practices and inconveniences, and as it were to apply a salve to every sore, to minister a medicine to every malady that may occur. Again, when we perceive Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, Noadiah the prophetess, and their accomplices, continually to hinder and impeach, as much as in them lieth, the work of God's temple; that is papists, Jesuits, and malcontents, with their adherents, all adversaries and enemies to the everlasting truth of the gospel, without intermission to abuse their great leisure and small learning, to plant error and heresy in the hearts of our brethren, thereby to supplant all religious worship of Almighty God, all audience of his word and reverence to his sacraments, all humble obedience to lawful magistrates, all dutiful regard of wholesome laws, all careful observation of ancient discipline, all sincere and seemly conservation of christian life and honest manners; how can the Holy Ghost (who reproveth the world of sin) but require us to bestow all the forces and habiliments we have, not only, as good Zacharias and Aggeus', to prophesy, but, as godly Zorobabel and Salathiel, to re-edify, that is, as well by writing as by preaching, as well by our books as by our sermons, and as it were with a trowel in the one hand and a sword in the other to raise and erect the new Jerusalem, supplying the decays, repairing the ruins, filling up the breaches, building up the walls and towers of Sion in perfect beauty? The consideration whereof, together with some other earnest and vehement persuasions to the like effect used, did at the last, though long first, induce the most reverend author of this book, even another Esdras or Nehemias, to suffer these his labours to come to light: as well for that he mought leave behind him a witness and warrant of his godly and zealous affection, that the profession of his faith. mought become the sweet savour of life to life in all, rather than the savour of death to death in any; as also for [Aggeus-Haggai.-ED.] 1 that words spoken are soon come soon gone, but written withal may make a deeper impression, and so, by striking as well the eye of the reader as the ear of the hearer, may pierce his heart the better and save his soul the sooner. Of the book itself I will say but this; that, for mine own part, I am verily persuaded, there is no work written in this kind wherein men of principal estate, or particular callings, may be either more sufficiently informed to know, or more plainly directed to perform, their several duties: the superior how to govern, the inferior how to obey; the minister what to teach, the people what to learn; the parliament what to establish, the realm what to embrace; her majesty and council what to hear, court, city, and country what to amend: why patrons especially professing godliness should be uncorrupt; why pastors undergoing such a charge should keep the flock from the fox and wolf; why bishops should be more vigilant and precise not to admit ministers hand over head; why the rich should be open-handed, and poor Christ in his needy members competently relieved: how the church to be deciphered by her proper marks, of the word to be heard with diligence, and the sacraments with reverence to be frequented: how the temple to be purged of idolatry, superstition, and superfluity; the churchmen of ignorance, negligence, and simony; the commonweal of unmercifulness, covetousness, and usury; the judgment-seats, both civil and ecclesiastical, of bribery, extortion, and partiality: why the gospel to be preached with favour, the law with terror, yet both with a caveat: how God to be worshipped, our neighbours entreated, our children and families catechised, ourselves conformed to Christ his image, the simple advised, the subtil prevented, the weak supported, the obstinate corrected: what patience to be used under the cross, what thankfulness to be shewed for God's great mercies, what prayers in our extremest necessities to be poured out what sorrow must throw down the sinful man, what faith raise him up, what hope sustain him, what charity inflame him, what worthy fruits commend him to the world: finally, how the truth may be confirmed, falsehood refelled, vice reproved, virtue advanced, and so the child of God made a man wise unto salvation, and perfectly enabled unto every good work: besides many other most profitable observations, sooner taught than learned, yet sooner learned than followed, such and so many, as in so few sermons you shall hardly find, I believe, but in the same. Nor is this my single opinion only, but many men's censure of greater learning and better judgment; who know what belongs to matter and method, to times and persons, to place and occasions, with other due circumstances of well and wise meaning, speaking, and writing. But, as those sermons be best praised ever that be ever best practised; so, if these shall be received into the good ground of your hearts, with the same affection and spirit they were preached first and now be published, no doubt but the sower, the seed, the soil, the increase and all, will be found to the glory of his grace that worketh all in all. Wherefore, as not only Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, but all are ours, and we are Christ's, and Christ is God's; so let us comfort and strengthen one another in our holy faith, holding nothing more dear unto us than the salvation each of others and in God's holy fear commend we one another to that faithful Creator, who is Father of all, above us all, and through us all, and in us all. To him be rendered all thanks, and all honour given for ever and for ever. THE ORDER AND MATTER OF THE SERMONS. SERMON I. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters; &c. II. Esay Lv. 1. Be this sin against the Lord far from me, that I should cease to pray, &c. 1 Sam. xii. 23. III. Take us the little foxes which destroy the vines: for our vine hath flourished. Cant. ii. 15. IV. I exhort therefore before all things that requests, supplications, &c. 1 Tim. ii. 1. V. VI. Be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, &c. VII. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. VIII. IX. 'X. Jac. iv. 8. Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Esay LV. 6. All the days of this my warfare do I wait, till my changing come. Job xiv. 14. That being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we may serve him, &c. Luke i. 74. XI. Owe nothing to any man, but this, to love one another: for he that loveth, &c. Rom. xiii. 8. XII. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what the Lord requireth of thee, &c. Mic. vi. 8. XIII. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought, &c. Matt. xxi. 12. XIV. Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God, &c. Acts x. 34. XV. We therefore as helpers beseech you that ye receive not the grace of God in vain, &c. 2 Cor. vi. 2. SERMON XVI. Marriage is honourable in all. Heb. xiii. 4. XVII. After these things Jesus went his way over the sea of Galilee, &c. Joh. vi. 1. XVIII. Then there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon, &c. Luke xxi. 25. XIX. And when he was entered into the ship, his disciples followed him, &c. Matt. viii. 23. XX. The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, &c. XXI. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, &c. Psal. iv. 5. comfort, &c. 2 Cor. xiii. 11. |