Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	day_n	night_n	pillar_n	4,391	5	10.4587	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90268	God's presence with a people, the spring of their prosperity; with their speciall interest in abiding with Him. A sermon, preached to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, at Westminster, Octob. 30. 1656. A day of solemn humiliation. / By John Owen, D.D. a servant of Jesus Christ, in the work of the Gospel. Printed by Order of Parliament.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1656 (1656)	Wing O757; Thomason E891_4; ESTC R206508	24,955	44

long perplexities may have a consistency with Gods special presence Though the wheele goes on yet it may have a cross wheele in it that may cause rubs and disturbances The Rule of Gods acting in his presence is his own wisdome and our good in the Issue not our partial self-destroying desires Had the best people in the world all their own desires they would be every way ruined When God is nigh to us he knows what is best for us Security from destroying evils not trying evils he gives to them with whom he is And this is all that I shall offer for the Explication Confirmation and Cautioning of the proposition insisted on what remains further to be opened will fall in under the Uses of it which now ensue This special presence of God being as you have heard the great and only concernment of any people the tenure or condition thereof being our abiding with him let our first Use be to instruct us particularly First what this special presence of God is and wherein it doth consist Secondly what it is for us to abide with God so as we may enjoy it For the full discovery of the first I shall consider it in that eminent instance wherein of old he did grant his presence to his people The bottome of that stupendous undertaking of the Israelites in leaving Egypt and journeying through the wilderness into Canaan lay in the promise of this presence of God with them Exod. 7. 10 11 12 On this one consideration their whole undertaking and affair turned to this issue it is put by Moses Exod. 33. 15. If thy presence goe not with us carry us up not hence They will not move one step without him and with him they care not whither they goe Now this presence of God with them Symbolically did consist in or rather was represented by two things First the pillar of the cloud and fire which was with them ordinarily Secondly the Appearance of his Glory which they en-joyed on extraordinary Occasions The first with the first use of it is mentioned Exod. 13. 21 22. And the Lord went before them by day in the pillar of a cloud to lead them in the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light to goe by day and night he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people There is mention here as if it were of two pillars one by day and another by night but it seems to have been the same pillar with several properties for Chap. 14. 19 20. the same pillar at the same time performs both these offices in respect of several persons to some it was on the one side a cloud and darkness to others bright and shining as fire The pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behinde them and it came between the Camp of the Egyptians and the Camp of Israel and it was a cloud of darknesse to them and it gave light by night to these After this when the Arke was made and the Tabernacle erected this cloud which untill then went before the Camp came and covered the Tabernacle night and day as it stood in the midst of the Camp or the Congregation as a cloud it was by day and as a pillar of fire by night Exod. 40. 34 35 36 37 38. and there it continued with the people all the while they were in the wilderness Nehem. 9. 19. This being the first eminent pledge of the presence of God with that people let us consider what was indulged or granted to them thereby First they had hereby constant direction in all their journeyings and undertakings they were by this pillar directed in their way so at large it is expressed Numbers 10. 33. as also Exod. 40. God by this pledge of his presence was the beginning of all their rest and motion the guide and directour of all their undertakings so that they moved acted rested proceeded according to his will and Counsel he guided them by his Eye and led them by his Counsel Psal. 32. 18. Sometimes perhaps they would be forward they would be up acting doing their hearts are full of desires and they are impatient of delay If it be not according to his minde he will cause a Cloud to abide on their Tabernacle or their Assemblies and meetings a Cloud that shall darken them and distract them in their Consultations that they shall not be able to take one step forward Though their desires be great their intentions good yet the cloud shall be upon them and they shall not know their way Sometimes perhaps they are heavie fearful slothful there is a Lion in the way Gyants are in the land difficulties and perplexities lie in the way before them in such and such undertakings they have no heart to them the way is long and perilous better return than go forward Would God now have them pass on and engage the cloud shall break up and goe before them they shall see so far on their way as to goe forth with chearfulness Only observe this that when the cloud was taken up they knew they were to goe on in the way wherein they were and journeyed accordingly yet they know not whither they should goe nor what would be the end of their journey And therefore it is said that when they journeyed the Arke went before them to seek out a resting place for them Numb. 10. 33. It was carried on to see where the pillar or cloud of direction would stay and there they rested where ever it were When God gives a people so much direction as that they see it is their duty to go on and to trust him in so doing though they see not the end nor know what their resting place will be yet it is a pledge of Gods presence with them I suppose in your Assembly you have had the cloud taken off as to your engagements in some undertakings concerning which you are to trust that the Ark of Gods presence the Lord Jesus Christ will find you out a resting place which as yet appears not unto you What a full Experience have we had of this kind of proceeding among us In the last Assembly of Parliament How many had no less real intentions to be at worke for God than now God saw that it would not be for the advantage of the people that they should proceed hence the cloud rested on that Assembly that they could not see how to take one step forward He was still present with us but it was by a darkning cloud that we could not journey towards our rest Nor is it the will or counsel of man but of God that is to be looked to in these things We now hope the cloud is up and we are journeying towards our rest The Great Angel of his presence will find a rest for us in the good providence of God This then lies