Selected quad for the lemma: glory_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
glory_n	knowledge_n	light_n	shine_v	6,882	5	9.8263	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10933	A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more cleerely vnderstand and make vse of the worthie examples of the saints, recorded in diuine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.	1615 (1615)	STC 21204; ESTC S116353	1,044,012	830

which they could not beare and not thinking he had oppressed them enough by doing so added yet more vnto them also And thus they play the parts of giants which grind the faces of the poore to whom sound reason euen the commandement of God diswading them from it is vtterly vnsauorie and crauing of pity at their hands is in vaine This is apparent in sutes and controuersies betwixt the mightie and the meane the one eating vp the other as if they were bread So such as are set in place to chase away wickednesse receiuing and deuouring gifts out of the hands of the guilty and lion-like roaring against the innocent and so sucking aduantage out of them and liuing by the sinnes of the people are very Giants and no better then Anakims All such and the like aggricuances are to be groned vnder by the godly in the eares of the Lord. And they who are deliuered from such burdens haue great cause with reioycing to praise God as the people did when they were brought back out of the captiuitie saying Our mouth was full of laughter and our tongue filled with ioy But of this enough because I haue spoken of the like point before in vers 7. Now to goe forward in the story it is said that Iudah had not rested in these destructions of the Canaanites and of many other mentioned in the booke of Ioshua but proceeded further to take Debir another citie scituated by Hebron but more of this in the next verse And in the meane season here it is to be considered how vnwearied Iudah is said to haue been in the worke of the Lord euen in procuring the destruction of his enemies the Canaanites with Ioshua while hee liued who was the chiefe guide of the rest For this diligence of theirs in going from one peece of this worke to another should be a notable incouragement to all that are seruants to God in any worke that he sets them about that they should not doe it negligently nor stand at a stay after good beginnings as though they had done sufficiently alreadie They must not repeat their labours and cumbats which are past as though they had done enough but looke to those which are to come as the Apostle teacheth in the Epistle to the Philippians And this is carefully to be regarded whether it be in performing outward duties as these men of Iuda did or inward as in resisting temptations patient bearing of afflictions and the like they should alwaies be vnwearied in the worke of the Lord. For to this end God hath promised strength by the armour of a Christian And thus it is meet for al such to grow from strength to strength and from faith to faith as God hath giuen commandement and to verifie that which is written by Salomon the righteous shineth as the light vnto the perfit day As plants when the be rooted in good ground doe burnish and spread their branches and bring foorth fruite plentifully And such must know that it is a sore discouragement to the weaker Christians when they shall see dampes and deadnesse in the ancienter professors who haue been sometimes prouokers and stirrers vp of others to the duties of godlinesse A great blemish doubtlesse it is in them who may iustly be charged to doe so For beside other inconueniences this is one that it beateth a strong conceit into the hearts of the weake that they find not that liking in Gods seruice that they are told of and promised in the word of God which they heare As if God were not to be trusted in setting forth so large offers and priuiledges therein or as though he were wearie of weldoing to his the which to affirme is rancke blasphemie They should all so know such I meane as God hath put in his service that they ought now after long continuance therein and in his house to bee as fathers to procure and seeke the good of the weaker sort of their brethren and to haue great care that none become faint by their example but therefore to shine as lights and grow daily in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Oh it is comely for others to behold and their owne glory to see that they follow the Lord stil directing and going before them as they did at any time past Like Caleb who fortie and fiue yeere after the Lord had set him about his work as one of the two who were counted more faithfull then the rest was as strong and fit for it as hee had been so many yeeres before I know it is a rare thing partly seeing few liue so long partly seeing many waxe soone wearie of well doing and either haue not meanes to set them forward or else haue no desire to vse them with that delight which once they did beside their many discouragements it is therefore I say a rare thing to see men faithfull and constant for any long time in goodnesse But so much the more commendable it is where it may bee found oh it is a good thing alwaies to be constant in a good matter I deny not but the best may easily and doe with the wise virgins begin to nod and with the Church in the Canticles fall a sleepe but therefore is it the needfuller for them to be quickned vp by Gods promises and other incouragements as where he saith To him that ouercommeth will I giue the tree of life that is euerlasting life and such like And also to quicken vp themselues as I haue said by diligent watching and feruent prayer c. that they perish not with the wicked of the world while they liue among them For they know that by faithfulnesse and constancie therein they grow at last to perseuerance and to a good end of their conflicting daies and that they must depart from many ill actions and bad companies which other make themselues merry with all But if such shal begin to think that their reward here and in the life to come wil not be answerable to the losse of their pleasure that they forgoe which reward yet is an hundreth fold more euen in this life beside happinesse afterwards let them cast their account before they begin but if they feare nothing but their owne weakenesse let them not be discouraged God will be their strength let them cast their care on him and he will care for them Thus by this which I haue said of this matter it may easily be seene that they take the right course to happinesse who with these men of Iuda hold out constantly and vnwearied in well doing notwithstanding all discouragements temptations and opposition to the contrary THE FIFTH SERMON VPON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES VERS 12. And Caleb said he that smiteth Kirlah Sepher and taketh it euen to him will I giue Acsah my daughter to wife VERS 13. And Othniel the sonne of Kenaz Calebs younger brother

deserueth at the hands of all the children of God to whom the fruit of this doctrine hath in any measure been granted and who haue any proofe of their faith at al that at least they yeeld the Lord thus much that as they bee thankfull yea euen with admiration to consider how hee hath brought matters to passe for them beyond hope so that they arme themselues to beleeue still and that more assuredly that God is able and willing to make way for them in all their desires or distresses without which yet they shal lose the benefit of this his power and loue But more of this as occasion shall be offered As for Eglons rising vp at the mention of God as though hee had reuerenced him for this is the next thing that followeth in the text howsoeuer they vsed to doe so at that time who were but heathen Kings as Baalam before when Balak then King of Moab came to him and his Princes with him to aske what Gods answere was to him Baalam I say then spake thus vnto him Arise Balak to heare Gods voice and to giue reuerence to it Concerning his rising vp I say at the naming of God that wee may make some good vse of it wee are sure it serueth to conuince Atheists and prophane ones who are farre from yeelding any But if yee will say what reuerence was that which they gaue seeing they were Idolaters and did it at the naming of God whether it were the true God Iehouah or any other I say sufficient to condemne these But some make shewes of reuerence when in truth they offer disgrace So we reade of the Pharisies that when it was proued to them by the blind man that Christ had opened his eyes which they could not abide to heare they would not take knowledge of it but as though they might boldly and freely detract from him whom they hated so that they gaue words of honour to God bewrayed their hypocrisie who would seeme holy and therefore said giue glory to God wee know that this man is a sinner and so bewrayed that they had no religion when yet they would seeme to goe before others therein seeing this is true that hee that honoureth not the sonne neither doth hee honour the father Let all this then both serue to shame all brutish and prophane persons who yet are in the visible Church who ascribe not so much to the word preached neither regard the message of God with so much reuerence as this heathen Eglon did who in token thereof stood vp when Ehud told him that he had a message for him from God But to leaue these let it bee a watch word to vs that professe the true worship of God that we please not our selues in the worke wrought I meane in giuing outward and bodily worship to God and in calling him father seeing neither they who draw neare to him with bodies onely doe please him neither all that say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the wil of the father that is in heauen and againe seeing it is written that all who call on the name of the Lord must depart from iniquity let vs regard that duly without which wee shall haue no more to commend vs to God then this Heathen King had But of this enough before cap. 1. vers 4. It followeth Vers 21. And Ehud put forth his left hand and tooke the dagger from his right thigh and thrust it into his belly 22. So that the haft went in after the blade and the fat closed about the blade so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly but the dirt came out OF Ehuds intent and preparation to kill Eglon King of Moab wee haue heard now followeth the execution of it For as Iael was strengthened by God to destroy and kill Sicera captaine of Iabin King of Canaan so the Lord strengthened Ehud heere to bring downe Eglon King of Moab that Israel his people who cried vnto him might bee deliuered out of the bondage that he had brought them into And thus God in a moment tooke away the life and honour of him both together by one deadly blow wherin hee would shew vs the wofull estate of those who haue nothing but in this world to what end they may come euen heere they know not how soone and suddenly beside the irkesome desolation that shall meet with them when they goe hence Oh the base and lothsome death that God would haue him brought vnto and yet in his flourishing estate so far from likelihood of any change or decay at all If wee regard any thing wee will consider this examples are infinite Thus Belshazzar and Herod were taken downe in the middest of their iollity Adde to these Nabal for the vncomfortablenesse of his death with Zimri that burned himselfe to burne the Kings pallace in Tirza and so died and with Ioash the King of Iuda who was slaine of his seruants and Iezabel whose blood was without compassion dashed against the stones Euen so doe wee not daily see the flourishing estates of men turned to most desolate decay in so much as they bee iustly reproued for making them their Paradise and that by the words of our Sauiour are these the things ye looke after and also when hee bewailed them for that they died without hope And heere by so fit an occasion as is offered by Ehuds killing of Eglon this King of Moab I thinke it not vnfit in this place though in a word and by way of execration to note and bring to the remembrance of the Reader the cursed practise of Iesuites in murthering and bringing vntimely death vpon the Lords annointed Kings and Princes vnder the colour of their heresie as they call it or lest they should incurre some way the Popes displeasure for not doing so as though they would helpe the Lord to cut off such as flourish and prosper And the rather I mention them because they defend themselues by this fact of Ehud and such like most impudently and abiurdly to couer their horrible treasons and murthers The two last Kings of France were thus handled and the facts with the doers highly extolled by these that hartened them on thereto Oh villaine intolerable whereby as by their persecuting the Gospell they most liuely shew themselues to bee vtter aduersaries to Christ and to bee most neare akind to them who commit the sinne against which we should not pray that cannot bee forgiuen But to leaue them whom God alloweth not to bee instruments of such bloody acts and trecheries let vs returne to the persons before mentioned who liued heere in pleasures of sinne for a season and were without God in the world and soone perished miserably These with many other mentioned in the Scriptures and in later Chronicles for I speake of the chiefe and greatest persons seeing they doe most moue affection so highly

confirme Gedeons faith and consequently fitted for the purpose which being performed they ceased to dreame diuine dreames or to interpret them diuinely By this we see that he bestoweth excellent gifts and graces vpon the bad aswell as vpon the good which gifts either are meerely naturall and ordinarie or supernaturall and extraordinarie Naturall and ordinarie as industriousnesse wit policie strength for the attaining of learning skill wealth credit and the wel gouerning and defending of families subiects and common-wealths Supernaturall as enlightning and knowledge by the word and specially of the law terrifying and the Gospell generally working a confused ioy and vanishing faith in them Extraordinarie as the gift of miracles tongues and the like in the infancie of the Church were These he giueth to many more then hee giueth faith vnto or regeneration euen as the visible meanes leading thereto as Baptisme and the Ministerie are common to both And why because the subordinate ends for which these gifts serue are more generall then those which the speciall gifts serue for Therefore we see that many are well fitted for naturall ciuill morall and ministerially spirituall and diuine ends who yet are no more fit for the maine end of all I meane for godlinesse and saluation then if they wanted the other because the speciall end is not so large and vniuersall as the common end is Yea doubtlesse the wicked are oft times endowed with common gifts in a farre ampler and more glorious manner and measure then the godlie the Lord heaping hot coales vpon their heads and clearing himselfe from the blame of their condemnation seeing that he who bestowed vpon them so liberally in the one kind would not haue denied them the other which accompanie saluation if they had humbled themselues to the seeking after them and not rested in the outward priuiledges as they who boasted of the Temple the Temple whereas in the meane while There came from the North East and all quarters and sat downe with Abraham in the kingdome of heauen and themselues who boasted of the Temple and were the children of the kingdome Christ saith plainely were cast out and excluded But of all such gifts we may say that seeing they are not the peculiar gifts which are proper to Gods owne children but those that are common to one and other it may be said to them as Christ said to the disciples when they reioyced so greatly that the diuels were subiect to them and cast out of men by them Reioyce not that the diuels are subiect vnto you but for that your names are written in heauen so they who haue but knowledge of the Scripture in the letter only with memory and speech to carry away and vtter it hearing the same ioyfully sometime and are but restrained from some outward euils let them not glory and rest themselues therein without sanctification and faith vnfained that so their reioycing may be sound and not to be taken from them else let them feare lest it be answered them as it was to them that pleaded their great workes of preaching and miracles Depart from me ye are workers of iniquitie I know you not And therefore it followeth that the benefit of that dreame redounded to the people of God and not to them that dreamed and interpreted the same Euen as the excellent gifts of an vnsanctified person publike or priuate may possibly doe Neither can any gifts of God that the vnrighteous haue profit them to saluation They haue no vse of their knowledge they are not the better for their hearing and prayers they lose all their cost and tr●●ell that they bestow in seruing God howsoeuer like dumbe pillers they may direct others in the way not stirring themselues For they delight not therin but draw neere him with their bodies and serue him with lip-lab●●r but their hearts are farre from him and therefore in vaine doe all 〈◊〉 worship him Which should make them looke about more seriously till they can proue that they doe more then say Lord Lord but that they endeuour aboue all things to doe the will of the Lord. How much more vaine is it then to trust in riches which of all common gifts are commonest and therefore furthest from commending the possessors of them to God Lastly let vs marke that God doth his people good by things which are of no reckoning nor account when yet the best things that the vngodly haue cannot profit them as the dreame and interpretation of it which indeed was an excellent gift yet in mens account a meane thing and for all that as meane as it was by that did God quicken Gedeon and comfort him Euen as wee see heere God vseth the meanest things as men iudge of them and things that are nothing worth for the welfare of his seruants So God did by the Manna an vnlike thing and of meane account nourish and preserue the liues of his people so by foure leprous persons that were shunned and loathed of al he saued all the people and so he saued the Prophet aliue and fed him by Rauens these were great matters by base and weake meanes And why this because as Iob saith euen the stones of the field shall be in league with thee and the beasts thereof at peace with thee This doctrine seemeth after a sort contrary to the former to 〈◊〉 that the wicked may not take comfort in the gloriousest things concerning this present life and yet the meanest things in this world through Gods goodnesse shall serue for the benefit of the godly but both may stand well together And to say a word or two more of this what is meaner in the account of the Heathen then water bread and wine being of their owne nature common creatures and yet what great matters are wrought by them in Gods people So to behold and view the creatures and workes of God which all may doe what great matter is it thought to be and yet what sweet meditation haue Gods seruants thereby to their comfort Lo then how they are blessed in all parts of their liues who feare God and that they may find in all things if they sift and fearch them throughly and marke what God promiseth accordingly And when all this is so yet in the meane while there is no peace to the vngodly neither is any creature at league with them but may and shall when God will annoy them This was manifest in Iezabel whose neere attending seruants eunuehes cast her downe headlong on the stones out of the window This is the secret hand of God but not perceiued And as for that which hath been said before of the dreame it is not said to the end we should attribute any thing vnto dreames now common with vs and naturall although God had said of that dreame that Gedeon should be comforted by it THE FORTIE EIGHT SERMON ON THE SEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw followeth the fruit of