Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	london_n	parliament_n	print_v	3,116	5	9.0916	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30925	The faithful and wise servant discovered in a sermon preached to the Parliament of the commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland, at their late private fast in the Parliament House, Jan. 9, 1656 / by Matthew Barker ...	Barker, Matthew, 1619-1698.	1657 (1657)	Wing B773; ESTC R20191	33,385	52

THE FAITHFUL And Wise Servant Discovered in a Sermon preached to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England Scotland and Ireland at their late private Fast in the Parliament House Jan. 9. 1656. By Matthew Barker a Servant of Christ and his Church in the work of the Ministry at Leonards Eastcheap London And his Lord said unto him Well done thou good and faithful servant Matth. 25. 21. Keep therefore and do my STATVTES and JVDGEMENTS for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all these Statutes and say Surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding People LONDON Printed by J. Macock for Luke Fawn and are to be sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Parrot in Pauls Church-yard 1657. To the Truly Honourable the Parliament of the Common-wealth of England Scotland and Ireland THE Great Lesson that the Lord hath been teaching man in all Ages which alas he hath yet but a little learned is That he is nothing without God David sought to teach his Son Solomon this in that Psalm that he composed on purpose for him Except the Lord build the House they labour in vain that build it Except the Lord keep the City the Watchman waketh but in vain Salomon he knew was to succeed him in his Throne and to have affairs of a Publique and weighty Import in his hands and therefore would have him well digest this first and best Rule in Christian Policy That the creature acts in all things in vain wherein it acts without God No rule is more needful for Magistrates to learn and which when once well learned and well practised will of all other things if the world could but once believe it most avail to the prosperity and success of their Affairs When God called Gideon forth to a Publique Work he first tells him he would be with him and then adds Go forth in This thy might If the Creature goes forth in any might but this it is a poor weak thing It is Recorded in Sacred Story that the Israelites followed Saul trembling when he went to Battel against the Philistims They thought they should be strong and victorious when they had gotten a King and no sooner had they him but they follow him trembling Such will all creature strength be to us it cannot deliver us from Fear and Falling or be a Rock to the heart of Man Your deep sense of this Right Honourable was that which I suppose moved you to set apart a day for a more solemn seeking Aid and Counsel from God and wherein you was pleased to call for my poor Service in that days work together with two others far more able That we might do for you according to what Jonathan did to David when he was in streights in the Wilderness of Ziph strengthen your hands in God You were then as in a Wilderness and you did not clearly see your way but have your hands been since more strengthned in God You was pleased to command for so is your Desire to me that I should speak somthing from the Lord to you and what I spake as it was calculated for your Meridian so I intended it for no wider a Sphaere then the Walls of your own House But seeing you are pleased to call for it to walk abroad I have obeyed you though not without some reluctance The Work you met upon was Serious and the Day Solemn so that I durst not but preach plainly as those will find that read Only I must acquaint you that the latter end of the Sermon I preached not because I was prevented by the time chusing rather to be abrupt then tedious Which indeed was a further Motive to me to yeild it to the Press and that I might present that to your Eyes which I could not then present to your Ear● And here and there I have added somthing above what I spake as being then compelled to shorten where I could with least loss So that this I can say I have presented you with a fuller expression of what was in my thoughts and papers in the Sermon as Printed then the Sermon as Preached VVhat-ever it is though it shews forth much of my weakness yet I assure you it shews forth my hearty willingness to serve Christ and to serve you in a subordination unto him One generation passeth to make way for another and so men serving their generations have past away that others might come in Moses was taken off that Joshua might come in and David to make way for Salomon And so other Powers and Parliaments have past away to make room for you And now ye are upon the Stage and therefore endeavour to Act Nobly to Act Gallantly as standing in the view not of men only but of God and that when you go off you may go off with the Applause I will not say of men but of God himself There is a Providence that orders in what Generation every man shall be brought forth and therefore every man should be enquiring why was I brought forth in this generation and not another And what is the work of this Generation wherein the Lord expects that I should come forth and serve him And it is Satans design and policy to amuse men about other work that concerns them not that so he might divert them from that which is their proper work And shall I be bold here Honoured Gentlemen to put you in mind of that which I hear hath been some time already under your consideration and that is to do something toward the payment of the debts that are yet behind upon the Publique faith especially to the poorer sort Many poor honest people live yet in hope that that Faith will not fail I know the wants and expences of the Nation are great yet Mercy and Justice never to this day did any wrong to a State The condition also of poor Prisoners that would pay if they could as I was solicited to present it before you so I humbly leave it to your Justice and Wisdom to consider of it I know also your work is great and God may cut out more work for you and for his people in this Nation ere long then they are ●●t aware of Oh it is an happy thing to have Spirit fitted to what work God will engage us in And let us take heed that calm times do not make us secure and settle in the world You know when Sampson slept in Delilah's lap then he lost his strength and lost God and when he went to rouse up himself as at other times then he felt his weakness So if through security and lying in the lap of any beloved Delilah we do fall asleep we hazard the loss of our strength and the departing of God and then when we may be called forth to any work we may arise and think to prevaile as in the days of old when alas our strength is gone Oh be watchful faithful low