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A29118 Elijah's nunc dimittis, or, The authors own funerall sermons in his meditations upon I Kings 19:4 ... / by Thomas Bradley ... Bradley, Thomas, 1597-1670. 1669 (1669) Wing B4132; ESTC R7187 60,180 133

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places where iniquity doth abound is to pious Souls and to such as fear God matter of great griefe and sorrow of heart even enough to make them weary not onely of those times and places but even of their Lives too St. Peter tells us of Lot dwelling in Sodom That his righteous Soule was vext from day to day with their unlawfull doings 2 Pet. 2.7.8 The holy Prophet David complains in this case and bewails his hard condition in this respect even in passionate expressions Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Mesech and to have my habitation among the Tents of Kedar And the Prophet Habakkuk as passionately as he in the same case Hab. 1.2 3 4. O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not heare yea even cry out of violence and thou wilt not help Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold sorrow for the Law is dissolved and judgment doth not goe forth the wicked doth compass about the righteous therefore unjust judgement doth proceed Thus we see how righteous souls are affected in these cases and afflicted with grief and sorrow under the sence of the wickednesses abominations that are committed under the Sunne in the times and places where they live Reasons 1. Because hereby God is dishonoured whose glory is dear unto them 2. The Church is scandalized holy Religion reproached the Gospel of Jesus Christ aspersed and the way of God evill spoken of especially if these things be done and suffered in a Christian Church or Common-wealth 3. It gives so great offence to many weak ones that it causes them to with-draw themselves from the society of the faithfull to abhorre the Sacrificer of the Lord to despise the standing Ordinances of the Church and for those evills which we see to forsake that which is good to throw up all and to make separation 4. Hereby they destroy their own souls of which others fearing God are more sensible then they themselves Christ beholding Jerusalem and fore-seeing the calamity that hung over it Wept for it they did not so for themselves 5. They provoke wrath and draw down judgements upon the place where they live both upon themselves and others for their sakes For these things sakes comes the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Ephes 5.6 Upon these Considerations pious souls men fearing God are sensible of the sins of others as well as of their own and of the iniquity of the times and places where they live and they are unto to them matter of great sorrow and greif of heart I beheld the transgressors and was greived Psal 119.158 1. It should teach men wisedom where they can and as farr as they can to use prudence in the choyce of the places of their habitation and when to make this one of their respects among all other that they may seat themselves in such a place where the fear of God is amongst them Lot made but an ill choyce though he lighted on the 〈◊〉 the Land when he chose the plain of Sodom to pitch his Tent in Abraham might well be afraid to sojourne in Gerar when he perceived the feare of God was not in that place Gen. 20.11 When we match our Sons or Daughters we enquire diligently what Portion what Parentage we enquire after the fatness of the Land fruitfulness of the Soyle convenience of situation and the like and all this with good discretion too but among all the rest we should not leave out this as a maine consideration whether we dispose of them to such a place where the fear of God is among the people the Inhabitants there whether they live under a good Ministery a good Majestracy a good Government where wickedness and vice is punished were Religion and godliness is set up countenanc't and encouraged whether the feare of God be in the place a very considerable blessing and a great part of their happiness 2. Try your zeale and love to God and his truth to holy Religion and the Gospel by this Touchstone by your hatred of sin as well in others as in your selves and by your grief and sorrow of heart when you see it reign and abound in the Land and in the times and places where you live Beloved we live in evill times and in places bad enough where you have occasion enough given you to exercise your zeale and to shew your love and grief and anger if you have any in this case you may see as our Prophet did the Law forsaken the Covenant broken the Worship of God neglected the Ordinances despised the Sabbath prophan'd the Sacraments slighted c. if we can see these things and not be sensible of them and sorry for them at least where we cannot help them surely our zeale is cold and our love but small Set a Marke saith the Lord upon the Foreheads of all those that Mourne for the aboninations that are done in the City Ezek. 9.4 'T is an Argument of a gracious heart to take to heart the iniquities of the times to sigh and mourn for them to be displeased with them and troubled at them 3. Here 's an object and opportunity for such as are in place and power to exercise their authority in suppressing sin in punishing the wickedness of the times and places where they live in stopping the course and current of iniquity prevailing If Magistrates they must be cloathed with zeale as with a cloak they must put on Justice as a Robe and Judgement as a Crown or Diadem they must be girt about with the Sword of vengeance and let proud and insolent offenders know they doe not beare that Sword in vain If Ministers they must cry aloud and not spare and never leave crying out against the prevailing and reigning sins of the times and places where they live till they have cryed them down and take heed they doe not by their silence and connivence make themselves partakers of other mens sins Parents of Children Masters of samilies they are in those lesser societies which they are set to Govern both Kings Priests and Prophets all which Offices they must execute in the Government of their little Common-wealth every one in the severall Sphere wherein he moves and Calling wherein he is set according to his place and power is to endeavour the suppressing of sin the punishment of wickedness and the maintenance and encouragement of true Relion and vertue 4. Here 's occasion and opportunity in such evill times as here we speak of for the Saints and servants of the most high the favourites of Heaven to stand up and to shew themselves to make intercession for the People and Places where they are for the diverting of those Judgements which these sins call for to use the Interest which they have in God to intreat for the rest that God would spare them to stand in the Gap as Moses did to make Atonement for the People and Places where they are as Aaron did to