Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	work_n	work_v	worst_a	68	3	8.6311	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89565	Emmanuel: a thanksgiving-sermon preached to the Honourable House of Commons upon their solemn day of praising God for the victory obtained by the Parliaments forces in Southvvales. In the church of Margarets Westminster, May 17. 1648. / By Stephen Marshall B.D. minister of Gods Word at Finchingfield in Essex.	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1648 (1648)	Wing M753; Thomason E443_3; ESTC R204197	25,337	44

is miserable many a man with Sampson would bee content to perish upon condition that they whom they oppose might perish with them but that cannot be here no plot will take therefore let them alone meddle not against those men for whose sake God will be ingaged against thee this is one use The second is A use of comfort because Immanuel was with his people therefore saith he Feare not their feare be not dismayed sanctifie you the Lord of hosts in your heart he will be a sanctuary to you trust in him though he hide his face from the house of Israel In many words the Prophet here doth animate and incourage the servants of God in their greatest confusions which can possibly lie upon them not to let their faith in Immanuel goe but beare themselves upon him in the midst of all difficulties This also would I a little presse upon you because the Lord is thus engaged and will order all things for the ruine of his enemies and the good of his servants therefore in the mid'st of all our darknesses and difficulties hold your faith strong in Immanuels promises which are many hold you to them and feare not any feare of man I confesse when in my weaknesse I look upon the condition of these three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland there is not in reference to the people of God a sadder spectacle upon earth presented to my eye Clouds of confusion hang over all our heads wee may say of our troubles as Leah said when shee had a son born shee called him Gad Behold said shee a troope cometh Troopes of misery break out against us and threaten the people of God in all these three Kingdomes the adversaries of the cause that we have beene engaged in were never more never so full of fury never so diligent they are like unto the Frogs that came out of the mouth of the Dragon and the false Prophet and the Beast that were to gather all the Kings of the earth to battaile against the Lambe setting their confederacies and sending their Emissaries into every corner into every corner of France of Holland of England and Scotland and Ireland where ever any confederacy may bee raised and wee at home are a most pitifull divided disjoynted people even we who have owned and joined in Gods cause as if wee were the children of Cadmus making it our worke to thrust our swords into one anothers bowels or like the brethren of Ishmael every mans sword is against us and our sword against them so that when I look upon the difficulties and dangers that doe inviron us seriously I see no more probability of our withstanding the invading ruine then it is for a levell of sand to withstand a Torrent of water that comes running upon it I say thus it appeares to mee when I look upon these things with carnall eyes I can then see no way but the wofullest confusion breaking in upon us which a Kingdom can be plunged in especially that the godly party are even like to be given up for a spoile and a prey all our foundations are out of joynt and our whole house seemes falling but what then Must we therefore sit downe and despaire No for Immanuel because of Immanuel wee may beare up our hearts still and to encourage you I pray you carry home these foure or five meditations First Know you for certain that there is not one of all these businesses not any of these designes and plots that are in hand against us but the best friend wee have in heaven and earth hath stirred them all no man could offer at you so much as a drawne Dagger if Jesus Christ did not draw it and put it into his hand and truly Gods people need not feare any great hurt from any designe that Jesus Christ hath his hand in the clouds which Jesus Christ raiseth will all drop fatnesse that is one Christ hath contrived them all and you may therefore look for good from them Secondly Know for certaine that in the greatest rage and fury that ever is found amongst wicked men Immanuel hath a negative voice hee is not onely privy to all the counsels that are but he hath a negative voice in them too If hee say nay all their yeas are not worth a farthing to advance their businesse wee use to say to the Papists that if a generall councel could be called in Christrendome no good could bee expected from it if the Pope bee allowed to have a negative voyce for certainly hee will never passe any thing that shall be against the Church of Rome Jesus Christ hath this negative voice you may demand over whom hath Christ a negative voice I tel you Over the Sun hee saith to the Sun doe not shine though the Sun be prepared as a Gyant to run his race if Christ doe but say doe not shine the Sun puts his head in a cloud He hath a negative voice over the Seas if he say to the Seas goe not there the raging waves of the Sea cannot stir it is an observation that Basil hath upon Egypt that the land of Egypt lies lower then the red Sea that the red Sea is higher then the land of Egypt so that there is no reason can be given why the red Sea doth not drown all Egypt and swallow it up every day but onely the Lord doth not give his voyce to it he hath said to the waves of it Hitherto ye shall come and here yee shall turne back up on a levell ground yea runne away from a lower ground and when the waves roare he but saith peace bee still and husheth them as a child Christ hath a negative voice over the Devill If the Devill would but goe into a hog and Christ say no you shall not goe he cannot enter into a Swine Hee hath a negative voyce over all mortall men in all their plots and conspiracies If hee say it shall not stand it is to no purpose certainly Beloved wee may beare up our hearts comfortably upon such grounds as these yea Thirdly as Christ contrives all and hath a negative voice in all so All these doe but work his work hee is not onely one of them but they are all his Agents too hee hath some worke to doe whatever it bee wherein hee imploys them and though hee let them worke according to their principles yet they all worke the work of the Lord the devills in hell worke the worke of Christ as well as the Angels in heaven the Pope of Rome works the worke of Christ as well as a faithfull Minister in a Pulpit doth I mean not that they doe it from right principles or doe it according to rule but de facto they doe nothing but what Christ will have done as the Iews and Romans did in crucifying Christ when they hung him upon the crosse they did nothing but what the Lords counsell had determined to bee done

rhetoricall and figurative expressions as First Here is an Apostophe though the speech bee intended to his people yet the Lord turnes himselfe to the Assyrians who were comming against them Associate your selves ye people harken all ye of far Countries Secondly It is laid down in the way of an Irony and of a Sarcasme a bitter scoffe the Prophet sets down this whole businesse by way of contempt of these enemies that were ingaged in the businesse as if hee should have said thus I know your devices you have concluded what you 'l doe against Ierusalem ingage you will well be doing goe on with your businesse point your rendezvouz carry your Troopes and Regiments compleat with you take an Oath of them all resolve what you 'l doe try your skill doe your utmost but it won't hold it won't doe you are too weak you 'l bee broken you 'l bee dashed Thus in a way of scorn the Lord is pleased to lay down this whole businesse and hee chuses this manner of expressing of it partly that hee might thereby upbraid the confidence of the Enemy who thought their businesse was so sure that no check much lesse checkmate should ever bee given them you thinke you are very sure of your businesse you make no question of carrying the day and partly in it hee would expresse likewise the holy confidence of the Prophet and with the Prophet of all the people of God when they have got a promise from God that they can under the Lords protection securely looke upon all the preparations that their enemies make against them for as it is the speach of God so it is the speech of the Church Immanuel God is with us therefore doe your worst against us wee feare you not this I take to be the summe and the meaning of the words Now out of the words many excellent instructions might bee learned I intend but one though I shall point at severall others as First From the conspiracy that was in all these people thus associating their persons their counsels their treasure their armes all for the ruine of the Church and people of God wee may observe the wonderfull consent that is found in the enemies of Zion to ruin and destroy it learn I say That there is a Concord Harmony and Vnity of Spirits and endeavors in the enemies of the Church to bring ruine and destruction upon it This is a truth that I shall not need to prove all the ages of the World have given sufficient proof of it Satan and his instruments have appear'd in many shapes sometime in the shape of a Lion sometimes of a great red Dragon sometimes of a subtle Fox sometimes in the shape of an innocent Lambe but what ever their shape bee their purpose and worke hath ever been to make warre against the woman and her seed to endeavour by all means possible the ruine of the people of God pursuing it with deadly fury and powring out flouds of malice and rage against it I know it could not be burthensome if I should a little open the severall wayes that they have taken some more spirituall some more carnall Some more spirituall one while indeavoring to corrupt their lives by drawing them to wickednesse sometimes to corrupt their faith by drawing them to blasphemies or heresies sometimes to corrupt their worship by tainting it with idolatry and superstition sometimes to break their union by interrupting them with schismes and divisions at other times to interrupt and breake their spirituall liberty by putting bonds and yokes upon them contrary to the Word and at other times by outward means by persecutions and open hostilities by all the terrors and threats whatsoever the hand and tongue and interest and power of the Devill and all his instruments could ever bring to passe they never have ceased to endeavour by all possible meanes to destroy Immanuels people this is a knowne truth The true ground is onely that inbred enmity and opposition that is in the heart of all the seed of the Serpent against the seed of the woman though no good reason at all can be given why it should be so yet non amote nec possum dicere quare they doe not love them they hate them they must endevour to destroy them there is an enmity against them but yet because no hatred found amongst rationall creatures is without at least some pretence of Reason know yee that the Reason of their hatred is grounded upon such things as these the one is That the Church of Christ is a terrible plague and vexation to all the rest of the World I say there is not such a plague to all the people of the world as the Church of Christ is and as Gods people are because the lawes and rules by which they walke doe threaten nothing but ruine and destruction to all those that walke in other wayes other people in the severall wayes they walke in if you let them alone in their wayes they will allow you to promise your selfe what you will in your wayes their religions and courses are good fellowes one to another they can beare with them in their principles but the people of God doe hold out that which must bee the onely rule and they tell all the world that if they walke not according to their rule onely they will be damned and destroyed eternally and so they vex them and therefore one notes well that when Tiberius the Emperour of Rome having heard of the miracles of Christ did propound to the Senate of Rome that Christ might bee worshipped as a God as well as their other Gods were the Senate upon serious consultation rejected it because they said if they entertain'd him they must cast out all the rest hee would suffer none to bee God but himself and therefore in stead of owning him to bee one of theirs they persecuted him and owned all the rest So it is the two witnesses you read of Revel. 11. vexed all the men that lived upon the earth by their Prophesies all the servants of God by their rules their faith their lives their worship c. Throw fire and brimstone in the faces of others and therefore no wonder though they bee so bitterly hated and opposed Againe another ground is That which Jesus Christ expresses hee hath chosen his people out of the World as out of a base vile and uncleane company and upon his thus choosing and calling they in their whole conversation and garbe doe leave the rest of the world as unclean vile and base and there can be nothing so odious to a people as to bee so left If there were some amongst our selves whose whole worke and endeavour should bee to leave England and carry away all that they have out of it as from a base people and unworthy to bee loved or dwels withall and should seek their welfare in another Country it were enough to turne the heart of all

before the foundations of the World were laid Nay I adde in the last place to strengthen you that as they work all of them the Lords work So The Lords work design is the good of his Church the calling the purging the preserving the building and nourishing and growth of the Church is all the work that Jesus Christ hath to doe when that is done the world ends and he resignes up the Kingdome into his Fathers hand now certainly if we can beleeve all these things may not our hearts rest quiet May not wee if wee be ingaged in a good cause may not wee I say with comfort and confidence put it into the Lords hand and let him doe what hee will I am perswaded the ground of all the diffidence and discouragement that is found amongst the people of God this day arises from their ignorance of the interest of Jesus Christ in these publick affaires and I know also that to those men that are but Politicians and carry carnall and worldly designes of their own such a lesson as this can be of no use nor stay to them for Jesus Christ is against them but for those that have a spirituall eye and would bee glad to have some prop to lean upon this may stay and quiet their hearts they may comfortably set down this conclusion their Adversary may have great power and strength but the Church hath Immanuel they have the wealth of the World the Church hath the wealth of Immanuel the wisdome care and goodnesse of Immanuel they have the whole world to joyn with them but we have Jesus Christ with us and that 's more non est consilium contra Dominum there is no counsell nor strength against the Lord therefore stay and quiet your hearts with these things especially this might stay us against our feares of having this tender plant of Reformation blasted and spoiled by the many enemies who oppose it it hath been Christs ordinary way to let his enemies set against his worke when it s but a tender plant when in all likelihood it may bee most easily spoil'd and he orders it so purposely to make men see and know that when they have vented their utmost rage and done their worst hee will carry it on in despight of them I conclude this use in the Prophets words in this place Sanctifie the Lord in your hearts fear not mens feare looke to Christ even though hee hide his face one word spoken by him can and will in due time quiet all these stormy waves and then Thirdly with which I will end This lesson is applyed here by the Prophet likewise For duty therefore saith hee Bind up the testimonie and seale up my Law amongst my Schollers and when any say to you seek to Witches or Wizzards or they that have familiar Spirits goe not after them but hold to Immanuels testimony the plain meaning of it is this that because the salvation and deliverance of the Church from all dangers comes onely from Immanuel therefore wee should bee carefull to ingage Immanuel to us hold close to his rules bind up Immanuels testimonies seale them up that is ratifie and confirme them let them onely be of authority among his schollers goe no 〈…〉 ayes of humane policies use not any devillish arts look not succour in any unlawfull way but hold you close to the rules of Christ that Immanuel may own you and you are well enough this is the last use I shall make of it because the Lord Jesus doth thus order all things for the welfare and good of his Church and people therefore if we would bee safe let us engage Jesus Christ closely let us hold him with us and wee are well enough and herein Honorable and beloved I more especially direct my speech to you that are called to be the great Councell of the Kingdome according to my poore understanding you never stood in more need of help then you doe at this day your enemies are very many and full of rage and fury and your friends truely they are but few and they divided amongst themselves they are jealous one of another and many of them jealous of you and what advice to give you so to steere your counsels and courses to give that satisfaction which I think you would bee glad to doe to honest men dissenting one from another the Lord knowes I cannot imagine what it should be it is a hard thing to say in these difficulties what you should doe in the wayes of humane wisdome to satisfie the people and to settle and save the Kingdome but I am sure my Text doth furnish mee with somewhat upon which I can pawn what ever is pretious to mee and venture my everlasting comfort upon it if the Lord direct you to take that course you may yet save your selves and this Kingdome that is hold Immanuel to you bind up Immanuels lawes and testimonies let Jesus Christ but be ingaged with you and he hath wayes to fetch all about again beyond what the heart of man can think of Truly the mercy which this day wee praise God for is a great pledge and 〈◊〉 to us how easily the Lord could doe it when with asmall handfull such a thing was done and at such a season able time when I am confident the Malignant enemies throughout the Kingdom had set and appointed to have had risings in every corner of the land which I conceive is the reason why they so cry it down as an untruth that they might hold up the spirits of them who run in the same way a little check to our Forces there would probably have made evill affected men in forty places of the Kingdome to have appear'd suddenly Now the Lord comming in thus unexpectedly and dashing them thus easily le ts us see how soone hee can turn the stream That you may therefore ingage Immanuel to own you I beseech you receive this humble advice which I give you in his Name doe you obey his will in it I dare promise you he will yet be with you and doe all your work for you Humble your selves deeply under that hand of God which is gone out against you God hath now layed you very low it 's true there was never Parliament of England upon which God hath powred so many favours so many deliverances and victories and it 's as true that there was never Parliament upon which God hath powred so much scorne the glory and honour of Parliamentary Authority seems now utterly lost and like the lost innocent state of man never more to be repaired but by an Immanuel none but Jesus Christ is able to repaire this dishonour and reproach scorn and hatred which is east upon the Parliament now if you expect any reparation from him you must put your mouth into the dust humble your souls acknowledg the Lord to be righteous in all the contempt that he hath powred upon you and that you have deserved far worse