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A19871
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One of the sermons preached at Westminster the fifth of Aprill, (being the day of the publike fast;) before the Right Honourable Lords of the High Court of Parliament, and set forth by their appointment. By the Bishop of Sarum.
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Davenant, John, ca. 1572-1641.
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1628
(1628)
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STC 6299; ESTC S117129
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22,536
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58
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may be though God haue this Office of an vniuersall Iudge ouer all the world yet this Circuit is so large that he wants Power or Meanes fully to execute it This cannot be imagined the contrary so euidently appeares thorough the whole Scripture Gen. 6.12 When all flesh had corrupted their waies vpon earth an end of all flesh is presently determined by the Iudge of heauen and the whole world is sentenced to be drowned and the sentence is as easily executed as if it had beene pronounced but against some one particular man Gen. 18. When the crie of Sodome and Gomorrah had pierced the heauens God adiudged them to be burned with fire and brimstone and presently he rained fire and brimstone vpon their heads I will not trouble you with heaping vp more examples of Gods power in this kinde I had rather stirre you vp to feare and obedience vpon consideration of the vnresistable power of this Supreame and Vniuersall Iudge Shall the Lyon roare and shall not the beasts of the field quake Shall the great ludge of heauen threaten vengeance against rebellious sinners and shall not dust and ashes fall downe at his feete and humbly sue for mercy Shall the Diuell himselfe vpon the knowledge of Gods supreame Iudiciary power beleeue and tremble and shall men more Diuelish then the Diuell beleeue God to be an Omnipotent Lord and Vniuersall Iudge and yet neuer tremble at the matter It were hard to thinke there were any such Gyants in the world who durst fight against God and despise both the Office and Power of this Soueraigne Lord and Vniuersall Iudge but that wee see them daily with our eyes and heare them with our eares Is not the strong Churh-robber one of these Gyants who dares openly say Psal 83. Come let vs take the houses of God into possession neuer fearing that which followes O my God make them like a wheele and like stubble before the winde Is not the abominable swearer one of these Gyants who dares tosse and tumble the reuerend name of God in his foule mouth though God haue threatned that for such irreligious oathes the land shall mourne Is not euery filthy fornicator euery beastly drunkard and in a word euery shamelesse and daring sinner of the race of these Gyants who knowing and confessing that this great Iudge hath already passed a sentence of death against these sinnes 1 Cor. 6.9 yet sport themselues with them and gibe at the Iudge himselfe Iush the Lord shall not see it neither will the God of Iacob regard it But I hope there is none heere of this rebellious rout nay I hope euery man heere present is in all humility obedience ready to say vnto this great Lord and Iudge as the Israelites doe in the Text. Behold wee come vnto thee for thou art the Lord our God And now let vs passe from the Generall Motiue vnto the more speciall in the two last words Our God Our God The former Motiue was common to the Israelites with all other nations for God is the Creator Protector and Iudge of all men but this is proper vnto them as they made the Body of Gods visible Church for it is the Church alone which can challenge God by peculiar right to bee her God And this shee may doe in a double respect Iure confederationis Iure redemptionis By right of Couenant or confederation and by right of Ransome or Redemption First by right of Couenant established betwixt God and the seed of Abraham I will establish my Couenant betwixt mee and thee Gen. 17.7 Verse 10. and thy seed after thee And for further ratification of this couenant God would needs haue the seale of circumcision put vnto it If this bee not enough God ouer and aboue hath confirmed it Ezek. 16.8 by swearing thereunto I sware vnto thee and entred into a couenant with thee and thou becamest mine In respect of this speciall Couenant God claimed the lewes for his speciall inheritance peculiar people and they challenged him for Their God in a more speciall manner then all the world besides could doe Now as God was by a speciall couenant God of the Iewes vnder the Old Testament so now he is become God of the Christians vnder the New Our Baptisme is the sealing of this Couenant wherein the blessed Trinity Father Sonne and Holy Ghost receiue the party Baptized into speciall fauour and protection and the party there indents with the same blessed Trinity so soone as he shall come to vnderstand this Couenant presently to forsake the Diuell and all his workes constantly to beleeue Gods holy Word and obediently to keepe his commandements Now I haue shewed the Nature and quality of this Couenant which then warranted the Israelites and now warrants vs Christians to call God Our God let vs consider how forcible it is or ought to be to draw vs all vnto obedience First this very Couenant must put vs in minde of obedience because otherwise wee loose the Benefit there of for not Taking hold of the said Couenant Chap. 56. Verse 4. The Prophet Esay hath taught vs that the keeping of Gods commandement and chusing the things that please him is the very taking hold of this Couenant and therefore it will follow from the contrary that he despising of Gods Commandements and doing those things which he hates is the loosing of this hold Againe we are farther to consider that all our happines or vnhappines in this life and after this life depends vpon the keeping or breaking of this Couenant Esay 1.19 If yee will consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land But if you will not obey Leuit. 26. Verse 15. but despise mine Ordinances and breake my Couenant then I will set my face against you c. It is a Chapter worthy of our most diligent perusall For in it as in a glasse we may cleerely see how it comes about that we the people of this Land who were sometimes crowned with all Gods blessings begin of late to be stripped out of them one after another and are in danger of being depriued of them all We may likewise see from whence it comes that wee haue beene consumed at home with plague pestilence that abroad wee haue fallen before the sword of the enemy in these and all other iudgements which haue or shall light vpon vs we must take notice of Our God Leuit. 26. Verse 25. as auenging the quarrel of his Couenant What quarrell can God haue against vs about this Couenant He hath a double quarrell First for our Hypocrisie in that wee call him Our God and make shew as if we were his peculiar people in that we call him Our Father and pretend that wee are his true children and yet in the meane time wee will neither serue him as Our God nor loue him as Our Father Ieremie 3. Verse 19. It is Gods agreement with his people Thou shalt