Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n
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A26011
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A svpport for the sinking heart in times of distresse, or, A sermon preached in London to uphold hope and allay feare Ianuary 4th which was a day of great trouble and deepe danger in the city / by Simeon Ash.
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Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.
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1642
(1642)
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Wing A3967; ESTC R15872
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23,491
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36
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us in the truth of the doctrine now under hand viz. That in the Mount of the Lord it shall appeare Mans extremity is Gods opportunity In case you inquire the Reasons of this divine dispensation I returne answer That God thus worketh in reference to Himselfe His people Their enemies 1. In reference to himselfe The prayse and glory of his own blessed Name designed in all his works is the supreame end aymed at in this Providence This God bringeth in as the cause why his hand carryed Israel to the very side of the Sea into the mouth of death before deliverance should appeare I will be honoured upon Pharaoh and upon all his hoast that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord Vpon such occasions the Attributes of the Lord breake forth in glory His Wisdome is most manifested when it worketh beyond meanes above meanes that humane reason cannot find out divine foot-steps His Power truimphs when all opposition shrinketh before his wondrous workings The like might be shewed concerning his other excellencies The event of Gods dealings with Daniel and the three young governours in the times of their straights discover that this was Gods intent in those providences For marke how Nebuchadnezzar and the King Darius did trumpet forth the praises of the God of Shadrach Mesech Abednego and Daniel when they were eye witnesses of those two glorious deliverances which were wrought on by omnipotency Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angell and delivered his servants that trusted in him and have changed the Kings word and yeelded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any god except their owne God Therefore I make a decree that every people nation and language which speake any thing amisse against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dung-hill Then King Darius wrote unto all people nations and languages that dwell in all the earth I make a decree that in every dominion of my Kingdome men tremble and feare before the God of Daniell for he is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdome that which shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even unto the end He delivereth and resoueth and he worketh signes and wonders in Heaven and in earth who hath delivered Daniell from the power of the Lyons By both these instances it is evident that the Lord doth appeare in the Mount for his owne sake to get and raise himselfe a name in the world 2. God doth thus work in respect to his own people And here I will note only foure particulars 1. Sometimes that he might discover to his servants for their encouragement both the truth and strength of his owne graces in them This was the reason why God thus tryed Abraham that he might manifest that holy feare which was planted in his breast Hereupon God putteth him to it and carrieth him into the Mount leadeth him into distresse by degrees acting him on to build the Altar to lay the wood in order to bind his Isaack to lay him upon the Altar upon the wood yea to take the knife and to stretch forth his hand to slay his sonne before he did appeare for his comfort in giving order for the lengthening of Isaacks life And now when there seemed to be but one minute of time unto the effusion of Isaacks blood heare the good newes from Heaven Abraham I know thou fearest me 2. Sometimes to manifest the feeblenesse of some grace in their hearts for their humbling Peter thought himselfe full enough of courage to come to Christ upon the sinking seas it he might have a call Well! marke the issue Christ calleth him come out Peter but when he saw the windes boysterous and when his sooting failed he began to sinke then he was afraid and cryed out hereupon observe Christs answer O thou of little faith why didst thou doubt 3. That he may set the graces of his Spirit in exercise both for their increase and for the enfeebling of contrary lusts We know that habits are strengthened by exercise and grace is augmented in its measure by being put forth vigorously in it's operations And by how much any grace gathereth strength by so much the opposing corruption becommeth feeble in a Christian brest And that the Lord hath this end in this kind of working it might be evidenced by manifold instances but for brevities sake I will only point at one in one single experiment As holy affiance in God is confirmed so by such like dispensations creature confidence is abated in holy hearts 2 Cor. 1.9 10. But we had the sentence of death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us Men in straights see the strength of creature helps shunke up and withered whereupon they dare leane to them no longer but Gods irresistible power profound wisdome abundant goodnesse and other glorious attributes in such difficult cases being clearely discovered the soule is incouraged confidently to cast it selfe into his armes for future times 4. That their deliverance might be more sweet to their spirits and consequently that their joyes might the more readily runne out before his Majesty in holy thankfullnesse When we expect that now our houses shall be fired the City sack it our estates wasted our wives abused our children cruelly murthered our Sabbath and weeke day meetings interrupted our Parliament dissolved and our Kingdome desolated Now to see these clouds to blow over and our Sunne to breake forth againe oh how sweet will this glorious change be to our now-dropping hearts Davids experince speaks to this purpose Psal 34.1 2 3. A Psalme of David when he changed his behavior before Abimelech who drove him away and he departed I will blesse the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth My soule shall make her boust in the Lord the hamble shall heare thereof and be glad oh magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together Psal. 86.12 1 3. I will praise thee O Lord my God with all my heart and I will glorifie thy name for evermore For great is thy mercy toward me and thou hast delivered my soule from the lowest hell But more fully and fitly may our Kingdome concernments be expressed by Psal. 1 24. if our God be pleased now to appeare in the Mount for London for England in this day of our deep danger and exceeding exceeding great feare And our desired deliverance from present perplexities may with joy of soule be expressed by the words of that Psalme If it had not beene the Lord who was on our side now may England say if it had not beene the Lord who was on our side when men rose up
power is gone and there is none shut up or left The language is large and hath much in it but because the proofe in it is apparent to every eye I will leave it The experiences of the godly which I shall produce you may please thus to consider 1. Of single Persons plunged into deepe dangers 2. Of companies whether few or many compassed about with devouring perills on every side For single Persons I will instance in foure Examples The first is of Daniell wherein fource circumstances are remarkeable 1. He was cast to Lyons not only one but many the number we know not 2. He was put into the Lyons den and the doore was shut a stone was brought and layed upon the mouth of the den that he might not get forth from those beasts of prey 3. The King sealeth it with his owne signet and with the signet of his Lords that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniell 4. In this darke den of deadly danger he continued a whole night and in this great straight the Lord by his Angell shut the Lyons mouthes that they did his servant no hurt at all The second Example is that of David 1 Sam. 23. from the 25. to the 28. Saul pursued after David in the wildernesse of Maon and Saul went on this side the Mountaine and David and his men on that side of the Mountaine and David made haste to get away for feare of Saul for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them But there came a messenger unto Saul saying hast thee and come for the Philistines have invaded the Land wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David In this Example these things are considerable 1. It was no lesse then Davids life that now was endangered 2. The Ziphites who were acquainted with Davids holds combined themselves also against him 3. All this strength did not only in a warre-like way take up armes to meete him for then by flying backe he might have made an escape but they compassed him round about 4. His strength was not sufficient safely to breake through these blood-thirsting forces Now in this straight an unexpected providence procures his preservation In this Mount was God seene gloriously The third Example is that of Paul which you have in the 21. Acts 30.31 32. All the City was moved and the people ranne together they bound Paul drew him out of the Temple and forthwith the doores were shut and as they went about to kill him tydings came to the chiefe Captaine of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproare who immediately tooke souldiers and Centurions and ranne downe unto them and when they saw the chiefe Captaine and the souldiers they left beating Paul Herein you may note 1. The generall Insurrection All the City 2. Their violent Opposition They drew him out 3. Their bloody Intention It was to kill Paul 4. Their entrance upon execution They were beating him to beate out his life Now in this straight commeth tydings leave him there is something else to doe Thus was God in the Mount seene and Pauls life preserved The fourth Example is of Peter Acts 12.4 6 7. wherein note 1. That Herod intending to kill him having done execution upon James ver. 3. had apprehended him and imprisoned him 2. In prison he was committed to the custody of foure quaternions of souldiers that for every watch both day and night there might be 4. looking to him to prevent escape 3. The night before he was to be brought forth he was bound with two chaines and two souldiers had him betweene them And now that night and in that straight he was delivered by the Angell of God The experiences of Gods people in combined companies come in the next place to be considered and for brevities sake I will only suggest three The first is of Shadrack Mesheck and Abednego wherein their Persons are not so many as the particulars notable in their deliverance Dan. 3.19 20 21 22 23. c. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury and the forme of his visage was changed against Shadrack Mesech and Abednego therefore he spake and commanded that they should heate the furnace seven times more then it was wont to be heated c. From these words their extreame perill with which they were besieged appeares in five circumstances 1. Their death is determined by the King who had authority to command both their tortures and executioners 2. The most mighty souldiers were appointed to bind them and doe execution upon them 3. The furnace being heated seven times more hot then ordinarily did burne to death them who undertooke their burning 4. These 3. men were cast not only into the mouth but into the midst of the furnace 5. They fell down bound in the midst of the burning fiery furnace Now in this condition conceive how little hope could be expected of life to be continued and yet it is affirmed by the Holy Ghost that they had no hurt upon their bodies the fire had no power nor was the haire of their head singed The next is of Israel when they came out of Egypt recorded Exodus 14. wherein these things set forth Israels extremity 1. The forces prepared against them The heart of Pharoah and of his servants was turned against the people and he made ready his Chariot and tooked his people with him and he tooke six hundred chosen Chariots and all the Chariots of Egypt and Captaines over every one of them 2. The pursuit made after them They pursued after the children of Israel and the Egyptians pursued after them all the horses and Chariots of Pharaoh and his horsemen and his army 3. The dreadfull apprehensions raised in the hearts of the Israelites viz. that no lesse then their death was intended Why hast thou taken us away to dye Had it not beene better for us to serve the Egyptians then that we should dye 4. The particulars whereby they were further straightned 1. The Egyptians overtooke them encamping by the Sea 2. The Seas of they went forward threatned to devoure them In this distresse God discovers himselfe and delivers them For observe the words Moses said unto the people feare ye not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which hâ— will shew to you to day To day even just now and not before helpe comes from Heaven Herein this farther circumstances hath it's weight that Israel at this instant was provoking God by murmuring and distrustfull feares The last is of Israel in the raigne of Jeroboam sonne of Joash The Lord saw the affliction of Israel that it was very bitter for there was not any shut up nor any left nor any helper for Israel and the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel under Heaven but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the sonne of Joash All these passages propounded from sacred records may abundantly satisfie