Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	great_a	holy_a	see_v	3,964	5	3.2444	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96538	A word in season, for a warning to England: or a prophecy of perillous times open'd and apply'd. Wherein the signes of bad times, and the means of making the times good, are represented as the great concernment of all good Christians in this present age. First exhibited in a sermon preached in the Abby at Westminster, July 5. 1659. and since enlarged and published. / By Thomas VVilles, M.A. minister of the Gospel, in the city of London.	Willis, Thomas, 1619 or 20-1692.	1659 (1659)	Wing W2308; Thomason E1734_1; ESTC R7862	218,037	465

the Blood of souls at the Judgement Day Be this then my warrant for what I shall speak in the following Discourse upon this Subject For this Text Beloved Christians gives me warrant to tell you that it much concerns you all to know that in the last Dayes perillous Times shall come And if the Apostle John could say in that Age † 1 John 2.18 Little Children It is the last Time and as ye have heard that Antichrist shall come even now are there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last Time much more may we of this Age upon whom as the Apostle spake of his Time * 1 Cor. 10.11 the Ends of the World are come say these are the last Dayes this is the last Time For if we consider the evils enumerated in the Context and cast our eyes upon this Generation shall we not say that this Prophecy in the Text looks full upon the present Age May we not with Hyperius apply this Prophetick Description of the Churches calamity to our present times Instruit amplissimam Malorum Congeriem quoddam Vitiorum Mare Quae omnia fi de ullis Temporibus à Christo nato dici potuerunt certè de nostro seculo multo aptissimè verissiméque dici posse velimus nolimus fateri debemus Imò vereor nè omnia feculi nostri Mala ab Apostolo hic non sint satis enumerata Adeo ferrea haec aetas nostra omnes aetates malitiâ videtur superare † Andreas Hyperius in 2 Tim. 3 1 2 c. The Apostle sayes he presents us with a mighty Mass of Evils and sets before us as it were a Sea of Vices All which if they might be said of any Times since the Birth of Christ we must needs confesse whether we will or no may with much more truth and fitnesse be spoken of this our Age. Nay I fear that all the Evils of our Age are not here fully enumerated by the Apostle so far doth this Iron Age wherein we live seem to exceed in Wickednesse all other Ages And therefore it must needs very nearly concern us to take notice of and to prepare our selves for the perillous Times which are prophecy'd of in the New Testament and particularly in this present Text of Scripture This know also that in the last Dayes perillous Times shall come It will be well worth our Time and Pains therefore to make a serious enquiry into these two things viz. 1. What the Perillous Times are pointed at in this Prediction 2. How Pious Persons ought to demeane themselves in these perillous Times In the former of these we shall fitly exhibit what may be further requisite for the Explication and in the latter present you with the Application of this Text as to that which is the main Scope and principal Import of it The First Enquiry What the Perillous Times are pointed at in this Prediction FOr the further clearing up of this Prophecy that it may become more useful to the People of God it is necessary that we should make a serious enquiry into these Perillous Times here spoken of And for the clearing of this we shall branch this General Enquiry into three Parts by a more Particular Enquiry into three things sc 1. How these Times may be known 2. Why these Times are so Perillous 3. What is the peril of these Times The first Question Quest. 1. How may these Times be known Answ It is indeed very necessary and useful for us to know when these perillous Times are come upon us that we may be both more watchful against the Danger and careful of the Duty at such Times in a special manner incumbent on us No dangers are so great as theirs that neither see nor perceive their Dangers Great is the danger of the Seaman when his ship hath sprung an unperceived Leak Great is the Danger of that Souldier who walks securely in that path on either side whereof his Enemies lie in Ambush Great is the Danger of that man who is fast-asleep while the House is all on Fire over his Head Great is the danger of those who live in Perillous Times without suspition of Danger Woe be to them who shall be surpriz'd by the Judgements of God arising as it were out of Ambush against them It s very necessary therefore for all Christians to consider whether the Dayes wherein they live are the Perillous Times whereof they are fore-warn'd in the Prophecies of the holy Scriptures or not Now we may know when these perillous Times are come by considering the Chara●ters of men and the State of things as represented by the holy Ghost in the Word of God where such perillous Times are either described or predicted For the Times are denom●nated from the men that live in them and the State of things as manag'd by such men Pernicious men make perill us Times When the Times abound with men of pernicious Properties Principles and Practises and these have Power to order the State of things according to their own pleasure the Times must needs be perillous Thus the Apostle here foretelling perillous Times gives us the Characters of those Persons who by their pernicious Practises should make the times thus perillous And therefore for as much as this cannot but contribute very much to the clearing up of the matter in question before we proceed any further we shall make a particular survey of the several Characters of these dangerous Persons describ'd in the Context The CHARACTERS of the Persons that make the Times Perillous THese Pernicious Persons that should make the Times so perillous are describ'd by these twenty Marks Properties or Characters following viz. The first Character They are such as are 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inordinatus Amor sui 1. Lovers of their own selves Now self-love is a sinful Excesse in a mans Love of himself A man both by the Law of God and Nature is not onely allow'd but bound to love himself Neither is that Proverbial saying justly lyable to Exception 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every man is a friend to himselfe Insomuch as in the Divine Law a mans Love of himselfe is made the Rule of his Love to another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self * Mat. 22.39 But this Self-love which is sinful is such an Excessive Love to ones self as swallows up with Pharaohs leane kine both Love to ones Neighbour and that Divine Love which is the summe of the first and great Commandment † Mat. 22.37 the Love of God And therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 talis est qui se ita amat ut reliquos prae se contemnat in omnibus sui laudem quaerit Sic hypocritae in Religione seipsos quaerunt h. e. Dignitatem Laudem Pompam similia quae nocens est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Aretius in loc A self-lover is such

2.13 and 5.18 The wicked One Seducers are here so called from their subtile Impostures flattering Illusions and † Eph. 4.14 cunning craftinesse to deceive according to the Import of the word here used They have something of the * Gen. 3.1 Rev. 12.9 subtilty of the old Serpent whose seed and spawn they are The word signifies also a Delusion by means of Witchcraft or Incantation Seducers are a kinde of Sorcerers and Seduction is a kinde of spiritual Witchcraft and Inchantment O foolish Galatians sayes the Apostle † Gal. 3 1. who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose Eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucifi'd among you These are they that draw men off from the Waies of Truth into the By-paths of Errour that lead to Destruction * ver 6. These are they which creep into houses and leade captive silly women laden with sinnes led away with diverse Lusts These are they which using a kinde of spiritual sorcery do with Simon Magus † Act. 8.9 10 11. bewitch the People who being taken with their Delusions are ready to cry out These men are the great Power of God Thus they carry as it were in one hand a flaming light and in the other an impoyson'd Cup and so the multitudes that follow them for the one hey cause to drink of the other which causing a spiritual drunkennesse carries them headlong to Eternal Destruction For * 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. Because they received not the Love of the Truth that they might be saved even for this cause doth God send them strong Delusion the Energie of Error † 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned who believed not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse These are the Foxes to which Satan hath ty'd his Fire-brands which if not speedily apprehended and suppressed will soon set all in a flame and cause a fearful combustion both in Church and State When these fiery Comets do appear they usually portend great changes in the Common-wealth and great Calamities to the Church of God These therefore we may well look upon as the Messengers of evil Tidings and the Marks of perillous Times Thus we have seen the persons decipher'd by their several Characters which make the Times perillous Now by a serious survey and a deliberate consideration hereof every soberly wise Christian may easily discerne when these Dayes are come which the Scripture hath foretold shall be perillous Times especially if the State of things also be but duly considered when such persons as these do abound From the Characters therefore of men and the Consideration of the state of things we may drawe the Scripture-Symptomes of Perillous Times and such are these that follow The SYMPTOMES of Perillous Times The first Symptome Prevalency of Impiety THey are Perillous Times Dayes of great Danger When those impieties do exceedingly abound which are high Provocations of Gods Anger This is a Conclusion which may be clearly drawn from all the forementioned Characters When those sins are daily multiply'd against God whereby God is provoked to execute his Judgements upon men When Sin and Wickednesse abounds amongst a people professing true Religion and Godlinesse Thus our Saviour speaking of the last Dayes wherein these Perillous Times should be tells us that then Iniquity should abound * Mat. 24.12 They were evil Dayes perillous Times with the People of Israel when their prevailing Impieties brought down prevailing Judgements When the Land is polluted with sin it 's time it should be purged with Judgement When the iniquity of the Amorites was full † Gen. 15.16 God cut them off and planted the Israelites in their land When the sins of Sodom were come to their height * Gen. 18.20 Fire and Brimstone was rained down upon them from heaven † Gen. 19.24 When the Jews had fill'd Jerusalem with their manifold sins and multiply'd Abominations God caused them to be carry'd away Captives to Babylon * See Jer. Chap. 5. to 16 When men draw iniquity with Cords of Vanity and sin as it were with a Cart-rope † Isa 5.18 they do but pluck down Judgements upon their own Heads Crying-sins are wont to bring down cutting Judgements VVhen the Field is overgrowne with Thornes its time to set it on Fire Mens sins are but Fewel to the Fire of Gods Judgements The Seed of sin brings forth the Fruit of Death 'T is so in a Person 't is so in a Nation This Observation is very often verifi'd by sad Experience Even as I have seen saies Eliphaz in Job * Chap. 4. v. 8 9. They that plow iniquity and sowe wickednesse reap the same The thornes of tribulation grow up from the seeds of sin Though sin at the first bear a sweet Flower it at length grows up to a sharp Thorne VVhen a whole land is sow'n with wickednesse what can we expect the Harvest-Time to be but a Day of Destruction VVhen the Harvest of sinne is ripe God sends forth an Angel with a sharp Sickle to reap the Earth † Rev. 14.14 15. When the Lord of the whole earth hath fenc't a Land about for a Vine-yard to himself and gather'd out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest Vine and built a Tower in the midst of it and also made a Wine-presse therein and yet notwithstanding all this cost and care when God expects it should bring forth Grapes it shall bring forth wilde Grapes * ●sa 5.2 what do you think will he do to this Vine-yard Let God himself tell you who is as True in his Threatnings as Just in his Iudgements Go to now saith the LORD † Isa 5.5 6 I will tell you what I will do to my Vine-yard I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down And I will lay it wast It shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up Briars and Thornes I will also command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it Thus will God suspend his mercies from an unthankful People and inflict his Iudgements upon a sinful Nation Yea further God will at length send his Angel with a sharp sickle to gather the Clusters of these wilde Grapes So shall they be cast into the great Wine-presse of the wrath of God So is his dealing with sinners Prophetically represented to us in the Holy Scriptures * Rev. 14 ●8 19. when they have filled the earth with the cursed Fruits of sinne And upon the execution of this sentence what follows And sayes the Scripture † Rev. 14.20 the Wine-presse was troden without the City and Blood came out of the Wine-presse even unto the Horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred Furlongs Thus when a land is polluted with over-flowings of sin it may soon be punished

8. silence in that time for it is an evil time This unlesse they had a Call from God as had the Prophets of the Lord to reprove these wicked ones for their sinnes and to give in their Testimony in the behalf of God against their irregular and unjust proceedings The times are unquestionably perillous when the Terrible one is in Power and the Scorner is in Favour and they that watch for iniquity are rewarded That make a man an Offendor for a † Sub Tyranno voces non sunt liberae multo minus in Tyrannum Drepan Paneg. c. 2. Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the just for a thing of nought These are perillous Times to the People of God neither can the Church according to the Scripture-Calculation expect good Dayes till * Isa 29.20 21. the terrible one is brought to nought and the scorner is consumed and all that watch for Iniquity are cut off That make a man an offendor for a Word and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the Gate and turne aside the Just for a thing of nought In that day † v. 18 19 shall the meek encrease their joy in the LORD and the poore among men shall rejoyce in the Holy One of Israel Then * v. 24. they also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learne Doctrine When the Great men of the Times shall become Terrible ones to the People of God and watch for opportunities to ensnare his Prophets and seek an occasion to persecute the Preachers of his Word who reprove them for their fearful Impieties and horrid enormities whereby they pluck down Judgements upon the whole Land the Times must needs be evil and perillous But yet let such know the Judgement of God is ready to fall upon their own heads who have thus laid snares for the life of others For Judgement is toward you saith the LORD † Hos 5.1 2 O House of the King O ye State-Robbers that have turned the Kings House into a Den of Thieves because ye have been a SNARE on Mizpah and a NET spread upon Tabor i. e. You have laid snares to entrap the Innocent in their Lives and Goods as Hunters and Fowlers do upon the Hills of Mizpah and Tabor * Diod. Annot. And the REVOLTERS are profound to make SLAUGHTER q. d. they are profound in making PLOTS to murther men though I have been a REBUKER of them all who have thus villanously conspired against them who have rebuked them for their sins in my Name Thus will the Lord at length finde out and punish proud and presumptuous Persecutors of his Prophets and People yet during the time of their Prevalency and Predominancy in Church and State the Dayes must needs be evill the Times perillous When Micaiah the Prophet of the LORD is rudely interrupted by false Prophets and smitten on the cheek for prophecying the Truth † 1 King 22.24 When this Injury is protected by an ungodly Prince yea and seconded by a false Imprisonment it 's surely a perillous Time When a wicked Ruler rashly engaged in a destructive enterprize shall say concerning a Preacher of Gods Word that sought to reclaime him * ver 27. Put this fellow in the Prison and feed him with Bread of affliction and with Water of affliction until I come in Peace When if a Prophet of the Lord do but forewarne the People of following judgements some furious Captaine shall apprehend him and falsely † Accusandi frequens publica Rabies gravius togatam civitatem confecit Senec. l. 3. c. 26. de Benef. accuse him to the Princes of the people and these shall without Colour of Law or Justice smite him and cast him into prison Yea when this will not yet satisfie their malice and cruelty but they shall press hard upon him with their false Accusations saying He weakens the hands of the Souldiers and Citizens by preaching such things as these are at such a season as this is and so under these pretences seek to put him to Death these are manifestly perillous Times for the People of God and surely some great Judgement hangs over the Heads of such a Nation For just thus did the Princes of Judah deale with the Prophet Jeremy and what follow'd thereupon but the utter Ruine and Destruction of the City Jerusalem and the carrying Captive both of the Princes and of the People into Babylon as we read in the sacred Records of the Holy Scripture † See Jer. 37 38 and 39. ch Behold his usage the fore-running presage of these soon-following calamities on the Jewish Nation It came to passe says the sacred Story * Jer. 37 11-15 that when the Army of the Caldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaohs Army then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the Land of Benjamin to separate himself thence in the midst of the People And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin a CAPTAINE of the Ward was there whose name was Irijah the sonne of Shelemiah the son of Hananiah and he took Jeremiah the Prophet saying Thou fallest away to the Caldeans Then said Jeremiah It is false I fall not away to the Caldeans but he hearkened not to him so Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the Princes Wherefore the PRINCES were wroth with Jeremiah and smote him and put him in PRISON in the House of Jonathan the Scribe for they had made that the Prison But these wicked Princes are not yet satisfi'd herewith We have a further account of their injurious proceedings against him their false charge and bloody Petition prefer'd in an unjust Court with the Issue thereof suiting to their own Desires or rather though disguis'd in a Petitionary Way as appeares by the story their peremptory Demands so little Reverence did they beare to the Authority of their King For thus is it recorded † Jer. 38 1-6 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan and Gedaliah the son of Pashur and Jucal the sonne of Shelemiah and Pashur the sonne of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the People saying Thus saith the LORD he that remaineth in the City shall die by the Sword by the Famine and by the Pestilence but he that goeth forth to the Caldeans shall live for he shall have his Life for a Prey and shall live Thus saith the LORD This City shall surely be given into the hand of the King of Babylon's Army which shall take it Therefore the Princes said unto the King We beseech thee let this man be put to DEATH for thus he weakneth the Hands of the men of War that remain in the City and the Hands of all the People in speaking such words unto them for this man seeketh not the PEACE * So the Marg. Heb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Welfare of this People but the HURT Then