Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	according_a	israel_n	zion_n	32	3	10.2080	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80845	Fœlix scelus, querela piorum, et auscultatio divina; or, prospering prophaneness provoking holy conference, and Gods attention, in which you have the [brace] happy estate of the wicked, holy exercise of the godly, hazard and event of both. Plainly propounded in sundry sermons preached at Botolphs Algate London: and after contracted in two sermons preached in Peters Church in West-Chester, July 17. 1659. Now published to the counsell and confirmation of the godly; and check of the false surmises and reports of the wicked. / By Zachary Crofton.	Crofton, Zachary, 1625 or 6-1672.	1659 (1659)	Wing C6993; Thomason E1870_1; ESTC R209731	120,321	422

be observed and dreaded by such as feare God there must be in all godly hearts a demeanor and frame of spirit suitable to divine providence the successe and prosperity of men in the world doth digitate and direct something of duty to Gods Children but whilst providence is to bee observed it is not to be obeyed against any precept Whilst it is to be improved it must be our care it be not misimproved and whilst we wait to hear see Gods mind in a providence we must not make it to speak the uncertain sound of our own fancies and pointblank contrary to Gods wil in his word I would that providenc● be used not abused and duely argued but not made to conclude what the promises of successe and prosperity will not conclude let me therefore unto the guiding you unto the due observation and Christian improvement of providences successe and prosperity desire you to keep this golden Rule in mind and have it always at hand in changeable times and under variety of providences viz. Gods providence doth determine our condition but not defend any cause or dictate any course of life Providence is the explication of Gods mind Concerning our enjoyments not our endeavours and are to convince this is the estate wee must enjoy or endure not these are the principles we must believe and practice we must imbrace Gods providence is no Rule to know by no Rule to go by It was never intended to be a line of decision in doubtfull controversies or a Rule of direction in difficult cases it is indeed a good Dictator to our passions but no direction to our actions the due and diligent observer of providence seeth what to fear and what to desire when to mourn and when to rejoyce and how to lye low and how to be lifted up under the hand of God but not what to believe in matters of faith and act in matters of Religion I deny not the change of Gods people under changing providences but must have this change understood to be a change not of principles but passion not piety and Religion but particular acts of piety that not in substance and matter but method and order Gods providence doth sometimes call to weeping Isai 22.12 and mourning and cloathing in sackcloth and sometimes to joy and gladnesse and feasting before the Lord and he that answereth not this Call of Providence with the change of his demeanour is prophane and liable to divine plagues yet he that improves this providence to the casting off Religion Psal 44.17 and forsaking the Covenant of God is blasphemous and irreligious degenerated from the Saints of old who could cleave to Gods Covenant under the greatest of crosses whilst then we fear before God and observe his providence as disposing all affairs under the Sun we must not favour any cause because successfull nor follow any course of life because prosperous for we must know 1. Precept not providence is the Rule of direction unto the people of God Their enquiry is what doth God speak not what doth God succeed God hath published his word and prescribed it to be the Rule of life and manners and hath bound his people to the determination thereof Matters of faith and Religion have ever been positive and prescribed by the word and not left to the uncertain determination of providence the Gentiles may be left to the guidance of the stars and determinations of Heavens influence but Gods Israel have ●●ws statutes Ordinances and commandements which they must observe fare it as it wil w th their cōditiō they must not turn to the right hand or the left hand from Gods declared will Deut. 5 32.1●.11.28.14 No change of providence must carry them from positive commands their very King the subject of highest prosperity must have the Law written and therein read daily and Rule the people not by the impulse or instigation of providence but those positive prescriptions in doubtful cases Israel must appeal to the Priest and have the controversie decided by the Law but we never read of any appeal to providence directed or allowed to the Law and to the testimony Deut. 17 17. if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.20 In the most dark estate that that ever befell Israel they are directed to the word not works of God to uphold their faith and direct their conversation Remember the Law of Moses my servant wh ill I commanded him in Horeb for a Israel with the statutes judgments Mal. 4.4 was the counsell of God to Israel untill the comming of the Messiah and he leavs not Christian faith on the changable wheel of providence but committed it to writing that it might be a standard of doctrine and Rule of life These things are written that we may believe Joh. 20.31 And peace is to be on as many as walk according to the written Rule Gal. 6.16 No gracious heart ever yet durst decline the word of God to be directed by works of providence Ahabs majesty his Prophets harmony 1 King 22.13 14. friends perswasion and fear of adversity have no influence on Micaiah to turn him from the word of the Lord he will speak what the Lord speaketh Nay Balaam the false Prophet however swayed by the prospering providence put into his hand and pursuing the wages of unrighteousnesse dares not ●ut protest against the influence of providence a subjection to the word of God The word that God putteth into my mouth that will I speak Numb 22.38 The Barbarians may bottome their perswasions of Paul Act. 26.6.14.11 12. upon the successe of the Viper and the Lycaonians stir up their superstition by the miraculous providences that attend the Apostles 17.11 but the noble Bereans regard neither the one nor the other But search the Scipture and bottome their faith on the Word of God he that weigheth Religion in the ballance of providence forsaketh ●he ballance of the Sanctuary God never intends by providence to just●e our precepts and to make his word of none effect Let M●homet cudgell Chr●●● J●●us will convince his disciples and by his word witnesse his truth when providences run never so crosse to mannage a cause with appeals to providence is to manifest a want of or a weaknesse in the word of God and put the controversie on that course that giveth no assurance of decision having never been appointed to that end to embrace any course because it prospereth is to forsake the law of the Lord as rude and uncertain and blasphemously to tempt God by a course on which no faith can be founded for that no promise is made unto it obedience to the word is manifested when works of providence do run counter and contrary thereunto the appeal of comfort to the soul and honour to God and his truth is all this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee nor dealt

done his whole work upon mount Zion and upon Jerusalem he will punish the stout heart of the King of Assyria the glory of his high looks Isai 10.12 What is Babylon better for sitting as a Queen and exalting her throne above the starrs of God ascending the height of the clouds being like the most high smiti●● the Nations with a continuall stroak ruling them in anger and persecuting without respect unto the reproach of Zion with a now sing us our Hebrew Songs whilst God is her enemy and will certainly bring her down were the prospering providences of this life any certain evidences of favour and friendship with God they might be some causes of confidence but to bee thus raised for the greater fall and enjoy nothing but what is consistent with and an expression of anger and enmity as a reservation and fitting to the day of destruction may wel abate insolencies and cause low and humble enjoyment of present comforts this may well check the joy curb the triumph make bitter the sweetest morsells of the wicked when common blessings do come with and spring from the remission of sin they occasion serious joy and thanksgiving because they are the tokens of amity but whilst the wrath of God abides joy much more insultatio● is to be checked the Prophet Oded doth check the triumph of Israell when they had obtained a victory over their brethren of Judah by the suggestion of Gods wrath against themselves 2 Chron. 28. You have slain your brethren with a Rage which reacheth unto heaven and now you think to carry them Captive as if there were not sins among you or the wrath of God did not abide on you Sad are the victories of brethren over brethren especially where the conquerours are no lesse obnoxious to divine displeasures if not much more then the conquered Thus also the Apostle James doth call men most prosperous to mourn on the memoriall of the last judgment which must manifest Gods enmity to them in James 5.1 Go to now you rich howl and weep for your miseries are comming upon you c. So long as the enmity of God abides on any the best of outward enjoyments afford no cause of jo● or triumph much lesse of insolencie and blasphemy 2. Especiall favour is every way consistent with the utmost of external and present afflictions the righteous may be despised of men and seemingly disregarded of God yet be the dear children of God They may lye common amongst other men in all outward condition and yet bee jewells in Gods account Abraham may wander in the World as a meer stranger and yet be Gods friend Pharaoh and Abimelech may begin to deal with him as one forsaken and yet find he is the favorite of the great God who rebuketh Kings for his sake Ephraim may be spoken against and yet bee a pleasant child Job may be left to the power of the Devill and proud censures of his prospering friends and yet bee accepted of God as the onely upright man of the East Israell may bee delivered into the hand of the enemy and yet bee the dearly beloved of Gods soul and this is no mean check to the insultings of the wicked how ever afflictions abound on the godly Gods affections abate not towards them Never was Antipaters accusations more curbed with Alexanders affections to his accused mother with an Nescitne Antipater c. Knoweth not Antipater that one tear of a mother will wash away all accusations then the wicked are by Gods continued Respect to the Godly and their holy service Cain is cr●ssed in nothing more then that his brother m●ets with more acceptance then himselfe nor is Esau more enraged at any thing then Jacobs carrying away the Fathers bl●ssing it avails not Haman any thing that he is the greatest Prince in Persia if Mordecai the Jew ever become the Kings favourite let the estate of the Godly be never so miserable yet if God favour them the wicked are sure to fall before them the envy of the wicked admits them no content so long as the sorrows of the Godly may consis● with their accesse to and acceptance with God It is storied that the holy Monks of Bangar were slain by King Ethilfrid the Saxon King of Northumbria for no caus but fas●ing praying for the Britains in West Chester Oh the envy at accesse to God! 3. Especiall acceptance of the godly and the holy exercise in times of prospering prophanenesse doth argue falshood and folly in the wicked they draw many sinfull conclusions from the sad premises that do befall the godly and that both against God godlinesse and godly men They suggest and say God hath forsaken the earth hath no Regard to the Righteous hath forgotten his people and cannot or will not deliver them they conclude him by their own success in sin all together such an one as themselves they conclude piety to be vanity and say it 's in vain to serve God or walke mournfully all the day long and therefore they restrain prayer before God shake hands with God let him depart from us we desire not the knowledg of his wayes they embrace impiety as the thing in which God delighteth with lying stealing adulterie murder what not iniquity they come fit before the Lord say we are delivered to work all these abominations They pass proud and false censures on the Godly brand them with hypocrisie pride ambition charge them with grossest prophanesse conclude Gods hand on them to be austere punishments of their impiety implacable expressions of his provoked furie tokens of hatred and utter rejection as if there were in God no favour toward them or their captivity should never be returned thus did Jobs friends falsly censure him from his suffering condition and cursing Shimei lay treason blood perfidie and rebellion to the charge of a suffering David and the blasphemous Jewes upbraid the faith of the Lord Jesus as vaine for that God had forsaken him when fallen into their hands nor is it wonder to hear such falsehood from prophane tongues whilst the perplexities of the godly and prosperities of the wicked make the best of men ready in their hast to say all men are lyars Psal 116.11 and I have washed mine hands in vain and God hath forgotten to be Gracious But the favour of God doth charge falsehood on all these suggestions and convince the wicked to bee lyars indeed enslaved to a spirit of fallacie for when the Lord evidenceth the acceptance he had of holy exercises in evill times and the esteeme he had for holy men when God comes to make up his jewels and to lay open before men his attention to and Recordation of the constant piety of his perplexed people and redeemeth them from their distresse he makes the worst of m●n to give themselves the lye and to change their tune and say verily there is a God that ruleth the earth there is a reward to the