Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	david_n	samuel_n	saul_n	1,780	5	9.7755	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42999	Self-contradiction censured, or, A caveat against inconstancy, and the inconsistent contrariety of the same mens pretences, principles, opinions and practices dialogue-wise digested into a deliberative discourse between affection and judgement : and intended to serve as spiritual physick for two great diseases of phanatick spirits, hypocritical deceitfulness, and enthusiastical delusion / by Christopher Harvey ...	Harvey, Christopher, 1597-1663.; Harvey, Christopher, 1597-1663. Aphēniastēs.	1662 (1662)	Wing H1044; ESTC R19273	60,139	192

be to be rightly informed whether they be good indeed or no. But for subordinate ends because in respect of those that are supreme they are but intermediate means we shall speak of them afterwards and for the supreme end of all you said well at the first that it must be the advancement of the glory of God that nothing must be intended at all but that which may be probably at least subservient thereunto Therefore without any further enquiry let us take it for granted that they who indeed propose unto themselves the advancement of the glory of God and they who profess and pretend to do so are so far forth to be approved of and they that so far neglect the glory of God as either to propose unto themselves or pretend unto others that they aim at such ends as are altogether contrary unto or any way inconsistent with the advancement thereof are so far forth blame worthy This I suppose there is no man so impudent as to deny and therefore I will not go about to prove it but proceed unto your next enquiry SECT XIII Instances of exceptions that may be taken to the choice of such means as may be conducible to the ends which they are used for Aff. THe next thing that I desire to be informed in is the choice of the means which I should use for obtaining of the ends which I propose unto my self These I suppose must be such as either of necessity must or at least in probability may be effectually conducible unto the ends I use them for Judg. That rule may be generally true and for the most part yet it is subject unto some exceptions and must be limited with divers cautions whereof I will give you these particular instances First some means may be conducible unto the general supreme end of all things the advancement of the glory of God which are not properly conducible unto some one particular subordinate end which you may aim at as subservient unto the general As for example the advancement of the glory of God was the general supreme end that St. Paul aimed at in preaching the Gospel in preaching the Gospel to the Corinthians freely and in taking wages of the Philippians he had divers particular subordinate ends yet both subservient unto the general and as the partticular ends were divers so the means he used to that purpose were different or rather contrary That the Philippians should communicate with him as concerning giving and receiving he was well content because he desired fruit that might abound to their account Phil. 4.15 17. But amongst the Corinthians he would be chargeable to no man that he might cut off occasion from them which desired occasion 2 Cor. 11.9 12. and being crafty might catch them with guile 2 Cor. 12.16 To preach the Gospel freely at Philippi and to take wages at Corinth though alike conducible unto the supreme and general had yet been destructive of the particular subordinate ends that St. Paul did aim at and intend Secondly some means may be properly conducible unto some particular subordinate ends that are not alwayes conducible unto but rather sometimes destructive of the general supreme end For instance the advancement of the glory of God was the supreme end that St. Paul aimed at in Preaching the Gospel the preservation of St. Pauls life and liberty was a special subordinate end subservient unto that general which both himself was careful of and the Churches prayed for Acts 23.6 17 c. Acts 25.10 11. Phil. 22. St. Pauls forbearance to go up to Jerusalem might in all probability have been a means to preserve his life and liberty but had been a means withal to prevent him of that opportunity which there was to be offered unto him of advancing the glory of God in being set for the defence of the Gospel which makes him so passionately put them off who earnestly besought and would fain have perswaded him not to go up to Jerusalem What mean you to weep and to break my heart Acts 21.13 And himself professeth afterward that the things which happened unto him had fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel Phil. 1.12 Thirdly some means in the eye of humane sence and reason may probably seem to be contrary unto or inconsistent with either the general and supreme or particular subordinate ends which men aim at and yet may be requisite and necessary to be used for the obtaining of those ends being specially warranted to that purpose by Gods own direction Thus to the end that God might advance his own honour by delivering the Midianites into the hands of the Israelites Gideons army of 32000. must be reduced unto bare 300. by Gods own appointment Judg. 7. Fourthly some means in the eye of humane sense and reason may probably appear to be either requisite and necessary or at least conducible unto the ends intended by them which yet must not be used as being either in themselves unlawful or by some special direction from God prohibited Thus the cutting off of Sauls life had in all probability been a speedy and effectual means of advancing the glory of God in hastening David to the quiet possession of the kingdom of Israel whereunto he had been ordained by God and anointed by Samuel yet David neither dare himself stretch forth his own hand against the Lords anointed nor suffer Abishai to smite him 1 Sam. 26.8 c. nay his own heart smote him because he had cut off Sauls skirt 1 Sam. 24.5 Thus the destruction of the Gibeonites was a probable means to perfect the conquest of the land of Canaan yet the children of Israel might not touch them because Joshuah had made peace with them and the Princes of the Congregation had sworn unto them although therein they had dealt unadvisedly yea contrary to the general direction which they had received from God himself Deut. 7.2 and in sundry other places and though all the Congregation murmured against the Princes for it Josh 9. Yea when almost 400. years after Saul in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah sought to slay the Gibeonites God punished it in the dayes of David with three years famine year after year and God was not intreated for the land till after that they had performed all that the King had commanded according to the Gibeonites request 2 Sam. 12. So to take the next way thorow the land of the Philistines might appear to be a ready means for the advancement of Gods glory in the speedy performance of his promise to his people in putting them into possession of the land of Canaan the lot of their inheritance Yet because God would have it so they must be led about thorow the way of the wilderness of the Red sea though there they wandered forty years together Exod. 13.17 18. Nay rather then go the direct way thorow the country of the Edomites without the Kings leave he refusing to permit them

Psal 26.2 Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reins and my heart and Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me As it is he that knoweth so it is he that declareth unto man what is his thought Am. 4.13 And if you be not willing to have your intentions thus tried and discovered unto you by him but dig deep to hide your counsels from the Lord you have just cause to suspect that you heart goes about to deceive you and that you purpose something else then you pretend Subordinate unto this may be your examination and tryal of your self in two particulars First if your pretended end be that which you intend indeed you will not rest satisfied with any thing else until you have attained it nay rather you will be impatient of every thing though otherwise good and convenient that you think may intercept or interrupt the accomplishment of what you mainly desire Thus Abrahams servant shewed plainly that he came not unto Labans house for entertainment but dispatch of his business when he said I will not eat till I have told mine errand Gen. 24.23 Secondly if your pretended end be that which you intend indeed you will rest satisfied with the accomplishment of that although you fail of other things which otherwise you might have had nay rather you will be glad and desire to be deprived of or debarred from any thing else how good or convenient soever it may be by loosing whereof the fruition of your main intended may be furthered Thus St. Paul shews plainly that the propagation and defence of the Gospel was his main design when he saith None of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I may finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testifie the Gospel of the grace of God Acts 20.24 Thus Mephibosheth shewed plainly that he was sincerely indeed affected unto Davids safety when he was content to have parted not onely with the half of his estate but even with the whole unto his own treacherous servant Ziba so long as he saw the King come again in peace to his own house 2 Sam. 19.30 SECT IV. How to judge of other mens intentions whether they be agreeable to their pretences or no. FOr other mens intents though you cannot so certainly know them as your own nor need alwayes to enquire after them yet when they are of publick and common concernment and are urged as motives to draw you into action with them it behoves you to take heed that your opinions of them be not lightly undertaken but upon good ground of reason which must be gathered from that evidence you find of likelyhood and probability for absolute assured certainty there can be none that what they pretend they purposely aim at and intend indeed and in the right apprehension and application of that evidence especially consists the exercise and use of that sound wisdom and discretion wherewith a good man guideth his affairs as the Psamist speaks Psal 112. 5. and whereby he is taught to walk uprightly and evenly between that weak and simple partiality which believeth every word and that uncharitable prejudice which not onely suspecteth but censureth also as unsound the most seemingly sincere professions To lend you some light in making this discovery let me commend to your consideration these particulars First that mens intentions are many times varied by the success of their actions and they alter their ends as means occasions and opportunities either frown upon or favour them And so sometimes that which was at first intended as an end comes afterward to be made use of onely as a means unto another end Thus the end that Absalom intended when he sent Joab unto David 2 Sam. 14.32 was the regaining of his fathers grace and favour but afterwards he made use of that grace favour for another end the promoting of his treasonable intent of usurping the kingdom which it may be before he dreamed not of And somtimes that which was at the first intended onely as a means unto a further end comes afterward to be rested in as intended it self without relation unto any other end Thus Jeroboam and the ten tribes intended or else pretended as the onely end they aimed at the making of their burthens lighter and their revolt from Rehoboam and the house of David seemed onely as a means to compass that end but afterward they rested in that as if they had all that they desired and never regarded to return again to their obedience upon any termes And sometimes men being crost in the ends that they before intended and coming to discover the impossibility inconvenience or errour of them utterly forsake them and set upon others Thus when St. Paul went to the high Priest and desired of him letters to Damascus the end he intended was that if he found any disciples of the Lord he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem Acts 9.1 2. But when he returned to Jerusalem the end he aimed at was the propagation of the Gospel and the confirmation of that faith which once he had destroyed If therefore you would judge aright of other mens intentions you must be careful to distinguish between their intentions that have been heretofore and those that are now otherwise you may be much mistaken Secondly consider that the success of mens actions many times either is or may be much different from the ends which they intend in them Thus Josephs brethren intended nothing less then his advancement in Egypt by Pharoah vvhen they sold him to the Ishmaelites yet God by that means brought it to pass And it may be the alteration of Religion to Idolatry was not intended by Jeroboam and the ten tribes when they revolted from the tribe of Judah and rebelled against Rehoboam and the house of David at least they made no shew thereof but onely the making lighter of that yoak which they conceived to be grievous and heavy yet the change of the government quickly brought forth the change of the Religion too Therefore you may be mistaken if you think that alwayes to have been the end intended in other mens actions which you finde to be the effect that followeth thereupon or if you think that such an effect will never follow upon such an action because it is not the end intended in it Thirdly consider that many men imployed at the same time in the same action may notwithstanding have divers intentions and propose unto themselves different ends Thus St. Paul complains Phil. 1 15 16 17. Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife and some also of good will The one preach Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel Therefore it is no good