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truth_n believe_v faith_n know_v 8,213 5 4.2899 4 true
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A36187 A brief recognition of New-Englands errand into the wilderness made in the audience of the General Assembly of the Massachusetts Colony at Boston in N.E. on the 11th of the third moneth, 1670, being the day of election there / by Samuel Danforth. Danforth, Samuel, 1626-1674. 1671 (1671) Wing D175; ESTC R24911 19,567 31

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of the House of God It seems they pleased themselves with this that the Altar stood upon its Bases and Sacrifices were daily offered thereon and the building of the Temple was onely deferred untill a fit opportunity were afforded free from disturbance and opposition and having now gained such a season they are ready to build the Temple but the Lord convinceth them out of the Law that their former negligence was not expiated by their daily Sacrifices but the guilt thereof rendred both the Nation and this holy and honourable Work which they were about vile and unclean in the sight of God And having thus shewn them their spiritual uncleanness he encourageth them to go on with the work in hand the building of the Temple promising them from this day to bless them ver 18. VSE II. Of Exhortation To excite and stir us all up to attend and prosecute our Errand into the Wilderness To what purpose came we into this place and what expectation drew us hither Surely not the expectation of ludicrous Levity We came not hither to see a Reed shaken with the wind Then let not us be Reeds light empty vain hollow-hearted Profess●rs shaken with every wind of Temptation but solid serious and sober Christians constant and stedfast in the Profession and Practice of the Truth Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified holding fast the profession of our Faith without wavering Alas there is such variety and diversity of Opinions and Judgements that we know not what to believe Were there not as various and different Opinions touching the Person of Christ even in the dayes of his flesh Some said that He was John the Baptist some Elias others Jeremias or one of the old Prophets Some said he was a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber a friend of publicans and sinners others said He was a Samaritan and had a Devil yet the Disciples knew what to believe Whom say ye that I am Thou art Christ the Son of the living God Mat. 16. 15 16. The various heterodox Opinions of the people serve as a foil or tinctured leaf to set off the lustre and beauty of the Orthodox and Apostolical Faith This is truly commendable when in such variety and diversity of Apprehensions you are not byassed by any sinister respects but discern embrace and profess the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus But to what purpose came we into the Wilderness and what expectation drew us hither Not the expectation of Courtly Pomp and Delicacy We came not hither to see men clothed like Courtiers The affectation of Courtly Pomp and Gallantry is very unsuitable in a Wilderness Gorgeous Attire is comely in Princes Courts if it exceed not the limits of Christian Sobriety but excess in Kings houses escapes not divine Vengeance Zeph. 1. 8. I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strange Apparel The pride and haughtiness of the Ladies of Zion in their superfluous Ornaments and stately gestures brought wrath upon themselves upon their Husbands and upon their Children yea and upon the whole Land Isa 3. 16 26. How much more intolerable and abominable is excess of this kinde in a Wilderness where we are so far removed from the Riches and Honours of Princes Courts To what purpose then came we into the Wilderness and what expectation drew us hither Was it not the expectation of the pure and faithful Dispensation of the Gospel and Kingdome of God The times were such that we could not enjoy it in our own Land and therefore having obtained Liberty and a gracious Patent from our Soveraign we left our Country Kindred and Fathers houses and came into these wilde Woods and Dese 〈…〉 s where the Lord hath planted us and made us dwell in a place of our own that we might move no more and that the children of wickedness might not afflict us any more 2 Sam. 7. 10. What is it that distinguisheth New-England from other Colonies and Plantations in America Not our transportation over the Atlantick Ocean but the Ministry of Gods faithful Prophets and the fruition of his holy Ordinances Did not the Lord bring the Philistims from Caphtor and the Assyrians from Kir as well as Israel from the land of Egypt Amos 9. 7. But by a Prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt and by a Prophet was he preserved Hos 12. 13. What is the Price and Esteem of Gods Prophets and their faithful Dispensations now fallen in our hearts The hardships difficulties and sufferings which you have exposed your selves unto that you might dwell in the House of the Lord and leave your Little Ones under the shadow of the wings of the God of Israel have not been few nor small And shall we now withdraw our selves and our Little Ones from under those healing Wings and lose that full Reward which the Lord hath in his heart and hand to bestow upon us D●d we not with Mary choose this for our Part to sit at Christs feet and hear his word and do we now repent of our choice and prefer the Honours Pleasures and Profits of the world before it You did run well who doth hinder you that you should not obey the truth Gal. 5. 7. Hath the Lord been wanting to us or failed our expectation Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me Jer. 2. 5. What iniquity have your fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and ver 31. O generation see ye the word of the Lord have I been a wilderness unto Israel a land of darkness May not the Lord say unto us as Pharaoh did to Hadad 1 King 11. 22. What hast thou lacked with me that behold thou seekest to go to thine own Country Nay what could have been done more then what the Lord hath done for us Isa 5. 4. How sadly hath the Lord testified against us because of our loss of our first love and our remissness and negligence in his Work Why hath the Lord smitten us with Blasting and Mildew now seven years together superadding sometimes severe Drought sometimes great Tempests Floods and sweeping Rains that leave no food behinde them Is it not because the Lords House lyeth waste Temple-work in our Hearts Families Churches is shamefully neglected What should I make mention of Signes in the Heavens and in the Earth Blazing-Stars Earthquakes dreadful Thunders and Lightnings fearful Burnings What meaneth the heat of his great Anger in calling home so many of his Ambassadors In plucking such burning and shining Lights out of the Candlesticks the principal Stakes out of our Hedges the Corner-stones out of our Walls In removing such faithful Shepherds from their Flocks and breaking down our defenced Cities Iron Pillars and Brazen-Walls Seemeth it a small thing unto us that so many of Gods Prophets whose Ministry we came into the Wilderness to enjoy are taken from us in