Apr. 27. 1642. By THO. GOODWIN B. D. Published by Order from that House REVEL. 11. 4. These are the two Olive Trees and the two Candlesticks standing before the God of the earth c. LONDON Printed for R. DAWLMAN 1642. TO THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT YOur Command giving me the opportunity I took the boldnesse to urge and encourage you to Church-Reformation which is the maine scope of this Sermon a subject which otherwise and in all other Auditories I have beene silent in and am no whit sorry for it For I account it the most fit and happy season to utter things of this nature unto Authority it selfe although the people likewise are to know their duty My comfort is that what I have spoken herein I have for the generall and I have spoken but generalls long beleeved and have therefore spoken You were pleased so far to owne me as to betrust me with this Service to be Gods mouth in publique unto you and also this Sermon of mine as to command the publishing of it Wherefore as in propriety it is now become yours more then mine or all the worlds So let it be in the use of it If it shall adde the least strengthening to your resolutions to keepe this purpose for ever in the thoughts of your hearts I have what I aimed at Goe on worthy Fathers and Elders of this people and prosper in yea by this work without which nothing that you doe will prosper But the rest I shall speak to God for you Let me be known to you by no other thing then this To be one whose greatest desires and constant prayers are and have been and utmost endeavours in my spheare shall be for the making up the divisions of the Church in these distracted times with love of Truth and Peace And therein to use Davids words am Wholly at your commandment Tho Goodwin ZECH. 4. VER. 6 7 8 9. Ver. 6. Then he answered and spake unto me saying This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel saying Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts 7. Who art thou O great mountaine before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plaine and he shall bring forth the head stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace grace unto it 8. Moreover the word of the Lord came unto mee saying 9. The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands shall also finish it and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you THese words are part of the interpretation of a stately Vision of a Candlestick and two Olive trees standing thereby and pouring Oyle into it made to the Prophet Zechariah in the 2. and 3. verses the scope and matter both of that Vision and of this Interpretation is to encourage Zerubbabel their Prince and with him the Priests and Elders of the Jewes to finish the building and make compleat the ornaments of the Temple whereof the foundation had many yeeres before been laid but was left imperfect and was left dis-furnished And this his scope is plainly and without a Parable held forth in the 9. ver. The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house his hands shall also finish it And indeed to stir him and them up unto this perfecting Gods house unto which work they had been too backward as appeares by Hag. 1 2 3 and 4. verses The people say The time is not come that the Lords house should be built was the principall end why God sent unto them no lesse then two Prophets Haggai and Zachary as two extraordinary Ambassadours from heaven on purpose to put them on upon it for the finishing of the Temple is a businesse of that moment as is worth two Prophets at any time And this appeares not onely by both their Prophecies but also by the story Ezra 5. 1 2. THEN the Prophet Haggai and Zachariah prophecyed unto the Jews that were in Judah in the name of the God of Israel Then rose up Zerubbabel and Jeshua and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem and with them were the Prophets of God helping them That same particle or circumstance of time Then doth refer us to the story of those times recorded in the book of Ezra as that which is necessary for the full understanding of their two prophecies what is recorded there being the occasion of them but more especially for the understanding of this piece of our Prophet Zachary his Prophecie which I have read unto you which wholly concernes the finishing of the Temple I must necessarily therefore as a preparative Introduction to the exposition of these words set you downe in and give you a prospect of those times and the occurrences thereof which were the occasion of these words here Who art thou O great mountaine c. And if Zachary himselfe a Prophet and that lived in those times knew not at the first the meaning of the Vision in this Chapter ver. 5. Knowest thou what these be And I said No my Lord much lesse shall we be able to know the interpretation thereof and how fitted to this vision nor what this mountaine here is c. without being pre-possest of the knowledge of this story which in briefe is this The Babilonian Monarchy Romes Type had trod downe the holy City and laid waste the Temple and worship of God for seventy yeares which being expired the Jews had liberty and authority from the first Persian King Cyrus to build the Temple and restore Gods worship according to their Law This is the summe of the first and second Chapters of Ezra In the third Chapter you have an Altar set up Sacrifices renewed Feasts kept and the foundation of the Temple laid which was as true a Type of that great Reformation from under Popery But after this work had been begun and fairely carryed on in all the Fundamentals of it there started up a company of Samaritans that were adversaries to the Jewes as we read Chap. 4. Samaritans they were as appears by ver. 10. They were the Nations seated in the City of Samaria brought thither ver. 2. in the roome of the ten Tribes A generation of men who were not heathens in their profession for they professed the same Religion with the Jewes So they alledge for and arrogate to themselves in the afore-said verse We seeke your God as you doe and we sacrifice unto him and have done so long from the dayes of Esar Haddon who brought us up hither And yet they were not true Jews neither nor perfectly of the same Religion but of a mungrell and mixt kind betweene the Religion of the Heathen and of the Jews intermingling Heathenish Idolatries with Jewish worship So 2 Kings 17. ver. 33. and 41. compared it is said These Nations feared

break in pieces the gates of brasse and cut in sunder the bars of iron all difficulties flew ope and nothing could stand in his way and I will give thee the treasures of darknesse the hidden riches of secret places And why did God doe all this for him For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine elect For otherwise sayes God of this Cyrus thou hast not known me so ver. 4. All this which God did for him was that he might performe Gods pleasure saying to Jerusalem Be built and to the Temple Thy foundation shall be laid as you had it out of the last ver. of the foregoing Chapter And then again when the foundation thereof was thus happily laid there stood as you see in the Text another Mountaine in the way to the finishing and perfecting of it namely this Samaritan Faction who gained the power of that Persian Monarchy to be against it of which Mountain the Prophet here in like manner sayes that it should be made a Plaine And if the Persian Monarch Dartus had not come off too as he did EZra 6. from the 1. ver. to the end of the Chap. God would have served him as he had done Babylon Be ye wise therefore now O Kings and instructed O ye Judges of the Earth The Reason of all this lies but in three words which God hath spoken once yea twice Aedificabo Ecclesiā meam I will build my Church which have more force in them then all the created power of Heaven Earth or Hell He had said it in the Old Testament as you heard Isai. 44. 28. saying to Hierusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy foundation shall be laid And Christ said it over again in the New Testament Mat. 16. 18. I will build my Church He speakes of that Church under the New Testament which in future ages was to come And what follows The Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it You heard before in the Old Testament that the Brasse Gates were opened to make way for the building of that Temple Isai. 45. 2. But here in the New Testament there are stronger Gates then of Brasse here are the Gates of Hell which yet Christ like another Sampson flings off their hinges As whilst the Devill is god of the world Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam shall be sure to be hindered if he can so whilst Christ is King of this world and hath all power committed to him both in heaven and earth most certainly the Gates of Hell shall never prevaile against it It is this same Aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church that hath made all the stirre in the world I remember in the yeare 1619. or 20. or thereabouts when the Wars in Germany began it was reported that a great Brasse Image of the Apostle Peter which had that pretended claime by which Rome would hold her Keyes fairely embossed upon a Roll that hung downe upon the Image in these wordst Tu es Petrus super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam tibi dabo Claves c. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and I will give to thee the Keyes c. standing as I take it in S. Peters Church at Rome there was a great massie stone fell downe upon it and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of all that sentence whereon Rome founds her claime was left whole so as to be read saving this one piece of that sentence aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church which was left faire and entire That Promise I will build my Church is the Magna Charta yea the Prima Charta the Great and First Charter of the Saints in the New Testament those words in the 16. of Mat. being the first that Christ uttered about it and so contain within them all lesser Promises of all sorts that follow that concerne the building of his Church or any piece of it Now all that concerne the Building of his Church are reducible unto these two heads First the preservation and enlarging of his Church Mysticall and of his Saints on earth and thus considering them personally although they should be scattered each from other or secondly the Building up his Church as gathered in Assemblies to hold forth his publique worship in the world as that place forementioned is apparently to be understood by the next words For he speakes of the Keyes in the following verse whereby are meant all Media cultus all Ordinances of worship whereby his Church is built So then this Reason taken from aedificabo Ecclesiam branches it selfe into two Parts The first is taken from his love to his Church Mysticall on his Saints simply considered as such The second is from his interest in his owne worship for which he loves his Churches that are the Seat of it more then all the world 1. His Love to his Church Mysticall is such that no Mountain of opposition can stand before it to hinder the enlargement building of it up This Reason you have Isai. 43. 3 4. I gave Egypt for thy ransome Ethiopia and Seba for thee since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honourable and I have loved thee therefore will I give Men for thee and People for thy life It is put upon this Reason Quia amavi te because I have loved thee and that more then all the world Or if you will have it exprest in the language of this similitude here in the Text Mountains shall depart and Hills be removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee sayes God Isai. 54. 10. It is such a kind of speech as that of Christs Heaven and earth shall passe away but not a tittle of my word c. 2. His love to his Churches holding forth his Name and worship in the world is such as nothing shall withstand the repairing and perfecting of them and of that his worship and every parcell of it If God had not such Assemblies in the world he should have no worship Therefore these Churches are called the Ground and Pillar of Truth both where it growes and where it is held forth 1 Tim. 3. 15. he there speakes of Church assemblies as wherein Timothy was to learne how as an Euangelist to behave himselfe in the ordering and governing of them as you have it in the words immediately fore-going Th●● thou mightest know how to behave thy selfe in the House of God c. And the truth is that that building of the House of God of which only Zachary here gives us occasion to speak was but the compleating all the ordinances of worship It was not so much the building up the Nation of the Jews that was here directly intended but the building of their Temple the seat of worship and introducing the Candlestick c. And their Assemblings there to worship according to Gods owne prescription was more to him and is so still then