A90288:104
A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled
A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled: on January 31. A day of solemn humiliation. With a discourse about toleration, and the duty of the civill magistrate about religion, thereunto annexed. Humbly presented to them, and all peace-loving men of this nation. / By John Owen, pastor of the Church of Christ, which is at Coggeshall in Essex.A sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons, in Parliament assembled: on January 31. A day of solemne humiliation. With a discourse about toleration, and the duty of the civill magistrate about religion, thereunto annexed. Humbly presented to them, and all peace-loving men of this nation. / By John Owen, pastor of the Church of Christ, which is at Coggeshall in Essex.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons for Henry Cripps, 1649
Title page typeset from the transcription.
A Sermon Preached to the Honourable House of Commons, Jan. 31. 1648.
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.
2. A desire of perishing things tempered with covetousness and ambition: Hence was the sparing of the fat Cattle, and of Agag by Saul, 1. Sam. 15. When those two qualifications close on any, they are diametrally opposed to that frame which of God is required in them, viz. That they should be men fearing God, and hating covetousness: The first will go far, being only a contrivance for safety; but if this latter take hold of any, being a consultation to exalt themselves, it quickly carrieth them beyond all bounds whatsoever. The Lord grant, ⟨p. 18⟩that hereafter there may be no such complaints in the Nation, or may be causeless, as have been heretofore, viz. That we have poured out our prayers, jeoparded our lives, wasted our estates, spent our blood, to serve the lusts and compass the designs of ambitious ungodly men.
2. A desire of perishing things tempered with covetousness and ambition: Hence was the sparing of the fat Cattell, and of Agag by Saul, 1. Sam. 15. When those two qualifications close on any, they are diametrally opposed to that frame which of God is required in them, viz. That they should be men fearing God, and hating covetousnesse: The first will goe far, being only a contrivance for safety; but if this latter take hold of any, being a consultation to exalt themselves, it quickly carryeth them beyond all bounds whatsoever. The Lord grant, ⟨p. 18⟩that hereafter there may be no such complaints in the Nation, or may be causelesse, as have been heretofore, viz. That wee have powred out our prayers, jeoparded our lives, wasted our estates, spent our blood, to serve the lusts and compasse the designs of ambitious ungodly men.
The many ways whereby these things intrench upon the spirits of men, to bias them from the paths of the Lord, I shall not insist upon, it is enough that I have touched upon the obvious causes of deviation, and manifested them to be treacheries against the God of all Authority.