Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	apostle_n	scripture_n	word_n	2,523	5	4.0634	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01312	A godly and learned sermon, preached before an honourable auditorie the 26. day of Februarie. 1580	Fulke, William, 1538-1589.	1580 (1580)	STC 11434; ESTC S112721	22,921	68

A GODLY and learned Sermon preached before an honourable auditorie the 26 day of Februarie 1580. ¶ Imprinted by Henrie Middleton for Thomas Man A GODLY AND learned Sermon Preached in Lent last 1580. THE place of scripture moste honourable and welbeloued in our Sauiour Christ which I haue chosen to entreate of is written in the 24. Chapter of the second booke of Samuel in these words Vers`l ' And the wrath of the Lorde was yet more kindled against Israel and he moued Dauid against them in that he saide goe number Israel and Iuda c. The whole Scripture of God as the holy Apostle S. Iames teacheth is cōpared to a glasse wherein al estats and degrees may see what to imbrace and what to eschew and it is cōmonly said of al histories that they are y e looking glasses of mans life Therefore this text beeing both a story and parcel of holy Scripture must needes be a most cleare glasse in which are represented vnto vs diuers things worthie to bee seene looked vpon Among which I haue thought good to shew vnto you three especiall and most notable images The first is the iustice and righteousnes of God the second is the malice of Sathan the thirde is the frailtie of man not meaning to describe them all at large which would require much longer time then is graūted to this exercise but onely to shewe euerie one of them so farre foorth as it is set forth with in y e compasse of this text which I haue read vnto you Concerning the firste therefore which is the iustice of God it is described in these wordes And the wrath of the Lord was yet more kindled against Israel c. By the wrath of the Lorde is here ment the iustice of God prouoked to punish sinnes as in an hūdreth places of scripture besides By the wrath of the Lorde therefore wee must not vnderstand any passion or disordered affection such as is the wrath of man of which the Apostle saith that it worketh not y e righteousnes of God but is often prouoked with small causes or with no worthie causes at all and yet boileth immoderately in the hart of man whereby he is vnmeasurablie desirous of reuengement but the iustice of God which is figuratiuely called his wrath is neuer stirred vp to reuengement but vppon great and waightie causes neither rageth with blinde furie but keepeth a most perfect moderation in all things And there are two reasons which may be yeelded of this figuratiue speache wherefore Gods righteousnes is called his wrath the first is to strike through our heartes with terrour of his iustice for the name of wrath is more terrible then the name of iustice and our nature is more familierly acquainted with the one thē with the other y e wrath of a mā if he be of power to hurt is greatly feared The wrath of a Prince saith Salomon in the 16. chapter of the prouerbs is the messenger of death howe much more y e wrath of y e Lord of hosts in cōparison of whose power glorie al earthly princes are but dust ashes The second reasō why y e iustice of god is called the wrath of God is that we may learne and vnderstand that as the wrath of mā wherwith we are acquainted is not pacified but by two meanes either by reconciliatiō or reuengemēt so it is with the iustice of God Therefore when soeuer wee haue prouoked y e wrath of God against vs by our sins and wickednes which we doe daily and hourely we must either seeke to be recōciled to him by true repentāce or else looke for sharpe punishment we must either humbly submit our selues acknowledge our offences hūbly desire pardon or els we must assure our selues y t the wrath of the Lord being once kindled against vs there is no way to escape vengeance We see now wherefore the iustice of God is called the wrath of God Now must we looke for what cause the wrath of God was kindled against Israel how the Israelites had prouoked the iustice of god to punish them The cause in deede is not set downe in expresse wordes but it is easie to gather by the effect for it is manifest y t when the iustice of God is kindled against Israel it is for none other cause but for their sinnes it is needles to inquire what particuler sins were the cause for it was not one or two but all kind of sinnes especially their vnthankefulnes for the Lord had giuen them Dauid a most excellent gouernour who both had established the puritie sinceritie of Gods true religion and also had kept them in peace trāquillity for many yeres together But as it vsually cōmeth to passe through the corrupt nature of man which is made insolēt with prosperitie y e people not considering those gret benefits of God were not onely vnthankful to him for so happy a gouernmēt but fol lowed euery one the lustes of his owne hart not fearing to trāsgresse y e cōmandements of the Lord but yet retaining an outward forme of Godlines by external exercise of religion the vertue power whereof they denied in life cōuersation and so prouoked y e wrath of the Lord of hoastes to be kindled against thē but we must consider wherfore y e scripture saith The wrath of the lord proceded or was yet more kindled you must vnderstād as we read in y e 21. cha of this booke y t the wrath of the Lorde was kindled before this time against y e people so y t he plagued thē with three yeares famin for the crueltie that Saul to gratifie them committed gainst the Gibeonites whō he had slain sought to root our cōtrarie to a couenant whiche their auncetors had made confirmed with a solemne oath in y c days of Iosua These three yeeres of hunger were now past this was the fourth yeere in which God after he had auenged the bloud of the Gibeonites vpon the posterite of Saul had restored plētie and aboundance of al things for the maintenance of mans life with externall peace prosperitie for which benefits blessings of God bestowed vpō thē they were boūd to haue serued God in holines and righteousnes before him all y e dayes of their life like as by the former plague they were admonished to forsake their sinnes which were the cause thereof and truly to turne to him But they cleane cōtrariwise abusing his mercy tooke occasion to prouoke his iustice euen as the froward nature of man is so long as they are plagued and the hande of the Lord is heauie on them they humble them selues before him or at least pretend so to doe but when the plague is seaced and they find them selues relieued they returne againe to their former wickednesse So was it with the Israelites they had bene punished with famine but they were not thereby reformed and therefore the wrath of the Lord is still kindled

promises was lifted vp with pride and presumption For hauing no lawfull cause either Ecclesiasticall to leuie a subsidie for the maintenance of Gods religion as Moses prescribeth in the 30. of Exodus or else ciuill as was oftentimes lawfully practised in time of warre he alledgeth only his vaine curiositie that he might know the number of them thus did Sathan beginne to plant the roote of pride and insolencie in the hart of Dauid which as it is a vice in al men most odious so to be in a Prince is most daungerous and that for many causes All which Sathan did well foresee when he maketh his assault vnto Dauid with the sinne of presumption first of all for that of all othervices Princes are most easily drawne to pride and insolencie both bicause the nature of all men is most prone and apt to fall into pride in prosperitie and for that Princes and high estates being aduaunced to such greatnesse aboue all other men haue so many occasions to be pfst vp with presumption if they be not mightily and maruelously defended by the singular grace of God So that a Prince that is humble and lowly in heart is one of the greatest miracles of the world and in deede so great a wonder that it can not be brought to passe but by him which onely worketh great maruelles Thus Sathan beeing most malicious and moste subtill in his malice to bring his purpose to effect more speedily vseth such a meane by whiche hee may worke most easily Neyther hath hee regarde onely to the easinesse of his enterprise but that the same also is most apt to ouerthrowe the Churche and people of GOD. for by pride and insolencie most of all other vices a Prince is made vnapt to exercise his office and duetie The office of a King standeth in two pointes The first is in maintenance of true religion the second is prouision for the common wealth and publique peace of his subiectes but neither of these can he exercise to the glorie of God benefite of men if his heart be ouercome with presumption for touching the first if pride possesse the heart of a King he will either neglect religion altogether or else thinke that he may doe and decree in religion what he list If he neglect the cause of religion he will haue no regard to set out Gods glorie he passeth not whether y e worde of God be preached or not preached whether the sacramentes be ministred or not ministred discipline exercised or not or whether all thinges be well done or yll done finally he careth not whether religion goeth backward or forward But if he will intermeddle with religion with a presumptuous insolent minde he wil imagine that all things in religion are subiect to his wil and pleasure Vzzia otherwise not the worst Prince was so lifted vp with pride that he vsurped the Priestes office and would needes offer incense but he was plagued for his presumption and stricken of the Lorde with a leprosie Achas commaunded Vrias the high Priest to remoue the altar of the Lord out of his place and to set vp an other altar of an other fashion according to the patterne which he sent him from Damasco Ieroboam thinketh it lawfull for him to chaunge the decree of GOD concerning worshipping at Hierusalem and setteth vp an newe forme of worshippe in Dan and Bethel Saul thinketh long to tarie for Samuel and offereth sacrifice without him These examples and many other doe shewe how dangerous to the state of religion is the sinne of pride and presumption in the heart of a Prince No maruell therefore if Sathan which maliceth most the good proceedings in religion that he might vndermine the tower of the church to the vtter ouerthrow of y e same prepareth his way by puffing vp y e Kings heart with pride insolencie knowing that he which is proude and insolent towards men can not be humble obedient vnto God The second part of the office of a king is to prouide for the common wealth the peace and prosperitie of his subiectes which can not be without great trauell and labour of minde and body But if the Prince be ouercome with pride he will neuer abase him selfe to take such great paines as he ought to doe for the benefite of other men in so difficult dangerous a matter Therefore Moses in the 17. of Deuteronom where he describeth what manner a King is to be chosen by the Israelites and what is the office of a King when he is elected ioyneth both these partes together and for the performance of the later especially admonisheth them to beware of presumption when the King saith he shal sit vpon the throne of his kingdome he shal write out by a copie receiued of the Priestes a booke of the law of the Lord and that shal be with him to read therin al the dayes of his life y t he may prosper and learne to feare the Lord his God to keepe al y e words of y e lawe to do thē thus hauing prescribed the booke of y e lawe to be y e directiō of his gouernmēt as wel in religiō as in affaires of y e cōmoon welth to which burdē y t the king might submit his shoulders and not thinke scorne to beare it he addeth īmediatly y t his hart be not lift vp aboue his brethren what meaneth Moses by this y t a king should not shew him selfe to be a king When by Gods ordinance he is aduaunced lifted vp aboue all other men no verily he meaneth not so but that the king is lifted vp aboue his brethren to be a father vnto them and to haue a fatherly care which hee can not haue if his heart be lifted vp aboue them to contemne them whereas he ought not only to reteine his loue to them which he had before he was a king as vnto his brethrē but also to put on a greater affection of loue when he is a king as of a father towards his children Wherfore the meaning of Moses is that the Kings heart should not be lifted vp aboue his brethren to cōtemne them to tread them vnder feete to exercise tyrannie ouer them but to be humble and lowly minded of loue willingly chearfully to take such trauels and to ouercome such difficulties as is necessarie for all them which shall gouerne well and to the profite of others We see that naturall parentes which haue the greatest authority ouer their children of whom they are to be honoured notwithstanding their dignitie doe willingly and gladly indure any trauell which they thinke may be profitable and beneficiall to their children euen so ought the parents of the countrie whose honour obedience is confirmed vnto them by none other but euen by the same commandement not disdaine any labour trauell or industrie which is necessarie to be imployed for the wealth and preseruation of their subiects But such Princes as haue not learned out