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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	lord_n	praise_n	praise_v	5,012	5	9.6322	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81250	The root of apostacy, and fountain of true fortitude. Delivered in a sermon before rhe [sic] Honourable House of Commons, on their late day of thanks-giving for the great victory given to Sir William Waller and the forces with him, against the army of Sir Ralph Hopton. By Thomas Case, Preacher at Milk-street, London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons.	1644 (1644)	Wing C839; Thomason E46_11; ESTC R22888	28,474	40

of the state of the Battell whereby their brethren also were strengthened to returne and resist the rage and fury of the Enemie and to pursue it to a great slaughter and a totall routing and discomfiture of that proud daring Armie Well we may conclude That God was in that dayes worke of a certain and wrought wonderfully and immediately for the salvation of his people Surely so great a victory with so cheape a losse was more then Gods finger it was his Arme his right-hand that turnd the question of that day and the feares of his people into inconquerable courage and their mourning into triumph and rejoycings All that I have to do now is to bespeak you Honourable and Beloved that under this and other Deliverances and Victories we have and hope for as they were wrought by the knowledge of God so we would behave our selues as a people that know our God let us wear our deliverances as a people that are acquainted with God In the first place therefore 2 Sam. 12.27 28 29 30. let us carry it thankefully let us do with Christ as sometime Joab did with David who when he had taken Rabbah sent for David lest the City should have been called after Joabs Name and set the Kings Crowne very weighty and rich with precious stones upon the head of David Let us us this day bring in our Lord Jesus Christ and let not victory be called after our name but let His Name beset upon it The Lord our Righteousnesse and strength and the Crowne upon his head I have read of a King going by water who looking over the bardge his Crown fell into the water one of the Watermen leapes in dives takes up the Crowne and when he comes up above water puts the Crowne upon his head that he might use both hands to expedite his returne to the Boat The King proportions his reward thus for saving his Crown he allowes him a Talent but because be put it on he takes off his head thinking that head not fit to stand upon its shoulders that presumed to weare that Crown which was made onely for the head of a King my Politiques are not sufficient to Critick upon the Justice of such a censure Sure I am it will be the highest act of Treason in Vs if we shall put this Crown of victory upon our own head upon the head of our own strength or wisdome c. Which as it was wrought onely by the hand so it was made onely for the head of him who is the King of Saints and Lord of Hosts And the highest act of Justice in him if he take away not the Crown onely from our head in refusing to give us any more victories but our heads too from our shoulders by leaving us to their Execution whose mercies are cruelties Let us therefore with the Elders in the Revelation fall down before him that sits upon the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Reve. 4.10 11. and cast our Crowns down before him saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and honour and power c. And therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise if we stay till God come to demand his Crown woe unto us Secondly Let us carry it obediently Whoso offereth me praise Psal 50. last Glorifieth me It is some glory indeed to God and you have done well Noble Senators that you have set apart a day to praise God for this victorie wherein your resolutions have bin like that of David I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing 2 Sam. 24.24 You have not turned God off with a day that was his own before though it be a Sabbath dayes work to celebrate his praise for any Mercy or Deliverance being all the fruits of that grand Redemption which that day doth remember But you have sequestred a speciall day for a speciall Mercy and you have done well in it the Lord be blessed and the Lord blesse you for it but yet let me tell you from this Text This is not all nay this is the least part of that which God expects at your hands and at all our hands the main piece of praise is the Ordering of your conversations aright there is so much thankfulnesse in our hearts as there is holinesse and selfdeniall in our Conversations Without this Isa 58.5 Quasi sua offerent Deo seipsos Diabolo Bern. Infidelis disputat contra fidem Improbus Christianus vivit contra fidem c. as our Fastings are but the holding down of the head like a bulrush for a day so our thanksgivings are but the holding up of the head like a Reed for a day and wee are found guilty of that mockery Bennard speaks of to give our Sacrifices to God but Our selves to the Devill I remember Augustin comparing the prophane Heathen and vile Christian together makes onely this difference between them The Heatthen talketh against the faith but the Iewd Christian lives against the faith c. A poor difference wherein if either have the better it is the Heathen without doubt Let me invert it a little thus The wretched Cavalieres they swear against Christ The unholy Parliament-Protestant lives against Christ they blaspheme Christ in their mouthes these blaspheme Christ in their lives And tell mee Christians which dishonours God most their verball or our reall blasphemies and what do you think were it not better God should be dishonoured by a people that professe open enmity and warre against Christ and his Government then by a people that makes such profession of love to both Amos 3.2 You onely have I known of all the Nations of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Surely our secret abominations are more hatefull to God then their open wickednesses which they commit in the face of the Sun And better truely were it for us to perish by the lusts of our enemies then to perish by our own lusts The lusts of our enemies can kill us but once our own lusts will kill us to the second death Christians our God doth not onely speak peace and speak mercies Psal 119.68 but he gives peace and doth good Thou art good and thou dost good In our returns of praise let us be like our God and not content our selves to speak our thankfulnesse and sing our thankfulnesse but let us live our thankfulnesse and do our thankfulnesse and be our thankfulnesse Let us take all from sinne and self and give all to Jesus Christ If this be our thankfulnesse I dare promise you in the Name of my God this shall not be the last Victory God will give us for so the Psalmist hath yet to tell you To him that orders his Conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God You shall have yet more salvations Psal 50. ult even on this side everlasting salvation Brethren look to your Conversations it is both your thankfulnesse and your salvation Thirdly Prayerfully This Victory hath been the return of prayer let prayer be the return of this Victory So David resolves Psal 116.13 17. I will take of the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord and verse 17. I will offer to the the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord You that never prayed in all your lives now learn to pray and so help to fulfill that Prophesie Psal 65.2 Oh thou that hearest prayers to thee shall all flesh come God hath shewed himself willing to hear do you shew your selves willing to pray and you that have prayed double your prayers and with your Master Jesus Christ pray yet more earnestly Oh it is a sweet and a glorious thing when prayer begets deliverances and deliverances again beget prayer Fourthly and lastly Believingly Brethren let us lay up this fresh experience by us and learn to live by faith in the next tryall Shall wee yet distrust our God Shall wee yet make flesh our Arm The Lord forbid Surely the least that God expects and merits at our hands for this and all other miraculous Deliverances is this that wee should resolve with returning repenting Ephraim Ashur shall not save us Hos 14.3 we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands Yee are our gods for in thee the fatherlesse find mercie Christians let us remember this Deliverance and trust God as long as wee live God hath done these things of purpose to bribe and support our faith Psal 78 46 7. Brethren this will bee honour to our God when the Enemies shall see in our greatest disadvantages and dangers wee serve a God whom we dare trust And thus Brethren in carrying our Victories Thank fully Obedientially Prayerfully Beleevingly we shall behave our selves as a people that know their God and for whom God hath done so wonderfull things I could have been larger but that I was choicely prevented in the forenoon There is a gracious Promise made to Israel the Lord make it good upon England Israel shall cry unto me My God Hos 8.2 I know thee It is an harder matter it seems then ever Israel thought of or then we think of to know God And you have done well noble Senators that you have engaged your wisdome and zeal for the promoting of this blessed and blessing-knowledge of God in this * Westminster where is a Lecture every morning at six of the clock maintain'd by 7 godly able Divines place in the neighbouring City and in other places of the Kingdome so far as your power and opportunity have served you by removing those vile persons whose lives and preaching have tavght nothing but rebellion in Israel and putting such in their rooms that both in life and doctrine should teach people the good knowledge of the Lord. You have done well I say for you know him that hath said Wisdome and knowledge shall bee the stability of thy times and strength of Salvation Isai 33.6 And the good Lord so accompany his own Word and his own Works by both which hee now is teaching England with his own Spirit and presence that at length not onely these places but the whole Kingdome even all England may say My God I know thee Amen FINIS

men I would not of Christians are not Biast another way in their choice Israel would needs have a King over them 1 Sam. 8.9 though for no other reason but that they might bee like other Nations c. And hereby the people of God do not a little trouble and plague themselves and crosse their own designes by committing the managing of their affairs into the hands of such it may bee sometimes that think it no point of valour to scruple at so small a matter as breaking of a Covenant with God And no wonder if God crosse them since in such Elections they crosse God who in his designes singles out the called and faithfull and chosen Revel 17.14 yea they crosse his great designe which is Revel 17.14 That no flesh shall glory in his sight Therefore doth he chuse the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world 1 Cor. 1.27 28. to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen c. Honour'd Senators let me ask you one question I blesse God I can do it without flattery If God had not stir'd up the hearts of people in the most parts of the Kingdome at what time you were singled out of thousands of England for this great and blessed Service in which you have sate now above these three yeers blessed be God to make a better choise then they did in many places of the Land What had become of poor England before this time Surely had not the Spirit of God gone forth and wrought to a wonder of wisdome and power in bespeaking the Votes of the people for a major part of men whose spirits were above fears and above flatteries c. We might have sate down long before this time and made our wills and bequeath'd our poor children every one of them Popery and Slavery for their sorrowfull patrimony And now Honour'd Senators and Honourable Commanders let it be your honour and piety to recompence this care and prudence into the bosome of this now poor bleeding Kingdome with answerable vigilance even to a Criticisme in your Elections of those in whose hands you trust the managing of so great and important concernments as have wrapt up in them the honour of Christ and the safety and the very being of the Kingdom Will you give me leave to speak a word in plain English I know you will If you do not purge your Armies as well as recrute them you may recrute them to your own and the Kingdoms confusion Vse 3 Your Armies are reforming Armies let it bee your care to make them reformed Armies and you may humbly expect that God will go out with them to enable them to do Exploits But thirdly to come a little nearer Is Covenant treachery the root of Apostacy Then Christians look to your Covenants so solemnly made and so often renewed What conscienciousnesse canst plead before God in the Civill and Politike reference of thy Covenants What command have these solemn Covenants had over your Estates Interests Persons in all these severall and successive Emergencies which have call'd upon thee to come forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty What vigilance and circumspection in the religious part What power have your Covenants had over your conversation in adorning that according to the rule Sit down I beseech you and set up a Tribunall in your own Consciences and let Christ sit as Judge And let me tell thee this That according to the accompt thou canst bring in concerning this matter thou art like to stand or fall in the hour of temptation I arraigne thee not for thy slips and failings Every trespasse against the Covenant is not a breach of the Covenant provided thou dost bewail thy failings watch against temptations and own thy Covenant I speak of the habituall and generall frame of thy heart and stream and course of thy Conversation wherein if thy care be to say with David Thy vows are upon me I will render praise unto thee Psal Psal 119.106 56.12 And I have sworn and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements If thou canst answer old temptations as He did with Ego non sum ego I am not the man I was If thou canst approve thy self to God for a conscientious respect to all his Commandements Psal 119.6 and thy Engagements fear not thy standing thou shalt not be ashamed David assures thee so much in his own person Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements But if thou beest one of Solomons fools Prov. 14.9 who make a mock of sin If thou allowest thy self in known habituall wickednesse against the Covenant if thou canst sin in the face of the Covenant and not shrink at it Pval 50. Hast taken the Covenant of God into thy mouth and yet hatest to be reformed Fear and tremble I will not limit God but this I dare say it is a thousand to one but that when God and the Kingdom should have most need of thee thou wilt then turn Apostate My reason is because If Religion and a Covenant upon it cannot prevail with thee to forsake thy lust It is a mighty odds if thy lust do not prevail with thee to forsake thy Religion and the Covenant If thou art not true to God and thine own soul how canst thou think to be true to Church and State He that will sell his soul for a lust will sell a Kingdom if need be for a morsell of bread He that thinketh he standeth let him take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Vse 4 Fourthly I should in the fourth place lay in Cautions to all to take heed of Flatteries Religion Flatteries State Flatteries Personall Flatteries since these be the Baits wherewith politike Seducers beguile vnstable and unwary soules Prov. 14.15 1 Cor. 10.15 that would be thought of Prov. 14.15 The simple beleeveth every word but the prudent looketh well to his going And I may say with the Apostle I speak unto wise men you are prudent be not deceived with a parcell of fair words but look well to your goings Had I an Enemy whom I might lawfully curse I would wish him no greater plagve then to be given up to beleeve the flatteries and witchcrafts of men that lie in wait to deceive and destroy doubtlesse those who by such Artifices and Engines for their own private Interest shall be corrupted and wrought off to betray their publike Trusts and Depositums may speed as well as many of those in the Text did * Alcimus Simon Jason Menelaus c. who for their service they did to the Tyrant were preferred some to Banishment others to Butchery Nec lex est Justior ulla c. There is nothing more just and proper then that Treachery should be rewarded with Treachery And indeed

the hand of Divine Justice doth so order the matter even here that it is the portion of base Apostats that while they betray their trusts they do more betray themselves That principle being written upon the breast of Tyrants though they love the Treason Amo proditionem odi proditorem they hate the Traytor while they cannot expect fidelity to their new Lords from them who came off with perfidiousnesse to their Olde But I shall not need to presse this Caution Remember the former and this will be ueselesse Fidelity in Covenant is the best Antidote against the Enchantments of Flatterers The Antithesis in the Text holds out so much to you which is the second main thing in the Text and comes now to be handled But the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits from whence The second Doctrine is Doct. 2 Doct. 2 The right knowledge of God is the spring and fountain of all true Greatnesse and honourable worthy atchievements God himself hath sealed this truth with his own mouth while he hath made this knowledg of himself the ground work or foundation of all Glorying and rejoycing Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome Jer. 9.23.24 neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Joshua and Gideon Barack Sampson Jeptah and David also Samuel and all the Prophets with all the worthies of God before and since Christ will come in like a cloude of witnesses to give in testimony to this Truth who by their knowledg of God Subdued Kingdomes wrought Righteousnesse obtained promises Heb. 11.32 33 34. stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight Put to flight the Armies of the Aliens But before I can demonstrate this truth unto you in the reasons of it I must of necessity cleer my way by satisfying these two Quaeres 1. How God may be known since he is said to dwell in an inaccessable light 2. What knowledge it is that will heighten a people to such atchievements For the first You may remember what Gods answer was to Moses his importunate desire that God would shew him his Glory Namely this Thou canst not see my face Exod. 33.18 for there shall no man see me and live Thou canst not see my face What is that Why the face you know Vers 20. is the clearest discouery we can take of a mans person the face is the full prospect of a man The seat of beauty his Glory And thus likewise by the face of God is understood the full and cleer discovery of God in his Nature Essence and Glory Now no man can thus see God or know God on this side Heaven it is an * Omne vehemens sensibile destruit sensum object of such transendent Majestie and Glory that the feeble eye of mortality is not able to bear it and therefore this faciall vision or knowledge of God is reserved for that time when mortality shall be swallowed up of immortality When the Organ shall be made strong and spirituall sutable in its proportion to such an excellent object then shall we see face to face then shall we know 1 Cor. 13.12 even as also we are known Aug. whereupon I remember Augustine hath this sweet rapture Ah Lord I can no man see thy face and live then Lord let me dye that I may see thy face In the mean time observe further what God tells Moses Thou shalt see my back-parts what are the back-parts of Jehovah Why you know Vers 23. that as the face is the full and cleer prospect of a man so his back-parts are but the darke and indistinct representation of him If I see but the back of a man I take but the confused and imperfect discoverie of his stature and proportion And such indeed is the best and cleerest knowledge of God that is attainable on this side Heaven we see but his back-parts as Divines say our knowledge of God here is rather Negatiue then Affirmative we know him rather by what he is not then by what he is This knowledge of God in his back-parts consists in these three things First In his Names Jehovah which implies as much as a Being consisting in it self and giving Being to every thing that hath a being Lord God c. which expresse his Greatnesse and Soveraignty and Supremacie over all the world Secondly In his Attributes whether 1. Incommunicable,2 Communicable as Almighty Omniscient Omnipresent immutable Wise Holy Faithfull Just Righteous Good Gracious c. Thirdly In his Relations as Creator Master Friend Father Husband c. All which I could shew you in Scripture but I must but touch these things in transitu Now this knowledge of God in his Names Attributes Relations Is threefold First Notionall or Historicall onely which consists onely in a bare intellectuall notion of a God whereby a man is able to discourse of such a Being as God is even no otherwise then of any other Being in the world although perhaps it have no existence in rerum natura as a Golden mountain or Elysium Fields c. Secondly There is a credentiall knowledge pardon the word James 2.9 I use it because a fitter offers not it self a beleeving knowledge and so the Divels beleeve and tremble Thirdly There is an Experimentall knowledge of God such as you saw described Jer. 9.23 When a man as he hath heard so in a proportion he hath seen Psal 48.8 what he hath heard and beleeved of God that he hath found by sweet and blessed experience to be in God namely that god is that glorious being and Soveraign Lord unspeakably full of Power Wisedome Holinesse Justice Faithfulnesse Goodnesse c. A Faithfull Creator an unfailing Friend a tender-hearted Father a never dying Husband this is scientia affectiva as the Schools call it an heart-affecting knowledge Quaere 2 Now for the second Quaere It must be a knowledge that hath all these heights and Gradations in it that must strengthen a people to do exploits Historicall or Notionall knowledge onely will not do it it is but a painted fire it hath no warmth or life in it Credentiall knowledge if it be but meerly an Historicall belief will indeed do somewhat it will dare a man much such an one will be afraid of doing against God But it is the Experimentall knowledge that will make a man a daring man to do great things for God and this is the knowledge in the Text The people that know their God know him and know him in his Relations know him and know him to be their God

because he came not forth to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty And hear it Oh ye Nobles and Senators and Commanders and Souldiers Cursed be he that doth the worke of the Lord deceitfully That pretends one thing and intends another That pretends for Christ and intends for Antichrist That pretends for GOD and his people but intends for their enemies or that doth the work of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sig. fraudare proijcere Lord negligently that doth it by halfes and piece-meals that turns it off as if he cared not which end went forward And cursed bee hee that withholdeth his sword from bloud 1 King 20.40 that spares when God saith strike that suffers those to escape whom God hath appointed to utter destruction Behold this may startle But then on the other side Fourthly study GOD in the word of Promise the summe of all which you shall finde in that word God spake to Joshuah Fear not Josh 1.5 Heb. 13.5 I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And bee thou faithfull to the death Revel 2.10 and I will give thee the crown of life There is your promise for this life I will be with thee and your promise for the life to come I will give thee the Crown c. God with you here and you with God hereafter Christians what would you have more Fidelity shall wear the Crown This may strengthen Thirdly study to know God in his Names and in his Attributes and there if you be weak you shall finde strength If Nonplust Wisdome If beset with Treachery Faithfulnesse If Wronged Justice If under oppression goodnesse loving-kindnesse tender mercies In a word if you have nothing bee nothing there you shall finde all things I am God Alsufficient walk before me and bee thou perfect Gen. 17.1 You shall finde all in God and all this yours Especially if you will study God In the fourth place in his Relations look upon him as Master Friend Father Husband c. You know of what obligation and influence these are among men can a woman forget her sucking childe of how much infinitely more with God! Oh study your Evidences Isai 49.15 for interest in these Relations I tell you noble Patriots and honour'd Christians the time is comming and now is when one Evidence well cleer'd will bee a better security to you then a Million of Armed men then an whole Navy such as shall enable you to dare all the powers of the enemy I will not bee afraid of ten thousands of people Psal 3. that have set themselves against me round about Odds enough one would think ten thousand to one and to that one no way left for an escape beset round about with Hoasts and Myriades of enemies Why will hee not fear hear him hee will tell you Arise O Lord Save me oh my God I there it is Psal 61. Hee that can say and say it upon good grounds my God may say Psal 68.1 2. Arise O Lord and if God arise His enemies shall be scattered they that hate him shall flie before him let them bee never so many thousands One beleever and his God is good enough for all the world If God be thine his Wisdome is thine his Power is thine his faithfulnesse thine his mercy and loving-kindnesse thine All hee hath and all he is is thine Oh study God in his Relations and study his Relations in Evidences You have taken up God upon trust too long already and that 's the reason 2 Pet. 1.12 you dare not trust him now study interest study evidences Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure The studying of Evidences is an Evidence And let me tell you thus much for your comfort Not only Evidences but the very studying of your Evidences will minister an holy sweet boldness in the day of trouble and hour of temptation Isai 26.9 when the soul shall be able to say With my soul have I sought thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Vers 12. You may say also as it there follows Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us c. See Honourable and beloved in all these here is both engagement and encouragement Engagement to do for God whatsoever is in the power of creatures Encouragement Psal 144.15 to expect from God whatsoever is within the power of a God you may be sure of it Blessed are the people that are in such a case yea blessed are the people that thus know and have the Lord for their God And thus much for the first branch of the Vse I come now to the second In all the honourable and worthy exploits that are done Second Branch of Exhortation or may be done let us study to carry our selves as a people that know their God And indeed Honourable and Beloved Exploits have been done both in Scotland and in England in these later dayes if ever any since the beginning of the world Thou shalt remember sayd God to Israel Deut. 8.2 all the way wherein I have led thee these fourty years Alas I have not time to remember to you the way wherein the Lord hath led us these five or six years At your leisure peruse your Journalls and you shall finde the way full of wonders almost miraculous which God hath done for and by a poor people that have known their God In Scotland The casting out of that Popish Service-book and Prelacy Their first and second unbloudy victories over those formidable preparations for warre which were brought to their very borders to have forced the yoke of both upon their necks That yoke which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear Oh what exploits were these They will tell you more In England for I must touch but one of ten of an hundred That little Parliaments great fidelity to God and their brethren of Scotland in refusing to contribute a farthing to that unnaturall warre notwithstanding all the threats and flatteries used to have corrupted them truely it was an exploit full of so much power and goodnesse of God as that it turned that dissolution which formerly had been a plague into one of the greatest mercies that ever England received The sence whereof while others were mourning for that untimely breach fil'd me with so much joy as that I professe I felt not that day the ground I went on while I could blesse God and blesse that Parliament with the words of Phineas the son of Eleazar the Priest Josh 22.31 to the two Tribes and an half This day we perceive that the Lord is amongst us because you have not committed this trespasse against the Lord now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord. Ireland we may fear is even almost destroyed for that sin amongst others Certainly Brethren had they contributed but six-pence to that warre eo nomine