A Sermon Pressing to and Directing in the Great Duty of Praising God, Title page – Dedication
A SERMON Preſsing to, and Directing in, that Great Duty of Praiſing God.
Preached to the PARLIAMENT At Weſtminster, Octob: 8. 1656.
BEING The day of their Solemn Thankſgiving to God for that late Succeſſe given to ſome part of the Fleet of this Common-wealth againſt the Spaniſh Fleet in its return from the Weſt Indies.
By JOSEPH CARYL, Miniſter of the Goſpel at Magnus near London Bridge.
LONDON: Printed by M. Simmons, and are to be ſould by John Hancock at the firſt Shop in Popes-head-Alley next to Cornhill, 1657.
Thurſday, Octob: 9. 1656.
ORdered, That the thanks of this Houſe be given to Mr. Caryll for his great pains taken yeſterday in his Sermon preached before this Houſe in Margarets Weſtminſter, being a day ſet apart for publick Thankſgiving, and that he be deſired to Print his Sermon, and that he have the like priviledge of Printing as hath been allowed to others in like Caſes.
And that the Lord Broghill be deſired to give him the thanks of this houſe accordingly.
Hen: Scobell Clerk of the Parliament.
TO THE PARLIAMENT OF England, Scotland, & Ireland, AND The Dominions thereunto belonging.
THeſe are times of Action, as well as of Conſulation; and this hath been your happineſſe, that while you have been conſulting how to ſettle and aſſure (as an earthly felicity may be called ſure) peace and Government at home, God hath proſpered thoſe with a very ſignall ſucceſſe, who are acting in a war abroad. And though ſucceſſe be no infallible argument of a good cauſe, yet a good cauſe receives a very comfortable encouragement by ſucceſſe. And as a neglect to goe on in doing good is not excuſable, even while we find that the good we are doing, doth not goe on; So when it doth, our neglect is altogether inexcuſable. When God ſeems to ſtand ſtill or (as the Scripture ſometimes ſaith) to be a ſleep, 'tis our duty to awake and work, how much more when he appears eminently awake and at work for us? 'Tis not good to out-run providence, and 'tis as bad to loyter and lagge behind it. The Arme of the Lord (as the Prophet long ſince prayd hard it might, Iſa: 51. 9.) hath lately awakened for us (The occaſion of this Sermon is his witneſſe) it hath awakened and put on ſtrength as in the ancient dayes, in the generations of old, it hath cut Rahab and wonded the Dragon in the Sea; It hath broken (ſome of) the heads of Leviathan in peices, and given him to be meat to his people inhabiting the wilderneſſe (Pſal. 74. 14.) And is not all this bottome enough for me to cry, Awake, Awake O arme of man, O arme of the Parliament put on ſtrength and be cloathed with a holy care & courage for God and for his people, though as yet but in a wildernes condition, wherein we are much entangled with bryars and thornes, and ſometimes engaged in unbeaten paths? many thouſands will bear this witneſſe with me, that it is. And my hearts deſire and prayer to God for you is, That your Counſels both in reference to this particular mercy for which you have ſo ſolemnly given thanks to God, as alſo in reference to all thoſe important affairs of theſe Nations that are in your hands, may bear this witneſſe alſo. Elſe I muſt take the boldnes (with much ſubmiſſion) to ſay, That your own Thankſgivings will give witneſſe againſt you.
'Tis an act of high favour from God to bestow a mercy, and 'tis an act of much grace and faithfulneſſe in man to improve it. 'Tis eaſier periſhing for want of help from God, then for want of a heart for God. 'Tis better to be in ſuch ſtreights, that we know not what to doe, then to make ſuch little uſe of our enlargements, as not to doe what we know. And what an Obligation is there upon theſe three Nations, and upon your Selves, eſpecially, who are the repreſentative of them, to be more then active, even very zealous for the publick good, ſeing we daily find Sons of Beliall riſing up, who are active to the utmoſt against it? Tis honorable to imitate their induſtry, whoſe undertakings we abhor, and that their zeal in a bad matter ſhould provoke ours in a good. As therefore the Nations have reaſon to pay you many thanks for your unwearied labours, and the iſſues of them to this day, So the Lord give you to encreaſe more and more▪ A good man may be weary in well doing, but he ſhall never be weary of it. And it ſhould mightyly uphold our ſpirits not to be▪ (as the Apoſtle admoniſheth the Galatians Chap: 6. 9.) weary in well doing: becauſe (as it follows there) we ſhall reap if we faint not. That you may ſow without fainting, and reap with rejoycing, is the vote of
SIRS, Your moſt humble Servant, in this work of the Lord, JOSEPH CARYL.