Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n
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A42766
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A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemne fast Wednesday, March 27, 1644 by George Gillespie.
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Gillespie, George, 1613-1648.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing G757; ESTC R24966
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43,436
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52
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like to this of Ezekiel that we must take speciall notice of it and make that serve for a Commentary to this And there was given me saith Iohn a Reed like unto a Rod and the Angeâ—…stood saying Rise and measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein But the Court which is without the Temple leave out and measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy City shall they tread under foot forty and two moneths This time of two and forty moneths must be expounded by Revel. 13. 5. where it is said of the Beast power was given unto him to continue forty and two moneths which according to the Computation of Egyptian yeares reâ—…koning thirty dayes to each moueth make three yeares and a halfe or 1260. days and that is e the time of the witnesses prophecying in Sackcloth and of the womans abode in the wildernesse Now lest it should bee thought that the treading downe of the holy City by the Gentiles that is the treading under foot of the true Church the City of God by the tyranny of Antichrist and the power of his complices should never have an end in this world the Angel gives Iohn to understand that the Church the house of the living God shall not lye desolate for ever but shall be built again for the measuring is in reference to building that the Kingdome of Antichrist shall come to an end and that after 1260 yeares counting dayes for yeares as the Prophers doe It is not my purpose now to search when this time of the power of the beast and of the Churches desolation did begin and when it ends and so to find out the time of building this new Temple onely this much I trust I may say that if we reckon from the time that the power of the Beast did begin and withall consider the great revolution and turning of things upside downe in these our dayes certainly the work is upon the wheele the Lord hath pluckt his hand out of his bosome he hath whet his sword he hath bent his bow he hath also prepared the instruments of death against Antichrist so saith the Psalmist of all Persecutors Psal. 7. 12 13. but it will fall most upon that capitall enemy Whereof there will be occasion to say more afterward Let me here only adde a word concerning a fourth thing which the holy Ghost may seeme to intend in this Prophesie and that is the Church triumphant the new Ierusalem which is above unto which respect is to bee had as Interpreters iudge in some parts of the vision which happily cannot bee so well applyed to the Church in this world Even as the new Ierusalem is so described f in the Revelation that it may appeare to be the Church of Christ reformed beautified and inlarged in this world and fully perfected and glorified in the world to come and as many things which are said of it can very hardly bee made to agree to the Church in this world so other things which are said of it câ—…n as â—…dly be applyed to the Church glorified in heaven as g where it is said Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men having come downe from God out of heaven and hee will dwell with them and they shall bee his people and God himselfe shall be with them and be their God h Againe And the nations of them that are saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth doe bring their glory and honour into it But now I make haste to the severall particulars contained in my Text I pray God i saith the Apostle your whole spirit and soule and body be preserved blamelesse And what he there prays for this Text rightly understood and applied may work in us that is gracious affections gracious mindes gracious actions In the first place a change upon our corrupt and wicked affections If they be ashamed of all that they have done saith the Lord Secondly a change upon our blind minds Shew them the forme of the house and the fashion thereof c. Thirdly a change also upon our actions That they may keep the whole forme thereof and all the Ordinances thereof and doe them For the first k the word here used is not that which signifieth blushing through modesty but it signifieth shame for that which is indeed shamefull filthy and abominable so that it were impenitency and an aggravation of the fault not to be ashamed for it I shall here build onely one Doctrine which will be of exceeding great use for such a day as this If either we would have mercy to our selves or would doe acceptable service in the publike Reformation we must not onely cease to doe evill and learne to doe well but also be ashamed confounded and humbled for our former evill wayes Here is a two-fold necessity which presseth upon us this duty to loath and abhorre our selves for all our abominations to bee greatly abashed and confounded before our God First without this we shall not find grace and favour to our owne soules Secondly wee shall else miscarry in the worke of Reformation First I say let us doe all the good we can God is not pleased with us unlesse we be ashamed and humbled for former guiltinesse Be zealous and repent l saith Christ to the Laodecians be zealous in time comming and repent of your former lukewarmnesse What fruit had yee then in those things whereof now yee are ashamed m saith the Apostle to the Saints at Rome of whom n he saith plainly that they were servants to righteousnes and had their fruit unto holinesse but that is not all they were also ashamed while they looked back upon their old faults which is the rather to bee observed because o it maketh against the Antinomian error now a foot It hath a cleare reason for it for without this God is still dishonoured and not restored to his glory O Lord p saith Daniel righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces Those two go together We must be confounded that God may be glorified Wee must bee judged that God may be iustified our mouthes must be stopped and laid in the dust that q the Lord may be just when he speaketh and cleare when he judgeth And as r the Apostle teacheth us that if we judge our selves we shall not be judged of God and by the rule of Contraries if we judge not our selves we shall be judged of God So say I now if wee give glory to God and take shame and confusion of faces to our selves God shall not confound us nor put us to shame But if we will not be confounded and ashamed in our selves God shall confound us and powre shame upon us If we loath not our selves God shall loath us Nay let me argue from the manner of men as s the Prophet doth offer it now unto