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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	bring_v	good_a	let_v	1,459	5	4.0417	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49589	The wedding-supper as it was handled out of the fourteen first verses of the 22. chapter of Matthew, in sundry exercises in Tavistock in Devon. Wherein the offer of salvation, both to Jews and Gentiles, is noted: and divers plain and pithy doctrines observed, and applied. Being the effect of twelve sermons preached by Thomas Larkham, the oppressed pastor of the despised Church of Christ there.	Larkham, Thomas, 1602-1669.; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682, engraver.	1652 (1652)	Wing L442; ESTC R222016	113,881	272

bring good out of it This consideration is of great use we will a little look into it All the creatuets both in heaven and earth act go and come at Gods command When we see men bold in their opposing the wayes of God we many times are troubled we do not consider that as in wisdom he made all things so in wisdom he ordereth all things excellently Gen 45. ver 5.7.8 saith Joseph there God did send me before you to preserve life c. And Gen. 50.20 but as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring it to pass as it is this day to save much People alive And so for lusts and temptations God suffers them sometimes in his own children either to teach us to observe his rules better or to humble us that we may cleave closer to God and that graces may grow Humility saith one is the Nurse of graces or that we may know God and our selves better or that we may be the more thankfull when victory comes but yet all this while God is bringing good out of it and that Oracle worthy to be remembred that all things shall work together for good to them that fear God c. Rom. 8.28 will be found in the end to be gloriously true Vse 3 Therefore let us learn to take notice of the power wisdom and goodness of God that can and doth thus bring good out of evil good effects out of evil causes Mot. 1 This will confirm us in the truth of Gods goodness and other attributes And Secondly It will teach us in evill times instead of murmuring to bless God for his providences and goodness and power in thus converting of evil to good And Lastly It will make us to walk confidently and to lie down confidently and to put our trust in God and in nothing to be carefull Though we meet with afflictions yet we shall not be much troubled because we shall by taking notice perceive that these are to nurture us Deut. 8.2.5 that we may learn to know him better and to know our selves Therefore it is good I say to take notice of Gods dealing in this kind So much for this point From the word of command Go ye we may learn Doct. That Christians must do warrantable actions They must have a care to do what they have a word of command for at least what is neither directly nor indirectly forbidden in the word of God For there are some actions which are called indifferent as 1 Cor. 7.28.30 If thou marry thou hast not sinned c. and to weep as though we wept not and to rejoyce as though we rejoyced not Such things are not a transgression of a Law for so sin is 1 Jo. 3.4 they are indifferent in themselves Though every particular determined thought word or action be either good or bad a step either to heaven or to hell yet for the actions themselves there are some that are neither good nor bad But to the point I say Christians must do warrantable actions Reas 1 For first they are Gods Servants Servants must attend upon the commands of their Masters And Secondly We have all the ancient practices of the Saints to look upon As first of Noah Gen. 7.14 and cap. 8.1 〈…〉 In both which chapters he had a word 〈…〉 mand both for his making and also for 〈◊〉 entring into the ark and ver the 8. for his taking in accordingly clean and unclean beasts as he was commanded c. 8.12 and 16. he staied other seven dayes that is he would have a warrant for his comming out of the Ark. And Abraham Gen. 12.1 had a command to go out of his country from his kindred and from his fathers house c. And Jacob Gen. 31.3 must be bid to return unto the Land of his fathers and to his kindred And in his old age though he resolve to go to Egypt Gen. 25.28 yet he must have and had a warrant cap. 56. ver 1.2.3 and 4. And Numb 9.18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched c. Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto him to wit of the priesthood but he that is called of God as was Aaron Vse 1 Therefore such as do unwarrantable actions can have no comfort in their doings For they sin though they think not so Sin is not defined to be a thing against the Law only in regard of the actions of sin but even sinfull habits are forbidden in the Law therefore mans nature being out of tune is not so ready to do good nor so knowing what good is God therefore hath given rules to be observed which not to observe is a sin Mot. 1 And indeed well done will be pronounced only to those that have done what they have been bidden and warranted to do Neither will Conscience be so well satisfied with doing naked actions that are destitute of command and example and every thing that might be a ground of comfort to the conscience of the doer Neither will God have any glory from unwarrantable actions it is as if God were not wise enough to give rules or as if we had not a perfect rule to walk by Lastly It is an evil example to walk in this liberty of doing what is right in our own eyes as if we had no Law-giver this brings in boldness among men and makes them fearless But blessed is he that feareth allwayes I omit the School utrums upon this point as not being so usefull to this auditory Go ye therefore into the high wayes From the word of command we come to speak of the place where they they must go Luk. 14.23 hath it thus Go out into the high-wayes and hedges The mind of the spirit is to shew us Doct. That God in the offer of grace is altogether without respect of persons For all mankind are alike to him Reason Job 31.15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him and did not one fashion us in the womb cap. 34.19 He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands Therefore are the Commissions so large Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.16 All Nations must be taught every creature must be preached unto Acts 10.34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Read Acts 13.46.47 And mark the last words of the latter of those verses I have thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth Mat. 11.25.26 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Even so father for so it seemed

blessed Ordinances If the messenger sent please you not yea suppose you had just cause of your displeasure yet that will not excuse your slighting of the Sender and his gracious messages Do not think that what we do by vertue of the Authority which the Lord hath given us shall be let fall by him He will require an account of our sowing from all sorts of ground where we sow He telleth our fleetings He puts our tears into his bottle and our groans under your wrath of pride and folly are written in his book The Lord bless unto you these words You and I shall appear at the barr of his tribunal upon this very controversie between us And so much of the first part of this Text. The great ingratitude of the Jews comes next to be spoken of out of these words And they would not come There is an emphasis in these words they could not come Would they not come why would they not come Surely there can be no other reason given but this they would not because they would not So that here is intended to be set forth by the Holy Ghost First The willfull contempt of the People of the Jews And Secondly From the word they is to be noted the generality of their wicked wilfullness They it is not said some of them but they that is as it were all of them Surely the greatest part of them by farr They were upon the matter as we use to say all hanged in a string never a barrel the better herring They would not come Beloved it is a very sad story That God should have a peculiar people whom he calls his own John 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not But that there should be such a general defection and blindness on the whole Nation aver few only excepted not worth the speaking of is a sad aggravation of the condition of the Jews so pitifull in bondage to Wicked Will And is it so in Israel And shall we wonder if it be so among us But I will keep to my method which I have accustomed you unto This shall be the Doctrine Doct. That the great Grace of God in inviting men to the Marriage of his Son Christ is by the most of folk willfully refused or neglected That at least it is neglected but here wilfully refused Quest Question But you will say perhaps Why do you put into the Doctrine this word neglected seeing you have so urged the emphaticalness of the words before Answ To this I Answer That the greater contains the lesser where there is wilfull contempt there must needs be careless neglect Therefore no wrong is done to the Text. And I would lay the Doctrine as large as might be that it might be extended in the Application to the greater advantage of all the hearers We read of such a general distemper 2 Kings 17.13.14.15 But I will but read the 14. v. because the time runneth apace mark it Notwithstanding they would not hear but hardned their necks like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God And so of Judah we read 2 Chro. 24.19 Yet he sent Prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord their God and they testified against them but they would not hear And there is the like complaint Psal 81.11 but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Such another instance is John 5.40 And ye will not come to me saith Christ to the Jews that ye might have life Reason Now the reason of this rejecting of God and his Son Jesus is because people are married already to their sinfull lusts So Isaiah 65.1.2 The Lord there complains of his spreading out his hands all the day unto a rebellious People which walked in away that was not good after their own thoughts Now when men either leane to their own wisdom or are Wedded to their own will or have any carnal worldly or sinfull distemper in their hearts and do inebriate themselves with the present comforts of the world though the things in themselves be lawfull or have inordinate cares or lastly do harbour and cling to any base lust whatsoever here there is no room for Christ he can have no entertainment Strong lusts hang upon men as an haereditary disease and they must not be crossed If you would oppose them they swell the more as a water that is pallisadoed up swells and overrunns all This is the reason that the gracious offer of Christ is so contemned and despised Vse 1 Then first learn that the enjoying of the outward means of Grace is no certain or infallible argument to prove people to be happy People may live under excellent vonchsafements and yet be of the number of negligent and unprofitable hearers yea despisers of them Many do deceive themselves in this kind Because they eat and drink in Gods presence c. they think there are Jews and Pagans enough to fill up hell But they shall have the worser place in Hell that have glorious means of Grace and despise them or though they do but slight them What is a man the better to have abundance of good food if he will not eat of it If Christ be offered and people will not receive As it is recorded of the Jews John 1.11 That when Christ came urto them they would not receive him and therefore had not the power or priviledge of being the Sons of God Their case is the worse not the better that Christ is among them but they do not receive him nor submit to him Vse 2 The second Use is to set forth the greatness of their sin that will not submit to Christ that will not receive him They expose themselves to great danger their sin is great for they set light by Gods Grace as it is said ver 5. of this chap. They made light of it they cared not for Christ his Supper Herein people do even despite the spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 They tread under foot the son of God and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing Yea they grieve Gods spirit which is condemned at least dehorted from Ephes 4.30 And indeed do but consider Would it not grieve a man when he hath made a feast for his friends and sent his messengers to call them thereunto if they should peremptority reject his kindness and good will Now here the danger must be very great this contempt being offered to the King of Heaven and Earth Surely they shall smart for it We read 2 Chron. 24.19 of this sin to wit that when the Prophets sent to the people to bring them back to the Lord had testified against them they would not hear Therefore it is denounced against them vers 20. by Zachariah the son of Jehojadah the Preist that they should not prosper and that the Lord had forsaken them It is true they stoned him for his labour ver 21. But yet they

the burning of Sodom and the other Cities of the Plain the killing of so many thousands at several times of his people in the wilderness insomuch that of six hundred thousand only Joshua and Caleb were left alive to go over Jordan the drowning of that glorious Army of six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them Exod. 14.7 What do I talk time would fail me to relate the terribleness of God in punishing sinners the examples are so many in Scripture have been in all Ages and yet all this is nothing in comparison of that day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Here God maketh use of some particular judgements but there the full vials of his wrath shall be poured out Thirdly that torment must needs be great where there is no ease no intermission and of which there shall be no end Not so much as one drop of water to cool the burning tongue of the rich man in hell c. Luk. 16.24 25. he is tormented and there is a gulf sixed out of hell there is no redemption Matth. 25.46 And these shall go their way into everlasting punishment Mark 9.43 44. The fire shal never be quenched the worm dieth not Here men are partakers of many of Gods gracious Vouchsafements even such as are his enemies God causeth his sun to rise on the evil and on the good Matth. 5.45 Psal 103. v. 9. and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust Though his Plagues upon Pharaoh were many and grievous yet they were numbred and ended and there were intervals and respits Here God doth not always chide neither keepeth he his anger for ever But then God will always chide and will keep his anger unto all eternitie Fourthly it must needs be that the torment of ungodly men must be inconceivably great because there must be a perfection or rather a finishing and consummating of all things All irregularities are ordered by the God of wisdom and justice to such ends as shall be in the utmost end for his greater glory Every thing keeps crying and moving and seeking to be perfected As trees and plants though they move not out of their places as men and beasts do yet they spred their Roots to get nourishment And gratious men run to and fro that their knowledge may be increased and they are always thirsting for God even for the living God because he is their life and their perfection Psal 42. ver 2. Psal 16. v. 11. and untill they come to his right hand where there is fulness of joy c. they will not be quiet And so the ambitious man hath never honour enough nor the covetous man wealth enough So neither sin punishment enough untill these times of wrath and revelation of Gods justice and the perfection of sin I know it is a harsh expression but this is true of all things that they strive to and cry after their compleating And this proves perfection in God because in him there is no motion in regard of his glorious essence Prov. 16. v. 4. But yet he made all things for himself even the wicked to perish in the evil day and therefore it must be so the fulness of Gods wrath must be poured out in hellish torments else sin shall not attain its end beloved there is an end of the Work Finis operis operantis and of the Worker though sinners intend not their damnation yet the wages of sin is death Rom. 6 23. And now we come unto the application of this point of the greatness and intolerableness of Hell fire Vse 1 And first it shall be to inform us and that in a checking manner for according to the homely proverb It is better fear a Knave then kill a Knave I shall endeavour to fire ye out of your strong holds of sin as Jude adviseth 23. ver of his Epistle Others save with fear pulling them out of the fire I say this is to teach us that ungodly men have no cause to be so jocund as they be O they that tear it out in whole cloth as we use to say in the ale bench corner and are ready to throw the house out at window Psalm 50. and let their tongue walk through the earth little do they think what is a brewing for them O consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you All that befalls wicked men in this life are but Gods warning peices but in this day of weeping and gnashing of teeth ye shall know what belongs to Gods murthering peices It would do ye no harm O ye wicked great ones to read Amos 6. from the 1. ver to the 8. There is a woe in that place pronounced to them that are at ease in Sion and trust in the mountain of Samaria and so did put farr away the evil day and cause the seat of violence to come neer c. And yet all that is there threatned is but their going into Captivity with the first that is speedily and the removal of their banquet though they had stretched themselves for it ver 7. But Alas What comparison is there between the punishment of a temporal captivity and the torments of Hell where most assuredly the Sparks and the Brutes of our times shall be brought Even no more then between painted fire and fire indeed Ye will not come neer Gods People now the time shall come Luk. 16. ver 23. when ye shall see them afar of as Dives saw Abraham afar of and Lazarus in his bosome and shall wish with all your heart that ye might come among them and might be no longer tormented in that hellish flame And let such as laugh at Gods word now know they shall weep out of his presence then Woe be to you that laught now for ye shall mourn and weep Luk. 6.25 Vse 2 The Second use is of exhortation Take heed that ye come not into this place of torment Mot. I say take heed and provide a hiding place from this storm Consider we desire to avoid bodily griefs and pain Headaches Toothaches Agues c. If we be wise for the lesser shall we be fools for the greater There is reason one would think that we should be wise for our souls and the things that do concern eternity Quest But how shall we do to avoid these torments and this place of weeping and gnashing of teeth Answ I answer Take heed of unbelief and disobedience Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Cleave to God by faith labour to be obedient for these practices shew that thou art escaped and also love of the brethren The thing that I shall chiefly press is that ye would accept of the gratious offers of Christ while they are going Take heed that ye be not hardned