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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nation_n	abraham_n	see_v	seed_n	1,440	5	7.9248	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04931	A sermon preached by Iohn Knox minister of Christ Iesus in the publique audience of the Church of Edenbrough, within the realme of Scotland, vpon Sonday, the. 19. of August. 1565 For the which the said Iohn Knoxe was inhibite preaching for a season. To this is adioyned an exhortation vnto all the faythfull within the sayde realme, for the reliefe of suche as faythfully trauayle in the preaching of Gods worde. Written by the same Iohn Knoxe, at the commaundement of the ministerie aforesayd.	Knox, John, ca. 1514-1572.	1566 (1566)	STC 15075; ESTC S108139	37,230	132

tirauntes their admonition the aflicted church inestimable comfort The tiraunts that now doe oppresse shal receiue the same end that they which haue passed before that is they shal dye and fal with shame without hope of resurrection as is aforesayd not that they shall not arise to their owne confusion iust condempnation but that they shal not recouer power to trouble the seruants of God neyther yet shal the wicked arise as Dauid sayth in the councell of the iust Now haue the wicked their coūcels their thrones finally handeling for the most part of al things that are vpon the face of the earth but the pore seruāts of God are reputed vnworthy of mens presence yea they are more vile before these proude tyraunts than is very dirt and mire that is troden vnder fote But in that glorious resurrection this estate shal be changed For thē shal such as now by their abhominable liuing and crueltie destroy the earth molest gods children see him whome they haue pearced They shal see the glory of such as now they persecute to their terror and euerlasting confusion The remembrance hereof ought to make vs patient in the dayes of affliction and so to comfort vs that whē we see tiraunts in their blind rage tread vnder fote the saints of god that vtterlye we dispaire not as that there were neyther wisedom iustice nor power aboue in the heauens to represse such tirannie and to redresse the dolors of the vniustly afflicted No brethrē let vs be assured that the right hand of the Lorde will change the state of thinges that be most desperate In our God there is wisedome and power in a moment to change the ioy and mirth of our enimies into euerlasting mourning and our sorrowes into ioye and gladnesse that shall haue no ende Let vs therefore in these apparant calamities and maruell not that I say calamities apparant for he that seeth not a fier begonne that shal burne more than we loke for vnlesse God of his mercye quench it is moore than blinde Yet I say let vs not be discouraged but with vnfained repētance let vs retourne to the Lorde our God let vs accuse and condemne our former negligence and stedfastly depende vpon his promised deliuerance and so shal our temporal sorrowes be conuerted into ioye euerlasting the doubt that might be moued concerning the destruction of those whome God exalteth shall be discussed if time wil suffer after that we haue passed throughout the text Now procedeth the Prophet and sayth Thou hast increased the nations O Lorde thou hast increased the nation thou art made glorious thou hast inlarged all the coastes of the earth Lorde in trouble c. In these wordes the Prophet giueth consolation to the afflicted assuring them that howe horrible soeuer that desolation shoulde be yet shoulde the seede of Abraham be so multiplyed that it should replenish the coasts of the earth Yea that God should be more glorified in their dispersion than he was during the time of their prosperity This promise no doubt was incredible when it was made For who coulde haue bene persuaded that the destruction of Ierusalem should haue bene the meanes wherby the nation of the Iewes shoulde haue bene increased seing that muche rather it appeared that the ouerthrow of Ierusalem shoulde haue beene the verie abolishing of the seede of Ahraham But we muste consider to what ende it was that God reuealed himselfe to Abrahā and what is contayned in the promise of the multiplication of his seede and of the benediction promised therto First God reuealed himselfe to Abraham and that by the meanes of his word to let al flesh after vnderstande that without God first cal man and reueale himselfe vnto him that flesh can doe nothing but rebell against God For Abraham no doubt was an Idolater before that God called him from Vr of the Caldeis The promise was made that the seede of Abraham should be multiplyed as the starres of heauen and as the sande of the sea which is not simply to be vnderstanded of his natural seede althoughe it was sometymes greatly increased but rather of suche as shoulde become the spiritual seede of Abraham as the Apostle speaketh Now if we be able to proue that the right knowledge of God his wisedome iustice mercye and power was more amply declared in their captiuitie than euer it was at any tyme before then can we not deny but that God euen when to mans iudgement he had vtterly rased them from the face of the earth did increase the nation of the Iewes so that he was glorified in them and did extend the coastes of the earth for their habitation And for the better vnderstanding hereof let vs shortly try the histories from their captiuitie to their deliuerance and after the same to the comming of the Messias It is no doubt but that Sathan intended by the dispersion of the Iewes so to haue prophaned the whole seede of Abraham that among thē should neyther haue remayned the true knowledge of God nor yet the spirit of sanctificatiō But that all shoulde haue come to a like ignoraunce and contempt of God For I pray you for what purpose was it that Daniel and his fellowes were taken into the Kings court were commaunded to be fed at the Kings table and were put to the scholes of their diuines South sayers and Astrologians it maye be thought that it proceeded of the Kinges humanitie and of a zeale that he had that they shoulde be brought vp in vertue good learning And I doubt not but it was so vnderstanded of a great number of the Iewes But the secret practise of the Diuell was vnderstanded of Danyell when he refused to defyle himselfe with the kings meat which was forbidden to the seede of Abraham in the lawe of their God Well God beginneth shortly thereafter to shew himselfe myndefull of his promise made by his Prophete And he beginneth to trouble Nabuchodonezar himselfe by shewing to him a vision in his dreame which did the more trouble him bicause he could not forget the terrour of it Neyther yet coulde he remember what the vision and the parcels therof were Wherupon were called al diuines Interpretors of dreames Southsayers of whom the King demaūded if thei could let him vnderstād what he had dreamed But while that they answere that such a question vsed not to be demaunded of any Southsayer or Magitian For the resolution thereof onely appertained to the Gods whose habitation was not with men the charge was giuen that they all should be slayne And amongst the rest Daniell was sought whose innocencie the diuel most enuied to haue suffered the same iudgement He reclaymeth and asketh tyme to disclose that secret I onely touch the historie to let you see by what meanes God increaseth his knowledge which being graūted the visiō is reueled vnto him He sheweth the same vnto the king with the true interpretation of it

Adding that the knowledge thereof came not from the starres but only frō the God of Abraham who onely was and is the true God ▪ which thing vnderstanded the king burst forth in his confession saying of a truth your God is the moste excellent of al Gods And he is Lord of kinges and onely he that reuealeth the secretes seeing that thou couldest open this secret And when the king after puffed vp in pride by the counsell of his wicked nobilitie would make an Image before the which he would that al tongues and nations subiect to him should make adoration that Sydrack Misacke and Abednago woulde not obey his vniust commaundement so were cast in the flaming furnace of fyre and yet by Godes Angels were so preserued that no smell of fier remayned in their persons nor garments this same king giueth a more notable confession saying the Lord God of Sydrack Misack Abednago is to be praysed who hath sent his Angels and deliuered his worshippers that put their trust in him who haue done against the kings cōmaundement who haue rather giuen their owne bodyes to torment than that they woulde worship another God except their owne God By me therfore is there made a decree that whosoeuer shal blaspheme the God of Sydrack Misack Abednago that he shall be cut in pieces and his house shal be made detestable Thus we se how God began euen almoste in the beginning of their captiuitye to notifie his name to multiply his knowledge set forth aswel his power as his wisedome true worshipping by those that were taken prisoners yea that were dispised and of all men contempned so that the name feare of the God of Abrahā was neuer before notified to so many realmes nations This wōderous worke of God proceeded from one Empire to another For Daniel being promoted to great honor by Darius king of Perses and Medes falleth into a desperat daūger For he was cōmitted to prisō among Lyons bicause that he was deprehended breaking the kings iniunctiō not that the king desired the destruction of Gods seruants but bicause the corrupt Idolaters that in hatred of Daniell had procured that lawe to be made vrged the king against his nature But God by his Angell did stop the Lyons mouthes and so preserued his seruant Which considered with the soddaine destruction of Daniels enimies by the same Lyons king Daryus besides his owne confession wrote to all people tongues and nations after this forme It is decreed by me that in all the dominions of my kingdom men shal feare and reuerence the God of Danyell bicause he is the liuing God abiding for euer whose kingdome shall not be destroyed and his dominion remayneth who saueth and deliuereth and sheweth signes and wonders in heauen and in earth who hath deliuered Daniell from the Lyons This knowledge was yet further increased in the dayes of Cyrus who giuing freedome to the captiues to returne to their owne natyue cuntry giueth this confessiō Thus sayth Cyrus the king of Persians all the kingdomes of the earth hath the Lorde God of heauen giuen vnto me and hath commaunded me that a house be built to him in Ierusalem which is in Iuda Whosoeuer therefore of you that are of his people let the Lord his God be with him and let him passe vp to Ierusalem and let him builde the house of the Lord God of Israell for he only is God that is in Ierusalem Time will not suffer to intreate the poyntes of this confession neyther yet did I for that purpose adduce the historie But onely to let vs see howe constantlye God kept his promise in increasing of his people and in augmēting of his true knowledge when that both they that were the seede of Abraham and that religion which they professed appeared vtterly to haue bene extinguished aboue mens expectation I say he brought fredome out of bondage light out of darkenesse and lyfe out of death I am not ignoraunt that the building of the temple reparation of the walles of Ierusalem were long stayed so that the worke had many enimies But so did the hande of God preuayle in the ende that a decree was giuen by Daryus by him I suppose that succeded to Cambises not onely that all things necessarie for the building of the temple and for the sacrifices that were to be there brent shoulde be ministred vpon the kings charges but also that whosoeuer shuld hinder that work or change that decree that a balke should be taken out of his house and that he should be hanged thervpon Yea that his house should be made a donghil and therto he addeth a prayer saying the God of heauen who hath placed his name there roote out euerye king and people O that kings and nations should vnderstande that shall put his hande eyther to change or to hurte this house of God that is in Ierusalem and so in dispite of Sathan was the temple builded the walles repayred and the city inhabited and in the moste desperat daungers it was preserued til that the Messias promised the glory of the seconde temple came manyfested himselfe to the worlde suffred and rose againe according to the scriptures And so by sending forth his gospell from Ierusalem did replenish the whole earth with the true knowledge of God and so did God in perfectiō increase the nation aud the spirituall seede of Abraham Wherefore deare brethren we haue no small consolation if the estate of all thinges be this daye rightly considered we see in what furie and rage the worlde for the moste parte is nowe raised against the pore Church of Iesus Christ vnto the which he hath proclaymed liberty after this feareful bōdage of that spirituall Babylon in the which we haue beene holden captiues of longer space than Israell was prisoner in Babylon it selfe For if we shall consider vpon the one parte the multitude of those that liue without God and vpon the other parte the blinde rage of the pestilent papistes what shal we think of the small number of them that do professe Christ Iesus but that they are as a poore sheepe already seazed in the clawes of the Lyon yea that they the true religion which they professe shall in a moment vtterly be consumed But against this fearefull temptation let vs be armed with the promise of our god to wit that he wil be the protector of his church yea that he will multiply it euen when to mans iudgement it appeareth vtterly to be exterminate This promise hath our God performed in the multiplication of Abrahams seede in preseruation of it when Sathan labored vtterly to haue destroied it in deliuerance of the same as we haue heard from Babilon He hath sent his sonne Christ Iesus clad in our flesh who hath tasted of all our infirmities sinne except who hath promised to be with vs to the ende of the worlde He hath further kept promise in publication yea in

spared his people and his tabernacle but they mocked his seruants and woulde not retourne vnto the Lorde their God to walke in his wayes Yea Iuda it selfe kept not the precepts of the Lord God but walked in the maners ordinances of Israell that is of suche as then had declyned to Idolatry frō the dayes of Ieroboam And therfore the Lorde God abhorred the whole seede of Israell that is the whole body of the people he promised them and gaue them into the hands of those that spoyled them and so he cast them out frō his presence Hereof it is euident that their stubborne disobedience vnto God and vnto the voyces of hys Prophetes was the cause of their destruction Nowe haue we to take heede how we should vse the good lawes of God that is his mercifull will reuealed vnto vs in his worde and that order of iustice that by him for the comforte of man is established among men It is no doubt but that obedience is the moste acceptable sacrifice vnto God and that which aboue all things he requireth that when he manifesteth himselfe by hys worde that men follow according to their vocation and commaundement Now so it is that God by that great pastor out Lorde Lesus nowe manifestly in his worde calleth vs from all impietie aswell of body as of minde to holynesse of life and to his spirituall seruice And for this purpose he hath erected the throne of his mercy among vs the true preaching of his word together with the right administration of his sacramet but what is our obedience Let euery man examine his owne conscience and consider what statuts and lawes we woulde haue to be giuen vnto vs. Wouldst thou O Scotland haue a King to raigne ouer thee in iustice equitie and mercy Subiect thou thy selfe to the Lorde thy God obey his commaundements and magnifie thou that word that calleth vnto thee This is the way walke into it and if thou wilt not flatter not thy self the same iustice remaineth this day in God to punishe thee Scotlande and thee Edenborough in especiall that before punished the lande of Iuda and the citie of Ierusalem Euerie realme or nation sayth the Prophet Ieremy that likewise offendeth shall be likewise punished But if thou shalt see impietie placed in the seate of iustice aboue thee so that in the throne of God as Salomon doth cōplayne raigneth nothing but fraude and violēce accuse thy owne ingratitude and rebellion against God For that is the onely cause why God taketh away as the same Prophet in another place doth speake the strong man and the man of warre the Iudge and the Prophete the prudent the aged the captaine and the honorable the counceller and the cunning artificer And I wil appoint sayth the Lorde children to be their princes and babes shal rule ouer them Children are extorcyoners of my people and women haue rule ouer them If these calamities I saye apprehend vs so that we see nothing but the oppression of good men and of all godlynesse and wicked men without God to raigne aboue vs Let vs accuse and condempne our selues as the onely cause of oure owne miseries For if we had heard the voyce of the Lord our God giuen vpright obedience vnto the same God should haue blessed vs he shoulde haue multiplyed oure peace and shoulde haue rewarded our obedience before the eyes of the worlde But nowe let vs heare what the Prophet sayth further The dead shall not liue sayth be neyther shall the tiraunts or the dead arise bicause thou hast visited and scattered them and destroyed all their memorie Frō this .14 verse vnto the end of the .19 it apeareh that the Prophet obserueth no order yea that he speaketh thinges directly repugning one to another For first he sayth the dead shal not liue After he affirmeth thy dead men shall lyue Secondly he sayth thou hast visited and scattered them destroyed all their memorie Imediately thereafter he sayth thou hast increased the natiō O Lord thou haste increased the nation They haue visited thee and haue poured forth a prayer before thee Who I say woulde not thinke that these are thinges not onely spoken forth of good order and purpose but also manifestly repugning one to another For to liue and not to liue to be so destroyed that no memoriall remaineth And to be so increased that the coastes of the earth shal be replenished seme to importe playne contradiction For remouing of this doubt and for better vnderstanding of the Prophetes minde we must vnderstand that the Prophet had to doe with diuers forts of mē He had to do with the coniured manifest enimies of Gods people the Caldes or Babilonians euen suche as professe Christ Iesus haue to doe with the Turke and Sarazens He had to doe with the sede of Abraham wherof there were three sorts The tenne tribes all degenerate from the true worshipping and corrupted with Idolatry as this daye are our pestilent papistes in al realmes and nations There rested onely the tribe of Iuda and Ierusalē where the forme of true religion was obserued the lawe taught and ordinaunces of god outwardly kept but yet there were in that body I meane in the bosome of the visible Church a great number that were hipocrits as this day yet are among vs that doe professe the Lorde Iesus and haue refused papistrie not a fewe that were lycentious lyuers some that had tourned their backe to God that is had forsaken al true religion and some that liued a most abhominable life as Ezechiell sayeth in his vision And yet there were some godlye as a fewe wheat cornes oppressed and hid amōg the multitude of such chaffe Nowe according to this diuersitie the Prophete kepeth diuers purposes and yet in moste perfecte order And first after the first part of the complaint of the afflicted as we haue heard in vehemencie of spirite he bursteth forth against all the proude enimies of Gods people all such as trouble them and against all such as mocke and forsake God and sayth the dead shal not liue The proud Giants shall not arise Thou hast scattered thē and destroyed their memoriall In which wordes he fighteth against the present temptation and dolorous estate of Gods people and against the insolent pride of suche as oppressed them as the Prophet should say O ye troublers of Gods people howsoeuer it appeareth to you in this your bloudy rage that God regardeth not your crueltie not considereth not what violence ye doe to his pore afflicted yet shal ye be visited yea your carcases shal fal and lye as stinking carions vpon the face of the earth ye shal fal without hope of life or of a blessed resurrection Yea howsoeuer ye gather your substance augment families ye shal be so scattered that ye shal leaue no memoriall of you to the posterities to come but that which shal be execrable and odious Hereof haue the