Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	darkness_n	light_n	light_v	5,748	5	10.2934	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10926	A strange vineyard in Palæstina in an exposition of Isaiahs parabolical song of the beloued, discouered: to which Gods vineyard in this our land is paralleld. By Nehemiah Rogers, Master in Arts, and pastor of the congregation at Messing in Essex.	Rogers, Nehemiah, 1593-1660.	1623 (1623)	STC 21199; ESTC S122274	258,015	353

any creature yet not on a rotten sticke where lies the fault Surely in the rottennesse of the wood and not in the Caruers cunning that thou art not wrought vpon the fault is thy owne and not the Lords Thy case is that of Ierusalem How often would I haue gathered thee and thou wouldst not If then thou smartest for thy sinfull and barren life thanke thy selfe for thou art the cause God only the auenger thy bloud then be vpon thy owne head that which will die let it die And thus much for the first point A second followes and I propound it thus The wicked will still continue wicked although God vse all good meanes that can be vsed to bring them vnto good and make them better God had done what might be done and yet his Vineyard is as bad nay worse than euer A pregnant proofe this our Prophet giues vs when he saith Let fauour be shewed to the wicked yet will he not learne righteousnesse in the land of vprightnesse will he deale vniustly and will not behold the Maiestie of the Lord. Such is the vile and cursed nature of them as that no mercy nor fauour can worke with them to doe well nay in the land of vprightnesse amongst many occasions and meanes of good they will doe wickedly And thus Ieremiah to the same purpose In vain I haue smitten your children they receiued no correction c. O Generation see ye the word of the Lord haue I been a wildernesse vnto Israel a land of darknesse wherefore say my people We are Lords we will come no more vnto thee And againe O Lord are not thine eies vpon the truth thou hast stricken them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction they haue made their faces harder than a rocke they haue refused to returne And so Amos sheweth how incorrigible the wicked of his time were no correction that the Lord could vse would better them Many are the examples likewise that might be brought for the further strengthening of this truth as of Pharaoh Ahaz and others but I purposely forbeare inasmuch as something hath formerly beene spoken to this purpose Now briefly for the vse which is For Admonition that we beware of this sinne which hath an aggrauating circumstance with it for then is sinne most vile and filthie when it breakes out against those meanes that should haue kept it in Amongst many of which meanes these are some which let vs all take especiall notice of First our Vowes and promises which we haue often made vnto the Lord both in health and sicknesse that we would doe such or such a holy dutie and refraine from such or such an euill action let vs beware of sinning against these our vowes are Gods debts and they must be paid and therefore saith Solomon When thou vowest a vow to God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles pay that which thou hast vowed Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than that thou shouldest vow and not pay And indeed he is iustly required to pay that was not compelled to vow And amongst all other vowes be mindfull of that solemne vow which thou madest to God in thy Baptisme and hast often since renued in thy comming to the Supper of the Lord. Oh! what a fearefull thing is it if we wittingly and wilfully breake couenant with God when ciuill honesty maketh some conscience of keeping promise made with man Secondly checke of Conscience God hath set conscience within vs as a Monitor to giue vs an Item when we doe amisse and to forewarne vs of euill this oftentimes tels vs we may not doe such or such an action or when we haue done it that it is not well now beware we of sinning against conscience neglect not the checkes thereof reprouing vs of our waies but heedfully minde it watch-word for else know assuredly that the conscience which now checkes thee shall hereafter iudge thee and that which now reproueth thee will hereafter vexe thee and torment thee for thy neglect Beware also how thou suppressest any good motion suggested by conscience for in so doing thou wilt in the end cleane silence conscience and quite kill it so that the grossest sinnes shall be practised without any checke or remorse Fearefull is this sinne and such as is the forerunner of a reprobate minde Thirdly Corrections and Afflictions These are the thornes wherewith God doth hedge vs in and serue to keepe vs from leaping out of Gods pastures into the pasture of wickednesse and sinne Beware we then of leaping ouer this hedge take we heede of sinning against these meanes let it not be said of vs as it was of Ahaz This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more and more against the Lord. To be afflicted and not to be purged by affliction to be stricken with the rods of God and to haue no correction nor reformation follow is a signe of a fearefull induration The bellowes are burnt the lead is consumed with the fire the founder melteth in vaine for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate siluer shall men call them because the Lord hath reiected them Fourthly Gods many and great mercies especially the Word and the light of the Gospell take we heed how we withhold the Truth of God in vnrighteousnesse hating to be reformed casting it behinde our backes Such a sinne is this as brings condemnation with a witnesse with a vengeance sore and heauie condemnation This is that condemnation that light is come into the world and men loue darknesse rather than light because their deeds are euill The cleare light of the truth shining hath discouered to vs that Swearing is a sinne Drunkennesse is a sinne Sabbath breaking is a sinne c. what now will such plead for themselues that liue therein Surely they haue now no cloake for their sins S. Paul would haue the word of God to dwell plentifully in our hearts to haue full scope and the whole sway in the heart of a Christian And so be it These and the like meanes which God affordeth vs for our good let vs profit by and by no meanes sinne against them for if we doe assuredly God will require it of vs for good turnes aggrauate vnkindnesses and our offences are increased with out obligations Of all the gracious meanes he affords vs he keepes a reckoning The sundry afflictions wherewith his people were afflicted are by him remembred and so the Sermons and Prophesies of his seruants with the circumstances of time and place and vnder what Kings reigne are likewise by him recorded Since therefore God keepes such a precise account of the meanes he vouchsafeth to vs let it stir vp all to make better account vse of those meanes for otherwise they will be

cheerefull and vniuersall obedience if then the latter be not performed the former cannot be expected for God is not bound vnto vs further than wee keepe the promise which hath beene made by vs. And this is the ground of my propounded point why sinne should depriue vs of Gods protection And this may serue first for Information See here what it is and who they are that doth weaken a kingdome surely sinne and sinners This and These open the gates throw downe the walls and let in the enemy Were our Armies neuer so strong our Cities neuer so sure blocked our walls neuer so well fortified that we feared not to haue them scaled yet so long as our Chams continue their scoffing our Esaus their prophaning our Senacheribs their blaspheming our Achans their theeuing our Nabals their coueting our Iezabels their whoring and all of vs our sinning and rebelling we deceiue our selues if we thinke we be strong for we are weake How can God be with vs when these accursed things are found so rise amongst vs And how shall we stand before our enemies when the most high God hath forsaken vs Oh the weaknesse of this Land wherein sinne doth so abound This is it which will weaken our forces ouerthrow our Castles break downe our towers batter our bulwarks and make frustrate all our deuices When Phocas had built a mighty wall about his Palace for his securitie in the night he heard a voice thus speaking Though thou build as high as the clouds O King yet the Citie will easily be taken for the sinne within will marre all True it is we haue no enemies without but are at peace with all about vs but what are we the better when our chiefe enemies are within sinne is harboured within our walls and gates our wicked manners are stronger than armed men This is enough to bring vpon vs those daies of desolation the daies of darknesse and gloominesse the daies of wastnesse and confusion What hath beene the ruine and ouerthrow of the most famous kingdomes in the world but it What hath turned the noblest Cities into dust but it What hath brought those infinite calamities of famine sword pestilence fire slauerie and bondage but it From this commeth the ruine of Countries Cities Families yea and of particular persons Doe not many ruined Monuments and Monasteries seeme to tell passengers Hîc fuit hostilitas Warre hath beene here And may we not also there reade in those rude heapes Hîc fuit iniquitas Sinne hath beene here Idolatry rather than warre pulled downe those walls For had there beene no enemie to raze them they would haue fallen alone rather than hide so much superstition and impietie vnder their guilty roofes Oh that we could once see this Oh that we would be once perswaded of it then would there be some hope that that accursed thing would be cast out from amongst vs that so God might be our defence and fortresse And let vs assure our selues that vntill repentance make vp our breaches we lie open to the furie of our aduersaries Wickednesse hath strucke vp the drum and wee may euery day expect for destruction to come marching on Secondly this may serue for our Instruction When we goe about any enterprise of God let vs see that our hearts be cleare from any pollution of sinne and when we be thwarted in our hopes or crossed in iust and holy quarrels let vs then ransacke our selues and search our hearts for some lurking sinne For we may almost nay altogether perswade our selues there is some secret euill vnrepented of and then no wonder if the Lord doe as it were tumble downe the wall of our protection and seeme to leaue vs to our selues Our great iniquities hearten our aduersaries they professe to build all their wickednesse against vs vpon our wickednesse against God Let vs therefore now at last preuaile against our owne euils and we shall certainly preuaile against all our enemies The powers of Rome the powers of hell it selfe can neuer hurt vs if we hurt not our selues Let vs cast downe our Iezabels that bewitch vs and plucke away sinne which like Iuie weakens the wall of our protection and feare nothing for wee shall stand immoueable Thirdly here is a commination against the wicked For if this be so that sinne depriues man of the protection of the Almighty then woe to them who harbour sinne How open doe they lie in euery part to the rage and furie of their aduersaries Satan Death and Hell yea euery creature is aduersarie to them whom God hath forsaken and therefore they are not safe from the rage of any Oh the wofull and fearefull condition of such as these who haue not God for their defence In what perpetuall perill and danger of destruction liue they in Can they say they are safe in any Fort in any Castle in any Tower Can any place or any power vpon the earth or in the earth or aboue the earth keep backe the stroke of death and destruction hell and damnation Can any wicked man say with warrant I am here free from the dart of death I shall surely carry my selfe from hence iudgement shall not seize on me in this place Can any of them say at any repast or recreation I shall continue out this feast or game or sport to the end before my fall or ruine This delight shall not be interrupted and broken off by feare and torment before it be fully finished Alas they cannot for euill shall hunt the wicked to destruction and pursue him and in the end ouertake him and seize vpon him So that as the Hare runneth in hazard and ieopardie before the Greyhound and is at last snatcht vp so is it with the wicked whose damnation sleepeth not True it is no mens estates seeme to be more happie nor no mens stayes more strong and who more secure than these men are But all is not gold that glisters Their hope is as the Spiders web their staffe they leane on is but an Egyptian reed that will in the end breake runne into their shoulders and lay them flat along the earth Their securitie is but senselesnesse and blockish stupiditie and well compared to that of Ionahs who slept most soundly when hee had most cause to watch and pray The Lord is pursuing him as a vagrant and fugitue The officers of God are about him to apprehend him the winde rageth the waues of the sea roare and beat against the ship wherein he was and roule with violence against the Barke refusing all other satisfaction offered by the Mariners so that all the company that be with him are afraid and compelled to crie euery man vnto his god yet Ionah is still sleeping vnder hatches Thus fareth it with the wicked The Lord stands offended with them the heauens aboue are closed vpon them Hell beneath is open to receiue them Gods fearefull iudgements are ready to lay hands vpon them the Deuill