Selected quad for the lemma: parliament_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
parliament_n	house_n	sir_n	william_n	3,051	5	7.6129	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52050	The right vnderstanding of the times opened in a sermon preached to the Honorable House of Commons, December 30, 1646, at Margaret Westminster, being the day of their solemne monethly fast / by Stephen Marshall ...	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1647 (1647)	Wing M771; ESTC R6357	33,802	51

Die Mercurii 30. Decemb. 1646. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament That Sir William Massam doe from this House give thankes to Mr. Marshall and Mr. Newcomen for the great paines they tooke in their Sermons they preached this day before the Commons at St. Margaret Westminster being a day of their publique Humiliation and desire them to Print their Sermons H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I appoint Stephen Bowtell to print my Sermon Stephen Marshall THE RIGHT VNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES OPENED In a Sermon preached to the Honorable House of Commons December 30. 1646. at Margaret Westminster Being the day of their solemne Monethly Fast By Stephen Marshall B. D. Minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex Jer. 8. Vers. 7 8. The Storke in the heavens knoweth her appointed times and the Turtle and the Crane and the Swallow observe the time of their comming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord How do yee say wee are wise If thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Luk. 19.42 So teach us to number our dayes that wee may apply our hearts unto wisedome Psal. 90.12 LONDON Printed by Richard Cotes for Stephen Bowtell and are to bee sold at the signe of the Bible in Popes-head Alley 1647. TO THE HONORABLE The House of COMMONS Now Assembled in PARLIAMENT IT hath been much lamented by learned men that the times wherein things have been done in the world are no more truly computed and that thereby all Histories of times are very imperfect Apud quos ratio temporis non cohaeret apud illos neque veritatis neque fidei historicae ratio ulla constare potest How much more is it to bee lamented that so few have any understanding of the times in reference to the things which concerne their everlasting peace because no lesse mischiefe then ruine of soules of Nations and Churches unavoidably breake in upon them who know not the time of their visitation If this plaine Sermon may help this way to mend the times and promote the right and best study of them especially if God vouchsafe to blesse it to bee in any degree usefull to you in your great worke for whose Meridian it was calculated for whose use it was composed to whom it was preached and by whose order it is now made publique it will bee a great comfort to the spirit and a blessed answer from heaven to the Prayers of Your unworthy and most devoted Servant STEPHEN MARSHALL A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honorable House of Commons at their Monethly Fast Decemb. 30. 1646. 1 Chron. 12.32 And of the Children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to doe the heads of them were two hundred and all their brethren were at their command THis whole Chapter Beloved doth containe a List or Catalogue of all the men of warre which did cleave to David their names their qualities their Number and there is a double Catalogue of them First a Catalogue of them that did cleave to him before Saul was dead while he was in a defensive warre for his owne safetie for although David for a great while had not above six or seven hundred with him yet in the end they fell to him especially out of the Tribes of Judah Benjamin Gad and Manasseh so many that his Army grew to be like an Army of God And lest any man should thinke that it were no better then rebellion in him and them to beare defensive Armes against his Prince it is said in the 18 Verse That the Spirit came upon one of the chiefe Commanders and told him they were his and would live and die with him and that God was with him they knew him innocent they saw he was unjustly persecuted they came to rescue him as a Partridge out of a Falcons Talons and in so doing they did no more then the whole hoste did at another time when they saved Jonathan out of the hands of his father Saul who would unjustly have put him to death The other part of the Chapter beginning at Verse 23. containeth the Catalogue of the Commanders and Souldiers that fell in to him to make him King after the death of Saul and there you shall finde that the excellent qualities of all the Leaders and of many of the Souldiers are described some of them were excellent Archers some were exact Slingers who could throw and hit at a haires breadth some of them were as couragious as Lions some of them were as swift as the Roes upon the Mountaines but none of them all came neere the Tribe of Issachar in that which makes a people strong and happy both in the time of warre and peace They were men of understanding who knew the times what Israel had to doe and of this excellent commendation of this Tribe of Issachar as of a Theame that very much concernes us I have chosen to treate this day before this great Assembly by the assistance of Almighty God wherein there are three things to bee handled First The persons spoken of the Tribe of Issachar and their heads and leaders especially Secondly Their singular commendations they had understanding to know the times what Israel had to doe the whole Tribe but especially their Leaders who were about two hundred knew the times in reference to their duty Thirdly Here is the interest which these Leaders had in the hearts of their Brethren and this procured principally by their wisedome and understanding all their Brethren were at their command or as the word signifies depended on their mouth I begin briefly to speake of the first The persons they were the men of Issachar Issachar you know was one of the twelve Tribes one of Iacobs sonnes by Leah and their lot in the land of Canaan fell betwixt the halfe Tribe of Manasseh and Zebulun and their province was bounded by the mountaines of Gilboa on the one side and mount Hermon on the other all that goodly part of the Countrey that was called the fat valley of Jezreel was the inheritance of this Tribe of Issachar a rich in-land Country and formerly their Spirits and Genius was like to that of Country Farmers They minded nothing but their back and their belly and so Jacob himselfe did foretell of them in the 49. of Genesis when he said that Issachar was like a strong Asse that couched downe betweene two burthens and saw that rest was good and gave himselfe willingly to beare Tribute The meaning was that this Tribe would bee like unto that dull simple slothfull creature the Asse that minded nothing but his belley give him but meate enough for his belly and lay what you will upon his back so this Tribe if they might not be outed or plundred in their rich Country but might follow their businesse and gather wealth lay

better for you Did you then thus know the times did you then walke as wise men redeeming the times did you know what God expected from you in your places and have you done it O blessed yee if you have But I beseech you will it not rather appeare upon a true search that many of you in those dayes walked in the wayes of riot in uncleannesse in drunkennesse possibly in swearing in prophaning Gods holy time in opposing and scorning Religion was it not thus it behoves you to search did you not make your owne Families the Townes and Lordships where you lived the worse for you as so many Jeroboams causing Israel to sinne did not you thereby helpe to pull downe those judgements that have beene like to devoure and destroy this whole Land and if so have you beene humbled under these things have you since repented of them or do they still stand upon your score before that God that keeps an exact accompt of all the Talents that ever hee hath put into your hands I beseech you enquire into it but let me goe further and enquire whether since the time that God hath separated you from your brethren and by a notable providence called you out to be the heads of all our Tribes have you since that time knowne the times in reference to your duties It is now above six yeers since many of you have beene called to this worke one of the greatest workes that mortall men have beene imployed in these many hundreds of yeers a work wherein you have beene assisted not onely with the prayers and teares of those that feare God throughout the Christian world but with the states and blood of many and God himselfe hath carried you in his bosome and made you the most remarkable handfull of men that I thinke this day breath upon the earth in regard of the mercies that hee hath shewed you and in this time certaine I am hath put into your hands as many golden opportunities not onely required as many duties but put as many golden opportunities into your hands to establish our wretched kingdome and to rescue a decayed lukewarme Apostatized Church as ever were put into the hands of a Parliament Now beloved have you known your times and taken your opportunities I know it well that you have wrestled with huge difficulties infinite oppositions and I know that oft-times the perversnesse of a Patient poysoning his owne disease or wounds may frustrate the care of the best Physitians and God forbid that that which is onely your misery should ever bee imputed to you as your sinne but suppose upon a diligent search any of you that are called to bee our wise men to know the times for us that at your doore it should lie in great part that our miseries are not yet healed how sad would that bee To this end I most humbly pray you inquire if upon a diligent search there should bee found among you any who at this day live in the same sinfull riotous ungodly wicked conversation that they led before God called them to this publique service that after your solemne oath with your hand lifted up to the most high God for the reformation of your wayes that you should bee found still with Zimri and Cozbi to live in those sinnes for which God is judging this Nation Were this to know the times and what Israel hath to doe Suppose further there should bee found amongst you any such as should ordinarily neglect the publique service and turne your backs upon it to attend your own private affaires after that the Kingdome hath put into your hands whatsoever under God is pretious and deare unto them were this to know the times and what Israel hath to doe Suppose there should bee found amongst you any that should seeke advantage to themselves out of publique calamities or should sinfully helpe to undoe those for whom they are called to bee Saviours were this to know the times Suppose that any of you should bee found unjust in judgement and favour an unrighteous man in his cause either for corrupt gaines or out of opposition to them you like not and so prostrate the untainted honour of the Parliament to the reproach of the adversaries the scandall of the Nation the teares and griefe of them who love you were this to know the times and what Israel hath to doe Suppose it should bee found that there should bee any that in matters of Religion should side with a partie for corrupt and sinfull ends and make Religion but an Engine to carry on some other sinfull designe were this to know the times and what Israel had to doe Suppose yet further that upon a diligent search there should be found among you any that doe retard matters of the greatest moment that the setling of Religion should bee obstructed by you that many people abroad are remisse in it because they judge you have no heart to it were this to know the time and what Israel hath to doe Suppose that the cries and teares of the oppressed I meane not the fatherlesse and widowes whom I am confident the Houses of Parliament would helpe this very day if it lay in their power but the cries of some oppressed by Committees or others in the Countrey should come up to you and seeke for succour and it should bee found that some of you should patronize the wrong-doers and keepe them off from comming to a hearing and thereby from redresse were this to know the times and what Israel had to doe Honorable and Worthy doe not mistake mee I am farre from saying it is so I onely suggest these things to your owne search and if in naming the particulars I mistake any of them God knowes it is with the same singlenesse of heart wherewith Job sanctifyed his Children sacrificed for them saying Peradventure my sonnes have sinned and cursed God in their hearts sure I am it concernes you all to search and try for if it should be so wee are all like to smart for it for as he said of the Roman Senate Ita nati est is ut bona malaque vestra ad rempub. pertineant Your condition is such that your good and your evill is the good and evill of the Commonwealth it belongs to us all and should the great God find any of you walking thus unworthy of the great trust hee hath committed to you when hee hath put as it were the fates of his Church and Kingdome in your hands under him to dispose of them h●s wrath would bee kindled against you these things would lie very heavy upon your score and wee and you should dearely rue it Sure I am there is not a man of us but for some or other of these things hath just cause to lay his hand upon his heart with sorrow and to put his mouth in the dust and this day to bee very deepely humbled and abased before God And this is the first Use a Use of