Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	aaron_n	garment_n	zion_n	56	3	8.3179	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89582	A sermon preached to the two Houses of Parliament, at their solemn meeting to praise God for his infinite mercy in the restoring of the said Houses of Parliament to their honor and freedome with so little effusion of blood: at the Abbey-Church in Westminster, Aug. 12. 1647. / By Stephen Marshall, B.D. Minister of Finchingfield in Essex.	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1647 (1647)	Wing M779; Thomason E401_29; ESTC R201798	19,695	33

and is it not a mercy when God will prevent this But secondly Looke upon civill wars and you will judge them a greater judgement when brethrens Swords come to bee drawne against their brethren when a mans deadly enemies must prove those that were his old companions when Cities are divided among themselves and Countries among themselves and all the miseries of Warre come to bee inflicted by them that have beene acquaintance and deare to us when safety and shelter may as soon be expected among enemies as old friends let all men that have understanding say whether this doth not double or treble the miseries of warre had it been an enemy that had done mee this displeasure I could have borne it but tu Brute thou my friend and companion that these things should come from thy hand all men know how deepe this sinkes this teares the heart of man in peeces Solomon saith that a brother offended is harder to bee wonne then a strong City and they are like the barres of a strong Castle it 's hard breaking of them but when once they are divided they are more hardly joyned as wee say of a strong Cord made up of a great many threds it is hard to bee broken but when it is broken you 'le hard ever sew it againe to make it strong by how many arguments any did perswade their hearts that they should not receive plunder or spoile or mischiefe from such a man or family from so many arguments ariseth a difficulty if not impossibility to be reconciled and hence arise lasting grounds of animositie enmitie and hatred scarce ever to bee worne out when upon every meeting this thought is suggested This is the man who as an enemy entred my habitation and spoyled my wealth it may bee murdered my children or parents ravished my wife or daughter adde further that frequently in these civill broyles the victory ends not the occasion or ground of the quarrell nor takes away but increaseth the former misery the conqueror commonly proving insolent inhumane cruell and more grievous to the Common-wealth then the thing or persons were against whom men have fought that I may boldly set downe for a certaine the conclusion of a wise man that civill warres are not onely a Malady but a fiery sicknesse even a Frenzie to a State and how ever God sometimes brings good out of them as sometimes men have better health after a deadly sicknesse yet for the most part States are never made better but very often ruin'd by them and when once the seed of it hath tooke deep root in a Land if God from heaven doe not miraculously appeare that fire burnes till all is consumed And is it not then a mercy from God seasonably to prevent brethren when they are falling into civill warres thereby to devoure and destroy one another But thirdly which is nearest to my Text and indeed nearest to the occasion of our meeting The greatest misery of all miseries in the world is When Brethren of the same Religion when Gods people and servants come to bee so farre prejudiced against one another or mistaken that they come to imbrew their hands in one anothers blood this I say is the heaviest judgement that ever God powres upon his Church and people There is nothing so contrary to Christianitie the Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of peace his holy Spirit is a Spirit of peace his children are all called the children of peace and by their Covenant and duty bound to live in peace if it bee possible they must live in peace with all men but among one another they must keepe the unity of this Spirit in the bond of peace there must nothing hurt or destroy in the Lords holy mountaine wch is his Church now when these that are one body have one spirit have one Father one Lord one hope one Baptisme one hope of their calling one everlasting inheritance prepared for them that these should so farre deny their Christianitie as to imbrew their hands in one anothers blood and not bee content to let one another live and breath on earth with whom yet they hope to live eternally and triumphantly in heaven O qu●a dementia Quisialia fando temperet à lacrymis who is able to thinke of it without horrour what upon earth brings forth so cursed fruits as warre amongst the people of God Infinite dishonour to Gods name when his redeemed covenant servants walke so contrary to his rule Religion becomes a stumbling blocke a thing even therefore abominated by the enemies of it when the professors of it shall bee looked upon as factious seditious turbulent bloody hatefull and hating one another it overthrowes all power of godlinesse in their owne hearts when once the grace of Love which nourishes all good in the hearts of Gods people is overthrowne and the Spirit of God thus quenched in them grace decayes and the wofull fruites of Satan and sinne prevaile over them and now they grow corrupt in their mindes and conversation loose from their God bitter against their brethren companions with wicked men with whom they joyne against their brethren and so leave their Religion profession and name as a curse behind them Now to have all these prevented not onely warre and civill warre prevented but brethren in Religion who are the Lords people hindred from destroying one another when God seasonably apppeares to prevent all this Is it not a mercy worthy the acknowledgment To all this I might adde the excellency of the blessing of peace which is hereby preserved that blessing which is the Jewell of the world yea the unitie peace and love of the Church and people of God preserved by such a seasonable prevention which is such a mercy as no tongue or pen is able to expresse Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity This is like Aarons garment this is like the dew upon the mountaines of Sion which makes every seed and every plant of Gods planting to prosper where this is the Lord commands his blessing even life for evermore A large Volume would not contain what might be said of this precious Jewell which is hereby preserved But all this further cleares it that it is a mercy worth abundance of praise when God seasonably appeares to prevent his peoples engaging in Warre one against another I come now to the Application of it and there are but three Uses that I shall make of this Lesson First This Lesson doth speak very sadly against severall sorts of People If it be so great a Mercy when God will prevent his peoples destroying one of another then certain it is a great curse for any to bee guilty of making Gods people destroy one another that is clear Therefore al such are guilty as are the Moral causes of the destruction of Gods people in blood and war I mean who live in such sinnes as

to settle the Kingdom in Civill peace and Libertie when Jehu cut God short in matter of Reformation God cut the Civill State short in matter of authoritie libertie and wealth and gave them up to be like the Summers threshing 4. As you should regard his truth worship Ministry so you must love countenance and incourage his people let your eyes bee upon the godly in the land consider their sad condition at this time they are not onely hated by wicked men but extremely divided among themselves bee you pleased to reach forth a healing hand try whether God will honour you so far as to helpe to reconcile the divisions that are between Gods people that those things that rund and divide their hearts and affections one from another may be taken away make it your care and God will administer not onely occasions but will help you to do it Begin it first in your houses set an example to others to follow you Oh that God would perswade you to beleeve that God hath shewed you the mercy of this day for this very end that you are as Joshua the High Priest Zach. 3. 2. so many brands shatcht out of the fire that you might keepe his charge and build his house I am sure Gods portion in the land hath been your safety hitherto and if you be faithfull in this work it will bee your security for time to come Religion is Gods glory it will bee your glory and the Lands glory yea the Lands security The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Sion and upon her assemblyes a cloud and smoak by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall bee a defence let this then bee your first and greatest care to look to Gods interest in the Kingdome 2 For setling the Kingdom in matters of civill liberty and Peace that you would remember it is unity of hearts and not power of Arms that must settle England and had you an Army ten times as good and great as it is unlesse you carry your affaires so as to satisfie the hearts of honest men of men that will be satisfied with Reason though you may carry things on while your force compels men yet things so set up will not long continue the kingdom will be divided and you divided with them and we shal be in danger to be ruined all together therfore I beseech you let the interest of men who will bee satisfied with honesty truth justice c. be consider'd in their due place carry things so that no moderate men may wish they had power in their hands to dissolve or cut in pieces that peace and establishment which you shall make yea I could wish that even such as are lyable to just exceptions might be gratified with favors so far as there is hope that they may be won Desperatio fasit audaces ac fortes he was a wise Statesman who said Saevitia victoris sape facit magnas seditiones ex parvis Severity of Conquerors oftentimes makes great seditions to arise out of small ones But these things I onely mention you are wise and know what is best in things of this nature This I am sure of stand you for God and he will guide and honor you study to settle Truth Peace and Unity in the Kingdom and that God who hath now given you such a deliverance beyond your expectation doth well know how to repair your Honor to take away your reproach out of the land in one day to make you the most honorable and renowned Parliament that ever was and can make all these things that have been your discouragements and abasements to prove so many scales or degrees to raise you higher in the thoughts of God and man Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things FINIS Introduction Shewing the suitablenesse of the Text to the occasion The sum of this Chapter from verse ●0 to the end A discord between the two Tribes and half and the other Tribes Wherein two things 1 The originall of this quarrel 2 The making up of this breach or quarrell Some generall observations our of this story Doct. It 's a great mercy when God seasonably appeares to prevent his peoples ingaging in war one against another 1 Sam. 26. 32. 2 Sam. 20. Esay 9. 19 20. 21. Ier. 13. 14. Prov. 6. 19. Matth. 5. 9. This Doctrine further cleared by shewing three things 1 2 3 1 Warre is a sore judgement 2 Civill warre a greater judgement Prov. 18 9. 3 Warre of Gods people one against another the greatest of all judgements Rom. 12. 18. Ephes. 4. 3. Esay 11. 9. Psal. 133. per torum Application 1 For Reproof of three sorts 1. Of such as live in such sins as bring down judgements 2. Of such as are Physicall causes who endevor to engage Gods people in War one against another Gen. 49. 56. 3 Nor are they to be excused who praise not God for the mercy of this day Iudg. 21. 3. Vse 2. To provoke to blesse God for the mercy of this day 1. 2. The greatnesse of this deliverance appeares by considering foure things 3 4 1 The sad occasion of it 2 The persons ingaged in the preparation of a new war 2 3 3 The nearenesse of our danger 4. The consequents of it 1. 2. 1. Vse 3. 3 Exhort to improve this deliverance to right ends 1 To all who fear God to study peace and reconciliation since our Father is so unwilling we should fight 1 More especially it concerns the Parliament to impr●ve it 1 To search why God thus abased them Esay 35. 2 To attend their great worke now he hath thus restored them In making Religion their greatest care 2 King 10. 30. Zach. 3. 2. Esay 4. 5.