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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	bring_v	good_a	tree_n	9,027	5	9.0012	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37054	A sermon preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, at St. Mary le Bow upon the 21th of November, 1675 by William Dvrham, B.D., rector of St. Mildreds Breadstreet, London.	Durham, William, 1611-1684.; Durham, William, d. 1686.	1676 (1676)	Wing D2834; ESTC R31391	15,202	42

as much as beyond my power to express all the dreadfulness of that day When the Sun it self seemed to be turned into blood and the Moon was out-shone by the greater light of the Fire When men had so long hazarded themselves to defend their houses that they were glad to run away by the light of the fire that consumed them to save their lives VVhile some were disputing with themselves what to save and what to leave the fire came and determined the debate and consumed all And to close up this sad Meditation VVhen the delicate Dame that seldom used to touch the ground with her foot was glad to beat it on the hoof leading or rather dragging her tender Child in hand justled by every Porter without any respect and walking in as great a danger as that from which she fled And at night instead of their large chambers ceiled houses warm beds and rich hangings were fain to take up in the open field where they had no Canopy but the Heavens nor bed but the Earth to rest upon Thus thus this famous City which was elder than Solomon's Temple by an hundred years if some calculate aright and had been two thousand seven hundred and seventy years growing to its height in four daies space fell into that confused Chaos wherein our eyes have seen it Now in your cold blood you cannot but acknowledg that these were real reproofs and may pass for severe ones too That was the first Querie the second follows which is 2. VVhether we have been amended by these reproofs or whether we have hardned our necks against them I wish it may prove otherwise but I fear the worst Should a strict inquisition be made into our hearts and lives what reformation would be found there After all these several and sad dispensations may not God say I would have healed Jer. 51. 9. you and you would not be healed I have done thus and thus unto you brought one Judgment in the neck of another but ye have not returned to me no not to this very day VVhat sins are left what duties better performed than before tell me he that can for I know not Is not God's Name unhallowed by unimaginable oaths curses and blasphemies Are not his Ordinances and Institutions slighted and abused still Is not his Day openly prophaned still and more than ever Is drunkenness uncleanness debauchery less in request than heretofore Are we less censorious slandering and backbiting than we were Is covetousness self-seeking oppression injustice less practiced than before these Judgments fell upon us or do not all these rather grow upon us VVhat ground hath God gained upon us by these tedious executions tell me he that can Truly if a man may be bold to speak truth in this degenerate age there seems to be but little reformation wrought But as those whom God complains of the more we are smitten the worse we Isai 1. grow Like the Smith's Anvil we are the harder for smiting or like restive Jades that go the worse for beating Of the prodigious Atheisin which reigns among too many who never think nor speak of God but when they swear or curse never talk of Religion or the Scriptures but to deride and jeer it who never think themselves Wits till they have proved themselves downright Atheists who make these severe Judgments of God matters of their sport but not motives to lead them to repentance In a word for all Are we more serviceable to God more profitable to men more faithful in our callings more exact in our duties more humble more charitable more conscionable in our dealings than before if not 't is to be feared that we grow worse If the furnace soften us not as it doth gold it will harden us as it doth clay 3. And if this be the case with us what can we rationally expect but what the Text threatens Destruction We seem to draw towards it apace and I cannot well see what will be the next degree of punishment to which God can advance beneath Destruction We are already in Ephraim's case strangers had devoured his strength and he saw it not grey hairs Hos 7 9 10. were here and there upon him and he knew it not But the Pride of Ephraim did testifie to his face and they do not turn to the Lord their God nor seek him for all this Is not this as true of us as ever it was of Ephraim Are not grey heirs upon us is not our glory abated our strength broken are not the symptoms of a declining dying age upon us Honour and reputation weakned abroad trade and wealth lost at home Poor sinful and feeble Nation fainting under its own weight creeping towards its own funeral yet alas we are not sensible of it we lay it not to heart 4. What then remains but to apply our selves seriously to those waies and means which only are left us for the reconciling us to God supporting of a tottering Nation establishing of a languishing City and preventing that destruction which is threatned in the Text But what are they Hear what God himself saith Return to me and I will return to you Return ye backsliding children and I will heal your Jer. 3. 1 22. backslidings At what time I shall speak concerning a Nation or Kingdom to pluck up to pull down and to destroy it if that Nation against which I have pronounced turn from their evil waies I will repent me of the evil I Jer. 18. 7 8. thought to do against them If you will loath your selves and all your doings which have not been good and be guided by my Counsel Jer. 42 10. I will plant you and not pluck you up and I will repent me of the evil that I have done against you What then is to be done Bend your ear to Discipline and harden not your necks against Reproofs Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God and accept of the punishment of your sins Break off your sins by repentance and your iniquity by acts of piety and charity Take unto your selves words and say from the bottom of your heart Take away Iniquity and receive us graciously Now the axe is laid to the root of the tree bring forth fruits meet for Repentance O good Friends if there be in your hearts any fear of God's Judgments any sense of his Mercies any pity to a languishing Kingdom any kindness for an almost ruined City set set quickly set seriously about this work So may you happily see God's anger pacified a tottering Nation supported trade revived and your City totally rebuilt reinhabited and flourish again But if this be neglected all other projects and contrivances will be so far from doing you good that they will advance your ruine We may have peace with our neighbours but how long that may last is uncertain Or grant that a General peace which is every good man's desire be concluded in Christendom yet who knows but the first day of a General peace may be the last day of our tranquillity But admit that we continue at peace with our Neighbours and all the World what will that advantage us while God himself is our enemy You may recover trade but you will lose the Jewel of great price Riches may be got but Heaven will be lost What though your City be rebuilt and blessed be God is like the Phoenix risen more glorious out of her own ashes yet without repentance and amendment of life the stones out of the walls will Hab. 2. 11. cry for justice and the beam out of the timber will answer it What though your City be built with bricks so was Babel and yet confounded what though it were built of hewen stone so was Solomon's Temple and yet utterly destroyed Believe it Sirs There is no fence against an angry and incensed God without repentance and amendment of life There was never yet any either person or people that hardned themselves against him and prospered When the Mountains shall be melted and the Rocks removed out of their place there will be found an eternal truth in the words of the Text He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy FINIS