252 LIVES OF THE PURITANS, refute this account of his character, Dr. Grey quotesseveral passages from his sermons preached on public occasions ; among which are the following: -" Beloved, our days are better than they were seven years ago ; because it is better to see the Lord executing, udgment, than to see men work- ing wickedness ; and to behold people lie wallowing in their blood, rather than apostatizing from God, and em- bracing idolatry and superstition, and banishing the Lord Christ from amongst men.-Carryon the work still. Leave not a rag that belongs to popery. Lay not a bit of the Lord's building with any thing that belongs unto anti- christ's stuff; but away with all of it, root and branch, head and tail ; throwit out of the kingdom.-1 could easily get before you a catalogue of mercies. You have received many peculiarto your own persons, to your souls and bodies, your estates and families, privative mercies, positive mer- cies. You eat mercies, drink mercies, wear mercy's clothes, are compassed about and covered with mercies, as much as ever the earth was in Noah's flood.". These sermons, of which this is a specimen, so abound with striking com- parisons, and contain so pointed an appeal to the hearers, that though they are not suited to the taste of modern elo- quence, it is easy to conceive how they might gain great admiration in those times. The doctor's refutation, there- fore, refutes itself. Another author endeavours to expose Mr. Marshall to public contempt, on account of his sentiments delivered in his sermons before the parliament. We give these senti- ments in his own words, as transeribed,from his sermons : " Christ," says he, breaks and moulds commonwealths at his pleasure. He bath not spoke much in his word how long they shall last, or what he intends to do with them : only this, that all kings and kingdoms that make war against the church,- shall be broken in Pieces; and that, in the end, all the kingdoms of the world shall be the kingdoms of our. Lord and his saints ; and they shall reign over them. Did ever any parliament in England lay the cause ofChrist and religion to heart as this hath done ? Did ever the city of London, the rest of the tribes, and the godly party through- out the land, so willingly exhaust thernselves, that Christ might be set up? Let all England cry that our blood, our poverty, &c. are abundantly repaid in this, that there is such a concurrence to set the Lord Christ upon his throne, Grey's Examination, rid. iii. p. 183-185.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=