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	ointment_n	zion_n	57	3	8.1773	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86660	The happiness of a people in the wisdome of their rulers directing and in the obedience of their brethren attending unto what Israel ougho [sic] to do recommended in a sermon before the Honourable Governour and Council, and the respected Deputies of Mattachusets [sic] colony in New-England. : Preached at Boston, May 3d, 1676, being the day of election there. / By William Hubbard ...	Hubbard, William, 1621 or 2-1704.	1676 (1676)	Wing H3209; ESTC W12661	72,888	77

only edifies in those times he found but few Timothies that cared for the good of others but many Demasses that fought their own good and many Diotrephers that sought their own exaltation and pre●erment with the under valuing and contempt of others could Christians but be perswaded to put off this private selfish worldly Spirit and put on humility and charity and man fest a publick Spirit how would it again revive the glory of New-England Churches We have many complaints amongst us could we but get our hearts stored with this Christian virtue it would prove as a Balm out of Gilead a sovereign remedy against all our troubles This Grace of charity in the compleat and perfect exercise thereof would heal all our divisions reform all our vices root out all our disorders make up all our breaches This would cure all the morellianisme and libertinisme in the Brethren of New-England Churches and it would cure also all the Prelacy and Presbyterianisme in the Elders of the said Churches we should presently then have better thoughts one of another for love thinketh no harm So for other Maladies and Distempers in our minds or distresses in our outward Estates Charity would be like the Widows Oyle that would never cease running till it had filled all the vessels This would pay all our debts and defray all our publick charges This would relieve all our distressed friends it would answer all the necessities of Church and State This would feed all our poor and clothe all our naked Brethren and support all our Widows and Fatherless ones It would maintain all our Ministers so that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel and this would at a more honourable rate and without repining afford the bread of the Governour In a word what would not charity do of this kinde publick Faith hath in several ages been bankrupt but publick charity never was yet The Churches Treasury of the primitive times that was supplied only with this spring of charity was never drawn dry Yea although the primitive christians were to encounter with all kinde of adversity they conflicted with Famine and Nakedness with all kind of wants yet was their Treasury never wasted All the powers of the Earth were combined against them and of Hell too yet it never failed I tell you if we could set up such a Bank of Christian Charity in New-England it would prove a richer Store-house then all the Spanish Mines or Banks of Venice or Amsterdam This would make such an equal distribution of the things of this life through the whole Camp of Israel that he who gathered much should have nothing over and they that gathered little should havo no lack for this with contentment would make godliness the greatest gains to all that traded therein Then would one Christian Brother Neighbour and Friend assist and strengthen each other and all endeavours would be firmly engaged to promote the common good Thus Honoured Reverend much respected and beloved in the Lord I have endeavoured to commend something to your consideration from these words speaking first unto you all in your several and distinct capacities and at the last have attempted to bind you up all together in one bundle with the Bond of Charity that bond of perfectness could all the heads and Leaders of our Tribes be twisted together by the Spirit of love it would make a threefold Cord that could not easily be broken it would make our Forces how weak soever in themselves become an host like the host of God though not in numbers yet in virtue and power against which our Enemies should not be able to stand up Were our Jerusalem thus compacted together the Gates of Hell with all their instruments would never be able to undermine it or prevail against it Sed hic labor hoc opus est It must be from him who hath the seven Spirits in his right hand whence this Spirit must be expected The time and the work of the Day commands me to have done and indeed I have but little more to add which is only thus much It was the observation of a wise Statesman in the former age concerning that famous and flourishing Common-wealth of the Romanes of old In republicâ Romanâ cives erant utilissimi optimé compositi qui aut consules populo favebant aut tribuni in partes senatus inclinabant i e. The Common-wealth of Rome never flourisht so well as when those in the highest place of Authority were wont to favour the interest of the Peoples Delegates and on the other hand when the delegates of the people were most apt to incline to the Rulers to maintain the dignity and authority of all such By proportion I may add it would tend not a little to the advancing a Christian state where Elders of Churches are very tender of the liberty of the Brethren and the Brethren likewise are regardful of the office power of their Elders where the elder people do encourage the younger with their gentle and courteous behaviour as well as with their grave Examples and prudent Counsels and the younger sort of people are ready to reverence the aged not behaving themselves proudly against the ancient where the rich are liberal bountiful and compassionate to the poor and the poor are likewise thankful and respective to the other and alwayes will when they meet be ready to bless each other in the name of the Lord as Boaz and his Reapers in the field When those of Zebulun have cause to rejoyce in their going out and the Children of Issachar dwell quietly and live comfortably together in their Tents at home calling the people to the mountains to offer the Sacrifice of Righteousness When one doth joyfully gather the fruits of the Earth as the other shall suck the abundance of the Seas and of the treasure hid in the Sands How good and how pleasant would it be for any one to see the Heads and Brethren of each of our Tribes thus to dwell together in Unity doubtless it would be as the precious oyntment on the head of Aaron our high Priest as the dew of Hermon and that which descended on the mountains of Sion when the Lord commanded his Blessing even Life for evermore FINIS

one mind judgment will all both joyntly and severally exert your most strennous endeavours for the promoting the honour and Glory of God and the good of those under your charge In which endeavours if you shall persist it may be hoped that as hitherto God hath owned your selves as well as your Predecessors to become as a wall and defence to his vineyard here planted so there may be still found of you that shall help to build the waste places and raise up the foundations of many Generations and that you notwithstanding the present Combustions shall be called the Repairers of the Breach and the restorers of pathes to dwell in It is possible you may be importunately molested with the clamours of these or those to make this or that change in your course to gratifie particular mens humours of which you need take no more notice then the skilfull Pilot at the helme uses to doe of the cryes of the unskilfull fearfull Passengers that think that course will ruine the vessel which is the only way to preserve it There is an old Fable that when there hapned a great contention about the weather those of the high Countryes complained that they were almost burnt up with drought for want of rain and those of the valleys said they were almost drowned for want of Sun-shining dayes Jupiter sent them word by Mercury the weather should be as it had been Possibly some under your Goverment are as ready to complain of too much restraint as others are of too much liberty I humbly conceive you cannot doe better then to let things be as they have been heretofore so to countenance and encourage those that fear God and work rightiousness but sharply to rebuke and timely to repress whatever is contrary to sound doctrine or apparently tends to hinder the power of Godliness and progress of true Religion with all other profaness or unrighteousness that under the shadow of your Government we may lead quiet lives in all godliness and honesty yet keeping in mind the wise caveate of our Saviour that in gathering up the tares you root not up the wheat also It is one great part of the unhappiness of this life that neither wise nor good men are all of one mind but yet all due care had need be taken that differences be made neither more nor greater then they are or carried on with such Animosity or bitterness as should prejudice the interest of Religion or welfare of the Commonwealth Yea possibly the differences in our minds that occasion most disturbance arise only from that which they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as if things were not strained at both ends further then the equity of the Rule will allow all might well hold together when the overstraining of things is oft times ready to break all to pieces If God in whose hand our times are and who sets the bounds of our habitations shall as he hath begun goe on to perform his whole work upon his people and send such rest unto his Churches here that the Answer to be returned to the Messengers of the Nations shall be The Lord hath founded our Sion and that the poor of the people shall trust in it How can it better be improved then by taking care that the Churches under your care in this Jurisdiction may be edified walking in the fear of God that the Lord our God may be with us as he was with our Fathers that he may not leave us nor forsake us nor our Posterity after us Which to effect I humbly conceive there is no way more probable then by interesting them as much and as soon as may be in all the priviledges that Christian Religion allows as they grow up to engage them throughly and seriously in all the dutyes it requires to take care that it be done by those whom it more immediately concerns is certainly a duty in special incumbent on your selves To this end I may commend to your Consideration the Political Fathers of the Country the example of Abraham whom we find both approved rewarded of God for commanding his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord and to doe Justice and Judgment that the Lord might bring upon him that which he had spoken of him If he were not much mistaken who said it was morally impossible to rivet Christian Religion into the body of a nation without Infant Baptisme by proportion it will as necessarily follow that the neglect or disuse thereof will as directly tend to root it out How far the Command given to Joshuah by God himself to circumcise the Children of Israel i. e. to take order that Circumcision should be used again among the people by that meanes to nowl the reproach of Egypt from off the Children of Israel may be looked upon as obliging to your selves I shall not now say ye doubtless if what was written or hapned to them was intended as matter of example and admonition to us upon whom the ends of the world are come some use may and ought to be made of such Declarations of Gods will Whatever Indulgence may be judged needfull to be used to some that may be of different apprehensions I have adventured to say something in the following Discourse for cleering the duty of Rulers in matters of Religion from mistakes and stating the bounds of moderate Toleration so far as the time allotted for such an exercise would allow not so much for direction to your selves as for the information of others who by their too much rigidness on the one hand or laxness on the other may be ready to obstruct the Churches peace but not promote the purity of Gospel Worship placidè contra sentientem ferre is no small piece of Christian prudence the want of which I fear hath done much hurt in this poor Country as well as in other reformed Churches Dissenters in Religion being not much unlike the Seditious in the State who by fair meanes may be gained but by too much severity are apt to run into uncurable opposition and obstinacy It must be owned for your future Honour that much hath been done by you to carry on the work of God in this Generation yet may it be feared that his words will be found too true a man much employed and approved by your selves while he was conversant in this world that unless many things were done for the further setling of the matters of Religion amongst us before this Generation went off the Stage they that came after would have cause to say that their Predecessors had left much of their work undone Thus craving your acceptance of this my small mite which I am willing to cast into the Churches Treasury under the countenance of your Authority I shall no further trouble you this way I have made no materiall alteration in any expression nor addition of any thing but what was intended to have been spoken if time would then have

supply the place of heads in Israel 3. The third and last respects the people in general or who ever are as Subjects under the care and conduct of the heads in Israel to all of whom I may say in the words of our Sauiour Luk. 10.37 go do you likewise Here is a compleat patern in the Text. Do you all say as Hush 〈◊〉 said His and theirs will we be whom God and his people by this dayes Election shall continue in or call unto the place of Government in this our Tribe God in his Providence hath in a way of subordination cast you under the charge of such heads as have understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do the inference is both very cogent very natural be you at their command You are called to do not dispute the lawful commands of them who are over you in the Lord and that by your own choice A notable General once going out of Rome and making a speech to the people as the manner then was before his departure out of the city among other things told them that if any of them thought themselves wise enough to manage the warre they should goe along with him to assist him by their counsel or else rule their tongues at home for he should manage things not it may be to their expectation but as he saw occasion It is observed in the history of the flourishing Commonwealth of the Romanes that much of their success could be ascribed to nothing more under the overruling hand of divine providence then the strict discipline and observation of order amongst them both civill in the Common-wealth in time of peace and military abroad in the time of warre One reports of a Souldier under Augustus that in the prosecution of a battle being about to slay one of his enemies that then was in his power hearing a retreat sounded forbore using these words malem obedire Duci quàm occidere Hostem accounting the glory of obedience to his Commander greater then that of victory over his enemy Here were a large field to expatiate in if time and other occasions would give leave to let the discourse run on that subject but considering in regard of the present distress of the war that hath lyen so long upon us that something may be expected from me on that account either to search after the cause why all this great evill is come upon us or by propounding something by way of remedy I shall in the next place apply my self to speak something as God shall assist that way The time was not long since that we in New-England might have said with Job the eye that saw us whither of friends or foes was ready to bless us or envy our prosperity and might be ready to say as Balam sometimes did when his eyes were opened as the beholding of the tabernacle of God amongst us in the midst of the Standards of our four united Colonyes encamping round about How goodly are thy tents O Jacob and thy Tabernacles O Israel Surely there is no divination against Jacob nor enchantment against Israel When the Candle of God shined upon our head by whose light we walked through darkness We washed our steps with butter and the rock poured us out rivers of oyl as Job speaks When God first brought this vine out of another land where it might be much over shadowed he cast out the heathen and planted it he caused it to take deep root and it was ready to fill the land the hills began to be covered with the shadow of it its boughs began to look like goodly cedars it might have been said in some sence that we sent our boughs to the Seas and our branches to the rivers But now we may take up the Lamentation following Why are our hedges broken down and the wild boar out of the wood doth waste it and the wild beast out of the field doth devour it It is burnt with fire it is cut down we perish at the rebuke of his countenance yet is he the Almighty we have looked up to him to behold and visit this vine but he seems not as yet willing to look down upon us he seems only to look on not willing to engage in our quarrels as a way-faring man that turns aside for a night as a mighty man that cannot save May we not expostulate further with the Psalmist The heathen are come into thine inheritance O God The dead bodyes of thy Servants some of them have they given to be meat to the fowles of heaven the flesh of thy servants to the beasts of the earth Their bloud have they shed like water and there is none to bury them How long Lord wilt thou be angry for ever shall thy jealousie burn like fire before thou pour thy wrath upon the heathen that have not and will not know thee nor call upon thy Name How hath the Lord covered our Sion with a cloud in his anger how many men and women here present may say we are the men and the women the persons that have seen affliction by the rod of his wrath Here is one like old Jacob ready to say his gray hairs will be brought down with sorrow to the grave and that he shall go mourning thither after the children of his old age There is another with Rachel weeping and will not be comforted because her children are not they are gone into captivity never to return or removed into the other world by the sword of the enemy Doth not many an one sit solitary in widdowhood that before might take much content in the husband of her youth that now of the children which they brought into the world have none to take them by the hand Surely affliction doth not spring out of the dust nor doth trouble arise out of the ground Doubtless there is some root of bitterness whence this Gall wormwood of affliction hath proceeded After this and that time of seeking God we looked for deliverance and behold trouble came Many sad troubles have befaln us in former years and now one of the sorest is come upon us the Sword and that of a cruel enemy which uses not to be drawn upon Gods owne people till lesser chastisements have proved ineffectual But some may say for what great evill is it that God hath thus changed his hand toward us and what may be the cause of this great Anger I shall offer my thoughts in a few words 1. In the first place I can presume none reflect upon the constitution of our Goverment either in Church or State Wise Master-builders have laid the foundation of the Building a better who can desire to be laid either for the liberty of the people or just power of them that rule Were not our foundations laid with Saphyres and our stones with fair colours Was not the patern in the mount the rule that was attended in the laying of our platform of Order Was there