Sermon 26 January 1647, License – Dedication
Die Mercurii, 26. Januar. 1647.
ORdered by the Commons Aſſembled in Parliament, That Sir William Maſſam doe from this Houſe give Thanks unto Mr. Marſhall, for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon, Preached on this day at Margarets Weſtminſter, before the Houſe of Commons (it being a day of Publick Humiliation) and that hee be deſired to Print his Sermon, wherein hee is to have the like priviledge in Printing of it, as others in the like kind uſually have had.
H. Elſynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.
A SERMON PREACHED TO THE HONORABLE HOVSE OF Commons Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT: At their late ſolemne Faſt, Januar. 26. 1647.
At Margarets WESTMINSTER.
By Steven Marſhall, B. D.
London Printed by Richard Cotes, for Steven Bowtell, at the ſigne of the Bible in Popes-head Alley. 1647.
TO THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS Aſſembled in PARLIAMENT.
THE Lord hath caſt us into times, in which the foure Windes Dan 7. 2.ſtrive upon the great Sea; a great part of the World hath little leaſure for any thing, but ſtorming of Townes and ſtrong holds, and taking in of Kingdomes and Countryes; in our Land of Peace, we alſo of late have cryed out of VVar and Violence; and although thoſe Hab. 1. 2.winds have (through Gods goodneſſe) in a great meaſure ceaſed bluſtring, yet the Sea hath not left rowling; Animoſities yet remaine too great, Paroxyſmes very ſharpe, and purſuits of worldly intereſts, extreame eager: here like Jehu, wee drive 2 Kings 9. 20furiouſly, magno conatu nugas, we throw feathers with the whole ſtrength of our arme: vaine men! that lean too hard on a weak reed; unwiſe builders! who lay too great a weight upon a ſlight foundation; make ſuch trifles our Maſter-peeces, that when we come to review our work, wee muſt be inforced to ſay, Materiamſuperavit opus, that wee have overdone it, laboured too hard for that which ſatisfieth not, and cauſed our eyes to fly upon that which is not, and therefore that wee had been more wiſe, if wee had been Iſa 55. 2. Prov 23. 5.leſſe earneſt, and more happy, if wee had not effuſiſſimis habenis, let out the ſtrength of our deſires and endeavours after thoſe things, which prove vanity and bitterneſſe in the latter end. Odit Deus nimis vehementes impetus, odere cives, gratior eſt moderatio. Becauſe Morall vertue is circa res medias, therefore the Philoſopher rightly placed it in a Mediocrity: ſure I am, the Grace of Chriſt perſwades to a moderation, Phil. 4. 5. Pſal. 131. 2.a weanedneſſe, a remiſsneſſe in ſuth things as theſe, in which wee have not ſo much need of the ſpur as of the Bridle. But if the metled horſe bee ſo upon his ſpeed, that hee cannot be held in, it would bee a peece of our beſt skill to guide him in a ſafe way, and to turn the violent ſtream that cannot bee ſtopt, into a right channell; This was the deſign of my weake endeavours in this ſhort Sermon, to ſtay the man that runnes ſo violently down the hill earth-ward and hell-ward, and (if it might be,) to turn his face and heart, that if he cannot with ſo much ſpeed, yet with more contention and earneſtneſſe, he may get u pthe hill heaven-ward. In which endeavor omne valde tuum, al thy might is too weak, al ſpeed tooſlow, and Deut 6. 5.greateſt earneſtneſse too faint. Againſt ſin, all that carefulneſſe, indignation, fear, vehementeſt deſire, 2 Cor. 7. 11.and hotteſt zeal, yea and revenge that the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, are not over much, but onelyonly malo nodo malus cuneus, a ſharper wedge for a knotty peece, which will require our beſt ſtrength to drive it in ſo as to pierce an hard heart. For Gods truth, an earneſt contending is not too impetuous. For the Iude 3.Church of God, & the rearing up of Ieruſalems wals, a Satagentia is not enough; a Nehemiahs intenſe Nehem 4. 21, 22, 23. Luke 13 24. 2 Pet. 1. 5. 10, 10.earneſtnes is deſervedly imitable. For Heaven, if by ſtriving to enter in at the ſtrait gate, & by giving al diligence, at last we come to have an abundant entrance, our labour will not exceed our reward. In this work of the Lord, if you abound, your labour wil not be in vain in the Lord: and may my poore paines any whit herein quicken your endeavours, 1 Cor 15. 58.to get to heaven your ſelves, and by your helpe to have others goe along with you; to enter your ſelves into that Kingdome, and by your authority with a ſweet violence to compell others to come in, as Luke 14 23it is the prayer, ſo it will be the rejoycing of
Your humble Servant STEVEN MARSHALL.