Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
woman_n	bear_v	great_a	john_n	1,605	5	6.2105	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36187	A brief recognition of New-Englands errand into the wilderness made in the audience of the General Assembly of the Massachusetts Colony at Boston in N.E. on the 11th of the third moneth, 1670, being the day of election there / by Samuel Danforth.	Danforth, Samuel, 1626-1674.	1671 (1671)	Wing D175; ESTC R24911	19,567	31

John been a rare and excellent Minister of God you would never have gone out of your Cities into the desert to have seen him Thus our Saviour sets forth another of John's admirable excellencies viz. his Prophetical Office and Function John was not an ordinary Interpreter of the Law much less a Teacher of Jewish Traditions but a Prophet one who by the extraordinary Inspiration of the holy Ghost made known the Mysteries of Salvation Luke 1. 76 77. Lastly our Saviour determines and concludes the Question He whom ye went out to see was more then a Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much more or abundantly more then a Prophet This he confirms by his wonted Asseveration Yea I say unto you and much more then a Prophet How was John much more then a Prophet John was Christs Herauld sent immediately before his face to proclaim his Coming and Kingdome and prepare the people for the reception of him by the Baptism of Repentance ver 10. Hence it follows ver 11. Among all that are born of women there hath not risen a greater Prophet then John John was greater then any of the Prophets that were before him not in respect of his personal graces and virtues for who shall perswade us that he excelled Abraham in the grace of Faith who was the father of the faithful or Moses in Meekness who was the meekest man on earth or David in Faithfulness who was a man after Gods own heart or Solomon in Wisdome who was the wisest man that ever was or shall be but in respect of the manner of his dispensation All the Prophets foretold Christs Coming his Sufferings and Glory but the Baptist was his Harbinger and Forerunner that bare the Sword before him Proclaimed his Presence and made room for him in the hearts of the people All the Prophets saw Christ afar off but the Baptist saw him present baptized him and applied the Types to him personally Behold the Lamb of God He saw and bare record that this is the Son of God Joh. 1. 29 34. But he that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven is greater then John The least Prophet in the Kingdome of Heaven i. e. the least Minister of the Gospel since Christ's Ascension is greater then John not in respect of the measure of his personal gifts nor in respect of the manner of his Calling but in respect of the Object of his Ministry Christ on the Throne having finished the work of our Redemption and in respect of the degree of the revelation of Christ which is far more clear and full John shewed Christ in the flesh and pointed to him with his finger but the Ministers of the Gospel declare that he hath done and suffered all things necessary to our Salvation and is risen again and set down at the right hand of God Doct. Such as have sometime left their pleasant Cities and Habitations to enjoy the pure Worship of God in a Wilderness are apt in time to abate and cool in their affection thereunto but then the Lord calls upon them seriously and throughly to examine themselves what it was that drew them into the Wilderness and to consider that it was not the expectation of ludicrous levity nor of Courtly pomp and delicacy but of the free and clear dispensation of the Gospel and Kingdome of God This Doctrine consists of two distinct Branches let me open them severally Branch 1. Such as have sometime left their pleasant Cities and Habitations to enjoy the pure Worship of God in a Wilderness are apt in time to abate and cool in their affection thereunto To what purpose did the Children of Israel leave their Cities and Houses in Egypt and go forth into the Wilderness was it not to hold a Feast to the Lord and to sacrifice to the God of their fathers That was the onely reason which they gave of their motion to Pharaoh Exod. 5. 1 3. but how soon did they forget their Errand into the Wilderness and corrupt themselves in their own Inventions within a few moneths after their coming out of Egypt they make a Calf in Horeb and worship the molten Image and change their glory into the similitude of an Ox that eateth grass Psal 106. 19 20. Exod. 32. 7 8. yea for the space of forty years in the Wilderness while they pretended to Sacrifice to the Lord they indeed worshipped the Stars and the Host of Heaven and together with the Lords Tabernacle carried about with them the Tabernacle of Moloch Amos 5. 25 26. Acts 7. 42 43. And how did they spend their time in the Wilderness but in tempting God and in murmuring against their godly and faithful Teachers and Rulers Moses and Aaron Psal 95 8. To what purpose did the Children of the Captivity upon Cyrus his Proclamation leave their Houses which they had built and their Vineyards and Oliveyards which they had planted in the Province of Babylon and return to Judea and Jerusalem which were now become a Wilderness was it not that they might build the House of God at Jerusalem and set up the Temple-worship But how shamefully did they neglect that great and honourable Work for the space of above forty years They pretended that Gods time was not come to build his House because of the rubs and obstructions which they met with whereas all their difficulties and discouragements hindred not their building of stately houses for themselves Hag. 1. 2 3 4. To what purpose did Jerusalem 〈…〉 ll Judea all the region round about Jordan leave their several Cities and Habitations and flock into the Wilderness of Judea was it not to see that burning and shining light which God had raise● up To hear his heavenly Doctrine and partake of that new Sacrament which he administred O how they were affected with his rare and excellent gifts with his clear lively and powerful Ministry The Kingdome of Heaven pressed in upon them with a holy violence and the violent the zealous and affectionate hearers of the Gospel took it by force Mat. 11. 12. Luk. 16. 16. They leapt over all discouragements and impediments whether outward as Legal Rites and Ceremonies or inward the sense of their own sin and unworthiness and pressed into the Kingdome of God as men rush into a Theatre to see a pleasant Sight or as Souldiers run into a besieged City to take the Spoil thereof but their hot fit is soon over their affection lasted but for an hour i. e. a short season Joh. 5. 35. Reas 1. Because the affection of many to the Ministry of the Gospel and the pure Worship of God is built upon temporary and transitory grounds as the novelty and strangeness of the matter the rarerness and excellency of Ministerial Gifts the voice of the people the countenance of great men and the hope of worldly advantage The Jews had lien in ignorance and darkness a long time being trained up under the superstitious observances of their old Praditions which were vain empty