Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	earth_n	glory_n	great_a	2,131	5	2.9800	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11603	Sermons experimentall: on Psalmes CXVI. & CXVII. Very vsefull for a vvounded spirit. By William Sclater D.D. sometimes rector of Limsham, and vicar of Pitmister, in Summerset-shire. Published by his son William Sclater Mr. of Arts, late fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, now a priest, and preacher of the Gospel in the city of Exeter, in Devon-shire.	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.; Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1638 (1638)	STC 21844; ESTC S116824	112,358	217

But because it is uncertain This rule walk by First Though simply if we compare state with state it is best to be with Christ for that is the end of our life there is perfection and consummation of holinesse there is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Yet secondly for thee whose service God hath use of on earth it is better to live on earth the yeers of Methuselah doing God service then to be whirried as Elias with chariots of Angels presently into heaven In heaven thou hast thine owne glory on earth thou promotest Gods glory and in the end findest a glorious reward proportioned to thy measures of doing service to God here upon earth What then may we say of them whom God hath taken away in the prime of their life as that peerlesse Iosiah amongst the posterity of David Answ What but what Saint Paul speaks of the Martyrs The world was not worthy of them that people unworthy of such a pearl a Prince so peerlesse as was Iosiah for now the Lord remembred the sinnes of Manasseh and the time of vengeance drew neer upon that rebellious and gainsaying people Secondly Or that God saw their weaknesse and some likelihood of their corruption therefore took them away by death as Henoch by transmutation Ne malitia mutaret intellectum Thirdly Or they had served their generation according to Gods will as is said of David Act. 13.36 therefore fell asleep or as our Saviour Had finished the work which God had assigned them to do and were therefore taken away unto glory Ioh. 17. they had finished their course and kept the faith and were now to receive their crown of their righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7 8. And yet it is true while God gives ability and opportunity to do him service upon earth while he calls us to do him service upon earth while he hath use of our service of men upon earth it is his great blessing to reserve us to walk before him in the land of the living to be preferred in our choice before the hastening of our salvation and glory in the kingdome of heaven Blessed be thy glorious Name most glorious God Father Sonne and holy Ghost for all thy mercies for thy marvellous loving kindnesse shewen to me in a strange city in rescuing me from the gates of death and from the jaws of the grave in love delivering my soul from the pit of corruption preserving my life to walk before thee in the land of the living Lord God What shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits thou hast done unto me for this unspeakable mercy thou hast vouchsafed unto me It is little too little for so great a favour to praise thy power thy goodnesse thy grace thy mercy thy truth and my heart is too narrow to comprehend the heighth and depth of thy love to me in Christ Iesus even in this one favour vouchsafed unto me Lord enlarge my hea●t and ●ffectio●s fill it with love of thy Majestie zeal of thy glory Take up body and soul what ever I am or have to thine own use Behold Lord truly I am thy servant disi●ing to do thee service upon earth Lord accept my endeavours pardo● mine imperfections give more strength to perform Lord I am willing to do it yea my heart is ready Be pleased Lord to accept these calves of my lips this poor weak morning sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving which goeth not out of fained lips Lord thou knowest it accept it therefore for thy promise sake for thy mercy sake for the merits sake of sonne Iesus the Mediatour of all Grace and mercy to the sonnes of men To him with thee O Father of mercies O holy Spirit Comforter of the Church and chosen children be all honour and glory for this and all other thy mercies towards all Churches of thy Saints for ever and ever Amen That might here be annexed by all good means to cherish life that we may perform the service God expects from us Scripture points us to four causes or means of shortening life First Immoderate sorrow especially for things of this life Prov. 12.25 Heavinesse makes the heart sloope Prov. 15.13 By sorrow of heart the spirit is broken see 2 Cor. 7.10 Secondly Intemperance whether in diet or other luxurie which what tends it unto but the shortening of the dayes Plures gula quam gladias and it is that the Lord foretells to men given to the flesh Prov. 5.11 The flesh and bod● are consumed see Prov. 6.26 and 7.23 Thirdly To this adde those other grosse crimes for which God hath threatened untimely death the blood-thirsty and deceitfull live not out half their dayes either the sword of the Magistrate seizeth on them or else Gods immediate hand taketh them away as we see in Absalon Adonijah c. Fourthly immoderate pining of the body with immoderate fasting watching labour though never so religiously imployed see Col. 2.23 If we follow the second reading which perhaps is here implied it implies the promise or vow of David in thankfulnesse unto God for his marvellous deliverance vouchsafed unto him Wherein are three things considerable First The act Secondly The manner Thirdly The mean First The act is to walk or to serve God Secondly The manner in sincerity Thirdly The meane implyed in the Trope Before him But so see we the generall fruit of all Gods gracious deliverances vouchsafed us the duty we owe him in liew thereof that is to do him service in that rank or station whatsoever it is God hath placed us in so Zacharie speaking of the end of that great deliverance from spirituall enemie it is to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luke 1.74 75. and Psal 50.15 23. hence Davids acknowledgement and protestation Psal 116.16 17 18. To fill up the meaning that must be weighed That the Lord expects in respect of speciall favours speciall service increase of our measures according to the measures of our abilities Ye must understand that there is upon all a generall obligation and duty of service that they owe unto God arising from benefits they enjoy in common with others as Creation Providence Redemption Word c. which bond yet by speciall favours grows more strait especially when they grow towards personall and we become after a sort proprietaries in them for example Israel had a bond of service as heathen from Creation and Providence but much more for the specialty of Gods favour in their deliverance from Aegypt wherefore that is prefixed as a reason of obedience to the Decalogue Exod. 20.2 in shewing his word unto Iacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel so is the bond yet more increased Psal 147.20 Levi had yet more then Israel God had singled them out of all the Tribes of Israel to minister before him Num. 16.9 therefore he looked to be sanctified by them especially Levit. 10.3 wherefore see this a circumstance of aggravation upon Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.25 that he rendred not unto

carefull to seek God in likelihood such as would have made better use of his mercies as Matth. 11.21 These are grounds of this holy Rhetorique which if by your selves you will work upon by meditation Trust me no more if ye finde them not such as will sweeten Gods favours towards you Reasons pressing the performance meditate these First Nothing sooner stops the fountain and current of Gods bounty then doth unthankfulnes this hazards to an utter deprivall as Rom. 1.21 Secondly Or else the blessing shall be scanted in the measure as to the Jews Amos 8.11 Thirdly or else the blessing continued shall turn to a curse and snare unto thee as riches reserved for hurt Eccles 5.13 The word to harden Isa 6.10 knowledge to aggravate sinne and punishment Ioh. 9.41 Secondly according to the measure of bounty and favour contemned or slighted so usually is the measure of wrath in the day of visitation Matth. 11.23 Jews highliest advanced in Gods favours Never did Nation under the sunne drink deeper of his wrath see Deuter. 28. Levit. 26. And my feet from falling Whether means he into penall misery and mischief or into sinne There is Lapsus moralis as 1 Cor. 10.12 Erre I or would David here be understood of sinning so Psal 73.2 My feet were almost gone my steps had wel-nigh slipt And if I be not deceived the cariage of the Text swayeth to such understanding rising still from the lesse to the greater First It is more bounty to be kept from grief then from death for there is a greater enlargement from misery but it is not more bounty to be kept from the sense of affliction then to be kept from death which is the greatest of temporall evills but it is more bounty in a gracious eye to be kept from sinne then from death Secondly How his eyes from tears If not kept from sinne That had sure cost him many a tear as Peter Matth. 26.75 But understand it De lapsu morali so still riseth the gradation to enlarge Gods bounty yea which I count the greatest blessing in these afflictions he kept me steady in my course of piety and suffered not afflictions to sway my heart from him still in a gracious eye the benefit seems greater to be delivered from sinning then from greatest outward affliction that is the reason Saint Paul Rom. 8.37 triumphs over all afflictions 2 Cor. 11. and 12. He counts them his glory his crown but speaking of the prevailing of corruption in particulars he bemoans himself as the miserablest man alive Rom. 7.24 The reason of this is for that rectitude of judgement is so farre vouchsafed that such men sanctified can discern twixt good and evill twixt evill and evill and in their eye Malum culpae is greater then Malum poenae The evill of sinne then the evill of pain For First That makes evill not this Puniri non est malum comparative scilicet sed fieri poena dignum Secondly In afflictions they know they may retain favour of God not so in sinning Thirdly That opposite to increated this to created goodnesse And besides this hahaving tasted the smart of sinne in the soul as who hath not that is Gods What affliction is comparable to that of an accusing conscience When may we hope to fasten this opinion in our multitude to think sinne greater then povertie then death then bonds c. The source of all sinnes is this in the people that in their sensuallity and Epicurisme they will redeem the least affliction with the greatest sinne Rather then want steal kill what not rather then loose life countrey liberty commit idolatry deny Christ rather then be counted odde or singular runne into any sinne of good-fellowship swear swagger drink and be drunken c. rather then feel a little sicknesse runne to sorcerer rather then a little losse in their goods to a Cunning-man a Witch that is saith Isa 8. from the living to the dead from God to the devill Oh that Christians had learned but what some heathens thought that to be vertuous is more happinesse then to have the wealth of Xerxes the pleasure of the Epicure the Dominions of Alexander the honour of the great Cyrus or Darius That it is more miserable to be vitiously inclined then to endure the poverty of Irus Learn I beseech you learn herein to reform and rectifie your judgements see Ioseph Gen. 39.9 How shall I commit this great wickednesse and sinne against God To this end meditate First The unavailablenesse of all outward benefits to stead us in the day of Gods wrath What then can be like to this Isa 38.3 I have walked before thee in the truth and uprightnesse of my heart Secondly What hazard thou makest of soul for fulfilling the lust of the body thou wilt be enclined to make Moses his choice Heb. 11.25 To suffer afflictions then to enjoy pleasures of sinne Thirdly How do we forget That for all these things the Lord shall bring us to judgement Eccles 11.9 Fourthly Fear him that can cast body and soul into hell Luke 12.5 c. Secondly Try we our selves by this I do not say all grace stands in this for I know a naturall mans judgement may be so farre cleared as to confesse it is greater evill to sinne then to be afflicted and yet it is something as Paul speaks * Phil. 1.10 To dis●ern the things that differ And surely He is not farre from the kingdome of God who hath his judgement thus farre rectified But First In whom judgement so farre works that when the least sinne is offered or a great affliction chuseth rather to be afflicted then to sinne against God he hath in him something supernaturall Secondly He that can more heartily thank God for this that he hath delivered from the power of sinne then from bodily calamities he hath in him something supernaturall Thirdly He whom this meditation calms in his pressure Well though God suffer me thus to be afflicted yet he hath delivered from the power of darknesse he hath kept me from sinning against him and in that meditation findes contentment that man hath in him something supernaturall And tell me thou that art so much discontented at the course of Gods providence in dispensing outward blessings To whether of the two thinkest thou is he most bountifull To thee whom he hath made rich in faith though poor in this world or to those Epicures and worldlings whose bellies he fils with his hid treasure yet suffers to live in dominion of the * 2 Tim. 2.26 Devill Lazarus or the Glutton Say not therefore Gods wayes are not equall even now thou mayest discern betwixt the righteous the unrighteous if thou knowest how to value blessing with blessing and to give the spirituall preheminence above the temporall My feet from falling Yet warily understand Not as if David had not at all sinned under his afflictions for see vers 11. his extravagancie in his passionate censures and story testifies

X XI I was greatly afflicted I said in my haste All men are lyars 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 annexed This Passage is here brought in by way of Prolepsis or of Anticipation as if he had said Yet conceive me not as vaunting of such perfection of faith in these afflictions as if I had not so much as conflicted with infidelity For I must confesse I found more then wavering in the exercise of faith I said All men are lyars The words then tend to mitigate what he said of the strength of faith and in summe are a confession of the defects he found in the exercise of faith wherein considerable are First The sin I said All are lyars Secondly The cause or mean-accidentall of his sinne Sore affliction Thirdly The next occasion of it His hasty and unadvised passion Sense Affliction we call all those pressures outward or inward which commonly come under the tearm of Malum poenae which deprive us of those things that are good to sense Their lightnesse or greatnesse is commonly measured by the good they deprive us of in state in fame in person or dignity c. or by the measure and degree wherein they strike us in either or else by our esteem and apprehension of the good they deprive us of and they are commonly greater or lesse in our sense according to the price or esteem we set upon the good thing whereof they strip us Let a worldling be touched in his goods it grieves him more then if he be robbed of name of health of children Touch a parent in the dearling that is a great affliction In a word mostly they are lighter or greater according to our apprehension though they have in them a reall lightnesse or gravity according to the kinde or degree of impression such Davids here I said in my haste Some render In praecipitantia some In ecstasi he means in the haste and violence of his passion before he had thorowly deliberated on what he should say or think as Psal 31.22 All men are lyars Is that a fault Is there not truth in the assertion Rom. 3.4 Answ It is true all men are lyars Comparative ad Deum Shall man compared with God be righteous Mans righteousnesse is more then menstruous in that comparison his truth in respect of Gods is meer falshood and lying as there is none good but God onely namely originally and essentially so none is true but God in like sense yet as Barnabas was a * Act. 11.24 good man by participation so are men all that are sanctified so truth we partake from God in our renovation this being part of the Image of God Take man in his naturall inclinations so he is a lyar a murderer what not Yet take him as regenerate and sanctified so he hates lying and speaks * Psal 15.2 truth that is in his heart But last of all ye must understand there are some men that in some things are privileged from lying speaking by an infallible Spirit as Prophets and Apostles in all they spake and wrote as instruments or Scriveners of the holy Ghost so were they privileged from lying * Psal 45.1 My tongue the pen of a ready writer They spake as inspired by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 so they could not erre or lie in any thing they delivered to the Church or to any person they spake unto as from God Now this was Davids sinne that in the generallity he wrapt in Samuel also who had spoken unto him in the Name of the Lord and assured him of succeeding Saul in the kingdome of Israel and of stablishing his throne over that kingdome and this is the fault David confesseth here of himself Lo here then to what exigents and extremities of distemper Gods great servants are brought through great afflictions to doubt to question yea in passion to deny the truth of God and his fidelity conferre that Psal 89.19.37.38 c. To like end tend the whole 37. and 73. Psalmes though in part on another ground How violent impressions afflictions have had in men most renowned Iob Ieremie Peter many other servants of God Scripture histories abundantly teach you Reasons if you shall ask me I can give none better then these First Nature is fertile of all sinnes no sinne nor degree of sinne may seem strange to us in any man so farre as he is naturall not blasphemy not Atheisme not infidelity let it therefore prevail above grace as oft it * Rom. 7.23 doth the best men will shew what they are by nature Secondly Next is divine desertion Gods leaving man to himself as oft in particulars he doth so he did Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 whereof if ye shall ask reasons take these First To humble us Secondly To make us hold fast by God Thirdly To teach us compassion Luke 22.32 Thirdly What should I tell you of the Devills suggestions which as we seldome want so least under heavie afflictions see Iob 2.4 5. Marry if you enquire of the occasions I can shew you many First Overconfidence of our own strength by which occasion David confesseth his great trouble fell Psal 30. and by this reason fell Peter Matth. 26. Secondly Next if not ignorance for so farre I am loath to charge so great Saints yet inconsideration First Of the manner of convaying promises whether temporall or spirituall or eternall which are not absolute but conditionall yea even in spiritualls tied to means and with reservation of power to the promiser to chasten try manifest grace c. Secondly Of the strange means by which God brings his purposes to passe even by such oft-times which seem to overthrow the promise and to crosse the performance of it as when David hath promise of the kingdom what lesse appears then a kingdome in the whole course of David so many perills he was plunged into Thirdly You may observe to be giving leave to reason to oversway in decision of things which are but meerly upon faith and power of the promiser so Sarah and Zacharie fell upon their fidelity she laughing at the promise he doubting because he saw all in nature against it Vse 1 It is a Rule we give that no man may withdraw himself from any crosse or affliction God shall call him to suffer see Heb. 10.38 Yet secondly from this ground let no man throw himself into unnecessary affliction much lesse wish or pray for it For knowest thou what thy issues shall be I mean when thou goest out of thy wayes and headlongest thy self into such temptations Have you forgotten Saint Peters issue upon that occasion Who bad or warranted him to enter the high Priests hall there to hazard himself to death see 1 Cor. 10.12 Look you there is difference twixt a great affliction imposed by God and little crosse drawn upon our selves Be it never so grievous when God imposeth it rest assured he will strengthen 1 Cor. 10.13 but when we put it upon our selves then fear God surely punisheth