Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n
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A51824
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A short view of the most gracious providence of God in the Restoration and Succession, May 29, 1685
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Manningham, Thomas, 1651?-1722.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing M507; ESTC R8136
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7,130
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30
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A Short View Of the most Gracious PROVIDENCE OF GOD IN THE RESTORATION AND SUCCESSION May 29. 1685. LONDON Printed for William Crook at the Green-Dragon next Devereux Court without Temple-Bar 1685. PSAL. 2. Why do the Heathen rage and the people Imagine a vain thing THis Psalm as well as many other which were composed by the Prophet David hath a double meaning both literal and mystical The one relating to himself and the History of his own life the other relating to Christ and the Prophesie of his Kingdom As it relates to himself we have the people of Israel and the Heathen that were round them conspiring against his Government The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gebal and Ammon and Amaleck the Philistins with the Inhabitants of Tyre Assur also and the Children of Lot Psal 83.6 c. All these ten Nations were confederate against the Lord and against his anointed they were so vain as to attempt the Alteration of the Decrees of Heaven whilst he who sate there laugh'd them to scorn and had them in derision Their confusions did only make his Providence more conspicuous for notwithstanding all their united Counsels and tumultuary rage David was not only King in Hebron but in Jerusalem too Tho' they rage tho' they meditate tho' they consult tho' they conquer and prosper for some time yet have I set my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion v 6. As 't is a Prophesie and relates to the Kingdom of Christ we have the first Christians comforting themselves with this Psalm and by an extraordinary Spirit applying it to their present Concerns Acts 4.25 Being assur'd that as neither Herod nor Pontius Pilate so neither the Gentiles nor the People of Israel could prevail against the Holy Child Jesus And about three hundred years afterwards the whole prophesie of this Psalm was more eminently fulfill'd when Christianity became the Religion of the Empire when notwithstanding the malice of the Jews and Hereticks and the ten Persecutions of the Heathen Emperors like the ten Nations confederate against David the Kings and Judges of the Earth became wise and instructed kiss'd and Ador'd the Son of God and the Holy Child Jesus prevail'd so far till the extent of his Enemies was turn'd into the largeness of his Inheritance From the opening of the Psalm you your selves will be ready to make this Natual reflection that no passions tho' never so furiously raging and no Imaginations tho' never so cunningly contriv'd are likely to prevail long against a Government and a Religion approv'd of and establish'd by God You cannot but apply this observation to the occasion of the day and find the Truth of it most evidently confirm'd by the great Revolution in this Kingdom and by your own Experience As this Psalm is a prophetical piece of Scripture it holds infallibly true of nothing but the Universal Church of Christ but yet particular Churches and Nations may apply it as a Doctrine of Providence and none more properly than we who have a Monarchy most Providentially Divine as Divine as can be made without an immediate designation from God and a Religion as pure as Revelation it self It being nothing but the Holy Scriptures with the best interpretations and those guarded with some few prudential limits which the ignorant have complain'd of the malicious have disturbed but which the wisest have ever approv'd and the humble love to practice Could Men ever imagine that things so piously and so judiciously settled should not be the care of Providence one day as they had been the long contrivance of it Had our Government and Church always continued according to their first establishment without any alteration or disturbance we might have been fortunate and at Ease have sacrific'd to our own Nets and been proud of them as if they had been our own Inventions but we had never so well known their more remote and inward worth or that the favour of God was so mingled with them But now they have been try'd and search'd by the malice of Devils and the subtilty of men and in all this winnowing there was found but little Chaff they are return'd to us with their excellency more discover'd and a second approbation of Heaven He who reads our Civil Wars may lay aside all the Histories of Greeks and Romans Turks and Tartars and not miss any one extravagance of humane Barbarity For there he may find the utmost Force and guile of passion and hypocrisie cruelty and Enthusiasm working together and that not only in single instances but under a publick National management not as the product of several Ages but of one small Circuit of years There he may see with what noise and clamours the Laws were silenc'd with what fury and ignorance the multitude decreed Justice With what pretended Treaties and Pacifications the Armies were inflam'd and the differences always widen'd With what eager hostility and open destruction Rebellous Subjects were for preserving their King With what zeal and fasting Religion was banish'd out of the Land With what Tyranny their precious liberty was secur'd and with what unheard of impositions they were eas'd of Taxes There he may read of the most solemn sanctity robbing of God Of the devoutest eyes fix'd upon the Churches patrimony Of Prayers offer'd up to Heaven worse than downright Blasphemy Of the rankest perjury scrupling a lawful Oath Of Atheists fighting for Religion and Heathens for the pure Gospel of Christ Of Treachery undermining perfidiousness Of Hypocrisie groaning against Lewdness Of Sacriledge abhorring Idolatry and of a Covenant made with Hell Certainly that late Rebellion was the most busie Scene of the Devils Tragi-Comedy here on Earth and he can hardly furnish out such another If greater Judgments are alloted for Posterity some other Angels sure must fall from a higher Sphear to add new malice unto Hell and make that direful Polity more Intelligent in mischief There were some good Persons in those times who lookt upon this Nation as under a dreadful Anathema as excommunicated by God and deliver'd over to Satan And that which made it manifest that we were only to be severely disciplin'd and not destroy'd was this that at the same time when there was the highest Villany in this Land there was the highest virtue too The rebellious party fought their King into that glory which they never design'd him Every Victory they wan plac'd a new Star in his Breast They overcame his forces and he their injustice They were more prosperous and he more patient They got the Field and he an everlasting Crown Thus will our English Annals stand checquer'd to the end of Ages with the blackest Degeneracy of the worst of Traitors and the whitest innocency of the best of Princes Nay for all that we know this Island may be always noted for its two contrary Rivers viz. the fiercest torrent of Rebellion and the Noblest tide of Loyalty which in the late VVars were most