Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	great_a	holy_a	lord_n	2,162	5	3.3575	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78555	A motive to peace and love. Delivered in a sermon at Pauls the first Lords Day in June, anno Dom. 1648. By Humfry Chambers, D.D. and pastor of Pewsy in the county of Wilts.	Chambers, Humphrey, 1598 or 9-1662.; City of London (England). Lord Mayor.	1649 (1649)	Wing C1916; Thomason E467_12; ESTC R204211	25,089	38

that is effectually serve Gods saving mercy for the good of his people pray therefore earnestly all ye that can pray unto the God of Heaven and pray in faith for this needed mercy of a civill peace to be afforded to our land though I doe not say that such should pray in an absolute assurance of the particular mercy presently to be enjoyed yet they may and should pray in a faithfull dependance upon the power goodnesse and faithfulnesse of the God of Heaven hoping that the Lord who hath done so much for us already will at the length answer the prayers of his servants and crowne their desires with that peace and civill union which they groane to see established in the land and in the Kingdomes annexed unto it One word more that this peace may be premoted Follow peace with all men with that cautionarie addition and holiness● Universall peace is to be pressed after as farre as possibly may stand with due regard to holinesse Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord This holinesse here pointed at by the Apostle I take to be the just bound of that if it be possible in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans If it ●e possible as much as in you is Ro. 12.18 live peaceably with all men There ought to be in Gods servants as farre as respect to holinesse will beare all possible endeavour to obtaine and maintaine peace with all men I presse not this to interrupt the course of judgement according to righteousnesse Amos 5.24 may it ever flow out like a streame in the land and overflow all malicious unreconcileable enemies to the peace and union both of this land and the Kingdomes annexed whoever they be but with this proviso that the streame of judgement according to righteousnesse may run in the channell of safe and saving mercie as much as may be Zac. 7.9 considering that there shall be judgement without mercy to him that shewes no mercy and mercy rejoyces against judgement As farre as a due respect to holinesse Iam. 2.13 and judgement according to righteousnesse doth admit there ought to be in all a conscionable pursuance of peace with all men and I suppose that a civill peace can never be well expected in a Scripture way in this Kingdome unlesse the holy Ghosts counsell be followed herein Now then for you that are the Inhabitants of this great City not to reproach you by ripping up any of those flaming contentions which appeare amongst you the Lord avert the evill which they threaten for his mercies sake let me speake unto you as one that desires seriously the peace and welfare of this place be exhorted to pray for and to pursue peace with all those who are together with your selves Members of this City as far as a due regard to righteousnesse and holinesse may possibly beare Doe not you see that a sweeping destruction is ready to invade you at the wide gate of your divisions and let the Inhabitants of this land be perswaded with due respect to righteousnesse and holinesse to follow peace with all those that are together with themselves Members of this State Let every man in his place study to bring the Parliament the Army the City the severall Counties and if it be possible the King and Kingdome the head and Members of our State into a bond of peace and love that there may be a sweet joyning of all together for the mutuall defence securitie and benefit one of another and for the good of the whole And for those that are the Inhabitants of the three Kingdomes let them all be perswaded to pray for and pursue a stable peace betwixt the nations that these three Lands may be as a threefold Cord twisted together in the hand of Gods mercy to such a strength as shall not need to feare the force or furie of any publique or common Enemy It were very happy if this speech of the Apostle in my text might generally ring throughout the Kingdome yea throughout the Kingdomes If ye bite and devour one another take heed that ye he not consumed one of another There is a very great danger of a common consumption whilst men goe on in so much particular bitternesse fomenting civill divisions and contentions amongst themselves It was the Prophet Habakkuks complaint There are that bring in strife and contention Hab. 1.3 And are there not such amongst us are there not such in the the Kingdome in the Kingdomes at this day who like bellowes filled with the arie of Hell doe continually breath out lying suggestions and studied intimations of grounds of jealousie amongst brethren for no other end but to blow up an everlasting contention in the land and betweene the Kingdomes that they whom God hath greatly blessed may at the length be sadly ruined together shall such men be so diligent to divide and to de stroy and shall not every man that soves God and loves the Kingdom be awak●ned to presse on and pray for a peacefull union of Parlialiament City Army Country Magistracie Ministerie and if God have such a mercie in store for us of him with all whom we would be glad to enjoy as head of all in faithfulnesse and righteousnesse that there may be an union of all in the feare of God almighty to be really assistant one to another as fellow-members of the same State for the mutuall good and benefit one of another I shall say no more to this point but what you finde in the epistle of James namely That the wisedome which is from above Jam. 3.17 heavenly wisedom it is First pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partialitie and without hipocrisie and the fruit of righteousnesse is sowne in peace of those that make peace Mat. 5.9 And blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the Children of God Therefore let all with a due respect unto the glory of the God of Heaven in maintenance of holinesse and righteousnesse which I lay still as the foundation and boundstone of our peace be ever carefull to promote and maintaine an universall civill peace in this and the annext Kingdomes which may be the foundation of comfort and safety to us and our posterities Thus I come to speake Unto the second kinde of biting and devouring which the Apostle had a speciall eye unto in my Text. And now I am to enter upon a very sad argument to mourne over the bitter railings and oppositions which mutually prevaile amongst many brethren joyning together in the confession of the same faith and worship of the same God But before I begin because I desire to speake plainely I shall endeavour to prevent all mistakes by laying downe in the enterance First that I doe not bewaile the zeale of any brethren who in a way of love and faithfulnesse doe give testimonie to the truth of Jesus

bite hardest when such reproaches and hurtfull speeches are not only uttered into the aire and unto the eares of men but when they are in writing or in printing made sharpe to bite the reputation and the esteeme of others publickly and if it were possible perpetually unto all posterities then these teeth are sharpened indeed and then they bite home when men bite not in present only but take a course to bite and feed as it were as death doth upon others after they are in the Grave and after they are cut off from the land of the living In the next place 2 The devouring or eating for so the word doth properly signifie which is mentioned in the Supposition may either import a farther degree of that mischief which is done with the tongue biting being as it were a grieving reproach and devouring a ruining report for so you shall finde devouring ascribed to the tongue Psal 52.4 Thou hast loved all devouring words O thou false tongue Or else we may by this devouring understand a further acting by way of persecution and oppressing opposition of others according to the use of the phrase Psal 14.4 Have the workers of wickednesse no knowledge which eat up my people as if they would eat bread that is which oppose oppresse and with rage persecute them and so dev●ure them as a man would eat bread put both together and you have the full sence of devouring in my Text When as men doe in height of enmity by bitter words devoure as it were the name esteeme and safety one of another and when which further degree of virulency usually goes along with this there is according to mans power an open persecution and oppressing opposition raised by one against another then such men are fully come to that devouring one of another which my Text intendeth Lastly In the Caveat Take heed lest yee be consumed one of another these words are very plaine and very terrible for they import an utter and a common destruction ready to seize upon those who are mutually guilty of this sinne of biting and devouring one another and that by the meanes and hands one of another for that the Apostle shewed to be the dreadfull judgement which usually followes at the heeles of this sinne of mutuall biting and devouring one another as the words of my Text plainly intimate If yee bite one another take heed yee be not consumed one of another Thus I come from surveying the sence unto the Doctrine which the words being held together hold out unto us and this it is That They who are joyned together in any neare union Doctr. when they rise up one against another in bitter raylings and oppressing oppositions they are in greatest danger of implunging one another in utter and common destruction More briefly thus Intestine division is a sad preface and preparation unto utter common and mutuall destruction For entrance to that which I shall now speak in prosecution of this Point First consider that the unions of men which this Doctrine doth relate unto are of two sorts namely 1 Civill or Politique 2 Ecclesiasticall or religious 1 There is a Civill union of men in relation to temporall preservation and happinesse And 2 There is an Ecclesiasticall union of men in relation to everlasting salvation and blessednesse and the Doctrine of my Text holds of both and of both expresly but the Apostle had especially in his eye those raylings and contentions those bitings and devourings which are amongst Christian brethren whom Christian Religion doth or should neerly unite first therefore to speake unto the point in hand In relation unto men that are joyned together in Civill unions when they bite and devoure one another they are in great danger to be consumed one by another We cannot learne this better then from the mouth of our blessed Saviour Mat. 12.25 A Kingdome saith he divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and every City or house divided against it selfe cannot stand that is it is impossible it should stand long when there is a division and a contention raised within the bowels thereof It is well and generally knowne that all Civill unions begin in a family in a house in those three combinations of Husband and Wife Parents and Children Governours and Servants by the union of Houses Cities and Towne-ships are constituted by the union of Cities Kingdomes are composed and so upwards out of the union of Kingdomes arise large and comprehensive Empires or States of the earth under whatsoever denomination of unity Now our Saviour shewed that if we begin at the lowest Civill union a House and so rise to a City and then come to a Kingdome and by proportion if we thence ascend whither we can to any superiour Civill union still it is true that such a union divided in it selfe against it selfe cannot stand divided in it selfe against it selfe it comes to desolation When the Lord would expresse the utter ruine of the people of Judah in the immediate occasion thereof he shewed that it should be effected by intestine division and dissention Isay 3.5 The people shall be oppressed every one by another and every one by his Neighbour and the childe shall behave himselfe unseemely against the aged and the base against the honourable which words declare that innate divisions and contentions in the State of Judah should breed confusion and that bring forth utter destruction in any of the same And accordingly how home-bred divisions were the immediate occasion of the last and great destruction of Jerusalem when the hand of Divine Justice drew out the Roman Sword against it I need not speake it is so famously knowne in Story nor indeed is there any cause why to speake much either for the expre●sing or asserting of this truth in regard of Civill States that fretting divisions and contentions in the bowels are a disease that brings a Consumption upon them all the Kingdomes of the world have knowne thus much by experience who never flourished but under concord and were ever in a consuming temper when blasted with imbowelled and imbittered contention No wonder therefore that all the deep-working Polititians of the world lay it for a maxime Divide Impera once raise divisions in any State how mighty soever and you may rule and ruine it at pleasure A State divided in it selfe needs no enemy it is enemy enough unto it selfe and will doe an enemies worke against it selfe although it hath no other wages but selfe destruction and utter overthrow but of Civill unions and the mischiefe which comes by them I shall Doctrinally say no more but proceed to that which the Apostle doth especially eye in this Text which is Biting and devouring amongst those that are or should be neerly joyned together by the bond of Christian religion When persons are joyned in the faith of the same saving Christian truths and in the Worship of the same God and through vicinity of habitation and

may seriously looke upon it and consider whither we have not cause to be greatly humbled and to acknowledge where the root lyes of all our imbittered inbred contentions it is in the Prophet Isaiah Isai 9.18 19 20 21. I confesse is is a very terrible Scripture unto all those that doe not know how to looke beyond the Kingdome of England for their comfort nor do know how to looke upon the God of Heaven for their refuge and refreshment in the worst of times the Lord saith thus at the eighteenth verse Wickednesse burnes as the fire it shall devour the brieres and threnes and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoake through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land darkned and the people shall be as the fuell of fire no man shall spare his Brother and he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungrie and he shall eat on the left hand and shall not be satisfied they shall eat every one the flesh of his owne arme Manasseh Ephraim Ephraim Manasseh and they both shall be against Judah for all this his anger is not turned away but his wrath is stretched out still Oh that we might in this our day lay this to heart and learne that whilst manifold wickednesse remaineth in height amongst us the fire is kindled which if infinite mercy prevent not will burne us up with all our multitudes and glorie and cause us cruelly to consume one another in the heat of intestine contentions yea though the Lord by many and mighty deliverances seeme willing as hitherto he hath done to plucke us as a firebrand out of the fire yet if our wickednesse still prevailes we shall have cause to feare that for all this his anger will not be turned away but that his hand will be stretched out still A second cause of this division which the Scripture pointeth out is abundance of Pride the holy Ghost chargeth all contention upon that account Onely by Pride cometh contention Prov. 13.10 When men are of that temper that every man will goe highest there can be no other fruit of it expected but sharpe and suddaine contentions When the Inhabitants of a City are contented to walke the same streets and every man to take or give the wall as his place is or as it casually falls out all is quiet and all at Peace But should they pitch upon this resolution every one to take the wall and no man to give it the issue would soone be justling quarrelling and mutuall violence threatning the speedy ruine of the place I desire to leave it upon your consciences in the sight of God whether you may not in this see much of the cause of our contentions of our civill uncivill contentions at this time Great height and haughtinesse of spirit reigneth in the land every man almost would be first and uppermost and when that cannot be then comes the quarrell charged indeed upon other causes but flowing really from the spring of pride which if it still rise and runne as at present will never cease to fill up the measure of our state contentions Another ground of our miserable contentions which the Scripture pointeth at is Self-seeking It is very sad with a State when as the Apostle said of the Philipians All seeke their owne not the things that are Jesus Christs I adde nor those things which conduce to publique welfare when it is true of any State or Kingdom that the members thereof grow so selfish that they looke upon all publique transactions through the spectacles of private interests It is not possible but that such a State must be miserably rent if not speedily ruined with manifold contentions State-Hipocrisie is a chiefe and knowne nurse of State-Enmity whilst men under the hood of publique pretentions carry on designes steered meerly by private intentions and interests and professing to minde publique good make publique goods their common prey no marvell though they quarrell and fight on with another about parting I shall leave this likewise to all your consciences in the sight of God to consider whether this hath not beene and is not still a great cause of the bitternesse and civill enmity that prevailes in the land let me say this as in the presence of God if there be any which is greatly to be feared who have the heart blood of Ireland and the bowels of England lying at the bottome of their full Bags and Chests or faire Houses and Mannours which they have gained in these loosing times under what glorious pretence soever of a regard to the publique they shrowd themselves God will finde them out and their sinne shall finde them out and a time shall come wherein those men shall know that they can never wash their selfish hands in innocencie from being guilty of continuing that bitter destroying Enmity that doth now prevaile in our land Questionlesse abominable self-seeking is one of our great Staterending evills at this day One thing more by the Scripture we may learne That sinfull lusts maintained in regencie are a great cause of the quarrells which abound in the world Who seeth not that finfull lusts impatient of suppression or restraint either legall or religious began our publique quarrells which stand upon the same ground unto this day finfull lusts ruling in men who are resolved not to be tamed nor tyed up from accomplishing of them make them highly to act in the way of civill contentions and enmity against every one of what ranck soever who acts against their lusts The Apostle James doth expresly lay downe this root of contentions amongst men Whence comes Warres and Fightings amongst you Warres amongst you intestine Warres and Fighting whence come they come they not hence saith the Apostle even from your lusts that warre in your members Jam. 4.1 When as men have unruly lusts fighting within them then they prove unruly and ready to fight against all those that would restraine them in their evill waies They pretend so many causes of their discontent and enmity against those with whom they are at variance but when it comes to the tryall the reason why they are so much displeased and enraged against others appeareth to be this Because they seeke to restraine them from their living by the rule of their unruly lusts There be many men at this day that would make the world beleeve that an endeavour to set up Presbyteriall Discipline for the purging of the Church from scandalous offence is a great cause of those quarrells and contentions that are amongst us but I beleeve that to one man that takes distaste at the Presbyteriall Discipline out of conscience or any grounded pretence of conscience there be an hundred shall I say nay many hundreds that doe hate it and oppose it and all those that are friends to it upon no other account but this Of their lusts because they be afraid to be restrained thereby