Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	alexander_n	king_n	tumultuous_a	16	3	16.5584	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85666	An exposition of the five first chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, with useful observations thereupon. / Delivered in severall lectures in London, by William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1645 (1645)	Wing G1851; Thomason E272_1; ESTC R212187	422,046	514

give us in Satan here and make him the god of the world Exemplo imperio suggestione and that by example command and suggestion and Christ doth thrice call Satan the prince of the world Joh. 12.31.14.30.16.11 and Eph. 2.2 according to the Prince of the power of the aire the spirit that now worketh Vnaquaeque res v sibil●s habet Angelicam potestatem sibi praepositam Aug in l. 83. qu. 79. q. In hoc mundo visibil nih●l n si per creaturam nv●sibilem d sponi potest Thom. 1. part qu. 110. The devill hath great power in the aire to raise winds to cause storms thunder lightning which is the power of the aire and the same power hath he in the spirits of the children of disobedience and by that spirit whereof he is Lord he can move them any way as the winds and clouds and carry them against Christ and his truths Now hence I infer that if Satan and ill Angels be as gods princes in this world have power in the aire and hearts of wicked men then must it needs follow that good Angels are as Gods and princes and have as much power in the world and hearts of good men as they otherwise devils should gain by their fall more then ever they had by their standing and it 's not credible that wicked damned spirits should have more honourable titles and larger power then the holy and glorious Angels What be those services the good Angels are imployed in Answ 1. To inform us of Gods will and God of our wayes They acquaint us with Gods mind Gen. 18.19 Angels told Abraham and Lot what God would do to Sodome an Angell tells Elijah 2 King 1.3 what to say to the Messengers of the King of Samariu● an Angel tels the Apostles Act. 1.11 that Christ shall return in that manner they had seen him go up to heaven Christ tels John Rev. 22.16 that he had sent his Angels to testifie those things in the Churches the Angel tels Daniel that he came forth to give him skill and understanding Chap. 9.22 Mat. 1.20.2.13 An Angel informs Joseph of the minde of God touching Mary and Christ So to inform God what is done here among men the Angels went up the ladder as well as came down Zach. 1.11 The Angel sent out by the Lord certified the Angel Christ that stood among the Myrtle trees Per M●nistros more potentisst●m regis omnia faci● Bonav that they had travelled up and down the world and behold say they all the earth sitteth still and is at rest This God doth for honour and not necessity he knoweth all things but he will have them witnesses of his will 2. In opposing the great enemies of Christ and his Church whereupon they intermedle with Kings and Kingdomes and the great affaires thereof Dan. 10.20 Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee now will I return to fight with the King of Persia and when I am gone forth lo the Prince of Grecia shall come This Angel Gabriel oppos'd the cruell Edicts of Cambyses King of Persia who laboured to keep the Jewes in captivity longer and to oppresse them sorer then others had done but Gabriel kept them from execution and brought his kingdome to ruine by degrees and therefore he saith the Prince of Grecia shall come I will leave Persia and go into Greece and stir up Alexander to come into Persia and spoile the King of his kingdome when Princes are stirred up by flatterers and prophane wretches to oppresse the godly to hinder the work of the Temple then Angels do fight against them Elesbaan King of the Ethiopians being in armes against Dunaam a Tyrant his army was much oppressed with famine and the power of the Tyrant whereupon he dyed to God for help and presently heard Gabriel Gabriel Gabriel thrice he heard that voyce from heaven intimating that Gabriel would help him whereupon he joyned battell with the Tyrant overcame kill'd most and took the Tyrant King of the Homerites Baron anno 523. Ammonius de gestis Francorum l. 3. c. 87.88 Vbi non est contrarietas voluntatis non est pugna and bound him in chaines At a great battell between Clotharius and Theodoricus was seen an Angel with a drawn sword and many were slain on both sides Some understand these Princes to be Spirits if good there is no discord between them good Angels are without sin and so no opposition in their wills to Gods or one another if of evill Angels it 's that wee aim at the good Angels oppose and contend against the evill with all their strength Rev. 12.7 Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and his There was a great battell in heaven the Devill and his angels were cast out which is for the great comfort of Sion certainly devils and devillish men would over-run all if there were not Angels imployed in the four quarters of the world to keep the Church and people of God when Balaam and Balak would have curst Gods people an Angel cometh forth and fights against them Numb 22.22 This is one great office of the Angels to fight against Princes Potentates and men of the earth that seek to oppresse the people of God and labour to hinder Temple work and the welfare of Sion 3. To execute the judgements of God upon wicked men the death of their first-born in Egypt which was the chiefest of the plagues and touched them neerest was done by a destroying Angell who therefore is called Hammaschchit Exod. 12.23 the destroyer shall not come into their houses but into the Egyptians he did come the singular number is put for the plurall a thing usuall in Scripture and so the sense is that Angels were the destroyers of Egyptians and the Psalmist in the 78. Psalm 49. saith God did this work by sending evill Angels among them not that these Angels were wicked spirits as some have thought but Angels or messengers of evill of death unto them The Egyptian Sorcerers used the help of wicked Angels to oppose Moses and harden the Egyptians and God used the help of good Angels to punish evill doers they have been and are imployed in such service the Angels that came to Lots house smote the Sodomites with blindnesse great and small which were at Lots door Gen. 19.11 They fetched fire from heaven and destroyed the place ver 13. When seventy thousand died of the plague 2 Sam. 24.17 in Davids dayes it is made the work of an Angel ver 17. he saw the Angel that smote the people it was an Angel that slew 185000. Assyrians Isa 37.36 Psal 35.5 6. It 's their work to chase and persecute wicked men often Angels of God do suddenly destroy them Act. 12.23 And immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him Lorinus thinks it was the Devill did it but it was some good Angel that being zealous for God did vindicate his glory which was given to a mortall

to stand for the truth unto the death That it might be a demonstration of the judgement to come seeing they were used so hardly here surely it follows then that there is a time wherein God will call over things againe and recompence the sufferings of his Prophets and be avenged on those that had done them such wrong God had such ends as these Hence note 1. The wisdome of God that touching the lives and deaths of the Prophets and Apostles speaks little There is not much said in the Scripture touching them and why Lest we should attribute too much to them and too little to God Wee are apt to looke at the pen rather then at him that made the pen put in the inke and writes with it We looke at the instrument and neglect the principall agent Since the lives and deaths of Martyrs and holy men came into request God hath lost too much of that honour hath been due unto him creatures have had it 2. See here the ingratitude of the people that doe not onely kick but kil their Prophets not only mock but murther their Prophets Isaiah is sawen asunder Ieremy stoned Ezekiel his brains are dashed out Oh the ingratitude of the sonnes of men that doe thus requite God for the Prophets he sends to them that breake the earthen vessels for bringing them heavenly treasures in them Ezekiel the Priest He was both of the Propheticall and priestly dignity which was not common very few of the Prophets had this honour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word is a Sacrificer the Greek signifieth as much one that medleth with holy things that offereth sacrifice for sin Priests were of high account both among the Jewes and Gentiles Among the Jewes great was the honour the high Priest had and the inferiour Priests had their honour likewise None might take this honour to himself but hee that was called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 They had the charge and command of the Sanctuary and of all things that did appertain to the House of God The Jews and their Rabbins do tell us that there were twenty four severall sorts of gifts appointed of God for the Priests all which are set down in their law expresly and are mentioned by Mr. Ainsworth upon Numb 18.19 Among the Heathens also they were very honourable Potipherah was a Priest of On the Chaldee saith Prince of On because thoug a Priest yet he had Princely dignity The Priesthood you know was intailed upon the Tribe of Levi and it is very observable what was the occasion of it Exod. 32. When the people had sinned in Idolatry and grew seditious and tumultuous Moses stood in the gate of the Camp and said Who is on the Lords side Let him come unto mee Whereupon all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him with their swords by their sides and presently executed the commands and counsell of Moses and slew every man his brother companion neighbour v. 27. They were one of the least if not the very least Tribe of all the twelve yet were they not fearfull or backward unto this work but ventured themselves among the people shewing great faith and zeal to vindicate Religion and the glory of God This fact and forwardnesse of theirs was so well taken of God that it brought a choyce blessing upon them and theirs God fully rewarded them for it for whereas a curse was threatened against Levi Gen. 49.7 I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel yet this curse was turned into a blessing and they are exalted to be neer the Lord in the holy things of the Temple that did appertain to his worship and service for after they had finished that execution upon the people the Text saith verse 29. That Moses said to them Consecrate your selves to day to the Lord because every man hath been against his son and against his brother that the Lord may bestow upon you a blessing this day and thereupon they were taken into the place of the first-born that did all before and had the Priesthood setled upon their Tribe together with a choice blessing which is recorded Deut. 33.8 9 10. And of Levi he said Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy holy one Blesse Lord his substance and accept the work of his hands smite through the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again Here was the occasion of Levies being taken into the Priesthood and to serve with God and to serve for ever From hence take this note which is very considerable That it is good to appeare in the cause of God and to be forward to vindicate his honour and glory to stand for him and his people It is good to vindicate God when he suffereth in his worship in his servants in his cause any way The Tribe of Levi was forward to vindicate God and God rewarded them they had a blessing that day So Phinehas hee was zealous for God Numb 25.10 11. Phinehas saith God hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them wherefore say Behold I give unto him my Covenant of peace and hee shall have it and his seed after him even the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God If we shall appeare in Gods cause and venture our selves in his quarrell we shall never lose by it Peter was a man forward he put forth himself for Christ hee would be first speaking when Christ had said Whom do you say that I am saith hee Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and presently Christ fastned a blessing upon him Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonas flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church Men that go upon good grounds and will lift up Gods Sabbaths Worship Honour out of the dust though they do hazard lives estates or limbs God will remember it and they shall be recompenced You shall finde in Iudges 5.18 That Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field They went forth and stood for God and his people against Iabin and Sisera that came against Israel and threatened ruine And in Matth. 4.13.14 15. when Christ cometh hee preacheth the Gospel first to them God remembreth their kindnesse and rewardeth it though it were long before So you may lay the foundation of a mercy for your posterities a hundred yeers hence This should put us on to appeare in the cause of God whensoever we see Idolaters and the enemies of God lift up their heads and strike at truths and God in his Ordinances and servants put forth your selves God will remember you though you jeopard your very lives The sonne of Buzi Ezekiel was neither the servant nor the son of Jeremy as some have fancied but the