A90288:91
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.
Many difficulties in this troublesome season, was the Prophet intricated withal: The people would not be prevailed with, to come up to the mind of God, they continuing in their stubbornness, the Lord would not be prevailed with, to avert the threatened Desolation; what now shall he do? To stand out against the bulk of the people suits not his earthly Interest; to couple with them, answers not the discharge of his Office; to wait upon them any longer, is fruitless; to give up himself to their ways comfortless: Hence his complaints, hence his moanings. Better lye down and sink under the burden, then always to swim against the stream of an unreformable multitude: In this strait, the Lord comes in with his direction, Let them return unto thee, &c. Keep thy station, perform thy duty, comply not with the Children of Backsliding. But what ever be the issue, if there be any closing wrought, let it be, by working them off from their ways of Folly. All condescension on thy part, where the work of God is to be ⟨p. 15⟩done is in opposition to him; If they Return, embrace them freely; if not, do thy duty constantly.
Many difficulties in this troublesome season, was the Prophet intricated withall: The people would not be prevailed with, to come up to the mind of God, they continuing in their stubbornnesse, the Lord would not be prevailed with, to avert the threatned Desolation; what now shall he doe? To stand out against the bnlke of the people suits not his earthly Interest; to couple with them, answers not the discharge of his Office; to wait upon them any longer, is fruitlesse; to give up himselfe to their ways comfortlesse: Hence his complaints, hence his moanings. Better lye downe and sink under the burden, then always to swim against the streame of an unreformable multitude: In this strait, the Lord comes in with his direction, Let them returne unto thee, &c. Keep thy station, performe thy duty, comply not with the Children of Backslyding. But what ever be the essue, if there be any closing wrought, let it be, by working them off from their wayes of Folly. All condescention on thy part, where the worke of God is to be ⟨p. 15⟩done is in opposition to him; If they Return, embrace them freely; if not, doe thy duty constantly.