Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	able_a	enemy_n	zion_n	51	3	8.9823	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11074	Meditations of instruction, of exhortation, of reprofe indeauouring the edification and reparation of the house of God.	Rous, Francis, 1579-1659.	1616 (1616)	STC 21342; ESTC S100007	103,738	488

wicked so blind so subiect to euery passion and vice was neuer let out as he now is from the hands of a most wise and powerfull essence and that to gouerne a great world whereof hee is not worthy as he is to be a partie he being so extremely vitious and corrupt and most creatures being more orderly then himselfe 7. Part. Againe another folly and blindnesse of theirs is that they see not the resurrection it is impossible that the end of mans bodie should bee this present life For then might we say with these Author that there might be some pleasure taken aboue in the torments here below For what generally doe wee see here but miseries paines oppression diuers tortures diuers deaths diuers heart-breakings care within and labour without a few onely liuing in some ease of which again but a few scape a great taste of miserie Indeed were there no life but this we might verily think that man was appointed to be borne to liue and die in a Iayle wherein hee is tied and bound vp to miserie and that this world was set forth for a spectacle of torments massacres wherein wee should infinitely wrong the infinite wisdom and goodnesse of the great cause of al things But as we haue learnd of God our own fall and present miserie so withall wee haue learned a remedie for our fall and a way out of this miserie into felicitie We know and belieue that the bodie dying returnes into that which it was and that is dust and if being dust at first it was then quickned wee know hee that quickned dust at first can quicken dust at last hee being the same for euer yea wee know that small portion of his Spirit which is in vs is abundantly able to performe it Wee doubt not but a little power included in an Acorne is able to raise out of it a mightie Oake because wee see it and we may as easily belieue that this Spirit which now shewes a farre greater power in our sanctification may also raise out of our dust a heauenly and glorious bodie To him that hath done so great workes daily seene there wanteth no power to do as great things yet vnseene For God hath not bounded his power by his works but if his wil be to worke more his power is still sufficient to proceede in working Now that it is his will his word doth plainely shew blessed bee hee who hath both willed it and shewed it and God the Author of these and all other good gifts stablish vs which belong to him in the knowledge and embracement of this his sauing truth that liuing and dying therein we may passe from this life which is worse then death vnto a true life of blisse and happinesse Part. 8. Another thing which flesh and blood hath not fully discouered and which hath been the author both of our fall and miserie and implieth a necessitie of a preseruer and redeemer is a State body politicke and kingdome of euill spirits which effectuall in craft mightie in power diligent in watchfulnesse and hauing all these their powers emploied and moued by an endles and great malice towards mākind go stil about seeking the mischiefe and ruine of weak silly man vnable of himselfe to stand against this Leuiathan and therefore necessarily wanting the helpe of a preseruer and redeemer Without a preseruer we cannot preuent the euils to come for against so mighty enemies we must bee hedged about with a prouidence mightier then the force of our enemies els can we not be safe from our enemies but shold be continually deuoured by them And we neede a redeemer for y e euils already by these enemies brought vpon vs for these euils we our selues can by no meanes take from our selues nor free our selues from the tyranny which Satan hath alreadie brought vpon vs. Therefore this strong man must bee bound by some stronger then himselfe and so we which were before his possession may be made free from that bondage Now the highest power only is master of this power of darknesse and therefore he only must performe this worke Some short and small viewes of some outward bodily and dissembled workings of these Principalities the Heathen haue obserued in their stories of witchcrafts oracles and apparitions which witnesse against themselues that there are such a people and that at times they are very mischieuous and malicious but the craft of this kingdome is so great the ignorance of man so grosse that sometimes vnder the shew of doing good as cures and the like and sometimes by foretelling future euents so hiding still their principall malice which was to the soule and eternall life of man they haue won silly men to take them for gods who are their sworne and most fierce enemies so farre are men from knowing they are a kingdome combined against mankind But Christ by his doctrine and the doctrine of his seruants the Apostles hath described them by name hath shewed their nature hath set foorth their malice and rage against man which begunne with the first man and continuing from thence increase now towardes the last of men Hee hath also set foorth a remedie against all his hurt and power and that is euen in this flesh which in the first man the Diuell conquered For God will shew to his owne glorie and the vtter confusion of this proud malicious Prince that by that verie weake creature which no way heeretofore was not able to match with him God is able to breake his head if hee doe but vnite and ioyne himselfe therewith And that of these men which thus were in the first man foyled and ouercome hee is able to set vp a kingdome mighty and durable which shall stand invincible in this world against the powerfull kingdome of Satan and the vnpreuailing gates of hell and shall at last ouercomming these mightie enemies passe victorious vnto glorie and life euerlasting Euen this performe in vs O Lord thy weake seruants weake in our selues but strong in thee Let thy power in vs ouercome that power which without thee would ouercome vs. And let vs being strengthned by thee march valiantly against our enemies being assured of conquest through that mightie one who loueth and supporteth vs. 58 The end seemes to vs to bee caused by the meanes and so at last it is but the end is indeed first and most chiefely the cause of the meanes for God proposing his end this end caleth out such meanes as shall accomplish it selfe so that it causeth that to be which causeth it selfe So in the Scripture when diuers things happened it is said that they happened that it might bee fulfilled which God had before purposed so that Gods purpose was the cause of the beeing of those actions which fulfilled his purpose Therefore if we go to the roote of the matter wee may perceiue that foolishly wee reason when we are discontented with the meanes saying If this meanes had not beene this

part of him is alreadie too great a friend to our greatest enemie let vs not adde to this fleshly part a whole body of flesh to increase the griefe and incombrance of the Spirit of God in vs and to increase the force of Satan and of his temptations against vs. But let them that do so know that they seek the ruine of their houses by the same meanes by which they seeke to raise them For though Satan bee a strong man able to keepe a house in peace yet there is a stronger then he who often bindeth this strong man and taketh his house from him or if hee leaue it to him still to bee maintained as indeed hee is allowed to be a kind of a Prince in this world yet miserable is that standing and worse then falling which stands by Satan for there comes a day wherein his principalitie it selfe shall fall and bee ouerthrowne and al that it doth sustaine And in the meane time what a bettering of an house is this to increase the liuing and to corrupt the liuers to grow outwardly in wealth and to decay inwardly in grace and vertue to lose in our selues our posterity y t we may adde to the estate of our selues and our posteritie The true paterne of marriages was the first made by God himselfe and therefore to be imitated by the children of God therin God gaue man a helper fit for him fit she was to help him in spiritual things euen the seruice of God fit to help him in temporal things euē those of this life Such is y e wife described by Salomon fit to do her husbād good al the daies of her life good to his soule good to his body for she feareth the Lord therfore is praised This paterne being followed wee may certainely beleeue that he which allowed and blessed the first will also allow and blesse all those which are like it He will behold such a marriage with pleasure while it is making he will be present at it for his good will was principally sought in it and he will prosper it that men shall haue cause to say Lo thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lord. But because goodnesse in any sexe is ouer rare and it may seeme a hard matter to get one that may fully equall the patterne first remember whose gift a good wife is and seeke to him from whom commeth euery good gift Surely it is to be feared that many haue bestowed themselues ill because they sought not to him who onely could haue bestowed them well or because they sought him more for outward aduantages then for inward graces Secondly if thou hast done this and yet thou findest not that one among a thousand and need so requires that thou must proceed in thy purpose when thou canst not get a burning lamp get thee a smoking flax if not one that is expert and by long custom exercised and vsed to strong meate yet one that desires the sincere milke of the Word to grow thereby Take one that is likely to become a Temple for the holy Ghost and this likelihood find not in thine own presumption but in her disposition That this may be really performed let vs first discerne a mind teachable and willing to learne It is a first and chiefe step toward God to hearken after God Therefore wisedome euer begins her speech with this Heare yee children and incline your eares to wisdome and He that heareth is wise and wil increase in learning Next let her be humble and meek for such a spirit is a fit receptacle for God it is before God a thing much set by and to such God will reueale his secret mysteries Now because man is weake and his affections rob him of his iudgement making him to thinke that partie excellent to whom hee hath an excessiue affectiō Let God bee instantly sought to establish weake and deceiueable man let him be intreated that he wil not be wanting to that which much concerneth his glory and seruice and the good of his seruants And these things thus ordered strong hope may be conceiued that he who heard Abrahams seruant when hee intreated a wife for his Masters sonne will giue such a wife as shee was to the sonnes of Abraham and he who gaue vnto Ruth a mighty man of wealth and one blessed of the Lord because she resolued that the God of Israel should be her God will also giue the like blessing vnto the followers of Ruth But while I sing the Songs of Sion in a strange land the Chaldeās or wizards of this world vnderstand not the language the naturall man perceiueth not the things of God neither can Scripture by any meanes make him leaue a good bargaine Therefore will hee still in spight of heauen marry his land to his neighbors great portion I meane his Son that would perchance bee better then himselfe to his neighbors daughter which perchance will make him if she can worse then the father These exchangers of money by bargaines consummated in the Temple since the Word which forbiddeth the house of God to bee made a denne of theeues cannot driue them thence it may he a whip of cords will And surely in euerie daies experience such a one is laid soundly on many of their backes And therein a twofold cord that breaketh both bones and hearts is especially remarkable One is the often dislike betweene such vnhallowed or at least vnequall parties Religion is the truest and strongest bond of loue where that failes nature is next which is most corrupt Nature delightes in new lusts and so runnes after that which it hath not neglecting what it hath Hence hath that cursed speech issued from one of her followers That hee could loue his wife aboue any other if shee were not his wife making that a reason of hatred which a Christian makes chiefly a reason of loue And when this loathing of the partie possessed hath brought forth the desire of another and that desire obtaining what hart is then great inough to beare the vexing and tormenting thoughts that swell therein by this forsaking if it be the wiues part as most often it is shee still beholdeth with indignation the lothing of her selfe the losse of her right in him for whom she forsooke all others and his giuing of himself away to a stranger These meditations eate vp her heart and then she curseth the time of her marriage and all them that made it When this newes commeth home to the churle her father he doubts at last his daughter is cast away which he might probably haue doubted before and much more profitably for then he could haue holpen it And now when she sitteth as a Nun forsaken of the world breaking her owne heart and somewhat her fathers miserie beateth into them that instruction could not teach them that marriages made without God are wordes not actions since such a woman hath had much money bestowed on her to bee called a