Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A73099
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[Jerusalems fall, Englands warning ... of Gods word.]
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F. S.
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1617
(1617)
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STC 21491.7; ESTC S125332
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22,355
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36
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whatsoeuer from the East to the West whatsoeuer was vnder heauen was brought home vnto vs whereby our Land hath beene greatly inriched The peace of our Country is meruailous in so long and continuall troubles of our neighbour Countries round about vs and in so many consultations and deuises of the Church of Rome for the disturbance of our peace and the ruine of our Countrie Moreouer God did giue vnto her Maiestie such honour and renowne that she sat as a Iudge and an honourable Arbitratour in the causes and controuersies of the mightiest Monarches and Potentates of Europe and of all her Neighbours Now what was the cause of so great peace of so great treasure and of so great honour Verily the Word of God which her highnesse receiued embraced and promoted to the vttermost of her power Now after all these though the Papists deuised and plotted her death and many were suborned and hired by the Pope a man of sinne a maintainer of rebellion and murther wherein he sheweth of what spirit he is yet God brought her to the graue in peace by naturall death full of dayes And after her God hath giuen vnto vs a wise gracious and Religious King our King Iames whom God brought into the Land so peaceably to the astonishment of forraigne Nations and to the great admiration of vs all and he to the great comfort of all Christians loueth the Gospell and word of GOD maintaineth it to his vttermost power and commendeth the true worship of God to all his people And how hath God protected him both in Scotland and here in England against the wicked Papists who with bloudy and murthering hearts deuised such a diuellish and inhumane stratagem to ouerthrow him and his issue and to destroy the flourishing state of England so that if God had not beene on our side both his Maiestie his royall and hopefull progeny and all we that loue the Gospell had beene swallowed vp and made a prey to their teeth Happy therefore we if we know our happinesse blessed are we if we know the things that concerne our peace But now they are hid from thy eyes OVr Lord Iesus first sent his Prophets to Ierusalem at length he came in his owne person for Ierusalem killed and stoned his Prophets therefore he commeth and in the middest of Ierusalem Math. 23. among all the people he doth many miracles which the Prophets foretold should be wrought by the Messias when he came he preacheth the Gospell to them wherewith hee laboured to gather them together as a Henne doth her Chickens and wherein her happinesse consisted Math. 23. as we haue heard yet all these things were hidden from the eyes of Ierusalem as our Sauiour Iesus Christ here saith This is not spoken to extenuate or lessen the fault of Ierusalem but rather in reproach her wonderfull blockishnesse is noted that she did not see God present For how could Ierusalem be ignorant of Gods will which daily had the promises of saluation in her mouth and to whom the Law was often repeated Could the Iewes be ignorant of Christ who was many yeeres conuersant among them shewing forth his sauing power not onely in teaching but in working many wonderfull workes and miracles among them Therefore our Lord Iesus in these words doth note their blockishnes and wilfull blindnesse wherewith being hindred they could not see God offering himselfe vnto them nor yet obserue his mercy nor manifest arguments of his wrath Christ therefore here doth teach that the Citizens of Ierusalem were authors of their owne destruction as also healeth a scandall which rose from their voluntary and wilfull ignorance For without doubt many were detained and kept backe by the example of Ierusalem from embracing Christ and receiuing his Gospell which they saw were reiected of them who bare the chiefe estimation of doctrine and wisedome He therefore doth admonish that their incredulity and contumacy should not offend any who being wilfully blinded with their owne pride and blockishnesse did draw vpon themselues Gods wrath and their owne destruction Let vs now apply this vnto our selues and diligently consider whether it be not our case Our Lord Iesus by the preaching of his Gospell hath manifested vnto vs his loue hath reuealed vnto vs his kindnesse hath with his Gospell giuen vnto vs a long peace and innumerable blessings but men are so besotted with the vanities of the world and so blinded with the pleasures of this life that they winke with their eyes that they cannot see and stop their eares like the deafe Adder that they cannot heare the sweet voyce of Christ calling and alluring them For it cannot be but men maliciously blinde themselues seeing the grace of God that bringeth saluation to all men hath appeared teaching men to deny vngodlinesse and worldy lusts 〈◊〉 to liue soberly iustly and godly in this present world Tit. 2.11 Tit. 2.11 Therefore if men now are blinde Deu. 30.11 Rom. 10.6.7.8 if they be ignorant of so great fauours of God whereof we haue beene eye-witnesses and haue tasted of the good word of God there is no excuse to be pretended But we may say to them as Paul said to the Corinthians If 〈◊〉 Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the mindes that is of Infidels that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them 2 Cor. 4.3.4 This is a great iudgement wherewith God doth punish the wicked contemners of his word when the eyes of their minde are blinded that they see not God present not taste his mercies nor feare the punishments that are imminent and neere at hand The Scriptures teacheth vs that no ignorance is excusable for he that knoweth not his Maisters will Luk. 12.48 shall be beaten though with few stripes because ignorance is not of creation but of deprauation and corruption of nature But he that knoweth his Maisters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes because he cannot excuse himselfe therefore wilfull ignorance voluntary blindnesse is inexcusable and shall be the more seuerely punished Here then that grose errour of the Papists is conuinced who affirme without wit or blushing that ignorance is the mother of deuotion Math. 22.29 but it may better be called the mother of errour and destruction because it leadeth men to perdition and eternall punishments for if eternall life consist in the knowledge of God and of Iesus Christ Ioh. 17.3 then eternall death abideth them which know not God nor his sonne Iesus Christ If the wise man ought not to glory in his wisedome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches but should glory that he knoweth and vnderstandeth the Lord to exercise mercy righteousnesse and iudgement Ier. 9.23.24 Then whosoeuer is ignorant of God and his will and knowes not Christ the Sonne of God should lament and be sorry that these things are hid from his eyes
more openly at one time then he doth at another Sometimes he seemeth to forsake his Church as if the truth were altogether extinguished as he did when the Pope raigned in all places almost through Christendome But now he hath giuen vnto vs his Gospel he doth reach his hand of mercy vnto vs. This then is a mercifull calling vnto the which except we obay there remaineth no excuse for vs hereafter God doth now then call vs by his Gospell and he hath called vs many yeares Now is our time now is the day of Saluation O three times happy we if we know it if we lay hold on it before it is past before it slip away The day when it is past cannot be called againe when the day of mercy is past then commeth the day of iudgement which cannot be auoided I beseech ye therefore brethren by the mercies of God in the bowels of Iesus Christ that ye would diligently consider these things that ye would know this acceptable time this day of Saluation that it be not iustly said vnto you Oh that ye had knowne at the least in this your day the things that belong vnto your peace Our Fathers and Forefathers neuer had so great mercy shewed vnto them as we haue they had not the Gospell so plentifully and sincerely preached vnto them as we haue therefore except we repent and be conuerted we shall be the more seuerely punished The fault is increased by circumstance of the time and the punishment of the fault is greater or lesse by degrees Therefore the neerer God commeth vnto vs and doth offer vnto vs the light of his Gospell if we neglect it or despise it there remaineth no excuse for God will say I haue called and ye refused Pro. 1. Iere. 22.21 Zacha. 7.13 I offered grace vnto you and you would not embrace it therefore ye shall cry and I will not heare you To day therefore whiles it is to day heare his voyce and harden not your hearts lest yee prouoke Gods wrath and draw great punishments vpon you Moreouer we heare learne the great mercy of God receiuing men euen at the last vnto repentance For God is long suffering Psal 103. patient and slow vnto wrath he waiteth for vs long and expecteth our conuersion euery day and receiueth vs to mercy though it be late or we repent Oh the great mercy and vnspeakable clemencie of God toward sinners He receiued the theefe on the crosse to mercy at the last houre he receiued the Prodigall childe to mercy though it were long ere he returned This is a Doctrine consolatory if it be taken aright but alas there are too many that abuse it Psal 50. The wicked because God holdeth his peace and is long suffering in waiting for their conuersion they thinke God to be like vnto themselues and incourage themselues to mischiefe and take liberty to sinne Rom. 2.4 Knowest thou not saith Saint Paul that the patience and long suffering of God doth leade thee vnto repentance 5. but thou after the hardnesse of thy heart that cannot repent heapest vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God who will reward euery man according to his workes Let vs not then abuse the patience of God neither let vs presume of his mercy for as he is mercifull so he is iust This point is to be pressed against those that crie God is mercifull God is mercifull and say that it sufficeth if in the last houre they can say Lord haue mercy vpon me But this is an vngodly presumption for hath God promised to any that time to presume of it nay many times such presumption doth prouoke Gods wrath against such sinners that he taketh them suddenly away that they cannot vtter one word Therefore that good father said well of the two theeues which were hanged with Christ one was saued that no man should despaire and the other condemned that no man should presume This example is but one therefore let vs not presume and it is generally held that Qualis vita finis ita as men liue so commonly they die And it is said Paenitentia sera raro est vera Late repentance is seldome true repentance But another Father saith thus Hoc prorsus affirmo hoc audio dicere nunquam malo mori potest qui bene vixit This I altogether affirme this I dare bouldly say he neuer can die ill that hath liued well Let the mercy of God then this day leade vs to repentance that we may serue him from henceforth in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our life Amen Those things which belong vnto thy peace OVr Lord Iesus wished that Ierusalem knew those things that did concerne her peace The word Peace among the Hebrewes doth designe all the parts of felicitie Neither doth he say simply that Ierusalem knew not her peace but the things that did belong vnto her peace Because many times men know their happinesse but being blinded with malice they knew not the way nor the meanes vnto it As for example All men confesse that it is mans happinesse to be ioyned with God and yet reiect and contemne the Gospell which is the meanes to obtaine it Our Lord Iesus and his Apostles preached the Gospell vnto Ierusalem but she despised it therefore she did not know the things which concerned her peace Here then we learne that the word of God and the Gospell of Christ where it is preached doth bring with it true peace true happinesse and doth offer it vnto men It procureth outward peace and inward peace In a word the Gospell of Christ doth make a Citie a Policie a Kingdome and Region to flourish and maketh a People happy Therefore happy are they which beleeue that the word of God doth containe in it those things which belong vnto their peace that is vnto perfect and eternall felicitie And that this doctrine may appeare to be most true if we a little examine the writings of the Prophets and the Apostles we shall see plainely that no kingdome nor policy can flourish that no King no Potentate nor People can be wise nor blessed in their gouernment which haue not the word of God to direct and guide them It hath beene the iudgement and opinion almost of all wise men in the world that Kings and Kingdomes of the world were most happy if the King of the Countrie were wise if he had many aged graue wise and faithfull Counsellours if his Captaines were valerous couragious expert and fortunate in warre If he abounded in wealth if his kingdome were euery-where well fortified Lastly if his People and Subiects were peaceable and agreed together I confesse that all these things are rightly truely and wisely spoken yet the chiefe and most excellent of all is not mentioned without the which no true felicitie is obtained and being gotten cannot be safely preserued and kept on the otherside where this alone is