A77366:48
A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their public fast, Novemb.…A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their publique fast, Novemb.…
A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their public fast, Novemb. 29. 1643. By William Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel College in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods Word at Yarmouth.A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their publique fast, Novemb. 29. 1643. By VVilliam Bridge, sometimes fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge, now preacher of Gods Word at Yarmouth.
London: printed for R. Dawlman, 1643
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. In that the man with a measuring line doth immediately §3follow upon these, you may observe, that when God shall please to raise up special instruments to suppress the Churches enemies, then and then especially Reformation is to be much endeavoured, which is to be done with exactness, even by Line.
3. In that the man with a measuring line doth immediatly §3follow upon these, you may observe, that when God shall please to raise up speciall instruments to suppresse the Churches enemies, then and then especially Reformation is to be much endeavoured, which is to be done with exactnes, even by Line.
I begin with the former vision of the four horns, and the Doct. 1 first Doctrine, namely, that when God intendeth any great good and salvation to his people, he doth first suffer malignant, potent, and many enemies to rise against them. Was it not so with Israel wh•n God intended to bring them out of Egypt? Then their Taskmasters arose and doubled their work, and were more inimicitious to them then formerly. Was it not thus with the Jews when God brought them out of Babylon to build the Temple? opposition they met withal in their remove, in their journey, and all along in their Temple-work. Was it not thus with the Israelites when they went to execute justice upon that malignant Tribe of Benjamin for the great sin of Gibeah? If you look into the 20. of Judges, you shall find that before Benjamin was punished they got two great victories upon Israel; Israel (if you count the numbers of their soldiers) w•re twelve to one; Israel had the best cause, and their work was good, they went forth to do justice on that delinquent Tribe; yet if you consult the story, the Tribe of Benjamin first slew of them down to the ground forty thousand m•n. This is Gods way still; He seldom or never destroyeth his enemies but out of Zeal; The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts hath done this, saith the Prophet: Now Zeal is nothing else but angered love; and three things there are in the world that God doth love especially, His people, His truth, and His worship;