Selected quad for the lemma: virtue_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A64265
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A warning piece to England, or, The wrath of God revealed against sinners his judgments being already entered upon the nation / by S.T.G.
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S. T. G., Lover of truth and peace.
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1676
(1676)
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Wing T59; ESTC R184832
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22,392
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78
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out from being a people now the Cup of trembleing by our neighbour nations who knows but we may drink the dregs and bottoms of the Cup that such a stubborn impudent brazen-fac'd rebellious People as have sined against so much light and love we know that ingratitude is counted one of the worst evils as your Latin Phrase is Si dixeris ingratum est omne malum There is no true Christian desires the evil day but doth pray earnestly to your Lord for the aversion of his judgments from the Nation and however they are lightly esteemed amongst men and called Phanaticks yet they are the pillers of the Earth and the best friends to the King and Kingdom allthough they are slighted and persecuted for cleaving close to Gods word which they dare not nor will not swarve from what ever they suffer and knowing the terror of the Lord we do perswade men to turn from their evil ways to the Lord that so they may not bring ruin upon themselves and others surely it will be a very terrible day upon all those that persecute the people of God and I pray you what do you persecute them for I conceive you do not understand what is written against those that sit at ease and eat the fat and drink the sweet and think they do well if they can procure the Ministers of the gospel and Christians to be put in Prison But all you that are of that spirit to worry the pretious harmless Lambs of Jesus Christ I would not be in your cases for ten thousand worlds mark what our Lord Jesus saith to such Mat. 18. 6. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which beleive in me it were better a mil-stone were hanged about his neck that he were drowned in the depth of the sea Mar. 9. 42. Luk. 17. 1 2. And thus I conclude with my earnest prayers to the God of all grace and mercy beseeching him rather to glorify his mercy in the reformation of this poor sinful Island then his Justice in the confusion and desolation of it now as I was concluding I was looking for that place of Scripture In Jer. Where the Prophet saith Lord thou knowest I do not desire the evilday These Scriptures were presented unto my view Jer. 18. from the 9. to the 12. vers And at what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it vers the 10. If it do evil in my sight and obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I will benefit them vers the 11. Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the Inhabitants of Jerusalem saying thus saith the Lord behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye every one from the evil of his way and make your ways and your doings good Chap. 13. 18 19. Say unto the King and to the Queen humble your selves sit down for your Principalities shall come down even the Crown of your glory vers the 19. to the end of that Chapter The Citys of the South shall be shut up Judah shall be carryed away Captive all of it shall be wholly carryed away Captive Thus you see the denuntiation of Gods threatnings of terrible judgments against a rebellious People that walketh in a way that is not good after their own thoughts Oh therefore I humbly beseech you hear and fear and turn to the Lord with your whole hearts 9. Sin That is a Land destroying Sin is Sabbath breaking which is first a breach of the 4th Commandment Exod. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy This is the law that was given in thundering and lightning Exod. 19. 16. And it came to pass the third day in the Morning that there were thundrings and lightnings so that all the people that were in the Camp trembled One reason may be why the Law was given in that terrible manner that the people might fear to break that righteous Law for that God which shewed himself terrible in the giving of the Law can also shew himself as terrible on them that violate this righteous Law which appoints a time for his worship in pouring down his wrath and indignation upon Nations that break this righteous and just Law so that if there be a God to worship as doubtless there is and certainly there is a time that he hath set apart which ought to be kept holy then wo be to all those that dare adventure to prophain his holy day as in this well govern'd City and in the Suburbs thereof is Coster-Mongers and others selling their fruit on that holy day and other things on that day Friends it is not altogether so much the matter done which maketh the breach of the Sabbath as any thing done which ought not to be done picking of sticks was but a small business and yet see how God was displeased see that he destroyed those that did it nothing but works of necessity and mercy Nehem. 10. 13. And if the people of the Land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day we will not buy it we will not buy of them on the Sabbath or on the holy day Chapt. 13. from the 15. to the 23. Where good Nehemiah testifyed against them that sould victualls vers the 17. Then I contended with the Nobles and said to them what evil thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day vers the 18. Did not your Fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us upon this City yet ye bring more wrath by prophaning the Sabbath See the Zeal of a good Governor he contended against evil and encouraged them in that which was good which is the duty of all Magistrates but è contra with us in England there be some Magistrates that discourage vertue and encourage vice what a sad thing is this those Magistrates that do so are not appointed nor set up Exod. 16. 23. Chapt. 31. 15. Six days may work be done but in the 7th is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord whosoever doth any work on the Sabbath he shall surely be put to death so in the 14. vers Chapt. 35. 2. Levit. 23. 2. Num. 15. 32 34. vers the 35. And the Lord said unto Moses the man shall be surely put to death and the Congregation shall stone him with stones and vers 36. And they stoned him with stones and he dyed as the Lord commanded Moses Deut. 5. 12 13 14. John 20. 19. Es 56. 2. 6. And thus you see the Scriptures Enjoyning us to keep the Lords day and the denuntiation of threatnings against those that break this holy day although the day be altered from all the Scriptures you may safely conclude that there is a time set a part by God for his worship and service and if the least breach were punished with death what shall be the violation of the whole day