Selected quad for the lemma: judgement_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
judgement_n	heart_n	young_a	youth_n	1,501	5	9.4198	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53265	New-England pleaded with, and pressed to consider the things which concern her peace at least in this her day, or, A seasonable and serious word of faithful advice to the churches and people of God, primarily those in the Massachusets Colony, musingly to ponder, and bethink themselves, what is the tendency, and what will cetainly be the sad issue, of sundry unchristian and crooked wayes which too too [sic] many have been turning aside unto, if persisted and gone on in delivered in a sermon preached at Boston in New-England, May 7, 1673, being the day of election there / by Urian Oakes ...	Oakes, Urian, 1631-1681.	1673 (1673)	Wing O21; ESTC W23179	65,078	72

then by arguing ab Vtili and demonstrating the advantagiousness and expediency of any course or duty Hence the Lord when he would reason his people into a Care and Conscience of universal obedience to his Commandments in general argues from this Topick or Head of Argument Vt tibi benè sit That it may go well with thee Deut. 4.40 5.29 6.3 18. 12.28 So may I reason in this case from the profit and advantage of such a course of consideration A person or people do consult their own good and singular advantage in it Hereby they may come to understand the signs of the Times the want of which skill our Saviour taxeth severely Matth. 16.2 3. Men are usually wise to discern the signs of the Weather and can probably conjecture when it will be fair and when it will be foul Weather but this is Wisdome indeed to understand and discern the dispensations of God in a way of Mercy or Iudgement beforehand and to know what God is doing or about to do with them As men can by the Aspect of the Sky prognosticate what Weather it will be so they may be able to make a Iudgement of their condition and what is like to become of them by the Aspect of their own wayes and deportments towards the Lord. Hereby they may know what to expect from the Lord whether Mercy or Judgement according to the ordinary Rule and Tenour of Gods dispensations Hereby they may be 〈…〉 to Repentance and the casting away or turning from those iniquities and transgressions that are otherwise sure to be their Ruine Ezek. 18.30 31. Mark those steps ver 28. Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not die Consideration makes way for Repentance and Conversion and this for life and happiness Serious consideration of the nature and End of our wayes leads the way to Repentance and Reformation Hereby they may be quickned and helped to meet God when he is coming forth in the way of his Iudgements in a way of Humiliation and Supplication Amos 4.12 and to wait for him in the way of his Iudgements Isa. 26.8 And if there be any way to avert the Judgements of God this is it Hereby they may know how to order their Prayers and get into the gap and prevent the Judgements of God that are in their way towards them and obviate them And it is of singular use to Magistrates Ministers Governours of these and those Societies that have Power and Interest and are in a capacity to lead on in a way of Reformation and to command those that are under them to keep the way of the Lord Gen. 18.19 Hereby they will come to see the Justice of God in his severest Corrections and learn to justifie him in all his proceedings and accept the punishment of their iniquities and bear the indignation of the Lord because they have sinned against him When they consider aright the scope and ten●ency the inequality and demerit of their own wayes they will readily apprehend the Justice and Equitableness of God's hand in bringing a miserable End upon them So that it is the great Interest and therefore Wisdome of a people in these and other respects to consider their latter end I shall onely adde for a close h●●e That the Reasons given as they demonstrate it to be the wisdome of any people in general to consider their latter End so they may be argued à Fortiori as to a people circumstanced as Israel was Because they are peculiarly advantaged for the Indagation or Discovery of the End and Issue of their wayes and are in the best capacity to finde out and pass a right Judgement upon the tendency and conclusion of them As also because the end of their sinful wayes impenitently persisted in must needs be worse then of any other people They cannot sin at so cheap a rate or expect so few stripes for their disobedience or look for such moderation from God in the inflicting of his Judgements and execution of his Threatnings or rationally hope for so tolerable a condition at last as other people that are not like them but far inferiour in their Priviledges and Enjoyments So that it is their great Concern in a peculiar manner to consider what will be the latter End of their un●●table and unbecoming deportments before the Lord. Ierusalem's not remembring her latter end brought her down wonderfully Lam. 1.9 Want of this consideration will ruine any people but it will make way for wonderful and unparallell'd destruction of such as are circumstanced as Israel was as the serious and timous remembrance of the End of their wayes 〈◊〉 in the way for their wonderful Exaltation Vse Of Exhortation First To All that stand here before the Lord in this great Assembly Oh be perswaded to consider your latter End If it be the great wisdome of a people in general the Body of them thus and so circumstanced then also it is the concernment of particular persons understandingly to consider what will be the End and Issue of their sinful deportments before the Lord. Consider what is the true tendency of your wayes and courses whither you are going whether to Happiness or Misery to Heaven or Hell what is like to be your journeys end whither you are bound and where it is probable you shall arrive and take up your abode for Eternity All is well that ends well Therefore 1. Make a right Iudgement of the End of your Actions Solomon layes a Rub in the way of the Young man in his full Career after the Enjoyment of his Lusts when he saith Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Eccles. 11.9 that is Remember that all thy wayes of sin will end in Judgement or a dreadful sentence of wrath and everlasting separation from God Thou art now pleasing thy self in the wayes of thy own heart accounting practical and serious Piety meer Folly applauding thy Wit and Parts and Policy but in thy latter end thou wilt be a Fool. Now the Gospel is foolishness Religion is foolishness Praying in secret walking humbly and mournfully with God is foolishness in thy deluded apprehension And the people of God that deny themselves and crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts and will not run with you to the same excess of riot are a company of weak and foolish men in thy valuation but who dost think will be th● fool at last Oh think over and over what will be the end of 〈◊〉 penitency and perseverance in a course of sinning against God 〈◊〉 away your transgressions saith the Lord Ezek 18.30 31. repent and turn from them so iniquity shall not be your ruine importing that ruine will be the end of

them was occasioned through the want of a wise and understanding consideration of the event of things This would have prevented it 6. That this is the first and good step towards the repentance and reformation of a degenerous backsliding and rebellious People to consider what they are doing whither they are going and what the end of their wayes will be at last 7 The nature of the Word of God and the dispensation thereof is signified hereby viz. that it doth instantly perswade men to get this wisdom and understanding and considering spirit or wise consideration of the Event and Issue of their ways and doings And that God will in the way of these moral means these pathetical 〈…〉 suited and accommodated to the manner of men effectually 〈…〉 wisdom and serious consideration of their latter end in some 〈◊〉 hearts and that he doth eminently and virtuali quadam ratione as the learned Ames expresseth it will it as to other men ●atenus or so farr forth as he commands and calls for it But I shall not detain you longer in the general Explication of the Text or Solution of these or those Difficulties The sum result of all is Israel was a People of many mercies and singular enjoyments none like unto them but withal of great provocations by their Apostacy Idolatry and other grievous miscarriages and the Lord represents it here as their wisdome to consider rationally and judiciously what would be the sad and doleful issue thereof The Observation is plainly this Doct. That it is the great wisdome of a People that have heen conducted by the Mighty Hand of God to a place of Rest and Liberty and setled in the possession of singular Priviledges and enjoyments to understand and consider or understandingly to consider what will be the latter end of their sinful wayes their unsuitable and unworthy deportments before the Lord. The People of Israel were in Covenant with God peculiarly favoured and accepted of him And in pursuance of his Covenant engagements he had delivered them out of hard bondage and carried them in his Arms to Canaan a Land of rest and liberty and glorious enjoyments where they quickly trespassed and rebelled grievously against him according to the prediction of Moses in this Prophetical Song and the Lord in the words of the Text plainly intimates it to be the wisdome of that People and by parity of reason of any other People that may be paralleld with them at such a juncture and in such a condition to understand and consider or to Consider with Consideration as the Original hath it significantly Ier. 23.20 what will be the latter end of their sinful and rebellious wayes The Lord tells that People in the place but now mentioned when he was about to bring a dreadful storm of wrath upon them that in the latter dayes they should consider it perfectly Surely then it would have been their great wisdome to consider it in the former dayes before the storm came and the wrath of God arose against them so that there was no remedy Hence the Lord expostulates with the Iews and calls them to a serious consideration of the end and issue of the general corruptions and great evils found among them Ier. 5.31 The Prophets proph●sie falsly and the Priests bear rule by their means and my People love to have it so And what will ye do in the end thereof when Prophets Priests or Princes and People were so extreamly bad so wo●ully corrupt and faulty it was time for them to look about them and consider what would become of them at last It is the guise and character of a Fool Prov. 17.24 to have his eyes in the ends of the Earth gazing and wandring about looking hither and thither far enough from his own concernments But it is an act of wisdome in any People especially such a People as Israel and the property of wise persons to have their eyes fixed upon the end of their wayes and walkings The only Enquiry here will be Quest. What is it for a Person or People understandingly to consider the latter end of their wayes Ans. It implies evidently these Particulars 1. To pass a right judgement upon it to finde out and fix in their thoughts upon the true end and issue of their wayes according to the nature and tendency of them To pitch upon it and determine aright concerning it For many men deceive themselves shamefully in this matter many bold and presumptuous sinners though they hear the words of the curse of the Law do bless themselves in their hearts saying they shall have peace though they walk in the imagination of their hearts to adde Drunkenness to thirst Deut. 9.19 Though they walk not in Gods ways which are wayes of pleasantness and peace but in the crooked and destructive wayes of their own besotted foolish hearts yet they promise themselves a good issue and vainly imagine that they shall do well enough at last Though they walk in the wayes of their hearts and in the sight of their eyes yet they think to hold up their Heads and look the Lord Jesus with confidence in the Face when God shall bring them into Judgement As a Bird hasteth to the Snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Prov. 7.23 So many a rash inconside●ate deluded Sinner rusheth on headily in a course of Rebellion against God and knows not that the end of it will be destruction Such is sometimes the Blindness and Security not only of particular persons but of the Body of a People that they cry peace and safety and promise themselves Prosperity and a good Iss●e of those wayes that end in suddain and unavoidable Calamity Understanding consideration in the case before us importeth thus much that a person or people syllogize well and conclude aright concerning the end of their wayes and actions that they do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks Iam 1.22 reason themselves into a mistake and ●rrour or false conclusion about the end of their deportments towards the Lord and put a fallacy upon their own Souls in this respect 2. To revolve this in their minds and to be frequently thinking of their latter end To ponder it throughly and to have their Souls Judgements and Consciences much exercised with interested and engaged in it Consideration intends more then a transient thought or suddain ●●itting apprehension It imports a fixing and dwelling upon this or that in our thoughts Though sometimes the Object of consideration may be so plain and legible that he that runs may read it yet consideration is not a cursory work or a running cogitation It becomes a people especialy such as are so circumstanced as Israel to be much conversant in this work and duty There must be a Fixing and staying of their minds upon this Subject as it were a steeping and soaking of their thoughts in the daily meditation of their latter End Not only rolling or glancing but fixing the

is departed from Israel and she named her Son l●habod that is ●here is the glory 1 Sam. 4 2●.22 As if she had said you tell me of the Birth of a Son but where is the Glory of Israel you shew me a Son indeed but can you shew me the Glory no alass the Glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken The Ark of God was the glory in her eyes But how many among us are there to whom F●o●ks and Herds and Earthly Enjoyments are Glory as they were to Labans Sons Gen. 31.1 rather then the Ark of God's presence and his Holy Ordinances where is that love to the Word that affection to Sacraments that longing for Sabbaths and Lecture dayes that holy care to prepare for a meeting with God at such times and to improve them that was wont to be among us Oh that old love and zeal and affection to the Ordinances and Messengers of Christ though it abideth blessed be God with some still is much abated and lo●t as to the generality of Professors in this Country How Beautiful have the Feet of those that brought the Glad tidings of the Gospel been but now how burdensome that Ministers are reckoned Bills of Charges and were it not for shame I doubt some people could be well enough without them or would entertain and set up any piece of ignorance and confidence that would be cheap enough to dispense the Oracles of God and the Holy Mysteries of Religion unto them rather then to be at the charge to procure and provide for men of Worth and Ability This very thing would make one fear that New England hath seen its best dayes no● is it to be wondred at if this undervaluation of the Ordinances of God be attend●d with great unfruitfulness Oh what barren Fig●re●s stand in this vineyard of the Lord How much of the Earth here drinks in the rain of Heaven that comes oft upon it and brings forth nothing but briars and thorns what will the end of this be but the c●tting down of such cumbersoms-Professors and the burning them up Luk. 13.7.8 Heb. 6.8 If men like the deaf Adder shall stop their Ears and will not hearken to the voice of the wisest Charmers Psal. 58.5 Doubtless God will send Serpents and Cock●trices among them which will not be charmed and they shall bite them and make those feel that would not hear Jer 8 17. It was the Critical Sin of the Iews that they refused to hearken to the Word of God pulled away the shoulder stopt their Ears made their hearts as an Adamant lest they should hear the Law and the words which the Lord sent in his Spirit by the Prophets And what was the latter end of it why therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts And as he cried they would not hear so they cried and he would not hear but scattered them with a whirlwind among the Nations and thus they laid their pleasant land desolate Zech. 7.11 12 13 14. God that out of gracious respect to your Fathers and Prede●●ssors that were a willing and obedient people turned this wilderness into a pleasant fruitful land can in severe wrath for your contempt of his Word and messengers turn this land into a wilderness again It is one 〈◊〉 the praise-worthy performances of God to make such Metamorphos● 〈◊〉 alterations Psal. 107.33 34 c. If he call and you refuse to hearken if he stretch out his Hand and you regard not he knows how to laugh at you calamity and mock● when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction as a whirlwind Prov. 1.24 25 c. yea to be deaf to all your calls and cries in the Day of your distress anguish Would it be strange if those that will not hear the voice of the Lords Prophets should be constrained to hear the voice of Oppressors or of Prophets that should speak Lies in the Lords Name and are Prophets of the deceits of their own hearts God may justly give you Pastors not after his own heart but after your own hearts which is a dreadful judgment what can you expect but to have such Pastors as are described Ier. 23. beginn Ezek. 34. beginn He will make a Famine of his Word or smite you with penal judgements that you shall see and not see or see your selves into Blindness and hear away your hearing Ear be a people past Counsel and Instruction and contract that woful deafness which is sometimes gotten by hearing of Sermons and is most incurable and deplorable Verily God will revenge in some way that will make the hearts of men eke the quarrel of his despised Word and Ordinances if this sin and sinful frame be not timely repented of There are few I am afraid in compa●ison tha● tremble a● the Word of God Men are too proud and high and f●ll and knowing and good in their own Apprehensions to stand trembling in the presence of God and humbly to receive their Doom and Sentence from the Lord. They come now as ●uges of the Word and not to have the secrets of their hearts opened their Cases scanned and the state of their souls judged by it yea as Criticks to ca●p and quarrel and find fault with it God will look with a look of favour and gracious aspect to them that tremble at his Word Isa. 66.2 But with such a look as he cast upon the Egyptians through the black and dark side of the cloud on all the proud men among us as those are called that disobeyed the voice of the Lord by Ieremiah Jer. 43.2 At this door came in the great calamity that befel the Iews in their seventy years captivity The Lord God o● their Fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and s●nding because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place but they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no R●medy 2 Chron 36.15 16. Verily God will not ●a●e to vindicate the Honour of his despised and abused Messengers and Ordinances 3. Consider what will be the latter End of that Worldlinesse that is among us Would not that great Apostle Paul if he were here tell you even weeping that many of you mind ●●rth●y things Phi. 3.19 Is not this an Epidemical disease of Nevv-England the Str●in the G●nius the Spirit of many Professors among us Hence general calling neglected the work of Religion goes on heavily the strength and spirits of men are exhausted or laid out on other things and they have no heart to cl●s●t work to family dutyes which are neglected or slubbered and posted over shamefully Hence great Contentions about little things three-penny-m●tters and a little spark kindles a great fire Hence grievous oppression a Sin that was notorious in Israel and Iudah and contributed remark●bly to their Calamity And are there not sad