Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	fire_n	set_v	tongue_n	3,652	5	9.4006	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77148	Good counsell for evil times. Or, A plain sermon preached at Pauls in London, April 16. 1648. / By Edw: Bowles M.A. of Katherin-Hall Cambridge. Printed by the desire and order of the Lord Maior and aldermen of that famous city.	Bowles, Edward, 1613-1662.	1648 (1648)	Wing B3872; Thomason E435_35; ESTC R204201	25,559	35

exasperated and their rage and discontents boyled up to a greater height then formerly and also it is Gods wonted method to proceed from lesser punishments to greater from whips to scorpions and if men will not be amended to punish them seven times more for their fins We have reason to suspect that our preservations not being seconded with Reformation may prove but reservations to greater evils So that in respect of evils felt and feared our times may be called evil as the Lord speaks by Micah Behold against this family do I devise an evil from which ye shall not remove your necks neither shall ye go haughtily for this time is evill 4. I may adde one thing more which as I may so speak renders these times compleatly evil and that is the distractions and divisions of them Dissention is a mixture of sin and punishment and in every respect renders times evill This also that I may be true to my intention we finde mentioned by our Saviour Matth. 24. 10. Many shall be offended and shall betray one another and hate one another Times full of offences and scandals are wofull times according to that speech of Christ Matth. 18. 7. Wo unto the world because of offences these are daies wherein many offences are given but more taken many cast stumbling blocks before others few take care to remove them but rather aggravate them We have alreadie had one great division betwixt the friends and enemies of Reformation betwixt men that loved their own liberty and those loved the publick liberty and we thought the times bad enough in regard of that difference and the fruits of it warre and the miseries attending on it But that fire though it was hot yet it was naturall it tended to separate things heterogeneous and congregate things and persons of the same nature and interest But the divisions under which we now labour are a more unnaturall fire that separates things of the same kind a fire from hell that hath much heat but little light with it to direct what to do Men that fasted prayed that have took sweet counsell together and walked to the House of God in company that have lived loved together and been willing to dye together are become strangers nay enemies to each other And this addes much to the heap of our sins and punishments for envying and strife are not onely evils but fruitfull evils where ever they take place they bring in confusion and every evill work If love be the fulfilling the Law and all obedience be comprised in it certainly the want of it is the summe of all disobedience if Charity be the bond uncharitablenesse must needs be the bane of perfectnesse And as it is a punishment in it self so it opens a gap to further it exposes both parties to the derisions and designes of a common Enemie it makes the Philistines rejoyce and the daughters of the uncircumcis'd triumph in expectation that they shall have a cheap way made to the satisfying their lusts upon us by getting in at our own breaches Let us therefore bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled among us and take heed of p●uring into these flames the oyl of false report credulity suspition mis-interpretation but tears rather for the quenching of them Thus have I dispatch'd the former part of my work which is far the easier and demonstrated the evil of these dayes the latter and more difficult yet remains which is to hold forth some expedients or remedies for these great evils and let me endeavour to shew you what is most likely to better these evill dayes And before I speak positively let me in a word declare what is not like to do it or any thing toward it 1. Murmuring complaining evil speaking especially of those that are in Authority is not like to mend the times Ill words corrupt good manners and ill manners hinder good times The Scripture is clear in this case He that will love life and see good dayes let him refrain his tongue from evill and his lips that they speak no guile And this is seconded by the Apostle James Chap. 3. who seems to refer to dayes like ours and begins My brethren be not many masters c. and proceeds to shew the licentiousnesse and exorbitancy of language to be the cause of manifold mischiefs he cals it a fire a world of iniquity that sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire of hell These times are a sufficient comment on this text especially if pens be taken in as well as tongues which are the worse of the two because more permanent Litera scripta manebit And if it were to any purpose I could vehemently inveigh not so much against the authors of our daily merry mischiefs to whom that of Solomon is appliable As a mad-man who casteth firebrands arrows and death so is the man that deceiveth his neighbour and saith Am I not in sport as against those whose duty it is and care it should be to suppresse them if they regard the honour of God and the Kingdom whose shame besides their own these raging waves continually fome out Hae nugae seria ducunt But to return to my intendment What gained the Israelites by murmuring in the wildernesse upon every jealousie and discontent surely nothing but displeasure from God and the losse of a good Land which we are hastening to And more particularly the evill speakings swellings tumults against the Parliament and their proceedings is the most unlikely thing in the world to better the times for howsoever it must not be denyed there are with them even with them also iniquities by us to be bewailed by them amended yet to traduce calumniate and asperse them with evill language now grown as common as brown paper and packthreed in every shop is in a great measure unjust and where it is not unjust it is unwise It is unjust for howsoever they have not improved all opportunities which who is there that slips not of establishing truth and peace among us howsoever there are many things wanting which should and it may be might have been done yet many good works have they done and for which of these shall we stone them I know it will be answered For a good work we stone thee not c. But consider their distractions their tossings to and fro the manifold designes upon them to divide and destroy them beside the personall infirmities and allowances of every man it may allay the spirits of them who ever had any good opinion of them or affection toward them as for others I say nothing but what saith the Proverbe of the ancients Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked It is the fault and folly of men to think that Magistrates because they are called Gods should be without infirmity though themselves lye in iniquity They are indeed called gods but must dye like men and they do live and walk like men too The