A29709:120
A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…
A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse about the favourable, signal and eminent presence of the Lord with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers : with the resolution of several questions, concerning the divine presence, as also the reasons and improvements of this great and glorious truth ... / by Thomas Brooks ...A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse about the favorable, signal and eminent presence of the Lord with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers : with the resolution of several questions, concerning the divine presence, as also the reasons and improvements of this great and glorious truth ... / by Thomas Brooks ...
London: printed for Dorman Newman, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Ninthly, (If God be with us, who can be against in?) §9I answer, None, so as to hinder the help, assistance, and succour of God at a dead lift. Heb. 13. 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness, (or without the love of silver, as the Greek word signifies) and he content with 1such things as you have. [Conten•i praesentibus, so Beza, Be content with present things.] The Hebrews had been plundered of all they had, though they had nothing, 2they must be content. If Men cannot bring their means to their minds, let them bring their minds to their means; a little will serve our turn till we get to Heaven, till we come to our Fathers house: For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. There are five Negatives in the Greek: I read not the like throughout the New-Testament. In that this promise is set down negatively. [I will never leave thee,) this makes the 3promise to be of a larger extent; for it includes all times, all places, all estates, all dangers, all needs, all distresses whatsoever, as if he had more largely said, thou shalt never stand in need of any of my help & protection, but thou shalt be sure to find it. Affirmative promises are not of that extent, as negative promises are; for if a man should promise to assist, help, succour or counsel me, if he do it now and then, or upon some special occasions, he has kept his promise: But negatively for a man to say, I will not fail thee, I will never leave thee, though he should help, assist, succour or stand by me, a bundred, yea a thousand times; and yet fail me but once, that negative promise is not punctually kept; it is not perfectly kept. It is further considerable, that there is a great Emphasis in doubling and trebling a negative particle in Greek: Doubling and trebling Negatives in Greek makes them much the stronger the doubling of the Negative particle doth in this place carry the greater Emphasis, because in setting down the same thing, it is not only twice doubled, ⟨p. 78⟩