Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	david_n	king_n	saul_n	6,232	5	10.0779	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34038	The righteous branch growing out of the root of Jesse and healing the nations held forth in several sermons upon Isai. chap. 11, from vers. 1 to 10 : together with some few sermons relating to all who live under the shadow of the branch / by William Colvill.	Colvill, William, d. 1675.	1673 (1673)	Wing C5432; ESTC R26038	212,566	434

is not enough that an object to be seen in a due distance be set before the eye unless the same be inabled to see it for blind men see not what is set before them so it is not enough that the object of faith be set before us in the Word unless the eye of our understanding be opened to perceive it 2. The Lord makes us by the inward illumination of the Spirit and by the light of his Word to discern and put a difference between temptations and duties as for example when it is born in upon the spirit of an unlettered and unqualified man in these our days to preach the Gospel a spiritual-discerning privat Christian looks upon it as a temptation from the Spirit of errour and not upon it as a duty because he knows and discerns by the Spirit of the Lord from the holy Word 1 Tim. 2. and Tit. 1.9 The Minister of the Gospel should be a man able to teach and to convince the gain-sayers 3. The Spirit of the Lord makes us to discern between sin and duty Ab●shai through want of this gift of spiritual discerning thought it a duty incumbent on David to kill Saul because God in a providence by appearance had cast his enemy into his hand but holy David by the Spirit of God discerned it to be a sin if he should make such use of that opportunity and he looked upon it rather as an occasion to try his loyalty to King Saul and to stop the mouths of calumniators who spake of him as an enemy to the King 4. He makes us to discern the opportunities of speaking and doing things in due season it was the Lord that put it in the heart of Jacob to seek the blessing in time for soon after he went out from his father Isaac his brother Esau came in Gen. 27.30 It was the Lord who put it in the heart of Abigail both for her own and Davids good to meet David in the way before he came to the house of Nabal 1 Sam. 25.5 He makes us to discern our own spiritual estate that we are under the banner of his love and makes us by a reflex act to know the saving graces of the Spirit bestowed upon us 1 Cor. 2.12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God 5. He gives us the gift of wisdom and discerning matters civil and moral He gave sagacity unto David to smell out Joabs subtilty and to perceive his hand in suborning the woman of Tekoa 2 Sam. 14.19 He made Solomon in his sagacity to discern between the true and counterfeit mother by the affection of the one and the unnaturalness of the other Thus God put it in the heart of King James of blessed memory to smell out the Powder-plot and horrid treason Anno Dom. 1605. from a word in an unsubscribed Letter by one of the Conspirators to the Lord Mont-eagle desiring him to keep himself out of the Parliament-house on such a day whereon there would be a sudden clap or blast which the King by an act of special discerning given him of God did presage was to be by Powder and so after a narrow search the Plot was discovered and through Gods gracious providence and the Kings sagacity was disappointed 6. God gives the gift of skill unto men both in their publick and privat imployments as the spirit of Government to Rulers whether supreme or subordinat and also to men for their privat imployments Isa 28.26 Vse 1. This should humble us under the sense of our own silliness and want of knowledge of many things that we may and should know in respect of the many means given to instruct us in things that differ and also to humble us when we compare our knowledge with others who know much more than we though we have had the same or greater opportunities for learning Socrates upon a time shewing the universal Mapp of the World to that vocky young man Alcibiades said unto him Look there and see how little your parcel of ground is in like-manner the knowledge of any particular person is very little in comparison of that vast and universal knowledge men would have had if they had continued in that first estate of primitive integrity Vse 2. To convince many in this generation of petulant and luxuriant spirits or the wits as they are called who are of quick understanding in many curious and unnecessar speculations which the Apostle calls the Raveries of a sick and distempered mind 1 Tim. 6.4 and yet how slow and dull are they to discern and take up the necessar and fundamental truths of Religion Of such men we may speak in the words of Eliphaz Job 15.2 Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and fill his belly with the east wind How many are quick and sagacious in their worldly matters and no man is able to over-reach them but they have little or no understanding in the great bargain of Salvation to these I may say as our blessed Lord said to the Pharisees This ye should have done and not left the other undone Vse 3. As thou wouldst have the gift of spiritual discerning 1. Pray to the Father of lights to open the eyes of thine understanding Psal 119.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law 2. Labour diligently to keep thine heart pure from carnal lusts which as gross vapours many times obscure the judgement that it cannot discern spiritual matters in the right colours but oftentimes the judgement is miscarried to a wrong sentence by a deceived heart The intemperat person discerns not the evil of intemperance nor the incontinent the evil of his unclean ways because these vile lusts do distemper their judgement The worldly-minded man discerns not the excellency of things heavenly because his heart is not purged from the love of the world and his surfeit of worldly cares obstructs the smelling and rellishing of things heavenly to his taste 3. Beware of curiosity in desiring to know things unnecessar or secret which God hath reserved to himself Deut. 29.29 for it is just with God when men misimploy the quickness of their natural understanding many times so to blunt their understanding in order to supernatural truths that they become more dull and incapable even than many others whom they despised as silly ignorants As the sharper the edge of the new polished Knife be if it be used to cut hard Metalls especially at first it becomes so blunt that it cannot cut such things as are soft and more easie to cut even by these who had not such a sharp edge as themselves seemed to have had Observ 2. Our blessed Lord is quick of understanding he has a piercing eye to discern the hearts of all his subjects Heb. 4.13 All things are naked in his eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as blemishes and bruises are

joyned with an high estimation of Divine Truths more then men has of thousands of gold of honey and of spoil or plunder as was in David Then mayest thou be assured thou art partaker in some measure of that Spirit of knowledge that was poured forth and rested on Christ thine Head Ps 119.72 103 162. Thou art one of his sheep effectually called and elected to be set on his right hand for his sheep know his voice Joh. 10.4 If the Spirit of the fear of the Lord be in thine heart a fear with humble submission to the will of God both for doing and suffering his will Is 50.10 a fear joyned with hope and confidence on his mercy Ps 145.11 a fear joyned with reverence in his holy worship Ps 5.7 a fear joyned with zeal provoking others by word and good example to worship and fear the Lord Act. 10.2 3. Then mayest thou be assured thou art of the Spirit of Christ for the Spirit of the fear of the Lord rested on him there was in him a fear joyned with submission in the day of his sad affliction for he said not my will but thine be done there was in him a fear joyned with active and passive obedience Philip. 2.8 a fear joyned with confidence even in his greatest desertion and sad complaint my God my God c. a fear joyned with reverence in prayer Luk. 22.44 and a fear joyned with zeal provoking others to fear the mighty God above all things Mat. 10.28 Vse 3. Here is sure ground of unspeakable comfort to the Church and company of Believers against all their fears from the worldly wisdom and power of the enemies of the Kingdom of Christ there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord Pro. 21.30 The spirit of wisdom in him who is set over the house of God doth far surpass and over-reach all their wisdom falsly so called the enemies of the people of God said Let us deal wisely with them Exod. 1.10 but the Lord in the depth of his wisdom turned their cruel policy to the good and increase of his Church and People it was as the heavy weight unto the Palm-tree to raise them the higher and as the inundation of Nilus to make them the more fruitful in every good work there is no counsel against the Lord for he throughly sees the devices and plots even in the heart of the enemies Is 10.7 He is the stone with the seven eyes Zachar. 3.9 he can discover their secret designs as he did to his servant Elisha 2 King 6.12 He discovered the secret conspiracy against Paul Act. 23.16 The power of the wicked is finit and limited but his power being God is infinit and there is no proportion between finit and infinit He can limit their power and say as to the proud waves come no farther though he permit them to come to the neck yet they shall not drown them Is 8.8 Their Head the Lord Jesus Christ is now far above all the waters of affliction and persecution he can restrain their malice he cuts the horn of the wicked he breaks their teeth Ps 3.7 although they bark yet they bite not or if he permit them to bite yet their bite is not deadly like that of some mad dogs he can put a bridle in the jaws of Sennacherib he can defeat their counsels and contrivances as he did that of Achitophel turned it to folly and ruine to himself he did defeat and wonderfully disappoint the counsel of Haman against Mordecai according to that of Job 5.13 He taketh the wise in their own craftiness and the counsel of the froward is carried head-long and in his unsearchable wisdom he turns their malice to the praise of his great Name who is mighty to save his people maugre all opposition Ps 76.10 Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee There is no might nor power worldly that can overthrow the Church of Christ The gates of hell shall not prevail against it Mat. 16.18 Because it is built on him who is the Rock of Ages and is the strength of all who by faith are built on him they are kept by the Father Joh. 10.29 and by the power of God through saith 1 Pet. 1.5 The Church and company of Believers is compared to a strong City fortified with strong Walls and with a deep and broad Ditch Isa 26.1 Isa 33.21 because the mighty Lord is in the midst of them It is true the Lord doth not alwayes shew his might in holding off the trouble from them yet he makes manifest his might and power in upholding them under troubles and in strengthning them to patience and long-suffering with joyfulness they are cast down but not destroyed persecuted but not forsaken perplexed but not in despair 2 Cor. 4.9 Psal 46.5 He that dwells in the bush though he suffer fire to enter into it yet he keeps it from being consumed because he strengthens his own children to bear afflictions Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Likeas a Physician holding his Patient by the hand doth encourage him under the present pain and throws from a bitter potion by confirming him in the hope of better health thereafter Joh. 16.20 2 Cor. 4.17 Sometimes he comforts them with a sense of his love shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost which as a cordial doth preserve and revive them that they faint not altogether in times of great trouble 2 Cor. 1.3 4. As a tender father speaketh more kindly to his sick child then he was wont to do formerly in time of his better health so the Lord speaketh comfort to them by his Spirit according to the word of promise when they are in a desolate condition like unto a wilderness wherein they have none or few to speak a word of comfort unto them Hos 2.14 Stephen the Martyr had never such a manifestation of Gods gracious presence as in the day of his greatest affliction and persecution Acts 7.56 And the young Confessor Theodorus as testifies Eusebius felt never more sweetness then in the time he was upon the rack Consider the merciful Lord moderats their afflictions in the specie or kind in not sending alwayes his sorest plagues Sometimes in the number he lays not on all his rods he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east-wind Isa 27.8 Sometimes in the degree and measure in not afflicting them in extremity The Lord hath chastised me sore saith David but he hath not given me over to death Psal 118.18 And he moderats the afflictions in respect of the time and endurance Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity The Lord by the spirit of wisdom and power turns all their afflictions in end