Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	aaron_n	abel_n	sacrifice_n	68	3	7.3825	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59598	The pourtraiture of the primitive saints in their actings and sufferings according to Saint Paul's canon and catalogue, Heb. 11. By J.S. Presb. Angl.	Shaw, John, 1614-1689.	1652 (1652)	Wing S3033; ESTC R214014	120,960	164

Brother spoyled the Religion of his Sacrifice and deprived him of the reward of his service and that Abels innocency sincerity and devotion was as incense to his sacrifice as Fire from Heaven to hallow it to give it a sweet smelling savour and in this resolution there can be no danger I am sure it is according to the plain rule of Scripture peruse these following Texts and apply them Gen. 4.7 1 Sam. 15.21.22 Prov. 15.8 and 21.27 Isap 66.3 Am. 5.21 But to return The Jews derive the excellency of Abels Oblation from it selfe the matter offered or subject of the offring which say they was according to the rule and estimate of things prisable of more value then Cains and the Crime which they charge on Cain was Covetousnesse the Virtue they ascribe to Abel was Liberality 'T is true God loves a giver like himselfe liberall and bountifull the Covetous whose almes if he give any is in Senica's Phrase Panis lapidos●e and whose expences for Gods service or Temple are Sesses not Free-will Offerings God abhors yet it also as true which the Heathen hath observed God regardeth not how full hands we bring him but how pure he values not our Offerings because they are either many or rich but because they be holy reasonable services of him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Arist l. 4. Aeth c 1. But yet this comes not home is no full discovery for though it be most certain That covetousnesse is an abomination a filthinesse able to pollute any sacrifice or holy duty and that Liberality is highly prized and rewarded by the Almighty yet ' its evident from the Text That their Offerings were of the different returnes with which God had blessed their labours in their respective civill Callings and conditions of life and therefore in respect of this difference the reason lies not of their different respect with God Others from that Clause Gen. 4.3 In processe of time conceive Cains Crime was slacknesse or dulnesse in the performance of his duty and indeed we ought not to be remisse or negligent to pay our vowes God loves cheerefulnesse and alacrity of spirit in his service But in the Scripture we find not Cain criminall on this score for by the context it appears they both offered in the same order and at the same time and that phrase imployes not any slownesse but onely indefinitely notes a determinate time Others fetch the difference from the yet undiscovered paths of God eternall decree Abel was an Elect Cain a Reprobate Abel a justified Person Cain not and therefore Abels sacrifice was sanctified Cains not But under correction and with submission to abler judgements I conceive the former part no Discovery ' its an unknown passage to us and God hath not admitted us unto his secret resolves but his Revealed Counsel● are for us and for our Children and that his Decree infuseth no goodnesse or badnesse into the actions of men an action is called good from its conformity to the rule that I am sure it Gods revealed will and bad from its obliquity or deviation from it and its goodnesse or badnesse depends on the rectitude or crookednesse of mans will And for the other part of the supposition with the premised reference I conceive no man justified but he is sanctified also yet no man justified before sanctified For faith which is required as the condition of our being justified must necessarily in order of nature be before justification this presupposeth Faith which certainly includes repentance and conversion to God yea it selfe is an act of sanctification and the promises of mercy are as to Beleevers so to sincere Penitents He that forsaketh his sinnes shall finde mercy Prov. 28 13. so that neither of these surmizes states the case nor gives a cleare resolution to the Quaere Others because Gen. 4.4 it is emphatically said of Abel he brought his Firstlings and his fat but of Cains verse 3. without any further expression or addition nakedly He brought c. have conjectured these expressions the clearest notes of discrimination for say they the Scripture never addes such circumstantials but for distinction or for an addition of honour or an elogie and however faith made the highest difference yet the effects of Abels faith were great and holy warming his spirit with much devotion and perswading him to such a choice as might at once both expresse what great blessings he had ●eceived from the good hand of God on his labours and also testifie what reverend and holy thoughts of Gods Soveraigne Majesty had taken his spirit and Cains infidelity made his Sacrifice a Sacrifice of flesh without devotion without any respective consideration of the holinesse of the employment and therefore he took he offered what was next at hand without any more to doe This interpretation is pious proper and pertinent and were I resolved to be affirmative I would thus resolve the Point For in our adresses and offering to God we should compose out mindes to serious thoughts of his greatnesse wisedome power goodnesse and elevate them to the highest pitch raise them to the highest note and thus prepare our selves to the offices o● his worship and service But this supposeth somewhat which should be proved more clearely then a supposition will beare but whether the excellency of Abels oblation above Cains arose from the Persons of the offerers or their intentions in offering from the substance and subject matter of the Sacrifices or from the qualities and adjunct thereof this we are sure of God delivered his Judgement and gave Abels the excellency for he witnessed that he was righteous he testified of his gifts and whether from his faith or from his oblation he was pronounced righteous it is all one seeing his oblation was an obedientiall act of faith his faith engaged and obliged him to present his oblation to God and his oblation evidenced and proved his faith before God and Men Faith sanctified his Offering and his Offering shewed his Faith and Gods testimoniall approved both Abel stands upon Record in the Rolles of Heaven and Earth known and dignified with the Titles of Abel the Just Abel the Righteous But now if it be here enquired by what signall evidence God testified of his gifts or how God declared that he was Righteous I shall propose the severall guesses of Commentaries and leave the Reader to the former indifferency I granted him Some conceive God manifested his approbation by the descent by Fire from Heaven upon his Sacrifice in such manner as we Reade Lev. 9.24 and it s not altogether improbable for as Cains Sacrifice was a Meat-offering Lev. 2. so Abels was a Peace-offering Lev. 3. such as that of Moses and Aaron Lev. 9. So also the 2 Chron. 7.1 Others by his Word in a Vocall expression God then communicating his will to his servants in that method Others That God expressed his acceptance of Abels Sacrifice by an after benediction on his stock and labors making them to