Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	aaron_n	according_a	great_a	24	3	2.4226	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75711	Religious covenanting directed, and covenant-keeping perswaded: presented, in a sermon preached before the Right Honourable Thomas Adams Lord Major, and the right worshipfull the sheriffs, and aldermen his brethren, and the rest of the Common-Councel of the famous City of London, January 14. 1645. Upon which day the solemne League and Covenant was renewed by them and their officers, with prayer and fasting, at Michael Basing-shaw, London. / By Simeon Ash minister of the Gospel.	Ashe, Simeon, d. 1662.	1646 (1646)	Wing A3965; Thomason E327_5; ESTC R200647	18,380	27

state by delayes your own guilt will be multiplied and greatened your hopes of reformation will be enfeebled and the whole Kingdom endangered Businesses of necessity call for quick dispatch and is there any worke of greater concernment then the worke of your God in endeavouring your own reformation and the reformation of his Church according to his word which is the matter of your Covenant I remember the words of Moses to Aaron Go quickly to the Congregation for there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun Num. 16. 46. And it is said that Aaron did run Blame me not but bear with me I beseech you if I appear warme in perswading your speed in acting according to your Covenant for I speak for the safety of a sinking Kingdom Are we not all on a flame which way can you cast your eyes but you shall see the sparkes of unbrotherly contentions rising as out of a furnace Alas alas we shall burne into ashes and from confusions fall into a ruinous heape if through Gods blessing upon Covenant-keeping-endeavours our misery be not prevented Pay your vows boldly with so much opennesse that the witnesse of your bonds may be witnesses likewise of your faithfullnesse Rule 3. in discharging them The resolution of David is herein imitable which he expresseth once and again in the same Psalme I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people in the presence of all his people yea in the midst of thee O Jerusalem Psal 116. 14 18 19. Is it any shame for a man to be honest and to pay his debts Wherefore then should men be loth to appear in the pursuance of their Covenants Act so publikely so couragiously for a full reformation according to the word of God and against Malignancy Sedition Heresie together with all other things destructive to the welfare of the three Kingdoms that both City and Countrey may understand your undaunted resolutions to keep Covenant with your God And if in this way of zeal and faithfullnesse you should meet with checks and affronts make ye that answer unto your opposers which brave-spirited David made unto mocking Michal If this be to be vile I will yet be more vile 2 Sam. 6. Keep Covenant with the Lord conscientiously Have respect unto God in paying as in making vows My text holds forth this Rule 4. openly as many other parallel Scriptures which I have formerly made use of Whatsoever we do which is materially comprehended in our Covenant we should do it because of the oath of God Eccles 8. 2. Do not only intend man-pleasing or selfe-seeking in the pursuance of your Covenant be not popular and vain-glorious but sincere and single-hearted in this service As in other acts of obedience so in this of Covenant-keeping have an eye unto your heavenly father who sees in secreet and he will reward you openly God forbid God forbid that any one of you should act against your brethren with an envious or malicious spirit under pretence of making good your Covenant O take heed unto your selves that you disgrace not this holy ordinance nor open the mouths of them who maligne our Covenant and would upon such like observations reproachfully asperse both you and it I will conclude this rule with the caution given by worthy Nehemiah Ought ye not to walke in the fear of our God because of the reproach of our enemies Neh. 5. 9. Be vigorous in the payment of your vows The command of Rule 5. God given unto Moses for the guiding of this businesse is here very considerable Le● 22. 21. Whosoever offereth a sacrifice to accomplish his vow it shall be perfect to be accepted there shall be no blemish in it When you pay your debts to God bring your best coyn put not off your light gold to God imploy and improve your very best for your God give him the flower of your wisedom strength authority and interests sit down and consider where your chiefest ability lyes and resolve with that to pay your vows Say thus unto your own souls seriously in secret I will beat mine own brains by study I will stir up my best friends by importunity and I will industriously take all courses within the compasse of my generall and particular calling that my selfe and my family that this Church and Common-wealth may be reformed and that unity betwixt England and Scotland may be preserved according to the solemne League and Covenant to quicken your care in this kinde remember those smart words Mal. 1. 14. Cursed be the deceiver who hath a male in his flock and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of hosts and my Name is dreadfull among the heathen Look to it therefore I beseech you thinke not to put God off with supine superficiall sleightnesse in Covenant-keeping If you have male-consolations male-affections male-endeavours male-adventures for other things God will not accept your female your cold faint feeble actings for him in the payment of your vows Therefore if you have any talent better then ordinary trade that for your God in the pursuance of your Covenant Keep Covenant with the Lord constantly I will sing praises Rule 6. to thy Name for ever saith David that I may daily performe my vows Psal 61. 8. you must not be like those Tenants who bring in their rents readily and misse not a day for the first year but grow carelesse afterward in making paiment according to their compacts and agreements The same heat which is in your hearts to day this day of your Covenant-renewing for reformation according to Gods word and against the hindrances and hinderers thereof must be kept burning in your bosomes so long as you shall live It is to be bewailed with tears of blood that the tract of time takes off the fervency of mens spirits for God in the worke of vowed-reformation How have we lost our first love How is our zeal for good and against evil of late abated The time was when our Covenant was much in our thoughts much in our mouthes when we moved others and provoked our selves to make conscience to keep it but now I am ashamed to speake it our Covenant is forgotten our Covenant is laid aside yea O that I had not occasion to add many repent their taking of the Covenant and some are not afraid to plead against it I heartily wish that the true causes of this great change were well enquired after My beloved Is Church-reformation according to Scripture grown lesse desireable Are pure ordinances lesse lovely in our eyes Is there now lesse danger of our undoing by malignancy popery divisions and heresie then heretofore Remember I pray you from whence you are fallen and do your first works in reference to your Covenant the obligation whereof continues upon your consciences Our God keeps Covenant to a thousand generations Deut. 7. 9. Let his example in

spirit of self-deniall and prayer is in your hearts when you take the Covenant the more hope there will be of your keeping it afterwards 5. Come to the Covenant conscientiously Be not acted only by the appointments expectations or practices of men in this particular Let not this be the alone motive upon your spirits Covenant-renewing is ordered by the Court of Common-Councel But rather reason thus The manifold providences of God before specified do call unto this service and therefore we will undertake it If you respect not God in the worke you shall lose both accept 6. Covenant fiducially If your spirits act sincerely according to the fore-named directions then be you confident that the consequence of this dayes service will be comfortable Although your weaknesses are many and great yet if your hearts be herein found upright with God you may hopefully perswade your selves that the Lord will so far regard his own ordinance and have respect unto the mediation of Christ the Messenger the Mediatour of the new-Covenant that your worke shall be crowned with good successe You heard before that Enemy-conquering providences made way unto the exhortation in the Text Vow and pay unto the Lord your God And I conceive that the verse following is considerable being the language of faith He shall cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth The most potent adversaries of the Church shall be brought down by holy Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping with God Now this lets me into the consideration of my next Doctrine Doctr. That vows made must be paid unto the Lord our God Although a vow must not be made a bond of iniquity and therefore unlawfull vows rather call for repentance then performance as Davids rash revengefull resolution against churlish Nabal Yet such Covenants as we make according to Gods will we must make good in conscience to his commandment Pay that which thou hast vowed saith Solomon Better it is that thou shouldest not vow then that thou shouldest vow and not pay it Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin Eccles 5. 4 5. The Scribes and Pharisees were but sleighty superficiall Expositours of Gods Law yet they were wont thus to publish Gods command Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt performe unto the Lord thine oaths Mat. 5. 33. In the prosecution of this plain profitable seasonable and necessary point I shall faithfully endeavour three things 1. To perswade this duty by arguments 2. To guide this practice by rules 3. To promote your obedience herein by some short directions The motives whereby we may be induced to make good our honest and holy vows shall be cast under severall heads that my Motives progresse in them may be the more easie and edifying 1. From the nature of a vow in generall and from sundry circumstances considerable in our Covenant particularly In generall 1. All vows are sacred obligations upon our consciences If any saith Moses vow a vow unto the Lord or swear an oath to binde his soul with a bond Numb 30. 2. c. In this respect the holy Psalmist resolved upon this duty Psal 56. 12. Thy vows are upon me O Lord I will render praises And doubtlesse every gracious heart will be sensible of this great spirituall engagement 2. By means of vows we become Gods debtors Hence it is that the Text calls for payment Vow and pay I here remember the speech of the Prophet unto the poor widow 2 King 4. 7. Go sell thine oyl and pay the debt And the Holy Ghost gives in this as a note of a wicked man Psal 37. 21. He borroweth and payeth not again You Merchants who have great dealings in the world would you not be ashamed to appear upon the Exchange if you were not carefull to pay your debts unto men Therefore vow and pay unto the Lord your God More particularly there are sundry weighty circumstances considerable in regard of our solemn League and Covenant which may worke our hearts unto serious resolutions to keep it 1. The materials of our Covenant are lawfull and justifiable we vow to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie schisme profanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound doctrine and the power of godlinesse And have we not good reason thus to do For have not these things much endangered the welfare both of this Church and Common-wealth already and will not the indulging of such matters prove destructive both to our publike hopes and comforts We vow sincerely really constantly through the grace of God to endeavour the reformation of Religion in Doctrine worship Discipline and Government according to the word of God and the example of the best Reformed Churches I shall not need to specifie our engagements to defend the Kings person and authority in the preservation of the true Religion to preserve the priviledges of Parliament as also to continue a firme peace and union between the Kingdoms of England and Scotland These and other things expressed in the Covenant are by you Covenanters accounted just and equall I remember Davids resolution Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements And if we judge the materials of our Covenant righteous we should in that regard lay the greater charge upon our consciences to keep it 2. Our vows are deliberate The nature of this ordinance hath been unfolded the severall Articles in the Covenant have been considered of and therefore the rather to be observed Rash vows binde conscience if the keeping of them prove only in inexpediencies prejudiciall to our selves and contradict not any of Gods ever-binding laws Therefore Solomon calling for the payment of vows tells people that they must not thinke to put off that obligation by saying It was an errour Eccl. 5. an inconsiderate oversight And we all know that when Israel was bound to the Gibeonites by an oath through a mistake being over-reached by a cheat All the Princes said to all the Congregation We have sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel now therefore we may not touch them Josh 9. 19. How then shall we be excused if our premiditated vows be not performed 3. We have vowed before many witnesses Men who stand much upon their credit and reputation in the world will be taken with this argument When King Herod was caught in a snare by his heady vow and being troubled because the dancing Damsell demanded the head of John the Baptist it is said Neverthelesse for the oath sake and them which sate with him at meat he commanded it to be given her Mat. 14. 9. Consider how many have seen you lift up your hands unto the most High possessour of Heaven and earth in holy Covenanting Remember how many thousands know that the vows of God are upon you and be you hereby prevailed with to keep touch with him 4. Hereto I might add the consideration both of the

them to hear prayers and to performe promises for their preservation and welfare in every kinde who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God in all things that we call upon him for Deu. 4. 7. Thirdly the call unto this imployment I shall note under a five fold providence from the Lord. 1. Sinfull defections from God that by means of religious vowing his backsliding people might be recovered Our fathers have trespassed and done that which is evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and have forsaken him and have turned away their face from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs Also they have shut up the doors of the porch and put out the lamps and have not burnt incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel Now it is in my heart saith Hezekiah to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel 2 Chron. 29. 6 7 10. Thus likewise the people of God resolved in the dayes of Ezra We have trespassed against our God c. Now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God Ezra 10. 2 3. 2. Sad discoveries of divine displeasure that by holy covenanting present judgements might be removed and future evils prevented The wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem and he hath delivered them to trouble to astonishment and to hissing as ye see with your eyes For lo our fathers have fallen by the sword and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this Now it is in mine heart saith Hezekiah to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel that his fierce wrath may turne away from us 2 Chron. 29. 8 9 10. 3. Famous experiences of Gods goodnesse that by the right use of religions vows his Majesty may be praised and his providences improved The exhortation in the Text was grounded upon some such occasion as many verses in the Psalme declare The stout-hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep and none of the men of might have found their hands ver 5. At thy rebuke O God of Jacob both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead-sleep ver 6. When God arose in judgement to save all the meek of the earth ver 8. Hence follows vow and pay c. Interpreters judge that this Psalm was penned upon Ashurs overthrow whereupon many brought gifts unto the Lord unto Jerusalam 2 Chron. 32. 23. according to the advice given in the words immediatly following the Text Bring presents unto him that ought to be feared 4. Defective improvements if any improvements at all of Gods favourable administrations that by foederall engagements his people might be bettered These are the words of the covenant which the Lord commanded Moses c. Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes even in the land of Egypt c. The great temptations and those great miracles yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day Deut. 29. 1 2 3 4. This is propounded as one ground of the Covenant renewed whereof we reade in the following verses 5. Apparent danger of seduction and departure from God In this regard Gods servants have afresh obliged themselves to his Majesty for their own establishment and preservation Ye stand this day before the Lord to enter into covenant with the Lord thy God lest there should be amongst you any whose heart turneth away from the Lord Deut. 29. 10 12 18. V se 1 The application of this point followeth which serves in the first place to informe you of your call to covenant-renewing the intended service of this day For give me leave to appeal unto your consciences Right Honourable right Worshipfull and much respected Citizens whether all the five fore-mentioned particulars do not fully reach you and take hold upon you both in respect of Gods dealings with you and your miscarriages towards him since you at first took the solemne League and Covenant And here I shall make bold to propound unto you some short interrogatories under the five fore-mentioned heads to which I wish your hearts may returne answers as in the presence of the All-knowing God First Are you not guilty of sinfull declinings in a great degree from your former engagements unto the Lord Have you not lost your first love Have not the matters of Gods house been much sleighted and neglected Hath not your care to preserve the truth of Religion from corruption been much abated Have you not connived at the spreading of pernicious errours in this City Hath not your zeal against schisme and sinfull separations from our Church Assemblies been very much cooled Is not your love towards our Brethren of Scotland in a great measure lessened Have not your vigorous endeavours to promote the setling of Christs government in our Congregations been wofully diminished And have you not been lamentably wanting in labouring the thorow reformation of your selves and families Which of you hath striven to exceed to excell others in advancing the power of godlinesse in your conversation Doubtlesse these and such like backslidings from former engagements may well warrant your Covenant-renewing with your God Secondly None of you can be ignorant of the manifold manifest discoveries of Gods heavy displeasure against this poor trembling Kingdom Hath not the Lord delivered us up unto trouble and astonishment by his severe administrations How many thousands have fallen by the sword of cruell war What wofull desolations are made in many Towns yea Counties in this Kingdom by the prevailing pitilesse enemies And should not we read Gods wrath against our selves in the abundance of blood which hath been shed and the unhappy spoils which have been made in Scotland and Ireland Besides all this I pray you consider whether these things do not proclaim and speak alowd Gods anger Our long looked for reformation in matters of Religion is still deferred our hopes of the much-needed and much-desired Discipline of Jesus Christ are still disappointed the miserable rents and divisions in families Congregations Cities and Counties by reason of different yea contrary opinions and practices in wayes of Religion are wonderfully increased And have we not in these regards reason to renew our Covenant that the wrath of the Lord may be turned from us Thirdly God hath often remembred us in our low estate because his mercy endureth for ever Who can recount Gods many marvellous works for our safety and comfort Have not our deliverances been wonderfull and many of our victories little lesse then miraculous How often hath the subtiil enemy been infatuated the strong enemy weakned and great Armies broken by a little strength I shall not need here to minde you of the many wonders which Gods Almighty hand hath wrought for us both in the Northerne and Westerne parts And as for this City how admirably and unexpectedly hath it been preserved and provided for in every kinde by the Lord

Solomon brands the adulterous woman Prov. 2. 17 She forgetteth the Covenant of her God 3. Breach of Covenant brings Gods burning displeasure upon people This thought did awe Israel in reference to their rash League made with the Gibeonites Josh 9. 20. We will let them live lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we sware unto them 4. Gods anger in this kinde kindled may bring a consumption upon our hopes and comforts That Item which the Wise man gives in this case should be seriously minded Eccl. 5. 5 6. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow then that thou shouldest vow and not pay wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the worke of thine hands Never were greater works under hand for Church and Common-wealth in our dayes or the dayes of our fore-fathers then are in agitation amongst us at this day therefore let us take heed lest our unfaithfullnesse in our Covenant provoke the Lord to dash all our endeavours into pieces with the disappointment of all our golden hopes Gods curse is annexed unto his Covenant to enforce the keeping of it It is said Neh. 10. 29. They entered into a curse and into an oath to walke in the Law of God And the sword of cruell war is drawn by the hand of Divine justice to avenge the quarrel of the Covenant Lev. 26. 25. This sword of Civil war is eating mans flesh and drinking mans blood in this Kingdom at this day and how can we expect that the Almighty should command it to returne into its scabbard and to be quiet if we continue carelesse in keeping Covenant I professe beloved that I have often trembled to thinke upon that discovery of Gods severity in punishing Israel with three yeers famine in Davids time because Saul had broken the rash vow 2 Sam. 2 1. which the Elders of Israel had made long before with the Gibeonites For thus I reason If the violation of an unadvised oath with subtill sinfull men by the posterity of them who made it did bring a sore nationall judgement what then may we expect from the hand of God for contradicting both by words and deeds both by opinions and practices the solemn sacred League and Covenant which our selves have upon deliberation both made and renewed with man and God These are weighty considerations and worthy your often and serious thoughts unto which many more might be added but I forbear the enlarging of this subject because you have so fully been acquainted with this matter by my Reverend brother M. Calamy who hath largely to satisfaction set forth the exceeding great danger of truce-breaking from 2 Tim. 3. 1. Covenant-breaking makes the times perillous unfaithfullnesse in Covenant is a Land-destroying a Kingdom-devouring sin Now my beloved to summe up all my arguments If there be in your hearts 1. Either respect unto the sacred obligation of a solemn vow 2. Or unto the most High possessour of Heaven and earth 3. If you either prize the promises of his grace and desire to be partakers thereof through Christ 4. Or dread the discoveries of the wrath of the Almighty and would preserve your selves and your posterity your selves and the Kingdom from breaking blows of vengeance pay your vows unto the Lord your God These arguments I hope will not be sleighted by you God forbid that matters of so great so publike concernment should be disregarded by them who professe so much zeal and respect to God and to his cause unto the prosperity of this famous City and the wellfare both of Church and Common-wealth as you worthy Citizens have done and persevere to do Therefore I proceed in this service to set down some Scripture-rules to guide you in the Faithfull payment of your vows unto the Lord your God Pay your good vows universally Pay thy vows saith the Psalmist Rule 1. Psal 50. 14. All thy vows none excepted whatsoever you have vowed according to his word you must make good according to his command Thus much is open in the text vow and pay unto the Lord your God Take good King Josiah for a president for your paterne in this particular of whom it is thus said upon his covenanting with God 2 Chron. 34. 33. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries which pertained to the children of Israel and made all that were present in Israel to swear even to serve the Lord their God You see that he spares nothing no where within the reach of his authority which might be displeasing unto his God or destructive to his people I pray you peruse the particulars to be opposed by vertue of your Covenant Popery Prelacy Profanenesse Schisme Heresie and do not dare to indulge any abomination which you have vowed to oppose Take heed that no sinfull biasse of near relations or any self-advantages take you off from your faithfullnesse in this kinde The Holy Ghost makes this a character of an heir of Heaven Psal 15. 4. He sweares and keeps it though to his own hinderance Therefore let not fear of losing a customer a friend an office a good bargain or any other outward advantage hinder you in keeping your Covenant I will not further enlarge this head which I leave to your thoughts but will conclude the rule with reading the practice of King Asa in the pursuance of his Covenant 2 Chron. 15. 16. And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the King he removed her from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a grove And Asa cut down her Idol and stamped it and burnt it at the brook Kidron There are Idols of mens heads and of mens hands there are Idol-opinions and Idol-practices to be opposed by vertue of our Covenant and you must beware lest through respect of persons you prove partiall and unfaithfull When thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God thou shalt not be slack to pay it Deut. 23. 21. And thou shalt not defer to Rule 2. pay it Eccles 5. 4. I might here speak much to perswade the speedy paiment of our vows hereby your comfort will be increased and the publike worke of reformation quickned and expedited your acts will be exemplary and of common influence both thorow the City and the whole Kingdom How many thousands enquire what is done in London against Popery Profanenesse Schisme and Heresie in the pursuance of their solemn League and Covenant The seasonablenesse of an action betters it doubles it Bis dat qui citò dat and I may truly say in the case under hand Bis facit qui citò facit ply the work of reformation now it is upon the wheels and you may do much worke in a little time principium est dimidium totius gain-say growing evils tread upon the Cockatrice in the shell oppose those opinions and practices in the bud in the birth which if suffered to grow to live longer will threaten the peace both of Church and