Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	doctrine_n	reformation_n	sound_a	1,458	5	10.7874	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52049	Reformation and desolation, or, A sermon tending to the discovery of the symptomes of a people to whom God will by no meanes be reconciled preached to the Honourable House of Commons at their late solemne fast, Decemb. 22, 1641 / by Stephen Marshall ...	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1642 (1642)	Wing M770; ESTC R235206	36,106	57

when such men have God Conscience their office the lawes all on their side and yet dare not appeare against Idolatry prophanenesse violence sensuality as it showes the men to be of a base spirit so it argues the sins of that place to be of great strength even fit for judgment Thus it was in the 22. of Ezekiel verse 30. when all such were growne corrupt I sought for a mā among them that is some Phinehas to stand in the gap to make up the hedge some zealous Ministers to stand up and mediate with God for them and testifie in their ministery against them but I found none and therefore I powred out my indignation upon them Thirdly in case any Magistrates or Ministers doe appeare on Gods part as Iosiah Ieremiah and others did in these forlorne times yet they prove too weake stakes they are able to doe nothing the inundation of wickednesse beares them downe and runs over their heads In a word when some Magistrates take part with sinne others afraid of it and the remainder who are faithfull can prevaile nothing this Rampire is likewise overthrowne 4. There is but one more which when it is likewise cast downe destruction is at the very doore and that is Gods lesser judgements God sometimes keepes petty-sessions to prevent great Assizes inferior executions to prevent utter desolations which when they prevaile not it is a certaine token of extreame wrath Sometimes God afflicts neighbour Nations destroying their Cities that the rest might receive Instruction and their dwelling not be cut off As Judges will hang up a thiefe upon a Gibbet to keepe others from the gallowes I have overthrown some of you saith God as Sodom I have smitten you with blasting and mildew I have sent among you the pestilence yet yee have not turned to me why should ye be smitten any more You shall see this notably expressed in the 24. of Ezekiel Where God compares Ierusalem to a pot and all the Inhabitants to flesh boyling in the pot but all the boyling would not ferch out their scum no threatnings no visitations no inferiour Judgements could prevaile with them but still their scumme their blood their filthinesse and lewdnesse abode in them marke then in the 13. v. what doome God gives of them because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged I have tryed all means to doe thee good and thou wilt not bee reformed thou shalt never be purged from thy filthines any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee I the Lord have spoken it and I will doe it And that example in the sixth of Ieremy is most remarkable where God useth such a parable as this the bellowes are burnt the lead is melted in the fire the founder workes in vaine for the wicked are not taken away reprobate silver shau men call them for the Lord hath rejected them God here compares himselfe to a Silver-smith who takes a piece of oare and tryes all his art to divide betwixt the drosse and the metall but cannot doe it and at last throwes it away with indignation saith it is base stuffe on which hee will never bestow any more labour So God seems to say my Ministers have spent their lungs dryed up their throats all my other judgements have been tryed but the wicked are not taken away they are all base drosse I will bestow no more paines upon them And now you understand what the gray hairs of a State or people are and when a people are ripe for destruction when the time is come that God will passe them no more you shall not need to enquire by what meanes he will doe it he hath all in his owne hands he hath famine and pestilence and sword wilde beasts and fire and earthquakes if none of all these doe it hee hath flies and lice and grashoppers rats and mice enough to destroy the strongest Kingdome in the world in a moment if hee but whistle hisse or call for them Objection It is true may some say if people goe on in their wickednesse and prove Incorrigible no marvaile though God proceed thus against them but that it should be the case of a people who set upon Reformation this is strange And how wil this stand with the doctrine preached in the forenoon that whē a natiō repents God wil repent c Answer In such an assembly as this a short answere if true will satisfie First God never promised that the sincere Reformation of a few should prevent the judgement of a multitude if Gods time of Execution be come Noah Daniel and Iob shall deliver neither son nor daughter who are not turned home to God Secondly I answere that though the Nation joyned in the Reformation it was not in sincerity if it had been sound the doctrine in the morning would have carried it away and I must have had another Interpretation of my Text It is true Iosiah carried it by his authoritie but the peoples hearts were not right And Ieremy saith no lesse when I removed Samaria out of my sight her treacherous sister Iudah turned not to mee Yes might the people say wee did turne to thee under good King Iosiah but it was but fainedly saith the Prophet and it appeares to be so for as soone as ever Iosiah was dead they made a universall Apostacie from the Lord and so their Reformation was but like that of the Nation of the Iews in Christs time which our Lord compares to the uncleane spirit going out for a while and returning againe with seven Devils worse then himselfe As if England by the help of this noble Parliament who lay the cause of God to heart should joine in a reformation though against the haire it would come to nothing in the end And so I have in some measure cleered this doctrine in Thesi how far the approaching ruine of a Nation may be knowne and what the signes of it are The second followes and that is Whether this concerne us And what answer would you have me give you I could willingly answer in this as Daniel did Nebuchadnezzar when he was to interpret a dreame to the King which in the true exposition foretold Nebuchadnezzars fall It is said Daniel stood still for an hour and his thoughts troubled him and in the end speakes out My Lord the dreame be to them that hate thee and the interpretation of it to thine enemies So say I Oh let the parallell of this be some other people Oh that it might not fit England but doth it fit it Right honourable and beloved your great wisdomes your diligent inspection your ample intelligence your faithfulnesse and sincerity makes you better able to judge then my meannesse can attaine unto who am none of the wisest observers of the time but I must speake and what I speake I shall speake freely and humbly I would I could speake sorrowfully I know I speake