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	scripture_n	spirit_n	1,691	5	5.0206	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08800	The true Catholike Collected out of the oracles, and psalteries of the Holy Ghost. for instruction, and deuotion.	Fernández de Ribera, Rodrigo, 1579-1631.; Packer, Thomas, fl. 1628-1637.	1628 (1628)	STC 19085; ESTC S100465	49,141	292

THE TRVE CATHOLIKE Collected out of the Oracles and Psalteries of the holy Ghost for Instruction and Deuotion 1 TIM 2.4 God will haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the truth IOH. 14.17 The world cannot receiue the spirit of truth because it seeth him not neither knoweth him 1 COR. 2.10 The spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God EPHES. 5.9 For the fruit of the spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth LONDON Printed for E. BLACKMORE 1628. THE PREFACE OF DOCTOR FRA. RIBERA 〈◊〉 In Coment in Amos Prophet touching the Excellency Dignity profit of finding the holy Scriptures THAT there is no studie either more Excellent more profitable or more worthy of Man then the studie of the holy Scriptures hee shall best know and iudge that applyeth himselfe wholy thereunto and shal perceiue that man to bee worthily called blessed Which meditateth in the law of God day and night Psal 1 2. I doe verily confesse that all the sacred bookes especially those of the Prophets are wrapped and incumbred with many difficulties by which as it were by certaine strict keepers of a most stately Temple The holy Ghost hath straitly prohibited the accesse and misteries vnto prophane and proud men and that it is rightly spoken of them which Socrates is reported to haue said when he hapned vpon Heraclitus bookes of nature That those things which hee vnderstood seemed excellent vnto him and that hee thought so also of them which hee vnderstood not but that it was needfull to haue an Interpreter to them No where can you see more euidently no where can it more appeare which is spoken in the old Greeke prouerbe Those things which are excellent are difficult Or that saying which passeth far neare from Hesiodus concerning vertue That it is scituate in a steepe and high place and that it hath a passage in the beginning hard and full of paine and labour But doubtlesse although the labour be great and continuall it doth sufficiently recompence with profit the paine with ease the earnest endeauour of the minde with rest For although they seeme to haue much hardnesse yet without doubt they haue farre more of true and perfect delight For how great a matter is it to bee led by a King into a wine-Cellar Cant. 2.4 For Charity to be rightly ordered How great a matter is it to sucke those brests better then wine sauoring sweetly with the best oyntments Cant. 1.2 To hold wisedome as the Apostle speaketh among those that bee perfect 1. Cor. 2.6 Yet not the wisedome of this world nor of the Princes of this world which come to nought but the wisedome of God in a misterie which none of the Princes of this world knew 7. 8. To be present at the distribution of heauenly treasures To behold the glory of God with open face Certainely the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the future glory which when wee well vnderstand the sacred bookes shall be reuealed in vs. But the men of our time are quicke and ready to other studies vnto these for the most part they are slow and do imagine that these are to bee left to idle men and such as tarrie at home or else vnto Preachers Whereby it happens that such as are vnfit for sermons though they haue leasure enough doe rather bestow their labour and endeauour in any other matter How much the holy Scriptures doe profit preachers I haue often said and how greatly they stand in neede of them which are excercised in Schoole disputations I could say and perchance will hereafter shew Now this I auouch that albeit these Scriptures bee most profitable to helpe others they iudge very ill who thinke they are to bee studied onely for other mens sakes For if we reade with great profit the bookes of the holy fathers and of other learned men which are called and are spirituall and by reading them doe finde our selues much bettered shall there bee any book so spirituall which may bee compared with those which the spirit of God it selfe by the choycest and wisest men hath deliuered vnto vs If the small brookes doe helpe and as it were satisfie what shall that great Riuer doe which Ezechiell saw Ezec. 47.1 issuing forth vnder the threshold of the Lords house which he could not goe through because the waters of that deepe riuer were risen so that they could not bee passed ouer And when I had returned 5. said he behold at the bank of the riuer were very many trees on either side 7. what are those many trees on either side the banke of the riuer but the ancient writers ioyned to the Law and the Prophets and the new writers who sitting together by the streames of the Euangelists and Apostles doe alwayes waxe greene as most beautifull trees and abound with pleasant fruite the riuer is the same because it is the same author of the Scriptures and the scope the same but the ages and times diuers which are resembled by both the bankes Of these trees and of these waters it is said and he shall be like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that bringeth forth his fruite in his season Psal 1.3 his leafe also shall not fall away and whatsoeuer be doth it shall prosper I was wont to maruaile with my selfe as often as I did reade in Saint Ierome that the study of the Scriptures had wonderfull power to change the minde of man to quench the desires of the flesh to procure the contempt of the world and briefly to gaine all kinde of vertue vntill I perceiued hee spake those things whereof hee had made triall in himselfe and that it is a wrong not to belieue him that hath experience Hee that beleeueth not let him first reade the Scripture not as though hee would interpret it to others but to be turned wholy to his owne profit let him meditate therein day and night he shall feele a stony heart to bee mollified a cold heart to be inflamed with heauenly fire for the words of the Lord are like fire ●er 23.29 and as a hammer that breaketh the rocke in peeces He shall perceiue the loue of the world to vanish away the desire of eternall good things to bee stirred vp in himselfe his minde filled with a certaine incredible delight which he that felt it cried out how sweete are thy words vnto my taste Psal 119.103 yea sweeter then hony to my mouth O wisdome guide of the heauenly life teacher of vertues bane of vices fountaine of light expeller of darkenesse what should wee nay what should the whole life of man be without thee Thou art the companion in labour thou art the comforter in aduersitie the ouerseere and guide in prosperitie the instructer of youth the foundation of manhood the most sweet rest of old age Come therefore let vs ascend vp