Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	jew_n	old_a	testament_n	3,348	5	8.0238	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A79909	Agapai aspiloi, or The innocent love-feast. Being a sermon preached at S. Lawrence Jury in London, the sixth day of September, Anno Domini 1655. On the publick festival of the county of Hertford; and published this present May 1656. / By William Clarke.	Clarke, William, d. 1679.	1656 (1656)	Wing C4566; ESTC R206588	32,538	47

him and if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bee Prayer without ceasing surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may bee translated as well Charity without ceasing not concluded by our own interests or our Brothers discourtesies but it ought to bee a perpetual and a durable duty like our Saviours who when he loves us once hee loves us unto the end Ioh. 13.10 The cause of all the dissolutions or corruptions of natural bodies ariseth from the fighting and victory of contrary principles which is the reason we say in Philosophy That God who is a simple being must needs be Eternal Now though natural charity like natural bodies is destroy'd by contraries by an unworthy reproach or an ungrateful return or an uncivil affront or any other personal injury yet that charity which is a Christian grace is exercis'd and improv'd by such tryals it can take pleasure in reproaches and joy in persecutions it can love enemies and blesse persecutors and pray for the spightful and malicious 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore the next word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 13.7 8. It suffereth All things it endureth All things and therefore it followes Charity never faileth and how can we imagine that any thing can destroy that which even Enemies improve But secondly God and Nature seem to have conspired to make this grace perpetuall In differences of Religions we say Nulli sunt taliter discrepantes c. No Men are of such different opinions but they agree in some common principles out of which arguments may be drawn to bring all at last to unity of judgement in the same truth Thus the Christian and the Atheist agree in the Book of Nature the Christian and the Jew in the Old Testament and the Reformed Christian and the Papist in the New Testament and so long as there is a Third thing wherein they agree there is at least a possibility of union Even after the same manner hath God provided for the working and perpetuating the unity of affections by this grace of charity in as much as there cannot be any sort of people of such an alienated estate from us but there is some Relation in which they agree with us and so long as any relation continues even so long our love must endure But thou wilt say 't is true such or such an one was once my Brother in sincere and holy profession but now he hath broke that relation and turned prophane and dissolute yet love him still for he is thy Brother-Protestant Nay but he hath further Apostatiz'd even to Papal superstition and so hath broken that Relation also yes love him still for he is yet thy Brother-Christian Nay but he is as bad as bad may be he is degenerated into plain Atheism and so hath violated all Relations yes love him still for he is yet thy Brother-Creature nay thy Brother-Man and hath more of the lineaments and image of God in him then all the unreasonable creatures of the world besides and whatsoever is of God in him even in that he is thy Brother and in that the fit Object of thy charity This argument is excellently pursued by the Stoick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as every thing so every person hath two handles or two capacities and if thy charity cannot lay hold on the one yet may it easily on the other as for instance saith he Thy Brother hath injured thee in this case do not take him in that relation as he hath wronged thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for thus as we say in our English phrase thou takest the Pitcher by the wrong ear thy Brother in that capacity in which thou canst not bear him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather under this relation as he is thy Brother born of the same Mother nursed with the same Milk disciplined in the same family 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and so shalt thou receive him in that capacity in which thy charity will well bear him But Thirdly true charity is durable because it hath the discerning faculty to distinguish between the person and the fact so that all disobligements that are committed against love are received not as the effects of the person but of his evil disposition and proceeding not from his nature but from the corruption of his nature By which meanes all the provocations offered against the endeerments of charity are received as extrinsick to that relation in which we love our Brother and therefore can do no prejudice nor offer any violence to the integrity or constancy of this affection Marc. Anton. 18. Sect. 11. Which was a consideration that served to pacifie the passions of a Heathen Emperour under the ungrateful and perverse usages of evil Men when he considered that they had such depraved apprehensions of good and evil of pleasures and grief of honour and ignominy of life and death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shall not wonder saith he nor think it a strange thing if such a man commits such evil actions to wit of injustice or violence of intemperance or riot of indulgence or pusillanimity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s a shame for a man to be affected with wonder and amazement to see a Fig-tree bring forth figs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 't is no lesse shame for a Physician or a Pilot to be amazed when the one meets with Feavours and the other with stormes And even thus if we do but consider that the disobligements of charity are no other then the necessary effects of Mens evil dispositions and that such corrupt affections do as naturally bring forth such fruit as the Fig-tree doth Figs we shall finde little cause to be angry with our Brother But like good Physicians we shall respect and love the person whilest we seek to cure his disease and like good Pilots in a Tempest we shall not fret at the cause but shall consider how to bear up our selves with meeknesse wisdom and security under it and by this meanes our charity towards our Brethren will become very constant and durable Which is much according to our Saviours doctrine Luke 17.4 who teacheth us that though our Brothers behaviour be never so unworthy towards us yet we must continue to love and forgive even as often as he offends But if we once begin to stint our affection and come to S. Peters seven times Matth. 18.21 it is an evident signe that our love is but moral or rather base and mercenary and not that noble free and generous grace of Christian charity in the Text for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a protended and a durable Grace And thus have we finished the Third part of our Text the Qualification of the duty shewing you out of this one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both the extension intension and protension of Christian Charity The Fourth and Last particular is the Reciprocation of the duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among your selves The Love of Gods children is no single