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	lord_n	time_n	5,703	5	3.3083	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72913	Three godly and fruitfull sermons declaring first how we may be saved in the day of iudgement, and so come to life everlasting: secondly, how we ought to liue according to Gods will during our life: which are the two things that every one ought to be most carefull of as long as they liue. Preached and written by the reverend & godly learned M. Iohn More, late preacher in the citie of Norwitch. And now first published by M. Nicholas Bovvnd: whereunto he hath adioyned of his owne, A sermon of comfort for the afflicted: and, A short treatise of a contented mind.	More, John, d. 1592.; Bownd, Nicholas, d. 1613. aut	1594 (1594)	STC 18074.5; ESTC S125128	118,386	153

cannot abide it it grieveth us we are marveilously troubled with it and therefore are we so carefull to provide meate for the bodie and clothes for our backe we haue never done with that all is too little that we can cramme into this our filthie paunch and to hang upon our lasie backes all is too little we haue neuer done purchasing and preparing for it What shall I say whole towneships and lordships will not serue to fill this our greedie maw and cloath our fine and delicate backe And yet in the meane time alas our poore soule within starued with hunger pined euen to death with cold and nakednesse and we not a whit carefull to prouide for it the bread of life the food of life to releeue his hunger nor the righteousnesse of Christ to cloath the nakednes of it least it die eternally we are not a whit carefull for that because we feele nothing at all the misery dāger that our soules be in The whol world is asleep in sinne wallowing and tumbling themselues therein in perill and daunger of eternall destruction and hell fire euerlasting and yet doe not see it they thinke them-selues in no daunger and that maketh men so carelesse that they neuer seeke for any remedie Oh a harde worlde a hard vvorlde God helpe never so hard a world we haue much a doe to liue it is so harde a worlde thus can we say touching the body never so much pouertie and such exclamations and outcries for the pinching of the body as is marveilous and I partly beleeue them to be true But in the meane time in this great miserie and perill of our soules in the great hunger of our soules who doth exclaime upon that skantly the hundreth person and although it be exclaimed upon yet it is but coldly looked unto for the remedie of it other things yet touching the hunger and harme of the body they are looked unto to be remedied and this hunger of our soules which bringeth to eternal death is smoothly passed over I can not see but it is the Lordes iust scourge to punish vs with our roddes in sending such scarsenesse in so great plentie because we will needes contrarie to his commaundement be more carefull for our bodily life then for our heauenly life For if wee did chiefely and aboue all seeke for the kingdome of heauen God giueth his promise that all other things needefull should be ministred vnto vs but because we will needes be wiser then God like a young scholler to set him to schoole and whether he will or not needes before the kingdome of heauen seeke the kingdome of this world he laieth our owne deuises vpon our owne necks and giueth vs neither the one nor the other Therefore let vs repent in time for a iudgement wil come there is no remedie we must all appeare there is no remedie Let vs now be carefull to be saued in that day both in soule and bodie let vs be carefull for it it is a waightie matter it is not so easie a matter as men thinke The Lord Iesus telleth vs so the way to the deuill and eternall destruction is easie broad and wide and many finde it they flocke thither euen by heapes but the way to life he telleth vs is very painfull and rough many pricks in our way and therefore fewe finde it It is not a tush with thy mouth and a fillip with the finger and three words speaking as they say at a mans death that will bring a man to heauen nay the Lorde Iesus saith that in that day there shall be many that can say gloriously Lord Lord yea and with great knowledge haue taught other the Lord and yet for all that shall haue their portion with the deuill in the burning lake Men thinke it not so waightie a matter because they do not see in what peril danger they stand in they think themselues in good case because they see a great number worse then they they thinke they shall doe as well as the rest and they are content to take part with the rest and because Satan hath blinded them they thinke if they be void of great notorious crimes such as are punished with death by the magistrate treason murder theft and such like they thinke God can not iustly condemne them what say they I labour truly for my liuing and I thanke God I am no thiefe nor murtherer I trust I shall doe well ynough in the day of iudgement so he thinketh because he is not an outragious sinner his other sinnes be but smal petie sinnes that God must needs forgiue and so he flattereth himselfe and because he seeth not the daunger of his sinnes he neuer careth to prouide the remedie But alas it is farre othervvise the punishment even of the least sinne if it were but in thought is the eternall curse of God and his everlasting vengeance the Lord God himselfe hath appointed it which can not goe backe Cursed saith he be everie one which doeth not fulfill all things that are vvritten in the booke of the Lawe vvhere be novv your small sinnes vvhen God appointeth his curse to all And our Saviour Christ telleth vs that he that speaketh but a railing vvorde as foole or such like is guiltie of hell fire where be novv our pety sinnes when a vvorde speaking is hell fire Let me see vvhat man vpon earth novv is not guiltie of hell fire Who can say My heart● pure there is none but hee sinneth and the revvard of sinne is death vvho is there then not in danger of death if our case stand thus then good brethren haue wee not need to looke hovv this may be ansvvered before the iudgement seate of God haue vve not neede to be raised out of our securitie seeing the great danger we stand in God is iust and true that hath spoken the worde and therefore must punish our sinne with his curse it standeth vs in hand then I trow vnlesse we will damme our owne soules to looke for the answer of this geare VVell the waies and meanes howe to answer it is by Christ and it is set downe vnto vs in euery point to the full in the word of God for the answer of the matter which by Gods grace I shall declare vnto you hereafter more largely but because it is waightie and containeth much matter I leaue the full handling of it till the next day I trust by Gods grace ye shall haue the whole matter out of the word of God as fully answered before the iudgement seate of God in his heauenly court and as strongly as you haue your euidences to confirme your goods and landes before the iudgement seate of man in their earthly courts in the meane time because I will not passe mine houre I doe here ende this matter desiring you in the feare of God good brethren to applie vnto your selues all that haue beene here

the Lord onely doth giue faith yea but he giueth it ordinarily by the preaching of the word It may please him I graunt to giue faith otherwise if he see it good but we haue no warrant out of his word to come by faith but only by the preaching of the worde So it may please him if he see it good to feede vs otherwise then by meate drinke but if we refuse these ordinarie meanes of feeding surely we shal die and be guiltie of our own death The Lord hath appointed to saue his people by preaching so saith the Apostle he can saue them otherwise if he will but it pleaseth him by this meanes to saue them if this be neglected our saluation is neglected whereas this faileth the people perish Alas what shall we say to the state of this people here in this land skarsly the twentie parish hath a preacher can they be saued then Shal we make God a lyer he saith whosoeuer doth not beleeue is damned none can beleeue without a preacher if then we will haue the people of the Lord to be saued let thē haue preachers It is a great blessing of God I graunt that we haue it as we haue it for the Lord knoweth a great number can not so haue it but alas seeing the Lord giueth vs this mercie and quietnes that we may haue further care of it let vs for Gods loue be carefull for the soules of our brethren poore soules that starue round about through the lacke of the foode of their soules but alas I cā not preach to the whole land but for the discharge of my conscience I desire you good brethren so many of you as haue any voyces in place and parliament where these things may be reformed consecrate your tongues to the Lord in the behalfe of your poore brethren that ignorant blind guides which haue the conducting of Gods people to the great danger of losse of the soules both of the leaders and the people that these blinde guides I say be remooued and true preachers placed in their roomes that they may labour cherefully to get the Lords haruest into his barne to inlarge Gods kingdome the Lord shall then blesse this land kingdome wherein his kingdome is first sought for for so he saith First of all seeke the kingdome of God and then all other things of this earthly life shalbe giuen you be carefull for this good brethren when ye come in parliamēt where these thinges may be prouided for through the whole land that Gods people may be taught In the meane time let euery one of vs doe what we can by prayer to God to thrust forth labourers into his haruest let vs bestow our labours carefully to seeke for them let vs stretch our purses to relieue them then the Lord our God shall blesse vs with all spirituall graces daily more and more Alas let vs remember good brethren that they are in daunger of damnation vnlesse they haue the word preached the Lord saith so let vs not be wiser then God Let those especially that by the gouernement of this Church haue the prouiding placing of guides ouer the Lords flock let them be carefull that they seeke out those onely which be preachers otherwise good brethren the people do perish but they shal not scape skot-free that were the causes whether it were the couetous patrone in presenting or the negligent Bishop in admitting or the blinde guide in taking vpon him that waightie charge of leading Gods people The Lord will haue the blood of his people answered he will call to an account both Bishop patrone and blinde guide for the losse of the soules of his people The same price of bloode which is taken by the couetous patrone wherby the soules of Gods people are bought sold although he laugh in his sleeue and think himselfe in good case when he hath pursed his hundreth poundes for the benefice yet that same price of blood shall speak aloud in the eares of the Lord to his vtter condemnation in the day of the Lorde I am not ignorant howe the patrone will shift it off to the Bishop and say it is the Bishops charge to looke to its and that he as patrone hath no more to doe but seeke out his clarke the Bishop shal answer for it if he admit him be not able the bishop on his behalfe can as cunningly shift off the matter from him to the patrone say he can not stay them for the patrone hath presented them if he should not allowe of them a Quare impedit would come vpon him which he purposeth not to beare for none of them al. And the ignorant blind guide he hath his letters of orders institution induction hath filled the purse of the patrone he thinketh himselfe as wel discharged as the best no law in England can put him out thus the pore sheepe of Iesus Christ which Christ hath bought with his precious blood they perish for it and are deuoured of Satan But let thē wash themselues as cleane as they will they shalbe found before the iudgement seat of God no more innocent of the bloode of Christs flocke then was Pilate of the blood of Christ himselfe let them shift off the matter as fast as they can the people of God perish by them I knit them together all of them in one farthell throw them into the pit of hel as guiltie together of the death of the Lords flock if they do not repent this perishing of all the Lords people For Iesus Christ that bought them with so deare a price wil not haue them perish of so vile a price as they are bought and sold for Seeing thē the people perish without preaching it standeth the patrons in hand I trow to present the Bishop to admit none but those which be able to preach vnlesse they purpose to be guiltie of the blood of the people that perish for want of preaching Neither shal the people that are led by an ignorant guide so perish be excused before God for although they can alledge for themselues we could not doe withall he is placed by law presented by the patrone admitted by the Bishop all the lawes in England can not remooue him all this wil not serue for excuse before God for although there be no law in Englād to displace him for his insufficiēcy that by law is placed yet I answer there is no law in England that forbiddeth thee to place a preacher besides if thou wilt stretch thy purse I know no law that forbiddeth prouiding seeking for preachers vnles it be the law of our purse if thou say I am but one the rest wil not I can not maintain him my selfe then I say if thou can not get preaching to thee there is no law in England that forbiddeth thee to go to it to transport thy dwelling thither where thou maist haue it there

trow to be as carefull in this our heauenly action Novv before vve come to the iudge vnlesse we will loose the hold of euerlasting life and throvve our selues headlong into everlasting death It standeth vs vpon losse of life and goods euerlasting to looke to this geere both to looke out our accuser and pursuer of this matter against vs and also vvhat vvee are charged vvith and finally vvhat proofes he hath for it that knovving the matter throughly we may be carefull to see it ansvvered novv before the great iudgement day come sodenly vpon vs. Who is then our accuser can we knovv that I told you the vvord of God vvill lead vs strait to all those things that must be handled in this iudgement as strait more straight then any counsellour can infourme vs of our vvordly matters out of his lavv booke The holy ghost telleth vs plainly that the deuill is our accuser for so he saith the great dragon that old serpent which is called the deuill Satan vvhich deceiueth the vvhole vvorld the accuser of our brethren vvhich accuseth them before God day and night the same old subtill beast saith he is throwen downe Lo here the spirit of God giueth us to understand that we haue an olde subtill serpent the deuill that by his craft hath deceiued the whole vvorld we haue such a furious beast our accuser yea that doth not reserue his matter till then only but euen now is alwaies accusing vs before our God and neuer ceaseth night nor day it is high time for us then to looke about us seeing we haue so craftie an accuser that hath by his subtiltie deceiued so many and by his long experience is an old worne soldier in such dealing yea and our olde sworne enemie furiously set on rage against us to destroy vs in a moment if he could be sure we shall haue no fauour at his hand but whatsoeuer he can lay against vs for he hath bene priuie to most of our naughtie doings yea the very authour him selfe and we his slaues in doing them vvell then ye see seeing we haue such an enemie for our accuser we had neede to furnish our selues on all sides against him But what can he lay to our charge now let vs see that hath he any matter of waight to lay to our charge Hee layeth to our charge matters of high treason against God the supreme King and rebellion against his maiestie and there withall putteth in his plea to prooue us guiltie of the forfeiture of our heauenly inheritance therefore to be throwne out into euerlasting fire these matters then toucheth the quicke seeing they concerne life euerlasting or else death everlasting if we be convicted there is no way with us but euerlasting torment But let us see what proofes he hath for his matter what evidence he can bring into this high court to prooue this great action for if he haue nothing to prooue and make good that which he layeth against vs then although the action be never so great it is to no purpose it must fall and come to nought for it may be he playeth with vs as a company of his members vseth to deale with poore men here about us who put in their actions of thousands and thousands and make simple men beleeue that great matter is against them and when all comes to all that poore men haue bene tossed from post to pillar up to London and downe againe and emptyed their poore purses among the rich lawers then the matter falleth out neither so nor so neither thousands nor hundreths no not of a farthing weight not the very turning of a strawe and yet great a doe made about it till it come to the triall as though it concerned infinite worldes and mountaines of golde and at the length all not worth a strawe It may be then their master Satan purposeth so to deale with vs as he hath taught these idle fellowes his seruants to play with poore folkes It may be I say he purposeth to face out the matter with great bragges in this high court and make us beleeue we be in danger of hell and losse of life euerlasting and such like and when it commeth to the triall nothing so therefore let vs see what strong euidence he can shew for the proofe of it He bringeth in for the proofe hereof no smaller stuffe then the very worde of God he bringeth in the great charter made betwixt God and vs wherein the Lorde bindeth himselfe to be our God and we to be his people if we performe the couenants therein contained we on our side do assent to the performance of the same if he will vouchsafe to be our good and gratious god take vs to be his seruants tenants this great charter handwriting of God confirmed sealed and ratified vnto vs first by the old seale of the blood of calves and goates secondly in the new seale of the blood of the Sonne of God this same great charter hand writing of God doth Satan bring in against vs to prooue vs guiltie of forfeiture of the kingdome of God and heires of hell sire because we haue not performed the couenants of that writing for that is one clause of the charter if we do not fulfill all the couenants that then we should be excluded from the ioyes of heaven and haue Gods curse raigning ouer vs as it doth appeare Deuter. 27. Cursed saith God is every one which doth not fulfill all that is written in the booke of this law and the Apostle Paul bringeth the same sentence in to proove that all of vs are guilty of curse condēnation saith moreouer that the law doeth condemne us because we did not performe the couenants contained therein Ye see then what is brought against vs to proove us to be cast off from God and guiltie of the wrath and curse of God here is the word of God brought against vs to proove the same because we haue broken and transgressed the couenants which God gaue vs to walke in further to proue that we haue brokē them if vve should be so impudent as to stand to the deniall there is avouched the selfe same word of God which flatly convinceth vs and telleth vs that there is no man but sinneth all haue sinned and stand in need of the glorie of God If we should say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and there is no truth in vs these evidences and records out of the worde of God do beate vs downe to the hard ground before the iudgement seate of God besides the record and testimonie of our owne consciences which standeth in greater force to condemne vs then a thousand witnesses especially before God who is greater then our conscience and knoweth all yea many things which our consciences be not touched withall Thus you see here is brought in in this iudgement sufficient proofe against vs for

the more grieuously against vs. The chiefest cause of all this was their incredulitie Psal 78. 22. they did not beleeue that the Lord had a fatherly care of them sought in all things to do them good euen as he knew what was commodious for them which was so much the greater a sinne in them by how much the Lord had so many waies testified his great loue to them not onely by his word but by his workes v. 23. where he beginneth to reckon vp so many benefits of his bestowed vpon them Therefore that we might auoide all these sinnes we must labour first of all to beleeue the forgiuenes of our sinnes by Christ Iesus and that we are receiued into Gods fauour by the imputation of his righteousnes then we must be perswaded of his fatherly prouidence watching ouer vs for good and that he hauing giuen his sonne Christ Iesus vnto vs will with him giue vs all things needefull for vs and that there beeing a kingdome prouided for vs in heauen much more are wee heyres of this worlde which faith that wee might be confirmed and strengthened in we must not onely barely acquaint our selues with the promises of the worde wherein hee testified and shewed all these thinges vnto vs but also marke his fatherly dealing with vs from time to time wherein he hath confirmed the truth of these promises vnto vs. Moreouer concerning this matter this is an especiall meanes to bring vs to a contented minde if in worldly things we neuer propound too high an estate to our selues neither looke for great matters of this life but set a meane condition before our eyes as Iacob did Gen. chap. 28. 20. If God will be with me and keepe me in this iourney which I goe and will giue me bread to eate and clothes to put on so that I come againe to my fathers house in safetie c. with words proceeding from the trueth of his heart not purposing to dissemble with God did declare a maruelous contented minde if we consider who it was that spake it First of all the graundchilde of that mightie Abraham who was able to reske we his kinsman Lot with three hundred and eighteene souldiers borne and brought vp in his house Gen. chap. 14. vers 14. and who was so rich that the land in which he soiourned was not able to beare them cap. 13. 6. Then he was the onely heyre of that rich Isaak who dwelling in Gerar sowed and found by estimation an hundred fold and was exceeding rich cap. 26. 12 13. and was so blessed that the king of the land was afraid of him v. 28. Thirdly it was he who was so blessed in all earthly and heauenly things by his father in the chap. going before and was confirmed in the same againe in this very chap. v. 1. 3. and last of all was established in the faith of it by the Lord himselfe v. 17. After all so many and great things which might haue made him looke a loft what a minde had he that desireth 〈◊〉 meate and drinke and clothes especially in so long a time of absence from his friends for he knewe well the cause of his owne departure euen the cruel rage of his brother which could not be appeased but in a long time And this is so much the more worthie to be considered if we reade the text as some of the learned translatours doe namely when the Lorde shall haue bene with me shall haue kept me in this way by the which I am to goe and shall haue giuen me bread to eate and clothes to put on and to be short when the Lord shall haue bin my God then this heape of stones which I haue set up for a pillar shalbe Gods house c. wherein as hee doth not tie Gods favour to the aboundance of these outward things but confesseth that he may be mercifull unto him yea in a meane estate so this mercie of God he desiring aboue all is contented that the Lord should shew it unto him which way it pleaseth him if it be but in meate and drinke and clothes So our Sauiour Christ hath taught us to pray for our daily bread by which though he meane all things needefull for this life yet in naming bread he sheweth us what meane things we should looke for whereunto agreeth the prayer of the wise man Proverb 30. 9. Giue me not pouertie nor riches feed me with food conuenient for me and the exhortation of the Apostle 1. Timoth. 6. 8. When we haue foode and raiment let us be contented therewith which that we might so much the more earnestly labour to attaine unto let us consider how God hath alvvaies blessed them that haue looked for small matters and punished them that haue had aspiring mindes resisting the proud and giuing grace to the humble Dauid when hee was accused of treason against the king truly protesteth of himselfe Psalme 131. Lorde mine heart is not havvtie neither are mine eyes loftie neither haue I walked in great matters which are to high for me And when Saul in pollicie offered his daughter unto him to be his wife that by that meanes he might be destroyed of the Philistines he answered VVhat am I that I should be sonne in law to the king 1. Sam. 18. 18. and when it was further urged upon him he said Seemeth it a small thing unto you to be the kings son in law v. 23. yet afterwards God made him King But Adoniah Absolon both of them afterwards aspiring unto the kingdom by the punishments which God brought upon thē were made spectacles of so great ambition to the posteritie Mordecai in time of the captivitie having well deserued of the king Hest 2. 22. sought not ambitiously to preferre himselfe but serving still faithfully in his former estate was highly aduanced at the last cap. 6. Contrariwise Haman swelling with pride like a toade as it appeareth in many places of that story was at the last brought to that great shame confusion which deseruedly fell upon him And that we might in all persons consider the truth of this we shall find that if they haue no other punishment of God upō them yet they haue this which is no small one restles minds unquiet spirits For besides that the mind of man is insatiable there is no worldly thing so great but mans desire is greater therfore when he hath this that still he desires more is not satisfied we must remember that great things are very rare hard to be attained unto therfore we like to misse of them and so the mind must needs still be unquiet So the other if they haue no other blessing yet they shall haue this quiet spirits contented minds which is an especiall grace For besides that smal meane things are especially promised of God and are most common in the world therefore most like to be attained unto and so the desire soonest satisfied the