Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A52808
|
The crown and glory of a Christian consisting in a sound conversion and well ordered conversation.
|
Ness, Christopher, 1621-1705.
|
1676
(1676)
|
Wing N450; ESTC R26867
|
31,261
|
167
|
calls you 2. Of Conscience what satisfaction you find there both concerning the lawfulness and the expediency of the action 3. Of the word which ought to warrant all our actions as it is the rule of all Righteousness and 4ly of the Spirit which gives its testimony to all the aforesaid the fruits of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth Eph. 5. 9. and witnesses with our spirits that we are in Gods way and in our own duty The voice of Providence alone may deceive you as it might have done David had Abishai's apprehensions prevailed with him as 1 Sam. 26. 8. God hath delivered thine enemy Saul into thine hand this day he would not have David to tempt God any longer by letting slip this so fair an opportunity but holy David had the three other voices to hearken unto as well as that voice of Providence ver 9 10 11 neither the Word would warrant him nor his own spirit nor the spirit of God which last hinder'd Paul and Silas from going into Asia and Bithynia Act. 16. 6 7. 14. In things wherein self may sway it is safest for you to be passive in such cases you will be strongly tempted both by a subtil devil and by a deceitful heart to out-run God both in his Promises and in his Providences as Israel in Numb 14.40 We will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised they must needs go up that very morning for self swayed their hearts that way though the pillar of Providence which was their guide by night and by day did not go before them and though they plead Gods promise yet they did not consider Gods promises are fealed but they are not dated You must wait therefore in such cases of self Gods time your time will be always ready when Gods time is not yet Joh. 7. 6. You would have your water of affliction turned into the wine of consolation at your time but Christ saith to you as he said to his Mother What have I to do with thee woman mine hour is not yet come Joh. 2.4 the day you set down in your Kalendar is not the same that God sets down in his we are all exceeding prone to post-date the divine threatnings and to antidate the divine promises we all put the evil day far from us Amos 6. 3. Ezek. 12. 27. When God comes in his threatnings we think he hath leaden feet and is slow in pace 2 Pet. 3.4 9 but when we expect him to come in his promises then we look upon him as a Roe and as a young hind in the mountains of Bether 5ly Of watching your heart in natural civil and religious actions First in General 1. Concerning your Natural Actions as labouring resting feeding and clothing c. you had need keep your heart with all diligence in respect of these Prov. 4. 23 lest you sin in them for the adversary hath some advantages over gracious spirits in them all as first that being satisfied about the lawfulness of these actions Satan will make you overlook the expediency of them 2ly He may at some time or other cheat you with divine permission for divine approbation And 3ly he may likewise deceive you in putting no just difference 'twixt the use and abuse of your Christian liberty 2. Touching the first of these let Satan tempt you to any gross sin your heart will rise with indignation against such a foul temptation and 't will be a torment to you to be tempted to it yea as much torment to your soul as sawing asunder and being slain with the sword is torment to the body Hebr. 11. 37 to be tempted is there placed betwixt those two kinds of death as if it were equally dolorous with either or both of them so that foul sins do not so much endanger your soul as it is in those lawful actions wherein Satan may more slily and insensibly beguile you out of a lawfulness into an inexpediency 3. Touching the second of them you must learn this distinction from Gods Word that though God permitted polygamy and divorces under the Jewish Poedagogy yet it was only for the hardness of their hearts Mat. 19. 8 But it was not so from the beginning saith Christ that divine dispensation for better an inconvenience than a mischief makes but little for the lawfulness of it neither can it amount to a divine approbation 4. Touching the third of them those actions that be of themselves and in their own nature lawful yet through your corruption they are capable of excess and inordinateness the sly and subtil insinuations of Satan under a pretence of your own Christian liberty in going as far as you may will carry you sometimes a little further than you should Excessive immoderate and inordinate delight is sinful although it be in objects that are not sinful in themselves This in the general concerning all those actions 2ly In particular 1. Of Labour 1. Touching Natural Actions in particular as first of labour whether it be done in the sweat of the brow or of the brain indeed a Ministers labour consists of both you must at least own one of those God made the Leviathan to sport in the Sea but nevery any man to sport on the earth every man must go forth to some work or other till the evening Psal 104. 23 26 there must be either manual or mental labour 2. Take those few directions to manage your heart in your honest employment and labour Direct 1. First beg of God for ability of body in your labour 't was part of the Serpents curse Gen. 3. 14 Vpon thy belly shalt thou go some think that God cut him shorter by the feet because he is ranked among the beasts of the field v. 1 and not among creeping things Have you the use of your limbs for your labour Oh bless God for it especially if you be strong to labour if it be a priviledg in oxen Psal 144. 24 much more in men Dir. 2. Pray that your mind may be suitable to your labour as well as your body when there is unsuitableness 'twixt the mind of man and his employment then the work never comes kindly off nor goes it comfortably end-ways either your chariot-wheels are taken off then you drive heavily or they want Unction and then they make a creaking repining noise much unlike the Chariots of Aminadab or of a willing people as the word signifies 'T is the Lord that qualified Bezaleel that was but a poor Brick-maker in Egypt for working all curious work Exod. 31. 3. And the Husband-mans God doth teach him and instruct him in all his points of Husbandry Isa 28. 26. Direct 3. See that you pursue your worldly employment with an heavenly frame of heart setting God always before you Psal 16. 8 and being in the fear of God all the day long Prov. 23. 17 evermore sending forth spiritual Ejaculations as Nehemiah and David did this is to pray always Eph. 6. 18