<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2012-01-26</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>*Proofed title page(s).
*Reviewed structure.
*Checked division-marking material at heads and feet of divisions (HEADS, CLOSER, OPENER, ARGUMENT, EPIGRAPH, SIGNED, BYLINE, etc.).
*Added TYPEs to DIVs in order to validate.
*Checked for N=""s.
*Checked ^s.
*Checked placement and completeness of PBs.
*Checked for foreign, damage and missing-page GAPs, #, --.
*Checked for LBs, startqs / endqs, q;s, &abque;s, ABBRs and Qs.
*Checked for FIGUREs and decorated initials.
*Checked proofsheets and made corrections found there.
*Corrected <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s etc.
*Converted <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s to GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="[vendor name]".
*Revalidated.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A94183">
<STC T="W">S6358</STC>
<STC T="T">E165_10</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99871931</BIBNO>
<VID>156974</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>A SERMON LATELY PREACHED AT <HI>WESTMINSTER,</HI> BEFORE SUNDRY OF THE Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS.</P>
<P>By <HI>Jo&s;eph Symonds</HI> &s;ometimes Mi|ni&s;ter in <HI>Ironmonger</HI>-lane, <HI>London,</HI> Now Pa&s;tor of a Church in <HI>Roterdam.</HI></P>
<Q>&mdash;Rejoycing, and beholding your order, <BIBL>Col. <HI>2.5.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q><GAP DESC="foreign">. <BIBL>Naz.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Nullibi gravius peccatur quam in politicis. <BIBL><HI>Dan. pol. pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aem.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P>LONDON, Printed for <HI>Luke Fawn,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his Shop, at the &s;igne of the Parrot in <HI>Pauls</HI> Church-yard. 1641.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Honourable, the Knights, Citizens and Burge&s;&s;es of the Commons Hou&s;e of Parliament, now A&s;&s;embled.</HEAD>
<P>_IT was a quick an&s;wer of him to a Painter, who &s;hewing his Picture, &s;aid he made it in a few houres, That he wondred he made not many &s;uch in that time. But its not a vain covert of my weakne&s;&s;e, or idle hunt|ing after credit, but a ju&s;t expre&s;&s;ion of truth, if I &s;ay the time of my preparation of this Sermon for you, was a time of no &s;mall di|&s;traction to me. Indeed as I judged my &s;elfe unworthy to &s;peak in &s;uch an audience, &s;o I wonder that any in it &s;hould &s;o approve what was &s;poken, as to think it worthy of a longer life, then it had in the Pulpit. But &s;ince it mu&s;t live longer then I intended, having no|thing in this matter to &s;atisfie me, but my re|&s;pects
<PB REF="3">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="3">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="4"> to tho&s;e to whom I owe &s;o much, I humbly pre&s;ent it to your honourable accep|tance. And &s;hall &s;till pray him, who is wi&s;e|dome and Coun&s;ell, to lead you into all truth, that as great and &s;tupendious works (wherein by the Vote of God and man, a large &s;hare of of honour is allotted to you) have been done by you his In&s;truments; &s;o you may happily proceed, till your wi&s;edome and zeal have crowned our hopes, and perfected your glory, that we and the generations yet unborne, may rejoyce in you, and ble&s;&s;e God for you, whom he hath rai&s;ed to be the terror of his adver&s;a|ries, and Saviour of his people. Go on and pro&s;per unparalleld Worthies, you have a a noble cau&s;e, and a confluence of incou|ragements from God, and man. See what you have done already, and mingle your &s;treams of joy with the flouds of all your Saints ere while drowned in tears and &s;or|rows, but now floating in joy and triumph. Behold the Faces of the Saints, who&s;e tears you have wiped away, and &s;ee in the light and cheerfulne&s;&s;e of their vi&s;&s;ages the ble&s;&s;ed fruits of your goodne&s;&s;e, wi&s;edome, ju&s;tice and courage. Let their reviving adde &s;till to
<PB REF="4"> your living Spirits? What can be more &s;ola|tious to a Chri&s;tian Spirit, then to &s;ee the dy|ing Saints reviving, and in&s;olent oppre&s;&s;ors dyi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g? What better then at once, to &s;ee our Kingdom enhappied, and Chri&s;t advan|ced? Let your hearts feed them&s;elves to ful|ne&s;&s;e in the&s;e things, to you belongs a double portion. Its better to do good then to receive: we are but the Ce&s;terns, you have the honor to be our living Springs, yet we mo&s;t honor the Sea of goodne&s;&s;e, who i&s;&s;ues through you upon us.</P>
<P>I am ready for the things which I have al|ready &s;een to &s;ay, as <HI>Jacob,</HI> when he received his &s;onne, as from the dead, <HI>I have enough.</HI> And doubtle&s;&s;e, if our eyes &s;hall be &s;o ble&s;&s;ed, as to &s;ee the Churches of Chri&s;t in their right order, and &s;hining in their proper beau<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y and power, we &s;hall be as tho&s;e that dream. Oh that our want of love to Chri&s;t, and to each other may not deprive us of this Crown of our rejoycing. And oh that in much love and &s;inglene&s;&s;e of Spirit, all that are the reall friends of Chri&s;t, would with mutuall em|braces, and conjunct hearts, heads and hands help to give birth to this glorious work. He
<PB REF="5"> were better be in his grave, who in &s;uch a &s;ea&s;on as this, is either an impediment or a &s;haddow.</P>
<P>Different opinions are no ju&s;t excu&s;e of di&s;&s;enting affections, opinions &s;hould not be quench-coales of love, which are not de&s;tru|ctive to life. And its ill &s;ervice to augment differences beyond nece&s;&s;ity, or to aggravate them beyond equity. The Wi&s;edome which is from above, is peaceable; and &s;urely love, and meekne&s;&s;e, would do much to one-nes. He that will exclude all that meet not pun|ctually in his judgement, mu&s;t di&s;card him|&s;elf. Let us rather devi&s;e how farre we do, or may concenter, then &s;tudiou&s;ly to &s;tand at a di&s;tance: We &s;hall never be wholly, one with all in all; Yea, we are very diver&s;e from our &s;elves. And true peace ari&s;eth not &s;o much from inforced uniformity, as from a Candid unanimity. He that di&s;turbeth order, and cor|rupteth trueth, is unfit for a Chri&s;tian fellow|&s;hip. But all that embrace godline&s;&s;e and truth, and &s;erve the peace of the Churches, may happily be copartners in each others privi|ledges. If this be the time of our deliverance
<PB REF="5"> (which I pray and hope) he that is Truth and Love, will teach and meeken us; and he that is Almighty, will pro&s;per you, that this mor|ning of hope, may ri&s;e to a clear day of joy, which is the prayer of him, who is your Honours to &s;erve you.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Jo&s;eph Symonds.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="6">
<PB REF="6">
<HEAD>A Sermon Preached before &s;un|dry of the Commons Hou&s;e of Parliament.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL><HI>1 CHRON. 28.10.</HI></BIBL>
<Q>Take heed now for the Lord hath cho&s;en thee to build an hou&s;e for the Sanctuarie. Be &s;trong and doe it.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THis Chapter and the next following are a Copie of the la&s;t &s;peech of the be&s;t King that ever was:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Chro. 23 27.</NOTE> the &s;peech was <HI>Davids</HI> to <HI>Solomon</HI> his &s;onne, and to the &s;tate of the King|dome. I &s;hall only treat of that part of it, which re&s;pected <HI>Solomon.</HI> The &s;ubject of it, is an hou&s;e to be built for God. The occa&s;ion of it was this. When <HI>David,</HI> by the good hand of God with him, had peace on every &s;ide, a calme after many &s;tormes, hee did fall a&s;leepe in the lap of peace; but as mercies and receipts from God, are wont to work in the Saints thankfull returnes, &s;o he now devi&s;eth what to doe for God, that had done &s;o much for him, <HI>ver.</HI> 2. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7, &amp;c. The time of this &s;peech hath a double mark upon it.</P>
<P N="1">1 It was in t me of Parliament, in a &s;olemne a&s;&s;embly of the Princes of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and the Princes of the Tribes, &amp;c. <HI>v r.</HI> 1. <HI>Davids</HI> end was to draw them to put their hands to this great work, which appeares by tho&s;e words, <HI>ver.</HI> 21. which are an expre&s;&s;ion of his de&s;ire, with confidence of their readine&s;&s;e, and in their hearing. <HI>Al&s;o the Princes and all the people will be wholly at thy com|mandment.</HI> Zeale will cry for help of all hands.</P>
<P N="2"><PB REF="7">2 It was in the end of his dayes, <HI>When hee was old and full of dayes,</HI> 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 23.1. Good men doe good to the la&s;t, yea are be&s;t at la&s;t, as naturall bodies are quicke&s;t and &s;tronge&s;t in their motion, when they come neere&s;t to their center.</P>
<P>The &s;umme is. <HI>David</HI> would have built an hou&s;e, but though God accepted his good intention, yet by <HI>Nathan</HI> told him that he &s;hould not do it, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7.5. but his &s;onne &s;hould, <HI>ver.</HI> 12.13. Therefore <HI>David</HI> &s;ummons this great a&s;&s;embly, and before them bequeaths to <HI>Solo|mon</HI> the honour of the Kingdome and of this &s;ervice.</P>
<P>In the text
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Preface to the &s;peech.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 matter of the &s;peech.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The preface in this word <HI>Take heed.</HI> Its an item both &s;trong or &s;piritous, and pregnant or comprehen&s;ive. <HI>Now take heed i.e.</HI> if ever thou did&s;t attend heare now, and if ever thou did&s;t &s;eriou&s;ly minde and intend any thing, take what I am &s;aying into thy mo&s;t ponderous thoughts, and mo&s;t vigorous re&s;olution, as a bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of greate&s;t concernment and importance which ever did or can come under thy hand.</P>
<P>The matter of the &s;peech is
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 A commi&s;sion.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 A charge.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The commi&s;sion, <HI>The Lord hath cho&s;en thee to build, &amp;c.</HI> This is the
<LIST>
<ITEM>enforcement of <HI>Solomon</HI> to this work.</ITEM>
<ITEM>warrant of <HI>Solomon</HI> to this work.</ITEM>
<ITEM>encouragement of <HI>Solomon</HI> to this work.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>He may, hee mu&s;t doe it becau&s;e commanded, and hath This to en|courage
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Hee is cho&s;en to it: its a choyce favour.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 By God. Here is the
<LIST>
<ITEM>highe&s;t co~mi&s;sio~.</ITEM>
<ITEM>be&s;t &s;ecurity.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3 To build him an hou&s;e: it was the mo&s;t honourable &s;ervice that could be.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<PB REF="7">
<P>My purpo&s;e is to &s;peake chiefely of the <HI>charge,</HI> In which two things are requi|red of <HI>Solomon,</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 re&s;olution. <HI>Be &s;trong.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2 execution. <HI>Doe it.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The fir&s;t is Re&s;olution. The word expre&s;sing it, im|porteth a vigorous and magnanimous will, a will in|ten&s;ely and couragiou&s;ly bent to the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, &s;o &s;et to it, that no di&s;&s;wa&s;ions, &s;lowth, feare, policie, covetou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, ficklene&s;&s;e, nor any other thing might cau&s;e ei|ther diver&s;ion, or ce&s;&s;ation, or interruption. So wee have <HI>Davids</HI> owne comment upon his owne words: <HI>Be &s;trong and of good courage, dread not, nor be di&s;mayed,</HI> 1 Chron. 22.13. and ver&s;e 20. of this 28. Chapter. <HI>Be &s;trong and of good courage, and do it, feare not, nor be di&s;mayed, for the Lord God will be with thee, hee will not faile thee nor for&s;ake thee, untill thou ha&s;t fini&s;hed all the work for the &s;ervice of the hou&s;e of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P><HI>David</HI> in his zeale and wi&s;edome endeavours to be|get a fixed re&s;olution in his &s;onnes heart.</P>
<P>For,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Re&s;olution is the life of action.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 We are apt above all works to be &s;lack in Gods</ITEM>
<ITEM>3 The nature of the work required re|&s;olution.
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 Gods work. This requires our be&s;t &s;trength.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 Great work 1 <HI>Chr.</HI> 29.1.
<LIST>
<ITEM>carefull.</ITEM>
<ITEM>painefull.</ITEM>
<ITEM>chargeable.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM>3 A new work. And new works are often entertai|ned either with
<LIST>
<ITEM>ficklene&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>fearfulne&s;&s;e.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The &s;econd part of the charge is execution, <HI>Doe it.</HI></P>
<P>Which hath in it a tye to 3 things. Do it
<LIST>
<ITEM>1 pre&s;ently.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2 fully: the word is, <HI>perfice.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3 regularly.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>The hou&s;e mu&s;t not be built after his fancie, but Gods modell: <HI>David gave
<PB REF="8"> to Solomon his &s;onne the patterne of, &amp;c.</HI> ver. 11. <HI>the patterne which he had by the &s;pirit,</HI> ver. 12.</P>
<P>Matters of wor&s;hip are never left to mans liberty. God onely appoints the matter, manner, and meanes of his wor&s;hip. And the&s;e are like a connex propo&s;ition, wherof the denial of one part is the denial of the whole: Though wee offer true wor&s;hip for the matter, if yet according to mans will or rea&s;on, God doth not owne it. <HI>E&s;.</HI> 1.12, 13, 14. <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 58. If a man order his Taylor to make him a &s;ute, though he bring the garment for kind according to order, but for fa&s;hion and &s;ize otherwi&s;e, its not allowed.</P>
<P>That which I commend out of the&s;e words is, that they that are cho&s;en of God to do great things for him, &s;hould re&s;olve and doe them.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t of the re&s;olution: This mu&s;t be when any thing is committed of God to us to be done for him. Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 1.6.7.9.18. Deut. 31.6. 1 Sam. 4.9 1 Chro 22.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">9. 2 Chro 15.7. Hag 2.4.</NOTE>1 Where no re&s;olution is rai&s;ed upon a matter pro|po&s;ed, there is either reluctance, which clearely ought to be farre from us when God commandeth: or pen|dulou&s;ne&s;&s;e of heart, This al&s;o hath no ju&s;t place in this ca&s;e. For the heart is never rationally pendulous and wavering but in things dubious. Now all doubts which give a &s;top or barre to the will, are either from <HI>Con&s;ci|ence</HI> or <HI>Prudence.</HI></P>
<P>If the que&s;tion be in the con&s;cience, it mu&s;t be con|cerning either the lawfulne&s;&s;e of the thing, in re&s;pect of the &s;ub&s;tance or circum&s;tances; in which ca&s;e its im|po&s;sible but that the heart by how much the better it is, &s;hould be in a wavering and trembling &s;tate, being dubious, <HI>(q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ad duas vias)</HI> as a man at two wayes not knowing which to choo&s;e. But in things committed of God to us, here can be no &s;uch quaeres, becau&s;e
<PB REF="8"> he is &s;upreame, the Lord, Judge, and rule of all.</P>
<P>Or el&s;e the que&s;tion is whether the thing be nece&s;&s;a|rie. And indeed often, things come with warrant with|out command. In which ca&s;e men have a latitude, and may, and doe, act or not act &s;ometimes out of meere li|berty, &s;ometimes upon intercurrent rea&s;on.</P>
<P>But when God appoints, here is no roome left for &s;uch agitations, but the ca&s;e is cleare, all things com|manded are nece&s;&s;ary: Gods command is the rule and &s;pring of nece&s;&s;ity.</P>
<P>Sometimes the que&s;tion may be in prudence: hu|mane prudence is an intruding medler in Gods matters: and it is of u&s;e when it followeth the rule, and &s;o leades the action.</P>
<P>But there be two evills, which u&s;uall fee carnall wi&s;edom to be of their coun&s;ell: 1, Earthly affections and re&s;pects. 2, Unbeliefe.</P>
<P N="1">1 So far as any thing in this world is a mans end, he is apt in every bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to ask; what wil it profit? what advantage doth it bring to me? great men &s;ay, if the Churches be &s;o or &s;o ordered, what compliance will it have with our honour, power, wealth. Unprofitable|ne&s;&s;e is a &s;trong plea with men; <HI>Haman</HI> knew the force of this Engine, when hee to oppo&s;e the Jewes, &s;aid, <HI>There is a certaine people, &s;cattered abroad and di&s;per&s;ed among the people in all the Provinces of thy Kingdome, and their lawes are divers from all people, neither keep they the Kings laws, ther|fore it is not for the Kings profit to &s;uffer them, if it plea&s;e the King let it be written that they may be de&s;troyed.</HI> He&s;t. 3.8.9. The like arrow did they &s;harpen and di&s;charge again&s;t his people. <HI>Ezr.</HI> 4. from 11. to 16.</P>
<P>The people al&s;o have the like &s;pirit, weighing all by this rule of gaine, and earthly advantage. <HI>Job</HI> 21.15.
<PB REF="9"> <HI>What profit &s;hould wee have if we pray unto him?</HI> and the Pro|phet accu&s;eth them of his time, <HI>Yee have &s;aid it is in vain to &s;erve God, and what profit is it that wee have kept his ordi|nances,</HI> Mal. 3.14.</P>
<P>And certainly the argument is good when well ap|plied; for nothing is good but what is profitable; and every way or order of Churches which is indeed unprofitable is worthy to be refu&s;ed. God u&s;eth ar|guments of like importance again&s;t their devi&s;ed wor|&s;hip: <HI>What profiteth the graven image?</HI> Hab. 2.18.</P>
<P>But now none can plead unprofitablenes in the things of God, For what ever is of him, is profitable to all, and doth not include any hurtfull quality or power of it &s;elf to any &s;orts or ranks of men in the world: godlines is profitable to all things, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4.8. The word is <GAP DESC="foreign">, which properly &s;ignifieth right wor&s;hip. This is pro|fitable to all things, to the honour, &s;trength, wealth and peace of all men, (but I urge not much the etymologie.)</P>
<P>Let no man think hee &s;hall lo&s;e when Chri&s;t gaines; yet I heare men complaine, if this be the way which &s;ome ayme at, and if the old Fabrick &s;tand not, I &s;hall lo&s;e much of mine honour, another cryeth I &s;hall lo&s;e my power, another I &s;hall lo&s;e my revenewes: But let men di&s;tingui&s;h betwixt lo&s;&s;es <HI>reall</HI> and <HI>imaginary;</HI> it's not alwayes lo&s;&s;e to part with what we have enjoyed,
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. When we had no propriety, or ju&s;t title.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. When the things did us good in &s;hew, but hurt in truth.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. When the thing is changed and made better.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The &s;uppo&s;ed lo&s;&s;e is recompen&s;ed by a greater good. I will not apply the&s;e now.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>What? if things goe on thus, or thus, mu&s;t needs lear|ning die for want of reliefe? Shall contempt and po|verty
<PB REF="9"> indeed cloath the Mini&s;try? and cannot Gods hou&s;e and the Kings &s;tand together? Did not the Tem|ple and the Palace agree well in <HI>Hieru&s;alem?</HI> certainly Religion is the greate&s;t gaine and &s;tronge&s;t pillar of the State: For this puts all into their due order, and order gives beauty and &s;trength, and makes things mo&s;t vi|gorous and la&s;ting.</P>
<P>Therefore here is no ju&s;t cau&s;e for carnall prudence to complaine, or the truly prudent to demur: but when God commands re&s;olve and doe it.</P>
<P N="2">2 Unbeliefe comes in and will be heard; and this crieth it's impo&s;&s;ible: and indeed if it can be made good that a thing is indeed impo&s;sible, the attempt of it is unrea&s;onable. This was <HI>Sauls</HI> plea to <HI>David</HI> to take him off from encountring with <HI>Goliah, Thou art not able to goe again&s;t this Phili&s;tine, to fight with him, for thou art but a youth, and hee a man of warre from his youth.</HI> 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 17.33. And it's Chri&s;ts coun&s;ell to compare our power and our work: <HI>Which of you intending to build a tower, &s;itteth not downe fir&s;t and counteth the co&s;t, whether hee have &s;ufficient to fini&s;h it, le&s;t happily after hee hath layd the foundation, and is not able to fini&s;h, all that behold it, begin to mock him.</HI> Luk. 14.28, 29.</P>
<P>It's good when men goe to build an hou&s;e for God, to &s;ee both their &s;trength and their weakne&s;&s;e, you will thus finde the work <HI>po&s;sible,</HI> and you may finde it <HI>diffi|cult.</HI> But difficulties &s;hould add heat &amp; height to Chri|&s;tian &s;pirits: Gods work is not to be &s;old for ea&s;e. If you think it impo&s;sible, you cannot move with quiet|ne&s;&s;e, and vigor of intentions and endeavours. <HI>Num.</HI> 14.1.2. We find the people in their travels, weeping, cry|ing, murmuring, But for what? Wee have the cau&s;e, <HI>Cap.</HI> 13.32. the &s;pies ca&s;t the block of impo&s;sibility in
<PB REF="10"> their way, for they &s;aid, <HI>Wee are not able to goe up again&s;t the people, for they are &s;tronger then wee.</HI></P>
<P>Let it be con&s;idered how impertinent and unrea&s;on|able it is to object impo&s;sibilities to Gods command.</P>
<P N="2">2 <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> Con&s;ider what re&s;olution is. It's a firme efficatious will, to pro&s;ecute &s;ome thing as worthy and nece&s;&s;ary. For where worth and nece&s;sity doe not en|force, the will is not bent.</P>
<P>Hence I inferre, 1 That where men re&s;olve not on Gods work, the vote of their minde and thoughts is, that it is needle&s;&s;e and worthle&s;&s;e. And hee cannot be good that commands not good, &s;o it amounts to a re|jecting of God.</P>
<P N="2">2 As re&s;olution is from rea&s;on, &s;o non-re&s;olution, and reluctance; therefore when God prevailes not in his demands, &s;omething is at that time of more weight with us then God.</P>
<P N="3">3 When men purpo&s;e not, they want root to give life to their endeavours. For re&s;olution is the effica|tious &s;pring of action. A worke undertaken without re&s;olution will want a two-fold excellencie:</P>
<P N="1">1 It will not be compleat; an arrow weakly &s;hot, will fall &s;hort of the mark.</P>
<P N="2">2 Nor con&s;tant: weak things are &s;hort liv'd.</P>
<P N="3">3 <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> God looketh more at the will then the work.</P>
<P>For &s;o much wil, &s;o much &s;trength, &amp; &s;o much truth. What is obedience but an act of the will? and by how much our actions exceed our wills, by &s;o much the more we are hypocrites in the things which we doe.</P>
<P>Therefore I conclude this fir&s;t branch of the point, that re&s;olutions are nece&s;&s;ary to &s;uch whom God choo&s;eth to doe his work.</P>
<PB REF="10">
<P>The &s;econd branch is execution. This al&s;o is ne|ce&s;&s;ary when God calls to work, it's not enough to re&s;olve, but we mu&s;t doe it.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 1. El&s;e re&s;olution is not onely vaine but hurtfull, encrea&s;ing our &s;in. 1. Becau&s;e here, &s;in is again&s;t much light: the command mu&s;t needs come with much evidence when it wrappeth the will into &s;uch an height.</P>
<P N="2">2 Again&s;t much engagement: For a re&s;olution upon a command hath the force of a covenant. The covenant of eternall life is made by the tacit and in|ward working of the will, which is the an&s;wer of a good con&s;cience towards God. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.21. By in|ternall acts we &s;peak to God, tho&s;e &s;ilent motions are the language by which we conver&s;e with God, as by words with men: men may pray when they &s;ay nothing. And &s;o they may promi&s;e to God when they onely purpo&s;e, the yeelding of the heart to the command is &s;peaking in effect: that in 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 5.5. I <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> to build an hou&s;e, is in the Hebrew, and in the margin, I &s;ay. So that not to fulfill our pur|po&s;es is to fal&s;ifie our word with God. Purpo&s;es are expre&s;&s;ed by <HI>cleaving: Acts</HI> 11.23. Re&s;olution in the things of God, is the wedding and betroathing of the heart to them, therefore after to de&s;ert them, is to be guilty of an unju&s;t and violent divorce.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 2. Not purpo&s;es, but actions are recom|penced. Indeed where we have after our purpo&s;es for God, either a di&s;charge or a prohibition from God either by 1 Word, or 2 Providence.</P>
<P>Leaving the thing clogged with impo&s;&s;ibilities, there good purpo&s;es are accepted though they be
<PB REF="11"> not acted: &s;o it was in <HI>Davids</HI> ca&s;e. 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 7. But where we can, there, except we obey the command even to execution of it, God will not recompence our purpo&s;es. Yea, we cannot make up our lo&s;&s;e by re&s;olution, which we &s;u&s;taine by not acting. There|fore we when we re&s;olve, <HI>mu&s;t performe the doing of it, that as there is a ready minde to will, &s;o there may be a per|formance al&s;o.</HI> 2 Cor. 8.11.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 3. God purpo&s;eth and doth performe to us: <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord that hath given re&s;t to his people I&s;rael according to all that he promi&s;ed, there hath not failed one word of all his good promi&s;e which hee promi&s;ed by the hand of Mo&s;es his &s;ervant.</HI> 1 Kings 8.56. See how con|&s;tant and punctuall God is, and what a perfect har|mony betwixt his word and work, what he purpo|&s;eth he compleatly performeth. <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> expre&s;&s;eth it yet more fully: <HI>Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God &s;pake concerning you, all are come to pa&s;&s;e unto you, and not one thing hath failed.</HI> Chap. 23.14. Therefore wee al&s;o &s;hould walk to|wards God with truth, aequablene&s;&s;e, and certainty.</P>
<P><HI>Rea&s;on</HI> 4. What we purpo&s;e is either due to God or not; now there is no que&s;tion of the debt when God demands: and if it be due, it is inju&s;tice not to performe, and its dangerous to run into debt when we have to pay. Therefore wee &s;hould &s;ay as <HI>Da|vid,</HI> I have &s;worne and I will performe it, &amp;c. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119.106.</P>
<P>Thus having runne over the point, by demon|&s;trating the nece&s;sity both of re&s;olution and execu|tion, when we have a commi&s;sion and charge to doe for God, I come to application.</P>
<PB REF="11">
<P>I will take up this charge which <HI>David</HI> gave his &s;onne upon you. Its a like &s;ea&s;on. A time of Par|liament and &s;olemne a&s;&s;embly as then; here is a like work lying in your hands, that an hou&s;e be built for the Lord; and you al&s;o have commi&s;sion; for the Lord hath cho&s;en you to build him an hou&s;e, be <HI>&s;trong therefore and doe it.</HI></P>
<P>Suffer me here to &s;peak a little of the work; <HI>Solo|mon</HI> was to build an hou&s;e for God, but that hou&s;e was but a type of that which is now to be built. Your work is to help that the Churches of Chri&s;t may be rightly framed and formed, each Church is called an hou&s;e of God. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.15.</P>
<P>God hath three hou&s;es. 1 Coele&s;tiall, built for the Saints by him&s;elfe, <HI>Heb.</HI> 11.10.</P>
<P N="2">2 My&s;ticall, invi&s;ible, built by him&s;elfe for him|&s;elfe. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3 In&s;tituted, vi&s;ible, built for him&s;elfe and the Saints, that in it they might enjoy each other.</P>
<P>This is compared to an hou&s;e, in re&s;pect of
<LIST>
<ITEM>con&s;titution.</ITEM>
<ITEM>end.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">1 For con&s;titution: as in an hou&s;e there is 1 qua|lification of matter. 2 Combining and knitting it together;</P>
<P>So in a Church there mu&s;t bee 1 matter qua|lified, and prepared for &s;uch ends to which a Church is appointed: it mu&s;t be of that nature as may be apt to knit with the building, and to contri|bute &s;omething to it. Its prepo&s;terous and unrea|&s;onable to heap on promi&s;cuou&s;ly &s;tones and &s;traw, &s;tubble and timber, without judgement of the fit|nes of the matter to conduce to the common frame.
<PB REF="12"> When at the temple, the materialls were prepared before it was brought thither, &s;o that there was nei|ther hammer, nor axe, nor any toole of iron heard in the hou&s;e while it was in building. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 6.7. &s;o in this &s;pirituall Temple, the building &s;hould con&s;i&s;t of per&s;ons fitted for it, they &s;hould be living &s;tones, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.5.</P>
<P>All &s;ocieties are compo&s;ed with choyce, the members of them are &s;uch as agree in the &s;ame common nature, and in the &s;ame fundamentall lawes of that &s;ociety. So eccle&s;ia&s;ticall bodies are to con|&s;i&s;t of congruous matter; it's the rule of all other bodies, whether naturall, or civill. Not that Chur|ches have a power of infallible judgement, not in|fallibility but wi&s;edome with love is required in their judgment of per&s;ons to be admitted: they mu&s;t be &s;uch of whom we may be able to &s;ay of them as the Apo&s;tle of the Philippians, of whom he &s;aid, <HI>It is meet for me to think this of you all.</HI> Phil. 1.7.</P>
<P N="2">2 A Church is a combined company: for many without conjunction are a multitude not a corpora|tion. As many &s;tones and timbers are a heape, but not an hou&s;e except they be fitted and joyned toge|ther: as a naturall body is a multitude in which the members by conjunction become one, &s;o is the Church: from the head all the body is by joynts and bands knit together, <HI>Col.</HI> 2.19. And in Chri&s;t the Church is &s;aid to be built together to be an habita|tion for God. <HI>Eph.</HI> 2.22.</P>
<P>The&s;e bands are either &s;uch as tye to Chri&s;t the head and the foundation, faith and the &s;pirit. This makes members of the Church Catholick, which is
<PB REF="12"> called the <HI>generall a&s;&s;embly, Heb.</HI> 12.23. con&s;i&s;ting of all Saints in heaven and in earth, <HI>Eph</HI> 1.10. which is called the <HI>whole family in heaven and earth, Eph.</HI> 3.15.</P>
<P>Or they are &s;uch as tye the Saints among them|&s;elves, as in a building the materialls are not onely knit to the foundation but to them&s;elves. The&s;e tyes are (1) &s;uch as con&s;titute a Church, <HI>i. e.</HI> con&s;ent to live together in communion. There is no other way imaginable by which divers per&s;ons can be ei|ther one family, or one City, or one kingdom, which never were one, but by con&s;ent; and how &s;hould di|vers per&s;ons who before were free, come to have any ju&s;tly exerci&s;ing any power among them, but by con&s;ent? This therefore mu&s;t be the bond to knit divers Saints into one body. And a Church mu&s;t be knit together, el&s;e it will be but a ca&s;uall loo&s;e company without order and rule. When it is or|derly gathered and compo&s;ed, it becomes an hou&s;e to Chri&s;t, for his in&s;tituted wor&s;hip, though not on|ly as the my&s;ticall Church is for naturall wor&s;hip. (2) Such as doe con&s;erve; <HI>i.e.</HI> mutuall love, <HI>which is the bond of perfectne&s;&s;e.</HI> Col. 3.14. This pre&s;erves the unity, peace, and order of a Church.</P>
<P>Secondly, as the Church is called the hou&s;e of God in re&s;pect of con&s;titution, &s;o al&s;o in re&s;pect of the end.</P>
<P N="1">1 For his dwelling. <HI>In Chri&s;t yee are knit together for an habitation of God through the &s;pirit,</HI> Eph. 2.21. Though he fill all places, yet his pre&s;ence is with the Churches with more complacence; <HI>The Lord hath cho&s;en Sion, he hath de&s;ired it for his habitation, This is my re&s;t for ever, here will I dwell, for I have de&s;ired it,</HI>
<PB REF="13"> P&s;al. 131.13, 14. He dwelt in <HI>Hieru&s;alem</HI> the &s;hadow of the&s;e Churches, out of choyce, &amp; with a doubled de&s;ire, <HI>I have de&s;ired it, I have de&s;ired it.</HI></P>
<P>And as he dwels here with complacence, &s;o with beneficence; <HI>I will abundantly ble&s;se her provi&s;ion, I will &s;atisfie her poore with bread, I will al&s;o cloath her Prie&s;ts with &s;alvation, and her Saints &s;hall &s;hout aloud for joy.</HI> ver. 15.16. Plenty and &s;afety is promi&s;ed to Chur|ches, &s;o much as to cau&s;e the greate&s;t joy. In the&s;e &s;ocieties it is where God <HI>commandeth the ble&s;sing and life for evermore,</HI> P&s;al. 131.3.</P>
<P N="2">2 For his honour: poore mens hou&s;es are for ne|ce&s;&s;ity, but great men and Princes have hou&s;es for honour al&s;o: Kings have 1. hou&s;es of judgement, where they exerci&s;e ju&s;tice and judgement. So is the Church, the place of the power and judge|ment of Chri&s;t: it's called his <HI>throne,</HI> Jerem. 3.17. which is the &s;eat of honour and maje&s;tie.</P>
<P N="2">2 Kings have their trea&s;uries, <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 39.2. In which they keep their trea&s;ure, which is the glory of Kings. And the Church is called the hou&s;e of Gods glory. <HI>E&s;ay</HI> 60.7. The place where hee layeth his pretious trea&s;ures.</P>
<P N="3">3 They have their armories; the Church al&s;o is Gods military hou&s;e: here are tho&s;e &s;pirituall weapons which are mighty through God, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.4. His Saints have here tho&s;e armes by which they defend them&s;elves in their &s;pirituall warfare, and obtaine great conque&s;ts again&s;t the world, again&s;t their lu&s;ts, and Satans power.</P>
<P>Much &s;hould bee &s;aid concerning the order and government of this hou&s;e, but time faileth.</P>
<PB REF="13">
<P>This then (oh yee worthies) is the hou&s;e which mu&s;t be built, you are cho&s;en of God, and us all, to put your hands to this great and de&s;ired vvork; take heed vvhat you doe, becau&s;e you are in &s;tead of the nation, &s;o that vvhat you doe is nationall. I &s;hall &s;peak to you in the vvords vvhich <HI>Jeho&s;ophat</HI> &s;pake to the Judges. <HI>Take heed what you doe, for you judge not for man but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement, wherefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you, take heed and doe it,</HI> 2 Chron. 19.6, 7. Take heed that no modell be commended or commanded by you, but vvhat you have from the Lord. It vvas a gracious commi&s;sion and licence vvhich <HI>Artaxerxes</HI> gave the Jewes. <HI>What &s;hall &s;eeme good to thee and to thy brethren, that doe after the will of your God,</HI> Ezr. 7.18. <HI>What&s;oever is commanded of the God of heaven, let it be diligently done, for the hou&s;e of the God of heaven, for why &s;hould there be wrath again&s;t the Realme of the King and his &s;onnes?</HI> ver. 23.</P>
<P>You &s;ee your vvork, re&s;olve therefore and doe it. But let me tell you vvhat kinde of re&s;olutions you mu&s;t have.</P>
<P N="1">1 Firme. I have great boldne&s;&s;e to pre&s;&s;e this, for vvee have rich and joyfull experience of your courage, patience, and long &s;uffering. And you have &s;hewed more zeale for God then ever yet appeared in al your predece&s;&s;ors. And we cannot but &s;ay with <HI>Ezra, Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord God of our Fathers, who hath put &s;uch a thing as this into your hearts to beautifie his hou&s;e,</HI> Cap. 7.27. Wee are free from feares of you, that it &s;hould be with Chri&s;ts &s;ervants as it is &s;aid of &s;ome, that they are men in the on-&s;et, and women
<PB REF="14"> in the mayn fight; as ra&s;h &s;pirits u&s;e to be, like &s;ome creatures which quickly lo&s;e their &s;ting and grow dull. Maintain your re&s;olutions. You have cau&s;e; for,</P>
<P N="1">1 The work is great. It is for God, and for the erecting of the hou&s;e and throne of Chri&s;t, and for the redeeming of captivated truths, captivated ordinances, and captivated Saints. Men venture hard for great things. You cannot have greater things to cau&s;e you to quit your &s;elves like men. <HI>Vly&s;&s;es</HI> went back to the Cyclops den to fetch his cap and girdle; put on courage to redeem from the Cy|clopean power that which is the glory of Chri&s;t, the ble&s;&s;ing of the Land, the crowne of Maje&s;tie, and the joy of the Saints. The Heathen were very zealous for their Country and their Gods. <HI>Aeneas</HI> left his goods, yea, his father, to carry out his gods in a time of danger, and for this had the name of <HI>Pius Aeneas.</HI> When once the Capitoll was in danger by a &s;iege, becau&s;e their bowes wanted &s;trings, the women to pre&s;erve their gods, cut off their hair to make &s;trings. Is not our God better then the&s;e? Shall we not be as &s;tout for Chri&s;t as they for idols? The peace &amp; wel|fare of many thou&s;ands depends upon your re&s;olute pro&s;ecution of this matter. And not onely wee that now live, but &s;ucceeding ages &s;hall ble&s;&s;e you, your names &s;hall be as a precious ointment to the chil|dren, yea, the childrens children yet unborne. Ac|cording to that in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 102.18. <HI>This &s;hall be written for the generation to come, and the people which &s;hall be created &s;hall prai&s;e the Lord.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2 Your &amp; our adver&s;aries were re&s;olute in their &s;ea&s;on, no relation, worth, entreaties, mediations,
<PB REF="14"> &s;ubmi&s;&s;ions, lawes, nor any thing could mollifie their &s;pirits, or &s;top the torrent of their cruelties; they went on without feare. And now con&s;ider, had not they a harder pull then you, that did work again&s;t God and man? what is their fruit but &s;hame? but the recompence of your faithfull &s;ervice &s;hall be your eternall glory with God and man.</P>
<P N="3">3 Its high time to re&s;olve. Are not things bad enough yet? Then &s;tand &s;till and &s;ee the &s;ad re|maines of religion, and your brethrens lives utterly con&s;umed before your eyes. Ca&s;t your eyes upon the hou&s;e of God among us. What darkne&s;&s;e, what pollution, what tyranny dwels here? Look not with a generall but a di&s;tinct view on this hou&s;e: Behold,</P>
<P N="1">1. The matter of it. Is it not an uncomely confu&s;ed heape, of &s;tubble, and &s;traw, and wood, and &s;ilver, and gold? our own hou&s;es are built with more judgement and choyce. I have feared le&s;t our judgement &s;hould have beene that of the outward Court, <HI>Apoc.</HI> 11.2. to be left out, and given to the Gentiles to be troden under foot, for we have beene like it, all &s;orts have beene received without diffe|rence.</P>
<P N="2">2. Behold the order of the hou&s;e, &s;hall I &s;peake of this before you? Then &s;ee 1 the rulers. Their conver&s;ation is in your eye and hand, but take in their Commi&s;sion al&s;o. Who &s;ent them? &s;ee if tho&s;e arguments which wee u&s;e again&s;t the papall power, turne not as darts into their brea&s;ts. Certain|ly their title is be&s;t at lowe&s;t. Its &s;afe&s;t for them to claime it from the earth, le&s;t by letting that goe to claime it from heaven, they prove to be like <HI>Icarus,</HI>
<PB REF="15"> who by &s;oaring too high did melt his wings, and was drowned in the Deeps. <HI>Camelus cornua quaerens ami&s;it aures,</HI> The Camell &s;eeking horns lo&s;t his eares. And they cannot ju&s;tly complaine if they fall in the &s;ute, becau&s;e they rely upon a forged title.</P>
<P N="2">2 See their government. Hath it not beene like the Sive or Bolter which retaines the Branne, and works out the flower? are not the be&s;t things, and per&s;ons ca&s;t forth, and the wor&s;t retained? yea, and becau&s;e wee had not evills enough (which yet did grieve and pre&s;&s;e the &s;pirits of thou&s;ands) what &s;u|perinductions of evill upon evill have we had? al|tars, bowings, &amp;c. Yet all were brought in with colour of order, decencie, devotion. But they were like tho&s;e Mice, and Emeraulds of gold which the Phili&s;tines offered with the Ark, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 6.4. I a&s;&s;ure you I love not invectives, nor is any thing more con|trary to my &s;pirit, nor would I &s;ay this, but that if we be &s;ilent, their dead inventions would out-cry us and condemne us.</P>
<P>They pretended Religion in all, and zeale for God, &amp; obtruded them as if they had had the broad &s;eale of heaven for them; As <HI>Rab&s;ecah</HI> called tho&s;e idolatrous Altars which <HI>Hezekiah</HI> took away, the Lords altars, E&s;. 36.7. The Jewes Groves were cal|led <HI>A&s;hera,</HI> a name importing happine&s;&s;e, but its an antiphra&s;is, as the Oe&s;trich is called <HI>Cha&s;ida, Job</HI> 39. And as <HI>lucus a non lucendo, mons a non movendo:</HI> I &s;hould not &s;peak but that I am con&s;trained. <HI>Dant animum ad libere loquendum ultimae mi&s;eriae, Liv.</HI> Extreame mi&s;e|ries make men not afraid to &s;peake freely. Be not alwayes (oh ye worthies) &s;pectators and partners in
<PB REF="15"> the&s;e calamities. Is it not time to lay it to heart, and to keepe it there, till the full &s;ence of the&s;e evills cau&s;e you to be &s;ick, and to vomit them up for ever? Is the hou&s;e of God right, where oppre&s;sion is in power, &s;uper&s;tition in credit, luxurie and idlene&s;&s;e in favour, ignorance loved, pride fo&s;tered, prophane|ne&s;&s;e allowed, negligence harboured, covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e cheri&s;hed? How think you? will our God longer abide &s;uch an habitation, where his &s;ervants, chil|dren, ordinances are ca&s;t out? Me thinks the voyce of our great ones hath been like that of the heathen, <HI>Exeant Chri&s;tiani, exeant Chri&s;tiani,</HI> let the Chri&s;tians goe out. As it's &s;aid of <HI>Jeroboam,</HI> &s;o it's true of them, <HI>Hee drove I&s;rael from following the Lord, and made them &s;inne a great &s;inne,</HI> 2 Kings 17.21. <HI>Avolare fecit,</HI> Hee made them fly away from the Lord. Oh what &s;inne hath beene by their coun&s;ell, example, hires, feares, lawes? Others that would not fly from the Lord, have fled from their Country, to &s;eeke that in a &s;trange land which they could not, but ought to have had at home. <HI>Hagar</HI> the bondwoman, and her children were in po&s;&s;e&s;sion, but the free woman and her children either in per&s;ecution at home, or in ex|ile abroad. And was that tra&s;h which they have brought in, a fit price for the peace of our con&s;cien|ces, the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of our e&s;tates, friends, and Coun|try? Will you then in zeale for God, and pitty to your brethren and to your &s;elves, take up a re&s;olu|tion to vindicate our injuries and their in&s;olencies? Be &s;trong and doe it.</P>
<P N="2">2 As your re&s;olutions mu&s;t be firme, &s;o they mu&s;t be &s;pirituall. From higher principles then hu|mane
<PB REF="16"> prudence. Our evills are &s;ore grievances in|deed, yet more afflictive to our con&s;ciences then to our &s;ences. Look on them not only as pre&s;&s;ures on us but as &s;innes again&s;t God, ea&s;e us by righting him; le&s;t you be found to worke for your &s;elves and not for him; Then men &s;erve Chri&s;t indeed, when they make him, not onely the exemplary cau&s;e, but the finall. Doe what you doe not becau&s;e you mu&s;t onely, both in prudence and in con&s;cience, but doe it for his glory: as <HI>David</HI> &amp; <HI>Solomon</HI> in building the hou&s;e intended the name of the great God, 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 8.17. 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 2.1, 4. Spirituall ends are mo&s;t noble and mo&s;t &s;trong.</P>
<P N="3">3 They mu&s;t be willing: it's true there can be no re&s;olutions &s;imply unwilling: But acts of the will are either mixt, or mere. Mixt are &s;uch where|in upon different re&s;pects the will hangs both wayes; &s;o a man may upon &s;ome rea&s;on re&s;olve on that which he fully abhorreth, as in a gangraene to en|dure the exci&s;ion of a limb. But to re&s;olve thus for God, is rather to be patients then agents for him, its rather to be &s;ick of God then true to him. Labour for <HI>Davids</HI> &s;pirit, <HI>who &s;et his affection</HI> to the building of the hou&s;e, 1 <HI>Chron.</HI> 29.3.</P>
<P>Be not onely &s;ubject to God but zealous for him. It was <HI>Davids</HI> temper who was the type. <HI>The zeale of thine hou&s;e hath eaten me up,</HI> P&s;al. 69.9. And Chri&s;ts temper who is the &s;ub&s;tance, <HI>Ioh.</HI> 2.17. worke as friends. If it be onely in your heads it will vani&s;h, but the impre&s;sions of love are deepe: Say with <HI>Mo|&s;es, The Lord is my &s;trength and &s;ong, and he is become my &s;alvation, hee is my God and I will prepare him an habita|tion,</HI>
<PB REF="16"> Exod. 15.2. Zeale will make you men of might, and your coun&s;ells and endeavours as an arrow &s;hot from a &s;trong arme which returneth not empty.</P>
<P N="4">4 Speedy. For,</P>
<P N="1">1 It's the greate&s;t worke you have to doe. Therefore give it
<LIST>
<ITEM>priority.</ITEM>
<ITEM>quick di&s;patch.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>I know you are wi&s;e, I pre&s;cribe not an ab&s;olute or|der. Important things are often re&s;pectively &s;uch: A le&s;&s;e thing in it &s;elf may be at &s;ome time of greate&s;t importance, &amp; of right &s;hould be fir&s;t admitted. Do what you can. Chri&s;t will be content to &s;tay till you can doe his bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. But &s;till minde this, and ayme at this, and do all in order to this. I may &s;ay to you as <HI>David</HI> to <HI>Ahimelech, The Kings bu&s;ine&s;&s;e requireth ha&s;te,</HI> 1 Sam. 21.8. Doe things in Chri&s;ts order, Seek fir&s;t the Kingdome of heaven. You may mind your owne hou&s;es, but not too much, &s;ay with <HI>David, See now I dwell in an hou&s;e of Cedar, but the Ark of God dwel|leth within curtaines,</HI> 2 Sam. 7.2. God &s;tands much up|on time, and expects to be fir&s;t &s;erved. Therefore he chides the Jewes, and &s;orely puni&s;heth them for breach of this order. Is it time for you, oh yee, to dwell in your &s;eiled hou&s;es, and this hou&s;e lie wa&s;t? <HI>Hag.</HI> 1.4. It's an angry &s;peech. Other cau&s;es may and mu&s;t wayt, &s;ay to them as <HI>Nehemiah</HI> when hee was building an hou&s;e for God. I am doing a great work &s;o that I cannot come downe, why &s;hould the work cea&s;e while I leave it and come down to you? <HI>chap.</HI> 6.3. I confe&s;&s;e, that things that are fir&s;t in in|tention are la&s;t in execution, but then they are &s;till moving till they come to perfection.</P>
<P N="2">2 Delayes are dangerous. For, 1 affections may
<PB REF="17"> coole, the be&s;t may and the re&s;t will. Some men are hot as fire, others as iron, rather heated then hot, take the &s;ea&s;on and &s;trike while the iron is hot. God &s;ometimes for &s;ome oportunity of &s;ervice gives a fervour of &s;pirit, but if the lock of oportunity be cut off, you will as <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> lo&s;e your &s;trength and become like other men <HI>Judg.</HI> 15.5.17.</P>
<P N="2">2 Rubs ri&s;e by delayes. A &s;ubtill enemie, if hee have but the onely advantage of time, will gaine much even in a de&s;perate cau&s;e. And they &s;ay the bitings of dying bea&s;ts are mo&s;t deadly.</P>
<P N="3">3 Wee are &s;peedy with God: Lord heale her <HI>now,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Mo&s;es, Numb.</HI> 12.13. And <HI>David</HI> crieth for ha&s;te, <HI>Oh my &s;trength ha&s;te thee to help mee,</HI> P&s;al. 22.19. And God doth make ha&s;te to our good, <HI>E&s;.</HI> 16.5. For love is quick.</P>
<P N="4">4 God hath &s;tayed long.</P>
<P N="5">5 Unanimous. Let there be none
<LIST>
<ITEM>adver&s;e.</ITEM>
<ITEM>&s;lothfull.</ITEM>
<ITEM>unfaithfull.</ITEM>
<ITEM>fearefull.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>You have the honour, and we the happine&s;&s;e of a ble&s;&s;ed con&s;piration of your hearts and hands hi|therto. Be &s;till one, and more one; That you may meet as many &s;treames in one channell, and prove a conquering torrent. Sands are &s;mall things, yet be|ing united they can break the proude&s;t &s;hips.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t is among you, and knoweth who&s;e hearts are with him, he &s;eeth and heareth all your coun&s;els, motions, debates, and votes. Hee will &s;ay to the faithfull, Well done good &amp; faithfull &s;ervant; but to others, had it not been for thee, &s;uch a cau&s;e of mine
<PB REF="17"> had pro&s;pered, &s;uch &s;ervants of mine relieved, my hou&s;e had been built but thy hand was again&s;t it. By how much the greater you are, by &s;o much the more you owe; let it not be &s;aid of you, others were wil|ling, <HI>but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord.</HI> Nehem. 3.5.</P>
<P>I draw to an end. To quicken you to the work, Con&s;ider. You may doe this thing. Chri&s;t may have his hou&s;e built. You have power of 1 Ability. 2 Authority. You cannot think our pre&s;ent di&s;ci|pline is by divine law, then you may remove, ex|cept you think it mo&s;t convenient. But how is that convenient, which Mini&s;ters, good men, bad men, al|mo&s;t all men have complained of? You may by your power make it nece&s;&s;ary, but it will never be convenient, and how ill will the oxen draw when their yoakes gall them? You have &s;eene the experi|ence of this di&s;cipline, the&s;e rites and orders for ma|ny yeares.</P>
<P>You may do worthily for God and for your bre|thren; you are the fountaine of law. When a bea&s;t knoweth his &s;trength he will not &s;erve but rule, our adver&s;aries did &s;o. Doe you &s;ee now, Say as <HI>Maxi|minus,</HI> by how much the greater I am, by &s;o much the more I will doe. They &s;ay there is a fi&s;h that hath a &s;word but no heart; but I hope better things of you.</P>
<P>The work is not &s;o hard as many either out of needle&s;&s;e feare, or craft doe pretend.</P>
<P N="1">1 You have many friends. The Saints at home and abroad that wa&s;t them&s;elves in prayer for you, that ble&s;&s;e you with <HI>Judah</HI> his ble&s;&s;ing, <HI>Let his hands be &s;ufficient for him, and be thou an help to him from his ene|mies.</HI>
<PB REF="18"> Deut. 33.7. Yea, God is with you. As <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;aid of <HI>Acher,</HI> There is none like unto the God of <HI>Je&s;hu|run,</HI> who rideth upon the heaven in thy help. <HI>ver.</HI> 26.</P>
<P N="2">2 Matter is ready for the building: when <HI>Solomon</HI> built his Temple, he &s;ent for his pretious &s;tones from <HI>Arabia,</HI> for Cedars from <HI>Lebanon,</HI> for gold from <HI>Ophyr,</HI> for &s;pices from <HI>Sheba</HI> and <HI>Arabia.</HI> But here is all ready: <HI>England</HI> is as <HI>Lebanon,</HI> your Cedars are at hand ready hewed, and want onely laying into the building.</P>
<P N="3">3 You &s;hall be at no charge. <HI>Solomons</HI> Temple was very co&s;tly, you need part with nothing for this work; we &s;hall be no lo&s;ers in any thing but &s;inne and &s;orrow. It may be the fall of the old frame may hurt &s;ome, as the hou&s;e which <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> pulled downe which killed &s;ome of the Lords of the Phi|li&s;tines, <HI>Judg.</HI> 16.30.</P>
<P>Truly they have put you to grinde their gri&s;t, but they have not put out your eyes, you need not to be led to the pillars of their hou&s;e. Therefore doe va|liantly for your &s;elves, your people, and your God. Expect their anger; <HI>Luther</HI> found it, <HI>Era&s;mus</HI> gives the rea&s;on, for he medled with the Popes Miter and the Monks bellies.</P>
<P>In a word, as you may doe it, doe it for it is ex|pected; of God, of man, good men, your friends, your friends afflicted long and &s;ore. Let me add but the&s;e two Coun&s;ells.</P>
<P N="1">1 Doe it well. Doe your work throughly. Let the building be compleat, Ca&s;t out all the rubbi&s;h, for we may &s;ay as they, <HI>There is much rubbi&s;h, &s;o that we are not able to build,</HI> Nehem. 4.10. Ordinances are
<PB REF="18"> be&s;t when pure&s;t: ayme high, <HI>Altius ibunt qui ad &s;um|mum nituntur.</HI> Hitherto the work hath been done by the halfes. Our fore-fathers intended that which is re&s;erved for you. Better our burthens were encrea|&s;ed then only ea&s;ed, for extream evils enforce relief.</P>
<P N="2">2 Doe it now. For,</P>
<P N="1">1 It hath bin long expected, with prayers, teares, groanes, and if Gods hou&s;e be now built, wee &s;hall be as tho&s;e that dreame; and &s;ay wondring as hee, <HI>What hath God wrought,</HI> Numb. 23.23. Wee &s;hall joy in our God as they when the foundation of the tem|ple was layd, <HI>Ezr.</HI> 3.10, 11.</P>
<P N="2">2 God &s;hakes the old building, by di&s;covering the abominations thereof, and by a miraculous turn upon the peoples &s;pirits; Doe not they crie, downe with it, downe with it? And <HI>vox populi e&s;t vox Dei.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3 God hath built your hou&s;es: they did not long &s;ince &s;hake as in an earthquake, you know not what batteries were laid again&s;t them, but you are now in peace.</P>
<P N="4">4 You may want another &s;ea&s;on; and may ne|ver &s;ee Gods hou&s;e nor enjoy your owne: remem|ber Chri&s;ts words to them, when he &s;aw the Citie and wept over it, <HI>Saying, if thou had&s;t known, even thou, at lea&s;t in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace; but now are they hid from thine eyes. For the dayes &s;hall come upon thee that thine enemies &s;hall ca&s;t a trench about thee, and compa&s;&s;e thee round, and keep thee in on every &s;ide; and &s;hall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee, and they &s;hall not leave in thee one &s;tone upon another, becau&s;e thou knewe&s;t not the day of thy vi&s;itation.</HI> Luk. 19.41, 42, 43, 44.</P>
<P N="5"><PB REF="19">5 This is the time.</P>
<P N="1">1 Gods time is the pre&s;ent time.</P>
<P N="2">2 A &s;ea&s;on of mercy. God is doing good, take therefore the oportunity. Say as <HI>David,</HI> Hee that hath delivered mee from the Lyon and the Beare, &s;hall deliver me out of the hands of this uncircum|ci&s;ed Phili&s;tine.</P>
<P N="3">3 It's like now the &s;et time of God is come for the fall of <HI>Babel,</HI> &amp; the reformation &amp; deliverance &amp; en|largement of the Churches of Chri&s;t. In the 12 of <HI>Dan.</HI> we have a Prophecy of the deliverance of <HI>I&s;rael:</HI> The time of it is in <HI>ver.</HI> 11. <HI>From the time that the dayly &s;acrifice &s;hall be taken away, and the abomination that ma|keth de&s;olate &s;et up, There &s;hal be</HI> a 1290 dayes, <HI>i.e.</HI> years. This &s;eemes to be in <HI>Iulian</HI> the Apo&s;tates time, who about 360 yeares after Chri&s;t, would have had the Jewi&s;h Temple built, which is the abomination, and the abomination of de&s;olation: for God did de&s;troy it with terrible &s;tormes, and fires, with the builders, And the Jewes were after in greater calamity then before. There is no time &s;o like to be the time which <HI>Daniel</HI> meant, as this; For we know no memorable thing of this kind among the Jewes, but in <HI>Antiochus</HI> his time, and in <HI>Titus Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> his dayes; but if you add to tho&s;e times the number of 1290 yeares, the dayes are long &s;ince expired; therefore it mu&s;t be a time which may with addition of the&s;e numbers make the thing yet to come. And &s;o with this way of account Ma&s;ter <HI>Brightman</HI> and others al&s;o doe accord; for if you add 1290 to 360, in which time the abomination of de&s;olation was, it ca&s;ts the beginning of the accompli&s;hment of this Prophecie,
<PB REF="19"> upon the 1650 yeare: &s;o that the time of their delive|rance is not far off. But <HI>Rome</HI> mu&s;t fall before that. Therfore I conclude, that this is an hopefull &s;ea&s;on. Take heed of delayes. God was angry becau&s;e they &s;aid, <HI>The time is not come, the time that the Lords hou&s;e &s;hould be builded,</HI> Hag. 1.2. Therefore they could not pro&s;per; but as &s;oone as they began, then God &s;aid, <HI>From this day will I ble&s;&s;e you,</HI> Hag. 2.19.</P>
<P>I will now &s;ay no more but what <HI>David</HI> &s;aid to <HI>Solomon, Be &s;trong and of a good courage, and doe it. Feare not, nor be di&s;mayed, for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee, hee will not faile thee nor for&s;ake thee, untill thou ha&s;t fini&s;hed all the work for the &s;ervice of the hou&s;e of the Lord,</HI> 1 Chron. 29.20.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
