Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	kingdom_n	law_n	parliament_n	3,975	5	6.2994	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85667	An exposition continued upon the sixt, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, with useful observations thereupon. Delivered in severall lectures in London, By William Greenhill.	Greenhill, William, 1591-1671.	1649 (1649)	Wing G1854; Thomason E577_1; ESTC R206361	436,404	591

and all in earth all things in the closets in the heart Psal 139.7 Whither shall I goe from thy Spirit David could not hide himselfe from the sight and presence of Gods spirit neither can we Let us looke well therefore unto our wayes the spirit may make them known to the Prophets and servants of God 3. That men chiefe in dignity and place are for the most part corrupt Here were the 25. who bare the sway in the City and had great power all confederate in wickednesse Isa 1.10 he calls their Rulers rulers of Sodome because of their extream wickednesse and he excepts none they were generally such so Neh. 13.11 I contended with the rulers and said why is the house of God forsaken They kept away the portions of the Levites and therefore they left the house of God so vers 17. The Nobles of Judah they prophaned the Sabbath day and brought wrath upon Israel 2 Chron. 24.17 28. The Princes of Judah were all idolatrous and led Joash into idolatrous practises but they were quickly after all slain for it v. 23. John 7.48 Have any of the Rulers believed in him They were so wicked even all of them that they could make their boast have any of them believed in him No no they are not for Christ and his wayes Jer. 5.5 I will get me unto the great men and will speak unto them for they have known the way of the Lord and the judgement of their God but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds The Prophet thought the great ones who had great obligations upon them to honour God who knew what pertein'd to worship justice that they would hearken to h●m but they cast off all respect subjection and obedience to the law of God they followed their owne wills lusts humours they regarded neither equity nor honesty they were farre worse then the poorer sort whom the Prophet had tryed also Luke mentions but one Judge and he was an unjust one Are not too many of the great ones among us corrupt loose and enemies to Christ and his Kingdome 4. It 's matter of mourning when those are set over others to be punishers of the wicked countenancers of the godly examples of piety vertue and should seek the good of the publique prove cleane otherwise and are actors and patrons of wickednesse the Spirit here is affected with it and affects the Prophet Sonne of man these are the men that doe so these pervert obstruct justice these encourage evill doers these sad the hearts of the godly these hinder good designes these are the men that seeke themselves that cry give give and love to have it so these be the men that pretend the good of the estate and people but are the ruine of both This was matter of griefe to heaven and earth Isa 1.10 when the Prophet had tearm'd them rulers of Sodome he complains vers 23. saying Thy Princes O Jerusalem are rebellious and companions of thieves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards they judge not the fatherlesse neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them They sought themselves not the good of particulars or the publique and this troubled the Prophet and not only him but the Lord also for it follows in the next vers Therefore saith the Lord the Lord of hasts the mightie one of Israel Ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies God had beene wearied a●d grieved with them a long time and though they were many and mighty yet hee was the Lord of Hosts c. This argument did affect God much and hee was oft upon it Isa 3.12 As for my people children are their oppressors and women rule over them O my people they which lead thee cause thee to erre and destroy the way of thy path they destroyed Justice and Religion 5. There will never be wanting in any place men to devise mis●●●●●● In Jerusalem there were men whose hearts heads and tongues were at worke Dan. 6.7 All the Presidents of the Kingd Governours Princes Councellors Captains devised a plot against Daniel In the 8. Chap. he tels you of the 70. Antients of the 25. who had all devised and were practising mischiefe In Shushan was not wanting a Haman to devise mischiefe against the Jewes Est 8.3 Pharaoh and his Courtiers devised mischiefe against the Jewes Exod. 1. There were those devised to take away Davids life Psal 31.13 They imagined a mischievous devise Psal 21.11 No City no Kingdome was ever free from men of deceitfull wicked and mischievous devices and no time ever abounded more with such men and such devices then our times if I should say no place more then this Kingdome I should not much fail Who can reckon up the mischievous devices have been against the Estates Lawes Liberties Religion and Consciences of the people of this Kingdome Ship money was a cunning devise to dry up their estates Prerogative was cryed up to bring the lawes and liberties of the Subject downe Innovations and new Cannons were Prelaticall devices to rid you of your Religion and Consciences to make way for Popery What wicked devices have been against the Parliament against this Citie against this Kingdome what ever hath been devised for the good of all hath met with Anti-crosse devices There be those devise as strongly and speedily to ruine us as any doe to relieve us The device against Ireland was a bloody and mischievous device and bloody devices are in mens heads against us but here is the comfort Job 5.12 God disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot performe their enterprize They devise to undoe all but they cannot Mic. 2.1 Woe to them that devise iniquity God hath threatned and though they cannot accomplish their devices yet he will accomplish his threats Prov. 12.2 A man of wicked devices will be condemn Many of wicked devices have been amongst us and hath not the Lord condemn'd them 6. Men in place being evill they make others evill they doe not only devise mischiefe but communicate mischiefe they give and obtrude ill counsell upon others These that were in place especially Jaazaniah and Pelatiah the Princes they gave out ill counsell to the people They and such men doe the greatest hurt their power honour estates examples are prevalent with the people and when they counsell corruptly their counsell takes and infect a multitude quickly Jeroboam tels the people it was too much for them to goe up to Jerusalem that was a long journey would be very chargeable and might prove dangerous therefore he had taken a better course for them he had made Calves set them up for gods at Dan and Bethel and now they should neede to goe no further for to worship this counsell took Balack being advised by Balaam counsels the Moabitish women to entice the Israelites to folly which tooke and they drew them both to whoredome and idolatry Numb 25.12 with

Jehoiada's death the Princes came and bowed to Joash gave ill counsell and with them he hearkned and they together leave the house of the Lord his worship and fell to false worship Jeroboam and all the Kings and Princes in Israel after him went the wrong way and never pleased or truly served God for hundreds of yeares together We must not follow great ones in matters of Religion and say we will be of that Religion the King or Parliament are of Great ones doe greatly mistake in the things of God and Religion The Princes of this world neither know the wisdome of God nor the Lord Christ 1 Cor. 2.7 8. and to this day few of them do know the truth For not many wise mighty or noble are called 1 Cor. 1.26 Therefore fetch your Religion from Christ the Apostles who gave out truths came down from heaven which imbraced will sanctifie you and fit you for heaven 5. That adoration towards the East was taken up from the Heathens the Jewes had it from them and it was displeasing to God and that practise crept in amongst Christians Tertullian saith In Apolog. it was a known thing that the Christians prayed with their faces towards the East but the Heathens stumbled at it and said the Christians God was the Sun Some Fathers held it an apostolicall tradition Justin Mart. Basil Greg. that Christians shou'd pray with their faces that way but traditions of Fathers are no warrant for worship or postures in it we have nothing from Christ or Apostles leading us to doe so and from others we may not take up such a practise though antient holy and learned Christ and the Apostles were before them more holy more able then they and in their Writings and Practices we finde no such thing The Papists and some among us doe yet plead for Easterne Worship and would have Christians looke that way because Paradise is that way because Christ was crucified with his face West-ward because he is the light of the World ascended to Heaven there and shall come againe there These be weake grounds to draw us from that liberty the Word gives us to a superstitious Jewish Heathnish practise for deliberately and determinately to doe it in reference to Paradise or Christ is no better 1 Tim. 2.8 Wee have liberty to pray any where and any way so it be without wrath and doubting As this facing the East sprung from them so it 's as likely that the building of Temples East and West that the people may sit with their faces East-ward and burying of the dead with their heads into the West that they may rise with their faces East-ward came from them however it savours strongly of Superstition if not of Heathnisme to do so VERS 17. Then he said unto me Hast thou seene this O Sonne of man Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abhominations which they commit here for they have filled the land with violence and have returned to provoke me to anger and loe they put the branch to their nose THis verse hath in it the summe of all the evils before spoken of and an addition of some what else an appeale to the Prophet for to be judge in it Hast thou seene the Image of Jealousie c. Is it a light thing give thy sentence supra totam materiam that all these abominations are done in and about the Temple and besides they have oppressed every where wrong'd all sorts filled the whole land with violence and as if that were nothing to provoke to wrong men they return to the Temple and provoke me they put the branch to their nose The branch to their nose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word for a branch is rendred by some a sound or song as if they sung and made a noise with their nose in disgrace or contempt of God Some render it a st nke or ill savour noting how unclean and loathsome Idolaters are that delight in impure sacrifices and corrupt wo●ship which are a stink in the nostrils of God and good men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 W● have it a branch pull'd or cut from the tree which is the proper sense of the word it comes from that Hebrew root which signifies to cut lop off and so it 's exprest Numb 13.24 The cluster or branch of grapes cut downe For the better understanding of this expression wee must know that the Heathens honoured their gods by dedicating certain trees unto them Gyrald Syntag. 2 Machab. 6 7. the sacrifices Arnob. l 7. etiam dij sertis coronis sloribus afficiuntur and when they sacrificed they adorned their Altars themselves with some boughs of those trees were so dedicated unto them To Jupiter the Beech tree was sacred to Minerva the Olive to Venus the Myrtle tree to Hercules the Poplar to Bacchus the Ivy and Vine to Apollo the Laurell Among the Thracians it was a law to weare garlands of Ivy when they sacrificed The Egyptians wore garlands of Ivy and Bayes and the Israelites here learning from them had branches in their hands which either they took from the Altars or heads of the sacrifices or sacrificers and after they had put them to the Idoll or sprinkled them with the blood of these vile sacrifices or sweetned them with some Idolatrous perfume they put them to their nostrils and kissed them in honour of the Sunne It 's conceiv'd they were branches of the Lawrel which were dedicate to the Sunne And that they carried these branches to their houses and often they put them to their nose in memory honour of the Sun by vertue of whose influence the Lawrell did grow and receive its sweet savour Some take it to be a proverbiall speech noting out they were authors of their owne punishment and destruction they sinne and put the branch to their nose and this will be their destruction The greatnesse or littlenesse of sin is to be measured not by mans but Gods account of it Observ 1. Is it a light thing to the house of Iudah They think it so but it s otherwise the Intrerogation sets out the greatnesse of it Is it so No it s not light but grievou● this expression sets out the weightinesse of a thing 1 Sam. 18.23 Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a Kings sonne in law No it 's a great matter for a poore man to be so advanc'd what ever your thoughts are and let men think sin a light matter it s far otherwise there is lead in it and will weigh them down 1 K. 16.31 speaking of Ahab the Scripture saith And it c●me to passe as if it had been a light thing for him to walke in the sins of Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat that he tooke to wife Jezabel The Heb. is was it a light thing for him to commit the sinnes of Jeroboam Yes he thought so esteem'd them light and went to serve

aire b●t it 's said the glory of the Lord went to the thresh●ld not over it or beyond it and it s conceiv'd to be the thresh●ld of the Priests Court The Lord went thither 1. To shew he was now going from the Temple where was such impure worship and leaving his glorious high Throne a● i●'s call'd Jer. 17.12 The Jewes thought the Lord was co●fi●'d to the Temple and the Prophets to the holy land 2. Because he was to pronounce sentence against this wicked idolatrous oppressing people which he would not doe in Sancto Sanctorum or in the Temple which was the place of his gracious presence and a type of Christ and mercy by him In the gates of the City they sate in judgement Amos 5.15 And God here at the threshold gives sentence against them 3. To treat with the men stood at the braz●n Altar and to give them commissions and instructions touching those were to be spared and destroyed The Lords way of manifesting his gracious presence in his Church was by some notable signe or other Observ 1. The glory was gone up it was there before When God was pleased with his people he evidenced his presence by some speciall signe Exod 13.21 22. When the Church came out of Egypt the Lord came before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light They had guidance and protection from the Lord Christ whose presence was evidenced by these visible signs out of which the Lord also spake sometime Psal 99.7 After they had the Tabernable Arke and Mercy-seat where God met them communed with them Exod. 25.22 They had the Vrim and Thummim to enquire of God and receive answers by Numb 27.21 1 Sam. 28.6 In Solomons days God manifested his gracious presence in the Temple by a cloud 1 Kings 8.10 God answered Elijah by fire and manifested with whom his presence was 1 Kings 18.38 And so under the Gospell Christ the Lord manifested his presence with his Church by visible signes Acts 2.3 Cloven tongues like fire sate upon each of the Apostles And Chap. 4.31 The place was shaken where they were and they were filled with the holy Ghost And Christ hath left his Word and Sacraments as signes of his presence in the Christian Church 2. The signs of Gods presence are the glory of God So the Text calls them The glory of the God of Israel was gone up All those visible signes before mentioned were the glory of the Lord so the spirit is pleased to call the sign of Gods gracious presence 1 Kings 8.10 11. The cloud that fil'd the Temple it s cald the glory of the Lord index symbolum gloriae Domini A lapid Psalm 29.9 In his Temple doth every one speake of his glory The Ordinances there have much of GODS glory in them and they are his glory 3. Gods with-drawing the signes of his gracious presence from his Church people is a forerunner of heavy judgements Here the glory of the God of Israel went up from the Cherub and shortly after the men with their slaughter-weapons are set on work to destroy It 's Gods method to take away the speciall tokens of his presence and love from a people and then to bring in sad judgments People sin and hereupon the glory removes and jugments draw near Exod. 32. The people made a Calfe upon which God denies to go with them as he had done Chap. 33.3 now they should not have visible signs of h●s presence And of them it's said vers 35. of Chap. 32. The Lord plagued the people because they made a Calfe c. When God would not answer Saul by dreams by Vrim or Prophets then his destruction was near at hand Among other signes of GODS presence there be these 1. Efficacy of the word that it works mightily in the hearts of people The Lord was with the Apostles and how mightily did the word work but when the word is inefficacious powerlesse its evident the glory of the Lord is departing and judgements dreadfull enough at hand The Prophet prophecyed to the people but the word wrought not Isa 6.9 10. Hearing they understand not seeing they perceive not their hearts were fat their eares heavy and their eyes shut Now the word was inefficacious to them and how long shall this be saith Isa Vntill the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant the houses without man the land be utterly desolate Sixe times is this Scripture quoted in the N. T. 2. Unity and love of S●ints Psal 133.1 Isa 19.14 A perverse spirit Where brethren dwelt together in unity there the Lord commanded the blessing vers 3. and shewed his gracious presence where love is God dwels 1 John 4.16 But where bitternesse and division encrease Satan hath much interest hearts heads tongues hands are divided every where Isa 9.21 Manasseh is against Ephraim Ephraim against Manasseh and both against Judah Mat. 24. love is grown cold Instead of fervent love are fervent contentions in stead of love without dissimulation are crafty underminings in stead of covering infirmities are rakings in one anothers hearts When the breaches were stopped in the walls of Jerusalem the enemies were very wrath Neh. 4.7 God hath promised to close breaches Amos 19.11 Let us improve the promise and importune him to fulfill it for rich mercy depends upon is Isa 30.26 Unity is an humane savior of Kingdoms and Churches division is Abaddon Apollyon an hellish destroyer Mat. 12 25. A Kingdome divided cannot stand God is departed from it Division hath turned Religion into disputation driven God from the heart to the head and now men are polemical rather then practicall in Divinity 3. Activity of men in place for God where God is present there is courage Josh 1.9 2 Chron. 13.12 But when he withdraws men are without spirit divine influences cease a numnesse seizeth upon them and they act faintly be it in Church or State Hos 7.11 God was departing from Ephraim if not departed and Ephraim was a silly dove without he●rt void of counsell and courage and so fit for prey and spoile Ephraim was quickly spoiled after the Lord left them 4. Safety protection Jer. 1.19 Psal 46.5 Isa 27.3 Judges 16.20 21. When God was departed from Sampson the Philistims took him and put out his eyes Least any hurt it I will keepe it night and day Where there is keeping watching there is presence but is not our safety almost i● not altogether gone can we challenge safety of any thing estates liberties lives religion have not our Armies smarted had blows and breaches is not our land spoiled and under grievous pressures Are we not for a prey and none delivereth Isa 42.22 4. The Lord doth not willingly depart from his people when they have provoked him Hee goes from the Cherub to the threshold of the house and there stands as loth to goe any further he had