REFORMATION'S PRESERVATION OPENED IN A SERMON Preached at Westminster before the Honourable House of COMMONS at the late solemne FAST July 26. 1643. By SIDR SIMPSON Minister of the Word Published by Order of that House LONDON Printed for Benjamin Allen and are to be sold in Popes-head-Alley 1643. TO THE HONOVRABLE House of COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT ALL the well-affected in the Kingdom cry unto you as the woman of Samaria did unto the King Helpe us or as the Disciples did to Christ you have bid us come unto you upon the waters Save us for we are sinking sinking in our estates our liberties our Religion yea in our hearts and courage too You have many wayes before you for our safety as the speedy execution of justice on Offendors Ier. 5.1 1 Sam. 21.15.14 their life may bee our death 1 Kin. 20 4◠the vigorous prosecution of the warre the taking hold of all advantageous opportunities the wise and active improvement of that Spirit God hath yet left in the People which never was more high and great then now it will be Great dangers raise great courage But there is no meanes like to Reformation that 's a defence cannot be beaten down The stones and timber of the Temple were hewed and squared indeed some time before they were set up but if that building be not in your heart and in your hearts above all things besides what ever else you doe will either be without successe or make us further miserable Without successe for except the Lord doe keep the Kingdome the Watch-men are in vaine and God will not keepe that which is not a Glory to him or else make us more miserable for when men are subdued God will come and war against us It 's a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God Our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 and these words are spoken to presse on a Reformation If a Reformation be not aimed at Quorsum haec dispendia why are wee in jeopardy every houre and are as sheepe accounted to bee slaine If it bee aimed at troubles are not troubles losses are not losses Those heapes are not ruines which the Builder makes in plucking downe to make the house up better Men will never reckon of their taxes dangers feares if they may have Reformation for them Some evills have so subtilly layd themselves between the stones of the Common-wealth gotten such Lawes obtained such favour amongst men because they are imployed so much in Civill matters that no word of God alone can destroy them without sharpe contentions unlesse your hands be on them Every one may reforme himselfe but you onely can the Nation of those evills and unlesse those bee removed actum est de Religione The God of Heaven give to all and every of you such a spirit as may make you fearlesse of dangers faithfull to your trust true to your professed ends and succesfull in this worke which shall be the dayly prayer of him who is Your Servant in the Lord S. Simpson A SERMON Preached at the late Fast before the Honourable House of COMMONS Isaiah 4. the latter part of the fifth verse For upon all the glory there shall be a defence THere are but two things that are the desire of all good men in these times The Reformation of Religion and The safety and preservation of it and of the Kingdome and you have both these in the text Reformation in the word glory Levit. 21 2y preservation in the other There are but two workes of this day Soul-afflicting and Soul-comforting of our selves in God and wee have matter for both these in the text too For mourning because our glory Relgion is stained darkened assaulted endangered It is now with us as it was with the Israelites 1 Sam. 4. Our Arke is in the field therefore it is sit every mans hand should be on his loynes and his heart be full of trembling For matter of comfort and encouragement the text is fitting too for the words are a promise that none shall hurt us Vpon all the glory there shall be a defence If you looke on the former chapter and the foregoing verses of this Chapter you shall finde as bad times foretold as could be such in which the slaughter should be so great that there should not be the sixt man lest at most for seaven women saith the text Vers 1. shall take hold of one man such a time wherein the women shall run up and downe and desire * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firmiter apprehendere vel retinere fugientem Precibus ac sollicitationibus adorientur Musc and hang on men not so much to marry them as to save them from the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro defloratione unchast hands of rude Souldiers The case of this people was somewhat like the case of Benjamin wherein they had not men enow to give unto their women Sad times to have the present generation murthered and no hopes of another that should be chast and holy and yet that was not all if it had beene but the losse of their lives they would not have so much complained but in the losse of this nation Religion was lost too in the blotting out of their names Gods name was blotted out from under heaven There are no people fare so hardly nor finde such sharpenesse from the hand of God as these who make profession and but a profession of religion Apostatizing Churches have the severest punishments In this sad case God comes to comfort them for that is his manner with his people if he give one foule word he gives two faire if he gives a stroake he gives a kisse if he send out an enemy against them himselfe speakes as David to the Commander when he went out against his sonne Absalon Deale kindly with them Therefore you have in the latter end of this Chapter whereof my text is a part a double consolation given them First That God would by all their troubles and afflictions reforme them and make them a glory 2. That when they are so there should no hand touch them he would be their defence as if he should have said There is no other course then this I take will serve your turne your drosse wil not come off but by such a degree of fire as you are cast into my intendment is not to destroy you but to purge you not to lay you my garden wast but to weed out these things and persons that are hurtfull I will touch no flower but these that have onely colour not savour for upon all the glory there shall be a defence Glory in the generall is nothing else but apparent excellency First in glory there must be some divine excellency some surpassing good and therefore it is given unto God Thine is the glory The Kings daughter is all glorious within as within is opposite not to outward but to apparent Psal 45. she is really glorious
that in heaven God is enjoyed immediately here in ordinances that there you doe receive the fulnesse of God at once though some will question it here by degrees that there the very presence of God holds the soule to him here the Minister as Gods watchman he saith hoc age warnes men when as they are remisse and carelesse the word keeps the eare the Sacraments all the senses and all the thoughts and affections upon God himselfe Thus I have donewith the explication of that Onely I beseech you doe but compare the apprehension of the world and the expression of my text concerning Churches The world they account Reformation a torment As the devils did Christs comming or bands and fetters as the Kings and wise men of the earth did Psal 2.3 Let us breake these bands asunder and cast his cords from us It is a heaven upon earth glory What inconveniences doe men forecast will follow or accompany reformation but as he some timesaid when he wastold he did ill to desire to be out of the world and in heaven before he had done his worke Whether I sinne or not saith he I would I were there And so say I concerning inconveniences what ever they be it is no matter so we were in that glory And that you have Mat. 11.12 The Kingdome of heaven that is the Church of the new Testament suffers violence Gen. 19.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 33.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judg. 19.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chemn ad loc and the violent take it by force that is men are so set on it as that what ever they pay for it they will enjoy it so violence signifieth in the language of the Seventy in not a few places If David might have but one thing in this world it should be this that he might live in the house of God in the Church of God and to behold his glory there Psal 27.4 But the maine point I would insistion and for which I have chosen the text is this Doctr. That upon all the glory shall be a defence Reformation will be Preservation If you will have the trowell in your hands to build Gods house God will carry the sword in his for your defence Rev. 3.20 And in the explication of this I shall doe these three things 1. Shew you what these evills are which these that goe about reformation are liable to that they need protection against 2. Shew what this defence is that you may see whether it be answerable to the trouble and opposition you shall meete with 3. Make good this defence belonging unto reformation by a reason or two and I shall goe no further then the very chapter wherein my text is for all these First for the evills you have three sorts First Inhumane treacheries for this verse doth referre both unto Pharaohs persecution and to the dealings of the Canaanitish Kings with the people of Israel in the Wildernesse Exod. 14.24 Exod 13.15 Deut. 31.15 Pharaohs dealing was very treacherous he bad the people goe gave them their liberty by Proclamation but when he had got them at advantage he brought up an Army to cut them off the Kings of Canaan dealt very inhumanely they would neither let the Israelites live quietly by them nor passe quietly through them they would neither let them have things for their necessities freely nor afford them for their monies The reforming Church will meet with such kind of enemies yet they are not all but Secondly here is in the fift and sixt verses heat and cold that is such evills as are intolerable for who can abide his frost unavoidable for there is none can hide himselfe from the heate as it is in the 19. Psalm they are such evilâ—s as are constant as the ordinances of night and day Summer and Winter they are such as are successive one comming on the neck of another when Psal 121.6 he had said He shall keepe thee that the Sun shall not burne thee by day nor the Moone by night in the next verse as an explication of that he saith He shall deliver thee from all evill There is nothing then that is evill but it is comprehended under heat and cold of which this verse speakes Thirdly you have also storme and raine spoken of covert from the storme and the raine that is such evils as are desolating and come on a suddame before one be prepared for the enduring of them when Christ would expresse the sudden and great apostasy of these which built on the sand he tels them the storme and the raine fell on them and they with it In Psal 11.6 when God would set out the judgements he brings on the World he tells them there shall come storme and raine of fire and brimstone the Church reformers must looke for such like stormes that all the Anchors they have cannot hold they shall be left meerely to mercy and the power of God such evills come and they know not the morning of it vipers in their own bowels traytors among their veryest friends which they supposed not such plots as are ruinous such designes as will make an utter end that is the first thing and yet against these there shall be defence Such evils as you have heard the Church is subject unto not because Christ doth not love her but that you may see he doth for he comes in to their defence A Ship that is tost at Sea in a storme is set so much nearer heaven that is all that troubles shal do to you if you have more stomes God will have more care if the wind rise you shall bee sure it shall be either faire for you or else it shall not hurt you for upon all the glory there shall bee a Defence It s better to be in trouble that God may shew himselfe for us more then ordinarily then to be without trouble with ordinary comforts And for this Defence You have five words in this little Chapter to set it forth tabernacle shadow place of refuge a covert and defence the word of my Text God useth more words in promises then in any other dispensation he speakes short when he threates hee speakes largely when hee promises his heart is broken into many words that so there may bee no mistake or doubt in us He useth more words in this matter of preservation than he doth in any other It is the observation of Musculus on Psal 121. a Psalme that is of the nature of my Text that though there be but eight verses in it yet we have the word keepe used five or six times the Lord shall keepe thee the Lord shall keepe thee and so forth God speakes often of His defending of us because there are but few who thinke He is Defender of the Faith that naile will hardly downe therefore God gives it so many blowes Calv. ad loc Who is there that glorifies God as one that will preserve him in well doing Though
all that doe beleeve doe thinke they shall meete with salvation at the last yet for preservation here as soone as one hath got his heart a little quiet the next danger that comes is like the wind unto the leaves of the wildernes that takes it all away God speakes often that you may beleeve its sure he saith You have many doubts therfore God hath many words you say God will in this but it may be another trouble may come and there he will leave why saith God what sort soever your troubles be let them be heat or cold raine or storme let them be plotted concealed mischiese against all that I will be a defence look you but to my glory Let us looke a little unto every one of the words he saith First he will be a Tabernacle so it followes in the sixt Verse the word signifyeth to cover a thing from the sight of another by laying something on it as Rahab hid the spies from the searchers or as the helmet hides the body from the adversary or as the blind hides him that is undermining the walls for in all these sorts is the word used in Nahum 2.5 Psal 140.7 and so the meaning of it is this that either God will so keepe you that your enemies shall not finde out what you are about or if they doe yet nothing shall come neare you for to hurt you If that bee not enough then Secondly you have a shadow and the shadow of a rocke as it is expounded Esa 32.2 A shadow you know is cooling and refreshing and makes the heat of the day as though it were not If that be not enough Thirdly you have a place of refuge Montanus translates it confidentiam a spirit above all danger that will not stoope or be base for any inconvenience it shall suffer If that be not enough Fourthly you have a Covert your enemies may strike and breake themselves they shall not hurt you as the great drops that fall upon the house breake themselves into little small things that will wet no body But to come to the word in my Text Defence Fiftly Defence it hath a threesold reference first to the Arke secondly to the people of Israel in journying from Egypt thirdly unto the custome of marriages among the Jewes First to the Arke which is called glory in the Arkethere was Manna Aarons rod and the Testimony the mercy seat or propitiatory was the covering of it and this signifyed Christ Psal 32.1 upon this covering there were two Cherubims the emblemes of Angels on that God sate as on a throne of Majestie Psal 99.1 from this God gave direction to them Exod. 25.22 Numb 7.89 And all this comes to thus much that Christ and God and Angels all shall be with you for the sinnes whereby you have provoked God he will be propitious if there be any helpe in heaven he will afford it if you referre it Secondly to the people of Israel journying from Egypt so this defence was the pillar of cloud and fire and told them thus much that no naturall evills for the cloud kept off the heat no spirituall evill should befall them 1 Cor. 10. for it was a Sacrament that God would direct them in all their counsels he would interpose betweene them and all their foes Thirdly if you referre it unto the custome of Marriages among the Jewes as in the Psal 19.6 and Joel 2.16 Vide Sanct. preleg in Cant. the custome was to have a Canopie for State carried over the head of the Bride in the day of marriage and so the phrase is thus much God will honour you you may now be accounted rebels it shall appeare you are loyall you may be accounted breakers of Lawes it shall appeare you are the children of justice there is not an imputation but God will wash it from you And so I have done with the second point Quest But how will this be made good you will say to mee Thus. First that God will defend them it appeares by the guard he hath set over them which are his glory Angels campe about such Psal 34.8 all the while that Cambyses in the absence of Cyrus raged against the Church Daniel 10. vers 13. there is an Angell left in Persia to looke unto him you are the charge of Jesus Christ Zach. 1.10 11 12. Verses and observe he is among the Myrtle tree that is the Churches taking account of the Angels in Verse 10. upon Horse-backe to note his speedy succour on a red horse because he will have the blood of your adversaries And he doth not onely fight but prayes O Lord of Hoast saith he how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah 1 Cor. 10.4 the Rocke that followed them was Christ not that the water of the Rocke did alway follow them for that failed and the people were athirst in the Wildernesse but Christ signifyed by the Rocke was alwayes with them for their preservation As the tender parent thinkes that none can looke to the beloved child so well as shee and therefore alwayes hath it in her armes It s so with God too and therefore you have it in Isaiah 27.1.2.3 Verses Lest any hurt it I will keepe it night and day Secondly it appeares that on the glory there shall bee a defence because the glory of the Church is the glory of God In Judges 9.3 the Vine is said to cheere the heart of God the Chaldee expounds it thus Ex quo libatur ante Dominum because God was served with it Haggai 1.8 God makes the Church his heaven as it is our meanes to heaven Goe saith he and build my house and I will be glorified in it Quest But how can this thing be you 'l say Answ Consider as there is a double incarnation of Christ as I may call it one proper in the flesh of his person another mysticall in the flesh of his Saints and therefore they are called Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 And Paul is said to fulfill the sufferings of Christ in his body Col. 1.24 so you may conceive a double glorification of God the one in the beholding of his excellencies in himselfe the other in beholding of himselfe in us and in his worship As the beames of the Sunne falling on the earth rayse up the height of the skie and make all the glory of the heavens to appeare so doth the glory of God or the attributes of God doe unto his glory when either they are bestowed or manifested to his Churches Thirdly if so bee the Church should suffer ruine Vide Iun. ad Icc. the whole world would come to ruine too Isay 6.13 for the holy are as the props and pillars of it There is onely one objection may bee made against this defence Object That Revel 11.7 when the measure of the temple was come downe from heaven and the witnesses had declared their restimony fully yet then they were slaine Answ But I answer
you shall find there first that they had finished their testimony and as all Christs enemies could not put him to death one moment before his houre was come neither could all the adversaries of the Churches these witnesses before they had spoken the last word when they had finished their testimony Vers 7. Secondly you shall find they devoured their adversaries even as the fire that came out of the Over and Furnace in the Booke of Daniel devoured those which stood before it In the 11. Verse you shall finde that they could not be overcome and in the the 13. Verse when as the Popish partie thinke that now they have none to trouble them then shall there come an earthquake a part of this defence such civill warres as shall be their utter ruine but the advance of these witnesses againe to renoune and glory Now we have done altogether with the Explication of the Text I come to the Application of it Vse 1 Vpon all the Glory there shall be a defence First see the reason why God doth expose his people the people called by his name to so many troubles why he lets in crosses calls in enemies disheartens and disables these that are on his side they have defiled his glory and therefore he will not defend them God will take his owne peoples part in nothing that is evill as is it with a Diamond if it be not right it is worth nothing or a picture if it be not to the life it is of no value and so it is with the ordinances of God if they bee not pure and after Gods minde That which is said concerning one ordinance the ministry is true concerning all if they have lost their savour they are not fit to be kept but to be throwne out to the dunghill What would you have God to doe my beloved would you have him defend the people called by his name when they are but so called but are enemies to his glory would you have him imbrace his Spouse when shee hath playd the harlot and brought forth to strangers would you have him keepe his house when the devils haunt it for so in 1 Cor. 10.21 that which is not done by the word in Godsworship is done unto devils because he is the appointer of it would you have him defend these that oppose him who ever they be that corrupt his worship or are corrupt in his worship they shame God they disgrace God nay they doe as much as they can to make God unhappy to take from him his glory and therefore upon them there shall bee no defence Use 2 Secondly let this point strike the Rocke and streames of teares burst forth let it open a spring in dry places for the staines that have beene and that are on our glory on our Religion that so we may prevent the ruine and desolation which if it be not timely lookt unto will come on us First mourne for the corruptions which have beene in Religion so Nehemiah did in Nehem. 9.16.17.26.28 Verses and yet some of these sinnes were committed many hundred yeares before he was borne A man is guilty of all the sinnes he knowes and doth not grieve for because all those he likes How hath it beene I beseech you with us in this land the face of Religion was growne wan and pale unto the death her beautie gone her favour changed her countenance so smutted mangled blurd that you could scarce know her her owne children were afraid of her and therefore fled from her as from her in the story that would have put them unto death her speech was changed she spake she knew not what in stead of Minister she said Priest for Sacraments Sacrifice for Table Altar her heart was wounded her fundamentall doctrines rased her worship mingled originall sinne denied the will of man was made supreame over God and God a servant unto it Christs precious blood made common shed without respect unto any ones good in particular and for ought that either Christ or God the Father knew for all his death no man should bee saved by it for all was left unto mans will and of a fallible cause there can be no certaine and infallible knowledge When God had beene at all the cost of Christs blood and at the putting forth his right hand to worke grace in mans heart yet still man was at his owne will so that he could make all this cost of God in vaine Hee certainly is not God who is so unwise they might as well have said there is no hell for if this bee a naturall power to will the things which are contradictory no man can bee damned for it for what ever is naturall is good and the putting forth of a naturall power cannot be of such ill desert The deitie of God was denyed and as you may find in the last Canons as great penaltie put upon one that should not say that Bishops were Jure Divino as on him who denyed that Christ or the Father were not God The person of the Holy Ghost was questioned I might send you the parts of Religion as the Levites Concubines quarters were sent abroad unto all the Tribes give me leave to represent it to you like Tamar Ammons sister with her hands on her head thrust out of doores and complayning in the streets with teares thus They have ravished me and forced me to their wills and ends they pretended love to mee but intended Popery and Atheisme they have corrupted mee and now they cannot abide me some of my children have beene starved for want of food some have falne into diseases because the food they had was not wholesome and some were forced from me to the howling Desart and Wildernesse Who can now abstaine from teares Looke on the present corruption Christs body is troden under feet by Swine in the Sacrament the Sabbath prophaned puritie nicknamed reformation feared more than vassallage Never never was the glory so neere departing as it is now it is on the threshold taking the wing we are at that passe they were Joel 2.14 who can tell whether God will returne and leave a blessing behind him and therefore it is time to rend your hearts and turne unto the Lord Religion is a going persecuted by Papists hated by the ignorant unkindly used by her owne friends Object It s true indeed that people have offered themselves willingly unto reformation 1 Chro. 29. Answ but David you know and the people did so long before God built the Temple Object It s true there are many righteous among us never kingdome afforded so many Answ but yet scarce will Abrahams ten be found to the number of other prophane persons Object it s true there are that humble themselves in dust and ashes Answ but there are as you heard to day that make these dayes of mourning like dayes of slaughter Isaiah 22.13 and if there were none such there is a time when mourning prayers teares humbling will doe no good