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
A60992	A sermon preached before His Grace George Earl of Melvil Their Majesties high commissioner, and the nobility, barons, and burrows, members of the high court of Parliament. In the Parliament-House, upon Sunday, May 11, 1690. By John Spalding, minister at Kirkcudbright.	Spalding, John, 1633?-1699.	1690 (1690)	Wing S4796; ESTC R221641	18,386	25

A SERMON Preached before His Grace GEORGE EARL of MELVIL Their Majesties High Commissioner AND The Nobility Barons and Burrows Members of the High Court of Parliament In the Parliament-House upon Sunday May 11. 1690. By Iohn Spalding Minister at Kirkcudbright EDINBURGH Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson by Order Anno DOM. 1690. 1 CHRON. 12. 32. And the Children of Issachar which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do THis Text bears an excellent Character of a Party who came with others in a very Critical Juncture to Hebron to assist in making David King Saul now being out of the way and the time of fulfilling the promise to David being now at hand wherein you have 1. a description of the Party thus Characterized 1. From their Tribe they were Children of Issachar a Tribe whose Motto was a strong Ass couching down between two burdens as Gen. 49. 14. discovering their Disposition Strength and Employment about worldly concerns The Lord will bring off people from their vvorldly affairs vvhen he hath service for them 2. From their Number they were 200 that came to assist in the work Tho people be at some disadvantages yet ought they not to vvithdravv their hand from the Lord's vvork And 3. From their Station all of them had command over their Brethren either in a Civil or Military capacity Strong obligations lyes upon those in places of Trust and Command to put their hand to the Lord's work 2. You have the Character it self which beyond many others they did bear they had understanding of the times Where we are 1. to consider what is meant by times By times here is not meant properly that which Philosophers call the measure of Motion by first and last But Figuratively the state and condition of times or these Providences Affairs Changes and Vicissitudes that fall out in time Esth. 1. 13. And 2. What this understanding of the times is It were too narrow a sense to astrict it either to that Physical and Astrological knowledge which they had of the Stars and motions of the Heavens teaching them the fit Seasons they being for most part Husband-men of Sowing and Reaping c. Or to that Historical and Chronological understanding which they had of the times that were past or of right computing and ordering the times of celebrating their solemn Feasts or to that Military knowledge which they were endowed with of the fit seasons of going forth to and right management of their Wars and Battels But it hath reference 1. To that Moral Prudence and Policy whereby they knew the nature tendency and duties with their fittest seasons of the present posture of affairs And 2. To that spiritual wisdom and understanding whereby they were directed to the discovery and right improvement of the intricat providences of their time which seemed to be greatly perplexed with singular intricacies and rotations and particularly of the present dispensation of making David King And 3. In the Text you have the effect and result of this gift of their understanding of the times It was contributive to the discovery and practice of their own and all Israels present duty to know what Israel ought to do whether as a Body Politick or Ecclesiastick The words that I have chosen for the Subject of this Sermon are these which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do Wherein you have 1. a supposition of two truths the handling of which is not my present intendment 1. That there are some special times and providences which may pass over a Church or Kingdom Eccl. 3. 17. 2. That these signal times and providences are oft-times very intricat difficult to understand Ez●● 1. 16. 2. A position of other two Doctrines As 1. That it is a necessary duty and commendable qualification to understand the times that a Church or Kingdom may pass under 2. That the right discerning of these times contribute much to discover unto and direct people in the right timing and management of their present duty The prosecution of these two truths is my present work Doct 1. That it is a necessary duty and commendable qualification to understand the singular times or providences that may pass over a Church or Kingdom Eccl. 8. 5. A wise mans heart discerneth both time and judgment Method requires that in the prosecution of this truth I should first give you the grounds of it 2. What are these things which in times we are to study mainly to understand And 3. What way we may best come to the understanding of times I. The grounds of this Doctrine are 1. God hath expresly commanded that ye make serious reflections upon his singular providences whether of mercy or of judgment Psal. 66. 5. Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doings to the children of men And when the seven Seals are opened Rev. 6. 1. A thundering voice is heard crying come and see and how many Beholds are prefixed in the Scripture to his signal steps and goings amongst a people Exod. 3. 2. Behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed And Iob is in a special way called to this duty Iob 37. 14. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God 2. The Lord is sore displeased with and uttereth severe threatnings against a people that are not in this duty Psal. 28. 5. Because they regard not the works of the Lord not the operations of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up It is an high contempt of God when he travelleth amongst a people in signal and singular steps of providence not to observe or take notice of his goings and lays them open to that sad challenge whereby the Lord ranks them below Bruits Isai. 1. 3. The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his masters crib but my people do not know and Israel doth not consider 3. Without this knowledge of the times the Lord loses his due praises at our hands for how can we praise him when we cannot discern his loving kindness why will ye be so foolish and unjust as to rob God of the Glory due to him of all his Works by not studying to understand them Psal. 107. contains a record of his wondrous Works and at the close of every Section there is an Exclamation O that men would praise the Lord c. And the last verse concludes Whoso is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord. 4. As the Lord by neglect of this Duty loses his Praises so we lose the benefit of Times and Providences if we do not understand them for by his Works as well as by his Word he causes his people to profit And without this discerning of the Times we want a great part of the Food of our Faith the exercise of Patience and occasion of serious Comtemplation

allude to that Word Isa. 21. 11. watch-man what of the night watch-man what of the night The watch-man said The morning cometh and also the night There may be a dark Night before the Morning and even darkest immediately before the break of day And 2. Ye are to understand these dark Providences with reference to Judgments as well as mercies Ier. 8. 7. The stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the cran and the swallow observe the time of their coming but my people know not the judgment of the Lord. And as to this ye are to understand 1. That the Lord with variety of outward Judgments oftimes smites a sinful People he hath many sickles to cut down a Nation when they are rype by abounding and being impudent and obstinat in sin Ioel 3. 13. Zach. 5. 1. And in his Soveraignity he changes them at his pleasure And in order to this he fitteth Instruments to execut his wrath and prepares them for doing his pleasure Isa. 13. 3. I have called my sanctified ones I have commanded my mighty ones for mine anger and proportions the Judgments some way to the sin of a People that they who run may read for what the Lord smitteth them when they that spoil are spoiled c. 2. That the Lord doth sometimes insensibly consume a People by spiritual and invisible Judgements sending a moth among them Hos. 5. 12. I will be as a moth to the house of Iudah and as rottenness to the house of Israel And making gray hairs to be here and there upon them Hos. 7. 9. tho they knew it not This is worthy of your search and studying to understand how the Lord secretly and insensibly by Spiritual Judgments wastes a Nation Judgments come and the noise of their feet is not heard they are effectually tho insensibly destroyed O strange A People slain and the sword not seen and the shot not heard but in his wrath they pine away by his deserting of them Mic. 3. 4. By hardning their hearts blinding their eyes and fatning their hearts Isa. 6. 9. By giving them up to spiritual barrenness Ezek. 47. 11. And to strong delusions 2 Thes. 2. 12. And by letting them run on in sin without reproof or correction Isa. 1. 5. Hos. 4. 14. And by many other spiritual plagues which makes the case the sadder that not only as I have said they consume insensibly but they are both sins and judgments Amos. 4. 4. Yea if not timously prevented by turning to the Lord they may prove the sad earnest of hell and damnation as in that forecited place 2 Thes. 2. 12. That they all might be damned who believe not the truth And 3. It 's worthy of your study to understand how that Moth. at last if a People prove incorrigible turns into a Lyon and a Leopard Hos. 13. 7. Therefore I will be unto them as a lyon and as a leopard by the way will I observe them And how the Lord by out ward and visible strokes destroyes a Nation Ier. ●4 12. I will consume them by the sword and by famine and by the pestilence 5. You are to labour to understand the great ends and designs that the Lord is driving on by these times and providences that pass over a People And if ye observe narrowly ye will find 1. That by all these Providences in the latter days he is removing these things that are or as some read it may be shaken as of things that are made that the things which cannot be shaken may remain 2. That he is making way for the utter ruin and fall of Antichrist and Popery in all the forms of it that not so much as a rag of that whore may remain Rev. 18. 2. And his Church sing a triumph Babylon the great is fallen is fallen And 3. That he is carrying on the establishment of Zion upon her right Basis and Foundation Isa. 14. last v. What shall one answer the messenger of the nations That the Lord hath founded Zion and the poor of the people shall trust in or as in the Heb. betake themselves unto it And if these great Ends be carried on by Providences It matters not much tho you and I and others miss our own particular and self Ends. And 6. I would propose to you the understanding of the Times which the Text relates unto And if there be any paralell betwixt it and our Times it is not I but Scripture and Providence the great Commentary on Scripture that hath made it And if ye will search into the case of the Text you will find 1. That Saul David's Father in Law was now dead and the Throne vacand 2. Abner and his Command that he had over the Tribes was now removed out of the way by the Lord 's remarkable hand 2. Sam. 3. 30. 33. 3. David was now magnified among the People by his victories over the Philistines his pious carriage and his zeal for the ark of the Lord and against Idolatry and for the publick good of the Land v. 18. of this chap. 4. The time of the Promise for making David King was now at hand to be fulfilled 2 Sam. 3. 9 10. 5. There was a Spirit of Zeal for this work moving all the Tribes they flock one after another to the work as here in this chap. v. 2● 38. It 's said They came all with a perfect heart to make David King over Israel and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David King untill as v. 22. they were a great host as the host of God 6. There were both open and secret Enemies to this great work of making David King if ye will consider what is said in 1 King 12. 16. and in v. 17. of this chap. And 7. When ever David came to the Crown he gave orders to bring back the Ark to its right place And in the following chap. to this Text ye see what orders after consultation with the Leaders and Captains he issues forth to bring again the Ark of God for says he we inquired not at it in the days of Saul Yea 8. In this Juncture there were that gave the Ark a wrong touch which kindled the Anger of the Lord against him see v. 9. of the chap. next to this Text. And I must in the 9. and last place add That when the Ark was brought home several remarkable things followed As David the King his carnal fear to bring it to his own City v. 12 13. of the following Chapter The great confirmation of the Kingdom upon him by the Lords signal appearances in his behalf according to his Promise by forreign Confederacies and kindness by a numerous Family and by victories over his Enemies As in 1 Chron. 14. 1 2 10 14 c. And at last after several stops and lets the Ark is brought with shouting unto it's own place the City of David 1 Chron. 15. 28 And the called and appointed Officers of