Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	bless_v	forget_v	lord_n	4,169	5	5.2389	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62374	A brief and plain commentary with notes, not more useful than seasonable, upon the whole prophecie of Malachy delivered, sermon-wise, divers years since at Pitmister in Summerset / by William Sclater ... ; now published by his son William Sclater ...	Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1650 (1650)	Wing S913; ESTC R17140	147,505	246

wrath for they call not when the Lord binds them Iob 36.13 5. Bitter complaint under that sad condition as Psal 42. 84. and Psal 74.9.10 Bewailing also and bemoaning themselves to every one that they think may do them ease 6. The means to recover it by diligence in Gods service are never slacked but rather encreased by it In those times above all most diligent to seek God Hos 5.15 With a wicked man not so but presently slacks he his devotion as those wretches Mal. 3.14 Cry presently it s in vain to serve God and what profit is it c. 7. A Child of God resolves even in the middest of feeling Gods displeasure still to continue his service what ever becomes of him Iob 13.15 16. Though he kill me I will trust in him and never forsake him he shall be my salvation With an Hypocrite and wicked man it s not so if the Lord be not presently mercifull again and at their beck presently they renounce him as 1 Sam. 28.6.7 When the Lord answered not Saul by dreames c. presently he flies off to a witch And would God this were not too evident amongst our people So long as any thing can be gained by Religion and the current of the times ru●● that way who but they But if the Lord justly be displeased for hypocrisie so that they feel him not so gracious as in times past or perceive that he answers not presently to their call they then forsake and renounce him 8. A wicked mans at the loss of Gods favour it works envy and hatred against those to whom the Lord shewes most tokens of his love as Gen. 4. compared with 1 Ioh. 3.12 so in Saul 1 Sam. 18.6 7 12 28 29. With a childe of God it s not so That love of a childe of God is a permanent grace 1 Ioh. 3.14 And though they could wish to themselves the happiness of other of Gods children yet envy they not thereat but ever magnifie the grace of God to them shewen Vse 2 Is this so Is this a thing that even wicked men grieve at That the Lord rejects their services Then learn thou for ever to acknowledg Gods favour to thee in this when he shall give thee testimonies and evidences thereof And beloved this grace of prizing aright the favour of God and the tokens thereof is an excellent grace and the lack of it causeth so much misery to the dear children of God Doth God hear thy prayers Rejoyce in it as in the greatest happiness in the world doth he bless thy hearing and art thou bettered in knowledg and obedience Bless God for it and forget not this loving kindness of the Lord unto thy soul And for this end gather as many testimonies of them as possibly thou canst What are the signs of it False signs outward prosperity with the common appendices thereof but against this see Eccles 91. because they come not into misfortune as others therefore they applaud themselves in their evil Notes of Gods respecting our services are 1. Extraordinary such was that same sending down of fire from heaven 1 King 18. and 2 Chron 7.1 but thus the Lord deals not at this day Yet its true there are certain sensible tokens of Gods accepting us and our services at this day which Gods children may take and esteem as pledges of his love 1. Success in all things that thou puttest thine hand unto but here lest I be mistaken understand by success not that which the world so esteems a flourishing and prosperous estate but this call thou success when all things work to thy good Rom. 8.28 To thy true good furthering thee in the salvation of thy soul or when outward prosperity makes the full of good works and fearfull is the estate of those to whom these things work evill when prosperity puffs up the heart or when afflictions amend not when hearing betters not c. Fear then lest the Lord be angry with thee 2. When the Lord shall bless thee in spirituall things in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.3 That is when thou shalt feel this fruit of the service of God that thereby the graces of God be obtained and encreased that a token that God accepts thy service 3. Thou shalt perceive it by that inward testimony and certificate that Gods Spirit gives to thee in thy conscience God deals not now with us as he did with Cornelius Act. 10.3 To send an Angell from Heaven to tell us that our prayers and almes-deeds are accepted with God but this he doth he sends his Spirit into our hearts that assures us by the word of God that our courses please him these if thou feel bless God for them and thus think they are such as even wicked men sometimes would redeem with the loss of all that they enjoy Vse 3 Is this so Then mark what a miserable case such men live in as when the Lord gives many testimonies that he rejects both them and their services yet are no whit moved therewith Surely they come not so neer Heaven as Cain and Esau for they grieved at this which these wretches never do As how many are there that can say and saying deride all Religion that they could never perceive themselves to be any whit better for their prayers c. What nothing the better And findest thou no feeling of Gods love therein Wretched man that thou art what comfort then canst thou have in thy wealth pleasure honour c. Yea if thou had'st all the world what could it comfort thee But how much more miserable their condition that are the worse for it For example when God gives wealth they are the worse when he sends afflictions they are the more heardened when he gives preaching and they are the more blinded as Isa 6.10 What a wretched case live such men in except they should go down Observ presently to hell they could not be more miserable Insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more or receiveth it with good will at your hand Hence note we that during state of impenitency no sacrifice or service is accepted with God though performed with never so great devotion See Isa 1.12 Sabbaths and new-moons commanded yet in these people during impenitency most odious and abominable See also Prov. 15.8 Impenitency is of two sorts 1. Generall 2. Particular Generall impenitency is when a man lives in a continuall course of sinning without any conversion at all unto God as before calling and turning by the Spirit of God Particular is that which after the first conversion Gods children fall into as they sometimes go astray so for a time perhaps they lye unhumbled in their sins as David 2 Sam. 12. till Nathan comes to him Will you hear Reasons of it One is that extream hatred the Lord holds all sins in especially when they are thus lived in Hab. 1.13 It s true that the Lord bears many sins in his people so long as they are bewailed and striven against

imputation by instance In the accusation are two things 1. The fact 2. The mean By this weariness we are to understand two things 1. the Lords long patience even ad defatigationem usque towards the wicked and the abuse thereof by the people 2. His readiness to turn patience into wrath and to execute vengeance upon the transgressours Of the first of these This is that the Lord every where challengeth to himself and in common experience is seen to practise Exod. 34.6 Rom. 2 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea even towards the vessels of wrath Rom. 9.22 So after many long provocations yet he gives to the old world an hundred and twenty years so to the Amorites though their sins were ever crying yet four hundred years given them Gen. 15.13 And this is that that every one of us have had plentiful experience of What a long course of sinning ran we along in before our calling and how bountiful found we the Lord towards us And which even of the desperatest wretches amongst us can say that the Lord hath been hasty to take notice of or punish his rebellions The reason is to lead us to repentance if it were possible Rom. 2.4 or otherwise to leave the impenitent excuseless Now beloved this should teach us amendment of life and lead us on to repentance Vse but to see how this patience of the Lord is abused to wantonness because the Lord bears long therfore continue we in sin and heap up wrath See Eccles 8.11 12 13. Secondly this is propounded to us as a pattern to imitate in our own provocations Col. 3.13 2 Tim. 24.25 that we should bear patiently as good children And it condemns that hasty and rash desire in hastening unto vengeance in our personal injuries see Paul Tit. 3.3 we forward also till God called and many times the latter in calling outstrips the former in obedience God will not alwaies bear our provocations its true Observ that he bears long but at length he comes and puts end to patience that justice may take place So with the old world Ierusalem Egypt see Psal 50.21 22. One reason is that he may shew himself though he be a bearer of evil yet to be not lover of it 2. That we may know it is not an idle name of God but hath in him actual and active justice thereforegives he us continual experiments of his taking notice of mans sins and hatred of them Vse see Isa 1.24 And what may we learn hence but to take heed how we continue to provoke the Lord to wrath by our continued sins surely though the Lord keep long silence yet at length he reproves by his judgmens And as David saith Psal 50.21 22. Consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces like a lion and there be none to deliver The Lord puts upon him the habit of these violent creatures the more to terrifie Sometimes he seems to sleep and David saith The Lord awaked out of sleep but in the day of his wrath he is furious and none can stand before him And would God beloved ye could all lay this to heart swearers drunkards c. Surely the restraint would be much The mean followeth by their words So that words have their weight Observ and are marvellous provoking in the eares of the Lord yea brethren Audacter dicam works sometimes provoke not so much as proud and contemptuous speeches See Mal. 3.13 And would God these men that speak so lightly of their words that are most blasphemous would lay this to heart saying words are but winde And let it teach us all to pray with David to the Lord Vse to keep the door of our lips Sundry reasons there are of it 1. We are countable even for idle words much more for blasphemous Matth. 12.36 2. By them is our righteousness or unrighteousness declared a good man good things an evil man brings forth evil things Amongst all speeches first stoutness in words and desperate speeches 2. Blasphemies that impose upon the Lord any thing unbeseeming his majesty 3. Justifications of such speeches Yet yet say wherein Here is their apology Observ From whence we note how unwilling a wicked man is to acknowledg his sins and how he stands up to justifie himself even against God himself The reasons are 1. Secret hypocrisie in the heart none so wretched but he would fain seem religious 2. Ignorance of the will of God Ob. If any shall say that Gods children do thus sometimes Answ They are to be understood as speaking of particular righteousness in some particular cause wherewith they are burthened by men The distinction is usuall justitia personae justitia causae So David labours to clear himself of those particulars that Doeg and other adversaries imposed on him in respect of Sauls person and his aspiring to the kingdome 2. They thus speak as in respect of men not of God and therefore when they come to deal with the Lord they acknowledg their sins Ob. 2. Iobs example is alledged as justifying himself before God Answ Iob must thus be understood as speaking of his freedome from hypocrisie and that he was in the Lords service upright in the sight of God whereas his freinds condemne him of hypocrisie he challengeth to himself uprightness See Iob 8.20 9. per tot and therefore when he comes to speak of himself in respect of his infirmity he acknowledgeth his sins Iob. 9.2 3 20. And let this teach us to acquaint our selves with our own sins and corruptions to which purpose Vse 1. Know the Law of God and therein diligently view thy self 2. Compare thy self with God not with man Whiles we look on our selves and compare our selves with men we seem semidei as half Gods but look up to God and thy righteousness will appear unclean Iob 9.2 3. Consider there may be many corruptions which we see not I know not mine own soul Iob 9.21 When ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord Here is the instance Let us see their conclusion which is disjunctive either God an approver of the wicked or else no God of judgment that is regards not things done on the earth or else indeed there is no God at all Hear their medium Mal. 3.14 15. Because the Lord punisheth not but prospereth the wicked 2. Afflicts and delivers not his own children The like blasphemous thoughts are in wicked men Observ at this day which also sometimes they utter with their mouths they see not but the Lord blesseth hem in temporall things as well as others that are more nice and precise and stand upon points yea this that wherewith David confesseth himself to be much turmoiled to doubt of Gods providence love of the wicked and seeming hatred of his children Psal 37. 73. So Ieremy chap. 12.1 It shall not be amiss therefore a little to shew a mean to fortifie our selves against this Godless and blasphemous temptation

partly through Gods judgment upon such partly through Satans desire to bewitch them with such things God gives them over to these delusions that they may believe lies because they have not received the love and obedience of the truth 2 Thess 2.11 A second kinde of Sooth-saying or Magick is operative that is consisting in working things strange and beyond conceit because we see not the reason of them as we see in the sorcerers about Pharaoh and Simon Magus and the like perhaps at this day strange cures wrought by bringing inchanted napkins c. Now first by natural causes known to Sathan as of the lamp burning in the Temple of Venus without oyl a thing that hath a cause in nature as Pliny of a stone called Asphaestus once set on fire never quenched Secondly by deceiving of the sence as Pharao'hs Wizards by agility of their nature removing rods bringing in Serpents Thirdly perhaps also some marvels wrought true for their nature but false in their end Reasons 1. Gods judgment upon such as believe such things 2. That those that obtain such gifts might not be too much exalted 3. To teach us not rashly to receive doctrines thus commended but to bring them to the touch 4. That we might not too much admire this gift but labour for those rather that tend to edification and salvation And in this rank may I also reckon those so rife in every corner charmers and sorcerers would God our own congregation were free which is by procuring of words to procure speedy help or hurt and this is either plain or covert some meanes pretendedly used against which and all the rest See Deut. 18.10 11. Reasons 1. God cast out the heathen for these 2. Prophets ordained Against all which these rules must be observed 1. That they are all exercised by a secret compact with Sathan Reason they have no such force by nature divine ordinance or promise Ob. Prayers are good and prevalent Answ Made in faith according to Gods will But 1. What warrant to pray for cure without meanes or by meanes supernaturall 2. What reason why such a prayer rather then another 3. See such people known to be ignorant vitious of whom the Lord professeth he knows none such Ob. Gift Answ Extraordinary gift of healing now ceased Ob. Devill doth none good Answ Yes ease with a desire to hurt VER 6 7. For I am the Lord I change not therefore yee sons of Jacob are not consumed Even form the days of your fathers yee are gone away from mine ordinances and have not kept them Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts but yee said wherein shall we return HEre the true cause assigned why they were not consumed because the Lord is unchangeable And that it might not seem strange the Lord should in mercy so long forbeare them he makes it probable by promising a greater blessing the summe whereof is this that though they had gone astray so long and were not amended yet if now at length they would return the Lord promiseth to return to them Parts three 1. An aggravation of the peoples sins 2. An invitation to repentance 3. A promise of a blessing with a confirmation of it saith the Lord of Hosts From days of your Fathers That is ever since your fathers gave you that ungracious example and became patterns of disobedience ye have gone astray How prevalent with posterity the example of parents is especially in evill I might instance this Observ in the State of Ieroboam how many hundreds of years did idolatry continue in his lineage And succeeding Kings of his Stock went a whoring after the calves in Dan and Bethel as the leprosie of Gehazi clave to him and his posterity so the sins of Parents oft-times to their children Heare some reasons of it The 1. Is that proness in nature to imitate examples either in good or evill especially in children towards Parents as we see in common appearance in the least of our infants but newly crept out of their cradle speeches gestures c. how apishly imitate they them 2. But specially this comes to pass by a judgment of God upon the children for the fathers transgression threatned in the second commandement where he saith he will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children If a man demande how Answ By withholding his grace from them and giving them over to imitate their fathers sins and this how see we it verified in daily experience Popery how long continues it in families popish This should admonish all those of us whom the Lord hath made parents to take heed how we forsake the wayes of our God and walk after the stubbornness of our own hearts Sundry reasons I might give for this 1. Examples in evill are always prevalent like leaven 1 Cor. 5.7 how soon it leavens the whole lumpe we see so spreads the infection of an evill example 2. Me-thinks the very misery of our children should move us God hath made us fathers of their bodies Heb. 12.9 And very birth is in its own nature a blessing but yet if we shall bane them by our evill example better had it been for them never to be born how discomfortable is it to parents to see the shamefull ends of their children as sometimes on the gibbet Can we grieve at this Me-thinks that other misery of them their eternall damnation should move us murther of bodies odious much more of soules And therefore beloved let us all be exhorted to take heed how by a poysonful example we corrupt the souls of our children be diligent to bring up in the discipline and information of the Lord but be as careful to go before them in an holy example of practice Wouldest thou have children reverently use the name of God beware how thou prophanest it by ungodly swearing Longest thou to wean them from wantonness and love of pleasure and wouldest thou have them even in youth to renounce the vanities of life Redeem thou the time me-thinks it 's unreasonable that parents should spend weeks and moneths in pleasures and yet expect restraint from pastime at the hands of their children What is this but to binde heavy burthens and not to move them with the least of our fingers Secondly this should teach us to repent of our sins lest we bequeath unto them with our goods our sins also Riches and possessions they descend by inheritance sins also are sometimes hereditary Thirdy this should be admonition unto children to fortifie themselves against the means so powerful used by Satan to pervert them As much as for thine own grieve for thy fathers sins I never knew an ungracious father but he hath left behinde him some pledg of Gods displeasure amongst his children yea though they have seen their fathers sins and fled from them I speak now of temporal plagues by which it pleaseth God to visit the sins of fathers even in Godly children And therefore this doe when