Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	chapter_n	soul_n	verse_n	1,776	5	10.2902	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29368	The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...	Bridge, William, 1600?-1670.	1671 (1671)	Wing B4454; ESTC R19668	79,842	192

2 Sam. 16.11 Mr. Fox makes mention of a young man a Martyr that when he was upon the Cart going to the fire his Father who was a Papist came out of his house and would have beaten him but the people hindring him Pray said he let him alone for he is my Father So I say by hearing the Rod and who hath appointed it you will submit unto the Lord because he is your Father Fourthly By hearing the Rod and who hath appointed it you will be led to prayer and be brought to pray Prayer becomes a man or woman when they are under the Rod Pray tell me when the child is whipt by his Father doth the child fall down to the Rod and beg of the Rod to spare him no but he falls down to him in whose hand the Rod is to his Master or his Father and cries to him O spare me pray spare me So be not stubborn but fall down to the Lord when you are under the rod and say Lord spare me do not say to the Rod spare me do not cry to that when it is upon your backs no but see God and observe his hand and cry to him for help But then Thirdly As it is our duty to hear the Rod and who hath appointed it so it is also our true interest and best wisdom to do it because it is the way to prevent further strokes when a child is under the Rod and will not submit why says the Master since you are so stout and so stubborn I 'le try who shall be Master you or I and so he strikes on still till the child cries out I have done why then says the Master I have done too And thus it is with us when we are under the Rod if we be stubborn and refuse to hear the Rod of God and who hath appointed it well says God I will try who shall be Master you or I what is the reason that some men go so long so many years with the rod upon their backs but because they have not heard the Rod and who hath appointed it but now when a man shall say Lord I have done why then says God I have done too O soul Beloved it is our best wisdom and our best course to hear the Rod and who hath appointed it All that I shall say for Application is this It is our true interest and best wisdom when the Rod comes to hear the rod and who hath appointed it as hath been proved O then that men were wise and did understand it in this day O England England the Rod is in thy streets at this time certainly there is a swinging Rod hangs over this Nation O England what shall I say unto thee but what the Prophet saith here Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it O London Hear thou the Rod and who hath appointed it O Norwich Hear thou the Rod and who hath appointed it O Yarmouth hear thou the Rod and who hath appointed it for you shall thereby honour God and strengthen your own faith you shall be able to keep silence in the evil day you shall be made more fit to pray and the rod will be sooner removed from you Therefore as you desire that God may have the honour of all his dispensations and that your faith may be strengthened and that you may be inabled to be silent in an evil day then hear the rod and who hath appointed it But you will say what shall we do that we may hear the Rod and who hath appointed it we do confess that there is a smart Rod upon the back of this Nation and upon the back of our families but what shall we do that we may hear the Rod and who hath appointed it I Answer First Stand and look upon the Rod and you will find two things especially in the Rod 1. Your Sin and 2. Gods Design As for your sin look what sin that is which God holds before your face before your conscience all the time he is striking of you with the Rod that is the sin he strikes you for If a Dog worry a sheep you commonly go and beat the Dog in the face of the worried Sheep that the Dog may thereby know and understand for what he is beaten So when the Lord comes and holds out one sin for you to look on especially then you may be sure the Rod comes upon you for that sin Again Look what sin that is which doth naturally bring the Rod that is the cause of it As for example If a man be drunk and do thereby bring himself into a feavor will you not say that drunkenness was the cause of it Again Look what sin that is which is most like the Rod of all others that sin is that which brings the Rod as for example Suppose the Rod of this Nation be decay of Trading may we not think that some Stoln wedg of Gold is in this Nation which is the cause of this Rod because it is like it Or suppose the Rod of this Nation be the Lords forsaking of it may we not think that Apostacy is the cause of it because it is like it therefore if you would hear the Rod and who hath appointed it then observe what sin that is which is the cause of it But Secondly And so to conclude as you are to look upon your sin so also upon Gods design in the Rod Now God seldom or never gives any mercy to a people but he first brings them into the quite contrary condition as for example If God intends to give you great assurance of his love he will first suffer you to fall into great Temptations and darkness that he may thereby fit you for great assurance Or if God intend to raise you to great honour in the world he will first suffer you to lie under some great reproach that you may be thereby the more fit for your honour And so if God intend to fix and settle a Nation he will first suffer it to come into great confusion and tumult because the Lord will thereby prepare that Nation for the glorious settlement which he intends How is it therefore with you do you feel or see the Rod of God upon this Nation or upon your families or upon the back of your own particular person then hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it For Gods Rod is a teaching Rod and it brings many lessons with it Therefore what I say to one I say to all and to my own soul also Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it SERMON VII AMOS 4.12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel IN this Chapter the Prophet Amos endeavours to pronounce some heavy Judgements against Gods own people Israel wherein there are three things most considerable 1. The Judgement Threatned 2. The cause of the Judgement and 3. The Inference thereupon First

The Judgement Threatned and that is in the second and third verses The Lord hath sworn by his holiness that to the dayes shall come upon you that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks As if he should say I will send Anglers among you that shall pull you out of your houses as the little fishes are pulled out of the water and then he goes on in the third verse And ye shall go out at the breaches saith the Lord Though you be great and strong yet will I make breaches among you saith the Lord this is the Judgement threatned Secondly Here is the cause of the Judgment and that is therefold First Oppression as at the first verse Hear this word ye kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria which oppress the poor which crush the needy and so forth Secondly Another cause is Idolatry and Superstition as at the 4. and 5. verses Come ye to Bethel and transgress at Gilgal multiply transgression Proclaim and publish the free offering for this liketh you O ye children of Israel saith the Lord God Thirdly The third cause is their Incorrigableness as at the 6. verse I have given you cleaness of Teeth in all your Cities and want of bread in all your places yet have ye not returned to me saith the Lord. And at the 7. verse And also I have with-holden rain from you and I have caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another City so two or three Cities wandred unto one City to drink water but they were not satisfied yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 9. verse I have smitten you with blasting and with mildew when your gardens and your vineyards and your figtrees and your olive trees increased the palmer worm devoured them yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 10. verse I have sent among you the Pestilence after the manner of Egypt your young men have I slain with the sword and have taken away your horses and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and at the 11. verse I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a firebrand pluckt out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. Thirdly Therefore by way of Inference he concludes Therefore this will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to neet thy God O Israel In these words you have a double Inference which God makes First Therefore thus will I do unto thee I have been a long time striving with you as if he should say and I have been at a stand whether I should punish you or not yet have ye not returned unto me therefore now I am resolved thus will I do unto thee And then Secondly Now I am resolved prepare to meet thy God O Israel therefore do thou prepare to meet thy God O Israel I do not send you a challeng saith God that you should prepare to meet with your God to fight with him or to resist him not to meet God in his anger and to oppose him no but prepare to meet thy God by preventing his Judgements with your Repentance and returning unto him If a man be coming to your house and you go out to meet him why then you prevent him by meeting of him So when we prevent Gods Judgements by our Repentance we are said to meet with God From hence then I take up this Observation or Doctrine That when God is resolved to come out against a Nation or people it is their duty to prepare to meet with God For the opening and prosecuting hereof I shall labour to shew you First That God doth seem sometimes to be at a stand concerning a people whether he should trust to them any longer or not or whether he should punish them or not Secondly That if they do not come to him and meet with him he will then resolve to go out against them in his wrath Thirdly That when God doth resolve to go out against a people in his wrath it is their duty to prepare to meet him Fourthly I shall labour to shew how a people or family or person may prepare themselves to meet with God in the way of his anger when he is going out against them First Though God is alwaies resolved in himself what to do with a people yet he seems to us to be at a stand whether he should deliver them or not or whether he should punish them or not whether he should shew mercy to them or not as you may see Exod. 33.5 For the Lord said unto Moses say unto the children of Israel ye are a stiffnecked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee that I may shew or make known what to do unto thee as it is in the Hebrew this is speaking after the manner of men and so in Gen. 18.21 I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know And Again Gen. 22.12 Lay not thine hand upon the Lad neither do any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God speaking after the manner of men And Again Hosea 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee And in Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Here are four How 's in our Translation though but two in the Hebrew How shall I give thee up How shall I deliver thee How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim As if the Lord to speak after the manner of men were in a great streight and knew not what to do was not resolved what to do So I say though God is alwaies resolved in himself yet he seems to us to be at a stand sometimes whether he shall shew mercy or no. But you will say how doth this come to pass that God doth sometimes seem to be thus at a stand I answer you know how it is with a tender Father that hath a rebellious Child saith the Father I will thrust him out of doors I will utterly cast him off I have often admonished him and threatned him and corrected him and yet he is never the better therefore I am resolved even to turn him out of doors I but then he reflects and thinks again He is my child he is the Son of my bowels how shall I how can I give him up how can I turn him out of doors why now God is more tender to his

Children than any Father can be to his Children and therefore his being at a stand doth speak out and declare his bowels to his people His bowels are at work whilst their sins provoke him One while he looks upon their sins and another while he looks upon Christs satisfaction one while he hears the Law call Justice Justice another while he hears Christ cry Mercy Mercy There is Justice and mercy both in God that he may have the honour of both and therefore God seems to be at a stand sometimes saies God These are my people and if I punish them the enemies will reproach me and I shall be dishonoured and they are my people still for all their sinning against me and thus God seems to be at a stand But you will say when may God seem to be at a stand and not to be resolved what to do speaking after the manner of men I answer first when the Saints and Ministers of God know not what is best to be done in regard of the times then is God at a stand For saith the Lord shall I do any thing and not reveal it to my servants the Prophets Therefore I say when the Saints and Servants and Ministers of God are at a stand and know not what to do then God seems to be at a stand Secondly When the Dispensations of God go forward and backward then the Lord seems to be at a stand when a man goes out of his house about his business and goes forward and backward in the street you will say that man is not well resolved what to do nor which way to go And thus it seems to be sometimes with God his dipensations in the world go forward and backward and this is the time that God is as it were at a stand whether he shall shew mercy or no And so I have done with the first general The second is this That though God seem to be at a stand sometimes yet if men do not come unto him and meet him He will resolve to go forth against them Therefore thus will I do unto thee I have been a long time striving with you and yet have ye not returned unto me and now I am resolved and this is Gods Message Now for the cleering of this First I shall open the truth of it unto you Secondly I shall prove it and Thirdly I shall shew you when God may be said to go forth against a people or Nation First For opening of it you must not think as I said before that God is at any time unresolved in himself or that he knows not what to do No For known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world unto the end saies the Apostle Acts 15.18 There is nothing future or to come to God God is not measured neither doth he measure by time There is nothing before nor after with God in Eternity All is present and altogether before him at once and therefore I say God is not at any time unresolved in himself what he shall do with this or that people Now further God is said to will a thing in a twofold respect either in regard Of his Decree or Of his Dispensations In regard of his decree his love is from Eternity and yet the same man may seem to be a child of wrath in regard of the dispensation every Elect person is a child of God from Eternity in regard of Gods decree and yet he is a child of wrath until he be converted in regard of Gods dispensations So when I say that God seems to be at a stand and unresolved and that if men do not come unto him he will then go forth against them This is not to be understood in regard of his decree but in regard of his dispensations But Secondly For the proof of it it is said God will not alwayes strive with the Children of men neither will he alwayes wait and expect fruit from a fruitles and barren people Read the parable of the figtree Luke 13.7 A certain man had a figtree c. and he said unto the dresser of his Vineyard behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this figtree and find none cut it down why cumbreth it the ground Now though this parable doth concern the Jews and it concerns us also wherein we may see there are three times which go over the heads of all those that sit under the Gospel A time of soul mercy A time of Gods forbearance and A time of Judgement or cutting down There is time of forbearance and striving a time when God seems to be at a stand but then if men will not come unto him he will resolve to go forth against them Rom. 2.4 5. verses Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgement of God who will render to every man according to his deeds So I say that though God seem to be at a stand as to his dispensations yet if men do not come in unto him he will then resolve to go forth against them in his wrath But you will say further when may God be said to go forth against a Nation or people in his anger First For answer you may know it by Gods dispensations if his dispensations do bespeak so much and do plainly declare that God is going forth against a Nation or people then you may be sure that he is resolved to go forth in his anger and therefore First Observe when a Judgement comes that is extraordinary then the Lord is gone out against that people The Lord is known by the Judgements which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Psal 9.16 Secondly Look when God restrains prayer from a people when he knocks off and draws off the hearts of his children from praying for such a people then is God certainly come out against them in his wrath Thirdly When all things work together for the worst then the Lord is against that people when all things instead of working together for the best do the contrary and work together for the worst then is God surely against that people But then 2. As you may know when God is resolved to go out against a people by his dispensations so you may also know it by our Practices As when God afflicts a people for crying Sins and yet incorrigableness follows then doth the Lord resolve to go against that people in wrath As you may see in this Chapter wherein our Text is There you find the people were guilty of great sins of great oppression and great superstition and Idolatry and God did not only afflict them for these sins but for others too and therefore you find in the 7. verse I have with held the rain from

you and have caused it to rain upon one City and not upon another Here was distinction of Judgments according to their several sins And so at the 11. verse I have overthrown you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and you were as firebrands pluckt out of the burning c. God exercised them with several Afflictions and they were distinguishing afflictions too and yet they were incorrigable God tells them that he had afflicted them with cleaness of teeth and want of rain and yet have they not returned unto me saith the Lord therefore thus will I do unto thee c. Thus you see what distinguishing afflictions they were exercised with I have sent the Pestilence among you yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord and yet after all these sore strokes they still remained incorrigable and therefore God was resolved to go forth against them in his wrath and so I have done with the second General Thirdly It is the duty of a people or Nation to prepare to meet the Lord when he is coming out against them Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do thus prepare to meet thy God O Israel For the cleering of this I shall endeavour to shew you First That it is a dreadful thing to meet with God in the way of his anger and Justice Secondly That though it be dreadful yet it is not so dreadful to the people of God as to others Thirdly That though it be not so dreadful to the people of God as to others yet it is very uncomfortable for them too to meet with God in his wrath Fourthly That when God is gone forth against a people in his anger and in the way of his wrath it is their duty to prepare to meet with God First It is a very dreadful thing to meet with God in the way of his anger who may abide the day of his wrath It is a fearful thing saith the Apostle to fall into the hand of the living God Heb. 10.31 For our God is a consumming fire Heb. 12.29 not a warming fire There is a warming fire in your houses and that is very comfortable in cold weather but there is a consuming fire also a fire that burns down houses and Cities and that fire is very terrible and dreadful why our God is a consuming fire your fire consumes your wood and coal but it doth not consume your house it doth not remove the Rocks but the fire of Gods anger doth so as you may see Nahum 1.5 6. verses The mountains quake at him the hills melt and the earth is burnt at his presence yea the world and all that dwell therein who can stand before his indignation and who can abide the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire and the rocks are thrown down by him Thus you see it is a very dreadful thing to meet with God in the way of his anger But Secondly Though it be dreadful and terrible yet it is not so dreadful to the people of God as to others First Though God be angry with his own people yet it is but little in comparison to what he is with others As in Zach. 1.2 The Lord was sore displeased with your Fathers and at the 12. verse there it is said God had indignation against them threescore and ten years and then at the 15. verse And I am very sore displeased with the Heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Here you see God was greatly displeased with the Heathen and but little displeased against his people his displeasure is but little to them in comparison with what it is to others Secondly Though God be angry with his own people yet his anger is their friend If a man be my friend not only his purse is my friend but his sword also if I have occasion so if God be my friend not only his love is my friend but his anger too but it is not so with the wicked Thirdly Though God be angry with his own people yet they have alwayes free grace to fly unto and to be their friend but it is not thus with the wicked Fourthly Though God be angry with his own people yet they know or may know that God is in Covenant with them and that they have some sweet and precious promises which belong to them Nahum 1.5 6. Who can abide the fierceness of his wrath c. But look at the 7. verse The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him in the worst times the people of God have promises to run unto for shelter mark how the promise comes in here Having shewed the fierceness of Gods wrath in the 5. and 6. verses who can stand before his presence c. He comes in with this promise at the 7. verse The Lord is good and a strong hold in the day of trouble he knoweth them that trust in him Fifthly Though God be angry with and afflict his own people yet they know or may know that God is afflicted with them Christ partakes in their Afflictions with them Sixthly Though God do afflict his own people for their sins yet they know or may know that God alwayes gives a due allowance in reference to their sins and Infirmities the best Gold must have an allowance of some dross and the best Saint must have an allowance upon the Account of his Infirmities saies the Lord Hosea 11.8 How shall I make thee as Admah and set thee as Zeboim why did not the Lord say How shall I make thee as Sodom or Gomorrah sayes Jerom It was because Admah and Zeboim were lesser Cities and were drawn into sin by the example of the great Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and so the ten Tribes were drawn into sin by the great Cities of Judah and by Jerusalem and therefore God saies how shall I make thee as Admah c. So I say God doth alwayes give an allowance to his own people even in the day of his wrath Seventhly Though God be angry with his own people yet they may see God smile sometimes even through his frowns faith doth many times pull the vizard from the face of Christ as I may say that when he seems to be their enemy yet still they know that all things shall work together for their good Eighthly Though God be angry with his own people yet they know or may know that God will alwayes have a hiding place for them and so he will never provide for others It may be observed that when Gods people in former Times were persecuted in one part of the world they had alwayes acceptance and entertaintment in some other part of the world and when they were persecuted from thence they had still acceptance elswhere according to that of Christ If they persecute you in one City flee unto another until the Son