Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	king_n	parliament_n	successor_n	2,446	5	9.0199	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56510	Oeconomica sacra, or, A parænetical discourse of marriage together with some particular remarks on the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca.	J. P.	1685 (1685)	Wing P62; ESTC R6	38,180	146

Now let me die sayes he since I have seen thy Face and thou art yet alive 2. As 't is a great mercy to Parents to see their Children blest and provided for so on the contrary undutiful Children are a great trouble and grief to their Parents Solomon tells us The Father of a Fool hath no Joy that is hath a great deal of Trouble and Affliction the words are a Meiosis there is more intended than express'd How bitterly did David mourn when Tamar was ravished Amnon kill'd and Absalom caught by the Hair of his Head and slain And we meet with Augustus that had foolish and wicked Children wishing that either he had lived single Vtinam ut caelebs vixissem aut orbus periissem or dyed Childless 'T is sad indeed to bring forth Children to the Murtherer the Devil and how miserably does the Mother in Plutarch warble out her mournful ditty Quo pueri estis profecti Poor Souls what 's become of you Inf. Let Parents therefore carefully instruct their Children and be thankful for the Blessings God bestowes on them and let Children be dutiful to their Parents and let both observe Davids experience he found of both Psal 37.25 I have not seen the Righteous forsaken nor his Seed begging Bread Observ 6. and last How happy are the Saints that upon all occasions they may pray to God to sanctifie mercies It is said of the Cherubims that there were hands under their wings to signifie that where there is that ●ight of Knowledge there should be hands to put that light into practice And our Saviour tells us If ye know these things Joh. 13.3 happy are ye if ye do them so that Happiness 〈◊〉 pronounced of practice and not speculation and here consists the Saints Happiness that they improve their knowledge by prayer and walking with God And by This the Wise man tells us they ●btain favour of the Lord that is ●s Mercer glosseth Id vult quod à Domino impetrat Mercer in locum Matth. 7.7 They have as it were what they please of God ●nd are sure of Gods favour and protection in all cases and the promises of God on their side Ask and it shall be given you seek ●nd ye shall find knock and it shall ●e opened unto you and nothing can ●estrain Omnipotency but Unbe●ief Now 't is as true in Divinity as 〈◊〉 Philosophy That Knowledge ●nd Power is to no effect unless ●t be produced into Act for the end of Knowledge is Action Frustra est potentia quae nunquam producitur in actum Arist Eth. as if Arts and Sciences And shall their Votaries improve themselves by all the advantages and benefits of Action nay an Heathen affirm That felicity consisteth not in the Theory but in the practice of moral Virtues and tell the world that the naked knowledge without the practice of Virtue is like those that ask advice of the Physician about bodily distempers but will no● suffer any remedy to be administred And shall the Servants o● God be satisfied with the Ideas o● Truth floating in their Brains without an influence on the Heart and Life No the devout Christian labours with as much more earnestness as his End and Reward is above others he does not satisfie himself with Speculation or Ceremony bare observance will no● please him he is altogether fo● reality and performance and ha● a deeper insight into Divine mysteries than other men he wel● knowes that 't is not those tha● know only James 1.21 but those that do the will of God who shall enter into the Kingdom of his Father as Christ tells us Most admirable is the advice of Eliphaz to Job Job 5. ult A wise man labours to know the goodness of every thing and here lyes the happiness of the Saints above other People even in Creature-enjoyments that by Prayer both Mercies and Afflictions are sanctified to them others in their enjoyments suck in the S●ing as well as the Honey 't is the good Christian only that feeds on clean and polite Pleasure others are misled into corrupt apprehensions and presumptions of things the Saints only preserve their Intellectuals untainted others in the midst of their abundance prostitute their Affections due only to God to a corruptible Creature the Saints only improve their comforts and enjoyments to Gods glory as they are the emanations of his bounty and make the Creatures serviceable to illustrate and set forward the accumulated glory of their Creator others take up their rest and place their Summum Bonum in the enjoyments of this world and esteem it their only Joy when their Oyl and Wine increaseth there is such Corruption in their Nature and Sophistry in the Creature that from the greatness of their wealth they conclude they have much laid up for many years Luk. 12.19 they may take their ease eat drink and be merry Psal 49.11 and the Psalmist tells us Their inward thought is that their Houses shall endure for ever and their dwelling places to all generations and even Deifie themselves in the reflection of their own grandeur Psal 49.14 Alas they are asleep in their Tent of Epicurism and Sensuality and little think that a day of visitation and recompense for sin is at hand and on a suddain mortality overtakes them as David tells us Like sheep they are laid in the grave death shall feed on them and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling Then is their mistaken happiness come to a final period and their misery commenced ETERNAL then their Cuts and Complements will appear nothing else but affected Vanities their Pride and Luxury their Swaggering and their Swearing their Formula's of Complaisance and Courtship shall then be pronounced but glittering Abominations Then Apostles and Saints shall shine in Glory when the persecuting Nero's of the World shall be thrown to Hell And at last be forced to confess We Fools counted their Life madness and their end to have been without Honour How are they now reckoned amongst the Saints and have their Portion with the Almighty But the Devour Christian hath Oculus in metam his eye on the Mark and steers all his actions by the Compass of Gods Wo●d he uses the Creatures with a critical frui●ion and as helps only not Remora's in his passage to the New Jerusalem and by Prayer endeavours to reduce the Creature to it 's primitive goodness that so the Curse being subducted he may enjoy them with a blessing as the Apostle tells us Every Creature of God is good being sanctified by the Word of God and prayer By which the Creature is sanctified these three wayes 1. In obtaining Mercies We ought to seek to God as Eliezer did and so the Apostle exhorts us In all things with Prayer and Supplication let your requests be made known to God And we have the example of Christ and his Apostles and God expects that we should acknowledge his Dominion and Power over second Agents 2. Prayer sanctifies the Enjoyment and use of them Solomon tells us To re●●ice in our labour is the Gift of God pleasure is in it self lawful but corrupt Nature is apt to make us Love pleasure more than God therefore we ought to pray against its prevalency And our Tables too often are turned into a Snare we must pray therefore to use the Creature with that temperance and sobriety as may raise us nearer to God in contemplation of the Divine Providence and care over us and as Evidences of Gods Love towards us without which worldly abundance may prove but a deceitful argument of Gods favour and sometimes Afflictions have proved the dissembled favours of Affection 3. Prayer sanctifies the Creature in the R●membrance and Recognit●on of Gods Mercies in them and with Thankfulness to improve those Dispensations of Grace and Favour Thus did the Holy Psalmist Psal 23.5 6. Thou preparest a Table for me in the presence of mine Enemies thou anointest my Head with Oyl my cup runneth over Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my Life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever FINIS Books lately printed for John Salusbury at the Atlas in Cornhill near the Royal Exchange OEconomica Sacra Or a Paraenetical Discourse of Marriage together with some particular Remarks on the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecka Iter ad Astra Or The Portrayture of a Suffering Christian with an Introduction of Mans Creation By the same Author Of Contentment Patience and Resignation to the Will of God In several Sermons By Isaac Barrow D. D. Never before Printed Vnum Necessarium Or Christ's Justification of Mary's Choice and of his Servants wrongfully Accused Containing a Resolution of many weighty Cases of Conscience Viz. Indifferent Things Obedience to the Higher Powers c. With some Reflections on Popery and a brief Account of the many Cruelties committed by the Papists By Richard Baxter A Second Volume of Discourses By Hezekiah Burton D. D. late Rector of Barns near London and Prebendary of Norwich The true Prophecies or Prognostications of Michael Nostradamus Physician to Henr 2. Francis 2. and Charles 9. Kings of France and one of the best Astronomers that ever were A Work full of Curiosity and Learning Translated and Commented by Theophilus de Garenci●res Doctor in Physick Colleg. Lond. The Fifteen Comforts of Rash and Inconsiderate Marriage or Animadversions upon the Miscarriages of a Wedded Estate With the Additions of three Comforts more The Secret History of the most Renowned Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Essex By a Person of Quality The Laws and Acts of Parliament made by King James I. and his Royal Successors Kings of Scotland In Folio

Intreat the Lord your God to turn away this death only That is pray unto God for me and the prayers of Saints are very acceptable God would not hear Job's Friends Job 42.8 but says God My servant Job shall pray for you 2. This praying for one another does not terminate in personal Obligations but comprehends praying for Christs Church and People for the Propagation of his Gospel that God would give him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost part of the World for his Possession and how pathetically did the Jews in Captivity express their zeal for the welfare of Jerusalem By the Rivers of Babilon Psal 137. there we sat down yea we wept when we remembred Zion and so to the end and for Nations it is St. Pauls exhortation 1 Tim. 2.1 That first of all Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty Nay further we are commanded to pray for our Enemies Mat. 5 44. and Christ prayed for them that crucified him Luk. 23.34 Acts 7.60 Father forgive them and that Protomartyr St. Step●●● prayed for them that stoned him And 't is the noble and heroick design of a gracious Heart to be serviceable to Church and State by prayer either to deprecate Judgments or obtain Mercies 1. To deprecate Judgements How did Abraham intercede with God for Sodom and God was pleased to answer him Gen. 9.32 That if ten righteous were in it he would not destroy it for tens sake And how Gracious was God to Jerusalem And I sought for a man among them Ezek 22.30 that should make up the Hedge and stand in the gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none It implies Gods great respect for the righteous which Solomon styles fundamentum seculi an everlasting Foundation publick Spirited Persons are like Pillars to bear up Gods Wrath from the place they live in 2. To obtain Mercies so Elijah prayed for Rain in the days of Ahab and obtained it after three years Intermission and so Moses that great Master in Israel after God had reveal'd his will to him he cryed unto God for the Children of Israel and could bid them Stand still and see the Salvation of God and we all know what a glorious Victory followed Inf. Let us therefore upon the whole Pray for each other Gods Church and People that by the fervency and continuance of our Prayers we may either stand in the gap with Abraham or prevail with Jacob at least be found among the righteous that when Gods Judgments are in the earth God may say unto us as he did to Noah Come thou and all thine house into the Ark Gen. 7.1 for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation Observ 4. Prayer is the only way to obtain Mercies or divert Judgments How great Priviledge is it to be admitted into the Presence of some great Monarch but how much greater Prerogative hath the devout Christian that by fervent Prayers and ardent effusion of his Tears and Wishes may freely conferr with the King of Kings this penetrates the Clouds and Sphears and mounts us to the bosome of the great Benefactor and a Charm that if rightly performed prevails on Omnipotency Oratio pura coelos penetrans vacua non redibit St. Austin this Dove sent to Heaven often brings an Olive-leaf in his Mouth This fervent Prayer sayes St. Austin as it pierceth Heaven so it will not return without effect And not only our Duty but our daily wants put us upon this undertaking we are helpless Creatures of our selves and Prayer is our only refuge there is an admirable Oeconomy in the Divine Wisdome to bring man to his Duty and Happiness God tells us Ezek. 36.37 That for this he will be enquired of by the House of Israel to do this for them And 't is but highly rational to confess our dependance upon him that gave us being The Kingly Prophet elegantly describes Gods goodness to those that call upon him in 145th Psalm from the begining to the the end And certainly 't is no Mercy that is not worth seeking to God for but when sought and obtained it makes the blessing the more acceptable and obliges us to improve it with the greater thankfulness and sobriety we can never lose any thing by prayer for we are never out of Gods reach to relieve us if God please to answer us the Blessing is the more safe and sweet and if denyed we are the more humble and patient and content that God should be Master of his own bounty We have the Practice of Gods People recommended to our Imitation and the admirable effects of their Prayers recorded for our encouragement here good Eliezer prayes unto God for good speed he would not venture on it without Petitioning the Lord God of his Master Abraham and the good success he met with was the effect of Prayers Abraham tells him God would send his Angel before him and prosper his way which implies the strength of Abraham's Faith and his Servant after he had prayed V. 13 14. in the very next verses gives us a kind of Prophetick hint of what would come to pass and resigns himself up to the conduct of Providence Behold I stand here by the Well of Water and so on Non tentat Deum cujus instinctu ad hoc motus fuerat Junius in loc Junius observeth he did not tempt God because God prompted him hereto for such manuductory passages of Providence are but Preliminary to success and antecede the effects of our Prayers Signum quod statuit congruum fuisse erat enim signa bonae uxoris indolis affabilis hospitalis strenuae qualem noverat placiturum Isaaco Abrahamo St. Chrys in loc And St. Chrysostome well observes The sign sayes he which Eliezer pitcht upon was very agreeable for those things as affability and courtesie are the indications of a good Wife and such as would please Isaac and Abraham also David alludes to such antecedent Providences sayes God I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go and I will guide thee with mine Eye and such gracious dealings of God with his People are our great encouragement and the effects of Prayer's miraculous James 5.17 as if Elijah could shut and open Heaven at his pleasure Jacobs Prayer turned away the Indignation and Wrath of Esau and his four hundred men after Moses had cried to the Lord for the Children of Israel the Egyptians were drowned in the Red-Sea And after David had prayed unto his God 1 Sam. 17.37 That delivered him out of the paw of the Lyon and the bear he also delivered him out of the hands of the Philistine And when Elijah prayes unto God That the meal shall