Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heaven_n	earth_n	nation_n	shake_v	3,856	5	10.6061	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93347	Gods unchangeableness: or Gods continued providence, in preserving, governing, ordering and disposing of all creatures, men, actions, counsels and things, as at the beginning of the world, so to the end of the world, for ever, according to the counsel of his own will. From whence is gatherd six necessary inferences very applicable to the changes, alterations and vicissitude of these our present times. Wherein is clearly demonstrated and proved, that Oliver Cromwell is by the providence of God, Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland, &c. to whom the people owe obedience, as to him whom God hath set over them. Unto which is added, the causes of discontent, repining and murmurings of men: also, some serious advertisements, and seasonable admonitions to the discontented, and reprehensions to all impetuous, arrogant murmurers. Together with answers to some cheif objections made against the Lord Protector and his present government, endeavouring (if possible) satisfaction to all men. / Therefore written and published for publicke good, by George Smith, Gent.	Smith, George, 1602 or 3-1658.	1655 (1655)	Wing S4036; Thomason E824_4; ESTC R207687	84,417	65

God himself testifieth of such Prophets that He had not s●●t them yet they ran nor spoken to them yet they prophefied p It is good that good men should search into all Truths it is their duty and compare Providences with Sc●ipture to finde out all truths but good men for so I judge of many of them though seduced by a false spirit to be too confident in things altogether doubtful is unwarrantable boldnesse they should consider that there are many lying spirits gone out into the world therefore Saint Iohn exhorts that we beleeve not every spirit q And we are foretold that in these latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrins of devils r And we know that Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light ſ Christ himself hath foretold us that there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signs and wonders that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect t but he commands that we beleeve them not u and gives a memorandum with an Ecce Behold I have told you before And we know that these are the times wherein the devil is let loose to deceive the Nations●● because we see the Nations are deceived and he hath great wrath bec●●se he knoweth that he hath but a short time w The Apostle Peter writing to beleevers saith there were false Prophets among the people and tels them there shall be False Teachers among them who shall privily bring in damnable heresies and shall bring upon themselves swift damnation x These are those times foretold but we will not see it we will not know them we presume to tell of times that shall be but will not take notice of the times that be This is the time of great triall and yet in these times men will be most confident and secure and take not notice that Satan hath deceived them to be the fulfillers of the Prophecies of Christ and of his Apostles in their heresies and seducements c. There is a time to every purpose but because men knowing it not but misseth their time their misery is great They are snared with an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon ihem as fishes that are taken in an evil net and as birds that are caught in a snare y These times the times of this generation are not only trying times but they are shaking times God is now shaking the Nations and Kingdomes of the world according to that Prophecy of Haggai It is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the Sea and the dry-land and I will shake all Nations i God may be said to shake the Nations several waies He shakes by his voice k in thunder and lightning as when the Law was given on Mount Sinai And he shakes by his fearful and terrible judgements upon his enemies casting down and overturning Monarchs and Kingdoms And he shaketh by the power of the Gospel as at Christs Birth a new Star appeared and led to him and at his death the earth shock the graves opened the Sun was darkened And at the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles Men Nations and Kingdoms were shaken turned and changed upside down God hath of late shaken this Nation as many other by the sword He is still shaking Nations yea all Nations by the sword of his indignation rending tearing scattering and overturning this or that Nation this or that power These are doubtlesse Gods refining times Preparations for accomplishment of the glorious things to be done for his Church which are promised The downfal of Antichrist Gog and Magog and making the Enemies of Christ to become his foo●stool The calling of the scattered Jews and bringing in the fulnesse of the Gentiles when it shall be said who are that fly as a Cloud and as the Doves to their windows l And the gathering together of his people that there shall be one Shepherd and one flock m and that Satan shall be ●●oden under our feet n all which in the times appointed shall be assuredly made good Not by the shaking of the Nations by the sword though God may use the Nations as instrumentally to break one another in peeces as a preparative thereunto so far as pleaseth him But the accomplishment thereof must be by the shaking of the Nations by the Word of God which I conceive is meant by the Apostle where he saith yet once more will I shake not the earth only but also heaven o signifying a spirituall shaking by the powerful preaching of the Gospel and work of Gods Spirit to bring gathering the Church into one subduing our lusts and carnality mortifying sin and making us a reformed people conformable to Christ and that the Kingdom of Christ may be set up in our hearts for which we are taught to pray He that sate upon a white horse p and made warre and on his head had many Crowns and clothed in a vesture dipt in bloud His Name is called the Word of God Rev. 19. 13. the Armies that followed him were in heaven therefore spirituall and the sword with which he smiteth the Nations goeth out of his mouth This is no materiall sword but it is the word of God the Sword of the Spirit When he threatned the Church of Pergamus for suffering false doctrines among them he tels them he will come and fight against them by the word of his mou●h q That word of the Gospel which the wicked would have sliegh●ed and called foolishnesse shall with wondrous power shake the Nations dest●oy and conquer the world of the wicked as is expressed in other Scriptures r which agrees with that of the Prophet Not by might nor by power ●ut by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts ſ but I will not go further in this point because I would not too much digresse from the Inference to which I am speaking I only hint at these things by the way to the end that men may be stirred to search dilgently after truth as they would search for silver t and bring every mans judgement to the touchstone as they do gold that they may not be deceived by dreams or specious shews and so depart from the truth and lose their future happinesse This is a time of shakings God is now shaking the Nations Gods judgements are abroad in the earth that the Inhabitants of the world may learn righteousnesse u The shakings of this Nation have been great not only in temporals but in spirituals Thrones Dignities and Governments have been shaken and shaken cast down overturned and changed again and again Religion adulterated annihilated and made a matter of policy the very foundation of that pillar and ground of truth hath been stricken at undermined and sorely assaulted and is at this day but we have a sure promise that the gates of hell shall never prevail

GODS UNCHANGEABLENESS OR GODS Continued Providence in preserving governing ordering and disposing of all Creatures Men Actions Counsels and Things as at the beginning of the world so to the end of the world for ever according to the counsel of his own will FROM WHENCE Is gathered six necessary Inferences very applicable to the Changes Alterations and vicissitude of these our present times WHEREIN Is clearly demonstrated and proved That OLIVER CROMWELL is by the Providence of GOD Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland c. to whom the People owe obedience as to him whom GOD hath set over them Vnto which is added The Causes of Discontent Repining and Murmurings of Men Also Some serious Advertisements and seasonable Admonitions to the Discontented and Reprehensions to all Impetuous Arrogant Murmurers Together with Answers to some chief Objections made against the Lord Protector and his present Government endeavouring if possible satisfaction to all men Therefore written and published for publike good By GEORGE SMITH Gent. JER. 10. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps PSAL. 75. 6 7. For promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one a●d setteth up another 1 PET. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme Or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well for so is the will of God c. LONDON Printed for Tho. Underhill at the Ancor and Bible in Pauls Churchyard and Lawrence Chapman next to the Fountain Tavern in the Strand 1655. TO ALL FREE-BORN PEOPLE of England that are lovers of Peace and Truth Grace be unto you and Peace from God our Father and from the Lord JESUS CHRIST c. CHRISTIAN READER THere is not any Doctrine more usefull to the life of man or more necessary to be known to the comfort of the Saints then the Doctrine of Providence for not to know and beleeve that God the Creator doth by his secret and wise providence govern all things is injurious to God and hurtfull to our selves and as much as to deny the Soveraignty and high prerogative of the Lord Jehovah over the worlds which is indeed the exercise of his Kingly dominion in ordering the whole universe which in the following Discourse I offer unto your serious consideration But because these times are pestered with many pestilent opinions and seditious practises all truths cannot please all men every man believeth or denieth whatsoever may most advance their own particular judgments and interests so that I well know this discourse will be very unpleasant to many of this age Therefore good Readers and my friends let me beg your patience not only in the matter of my discourse thwarting the desires and self-designes of men it being against the common stream of the now raigning opinions but in the manner also in my applications to the present Changes and alterations designs and interests so strongly strugled for by the most of men to all which this my discourse runs in flat opposition the same thing being flatly denied which I affirm and do defend I think I am the first that in this way and manner hath published any thing in defence of the present Government under his Highness the Lord Protector I have not read nor seen any thing written of this nature but what hath been to the contrary by which I received so little satisfaction or am so farre from being satisfied by what I have read that my spirit burned within me to make opposition thereunto which caused me to put my pen to paper on this subject Give me also leave to give my Judgment in the matter I am one of the free-born of the Nation and claim my vote as well as any other having a proportionable right to all priviledges and must proportionably share in any affliction that God shall please to inflict upon the Nation Therefore it concerns me to speak as well as to hear others speak if I speak not their sense let me be born with as I bear with them that speak not my sense if any my friends be offended at what I write I cannot help their passion nor will I be angry at them I know not any mans aym nor end in what they do so well as I know my own I know my own I know my aym is publike good and my end Gods glory nor do I seek to please men but to please God I seek not victory but verity if God accept of my endeavour I have my end if men reject it or me for it I pass not yet I would so speak and write that I may not give any offence neither to the Jew nor to the Gentile nor to the Church of God but if offence be taken without cause why therefore should I lose my liberty in which Christ hath made me free But though I be free from all men as the Apostle speaketh yet would I be servant to all in the sense the Apostle speaketh that I might gain the more to God There is a time to speak and a time to keep silence If ever there were a time to speak for God and the Cause of the Saints on earth the despised ones it is now no time to be silent but to contend earnestly for the truth and for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints It was but once delivered I dare not say it shall be delivered a second time to them that have had it once delivered if they lose it whether it be to a Nation or to a man only We in England have had it delivered to us We beyond Capernaum have been exalted unto Heaven c. the mysteries of the Gospel have been unfolded unto us above all other Nations and God hath long owned us to be his people the Word hath been operative working in power piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit joynts and marrow a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart It hath been a converting Word else whence had those rebellious children their conversion boasted of that cast off their Mother that bare them and brought them forth an Antichristian Church brings not forth a Christian brood It is thus farre true that we have had much chaff mixt with the pure wheat many weeds have grown in this vineyard of Gods planting Was there ever wheat without chaff Was there ever a garden without weeds but never so many as at this day some have been alwayes and some will be to the end of the world there shall be there must be tares among the good corn the evil one will cast tares where God casts good seed and that evil one hath been busie in this age above all ages the field of Gods Kingdom seemeth

governments and things From whence I inferre First That all mercies are from God and are given in to a Nation or people of Gods free love not of any desert merit or by any procurement of men Secondly That all judgements and afflictions are from God only and are the just recompence for sin procured by our selves men or things afflicting being but secondary causes instruments in Gods hand That the evil designs of men their wicked counsels aims and ends are all ordered by providence and turned to their own ruine Fourthly That God in his secret counsel hath set a time when he will give in mercies to a Nation and when he will inflict judgements and hath also appointed the means and upon whom it shall be what it shall be and how much it shall be and that those times altogether unknown to men Fifthly Although God have set the time for the one and for the other which shall certainly be accomplished in its time according to Gods good pleasure yet men are to be diligent in the use of all lawful means for the obtaining of the one and for the avoiding of the other Sixthly That when God hath effected and done his will in any thing visibly made known to us by the work of his providence We are not to murmure nor repine though it be in any thing contrary to our expectation or desire or though it be to our great affliction but to submit to it willingly only by praier to seek unto God and patiently wait his time and means for deliverance For the first That all mercies are from God and are given in to a people or nation of Gods free love not of any desert merit or by any procurement of men This inference is very clear and warranted by sacred Scriptures whether spiritual mercies or temporal mercies First All spiritual mercies are of Gods free love we neither deserve nor can by any means of our own procure the least spirituall mercy We are all by Adams fall alienated from God and are become his enemies n We are born heirs of wrath w and there is nothing in us that can reconcile us to God nor any way appease his wrath against us therefore whatever the mercy be that we enjoy it is of Gods free-love Any punishment lesse then hell fire is a mercy from God which we cannot deserve God indeed made man righteous and upright but men have sought out many inventions x Men can pervert their own waies and make themselves miserable but no way help themselves out of misery But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son c. Joh. 3. 19. So loved that is he loved beyond what can be expressed He gave his only begotten Son it was a free gift free love in the full dimensions unconceivable and incomprehensible He sent his Son made of a woman and made under the Law to redeem us that we might receive the Adoption of Sons y yea Christ gave himself to redeem us from our iniquity z We are not redeemed by corruptible things but with the precious bloud of Christ a if all the Angels in heaven should give themselves to die for the sin of one man it could not redeem him All Angels and Men joyned together cannot procure the expiation of one sin therefore all is of Gods free love but that God should give his Son Jesus Christ into the world to take our nature our flesh and for us to undergo reproach and shame and sorrow of soul and at the last lay down his life for us that we by his death might have life This is a love not to be expressed Secondly All temporal mercies are of Gods free-love No man hath by right nor desert the least claim to any good thing but as it is the free-gift of God every mercy to a Nation to a Family or to a particular man is the free-gift of God It is Gods free love and mercy that the heavens are not made Iron and the Earth brasse and that our fruitful Land is not turned into a barren wildernesse that the fruits of the earth are not parched away by droughts nor destroied by Inundations nor an Enemy let in upon us to devour and consume all our labours It is Gods free mercy to man to give wine to chear the heart and bread to strengthen him And that he giveth us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse a mercy that we of Gods free mercy enjoy at this day beyond imagination And it is free mercy that God doth not suddenly smite us for our unthankfulnesse under such enjoyments and for the murmurings of men for such a blessing It was Gods free-love to his Church to put into the heart of Henry the 8. to cast off the Popes Supremacy let the cause or end be what it will It was from God the earnest of future deliverance from the bondage of spirituall Babylon It was Gods free-love to preserve Q. Elizabeth from the rage and bloudy plots of an Antichristian brood that she might be instrumental to a Gospel-Reformation carried on by her with much piety although not perfected It was Gods free-love to this Nation to scatter the Spanish Armado in 88. And to defeat the Papists bloudy design in their hellish plot of the Powder-Treason in 1604. And it was free mercy from God to withhold the destroying plague of pestilence from this City of London amidst the many great distractions wherewith he had afflicted us this sinfull City which deserves nothing from God but wrath and judgements yet God hath long spared it when the plague hath been sore in other countreys and in divers places of this Nation It was doubtlesse free-mercy from God that God gave us a Parliament in 1640. and the fault was in men that it was not for happinesse to posterity It was free mercy from God that we were victorious over the power of a late Royall Army and that we were not given as a prey into their hands and it was no lesse free mercy to England that we had victory over he insulting people of the Netherlands as also to order things by his wise providence to compose things so as new to settle a peace between the two Common-wealths which I pray may be lasting to Gods glory It was the Lord that was on our side when men rose up against us else they would have swallowed us up quick The snare is broken and we are escaped And truly whatsoever some men think it was a great and free mercy from God that our everlasting Parliament was dissolved who had a price put in their hand but they neglected it though they sate full twelve years Self-seeking covetousnesse and private interest blasted the good fruit we expected at the first we made them demy-gods but God hath shewed us they were but men They indeed took off an oppressor but they gave life to oppression and brought a free people into

hard bondage The house of Israel was Gods Vineyard and the men of Judah his pleasant plants Whence God looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry b Religion and policy were with many but one and the same thing We fasted for strife and debate and smote with the hand of wickednesse but did not loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burthens and let the oppressed go free c Providence dissolved that Parliament not yet that I know lamented by any And truly I conceive it was no lesse mercy from God that the succeeding Parliament was dissolved too Many members therein having a design to destroy our Laws and Religion to cut off the head of the two great Ordinances of God Magistracy and Ministery at one blow and so set open a floud-gate for loose licentious liberty to break in upon us to our confusion where then should we have found the true liberty and priviledge of the people so much talked of while we were under the oppression of an arbitrary power blessed be that providence that hath prevented those designs and freed us from that yoke giving us comfort in hopes of a setled peace and holy Reformation with the restoring us again to our Laws and true priviledges By that Illustrions and Noble Champion OLIVER Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland e. whom Providence hath made instrumental to hinder destruction to the Nation and provide that our Teachers are not driven into corners as the Lord hath promised they shall not be d Let no man mistake me to think that I am an enemy to Parliaments I am not God knows it but I am a lover and honourer of Parliaments and shall ever as my own life and the publike safety But I hate the sins of Parliaments covetousnesse self-seeking oppression schisms divisions factions and private interest these God hates and I cannot nor will love what God abhors though I be hated for it I do with much thankfulnesse acknowledge it as a free mercy from God that we have this present Parliament My Praier is that God will make them blessings to lasting posterities And surely it is free-love and mercy from God in setting up that authority and single person which hath called this Parliament And as great a mercy that Providence discovered that Plot and murtherous design hatched in France and to be executed upon his Person in England The same mercy and free-love was extended to this Nation for his Highnesse late escape from the danger of his presumptuous attempt in a recreation not becoming his dignity I pray it may be a monition to him not again to go out of his place and rank Providence having called him to the care of the greatest affairs con●erning the Church of God in general and the welfare of the people of these three Nations A heavy burthen and requires the whole strength of body and minde And above all these mercies we must not forget to acknowledge it a mercy from God that we at this day do enjoy the Ordinances of God notwithstanding the mighty oppositions both on the left hand and on the right hand Superstition on one side and imprudent zeal on the other we have the word of Truth held out to us and may enjoy every Ordinance in its purity if we will or if we were not wanton for men may be as holy as they will or can be there is no restraint in that nor persecution for it I wish we did not too much counive at grosse apparent heresie and blasphemy For though the truth should be free heresie should have a bar God blames the Church of Pergamus and the Church of Thyatira for suffering them them that held the doctrine of Balaam and for suffering her that called her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce e c. Dead flies saith Solomon cause the Ointment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour f and corrupt doctrines suffered are dishonour to the Truth We come to the second Inference and that is That all Judgements and Afflictions are from God only and are the just recompence for sinne procured by our selves men or things afflicting being but secondary causes instruments in Gods hand This is very fully proved in the whole Book of God That all Iudgements and Afflictions are from God is sufficiently proved in our foregoing discourse And that they are the just recompence of sinne is as clear for God never punished but for sin and if there had been no sin there should never have been any punishments The Soul that sinneth shall die g The old world was destroyed by a deluge and why for Sinne God saw that the wickednesse of man was great upon the earth h c. And for sinne Sodom and Gomorrha was destroied by fire from heaven Nadah and Abihu for their sinne were devoured by fire and that for ought we know for a sinne of Ignorance i The wages of sinne is death k What else is warre pestilence and famine but the recompence of sin and so procured by by our selves All afflictions on the body in the minde on the estate or in our respective relations are just recompence for our sinnes from the hand of God l There hath been no alteration no overturnings iudgements and misery but for sin and is all procured by our selves We may say of England as Daniel said of Israel when they were under the captivity of Chaldea To us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes to our Fathers and to all the people because of our transgressions m And as Ezra That God hath punished us lesse then our deservings n And as Jeremy It is of the Lords mercy we are not consumed o Our elder Sister is Samaria and our younger Sister is Sodom we have justifiedour Sisters in all the abominations which we have done p What shall we say to the pride of England even in the day of her calamity Oh the pride of apparel the pride of place of gifts of blessings received yea of graces and of our supposed or flattered humility What shall we say to the idlenesse and fulnesse of bread the drunkennesse swearing forswearing and the abominable blasphemies that England is guilty of And what shall we say of the murders adulteries mighty oppressions self-love and wicked Sorcery that is in England the dishonouring of the Lords day contempt of Gods worship and generall neglect of all duties of the first and second Table what lukewarmnesse is there in Religion more then ever was in Laodicea What hot contentions about fancies and ceremonies and coldnesse to the power of holinesse What unthankfulnesse under the enjoyment of multitude of mercies What security and self-promising of happy condition as if no evil could befall them like the men of Laish that dwelt carelesly and there was no Magistrate in the Land that might put them shame in any thing q Although our professed and