Selected quad for the lemma: end_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A26344
|
God's anger ; and, Man's comfort two sermons / preached and published by Tho. Adams.
|
Adams, Thomas, fl. 1612-1653.
|
1652
(1652)
|
Wing A492; ESTC R22209
|
47,052
|
94
|
might he have bidden him not to see what he saw as not to fear seeing so dreadfull a spectacle But the taske is easie if the next words find beleefe They that be with us are more then they that be with them If the eyes of our faith be as open as those of our sense to see Angels as well as Syrians to perceive comforts as well as sorrowes we cannot be appalled with the most unequall number of enemies Many O Lord are thy wonderfull works which thou hast done for us they cannot be reckoned O God what is man that then art so mindfull of him Yea O man what is God that thou art so unmindfull of him All the workes of God are excellent and ought to bee had in remembrance alas that wee should ever forget any of these workes that are of mercy and comfort which hee hath done for our souls For he alone hath done them that is the next point 3. Cujus whose they are Thy comforts Troubles may be of our own begetting but true comforts come onely from that infinite fountain the God of consolation for so he hath stiled himself The eagle at her highest flight will not lose the sight of her young ones if she perceive any danger approaching down she comes amain to their defence Christ is indeed ascended up on high yet he hath a favourable eye to his servants below no Saul can breath out threataings against them without a Quid me perfequeris Nec timeas hostem fortem qui Ducem habes fortiorem Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered There is none that fighteth for us but only thou O God Cujusquam est rem publicam movere Dei solius quietare Our owne hearts can distract themselves there is nothing to settle them but what the God of peace puts in Who can reconcile a man fallen out with himself yea fallen from himself None but the God of comfort who when the earth was void without form darknesse on the face of the deep day and night land water undistinguished could reduce all this mishapen chaos of the world to form and order when father mother brethren kinred friends neghbours and a mans own heart forsakes him then God takes him up The structure of Jericho was not more pleasant then the waters were unwholsome and thereby the soile corrupt Elisha cures them with a cruse-full of salt Our hearts are ful of thoughts but they be noxious yet if God throw into those fountains a handfull of saving grace we shall bee whole Our sorrowes too often would break our hearts but O God for thy comforts it is thou onely that canst make these weake vessels hold such scalding liquours and not burst There is combustion of these thoughts within us til God part the fray and pacifie the tumult as when scholers are loud in brawls the very sight of their master husheth them When my heart like the sea in a storm is troubled the winds raging the waves roring Thy comforts like Christs command turns all into a calme I thought on thee in the night season and received comfort In the night the region of fear in darknesse the opportunity of despaire in solitarinesse the full advantage of sorrow upon an unsleeping bed the field of troublous thoughts yet I did but think on thee and before I came to meditate to pray to send up my soul unto thee in that first thought I received comfort O how short do all worldly things come of this sufficiency If the heart bee wounded with sorrow in vain is all the Chirurgery of nature Gold is no restorative riches no cordial yea they may be a corrosive wee say to wine thy spirits are dull to laughter thou art mad musick grates the ear and physick loathes the palate company is tedious and solitude dangerous alas what hope can there be till the God of comfort comes Sauls evil spirit will not leave him til he be dispossessed by Davids harpe wee finde as much ease when wee rest our hearts upon temporall things as hee that laid him downe to rest upon the cold earth with a pitcher under his head and finding the pillow too hard he rose and stopped it with feathers thinking that then it would be wondrous easie So be all temporary things to the soul even when they are filled with the choicest mirth nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit not only vanity in their entertainment but vexation in their farewell Yet O Lord Thy comforts 4. Delight the soul which is the last circumstance the effect of all All Gods warre is for peace Pacem habet voluntas bellum necessitas Wee should never have felt such a conflict if God had not intended us such a conquest Sin disquiets the heart yet through his grace this disquiet breeds repentance repentance procureth forgiveness forgivenesse restoreth peace and peace delights the soul The sharpenesse of the trouble advanceth the sweetnesse of the joy as Christs sufferings abound so his comforts superabound Every penitent tear that falls from the eye springs up a flower of comfort Look how full the vessells were of water so full doth our Saviour render them of wine In hell are all sorrowes without any comforts in heaven are all comforts without any sorrowes on earth good and bad sweet and sowre miseries and mercies sorrowes and comforts are blended together If here were nothing but sorrows earth would be thought hell if nothing but comforts it would bee thought heaven But that we may know it to be as indeed it is neither heaven nor hell but between both and the way to either we have a vicissitude of troubles and delights That as of old they painted King Solomon because learned men were divided in their opinions of him some casting him to hell others advancing him to heaven therefore a third moderate sort painted him halfe in heaven and halfe in hell so the Christian in regard of his sorrowes seems halfe confounded and in respect of his comforts halfe saved But as indeed Solomon after all his errors found mercy so the Christian after all his sorrowes shall find comfort His beginning may seem troublesome his proceeding not delightsome but his later end is peace Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace His heart was troubled his soul shall be delighted As the grievances of the soul bee most dangerous in respect of their nature so they are also abundant in their number Therefore let our care be to seek out that great Elixar that most soveraign and universall Antidote and Cordiall One soul complaines I have obloquies reproaches calamniations cast upon me which render me contemptible to good societies Morality would thus argue with the heart Bee these imputations thus charged upon me true or false If true let the integrity of thy future conversation so convince thy associates that they shall both suspect those reports and rest assured of thy constant goodnesse But the