Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	able_a	great_a	king_n	2,038	5	3.5826	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60388	A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons at St. Margarets Westminster, on Wednesday the 5th of April, 1699 being a solemn day of fasting for imploring a blessing on His Majesty and all his dominions, and for averting those judgments we most justly deserve, and for the distressed Protestants abroad / by James Smalwood ...	Smalwood, James, d. 1719.	1699 (1699)	Wing S4009; ESTC R10065	13,377	29

one Blow in the succeeding Reign are all Memorable Examples of the Popish Cruelty But we need not look back into History to furnish us with Instances of this kind how many living Objects of our Compassion are still under great Pressures from them in the neighbouring Countries to us And how many Thousands have fled from thence to us for Refuge There indeed the Vine of the Lord does most apparently suffer there the Wild-Boar of the Wood does root it up and the Wild-Beasts of the Field devour it But let us with King David say Turn thee again O Lord God of Hosts look down from Heaven behold and visit this Vine and the place of the Vineyard which thy Right Hand hath planted and the Branch that thou madest so strong for thine own self 3. The Third Duty of the Day is to implore a Blessing from Almighty God upon His Majesty and all his Dominions And here I think it altogether unnecessary to use any Arguments to excite your Zeal or to heighten your Affections Interest which is the first Spring and great Director of all our Actions if not Gratitude will recommend this Duty to us The great Benefits and Advantages we have already receiv'd from him are sufficient Motives to pray for his long and happy Reign over us He that has preserv'd our Rights and Liberties that has rescu'd our Religion that has maintain'd our Laws that has defeated the Designs of our Enemies that has subdu'd the Disturbers of our Peace he that has run all Hazards of his Life often cross'd the Seas travers'd many Countries ventur'd his Person in Battel and sometimes very narrowly sav'd it he that has opposed and stemm'd too the Tide of a Power generally thought irresistible In a Word he that has settl'd us in Peace at home and procur'd us Honour abroad if he does not deserve our hearty good Wishes and most sincere Prayers I know not what Obligations can extort that Duty from us The Kingdom of England is now in as hopeful a Condition as any Nation can be if we are not wanting in some Cases to our selves If we can preserve our Peace with as much Prudence and Unanimity as we carry'd on the War with Heartiness and Courage if we keep our Country as quiet within our selves as we defended it bravely against others in a Word if we live up to the Rules of our Religion as well as we fought for it then will England in time not only recover its Strength and Riches flourish and grow great within it self but it will be able to give Laws to all its Neighbours round about it And indeed not to flatter our selves there is no Kingdom I know of in the World so every way capable of being made Great and Glorious as we are now at this time and that upon these Two Accounts 1. We have a King whom God seems to have brought into the World to have train'd up and preserv'd on purpose for us A Man of our own Religion and indeed of a true English Temper and Genius a Man skilful and courageous in War wise and satisfy'd in Peace a Man that reposes a great Trust in the Fidelity of his Subjects and a Man in whom they may repose theirs a Man so wholly dispos'd for the Good of his People that he is always ready to hearken to their Counsels and to comply with them a Man in short altogether inclin'd and every way qualify'd both to serve and to protect his People a Man to sum up all of whom I would not be thought to speak too great a Thing if I say he is as brave a Warrior as either Alexander or Caesar was because I design to speak yet a greater and that is that he is as good a Christian as either Constantine or Theodosius was 2. We have a People famous in the World for great Valour and Courage always having had a good Skill in Arms and of such undaunted Spirits that if we were united within our selves we are able perhaps to grapple with the most potent Kingdoms near us We are a happy Nation too in our Situation When the Prophet Ezekiel tells us of the Happiness of Canaan he describes it to be a Land of Unwall'd Ezek. 38. 11. Villages where the People are at rest and dwell safely all of them dwelling without Walls and having neither Bars nor Gates So we of this Nation have no need of Walling and Fortifying our Towns as some of our Friends upon the Continent are forc'd to do because as the Prophet Nahum speaks of the City of No we have the Sea for a Rampart to us We are still Nah. 3. 8. happier by our Constitution and Government which by its excellent Laws and Administration so effectually provides for the Security Quiet and Comfort of the People that of no Nation under Heaven may it be more properly said that every Man may sit Mic. 4 4. under his own Vine and under his Fig-tree and no Man shall make him afraid And we are happiest of all in our Church a Church which for Purity of Doctrine Decency of Worship and all Advantages for Piety may compare with if not exceed any Church upon the Face of the Earth These are the peculiar Advantages of England and these are the Happinesses we at present enjoy there is but one thing wanting to continue and secure these Blessings to us and without that all our Skill in Arms all our Natural Courage all our Plenty and Security our wholsome Laws and wise Constitution will not be able to support and maintain us and that is True Godliness and Vertue Let us all therefore pour out our most Affectionate Prayers unto God to assist us with his Grace in the Attainment of these Accomplishments And to his Grace which he is never backward of affording us let us add out own Endeavours let us shew the good Effects of these our Days of Humiliation in all the other Days of our Life What shall it profit us to depend upon our Mortification and Fasting when God shall say as he speaks by the Prophet Zechary Did you at all fast unto me even unto me The proper Fruit of Fasting is to forsake our Sins and become better for the future without this all our Fasting will but fill us with Wind all our Tears will be but as Water spilt upon the Ground in a Word all our Penances will but create us Pain here and increase it hereafter But if we do now unfeignedly resolve to amend for the future and shall prosecute those Resolutions in the Series of our Lives we may then hope that God will incline his Ear unto us and hear In sure and certain Hopes of which we now according as we are appointed 1. Pray that God would bless preserve and keep our present King as the Instrument by which he himself has chose to work such wondrous Deliverances already for us May never any Foreign Forces or Intestine Conspiracies prevail against him May never any Jealousies be somented between him and his People May he always think himself secure in the Hands of his English Subjects and may they know they are so in his Together with himself May God bless all his Dominions May they grow in Strength increase in Riches and excel in Honour May he keep stedfast the true Friends to the Government and baffle the Hopes of those that are not May he give Wisdom to the Wise and stop the Mouths of the Foolish 2. As the Consideration of our own Welfare and Interest prompts us to wish our selves all the Good imaginable so let our Compassion stir us up to pray for the Relief of our distressed Brethren the Protestants abroad May God in his due time as he once did the Children of Israel lead this his People through those Red Seas of Blood through those Wildernesses of Pains and Troubles if not into some pleasant Land here upon Earth yet to the Heavenly Canaan at last May he give them Constancy in their Faith and Patience under their Sufferings and whatever Numbers he is pleas'd to suffer to be diminish'd from the Communion of his Saints here upon Earth may he add to the Noble Army of Martyrs in Heaven Lastly Let us pray unto God that he would look down upon this sinful People of England and that he would avert those Judgments which we must confess might be our due Reward But instead of Judgments God has heap'd Mercies upon us of late he has first sav'd us from the Slavery of our Consciences and indeed of our Persons next he has frequently deliver'd us from the Devices of Wicked Men who have used several Ways and Means to ruin us sometimes by endeavouring to take off our King sometimes by corrupting our Coin and by many other Ways which Restless Spirits are fruitful enough at inventing And now at last he has crown'd all his Mercies to us in the Blessing of a Peace Thou hast made Wars to cease amongst us thou hast broke the Bow and cut the Spear in sunder as holy David speaks Nation shall not now lift Sword up against Nation neither shall they learn War any more says the Prophet Isaiah of the Israelites when they repented and turn'd unto God May We also repent and turn that we may have the Benefit of this Prophecy too May this our Peace prove firm and lasting and may we never again be embroil'd in Wars and Blood However I heartily wish that the King may never want such Subjects of such Skill and Courage such Loyalty and true Honesty to defend him our Country and our Church upon any Occasion as his late English Army was But then I will crave Leave to add this one Prayer to end all and I believe every Soldier that was in the Army I am sure every true English-Man that loves his Country will join with me and that is How necessary soever an Army may be in Times of Exigency for the Defence of our King our Country and our Church yet God grant that neither of them may ever again have Occasion to make use of their Swords or to try either their Skill or their Courage FINIS