Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	word_n	work_v	worthy_a	125	3	6.3444	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57140	Gods fidelity, the churches safety opened in a sermon preached before the lord major, aldermen, and common-councel, at Lawrence-Jury Church, on Wednesday Septem. 15, 1658 : being a day of humiliation by them appointed / by Edward Reynolds.	Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.	1659 (1659)	Wing R1252; ESTC R32285	22,488	88

same Mercy and Power can do it now which did it before Numb 14.17 19. so David Thou hast spoken of thy servants house for thy words sake hast thou done these great things and now O Lord establish thy Word do as thou hast said 2 Sam. 7.19 21 25 27 29. So Solomon Let thy word be verified which thou spakest unto thy servant David 1 Reg. 8.26 So Asa O Lord we rest in thee thou art our God 2 Chron. 14.11 so Ieshaphat Thou art God our eyes are upon thee 2 Chr. 20 6-12 no such plea in Prayer as the free grace the Word the Truth the Fidelity the Righteousness of God 4. This may comfort us against all the mutability of our own wills whereby we are apt to start aside like a deceitfull Bow In as much as our safety dependeth not upon our own performances but upon the Covenant of God who is righteous and faithfull and will not suffer our weakness to annul his promise Rom. 9.16 5. This Caution notwithstanding we must take in That we beware of playing the wantons with the grace of Gods Covenant because thereby we remain escaped for the Lord will not pass by the petulancy and lasciviency of any of his Children though he doth not totally cast them off yet he hath sharp rods wherewith he can chastise them If they fly from his service he can send a Whale to swallow them and can bring all his Waves and Billows upon them if they keep not to his Commission he can send a Lion to tear them he can make them feel the weight of his Frown though they do not of his Fury and it may be cause them to walk in darkness drooping and disconsolate all their days complaining of broken Bones and of a wounded Spirit with strong cryes imploring the comforts of that Spirit which they had so unkindly greived and resisted As it is this day escaped escaped this day in which we lie under so sore and heavy a guilt This is a marvellous heightning of Gods Mercy That we may remain escaped in this day a day of so great sin and also a marvellous aggravation of the sin that it hath been committed in this day a day of so great Mercy wherein we remain yet escaped Sinne committed in a day of mercy is the more exceeding hainous mercy extended in a day of sin is the more exceeding glorious That we should so greatly provoke the Lord this day wherein we remain escaped O how prodigious and presumptuous the wickedness That we should remain escaped this day wherein we have so greatly provoked the Lord O how admirable and unsearchable the goodness 1. Sinne in a day of great Mercy is exceedingly the more hainous It is a great aggravation of sinne when it withstandeth Iudgements when the Lord changeth the corrections and men still hold fast their sins Amos 4 6-12 and turn not unto him that smiteth them Isai. 9.13 It is a brand upon Ahaz that in the day of his distresse he sinned more 2 Chron. 28.22 How much more hainous is it to abuse Mercy and Loving kindness It is the character of a wicked man that though favour be shewed him yet he will not learn righteousness Isai. 26.10 The Angell spared Balaam and yet he ran greedily after the wages of iniquity Numb 22.35 This is an unkindness the Lord often upbraideth his people with Deut. 32 13-15· Ier. 22.21 Hos. 13.5 Amos 2 9-13 This made Solomons sin the greater that he turned from the God of Israel who had appeared to him twice 1 King 11.9 This adds disingenuity unthankfulness unkindness unto disobedience when men neither fear nor love the Lord for his goodness No surfets more dangerous then those which are upon sweet things no diseases more desperate then those which reject Cordials no Fruits ripen faster then those on which the Sun continually shineth as the Apostle saith of grace where sin abounded grace did much more abound so we may by an inversion say of sin where grace aboundeth there the guilt of sin is the more abundant 2. Mercy extended in a day of sinne is the more exceeding glorious when the Lord is pleased to proclaim mercy to a divorced people Ier. 3 12-15 in the midst of provoked wrath to remember mercy Hab. 3.2 and when men go on frowardly in their own ways then to heal them to restore comfort to them to create peace Isai. 57 17-19 to heal a backsliding people and to love them freely Hos. 14.14 To look back upon a denying Peter Luke 22.61 To send a pardon to an adulterous David 2 Sam. 12.13 To call from Heaven to a persecuting Saul Acts 9.4 This is that which maketh Mercy the more radiant which magnifieth the freeness fulness and superabundance of it that it rejoyceth against judgment Iam. 2.13 These considerations tend much to humble a people which remain yet escaped as we do this day The sad conjunctions of our sins with the Lords goodness when the Lord saith I will remember my Covenant and thou shalt remember thy wayes Then he saith thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee Ezek. 16 60-63 When we compare his Mercy with our corrupt doings then is a time to loath our selves in our own sig●t Ezek. 20 42-44 36 25-32 Sin punished doth many times harden a sinner in pride as we see in Pharaoh But sin pardoned and subdued with Mercy should melt the soul into a godly sorrow holy revenge and self displicency for it They shall shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes O let us learn to bewail our wickedness in that we have ventured on it in a day of Mercy as if we had been delivered to commit abominations Ier. 7.10 as if priviledges were a protection to profaneness Certainly if mercies be aggravations of sin no Nation in the world is less excusable then we What Nation in the Earth hath God so honoured with a long possession of his Oracles and glorious light of his Word In so much that other Nations study the English Tongue to read our Books What Nation hath ever had such manifold such miraculous deliverances What Nation hath the Lord Crowned with a greater abundance of all good things What means could be used to work upon a people which the Lord hath not made use of amongst us If teaching would work upon us we have had his Word If Chastisements would amend us we have had his Sword If bounty would perswade us we have been fed and cloathed and healed and crowned and compassed with mercies more then we can recount If strange and unparalleld Providences would awaken us this Nation hath never had for many hundred years such a prospects of Gods works such interwoven mixtures of Mercies of Judgements of Wonders of Terrors Great Instruments raised up and taken away again Wars raging and again ceasing Seas roaring and again calmed And certainly the Works of the Lord should

the souls of his people and lifts up the light of his Countenance upon them and sheds abroad the love of his Son into them this should fortifie and garrison the heart against the assaults of sinne the joy of the Lord should be the strength of his people Nehem 8.10 and the more comfort they have in being acquainted with him the more fearfull they should be of being estranged from him the greater the sweetnesse of the peace of God the greater the bitternesse of those sinnes whereby we forfeit it and hide it from our selves 5. Against that spirituall wisdom and understanding which the Lord hath given us for this end that we might walk worthy of him unto all pleasing Col. 1.9 10. True wisdom is the knowledge of the most honourable and most excellent things whereby we discern things which differ suggesteth the supreme and most necessary ends and the most proper and pertinent means conducing thereunto Setteth a man to consider how he may live to the great uses for which he was made is a wisdom unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 makes him look to the way of life how he may depart from Hell Prov. 15.24 14 8 15. teacheth him to walk circumspectly and warily amidst the many snares and temptations which are ready to seduce and mislead him Eph. 5.15 makes him have his eyes in his head Eccle. 2.14 that he may understand every good path Prov. 2.9 makes him study the will of God to the end that he may keep it Prov. 28.7 puts the heart and the right hand together Eccle. 10.2 gives a spiritual evidence and taste of the beauties and sweetness of holiness shews it self in a good conversation and in doing the Commandements Iam. 3.13 Psal. 111.10 It is more improper for a holy man to yeeld up himself unto any way or work of wickedness then for a Counsellor of State or a great Philosopher to play with Straws or Cherry-stones to give up himself to Boyish and Ludicrous vanities and therefore holy men confess their sinnes in Scripture by the name of folly 2 Sam. 24.10 Psalm 73.22 6. Against the hope of salvation which teacheth us to purifie our selves as Christ is pure 1. Ioh. 3.3 our salvation will be to be like unto Christ that grace which makes us suspire after a likeness unto him in glory will kindle in our hearts a desire to be like unto him in grace for grace is glory Inchoate as glory is grace Consummate so much as we neglect duty so much we shake the hope of glory Lord saith the Psalmist I have hoped for thy salvation I have done thy commandements Psal 119.166 though obedience be not a foundation upon which to build our hope for our hope must be in Gods word not in our own works Psal. 119.42.49.74 Yet it is a fruit and consequently an Evidence and argument a posteriori to demonstrate it The salvation we hope for is to see God and hereunto is required purity of heart Matth. 5.8 as the object seen doth make its own image in the eye which seeth it so when the soul sees God in glory it is perfectly fashioned unto his likenesse and therefore without holinesse no man can see God Heb. 12.14 So much as we blemish our holiness we do obscure and fully our hope 7. Against the honour of Religion which is thereby exceedingly wounded and reproached 2 Sam. 12.14 the Apostle frequently exhorteth us to walk worthy of our high calling so as becometh the Gospel that we may adorn the doctrine of our Lord Jesus and put to silence the ignorance of foolish men that they may be ashamed who fasly accuse our good conversation ut nemo de nobis male loqui sine mendacio possit to be tender of the name of God and his Doctrine that these may not be blasphemed see Ephes. 4.1 Phil. 1.27 1 Thes. 2.12 Tit. 2.10 1 Tim. 6.1 2 Cor. 6.3 1. Pet. 2.15.3.16 for though it be most illogicall and absurd to charge an holy Doctrine with the blame of those sins which the professors thereof contrary to the rules of their own profession and in obedience only to their own lusts do commit Yet so much ignorance and malice there is in wicked men as to blaspheme God for the sinnes of his people and to reproach the rectitude of the rule for the obliquity of their lives who swarve and vary from it And by how much the greater ingratitude it is to be honoured by God as his servants are and yet to dishonour him by so much the more hainous are those sinnes whereby we neither sanctifie God in our own hearts and open the mouths of others to poure contempt upon him 8. Against the souls of our brethren which are thereby greatly scandalized for as there is joy in Heaven and consequently among the Saints on Earth whose affections and conversations are heavenly for the conversion of a sinner and great mutual comfort in the communion of Saints insomuch that the joy of one is the joy of all the rest 1 Cor. 15.31 2 Cor. 2.3 So when a converted person relapseth into any sinne it must needs sadden and offend the souls of all who rejoyced in his standing and possibly become a stumbling block and an occasion of falling unto them as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 15-21 1 Cor. 8 10-13 9. Against the souls of the wicked who are thereby hardened and encouraged Ezek. 16.54 when wicked men who possibly had some conflict and regret in their Consciences against those sinnes which their hearts hanker after observe holy men overtaken with them and indulge unto them like Benhadads servants they hastily catch at such an advantage and are emboldened by their example unto sin whose holy lives they neither love nor imitate Therefore of all people they who are called by Gods name and have him for their God should in special manner humble themselves before him for their sinnes as sins whereby he is in special manner grieved and dishonoured should above all others take heed of playing the wantons with divine grace for though God be a tender and a loving Father yet he may be an angry Father and who knoweth the power of his anger Psal. 90.11 though thou be a Son and an Heir of salvation yet thou mayest be Filius sub ira a son under displeasure and when thou art so thou wilt finde by sad ex perience that one frown of his Brow one stroke of his Rod hath infinitely more bitterness in it then there is sweetness in the pleasures of a thousand sinnes And since Gods own people do by their sins contribute unto publick Judgments they should be the more carefull to stand in the breach and to improve their interests in him for the procuring of renewed mercies to minde him of his gracious Covenant and of his Fatherly relation unto them as the Church doth Psal. 74.20 forget not the Congregation of the poor have respect unto thy Covenant Thou O Lord art our Father we are thine Isai.

hath the Lord holpen us Many Considerations may set on the sense of this Mercy upon our hearts 1. The many sinnes which remain amongst us even in the Israel of God sad divisions sharp animosities perverse Opinions vanity luxury severe censurings loose walking worldly mindedness c. 2. The many shakings and universal sufferings whereby the Lord hath made it appear that his quarrel was against all orders of men that the disease was all over Isai. 1.6 Ier. 5 1-5 so that none can blame others but every one acknowledge the plague of his own heart and say as David did I confess my sinne and the sin of my people Dan. 9.20 Now various shakings and concussions in a Nation use to be sore presages of greater Judgements as we may see in Gods dealing with the ten Tribes before their dissolution What shakings have been amongst us we need not recount by changes at home by differences abroad shakings on the Land and shakings on the Sea shakings at hand and shaking afar off shakings by War and shakings by sicknesses shakings in our mindes by divided Opinions shakings in our hearts by divided affections shaking in our estates by divided interests And whether these shakings have a tendency to dissolution we know not we are not ignorant of the rage which hath been upon many of our Protestant Brethren in other parts of Christendom But surely this consideration may lead us both to glorifie God that we Remain yet escaped and to humble our selves under the feare of his further wrath 3. The powerful Preaching which hath been in the Land which where it doth not kindly work where it is not honourably entertained doth exceedingly ripen Judgements and make white for the sickle It is compared to the shining of the Sun 2 Cor. 4.6 2 Pet. 1.19 and to showers of rain Deut. 32. which are intended for the bringing forth of Salvation and springing up of Righteousness Isai. 45.8 But if they fall upon sins doe hasten their maturity and make them nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7 8. the sins of the Church are Summer Fruits they ripen faster then the sinnes of the World the sins of the Amorites were four hundred years a ripening Gen. 15.16 the sins of Israel in the Wilderness fourty years Psal. 95.10 Gods patience towards the ten Tribes after their revolt was but two hundred and sixty years from the sins of Manasseh to the Captivity brought upon Judah for those sins little more then one hundred years As at Jerico the sounding of the Trumpet seven times did lead in the falling of the wall so the long sounding of the Word in the ears of disobedient people is a shrewd presage of ensuing ruine These considerations laid together as should they justly awaken us to Humiliation so are they Evidences of Gods goodness towards us in that such a people Remain yet escaped Escaped from the bondage of Popery from the flames of persecution from the Spanish Armado from the vault of Powder from rigour in the Church from troubles in the State from the terrour of a bloudy War from renewed attempts of trouble and danger escaped from a Vote extinguishing and abolishing the whole maintenance of the Ministery the consequences whereof could not but have been unutterably miserable Any one of these evils God might have sharpned into a destruction And yet after all this Righteous art thou O Lord for we remain yet escaped 2. It reproueth our unbelief in consulting with flesh and blood betaking our selves to carnall shifts in time of danger having a faithfull Covenant and a righteous God to lay hold upon whose alone fidelity is the ground of his peoples safety who knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation 2 Pet. 2.9 this was the sin of Ahaz in sending to the Assyrian to help him when God offered him a sign to confirm his trust in him Isai. 7.11 12. 2 Chron. 28.19 The Christians in the Church of Corinth being afraid to displease their Heathen friends and endanger themselves would sit with them at the Idols Table and eat at their Tables meat offered to Idols The Apostle diswadeth them from using this Carnal shift to decline danger bids them flee from Idolatry lest that which they in carnal wisdom might judge the means of their standing should prove the occasion of their fall and directeth them to trust for safety in a faithfull God who would not suffer them to be tempted above that they were able but would with the temptation make a way to escape that they might be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10.13 14. 3. In fears therefore and dangers we should be incouraged by these two Arguments 1. The Righteousness of God 2. Our own present remaining escaped Faith in and experience of the fidelity of God to help us to trust in him at all times not to fear the wrath of man but to secure the love of God he sometimes purposely bringeth his servants to difficulties that they may make tryal of such a friend who in six and seven troubles is at hand to deliver them Faith is a venturous grace it honours God and laies hold on his strength Rom. 4.20 Isai. 27.5 It is a victorious grace and rises up above difficulties 1 Ioh. 5.4 all things are possible to it Therefore in times of danger let us plead Gods Covenant and our own experience Lord wilt thou now destroy us seeing we remain yet escaped and are Monuments of thy Mercy hast thou wrought so great deliverances and done so many wonders and snatcht us as brands out of the fire to destroy us at the last thou hast delivered and dost deliver wilt thou not give us leave to trust in thee for deliverance still Though the Lord had broken us in the place of Dragons and had cast us off and put us to shame yet even so we may lean upon his Name and plead his Covenant Psal. 44.17 19. Psal. 74 1-20 Isai. 64 8-12 Hab. 3.17 18. How much more comfortably may we plead it when by the alone mercy thereof we remain escaped When we may say as the people of Ioseph did Iosh. 17.14 we are a great people and the Lord hath hitherto blessed us and may set up a Monument as Samuel did 1 Sam. 7.12 and say thus far hath the Lord holpen us This is one chief Argument which Gods servants use in Prayer to mind him of his Word and Covenant wherein he had caused them to hope so Iacob I am not worthy of the least mercy but thou saidst I will doe thee good Gen. 32 9-12 so Moses we remain yet escaped out of the Land of Egypt thou hast brought us out thence turn from thy fierce wrath Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy servants to whom thou swareest c. Exod. 32 11-13 and again let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken pardon the iniquity of thy people as thou hast forgiven them from Egypt untill now As they remain yet escaped so save them still the