Selected quad for the lemma: fire_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
fire_n	front_n	rank_n	rear_n	4,519	5	12.8373	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37263	Truth and innocency vindicated against falshood & malice exprest in a late virulent pamphlet intituled, (A true account of a most horrid and dismal plague began at Rothwell, &c.) without printer's licenser's or author's name thereunto) : together with an account of the Kettering visitation / by R. Davis ... ; to which is added, Mr. Rob. Betson's answer to so much as concerns him in the said libel.	Davis, Richard, 1658-1714.; Betson, Robert. Answer to some part of that pamphlet called, A plain and just account of a plague being at Rothwell.	1692 (1692)	Wing D435; ESTC R10047	98,027	94

of the first primitive Church were of one heart one mind one accord but it was chiefly after the pouring down of the Spirit Acts 2. 36. 4. 24. 5. 12. To sum up all For extraordinary Actions there must be an extraordinary Spirit and a poor ordinary selfish Spirit will not suffice for great Designs and great Services for Christ Had not Joshua Zerubbabel Nehemiah Ezra been Men extraordinarily spirited they durst never have attempted their building work see Hagg. 2. 4 5. That that made me then conclude that this Union was untimely was this because I did not see the Spirit of God in a plentiful effusion thereof lead the way thereunto 2 dly My second Reason was this I observed that the greatest Numbers that were to make up this Union were such as 1. Had forsook the Cause and Banner of Christ in a day of Adversity and since have wiped their mouths clean and justified themselves and yet will be accounted great Dissenters still 2. Such as had been for a long season Strangers to the Order of the Gospel 3. Such as had not been only Strangers to it but had contested against it and persecured their Brethren for keeping close thereto And observing these to be the most forward and zealous in promoting of it implied to me no good design Not but that I grant People may repent and change their minds But then that Repentance if it be sincere they themselves being Judges is attended with a hearty loathing a free confession of and a forsaking of their former ignorance and evil ways That Rule of God's Word is a stated Rule to me in this Case it being a Prophecy of what ought to be in Church-matters in Gospel-days Ezek. 43. 10. the Prophet is directed to shew them the house in the deformity they brought it to for their humiliation The words run thus Thou son of man shew the house of Israel that they may be ashamed of their iniquities Ver. 11. And if they be ashamed of all they have done shew them the form of the house and the fashion thereof c. And ver 10. Let them measure the pattern thereof c. Whence observe none such can build aright for God unless they be ashamed of their former ignorance disorder and evil opposing spirit Now I was diligently hearkning and enquiring whether these Gentlemen now so forward for the Union had First Ever publickly or as much as privately acknowledged their former ignorance disorders and opposition and confessed they saw now more light in the order of God's house than ever before Secondly Whether the Ancients of them had acknowledged their evil in their former and latter opposition to and persecuting and reproaching of the faithful Followers of Jesus Christ that kept close to the order of the Gospel under the odious name of Sectarians Their ignorance opposition and persecution were too too publick to the dishonor of the Name of Christ the stumbling of the World and the grief of the Godly And I did expect if their Confession and Acknowledgment were true it would be full as broad and wide as their Crime Thirdly I was observing Whether as a sign of true Repentance they would pull down their old tottering humane Fabricks measure anew with the golden Reed of the Sanctuary and leave out the Rubbish and build anew according to the pattern in the Mount That would have testified they had indeed been in earnest and sincere in their Repentance But instead of this I never heard of as much as a private Acknowledgment therefore I could not but justly suspect that their Judgments were the same as ever and tho' they did in words give us almost all yet then I judged their designs were deepest and that they were to be treated with the extreamest Caution I confess we might have learn'd more Wit if not from the Bible yet from a Heathen Poet who bringeth in one speaking of the Grecians thus Aut ulla putatis Dona carere dolis Danaum Sic notus Ulysses In English thus Suspect that Grecian Gifts designs do own Strange that Ulysses is no better known For my own part I was ready to say of them when I saw their Concefsions as is further said there of the Greeks Timeo Danaos dona ferentes Which may be thus Englished I dread the Grecians and their cunning Shifts Than most of all when that they bring their Gifts It is certain Ahab intended no good to Jehoshaphat when he enter'd into so strict a league with him his whole design appeared to be no other than to engage him in that fatal War at Ramoth Gilead It was observed of the French of old what they lost by plain fighting with the English they always gained with an Overplus by their subtil Treaties But I pass on to my 3 d Reason 3 dly I could not but upon good grounds entertain Suspitions that all Confederacies with Men that continue to lag behind in a work of Reformation was unwarrantable and of a dangerous consequence That Command to Jeremiah sounded still in mine ears Go not thou to them but let them come unto thee Jer. 15. 19. I had observed that all impure mixtures in the work of the Lord were forbidden Deut. 22. 11. all linsey wolsey Garments under the Law were so So also Deut. 22. 10. was plowing with an Ox and an Ass together The Israelites experienced the bad effects of this when they took many of the mixed multitude with them out of Egypt As these retarded the work of the Lord so they derived such guilt on the whole Congregation that the Carcasles of most of them fell in the Wilderness The Builders in Zerubbabel's and Nehemiah's days were more wise and prudent they refused the offers of those false Brethren to build with them who said Let us build with thee for we seek your God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him Ezra 4. 2. And it is well they put them off for otherwise their building work had never gone on I also observed that the Pillar of Fire and Cloud went always before the foremost Rank I confess I could not but fear such Unions was like wheeling the Front into the Rear and that is always losing ground then they that were in the Front lost the benefit of the conducting Pillar A word is enough to the wise 4 thly I had observed that most of the Gentlemen of the Union through darkness of mind were such as were no great Friends to the purity of the Gospel I therefore had my Jealousies lest this Union was formed on purpose whilst they secretly undermined both Faith and Order and tame us with the celebrated name of Union and Friendship with a gag in our mouths into a quiet Supiness whilst they went boldly on to pervert the Faith as well as Gospel-order and as I feared so it hapned But blessed be the Lord that hath awakened some of his Servants to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints 5 thly I