Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	abide_v	rest_v	zion_n	26	3	8.7723	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01554	Two sermons tending to direction for Christian cariage [sic] both in afflictions incumbent, and in judgements imminent : the former on Psalm 13.1, the latter on Hebr. 11.7 / by Thomas Gataker, B. in D. and pastor of Rotherhith.	Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654.	1623 (1623)	STC 11681.3; ESTC S118743	126,618	154

faith for a man to trust Gods pledge or pawne more than God himselfe and so to trust him no further than he seeth or feeleth what he doth Yea thetruth is that in these cases when we dare trust God no further ●…orrely on him any longer than we haue so me pledga or pawne of his prouidence we must not him but we trust his pledge as hee trusteth not the poore man but trusteth only his pawne that dare not lend him ought but vpon his pawne And hereby may we try and examine the sincerity and the soundnesse of our faith what it is indeed that we rely vpon what it is that we trust to If we can say as DAVID here afterward in the shutting vp of the Psalme That we then trust in Gods mercy and expect safetie from him euen when hee seemeth to haue forgotten vs and to haue hidden his face from vs if we can then comfort our selues in the Lord our God when all other aids and comforts haue taken their leaue of vs. It is a feeble faith that cannot stand without stilts a lame faith that cannot goe without crutches Hereby will appeare whether a mans stilts beare him vp or no if hee be able to stand when they are taken away from him if he can it is a signe he rested not on them though he made vse of them if hee cannot it were they not his legs that vpheld him And hereby may it appeare what our faith and confidence is founded on whether on Gods word or his pledge his pawne or his promise If when the pledge or the pawne is gone yet our faith abideth stil firme it is a signe that it was fixed on God himselfe and not on it But if when it is gone our faith falleth to the ground it is a signe that our faith was wholly founded on it not on God or Gods word which abiding still firme our faith were it thereon founded would continue stedfast with it For Those that trust in the Lord saith the Psalmist are as Mount Sion that standeth fast and neuer stirreth And this is that that we should by all meanes labour and striue vnto that our faith may rest and rely on God himselfe and his infallible and vnfaileable word of promise not vpon the outward pledges and pawnes of his prouidence nor on the ordinary effects and fruits of his fauour that so when these shal be withdrawne yea and withheld long it may be from vs so that God may in anger seeme to haue hid his fare from vs and to haue forgotten vs which as we see hath beene o●…t-times the state and condition of Gods children yet wee may not be disheartened but see light euen in darknesse and be able to discerne the sweet sunne-shine of Gods fauour euen thorow the thickest clouds of his fiercest wrath So likewise for the Church of God when we shall see it either in generall or in some principal parts of it so left vnto the fury and rage of her malitions and mischieueus-minded Aduersaries that God seemeth not to regard it or what becommeth of it but euen suffereth them to haue their owne will vpon it in so much that as Gregory Nazianzen saith of his time Gods former prouidence and care of keeping his Church may seeme vtterly to faile and that hee hath ceased and giuen ouer to doe for it in these daies as hee had wont to doe in former times yea when we shall see it left in such plight not for a short space only but for so long a time together her enemies might and malice daily growing more and more and her meanes on the other side daily more and more failing and her might and power daily more and more impaired and impouerished that God may seeme cleane to haue forgotten her and to thinke no more of her but euen to haue cast her off for euer yet must we not despaire euen then of her preseruation and of the raising of her vp againe But as Iehoshaphat in his straights haue the eyes of our faith fixed vpon God and his word who hath promised and his promise shall neuer faile or proue false neuer to leane or forsake his though for a time he may seeme so to doe And wee must withall remember that this is no new matter but the same that oft-times hath befallen the Church of God formerly That mans extremitie is Gods opportunitie It is now time for thee saith DAVID Lord to put to thy hand when men haue euen destroyed thy Law So then is Gods time to helpe his Church when it seemeth readie to be destroyed and euen vtterly swallowed vp for euer Then is the fittest time for the Angell to call to Abraham to stay his hand when the knife is euen at Isaaks throat and he giuen vp now for dead And then is the seasonablest time for God to set in foot for the rescuing of his Church and children and the deliuerance of his chosen ones when the enemies dagger is at their very heart and they seeme now giuen vp for gone As Philo sometime told his people That he was verily perswaded that God would now doe some thing for them because Caius was so earnestly bent against them yea that then Gods helpe is nearest when man 's is furthest off As it is commonly said Where the Philosopher endeth there the Physitian beginneth and where the Physitian endeth there the Diuine beginneth So where mans aid endeth there Gods aid beginneth Deliuerance is oft nearest when destruction seemeth surest It is neuer fitter time for God to put to his helping hand than when all humane helpes that are wont to be as vailes and curtaines drawn betweene our eye and Gods hand doe vtterly faile When iudgement saith the Prophet was turned backe and Iustice stood aloofe off and Truth was fallen in the streets and Equitte could not enter and all true dealing failed and by refraining from euill men made themselues but a prey to the euill and the Lord saw it and wondred that no man would stand vp or put forth himselfe to stand for the truth Then did he himselfe put in to saue by his owne arme and by his iustice to support those that were readie to sinke Then put he on Iudgement as a Corslet and Saluation as an Helmet and Vengeance as a 〈◊〉 and Wrath as a Cloake to repay the furie of his aduersaries and to recompeno●… his enemies Then saith the Prophet God did thus and why not till then Surely to omit all other ends to get himselfe the more glory That they might feare the Name of the Lord from the West and his glorie from the Sunne-rising when with a blast of his breath hee should suddenly turne the Tide againe and the Spirit of the Lord should driue back yea and cary away the enemie that brake in like a fl●…d had surrounded a

great part and was like to ouer-flow and ouer-whelme all That ma●…s furie as the Psalmist speaketh might turne to Gods glory when by his bare rebuke with a word of his mouth both horse and chariot are cast into a dead sleepe and the troopes of archers are vtterly discomfited and the remnant of their rage is contrary to expectation restrained That he may be knowne and magnified for a mightie God and a powerfull Protector when though the Nations rage and the kingdomes are in such a commotion that the earth seemeth to shake withall and the very mountaines to be remoued and swallowed vp in the sea yet he suddenly stilleth all breaketh their bowes knappeth their speares a sunder and burneth vp their chariots and by a generall desolation and destruction of his enemies setleth such peace the whole world ouer for the behoofe of his Church and the freer passage of his truth as was in Augustus time when the Prince of Peace came into the world Fourthly Let vs learne in these cases to examine our selues where wee finde such things to befall vs whether we haue not beene or growne carelesse in endeuouring to retaine the fauour of God with vs and to maintaine the worke of his Spirit in vs and striue therein to be more feruent wherein formerly wee haue beene slacke For that is one cause why God is wont so to estrange himselfe from his children to fetch them home to him that are too prone to stray from him when he dealeth kindly with them and to make them more earnest and feruent in those things that they had waxed remisse and retchlesse in before when they were free from such afflictions that as water pent vp in a pipe shooteth vp higher than it would otherwise had it scope and space to disperse it selfe so our thoughts and desires that would otherwise be straying abroad and wandering in the ends of the world being by affliction and anguish straitned and restrained might be caried higher to heauenward as Noahs Arke was with the waters of the Deluge and confined vnto him whom they were wandring from before as the Chicken from her damme till shee be frighted with the Kite And this is the vse therefore that wee should make of such desertions that we be thereby incited to striue to hold that the faster that wee seeme in danger to lose that we stirre vp our selues to take faster hold on God as those that looke downe from some steepe place when they feele their heads begin to swimme or finde themselues in danger of falling are wont to take better hold of the raile that may stay them cling closer about him as the nurse childe hangeth on the nurse or the mother when shee seemeth about to leaue it or threatens to throw it downe and as the wheele of the water-mill the more violently the floud driueth it away from it the more violently doth it still turne againe vpon the streame So the more violently God with both hands seemeth to thrust and shooue vs away from him the more instantly and eagerly should wee enforce our selues to presse vpon him Since for that end he doth it not that he desireth to be rid of vs but that he may not lose vs that wee may come nearer home to him abide firmer with him and sit closer by him than formerly wee haue done like the father that when his sonne hath some way displeased him biddeth him away out of his sight though hee would be loth hee should so doe not to driue him away indeed but to make him draw nearer to him and by humble submission more earnestly endeuour to pacifie and appease his fathers wrath and seeke to regaine his fauour and good will againe or like as hee did with Moses when he bade him let him alone that he might destroy that rebellious and idolatrous people not that Moses should so let him alone indeed but rather that he might not leaue him but be the more earnest in suit with him on his peoples behalfe and not giue ouer till he had obtained his suit for them And in like manner should we be affected also in regard of Gods Church when wee shall see it to be in such estate as was formerly obserued We should make her case our owne and take occasion thereby to be the more instant with God that his face may be turned to it that seemeth to be turned from it and that in mercie and goodnesse hee will remember and thinke vpon her as his Spouse whom now when like a widow for lorne and desolate shee sitteth weeping and wailing he seemeth to haue forgotten and not at all to regard Thus may we obserue that DAVID concludeth diuers of his Psalmes made when he was in such estate himselfe with suit and supplication for the Church of God in generall Oh be fauourable for thy good pleasures sake to Sion and build vp the wals of Ierusalem And Deliuer Israel O Lord out of all his troubles His owne present condition was a meane to put him in minde of the afflicted and distressed estate of other of Gods seruants And the like vse should we all make either of Gods hand on our selues or of his dealings in this kinde with his Church and children abroad albeit we our selues remaine free You that are mindfull of the Lord saith the Prophet what euer you be be not silent be importunate with him and giue him no rest till he repaire Sions breaches and set vp Ierusalem againe to be the glory of the world For to this very end doth God oft as it were winke and withdraw himselfe from his people that wee may with strong cries on all hands awake and fetch him againe True it is indeed that God is not as Baal of whom Elias sometime said to his Priests Crie aloud peraduenture he sleepeth and you must wake him No he that hath the charge of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth And yet he winketh if I may so say and seemeth sometime to sleepe as our Sauiour slept in the ship when his Disciples were like to haue beene cast away the whilst and he doth thus sleepe to make vs awake hee seemeth to sleepe to make vs awake out of our sleepe and crie the louder to wake him out of his seeming sleep Vp Lord say they why sleepest thou Awake we beseech thee and stand not aloofe off for euer Why dost thou hide thy face away from vs and forgettest what misery and affliction we are in As the Disciples to our Sauiour when they awoke him out of sleepe Saue vs Master Carest thou not that wee perish And againe The Lord awaked as one that had beene asleepe Thus at this very present doth God seeme to be asleepe while the enemies of his Church daily preuaile and get ground of her and triumph ouer her Hee seemeth I say to sleepe