A77366:62
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.
Wherefore then let no man be stumbled or offended1 at Gods present proceedings in the world, or in this Kingdom, though very mysterious. Our Saviour says, These things I tell ye before, that when they come to pass, ye may not be offended; and whatsoever is now come to pass among us, Christ hath told us of it before; yea this Scripture. Yet, good Lord, how many are there that are offended! Oh, says one, we looked for reformation, and we meet with confusion; for light, and we meet with darkness; we looked that Jesus Christ should at this time have restored his Kingdom to the Churches; for friends, and we meet with enemies; Can God love us, and suffer such enemies to rise against us? Were there ever any enemies that were like to ours? so potent, so cruel, so many, so blasphemous, so hellish, &c.
Wherefore then let no man be stumbled or offended1 at Gods present proceedings in the world, or in this Kingdome, though very mysterious. Our Saviour sayes, These things I tell ye before, that when they come to passe, ye may not be offended; and whatsoever is now come to passe among us, Christ hath told us of it before; yea this Scripture. Yet, good Lord, how many are there that are offended! Oh, sayes one, we looked for reformation, and we meet with confusion; for light, and we meete with darkenes; we looked that Jesus Christ should at this time have restored his Kingdom to the Churches; for friends, and we meete with enemies; Can God love us, and suffer such enemies to rise against us? Were there ever any enemies that were like to ours? so potent, so cruell, so many, so blasphemous, so hellish, &c.
- 1Application.
But who art thou, oh man, that speakest thus long without book under the command of unbelief, and darkenest knowledge? Shouldst thou not rather write so and such over thy sins, then over thine afflictions? You say, had ever any of Gods people such enemies as we? so cruel, so many, so vile, &c? You should rather say, Come, O my soul, did ever any commit such sins as I do? so frequently, so knowingly, so deliberately, so incorrigibly, so scandalously? Why do you not rather write the So upon your sins, then upon your sorrows? Thus did Eusebius Neiremburgius, aggravating his own sins, oh saith he, never any sinned so as I have done, the Devil sinned indeed, but Christ never died for him as he hath done for me; Judas sinned indeed, but he was never pardoned as I have been; Achan sinned indeed and troubled the kingdom, but