Selected quad for the lemma: master_n
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A64265
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A warning piece to England, or, The wrath of God revealed against sinners his judgments being already entered upon the nation / by S.T.G.
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S. T. G., Lover of truth and peace.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing T59; ESTC R184832
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22,392
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78
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bewail his loss but when thou losest the presence of God and the enjoyment of communion with himself thou makest no matter of that which is the cheifest good and surely this is a clear demonstration that thou lovest these creatures more than the Creator blessed for ever 2ly That which thou art so much cast down in the absence and so exceedingly lifted up and rejoycing in the presence of and in the enjoyment must needs be thy chiefest delight and so closest with thy Idol instead of the true God and in this thou art certainly to blame 2ly Oppression when men oppress the poor and needy Psa 12. 5. For the oppression of the Poor for the sighing of the needy now will I arise saith the Lord I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him The rich oppress the poor as Masters oppress their servants and prentices and Magistrates oppress their subjects Then Masters oppress their servants when they do not that which is equal to them they break the Royal Rule do as you wou'd bedon by For Masters to detein their servants wages and not to give that which is necessary and convenient for them this is a great oppression See Job 35. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry they cry out by reason of the arme of the Mighty Eccles 4. 1. So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the Sun and behold the tears of such as are oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of their oppressors there was power but they had no comforter Is 33. 15. So when Governors of Nations lay any heavy burthens upon the people contrary to the rule of Gods word and contrary to the Law of the Nation this is great oppression as Pharaoh made the people make Brick without straw See Exod. 5. from the 7. to the 19. vers 15. Then the Officers of the Children of Israel cryed unto Pharaoh saying wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants there is no straw given unto thy servants and they say unto us make Brick and behold thy servants are beaten but the fault is in thy own people vers 17. But he said ye are idle ye are idle therefore ye say let us go and do sacrifice unto the Lord. ver 18. Go therefore now and worke for there shall no straw be given you yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks Job 15. 20. With many other places I might alledge So that you may see how oppressors have been formerly so are to this day and how the holy Scriptures condemn that sin and it brings judgments upon the guilty on them and their posterity Therefore repent of this great unlovely uncharitable self-destroying sin for else it will bring the swift judgments of God upon all those that practise this abominable evil both upon them and their posterity See Job 57. from the 13 to the end of the chapt This is the portion of wicked men with God and the heritage which they shall receive of the Almighty if his children be multiplied it is for the sword and his off-spring shall not be satisfied vers the 15. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death and his widdows shall not weep vers the 20. Terrors take hold on him as waters a tempest stealeth him away in the night 21. The East-wind carrieth him away and he departeth and as a storm hurleth him out of his place 22. For God shall cast upon him and not spare he wou'd fain flee out of his hands 23. Men shall clap their hands at him and shall hiss him out of his place And this is the portion of wicked men from the Lord. I beseech you let every one examine himself whether he be not guilty of this sin Prov. 3. 31. and 28. 16. Jer. 21. 12. and 22. 3. And see the danger of and avoid it and turn to the Lord from every evil way that so iniquity may not be your ruin 11. Sin is the sin of Professors that profess Religion and do not practise what you profess Surely when we make a scrutiny into our own hearts and behold the practise of other Professors it is evidently to be demonstrated that there is so little love to God and Jesus Christ that have deserved all our love that we may be ashamed See what little love there is to Saints that bear the Image of Christ Surely we are fallen into the latter days that our Lord Jesus speaks of Math. 24. 12. And because iniquity abounds the love of many shall wax cold The great reason that Christ gives why the love of many waxeth cold is because iniquity abounds Therefore now it must needs wax cold because there was never greater abounding of iniquity in all sorts as at this day There is no man that loves God aright but he must love his Image where ever he see it 1 Joh. 2. from the 9. to the 12. Loving our Brethren is made a certain character of a Christian 1 Joh. 3. 10. and 4. 20. that Epistle is spent in treating of Faith and Love And therefore I desire all Christians seriously to read and weigh those five chapt of 1. of John it doth very much reprehend our defects in this thing especially and exhorts all to believe Oh examine thy heart and be earnest at the throne of grace that God wou'd make thee sincere that thou mayst avoid the evils of the day thou livest in and do the duties of the day which is especially 1 Love to God and Jesus Christ 2 Love to the Saints 3 Watchfulness and keeping thy garments clean lest thou be found naked I shall end with this Scripture which is our Lord Jesus's reprehension of and counsel to the Church of Ephesus Rev. 2. 4 5. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else I will come against thee and remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Oh let us every one consider what is said and the Lord give a right understanding in all things Oh the lukewarmness and want of love to God and Christ and Saints Oh the carnality of Professors a Laodicean frame is the worst frame in professors Mark what the spirit of God saith in the 3 of the Re. 3. And unto the Angel of the Church of Laodicea write these things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness the Beginning of the Creation of God vers 15. I know thy works that thou art neither hot nor cold so because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth Are not your expectations very great the accomplishing of all those faithful promises which God hath made in these latter days and therefore Christians should be diligent and be up and doing and be servent in the spirit serving the Lord with much vigilancy and sincerity preparing for the day of the Lord which draweth nigh And blessed are all those servants whom their Lord shall find doing their Masters will he will make them sit down and he will serve them Take heed of spiritual pride for that poysons Angelical perfections Take heed of a carnal formal frame of spirit for that will make thee unfit for doing or suffering Oh awake thou that sleepest and rise from the dead and Christ shall give thee life for thou hast a great work to do and a very little time to do it and therefore up and be doing and the Lord be with thee Labour to exercise faith and patience faith in God and love to God and very much longing and ardent desire after God 2. A patient wayting for God For he that shall come will come and will not tarry but the Just shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 35 36 37 38. Now with my earnest prayers at the Throne of grace for you desiring the God of all grace and rich mercy to preserve us blameless and to keep us by his mighty power through faith to salvation that we overcome to the death and so enjoy a Crown of life which the righteous Lord will assuredly give to all those that love and long for his appearance FINIS
Wives and their Daughters many sad effects doth this sin of drunkenness produce it fits men to do all manner of evil and unfits them for any thing that is good either for Soul or body Now I shall shew you the Scriptures wherein the great God prohibits this beastly Sin to see that if by any means you may be prevailed upon to leave this silthy dirty abominable Sin See Es 5. 11. Wo to them that rise up early in the morning and follow strong-drink that continue till night till wine inflame them vers 22. Wo to them that are mighty to drink wine and men of strength to mingle strong-drink vers 23 24. Chap. 56. 12. Mica 2. 11. Nah. 1. 10. For while they be folded together as thorns and while they are drunken as drunkards they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry Joel the 5. Awake ye Drunkards weep and howl all ye Drinkers of Wine 1. Cor. 6. 9 10. Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolators nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor Abusers of themselves with Man-kind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Revellers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God Es 19 14 Luk. 21. 34 35. Rom. 13. 13. Let us work honestly as in the Day not in Rioting and Drunkenness not in Chambering and Wantonness not in strife and Envy There are several other places I might mention but these may suffice if God would be pleased to set any one of them with power upon the heart of a Poor Sinner Now I shall speak a few words to all those that in a great measure are the causes of the growth and increase of these evils and they are Magistrates Ministers and Parents and Masters of Families There are some Magistrates that are so far from punishing these Enormities that they are Presidents and ringleaders of all these vices as Swearing Whoring and Drunkenness nay they are like those spoken of by the Prophet Jer. 3. 12. Oh my Prophet they that lead thee cause thee to err and destroy the way of thy Paths vers 13 14. Surely they are most fit to be Magistrates according to the Scripture that fear God and hate Covetousness and every evil way Oh saith the meaner sort that would have Fig-leaves to cover their Nakedness use to such a Magistrate or Minister do such things and they are learned if it were so sinful they would not do it such kind of Magistrates and Ministers cause them to Sin extenuate and are great examples to encourage to evil Oh what a sad thing is this that men are not content only to go to Hell themselves but draw others after them therefore their condemnation will be the greatest at the great day of accompt 2 Ministers those that call themselves Ministers of the Gospel Oh what wickedness are they arrived unto that some of them reel in the Streets and make nothing of swearing cursing and uncleanness do not you think that Gods Soul will be avenged on such as you are who are like Jereboams Priests the vilest of the People you that pretend to be leaders of others should be such bad examples as to lead the people towards Hell what will your accompt be when both Ministers and Magistrates shall appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ what can you say here am I one of those have lead to Hell surely your condemnation will be very great that will not only answer for your own Sins but for others whom you have by evil examples drawn to Sin how can you bear the weight of this great burthen of Judgments that will certainly fall upon you if you repent not and turn to the Lord speedily here I might be very large but I shall forbear at this time hoping that some may be awakened which is the main end of this small discourse 3. To Parents and Masters of Families who are very bad presidents to their Wives Children Servants who are so far from instructing them in the ways of God according to gods injunction in the holy Scriptures that they are the Ring-leaders of them to all manner of evil Oh sinful Parents and Masters that should with all your might instruct your Children and Servants how will you how can you escape great condemnation when you shall be called to a strict accompt for leading your Children and Servants to great destruction how sad will it be with you when your Children and Servants shall curse you and say we might have escaped these flames had our Masters and Parents instrâ—cted us and had they not been wicked examples to us but now wo and alas we are tormented with the Devil and his Angels in everlasting burnings Now let me give you a few instâ—uctions to poor Sin-sinking England I beseech you hearken to the counsels of Gods holy word when he threatned destruction upon the People of Isarel Joel 2. from the 1. to the 22. vers Blow the Trumpet in Zion and sound an alarum in my holy mountain let all the Inhabitants tremble for the day of the Lord cometh for it is nigh at hand a day of darkness and gloominesâ— a day of clouds and thick darkness as the Morning spread upon the mountains a great People and a strong there hath not been ever the like neither shall be any more after iâ— even to the years of many Generations vers the 3. A fire devoureth before them and behind them a flame burneth the land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a dâ—solate Wilderness yea nothing shall escape them and so forward to the 12. vers but consider in the 12 13 14. verses you have that blessed counsel given to them as the only means to escape this dreadful judgment where you have very much of the bowels of Gods compassion expressed like a tender hearted Father unwilling to strike if it may be avoided Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even unto me with all your heart and with Fasting and with Weeping and with Mourning vers the 13. And rent your hearts and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil vers the 14. Who knoweth if he will return and leave a blessing behind him even a meat offering and a drink offering to the Lord your God and so you may read unto the end of the Chapter These latter verses have in them contained the forcible arguments to press on and enforce the exhortation surely there is no other way for England to escape total ruin but by following the blessed advice very wholesom counsel of repenting and turning to the Lord with your whole hearts and who is able to give us counsel that may do us good but God whose counsel shall we adhere unto that may be effectual but his but if we obstinately persist in the rebellions against the great God of heaven he will surely plague us seven times more for our Sins and so may root us