Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	day_n	observe_v	sabbath_n	2,856	5	9.6296	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87056	Gods judgements upon drunkards, swearers, and sabbath-breakers. In a collection of the most remarkable examples of Gods revealed wrath upon these sins with their aggravations, as well from scripture, as reason. And a caution to authority, lest the impunity of these evils bring a scourge upon the whole nation. By W. L.	Hammond, Samuel, d. 1665.	1659 (1659)	Wing H623bA; ESTC R230554	59,944	204

dayes of their youth unlesse by blaspheming and cursing it A Noble person of the City of Eflinghen at a losse by gaming began to swear and curse bitterly in which rage and madnesse he mounts his horse for home the Devil meets him pulls him off who with his servants was misguided all the night by evil spirits and in the morning finding themselves not lost they get their Master safe to Bethen-Hansen where in great torment for three dayes he yeilded Justice victor A woman in Marchia being a prophane curser and swearer was justly left by God to Sathan for in sight of many people she is snatched into the air and thrown down again which brake her neck God we see can break us from our sins and lives together if we do not from the first break off by repentance One Margret VVood of Allercleugh in the Parish of Stanhop in the County of Durham was notoriously known for many years upon every slight occasion to use this imprecation I wish I may sink into the earth Upon the last day of August 1655. she with one Elinor Mason of the same Parish being both washing of lead oare to fit it for the Lead-mill and standing upon the same spot of ground where many horses laden with Lead had passed the immediate day before the earth suddenly failed under them and swallowed them both up next day when their dead bodies were digged out Elinor Mason was found with her body erect but Margeret VVood was many yards deeper within ground and her head direct downwards One Elinor Short of the same Parish did frequently use this imprecation I wish my feet may rot off if this or that be not so or so It pleased the Just God about 20 years ago to visit her with a pain in her feet which by degrees did rot quite off as afterwards did her legs also and she is yet alive at this day as a Monument of Gods signal Judgement she creepes upon her hands and thighs and doth often acknowledge Gods just dealing with her Robert Durance Butcher in Carlisle was a known Swearer and Drunkard who about 30 years ago being playing at Cards with some of his companions and having lost all his money except 30 s began fearfully to swear he would be revenged upon himselfe whereupon he run out at the gates of the City towards the River Eden and though he was followed by divers some on Horse-back yet did he destroy himself by leaping into the River in which River hard by the place where he leapt in he lay for the space of four years at the end of which a Fisherman found the lower parts of his body only the other parts being consumed William Knot of Dalston in Cumberland being a common swearer when he was a servant to Alderman Grey of York he fell into a lead full of boyling liquor by which means in ten days he dyed John Prestman of Weighton in Cumberland A Sheriffes Bayliffe being accounted a common swearer one night when he was drunk at Carlisle went out in the night and notwithstanding the perswasion of his Landlord leapt over the Bridge with his horse and was drowned in the River Caude One Hudson of Dalston in Cumberland did wager with another man who should swear more oathes by God the other man was by the just judgment of God struck dead ere he parted Hudston was struck dumb to his dying day and though he lived many years after yet could speak nothing but swear by God which he did upon every occasion Oh the justice of God to some and the patience and forbearance to others waiting to be gracious let such as swear by the name of God look upon this example this sad example On May Eve 1634. one Troe of Gloce●ter a Carpenter in the Parish of St. Michael being demanded by some whether he would go with them and fetch the May-pole swore by the Lords wounds he would go though he never went more But mark the justice of God on May day morning as he was working on the May-pole before it was finished he was by a Divine stroke of Justice smote with such a lamenesse and swelling in all his limbs that he could neither goe nor lift his hand to his mouth to feed himselfe but was forced to keep his bed for half a year together and to this day goeth lame May 4. 1636. OF THE SABBATH DAY WITH GODS JUDGEMENTS UPON THE PROFANERS thereof OF THE SABBATH DAY With GODS JUDGEMENTS upon the profaners thereof I Am now to treat with the Sabbath-breaker who for many reasons will appear to be lesse excusable before God for this sin then either the Drunkard or Swearer Here is a double sin profaneing it and neglecting that which is ordained by God for the eternall good of our soul besides it is a premeditated act and goes along with a great aggravation as we shall see in a word presently It is now become so great a custome to prophane the Lords day that he almost becomes a scoffe to others that offers to reform or punish it and that men may not so much slight it I have collected a few reasons to perswade men to observe it and disswade from the profanation of it for God will not be mocked That we may know this day is no mock-mock-day The Lord that made heaven and earth That great Jehovah stiles himself Lord of the Sabbath and the Lord hath in a more speciall manner singled out this Commandement with a memento Remember by no meanes forget the Sabbath for the Lord rested that day and he blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it It 's a great consideration to make us weigh the duty of keeping it for six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and when the seventh day came he rested on it The Lord as it were hasted to finish the world in six dayes that he might himself be an example to lead us to the understanding of the great weight which God himself put upon this day And that we may see it is no ordinary nor common thing to break this day see how strictly God in his holy Word commands it This is that which the Lord hath said To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord six dayes may work be done but the seventh is the Sabbath of rest Holy to the Lord he that works shall be put to death that soul shall be cut off from amongst the people it shall be observed throughout their Generations for a perpetual Covenant The Lord threatens sore Judgements and why Because they have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am prophaned amongst them Blessed is the man that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it It 's called by the Prophet the Holy of the Lord Honourable there might be many more places quoted but these few are enough to let people see that it is not a trifling matter to profane the day and that we

know that what is lawful on other dayes are sins on this day and such of you as need not by Gods blessings in a full estate toil all the week whereby you cannot plead a wearinesse to waite on God upon his own day you turn his blessings into a curse if you prophane it you play all the six dayes it s a sin with a witnesse if you play away the seventh also You that cannot close this Holy Day without an evening sacrifice to Bacchus instead of prayers to the Lord that made Heaven and Earth Gods Judgements sleep not you are preparing your selves as fuell for the fire of Gods vengeance and displeasure Nextly to you that sit idly at home never dreaming how to escape that wrath to come methinks I read your sad conditions in your conversations That never think of God all the week you cannot for your callings you will not for your pleasures on the Lords Day if there be any difference betwixt you and Heathens it is that you know your condemnation before it come you will be at the Great Day witnesses for God against your selves To see so many idly sit at home and never mind to hear the Word methinks I am amongst the Indians It s a very heavy thing to consider in some places half the Parish at home in idlenesse or walking abroad in Sermon-time nay I have heard it credibly affirmed from the mouth of a Minister in this County that of some thousands in a Parish there hath not been sometimes a hundred at a Sermon nay not fifty nay not twenty shall I say not ten Is not this a sad case to be in a Christian Common-wealth Nay it s the sad experience of this place where I live and I may speak it to my own knowledge that three quarters of the people able to come of this populous place do idly stay at home or walk abroad not a family of ten but the most of them are at home in idlenesse if not at play or drinking Upon this account I would conclude with one word Good people let me perswade you to serve God rather than gratifie the Devil with your own damnation Is your labour lesse to sit at home than in the Congregation Do you think you have no souls to save nor to lose you had better be working than idle for that is a sin in it self and is made greater on this day You live more like the brute beasts that are fed by the senses onely How can you be saved if you will not come unto him that you may have life Are you Christians or Infidels Do you professe to worship God or Mahomet How shall you believe on him of whom you have not heard how can you hear without a Preacher not to hear that Blessed Gospel which Christ hath sent into our Coasts our Houses is to do as the Gadereans did drive Christ from our Habitations Such as followed Christ and his Apostles were converted I read of few else and such onely as lay at the Pool were healed To see people flocking to hear the Word like Doves to the windows it is a blessed sight But instead hereof we have some that entertain Quakers meetings in their houses on the Lords Day They have a sad account to give I hear some excusing their staying at home sometimes by their going other times these are common excuses But thou knowest not but that day thou stayest from the Ministery of the Word God may have intended thy eternal salvation and that with Zacheus God might have said This day salvation is come into thy house But I read good books That thou mayest do when thou canst not hear good Sermons and though it be good to read yet here its a sin and a temptation because thou neglect'sta greater good The Word stirs the soul under it and commonly cometh with power and demonstration of the Spirit and I know ther 's great difference between hearing and reading and the later is no lesse an evil thus used than the ejection of different thoughts in prayer from the subject and nature of the duty is an evil by consequence But I do no body hurt I am not playing nor drinking nor swearing so that I need not fear Gods judgements What judgement dost thou think a hard heart is which commonly is the fruit of the neglect of Gods Ordinances is it not the worst of judgements for thou mayst be destroyed with bodily punishment as Eli and others were and yet thy soul be saved but thou canst not have a judicial hardnesse of heart upon thee and be saved therefore take heed of this sin and fear lest a worse judgement befal thee than an outward destruction for how canst thou escape if thou neglect so great salvation My design is not to direct others to the keeping this day so much as to keep from prophaning it yet if any be perswaded to look to the keeping of it by way of sanctifying it I refer them to such Learned Divines as have spent their labour in it To those that are not moved by reason nor perswaded by their own advantages from polluting this Holy day by their wickednesse debauchednesse idlenesse or playing at Cards c. Read Gods threatnings that his judgements may appear to be more just by his forewarning us from the sin as well as the punishment If you will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath then will I kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem and it shall devour the Palaces thereof and shall not be quenched Fire in the Palace sayes a Divine is ment fire in the seats of Justice and the ornaments of a City fire in the Palace no going in fire in the Gates no going out because Justice was not executed upon Sabbath-breakes therefore the place of Justice shall be destroyed those gates that suffered any co come in to profane the Lords day must be now on fire that none shall escape his Judgements If we should see our Towns flaming with the wrath of God and the fire of his indignation taking hold of our habitations it is then in vain to offer to quench it it hath been thus in our Nation as in the examples following If such a judgment be threatned against such as keep not this day what must be the fearful looking for of Judgment by the profaners of it Did not God bring all this upon us in this City yet bring you more wrath upon Judah by profaning the Sabbath sayes the Prophet Ezekiel mentions the sin of the Sabbath and therefore have I powred my indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath and in the 23. Chapter is threatned Plagues and Judgements and v. 18. the Reason for they have profaned my Sabbaths If these serve not the end intended take a prospect of Gods terrible examples which stand as Beacons to warn us from the like sins The poor man that did but gather sticks on the Sabbath day may

ought to give all diligence and respect to this day as a day greatly valued prised and esteemed of by God himself Anno 1647. there was a deplorable accident a tremendous instance of the justice of God upon a person a ●armer in a Village called Little-●allerton in the County of Northumberland about six miles distant from New-Castle The Relation is thus The Minister teaching upon that Scripture 1 Epist. Pet. 2. cap. 2. latter part Who hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light and in the fore-noon Sermon insisting upon the spiritual darknesse and blindnesse of unregenerate men and aggravating the many evills attending upon that condition in this life and asserting the wofull condition period state and conditon of such as should die in that estate of spiritual darknesse how that to such is resreve● the blacknesse of darknesse which was occasionally improved to discove● the miserable condition of the damned in hell by reason of their separation from God called utter darknesse Mat. 22.13 and 8.42 25 1● At the ending of the first Sermon this miserable man accompanied others of his neighbours to the Al● house for refreshment the time of r●paire to the second Sermon bein● come some of them moved him to return with them to whom he replye● that the Minister was preaching upo● darknesse and he would not hear hi● till he should treat upon the light and so continued drinking in the Alehouse with some other profane souldiers and by having immoderately taken Ale and Hot Waters was in the height of his drunkennesse carried to bed in the Ale-house where after a short time he ended his miserable life dying in the very act of sin without any visible act of Repentance This Relation is inserted verbatim as I have it from a godly Minister of the Gospel in the same County and not farre from the same place and is indeed a sad example of Gods Judgement not only against the sin of profaning the Lords day but also of drunkennesse and contempt of the Gospel Now because I observe this day so greatly neglected by the generality of the Nation not onely neglecting to hear the Word preached which is able to save their soules but also violating of it by profanation give me a word and that only to such as professe the observance of it as lawfull for if such a slighting of this day grow we shall from it run to Atheisme by contempt of Gods holy Ordinances and Commandments Let us first consider the end of God in the Sabbath which is chiefly for sanctification of his name and what creature dare say he is not strictly tyed by all the obligations expressable It is a day of liberty not of bondage God can be sanctified without us he shineth not with borrowed lights these tapers that burne from mortall breach can adde no glory to God but as in his great mercy and condescention he is pleased to accept of us Then the intent of this day as to our advantages it 's for the eternall good of our soules that the Lord may by this occasion reach our slow understanding and with his Word preached that he may dwell with the humble and contrite spirit We are not only to avoyd profaning it by not Working Drinking Playing Idlenesse Travelling c but we ought to frequent the publick worship of God in the Assemblies of his people and there to hear his word with Godly reverence and fear The reasonablenesse of one day in seven for God and our own souls may convince us in a great measure of this day that is a sin less excusable that 's so reasonable that we may have the lesse to say for our excuse he gives us 6 for our outward affairs oh then who can grudge the 7th especially when God links in our immortal happinesse together with his own glory It was the custom of Christians in Trajan the Emperours time to meet on the Lords Day morning sing a Psalm receive the Sacrament and covenant to flie sin on that day and when Christians were summoned before the Heathen Governours and demanded Dost thou believe the Lords Day the answer was I am a Christian Take away the Sabbath sayes a Reverend Divine and Religion will soon wither and decay The Indians might as well have been chosen the subjects of this profitable Obedience and we in their conditions keeping instead of a Sabbath to God every day to the Devil It will be more tollerable I am afraid for them at that Great day than for us If we had been left to our own choice What squarer division of time could have been thought upon than one day for our souls and another for our bodies one for the World another for Heaven This had been the reasonable rule of proportion it s more grace than reason that God should desire but one day in seven and that day also to be for our eternal good Oh how inexcusable will it be for us that prophane it or neglect the advantages of it Is refraining from labour a toil to us Is to be eased of sin a burden Lord then let me be burdened for Lord thy yoke is easie and thy burden is light What is a more unspeakable mercy than for souls to have communion with God as well as our own hearts And as Divines say glory is but grace perfected So that eternal Sabbath of rest is but as I may say this perfected This sin is accompanied with many aggravations and this is none of the least that we have a will given us to refuse to prophane it Besides its a deliberate act of the mind it s not sudden as an oath or murder but in the very act it self thou canst not but know thou art sinning against the light of thy conscience it s the greatest sin that is accompanied with time to consider an enlightened mind to understand the evil to purpose to evil is an aggravation as high as the sin If aggravations face not this sin with a dreadful countenance consider and in reason think Is it not just with God to suffer thy frail composure of corruption to shrink under his heavy judgements that at night Gods protection should leave us as in our graves when we are in our beds Or canst thou expect any blessing upon thy outward estate when it is in the power of God to dispose of life being health estate and all Is it not just if we travel on this day that God should judge us with sudden death in the like severity as he hath made others examples of to all Ages Yet if God do suffer thy corn wine and oil to encrease fear a curse under the Strawberry leaves of thy enjoyments for a blessing is not the shadow of sin it will not follow thee in the wayes of wickednesse rather fear some judgement will overtake thy swift motion to impiety A word to two sorts First those that prophane it contemning not onely Gods Lawes but the Lawes of the Nation

a judgement of God upon him for prophanation of his day and ever after he became a more frequent resorter to the congregation and hearing Gods word At Thornton nigh Worcester upon the publishing of the book of sports on the Lords day the people prepared for a solemn prophanation by ordering purveyors on purpose to provide things fit for it A proper maid went to the Mill on Satterday to fetch home the meal on the Lords day the maid passing by a hedge with the meal upon her head was overtaken with a sudden and sad stroak of Divine Justice for she fell down dead into a ditch there she lay all Sabbath day on Munday she was carried to her grave where all their intended mirth was buried with her c. such a terrour it wrought in the people and such Reformation in the place that no more Summer-Ales were kept they took down the May-pole and none durst set it up again or have to do with the publick prophanation of that day One at Ham nigh Kingstone a scoffer of goodnesse and a common prophaner of the Lords day did on that holy day presume to visit his grounds where finding some cattle grazing which were not his own running to drive them out he fell down and suddenly died upon the place Upon May day being the Lords day a maid in Cripple-gate London being married to one that had three children one of them being at nurse in the Country they did on the Lords day spend the whole afternoon in feasting and dancing but God is just and will be seen in his judgements to warn others for a week after the plague began in the Parish the first house it entered into is this new married couples with which both himself wife and two children were swept away by death These things are not to be scoffed at they are not things of chance or blind fortune no no they are providence and though they are judgements in themselves yet in the issue I hope they will be mercifull warnings to others Not far from Dorchester lived one widow Jones whose Son Richard upon the Lords day notwithstanding her admonitions and perswasions did with his companions go to Stoak to play where after they had done and drank somewhat freely they return home and by the way fell out whereupon John Edwards one of his consorts stabbed him under the left side vvhereof at seven a clock the next night he died One David Price a servant to T. Hill a Grasier offering to drive his cattel from Banbury was dissvvaded by his Landlord and told him he vvould be stopped and forced to satisfie the Lavv to vvhich he replied let me see who will hinder In the morning he set out and not yet out of the Tovvnes end one met him and said What David to day to day he ansvvered not but passed on and although he never complained nor any other saw any signes of the least sicknesse yet in a stones cast of the Town he fell down dead suddenly and was buried in Banbury Church-yard the next day after At Wicks betwixt Colchester Harwich upon Whitsunday last in the after-noon two fellowes meeting at the Foot-ball the one killed the other At Oxford one Lords day one Hawkes a Butcher would needs mend his ditch his wife disswaded him from it on that day but he would and did go but behold the remarkable justice of God! he is struck dead in the ditch a sad example amongst other of Gods terrible Judgements One Mr. Powel upon the Lords day did at Lemster serve a Writ of Sub poena upon one Mr. Shuit a Gentleman which he did on purpose upon that day as is credibly reported as soon as he came out of the Church into the Church-yard to whom Mr. Shuit said I thought you had been an honester man than to do so upon this day who replied I hope I am never a whit the more dishonest which he had no sooner spake but suddenly he fell down dead and never spake word more his wife seeing it was immediately struck with sicknesse May 31. 1635. being the Lords day one Rich. Clark Apprentice to Timothy Donorell of Sherston in Wiltshire was drunk in company with one H. Parrum to whom he said he vvould hang or drown himself desiring to know which was the best who replied that he hoped he would do neither But oh the judgements of the Lord upon the prophaners of this day and upon the sin of Drunkennsse for on Monday morning he was seen going thorough the Town as if he were going about his Masters businesse and having got up upon the midst of a Tree without the Town he there did hang himself At Billericay in Essex one Theo. Pease the Ministers son would needs ring the Bells on the Sabbath day but was hindred by the Officers the next Lords day he had gathered many together and in despite of any would ring and whilst he was ringing a giddinesse surprized him like one drunk of which he fell sick and in three dayes died The Tapster and Chamberlain of Queens Head Southwark rode upon the Lords day to be merry and having been too bold with drink one of them riding homewards fell off his horse and broke his neck Being the Lords day an Apothecaries man in Lime-street London rid with another to Barnet to be merry and being drunk upon their return they met with a man travelling to whom offering some abuse the man strikes one of their horses one of them bid the other run him through which with his Rapier he did through the left breast so that he fell down dead and being both apprehended they confessed and were sent to New-gate At Baildon in Yorkshire two men sitting drinking at a Wake they quarrelled with one another but being parted and one of them sitting by the fire side the other presently falls upon him with a Hatchet and cleaves him down the back insomuch as his bowels fell forth the murderer being hotly pursued leapt into a River and drowned himself Four travelling from London to Maidenhead one of them would needs travel on the Lords day the rest refused spending the Sabbath there this man rode in the morning to Henly and there heard a Sermon after that travelled again in the afternoon and on his way leading his horse down a smooth descent his horse suddenly fell and broke both his fore legs He was suddenly amazed at so strange and unexpected a Providence and could not but attribute it to the immediate hand of God whereupon seeing him past recovery he knockt his horse on the head and so left him The next day being overtaken at Abington by his fellow-travellers they wondering demanded the reason how it came to passe he was no further on his way He smote his breast and related the strange Providence of God towards him saying He had heard many a good Sermon but none of them ever wrought so much upon