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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	day_n	lord_n	see_v	3,711	5	3.5921	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43579	Israel's lamentation after the Lord, or, A discourse, wherein every well-wisher to Zion is excited, and directed how to lament after the Lord with prayers and tears, to maintain the ordinances of God, or God's presence with his ordinances amongst us being some meditations upon 1 Sam. 7.2.	Heywood, Oliver, 1629-1702.	1683 (1683)	Wing H1768; ESTC R22352	67,400	163

Oh what a Combination is there at home and abroad of Papists and Atheists to rout out the Name of Israel and to banish the God of Israel and cause him to cease from amongst us Oh what crafty Councels and potent Confederates animated with devilish hatred may we espy in this our Native Country Antichrist makes many furious Assaults with a Design to kill the poor Witnesses after they have been Prophesying in Sackcloth Rev. 11.3 7. Yea among our selves Is there not some that are indifferent whether the Ark or Mass Gospel-preaching or dumb Idols take place Yea some say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of his waies Men are scorched with the glorious Rayes of the Gospel-Sun and blaspheme God rather than kindly melted by its warm and benign Influences How many Ahabs hate Micaiah's or Felix's at best that adjourn the Court of Conscience and Plain-Preaching Or Gadarens that prefer their Swine-Sty to God's Sanctuary and desire blessed Jesus to depart out of our Coasts God's Ark is a troublesom Guest to graceless Philistins Some that received not the Truth in love are in danger to be given up to Popish Delusions and the mixt multitude that fell a lusting or longing for the Onions of Aegypt If the Gospel may be sinned away surely it is in hazard now to depart If prodigious lusts daring Heaven unfruitfulness decay of Zeal loss of first Love carnal confidence of Priviledges and contempt of the Power of Godliness neutrality empty Formality have robbed People of this Pearl surely without a prerogative add of mercy we cannot keep it long 2. Where are the Souls that stir up themselves to take hold of a withdrawing God Some I hope there are that stand in the gap but oh how few and how faintly Where is there a Moses to hold up his hands a Joshua to fall at God's feet a Phinehas to execute Justice God sees that there is no man and may wonder that there is no Intercessor Strange That there should be none to guide her among all the Sons she hath brought forth What! none to take her by the hand of all the Sons that she hath brought up What! Is there no Rod strong enough for bearing such a weight Well this is a lamentation and shall be for a lamentation But may not the Innocent deliver the Island May not the poor wise man deliver the City Are not Saints Prayers effectual Ans Yes But where are they The old Stock is worn out and few new ones come in for a supply Strong Torrents are carried by the dead Sea into the Ocean of Eternity and new Springs are yet rare and faint Where shall we find Elijah's Spirit doubled on succeeding Elisha Though a Kingdom may have much Treasure in it yet if Trade cease no Bullion or Merchandise be imported it will decay because it spends upon the old Stock This is our case old Saints are worn away few Converts fit to plead with God come in their room And this is the Devils design to wear out the Saints of the most High and extirpate the genuine Seed of Jacob. But alas By whom shall Jacob arise for he is small His face waxeth pale having of late lost so much good blood And doth not our Lord sometimes withdraw the Spirit of Prayer which is an interpretative saying Pray not for this People Doth not stupidity and sleepiness seize on the Disciples even when Jesus is in his Agony Doth not this bode evil Is there not in them even in them sins enow to weaken and evacuate their own Prayers Alas What Divisions what Decaies Deadness Unprositableness The Old Puritan-Spirit is gone we are wofully degenerated Professors are grown like the world How unlike are we to Primitive Saints Abraham is ignorant of us Israel would not acknowledge us for their genuine Seed But may we not think our disease is grown so stubborn and inveterate that no Doses will conquer the Disease though ultimi conatus these hard struglings of Nature may maintain Life for a season Judgments have been prorogued upon the Vine-dressers interposing importunity three years longer but beware the forth God's Patience hath bounds his Spirit will not alwaies strive We look like a people ripe for ruine However Noah Dantel and Job may deliver their own Souls though none besides by their righteousness God can make those few Names in Sardis to walk in white though he come against her as a Thief and leave her in Aegyptian darkness He can find harbour for his Children though he pull down the house upon the heads of formal Hypocrites And if there be not cause of lamenting after the Ark when its removal is feared to be sure men will see cause to lament when this evil is felt The Anger of the Lord shall not return until he hath executed and till he hath performed the thoughts of his heart In the latter daies ye shall consider it perfectly Jer. 23. v. 20. 2. Is not the God of Ordinances much removed from amongst us And is not he worth lamenting after God makes gradual removes It 's true sometimes the Sun sets at noon-day yet ordinarily the Sun leaves the Horizon by sensible declinings The glory of the Lord goes up from the Cherub to the Threshold of the house thence to the middle of the City thence to the Mountain I shall briefly mention four Removes which our Lord hath taken from us By way of Query 1. Is not restraining grace much gone from amongst us Some persons in former times were wont to be civil orderly and in many things conformable to the letter of the Word but now God hath cast the Reins in their necks and they get the Bit of Conscience betwixt the teeth of sensual affections and obstinate sinning and there 's no hoe with them they run mad in their own waies petty Oaths of Mass or Troth are commence to Dam me and full mouth'd blasphemies tippling to down-drive Drunkenness and open reeling wanton dalliances to defended Adulteries squibbing Strictness to open persecution of all that looks like seriousness from questioning Divine Providence men advance to avowed Atheism and open defiance of Heaven Some men are given up to such sins as are not fit to be named and which themselves formerly would have blusht at the mention of and if any had predicted their committing them would have said as Hazael Is thy Servant a Dog Sinners that used to walk under a Vail or Mask now go bare-fac'd and men glory in their shame Many abhor Sobriety Justice Temperance We overpass the deeds of the wicked the Moral Heathens would be ashamed of us Men work all uncleanness with greediness Yea if they court God in a few formal Prayers they think they are delivered to do all these abominations as though they had got a Popish Indulgence and Dispensation to sin As Breerwood in his Enquiries tells us The common people think they do

through the corruption of mens hearts it stirs up opposition occasionally 2. But the chief blessings are spiritual as Conversion of the Soul to God Regeneration effectual Vocation so that it may oft be said as of Zion This and that man was born there Psal 87.5 So also increase of grace 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a Glass this broader Glass of Ordinances and the secret Glass of private Duties the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory i. e. from grace to grace as by the Spirit of the Lord or of the Lord the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides Ordinances discover and help to cure those foul spots that are in the face of the Soul Jam. 1.23 24. Sanctuarydiscoveries resolve many intricate cases in the providences of God See Psal 73. v. 17. Here also the hearts of God's People may be abundantly satisfied Psal 36.8 for here 's goodness from God to do it Psal 65.4 Ordinances are Canales gratiae Channels through which Divine Grace and Influences flow to Souls Zech. 4.12 These display Christ open Gospel-priviledges Promises Terms of Salvation are as the gate of Heaven well then may and must the observant believing Soul lament after both the Ordinances of God and God in his Ordinances 4. Head is an Objection which may be framed against all I have said You 'l say What 's all this Canting for How doth it concern us Have we not publick Ordinances Doth not the Gospel flourish Is there not excellent Preaching in Publick Places The generality have no reason to complain since we have Christian Magistrates a glorious Church Learned Preachers nay others that pretend Tenderness of Conscience these do complain before they are hurt Have they not their Separate Meetings in a Publick way without disturbance Little reason have any to make this ado in lamenting What cause have you to lament I answer as Cleophas Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem in England and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days If you ask what things Do I need to inform you or rub up your memories by telling you that twenty years ago two thousand Ministers then found in peaceable possession of their publick places were dispossessed and ejected by the Act of Uniformity commencing Aug. 24. 1662. and shortly after 1665. were prohibited meeting together above four for Religious Worship and another Act prohibited them from coming or being within 5 miles of any such place where they had preached or a Corporation and were severely menaced and punished by a Second Act against Conventicles with Sharper penalties and though the Kings Majesty set them at liberty for a season yet that was quickly retracted and many could have little benefit by it and whether the silencing of Ministers be not an obstructing of the Gospel and of Ordinances judge you and if you say you are not concerned in this case I shall not speak to you but turn my discourse to others Only I shall briefly propound some Questions 1. About the Ordinances of God 2. The God of Ordinances and leave it to you to judge whether there be not some cause to lament after the Lord. 1. Are all congregations supplyed with able faithful Ministers God forbid I should condemn all or censure any blessed be God there are some gracious men in publick station whose main design is to win Souls to God but Oh how small is their Number I would rather you read an account of this in Ichabod or five groans of the Church writ by a conformable Minister A. Dom. 1663. lamenting 3000 raw young heads that teach before they have learned 1500 debauched Ministers many factious men some illiterate trades-men Simonists Pluralists and Non-Residents particularly described God knows whether these things be true but it 's well if many have not cause to complain as our Lord Matth. 9.36 Who when he saw the multitudes he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no Shepherd you know what follows If all publick places were well supplyed there would be less need of us If there were no need we should be glad of a Supersedeas 2. Yet is there not work enough for all the Ministers in England if all were faithful conscientious and set themselves seriouslly to the work of God Oh how many thousand ignorant Souls to be instructed Obstinate to be admonished careless to be quickened weak to be strengthned wandring to be reduced surely they that know any thing of the worth of Souls of the work of the Ministry and of the importance of eternity cannot but bitterly lament that so little is done for saving of sinners and that there are so few to lay out themselves or that do actually or effectually the work of faithful Pastors for the conviction and edification of sinners Souls If every Minister in England were gracious and had an hundred persons under his cure and charge he would find it as difficult to manage as a Physician dealing with so many patients under several diseases hic labor hoc opus 3. Is not the liberty that some take in their dispensing Ordinances under many disadvantages Are they not subject to fines confiscations imprisonments banishments censures and all have not equal opportunity of feeding Christs flock where there is as much necessity What liberty is taken it 's but stoln and upon courtesie still they are exposed to the rage of malevolent spirits and under the lash of the Law and censures of being undiscreet Zealots that adventure further than their more prudent Brethren yet still the Candle is under a bushel and they that need it the most have least share in it and are glad they are out of the sound of it and are furnished with stones enow even from present constitutions to cast at such as would disturb them in their career of sin and posting to Hell and they whose Eyes are opened to see the blind running into a Pit cannot but lament that their hands are so bound that they cannot stop them 4. Are there not sad symptoms upon us of a departing Gospel It would not now be seasonable to enumerate the Prognosticks of God's taking away his Ark and Ordinances Mr. Jurnal speaking of the unkind welcom the Gospel hath found among us addeth Oh what will God do with this degenerate Age we live in O England England I fear some sad Judgment or other bodes thee If such glad Tidings as the Gospel brings be rejected sad news cannot be far off I cannot think of less than a departing Gospel God never made such a settlement of his Gospel amongst any People but he could remove it from them He comes but upon liking and will he stay where he is not welcom who will that hath elsewhere to go Read the rest Two words on this observe 1. Have there not been great Attempts made to quench the Light amongst us

as Sampson I will go out as at other times before and shake my self But he wisteth not that the Lord is departed from him When he reflects on himself and finds it so will he not see sad cause to lament And have not some Godly Souls cause to say as Gideon Judg. 6.13 Oh my Lord if the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us And where be all his miracles which our Fathers told us of But now the Lord hath forsaken us 1. In point of quickening exciting and actuating their graces May not that sad complaint be taken up Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy name that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee For thou hast hid thy face from us hast consumed Heb. melted us because of our iniquities Where is that flaming love that working faith Gospel-repentance that lively hope that filial fear that spirit of adoption that found mind tender conscience and working affections as in former days It 's much to be feared there 's a general decay of grace or damp in point of exercise on the Spirits of living Christians it 's well if the Bridgroom find not even the wise Virgins asleep 2. As to strength and assistance against the assaults of temptation and out-breakings of corruption many Thorns in the flesh Messengers of Satan do too prevalently push forwards Gods Children to sin and they find not his grace sufficient for them as sometimes but stumble and fall and are broken snared and taken Yea sometimes to the breaking of their bones dishonouring of God scandal of their profession and endangering of their precious Souls Oh let not such things be told in Gath or published in Askelon lest the uncircumcised Philistins triumph over Gods People and be hardened in their sinful ways Alas where shall Gods tender Spirited Children hide their faces when their brethren prophane Gods holy Name and men shall say These are the People of the Lord and are gone forth out of his land Ezek. 36.20 These are your Praecisians and scrupulous Zealots that will not do as others now they shew that they are a pack of Hypocrites This cuts deep and wounds to the heart 3. As to communion with God Gods People of old could assert it with a truely however carnal men scorn it now 1 Joh. 1.3 Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ Not only in that secret essential fundamental communion whereby grace is maintained in its being and life but that sweet sensible Soul-refreshing fellowship that gives grace its activity maintains intercourse betwixt God and the Soul in duty But alas have not Gods Children cause to complain as the Church that God withdraws himself She seeks him but finds him not in publick Ordinances in secret Duties in communion of Saints Gods Children complain with Job chap. 23.8 9. Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him c. He looks East West North South but in vain This is strange that God who is every where should be found no where but though the Child of God be aware of Gods general Omnipresence and feel his common Providence yet is not satisfied without his special presence and gracious influence And missing this he hath reason to lament after the Lord when he hides himself 4. As to assurance settlement and comfort sometimes Gods Children are left to a sad unsatisfyed and doubting frame full of fears troubles jealousies are much in the dark in point of state this is a very general complaint at this day Many have blurred their evidences by sins or carelesness and cannot give any distinct account how their principles are stated what condition their Souls are in are damped and daunted as to their interest in Christ title to the promises hopes of Heaven Have not these great cause to lament after the Lord And surely these must say as David Psal 51.8 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit O my God! My Soul is cast down within me one while I argue with my own heart communing expostulating challenging charging my Spirit and alas I can do no good with it other whiles turning me to God but still I am restless cannot be quiet but am tossed with tempests and not comforted Well I am determined to look towards Gods holy temple and cast my self at Gods feet in the vertue of that promise Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord his going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come unto us as the rain as the latter and former rain unto the earth Thus much for the Doctrinal part and the clearing of an objection All the Application I shall make of this point shall only be of Exhortation to put us all upon this so seasonable and needful a duty of lamenting after the Lord the Ark of the Lord and the Lord of the Ark. In prosecuting this I shall do these four things 1. Propound some Motives and Arguments to press this duty upon our Spirits 2. Discover what sort of Persons are concerned thus to lament after the Lord. 3. Lay before you some Helps to carry on this work of serious lamenting 4. Propound some Cordials to incourage our hearts till we overtake the Lord. 1. For Motives to persuade prevail with our hearts to practice this duty once at last and indeed it 's a very sad consideration that this People of Israel were twenty years before they began to feel their feet or come to themselves This shall be the First Argument That a professing People may lye long under dreadful Spiritual judgments without a sensible Spirit It was so with them here it 's well if it be not so with us And this sensless frame is greater evil than any other judgments Qu. But how comes it to pass that men may be so long senseless and not lament after the Lord all this while Ans 1. From the nature of sin sin is of an hardening stupifying brutifying nature when men fall into sin their hearts are hardened by it Heb. 3.13 Sin is of a cold congealing nature it freezeth the Soul rocketh conscience asleep and like the Fish Torpedo that diffuseth its benumming poison through the hand arm and creeping at last to his heart kills him so doth sin It 's not to tell how David's sin rockt him asleep and led him on to other sins till it indangered his Soul's sleeping the sleep of death 2. From the worldly enjoyments men have in room of Ordinances as the Captives in Babylon being well settled in their conveniences forget God's Appointments and Jerusalem comes not into their mind while their enjoyments afford contentment Yea though some returned they can sleep quietly in their Cieled houses while the House of God lies waste Hag. 1.4 God's Ark