Christs Counsel to Poor and Naked Souls, Title page – Dedication
CHRISTS COVNSELL TO Poore and naked Soules, that they might bee well furniſhed with pure Gold, and richly clad with white Raiment.
Delivered in a SERMON before the Honourable Houſe of Commons at their Publique Faſt, in Margarets Church in Weſtminſter, Septemb. 29, 1647.
By THOMAS VALENTINE, one of the Aſſembly of Divines, and Miniſter of Chalfout in the Countie of Buckingham.
LONDON, Printed for Iohn Rothwell, at the Sun and Fountaine in Pauls Church-yard. 1647.
Die Mercurii, 29 Septemb. 1647.
Ordered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament, That Mr. Wheeler, doe from this Houſe give thankes unto Mr. Valentine, for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon Preached on this day at Magarets Weſtminſter before the Houſe of Commons, and that he deſire him to Print his Sermon, wherein he is to have the like priviledge in printing of it, as others in the like kinde uſually have had.
H. Elſynge Cler. Parl. Dom. Com.
TO THE Honourable Houſe of COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
I Was called upon a ſhort warning to attend you in your Publike Faſt, I preſume that tooke off your expectation, which was ſome advantage to me; a Learned man whiſpered to one going up in publike, and ſaid, wee have entertained your Enemie, namely, a great expectation, and this proves prejudiciall. You have by your acceptance of my Labours, and requiring the publication of theſe plaine Meditations, gone beyond my expectation. I obey your command, and offer to the publique view, (under your Patronage) what God on the ſudden brought to hand: I was bold in the end of my Sermon, in the laſt Uſe, to repreſent the ſad Condition of the people of this Land; give me leave in a word or two to adde ſomewhat to the ſame purpoſs. Wee may looke upon the great Citie of our Land, and all the reſt, as Chriſt did upon Jeruſalem; Luk. 19.41.and if wee had the like Spirit, wee ſhould poure out our dolefull expreſſions even with teares as he did. Divers have ſhed teares when they have ſeene ſad Spectacles before their eyes. Titus the Roman Generall, wept when he heard of the Calamities of the beſieged in Jeruſalem; Marcellus wept when he ſaw the blood of the Syracuſans, Scipio Africanus wept over Carthage, but none of theſe like the teares of Chriſt, for he mournes for their deſolation before it came upon them; he lookes with ſorrow upon their ſins that did not beleeve in him, and laments their eternall perdition, and theſe did well become the teares of the Sonne of God: If we had the like Spirit, wee have the like occaſion, Jeruſalem was deſtroyed by Diviſion, and ſo were the Romans that conquered it; there were three companies that held out one againſt another to the very laſt; moſt of our Cities have more Diviſions then three thrice told, they had ſignes from Heaven to give them warning, Armies of fight…ng men appeared in the Aire, and a Comet like a flaming Sword over their Citie: Wee have had Armies, and a bloody Sword in the bowells of the Kingdom which have done that indeed, which was repreſented unto them; they had a voice in the Temple, ſaying, Migremus hinc, Let us remove hence, wee ſee it done already in a great Meaſure; the glory is departing from us, not onelyonly to the threſhold, but even to the Mountaines: Looke upon the higheſt,Iſa. 23.9. and goe downeward, and you may truely ſay, the Lord hath ſtained the pride of all our glory. Jordan (as ſome affirme) was turned out of its courſe foure yeares before the deſtruction of Jeruſalem. All things are out of courſe with us,Rev. 11.13. the foundations of the earth are ſhaken, wee are under the earthquake, and yet few men tremble before the Lord. I am afraid it is a fore-runner of our deſtruction, and the rather, becauſe that which ſhould unite us is likely to divide us more; You make a rule in matter of Religion and Government, and withall you make ſo many exceptions which will be as large as the rule, and it is hard to tell whether the greater number will come under the one or other. Were it not better to take into conſideration thoſe things wherein all the godly or moſt agree,Phil. 3 16. (according to that of the Apoſtle) Whereunto wee have already attained, let us walke by the ſame rule, and mind the ſame thing; rather then lay the foundation of a perpetuall diviſion. How this ſhould be done, requires time, and the moſt ſerious thoughts of wiſe man; yet in my poore judgement I thinke it might be done. The Lord direct you that are appointed to be the publike inſtruments of our good, that ſome way may be found out to take away the envy of Ephraim, Iſa. 11.13.and then I ſhall not much feare the adverſaries of Judah. And this ſhall be the prayer of him that reſts
Your unworthy Servant in the Goſpel, THO. VALENTINE.