Selected quad for the lemma: king_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
king_n	word_n	world_n	worthy_a	189	3	5.9690	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93724	The wels of salvation opened or, a treatise discovering the nature, preciousnesse, usefulness of Gospel-promises, and rules for the right application of them. By William Spurstowe, D.D. pastor of Hackney near London. Imprimatur, Edm. Calamy.	Spurstowe, William, 1605?-1666.	1655 (1655)	Wing S5100; Thomason E1463_3; ESTC R203641	126,003	320

to him by the grand Sophies of the Epicureans and Stoicks then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sower of words a babler Act. 17. 18. Would it not seem a strange opinion if one should assert that he who lackies it before the chariot is a better man then he that rides in it that he who lives in a Wildernesse meanly clad and faring hardly is more happy then they that are in Kings houses and weare soft raiment that he who is poore and is bid to sit at the footstoole is more worthy then he that hath the chiefest place given unto him in the Assembly And can it sound lesse strange in the eares of the world that the most despicable condition of a believer is far above the happiness of him that hath all the honors and delights that the earth can yield flowing in upon him and meeting in him as so many lines in one point I shall therfore endeavour to clear the truth of this inference so fully as that it may serve to support and comfort afflicted Christians under all their pressures so as not to complain because they are in their extremities more happy then the best worlding in his delights And that it may likewise provoke those who have made it their designe to be rather great then good to bethink themselves of their folly and to acknowledge that there is no tenure like an interest in the Covenant and promises and that there is no happinesse like to the happinesse of a beleever which hath its foundation laid in grace and not in greatnesse To this end let us in a few particulars compare or weigh as in a balance the worst of a beleevers estate with the best of a worldly but yet a wicked mans estate and we shall quickly see that the advantage will lie on that part of the skale in which the beleever stands and not on the other SECT 1. First a believer haply is in the world in no better condition then a stranger that hath little or no interest in its enfranchisements priviledges and immunities which others daily finde the sweet of in the many benefits that they enjoy He is frowned upon when others are courted and smiled upon by those that have honour s and preferments in their power to bestow He lives like Israel in Egypt under hard pressures when others rule and reigne as Lords He is friendlesse and findes none either to pity his wrongs or to do him the least right To his words to his sighs he finds a deaf and regardlesse ear continually turned when others have the Law open where they may implead their adversaries and have friends that are willing to countenance them and ready to help them Can he then that wants all these things be more happy then he who enjoyes them Yes for though a believer be a stranger here below yet he is a Citizen of the new Jerusalem which is above to which every worldly man is a forreigner Ephes 2. 12. And from thence he that bends his brow upon the wicked beholds him with love Ps 11. 7. Though he be the worlds bond-man yet he is the Lords free-man 1 Cor. 7. 22. Though here he be friendlesse yet what near and familiar relations have the whole blessed Trinity been pleased to take upon them and to make known themselves by unto him God as a Father Christ as a Brother and the holy Spirit as a Comforter All whom the men of the world can call by no such titles Though here his supplications and his tears avail not yet in heaven his prayers are registred and his teares are botled SECT 2. Secondly a Believer as he is a stranger so also may he be afflicted with want having little or nothing in possession to relieve his necessities He may want cloathing for his back and food for his belly He may have onely torum itr amineum cibos graminoes straw for his bed grasse and herbs for his meat when others sleep upon soft down and ●are doliciously every day He haply hath scarce water to quench his thirst when others have variety of choice wines to please and delight their palates All this and much more is acknowledged to be the lot and portion of many Christians such of whom the world is not worthy But yet let us view their condition so as to compare it with the men of the world whose bellies are filled with hid treasure and we shall quickly see that a true judgement and estimate being made of both that the thornes of the one will smell sweeter then the roses of the other his necessities will be more desirable then their fulnesse because wants sanctified are better then unsanctified enjoyments All their morsels are rolled up in the filth of their sin and in the bitternesse of Gods malediction and all his wants are both sweetened and supplied with the comforts of Gods promises Though he hath nothing for the present yet he is rich in hopes Though he have nothing in possession yet he hath an inheritance a Kingdome a Crown in reversion They have all their good things in this life and he hath his reserved for the other Though he have no food for his body yet he hath Manna for his soul He hath an hungry body and they a starved soul Though he have here scarce a place to lay his head on yet is there roome reserved for him in Abraham's bosome where he shall for ever dwell in joy when others lie down in sorrow Isa 50. 10. Though his body be as a parched wildernesse for thirst yet his soul is as a watred garden Out of his belly flow rivers of living water John 7. 38. We may truly say of a beleever what Paul speaks of himself though he was poor yet he had enough to make many rich though he had nothing yet he possessed all things Fideli homini totus mundus divitiarum est infideli autem nec obolus To a Christian all the world is his riches to an unbeliever not a doit of it saith Prosper There is no creature which doth not owe an homage unto him and shall certainly pay it if his necessities do require it The heavens shall heare the earth and the earth shall hear the corne and the wine and the oyle in answer to Jezreel ' s prayers Hos 2. 21 22. What is at further distance then the heavens and so more unlikely to hear then heavens What creature more dull then earth and so more unmeet to be affected and moved with a cry And yet both the heavens and the earth shall not be deaf to Jezreel's prayers but shall fulfill their desires and supply their wants SECT 3. Thirdly a beleever is not onely exercised with the pressing evils of want poverty but he oftentimes lies under the sore burthen of reproach and obloquie which to an ingenuous spirit is more bitter then death itself He is the common mark to which all the sharp arrows of mens tongues are directed He is the onely person

carry should refuse to do the one that they might thereby be enabled to do the other What is it else that God and Christ do require of men to the receiving of the promises but only that they would disburden themselves of earthly incumbrances which hinder the reception of spiritual mercies that so with hearts emptied of worldly affections and cares they may be qualified for the fulnesse of heavenly riches When Joseph invited his father and brethren to come down into Egypt he bids them not to regard their stuffe for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours Gen. 45. 20. So the true heavenly Joseph when he invited men to come unto him he bids them not to set their hearts on things on the earth because all the riches of his Kingdome are before them and by his promises made over to them How inexcuseable then must their neglect be who do not with answerable hearts and desires embrace such precious offers SECT 5. A fifth aggravation is taken from the command of God and Christ We are not onely invited to take hold of the promises but we are commanded to believe the excellency of them This saith the Apostle is his commandment that we should beleeve on the Name of his Sonne Jesus Christ Joh. 3. 23. That is we ought so to beleeve his promises his sayings as to count them worthy of all acceptation As we assent unto them for their truth so are we to embrace them for their preciousnesse and worth Our faith must work by love it must put forth it self in the strength of all affection by our esteeming and prizing of them above the most desirable things of the world Thus David did when he said Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycings of my heart Psalm 119. 111. Gods promises he made as his lands as his goods as his all They were more dear to him then all his temporal things whatsoever When therefore they are not thus honoured both in the hearts and in the lives of beleevers the great Commandment of the Gospel is violated the disobedience of which will be recompenced with more heavy and sore judgements then the breaches of the Law CHAP. XVIII Foure differences between the promises of God and Satan THe second Application from this truth That the promises of the Gospel are precious shall be to acquaint us with the wide differences that are between the promises of God and the promises of the Devil who is the great deceiver of the whole world Rev. 12. 9. Sinne which Satan by all his arts endeavoureth to make men guilty of that so they may be as miserable as himself is in it self so full of deformity and uglinesse as that if it were but seen in its true shape there could not be a more effectual argument to keep men from the commission of it then it s own monstrosity There are three things say the School that cannot be defined Dei formositas materiae primae informitas peccati deformitas The Amiablenesse and beauty of God the informity of the first matter and the deformity of sin Now to hide and cover this misshapen monster Satan useth not a few devices Sometimes he makes it to appear in the habit and likenesse of a vertue and thus he tempts men to covetousnesse under the notion of frugality to riot and prodigality under the colour of liberality Sometimes he varnisheth it with the specious shews of profit and gaine and promiseth large rewards to them that will but comply with his suggestions and counsels And this is one of the most subtil artifices that he useth to withdraw a man from any good to entice and winne him to any sin Thus he tempted Balaam to venture upon the cursing of Gods people by the promise of honour and preferment Micha's Levite with a small augmentation of his stipend promised unto him he tempted both to theft and idolatry Judas upon the promise of thirty pieces of silver which the instruments of the devil make unto him he tempts to sell the life and blood of his blessed Master yea by a franke and large promise of all the kingdomes of the world he tempts our Lord and Saviour to the highest act of idolatry that is imaginable to fall down and worship him not despairing by the greatnesse of the offer to hide the foulnesse of the sinne though it be with scorne and indignation rejected by Christ Mat. 4. 10. Because therefore that the most of men are ready to be deceived by the speciousnesse of the devils promises and to give more heed to what he speaks then to the good Word of God I shall in four particulars set forth the difference between the promises of God and the promises of Satan The first is the difference between the persons that make them Promises are like bonds which depend altogether upon the sufficiency of the surety If a beggar seal to an instrument for the payment of ten thousand pounds who esteems it to be any better then a blank But if a man of estate and ability do bind himself to pay such a sum it is looked upon as so much real estate and men dovalue themselves by such bills and bonds as well as by what is in their own possession God who hath made rich promises to beleevers is able to performe what he hath spoken He is rich in mercy Eph. 2. 4. Abundant in goodnesse and truth Exod. 34. 6. He is the God of truth Psalm 31. 5. The Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1. 3. But the devil is a Beggar an outcast one that hath nothing in possession nothing in disposition He is a lyar and the father of it John 8. 44. A deceiver Revel 12. 9. A murtherer from the beginning who killed not one but all in one Joh. 8. 44. How then can his promises be a foundation of support to any that have no other word to build upon but his He hath never kept his promise and God hath never broke his promise There hath not failed one word of all his good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant 1 Kings 56. A second difference is in the matter of the promises Let us weigh the promises of the one and of the other in the balance of truth and we shall finde that the promises of God are gold and the promises of the devil are Alchimy such which though they glitter much have no worth or excellency in them Or that they are as Aristotle calls the Rainbowe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an appearance only and not like the cloud which he stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true and real substance God's are substantial realities and his vanishing and fleeting shadows windy and swollen bladders which but a little prickt do quickly fall and grow lank Stobaeus out of Herodotus tels a story of one Archetimus who had deposited moneys in the hand of Cydias his friend who afterwards requiring them again of