Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
book_n old_a part_n testament_n 2,968 5 7.9440 4 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A36271 A sermon preached before the king on Tuesday, June 20th. 1665 being the day of solemn thanksgiving for the late victory at sea / by J. Dolben ... Dolben, John, 1625-1686. 1665 (1665) Wing D1832; ESTC R32800 15,472 34

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

A SERMON Preached before the KING On Tuesday June 20th 1665. Being the Day of SOLEMN THANKSGIVING For the late VICTORY at SEA By J. DOLBEN D. D. Dean of WESTMINSTER and Clerk of the Closet Published by His Majesties Special Command London Printed by A. Maxwell for Timothy Garthwait 1665. PSAL. 54. Vers 6 7. 6. An offering of a free heart will I give thee and praise thy Name O Lord Because it is so comfortable 7. For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies HAving the Honour to serve the Devotions of the King and the Court in their joynt Thanksgiving to God for a Victory I have taken the Theme of my Discourse from the mouth of a King who was the greatest Conqueror and withal the greatest Master and Example of Devotion recorded in holy Scripture A Prince who with the same spirit and affection led his People in their Battels and in all their Acts of Worship and Religion Went In and Out before the Congregation as constantly to the Tabernacle as the Camp And therefore as the Historical Books of the Old Testament a good part whereof are but Davids Commentaries short and summary Memorials of his glorious Atchievements afford matter enough for the admiration of Captains and Commanders in War So is his Book of Psalms a rich Treasure and Magazine of Heavenly Meditations where every Pious Soul may find somewhat suited to its condition fit to assist its infirmities and improve it's Graces If we can as S. Augustine adviseth form our souls In Psal 30. by the affection of the Psalm tune our hearts to the Aire and spirit of Davids raptures we shall meet in these Divine Compositions that which is able to kindle Zeal inflame Love mellow and impregnate holy Sorrow for sin to give Wings to our Prayers and carry our Petitions with speed and force into Heaven to animate and enliven our Praises and make our Hallelujahs like those of Angels and Beatified Spirits To actuate all the good Resolutions which any of these Affections our Love our Fear the sense of our own unworthiness or Gods abundant Mercies have begun in our hearts In such plenty and variety I could not be long to seek for words proper to our present occasion And such will this Psalm appear to be A Psalm of Instruction so the TITLE calls it teaching us in few words how we ought to demean our selves in a War for the procuring good success to our Armies and making that success happy to us when we have obtained it In the three first Verses David being sought for by his Enemies as we lately were by ours prayes against them That was his Course He always began his Conflict with God contending and wrestling with Him for a blessing and assistance He durst not lift up his hands even against the Enemies of God yet what durst not David do till he had first lifted them up in humble Supplication to the Lord his strength Who taught his hands to war and his fingers to fight Psal 144. 1. This being done his Courage breaks out like Lightning he doubts not of slaying his Thousands and Ten Thousands So in the 4th and 5th Verses he becomes his own Prophet promising himself Victory For who can resist him who hath Omnipotence for his Second Or how can any Enemy maintain a Fight against that Captain who hath before-hand defeated and broken their Forces by his Prayers assur'd his Conquest before he put on his Armor Then in the last Verses which are my Text David concludes where he began thankfully acknowledgeth Gods goodness in his Deliverance and the Dissipation of his Enemies obliging himself to a return of dutifull affectionate service in consideration of so great Mercies received and those as they are the essential parts of a Thanksgiving so shall they be of my Sermon I will begin with that which is first in the order of nature though last in the words The Acknowledgment which is double of the Benefit and the Author The Benefit is likewise two-fold consisting of a Deliverance and a Victory David is delivered from all his trouble all the treacherous plots and attempts of his Adversaries And his eye hath seen his desire upon those Adversaries and of all this God is confessed the sole Author He hath delivered me c. I Am to begin with the Benefit acknowledged and with that part of it which is here called Deliverance and that being in Davids case not a Rescue from actual mischief or distress but only a diversion of a Danger coming toward him is such a Negative mercy as we seldom trouble our selves to consider much less to acknowledge and give thanks for How many hundreds of Perils hath every one of us escaped in our Persons Fame and Fortunes which we never dreamt of The watchful Providence of God maintaining a continual guard over us waking and caring for our good while we sleep and perhaps neglect both our selves and him that keeps us Would we but meditate a little upon the infinite accidents occurring in the course of things the infirmities of our natural frame and temper with the nice and curious contexture of our parts the consequences of our Disorders the malice of our enemies and of the Devil all or any of which may easily shorten our days or make them miserable And from hence admit these two evident Deductions 1. That in this estate it is morally impossible for a man to continue one day were not the goodness of God particularly intent upon his Preservation 2. That it is a double mercy to be kept from danger and from the knowledge of it too Because had we a distinct apprehension of all the evils to which we are obnoxious our fear and sollicitude must needs be a continual rack and torment to our Souls This contemplation would I assure my self cause every Person here present to add in his private Closet-Devotions one new Laud and Thanksgiving to God for his Deliverance from the Dangers which he never thought of But how little soever we are affected with these unknown Perils and Escapes wherein our eye is not sharp enough to discern the small thred by which a Calamity hangs over us or the hand that holds it from falling on our heads Yet when a considerable Danger comes close and stares us in the face when the Clouds gather apace and the sky looks black about us then we apprehend a Storm and bethink us of a shelter and retreat When death surrounds us when the Pestilence walks in darkness and the sword destroyes at noon day casting down thousands besides us and Ten thousands at our right hand then Qui habitat in adjutorio is a seasonable Hymn Then 't is a valuable Priviledge to retain unto Providence and have an Interest in Gods favor that he may defend us under his wings and we may be safe under his feathers 'T is great pitty that after such convictions Psal 91.