Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	air_n	earth_n	water_n	33,259	5	7.3420	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A43425	A discourse of divine providence, made before an honourable auditory by Samuel Herne ...	Herne, Samuel.	1679 (1679)	Wing H1577; ESTC R14998	13,185	57

A DISCOURSE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE Made before An Honourable AUDITORY By SAMVEL HERNE Chaplain to His Grace JAMES Duke of MONMOVTH IMPRIMATUR Octob. 11. 1678. Guil. Sill. London Printed by T. Newcomb for G. Kunholt and are to be sold at his Shop at the Sign of the Kings Head over against the Mews near Charing-Cross 1679. To the Right Worshipful Sir HENEAGE FEATHERSTONE SIR I Had scarce made a Conclusion of these following Lines before an unexpected Message from You found me while my Thoughts were yet warm with the Influence of Providence And the Truth is I was amazed at the Surprizing Instance of Your Favour to find so Worthy and Generous a Patron to behold so signal a Kindness streaming from an Vnknown Fountain and to find the News conveyed by a perfect Stranger Truly so singular a Favour freely conferred on a Person both Obscure and Vndeserving was a fresh and convincing Argument to me That the smallest Figure in the World was Naked and Open to the Eye of Providence And I hope the World will excuse the trouble of these Papers seeing they are Publisht as a Hearty Testimonial of my Thankfulness which is a Debt always to be paying but never to be sufficiently discharged Honoured SIR By Your most Obliged and most Thankful Servant SAMVEL HERNE HEB. 4.13 Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight for all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do IF once we were convinced that GOD ALMIGHTY takes a View of the whole Creation That He has an Immediate Eye upon every Action of ours we should be possest with an Awful Reverence of His Presence and be afraid to commit the least Offence We should make more Conscience of what we do because we all stand in the Presence of the Living GOD. If the Child is aw'd by the sight of the Parent the Servant diligent under the Eye of his Master and the Subject careful and obedient in the Court of his Prince nay if it be Impudence to do an Ill Action in the face of the Sun How should we fear and tremble how should we dread the very thoughts of offending in the Presence of the Omniscient GOD This was David's Custom Psal 17.16 But as for me I will behold Thy Face in Righteousness This also arm'd Joseph against the Importunate Sollicitations of his Wanton Mistress Gen. 39.9 How can I do this Wickedness and sin against God It was not amiss said by King Ahasuerus concerning wicked Haman Esther 7.8 Will he force the Queen also before me in the House And whatsoever the Sins were which the wicked Kings of Israel were said to commit yet we find them by way of Aggravation thus recorded That they did evil in the sight of the Lord. Naked and open This was spoken to the Jews and therefore the Author makes use of those Words and Phrases which were most familiar unto them Here he takes a Metaphor from the Custom of the Priests in the Examination of their Sacrifices whether they were sound and without blemish Deut. 15.21 For if there be any blemish therein thou shalt not offer it unto the Lord thy God All things are naked viz. visible and apparent as if they were stript of their outward case and the skin and covering flead off as the Sacrifices were And open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word scarce used again in all the New Testament and signifies cut down the back that the Priest might search and look into the most hidden parts This is to put us in mind of that narrow search and inspection GOD has over all our Actions that He searches and tries our Reins that He enters into the most remote and private corners of our Hearts to see what is lodged there for Secresie is the Nurse of Sin and Pander of Iniquity They that are drunk are drunk in the night The Encouragement Men have to sin is this they say Tush God does not see as if gross and impenetrable Darkness was his Pavillion But when the Prodigal returned he confest I have sinned against Heaven and before thee c. The Nicene Creed stiles our Saviour Light of Light Very God of Very God and our Church in her Liturgie does fitly pray O GOD to whom all Hearts are open all desires are known and from whom no secrets are hid The Thief and the Traytor Ananias and Sapphira the Adulterer and his Prostitute cannot walk incognito for the Hypocrite will be unmask'd the Murder shall be revealed and that Man at last confounded with shame who once thought he lived without God in the World We endeavour to observe the Phenomena of the Heavens but seldom consider how God observes our Motions for if a thousand years in his sight are but as one day then the Lives of a thousand Men are as well known to Him as the Action of one Man Neither is there any Creature c The Words may move us to consider these two things I. That there is an Almighty Being who does concern and interest Himself in the Rule and Management of the World II. That whatsoever can be alledged to the contrary is weak and unreasonable There is a most free and powerful Agent who takes care of all things he has made Thus Job argues Chap. 10. That he was the labour of God's own Hands that He made him and fashion'd him cloath'd him with Skin and Flesh and joyn'd him together with Bones and Sinews and therefore he hoped He would not destroy him That there is such a Being who undertakes and performs the Government of the World is evident 1. From Scripture Evidence 2. The Completion of Prophecies 3. And Testimony of Malefactors The Holy Word divides God's Providence into three Branches General Special and Particular In General it embraces the whole Creation The Lord has prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 103.9 Says St. James Acts 15.18 From the beginning GOD knoweth all his Works The regular Course and Order of Nature demonstrates the Work of Nature a Work of Intelligence Thus the Heavens declare the Glory of GOD and the Firmament sheweth his handy-work Psal 9.2 Psal 147.4 This we find to be the Language of the Creation He telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their names The Elements are void of Life and Reason yet by their Natural Duty Instinct and Order they seem to point out unto us a higher Cause who lives and knows who disposes of and manages every thing to its own useful End Beasts and Birds Fire Air Earth and Water all that we behold under the vast Arch of Heaven move and labour for some determined End and Purpose Therefore it is plain they must be marshall'd under the Guidance and Conduct of some Powerful Being who by His great Wisdom so ordain'd it This is to know the Cause by the Effect For the flying of an Arrow