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	sabbath_n	sanctify_v	17,219	5	10.7267	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B10265	Balm in Gilead to heal Sions wounds: or, A treatise wherein there is a clear discovery of the most prevailing sicknesses of New-England, both in the civill and ecclesiasticall state; as also sutable remedies for the cure of them: collected out of that spirituall directory, The word of God. / Delivered in a sermon preached before the Generall Court of the colony of New-Plimouth on the first day of June 1669. being the day of election there. By Thomas Walley ...	Walley, Thomas, 1616-1678.	1670 (1670)	Wing W555; ESTC W33773	18,025	40

there among us we see that a great part of the young generation are profane and spend the best of their time in Satans service and know not the God of their fathers 2. Another thing that speaks sadly to us is That under all the means of grace there is so little Spiritual growth amongst those that are born to Jesus Christ Barrenness makes way for cursing and rejection 3. The Noise that is in the House of God a confused Noise This is that which God could never endure in his House it exceedingly stirs up his wrath When the Temple was to be built there was not to be the noise of a Hammer 1 Kings 6. 7. It is a dangerous thing to cause God to live unquietly in his own House to make him weary of his own dwelling-place God was never weary of the noise of his peoples Prayers in his House but of the noise of their Contentions the noise of their Prayers is pleasant but the noise of these Contentions his soul abhors VSE 2. Let this be matter of Admiration as well as of Humiliation to us that a sick people that have all Means to heal them are not healed that those who have Gileads Balm and Gileads Physicians are yet sick and if we do not wonder at it strangers will hereafter That a people that have such proper sutable Means are still unrecovered and dying under them I speak not to flatter We have a godly Magistracy that have made it manifest that they are willing yea earnestly desirous of healing the Sicknesses of Church and State We have godly Ministers that I am confident would spend and be spent for the Recovery of the health of the daughter of Sion We have holy Ordinances and we have some Mourning and Praying Saints that lament the Evils that are among us and Gods Providences call upon us daily to get our sicknesses healed and is it not a wonder that a people that have such Means and Mercies should still languish of their Diseases Oh! that that which is said of Nineveh might never be said of us There is no healing of thy bruises thy wound is grievous Nahum 3. 19. It would be sad if God should threaten us as he doth Egypt Jer. 46. 11. In vain shalt thou use many medicines for thou shalt not be cured Or if God should say as once concerning Babylon Jer. 51. 9. We would have healed Babylon but she is not healed forsake her and let us go every one into his own Country It was no wonder that these Heathen Nations could not be healed but it is matter of astonishment that Sion is not that New-England should have so much Means of Healing and yet continue sick that a people that are lifted up to Heaven with Mercies should be so likely to be thrown down to Hell VSE 3. Let it serve to perswade Gileads Physicians to put forth their utmost endeavours for the healing of the wounds and sicknesses of the daughter of Sion I would direct this Use to our Honoured Magistrates to my Reverend Brethren in the Ministry and to all Mourning and Praying Saints First To you who are our Honoured Magistrates who are by the Providence of God Patres Patriae The Fathers of our Country I hope it will not be called Presumption if I should give my humble Advice for the healing of Sions Sickness and leave it at your feet God hath called you to be Healers to a poor sick Country That word in Scripture that is rendred to govern is divers times rendred to heal so Isa 30. 26. and in Isa 3. 6 7. the Rulers are called Healers the Prophet tells us that when the people by their sin have brought all things into Confusion and their ruine almost present then they shall be desirous of healing Rulers A man shall take hold of his brother and shall say Be thou our Ruler and let this Ruine be under thy hand but ver 7. In that day shall he swear saying I will not be an Healer the meaning is a Ruler A Disease sometimes is so desperate no Physician will undertake its cure the Patient so froward and unruly that none will meddle with him this may at last be the condition of a froward people The Lord keep us from that woful day That I would humbly offer is this 1. That you do your utmost for the Extirpation of Profaneness it is a growing Evil in the Country This is one of the great Works God hath called you that are Magistrates and Deputies unto I know your hearts are upon this Work if there be not enough done already to prevent Profaneness I beseech you do more and see that your Laws be put in Execution and especially let it be your care That the Lords Sabbaths may be sanctified Give your Civil Sanction to that holy Command of God Those that would dispute away the Sanctification of the Christian Sabbath do but dispute away the Power of Godliness it is Christs Institution the Observation of it hath the influence of a peculiar Blessing In the Primitive Times the Observation of it was a Badge of Christianity This was a common Question propounded to those that would joyn with the Assemblies of the Saints Servasti Dominicum The Answer was Christianus sum intermittere non possum If this Day be slighted Practical Religion will quickly be lost and a door will be opened for Gods severest Judgements Slighting of the Lords Sabbaths and a decay of the power of Godliness usually go together The Profane in Practice and the Erroneous in Judgement are the great Enemies of Sanctifying Sabbaths Let us remember The Observation of it hath the Promise of God The Fire of Gods Wrath is not like to come where his Sabbaths are observed 2. Let it be your Endeavour to settle the Preaching of the Gospel in all places within your Jurisdiction by those that are in some measure sitted you will finde such places where the Preaching of the Gospel is long wanting will prove the Nurseries of Profaneness such places will breed up Enemies to God and Jesus Christ I doubt not but some think it their Priviledge and Liberty to live without a Gospel-Ministry such persons are either grosly Ignorant or grosly Erroneous Your Endeavours to set up Lights in such dark places will be pleasing to God it will be an honour to God and an honour to you if you see that Christ be Preached in every corner of the Colony It is by Christ that Kings reign and that Rulers rule Prov. 8. 15 16. You are Christ's Officers though not in the Church and are to labour his Exaltation and your work is to labour that all may be brought in subjection to him 3. Let all Incendiaries be branded all such as are stirrers up of Strife and Division that are Salamanders that love to live in the Fire that are Fire-brands in Church and Common-wealth that are Instruments of Contention in Court and Country let such be marked in the Churches and let them be abhorred

to get the help of some able Christian in the work of Teaching the Children of the Congregation Thirdly A further word of Counsel is to all you Saints of the Most High that love Sion and are sensible of the sicknesses of it 1. Labour to get all your Parts Gifts sanctified that they may not puff you up and insnare you Some of you through the goodness of God and his rich grace have greater Attainments in the knowledge of the Mysteries of the Gospel then others be you more exemplary for Humbleness and Meekness then others One great reason why there are so many Sicknesses in the daughter of Sion is because the Gifts of Christians are no more sanctified when Gifts are not sanctified they occasion Pride the Mother of Contention so that those that should lead the people into Peace and Love lead them into Divisions and are Firebrands in the Houses of God 2. Endeavour to mortifie those Lusts that incline you to Contention for Contentions do not come so much from outward provocations as from inward corruptions Jam. 4. 1. All wars come from lusts if Pride Passion and Self-love were mortified there would be more peace and agreement but mens lusts are so dear to them they will rather adventure their own peace and the Churches then part with them 3. Labour for that Wisdome that is from above which is pure gentle peaceable easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits Jam. 3. 17. If you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not ver 14. but be ashamed whatever your parts and gifts are Take our Saviours counsel Mark 9. 50. Have salt in your selves and peace one with another the salt of Wisdome tends to Peace and Unity 4. Be sure you love the publick good of Sion if the love of Sion doth reign in your hearts you will seek the welfare of it It was the true Mother that would not suffer the Childe to be divided Thou shouldest so love the peace of the Church that when a storm begins thou shouldest say If I am the man that cause this cast me out let the Church have her peace The Romans had a Temple dedicated Jovi depositorio the Senators went thither and laid down their mutual Contentions before they went to the Senate house and divers of the Heathen would lay aside their private Quarrels for the Common Good which doth shame some Christians in our dayes 5. Let those that agree in Fundamentals and have Union with the same Head walk together in love and peace this we are pressed to Phil. 3. 16. Why should there not be a hearty love between those that are of the same Faith Remember that the Peace-makers are blessed Peace and Vnion are humane Saviours to Countries and Churches Dulce nomen pacis Psal 133. But you must also remember this That your labour for Unity will be in vain if you are enemies to Order Keeping the Order God hath appointed is the way to Peace and Unity The Church is that one Body of Christ yet this Body is made up of distinct Members and every Member hath its own operation when every Member doth its own office the Body is most lovely yet where the foundation is gold silver and precious stones though there be some hay and stubble in the Superstructure there ought to be a Christian for bearance 6. Pray for the Health of Sion for the Peace of Jerusalem Psal 122. 6. If the Spirit of Prayer for Unity were poured out upon the people of God we should not be long without the blessing of Peace in the Churches Pray then that Means may be effectual for the recovery of the daughter of Sion from her Sicknesses that Gileads Balm and Gileads Physicians may do good Pray down Divisions Pray down Errour and Profaneness Pray that the daughter of Sion may not want Nursing-fathers that the Land of Liberty may not become the House of Bondage and this will be the way to have the God of Peace dwell among us As we carry it towards God so will God manifest himself unto us Let as cry as the Prophet Jerem. 17. 14. Heal us O Lord and we shall be h●aled A like Prayer we reade in Psal 60. 2. God hath promised that if we pray and humble our selves he will hear from heaven and heal the Land 2. Chron. 7. 14. and sometimes he doth heal a froward people when they are like to perish of their wounds Isa 57. 17 18. I have seen his wayes and I will heal him when we go about to heal by our own skill without God we heal but slightly Jer. 8. 11. I shall onely adde some Motives to press every one in his place and calling to labour to recover the health of the daughter of Sion Motive 1. If there be Sickness in the Church there will be little health in the Common-wealth In the Land of Judah when the building of the Temple was neglected the Worship of God defiled a decay in Religion it never went well with the Common-wealth Let us believe it that things amiss in the houses of God are the chief cause that it goes ill with the Country 2. Sicknesses in Churches endanger the damnation of the Souls of many they hinder Conversion harden many hearts bring the Wayes and Worships of God into contempt and these Evils are the fruit especially of Division among those that profess Godliness If Contentions reign in Churches either the world will never think well of Christ or never believe such Members of Churches are Christs Disciples John 13. 35. What account can be given at last for this that Christ and the true Religion are contemned by the world for the sake of the Professors of it It 's sad that in our dayes many Professors live as though there were no Canaanites nor Perizzites in the Land If ever you would have Christ and his Wayes well thought of labour after Vnity If you would have any more Converted by the Preaching of the Gospel labour after Vnity If you would enjoy your Church-Priviledges and your Civil Peace labour for Vnity If you would have God remove his frowns his afflicting hand from us labour after Vnity If ever you would be serviceable to Christ and one to another labour after Vnity The members of the Body do not give mutual nourishment except they be joyned each to other It is not enough that you keep up the Ordinances of God for his honour for the good of your Souls and for the good of the Souls of others except you remove the stumbling-blocks that that lye in the way of others your Contentions and Covetous Practises c. O you that are the Professors of Religion it seems to be in your hand to save or damn Souls your gracious Conversation might be a means to convert others and the contrary may be a means of damning others 3. Endeavouring to recover the health of the daughter of Sion will be as cross a work to the Devil as any you can do it will be a crossing of Satan in one of the greatest designs he hath on foot in the world he is alwayes either acting the part of a Lion or the part of a Serpent either persecuting by open Enemies or dividing dearest friends Those that have reconciling Spirits that are Peace makers counter-work Satan they oppose him in his great design 4. For your Encouragement know that the Lord doth in a special manner care for Sion He loves the Gates of Sion more then all the dwellings of Jacob Psal 87. 2. The Church is more dear to him then the Common-wealth As God he cares for the Common-wealth as a Father he cares for the Church yet Magistracy is Gods Ordinance for the help and preservation of the Churches And God in giving his Laws doth first command things concerning himself and his Worship The Church is supposed to be a poor Orphan and Kings and Queens and to be their Nursing fathers and Nursing-mothers Isa 49. 23. 5. It will be an Honour to you to be Instruments to heal the daughter of Sion God will take it kindly at your hands and honour you that thus honour him 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that build the old wasle places that raise up the foundations of many generations such shall be called The repairers of the breaches Isa 58. 12. 6. Consider this the time may come that Churches Ordinances Communion with Saints may be more precious then the Gold of Ophir I shall close with this one Word which is to Exhort and Perswade you all to encourage and strengthen the Hearts and Hands of those that God hath in a special manner made Physicians do as the people did Nehem. 10. 29. They clave to their Brethren the Nobles c. Take heed of discouraging them but say to those that are your Rulers This matter of Healing the daughter of Sion belongs to you but we will be with you Ezra 10. 4. then it is well when all work together for God It is said 2 Chron. 30. 26. Hezekiah humbled himself and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem with him and wrath came not in his dayes If the Lord give us hearts to take these Counsels which he hath offered to us this day we shall be the more likely to go to our fathers in peace and leave a blessing behinde us for posterity FINIS THere is now going to the Press sundry excellent and divine Poems entituled Meat out of the Eater or Meditations concerning the Necessity End and Vsefulness of Afflictions unto Gods Children All tending to prepare them for and comfort them under the Cross By Michael Wigglesworth