Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	read_v	scripture_n	8,342	5	5.9261	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53326	A present for teeming vvomen, or, Scripture-directions for women with child how to prepare for the houre of travel / written first for the private use of a gentlewoman of quality in the West, and now published for the common good by John Oliver.	Oliver, John, 1601-1661.	1663 (1663)	Wing O276; ESTC R30076	85,614	176

was wont to spend from the ninth hour of the day till Sun set in reading the old-Testament He mentions also one Silvia a noble Lady that dedicated part of every night to reading rhe Bible and of one Cecilia a Romane Lady who when at home never let her Bible goe out of her hands when she went abroad alwayes carried it in her bosome when she was in company alwayes made it her discourse Thus saith he she lived a chaste Virgin and died a stout Martyr being so ravished with the sweetnesse of Christ by daily reading something of him that she willingly endured the bitternesse of her last torments out of the desire she had to be with Christ (b) More of this nature in his Epistles to Eustochium Salvina Celantia and other Ladyes Hierom likewise wishes one Lady to whom writes to hang these jewels always at her ears and to Furia a widow he gives this advice to reade chiefly the holy Scriptures and after them some learned writers who were known to be sound in the faith How much he abhorred the reading of idle Romances and obscene Poets is well known by other passages of his He also relates at large the great love Marcella a noble widow had to the Scriptures and of the Lady Paula (a) Hier. in Epitaph Paulae that she caused all her maid servants to learn frequently some portion of the Psalms or other Scripture by heart (b) Theodoret de naturâ hominis lib. 5. The like of Gorgonia sister of Nazianzen in his Orat. funebri in Gorgon And another Ancient giving some account of the knowledge and piety then abounding in all Christians sayes thus Ye may commonly see not onely the teachers and rulers but the meanest artificers understand the principles of our Religion and not only learned women but also such women as live by their labour Seamsters maid servants c. can reason of the Holy Trinity and of the Creation of the world and of the Nature of mankind a great deal more skilfully then either Plato or Aristotle were ever able to do Thus he Cyrill contra Julian lib. 6. l. 7 c And we find that wicked apostate Julian objecting it against the Christians as an absurd thing among them that they permitted their women and children to read the Scriptures So that we see whose followers the Papists are in finding the same fault with Protestants now And were there no other argument this might suffice with a religious mind that as Tertullian said it could not but be some great good which Nero condemned so it cannot but be a singular profit to all men women and children to read daily in the Book of God seeing Julian and the Pope and all the instruments of Satan do so much oppose it T is therefore to be bewailed that whereas in the times of former persecutions men would travel by night many miles to one that could acquaint them with any part of the Scripture in the English tongue and would give twenty shillings for a new-Testament and a load of Hay for the Epistle of St. James the Word of the Lord being precious in those dayes and yet now that Bibles are cheap 1 Sam. 3.1 and children are more generally taught to read then in former ages yet I say is a lamentation that Protestants had need he exhorted to read the Scriptures Let me therefore conclude this point with my earnest intreaty to all readers especially the afflicted women that expect that dreadfull affliction in child-bearing to be more constant in reading the Scriptures The Scriptures being (a) Basil in Psal 1. as one sayes a shop of medicines from whence you may fetch a remedy for every malady and danger There you may see as I shewed you in the beginning of this book what was the practice of pious women when barren what when with child what songs of thanksgiving when delivered what course they took for the education of their children c. God also hath commnaded you to search the Scriptures and hath promised to give understanding to them that search for wisedom John 5.39 Prov. 2.4.5 c. If you understand not pray to him and you shall understand For the meek he will teach his way and satisfy the desire of every hungry soul (a) Aug 9. Chrysost contra anomaeos hom 3. and in Gen. hom 35. Origen in Exod. hom 9. It cannot be say the Fathers that any with earnest study and diligence reading the Scriptures should be left destitute and for although we lack the instruction of man yet will God himself enter into our hearts and cast a beam of light into our minds open things that are hidden become our teacher of such things as we know not He reveals that to women and children which he hides from the wise and prudent (b) Origen in Num. hom 27. in Josh hom 20. And as reading the Scripture angers the Papists so it angers the Devil and rejoyces the good Angels that attend us yea t is a delight to Christ Himself He looks down from heaven to see if there be any that understand and do good and seeke after God Psal 14.2 Rev. 2.2 ch 9. c. and he sayes to every member of the Church I know thy works T is also comfortable to you selves 't will give you a sight of sin that you may be humbled and of a Saviour by whom you may be reconciled to God T will direct you to every good work 't will season your mind with holy thoughts furnish you for every condition that so when your time of pain approaches Rom. 15.4 you may through patience and consolation of the Scripture have hope Onely remember to read the book of God with more reverence then any other book The jewes are curious even to superstition in handling the Sacred volumne and keeping it cleare esteeming it a prodigious mischance if any of them let his Bible fall to the ground (a) Rosse his view of all religions p. 482. And the Moscovites touch not this Book without solemne bowing even to the ground these things are needlesse but needfull it is that when we reade the Bible we cōpose our hearts to an awfull and attentive frame remembring that our maker and preserver and redeemer doth then acquaint us with the Law by which we must live here Prov. 2.3.4.5 Psal 119. and by which we shall be judged hereafter therefore lift up a prayer to him as David often doth for more quick understanding and a more obedient heart and do not huddle it over as a taske and then lay it aside as a burthen but chew upon it as thy food yea charge it upon thy memory and repeat and (b) Perkins cas of consc lib. 2. c. 7. p. 71. digest it often in thy meditation that it may at last take hold of they heart and work in thee that which is well pleasing in the sight of God But of meditation