Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
water_n work_n world_n wrath_n 29 3 7.0027 4 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A09465 A treatise of mans imaginations Shewing his naturall euill thoughts: His want of good thoughts: The way to reforme them. Framed and preached by M. Wil. Perkins. Perkins, William, 1558-1602.; Piersonn, Thomas. 1607 (1607) STC 19751; ESTC S100455 58,962 240

There are 2 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

and most ignorant should knowe and vnderstand the holy Scripture for els he would neuer haue penned them in a phrase style that doth so well accord to the capacitie of the simple II. Point The decree it selfe I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause This is the peremptorie lawe of God touching the restauration of nature wherein are contained two things first what God hath done secondly what God will not doe hereafter The thing that God hath done is the cursing of the earth for he saith I will curse no more implying that he once cursed it In this obserue that God may truly be said to be a cause of curses and to curse his creatures not onely for that he doth ordaine and decree all curses but also because he inflicteth them vpon the creatures yet so as the same is alwaies most iustly deserued by sinne before it be inflicted of the Lord. And so must Gods cursing of the earth be vnderstood in this place as a fruit of his wrath for the sinne of man accordingly God is said directly to create euill because whatsoeuer afflictions curses and punishments are in the world they are ordained and inflicted by God vpon the creatures for the sinne of man This plainly confuteth the common opinion of ignorant people who hold that all good things as peace wealth ioy and felicitie come from God but all euill as affliction calamitie curses iudgements come from the deuill and God onely suffereth thē This is a most erroneous and blind conceipt which filleth many a soule with much anguish and impatience for what comfort can he haue in the time of trouble that is perswaded it commeth wholly from the deuill and the hand of God is not therein We therefore must learne to reforme this opinion and know that crosses and troubles come from God This Dauid knew well and therefore when Shemi cursed him and railed on him he forbad Ab●shai to touch him because saith he what if or it may be God hath bid him curse Dauid so Ioseph telleth his brethren who most traiterously sold him into Egypt that the Lord sent him before them Secondly here consider the impulsiue cause that moued God to curse the earth by a flood it was not in the earth but in men I wil henceforth curse the earth no more for man that is for mans sinnes In the newe Testament there are two especiall sinnes recorded for which God sent this curse first carnall securitie They were choaked with worldly cares and drowned in earthly pleasures in the daies of Noah they did eat and drinke marrie and giue in marriage Matth. 24. 38. Secondly the contempt of the Gospell in the ministerie of Noah who preached an hundred and twentie yeares vnto them while the Arke was in building but they were disobedient as S. Peter saith following their owne pleasures and delights Whereby it appeares that these two sinnes Securitie and contempt of the Gospel are most grieuous sinnes for these brought destruction not onely vpon all mankind Noah and his familie excepted but euen vpon all creatures that liued by breath Now looke as these sinnes were in the old world euen so are they rife in this last age according to the prophecie of our sauiour Christ as it was in the daies of Noah so shall it bee in the daies of the son of man and as this is the state of the whole world so it is the state of this our Church most men are drowned in the pleasures of this world choked with the cares thereof for howsoeuer they will heare the Gospell preached yet few apply their hearts to beleeue the same shewing forth the power therof by repentāce frō dead works amendment of life in new obedience But we must know that if these two sins brought a curse euen destruction vpon the old world then no doubt they will bring a fearfull curse vpon this age though not by water yet some other way that shall countervaile the flood and therefore we must lay these things to our hearts that vnles we abandon securitie and worldly lustes and withall doe repent and beleeue at the preaching of the gospell we shall see that gods heauie curse will fall vpon vs for if we match the old world in sinne wee must not looke to come behinde them in iudgements The second thing in this decree is what God will not doe hereafter Namely curse the earth any more this must be vnderstood of that particular curse which the Lord laide on the earth by waters when he drowned the world for the generall curses that were laid vpō the ground and on mankind for Adams sinne remaine still and shall not be taken quite away till the end of the world so that the meaning of this lawe is that the Lord will no more drowne the whole earth for the sinne of man by a flood Here then wee see the cause why the sea being as raging and stirring as euer it was doth notwithstanding keepe it selfe within it boundes and not ouerflow the world and why the clowdes beeing as full of water as euer they were doe not powre downe more floods vpon the earth to destroy it Surely it is by vertue of this particular lawe and decree of God whereunto the sea and clowds become obedient I will henceforth curse the earth no more And here we haue iust occasion to take knowledge and veiw of our owne wretched and damnable estate how we are sold vnder sinne for howsoeuer we were created blessed and happie yet by our fall in Adam we are become far worse then any earthly creature for each creature in his kind as the sunne the moone and starres the sea cloudes all other obey the commandement of God but man of all creatures hauing lawes giuen him of God to keepe rebelleth in breaking the same and to him it is meate and drinke by nature to liue in the transgression of gods commandements Thus by comparing our selues with the brute creatures we may learne to humble our selues and to be abashed when we see them which were made to serue vs to goe before vs in obedience to the lawes of our creator III. Point The reason of gods decree in these words for the Imagination of mans heart is euil euen from his youth At the first this reason may seeme very strange that God should no more curse the earth for man because the Imagination of his heart is euill In all likelihood God should haue saide the contrarie I will still curse the earth because the Imaginations of mans heart are euill for so he saith Chap. 6. vers 5. 6. that seeing all the Imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart were onely euill continually therefore hee would destroy the man from the earth and from man to beast euery creeping thing Howe can both these stand together Ans. Thus In the sixt chapter the Lord saith he wil once destroy the world by water because of the
himselfe to bee a sinner and yet thinke that hee is righteous for is not this the cōmon practise to make great sins little sins little sins no sins Doe not men cloath vice in vertues robe and turne out vertue in the rotten ragges of vice Is not drunkennes counted good fellowship kinde neighbourhood Is not swearing made the token of a braue minde and Pride counted decencie and fornication but a tricke of youth and couetousnes esteemed good thrift and carefulnes On the other side is not the more sincere profession of religion termed precysenes Puritanisme Hypocrisie and such like doth not hee that refrayneth the common sinnes of the time make himselfe a pray to the mouthes of the vngodly Nowe where these things are though the mouth say I am a sinner yet the heart thinketh I am righteous and so it is apparant this thought is common among vs. Sect. 3. Mans thought of securitie in the day of peace The third euill thought concerning a mans selfe is a thought of securitie in the time of peace and prosperitie men say thus in their hearts I am free from all Gods iudgements I am in no danger of hell death or damnation but sure enough of saluation It may bee thought that none is so bewitched of the deuill as to haue this conceit of himselfe but the scripture is most plaine in the proofe hereof Psal. 10. 6. The wicked man such as is euery man by nature as wee shewed before saith in his heart I shall neuer be mooued nor bee in danger And the Prophet Isaiah brings in wicked men saying we haue made a couenant with death and with hell wee are at agreement which must not be vnderstood as done indeed for death and hell will make league with none but onely in mens wicked Imagination perswading themselues that they bee in no danger of hell or of the graue for so much the next wordes import that though a scourge runne ouer passe thorough yet it shall not come at vs yea righteous Dauid was ouertaken heerewith for in his prosperitie he said in his heart I shall neuer bee mooued much more then is it the thought of euerie naturall man to say with the rich foole vpō the increase of outward blessings soule soule take thine ease thou hast enough nothing can hurt thee The vse By this wee may come to the knowledge of a thing which falleth out in all ages worth our diligent obseruation It hath pleased god from time to time to send his prophets and ministers to call his people to repentance thus did Isay Ieremy Ioell Amos the rest yea the Lorde himselfe as Zephanie saith riseth euery morning and bringeth his iudgementes to light which should turne men from their sinnes hee faileth not and yet the wicked will not learne to be ashamed To come to our owne times it hath pleased God to stirre vp many worthie ministers vnto vs who spende their time and strength in labouring to bring men to repentance and saluation but yet who is he almost that turneth from his sinnes yea the Lord himselfe as in former times so nowe doth preach from heauen by his iudgements as famine plague c and yet by lamentable experience wee see that the bodie of our people remaine secure they are setled on their lees and frozen in their dregges no man stirreth vp himselfe to say what haue I done now the cause heereof is nothing els but this cursed thought of securitie whereby a man saith thus in his heart I am free from Gods iudgements Read Matth. 2● 37. As it was in the daies of Noah saith our Sauiour Christ so shall it bee in the daies of the comming of the sonne of man they did eate drinke marrie wiues and giue in marriage and knewe nothing till Noah entred into the Arke and the floode came and tooke them all away Quest. Howe could it be that they should knowe nothing seeing Noah had preached vnto them of the floode an hundred and twentie yeares before Ans. Surely it was as if they had knowne nothing for they would not beleeue him it would not sinke into their heads much lesse settle in their hearts that GOD would destroy all the worlde by waters and so may it bee saide of these times wee knowe nothing though wee be called to repentance by the ministerie of the worde yet we will not repent and though wee heare of Gods iudgements we thinke our selues free from them and will not beleeue till the beesome of his wrath sweepe vs all away as the flood did the old world Wherefore to redresse among vs this damnable thought of securitie let vs consider our grieuous sinnes in particular and set before our eyes the curse of God both temporall iudgements and eternall death due vnto vs for the same It is the applying of Gods heauie wrath that must make vs shake off this secure Thought which the rather we must do though it be grieuous to the flesh and as a pange vnto death in a naturall man because till this thought bee remooued the sauing graces of Gods spirite will not take rooting in our hearts Sect. 4. Mans faint thoughts in time of distresse The fourth and last euill thought of mans heart touching himselfe is this In time of miserie hee saith his crosses are greater and worser then indeede they are So Iobe complaineth in his affliction that his griefe miserie was heauier then the sand of the sea shoare And the Church in great affliction calls thus to passengers Behold and see if there be any sorrowe like vnto my sorrowe which is done vnto mee And that it is the thought of euery mans heart naturally appeareth by experience for let a man bee in distresse outwardly or else touched in cōscience for his sinnes when you shall labour to minister comfort vnto him according to Gods worde hee will answer that neuer any was in like ●ase to him so grieuously tormented afflicted as he is And indeede it is the propertie of mans naturall heart to esteeme little crosses to be exceeding great yea oftentimes to deeme that to bee a crosse which is none at all the reason is the want of iudgement rightly to discerne the state of their affliction and the want of strength to support it as it is for if thou be faint in the day of aduersitte thy strength is small For the remedie of this euill thought first wee must seeke to rectifie the Imagination by bringing the minde to a right con●eit of the affliction this is a special course to be obserued in dealing with thē that bee oppressed with any distresse for a strong conceit of a mans owne miserie doth many times more hurt then the miserie it selfe therefore be sure the iudgement be well informed and then the cure is halfe wrought and the crosse halfe remooued This done the partie afflicted may well consider the desert of sinne in the endlesse torments