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
A25421	The right government of thoughts, or, A discovery of all vain, unprofitable, idle, and wicked thoughts with directions for the getting, keeping, and governing of good thoughts, digested into chapters for the ease of the reader : whereunto are added four sermons / by ... John Angel ...	Angel, John, d. 1655.; T. B.	1659 (1659)	Wing A3162A; ESTC R13149	89,280	271

bitternesse The holy man might think with himself What have I done How great is my sin Did I not lately promise never to forsake my Master no not if all men else should forsake him yet I would never leave him And am I the man that denies him so soon I that am so near related to him as his Disciple so eminently preferred by him as his Apostle not compeld by any in authority but frighted to it by the demand of a woman servant Was not my sin great enough to deny him once but have I done it twice and thrice Might I not have denied him barely with sin enough but must I forswear him too I was not surprised at unawares but forewarned and but even now forewarned by my Lord and Master whose words I ought to have remembred c. Thus he called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him and he went out and wept bitterly Now the aggravating circumstances of sin are such as these First the dignitie of the person offending the more eminent the person the more vile the sin Now the dignity is either external or internal external in respect of some high place preferment authority employment or trust whereunto a man is advanced as to be a Magistrate Minister Father Master and should such a man as I fly said that good Magistrate Nehemiah its intollerable in one of my rank or place the Lord will look to be sanctified in those that draw near him in place and digninitie so likewise an internal dignitie of grace or gifts heightens the sin of any person a lighter sin in them whom God hath made his sons by adoption is in sme sot greater then in unregenerate men though Israel play the harlot yet Judah must not offend Hos 4. 15. The second thing that aggravates our sins is the specialties of Gods favour where God is more bountiful the sin is more inexcusable in that he is not drawn with the cords of Gods love and this you may see 2 Sam. 12. 7. Nathan brings in a Catalogue of Gods mercies and favours shewed to David God anointed him King over Israel delivered him out of the hands of Saul gave him his Lords house and his Lords wives into his bosom and thereupon infers the grievousnesse of his sin v. 9. Wherefore hast thou then despised the Commandement of the Lord to do evil in his sight The third circumstance of aggravavation is outward scandal given by our sins when we have not onely sinned personally but given offence unto others if we sad the hearts of the righteous strengthen the hands of the wicked if we give occasion to the enemies of God to blaspheme cause our profession to be evil spoken of corrupting some mens manners indangering others laying a stumbling block before the weak troubling their consciences perverting their judgements subverting them from the truth and these things make our sins scandalous Now this is certain the further corruption spreads and the more the sent thereof poysons others the more odious it is to God and should be more odious unto men no sinnes more damnable then theirs who enter not into the Kingdom of heaven themselves nor by their wills would suffer others to enter who allow others to go to hell which way they will and suffer them not to go to Heaven that way which they should The fourth thing which adds to the weight of sin is continuance and delight in sin unto some sins we give fuller consent of will we please our selves in them more we lye longer in them without repentance such were the sins of David in his murther and adulterie he committed many other sins but these his conscience did not chide him for of a long time these put his soul into a distemper and made such a spoil and havock of his graces that he stood in need of a new Creation a new and fresh infusion of grace Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. and they stripped him of the joy of the holy Ghost v. 12. Restore me unto the joy of thy salvation Continuance and delight in sin break down the fences of grace and lay all wast so that the whole man is out of frame he cannot set himself upon good duties but lies open unto sinne To these may be added as aggravations of our sin 1. Our own profession that we have made formerly 2. Our covenants and promises made unto God in baptism and many times since upon occasions of deliverance from danger of being heard in our requests of hope of mercy in our low estate this makes our trespasses double iniquity as being not onely sins against Gods precepts but also breaches of our own promises 3. The means of grace received for where grace is offered more plenteously and rejected sin is more sinful Luke 12. 48. these means are partly inward as wit memory knowledge capacitie and the like partly outward as the preaching of the word and other ordinances of God the light of good examples and other restraints from the laws of Christian Magistrates The fourth help to further us in the examination of our sins is to pray unto God to give us his spirit to be our remembrancer to call to our minds those sins which are slipt out of our memories to recal the sins of our youth and other ages which we have attained unto and as he shewed to the Prophet by degrees greater and greater abominations of the house of Israel Ezek 8. 6. 13. 15. even so that he would discry to us by little and little the abominations of our own lives so prayed that holy man Job 13. 23. How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin Thus much of the first head the examination of our sins now follows the second head concerning the examination of our graces The necessity whereof appears First because we must bring grace with us to the Sacrament or else we shall scarsely bring grace from thence we must come to Christs Table to have graces confirmed and enlarged now it behoves us to have them in us afore hand for there is no confirmation of that which is not resident in us Secondly because otherwise we may take the semblance of grace for substance and may be deceived with counterfeit shews and shadows for currant graces Now the principal graces whereof we are to examine our selves are four Knowledge Faith Repentance Charitie We are to examine our knowledge first for the substance of it secondly for the sincerity of it First for the substance Whether we know God whom to know is eternal life John 17. 2. whether we apprehend by faith what we cannot comprehend by reason the unity of the Godhead in Trinitie of persons John 5. 7. Whether we know his essence and essential properties Exod. 34. 6. What we know of Christ in whom we believe what of his natures as God and Man of his Person as the Son of God of his

thoughts nor at the persons of Gods sending to administer spiritual help unto us In this matter we should say with Samuel Speak on Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam 3. 10. or as that devout Cornelius to Paul We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God Act. 10. 33 3. He that would have good thoughts let him pray let him intreat the Lord to enrich his soul by his sanctifying spirit for by multiplyed acts the spirit doth renew our minds God saves us but not by works of Righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost pray for that therefore that ye may be wased and saved Tit. 3. 5. The fourth meanes to get good thoughts into thy mind is to accompany Gods Saints be thou as much as conveniently and without prejudice of thy calling in the company of them that are godly whose communion will edge the good motions that are upon thy spirit as Iron sharpens Iron 2 Pet. 3. 1. Peters Epistles had power in them to stirre up the pure minds of holy men there is a power also in the interloquutories and familiar conferences of holy persons when they meet face to face Paul had a great desire of many years to see not so much the City of Rome in her then glory as the brethren at Rome Rom. 15. 23 24. that he might be filled with their company we believe a communion of Saints and shall we not desire to be assistants one to another to impart and receive some spiritual gifts interchangeably God himself is seen in the congregations of holy men and therefore as Manoah and his wife when they had seen an Angel thought they had seen the face of God So when we shall see the face of Gods people let us think we behold the face of God in them for they are the liveliest pictures of Gods image their conversation will administer thoughts of imitation their conferences will season our unsavory meditations their discourse will draw out waters of life so that we may perceive the deep things of our salvation flowing out of their bellies unto us and though Satan in the company of wicked men do beget upon their imaginations a company of wicked thoughts yet the spirit of God is as plentiful in producing good motions in godly minds by the company of sanctified men do but observe the issues of thy mind after thy fill of their company how barren dost thou return from the tables of those where thou hast not seen the face of God nor heard any talk of heaven and if amongst them Satan have but whistled an horn-pipe how is thy soul dulled or grieved or turned out of the way or unfitted for heavenly thoughts But on the contrary when thou hast been praying fasting mourning or it may be feasting with Gods Saints how cheerful will the soul be it seems to have fed upon some dish like Elijahs meat in the strength whereof thy thoughts goe a long journey in holy meditations therefore be sure of a holy man to thy friend and the more the better and make much account of him or them it 's a wonder to see what force is in the company of godly men to stirre up good thoughts and lamentable to see how Satan strangles good thoughts in some when they are ready to appeare in action by evill company so that those thoughts never live to see the light 5. He that would get good thoughts and store his heart with them must make much of them when they come they are quick movers they come suddenly and they are gone as soon if they be not kindly entertained they will not stay long at the dore knocking nor scraping for acquaintance they are the messengers of Gods Spirit and they bring good newes to the soul that bids them welcom but the non-entertainment of them or the slight entertainment of them is a grieving of the holy Spirit of God that sent them If Davids messengers be unkindly entreated by Nabal or frowned upon they will back to their Lord and acquaint him with their usage and do not thou think but. thy carriage towards holy thoughts will be carried to Gods ear But if thou give kind entertainment to good thoughts they will stay with thee to counsell and comfort thee and they will bring with them home to thine heart many more of their own kind to lodge with thee for God himself will send them in plentiful manner who loves to furnish such an host with the best commers Good thoughts in this respect are something like unto riches they come to them in most plenty who esteem them most the world must be courted and gracious thoughts must be much made of And consider good thoughts are worthy entertainment they are to be reckoned amongst our better friends a man can hardly make too much of them Ps in the multitude of these thoughts the comforts of God refresh our soules Make much of them for first they are good in themselves the births of gracious minds begotten upon them by the Spirit of God for we are not able of our selves to think a good thought Secondly these have been kind to us and done us many a good turn witnesse our solitary nights and tedious houres of sicknesse imprisonment afflictions travailes from place to place while no comforters have been our companions but God and our good thoughts We may say with David We have remembred thy name in the night and have kept thy Law Psal 119. 55. our solitary and night thoughts have benefited us for the keeping of Gods Law and have administred unto us songs in the dayes of our pilgrimage 54. Thirdly our good thoughts are likely to do us good hereafter and it may be at such a time when we shall have more need of them then ever we have had yet it was Hezekiah's great comfort in his sicknesse to think how he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart and he beseecheth the Lord also that he would remember him in this behalf 2 Kings ● 3. if bonds or afflictions remain us if we be cast into the Dungeon or be wounded in battail or lye upon sick-beds good thoughts will be unto us our sweetest companions Make much of good thoughts they will season the rooms where they come and make the heart the house of God But here a word of admonition to them that have not good thoughts or rather to them whose good thoughts make offer of departure Suspect beloved your entertainments of them have been harsh or distastful use them more kindly entreat their stay offer them violence keep them by force if it be possible that they go not over the threshold from you Imitate herein Jacobs bold wrestling with God hold them fast let them not go lest ye lose a blessing 6. He that would get good thoughts into his mind must have a great care to keep his

thou wilt Consider that gratious work of Regeneration whereby the Spirit of God which breaths where it listeth takes up a poor creature already dead in sins and trespasses and breaths into him the breath of Life sets him on his feet and teacheth him to go and holds him by his arm that he should henceforth fall no more for ever I do but shew you some things of worth and usefulnesse to think upon not to consine a larger soul to these subjects onely I know every particular work of God carries wonder in it yet if thy soul do but climb like promonts to these mentioned thy understanding will have so much in view that thy thoughts need never be idle nor ill employed but find a matter to raise a good thought upon and to multiply invention Even every visible and objective thing is a book laid open before thy eye wherein thou mayest reade something of Gods worth and thy own duty Reader take these courses for the getting conserving and encreasing good thoughts in thy mind It may be some of these directions may seem uselesse unto thee yet thou hast my offer of love to thy soul and they may be unto thee though unseen at the first like Minerals under ground which lead to and fro with a thousand veins enriching the Miner CHAP. XI I Forbear further rules for getting good thoughts and shal now speak of the rules more particularly whereby we must govern good thoughts once gotten If it be expected by any that I should have been most large or onely upon this point for the right governing of a just mans thoughts Let it also be considered that all that hath been hitherto written hath been but directions to the same purpose He that would govern his thoughts aright must know not onely how to rule them being gotten but how to remove hindrances of them which I have done by discovery of the evils of thoughts and the remedies thereof general and particular He must also know how to get good thoughts which I have done by directing means for that purpose and therefore when I have also given you rules for the governing of your good thoughts being gotten I shal think I have discharged my duty in this undertaking according to the measure of the gift of God bestowed upon me for the edifying of his Church And that I may stir up your pure minds to this great Work of governing your good thoughts being gotten Consider 1. It s honourable and praise-worthy for a man to govern his own thoughts well It was Salomons praise that when God bid him ask and have that leaving out riches and long life and honour out of his petition as things lesse desireable he did earnestly desire Lord give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people 1 Kin. 3. 9 It is no lesse praiseable in a Christian being made a king over a state as disordered as people as mutinous viz. his thoughts and having the same promise which Salomon had to ask and receive and particulary to ask wisdom of God who gives it Jam. 8. if he beg of God that wisdom which is from above whereby his heart may be guided to settle his disordered if not rebellious thoughts in peace and security Certainly 't is a work of great wisdom to govern our thoughts aright and if they be accounted wise who helped by power and cunning can rule a multitude well they are also to be reputed wise who can rule their own thoughts which are a great people for number and as apt to mutiny as men are surely such who rule well within are to be accounted worthy of double honour as they that rule well without Further when we consider the difficulty of governing thoughts well we must needs think them worthy praise who can do it some are born Kings and many have made themselves Kings over Countries and Nations of people which yet could never conquer their own thoughts but continued slaves to their own wills a man may conquer others by strength of arms and policy but a man can never conquer his own thoughts truly untill nature be helped by sanctifying graces in as much therefore as grace superadded to nature makes it in every thing more illustrious by so much is the Christian rightly ruling his own thoughts more honourable then other men But notwithstanding what can be said for the praise of them that govern their thoughts aright yet there are many in the world and they men of no mean parts who admire and by their endeavours advance the government of Houses Churches and Kingdomes who yet decry the ordering of the heart the government of the thoughts as needlesse or impossible But needlesse it is not as ye may perceive by our prefixed discourse concerning the needfulnesse of the government of thoughts and this that followes The inward government of the soul is the president for all external governments among men and the Heathen knew this who called man a little world if Moses had not seen the form of the Tabernacle in the mount he could never have made it to Gods mind if men do not frame a form of government in their own minds they will hardly be able to form a government acceptable to men as he that will govern the Church must first learn to govern his own house so must he begin to rule well in that private little place of his own heart that minds to govern others the best men are the best Kings and the most conquering their own hearts are the greatest Worthies Again he that governs his thoughts well God will subdue all his enemies under him all the rebellions of his own flesh shall yield to him all the strivings of the world against him cannot prevail he rides on conquering all things and not to be conquered but he that is of a loose and disordered carriage towards his own soul shall find his thoughts and actions as loose to him as his care is over them Impossible it is not for a Righteous man to govern his thoughts aright though I must confesse that to nature unreformed it is impossible as also that where nature is renewed the highest perfection of this gift is not attainable before the enjoyment of glory Yet notwithstanding the meaner degrees may and ought to be expected from God and are attained unto by every good Christian in this life for God hath promised to give unto his servants a new heart and that his grace shall be sufficient for them Jer. 31. Wherefore seeing nothing is impossible to whom God hath promised possibility let not us be discouraged from prescribing let not others be discouraged from receiving rules for government of our thoughts being a work both possible and necessary Rule 1. It will be the wisdom of every Righteous man to lift up the head of some just thought into place of Eminency and Command in his mind whereunto all the rest must be subject which must have both coercive and coactive power like