Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	discourse_n	former_a	great_a	132	3	2.1248	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66060	Sermons preach'd upon several occasions before the King at White-Hall by the Right Reverend Father in God, John Wilkins ... ; to which is added, A discourse concerning the beauty of providence by the same author.	Wilkins, John, 1614-1672.	1677 (1677)	Wing W2213; ESTC R22933	57,878	194

As for the particular design which Providence may aim at in some dispensations this doth not always fall under our reach It is the glory of God to conceal a matter And many of his works are so ordered that though a man labour to seek them out yet he cannot find out yet he shall not find them Yea further Though a wise man think to know them yet shall he not be able to find them And therefore where we cannot understand his ways it is there our duty with an humble reverence to admire the wisdom of them How would this if rightly considered and applied silence all those unseemly murmurings and complaints of men in these times Remember there is nothing befalls us but what the counsel of God had before dctermined to be done And he can order things for the best as well when they cross our desires as when they comply with them And therefore when you see the violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province marvel not at the matter That is Be not transported with wonder or impatience or unbelief as if the Providence of God were regardless or negligent For he that is higher than the highest regardeth Though they that have the highest power amongst men may be so far from remedying that they rather encourage such disorders yet God hath a strict watchful eye upon them And though men may be apt to secure themselves in such proceedings by the greatness of their own strength as if there were nothing above them yet there are higher than they And there is a time when God will judg both the righteous and the wicked Let us be careful of our own duty to serve Providence in the usual means and leave the disposal of events to him It should be every mans chief business to clear up the evidences of his particular title and relation unto this great Governour of the World and this will be the surest means to set us above the fear or hurt of all outward changes We see with what artifice and compliance men will insinuate themselves into the affection of those who according to several revolutions are advanced into the places of power Of how much greater advantage would it be to get an interest in his favour who doth and shall always rule over the sons of men having all times at his disposal out of whose hands no strength or policy shall ever be able to wrest the sway and dominion of things It cannot but afford strong consolation un●o every true Believer to consider that he who hath the chief influ●nce in all these great changes and variety of events in the World is both his God and his Father How did this quiet the heart of old Eli 1 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And David upon the same consideration professeth I was dumb and opened not my mouth because thou didst it And our blessed Saviour himself makes use of this argument The Cup that my Father hath given me shall I not drink it Though the portion be bitter and displeasing yet so long as it comes from a loving and careful Father we have no reason to fear any hurt by it And on the other side much of mens unquietness and dejection is occasioned either by the want of this evidence or by the neglect of applying it When they terminate their thoughts upon secondary instruments Fearing men that shall die and the sons of men men that shall be made as grass forgetting the Lord their Maker who stretched forth the Heavens and laid the Foundations of the earth That is that which makes men to fear continually because of the fury of the oppressor How would it compose all these fears and distempers if men would but labour after this assurance of their interest in God with the same zeal and intention of mind wherewith they prosecute their particular engagements and animosities against one another He that hath God for his strength and refuge is always sure to be on the strongest side and need not fear the most tempestuous mutations Though the earth be removed and the Mountains should be carried into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled and the Mountains shake with the swelling thereof Thus much I thought fit to premise in the general concerning the necessity and seasonableness of this Subject As for the particular occasion of publishing this Discourse I have nothing to say but this That being solicited for a Copy of it by divers persons and some of eminent quality b●fore whom it was occasionally Preached I knew not any more convenient way to satisfy their desires than by such a publick communication of it I could speak something from my own experience concerning the efficacy of this Doctrine against those damps and dejections of mind unto which such times as these will expose a man It is my hearty Prayer that it may be useful to others also in this respect Farewel THE BEAUTY OF Providence ECCLES 3. 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time also He hath set the World in their heart yet no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end THis Book contains Solomon's Experience in his search for Contentment which being not to be found amongst any of the Creatures he advises never to trouble our selves in an eager prosecution after them but to enjoy our possessions with a cheerful liberal mind without perplexing our selves in such cares and labours as may defraud us of those honest comforts to be had by them for there is nothing better for a man then that he should eat and drink and make his Soul enjoy good in his labour ch 2. v. 24. That is one of the Conclusions which Solomon infers from his former discourse and which he farther amplifies and confirms in the following parts of his Sermon It being his chief scope in this Book to direct men how to behave themselves with cheerfulness and contentment under all those great revolutions and that variety of eventts which may befall them in the world This Chapter contains a discourse concerning God's government and disposal of times and is therefore not unfitly stiled the Calendar or Ephemerides of seasons whence the Wise-man with divers arguments urges upon us what he had before commended a cheerful and contented mind The Text is one of these arguments God hath made every thing beautiful in his time that is there is a wise order and contrivance in all the works of providence every particular Event is most seasonable in that time which God appoints and therefore we have no reason to repine at our condition as if matters did not go well with us for 't is impossible they should have been better than they are though they do cross our private hopes and desires yet God best understands the fittest order and season for all things making them beautiful in his