A Solemn Persuasion to Most Earnest Prayer, Title page – Preface
A SOLEMN PERSWASION TO MOST Earneſt PRAYER For the Revival of the WORK of GOD, Bringing forth the Kingdom of CHRIST, when ever it Appears Declining under his Indignation.
WHETHER
In our own Souls.
In the Nation to which we belong.
In the Churches of Chriſt throughout.
Upon Occaſion of the late STROKE of Divine Diſpleaſure in the Death of the QUEEN of ſo Bleſſed Remembrance.
By T. BEVERLEY.
Amos 7.2, 5. Oh Lord, by whom ſhall Jacob Ariſe? For He is ſmall
LONDON, Printed for W. Marſhall at the Bible in Newgate-Street, MDCXCV.
The PREFACE to the READER.
IT is indeed a Moſt Ʋndoubted Duty, as to behold in All Perſons in the General Humane Nature, Dying, the Exemplification of our own Mortality. It is a further Duty to conſider in Chriſtians the Patterns of a Holy, and Religious Converſation, God offers to us in any of them. And This Duty is Rais'd by the Honour and Dignity of Station, and ſuch have been placed in by God: On which Account, the many Diſcourſes on ſo Great a Perſon, as our Religious, and Gracious Queen, are Juſtified; But yet, as in All Princes, that can bear any Relation to the Church of God, There is a Peculiar Attention, and Regard Due; on which Account, It is Remarkable, Scripture Takes the Names of Heathen Princes into its Records, which had never elſe Appeared, or been Heard of in it, but as God made Them Inſtruments of his Grace, or Diſpleaſure to his own People: how much more is both the Life, and the Death of Princes, who are by Profeſſion joyn'd to ſuch a People; as the Kings of Iſrael, and Judah, though ſo many Bad; But moſt of All, when they were themſelves Holy Perſonages; becauſe All Princes over the People of God have an Eminent Relation to the Mercy, or Wrath of God upon ſuch Nations; and God Changes Times and Seaſons (as Daniel obſerves) by ſetting up, or Removing ſuch Princes; And yet beyond All this, there is a Conſideration due to that Figure, Princes, and Governments make in Order to the Kingdom of the Great Son of man, Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; On Account of which, Daniel had ſo Great Viſions of the four Monarchyes, and eſpec…ally of the Fourth, or Roman, ſo immediately (in its Expiration) Conſining on that Kingdom. And this is that Higheſt, and moſt weighty Point of both Diſcourſe, as in Publick, ſo of the Prayers and Meditations of Chriſtians in Private, on ſuch a Publick Providence, as the Death of a Chriſtian Proteſtant Princeſs.
I having therefore through the Gracious Aſſiſtance of God ſet my ſelf by the Books of Scripture (wherein the Sure Word of Prophecy is for the Churches of Chriſt Depoſited) to find out the Time for the Accompliſhing the Deſolations of the Sanctuary; could not but take Notice of that ſo Monumental Providence in its Seaſon, the late Revolution, 1688. Ʋpon which I then made Publick my Obſervations, to be found ſtill, I doubt not, in many Hands: I looked upon my ſelf therefore under as great Obligation to make moſt Humble and Awful Remarks upon ſo Aſtoniſhing a Perez, a Breach or Stroke upon us in the Death of the Queen, 1694. (when the Succeſſion of the Kingdom of Chriſt is ſo much nearer according to my Computation, as in 1697. within Little more than Two Years) who ſuſtain'd ſo Illuſtrious a Figure in it. And though I Fram'd it onelyonly into ſuch a Diſcourſe as was moſt ſuited to a Plain Chriſtian Auditory; yet becauſe Wiſe, and Good, and Conſidering Perſons are not ſo Confin'd to Curiouſneſs of Words, or Artifice of Connexion, but are moſt intent upon Things, and can take Short and even the moſt Free and Natural Intimations of them under more Ample, and Accurate Reflections; I have Expos'd it to General View, moſtly as it was at firſt ſpoken; deſigning the Subſtance, and Materiality of what, I have herein offered to deepeſt Conſideration, and leaving the more Critical to Correct the Errors of Form, that they, to whoſe Minds the moſt Plain Diſcourſes have eaſieſt Acceſs, may not loſe the Benefit.
And I am Encouraged in making ſuch a Publication, in regard of both the main Deſign, which is to Conſider, How ſuch a Breach upon us is Poſited towards the Kingdom of Chriſt, and that Great Revolution of its entring into Succeſſion in 97. as alſo to Preſent it in ſuch a Native Freedom, and In-Artifice: and upon one and the ſame Account in both; That is, I have Remarked, That no Divine D…ſpoſe in our Memory hath brought forth ſo Abundantly all Kinds of Celebrations of any Perſon as of our Excellent Princeſs, both in Religious Improvements of ſo Severe a Chaſtiſement, As alſo Accumulating Higheſt Praiſes upon ſo Worthy and Meritorious a Subject, ſpeaking of her with Relation to Men; but Abating whatever any may have ſpoken of Her, like the Blaſphemies of the Antichriſt an Beaſt againſt them, that dwell in Heaven; For all ſuch Praiſes are in Sacred Style no other than Blaſphemies, not only againſt God, but Againſt Thoſe ſo Celebrated. There is therefore, in my Eſteem, no Room for any more Publications on thoſe firſt Topicks. But I have alſo obſerved, none have Pitched upon the Examination of ſo Remarkable a Diſpoſe as dating the Review from the Introduction of this Government upon the removal of King James by ſo out-ſtretched a Hand; nor carrying the Proſpect to that much greater Change God is about to make; nor giving direction, what the Servants of God are ſo to direct their Faith, and Prayers upon, Now I having ſingled out theſe Points, to Addreſs my ſelf unto the Servants of Chriſt, therein to Excite their Meditation, and Practiſe; I have taken greater Conſidence in ſetting them in an open Light, as not Treated upon by any before, on this ſo notable Providence. And yet I have not neglected on juſt occaſions to make thoſe Memorials of Praiſe that Scripture Allowes, and hath even ſet apart to them that Fear the Lord, and to Honour the Remembrance of the Queen by them.
I have alſo Pointed upon thoſe Duties of Practice, ſo neceſſary on ſo Sad and Solemn an Occaſion in General.
And on this very ſame Account, that others have ſo Abounded in all the Florid parts of ſuch Kind of Diſcourſes, I have Hoped, that a Sermon in ſo Ordinary, and Ʋn-Adorned a Dreſs will be the more gladly Suffered.
I have therefore been only Intent on this main End; that is, that every one may earneſtly ſeek of God the coming of the Kingdom of Chriſt in Power, in his own Soul; And that Powers and Nations may in General wait for it, and wiſely Place themſelves in a juſt ſubordination to it; being moſt Aſſured, if we are not removed from this Earth under the immediate Views of it, as we know we may ſoon be; even as this Great Princeſs hath been; it will yet make ſuch Appearances from Heaven in coming upon us, as will Amaze the World to behold; even its Kingdoms becoming the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Chriſt.
And though the Lord makes uſe of what greater and more Honourable Inſtruments He pleaſes, as of our Illuſtrious Queen; or of ſmaller and meaner; yet He is not tied to any: For his own Arm ſhall Rule for him, his Reward is with him, and his Work before him.
And though on ſo great a Diſpoſe, as this removal of ſo great a Perſonage from us, we ought to hear his ſpeech and to be afraid, to cry out Lord, revive thy work; In wrath remember mercy; Yet to have ſure Confidence he will, and is near about, to take to himſelf his great Power and to Reign, how Angry ſoever the Nations will be at it.
And if we are ſuch, as Love his Kingdom and Appearance, However the Fig-tree do not bloſſom, &c. However dark and black things look, yet we ſhould glory in the Lord, and rejoyce in the God of our Salvation, and be Aſſured he will make our feet like Hindes feet, and ſet us on the High Places of his Kingdom; And though Nations labour in the very Fire, and weary themſelves for very vanity, yet it is ſo ordered by the Lo…d of Hoſts, becauſe he is juſt about to Fill the Earth with the Knowledge of his Glory, even as the Waters cover the Sea. Oh let him come into his Holy Temple, and let all the Earth be ſilent before him.