Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
kingdom_n lord_n time_n word_n 2,444 5 3.7698 3 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A81250 The root of apostacy, and fountain of true fortitude. Delivered in a sermon before rhe [sic] Honourable House of Commons, on their late day of thanks-giving for the great victory given to Sir William Waller and the forces with him, against the army of Sir Ralph Hopton. By Thomas Case, Preacher at Milk-street, London, and one of the Assembly of Divines. Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. 1644 (1644) Wing C839; Thomason E46_11; ESTC R22888 28,474 40

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

of the state of the Battell whereby their brethren also were strengthened to returne and resist the rage and fury of the Enemie and to pursue it to a great slaughter and a totall routing and discomfiture of that proud daring Armie Well we may conclude That God was in that dayes worke of a certain and wrought wonderfully and immediately for the salvation of his people Surely so great a victory with so cheape a losse was more then Gods finger it was his Arme his right-hand that turnd the question of that day and the feares of his people into inconquerable courage and their mourning into triumph and rejoycings All that I have to do now is to bespeak you Honourable and Beloved that under this and other Deliverances and Victories we have and hope for as they were wrought by the knowledge of God so we would behave our selues as a people that know our God let us wear our deliverances as a people that are acquainted with God In the first place therefore 2 Sam. 12.27 28 29 30. let us carry it thankefully let us do with Christ as sometime Joab did with David who when he had taken Rabbah sent for David lest the City should have been called after Joabs Name and set the Kings Crowne very weighty and rich with precious stones upon the head of David Let us us this day bring in our Lord Jesus Christ and let not victory be called after our name but let His Name beset upon it The Lord our Righteousnesse and strength and the Crowne upon his head I have read of a King going by water who looking over the bardge his Crown fell into the water one of the Watermen leapes in dives takes up the Crowne and when he comes up above water puts the Crowne upon his head that he might use both hands to expedite his returne to the Boat The King proportions his reward thus for saving his Crown he allowes him a Talent but because be put it on he takes off his head thinking that head not fit to stand upon its shoulders that presumed to weare that Crown which was made onely for the head of a King my Politiques are not sufficient to Critick upon the Justice of such a censure Sure I am it will be the highest act of Treason in Vs if we shall put this Crown of victory upon our own head upon the head of our own strength or wisdome c. Which as it was wrought onely by the hand so it was made onely for the head of him who is the King of Saints and Lord of Hosts And the highest act of Justice in him if he take away not the Crown onely from our head in refusing to give us any more victories but our heads too from our shoulders by leaving us to their Execution whose mercies are cruelties Let us therefore with the Elders in the Revelation fall down before him that sits upon the Throne and worship him that liveth for ever and ever Reve. 4.10 11. and cast our Crowns down before him saying Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and honour and power c. And therefore Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise if we stay till God come to demand his Crown woe unto us Secondly Let us carry it obediently Whoso offereth me praise Psal 50. last Glorifieth me It is some glory indeed to God and you have done well Noble Senators that you have set apart a day to praise God for this victorie wherein your resolutions have bin like that of David I will not offer to God that which cost me nothing 2 Sam. 24.24 You have not turned God off with a day that was his own before though it be a Sabbath dayes work to celebrate his praise for any Mercy or Deliverance being all the fruits of that grand Redemption which that day doth remember But you have sequestred a speciall day for a speciall Mercy and you have done well in it the Lord be blessed and the Lord blesse you for it but yet let me tell you from this Text This is not all nay this is the least part of that which God expects at your hands and at all our hands the main piece of praise is the Ordering of your conversations aright there is so much thankfulnesse in our hearts as there is holinesse and selfdeniall in our Conversations Without this Isa 58.5 Quasi sua offerent Deo seipsos Diabolo Bern. Infidelis disputat contra fidem Improbus Christianus vivit contra fidem c. as our Fastings are but the holding down of the head like a bulrush for a day so our thanksgivings are but the holding up of the head like a Reed for a day and wee are found guilty of that mockery Bennard speaks of to give our Sacrifices to God but Our selves to the Devill I remember Augustin comparing the prophane Heathen and vile Christian together makes onely this difference between them The Heatthen talketh against the faith but the Iewd Christian lives against the faith c. A poor difference wherein if either have the better it is the Heathen without doubt Let me invert it a little thus The wretched Cavalieres they swear against Christ The unholy Parliament-Protestant lives against Christ they blaspheme Christ in their mouthes these blaspheme Christ in their lives And tell mee Christians which dishonours God most their verball or our reall blasphemies and what do you think were it not better God should be dishonoured by a people that professe open enmity and warre against Christ and his Government then by a people that makes such profession of love to both Amos 3.2 You onely have I known of all the Nations of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Surely our secret abominations are more hatefull to God then their open wickednesses which they commit in the face of the Sun And better truely were it for us to perish by the lusts of our enemies then to perish by our own lusts The lusts of our enemies can kill us but once our own lusts will kill us to the second death Christians our God doth not onely speak peace and speak mercies Psal 119.68 but he gives peace and doth good Thou art good and thou dost good In our returns of praise let us be like our God and not content our selves to speak our thankfulnesse and sing our thankfulnesse but let us live our thankfulnesse and do our thankfulnesse and be our thankfulnesse Let us take all from sinne and self and give all to Jesus Christ If this be our thankfulnesse I dare promise you in the Name of my God this shall not be the last Victory God will give us for so the Psalmist hath yet to tell you To him that orders his Conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God You shall have yet more salvations Psal 50. ult even on this side everlasting salvation Brethren look to your Conversations it is both your thankfulnesse and your salvation Thirdly Prayerfully This Victory hath been the return of prayer let prayer be the return of this Victory So David resolves Psal 116.13 17. I will take of the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord and verse 17. I will offer to the the sacrifice of thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord You that never prayed in all your lives now learn to pray and so help to fulfill that Prophesie Psal 65.2 Oh thou that hearest prayers to thee shall all flesh come God hath shewed himself willing to hear do you shew your selves willing to pray and you that have prayed double your prayers and with your Master Jesus Christ pray yet more earnestly Oh it is a sweet and a glorious thing when prayer begets deliverances and deliverances again beget prayer Fourthly and lastly Believingly Brethren let us lay up this fresh experience by us and learn to live by faith in the next tryall Shall wee yet distrust our God Shall wee yet make flesh our Arm The Lord forbid Surely the least that God expects and merits at our hands for this and all other miraculous Deliverances is this that wee should resolve with returning repenting Ephraim Ashur shall not save us Hos 14.3 we will not ride upon horses neither will we say any more to the work of our hands Yee are our gods for in thee the fatherlesse find mercie Christians let us remember this Deliverance and trust God as long as wee live God hath done these things of purpose to bribe and support our faith Psal 78 46 7. Brethren this will bee honour to our God when the Enemies shall see in our greatest disadvantages and dangers wee serve a God whom we dare trust And thus Brethren in carrying our Victories Thank fully Obedientially Prayerfully Beleevingly we shall behave our selves as a people that know their God and for whom God hath done so wonderfull things I could have been larger but that I was choicely prevented in the forenoon There is a gracious Promise made to Israel the Lord make it good upon England Israel shall cry unto me My God Hos 8.2 I know thee It is an harder matter it seems then ever Israel thought of or then we think of to know God And you have done well noble Senators that you have engaged your wisdome and zeal for the promoting of this blessed and blessing-knowledge of God in this * Westminster where is a Lecture every morning at six of the clock maintain'd by 7 godly able Divines place in the neighbouring City and in other places of the Kingdome so far as your power and opportunity have served you by removing those vile persons whose lives and preaching have tavght nothing but rebellion in Israel and putting such in their rooms that both in life and doctrine should teach people the good knowledge of the Lord. You have done well I say for you know him that hath said Wisdome and knowledge shall bee the stability of thy times and strength of Salvation Isai 33.6 And the good Lord so accompany his own Word and his own Works by both which hee now is teaching England with his own Spirit and presence that at length not onely these places but the whole Kingdome even all England may say My God I know thee Amen FINIS
The Root of Apostacy AND Fountain of true Fortitude Delivered in a SERMON Before the Honourable House of Commons On their late Day of Thanks-giving for the Great victory given to Sir William Waller and the Forces with him against the Army of Sir Ralph Hopton By Thomas Case Preacher at Milk-street London And one of the Assembly of Divines Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord never failest them that seek thee London Printed by J. R. for Luke Fawne and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Churchyard at the signe of the Parrot 1644. Die Martis 9. April 1644. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament that Sir William Brereton do give thanks from the House to Mr. Thomas Case for the great pains hee took in the Sermon he preached this day at St. Margarets Westminster at the intreaty of the House It being a day of publique Thanksgiving for the great Victory the Forces under the Command of Sir William Waller and Sir William Balfore had against the Forces under the Command of Sir Ralph Hopton And hee is to desire him from this House to Print his Sermon And it is Ordered that no man shall presume to Print his Sermon without being authorized under his hand-writing H. Elsynge Cler. Parl. D. Com. I. Authorize Luke Fawne to Print my Sermon Tho Case TO THE HONORABLE and his highly Honour'd Friend Sir William Waller Knight Commander in Chief of the Parliaments Forces in the West Noble Sir TO whom more properly under that Grand Councell of the Kingdome whereof you are a Member doth the Dedication of these sudden thoughts belong then to your Worthy self who wrought with God on that day the Salvation whereof these poor labours together with a more skilfull hand were called in to celebrate in the great Congregation Sir I may truly say you made a great part of my Sermon and the better part too for while thousands there are of all sizes whose treacherous dealing in the Covenant of God comes in to bear sad witnesse to the former part of my Text and Sermon Free-grace hath so lookt upon you that you stand in the first division of those Worthies to whose fidelity GOD hath given ample testimony what exploits a people can do that know their God for certainly either you know God or else we know not you Darius once opening a pomgranate and being askt by a standerby of what he would desire to have so many as there were kernels in the pomgranate answered So many Zopyrusses Zopyrus was that valiant Knight and Commander who to get the City of Babylon possest by the Assyrians and besieged by his Mr. Darius caused his own nose ears and lips to bee cut off and his whole face and body so wounded and mangled all over that running to the enemies and making them beleeve hee was so used by Darius for perswading him to raise his Siege and remove his Army They easily giving credit to a relation that seemed to speak truth with so many mouthes as they saw wounds admitted him into the City and made him their Governour by means whereof hee got opportunity to deliver it and them up to his Master Sir If in the behalf of this poor bleeding Kingdom I might have my wish I would turn Darius his choice into so many Wallers You having run many as desperate though more innocent hazzards for the rescue of the Safety and Liberties thereof now captived by vile persons And this hath been your Honor God hath been with you and with those gallant * Noble Sir William Balfore worthy Collonell Brown c. Commanders and Souldiers that have accompanied you in this Service to whose Fidelity and Resolutions Parliament and Kingdome stand much indebted The Lord be with you still make you prosperous whithersoever you turn and cause his dread to fall upon his and your enemies that they may not be able to stand before you And when you have done your share in this great Service of God and the Kingdom He bring you back into the embraces of your Friends crown'd with Honour and Victory Interim if your grand employments allow you not time to read a period or two of this poor Sermon sometime do but cast your eyes I beseech you upon the Text and when you go forth to encounter the enemy lay it next your heart I dare say through the power of that Lord of Hoasts in whose Army you serve it will beyond all the witchcrafts and enchantments which some of your enemies are said to use render you invulnerable invincible in the day of battell which therefore as the richest present I can send you I humbly desire you would please to accept from him Sir whom your merits and love have made Yours Obliged to honour and serve you in all Gospell Offices THO CASE The Root of Apostacy AND Fountain of true Fortitude DAMIEL 11.32 And such as do wickedly against the Covenant shall be corrupt by flatteries but the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits THe words hold forth a plot or practice wherein these particulars are considerable 1. The person practizing He he shall corrupt 2. The persons that are practized upon and they were of two sorts 1. Some prophane or rotten whose Character is They do wickedly against the Covenant 2. Others sincere and truely Godly and their Character is They are a people that know their God 3. The Engine vsed in this practise that is Flatteries 4. The success of this practice and that is different according to the disposition of the parties charactred before The prophane or rotten hearted party they were wrought upon corrupted by these subtile Artifices to betray their Religion and their Country The Well-affected and Godly party that are described to us by the knowledge of their God they remain'd not only vnconquerable but conquerors they were strong and did exploits Give me leave the Text thus resolved into its parts to open them unto you as they lie in this Analysis and I shall then close with those doctrinall observations that do naturally offer themselues to us out of the words I will be brief in the opening of them First then here you have the person practizing He And this take him literally or Historically was Antiochus Epiphanes younger son to Antiochus Magnus that vile person verse 21. where you have the first mention of him There shall stand up a vile person to whom c. Whom for his vile and bruitish turbulent and treacherous disposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infanus furiosus Athen lib. 2. Polybius with the change of a letter or two wittily nick-names Antiochus Epimanes Antiochus the Furious or mad This vile person as he obtained the Kingdom of Syria which by right belonged to his Nephew Demetrius Vers 21. then but young by flatteries and treacherous insinuations pretending that he designed nothing but the care and protection of
men I would not of Christians are not Biast another way in their choice Israel would needs have a King over them 1 Sam. 8.9 though for no other reason but that they might bee like other Nations c. And hereby the people of God do not a little trouble and plague themselves and crosse their own designes by committing the managing of their affairs into the hands of such it may bee sometimes that think it no point of valour to scruple at so small a matter as breaking of a Covenant with God And no wonder if God crosse them since in such Elections they crosse God who in his designes singles out the called and faithfull and chosen Revel 17.14 yea they crosse his great designe which is Revel 17.14 That no flesh shall glory in his sight Therefore doth he chuse the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world 1 Cor. 1.27 28. to confound the things which are mighty And base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen c. Honour'd Senators let me ask you one question I blesse God I can do it without flattery If God had not stir'd up the hearts of people in the most parts of the Kingdome at what time you were singled out of thousands of England for this great and blessed Service in which you have sate now above these three yeers blessed be God to make a better choise then they did in many places of the Land What had become of poor England before this time Surely had not the Spirit of God gone forth and wrought to a wonder of wisdome and power in bespeaking the Votes of the people for a major part of men whose spirits were above fears and above flatteries c. We might have sate down long before this time and made our wills and bequeath'd our poor children every one of them Popery and Slavery for their sorrowfull patrimony And now Honour'd Senators and Honourable Commanders let it be your honour and piety to recompence this care and prudence into the bosome of this now poor bleeding Kingdome with answerable vigilance even to a Criticisme in your Elections of those in whose hands you trust the managing of so great and important concernments as have wrapt up in them the honour of Christ and the safety and the very being of the Kingdom Will you give me leave to speak a word in plain English I know you will If you do not purge your Armies as well as recrute them you may recrute them to your own and the Kingdoms confusion Vse 3 Your Armies are reforming Armies let it bee your care to make them reformed Armies and you may humbly expect that God will go out with them to enable them to do Exploits But thirdly to come a little nearer Is Covenant treachery the root of Apostacy Then Christians look to your Covenants so solemnly made and so often renewed What conscienciousnesse canst plead before God in the Civill and Politike reference of thy Covenants What command have these solemn Covenants had over your Estates Interests Persons in all these severall and successive Emergencies which have call'd upon thee to come forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty What vigilance and circumspection in the religious part What power have your Covenants had over your conversation in adorning that according to the rule Sit down I beseech you and set up a Tribunall in your own Consciences and let Christ sit as Judge And let me tell thee this That according to the accompt thou canst bring in concerning this matter thou art like to stand or fall in the hour of temptation I arraigne thee not for thy slips and failings Every trespasse against the Covenant is not a breach of the Covenant provided thou dost bewail thy failings watch against temptations and own thy Covenant I speak of the habituall and generall frame of thy heart and stream and course of thy Conversation wherein if thy care be to say with David Thy vows are upon me I will render praise unto thee Psal Psal 119.106 56.12 And I have sworn and I will performe it that I will keep thy righteous Judgements If thou canst answer old temptations as He did with Ego non sum ego I am not the man I was If thou canst approve thy self to God for a conscientious respect to all his Commandements Psal 119.6 and thy Engagements fear not thy standing thou shalt not be ashamed David assures thee so much in his own person Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements But if thou beest one of Solomons fools Prov. 14.9 who make a mock of sin If thou allowest thy self in known habituall wickednesse against the Covenant if thou canst sin in the face of the Covenant and not shrink at it Pval 50. Hast taken the Covenant of God into thy mouth and yet hatest to be reformed Fear and tremble I will not limit God but this I dare say it is a thousand to one but that when God and the Kingdom should have most need of thee thou wilt then turn Apostate My reason is because If Religion and a Covenant upon it cannot prevail with thee to forsake thy lust It is a mighty odds if thy lust do not prevail with thee to forsake thy Religion and the Covenant If thou art not true to God and thine own soul how canst thou think to be true to Church and State He that will sell his soul for a lust will sell a Kingdom if need be for a morsell of bread He that thinketh he standeth let him take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Vse 4 Fourthly I should in the fourth place lay in Cautions to all to take heed of Flatteries Religion Flatteries State Flatteries Personall Flatteries since these be the Baits wherewith politike Seducers beguile vnstable and unwary soules Prov. 14.15 1 Cor. 10.15 that would be thought of Prov. 14.15 The simple beleeveth every word but the prudent looketh well to his going And I may say with the Apostle I speak unto wise men you are prudent be not deceived with a parcell of fair words but look well to your goings Had I an Enemy whom I might lawfully curse I would wish him no greater plagve then to be given up to beleeve the flatteries and witchcrafts of men that lie in wait to deceive and destroy doubtlesse those who by such Artifices and Engines for their own private Interest shall be corrupted and wrought off to betray their publike Trusts and Depositums may speed as well as many of those in the Text did * Alcimus Simon Jason Menelaus c. who for their service they did to the Tyrant were preferred some to Banishment others to Butchery Nec lex est Justior ulla c. There is nothing more just and proper then that Treachery should be rewarded with Treachery And indeed
the hand of Divine Justice doth so order the matter even here that it is the portion of base Apostats that while they betray their trusts they do more betray themselves That principle being written upon the breast of Tyrants though they love the Treason Amo proditionem odi proditorem they hate the Traytor while they cannot expect fidelity to their new Lords from them who came off with perfidiousnesse to their Olde But I shall not need to presse this Caution Remember the former and this will be ueselesse Fidelity in Covenant is the best Antidote against the Enchantments of Flatterers The Antithesis in the Text holds out so much to you which is the second main thing in the Text and comes now to be handled But the people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits from whence The second Doctrine is Doct. 2 Doct. 2 The right knowledge of God is the spring and fountain of all true Greatnesse and honourable worthy atchievements God himself hath sealed this truth with his own mouth while he hath made this knowledg of himself the ground work or foundation of all Glorying and rejoycing Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome Jer. 9.23.24 neither let the mighty man glory in his might Let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord Joshua and Gideon Barack Sampson Jeptah and David also Samuel and all the Prophets with all the worthies of God before and since Christ will come in like a cloude of witnesses to give in testimony to this Truth who by their knowledg of God Subdued Kingdomes wrought Righteousnesse obtained promises Heb. 11.32 33 34. stopped the mouthes of Lions quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight Put to flight the Armies of the Aliens But before I can demonstrate this truth unto you in the reasons of it I must of necessity cleer my way by satisfying these two Quaeres 1. How God may be known since he is said to dwell in an inaccessable light 2. What knowledge it is that will heighten a people to such atchievements For the first You may remember what Gods answer was to Moses his importunate desire that God would shew him his Glory Namely this Thou canst not see my face Exod. 33.18 for there shall no man see me and live Thou canst not see my face What is that Why the face you know Vers 20. is the clearest discouery we can take of a mans person the face is the full prospect of a man The seat of beauty his Glory And thus likewise by the face of God is understood the full and cleer discovery of God in his Nature Essence and Glory Now no man can thus see God or know God on this side Heaven it is an * Omne vehemens sensibile destruit sensum object of such transendent Majestie and Glory that the feeble eye of mortality is not able to bear it and therefore this faciall vision or knowledge of God is reserved for that time when mortality shall be swallowed up of immortality When the Organ shall be made strong and spirituall sutable in its proportion to such an excellent object then shall we see face to face then shall we know 1 Cor. 13.12 even as also we are known Aug. whereupon I remember Augustine hath this sweet rapture Ah Lord I can no man see thy face and live then Lord let me dye that I may see thy face In the mean time observe further what God tells Moses Thou shalt see my back-parts what are the back-parts of Jehovah Why you know Vers 23. that as the face is the full and cleer prospect of a man so his back-parts are but the darke and indistinct representation of him If I see but the back of a man I take but the confused and imperfect discoverie of his stature and proportion And such indeed is the best and cleerest knowledge of God that is attainable on this side Heaven we see but his back-parts as Divines say our knowledge of God here is rather Negatiue then Affirmative we know him rather by what he is not then by what he is This knowledge of God in his back-parts consists in these three things First In his Names Jehovah which implies as much as a Being consisting in it self and giving Being to every thing that hath a being Lord God c. which expresse his Greatnesse and Soveraignty and Supremacie over all the world Secondly In his Attributes whether 1. Incommunicable,2 Communicable as Almighty Omniscient Omnipresent immutable Wise Holy Faithfull Just Righteous Good Gracious c. Thirdly In his Relations as Creator Master Friend Father Husband c. All which I could shew you in Scripture but I must but touch these things in transitu Now this knowledge of God in his Names Attributes Relations Is threefold First Notionall or Historicall onely which consists onely in a bare intellectuall notion of a God whereby a man is able to discourse of such a Being as God is even no otherwise then of any other Being in the world although perhaps it have no existence in rerum natura as a Golden mountain or Elysium Fields c. Secondly There is a credentiall knowledge pardon the word James 2.9 I use it because a fitter offers not it self a beleeving knowledge and so the Divels beleeve and tremble Thirdly There is an Experimentall knowledge of God such as you saw described Jer. 9.23 When a man as he hath heard so in a proportion he hath seen Psal 48.8 what he hath heard and beleeved of God that he hath found by sweet and blessed experience to be in God namely that god is that glorious being and Soveraign Lord unspeakably full of Power Wisedome Holinesse Justice Faithfulnesse Goodnesse c. A Faithfull Creator an unfailing Friend a tender-hearted Father a never dying Husband this is scientia affectiva as the Schools call it an heart-affecting knowledge Quaere 2 Now for the second Quaere It must be a knowledge that hath all these heights and Gradations in it that must strengthen a people to do exploits Historicall or Notionall knowledge onely will not do it it is but a painted fire it hath no warmth or life in it Credentiall knowledge if it be but meerly an Historicall belief will indeed do somewhat it will dare a man much such an one will be afraid of doing against God But it is the Experimentall knowledge that will make a man a daring man to do great things for God and this is the knowledge in the Text The people that know their God know him and know him in his Relations know him and know him to be their God