Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	air_n	earth_n	element_n	2,483	5	9.5484	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53702	An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruine by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.	Owen, John, 1616-1683.	1681 (1681)	Wing O762; ESTC R17781	63,319	169

herein not only that all such Accidents are disposed by the Providence of God but that he speaks in them for our Instruction Both these as they were Warnings as we shall see so they were Figures of the approaching destruction of the City and People for that in the first place is the perishing here intended as is manifest in the ensuing Parable wherein the Church-State of the Jews is compared unto a barren Fig-tree which was to be cut down and destroyed And accordingly that destruction did befall them partly by the bloody Cruelty of the Romans and partly by the fall and ruine of the Temple Towers and Walls of the City both included in the VVord likewise ye shall likewise perish or in like manner But although they were of various kinds and men might evade the consideration of them on several pretences the one being nothing but the Tyrannical Fury of Pilate the other only a somewhat unusual Accident yet our Lord Jesus Christ finds out the hand and Councel of God in them both and declares the same Language to be spoken in them both Signs of the same event are doubled to shew the certainty of it like Pharaohs Dreams And we may observe That 1. All sorts of unusual Accidents or Effects of Providence in a season of Sin and approaching Judgements are of the same Indication and ought to have the same Interpretation So is the same Application made of both these different Signs and Warnings by our Saviour they have saith he the same Language the same Signification There was nothing at this time more hardened the Jews unto their utter ruine than the false Application they made of Providential Signs and Warnings which were all multiplyed among them as boding their good and deliverance when they were all Tokens of their approaching ruine For when such things are rejected as Warnings calling to Repentance and Reformation as they were by them on a presumption that they were Signs of Gods appearance on their behalf they became to be nothing but certain Forcrunners of greater Judgements and infallible Tokens of destruction and so they will be to them likewise by whom they are yet despised Secondly God is pleased sometimes to give warnings of approaching Judgements not only as unto the matter of them that they shall be accompanied with severity but also as unto the especial nature and manner of them so was it with these two Signs of Blood by the Sword and Death by the fall of the Tower representing as in a Glass that common calamity which was to befall the City and Nation And I pray God that the prodigious Appearance of fiery-Meteors like Swords Armies and Armes with other things of the like nature may not be sent to point out the very kind and nature of the Judgments which are coming on England if not diverted for as unto these Signs not only the Scripture but all Heathen-Stories are filled with an Account of them Before the approach of desolating Judgements Nature the common Parent of Mankind did always put forth it self in irregular unusual Actings in fiery-Meteors Comets Earthquakes strange Appearances in the Air Voices heard and the like The brute Elements tremble at the approaches of God in his Judgement against the Inhabitants of the Earth so the Prophet expresseth it Hab. 3. 10. The Mountains saw the and they trembled the overflowings of thee Water passed by the deep uttered his voice and lift up his hand on high They are as it were cast into a posture of trembling and Supplication And Aschylus an Heathen Poet in Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the dreadfull Eye of God in his Providence is lifted up all things tremble before it Thirdly In the Interpretation and application made of these severe Accidents by our Saviour in his divine VVisdom we may observe 1. Especial Judgments in such a season befalling in any do not prove an especial Guilt or provocation in them This our Saviour expresly denies and that with respect unto both the Instances insisted on and that distinctly verse 2. v. 4. I do not hence absolutely establish a general Rule as unto all Times and Persons For. 1. The observation is here confined and limited unto such a Season as that under consideration namely a time of provoking Sins in the generality of the People and approaching Judgments In such a season no assignation of especial Guilt ought to be made on especial Calamitous Sufferings 2. Some Persons may be guilty of such daring presumptous Sins that if they are overtaken with especial Judgements in this VVorld it is the height of Impiety not to own the especial revenging hand of God in their destruction such was the Death of Herod Acts 12 22 23. 2. Judgments on private men in such a season are warnings to the publick This is intimated by our Saviour in this place Namely that God uses a Soveraignty herein by singling out whom he pleaseth to make them Examples unto others this saith he was the sole reason as far as you are concerned to judge or know why God brought these sore destructions upon them namely that by these Warnings he might call you to Repentance Yet I judge God doth not ordinarily exercise his Soveraignty in this kind unless it be when all have deserved to be destroyed and then as in the Sedition and Mutiny of Military Legions they decimated them or slew some for an example and terrour unto others so God calls out of a guilty multitude whom he pleaseth to make previous Instances of approaching Judgments 3. Those who first fall under Judgments are not always the worst that Judgments shall befall nor are the first Judgments usually the most severe so it is plain in these Instances And because we have Instances of this nature amongst us we should consider how to make a right Judgment concerning them and these three things we may safely determine 1. That those who suffered were Sinners also though they were not so only or in an especial manner This is necessary unto the vindication of the Justice of God 2. That he who hath made them warnings unto us might have made us warnings unto them herein his Soveraignty and Mercy towards us who escape is manifest 3. That we also have an hand in that Guilt forerunning such Providences so far as there is any thing poenal in them For such private previous Judgments are the effect of publick Provocations Fourthly Here is a sure Rule given us of the Interpretation of severe Providences in such a season as that here intended Such I mean as we have had amongst us in Plague and Fire and Blood and such as we have the Signs and Tokens of at this time in Heaven and Earth For three things we are here taught safely to conclude concerning them 1. That they are warnings from God This our Saviour plainly declares in the Interpretation and Application of these two Instances 2. That