Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	add_v	plague_n	word_n	2,973	5	4.8526	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93780	A sermon preached before His Majestie at Christ-Church in Oxford, on the 18. of April 1643. By William Stampe vicar of Stepney in the county of Middlesex.	Stampe, William, 1611-1653?	1643 (1643)	Wing S5194; Thomason E101_1; ESTC R11010	13,508	29

as those Proclamations are seldome without the Proviso of a limited time so Gods mercies have their dates upon them which if once expired they are no longer mercies but the heavy doomes of wrath and Judgement like the same exhalation which distills at one time in a sweet softning showre and at another time by being detained too long is hardned into a thunderbolt To the old world he gave a time of 120 yeares Gen 6 3 To the Citie of Nineve a time of 40 daies Jonah 3. 4. To Jezabell a certaine space to repent of Her Fornication Revel 2 21 To every soule Horam prafixam a certaine limited time Heb. 4. 7. And as he gives his word of Command to the sea Psal 104. 9. thus farre thou shalt come and noe farther so his word is gone out concerning every one of of us here present Thus long my hand shall not be shortned unto you Thus long yee have the Scepter of my mercy held out unto you Thus long I am content to wait and listen to heare but so much as a Quid feci come from you Ier. 8. 6. But not a minute longer then the limited time the glasse is turned upon you and there 's no reversing the sentence after it is once pronounced We know they were all virgins in the parable and all of them alike slumbered and slept Mat. 25. 1. only the foolish ones stayed a little beyond their limited time The time is when God may and will be found Esay 55. 6. The time will be when God cannot will not be found Prov. 1. 28. when his hand will be shortned and his eare heavy c. and then he that is filthy shall be filthy still Revel 22. 11. and he that is unjust shall be unjust for ever 14. 13. And because Non est nostrum c. It is not for us to know when this time shall be How thrifty should we be of those houres which are but given us to prepare for that houre which neither Men nor Angells know of How seasonable and welcome should that hand of mercy be which like our Saviours unto Saint Peter offers at this instant to save mee from an eternall drowning How precious and invaluable that moment that gives me either a Bene or a Male Discessit to all eternitie That part of time which is past will never wheele about againe that which we thinke and presume is yet to come may peradventure never come the only time we can call our owne is the present as yet his Hand is not shortned neither his eare heavy It shall be our wisedome therefore to make Gods time our time the time of his Grace the time of our Reconciliation and let this be thought upon at all times That he that neglects the present time in hopes of future does for the present forsake his owne mercy and shall sensibly find himselfe for the time to come more hardned more unworthy if not uncapable of that mercy he hath slighted 2ly In regard of Temporall preservations his Hand is not shortned c. The same hand of mercy which was a Convoy to the Israelites in the Sea a Exod 14. 2. a Crane to Joseph in the pit b Gen. 37. 28. to Ieremy in the Dungeon c Ier. 38. 13. A protection to Daniell in the Den d Dan 6. 23. to the three children in the furnace e Dan 3 27 The same hand that had the windes in his fist f Pro 30. 4. in 88 The same Digitus Dei that pointed out that horrid though now we cannot say unparrallelled Conspiracie Novemb. 5 The same hand that saved a Crowne The Battell at Edge-hill and sheltered the Royall bloud Octob. 23. at the apprehension of which hazard our Trembling will be and our praises should be as strong and lasting as our memories The same Canopy of good providence and protection does as yet hang over us if we doe not runne away from under it And as it is with the Hand so is it likewise with the Eare Certainely the Eare of the Almighty was very free and open to our forefathers that Joshuah and Hezechiah could command the Sun to stand still or goe backe Iosh 110. 12. as they should direct That Elijah had so much power over Israel and the Elements 2 King 20 10. that there could be neither raine nor dew for three yeares but onely at his word 1 King 17 1. And that Moyses had so much power in prevailing with God Numb 16. that he is intreated of God not to intreat for the people And yet Saint James will tell ye these were but men ●am 5 17. men subject to the very same passions and infirmities with any of us Our sinnes have made all the difference that is betweene us Behold his eare is not yet heavy c. The Sunne is alwaies of the same strength and influence notwithstanding an Ecclipse or interposition of a Cloud The needle of the Compasse leanes alwaies to the same point be the weather never so foule or the distance never so farre Gods power is like the Sunne allwaies in full strength there is nothing hid from the heate thereof Psal 119 6. his propensitie to helpe like the needle of the Compasse leanes alwaies one and the same way But we mistake our God because we mistake our selves and with the giddy apprehensions of those that put to Sea we thinke the Land goes away from us when the truth is wee goe away from it God is an Eternall and Immutable essence the two armes of his Mercy and Justice of equall dimension and extent never so strict in Justice but alwaies mercifull never so Gracious in mercie but alwaies Just Nor is it possible he should bee otherwise at any time then what hee hath beene from all Eternitie Behold the hand of the Lord is not shortned c. This Doctrine of Gods immutability laies a strict charge upon the pulpit and the presse to be faithfull and impartiall in those messages that come from God Our doctrine should not bee like the water in the weather-glasse that rises and falls according as the winde sits If God be alwaies the same why should not his word be so too There is not under heaven a more ugly and deformed creature then a changeling in the pulpit And what ever men may hope to gaine or save in desperate and unsteady times by wresting that which was never made to bow The Scripture yet sure I am there 's one text in Saint Iohns Revel will not be wrested That to the bold usurper on Gods word either by Addition or Diminution God shall adde all the plagues that are written in that booke and shall take away his part out of the booke of life Revel 22 18. And in the second place it would bee no shame for the zealous Sectarie to reforme the desperate errour of his way who is now Iesuite enough to contract