Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	cloud_n	day_n	pillar_n	4,681	5	10.5980	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90960	A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons at Saint Margarets in Westminster, on Thursday the 10. of May, being a day of solemn thanksgiving appointed by the Parliament, for the mercies God had bestowed on the nation through the successfull conduct of the Lord Generall Monck. By John Price M.A. Fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, and chaplain to his Excellency.	Price, John, 1625?-1691.; England and Wales. Parliament.	1660 (1660)	Wing P3336; Thomason E1027_1; ESTC R31126	29,320	48

1. They shall be ashamed of what they have done and shall find no arguments to defend themselves they have nothing to plead for iniquity shall stop its mouth When Christ questioned the negligent and unworthy guest Mat. 22.12 it s said that he was speechlesse A good conscience hath an answer 1 Pet. 3.21 but an evil one is silent before God and Man 2. They shall be amazed at the judgments of God who hath over taken and ensnared them in their own doings they thought never to have been plagued like other men Psal 73.5 Therefore pride compassed them about as a chain and violence covered them as a garment v. 6. but now as in a moment they are stripped of their ornaments and their chains of pride are converted into shackles of iron They thought Sampson-like to have gone out as at other times but their strength was departed Therefore 3. They shall sit down and not move hand or foot The Sun is said in the Hebrew to be silent when it stood still Josh 10.12 they shall be onely spectators on that stage wherein they have been actors These men of might shall not be able to find their hands when God finds them out Psal 76.5 At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep v. 6. 4. They shall be inforced to be at the disposall of Almighty God they shall be in silence that is with subjection 1 Tim. 2.11 so Pharaoh and his courtiers were content to let Israel goe when they could no longer detaine them As a ravenous Lion falling into a flock and snatching thence a kid is eagerly pursued by the country swaines with speares and hounds and being overtaken is enforced to leave his prey and his courage behind him though not his stomach Thus much for the 2. member of this division conticescent they shall be silent that 's their doom 3. In tenebris in darknesse 1. Darkness is defined to be a privation of light so now those as they thought smiling providences and the light of Gods countenance are departed from them and withdrawn they thought themselves to be the Israelites that must needs have the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to direct them they thought that prosperity should have for ever spread its wings over their tabernacles that they had chained victory to their scabbards but now they are swallowed up in night and horror Their lamps are put out in obscure darknesse Prov. 20.20 2. In stead of the Sun-shine of successe which at best is but the Turkish Moon-light an argument not fit for a heathen to alleadge they are now benighted in the shadows of darkness and misery Now I have done with the 2. division of the Text viz. Gods justice upon the wicked I shall onely minde you of 2. things 1. That there are certain staid and indispensable rules of righteousness and truth which God hath naturally implanted upon the Consciences of all men which whosoever transgress do not onely sin against God but against themselves too and the reason of their own being sin against their own souls To trace this truth in our civil converse with men wherein it is most legible nothing can keep up the society of Mankind but Justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Right is an universall good which our Blessed Saviour represented in that Golden Rule Whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do that also unto them I presse this because 't is in this that we have most offended If a Roman Emperour would not condemn a Malefactor before he had rehearsed the Greek Alphabet what shall we say of them that have condemned Nations to slavery without Laws or letters Is there no such thing as truth hath it no other rule but our own will I have heard of a Robber upon the Pyrenean mountains that having made seizure of many packs of Linnen the bereaved Merchants became his supplicants for some restauration he replyed that he was no Robber but a Soveraign Prince that he would buy the Cloath and asked the price 't was so much the Ell or the Yard the money was laid down but when the Cloath came to be meted out the Soveraign Robber would take the choice of his own measure 't was his Pike Even the worst of men have some sentiments of Justice but it must be modelled into such a frame as will serve their own designes that by the mockeries of Law they might somewhat appease their own Consciences and blind the vulgar 2. As the violences of these Laws of Nature are in their own nature vile and abominable so the God of Nature whoist he common Saviour of his Creation will not suffer these violences to go unpunished there is as verily a reward of Justice upon the Wicked as there is a reward of Mercy unto the Righteous that as God will inlighten the darknesse and affliction of his Saints so he will cause the sun of the Wickeds prosperity and triumph to set in obscurity I le shut this up Psal 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints for he preserveth the faithfull and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer I have now represented unto you Gods Mercy Gods Justice to his Saints to the Wicked I come now to the 3. Division for by strength no man shall prevaile And this is as before ratio utriusque the Reason of both for by strength of Piety of Policy of Power no man shall prevail 1. Not by strength of Piety True a good man is as a precious Jewell in Gods sight but he must not still expect to be worne upon Gods right hand sometimes he must be laid aside The righteous perish and no man layeth it to heart Isa 57.1 but God doth for his favour is as much upon Job on the dunghill as when he sets a Prince in the gates for he doth not intaile outward mercies in this life to his Saints for these Reasons 1. To let us know we can challenge nothing at his hands by way of merit Our Goodness and our Godlinesse extend not to him If thou art righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he of thine hand Job 35.7 2. To prove and try us whether we will be as dutifull Children when his rod corrects us as when his staffe supports us The Devil told God to his face when he questioned him of his servant Jobs integrity and uprightness Doth Job serve God for nought many may improve mercies better then the Israelites did when they had Quailes and Manna may be thankfull and holy but God will try their Faith as he did Abrahams and exercise their patience as he did Jobs Sometimes the Church is universally oppressed whereby God makes tryall whether she will be faithfull to the death Rev. 2. 'T is not by bread alone that she must live sometimes she must fast and pray 3. When the Lord doth send outward mercies as victory over the enemies of our peace and when we are upon the