Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A60140
|
No peace to the wicked a sermon preached on the fast-day, May 23, 1694, being the day appointed by authority for a general and publick fast in London and Westminster, &c ... / by John Shower.
|
Shower, John, 1657-1715.
|
1694
(1694)
|
Wing S3676; ESTC R454
|
31,697
|
42
|
his Authority and prefer his Laws before their own They would be Examples of Vertue and Religion in their publick Station and so they would do much to draw others to Holiness Unity and Peace Holiness in Magistrates would make them love those who are holy and give them Encouragement Countenance and Protection It would make them hate Sin and remove the Abominable Thing with which God is displeased It would save them from the dangerous Temptations of their Riches Power and Advancement Authority and Holiness together would make them highly esteem'd and honour'd as bearing the Image of the Heavenly Majesty and Goodness The like for Subjects in the faithful discharge of their Duty The Fear of God and Obedience to him is proper to make Men the best Subjects thereby we are obliged to honour and obey our Rulers as the Officers of God This would make us understand the Blessing of Civil Government and the Advantage of Protection by it It would make Men true to their Oaths and Obligations and dispose them to Unity and keep them from seeking their own things against the publick Welfare It would establish the mutual Obligations of Governours and Governed by the firm Bands of Conscience and so prevent Violence and Oppression on the one hand Faction and Murmuring on the other and while every one hath his due Order Peace and Safety would be established In short Consider the Gospel-Rules of Charity Righteousness and Equity of loving our Neighbour as our selves of doing to others as in the like case we would desire they should do to us How would these promote the Peace and Welfare of Societies The like might be said of the Precepts of Contentment Meekness Patience Sincerity Plain-heartedness Benignity and Kindness Compassion and Tenderness Inoffensiveness diffusive impartial Goodness and readiness to do Good to all as we have opportunity For bearance of one another in Love mutual Forgiveness not seeking Revenge or repaying one Injury or Ill-turn with another but doing Good for Evil and praying for them that hate and curse us not medling with other Mens Matters but minding every one his own Business c. These and the like Commands and Rules of the Gospel tend directly in their own Nature to the Peace and Happiness of Civil Society So that Sin in its own Nature and Tendency as well as by the righteous Judgment of God is an Enemy to Civil Peace All the unbecoming Heats and Janglings Strifes and Persecutions among Christians all the uncharitable Fewds Contentions and Hatred among Neighbours are from the Lusts of Men. This is one Instance of the present Correction and Reproof of Sin Did we but observe the Orders of Christ and follow the Gospel-Rule with how different a Face would the World appear how happy would be the Nation the City the Family where the case were thus But what Contentions and Enmities are caused every day by Pride Drunkenness and Evil-speaking in every Town Village and Neighbourbood we might find Instances Were it not for the Corruption of Mankind and the sad Effects of that there were no Foundation in any sense to call the State of Nature the State of War The Peace and Harmony and consequent Happiness of the World had not been destroy'd but by the Sin of Man What Nation was ever set on fire within it self or made desolate by a Foreign Power what Battel was ever fought much less a Duel what War was ever commenc'd or prosecuted but on one side or both Ambition or Pride Rashness or Rebellion Fury or Revenge was at the bottom Hence they spring as from their grand Source by these were they cherish'd as by their proper Fuel The great Convulsions and Desolations that tear Provinces and Empires and destroy Kingdoms are caused by Armies of Iniquities rather than of Souldiers Discord Prov. 13.10 Contention and War are the Scum of Pride Whereas the Meek shall inherit the Earth and be delighted with multitudes of Peace Psal 37.11 Among the sinless Angels tho there be many Legions we read of no Wars The Earth only is the Seat of War Jerusalem above is free If Men would cease to do evil and learn to do well Spears would be turned into Plow-shares and Swords into Pruning-books And the Inhabitants of the Earth would learn War no more did they once forbear to be wicked Princes would not oppress and murder their Subjects nor would Subjects rebel against their lawful Soveraigns A blessed universal Peace would return to the Earth which is now such a Stranger to so great a part of the World So that the Reproof and Correction of Sin thundring in our Ears by the noise of Canon and the Instruments of War is as loud as the beating of Drums and the sound of Trumpets it should pierce our Hearts as do the last Cries of mangled Souldiers and affect us in a like sort as do the Tragical Effects of a lasting War III. There is another kind of Peace which is inward or Peace of Conscience And as no Peace with God or Man can on good grounds be expected while Sin is unrepented of so nor Peace with our selves 'T is by the Faith and Obedience of the Gospel that the Understanding Will and Conscience are made to agree and have a peaceful Harmony in the same Subject 'T is by resigning our Judgments to the Divine Wisdom and our Hearts and Affections to the Divine Will in his Word and Providence that we must attain and keep inward Security and Peace 'T is by Uprightness and Sincerity in contradiction to Hypocrisy and Dissimulation that our Hearts are fixed and established and the Tranquillity of the Soul maintain'd in all Conditions It is true through the Deceitfulness of Sin through the Pleasures and Diversions of this World through the Blindness and Security and Hardness of Mens Hearts the Influence of Satan and oftentimes the righteous Judgment of God Multitudes do speak Peace to themselves in a course of Sin in a way that is not good But this Peace is their Disease it is no better than Stupidity it is the Insensibility of a Man in a Lethargy and if it be joined with sensual Mirth it is the Jollity of a Mad-Man For true Peace of Conscience cannot consist with Sin not repented of and not forsaken For the Proof of this consider 1. There is no Foundation for any such Peace After all their bold Atheistical Talk they cannot disbelieve there is a God that made and governs the World to whom they must be accountable They cannot extinguish the differences of Good and Evil in their own Minds They cannot have that inward Calmness and Peace after great Provocations as after resisting Temptation and doing those things which Conscience approves They cannot but apprehend that there will or at least may be a future Judgment they cannot be perswaded that God takes no notice of their Sins or that tho Conscience condemn for them now God will not punish hereafter These things they find when they