Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	fear_v	lord_n	remembrance_n	1,962	5	9.9520	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66341	The advancement of Christs interests the governing end of a Christians life a second sermon preached before the Right Honourable Sir John Shorter, Knight, Lord Mayor of the city of London at Grocers-Hall, January the 9th, 1687/8 / by Daniel Williams.	Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716.	1688 (1688)	Wing W2644; ESTC R13642	27,450	42

licentiousness or countenancing them therein Their corrupt hearts are under the government of lust and the World being their Idol the Devil may thereby gild over any Pill and employ them in most undertakings The God of this World wants not means to hire affright or allure them by and these seldom are unsuccessful unless when God overacts their Inclinations or in his Providence prevents the gainfull offer or when he chaineth some loss shame or such sensible evils with their serving Satan's turn at present But with most Sinners in most of his Concerns the Devil gains concurrence and that by means grateful to the Flesh. Ecclesiastical grandure supporteth uninstituted Officers in the Church vast incomes and exorbitant power tempt to Idolatry to an universal Headship and a world of vile Appendants Ignorance must be countenanced lest these emoluments be exposed to hazard Superstition will be contended for as its pomp is pleasing to a vain mind dead Forms are abetted as lulling Conscience asleep which is needful to the quiet of an unregenerate heart where the Gospel-light is by Christ forced on them Mahumatism and Pagan Idolatry were introduced by methods adapted to mens lusts and are maintained by reasons from worldly Interests This way usually Satan attains his ends by miserable men but sometimes he doth by strong delusions hurry them without apparent motives yea by his service expose them to hardships ungrateful to Nature tho vicious A strange impetus reconcileth them to torments yea and death in the Devil's work God permitting him to impress their Imaginations and act their Souls in an amazing manner Thus many errors are suggested and propagated One way or another all ungodly men willingly serve the Devill 's Interest How are most of Mankind employed in this slavery by Satan yea their Lusts oft carry them to intemperance impiety violence 〈◊〉 when unsolicited Oh dreadful aspect of an Apostate World Prop. III. Men are naturally disposed to resist the Interests of the Lord Jesus especially as far as they are opposite to their own carnal Inclinations or Interests Christ is sure of an Enemy where a carnal mind prevaileth and no endowment short of Grace prevents the opposition The Wise resist his Doctrine as foolishness It 's a stumbling-block to the Jewish Church tho entrusted with Divine Oracles and a long expected Messias is rejected by them because he appears void of pomp and to purposes more spiritual than a carnal mind could relish The best Natures become cruel from a blind zeal and the very devout turn Persecutors of Religion as abominable to their unrenewed minds Satan paints the Servants of Christ as factious turbulent and dangerous and so engageth the Powers of the Earth to the highest vigor in their extirpation The Rules of his House are oft opposed as inconsistent with some Maxims of Policy Ignorance and strong Delusions cause many to sacrifice the real Interests of Christ even from seeming regards to him where Providence hath forced some reverence to his Name tho enmity against his Laws and Nature do still abide It 's true that ungodly men may bear with the external profession of Religion when education hath familiarized it and they find it can consist with the dominion of a carnal heart nay they greatly like a dead form of Christianity because it suits all men to be of some Religion and no other can quiet their Conscience in its awakened foresight of Eternity when enlightned at all by the Gospel but still their Enmity vents its dislike against the Inwards and power of Religion tho the Form thereof is become thus necessary They despise worshipping God in the Spirit as unintelligible because unfelt A lively Ministry is hated as disquieting their feared Consciences They loathe the strictly Pious as a Reproach to themselves A progress in Reformation in the Church is obstructed from inward antipathy to any further Advance to Christ and hazard to secular Interests thereby Or it looks too trivial to be contended for by them to whom all Religion is indifferent further than as rivited by long Custom Yea they oppose it from a proud Conceit that it would reproach their former usage as erroneous and imperfect Indeed sometimes the Prophane grow zealous for some Cause of Christ but never for the Sake of Christ. Applause security to their own Interest or long Custom awaken their Concern God by his Providence supports his own Cause by Evil Men their Estates Honour Emulation Quarrels and the like influence their Endeavours in that which proves a Service to the Truth They are often zealous for a lower Degree of Reformation in opposition to a greater not seeing that that lesser Degree ceaseth to be the Interest of Christ when it becomes an Impediment to or Rival with Reformation in greater Instances But however the Ungodly may be thus over-ruled to comply with any thing which belongs to Christ their prevailing Inclination is to betray all of Christ which they profess when damage to their fleshly Interests attends it Yea in a quiet Season their Religion dwindles into an empty From the Truths of the Gospel are supplanted by encroaching Errors and Christianity so clogg'd and eclipsed in evil mens management that it hardly retains what deserves that Name To this opposition in the nature of Man to the Inrerests of Christ must be ascribed the wonderful Degeneracy of Christian Churches And as far as the remains of Corruption influence the Best Men Christ shall suffer by them in his Concernments His Name shall endure reproach and his Ministers damage his Church is divided Love destroyed the Conversion of Sinners hindred Advances in Godliness obstructed and many such ways our sinful Natures disserve yea oppose the Interests of our Blessed Lord. This should make the Pious watchful as not ignorant they have Lusts which the Devil may improve to the damage of Christ. And it should make the Ungodly suspicious when they contend with many good men that it is not the Interest of Christ they are engaged for which they are so far likelier to mistake and oppose than those more Holy persons are Prop. IV. Obligations and a Call to Service result from and are measured by mens different Places and Capacities for the advancements of Christs Interests All should be devoted to it but all are not equally capable of it nor called to express it in the same Instances None should usurp another's Station under pretence of Service yet all must be diligent to the utmost of their own Talents God hath wisely ordained variety of Callings with a tendency in their Nature to his Use Providence disposeth and fitteth men to these several Offices The faithfulness of the meanest is regarded Servants do serve the Lord Christ when their meaner Employs are cloathed with an obediential Respect to him Two Mites from the Poors stock is a commended Offering and a Book of Remembrance treasureth the concerned Thoughts and edifying Discourses of them that fear the Lord