Selected quad for the lemma: land_n
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A61667
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The voice of the rod, or, God's controversie pleaded with man being a plain and brief discourse on Mich. 6, 9 / by Samuel Stodden.
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Stoddon, Samuel.
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1668
(1668)
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Wing S5716; ESTC R26260
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166,900
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354
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from within not from above mistake not Christian 't is the Ship moves not the Shoar I hope you confess that that is not necessary that God doth not see necessary Well then can it possibly consist with his glorious Attributes to see any thing really necessary pro hic nunc and yet deny it to such as are in Covenant with him when he hath plainly asserted and faithfully engaged the contrary 3. Nay let me add This hundred-fold encrease thou hast already and that not only in the promise and title but in the possession Mar. 10.29 30. Here you have a large Edition of the fore-cited Text Verily I say unto you Here 's the Oath there is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the Gospel's but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time houses and sisters c. with persecutions that is He that shall leave Lands or Relations c. for my sake shall find as good again another where Strangers shall be to him as Father and Mother c. as tender as careful as friendly as those Relations he left Their houses shall be his houses and their lands his lands These â—re your persecution-Fathers and your persecution-Brethren the Relations begotten in and â—â—y your bonds the lands and houses purchased â—â—y your poverty and want's as God dealt with Joseph Gen. 39.4 And Joseph found grace 〈◊〉 his sight Here Joseph found the Father and Brethren which he had lost Thus in the same â—ind and yet if this be not enough or if it be â—ot alway made up this way yet be sure it shall in that better part if thou be not paid in â—ounters thou shalt in Gold Godliness with contentment Godliness in all its Consequences or Appurtenances Persecutions with contentment is great gain That little that never-so-little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked Psal 37.16 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a stalled Oxâ—â— and hatred therewith Prov. 15.17 I might 〈◊〉 forth the vastness of the over-plus of this advantage both in respect of the Nature and the Measure of it but I must not Digress too farâ— 2. Clear up thy Assurance of Gods good-wiâ—â— to thee 'T will be a hard matter to suffer long 〈◊〉 to suffer much for One of whose special love you are not well and convincingly perswaded Herein stands the superlative Excellency and commendation of the love of Christ that he dyed 〈◊〉 Eremies Rom 5.8 But 't will be hard for you to drink of this Cup. I am not of their mind who own no such thing as the Doctrine of Assurance but would cut God's Standard and reduce it unto Antichrist's Peck Neither am I of their Perswasion who make Assurance the Genus of Justifying Faith These are the Scylla and Charyâ—dis which have slain their thousands nay theâ— ten thousands Nor shall I digress so farr as 〈◊〉 insist on the confutation of either onely this 〈◊〉 say Give diligence to make your calling and Election sure as the Apostle exhorts 2 Pet. 1 1â— For if ye do these things ye shall never fall Maâ—â— your Calling and Election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firm and stâ—ble Not Objectivè For the Foundation of Gâ—â— standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 Election is Election and Calling is Calling whether we know it or no neither is it founded on opera praevisa or peracta But Subjectivè That ye may believe and besure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. John speaks Joh. 6.69 that ye may certainly know and fully testifie your Calling and Election And that this is the truth of this Scripture Observe first his Inversion â—ot Election and Calling in their natural Order but Calling and Election q. d. Make evidence of your Election by your Calling and then give diligenceto make it sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Steph. Divers lect for if ye â—o these things before advised and enjoyned â—er 5 6 7. you shall never fall not only from â—our Elected and Justified Estate but not from any proportionable and comfortable sense of it Keep â—he Clouds of sin from interposing keep the lower Regians clear and the Sun shall cast thy shade 〈◊〉 the way wherein thou art walking As ever â—hou hopest to find that Cordial at the Bottom and 〈◊〉 hold out with Courage and Patience till the â—oyls shall come to be divided get some infallible Evidences that thy Captain 's heart is â—â—ith thee Alas I Christian thou art little a ware 〈◊〉 what use Love will be in hard service Now thou lovest but considerest not what standing â—edges and Reciprocations thy love hath gotten â—â—om above onely thou hast thy ease thy health â—â—y liberty God hath made a hedge about thee â—â—d thou art not serving him for nought thou â—â—st thy Priviledges and Spiritual Advantages in â—â—mmon with others the same Sun that is shining 〈◊〉 the wicked shines on thee too These are to thee some tokens of Fatherly Love and care on the account of Covenant-Interest and Relation Ay but when thy Goshen is become a Wilderness and these tokens cease what infallible Evidenceâ— hast thou then on which thou canst boldly cast thy Body and Soul and Hopes and all If eveâ— you fall it 's like to be under your burden or over some Rock of offence and now that your old Staff is broken what have you to trust to Oâ— keep in with God give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure and so Yâ—â— shall not not at any time fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. Examine and prove the strergth of thy Graces Hast thou nothing to try thy Faith and Patience with no smaller Burdens to begin with 〈◊〉 no broken Papers to try thy Pen upon Taurâ—â— feret qui Vitulum tulit Take on thy whole Armour and prove it thou art called to fight 〈◊〉 thy life this is it must defend thee or thou mâ—dye for 't Thine Armour is invulnerable 〈◊〉 thou knowest how to use it Young Souldiers thâ—â— have only the Theorio of Arms will find themselves miserably to seek when they come 〈◊〉 Practice Hast thou no Personal troubles 〈◊〉 Family-Crosses no Scorns nor Contempt noâ— that Wrong thee or Speak Evil of thee no Paiâ— no Disease no Fear art thou in no trouble 〈◊〉 other men If thou hast no burden considerable of thy own hast thou no assisting work offerâ—â— Are there none of thy poor brethren overladen 〈◊〉 thee whose burden thou art commanded to beaâ—â— Gal. 6.2 Try now what thy Faith and Paâ—â—ence thy Humility and Self-denial thy Hâ—â— and Charity will do in these common and lesser cases It may be thou art hoping to hold out well enough at last and in greater Trials to stand thy ground with the best O consider how sadly thou wilt befool thy self First He that will not serve in his own File whereunto he is called may look to be
for 1. For Gods Glory 2. For our own Salvation And in order to both these 1. For the Word of God 2. For the Spirit of God 1. The Teachings of it 2. The Quicknings of it 3. For all opportunities of doing or receiving good What we are to watch against 1. Against Sin 1. In the Fountain of it 2. In the Acts of it 3. In the Temptations to it 4. In the occasions of temptations 2. Against Satan 3. Against Self 1. Self-application 2. Self-relyance 3. Self-attribution 4. Against the world 1. The Fears of the world 2. The Flatteries of the World 3. The hopes of the world 4. The Scorns of the World 5. The Persecutions of the world 6. The Cares of the world 5. Against Death Reasons 1. Because they are Enemies 2. Mortal Enemies 3. Spiritual Enemies 4. Constant Enemies 5. Mighty Enemies 2. To the Enemies of God 1. It assures them that they are mistaken in God 1. In his Holiness 2. In his Justice 3. In his Mercy 4. In his Patience 5. In his delight in and care of his People 6. In his glorious Title of Hearing Prayer 7. In his Ends and designs 2. It calls on them to consider and on consideration to repent 3. It tells them that the Dregs of the Cup are like to come to their share 4. It assures them that God will be too hard for them 5. It fore-warns them that God is making short work with them Rules to discover the particular meaning of this or that particular Rod. Motives to the Duty 1. 'T is an excellent way to gain by the Rod. 2. 'T is a notable course to make the yoke easie 3. 'T is a special means to improve Experience 4. 'T is the only way to have the Affliction removed with ad-advantage The Rules 1. Consider what were thy last miscarriages 2. What are the eructations of Conscience 3. Sometimes the punishment bears some resemblance to the Sin 4. It may be God afflicts for prevention 5. What is thy patience under the rod 6. It may be God is but trying of thee 7. Go and ask it of God by Prayer Use 1. This informs of a threefold Mistake 1. Such as question Gods Providence 2. Such as transferr the Cause of the Rod from themselves 3. Such as apply themselves to indirect means Use 2. of Exhort Motiv 1. If you will not have the Rod you shall feel the Rod. 2. If you will thus hear it you shall be sure of strength to bear it Use 3. of Exam. 1. Your ends in desiring the removal the Rod. 2. What good the Rod hath wrought on you Use 4. Lament 1. That we should thus provoke God 2. That we are no more sensible of it 3. Lament your poor posterities THE VOICE OF THE ROD OR God's Controversie pleaded with Man BEING A Plain and Brief Discourse on MICH. 6.9 Hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it I Shall not hold you here with any troublesome speculations by way of Introduction onely so farr as I humbly conceive necessary to help your Understandings in so plain and important a Concern It seems that God had then a great Controverâ—e with his People which he stirrs up the Prophet to plead in his name and behalf vers 1. Arise contend thou before the Mountains and let the Hills hear thy voice ver 2. For the Lord hath a Controversie with his People and will plead with Israel ver 3. O my People What have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee Testifie against me With what melting Compassions doth God begin with them how doth his bowels yearn upon them O my People Though they be a sinful people yet they are my people And this is one distinguishing Priviledge Observ and singular Comfort of the people of God Though he do correct them yet he will not cast them off though he may distress them yet he will not divorce them What have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me O the wonderfull condescention of the great God! how pathetically familiarly convincingly doth he expostulate with his children What have I done unto thee wherein have I wearied thee What iniquity have your Fathers found in me Jer. 2.5 31. have I been a wilderness unto Israel a land of darkness what can you charge me with let us hear it testifie against me Ver. 4. I brought thee out of the land of Egypt and redeemed thee out of the house of servants and I sent before thee Moses Aaron and Miriam And is this the wrong you complain of hath my patience my goodness my mercy my wisdom my power which have ever stood engaged for you abused you ver 5. O my people remember now what Balaac King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal Numb 22. that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. Remember how I trod down your enemies before you and brake all their snares for you and owned you still in all your streights in all your wants in all your fears and under all your provoking unkindness and unthankfulness And is this my unrighteousness now and that wherein I have wearied you God having thus justified himself their own conscience and experience being witness In the next place we have their strange Reply ver 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God See the frowardness and foolishness of their answer much like the language of that wicked and slothful servant Matth. 25.24 I knew thee that thou art an hard man reaping where thou hast not sown q. d. Why we know not how to please thee thou art alwaies â—hiding alwaies finding fault and seeking occasions against us every thing is naught that we do our very Incense is an abomination Why Isa 1.13 what wilt thou have of us ver 7. Will the Lord â—e pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousand rivers of oyl shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the â—n of my soul a flat impossibility on the one â—and and a foul impiety on the other Could they ever imagine that this should be a probable way to attone him The truth is it looks like an horrible imputation on the Just and Holy God but that Charity suggests it was not their professed but their interpretative language not of their â—ps but of their lives And hence we may observe Observ 1. That it is the course and the character of an hypocritical People or Person to think to make up that with the labour which is wanting of the life of Religion And farther That it is the subtilty and ambition of the Devil to mix his own Immolations and super-erogations with Gods Institutions But I must not insist here See now how mildly God replies again v. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do