A81219:104
The saints thankful acclamation at Christs resumption of his great power and the initials…The saints thankfull acclamation at Christs resumption of his great power and the initials…
The saints thankful acclamation at Christs resumption of his great power and the initials of his kingdom. Delivered in a sermon at Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, upon the day of their solemn thanksgiving unto God, for the great victory given our army, under the command of the noble Lord Fairfax, at Selby in York-shire and to other the Parliaments forces in Pembroke-shire, April 23d, 1644. By Joseph Caryl preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolns-Inn.The saints thankfull acclamation at Christs resumption of his great power and the initials of his kingdome. Delivered in a sermon at Westminster, before the Honourable House of Commons, upon the day of their solemne thanksgiving unto God, for the great victory given our armie, under the command of the noble Lord Fairfax, at Selby in Yorke-shire and to other the Parliaments forces in Pembrock-shire, April 23d, 1644. By Joseph Caryl preacher to the Honourable Society of Lincolnes-Inne.
London: printed by G.M. for Giles Calvert, 1644
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.
Now as in all the overthrows, the heart of a godly man trembles most for the Ark of God: and mourns most, fearing reproach should be cast upon the name of God: So in all victories his heart triumphs most for the Ark of God, and he gives thanks chiefly for joy, that honour is brought to the name of God. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance (saith holy David) he 1shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked, that is, either abundance of that bad blood shall be spilt, and it shall be poured like water in the streets, so that the righteous may go over shoes in it, if he will: or only thus, he shall have comfort (in those hot Countries washing of the feet was for the refreshment of the weary, to which custom the holy Ghost seems here to allude) he (I say) shall have comfort and refreshing by the death of wicked men, ⟨p. 43⟩as weary travellers have by washing their feet. Yet not barely in their death, or in the vengeance that falls upon them (these are objects too low, and very unsuitable to the joy of Saints) but in this, that by their death the glory of God is vindicated. Thus the next verse teaches us to expound it. So that a man (one that hath but the light2 of common reason to guide his tongue) shall say, verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth the earth. While wicked men flourish, righteous men are looked upon (by the men of the world) as if God had forsaken them, or had nothing in all his treasures left to recompense them, & God is looked on (by the same carnal eyes) as if he were violently driven from his throne, or had voluntarily forsaken the earth. But when once his hand takes hold on vengeance, and he makes his arrows drunk with the blood of the wicked: then worldly men shall recant their erroneous conceits, both concerning righteous men, and the most righteous God, and say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth the Earth. We confess we were mistaken, we see our confutation written in blood of these men, or the blood of these wicked men speaks aloud (as the blood of righteous Abel did to God for judgement) that God is a righteous Judge. Now this is the thing which caused the righteous to rejoice in the vengeance, namely to see God repaired in honour, and set right in the opinion of men.