The Churchs Plea for the Divine Presence to Prosper Human Force, Title page – Preface
THE Churches Plea FOR THE Divine Preſence To Proſper HUMANE FORCE.
IN A SERMON Preached, June 5. 1689. Being the Day appointed for a General Faſt, and to Implore the Bleſſing of Almighty God upon Their Majeſties Arms.
By T. CRƲSO.
DEUTER. 33.7.
Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people; let his hands be ſufficient for him, and be thou an Help to him from his Enemies.
LONDON, Printed by J.R. for Iohn Salusbury, at the Riſing Sun, near the Royal Exchange in Cornhil, 1689.
THE PREFACE.
IF ever it were Seaſonable, ſince we were a people, to ſanctify a Faſt, and call a ſolemn Aſſembly, we muſt acknowledge it to be Eminently ſo, when the Wiſedom and Piety of our Governours lately put us upon that work. What King (ſayes our Saviour) going to make War againſt another, ſitteth not down firſt, Luke 14.31.and conſulteth whether he be able to meet him that cometh againſt him? But the conſultation in ſuch caſes may be either Prudential, or Religious; and when the meer Politician upon the proſpect of ſome viſible advantages on his own ſide, is ready to cry out (with thoſe forward Sons of Zebedee) We are able, Mat. 20.22.the ſerious Chriſtian ſtops a while, and looks higher than any thing here below, that the ſtrong God may be united with him, before he adventures to contend with the weakeſt Adverſary.
How far the external ſtrictneſs in moſt places upon this occaſion, was accompanied with internal Zeal, the ſearcher of hearts only can determine; whether there was an awe upon mens ſpirits, ſuitable to the reverence of their Behaviour, is not known to us;Rom. 14.6. But if they who regarded that day, regarded it to the Lord, (and not as an Humane ordinance impoſed againſt their wills) we need not doubt of an happy and proſperous event. A Faſt which God hath choſen, (that is, when our obſervation is according to his Inſtitution) is a faſt which God will bleſſe: a day of the aflicting of ſouls, uſhers in a day of ſalvation to Kingdomes: though on the other hand, all appearances of Repentance (if they are no more than appearances) make our ſin the greater, and conſequently may make our deſtruction the ſwifter: mens burning in unmortified luſts, while they are covering themſelves with aſhes turns the ſolemn meeting it ſelf into Iniquity: Iſa. 1.13.ſuch a people will be brought lower for their pretended Humiliation, and their formal Abſtinence ſhall fatten them for Judgment.
There is nothing which will more betray the inſincerity of that day's ſervices, than the total diſcontinuance of them now; certainly the work, which we were then called to, could not be well done, by thoſe who thought it the work of a day; great congregrations are not the only places wherein the people of God are to pour out their hearts before him: nor is prayer at any time to be reſtrained, till God's favourable Anſwers ſtir us up to the offering of praiſe. Iſa. 62.6.You that make mention of the Lord, keep not ſilence, ſhould be a continual remembrance to us of our continual duty; that as we have mourned together publickly, we may now privately mourn apart, and follow God as cloſe with our Single Petitions, while the cauſe remains, as we did for a few hours with our Joynt-Requeſts. So might the Kingdom of heaven ſuffer violence (as it were) from us, and neither the Gates of Hell, nor any Enemies upon earth be able to ſtand before us.
To this end, I very willingly bore a ſmall part in the late General ſolemnity, and ſhould be moſt glad, if I could contribute any thing further, by the unwilling publication of the following Sermon; for I muſt own my averſeneſs to this, as well as my readineſs to the other; but if that which the urgent intreaties of ſome (whoſe undeſerved affection to my perſon, may I hope, procure them ſome good by my miniſtry) have extorted from me, ſhould iſſue in the awakening of any to their preſent duty, in ſeeking the Lord and his ſtrength upon ſo great and important an occaſion,Pſal. 105 4. I ſhall rejoyce on their behalf, and be encourag'd to diſpleaſe my ſelf more for the profiting of others, as well as to run the hazard of thoſe Imputations which Ill will is always apt to caſt.
I have nothing more to detain the Reader in this place with, but to beg, that the Unaccurate manner of handling may not prejudice him againſt the matter it ſelf, and that he would not be offended with the thing for want of acceptable words: let all the weakneſſes here diſcover'd, be attributed to the man, and if there be any thing truly Edifying and inſtructive, let the honour of it be given to God, who hath taught me to account my ſelf as one of
The meaneſt of his Servants, though in the Nobleſt Employment. T. C. June 19. 1689.