Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	life_n	write_v	5,211	5	5.2860	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89564	A divine project to save a kingdome: Opened in a sermon to the Right Honorable the Lord Maior and court of aldermen, of the citie of London, at their anniversary meeting on Easter Munday, Apr. 22. 1644. at Christ-Church. By Stephen Marshall, B.D. Minister of Gods word at Finchingfield in Essex. Imprimatur, Charles Herle.	Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.	1644 (1644)	Wing M752; Thomason E47_31; ESTC R20669	34,916	50

that it is the most devillish villany and double iniquity With Jesabel to proclaime a Fast to get a Vineyard to strike in zealously with the right side that wee might crush some enemy of ours which appeares on the other side is a zeale which the Lord abhorreth But if it be be true zeale for God that zeale whereof the Lord saith He was zealous for my sake the heart must be upright toward him There must be sincerity within the coale of sincerity must glow within before ever the flame of it will shine abroad in zeale That is the first thing That true zeale is alway the edge of a gracious spirit of a man who is upright to God in the truth and sincerity of whose heart the Lord and his wayes are set us as their greatest good Another thing which you shall alwaies find in true zeale is this it 's prodigall of doing good for any cause of God it 's I say a prodigall grace it spares for no cost to their strength and above their strength any thing shall goe every thing shal go if God Christ Jesus or his cause have need of it You never knew a zealous man a good husband in all your life time Jesabel in her zeale for Baal will maintaine 400. of his Prophets at her Table I mean that whatsoever a mans heart is zealous for hee ever doth his utmost in the prosecution of it never commeth to say I hope here is enough done for my share if he can doe any more Let a voluptuous man have his heart set on his pleasure let an earthly man have his heart set upon Mammon Let an ambitious man have his heart set upon preferment or honor he never saith I have done enough for it if he can doe any more If David have 1300. Cart load of silver gold he can joyfully part with every penny of it toward the building of Gods house and blesseth God that hee had it to give if Gods Tabernacle be to be built The women bring their Jewels their Lawnes and Looking-glasses and all other materials so willingly that Moses was faine to make a Proclamation that they should bring no more Exod. 36. 6. 38. 8. And in the Primitive Church when the exigents of Gods people required it they who had houses lands or other possessions sold them all and put them in the common Treasury This is a second property of zeale it is liberall bountifull for God You all know that if a man have the vanity of his heart let out about any thing Take a Gentleman that is otherwise a good husband and a provident man I meane penurious if his heart be set on the building of an house if he resolve upon two thousand pound it is ten to one if he grutch the laying out three or foure or five thousand pound to make it fit to his minde or if a mans heart be set upon his garden and flowers it is little question but hee will bee wastfull upon it the like may be said of Hawkes and Dogs and so is the zealous man for God whatsoever cost it puts him to he doth not sticke at Thirdly Zeale where ever it is true for God it appeareth most of all in greatest dissiculties It cannot be taken off with There is a Lyon in the way and I shall be kil'd if I goe out into the streets goe you first and I will see how safely you speed and I shall come in my due time after you neither doe you heare a zealous man talke so alwayes Cravens and Cowards hang backe but the best horse ever leads the way You shall have a very Samaritan if there be no danger in it if Authority be on their side he will be a Jew and be a kin to him and come and build with him but if there be danger in it Jew stand on your legs for all the Samaritan Just so now in the cause of God if there be ease and profit by it if it goeth well and no displeasure incurred many well appear as forward and frolike for a good cause as the forwardest but if any danger appeare a base heart presently tackes about or draws backe I promise you I have a great charge I have somewhat to lose I shall incurre such a great mans displeasure I know not in what blacke booke I may be written but a zealous man disdains difficulties answers with Nehemiah when they would have him flie into the Temple Shall such a man as I flie into the Temple no not I I professe if I might save my life by it So when they would have Luther goe Thinke any thing of Luther said he but running from Gods cause or recanting but never imagin if they were all devils as many devils as Tyles on the house I will refuse to goe when God bids me goe That is a third difficulty and danger and opposition taketh not off the spirit of a man that is zealous for God Fourthly another companion of true zeale is this Zeale for God alwayes maketh a man coole for himselfe a zealous man cannot trade in both Indies to any purpose he doth not trade for God himselfe too because there can be but one chiefe one that is most highly regarded in his bed in his closet in his family in all his relation in his office where ever hee hath any thing to doe hee hath but one that is his chiefe and that is God and because the whole of his heart is given to God hee must by consequence be a man that doth not greatly prosecute his owne businesse You shall find this old observation to bee a very true one that in all the world there cannot bee found a man that is eager truely eager in Gods cause and in his owne cause too indeed cholerick and hot spirited men whatsoever they doe velle they doe valde velle they are very eager upon it from the temper of their nature But if it be a gracious frame where the grace of God hath the predominancie it layeth out all the strength and mettle so for God that there is little left for themselves thus Moses that is starke mad almost in Gods cause is the mildest man in his owne cause Nehemiah hee that can teare the haire of his head and professeth he will lay hands on any man that will prophane the Sabbath hee can be contented any man shall jeere and scorne him if it be his owne cause I would have you remember that Gods fire doth rost or boyle or bake a sacrifice but never doth hee allow it to rost our meate in our owne Kitchin no that cannot bee find me the man that drives any self end in any high degree of his owne and I will shew you the man that hath no true zeale for God It is an observation that one hath of Solomon That Solomon built an house for God the stateliest house that ever was thought to bee in the world the Temple and hee was seven yeares