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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	heaven_n	lord_n	word_n	16,216	5	4.2023	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A19413	A very soueraigne oyle to restore debtors; being rightly and seasonably vsed Extracted out of that most tried and quintessensed oyle, by the prophet Elisha. By vertue whereof the vviddovv indebted, (mentioned in the second booke of the Kings) was restored out of debt, and her children released of the bondage whereof they were in danger. Written by Samuel Cotesford, late minister at Stepney: and now newly published by W. Crashavve ...	Cottesford, Samuel.; Crashaw, William, 1572-1626.	1622 (1622)	STC 5841; ESTC S108836	64,803	115

and fiftie false Prophets doth ratifie and confirme both himselfe and his religion and his Doctrine to be of God and from Heauen by hauing power from that God of heauen and earth to commaund the fire to descend from heauen to consume the sacrifice according as wee find it in that his most diuine and holy prayer in these words 36 Let it be knowne this day that thou art the God of Israel and that I am thy seruant and that I haue done all these things at thy commandement 37. Heare mee O Lord heare mee and let this people know that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their heart againe at the last By which it may appeare also that miracles were not to be done at the pleasure of man but at the will and pleasure of God Of which miracles wee reade there are two kindes one pure and the other mixt as one writeth very learnedly of them The pure are they which without meanes or creatures God worketh alone he calleth them mixt where God by the ministry of any of his seruants doth worke strangely in and by creatures as in stretching out beyond nature their vigor or strength in causing them extraordinarily to increase to the seruing of his will at an instant for the good of any of his people The like did our Sauiour Christ himselfe in that kinde of pure and simple miracles when by his Word alone hee commaunded the Deuils and diseases the one the other to come out of them and to leaue the possessed and diseased The like did Peter to the Creeple that was so from his mothers wombe when he said to him In the name of Iesus Christ of Nazaret rise vp and walke But in speaking vpon the counsaile of the Prophet giuen to the Widdow in these words Goe borrow thee vessels abroad and if it shall be further asked by what warrant the Prophet did this to commaund as in the name of God and to assure the Widdow of these vnlikelihoods first to borrow of her Neighbours c. and then how that one full vessell of Oyle should hold out to fill those other emptie Vessels that were borrowed The answere is made by the Prophet himselfe in the 43. Verse of this Chapter where the Prophets Seruant questioning with his Master about the twentie Loaues to be distributed to an hundred men as if they were vnlikely to suffice so many The Prophet replies againe vpon him with a second commaund Giue vnto the people that they may eate For saith Elisha thus saith the Lord They shall eate and there shall remaine So that thus saith the Lord is the Prophets warrant and that beyond Gods Word he went not the sequell of the successe doth manifestly declare he not being able any way to performe so strange a worke to the comfort of this Widdow in her sonnes and the satisfying of the Creditor had not God himselfe graced him with his owne power and as it were stouped downe to worke together with him Mightie then is this word of God where God himselfe inforceth it by his Spirit yea mightily it preuaileth both in that executing his iudgements in iustice vpon the wicked contemners of his seruants as in that where Eliah called for fire vpon the two captaines of the fifties thereafter it fell vpon them As also in that of Peter where Ananias and Saphirah were stroken dead vpon the word immediately spoken by the Apostle for their sacrilegious lying and hypocrisie As also in the strange and wonderfull meanes whereby he extraordinarily worketh by his seruants for the Churches good as where Peter by the power of the Word God working with him to the comfort of the Church raised vp Dorcas from death to life Yea but I heare some say me thinkes Tush the ministry of men vnder the Gospell is weake enough there is none of them all can doe any such strange worke we need not feare their big thunder-bolts are but crackes But the reason of their so blasphemous speeches in their carelesse regard to feare God is because God meeteth not with them in their present sinning as he did with Zimri and Cozbi euen in the committing of fornication together by the hands of Phinehas hee slew them both in their Tents as is written in the Booke of Number 25. 9. They presumptuously thinke and say in their hearts there is no God no Deuill no Heauen no Hell they be but tales that our Preachers doe tell vs But of these like persons the Apostle Peter prophesieth and these are the dayes of the fulfilling of his prophesie This first vnderstand that there shall come in the last dayes mockers who will walke after their lusts and say Where is the promise of his comming c. Thus the Deuill is very busie to with-draw mens mindes yea let euery one obserue it the more the ministerie of the Gospel increaseth the more he rageth by causing men to seeke after that that is not necessary and to leaue vnsought after that which maketh most for the saluation of soule and body eternally For Sathan hath his instruments in euery place who labour to obscure in what they may and to make inglorious the eternall Word of our immortall inuisible and onely wise God in the holy ministery of the Gospell which presages and that truly that he feares that his time is not long but that he is neere and very neere to his vtter and finall casting out Let them therefore know and that speedily and let them assure themselues that the Word of God is no lesse effectuall now neither is his arme any whit more shortened in the powerfull Gospell of his Sonne Christ Iesus although it appeare so to be to the wicked world Onely this is the difference the iudgements of God for I speake now to them onely that make a mocke of God doe not to them appeare so great and heauy because he comes not so immediately and presently vpon their seueral wickednesses committing to execute those his iudgements yea he seemes to them to haue forgotten to bee iust but let them know that not one iot or tittle of Gods word shall fall to the ground for whatsoeuer wants in the execution of these his punishments for the present shall be doubtlesse doubled and redoubled according to the delay and putting off the same so that when he doth or shall strike indeede his hand shall fall so heauily hauing beene long in lifting of it vp and when he beginnes to lift it vp he will lift his rod so high to the fetching of a greater stroke that he will make the proudest Ruffian of them all like to a Potters vessell which he will so breake to shiuers that there shall not be found any one sheard to carrie fire in Thou shalt crush them saith Dauid the Prophet with a Scepter of yron and breake them in pieces like a Potters vessell But what matters it to answer the prophane minded vtterly answerlesse Let

and to euery one that liueth or hath liued or beene a nourisher of them who haue liued inordinately Let him that stole steale no more but labour the thing that is good that hee may haue to giue to him that needeth And thus much for that point Now it followeth And the Oyle ceased stood at a stay or left off to increase Now that the Widdow hath gotten into her hands the possession of meanes enough out of this Gods good as I may call it this so plentifull encrease for the release of her selfe from care from debt and of her sonnes from seruitude or bondage God stayes his hand hee knowes what is enough the Oyle giues ouer and increases no more Doubtlesse God is wise in the performance of the worke of mercy according to time measure vpon whomsoeuer of his Children neither is any other reason to be rendered thereof besides his good pleasure as also in the execution of his iudgements when he seeth meete to punish them whom he meaneth to punish wherein for the measure and time of staying of these his iudgements when he pleaseth he is not to be questioned with In the second Booke of Samuel it is recorded that after the Lord had slaine with the pestilence threescore and ten thousand of the people of Israel because Dauid had caused his whole people in the Land to be numbred as a great pride and the Angell of the Lord stretched out his hand vpon Ierusalem to destroy it it is said that the Lord repented of the euill and said to the Angell that destroyed the people It is sufficient hold now thy hand The first thing that is to be obserued vpon this point is that all Creatures are at the command of the Creator to liue or to die at his pleasure they haue their time to serue him in for the good of his Children they haue their spring time their haruest and their fall of leafe their time to liue and grow vp in their time to cease growing or any way increasing and this commeth to passe wonderfully although ordinarily man knoweth not how But as the Apostle speaketh of the Corne that is sowen Each Corne hath his owne body after he is sowen euen to euery seede his owne body at Gods owne pleasure So that it is not the wit of man nor his labour with all his skill it is not the goodnesse of the soyle it is not the seasonablenesse of the weather but it is God himselfe who bringeth these mighty things to passe It is he euen he alone and none but hee that maketh this encrease Obserue it also in another thing Man feedes vpon bread and other foode which of themselues haue no life at all whilest they feede him nay euery thing must change and be changed before it proue or can be meete nourishment for him it is by God that they turne as the preseruatiue Instruments of life To this purpose speaketh Moses to the Children of Israel and as from him our Sauiour to stop Sathans mouth Man liueth not by bread alone but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God How then this Oyle encreaseth and stayeth from encreasing let vs not stand as at a gaze to admire and goe no further but goe on to make a holy and profitable vse of it thereby to be led to glorifie God who is as the Lord of Heauen and Earth so of the times and seasons wherein his Creatures are to serue him to their seuerall ends or to rest from doing any seruice at all Whereas these words And the Oyle ceased doe seeme to yeeld small matter let me be bold yet in the power of the Spirit euen of the Spirit of our Lord Iesus who hath taken me vnworthy though into his seruice and according to my poore measure and place hath giuen me to be faithfull who also vpon this Scripture hath drawne me along thus furre whereof in the many dayes of my distractions in the case which presently I doe here handle I haue made some vse and receiued some comfortable hope of the goodnesse of that God euen my God giue me leaue the God of vs all the mercifull God of this Widdow yet vpon this very ceasing of the Oyle ariseth most worthy doctrine tending to the teaching of euery Christian man and woman contentednesse of his her or their estates euen that wherein God hath set them The doctrine then is this That as God doth giue or take away from thee as God encreaseth or abateth of thy stocke or store be thou alwayes ready to set vp the rest in Gods good pleasure and not as the World doth in that Heathenish and Idolatrous goddesse blinde and vnstable Fortune an vtter enemy to Gods most certaine and vndoubted prouidence It is a lesson fit for this time wherein the bottomlesse vnsatiable hearts of couetous men and women of all sorts rich and poore may be met withall whose nature is so repining that if the Lord doe but stop the course of any earthly increase by what meanes soeuer forth-with they fall into such grudgings and vntoward repinings against God himselfe as if he denyed them once to be their own caruers and did cause them to stand to his appointment he then could not but doe them great wrong Such male contents all the sort of vs doe and will proue if God as he doe with-draw his hand from relieuing vs and from the increasing of our store he doe with-draw our hearts in like manner from a setled and quiet contentment of enioying what he sees good for vs. But to the curing of this malady this example of the Widdow and of the Lords hand in staying further then her neede was to relieue her with some few other Scriptures that follow may be if they be vsed accordingly very soueraigne and medicinable remidies Let vs then with this vse also that prayer that is set downe for our instruction in the Prouerbs Giue me not pouerty nor riches feede me with foode conuenient for me lest I be full and denie thee and say who is the Lord or lest I be poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine When those empty vessels and borrowed of the widdowes were once filled the Oyle ceased as if God saide It is enough vse it well and be content The care then which we ought to haue for the things of this life is as from the teaching of the Apostle Paul by God himselfe limited Therefore when we haue foode and rayment let vs therewith be contented The holy Patriarke Iacob although conditionally as the words doe import did solemnely binde himselfe to God and as by prayer entreating God to testifie himselfe to be his God In these words If God saith he will be with me and will keepe me in this iourney which I goe and will giue me bread to eate and cloathes to put on so that I come againe vnto my Fathers House in safetie then shall the

Lord be my God As if hee should say I desire no Kingdomes nor Lordships I desire but competency with Gods fauour Let vs also to the same purpose behold Paul in himselfe for vs to follow For I haue learned saith he in whatsoeuer state I am therewith to be content I can be abased and I can abound euery where in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry and to abound and to haue want All which lessons how farre they are off from hauing learned who resolue themselues they will be rich and doe make their reckoning before hand that they will not leaue vntill they haue attained to so many thousands giuing themselues liberty to get or gaine howsoeuer This is the great sinne both in Church and Common-wealth and such there are doubtlesse too many These are they of whom the holy Ghost speakes For they that will be rich saith he fall into tentations and snares and many foolish and noysome lusts which drowne men in perdition and destruction For the desire of money is the roote of all euill which while some haue lusted after they haue erred from the Faith And haue not many amongst vs done so Haue they not turned Turkes Papists Athiests and what not for Lands liuing honour and credit and then saith the holy Ghost and haue pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes How farre are these from this contentednesse or that before spoken of Iacobs meate drinke and apparell who by inordinate couetousnesse and vsury of all sorts deceit and oppression idlenesse and such like haue gone out of the way of Gods Commandements let euery indifferent Reader iudge vprightly But to thee I speake to thee I write who art desirous to returne out of these ill and peruerse wayes who art not wilfull and obstinate but desirest to walke with an vpright heart to the well-pleasing of God before thee it is that I haue laide downe the example of this Widdow and her two sonnes learne then from her for the redeeming of thy selfe if thou hast endangered thy estate by debt any way to labour from hence forth so as thou mayest in thy honest and iust trauailes both liue and satisfie and as thou doest taste of Gods goodnesse towards thee so lift vp thine heart and glorifie God being contented with whatsoeuer God in his prouidence shall prepare for thee and when thou seest thou art at a stay God not pleasing that thou shalt abound with wealth but onely haue from hand to mouth bread for the day with this and the Oyle ceased set vp thy rest wholly in the Lord. Thus much for that point Now it followeth 7. Then shee came and tolde the man of God and he saide Goe and sell the Oyle and pay them that thou art indebted vnto and liue thou and thy children of the rest c. The thing that is to be obserued in the Widdow in her comming the second time to the Prophet is that shee doth not satisfie her selfe in requiring the Prophet as at the first which way her present need might be supplyed but her turne being serued she goes to him againe and desires aduice how she may dispose of that to her best auaile Whence we are to learne in euery seuerall action to goe to God for his counsell and not to suffer any thing to be done by vs without the further direction of his holy Word Indeede to aske at Gods hands we will be ready and to take also all that he giues with a common or course acknowledgement of the giuer asking perhaps of him what if we obtaine to consume it on our lusts which also is the cause that often wee aske and goe empty away and receiue not But when we haue gotten of him ought any way how then to dispose of it therein we will make stay to goe to him for euery one thinkes that being interessed or possessed of ought it is then his owne and lawfull for him to dispose of it at his pleasure Is it not the common answere of euery one May I not doe with mine owne what I please I answere thee no for thou art vnder the subiection of the Almighty who hath thee and all thine vnder his command to dispose of according as he hath prescribed thee in his holy Word Otherwise thou art an vsurper howsoeuer perhaps thou wilt not sticke to equall thy selfe to Christ Iesus who to stop the mouthes of the enuious murmuring and repining labourers recorded in Matthewes Gospell answeres them as by right he might being Lord of Heauen and Earth Is it not lawfull for mee to doe what I will with mine owne There is a difference betweene Christ Iesus thy Soueraigne Lord and Master and thee he being out of all command and thou altogether vnder him for no otherwise canst thou challenge a property in the least of Gods blessings vpon thee but as thou art in him But to the further proofe of the matter in hand how that in each particular action both for the hauing what we want and the vsing it when we haue it aright we ought not to goe without counsell There is one example in Scripture to confirme vs in the Booke of Iudges and it is of one Manoah whose Wife was barren to whom the Lord sent his Angell euen to the woman to certifie her that she should conceiue and beare a sonne whereof when shee had certified her Husband with euery circumstance as in the 3. 4. and 5. verses Manoah not so satisfied as in the 8. verse prayed to the Lord that he would send the Man of God again to him which accordingly the Lord did and sent his Angell the second time to his Wife as in the 9. verse which comming of his when his Wife had discouered vnto him he then went with her as in the 11. verse and in the 12. verse Manoah saide Well be it so we will expect a childe as thou sayest But as if Manoah should say further It is not enough for one to haue a childe but saith he how shall we order the childe and doe vnto him c Many desire to haue Husbands Wiues Children Lands liuings and goods but to aduise out of the Word of God how to order or behaue themselues in the rightly vsing of them to the glory of God and their owne good that they care not for at all which is a principall cause that makes all goe wrong in Countries Cities Townes and Families Herein the very Children of God haue beene ouertaken by an ouer-great perswasion they haue had of the goodnesse of the matter purposed vpon Dauid being purposed to build an House to God The Prophet Nathan in like manner approuing his intent because it seemed to be a worthy thing to build God a House they both were deceiued for as it is in the 4. and 5. verses The same night the Word of the Lord came vnto Nathan saying 5. Goe and tell my seruant Dauid Thus saith the Lord shalt