Selected quad for the lemma: peace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
peace_n	army_n	great_a	war_n	2,116	5	5.8205	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44695	A sermon preach'd on the late day of thanksgiving, Decemb. 2, 1697 by John Howe ... ; to which is prefixed Dr. Bates's congratulatory speech to the King, Novemb. 22, 1697, in the name of the dissenting ministers in and about London.	Howe, John, 1630-1705.; Bates, William, 1625-1699. Congratulatory speech to the King, Novemb. 22, 1697.	1698 (1698)	Wing H3040; ESTC R6550	23,177	33

Prosper in War and Flourish in Peace as well and often more than GOD's own People You Read of a Time wherein the whole Earth is said to be at Rest and Quiet Is. 14. 7. Therefore meer Peace is no mark of Special Divine Favour and so is not Abstractly considered a Compleat Blessing not a Self-desirable Thing 2. MEN are not made by it the better Men they may enjoy Peace and being Carnal-minded Men before may still continue so as great Strangers to GOD as they were as Vain and Sensual as Profligate and Licentious as Useless in the World as Mischievous every way as Ill Men as ever And 3. THEY may by meer External Peace become so much the worse Men. That may be an Occasion to them of their growing worse and worse The Prosperity of Fools i. e. of Wicked Men slays and destroys them Prov. 1. 32. 'T is an Observation that runs through the Course of Time that as Wars at length beget an enforced Peace so Peace infers free Trade and Comerce and that Plenty and that Pride and Wantonness so these run us back in an ●esie but unhappy Circle to be as we were in War again And if tha● prove not the present or the speedy Consequent that ensues which is worse than War unless GOD vouchsafe that other sort of Blessing which will Influence and Better Mens minds Vice springs up in the more fattened Soil Mens Lusts will soon prove more Oppressive Tyrants than they can have freed themselves from by the justest and most prosperous War and will subdue them to a far Viler and more Ignoble Servitude An ingenious Writer of those Affairs observes that the former Scipio open'd the way to the Roman Power the Latter to their Luxury Their Vertue languisht and they were conquered by their own Vices who before could Conquer the World That Noted Moralist says Infirmi est animi non posse pati divitias 'T is a weak mind that cannot bear a prosperous condition But where are there minds strong enough to bear it if they be not Blest from Above with somewhat better than that Prosperity it self 4. Men may notwithstanding meer External Peace he as miserable in this and in the other World as if they had never known it and much more if by it they have been the more wicked I beseech you consider Are they a Blessed People Or Is that a Blessed Man between whom and Eternal Misery there is but a breath He may but breathe another breath and be in the midst of Flames Is he Happy this moment that may be as Miserable as any Devil the next Those things can only be compleat Blessings to any that are inseparable ones and that will make them for ever Blessed For me to have but such a Blessing as does not make me Blessed What an unblest Blessing is this A Philosopher can tell you Blessedness cannot be a thing separable from my self not a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. It can much less be such a thing as may leave me miserable to all Eternity least of all what may make me so by degenerating into a Curse as Mal. 2. 2. THEREFORE these are demonstrations that meer External Peace without such Additions as you have heard of can never be a Compleat Blessing nor such as can be understood vouchsafed to the People of GOD as their Ultimate and Consummative Felicity IT must in the mean time be acknowledg'd that as a People may belong to GOD Externally more than another People and may some time be Externally more reformed than at other times so Peace with other External Good Things may thereupon be afforded them as Less-expressive Marks of GOD's Favour and approbation of their more Regular Course And by the Tenor of GOD's particular Covenant with the people of Israel might more certainly be expected so to be Yet this is a State wherein it is not reasonable or safe for any finally to acquiess I therefore now come to the promised Vse which will correspond to the two General Heads I have been discoursing of First To let you s●e what cause of Thanksgiving we have in reference to the former the Blessing of Peace abstractly considered And Secondly What Cause of Supplication we have in reference to the latter the Additions that are requisite to make it a Compleat Blessing 1. As to the former Since Peace is so Valuable a Thing consisidered a-part as you have heard it is This points out to us The matter of Than●sgiving for which this day is appointed That GOD has preserved our KING amidst so innumerable Dangers abroad That He has brought him home to us in Safety That He has made him the Instrument of That Peace that we find is at length brought about wherein he is returned to us a Greater Conqueror than if he had Routed and Destroyed never so Potent Armies of our Enemies in the Field we have Reason to understand the matter so By prevailing in War he had only Conquered by Force by prevailing for Peace he has Conquered by Wisdom and Goodness By prevailing in War he had only Conquered the Bodily Power of our Enemies or their baser part by prevailing for Peace he has Conquered their minds By prevailing in War he had brought about the Good only of one side by prevailing for Peace he has brought about the Real Benefit of both sides a far more diffusive Blessing By prevailing in War he had Conquered Enemies by prevailing for Peace he has Conquered Enmity it self By prevailing in War he had over-come other Men but in prevailing for Peace considering his Martial Spirit and his high Provocations he has done a far Greater Thing he has Conquered himself whom none ever Conquered before BESIDES what this Great Blessing of Peace generally considered contains in it self we ought to Amplify it to our selves being brought about by such means wherein we have so particular a Concern This ought to add with us a very Grateful Relish to it for it is a Glory to our Nation that GOD has set a Prince on the English Throne that could signifie so much to the World the Beams of that Glory GOD hath cast on him reflect and shine upon His People to be made the Head among other Nations and not the Tail GOD hath in His Word Taught us Not to count it an inconsiderable thing And it is our more peculiar Glory that our KING is Renowned not by throwing Death and Destruction every where round about him but by spreading the Benefits included in Peace through the Neighbour-Nations And is Returned to us leaving the rest of Europe only to Lament that they all live not under his Government I pray GOD he may meet with no Ungrateful Returns and that none may be so ill-minded as to grudge at Power so lodg'd as to save us who were less concern'd at its being lodg'd where it could only be designed to destroy us In the mean time it might Excite us to the higher pitches of Thankfulness

A SERMON PREACH'D ON THE LATE DAY OF Thanksgiving Decemb. 2. 1697. By JOHN HOWE Minister of the GOSPEL To which is Prefix'd Dr. BATES's Congratulatory Speech to the KING Novemb. 22. 1697. In the Name of the Dissenting Ministers in and about London LONDON Printed by S. Bridge in Austin-Fryers for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel MDCXCVIII TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE Lord Haversham I Offer this Discourse My Honoured Lord to Your Perusal in Confidence that the Subject and Design of it will be so far Grateful to Your Lordship as in some Degree to Atone for the Imperfections of the Management I Believe it will not Offend against Your Lordships very Accurate Judgment of Things that I have not been so sway'd by an Authority which hath signifi'd much in our Age as to represent the Natural State of Man as a State of War which either must signifie Man in his Original Constitution to have been a very ill-natur'd Creature or must signifie his Nature to be less Ancient than Himself FOR I cannot Doubt but the Author of that Maxim would have Disdain'd their Way of Speaking who by Nature Mean Vice Or to have been Guilty of so Pious a Thought that God at first made Man any better Thing than we find Him I Shall the less passionately Lament my Infelicity in losing the good Opinion of Men of that Sentiment if I stand Right in Your Lordships Not knowing any of your Rank and Figure in the World with whom I Count it a greater Honour to Agree in Judgment or do less Fear to Disagree IN Matters of Secular Concernment it becomes Me not to Profess any Judgment at all besides the Publick unto which in Things of that Nature every Private Mans ought to be and is professedly Resigned YET within that Compass notwithstanding the Just Esteem Your Lordship hath of the Noble Endowments which do then Illustriously Shine in the Military Profession when there is a Necessity of their being red●c'd to Practice I Apprehend that otherwise Your Lordship hath no more gratful Thoughts of War than I nor more ungrateful of the Necessary Means of Preserving Peace That which is the Reproach of Humane Nature could never Originally belong to it Nor can any thing more expose its Ignominious Depravation than it should ever be Necessary the Sword should Dispute Right and the Longest Decide it IN the Matters of Religion which is every Mans Business and whose Sphere as it is Higher must be proportionably Wider and more Comprehensive I Hope it is Your Lordships constant Care to add unto Clearness and Rectitude of Thought the Pleasantness of Taste and that you apprehend it to consist not more in a Scheme of Notions than of Vital Principles and that your Love to it proceeds from hence that you Relish it and Feel you Live by it You are hereby Fortified against the Reproach that attends it from their Contempt of it who are every Day assaulting Heaven and would have the War not ended but only transferr'd thither-ward THAT which though some Vent and others admire as Wit even Paganism it self has Condemn'd as Foolishness Your Lordship is in no more Danger to be alter'd hereby from your chosen Course than a Man in his Health and Senses by Satyrs against Eating and Drinking I Reckon Your Lordship is so much taken up with the great Things of Religion as to be less taken with the Adventitious Things Men have Thought fit to affix to it I do not more Emulate Your Lordship in any Thing than a Disdain of Bigotry nor more Honour any thing I Discern in You than True Catholicism AND Recounting what Things and Persons do truly belong to a Church I Believe Your Lordship is not professedly of a Larger Church as Counting it too Large for You but too narrow and that You affect not to be of a Self-distinguisht Party Nor besides the Opportunity of avowing the Just Honour and Obligations I have to Your Lordship and Your Noble Consort with my Sincere Concern for Your Hopeful and Numerous Off-spring did any Thing more Invite this Address to Your Lordship than the agreeableness of such Your Sentiments to the Mind and Spirit of My most Honoured Lord Your Lordships Most Justly Devoted and Most Faithful Humble Servant John Howe Dr. BATES's Congratulatory Speech to the KING Novemb. 22. 1697. In the Name of the Dissenting Ministers in and about London May it Please Your MAJESTY YOUR Happy Return with PEACE in your Retinue has rais'd a Spring-Tide of Joy that overflows the Nation This great Blessing We Primarily owe with our most Solemn and Dutiful Thankfulness to the GOD of PEACE who has Calm'd the Tempestuous World and Chang'd the black Scene of Horror and Misery wherein the most Tragical Cruelties were Acted Cities were Fir'd and the Fires quench'd in the Blood of the Citizens wherein Death and Despair appear'd in their Terrible Shapes And has introduc'd a Bright Scene of Prosperity wherein Innocence and Liberty Commerce and Abundance are secur'd This we Owe as to the Secondary Cause with our most Humble Gratitude to Your MAJESTY Your open and generous Opposition in the Field of Battle has Tam'd our Potent Enemies who presum'd to Level all Obstacles to their Lofty Designs as if their Power had been Equal to their Pleasure They had broke through the Circles of Justice and Honour but Your MAJESTY has fix'd such Bounds as may prevent their Swelling Exorbitancies for the Future EVROPE has seen with Admiration Your Courage and Heroick Heat guided by an Equal Light and Superior to all Dangers in War There is a Just Expectation that an Equal Honour will attend Your MAJESTY for Your Ruling Wisdom Your Justice Temper'd with Equity and Goodness in the Counsels and Arts of PEACE You are the Glory of Your Subjects Abroad and their Delight at Home Your Influxive Presence is the Vital Breath the Kingdom Draws the Vital Band that Unites its Parts and prevents their Breaking into Confusion YOUR MAJESTY is Ordain'd for Victories Thereare more Noble Conquests to be obtain'd over worse than Foreign Enemies Prophaneness in Manners and Pernicious Doctrines in Religion that Fight against the Soul and notwithstanding our PEACE on Earth Expose us to a Fearful War with Heaven WE Live in an Age of Degenerate Wickedness Wherein are Numberless Numbers of resolv'd Loosness who by their bold Impieties defie the Supream MAJESTY of Heaven These WE Hope by Your Authority and Influence may be Restrain'd if not truly Reform'd for whereas other Princes assume an Infamous Prerogative to Live as they List to satisfie their Vicious Appetites without Controul Your MAJESTY Exhibites such Excellent Vertues in Your Practise as may be a Persuasive Pattern and Commandingly Exemplary to Your Subjects AND whereas there are such Doctrines frequently Publish'd as are Infinitely Injurious to the Person and Office of our Blessed Saviour WE Hope Your Pious Zeal for his Divine Honour will put a stop to the

Licentiousness of the Press that the Contagion of the Dead may not Corrupt the Living This will be a most pleasing Sacrifice of Praise to the Blessed GOD who has Preserv'd Your most Precious Life in Raging War and from more Imminent Dangers by the Dark and Cruel Conspiracy of Wicked Enemies WE Humbly Renew the Assurances of our inviolable Loyalty and our Continual Prayers That GOD would Preserve Your Sacred Person and make Your MAJESTY always Happy in Your Government and Your Subjects Happy in their Obedience PSALM XXIX the latter part of the Last Verse The Lord will Bless his People with Peace The Whole Verse is The Lord will give Strength to his People The Lord will Bless his People with Peace YOU so generally know the Occasion of this our Solemn Assembly at this Time that none can be in Doubt concerning the suitableness of this Portion of Scripture for our Present Consideration OUR Business is to celebrate the Divine Goodness in Preserving our King Abroad and Restoring him Home in Safety after he had been the Happy Instrument of bringing about that Peace which puts a Period to a long Continued Wasting and Dubious War under which We and all Europe have groaned these Divers Years And if we find the favourable Workings of Providence to concur and fall in with a Divine Word pointing them to GODS own People as this for Instance The Lord will Bless his People with Peace i e. He will vouchsafe this Blessing to his own People in the fittest Season as it must be understood this adds so much the more grateful and pleasant Relish to the Mercy we are this Day to acknowledge It cannot but do so with Right Minds unto which nothing is more agreeable than to desire and covet such Favour as GOD shews to his own People and to be made glad with his Inheritance Psalm 105. 4 5. from an Apprehension that there must be somewhat very peculiar in such Mercy as GOD vouchsafes to his own to a People Peculiar and Select severed and set apart for himself from the rest of Men. 'T IS true indeed that Peace abstractly considered is neither the appropriate nor the constant Priviledge of such a People they neither alone enjoy it nor at 〈◊〉 Times when it is brought about even for them they have other ●arta●ers But yet such Favours of Providence as are of larger extent and re●ch to many besides GODS own People have a more peculiar benign Aspect upon them and are attended with reference to them with such Consequences as wherein others without being made of this People of his are not Sharers with them Some Intimation there is of this in this Psalm which the Title speaks a Psalm of David and which some think to refer unto the Wars managed by him in his Time with the Moabites signified by the Wilderness of Cadesh and the Syrians signified by the Cedars of Lebanon of whom he speaks in the Prophetick Stile as if by the terrible and amazing appearances of GOD's Power against them they were Thunder-struck like the Trees of a Forrest or as the Hinds that are wont to inhabit amongst them And so it is concluded and shut up with this Epiphonema in the End of the Psalm The Lord will give Strength to his People the Lord will Bless his People with Peace i. e. He is in War their Strength and their Felicity in Peace in War He is the Author of all that Power wherewith they are enabled to oppose and overcome Potent Enemies And in Peace he is their truly felicitating Good and makes them by his own vouchsafed Presence a truly blessed People IT is the latter of these Peace unto which the Present Occasion confines us And concerning that we might in the 1. PLACE Note from the Text That wheresoever it is brought about GOD is the Author of it GOD will Bless his People with Peace That Title which the Scripture gives him The GOD of Peace with the many Expressions of like Import wherewith it abounds can leave them in no Doubt concerning the Divine Influence and Agency in bringing about the grateful Intervals of Peace after desolating Bloody Wars who have any Reverence for the Sacred Oracles And indeed to insist upon such a Subject as this in a Case so plain so acknowledged amongst Men that believe the Bible were to Reproach the Auditory as if it were made up of Scepticks and Atheists or of them that did not believe this World was made by GOD or that it was made by him only by some casual Stroak and without Design that he cared not for his reasonable intelligent Creatures when he had made them what became of them nor did at all concern himself in their most considerable Concernments I shall not therefore insist upon this which seems rather slid in and supposed in the Text or taken for granted For among a People in visible Relation and Subjection to GOD it had been as great an incongruity industriously to assert and prove such a thing as it would be by an Elaborate Discourse to prove that there is a Sun in the Firmament unto Men that continually partake and enjoy its Light and Influences and to whose Sense the Vicissitudes and Distinctions of Day and Night by its Presence and Absence are brought under constant Notice every Four and Twenty Hours I shall therefore I say pass on to what appears more directly to be the Design of the Text. And that seems to be twofold First To represent to us in general the great Blessing of Peace wherein when GOD sees it sit he is pleased to make his own People Partakers with others Secondly Because it is not without Design that it is said He will Bless his People with Peace unto whom 't is plain this alone is not an appropriate Priviledge it seems further designed to intimate and couch in the Concurrence and Concomitancy of such things as superadded to Peace will make it a compleat Blessing The Lord will Bless his People with Peace He will give them Peace so and upon such Terms and with such Concomitants and Consequences that to them it shall prove a real and a full Blessing These two things therefore I intend to insist upon 1. TO shew you how valuable a Good and in the Large and Common Sense a Blessing Peace is as it stands in Opposition to Bloody and Desolating Wars And then 2. I shall shew you what Additions and Concomitants are necessary to make it a compleat Blessing such as may be appropriate and peculiar to GODS own People and so make use of the whole 1. I shall shew you Briefly how valuable a good Peace is in it self as it stands opposed unto Bloody and Destructive Wars And this will best be seen by stating and viewing it in that Opposition and by representing to you somewhat of the Horror of War which we may do by viewing it in its Causes in it self and in its dismal Consequences wherewith it is wont to be attended CONSIDER