God's masterpiece. A SERMON Tending to manifest God's glorious appearing in the building up of Zion: PREACHED To the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in the Abbey Church of Westminster, March 26. 1645. Being the day of the Monthly public Fast, BY Stephen Martial, B. D. Minister of God's Word, at Finching-field in Essex.  
Published by Order of the House of peers.  Esa. 60. 14. They shall call thee the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Psal. 68 24. They have seen thy goings, O God; the goings of my God, my King, in the Sanctuary. 
LONDON, Printed by Richard Cotes, for Stephen Bowtell, and are to be sold at the sign of the Bible in Popes-head Alley, 1645.   

To the Right honourable THE House of peers Assembled in PARLIAMENT.  
Right Honourable,  
THis plain Sermon, when preached, was entertained by Your Lordships with singular attention; and now comes to public view by Your command. I shall not presume now to make another trial of Your patience, by a long Epistle, as I did then in a long Sermon: I only present it unto You, and (since You please to have it so) to the eye of the World, humbly beseeching the Lord to accompany it with his blessing, that all who read it, (especially Your Lordships) may in it behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, and be changed into the same Image by the Spirit of the Lord; thatso they may account it their greatest Honour to promote this work; to beautify the place of God's Sanctuary, 
Esa. 60. 13.  and to make the place of his feet glorious. So prayeth  
Your unworthy Servant, Stephen Martial.   

A SERMON PREACHED To the Right Honourable the House of LORDS at the monthly Fast, March 26. 1645.  PSALM. 102. 16, 17. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory he will regard the Prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. 
I Have chosen a Text (Right Honourable 
The Introduction showing the tenor, and occasion, and scope of this psalm.  and Beloved) which is neither difficult in itself, nor (which is the lot of many plain Texts) made to seem obscure by the variety of glosses and interpretations put upon it: There is a general agreement concerning the scope and meaning of the Spirit of God in this Psalm; some little difference is found amongst Interpreters concerning the time, and the penman of it: Some conceiving it was about the time when the Jews were stopped and interrupted in the works of building the Temple by their ill neighbours; but most do agree that the time was about the end of the seventy years' captivity, when God had raised up the spirits of the Prophets to encourage the people to expect this mercy, according to that of Esay 40. Comfort ye, comfort ye my 
Esa. 40. 1, 2.  people, saith the Lord, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished: and also stirred up the spirits of the people to pray to the Lord, to accomplish his good word for their return, according to that of Jer. 29. Then shall ye call upon me, and I will 
Jer. 29. 12, 13.  harken unto you. And as for the Penman of it, who ever it was, (for that is altogether unknown) most certain it is, that he neither penned nor spoke these things in his own name, or of his own condition, but in the name of the whole Church of God, like another Jeremy writing a book of Lamentations, for the desolations of Zion; bemoaning them before the Lord, and most earnestly begging mercy and deliverance. In the 11 first Verses you may behold the afflicted Church of God sitting alone like a desolate widow, with her tears on her cheeks, her belly cleaving to the dust, her heart smitten and withered like grass, eating ashes for bread, mingling her drink with weeping; as a Pelican in the wilderness, as an Owl in the desert; her enemies many and raging against her, she looking round about, and all her Lovers and friends departed from her; enquiring after succour and comfort, and it is far removed: Behold to what a sad condition the sins of God's own people do oft times bring them! and that is the first part of the psalm. But in this dark and tempestuous night of calamity and desolation, this afflicted soul, with Jonah in the whales belly with weeds-wrapped about his head, looks up to God, begins to remember those everlasting mercies that may be found in the Lord Jehovah; and presently there darts in a beam (as from a new created Statre) of light and comfort in the 12, and 13 Verse, which shines into the soul, and inables this poor desolate creature to conclude very comfortably, that that God who had broken her would yet again heal her, that his wrath should not always continue, but he would return and revive, and quicken them, after all the days wherein he 
Esa. 40. 31.  had afflicted them, and so suddenly begins to renew its strength, and mount up with wings of comfort, as an Eagle: And from the 12 Verse to the end of the psalm, after all this sad lamentation, there is a comfortable prophetical story of all the good that God did mean to do for this afflicted Church, which now lay in the dust and rubble: wherein there are three remarkable things,  
The first is, A strong confident prophetical conclusion, that the deliverance of God's Church was nigh at hand, in these words, Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time to deliver her; yea, the set time is come: that's her conclusion, that it must of necessity be, the Lord was resolved speedily to raise them out of their low condition.  
Secondly, you have the Argument which satisfied this afflicted desolate soul, that the time of Zion's deliverance was at hand; because all God's servants took pleasure in the dust of it, and pitied the very stones, and the rubbish of it; their hearts were deeply humbled for Zion's miseries; they had set themselves earnestly to pray to the Lord; to give him no rest night nor day till he had set it up; and this spirit of prayer poured out upon the Church, was to her as sure a token of approaching deliverance, as the day star is a token of an approaching morning: That is the second.  
The third part of this prophecy is, the use or fruit, which he doth foretell should be made of this great work of God's raising and building up of Zion, which is very excellent; partly the use that the rest of the Nations of the world should make of it, all the heathen should stand and wonder at it, and praise God's name for it; yea, their Kings, even all the Kings should behold the glory of the Lord, and come in and worship, and honour him who had wrought such a great work, as the raising Zion out of the dust: and then for the Church, the people that are created on purpose to be for God's glory, it should be written for them from generation to generation, that they and all their posterities should perpetually love and serve the Lord, who did thus remember his people in their low condition. Now lest some body might wonder why the Prophet should make such a stupendious business of it, and demand a reason why all the world must thus take such notice of the building of Zion: what is Zion? and what is the work? as he said of Abana and Parphar, were they not better rivers than all the rivers of Samaria? Are there not other Empires and States, more pompous, and powerful, and glorious, and excellent than Zion? what is Zion to Nineveh or Babylon, that all must so stand amazed at the reparation of it? To satisfy all the world about it, that the work of building up of Zion, is indeed admirable and wonderful, and deserves all the praises that the hearts and tongues of men can utter, the Prophet in the 2 Verses which I have read, doth setdown two remarkable Circumstances which perpetually accompany this work, which if they but interpreted, and rightly understood, will satisfy all the World, that 
And of these words.  this alone is the work deserving admiration, and these they are.  
The first is, It is such a work, that when ever the Lord goes about it, he doth appear in his glory; when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.  
The second is, when the Lord doth build up Zion, He doth then return an answer to all the prayers of his afflicted people: Whatsoever they had been begging from year to year, from generation to generation, now was the Jubilee, now comes the return of all into their bosoms, full measure, thrust together, shaken, and running over: When the Lord doth build up Zion, he doth then regard the prayer of the afflicted, and however before he might seem to despise ehem, now he doth no longer despise their cry: The first of these is that, which by the Lord's assistance I shall this day clear unto you; this remarkable circumstance which accompanies the building and reparation of Zion: When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory; and in it observe & handle these two lessons.  
That the building of Zion is the Lord's work, and the Lords only. 
Doct. 1.   
When the Lord shall build up Zion; the second and main (the which I shall insist upon) is:  
That when ever the Lord goes about this work, he doth appear 
Doct. 2.  in his glory.  
The first I shall only touch, and that but to make way for the second.  
That the building of Zion is the Lord's own work; There is nothing difficult, Zion you know is in the Scripture taken 
Doct. 1.  
The building up o●Zion is a work peculiar to God alone.  sometimes in a literal, but ordinarily in a mystical and a spiritual sense: Zion in a literal sense was that strong part of the City of Jerusalem, which David did take from the Jebusites, & fortified it, and beautified it with excellent buildings, and called it the City of David, the most beautiful part of Jerusalem; this is Zion literal: And this Zion may besaid to be built, when it is furnished with stately houses, with strong walls, and replenished with people, accomplished with Magistrates, and good Civil laws: But this Zion I have nothing at the present to do with; the Zion which my text means is spiritual Zion, mystical Zion, the Zion, whereof this City of David 
2 Sam. 5. 7. What is meant by Zion, and the building of it.  was a type (as David himself was a type of Christ) and that is, the Church of God, which in a hundred places at least in the Old and New Testament is called by the name of Zion, he reason why Zion this part of Jerusalem, was such 
2 Sam. 6. 12. compared with 1 King. 8. 1.  a celebrated type, is, because all David's time, and until Solomon's Temple was built upon mount Moriah, the Ark of God was placed in Zion, where he is therefore said to dwell: this is the Zion that we are to speak of; and this Zion, this Church of God is then built, when the doctrine of Jesus Christ is made known, the new and living way to life by him is opened; when Ministers and Ordinances are given, the elect called in, Churches gathered, and established, the worship and government of Christ set up, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the 
Ephes 4. 11, 12. 13.  edifying of the body of Christ, till all the Saints come in the unity of the Faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: when the Curtains of the Church are thus enlarged, and the Tents of it made firm; when God doth thus prosper and bless the Church of Christ, then doth he build up Zion: This I say is, first, God's own work: and secondly, a work which when ever he 
Proved by Scriptures.  goes about, he doth appear in his glory.  
That the building up of the Church is a work peculiar to 
1.  God only, I might easily prove out of many Scriptures: 
Mat. 16. 28. Psal. 32. 13, 14, &c. & 48. 12. & 51. 18. & 69. 35. & 126. 1  aedificabo Ecclesiam, I will build my Church, is a speech to be uttered by none, but by Jehovah himself; and I know you will grant the truth of it, by that time I have cleared unto you these two things.  
First, that the building of Zion is such a peace of 
Esa. 14. 32. & 28. 16. Zach. 8. 3, 4. Psal. 121. 1, 2. And by reason, 1. because no other builders have any skill to do it.  work as no other workmen have any skill to do.  
And, secondly, as they have no skill, so they have no will to do it; and if no other have either power nor heart, neither skill nor will, it must needs be done by God, if ever it be done at all.  
First, I say, no other workmen have any skill to build 
2.  Zion but God alone; there is not one piece of Timber 
1  
Psal. 49. 1. 8. Though God use them as his instruments.  belongs unto it, not one Cord, not one pin, not one nail, not any one thing from the foundation to the Cap-stone, but it is beyond the understanding, the value, skill or artifice of any created Nature; that what God said in the 49. psalm concerning the keeping of a man from death, is most true of this work: great men can build houses, and purchase Lands, but there is not one of them can redeem his brother's soul from death, no, he must let that alone for ever, that is too hard a task for him, to keep a man that he should not go down to the grave: Men may build Houses, make Kingdoms, erect commonwealths, Corporations, &c. But as for the building of the Church of God, all mortal men must let that alone for ever. In this work our help is only from 
Psal. 121. 12. Esa. 63. 5.  the Lord which made Heaven and Earth. I looked, said, Christ but there was no help, there was none to uphold; therefore my own arm brought salvation, neither could they, were all their perfections joined into one, when man is dead in sins and trespasses, sticks fast in the miry clay of ignorance and iniquity, not able to think a good thought, or speak a good word, a voluntary bondslave of Satan, under the power of Hell, and the curse of God; what men, what Angels have any gifts or strength, to help him out of this condition? It is true indeed, that in the building of it, God doth make use of mortal men, and other creatures, visible and invisible, he calls Ministers, Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, and Teachers, to be the Guides, the Leaders, the Instructors, 
Yet they contribute nothing to this work.  and the shepherds of his people, and he calls Kings and Princes, and Nobles, to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to it; he gives Paul to plant & Apollo to water, but it's neither for his need, nor their aptness for this employment; no, no, when all is done, he that plants 
1 Cor. 3. 6, 7.  is nothing, and he that waters is nothing; Clay and spital did as much to the opening of the blind man's eyes, Peter's shadow did as much to the healing of Diseases, Abana and Parphar, did as much to the curing and cleansing of the Leper, as all instruments whatsoever are able to do towards the building of the Church of God; all their very being, and motions, and operations, and the success of their whole endeavours depend wholly upon the Lord alone.  
Secondly, As all other builders have no skill, so neither have any of them any will to the building of Zion, if Zion 
2.  once lie in the dust, the common vote of them all is, This is 
Nor secondly have they any will to do it. Jer. 30. 7. Psal. 35. 21. Psal. 118. 22.  an outcast, this is Zion whom no man cares for, there it lies, and there let it lie, Aha, aha! our eye hath seen it, so would we have it: This stone how precious soever is refused of all builders: Indeed their will is so far from building it, that it's ever bent to the utmost to ruin it; the gates of hell do always oppose it, and all the Princes and great men of the earth set themselves against it, with all their strength and 
Ps. ●.  cunning; There is an everlasting enmity in them all against it, not only, because their principles, laws and manners differ one from the other, but also because Zion's rearing is their spoiling, their glory and beauty is blasted and withered before the beauty of this; yea, this stone cut out of the mountain without hands, must one day (and Satan 
Dan. 2. 35, 42.  who rules in them all knows it well enough) break in pieces and consume them all, and make them like the chaff of the Summer threshing floors, and the wind shall carry them away, that no place shall be found for them; they will therefore 
Ezra 4 2.  do all they can, with the Samaritans, to hinder the building of this City so prejudicial to them; if ever they show themselves forward, it is but with such a mind as they had, when they offered to build with them purposely to betray and hinder them: So then because none else have any power, or will to do it, whenever this work is to be done, it must be the work of God alone; Paul expresses 
Heb. 3. 4.  it excellently to the Hebrews, when he speaks of the building of the Church, other houses are built by men, every house must have a Carpenter, but he that builds the Church, is he that built all things, no other hand can do it, but only he who laid the Foundation of the Heavens and the Earth, that is, Almighty God alone.  
For Application of this, It may serve for singular consolation 
Application. Therefore we may comfortably conclude that this work must go on; though other helps do fail.  unto all those who wish well unto Zion, and may fortify their Faith against that which to our carnal heart is the greatest stumbling-block, and greatest discouragement that ever we meet with, and that is when outward helps and means do fail, for the carrying on of this work, when the enemies are strong and many, the Friends few and weak, the instruments employed in it fail, some by death, some possibly prove treacherous, turning against it, seeking to betray it, then presently are we ready to conclude, all will come to nothing, the work will fail, it will never be carried on: but (Beloved) remember this one Rule, in all other things that are done in the world, you may lawfully make such kind of Prognostications, as to foretell by the Instruments that are employed, and by the Preparations which are made, what the fruit and the event of the work is like to be. If you see a poor man gather together a few Willow-sticks, and set a bungerly 
Luk. 14. 28, &c.  Carpenter out of them to rear up a house, you may conclude it must be nothing but a poor shed or cottage: If you see poor men enterprise a warfare without counsel, without any money, against a wise Prince that is too mighty for them, you may conclude, that they must either be overthrown, or make shameful conditions of peace; and you judge aright when you judge so, because in all these things God seldom puts out his power, otherwise then according to the virtue and power which he hath given to second causes, and according to them he works, (though sometime to show his sovereignty he disappoints them, and causeth the race not to be always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong:) Sow a bad piece of ground, God doth not use to give a strong crop there; but it's quite otherwise in the building of the Church, whatsoever the tools or instruments are, it skills not one whit: Great instruments do not further it, weak instruments cannot retard it: If he will fight, it's indifferent whether his weapon be a sword, or the jawbone of an ass: If he mean to 
Judg. 15. 15.  take a City, it's all one whether the battering engines be great Guns, or Trumpets made of Rams-horns; any thing will serve the turn in the hand of this workman; if he intend to thrash mountains small, and beat the hills to dusty chaff, a worm will serve to do it, as well as a 
Esa. 41. 14, 15.  great sharp threshing instrument having teeth: And therefore because God hath begun this work of Reformation, and manifested that he intends to bring out a new Edition of his Church, and to set it out in a fairer Letter than ever it hath yet been seen among us, and declared by wonderful signs and tokens, that his heart is set upon this work, resolve you upon it, that this work must proceed: and when you hear any of our enemies despise it, because it is a day of small things, remember it's God who works all 
Esa. 26. 12.  for us, and answer their scoffs as he did them, who wondered that Saul the son of Kish should be found among the 
1 Sam. 10.  Prophets; it seems they had known him to have been a young Roister, and when they saw him prophesy, they cried out, it may be not without a scoff, What is befallen to the Son of Kish? Is Saul amongst the Prophets? But saith one, Who is the Father of the Prophets? remember but who undertakes to be the Master and Father of the Prophets, and you need not wonder who is the Scholar; so you may all conclude of this work, never be afraid of the carrying on this work, fear not the instruments how weak soever; resolve, whatsoever God means to do, he will never want tools or instruments, who with the speaking of a word can lay the foundations of a new heaven and earth; who needs no more, then to say to Zion, Be thou inhabited; 
Esa. 44. 28. 65. 18.  to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the Temple, Thy foundation shall be laid, and it's done; who with one word speaking can create his Church a rejoicing, and her people a joy.  
But all this will be more clear in the second Doctrine, 
Doct. 2.  to which I now proceed, and to which this is only a 
The main Doctrine, God doth always appear in his glory when be builds up his Church.  Porch or Preface: That when the Lord doth build up Zion, he doth appear in glory. They are the words of the Text, and therefore need no other proof: In handling whereof I shall endeavour these two things; First, to make a full and clear demonstration of the truth of it, that God doth appear in his glory when he comes to build his Church. Secondly, I shall make application of it. And for the clearing the truth of it there are four things to be opened.  
First, what it is to appear in glory. 
1.   
Secondly, To prove the truth of it out of the Scripture. 
2.   
Thirdly, and which is that that I most aim at, How God 
3.  doth appear in his glory when he comes to build up Zion.  
And fourthly, why he is pleased thus to appear in his 
4.  glory, when he undertakes this work. For the first.  
First, what it is to appear in Glory. Glory and Excellency 
1. What it is to appear in glory.  do thus differ one from another: Excellency is the intrinsical worth or value of any thing; Glory is the manifestation of this Excellency: Glory is nothing but the irradiation or shining out of Excellency. Take a true Diamond stone when it is first found, and looks but like a common stone, there is even then all the excellency of a Diamond in it; but when it is filed, and the curious Artist hath done his part to set it off in its lustre, than appears the glory of the Diamond: or amongst men, it may be a man hath admirable abilities of wisdom, learning, power, strength, activity, or whatsoever else might argue him to be eminent, so long as all these are hidden, this man is really an excellent man, but when by some work worthy of all these inward excellencies the world comes to know him to be such a one as indeed he is, than doth the man appear in his glory: So that to appear in glory, is nothing but to appear to be as excellent as indeed one is. Therefore for God to appear in glory, is his manifesting himself to be such a God as he is, when all those eminent, excellent attributes and perfections which are in him, come to irradiate, shine forth, that others must necessarily acknowledge God to be that which he is; when he appears like himself, than doth God appear in his glory.  
Now secondly, it's clear in the Scripture that God doth so, that he doth manifest himself to be such a God as he 
2.  
That God doth thus appear when he builds up Zion, proved. Psal. 87. 3. Esa 4. 5. & 60. 1 & 66. 18. & 59 19 & 11. 10. Psal. 142. 8. Psal. 93. opened.  is, when he undertakes the work of building his Church; many glorious things are spoken of this City of God, and of God in his building of this City, it's ordinarily called his glory, his throne of glory, his glorious work, his glorious rest: Consider seriously these few Texts. The whole 93 psalm; it's a short psalm, yet a large proof and full interpretation of my Text: interpreters do generally agree, that it is a prophecy of Christ's kingdom, his ruling and building up the Church; and mark how the expressions run, The Lord reigns, he is clothed with Majesty, the Lord is clothed with strength, he hath girded himself, his throne is established, the Lord is mightier than the mighty waves of the sea: all these glorious expressions set forth the Lord's manifestation of himself in his edifying and building his Church, as may appear in the last verse, holiness becometh thine house O Lord for ever: this holy house of God, is that Throne which is thus established, upon which he sits in this glory and majesty, where he 
Luk. 12. 35.  girds himself, as being ever in a readiness to go on with his work; and this is such glory or manifestation of his excellency, that it causeth not only his Church and People to acknowledge it, but you shall find verse 3, that the floods, the floods lift up their voice, the floods lift up their waves: What is that? Sometimes floods and waves signify the tumultuous people, that make a noise of sedition, mutiny, trouble, and violence; but here, the floods which signify People and Nations, lift up their voice of wonderment and acknowledgement of that which was set down before, viz. that God was clothed with Majesty and glory, when he comes to establish his Throne, and adorn his house with holiness; there is one evidence.  
Another you shall see in the 68 psalm; The whole psalm is a most stately strain of divine rhetoric, the 
Psal. 68 1. 2. opened.  beginning of it is very high and lofty: Let God arise, let him show himself, let his enemies be scattered, them that hate him, fly before him; as smoke is driven away, as wax melteth before the fire, so must wicked men perish at this presence of God: and everywhere throughout the psalm, you may observe such a glorious presence of God, as made the earth shake, the heaven's drop, the hills leap, the mountains moved, the Saints rejoice and sing, Armies to be routed, Kings and Princes to flee: all this is nothing but a description of God's manner of appearing, when he builds up Zion, when he redeems his Church out of bondage, and subdues people unto him by the sceptre of Christ, the Preaching of the word, which is the rod of his power, as is most manifest by one place in the 
Verse 18. compared with Ephes. 4. 8.  midst of the psalm, which is as a key to open all. Thou hast ascended up on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men, even for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them. This is meant of Christ's ascending to the right hand of God, to take possession of the rule and government of the Church; when he thus ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, led all the enemies of the Church, as captives at his Chariot wheels, and gave gifts to men, such gifts as should build his Church; which Paul interprets in the fourth of the Ephesians, to be the offices and gifts which the Lord Christ gave, when he ascended up to heaven, for the gathering, and building up of the Church; he then gave some Apostles, and some Evangelists, some Prophets, some Pastors and Teachers, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.  
Another notable passage is in the 63 of Isaiah, mark how rhetorically and elegantly the Spirit of God sets it 
Esa. 63. 1, 2. &c. opened.  down; The Prophet stands amazed at the sight of one that drew nigh unto him; Who is this (saith he) that comes from Edom, with died Garments from Bozrah? that is thus glorious in his apparel: travelling in the greatness of his strength? who is this? what is he that appears in thus much glory? the answer is made, in the name and person of Christ, It is I the Lord, mighty to save. And what was the work that he did there? what was the glory? why truly, Jesus Christ then came to rescue his Church from thraldom, from Egypt, Babylon, from 
Vers. 9 Chap. 64. 4.  Idumea and other evil Neighbours, in the type, and literal sense, but especially from Satan, death, and Hell, in the spiritual sense, to pardon them, call them in, and build them upon himself, the rock against which the gates of hell should never prevail; This was the work which occasioned him thus to put on his glorious apparel. Many other Scriptures speak the same; Exodus 15. 1. When God did deliver his Church out of Egypt, he triumphed gloriously. But I forbear, because the third branch will clear it all more fully, and that is,  
Thirdly, to discover How, and wherein the Lord doth appear in glory, when he builds up his Church: and 
3  
How God appears in, his glory when he builds his Church.  for this I shall lay down this one conclusion, and endeavour to make it good to you in the following Discourse; That although all the works of God are great and glorious, and worthy to be sought into by all his people, there is not the least atom, the least Ant, but proves this, quaelibet herba, every little herb, but shows it to be God's workmanship, Psalm. 19 12. The heavens declare his glory, and the firmament shows his handy work.  
Yet this work of gathering and building of the Church 
This work carried on in a way differing from all other his works. Manifested.  of Christ, is a work, which is carried in a quite differing strain, and way, from all other works, which ever the Lord puts his own hand to. Look upon all his other works, and you shall seldom find that the work goes beyond what the matter and the instruments may promise, and within the compass and fathom of second causes, may you find the sum of all that doth appear in any other work of God's hands; so that although every thing that is done, may truly be said to be the Lords, and to be wrought (if I may speak with reverence) in his shop; yet because God carries them on by a concatenation and subordination of second causes, every one working according to their nature, (though secretly carried by his own hand) these works of God may truly be said, to be wrought by God's servants, by his apprentices and inferior servants; but the whole carriage of the business of the Church of God is reserved for God's own hand, as his Master piece; carried in such a way as none may lay any claim to have any thing to do in it, unless he can challenge to have the perfections of Jehovah in him; and this I am certain you'll acknowledge, if you please to lend me your reverent attention, while I clear these four things unto you:  
First, the Materials out of which the Lord uses to build his Church.  
Secondly, the Instruments by which he uses to build it.  
Thirdly, the Time when he doth it.  
And Fourthly, and chiefly, the Manner how he doth it. 
1.  For the first. 
From the unfit materials out of which it is builded.   
1. For the materials, out of which this stately piece is to be erected; you know that in all other buildings, if the work be to be a glorious work, the materials are the excellentest that can be found; and Mercury must not be made of common wood: When Solomon means to build a Temple, it must be with Cedar Trees overlayed with Gold: If Noah be to build an ark, it shall be of Gophir wood, firm and strong substantial Timber: No man would imagine that a stately fabric should be erected out of rotten willows, and broken sticks, and refuse chips &c. But now the materials out of which God builds the Church, are the very refuse, out of as arrant refuse stuff as is in all the world, is this goodly building erected: Satan's kingdom, the damned in Hell, that cursed state of darkness, is not built out of worser stuff than the kingdom of Christ is, take the materials as they are when he first finds them. When God took the Nation of the Jews to be his people, some people say, they were the ill-favouredst people in all the world, a loathsome people to look upon; but it is certain, they were as cross and perverse in 
Deut. 9 23, 23. 3. 26.  their spirits as any living; the Lord told them often, that they were the unworthiest of all Nations when he chose them, bids them never think that they were chose out to be his before the rest of the world, for any thing that was in them, for he protested there was nothing to allure him: And for the Church which Christ now owns and builds, the same things are manifest. In the 11 of Isaiah, you have 
Esa. 11.  a prophecy of Christ's Church, what they are by nature, till his grace change them; Lions, and Tigers, and Bears, and Wolves, and Cockatrices, and asps, and such kind of vermin, are the creatures out of which Christ Jesus chooses and makes up his Flock of Sheep: Read Paul's Epistles, and you will find that all the Saints (the excellentest of the earth, whom Christ thought not himself and all his glory too good for) were Mancipia Satanae, Bond-flaves, and hellhounds, going on in their wicked ways: A description you have in the 16 of Ezekiel that fits every one of them, where the Lord tells the Church, what kind 
Ezek. 16. 1, &c.  of people they were when he fell in love with them; their navel not cut, cast out in the day of their birth, lying in their mother's blood, no eye to pity her, nor no hand to do her any friendly office; and when he past by her in that pickle, then did he fall in love with her, and spread the skirt of his garment over her: And if you take another place of Scripture, to see what kind of Spouse he 
Ezek. 23.  had; Aholah and Aholibah, two Whores, were the Spouses that he did choose; plainly showing to us, that this glorious work, that which all eternity shall give honour to him for, that the materials out of which it is built, are as bad as any are who go to Hell and destruction. And this is one great part of a demonstration, to let you see, that when God doth such a work as this is, he doth appear in his glory: It must needs be an excellent workman, who can raise so glorious a piece out of such base stuff.  
Secondly, and by what Instruments do you think the 
2. From the weak instruments and tools by which it is builded.  Lord doth build it? and what are their tools? who are his workmen? you'll wonder by that time I have told you a little about them. God hath sometimes strong Cities of his enemies to overthrow, from which he means to rescue his people, and then the Armies which he brings 
Exod. 7, 8, 9, 10 chap. Josh. 6. Esa. 41.  to do it, are Rams horns, worms, and Lice, and Mice, and Frogs, and Locusts, and Caterpillars, &c. by such as these doth the Lord sometimes overthrow whole kingdoms; when he pleaseth to break all their Iron bars asunder, to fetch his poor captived people from amongst them; and when in a spiritual way he sends his Instruments to subdue people unto him, he goes not to the schools, to find out the learned and excellent parted men, but a few fishermen (Poor despicable men, brought up in no Arts or Learning) shall be the Champions, who shall go and subdue the great, and the wise men of the world, unto the Throne of Christ: and ordinarily, the men whom he doth choose to work the greatest matters by, are men of a mean presence, of weak parts, and contemptible gifts, (though God will have some that are eminent, to let you see, that his grace can make use of any, but yet) the greatest services that have been done in the Church of Christ, have been mostwhat done by instruments from whom man's wisdom would promise very little: so that in them is usually fulfilled that of the Prophet, A woman doth compass a 
Jer. 31. 22.  man, the weak prevail over the strong, and the simple over the wise: and that of the Apostle Paul, God hath chosen 
1 Cor. 1. 27.  the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, weak things ●o confound the things which are mighty, and things which are not to bring to nought things that are: And that also of the 8 psalm, Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings 
Psal. 8.  hast thou ordained strength, to quell the enemy and the avenger. And truly their tools wherewith they work are no more promising then the workmen; The great Engine whereby Satan must be fetched from his strong hold, and made to fall like lightning down from heaven, whereby captived souls shall be delivered from his power and snares, whereby the dead in sin shall be raised, the prison doors opened, the blind made to see, the deaf to hear, the food whereby the Saints shall be nourished, the Rod whereby they shall be guided and ordered; what are all these? even the foolishness of preaching shall do all this, and washing with water, in name of the Father, son, and holy Ghost; Eating of Bread and drinking Wine in a Sacrament; Praying to God: such kind of tools as these are, are the instruments wherewith these unlikely workmen are furnished; far more ludibrious things in reference to this work, than a shepherd's boy with his sling and his bag were to the Philistian Giant.  
Thirdly, take likewise the Time, for that is as remarkable 
3.  as any of the rest: The time when the Lord useth to 
At a most unlikely time.  build his Church, hear in this 102 psalm, it was when the Church professed her bones were burnt up like a hearth, her belly cleaved to the dust, she was like an owl, like a Pelican, like a Swallow, fed on ashes; and my Text in the next words saith, God would regard the prayer of this poor destitute Church: The Hebrew word here translated destitute, signifies either the shrub of a broken Tree, or the Heath that grows in the barren wilderness; such were God's people at this time: Now here is the time which God chooses, when the enemies of the Church have them in the greatest bondage, when his Church and people are in most utter incapacity of doing any thing towards their deliverance, or expecting any thing to be done for them; that time he ordinarily chooses for the rescuing of his people. When he fetched them first out of Egypt, when they were worn out there with making bricks, and the tale of their bricks was do●bled, then did God send a shepherd to fetch them out: When in the 70 years' captivity they complained 
Psal. 141. 7. Ezek. 37.  that their bones lay scattered, as one should hew chips on the face of the earth; and in another place compared to dry bones; that was the time he chose to raise them up a glorious Army, and to bring them out for himself: And so it is observed by Historians, that when the Lord came to deliver his Church from the terrible persecutions under Nero and the rest of the persecuting Roman Emperors; and now lately from Antichrist, when Cardinal Cajetan said, that the Germans were so devoted to the Pope, that they were ready to eat grass and hay, more pecudum, like brute beasts, at the Pope's command, for the redemption of their souls; and all the rest of the Christian world stood in the same condition, the Kings having given their crowns to the Whore, and laid their heads in her lap, 
Rev. chap. 17, 18, & 19  and their glory at her feet, and all the people Vassals and Slaves wondering after that enchanted Beast; then by a few Monks and Shavelings did the Lord break the power of this great enemy in pieces, and began the rearing up of that great work, which he is carrying on at this day: And such like times doth he choose in planting grace, and building of his kingdom in the conversion of particular men, plucking them out of Satan's claws, when they are most desperately wicked: when Manasseh wallows in blood of 
2 King. 21. Luk. 82. Matth. 9 9 Ezek. 16. 23. Acts 9 Ephes. 2. 3 Col. 1. 21.  Innocents; when Mary Magdalene is prostituting herself; when Paul is mad against the Church; when Matthew sits at the receipt of custom, every one of them wallowing in their blood, carried headlongly to destruction, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh with greediness, loving their bondage, not suspecting or understanding their danger, not so much as desiring a better condition: this is the time the Lord chooses. Now to do it by such instruments, out of such stuff, at such a time, this adds much to his glory. I remember it is spoke of one of David's Worthies, in the 2 of Samuel 23. it was Benajah the son of Jehojada, that among all his valiant acts this was one, that he slew a Lion; 
2 Sam. 23. 20.  but that which magnifies it is, the Time when he slew it, it was a Lion that was got into a pit, in the time of a great snow: a Lion in a pit is most desperate, most rampant, because there is no flying away, especially in a snow, the cold of the weather making all the heat of the beast gather about his heart, and so increases his courage and strength; and in the time of a snow, when a man hath hardly any footing to stand where he must fight; this magnified, the time when Benajah slew the Lion: So for the Lord to do it by such instruments, and out of such stuff, and at such a time, if I had no other thing to say, I know you would by this acknowledge that the Lord appears in his glory. But the fourth is the main proof of all, and that is  
The manner how the Lord doth it, which my Text most aims at; it is in such a manner as shows him abundantly to 
4.  
The manner is most glorious wherein he useth to magnify.  be that which he is: those excellent and eminent perfections of All-sufficiency, which are in God, do marvellously irradiate and shine out, when God builds the Church. Among many others, which may be observed, permit me to speak a little of these 5 excellent Attributes, which do in their eminency shine out, when he undertakes the building of the Church: First, his unsearchable wisdom. Secondly, his almighty power. Thirdly, his excellent holiness. Fourthly, his his infinite grace and bounty. And fifthly, his admirable justice. These five Attributes doth the Lord ordinarily magnify in the highest degree, when he is pleased to arise to build up Zion.  
First, I say, his unsearchable wisdom: The Prophet speaks aright of all God's works, O Lord how manifola are 
1.  
His unsearchable wisdom. Psal. 104. 24.  thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the whole world is full of God's wisdom, but never doth the wisdom of God so shine out, as in the admirable contrivances that he hath for the building up, for the repairing and restoring of his Church. It is said, that the spirit of wisdom 
Esa. 11. 2. &c.  doth rest upon Christ, when he is given to be the Ruler of his Church, carrying it in a way beyond all human comprehension his way being in the sea, his path in the great waters, and his footsteps not known, when yet he leads 
Psal. 77. 19  his people as a flock: Conceive a little of it by this. The Lord doth so contrive it, that all the cross and excentrical motions of all creatures do all concur to further this work, though they work according to their several principles, and for their own several ends, most of them intending mischief and ruin to the Church, yet he orders them all to be as directly subservient, to carry on the work of building the Church, as if they all studied it, and intended it with their whole might: The plots of the enemies, 
Acts 15. 39 Psal. 1. 12.  their strength, their cunning, their cruelty, persecutions, and the weaknesses, faults, corruptions, and even divisions of his servants, all contribute toward the building up of the Church, though they seem all contrary to it: God seems to me to lay a tax not only upon Heaven, but upon Hell itself, and all the powers of darkness, and all their servants, that every one of them should bring in their utmost power to carry on this work. You have an excellent instance in the 60 chapter of Esay, where God 
Esa. 60. per totum.  orders it, that the Islands and kingdoms, the Princes and Nobles, the Beasts and Birds, the Forests and Rivers, the Gold, Silver, brass, and Iron, all kind of creatures and things, shall contribute their uttermost to raise up and beautify this building; yea, though they intend it not, 
Micah 4. 11, 12, 13.  though they intend the contrary, to ruin and spoil it, as is clearly expressed. Many Nations gathered together against Zion, that say, let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion, when in the mean time the wisdom of God hath contrived it, that they come but to be threshed out, and to be made a crop for Zion to feed upon. Never doth the Lord so magnify his wisdom, as in his excellent contrivances about the church's welfare, suiting all providences and occurrences of things, and endeavours of all people, though they have a thousand several ends, yet every one to contribute their best, as if one soul dwelled in them all: which made Paul, when he considered of this point, to be even swallowed up with admiration, O the 
Rom. 11. 33. 34.  depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out! who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor?  
Another is, his almighty power, which is so eminently 
2.  seen in this work, that it is God's ordinary expression, to 
His almighty power. Esa. 17.  call it the creating of a new heaven and a new earth; Behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth; he creates it: And in the 59 of Isaiah, where God speaks of the Church, 
Esa. 59 19  I create the fruit of the lips, peace, peace: the fruit of the lips, is the preaching of the Word, but it is done in a way of creation; he creates Ministers, creates Ordinances, creates 
Esa. 4. 5. & 45. 7. Psal. 102. 18 Esa. 43. 1. Jer. 41. 21. Ephes. 2. 10.* 14, 24.  means and helps, creates deliverances, creates graces, comforts, all done in an almighty way of creation. Now creation, you know, first, fit irresistibiliter, there is no power able to stand against a Creation: So it is here, when God pleases to build the Church, the mountains 
1.  flow down; thus you have it Esay 64. 1, 2, 3. Oh that thou 
Raising his Church irresistibly. Esa. 64. 1, 2, 3.  wouldest rent the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flew down at thy presence, as when the melting fire burneth, to cause the waters to boil, when thou didst terrible things, which we looked not for. And the like hath the Prophet Zachary, What art thou, O great mountain? before my servant Zerubbabel, thou shalt become a plain: that 
Zach 4. 7.  is, all oppositions, all kingdoms, all Empires, all the gates of Hell, and whosoever stand against it, they are all broke in pieces, when once God is pleased to undertake the building of the Church; I'll build my Church, and the 
Matth. 16.  gates of Hell shall not prevail against it: What are these gates of hell? Christ speaks according to the manner of those Countries, the gates of a City were the place where there was both the wisdom and the strength of a City: In their gates sat their noble and wise Consellours; there were their Courts kept, in their gates lay their Ammunition, out of their gates went all their Commanders: All the wisdom and power of Hell, that is, of Satan's kingdom, must all be broken, if God please to build his Church: he speaks the word and it is done, done irresistibly.  
Secondly, Creation sit ex nihilo, it rises out of nothing; though there be no preparative, though you cannot imagine 
2.  
Out of nothing.  what shall be the materia ex qua, the thing out of which the work should arise, yet if Creation comes, it doth it out of nothing: Thus the Lord brings in the Church at one time, wondering at her own increase, 
Esa. 49. 2●.  when she had sat long as a desolate widow, a captive without children, forsaken of her husband, and an innumerable multitude of children suddenly saying in her ears, The place is too narrow for us, where shall we have room to dwell? Who hath hegotten me these? who hath brought up these? these, where have they been? Unthought of means and mercies usually appear in this work, to magnify the power of God.  
Thirdly, Creatio fit in instanti; as it is done out of nothing, 
3.  so it is done in a trice, in the twinkling of an eye: Who hath heard such a thing as this? who hath seen such 
Esa. 66. 7, 8.  things? (saith the Prophet in the 66 of Isaiah:) What is that? of a Nation that was borne in a day: Shall the earth be made to bring forth in a day? must there not be a space between seedtime and harvest? or shall a child be begotten and born in a day? yet Zion doth so, brings forth before she travails, delivered of a manchild in an instant, yea of a Nation, and that before her pain came: and elsewhere the sudden increase of the Church is compared to whole flights of Doves, and to the clouds flying swiftly and in abundance through the air; Who are these 
Esa. 60. 8.  that fly like the clouds, and as Doves to their windows? But most fully this is promised in the 110 psalm, where the 
Psal. 110.  church's increase is compared to the dew which in innumerable drops comes suddenly out of the womb of the morning: there's another glorious Attribute of God shining out, his almighty power. Then thirdly,  
His holiness: Never doth the Lord appear so holy 
3.  a God, as he doth in this work of building the Church. 
His holiness.  holiness is not only a glorious Attribute, but in truth it is glory itself, it is the very face of God; and therefore holy men are said to bear the image of God, because they are like his very face, when, Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of Hosts, may be sung unto him, the whole earth is full 
Esa. 6. 3.  of his glory, with that work which causeth his holiness to appear, then like the Sun he shows his glorious face, when he appears in his holiness. Now this excellent Attribute is celebrated to the height in the church's building: 
Rev. 4.  This is clear in that solemn and glorious representation of Christ, ruling in, and beautifying of his Church Revel. 4. the four Beasts representing the Catholic Church in the four quarters of the world, when night and day they give glory to Christ, the head and King, the Builder and Ruler of his Church; their Song is only this, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty: and that triumphant Song of the Church, recorded Revel. 15. for the victory 
Rev. 15. Psal. 89, 18. & 99 5. Esa. 17. 7. 1 Sam. 2. 2.  obtained over the Beast, wherein they celebrate his greatness, truth, and justice, the Church sets this as the rise of all, For thou only art holy: and in truth, the usual name he takes to himself, and by which his people call him in reference to this work, is, The Holy One of Israel; and it is fit it should be so, for than he shows how little he can endure iniquity, than he purges away the sin of his people, than he makes them a peculiar people, zealous of good works, than he separates their dross and their rubbish from them, than he makes them like unto himself: never doth God beautify his holiness so, as he doth when he builds the Church. That is the third.  
Fourthly, and that which is one of the sweetest, the Lord never magnifies nor glorifies his free grace and his love so 
4.  
His free grace and love.  as he doth in this work of building the Church; all the treasures of love and favour, which before lay hid in his breast, do gloriously shine out; then he marries her, or keeps his Wedding-feast, and makes all the world to know how dear she is unto him; there and then, and nowhere else, doth he bestow his choice favours. When he gives kingdoms and Empires, he gives nothing but a piece of clay, what he cares not for; but when he builds the Church, there he lays out his Treasure. The time would fail me to number the gifts which he than gives: Great Princes ordinarily have their Almoners with them wheresoever they go, and they give this or that piece of silver or gold to ordinary Petitioners; but when they will appear in their glory, and give such gifts as shall magnify them, than it may be they create Earls, and Lords, and great Officers of State, which are peculiar and discriminating pledges of their love: So doth God, when he builds up other Nations with outward mercies, with fruitful seasons, health, wealth, and pomp, &c. he esteems them as nothing, he cares not a shoe-latchet for these common gifts, they are his common alms; but when he builds his Church, than he gives his Ordinances, than he gives his Ministers, than he gives them the Graces of his Spirit, these are his Chrysolites, his Emeralds, his pearls, and Diamonds, than he makes all the world stand amazed, (as my Text saith) and all the Kings to wonder, at the love and beauty which he shows to his people in the day he builds up Zion: then they who despised her shall wonder at her, Who is this that comes out of the wilderness leaning upon 
Cant. 8. 2. Esa. 60. 14. & 62. ●.  her beloved? and bow down at her feet and confess, that she is now to be called Heph-zibab and Beulah, because her God delighteth in her. And lastly,  
The Lord useth more than at any other time, to glorify 
5.  that excellent Attribute of his Justice, because than he 
His Justice.  takes vengeance upon his church's enemies: You shall find in the Scripture, that these two things ever go together, the lambs marrying, and the Whores burning; Zion's building, and Babel's ruin; his Servants exalting, his enemies falling; his People raised up, his adversaries spoiled; then doth the Lord call them to account, and pay them, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, breach for breach: the day of Zion's deliverance, and redemption, and fury and recompense to her adversaries, ever go together: Behold 
Esa. 59 17, 18. & 34. 8. Zeph. 3. 19 Esa. 49. 26. Joel 3.  (saith the Lord) in that day I will undo all that afflict thee, and will save and gather thee: in one and the same day the spoilt Church shall be rescued, and they who oppressed her shall be fed with their own flesh, and made drunk with their own blood: The Church militant and malignant are as a pair of balances, or Buckets at a Well, when the one goeth up the other still goeth down. And by this time I hope you see how the Lord appears in his glory when he builds up Zion; I have but the fourth question to answer, and this will be fit for Application; and that is,  
Why the Lord appears thus glorious in this work, rather 
4.  than in any other? There are these two reasons of it: 
Why he thus appears in glory when he builds his Church.  First, because it is a work that infinitely pleaseth him: Men choose to appear in their clothes and behaviour suitable to the work that they are to be employed in: the woman 
1.  
Because he dearly loves his Church.  of Tekoah must feign herself to be a mourner, when she goes on a mournful message; and David, when he goes on a doleful journey, covers his face, and puts on mourning apparel; but when Solomon is to be crowned, he goes in all his royalty; and a Bride adorns herself gloriously when she is to be married: Verily so doth the Lord: when he goes about a work he takes no pleasure in, he puts on his mourning apparel, he covers himself with a cloud, and the heavens with blackness; when he is to do his strange work of judgement, than he mourns, How shall I give thee up Ephraim? how shall I make thee as Sodom? my bowels rolled within me, my compassions are turned: but the 
Jer. 31. 34. Psal 132. 13. & 87. 2.  building of Zion doth infinitely please him, because Zion is as the apple of his eye to him; he bought Zion at a dear rate, with his own blood; he lays Zion in his bosom, he is ravished with Zion, Zion is his Love, his Dove, his fair one; he hath chosen Zion, and loves the gates of it, better than all the Palaces of Jacob; and being so pleasing to him, no marvel if he put on all his glorious apparel, when he is to adorn and build up Zion. And se●ondly, it is  
Because all the glory that he looks for to eternity, must 
2.  arise out of this one work of building Zion; this one work 
He expects most glory from this work.  shall be the only monument of his glory to eternity: this goodly world, this heaven and earth, that you see and enjoy the use of, is set up only as a shop, as a Work-shop to stand only for a week, for six or 7000 years, (a thousand years is with the Lord but as a day) and when his work is done he will throw this piece of clay down again; and out of this he looks for no other glory then from a Cabul, a land of dirt, or a shepherd's cottage, or a gourd which springs up in a night and withers in a day: but this piece 
Psal. 87. per to●um. Esa. 31. 9 Psal. 132. Ier. 17. 12. Rev. 4. Esa. 6. 1.  he sets up for a higher end, to be the eternal mansion of his holiness and honour; this is his Metropolis, his Temple, his house where his fire and furnace is, his Court, his glorious high Throne, and therefore his glory is much concerned in this work: when Nabuchadnezzar would have a City for the honour of his kingdom, and the glory of 
Dan. 4. 30.  his Majesty, he will make it a stately piece; Solomon made 
1 King. 10. 18, 27.  all his kingdom very rich and glorious, but he made his Court, and especially his Throne, another manner of thing, so stately, that the like was not to be seen in any other kingdom: and therefore no wonder though he appear in his glory in building up of that, which we may boldly say must one day be made as glorious as his wisdom can contrive, and his power bring to pass.  
Having thus plainly opened and proved this excellent Doctrine, give me leave in the Application to present you 
Application.  with some matter, first, of Joy and consolation; secondly, of Reproof and terror; thirdly, of Exhortation and Duty.  
Here is a further excellent encouragement and strengthening of our comfort, in that which I touched before, 
use 1. For consolation.  viz. an assurance that this work must go on; do all the world what they can, they can never hinder the building up of God's Church, because God hath so set his heart upon it, that for the doing thereof he hath clothed himself with his glory, and girded himself with strength; and will he be hindered in it, though all the Nations of the world should rise up against him to hinder it? It is true, the gates of Hell do always appear with all their wisdom and strength against it, but what of that? it is his glory to build it, and can we imagine that any shall be able to spoil him of his glory, that any can pull down what he will build, or root up his pleasant plant; when he hath called it his house of glory, which he will glorify, that poor 
Esa. 60. 7.  worms shall be able to defile or deface it? No, no, this work must be carried on, fear it not. He hath evidently begun it among ourselves, and we are often discouraged in it; there is yet much to be done, much rubbish still remains to be carried out, and we are very low, our estates wasted, the builders discouraged, their hands weakened: but not by might, or an Army, but by my Spirit (saith the Lord) must this work proceed, and then what art thou, O great mountain, thou great mountain of Popery, Prelacy, superstition, oppression, division, heresy, schism? what art thou before my servants the builders? thou shalt flow down, thou shalt be made a plain: Be strong therefore, ye Nobles and servants of God, whose hearts are set upon this work, you shall notwithstanding all opposition see the cap-stone set upon the head of it, and cry Grace, Grace, unto it. The Lord useth an excellent similitude in Esay 31. 4. when he came down to rescue his people, and they 
Esa 31. 4.  were discouraged (just as we are now) with a multitude of oppositions, he compares himself to a Lion, or a young Lion, that hath caught his prey, when the multitude of shepherds are called out against him, he scorns to mend his pace, or be afraid of their voice; So will the Lord of Hosts do in building of Zion, let all the world rise up against this work, and he scorns to draw back from them, or be afraid of the shepherds or their dogs, he can worry them and all their dogs to pieces: And therefore I beseech you, who are engaged in this great work of God, when any discouragements fall out before you, remember the errand that God bids Hezekiah send to Senacharib, who came with some two or 300000 fighting men, and sent him a very proud, scornful, and threatning message; tell him (said God) the daughter of Zion sits and laughs at him, shakes her head, and scorns him, bids him do his worst, and well she might, for these proud mountains soon flowed down, for in in one night one of God servants 
Esa. 37.  killed 180000, e●en all his captains and great men were all killed; so say thou, when great difficulties rise up, and thou beginnest to think, Lord, by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small, our money fails us, our Trade is gone, yea, in many places Ordinances fail us, men's hearts are discouraged; what shall we do? say, the Lord hath put on his glorious apparel, and he must and will carry on this work, he will never undergo that reproach, This man began to build, and was not able to make an end. 
Luke 14.   
But why doth he then so delay it? alas, it is worse with 
Objection.  us than it was two or three years ago, the summer is past▪ the harvest is come, and yet we are not delivered; much blood is shed, the enemy is yet strong and potent, our hearts fail, our instruments decay, and yet the work hangs; if God did appear in his glory, why would it come on thus heavily?  
I answer, the Lord is a God of judgement, he is a wise 
Answ. Esa. 30. 18.  God, he knows the fittest time: That he doth delay is neither because he is weary of the work, or because he is not able to do it, or because the enemy is strong; No, no, the Holy One of Israel never fainted, neither is he weary, but it is only because his best time is not yet come; he 
Ier. 14. 8, 9 Esa. 40. 28.  will (it may be) more fit the enemies for destruction, and us for deliverance; it may be he will hunt us yet more from all our self-confidence, and lay us low; but in the fittest and best time of all, this work must proceed, no weapon can prosper that is forged against it, the Lord will carry it on and finish it: whether we live to see it, it's no matter, if we die and go to heaven we are well enough, let us serve God in our generation, in this work which himself will own in all generations.  
Is it the Lord's glory to build up Zion, then miserable, and wretched, and cursed are all they that are the enemies 
use 2. terror to all who would hinder it.  of Zion, who would pull Zion down; who with the children of Edom, who cry, down with it, down with it, even to the very foundation; who with Sanballat and Tobiah, do strive all they can to keep it low, to hinder the workmen that they may not carry it on; what do you think will become of these? I'll tell you how you shall guess; you shall find in the sixth of Ezra, when a great Emperor of 
Ezra 6. 11, 12.  Persia came to understand a decree of Cyrus, wherein it appeared he was stirred up of God to build his house at Jerusalem, he wrote a Letter to Tatnai and Shethar-boznai, and many others who were enemies to the Jews, and had writ to the Emperor to know, whether they should hinder these men from the work, the Emperor writes back to this purpose; You Tatnai and Shethar-boznai keep far from them, meddle not with them, I make a decree, that whosoever he be that offers to hinder this work, his house be pulled down, and timber be taken down and set up for a gallows, and himself hanged thereon; and the Goa that hath caused his name to dwell there, root out from the face of the earth all Kings and Princes that offer to alter this work, or destroy this house. Here was a brave speech of a Heathen, of a Pagan Emperor: the like must be said to these men, whoever offers to hinder the building of God's house, the reformation of the Church, the decree of the great King will reach them, it is ratified in heaven, the God that hath caused his name to dwell in the Church, will cut off all Kings and Princes, Lords and Ladies, rich and poor, and whosoever dare offer to hinder the building of it.  
But who is he, or where is he, that in his heart dare think 
Quest.  such a thing?  
I tell you, their number is numberless; God grant there 
Answ.  be none such present: I'll name some of them, not only the Antichristian, prelatical, Malignant party, who are in arms against us, and endeavour with all their power and cunning to destroy us, and so cause this work to cease, but even all who secretly affect and assist them, or stand as Neuters, and hang off, when this work of God is in hand, 
Nehem. 3. 5.  and like the Nobles of Tekoah refuse to put their shoulders to the work, are all enemies to it, and do dash against this rock: and all whose wicked lives are contrary to it, all whose ill examples discourage, and lie like stumbling-blocks in the way, who refuse to be hewn, and framed, and laid like living stones into the building of God, who are unwilling to bear Christ's yoke; who by counsels, by power, or otherwise, hinder the spreading of the Gospel, (which is the rod of his power, and the great engine whereby he rears the Church, and subdues his enemies) or that have ill will to the preaching of it; all that spread corrupt Doctrines, licentious opinions, who seek to rend and divide the people of God, all you and your works are enemies to it, whatsoever you think of yourselves, and whosoever you are, whether great or small, you all kick against pricks; and believe it, you must all come under the curse of it: you are all wretched and miserable creatures, to oppose that work which must prosper, and to stumble at that stone, which will fall upon you, and grind you to powder: you must all perish who have ill will at Zion; not only your weapons must be unprosperous, which are forged against it, but this is the plague wherewith the Lord will smite you, your flesh must consume away, your eyes 
Esa. 54. 17. Zach. 14. 12 Luke 19 27. Rev. 19 ult.  rot in their holes, your tongues consume away in your mouths, and to conclude your misery, you must all be slain before his face, and cast into a Lake burning with fire and brimstone: Repent therefore of this not only your folly, but madness, which now is your shame, and is like to prove your confusion.  
Doth the Lord appear in his glory when he builds up 
use 3. Exhortation in two branches.  Zion? then I beseech you all give God the glory of his work: you can never grieve a man more, then to neglect him in that which he makes his glory; to slight or throw 
1.  
Since be appears in his glory, to acknowledge his glory in it.  aside a workman's masterpiece, as if it were a toy, is taken very heinously among men; now I tell you, that although every work of God is excellent, and his praise may be found in it, the works of the Lord are all great, and worthy to be had in remembrance, yet this work of building the Church is his masterpiece, every pin, every stone, from the foundation to the cap-stone, is so enamelled, and chequered, with Rubies, Saphires, Emeralds, Chrysolites, Carbuncles, with all manner of precious stones, such admirable, curious workmanship, that Ahab's Ivory Palace, and Solomon's Cedar house, the Pyramids of Egypt, all human Artifices, yea all the rarities and secrets of nature, have no glory, when compared with the glory of this one work, of Christ's gathering, building, protecting, and beautifying of Zion; this you would soon acknowledge, if you could look upon it with spiritual discerning eyes: get therefore your Bibles, and the Stories of the Church, and read them, and in reading labour to the utmost to understand this piece of God's work; consider, how ever since he hath had a Church upon earth, what a strange way he hath took to govern it, from what small beginnings he hath multiplied it, from what dead low ebbs he hath brought it, by what unlikely instruments he hath built it, what potent enemies he hath subdued before it, with what rare privileges he hath enriched it, by what unthought of ways and providences he hath done good it; ponder these things, and you can hardly read one Paragraph of the Story of God's Church, but you must with admiration cry out, This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful in my eyes; O that there were in us such a heart, that could be thus raised up, thus enlightened, as to see nothing excellent, but only God's going in the Sanctuary! they have seen the goings of my God and King in the Sanctuary: 
Psal. 68 24.  such an heart would be according to God's own heart, a spirit which the Lord would delight in: more especially study and behold the glory of this last piece of his work, this new edition of the Church which he is now about to set forth, wherein I hope he will vouchsafe to make his Churches, even amongst us, a praise in the earth. O read over the admirable dealings of God towards us, in these four or five last years, I am assured it will be the wonderment of succeeding generations, God will have it written by one hand or other, and when these things shall be told they will be wondered at indeed: when it shall be written what a low ebb we were at, how we were tantum non swallowed with Popery, Prelacy, Superstition, Arminianism, Tyranny, Oppression all things concurring to undo us, and then the Lord broke those Iron yokes, and hath called this Parliament, which after he hath fitted, and tried, and humbled, he hath put upon the repairing of his Church, and building the walls of his City, in a troublesome time, when they build with the trowel in one hand, and the Sword in another, when huge potent Enemies are risen up to destroy them, and yet he carries on this work, exercising and manifesting such rare wisdom in the midst of our folly, such admirable power in the midst of our weakness, such holiness in the midst of our corruptions, such love in the midst of our unworthiness, such justice to our enemies in the midst of their pride, carries it on after such a manner, that they who read these things must stand amazed, and cry out, O how wonderful are thy doings O Lord toward thy poor unworthy flock in the kingdom of England! Now could we get our hearts raised thus to give God the glory due to his name, it would please him better than a bullock that hath horns and hooves; never could we live to better purpose, it were an excellent work to have these ways and goings of our God and King written for the generations to come, that the people who shall be created may praise the Lord: I have often begged of him, to put it into the heart of some wise observer of his dealings, to collect and digest them, and I hope it will be done; in the mean time let us that live forget none of his doings, but keep them all in thankful mind and memory, and praise the Lord on the Harp, and sing praise to him every day, for the wonders that he hath wrought, since he arose to build up our Zion. This is the first Exhortation, to praise God for his glorious work: another follows, with which I will end, and that is  
To you (right Honourable) for whose sakes this meeting is in this place; that seeing it is the Lord's glory to 
use 2. Exhortation to the right Honourable Lords, to imitate Christ, to make this work their glory.  build up the Church, you would make it your glory, that you would be like unto God, that you would esteem yourselves never so truly in your glory, as when you come out with all that you have, or are, to help forward this work: I humbly pray you look upon our desolations, look upon the enemies of the Church, how infinitely industrious they are to ruin it, how few of them drive any private design, but join in this common work and design, to ruin the work of Reformation; how they lay out all their wit, power, and interest, which they have in Court, in country, in City, by Letters, by Travels, by blood, by any thing, that they might (with Sanballat and Tobiah) cause this work of God to cease; you know this. Consider also how poor desolate Zion doth even stretch out her hands unto you, and pray you, that in this sad time of her calamity, if there be any love in your hearts and bosoms toward her, you would come out, and give her some help, to rear her out of the dust and the rubble: I beseech your Lordships set this work to heart, and up and be doing, do your best to carry this work on. To this end there are two things I shall humbly offer unto you: First, to tell you what you may do, and what God expects you should do: Secondly, to give you some quickening Motives to warm and inflame your hearts, with a purpose and resolution to do what God would have you do.  
First, you may possibly demand, what may or can we 
Quest.  do, or what can any creature do, seeing you were taught that the building of Zion is God's work alone?  
I answer, it is very true, the work is God's, and God's 
Answ.  alone, and you may truly say of Zion, when ever it is 
What Magistrates and great men may do.  built, it is not by might, nor by an Army, but by Christ and his Spirit; yet were not great men, Princes, and Nobles, to be very great instruments in this work, God would never have promised it, as one of the great privileges of the Church, that Kings and Princes should be her nursing Fathers, and that she should suck the breasts of Kings: And truly 
Esa. 49. 23. & 60. 16. 1 Tim. 2. 26.  it is much you may do by your examples, and by causing your great families to serve the Lord; I and my Family (said Joshua) will serve the Lord: and all the great men we 
Josh. 24. 15. Gen. 18. 19 & 35. 2. Matth. 8 5. 2 Tim. 4. 19 Acts 16. 15.  read of in the Scripture to have been converted, presently their families were converted with them: The Ruler of the Synagogue and his family, the Centurion and his family, Onesiphorus and his family, Crispus and his family, Lydia and her family, and many others: Thus in a spiritual and moral way you may help to build the Church; but that's not all, your authority and power may do very much in this work: It is very true, that your power (who are Nobles, Magistrates, & Rulers of States) in the commonwealth, in the building of a civil State, and the building of the Church, do extremely differ one from another: In building the civil State, you do it ad modum imperii, by way of rule and command; therein you have authority; Meum and Tuum, the things of this life, are by the Lord committed into the hands of a State, and the light of Nature and human Prudence are sufficient to direct you in them, and in these things you have power and authority, according to your own reason and will, to make laws about them; you may erect new laws, and new Offices, and new Officers, and you may impose new burdens, and people may lawfully submit to your discretion, without seeking any further for a particular warrant out of the Word, in the things that concern this present life: but (my Lords) it is not so in the building of Zion, matters of Religion are spiritual and heavenly things, 
Heb. 3. 1.  which pertain only to God, the souls and consciences of men, and the communion of Saints, their end is God's glory, men's conversion, edification, and eternal salvation; these are things which cannot be carried along by natural reason, or civil prudence, but only by the light of that spiritual and heavenly Rule, the Word of God; and therefore in these things you have no Lordly rule; Unum 
Luther.  Dominum habemus qui animas nostras gubernat; all your power in these things must be ad modum ministerii, not imperii; you must carry yourselves, not as the church's Masters, but as Christ's servants, yea and as servants to the Church for Christ's sake, not as Lords, to dispose of the affairs of it at your own pleasure, but at the direction of his Word only: This than must you set down for a Rule, That you are limited to the Word, and men under your authority must, before they obey your Orders, examine them by the Word, and find them to be both lawful in their nature, and expedient in their use, for edification, peace, order, &c. But (my Lords) though you have not such an imperium here, as in human things, yet the power and authority that God's Word hath given you for the carrying on of this work, is exceeding great, and it may be reduced to these two heads: First, the Lord would have you his instruments for the purgation and reformation; secondly, for the preservation of the Church, when you have brought it into a state of reformation.  
First, for the purgation and reformation of it; all the 
1.  rubbish, all the dross, the Antichristian pelf and garbage 
For the reformation of Religion.  that the house of God is defiled with, you are to throw it all out, with Josiah, into the brook Kidron; to sweep it all out, and to bring back the people, who have been misled into Arminianism, to Popery, to Superstition, to any of these abominable ways, you are to remove all these stumbling-blocks, and to bring them back again unto the knowledge of the Lord their God: this God requires at the hands of Princes; thus did Jehoshaphat, thus did Hezekiah, thus did Josiah, thus did Ezra and Nehemiah, all 
2 Chron. 17. 2 Chron. 29. 2 Chron. 34. Ezra 10. Nehem 9 10.  the good Kings of old, they all made it their care to command the people, to make them enter into an Oath, and a Curse; and none might live under their privilege and protection, who would not return to the God of their Fathers: I confess, I think it is not in the power of Magistrates to compel a people (unto whom God can lay no claim by Covenant) to alter from a heathenish Religion to be the Lord's people, yet they should be careful to send Ministers to preach unto them, and try if by any means they may be brought to receive the truth in love; yea and to punish them severely, if they blaspheme, or seek to draw away God's people to Idolatry, &c. When the Jews, David, or Solomon, or any of their Kings, conquered the Nations round about them, they never compelled any of them to forsake their false Gods, and to turn Proselytes, because those people never had chosen God to be their God; but a people who once had in Covenant made themselves the Lords, and so the Lord by virtue of the Covenant could lay claim to them and their posterity, his Princes and servants have ever (according to his will) compelled these to stand to their Covenant, or else they should not enjoy their protection; and therefore Josiah, and those good Kings put them all to death who followed Baal, and returned not unto the Lord their God. For ourselves, our Plantations ought never to endeavour to convert Infidels by violence, Christ's people must be a willing people, we leave such conversions to the Spaniards, who worried the Indians to death with dogs, and drove them into the river like cattle, and compelled them to be baptised: but 
Revel. 17. 16.  for a people who have received Christianity, and have been seduced to Anti-christianity, to whom still the Lord continues his claim, by the same right that Jehu destroyed Baal, and other good Kings jeroboam's Calves, and the rest of their Idols, and compelled them to stand to the Lord's Covenant and Oath, by the same warrant and rule may you root out Popery and heresy, and proceed against incorrigible Papists, heretics, Blasphemers, and such as have apostatised from the Lord, and refuse to return: This power the Lord hath given you for the purgation of Religion, to remove and cast out the things that are abominable. You have power also, and it is your duty, to set up all God's Ordinances; Ordinances for Worship, Ordinances for Government; thus did all the good Kings you shall read of: You are also to find out fit Ministers for the house of God, to see that they be regularly called, tried, and ordained, and sent forth, in the way of the Gospel; all this the Lord hath put into your hands. This for the Reformation; and when you have set the house of God in a good state, the Lord calls you further to take care for the preservation of it, by providing Seminaries of learning and piety, that the Sons of the Prophets may be bred, that there may never want a seed to furnish the house of God; with able, faithful, and skilful workmen, and to provide and continue sufficient maintenance to them: And so likewise to convocate Synods, Assemblies, and to encourage Ministers, with putting them upon their duties, quickening them up to it, &c. providing that the mouth of the ox be not muzzled, that treads out the corn; that the Levites be not compelled to leave their Cities: All these things for the preservation of Religion hath the 
And the preservation of it.  Lord put into your hands, and these things God requires at your hands: yea (I say further) the Lord would have you look to it, that as none shall rob God's people of the liberties Christ hath given them, nor take away any of their privileges from them; yea, and that the weak, both in knowledge, faith, and practice, be born with, so far as the Apostles Canons do require: so on the other side to provide that heretics and false Teachers, who would 
Ezra 6. 11, 12, 1 King. 2. 26. Rom. 13. 4. Deut. 13.  withdraw the people from their God, who would steal them away from the knowledge, and worship, and service of God, to licentiousness, to profaneness, to ungodliness, to idolatry, to blasphemy, and to such things as overthrow Religion; the Lord requires it at your hands, not to permit such Wolves to live amongst them; surely such are 
Rev. 2. 14, 20. Vide Beza de Hereticis mor●e plectendis.  no more to be born with, who thus murder souls, than they who murder men's bodies. Now (my Lords) these are admirable duties and dignities, these are such things to be employed in, that there is not an Angel in heaven, not an Apostle now with God, nor a Minister on earth, but would as willingly be employed in this work, as to be in the glory of heaven itself; and seeing God himself appears in his glory when he builds up Zion, my humble suit is, that your Lordships would count it your glory, and think with David you never are so gallant and glorious, as when you are dancing before the Ark of God.  
And to stir you up to it, I shall use two sorts of Motives; 
Motives thereunto.  one taken from your selves, from your own present standing and condition: the other, from the consequence and benefit of the work itself.  
First, your own standing and condition affords you many notable arguments, such as might even compel you to 
Motive 1.  make it your glory to help forward this great building of the Church of God.  
You are great men, lifted up above your Brethren: God 
1.  hath done that for you, which he hath denied to millions 
They are great men.  in the kingdom; you know your states, blood, birth, dignities, privileges, so well, that I need not reckon them: Now God having made you greater than others, he expects, and certainly it would be a very comely thing, that you should be the forwardest of all to help forward this work, that God is so well pleased with.  
And secondly, God hath also put into your hands more talents and abilities, and opportunities to do this work, 
2.  
Have many opportunities.  then into the hands of others: many willing men, who would lay down all, would do all, and give all they have to further it, yet are not able to do so much as one Vote of yours may do; one I, or one No, given by you, may more forward the building of this work, than the lives and states of many thousands: Now when such an opportunity is in your hands, when you are so furnished and enabled to do it, how sad a thing would it prove if you should not improve it?  
Nay thirdly, (my Lords) you are noblemen, and therefore you cannot out of true Nobility but desire to 
3.  
〈◊〉 a glorious work, and will be their greatest honour.  have your hands in noble and honourable employments; sure I am, since you were borne, or since this generation begun, never was it in the hand or opportunity of men, to be laid out more honourably, than you may in cordially helping forward this great work: never can you be so glorious in the eyes of God and his Angels, no such glory or nobility as to be employed in this work; had 
Isa. 60. 12, 13.  you all Acts of Parliament, to entail all your Lands, Honours, Names and Fortunes, all that you are, and all else that you wish for, would never make you so honourable, as to be numbered amongst these that built up the Church of God; that when the Lord shall reckon up the people, who were by him employed in the work, as he saith once 
Psal. 87.6.  of Zion, This and that man was borne there; so for God to say, for the Registers of his acts and worthy deeds to say, Such a nobleman, such an Earl, such a Lord, stood out in my cause and work, when the Nobles of Tekoah 
Nehem. 3. 5. Nehem. 6. 17.  would not put their hands to it: When some of the Nobles of Judah kept intelligence with Sanballat and Tobiah, when some others discouraged the well-affected; such a man, like another Nehemiah, wrought for me night and 
Nehem. 4. 23.  day, and never put off his clothes except it were to wash them; never could such an honour be put upon you; look not while you live in this world, though you might live an hundred years, ever to have the like opportunity. O that it might sink deep into your hearts! that you did understand what an honour it is to be a helper of God, in laying the foundation of a new heaven and earth! Nay (my Lords) consider in the fourth place,  
God hath called you to it, as expressly as he did call Bezaleel 
4.  and Aholiab, as he called Hiram, when Solomon sent for him, to help him build the Temple: he could have cast your lot to be mean men, or in his providence have left you among them who have deserted him and his cause, (who shall therefore one day be clothed in confusion) but he hath kept you here, while these great matters of Religion 
Isa. 58.  are in hand, things which I hope will prove the foundations of many gnerations: This work he hath called 
Esa. 44. ult.  you unto, and hath said to you, as once he said to Cyrus, Build my house; and when God calls, you may be bold to follow him, rely upon him for wisdom, counsel, strength, success, &c. according to that promise Esa. 45. 2. I will go 
Esa. 45. 2.  before thee, I will break in pieces gates of brass, and bars of iron, I am the Lord who calls thee, and will bless thee.  
Yea, fifthly, the Lord hath already blessed you in it: 
5.  Remember (I beseech you) at what a miserable low ebb 
God hath already blessed them in this work.  we were, when your Lordships, and the Honourable House of Commons, entered into an Oath and Covenant with God Almighty, and swore unto him with your hands lifted up to heaven, that you would endeavour the reformation of Religion; what our state was then, and how this work was derided and scorned, yet ever since, though you have been building in a very troublesome time, and have for our sins met with many a stop, many a Perez-Vzzah in bringing-in the Ark of God, a blessed alteration hath God made in our affairs; since we have owned his cause, how hath he owned us? what deep conspiracies hath he detected? what victories hath he bestowed? how many ways hath he blessed us, and carried the work on, notwithstanding our weaknesses, our follies, our not taking advantage of the opportunities, yet the Lord hath carried it on, because he doth own it.  
Nay, give me leave to add, your forwardness and hearty affection to it, may make the work easy to all 
6. Their example will encourage others. Judg. 7. 17.  others; if you as so many Gedeons' go before them, and say to the people, do what you see us do, Look on us and do likewise; in this cause of God you are like the first sheet of an Impression, when that is printed, it is a pattern for thousands to be wrought off afterwards with ease.  
Nay lastly, know it for certain, that in this point of the 
7. And Gods▪ servants will live and die with them in this work and cause. 1 Chro. 28. 21.  purgation and reformation of Religion, all the well-affected of England will live and die with you: what David said to Solomon, My Son, up and build, all the Nobles, and Princes, and the courses of the Priests, will be at thy command, I may boldly apply to you, Go on in this work, and you shall find England will never desert you, the State of England, the well-affected, the Gentry, the People, the Ministers will live and die with you, while you will live and die cordial to God's cause. It is an old observation, when Princes and great men leave God, they lose their Names, Friends, glory: while Joash was for Religion, they all stuck to him; when he listened to the Princes who drew him off from God, he lost his life and glory all at once: even famous Solomon himself, who built the Temple, when he forsook God, he lost ten of his twelve Tribes: and it's as true here at home, among them whose hearts remain faithful to God and his cause, either in the house of Lords or Commons, although some clouds do sometimes rise over them, some jealousies and surmises, (which soon blow over again) few of them are forsaken; but let any tack about, and forsake God, and they are blasted presently, they are irrecoverably lost. My Lords, consider of these things seriously, and let these arguments, taken from your own condition and standing, provoke you to go on resolutely in this glorious work. There is one Motive more, and that is taken from  
The fruit and the gain that will come of this great work 
Motive 2. From the gain of this work.  of your building up the Church of God: Take it in two branches, in two things, both which (I am assured) are very dear to you; the one concerns yourselves, the other the State.  
For yourselves, your Honours, and Families, and Posterities, 
1.  are certainly very dear to you; men of great 
To themselves. In this world God will build their houses.  blood, and birth, and estate, make the preservation and establishing of their family, ordinarily next to the salvation of their souls: Now (my Lords) you may take this for a certain Rule, Build you God's house, God will build yours; Jehu, though not sound at heart, entailed the crown of Israel to the fourth generation upon his posterity, 
2 King. 10. 30.  for sticking to God in the cause of Baal, in rooting Baal out of Israel; and God promised concerning Solomon, 
2 Sam. 7. 11, 13  he shall build my house, and I will establish his Throne; mark it, those two go together, he shall build my house, and I will establish his Throne; and God said to David in the same chapter, because he had but a purpose to build a house for the Lord, because it was in thy heart to do it, I will build thy house for ever; and even the very Midwives in Egypt, who loved 
Exod. 1. 20.  God's people, God built them houses. So that if ever you would eternize your names, and bring God's blessing upon your families, know certainly this is the only way, other projects will not do it, he can cut off families and houses in their greatest glory: Shebna thought by pride, and pomp, and state, to carry it out, but shalt thou reign (saith God) because thou hast built thee a brave house? I'll kick thee like a ball in strange countries: It is no thinking to continue greatness in despite of God, who at his pleasure pulls down and raiseth up. But in this work you have him engaged, build you God's house, and he will build yours, give his blessing to your posterity, or in case they fail, give you a name that is better than of Sons and Daughters. 
And in another world, a better house prepared  But I'll tell you that which is better for you, better to your souls, when you have served him herein this glorious work, when the day of account and reward comes, they who faithfully work most in this building, shall have the best wages, they shall sit upon thrones there, and shine even as the Sun in the firmament, for ever.  
Secondly, The benefit of this work for the public 
2. This would settle the State.  State.  
The public State (my Lords) is that, that you have sweat and toiled for hitherto, and you would rejoice to see it well settled, to see poor England, buoyed out of these quicksands, into which it is fall'n: What a blessed man would he be, that could but put us into the way, how to pacify God's wrath kindled against the Nation, and secure it for the time to come; Now (my Lords) this will do both, this will pacify the wrath of God. No such way under Heaven, to remove it, as to go on faithfully in Reforming the House of God, in settling Religion according to the Word: That Heathen King Artaxerxes, sent a letter by Ezra, to all the governors, and bids them, that they should let Ezra have all that he would 
pacify Gods wrath at present.  desire for the House of God, so much Gold and Silver, and Wheat, and oil, and Salt, as much as he would, and bids him go on, and set all in order; and what was the great Motive? For (saith he) Why should there be wrath upon the realm of the King, and his Sons? mark it, if all 
Ezra 7. 23.  was not done that was requisite for the House of God, there would be wrath; and let it be done, and there would be no wrath; so I say to you, that God who hath cast us into these combustions, can easily quiet them: how often when we have been ready to strike sail in the harbour, hath some Euroclydon cast us out into the sea again? and on the other side, when ready to sink, how unexpectedly hath he raised our hopes? Our work lies with him, and with him only, pacify God and all is done; this black storm will be blown over, if he but speak all will be quiet: you may see this clearly in the prophecy of Haggai, God was very much displeased with them, and blasted and 
Haggai, per totum.  cursed every thing they took in hand, but as soon as they cordially set upon this work, his spirit was pacified towards them. And then for time to come, (with which I end) The doing of this work will be the readiest way to secure England against the like danger; I am persuaded, you all think that the seeds of deadly and continual feuds are now rooted between Family and Family, Neighbour and Neighbour, such are the plunders and havocks made out of cruel spite, and God knows whether the child but new born will ever live to see an end of them; these I think are your fears, but carry you on this work, and this will secure the peace of the State for the time to come, I say again, the doing of this shall secure all, so that no Enemy shall be able to hurt you. It's said of the Trojans Palladium, and the Romans Ancile, that they were the protection of those Cities, that while they were safe, no Enemy could hurt them; when they were stolen and gone, the City was lost; certainly the establishing of this, will be the Palladium and Ancile of England; you have a promise in the fourth of Isaiah, the latter end of it, The 
Esa. 4. 5.  Lord would create upon every dwelling of Mount Zion, a pillar of a cloud, and a pillar of fire, for Upon all the glory there shall be a defence, mark, a defence upon all the glory; Keligion is the glory, the ordering of God's House, is his glory, and that is a defence even a wall of fire; And you have had good experience of the fruit of Religion, in this huge conflict we have had these three or four years together for our Religion, and Liberty; mark, who are they that have left you, and who adheard unto you, whether the Counties that have forsaken you, have not generally been the dark places, the Cities, and corners of the Land, where nothing but superstition, Prelacy, Ignorance, and profaneness have dwelled, and whether the City of London, and the Counties which have had the Gospel, where Christ hath been soundly preached, have not been the men, who to the exhausting of all, have adheared to you in your righteous defence; and it's hard to name one Town that hath been against you, where the people are subdued to the Gospel of Christ, and you find the generality of godly men throughout the Kingdom resolved to sink or swim with you, because Jesus Christ hath put it into your hearts, to reform and build up Zion. I will conclude with that promise, in the 58 of Isaiah, the latter end, where the Lord exhorts his people to build the old waste places, and repair the Cities for the generations, &c. The great encouragement which the Lord there gives them is, The glory of the Lord shall be their 
Esa. 58. 8.  rearward; not their reward only, but their rearward, their reserve; that that shall back them; the glory of the Lord is Religion, the Ark and Ordinances: Set up Religion, beautify 
Esa 60 13.  the place of his Sanctuary, make the place of his feet glorious, that will keep God among you, and keep the people faithful to God and yourselves, and establish you so, that the Enemy shall not be able to rise up, or if he do, and come one way, he shall fly seven ways; And this is the first Circumstance from which the Prophet so magnifies this work of building up Zion, because when the Lord doth build up Zion, he appears in his glory: Consider what I have said, and the Lord give you understanding in all things.  
FINIS.