Selected quad for the lemma: enemy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
enemy_n	advantage_n	great_a	king_n	1,350	5	3.4791	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85791	The heads of some sermons preached at Finnick, the 17 of August. 1662 By Mr William Guthry upon Matth. 14: 24, 25, 26.	Guthrie, William, 1620-1665.	1680 (1680)	Wing G2275B; ESTC R228467	46,400	69

therefore as a just punishment and recompence of their sin he layes on an arrestment on the Truth that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ the Saviour of sinners the King Priest and Prophet of his People He did it as a recompence of the sins of many for the accusing of the Truth But one of the greatest Reasons of this inhibition was to make way for another glorious designe which was on foot in Heaven anent Christs suffering at Jerusalem for saith the Apostle if they had known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Jesus Christ knowing that he behooved to go to Jerusalem and suffer and to redeem the world and so he sets them at liberty to crucifie him by their not knowing that he was the Lord of glory and so he leaves them to a latitude to persecut and crucifie him that so he might accomplish the great designe that his Father and He had on foot anent the Redemption of the World And the Doctrin I shall here hold forth upon this Reason of the inhibition is this that the Lord by the most uncouth and strange Dispensation in his Church brings about the most glorious Purposes and Works of God that can be imagined in the world There was no Dispensation almost that was more uncouth and more strange and more dark more desperate-like than this was Let no body know that I am the Christ Let none know that I am the Saviour of the world yet all was don by the burial of that Truth The Lord Jesus Christ brought about the most glorious work that ever was wrought for his Church which was by the death of a stain Christ which was occasioned here some way by his hiding of this Truth from those that were to crucifie him I say the Lord useth by the most strange and uncouth dispensation in his Church to bring about the most glorious purposes advantagious works for the good of his Church of any in the world In following out this Doctrine I shall speak to these few things First we shall speak a little of strange and uncouth dispensations that fall-out in the Church and then a word to what those glorious works of God are that are brought about by those glorious dispensations 3. We shall give you some instances by which it will appear that the Lord by the sadest and uncouthest dispensations that ever fell-out in the Church has brought about the greatest and most advantagious work for her And in the close of the Doctrine we shall speak a word of Reason why the Lord chuseth this way for bringing about such glorious works and purposes by such uncouth and strange dispensations For the First We call Dispensations uncouth and strange and dreadfull-like when things as it were fall out by a kind of special Providence yet do justle with the revealed Word of God and his commands such as a lye put into the mouth of Jacob by Rebekkah there was a kind of secret Providence in the thing that justled with the command of God yet ye know there came some strange advantage to him thereby So Esther ye know came in the place of Vasthi the Queen this did exceedingly justle against the command of God for the Jewes should not have entred in marriage with any of that place that was not in Covenant with God this seemed to justle against the command of God yet ye know how this did amount to the good and advantage of the Kingdom of Christ So the sons of Jacob fell upon the Shechemites that was an uncouth dispensation the poor man was justled exceedingly for that living among strangers yet there came a great advantage for Jacob out of that Jacob had too long rested in that nest therefore saith he Arise Jacob and go to Bethel 2. We call Dispensations strange and uncouth as they justle with promises predictions or prophecys of the Lord 's great things towards his People ye know he endeavoured for the People of Israel to bring them out of the Land of Egypt it makes the burden seven-times worse their task is doubled this justled with God's promises or prophecyes of coming out of Egypt a bonny beginning indeed there is not one of them will come out of it their task is doubled yet by these things he brought about their delivery gloriously for great advantage to them and great ruin to their enemies Hamans promotion with all his followers to the court of the King it did directly justle against the oath that he had sworn he would have warr with Amalek for ever Haman is so high that he is like to overthrow all his Church and followers that was an uncouth dispensation yet his height overthrew him for evermore 3. We call dispensations uncouth as they justle against the People of God and as they difficult all the People of God so as they cau not extricat themselves out of that plunge nor know what way to do it these are uncouth and strange dispensations The People of Israel in their march out of Egypt instead of liberty and freedom of march God straitens them all betwixt Pharaoh and the red Sea with a rock on every hand there was no escape there that was an uncouth dispensation yet that made way for a glorious out-gate for them and the utter overthrow of the enemy for ever Yea saith Pharaoh and the Egyptians they are intangled in the land of Israel the wilderness hath shut them in we have gotten you in an hose-net Yea goodman crack at leisur it will be as good fishing you with an hose-net to morrow ere this time 4. We call dispensations uncouth and strange as in themselves they are destructive to the purposes and works he intends to bring about as they are in themselves destructive to these purposes they are uncouth enough Why are they not As for example the Lord buryeth a truth of great importance lets men lay a great stone upon it and say it shall never rise again then he brings up that truth again more glorious than ever When he intends to make a truth famous on the earth then he lets bury it that is an uncouth and strange providence and dispensation this was the dispensation here mentioned in the Text let no body know that I am the Christ once saith he bury that truth I forbid you to tell any body that Truth That 's a strange dispensation it seems to be destructive to the whole Covenant of Grace Nay but bury it for all that for I shall garr it rise with a thousand advantages more than ever yet he hath a sweet sharp hand in these things yes truely he has a sellon gate to make contraries work for good I confess it 's a bare moor that he goes over and gets nothing that dispensation never fell-out in the Church but he gets ay an harle of it for the good and advantage of the Church and People of God I say then there are many uncouth and strange

much that the humane Laws of the Prince do not make void all the Divine Laws and authority of our Lord Jesus upon the consciences of men I mean'd when a Divine Law and an humane law had confronted in opposition one to another that the Divine Law was to make void the humane but I never knew that the humane laws of the Prince made void all the Divine laws of Christ before I never heard that doctrin taught but within these four years God be thanked Short while may the Law of the Prince last that makes void all the Divine Laws and authority of our blessed Lord Jesus Truely man thou hast a bony plea of it thou must fell thy conscience abjure the Covenant and comply with their iniquous laws and authority for it If thou art a man and not a beast man I think thou shouldst know this that it is more lawfull to obey God than man The Apostle made greatest enemies judges in this matter whether it be most lawfull to obey God rather than man judge ye But ye must obey man though opposit to all the commands of God The King's laws are for this quoth ye there is law and authority for it Truely ye have a bony plea of it a brave pretence of it forsooth I think a man baptized into the Name of the Father Son and holy Ghost should think shame to instance such a pretext It 's even like your self there is law and authority for it There are many also who for their compliance pretend loyalty to their Prince they must comply they must abjure the Covenant that they may prove their loyalty respects to his Majestys grace Goodsooth let me tell it quietly betwixt me and you there is few good news in the land since the like of you became so loyal If our King had been a man qualified with grace as once we supposed him to be and had born down vice and profanity there had not been so much loyalty in the breasts of a thousand of you as is in the breast of one of you at this day Alwayes I thought it had been true loyalty to the Prince to have keeped him in his own room and given him his own due to have keeped him subordinat to Christ and his laws subordinat to the Laws of Christ I thought true loyalty to the Prince had been to have keeped his House in the line of subordination to the fear of God Fear God and honour the King I judged that had stood wel in all the world but there is a generation now that has turned it even contrary Fear the King and then honour God I thought never that that was true loyalty yet I never heard that doctrin taught before but I thought alwayes that was true loyalty Fear God and honour the Prince God's vengeance be on them that have altered that Divine law ever untill they set as good an one in the place of it They made the rule all wrong that put the King in the first place he will never stand wel there I do think men of rational judgment that have not sold themselves to this iniquous time will think it the true honour of the Prince to keep him in the line of subordination to God's honour Fear God and honour the King He is the best subject who is the best Christian And ask some What makes you take such a mischievous course by the end for the overthrow of the work of God O! I behoved to prove my loyalty to my Prince ye understand not there are many who question my loyalty now In truth Sir say I there is many a better man than ever stood on your shinnes or his either that questions your loyalty now to the God of heaven Will ye make this once clear in the first place that ye are a loyal subject to the God of heaven and then prove your loyalty to your Prince by things that do not contradict the Scriptures of Truth and the Laws of the God of heaven It is never a soncy loyalty that makes folk to quite their Religion Tho his Religion justled against that which they accounted loyalty they charged him with this that his way was a way of sedition and heresy His way did not prove him to be loyal enough Wel saith he I am a loyal subject for all that after that way so I worship the God of my Fathers if that be heresy quoth ye I am an heretik if that be rebellion against the Prince I am a rebell to him for so worship I the God of my Fathers But albeit ye will quite with your Religion to prove your loyalty to your Prince yet truely we will not do so And if ye call such Fanatiks that take the way we do then we are such after the way that ye call Fanaticisme so worship we the God of our Fathers we may not quite with our Religion albeit ye call it by the name of Treason Heresy Rebellion and Division hold ye by your thing and we will hold us by our thing it is always best for Folks to hold them still by their own thing 3. There is many Folks who for their compliance pretend peace to the Church and to themselves Know ye not what discord and mischief that way breeds every where Quoth ye I am even gon the length I am gon for peace in some cases Peace man peace man I pray thee what peace wouldst thou wouldst thou have peace with God's enemies that has destroyed all that is precious in our sight Whom with would ye have peace I hope ye may have peace with all the People of God without compliance Why then tell ye us that we should keep peace with a party that has destroyed all the work of God I weened the Scriptur had stated the matter thus Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no flesh shall see God Ye forget still the one half of your tale my friend Would ye have peace among us without holiness Lord let never that peace be among us God send us red warr ere he send us that peace red warr fire and sword be among us ere that peace be among us Wofull will be the peace of these lands if peace without holiness be among us I know not what peace is for if it have not holiness with it I know not what ye would be at if ye would not have communion betwixt Light and Darkness Christ and Belial which shall never keep under one roof one bed nor one boord together We profess no peace with that Party that is enemies to God we profess no peace with such a party let red warr be betwixt us but God let never peace be betwixt us 4. There are many who pretend this for their compliance even usefulness to the Church in their cases they say they have done what they have done of that kind that they may be usefull to the work of God in other cases What moved thee to comply Man and run with

dispensations now some of them justling with commands some with promises and predictions some of them difficulting all the People of God puting them all to their wits end some of them of them selves destructive to the purposes he intends yet by all those he will bring about the most glorious purposes and works for the good of his Church in the world This is the cross wheel that appears in a wheel whose spoaks are dreadfull for height and full of eyes this is the wisdom of God in his dealing with his Church going out of all mens sight whereby he intends to bring about glorious things for his Church The second thing we would speak to is what are those most glorious works and purposes of God for his Church that he intends to bring-in by uncouth dispensations In a word we mean by those such works and purposes as do minister occasion for the administration of the glorious attributes of God whereby they may be gloriously seen for the good and advantage of the Church such works and purposes as do manifestly bear ground to discover mercy to his friends justice to his enemies and God discovered thereby his glorious wisdom faithfulness holyness and justice exercised both to friends and enemies I mean these glorious works and purposes that offer in them a discovery of the Attributes of God an evident discovery of Mercy for his People and an evident discovery of justice toward his adversaries those are the glorious Works that are brought about by strange and uncouth dispensations The third thing I would here speak a word to is to give some instances wherein ye may see the truth of the doctrin many instances may be given in Scriptur I shall reduce them to these few Heads 1. Take the dispensation or providence that was first managed in man's sin and is still managed yet in man's transgressions and ye shall find by the most uncouth and dread full-like dispensations the most glorious works of God fall-out for his Church I shall mention but two Particulars in all that Head of Providence the one was Adam's fall Adam's fall was a most dreadfull dispensation it justled exceedingly with the command of God and with promises and was destructive in it self to his advantage yet thereby the Lord brings about a better state for Adam and his posterity than they were in before thereby he did bring about admirable mercy to his Friends and admirable justice to his Enemies which will be seen for admiration to the world's end and for evermore 2. Consider even in the ordinary falls of his People into sin these are uncouth dispensations yet I hope ye will all grant that the Lord lets his People be broken thereby that he may the more and the surer many times bind them up It 's true ye should abominat every evil way and ye may not sin that grace may abound yet it 's as true in this respect I may say that grace hath many times super abounded when sin hath abounded the thing wherein it holds true that uncouth and strange dispensations bring about a most glorious work which I shall instance was in that dispensation which was managed in the Church of God before shewn to Egypt there was an uncouth dispensation falls-out yet alwayes glorious in end of all Jacob's bairns Ioseph was the best bairn of all the coupe he was thinking on and dreaming of some things and he is ay telling something of them for anger of that they 'l take-away his life yet as it fell-out they sell him to the Egyptians into Egypt where the dreamer and all his dreams now quoth they There is an uncouth dispensation what shall become of the Kirk now for the special man that should keep her alive is sold a slave This was an uncouth dispensation yet a dispensation most usefull for the Church of any dispensation that could fall-out Hold your tongues saith Ioseph to his brethren God is wise enough in this much shame and lack belongs to you for your selling of me but God was wise enough for all that he brought it about for good and then ye know the uncouth dispensation that was tristed with the Church in Egypt what sad things they met with before they went forth from it that justled against both commands prophecys and predictions after promised liberty their bondage growes ay the longer the worse then they resolve to slay all the male-children but truely they never throve fast till then there is an uncouth providence the decree comes out to slay all the men children but it 's said the more they slew the more they increased Now but ye may think they had grown many of them and they had not slain none of them in faith ye are all mistaken there would never have been so many of them the more they slew the more they encreased and that way God brought them to be above these lowns wherein they were cruel wel yet the dispensation grows ay the more and the more uncouth the King grows ay angryer and angryer angryer may he be shame nor he burst at the broad side for anger but if his anger should rive him all a bitts they shall come out of Egypt that day 400 years that they entred in and so they did ye would even be telling their things now Sirs to one another and then ye know the sad dispensation they were exercised with after they went out of Egypt before they came to the land of Canaan when the red sea is before them and a rock on every hand and Pharaoh and all his host behind this was the uncouthest dispensation of all yet by it came the most glorious work of all for then they were made fully and for ever quite of Pharaoh and all his company they were never troubled more with them God sets ay all his enemies once fair a foot on the field he gives ay a good account of his enemies once in the field and some to the sword but the next time they are sought they are not to be found Ye need not think that these dayes are all away in truth I think they are but even coming yet many of them whenever God gives over good an account of the adversaries of the Church they had need to say their last prayers for truely they are near a close Fra once Pharaoh and all his host came out of Egypt he had need to have faln to his last prayers with it for he was near an end and then ye know what difficulties they met with in the wilderness and in the land of Canaan and yet all of these brought about a most glorious work in end theirs are right brave wives tales to tell about the fire-side at night there was another uncouth providence falls out in Davids time anent the three years famine that was upon the Church that all the land was like to be starved with hunger many would think that was an unhappy dispensation but truely it was one of the happyest