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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	day_n	let_v	lord_n	2,449	5	3.7592	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87086	The difficvlty of sions deliverance and reformation: together with the activitie which her friends should manifest during the time that her cause is in agitation. Delivered in a sermon at Margarets Westminster, before the honourable House of Commons on Wednesday morning, the twenty-sixt day of Iune. 1644. / By Humphrey Hardwick, Minister of the Word at Hadam Magna in the County of Hertfard, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Hardwick, Humphrey, b. 1601 or 2.	1644 (1644)	Wing H704; Thomason E2_9; ESTC R2445	22,618	46

the dust Let then hence the sentence of holy doctrine be All the friends of Sion should be much and active in pious and precious endevours when her cause is in agitation The Scripture doth learn us this truth by a memorable passage Exod. 17. when the brood of profane Esau strove with Iacobs Seed Ioshua being a man of warre must chuse out fit men for battell Moses Aaron and H●● being no sword-men they must to the Mount where Moses hands must be held up all the while and when they were let downe Amalek prevailed but when they were held up Israel prevailed This my brethren signified that every man should act even to intention to the highest degree of his activity when Sions businesse is in hand or otherwise the Cause may be at a losse How are Zebulun and Napthali commended for jeoparding their lives in such a case Iudg. 5.18 Mordecai could tell Est 〈◊〉 If thou holdest thy peace at this time thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed Est 4.14 I might now produce the vow of David Psal 132. the zeal of Vriah 2 Sam. 11.11 Daniels devotions Dan. 9.18 speak of Ezra and Nehemiahs incessant endeavours and the peoples building the wall with swords in their hand all witnessing this truth and leading us to the dutie But see we two speciall injunctions require this when the worship of God and the justice of the Kingdom was carried well on towards the point of establishment in the dayes of David then are all the friends of the Church called upon to be active Psal. 122.6 The prophet Esay likewise foreseeing by faith the deliverande of the Church and flourishing condition of Christs Kingdom ready to ensue doth not onely testifie for himself that he will not hold his peace for Sions sake but also calls upon others yea all that be mindefull of the Lord let him have no rest untill he hath made Jerusalem a praise in the earth Esa. 62.6 7. The first Argument to illustrate this Doctrine is from the high and precious nature of Sions cause It will be easily granted that as all intelligent agents act for some end so they act according to the nature of the thing they are imployed about This cals for more or lesse carefulnesse and regard more or lesse activity and intention as the matter under hand is more or lesse of value Will not the Refiner be ten times so circumspect and industrious when his gold is in the furnace as when lead is on the fire How curious and wary is he that is to cut rich jewels and pearls Now can there be any thing in the world more precious or of such importance as the cause of the Church standing for pure Religion and unstained worship of God and justice Me thinks in these is the very quintessence of all excellencies and substantials The whole world is subordinate to the Church her good that men might know and serve God aright was the very end of Creation Yea more did not the Lord Christ die in the cause of his Church Note then how transcendent and incomparable excellent and precious is that to which in some respect the Creation and Redemption of the world is subordinate great reason then is it that all who would be thought the friends of Sion should be very active when her cause is in agitation Thus it ought to be in regard of the multitude which are concerned in the businesse When there was but one Peter in prison how incessant was the Church on his behalfe If a number of Gods dear ones had their cause transacting it behoved all well willers which knew it to be helping in it if they could How desireable is it to do good to a Citie or a Nation What have not meere morall men done and undertaken for their countrey upon this onely ground that the businesse concerned the whole nation Now the Churches cause concerns not a nation onely but nations Her cause is like her self Catholike Hath not the whole body benefit by the free dome and happinesse which comes to any part Yea posteritie and ages to come are sharers in Sions deliverance Have not we been much the better for Deliverance and Reformation vouchsafed in the dayes of King Edward and Queen Elizabeth Thus many and many are parties concerned yea more God himself his blessed Sonne and holy Spirit are interessed in it or much honoured or dishonoured by it If any will object that if it be Gods businesse he will look to it himself and we need not then be so carefull not active I answer that the Lord hath committed his cause in part to his people to manage For he is that Lord that put forth his vineyard to husband men and so he puts his cause into the hands of Sions friends to solicite and prosecute it And therefore in should not take off but quicken their activitie since God and men nations and people present and after ages are concerned in it In such a time there is much work to be done Many grievous sins to be rased out of the Register against us there are many personall iniquities many nationall offences the sinnes of our fathers to be put out of remembrance Nor is it an easie thing to blow our transgressions cancell the hand-writing which is against ourselves and the land Love indeed is said to cover a multitude of sins and there must be much expression of great zeal and love which will doe this work Second to this the justly provoked ire of the Almightie is to be pacified that is full displeasure fall not upon us his countenance his joyfull countenance is to be sought Many mercies many kinds of great mercies are to be obtained Men are in such times to make the Lord amends as I may so speake with holy reverence for former failings and neglects And to all this consider that Sions friends expect that God in such times should do great things for them make bare his Arme appear in the Mount avenge his Elect make Jerusalem a praise in the earth should not they then be active when so much is to be done and expected The last Reason of this because Sions adversaries are much and active in pestilent attempts to hinder her good and work her ruine Remember how stirring Balaam was to curse Israel when they were ready to enter the land of Canaan Consider likewise how Gebal Ammon and Amalek with the rest did conspire combine complot and consult to cut off Gods people from being any more a nation and to put the name of Israel out of remembrance As thus it ever was so it ever will be with the profane of the world the serpent seed Is it not reason then that the womans seed should be active in their zeal otherwise it might be just with God to permit the instruments of his cause to faile in regard they suffer themselves to be out-done and out acted by the devils instruments This doctine thus cleared doth in the reflex of

every one in his place and station to few precious seed What considering man then would suffer sloth or negligence ease or self respects to hinder him from being an instrument of so great good as may come to the Church and State Many of you are all of you may be under God the cause of much good to many generations Be therefore of S. Pauls minde suffer nothing to deprive you of the glory of such rejoycing and the testimony of a good conscience And now in speciall manner I desire to commend foure things as part of the pious endeavours which should chiefly be laid down as precious seed to bring on the happie work in hand The first of these is an holy conscionable sincere observance of these dayes of humiliation By Moses law the man who did not humble and afflict his soul in such a day was to be cut off from Israel Levit. 25.29 to be onely customary and formall in these which should be our most pure devotions is a sinne of more grievous consequence then we are aware of to dissemble with our God in Fasting and Prayer is a kinde of horrible impietie for Gods sake therefore be you carefull and conscionable in preparing your souls to meet the Lord in the dayes of atonement be ye holy heavenly faithfull sincere and entire with God in these extraordinary services Let it be your worke on these dayes to strive to mortifies your sins and sanctifie your souls to bewaile the iniquities of the land for the divisions of Reuben let there be great thoughts of heart These my Brethren are the highest services that we can do for God our selves or the kingdome and you being our Worthies should go before and exceed others in them if therefore you will not do so but refuse and sleight or be superficiall in the performance of them behold ye have sinned against the Lord and be ye sure your sinne shall finde you out The next thing I commend is the speedy impartiall execution of justice You know that by standing up quickly and executing justice Phin●ha● Presem by said the plague when asas the slowing and neglecting of it continued the plague hereafter here in Davids time It was doubtlesse neglect and corruption of justice next to pollutions of Gods worship irreligiousnesse and profanenesse that hath brought our kingdome to its misery the speedy therefore and impartiall ministration of it is a proper medicine for our maladie And it is somewhat a sad thing to note little justice hath been done on bloudy traiterous deliequent enemies of God and man more then what 's the Lord himself hath done by the hand of warre it may be that feareful way of execution hath and will continue till the more desirable swords of justice be drawn to purpose in the cutting off when 〈◊〉 of our combustions the sonnes of Be lial who in God hath put into your hand to punish The third thing I desire may be specially cared for is the 〈◊〉 pre●●●grand prosecution of the national convenant a 〈◊〉 plensing to God profitable to the kingdomes by which 〈◊〉 is and through God's blessing may be the 〈…〉 blow given to the whore of Babylon and 〈…〉 impes that ever yet was Now to have this 〈…〉 ●●ngst us or laid aside whilst malignants and 〈◊〉 live in our bosome blessing and in feered applauding themselves that they have neither taken this nor any of your for 〈◊〉 prove 〈◊〉 many moneths have passed over and no account made nor any questionned or dealt with for refusing This is our case and I appeal to wiser judgements whether this may not be the way to lessen the honour and authoritie of the High Court of Parliament and their Ordinances May not this likewise cause the common sort to deem themselves little bound in conscience to keepe the Covenant when they see others not bound to take it Will not this render all zealous advocates for the Covenant as temporizers and give the refusers occasion to triumph over us as men of large consciences to do any thing that shall be required like Bishops creatures and the superstitious and conformists of late These are but a few of many a glimpse a hint of the inconveniences which may happen pardon me then in being bold to point out the pressing and prosecution of the Covenant as one kinde of precious seed to be sowen amongst others in Sions be●●f The last thing which I shall commend to your s●●ous consideration whom it doth concern is special care to seek and preserve the mutuall love honour and esteem each of other Oh! that Saint Pauls Lesson might be learned of our worthy Nobles and Senatours one to esteem of another ●●lter then himself Oh! that were a delight in bre●●● and follow-instruments and specially in those who excell in vertue zeal and faith 〈…〉 ●ring for the publique good Sure it is 〈…〉 honourable for any to minde solely 〈…〉 ●own same and esteem and not care how to the rep●●te of others lye Frō hence I fear come things that arennseemly and by which the publique proceeding may suffer obstruction My earnest desire therefore and praye●● that the God of peace and consolation would make you like minded one towards another and each willing to deny himself to seek the esteem of others in love and above all to forward and advance the Nationall and common Cause Lo these are the four things which out of dutie to God true zeal to Sion and due reverence to the Worthies to whom I speak I humbly desire may be thought upon and practised to the glory of our God and emolument of his Church And the better to prevail in this my suit I shall apply the third vertue or force which lyeth in the words of my Text as speciall arguments of inducement to perswade there unto Consider then first I beseech you that those endeavours with that activity I speak of are by the Spirit of God in my Text signified to be as fruitfull precious seed which dies not in the earth but lives to yeeld increase And this me thinks is aboundantly sufficient to incite every man to act his uttermost If I could assure any husbandman that every graine of such kinde of seed should live and not one corne perish I need say no more to move him to industry how plentifull would be the in sowing a how free in cost and pains-taking But now past all peradventure I may assure the seeds-man of Sions Cause that his endeavours are such pre●●ous seed as that no one grain shall be lost but 〈…〉 again to yeeld him encrease It is like a ca 〈…〉 down for joy which shall certainly be paid You may ve act therefore hence much incouraged Secondly I note that hardnes and difficulty in sowing is no way comparable to the sweetnesse and comfort in reaping There 's no compare me thinks between the tears and the joy in the Text these farre surmount and exceed them as the metaphor and words of expression seem to import Rationall and considering men therefore should be justly provoked with this consideration Did not Moses make the best choise upon this ground Doth not Saint 〈◊〉 encourage to sufferings upon like reason Ram 〈◊〉 And certainly this well weighed may prevail with us Thirdly mind we the undoubted certainty of our harvest verified by divers absolute positive ass●ver●●tion in the Text he shall reap he shall come again he shall bring his sheaves with him here 's no Item of continge neylor possibilitie but all absolute ●●●●tions anto 〈◊〉 know he 〈◊〉 to die arti● shall 〈◊〉 away but a lot of Gods Word shall not fail 〈◊〉 shall prevent the harvest of a labourer in Sions 〈…〉 ●●●●tly Consider 〈◊〉 multiplicitie of the 〈…〉 shall be reaped by such endeavour 〈…〉 not be a reddition of grain for grains or moni●●● 〈◊〉 not yet of care for grains but of sheaven for 〈◊〉 This shall be full measure 〈…〉 over 〈…〉 blessings be on the head of eve●●● where is 〈◊〉 and faithfull in carrying 〈◊〉 of Sions cause And may not 〈◊〉 take any fou● 〈…〉 with every sprit to set it selfe 〈…〉 and 〈◊〉 it selfing all hopefull ende 〈◊〉 to the glory of 〈◊〉 the good of the Church and Kingdome and the great Joy and blessing of the undertakers 〈…〉 God will and let us now 〈…〉 all pray God it 〈◊〉 FINIS Doct.