Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	according_a	day_n	great_a	2,142	5	2.8718	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59651	Divine providence, the support of good men under all events a sermon preached before the Lord Mayor, &c. at Guild-Hall Chappel, June 20th, 1680 / by William Shelton, rector of St. James, Colchester.	Shelton, William, d. 1699.	1680 (1680)	Wing S3098; ESTC R37383	13,523	41

Transgression so that this Objection overthrows it self The very being of Sin in the world supposes Providence but I add to that answer God has done so much to prevent Sin and to over-rule it and will do so much in the punishing of it that this can be no reasonable Objection against Providence 1. In order to the prevention of Sin God has declared his pleasure in Commanding the contrary he has offered the assistance of his Holy Spirit that Sin may not have Dominion over us He withholds no help or aid that he is bound to give but if in the offering or bestowing this Assistance he think not fit to do violence to the nature of a reasonable Creature it ought not to be wondred at He forbids sin and makes known the danger of it and earnestly sollicits men to turn from their evil ways Why will ye die O House of Israel But if men will abuse their own liberty this is enough to vindicate the Providence of God toward those that remain wicked he deals with them as with reasonable Creatures Men are wanting to themselves God is not wanting to them 2. As God has done much to prevent Sin so does he likewise over-rule it He restrains it and makes it serve his own Glory so succeeded the Envy of Joseph's Brethren and the malice of the Jews to our blessed Saviour And in many other cases God has brought good out of evil and thereby declared that his Providence governs the world Especially when 3. It is considered that God will punish the sin he so much hates But this is of it self another Objection 2. If God govern the world why does Providence seem so lame and unconcern'd when men dare the Justice of God and defie Heaven and grow enormously wicked Yet The wicked live become old and are mighty in power Their Houses are safe from fear neither is the Rod Job 21. of God upon them I answer as followeth 1. Who can tell that the Vengeance of God does not often overtake wicked men when to outward appearance they brave hector and live as if nothing disturbed them There are secret throbings of Conscience which men strive to preserve from outward notice and so long as those inward Horrors do not approach very near dispair they may be undiscerned But the Heart knows its own bitterness the mind of man doth severely lash itself And from hence may it rationally be argued to the conviction of those that quarrel at Providence Juven Satyr 13. Cur tamen hos tu Evasisse putes quos diri conscia facti Mens habet attonitos surdo verbere caedit Occultum quatiente animo tortore flagellum Do you think wicked men escape the vengeance of God No the Viper gnaws and torments within Dreadful are the Agonies Bitter is the distress and anguish that men feel in their own minds Or if this do not always happen yet for ought a by-stander knows it may happen and even then when men outwardly ruffle and seem to sin without fear But 2. is our Eye evil because God is good What if the long-suffering of God wait upon men that his goodness may lead them to Repentance this must not be accounted an Imputation upon Providence 3. God has it in his power to animadvert when he pleases And therefore no wonder if he delay that execution which he can hasten at his own pleasure For 4. Punishment shall come and the longer it is deferred the more dreadful it shall at last be Sometimes Providence justifies it self and meets with men in this world by many strange discoveries of Treasons and Murders and Robberies and other licentious practices God has honoured the Justice of his Administrations or if he sometimes delay Yet 5. The revelation of the Righteous Judgment of Rom. 2. God at the last and great day will give all men satisfaction that the righteous God is not now an Idle and unconcern'd spectator of the wickedness of men for then he will reward every man according to his deeds 3 There remains but one thing more to be argued in this matter Why does a gracious and good God so little regard holy men in the midst of those tribulations they suffer in this World A common objection and some have boldly expressed it When Lucan finds Pompey whom he thought the better man and to have the juster cause ruin'd by Caesar how does he exclaime and blaspheme Lucan Lib 7. Sunt nobis nulla profectò Numina cum caeco rapiantur saecula cursu Mentimur regnare Jovem So Atheistical men may talk but holy men notwithstanding all they suffer in this world are not dissatisfied in their Religion Though God slay them yet they will trust in him And by Job 13. their casting all their care upon him it appears they 1 S. Pet. 5. believe he takes care of them If we consider farther that no man suffers more than he deserves that it is good for men to be afflicted If Psal 119. we can believe that the promises which suppose that holy men may be afflicted shall be fulfilled to them God will never leave them nor Hebr. 13. Psal 46. Rom. 5. forsake them He will be a present help in trouble and will work all things for good And if we can rise up to St. Pauls confidence about the happy issue of our present sorrows That our light Affliction which is but for a moment shall work 2. Cor. 4. for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory I say if we can believe these things then neither is this any sufficient prejudice against Providence I may conclude then the first part of my undertaking The Lord Reigns the Providence of God governs the World 2 This is a great satisfaction to the mind of man The Lord Reigns let the Earth rejoyce We meet with enough in this world to make it a vale of Tears Sometimes we foresee a storm sometimes we sail in the midst of Rocks and are just ready to strike upon the Sands Few are so over-happy as not to be often ingaged in considerable difficulties but we may always Hebr. 6. ride at Anchor such is our hope in God an Anchor sure and stedfast Yea we may weather out the Storm for if we can trust our Pilot he will never fail us Under all our sorrows and fears it is an unspeakable satisfaction to commit our selves to the never failing guidance of the good Providence of God And of this I say three things 1 Those things of which we are ignorant are known to a wise God 2 Those things which are against our wills which we apprehend evil for us are guided and ordered by the will of a good God 3 Those things which are out of our power are within the Power of Almighty God 1 Our Ignorance is one great cause of our sollicitude and dissatisfaction What would some men give certainly to foreknow their own fortune Alas In many cases