Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	deliver_v	hand_n	king_n	10,812	5	4.0168	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10027	A sermon of spirituall life and death Preached before the king, at White-Hal, Nouember, 1616 by the late faithfull minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. In Diuinity, chapplaine in ordinar[y] to his maiesty, Mr. of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher at Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.	1630 (1630)	STC 20278; ESTC S114308	21,702	38

his house Solomon how glorious was his rising like a bright morning without cloudes and so he continued till the euening of his life but when he begunne to suffer rebellions in his Kingdome against God in matter of religion as it is said Hee set vp Ashteroth the abhomination of the Zidonians and Milcom the abhomination of the Ammonites c. then God stirred vp rebellions against him Then it is said that Hadad and Reisin and Ieroboham his owne seruant lift vp his hand against him as it is said in the text the Lord stirred him vp for that cause so that as long as Solomon did the actions of this life God prospered him continually in high degree when hee fell from it he fell from his peace that hee had So God interlaceth the life of grace with the life of ioy and peace and outward prosperitie And the like you see in his son Rehoboā for 3. yeeres when hee sought the Lord saith the text and did the actions of this life 2. Chro. 11. 17. so long he prospered things went well with him and in Ierusalem but after 3. yeeres hee forsooke the Lord and suffered the people to make them high places then saith the text in the 5. yeere of his reigne God gaue him 2. yeeres respite hee powred out his wrath vpon him and vpon Ierusalem by the hand of Shishak King of Aegipt because they had transgressed against the Lord. Where it is to bee obserued that it was not because that Shishak the King of Aegipt was angry with Rehoboam for it is not said it was Shishaks wrath but the Lords wrath Shishak was but the instrument he was but the viol through which it was powred vpon him But an example you shall finde of this most cleare in Vzziah 2. Chro. 26. 5. it is said Vzziah sought the Lord all the daies of Zachariah the Prophet and as long as hee sought the Lord God made him to prosper As long as hee did the actions of this life the life of ioy prosperity and peace ran along with it But after in vers 10. when the Lord had helped him that hee grew mighty then saith the text his heart was lifted up to destruction that euen as you see blasings Comets though they be but Comets yet as long as they keepe aloft they shine bright but when they begin to decline from their pitch they fall to the earth So when men forsake the Lord and mind earthly things then they lose their light and are dissipated and come to destruction Whereas on the other side you see all holy and good Kings that liued the life of grace constantly they shined in the dark World as Stars in a dark night neither losing their light nor falling from their place And this you shall finde in al the Stories of the Kings of Israel Iudah that either the suffering of Idolatry and superstition at home or the resting vpon Ashur and Egypt abroad was the cause of all their miseries For when they were in distresses they sought to these nations that proued broken reeds that did not onely deceiue them but run into their sides On the other side you may obserue that those that liued this life of grace perfectly whose hearts were with God that they emptied out all the old leauen of Idolatrie and superstition at home and in all their distresses they trusted vpon God And you shall finde it proportionablie as they did it more or lesse so they prospered As you may see in Asa it is the Prophets owne speech to him from the Lord in the 2. Chron. 16. 7. 8. saith he Because thou hast relied on the King of Syriah not relied on the Lord thy God therefore is the hoast of the King of Syriah escaped out of thine hand were not the Aethiopians and the Lubims an huge hoast with very many chariots and horsemen Yet because thou reliedst vpon the Lord hee deliuered them into thy hand Asa when a mighty companie came against him of Lubim● and Aethiopians that were as it is in the chap. before as the sands because hee rested on the Lord he gaue him the victorie ouer them afterwards a small army escaped his hands why Because hee rested vpon the King of Aram. So likewise Iehosaphat when hee came back from helping Achab at the battell at Ramoth Gilead the Prophet Iehu meets him in 2. Chro. 19. 2. and saith vnto himthus Oh Iehosaphat wilt thou help the wicked wilt thou loue those that hate the Lord Wrath is gone out against thee So in the next Chap. ver 2. it is said that a great Army came from beyond the Sea and Iehosaphat was sore afraid and likwise when hee ioined with Ahaziah to make ships to goe to Tarshish the Prophet Eliezer goes to him and tells him that God bad broken the Ships at Ezion Geber because hee had ioined with Ahaziah the son of Achab 2. Chron. 20. the last verses I might giue you many examples I must not goe beyond my time Iacob though the thing that he did was good as you know hee might seeke the blessing lawfully for it was promised to him yet because hee vsed euill meanes Rebeccha and hee vsed ill means a lye you know what it cost him hee was banished from his Fathers house many yeeres and you know how much sorrow Rebeccha had for it euen for failing in the manner So Dauid looke what his intermissions were in doing the actions of this life this spirituall life you see likewise his troubles were and therefore let vs bee exhorted to liue this life of grace seeing we haue so great incouragements I say if you obserue throughout the scriptures and aboue all other places from the 2. Chron. 11. to the end of the book which is exceeding well worth the reading where you haue not onely the Stories of the Kings set downe but the causes of all the accidents that did befall them wee see all along as they liued this life of grace as they did the actions of this life that is as they kept their hearts perfect with God so their outward ioy and prosperity was accordingly and the interruption and intermission they found in that was according to their intermission in this And therefore let vs bee exhorted to liue this life For certainely euery life hath an excellency hath a sweetnes in it more then any meere being and as any life exceedes another so it hath it more as the life of a man exceeds the life of a beast so the life of grace exceeds the life of a man and therefore it is capacious of greater ioy and of greater grief On the other side as you know the ioy of the Saints is vnspeakable and glorious and passeth all vnderstanding so the despaire and horror of conscience againe exceeds as much And let vs marke this that as hee that liues the life of a beast destroies himselfe as a man So hee that liues the life of a man

dranke of the cup of Gods wrath wee see there the cup went round All the Nations dranke of it some more some lesse But yet if we drinke it not yet certainely God will recompence vs with good if we doe it with euill if we omit it For though he seeme angry with his Churches for a time as Dauid was with Absalon yet Ioab neuer did Dauid so acceptable a turne in all his life as when he sought to bring home Absalon his banished sonne though he were angry with him all the while So we cannot doe God a more acceptable seruice than to helpe the Church though for the present shee seeme to bee vnder the cloud of his anger And doubtlesse as the Lord would take it exceeding ill if we should neglect our dutie to them as I hope we doe not and shall not as we see in Iudges 5. 23. how the Lord is affected in such a case as this Curse ye Merosh saith the Lord yea curse ye the Inhabitants of Merosh bitterly because they came not out to helpe the Lord to helpe the Lord against the mightie Marke not because they did them any wrong but because they came not out but sate still and you know the rule He that keepeth not off an iniurie when he may doth it Againe marke the ground why they came not out because it was to helpe the Lord against the mightie when the enemies were mightie they had respect to their owne safetie and sate still and the phrase is to be obserued chiefely they came not out to helpe the Lord it was not to helpe the Lord but to helpe the Churches at that time but yet the Lord takes it as done to himselfe So I say as the Lord will take it ill if we doe it not So againe if we doe it he will take it exceeding well at our hands This worke hath meat in the mouth of it it will bring a sure reward with it Euen as the Arke when it was harbored by Obed-Edom others it brought a blessing you know to them So certainly the Church brings a blessing to them that defends it whereas on the other side when the Arke was violated and ill vsed by the Philistines and the men of Beth shemesh you know how many thousands were slaine for it Whence I gather if God would doe so much for that which had but a typicall holinesse that which was but a dead Temple where he dwelt but for a time what will he doe if this liuing Temple be destroyed For the people of God are a liuing Temple Ier. 2. 3 it is said there Israel is an hallowed thing he is my first fruits therefore he that deuours it shall offend and euill shall come to him saith the Lord therefore in helping the Church of God from being deuoured by strangers we helpe an hallowed people as we see the Lord reckoned Israel though they were subiect to many failings I say let vs be stirred vp to do it with all diligence we may fall out and in at home and the vicissitude of faire and foule weather within our owne Horizon may passe away and blowe ouer as I hope it will and I pray God it may yet in the meane time if any of the Churches bee swallowed vp you know that it is a thing that cannot bee recalled and therefore let vs do our best and do it in time And this I will be bold to say for our incouragement they are the Churches of God and there is a God in heauen that tenders them and he is a God that delights to be seene in the Mount even when things are past hope and though their enemies be exceeding great and mighty yet when they go about to oppresse the Church they are as an heape of strawe that goes about to oppresse a Coale of fire that will consume them or as one that deuoureth a cup of poyson that will proue his death or as one that goes about to ouerthrow a great stone that will fall downe againe and bruise him to powder they are all the Scriptures expressions as you shall finde them in Zach. 12. though wee haue not leisure to quote the particular places So I say will the Lord deale with the enemies of his Church and will preserue her Therefore let this hope incourage vs to do it and for those who haue greatest power and opportunity of doing good in this businesse let them consider that excellent speech of Mordecay to Hester Hester 4. 24. saith Mordecay to her If thou holdest thy tongue at this time deliuerance shall appeare to the Iewes from another place but thou and thy house shall perish The meaning is this there was then an opportunity of doing good to the Church you know then what extremity the Iewes were in therefore saith he if thou do it not Thou and thine house shall perish So if any be impediments nay if they do not their best I pronounce this in the name of the most true God that will make it good sooner or later They and their houses shall perish they shall be as the straw we spake of before that oppresseth the Coale of fire So I say againe on the other side if they seeke to deliuer the Churches from their and her enemies there is this great aduantage in it it will moue God to deliuer them from their enemies againe and to deliuer them as Salomon saith When a mans waies please the Lord hee will make his enemies be at peace with him Thirdly and lastly wherein I will bee very briefe let vs bee exhorted to liue this life of grace that is to doe the duties of obedience wherewith this life is nourished and maintained For so the Lord saith He that keepeth my Commandements shall liue in them euen as the Flower liues in the oyle as the creature liues by foode So man liues by keeping the Commandements of God that is this spirituall life this life of grace it is maintained by doing the Commandements whereas euery motion out of the wayes of God and into sinne is like the motion of the fish out of the water euery motion is a motion to death and oh that we could thinke of sinne as a motion to death and of euery good action as a putting on towards life that wee could thinke this life of grace farre more excellent then the life of nature or of sinfull lusts pleasures and delights for so it is For surely the life that God and Angels liue it must needes bee the most excellent and fullest of ioy and this life they liue And to incourage vs to it let vs consider how God interlaceth this life of grace with the life of ioy of peace and outward prosperity as you see in diuers examples Gideon while he did the actions of this life you know how he prospered but when he set vp a golden Ephod after which the people went a whoring it was the destruction of him and