Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	call_v	flourish_a	great_a	16	3	2.1187	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89500	Meate out of the eater, or, Hopes of unity in and by divided and distracted times. Discovered in a sermon preached before the Honourable house of Commons at Margarets Westminster on their solemne day of fast, June 30. 1647. / By Tho: Manton Minister of Stoke-Newington.	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1647 (1647)	Wing M525; Thomason E395_1; ESTC R201634	37,335	60

distractions to make way for unity and order It is said Psal. 18. 11. He hath made darknesse his secret place God's counsells are always carried under the covert of darknesse usually when he intendeth the greatest flourishing he worketh the greatest desolation in the earth and when unity he suffereth the greatest distraction for what grounds I shall tell you by by hence is it that we doe so often heare of the misery of the latter times and yet againe of the blessednesse of the latter times hard times and happy times miserable in the beginning happy in the end and issue Hell is let loose in the latter times they shall give heed to seducing spirits and heaven is opened in the latter times there shall be great light and r●re love when there is such a conflict and contestation between light and darknesse the ●ight will be the clearer afterwards and the more doubtfull the day is the more glorious will the evening be for this I say is the law and the course of divine dispensations after the greatest distr●ctions to bring forth the greatest harmony and the most blessed sweetnesse and accord therefore there being in the latter dayes such eminent and visible distraction by the proportions of heaven there will be eminent and visible unity Of this more by and by To application Use 1 For consolation to all them that waite or care for the consolation of Israel many are ready to faint and stagger at the distractions of the times Judges 5. 15. For the divisions or breaches of Ruben there were great thoughts of heart or as the originall will beare it great impressions These things indeed doe sadly worke with a gracious spirit the enemies warme themselves by these sparkles and rejoyce over the fire that devoureth the great deepe others whose hearts are bathed and steeped in pleasures or combred with worldly cares have not a due sense of the times are not enough affected with them but now for the people of God externall miseries are not so bad to them and doe not so neerly reach a Gospel-spirit as differences in Religion Oh it is very sad to see the roses of the valleyes become pricking thornes and Saints in pretence to be divells in practise to one another the sheep of Christ's owne fold to be like the Bulls of Bashan goring and wounding each other and would our hearts were more affected with it But here is comfort God foresaw how troublous and distracted the morning of the latter dayes would bee and therefore that we might not be dismaid hath given us many a comfortable promise to support our hearts under such providences When God framed the world there was nothing but confusion you doe not know what God can extract out of a chaos Two things I shall urge upon you to set home this comfort 1. Consider your hopes 2. Know the reason of such providences 1 Consider your hopes your times are not to be measured and valued by appearances it least of all becometh a Christian to observe the cloudes Rom. 8. 24. hope that is seen is not hope that is those that would hope are not to judge by the present face of things but by the promises teach your faith to see things that cannot be seen beauty in distractions unity and order in violence and division faith is excercised not when you get water out of the Fountaine but out of the Rocke when you make the EATER give you MEATE devouring differences yeild comfort and hope 't is better to looke to a sure word then to an uncertaine providence see what a promise you have Isa. 11. 6 7 8. The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lie down with the kid and the calfe and the young lyon and the fatling together and a little childe shall lead them And the cow and the beare shall feed their young ones shall lye downe together and the lyon shall eate straw with the oxe And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den c. I will not undertake to assigne a sense to every particular expression onely in the generall note God will effect it though there be no more hopes then to see lyon and lambe leopard and kid come together and to perswade natures that are most fierce and contrary unto a peaceable and friendly cohabitation 2. Know the reason of such providences men are perplexed when they do not know the reason of things feare seises upon us in the darke Judges 6. 13. If the Lord be with us why is all this evill befallen us They did not know the reason of the matter and therefore were troubled at it If there be such promises of unity why are there such sad things befallen us such great breaches and distractions the ball of contention bandyed from one to another cloudes gathering every day thicker blacker You will thinke this is but an ill time to look for unity such generall consent and agreement alas you erre not knowing the reason of your providences God useth to bring in unity and order by confusions there are divers reasons for it I shall name 3. which may incourage hope in the saddest times 1. God doth not love to let the creature looke to the end of his designes and skill the way of his providences therefore he will try them by casting a vaile upon his worke and hiding his glory in a cloude Isa 44. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe O God of Israel the Saviour He meant to be a Saviour but they should know no such thing a Saviour under a vaile an hidden Saviour Providences are so disposed as if hee meant to doe quite otherwise so Isa. 48. 7. They are created now not from the beginning lest thou shouldest say I knew them God speaketh concerning the matter of Babylon and the ruine of that Empire which should be effected so strangely that none should see which way providence tended or say now I know what God will doe God loveth to hide the particular way and path of his providence so that your times shall seeme not to have the least connexion or respect to your hopes 't is so in all his dealings see Joh. 11 6. Jesus loved Lazarus and when he heard he was sicke he abode two dayes little love in that to stand still when there was neede of helpe yet that stay was for the advantage of the miracle and commendation of his love so John 2. when Christ meant to give them wine he calleth for water-potts for God will not have you looke to the way and end of his counsells Deus sum non sequax as Luther seemed to heare God speake to him when he complain●● of some crosse providences the creatures are not to teach God how to effectuate his promises there is incouragement enough to waite even when the face of things doth most lowre upon your expectations 2.

were not unity how could the other promises be fulfilled such as these Isa. 33. 10. Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation a ●abernacle that cannot be taken downe the stakes thereof shall not be removed nor the coards broken T is spoken of the Church in the times of the Gospel whose state hitherto hath been most disturbed and perplexed like the Arke upon the waves it may be there hath been some relaxation and short breathing time as 't is said Rev. 8. 1. There was silence in heaven for the space of halfe an houre a little respit given to the Church in Constanti●e's beginning till Licinius because not equally prayed for and honoured by the Christians with Constantine raysed a new persecution then and so at other times there hath been silence for the space of halfe an houre but then the miseries returned againe with violence enough only in the latter dayes is Jerusalem a quiet habitation a fixed Tent then there are not such uncertaine happinesses and such interchangeable removes so Ezek. 28. 24. And there shall be no more any pricking thorne nor any provoking bryer of all that are round about her God hath promised to take away all provocation and molestation and what ever is grievous therefore all the cause of its difference and disagreement differences in Religion stirre up the greatest violences and most deadly hatred that which should restraine and bridle our passions is the fuell of them as long as there is difference in Religion and worship there will bee disturbances and there cannot be that quiet and happy security which the promises doe generally annexe to those times 2. Because God will then make some visible provision against the scandall of dissentions the glory of Christ hath bin mightily darkened by them no such stone of stumbling and rock of offence to the world as the contrariety of opinions and great differences that have bin among Christians Observe and you will finde it alwayes to be the great prejudice against Christianity in the primitive times * Zozomen saith many would turne Christians but they were alwaies discouraged by that dissonancy of doctrines and opinions that were amongst them And so * Chrysostome speaketh of a certaine Ethnicke that came unto him and told him I would become Christian but there is such variety of Sects among you that I cannot anchor upon any thing as certaine in your Religion Certainly nothing begets Atheisme so much as this Men have suspected the Gospel because there hath bin such differences and strife about it it makes them doubt of all to see distinct factions making the word of God ductile and pliable to so many severall purposes Therefore now an universall unity would much vindicate and recover the glory of Christ out of the hands of such a scandall and be an excellent provision for the credit of Christianity to this end Christ prayeth and urgeth this very argument to his Father John 17. 23. Let them all be one and again Let them be made perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me as if he had said Father thou knowest how easily the world doe take up any prejudice against my doctrine now if there should be division among my worshippers they will thinke the Gospel a fable Religion but a device oh let them be perfect in one that the world may know and owne me for the true Messiah Should wee goe to our owne experiences this we finde amongst our selves that Religion never lost its awe so much as now God was terrible in his holy places in the assemblies of his Saints and in the lives of his holy people the gravity the strictnes of their conversation had a majesty with it and did dart reverence and awe into the hearts of men but now all this glory and power is lost and religion is looked upon but as an empty pretence and covert to some designes 'T is said Acts 4. 32 33. The multitude of believers were of one heart and one soule and then the truths of Christ had power and great grace fell upon them Christianity hath more lustre when there is such a common consent and sweet brotherly accord The truths of God have their power and the servants of God their grace with them Well then the scandall being so great the Prayer of Christ so urgent God will at one time or another doe somewhat eminently and visibly to right the honour of Jesus Christ and to recover the lustre of Christianity and our glorious profession for I take this for graunted that at some speciall times God will roll away the reproach of every eminent scandall that hath bin cast upon Christ and Religion And because God loveth like the good housholder to bring forth the best wine at last it hath not bin done hitherto but is reserved for the latter dayes for indeed you shall finde that all the latter providences are but so many vindications and clearings of Christ from the former scandalls of the world as for the scandall of meannesse hitherto Not many noble not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty are called Christ's company hath bin despicable and poore but now in the latter dayes it is every where promised that Kings shall bring their glory into the Church that they shall hold their mouthes at Christ Isa. 52. ult. That is with silence and reverence receive his commands and the like every where So for the scandall of persecution it is every where declared that in the latter dayes the enemies shall be the subjected party glad to take bold of the skirt of a Jew Zech. 8. bowe to the soales of their feet Isa. 60. The magistrates shall call the inhabitants of Jerusalem their strength and the like elsewhere So againe the Church hath beene under the abasure of reproaches but God hath promised a vindicatiō in the latter dayes that he will establish Zion a praise throughout the earth set it as a royall diadem Isa. 62. 3. with the 7. that he will give them prayse in the lands of their shame Zeph. 3. Proportionably to their abasures that they shall have glory So for paucity and fewnesse which is another scandall there are promises of the Gospel's being propagated of the flowings out of living waters of the flying in of Converts like doves to the windowes Isa. 60. and the like So in this present case because of the variance of the people of Christ under former dispensations there are promises of speciall unity and sweet accord in the latter dayes Of one Lord and one King of one Shepheard one Head Hosea 1. 11. of one shoulder Zeph. 3. 9. And that God will make Jew and Gentile and all that feare him to lye down together in peace and safety and to be all called by one name 3. The misery of these times doth seeme to inforce the greater unity I take this for the manner and course of heaven to worke one contrary out of another by the greatest