Jerusalems Watchmen the Lords Remembrancers, Title page – Dedication
JERVSALEMS VVATCH-MEN, THE LORDS REMEMBRANCERS:
A SERMON PREACHED at the Abbie at VVESTMINSTER, before both Houſes of Parliament, AND The Aſſembly of DIVINES, upon their Solemn Faſt, Iuly 7. 1643. BY MATTH: NEVV COMEN M. A. and Miniſter of the Goſpell at Dedham in Eſſex.
As for me, I have not haſtned from being a Paſtour to follow thee, neither have I deſired the wofull day, thou knoweſt: that which came out of my lips was right before thee.
Be not a Terrour to me, thou art my hope in the day of evill,
Jer. 17.16, 17.
Remember that I ſtood before thee to ſpeak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them,
Jerem. 18.20.
Yee that have eſcaped the ſword, goe away, ſtand not ſtill. Remember the Lord afar off, and let Jeruſalem come into your minds,
Jer. 51.50.
Publiſhed by Order of both Houſes of Parliament.
LONDON, Printed by M. F. for CHRISTOPHER MEREDITH at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard. 1643.
TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE LORDS, The worthy Members of the HONOURABLE Houſe of COMMONS, AND The Learned and Religious DIVINES, now aſſembled to conſult about matters of RELIGION.
THis Sermon might have been entertained from the Pulpit, and now from the Preſſe, as Pharez was from the womb, Gen. 38.29.with a, Quàm erupiſti, how haſt thou broken forth? were it not knowne to this Aſſembly, that the Parliament had deſigned another, both in yeares and all Intellectuall and ſpirituall abilities, far more fit for the ſolemn work of ſo ſolemne a day, in ſo ſolemne and Reverend an aConſiſting of both Houſes of Parliament & the Divines all joyning in humiliation and prayer.Aſſembly. But bodily infirmities compelling him with Zarah to draw back his hand, the work was (I know not by what providence) devolved on me, foreign. I was to that quire of Mourners and Interceſſours, but as the graſhopper was tobHujus meminit & Strabol. 6. & Clem. Al. in Protreptico al gentes, & Phot. in Ep. ad Joen. Patricium. Eunomius his harp; quae Citharae jugo inſidens ruptae chordae ſonum expleret.
The ſame Authority (which I am reſolved to obey, uſque ad Aras) that commanded mee to preach then, commands me now to make publique to the eyes of all, what then was committed to the ears of not many; when the ſame Authority ſhall command other things that have ſince been ſpoken and tranſacted in your Aſſembly to ſee the Light, I doubt not but all ſober-minded men, that have not been made drunk with the cup of Romes fornication, will acknowledge you have with a ſingle eye ſought Truth with peace, and union with Reformation.
It is (Men, Brethren and Fathers) a great work that God hath called you to ſet your heads, and hearts, and hands unto, to reſcue truth from the jaws of thoſe monſtrous errours, that had almoſt devoured it; to disburthen the worſhip of God of thoſe corruptions, that have ſo long clogged and defiled it; to adviſe of, and propound ſuch a Government in the Church, as may be moſt agreeable to Gods word, moſt conformed to the pattern in the Mount, and to the practiſes of the beſt Reformed Churches; foreign; Had our God caſt you upon this work in the moſt pacate times, and among a People the moſt prepared for Reformation that ever any were, yet (in it ſelfe conſidered) ſuch is the infinite weight of your employment as might even ſwallow up all your thoughts. But then to conſider how unprepared the hearts of people are for that which is the work of this age, and this Aſſembly, Reformation, which hath been repreſented to Prince and People under the odious notion of Browniſme, Anabaptiſme, Church Anarchy, Confuſion; in ſo much that with many, endeavours and aſſays of Reformation will find no better entertainment, then Hezekiahs meſſengers of Reformation did, 2 Chron. 30.10. when the people laughed them to ſcorn, and mocked them; Nay, with ſome worſe, for ſo enragedly doe ſome burn after their Idolatrous wayes, and ſo mad are they upon their own inventions, Jer. 50.38.that deny them theſe, and it is to be feared you ſhall finde them in the temper the Abezrites were, ſcarce any thing will pacify them, but the bloud of thoſe that have caſt down the altar of Baal, and cut down the grove that was by it; Iudg. 6.30. Doe not Multitudes cry already upon the diſuſe of ſome Ceremonies, and the diſplacing of ſome Superſtitious Prieſts? do they not cry with Micah, Judg. 18.24. Yee have taken away our Gods and our Prieſts, and what have we more? This makes the times ſo calamitous, as we may ſay of them with the Learned Rivet. In multis certè infoeliciſſima ſunt noſtra Tempora, in quibus in peſſum omnia ruunt, & quaſi tranſverſum ire videntur. Concutiuntur Regna, & Reſpublicae; tumultibus omnia perſtrepunt, & ſeditionibus; caedibus terra polluitur; & quod malum omnium malorum fons eſt, clamant peccata, et coelum provocant; profligatis ferè moribus honeſtis, & vitiis latè quaſi apertâ portâ erumpentibus. Pruriunt ingenia multorum, & in rebus Divinis ita ſe gerunt & adeò licenter, ut quod olim in populo Ebraeo (quibus temporibus non erat Rex in Iſraele) quiſque quod rectum videbatur in oculis ſuis faciebant, Iud. 17.6. Sic multi ſunt qui nullis repagulis continentur, & fidem in dies mutans, quam dum multiplicant, amittunt. Alios vetuſtâ ſocordiâ detentos dum nullam mutationem admittunt in bonum, ita dementat ſuperſtitio, ut in monitores inſurgant, ne dum ut eos patienter audiant. All this proclaims the work of Reformation the more neceſſary, but withall the more difficult.
Againſt theſe difficulties what have you to encourage you? foreign: were yee encompaſſed as ſometimes Eliſha was, with an hoaſt of armed men, yet might yee ſay as he did there, They that be with us are more then they that be againſt us.
For firſt,Revel. 19 14. with you are all the Armies in heaven: All the Saints and Churches of Chriſt are with you, ſtriving with you by their prayers, (not only in reference to your perſons, but to your employments) for protection, guidance, bleſsing. The appearing of Chriſt in the beauty of Reformation among us, may be ſaid to be the deſire of all (Chriſtian) Nations.
Secondly, not only ſo, but yee have the prayers of thoſe that have been before us. For verily many Prophets and righteous men have deſired to ſee the things which ye ſee,Favour me the uſe of this expreſſion by way of alluſion. & have not ſeen them; viz. a Parliament reſolved upon a more thorough Reformation; an Aſſembly called to debate & adviſe about the eſtabliſhing of Doctrine and worſhip, and the Government of the Church in a more pure & regular manner; with how many tears and prayers did our Forefathers ſeek this at the hands of God? The firſt fruits of which prayers we (who are entred upon their labours) have already taſted, and ſhall reap in full anſwers, in due time if we faint not.
Thirdly, you have the promiſe of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, Mat. 18.20. Where two or three are met together in my Name, there am I in the middeſt of them. To be met together in the Name of Chriſt, implies 3. things, 1o. Convenire ex vocatione. Camero in Myrothe….2o. Convenire animo ſequendi praeſcriptum Dei. 3o. Ita ut unuſquiſque diffidat ſibi, & ſoli Deo fidat. And if ever any in all theſe particulars were met together in the Name of Chriſt, then are you, and therefore may with a holy humble confidence challenge this promiſe of our Lord Ieſus, to be in the midſt among you: Chriſt being in the midſt of you, implies not only his adeſſe, but his praeeſſe too: as Pſalm 82.1. And if God be thus with us, who can be againſt us? Rom. 8.
Fourthly, ſome ſweet, encouraging, engaging experiences, we have had of the accompliſhment of this promiſe. He muſt have a heart more ignorant and unbeleeving then the Apoſtles Idiot, that ſhould come in and be an eare-witneſſe of your proceedings and not worſhip God and report foreign, That God is in you of a truth. Verily I have often from my heart wiſhed that your greateſt Adverſaries and Traducers might be witneſſes of your Learned, grave, pious debates, which were able to ſilence, if not convert Malignity it ſelfe.
Goe on in this your might; Judges 6.14.hath not the Lord ſent you? is not the Lord with you? goe on in this your might. Pergite quo coepiſtis pede. In that Spirit of wiſdome, and Love, and zeal for Truth, wherein you have proceeded hitherto, goe on ſtill, to Love the Truth and Peace. Peace is precious, and ſo is every grain and ſelvage of Gods truth. It was a ſaying of Baſil. Mag. and it well reſembles him, foreign, &c. qui ſacris literis innutriti ſunt, ne unicam quidem ſyllabam Divinorum Dogmatum prodere ſuſtinent, ſed pro his omnia, ſi opus ſit, genera mortis libenter ſubeunt.
The Lord ſtrengthen your hands and hearts unto the great work that lies before you, raiſe you above all diſcouragements and oppoſitions, fill you more and more with a Spirit of Wiſdome, diſcerning, Reſolution, Courage, Zeale, faithfulneſſe; make you in this work of Reforming his Church as Zachariah and Haggai were inre-building the Temple, ut Eccleſiam hanc, quam inveniſtis minus quam Lateritiam, reddatis pluſquam Marmoream: Suet. in vitâ Aug.which is the ſincere deſire and prayer of him,
who is Leſſe then the leaſt of all Gods mercies and Employments, MATTH. NEVVCOMEN.