Selected quad for the lemma: diversity_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
diversity_n	miracle_n	prophet_n	teacher_n	445	5	9.3257	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44497	Essays about general and special grace y way of distinction between; or distinct consideration of 1. The object of divine faith, or the truth to be preached to, and believed by men. And, 2. Gods purposes for dispensing. And, 3. His dispensations of the said truth, and the knowledge of it to men. And, 4. The operations of God with it in men in the dispensation of it. By Jo. Horne, late of Lin-Allhallows.; Essayes about general and special grace.	Horn, John, 1614-1676.	1685 (1685)	Wing H2802; ESTC R216477	249,720	501

the departure of the Apostles nay they began to be sown before but by reason of their Vigilancy they took not such place in the Churches as afterward they did till they even overtopped the good Seed and its Fruit Ignorance 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. Errour Superstition and Prophaneness sprouting up apace through Mens not receiving the love of the Truth that they might be Saved till God as he threatned gave up the World again to the over-spreadings of Deceit permitting the False Prophet Mahomet to Introduce a false and wicked Religion to the drawing away Multitudes from the Belief of the Truth planted amongst them And the Roman Bishops with their Clergy to Usurp Dominion over the rest and living like Beasts or Monsters to fill the Churches that yet retained the Profession of Christ and the Scriptures amongst them with all manner of Errour Superstition and Prophaness which continued Universally over the face of the World where the most Famous Churches of Christ had been Planted though not without mixture of continual Testimonies of God and his Truth and Goodness both by Works and Word especially as to the most Essential parts of his Doctrine more or less and more or less purely held forth till 5. In these latter times God in his mercy again stirred up a Spirit of Reformation in some of his Servants who through their constancy in Preaching forth and suffering for the Testimony of God according to those measures of Understanding they had of it became successful Instruments in his hand of reviving the Light of the Truth that was almost damped so as that it shines forth again in and by the Scriptures of Truth and the faithful Preachers of them though alas now again too much clouded with the glosles and interpretations of Men that subject not their own wisdoms to God's words much more clearly than in some former Ages So that in this that hath been said in this large running over the times it appears That the Dispensations of God in giving forth unto Men the Knowledge of his Words have been both in several Ages and to several Men in the same Ages very diverse for even in all and every of those Ages when it was fulliest given forth also all had it not alike immediatly or fully opened to them some were dispensers of it to others who received it by them or from their Mouth All were not Apostles nor all Prophets nor all Teachers that were in the Church of God though as he that follows a light carried by others may see and go as well as those that carry it and other men may eat as heartily and be as thriving that buy their Bread by the Loaf as they that carry it out and sell it 〈◊〉 basket fulls so also those that were no● so honoured as to be the Dispensers of the Mysteries of God to others either Jews or Gentiles in an humble following 〈◊〉 and feeding upon that Truth of God dispensed by others might walk and live as well and attain to Eternal Life as certainly and happily as they that dispense it to them yea a Judas might prove a Son of Perdition though a Preacher of it and Jeremy and Paul too had they not returned to and walked with God themselves keeping down their Bodies and bringing them into subjection might have done so too while many of their weaker Hearers attained to Happiness by what they Preached It may be said of Prophets Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers in respect of their carrying out of the Word to others as was said of the Virgins Conceiving and bringing forth Christ Blessed the Womb that bare thee and the Paps that gave thee suck So Blessed they that were betrusted and came forth with such Mysteries to Men in the Name of the Lord yet so as the same Answer of our Saviour would also fit with respect to the hearing and obeying that Doctrine Yea rather Blessed is every one that hears the word of God and keeps it We might also shew that there is and ever was great diversity and difference in the several Gifts and Administrations of those Gifts of those betrusted with the Word and the Dispensation of it and service of God in it Some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Teachers some workers of Miracles c. and of the Apostles and Teachers some Administred more eloquently and some with weaker Language some more plainly and powerfully than others some in one Stile and others in another yet all one and the same Truth and by one and the same Spirit as in 1 Cor. 12. But it suffices but to hint that to avoid further tediousness SECT 9. That in the former Ages and so in all the Four Monarchies there was something of the knowledge of God by his People and Words vouchsafed also to the Gentiles ONely this we may further Note That though the discovery of the Truth and Mystery of God was vouchsafed most peculiarly and properly to the Jews before the Ascension of Christ yet not so hidden with them but that something of it and so means to know more of it was in all former Ages vouchsafed in some measure over and above the Manifestations of God in his Works to the Gentiles or divers of them also as might be shewed from what we find in the Scriptures and by other Writers In Abraham's time while Shem was y● living to omit some things fore-mentioned Sect. 4. His over-throw of 〈◊〉 Four Kings Types perhaps of the fut● Monarchies after to succeed Shinar ●ing Babilon Ellasar some take for Syri● Elam is Persia and the Nations mig● hint to the other Nations subject to the Roman Monarchy made him famous doubtless in those times And after that the advancement of Joseph in Egypt when all Nations or Countries thereabout pinch with a Famine came thither for Bread-corn might afford probably some opportunity for spreading some knowledge of God from him his Father and Brethren then brought into and living in Egypt● but especially and certainly to omit the Patriarchs Psal 105.13 14. Travellers into and sojourning in divers Lands and Countries the great Judgments of God upon Egypt and Pharaoh The Miraculous Deliverance of Israel thence and the mighty Works then done for and amongst them spread the Name of God amongst the Countries as is implyed Exod. 9.16 That I might shew in thee in my power and that my Name might be declared in all the earth And it appears by Rahabs confession afterward That they had heard of the mighty work 〈◊〉 God for Israel in those Countries of Can● an Josh 2.10 11. And then his drying up the red Sea and Jordan and driving ou● the Canaunites so miraculously The standing still of the Sun and Moon c. These yet further famed him and his People among the Nations 1 King 10. with Matth. 12.43 As afterwards the Wars and Successes of David and the Wisdom of Solomon that was famous to the Ends of the Earth to Aethiopia and those

the Miracles wrought by him as they were confirmations of him and his Doctrine so they had also some significant intimation of the grace brought in by him As the spiritual healing enlivening and saving of men But this was the General and first end of all God's Miracles to demonstrate himself his Truth and People to Men touching which Miracles I note 1. That they were not at all times nor ordinarily wrought for then would they not have been taken for Miracles but upon some special times or upon special occasions As 1. When God brought Israel out of Aegypt to manifest himself to be the true God and Israel his People and to prepare them for his Law and evidence it to be his and so in his Call in them to be and setting them up for his Church with whom his Truth and Worship should be deposited that the residue of the Nations all about might know which was the true God and which his Church and 〈◊〉 where to seek and find him and hi● Truth Therefore he set his signes in Aegypt and in the Wilderness to get himself a glorious Name or an everlasting Name as Isaias says and to make his Name known in all the Earth as he said by Moses Isa 63.12 14. Exod. 9.16 We read of few Miracles before except we account the preservation of Noah in the Ark and the Destruction of Sodom for such and surely there might be less need then because of the long Lives of the Patriarks and first Fathers amongst men to hold forth the truth to them 2. In the time of the Apostacy of Israel to manifest to the halting People who was the true God and which his Worship and so to turn their hearts back again as in the times of Elias and Elisha 1 King 18.36 37. 2 King 2. and 3. and 4. and 5. and 6. and 7. c. 3. In the time of the Captivity Jonas 1. 2. 3. Dan. 3. 3. 6. Isa 38. 39. Job 20.31 and a little before in Jonah's time for making known himself and his people amongst the Heathen to prepare them to receive his Message and confirm his poor Captives that waited upon him and give them favour amongst their Enemies 4. At the coming of Christ in the Flesh and his Actual Preaching the Kingdom of God and accomplishing the things of our Salvation to make him manifest to be the Christ and that to be the truth that was Preached by Him and his Apostles in his Name Mat. 11.5 6. Heb. 2.3 4. 〈◊〉 In seting up or taking to himself from a●ong the Gentiles a people to be his church 〈◊〉 which the residue of men might resort to seek him Dent. 4. Act. 15.3 4 12 14 15 16 17. 2. That though God wrought many of his Miracles so as they were conspicuous to and amongst the Gentiles yet Israel were Witnesses of more of them then the Gentiles till after Christ's Ascention Israel had the preheminence too in this Dispensation 3. That it was not God's mind that people should look for Miracles to be the foundation and ground of their Faith but that they should believe and have their Faith grounded upon his Doctrine to which he bare Testimony by those Miracles and gifts of the holy Ghost as and when he pleased especially after he had by such Miracles evidenced the Truth and therefore he faulted it as an evil and unbelieving and adulterous frame of heart to be requiring signs after he had sufficiently evidenced Himself Psal 44.1.2 3. 77.11 12. Isa 63.7 8 9 c. Psal 78.3 4 5 6 7 105.5 6 7 8. Joh. 20.29 7.37 38. Rom. 4.17 18. Heb. 4.2 and his Truth to men as Matth. 16.1 2 3 4. Joh. 〈◊〉 .48 Directing them to the Wonders and Miracles formerly wrought by him and to acquiesce and rest in his Authority and Truth as Witnessed thereby and not to be doting upon new Signes to satisfie th● vanity of their Minde thence we fin● David and other holy Men of God ofte● mentioning and looking back to 〈◊〉 Works and Wonders of old and Go● ordering men so to do they that believ● because they see being not so happy no● their Faith usually so firm as they th● believe and see not but believe accordi● to what is spoken and as the Scripture saith 4. That God having given a full Testimony to his Truth and to the Revelation of his Truth in these Last Days by his Son and confirming it also by divers Signes Miracles and Gifts of the holy Ghost would have us henceforth acquiesce in them and not either look after more Miracles to perswade us to believe nor receive any because they may work them for he hath fore-warned us that he will suffer Antichrist to come with Power and Signes and lying Wonders yea to shew great Signes and Wonders to try whither we will and do heartily love his Son and the Truth Revealed to us by and concerning him that so such as love him not nor acquiesce in his Truth as already witnessed and confirmed might be deceived by him and go to destruction Matth. 24.22 23 24. 2 Thess 2.9 10 11 12. 5. That though the generality of these Miracles wrought of God were wrought by his servants and people yet he gave not to all his People either to have the sight of them or much less power to work them but onely to some few and in some Ages as he pleased So that in these additional Dispensations also both of Ordinances and Miracles God hath used his own liberty and there hath been both as to Persons Peoples and Ages great diversity But we have been large enough upon this Branch of the Distinction as to God's Dispensations Let us now proceed to his Operations in and upon Men in and with these his Dispensations CHAP. VIII Of Gods Operations and first of those of them that are in Mercy and Directly his SECT 1. That the Operations of God are many of them very secret and not to be known or discerned but by his Word concerning them and therefore to be soberly treated of GOds Operations in and with the Dispensations of his Truth and the means thereof are certainly very intricate secret and incomprehensible as to the manner of them and therefore also great sobriety is to be used in our assertions concerning them taking the word of Truth altogether for our guide therein yea it is better soberly hereabout to profess our weakness and ignorance than to be rash and presumptuous for though its evident by the Scriptures that God and his Spirit accompany the means he affords to men Gen. 6.3 whence that My spirit shall not always strive with man implying that during the day of his patience He is striving as it is also asserted in 1 Pet. 3.19 That Christ by his Spirit preached to the Spirits of men now in prison and in Prov. 9.3 That Wisdom cries with and as well as her maidens unto men to call them to