Selected quad for the lemma: prayer_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prayer_n	blessing_n	child_n	parent_n	2,068	5	9.3978	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17310	The anatomy of melancholy vvhat it is. VVith all the kindes, causes, symptomes, prognostickes, and seuerall cures of it. In three maine partitions with their seuerall sections, members, and subsections. Philosophically, medicinally, historically, opened and cut vp. By Democritus Iunior. With a satyricall preface, conducing to the following discourse.	Burton, Robert, 1577-1640.	1621 (1621)	STC 4159; ESTC S122275	978,571	899

profane like Esau to contemne Gods blessing but seeke it while it may be had Heb. 12.17 Quest. But what should we doe to get Gods blessing Answ. First you must diligently resort to Gods house for there God hath commanded the blessing Psal. 133.3 and be carefull and attentive hearers of Gods Word for the ground that drinketh in the raine receiveth a blessing from God Heb. 6.7 the raine of instruction must soake into your hearts 2. You must turne you every one from all your transgres●ie●● if you will have Gods blessing in his Son Jesus Acts 3.26 without found repentance Gods blessing will not be had Men must not thinke to get Gods blessing and doe after the things they doe now a daies every one that ●h●● is right in his owne eyes Deut. 12.7,8 Finally we must be all such as feare God truely Psal. 115.13 and such as will not lift up their soules to follow vanity but get cleane hands and a pure heart for such only shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of their salvation Psal. 24.4 5. and to this end we must carefully hearken to Gods voice and observe to doe all that he comm●●deth us Deut. 15.4 5 6. Lastly Gods owne children that have felt the comfort of Gods blessing must be admonished to carry themselves so as they may grow in the comforts of it more and more And to this end 1. They must daily aske God blessing and by their daily prayers let the Lord know that they make more account of his blessing than any children of earthly parents can doe of their fathers blessings 2. Since they have such showers of blessing in Gods house daily they especially should be like good ground so to drinke in the spirituall raine that the fruits of it may appeare in their lives in all piety and mercy and righteousnesse Heb. 6.7 3. Since they know the worth of Gods blessing they should learne of Abraham to command their servants and their children and their housholds to feare God and to live righteously that so they may bee a means to help them also to this great happinesse of inheriting Gods blessing Gen. 18.18,19 4. If they be put to it to deny themselves in things most deare to them for the glory of God they shall approve themselves as Abraham did in offering up Isaac to be such indeed as doe feare God and esteeme his favour above all things Gen 22.17 18. Verse 10. For hee that will love life and see good daies let him refraine his tongue from evill and his lips that they speake no guile Verse 11. Let him eschew evill and doe good c. THus of the first reason taken from the condition of Gods servants as they are heires of blessing In these words is contained the second reason taken from Propheticall testimonie David long since taught the same doctrine Saint Peter now doth and gave the same advice in effect for he had shewed That if a man would live a quiet and contented life free from troubles and mischiefe he must then take heed of all reviling and evill-speaking and avoid all things might offend either the godly or the wicked all things I say that are evill and must labour after all courses of peace and mercy and well-doing and then God would be a protectour of such godly and carefull men and he would recompence upon the wicked all the wrongs they doe to his servants This is the summe of the meaning of these words In the words for the order of them observe three things 1. The persons advised or charged by the Prophet David viz. such as would needs love life and to see good and quiet daies 2. The duties charged upon them as the meanes to attaine what they desired and so he shewes what they must avoid and what they must doe They must avoid in particular an evill tongue and in generall an evill and injurious life And contrariwise for what they must doe in generall they must doe good and in particular seeke peace ver 10 11. 3. The reason of his advice and that is taken from the nature of God and his disposition both towards the godly and amongst the wicked ver 12. From the generall consideration of all the words we may gather That a great part of the miseries of life might be avoided if men would be advised and ruled Most men and women may thank themselves for the unquietnesse and distresse they live in And this will appeare if we consider of either their crosses or their temptations or their corruptions which are the things onely that can distresse life As for the crosses it is manifest by experience that the most people suffer for their ownefolly and such things as might have beene avoided Their discontentments arise either from their rash matches in the estate of life they are in or from vaine jangling in idle opinions or from their rash and perverse words or from their wilfull neglect of easie rules of good behaviour in the family or the like Take but the directions here given If men did refraine their tongues from evill-speaking by censure or reproaches or slander orfrandulent words and that men did avoid injurious courses or grosse crimes and withall if men did strive to doe all the good they could to all sorts of men and finally if men would use all lawfull meanes to preserve peace and to avoid contumely how quiet might the lives of the most people be Againe let a Christian consider of his corruptions which at some times so trouble himselfe and others doth not his owne conscience know that if he would constantly pray against them and be sure to be circumspect in his carriage how certainely and how soone he might be delivered from the power of any sin And for his infirmities with how little labour might he store his head with comfortable places of Scripture that might support him against the sense of his daily frailties And for temptations of Sathan that so extremely molest some few Christians how might they have beene either avoided or borne with more quiet Some Christians tempt the Divell to tempt them by their solitarinesse or idlenesse or security or wilfull nourishing of pride and vanity in themselves or by a carelesse living without assurance of faith And when temptations are upon them and they are truely humbled under them how doe some Christians wilfully refuse consolation and limit God so as never to be quiet till the temptation be removed though the Lord himselfe answer them that his grace shall be sufficient for them The Use should be therefore to warne all men that would live quietly and comfortably to awaken to the care of their dutie and to study the rules given them out of the Word of God for let them be assured till they make conscience of living by rule it will never be better with them Againe in that St. Peter and the Prophet David agree so right in judgement

breed a dangerous habite of hypocrisie 3. Their naturall corruptions f●ll hang upon them and then this shew of liberty is but a cloake to hide them Fourthly when men take liberty to sinne under pretence of their Christian liberty God hath freed us in Christianity from the ceremoniall Law not from the morall for though hee hath delivered us from the malediction and raigne of the morall Law yet hee never freed us from the obedience of the same Rom. 6.15 Iude 3. And it is manifest that Christian liberty can give no toleration to sinne for Christ died to free us from sinne and not to let us loose to sinne more freely wee were freed from sinne that we might be servants to righteousnesse Rom. 6.18 Besides God hares sinne by nature and not by precept onely and therefore God himselfe can give no liberty to sinne God himselfe cannot dispensewith the breach of the Lawes that bee morall in themselves and such Lawes as bee morall in themselves I account to bee all the ten Commandements but the fourth The fourth Commandement is morall by precept not by nature and so the Lord of the Sabbath may dispense with the literall breach of the Sabbath but the other nine are simply indispensable That Abraham was commanded to kill his sonne was but a Commandement of triall And when God willed the Israelites to take the jewels of the Egyptians he did not will them to 〈◊〉 for God himselfe was chiefe Lord of all the earth and all things therein the Aegyptians were but his stewards Fifthly when men use Religion and their liberty in Christ of purpose to hide and cloake themselves in the practice of knowne sinnes as when Simeon and Levi pretended the necessity of circumcision to hide their murdrous intents and Herod pretends his comming to Christ to worship him and yet intends to kill him and the Pharisees use and make long prayers for a pretence to cover their devouring of widowes houses Luke 20.47 And so under pretence of giving to the Priest they free children from releeving their parents Matth. 35. And so when men preach Christ onely to get living 1 Thess. 2.5 And so when men enter into profession of Religion onely to advantage themselves in wicked purposes as to satisfie their lusts or further their owne carnall desires Thus liberty is abused as a cloake of wickednesse Now more particularly liberty is abused many times as a cloake of malici●usnesse when Christian liberty especially in things indifferent is pretended and made a cloake to cover vile malice or ill affections toward their brethren Now Christian liberty may be made a cloak of malice in things indifferent which lye under the commandement of the Magistrate and that two wayes First when the authority of the Magistrate is pretended urged and used as a meanes to empty mens malice upon their brethren when they hate them not because they breake mens lawes but because they keepe Gods Lawes Secondly and so also on the other hand Christian liberty is abused as a cloake of maliciousnesse when under pretence of liberty by Christ men refuse to obey the Christian Magistrate in things indifferent and this is the maine thing intended by the Apostle in the words of this verse For having exhorted them to submit themselves to the Ordinances of men he brings in these words as was shewed before to answer their objection that might pretend that they were freed by Christ from all ceremonies or ordinances in things indifferent The Apostle answers that that were to make their liberty in Christ to be a cloake for their maliciousnesse that is for their ill-affectednesse toward the Magistrate Where note by the way that upon all pretences to withdraw obedience from the lawes of Magistrates in things indifferent is in Gods account a sinne of malice partly because God reckons it as hatefull as malice and partly because it slowes usually from a heart that is not well-affected unto the Magistrate but some way is wanting in that hearty respect ought to be borne to the Magistrate Secondly in things indifferent that are left free to use or not to use and so Christian liberty is abused when it is urged to defend such things as are scandalous or offend such as are weake and this is that which the Apostles in other Scripture so much urge when they write of offending the weake brother Thirdly in things indifferent whether free or under the Ordinances of men There be cases wherein Christian liberty may be vilely abused As 1. When things indifferent are urged as matters of necessity and with opinion of holinesse and merit Gal 5.1 2. 2. When Christians doe bite and devoure one another by quarrelling censuring back-biting one another and make divisions about these things this is a reciprocall abuse about these things of Christian liberty and zeale ill spent seeing brotherly love is the fulfilling of the Law c. Gal. 5.13 14 15. and the Kingdome of God stands not in garments gestures meat and drink but in righteousnesse power and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 As the servants of God These words are the reason why Christians must not neglect their obedience unto the Magistrate nor abuse their liberty to licentiousnesse or maliciousnesse For though they be free by Jesus Christ yet they are entertained by God still in the nature of servants and so are bound to doe what hee commands and he doth command them to submit themselves to the ordinances of the Magistrate For matter of Doctrine two things may be here noted Doct. 1. God entertaines none by Jesus Christ but he takes them bound to be his servants All Gods people are Gods servants And thus it is with men not onely in the New Testament but was so alwayes before Thus Abraham Iob Moses and David are called Gods servants Use. The use should be for instruction diversly First seeing we are Gods servants wee should make conscience of it to doe his worke hee hath by the Gospell hired us to that end to employ our selves in the works of righteousnesse mercy and piety Tit. 2.12 Secondly since we belong to God who is so great a Master we should not onely doe his worke but doe it in such a manner as becomes the servants of the King of all kings Gods servants should serve him 1. Reverently and with feare and trembling wee must humble our selves to walke with God Psal. 2.11 Mic. 6.7 2. Zealously wee should bee zealous about this worke and so wee should doe it readily It is a shame for us to be dull and carelesse and prone to shifts and excuses the Centurions servants goe when hee bids them and come when he cals for them and doe this when he requires it and our zeale should be shewne by our cheerefulnesse willingnesse Gods people should be a willing people and our hearts should bee full of desires above all things to approve our selves to God wee should make it appeare that we not only are his servants but

and soberly in this present world else thou c●●st never meete with true peace further then thou art good and true in thy heart and as thou increasest in the care of reformation in thy life so shalt thou increase in every good and perfect ●ift till thou come to a ripe age in Iesus Christ Tit. 2.12 Esay 32.16 Psal. 125. ult This likewise may bee comfortable to a poore Christian and that two wayes 1. First If he consider that grace is not given all at once but by degrees and therefore hee must not bee discouraged though hee have many wants 2. Secondly if he consider the bountifulnesse of God to all that seeke grace and peace it may be had in abundance For the Apostle implies that God will multiply grace and peace if wee bee constant in the use of the meanes and glorifie him by seeking to him hee will give liberally and reproach no man And thus much of the salutation Verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead HItherto of the salutation the substance or the body of the Epistle followes the doctrine whereof is two wayes to be considered 1. as it is propounded 2. as it is repeated Three things are principally propounded and the same also repeated or gone over againe For there is first matter of consolation 2. Matter of exhortation 3. Matter of dehortation The consolation is from this third verse to the thirteenth of this Chapter The exhortation is from ver 13. of this Chapter to ver 8. of the 3. chap. The Dehortation is from ver 8. of the 3. chap. to the end of that chapter Then doth the Apostle a little changing the order goe over the same three things againe For he exhorts from ver 1. of chap. 4. to the 12. ver of the same chap. and then he comforts from ver 12. to the end of the 4. chap. and the Dehortation he lodgeth under request to the Elders and the people chap. 5.1 to 12. In this first part he intends to comfort where I consider first the Proposition of comfort ver 3 4 5. Secondly and the confirmation of that comfort ver 6 to the 13. In the Proposition I observe first the maner of propounding and the arguments themselves by which he would comfort The maner of the Proposition is that it is expressed in forme of thankesgiving in these words Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ. The arguments of consolation are 3. The first is taken from our Regeneration ver 3. the second from our Glorification ver 4. the third from our Preservation unto glory ver 5. Blessed be God c. Two things I observe from the coherence of these words First that a Christian can be in ●o such distresse but hee hath still cause to be thankfull to God for many blessings though he be a stranger and used like a stranger though he be scattered and driven to and fro yet in all the dayes of his dispersion hee may observe many memorable things for which he ought to blesse God Secondly that a Christian should never thinke of spirituall blessings but his heart should kindle in him with desire to praise God for them Blessing is diversly taken or caryed sometimes man blesseth man sometimes God blesseth man sometimes man is said to blesse God and so here Man blesseth God three wayes 1. In his heart when being refreshed with Gods favour and inflamed with the joyes of his presence and nourished with the sense of his blessings hee doth lift up his heart within him inwardly with affection striving to la●d God and acknowledge his mercy 2. In his tongue when he taketh to him words and openeth his lips to confesse and praise God either in secret or openly either privately or publikely 3. In his workes and that 4. wayes ● When hee sets up memorialls of Gods great workes or deliverances 2. When hee receives the Sacrament setting himselfe apart to celebrate the memory of Christs death by which the covenant of God was confirmed and the fountaine of all grace opened David when hee would render thankes unto God takes the cup of salvation And the Sacrament is called the Eucharist from giving of thankes and so the cup is called the cup of blessing 3. By the obedience of his life striving to glorifie God in a holy conversation 4. And lastly by shewing mercy and thereby causing the hearts and lives of others to blesse God Great reason hath man to blesse God 1. For God is blessednesse it selfe and whether should the water runne but into the sea from whence it is originally taken 2. Besides the Lord hath required our praise as the chiefe meanes of glorifying him 3. And thirdly he hath blessed us and therefore we have great reason to blesse him He hath blessed us in the creatures blessed the worke of our hands blessed the fruits of our loines blessed us in his sonne blessed us by his Angells blessed us by his Ministers blessed us in the blessings of the Gospell and blessed us in the fruits of the earth blessed us in his house and in our owne houses blessed us in our Sabbaths Sacraments the Word Prayer c. blessed us in our soules bodies states names c. And therefore let the people praise thee O God yea let all the people praise thee All thy workes praise thee and the Saints shall sing of thy praise and of the glory of thy power and the majesty of thy kingdom● The God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ c. This periphrasis is used to distinguish our God from the god of Turkes Jewes and Pagans The Lord was used to be knowne to the olde Church by the names of the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob but now in the Church of the Christians he is celebrated by the name of the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Two things are here affirmed 1. that God is the God of Christ. 2. that he is the Father of Christ It is not against the use of Scripture to say that God is the God of Christ for Iohn 20.1 Christ saith I goe to your God and to my God and Psal. 45.7 it is said of Christ God even t●y God hath annointed thee with the oyle of gladnesse above thy fellowes Now if any aske how this can be that God is the God of Christ I answer by distinguishing the natures in Christ. If you consider Christ in his divine nature he is God of himselfe but not sonne of himselfe His person is of the Father but his essence is of himselfe but I thinke that this is properly taken or meant of his humane nature for that he received from God by the mighty working and over shadowing power of the holy Ghost

second thing and that is what we must doe that we may profit by the word namely that we must get tender and constant affections to the word if we would ever grow by it in knowledge and grace and this is set out metaphorically by the comparison of appetite and desire in new borne babes unto milke The meaning is that Christians that would profit must be like children in their affections to the word they must love it and long for it and delight in it and have their hearts set upon it as affectionately as children doe naturally thirst after the brest This is a point of singular use and such as all of us ought to take notice of to get our hearts rightly framed and firmed herein The disease of the most hearers lieth in the defect of this and the happinesse of such as doe thrive apace in godlinesse is to be ascribed to this affectionate love of the word There be three things about these desires for matter of observation must be distinctly noted The first concernes the necessity of this desire The second the utility And the third the true nature of this holy desire For the first It is evident from hence that all that come to the word It is indispensably required that they come with appetite men must bring affection and desire after the word if they would ever grow by it If we would ever drinke freely of the water of life we must be such as thirst after it Revel 21.6 If we would have God to feed with milk and wine we must be such as have a true thirst after it Isaiah 55.1 If we would not have all successe blasted in us we must take heed of loathing the meanes that is despising prophecie 1. Thes. 5.21 For the second It is likewise evident from hence that though wee have many wants and ignorances and weaknesses yet if we have affection to the word we shall never be destitute of some happy successe in the vse of it The former places assure Gods blessing and confirme it that God will not be wanting to any that hath this appetite It is all that God stands upon Every one that thirsteth may come and buy and eate annd drinke aboundantly Isaiah ●5 1.2.3 Let us be carefull of the condition to desire the word as the child doth the milk and God will not faile to give the successe we shall grow by it Now for the third point It is here to be carefully noted what kind of desire of the word is that to which this promise is annexed The true desire after the word hath chiefly foure distinct things in it First Estimation of the word above all other outward things When wee can account it a great blessednesse to be chosen of God to this priviledge to approach unto him in the courts of his house Psal. 65.4 Psal. 119.127.128 When we can say with David Oh how amiable are thy tabernacles and think it better to be a doore-keeper in Gods house then to dwel in the tents of wickednesse Psal. 84.1.10 When we esteem the directions and comforts of Gods word above Gold and silver Psal. 119.127 and with Paul account all things but losse in comparison of the excellent knowledge of Christ which may bee heere had Philip 3.9 Secondly Longing and appetite after it as true and certaine as the very appetite of a child is to the brest this is expressed by the similitudes of panting thirsting and watching after the word in divers Scriptures and when this longing is more vehement it is set out by the passion of fainting for it and of the breaking of the soule for it Psal. 42.1 84.2 119.20.40 131. Thirdly Satisfaction and contentment when we speed well in the word as the child is quieted and sleepeth in the rest and vertue of the milk it hath received David saith his soule was satisfied as with marrow Psal. 63.1.5 and is graunted of all the godly and chosen ones Psa 65.4 When it is sweet like hony to our taste Psa. 119.103 Fourthly Constancy and the renewing of affection A childes appetite is renewed every day though it seeme to be full for the present and such is the true desire of the godly It is not a desire for a fitt but is renewed daily as the appetite to our appointed food is Iob. 23. He that hath this desire may bee found daily waiting at the gates of wisedome Prov. 8.34 Vs● 1. The vse of all may be chiefly threefold For First it may serve for tryall we should every one examine our selves whether we have this true desire after the word or no. For if we finde this wee are sure to prosper and if wee find it not wee are nothing but starvelings in matter of godlinesse Question But how may we know whether we have this estimation longing after and constant affection to the word Answ. It may be known divers waies especially if our affections be grown to any good ripenesse and tendernesse in the measure of them For it may be evidently discerned First If we seeke the blessing of the word of God as a chiefe happinesse we would desire of him in his speciall mercie to give it unto us Psa. 119.68 132 144 155. and so by the constancy of prayer we may also discern the constancy of our appetite Secondly if we can be diligent and content to take any paines or be at any cost that we may be provided of this food that perisheth not Iohn 6.27 Thirdly if wee can hoord and hide up the word in our hearts as worldly men would doe their treasures Psal. 119.11 ●oying in it as much as in all riches Psal. 119.14.162 especially if we can batten and wax fat by the contentments of it as carnall men doe when they live at hearts ease Psalme 119.70 Fourthly if it will still our crying that is if it will comfort us and quiet our hearts in all distresses Psal. 119.50 143 92. so as nothing shall offend us verse 16● Fiftly If we make haste and come willingly at the time of assembling Psa. 110.3 But especially if we make haste and not delay in practising what we learne thence Psal. 119.60 Sixtly if wee be thankefull to God and abound in the free will offrings of our mouthes for the good wee get by the word Psal. 119. 7 108.164 171. Seaventhly if we can be truely grieved and say with David Sorrow takes hold on us because the wicked keepe not Gods law 119.159 Eighthly If we delight to talke of Gods word and to speake of his wondrous workes discovered in his word Psal 119.27 172 c. These things and the like are in them that have their affections tender and striving in them Now whereas many of Gods children may have true desire to the word and yet not find evidently some of these signes therefore I will give other signes of true affection to the word though there be not alwaies such delight in it as they desire The lesser

Scapul faith We reverence the Emperour as a man second to God and the onely one that is lesse than God and also Tertullian de Ido Capite 18. Nazianzen orat ad subdit Imperat. All men must bee subject to higher powers The expresse testimonies of Chrysostome and Bernard upon Rom. 1 3. have beene quoted before read Bernard de consid lib. 2. Capite 4. Hilar. ad Anx. Chrysost. homil 42. in Ioan. Ambrose in 2 Tim. 2.4 Secondly this should confirme every good subject to acknowledge and maintaine the Kings supremacie and willingly to binde himselfe thereunto by oath For the oath of supremacie is the bond of this subjection and this oath men must take without equivocation mentall evasion or secret reservation yea it should binde in them the same resolution was in Saint Bernard who faith thus If all the world would conspire against me to make me complot any thing against the Kings Majesty yet I would feare God and not dare to offend the King ordained of God Or unto governours By governours he either meanes all other sorts of Magistracie besides a Monarchie or else such Magistrates as in a Kingdome have commission from the King to heare and determine causes or any way to rule and exercise any Lawes of the King and it is the Apostles meaning that Christians should be subject to all sorts of Magistrates of what forme or dignity soever from the highest to the lowest so as it should be no more lawfull for them to disobey an inferiour Magistrate than to disobey the King so far forth as the inferiour Magistrate hath authority and doth proceed according to his commission in lawfull things This point needs not to be further handled having beene intreated of in the generall doctrine in submission to all Magistrates before And thus of the exposition the confirmation followes Verse 14. Or unto governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well THe Apostle in this verse and the next confirmeth the exhortation partly by reasons and partly by answearing an Objection the reasons are in this verse and the next and the prolepsis verse 16. The reasons may be referred to two heads the one taken from the calling of Magistrates verse 14. and the other from the will of God verse 15. The calling of Magistrates is considered two wayes First either in the author of it and so they are sent of God Secondly or in respect of the end of it which is partly the punishment of the wicked and partly the praise of them that doe well As they that are sent of him Of him either may be referred to the King or to the Lord If it be referred to the King then it shewes that all inferiour Magistrates receive all their authority from the King they have no more authority than other subjects but as it is bestowed upon them by the King and withall it shewes a secret in all well governed Monarchies which is that the King reserves the giving of honours and offices to himselfe which more obligeth the Under-officers and Magistrates to him and he is thereby the better acquainted with the State of the Kingdome But I am rather of the minde of those Interpreters that refer it to the Lord. And so the sense and doctrine is That both the Kings and the Governours are sent of God it is God that prefers them whatsoever the second causes be Though election or succession seem to make a King and Kings make Governours yet have wee beene taught that none of these come to their places without the providence of God Prov. 8.15 Now God keepes this businesse in his owne hands to see to the calling of Magistrates because of the service by them he can execute For a great part of his Kingdome is managed by their deputation By them God scourgeth the sins of the wicked yea of the whole world either by suffering them to bee publike miseries or by guiding them to punish offenders by the sword of justice and by them he many times brings many common blessings upon worlds of people as the next words shew Uses The uses are divers some particular some generall In particular it should teach us First by prayer to seeke Magistrates of God subjects might get great blessings of this kinde if they would pray hard for them For God it is that sends Magistrates Secondly with patience to beare the wrongs of evill Magistrates seeing there is a hand of God in it Thirdly with thankfulnesse to give the praise to God for good Magistrates seeing it was he that sent them as a common blessing Fourth●y in all suits about the lives or duties or successions of Magistrates to trust unto God For though we know not where to be provided in earth yet God can send one from heaven as it were The word sent imports that God can raise him up beyond expectation In generall it should stirre us up in all things done by outward meanes in this world to strive for the skill to finde out and acknowledge Gods hand and providence in it seeing in these things which are apparently done by meanes for the most part yet Gods providence is in it Thus of the Author of their calling the end followes For the punishment of evill doers Divers things may be noted from hence First that in all Common-wealths in the world there will bee evill doers though there bee a King and Governours and Gods Commandements lye hard upon mens consciences yet there will bee evill doers And the point shewes the horrible strength of the poison of naturall corruption which no Lawes of God nor man nor experience of evill nor example can restraine or dry up and withall it shewes their solly and weaknesse that will forsake Christian assemblies for the wickeds sakes whereas the Apostle improves that even in Christian Common-wealths there will bee this part of a Magistrates vertue to punish the evill doers such as are knowne to be so and therefore such curious persons must goe out of the world if they will goe from evill doers And withall it should breed in men a greater care to looke to themselves that they bee not infected by them since there is no society of men in which this plague-fore of sinne runneth not we must redeeme the time because the dayes are evill And further it should breed in us a loathing of this wicked world of this present evill world and a desire of heaven since we shall never live in a place where the people will be all righteous till we come to heaven And finally it confutes their folly that from the vitiousnesse of some men conclude the faultinesse either of the doctrine lawes or government Secondly that evill doers must be punished Rom. 15. and great reason for first evill doers in any society are infectious many may be defiled by them Secondly they work much disquietnesse and trouble humane societies Thirdly if they escape