A Sermon Preached to the Honourable House of Commons at Their Late Solemn Fast

IT is this day Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament, that Master Solicitor doe from this House give thankes unto Master Henderson for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he preached this day, at the intreaty of this House, at Saint Margarets Westminster; being the day of publike Humiliation; and to desire him to Print his Sermon. It is also Ordered that none shall presume to Print his Sermon without being authorised under his hand writing.

Hen. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com.

I appoint Robert Bostocke to Print this Sermon,

Alexander Henderson.

THIS Sermon, such as it is, was preached to the honourable house of Commons at their desire, and is now by their Order printed for thy use, and, by the blessing of God, for thy benefit. The desire & endevor of the Preacher was, according to the scope and nature of the Text, to shew, that after so often renued and long continued humiliation; and after solemne entring into Covenant with the most high God, The true reformation of Religion, is the readiest meane to turne away the still pressing wrath of God from the Kingdome, And to bring the desired blessings of all sorts upon Church and State; which yet will prove but uneffectuall, unlesse the Reformation intended by the Honourable Houses of Parliament and the reverend Assembly of Divines be attended & faithfully followed with Renovation and Repentance in the people: Repentance for every knowne Sin (and how can Sin be unknowne in the midst of so many burning and shining lights?) But repentance especially for sinnes 〈…〉 the matter of Religion, the present Epidenticall disease of this Land, which threatneth changes & Armies of sorrowes; so it pleaseth the Lord to give more then a taste of the bitter fruits of bad Church-government and a sad representation of the face of the Kingdom, if every man should be left to preach, professe and print what he will. O that my people had harkned unto me, & Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their Enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries. The haters of God, should have submitted themselves unto him; but their time should have endured for ever. Hearken therefore unto the voyce of God in the spirituall, plaine and powerfull preaching of his servants (one of the greatest evidences that the Lord hath a purpose of mercy toward you) and walke in his wayes. Marke them which cause devisions and offences amongst you; be wise unto that which is good, & simple concerning evill; & the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

p. 1A SERMON Preached at the late Fast, before the Honourable House of Commons.

Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done, for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the Realme of the King and his Sonnes?

p. 1THE Lord, who is the Father of Spirits, hath a great diversity of influence and operation, upon the minds and hearts of the children of men; [The Lord worketh diversly upon the hearts of men.] he can send a dream upon Nebuchadnezar, while he is at rest in his house and florishing in his palace, which maketh him afraid and the thoughts upon his bed, and the visions of his head p. 2to trouble him [Dan. 4.4, 5.] . While Belshazzar the King maketh a great feast to a thousand of his Lords, he can make a hand to write over against the Candlesticke upon the plaister of the Wall, which maketh the Kings countenance to be changed, and his thoughts to trouble him; so that the joynts of his loynes were loosed, his knees smote one against another, and his wise men and Lords were astonied with him [Dan. 5.5.] : he can make Balaam, when he is called to curse the people of God, contrary to his owne intention & the desire of Balaak, to blesse them three times [Num. 24.10.] : He can make Cajephas to prophesie what he understandeth not, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole Nation perish not [John 11.49, 50.] : And the Lord can reveale his will to Joseph, Daniel, and his Prophets, concerning things to come for the comfort of his Church [Gen. 37. Dan 2. & 4, & 5. & 7. &c.] . Againe, the Lord can renue the hearts of his Enemies, and make such a Persecutor, as Paul sometime was, to be a beleever and Zealous Preacher [Acts 9.] : He can restraine the impetuous violence of the heart of man; thus dealt he with Laban, that he durst not speake to Jacob either good or bad [Gen. 31.] ; he can also and doth indeed overrule the hearts and wayes of his most Malignant and desperate Enemies, whom he neither renueth nor restraineth, and contrary to their Counsels and intentions, bring them mervelously about to his owne ends, as he dealt with Judas, Herod, Pilate, and the people of the Jewes, who devised and did mischiefe against Christ, but God meant it for good, to save his people from their sinnes [Act. 4.27.28] . There is yet another way of divine providence and Soveraignty, p. 3when the Lord is pleased neither to proceed to farre as to renue, nor doe so little as to restraine, but thinketh meet to change the affections of the heart of man; whether from particular hatred and opposition, as he dealt with Esau comming against Jacob [Gen. 33.] , and Alexander the great, marching against Jerusalem [Joseph antq. Judaic. lib. 11. c. …