Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	blessing_n	confusion_n	great_a	20	3	2.0850	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15524	Christs farevvell to Jerusalem, and last prophesie A sermon preached in the quier of the cathedrall church of Canterburie, at the funerall of that reuerend and worthy man, Mr. Doctor Colfe, Vice-Deane of the said church. Octob. 12. 1613. By Thomas Wilson, minister of Gods word.	Wilson, Thomas, 1563-1622.	1614 (1614)	STC 25790; ESTC S101806	26,045	78

as for their Children vvhose harmes vse to moue the bowels of tender mothers very greatly no compassions to the compassions of a mother toward her distressed babes 1 Kings 3. 26. Partly for that a thing horible to thinke of more direfull to act it many mothers through rage of hunger occasioned by famine in time of the Seige should be forced to broyle and eate their owne children for food to saue their liues with the death of their sweet infants as it hapned by Iosephus report Lastly Children would be a great hinderance and clogge as it vvere at the heeles of their Parents to stay their flight by which they otherwise might haue preserued themselues as some did Wherevpon our Sauiour vttereth Mat. 24. a vvoe to such women as should be with childe or giue sucke in those dayes The cause of all these terrible Iudgements were amongst other sinnes of the Iewes as their infidelitie hypocrisie contempt of the word hardnesse of heart yet especially the extreame sauage vnthankefulnesse and barbarous crueltie in putting causlesse to a shamefull death the innocent man Iesus hauing had Prophets and iust men sent vnto them some they reuiled others they beat and ill entreated God at last sending his owne and onely Sonne him they cast out of the Vineyard and slew therefore the Lord of the Vineyard waxed hot vvith indignation and vvhetting his sword came against those Husband-men in his fierce vvrath and destroyed them with a vvoderfull destruction some fortie yeeres after the Passion of our Lord for the vvhich Christ admonisheth these people that bewayled him telling them they had greater reason to lament their owne heauie case and the affliction of their Children then to vveepe for his cause From hence wee haue sundry things for our instruction and admonition First of all we may hereby discouer the errour of such men as though there vvere two Gods one of the olde Testament and another of the new and that the God of the new Testament of the twaine vvas the milder whereas there is but one onely God and the same alwayes like to himselfe God is euer but one both for nature and for will as extreamely hating and punishing sin now vnder the Gospell as he vvas vvont to doe vnder the Law nay more extreamly because now hee hath afforded greater grace and afforded more meanes against sinne All the olde Testament cannot yeeld an example of such seueritie in punishing sinne as here is threatned touching the destruction of Ierusalem and downe-fall of the Iewes No sorrow vvas like their sorrow nor no plague vvas like vnto their plague Therefore let all men greatly feare the diuine Iustice and he vvarned to take heed how they offend and prouoke it Secondly vvee may obserue the force and poyson of sinne when it is continued in impenitently it is able to turne the nature of things to change blessings into cursings and comforts into plagues and confusions What greater earthly blessings then the fruit of the wombe Children are called a treasure giuen from God Gold and Siluer cannot purchase it Kings and Princes haue desired to haue them and could not yet through sinne these impenitent Iewes were brought to this passe through their vvickednesse I say as that they accounted their Children accurst and their greatest miserie the fruit of their vvombe Wonder not at this for seeing obstinacy in sinne can make God of a Father to be a Iudge Christ of a Sauiour and corner-stone to support to be a stone of offence to stumble at the Gospell of the sauour of life to be a sauour of death the Sacraments to be a Iudgement and not a nourishment if in spirituall things Sinne haue this power to alter their propertie what maruell though in worldly things it can preuaile so farre as to cause that to be occasion of euill which was ordayned for our good and welfare as our Table to be our snare our riches to become thornes to choake our Children to be our vnhappinesse and woe Let all obstinate sinners which liue in the seruice of sinne and notwithstanding all admonitions from Gods Word Works and Spirit and from their owne conscience also yet hate to be reformed let such take knowledge of this doctrine and lay it to heart and hasten to be reclaimed else let them feare least an houre come when those things which are now a delight to them as their wiues children siluer gold houses lands meat drinke yea the very creatures of God which be so comfortable as Sunne Moone Starres doe through their stubbornesse in sinne proue bitternesse to them euen as bitter as gall and wormewood so as it be grieuous vnto them to looke vpon these good things and to thinke that euer they enjoyed them be as heauy to them as death This God can bring to passe that men shall curse their parents their birth-day their benefits themselues and all For if God did such strange things vnto the Iewes his chosen and peculiar people his treasure whom hee tooke out of all nations to be his owne to whom he made such great promises and gaue so many and notable priuiledges the Law the Couenant the seruice of God the Adoption the Arke of the testimonie visible token of his presence If Ierusalem the Citie of the great King where was the Temple the Altar the Sacrifices the Priest-hood and where God sayd he would for euer rest and dwell yet for impenitency in their sinne were made desolate and not onely depriued of Gods protection but contrary to the order set in nature had all their blessings accursed then wee the Inhabitants in England howsoeuer wee be blessed with many prerogatiues fauours the word of God the Ministery the Sacraments good Lawes and Maiestrates long and great Peace and Plenty yet if wee will not turne from our pride couetousnes ambition vncleannesse and other sins which are too ripe and rife amongst vs wee may looke when God should bring the like confusion among vs and make vs to be a prouerbe a reproach and pointing of the finger vnto al our neighbour nations as he did the Israelites before vs. Are we better then they should God change the course of his Iustice for our sakes Furthermore if the iust God haue such sharpe and terrible vengeance to powre out against vnrepentant sinners in this world where there is a time of patience and mercy Oh how horrible and intollerable torments may the wicked which goe on in their iniquities expect to suffer in the world to come when iudgement shal be executed without mercy and where the fury of Gods wrath like a consuming fire shall breake forth in all extremity for the full and perfect punishment of sinners vvho shall be bitten and vexed with the euer-gnawing worme of a guiltie conscience and burned in a fire of hot indignation that neuer shall go out All good things being taken away nothing but euill shall be present let this be as an Iron rod to driue