Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	proper_a	sense_n	signification_n	2,806	5	9.7840	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44523	Gods providence in the midst of confusion set out in a sermon preach'd at the Savoy, January the 30, 1681, being the anniversary of the martyrdom of King Charles I / by Anthony Horneck.	Horneck, Anthony, 1641-1697.	1682 (1682)	Wing H2832; ESTC R13705	32,946	55

Gods Providence In the midst of CONFUSIONS Set out in a SERMON Preach'd at the Savoy January the 30. 1681. Being the Anniversary of the Martyrdom of King Charles I. By Anthony Horneck D. D. In the SAVOY Printed by T. N. for Samuel Lowndes and are to Sold at his Shop over against Exeter-Exchange in the Strand 1682. PSAL. XCIX Vers. I. The Lord reigneth let the People tremble WHether this Psalm was written by Moses as the Jewish Rabbins think or by some other Prophet or why this Psalm with four and twenty more is destitute of a Title when all the rest have suitable Inscriptions is not material to enquire The Psalm contains a rehearsal of Gods Wonderful Works in the Desert when he went before his People in the Wilderness when God wrought Miracles every hour and the Cloudy Pillar by Day and the other of Fire by Night like a Guardian Angel protected the Mighty Host and rendred them formidable to all Nations that heard of their Name or had notice of their Approaches or we may call it a Spur to fervent Devotion and profound Veneration of the infinite Majesty of Heaven who never leaves such Devotional Prostrations unrewarded and if sincere crowns them usually with loving Kindnesses and tender Mercies Instances whereof are given in Moses Aaron and Samuel Men who by their Prayers bowed the Heavens and made God come down and as it were forced the Almighty into pity and compassion by their Supplications To excite our Attention the Psalmist begins his Hymn with an expression great and lofty becoming the Supream Being and worthy of an Infinite Majesty In a few words he gives us the best Description of Gods Providence that reason can desire and there could be nothing more magnificent than to say of him The Lord reigneth let the People tremble That which will oblige me to deviate or vary a little from the received Translation is the ambiguity of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original which we render tremble The word in other places of Scripture stands for being tumultuous or in a rage inconfusion or in great disorder and this signification seems to me to be most proper here and to render the sense much clearer and if you ask me what that sense is I shall deliver it in this Preposition Propos. In the midst of the greatest tumults and disorders the Divine Providence is awake In the midst of the most lamentable confusions Gods management of things is orderly and regular This must necessarily be the Result of the Text if we Construe the words according to the Interpretation I have given and the words will naturally bear viz. The Lord reigneth let the People in a Commonwealth or Kingdom be never in so great disorder or confusion even then when all things seem to be turned upside down the Lord reigns by his Providence Let Heathens and Epicureans fancy that God is asleep when things go contrary to our Carnal Wishes and fond Expectations we that enjoy Gods Revelations are better taught And though the vast Ship of this inconstant World were sinking we have reason to believe that the great Pilot who sits at the Helm is broad awake and hath pregnant Reasons for the Dispensation It 's a weak Argument that God is careless because we cannot pry into the Reasons of his Actions nor can the inference be less than Childish to conclude that the Almighty enjoys his ease regardless of things below because our selves are not Omniscient We could not be Creatures if we were so and should lose our dependance upon the God above if our Wisdom did equal his or could know all the depths of his Actions Yet so great is his goodness that he hath not left himself without Witness and as mysterious as his goings in the Sanctuary seem to be he hath let his Servants know the Order of his Providence So great an advantage are the Scriptures that while Pagans like Moles grovel in the Earth unable to apprehend what is done above We like Children of Light can unfold Gods darker Proceedings and inform the World of the equality of his Ways When the ten Tribes revolted and shook off their obedience to their Liege Lord Rehoboam we may easily guess what disorders the Jewish Commonwealth then laboured under and what confusions that juncture of Affairs produced Judah fought against Israel and Israel against Judah and in both Parties without all peradventure were Discontented Men who added Fewel to the Fire and threw Brimstone into the Flame to make it soar the higher yet while the Republick lies in that Convulsion-fit God dispatches a Prophet to the Tribe of Judah Shemaiah by Name with order to tell them 1 Kings 12. 24. Thus saith the Lord ye shall not go up nor fight against your Brethren the Children of Israel return every man to his own house for this thing is from me i. e. Let no Man wonder at these Disorders for I have a Hand in them and my Providence doth manage them And to this purpose Amos brings in God speaking Am. 3. 6. Is there any evil i. e. any evil of confusion in the City and the Lord hath not done it This even Jehoram as wicked as he was could not but be sensible of and therefore when in the great Famine of Samaria People were ready to devour one another and things were come to that extremity that Women fell a dressing their own Children for their Dinner the King desperate and melancholick cries out This evil is of the Lord i. e. How dismal soever the state of things appears the Almighty hath given order for it and it 's he whose Power and Wisdom manages this Calamity But this Subject will require some elucidation and therefore I shall consider here 1. What those Disorders and Confusions are which seem to infer a carelesness of Providence 2. Why God suffers and permits such Confusions and Disorders 3. How his Providence appears in them and which way he manages these seeming Contradictions 1. What these Disorders and Confusions are which seem to infer a carelesness of Providence 1. Oppression of the Innocent and Poor such as we find among the Jews in the time of Amos and Jeremy Am. 6. 12. c. 8. 6. Jer. 7. 6. And no doubt a dismal sight it is to see the Rich invade the Poors little all without control and Great Men crush those of an Inferiour Rank by their lawless Power to see Ahab take possession of Naboth's Vineyard and Ziba because in favour with the King wrong the lame and harmless Mephibosheth to see the Widdow scorn'd because she hath no Potent Friends and the Orphan trampled on because his injurious Adversary can out-Bribe him to see a Jeremy thrown into a Dungeon because he speaks the truth and a Daniel hurled into a Lyons Den because he cannot conform to the looser Customes of the Persian Court to see an Aristides driven into Exile because of his Justice and an Alcibiades deposed from his Office because