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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	day_n	holy_a	word_n	2,351	5	4.2743	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77155	Zeale for Gods house quickned: or, A sermon preached before the assembly of Lords, Commons, and Divines, at their solemn fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster. Expressing the eminencie of zeale requisite in church reformers: / by Oliver Bowles, Pator of Sutton in Bedfordshire. Published by order of both Houses of Parliament.	Bowles, Oliver, ca. 1577-1646?	1643 (1643)	Wing B3884; Thomason E63_6; ESTC R9592	34,766	57

What manner of persons ought we to be in humbling of our soules before the Lord crying mightily to him who alone keepes the key of the Cabinet unlocks the secrets of his will opens the eyes of our understandings Luk. 24. Can we looke backward to the many brave excellent-spirited and well-parted men who have turned some to Justinian some to Galen some to Litleton others betaken themselves to a retired Privacy which long agoe might have sate in Moses Chaire had there not stood the fiery blade of corruptions in worship and government to keepe them out How many silver Trumpets that might have made sweet melody in Gods house have beene hanged upon the willow trees and all because this worke was not done How many hundreds of worthy learned soule-saving Ministers men excellently fitted for the worke have beene driven out of our Land the Lord lay it not to our charge No small affliction to be put upon the disserting of ones native Countrey and all those Charitates which under God are the life of our life and further to be cast upon forraigne Countries those sometimes unwholesome for our English bodies placed among inhumane people put upon wildernesses wilde beasts savage people and unknowne necessities because by reason of our sinnes this worke hath not beene yet effected they saw no hope of it Oh the swarmes of godly men that like Noahs Dove could find no rest for the soales of their feet being hunted up and down hurried hither and thither and wasted with vexatious suits to their utter undoing who have been in the end forced they and their whole families with heavy hearts and some with poore estates to bid farewell to deere England as never to see it againe these would have beene content to have lived in a smoaky house and a meane condition with freedome of conscience Yea they have beene put upon it to commit themselves rather to the mercilesse rage of the tempestuous Seas to a long tedious and irkesome Sea-journey wherewith they were utterly unacquainted rather then to endure those sad impositions which were charged upon their consciences and now the Lord puts it into the hands of you the right Honorable that sit at the stern in point of reformation utterly to remove What shall I say to those millions of souls who have perished through the negligence insufficiency scandalous and corrupt proccedings of that order of men Bucer inopus In tractatu de vi usu minisleris p. 191. which it is to be hoped if our iniquities doe not hinder will be rectified by that clericalis disciplina which learned Bucer did so often call for in King Edward the 6. dayes To this end I once againe doe humbly beseech you Men Brethren and Fathers that you would take up the practise of such holy duties as may conduce to this so pious so necessary a worke And first let us all stirre up in our selves the gift of Prayer 2 Tim. 1.6 let it be frequent fervent and full of faith you know the efficacy of prayer Esay 45.11 it sets God on worke and that with a holy kinde of command it hath an omnipotency with it it never went of any arrant and returned empty Be confident if God do but stirre up our hearts in prayer hee will come in and helpe us in the worke What if we be weake Psal 10.17 yet he is strong What if wee want in our own apprehension those abilities fit for the work he can lift us up above our selves supply us with helpe What if we want that quicknesse of understanding activity of parts we see in others yet if wee can but assist and encourage others God will accept Only resolve of this never any man a successefull reformer without a spirit of prayer Elias and Luther tell us so much To encourage us Gods promises stands sure ler. 33.3 Ask of me and I will shew thee great and hidden things Prov. 25. which thou knowest not If thou seekest for wisedome as for silver c. if thou cryest after knowledge c. then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord the knowledge of God We attaine not truth onely by disputing Lact. lib. 7 c. 2. but by learning from him who onely knowes said one of the Ancients Luther And you know who said that prayer reading meditation tentation doe compleat a Divine Secondly that God may impart to us that way of sincerity in his worship that forme of government which may be most according to his will a favour worth the knowing and which God refuses not to acquaint them with that feare him Psal 25. his secret is revealed to such let our study be to be doers of his wil. If the Glasse be cleane and soyle not the cleane water that is poured into it we poure in more if otherwise we hold our hands so the Lord doth with us that bee ministers hee will not poure the sweet water of truth but into the sanctified heart If any man Iohn 7.27 saith the Evangelist will doe his will hee shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. Many perplexed disputes much difference there is among Brethren whether this be the forme Christ hath left the distractions are sadly to be lamented Would wee be able to winde our selves out of these Labyrinths of disputes see the good and right way God would have us to walke in take notice of that promise in Ezekiel Ezek. 43.11 If the house of Israel shall be ashamed of their iniquities and of all that they have done I will shew them the forme of the house c. onely here we must beware we dare not to offer to Gods people such a forme as hath not its ground out of plaine places of Scripture but such onely as are Typicall and Allegoricall Allegorica Theologia unlesse the Lord himselfe make the application non est argumentativa It is our errour that oft times we doe afferre sensum ad Scripturam non referre we are oft times in fancying formes of government like that Sect of Phylosophers who having drunke in this principle that all the world was made of numbers where ever they went they thought they saw numbers If the Lord shall but behold us lothing our selves for our wayes that have not beene good disallowing our sinnes personall and nationall Luke 24. setting our hearts in a right frame then wil he open our understandings that we may know the Scripture Thirdly that God may so farre delight in us as to make us Instruments of such a glorious worke as this is let us take all occasions to dispence the holy truthes of God to his people the more wee poure out the more God will poure in the oyle in the Cruse increased by pouring out the bread wherewith Christ fed his followers multiplyed in the breaking 'T is true that this duty hath been looked upon of late as that which had neither forme nor beauty Sess

his bold and daring for it cost him his life reproofe of Herod for his Herodias his turning of Mountaines into Valleys his making of rough wayes plaine doe all witnesse The want of zeale in the people in Iehosophats time 2 Chron. 20 33. they having not prepared their hearts to seek the God of their fathers kept up the high places 2 Chron. 29.36 30.1 but in Hezekiah's time the zeale of the people plucked them downe the work was done suddenly for the people were ready of such moment it is that where Church-reformation is in hand a spirit of zeale should run in the veines of the Reformers No such unbesceming evill as when the cause of God lies at stake for men to be cold lukewarme Neuters warping sometimes one way sometimes another In the further prosecution of this truth three particulars doe present themselves 1. Convincing reasons must be rendered why zeale must be present in Church-reformation 2. What influence zeale ought to have in Church-Reformers 3. How Zeale must bee qualified that it may be kept within its bounds zeale not confined is as wilde-fire For the first of these three Reasons doe offer themselves as arising from the nature of the work in respect of its 1. Excellency 2. Difficulty 3. The destructive nature of Church-evills if not reformed The excellency of the work I argue three wayes Reas 1 1. In that the work of Church-reformation is one of Gods speciall favours whereby the Lord would endeare his Church to him Esay 1.25 When after the Churches sad sufferings he would doe his people a speciall favour he tells them that he will purge away all her drosse Esay 54.11 12 13. and take away all her tinne So when the Lord would expresse himselfe in the greatest declarations of his love to his Church Ver. 13. Oh thou afflicted and tossed with tempest I will lay thy stones with faire colours thy foundations with Saphires c. God will set up his ordinances in a more glorious way all thy children shall be taught of the Lord. Accordingly in this latter age of the world what is the great work for which the Church blesses God with the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe is it not the victory over the beast his name mark c. all done by Church-reformation Rev. 15.3 4. Great and marvellous are thy works Lord God Almighty c. 2. The excellency of the work is argued jointly from the relations betwixt God and his Church and the office which Reformers do Cant. 4.12 The Church is Gods Garden which being planted with all variety of flowers is apt to be overgrowne with weeds that not only marre the beauty of it but eat out the good herbs Reformers their work is to weed the Lord his garden throw out all those noisome herbs which would have spoiled all the good ones Verse 13. The Church is the Lords Orchard wherein trees of all kindes both for fruit and and medicine grow upon the banks thereof The Master of that Orchard is impatient of any such trees that cumber the ground and after many yeares beare no fruit Reformers their work is to root out the plants that God never planted H●● 3.6 The Church is Gods house where he delights to dwell Reformers are to cast out all the durt drosse and garbage that was odious and irksome to the Master of the house they sweep downe all the cobwebs wherein the Spiders did build The Church is Gods Spouse Cant. 4.12 in whose beauty his soule delights that she should be deformed with strange attire ornaments borrowed from notorious strumpets the Lord cannot endure Reformers they strip her of all her harlotry attire take off all her Iezabel-like paintings and render her to Christ in her native simplicity The Church is the Lords Vineyard Cant 8.12 which he keeps and waters every moment Reformers their work is to take the Foxes that destroy the Vines How welcome should the feet of such be Cant. 2.15 and how should the precious nature of the work in relation to God draw out all our strength 3. That the excellency of the work may be yet further evidenced consider it in the objects whereabout it is conversant that is either Things or Persons Things are Doctrine Worship and Government Doctrine is a ray or beame of supernaturall truth issued out from God as a speciall favour to his people tending to informe them in right notions and apprehensions concerning God Christ our soules and the whole way of salvation This is called the word of life the wholesome word the word of salvation how usefull is this word 2 Pet. 2.1 since men do as surely perish by damnable heresies as by morall vices Doctrine is as the waters of the Sanctuary how great a sinne to puddle or poison these was it not capitall among the Romans to poison the common springs How noisome was that plague to the Egyptians to have all their waters whereof they should drink turned into blood was it not much more as the soule is more excellent then the body pestilentiall to have all the maine Articles of our Religion not that of Justification excepted to be all This Petit. with R●monstr exhibit in Parl. in Ian. 1640. or the most desperately corrupted as may be seene in the Ministers Remonstrance exhibited together with their Petition for Reformation The second particular whereabout Reformation is conversant is worship whereby God and we have communion one with another wee doe in a holy manner trade with God and hee with us This is as Iacobs ladder The Angels of God ascend and descend by it our prayers ascend Gods blessings descend The ordinances are those golden pipes by which the golden oyle empties it selfe into the hearts of Gods people They are the Churches breasts from whence her children suck nourishment They are the Churches barne and her Wine-presse They are on Christs part the kisses of his mouth the mutuall embraces betwixt God and the Christian Soule Dry up all the breasts in such a City as this how great will the cry of the Infants be This mischiefe by the putting down of Preaching and strange Innovations brought and urged upon us in our most solemn worship had in a great part seized upon us and will yet certainly prevaile if the Reformers doe not seasonably and strongly oppose The third particular is Church Discipline or Government all Societies and so the Church is upheld by ruling and being ruled This amongst other benefits it will yeeld That it will preserve the honour of Gods censures and ordinances that great censure of Excommunication which is no lesse then the delivery up of a man to Satan and next the day of judgement it is judicium maxime tremendum it shall no longer Lackey up and down for Duties and Fees as it hath done amonst us and as it did in the darkest times of Popery as Gerson complaines Gers lib de defectib

parts and learning his applause in the world priviledge him when the hand writing shall appeare upon the wall Surely when a Minister shall lie upon his death-bed nothing can uphold his drooping spirit but the testimony of his conscience that he hath fought a good fight kept the faith This alone must be our Paradise Finally my Brethren why consider we not that God hath engraven our duties upon our names we are watchmen shepheards workemen builders the Lords husbandmen his souldiers if we slack or forget our duties we shall forget our names Nay our names will be our accusers the ground of the Lords quarrell against us That which of old was given in charge to a Roman Consull Pium nomen est reatus impii Salv. de provid lib. 4. Consul es praesta nomen the same should euery one of us enforce upon our selves Minister verbies hoc age pastor es praesta nomen tuum I conclude with that of Hierome In Ep. ad Nepot Reade what your name is and be what you are call'd And now beloved having endeavoured to quicken you and my selfe to the duty of preaching give mee leave to suggest something concerning the manner that it may be done to the best purpose the Lord requires not onely that we preach the Word but so to preach it as that our hearers may bee brought on to the Faith Acts 14.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paul and Barnabas are said so to have taught that multitudes beleeved If it bee an advantage to a hearer in his work how he hears is it not so to a preacher how he preaches That our Ministery may bee successefull First We must preach zealously that was the honour of Iohn the Baptist that he was a burning light Iohn 5.35 Act. 7.16 of Saint Paul that with respect to the Idolatry at Athens his spirit was stirred within him so of Apollos it is witnessed that he was fervent in spirit Act. 1● 21 This Zeale must shew it self by a holy indignation against sinne Sozemen lib. 8. c. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is reported of Saint Chysostome that he reproved sinne against God as if he himselfe had received an injury It appears also by enlarged desires that the souls of the hearers may be brought to God so in S. Paul Rom. 9.3 I could wish my selfe accursed from Christ c. This Zeale in a Preacher will put life and quicknesse into their expressions Men of cold and dead spirits their words die in their mouthes and usually beget a coldnesse in their hearers Zeal is as Rosin to the strings of the musicall Instrument without which it makes no sound Only as the good Huswises fire on the hearth is enlarged or lessened according as the family occasions so according to the nature of the Offences as great or small should the Preachers Zeale be proportioned Secondly We must preach compassionately what else is insinuated in those phrases wherein God is brought in speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as putting on the bowels of a man Deut. 5.25 ●zek 33.11 Os 11. and teaching us so to do It is said of Christ that he had compassion on the people for that they were as sheepe without a Shepherd Mat. 9.36 and in another place speaking to Hierusalme how compassionately doth he expresse himselfe O Ierusalem Ierusalem Mat. 23.37 how would I have gathered thee together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens no compassion greater than that of the Hen to her Chickens How did he in the foresight of her miseries approaching Luke 19. weepe over her and crie O that thou hadst known Heb. 5.2 c. The high Priest was therefore to be taken from among men that he might have compassion on them that were ignorant and out of the way Is there any object in the world that deserves more pitie than a lost Soule in the snare of the Devill blessing it selfe as if it were well when it is poore blinde beggarly and naked and every houre lyable to an insufferable an eternall destruction Thirdly We must preach convincingly First there must be evidence of reason convincing the understanding of that we would perswade men to Man is a reasonable creature not drawne hither and thither by a thunder and lightning of blustering termes which at the utmost onely starrle the affections for a time but afterwards for want of a convicted judgement they return to their old temper Col. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is that which is called The full assurance of understanding 2. There is also required a conviction of the consciance whereby we evidence to men that they be guilty convincing them that they are the men That was it that vexed the Priests that the Apostle taxed them in particular Act. 5.28.33 as guilty of the blood of Christ He intends to bring this mans blood upon us The Jewes that stoned Steven Act. 1.35 were cut to the heart when he charged them in particular as stiffenecked and uncircumcised in heart Men will endure much so be it you let their since alone or them in the practice of their sins but if they be apprehensive that your reprooses come home to them they then are stined and filled with wrath Luke 4.28 1 Cor. 14.25 When the Preacher is manifest in the conscience of the hearers then they consesse that God is in him they crie out 1 King 22.8 Omnis actio fit per contractum You prophecy evill to us As the Philosophers say that all action is by touching so all doctrine works by particular application he that delivers himself altogether in generalls seldome workes upon the people Ab usu doctrina ad ejus applicationem descensus est quidam quasi a specie ad individuū transitus Zeppar de habend Concio It is the spreading of the Net which is done by particular application which takes the Fish Alwayes provided that we must not decipher men by personall circumstances or distinguishing Characters this will take off the efficacie of our reproof in that the reproved will question the good affection of the reprover as not tendring his good name while he does that openly which should have been done secretly only if any mans sinne or a known circumstance of his sin do discover him 't is not the reprover but the offender does discover himselfe Sinnes must not be passed over in silence which declare themselves because men complaine that wee particularize Fourthly We must preach feelingly according to the nature of the Doctrine we doe so when we preach as sensible in our own hearts of what we would have take impression upon another The best way to speake to the heart is to speak from the heart 2 Cor. 2.4 Saint Paul when he would beget in the Corinthians a godly sorrow of heart he writes unto them out of much affliction and anxiety of spirit with many tears He that will make men sensible of wrath and damnation or

make men apprehensive of the greatnesse of Gods love in Christ must manifest the like affections in himselfe There * Sunt multi clamosi reprehenso●●s qui in vitia declamitando vel potius fu●minando mirum zeli ardorem prae se serunt c. Calv in loc are many saith my Author clamorous Preachers who declaiming or rather thundering against other mens faults carry a great shew of zeal and in the meane while are very secure themselves as if they did onely per lusum exercere guttur latera sportingly exercise their Throats and Sides But a godly Pastor must weep himselfe that he may stirre up compassion in others and retain more sorrow in himselfe than he seekes to create in others Fiftly When we preach frequently taking all occasions to dispense the Word the Apostle calls it In season and out of season The peoples uncapablenesse their slownesse to beleeve their aptnesse to be carried away with the torrent of the times the many wayes whereby the Word may miscarry all these besides the important nature of the worke as tending to bring men from the power of Satan unto God from hell to heaven call for our redoubled pains How constant and assiduous are Merchants Mariners Husbandmen in their attendance on their earthly affairs which notwithstanding they ordinarily find as they left them should not we be much more industrious in Soul-work which we seldom or never return to it but we find it worse than we left it Of the Lords Watchmen it is said That they shall not hold their peace all the day nor all the night Es 62.6 of Christ it is said He was daily in the Temple teaching Lu. 21.37 of the Apostles That they were daily in the Temple and from house to house preaching the Gospel Act. 5.42 The diligence of the Ancients as a Chrys Hom. 3 in Gen. Hom. 10. in Gen. Hom 9. ad Pop. Antioch Chrysost b Basil Hexem Hom 2. ad finem Hom. 7. Iam advesperascit c. It seemes they preached in the afternoone Basil c Aug. in ●oon Tract 9. Hesternoenim die distulimus in hodiernum Whence it appeares he preached daily Vid. etiam Tractat. 16.21.22 alibi Augustin the custome of the Church whereof d Eusch de Praepar Evang. l. 8. c. 2. Vnus de senioribus legem recitat per totum diem septimum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as usque ad vespertinum crepusculum Eusebius reports ought to be as incitements unto us If e Hooper B. of Gloc. in acconfession of ●aith exhibited to K. Edw. 6. fifteene Masses in a day was not enough for the Popish Priests shall one Sermon suffice us said learned Hooper Therefore in the morning sow thy seed Eccles 11.6 and in the evening let not thy hand cease thou knowest not whether this or that shall prosper Sixthly We must preach gravely so as to preserve the honour of that God whose mouth wee are in preaching of that Christ whose person we represent 2 Cor. 5. of the high nature of the things we treat about Wee are to deale with men and that in the presence of God and his holy Angels about the recovery of them out of their damnable condition by nature in setting our of the infinite love of God in Christ with all the advantages that belong thereto the soules salvation or destruction to all eternity How ill doth any thing that is ludicrous tending to move laughter beseeme discourses of so high a nature All our care should bee to preserve the spirits of men in a serious temper wherein they are fittest to be wrought upon Omnis risus in Ecclesiâ est à diabolo All laughter in the Church is from the Devill saith Chrysostome Jocular Stories are from this ground to be banished from the Pulpit A Minister must be an example to the people in all gravity Tit. 2.8 this gravity must appeare as in our whole conversation so specially when we stand betwixt God and the people as his Embassadours And now having represented to you my Reverend Brethren the important and pressing nature of your work laid before you those generall duties by which you may be fitted and made successefull in the work set on those duties by quickning motives what remaines but that I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace who alone must enable you for it and without whom all is done will come to nothing And for you our Parliamentarie Worthies you are as things stand under God the breath of our nostrils the light of our eyes as a naile fastned as yet in a sure place if you goe on to doe the Lord's work with wisdome and courage God will certainely goe along with you if you refuse or withdraw your selves however our eyes shall be to the Lord but in the eye of man wee are but an undone Nation The God of heaven who hath his way in the Seas who alone fashions the hearts of the children of men raise and keep up your spirits cloath you with Zeale fit you for all encounters make way for you through all difficulties So shall our Religion our Lawes and Liberties be preserved to our selves and transmitted to posterity and we have cause to praise God for you so long as the Sunne and the Moone endureth FINIS