The Prophecy of Haggai Interpreted and Applied, Exposition · Sermon 8
The Eight Sermon.
Haggai Chap. 1 verſe 14.
And the Lord ſtirred up the ſpirit of Zerubbabel the ſonne of Shealtie a Prince of Judah, and the ſpirit of Joſhua the ſonne of Jehoſideck the High-Prieſt.
IT hath been heretofore declared in the explication of the former part of this Chapter, how the Jewes having begunne to lay the foundation of the Temple of the Lord, did afterward ſurceaſe from proceeding in the Lords worke, wherefore they were firſt ſharpely reprehended, and reproved, by the Prophet of the Lord for their ſinne, and afterwards he did incovrage them to go on forward in the building of the Temple.
In theſe words, he ſheweth how the Lord unto the words of the Prophet did adde the inward operation of his ſpirit. 1 The Lord did ſtirre up the ſpirit, &c. 2 The obedience of the Prince and people thereunto, in the words following; and they came and did the worke.
The firſt needeth no expoſition, ſaving, that whereas it is ſaid, that the Lord did ſtirre them up, we may conceive their drowſle ſluggiſhneſſe was like unto a ſleepe, and ſleepe is nothing but a ſimilitude of death, wherefore the Apoſtle ſaith, Epheſ. 5. Eph 5. 14.14. Awake thou that ſleepeſt and ſtand up from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light. The ſame admonion the Jewes did receive by God at the time when by ſtirring them up he awoke them out of ſleep. ver. 15.The next point is the circumſtance of time, v. 15. In the 24 day of the ſixt monethmonth, in the ſecond year of Darius the King, which doth ſhew that the part doth not belong to the ſecond Chapter, but to the firſt, for the ſcriptures were delivered into chapters a little before our age, but the ſcripture it ſelfe ſheweth this Hieron, in Aggai. Cap, 2. Vulg at Edit. Aggai Cap. 2.diviſion is more probable ſeeing that the ſecond verſe of the next Charter ſhould begin with another circumſtance of time, ſo Saint Jerome and others have divided the ſame, a matter wherein I would not have ſpent ſo many words, but that the councell of Trent, and ſome of the antient Fathers have joyned the ſame to the ſecond Chapter according to the tranſlation of the old latins, Sextus the 5 doth not joyn this to the former but to the latter circumſtance in the ſecond Chapter.
Paulius de Palatio, one of the popiſh writers, would have this part according to the Hebrewes to be joyned to the circumſtance of time, and Rebera alſo a man of the papiſts, and of greater judgment, affirmeth that this circumſtance of time, in the firſt verſe of the ſecond Chapter, appertaineth to the firſt Charter. So cleare and undoubted it is that the circumſtance of time and the courſe of the ſcripture, doth ſhew that as ſoone as the ſpirit of the Lord did ſtirre them up, they made no delay, but went and built the houſe of the Lord, ſo that they did not then deferre, ſo many dayes as before they had done yeares, but went and did worke in the Lords houſe: we may alſo further here obſerve that this houſe is called The Houſe of the Lord of Hoſts; To ſhew Ezdras 1. 2 Ezra 4. 17. 23.his power over all creatures, a thing which might ſtand much for their incouragement: for whenas they had began to build the houſe of the Lord. Ezdras 1, 2. by the permiſſion of Cyras: then their adverſaries procured a commiſſion from Artaxerxes to hinder and moleſt them in the building of the roofe, and afterwards they obtained liberty to reedifie the ſame, in the dayes of Darius as appeareth, Ezdras 4. 24, ſo that they might have beene diſcouraged, Ez. 4. 24. Pro. 21. 1.if they had not conſidered that the hearts of princes are in the hands of God as the rivers of waters: 2 as his power, ſo his fatherly goodneſſe is ſhewed in this, in that he is called their God, as he made promiſe to Abraham to be a God unto him and to his ſeed for ever; ſo now he ſheweth himſelfe to be their God, being Abrahams ſeed. The conſideration whereof muſt needs Gen. 12. 2. 3. & 15. 1. 5. and Gen. 17. 7, Rom. 15, 4breed a child-like affection in them to obey ſo good a Father, for when he might have juſtly puniſhed them for their daily ſinnes, yet as a loving father, he raiſed them out of the ſame, which muſt needs incourage them and make them thankefull for it (and the Lord ſtirred up the ſpirit of Zerubbabel.) The ſpirit of God teaceth us that what ſoever is written a fore time is written for our inſtruction, ſo that in this place we may learne divers leſſons for our learning. Firſt where the Lord is ſaid to have ſtirred up the ſpirit of Zerubbabel with this connexion (and the Lord &c. The connexion ſheweth that it dependeth on the words which went before, whence we may obſerve, that the orninary meanes which the Lord uſeth to ſtirre us up and to convert us unto himſelfe is the miniſtry of the word, ſo that it pleaſeth him to ſend his meſſengers, not only to the meaner ſort of men, but to Kings and Princes alſo for the ſame purpoſe. A thing the more to be marked, becauſe there are ſome as tradſmen, ſchollers and Divines, which may happily thinke themſelves not to be charged with theſe things, or els not to have need thereof, whereby they may ſeeme to be exempted from them, but let ſuch men conſider that this is the meanes whereby they muſt be ſtirred up. Lydia a ſeller of purple had her heart opened thereby, even at the preaching of Saint Paul. And as for others, although Act. 16. 14.they have never ſo much learning, yet I hope they neither may nor will preferre themſelves before David a man after Gods own heart, and indued with a principall and ſingular ſpirit, who did Act. 13. 22not ariſe out of the dead ſleepe of ſinne, untill the prophet Nathan came unto him, to ſtirre him up, and them he cryed as it is 2 Sam. 12. 7. Pſa. 51. 1.Pſalm. 51, Have mercy upon me O God, caſt me not away from thy preſence, nor take thy holy ſpirit from me, and this the ſame ſpirit of God doth manifeſt unto us, that which our Saviour Chriſt ſaid Iohn 3 3.to Nicodemus, that we muſt be borne anew: except a man be borne againe be cannot ſee the Kingdome of God, and borne againe we cannot be unleſſe we be firſt begotten by the word; and though it be true, that God begetts us by the inward operation of his holy ſpirit, yet he uſeth the outward meanes of the miniſtry to the perfecting an laccompliſhing of the ſame: and therefore Paul is Jam. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 1. 23 1 Cor. 4. 15 Phil. v. 10.ſaid to beget the Corinthians, and Oneſimus by the word: ſo unleſſe we receive the meſſengers which bring this word unto us, and apply the ſame unto our hearts, we can have no regeneration of the ſpirit. God the creator of all things might have begotten us without Fathers or Mothers, or any other meanes as he did in Adam and Eve, and he might of ſtones, have raiſed up Children unto Abraham, but he ordained and uſed the meanes Gen. 1 27, 28.of naturall generation, and ſo muſt we in our new birth, that ſo we may be-gotten, not of mortall ſeed, but of immortall by the word of God, which liveth and endureth for ever: Rachel ſaid give me children or elſe I die, unto whom Jacob anſwered, Mat. 3. 9. Gen 30. 1,am I in Gods ſteed who hath withholden from thee the fruit of thy wombe: ſo that as in naturall generation the fruit of the body cometh by the bleſſing of God, ſo is it in our ſpirituall regeneration alſo; if Rachel had not asked of God, God had not remembred her, and if ſhe had not uſed the meanes ſhe had not beene the mother of Joſeph and Benjamin, which teacheth us, that we muſt uſe the meanes of the miniſtery; that we may be begotten and borne Iam. 1. 18. 21. 1 Theſ. 2. 13. 1 Cor. 4. 15.again: as many, as will be the children of God they muſt receive the word which is brought unto them by the Lords meſſengers, that they may be begotten anew by the ſame, and being thus begotten and borne anew, we muſt not ſtay here but be nurſed up further, and brought up with the pure milke of the word, that as new borne Babes we may grow thereby: and when we be 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2.growne to be of riper age, in Chriſt; then this word will afford us ſtrong meat alſo, for this is not onelyonly the ſincere milke of the ſoule which as new borne babes we muſt deſire, that we may grow thereby, as 1 Pet. 2. 2. but as it is alſo ſtrong meat for 1 Pet. 2. 12 1 Cor. 3. 1 2.ſtrong men, and belongeth alſo to them of riper age which through long cuſtome have their witts exerciſed to diſcerne both good and evill. As Heb. 5. 14. Let us not therefore neglect the means Heb. 5. Heb. 5. 14. Heb. 2. 3. Heb. 10. 28 29.of our ſo great ſalvation, for if he which deſpiſeth Moſes law died without mercy under two or three witneſſes, how much more ſore puniſhment ſhall he be worthy of, that neglecteth the worke of reconciliation, whereby we grow up in Chriſt Jeſus, Remember the word of the Lord, ſpoken by the Prophet Amos 8. Behold the dayes come ſaith the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19. Amo. 8. 11that I will ſend a famine in the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirſt for water, but for hearing of the word of the Lord, and they ſhall wander from ſea to ſea, and from the North even unto the Eaſt ſhall they runne, and ſeeke the word of the Lord and ſhall not finde it: And this plague ſhall not onelyonly be upon the ancient and Elders of Iſrael, but he addeth further, that even the faire virgins and young men ſhall periſh for thirſt: a moſt evident proofe that as our bodyes would quickly periſh, unleſſe they ſhould be ſtrengthened with 2 Kings 3. 9, 10. 1 Kings 17. 22. Galen de ſenitate Lib 1 Cap.materiall food and nouriſhment, even ſo our ſoules unleſſe they be fedd and nouriſhed with the heavenly food of the word brought unto us by the miniſters and preachers thereof; would quickly dye and periſh, whereby we are to acknowledge the ſingular goodneſſe of God, and his great mercy ſhewed unto us above the Jewes in ſending us ſo great plenty of this food, and therefore the more wretched and ungratefull are we, if we contemne ſo great a grace and mercy when it is offered unto us, It is ſaid Jer. 29. that the Lord had ſent them. Prophets riſing up early and inſtructing them, yet they were not obedient to receive duplicate page duplicate page doctrine; The word of riſing early ſhould put the miniſters in minde of their induſtry and diligence in their vocation, and delivering the meſſage of the Lord: and if this early riſing do ſeem to be to early to ſome, Let them remember the ſaying of the wiſe man in the Proverbs which may helpe to awake them, How long wilt thou ſleep O ſluggard, when wilt thou ariſe out of thy ſleep? yet a Pro. 6. 9.little ſleep a little ſlumber, a little foulding of the hands to ſleep; therefore thy poverty cometh as one that travaileth by the way, and thy neceſſity as an armed man; wherefore let every one awaken and ſtrengthen the things that remaine, leaſt if we do not watch, he come upon us as a theife in the night at unawares. If we ſay Rev. 3. 2. 2 Pet. 3. 10 11. 1 Theſ. 5. 2 Rev. 3. 17.with the Church of the Laodiceans, that we are rich and increaſe with goods and have need of nothing: then it is to be feared leaſt indeed we be wretched, and miſerable and poore, blinde and naked, or if we thinke it enough for us to be preſent onelyonly where the word is preached though we take it not home to our owne hearts, let us conſider that the high Prieſts did frequent thoſe places where the meſſengers of the Lord did deliver their meſſage; but it was not ſufficient unleſſe they did apply the meſſage to themſelves which was brought unto them unto that end. Moreover where it is ſaid, that the Lord did ſtirre up the ſpirit of Zerubbabel, the ſon of Shealtiel, we are taught that neither the chaſtiſements of the Lord, nor yet the preaching of the word can bring us out of the ſleepe of ſinne, unleſſe it pleaſe God to adde thereunto the inward operation of the ſpirit to awake Iſa. 26. 16.us, for though affliction do cauſe us to cry and call unto the Lord, as Iſai ſaith, Lord in trouble they have viſited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chaſtiſements was upon them, yet oftentimes afflictions Hoſ. 7. 14. Iſa. 1. 5. Exo. 6. 9. Re. 16. 11. 21. Ier. 5. 3.doe worke no ſuch effect in the hearts of men, elſe would not the Lord have ſaid, why do I correct you in vaine? Nay many times, the very griefe of affliction doth eſtrange men from God, cauſe them to blaſpheme the name of the Lord, and breed hardneſſe of heart in many of the wicked, as is manifeſt Re. 16. 9. 11. 21. Amos 4. 6. 8, 9, 10, 11.Revel. 16, when the angell did plague the wicked, they boyled in great heat, and then they blaſphemed the name of God, which had power over plagues and they repented not to give him glory; and if they breake not out to theſe extremities—yet they will continue ſtill in their wickedneſſe, and not turne unto the Lord that he may have mercy upon them: ſo that neither afflictions, nor yet the preaching of the word can ſtirre us up, unleſſe God do adde the ſecret operation of his holy ſpirit thereunto. A reſemblance herereof the Romans do afford us by the fact of Camillus, who when he had beſieged the City of Phaliſci with ten yeares warre and attempted by the ſword and famine to cauſe them to yeeld unto him, yet all was in vaine, till at length by his clemency and lenity he prevailed with them; for when the Schoolmaſter of the City, who had the charge of the noblemens ſonnes, did bring them and betray them to Camillus, that thereby they might be enforced to yeeld up themſelves, and the City for the ranſoming and redeeming of their children, Camillus conſidering Plu. in vita Cam.that the falſhood and treachery of the School-Maſter could bring him neither comfort nor credit, commanded his officers to ſtripp him naked, and binde his hands behinde his backe; and to cauſe the children his Schollers each of them having rod in his hand to whip him backe into the City againe. At which Noble action, the Citizens were ſo moved, that they preſently Camillum ſetvatorem ſuum Dum que et parentem invocantesdelivered up their City unto him acknowledging Camillus as their Saviour and God, and father: even ſo oftentimes the Lord doth plague us with Famine and ſword, but yet we will not turne unto him, untill by his Holy Spirit he gently move our hearts to yeeld unto him, and then we beginne to acknowledge him our Saviour our Father, our God in Chriſt Jeſus; We indeed are oftentimes overcome with ſuch a dead ſleep of ſecurity that affliction doth not awake us, nor worke our amendment that we might turn unto God: nay rather the greife of a ſon as hath beene ſaid, doth many times more withdraw and eſtrange our hearts from the Lord. It is recorded that the men of Canas after they were overcome by the Carthaginians alledged that they proſpered better ſo long as they burnt their children unto their idols, but what ſhould I ſpeake of the heathen, ſeeing the people of God the Jewes, bluſh not to tell the prophet Jeremy, that whileſt they burnt incenſe to the Queene of heaven, and poured out drinke offerings unto her, they had plenty of victualls, and ſaw no evill but ſince they left off ſay they to burne incenſe to the Queene of Heaven and to poure out drinke offerings unto her, we have wanted all things Ier. 44. 17.and have been conſumed by the ſword and by famine. The word of God I confeſſe is a very forceable meanes to ſtirre them up, and to prevaile for obedience, but yet of it ſelfe inſufficient, unleſſe by the power of Gods ſpirit it be put upon our minds and written Heb. 4. 12. Heb 8. 10, 11. Iſai 6. 9. Ioh. 12. 40. Act. 20. 26.upon our hearts, and therfore our Saviour Chriſt and his Apoſtles dealing with the unbeleving & ſtifnecked Jews ſaid unto them, as was prophecied of them, Hearing ye ſhall heare, and ſhall not underſtand, and ſeing ye ſhall ſee and ſhall not perceive; for the hart of this people is waxed fat, and their eares are dull of hearing, they have eyes and ſee not, eares and heare not, and all becauſe as the Prophet ſpeaketh, Rom. 11. 8. Eze. 3 7 9 Ioh. 32. 8.they are a rebellious houſe, wherefore we may ſay with Elihu, Job 32. Surely there is a ſpirit in man, but the inſpiration of the Almighty giveth underſtanding, and this is not true only in the firſt operation of the ſpirit, but in going on forward in the grace b…gunne, and not therein only but in the perfecting of the ſame So that we may well acknowledge, that of our Saviour, That no man cometh unto the father, except the father draw him, and the Spouſe in the Canticles ſaith wiſely, draw me and I will run after Iohn 6. 44 Cant. 1. 4. Phil. 2. 13. Rom. 15. 19,thee, And the Apoſtle to the Philippians ſheweth, that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do; And when the Apoſtle had preached the Goſpell, from Jeruſalem and round about to Illericum, he aſcribeth nothing unto himſelfe, but all to the power of the ſpirit and grace of God which was with him. But ſome may object that if God do onelyonly worke in us all good motives and actions, by the ſecret and inward operation of his holy ſpirit, and that we can do nothing of our ſelves, why then doth God puniſh us for not doing theſe things, ſeeing that he himſelf 2 Cor. 3. 5.is the cauſe why we do them not? To this I anſwer, that God doth juſtly puniſh us for that we have loſt that knowledge that was given us in our firſt creation, and then we had free will to do good our ſelves, but now we are ignorant thereof, and therefore are juſtly puniſhed.
For as Laertius reporteth of Piltacus, who made lawes, whoſoever were drunke ſhould be double puniſhed if he committed any offence, according as Ariſtole alſo witneſſeth Tertio Ethicorum cap. 5. Firſt for his drunkenneſſe, and ſecondly for his fault committed in his drinke, ſo we are juſtly puniſhed, not onelyonly Eph. 4. 20. Rom 9. 16 Ro. 9. 20.for the fault or ſinne it ſelfe, but becauſe of our originall corruption and ignorance which is incident into us by reaſon of that generall curſe which fell upon all mankinde at the beginning, but as for us that have better learned Chriſt, and can cut of all objections with the word we know that it is not in him that willeth, nor in him that runneth but in God that ſheweth mercy, And therefore we may ſay with the Apoſtle, O man who art thou that pleadeſt with God, ſhall the thing formed, ſay unto him that formed it, why haſt thou made me thus? It may therefore ſuffice us to know that our corruption is ſuch, that we falling into the ſleep of ſinne cannot of our ſelves ariſe unleſſe Gods ſpirit awake us, Zac. 1. 3. Jer. 31. 18 I am. 5. 21For although the Prophet Zac. ſaith turn unto me ſaith the Lord, and I will turne unto you, yet it may not ſo be underſtood as though man had power as in himſelfe to turne unto the Lord, but it muſt be God that muſt firſt convert; and therefore we muſt ſay with the Prophet Jeremy, Convert thou me and I ſhall be converted for thou art my Lord and my God, and as it is in the Lamentations, turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we ſhall be turned, renew our dayes as of old, So that it appeareth manifeſtly, that the Phil. 2. 13. Eph 5. 14. 1 Theſ. 5. 11. Hoſ. 14. 3. Jer. 4. 1. Za. 12. 10 Zac. 4. 6. Zac. 4. 7. Zac. 4. 14.grace of God muſt worke in our hearts before we can doe any thing, it is of his grace both to will and to do. Awake therefore thou that ſleepeſt, and ſtand up from the dead, and Chriſt ſhall give thee light, Let us remember that although we be exhorted often to renew and repaire our building and to return unto the Lord yet it muſt be by grace, and this grace muſt be wrought in us by the ſecret operation of the Spirit of God. But if any man will ſay that he can awake of himſelf, let him conſider the ſaying of the Lord by the Prophet Zachariah to Zerubbabel, that the Lord doth preſerve his choſen Church and choſen people, neither by an army nor by ſtrength, but by his holy Spirit, and he ſhall bring forth the head ſtone thereof with ſhouting and with crying, grace, grace unto it: and they came and did the worke of the Lord, in the houſe of the Lord of Hoſtes their God in the foure and twentieth day of the monethmonth, in the ſecond yeare of Darius the King.
The next point is their example of obedience, whereby wee are taught that we muſt worke in Gods houſe, that is in Gods Heb 3. 6. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 1 Pet. 2. 5.Church, whoſe houſe we are, if we hold faſt, the confidence and and rejoycing of the hope unto the end, Heb. 3. whereby he ſheweth that the myſticall members of Chriſt, are his Church, as alſo he ſaith 2 Cor. 6. Ye are the temple of the living God, yet all this is but one houſe, and as the Saints of God are but one ſpouſe of Chriſt in generall, ſo are they but one houſe alſo, the building 1 Cor. 3. 8 9.wherof although it depend upon the miniſtery cheifly whom are by an excellency termed builders, yet all muſt worke and build his houſe, and this duty belongeth to all, as Saint Jude ſpeaketh Edifie your ſelves in your moſt holy faith, praying in the Epi. Iude ver. 20. Exo. 35. 4. 6, 7, 9.holy Ghoſt: for as in the materiall building of the Tabernacle or Temple they did not bring gold, ſilver or braſſe, blew ſilke purple, ſcarlet and fine linnen, but thoſe which were leſſe able, brought Goats hair, and Rams-skinns dyed red, and Badgers skinns with Shittim wood▪ ſo in the ſpirituall building, all muſt build but not all in like manner; the miniſters they muſt be the cheife, they muſt build with ſilver and with gold, and precious ſtones▪ and the inferious they muſt build with goats haire and ramms skins, and ſo all muſt be workemen in the building Titus 1. 12. Gen. 2. 15. 1 Cor 3. 6 Gal. 5 6.As many as are of Chriſt they muſt be Chriſtians, not Cretians not idle ſlow bellies, even in paradice. Adam muſt worke and dreſſe the garden, Therefore how more muſt we, and ought we to labour in this eſtate of earthly corruption, Paul muſt plant and Apollos muſt water, and not they onelyonly as the cheife, but every man in his ſeverall eſtate muſt labour, every mans faith muſt worke by love, The noble example of theſe principall perſons who did themſelves, worke in this building, may put us in mind Zenophon in Cyrop.that we ſhould not poſt off this building unto others, but put to our owne hands and be builders our ſelves of the Lords houſe, Cyrus as Xenephon reporteth of him was ſo greatly delighted with the workes of husbandry, that amidſt his royallity his goodly aparell his golden chaines, his rings and his precious ſtones, he would neither eat nor drinke, untill he had been planting, or 1 Cor. 3. 9. 1 Cor. 3. 6.ſome other painfull action procured ſweat. If Cyrus being a noble Prince thought it no diſgrace to his Majeſty to labour in husbandry much leſſe ought the miniſters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, either becauſe of this great calling, or at leaſt becauſe of his ſmall ability and weakeneſſe abſtaine from doing of the Lords husbandry. Paul muſt plant and Apollos, muſt water that God giving the increaſe, his Church may be edefied, and his name be glorified. Macrobius reporteth that a Captaine of Auguſtus having ſuſtained many dangers, and ſuffered many wounds in his defence, in the end being accuſed wrongfully and much diſtreſſed, deſired Auguſtus himſelfe to worke his liberty. M…b. Satur. lib. 2. p. 288.The Captaine then ſeing he went not himſelfe, but would have ſent one of his ſervants about it preſently baring his breſt and body, ſhewed the wounds he had received for his ſake, and told At non ego Caeſar pericli…ante te actiaco bello, vicarium quae ſui ſed pro te ipſe pugnavi, Heb. 2. 10. Heb. 12. 2. Iſai 63. 7.Aguſtus very boldly, that he had not ſuſtained thoſe wounds by any Vicar, but by his own perſon for him, and therefore had well deſerved that not his ſervant, but he himſelfe ſhould deliver him. Auguſtus bluſhed and being moved thereat, became his advocate himſelfe, ut qui vereretur non ſuperbus tantum ſed et ingratus videri. As one fearing leaſt he ſhould be thought to be both proud and unthankefull.
Our Saviour Chriſt as our good Captaine, hath ſuffered many things for our ſakes, he hath troden the wine-preſſe of the wrath of God and therefore ought we not to ſend others as our deputies or vicars, but with our owne hands, and in our owne hands, and inour owne perſons to doe this worke and … his holy temple, eſpecially if we have the bluſh that Auguſtus had, and beare the like mind toward Chriſt that he bore toward the Captaine, even to feare the ſuſpition of pride or unthankefulneſſe, Senectus quidam morbus eſt ludo Senect. Plut. in vit laton.ſeeing he hath wrought ſo great things for us, I confeſſe that weakeneſſe and ſickneſſe may hinder ſome, and alſo old age which is a kinde of ſickneſſe may hinder and let others from building, yet ſuch as cannot themſelves, they muſt aſſiſt and alſo encourage others by all meanes to the building of the Temple: Plutarch in the life of Ca…o the elder reports, that in the building of Minervais Temple when one of the old mules, could not carry ſuch things as were neceſſary, he would not withſtanding according to his former cuſtome go with the reſt empty, wherby the reſt were drawne to worke and labour more cheerfully. If any of our elders, be by reaſon of old age and weakeneſſe of boby unable themſelves to build, yet let them accompany thoſe that are young, and by all good meanes provoke them to the building of the Temple, but if being able to do little or nothing themſelves, they will not favour nor cheriſh others, then it is to 2 Cor 11. 13. Two reaſ. 1 2be feared they be but deceitfull workemen pretending to build the houſe of the Lord, when indeed they do but build a Temple for Idolls. The two reaſons follow drawne from the two circumſtances, one of perſon whoſe houſe they were to build, viz. the houſe of the Lord of Hoſtes their God. And the other of the time without delay in the foure and twentieth day of the ſixt monethmonth, ſo ſoone as the Lord had ſtirred up their ſpirits, they began to build the houſe of the Lord, the former circumſtance of the perſon containeth a double reaſon to move them to all ſpeedy Gen. 14. 2…. Zac. 1▪ 3. Joel 2. 11. 25.and due regard of building of the Temple; one ſaw the power and all ſufficiency of him, whoſe worke it is, viz. the Lord of Hoſts, …o called becauſe he is the chiefe commander, and poſſeſſor of heaven and earth, and uſeth all creatures as his armies and ſouldiers, to execute his will both for his freinds and againſt his enemies, The due conſideration whereof, might greatly incourage them againſt all the power of the Perſian Kings, and all other their adverſaries that ſhould attempt to hinder their worke and the other from his goodneſſe and mercy, in that he was by Gen. 17. 7.covenant the Lord their God, and therefore conſidering that the building of the Temple was the worke of God their Father th… … …ght and ought to encourage themſelves in going forward …, being well aſſured that he would both bleſſe them in their labour and take it in good part at their hands. In regard wherereof it were no leſſe than their bounden duty, to beſtowe not onelyonly their labour but their lives alſo in the building of their Fathers houſe, the Temple of the Lord their God. The ſumme and ſubſtance of both which reaſons drawne from Gods power that he was able, and from his mercy that he was willing to bleſſe and proſper them in their worke; I do further commend unto you in the example of the three children mentioned Daniel 3 who being in danger of the fiery furnace, reſolved to caſt and repoſe themſelves upon Gods power and mercy, and ſo to be conſtant in their profeſſion, both in doing and ſuffering his good pleaſure whatſoever ſhould befall them. Our God is able to deliver us Dan. 3 if it be ſo, ſay they, our God whom we ſerve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hands O King, but if not be it knowne to thee, that we will not ſerve thy Dan. 3. 17, 18. Act. 21. 13Gods, nor worſhip thy golden image which thou haſt ſet up, As alſo in that example of S. Paul, what do you weeping and breaking my heart for I am ready not only to be bound, but alſo to dye at Jeruſalem for the name of the Lord Jeſus. If this were ſo ingraven in our hearts, that the Lord of hoſts is our God able and willing to defend us, it would teach us to have a good conſcience, and to ſhew forth a good profeſſion, knowing that in all this the Lord of hoſts Eccles 11. 4. Heb. 12. 10.both can and will be our guide unto death, He that regardeth the wind (as the Wiſeman ſaith) ſhall never ſow, therefore let us, caſting from us all things which might preſſe down, go forth in the ſtrength of the Lord onelyonly, and ſo build in his Temple aſſuring our ſelves with the Prophet David, that the Lord is our ſtrength and ſtony rock, and defence and Saviour, and our God and our might, in wham we will truſt, our Buckler the horne of our ſalvation, Pſa. 18. 1, 2and our refuge.
The laſt reaſon to move us hereunto is the ſhortneſſe of time Laſt reaſ.wherein we are to build, we muſt apply our ſelves to that which is in hand, we muſt remember that this is our day, and it may be but a day, let us therefore as children of the day, walke in the light, and worke in the day, the night of death may come we know not how ſoone, whereof we may be put in minde every night when we lye downe to reſt, our ſleepe being and image of 1 Theſ. 5. 4, 5. 7.death, our beds a reſemblace of our graves, our ſheets of our winding ſheets, the putting off our cloathes, the putting of our mortality wherwith we are clothed, the putting them on & our riſing up a figure of our reſurrection from our graves, and the putting on of mortality, let us therefore remember that the Lord may ſay unto us, as he ſaid to the rich man in the Goſpell, Somnus mortis imago.This night ſhall they take thy ſoule from thee, The conſideration whereof might cauſe us to go on forward in the building of our temple: And other reaſon is effectuall might move us hereunto, the unreaſonableneſſe of the weather, whereby the judgement of the Lord do light upon us, therefore if now we will begin to build this houſe, then he will be mercifull unto us, and we ſhall ſee great plenty, and if he will not deliver us from theſe plagues 2 Cor. 5. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 53. Luk. 12. 20.yet let us aſſure our ſelves with the thee children, that he is able if he will to take theſe plagues from us, but if he will not, let us reſolve to worſhip none but him, and confeſſe with Saint Paul, that we are not onelyonly ready to ſuffer theſe puniſhments, but even to dye at Jeruſalem, being alwayes prepared to build his temple, ſeeing he is the Lord of Hoſts and therefore able mightily to defend us, and our God therefore kind and loving unto us his children that call upon him.
Therefore to this our God together with the Son and Holy-Ghoſt be rendred all praiſe, power, might and dominion both now and for evermore, Amen.