Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	bless_v	zeal_n	zealous_a	29	3	9.1980	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91739	Divine efficacy without humane power. Opened in a sermon preached at St. Margarets Church in Westminster before the Right Honourable the House of Commons, June 28. 1660. Being the day of solemne thanksgiving for the happy return of the Kings Majesty. / By Edward Reynolds D.D. and chaplain in ordinary to his Majesty.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1660 (1660)	Wing R1246; Thomason E988_27; ESTC R203408	21,066	55

call upon you to second the zeale of his Majesty in To blesse the Lord for that Christian meeknesse of his Majesty in anticipating and preventing the very Petitions of his people for pardon and hastning the means of their security therein To blesse the Lord for his Majesties firmness in and zealous care of the Protestant Religion and withstanding all temptations which would have drawn him from it To blesse the Lord for his tender indulgence towards men of sober peaceable and pious affections who cannot in every thing come up to the judgement or practice of other of their brethren To blesse the Lord for his Christian prudence and healing moderation in endeavouring such a fraternal condescension amongst brethen as may bury all past animosities prevent all further distempers and reduce things unto an equal and amicable temperament 2. To consider how to use these mercies unto the glory of God that gave them and to the good of the whole Body and not the particular divided interest of any one Party alone It is a distinct virtue as the Historian tells us to get Victories and to use them And so likewise it is to receive mercies and to improve them Consider I beseech you what it is which the Lord calls for at your hands in such a time as this Whether after such Earthquakes and concussions such Afflictions and Temptations such little lesse then miraculous vicissitudes of divine providence which we have seen after the effusion of so many thousand mens blood after the expence of so many millions of Treasure whether he doth not justly expect that now you should be more zealous for his Glory more tender of his Church and the souls of men therein more severe against all impiety and profanenss more careful of the power of godlinesse and the powerful preachers and preaching thereof and purity of Divine Ordinances more active and solicitous to close up breaches to remove offences and by the most satisfactory provisions that may be to prevent the danger of any further distempers then ever any Parliaments have done before you That it may be recorded amongst the memorials of this Nation as once of Josiah like unto this King and this Parliament who have been so obiged with such a Series of mercies and of wonders that there was no King nor Parliament before them that turned to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their might according to all the Law of God This shall be written for the generation to come and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord FINIS Non se capit exundantis Laetitiae magnitudo sed dedignata pectorum latebras ita multa candida foris prominet ut intelligatur non ingentior esse quám verior Nazar Paneg. In eundem hominem non puto 〈◊〉 Gaud●●m S●l●ntiam Pacat. Mal. 2. 15. 2 Sam. 15. 31. Isa. 19. 3. 11. Job 5. 12 13 14. 12. 17. Isa. 54 17. 1 Reg. 19. 12. Isa. 64. 3. Mat. 8. 26. Zach. 4. 7. Psal. 46. 9. Psal. 68. 30. Isa. 49. 11. Isa. 43. 4. Hag. 2. 6 7. Mal. 3. 3. Luke 11. 42. Mat. 23. 5. Mat. 15. 9. Acts 2. 11. 2 Chron. 〈◊〉 1. Aug. ●om 4. lib. de patientia cap. 18. Greg. Naz. Orat. 1. T●rtul de corona militis c. 1. Primus imp●tus eis major quam virorum est s●quens minor quam seminarū L. Florus l. 2. cap. 4. Fortissimus in ipso discrimine exercitus est qui ante discrimen quietissimus Tac. Hist. l. 1. Psal. 119. 49. Defensio fidei Trident. l. 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Iliad {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Plin. Hist. Nat. l 32. c. 1. Aug. ep. 50. Aristot Polit. lib. 7. c. 8. Theodoret. l. 5. cap. 20. Niceph. l. 12. c. 25. Euseb. de vit. Constant l. 2. Aug. epist. 166. Sozom. l. 2. c. 27 Theod. l. 7. c. 2. Euseb. l. 7. c. 24. Cod. lib. 1. Tit. 1 11. Aug. contr. Crescon. Grammat l. 3. c. 51. Tertul. de Praescript cap. 6. Vid. Brisson de formulis l. 1. p. 12. A. Gel. l. 1. c. 13 Pereunte obsequio etiam imperium intercidit Tacit. Hist. l. 1. Hooker l. 2. sect. 6. Lib. 6. c. 6.

worship of God Moses did every thing as the Lord commanded Moses for so he had received his instructions Exod. 25. 9. And in like manner David gave unto Solomon his son the pattern of all that he had by the spirit 1 Chron. 28. 11 12. So runs the Apostles commission from Christ teaching them to observe al things whatsoever I have commanded you Mat. 28. 20. Non ex Arbitrio Deo serviendum sed ex Imperio saith Tertullian Even Heathens would have their superstitious services done by rule Semper Agatne Rogat nec nisi jussus agit If men who may erre and mistake in their commands are offended with such as disobey them though thereby they do them better service judging it a corrupting and despising of commands when they be not obeyed though they be mended How much more must the most wise God be offended with us when we do his work not according unto his will but our own thereby presuming to see what is meet and convenient better then God himself thereby taking upon us to be controlers of his wisdome as learned Hooker speaks It was a very pious proposal which Sigismond the Emperour made to the Councel of Trent as we read in the learned review of that Counsel That they would conforme their constitutions to the obligation of the Law of God Certainly the more Religion and the Church of God is setled by the Rule of the VVord the lesse matter of meere dispute and discrimination is admitted the less of divided ends and meere humane interest and partial designe is attended the more men seek the Glory of God the Salvation of men the Peace of the Church the more they do in simplicity and godly sincerity consider what is intrinsecally and in natura rei necessary what hic nunc expedient for edification what course will be most healing most uniting most likely to establish truth peace and holinesse in the Church to close up the divided mindes of men and cement them in that wherein they may all agree or draw as neer as may be to an agreement the more certainly will God be pleased and honoured and the more will the Churches of God abroad be joyed and comforted with whom it is doubtlesse our Religious Interest to procure as firm an union as we can We have seen the encouragement the means of it a Word the Vehicula of that word Christ and the Prophet the subject to be incouraged Zerubbabel the Magistrate who is to build the Church by the help of the Word and Prophet There onely remaineth the matter of the comfort set forth 1. Negatively Not by Might nor by Power 2. Positively But by my Spirit saith the Lord Might and Power is here denyed not generally and in Thesi as if God did prohibite humane power from looking after the interest of the Church for the Magistrate is the Churches Guardian The same Lord did by the victories and spoiles of David make provisions for Solomons Temple who would use no such helps for the glory of Zerubbabels But it is excluded Hypothetically in this particular case and condition Though they had potent enemies though they were destitute of Might and Power in themselves yet God will not have them desert their station or despond of successe Because 1. He can blast every Sword that is formed against them Isa. 54. 17. 2. He can convert to the good of the Church that very power which doth oppose it and make Hamans tongue the Petitioner for Mordecai's honour Esther 6. 6 7. 3. He can build the Church upon the sufferings of his servants as seed in the ground first dles and then multiplies the more the adversaries of Paul the wider the door of his Ministry 1 Cor. 16. 9. It matters not how weak the Instrument when God is the Agent The Church and worship of God is reared and restored by the vertue of Gods Spirit alone In the present case the Lord by his immediate providence ordered various intercurrent means unto the finishing of the Temple which of themselves had no natural influence or tendency thereunto It was the spirit of the Lord that by the Ministry of Moses and Aaron brought Israel out of an Egyptian bondage It was the Spirit of the Lord that in the wildernesse preserved them by miracles with bread from heaven and water out of the rock It was the Spirit of the Lord that over-ruled the heart and tongue of Balaam to blesse when he was hired to curse them It was the Spirit of the Lord that divided the waters of Jordan and demolished the wall of Jerico by the sound of Rams-horns It was the Spirit of the Lord that stirred up Saviours for his oppressed people and by them wrought deliverance for them It was the Spirit of the Lord that brought the Ark from the Philistines into its place by the conduct of kine contrary to their nature It was the Spirit of the Lord that rescued the Jews from the malice of Haman by a chain of events which had no cognation one with another nor any natural suitableness to such an end It was the Spirit of the Lord that when they were as fast in Babylon as dry bones in a grave stirred up the Spirit of Cyrus to give them a resurrection This divine power may be observed both in the Head and in the mystical body of the Church For Christ the Head 1. His Incarnation spiritual A stone cut without hands a Tabernacle pitched by the Lord and not by man fashioned in the Virgins womb by the overshadowing of the holy Ghost 2. His Oeconomie in the work of Redemption wholly spiritual borrowing nothing of humane power by the eternal spirit he offered himself to God Heb. 9. 14. 3. His Resurrection spiritual made the chief corner-stone after he had been rejected by men Thus the foundation of the building was laid not by Might nor by Power but by the Spirit of God Psal. 118. 22 23. 2. The Church or Mystical Body of Christ hath nothing either in its original or propagation from the power of man but all from the Spirit of God 1. The original alone heavenly and from the Spirit born not of the will of man but of God John 1. 13. 3. 5 6. A Kingdom not of this world Joh. 18. 36. Made by an heavenly Calling Heb. 3. 1. As dew which doth not stay for man Psal. 110. 3. Mic. 5. 7. 2. The propagation wholly from the Spirit when mountains of opposition and persecution the gates of Hell and powers of darknesse combin'd against it Now for a doctrine which taught men to deny themselves to renounce the world to take up a Cross to suffer Afflictions and follow Christ without the camp bearing his reproach for such a doctrine to prevaile over the world by twelve weak and naked men upon the promise of things not seen and the hopes of reward in another world cannot be ascribed to the wisdom of man but onely to the

Spirit of God by whom alone the weapons of our warfare are mighty It is a spiritual Building and therefore not reared by humane power a Kingdom un-attended with worldly splendor and therefore cometh not with observation Luke 17. 20. The Enemies of it for the most part spiritual and therefore not vanquish'd but by a spiritual power Eph. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. No humane power able to encounter no humane wisdom to disappoint the gates of Hell None but he who is the power and wisdome of God hath power enough to overcome or wisdome enough to defeat the Kingdome of darkness The special end which God had in erecting the Church was to glorifie his power wisdom and grace in the nothingnesse of the matter out of which he framed it The visible world as it doth by the beauty order and greatnesse thereof set forth the glory of God so in nothing more then this that al this great being is made out of nothing Now Gods glory is more magnified in the Church then in the world The Church is the Jewel the world but the Ring wherein it is set The World an House or Farme for Creatures and Tenants to dwell in The Church Gods own Palace wherein he dwells himself Psal. 132. 13. And the Excellency of this glory is That it is a Creation out of nothing no material aptnesse no Active concurrence of the subject unto the heavenly being which by Gods spirit alone is wrought in it We contribute no more to our own conversion of or from our selves then water doth to its own heating which naturally resisteth the fire that heats it We have no good in us either formally or potentially so as to be educed out of us all is to be superinduced by the Spirit of God upon us No flesh must glory but in free Grace which alone could raise a corrupted masse into so stately a Palace And therefore we must not despair when things seeme to Humane view helplesse and hopeless but look up to the Spirit of God who can beyond all our thoughts make those that dwell in the dust to awake and sing Whereas if we build our hopes on humane might or power we shall find them vain every man a liar sometimes weak and cannot help us sometimes false and will not help us alwayes mutable and may not help us The more we attribute to Persons the more we derogate from God Let us not therefore be troubled at mountains of opposition or any difficulties which we conflict with in the work of God It is his promise to bring all Christs Enemies under his feet Let us believe it and he will do it though we see not how And now to conclude bring all home to the mercies of this day There is no Nation hath had more experience of the truth of these words then we in this Land have had When the Lord had commanded the sword of a civil war back into the scabberd and things seemed to draw towards a comfortable close by the Kings gracious concessions in the last Treaty divine providence was pleased to carry us back into doleful confusions into the surges of the Sea again by the subtle counsels of a divided party who having possession of the sword and intending to use it to the altering of the fundamental constitution of government in order thereunto debarred the Peers of their right plucked out all such worthy persons from the other House who would 〈◊〉 their work laid the foundation of their Utopia in the Blood of their natural Prince and in the Exile of his children and family and concluded by Might and Power to carry all before them And now comes in the Spirit of the Lord to stop this career of domination And first he stirred up an Abimelech against these men of Shechem who liked not that threescore and ten Persons should raigne but rather to raigne himself By this hand a stop was put to their domination till by the strange conduct of the same providence his family was pulled down by the hands of his own Allies And so the threescore and ten get into the Throne again These confusions in State seconded with desperate confusion in Religion Ministry and Universities and all supports of truth and learning endangered and by a miscellany of all Religions way made unto none at all The Spirit of the Lord then works again mingleth a perverse spirit between them and their military Officers and divideth their Counsels and maketh use of another violence to thrust them out again The same divine providence awakeneth an Honourable instrument in the North to give a check to this new designe And on a sudden by the secret power of the Spirit of God the military Officers who had so long been the terror of the Nation became no man can tell why like women their hearts dismayed their Counsels confounded their Souldiers scattered and by that divine providence whereby they had so often justified their irregular actions were they in one day without Might or Power but meerly by impressions from the hand of God as it were annihilated and made utterly to disappear By the same divine impression are the hearts of the people of the land in all places strangely excited as one man to call for the Restoring of the secluded Patriots by them to make way for a free Parliament and by them to bring back from exile in the Chariots of Aminadab a willing people and upon the wings of Love our Dear and Dread Soveraigne not only to the Throne of his Father but to the hearts of his people They who had long known what it was to fear where they did not love were now ambitious to love where they need not so to feare And now that the Lord hath brought these Kingdoms upon the Basis of their ancient and fundamental constitution and hath restored into your bosoms a Prince of the greatest suavity and meeknesse of Spirit one of the best tempers in the world for Government that ever swayed these Scepters whom he hath trained up like David in a School of affliction to sit upon a Throne and fitted by a Crown of Thrones to weare a Royal Diadem and by the bitter cup of his own sufferings to provide against the sufferings and to heale the wounds of his poore exhausted people what remaineth but these two things 1. To fill our hearts and mouths with the praises of God for these so divinely contrived mercies without the effusion of one drop of blood beyond the view of humane counsel to have effected to ascribe all to the Spirit and Grace of God Not unto us not unto us but unto thy name give the glory To blesse him for this first fundamental step to settlement without which we should ever have beene in danger of flames and blood To blesse the Lord for inclining the heart of his Majesty to dedicate his Government with so Religious a publick Testimony against profaneness then which there is nothing which doth more loudly