Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	john_n	luke_n	mark_v	4,432	5	10.4916	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52817	The signs of the times, or, VVonderful signs of wonderful times being a faithful collection and impartial relation of several signs and wonders, call'd properly prodigies, (together with some philosophical and theological descants upon them) which have been seen in the heavens, on the earth, and on the waters, as they have been testifyed by very credible hands, all of which have hapned within the compass of this last year 1680 : which may well be called another annus mirabilis, or wonderful year, wherein the Lord hath given us loud warnings to repent of our sins and return to him, that he may have mercy upon us / by C. N.	Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.	1681 (1681)	Wing N463; ESTC R32306	68,903	90

when she looks most fully in a direct line upon the Sun then is she in the Full and most fully inlightned This is the great Duty Required to look vpon a Crucified Saviour Zech. 12.10 and Salvation in the Extent of it is in the former Scripture propounded as the Grand Wages of that work and Duty and that Universally to all Right Lookers both Jews and Gentiles The second Instance of a godly man desirous to see Signs is Gideon as Moses was the first both of them reckoned among Gods Renowned Worthies Heb. 11.20.32 This Gideon though but weak in Faith yet was faithful in weakness and therefore is he dignified with a Room in that Court-Roll of the most radiant Starrs in Scripture Horizon yet his Faith though true being weak required some Supporters hence he saith then shew me a Sign Judg. 6.17 This Sign Gideon sought not as that Adulterous and Evil Generation the Pharises c. did out of Curiosity and Incredulity but as Moses before him c. for farther Confirmation of his Faith concerning his call to so great a Work whereby he might be satisfied that it was God and not man or Devil that called him A good Cause a good Call and a good Conscience will make a good Courage and all are necessary to a Captain or Soldier Especially the Lord looked upon him as well liking his speech v. 14. vouchsafes him a Sign v. 21. signifying that the Midianites should be Destroyed without mans labour seeing Fire came out of the Rock as before Water had done Exod. 17.7 without any humane help to consume the Sacrifice therefore did Gideon erect an Altar to the Lord who had thus confirmed him not only by these Signs v. 17. but by two other Signs v. 36.37 and thus comforted him against his despondencies and called the name of his Altar Jehovah Shalom the Lord of Peace v. 23.24 O that this Inscription were upon all our Hearts as 2. Thess 3.16 The Lord of Peace give us peace always by all means this would answer all Doubts and advance Faith above Fear The sign of the Fleece Gideon desired to be doubled not out of Incredulity to tempt God but out of Humility to be supported under the sence of his own weakness and unsuitableness to so great an undertaking against which he found marvelous Relief in the double Wonder of the Fleece which intimated two things to him 1. Concerning Israel 2. Concerning Midian 1. As to Israel that was represented by the Fleece being sometimes wet with the Dew of Heaven and sometimes dry 2. As to Midian they had Fleeced Israel of all their good things and pull'd all the Wooll from off their backs as the Shearer in that Fleece had don to the poor Sheep turning him naked out of doors into the open Fields but now Gideon with the Lords help should fleece Midian the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon should do as much for them as they had done for Israel pay them home in their own Coyn and requite them to the full after the Law of retaliation hereby Gideons Faith weak at first did gradually grow strong by those confirming Signs so comes he in as a Candidate in that Apostolical Catalogue Heb 11.32 Amongst the highest Favourites in the Court of Heaven Besides those two Godly Men Moses and Gideon that desired confirming Signs there be many others to whom God vouchsafed Signs though undesired as the Tree of Life to Adam Gen. 3.22 The Fire of God to Abraham Gen. 15.17 The budding of the Rod to Aaron Num. 17.5 The Sun standing still to Joshuah Josh 10.13 And its running back to Hezekiah 2. Kings 20.8 9. Fiery Tongues to the Apostles Acts 2.3 4. A Draught of Fish to Peter John 21.6 A Star to the three Wise men Mat. 2.2.9 Dumbness to Zechariah Luke 1.20 and many other Signs to Believers Mark 16.17 18 20. Yet sometimes we find God forcing Signs even upon wicked men as upon that branded one Ahaz Isai 7.10.11.12.14 c. Though this was King Ahaz wicked with an accent even he shall see that while he was under the power of a malicious Devil yet hath he to do with a most gracious God who by a wonderful condeseension will needs give him a Sign 't is an unheard of vouchsafement to vouchsafe a Sign to such a notorious Unbeliever this is more than Christ would do to the Pharisees whom he calls a bastardly Brood for desiring a Sign as before Matt. 12.39 Ask a Sign either in the Depth c. Here was a fair offer to a most foul Sinner he might have had a sight of Heaven or of Hell for a Sign yet instead of an humble and thankful asking he sordidly answered tantamont I le ask no askings I lle try no Signs I know a trick worth two of that I 'le send to the Assyrians so help my self God may keep his Signs to himself I crave no such courtesy at his hands c. Did ever any branded Belialist or black-mouthed Bedlam speak worse to God than he in all this no wonder if God set a black brand upon him saying This is that Ahaz 2. Chron. 28.22 Yet notwithstanding all this ingratitude and provocation God of himself gave Israel a Sign Isa 7.14 A singular Sign a Sign both from above and from beneath inasmuch as this Immanuel born of a Virgin did joyn pure Heaven and base Earth together in his two Natures Again those Signs which the Scripture mentions are manifold as 1. Such as be meerly Natural Gen. 1.14 2. Praeternatural beside the power of Nature in her ordinary production such are Prodigies in Heaven and Monsters on Earth c. 3. Supernatural which are either Divine such as were the Miracles God wrought by the Prophets and Apostles or Diabolical as the Lying Wonders Deut. 13.2.3 2. Thess 2.9 and Rev. 13.13 As there be Natural Signs so there be Instituted Signs to wit the Sacraments which are call'd Signs and Seals of the Covenant Rom. 4.11 Moreover the Signs God shews to men are either ordinary or extraordinary commnnia aut Insolita Signa Except we see not common but unusual signs we will not believe John 4.48 We have a frequent sight of Natural Signs and of Artificial Signs the former hanging in the Heavens exposed to open view the latter hanging over every House almost in this great City yea and such signs as be significant indeed some Signs are significant ex primaria intentione instituentis purposely and primarily Instituted to signify something whether the Institutor be God or Man God is the only Institutor of all significant signs in Sacred things as he Instituted the two Sacraments under the Law and the two Sacraments under the Gospel other significant Signs or Ceremonies which are only mans Institution and never came into the mind of God Jer. 7.31 Nor out of the Mouth of God Deut. 4.1.2 ought justly to be exploded All Divine Worship must have Divine Warrant and Divine Institutions may not be mingled