Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	read_v	see_v	2,673	5	3.5053	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56599	Angliæ speculum a glass that flatters not : presented to a country congregation at the late solemn fast, April 24, 1678, in a parallel between the kingdom of Israel and England, wherein the whole nation is desired to behold and consider our sin and our danger / by a dutiful son of this church.	Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.	1678 (1678)	Wing P744; ESTC R33026	21,160	44

letting our own apparent sins escape without correction Doth this look like the way of God in which we hope to meet with his blessing or are these rash censures which we carelesly throw out likely to redress any disorders Or can we find so little work at home that we know not where to busie our selves but in other Mens concerns Why do you suffer your selves to be thus grosly abused by the Devil whose Art it is to divert you from that wherein you may do some good by imploying you there where you have nothing to do or if you had have no power to make any amendment Grant if it may be done without offence that what you surmise is true that there are faults in those whom out of respect to their high Office we would willingly excuse and which is more that they will still be in fault and not do their duty as they ought though I hope in God they will not be truly charged with this guilt What then Doth this authorize your irreverent speeches of them Are they like to do better by your talking against them Or doth it tend to any thing but the disgracing those whose honour you should preserve and the bringing all things into greater confusion Come come if you design any good to your selves or this Kingdom set your selves to work in that place where you have power to make things better If you mean really to do what in you lies to turn away Gods anger from us turn then your zeal if you have any that way where it may be profitably imployed and work some amendment There is something I am sure which every one of us may do and if we do not shall be reproached out of our own Mouths which are so censorious of other Folks negligence to procure a blessing upon our Soveraign and his Kingdoms In that let us imploy our most serious endeavours and consider impartially are there not a number of things out of order at home Do you not hear them calling upon your care and diligence to see them amended Spend your zeal then first of all in that place and let it be your business this day when you are alone by your selves as to bewail between God and your own Souls all the wickedness you know of abroad to lament the neglects of those who you see do not execute the Laws to sigh in secret for the faults of those which you ought not openly to discourse of So to descend into your own breasts and make a search there what duty towards God or Man there is which you neglect and what commands there are which you break And when you have found them set them before your Eyes in all their foul Circumstances most sorrowfully bewail them express your abhorrence of them and faithfully resolve to reform all your negligence and remissness as well as your open disobedience In this search and examination you must be strict and exact and when you have sifted your selves narrowly and resolved to amend all there the next thing you have to do is to amend all those over whom you have any power and who are committed to your charge Your Children I mean and Servants whom you ought to call upon to be more careful in their performance of the duties which they omit and to break off those sins into which you see them run resolving with Joshua that whatsoever others do You and your House will serve the Lord. And next of all we ought to express our detestation as much as we are able of those leud courses which we cannot reform What hinders for instance but you may frown and show your dislike when you hear a Gentleman or one that is much your superiour rap out Oaths and Blasphemies at every word in his common discourse Is this any incivility or rudeness to him in his House or in your own And what can detain you if you have a love to God from going to do your duty to him when others are resolved to omit it Why should you not leave any company when you are called to Church and not be so complemental as to stay at home with those who have no regard to the Divine Service and for fear of disobliging them be guilty of an open neglect of Almighty God Nay may not every one of you do very much for the preservation of the true Religion which Gods own right hand hath planted and established among us By studying that is more seriously the grounds of it by informing your selves what indeed and none else is the true ancient Catholick Apostolick Faith which is so much talkt of and especially by endeavouring after an holy Conversation answerable thereunto Cannot you be careful to principle your Children with all the diligence you can use in the Religion here professed nay and your Servants too and all that are under your charge what hinders you from bringing them constantly to Church along with you and to see they stay there and wander not to other places And why cannot you examine them what they have learnt and remember them of that which was most remarkable and read in the Evening of the Lords-Day some good Book to them that may instruct them in their Duty and make them understand the difference between our Religion and all that oppose it These are proper things for you in which to express your zealous desires of bringing things to a better pass And do not think to throw off the guilt from your selves unless you set your hearts to do something of this nature nor imagine that it is none of your fault that we are in so ill a condition and in danger of a worse for if the thing be well scanned there is never a one of us but is less or more to be charged with it And to speak a little more particularly I doubt our Religion suffers exceedingly by this that we do no more value it nor thank God for it nor stir up our selves to serve God with fervent spirits in it For if we did more esteem the knowledge of God our Saviour and really look upon it as Eternal Life and think his service the most perfect freedom as we pretend to do in our daily Prayers we need not fear the power of any Adversaries but be confident God would hear our Prayers when we say From our Enemies defend us O Christ But alas we are negligent and careless hearers and readers of his holy Word and too many talk all the time the Chapters are read as if that were not one end of our daily Assemblies to hear Gods most holy Word as well as to pray and to set forth his most worthy praise and thank him for his benefits Nay all these God knows are but slightly performed We see People talk out all the Hymns and it is well if they can forbear whispering to one another while they pretend to be at their Prayers A most dreadful prophanation which must be amended if we hope for any mercy