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	scripture_n	word_n	2,761	5	3.9668	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81983	Psalmos theios, or a Divine psalme or, song, wherein predestination is maintained, yet the honour of Jehovah preserved and vindicated: and to that eternall song the holy scripture dedicated, / by John Davis. Whereunto is annexed an elogie upon the patron, with certaine divine epigrams to whom the author presented some of his books..	Davis, John, b. 1628 or 9.	1652 (1652)	Wing D388; Thomason E683_24; ESTC R206823	21,012	64

unknown to each reprobate Answ I answer that if they cannot discover That God deludes them how can any other That prosecutes this strange objection charge The just and righteous God with couzenage What are they turned Gods that they Can thus unlock disclose display This hidden veiled mystery That none within the World espie Since that Gods wayes without all doubt Are a ships way past finding out Surel ' if there be no reprobates Can say that God equivocates With any with them while h'exhorted Them to believe and be converted And yet with-holds the grace whereby They should upon his Son relye Because th are cannot truly know Whether they reprobates or no Then surely he that doth maintain This mysticall or rather vain Objection must give ore for shame Thus basely the great God to blame Till of himself he 's able to trace The just God in fault and in his own case Only and not on others thus to declaim Before themselves in any wise complain Of Gods dealing with them who do not vent A word perchance against unchang'd intent Thus more be pleas'd to give me leave God doth not reprobates deceive In offering grace to them by The Gospel in its Ministry Though he resolveth not to give The faith by which the just do live Because th' reprobates I will maintain By th' Gospel preach't to them do gain As first oft-times they bear away That which becomes a present stay To their drooping souls which would sink Into despair should they not drink Of th' Gospels spring possibility They have and more a probability Of true conversion which none under heaven Have but such to whom the Gospel's given And secondly they know the Attributes Of God which to the World he distributes They know the nature suff'rings and merits Of Jesus Christ and who by him inherits The Kingdom they know 't is such alone That hath a soft not a heart of stone Now are not these unmatched rare Priviledges beyond compare Except saving knowledge what doth excell To speak truly I cannot tell Which as before for ought they know They may obtain e're hence they go Now who can say the Lord doth hardly deal With reprobates I dare appeal Unto themselves who cannot but Thus speak Jehovah doth not shut All his favours up from the reprobate But this is true that I relate Thirdly reprobates by th' Gospel gain Those outward blessings which do pertain Thereto whereof they have a share As great as such who chosen are The Gospel commonly with it doth bring Peace plenty with each outward thing It always brings blessings great and many Of which reprobates drink as deep as any Therefore 't is not altogether vain To th' reprobates as some would maintain Fourthly reprobates though not sanctified Call'd by the Gospel yet 't is not denied But many morall vertues thence they gain Withall the grace of God which doth restrain Their running head-long to th' excesse Of vice of sin and wickednesse The Word of God becomes so prevalent In their souls to whom 't is sent That it makes them to act and do Many things for God yea and to Go farre i' th' practise of religion That they seem almost without suspicion To be th' elect of God the sheep Of Jesus Christ which he will keep Therefore it comes into my minde again Though th' Gospel doth not save 't is not vain 'T is by the Gospel reprobates injoy Communion with elect which doth imploy My Muse again this to maintain The Gospel preached is not vain Because the profit and blessing 's not small T' have fellowship with the best of all Mankinde t' enjoy the society Of Gods elect who practise piety Because the Scripture oft relates That God hath oft blest reprobates For th' only sake of his elect That live with them in due respect Read what great blessings God did yield To Josephs masters house and field For Josephs sake 't is on record I' th' Book of truth his written word Object But some may say the Gospel aggravates The condemnation of the reprobates Because it leaves them all as I suppose Without excuse so they gain not but lose Answ I answer such a man even thus 't is true 'T is better for some they had nere knew The Word the Gospel yea for only they That go on in a rebellious way Without restraint but as for such Who are reclaimed by it much They gain obtein as shall appear By what I say and write down here Though 't doth their condemnation aggravate Yet know withall 't doth extenuate The same another way by detracting The number of their sins which they 're acting While here they live who would have added Sin to sin as if they were n'ere cladded Therewith notable to abstain Did not the Gospel-check restrain So that observe they gain more by the last Than by the first they lose for all your hast How'ere I dare affirme the very knowledge Of the Gospel is such a priviledge And blessing of it self that those who are Ingenious reprobates would not care With the Gospel to undergo in fine A greater punishment than lesser sine But some perchance will answer thus and say Although I am in haste yet I can stay To ask another question once again Answ Thus If the Gospel rightly do pertain To none but God's elect why is it then Preached so generally to all men If it were truly ' ffectuall to none But th'elect it should be preach't to them ' lone Quest For answer Mark what shall be said In these reasons before you laid The Gospel is generally propounded Reason 1 To th' elect reprobate because confounded They are or mingled with each other as The weeds tares are with the corne grasse Or as the dust the chaffe with wheat is found Or as the stones are with the solid ground Now as the raine doth oft-times fall upon The tares the weeds and stones as well as on The wheat the fertile soyle the grasse Not ' cause it principally was Intended to them but for that They 're intermixed with the wheat So the Gospels pleasant showres fall upon The reprobated the rejected one Whom holy Scripture doth compare To rocks to stones to weeds to tare Not no not to save as some sect Do prate but ' cause with Gods elect They 're mixt who are in Scripture found Compar'd to wheat to mellow ground For whose effect'all calling it was meant For whose change conversion onely sent Reason 2 Secondly 't is thus preached gen'rally Because Ministers know not infallibly The reprobates from the elect If they could know who would reject The Gospel they would then deny unto Such to preach but alas they know not who Are chosen loved who are elected Nor who are reprobated rejected Therefore it is they preach to all That so th' elected they may call Reason 3 Thirdly the Gospel's preached thus To all to ev'ry