THE BEAUTY OF ZION. 309
couch down until he eat and drink the blood of the slain. But sui3- pose great opposition be made unto him,— will he not give over? Not at all. He will be as a lion that cometh upon his prey, if a multi- tude of shepherds be called forth against him, he will not be afraid at their voice, nor abase himself at tlieir noise, Isa. xxxi. 4. In brief, sooner or later, temporally or eternally, he will avenge all the injuries and destroy all the enemies of his holy dwelhng, 2 Thess. i. 6-10.
And these are some of the relations wherein the Lord Christ stands unto this house of God, being made thereby unto it beauty and glory, comeliness and excellency. The caiTying on of this building, by the union of all the stones thereof to the foundation, and their cementino- one to another by faith, love, and order, I shall not now treat of, nor of the following points of the text.
The general uses of what hath been said are three; the heads whereof I shall name.
Use 1. See the eminent privilege of them which are indeed stones of this house, which is living, strong, and glorious, — which is so nearly related to the Lord Christ. There is more of duty, dignity, and safety, in tliis thing, than can easily be expressed. To do service unto Christ as his, to have the honour of being his, and to be safeguarded as his, are great privileges. Let them who have any sense of these things farther draw out these particulars, from what hath been spoken.
Use 2. Learn hence the vanity of resting upon outward church privileges, if we are not withal interested in this spiritual estate. Where men are living stones indeed, they lie in beauty and order in the assemblies ; — where they are otherwise, Avhere assemblies are made up of dead rubbish, and yet cry, " The house of the Lord, the house of the Lord," — the Lord Jesus abhors those assemblies; he stands not in these relations unto them.
Use 3. See hence the ruin of persecution that hath appeared in the world in various forms. It hath put on all manner of colours and pretences, and prevailed with all sorts of persons at one time or other to close with it. What hath been the issue? what is like to be? The house, indeed, hath been battered sometimes; but they who have come against it have been broken all to pieces. Shall the residue of men who, under new pretences or old ones new painted, drive on the same design,— shall they prosper? Thou, O Lord Jesus, in thine anger wilt cut them off. The Lord open the eyes of the sons of men, that they may not hope any more to separate between Christ and his sahits, between whom there are so many everlasting relations!
'hUiM a-o^pu &S.S, diu, 'lyitrou Xfia-rou, oj n co|« s/j rous aiZya.;. 'Af^nv.
SERMON VIL
THE
ADVANTAGE OF THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST
IN THE
SHAKING OF THE KINGDOMS OF THK WORLD;
OR,
PHOVIDENTIAL ALTERATIONS IS TIlEIIl SUBSERVIENCY TO CHRIST'S EXALTATION.
rREFATOKY NOTE.
The battle of Worcester, "the crowning mercy," as Cromwell termed it, which effectually rciluced Britain under his control, was fought on the 3d of SeiJtember 1651, the anniversary of his victory at Dunbar. On the 24th of October follow- ing, a day of thanksgiving was observed for tliis success, and " sundry other mercies." On this occasion Owen, by this time Dean of Christ Church College, Oxford, pi-eached before the House of Commons the following sermon. " It con- tains," says Mr Orme, " many free and eloquent jjassages, es]>ecially on the danger of human goveinments interfering with the principles and rights of the kingdom of Christ; and on the abomination and extent of the antichristian apostasy." lie refers, iu illustration, to the ])assage which occurs on page 322. — Ed.
Ttasda;/, October 28, 1651. Ordered by the Parliament, That the thanks of this House be given to Mr Owen, Deau of Christ Church iu Oxford, for his great pains taken in his sermon preached before the Parliament, at Margaret's, Westminster, on Friday tlie 24tli of October (being a day set apart for public thanksgiving); and that he be desired to print his sermon ; and that he have the like privilege in printing the same as others in like case have usually had; and that the Lord-General do give him th« tlianks of this Douse, and desire him to print his sermon accordingly.
Hen. Scobell, CUr. Pari.
SUPREME AUTHOEITY OF THE NATION,
THE COMMONS ASSEMBLED IN PAKLIAMENT.
Right Honourable, Of all the times which the Holy One of Israel hath caused to pass over the na- tions of the world, there hath not any from the days of old been so filled with eminent discoveries of his presence, power, and providence, in disposing of all affairs here below according to the coansel of his own will, as the season wherein he hath made you a spectacle imto men and angels, being the instrument in his hand to perform all his pleasure. Neither in this season hath he, upon any opportunity, so gloriously laid hold upon his o\^^l strength and goodness, to manifest thejixcd- ness of his eye, on those who are as the apple of it, as in that mighty deUverance the high praises A\hereof, according to his good hand upon you, you lately ren- dered unto him.