Sermon 25 June 1645, Title page – To the reader
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE RIGHT HONORABLE Houſe of LORDS, In the Abbey Church at Weſtminſter, Wedneſday the 25. day of Iune, 1645. Being the day appointed for ſolemne and publique Humiliation.
By SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Profeſſor of Divinitie at St. Andrews.
Eſay 8. 17.
And I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the houſe of Jacob, and I will looke for him.
London Printed by R. C. for Andrew Crook, and are to be ſold at his ſhop at the ſigne of the Greene Dragon in Pauls Churchyard, 1645.
Die Iovis 26. Iunii, 1645.
IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament aſſembled, That Mr. Rutherfurd who preached yeſterday before the Lords in Parliament, in the Abbey Church Weſtminſter, is hereby thanked for the great paines he tooke in his ſaid Sermon; And is deſired to print and publiſh the ſame, which is to bee printed onelyonly by authority under his owne hand.
To the Gentleman Uſher or his Deputie to be delivered to the ſaid Mr. Rutherfurd.
Iohn Brown Cler. Parliamentorum.
I appoint Andrew Crooke to print this Sermon.
Samuel Rutherfurd.
Errata.
PAge 17. line 27. for ſtope read ſlops, p. 18. li. 4. for it read at, p. 23. l. ult, for feeleth, r. fleeth, p. 28. l. 19. for Empheſis r. Emphaſis, p. 29. l. 30. for end, r. ſend, p. 48. l. 15. for Chap. 4. r. Chap 24. p. 50. l. 20. for ſame r. ſonne, p. 54. l. 9. for 22 r. 42. p. 55. l. 1. for it, r. unbeleefe.
To the godly and ingenuous READER.
AS the Text of the booke of divine providence (worthy Reader) is the Church and Spouſe of Jeſus Chriſt, for every line, word, and letter thereof hath a neceſſary relation to that body whereof Chriſt Jeſus is head, ſo the draughts and paſſages of providence towards all creatures, yea to devils and the haters of Zion, ſeeme to bee but Annotations in the Margin of this great volume. There bee many wonders and depths in the book, and the Lord doth even before our eyes in this old age of the world create new things and miracles in Britaine. 1. It is moſt congruous to divine wiſedome to time fitly the laughing and the weeping of the children of men; the triumphing of the wicked, and their proſperitie; The Sackcloth and teares of the priſoners of hope ſeeme darke and myſterious Chapters of the booke, eſpecially becauſe wee trade by the ſenſes, and colour of things, for wee ſee not how God hath ſet his enemies in ſlippery places, and that the throne that myſticall Babylon ſitteth on, is made of Cryſtall glaſſe, and the pillars thereof nothing but Saffes of ever-guilded earth, the Sonnes of God would not exchange their teares with the joy of the wicked. O that wee had grace to read to a full period, and with the ſenſe of a godhead, every ſection of the treatiſc of providence; wee doe halfe both the word and the workes of God, wrong reading of God in his wayes doth ſpoyle the true ſenſe and ſcope of God in his acting. The light of faith maketh legible to us, that The viſion at the end ſhall ſpeak, and not lie, and that light is ſowen to the righteous; then the harveſt muſt be hoped for, and wee erre not a little, if wee comment any otherwiſe on the ſhort triumphing of the wicked, Iob. 20. 5, 6.and the joy of the hypocrite for a moment, even when his excellency mounteth up to heaven, and his head reacheth unto the clouds; then that his golden heaven is not onelyonly lined with ſilken troubles, and woes, but alſo that hee goeth downe to the grave, and the Chambers of hell, in a moment. 2. This ſeemeth darke to us, that all the heires of one inheritance do not mind and ſpeak the ſame thing; yet in the Apoſtolick Church there hath been ſome diſcord, 1 Cor. 1. 10. Phil. 1. 2. Rom. 15. 5. Gal. 5. 10. more love, leſſe pride of opinion and judgement, muſt either bee in theſe kingdomes, or then wee are to feare that God muſt worke us to an union, by the ſword of the common enemy, wee might have union at an eaſier rate. 3. It is a myſtery, but it is alſo from the Lord who is wonderfull in counſell, that truth muſt bee trailed through floods of blood. 4. That a Church is greene and flowring and ſmelling out beautie, glory and life, in the flaming fire, that the crueltie, policie, wiſedome, counſels of nations round about Britaine, and ſo many bloody men within our bowels in the three kingdomes,2 Cor. 6. 9. doe kill us, and behold wee live, 2 Cor. 4. 8, 9.troubleand us, wee are not diſtreſſed, perplex us, and wee deſpaire not, perſecute us, and we are not forſaken, cast us downe, and wee are not deſtroyed. What a living death? what a breathing and triumphing grave is this? what a ſhining darkeneſſe? what a rejoycing ſorrow is here? 5. Wee wonder that our warres are not at an end? But Gods thoughts are not like our thoughts, when God hath by the ſword taken away his Jewels and his pretious ones out of theſe Kingdomes, it is rather like the continued burning of the houſe, then any apparent end of our miſeries. 6. Yet after the Lord hath made the glory of Jacob thinne, and the fatneſſe of his fleſh to wax leane, are wee not in ſilence and hope to beleeve that a remnant muſt bee ſaved? Eſay 17. 6.and that yet gleaning Grapes ſhall bee left in the kingdomes, as the ſhaking of an Olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermoſt bough, foure or five in the outmoſt fruitfull branches thereof, ſaith the Lord God of Iſrael? Lord, haſten his worke, and ripen us by humiliation and turning to him who hath ſmitten us, for the day that the Lord is bringing forth out of the wombe of his decree of peace,Eſay 30. 26. when the light of the Moone ſhall bee as the light of the Snnne, and the light of the Sunne ſhall bee ſeven fold as the light of ſeven dayes; Farewell.