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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
father_n	holy_a	son_n	spirit_n	92,207	5	6.2343	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A73841	Two sermons on the third of the Lamentations of Ieremie preached at Hanwell in the first yeare of his Maiesties raigne, 1602. / The one by I.D. the other by R.C.	Dod, John, 1549?-1645.; Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625. aut; Winston, John, fl. 1614-1634.	1608 (1608)	STC 6951; ESTC S118445	50,535	72

they here take and that which wee must take in the like distresse according to the measure of the affliction and as it is more publike or priuate so must be the measure of our lamentation To this there is a promise made in the prophesie of Isaiah c. That when our hands cannot help our selues nor our tongues preuaile with others yet then wee may relieue our selues by our prayers vnto God Isaiah 61. 12. c. for in that place the Lord vndertaketh that mourners shal be comforted c. God the Father sends his owne sonne and the Father and the Sonne doe send the holy Ghost that when men are mourning and seele their pouertie so as it breakes their hearts the spirit which is the comforter may minister comfort vnto them that when they feele their captiuitie and imprisonment as it were Christ Iesus may set them at libertie be they neuer so weake neuer so meane neuer so miserable neuer so sinfull if once they come thus to mourne they shall haue their hearts comforted though they bee couered with ashes God will giue them beautie for ashes and put on them the garment of gladnes for the spirit of heauines bestowing vpon them that which shall make them cheerefull euen the oyle of ioy not an earthly but an heauenly oyle And there is great cause why God should deale so with such kinde of persons for Reasons 1 1 Hee is full of pitie and compassion and therefore the prophet Ioel in his 2. Chap. vers 13. biddeth vs rent our hearts and not our garments Ioel. 2.13 that is bring inward sorrow that may crush and breake the heart and then turne vnto the Lord which if we doe wee shal be sure of reliefe and why the Lord is mercifull saith hee and our God is very readie to forgiue When wee see our children mourning and confessing their faults wee cannot but haue our bowels of compassion earning towards them If Iacob had stood by and heard his sonne Iosephs pitifull moane that in the anguish of his soule hee made vnto his brethren when they dealt so vnnaturallie with him would hee not haue pitied him and by strong hand haue rescued him from his cruell sonnes What shall wee then thinke of God he is farre more mercifull than Iacob was and wee are neerer vnto him than euer Ioseph was vnto his father And therefore when wee mourne in a holy manner certainely hee will arise and haue mercy vpon vs. Hee cannot slay when he sees our hearts full of sorrow and our eyes full of teares for the sighs and groanes of his people doe giue him no rest in heauen Secondly this godly mourning must needs be a speciall remedie in all manner of afflictions because it makes our prayers very forcible it sets an edge vpon our petitions and makes vs pray heartily feruently and strongly When Iacob wept in his prayer it was so effectuall that hee preuailed Genesis 32.11 When Gods people ioyned together to powre forth buckets full of teares drawne from the bottome of their hearts before the Lord they were marueilously helped 1. Sam. 7.6 for the great measure of their teares made their supplications more feruent and therefore it is said of Christ Iesus himselfe that in the dayes of his flesh hee did offer vp prayers with strong crying Heb. 5.7 and teares vnto him that was able to saue him from death When our Sauiour was about the principal point of his mediatorship then did he gather strength vnto himselfe by this meanes Thirdly this must needs be very effectuall because it is exceeding forcible against sinne for when sorrow comes into the heart sinne goes out it will not lodge there vnlesse it bee cockered and made much of When euery one laments his iniquitie and mournes ouer Christ Iesus whom hee hath pierced by his sinnes then there is a fountaine opened to wash them from all euen from sins that made a separation betwixt God and vs. Zacharie 12. 13. Seeing then that this godly and holy sorrow is a means to make God pitie vs to make vs call earnestly vpon him and to expell sinne which might hinder vs from preuailing with him it must needes follow that of all remedies in times of distresse this is the best and surest Vse 1 This serues for instruction vnto vs to vse all meanes and furtherances whereby wee may attaine vnto this There are many afflictions abroad many neerer home in our owne townes and families nay there are many things amisse in our owne hearts here is a medicine for euetie one of our maladies let vs get it and vse it and all arguments and helps that may continue and increase it as the Nineuites hauing direction by the spirit of God as many of them as were his did when Ionah threatned destruction against their citie within fortie dayes they abased themselues and fell to mourning and vsed fasting to helpe it onward the people must shew it in their countenances the lowing of the beasts and crying of the infants must further them to this holy remorse and griefe for their great and haynous transgressions They had grieued the Lord by their iniquities and therefore now they would grieue themselues with godly contrition for them Hence it was that Gods people amongst the Iewes vsed to weare sack-cloth to lie on the ground and to put dust vpon their heads which were then meanes to further them in the worke of humiliation Therefore now that wee feare danger is neere vs let vs betake our selues to this holy mourning if wee refuse to doe it and still continue to be hard-hearted if the pestilence come into our families wee are likelie to be taken away with the first and to haue not only our bodies but our soules in danger and that of Gods wrath and euerlasting displeasure Therefore let vs seeke to haue our hearts mollified by this excellent meanes of God and for this end consider of the blessings of God plentifully powred downe vpon our nation Nehemi 9. and vpon out selues in particular as they did in the day of their humiliation of whom Nehemiah maketh mention Let vs seriously recount how many mercies wee haue enioyed and how much they haue beene abused how many afflictions wee haue felt and how little wee haue beene bettered how many deliuerances wee haue found and yet how carelesse nay how rebellious we haue beene notwithstanding them all Let vs weigh with our selues what hurt our sins haue done vnto vs how many good thinges they haue turned from vs and how many euils they haue puld vpon vs and aboue all let vs remember what a huge weight and multitude of miseries they haue brought vpon our Sauiour namely debasement and humiliation sorrowes and sufferings assaults and temptations the heauie burden of our guiltines and the greeuous punishment due for our deserts the rage and violence of most malicious men and the wrath and displeasure of the most righteous God torments of bodie and terrors

fit cause them to bee at a stand and bring them euen to their wits end as it did these here but they will recouer themselues and get heart againe and though in their distempers they say God hath forsaken them which is a wofull thing yet they recall their words againe and at length betake themselues to the right meanes of recouerie which is to make their griefes knowne vnto God who is able to saue and readie to succour those that seeke vnto him This may bee euidentlie seene in Psal 88. vers 6. Psal 88.6 where the man of God bemoneth his case saying Thou hast laid mee in the lowest pit in darknesse and in the deepe Thine indignation lieth vpon mee and thou hast vexed me with all the waues From which words together with the rest in that Psalme wee may gather that hee was in wonderfull fore perplexitie Now in this extremitie what doth hee O Lord God of my saluation saith he I cry day and night before thee as if hee should haue said Though thou hast cut off mee yet I call vpon thee and though thy hand lie heauie vpon mee yet I pray still Isaiah 38.1.21 2. Kings 20.1 So Hezekiah was smitten as it seemes with the plague and that vnto death and was in such extremitie That hee chattered like a crane or a swallow and mourned like a doue and concluded that hee should goe to the gates af the graue and bee depriued of the residue of his yeares His case in appearance was desperate so that it was as hard to recouer him as to make the sunne in the firmament to goe backward yet hee set vpon the matter by prayer and obtained his desire insomuch that fifteene yeeres were added to his daies so that no man in the world had euer such a lease of his life as hee had So Ionah when hee fled from the presence of the Lord and was therefore cast into the Sea and swallowed vp of the whale beeing in a low dungeon where hee had neither sunne-light nor candle-light yet hee doth not thinke his case remedilesse as indeede it was not but hee cryed in his affliction vnto the Lord Ionah 2.1.2 and hee heard him Out of the bellie of hell did hee crie and God heard his voice and then as sinne and passion had brought him into danger so repentance and prayer did helpe him out of it Yea the Lord Iesus Christ when the burden of our sins and of his fathers wrath for the same was so grieuous that it made his soule heauie vnto the death and pressed bloud out of his vaines Luke 22.42 44. Heb. 5. yet the more horror hee was in the more feruently hee prayed vnto his father Reason 1 And the reason why Christians cannot by any distresse be driuen from prayer is 1 Because hee that is once Gods child is euer so and euery child of God Rom. 8.26 hath the spirit of prayer which will alwaies stirre vs vp to make requests with sighs and grones that cannot bee expressed If those that cast Gods seruants in prison could withall pull Gods spirit out of their hearts then they had done somewhat to the purpose but they may as well plucke the sunne out of the firmament as the holy Ghost out of their soules And therefore they can neuer bring them so low but they can cast their eyes vp towards heauen and make their complaint vnto their God And if he be with them in prison as hee was with Ioseph their restraint shall be farre more pleasant than their aduersaries libertie and they shal be able with Paul and Silas to sing Psalmes at midnight through ioy and gladnes Act. 6.25 2 Secondly Gods children haue faith in their hearts and the nature of faith is to beare downe all before it and to breake thorow al manner of lets and hindrances Therefore Gods seruants hold vp their heads because their faith ouercomes the world Joh. 5.4 And therefore wicked hypocrites faint because the world ouercomes them When Gods child goes vnto the dungeon faith goes with him and then hee will neuer giue ouer praying but bee more feruent in praying And this is certaine that in worldly helpes the deeper distresses wee bee in the least comfort they will affoord vs so spirituall helps the greater extremities we be in the more comfort will they minister vnto vs. When wee are helplesse and hopelesse then faith workes wonders and neuer shews forth it selfe so mightilie and powerfullie as when it workes alone Beautie and wealth and strength and other outward things of the same kinde when miseries lie heauie vpon vs and wee beginne to cast an eye to them expecting some reliefe and comfort from them will deale with vs as the high Priests did with Iudas When all went well with him they made shew of fauor and friendship towards him but when in the horror and anguish of his soule hee makes his mone vnto them crying out that he had sinned betraying innocent bloud they sent him away with a cutted and vncomfortable answere VVhat is that to vs say they Such cold comfort shall we receiue from any earthly supports and props whereon we rest and stay our hearts when we haue most neede of them they will stand vs least in stead So that wee may truely say of them as Iob did of his friends miserable comforters are yee all But as for those that liue by faith in Christ Iesus they are vnderlaide with better props than the world can afford for when they haue none other to deliuer them they can deliuer themselues by prayer and by calling vpon Gods name out of the lowest dungeon Vse 1 First this may serue to shew vs the difference betwixt the wicked and the godly in times of outward or inward affliction when they drinke both of the same cup and are plunged in the same miseries Cast a wicked man into a dungeon and lay him full low where hee can meete with no worldly helpe and what course will he take You shall see that either he will blaspheme God and bite his tongue for madnes as they that are spoken of Reuel 18. Or else hee will grow desperate and make away with himselfe as Iudas and Achitophel and other monsters haue done But let a godlie man bee laid fast in the same dungeon Act. 16.25 hee wil be full of ioy when the other is full of desperate griefe and sing Psalmes and powre forth many holy prayers in stead of the others imprecations and blasphemous speeches Peter and Iudas had both dealt vnfaithfully though in a farre different degree and manner with their Lord and master and were both in the dungeon euen in great perplexitie but Peter goes out confesseh this fault weeps bitterlie and gaines exceedingly by it Iudas on the other side sorroweth desperately and speedily dispatcheth himselfe Whereby doth manifestly appeare the different cariage of the faithfull and of infidels when they are both ouerburdened with sorrowes and miseries Vse

withstand them hee notwithstanding comes confidently to God for helpe assuring himselfe that God could saue and deliuer with none 2 Chron. 14.11 as well as with many And so may it as truelie bee said that God can helpe by fewe friends as well as by many yea without all friends and meanes as if wee had all that the world could afford vs. Obiestion Oh but my miserie is desperate Answere Neuer say so What if you be in the low dungeon Was not Ionah so And yet hee prayed and was helped therefore neuer be dismayed Your troubles are great but your God is greater and mightier to helpe you out of them than they are to holde you fast still The Lord hath made the heauens and the earth by his worde and that drowned the whole world in his displeasure This mighty Lord I say rides vpon the heauens as it is Deut. 33. full of maiestie and full of abilitie to deliuer you and to set you free from the strongest bonds of affliction 3. Merciful 3 The third thing in Gods name is that hee is mercifull Which worde signifieth that God hath such bowels of compassion towards his seruants as a mother hath towards the child of her wombe There neede not many exhortations much lesse an eloquent oration to a mother to stirre her vp to succor and relieue her child when it stands in neede of her helpe and yet put all the kindnesse of all the men and women in the world together and it wil come but to a drop in comparison of that sea of mercie that is in our mercifull God Obiect And this propertie is well ioyned with the former for a poore afflicted soule hearing of Gods power might say I know God is powerfull but what is that to me perchance hee may vse his power to my ouerthrow Answer Nay saies he God is as mercifull as hee is powerfull why then should any bee discouraged by miserie sith that is the verie obiect of mercie Whence it is that this argument is often vsed in the scripture Psal 6.2.3 Ps 86.1.2 Lord helpe mee for I am sore troubled Lord saue mee for I am poore and needie And this mercie of God wee may more cleerely see in the Father of the prodigall sonne Luke 15. who perceiuing his lost child comming towards him hee runnes towards his sonne and falls on his necke and kisseth him giuing him all kinde entertainment that might bee his verie miserie was a sufficient motiue to worke vpon his fathers heart neither doth hee at all vpbraide him with his former leaud behauiour Now if any earthly father can bee and ought to be thus mercifull how much more will our heauenly father especiallie since that hee loueth vs better than any earthly father can loue his children and shews forth his loue vpon euery occasion as the Prophet Hoseah testifieth saying Hosea 14.4 In thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie Obiection Oh but I am worthy of no mercie 4. Gratious Answer What of that Gods name is also gracious That is louing and shewing mercie without any merit he will not tarrie till wee deserue it but will freely shew forth his goodnes towards vs. Doe not wee giue foode and raiment to little children that hang on the breasts If parents should stay till they deserue it they would neuer grow to bee men and women Therefore it is said of Abraham Rem 4.5 that hee beleeued in him that iustifieth the sinner Noting thereby that sinne cannot hinder Gods fauor from offenders but that through faith they shal be iustified and made innocent in Gods account as if they had neuer offended at all Let vs not then when wee are in distresse be discouraged by reason of our corruptions but goe to the Lord who wil shew himselfe gratious notwithstanding them all Obiection Oh but what comfort can I sinfull wretch haue to goe to so holy a God Answer Why doe you not know his name He is a gratious God and when wee can finde no matter of worthinesse in our selues he can finde matter enough in his owne nature and in his sonnes merits If wee could finde any desart in our selues or our workes God should lose his name of beeing gratious Obiection But alas I haue prouoked him and iustly drawne his hand vpon mee by mine owne sinnes 5. Slovv to anger What if you haue hee is slow to anger That is long ere hee be prouoked and when hee is prouoked easie to bee appeased Wee can no sooner fall out with our sinnes but hee falls in with vs. An earthly father will not take euerie aduantage against his child and when the child is grieued for a great fault will not good parents be easilie satisfied And why should wee thinke God harder than our selues At least let vs make him as good as our selues and be assured that when wee haue kindled his wrath against vs one teare of true repentance will quench all the flame thereof and draw downe his pitie and compassion vpon vs. To this Dauid giueth testimonie saying Ps 103.8.9 The Lord is slow to anger and of great kindnesse he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer And this hee himselfe found by experience For when he beeing a King and that of Gods owne choise set ouer his owne people and withall a holy Prophet in both which respects hee was to bee a patterne of all godlines and righteousnesse vnto others when hee I say after many mercies receiued had grieuously prouoked the Lord insomuch as hee was angrie with him 2. Sam. 11.27 and then did not repent for his sinne but lay in it and added diuers other hainous offences vnto it yet after all this God doth not reiect him but sends his Prophet Nathan vnto him 2. Sam. 12.13 and is more readie to offer him pardon than hee is to aske it and when hee did but beginne to make confession of his sinne God tells him forthwith that hee had put away his sinne And this wonderfull readinesse in God to bee appeased towards penitent sinners the Prophet Isaiah maketh mention of bringing in God himselfe speaking in this manner Isa 57.16 I will not contend for euer neither will I be alwaies wroth For the spirit should faile before mee and I haue made the breath Where wee see that as Psal 103. there is a reason drawne from Gods nature why hee cannot deale rigorously with vs namely because hee pities vs as a father doth his child So here there is a reason brought from our nature why hee cannot be ouer-seuere to wit that then the spirit would faile before him and those whom hee hath made and redeemed would perish and bee vtterly consumed Men were not able to beare the continuance and grieuousnesse of his hand but would sinke vnder their burden and so should be a greater loser than they in that he should lose them whom hee hath so long and so intirely loued for whom hee hath so deerely paide