Selected quad for the lemma: land_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
land_n	abraham_n	call_v	canaan_n	1,554	5	10.1521	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41500	Prelatique preachers none of Christ's teachers, or, A Disswasive unto the people of God from attending the ministry (so called) of those, who preach by verture of an (Apocryphal) ordination, received from an order of men, commonly stiled Lord Bishops wherein arguments are tendered to their serious considerations, by way of motive against that practice ... .	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1663 (1663)	Wing G1192; ESTC R33795	80,325	88

without which he seems to imply that in respect of their more than ordinary indisposition to submit unto the Gospel being a wealthy and worldly-wise people and under several disadvantages otherwise there had been little likelyhood of their conversion to the Faith especially in such considerable numbers as now by this means had embraced it For upon some such account as this it is that he reminds them in these words Truly the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience in signes and wonders and mighty deeds 2 Cor. 12. 12. From this passage and the words next following with some others in these two Epistles it appears that God judged it necessary and meet that this his Apostle should make more use of his gift of Miracles amongst this people in order to their conversion and confirmation in the Faith then in any other place whither he was sent to preach the Gospel This plainly sheweth them to have been a Generation of men of that Character which our Saviour pointeth at in those to whom he said Except ye see signes and wonders ye will not believe John 4. 48. which temper or complexion of mind argueth a great estrangement in men from God and an utter un-acquaintedness with his Nature and Attributes Therefore the Apostle affirming the Corinthians to be the Seal of his Apostleship meaning an effectual proof and confirmation of the truth of it and that he received it from God intendeth it not in respect of their conversion by him simply considered but of those miraculous appearances of God with him for and in the effecting of it So that nothing can be concluded from hence to prove true conversion unto God to be alwayes or in all cases an argument or proof that that Ministry by which it is wrought is from God For the further clearing of which it may be considered 2. That God in his dispensations and applications of himself unto the children of men putteth a very great difference between times of ignorance and times of knowledge indulging many things in way of favour mercy and compassion unto persons offending through the ignorance of his will when this ignorance is not affectate or willingly and upon a cursed design of sinning more freely kept and maintained in the soul but hath been and is occasioned either by the scantness of Light or shortness of the means about them whereby to come to the knowledge of the truth or else by the weakness and flowness of their understandings or else by meer incogitancy or that backwardness of making district enquiry after truth which so easily and almost universally besetteth flesh and blood or lastly by means of a strong and flattering perswasion that they know the truth already and so need not make any such enquiry after it God I say is wont to make many large allowances in grace and favour unto those that are ignorant of his will upon any of the occasions now mentioned though they act contrary to it which he will at no hand indulge unto those that either know or easily may know it and yet will notwithstanding walk in the sight of their own eyes and in the ways of their own hearts This observation I verily believe for both number and clearness of Scripture testimonies may compare with any other truth asserted here The places that speak to the heart of it were they drawn together and a little argued would amount to a just Volume I shall mention onely one a Text well known and point to a few others And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day that is he now maketh known unto the world that he hath appointed a day for the day was appointed as much in the former times as now but things in Scripture are frequently said to be done when they are made manifest wherein he will judge the world in righteousness c. Acts 17. 30 31. It is evident from hence in the general for we must not now stand to scan particulars that God was much more favourable to the same kind of sinners who sinned in times of ignorance then he was resolved to be unto those that should sin in times of greater light If you question in the least the truth of the observation now propounded these Texts with their fellows of like import are of sufficient authority to set your judgements at liberty Luke 12. 47 48. Gen. 20. 5 6. Numb 15. 30 31. Psal 94. 10. 97. 6 7. Rom. 1. 18 19 20 21 c. 2. 8. John 9. 41. 15. 22. Luke 23. 24. Titus 3. 10. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Heb. 5. 2. 6. 4 5 6. James 4. 17. Unto these Scriptures I onely subjoyne for their Sympathy in notion a memorable saying of an ancient Father and Martyr The simple error or ignorance of men might be pardoned by God but when he hath inspired them with or discovered the truth if now they transgress they sin without the pardon or leave of ignorance meaning that they are not like to find that favour or mercy which God is wont to vouchsafe unto those that sin out of meer ignorance This Consideration leadeth us by a straight line to this Conclusion that during that long tract of time wherein God judgeth it meet to punish try and exercise the Christian world with Prelatical encroachments and the un-natural swellings of Episcopal Power and consequently to suffer the reasons understandings of those who otherwise might and doubtless would have detected and withstood those high Usurpations over his free-born Sons and Daughters to be so held or otherwise incumbred and diverted as to overlook the intimations of his mind in the Scriptures against those monstrous exorbitancies in his Church that God I say during the times of this ignorance and incogitancy amongst Christians might in mercy do good to the souls of some even by such a Ministry which he never allowed nor approved but onely tollerated until the times of Reformations yea and which he will not allow his people to countenance or credit by resorting unto it when once he hath caused the irregularity of it to be brought to light and the Gospel to utter and speak out that enmity which it beareth to it Nor is it like that when he shall have plainly and to the full conviction of reasonable and sober men discovered the nakedness and shame of it that ever he will have to do or co-operate with it either to the conversion or edification of any soul more And as Abraham lived well enjoyed the love of God throve in his estate and prospered in the world whilst he lived in his own Countrey amongst his kindred and in his Father's house before God called him out from hence to dwell in the Land of Canaan where he intended to bless and prosper him yet seven times more whereas had he disobeyed the call of God and continued in his Father's house still this call notwithstanding