Selected quad for the lemma: land_n
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B04185
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Sermons on several subjects; shewing Gods love to mankind. Salvation is by grace. Wilderness-provision. God a strong hold in trouble. Light is to be improved. / By J. Lougher minister of the gospel.
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Lougher, John, d. 1686
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1685
(1685)
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Wing L3093C; ESTC R180071
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105,071
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248
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when he yielded to his Mother to endeavour the attaining it by lying and dissembling what abundance of trouble did he bring upon himself by it Therefore trust in the Lord for ever and lean not to thine own understanding 4. When God intends to raise and advance his people he will bring a day of trouble upon them to fit and prepare them for it A man that purposeth to build a house high will lay the foundation low So God inflicts much trouble upon his servants and brings them low by afflictions because he intends to advance and advantage them thereby By the oppressions of Egypt and by the perils and troubles of the Wilderness he prepared Israel for the Land of Canaan Before Joseph had a golden Chain put about his neck and was raised to honour by Pharaoh he must have his feet in the stocks and undergo various troubles As David grew nearer the Kingdom so did his troubles increase and so he grew fitter for a Crown by his crosses His Soul was as a weaned child Psa â— 31.2 By troubles he was so humbled as to be in less danger of being proud 〈◊〉 made worse by his honours He miâ—â—â— more safely enjoy the pleasures of 〈◊〉 Court without danger of surfeiting 〈◊〉 his ruine When God intended to dâ—â—ble Jobs estate he stript him of all 〈◊〉 had so that he who in the morning 〈◊〉 the richest man in the East was at nigâ—â— poor to a proverb As many tiâ—â— after great manifestations of his loâ—â— the Lord humbles his people by gâ—â—â— desertions and sore temptations in thâ— Spirits so in his providences Lâ—â—â— observed that before God honouâ— him to do any great piece of servicesâ— his name he would exercise him wâ—â— some sore affliction or humbling dispeâ—â—tion There is a time wherein 〈◊〉 will make the place of his feet gloriâ—â—â— or glorify the house of his glory 〈◊〉 in this World Isa 60.7 13. But 〈◊〉 fore this comes to pass there may 〈◊〉 such a time of trouble as never was 〈◊〉 the nearer the glory comes the greâ—â—â— may be the trouble as the nearer a 〈◊〉 man in travel is to deliverance 〈◊〉 stronger and more painful her thâ—â— may be and it is darkest a little befâ—â—â— the day breaks When God inteâ—â— his people a Joyful harvest they 〈◊〉 first expect a wet seed-time They that sow in tears shall reap in Joy They that go forth weeping bearing precious seed shall return again rejoycing bringing their sheaves with them Psal 126.5.6 5. When God intends to make a compleat and full destruction of his and his Churches Enemies Hence it was that Israel was in such great trouble because God intended to get himself glory upon Pharaoh and upon the Egyptians in their utter overthrow This may inhanse and raise the troubles of Gospel-churches in these last days of the world because God hath a great design to execute the vengeance written against Antichrist and to save his people from his Iron yoke There shall be such a time of trouble as never was saith Daniel Chap. 12.1 and then shall Gods people be delivered and consequently their enemies ruined for these mostly go together As when Mordecai and the Jews had a great deliverance from troubles Haman and his Complices had a dreadful overthrow These like the buckets in a Well the one coming up the other goes down If the wicked rise the righteous mourn but when those perish these rejoyce These are the seasons of the Churches troubles Qu 2. But you will say What are 〈◊〉 reasons of their troubles To this I aâ—swer An 1. To take away their dross aâ—â— and purge away there sin By this sâ—â—â— the iniquity of Jacob be purged namely bâ—â— troubles and afflictions Esa 17.9 〈◊〉 this is all the fruit to take away his sin Tâ—â— fining Pot is for Silver and the Furnace fâ—â— Gold Prov. 17.3 God put his Gold inâ—â—â— the Furnace of affliction to take away iâ—â— dross and make it more pure and 〈◊〉 fined Flesh and blood will shrink at thiâ— but grace will close with it for it is 〈◊〉 blessed design of love God hath in thiâ— to bring them forth vessels of honoâ—â— meet for his use and ready for everâ— good work 2. To prevent their sinning and 〈◊〉 their ruine As God is pleased to pâ—â—vent the infection of the air by thundâ—â— and lightning which do much clarify iâ— and to keep the Sea from putrifying 〈◊〉 the winds and the constant motion of thâ— Waves so he preserves his people froâ— much hurt and danger by their troubles He sees how apt prosperity is to infeâ— them and they to surfeit upon creatuâ—â— fulness he sees an empty cup is betâ—â— for them than a full better to go awâ—â— from a table hungry than a glutton and â—hirsty than drunk When God gave â—srael what of outward things they desired â—t was their ruine by reason of their sin Psal 106.15 3. To discover what is in them both of sin and grace They neither know the one nor the other till tried by troubles â—nd then they often find more sin and less grace than they made account of When the Waters are roiled the Mud rises which was at the bottom not seen before O says a Christian when stirred by troubles and passions rise I did not imagine there had been so much impatience and discontent so much pride unbelief and â—rowardness and worldliness as now I find â—n my heart I thought faith and patience â—nd other graces had been more strong â—han they are alas how weak are they â—f any at all I thought I could have wrested with any trouble and not have had â—n impatient rising against God's providence but now I see I am mistaken in my â—elf Thus Peter thought he should have died rather than denied his Master but when trial came he found how much he was deceived in himself It is easie for â—o talk of War in a time of Peace but 〈◊〉 Souldiers valour is known in a Battel Troubles discover whether men wiâ—â— adhere to God his truth and ways â—â—swim down with the stream and turn wiâ—â— every wind For men then to stand thâ—â—â— ground is something but how often is thâ— timorous weakness of many great Profeâ—sors then discovered We say commonly we cannot know a man throughly till wâ— have summer'd and winter'd him so it 〈◊〉 here God brings a Summer of prosperiâ—â— that discovers the weakness of many bâ—â— then comes a Winter of adversity and thâ— discovers others He that well bears boâ—â— is a strong Christian indeed When theâ—â— is a great deal of Rain we see what weeâ— were in the ground that were not difâ—â—vered before Little do good men thiâ—â— or believe the corruptions that are 〈◊〉 them till by a day of trouble they shâ—â—â— themselves When Absalom was takâ—â— away by death then was David's passâ—â— and inordinate affection to him maâ—â— known beyond what one would haâ—â— thought to be in him You may obserâ—â— in some Professors a very loving