Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n
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A25217
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A sermon preach'd to the Societies for Reformation of Manners in the cities of London and Westminster at Salters-Hall, Aug 15, 1698 preached and published at the desire of the said Societies / by Vincent Alsop.
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Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing A2920; ESTC R27105
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22,053
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66
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Christ's faithful Servants in the Work of Reformation Holy Lord thou hast sent us forth upon thy Work No sooner were we Lanched out into the Deep but a sore Tempest fell upon us We have laboured against the Wind with what Skill and Resolutiion thou gavest us But we are overset and now commit the Church that Vessel in which all thy concerns in this World are ventured to thy own Conduct Yet will we not utterly give out but in hope labour against hope leaving the issue of all to thy Holy Will and Wisdom The Vessels are thine thy Concerns are in it it cannot totally be Ship-wreck'd howsoever we will not use the expedient of the Cock-Boat Except we abide in the Ship we cannot be saved 3. And it speaks the Case more Hazardous and as to Humane Reason desperate when the wise God has run through a Course of Means to Reform a Nation and yet the symptoms are as Threatning as ever so that God is pleased to speak as if he were at a loss what further to do for their Reformation Hos. 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do to thee O Judah what shall I do to thee I have proved thee with Mercies I have tryed thee with Judgments with War and Peace with Plenty with Scarcity When I indulged thee abundance of Corn and Wine and Oil It was perverted into Luxury Riot Wantonness When I humbled thee with a little Scarcity nothing was heard but Repining and Murmuring When I let loose upon thee a dreadful War thou wouldst not make Peace with thy God When I restored Peace thou still maintained a War with Heaven The Drunkard would be a Drunkard still both in Peace and War The Swearer would Swear still whether in a Storm or a Calm Though God changed his Providences they were uniform in their Provocations so that it came at last to a Trial whether Mercy and Judgment or Sin and Profaneness should have the Victory Lev. 26.23 we read there of a People that walked contrary to God in all his Ways and as they thwarted him in all his He crossed them in all theirs and it came at last to this push If they would act Seven times more contrary to him he would try if he could not yet act Seven times more contrary to them And certainly the Case must be deplorable when the Question shall be Whether Sinners can be more potent in Sinning or God in Punishing 1 Cor. 10.22 Do we provoke the Lord to Iealousie are we stronger than he It was excellent Counsel that Solomon has given Eccles. 6.10 That none should be so Fool-hardy as to contend with one more mighty than himself And our B. Saviour Luke 14.31.32 lays it down for an infallible Maxime That when a King goes forth to make War against another he should first sit down and consult whether he be able to meet him mith Ten Thousand that comes against him with Twenty Thousand It deserves the consideration of all Sinners to advise well with themselves Whether Ten Thousand Sins will be able to stand against Twenty Thousand Judgments and whether it be not more advisable whilst God is yet afar off to beg Conditions of Peace to send God a Blank that he may prescribe his own Terms for how will the Chaff contend with the Whirlwind or the dryed Stubble with the consuming Fire 4. The Case of a People is deplorable when Profaneness is incorrigible and Religion toward God fails because all Faithfulness towards Man fails also If Conscience towards God ceases Confidence among Men will expire For Religion is the Foundation of all secure Converse all Safe-dealing in the World Him whom the Bonds of Divine Fear will not hold nor Covenants nor Contracts with his Neighbour will hold He that breaks with God breaks with all the World Suppose we that a Man makes no Conscience of taking Gods Name in vain but by Swearing Vain-Swearing False-Swearing profanes that Holy Name of his God shall any one persuade me to believe that he makes a scruple of Murder Adultery Stealing bearing False Witness can I be so vain as to think he will be true to his Neighbour that is false to his Creator The Prophet Hos. 4.2 gives this as the Reason why there was no Truth in the Land because there was no Knowledge of God in the Land This Doctrine Abraham was not afraid to justify to the King of Gerar's face Gen. 20.11 I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place and they will kill me And his thought was reasonable that where there was no awe of God upon the Conscience such Profligates would boggle at nothing We may easily admit that some extrinsick obligation may hold a Man where the fear of God has no hold upon his heart He may perhaps accept a Bill drawn upon him by consulting with his Reputation Perhaps a double Bond may advise him to make payment of the Debt because he dreads the Forfeiture Yet could he be assur'd the Bond were lost or burnt or the Witnesses dead you should soon see that no Religion bound him and he would put the Creditor upon the proof of the Specialty and if he can evade the Law of Man he will easily give himself a Discharge in the Court of Conscience The Psalmist crys out as in a desperate Case Psal. 12.1 Help Lord for the Godly Man ceaseth the Faithful fail from among the Children of Men Where Godliness and the godly Man cease Faithfulness and Faithful Men will fail that is where the Duties of the First Table are not regarded there will be as little respect to those of the Second Psal. 14.1 The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God And the next tidings you hear of our Atheist is They are Corrupt they have done abominable Works there is none that doth good no not one If once this flood-gate be pluckt up to let Atheism in Principle and Practice a deluge of all Treachery and Falshood breaks in with it And as we may argue from the cause to the effect If that unjust Iudge fears not God he regards not Man Luke 18.2 So may we from the effect to the cause where there is no faithfulness to Man there is no fear of God Ps. 36.1 The transgression of the Wicked saith within my heart There is no fear of God before his eyes 5. I add one account more It 's a deplorable Case when Profaneness is grown incorrigible because God seems angry with his own Instruments of Reformation It frowns most sadly upon a People that God should send his Servants about his own Work and yet not be with them in their Work and they are ready to argue Surely we have done the Lord's Work negligently because we have done it so unsuccessfully If the Lord did send us why is he not powerfully with us If he be not with us why did he send us God's Dealings with his Servants in the Success and Reward of their Service is very mysterious and that on