Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	affection_n	speak_v	word_n	2,295	5	3.9793	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A97126	The good-vvill of Him that dwelt in the bush: or, The extraordinary happinesse of living under an extraordinary providence. A sermon preached before the Right Honourable, the House of Lords, in the Abbey Church at Westminster, on Tuesday, Iuly 22. 1645. At their publike thanksgiving for the good successe given to the Parliaments forces, under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax in the west. /	Ward, John, d. 1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing W774; Thomason E293_16; ESTC R200163	33,640	44

of the brest and the wombe which are the other part of the legacie of Joseph be all by the good will of God Yet it may well be denied to be the truth held forth in this Text doubtlesse something divers from all those some singular thing in the failing of them supplying their absence recompensing that want is intended by the Holy Ghost here viz deliverance in trouble and deliverance from trouble deliverance wonderfully and fearfully wrought out 1. Else there were nothing here to answer that of Gen. 49. 23 24. support and succour in times of danger and distresse The Archers sorely grieved him shot at him hated him but his bowe abode in strength and the armes of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob 2. The word rendred good will may also signifie any thing whereby God will manifest his grace and good pleasure and so the Septuagint takes it here 3. The other word also translated dwelling may import such a dwelling as when the cloud abode on the Tent of the Congregation and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle a residence in grace and power testified by some open manifestation worthy the majesty of God a neighbourhood or neernesse for protection and safeguard in a glorious way and is so interpreted by the Prophet Isa 4. 5 6. And the Lord shall create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoake by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence 4. It is a plain allusion to the miracle recorded Exod. 3. A Bramble for such was the bush God made choice of for the more apt expression of the mysterie and manifestation of the miracle A Briar a most contemptible and combustible shrub all on a light flame yet neither withering nor perishing but green and flourishing in the very fire A just embleme both of their low estate in miserable oppressions nigh unto ruine utterly unworthy to be beloved and of the wonderfull worke of God by his great wisedome and power saving them from the mischief of the Aegyptians craft and cruelty and redeeming them from under their hand by great judgements Ye know the vision Exod. 3. 2. and the interpretation thereof vers. 6 7 8 9 10. and the story that we read in the Chapters following what was then shewed what was spoken and what was afterwards done in pursuance and performance thereof Unto that gracious providence figured and promised in that apparition Moses hath an eye in this Text praying the like for Josephs posterity in like case of hazard and danger and bequeathing it to them as the best part of their portion for to strain it to the preservation of the virginity of Mary in the conception and birth of Christ the triumph of our Saviour crowned with thornes or the incorruption of his body in the grave under the dominion of death as the Popish Commentators do or to restrain it to the Prophecie of Ahijah to Jeroboam as some other expositors because he had rule over the charge of the house of Joseph is altogether unwarrantable if not absurd Having thus found the meaning of the Text I beleeve your thoughts out-runne me and take up the doctrine before me A peculiar extraordinary providence in favour of a wretched people in whom is neither might nor worth is an extraordinary peculiar blessing both the whole series and webb of such a providence and every remarkable passage of it Every overture of mercie and grace in a time of trouble every assay of deliverance though the salvation be not presently perfected nay though many crosse providences intervene that raise many difficulties and make the present state more grievous more perplexed yet if God revive his work and there be such things done by his hand as carry in them a testimony of his compassion a pledge of his faithfullnesse an evidence of his neernesse to relieve and rescue it is to be acknowledged a very great happinesse When a nation is not worthy to be beloved and the rod of Gods displeasure is put into the hands of bloudthirsty and deceitfull men and they help forward the affliction and there be little or no probability of better condition by men or means if then the Lord will make offer and tender of his good will and one may discerne in his workes in his waies a gracious propensitie and purpose to redeem though in the prosecution thereof there be such various and uneven dispensations of providence as may give occasion to the enemy to be hardned and insolent and the other side to be discouraged and dejected yet if God so temper his judgements as his own people shall feel the benigne and comfortable and the Adversary the hurtfull and destructive effects thereof he will step in to restrain or inhibit or prevent the fraud or fury of the enemy and take the advantage of their animositie and attempts to glorifie himselfe in shewing forth his wrath and making his power known upon them and the mean-while continue to protect and repeate and multiply wonders in favour of his people to the confusion of the adversary it must be confessed a very great mercy transcending the good of peace and plenty Though that may be doubted which some have affirmed that the brightnesse of the flame of the fire in the bush did darken the brightnesse of the Sunne at noon-day yet this must be believed that the blessing of adversity is better then the blessing of prosperity What ever the opinions of vain men may be concerning this thing yet all those who have stood on the same side with the Spirit and word of God have ever been of this judgement Let us hear two or three speak for all the rest 1. What else can we make of that expression of Ezra words that come from the very heart root and speak affection to admiration And hath given us such deliverance as this Why what was this deliverance that he could not finde words to expresse it 'T was but a deliverance in the shell barely disclosed deliverance in the blade not the ear in the spring not the harvest they could not then eat of the fruit of it as the light in the twilight not the noon neither light nor darke or rather both in a mixture and vicissitude The books of Ezra and Nehemiah will informe you or if it be too much to read the story the Psalme will tell us Their captivity was turned yet so as they needed to pray still turne again our captivity O Lord they were not restored to that from which they were fallen either for number of people abundance of wealth or liberty or beauty of order in the Civil or Ecclesiasticall state more persons had fallen in some one battell before the captivity then were inrolled at their returne from Babylon David alone of his own proper good had contributed more

to the building of the first Temple then the whole Congregation together were able to offer towards the reedifying of the second Possibly one man had been owner of more cattell then all of them could number when they were come up into their own land they did not enjoy the liberty of an Israelitish subject but were under the arbitrary power of a Tyrant who bare rule over them at their pleasure They were servants in their own land and it yeelded much increase to the Kings whom God had set over them because of their sinnes Onely they had found some favour with the Heathen Monarchs Proclamations had been issued in their behalfe some liberty granted by Cyrus some additionall enlargement by his successours some speciall providences had been dispensed in answer of their prayers a door of hope was opened but there were many adversaries and they daily wrestled with many difficulties and discouragements even among themselves were found many wicked and ill affected persons at that very time there was cause of solemne mourning and fasting Yet even this deliverance this way of God in good-will to them the holy man magnifies with no little wonderment hereof he was glad as they that dreame in an extasie of joy and admiration he looks upon it as an over-excellent object over-powring his heart that he cannot finde wordes for it And hast given us such deliverance as this Secondly The Psalmist speaks it plainly though he cannot speak it fully Happy is the people that is in such a case yea happy are the people whose God is the Lord He weighs both stakes with the advantages of each one against the other and in his judgement this casts the scales and more then counterpoiseth the good of that for if the former words vers. 12 13 14. and part of the 15. That our children c. Happy is that people that is in such a case be the wish and boast of the vain men mentioned vers. 11th then he opposeth those last of his own to theirs nay happy are the people whose God is the Lord or if he speaks his own thoughts looking to the promises and blessings of the Law yet then he correcteth himselfe and preferreth this to the former counting them happy who suffer affliction if God be amongst them in good will as when he dwelt in the bush rather then those who spend their daies in wealth whose houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them whose soever the words be without controversie he gives the precedencieto that for which he had first prayed viz. an extraordinary providence towards him in times of trouble Bow the Heavens O God and come down send thine hand from above rid me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strange children whose mouth talketh of vanity and their right hand is a right hand of falshood And by the way it may be noted how he can number and measure the blessings of plenty and prosperity can gaze upon the pomp and glory of them and finde language to speak as much as heart can wish or thinke but the priviledge of protection and deliverance in troublesome times while God teacheth the hands to warre and the fingers to fight while God becomes the goodnesse fortresse tower deliverer and shield of his servants subduing and scattering their enemies before them He rather admires then comprehends he cannot graspe what he saw nor distinctly expresse what he apprehended affections swallow up words Happy is that people whose God is the Lord But why do we look so farre when we may finde proof so neer in the last verse of this very chapter Happy art thou oh Israel who is like unto thee oh Jacob saved by the Lord the shield of thine helpe and who is the sword of thine excellencie The Rhetorique is very high yet very intelligible and its meaning easily discernable an ordinary capacitie will reach it especially if but imagine the man of God now upon the mount of contemplation as we finde him in the next Chapter on the top of Nebo looking round about him on the course of Gods providence in Egypt in the wildernesse and in the land in times of distresse and giving liberty to his heart with contentment and gladnesse to feed upon the good things the manifold good folded up in that blessed state wherein the Lord did more immediately and openly interest himselfe in their cause in every difficulty and against all opposition either miraculously in the want and absence of means supplying and saving-by himselfe or marvellously in the insufficiencie and disproportion of means commanding an efficacie and creating an issue beside their thought beyond their expectation to their advantage and priviledge especially in the hazard of warre else what means the mention of shield and sword A short paraphrase will smooth and clear the abrupt and imperfect expression if any thing may seem obscure in it and lend much light to the proofs of the doctrine in hand for the words do manifestly bear this sense Oh the happinesse of the people the care of whose welfare the everlasting God doth take upon himselfe The multitude the variety the world of mercies mingled with judgements the abundance the infinite of good put into their hands dropt into their mouthes by the gracious and glorious administrations of providence Oh the excellence the lustre of the prerogative of such a people above all other nations outshining the seeming cloudinesse and uncomfortablenesse of their unsetled distracted condition They perhaps may sometimes thinke themselves in a worse estate then other men because of the diminution and obstruction of their ordinary liberties by the want of common accommodations and conveniences but if they were taken off their prejudices and knew their own happinesse there were none to be compared with them the worlds wonder and envy having God so nigh them so seasonably so manifestly so admirably preserving and providing for them its impossible to set forth the excellencie of their priviledge words will not expresse it the minde cannot fathom it admiration cannot reach it Oh the happinesse c. But we may well set aside particular witnesses for there are three or four things in Scripture that we cannot lightly passe by without observation which corroborate the testimony produced First This blessing is the blessing of the promises mostly the matter of Gods promises speciall solemne promises other things are the object of mens wishes and desires Oh that thou wouldest blesse me indeed and enlarge my coast and that thou wouldest keep me from evil that it may not grieve me but if God saw cause at any time to fore-acquaint his people with his good will about the concernements of their outward temporall estates the prophecie and the promise are usually of these and of this kinde we finde very many very ample and very remarkeable discoveries and ingagements in Moses and the Prophets Secondly God is more oft proclaimed by Names