friends to the present State On the contrary that man that takes himself to be a royallist a friend of the King and a faithful subject and only talkes or drinks a health and does not both in publick and private pray for the welfare of the King and Kingdom is very much mistaken Can he truly love the King that does not heartily pray for the King The loving Subject is the praying Subject and he will not fail in any other act or duty of obedience 2. For the discovery of the Churches freinds and enemies you have heard that by the Church is chiefly meant the Ruling part the Bishops and Ministers So the word seemeth to be understood in that precept of Christ Die Ecclesiae Tell it to the Church i. e. to the Rulers of the Assemblies as our learned Paraphrast has it out of Chrysostome These Rulers spirituall if we do not pray for we are no freinds but enemies of the Church For these are given by the special favour and providence of God for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ as Saint Paul saith They are given as the same Apostle adds that being instructed and guided by them we be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine So then if our settlement in the true Religion and our preservation from dangerous Errors if our edification and growth and perfection depend under God upon the sacred Ministry certainely he can be no freind to Religion and the Gospel who does not not love and pray for the Bishops and Ministers of the Gospel Nevertheless it is true and often found by sad experience that Church-men have many Enemies And no wonder For the Prophets of old and after them the Apostles yea Christ himselfe our Lord and Master had their Enemies slanderers revilers Elias the Prophet was accused as a troubler of Israel Paul the Apostle was accounted for a seditious fellow and his own Galatians seem to have been his Enemies for his telling them the truth And is not this that which raiseth up enmity against our preachers somtimes even the telling them the Truth The truth is we love our sins and favour our own lusts and vanities and would not be vehemently urged to part with any thing which is in deliciis a delight to us and dear as the right hand or eye We care not to be taught how to be grave and yet withall kind strict and yet courteous temperate and yet sociable as our Religion our Christianity exacteth We can hear the Doctrine but endure not to come under the Discipline of the church And here among the Churches Enemies I might fall againe upon the Popish Traytors both old and new the grand Adversaries of our Jerusalem both of our Church and State But 't is time to ease you and I had rather pray then inveigh Wherefore I intreat you to joyn with me in your most ardent desires that God would be pleased still to discover and defeat and blast his and our enemies that our Soveraigne Lord the King may still be protected by the Divine power and directed by the Divine Wisdom that the Parliament now summoned may in due time meet together and sit fâ—st with such unanimity and concord in their Counsels such order and prudence and success in their Affaires that they may be a joy to the King and to all his faithfull subjects and may rise with the honour the lasting honour of having been the reestablishers of truth and peace for us and our posterity I must not end till I have in a word admonished you of some other Traytors and these the worst of all For those Traitors aforementioned could only destroy the Body but these destroy the Soul the immortal Soul I mean these privy Conspirators in our own bosomes our carnal lusts and unruly passions and our presumptuous Sins proceeding thence I need not name them These must be searched out mortified extinguished and totally destroyed A great Work but possible by the Grace of Almighty God and by the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ which we shall receive if we pray for it as we ought to do with humility and fervency and constancy And therefore in the close of all let me earnestly request of the Worthy Citizens here that this magnificent and beautifull Basilica the House of God the Glory of your ancient Corporation and the solemn service dayly ministred in this Colledge may be more frequented and attended by you And withall let me petition that the daily Divine Service at least in the mornings may be procured and maintained according to the Injunction of our good Mother the Church of England in every Parish Church in this City Consider of it if you please Right Worshipfull and beloved Brethren Bear with my zeal in this proposal If ever you will be zealous for publick and Common Prayer Now is the time Extraordinary occasions call for our extraordinary care and diligence Verbum sapienti My last words shall be taken out of a Prayer appointed for this Day O Lord Let the Consideration of thy Goodness work in us true Repentance that Iniquity may not be our ruine And increase in us more and more a lively faith and fruitfull Love in all holy Obedience that thou maist continue thy favour with the Light of the Gospel to us and our posterity for evermore And that for thy dear Sons sake Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
A SERMON PREACHED Vpon the Fifth of November 1679. In the Cathedrall Church at Gloucester By CL. BARKSDALE Pray for the peace of Jerusalem OXFORD Printed for John Barksdale Book-seller in Cicester 1680. Psal CXXII VI. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem They shall prosper that Love thee TO observe the coherence and meaning of the Text you may be pleased to look back to the 3 verse Jerusalem is builded as a City that is Compact together i. e. Jerusalem is a Lovely place the very buildings being so uniform and orderly joyn'd together are very beautifull an Emblem of that unity of minds that should be in the Church of God Then at the 4 verse Thither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel or rather as our Critical Paraphrast has it according to the Commandment unto Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. It was the place to which all the Inhabitants of the Land were obliged to go up thrice every year to commemorate the mercies of God afforded to his people Then at the 5 verse For there are set Thrones of Judgment the Thrones of the House of David i. e. Besides the Service of God there also is the Sanhedrim or supreme Judicatory of the Nation that great Court where the highest matters are decided And there also is the Palace of David where the King resides and his Posterity shall sit upon his Throne All these Considerations infer the Duty of the Text Pray for tâ—e 〈…〉 the City of God weâ—l compacted and 〈…〉 in it selfe â—erusalem is the place where the House of God is and his solemn service â—erusalem is the seaâ—e of the King and the seat of â—â—stice Therfore Pâ—ay â— pray 〈◊〉 the peace of Jerusalem It is the duâ—y of â—ll Good men to pray for this place and to love it most affectionatly and to beseech God to bestow a quiet enjoyment of all these Advantages and all manner of prosperity upon it They shall prosper that love thee They that love and pray and contribute their utmost to Jerusalem shall not loose their reward they shall gain to themselves prosperitie The Text you see being thus explained falls into two parts A Duty and a Reason Thâ— Duty in tâ—e former words Pray for the peace of Jerusalem The Reason in the later They shall prosper that love thee a reason which is the great Reason and Common Motive to duty taken from their own intereâ—t and benefit They shall prosper that love thee ô Jerusalem So that we have these two Observations I. It is our duty to pray for the peace of the Church and State wherin we live II. They that well performe this duty procure prosperity and happiness for themselves I. It is our duty to love and pray for the peace of the Church and State wherin we live I joyn the Church and the State together for as I said at Jerusalem was the House of God the Temple and there also was the House of the King and the Court of Justice Religion and Justice are the great pillars of a Nation when these stand fâ—rm and inviolate then is a Nation happy That the Church may florish in true Religion and the State florish in the due Execution of Justice this must be the desire of our hearts this we must endevour every one in his place and this must every one pray for Pray for the peace of Jerusalem It is to this purpose that the Apostle Paul so earnestly exhorts that supplications and prayers be made for Kings and for all that are in Authority that under them we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty The Kings and Emperors and Magistrates in those times were Heathens and persecutors of Christian Religion yet the Apostle requires that prayers and supplications be made for them How much more ought we to pray for Christian Kings and Princes that under the Gracious Government of these Nursing Fathers Godliness and Honesty Religion and Justice may be nourished and maintained Good Reason to pray for Magistrats in the State under whose protection we live and by whome we enjoy peace and quietness And we have good reason too to pray for Ministers in the Church This the same Apostle requires Pray for us I desire your prayers for me and my fellow labourors in the Gospel those he means that are described there that watch for your souls and must give account for them namely the Bishops and Ministers under the Bishops They that have such a great charge as the charge of Souls that labour amongst you in the word and doctrine that exhort and admonish you in the Lord they certainly may well exspect the benefit and help of your prayers Pray for us Ministers in the Church saith the Apostle as well as for Magistrats in the State that it may go well both with the Church and with the State What the Apostle enâ—oyns that prayers should be made for Magistrats and Ministers was duly remembred in composing and framing the Liturgy and publick prayers of the Church of England as you may easily acknowledge who are such obedient sons of the Church as dayly to attend which I do heartily wish all having no lawful hindrance would do daily attend the publick divine Service For example O Lord save the King And endue thy Ministers with righteousness Againe for the King O God Behold our gracious Soveraigne Lord the King and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit that he may alwayes encline to thy will and walke in thy wayes And for the Ministers Send downe upon our Bishops and Curats the healthful Spirit of thy grace and that they may truly please thee pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing Againe for the King By the way remember a Note of King Charls I of blessed memory That sure some of his Enemies were the more offended against the Common prayer book because it taught us to pray so much and so often for the King a reason which may make those who are loyal Subjects the more in love with it I say Againe for the King So rule the heart of thy Chosen Servant that he may above all things seek thy Honour and Glory So rule his heart that he may study to preserve thy People committed to his charge in wealth peace and godliness And yet againe Save and defend our King that under him we may be Godly and quietly governed Grant unto his whole Counsel and to all that are put in Authority under him that they may truly and indifferently minister Justice to the punishment of wickedness and vice and to the maintenance of true Religion and Vertue Where also you may remember it follows for the Church Give grace O Heavenly Father to all Bishops and Curates that they may both by their life and Doctrine set forth thy true and lively Word and rightly and duly administer thy Holy Sacraments Thus Beloved are we taught in our
or Both. The Seditious in the State use to disturbe the Civil Government under pretence of heavy Impositions and taxes The Sectaries in Religion love to untie the bonds of Ecclesiastical Politie under colour of superstitious Rites and Ceremonies both sorts are to be lookt upon and lookt to as enemies to the peace of our Jerusalem And you will excuse your Teachers and Spiritual Guids if they do Hoc agere bestow much care and paines in this behalf that in this Noble City may be found no such Sectaries no such seditious Persons Beloved it is our hearts Desire and our prayer to God for you that you may approve your selves both obedient Subjects to the King whome God preserve and dutiful Sons of the church And in so doing you will help to keep help much such a City to keep and preserve and advance that which we pray for the peace of our Jerusalem Our Obedience must under God and the King I say our Obedience must both procure and advance our peace And without obedience unto Governors our prayers for them signify nothing avail nothing Pray for Governors that 's good but then we must obey them too God is much pleased with the Obedience of his people obedience to his own Laws and obedience to the Laws of his Vicegerents Indeed the Laws of his Vicegerents are in a sort Gods own Laws ratified and established by God For by him Kings Reigne and Princes decree Juâ—tice Obedience to our Governors is obedience to God Almighty and to Christ our Lord. What Saint Paul faith of servants may be fiâ—ly applyed and accommodated to Subjects Subjects be obedient to your King doing the will of God from the heart not in outward shew only but from the heart with good will shewing your obedience as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same shall be receive of the Lord. Or as it is elsewhere expressed by the same hand Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the Reward the reward of your true and faithful Obedience And this brings me to the Great Reason or effectual Motive of our good Affection and good wishes to Jerusalem in the latter part of the Text They shall prosper that love thee that love and pray for thee O Jerusalem II. They that performe the Duty that love the Church and State and pray for the peace of them procure prosperity and happiness for themselves For the declaration and proof of this let us consider first in general That our prayers for others are always profitable to our selves The Reason is because our praying is the performance of a Duty pleasing unto God It is pleasing unto God because it is commanded by him Pray one for another saith Saint James And omission of this duty is a sin as appeares by the Words of Samuel God forbid that I should sin in ceasing to pray for you Now if it be a sin to deny another our prayers if to pray for others be to performe a duty pleasing to God and commanded by Him hence it clearly follows that it will be Profitable and advantageous to us For this is an infallible Truth No man ever obeyed God in vaine Another Reason is because in our praying for others we exercise and encrease our brotherly kindness and Charity And you know brotherly kindness and Charity is the great grace the prince of Graces commended unto us in the Gospel of Christ who hath taught it by his example and precept and hath set it down as the proper mark and character of his Disciples This love and charity as it makes us prone to do other good Offices for our Neighbours so especially does it incline us to pray for them This is a Charitable office which the poorest may performe for the richest an Office which we can perfome for our worst enemies When they stand at such a distance from us that we can do them no other good we can and must pray for them according to the Command of our Lord and Master And by the exercise of this Charity we encrease it and procure no small benefit to our selves as well as to them for whom we pray Thus in generall Now let us in particular speak of our love to Jerusalem and our praying for Jerusalem that is for our Church and State and first for the State or civil Government What is the end and effect of our prayers for the State for the King whom God preserve and all that are in Autority under him no man can better tell us than Saint Paul That we may lead a quiet and peacible life in all Godliness and Honesty I. A quiet and and peacible life Do you know what a blessing it is to lead a quiet and peacible life If you do not value this blessing look back upon the time that is within our memory the time of our late domestic Wars and tumults when the late King a just and merciful and religious Prince was put beside his Government first weakened and devested of his Royal power and prerogative first and then deprived of his life and all Look upon the time of our present Sovereigns exile in forreign parts what factions what changes and uncertainties of Government what oppression and cruelties before his Majesties happy Returne There are but few among us so old that can look back to the 5 of November 1605. Not to speake of the terrible Invasion in 88 in the time of the famous Queen Elizabeth when the Spanish Armada that Invincible Armada as it was proudly named threatned utter ruine to this Kingdome but was it selfe by Gods Assistance ruined and defeated when that of Claudian was hansomly applyed to the Queen Onimium dilecta Deo cui militat aether Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti But the year 1605 some few among Old men may remember and most men are acquainted with the history of the gunpowder Treason a Treason ploted by pretended Caâ—holicks and for the pretended promotion of Christian Religion wheras indeed and in truth it was a plot most opposite to the doctrine of Christ and tending to the destruction of a Church of all other Churches we know whose Doctrine and Constitutions are most agreeing with the primitive Church of Christ truly Catholick and Apostolick It was a plot for the destruction as the Records testify to all posteritie for the destruction of the King that King of such admirable learning and piety King James the Queen the Prince and all the Royal branches with the whole Clergy and Commons of this Realm then assembled in Parliament by popish treachery appointed as sheep to the slaughter in a most barbarous and savage manner beyond the examples of former Ages An unnatural Conspiracy I speake the words of Autority an unnatural Conspiracy An horrible and wicked enterprize plotted and intended this day a dismall day if it had taken affect against the King and the whole State for the subversion of the Government and the