Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A18049
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A sermon of Gods omnipotencie and prouidence
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Carter, Bezaleel, d. 1629.
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1615
(1615)
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STC 4692A; ESTC S119930
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18,895
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50
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offend the liuing Lord of heauen and earth that is able doubly and redoubly and trebly to requite vs and to render vengeance to those that know him not If you wil not be reformed saith the Lord to the obstinate Iewes but walke stubbornly against me then will I also walke stubbornely against you and I wil smite you yet seuen times for your sinnes Leuit. 26. 24. I remember what I read in the 2. Sam. 16. 6. concerning Dauid Shemei when Dauid went downe the winde and the people encreased with Absalom then indeed Shemei cared not for Dauid but railed on him and curst him cast stones at him Dauid preuailed against Absalom then he hasts to Dauid with his thousand people trembled and quaked before him O saith he let not my Lord impute wickednesse vnto me I knowe that I haue done amisse I know that I haue offended c. so truely if God had not an ouerruling hand if he were not able to recompence euill to his aduersaries then there were some reason that we should be secure and carelesse of his maiestie but since his might is so boundlesse that it reacheth from heauen to the earth from the earth to the lowest hel so as hee is able to destroy the mightiest euen with the breath of his nosthrils oh therefore let vs humble our selues before his Maiestie let vs cry out with the poore Publican Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Luk. 18. 9. or with the prodigall sonne Father I haue sinned against heauen and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Luk. 15. 21. let vs cry out with Paul O wretched man that I am who shal deliuer me from this body of death Act. 7. 24. let vs with the Nineuits flie to God with prayer and fasting Ion. 3. 5. let vs with Manasseh humble our selues greatly before God 2. Chr. 33. 12. with Daniel confesse our sinnes and seek the Lord Dan. 9. 3. with Peter let vs weepe bitterly Matth. 26. 75. let teares runne downe our cheeks like a riuer let vs take no rest neither let the apple of our eyes cease Lam. 2. 18. vntill wee haue recouered the fauour of God and found rest to our soules Mat. 11. 29. What man dares presume to mooue the wrath of a King The wrath of a King is as the messengers of death Prou. 16. 14. or as the roaring of a lyon Prou. 20. 2. Indeede there are many court claw-backs and Parasites to humour and flatter a king to crie out vpon euery occasion as Herods auditors did The voice of God and not of man Act. 12. 22. ready to bowe to him and adore him like a God but who dares come to him as Eliiah did to Ahab and confront him to his face 2. King 18. 1. and how then should we dare to offend the king of kings whose lordship is heauen and earth and sea and hel for hee filleth all places Ier. 23. 24. the landlord of the whole world the God of gods Lord of lords Isa 41. 2. whose face is as a flame of fire his voice as the roaring of many waters that hath charets innumerable and rides vpon the wings of the wind that measures the waters in his fist that compts heauen with his span coÌ„prehends the dust of the earth in a measure and weighs the mountaines in a weight and the hils in a ballance Isa 40. 12. If we dare not offend a King whose breath is in his nosthrils that shall die like a man nay if he do wickedly shal perish like a beast Psal 49. 12. be cast into the burning Topheth which is prepared for the king Isa 30. how then should wee dare to sinne against the almightie God of heauen and earth which hath his way in the whirlwind that as it was said of the monster Leuiathan esteems iron as straw and brasse as rotten wood Iob 41. 18. that puts his hands to the rocks and ouerthrowes the mountains Iob 28. 9. Before whom the earth trembles and the mountaines melt Iudg. 5. 5. Oh let vs cast our selues downe before this God for hee is a great God and a great king aboue all gods This of the first vse 2. This doctrine of Gods omnipotency The 2. vse foâ— consolation to the godlâ— may serue for the comfort of the Elect for since God rules all things therfore they may be assured that none of all Gods creatures shal hurt them what saith the spirit of God concerning the righteous they shall laugh at destruction and death and shall not be afraid of the beast of the earth The stones of the field shall be in league with them and the beast of the field shall be in league with him Iob. 5. 22. First God rules in heauen this may administer In heauen infinite comfort For by this they may be assured that none of all Gods creatures in heauen shall hurt them The winde shall not blow vpon them nor a cloud shall not rise but for their good a droppe of raine falls nor stormes nor winds nor lightnings happen not but by the appointment of God and therefore hee is said to make the chambers in his clouds and to ride vpon the wings of the winde and to breake the bottles of raine Iob. 38. 38. to haue his treasures of haile and his treasares of snow Iob. â—8 22. He causes the sweete influences of the Pleyades and looses the bands of Orion he brings forth Mazaroth in their time and guides Arcturus with his sonnes Iob. 38. 32. If then as it is said in an higher sense if God be on our side who can be against vs so if God the generall of the armie be on our side which of all his creatures can be against vs no if he be with vs he shall open his treasures of snow he shall coÌ„mand his clouds to poure down their â—â—rst raine and their latter raine and the grasse shall grow vpon the mountaines Psal 147. 8. the elementarie regions the starres and the planets shal fight for vs The Sunne shall stand stil in Gibeon and the moone in the valley of Aylon Iosh 10. 12. the sunne and moone stood still at the prayer of Ioshua the sunne in Gibeon and the moone in the vally of Aylon the sunne shall forsake her wonted race and the moone shall cease from her course for the good and benefit of Gods Church people Nay the Angels Gods domesticall seruants in the check roule that weare Gods liuerie after a speciall manner these shal attend vpon the elect The Angels of the Lord pitch round about them that feare him and deliuereth them Psal 34. 7. and the writer to the Hebrewes Are they not all ministring spirits sent foorth to minister for their sakes which are heires of saluation Heb. 1. 14. nay they are not only guarded by Angels but by armies of angels an hoast of Angels met with Iacob Gen. 32. 2. an army of Angels with chariots of fire were ready to protect
hee is not subiect to these infirmities it is the great power of God that hee cannot lie and so for sinne in generall therefore it is not in God because he is Almighty and omnipotent But I leaue the doctrines and hasten to the vse I will first deliuer one vse in generall and so wee will come to more particular application Since God rules all things in heauen The generall vse and earth c. therefore nothing comes to passe without his speciall notice and prouidence nothing comes by accident nor nothing comes by chance The lot is cast into the lappe but the whole disposition is of the Lord Prou. 16. 33. who saith a thing comes to passe the Lord hath not done it out of the mouth of the most High proceeds euil and good Lam. 3. 37. The Lord saueth man and beast Psal 36. 6. God careth for the birds of heauen and feeds them Matth. 6. 26. and hee numbers our hayres Matth. 10. 30. Nay takes notice of euery teare that is shedde by the faithfull and puts them in a bottell Psal 56. 8. Nay his prouidence extends to the lilies of the field and to the birds of heauen euen to the little sparrow The Lord giueth and the Lord taketh away as it pleaseth the Lord so come things to passe Iob. 1. 21. Indeede ordinarily we ascribe whatsoeuer betides vs to fortune and chance and to the influences of the starres as if God were not the disposer and ruler of all his workes there can be no euill in the citie saith Amos but the Lord hath done it Amos. 3. 6. plagues come from God punishments from God crosses from God the couetous man imputeth his losses to fortune his encrease to fortune generally vntimely deaths burnings blastings c. these are imputed to accident chance when indeed sinne is the cause and God is the author of punishment Man suffers for sinne Lam. 3. 39. our sinnes are the cables and cartropes that hurries down Gods vengeance vpon vs. I kill saith God and I giue life I wound and I make whole Deut. 32. 39. I forme the light I create darkenesse I make peace and I create euill I the Lord doe all these things Isai 45. 7. This in generall Now in particular this doctrine may serue First for terror to the wicked Secondly for comfort to the elect Terror to the wicked 1. In regard of this life 2. In regard of a better life Consolation to the elect 1. for this life 2. for a better life Vse 1 How can a wicked and a godlesse person harbour any quiet in his breast since God rules in all places how can they promise themselues any safety since God doth whatsoeuer hee pleaseth in heauen in the earth in the sea and in all deepes how can they promise peace to themselues when the Lord of heauen is able to muster vp al his heauenly powers and set legions of heauenly and celestiall soldiers in battell array against them nay how can they euer thinke to be saued since God is the Lord of the heauens that excludeth and admitteth whomsoehe pleases how can they thinke to prosper vpon the earth or to be safe vpon the sea since God rules in both these when his power reaches higher then the heauen deeper then hell since the measure of it is longer then the earth and broader then the sea Iob. 11. 8. If they looke vp to heauen the mighty God of heauen their enemy Christ their enemie archangels and Angels the orbs and arches of heauen the starres and the planets all things in heauen ready at Gods command to bandy against theÌ„ nay the gates of heauen bard vp against them as it was against the fiue foolish virgins Math. 25. 12. If they looke downe to the earth the earth is weary of bearing so vile a burthen if they flie to the sea that swells and rages against them if they flie to the East God is there if to the West God is there if to the North hee workes in the North if to the South hee hides himselfe in the South Iob. 23. 8. So as the estate of a wicked man is like the estate of him that the Prophet Amos speakes of that flew from a lion and a bare met him Amos 5. 19. Or like Plinies flying fish which beeing in the sea is chased by the fishes and flying into the ayre is pursued by the birds which way soeuer they go they runne headlong to their destruction if they take the wings of the morning and flie to the sea God commands the sea and that makes warre against them as it did against the Egyptians Exod. 14. 28. If they returne to the earth the earth shal be cursed to them as it was to Cain Gen. 4. 12. If they looke vp to heauen they flie from a lion to a beare God likewise ready to execute vengeance vpon them for their wicked courses And therfore truly said the Deuil to Saul Doest thou aske counsell of mee and God is thine enemy 1. Sam. 28. 16. It is vaine to consult or aske counsell if God opposes if God takes in against vs it is a vaine thing to trust in charrets or horses woe to the rebellious children saith the Prophet that strengthen theÌ„selues with the strength of Pharaoh and trust in the shadow of Egypt for the strength of Pharaoh shall be their shame and the trust in the shadow of Egypt their confusion Isai 30. 1. 2. Though hand ioyne in hand saith Dauid nation ioyne with nation kingdome with kingdoms though hand ioyne in hand yet shall not the wicked escape vnpunished I kil saith God neither is there any that can deliuer out of my hands Deu. 32. 39. Though they dig downe to hell thence shall mine hand take them though they climbe vp to heauen thence I will bring them downe though they hide themselues in the top of Carmel I will search and take them thence and though they be hidden in the bottome of the sea I will command the serpent and he shall bite them Amos 9. 2. 3. This then is the estate of a wicked man but I purpose to handle this point more particularly First God doth what hee pleaseth in In heauen the heauen and therefore in what a dangerous in an vncertaine and slipperie estate is euery wicked person that stands not in good grace tearmes with God but stands in the estate of rebellion and is out of his fauour which way soeuer hee turnes encompassed about with as many enemies as God hath creatures For euen as Princes out of their absolute authoritie leauie vp forces in the court in the citie in the countrie amongst their subiects superiour and inferiour So I say the Lord hath as the earth and sea at his command so likewise all his celestiall courtiers the Angels as it were his Nobles whereof one is able to ouerthrow an hundred fourescore and fiue thousand 2. King 19. 39. and as he hath his noâ—â—es so hath hee his