Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	evil_a	fruit_n	tree_n	3,899	5	10.3735	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the Fire of my Wrath their own way have I recompenced upon their heads saith the Lord GOD. Thus we see the Generall Corruption of the Inhabitants may soone bring upon the whole Land an utter and inevitable Destruction It 's as easie with God to cut down Cedars as to stock up Shrubs yea if the Fire of his wrath be once kindled 't will easily suddenly irresistibly consume the whole † Jer. 21.14 Forrest of People both small and great If some Branches of the great Tree of a Kingdom or Nation be barren or bear evil Fruit God may in mercy prune it with some smaller Judgements to make it the more fruitful but if both the Body and Boughs be corrupt and rotten God may justly destroy it both Root and Branch The third Case Obstinacy and Impudency in Sinning VVHen Sinners are obstinate and shamelesse in sinning the Dayes are evil the Times are perillous Such was the state of the People of Israel before their utter Destruction Moreover saith the Lord to the Prophet Jeremy † Jer. 8 4 5 6. thou shalt say unto them Thus saith the LORD shall they fall and not arise shall he turn away and not return q. d. If men do fall will they lie still and not rise again If a man be gone out of the Way when he perceives it will he proceed and not rather turn back again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quare rebellis refractarius * Ar. Mont. est populus iste Jerusalaim Rebellione forti † Pagnin Aversione pertinaci * Ar. Mont. pervicacissima † Jun. Trem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Septuag Why then is this People of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual Back-sliding Or why is this People of Jerusalem this my People become refractory and Rebellious and have turned away from me with such a stubborn and obstinate impudent and pertinacious Aversion so stout and stiff-necked a Rebellion They hold fast deceit they refuse to return I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done Every one turned to his course as the Horse rusheth into the Battel And further saith the LORD † v. 12-16 Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination Nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush And what follows Therefore shall they fall among them that fall in the Time of their Visitation they shall be cast down saith the LORD I will surely consume them saith the LORD there shall be no Grapes on the Vine nor Figs on the Fig-tree and the Leaf shall fade and the Things that I have given them shall passe away from them Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the LORD our God hath put us to silence and given us water of Gall to drink because we have sinned against the LORD We looked for Peace but no Good came and for a time of health or healing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * and behold trouble Medelae The snorting of his Horses sc of the Chaldean Army was heard from Dan the whole Land trembled at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones for they are come and have devoured the Land and all that is in the City and those that dwell therein Thus when men will not forbear sinning God will not spare them in punishing when they will not be reclaim'd from their Wickednesse they shall be consum'd by his just Judgements When the Preaching of the Word by the Prophets and Ministers of the Lord will not prevaile with men to forsake their sins and seriously to engage in the service of God then Punishment is at hand and the sword of the Lord is ready drawn to cut off such an obstinate and rebellious people Thus it s said † 2 King 57 13-20 The LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turne ye from your evil wayes and keep my Commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your Fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not heare but hardened their necks like to the neck of their Fathers that did not believe in the LORD their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their Fathers and his Testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the Heathen that were round about them concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them And they left all the Commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten Images even two Calves and made a Grove and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served Baal And they caused their Sons and their Daughters to pass thorough the Fire and used Divination and Enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to Anger Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed th●m out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah onely Also Judah kept not the Commmandments of the LORD their God but walked in the Statutes of Israel which they made And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers until he had cast them out of his sight Thus the multipli'd Abominations of a pertinaciously wicked People provokes the Lord to an utter extirpation of them out of the Land Justly may the Lord give their Land to Strangers who are continually provoking the eyes of his glory by their sins Custome in sinning takes away the Conscience of sinne and so do men confirme themselves in their evil wayes and with Pharaoh harden their hearts to their own Destruction For sayes the LORD by the Prophet * Jer. 13.23 24. Can the Ethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the winde of the Wildernesse How severely will the Lord deal with stubborne sinners that wilfully walk in their own wicked wayes Take heed therefore lest there should be among you saith the LORD to his people Israel † Deut. 29 18 19 20. a root that beareth Gall and wormwood and it come to passe when he heareth the words of this Curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination or stubbornnesse * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secundum cogitationem Pagn In Obstinatione Ar. Mont. of mine Heart to adde Drunkennesse to Thirst The LORD will not spare him but then th● Anger of the LORD and his Jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the Curses that are

precedes the Day but it s usually darkest immediately before the Dawne Now for our interpretation of the last dayes in this latitude we have the general concurrence of the best Expositors who all conclude the same thing with one consent For to instance in some thus they speak upon this Text. Sub extremis Diebus comprehendit universum Christianae Ecclesiae statum † Calvin in loc Under the last days sayes the judicious Calvin the Apostle comprehends the whole state of the Christian Church Now the last Days Novissimi autem vel ultimi Dies numerandi sunt ab Adventu Christi ad Finem Mundi Nam Tempus illud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur respectu Initii Medii Initium ab Adamo ad Mosen numeratur Medium Temporis à Mose ad Christum Ultimum igitur esta Christo ad ejus Reditum * Aret in locum sayes Aretius are to be reckoned from the coming of Christ to the End of the World For that Time is called the last Time in respect of the Beginning and the Middle-time The Beginning is reckon'd from Adam to Moses The Middle-time from Moses to Christ And so the last Time is from Christ to his second Coming or his return to judgement Dicuntur autem Novissima Tempora Hebraico More non quae circa Mundi finem proximè erunt sed Posteriora quaeque suis Temporibus Novissima nominantur Quanquam tanto pejora futura sunt Tempora quanto fini hujus Mundi extremo Judicio fuerint proximiora † Pelicanus in locum But now sayes Pelican they are called the last Times after the manner of the Hebrews not only which are nearest to the End of the World but all the times succeeding their owne Age are stil'd the last times Although the times shall be so much the worse by how much the nearer they are to the last Judgement and the End of this World * Mat. 24.24 Luk. 21.12 And that the last Dayes must in this Text be necessarily understood in this Latitude may yet more clearly appear if we consider that they were already begun when the Apostle wrote this Prophecy and that they are still continu'd to this Age wherein we live That they were then already begun is manifest in that the Apostle describing the Persons by several Properties who by their ungodly Practises should make the Times so perillous concludes his Description with this Cautionary Premonition to Timothy † Verse 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From such turne away Or turn such away Authoritatively admonish reprove reject them hold no familiar Converse or Correspondency with them And that these times are to be intended to the following Ages and are continu'd to this present Age wherein we live is it not sufficiently manifest in that these very Times are an evident Commentary upon this Text and shew the Accomplishment of this Prophecy Thus we have seen when these Times shall be and how long these last dayes shall last even from the Apostles Time to the End of the World The Premonition NOw come we in the last Place to consider of what concernment this Prediction of perillous Times was to Timothy And the Apostles words upon his first entrance upon this Discourse do plainly declare that it concern'd him to know this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This know also It much concerns Christians especially Ministers of the Gospel to know what perillous Times shall come upon the Church of God and when they shall come All Christians are concern'd herein It 's profitable for them to know before hand what perillous times shall come that so they may not be unawares surprized by them but duly prepared for them For Praemoniti Premuniti Fore-warn'd Fore-arm'd And therefore it hath pleased the Lord for the manifestation of that special Care which he hath of his Church to reveal to his Servants by the Spirit of Prophecy in all Ages what evils his Saints should be exercised withal and what perillous Times they should passe thorough to their Rest and Glory It is he that brings Judgements upon his people for their sinnes and yet reveales his Purpose to his Prophets that they might call his People to Repentance for the Prevention of his Judgements As it is said * Am. 3.6 7. Shall a Trumpet be blown in the City and the People not be afraid Shall there be Evil in a City and the LORD hath not done it Surely the LORD God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets So we read when God had a purpose to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah those lustful and licentious Cities with † Gen. 19.24 Fire and Brimstome from heaven * Gen. 18.17 the LORD said shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do No he presently reveal'd it to him and sent his holy Angels also to his servant † Gen. 19.12 -16. 2 Pet. 2 6-9 Lot to forewarne him of the near-approaching danger and to deliver him by leading him out of that wicked City destin'd to a dreadful Destruction from it's inevitable overthrow So God foretold the Israelites their * Jer. 25.9 and 34.21 Ezek. 12.11 c. Captivity in Babylon and Christ hath foretold Christians † Mat. 10.22 23. Joh. 15.20 Mark 10.30 2 Tim. 3.12 their Persecution in the World Praevisa minus laedunt Evils fore-seen do less afflict Though Afflictions are the appointed Portion of the Saints on Earth yet by the Fore-knowledge of these afflictions they may be the better prepar'd to bear them with Patience And therfore God hath never left his Church without a Prophetick Representation of her future condition So to the History of his Church in the Old Testament he hath adjoyned sundry Prophecies and to the Doctrine of Christ in the New Testament he hath annext a Revelation And if God have been pleased thus to reveale in his Word the evils that shall come upon his Church and Saints and the perillous Times through which they shall pass in the World they are doubtlesse much concern'd to take notice thereof How else shall they prepare themselves for the Lords Visitations or make a right Improvement of his holy Providences How else shall they provide * Mat. 25.4 Oyle in their Vessels that they may have their † Luke 12 35. Lamps burning when a Night of darknesse shall overcome them How else shall they make such due Provision for perillous Times that they may hold up their Heads in a Day of distresse Doubtlesse as the Saints may loose a Harvest of Mercy for want of improving a Day of Grace so may they fall into a Furnace of Affliction for want of fore-seeing a Day of Wrath. And therefore Christ justly taxes the Pharisees that they could * Mar. 16.3 discerne the Face of the Skie but not the Signes of the Times Yea the Lord brings in the Fowles of the Heaven to give in evidence against his own

extreamly evil and perillous Yea when a wicked Generation of men shall be suffer'd with Impunity to cast Contempt upon all the Ordinances of Gods Worship to vilifie and reproach the Assemblies of the Saints calling them the Synagogues of Satan with many more vile reproaches which I think not meet to mention what shall we think are not the Dayes evil the Times perillous When those shall be countenanc't honour'd advanc't in the State being set in Places of Power and Trust who do what they can to cast an Odium upon the Ordinances of the Gospel are not the dayes evil the Times perillous These sacred Ordinances are the paths of Christ wherein he walks amongst his People and hereby do men * Ps 79.51 reproach the footsteps of Gods anointed Hereby do vile persons cast dirt at the Chariots of the King of glory Hereby is the Lord continually provoked to depart from such a people and therefore the dayes which are defil'd with these Abominations must needs be perillous Times The fift Case Sinners Sedulity and Sloth in Saints VVHen the spirit of Errour and Profanesse prevailes more and more in the World and the Spirit of Prayer and Zeale for truth and holinesse decayes more and more in the Church the Dayes are evil the Times perillous When false Fires appear and the Fire of the Altar goes out sure God is departing from his Temple When the Locusts and Caterpillars swarme in the Fields and the Frogs croak in every corner of the House the Judgement of God is already upon the Land When † 2 Tim. 3.6 7 silly women are led captive in Troops by subtile Deceivers and soul-deluding Seducers * 2 Pet. 2.2 draw many Disciples after them the last Dayes which we are told shall be perillous Times are come upon us Activity of bad men in carrying on their wicked Designes and Lukewarmnesse in good men in promoting the Cause and Interest of Christ is a sad Symptome of some sore evil at hand When few are zealous for Truth and Righteousness multitudes are zealous for Errour and Impunity in the contempt of Gods holy worship we may justly feare God will shortly bring some fearful judgement on the Land When † Mat. 24.12 Iniquity abounds and the love of many waxes cold the Winter is come and stormes must be expected When the Spirit of Prayer departs the Spirit of Judgement comes in the roome of it When the Winde ceases presently the Rain falls When the hands of Moses fall down in Prayer and Amalek prevailes in battel we must needs expect it should go ill with Israel When Christians are fallen from their * Rev. 2.4 first Love and Professors are grow'n † Rev. 3.16 Lukewarm in Religion yea and many are become Key-cold in the Cause of Christ whilest others are very forward and zealous to promote the Honour and Adoration of the Deified IMAGES of their own Fancies they must needs be perillous Times ZEALE is the Pulse of the Church as JUSTICE is of the Common-wealth Now a wise Physician by feeling the Pulse may judge of the state of the Patient If it be violent and irregular the body is inflam'd and in a great distemper if it be very weak slow remiss and much interrupted it is a sad Symptome of approaching Death Apostacy in Religion is a fore-runner of Ruine and Destruction to such a particular Church and People * Jer. 8.5 15 Lukewarmnesse in Religion is a loathed temper I know thy Works sayes the Lord of the Church of Laodicea † Rev. 3.15 16. too true a Patterne of the Church of England that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot So then because thou art Lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth In these cases all good Christians have cause to bewaile the sad condition of the Church of Christ The ninth Symptome Divisions in the Church and Union of her Adversaries THe children of the Church have experience of perillous Times When the Professors of the true Religion are divided and the profest enemies thereof are united When the Canaanites are combin'd against the Israelites and the Israelites are divided amongst themselves needs must they be distressed by their Enemies When Idolatrous Nations joyne in Confederacy against the People that professe the true Religion their State must needs be dangerous Of this does the Psalmist complain as speaking the sad state of the People of God and therefore he makes his earnest suit to God for redresse saying * Psal 83 1-8 Keep not thou silence O God hold not thy Peace and be not still O God For loe thine Enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lift up the head They have taken crafty COUNSEL against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones They have said Come and let us cut them off from being a Nation that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance For they have consulted together with one CONSENT they are CONFEDERATE against thee The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre Ashur also is joyned with them they have holpen the children of Lot Needs must those be perillous Times with the People of Israel when as a small Flock of sheep they were surrounded with so many troops of Wolves Lions and Bears thirsting after their blood and ready to teare them in pieces and devoure them When in the Dayes of Jehoshaphat † 2 Chr. 20 Moab and Ammon and mount Seir conspired against Israel and came up against Jehoshaphat to battel both he and all the people of the Land were struck with feare in the apprehensions of their great danger And well might they fear when three Nations had arm'd themselves against that People that had provoked the Lord by their sinnes to give them up into their Enemies hands But behold a strange turne of Providence which affords a further illustration to the matter in hand These three great Armies by a wonderful stratagem of the Divine Providence were divided one against another and so now their great strength became the cause of their weaknesse and destruction for even without any stroke struck by Israel they themselves destroy'd one another insomuch that when Israel came against them they had none to encounter with but the * v. 24. dead Bodies of the slaine which were fallen to the earth and none escaped Thus as their Conjunction was their strength their Division became their overthrow Sad Divisions and bitter Contentions amongst Christians do not onely make them a scorn and Derision to their enemies but also expose them to the danger of an utter Destruction Such Christians as like Cranes fight amongst themselves do easily become a prey to others Their enemies like Eagles and Vultures will hasten to their Overthrow Thus did the Romane EAGLES prey upon the miserable Jews conflicting together in