Selected quad for the lemma: water_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
water_n	earth_n	heaven_n	place_n	3,957	5	4.7600	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52355	A brief exposition of the First and Second Epistles general of Peter by Alexander Nisbet ...	Nisbet, Alexander, 1623-1669.	1658 (1658)	Wing N1165; ESTC R37734	248,842	354

course and that they are not terrified with the frequent change thereof but may be thereby confirmed in the faith of the Lords constancy and faithfulnesse as David was Psal 119.90 91. Yet men that are in love with their lusts do make a wofull use of the consideration thereof hardening themselves in their conceit that there shall never be a change that so they may sin the more securely for thus did these scoffers abuse this mercy taking occasion there-from to question the promise of Christ's second coming and to walk the more boldly after their ungodly lusts since all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation Vers 5. For this they willingly are ignorant of that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water 6. Whereby the World that then was being overflowed with Water perished 7. But the Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same Word are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men Because these mockers did pretend reason for their blasphemous opinion the Apostle taketh pains to confute it by several reasons such as they did not love to understand The first taken from the work of Creation is That the whole fabrick of the Heavens was set up by a Word of God's The second taken from an ordinary and daily work of Providence is That the Earth being the lowest and heaviest of the Elements is by His Word kept from being overflowed by the Waters that go about it and cover it in many places ver 5. The third taken from an extraordinary work of Providence is That by a Word of His letting out the Waters to their natural course the whole Earth was once overflowed in the time of the floud ver 6. The conclusion drawn from these three is That His Word is a sufficient ground for us to believe that He shall come again to judgment and that this whole frame of Nature is keeping to the fore as fewel to burn up all the ungodly especially profane mockers of that day ver 7. Hence Learn 1. When vile blasphemies are not only boldly vented but maintained with some shew of reason to make them taking with people they ought then to be solidly confuted and born down with strength of reason grounded upon the Scripture Though otherwise when they are only simply or rashly asserted and are not taking with hearers it is sufficient to reject them with detestation and expressions of our abhorrency of them for because this blasphemy had a seeming reason to back it with the Apostle taketh pains to confute it by many solid reasons drawn from the Scriptures 2. They that are in love with their lusts and errors they love also to be ignorant of these Truths the knowledge whereof might disquiet them in following their lusts and maintaining their errors Yea they would willingly be ignorant of what they do know that so they might sin the more securely for these men here whom the faith of a day of judgment could not but terrifie are discovered to be willingly ignorant of these things that might have helped them to believe it 3. As the whole frame of Nature had its being and hath its subsistance by the Word of God So the believing consideration of this is sufficient to make the most unlikely thing that God hath promised to be credible to us They who look right upon what God hath already done by a Word will never think any thing He hath promised or foretold impossible for the Apostle giveth this as a sufficient confutation of their blasphemous mockery at the promised appearance of Christ That since by the Word of the Lord the Heavens were of old and the Earth standing out of the Water and in the Water it is not incredible that all shall be taken down with as little difficulty as it was at first set up and hath hitherto been upheld which is the force of the Apostle's reasoning here 4. It is a standing miracle of Nature that the Earth is not overflowed by the Water while one part of it is covered therewith and another not whereof though some probable natural reasons may be given Yet all will not satisfie till we look to God's Decree of Providence and His executing thereof by His Word by which the Earth is standing out of the Water and in the Water 5. However error when it is looked upon alone as the cunning craftinesse of men usually representeth it may seem to have a kind of likelihood and probability Yet when it is compared with the clear light of the Truth shining upon it it doth manifestly appear to be a lying deceit for that plausible assertion All things continue as they were from the beginning ver 4. wherewith these scoffers laboured to weaken the faith of a day of judgment is clearly discovered to be a manifest lie by this contrary instance ver 6. The World that then to wit before the floud was being overflowed with Water perished 6. Particular judgments upon some wicked men while others are spared do prove that there shall be a general judgment for seing some are justly punished here and others deserving no lesse are spared He who is immutably and impartially just must have a day for judging these afterward who are spared in time Therefore doth the Apostle bring in the instance of the floud upon the ungodly World not only as a contradiction to their assertion ver 4. but as a proof against them of a day of judgment The World being overflowed with Water perished 7. The day of Christ's second coming will be a most dreadfull and terrible day to all ungodly men who banish the thoughts of it and desire eternally to possesse this present World and the pleasures thereof when they shall see all those creatures which they have abused to serve them in their serving of their lusts burning fewel to kindle as it were that flame which shall burn them up for ever and ever and shall not be so happy as to be destroyed with the rest of the creatures but shall then enter into their never-ending torment for the Heavens and the Earth which are now are kept in store reserved unto Fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men Vers 8. But Beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day The Apostle having by strength of reason drawn from Scripture overthrown the opinion of these mockers of Christ's second coming He doth in this and the two following Verses hold forth three reasons which may satisfie the Godly concerning the delay thereof The first which is in this Verse is That the delay ought not to be judged of according to our sense or apprehension but according to the duration of God with whom that space of time which seemeth very long to us is but as one day and