He can't look upon iniquity and not loath it he can't behold iniquity and approve of it or delight in it God has a Soverainty over all your persons and concernments in this world and therefore he may do with you and all that is yours as he pleaseth upon this account you ought to say The Lord is righteous though he hath laid your habitations desolate and burnt up your houses before your eyes It s true God has dealt severely with London but he might have dealt more severely with it he might have burnt up Lam. 3. 22. every house and he might have consumed every inhabitant in Londons flames He might have made good that sad word upon them They shall go from one fire and another fire shall Ezek. 15. 7. devour them The Citâ—zens of London may say with good Ezra God hath punished us less than our iniquities deserve and therefore it highly concerns them to say The Lord is righteous All that God doth is good you know what Hâ—zekiah said 2 Kings 20. 19. Good is the word of the Lord. This was a hard word a sad word that all his treasure should be carried unto Babylon and his Sons also and made Servants there and yet he saith Good is the word of the Lord. What ever God doth is good God in that he is good saith One Luâ—her in Psalm 120. can give nothing do nothing but that which is good others do frequently he cannot possibly Upon this account also it concerns us to say The Lord is righteous though our See more of this in my Mute Chrâ—stiaâ— City be laid desolate 'T is better to be under a fiery Rod than to be wallowing in the mire of sin 'T is better that London should be laid desolate than that God should say England farwell That 's a Christian worth Gold who can seriously heartily and habitually say The Lord is righteous though all our pleasant things are laid desolate I would say the Lord is righteous but by this fiery dispensation Object I am turned out of house and home Now in answer to this Objection give me leave to enquire Answ First Whether your house was dedicated to the Lord by fasting and prayer or not If it were only dedicated to the Deut. 20. 5. service of sin Satan or the world no wonder if the Lord has turned it into a heap But Secondly Give me leave to enquire Whether you had set up Christ and holiness and holy orders in your house or no See Psal 101. Did you in good earnest resolve with Joshua That you and your house would serve the Lord Josh 24. 15. If not no wonder if the Lord has laid your habitations desolate But Thirdly Give me leave to enquire Whether you did labour and endeavour to the utmost of what you were able that Christ might have a Church in your house or no Col. 4. 15. Salute the Brethren which are in Lâ—odicea and Nymphas and the Church which is in his house that is saith Dr. Hammond which meets together in his house 1 Cor. 16. 19. The Churches of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla See Dr. Hammoâ—d on this Scripture Vâ—d Bâ—sh Dav Cottoâ— Beza Scultâ—â—us Ambros c. salute you much in the Lord with the Church that is in their house Philemon v. 2. And to our beloved Apphia and Archippus our fellow Souldier and to the Church in thy house Philemons house was a publick meeting-house where the faithful had their Assemblies and so continued for many years after as Theodoret and others witnesseth Some understand this last Scripture of the Church which kept their Assemblies in Philemons house Others understand it of his household which was as a little Church in his house Rom. 16. 5. Likewise greet the Church that is in their house Chrysostome by the Church in their house understands their Christian Family who saith he were so godly as to make their whole house the Church Origen interpreteth it of the faithful and ready Ministry of these servants of the Lord in entertaining of the Saints in their house 3. Theophylact thinketh it to be called the Church in their house because the faithfull were entertained there 4. But beside this it seemeth that their house was a place for the Saints to Assemble in there the Congregation used to come together Martyr 5. The last thing in their praise was that they had a Church in their house either for that their family for their godly order observed in it seemed to be a Church or else for the faithful gathered together in their house to celebrate their Assemblies for they might not have in most places the free use of their Christian Religion through the malice of the Jewes on the one hand and the rage of the Gentiles on the other hand Consult Acts 13. and 14. Wilson In this great City of Rome there were divers Assemblies of Believers which were held in some private mens houses where they might meet safest the state then and some hundred years after not permitting them any publick Temples or Auditories to meet in as our English Annotators observe upon the place In each particular family last cited there was a Church of Christ Now have you burnt Citizens made it your business to erect a Church of Christ in your particular families if so well it is with you though you have lost all If not do'nt wonder that God has laid your houses desolate Adam had a Church in his house so had Abraham and Jacob and Joshuah and David and Cornelius well governed Families may in some sense be well reputed Churches The house of George Prince of Anhalt for the good orders therein observed is said to have been Ecclâ—sia Academia Curia Ah London London it may be there might have been more houses standing within thy Walls than now there is if every particular house had been as a particular Church to Christ As for such houses where there were no exercises of Religion as for such houses where idleness cheating lying cursing swearing slandering gameing drunkenness uncleanness and riotousness were rampant They were rather the Devils Chappel than Christs Church and therefore it was just with God to lay such habitations desolate But Fourthly Give me leave to enquire whether you were friends or enemies to Gods house Now Gods house is his 2 Tim. 2. 20. Num. 12. 7. Josh 1. 2. Church and his Church is his house Heb. 3. 5 6. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house as a servant But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ So 1 Tim. 3. 15. That thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth Prov. 9. 1. Wisdom hath builded her house she
shall put them to a full improvement of that blessed stock of grace that he has intrusted them with The fire that came from Heaven was to be kept continually burning that it might never go Levit. 6. 13. out God loves to see the graces of his Children in continual exercise Neglect of our graces is the ground of their decrease and decay Wells are the sweeter for drawing anâ— grace is the stronger for acting we get nothing by dead and useless habits Talents hid in a napkin gather rust the noblest faculties are imbased when not improved in exercisâ— 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift of God which is in thee 'T is an Allusion to the fire in the Temple which was always to be kept burning All the praise that God has from us in this life is from the actings of grace 'T was Abrahams acting of faith that set the Crown of Glory upon the Lords Head O Sirs look narrowly to it that you fail not in the activity and lively vigoâ— of your graces Look to it that your graces be still acted exercised and blown up that so they may be still flaming and shining the more you exercise grace the more you strengthen it the more you increase it Repeated The more a man plays upon an Instrument the more dextrous he grows Math. 25. 27. Prov. 10 4. acts strengthen habits t is so in sin and 't is so in grace also The more the little child goes the more strong it grows by going Money is not increased by lying in a Chest but by trading The more any member is used the stronger ' t is As the right hand is most used so 't is commonly strongest The diligent hand â—akes rich A little stock well husbanded will daily increase when a greater stock neglected shall decay and come to nothing The exercise of grace will best testifie both the truth and the life of your graces Grace is never more evident then when 't is in exercise When I see a man rise and walk and work and exercise his arms I know he is a real man a living man The more the fire is blown up the sooner 'tis seen to be fire There are many precious Christians who are full of fears and doubts that they have no love to God no saith in God no hope of Glory c. but the best way under Heaven to put an end to these fears and doubts is to be fervent in exerting actâ— of love of faith of hope c. The non-exercise of grace cast Adam out of Paradise it shut Moses and Aaron out oâ— Numb 20. 12. Caanan it brought Jacob into fourteen years hard service and bondage for had he exercised faith hope patience c. â—s he should have done he would never have got the blessing by indirect means as he did it provoked the Lord to strike Luke 1. 18 19 20. Heb. 3. 17 18. Zacharias dumb it shut thousands of the Jews out of the Land of Caanan I dare not be so harsh so rash and so uncharitabâ—e as to think that none of those that died in the Wilderness had the habits of faith the seeds of grace in their souls but 't was their non-acting of faith that kept them out of the holy Land as it did Moses and Aaron according to what I hinted but now Beloved by these instances among many others that might be produced you see that God hath dealt very smartly and severely with his choicest Servants for their not exercising of their graces as they ought to have done And though I dare not upon many accounts say that for the Saints not exercising and improving their graces God has turned London into a heap of Ashes Austin write upon that day wherein he shewed no acts of grace diem perdidi I have lost a day Oh how many days have we lost then for which God might justly visit us yet I dare say that this neglect of theirs may be one thing that added fuel to that Fire Well Sirs you had not long since many outward comforts to live upon but the Lord has now burnt them up that so he might lead you forth to live in a daily exercise of grace upon himself upon his power upon his all-sufficiency his goodness his faithfulness his fulness his graciousness his unchangeableness his promises And if this fiery Dispensation shall be so sanctified to us as to work us to a further activity of grace and to a further growth and increase of grace we shall be happy Citizens though we are burnt Citizens But Thirdly By severe Providences and by fiery Tryals God designs the growth of his people in grace Usually the graces of the Saints thrive best when they are under a smarting Rod. Grace usually is in the greatest flourish when the Saints are under the sorest tryals The snuffing of the Candle makes it burn the brighter God beats and bruises his links to make them burn the brighter he bruises his spices Rom. 5. 3 4. 2 Cor. 1. 3 4 5 6. to make them send forth the greater aromatical savour Fiery tryals are like the Tezel which though it be sharp and scratching it is to make the cloth more pure and fine God would not rub so hard were it not to fetch out the dirt and spots that be in his people The Jews were always best when they were in their lowest condition Well-waters arising from deep Springs are hotter in the Winter then they are in the Summer Stars shine brightest in the darkest nights and so do the graces of the Saints shine brightest in the darkest nights of affliction and tribulation God will sometimes more carry on the growth of grace by a Cross then by an Ordinance yea the Lord will first or last more or less turn all fiery tryals into Ordinances for the helping on the growth of Heb. 12. 10. Jam. 1. 3 4. 1 Pet. 1. 6 7. grace in his peoples souls Look as in the lopping of a tree there seems to be a kind of diminution and destruction yet the end and issue of it is better growth And as the weakning of the body by Physick seems to tend to death yet it produceth better health and more strength And as the ball by falling downward riseth upward and as water in pipes descends that it may ascend So the Saints spiritual growth in grace is carried on by such divine methods and in such ways as might seem to deaden grace and weaken it rather then any ways to augment and increase it We know that winter is as necessary to bring on harvest as the spring and so fiery tryals are as necessary to bring on the harvest of grace as the spring of mercy is Though fiery tryals are grievous yet they shall make us more gracious Though for the present we cannot see but that such and such severe providences and fiery tryals as the loss of house estate trade friends will redound much to our prejudice and damage yet in the
Maâ—k 16. 11. And Secondly There was a place where the Priests executed their Ministry which was holier than that that the people stood in and is therefore called the Holy Place Lev. 16. 30. And Thirdly There was a place which the High Priest might only enter into and that but once a year anâ— that is called the Holy of Holies the holiest place of all Heb. 9. 3. But now since the death of Christ there is no place in the world that is holier than other The prayer of faith is as powerful and as prevalent with God in one place as in another Paul describes the faithful to be such as call upon 1 Cor. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 8. Matth. 18. 20. God in every place And I will saith he that men pray every where And where two or three saith Christ are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them That every place should be free for the people of God to worship the Lord in was foretold by the Prophets as a singular privâ—lâ—dge that should come to the Church in the dayes of the Gospel Zeph. 2. 11 And men shall worship him every one from his place even all the Isles of the Heathen That is all Countâ—â—ys though not encompassed with the Sea for the Jews â—aâ—lâ—d â—ll Lâ—â—ds Islands whither they could not come but by Waâ—â—r Mâ—n should worship not only at Jerusalem as oâ—â—â— but in all plâ—ces They should lift up pure hands and hearts without wrath or doubting both in Church and 1 Tim. 2. 8. Chamber any place whatsoever shall be a sufficient Oratory so that God be worshipped in Spirit and in truth Mal. 1. 11. For from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place not in Judaea only incense shall be offered unto my name Here thâ— Prophet frames his words to the capacity of the peoâ—le and by the Altar and Sacrifices he meaneth the spiritual service of God which should be under the Gospel when an end shall be put to all these Legal Ceremonies by Christs only Sacrifice and a pure offering for my name shall be great among the Heathen saith the Lord of Hosts The poor blâ—nd bâ—sotted Jews thought that God was so tyâ—d to them that if they did not worshâ—p him at Jerusalem he would have no service nor worship in the world But God tâ—lls them that they were under a very high mistake for he would take care of his own name and glory For from the rising of the Sun even to the going down of the same my name shall be great that is the knowledge of it and of the right worship of it among the Gentiles this is an excellent Prophesie of the cutting off the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name My Worship saith God shall not be confined to Judaeâ— or Jerusalem See Isa 66. 19 20. Chap. 60. 8. and Chap. 19. 19. or the Temple but in every place I will have a people that shall worship me and that shall be still offering of prayers and praises and thanksgivings to me Christ by his death hath taken away all difference of places And indeed it was but necessary that when the body was come the shadow should cease Yea since Christs death all difference of persons is taken away For in every Nation under heaven such Act. 10. 34 35. Gal. 3. 28. as fear God and work righteousness are accepted of him There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bend nor free there is neither male nor female for ye are all one in Christ Jesus And therefore all difference of places must needs also be taken away for this difference of places was as a partition wall between the Jews and the Gentiles Now mark since the Ephes 2. 14 15. destruction of the Temple and City of Jerusalem the Lord hath not sanctified any other place in the world or consecrated it to a more holy use than the rest and it is only Gods institution and word that can make any thing or any 1 Tim. 4 4 5. place holy Nothing can make any place or any thing else holy but the Ordinance and institution of God It is Judaisme it is a denying of Christ to be come in the flesh to hold or affirm that one place is holier than another I know the Papists put more holiness in some placâ—s than thâ—y do in others for they hold that it is more advantagioâ—s 〈◊〉 the dead to be buried in the Church-yard than out of it And in the Church more than in the Church-yard and in Chancel more than in the Church and nâ—ar the high Alâ—ar more than in any other place of the Câ—ancel and all out of a superstitious conceit that these places are consecrated and hallowed that they are holier then other places are But Christians that live undâ—r a bright shining Gospel understand the folly and vanity of these mens spirits principles and practices Such as are wise in heart know that since Christ by his death hath taken away all religious difference of places England is as holy as Canaan and London as Jerusalem and our houses as the Temple Ne. 12 27 28. Psal 30. Title A Psalm aâ—d Soâ—g at the Dâ—dication of the housâ— of David While the Ark brought the Plague every one was glad to be rid of it but when it brought a blessing to Obed-Edom they looked upon it as worthy of entertainment Many will own a blessing Ark a prosperous truth but he is an Obâ—d-Edom indeed that will own a persecuted tossed banished Ark. Under the Law they were wont to dedicate their houses and consecrate them to God before they dwelt in them Deut. 20. 5. And the Officers shall speak unto the people saying what man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it by Prayers Hymns and other holy solemnities let him go and return to his house lest he dye in the battel and another man dedicate it Now thouâ—h this were done in those times with sundry ceremonies which are now abolished yet the equity of the duty still remains And doubtless the best way for a man to bring down a blessing upon himself and his house is to dedicate himself and his house to God 2 Sam. 6. 11. And the Ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obed-Edom the Hittite three moneths and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom and all his houshold Versâ— 12. And it was told King David saying the Lord hath hlessed the hâ—use of Obed-edom and all that pertaineth to him because of the Ark of God In this Scripture you see that when men do any thing to the advancement of Religion or to the furtherance of Gods Worship and Service he takes it kindly at their hands The meanest service that is done to Christ or his Church hath a Patent of eternity Again in this Scripture you may run