Selected quad for the lemma: saint_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A41881
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Great Britain's warning-piece: or, Christ's tears over Jerusalem
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1689
(1689)
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Wing G1670A; ESTC R215550
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6,901
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24
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Repentance day by day but being forewarned by a greater than Jonah let us at least be wise as the Ninnevites to turn whilst we have space from our Sins that we may find mercy for God resisteth the proud and exalteth the lowly and meek and indeed humiliation and a godly sorrow for sin turns the very edge of his Anger for when the Children of Israel had committed that great Sin of forsaking their living strength and made to themselves a golden Calf in Horeb like to the Gods of Egypt they mourned and no Man put on his Ornament for the Lord had said unto Moses say unto the Children of Israel ye are a stiff-necked People I will come up unto thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off thy Ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee Exod 33.4.5 And this alone cou'd move compassion in the heavenly mind when so sensibly provoked by so great an affront so quickly offered the Divine Majesty who had wrought such Wonders for their sake in Egypt and brought them out of a Bondage they long had groaned and laboured under with so strong a hand as made the World amazed for which Moses upraids them with the worst of Ingratitude in the 32 of Exod. ver 18. Of the Rock says he that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed thee and in verse 13. But Jessurun waxed fat and kicked thou art grown thick thou art covered with fatness and then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation This indeed was the case of the Jews for when they had long peace and plenty they too frequently forgot God and followed the foolish Imaginations of their own Hearts and this is too sadly the case of many professing Christianity who seldom look up to Heaven in their prosperous day but busie themselves in the affairs of the lower World till the Evil day overtake them at unawares and then perhaps the words of the Prophet Hosea may be verified in them viz. they saith the Lord howl and roar upon their Beds and do not call upon me in their heart Hos 7.14 or if they did only in the time when distress and anguish comes upon them how justly might they expect to hear the words of the Prophet sounding in their ears viz. What have I to do with thee O Joram get thee to the Prophets of thy Father and Mother 2. Kings 3. to pleasure and aduantages that in your prosperous days you pursued and require them if they are able to help you for true it is as the Prophet expresses When Gods Judgments are abroad the Nations will learn Righteousness yet far better and more acceptable it is to take the Counsel of the Wise Man viz. Provide thee of a Medicine before the fear come and examine thy self before Judgment and so shalt thou find propitiation or Acceptance in the sight of God. Eccles 8.18 taking care that your Hearts be not made heavy with eating and drinking and the cares of this Life and that day come suddenly upon you the day of trouble and of tryal a day of tribulation and anguish least you faint in the way and find your Confidence but vain Labour then whilst it is day least the night come on wherein no Man can work labour to work out your Salvation with fear and trembling and to run with chearfulness the Race that is set before you be sober and vigilant and ever be pressing forwards towards the mark of your high Calling least another step in and take your Crown Remember at all times what Christ hath done and suffered for you and how in return for such transcendent goodness he expects all your Service and will not value the price of his precious Blood at so low a rate as to have you divide its merits with the intrest of the World for he that will be his Disciple must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow him he must crucifie himself to worldly Lusts and Affections and wholly devote himself to his Service who is the best Master and altogether able to reward those that truly serve him not with corruptible things a Silver and Gold but with Eternal Life and endless Joys and although Boâ—â—â— and Afflictions should await you in every City be not thou ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord but consider and comfort your self with the promise he makes to those that shall suffer affliction for his sake viz. Blessed are they that are persecuted for my names sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.10 And in this case as St. Augustine truly saith Though we labour in a boisterous Sea yet thou Lord art our Pilot and steerest our course between Scylla and Caribdis so that both dangers escaped we shall at length arrive at our Port secure And St. Hierome affirms That miserable is his felicity who was never thought worthy to wrestle with misery by which contention honour is obtained for we cannot be true Souldiers under his Banner who suffered so much for us when we lay in darkness and the shadow of death naked and helpless in our selves that he might raise us to a state of happiness and become the victorious Captain of our Salvation and make us Co-heirs with himself of the Kingdom for he viz. God hath delivered us from the power of Dâ—rkness and translated into the Kingdom of his Son c. Col. 1.13 and again I appoint you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed me Luke 22.29 is a Kingdom then and one more valuable than all the Kingdoms upon Earth or ten thousand Worlds not worth our utmost regard when for a small corner of the Earth or for a little possession Men use such diligence and industry and rather than forgoe it will leave no ways untried spare no pains nor cost but sollicite all their friends to aid them in the aquirement take painfull Journeys and pass over restless nights and yet for Heaven how little regard most have where they may if they truly endeavour for it be sure to have an endless Kingdom furnished to their hands with Glories unspeakable wherein is the holy and heavenly Jerusalem which shineth with Glory the glorious Church Triumphant made up of Saints Martyrs and Confessors united in eternal and unseparable Union under their Head Christ Jesus God blessed for evermore who wipes all tears away from their Eyes and they banish thence the voice of Mourning with Songs and Hallelujahs of Praises and Thanks O that Men wou'd be wise and consider this and not like Jerusalem shut the Ears of their understanding not to know the things that belong to their peace till a blindness of Ignorance and Error hide them from them for Sin even in others to all good men is grievous and grieves them at the heart it was that which destroy'd the happiness of our first Parents in Paradise and defaced the Image of Heaven stamp'd lively on them 'T was