Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	great_a	sin_n	10,727	5	4.5334	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60548	Light out of darkness in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir Robert Clayton, Kt., Lord Mayor of the city of London, in Guild-hall Chappel, the 26th of Sept. 1680 : wherein are contained, rules how to support our selves under dark providences, when they seem to supercede divine promises : also, directions how to obtain a prospect of serene and happy times / by Samuel Smith ...	Smith, Samuel, 1620-1698.	1680 (1680)	Wing S4201; ESTC R3482	14,587	40

that Divine Light which they pretend to be They are rather Wild-fire thrown into the Sanctuary of God to fill it with Smoke and Clamor We must not turbulently plead for any Truth tho clear to us and very considerable in it self This will render our Testimony to be suspected in its Validity and Sincerity We ought with serenity of Mind to wait till the Father of Lights shall clear up such Mysteries in Religion which as yet may be hid from others of Weaker Apprehensions Let none therefore out of an Impatient Curiosity presumptuously obtrude or irregularly propagate any private Conceptions as if they were Indubitable Maximes to be imbraced by the Implicite Belief of other men The Lord hath promised to spread the Revelation of Truth in his own Time and Method thereby to supersede all froward Contests and rash Forwardness in any to disseminate their own Opinions by the Disturbance of Publick Peace and Order Let this Consideration moderate all Contests about Circumstantials in Religion viz. That the Forcible Birth of Reformation is every way as perillous as the Dilatory Production of it Such who doubt not of their way must not proudly contemn Dissenters Some are to be pitied in their Errors when they are not indulged by the neglect of searching after Truth But a dissembled Compliance before thorow Conviction is an Hypocritical Flattery and will for advantage secretly undermine Foundation Principles Truth is best preserved when those who formerly opposed it are convinced of their Error and then such ought gladly to become its humble Clients yea much rather its blushing Captives With how peaceable Deportment did the very Apostles spread Evangelical Light to the Idolatrous Nations that they might win them to the Obedience of Christs Scepter This caused them to triumph in leading the captivity of the Devil captive forasmuch as they powerfully insinuated the Truth by the Conviction of an Holy Life made amiable by the Exemplarity of Meekness and Heavenly Self-denial But the separation of Peace from Holiness is a secret contempt of the God of Truth and will prove the Carcase only of Prosperity Therefore let us hold fast the Mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience as we expect that the darkest Providences should be cleared up to us in a propitious creating of serene and happy times Often times the Church of Christ which is the Darling of his Providence becomes a fiery Beacon by extremities of Affliction to warn others that if the Lord 's own People violate their Soul Chastity in not walking according to the Purity of the Christian Faith even They shall smart severely for it Let not the Romish Synagogue therefore boast of her pompous Visibility in her Prosperous Iniquities For though her outward Painting and Patching in Religion draw the Wonder of the Nations before they Wander after her Deceptions yet Heresies and Abominations will in due time undermine a Semblance of Tranquillity and Strip her bare as an Harlot of all the Ornaments which cover her obstinate Degeneracy The true Church may be Hid for a time as a Lilly among Thorns yet Rome in all her Glory is not arrayed like one of those Lillies when stained with Calumny or rather Beautified with the Blood of Martyrdom How comely and prevailing with God for Deliverance in Distress are silent Penitential Tears in the Dove-like Eyes of his People especially when they retain their Integrity in defending the Dowry of Truth and the Standard of Real Holiness Light is sown for the Righteous and Joy for the Upright in Heart This shall secretly spring up for such while dark Providences wind themselves about in rich Mines of Comfort through the Labyrinth of their perplexing Doubts and Fears Directions If we would get a Prospect of Bright Serene and Happy times observe these Directions following First Let the Eye of our Faith be cleared up from Prejudice and steadily fixt upon That vital Influx of Divine Power Wisdom and Fidelity in God which constantly takes care of his Espoused Interest under all those Convulsion-pangs which seem to dissolve the very Ligaments of Truth and Peace Faith can fetch a Desponding Soul to Life when Deadly Fears assault us Even while we are giving up the Ghost of Hope Mercy may come forth to meet us with Salvation Thus the Disciples cried out It is a Spirit when Christ walked on the Sea toward them to calm the Storm and allay the greater Tempest even Fears in their own Hearts Thus the darkest Season of the Night immediately precedes the Dawning of the Day The thickest Throws and Agonies not only contribute toward and make Way for but are the Signal of a Joyful and Speedy Birth Even Obstructions as Divine Wisdom orders them shall smooth the way to Safety A skilful Archer shuts one Eye to strengthen the Visive Spirits in the other that he may more dexterously level at the Mark. So suppress Carnal Reason as an unfit Judge of Divine Dispensations if you would gain the support of God's Propitiousness under seeming Desolations We should count our selves safe while the Helm is in God's Hand For though he suffers Storms and Difficulties to Encompass us yet no Engines shall ever gain their designed Point against the Lord's Inheritance 2. Direct Be wonderfully Affected with and Thankful for the First-fruits of Deliverance Zech. 4.10 It is very unbecoming to despise the day of small things yea it is a great sin to prejudge the Lords Work by the first view especially when it is certain that the Lord reserves his choicest Mercies as lovely Colours to be superinduced at last when he is resolved to express the Beauty of his Providence to the Life for a Confutation of our impatient Curosity A thankful Valuation of the least beam of Light when all hope of relief seemed perish'd is the only way to bring forward Deliverance to Maturity The Lord doth not undertake Works instampt with wonder to lay them aside without any care of bringing them to a Perfect Birth The widest deepest overflowing Rivers spring from a little Conduit Head So Sions Salvation goes forth at first like a Lamp only before it prove a Constellation of Brightness spreading over all the Expansions of Distress During the saddest Contexture of Providence the Spiritual Glory of Christs Evangelical Kingdom shall never set it shall spread the more by Opposition become Illustrious by those very Fogs and Mists which ascend out of the Bottomless Pit of Popish Heresie Treachery and Cruelty Those very Prayers which seemed lost shall return loaden with the Richest and Choicest Mercies The Lord will beautifie the Meek with Salvation therefore beg a Spiritual Eye to take a Prospect of Deliverance beyond the Limits of Present Sense Thus David having obtained Gods Word only for the Conquest of his Enemies triumphed before he struck a stroke so confident was he of Success He cried out Gilead is mine Manasse is mine over Edom will I cast my Shoe Which was a Sign of taking Possession of the Promise as if he

for their appointed Issue The Lord can make the Lion and the Lamb Cohabitate allay the contrariety of jarring Elements by commanding them into an amicable and happy League He can so over-rule all blustering Animosities that they shall not overset his main Design but conspire to hasten it to its desired Port Thus by variety the Wheels in Clock-work seem to cross each other yet all help forward the universal motion for the regular pointing out of such set Seasons which best are fitted to the accomplishment of our Purposes Therefore as the Israelites readily marcht after the Pillar of the Cloud in the Wilderness so must we follow the Lord's Conduct without repinings upon the bare sight of our Warrant though we know not a step of the way 2. Rule When there is not any particular Promise which faces and suits to a dark Providence yet the main Body of the Promises which are the Common Places or Repositories of a Christians Comfort may become as a Constellation to guide us when we are Tost upon the darkest Ocean 3. Rule Treasure up the Experiences of former Ages those will hold us up from fainting in Extremities so that we shall not charge God foolishly Awake awake O Arm of the Lord put on Strength as in the Ancient times as in the Generations of Old Art not thou he who hast wounded Rahab or Egypt and cut in pieces the Dragon or Pharaoh in the Red Sea Isa 51.9 10 11. It is very observable That the Lord gave that unruly Death-threatning Leviathan to become Food to strengthen the Faith of the Israelites distressed afterward in the Wilderness Psal 74.9 to 15. Yea when the Church in Babylon lamented that they saw not their Signs nor had any Prophet among them to give them any Prospect of Hope that they should be delivered yet they drew an Argument to relieve their desponding Thoughts from the Interchangeable yet constant orderly Courses of the Night and Day of Winter and Summer Thus they Reasoned Is not the Day thine as well as the Night Thou hast prepared the Light and the Sun Yea the darkness of the Night sets off the beauty of the Morning Light and makes it to be more wonderfully accepted Thus ought Christians not Idlely to behold the Face of the Heavens but to make an Improvement of the Stationary Courses of the Seasons of the Year We may fetch Relief to our drooping Thoughts from God's Covenant in Nature to confirm our Faith in his Redeeming Love as to the expectation of special Grace and Mercy It is very observable That the Psalmist in Parallel Allusion says Thy Mercy O God reaches to the Heavens and thy Truth or Faithfulness to the Clouds The Lord suffers these to gather and grow big with Black Vapours even unto a Boisterous Contest yet in their Dissolution they perform a Kindness in Watering the dry Furrows of the Earth to make them Smile with a Fruitful Verdure So the Saints Graces which seemed Imprisoned in an Earthly obdurate Heart being bedewed with Afflictions bud afresh with a lovely Lustre In all Distresses therefore let us thus argue If the Lord order the Contrariant Seasons of Nature to conspire in a mutual Benefit to the Universe will he not much more exercis● a tender Care over his Church for whose sake the whole Creation is guided with a steady unerring Hand even in such Changes which sometimes stagger the Faith and tire out the Patience of his Afflicted Servants Hence I infer That when one Providence is complicated within the mysterious Darkness of another Then the Word of Promise must be our Staff to lean on and the Precept our Rule to Walk by The most Conflicting Distresses which cross our Hopes and Desires oftentimes ripen the Promises to the furtherance of God's Design Thus Joseph's being sold into Egypt made way for his Advancement in Pharaoh's Court The Intombing of Jonah in the Whales Belly buried him into Life It gained Reverence to his Person being Miraculously preserved and the Demorage of his Embassage himself being plunged into the heart of the Sea made his Letters Credential to be better attested and believed 4. Rule When Providences are Dark Prayer must joyn Issue to clear them up This is the readiest most dexterous Key to uncypher these Mysterious Characters in the profound meaning of them Especially when you have an Eye of dependency on Christs prevalent Intercession for this very purpose Worthy is the Lamb slain who Purchased the Promises and Ratified them in his Bloodshed to open the Sealed Book of Providential Mysteries The Lord would lose the Glory of his Works if they should alway be concealed as illegible Characters which none could understand Therefore he hath ordained the Spirit of Prayer to illustrate dark Prophetical Passages recorded for future Comfort Now if Prayer obtain not a speedy satisfaction to our Doubts yet our Hearts shall be quieted with this Consideration That all things shall work together for good to such who fear the Lord. Therefore Genuine Christians will wait till the whole Platform of God's Government amidst all Vicissitudes of Changes shall be presented in One view This will certainly be unfolded in the World to come Then Shall we know as we now are known That is We shall plainly see the true Reason why the Lord vail'd his Providential Actings as if he had forgotten to be Gracious Yea we shall acknowledge that he could not have taken a fitter wiser Course to bring us to a blessed Station than by the way of his dreadful Rebukes when we grew wanton with Mercies and froward in our Sins 5 Rule When you cannot follow God in untrodden paths of Providence yet consider it is good and safe to draw nigh to him in your undoubted Duty Resolve therefore tho he whisper not all his Secrets into thine Ear yet he shall be sure of the Obedience of the Heart Persevere in seeking the Beauty of his Face when thou canst not participate of his Bounty nor find out the intricate Windings of his Works Conform to his Known Will when thou canst not spell out his Secret Decrees and Purposes 6 Rule Justifie God as holy in all his Ways and righteous in all his Works when you cannot judge positively concerning them Psal 97.2 Clouds and thick Darkness are round about him yet Righteousness and Judgment are the Habitation of his Throne That is Equity Wisdom and Moderation are the Stability of his Government How awful and yet serene Majesty is resident in the Lord while he wraps himself up in most dreadful Appearances He ranks these Clouds while they contest and rides on the Wings of the Wind giving a Law unto them while they threaten to overwhelm us with a Storm Many times Dark Administrations are the Dust of his Feet which he raises in order to his merciful approaches towards us Therefore speak honourably of the Lord when you are at the lowest in point of Hope and Help Wherein you cannot discover God clearly it will be your