Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A75501
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An Apology for God's worship and worshipers [sic] both in the [brace] purity of the one and liberty of the other : from the gracious and (oft) miraculous defence that God makes for them both, when exposed to violation or violence.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing A3543A; ESTC R43602
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185,797
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397
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of the Law but the device of his Heart and on the tother hand the division of ten Tribes ratified the way bored for Omri's Statutes all the Devout discouraged the best Priests and Levites ejected and so dead in Law that had any devotion for God's Temple Instituted things antiquitated and also Antiquity urged for a rule of Worship and the snares of malicious Priests laid and Malitia Troops set on Tabor and Mispeh by consent to Rob and Kill as Hosea 5.1 10 11 6.8 9. and hinders the Upright in going to worship a great Type and a fatal caution to later times that have by Papal Tyranny and her Sister Idolatry not done so but worse that now 't is come to it the Scepter and the Censer as two Pitchers so clash that one surely must crack man's Crown or Christ's Mitre 2. Now are Priests and that Tribe of inferiour Levites less guilty of Prophaning God's Altar and so exposing it to Injury and Violation For to instance in a few and some the best If Aaron himself that Saint of the Lord was so soon wheedled by the rude Rabble as in Exod. 32.1.5 to invocate Jehovah in and by a golden Calf so like to Egypt cross to that Law Moses now was gone for basely unfit to represent God no wonder others of less sight and sanctity prevaricate in like kind but it cost them Blood three Thousand him reproof it stamping to powder Moses grief the Tabernacle a remove and a Tang or Spice of that Calf in all Successions That Injury may the high Arch-Priests do to the Lord's Name if in sacred things they instead of God's will consult and act their own or others But herein Nadab and Abihu were tardy and stumbled at the threshold for no sooner was the Worship fixt and God's Fire illap'st to teach them what Sacrifice pleased but they Err at first in using common for that sacred Fire Levit. 9. ult 10 1 2. Offering to impose on God their Wills for his Word and as if it were a good plea to say Where is it forbid whilst he had not so commanded ver 1. and to show how fatal 't is to ignore a rule in Worship God blasts them both with strange Fire too Hall calls it a careless Presumption to serve God with common Flame as if he might not chuse the Forms of his own appointment when we bring Zeal without Knowledge Carnal Affections Misconceits for Faith devices of our will Worships and superstitious Devotions to God that is strange Fire he hates both Altar Fire Priest and Offering So fatal 't is to decline God's Institutions he oft revenges our doing what is not required And so struck some now to warn all after Vzah's sinsul contact of the bare Ark might seem less criminal or venial but by the fatal sudden death seems of as deep a Dye and dye he did for it in 2 Sam. 6.7 and that just for his Errour Vers 7. But see the Rashness and Presumption of the whole matter the Ark and he both are out of their place uno errore posito ponuntur mille it should have been born on the Priest's Shouldiers by Law 1 Chron. 15.13 and he placed a bearer of the meaner Utensils so David after recognized to the Priests So the omission in the first led on to presumption in that touch at last and both usher on death on one Vzzah but as a stroke on them all to caution us in them all not to temerate sacred Mysteries least we expose that Act to wrath by which we seek favour and the Agent to death or the Ark to privacy which is no small injury to Worship The two Sons of Ely and he relatively were not a little guilty of Injury to the Lord's offerings that many wayes personally they had scandalous Vices were Sons of Belial knew not God 1 Sam. 2.12 minded their Bellies and pleasing their Pallates not at all to pacify God made surrogates of their Servants with a tridentine Hook i.e. Hunger Rapine Force to strike in the Pot and gormandize all they got So all that came to offer were served and the Gut must be served e're God too so that the People were squezed by it and content to put in their Mouthes to avoid force as is said Micah 3.5 vers 13 -16 So that hence the Offerings so great was their Sins before the Lord was even abhorred of men vers 17. which was unavoidable though not commendable for sacred Offerings while they answered the end nothing more acceptable but if corrupted by Male-administrators as these two were the Sons of Ely who can expect clear Water through polluted and poysoned Conduits Their Lives belyed their Lips like the Priests of degenerate times that taught the way to Heaven went to Hell were directers to others in Rights but still neglecters of themsemlves in Substantials thought it good to say Do as I say not as I do When alas the vulgar as Seneca observed Plus vivitur exemplis quam prescriptis Thus the worship was violated and people naseated yea the Women vitiated at the Door openly and the Ark of God at last his strength and glory given to the Philistines and that for about forty six Years so dissettled it and all regular or instituted Worship that till the Ark is on Zion no old Tent is fit to lodge it it will sooner retire in a private House that is an injury to God's publick Ordinances One way more I instance in that both Ahaz the King and Vriah the Priest are joynt-sharers injurious to Worship and that is in 2 Chron. 28.23 on to the 25th Verse The King by his Wars and Travels abroad as oft our Gentry do travelling to Rome brings new but false Gods home to him sends a Pattern of a gaudy Altar seen at Damascus to Uriah the Priest the King's command sinfully imposes the Priest not like Azariah his valiant Predecessour that withstood Vziah ch 26.19 nor like to himself once a faithful Witness Isa 8.2 but as a vile Apostate more sinfully obeys a mandate implied in a pattern sent of a new-fashioned Altar and he makes it ready so complies with a double Imposition of Ahaz 1. Innovoting a forreign Form an Altar from abroad on which himself first offers 2. Antiquating the Lord's brazen Altar in a corner as Obsolete 2 Kings 16.12 15 16. a Sin aggravated first by the time in his distress when he most needed God's help to save Secondly By the sense God put on it 2 Chron. 28.23 he calls it a sacrificing to the Gods of Damascus that yet help't him not at all so is branded as that Ahaz and it grew also to other Injuries of which afterward in secluding of Worshippers so aggravating the guilt by higher acts of Violence Oh! for a man in straitness to sin more beaten and slighted abroad to serve the Gods that distress him to induce a Devotion that devours his Treasures to help a King that plotted his and his Subjects ruin is at the same time
But to say In God is my Expectation Psal 62.5 7. is also a Glory and is pronounc't now blessed and that many times over tho its bliss is yet little felt or seen till after in the event 2. Saints Expectation ends well as to Enemies in nature we say a still serenity is a sign fore-running sore Tempests and shaking Earthquakes I look that the still hopes of the Saints may have sudden Hail Storms Earthquakes after yea and Heartquakes soon What follows on waiting Why God rises to the Prey to pour out some Cataracts of fury Zeph. 3.8 with pain on the head of the Wicked Jer. 23.19 There were Thunders that followed the ascent of Incense in Saints Prayers and a silence went afore half an hour Rev. 8.1 3. But I am sure the seven Trumpets will be loud in our Age v. 4 5. And the seventh of them sounds such a Thunder as will flash terrour in the Eyes and Hearts and Fire on the Throne of the Beast ch 11.13 For God hath said it Blessed are all they that wait for him Isai 30.18 3. Glory in your Shield and Shelter boast of it and walk suitable unto it the Shields of the Earth belong to God Psal 47.9 The foregoing Words mention the Gatherings of the People of the God of Abraham to note that God guides and weilds the Shields of the Earth for the guarding of the Seed of Abraham They that bear the Sword to punish the Evil should also have a Shield to protect the Good Hence good Judges were to defend the poor People so did Tola after Abimelech that Bramble is grub'd up Judg. 10.1 So is it given in Charge again Psal 82.3 That so they may be like God or else he oft recalls that trust if not truly stewarded and puts it in others or takes it in his own hand Now for God to grant a meanes of defence is a favour far more to be so and that when all humane Refuge is withdrawn This David own'd with Thankfulness All Refuge failed none cared for my Soul Psal 142.3 4 5 6. The Cryes of naked Dependance on God are most successful And again the kindness of divine Defence and Salvation most obliging to gratitude the exigence of the Case did exagerate the Care and Kindness of God He being now in the Cave as says the Title In another Psalm he admires the Bliss of them that know the joyful Sound Psal 89.15 i.e. of Aarons Bells and Pomgranates heard in access to the Altar-Service and of the shout that attended with the Silver Trumpets sound in Token of God's Acceptance that still was a joyful Sound and blessed to hear v. 17 18. for many reasons one is this for the Lord is our Defence and our King It is then a blessed thing to enjoy God over and in our Meetings for Worship to cover shield and defend them from all Distractions that Satan gives us within or Disturbance that happens without One Psalm more I urge that is his Appeal for Revenge against the Throne of Iniquity that gathered themselves to condemn the Guiltless Psal 94.20 How came that Appeal off Why v. 22. tells us But God is my Defence and the Rock of my Refuge Nothing that in perils God is the only last Refuge and the last verse is an Instance of God's last Revenge on his Enemies in cutting them off in their Iniquity v. 23. If God receive our appeal and be our Defence wo to them that give him and his the Offence Now that our boast herein may be great think thus with your selves How many persons are retired in Solitude Nay some Preachers that have Bands laid on them as Ezekiel had a long time in Babilon and that both by Men's Prisons and also by Providence God punishing oft the Peoples Sin in the Preachers silence That of their Sin is in one Chapter Ezek. 3.24 25 26. The other is cited ch 4.8 God lays this on him as a Type of Christ and a sign to both the Houses of Israel's and Judah's long Exile Many Days says Hosea without Priest c. Hos 3.5 Hence it follows They shall seek a Vision of the Prophet but the Law shall perish from the Priest Counsel from the Antients Ezek. 7.26 And next the King mourns and the Prince is clad with Desolation the one silenc't the other must sorrow But yet twice at least Ezek. 11. ult after a Promise is given him of an open mouth a revival of Prophesie ch 24.27 at the budding of Israel's Horn ch 29.21 Some observe a difference in the two Temples as to Prophesy the 1st had it 430 years the 2d had it but 40 years and after Malachi was only Bath-col the Daughter of a Voice Here I cite a Passage of a late grave good Man on this The Jews had five Megillaths Mr. Will. Greenhill on Ezek. 1. p. 4. 9. Vol. 1. two of which the 4th and the 5th were read that of Esther on Adar the Plot of Haman being then discovered and broke this of the Lamentation read at the end of July O pray our Lamentations begin not before for as he in another place says Our Sins quickly silence the Spirit of the Prophets and this Judgment may this Land fear the distance being so great betwixt the Word and our Lives but let us turn it to a Prayer to prevent it for if it comes Ut supra p. 380 it will be the dreadfullest that has been these 80 years in England If things go on that men design for one now silent or one bleating Sheep in solitude hundreds will soon follow till we are as a Beacon on a Hill Isai 30.17 So thankful should we be for present Peace And what a fellow feeling ought we to have for the dispersed Supplyants that know not where to bring their Offerings are drove from convenient places by force and find no Houses peceptive without hazard and Brethren morose timerous supercilious and so shy of their Places and Seats that some are glad to sit down silent and useless to avoid giving any let or trouble to others and so many hundreds are scattered for want of room to worship God in But I rather bless God that any are let in than complain of being secluded the Lot of some in suffering Times being still to be Forerunners to others and often the last may share deeper for the delay Howbeit ought not we that have more protracted Peace Christian Liberty quieter Vicinity stiller Sabbaths to return the Fruits of God's Vineyard let out to us by a far longer tenure than to others It will be soon known if men prosper a while whether any shall escape or we shall all stand or fall at once If that Dispensation of the two Witnesses or the Prelude to their slaughter be at hand how like is our Case to that prediction of one If these meaning Papists have their Wills Burr on Hosea 2.15 p. 516. and our Door of hope be shut expect Parliaments no more or never