Gods Work in Founding Zion, Title page – Dedication
God's Work in Founding Zion, AND His Peoples Duty thereupon. A SERMON PREACHED IN THE Abby Church at Weſtminſter, at the opening of the PARLIAMENT Septemb. 17th 1656. By JOHN OWEN: a Servant of Jeſus Chriſt in the Work of the Goſpell.
Walk about Sion, and goe round about her, tell the Towers thereof. Mark ye well her Bulwarks, conſider her places, that ye may tell it to the Generation following.
For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.
Pſal. 48. 12, 13, 14.
OXFORD, Printed by LEON: LICHFIELD Printer to the Univerſity, for THO: ROBINSON 1656.
Wedneſday the 17 of September 1656.
ORdered by the Parliament, That Mr Maidſton, and the Lieutenant of the Tower, doe give the hearty Thankes of the Houſe to Doctor Owen, Deane of Chriſt-Church, and Vice-Chancellor of the Vniverſity of Oxford, for his great pains taken in his Sermon Preach'd this day in the Abby Church at Weſtminſter, before His Highneſſe the Lord Protector, and the Members Elected to Sitt this preſent Parliament. And that he be deſired to print his Sermon. And that no man preſume to print it without his Leave.
Hen: Scobell Clerk of the Parliament.
TO HIS HIGHNESSE THE LORD PROTECTOR, And To The PARLIAMENT Of the Common-wealth of England, Scotland & Ireland &c.
ALthough I need plead no other Reaſon for the publiſhing of the enſuing diſcourſe, but your Order and Command for my ſo doing, yet becauſe I know that your peculiar Intereſt, as Governors of this Common-wealth, in the ſeverall ſtations wherein you are placed of God, is truely stated therein, in the purſuit whereof, your Peace, and the Peace of theſe Nations will be found to lye; I crave leave to adde that conſideration alſo. Being fully acquainted, in, and with what weakneſſe it was compoſed and delivered, I cannot but conclude, that it was meerly for the truths ſake therein contained which is of God, and its ſuetableneſſe through his wiſe providence, to the preſent ſtate of things, in theſe Nations, that it found acceptance and entertainment with you, which alſo makes me willing to be therein your Remembrancer a ſecond time. From the day wherein I received a command and call unto the ſervice of Preaching unto you, unto this iſſue of it, wherein it is cloathed anew with obedience to your Order, I found mercy with God to have that caution, of the great Apoſtle abiding in my heart and thoughts, if I yet pleaſe man, I am not a ſervant of God; Hence I can with boldneſſe profeſſe, that influenced in ſome meaſure with the power of that direction, I ſtudiouſly avoided what ever might be ſuggested, with the leaſt unſuitableneſſe thereunto, with reſpect either to my ſelfe or others.
It was for Sions ſake, that I was willing to undertake this duty, and ſervice: rejoycing that I had once more an opportunity to give publike Teſtimony to the great concernment of the great God, and our deare Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in all the concuſſions of the Nations in the World, and peculiarly in his wonderfull providentiall diſpenſations, in theſe wherein we live. And here as the ſumme of all, touſe plaineſſe and liberty of ſpeech, I ſay, If there be any thing, in any perſon whatever, in theſe Nations, that cannot ſtand with, that can ſtand without the generall intereſt of the people of God pleaded for, let it fall and riſe no more: And the Lord I know will ſend his bleſſing out of Sion, on what ever in ſingleneſſe of heart, is done in a tendency to the eſtabliſhment thereof.
Farther I ſhall not need to ſuggeſt any thing of the deſigne of the enſuing diſcourſe: they who take themſelves to be concern'd therein, will acquaint themſelves with it, by its peruſall▪ I ſhall only adde, if the generall principles aſſerted therein be in your hearts, if in purſuit thereof you endeavour, that in no corner of this Nation it may be ſaid, this is Sion that no man careth for, but that thoſe who love the Lord Jeſus Chriſt in ſincerity, and are by faith and obedience ſeparated from the periſhing world, following the Lamb, according to the light which he is graciouſly pleaſed to impart unto them and ingaged by the providence of God, in that work which he hath undertaken to accompliſh amongſt us; be not overborne by a ſpirit of prophaneneſſe, and contempt of the power of Godlineſſe, raging in the Earth; that they may be preſerv'd & ſecured, from the returne of a hand of violence, and encouraged in the Teſtimony they have to bear to the Kingdom of Chriſt, in oppoſition to the World and all the ways which the men thereof have received by Tradition from their Fathers, that are not according to his mind, you will undoubtedly in your ſeverall conditions receive bleſſing from God; which alſo that you may in all your concernments, is the daily prayer of
Your humbleſt Servant in the work of our dear Lord Jeſus JOHN OWEN.