Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	read_v	write_v	3,024	5	5.2192	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A40683	A sermon of assurance Foureteene yeares agoe preached in Cambridge, since in other places. Now by the importunity of friends exposed to publike view. By Thomas Fuller B.D. late lecturer in Lombard Street.	Fuller, Thomas, 1608-1661.	1647 (1647)	Wing F2458; ESTC R215136	16,800	39

A SERMON OF ASSVRANCE Foureteene yeares agoe Preached in CAMBRIDGE since in other Places Now by the importunity of Friends exposed to publike view By THOMAS FULLER B. D. late Lecturer in Lombard Street LONDON Printed by J. D. for John Williams at the Signe of the Crowne in Pauls Church-yard 1647. TO THE HONOVRABLE and nobly accomplished Knight Sir IOHN DANVERS all the blessings of this and a better life SIR WEe read how Zachariah being struck dumbe called for table-Table-bookes thereon to write his minde making his hands to supply the defect of his mouth It hath been the pleasure of the present Authority to whose commands I humbly submit to make me mute forbidding mee till further order the exercise of my publicke Preaching wherefore I am faine to imploy my fingers in writing to make the best signes I can thereby to expresse as my desire to the generall good so my particular gratitude to your Honour May this Treatise but finde the same favour from your Eie as once it did from your Eare and be aswell accepted when read as formerly when heard And let this humble Dedication be interpreted a weake acknowledgement of those strong obligations your bounty hath laid upon me Well may you taste the fruits of that tree whose root your liberality hath preserved from whithering Sir these hard times have taught mee the Art of frugality to improve every thing to the best advantage by the same rules of thrift this my Dedication as returning thanks for your former favours so begs the continuance of the same And to end as I began with the example of Zachariah as his dumbnesse was but temporary so I hope by Gods goodnesse and the savour of my friends amongst whom your Honour stands in the highest ranke the miracle may be wrought that the dumbe may speake again and as well by words publikely professe as now by his hand he subscribes himselfe Your Servant in all Christian office THOMAS FULLER TO THE CHRISTIAN READER I Shall be short in my addresses unto thee not onely because I know not thy disposition being a stranger unto thee but chiefly because I am ignorant of my owne present Condition remaining as yet a stranger to my selfe Were I restored to the free use of my Function I would then request the concurrence of thy thankes with mine to ●… gracious God the giver and honourable Persons the dealers of this great favour unto me Were I finally interdicted my 〈◊〉 without hope of recoverie I would bespeake thy pitty to bemoane my estate But lying as yet in the Marshes betweene Hope and Feare I am no fit subject to be condoled for or congratulated with Yet it is I trust no piece of Popery to maintaine that the prayers of others may be beneficiall and available for a person in my Purgatorie condition Which moves me to cravethy Christian suffrages that I may be ridde out of my present torment on such tearmes as may most tend to Gods glory mine owne good and the edification of others However matters shall succeede it is no small comfort to my Conscience that in respect of my Ministeriall Function I doe not die Felo de se not stabbing my Profession by mine own lazinesse who hither to have and hereafter shall improve my utmost endeavours by any lawfull meanes to procure my restitution When the Priests would have carried the Arke after David David forbad them to goe further If said hee I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord hee will bring mee againe and sh●…w mee both it and his habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him Some perchance would perswade me to have the Pulpit carried after me along with me to my private Lodgings but hitherto I have refrained from such exercises as subject to offence hoping in due time to bee b●…ught backe to the Pulpit and endeavouring to compose my selfe to Davids resolution And if I should bee totally forbidden my Function this is my confidence that That great pasture of Gods Providence whereon so many of my Profession doe dayly feede is not yet made so bare by their biting but that besides them and Millions more it may still comfortably maintaine Thy Friend and servant in Christ Jesus THOMAS FULLER A SERMON OF ASSVRANCE 2 PETER 1. 10. Give rather diligence to make your calling and election sure MAns life may not unfitly be compared to a Candle Cu●…iosity may well be resembled to the Thiefe in the Candle which makes men to spend much pretious ti●…e in needlesse disputes the conclusions whereof are both uncertaine and unprofitable The Schoolemens Bookes are stuffed with such questions about the distances and dignities of Angels as if men were to marshall them in Ranke and File how that heavenly Hoste doe march in glory one before another When men heare improbable matters from farre Countries related unto them it is their usuall Returne It is better to beleeve them then goe thither to confute them But let us not credit many unlikely-hoods concerning Angels which the boldnesse of Schoolmen have obtruded upon us but rather labour in Gods due time to goe to heaven there with our owne happy e●…perience to confute them Well it is said of Socrates that he was the first of the Grecians which humbled speculative into morall Philosophy How well would the paines of that Minister be imployed who should endeavour to bring downe and ab●…te many superfluous contemplative Queries into practicall Divinity It were liberty enough if the Sermons of all Preachers were bound to keepe Residence onely on such subjects which all Christians are bound to beleeve and practice for their soules health Amongst which the Doctrine in my Text may justly challenge a principall part When 〈◊〉 hea●…d but the mention of the name of Boaz the Man said * shee is neere unto us and of our affinity So no sooner doe you heare this Text read unto you Give rather diligence to make your calling and election sure but every well affected heart is ready to claime blood and challenge right therein Questions about Angels are neither kiffe nor kinne to my soule but this a precept of that consequence of that concernment we all ought to share a part and interest in the speedy and reall practice thereof Some difference there is betwixt us and the Romanists in reading the Text who following the vulgar Latine adde per bona opera make your calling and election sure by good workes A clause altogether omitted in our English Translations because in the Greeke nothing appeares answerable thereunto Good reason therefore that we should correct the transcript by the Originall and purifie the streame to the clearenesse of the fountaine God grant that though on these just grounds we exclude good works out of the Text wee may admit embrace and practice them in our lives and conversations My Text may not unfitly bee compared to Ehuds dagger short but