Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	new_a	old_a	testament_n	18,420	5	8.4579	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53702	An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruine by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1681 (1681)	Wing O762; ESTC R17781	63,319	169

promises and priviledges of it are theirs and all they do is accepted with God a principal tending directly to the vilest Atheism Again Although God in a marvellous yea a miraculous manner hath discovered and frustrated their Hellish Designs-and brought many of them into the Pit they digged for others yet they will accept of no Rebuke from God but go on in an obstinate Presumption that they are the Church and shall prevaile at last And that Church which shall prevail by these Means no doubt they are Some indeed pretend highly to be the Church but they lay claim so far as I can find to no other Advantages thereby but Dignities and Promotions And others also are apt to relieve themselves with this Confidence that they are the People of God and shall have an especial interest in Deliverance on that Account And I say far be it from me to weaken any perswasion of Gods especial Regard of those that are truly his God hath a peculiar People in the World let the World scoss at it whilst they please unto whom all the Promises of the Scripture and all the Priviledges of the Church do belong These Promises they ought to mix with Faith and plead before God continually and they shall be all accomplished towards them in the way and time of Gods appointment Nor do any sort of dissenting Professions as they are called that I know of appropriate this Right and Priviledge unto themselves unto the exclusion of others but extend it to all who are sincere Believers But this is that which I say concerning all sorts of men That if an Apprehension or Perswasion that they are the Church or People of God do keep them off from that Duty of Repentance and Reformation which God cals unto it is a Confidence which God rejecteth and in which they will not prosper I desire to ask of any Hath not the Church sinned Have not Prosessors sinned Are there not sins amongst us against the Lord our God proper unto our State and according to our Measure If it be so our being the People of God any of us if we are so unless we repent doth only as unto these Providential Dispensations expose us unto his just Severity for Judgment must begin at the House of God it must begin at us Take heed of this failing Reserve I have observed much Security to arise from hence and great Negligence of known Duties If you are the People of God you had the more need to tremble at his Judgments and at the Tokens of his displeasure Especially ought it to be so with you at this Day when God seems in a peculiar manner to be displeased with the Rivers as the Prophet speaks Hab. 3. 8. Those who should send forth streams of refeshment unto the Nation To me at present all things appear in that condition That there is no Reserve left as unto publick Judgments but only in Sovereign Grace and Mercy to be waited for in a way of Repentance and Reformation As unto our priviledges God speaks unto us as he did to the people of old concerning their Ornaments Exod. 33. 5. Put them off that I may know to do unto you We are to lay aside our pleas and pretences betaking our selves to Sovereign Grace and Mercy alone 2. Another Ground of vain confidence may be an unjust Expectation of such an Accomplishment of Scripture-Promises Prophesies and Predictions as are not applicable unto our present Condition It is undeniable that there are such Promises prophesies and predictions concerning the Deliverance of the Church the Ruine of its Adversaries the Glory and Beauty of the Kingdom of Christ as those intended For although the most of that kind in the old Testament are of a Spiritual Interpretation and have their Accomplishment in all the Elect in every Age whatever be their outward State and Condition yet that there are such also as concern the State of the Church in this World and the Ruine of all its Antichristian Enemies with Peace and Glory ensuing thereon cannot be denied And concerning them we may observe sundry things that we may not abuse them into vain groundless Confidences in such a Season this as is 1. That we ought to have a firm Faith of their Accomplishment in their proper Season The Rule of them all is that of the Prophet I the Lord will hasten it in his time Isai. 60. 22. As it is also Hab. 2. 2 3. Though they seem to be prolonged and tarry beyond their proper season yet they have their fixed and determinate time beyond which they shall not tarry And two things I would offer on this Occasion 1. That we are not only to believe their Accomplishment but to be in the Actual Exercise of Faith about it For without this we shall want a great supportment of patient long-suffering in every time of Trial. And by this Faith do we take in the Power and Comfort of things promised things not actually enjoyed For Faith is the Substance of things hoped for Heb. 11 1. that which gives a previous subsistance in the Mind and Soul as unto the benefit and comfort of them of the things hoped for And those whose Minds are exercised unto these things do know what benefit they have by such a preception of them They are carryed sometimes by a way of believing into Communion with them who lived in the Old World as they had with us in the expectation of what we enjoy and into the same kind of Communion with those who herafter shall enjoy the accomplishment of those Promises which may be yet afar off 2. This Faith ought to be most firm when all things seem to conspire in rendring the Accomplishment of such Promises not only improbable but also impossible as unto present outward Causes as in the State of things at this day in the world There are no visible or appearing means of the fulfilling any of them yet the whole World is joyned in a conspiracy to defeat them but true Faith riseth against those Oppositions and is prevalent against them all For having God alone his Power Faithfulness and Truth for its Objects it values not the Opposition that men can make against them That shall be done in this kind which God is able to do let men do what they please God laughs all their proud Attempts to scorn and so may the Virgin Daughter of Sion also 2 It is our Duty to pray for the accomplishment of all the Promises and Predictions that are on Record in the book of God concerning the Kingdom of Christ and his Church in this World God will do these things yet for all of them he will be sought unto by the house of Israel This hath been the Practice of Believers in all ages both under the Old Testament and the New Prayer for the accomplishment of Promises hath been the Life-breath of the Church in all Ages and Faith hereby brings in great refreshment unto the Soul And the greatest