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
A43747	Some legible characters of the faith & love towards the blessed cause & kingdom of Christ worthy to be known and read of all men : some of the last meditations of that faithfull servant of the Lord Mr. Thomas Higgenson, lately deceased a very firm friend (both living and dying) unto the interest and work of the Lord Jesus in these last days.	Higgenson, Thomas.; Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.	1659 (1659)	Wing H1949; ESTC R11217	28,165	38

out of the horns of Antichrist How the Stone has been at work among us whereby that whole Church and State with the pomp power and greatness of it was overturned What Parties and Instruments were laid aside as being short of spirit for the business of that day and what Laws Constitutions and Customs were cast off as Antichristian and opposite to the work then in hand Add to all these what a mighty Witness of God unto all these proceedings in a continued series of Salvations and Victories over all that rose up against us and then may we not conclude That the things that were then on foot among us were the first fruits and earnests of those precious Promises and not as too much cause has of late been given to say the productions of policy headiness or delusion to say nothing what most deep and sweet impressions were upon our hearts from the word of promise concerning the Kingdom of Christ and downfal of Babylon we have had two observable signs that the time or the Promise wherein the Lord will do great things is at hand the one is a most peculiar and distinguishing presence of the Lord by inward Refreshings of Spirit and outward Dispensations of Mercy which was with us whilst our hearts went after the Lord and our Principles and Proceedings were in a subserviency to his Cause and Kingdom when others whose aims and ends were more National and mixt with worldly interest were laid aside left in the dark and under visible rebukes So great a difference has the Lord made between these who sat down in a meer civil and worldly Reformation and others who pressed after better hopes viz the fulfilling of Promises and a full subjection of all things to the Word and Spirit must needs be taken for a singular Evidence to give light unto us which way the work and design of the Lord lies at this day The other sign is the sad clouds of displeasure that are now upon us that gracious and lively presence that brought us out from our former Egyptian darkness and slavery and by a strong hand led us through many dark and difficult paths in the beginning of the day is much departed from off our Councils Camp solemn Assemblies Laws are given unto us that are not good and Statutes whereby we cannot live our Rulers are many of them such as know not Joseph the faithful Servants of Christ such as had no heart unto or communion with that great Affair and Interest of Christ once on foot the Military Power which was as a new sharp threshing Instrument against us Babylon is now become a prey to the Heathen or as Hirelings under a forreign Prince the cause and truth once so dear and highly owned now as to any visible progress of it under a sentence of death so that we may say we have sown much and bring in little we looked for much and lo it comes to little the Lord hath blown upon it because his House lies wast Haggai proved to Israel That the visible discountenance that was upon all their publick and private concernments from the Lord was a sign That the time was come that the Lords House should be built even so clouds of displeasure from God returning again after such a morning of successes and blessings as has been upon us ought to be a sign unto us that the Lord hath great things yet to do among us and that it is time for us to awake and go on with the Work that has been begun among us Now let us enquire what Works the Lord is about and wherein his Saints should be found waiting upon him at this day there are some Rules which in this Point have given light unto the Church of God in former Ages and lately in our time and may be further useful to us in this day for our satisfaction herein First Rule The Word upon which we were made to hope in the day of our greatest difficulties and straits and in the strength and comfort wherein we suffered so many things when God sets it upon the heart of his People to wait for some word some spiritual Promise to be made good and to undergo many things for the obtaining thereof that is the Work of that day God made a Promise to Abraham four hundred and fifty years afore it came to passe when the time of the Promise drew nigh God put it upon Moses heart after him upon Joshuah to go up and possess the good Land David had a Word that he should be King he bore up himself upon this word through a long series of conflicts and troubles till the things was done In the late Warrs those who bare the burden and heat of that day had a Word whereupon they leaned which consisted of many Promises shewing a more full and glorious Reformation to be set up in the World wherein Jesus Christ in all his Offices Laws and Commands should be more visibly owned and exalted and Babylon in all her interests thrown down This was that Word that was a Guide and a Strength to many among us in the troubles and perplexities of that day and not the Policy and Power of this World Second Rule Observe of what nature were these breathings of the Spirit and the impressions that were wrought thereby upon the most enlightened faithful and praying part of the People while we were following God in the way of his Judgements among us the Work God is about begins in the heart of his People for if the Secret of the Lord is with them that fear him when a People are in the Work of God following Jesus Christ through many sore Tryals and hardships then observe what things in that day lay with most weight upon their hearts and what the stirrings and movings of the Spirit with the Word were then amongst them and there the Work of God her Psalm 102.13 14. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come for thy Servants take pleasure in her stones and favour the dust thereof When God begins to awake the spirit of his People to call them out of their darkness security and carnal interests and puts upon them a gracious sense of the condition of Sion and to look and long and cry to the Lord for her building up then is the time at hand 1 Chron. 11. When the Lord would turn the Kingdom from the House of Saul unto David then he stirred up all Israel to come and make David King It may be observed whilst the Spirit of the Lord remained in the lively and fresh gales and actings of it upon our publick Instruments and Camp Council and Assemblies there was such a sense upon their hearts that the Kingdom of Christ might be promoted both in Civils and Spirituals and the remaining posts and pillars all the limbs and branches of Antichristianisme might be broke to pieces and carried them with a lively zeal and

their own duty and as would be led out through that confusion at this day among us of contrary principles affections and interests unto a right Judgement therein it being to be rationally concluded that if all things are to continue as they were and no new thing to be done that then those high Interests lately contended for and all wayes and means put in practise for the obtaining thereof are to be condemned as which had a tendencie to introduce a new state of things and the present course into which things are since put is rather to be justified as tending to reduce us unto the old as on the other hand if the Lord has not yet brought forth that which he intended in his mighty Works among us and has further things to do this may be a foundation of encouragement unto all the Friends and Followers of Christ to proceed in their former Faith Fervency Prayer and in all suitable wayes and means for the help and furtherance thereof notwithstanding the unbelief opposition and advantage of present visible proceedings contrary thereunto The grounds we have to hold out for our belief and hope in this thing that God hath been and is in these dayes doing some new and extraordinary things are First A freshness of spirit that hath been among us Zech. 4.6 Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts The experience of former and latter Ages may tell us that God has had his times of going away and returning to his Place leaving his People and the World without any visible tokens or eminent appearances of his Power in such seasons the Spirit has run low and faint only in such a measure as might preserve his People in a life of conflict and warfare and his times of coming forth again out of his Place when he has had some new work to do and then has he alwayes given a new and fresh Spirit suitable to the work he had in hand It is said 1 Sam. 16.13 14. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him The like was seen in our dayes While the Lord took away his Spirit from many Wise Mighty and Noble among us and sent darkness famine and withering into their hearts and confusion upon their counsels at the same time he put a Spirit of Faith and Power upon a despised sort of men which was as marrow and fatness to their bones There is a word in Isaiah 10.27 The yoak shall be destroyed because of the anointing The principal end and effect of the divers and sundry Dispensations of Spirit which God has renewed to former Generations at least in later times has been to regain unto Christ and his Church out of the hands of Antichrist some of those rights and concernments which during the long time of darkness and tyranny have been concealed or forcibly detained from them The like effect had that Spirit that was put upon a People among us Many pretious Truths and Priviledges the light and comfort whereof was denyed to our fore-fathers were discovered and many heavy yokes of spiritual and civil bondage long continued upon their necks were broken and destroyed by that Spirit that remained among us Oh what blessedness did this Spirit bring with it if it be but remembred what light and certainty it gave of the presence of God with us what discerning of the time what a strong savour and rellish of spiritual things and what earnest longings and pressings after a better state of things built upon the foundations of Righteousness and Truth The clear shining forth of new Covenant light out of the former mists of Antichristian obscurity was that which begot this Spirit in the hearts of many the setting up of Christ in the more full and unlimited exercise of his Kingly Power and Authority over all things both in Church and Nation was that end it pressed after the taking out of the way all Parties and Interests that had or might hinder the obtaining of this end was that work it was with much zeal and success exercised about Such a freshness of spirit was never nor can it be conceived was of late given forth but in order to the ushering in some new and further work into the World Secondly The works of Providence drawn out in a continued line and series of deliverances unto a praying People next unto those inward impressions of the quickening Spirit are a signal testimony unto us that God is doing some new and better thing in the World When the Works of God in a Nation grow up to that height and eminency as like a tide to bear down all before them then they are to be observed and heeded as signes and tokens as the Voice of God unto that people signifying what are his present Counsels and Works he is determined to do It is said in the Psalm 105.26 27 28. He sent Moses his servant and Aaron whom he had chosen they shewed his signes among them and wonders in the Land of Ham He sent darkness and made it dark and they rebelled not against his Word The Signs God wrought for Israel upon Egypt and his Appearances for them in the Wilderness did shew that the time of their Redemption was come that he would bring them to the promised Rest Once it was that the Lord kept us under a low condition of spirit faith and courage and as to the outward Man under a state of subjection and suffering under the heavy yoaks of the Antichristian Task-masters and for a long time held his peace leaving us without any signes and tokens in a visible way then was a time for us to sit still things being dark while the Lord was silent but having been since raised up into hopes and expectations that a day and time of great things was at hand and this not the work of fancies but of the Spirit of Faith and Prayer upon the foundation of glorious Promises and God also having gone before us in many eminent appearances one upon another all tending to make way for the bringing in some better thing then yet is seen This is unto us one among other the sober and good grounds we have to proceed in prayer and waitings for that Excellent State of things to break forth whereof some former tastes and glimpses we have had already the present interruption and stop put upon the work to the contrary notwithstanding Isaiah saith Chap. 43.3 I gave Egypt for thee Ethiopia and Sheba for thee May it not be said that the Lord gave whole Nations into our hands and all those parties that rose up one after another upon this account because they set themselves against a Cause and People that God had among us Let us but observe who all those that have appeared in evill will and designs against this Cause have been sadly left of God unto